Image authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon. Yoko Ono LennonA proposed series of specialty California license plates inspired by John Lennon's classic song "Imagine" that would raise money to support food banks in the state may soon be available if enough people apply to purchase them. The plates, which will feature a famous self-portrait sketch of the late rock legend along with the phrase "Imagine No Hunger," will go into production by California's Department of Motor Vehicles if 7,500 pre-paid applications are received.

Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono Lennon, has authorized the use of his sketch on the license plates.

"Imagine is a great word to spread around and I was happy to do this because it is helping a very important charity," says Yoko in a statement.

The plates are sponsored by California's Department of Social Services, which, in partner with the California Association of Food Banks, plans to use the funds raised by the program to procure and distribute food to those in need, provide nutrition education, and work toward enacting legislation that would make healthier food options available to citizens.

The California Association of Food Banks estimates that if 10 million people purchase the plates, hunger could be eliminated in the state.

Personalized and standard sequential plates both will be available for varying prices.

Visit CaliforniaImagine.com for full details.

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BAD AXE  A Bad Axe man is returning to prison for the third time in a decade, following his sentencing on weapons- and drug-related charges this week.

Ricky Peter Talaski Jr. told Huron County Judge Gerald M. Prill he was 13 days away from being discharged from parole.

Im pretty much begging for mercy from the court, Talaski said during sentencing.

Talaski, 41, pleaded guilty in January to single counts of possession of cocaine and felon in possession of a firearm. He also pleaded guilty to being a fourth-time habitual offender.

Talaski said for two years, he was required to take two drug tests a month and never failed. He was released from prison Dec. 3, 2015, after serving time for a 2012 home invasion sentence.

I want to be in my childrens lives more, Talaski said in his closing statements.

He has changed (since his release), said defense attorney Walt Salens.   Hes also trying to make something of himself. He may not have matured in his decision making, but hes grown up when it comes to being a father.

Huron County Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski said Talaski has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 1994  and includes six felonies and 29 misdemeanors.

Every year, theres something in the court system that involves Mr. Talaski, Rutkowski said.

Prill acknowledged the many letters the court received from Talaskis family and friends.

They show there is a good person here  and that you have changed, Prill said. But, are you changed enough that you can comply with the law?

Talaski was sentenced to one year and six months  and a maximum of 20 years  in the states prison system for the weapons charge. He received one year  maximum 15 years  in prison on the cocaine charge.

The sentences will run concurrently, however, they will run consecutively for any time Talaski may have to serve for violating his parole. By being on parole at the time of offense, he received no credit for any time previously served.

Talaski was arrested Nov. 21, following an investigation by a conservation officer with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The investigation revealed Talaski was in possession of firearms at his Sheridan Township residence. According to court records, he was in possession of the firearms from Nov. 1-21. Authorities also discovered cocaine inside the residence.
In a wide open race for the states top seat, more candidates than ever are poised to qualify for public financing.

The deadline to file first-quarter campaign-finance reports was early Wednesday, and several candidates appear to have passed the $250,000 minimum needed to obtain the $1.25 million public funding grant to wage a primary for governor.

They still have to make it past the auditors at the State Elections Enforcement Commission, as well as the delegates at the May conventions, or earn enough signatures to make it to the August primary ballot and qualify for the grant.

Meeting the required contribution thresholds is only one factor in the grant application process and is alone not sufficient to receive a grant, said Josh Foley, staff attorney State Elections Enforcement Commission. The campaign must qualify for the ballot, have remained within all expenditure limits at the time of application and abide by all CEP rules, among other qualifications. Only at the time that the application is made to the Commission will it vote to determine whether a committee has qualified to receive grant monies. Only the Commission may decide when a committee is fully qualified to receive a grant.

Of the more than two dozen candidates who are either exploring or officially running for governor, those who have passed $250,000 on the Republican side, according to their latest campaign finance report, are Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton ; former U.S. Comptroller General Dave Walker; Mike Handler, of New Canaan; Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti; Steve Obsitnik, of Westport; former Trumbull first selectman Tim Herbst; and state Rep. Prasad Srinivasan.

Democrats passing the $250,000 mark are former West Hartford mayor and state Sen. Jonathan Harris; and former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.

Several of those candidates, like Bysiewicz and Harris, said not all of their donations will qualify for the public financing program. Of the rest, itll be up to the SEEC to determine if they qualify.

Harris announced hes raised $320,909 since his campaign launched in 2017, including $50,425 in the last quarter.

Across Connecticut, elected officials, business leaders, activists and families are responding to Jonathans call for creative solutions to end our fiscal crisis and bring jobs and people back to our state, said Harris campaign manager Alynn Woischke.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, a Democrat, loaned his campaign $35,000, a day before the end of the first quarter reporting period, which helped put him over the $500,000 mark.

Ganim, of course, is ineligible for public financing as the state bars convicted felons from participating.

Herbst reports his cumulative total includes $146,349 raised by his campaign committee and $108,205 raised by his exploratory committee, which puts him past the $250,000 threshold. He said his campaign will continue to raise buffer funds before submitting a CEP grant application to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

"Having cleared this key hurdle earlier this quarter, we shifted our focus to making the case for a new generation of leadership in Connecticut to the activists who form the lifeblood of our party," Herbst said.

State Rep. Toni Boucher, a Republican, who has yet to officially declare her candidacy, reported $97,465 in individual contributions.

Albanian-born lawyer and Republican, Peter Lumaj, reports hes raised $204,000 for his campaign and spent about $80,000 of that.

Democrat Sean Connolly, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a former commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs, reported raising almost $95,000, but has only $25,000 in cash on hand.

Micah Welintukonis, an unaffiliated candidate, has raised just $11,000 for his campaign, while Rodney Hanscomb has raised just $805.

Several candidates have opted not to seek public financing, relieving them of the need to make sure the contributions they accept qualify.

Ned Lamont, who is not participating in the public financing system, reported raising $60,000 from over 1,000 donors since entering the race on Jan. 17. A Democrat, he backed his campaign with $210,000 of his own money and had $55,780 cash-on-hand at the end of the reporting period.

David Stemerman, the former hedge fund founder, raised about $7,000 in contributions from individuals in the latest fundraising quarter. Since registering as a candidate for governor late last September, the Republican has given his campaign at least $1.8 million of his own money, and spent half of it, campaign filings show.

Bob Stefanowski, the New Haven businessman and Republican who plans to bypass the convention process, has also loaned his campaign $150,000 of his own money, according to his latest filing.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
A high school in California has published a magazine featuring a bullet hole in it as a way to raise awareness around America's mass shooting problem.

Palo Alto High School's Verde Magazine published the April 7 edition in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting Feb. 14 that resulted in 17 deaths in Parkland, Florida.

The Verde cover story was titled "Up in arms." The article, written by Asia Gardias, Calvin Yan, Mara Smith and Abby Cummings, discusses the impact of the shooting in Florida and the subsequent walkouts nationwide.

POLICE: Snapchat video shows man shooting gun wildly from moving car

"This entire effort was made more poignant when we experienced a terrifying lockdown as we were about to review the final proof. Our printer's rep was in the room with us  to talk about how unusual the hole is  and got stuck with us for an hour and a half behind the barricades," Paul Kandell, teacher and adviser for Verde, told Chron.com Tuesday over email.

A photo of the magazine shot to the top of Reddit Monday where more than 2,700 comments largely praised the design.

"As a former school paper nerd, I would be honestly surprised if this doesn't earn them some kind of award. It's not only an innovative idea, it looks very well-executed. I'd be interested in how they adjusted the pages," Reddit user MrsMURICA commented.

A request for comment has been placed with the students who designed the magazine. This story will be updated with their information.

Fernando Alfonso III is a digital reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @fernalfonso.
Rep. Elizabeth Estys meteoric rise in Congress flamed out after Hearst Connecticut Media and other outlets broke the story of her self-described errors in handling the 2016 exit of her abusive former chief of staff.

But between the story bombshell and her decision not to seek a fourth term in Congress came the self-imposed weekend from hell at her home in Cheshire. There, she contemplated her future, took phone calls, tested the political waters.

All of Connecticut and the nation know the result. But how she weighed the pros and cons is less clear  until now.

In a wide-ranging interview in her office, a noticeably subdued Esty said she believed, despite the fallout, she could have run and won in 2018.

So why not give it a shot?

The story would have been about me, my wanting to win and hold on to power, Esty said, choosing her words carefully, speaking slowly  a stark contrast to her normal ebullient, self-confident demeanor. And thats not the kind of public service I believe in.

Without naming names, she confirmed the obvious: The Democratic Party elders in Connecticut were thumbs down.

For me to run at that point, without the support of my party or without support of significant voices in my party, would have required me to be the kind of person Im not.

Although she may have been a ripe target for Republican challengers in a district thats no slam dunk for Democrats, Esty said her record as an effective bipartisan legislator would have come through the din loud and clear.

But then it would have been about me; people would perceive it that way, she said. I didnt want that. I didnt want it for me, I didnt want it for my family, I didnt want it for my staff. They deserved better.

Blumenthal struggles

to save Mueller from Trump ax

Few people are more concerned than Sen. Richard Blumenthal over the prospect of President Trump firing special counsel Robert Mueller or Muellers boss, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Theres a growing sense of alarm that the president may do something rash and impulsive, whether out of anger or fear, Blumenthal said.

Firing either one could provoke a deeply destructive Constitutional crisis, said Blumenthal, himself no slouch when it comes to Constitutional law as a former Supreme Court law clerk, U.S. attorney and Connecticut attorney general.

Everybody agrees it should be avoided, he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who ultimately controls what does and does not get to the Senate floor, told reporters on Tuesday it wont happen.

But that view seems increasingly a form of wishful thinking, Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal, D-Conn., is co-sponsor of a bill to insulate the special counsel by requiring court approval if the counsel is to be removed under the laws requirement for just cause  dereliction of duty, incapacity, or conflict of interest.

The bill is picking up increasing bipartisan support in the Senate.

So all that being said, what was Blumenthal doing at the White House on Wednesday, exchanging pleasantries with, yes, Trump at the signing of an anti-sex-trafficking bill that Blumenthal co-authored?

And I think Dick Blumenthal is here; I saw Dick, the president said at the signing ceremony attended by lawmakers, victims and relatives. So thank you very much for coming. I appreciate it very much.

Remember, theres no love lost between these two because of Trumps repeated tweets on Blumenthals campaign gaffe that he served in the Marines in Vietnam when, in fact, he served stateside during the Vietnam era.

But Blumenthal insists he didnt find it particularly hard to be in the same room with Trump.

I respect the office of the president, Blumenthal said, sprinkling diplomacy on top of gravitas. |
PORTLAND  A suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of a 23-year-old Middletown man killed in an accident on the Arrigoni Bridge last November.

Daquan Moore, 23, was riding a moped across the bridge in the eastbound lane when he was struck from behind by a speeding car on the night of Nov. 4. The car pushed/carried the moped for some 200 feet before Moore and his scooter were thrown free from the car, authorities said.

After being rushed to Middlesex Hospital, Moore died from his injuries.

A suspect, Khavar McDonald, 36, of Middletown, surrendered to Portland police Wednesday at Main Street headquarters, police said. McDonald is the owner of the 2001 four-door Audi sedan which police allege was the car that struck Moore.

McDonald was charged with reckless driving, second-degree manslaughter, evading responsibility/leaving the scene of an accident, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, failure to maintain minimum insurance and operating an unregistered motor vehicle. He was released on a court-set $100,000 bail and is due to reappear in Superior Court in Middletown May 14.

Police said they believe McDonald and another unidentified driver were racing across the bridge when the accident occurred. Surveillance video showed the two cars continuing across the Arrigoni into Portland, according to the report.

Once there, they turned around in a service station and drove back across the bridge to Middletown, footage allegedly showed.

A witness on the bridge at the time said the driver of the Audi which struck Moore slowed down to observe the wrecked moped and the mortally injured Moore before continuing into Middletown, detectives said.

The Audi reportedly had a unique paint job that made it readily identifiable.

Within a week of the incident, an attorney representing McDonald turned the car over to police, the report said.

Officer Paul Liseo, who headed the investigation, regularly appealed to witnesses and the unknown driver of the second car, a 1999 to 2001 four-door Chrysler LHS, to provide information about the incident.

Reporter Jeff Mill covers East Hampton, Cromwell and Portland for The Middletown Press. Contact him at jeff.mill@hearstmediact.com.
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The German air defense frigate Hessen, the only warship in a Western fleet with three types of anti-air missiles, will deploy from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday with the carrier Harry S. Truman strike group in an effort to boost joint operations of NATO-allied navies.

The Hessen and the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate Roald Amundsen arrived in Norfolk in January to join sea training with the Truman.

Only the Hessen will be part of the carrier strike group, which also consists of the guided-missile destroyers Arleigh Burke, Bulkeley, Sherman and Farragut, for a deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleets areas of operations.

When the Hessen arrived in Norfolk, the ship's commanding officer, Cmdr. Oliver Pfennig, said in a statement, "The integration of German warship Hessen in the carrier strike group requires a lot of trust in our capabilities, and we will perform professionally and competently in all upcoming operations."

Last year, the Danish frigate Peter Willemoes joined the George H.W. Bush carrier strike group while in the Mediterranean.

It is unclear how long the Hessen will remain with the Truman strike group, but Vice Adm. Andreas Krause, chief of the German Navy, said Monday that the frigate's deployment is a sign that the state of the Bundeswehr, or German armed forces, is not as bad as depicted in a devastating report from Germany's parliament in February.

In his annual report, Hans-Peter Bartels, the German Parliament's armed forces commissioner, found that the state of the Bundeswehr's equipment -- from submarines and helicopters to Leopard tanks and body armor -- was "dramatically bad."

"At the end of the year, six out of six submarines were not in use. At times, not one of the 14 Airbus A400M [transport aircraft] could fly," Bartels said in the report, citing chronic underfunding and poor management.

In addition, only 95 of 244 Leopard 2 battle tanks were found to be combat ready, the report said.

Krause cited the report in his remarks during a panel discussion with the chiefs of the Spanish and Swedish navies Monday at the Sea-Air-Space 2018 exposition at the Gaylord National Convention Center at National Harbor, Maryland.

"Helicopters that do not fly, the entire submarine fleet down and the delivery of new frigates significantly delayed," he said, citing the report.

The report's findings were "factually correct," said Krause, a submariner and former commander of the U-22, but "they are at the same time suited to create a misleading impression, as they were only accurate for a very short, limited time."

Last week, Germany had 19 ships deployed, he said, and the government is committed to boosting military funding, although it is expected to be years away from meeting the Trump administration's demands for all NATO members to spend at least two percent of gross domestic product on defense.

In the panel discussion, Krause; Adm. Teodoro Lopez Calderon, chief of the Spanish Navy; and Rear Adm. Jens Nykvist, head of Swedish Navy, all stressed the importance of interoperability and partnership among allied navies to meet the growing threats from Russia and China.

Rear Adm. Francis Morley, director of the U.S. Navy's International Programs Office who led the panel discussion, said NATO is up against a "resurgent great power global environment and competition."

He said, "We cannot hope to be successful in this growing great power competitive strategic environment without exercising fully our common advantage of partnership."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was mum Wednesday on whether he thought President Donald Trump was "telegraphing" the U.S. military response to the suspected chemical attack east of Damascus by the Syrian regime.

Mattis also said the U.S. was assessing with allies the intelligence on the type of agent that may have been used. "We're still working on this," he said.

Responding to shouted questions at a Pentagon meeting with visiting Netherlands Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld, Mattis said only "thank you very much" when asked "are you concerned about telegraphing our military moves in Syria?"

Mattis added that "We stand ready to provide military options if they're appropriate, as the president determined" to the suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma that reportedly killed at least 40 and sickened more than 500.

Earlier Wednesday, Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford were seen entering the White House and departing about two hours later after discussions on the way forward against the Russian-backed regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In a series of Tweets Wednesday, Trump appeared to disclose that the U.S. response would be a missile attack similar to the one last April, when two Navy destroyers launched 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) against a Syrian airfield after an attack in northwestern Syria with the suspected nerve agent sarin.

In one Tweet, Trump said "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal [Assad] who kills his people and enjoys it!"

At a White House briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump was "not at all" Tweeting or making statements that would give away U.S. plans and potentially put lives at risk.

She said that missiles strikes were "certainly one option, but that doesn't mean it's the only option or the only thing that the President may or may not do."

During the campaign, Trump charged that the Obama administration repeatedly had "telegraphed" U.S. military plans.

"I have often said that General [Douglas] MacArthur and General [George] Patton would be in a state of shock if they were alive today to see the way President Obama and Hillary Clinton try to recklessly announce their every move before it happens -- like they did in Iraq -- so that the enemy can prepare and adapt," Trump said in an August 2016 speech on terrorism.

The attack in Douma and the apparent U.S. planning for a military response have set the region on edge. Syrian troops reportedly were leaving bases to avoid attack and Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control agency, warned flights of potential missile strikes in the eastern Mediterranean.

"'Due to the possible launch of air strikes in Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area [air traffic control in Cyprus]," Eurocontrol said Wednesday, according to CNBC.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
3 Soldiers at 10th Mountain May Have Died by Suicide in 2 Days. The Division Is Trying to Figure Out Why.
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Page: 1 2 Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: kaput

04-11-2018 01:26 AM











Post: #1 Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

Advertisement



He isn't going to be the instrument of your demise.



Russians ANGRY over approach of U.S. naval vessels near Syrian base; We have repeatedly WARNED the American side



Russians ANGRY over approach of U.S. naval vessels near Syrian base; We have repeatedly WARNED the American side

Posted on April 10, 2018 in war, World // 0 Comments





(National Sentinel) World War III: The Russian government is growing increasingly vocal in warning the United States against taking any action against the Syrian government Moscow supports following an alleged chemical weapons attack last week.



https://thenationalsentinel.com/2018/04/...ican-side/ Don't cry about Putin when you're shitting yourself to death from radiation poisoning.He isn't going to be the instrument of your demise.Russians ANGRY over approach of U.S. naval vessels near Syrian base; We have repeatedly WARNED the American sidePosted on April 10, 2018 in war, World // 0 Comments(National Sentinel) World War III: The Russian government is growing increasingly vocal in warning the United States against taking any action against the Syrian government Moscow supports following an alleged chemical weapons attack last week. LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 01:28 AM











Post: #2 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

I can't wait to see the US go down. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-11-2018 01:29 AM











Post: #3 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

The war drums are getting [ ]LOUDER![/size] LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 01:35 AM











Post: #4 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

relax, if there really was a war about to happen Putin would dump all the filth he has on Donald. Donald J Trump

Homer's University of GREATNESS

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04-11-2018 01:49 AM



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Post: #5 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

"Go with the flow, like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream" Del Griffith



LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 01:52 AM











Post: #6 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

Homer Simpson Wrote: (04-11-2018 01:49 AM) link to image: https://memestatic.fjcdn.com/pictures/Tr...146154.jpg





2 more points!!



2 more points!! Donald J Trump

Homer's University of GREATNESS

User ID: 1337

04-11-2018 01:53 AM



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Post: #7 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-11-2018 01:52 AM) Homer Simpson Wrote: (04-11-2018 01:49 AM) link to image: https://memestatic.fjcdn.com/pictures/Tr...146154.jpg





2 more points!!





"Go with the flow, like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream" Del Griffith



molson

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04-11-2018 01:54 AM



Posts: 8,354









Post: #8 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

Homer Simpson Wrote: (04-11-2018 01:49 AM)

LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 02:04 AM











Post: #9 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 02:11 AM











Post: #10 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war





The Syrian army has discovered where the White Helmets, an organization that claims to be made up of humanitarian workers and has been repeatedly blamed for creating fake propaganda against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have been filming their videos, according to Fars News.



Syrian civil defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, search for survivors following reported government airstrike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tishrin, on the northeastern outskirts of the capital Damascus

 AFP 2018/ Msallam ABDALBASET

White Helmets 'Treat' Alleged Chemical Attack Victims Without Protective Gear

According to the report, the place is located in the small town of Saqba in Eastern Ghouta. The army personnel reportedly also discovered cameras and film production equipment left at the site.



On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied reports of an alleged chemical bomb being dropped on Douma, also in Eastern Ghouta, suggesting that a number of Western states as well as NGOs like the White Helmets have turned to such claims, which it called "another fake," in order to "undermine the achieved ceasefire."



https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20180...ideo-site/ Now we know where exactly self-proclaimed humanitarian workers have filmed their propaganda videos depicting the Syrian Arab Army as bloodthirsty savages.The Syrian army has discovered where the White Helmets, an organization that claims to be made up of humanitarian workers and has been repeatedly blamed for creating fake propaganda against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have been filming their videos, according to Fars News.Syrian civil defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, search for survivors following reported government airstrike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tishrin, on the northeastern outskirts of the capital Damascus AFP 2018/ Msallam ABDALBASETWhite Helmets 'Treat' Alleged Chemical Attack Victims Without Protective GearAccording to the report, the place is located in the small town of Saqba in Eastern Ghouta. The army personnel reportedly also discovered cameras and film production equipment left at the site.On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied reports of an alleged chemical bomb being dropped on Douma, also in Eastern Ghouta, suggesting that a number of Western states as well as NGOs like the White Helmets have turned to such claims, which it called "another fake," in order to "undermine the achieved ceasefire." LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 02:13 AM











Post: #11 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

Starting to think that this constant terrorizing of countries in the Middle East won't end until nuclear devastation. That's the only way the warmongers will stop. When they are glowing in the dark and burning to death slowly from radiation. Then, and only then, will this cease. LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 02:15 AM











Post: #12 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war









https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M28aYkLRlm0 LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 02:15 AM











Post: #13 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

Whatever happened to the Trump is in cahoots with Putin narrative the leftist liberals were pushing. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-11-2018 02:23 AM











Post: #14 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-11-2018 02:11 AM) Now we know where exactly self-proclaimed humanitarian workers have filmed their propaganda videos depicting the Syrian Arab Army as bloodthirsty savages.



The Syrian army has discovered where the White Helmets, an organization that claims to be made up of humanitarian workers and has been repeatedly blamed for creating fake propaganda against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have been filming their videos, according to Fars News.



Syrian civil defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, search for survivors following reported government airstrike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tishrin, on the northeastern outskirts of the capital Damascus

 AFP 2018/ Msallam ABDALBASET

White Helmets 'Treat' Alleged Chemical Attack Victims Without Protective Gear

According to the report, the place is located in the small town of Saqba in Eastern Ghouta. The army personnel reportedly also discovered cameras and film production equipment left at the site.



On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied reports of an alleged chemical bomb being dropped on Douma, also in Eastern Ghouta, suggesting that a number of Western states as well as NGOs like the White Helmets have turned to such claims, which it called "another fake," in order to "undermine the achieved ceasefire."



https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20180...ideo-site/

When white helmets aren't staging fake chemical attacks, using murdered Syrian Christians, many held in captivity since 2012, they lay around in hotels getting high, watching porn. When white helmets aren't staging fake chemical attacks, using murdered Syrian Christians, many held in captivity since 2012, they lay around in hotels getting high, watching porn. Monk-1

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04-11-2018 02:24 AM



Posts: 5,687









Post: #15 RE: Russia warns Chump AGAIN about starting a world war

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-11-2018 02:15 AM) Whatever happened to the Trump is in cahoots with Putin narrative the leftist liberals were pushing.

Well there comes a time you can actually become worse then the russians.. Well there comes a time you can actually become worse then the russians.. (This post was last modified: 04-11-2018 02:24 AM by Monk-1 .) Advertisement


















FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- Adm. Philip Davidson, head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, has been nominated to lead U.S. Pacific Command, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.

He will replace Adm. Harry Harris, who is expected to retire in May and has been nominated for the ambassadorship to Australia.

Davidson took over U.S. Fleet Forces in December 2014. He previously commanded the 6th Fleet and was deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa. He also commanded Carrier Strike Group 8/Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.

Historically, the sitting commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet is tapped to lead PACOM. But Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift announced last fall he would be retiring after being told he would not be nominated for the job. He has not yet announced when he will retire.

The reason he was passed over was not made public; however, Swift is in charge of 3rd and 7th Fleets, the latter of which experienced separate high-profile collisions involving the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain that killed 17 sailors last year. The incidents brought increased scrutiny upon the Navy, resulting in a wave of punishments that forced a slew of leaders into early retirement and caused several others to be relieved of their duties.

In the wake of the collisions, Davidson, a seasoned surface warfare officer, was tasked with completing a comprehensive review of surface fleet operations and incidents at sea over the past decade, with special attention to the 7th Fleet.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval War College, Davidson's decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V."

"He served earlier in his career in policy, strategy and operations billets on multiple tours with the U.S. Pacific Fleet staff, the Navy staff and the Joint Staff, and as the Navy's military aide to the vice president of the United States," his Navy biography states.

Air Force Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of Pacific Air Forces, had been under consideration to head PACOM, according to recent news reports. He will instead take over U.S. Northern Command, as well as command of North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., the Pentagon said.

O'Shaughnessy also serves as the air component commander for U.S. Pacific Command and the executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

A 1986 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, O'Shaughnessy has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, including the 35th Fighter Wing as Misawa Air Base, Japan, and the 613th Air and Space Operations Center at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Prior to his current assignment, O'Shaughnessy was the Deputy Commander, United Nations Command Korea; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, South Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command and Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- A senior Marine Corps official confirmed today that the service is lockstep with the Army's effort to search for a rifle round more potent than the current 5.56mm round.

For months, senior Army officials have been telling Congress that the current 5.56mm Enhanced Performance Round is not potent enough to penetrate enemy body armor plates similar to U.S. military-issue rifle plates such as the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert, or ESAPI.

As a solution, the Army is experimenting with a plan to replace its M249 squad automatic weapon and M4 carbine with futuristic weapons that fire a 6.5mm case-telescoped round or something that falls between a 5.56mm and a 7.62mm round.

The Marine Corps, which recently decided to buy more M27 5.56mm Infantry Automatic Rifles, has not publically echoed the Army's concern with 5.56mm until now.

"We are working the Army; we have looked at the 6.5mm Creedmoor with the Army and [Special Operations Command]," Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, told Military.com at the annual Sea-Air-Space exposition Wednesday.

"We are lockstep with them looking at a new round."

Shrader, however, said he did not know if the effort would mean a new infantry weapon for the Marine Corps.

Lt. Gen. John Murray, deputy chief of staff for Army G8, told Congress in February that the Army already has a science and technology demonstration weapon, made by Textron Systems.

The working 6.5mm prototype has evolved out of Textron's light and medium machine guns that fire 5.56mm and 7.62mm case-telescoped ammunition developed under the Lightweight Small Arms Technology program.

Over the last decade, the Army has invested millions in the development of the program, which has now been rebranded to Textron's Case-Telescoped Weapons and Ammunition.

While the Textron weapon is "too heavy," Murray said the Army has opened the effort up to industry to come in and develop new prototypes for testing.

The Army had planned on fielding a the new Next Generation Squad Weapon by 2025 or 2026, but the service has now accelerated the effort to have some kind of initial capability by 2022 or 2023 at the latest, Army officials say.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
You don't usually expect children to be the ones bridging the civilian-military divide, but kids are often the most impressionable, so why not teach them to appreciate the sacrifices of military families?

More than a dozen civilian children recently threw a birthday party for 65 military kids whose parents are stationed around Northern Virginia. It was inspired by the daughters of Kerry Brophy, who was a military child herself.

One day, Brophy's family stopped to watch a military homecoming. Her girls, Kellen and Bellamy, didn't really understand what was happening, so Brophy explained that the families were reuniting after a long time apart. The girls were so touched that they wanted to do something for the kids, so they helped organize this group birthday party instead of parties for themselves.

"We wanted to help kids who don't get to see their mommies and daddies all the time," 7-year-old Bellamy Brophy said.

The kids were treated to a big brunch at the American Girl store in Tysons, Virginia. They were all given crowns to wear, cookies to decorate, crafts to put together, and of course, a big birthday cake.

The Brophys' idea has led to an initiative that encourages civilian kids to use their birthdays as an opportunity to celebrate their military peers. The idea is that if civilian parents can encourage small acts of gratitude and understanding of the military sacrifice early in life, that ideal will stick with them as they get older.

"Military families make huge sacrifices for our country, and civilians acknowledging their sacrifices by showing appreciation for their service can make all the difference," said Emma Dockery, who helped organize the party.

Whether they're giving gifts to military families or using their own party as a way to help celebrate a military kid who could use a little extra attention, it's a great way to help kids show their appreciation for military families.

The families came to the celebration from installations such as Fort Belvoir, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Coast Guard Telecommunications and Information Systems Command and the Pentagon.

While this celebration was all about the girls, more events that include boys are in the works.
Inspired by the popular meme, veterans can now wrap themselves up in actual DD-214 blankets.

A popular meme in military culture has been brought to life by a veterans clothing site. The meme surrounds discharge papers  known by veterans as the DD-214. If youve spent any time on military or veteran-oriented Facebook pages and sites, youve probably seen a number of DD-214 memes. They usually appear in the comments section of a Facebook post that shows one of the less appealing elements of life in the military.

Then, someone who is no longer in the military, posts this in the comments:

Now, the online store American As F*ck, a military and veterans clothing company, has a polyester fleece DD-214 blanket for sale.

Personally, Im debating buying a DD-214 blanket, but Im worried itll end up replacing my woobie.

James Clark is a staff writer for Task & Purpose. He is a former Marine combat correspondent and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. You can reach him via email at James@taskandpurpose.com. Follow James Clark on Twitter @JamesWClark

Brian Adam Jones is co-founder and editor-at-large of Task & Purpose. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and of the war in Afghanistan. The opinions stated in his work are his alone

More articles from Task & Purpose:

The Top 5 Post-Apocalyptic Video Games, Ranked

Our Guide To Winning An Online Argument Against An Angry Veteran

The Air Forces New Sizzle Reel Looks Eerily Similar To One Of Worst Military Movies Ever
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the status quo dubai style LopDude

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04-11-2018 10:56 AM



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Post: #1 the status quo dubai style

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When it comes to showing your wealth in an oil-rich area like Dubai, not only do you need the fancy Mercedes, Lexus, or Land Rover, you also need the license plate to match. Some even say in this region that without a quality license plate, your car wont be worth the money you spent. This doesnt mean you are seeking out a gold plated license plate that says boss any words for that matter; it means you are in search of a license plate that only has one or two numbers, specifically between one and ten.



Vanity plates in the United States are common, but arent as expensive as those sold in the United Arab Emirates. On an old episode of Seinfeld, a car had a vanity plate saying ASSMAN. Even if the U.S., an auction for this exact plate would not bring in the amount of money people are paying in Dubai even as a piece of television history.



Auctions involving license plates are a new trend that seems to be sweeping the world. When it comes to showing your status symbol, having the most expensive yachts, boats, cars, motorcycles, and houses just arent enough. In countries around the world, these auctions are being held to give people the opportunity to show how much money they have by buying these rare license plates.



https://www.therichest.com/luxury/most-e...the-world/ Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Dubai Auction: Most Expensive License Plates In The WorldWhen it comes to showing your wealth in an oil-rich area like Dubai, not only do you need the fancy Mercedes, Lexus, or Land Rover, you also need the license plate to match. Some even say in this region that without a quality license plate, your car wont be worth the money you spent. This doesnt mean you are seeking out a gold plated license plate that says boss any words for that matter; it means you are in search of a license plate that only has one or two numbers, specifically between one and ten.Vanity plates in the United States are common, but arent as expensive as those sold in the United Arab Emirates. On an old episode of Seinfeld, a car had a vanity plate saying ASSMAN. Even if the U.S., an auction for this exact plate would not bring in the amount of money people are paying in Dubai even as a piece of television history.Auctions involving license plates are a new trend that seems to be sweeping the world. When it comes to showing your status symbol, having the most expensive yachts, boats, cars, motorcycles, and houses just arent enough. In countries around the world, these auctions are being held to give people the opportunity to show how much money they have by buying these rare license plates.
















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A History Timeline of Population Control LoP Guest

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04-11-2018 12:10 PM











Post: #1 A History Timeline of Population Control

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...Humanity must drastically scale down its industrial activities on Earth, change its consumption lifestyles, stabilize and then reduce the size of the human population by humane means, and protect and restore wild ecosystems and the remaining wildlife on the planet."



The Wildlands Project



The Tartars had the idea of infecting the enemy by catapulting bodies infected with bubonic plague over the walls of the city of Kaffa.







Some historians believe that this event was the cause of the epidemic of plague that swept across medieval Europe killing 25 million.







1763



The British during the French-Indian War. The Native Americans greatly outnumbered the British and were suspected of being on the side of the French. As an "act of good will" the British give blankets to the Indians, but the blankets came from a hospital that was treating smallpox victims and consequently smallpox raged through the Native American community and devastated their numbers.









1814



Andrew Jackson, whose portrait appears on the U.S. $20 bill today, supervised the mutilation of 800 or more Creek Indian corpses, the bodies of men, women and children that his troops had massacred, cutting off their noses to count and preserve a record of the dead, slicing long strips of flesh from their bodies to tan and turn into bridle reins.







(Historian Ward Churchill, A LITTLE MATTER OF GENOCIDE; HOLOCAUST AND DENIAL IN THE AMERICAS, 1492 TO THE PRESENT (San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1997). ISBN 0-87286-323-9. pg.186) U.S. Presidents And The Masonic Power Structure









1911



Turkey established gun control. From 1915-1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.









1918



The modern history of Biological Warfare (BW) starts in 1918 with the Japanese formation of a special section of the Army (Unit 731) dedicated to BW. The thought at the time was "Science and Technology are the Key's to Winning War and BW is the most cost effective."









1918-1919



Flu pandemic that killed over 20 million worldwide and over 500,000 here in the US.









1920's



Unlike the malignant twists of nature, ranging from bubonic plague through to potato blight, which have killed masses throughout the ages, both the beef and pituitary hormone CJD crises were manmade. Scrapie, the sheep equivalent of BSE and CJD, has been around for more than two centuries. Somewhat differently, human spongiform encephalopathy was unheard of before two German physicians, Creutzfeldt and Jakob, independently reported the initial cases in the 1920s. BSE, too, was unheard of until a decade after cattle (aka Mad Cow) began to be fed the protein-rich remains of scrapie-infected sheep to accelerate their growth.









1929



The Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, approximately 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.









1930's



Less known to the public is that fluoride also accumulates in bones. "The teeth are windows to what's happening in the bones," explained Paul Connett, Professor of Chemistry at St Lawrence University, New York, to these reporters. In recent years, pediatric bone specialists have expressed alarm about an increase in stress fractures among young people in the US. Connett and other scientists are concerned that fluoride-linked to bone damage in studies since the 1930s-may be a contributing factor.









1931



Japan expanded its territory by taking over part of Manchuria and Unit 731 moved in to secure "an endless supply of human experiment materials." Essentially all prisoners of war were available for Biological Warfare (BW) experiments. Japanese WWII Veteran Admits Unit 731 Germ Tests









1931



Dr. Cornelius Rhoads, under the auspices of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Investigations, infects human subjects with cancer cells. He later goes on to establish the U.S. Army Biological Warfare facilities in Maryland, Utah, and Panama, and is named to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. While there, he begins a series of radiation exposure experiments on American soldiers and civilian hospital patients.











1932



The Infamous Tuskegee Study

In recent history, we have seen the influence of occult population control advocates here in America. Nowhere is that influence better demonstrated than in the Tuskegee Study, a scientific research program in which 400 syphilis-infected black men were recruited by the U.S. Public Health Service back in 1932. The participants were all told that they would be treated for their infections, but instead of treating their illness, all medicines were withheld. The black men were then actively prevented from obtaining treatment elsewhere as their bodies, and the bodies of their wives and children, were systematically ravaged by disease.







The evil men who conceived that Nazi-style study justified their atrocity by alleging that scientists needed to learn how untreated syphilis progressed in the human body. For a period of forty years, between 1932 and 1972, the genocidal Tuskegee Study continued. It was not until 1972, when one newspaper finally had the courage to break the story to the public, that the Tuskegee Study was finally terminated.



The Population Control Agenda









1934



The original lesson about the infectious nature of these brain diseases ("mad cow disease" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans) came from a 1934 vaccine catastrophe in the UK which brought scrapie, or "mad sheep disease", to almost 5,000 out of 18,000 lambs within two years of their immunization against louping-ill virus infection.







Tracing back, scientists discovered that the vaccine serum was prepared from a number of lambs whose dams had subsequently developed scrapie, but the significance of scrapie passing vertically from ewes to their lambs, and horizontally from lamb to lamb by virtue of the vaccine injections, was kept from international eyes by a series of egotistical carry-ons which prevented the data from reaching the pages of the scientific literature for a further 15 years.









1935



The Pellagra Incident. After millions of individuals die from Pellagra over a span of two decades, the U.S. Public Health Service finally acts to stem the disease. The director of the agency admits it had known for at least 20 years that Pellagra is caused by a niacin deficiency but failed to act since most of the deaths occurred within poverty-stricken black populations.









1935



China established gun control. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.





1938



Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, 6 to 7 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally ill, and 12 million Christians who were unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.







https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/socio...popu20.htm The following excerpt was taken from an outline of a Government Project: The Wildlands Project....Humanity must drastically scale down its industrial activities on Earth, change its consumption lifestyles, stabilize and then reduce the size of the human population by humane means, and protect and restore wild ecosystems and the remaining wildlife on the planet."The Wildlands ProjectThe Tartars had the idea of infecting the enemy by catapulting bodies infected with bubonic plague over the walls of the city of Kaffa.Some historians believe that this event was the cause of the epidemic of plague that swept across medieval Europe killing 25 million.1763The British during the French-Indian War. The Native Americans greatly outnumbered the British and were suspected of being on the side of the French. As an "act of good will" the British give blankets to the Indians, but the blankets came from a hospital that was treating smallpox victims and consequently smallpox raged through the Native American community and devastated their numbers.1814Andrew Jackson, whose portrait appears on the U.S. $20 bill today, supervised the mutilation of 800 or more Creek Indian corpses, the bodies of men, women and children that his troops had massacred, cutting off their noses to count and preserve a record of the dead, slicing long strips of flesh from their bodies to tan and turn into bridle reins.(Historian Ward Churchill, A LITTLE MATTER OF GENOCIDE; HOLOCAUST AND DENIAL IN THE AMERICAS, 1492 TO THE PRESENT (San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1997). ISBN 0-87286-323-9. pg.186) U.S. Presidents And The Masonic Power Structure1911Turkey established gun control. From 1915-1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.1918The modern history of Biological Warfare (BW) starts in 1918 with the Japanese formation of a special section of the Army (Unit 731) dedicated to BW. The thought at the time was "Science and Technology are the Key's to Winning War and BW is the most cost effective."1918-1919Flu pandemic that killed over 20 million worldwide and over 500,000 here in the US.1920'sUnlike the malignant twists of nature, ranging from bubonic plague through to potato blight, which have killed masses throughout the ages, both the beef and pituitary hormone CJD crises were manmade. Scrapie, the sheep equivalent of BSE and CJD, has been around for more than two centuries. Somewhat differently, human spongiform encephalopathy was unheard of before two German physicians, Creutzfeldt and Jakob, independently reported the initial cases in the 1920s. BSE, too, was unheard of until a decade after cattle (aka Mad Cow) began to be fed the protein-rich remains of scrapie-infected sheep to accelerate their growth.1929The Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, approximately 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.1930'sLess known to the public is that fluoride also accumulates in bones. "The teeth are windows to what's happening in the bones," explained Paul Connett, Professor of Chemistry at St Lawrence University, New York, to these reporters. In recent years, pediatric bone specialists have expressed alarm about an increase in stress fractures among young people in the US. Connett and other scientists are concerned that fluoride-linked to bone damage in studies since the 1930s-may be a contributing factor.1931Japan expanded its territory by taking over part of Manchuria and Unit 731 moved in to secure "an endless supply of human experiment materials." Essentially all prisoners of war were available for Biological Warfare (BW) experiments. Japanese WWII Veteran Admits Unit 731 Germ Tests1931Dr. Cornelius Rhoads, under the auspices of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Investigations, infects human subjects with cancer cells. He later goes on to establish the U.S. Army Biological Warfare facilities in Maryland, Utah, and Panama, and is named to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. While there, he begins a series of radiation exposure experiments on American soldiers and civilian hospital patients.1932The Infamous Tuskegee StudyIn recent history, we have seen the influence of occult population control advocates here in America. Nowhere is that influence better demonstrated than in the Tuskegee Study, a scientific research program in which 400 syphilis-infected black men were recruited by the U.S. Public Health Service back in 1932. The participants were all told that they would be treated for their infections, but instead of treating their illness, all medicines were withheld. The black men were then actively prevented from obtaining treatment elsewhere as their bodies, and the bodies of their wives and children, were systematically ravaged by disease.The evil men who conceived that Nazi-style study justified their atrocity by alleging that scientists needed to learn how untreated syphilis progressed in the human body. For a period of forty years, between 1932 and 1972, the genocidal Tuskegee Study continued. It was not until 1972, when one newspaper finally had the courage to break the story to the public, that the Tuskegee Study was finally terminated.The Population Control Agenda1934The original lesson about the infectious nature of these brain diseases ("mad cow disease" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans) came from a 1934 vaccine catastrophe in the UK which brought scrapie, or "mad sheep disease", to almost 5,000 out of 18,000 lambs within two years of their immunization against louping-ill virus infection.Tracing back, scientists discovered that the vaccine serum was prepared from a number of lambs whose dams had subsequently developed scrapie, but the significance of scrapie passing vertically from ewes to their lambs, and horizontally from lamb to lamb by virtue of the vaccine injections, was kept from international eyes by a series of egotistical carry-ons which prevented the data from reaching the pages of the scientific literature for a further 15 years.1935The Pellagra Incident. After millions of individuals die from Pellagra over a span of two decades, the U.S. Public Health Service finally acts to stem the disease. The director of the agency admits it had known for at least 20 years that Pellagra is caused by a niacin deficiency but failed to act since most of the deaths occurred within poverty-stricken black populations.1935China established gun control. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.1938Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, 6 to 7 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally ill, and 12 million Christians who were unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 12:20 PM











Post: #2 RE: A History Timeline of Population Control





Turkey established gun control. From 1915-1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. 1911Turkey established gun control. From 1915-1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 12:22 PM











Post: #3 RE: A History Timeline of Population Control

1929



The Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, approximately 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-11-2018 12:24 PM











Post: #4 RE: A History Timeline of Population Control

1935



China established gun control. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.





1938



Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, 6 to 7 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally ill, and 12 million Christians who were unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-11-2018 12:30 PM











Post: #5 RE: A History Timeline of Population Control

1956



Cambodia established gun control. From 1975 to 1977, one million "educated" people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. LoP Guest

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04-11-2018 12:35 PM











Post: #6 RE: A History Timeline of Population Control





LoP Guest

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Post: #7 RE: A History Timeline of Population Control

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-11-2018 12:35 PM)



Flic Vange

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12-13-2018 01:39 AM



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Post: #8 RE: A History Timeline of Population Control





It is all happening now it would seem.....

Just came across this on my travels today.It is all happening now it would seem..... 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

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Page: 1 2 Saudis Shoot Down Missiles Laserz

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04-12-2018 12:29 AM



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Post: #1 Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

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Loud blasts were heard in the night sky above Riyadh on Wednesday. Two other missiles were intercepted over the southern areas of Jazan and Najran, authorities said. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it also downed a drone targeting an airport in the southwestern province of Abha and another in Jazan.



The missiles were fired just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. would strike Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces are backed by Russia and Iran, over a suspected chemical weapons attack.



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...ts-missile Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile over Riyadh and shot down two drones in another part of the country on Wednesday, in the latest attacks by pro-Iranian Yemeni rebels showing improved military capabilities more than three years into the conflict.Loud blasts were heard in the night sky above Riyadh on Wednesday. Two other missiles were intercepted over the southern areas of Jazan and Najran, authorities said. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it also downed a drone targeting an airport in the southwestern province of Abha and another in Jazan.The missiles were fired just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. would strike Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces are backed by Russia and Iran, over a suspected chemical weapons attack. Laserz

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Post: #2 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles





Saudi forces destroyed three missiles over northeastern Riyadh shortly before midnight, as well as others fired at the southern cities of Najran, Jizan and Khamis Mushait, the coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.



Debris from the missiles fell on a home in Riyadh, killing an Egyptian resident and wounding two other Egyptians, said coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki, according to SPA.



Reuters reporters in Riyadh heard several booms and saw smoke in the air. Another witness said he saw a long stream of light followed by additional explosions.



In al-Malqa neighborhood, emergency personnel gathered near a crater in the ground and inspected shattered glass in nearby homes.



The United States, which provides support to the coalition, said in a State Department statement it condemned the missile attacks and backed the right of Saudi Arabia to defend itself against such threats.



https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi...SKBN1H10YB Saudi air defenses shot down seven ballistic missiles fired by Yemens Houthi militia on Sunday, with debris killing a man in what was the first death in the capital during the Saudi-led coalitions three-year military campaign in Yemen.Saudi forces destroyed three missiles over northeastern Riyadh shortly before midnight, as well as others fired at the southern cities of Najran, Jizan and Khamis Mushait, the coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.Debris from the missiles fell on a home in Riyadh, killing an Egyptian resident and wounding two other Egyptians, said coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki, according to SPA.Reuters reporters in Riyadh heard several booms and saw smoke in the air. Another witness said he saw a long stream of light followed by additional explosions.In al-Malqa neighborhood, emergency personnel gathered near a crater in the ground and inspected shattered glass in nearby homes.The United States, which provides support to the coalition, said in a State Department statement it condemned the missile attacks and backed the right of Saudi Arabia to defend itself against such threats. LoP Guest

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04-12-2018 12:31 AM











Post: #3 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles





Like protecting your home with a Gun.. Saudis and their Oil..Like protecting your home with a Gun.. TicklePickle

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04-12-2018 12:33 AM



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Post: #4 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

Firing one or two missiles at a time isn't going to work.



The Houthis need to fire a whole barage all at once to get a decent number through to hit their targets. Laserz

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04-12-2018 12:34 AM



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Post: #5 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

Thanks for the pin. Laserz

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04-12-2018 12:36 AM



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Post: #6 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles









http://www.businessinsider.com/likely-us...ets-2017-5 Putin just said Russia has 'unstoppable' nukes  here are the areas in the US most likely to be hit in a nuclear attack Laserz

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04-12-2018 12:37 AM



Posts: 40,873









Post: #7 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

Fork Wrote: (04-12-2018 12:36 AM) Putin just said Russia has 'unstoppable' nukes  here are the areas in the US most likely to be hit in a nuclear attack







http://www.businessinsider.com/likely-us...ets-2017-5

maybe this needs it's own thread.... maybe this needs it's own thread.... Laserz

let there be light

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 12:51 AM



Posts: 40,873









Post: #8 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles



#Syria's Bashar Assad has fled the presidential palace in fear of a US-led air attack. #Iran's IRGC, militias & the Lebanese Hezbollah have also reportedly evacuated their bases.



https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/...9222368257 Sky News:#Syria's Bashar Assad has fled the presidential palace in fear of a US-led air attack. #Iran's IRGC, militias & the Lebanese Hezbollah have also reportedly evacuated their bases. Laserz

let there be light

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 12:58 AM



Posts: 40,873









Post: #9 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles



Analysts say most important targets are military airbases (more than 25 in Syria), research centers in Qasioun of Damascus, academic centers in Aleppo, the 55th Missile Brigade in Damascus & ...Republican Guard bases in Damascus, Air Force command, IRGC & #Iran-backed militia bases near Damascus, Fort Imam Hossein near Zebdani, the 4th Division in Homs (currently controlled by the IRGC).

(2/2)





https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/...9222368257



Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says his country will participate in a possible military action against Syria



http://www.asriran.com/fa/news/603142/%D...8%B1%D8%AF





Abu Dhabi Crown Prince advisor tweets a picture of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif smiling and writing:



"You will no longer smile after today."









https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/...7499389952 Lebanon & Israel on high alert for imminent US-led attack on #Syria.Analysts say most important targets are military airbases (more than 25 in Syria), research centers in Qasioun of Damascus, academic centers in Aleppo, the 55th Missile Brigade in Damascus & ...Republican Guard bases in Damascus, Air Force command, IRGC & #Iran-backed militia bases near Damascus, Fort Imam Hossein near Zebdani, the 4th Division in Homs (currently controlled by the IRGC).(2/2)Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says his country will participate in a possible military action against SyriaAbu Dhabi Crown Prince advisor tweets a picture of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif smiling and writing:"You will no longer smile after today." LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 01:04 AM











Post: #10 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

It's all about to go down Laserz

let there be light

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 01:08 AM



Posts: 40,873









Post: #11 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-12-2018 01:04 AM) It's all about to go down

It looks that way... doesn't it? It looks that way... doesn't it? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 01:10 AM











Post: #12 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

Nothing will happen. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 01:13 AM











Post: #13 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

thats too bad, lets hope the houthis have better luck killing some saudi animals next time spo snouou

Vocem sine nomine audivit!

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 01:14 AM



Posts: 67,592









Post: #14 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles





What a way to run a railroad



That was quick... we see several fronts forming now.. this is crunch time as Chancellor Trump leads the Western Alliance into WW3 to avoid exposure that he is actually working for Russia to destroy the Western Alliance ..What a way to run a railroad Laserz

let there be light

User ID: 1337

04-12-2018 01:14 AM



Posts: 40,873









Post: #15 RE: Saudis Shoot Down Missiles

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-12-2018 01:10 AM) Nothing will happen.

I've been praying that nothing will happen.... but...



I've been praying that nothing will happen.... but... Advertisement


















Taking its rivalry with JSW Steel on to Twitter, ArcelorMittal on Wednesday tweeted that the Sajjan Jindal company's bid for Monnet Ispat is against the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code's (IBC) Clause 29A, and is a "mockery".

On Tuesday, lenders of Monnet Ispat had approved JSW Steel's bid for the company. The Sajjan Jindal company had bid along with AION Investments.

But contending the development, ArcelorMittal (India) chose to air its views via its Twitter handle. Tagging the JSW Steel chairman and managing director, the world's largest steelmaker tweeted:



@sajjanjindal Interesting what decision is being taken on Monnet today given its clear JSW runs afoul of 29A as they are related to the existing promoter.who is making the mockery here?

 ArcelorMittal India (@ArcelorMittalIn) April 11, 2018

@sajjanjindal Interesting what decision is being taken on Monnet today given its clear JSW runs afoul of 29A as they are related to the existing promoter.who is making the mockery here?

Both the companies are in the race for Essar Steel. While ArcelorMittal has partnered with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, JSW Steel is an investor in the Numetal consortium.

The Clause

Apart from preventing promoters of defaulting companies from bidding for stressed assets, Clause 29A of the IBC also debars "connected persons."

Earlier, Bhushan Steel employees (the company was also put under NCLT and JSW Steel was one of the bidders), had alleged that Sajjan Jindal's sister Seema Jajodia was a promoter in Monnet Ispat and thus making Jindal a "connected person." Seema was married to Sandeep Jajodia, promoter of Monnet Ispat.

Seema later transferred her shares in the company as a gift, and in a BSE announcement requested that she be excluded as a promoter of Monnet Ispat.

Reacting to ArcelorMittal's allegation, JSW Steel replied:

"JSW Steel has gone through the rigour of scrutiny. After the thorough examination of facts, JSW Steel is declared as qualified resolution applicant as per the provisions of sec 29(A) of Insolvency and bankruptcy code (IBC) 2016 not only in Monnet but in other stressed accounts.

"The intention of unfounded allegations may be to defame JSW Steel or probably using an insufficient or incorrect interpretation of information to mislead the general public. JSW Steel adheres to highest standards of corporate governance."

In March, Sajjan Jindal - with an indirect reference to ArcelorMittal's exit from Uttam Galva - had said that it's not fair that a promoter exits a company just to be eligible to bid for a stressed asset.

ArcelorMittal had exited Uttam Galva, and also declassified itself as a promoter of the defaulting company.

Now it was the turn of the Lakshmi Mittal-company to put the blame on JSW Steel.

"We are fed up with being pushed around and seems to be one set of rules for some and another for others," said a source close to ArcelorMittal.

Both, ArcelorMittal and Numetal had approached the Ahmedabad bench of the NCLT to reconsider their bids in the first round of bidding for Essar Steel.

The bench is expected to make a decision later in the week.

The bids in the second round of the auction can only be opened after the bench takes a call on the pleas by ArcelorMittal and Numetal.
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Biocon on Wednesday said its partner Mylan has entered into an in-licensing deal to accelerate commercialisation of biosimilar Humira developed by Japanese drug maker Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics for European markets.

Adalimumab  the biosimilar of Humira is indicated for patients suffering from various autoimmune disorders.

Mylan said its partner Biocon will receive economic benefit through this collaboration.

Humira is the world's best-selling biologic medication and had brand sales of approximately USD 4.1 billion in Europe for the 12 months ending December 31, 2017, according to IQVIA.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted for review the Marketing Authorisation Application of Fujifilm for its proposed biosimilar to Humira on May 18 last year. The company expects to receive a decision from EMA in the second half of 2018.

Under the terms of the agreement between the two companies, Fujifilm grants Mylan an exclusive license to commercialise the adalimumab biosimilar in Europe and will receive an up-front fee.

In addition, Fujifilm is eligible to receive a subsequent commercialisation milestone payment and sales royalties.

The two companies continue to negotiate for commercialising the product in additional territories.

"We believe that through this arrangement, Mylan could commercialise FKB's Adalimumab in EU around market formation. Biocon retains its economic interest in this arrangement vis-a-vis Mylan in line with its existing global collaboration with Mylan for monoclonal antibodies," a Biocon spokesperson said.

Biocon in collaboration with Mylan is separately developing Humira biosimilar for US and Europe. Currently, the drug is under global clinical trials and could take more time before it is ready for marketing authorisation filing with Europe and US regulatory agencies.
The logo of Eisai Co Ltd is displayed at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, March 8, 2018. REUTERS/Issei Kato - RC124EDF2B40

Eisai Pharmaceuticals, the Indian unit of the Japanese drug maker, on Wednesday said that it will be exclusively distributing US biotech firm Biogens multiple sclerosis (MS) portfolio in India.

Under the agreement, Eisai will distribute Biogens MS treatments that include Avonex (interferon beta 1a), Tysabri (natalizumab), Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate)and Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a) in India.

The agreement is based on a global collaboration agreement  that gives Eisai rights to distribute Biogens MS portfolio in India and other Asian countries.

The portfolio currently marketed by Biogen/UCB had sales of around Rs 55 crore in FY17. Eisai wants to generate at least 70 crore sales per annum in the next three years.

Eisai focuses on CNS and Oncology drugs and has a turnover of around of Rs 500 crore in India, as compared to its USD 5 billion global sales.

Eisai said it will be adopting a differential pricing strategy as MS drugs are expensive and come a high price of Rs 3,00,000 for a year's treatment  which makes it beyond the reach of most patients in India.

The drug maker said it will give rebate based on the annual income of the patients.

Eisai, unlike other Japanese drug makers  manufactures and market drugs through a dedicated front end sales team in India.

The company has a captive manufacturing facility in Visakhapatnam that exports drugs to its home market and other countries.

The number of MS patients has increased in India in the recent years - a debilitating chronic illness that is caused due to our own immune system turning against our Central Nervous System. MS is often misdiagnosed or under diagnosed, which worsens the condition of patients quickly.

Guesstimates suggest that there are about 200,000 MS patients in India. MS is being increasingly diagnosed due to an increase in the number of practicing neurologists and easy and affordable availability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

CNS/neuro-psychiatry has been a therapeutic focus area for Eisai and we will continue to use our strengths in research and development. By partnering with other companies to create and bring medicines to the country, we seek to improve and enhance the quality of life of patients and their families, Sanjit Singh Lamba, Managing Director of Eisai India.

Lack of awareness about the disease and its symptoms, associated social stigma, lack of skilled professionals, as well as limited access to the latest advancements in technologies among the rural population result in a majority of cases going undiagnosed. Our aim is to help address these challenges and enable patients and their families to live a better life, said Saumil Mody, Vice President, Commercial Operations, of Eisai India.
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The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on IDBI bank for failing to comply with norms related to reporting of bad loans.

"The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed, through an order dated April 09, 2018, a monetary penalty of Rs 30 million on IDBI Bank Limited (the bank) for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms."

For FY16, IDBI Bank had reported divergence of Rs 6,816.60 crore in classification of non-performing asset (NPA) compared to RBI's assessment. It also under-reported provisions towards such bad loans to the tune of Rs 2,061 crore.

Last month, the central bank levied a penalty of Rs 58.9 crore on ICICI Bank, the countrys largest private sector lender, for failing to adhere to its directives regarding the sale of securities from the held-to-maturity, or HTM, portfolio.

RBI had also earlier charged Indian Overseas Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, IDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank and RBL bank for violation of the asset qualification and KYC norms laid down by the regulator.

In April last year, the RBI told banks to disclose bad loan divergence in their financial statements if it exceeded 15 percent.

The government-owned bank is already under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) among 10 other banks, imposed by the RBI in May last year for breaching NPA levels and negative return on assets (ROA).

At the end of December 2017, IDBI Bank reported its gross NPAs at Rs 50,622 crore, 24.72 percent or almost a quarter of its total loans. Its net loss for the October to December period stood at Rs 1,542 crore.

The central bank said, "This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI...taking into account failure of the bank to adhere to the aforesaid directions issued by RBI."

RBI is also said to have written a letter to the Finance Ministry expressing concerns over its poor financial health and that it may have under reported its NPAs in the previous financial year.

This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers, RBI has said.
The government is in the process of finalising regulations that may soon be released for public comments for foreign universities to set up campuses in India. At present, laws do not allow international educational institutions to set up India campuses without tying up with local players.

We are considering the bill seriously and are open to views from relevant experts, said a source close to the development.

Eight years ago, the UPA government had received Cabinet approval for the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010. This bill was to look at the entry and India operations of institutions. This nod had also come after stiff opposition for four years. However, it could not be passed due to lack of consensus.

This bill is still pending to be taken up. Once the final draft is released, this may be open to suggestions from relevant stakeholders before it is tabled in the Parliament. The final decision could be taken in the next 3-4 weeks.

Sources said that around 50-60 international educational institutions have expressed their interest to set up a campus in India. However, extant laws do not permit them to do so.

Some institutions are already operating in India by tying up with local partners. For instance, Canada-based Schulich School of Business has an MBA programme in its India campus in Hyderabad being offered in partnership with the GMR School of Business.

Currently, there are more than 700 foreign education providers operating in India providing courses through partnerships, offer blended programmes or offer pure executive education for senior management of companies. There are also a handful who are operating without an All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) go ahead which technically means that they do not have the right to offer degrees or diploma certifications in India.

Early beginnings

The UPA government had made several attempts to enable foreign educational institutions to set up campuses in India by getting the Bill passed. However, there was a lack of consensus that led to this proposal being left hanging.

Later, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had also prepared and notified rules that would allow certain foreign universities (not-for-profit ones) to set up campuses in India. But there were differing views between UGC and the law ministry because they had sought specific laws to be enacted for the same.

Modi government tries again

In mid-2014, former Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani had made an attempt to introduce regulations on allowing foreign university campuses in India. However, no further move was made on this front and the proposal died within a few months.

However, sources said that the current government wants to build a proper structure of guidelines that will guide foreign players on the entry, exit and capital requirements to set up shop in India.

There have been cases wherein some foreign institutes have a complex structure of having one year of education in India while the second and third year could be in some other location and the degree awarded will be from abroad. These are grey areas that we are looking to resolve so that the students future career prospects are not impacted, said a senior official.

Way forward

Once the norms are finalised, the MHRD will look at the pros and cons of the suggestions. Once this is done, this will be forwarded to the Cabinet. Once it receives a cabinet nod, this can be introduced in the Parliament.

On area to watch out for is if the ministry will look for institutions with at least 20-30 years of minimum history before they can set up an India campus. Institutes may also have to register twinning programmes at the very outset to clarify that the courses will be offered across different locations of the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Chhattisgarhs Bijapur district on BR Ambedkars birth anniversary on April 14 to launch health and wellness centers in the state, which is a part of the governments ambitious Ayushman Bharat programme.

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, scheduled for end of the year, Modi will spend an entire day in Naxal-infested Bijapur, a source, who did not wish to be identified, told Moneycontrol.

As a part of Ayushman Bharat for a `New India-2022, the government plans to set up Rs 1.5 lakh wellness centres that will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases and maternal and child health services.

These centres will also supply essential drugs free of cost, along with diagnostic services. In Union Budget, 2018, Rs.1200 crore was allocated towards this flagship programme.

The government also expects contribution from the private sector through corporate social responsibility and philanthropic institutions in adopting these centres.

During the visit, the Prime Minister may also launch another scheme called Van Dhan Yojana, aimed mainly at empowering the tribals by training them in collecting and processing minor forest produce.

Bijapur also happens to be one of the 115 aspirational districts, low on the key development-related parameters.

On January 5, Modi launched the crucial policy initiative for the rapid transformation of 115 backward and underdeveloped districts across 28 states in the country and have three months time to achieve some visible results and turn around these districts.

He had also said that he would personally visit one such well-performing district in the month of April.

Last month, the governments policy think-tank National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog came up with a mechanism, under which 101 of these backward districts will be competing against each other based on certain indicators that would cover five development areas of health and nutrition, agriculture and water resources, education, financial inclusion and basic infrastructure.
Facebook is committed to ensure the integrity of elections in countries like India, Pakistan and the US, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said as he was questioned for nearly five hours by senators over the Cambridge Analytica scandal that has shaken the social media giant.

Zuckerberg's first day of testimony came after it was recently revealed that the British marketing firm Cambridge Analytica tied to US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign improperly collected profile data of up to 87 million Facebook users.

The scandal shook confidence in Facebook, leading some people to go as far as abandoning the social media site altogether  a revolt called the hashtag #DeleteFacebook.

Zuckerberg, 33, who is also the founder of Facebook, said data privacy and foreign interference in elections were topics that they have discussed at the Facebook board meeting.

"These are some of the biggest issues that the company has faced, and we feel a huge responsibility to get these right," he told lawmakers, adding that "this is one of my top priorities in 2018".

He said Facebook was taking steps to ensure integrity of elections in countries like the United States, India, Brazil, and Pakistan.

"2018 is is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections," he said.

Zuckerberg admitted that his organisation faces charges of failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica from gathering personal information of Facebook users to try to influence the election.

Zuckerberg said after the US 2016 election, Facebook's top priority was to protect the integrity of other elections around the world.

"What we're going to do is to ask a valid government identity, and we're going to verify the location. We are going to do that so that someone sitting in Russia, for example, couldn't say that they're in America and, therefore, able to run an election advertisement," he said.

Zuckerberg said his one of the greatest regrets was that Facebook has been slow in identifying the Russian information operations in 2016.

"We expected them to do a number of more traditional cyber attacks, which we did identify and notify the campaigns that they were trying to hack into them," he said.

The Facebook CEO said he was now more confident as his company has set the things right. Since the 2016 election, there have been several important elections around the world where it has had a better record, he said.

"There was the French presidential election. There was the German election. There was the US Senate Alabama special election last year," Zuckerberg added.

He said Facebook has deployed new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that better identify fake accounts, trying to interfere in elections or spread misinformation.

"Between those three elections, we were able to proactively remove tens of thousands of accounts before they could do significant harm," he said.

Zuckerberg told US senators that Facebook is in a constant battle with Russian operators seeking to exploit the social network.

"This is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better," he said.

He said Facebook will have more than 20,000 people, by the end of this year, working on security and content review across the company.

Zuckerberg said they had developed tools which identify people when they try to create fake accounts.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well. We need to invest in getting better at this too," he said.

But the Facebook chief fended off questions from senators about how the social network might be regulated more closely after the scandal.

When pressed, Zuckerberg said he would welcome regulation, if it was the "right regulation," though he avoided specifics.
A Google search page is reflected in sunglasses in this photo illustration taken in Brussels May 30, 2014. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD PACKAGE - SEARCH 'BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD 24 OCT' FOR ALL IMAGES - S1AEUITDYJAA

Google is in talks with Indian companies to integrate its voice assistant service with their consumer durable products like refrigerators, lights, fans, air conditioners, heaters, etc.

According to a report by The Economic Times, the US-based tech giant is also in talks with Indian telecom providers to enable users to get the details of their bills through voice commands.

Having launched its Google Home voice-assisted Bluetooth speakers, the company is now focusing on partnering with mobile handset manufacturers in India, given the widespread adoption of its open-source operating system Android here.

Around 98 percent of all mobile phone owners in India currently use Android-based handsets, making it one of the most crucial markets for Google across the globe.

"India is an incredibly strategic market due to the high adoption of Android and the country is also among the fastest-growing markets for Google Assistant," said Rishi Chandra, Vice President - Product Management, and General Manager - Home Products, at Google.

Chandra said that Google recently brought the AoG (Action on Google) Platform to India. Telecom operators can use this platform to offer voice-based support services such as viewing of outstanding bills and monthly plan usage.

However, Google has not yet revealed the names of the companies it is likely to strike a deal with, and according to the company, it still needs around a year to join hands with either Indian or global firms who have shown interest in creating voice-activated products.

Chandra also said that once the products are ready, voice integration can be done via application programming interfaces in less than a week.

"You can imagine TV makers or set-top box providers want to have voice activation service so that consumers can change channels by voice commands, or even turning on the TV," he said, adding that while there could be many use-cases, it was still early days.

There is no denying that Google has its eyes on India and the proof of this is its planned introduction of Hindi for the upcoming product later this year.

"Were going to work more and more with local Indian manufacturers for a lot of smart home devices. A lot of key appliances and devices in the home can be voice-activated Were making a big investment in India to work with partners in a fundamental way," Chandra said.

While Google is trying to put its best foot forward in India, it is facing tough competition from Amazon, which launched AI-powered smart speakers named Echo in October last year.

"The category of home devices is expanding. Amazon is strong on the selling side through their own platform, but Google faces a challenge in that (lack of a selling platform) as it has always faced," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

To challenge Amazons reach, Google has joined hands with e-commerce platform Flipkart, where it will sell its Home and Home Mini speakers exclusively. As for brick and mortar stores, Google will sell its products in over 750 retail stores, including Reliance Digital, Croma and Vijay Sales.
Representataive Image

Telecom equipment maker HFCL today said that it has received advance purchase order worth Rs 579 crore from state-run firm BSNL for building 2G network in Assam.

"... the company has received an advance purchase order worth Rs 579 crore approximately from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited ..for survey, planning, supply, intsallation, testing, commissioning..maintenance for five years of 2G GSM BSS network," Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd said in a BSE filing.

The company will deploy the network through mircowave radio and VSAT backhaul in uncovered villages of Karbi Anglong and Dima Haso dsitricts of Assam. "The network will include 924 BTS (base station) sites and cater to 1,313 villages," the filing said.

The order is part of Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for the north-eastern region, approved by Cabinet in 2014, to provide 2G mobile coverage in 8,621 uncovered villages and areas along with national highways in the North-East with an outlay of Rs 5,336.18 crore.

Bharti Airtel has also been entrusted to set up over 2004 mobile towers to connect about 2,128 villages in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, parts of Assam and national highways in north-eastern States. Besides, BSNL has been assigned to install 2,817 mobile towers to provide coverage in 4,119 uncovered villages in the region.
Shikha Sharma is the MD and CEO of Axis Bank. Sharma, who is serving her fourth term, has decided to shorten her tenure by more than two years. Sharmas decision came after the countrys apex bank the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) questioned the banks performance and its deteriorating asset quality. Under Sharmas tenure, Axis Bank  the countrys third largest private lender  reported its gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rising from 0.96 per cent in March 2009 to 5.28 per cent in December 2017. Axis Bank has also been pulled up twice by the central bank for under-reporting bad loans for financial years 2016 and 2017.

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The recent developments at Axis Bank and ICICI Bank have once again renewed the debate on corporate governance standards and the independence of boards.

Till about a year back, the widely held view was that private sector banks were doing a much better job of maintaining asset quality. That halo faded after the Reserve Bank of India started pointing out discrepancies in the quantum of bad loans as disclosed by the banks and RBIs assessment of the situation.

Banking experts point out that the boards of these banks continued to reward the top bosses with handsome bonuses and increments despite mediocre financial performance and the under reporting of bad loans.

Earlier this week, Axis Bank MD & CEO Shikha Sharma stepped down after the RBI questioned the boards decision to extend Sharmas term for another three years, beginning June this year. Sharma will remain in her role till December to ensure a smooth transition.

At ICICI Bank, the board gave a clean chit to MD & CEO Chanda Kochhar who is battling allegations of nepotism on the loan to the Videogroup group. Subsequent media reports suggest the board is divided on the matter.

Banking sector experts say that both the private banks have seen a deterioration in their asset quality while the boards have continued to reward their respective chiefs with heavy increments, bonuses and incentives. Hence, it shows that even when both the banks were penalized by the Reserve Bank of India for under reporting of bad loans, their boards did not punish them for under par performance.

It is strange that you renew a CEOs tenure despite a sharp deterioration in asset quality, poor operational risks management, two consecutive years of misreporting of accounts and collapse in performance, Hemindra Hazari, an independent banking analyst told Moneycontrol.

And to top it, the increments, stock options and bonuses approved by the board keeps going up each year. If a Board is incapable of such a basic function of performance appraisal of a bank and its CEO, the Board itself becomes dysfunctional, Hazari says, adding that most independent directors are independent only in name.

Both Kochhar and Sharma are serving their third term and have been rewarded consistently by their banks with bonuses in most years. According to media reports, RBI has not yet approved the payout of bonuses for private sector bank bosses for FY18.

For FY17, ICICIs board had approved a bonus of Rs 2.2 crore (NIL for FY16) for CEO Chanda Kochhar with total remuneration of Rs 5.64 crore, up from Rs 4.79 crore in FY16, while Axis Banks Shikha Sharma received total pay of Rs 5.7 crore (up from 5.4 crore) with a bonus of Rs 1.35 crore (up from Rs 1.13 crore).

Previously, the role of boards of IT companies such as Satyam and Infosys have also come under shareholder and regulatory fire. Among other things, the Satyam scam highlighted the failure of independent directors.

The Infosys Board also defended its former CEO Vishal Sikka when allegations of severance pay to its former key executives and irregularities in the Panaya acquisition were raised by Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy.

Says J.N. Gupta, MD at Stakeholders Empowerment Services, It exposes the entire evaluation process in our corporate sector. If the Axis Bank Board had found her capable for heading the bank for next four years, there was no reason for them to succumb to the RBI pressure in three months...So either the Board was wrong in its initial decision or it is wrong now.

Echoing somewhat similar views, M Damodaran, ex-SEBI chairman says when RBI asked the Axis Bank board to reconsider Sharmas appointment, the board should have had a strong argument as to why it thought that Sharma should continue.

On the ICICI Bank issue, Damodaran said the lenders board should have sought independent opinion.

The board should have appointed an independent inquiry authority, not do its own inquiry, because there are stakeholders, there is reputation management, he said in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

"This can be done only by conducting an impartial inquiry, and that is what everyone does whether in India or outside, he said.
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After the rally in previous four consecutive sessions, the market started consolidation ahead of corporate earnings that will start later in the week and macro data due tomorrow evening.

Investors are also closely monitoring crude oil price movement as Brent crude oil futures on Tuesday crossed the USD 70 a barrel and hit the highest level since late 2014. For India, which imports more than 80 percent of oil requirement, it is a big hit on fiscal front.

Trade war tensions already abated after China announced measures to open up its economy.

Now all eyes are on corporate earnings and Karnataka elections along with crude oil movement, experts suggest.

"January was a good month for the market, but the Street saw a correction of more than 10 percent from all time high levels seen earlier. Now we are seeing a pullback rally and beaten down stocks have performed well from the upmove we are seeing from March 23. We could see another 100-200-point spike, as the earnings season is about to start. Major part of the focus will be on earnings season," AK Prabhakar, Head  Research, IDBI Capital, told Moneycontrol.

The Street will watch out for the commentary as well, which is currently worrisome, he said.

Chola Securities, which also said investors would keenly await signs of pick-up in corporate earnings in the upcoming 4QFY2018 earnings season, expects in the medium term the markets to be watchful of the outcome of investigations in banking space post PNB scam.

"With elections in various state legislative assemblies lined up this year, we expect markets to react on political developments," it added.

Here is the list of top 10 stocks which can give up to 49% return:

Brokerage - Motilal Oswal

Exide Industries | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 268 | Return - 12%

Exide Industries' Q3FY18 net sales grew 32.7 percent YoY to Rs 2,280 crore, driven by growth in automotive, UPS, telecom and infrastructure batteries. EBITDA margin contracted to 12.4 percent.

PAT grew 1.8 percent YoY to Rs 154 crore. Management indicated that growth momentum in automotive and motorcycle batteries was good, while demand for telecom, UPS and other infrastructure segments was also good.

Exide is focusing on cost-control initiatives and technology upgradation to improve profitability. We have a Buy rating with target price of Rs 268.

Jubilant Life Sciences | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 957 | Return - 17%

Jubilant Life Sciences (JLS), is engaged in the manufacturing of radiopharmaceuticals, allergy products, advanced intermediates, nutritional products and life science chemicals. We expect specialty pharma to grow at a 16 percent CAGR (adjusting for Triad business) over FY17-20.

In the LSI segment, the business scenario has improved for specialty intermediates and nutritional products due to lower supply from Chinese competitors as a result of production restrictions imposed by the Chinese government to reduce pollution.

We expect JLS to deliver a CAGR of 17 percent in revenue (including Triad revenue from QQFY18) to Rs 9,300 crore, 14 percent in EBITDA to Rs 1,980 crore and 20 percent in PAT to Rs 1,000 crore over FY17-20. We value JLS on an SOTP basis with a target price of Rs 957 and re-iterate Buy.

Pidilite Industries | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 1,065 | Return - 9%

Pidilite Industries (PIDI) is the largest branded adhesives player in India. Apart from a strong presence in adhesives, company has expanded into emerging segments like mechanized joinery, modular furniture, flooring, automotive care and water proofing through Dr Fixit and Roff.

PIDI offers a high-quality discretionary play, with a strong competitive positioning, proven in-market excellence and an impeccable track record of generating long-term shareholder value over multiple periods.

A revival of volume growth and a strong potential shift from unorganized players over the next 2-3 years outweigh near-term margin worries. We have a buy rating on the stock with target price of Rs 1,065.

Power Grid | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 287 | Return - 46%

Power Grid has around Rs 1 lakh crore of orders pending execution, providing strong visibility of EPS CAGR of around 12 percent over FY18-22. The earnings estimate factors in a 150bp cut in the regulated return on equity-RoE (to 14 percent) in the next tariff regulations. However, with bond yield rising over the last few months, the extent of such cut could be lower, in our view.

At CMP, the stock is trading attractively at 1.4x FY20E P/BV for an RoE of around 16 percent and a CoE of around 10-11 percent, not appreciating any future growth potential.

If we were to assume no growth after FY20, which means PAT is available for dividend distribution, the stock is trading at an attractive dividend yield of around 11 percent for an assured return model and revenues backed by state-guarantees (g-sec yield is around 7 to 8 percent). We re-iterate our Buy rating with a DCF-based target price of Rs 287/share.

M&M | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 889 | Return - 15%

M&M is the market leader in UV and tractors, with market share of over 40 percent in both segments. Q3FY18 volume grew 6.5 percent YoY (-3.8 percent QoQ) to 210.2k units, as tractor, UV and 3W volumes increased 6.3 percent, 5 percent and 8.5 percent YoY, respectively.

Net realizations grew 3.6 percent YoY (-0.6 percent QoQ) to Rs 5,46,600. Net revenue grew 10.3 percent YoY (-4.4 percent QoQ) to Rs 11,490 crore. EBITDA margin expanded 110bp YoY (-130bp QoQ) to 14.7 percent.

M&M is the best bet on rural markets, with around 70 percent of consolidated profits attributable to rural markets. We maintain a Buy rating with target price of Rs 889.

Brokerage - Ventura

Raymond | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 1,535 | Return - 49%

Raymonds has undertaken a series of strategic initiatives to chart out a course of sustained growth and improve profitability. Steered by a recently inducted professional management at the helm, we expect revenues to grow at a CAGR of 11.7 percent to Rs 7,463.3 crore by FY20.

High growth of the branded apparel segment is the primary driver, which in turn is supported by high advertisement & selling expenses for brand building. As the brands sustain on their own, we expect advertisement & promotion spends to normalize and the EBIDTA margins of this segment to improve gradually from the current meagre levels.

We expect the consolidated EBIDTA to grow at a CAGR of 28.4 percent to Rs 644.7 crore by FY20. While earnings growth is expected to witness a 81.2 percent CAGR over the same period Rs 212.1 crore over the same period. A turnaround of non-core assets, viz. tools & hardware and auto components, should be further growth drivers.

The icing on the cake is the veritable premium land bank of approximately 125 acres in the heart of Thane city (the fastest growing real estate on the outskirts of Mumbai). We have valued this property at Rs 3,125 crore (i.e. at a discount to the market price). This compares favourably with the current market capital of Rs 6,360 crore, implying significant undervaluation. Firming of strategic monetisation plans on the real estate business should lead to a significant re-rating.

We initiate a Buy with an SOTP price objective of Rs 1,535 which represents an upside of 49 percent from the CMP of Rs 1,030 over a period of 18 months.

Brokerage - Geojit Research

Natco Pharma | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 908 | Return - 16%

Natco Pharma is a R&D focussed, vertically integrated pharmaceutical company with an experienced management team and presence across multiple speciality therapeutic segments.

It has high emphasis on R&D and complex molecules focusing on long term stability and growth. It recently raised Rs 915 crore to fund capacity additions.

Integrated platform makes Natco a low cost manufacturer while strong global presence establishes them as a prospective player. We expect EBITDA margin to remain stable at 40 percent over FY18-20E led by new launches in US & India and improvement in operational efficiency.

Consolidated revenue/PAT to grow at 17/13 percent CAGR over FY18-20E led by prime molecules such as Tamiflu, Copaxone, Doxorubicin and Lanthanum and better growth in domestic market.

We value Natco at 19x on FY20E EPS and arrive at a target price of Rs 908 and recommend Buy rating.

Brokerage - Edelweiss Research

Finolex Cables | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 800 | Return - 14%

We estimate Finolex Cables (FCL) to post 17/15 percent revenue/earnings CAGR over FY17-20 on robust outlook for communication cables and rising demand for consumer electricals.

We recently met the top brass of FCL. Key takeaways include: 1) FCL posted lower revenue growth versus peers in past two-three years, largely owing to weak housing demand where the company has major (around 60 percent of revenues) presence compared to peer-set; 2) management seemed upbeat on communication cables segment (we estimate the unit to log around 25 percent CAGR over FY17-20) given burgeoning demand for optic fibre cables (to lay 35-40mn km annually over next two-three years) as India remains highly under fiberised (around 40-45 percent) to meet the complete 4G roll out; and 3) with FCLs new PVC switches unit coming up at Goa, it is targeting Rs 200 crore revenues from fans and switchgears by FY20.

Notwithstanding the real estate slow-down, we expect 15/20 percent earnings/OCF growth over FY17-20 on strong growth in non-housing segments. We maintain Buy with target price of Rs 800, based on 25x FY20E PE.

Brokerage - Reliance Securities

HeidelbergCement | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 205 | Return - 32%

On HeidelbergCement India, there are expectations of healthy Q4FY18 numbers mainly to be aided by healthy volume in Central markets.

Our channel check suggests that Central region is likely to see realizations improvement of around 5 percent YoY and around 4 percent QoQ in Q4FY18.

Further, with the resolution of sand mining issues in Uttar Pradesh, demand in central region has witnessed a firm recovery aiding companies to witness healthy sales volume.

Further, with no meaningful capacity addition coming in Central region in next 2-3 years except UltraTech and JK Cement, we believe HCIL would hit a sweet spot to improve its financials in ensuing years, on the back of healthy demand outlook owing to favourable monsoon, likely uptick in government spending in UP & MP and resolution of sand mining issues.

Further, likely de-leveraging of balance-sheet along with better operating performance is expected to result in improvement in return ratios.

We maintain our fundamental BUY recommendation on the stock with a target price of Rs 205.

NCC | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 150 | Return - 14%

In NCC, there are expectation of healthy performance in coming quarters owing to robust construction activities and healthy order book.

NCC added orders worth Rs 21,600 crore in 9MFY18 vs. Rs 9,300 crore in 9MFY17 led by significant order addition from roads & highways and buildings segments. Current order book at Rs 31,600 crore (4.3x TTM revenue) offers promising growth visibility in coming years.

Notwithstanding deterioration in working capital cycle in 9MFY18 owing to higher working capital requirement led by mobilisation advances to sub-contractors for new projects, we expect it to improve, going forward with the expected pick-up in execution and further collection of mobilisation advances.

We expect NCCs revenue and earnings to clock 15 percent and 34 percent CAGR, respectively through FY17-FY20E on robust growth in order book.

We maintain our fundamental Buy recommendation on NCC with a target price of Rs 150.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are his own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
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Ranjan Pai, the Chairman of Manipal Hospitals, in an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol on Wednesday, said he believes the revised bid to buy Fortis Healthcare is a compelling offer that addresses most of the concerns raised by the shareholders.

We have addressed most of the concerns in terms of the structure, in terms of valuation, and in terms of how much of dilution they have in the combined entity, Pai said over phone.

We believe this is a compelling offer, this is an offer that addresses most of the concerns, he added.

Pai who was in touch with Fortis investors said the mood has been positive after the revised offer and the chances of deal crossing the finish line are much better now.

More importantly it's an offer from a party who has done lot of due diligence, and I have given a binding offer to the board. I don't think the company has so much time to evaluate but it's up to the investors now to decide what's best for them, Pai said.

IHH Healthcare proposed counter offer?

Referring to reports about Malaysia-based IHH Healthcare putting counter bid and even considering a hostile takeover of Fortis  Pai said he isnt perturbed.

We have done what we have to do. We have been hearing about IHH and so many other people coming forward and putting up a bid. We haven't seen anything so far, Pai said.

Pai further added he isnt going to be an irrational bidder and indicated he touched the limits on how far he can go with the value offered to Fortis.

We know what these assets are, we know what we can do with it. This value (comes) at certain price, after that I will be doing injustice to my investors by outbidding, Pai said

This is not an ego war, this is the war about trying to get the right value for the company and to all my shareholders, Pai said.

Just a day after Manipal Hospitals-TPG combine sweetened the deal to buy Fortis Healthcare revising the bid by upwards of 21 percent  Malaysias IHH Healthcare is said to be throwing its hat into the ring with a counter bid.

Bloomberg on Tuesday reported that IHH is preparing to formally approach Fortis with an offer quoting unnamed people with knowledge of the matter.

The Bloomberg report also said IHH, Southeast Asias largest hospital operator is contemplating a cash offer for Fortis and may send a letter to the Fortis board within the next couple of weeks about its plans to bid for the company.

If Fortis board rejects its offer, IHH is willing to even consider hostile takeover by going directly to the company's shareholders.

Shares of Fortis rose 0.85 percent to close at Rs 147.65 on BSE, the benchmark Sensex gained 0.21 percent to end 33,952.98 points.
Kajaria Ceramics is the largest tile manufacturer in India. Post the disruptions in FY18, mostly on account of GST, the company is staring at an optimistic future and is expanding capacity to take advantage of the same. Kajaria has successfully transitioned itself from a commoditised player to a well-known brand. The superior fundamentals stand testimony to the same. We feel, should the stock correct on near-term headwinds, it will provide a good opportunity to invest in a high quality business with a secular growth trajectory ahead.

The company has an annual capacity of 68.4 MSM (Million Square Meter) spread across eight plants. Over the past 3 decades, Kajaria has built a strong distribution network of 1,400+ dealers and 5,000+ sales points across the country. Kajaria offers ceramic wall & floor tiles (37 percent of turnover), polished vitrified tiles (33 percent of turnover), glazed vitrified tiles (25 percent of turnover) and Sanitaryware & fittings (5 percent).

The company boasts of excellent fundamentals and has gained in terms of scale and efficiency. The topline has almost doubled in the past 5 years (from Rs 1,409 crore in FY12 to Rs 2,857 crore in FY17). The net profit surged more than 3x over the same period to reach Rs 253 crore in FY17. It enjoys a leadership position in the tile industry with a market share of around 9 percent.

Kajaria has been consistently increasing its capacity and gaining market share from its competitors. The capacity has increased from 36.0 MSM in FY12 to 68.4 MSM in FY18 (CAGR of 11.3 percent). The company has primarily focused on the adding new capacities in the vitrified tiles segment as the realisations and margins are much higher. The ceramic tiles capacity has remained stagnant in the past 3-4 years.

Despite the expansion, Kajaria has been able to de-leverage its balance sheet in a steady manner. Its healthy cash generation from operations has resulted in reduction of D/E ratio from 0.9x in FY13 to 0.2x in FY18.

Kajarias capacities are mainly spread across the northern and western region where it has strong network of dealers and associates. After solidifying its presence in the North by following a cluster-focused approach, the company plans to expand its presence in the South.

Currently, it has a small presence in South through its 2.9MSM ceramic plant in Andhra Pradesh and it is building another manufacturing facility of glazed vitrified tiles with a capacity of 5 MSM in Andhra Pradesh. Besides, this expansion, the company also plans to set up a new plant at Tirupati with 4 MSM capacity in FY19 by incurring a capex of Rs 125 crore. Also, the company has recently announced the expansion of its Malootana plant (Rajasthan) and plans to invest Rs 80 crores to raise the plant capacity by 5.6 MSM.

Having gained the leadership position in the tile segment, Kajaria has forayed into the bathroom segment with the launch of faucets and sanitaryware products. The company has set up a 5.4-lakh pieces sanitaryware manufacturing facility at Morbi (Gujarat) along with 10.0 lakh pieces faucet manufacturing facility at Gailpur (Rajasthan).

Although this segment is relatively small (5% of revenues), it is growing at a rapid pace (40-50 percent, YoY). The sanitaryware facility is also being scaled up to 7.2-lakh pieces to cater to the growing demand.

Kajaria has a strong retail presence and enjoys a good relationship with its business partners which results in cash conversion cycle of just 35 days compared to Somany Ceramics (47 days) and Asian Granito (91 days). The company has positioned itself as a premium brand and is able to generate higher realisations (12-15 percent) compared to peers. The higher realisations also provide cushion to its EBITDA margins and net profit margins.

Besides in-house manufacturing, it has also entered into joint ventures and outsourcing contracts with other companies which allows it to maintain asset-light model and generate healthy return ratios (RoE of 24 percent and RoCE of 32 percent in FY17).

In the first nine months of FY18, Kajaria has witnessed a moderate volume growth on account of disruptions in the market. The company has been impacted by removal of octroi barriers ahead of the e-way bill implementation (rolled out in April 2018) that has led to increased competition from unorganised players. Additionally, the industry is also seeing some pressure on the GVT prices (decline by 1-2 percent) and margins have been impacted by surge in natural gas prices and diesel costs.

Kajaria is a market leader in the tiles segment with proven track record of execution and best in class operating metrics.

Being an established player with strong brand recall, it should be able to pass on the increase in raw material, power & fuel costs to its consumers (with a lag of 3-6 months) and will continue to gain market share from un-organised players in the post GST regime.

Despite the recent challenges, the company is currently operating at a capacity utilization of 85-90 percent and is planning further capacity expansion on account of revival in demand prospects.

We see Kajaria as a big beneficiary of Housing for All Project (60 million new houses by 2022) and Smart City Mission (development of 100 smart cities) and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. Anti-dumping duty of upto Rs 120 per sq mt (USD 1.87) on Chinese vitrified tiles (valid up to 2022) would further aid the organised players like Kajaria.

In our view, near term challenges present an attractive opportunity to accumulate the stock. We anticipate a gradual pick up in both volumes and margins over the next 2 quarters. Kajaria remains a long-term buy with strong growth prospects and one of the best stocks to play the housing theme.

For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research Page
21:44 Rajya Sabha polls: MLAs obliged to vote for party, Ahmed Patel tells Gujarat High Court

Congress leader Ahmed Patel told the Gujarat High Court today that there was no merit in a plea challenging his election to the Rajya Sabha as MLAs are supposed to vote for their party candidates according to a Supreme Court judgement.

After the EC invalidated the votes

of Congress rebels Raghavjee Patel and Bholabhai Gohel for showing their ballot papers to the BJP's polling agent in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah, Patel was declared the winner along with Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani in the Rajya Sabha polls held in August last year.

BJP leader Balwantsinh Rajput, who lost to Patel in the Rajya Sabha elections, had filed an election petition, challenging the decision of the Election Commission to invalidate two votes as demanded by the Congress. (PTI)

Play has been interrupted by rain in Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals 153/5 in 17.5 overs vs Delhi Daredevils.Ajinkya Rahane 45 (40) c Chris Morris b Shahbaz Nadeem

Sanju Samson 37 (22) b Shahbaz Nadeem

Shahbaz Nadeem 2-34 (4 overs)

Follow the live updates and browse full scorecard here.

21:22 11 crore people benefited from Mudra scheme: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said around 11 crore people have been benefited from the government's flagship Mudra scheme.

Modi said this while interacting with over 100 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), from across the country, at his residence here, said a statement.

The PMMY is a scheme launched by the prime minister on April 8, 2015, for providing loans up to Rs 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. These loans are classified as MUDRA loans under the PMMY. These loans are given by commercial banks, regional rural banks, small finance banks, cooperative banks, micro finance institutions and non-banking financial companies.

As per the statement, Modi appreciated the efforts of the entrepreneurs who have made good use of the Mudra loans.

He said that 11 crore people have so far been benefited from the scheme. (PTI)

21:05 Mark Zuckerberg says his own personal data was shared with Cambridge Analytica

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told United States lawmakers that his own personal data was included in that of 87 million or so Facebook users that was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

20:52 Food in mess/canteen of educational institution to attract 5% GST

Food and drinks in a mess or canteen of an educational institution would attract 5 per cent GST, the finance ministry said today.

However, if schools up to higher secondary level supply food directly to students, then the same are exempt from the Goods and Services Tax (GST), it added.

"With a view to removing any doubt or uncertainty regarding rate of GST applicable on supply of food and drinks in educational institutions, it is clarified that GST rate on supply of food and drinks in a mess or canteen in an educational institution attracts GST at 5 per cent without Input Tax Credit (ITC).

The GST, which subsumes over a dozen local taxes, was rolled out from July 1. Under the new indirect tax regime, various goods and services have been placed in four tier tax bracket of 5, 12, 18 and 28 percent. (PTI)

20:23 RBI imposes Rs 3 crore penalty on IDBI Bank for violation of asset classification norms

The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on IDBI Bank for failing to comply with norms related to reporting of bad loans.

"The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed, through an order dated April 09, 2018, a monetary penalty of Rs 30 million on IDBI Bank Limited (the bank) for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms."

For FY16, IDBI Bank had reported divergence of Rs 6,816.60 crore in classification of non-performing asset (NPA) compared to RBI's assessment. It also under-reported provisions towards such bad loans to the tune of Rs 2,061 crore.

19:59 Walmart a better bet for Flipkart than Amazon: Report

As the race between US giants Walmart and Amazon over acquiring stake in Flipkart is set to heat up, reports suggest the Sam Walton-founded company stands a better chance at scooping up the Indian e-commerce leader.

Flipkart is believed to be inclined toward selling a controlling stake to Walmart instead of Amazon, Bloomberg cited sources as saying.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

It further claimed that both the American firms had valued the Indian company at USD 20 billion.

Read the full story here.

19:18 Hello! Orkut founder announces new platform's entry into Indian market

A new social networking platform 'hello', set up by the founder of the once-popular Orkut, has announced its entry into the Indian market amid the controversy surrounding user data breach at Facebook.

hello has been set up by Orkut Buyukkokten, who was the founder of Orkut that once was a leading social networking site in India and Brazil. Interestingly, Orkut shut down its services in 2014, having lost its sheen to rivals like Facebook.

"If you look at social media today, it has isolated people instead of bringing them closer. It has become more about broadcasting than sharing. We need a fresh start. Hello is built around interest-based communities where users with same interests can connect, leading to true connections," Buyukkokten said. (PTI)

19:02 Atrocities against minorities, Dalits increasing: Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said atrocities against minorities and Dalits were increasing in the country and such incidents, if unchecked, could harm democracy and called for rejection of "divisive policies and politics".

Delivering the first S B Rangnekar Memorial lecture at the Panjab University, his alma mater, here, Singh also said a "dangerous and false binary" of choosing between freedom and development was surfacing in the country's political discourse and that it must be rejected.

He expressed concern over the alleged attempts being made to divide people.

18:36 Delhi-San Francisco service to give Air India Rs 90 crore a month

Disinvestment-bound Air India is hoping to garner a revenue of over Rs 90 crore a month from the lucrative New Delhi-San Francisco sector, in which it operates nine flights a week. The national carrier added three flights on the route on March 25, taking the total number of non-stop services to nine a week. The revenue from the sector was about Rs 60-65 crore per month and it went up to Rs 71 crore in December last year. (PTI)

18:18 Cambridge Analytica denies using data of Indians, govt to seek clarification

UK-based Cambridge Analytica is learnt to have denied using data of Facebook users in India even as the social media giant has admitted that 5.62 lakh people in the country were potentially affected by the data breach, according to official sources.

After contradictory replies from the two companies on potential data breach of Indian users, the government now plans to seek additional clarification from them, the sources said. The government had sought a reply from Cambridge Analytica (CA) over data breach charges by April 7. The UK-based firm had sought additional time and is believed to have submitted its reply recently. (PTI)

17:58 Vodafone rolls out VoLTE services in Punjab

Telecom operator Vodafone India on Wednesday announced the roll-out of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services in Punjab.

"Vodafone is the first GSM service provider in Punjab circle enabling customers to make calls using VoLTE," Arvind Nevatia, Business Head Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, Vodafone India, said.

"Vodafone SuperNetTM 4G customers can access Vodafone VoLTE for no additional charges and all calls will be billed as per existing plan or pack benefits, thus experiencing the best from Vodafone's data-strong network," he told reporters. (PTI)

favoured

Flipkart

Walmart looks likely to take the next round in the battle for Indias retail market over rival Amazon.com, reports Bloomberg. Flipkart Online Services Pvt is leaning toward selling a controlling stake to Walmart, rather than Amazon, because of the greater certainty in such a deal, sources said. Both US companies are bidding for a controlling stake in Flipkart at a valuation of about $20 billion, sources added.

16:24 Ashok

defence

Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland was gung ho about its defence business and would focus only on mobility of defence products, reports PTI. The city-based heavy commercial vehicle maker has showcased six advanced products and technology solutions at the DefExpo.

16:23 Nabard

FY19

Development finance institution Nabard said it aims to increase its long-term on-lending or refinance portfolio to about Rs 80,000 crore in the current fiscal as part of its effort to improve the rural economy. The institution's on-lending in FY18 was Rs 65,000 crore, reports PTI.

The Food Ministry has no immediate plans to give subsidy to sugarcane growers for bailing out cash-starved sugar mills, and it asked factories to export 2 million tonnes sweetener, even at loss, to liquidate surplus stock and improve domestic prices, reports PTI.

Rising for the fifth straight session, market benchmark Sensex gained 60 points to end at 33,940 in see-saw trade today, led by gains in metal, IT and consumer durables counters amid mixed Asian cues.

16:02 Cyient

BlueBird

Cyient said it entered into a joint venture with Israel-based BluBird Aero Systems to offer field-proven UAV systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security, and police forces.

15:55 Rajinikanth

anti-IPL

Tamil 'Superstar' Rajinikanth condemned the alleged attack on three policemen during the anti-IPL protests over the Cauvery issue. In a tweet, the 67-year-old actor said, "The worst form of violence is the assault on uniformed personnel."

Indrani

Mukerjea

Former media executive Indrani Mukerjea, arrested for the alleged killing of her daughter Sheena Bora, was discharged today from JJ Hospital and was taken back to the Byculla prison, reports PTI.

15:52 All six home IPL matches of the Chennai Super Kings has been shifted out of Chennai after Cauvery protests.

Satyendar

PMLA

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Delhi Health and Power Minister Satyendar Jain for the second time in connection with a money laundering case registered against him and others, reports PTI.

Bajpai

AAP's

The AAP has appointed its senior leader Deepak Bajpai as the party's in-charge for the Rajasthan Assembly elections replacing Kumar Vishwas, saying the latter was not able to devote time in the state, reports PTI. Elections in Rajasthan are due later this year.

Unnao

gangrape

The Allahabad High Court ordered that the body of the Unnao gangrape victim's father should not be cremated, if already not done so, reports PTI. The man had died on Monday in custody after his 18-year-old daughter had accused a BJP MLA, his brother and his aides of raping her.

15:30 FDI

DIPP

Farmer associations and industry shared mixed views in a meeting called by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on issues related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the tobacco sector, reports PTI.

FY20

ITC is eyeing 10-12% market share in the packed juices and fruit beverages segment by next year as the company bets on its 'not from concentrate' range of juices, reports PTI. The FMCG major said it would continue to add more flavours in B Natural's portfolio and plans to add 4-5 new variants in next few months. Besides, it is also looking to tap the export market.

15:18 Mahindra

Defence

Mahindra Defence Systems, part of the Mahindra Group, inked a pact with ShinMaywa Industries, Japan, for manufacturing and assembling of amphibious aircraft ShinMaywa US-2 in India.

PSUs

cos

litre

The government has asked state-run oil retailers not to increase retail diesel and petrol prices and absorb a part of the losses due to the recent recovery in global crude oil, sources told Bloomberg. Companies including Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation will have bear a loss of up to Re 1 per litre on sale of diesel and petrol, sources said. A cut in excise duty on fuel prices is unlikely due to sluggish revenue collections on the back of a botched rollout of the Goods and Services Tax, they added.

The market continues to consolidate after four-day rally, as investors await corporate earnings which will start later in the week and macro data due tomorrow. PSU Bank is the biggest loser among sectoral indices, falling 2% while IT and Metal indices continue to trade higher by a percent each. Oil retailers are the biggest losers among Nifty50 stocks, falling 7%.

14:47 Production in Germanys engineering sector rose by a stronger-than-expected 3.9% to EUR223 billion in 2017, and will likely grow by at least 3% this year, the president of the VDMA industry group told Reuters.

US President Donald Trump welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping's pledge to open up the world's second largest economy, even as the White House ruled out reversing the 25% import tariffs worth $50 billion on Chinese products, saying America wants concrete actions from Beijing, reports PTI.

Zuckerberg

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended certain kind of censorship to remove terrorist propaganda after a US lawmaker expressed concern over the social media giant's "pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship," reports PTI.

154bn

Digital transformation in the country is expected to contribute about $154 billion to India's GDP by 2021, tech giant Microsoft said.

14:28 ICRA

Ratings agency ICRA has downgraded Fortis Healthcare and its subsidiaries Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Fortis Hospitals and Hiranandani Healthcare, citing stretched liquidity position of the company which led to delay in servicing of a loan, reports PTI.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, the countrys second largest two-wheeler maker, has sent a proposal to its headquarters in Japan seeking to transform itself into an export hub which will supply to all markets, including the US and Europe. Moneycontrol News Swaraj Baggonkar said the proposal lists investments for setting up new plants, production capacity and absorption of next generation technology.

13:49 Sensex

The market continues to trade steady, with the Nifty trading well above 10,400 and the Sensex close to 34,000 levels. Financial stocks are witnessing a correction after Tuesdays upmove, while metals and IT stocks surge. Their sectoral indices are up over a percent. Sun Pharma, Vedanta, Hindustan Unilever and HCL Tech are the top gainers, while HPCL, BPCL and Adani Ports have lost the most.

13:45 In breaking news, the Supreme Court has asked the Amrapali Group to submit a project-wise report on the amount required for completing each of them. The apex court has also asked the company to submit a proposal for shifting buyers from projects that are in a nascent stage. It has scheduled the next date for hearing the case on April 17.

WABAG

520cr

Water treatment firm VA Tech WABAG said it has bagged orders worth Rs 520 crore from different clients.

Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the state-run carrier as the government's terms are just too onerous, sources told Reuters.

EXCLUSIVE: Govt may soon finalise norms to allow foreign university campuses in India

The government is in the process of finalising regulations that may soon be released for public comments for foreign universities to set up campuses in India, reports Moneycontrol News M Saraswathy. At present, laws do not allow international educational institutions to set up India campuses without tying up with local players. Despite the UPA governments attempts, it failed to get the same tabled in Parliament. The government now is likely to release a draft on foreign universities entering India in the next 3-4 weeks.

13:14 Elon

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk is calling out Goldman Sachs after the bank encouraged investors to sell the carmaker's stock, reports CNBC. "Place your bets," Musk quipped on Twitter, appearing to challenge would-be sellers to exit at their own risk. The CEO's response comes shortly after Goldman analysts advised clients to ditch the stock, worried that Tesla won't be able to meet its Model 3 production goals by the end of June.

13:07 ICICI

The recent developments at Axis Bank and ICICI Bank have once again renewed the debate on corporate governance standards and the independence of boards. Till about a year back, the widely held view was that private sector banks were doing a much better job of maintaining asset quality. That halo faded after the Reserve Bank of India started pointing out discrepancies in the quantum of bad loans as disclosed by the banks and RBIs assessment of the situation. Banking experts told Moneycontrol News Beena Parmar that the boards of these banks continued to reward the top bosses with handsome bonuses and increments despite mediocre financial performance and the under reporting of loans.

136cr

CCI

Google has filed an appeal against the Competition Commission's ruling which imposed Rs 136 crore fine on the Internet major for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search, reports PTI.

Rahul's

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sought an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly using Cambridge Analytica data to swing poll results and said probity demands that he should promise not to manipulate voters in the future, reports PTI.

12:33 Ankur

Mittal

Ankur Mittal added to the Indian shooting contingent's medal rush by winning a bronze in the men's double trap event of the 21st Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, reports PTI.

Anyone savoring this weeks equity rally in Asia should just cash out right away. Thats according to strategists at Morgan Stanley, who slashed year-end targets for seven benchmarks in the region, including their largest downgrade for Japan in almost two years. The first cut to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index since early 2016 implies no further gains for the gauge this year, while stocks in China, Hong Kong and Japan are also unlikely to return anywhere near their January peaks, the strategists wrote in a note dated Tuesday. It predicts the MSCI China Index will barely budge from Tuesdays close by the end of 2018, and it is targeting a 4,200 finish for the CSI 300 Index.

11:52 Shreyasi

Shreyasi Singh held her nerve and produced some excellent shooting to win the women's double trap gold medal in the 21st Commonwealth Games, reports PTI.

The market is mildly lower amid mixed Asian cues, as investors look for corporate earnings that will start later in the week, macro data due tomorrow and crude oil prices that hit a four-year high. PSU Bank is the biggest loser among sectoral indices, falling 2% while IT and Metal indices gain a percent each.

Lagarde

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde issued a stern warning to governments to avoid undermining global growth with protectionist trade policies, reports AFP. In a less than thinly-veiled warning to US President Donald Trump, who has locked horns with China on trade, she said governments "need to steer clear of protectionism in all its forms."

44bn

Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil producer, will buy 50% stake in the mega $44-billion oil refinery in Maharashtra, reports PTI.

Property developers are among the worst-performing industry group in Indias equity market this year, but Deutsche Bank said it is time to bet on the big players. There are early signs of recovery in the commercial and residential segments as the after-effects of policy measures that hurt demand are fading, Bijay Kumar, an analyst at Deutsche Equities India Pvt, wrote in an April 9 note. It advises buying Godrej Properties and Oberoi Realty, while recommending investors hold DLF.

11:08 DefExpo

cos

India's mega defence exhibition - the DefExpo - began in Thiruvidanthai in Tamil Nadu with participation of major global and domestic military firms, reports PTI. The NDA government is trying to project the 10th edition of the event as first serious attempt to transform India - the largest importer of military platforms and weapons - into a hub of military manufacturing.

Kotak

Mahindra

Nomura

Shikha Sharmas move to shorten her tenure as Axis Bank CEO has created a leadership vacuum at the private-sector lender, providing Asias richest banker Uday Kotak with the opportunity to make a bid for the bank, Japanese brokerage Nomura said in a report. Kotak has the best opportunity to acquire Axis Bank now that Sharma has less than nine months left in her corner-office role, with the Reserve Bank continuing to mount pressure on the Axis board, and an industry-wide initiative underway to clean up asset quality, Nomura analysts Adarsh Parasrampuria and Amit Nanavati said in the report.

Moodys Investors Service said the direct impact of the proposed US tariffs on Chinas exports and economy will be limited but the knock-on effects are expected to be wider, reports Reuters. It expects the US and China will prevent a significant escalation in their trade dispute going by the negative impact the restrictions will have on both economies.

Kom

Solanki

CWG

The indomitable MC Mary Kom stormed into the finals of the 48 kg category to remain well on course to claim India's first Commonwealth Games gold in women's boxing, reports PTI. However, another Indian veteran L Sarita Devi failed to secure a medal in the 60kg category after going down to Australia's Anja Stridsman. Among the men, debutant Gaurav Solanki made the semi-finals in the 52kg category to be assured of a medal.

10:20 Sensex

The BSE Sensex turned choppy and fell over 100 points, led by losses on banking, oil & gas, finance and auto counters, amid mixed Asian cues. Concerns over Brent crude prices, that again went past $70 a barrel, weighed on global equities. Stocks of oil marketing companies such as HPCL, BPCL and IOC reeled under pressure and fell up to 1.07%. Banking stocks, led by private lenders, succumbed to profit-booking after recent gains. Major Sensex losers were SBI, Adani Ports, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Asian Paints, falling up to 2%. ONGC, Sun Pharma, TCS, Infosys, Reliance Industries, were among the top gainers, rising up to 2.58%.

RRPL

The Centre is set to grant Saudi Aramco a 50% stake in Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals, a joint-venture between Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. A deal could be announced as early as Wednesday during Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falihs visit to New Delhi to attend the International Energy Forum, sources told Reuters.

09:43 Binani's

Friday's hearing of the Binani Industries' plea at the Supreme Court will set a precedent in more ways than two, reports Moneycontrol News Prince Mathews Thomas. The company had approached the apex court invoking its right to redeem the pledge of its assets in its stressed subsidiary Binani Cements. If agreed to, this will also help the company terminate the auction of Binani Cements at the National Company Law Tribunal But not everyone agrees, including Dalmia Bharat, which along with UltraTech is in the race for Dalmia Cements. According to Dalmia, any agreement outside the court will be against the spirit of Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code.

ensure

Zuckerberg

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg during his congressional hearing said he wants to ensure protection of integrity of elections, mentioning that he knows the importance of the upcoming polls in countries, including India, Hungary and Brazil, reports PTI.

The White House says President Donald Trump thinks he can fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but isn't taking that step now, reports AP. That's according to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who said that Trump certainly believes that he has the power to fire Mueller.

Indian shooter Om Prakash Mitharval settled for the bronze medal in the men's 50m pistol event at the Commonwealth Games. He had won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event two days ago. For more updates from the Commonwealth Games, click here...

09:20 EPFO

Aadhaar

The Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has asked banks not to deny monthly pension to people for want of Aadhaar and said that alternate means for identification should be used if needed, reports PTI.

PNB

CVC's

Scam-hit Punjab National Bank is among some government organisations which ignored the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) advice to act against its allegedly corrupt staff. The non-compliance of the advice has been mentioned in the CVC's annual report for 2017 tabled in Parliament recently.

Jet Airways said it would not be participating in the Air India disinvestment process, becoming the second domestic airline after IndiGo to make such a decision in less than a week, reports PTI.

09:09 Dalmia

Binani

Dalmia Bharat Group firm Rajputana Properties sought the Reserve Bank's intervention to ensure lenders to Binani Cements follow the IBC process and honour its Rs 6,350 crore winning bid to acquire the debt-ridden firm, reports PTI.

FY19

ADB

Asian Development Bank expects India's economic growth to rebound to 7.3% in FY19 and further to 7.6% in FY20 with increased productivity post GST and investment revival due to banking reform, reports PTI. The ADB's growth projection of 7.3% this fiscal is in line with that of rating agency Fitch, but a tad lower than RBI's forecast of 7.4%.

08:48 FinMin

GSTN

The government is looking at the possibility of converting GST Network, the company that handles IT infrastructure for the Goods and Services Tax regime, into a state-owned company with a majority or 100% stake, reports PTI. A final call on the same would be taken by the GST Council in its next meeting, a source said. Currently, five private financial institutions - HDFC, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, NSE Strategic Investment Co and LIC Housing Finance - hold 51% stake in GSTN, which was incorporated on March 28, 2013.

08:45 Bhushan

The resolution professionals (RP) of Bhushan Steel rejected arguments of employees of the debt ridden firm before the National Company Law Tribunal that Tata Steel, which has been selected as highest bidder, was not eligible to bid under the provisions of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code.

NPA

A Parliamentary panel on Tuesday met RBI Governor Urjit Patel, top public sector bankers and government officials to discuss about mounting bad loans and ways to resolve the problem. According to sources, bankers told the panel that the 'one-day' default provision for NPA classification as per the latest RBI circular was too harsh and that it should be made more practical.

Japans core machinery orders rose unexpectedly to 2.1 in February for a second consecutive month thanks to increased orders from manufacturers, a positive sign of corporate investment supporting economic growth, reports Reuters.

The Federal Reserve proposed new rules that could allow some large banks to reduce the amount of capital they must hold as a cushion against a future economic shock, reports Reuters. The proposal may clear the way for some large banks to reduce their capital levels in the future but the largest firms on Wall Street are not likely to get such relief, the Fed said. The proposal is also expected to reduce bank paperwork and also make it easier for regulators to monitor the health of banks.

YoY

Chinas annual consumer inflation slowed to 2.1% in March, weakening from a 2.9% gain in February, reports Reuters. The producer price index (PPI) rose 3.1% from a year earlier, cooling to a 17-month low, also easing from the previous months rise of 3.7%.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg navigated through the first of two US congressional hearings without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, reports Reuters. During nearly five hours of questioning by 44 US senators, Zuckerberg repeated apologies he previously made for a range of problems that have beset Facebook, from a lack of data protection to Russian agents using Facebook to influence US elections. But the 33-year-old internet mogul managed to deflect any specific promises to support any congressional regulation of its network and other US internet companies.

07:43 Manipal-TPG

Manipal Hospital Enterprises Pvt has submitted a revised offer to buy Fortis Healthcare after consulting with the latters shareholders who expressed their dissatisfaction with the earlier offer, reports Moneycontrol News Viswanath Pilla. As part of the revised offer, Fortis hospital business is valued at equity valuation of Rs 6,061 crore (Rs 116 per share) which represents an upward revision of around 21% on the equity valuation of the previous offer of Rs 5,003 crore (Rs 96.5 per share). In addition, existing Fortis shareholders will now hold 50% stake in Manipal Hospital post demerger of Fortis Healthcares hospital business. Earlier, Fortis shareholders were being offered 41.4% stake in the merged entity.

Uttam

Galva's

Lenders of Uttam Galva Steels have turned down an offer from the company to pay 51% of its outstanding debt, citing an ongoing forensic audit, and expressed unwillingness to take a large haircut, reports Moneycontrol News Beena Parmar & Prince Mathews Thomas. At a hearing at the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday, the company's lenders, led by State Bank of India, have also indicated that Uttam Galva will need to pay the entire loan amount of Rs 5,654 crore.

bourses

NSE

SGX

The Singapore Exchange said it would list Indian equity derivative products in June, nearly two months after Indias three mainannounced they would stop licensing their indexes to overseas exchanges, reports Reuters. The exchange said it is continuing to evaluate a joint trading and clearing model in Gujarat International Finance Tech city between theand
NRI or non-resident Indian is a citizen of India or a person of Indian origin who goes out from the country for some official purpose or with employment, carrying on their own business or maybe s/he goes with the intention to stay outside the country for more than 182 days or more during a financial year and 365 days or more during the preceding four financial years. If you meet these stipulations, you can carry an NRI tag, but you can still make investments in India.

Amar Pandit, Founder & Chief Happiness Officer at HappynessFactory.in said that Non-Resident Individuals can invest in various asset classes in India such as real estate, stocks, mutual funds, NRE deposits, NPS etc. Traditionally, the preferred asset classes for NRIs were real estate and NRE Deposits. Recently, NRIs have shifted their focus to investing in mutual funds, he said. Here we look at how NRIs can take advantage of the Indian capital market through the mutual fund route.

Investment process

An NRI investor should be KYC Compliant before making investments in mutual funds. Manish Kothari - Director & Head of Mutual Funds, Paisabazaar.com said that NRIs can invest in Indian mutual funds subject to FEMA regulations. As mutual fund houses are not allowed to accept investments in foreign currencies, they have to first open an NRE/NRO account with a bank in India to route their investments. Investments routed through NRE account are freely repatriable whereas those routed through NRO are not. NRIs will have to submit copies of his passport and foreign address proof to the fund house as part of KYC documentation procedure, he said.

Also, after submitting the above documents, if you are visiting India, you should get your in-person verification (IPV) done at the respective AMC, distribution house, CAMS or Karvy.

Here are five procedural things NRIs should know while investing in Indian mutual funds

=> NRIs can open two types of rupee-denominated bank accounts in India  NRE (Non-Resident External) A/c and NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) A/c.

=> NRE A/c is an account to transfer foreign earnings to India and is prone to foreign exchange risk. It has no limit on repatriation and the interest earned on NRE deposits is tax-free.

=> NRO A/c is an account that manages NRIs income earned in India and is also subject to foreign exchange risk. It has a set limit on repatriation and the interest earned is taxable.

=> Both accounts can be used for making investments in India. Hence, based on the source of income earned and repatriation decision, NRI can decide which account to opt for.

=> NRI investors can also appoint a Power of Attorney (POA) holder to invest and redeem mutual funds on their behalf. While purchasing the units, the POA holder has to submit the original POA or duly notarised copy of it to the fund house. Once the POA is registered, the POA holder can purchase or redeem mutual fund units on the behalf of NRI.

However, NRIs residing in USA and Canada have additional compliance and regulatory restrictions. Due to this, they cannot invest in all mutual funds in India. However, most of the AMC can accept investments from NRIs who are based in the United States and Canada, besides those in other countries. Therefore, you need to check with the fund houses (AMC) that accept investments from US/Canada based NRIs. Also, declarations need to be made by NRIs, before investing. At times, things may get complicated for US-based NRIs as many fund houses do not allow investments by US-based NRIs due to the cumbersome compliance requirements of Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

Tax treatment for NRIs

An NRI could make an investment in either an equity mutual fund or a debt mutual fund. Further, the gains could either be a short-term capital gain or a long-term capital gain. The rate of taxation would depend on the type of mutual fund and the tenure of investment.

Archit Gupta, Founder & CEO ClearTax said that Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) from equity mutual funds(gains will be long-term if they have been held for more than 1 year), after 1 April 2018, will be taxed at the rate of 10% for gains in excess of Rs 1 lakh during a year. Short Term Capital Gains (STCG) on such equity mutual funds will be taxed at 15%.

In the case of debt funds, those that are held for a tenure less than three years, the gains are added to the NRIs income and taxed are slab rates. If the debt mutual funds are held for greater than 3 years, the LTCG will be taxed at 20% with indexation or 10% without indexation benefits, he said.
India's steel-to-autos conglomerate Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the state-run carrier as the government's terms are just too onerous, two sources familiar with the matter said.

India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt.

But the government has stipulated the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses as long as the government holds a stake. The winner may also be required to list Air India and would need to abide by conditions designed to safeguard employee interests, restricting its ability to cut staff.

Since the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interested or to reaffirm previous interest, while Jet Airways and rival IndiGo have already publicly opted out of the race.

A lack of interest from Tata is likely to put pressure on the government to rethink its terms or even the structure of the sale.

"The deal structure needs serious corrections," said Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at consultancy KPMG.

He said the main challenges are the debt, the government's residual 24 per cent stake and the workforce, adding that the government should consult with potential bidders and simplify the terms.

Tata Group, which already owns stakes in two airline joint-ventures in India, does not see "how a deal would be workable" under the current terms, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"Anyone who puts money upfront ... even for Tata to put in that kind of money, it would want complete control," said the second source.

Tata Sons, the holding company for the conglomerate Tata Group, declined to comment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will tomorrow inaugurate Def Expo-2018 in Tamil Nadu, besides several public infrastructure projects.

He will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai and will inaugurate a variety of infrastructure projects there, including a palliative care centre, day care centre and nurses quarter during his day-long visit, an official statement said.

Sources had yesterday said that while observing the fast, he will not disturb his daily official routine.

The tag line of DefExpo this year is "India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub" to showcase India's capability in export of defence systems and components, the statement said.
The Delhi Assembly today adopted a resolution directing the government to formulate "strict guidelines" for municipal corporations for executing works under MLA Local Area Development (LAD) funds in the national capital.

The resolution, moved by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Saurabh Bharadwaj, stated that there have been numerous complaints of legislators that MCDs "intentionally" delay the work under MLA LAD funds.

"This House directs the GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) to formulate strict guidelines for the execution of works under MLA LAD funds. The request for estimate of any work should not take more than 21 working days for any executing agency to provide estimate of work to the respective MLA and if there is any other proposal for the same work by other entities, the MLA must be informed in 7 days," it stated.

While tabling the resolution in the Delhi Assembly whose Budget Session concluded today, Bharadwaj said the request and process of allocation of funds to an executing agency should not take more than 14 working days.

"The request/process of preparing NIT (Notice Inviting Tender) and inviting tender should not take more than 30 days of receipt of funds.

"The award of work after opening of bids should not take more than 14 days after finalization of bids," it stated, adding that the execution of work after the award of work should not take more than 90 days.

Meanwhile, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel referred the matter of a Hindi daily to the Privileges Committee of the House following the complaint of Bharadwaj regarding alleged "misleading reporting" of the Assembly proceedings.

The Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly had begun on March 16. It was initially scheduled to be concluded on March 28, but the session had to be extended by four times.

The session saw the Aam Aadmi Party legislators attacking bureaucrats for allegedly refusing to provide answers to questions asked by MLAs on reserved subjects such as law & order, police and services among others.
Leading from the front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be observing fast on April 12 as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers will protest against the washout of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Modi's announcement comes days after Congress President Rahul Gandhi led his party's one-day fast over atrocities on Dalits under the BJP-led government.

While both the national parties have called each other's fast a 'farce', several elected officials have staged demonstrations for various reasons. Here's a list of elected officials who have observed fast in past:

Also read  Modi's fast a farce: Congress

K Chandrashekhar Rao

In 2009, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader K Chandrasekhara Rao undertook an indefinite fast demanding a resolution on a separate state for Telangana. Rao was later elected as the first chief minister of Telangana.

Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, then opposition leader, went on a fast for 26 days to protest against the West Bengal government's "forcible" acquisition of farm land at Singur for Tata Motor's small car project. Banerjee's fast led the Tata's to shun the project.

In 2006, the then chief minister of Gujarat, went on a 51-hour fast to support the Narmada dam project, promising to deliver water to drought-prone Saurashtra and Kutch regions in the state.

Modi staged protests against the 'anti-development' stance of the central government, however, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured that the work on the dam would not been halted.

Arvind Kejriwal

In 2014, the Delhi CM went on a hunger strike over a stand-off between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Delhi Police.

N Chandrababu Naidu

The TDP chief went on a hunger strike in 2013 while protesting against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi smiles as she addresses the media at her residence in New Delhi May 16, 2009. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress-led coalition appeared to be heading for a second term after a clear victory in the general election, TV networks projected as votes were counted on Saturday. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi (INDIA POLITICS ELECTIONS) - GM1E55G1IKL01

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today hailed the "special partnership" between India and Russia, saying it has resulted in laying the foundations of India's industrialisation.

She was speaking at the inauguration of a photo exhibition organised here to celebrate the Centenary Anniversary of India's first woman prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Gandhi said her family's ties with Russia dates back to 1927 when Indira Gandhi's grandfather Motilal Nehru, father Jawaharlal Nehru and mother Kamala first visited Moscow.

"It was this journey that inspired Nehru to write his very first book, 'Soviet Russia: Some Random Sketches and Impressions'," she said.

"Indira Gandhi herself made her first trip to Russia in 1953. Her letters to her father tell him how excited and deeply moved she was by Moscow and her people," Gandhi added.

India and Russia shared a special partnership that has resulted in laying the foundations of India's industrialisation which are still very visible, she said.

"These include steel plants, oil refineries, engineering complexes, power stations and fertilizer factories. The Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai that is now globally renowned was started with Russian assistance. Indira Gandhi took the Indo-Soviet link to a new level altogether, giving it solid strategic content as well," she said.

Commending Russia's support to India during the Bangladesh's War of Independence, Gandhi said Moscow "stood like a rock" with India during New Delhi's moment of "grave crisis".

"There was a genuine warmth and a rare chemistry between Indira Gandhi and the Russian leaders," she said.

Gandhi said the exhibition on Indira Gandhi tells the story of a courageous, compelling and charismatic leader who left an indelible imprint not only on her own country, not only on the India-USSR relationship but on the world stage as well.
Congress

Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress today held a meeting of its screening committee and discussed the possible candidates for the May 12 polls, a party leader said here.

The screening committee will recommend the candidates to the party's central election committee chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress also rejected as "fake news" a purported list of party candidates being circulated on social media for the polls.

"I would like to clarify that this is a fake press release and AICC has not issued any press release," party's general secretary in charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal said.

He said no list of party candidates has been finalised yet as there has been no meeting of the central selection committee.

He said that a meetings of the party screening committee is on and party candidates are being discussed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised Parameswaran Iyer, the secretary in the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, for his contribution to the "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan".

"Government officials are usually supposed to work in anonymity. We do not get to know the names of the bureaucrats whose deeds may have won our admiration. But here, I would like to breach the protocol and introduce Parameswaran Iyer to all," the prime minister said at an event here.

Modi then paused for a while during his nearly 50-minute speech and asked the TV channel crew to focus their cameras on Iyer, who was seated in the audience.

The bespectacled IAS officer rose from his seat and acknowledged the greetings from the crowd with folded hands.

Iyer had quit the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to join a World Bank cleanliness initiative, but chose to return to the country, leaving a comfortable life in the US, to serve his motherland, Modi said.

"It is because of the efforts of such wonderful people that we can hope to make India free of filth by 2019, when we shall be celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," the prime minister said.
President Ram Nath Kovind inspects a guard of honour on his arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka in Zambia. (Image: PTI)

Family members and relatives carry the body of Jaki Sharma, who was killed along the LoC in the shelling from Pakistan side, during his funeral at his native village Sanyal in Hiranagar, about 65km from Jammu. (Image: PTI)

DMK working President MK Stalin rides a bullock-cart during the fourth day of his mega rally, which covers the Cauvery basin region of Tamil Nadu, seeking immediate constitution of a Cauvery Management Board, in Thiruvarur. (Image: PTI)

Aiko Tan of Singapore competes using the hoop at Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. (Image: Reuters)

Rescue workers search for missing people at the site where houses were buried in a landslide at Yabakei town in Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan. (Image: Kyodo/via Reuters)

Filipino workers demolish West Cove resort on Boracay island, Philippines. (Image: Reuters)

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead the Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican. (Image: Reuters)

Painted elephants are seen during the celebration of Songkran Water Festival, to commemorate Thailand's New Year in Ayutthaya, Thailand. (Image: Reuters)

Internally Displaced people pray in an Internally Displaced Camp in Bunia, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. (Image: Reuters)

A local resident walks along a section of Matahari Terbit beach covered in plastic and other debris washed ashore by seasonal winds near Sanur, Bali, Indonesia. (Image: Reuters)

People march to protest against President Lenin Moreno's government in Quito, Ecuador. (Image: Reuters)
Niti Aayog

The NITI Forum for North East today outlined five development missions for promoting sectors like horticulture, tourism and food processing in the region, NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar said here today.

Other missions will cover bamboo-based handicrafts and medium scale industries with focus on 'Make in North-East', he said.

Kumar said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to establish a regional NITI Aayog forum for the north eastern states, adding that a regional forum for Himalayan and Coastal states will be set up soon.

"These regional forums will bring synergy among states and help them solve their problems which can not be solved by one state," he noted.

There has been outflow of resources of North East to other parts of India, he said adding that states in the region "must bring back not only its resources but also additional resources. For this, we will have to create more employment opportunities."

There is a challenge to bring North East region into mainstream and the central government is working to connect it to the rest of India, Kumar insisted.

"To make North East more familiar in the rest of India, one emporium should be set up in all the districts of the country so that people can know about the products of the region," he suggested.

The focus of development projects in the region will be based on the concept of HIRA, as spelt out by the Prime Minister, he said.

The acronym HIRA stands for Highways, Internet ways, Railways and Airways, he said, adding that the emphasis will also be on education, health and skill development in the region.

The first meeting of the newly constituted NER forum here was organised by NITI Aayog and Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) and the North Eastern Council (NEC). It was co-chaired by Kumar and the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for DoNER Jitendra Singh.

Singh said the government has focused on the development of a region which is more or less remained out of the mainstream for the last seven decades.

There has been a significant 21 per cent rise in fund utilisation in the North East in the last three years, he said, adding that the central government has now committed full 100 per cent funding for development projects in the region as against 90:10 ratio earlier, with state governments funding 10 per cent of the total cost.

Singh also said the government has initiated talks with a private airline for connecting Agartala with Dhaka and Chittagong.

He also underlined the need for completion of the 15 km long Agartala-Akhaura rail link for improving connectivity between Tripura and Bangladesh.

The meeting also discussed the need to complete bridge on the river Feni in Sabroom which connects Chittagong and Tripura, he added.

After completion of the bridge on the river Feni at Sabroom in South Tripura district, the broad gauge railway track would be extended to Chittagong port, and Tripura would act as gateway for the North East, the minister said.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio pointed out that Kohima is the only state capital in the North East which does not have an airport.

He said the state government has acquired land for this purpose and at least one small airstrip at Kohima should be constructed for providing air connectivity to Nagaland under the UDAN scheme.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that development is the solution to all socio-economic problems in the region and through infrastructure and connectivity, many development issues can be solved.

He said that the National Games-2022 will be held in Meghalaya, which will coincide with the 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence.

He further said that economic challenges of the NER can be met by removing the physical and economic barriers.

Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb said the state borders Bangladesh from three sides and imports goods worth more than Rs 300 crore annually from that country, but its exports there amount to a meagre Rs 4.6 crore.

He said certain provisions prohibit export of rubber from Tripura, but is routed through West Bengal.

Deb said Tripura has immense potential in fisheries as the state has the world's best climate suitable for aquaculture but this has not been exploited.

Representatives of all eight member states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura -- of the NER gave suggestions on moving towards making it a prosperous region.
"We are being befooled by the executive", was how a "frustrated" Supreme Court said today while ruing the fact that around Rs one lakh crore worth of funds meant to protect the environment and benefit the people, was being diverted for other purposes.

Severely criticising the government, the apex court observed that it had "trusted" the executive, but the authorities do not work. And when the court says something, it is said that there is "judicial overreach and activism".

A bench, comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta, made it clear that this huge amount of money, collected under various funds created on the apex court's orders for protection of environment, was to be used only for environmental purposes and benefit of the people.

"It is very clear that the amount was used for purposes, other than what it was entrusted. How far you want the court to go? We trusted the executive but they say they will do whatever they want," the bench said.

"First, we have to catch them that you have diverted the money and betrayed the trust. Are we policemen or investigating officers? We are not talking about a small amount," the bench said, adding, "It is very, very frustrating".

It said around Rs 11,700 crore was there in the Compensatory Afforestation Funds Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), which was created under the top court's order, and the total amount lying in all such funds would come to around Rs one lakh crore.

However, one of the lawyers told the court that around Rs 11,000 crore from CAMPA was already spent and the total amount in it would be around Rs 50,000 crore.

"What we are supposed to do? You people do not work. It is completely beyond imagination," the bench observed, adding, "when we say, it is said there is judicial overreach and judicial activism. We are being befooled by the executive".

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A N S Nadkarni, appearing for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), said the court should tell the Union of India as to where and how these funds should be used and where it cannot be used.

"It (money) cannot be used for civic or municipal purposes," he said.

The bench noted that there was around Rs 90,000 to Rs one lakh crore money which was lying with the Centre and the states under various heads consequent to the court orders and directed the secretary of MoEF&CC to make a compilation of all the funds, amounts lying in it as on March 31 this year.

"Secretary of the MoEF&CC is further directed to give us some indication as to how amount of Rs one lakh crore is intended to be utilised and areas where it should not be utilised," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on May 9.

The issue of usage of these funds for other purposes cropped up when the apex court perused an affidavit filed by the chief secretary of Odisha and observed that the money was being used for construction of roads, renovation of bus stands and science laboratory in colleges.

"This money is meant for the benefit of the people. It is to be utilised for that only and not as a part of your governance," the court told the counsel representing Odisha.

"It is part of your job as a state. Construction of roads and installing streetlight is your job as a state. People's funds cannot be used for it. Your total expenditure for social cause is not even five per cent," the bench said, adding, "we cannot permit you to do this. This money is for benefit of people and not for benefit of the government".

An advocate, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the money collected under these funds were to be used for welfare of tribals in Odisha.

The court allowed the request of Odisha's counsel for three weeks time to file further details and asked its chief secretary to remain present before it on the next date of hearing.

The bench also perused the affidavit filed by Meghalaya and pulled up the state for keeping the funds meant for welfare of the people only in the bank.

It also took exception to the fact that Meghalaya's affidavit did not even clearly mention how much amount collected under these funds was lying in the banks and observed, "it is too much".

"This is turning out to be a joke," the bench said and termed it a "very badly drafted" affidavit.

It granted four weeks to Meghalaya to file a better affidavit and asked the chief secretary of the state to remain present before it on the next date of hearing.

The court was also informed that Rs 1,301 crore amount has been collected in Delhi under the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC), which the apex court had earlier imposed on commercial vehicles entering Delhi in addition to the toll tax, and another Rs 70.5 crore was collected and lying with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the cent cess levied on the vehicles having engine capacity of more than 2,000 cc.

The bench asked the Delhi government and MoEF&CC to apprise it as to how this money would be utilised.
Amazon has reduced the price of its smart speaker series Amazon Echo in India. The move comes following the launch of Googles smart speaker series Google Home here.

The move has not only resulted in a war between two of the worlds leading global technology companies but also in consumers but it has also left consumers left wondering which of the two is better for them.

Here's a look at both the devices:

Price

Amazons Echo series consists of three devices; Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Plus and are priced at Rs 4,499, Rs 9,999 and Rs 14,999 respectively. Whereas, Googles Home series consists of two devices; Google Home Mini and Google Home which are priced at Rs 4,499 and Rs 9,999.

Form Factor

The smallest among Amazons devices Echo Dot comes with dimensions of 3.2 cm tall, 8.4cm wide and weighs 163 grams. The slightly bigger Amazon Echo sport 14.8cm tall and 8.8cm wide dimensions and weighs in at 821 grams. The biggest of the three, Amazon Echo Plus has dimensions of 235cm tall and 8.4cm wide and weighs in 954 grams.

Meanwhile, Google Home Mini is 9.78cm wide and 4.2 cm tall and weighs in at 173 grams. The bigger of the both Google Home is 9.63cm wide and 14.28cm tall and weighs 477 grams.

Functionality

One of the major factor that differentiates both the device series is the voice assistant. Both Google Assistant and Amazons Alexa are extremely efficient. Alexa is backed by Bing search, whereas Google Assistant has Googles wealth of information. Googles Assistant wins here.

Both the smart speakers can provide a user with information such as weather, live scores, perform an online search on any query, play music. Alexa additionally can also order products directly from Amazon, which is a big plus for Prime members and scores over Google Assistant here. In addition, Alexa can also pull information from a G Suite Google Calendar, which Assistant still cant. Both the devices support multiple users voice commands.

The biggest factor that users need to keep in mind while choosing between these devices is the kind of media one consumes. While Google Assistant streams music from Google Play Music, Pandora and Google Cast, Amazons Alexa streams music from Prime Music. However, both support Spotify as well as TuneIn radio.

When it comes to streaming videos, if you are a heavy consumer of YouTube videos and not a Amazon Prime Video fan, Googles Home is the go-to device. However, if a user is more into Amazon Prime Video and not too much of a YouTube viewer, then Amazons Echo device is the one for you. Google Assistant has an added advantage of supporting Cast using which one can cast and control media using Googles Chromecast. At the same time, Amazon does all of this with the Fire TV device. However, Alexa cannot broadcast music.

Conclusion

While both devices are smart and efficient, the choice basically boils down to what one wants to do. If you insist on searches more, Googles devices are the best. Amazons speakers on the other hand sound better and is more suitable for playing music, though it doesnt imply Googles speakers sound bad, it is just that Echo speakers sound a little better.

While Alexa supports Fire TV, Google Assistant scores better here with its support for Chromecast. However, users will have to wait for Google devices to arrive in India for the time being.
It can be difficult to understand mutual fund terminology and jargons attached to it, especially when youve been an investor in traditional saving modes.

Now, an investor has more scope and a variety of options for investments, such as mutual funds and at present, there are various types of mutual funds in the market, tailor-made for specific needs. After all, you cant just Google which is the best mutual fund and blindly invest in it.

You have to be careful with your investment choices, be aware about short-term, mid-term and long-term plans, and amount you want to invest.

For starters, there are largely three types of mutual funds. Here are the characteristics:



Equity orGrowth Funds: As the name suggests, they invest in equities and have potential to generate higher return. They are considered best for long-term investment. You have large cap, mid cap and small cap funds. There is also a multi-cap fund that invests in a mix of large, mid and small sized companies. Under this, you have sector and thematic funds. You can save taxes also.

Bond/Fixed Income Funds: They invest in securities such as debentures, bank certificates of deposits, government securities or bonds, commercial papers, treasury bills, and commercial paper. They are a safe bet. You can invest in liquid, short term, funds to generate wealth.

Hybrid Funds: They are a mix of equity and fixed income funds. They are balanced and offer great wealth creation potential. Under this, you can invest in balanced funds, pension plans, monthly income plans, etc.



Various types of Mutual Funds exist to cater to different needs of different people. Largely, they are of three types.

You can generate wealth by selecting of the options. Before investing, look for tax saving options too.
Police in Canada is looking for a woman who has been accused of stealing a rock with an inscription from the Japanese artist Yoko Ono which was kept in the Gardiner Museum in Toronto. The rock is valued at $17,500 (Rs 11.40 lakh) in the international markets.

Police, according to a report by The Canadian Press published in The Globe and Mail, allege that a woman entered the museum and picked the rock which was put on exhibition in open.

The theft was possible as the exhibit was kept as an interactive piece, said Police spokesman Gary Long. The rock was one of many that were laid out to resemble a riverbed in the exhibit. Each of the rock has some inscription written on them. The stolen rock had love yourself written on it.

People can actually go up and interact with it, pick up the rock, say a prayer, meditate, that sort of thing, and then put the rock back, Long said.

He added that the theft is unusual as generally the exhibits are kept in protective cases.

I guess this is something that Yoko Ono believes in, the interactive part of it, he says. So its an unusual circumstance.

The suspect which police are looking for is described as a woman of 55-60 years of age, 5-foot-4 in height, wearing a black coat, a red scarf with black stripes, black pants, a black hat and black shoes. The police are also seeking the help of anyone who can provide information about the suspect.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has assured that he wants to ensure protection of integrity of elections, mentioning that he knows the importance of the upcoming polls in countries, including India.

The founder of the social media platform, who has been mired in controversies since news of data leak became public, appeared before US lawmakers on Tuesday. He apologised on behalf of his company for privacy breaches, promised change and explained the steps the social media giant is taking to stem the rot.

Here are some of his key quotes:

Apology:

We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here.

Facebook's folly:

It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well. That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech.

When we heard back from Cambridge Analytica that they were not using the data and deleted it, we considered it a closed case. In retrospect, that was clearly a mistake. We shouldn't have taken their word for it. We have updated our policy to make sure we do not make that mistake again

Setting things straight:

It will take some time to work through all the changes we need to make across the company. I am committed to getting this right.

Russias election interference:

In his opening statement, Zuckerberg addressed Russian election interference and acknowledged that the company was too slow to respond and that it's "working hard to get better."

There are people in Russia whose job is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems, and other systems, as well. So this is an arms race, right? I mean, they're going to keep on getting better at this, and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this, too, which is why one of things I mentioned before is we're going to have more than 20,000 people, by the end of this year, working on security and content review across the company.

Commitment to ensure integrity of elections:

2018 is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections.

He also said the company is investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014 - actions that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.

(With inputs from news agencies)
Multinational mining giant, BHP Billiton Limited [ASX:BHP], has continued its upward trend in the markets today, climbing 2.56% at time of writing.

BHP is the largest mining company in the world and the third largest company listed on the ASX. Their market cap currently sits at $157.6 billion.

South32

BHPs rising share price may be related to the recent developments in their spinoff company, South32. At its inception in 2015, South32 was a receptacle for all of BHPs lesser performing projects and ventures.

South32 continues to struggle with controversy.

The latest example, as reported by The Australian Financial Review, is Colombian nickel mine Cerro Matoso. The Colombian constitutional court has ordered South32 to pay damages to the local indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. Despite being in operation for 30 years, the long-term negative health effects from the mines harmful waste are only now coming to light. The reported health problems range from elevated levels of nickel found in the blood and urine of locals, to respiratory diseases including lung cancer.

South32s chief executive, Graham Kerr, has recognised the Cerro Matoso mine is yet another time bomb that has been ticking since the mine was handed over from BHP.

The more of South32s problems that come to light, the more investors may view BHP as having gotten an excellent deal when it stepped away from these assets.

Another legal battle

Despite the climb in the markets over the last week, BHP is still dealing with the repercussions from other projects that they couldnt hand off to South32. Their Ok Tedi copper mine in Papua New Guineas Western Province in the 1990s is one example.

In 2004, BHP faced a massive lawsuit representing thousands of PNG landowners regarding the widespread harm caused to tens of thousands of citizens and the environment at large, by the annual dumping of the mines waste into the local Ok Tedi river system. That lawsuit was settled and compensation was paid by BHP. However, it seems BHP isnt off the hook yet.

Despite this, the market seems to view BHPs prospects in a good light. Todays 2%-plus rise was significant for a company of BHPs massive size.

Regards,

Julija Zivanovic,

For Markets & Money

PS: BHP may be the largest mining company listed on the ASX. However, if youre looking at investing in mining for big returns, your money may be better spent in smaller, up and coming mining companies due to boom. Thats why Resources Analyst Jason Stevenson has written a free report detailing The Top 10 Australian Mining Stocks, where you could make potentially life-altering returns. Download your copy of that free here.
Mortgage agent Dominic Ha solicited funds from investorsaround $9mln in totalbut they were misappropriated and ultimately lost.

Under Sections 49 of the Mortgage Brokerages, Lenders and Administrators Act, a fine of up to $100,000 could have been imposed, as could up to a year in prison. Section 50 stipulates that the courts could order convicted parties to pay compensation or make restitution.

Has mortgage license was suspended by FSCO, which he appealed, but after choosing not to renew his license by the March 31 deadline, FSCO dropped the matter.

But prosecuting to the full extent of the law, believes Franklin, would have forced FSCOs hand.

A jail sentence would have gotten the message across that FSCO will take action so that the public is protected, said Franklin. They could have a judge order repayment, but FSCO could care less. The problem is theyre very embarrassed about whats happened in this whole area. If they went after him for this, theyd have to go after Tier 1 that way, Fortress that way, all the rest, and that becomes very embarrassing for them.
The association representing Ontarios real estate agents is calling for stronger rules to protect home buyers against the risks involved in purchasing a former grow-op, a situation it argued will increase once cannabis is legalized later this year.

The Ontario Real Estate Association has proposed a series of changes it says can help ensure home buyers are protected from health and safety risks linked to grow-ops, The Canadian Press reported.

The group is asking the government to restrict the number of plants a homeowner can grow in a unit 1,000 square feet or smaller to one plant, down from four.
Kares, a Canadian mortgage industry-led initiative to protect at-risk youth and young adults, recently received a $10,000 donation from 100 Brokers.

Kareswhich stands for Kids at Risk Embracing Successshields vulnerable youth and young adults aged 16 to 24 from the perils of transitioning through adolescence to adulthood, like drug addiction, prostitution, homelessness and abuse. While certainly a tall order, the industry-wide initiative has already made an immense difference in many lives, and, according to Meryll Dreyer, its just getting started.

If we get them young, we can change their lives, said the Verico Dreyer Mortgages COO whos also one of Kares co-founders. One of the big things is to be able to introduce an opportunity into their lives at a young age to make a change before they get into the cycle of homelessness and dependency. When you reach into a young-adult-at-risks life, you recognize that we not only had an opportunity to change a that childs life, but they become a beacon of hope for their family, their friends, their community. It really branches out. Our impact can be very widely spread. The other thing we hope to accomplish with everyone in the mortgage industry is to give a small amount to Kares each month because it will make a substantial difference.
Real estate agents and mortgage brokers in ten US cities may see increased interest after they were named the best in the country.

US News & World Report has ranked the country's 125 largest metropolitan areas based on affordability, job prospects and quality of life.

It puts Austin, TX at the top for the second year in a row. Colorado Springs, Colorado jumped 9 spots this year on the strength of its booming job market and high quality of life to take second place from another of the states cities, Denver, which slipped to third.
Bank of America has become the latest big lender to announce the launch of a digital mortgage platform.

The banks Digital Mortgage Experience will allow clients to apply for a mortgage through the mobile banking app or online at the Bank of America website. Many aspects of the customers mortgage application will be immediately auto-populated by the platform, Bank of America said. Some clients could receive conditional approval the same day they apply.

Everything we do starts and ends with clients, and the Digital Mortgage Experience is designed to make their lives simpler, said D. Steve Boland, head of consumer lending at Bank of America. Our new end-to-end experience empowers clients with complete convenience and control, while also offering unique access to lending experts every step of the way.
Although settlement terms are not yet final, three sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters that Mulvaney is pushing for a figure as high as $1 billion.

The CFPB is working on the sanctions alongside the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the banks day-to-day regulator. Reuters reported in March that the two offices were prepared to penalize the bank for layering extra insurance on drivers and collecting commissions on those policies.

In addition, the CFPB and OCC have been looking into Wells Fargos levying of fees on mortgage borrowers.

Mulvaney is seeking an amount that would settle the two matters, according to Reuters. Sources familiar with the talks said the potential amount will exceed the $100 million settlement Wells Fargo entered with the CFPB in September 2016 to settle its phony accounts scandal. That fine had been the CFPBs largest ever.

The settlement would fulfill Trumps promise to seek tough penalties against the lender. Reuters in December reported that Mulvaney had set aside sanctions against Wells Fargo related to mortgage-lending abuses.
Cortez, Colorado, police are searching for a 16-year-old boy who was reported missing in early April

Police Sgt. Rex Brinkerhoff told The Journal that police first started searching for William Gallegos after he was reported missing from his Cortez home Friday evening. Police have no reason to believe the teen is in danger, according to the Journal's report. Brinkerhoff encouraged anyone with information about Gallegoss whereabouts to contact investigators.

The teen was first reported missing by his mother , Ashley Gallegos Crawford. According to the report there was some indication Gallegos was planning to stay with relatives. Investigators have not been able to confirm whether Gallegos reached those relatives.

Gallegos recently moved to Cortez from Midland and attended Midland High School, according to his stepfather, Midlander Jason Crawford.

Anyone with information about Gallegos can call the Cortez Police Department at 970-565-8441.
Drs. Santanu Bandyopadhyay and James Todd, Columbia College Presidential Finalists 2018 View Photos

Columbia, CA  Interested community members will shortly have the opportunity to meet, hear from and query the Columbia College Presidential Search Committees final candidates.

As reported here, back in early February Clarke Broadcasting talked with Columbia College President Dr. Angela Fairchilds about her recent decision to retire her position come June and how the process to replace her was getting underway.

Last week, the search committee, chaired by Columbia College Vice President of Student Services Dr. Melissa Raby, completed its initial interviews, whittled the selection to two finalists and notified Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) Chancellor Henry C. V. Yong and the YCCD Board of Trustees. Individual public forums are now set for next Wednesday and Thursday during which each of the two hopefuls, both men, will have the opportunity to discuss their qualifications, background and leadership philosophy as well as take questions from the audience.

Candidates Forum Times, Background Briefs

Wednesday (April 18) from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., the public is slated to hear from Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, who has served as Executive Vice President of Educational Programs and Student Services and Director of Institutional Research and Planning at Southern Californias Cypress College as well as a Budget and Policy Analyst for Ohio University. He holds a Ph.D in Higher Education and an MBA from Ohio University as well as a BS in Physics from Kolkata University in India.

On Thursday (April 19) from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dr. James Todd will make his presentation. Hailing from Modesto Junior College, where he has held the titles of Vice President of Student Services and Professor of Anthropology and Academic Senate President, Todds educational background includes a Ph.D and MA in Anthropology from George Washington University; a BA in Anthropology from New College of the University of South Florida; an AA in General Studies from Eastern Florida State College, formerly Brevard Community College.

Both sessions will be held in the Columbia Colleges Dogwood Forum (11600 Columbia College Drive).
Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority View Photos

Sonora, CA  A community-based effort in the works to tackle the Mother Lodes housing crisis involves a special event at the end of the month for which the deadline to register is next Monday.

Hosted by the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA) and partnering agencies, the Tuolumne County Housing Summit will be held at Black Oak Casino Resort on Monday, April 30. The meeting, which begins with a check-in at 10:30 a.m., includes a program and complimentary lunch.

Organizers point to the current regional housing shortage as a primary limiter to the areas ability to attract and grow businesses. Summit discussions will entertain some possible solutions through joint efforts. Among the topics to be highlighted are regulations affecting housing, programs to help housing projects to move forward and capital for projects that are ready to go.

Featured speakers include California State Director for USDA Rural Development Kim Dolbow Vann; California Association of Realtors Bay East Association Director Otto Catrina; PGE Principal Peter Turnbull; and Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) President and CEO Craig Ferguson.

As seating is limited, prompt RSVPs are encouraged. To register online, click here.


Oil surged to a two-week high in New York as President Donald Trump told Russia in a tweet to "get ready" for U.S. missiles to be fired at Syria.

Futures in New York rose as much as 1.4 percent. That follows the biggest one-day jump in eight months on Tuesday as geopolitics reasserted their influence over the world's most important commodity.

President Donald Trump has intensified preparations for a response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, a move that could place the U.S. in direct conflict with Russian forces. While the Middle East country's own oil production is limited, prices often respond to the risk of war in a region that holds almost half of the world's crude reserves.

"We are pricing the expectation of a strike on Syria," said Olivier Jakob, managing director of consultants Petromatrix GmbH in Zug, Switzerland. "Then we need to reassess once it has been done to see how much of an escalation that we have."

Political Premium

Oil has seesawed this year as record output from American producers offsets cuts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies aimed at eliminating a global oversupply. While the market has focused on U.S. crude inventory data for signs on whether the OPEC cuts are working, political premium has returned to oil prices with risks from tensions in the Middle East and a potential trade war between America and China.

West Texas Intermediate for May delivery was at $65.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 39 cents at 1:59 p.m. in London, after climbing $2.09 on Tuesday in the biggest jump since late July. Total volume traded on Wednesday was about 90 percent above the 100-day average.

Brent for June settlement was at $71.47 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, up 43 cents, after rising $2.39 on Tuesday. The global benchmark crude traded at a $5.62 premium to June WTI.

Yuan-denominated futures for September delivery rose 2 percent to 418.20 yuan a barrel on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange.

Military Response

For the second time in less than a year, Trump is weighing a military response to a gas attack in Syria. This time, he's under pressure to hit harder and take bigger risks. The attack Trump ordered last year was limited to a single base and left little lasting damage. A new retaliatory strike will almost certainly inflict greater damage and probably hit more targets important to President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Other oil-market news:

U.S. crude inventories increased by 1.76 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report. That's in the opposite direction of a 1.25 million-barrel decrease estimated in a Bloomberg survey before the Energy Information Administration's data due Wednesday. OPEC's supply cut deal with allies took almost a year of bargaining and brinkmanship. By year-end, the group may have lost the same amount of crude unintentionally. Saudi Arabia is said to want oil prices near $80 a barrel to pay for the government's crowded policy agenda and support the valuation of state energy giant Aramco before an initial public offering. Eurocontrol, an air traffic agency in Europe, asked airlines to apply caution on flights to the eastern Mediterranean region because of possible air strikes in Syria over the next 72 hours. U.S. oil and gas producers expect their borrowing ability to increase over the next few months, leaving them open to invest in new shale assets, particularly the Eagle Ford in Texas.
Longtime newspaper executive Steve Bentz joined the Express-News on Tuesday as chief operating officer overseeing the newspapers business operations, including advertising, circulation and information technology departments.

He comes to San Antonio from the San Francisco Chronicle, which hes worked for since 2013, most recently serving as vice president of sales.

Both papers are owned by Hearst Corp.

Steve is adding to an already strong leadership team. He will help support and continue to grow the creative and collaborative culture of the Express-News, said Susan Lynch Pape, the Express-News publisher. He understands the importance of community and looks forward to helping advance our efforts to provide products and services that are important to our customers.

Bentz, who grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, began his newspaper career in 1981 when he took a job bundling newspapers for the Los Angeles Times not long after graduating from high school. He rose through the ranks at the Times to hold several executive positions before leaving in 2008. He later worked as president of Spanish newspaper La Opinion, and vice president of national sales and direct marketing at the Orange County Register.

Bentz plans to grow new sources of revenue for the newspaper as readers and advertisers shift from traditional print to digital news.

Its trying to get to a business model that can support journalism, he said. The old model is a bit under duress and well need to figure out alternate revenue streams to be able to fund journalism.

He holds a degree in education from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.

Richard Webner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | rwebner@express-news.net | @RWebner
Good news for thousands of California community college students hoping to transfer into the University of California: Succeed in a rigorous set of courses, and your UC admission is guaranteed.

Students who begin community college in fall 2019 and do well in courses that UC faculty helped develop  the required grade-point average is still to be determined  will win admission into a UC campus under an agreement announced Wednesday by the two higher education systems.

The courses will lead to an associate degree for transfer into UC, similar to the degree established in 2013 for guaranteed transfer into California State University. Applicants may not get into their first choice, but will be admitted into one of the nine undergraduate UC campuses.

Im pleased that President Napolitano and I and our two Faculty Senates were willing to come together and improve access to more transfer students, California Community College Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said, noting that transfer students at UC do as well as or better academically than those who begin as freshmen.

UC President Janet Napolitano said in a statement that collaborating with the community colleges will not only make it easier for qualified students to transfer to the university, it will help ensure that they excel once they arrive.

Currently, 21 community college majors satisfy UC rigor, UC officials said. The majors are some of the most popular at UC, they said, including psychology, anthropology, business administration and sociology.

Gov. Jerry Brown has said he considers increasing the number of UC transfer students to be a money-saver for the state. He has withheld $50 million from UCs budget in part until the university complies with state audit requirements, but another condition is that UC sign up one transfer student for every two freshmen who enroll.

UC has already achieved those numbers systemwide across its nine undergraduate campuses, said Claire Doan, a UC spokeswoman. But UC is also working hard to hit the target for each campus, she added.

In all, UC enrolled 20,000 transfer students this year  the most in its history. UCs enrollment of transfer students rose by 19 percent from 2013 to 2017, records show.

Most of those students, but not all, come from community colleges. UC increased the number of community college transfers by 18 percent during the same period, adding 2,819 more community college transfers.

The Chronicle also looked at community college transfers into CSU before and after its guaranteed admission program began in 2013. Surprisingly, the increase of transfer students slowed after it began.

In the four years before the program was set up, CSU added 18 percent more community college transfer students  an increase of 6,589 students, to 44,236.

In the four years after it began, community college transfers rose by 9 percent  an increase of 5,306 students, to 61,871.

Although its not clear why the guarantee of admission didnt accelerate transfers into CSU, Paul Feist, a spokesman for the community college system suggested that lingering effects of the recession could be the cause.

Both systems were recovering from drastic cuts, he said.

Doan of UC said it was too early to predict how UCs new admissions guarantee might impact transfer enrollment.

But UC faculty and students have repeatedly complained to the governing Board of Regents that classroom space and dorms havent kept pace with rising enrollment.

In a nod to that reality, the new agreement promises that if transfer enrollment grows as as result of the admission guarantee, leaders of UC and the community college system will together ask the state for more money  a pre-requisite for transfer students success at the university.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
A new coffee shop opening next month in San Antonios Alta Vista neighborhood comes complete with a lesson in basic French grammar. Its called Philocoffee  notice the tail on the c, or c cedille, in the spelling  cleverly resulting in the pronunciation philosophy.

General manager Julie Butler said the shop will serve as a haven for caffeine-seeking Francophiles. A large metal bull outside the store has been painted in the blue, white and red bars of the French flag. A custom French-style coffee bean blend has been developed for the cafe by local roaster Whats Brewing. The Castle Hills-based Cest La Vie Baking Co. will provide croissants and other pastries.
Animal Care Services has seized two young cats from the San Antonio Cat Cafe deemed in need of immediate care and ordered the nonprofit facility not to allow the public to interact with its felines until it addresses various health issues, including a lack of proof of rabies vaccinations and needed treatment for contagious diseases such as upper respiratory infections.

ACS seized the two cafe cats Thursday, prior to a scathing Facebook post Sunday from former cat cafe employee Cas Moskwa, who alleges cat cafe owner Casey Steuart hid the deaths of several cats from the general public, and when notified of sick cats on the premises would wait weeks at time before taking them as a group to see a veterinarian.

RELATED: Purr-fect timing: San Antonio Cat Cafe opens Sunday on National Cat Day

Moskwa also alleged Steuart brought in a cat infected with ringworm into the facilitys kitten coop, resulting in three different litters of kittens getting infected, along with members of the staff and volunteers. Moskwas Facebook post includes photos of cats with crusted eyes she alleges are the result of Steuarts inaction.

Steuart said the allegations are assumptions from former employees who dont have all the information about the cafes operations, and that Moskwas photos of cats with crusted eyes are from old situations that have since been remedied.

The San Antonio Cat Cafe, which opened in late October at 10458 Sentinel St. near Broadway and Wetmore Road, is set up as a sort of BYOB coffeehouse that offers snacks and beverages in its front room area, while in a separate enclosed lounge animal lovers and prospective pet parents can curl up with rescued felines up for adoption.

Steuart said three cats did die at the cafe, but none from neglect. Those cats were a 17-year-old that died from organ failure due to old age complications, a cat that succumbed to seizures and a cat that died from liver failure, Steuart said.

They all were conditions that were not caused by something that was happening here, Steuart said.

ACS public relations and outreach manager Lisa Norwood said ACS received a number complaints specific to the cafe and sent cruelty investigators to look into them and follow up with Steuart, who Norwood said is cooperating and fixing the cafes problems.

Norwood said those problems include dozens of animals at the facility with no proof of state-mandated rabies vaccinations, indications that a number of animals had contagious diseases and were allowed to interact with the public, and too many animals for the current drainage and ventilation system. Steuart said the cafe has 54 cats.

Norwood said the ACS removed the two cats because they were in critical condition. Norwood said ACS has no reason to believe the animals in the cafes care that died did so by suspicious means.

Situations like this become overwhelming very, very quickly, Norwood said. And it takes a lot of work to take care of one or two animals, much less 50 or 60. If a business or organization is going to do work connected to animals, it behooves them to not only know but to embrace and obey the animal laws in their community.

Steuart stressed the cafe has not been shut down, and is still willing to host other cat organizations and their events provided those groups animals are kept separate from the cafes own cats. The cat cafe also will still offer other activities, such as arts and crafts, game nights and live music.

She also noted that she works full-time at another job, and has only one paid cafe employee and six regular volunteers remaining after several left.

Moskwa, who worked at the cat cafe for four months starting on its opening day, said she doesnt believe Steuart intended to harm any of the cats. Rather, she said Steuart was not prioritizing her time enough with the cafe, and Moskwa and several other cafe employees left due to Steuart not listening to their concerns about the cats well-being, as well as not paying them in a timely manner.

I believe when (Steuart) first opened the cafe, her mission was to get cats adopted and have it be a great success, Moskwa said. However, she doesnt focus on her priorities. And she kind of expected her employees to kind of take on all of the other business decisions for her.

Moskwa noted she and other cafe employees were not medically trained to take care of the cats and had to wait for Steuart to get to the cafe to set up veterinarian appointments, visits Moskwa said would be pushed back, often by weeks.

Steuart said there were times staffers got paid late, but only because she prioritized available funds to care for the cafes cats. As for allegations she delayed veterinarian visits, Steuart showed various receipts for cat care from Emergency Pet Clinic, and said she had documentation of vet visits her staff simply does not have access to.

Like Norwood, Steuart and Moskwa do stress the same message: They all care about the cats at the cafe.

I dont want people to think that I dont care about the cats, Steuart said. People who really do know me know for years that I have always been a person who has cared about animals.

Rene A. Guzman is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | rguzman@express-news.net | @reneguz
BRIDGEPORT  The Bridgeport Education Fund has announced its 2018 Inspiration Awards for city educators.

Top prizes go to Natalie Liberty-Murray, a Central High science teacher and Bianca Rivera, a Roosevelt School fourth grade teacher who both will receive the Theodore and Margaret Beard Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Liberty-Murray came to the district six years ago as part of Teach for America and last year received an outstanding teacher award by the fund. Rivera, an 18 year veteran of the district, was honored in 2016 as an outstanding teacher.

The Beard Award this year comes with a $20,000 cash prize, paid out over three years. Teachers are nominated for the award and judged by a panel based on their ability to engage, inspire and motivate students to achieve academic excellence, involve families and use creative instructional strategies.

In recent years, Beard winners have gone on to be a sounding board for the district schools superintendent.

Chosen for Outstanding Teacher awards are: Beth Aronstam, a social worker at High Horizons Magnet School; Vanessa Arroyo, a Central High School English teacher; Joan Collins, a special education teacher at High Horizons Magnet School; Cristina DaSilva-Novotny, an English as a Second Language teacher at Blackham School; Ashley Lupo, Beardsley School third grade teacher; Tara Oliwa, a Beardsley School special education teacher; Carol Ortiz, a physical education teacher at Roosevelt School and Theresa Welch, a Beardsley School librarian/media specialist.

In addition, Charmaine Worthy, principal at Jettie S. Tisdale School, will receive the Bellinger Leadership award. The Bridgeport School Volunteer Association will receive the Pfriem Leadership Award and retiring University of Bridgeport President Neil Salonen will receive special recognition for exceptional education leadership.

The award ceremony will take place Wednesday, May 2, at 3:30 p.m. at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn. For more information, visit: https://bpef.givezooks.com/events/inspiration-awards-2018
BRIDGEPORT  I just want it over, voter Denise Clemons said, walking into Madison School for the third time in seven months to cast a ballot in a seemingly never-ending City Council primary. Just make a decision so we can move on.

Its frustrating, agreed her daughter, Briana Graham.

Tuesdays third primary for two seats representing the North Ends 133rd Council District  a do-over of Novembers do-over of Septembers initial primary  yielded the same results.

The top two vote getters, incumbent Jeanette Herron and newcomer Michael DeFilippo, again prevailed, and will now face a lone Republican challenger in a general election at a to-be-scheduled date.

In fact, DeFilippo and Herron, the Democratic Town Committees nominees, beat challengers ex-state Rep. Robert Keeley and Zoning Commissioner Anne Pappas Phillips, about three to one  216 votes for DeFilippo, 210 votes for Herron, 71 for Keeley and 73 for Pappas Phillips.

Sounds to me like the people of the 133rd have spoken one more time, retiring Councilman Thomas McCarthy, Herrons current council partner, said as the votes were counted at Testos restaurant, owned by Town Committee Chairman Mario Testa.

The small group gathered at Testos expressed relief but also frustration. Someone joked they should call Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis with the results.

It says something about Bridgeport politics that, as was the case in the 133rd District, not only a Superior Court Judge but the state Supreme Court can find fault with an election, order two re-votes, and people resent the judicial system.

Keeley and Pappas Phillips successfully challenged the results of the first two primaries and, in so doing, uncovered what both Bellis and the Supreme Court determined were questionably cast absentee or mail-in ballots and improper involvement in the collection of absentee ballots by Testa, DeFilippo and Police Chief Armando Perez.

But Judy Miller, who also voted for the third time Tuesday, clearly had no sympathy for Keeley or Pappas Phillips.

People who lose just cant accept it, Miller said. Its ridiculous. Why waste time, money, resources, when you lost  twice?

That has been the sentiment among some supporters of DeFilippo, who bartends for Testa, and of Herron: That Keeley and Pappas Phillips were sore losers, and that the judges overreached in their rulings to find fault with Bridgeport politics.

It did not help that Keeley, after waging this seven month fight, did not hang around for Tuesdays denouement. He left Pappas Phillips a voice mail over the weekend that he was flying to the west coast with his son to look at colleges and would not return until weeks end.

I cant fathom it, Pappas Phillips said in a brief interview afterward of Keeleys sudden disappearance. She, however, argued what the pair accomplished was hardly frivolous.

We did it (went to court) because there were too many violations of state statute and election law, Pappas Phillips said. To quote Judge Bellis, The citizens deserve a fair, just and honest election and didnt get it.

Whether they wanted it or not is another matter. One poll worker at Madison School said that turnout has gotten lower and lower from the September primary to Novembers to Tuesdays.

So slow, DeFilippo acknowledged of the sparse foot traffic at Blackham. Asked about Keeley being a no show, DeFilippo said it was an insult to voters after his opponent made this big to-do.

He and Herron toasted their victory in Testas bar. Herron seemed satisfied that Tuesdays results were definitive, especially since she and DeFilippo trounced their opponents on the voting machines without the need for absentee ballots.

So now DeFilippo and Herron will have the general election they should have had last November.

Herron plans to save money by reusing already printed campaign materials and covering over the original election date with paint or markers. Over the course of seven months, she has gotten really good at that.
The Houston Food Bank is dedicated to filling pantries in Greater Houston and the 18 Southeast Texas counties which it serves, from school children to families to senior citizens. The organization is currently working to provide more assistance to senior citizens through increased distribution via its Senior Box Program.

The Senior Box Program is designed to improve the health and nutrition of income-eligible seniors (age 60 and above). The program distributes Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that is managed by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). An example of what seniors will find in the food boxes (valued at $50 retail) is non-perishable vegetables and fruit, hot or cold cereal, pasta, two-pound block of cheese, protein (e.g., non-perishable chicken, salmon, tuna chili, stew) and more.

In addition to distributing a monthly box of shelf-stable CSFP food, the Senior Box Program has expanded its outreach to include distribution of produce and other health-related items to seniors both inside and outside of Harris County.

Currently, just over 11,000 Harris County seniors each month benefit from this federally-funded effort.

TDA has asked Houston Food Bank to distribute 2,000 more boxes per month, and the food bank is working to find additional sites for distribution sites.

"Houston Food Bank is looking for sites such as multi-service centers, senior living facilities, churches and similar locations from which to distribute senior boxes," said Kathy Lipman, senior box manager for Houston Food Bank. "Distributions generally are scheduled once every month during a one to two-hour window. Since our staff handles all aspects of processing interested seniors and distributing the food, it is easy for an organization to host this important service to support the well-being of seniors in their community."

Sites are currently needed in the counties in which Houston Food Bank currently distributes  Harris, Montgomery, Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend and Liberty. Preferred locations are those in areas where many seniors reside, that are wheelchair accessible for clients, and have ample parking for the food bank's truck as well as participants' vehicles.

Anyone with a location/space that would be available and appropriate to become a distribution site are asked to call Houston Food Bank's Senior Box Program offices at 832-369-9390.

For senior citizens age 60 and above interested in applying for the Senior Box Program, they may apply in person at a location near them. If an individual is unable to apply in person, they can send a representative with any ID with the applicant's date of birth and/or a birth certificate; proof of income within the year of application such as a Social Security award letter, employment check stub, bank statement (if check is automatically deposited), pension statement, income tax form, and/or letter of other financial support. A list of sites and hours can be found at www.houstonfoodbank.org/seniorbox, or information can be provided by calling 832-369-9390.

For general information on Houston Food Bank and its programs, visit www.houstonfoodbank.org or call 713-223-3700.
Prominent pastor Bill Hybels announced Tuesday he is stepping down from his Chicago-area megachurch Willow Creek, just weeks after the Chicago Tribune published allegations of misconduct from several women. Hybels, who with his wife co-founded one of the nation's largest churches in 1975, was a spiritual adviser to President Bill Clinton around the time of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

He told the church last year that he was planning to step down in October, but he said he was resigning Tuesday, saying he would be a distraction to the church's ministry. Some members of his congregation shouted "No!" and gave him a standing ovation following his address.

In March, the Chicago Tribune published allegations that he made suggestive comments, extended hugs, an unwanted kiss and invitations to a staff member to hotel rooms. The newspaper also reported allegations of a consensual affair with a married woman, and the woman who said she had an affair later retracted her allegations. Hybels has denied all the allegations and said on Tuesday again that the church's investigations found no evidence of misconduct. However, he told his congregation he felt attacked and wished he had responded.

"I apologize to you, my church, for a response that was defensive instead of one that invited conversation and learning," he said.

He said that while most of the members of Willow Creek accepted the church's findings of investigations, "some of the Christian community continue to be confused and conflicted." The decision, he said, was his, with the approval of the church's elders.

Hybels also said that he "placed myself in situations that would be far wiser to avoid. I was naive. I commit to never putting myself in similar situations again."

The church conducted its own internal review, and hired an outside attorney who investigated the allegations and told the Tribune his work led to no findings of misconduct by Hybels. In the Tribune's report, other high-profile evangelical leaders, including John and Nancy Ortberg, suggested that the church's internal review of the allegations was inadequate. Hybels had said that those leaders had colluded, to which John Ortberg responded in a recent blog post, saying it was "untrue."

"It takes great courage for women to tell their stories," wrote John Ortberg, who leads a megachurch in California. "In this case, the tremendous courage of several women has been met with an inadequate process that has left them without a refuge and with no way to be assured of a fair hearing."

Hybels has been hugely influential in the megachurch movement, helping to popularize what was known as "seeker-sensitive," a consumer-friendly approach it has shied away from in the past decade. Willow Creek has also been known for adding women to significant leadership roles in the church. Last year, Willow Creek appointed two pastors to replace him: Heather Larson and Steve Carter.
Greene County

Sheriff

 Dillon R. Winningham, 19, of White Hall was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 5:10 p.m. Saturday on a criminal damage to property charge.

Carrollton Police

 Randy L. Handlin, 30, of Eldred was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 2:58 a.m. Saturday on charges of driving under the influence and improper use of a turn signal.

Roodhouse Police

 Jack L. Green, 28, of Roodhouse was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 9:45 p.m. Monday on a Jersey County arrest warrant accusing him of theft, criminal trespass to property and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was later transferred to the Jersey County Jail.

White Hall Police

 Joshua C. Pollard, 41, of Collinsville was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 8:20 p.m. Friday on a Greene County arrest warrant accusing him of violating the Child Sex Offender Registration Act by failing to report a change of address.

Scott County

Sheriff

 Jessica M. Vanhyning, 37, of Alsey was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 3:08 a.m. Tuesday on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Shelia M. Farrell-Taylor, 38, of Alsey was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 3:53 a.m. Tuesday on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
BERLIN - Jewish life around the world is under attack once again by "classic traditional antisemitism," according to a report by an Israeli university released Wednesday.

While acts of violent anti-Semitism dropped by 9 percent between 2016 and 2017, other incidents such as abuse and harassment are on the rise and have led to a "certain corrosion of Jewish life." The study blames the surge on "the constant rise of the extreme right, a heated anti- Zionist discourse in the left, accompanied by harsh antisemitic expressions, and radical Islamism."

In its latest annual, global assessment of anti-Semitic incidents, the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University concludes that "Europe's largest Jewish communities are experiencing a normalization and mainstreaming of antisemitism not seen since the Second World War."

"There has been an increase in open, unashamed and explicit hatred directed against Jews. The Jew as exploiter, the Jew as killer, the Jew as banker. It is like we have regressed 100 years," European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor was quoted as saying in a statement.

While improved security measures may explain the drop in anti-Semitic violence, the report argues that Jewish communities are in fact experiencing an unprecedented "feeling of distress." Stepped-up security may have stopped attacks, they write, but it has also highlighted the threats that have made those efforts necessary in the first place.

The report connects separate incidents, arguing that they are part of a broader trend that will likely continue in 2018. "The same pattern has continued this year," the authors write in their assessment.

In recent weeks, thousands marched in London against what they perceive to be blatant anti-Semitism in Britain's mainstream Labour Party. In France, the Paris prosecutor's office is investigating whether anti-Semitism was a motivation for the killing of an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor last week. There has also been a string of anti-Semitic incidents in German schools in recent weeks. And in Poland, a renowned anti-racism activist was recently branded a traitor after speaking out against the nation's controversial anti-defamation law concerning Holocaust complicity.

"The result is of a Jewish community in many places around the world living in fear," Kantor was quoted as saying in a statement. "Neither the public nor the private space are perceived as safe for Jews, as was seen by the recent horrific and brutal murder of Mireille Knoll, who survived the Holocaust to be stabbed and burnt in her home. The general feeling shared by Jews, as individuals and as a community, is that antisemitism has entered a new phase, and is widespread in most parts of the world," said Kantor, referring to the Paris murder.

Kantor and the authors of the report also voice harsh criticism of British Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, referring to the controversy surrounding him as a "normalization of antisemitic discourse in mainstream politics."

"His followers and supporters openly share on social media some of the most malevolent Holocaust denial and international Jewish banking conspiracies reminiscent of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, some of this is sometimes even condoned by Corbyn himself," Kantor said.

Known as a fierce critic of Israel, Corbyn has recently faced numerous allegations of having supported anti-Semitic views. He later acknowledged that he used to be a member of a Facebook group where anti-Semitic content was shared, though the Labour Party leader claimed that he never came across those specific posts.

A number of Polish politicians also faced harsh criticism by the authors of the Wednesday report over "public statements containing antisemitic messages." The report only includes incidents from 2017 - prior to the passage of a law designed to make certain allegations of Polish complicity in the Holocaust illegal.

The center's index of anti-Semitic incidents is based on reports referred to the organization, mostly by local watchdogs.

While the scholars' methodology has been criticized for failing to take into account some incidents because it relies on external reports, the authors argue that their statistics offer a uniquely comparable analysis of anti-Semitism events.
SACRAMENTO  Gov. Jerry Brown said Wednesday that California would accept money from the Trump administration to beef up the states National Guard by 400 troops, but will not deploy service members specifically to the U.S.-Mexico border to stop undocumented immigrants from entering the country.

President Trump said last week that he wanted California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to send a total of 2,000 to 4,000 National Guard troops to the border, partly to stop a convoy of migrants from crossing into the country. The migrants, about 1,200 mostly from Honduras, had moved north into Mexico but largely disbanded there without approaching the U.S., although about 200 reportedly are expected to seek asylum in this country.

Trumps proclamation April 4 deploying the National Guard said he had no choice but to act to ensure national security.

With our current laws and resources, we cannot stop illegal aliens from crossing the border, he said.

Related National Guardsmen arrive on the southern border to assist immigration authorities

The Republican governors of the three other states promptly said they would comply, but Brown waited several days. When he answered, the response was nuanced.

There is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California, Brown wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Defense Secretary James Mattis. He said the California National Guard would accept federal funding to add 400 service members to fight transnational criminal gangs, human trafficking, and firearms and drug smuggling along the border and across the state.

Lets be crystal clear on the scope of this mission, Brown wrote. This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws.

California now has 250 Guard members working throughout the state on efforts targeting gangs, smuggling and trafficking, including 55 who are stationed at the border.

Browns announcement straddled a line between accepting and rejecting Trumps request. One expert noted that if the administration goes along with Brown, both sides could claim victory  California would gain resources to fight transnational crime in the state, and Trump could claim the states cooperation on an issue that at least touches on illegal immigration.

Hes not absolutely rejecting the request, said Louis DeSipio, professor of political science and Chicano studies at UC Irvine. In the long run, its an untenable position for California to oppose the Trump administration on every policy.

There were calls from fellow Democrats for Brown to reject Trumps request outright.

State Sen. Kevin de Leon, whose SB54 sanctuary law minimizing local law enforcements cooperation with federal immigration agents is the target of a Trump administration lawsuit, said last week that Brown should ignore Trumps pointless and expensive call.

The Los Angeles Democrat, who is trying to unseat Sen. Dianne Feinstein in this years elections, said Wednesday, I appreciate that Gov. Brown has designed a clear and limited mission focused on real public safety threats  not phantom threats posed by women and children fleeing violence.

There was no immediate response from the Trump administration on Browns request for money to pay for 400 new Guard troops. However, Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman said the governors efforts to help secure the border were welcome.

Nielsen and Brown spoke recently, Waldman said in a statement.

She is pleased to have the support of all four border governors to help secure our Southwest border. Issues of border security require the partnership of the federal government and our state and local allies to be successful.

At least one proponent of clamping down on illegal immigration said Brown needed to do more to keep California safe.

Jerry Brown has just admitted that there are transnational gangs operating on the U.S.-Mexico border, said Assemblyman Travis Allen, a Republican from Huntington Beach who is running for governor. Its necessary that we take steps to further secure our border to make sure that anyone coming into our state has been vetted and is coming through the front door.

If the Trump administration approves Californias funding request, Brown would retain the ability to decline certain missions. Its unclear how many of the new troops would be sent to the border. The memorandum outlining Californias conditions says the agreement would end Sept. 30.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez
TOKYO - The U.S.-Korea Institute at the renowned Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies - the only think tank in Washington devoted to Korean Peninsula issues - will close next month after a dispute over funding and academic independence with the government in Seoul.

The South Korean government, which has backed the institute since its inception in 2006 to promote the study of Korean issues, has said it will cut off funding in May.

Institute chairman Robert Gallucci said the move was a direct result of the managers' refusal to follow South Korean government instructions to fire the institute's director and assistant director.

"It's utterly inappropriate for a foreign government, and an ally by the way, to threaten an American academic institution this way," said Gallucci, a former American nuclear negotiator. "It's just incredibly and wildly inappropriate."

Ironically, the decision comes as the South Korean president prepares to meet the North Korean leader later this month, a precursor to a summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump. Gallucci and several of its top researchers are ardent advocates of diplomacy and have firsthand experience negotiating with North Korea.

South Korea's presidential Blue House strongly denies any attempt to censor the institute.

USKI was established by former Washington Post correspondent Don Oberdorfer in 2006, when South Korea was led by Roh Moo-hyun, who promoted engagement with North Korea.

The South Korean government has provided the overwhelming bulk of the funding for the institute, totaling about $19 million over almost 12 years, through the state-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, or KIEP.

But in 2014, some South Korean lawmakers began complaining about the way the institute was accounting for its expenditures. USKI was sending a two-page breakdown of its accounts to the National Assembly, consistent with the way all SAIS institutes report to their donors.

The complaints gained momentum last year after Moon, who had worked as Roh's chief of staff, became president.

When Gallucci, who was dean of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service for 13 years after leaving government, became chairman of the institute in September last year and heard about the concerns, he ordered Johns Hopkins to conduct an internal audit. It found no irregularities or lack of transparency, he said.

But South Korean government representatives repeatedly told Gallucci that he must fire Jae H. Ku, the director of the institute for the past 11 years and someone who holds more conservative views than the current South Korean government.

"I have been directly pressured, in writing and orally, to fire Jae and was told that if I did not, all funding would be cut off," Gallucci said.

South Korean officials also insisted that Gallucci fire Jenny Town, the assistant director of the institute and the editor of its much-cited 38 North website, he said.

A South Korean newspaper published a leaked email that showed KIEP officials briefed Blue House officials on the issue.

Kim Joon-dong, who was KIEP's vice president at the time and wrote the leaked email, said that the issues stemmed from the lack of a full-time dedicated professor of Korea studies at the institute. KIEP wrote to SAIS asking them to replace Ku "according to the school's own procedures," Kim said.

"Briefing the Blue House about the happenings with USKI is not an anomaly but standard practice for a state-funded research institute," Kim said in an interview.

But two people familiar with the discussions said the South Korean government wanted to run the institute like it was a state think tank.

Government research institutions in Seoul are highly politicized, with new administrations generally installing leaders that share the new president's views. The change in the political environment was particularly notable last year because conservative president Park Geun-hye was impeached in a sensational corruption scandal and the progressive Moon was elected to succeed her.

The heads of several government-affiliated think-tanks have been replaced since Moon took office. Lee Jae-young, who is also on a panel advising Moon on the inter-Korean summit, was appointed as KIEP's president last week.

Also last week, KIEP informed the institute it would withdraw its funding from next month, saying it was doing this as a result of the National Assembly's insistence on greater transparency.

KIEP had allocated $1.9 million for the institute this year, accounting for three-quarters of its budget.

SAIS will close the institute on May 11 after giving staff the required one-month's notice. 38 North, which receives separate funding, will continue to operate.

Noting that engagement with North Korea is especially topical right now, Gallucci, who led the U.S. team that brokered a landmark nuclear deal with North Korea in 1994, said this is a "magnificently stupid time" for such a decision.

Other academics focusing on the Koreas lamented the closure of the institute.

"There are no imaginable circumstances in which an educational institution should have its academic freedoms trampled upon," said Victor Cha, chair of the Korean program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Asian studies program at Georgetown. "Bob Gallucci and his institute practiced such freedoms, nothing more nor less."

The Blue House strongly denied any intention to censor the institute.

KIEP granted the funds to SAIS, not the U.S.-Korea Institute, and was "entitled to recommend" how the money was spent, said Shin Jee-yeon, a spokeswoman for the president. KIEP had told SAIS to expand its Korean studies program after noting that USKI had failed to comply with minimum audit requirements for the past 10 years, she said.

But the decision to stop funding USKI came from the National Assembly, not the president's office, Shin added, noting that the Blue House would have wanted the institute to be more vocal, not to silence it.

If the pro-engagement Moon administration had any influence over the matter, it would have encouraged the institute to speak out and would have given it more money, Shin said, "since 38 North has been often considered one of the most vocal and active proponents of the policies that this administration is supposedly going to pursue."

---

The Washington Post's Min Joo Kim in Seoul contributed reporting.
Prime Minister Theresa May has plenty to mull in deciding to join multinational military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following suspected chemical weapon attacks on civilians.

From parliamentary precedent and Britain's global standing after Brexit to plain old party politics, here's a breakdown of some of the issues.

Overseas pressure

May spoke to Donald Trump by phone Tuesday. Both leaders condemned Assad's "vicious disregard for human life," and "agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue," according to a White House readout of the call. She also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who said later that a response would come "in the coming days."

May is unlikely to join in the megaphone-style diplomacy of Trump, who warned Russia on Wednesday "to get ready" because missiles would be coming at Syria. "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" he said on Twitter.

Post-Brexit Standing

Britain's departure from the European Union has invoked hand wringing about its place in the world as it forges a path outside the world's biggest trading bloc, especially as relations with Vladimir Putin's Russia are at an historic low after the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in Salisbury last month.

The international show of support for the U.K. following that attack was viewed as a significant political win for May, and standing with key allies including the U.S. and France now will be central to her long-term calculations.

Evidence Matters

"If evidence is found" or "if confirmed" have been uttered repeatedly by May over the past few days, suggesting she won't rush into military action unless she's convinced of Assad or his backers' guilt.

Different Views

Conflicting reports on May's intentions in two national newspapers Wednesday suggest there's not yet a consensus about the best way to proceed. That's also the view of Stewart Wood, an opposition Labour Party lawmaker and former Downing Street staffer.

"The contradictory messages coming out of No. 10 about Theresa May's willingness to take part in immediate military action against Assad suggest she has yet to make up her mind," he said. "It also suggests a court around her that has divided views, with both factions convinced they can speak for her and bring her round to their views."

Party Politics

A cautious leader, May might want a mandate from Parliament for military intervention -- an emerging convention dating to the vote on the Iraq War in 2003 -- particularly as her predecessor, David Cameron, was defeated by 13 votes in his 2013 effort to deploy military forces to Syria.

Even so, she has been urged by several influential members of her Conservative Party including Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, and former Cabinet minister Dominic Grieve, to ignore it in light of the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

An added wrinkle is that lawmakers are on vacation until April 16. With Trump seemingly intent on a rapid response, will May recall them for a vote, or use so-called emergency powers to strike first and ask for Parliamentary approval later?

Iraq Shadow

Since Labour lawmakers led the defeat of Cameron over Syria, there has been a shift in mood among the party's rank-and-file, many of whom have criticized leader Jeremy Corbyn's foreign-policy positions and accused him of being too close to Russia amid the furor over the poisoned former spy.

That makes it more likely that May would win a vote for military action this time, and help her to highlight the difference with Corbyn ahead of local elections in May. But the vote outcome is not a foregone conclusion, and the Labour leader's urging of caution resonates with Britons wary of military intervention since intelligence was exaggerated in the runup to the Iraq War.
GUILFORD  A man arrested Wednesday is accused of engaging police officers in both Guilford and New Haven multiple times over the past several months, according to a press release.

Jose Hernandez, 47, of New Haven, was charged with two counts of assault, interfering with a police officer, second-degree larceny, engaging police in a pursuit, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal trover, the release said. According to Connecticut General Statues, A person is guilty of criminal trover in the first degree when he forcibly enters or forcibly removes the ignition of the motor vehicle of another and uses the motor vehicle without the consent of such owner, and such use results in damage to or diminishes the value of such motor vehicle or subjects such owner to economic loss, fine or other penalty.
The view from the lunar landing module on July 20, 1969, was - in mankind's best guess - the first time a living being traveled to another celestial body to observe the luminous blue planet shrouded in the seemingly infinite darkness of space.

But before that moment, the crew of Apollo 11 hurtling toward the moon radioed mission command in Houston to ask about a curious object they saw on their third day in space.

"Do you have any idea where the S-IVB is with respect to us?" commander Neil Armstrong asked, referring to the third stage of the Saturn V rocket that was jettisoned earlier in the flight.

Mission control had an answer about three minutes later, according to a NASA radio transcript of the mission.

"Apollo 11, Houston," the command replied. "The S-IVB is about 6,000 nautical miles from you now. Over." That satisfied Armstrong, who said 12 seconds later: "Okay. Thank you."

The seemingly innocuous exchange has become a touchstone for UFO-sighting enthusiasts and alien truthers, and now, seemingly fake news.

Buzz Aldrin, 88, the second astronaut to set foot on the moon, believed that the crew saw an extraterrestrial spacecraft at this moment, and a "lie detector" test proves it, at least according to the British tabloid the Daily Star.

That's not quite right.

"He has never said he saw a UFO. This story has been a fabrication for the sake of headlines and is not true as far as Buzz Aldrin is concerned," his spokeswoman, Christina Korp, told The Washington Post in a statement Tuesday. That echoes Aldrin's 2015 comment on Reddit that the object "was not an alien." The Daily Star did not return a request for comment.

The truth is out there, if only the Daily Star looked closely.

The tabloid's story focuses on a vocal analysis conducted by the Ohio-based Institute of BioAcoustic Biology and Sound Health, a nonprofit institution that founder Sharry Edwards has said developed a program that can evaluate how truthful or confident someone feels about a subject they are talking about.

Edwards told The Post she used Aldrin's interview from the 2006 Discovery Science made for TV-documentary "Apollo 11: The Untold Story" to analyze Aldrin's remarks.

"There was something out there that was close enough to be observed and what could it be?" Aldrin recounted about the incident, adding that crew member Michael Collins viewed ellipses on the L-shaped object when viewed through a telescope. "That didn't tell us very much," he said.

The moment called for restraint from theorizing what the object might be during one of the most scrutinized missions in human history, Aldrin said.

"Who knows what somebody would have demanded that we turn back because of aliens or whatever the reason is," he said on the program. The crew decided to move on and mention it later in mission debrief, Aldrin added.

In an analysis, Edwards says Aldrin "has a firm belief in what he saw but logical awareness that he cannot explain what he saw; therefore he thinks he should be doubted."

She said the conclusion was published years ago but that she does not know how it became suddenly relevant.

Aldrin has already clarified his position on the incident.

In a response on the NASA website after the documentary was released, Aldrin said he believed he saw one of four panels separated from the S-IVB heading on the same trajectory toward the moon but on a slightly different course. That discussion was edited out and the rest was "taken out of context," NASA said.

In the 2015 Reddit thread, he said the sun must have glinted off one of the panels.

The recurring UFO story is the result in part of the public distorting the scientific term UFO to mean a craft with "little green men," NASA chief historian Bill Barry told The Post.

Yet the Apollo 11 mission was already a significant moment in human history without the intrigue of alien spacecraft.

The median age of Americans is about 38, or 11 years younger than the mission itself. Most people alive today were not around to hear President John F. Kennedy say in 1961 that the United States would send a man to the moon and return him safely to Earth.

The Soviet Union had already been the first to send a man into Earth orbit, frustrating NASA and creating a belief that the Russians might have an edge. The stakes were high. "They were basically on a war footing," he said of NASA leadership.

NASA's lessons from the mission were extensive. For instance, leaders honed the organization for large scientific projects, which later helped develop the International Space Station, Barry said. And investment in science paved the way from everything from the internet to cellphones.

Discoveries also offered more hints about the origin of life on Earth and the history of the universe. Evaluating the rock samples from the moon helped confirm theories that the body is the result of an object that smashed into the Earth and later coalesced to form our satellite, Barry said.

That lesson amounted to a common refrain among astronauts, he added: "We left the Earth and what we discovered was ourselves."

In the next five centuries, humanity will remember the 20th century for three things, Barry said - two world wars and the U.S. landing on the moon.

Aldrin has been known to defend that history, now and in the past.

In 2002, filmmaker Bart Sibrel confronted Aldrin, demanding that he swear on a Bible that the landing was authentic. Sibrel called him a "coward and a liar."

Sibrel was adding "thief" when Aldrin struck him in the face. No charges were filed.

The moment was captured on video. There were no camera tricks. The punch was real.

- - -

Part of a continuing series about events of the past that remain relevant.
NORWALK  If public turnout at Common Council meetings is any indicator, the passionate battle over Norwalk school funding for the coming fiscal year is over.

More than 200 of people packed the council chambers in late February to protest elected officials decision to boost school spending by $5.5 million rather than the $9.9 million requested by the Board of Education.

Not a word was heard from the public Tuesday evening after the city agreed to add to the equation another $950,000, provided the school board empties $1.1 million from its insurances reserves.

After many hours of discussion, hard work, crunching some numbers, I believe weve come up with a balance that serves both purposes, Mayor Harry Rilling said. It serves the Board of Education, giving them the money that they need. It also helps to keep taxes as low as we possibly can.

Over the last four years, he continued, the city has boosted the school board budgets portion of the citys annual operating budget by $22 million.

The citys nearly completed 2018-19 operating budget stands to boost the mill rate 3.7 percent and add $318 to the annual property tax bill on Norwalks median-assessed ($340,050) single-family home, according to the Norwalk Department of Finance.

On a 12-0 vote, with one abstention, the council on Tuesday evening amended upward by $950,000 the expenditures cap on the 2018-19 operating budget. The new cap of $337.1 million represents $354.1 million in total spending less nearly $17 million in state aid and other estimated intergovernmental revenues.

Of that larger budget, the school board would get nearly $190.5 million, or a $6.45 million increase over current approved spending of $184 million. That doesnt include another $1.2 million, which the city plans to give the board to help it revamp special education.

Im taking comfort in knowing that the Norwalk Board of Education has received the largest budget increase last year and it looks to be the same case for this year, said council President John Kydes, a District C Democrat. Theres no doubting that we understand that the Board of Ed was underfunded in decades past and now were coming back to our schools in a major way.

The school boards strategic operating plan, he continued, will continue to improve Norwalk schools.

Councilman Travis Simms, a District B Democrat, abstained from the vote.

Councilman Douglas Hempstead, a District D Republican, prefaced his comments by saying he had planned to vote against adding $950,000 to the budget cap.

I am struggling with this because we already have a 3.7 percent potential tax increase, Hempstead said. And I know this is not going to add to it, but I worry about the following fiscal year, the 18-19 budget.

He asked for assurances the school board will transfer the roughly $1.1 million remaining in its insurance fund, and the city wont be left on the hook if state aid to Norwalk schools falls short.

Rilling said he has school officials word the insurance money would be transferred. City officials maintain the remaining reserves are no longer needed after the city and school district moved to the states Partnership 2.0 insurance plan.

Any request by the school board to the city to make up for less-than-anticipated state aid would go before the Board of Estimate and Taxation, according to Norwalk Director of Finance Robert Barron.

They cant automatically get it, Barron said.

Take down the lies

While Tuesdays action defused the fight over education spending for the fiscal year starting July 1, earlier actions by school officials left a bitter taste for some council members. Hempstead blasted a sign placed by school officials outside the elevator of the third floor of City Hall. The signs said Norwalk spends less per pupil than neighboring school districts. Hempstead described the sign as inflammatory and inaccurate.

Its time they take down the lies, the sign, Hempstead said. Get on the program; were all one city. We didnt cut their budget. We lessened the amount they requested.

Councilman Michael Corsello, an at-large Democrat, described the sign as misleading given Norwalks median income is less that those of surrounding towns.

The nearly completed 2018-19 operating budget includes several drawdowns from the citys rainy day fund: $2 million to blunt the mill rate increase for taxpayers, $950,000 to help the school board implement its strategic operating plan and $1.2 million to help fund the final year of a plan to overhaul special education.

Councilman Greg Burnett, an at-large Democrat who formerly sat on the school board and chaired the Board of Estimate and Taxation, asked Barron where the rainy day fund will stand after the three drawndowns.

According to Barron, the fund will stand at 11.9 percent of annual city revenues as compared to 13.6 percent at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation has until May 7 to adopt Norwalks 2018-19 operating budget and set property tax rates. Earlier Tuesday evening, the tax board voted unanimously to request council approval to boost the budget cap by $950,000.

Were all on the same page, tax board Chairman Edwin Camacho said after the council agreed. Were all trying to achieve the same result. We approached it from different perspectives, and at the end of the day, we wanted to make sure that the Board of Ed had the funding that it said it needed.
NEW HAVEN  Portions of five of the citys neighborhoods will be getting access to ultra-fast broadband Internet service starting in June, officials with a Rochester-based company announced Wednesday.

GoNetspeed is also working on bringing its broadband Internet to neighborhoods in Bridgeport and Hartford, a company spokeswoman said. The New Haven neighborhoods that initially will have access to the broadband service, which includes a gig-speed component, are portions of the citys Beaver Hills, Dixwell, Dwight, Edgewood and West River sections, according to Jodie Snook, a GoNetspeed spokeswoman.

Snook said the prices for the companys broadband service start at $50 per month for 100 megabits per second, $70 a month for 500 megabits per second and 1 gigabit speed for $90 per month. Work has already gotten underway for the service the company is bringing to New Haven, she said, and the company has already begun network planning and investment in a multi-year, multimillion-dollar private venture build-out of its network.

Were extremely excited to help bring the technological and economic benefits of a 100 percent fiber-optic Internet connection to residents in Connecticut, Frank Chiaino, chairman of GoNetspeed, said in a statement. Consumer demand for high-speed Internet access is at an all-time high. With more and more devices connected to the Internet, and cord cutting becoming a larger, national trend, we offer Gigabit speeds that allow us to exceed consumer expectations for broadband access.

Before joining GoNetspeed, Chiaino was the founder of Fibertech Networks, which built a nearly statewide fiber optic network in Connecticut, and nearly 14,000 miles of metro fiber networks across the Northeast. GoNetspeed Chief Operating Officer Tom Perrone previously was vice president of engineering and planning for Fibertech Networks.

The companys plans to build out its fiber optic network call for it to expand into additional Connecticut communities as it reaches at least a 10 percent expression of interest from residents.

New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp said her administration has been working toward faster and more reliable Internet access for the city for several years.

(The) digital information highway is necessary to fuel the states booming research and technology sectors, as well as other economic drivers, particularly in light of how the federal government seems intent on limiting Internet access. Harp said in a statement. Connecticut must do all it can to embrace it (ultra-fast Internet service) as the emerging public utility of the 21st century, and make it as universally available to residents, businesses, schools, and governments as running water and electricity are.

Laurence Grotheer, Harps spokesman, acknowledged that some of the citys residents may not be able to afford GoNetspeeds monthly charges for service. But he said that every effort to bring ultra-high speed access to the city is a step in the right direction.

The mayor continues working with the (states) Office of Consumer Counsel to bring more comprehensive access across the state, Grotheer said.

Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson-Katz said concerns that the company might focus on more well-to-do customers rather than residents of more modest means is a legitmate concern.

Its something weve seen with the rollout of Google Fiber, Katz said. The good news is that one more company has seen Connecticut as a viable market and competition will bring prices down. I dont think well ever get to a perfect solution absent a regulatory mandate.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
NORWALK  A Village Creek resident who teaches at Fairfield University is hoping to represent the 140th District in the state House of Representatives.

Colin Hosten, a District E Democrat who lives on Dock Road, recently registered himself with the Connecticut Secretary of the States Office as a candidate for the district, which includes South Norwalk and is now represented by Democrat Bruce Morris.

Im running because I believe we need better representation for the 140th district in Hartford, Hosten said. Im personally interested in enfranchisement. Essentially, I feel too many have not really been part of the process under Bruce Morris, and I think its important for us to hold our elected leaders responsible.

Hosten has listed Barbara Meyer-Mitchell, a Norwalk Board of Education member, as his campaigns deputy treasurer. He said he plans to run a vigorous campaign.

Were not going to take anything for granted and were going into this thinking we can win, Hosten said.

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Hosten attended Morehouse College in Atlanta before earning a graduate degree in publishing at New York University. He completed an MFA in creative writing at Fairfield University, where he teaches in the schools undergraduate Core Writing Program, according to his personal website.

I write personal narratives that examine my life experiences as a way of helping me and my readers understand ourselves better, Hosten wrote on his website. As a gay immigrant in the U.S. with a passion for politics and identity, I tend to focus on the many peculiarities that at once distinguish us from one another and unite us as human beings.

Hosten is hoping to unseat Morris, an associate minister at Macedonia Church and former director of human relations for Norwalk Public Schools. Morris has represented the 140th District since 2007, chairs the Connecticut Black and Puerto Rican Caucus and is deputy house leader. Speaking from Hartford on Wednesday, Morris said he soon plans to file paperwork formalizing his bid for a seventh term representing the district.

I stand on my record, Morris said. Running for 12 years has been about empowerment and of successfully passing legislation that improves education, health care, affordable housing and judicial reform and property tax reductions through Education Cost Sharing formula enhancement. I would think people dont want to change horses at this juncture, especially when Ive accomplished all the things Ive promised.

Councilman Travis Simms, a District B Democrat serving in his fifth term, said he also plans to file paperwork to run for the 140th District. He presented Hosten as a newcomer to Norwalk politics.

He hasnt been involved in the city politically and to come to Norwalk and try to serve in this capacity, he should get to know the city and know the people more, Simms said. I was born and raised in Norwalk and know the city better than anyone else and deserve the opportunity to represent the people in the 140th District.

By voter registration, District 140 is heavily Democratic, and the winner of any primary election could well be the victor in the general election in November.
In the wake of President Donald Trump's tweet taunting Russia while promising a missile attack on Moscow's ally Syria, Russian politicians and officials are jumping at a chance to show they are the more mature and serious party. Here's how Russian officials from the president on down have responded to Trump.

President Vladimir Putin did not address the tweets directly while greeting new foreign ambassadors to Moscow at the Kremlin. But he reiterated his frequent call for global stability - which can only be accomplished, in the Kremlin's view, by giving Russia a prominent role in a "multipolar" rather than U.S.-led world order.

"Indeed, the state of things in the world cannot but provoke concern. The situation in the world is increasingly chaotic. Nevertheless, we hope that common sense will prevail in the end and that international relations will become more constructive - that the whole global system will become more stable and predictable."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the tweets in comments to Russian journalists. While he dismissed Trump's Twitter diplomacy, he left unmentioned that Russia's own diplomats in London are no stranger to it.

"We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy. We support serious approaches. We continue to believe that it's important not to take steps that can harm an already fragile situation."

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova quickly took to Facebook, wondering whether an American strike would only be a pretext for erasing all evidence of a chemical-weapons attack that Russia has described as staged.

"Smart missiles should fly in the direction of terrorists and not a legal government that has been fighting for several years against international terrorism on its territory.. . . Or is the whole idea to quickly wipe away the traces of a provocation by striking them with smart missiles, so that international inspectors would have nothing left to find in terms of evidence?"

Ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky ridiculed Trump in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, describing the president as stuck on Twitter because his hands were otherwise tied by U.S. lawmakers.

"Look at the Americans: Trump won't succeed at anything, he won't succeed. Either Congress or the Senate won't allow it. He's suffering, and he's glued to Twitter. . . . He's the least capable president in the world. It's a shame. America today is the greatest shame of all mankind."

Lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev, head of the upper house of parliament's foreign affairs committee, reiterated Russia's insistence that the suspected chemical attack was fake.

"U.S. President Donald Trump's vigorous message in which he proposed Russia get ready for 'smart, nice and new missiles' is horrifying in its demonstrative frivolousness. It is truly scary when you realize in whose hands the largest ever military arsenal on the planet is. And the readiness to use it based on fake pretext is a reason for a serious conversation at the U.N. Security Council and in all other international forums."
WASHINGTON - White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert is leaving the Trump administration, another departure during what has been a chaotic few months of personnel changes.

Bossert, a favorite of Chief of Staff John Kelly, is leaving one day after national security adviser John Bolton began the job. Bossert was believed to be on shaky footing in the Bolton era and he resigned two days after Michael Anton, the National Security Council spokesman, also quit.

Bossert's resignation was requested by Bolton, according to three people familiar with the situation who requested anonymity to discuss internal personnel issues. Bolton himself conveyed that request to Bossert on Tuesday morning when Bossert walked into the office, the people said.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to comment on whether Bossert was pushed out.

"I'm not going to get into specific details about the ongoings of personnel. But I can tell you that he resigned," she told reporters Tuesday. "The president feels he's done great job and wishes him the best as he moves forward."

Bossert joins a growing list of officials who have left the administration in recent months as the historically high staff turnover rate continues under President Donald Trump.

So far this year, the president has changed his secretary of state, national security adviser, veterans affairs secretary, CIA director, chief economic adviser, staff secretary, communications director and members of his legal team.

Bossert and former national security adviser H.R. McMaster feuded bitterly throughout their tenure in the White House in meetings that on occasion devolved into screaming, according to people familiar with their relationship who requested anonymity to discuss the situation. McMaster and others in the White House were particularly frustrated that Bossert was slow to move forward with a strategy to both defend the United States and punish Russia for its efforts to undermine the U.S. elections.

In late February, Adm. Michael Rogers, the departing head of the National Security Agency, suggested in congressional testimony that he did not have the authority he required from the White House to combat Russian cyberattacks. "[Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin has clearly come to the conclusion that there's little price to pay and that therefore 'I can continue this activity,'" said Rogers, who is set to retire in April. "Clearly what we have done hasn't been enough."

Inside the White House, many blamed Bossert for those shortcomings. "He's a foot dragger on everything," said a former senior U.S. official who worked with Bossert in the White House. "But that's also how he hung on for a while in this crazy White House."

Bossert has publicly taken issue with assertions that the Trump administration has not imposed sufficient costs on Russia.

"We are deterring through increased defenses, we are deterring through punitive measures that impose costs," he said Sunday while speaking at the CipherBrief national security conference held in Sea Island, Georgia. "We are applying economic diplomatic, military penalties to our adversaries, and in some cases, to our friends that are behaving poorly."

He also discounted any potential impact of Russian manipulation of social media in the 2016 election.

"I frankly have a whole lot more confidence that no voter in this country was influenced by those ads," he said. "I'm not forgiving the meddling in the slightest, it's galling."

Beyond Russia, there was widespread frustration in the White House that Bossert's office had failed to produce formal strategies to deal with counterterrorism and cyberactivities. Bossert also suffered from a confusing chain of command inside the White House. He insisted that he reported directly to the president and not to the national security adviser, which became a major source of frustration for McMaster. His sudden forced resignation suggests that Bolton may be intent on ensuring that Bossert's replacement on cyber and counterterror strategy reports directly to him.

Bossert, who also served in the George W. Bush administration, wasn't a marquee name, but he was liked by the president, senior administration officials said, and often defended Trump's agenda in meetings and in interviews with the media.

His most public role came during last summer's hurricane season when he often appeared in the White House briefing room and on TV.

When the administration was facing heavy criticism for its response to the hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico, Bossert was one of the officials put forward to defend the president.

"I understand the coverage, in some cases, is giving the appearance that we're not moving fast enough," Bossert said on Sept. 28.

"I think that there's kind of two responses I'd have to that," he said. "First, there's an understandable degree of devastation on the island, and for anybody that needs food and water, power, lifesaving needs and commodities, health care, there's nothing that can help fast enough. . . . But what I will tell you is that we are mobilizing and marshaling the resources of the United States of America in a way that is absolutely professional, fast and adequate to meet the needs."

In Bossert's last public remarks, he told a group of current and former intelligence officials, private sector executives and reporters Sunday night that "this White House seems to function just about the same as every other White House.'' He added: "At the end of the day the only thing that creates instability or the perception of it is (a) the coverage and (b) the turnover. I think at this point we've reached what seems to be a decent stability point."

Asked by the moderator, Suzanne Kelly, at the CipherBrief conference whether that meant no more departures, he said, "No," prompting the audience to laugh. "I feel comfortable for today."

He said he sees "stability" in the president. "I see consistency in his messaging and thinking, and I see stability in the Cabinet," he said. "John Kelly's an absolute rock of stability."

- - -

The Washington Post's Ellen Nakashima contributed to this story.
More than 180,000 people have been killed in Mexico since then-President Felipe Calderon sent the army to fight organized crime groups in his native state of Michoacan in 2006.

But one small town in that state says it hasn't had a homicide since 2011 because its residents - led by women - took up arms to kick out groups who had expanded from drug trafficking into illegal logging.
It was standing room only at Wednesday night's Fort Bend ISD community meeting, where district officials detailed controversial proposals that could trigger the closure of two elementary schools and dramatic changes to high schools in the eastern portion of the district.

Nearly 1,000 students, parents and community members crowded Austin High School's auditorium, some sitting along stairs while groups of more than 50 stood near the room's two entrances. It was the last of four impassioned community meetings that drew thousands of concerned parents from across the district.

On Wednesday, parents sorted themselves into clusters by the color of their printed tee shirts. Yellow shirts asked officials to "Save Sugar Mill Elementary," while red shirts displayed the message "Save Meadows Elementary."

Fort Bend ISD officials have been studying how to manage its school facilities as some parts of the district grow at dizzying paces, while schools in other areas are projected to lose students. The proposals discussed Wednesday were first presented March 26 to Fort Bend ISD's board of trustees.

READ ALSO: Two Fort Bend ISD high schools start classes under same roof after mold shuts down one campus

All proposed changes are in the draft stage, and a steering committee studying the potential changes will review feedback from the community meetings before making final recommendations to the board.

Among the most controversial ideas is to close either Sugar Mill Elementary or Lakeview Elementary in the northern portion of the district, consolidating the two schools onto one campus.

The two schools are located five minutes apart, and Amy Marshall, whose 9-year-old daughter Sarah Comeau, could not imagine either campus closing.

"I don't know how they can close any school given the growth in Sugar Land  it's one of the fastest growing cities in the United States," Marshall said. "They're closing a school to move kids to another campus, and will make that other campus overcrowded. It's reactive."

Meadows Elementary could also be closed and its students rezoned to Barrington Place and Dulles elementaries, or Meadows could be demolished and rebuilt.

RELATED: Community dealt setback in bid to leave Fort Bend ISD, join Alvin ISD

"Just because a facility is recommended for consolidation doesn't mean the building will be closed or locked up," said Scott Leopold, a partner from consultant company Cooperative Strategies who is helping Fort Bend ISD with its facilities planning. "If the building is in good condition, it will likely be used as swing space for students as their campuses are being renovated."

Other dramatic proposals would affect four high schools: Ridgepoint High in Sienna Plantation, Hightower High near Teal Run, Willowridge High off of Chimney Rock Road and Thurgood Marshall High just East of Missouri City.

One potential change would redesign either Thurgood Marshall or Hightower high schools into an early college academy that would draw students from across the district. The chosen school's zoned students would be redistributed to other campuses.

Another would have some Ridgepoint High students reassigned to Hightower, Willowridge and Marshall high schools to alleviate over-crowding at the Sienna Plantation-based campus.

Ridgepoint is projected to begin bursting at the seams, with classroom space projected to be 30 percent over capacity within 5 years. Marshall, Hightower and Willowridge all have enrollments lower than what their campuses can accommodate. Marshall is the most extreme example, where students are expected only fill about 40 percent of the school's available space in five years.

Leopold said changes at the high schools would not be made for several years.

"When we have any changes at high school level, we consider phasing those in with last class," Leopold said. "That allows students in the school to finish out at that school."

All four of the high schools that would be impacted by the changes easily met the state's academic standards last year, according to the Texas Education Agency's school report cards. Willowridge and Hightower high schools earned academic distinctions for progress in social studies, and Hightower earned another distinction for academic achievement in science.

However, Ridgepoint scored higher on all of the TEA's accountability metrics in 2016-2017 than the other three campuses, and the other three schools logged more fights per capita than Ridgepoint in 2014-2015, according to a Fort Bend ISD discipline report.

Ridgepoint also differs from the other three schools in another aspect  racial demographics. Less than 1.5 percent of students at Hightower, Willowridge and Marshall are white, even though white students make up about 16 percent of all Fort Bend ISD students. Ridgepoint, on the other hand, was about 35 percent white, 25 percent black, 25 percent Hispanic and 11.5 percent Asian in 2016-2017.

Becky McGoldrick, a ninth grade teacher at Ridgepoint, said she experienced the pain of rezoning years ago when her kids and their neighborhood friends were split between Austin and Travis high schools.

But she said rezoning students among the four high schools could be more practical than at least one alternative that would see Ridgepoint become a school only for 9th and 10th graders.

"I know what it's like when kids go to elementary and middle school together, and when people buy their houses expecting to go to one school but are sent to another," McGoldrick said. "But it appears rezoning will be a more permanent solution, but it won't be a popular decision."



shelby.webb@chron.com

twitter.com/shelbywebb
A home surveillance camera caught a "Peeping Tom" in northwest Houston, and Houston Police Department detectives are now trying to identify the man seen peering into the window.

Derek Thomas, who lives on Long Leaf Drive in Inwood Forest, told Chron.com he was sleeping on his couch early Saturday morning around 5:20 a.m. when he heard a tapping sound right outside his living room window. It was raining that night, and he thought the sound was coming from raindrops tapping his roof and patio furniture, he said.

He initially thought nothing of it and went back to sleep.

VICTIM CALLS 911: Shooting victim rushes himself to Houston fire station

Moments later, he heard the sounds again  this time a little louder  and went out to investigate. He peered out his window to see if anybody was around and couldn't find anything, so he went to go check his computer to see if his surveillance cameras caught anything.

That's when he saw footage of a man riding his bicycle through his backyard and walk toward his living room window. The man is seen in the video tapping the glass with his fingers and then tapping it again with what appears to be a belt that was wrapped around his neck.

The man can be seen leaving the window, only to come back and tap on the glass once again.

"At one point, he actually moves and stands in front of the window just watching me," Thomas said. "I don't really have any idea what his motive was."

DEADLY CRASH: 2 dead in violent crash involving several cars, Megabus north of Houston

Thomas saved the video and called 911 in the morning.

Police described the man as having a slim build, mustache and dark, short hair. He was wearing a white tank top and light-colored shorts.

"Obviously if this guy's running around doing this, you want people to be aware of it," Thomas said.

Anyone with information about the man seen in the video is urged to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan.
One man is in critical condition and two others are injured after a fight turned into a shooting Tuesday afternoon at Millers Pond Park, according to police.

San Antonio Police Department spokesman Officer Carlos Ortiz said everyone had fled the scene by the time officers arrived about 5:23 p.m. in the 6000 block of Old Pearsall Road.
Just in time to make summer plans, USA Today released their 2018 Readers' Choice 10 Best Beaches in Texas list.

Though the initial list of 20 beaches was put together by editors, the readers' votes helped determine the rankings, according to the list.
Police are searching for the gunman who allegedly shot another man during a confrontation on the East Side.

The suspect visited the mother of his child about 11:15 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 3100 block of East Commerce. During the visit, the woman's uncle confronted the suspect.
The San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters Association on Wednesday officially filed three petitions calling for a charter-amendment election.

The union and several allies held a news conference on the back steps of City Hall, complaining that City Manager Sheryl Sculley used a ruse of needed concrete work on the front steps, where news conferences are typically held, to block the group from using it.

Union boss Chris Steele said his association has already verified that it has more than the requisite 20,000 signatures per petition to trigger a November election.

The union is calling for three amendments to the city charter. One would cap the salaries and tenures of future city managers to no more than 10 times the lowest-paid, full-time city employee with a tenure not to exceed eight years. It would also require a super-majority of eight affirmative votes to approve a city managers contract.

The second would require that the city enter into binding arbitration over labor contract disputes rather than seeking a court ruling.

The third would drop the threshold for signature collection on referenda from the current 10 percent of registered voters to 20,000 and extend the amount of time allowed for collection from 40 days to 180. The amendment would also remove prohibitions that currently prevent referenda on council votes on funding allocations, setting tax levies and utility rates.

City officials and business leaders have said that the amendments would cause great harm to municipal government while union leaders and their allies say they would bring democracy closer to the people.

Were sending a message to the mayor today, Steele said, warning him not to impede the will of the voters.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

Josh Baugh is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jbaugh@express-news.net | @jbaugh
This story was originally published April 30, 2016.

A set of leaked photos purport to show gun-toting female assassins in the employ of Mexican drug cartels.

RELATED: Masked assassins for the Juarez Cartel in Mexico shown holding guns in leaked photos

The Mexican outlet El Blog del Narco published the photos last week, showing women apparently associated with cartels posing  some masked, others in various states of undress  with assault rifles, tigers, liquor and trucks.

Despite a heavily masculine image, Mexico's cartels have long counted women among their ranks from those managing funds to those spilling blood.

RELATED: Video shows suspected drug smugglers climbing U.S.-Mexico border fence in Arizona

Federal police arrested Guadalupe Fernandez Valencia in February in Culiacan. Authorities have accused Valencia, known as "La Patrona," of being a financial operator for Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

In October, authorities in Chihuahua captured Ana Marie Hernandez, known as "La Muneca." She fled Texas in 2013 after pleading guilty to charges that she smuggled drugs for the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels.

And, in September, authorities apprehended Melissa Margarita Calderon Ojeda, also known as "La China."

Ojeda is the alleged leader of the Damaso cell of Los Antrax, an enforcement arm of the Sinaloa cartel.

RELATED: More than 100 undocumented immigrants captured in Texas after crossing U.S.-Mexico border

Cartel members and associates have been known to flaunt their wealth and weapons on social media, sometimes leading to trouble with the law: Jose Rodrigo Arechiga-Gamboa  a high-ranking enforcer for the Sinaloa cartel known as "El Chino Antrax"  was arrested in the Netherlands on Dec. 30, 2013, after months of sharing his exploits online.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed he had signed into law the promises of a century with the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination one week before was the catalyst as the country raged. In a jolt of urgency to quell division and a surge of hope to honor Kings legacy, our countrys leaders outlawed discrimination and exclusion in housing. Inclusive, integrated communities became the law of the land.

Despite loud and vicious resistance, nationwide division and the legacy of racism and segregation, our country resolved to overcome.

RELATED: Investigation reveals discriminatory home loan practices for minorities in San Antonio

Today, despite increased housing protections for people of color, families and people with disabilities, the promises of that week in 1968 are in peril. Schools and neighborhoods remain nearly as segregated as they were in 1968. Communities resist making room for all people. National, state and local leaders resist making real the promise of the law that political leaders adopted in 1968.

The Fair Housing Act charged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with enforcing fair housing. During the past 50 years, HUD has hardly been aggressive. However, for decades, it did uphold its mission to build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination by investing in neglected neighborhoods, increasing housing choice for families, and interpreting fair housing as a systemic problem and requiring regions to address it.

In 2018, HUD is actively shirking its responsibility to enforce the law. Aside from considering purging from its mission language about ending discrimination and promoting inclusion, the agencys leadership is weakening rules that promote housing choice for families. It is dismantling progress toward requiring cities and regions to reckon with their histories and patterns of discrimination.

President Donald Trumps HUD is telling Americans who have been excluded from certain communities for centuries that we have come far enough, that our hope for a just, neighborly, inclusive society that rang out in the 1960s is not worthy of promoting or even defending. The federal agency is saying that 50 years of weak and ambivalent enforcement is enough to undo the centuries of damage our government did to communities of color and vulnerable people.

RELATED: Editorial: Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream  we haven't fulfilled it yet

We know this is not true. We continue to fight for the law that President Johnson and civil rights leaders said was only the beginning. We know that civil rights and economic inclusion are not something to be touted once a year.

Last month, we filed a lawsuit in federal court requesting that the court force HUD to do its job. HUD has failed to enforce civil rights and continues to award millions of dollars to the city of Houston, despite finding that the city has perpetuated segregation and caved in to racially motivated opposition to affordable homes. Our allies across the country also are taking aggressive action to push back against HUDs retreat.

Housing advocates cannot fight this fight alone, though. In his sermon On Being a Good Neighbor King declared that the habits and hearts of people are altered by legislation, judicial decisions and executive orders. Segregation can be ended by force of law, he said. But vigorous enforcement alone cannot bring an end to fears, prejudice, pride and irrationality, which are the barriers to a truly integrated society.

King called for neighborliness  a deep acceptance and inclusion of fellow people. That is what fair housing is. That is what our country declared we could accomplish in 1968. Today, we must keep up that righteous and moral fight.

This is how we resist an administration that wants to repudiate the commitment to an integrated America.

Christina Rosales is communications director for Texas Housers, a statewide fair and affordable housing organization.
James Comey is about to be ubiquitous. His book will be published next week, and parts may leak this week. Starting Sunday, he will begin an epic publicity tour, including interviews with Stephen Colbert, David Remnick, Rachel Maddow, Mike Allen, George Stephanopoulos and The View.

All of which will raise the question: What, ultimately, are we supposed to make of Comey?

He may be the most significant supporting player of the Trump era, and his reputation has whipsawed over the last two years. Hes spent time as a villain, a savior and some bizarre combination of the two, depending on your political views.

The harshest criticisms of Comey have been unfair all along. He has never been a partisan, for either side. Over a long career at the Justice Department, he was driven by its best ideals: upholding the rule of law without fear or favor.

Yet anybody whos read Greek tragedy knows that strengths can turn into weaknesses when a person becomes too confident in those strengths. And thats the key to understanding the very complex story of James Comey.

Long before he was a household name, Comey was a revered figure within legal circles. His rise was fairly typical: first a federal judges clerk, then a prosecutor, eventually a political appointee. But he was more charismatic than most bureaucrats  6 feet 8 inches tall, with an easy wit and refreshing informality.

If you read his 2005 goodbye speech to the Justice Department, when he was stepping down as George W. Bushs deputy attorney general, you can understand why. Its funny, displaying the gifts of a storyteller. It includes an extended tribute to the departments rank and file, like secretaries, document clerks, custodians and support people who never get thanked enough. He insists on the exact same amount of human dignity and respect for every human being in this organization, and he quotes 18th-century preacher John Wesley: Do all the good that you can.

Above all, though, the speech is a celebration of the departments mission. Many Justice Department officials, from both parties, have long believed that they should be more independent and less political than other Cabinet departments. Comey was known as an evangelist of this view.

It wasnt just an act, either. Most famously, in 2004, he stood up to Bush and Dick Cheney over a dubious surveillance program. But as real as Comeys independence and integrity were, they also became part of a persona that he cultivated and relished.

The reason that people knew about his defiance of Bush and Cheney is that Comey himself told Congress, at a stage-managed 2007 hearing.

With this background, you can understand  though not excuse  Comeys great mistake. He was the FBI director overseeing the investigation into Hillary Clintons private email server. He and his team decided that she had not done anything that warranted criminal charges. And he knew that Republicans would blast him as a coward who was trying to curry favor with the likely future president.

So he decided to go public with his explanation for not charging Clinton and to criticize her harshly. He then doubled down, releasing a public update on the investigation 11 days before the election, even as other Justice officials urged him not to. Department policy dictates that investigators arent supposed to talk publicly about why they are not bringing charges. They especially dont do so when they could affect an election.

Comey, however, decided that he knew better than everyone else. He was going to speak truth to power. He was also, not incidentally, going to protect his own fearless image. He developed a series of rationales, suggesting that he really had no choice. They remain unpersuasive. When doing the right thing meant staying quiet and taking some lumps, Comey chose not to.

His tragic mistake matters because he helped elect the most dangerous, unfit American president of our lifetimes. No matter how honorable his full career, Comey can never undo that damage.

Comey has greater strengths than most people. But for all of us, there is a fine line between strength and hubris.

David Leonhardt writes a column for the New York Times.
The numbers speak for themselves, and they are disappointing.

No women serving in leadership with the San Antonio Police Department.

No women as assistant or deputy chiefs.

No women as captains.

Just three women among the departments 49 lieutenants.

RELATED: Commentary: The San Antonio Police Department has an almost unbreakable glass ceiling

Just 11 women among the departments 242 sergeants. Among all officers in the department, just 10 percent are women. Thats a bit below the national estimates of 12 or 13 percent.

Lack of women in the Police Department is a problem city officials are keenly aware of  to their credit  but still merits additional focus and attention. This problem was highlighted recently in a recent column in the Express-News by editorial columnist Josh Brodesky.

As he noted, women bring a different perspective to police work than men. Research shows they handle domestic violence calls differently, for example, and they often relate to crime victims, especially women and children, in more subtle ways.

This speaks to the importance of diversity in any workplace. Its yet another reminder that with our differences comes a richness in perspectives.

The departments racial demographics are fairly reflective of the city of San Antonio. Not so with gender.

That said, the city has made strides in recruiting women to the department. Women made up 3 percent of the departments ranks in 2005, according to city officials. Thats tripled, thanks to specific recruiting efforts like a Women in Policing event in March.

Women also made up about 28 percent of a recent recruiting class  a promising number.

Still, its worthwhile for the city and the San Antonio Police Officers Association to consider how to bring more women into the department and to identify policies that address obstacles for women pursuing promotion.

Yes, women should generally meet the same standards as men to enter the department and move up within it. The question is whether the current policies create an environment where that can happen, or if there is room for adjustment that recognizes womens strengths.

In an interview with Brodesky, City Manager Sheryl Sculley said shes held focus groups with women officers to understand barriers to promotion. A big one is child care, which might be a family issue, but tends to fall more on women than men.

There are also areas in the existing police contract that she said she believes could be adjusted to better serve women in the department, specifically allowing supervisor input in the consideration of merit promotions.

Whether the union is open to that remains to be seen, but hopefully everyone can agree the status quo is unacceptable.

To accept the research that women police in different ways than men  not necessarily better, but certainly in a different and beneficial way  is to also accept the community and the department would be richer for having more women on the force and in leadership.

In this sense, San Antonio has an opportunity to grow and shine. The department can become a leader in recruiting women into law enforcement, a change that would undoubtedly be felt across the community.
Some private shuttles and ride-hail companies would be subject to taxes totaling millions of dollars annually under a ballot measure that San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced Tuesday.

The measure, which would go before voters in November if four supervisors approve it, would extend the citys commercial gross receipts tax to the private transportation companies whose vehicles are crowding downtown streets.

San Francisco has welcomed these companies with open arms, Peskin said at Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting, but our tax system has not kept pace.

His proposed initiative would also repeal whats left of the Twitter tax break that Mayor Ed Lee sponsored in 2011, offering a six-year reprieve on payroll taxes to companies to lure them into a derelict stretch of Mid-Market. The Twitter tax break expires in May 2019.

Peskin said his gross receipts tax expansion would generate up to $35 million each year for vital city services. But it comes just as voters are weighing two other gross receipts tax measures that target commercial landlords. Proposition C would use the money for child care; Proposition D would direct it toward low- and middle-income housing and homeless shelters. Both are on the June 5 ballot.

Jim Lazarus, senior vice president of public policy at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, criticized Peskins idea.

The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce agrees that we must fix inequities in the local gross receipts tax, but selectively targeting a handful of companies for punishment, with no guarantee where the money will be spent, is exactly the wrong approach, Lazarus said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.

He compared Peskins proposal to the two June ballot measures, calling them a series of poorly considered tax increases that put politics over sound policy.

Also on Tuesday the board approved Supervisor Jane Kims request for supplemental funds to clean city streets.

Kim, who is running for mayor on June 5, whittled her original $2.5 million request down to $1.1 million to win over six supervisors, some of whom appeared to be on the fence. In the end she clinched a 6-5 vote with support from the boards progressives, plus a swing vote from Supervisor London Breed, who also is running for mayor.

The moderate supervisors who opposed the funding said its not appropriate to circumvent the normal budget negotiations, which are already under way.

Ive been given assurances that Mayor Mark Farrell has prioritized this issue, said Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who voted no, though she agrees San Franciscos streets are filthy.

Stefani pointed to open-air drug use as one of the most conspicuous causes of dirty streets. She said it might be a good idea to hire more police officers, rather than throw unassigned funds at its Public Works Department.

Earlier Tuesday, Farrell said that he would veto Kims request.

Street cleaning is a huge issue, as are the cleanliness of our streets. But we need to have a more robust, comprehensive plan that addresses the entire city, not just one district, the mayor said.

Kim said she will ask him to reconsider his position.

During the board meeting she emphasized that while there was an assumption that the funds would be directed primarily to the Tenderloin and SoMa neighborhoods  both in her district  she intends to allow Public Works to decide where to allocate the funds.

Chronicle staff writer Dominic Fracassa contributed to this report.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
Scientists in San Francisco may be close to finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The key to their success was looking not at the brains of mice  a standard practice in scientific research  but of men.

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes, an independent biomedical research institution in San Francisco, have discovered the cause of the primary genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, and they may have found a solution to erase its damaging effects.

Their findings, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Medicine, are especially important because they conducted tests not on the brains of mice, but that of humans.

The scientists found human brains that possess even one copy of a gene, called apoE4, are more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease in their lifetimes. Having two copies increases the risk twelvefold.

ApoE4 in the human brain increases production of the amyloid beta protein, the researchers discovered. This revelation was especially surprising because past studies found that the apoE4 gene in mouse brains did not lead to an increase in amyloid beta. Excessive amyloid beta in the brain can clump together and create plaques, which can disrupt neuron firing and lead to symptoms associated with Alzheimer's.

"One concern within the field has been how poorly these mouse models really mimic human disease," said lead study author Yadong Huang, a senior investigator and director of the Center For Translational Advancement at Gladstone, in a statement. Huang noted that "many drugs work beautifully in mouse models," but come up short in tests on human brain tissues.

To correct the accumulation of harmful proteins, the scientists looked to alter the gene that produces such proteins, apoE4. By treating the human apoE4 neurons with a structure corrector  a compound that changes the shape of the apoE4 gene to resemble a similar, but innocuous gene  the scientists restored normal function to the brain cells.

The next step is working with the pharmaceutical industry to test the structure correctors on human patients.

"Drug development for Alzheimer's disease has been largely a disappointment over the past 10 years," said Huang. His team hopes to change that.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.
A wedding ended in tears and disgrace when a UK based man who tied the knot with a local nurse failed to bar his in-laws from humiliating him at his wedding on Saturday.

The groom, Lesley Amos, 52, was forced to leave guests for almost three hours as he engaged police after his in-laws from a previous marriage crashed the wedding venue threatening to stop the marriage.

Guests were also warned not to take photos at the venue or risk being thrown out.

Lesleys father in-law led his team in confronting marriage officer bishop Paradise after declaring that Lesley and Mavis were husband and wife basing on a certificate he said was given to them on the 3rd of February at Harare Magistrates Court this year.

I am representing heavenly government and I thank the constitution of Zimbabwe because the two have already appeared before a Harare magistrates court where they obtained a marriage certificate which is here, said bishop Paradise before asking for a round of applause from the guests.

I am not going to take most of your time today. I am going to skip most of the things that include enquiring if there is anyone with a lawful query to give for the two not to be joined in holy matrimony since the two have already tied the knot before magistrate, said Bishop Paradise forcing Lesleys in-laws to walk to the front and confront him.

Police moved swiftly and controlled the situation after one of the guests was involved in a scuffle the best man.

Wedding proceedings continued after one of the pastors in attendance reasoned with the in-laws with the help of police and took them, and this writer, to a place where they monitored the proceedings from a distance.

Pastor Musara accused Lesley of making false allegations that Dorothys cousin sister Margret Dongo was aware of his intention to marry Mavis and Lesley apologized over the false statement.

The Mutetwa family showed pastor Musara the lobola list which Lesley confirmed he was charged and he apologized saying he was angered by Dorothys character which forced him to marry Mavis secretly.

We are here because you never gave Dorothy a token of divorce to prove that you are still our son in-law and you have kids with my daughter, said Dorothys mother fuming.

Mafundisi echechi musabatanidza vanhu kana paine nyaya dzisina kugadzirwa nekuda kwekuti munenge mapihwa mari yabva UK.

Bishop Paradise varamba kutaura zita rechechi yavo pamwechete nemi murikuzviti mufundisi Musara muchiita basa rekudira tsvina perfume muchiti Mwari akomborera murimatsotsi evanhu, said Dorothys mother.

Lesley, whose mother was not part of the guests, blamed his sisters Moleen and Lynet over the token of divorce demanded by his mother in-law.

My sisters advised me not to give Dorothy a token of divorce saying there was no need and I should only ahead with my plans to marry Mavis and I went to court on the 3rd of February and tied the knot, said Lesley.

As for Margret Dongo I never consulted her about my plans I am sorry pastor Musara handitotaudzana naye kunze kwekubatwa maoko chete, said Lesley while the bridal team waited for him to have kodak moments along with Mavis.

I want to believe most of the guests were against the wedding because many passed through the gate showing their invitation cards and this led us to warn guests not to use cellphones or any other devices to record since we were after making sure the press does not capture any proceedings, said one of the guests.

Imi mapinda sei pagate apo nekuti shoko ranga rasimbiswa nderekuti whatever is to happen the press must not be given a chance to record anything, said one of the guests close to Lesley.

 HMetro

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President Emmerson Mnangagwas government is moving to impound aeroplanes linked to deposed Robert Mugabes family, which stands accused of acquiring the aircraft through taxpayers money.

Mugabes son-in-law Simba Chikore, who was briefly chief operating officer at struggling flag carrier Air Zimbabwe, as well as the increasingly under scrutiny Transport minister Joram Gumbo, were reported at the time to have been intimately involved in the formation of Zimbabwe Airways, as well as the purchase of the aircraft.

Well-placed sources told the Daily News yesterday that Mnangagwa had apparently ordered that one of the planes  a Boeing 777 jet liner which is arriving at the Robert Mugabe International Airport today (arrived already)  be immediately parked among Air Zimbabwes fleet upon landing, until a probe establishing how Zim Airways acquired its fleet is completed.

Apart from investigating the funding of the planes, Mnangagwa is also said to be keen to know the exact shareholding structure of the airline, in the light of its allegedly opaque set-up.

Unless the probe exonerates the role players, chances are that these planes will be seized and added to the Air Zim fleet. The pressure has also been on Gumbo to bring the planes home while investigations continue.

Alternatively, he was told that if the planes could not be brought back home, he should at least recover every penny paid for them, one of the sources familiar with the issue said.

On his part, Gumbo confirmed to the Daily News from the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur yesterday that one of the Boeing 777s would be arriving in Harare this afternoon  with insiders saying he had been ordered to go to Malaysia by Mnangagwa to make sure that the plane was flown to Harare.

I can confirm that we are bringing the plane tomorrow (today)  landing time is at 12pm, Gumbo, who flew to the Asian country on Sunday, said.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) also confirmed that the plane would be arriving in Harare today.

The authority wishes to advise that one Boeing 777 aircraft under Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC) will arrive tomorrow (today), 11 April at 1200hrs from Malaysia. The guest of honour will be  minister Patrick Chinamasa, CAAZ said.

According to other sources, the plane which is coming today is already registered as Flight Z-RGM, apparently a short code for Zimbabwe-Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

The plane is one of the four 12-year-old aircraft which Malaysian Airlines wanted to dispose of at a total cost of $70 million last year, with two of them having already been paid for by Zim Airways.

The Daily News also learnt yesterday that the initial deal by the Malaysians was offered to Air Zimbabwe, but was inexplicably taken over by the new airline at the time that Chikore was still Air Zims chief operating officer  following his controversial earlier appointment at the struggling national airline by Gumbo.

There is lots of stuff that is being said about the planes and Zim Airways, and it is everyones hope that the planned probe will put to rest some of the allegations if they are not true. Some of the claims are to the effect that Zim Airways was allegedly formed to plunder State resources, and hence their contested seizure of the opportunity to buy the Malaysian planes.

It is also claimed that the strategy was also to fast-track the demise of the debt-ridden Air Zim by bringing in a strong competitor which, in addition to plying local routes, would also be granted permits to service the lucrative European routes which Air Zim cannot service anymore, one of the sources said.

The abrupt departure of Chikore from Air Zim last year, apparently to spearhead the establishment of Zim Airways, had further heightened speculation that the project belonged to the former first family.

It had not helped matters that mystery also surrounded the source of the funds that were used to purchase the new jetliners.

Gumbo has consistently claimed that the money came from Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora under the auspices of a little known company called Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC)  although this explanation has not convinced the new dispensation, hence the current probe.

So I started negotiations to buy, and so I informed government that I had clinched a deal with Air Malaysia to buy four Boeing 777 planes at $70 million for all of them and I thought this was a good deal for Zimbabwe. But again, government failed to raise the money. I was buying these for Air Zimbabwe.

So, after government introduced the policy to engage the Diaspora to invest in the country, I reached out to them. There was a group in London and another in Dubai. I engaged them to say here is an opportunity if you are interested. My role as minister of Transport is to ensure that there is activity in the country. Therefore, I facilitated for one of these groups to negotiate with Air Malaysia through PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers auditors).

This group then formed the Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company. They have now managed to purchase some of the planes. They have now paid for two planes and they are raising money to pay for the other two. The agreement is to purchase four, Gumbo told the Daily News last year when he was quizzed about his involvement in the Zim Airways deal.

Mnangagwas tough stance on the Zim Airways deal comes as Air Zim is now barely managing to fly its domestic and international passengers, who are increasingly enduring horrendous flight cancellations and reschedulings.

And although Air Zims fleet supposedly comprises 10 active aircraft  two Boeing 767s, three 737s, three MA60s and two Airbus A320s  well-placed sources recently told the Daily News that the debt-ridden national airline now only had three of these in the air, servicing both its domestic and regional routes.

Air Zim has over the past three decades struggled to shake off claims of gross corruption and ineptitude, which has led to the dismissals of several of its boards and senior managers.

The airline is said to be losing up to $3 million a month, in addition to being saddled with a $300 million declared debt.

 DailyNews

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In a bid to win this years elections at all cost, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, through his party ZANU PF, has embarked on a nationwide writing down of voter slip serial numbers, amid cases of voter intimidation.

Under this exercise the ruling party is said to be forcing people in rural areas to surrender their Biometric Voter Registration slips to party officials for serial numbers recording, at the same time threatening those who do not comply.

Though the ruling party claims that the move is in good faith, and meant to let the party know its supporters, most villagers say they are being intimidated during the exercise.

One villager from Mashonaland Centrals Guruve District had this to say; I had to comply, because by not doing so, then they know, I support an opposition party. ZANU PF officials at ward and district levels are telling us that anyone who doesnt surrender his slip is against the party, will not get government aid and on top of that, will be dealt with accordingly when the time comes.

The villager also said they are being told that the serial numbers being recorded will enable the party to know who voted for which party.

Another villager from Madziva who declined to be named for fear of being victimisation concurred that it was true that people were being intimidated.

The officials from ZANU PF are telling us that the recording of serial numbers will enable the party to identify those who are wayward, and that the army will be unleashed upon the people if it loses the elections, said a 48 year old villager.

Meanwhile, according to Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) registered voters in Gutu, Zaka, and Chiredzi districts confirmed having faced intimidation from the ruling party officials.

COTRAD say its community voter educators in the named areas have revealed that former chief Serima who is now Gutu West ward 5 ZANU PF chairperson, George Chivhande, and his ward councillor Martin Nhamoinesu, recently told a meeting that those who did not surrender their voters slips will not get food aid from government.

According a number of people who spoke to this publication, it is believed that the ruling party is in a drive to rig elections, by using serial numbers to edit and distort certain voters information so that many people in opposition party strongholds will be turned away.

Meanwhile, a political analyst Walter Wakabikwa, said voters should not lose sleep over the fears that ZANU PF through the biased Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) might distort voters data so that many would be turned away as there would be still time to correct those anomalies.

Yes, ZANU PF may temper with voters information in the voter database systems, but, the good thing is that when voters inspect the voters roll, they will rectify those distortions, says Wakabikwa.

He added that in this regard, to guard against errors of commission or omission, it is crucial for all registered voters to visit their relevant polling stations and inspect the voters roll when it is published.

Wakabikwa says what the ruling party is doing; tempering with ZEC property or election material, (voter registration slips) is illegal. He urged opposition political parties in Zimbabwe to embark on vigorous voter education so that their supporters would be better informed as far as electoral processes are concerned.

Foremost, this years elections pit President Emmerson Mnangagwa, leader of the ruling ZANU PF party against Nelson Chamisa, President of the MDC-T, who replaced the late Morgan Tsvangirai. Chamisa who has also been granted the mandate to lead an alliance of opposition parties in Zimbabwe is giving Mnangagwa sleepless nights.

Mnangagwa is on record pledging his total commitment to see to it that the forthcoming elections are going to be free and fair.

While addressing his first rally in Mashonaland Centrals Guruve district, President Mnangagwa said he was ready to open the forthcoming polls to international scrutiny, by inviting monitors who were previously not allowed by Mugabe, claiming he has no skeleton to hide in his closet.

However, the situation on the ground is proving otherwise, he is afraid of the young Chamisa and will not level the playing field.

Renowned political commentator, Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya said that President Mnangagwa will not change, as he and Mugabe are just different sides of the same coin.

Dr Ruhanya adds that President Mnangagwas ZANU PF party has clearly shown that Chamisa is now their greatest threat, and as such, they cannot level the playing field.

It is doubtful that President Mnangagwa and his military cabal can administer free and fair elections, he says.

Another well-known political analyst, Alex Magaisa writing on his blog, implied that Mnangagwa is employing the preach change, but be slow to change approach.

On the other hand since coming on board as leader of the main opposition party, Chamisa who is so popular with the partys supporters and has been there since the formation of MDC-T seems to be gaining traction, with each outing since hitting the campaign trail.

His rallies are being well attended.

The young man kick-started his election campaign with a reportedly highly attended rally in Chinhoyi where he managed to charm his supporters by rejecting an umbrella after it rained; his point was: Why should I be under shelter, when everybody else is being drenched by the rain?

 ZimNews

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Visafone is one of the top telecommunication providers in Nigeria. The company proposes very convenient and beneficial plans for subscribers. Many of them are interested in how to check Visafone Nigeria data balance.

Visafone, Nigeria

Visafone is still one of the main mobile operator in Nigeria. The telecommunication company provides calls, high-speed data, and other convenient services for the customers. The company is also known for providing services and products in the areas of consumers voice, and Visafone App - internet messenger for smartphones and other devices. Visafone tariff plans are known for low price and high quality.

READ ALSO: MTN cheap data plan for Android and iPhone

Visafone Nigeria data plans are convenient for every kind of users. You can find there data plan for long or short periods, for heavy and light users, data plan for one night and data plans for a month.

But this time we are going to tell you how to check data balance if you use Visafone.

An easy way to check Visafone data balance

There is nothing hard in the process of checking Visafone Nigeria data plan balance on your device or if you use the modem. First, we are going to tell you about the method of checking data balance if you use the modem for internet connection.

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Open Visafone application, find call icon at the bottom of the screen.

Dial *444*601* modem number#

Be ready to receive a text message with the information of your data balance

If you want to check your data balance on your mobile device, just dial *444*603*Number# (Visafone data plan for Android, iPhone and other kinds of mobile devices are very popular).

As you see, it is very easy to check Visafone data balance, you dont need to call any customer care service, just dial the code.

READ ALSO: How to restore contacts from MTN backup?

Source: Legit
Who doesnt know Don Jazzy? This amazing artiste is from Nigeria. He has built an incredible career by performing on stage, singing, and recording music at Mo Hits Records and Mavin Records. Where is Don Jazzy from? Where exactly was he born? Where did he grow up? Read our post to find out the answers.

The famous CEOs life is very interesting to explore. We would like to share with you some incredible facts from this Nigerian celebritys biography. Learn about Don Jazzy hometown as well as other fun details from the famous African musicians life.

Don Jazzy state of origin

Firstly, we should note that Don Jazzy is not the real name of the famous Nigerian. His actual name is Michael Collins Ajereh, but as a musician, he is much better known as Don Jazzy.

What state is Don Jazzy from in Nigeria? He was born in 1982 in Abia State (Umuahia city) on November the 26th. Michaels family later moved to Lagos State. This is where he spent most of his childhood. This talented child began playing drums and singing at the age of 4 years old. Can you imagine this?

READ ALSO: Mercy Johnson family history

Don Jazzys life

The famous musician studied at the Federal Government College Lagos, and also attended Edo States Ambrose Alli University, where he studied business management. He has been playing bass guitar since he was 12 years old, and kept enjoying music (both African traditional musical instruments and drums) in Nigeria until 2000s. This was when he received an invitation from his uncle to move to the UK and play drums in his church.

Don Jazzy continued with his musical career in London, and it took him only 4 years to grow to the Ms Hits Records creation. He worked with many famous people (delivering tracks for them, producing them and creating their musical albums and collections), including Tiwa Savage, Jay-Z, Dr. SID, DPrince, Kanye West, Sauce Kid, and many others.

Mavin Records was created in 2012 after Mo Hits Records officially stopped operating. Today Don Jazzy is a respected and well-known African superstar from Nigeria, he is the celebrity the whole country is so much proud of. Moreover, it doesnt matter where he lives now. He will always be the talented and influencing Nigerian whose name is a brand in the world of music.

READ ALSO: Ric Hassani biography

Source: Legit
- The general secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria Issa Aremu has spoken about President Muhammadu Buhari's re-election

- Aremu said Labour will also exercise its constitutional rights to vote based on critical assessment of all political office holders

- He said President Buhari certainly has the right under the 1999 constitution to seek re-election for second term in office

2019: Labour speaks about Buhari's second term bid

The general secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Issa Aremu said President Muhammadu Buhari's second term bid is a constitutional matter.

According to a press statement by Aremu, "For us in the labour movement, 1999 Constitution of Nigeria allows for two term tenure for the President if elected. Same for governors and open ended for legislators."

Daily Trust reports that Aremu said President Buhari certainly has the right under the 1999 Constitution to seek re-election for second term in office.

READ ALSO: 7 reasons Buhari may win re-election in 2019

He argued that the same Constitution allows all eligible citizens to exercise their rights to vote and be voted for.

He further alluded that the controversy over why the President is contesting or not is therefore unnecessary adding, "He has that right for re-election.

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"What is also clear is that Labour will also exercise its constitutional rights to vote based on critical assessment of all political office holders with respect to decent work, decent pay, employment, cost of living, security and building of a prosperous, fair, just and united Nigeria.''

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that President Buhari declared his intention to seek re-election in 2019. Malam Garba Shehu, the presidents senior special assistant on media and Publicity confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

He said that the president made the declaration at a closed-door meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

The presidential aide quoted President Buhari as saying that he was responding to the clamour by Nigerians to re-contest in 2019, adding that he wanted to give the NEC, the honour of notifying them first.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- A 3-year-old Kenyan girl has taken the world by storm with her love for God

- The girl was seen praying and worshipping with earnest passion during church service

- She was spotted on and knees in tears as she prayed and worship God

3-year-old Praise, the daughter of Kenyan gospel artist, Israel Ezekiah, has inspired the world by expressing her love for God in the most earnest way anyone could. The little girl was seen praying and worshipping God on her knees with tears in her eyes.

Photos of of little Praise has been trending on social media since they were shared on the internet. Many are taken by how much the 3-year-old expressed her love for God due to the fact that she is too young to really understand the impact of the simply act.

Praise showed the through meaning of her name as she worshipped God on her knees with tears in her eyes at during a church service at Railways club Uhuru park in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan 3-year-old worshiping God on her knees Photos source: Instagram user Worshipping through the lens

READ ALSO: Self-declared Prophet Jacob allegedly turns water into petrol in South Africa

The photos of little Praise were shared on social media by a photographer who specializes in capturing moments of praise and worship. They were shared on the photographer's Instagram page, Worshipping through the lens.

On the post, the photographer expressed that Praise was the highlight of the worship exprience.

"My highlight from yesterdays worship experience with Israel Ezekiah is this child who is 3 years and 4 months old called Praise(Daughter to Min Israel)....I could literally hear her speak in tongues.Indeed GOD meets us at our level....HE understands us and ever ready to listen to us.'Just be receptive to HIM. Children emulate what we as adults do. Just realized now as i am going through the images that everyone will be judged on their own despite age and family ties hehehe...that i have to work my walk with GOD on an individual personal level heheheh. Thanks HOLYSPIRIT for this revelation again and now its very clear. THE REVIVAL IS HERE GUYS."

Little Praise might have learnt this amazing and inspiring act of praise and worship from adults around her being the daughter of a gospel artist.

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More amazing photos of little Praise below, be inspired.

Praise is the daughter of a gospel artist Photos source: Instagram user Worshipping through the lens

She is just 3 years old Photos source: Instagram user Worshipping through the lens

She was seen on her knees as she prayed Photos source: Instagram user Worshipping through the lens

Nigerian Pastor reveals how he got the gift of prophecy at a young age - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng News
- Nigeria's minister of communications, Adebayo Shittu, has declared support for President Buharis re-election bid

- The minister said the president has done enough to be voted in in 2019

- He condemned Obasanjo and Babangida for asking Buhari not to contest

Adebayo Shittu, the minister of communications, says APCs supporters should not entertain fear that former president Olusegun Obasanjo and other ex-military leaders may block President Muhammadu Buharis chance of coming back.

Shittu, who made the remark on Tuesday, April 10, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said since the former Nigerian leaders are not God, there should be no apprehension.

NAN reports that Buhari had on Monday declared his intention to seek re-election at the closed-door meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party in Abuja. Buhari said he was responding to the clamour by Nigerians to re-contest in 2019, adding that he wanted to give NEC the honour of notifying them first.

However, Obasanjo and former military president, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), had advised the president not to run in the 2019 poll, asking Nigerians to vote him out should he decide otherwise.

READ ALSO: Ortom blasts those saying herdsmen attack started in Buhari administration

While reacting to Buharis declaration, the minister said the action was a welcome development.

Who is OBJ? OBJ is not God. IBB is not God. Obasanjo was president here, he wanted a third term and he didnt get it.

What Mr President did yesterday (Monday), we had done that much back on his behalf; that is the Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group. So what he did yesterday was just a follow-up to what we had done about three months ago. And I want to assure you is that by the grace of God, Muhammadu Buhari will become president the second time," he said.

He said the president had distinguished himself as his achievement in three years had surpassed what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Nigeria in 15 years.

For instance in the area of job creation for youths, no government has ever in one day employed 200,000 graduates. It has never happened but under Buhari N-Power it happened. Through this, he has provided jobs for 200,000 families spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

Government is still processing the employment of 300,000 more graduates to make it 500,000, this has never happened.

In the areas of transport, works and housing, the last budget of the PDP government was less than N20 billion and most of these monies were stolen; diverted to private pockets. In 2017 alone, the Buhari government spent N255 billion on those subject matters; transport, works and housing. So how do you compare?

Today, government is also building new roads across the South East states with 100 million dollars SUKUK loan; non interest loan from Islamic Development Bank. For the first time, government is building new railway from Lagos to Kano, from Kano to Maiduguri, from Maiduguri to Calabar and from Calabar to Lagos. So the records are there, he said.

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In an earlier report by Legit.ng, President Buhari said he decided to announce his re-election bid due to the clamour by Nigerians asking to re-contest in 2019.

The president made the declaration at a closed-door meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

Should President Buhari seek re-election in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Nigeria's music legend 2Baba says he would run for political office in 2019

- The musician stated that he would be transparent as a politician

- He also expressed his hope that more good men will rise uo and make a difference in the country

Innocent Idibia popularly known as 2Baba, a talented mutiple award winner and a legend in the Nigerian music industry has announced his intentions to compete for a political office in 2019.

According to NAN, the musician made his intentions known during an interview with newsmen on Tuesday, April 10. He revealed that he would practice a transparent politics in which he would tell the truth at all times.

2Baba who revealed that he wants to impact lives positively, did not disclose which position he would be vying for or political platform he plans to join to make his dreams come true.

READ ALSO: 7 reasons Buhari may win re-election in 2019

The musician said: "Politics affects everything I do. So, I am definitely going to be interested in politics. I will soon participate as a contestant and speak the truth at all times. I hope and pray that good men will rise up and make a difference in this country, because we need more patriotic people in all aspects of life."

He also called on Nigerians to help those in need and victims of attack. He stated that people need to be sensitised on safety precautions during times of crisis.

2Baba said: There is so much weve been saying about this crisis, but nothing much has come the way of the victims. We just need more people to support and join hands to continue extending relief materials to affected people. This is the most important thing we can now do; bring succour to the victims."

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This thing is going on for too long, repeating itself over and over. There has to be a solution, the victims are not goats they are humans and should be taken care of.

I feel terrible not because it also happened in Benue State, where I hail from, but because it is also happening almost throughout the federation. It does not have to happen to someone you know before you speak up about it."

Should President Buhari seek re-election in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Governor Samuel Ortom visited a camp of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue state

- Ortom reportedly said he was tired of keeping IDPs in camps

- The governor urged the IDPs to go home and defend themselves with stones

The governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday, April 10, reportedly told the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), whose communities were destroyed in attacks by herdsmen, to go back home and defend themselves using stones.

The Punch reports that Ortom said he was tired of keeping IDPs in camps just as he explained that killings in the state had become one too many to such an extent that people were running from their homes.

The report said the governor, who visited the displaced persons attacked in Naka, Gwer West local government area of Benue state, said the killings were becoming uncontrollable and charged them to embrace self-defence.

READ ALSO: 7 reasons Buhari may win re-election in 2019

David in the Bible used ordinary stone to defeat his enemy, it is now time for you to stay at home and use the stone in your homes to defend yourself instead of running away.

I believe in the rule of law, equity and fairness, but I cannot continue to keep IDPs and l cant afford to have another IDPs in Gwer West. This must stop. We must stop truncating the future of our younger generation.

When we allow laws to be violated and nobody takes action, it then allows for impunity and when you give room to impunity, it will result to anarchy which will in turn breed a lawless society.

Therefore, we the citizens must rise up to support the security agencies by way of providing lawful and necessary logistics such as information, equipment and financial support to back up their operations.

Just yesterday (Monday), a soldier was killed in Guma, security agents are not spared. Security challenges are enormous. The gruesome murder of 24 people by Fulani herdsmen is quite condemnable.

Time has come if you are willing to live in Benue State, you must be ready and willing to be law abiding, he said, adding that the state government was working with traditional rulers and others to strengthen the vigilante team and give it full legal backing that would enable the group to assist the security personnel in curbing criminal activities in the state.

Speaking earlier, the chairman of Gwer West local government council, Francis Iyanga, said more than 22 persons were killed while seven others were injured during the attack on the communities.

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He added that in 2014, herdsmen applied chemicals on every water point in the area which killed hundreds of people and blocked the only road that linked the local government with the state capital for more than four months.

Iyanga said he had been able to identify some of the herdsmen with their phone numbers which have been submitted to security agents for necessary action, adding that several people in 10 council wards of the council area had been displaced. He called for the cooperation of the security personnel to enable the people to go back to their homes.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Samuel Ortom had said he was willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people of the middle-belt state.

Benue IDPs: Education amidst crisis | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper
- A top Boko Haram expert bomb maker has been arrested

- The military apprehended the suspect in Kaltungo town of Gombe during a joint operation with Department of State Security Service

- Troops also killed three Boko-Haram insurgents in two separate encounters at the Bokko Hilde mountainous region

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday, April 10, said it had arrested one Adamu Hassan, a Boko Haram insurgent who specialises in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the deputy director, Army public relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, said in a statement that the military apprehended the suspect in Kaltungo town of Gombe during a joint operation with Department of State Security Service (DSS).

He said that the suspect, also known as Baale, was apprehended at a check point in the town along the busy Gombe to Yola highway during a Stop-and-Search operation.

In a separate incident,the army spokesperson disclosed that troops also killed three Boko-Haram insurgents in two separate encounters at the Bokko Hilde mountainous region along Ngoshe to Pulka road and Mujigine general area in Borno, on April 9.

READ ALSO: Hilarious moment Nigerians spotted a self-driving car for the first time in Lagos (video)

The troops neutralised the insurgents during clearance operations and recovered two AK 47 rifles and a motorcycle, he said.

Nwachukwu added that in another joint operation with members of vigilante group, the troops foiled a raid by terrorists rummaging for food and logistics at Kudiye community along Dikwa to Gulumbagana road in Borno.

He said the insurgents were intercepted following a tip- off to the effect that they (insurgents) were on their way to loot the community.

According to him, the insurgents have admitted that they belong to the Abubakar Shekaus faction, adding that they are now in custody assisting with useful information.

He said two motorcycles, bags of grains and tamarind, were recovered from them.

It is expedient to bring to public awareness that in their desperation to survive troops onslaught and remain relevant, the Boko Haram terrorists have continued to make frantic efforts to infiltrate communities with Person Borne Improvised Explosive Devices ( bombers) to callously unleash terror and fear on the populace.

Members of the public are therefore enjoined to remain vigilant and watchful while going about their normal activities, and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to appropriate security agencies.

Legit.ng had reported that the theatre commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru on Wednesday, October 11, said the army killed 15 Boko Haram terrorists in Gwoza on Tuesday, October 10.

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Legit.ng gathered that Attahiru made the revelation during a press briefing at the operations headquarters in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. He said the terrorists ambushed troops in Gwoza and the above number of insurgents fell to soldiers bullets during a gunfight.

Boko Haram abducted my husband and the Gov't forgot about him - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has said that former president Olusegun Obasanjo's initiative made telecoms business thrive in Nigeria

- He said that the telecoms industry wouldn't have been successful in Nigeria if not for the tax holiday Obasanjo gave the companies

- The businessman said Obasanjo was very creative for such initiative during his administration

Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, said the telecoms business in Nigeria thrived because of the initiative of ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

He made this statement at a business conference organised by the Gateway Partners in Singapore. The video of the conference was posted on Youtube and Facebook on Tuesday, April 10, Punch reports.

Dangote said that government policies could either help businesses to grow or kill them, adding that it took the creativity of Obasanjo to give telecoms companies a tax holiday before they could make profit.

He added: The telecoms industry wouldnt have been successful especially in Nigeria when they came in. In Nigeria, we have a tax rule in which we dont offer any tax holiday or any incentive to services but President Obasanjo was very creative. That is the truth, not because he is here. I didnt even know that he was here.

There was a claim that there would not be any profitability and he said you know what, I am going to give you a five-year tax holiday even though it was not in the tax law but as a president he had the prerogative of approving a tax holiday which he did and that was what even allowed them to come in because the calculation was that the entire country, both land and mobile, we had 500,000 lines in 2000 and today, you are talking about 147 million lines.

So, it depends on the government of the day, it depends on what you can convince them to do and what they are trying to do.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, dismissed media reports that South Africa had overtaken Nigeria as Africas biggest economy.

The report which downgraded Nigerias economy below that of South Africa, stated that the change in status of both countries was attributed to the appreciation of the rand, South Africas currency, and the devaluation of the Nigerian naira.

The report added that the rand has gained more than 16 per cent against the US currency since the start of 2016; while in contrast, Nigerias naira had lost more than a third of its value.

Aliko Dangote invites IT billionaire Bill Gates to Nigeria - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Following the demolition of a building belonging to a 94-year-old man, the coordinator of Ezeuka Development Centre in the Onicha LGA of Ebonyi state, has been arrested

- The coordinator, Chukwuma Igwe, allegedly demolished Pa Omabe Obini's building and fence

- He was said to have supervised the demolition which was carried out by nine suspected thugs

The coordinator of Ezeukwa Development Centre in the Onicha local government area of Ebonyi state, Chukwuma Igwe, has been arrested by the state police command for allegedly demolishing a building and fence belonging to a 94-year-old man, Pa Omabe Obini.

Igwe, who was being interrogated by the police, was arrested on Monday, April 9, for allegedly supervising the act which was carried out by nine suspected thugs. The incident occurred at Uwani Anike village, Punch reports.

Legit.ng notes that the state police public relations officer, Loveth Odah, said: We have arrested one Mr. Chukwuma Igwe in connection with a case of malicious damage; we have commenced investigation into the incident."

READ ALSO: Telecoms business thrived in Nigeria because of Obasanjo - Dangote

According to the victim, Obini, who narrated the incident to newsmen in Abakaliki, suspected thugs in company with Igwe invaded his compound with weapons.

He said the weapons included axe, digger and cutlass, adding that the thugs chased away members of his family before embarking on the demolition of his building and a section of his perimeter fencing.

The victim said there was no basis for the action considering that there was no land dispute between him and any member of the community.

The coordinator admitted his involvement in the demolition, but insisted that what was demolished was only the perimeter fencing of Obinis house, which was the boundary line in Umu Anike community.

Igwe alleged that the decision to demolish the building was unanimously taken by the Anike General Assembly following Obinis refusal to honour the invitation extended to him by the Assembly.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the police in Ebonyi state on Thursday, February 22, said they arrested two men with guns and other dangerous weapons at a rally in front of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat.

The arrest was made at a solidarity rally staged by the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Ebonyi state chapter, led by Onyeoma Kelechi. The rally was staged to endorse Governor David Umahi for a second term in office.

It was learnt that the two suspects, who the police spokesperson, Loveth Odah, confirmed their arrest, were already in the crowd when they were spotted by police officers.

Are Nigerian Policemen the worst in the world? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- The Trump administration announced that Chad has been removed from its travel ban list

- The central African nation was added to the list because it ran out of passport paper which prevented it from supplying the homeland security department with samples

- The ban still encompasses two Muslim-majority African countries namely Libya and Somalia along with Iran, Syria and Yemen

US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation announcing Chad has been removed from the administrations travel ban list, Times reports.

The White House on Tuesday, April 10, said that citizens of Chad would be able to receive visas to the United States again.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary said President Trump had signed a proclamation announcing Chad had improved its identity-management and information sharing practices enough to be taken off the list.

READ ALSO: Hilarious moment Nigerians spotted a self-driving car for the first time in Lagos (video)

Last September, Chad was put on the list because of an office supply glitch that prevented it from supplying homeland security officials with recent samples of its passports.

U.S. officials also added that the African nation was unable to adequately share public safety and terrorism-related information with who screen foreigners seeking to enter the country.

The State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, said the travel restrictions placed on Chad will be terminated Friday, adding that the improved practices by Chad demonstrate a clear off-ramp for countries placed on the travel restriction list. These improvements will improve security for the people of Chad and the United States.

Chadian leaders criticised the U.S. for putting it on a list that includes North Korea, Iran and Venezuela.

Chad has been a key U.S. counterterrorism partner in the fight against threats to Africas Sahel region posed by al-Qaida affiliates like Boko Haram and the newly designated West Africa wing of the Islamic State group.

The State Department and the Pentagon had pushed for Chads removal from the list, noting the strategic U.S. interest in maintaining close ties with the counterterrorism partner.

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According to an earlier report by Legit.ng, the United States government under the administration of Donald Trump on Monday, January 29, announced it was lifting the ban on refugees from 11 high-risk countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past.

Applicants from the 11 countries which were unnamed but believed to be Muslim-dominated nations and North Korea will now be allowed to enter the US but under a strict immigration scrutiny.

Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, said: Its critically important that we know who is entering the United States.

How Trump's strange covfefe tweet, Biafra @50 celebrations lit up the social media - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit
- Bloggers in Tanzania are facing new online regulations that may force most of them operating independently, out of operation

- Bloggers and other content creators in the country are mandated to pay $930 in licence fees per year to be approved by the government

- The regulations affect all individuals and organisation classed as online content creators in the country

With Tanzanias new online regulations, bloggers and other online content creators in Tanzania now have to pay $930 in licence fees per year to be approved by the government.

The government will certify all bloggers and charge them an annual fee before they are allowed to start or continue operating online, The East Africa Monitor reports.

Legit.ng notes that the government reserve the right to deny or revoke the permits for any site that causes annoyance, threatens harm or evil, encourages or incites crimes or deemed to threaten national security.

READ ALSO: Brazilian judge denies ex-president Lula privileges in prison, except for television set

It was learnt that $930 license fee demanded by the government will force most independent bloggers to cease operation with the gross national income per capita in Tanzania being just $900.

When the regulations were first proposed in 2017, there were criticisms that the law violated individual privacy and freedom of speech.

With the regulations in place, officials can also force administrators to remove any piece of content within 12 hours. Publishers who does not comply could face a minimum of $2,210 in fines or a year in prison.

These regulations are binding on all individuals and organisation classed as online content creators in Tanzania  including online radio stations, podcast publishers, online forums and people using social media as a content publishing platform.

Online content creators need to provide documentation that states the financial details of their organisation, any directors and stakeholders involved, projected revenue and future plans for growth, before they could be given license.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a court in Tanzania sentenced a Tanzanian opposition member of parliament to five months in prison after being found guilty of defaming President John Magufuli.

It was reported that the sentence was passed on Joseph Mbilinyi, popularly known as Sugu, by a magistrate's court in the southwestern town of Mbeya. The lawmaker belongs to the opposition Chadema party.

His co-accused, Emmanuel Masonga, was handed a similar prison sentence. The court found them guilty of committing hate speech against President Magufuli at Mwenge Primary School in Mbeya on December 30, 2017.

Which country would you leave Nigeria for? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
The Benin zonal command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested eight suspected human traffickers.

The zonal commander, Nduka Nwanwenne, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Wednesday, April 11, that the traffickers were arrested in the past three months.

He said that a total of 138 people were rescued by the agency within the period and that 124 of the trafficked people were already reunited with their families.

READ ALSO: London protesters against Buhari are agents of looters - Presidency

Nwanwanne said that 89 cases of trafficking were currently pending in various courts in the zone.

He said that 34 cases were reported to the agency through petitions, while 14 others were received from sister security agencies.

Nwanwenne said that in spite of the renewed and drastic measures put in place by government and traditional institutions to stop human trafficking, some people were still adamant about doing the business.

He said that the Edo government had, however, intensified awareness campaigns against human trafficking to stop the business.

Nwanwenne commended the Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare II and his palace on the recent step they had taken against human traffickers.

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Legit.ng previously reported that NAPTIP rescued four Nigerian women who were forced into prostitution in different parts of Spain.

The women were captives of a prostitution ring which operated mainly in Spain, but also in Italy, the United Kingdom, Libya, Niger, and Nigeria.

Europol reported that the investigation to dismantle the network began in 2017. The group was reported to have recruited victims by coercing them with voodoo threats in Benin City, Nigeria.

Suspected cocaine/cannabis traffickers reject Police accusations - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
The archbishop of canterbury, Justin Welby and Nigerias high commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), George Adesola Oguntade, have paid President Muhammadu Buhari a visit at the Abuja House in London.

The personal assistant to the president on new media, Bashir Ahmad, disclosed in a tweet that the visit took place on Wednesday afternoon, April 11.

This is not the first time Justin Welby would be paying the president a visit at the Abuja House in London.

The archbishop had on Friday, August 4, 2017, paid Buhari a visit when the president was on a medical vacation in the UK.

Bashir Ahmad disclosed in a tweet that the visit took place on Wednesday afternoon, April 11, photo credit: Presidency - Twitter

Buhari is currently in London and is expected to hold talks with the British prime minister, Theresa May, photo credit: Presidency - Twitter

Legit.ng had earlier reported that Buhari departed Abuja for an official visit to the United Kingdom where he is expected to hold discussions with Prime Minister Theresa May.

The personal assistant to the president on new media, Bashir Ahmad, in a tweet on Monday, April 9, said the discussion between Buhari and Theresa May will focus on Nigeria - British relations.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday, April 11, presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The federal ministries of information and culture as well as women affairs briefed the council on their activities since November 2015 till date.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting of the council which started at about 11am at the council chamber of the Presidential Villa would also receive presentations from the Ministries of Defence and Transportation.

All heads of agencies under the Ministry of Information and Culture including the managing director of News Agency of Nigeria, Bayo Onanuga, were at the venue of the meeting to support the ministers presentation.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- A peaceful protest was staged by the APC councillorship aspirants in Kaduna state

- The protesters alleged manipulation of the partys local government primary elections in the state

- The chairman of the Congress for Councillorship Aspirants, called on the governor and party leaders to take steps to urgently address the issue

All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship aspirants on Wednesday, April 11, staged a peaceful protest in Kaduna over alleged manipulation of the partys local government primary elections in the state, Premium Times reports.

Legit.ng gathered that the protesters who took over Lord Lugard roundabout, a stone throw from the APC state secretariat, alleged that the primary elections held on March 29 was marred by irregularities.

The protesters were waving placards with inscriptions such as Injustice is a crime against humanity, We have worked well for our great party APC so we need justice, Correct the fraud in APC Primary Elections, We all know elections were not conducted, and We need internal democracy in Kaduna APC.

READ ALSO: National Assembly honours longest-serving senator on his 70th birthday

Aminu Adam, the chairman of the Congress for Councillorship Aspirants, Kaduna north local government, addressing journalists at the venue of the protest, said the aggrieved aspirants had sent petitions to Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the partys state executive committee on their grievances.

He said the state governments statement that it was neutral made many aspirants to present themselves for the elections, which they expected to be devoid of interference from government officials.

The interference was so widespread and glaring as not to allow the elections to hold in nine of the 12 wards that make up Kaduna North Local Government Area.

The silence of the state government and all relevant authorities bordering on complicity is what informed our civil protest today, as part of our resolve to press for the conclusive resolution of the matter which potentially threatens the cohesion of the party, he stated.

Adam said unless the matter was judiciously handled, the party stands the risk of suffering electoral losses in the state in view of the growing public discontent with the alleged deliberate disruption of the polls in the affected wards.

He said their petitions articulated the alleged irregularities, which included non-availability of voting materials such as ballot boxes and comprehensive register of party members, adding that the governor and party leaders in the state should take steps to urgently address the issue in line with the partys internal principles.

The states APC Acting Secretary, Yahaya Pate, When contacted on the development, said as far as the party is concerned the primaries were free and fair in all the 23 local government area of the state.

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Legit.ng previously reported that a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Danazumi Mai Lambu said that the party may lose election in Kaduna state if the squabble in the state continues, Leadership reports.

Lambu said the continued crisis between some notable members of the party in Kaduna and the state governor Nasiru El-Rufai must be stopped.

He urged the warring parties to thread with caution to avoid jeopardizing the existing goodwill of the APC throughout the two years reign of President Muhammadu Buhari.

APC official tells why his party could be voted out in 2019 - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit.ng
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look at the rising insecurity in Nigeria particularly the Boko Haram crises and the herders-farmers clash.

This was contained in a post on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, April 11.

He told President Buhari to intensify effort for the release of 14-year-old Leah Sharibu who has not been released by Boko Haram terrorists in the wake of Dapchi girls attack.

The archbishop also emphasised the need for the development of education in Nigeria and said he will continue to pray for the country.

READ ALSO: Alleged video of Offa, Kwara bank robbery surfaces days after many were killed

Read statement below:

It was an honour to meet President Buhari of Nigeria in London today. We discussed the complex security situation in Nigeria and their governments efforts to address it, and I offered support in seeking a sustainable solution to the herder-farmer conflict.

I expressed deep concern about the suffering resulting from raids on Christian communities and villages as far south as Delta State. We discussed the causes of such depredations, which have led to very many deaths and threaten an escalation of violence. I urged measures to restore confidence in the neutrality of the state, and spoke of the suffering of the poor in such tragedies.

I also raised the urgent situation of Leah Sharibu  the 14-year old Dapchi Christian school girl still held captive by Boko Haram for refusing to convert to Islam  and urged the President to do everything possible to secure her release.

I briefed President Buhari about my pastoral visit to Nigeria in 2014 following the abduction of the Chibok girls, and assured him of my continued prayers for the release of all those still in captivity. The President promised that the Government would do all in its power to secure their release.

No country or society can flourish without excellent education  so it was good to speak with the President about how education helps tackle poverty. I highlighted the vital role that churches in England play not just in educating a million children, but in providing them with values, identity and purpose.

Please join me in standing prayerfully with those suffering from the herder-farmer conflict, Boko Haram insurgency, and all those mourning the loss of loved ones. Its so important that we pray for the peace and progress of Nigeria  and particularly for the liberating peace of Jesus to be with all those held in captivity.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari spoke about his announcement on Monday, April 9 to seek presidential re-election saying it was to clear the air as a lot of people had been speculating whether he would run or not.

This was contained in a statement by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity on Wednesday, April 11.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- An approval has been given for the establishment of a new university for the Nigerian Army, by the Federal Executive Council

- The development was made public by the minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu

- The chief of Army staff had previously announced that the Army would upgrade the Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies to a full fledged university

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, April 11, gave the approval for the establishment of a new university for the Nigerian Army, Premium Times reports.

The development comes following the presentation of a memo by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu.

READ ALSO: Sagay committee seeks clarification from JAMB over money-swallowing snake

Legit.ng gathers that the university would be located in Biu, Bornu state.

The approval was announced at the end of the council meeting, by the education minister.

In March, the chief of Army staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, had announced that the Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies would be upgraded to a full fledged University of Technology and Environmental Studies by the Nigerian Army.

He stated: The university was conceived as a unique one that will be different from conventional universities in Nigeria. The concept is to make it a solution provider and a centre of excellence for a variety of technologically related ventures such as generation and armament production."

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Legit.ng previously reported that the minister of state for foreign affairs, Hajiya Khadijat Abba-Ibrahim, said the proposed establishment of Nigerian Army University in Borno will help to reduce youth restiveness in the region.

The minister said this when she received the proposed universitys implementation committee led by Maj-Gen Lawal Faskari in Abuja. She said the university would provide more opportunities for young people to acquire tertiary education in the region.

Soldier shares battleground experience, dedicates song to colleagues - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng News
- The minister of works, power and housing, Babatunde Fashola, has stated that the federal government has approved the sum of N47bn for three road projects

- The projects include the Baban Lamba-Sharam Road in Plateau state, Lagos- Otta- Abeokuta Road and the EnuguPort Harcourt Road

- Fashola said the design on the Enugu-Port Harcourt road needed to be changed so it would not fail

The sum of 47 billion naira has been approved for three road projects by the federal government, Leadership reports.

The development was disclosed at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, April 11, by the minister of works, power and housing, Babatunde Fashola.

Legit.ng gathers that Fasola gave the breakdown of the projects to include Baban Lamba-Sharam Road in Plateau state at the cost of 19.2bn, Lagos- Otta- Abeokuta Road for 22 billion and the EnuguPort Harcourt Road for 6.309 billion.

READ ALSO: Herdsmen allegedly kill 75-year-old man, 14 others in fresh Benue attack

He said: The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing got approval for three memos. One was for Baban Lamba-Sharam Road in Plateau state for the contraction of 44.625 kilometers for N19.392 billion.

The second was for Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta Road, 81 kilometers. That road was first awarded in year 2000 and it has since been left uncompleted because there was no budgetary provisions for it. This administration in trying to move this contractor to site, stated the revision of the rate.

So the revised rate were brought to council today and a revision of N22 billion was approved for the 81 kilometers road, bringing the total contract price to N56.701 billion.

The third approval was for the section four of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, the part between Abia and Port Harcourt, particularly in Port Harcourt that has been problematic and has failed severally.

We have a contractor there but we needed to change the design because of the storm water drainage needs and the high water tables there, so that the road does not fail. So that requires a revision of the scope of work to include retaining side-lanes and also drainage facilities in the sum of N6.309 billion."

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Babatunde Fashola unveiled plans by the federal government to build a better network of roads and bridges across the country.

Fashola said that the intention was to connect states, drive economy, move fuel, food and the import and export of goods.

He unveiled a plan for the construction of 44 federal highways, 63 roads and an emergency intervention across the country, to give relief to Nigerians, subject to appropriation.

What does Nigeria need right now? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
Over a series of posts, we will discuss what we believe is a serious governance lapse at CalPERS, which is the hiring of Charles Asubonten, who joined as its Chief Financial Officer on October 2, 2017. As we will show, even if Asubonten lived up to the description on his resume, he is not qualified for the job, as can be easily seen by comparing his resume with CalPERS job specs. The first required qualification is at least 10 years of experience in a large pension fund or financial institution. Asubonten has none.

But more troubling is that comparing the resume to authoritative public domain evidence showed Asubonten has made multiple misrepresentations. Interviews with former executives who reviewed his performance, and other sources of information, confirmed our interpretation of those documents and exposed more discrepancies.

Asubonten also has meaningful inconsistencies in the presentation of his professional history over time prior to applying for his position at CalPERS. It also appears that Asubonten made a material misrepresentation on a financial conflicts of interest filing by California government officials, the Form 700.

These allegations are serious. We will therefore provide the documentation supporting our findings over a series of posts.

We will begin today with an overview of the misrepresentations and discrepancies. In a second post today, we will focus on the disparities between what Asubontens resume says about his purportedly most significant executive position, that of serving as CFO for a South African mining company, compared to evidence from public records and former executives.

Tomorrow, we will turn to his more recent man of many names history in private equity and his related Form 700 issue, and will discuss how even taking Asubontens claims at face value, he is not qualified for the CFO role.

Background

Someone close to CalPERS called my attention to Asubontens hiring and the fact that his CFO experience was limited. His LinkedIn page said for the last few years that hed been a private equity executive, yet neither his profile nor CalPERS press release named his firm, which seemed peculiar. Anyone who has ever worked in private equity understands the importance of the pedigree of their firm and would actively promote the firm they were working for.

It was in fact difficult to find out anything out about Asubontens private equity activities. As one 30-year industry veteran pointed out, If the firm did a deal it should have shown up someplace. Further digging turned up more troubling discrepancies. I obtained his resume, which is embedded at the end of this post, from CalPERS via a Public Records Act request.

Asubonten graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina Central University and obtained an MBA degree from what is now called the Ross School at the University of Michigan. He worked between college and business school at KPMG and Dow Chemical. He then advanced in finance positions at Ford Motor and DTE Energy. He next went to Rio Tinto, where he was posted to Palabora Mining Company in South Africa, in which Rio Tinto held a majority stake, as its Chief Financial Officer. He left Palabora after three and a half years, then spent two and a half years in private equity. In mid 2012 he went to another mining company, Mopani Copper Mines in Zambia, where he was the Chief Financial Officer for thirteen months. In 2013, he returned to the US to work for a private equity firm. He has a CPA, a CFA, and holds a diploma from a two-day Financial Times governance course.

Main Findings

Asubonten has made numerous misrepresentations on his resume. These are so prevalent and the degree of inaccuracy is so marked that they cannot be viewed as normal puffery. As McKinseys former co-head of its organization practice put it, This goes beyond sloppy. Its in an entirely different class.

Specifically, Asubonten considerably exaggerated his job scope at Palabora, claiming that he had authority and positions that are contradicted by public records and reports from former Palabora executives. His claims of significant achievements are also at odds with a court ruling in a suit Asubonten lodged over his bonus and his flights back to the US. The decision described Asubontens poor performance ratings for the last 2 years of this three and one half year tenure and his termination. The judge did not find in favor Asubontens claims that he deserved a better personal performance score and noted that Asubonten provided only the most sketchy evidence.

As we indicated earlier, not only has it been well nigh impossible to find any evidence of private equity activity associated with Asubonten, he has generally not used a business name and when he has, he does not appear to have exposed any name publicly more than once. One of the few place where his name is listed with advisory board assignments, in Ghana, his name is spelled differently: Asubonteng, as opposed to Asubonten.

Finally, Asubonten provided an address for his business on his Form 700, the disclosure of financial interests filing required of all California officials, where there was not only no office in his business name at that location, but even mail sent to that address would not have been delivered. A informal reading from the Fair Political Practices Commission is that this address is non-complaint with the requirements of Form 700. The form has strong language about the seriousness of the responses, such as I have used all reasonable diligence. The form is filed under penalty of perjury.

We sent the e-mail below to Asubonten last week. We sent it separately to the CalPERS board and its Chief Executive Officer, Marcie Frost, letting them know we had sent it to Asubonten and providing an example of some of the additional information that we had.

Dear Mr. Asubonten, I publish the website Naked Capitalism, which provides independent news coverage of key CalPERS developments. Recently, it came to my attention that the resume and the Form 700 you provided to CalPERS contain material misrepresentations and substantial discrepancies vis-a-vis public records and sources that have first-hand knowledge of your history and activities. I will shortly be publishing a comprehensive review of my findings. In the meantime, I wish to give you the opportunity to comment. This summary is only a partial review, focusing on major issues: 1. Mr. Asubonten was the CFO of Palabora Mining Company from July 2006 to December 31, 2009 when his employment was terminated. For the last 2 years of his 3 1/2 year tenure, he received poor performance ratings. After he left Palabora, he attempted to dispute the performance ratings. Mr. Asubonten claimed only three accomplishments. All were rejected due lack of support (the most sketchy evidence) despite the bar being relatively low by virtue of Rio Tinto/PMCs inability to provide anything other than verbal backup for its personal performance grades for Mr. Asubonten (55 out of a possible 150 in 2009, and not much better in 2008). 2. Mr. Asubonten did not play the lead in developing strategy, was not co-responsible for day to day operations with the MD, nor did he lead a turnaround. The turnaround started in 2005 and was due to a change in the mining operations from open pit to underground mining, which required considerable investment and was initiated at and approved by Rio Tinto. Former executives say Mr. Asubonten had nothing to do with it. The turnaround was already underway before Mr. Asubonten arrived as the underground mining operations were coming on line and copper prices surged. Palabora went from an operating loss in 2004 to an operating profit in 2005, and even more important, cash flow rose sharply in 2005. Increases in commodity prices and higher production levels in 2006 and 2007 led to further improvements in profits. 3. Mr. Asubtonen claims he was responsible for investor relations and boosting the stock price from the 20s to over 100 rand in three years. Mr. Asubonten was not responsible for investor relations. This was a team effort, with the involvement of Rio Tinto and the Palabora Mining Company Managing Director having the lead responsibility. And even of the local team, former executives say that Mr. Asubontens role was less important than that of a South African employee who had the day-to-day financial media/investor contact role. They depict Mr. Asubontens involvement as minor. The stock price closed at 47.50 rand on his first day at Palabora and never closed below 34.50 rand his entire time there. The stock price trading range in 2007, too early by Mr. Asubontens own claims for him to have had any impact, was virtually identical to that of 2009, which was the end of the three years for which he attempted to take credit (July 2006 to July 2009). And as is implied above, it strains credulity that Mr. Asubonten could have had any net positive impact on the company in the last half of this three-year time frame, given that his personal performance ratings were markedly lower than that of the business unit (Palabora). 4. Mr. Asubonten did not supervise or have responsibility for the corporate secretary. That was an independent role and it did not report to Mr. Asubonten. 5. Mr. Asubonten did not run the hedge book. It was managed by Rio Tinto. 6. Mr. Asubonten was never the chairman of the Palabora Foundation. Moreover, his performance as a member of that team was depicted as poor: He did not do a good job. If I were him, I would not be proud of that. CalPERS has described Mr. Asubonten as a managing director in a private equity firm, apparently reflecting how he presented his background to CalPERS: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/page/newsroom/calpers-news/2017/charles-asubonten-named-cfo. However: 1. As Mr. Ausbonten and CalPERS surely know, a private equity executive is someone in a senior level of a firm that has discretionary investment authority over other peoples money and is overseeing the process of buying and selling controlling interests in companies. While it is possible for an individual even with very little money to act as a private equity investor by, say, taking a stake in a shoe repair store, that is completely different than being a private equity executive or managing director in a private equity firm which implies that the firms principals support their overheads and compensation from recurring fees and profit participation from committed third-party capital. Mere self-assignment of a role, or the use of a self-assigned title on a business card or LinkedIn profile, is not proof of career accomplishments. In addition, Mr. Asubontens description of his activities at Transmax-Maximum Transformation is inconsistent with his description of himself as a private equity executive. It is consistent with being a consultant to individuals and companies making investments. McKinsey, KKRs Capstone unit, Houlihan Lokey, and many other individual and small firm consultants play that role. They are service providers and do not hold themselves out as being in the private equity business, any more than other service providers, such as lawyers or accountants, would. Mr. Asubonten may have received stakes in investee companies as part of his consideration for providing services. That would not make him a private equity executive or principal. Employees of KKR Capstone participate in KKRs carry pool, and some law firms and independent consultants to private equity firms receive small equity participations. 2. Due to the long time frame of private equity investing, as again a private equity professional would understand, a critically important criterion in evaluating a firm is the cohesiveness of its management team and the stability of its operations. Mr. Asubontens history from 2010-2012 and then from 2013 to present is inconsistent with such cohesiveness and stability because: Generally, there is no identification of a firm whatsoever, and when used, they are inconsistent and dissimilar (including e.g., Private Equity Inc. and Global Finance and Charles Asubonten & Associates) to such a degree that he does not appear to have used a specific firm name more than once, including on documents. Particularly troublingly, Mr. Asubonten has done business in Ghana under a different name (Asubonteng as opposed to Asubonten). While this could conceivably be a mere mistake, the fact that it has occurred more than once in settings where Mr. Asubonten almost certainly could have had the misspelling corrected but did not do so is troubling. Financial institutions experts point out that the use of a mild variation in spelling leads to no realistic possibility of detection that the variant spelling name is connected with another person. Note that Ghana is on the GFSC Sensitive Sources Notice where financial institutions are required to engage in enhanced due diligence measures and give special attention to all existing and new business relationships and transactions connected with such countries or territories. https://www.gfsc.gg/sites/default/files/20160322%20%20Instruction%20Number%2001_2016%20-%20FSBs%20-%20March%202016_0.pdf 3. Mr. Asubontens use of different company names or DBAs makes it difficult to find where those claimed businesses exist. There are no Transmax corporate entities registered in Delaware, Maryland, or Michigan. The apparent absence of any registered corporation is significant because private equity firms use them as part of their legal structures to limit liability; it is unheard of to do otherwise. I have contacted all RSA Capitals, included in the variant of Mr. Asubontens business name on his Form 700, that are in the private equity business to ascertain if any might have a relationship with Mr. Asubonten or a Transmax. All either stated they had never heard of him or did not reply, when you would expect them to if they had worked together. The only listings of Mr. Asubontens name in connection with specific companies (aside from previous employers or educational/accreditation institutions) is one of a business in which he may have invested (Tragik Koncepts & Design, a tiny computer repair store in Ontario that has closed) and two later ones where Mr. Asubonten is only on the advisory board. Private equity investors do not act as advisors to non-investee companies save perhaps as a charitable activity or because the position is influential (being on the board of one of the Federal Reserve Banks; those boards are advisory boards). An investor would have board seats. However, consultants and other business advisors to private equity firms often do serve on advisory boards. 4. Absence of a website and an office: Mr. Asubonten has in the past registered two internet domain names: transmax.biz and totusfinancial.com. Both websites are not active and appear to never have been built. Mr. Asubonten pointedly avoided providing a location for his Transmax-Maximum Transformation entry by placing Maximum Transformation in the position used for all of this other resume entries to show job location. The only physical address provided by Mr. Asubonten is on his Form 700: Transmax/RSA Capital, 8480 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, Maryland. After extensive inquiry, the only connection identified between that address and Mr. Asubonten or the business name listed is a letterbox in Mr. Asubontens name (as opposed to a business name) at a UPS Store located in a strip mall at 8480 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, Maryland, whose lease expired on October 1, 2017. The UPS Store confirms that mail sent to the address listed on the Form 700 would have been rejected even if it had a UPS mailbox number. UPS requires that mail must show both the letterbox lessee name and the letterbox number. Furthermore, the Fair Political Practices Commission help line has confirmed that a business address that is not valid for mail delivery is not complaint with the requirements of Form 700. 5. While Mr. Asubonten may have had an inheritance or other personal funds he invested, this would fall short of being considered a private equity firm in which Mr. Asubonten could hold himself out as an executive unless his personal/family monies were of such a scale that he hired full-time employees. But even then, as again both Mr. Asubonten and CalPERS staff surely must know, that type of investment operation is called a family office. I look forward to your response addressing these matters. Thank you. Sincerely,

Susan Webber

Mr Asubonten replied early in the day Sacramento time:

Dear Susan, Thanks for reaching out to me. Your report is nothing short of character assassination. I have been utilizing my skills at CalPERS to ensure that we deliver on our sacred mission of delivering retirement benefits and healthcare to those who serve California! I would like to know what your purpose or objective is so that I can point you to the appropriate sources. If you find capitalism naked, let me assure you that I have been doing my bit to clothe it; to wit, find an article I wrote years ago. Let me end by quoting Edmund Burke: When bad men (or women) combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. Sincerely,

Charles

We replied to Asubonten, stating that we were asking him to correct errors in what we had sent him, with any supporting evidence. We have not received a response.

Weve embedded his attachments at the end of this post. As lawyers like to say, res ipsa loquitur. Asubonten did not address any of the information presented, and instead made a personal attack and also attempted to make an emotional appeal. He also seemed not to recognize that calling a letter to the editor an article was not helpful to his case.

We e-mailed back, telling him that we had contacted him to assure the accuracy of our reporting and asked for him to correct errors and provide any supporting material.

We have not received a reply.
Why expressive brows might have mattered in human evolution Science Daily. Unless they become stuck in a permanently raised position. But maybe even then.

The Elusive Calculus of Insects Altruism and Kin Selection Quanta

Private Equity Wants You to Feel Good About Investing Bloomberg

CalPERS puts $1.26 billion in 2 in-house strategies, considering glidepath changes for DC plans Pensions & Investments

The Outlook for the U.S. Economy Jerome Powell, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. In the long run, the level of maximum employment is not determined by monetary policy, but rather by factors affecting the structure and dynamics of the labor market.

The Roots of Bubbly Recessions Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. A hedge fund is unlikely to internalize the fact that its speculative investment contributes to escalating real estate prices and that bigger booms are associated with deeper busts. I love the dry wit of central bankers.

Ditch trade deal with Trump rather than accept chlorinated chicken, Britons say Independent

Rupert Murdochs Fox Network arm raided in European Commission probe BBC

Why the U.S. Targeted This Russian Oligarch Bloomberg. Aluminum.

British Banks Will Have to Cut Ties to Sanctioned Oligarchs, U.S. Says NYT

Syraqistan

Russia Gas Link Not Possible If Ukraine Is Harmed, Merkel Says Bloomberg

Fledgling centrist party claims to have links to Tony Blair and son Guardian. Wheres Chelsea?

China?

China accelerates opening to foreign financial groups FT

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Manitoba Hells Angels target businesses by posting 1-star reviews CBC

Facebook Fracas

Health Care

Obamacares Very Stable Genius Paul Krugman, NYT. Whats the secret of Obamacares stability? The answer, although nobody will believe it, is that the people who designed the program were extremely smart. Political reality forced them to build a Rube Goldberg device By political reality, we mean that which the donor class cannot be induced to accept  not even by a progressive columnist with a national platform  no matter how much people suffer. Oh, and theres that word smart. See Thomas Frank, Listen, Liberal!

Apple Now Runs On 100% Green Energy, And Heres How It Got There Fast Company

Col. Larry Wilkerson: Pentagon Plans for Climate Change Despite White House TRNN

Imperial Collapse Watch

America Cant Be Trusted Anymore Foreign Policy. Deck: Its hard to be powerful when nobody believes a word you say. Is the US Still a Reliable Ally? Cipher Brief. In the Five Eyes context  with the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand  you have the highest level of trust between intelligence partners anywhere.

Portion of Redacted Harvard Admissions Data Will Become Public Harvard Crimson

Class Warfare

Counting the millions of evictions Credit Slips

Tuesday and Early Voting Sanders Institute. I loathe early voting, because it encourages partisan lock-in, and devalues post-early vote campaign events. All of the claimed advantages for early voting can be achieved by making Election Day a national holiday, which it should already be in any case (assuming the country values democracy).

Psychological Weapons of Mass Persuasion Scientific American

Whats Been Stopping the Left? Dani Rodrik, Project Syndicate

On the Silencing of Julian Assange Consortium News

Lovely Weather Were Having  Now Who Will Save Us? Belt Magazine

Antidote du Jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
I would never trust him with my money. Unsolicited reaction of a former Palabora Mining Company executive when told Charles Asubonten was CFO of a $300 billion pension fund

We will document some of the misrepresentations and inconsistencies in the resume that Charles Asubonten, the new Chief Financial Officer of CalPERS, provided when applying for the position. We have embedded this document at the end of this post.

The most glaring discrepancies involve Asubontens tenure from 2006 to 2009 as Chief Financial Officer at Palabora Mining Company, then listed on a Johannesburg stock exchange and majority owned by Rio Tinto. We will discuss that record detail today, along with some selected additional disparities.

In our next post, we will focus on how Asubonten operated as a man of many names, both for his private equity firm and potentially even personally. This is puzzling behavior for any business, since establishing an identity is important for building a reputation and allowing prospective clients to verify ones track record.

As you can see from his resume, Asubonten graduated from North Carolina Central University, magna cum laude. After working for KPMG as an accountant and then Dow Chemical, he attended what is now called the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, which has a strong reputation in accounting. He rose through the finance function at Ford and DTE Energy while also serving as a adjunct faculty member at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan.

However, Asubontens career trajectory suffered when he joined Rio Tinto to be posted to Palabora Copper Mines in South Africa as Chief Financial Officer under a three and one half year contract.

As the embedded court ruling at the end of this post shows, Asubontens employment with Rio Tinto terminated at the end of 2009 when his contract expired after he received poor performance reviews for his last two of those three and one half years. Notably, in 2008, Rio Tinto had already notified Asubonten that it planned to end his employment. As the decision states, in 2008 he [Asubonten] got an indication from [Managing Director Matt] Gili that his contract would be terminating in 2009 and this was confirmed in July 2009.

Following Asubontens exit from Palabora and subsequent lawsuit, his resume states he was the managing director of a private equity firm in 2010 to 2012 despite the lack of any prior experience or any evidence of actual business dealings. The labor court ruling indicates that Asubonten in fact was looking for full-time employment during 2010. CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost has said that Asubonten has admitted to a period of unemployment, which may cover most of these two plus years.

In May 2012, Asubonten joined Mopani Copper Mines in Zambia as its Chief Financial Officer.1 A Mopani executive stated that Asubonten had a two year contract that was terminated after 13 months.2

In this post, we will focus on the inaccuracies of Asubontens presentation of his time at Palabora, which he also depicts as one of his most important achievements. We will discuss some other important inconsistencies in a separate section.

Asubontens Resume on His Time at Palabora Versus Public Record and Executive Accounts

Palabora was a relatively small operation. Rio Tinto struck a deal to sell its 57.7% interest in 2012 at a valuation for the company of $611 million. Even though Palabora had substantial minority owners, including public shareholders, Rio Tinto was involved in many of its activities, to the degree that it co-branded the mine as Rio Tinto Palabora Mining Company Limited on its annual reports and stationery (see here and here for examples; see also discussion in the court filing).3 As a consequence, there appears to be some tension between the presentation of Palabora as an independent entity in its public financial statements and some of the practices that resulted from a fair bit of integration into and dependence upon Rio Tinto.3

Asubonten has misstated both his job scope at Palabora and his accomplishments.

Exaggeration of job scope

1. Asubonten repeatedly depicts himself as leading the development of strategy and the turnaround at Palabora. For example, Asubontens resume specifically states Led from near-bankruptcy.to solvency and describes him as being co-responsible with the MD for strategy and the day-to-day operation of the South African mining company and the two subsidiaries in the USA and Singapore repectively.4

 The managing director led Palabora, with considerable input and assistance from Rio Tinto. To depict the head of a staff function as leading a mining operation is a remarkable claim.  Asubonten was not co-responsible with the MD. Asubonten was in a senior staff position and was not responsible for mining operations, which were under the supervision of several specialized production managers plus a safety director. Asubonten was subordinate to the MD and on the same level as the six other direct reports who served on the executive committee. As the 2009 Annual Report stated, The board delegates the day-to-day management of the business of the Group to the managing director assisted by the executive committee.  Asubonten did not play any meaningful role in the turnaround. One former executive stated that the finance function had nothing to do with it. Specifically, the turnaound was the result of investments and operational changes that began and were bearing fruit before Asubonten joined, which is at odds with his claims of having input into, let alone leading the strategy. As the 2005 annual describes, and is confirmed by insider input, Palabora had invested heavily to go from open pit to underground copper mining, which was coming on stream in 2005. Operating profit from continuing operations went from a loss of 2,346 million rand in 2004 to a profit of 275 million rand in 2005. Cash flow from operations went from negative 42 million rand in 2004 to positive 256 million rand in 2005. Even after deducting interest expenses and income taxes, cash flow from operating activities was positive in 2005.  The Chief Financial Officer of Palabora did not play a major, much the less leading, role in strategy development. The five and ten year plans were developed at the Rio Tinto group level, with the executive committee at Palabora (of which Asubonten was one of eight members) having input. (Note that both Asubonten and Palaboras head of HR stress in the filing at the end of this post how Rio Tinto and Palabora operated in an integrated manner).

2. The resume further states that Asubonten Developed turnaround strategies and drove results that saw the share price move from the 20s to over 100 rand in three years (CAGR of 70%). Bloomberg data shows that Palaboras stock price closed at 47.50 rand the day Asubonten started at Palabora. The closing price was never below 34.50 during his tenure as Chief Financial Officer. In addition, the trading range for Palaboras stock in 2007, for which Asubonten does not attempt to claim credit, was virtually identical to 2009, which was three years after he joined (see numbered page 97 in the 2010 annual report).

3. Asubontens resume says he was responsible forcompany secretary. That was a separate role that reported to the Managing Director, not to the Chief Financial Officer.

4. Asubontens resume says he was responsible forinvestor relations. A former Palabora executive stated that investor relations was handled primarily out of London (i.e, by Rio Tinto) with the Managing Director having primary local responsibility. In addition, a South African took the lead role in communicating with local media and investors. Asubontens role in investor relations was reportedly minor.

5. Asubontens resume states, As chairman of the Palabora Foundation.. Former executives say the Managing Director, not the Chief Financial Officer, was the chairman. That is confirmed by the 2009 annual report, in which the review by the Managing Director (numbered page 10) discusses the Palabora Foundation, while the Chief Financial Officers letter (by interim Chief Financial Officer M. Bruce Snyder) is silent on that topic. A former executive further stated that most of the work of the Palabora Foundation was outsourced and the parts for which Asubonten was responsible got complaints. He did not do a good job. If I were him, I would not be proud of that.

6. The resume claims Asubonten Managed a hedge book of over $2 billion. A former official says hedging was done by Rio Tinto, not Palabora. Moreover, it appears that most if not all of this hedge book was long-term hedges that Palabora entered into as required by a 2005 financing (see numbered page 33). That means they had been executed well before Asubonten joined Palabora. In addition, they were not managed in the sense of traded, but simply accounted for. This account is consistent with the 2009 annual report (see numbered page 11, under Derivative financial instrument) which describes a single swap contract, set to expire in 2013 and further indicates that Palabora was not contractually obligated to enter into other hedges. Footnote 3.2.3 (numbered page 73) refers to the hedge book and mentions only the hedging of copper.

Exaggeration of performance

Asubontens claims of leadership, driving results and being singularly responsible for profit improvement, which is what saying he engineered and implemented a turnaround amounts to, is contradicted by his performance ratings. Rio Tinto not only let his contract with Palabora expire, but it also did not post Asubonten to another assignment.

Some of the details of Asubontens performance reviews became public when he tried, unsuccessfully, to dispute his 2008 and 2009 bonus awards and Rio Tintos refusal to extend his return flight benefit beyond the six months it had agreed to (three more than he was contractually entitled to) to a full twelve months. 5

Below we have embedded the 2014 decision, In the matter between Charles Achireko-Asubonte and Palabora Mining Company Ltd.

According to the filing, the Palabora Managing Director in 2008, Matt Gili, told Asubonten that his contract, which was set to expire at the end of 2009, would not be renewed and confirmed that in 2009. Asubonten said he had not been told in his 2007 performance review that there were any shortcomings. However, Asubonten never asked Rio Tinto why his contract was being terminated.

in 2009, Asubonten received a personal performance score of 55 in 2009 out of a possible 150, with 100 being average. Since the performance of the business unit was also a factor in computing his bonus, Asubonten received an award of just over 20% of his salary for 2009.

The decision does not provide Asubontens personal performance rating for 2008, but his bonus that year was only 22% of his salary. However, the judge did say that Asubotens performance score was not much better in 2008 than in 2009.

The judge gave Asubonten the opportunity to support his claim that his personal performance score should have been average, as opposed to well below average, in both years. Asubonten apparently cited the achievement of a clean audit as a key achievement, which Palabora did not dispute. But it is not clear how important that alone would have been in his total score, which was a source of frustration to the judge.

The only other accomplishments Asubonten cited to justify getting his score increased to average were his role in pushing up the share price and negotiating BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) participation. Palabora depicted lack of traction on BEE as one of the reasons for Asubontens poor performance rating in 2009. The judge appeared to regard the only accomplishment that Asubonten might claim as the clean audit (which he regarded as important) but did not adjust the personal performance rating, noting that Asubonten was not able to muster anything beyond the most sketchy evidence.

Other Questionable Material in Asubontens Resume and on LinkedIn

Due to the need to keep the discussion to manageable length, we will touch on only a few more examples of inconsistencies and misrepresentations.

In the summary on the first page of his resume, Asubonten claims value creation.across the business continuumin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. This degree of achievement would require meaningful local experience. Yet Asubonten lived in America until he worked for Palabora from mid 2006 to the end of 2009, and per the court filing, was in South Africa looking for a job in 2010. From mid 2012 to mid 2013, he worked for Mopani in Zambia. Rental records show that he leased a house in Ellicott City, MD starting in July 2013, shortly after his contract at Mopani was terminated early. The only period of time not accounted for is 2011 and the first few months of 2012. Are we to believe that Asubonten racked up such impressive accomplishments in two continents in a mere 16 months?6

Asubonten also claims to have been the Chief Financial Officer of a private equity company across multiple geographies.

Although it is difficult to prove a negative, we have found no evidence whatsoever that Asubonten was part of a private equity firm, as in one that had sufficient committed capital from third parties over which it had investment discretion that paid enough in fees and expenses to support investment professionals along with administrative staff. If Asubontens firm had as little as $150 million under management, it would have had to register with the SEC. There is no SEC registration for any of the many names Asubonten has used for his business.

In addition, the description of activities under Transmax-Maxium Transformation on his resume is not that of a private equity professional, where you would typically see a discussion of assets under management, funds raised, fund focus, investment performance, and perhaps some signature transactions. The text specifically refers to private equity clients as opposed to investors or limited partners. Private equity industry professionals weve asked to look at his resume volunteered that this section s a describes a business providing advisory services to investors, much as consulting and accounting firms do, and not a concern that can be properly called a private equity firm.

Although Asubonten can assign himself whatever titles he chooses in his own business, if he is indeed running only a very small consulting firm or at best investing family funds, it would be misleading to present himself as a private equity CFO in a resume, particularly for a major financial institutional like CalPERS.

We will discuss the mystery of Asubtonens private equity firm in greater detail tomorrow.

Some small but telling misrepresentations come at the end of Asubontens resume, in the section Professional & Civic Memberships. One item is Independent Board Member  Solar Light Africa Inc.

As Asubonten presumably knows, an independent board member sits on the board of the corporate entity and is independent by virtue of not being involved in the management of the business. Asubonten is merely on the advisory board of Solar Light:

Asubonten presenting himself as an independent director depicts him as having legal authority which he lacks.

Similarly, Asubonten listed himself as Independent Board Member  Palabora Mining, January 2010-July 2010. While Asubonten retired from the board in June 2010, when his term expired (see numbered page 9), it is misleading to depict him as an independent board member then.

First, as a result of having had his CFO assignment terminated, Asubonten attended no board meetings in 2010:

Second, Palabora differentiated among executive directors. as he was when he was CFO, non-executive directors, such as Rio Tinto executives who were on the Palabora board, and independent non-executive directors. Asubonten was never an independent director, as this screenshot from the 2010 annual confirms:

CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost told a contact that CalPERS also looked at Asubontens LinkeIn profile during the assessment process. That makes it legitimate to regard it as part of CalPERS evaluation process. It will feature more prominently in our next post.

This tagline at the end of Asubontens 2016 LinkedIn article should have caught CalPERS attention. Asubonten claimed he was responsible for the turnaround of Palabora and its sale in 2012 despite the fact that he had not been with the company since 2009:

Charles Asubonten, an expert in value creation was the turnaround CFO of the then JSE- listed Palabora Mining Company, led Palaboras Long Walk to Profitability using the financial strategies and tactics advocated here to lead the company from near bankruptcy to be sold for about $650M to a consortium of Chinese and South African investors, creating value for all shareholders (including Rio Tinto and Anglo American) and preserving and creating jobs in the Ba-Phalaborwa area in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.

Needless to say, Rio Tinto and Palabora appear not to agree with this assessment.

_____

1 A Mopani official said Mr. Asubontens contract started April 1, 2012 and was terminated in May 2013, which is a 13 month period but oddly not the same 13 months shown on his resume (May 2012 to June 2013).

2 This interviewee made clear that he knew and liked Asubonten and tried to depict the early termination of his contract as resulting from a new CEO coming in and wanting to bring in his own people. However, that account does not match up against public information, which shows that there was only one CEO during Asubontens tenure at Mopani, and that he joined in July 2011, nine months before Asubontens assignment began, and was CEO through at least late 2014, more than a year after he departed (Bloomberg shows him as still the CEO of Mopani but he had clearly departed by the end of 2017; the acting MCM was apparently named CEO in January 2018). A second Mopani source has agreed to speak with us but not until he returns from holiday next week.

3 There is tension between the presentation of Palabora as an independent entity in its public financial statements and some of the practices that resulted from a fair bit of integration into and dependence upon Rio Tinto. For instance, the managing directors and Asubonten were paid for by Rio Tinto and charged to Palabora (see numbered page 51 here). The court ruling also makes clear that the negotiation of Asubontens exit were handled by Rio Tino, not Palabora. Those roles thus appeared to serve at the pleasure of Rio Tinto, and not Palaboras board.

4 A former Palabora executive said that the two subsidiaries were sales operations with one employee each.

5 It may strike some readers as curious that this case went forward, since it states that Asubonten had entered into a settlement agreement with Rio Tinto in February 2010 that waived any right to make any claims against Rio Tinto or its subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, employees, representatives, and foreign based subsidiaries of the parent companies to whom the employee may have been assigned (collectively referred to as Related Parties in the Separation Agreement). Language like that would have stopped a suit like this dead in its tracks in the US.

6 Our surmise is that Asubontens claim to Asian experience rests on having supervisory responsibility for a one-employee Palabora unit in Singapore, and for Europe, either or both of having been hired by Rio Tintos UK office (although there is no evidence he ever worked there) and having Swiss-based Glencore as one of the large share owners of Mopani. However, the Mopani executive we interviewed depicted Mopani as autonomous.
Yves here. Im running this post because I anticipate many readers will be frustrated by the way it fails to connect certain dots or even makes false inferences. For instance, Bacevich repeatedly argues that ordinary citizens pay no price for the military. In terms of physical risk and psychological toll, that is unquestionably true. But in a system that believes in the balanced budget fiction at the Federal level, the American big ticket military comes at the expense of social services spending and even keeping up our infrastructure. To think that citizens arent paying for a lots of guns, hardly any butter set of priorities is false. It would be more accurate to say that voters have been sold on the proposition that all this pork is somehow necessary and in a money-driven election system, cant do much about it even if they were so inclined.

It also seems misguided to blame the huge cost of our bloated military on its all-volunteer status. The US also had lavish commitments to military spending in the 1960s, including the space program, which was glorified as exploration but was clearly driven by fear of the Soviet Union getting ahead of us. The defense contractors have managed to tap into the biggest money vein in the world and continue to suck as much out of it as they can, even if justifying that level of expenditure requires ongoing nation-breaking.

By Andrew J. Bacevich, who trying to write a book about how we got Trump. He is the author, most recently, of Americas War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History. Originally published at TomDispatch

The purpose of all wars, is peace. So observed St. Augustine early in the first millennium A.D. Far be it from me to disagree with the esteemed Bishop of Hippo, but his crisply formulated aphorism just might require a bit of updating.

Im not a saint or even a bishop, merely an interested observer of this nations ongoing military misadventures early in the third millennium A.D. From my vantage point, I might suggest the following amendment to Augustines dictum: Any war failing to yield peace is purposeless and, if purposeless, both wrong and stupid.

War is evil. Large-scale, state-sanctioned violence is justified only when all other means of achieving genuinely essential objectives have been exhausted or are otherwise unavailable. A nation should go to war only when it has to  and even then, ending the conflict as expeditiously as possible should be an imperative.

Some might take issue with these propositions, President Trumps latest national security adviser doubtless among them. Yet most observers  even, Im guessing, most high-ranking U.S. military officers  would endorse them. How is it then that peace has essentially vanished as a U.S. policy objective? Why has war joined death and taxes in that select category of things that Americans have come to accept as unavoidable?

The United States has taken Thucydidess famed Melian Dialogue and turned it inside out. Centuries before Augustine, the great Athenian historian wrote, The strong do what they will, while the weak suffer what they must. Strength confers choice; weakness restricts it. Thats the way the world works, so at least Thucydides believed. Yet the inverted Melian Dialogue that prevails in present-day Washington seemingly goes like this: strength imposes obligations and limits choice. In other words, we gotta keep doing what weve been doing, no matter what.

Making such a situation all the more puzzling is the might and majesty of Americas armed forces. By common consent, the United States today has the worlds best military. By some estimates, it may be the best in recorded history. Its certainly the most expensive and hardest working on the planet.

Yet in the post-Cold War era when the relative strength of U.S. forces reached its zenith, our well-endowed, well-trained, well-equipped, and highly disciplined troops have proven unable to accomplish any of the core tasks to which theyve been assigned. This has been especially true since 9/11.

We send the troops off to war, but they dont achieve peace. Instead, Americas wars and skirmishes simply drag on, seemingly without end. We just keep doing what weve been doing, a circumstance that both Augustine and Thucydides would undoubtedly have found baffling.

Prosecuting War, Averting Peace

How to explain this paradox of a superb military that never gets the job done? Let me suggest that the problem lies with the present-day American military system, the principles to which the nation adheres in raising, organizing, supporting, and employing its armed forces. By its very existence, a military system expresses an implicit contract between the state, the people, and the military itself.

Here, as I see it, are the principles  seven in all  that define the prevailing military system of the United States.

First, we define military service as entirely voluntary. In the U.S., there is no link between citizenship and military service. Its up to you as an individual to decide if you want to take up arms in the service of your country.

If you choose to do so, thats okay. If you choose otherwise, thats okay, too. Either way, your decision is of no more significance than whether you root for the Yankees or the Mets.

Second, while non-serving citizens are encouraged to support the troops, we avoid stipulating how this civic function is to be performed.

In practice, there are many ways of doing so, some substantive, others merely symbolic. Most citizens opt for the latter. This means that they cheer when invited to do so. Cheering is easy and painless. It can even make you feel good about yourself.

Third, when it comes to providing the troops with actual support, we expect Congress to do the heavy lifting. Our elected representatives fulfill that role by routinely ponying up vast sums of money for what is misleadingly called a defense budget. In some instances, Congress appropriates even more money than the Pentagon asks for, as was the case this year.

Meanwhile, under the terms of our military system, attention to how this money actually gets spent by our yet-to-be-audited Pentagon tends to be  to put the matter politely  spotty. Only rarely does the Congress insert itself forcefully into matters relating to what U.S. forces scattered around the world are actually doing.

Yes, there are periodic hearings, with questions posed and testimony offered. But unless there is some partisan advantage to be gained, oversight tends to be, at best, pro forma. As a result, those charged with implementing national security policy  another Orwellian phrase  enjoy very considerable latitude.

Fourth, under the terms of our military system, this latitude applies in spades to the chief executive. The commander-in-chief occupies the apex of our military system. The president may bring to office very little expertise pertinent to war or the art of statecraft, yet his authority regarding such matters is essentially unlimited.

Consider, if you will, the sobering fact that our military system empowers the president to order a nuclear attack, should he see the need  or feel the impulse  to do so. He need not obtain congressional consent. He certainly doesnt need to check with the American people.

Since Harry Truman ordered the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, presidents have not exercised this option, for which we should all be grateful. Yet on more occasions than you can count, they have ordered military actions, large and small, on their own authority or after only the most perfunctory consultation with Congress. When Donald Trump, for instance, threatened North Koreas Kim Jong-un with fire and fury the likes of which the world has never seen, he gave no hint that he would even consider asking for prior congressional authorization to do so. Trumps words were certainly inflammatory. Yet were he to act on those words, he would merely be exercising a prerogative enjoyed by his predecessors going back to Truman himself.

The Constitution invests in Congress the authority to declare war. The relevant language is unambiguous. In practice, as countless commentators have noted, that provision has long been a dead letter. This, too, forms an essential part of our present military system.

Fifth, under the terms of that system, theres no need to defray the costs of military actions undertaken in our name. Supporting the troops does not require citizens to pay anything extra for what the U.S. military is doing out there wherever it may be. The troops are asked to sacrifice; for the rest of us, sacrifice is anathema.

Indeed, in recent years, presidents who take the nation to war or perpetuate wars they inherit never even consider pressing Congress to increase our taxes accordingly. On the contrary, they advocate tax cuts, especially for the wealthiest among us, which lead directly to massive deficits.

Sixth, pursuant to the terms of our military system, the armed services have been designed not to defend the country but to project military power on a global basis. For the Department of Defense actually defending the United States qualifies as an afterthought, trailing well behind other priorities such as trying to pacify Afghanistans Kandahar Province or jousting with militant groups in Somalia. The United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps are all designed to fight elsewhere, relying on a constellation of perhaps 800 bases around the world to facilitate the conduct of military campaigns out there, wherever there may happen to be. They are, in other words, expeditionary forces.

Reflect for a moment on the way the Pentagon divvies the world up into gigantic swathes of territory and then assigns a military command to exercise jurisdiction over each of them: European Command, Africa Command, Central Command, Southern Command, Northern Command, and Pacific Command. With the polar icecap continuing to melt, a U.S. Arctic Command is almost surely next on the docket. Nor is the Pentagons mania for creating new headquarters confined to terra firma. We already have U.S. Cyber Command. Can U.S. Galactic Command be far behind?

No other nation adheres to this practice. Nor would the United States permit any nation to do so. Imagine the outcry in Washington if President Xi Jinping had the temerity to create a PRC Latin America Command, headed by a four-star Chinese general charged with maintaining order and stability from Mexico to Argentina.

Seventh (and last), our military system invests great confidence in something called the military profession.

The legal profession exists to implement the rule of law. We hope that the result is some approximation of justice. The medical profession exists to repair our bodily ailments. We hope that health and longevity will result. The military profession exists to master war. With military professionals in charge, its our hope that Americas wars will conclude quickly and successfully with peace the result.

To put it another way, we look to the military profession to avert the danger of long, costly, and inconclusive wars. History suggests that these sap the collective strength of a nation and can bring about its premature decline. We count on military professionals to forestall that prospect.

Our military system assigns the immediate direction of war to our most senior professionals, individuals who have ascended step by step to the very top of the military hierarchy. We expect three- and four-star generals and admirals to possess the skills needed to make war politically purposeful. This expectation provides the rationale for the status they enjoy and the many entitlements they are accorded.

America, the (Formerly) Indispensable

Now, the nation that has created this military system is not some shithole country, to use a phrase made famous by President Trump. We are, or at least claim to be, a democratic republic in which all power ultimately derives from the people. We believe in  indeed, are certain that we exemplify  freedom, even as we continually modify the meaning of that term.

In the aggregate, we are very rich. Since the latter part of the nineteenth century we have taken it for granted that the United States ought to be the richest country on the planet, notwithstanding the fact that large numbers of ordinary Americans are themselves anything but rich. Indeed, as a corollary to our military system, we count on these less affluent Americans to volunteer for military service in disproportionate numbers. Offered sufficient incentives, they do so.

Finally, since 1945 the United States has occupied the preeminent place in the global order, a position affirmed with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991. Indeed, we have come to believe that American primacy reflects the will of God or of some cosmic authority.

From the early years of the Cold War, we have come to believe that the freedom, material abundance, and primacy we cherish all depend upon the exercise of global leadership. In practice, that seemingly benign term has been a euphemism for unquestioned military superiority and the self-assigned right to put our military to work as we please wherever we please. Back in the 1990s, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said it best: If we have to use force, it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future.

Other countries might design their military establishments to protect certain vital interests. As Albrights remark suggests, American designs have been far more ambitious.

Here, then, is a question: How do the principles and attitudes that undergird our military system actually suit twenty-first-century America? And if they dont, what are the implications of clinging to such a system? Finally, what alternative principles might form a more reasonable basis for raising, organizing, supporting, and employing our armed forces?

Spoiler alert: Let me acknowledge right now that I consider our present-day military system irredeemably flawed and deeply harmful. For proof we need look no further than the conduct of our post-9/11 wars, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

These myriad undertakings of the last nearly 17 years have subjected our military system to a comprehensive real-world examination. Collectively, they have rendered a judgment on that system. And the judgment is negative. Put to the test, the American military system has failed.

And the cost so far? Trillions of dollars expended (with trillions more to come), thousands of American lives lost, tens of thousands of Americans grievously damaged, and even greater numbers of non-Americans killed, injured, and displaced.

One thing is certain: our wars have not brought about peace by even the loosest definition of the word.

A Military Report Card

There are many possible explanations for why our recent military record has been so dismal. One crucial explanation  perhaps the most important of all  relates to those seven principles that undergird our military system.

Let me review them in reverse order.

Principle 7, the military profession: Tally up the number of three- and four-star generals who have commanded the Afghan War since 2001. Its roughly a dozen. None of them has succeeded in bringing it to a successful conclusion. Nor does any such happy ending seem likely to be in the offing anytime soon. The senior officers we expect to master war have demonstrated no such mastery.

The generals who followed one another in presiding over that war are undoubtedly estimable, well-intentioned men, but they have not accomplished the job for which they were hired. Imagine if you contracted with a dozen different plumbers  each highly regarded  to fix a leaking sink in your kitchen and you ended up with a flooded basement. You might begin to think that theres something amiss in the way that plumbers are trained and licensed. Similarly, perhaps its time to reexamine our approach to identifying and developing very senior military officers.

Or alternatively, consider this possibility: Perhaps our theory of war as an enterprise where superior generalship determines the outcome is flawed. Perhaps war cannot be fully mastered, by generals or anyone else.

It might just be that war is inherently unmanageable. Take it from Winston Churchill, Americas favorite confronter of evil. The statesman who yields to war fever, Churchill wrote, must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.

If Churchill is right, perhaps our expectations that senior military professionals will tame war  control the uncontrollable  are misplaced. Perhaps our military system should put greater emphasis on avoiding war altogether or at least classifying it as an option to be exercised with great trepidation, rather than as the political equivalent of a handy-dandy, multi-functional Swiss Army knife.

Principle 6, organizing our forces to emphasize global power projection: Reflect for a moment on the emerging security issues of our time. The rise of China is one example. A petulant and over-armed Russia offers a second. Throw in climate change and mushrooming cyber-threats and you have a daunting set of problems. Its by no means impertinent to wonder about the relevance of the current military establishment to these challenges.

Every year the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars to maintain and enhance the lethality of a force configured for conventional power projection and to sustain the global network of bases that goes with it. For almost two decades, that force has been engaged in a futile war of attrition with radical Islamists that has now spread across much of the Greater Middle East and parts of Africa.

I dont know about you, but I worry more about the implications of Chinas rise and Russian misbehavior than I do about Islamic terrorism. And I worry more about changing weather patterns here in New England or somebody shutting down the electrical grid in my home town than I do about what Beijing and Moscow may be cooking up. Bluntly put, our existing military system finds us focused on the wrong problem set.

We need a military system that accurately prioritizes actual and emerging threats. The existing system does not. This suggests the need for radically reconfigured armed services, with the hallowed traditions of George Patton, John Paul Jones, Billy Mitchell, and Chesty Puller honorably but permanently retired.

Principle 5, paying  or not paying  for Americas wars: If you want it, you should be willing to pay for it. That hoary axiom ought to guide our military system as much as it should our personal lives. Saddling Millennials or members of Generation Z with the cost of paying for wars mostly conceived and mismanaged by my fellow Baby Boomers strikes me as downright unseemly.

One might expect the young to raise quite a ruckus over such an obvious injustice. In recent weeks, weve witnessed their righteous anger over the absence of effective gun controls in this country. That they arent comparably incensed about the misuse of guns by their own contemporaries deployed to distant lands represents a real puzzle, especially since theyre the ones who will ultimately be stuck with the bill.

Principles 4 and 3, the role of Congress and the authority of the commander-in-chief: Whatever rationale may once have existed for allowing the commander-in-chief to circumvent the Constitutions plainly specified allocation of war powers to Congress should long since have lapsed. Well before Donald Trump became president, a responsible Congress would have reasserted its authority to declare war. That Trump sits in the Oval Office and now takes advice from the likes of John Bolton invests this matter with great urgency.

Surely President Trumps bellicose volatility drives home the point that its past time for Congress to assert itself in providing responsible oversight regarding all aspects of U.S. military policy. Were it to do so, the chances of fixing the defects permeating our present military system would improve appreciably.

Of course, the likelihood of that happening is nil until the money changers are expelled from the temple. And that wont occur until Americans who are not beholden to the military-industrial complex and its various subsidiaries rise up, purge the Congress of its own set of complexes, and install in office people willing to do their duty. And that brings us back to

Principles 2 and 1, the existing relationship between the American people and their military and our reliance on a so-called all-volunteer force: Here we come to the heart of the matter.

I submit that the relationship between the American people and their military is shot through with hypocrisy. It is, in fact, nothing short of fraudulent. Worse still, most of us know it, even if we are loath to fess up. In practice, the informal mandate to support the troops has produced an elaborate charade. Its theater, as phony as Donald Trumps professed love for DACA recipients.

If Americans were genuinely committed to supporting the troops, they would pay a great deal more attention to what President Trump and his twenty-first-century predecessors have tasked those troops to accomplish  with what results and at what cost. Of course, that would imply doing more than cheering and waving the flag on cue. Ultimately, the existence of the all-volunteer force obviates any need for such an effort. It provides Americans with an ample excuse for ignoring our endless wars and allowing our flawed military system to escape serious scrutiny.

Having outsourced responsibility for defending the country to people few of us actually know, weve ended up with a military system that is unfair, undemocratic, hugely expensive, and largely ineffective, not to mention increasingly irrelevant to the threats coming our way. The perpetuation of that system finds us mired in precisely the sort of long, costly, inconclusive wars that sap the collective strength of a nation and may bring about its premature decline.

The root cause of our predicament is the all-volunteer force. Only when we ordinary citizens conclude that we have an obligation to contribute to the countrys defense will it become possible to devise a set of principles for raising, organizing, supporting, and employing U.S. forces that align with our professed values and our actual security requirements.

If Stormy Daniels can figure out when an existing contract has outlived its purpose, so can the rest of us.
Smart printing: power generating films and luminescent glass (Nanowerk News) They turn light into electricity or vice versa: the inkjet inks developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer IAP can be printed on solid substrates as well as on flexible foils. In effect, solar cells and organic displays can be produced fast and cost-effectively.

Together with research partners, the Fraunhofer scientists have developed methods to print organic photovoltaic elements for use in architecture and for the textile industry on film. With a solar module as facade element and a power-generating jacket, they present the potential of their work at the fair.

Flexible photovoltaic elements, manufactured on Fraunhofer IAP`s own pilot plant. (Image: Fraunhofer IAP)

Printed displays rolled up?

Also for displays, printing processes are utilized at the Fraunhofer IAP. Using specially developed inks from organic light sources and quantum dots, the researchers print, for example, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and quantum dot-based LEDs (QLEDs). The displays can also be printed on different materials. Printing on film makes them flexible to some degree.

"Until we can flexibly roll up our televisions, we still have a little research to do", explains Dr. Armin Wedel, head of the research division Functional Polymer Systems at the Fraunhofer IAP. "Although there are already curved and even scrollable displays, they still have to be rolled up on rigid rolls with a defined diameter," says the OLED specialist.

ESJET printing for high-resolution OLEDs

New perspectives for the production of printed displays result from the use of ESJET printing (electrostatic printing). The scientists at the Fraunhofer IAP are working on this procedure together with twelve other partners within the project Hi-Response, which is funded by the European Union.

The ESJET printing process allows the use of a wider range of inks, as even very viscous inks can be processed. The drop-on-demand system also makes it possible to set the thickness of the printed layer very precisely. The printed structures can be as small as 1 micron. In the future, the printing of high-resolution, active-matrix-driven OLEDs should be possible.

Quantum materials for the display industry

In addition to OLEDs, the IAP scientists are also researching QLEDs based on indium phosphide quantum dots. They are free of conventionally used toxic cadmium. The results so far are groundbreaking for the industry. Indium phosphide-based QLEDs are gradually catching up on the performance advantage of cadmium-based systems in many areas. Regarding luminance, they are already outperforming cadmium-based QLEDs.

Dr. Andre Gener presents the research results in his presentation:
Its hard to lie about your age once youve told someone youve just been to your thirty-five-year school reunion.

In 1983, members of our class left Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School to pursue careers, raise families and more. Some have experienced good times, others bad times, heartbreak, health issues and divorces, all of which are part of life. The times we live in presently may have changed but the people we grew up with really havent. We still remember the friendships we made, the music we played, and on last Saturday night all these memories were crystal clear at our thirty-five-year school reunion.

On Saturday evening at 6.30pm, twenty-three of our original class gathered to walk along the corridors of our former school, peeping into random class rooms, sitting at the desks while school principal, Pat Coffey, welcomed us warmly and deputy principal, Mary Ann Fogarty, one of our former teachers, along with Dick Prendergast and Ann O'Donnell, reminisced about our time in the school. It brought back many happy memories as we talked of scrambling for the seats at the back of the class or the ones near the radiator. Some had not returned to the school since they left thirty-five years ago, others have local children who attended in recent years. Joe Kenny kindly took a class group photo  one that unfortunately never happened 35 years ago!

At the heart of our school memories was that something special endured in our class, we recalled the happy times and the good friendships we made, that still remain today although many of us live apart. When it comes to school, the good and bad blend together and become mostly good as the years move on.

Fethard Patrician Presentation Class of 1983 Reunion group photographed with School Principal and past teachers while on a tour of their former school. Back L to R: Tom Barry, John Woodlock, Colm McGrath, Micheal Maher, Paul Trehy, John Lonergan. Middle L to R: Dick Prendergast (former teacher), Liam Egan, Kevin Trayor, Liam Connolly, Peggy Burke, Joe Burke, Majella Butler, David Hayes, Margaret Tierney, Willie Fitzgerald, Mary Cummins, Patricia Donovan, Ann O'Donnell (former teacher). Front L to R: Pat Coffey (school principal), Finola Lynch, Fidelma Maher, Bernie Skehan, Margaret Trehy, Catherine Hayden, Maria Skehan and Mary Anne Fogarty (deputy principal and former teacher).

Luckily the rain stayed away and as we walked towards McCarthys bar and restaurant, passing by the Gateway B&B, which used to be a shop where we bought cigarettes in singles and hung out before and after school. We continued to McCarthys where we were later joined by many more of our former classmates to celebrate with food, drink, music (and even a cake) into the early hours. Friendships were rekindled, and new ones formed. Those classmates who joined us later included: Caroline Phelan, Cathy Curran, Tom Anglim, Debbie Outram, Ann White, Adrian Moloney, Michael Gaynor, Paul Holohan, Richard McCormack, Tony Flanagan, Noel Kenny, Deirdre Barrett, Kay ORiordan, Noreen O'Meara, Liam Croke, and former teacher Dinny Burke.

Photographed at the Fethard Patrician Presentation Class of 1983 Reunion reception in McCarthys are past pupils Kay O'Riordan, who travelled from Cork, and Tony Flanagan, who travelled from London.

There is something quite spiritual about a school reunion. Its about life and death. We remembered with sadness and fondness, the classmates we had lost along the way: P.J. Butler, Linda Kane, John OConnell, Breda Ryan and most recently, Tom Hickey.

So many things have happened since they were called away;

So many things to share with them had they been left to stay;

And now on this reunion day memories come our way;

Though absent, they are ever near, still missed, remembered, always dear.

A special thank you to Pat Coffey and Mary Ann Fogarty of the Patrician Presentation Secondary School for taking time out last Saturday evening to show us around; Joe Kenny for the photos and the Pheasant Pluckers for the music; McCarthys Bar and restaurant who went beyond the call of duty to make our night so enjoyable. And last but not least, a huge thank you to the forty-plus former classmates and teachers who turned up on the night to make it such a wonderful and momentous occasion. Roll on the 40th!
The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will meet the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, H.E. Mr. Peter Pellegrini on Thursday, 12 April 2018.

Media Advisory

14:30 Joint press point by NATO Secretary General and the Prime Minister  Main entrance

The press point will be streamed live on the NATO website.

Still and video imagery will be available on the NATO website after the event.

Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress, @NATODepspox and @jensstoltenberg.)
(Natural News) Do you know that some of the everyday things we take for granted are teeming with toxins that harm our health?

A large scale study discovered a whopping 90 percent of the most popular bottled water brands have microplastics small enough to enter the body. Journalism organization Orb Media asked scientists from the State University of New York to study brands of bottled water. They found that these bottled water brands had as much as 10,000 plastic pieces per liter of water. This prompted the World Health Organization to announce that it will review the potential risks of plastic in drinking water, even as water bottle companies stood by the quality and safety of their products.

Another study, this time from the University Of Exeter, supports the above-mentioned one. It showed that nearly 90 percent of teenagers have gender-bending chemicals from plastic in their bodies. The culprit is Bisphenol-A or BPA in plastic containers, water bottles, and linings of tinned foods and drinks. A 2016 study revealed that two out of three canned foods have BPA.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control survey found that 93 percent of the population had measurable amounts of BPA. Dr. Channa Jayasena, clinical senior lecturer and consultant in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London warns, The risk of these endocrine disrupting chemicals is enormous. My concern is that by the time we work out what they actually do, they might be causing diseases we dont know about.

You can detox water bottles by heating them. You should also rinse food before eating.

Meanwhile, unfiltered tap water, fruits, and vegetables can have xenoestrogen chemicals that cause breast cancer and obesity. Detox by drinking filtered water which removes harmful chemicals. Nutritional therapist Daniel OShannessy, director of Bodhimaya Health Centre suggests freeing greens and fruits from pesticides by soaking them in water and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. You can also use veggie wash before cooking.

Till receipts, sanitary products and napkins are sources of toxins as well. U.S. gynecologist Dr Sara Gottfried says that the shiny coating on till receipts contains BPA which our skin absorbs. France wants an EU-wide ban on till receipts with BPA and most receipts in that country are marked sans BPA. Other paper sources of synthetic estrogen include sanitary towels and tampons. Even table napkins may be coated in BPA. Dr. Gottfried suggests going receipt free. Women can opt for organic or dioxin-free sanitary napkins and tampons. Unbleached, uncoated table napkins are also good.

Another everyday item that could harm health are plastic dental fillings. A 2012 study published in the journal Paediatrics found that children fitted with fillings made from a substance with BPA had more behavioral problems than their peers. Ask your dentist about BPA-free composite fillings.

Yet another oft-ignored source of toxins are cosmetics, perfumes and colognes as well as scented candles. Dr. Gottfried suggests ignoring labels claiming that the product is chemical-free, natural or for sensitive skin. Choose organic cosmetics and opt for perfumes and scented candles made from essential oils instead.

We cant avoid these everyday products, but we can apply safety measures to make them less toxic. The key is vigilance and a complete devotion to a chemical-free lifestyle.

Find hundreds of clean, laboratory-verified products that are free of synthetic chemicals at the Health Ranger Store.

Sources include:

Healthista.com

ScientificAmerican.com
(Natural News) The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued a fish consumption advisory for three lakes in three separate Michigan counties. Multiple samples of fish taken from these sites are testing positive for mercury and cancer-causing polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).

Bluegill, sunfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass taken from Freska and Versluis Lake tested high for mercury and PFAs. Multiple fish samples taken from Lake Margrethe in Crawford County and a section of the Au Sable River between Grayling and Mio also tested positive for these carcinogens.

The department has issued Eat Safe Fish guidelines this year for all fish caught in these waterways. The department warns that residents should not eat more than two servings of northern pike, carp, and walleye in one month, and no more than one serving of largemouth and smallmouth bass measuring over eighteen inches long. Statewide fish guidelines are now in place for the public to view.

PFAs, persistent carcinogen and thyroid disrupters, often go untested

PFAs originate primarily from non-stick cookware, food wrappers, and firefighting foam. These chemicals pollute groundwater and are associated with hormone disruption, obesity, thyroid disorders, and increased risk of cancer. The highest levels are detected near military sites, wastewater treatment plants, and industrial areas. Not every municipality tests for these chemicals. A study from Harvard found that 66 water samples from 33 different states had tested higher than the EPAs limit of 70 parts of PFASs per trillion (ng/L). This negatively impacts the health of an estimated six million people across the U.S.

PFA contamination is pervasive throughout Michigan

Michigan officials have now confirmed specific sites with elevated levels of PFAs. As you can see, the problem is pervasive.

These contaminated sites include the following: The Alpena Combat Readiness Center, the Alpena Hide and Leather, the Municipal Water Treatment Plant in Ann Arbor, the Escanaba Defense Fuel Supply Point in Escanaba, the Coldwater landfill in Flint, the Grayling Army Airfield and Grayling Municipal Wells in Grayling, the KI Sawyer Air Force Base in Gwinn, the M-60/Pine Lake St. Gas Tanker Spill in Howard Township, Adams Plating in Lansing, Lapeer Plating in Lapeer, Clinton River and Lake St. Clair in Mt. Clemens, the Roosevelt Refinery in Mt. Pleasant, Colbath Road and Oscoda Area Schools in Oscoda, the State Disposal Facility in Plainfield Township, the Wurtsmith Air Force Base and Van Etten Lake in Oscoda, the Rockford Tannery in Rockford, and the Huron Shores Regional Water Authority in Tawas.

The now shuttered footwear manufacturer Wolverine World Wide is a major source of PFA environmental contamination near Rockford. Neighboring homes have found elevated levels of PFAs in their well water. PFA contamination here comes from the compounds that were used to waterproof the footwear. The contamination still affects Rogue River and surrounding areas. The most recent 2017 fish samples show that PFA contamination reaches north and south of the dam. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is planning a large fish study in Rogue River over the spring and summer of 2018.

The 60-acre Freska Lake near the northwestern corner of the area will also be studied further. The 50-acre Versluis Lake sits nearby a gravel pit where toxic tannery waste was dumped many years ago. The 1,920-acre Margrethe Lake in Crawford County is under investigation as well due to firefighting foam contamination from the National Guard base. The other waterway under investigation is the Au Sable River, which runs 138 miles through the Huron-Manistee National Forest. The river, a popular route for kayakers and nature enthusiasts, passes by Camp Grayling and opens up near Wurtsmith Air Force Base, another site of contamination.

For more on water quality concerns, visit Chemicals.News.

Sources include:

MLive.com

HSPH.Harvard.edu

Michigan.gov

Michigan.gov
(Natural News) As medical disaster stories go, it doesnt get much worse than this. The Sun recently reported on the horrific story of Ekaterina Fedyaeva, a 27-year-old Russian woman who died an agonizing death after being embalmed alive. Instead of being placed on a saline drip after a routine surgical procedure, medical personnel accidentally put her on a formalin drip. Formalin contains formaldehyde  embalming fluid  and is usually injected into the veins of people who have died to avoid decomposition.

Ekaterinas devastated mother, Galina Baryshnikova, accused hospital personnel of murder after the beautiful young woman was subjected to two days of agonizing convulsions and excruciating pain before her organs collapsed and she finally slipped into a coma.

Galina knew right away that something wasnt right after Ekaterinas surgery.

Her legs were moving, she had convulsions, her whole body was shaking, she said. I put socks on her, then a robe, then a blanket but she was shivering to such an extent, I cant even describe it.

The traumatized mom says that nobody came to check on her daughter, despite her pleas for help.

We had no idea it was formalin, she told The Sun. Now I understand that formalin was simply eroding her body from the inside. People who performed the surgery already knew that they infused something wrong. They needed to take some urgent measures  but they did nothing.

The doctors kept pushing Galina to go home, and she believes they recognized what they had done and were only concerned with covering up their disastrous mistake. She says that doctors did nothing for at least 14 hours, but finally rushed Ekaterina to intensive care when her condition continued to deteriorate.

When Galina tried to find the medical team to discuss the situation with them, she found them huddled together trying to come up with a way to tell the family what a terrible mistake they had made.

After her lungs, heart and liver stopped functioning, Ekaterina was put on an artificial lung ventilator and moved to a different hospital. Medical personnel at that facility told her family exactly what had happened and battled to save Ekaterinas life. After trying 52 different drugs on her, Ekaterina was moved to a Moscow hospital, where she briefly regained consciousness before dying of multiple organ failure.

While this story might seem like a tragedy that happened far away and has little relevance to us as Americans, the truth is that many of us choose to inject the exact same substance that killed Ekaterina into our childrens veins without ever realizing that we are doing so.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services freely admits that formaldehyde causes cancer. And the tragic story of Ekaterina Fedyaeva clearly shows what large doses of this chemical can do to a human.

Nonetheless, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims:

Formaldehyde has a long history of safe use in the manufacture of certain viral and bacterial vaccines. It is used to inactivate viruses so that they dont cause disease (e.g., polio virus used to make polio vaccine) and to detoxify bacterial toxins, such as the toxin used to make diphtheria vaccine. Formaldehyde is diluted during the vaccine manufacturing process, but residual quantities of formaldehyde may be found in some current vaccines. The amount of formaldehyde present in some vaccines is so small compared to the concentration that occurs naturally in the body that it does not pose a safety concern.

Is that true, though? Perhaps there is only a small amount of formaldehyde in any one vaccine, but the average American child receives its first vaccine within 12 hours of its birth, and receives a total of 69 vaccines by the age of 18. How can we say for sure that all the formaldehyde in that many vaccines does not cause damage? (Related: Five years of proof that the CDC knows vaccines still contain mercury, formaldehyde, aluminum, antibiotics and MSG  all of which are toxic to human biology.)

And formaldehyde is just one of the many dangerous ingredients in vaccines, which also contain aluminum, MSG, antibiotics and thimerosal (mercury), to name a few.

So, while all of us hope and pray that we will never have to go through what poor Ekaterinas parents are coping with, we should take the time to do some serious investigation before voluntarily injecting our children with the very same toxic chemical that killed her. (Related: Learn the truth at Vaccines.news.)

(Photo: Courtesy of East2West News)

Sources include:

TheSun.co.uk

NaturalNews.com

NIEHS.NIH.gov[PDF]

FDA.gov

NewsMax.com
(Natural News) In recent days Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey won praise from the Left and ire from the Right after he retweeted a link to a Medium post written by a pair of liberal academics calling for the destruction  politically or otherwise?  of the Republican Party and conservatives with the words, Great read.

It doesnt take a genius to figure out that Dorsey not only enjoyed the piece but agreed with its premise. What is less known is whether the Twitter co-founder endorses the physical elimination of conservatives, Trump supporters, the Republican Party and pretty much anyone else who doesnt goose-step in alignment with the increasingly Marxist Democratic Party.

Whats ironic about his endorsement, of course, is that Dorsey  like Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook and those nerdy guys who founded Google  developed his platform as a means of providing users with another means of speech and expression in the tradition of our First Amendment.

But now he wants to use it as a means of censoring and shadow-banning users who engage in speech or expression he doesnt agree with  just like the censors in Communist China and other authoritarian dictatorships around the world who rule by decree, whim, and a lot of force.

The proof is in his own actions.

As reported by Business Insider, Dorsey is rolling up his sleeves and taking a direct role in censoring content on his platform, according to company insiders who are spilling the beans.

The site notes:

Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey is reportedly getting more personally involved with blocking controversial accounts on the platform, a departure from an earlier, long-held ethos that the company is the free-speech wing of the free-speech party.

Citing Twitter insiders, Fast Company noted further that Dorsey had a direct hand in banning longtime advisor and friend to President Donald J. Trump, Roger Stone.

Sources said that Dorsey would ask the companys chief of trust and safety, Del Harvey, to take actions banning people when abuse would directly affect celebrities or other high-end users. (Related: SILENCE! Twitter, YouTube scrubbing all content and banning all users who question the official (false) narrative on the Florida school shooting.)

And while its not clear that Dorsey was telling others in the company to ban specific users, one source said that he would flag certain accounts and then ask the safety team to move in and do something.

Sort of like inventing the crime, then getting the cops  whom you own  to go enforce the law.

Jack was making those [kinds of] calls, the source told Fast Company. They were very smart about it  youre not going to find a paper trail. He was very good about providing certain items to [the] safety [team] and asking for action. He would tell somebody [on the team], You should check out this account  you should do something about it.

That may not be direct interference to some, but consider this thought experiment: If you dont think thats a company executive intervening to inform underlings what to do, imagine what would happen to said underlings if they failed to comply  its likely theyd be unemployed.

Or try this one: Trump has been savaged by the Left-wing media and his Deep State detractors for allegedly suggesting that then-FBI Director Comey drop an investigation into the presidents first national security advisor, Michael Flynn. Trump didnt directly order Comey to drop the case (which he could have done as head of the Executive Branch), but hes nevertheless been accused of interfering.

Fast Company says Twitter employees who spoke to the site are worried that Dorsey-led censorship will get to be a big problem.

The moment youre catering to the request of a CEO  whether by making exceptions in enforcement or by taking action outside of [what] the policy [calls for]  everything goes downhill, said a source.

Sounds like the free speech wing of the free speech party has become the latest social media platform to make a mockery of that principle, compliments of a guy who may think the American political landscape ought to mirror that of Red China.

Keep up to speed on this issue at FacebookCollapse.com.

J.D. Heyes is editor of The National Sentinel and a senior writer for Natural News and News Target.

Sources include:

BusinessInsider.com

FastCompany.com

NewsTarget.com
The San Franciscos Board of Supervisors narrowly passed a measure to spend $1.1 million to provide additional street and sidewalk cleaning across the city.

The money, left over from last years budget, would be used to pay for additional street sweepers, cleaning equipment, and community grants to fund nonprofit organizations focused on cleaning San Francisco.

Its just not okay to have to step over human feces  or dumping of litter on the ground, when we know that with additional resources and with additional manual street sweepers we can address this problem, today said Supervisor Jane Kim, who authored the plan. [Cleaning crews] will be deployed citywide, based on the needs of our Public Works Department.

Credit: NBC Bay Area (Apr 10, 2018)

The proposal passed in a 6-5 vote. Supervisors Kim, London Breed, Sandra Lee Fewer, Aaron Peskin, Hilary Ronen and Norman Yee voted in support. Supervisors Malia Cohen, Catherine Stefani, Ahsha Safai, Jeff Sheehy, and Katy Tang voted against the measure.

NBC Bay Area (Apr 10, 2018)

The proposal fell two votes short of receiving enough support to remain veto-proof. Unless Kim can convince two additional supervisors to back the proposal when it comes up for a second vote at next weeks board meeting, Mayor Mark Farrell tells the Investigative Unit he will veto the measure and promised to unveil his own much more comprehensive proposal in the coming weeks as part of next years budget.

I dont see why we cant wait for, literally, a month or two, said Supervisor Katy Tang, who voiced opposition to Kims proposal since it aims to bypass the normal budget approval process that is scheduled to get underway over the next two months.

Such a move would circumvent the budget process, said Supervisor Malia Cohen, chair of the boards budget committee. Thats kind of a haphazard, piecemeal approach to how we are dealing with our budget process."

While Cohen and other opponents conceded the levels of trash, feces, and used needles scattered across the citys streets and sidewalks have reached potentially dangerous levels, they argued that such a spending plan should go through the standard budget hearing process in hopes of developing a "more comprehensive approach rather than just a temporary fix.

Cohen said bypassing the standard budget hearing process should only be reserved to address emergency problems, immediately. Cohen voiced similar criticism during the boards budget committee hearing last month, which voted to toss out Kims proposal.

Kim, however, argued the issue is a public health crisis and, thus, requires immediate action. In a rare move, Kim sidestepped the committee and had her proposal heard before the full board Tuesday by obtaining the support of three other supervisors: Peskin, Ronen and Fewer.

[Residents] understand theres a budget process, but they dont want to wait months for these services, Kim said during Tuesdays hearing. They want to see that funding today  as quickly as we can provide it."

The spending plan comes on the heels of an NBC Bay Area investigation that exposed a potentially dangerous mix of trash, feces, and used needles scattered throughout the streets and sidewalks of downtown San Francisco.

The report went viral and the city's dirty streets are now a main issue in the race for San Francisco's next mayor.

During the board meeting, Ronen also defended Kims plan and the urgent need. You could not get started soon enough, she said. Its something our constituents are demanding - and rightfully so.

The proposal originally called for $2.5 million in additional street cleaning through the end of the fiscal year; however, Kim reduced that amount to $1.1 million on Tuesday since less than three months remain before the start of the next fiscal year and corresponding budget cycle.

NBC Bay Area (Apr 3, 2018)

Heres how the $1.1 Million would be used:

New staff: 19 new street sweeping jobs would be created through June 30, the end of the fiscal year

Two new street sweeping machines at $280,000 each.

$230,000 to fund TL Clean, a community group that picks up trash in the Tenderloin. The extra money would allow the group to ramp up operations from 5 days a week to 7.

$100,000 for cleaning materials and supplies: brooms, shovels, pickers, bags, uniforms and protective equipment.

Late Tuesday, following the board vote, Farrell vowed to nix the proposal, saying it comes in the middle of the budget cycle.

I will veto it when it crosses my desk, Farrell said in a statement provided to the Investigative Unit. Street cleaning will be a top priority for me in the upcoming budget and my proposal will be much more comprehensive and geared to meet the needs of every neighborhood in San Francisco.

______________________________________
Scooter companies LimeBike, Bird and Spin put their scooters out on the streets of San Francisco, weeks before the city starts regulating them.

The idea is that people rent the scooters by using an app, then leave them wherever when they're done.

In the past few weeks they've shown up by the hundreds, without the city's permission.

"What we've seen is folks moving to and from meetings downtown and also to and from that first and last mile of transit," said Lime Scooter spokesman, Joe Arellano.

However, not all agree with the scattering of scooters in the city, Supervison Aaron Peskin called it a typical tech arrogance, the companies deciding it was better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

Peskin said hes filed around 100 complaints since the scooters rolled out just two weeks ago. He also claims to have tripped over one laying in front of his yard.

"Broke my toe tripping over a Lime scooter laying on the ground in front of my house at night," he said. He introduced legislation to regulate the scooters in early March.

"These companies Bird, Lime, Spin decided to dump these on our streets even though they knew that legislation was pending and winding its way through the process," Peskin said.

Though some residents argue that riders dont follow rules including wearing a helmet and riding in the bike lane, others agree with their availability.

"It's a great way to get around when youre stuck waiting for a muni line," said Dominic DOrazi from San Francisco.

The vote on the legislation is next Tuesday.
Blood testing startup Theranos has laid off most of its remaining workforce, leaving only two dozen or fewer employees, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Company founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes announced the layoffs at an all-employee meeting at Theranos' offices in Palo Alto, California, on Tuesday.

Holmes was charged with massive fraud in March for claiming that Theranos had developed a commercially viable portable blood analyzer. The company raised $700 million in investment capital before it came to light that Theranos' technology could perform only a fraction of the tests advertised.

The layoffs were part of a last-ditch effort to avert or at least delay bankruptcy, sources told the Journal.
Vermont saw the most significant changes to gun laws in many years Wednesday, with the state's Republican governor authorizing new rules he said were designed to boost public safety.

The hot-button issue of gun control drew large crowds to the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, both to applaud and to jeer the new rules.

"It's not time to do what's easy  it's time to do what's right," Gov. Phil Scott said before signing three bills into law.

The new laws give police more authority, after due process, to take firearms away from domestic abusers, or from people deemed a risk to harm themselves and others.

Background checks will expand to include private gun sales, with the age for purchases rising to 21 in the state  unless the buyer is with law enforcement, the military, or passes a course on proper handling.

Higher-capacity magazines will soon vanish from store shelves, and bump stocks, which speed up the firing ability of some semi-automatic firearms, will be banned.

Scott noted that the laws do not seize any guns from law-abiding sportsmen and women, or stop them from using them responsibly. Nor, Scott said, will the state grab magazines Vermonters own or buy before the sales of many bullet-loading accessories stop this fall.

The governor described the new steps as tools needed to help cut the chances for violence in Vermont, and said he was moved to act after Vermont State Police said a plot to shoot up a high school in Rutland County was narrowly avoided.

Security was heightened outside the statehouse Wednesday, as hundreds of supporters and opponents of the bills gathered to make their voices heard.

Mike Channon of Newark was dressed in orange and had a foam sword sticking out of his back. He said he feels stabbed in the back by the Republican governor who he didn't think would touch existing gun laws  adding that he fears more restrictions could be coming from the legislature.

"If somebody gets drunk and kills somebody with a car, we don't make it harder for people to drive a car," Channon said in an interview with necn. "Phil Scott used the NRA to get elected. And as far as I'm concerned, he could run on the Democratic ticket now."

Richard Smiles of Essex Junction came to Montpelier to applaud Gov. Scott for prioritizing public safety, holding a sign saying "Thank you Governor Scott."

"I think it was a brave move on his part, and a good move," Smiles said of the new laws. "It's a step in the right direction."

Scott told the crowd  to frequent yelled interruptions  that the conversation doesn't end here. He said the nation needs to focus more on mental health problems and civility to curb gun violence.

"There will always be more work to do, but today, we choose to try," Scott said.

Many gun rights activists said Wednesday they hope to see Phil Scott voted out of office come November.

However, judging from the crowd gathered at the Statehouse, the Republican also appears to have picked up political support with this move, even from some Democrats.

Vermont is the latest state to pass new restrictions on guns since the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott signed a contentious bill that raised the age limit to buy firearms to 21 from 18, banned the sale and possession of bump stocks, and created a mandatory waiting period for gun purchases. Oregon legislators passed a law limiting gun access for those convicted of stalking and domestic violence.

And in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo amended a state law passed after the deadly Sandy Hook school shooting, which prohibited domestic abusers from owning pistols and revolvers, to now include all firearms and adds a list of serious misdemeanors.
Government and other scientists are proposing a new way to define Alzheimer's disease  basing it on biological signs, such as brain changes, rather than memory loss and other symptoms of dementia that are used today.

The move is aimed at improving research, by using more objective criteria like brain scans to pick patients for studies and enroll them sooner in the course of their illness, when treatments may have more chance to help.

But it's too soon to use these scans and other tests in routine care, because they haven't been validated for that yet, experts stress. For now, doctors will still rely on the tools they've long used to evaluate thinking skills to diagnose most cases.

Regardless of what tests are used to make the diagnosis, the new definition will have a startling effect: Many more people will be considered to have Alzheimer's, because the biological signs can show up 15 to 20 years before symptoms do.

"The numbers will increase dramatically," said Dr. Clifford R. Jack Jr., a Mayo Clinic brain imaging specialist. "There are a lot more cognitively normal people who have the pathology in the brain who will now be counted as having Alzheimer's disease."

He led a panel of experts, working with the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging, that updated guidelines on the disease, published Tuesday in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S

About 50 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common form. In the U.S., about 5.7 million have Alzheimer's under its current definition, which is based on memory problems and other symptoms. About one-third of people over 70 who show no thinking problems actually have brain signs that suggest Alzheimer's, Jack said.

There is no cure  current medicines such as Aricept and Namenda just temporarily ease symptoms. Dozens of hoped-for treatments have failed, and doctors think one reason may be that the studies enrolled patients after too much brain damage had already occurred.

"By the time that you have the diagnosis of the disease, it's very late," said Dr. Eliezer Masliah, neuroscience chief at the Institute on Aging.

"What we've realized is that you have to go earlier and earlier and earlier," just as doctors found with treating cancer, he said.

Another problem: as many as 30 percent of people enrolled in Alzheimer's studies based on symptoms didn't actually have the disease  they had other forms of dementia or even other medical conditions. That doesn't give an accurate picture of whether a potential treatment might help, and the new definition aims to improve patient selection by using brain scans and other tests.

BETTER TESTS

Many other diseases, such as diabetes, already are defined by measuring a biomarker, an objective indicator such as blood sugar. That wasn't possible for Alzheimer's disease until a few years ago, when brain scans and spinal fluid tests were developed to do this.

They measure certain forms of two proteins  amyloid and tau  that form plaques and tangles in the brain  and signs of nerve injury, degeneration and brain shrinkage.

The guidelines spell out use of these biomarkers over a spectrum of mental decline, starting with early brain changes, through mild impairment and Alzheimer's dementia.

WHAT TO DO?

People may be worried and want these tests for themselves or a family member now, but Jack advises: "Don't bother. There's no proven treatment yet."

You might find a doctor willing to order them, but spinal fluid tests are somewhat invasive, and brain scans can cost up to $6,000. Insurance usually does not pay because they're considered experimental outside of research. A large study is underway now to see whether Medicare should cover them and when.

Anyone with symptoms or family history of dementia, or even healthy people concerned about the risk can consider enrolling in one of the many studies underway.

"We need more people in this pre-symptomatic stage" to see if treatments can help stave off decline, Masliah said.
The deployment of National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border at President Donald Trump's request was underway Tuesday with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration.

The Trump administration also announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will visit this week a stretch of new border wall breaking ground in New Mexico, putting additional focus on what Trump has called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime.

The construction and commitment of at least 1,600 Guard members from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas provoked fresh condemnation from immigrant activists and praise from border-state Republican governors, who will retain command-and-control of their state's Guard during a mission that for now has no firm end date.

The only holdout border state was California, led by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not announced whether troops from his state's National Guard will participate and has repeatedly clashed with Trump over immigration policy. The state was still reviewing Tuesday whether it will join the effort, said Lt. Tom Keegan, a spokesman for the California National Guard.

In Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to put more than 1,000 Guard members into action, military officials said Tuesday that 300 troops would report to armories this week for preparation and training. Texas has previously kept about 100 Guard members stationed on the border for years as part of its own border security efforts.

"What is different now it is happening in a different context and a different narrative," said Fernando Garcia, director of the Border Network for Human Rights, an immigrant advocacy group.

Speaking from the Rio Grande Valley where immigrant crossings are the highest along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) U.S.-Mexico border, Garcia said, "When you hear the narrative of the president, it seems to him the enemy is the immigrant family."

Abbott said in a statement Tuesday that the Guard has "proven to have a meaningful impact" in reducing immigration and crime.

In the Texas border town of Roma, about a half-dozen uniformed Guard members were seen Tuesday near an international bridge along the Rio Grande. Children played just across the river in Mexico, and it wasn't clear whether the Guard members were new or part of Texas' earlier observe-and-report missions.

One Guard member was armed with an M4 rifle and used binoculars to peer across the river. Pickup trucks with Guard members inside circled the town square along with border patrol vehicles. Mexican children who had attended school on the U.S. side of the border showed their passports and paid a toll to cross a bridge over the river and walk home to the Mexican community of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.

Trump said last week he wants to send 2,000 to 4,000 National Guard members to the border, issuing a proclamation citing "the lawlessness that continues at our southern border."

Trump administration officials have said that rising numbers of people being caught at the southern border, while in line with seasonal trends in recent years, require an immediate response.

Monthly border arrests surpassed 50,000 in March for the first time since December 2016. The Border Patrol, which polices between but not at official crossings, made more than 37,000 of those arrests, including more than 14,000 in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, nearly 6,000 in its Tucson, Arizona, sector and more than 4,000 in San Diego.

Inspectors at official crossings made nearly 13,000 arrests in March, led by the Laredo, Texas, field office with more than 4,800 and the San Diego field office with about 3,800.

Apprehensions are still well below their historical trends during the terms of former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, both of whom also deployed the Guard to the border.

Some Guard members will be armed if they are placed in potential danger, Abbott said, adding he wanted to downplay speculation that "our National Guard is showing up with military bayonets trying to take on anybody that's coming across the border, because that is not their role."

There is no end date for the deployment, Abbott said: "We may be in this for the long haul."

Trump has said he wants to use the military at the border until progress is made on his proposed border wall, which has mostly stalled in Congress. Defense Secretary James Mattis last Friday approved paying for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel from the Pentagon budget through the end of September.

Mexico's foreign relations secretary said his government is evaluating its cooperation with the United States.

Associated Press Writer Kathleen Ronayne contributed to this report.
Rev. Bill Hybels stepped down Tuesday night six months before his planned retirement from Willow Creek Community Church amid accusations of misconduct, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The newspaper reports that claims surfaced against Hybels that he engaged in inappropriate conduct with women in his congregation over decades. He was cleared in church inquiries, the Tribune reports.

According to the Tribune report, Hybels held back tears as he apologized to churchgoers even though he said hed been cleared of all accusations.

"I apologize to you, my church, for a response that was defensive instead of one that invited conversation and learning, he said, according to the Tribune.

He reportedly said he had put himself in positions that he should have avoided but dismissed the allegations as flat-out lies.

He had planned to step down in October of 2018 since May of 2012, the newspaper reported.

Executive pastor Heather Larson will take over as chief executive of the megachurch starting Tuesday.

Willow Creek Community Church is located in South Barrington.
An exit on Interstate 91 South in Enfield has been closed since a tanker truck flipped over on Monday.

The truck flipped over near Exit 49, causing 2,600 gallons of gasoline to spill, and officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said 1,500 tons of soil have been excavated.

Three families on Kalish Avenue, which is located directly behind the crash site, remain unable to use their water, according to North Thompsonville Fire District Chief Earl Provencher.

Those residents and others in the neighborhood rely on private wells to pump water and using those wells could cause potentially contaminated groundwater to seep towards the homes and expand the overall area of contamination, according to Jeff Chandler, a supervisor with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Emergency Response Unit.

Though Connecticut Water said the gasoline spill has not affected Enfields public water, DEEP is working with the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the North Central District Health Department to locate private wells, which could be affected. Crews installed new wells between nearby private wells and the crash site which are equipped with devices to monitor for potentially contaminated groundwater.

Chandler said groundwater generally travels at a relatively slow pace of feet per day, but he said the soil consistency at the scene of the accident is sandy and porous, which could allow contaminated groundwater to move more freely.

The soil that has been excavated will be delivered to a local facility to be incinerated to burn off remaining hydrocarbons and allow for the soil to be re-used elsewhere.

Crews will need to backfill wherever soil has been excavated once that process is complete, and the CT DOT will have to inspect their work before the road can be reopened.

Since 2003, there have been 57 crashes between the exit 49 ramps and where they intersect with Route 5, according to the UCONN Crash Data Repository. Seventeen of those crashes were in the last three years.
A former Central Connecticut State University student who is one of several women to accuse a theater professor of sexual misconduct is sharing her story with NBC Connecticut.

Hes the authority and I am the student, as a 21-year-old kid, still trying to find her way in the world, Anna Kelly, now 35, said. I was at a complete loss.

University President Zulma R. Toro announced Wednesday that Professor Joshua Perlstein is on paid administrative leave while the school and an independent law firm investigate the allegations first reported by the campus newspaper, The Recorder.

Getting to the bottom of how reports of alleged sexual misconduct were handled in the past and setting a new standard for their handling in the future is of the utmost importance to me  as the leader of this University and, quite frankly, as a woman in a male-dominated field who has experienced the intended and unintended effects of sexual misconduct, Toro said in a statement.

I wish that the culture had changed a decade ago, Kelly told NBC Connecticut.

But now the CCSU graduate is saying me too after first sharing her experience with the student-run newspaper.

As a 21-year-old who has been sexually harassed by a professor it is an extremely painful process, Kelly said.

Kelly met Perlstein while taking an acting class during her sophomore year in the early 2000s.

It was clear that he kind of played favorites, she recalled, and I was one of the favorites.

The music education major said she trusted him as a mentor, but said that all changed following an encounter in 2004. Kelly said she met Perlstein at his on-campus office to catch up.

Central Connecticut State University is responding after a student-run newspaper published a report alleging sexual misconduct against a professor and the professor has been placed on paid administrative leave while the school fully and aggressively investigates the totality of allegations of sexual misconduct.

He said you know why dont we go to the park across the street instead, Kelly said.

At the park, while seated on a bench, she said the conversation became more uncomfortable.

Maybe the whole reason why I moved to Connecticut was to meet you, maybe youre my destiny, Kelly said recalling what Perlstein told her. He said I remember the first day you walked into my class and the whole room just spun around me.

Kelly said the professor kissed her against her will and after walking back to campus he inappropriately touched her during a hug. She said the harassment didnt stop there.

He sent me emails and he also approached me several times on campus after I said dont come near me again, I will never speak to you again, Kelly said.

NBC Connecticut reached out to Perlstein for comment again on Wednesday.

I am cooperating fully with the University. That's all I want to say, Perlstein said in an email.

He needs to be permanently removed, Kelly said.

Kelly added she filed an official complaint with the university in 2004. She provided the author of the newspaper article with a copy of the schools investigation report, which said the school recommended Perlstein have no further contact with her.

This story is really about the students finding the courage and the strength to come forward, said Ruth Bruno, Managing Editor of The Recorder.

Bruno broke the story this week after a six-month investigation during which Kelly and seven other former students and staff came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by Perlstein spanning more than a decade. He has worked at CCSU in the theater department for more than 20 years.

The article has made an impact on campus.

I mean the reason I got into journalism is because you see things that go on and you want them to change, she said. Bruno plans to stay on top of this story with more questions for the administration.

Were looking for whats going to change in policy, she said.

While Kelly wishes the university had done more in 2004, she said she is pleased to see CCSU taking action now after the student newspaper published the allegations from several women.

I really want to applaud the president of CCSU for taking such quick and definitive steps, Kelly said. This has been a long time coming and I think the action needs to be quick and drastic because clearly theres a broken system.
NBC Connecticut, Telemundo Connecticut and NBC Universal are proud to present Project Innovation. We are awarding $225,000 locally to non-profits using tech-based approaches to solve real-life problems.

For more than 90 years, the Childrens Museum in West Hartford has been inspiring a lifelong love of learning and science in kids.

Its just a great place for kids to come and explore, said Wendy Stone, a parent from Granby.

This year, it is one of six Project Innovation winners. NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut are awarding the museum $75,000 in grant money to teach local students about science, technology, engineering and math.

Its fantastic news because its going to let us do a lot of things that we wouldnt be able to do otherwise, said Education Program Coordinator Dan Butterworth. Were talking about getting into the districts that wouldnt be able to fund this programming on their own.

Through the grant they plan to expand the program to eight different schools and reach more than 1,000 kids.

Nationally, NBC Universal Foundation will award $5 million over the next two years to non-profits across the country.
Your daily commute along Interstate 84 is about to get faster along a heavily traveled corridor.

A Department of Transportation project is underway to raise the posted speed limits in certain areas. CT DOT said the changes are aimed at reducing crashes and dangerous driving habits, such as drivers weaving and switching lanes to get around slower vehicles.

Some commuters are already taking notice.

Kevin Edmiston reached out to NBC Connecticut after observing the speed limit on his eastbound drive from Cheshire into Plainville had been raised to 65 miles per hour.

However, he said, the signs on the westbound side of the same stretch of highway still say 55 mph. He wanted to know why.

Its all part of a bigger project still in progress to raise the speed limit in both directions from the Waterbury/Cheshire line to the Farmington/West Hartford line.

The Connecticut DOT said traffic volume on that particular stretch of I-84 in both directions can range from 34,900 to 64,800 vehicles per day.

A DOT study measured traffic speeds, which averaged 68 miles per hour with 85th percentile speeds of 77 miles per hour, far above the existing speed limit of 55.

A DOT Traffic Investigation Report also analyzed three years of crash data along the route and concluded, The majority of drivers determine their speed based on traffic and roadway conditions, driving at speeds they consider safe. If the speed limit is not in accordance with this, the majority of drivers will disregard the speed limit, which is what is currently being observed on this section of I-84. Studies indicate that a speed limit lower than a realistic operating speed does not result in lower operating speeds or a reduction of crashes.

Read the Traffic Investigation Report below.

Under the DOT plan, the speed limits will change to the following:

From the Waterbury/Cheshire town line to the Sunset Avenue structure in Plainville, the speed limit will increase from 55 to 65 mph

From Sunset Avenue in Plainville to the Slater Road connector in New Britain, the speed limit will increase from 50 to 55 mph

From the Slater Road connector in New Britain to the Farmington/West Hartford town line, the speed limit will increase from 55 to 65 mph

The same speed limit changes apply to both eastbound and westbound directions. Connecticut DOT hasnt finished changing out all the speed limit signs just yet.

Spokesperson Kevin Nursick said that project should be completed in the next three weeks. In the meantime, DOT said drivers must obey whatever speed limit is currently posted to stay within the lawful limits and avoid a speeding ticket.
The Russia collusion probe. The Stormy Daniels allegations. Escalating tension with Moscow.

The tempests that have buffeted the White House for months merged into a maelstrom this week and threatened to engulf President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday railed against members of the Justice Department by name and used Twitter to threaten military strikes in Syria and taunt a nuclear-armed power.

While alarmed aides and allies worried that Trump was the angriest he'd ever been, the president saw conspiracies in the challenges facing his administration and hinted at more chaos. And as Trump's party was rocked by upheaval on Capitol Hill, White House staffers explored whether he has the legal authority to fire the men leading the investigation into his administration and, as underscored by the seizure of documents from his private lawyer, his business and personal life.

Trump pushed back Thursday on reports of disarray, insisted he did not consider firing special counsel Robert Mueller in December. The president denied a report in The New York Times, saying: "If I wanted to fire Robert Mueller in December, as reported by the Failing New York Times, I would have fired him. Just more Fake News from a biased newspaper!"

The Times reported that in early December, Trump was furious over reports about a new round of subpoenas from Muller's office and told advisers the investigation needed to be ended.

On Wednesday, Trump tweeted, "Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!"

That message followed another provocative tweet, in which Trump laced into Russia for supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose government is accused of launching an apparent chemical attack Saturday on its own people. Disregarding his own insistence that he would never tip his hand to military strategy, he seemed to suggest that he would launch airstrikes.

"Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" Trump wrote. "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

The president's renewed public anger at special counsel Robert Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein was prompted by the FBI raid on his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen, who acknowledged paying $130,000 to Daniels, a porn actress, to buy her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. Trump has warned that an investigation into his business would cross "a red line" and could lead him to fire Mueller, despite strong pushback from a number of aides and Republicans in Congress.

"It worries me because I realize how much he feels personally cheated and how much it feels like it's a personal witch hunt. And he's not the kind of guy that takes that lying down. He fights back," said Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and an informal Trump adviser. "I think Trump doesn't know how to deal with it and is very frustrated by it, thinks it's totally unfair. And that's what you're seeing."

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear Wednesday that Trump was wary of investigatory overreach, saying, "He has a very deep concern about the direction that the special counsel and other investigations have taken."

Although the president declared that his White House was "calm and calculated," aides said decisions happen fast and with even less warning than usual when Trump feels backed into a corner. Trump has continued to seethe about Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusing himself from the Russia probe. And a number of those close to Trump say they worry about his reaction  and the West Wing's lack of planning  to yet another storm on the horizon: the release of former FBI director James Comey's new book.

The advertisements for the interviews have begun blanketing cable news, leading Trump to angrily surmise that Comey was "going to lie" and try to "make money" by tarnishing the president's reputation, according to two people familiar with the president's thinking but not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions.

The January publication of Michael Wolff's "Fire & Fury" caught the White House off guard, and the critiques leveled by former chief strategist Steve Bannon and other ex-officials left Trump enraged. Although Comey's book comes as no surprise, the White House as of Wednesday had no formal plan to respond to it, instead likely opting to let the Republican National Committee and outside surrogates handle most of the pushback.

Trump's decision to fire Comey was the product of weeks of discussion among his senior-most staff. A similar debate is unlikely to play out over the potential dismissal of Mueller or Rosenstein  not least in part because those deliberations became a subject of Mueller's investigation of potential obstruction of justice.

But Trump, too, has grown more comfortable making decisions without seeking the counsel of his staff. That's what happened when he fired national security adviser H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Although both decisions had been expected for months, Trump acted first and left it to his staff to pick up the pieces.

While a number of allies believe Trump's talk on Mueller and Rosenstein was largely venting, they acknowledged that Trump is increasingly unpredictable. White House lawyers have been considering Trump's authority to circumvent Department of Justice regulations and unilaterally fire Mueller. Trump could also direct Rosenstein or a potential successor to take action against Mueller.

Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, a Trump ally, said he did not expect a purge.

"The president is not talking about firing Mueller. I've had conversations with the president, and he's not talking about it," Meadows said.

Bipartisan legislation to protect the special counsel was introduced Wednesday, but its fate was uncertain.

White House aides also worried about the surprise announcement from House Speaker Paul Ryan that he will leave Congress at the end of the year. The move was interpreted by some in Trump's orbit as an acknowledgement of the rising likelihood that Democrats could gain control of the House this fall, imperiling the president's agenda and potentially sparking talk of impeachment.
NBC Connecticut Meteorologists are forecasting mild weather to move into the state by the end of the week.

A shift in the jet stream will allow for the cold weather to be replaced by temperatures in the 70s.

Friday will feature temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s. Areas along the shoreline will be slightly cooler with a wind off of the water. The water temperatures are still in the middle 40s.

Even warmer air moves into the state by Saturday. In fact we're forecasting temperatures to rise into the middle 70s with a few towns flirting with the upper 70s or even 80.

The taste of summer won't last long as a 'back door cold front' moves into the state late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

Sunday afternoon will feature showers with afternoon temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s.
President Donald Trump's comments about so-called "sanctuary cities" were scrutinized at a federal appeals court hearing Wednesday to determine whether the president's executive order threatening to cut funding from states and cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities is legal.

Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Sidney Thomas asked what the court was to make of statements by Trump and his administration that the president wants to withhold money from sanctuary cities.

U.S. Department of Justice attorney Chad Readler said the court should not focus on those.

"The order has to be judged by its terms and not by public statements," he said.

The department is appealing a judge's ruling that permanently blocked the executive order nationwide. The ruling came in lawsuits filed by two California counties  San Francisco and Santa Clara.

The Trump administration says the order applies to a relatively small pot of money that already requires compliance with immigration law and does not threaten other federal funding.

Danielle Goldstein, an attorney for Santa Clara County, said the president was transparent about his view of the executive order.

"He was extremely clear that he wanted this executive order to be a weapon to end sanctuary jurisdictions," she said.

U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick said in November the order threatened all federal funding and the president did not have the authority to attach new conditions to spending approved by Congress.

He cited comments by Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions as evidence of the order's scope and said the president himself had called it a "weapon" to use against recalcitrant cities.

"This executive order claims powers that the president doesn't have in an unconstitutional effort to coerce cities to change their sanctuary policies," Christine Van Aken, an attorney with the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, said.

Thomas asked Readler whether the order would be constitutional if Orrick's interpretation of it as applying to all types of funding were correct.

Readler said it might run afoul of the constitution in that case, but he insisted that Orrick's reading of it was too broad, noting the order referred specifically to the DOJ and U.S. Department of Homeland Security and not to other cabinet agencies that oversee transportation, Medicaid, or other funds.

The DOJ also says Orrick should have limited his injunction to Santa Clara and San Francisco instead of applying it nationwide.

Ninth Circuit Judge Ronald Gould asked Van Aken why San Francisco needed a nationwide injunction.

Van Aken said the city would be satisfied with an injunction that applied only to California.

The executive order is part of a push by the administration to crackdown on "sanctuary jurisdictions"  a loosely defined term for places that don't comply with immigration authorities. The administration has sued California over three laws aimed at protecting immigrants in the country illegally. It has also moved to block a key public safety grant from sanctuary cities and states.

The Trump administration says sanctuary jurisdictions allow dangerous criminals back on the street. San Francisco and other so-called sanctuary cities say turning local police into immigration officers erodes the trust needed to get people to report crime.
The U.S. government is awarding over $212 million worth of a disaster recovery grant to California for its housing, infrastructure and economic development needs after Northern California wildfires ravaged over 8,000 homes and businesses.

The grant comes a day after the six-month anniversary of the firestorm that destroyed entire neighborhoods in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Its clear that a number of states and local communities are still struggling to recover from a variety of natural disasters that occurred in the past three years, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in a release.

These grants will help rebuild communities impacted by past disasters and will also protect them from major disasters in the future.

Many residents are still dealing with the consequences of the fires with their insurance company and one Napa County resident said "even though it's been six months, its still a little fresh."



"I cant hear wind or smell smoke without everything coming back," Linda Savoie said.

Sen. Bill Dodd who oversees the Napa and Sonoma County affected by the wildfires told NBC Bay Area that the grant is "a meaningful and important step toward recovery."

"Were very thankful for the federal support and to key members of Congress, including Reps. Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman, for helping to secure it," Sen. Dodd said.



The grant to California is part of larger disaster recovery grants of $185 billion to disaster areas across the U.S. including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The funds covering last year's disasters include $4.7 billion for the state of Texas, $212 million for California, $707 million for Florida and $1.6 billion for the Virgin Islands.

Others receiving grants are the states of Louisiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina. Local governments in several of those states were also awarded the grants, including Houston in connection with flooding in 2015.
House Speaker Paul Ryan abruptly announced Wednesday he will retire rather than seek another term in Congress as the steady if reluctant wingman for President Donald Trump, sending new ripples of uncertainty through a Washington already on edge and a Republican Party bracing for a rough election year.

The Wisconsin Republican cast the decision to end his 20-year career as a personal one  he doesn't want his children growing up with a "weekend dad"  but it will create a vacuum at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. It will leave congressional Republicans without a measured voice to talk Trump away from what some see as damaging impulses, and it will rob Trump of an influential steward to shepherd his more ambitious ideas into legislation.

It's unusual for a House speaker, third in line to succeed the president, to turn himself into a lame duck, especially so for Ryan, a once-rising GOP star who is only 48 and was the party's vice presidential candidate in 2012. His decision fueled fresh doubts about the party's ability to fend off a Democratic wave, fed by opposition to Trump, in November. And it threw the House into a leadership battle that could end up pushing Ryan aside sooner than he intended and crush any hopes for significant legislation before the election.

Ryan, though, said he had no regrets after having accomplished "a heckuva lot" during his time in a job he never really wanted. He said fellow Republicans have plenty of achievements to run on this fall, including the tax cuts Congress delivered, which have been his personal cause and the centerpiece of his small-government agenda, even though they helped skyrocket projected annual deficits toward $1 trillion.

"I have given this job everything I have," Ryan said.

Speculation over Ryan's future had been swirling for months, but as he dialed up colleagues and spoke by phone with Trump early Wednesday, the news stunned even top allies.

Ryan announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans. Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina said an emotional Ryan "choked up a few times trying to get through" his remarks and received three standing ovations.

He later briefly thanked Trump in public for giving him the chance to move GOP ideas ahead.

While Ryan was crucial in getting the tax cuts passed, a prime Trump goal, he and the president have had a difficult relationship. Trump showed impatience with Congress' pace in dealing with his proposals, and Ryan had to deal with a president who shared little of his interest in policy detail.

Still, for many Republicans, it's unclear who will be left in leadership to counterbalance Trump. Ryan has been "a steady force in contrast to the president's more mercurial tone," said Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. "That's needed."

The speaker had been heading toward this decision since late last year, said a person familiar with his thinking, but as recently as February he had considered running for another term. His own father died suddenly of a heart attack when he was 16, and though Ryan is in good health, the distance from his family weighed on him. A final decision was made over the two-week congressional recess, which he partly spent on a family vacation in the Czech Republic.

Ryan, from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998. Along with Reps. Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy, he branded himself a rising "Young Gun" in an aging party, a new breed of hard-charging Republican ready to shrink the size of government.

He was GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012.

Ryan was pulled into the leadership job by the sudden retirement in 2015 of Speaker John Boehner, who had struggled to control the chamber's restless conservative wing. He has had more trust with the hardliners in the House.

"That's probably his greatest gift to us," said Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. "His ability to bridge the vast divide."

House Majority Leader McCarthy, a Californian known to be tighter with Trump, is expected to again seek the top leadership post that slipped from his reach in 2015. He will likely compete with Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana. Both men spoke at the closed-door meeting Wednesday, delivering tributes to Ryan, and both attended a GOP leadership dinner Wednesday night with Trump at the White House.

Another potential rival, Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, demurred when asked if he'd pursue the speaker's job. "Leadership has never been on my bucket list, and it's not on my bucket list today," he said.

Ryan's announcement came as Republicans are bracing for a potential blue wave of voter enthusiasm for Democrats, who need to flip at least 24 GOP-held seats in November to regain the majority.

As the House GOP's top fundraiser, Ryan's lame-duck status could send shockwaves through donor circles that are relying on his leadership at the helm of the House majority. He has hauled in $54 million so far this election cycle.

"It injects some more uncertainty to be sure," said the No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas. "It's just another issue that's floating out there, and obviously there's going to be some competition for his successor."

But a top GOP fundraiser, Eric Tanenblatt, expects Ryan to remain a force in a tough cycle.

"Donors who are committed to making sure Republicans hold onto the majority will do whatever they have to do to make that happen," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has worked with Ryan, praised his colleague's tenure. The Democratic House leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, said she hoped Ryan would work constructively on bipartisan goals before he leaves.

In Wisconsin, Republicans had no obvious successor in waiting. The most likely GOP candidate for Ryan's seat is state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, Republicans in the state said. Another Republican mentioned as a potential candidate is longtime Ryan family friend and backer Bryan Steil, an attorney and member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

Democrat Randy Bryce, a colorful ironworker who has cultivated an "IronStache" moniker, had been Ryan's best-known challenger, drawing liberal support from around the country. He had nearly $2.3 million in the bank at the end of the first quarter. Janesville teacher Cathy Myers has also been running on the Democratic side. The only declared Republicans are Paul Nehlen, who was banned from Twitter earlier this year for posts criticized as racist or anti-Semitic, and Nick Polce, an Army veteran who also co-owns a security consulting firm.

While his plans are uncertain once he steps down in January, Ryan has long said being speaker would be his last job in elected office. Others have suggested that an ideal job for the policy wonk could be running a think tank, noting the leader of the conservative American Enterprise Institute recently announced he would be stepping down.

This story has been corrected to show McConnell's title is majority leader, not minority leader.
With federal agents digging into his personal affairs, Donald Trump drove his West Wing into deeper tumult Tuesday, canceling a South American trip to consider a military strike in Syria and bidding farewell to another top aide amid a continual staffing shakeup.

Trump, still fuming after agents on Monday raided the office of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, has privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly mused about firing special counsel Robert Mueller. The raid, in which agents seized records on topics including a $130,000 payment to a porn actress who alleges she had sex with Trump in 2006, comes as the president weighs imminent military action in Syria and ahead of what was supposed to be his first trip to Latin America this weekend.

Trump had been telling confidants for weeks that he was not eager to make the three-day trip, which had already been shortened from original plans, according to two people who have discussed it with him in recent weeks but were not authorized to disclose the private conversations. His decision not to travel was publicly tied to the need to monitor the situation in Syria, but privately Trump said he didn't want to be away from the White House amid developments in the China trade dispute and in the Mueller investigation.

A year ago, the president ordered a round of airstrikes while hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping at his private Florida club, Mar-a-Lago.

Trump also expressed confidence in the loyalty displayed by Cohen, his longtime personal and professional fixer, who ascended to one of the most powerful roles at the Trump Organization not filled by a family member. Cohen has steadfastly denied wrongdoing in his payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and has publicly defended Trump, but he has confided in associates that he is fearful of being a fall guy, according to a person familiar with his thinking but not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions.

After the raid, Trump was the most irate his advisers had seen him in weeks, according to five people familiar with the president's views but not authorized to discuss them publicly. Trump tweeted Tuesday that "Attorney-client privilege is dead!" Nervous White House aides expressed new fears about the president's unpredictability in the face of the Cohen raid, which he viewed as an assault on a longtime defender and a sign that Mueller's probe into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was "going too far."

Cohen has said he took out a personal line of credit on his home to pay Daniels days before the 2016 election without Trump's knowledge. The raid was overseen by the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan and based in part on a referral from Mueller.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear that White House officials have explored Trump's authority to fire Mueller.

"He certainly believes that he has the power to do so," she said at Tuesday's press briefing.

Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

Trump spent Monday evening calling associates to vent and gauge their reaction to the news. He bitterly complained that the raids were meant to ruin Cohen's life and expressed frustration that it was another front from which to attack his presidency, according to a person familiar with the conversations but not permitted to discuss them publicly.

Trump also revived his broadsides on Rosenstein and, in particular, Rosenstein's boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he belittled to confidants for recusing himself from the investigation and, in turn, delivering him to Mueller.

The White House insisted Trump was focused on the response to Syria following the country's apparent use of chemical weapons on civilians over the weekend, killing more than 40 people. A military strike would mark Trump's second retaliatory strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad's government at a time when Trump is seeking to reduce the U.S. footprint in Syria.

The discussions come as Trump's newest national security adviser, John Bolton, stepped into the job this week. He encouraged Trump to skip the trip to South America to manage the Syria strategy.

Bolton, a seasoned bureaucratic operator, has been expected to put his stamp on the National Security Council staff. NSC spokesman Michael Anton resigned over the weekend, with two people familiar with the situation saying Anton resigned after learning he would be fired. Trump's homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, exited Tuesday. Bossert had overseen the administration's response to the 2017 hurricane season and was credited by his colleagues for leading the administration's efforts to bolster cybersecurity resiliency across government and private industry.

Asked if Bolton forced Bossert out, Sanders said: "I'm not going to get into specific details about the ongoings of personnel, but I can tell you that he resigned. The president feels he's done a great job and wishes him the best."

The mood at the NSC this week was described as grim, with aides fearful over Bolton's plans. More senior-level departures are expected in the coming weeks, said two people familiar with the dynamic but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Trump's administration has set records for turnover in his 15 months in office at all levels, with Bossert marking at least the 13th official who held the rank of assistant to the president at the start of the administration to depart.

There is growing concern in Trump's orbit that the turmoil will only continue following the release next week of former FBI director James Comey's book, which promises to reveal new details about his conversations with the president and the Russia probe. An administration official said the White House would largely defer to outside surrogates to push back on Comey, but there was concern as to how the director's interviews could rile up the president.
The promise of getting a big tax return may sound appealing, but the IRS says you should be wary of a tax preparer who promises to get you a specific amount of money.

South Florida has a huge return preparer problem, said Jennifer Kuehl, a special agent with IRS Criminal Investigations in Miami. Ultimately, taxpayers are responsible for the information thats put on their tax return.

Thats why Kuehl recommends using a reputable return preparer, who will ask questions and review your tax return with you before you sign it.

Someone who signs their name as the preparer on your tax return, said Kuehl. Someone who uses their PTIN number, their preparer tax identification number, at the bottom of your tax return.

Be careful with someone who bases their fee on the amount of your refund. Kuehl said you should be charged the same amount regardless of how much youre getting back. And never sign a blank tax form.

That just gives them free range to just put whatever information on there that they want to, she said.

The IRS has a criminal investigations hotline where you can report someone who is committing identity theft or preparing false tax returns. That number is 305-982-5151.

You can also research a tax preparer on the IRS website by clicking here.
What to Know A woman said she was sexually assaulted by a tour guide in Morocco years ago.

She said she began describing her experience on social media.

Numerous women have since come forward alleging the same tour guide also sexually assaulted them.

A Florida woman who says she was sexually assaulted by her tour guide on a trip abroad is warning other college-aged women traveling internationally to think twice before booking a trip with the same tour company after hearing from over a dozen women who claimed "Me Too."

While studying abroad in Spain in November 2013, Gabrielle Vega and two friends booked a weekend getaway to Tangier, Morocco, through the Seville-based company Discover Excursions.

Vega says a man named Manuel Blanco Vela was the leader of their tour in the North African country. In an interview on "Megyn Kelly Today" Wednesday, Vega described Vela as "charismatic" and said he made them feel very comfortable to be around him.

Vela warned the girls against leaving the hotel at night, according to Vega, and urged them to have dinners and hang out on the property instead. On the last night of the excursion, Vega says Vela suggested having drinks in the hotel room the girls shared and ordered champagne from room service.

He had his back turned to us, poured the champagne, she recalled. Then we drank a glass each and quickly things started to escalate.

Vega says she began feeling woozy and fell asleep. When she got up at one point to use the bathroom, she recalled Vela entering the bathroom behind her and putting himself in my mouth before she passed out again. When she woke up the next morning, she said she had flashbacks of the assault and was sure Vela slipped something in her drink and drugged her.

You feel so vulnerable, used and just gross. You want to shower, like, it all off and you cant, she said.

She said after returning to Spain, she mentioned it to one of her friends who was on the trip, who said she recalled Vega being in the bathroom with Vela for about 30 minutes.

Vega didnt report the assault to police and was too ashamed to tell her parents, she said. After dropping out of school and spending years in therapy, Vega finally shared her story in a Facebook post last December when she heard that another woman was a victim of the same tour guide.

It was like a wave of guilt and fear and just pure terror that this had been going on so many years later, so I just went to Facebook and started writing, she said.

Vega told Kelly she was contacted by eight women who said they were also sexually assaulted by Vela within two days of posting her story. Her attorney Mark Eiglarsh told NBC 6 that another dozen women from across the country has contacted his office since the Today show segment aired.

Two additional women, who are Florida State University students that were also studying abroad in Spain at the time of their assault last spring, also shared their story alongside Vega on the NBC show Wednesday. They told Kelly they filed a police report with the school but were told by local authorities that Vela would likely not be prosecuted because of international prosecutorial jurisdiction limits since they were American, the attack happened during a trip to Portugal and it was reported in Spain.

Vega said she reached out to Discover Excursions twice after posting her story on Facebook, but they never responded. The company told Eiglarsh in an email that the people involved in the case are no longer employed by them.

Eiglarsh said the women speaking out are not looking for money from the company, but only want to let everyone know about this predator so that we can decrease the chances of him raping another girl.

Vega says she regrets not speaking out sooner, but it has taken years to heal. Shes hoping she can now make a difference.

I just want women to be able to experience the world without fear, and to be free to be who they are without heaving the fear of being attacked by the person whos there to protect you, Vega said.

Discover Excursions did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
A Connecticut gubernatorial candidate was dragged off the stage by police at a debate Monday after she refused to leave the event.

Candidate Lee Whitnum was arrested on breach of peace and trespassing charges during a candidates debate at Brookfield High School Monday. The event was a private forum put on by the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee and Whitnum was told she was not welcome.

Whitnum showed up anyway and refused leave until she was forcibly removed by police. News 12 captured the exchange on camera.

The footage shows the candidate first grabbing the table in an attempt to stay on the stage. Then she falls to the ground and goes limp after she is pulled off stage.

"I had every right to be at that debate. I am a declared candidate for governor. My paperwork was filed more than a year ago. I told them I would be attending, Whitnum said in a statement.

On Tuesday, she said she had no regrets about the stunt, adding "I feel good about it."

She was released on a $500 bond is scheduled to appear in court on April 19.

Laura Orban, chair of the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee, did not comment on Whitnum's removal in a statement, but thanked police "for their prompt and professional handling of the situation."

The Connecticut Democratic Party said Whitnum's behavior was "inappropriate.

"Frankly its not the first time. Theres no place for that type of behavior in our party, and there is too much at stake this fall," the party said in a statement.
What to Know NY reached a half a million dollar settlement with an energy service company that illegally deceived consumers in the state, officials say

$550,000 settlement with Liberty Power Holdings was reached as part of an ongoing investigation into energy service companies

The Attorney General's Office says Liberty falsely promised consumers lower prices and switched their service provider without their consent

New York reached a half a million dollar settlement with an energy service company that illegally deceived consumers in the state, authorities say.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Wednesday that a $550,000 settlement with Liberty Power Holdings was reached as part of an ongoing investigation into energy service companies (ESCO) that allegedly uncovered the companys contractors and subcontractors lured New York City and Westchester area consumers with false promises of savings but then charged them pricey early termination fees of $200 or more when they tried to get out of their contracts.

The Attorney Generals Office says that sales representatives used deceptive means to enroll consumers, including claiming to represent a consumers current utility provider.The company allegedly also switched customers' service providers without their consent.

Top Tri-State News Photos

Liberty conducted door-to-door sales and telemarketing targeting customers primarily serviced by: Con Edison in New York; Con Edison in Westchester; Niagara Mohawk Power; Central Hudson Gas & Electric; Orange & Rockland Utilities; Rochester Gas & Electric; and New York State Electric & Gas Corp.

According to the settlement, Liberty will implement new restrictions on their marketing practices to prevent future frauds and pay $550,000, which will be used to refund eligible consumers.

Todays settlement returns more than half a million dollars to consumers who were deceived by Liberty, which falsely promised savings and enrolled consumers without their consent, said Schneiderman in a statement. My office will not tolerate exploitative businesses that prey on unsuspecting New Yorkers and their hard-earned cash.

The Attorney Generals continuing investigation into ESCOs has recovered more than $5 million for consumers, including almost $2 million to customers of Columbia Utilities Power, more than $1 million to customers of HIKO Energy and $800,000 to customers of Energy Plus Holdings and Energy Plus Natural Gas.

In 2013, the Public Service Commission suspended Libertys authorization to conduct door-to-door marketing in New York, the first time such an enforcement action was taken against an energy service company in New York. Although Liberty subsequently revised its marketing program, as recently as 2017 the Commission allegedly continued to receive complaints about the companys sales practices.

Energy service companies purchase energy on the open market and then sell it to consumers. Utilities still deliver the energy to consumers, but consumers can choose to purchase their energy directly from the utility or through an ESCO. Liberty used its status as an ESCO to charge its customers higher prices than they would have paid if they purchased energy from their utilities, the Attorney General's Office says.

The settlement requires Liberty to pay more than half a million dollars for consumer refunds.

The settlement also requires Liberty to take measures to prevent deceptive practices in the future, including adequate training of customer service representatives, recording communications between customers and sales representatives that result in a sale, refraining from misleading marketing and advertising that implies savings, regularly monitoring customer service calls, and implementing appropriate disciplinary procedures for violations of the law, according to the Attorney Generals Office.

Impacted New Yorkers can submit complaints online or by phone at 800-771-7755.

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What to Know Cops identified the torso and leg found inside a New York City park as 26-year-old Brandy Odam of Brooklyn

A dog walker first discovered the torso face down, covered in leaves, about 15 feet from the edge of a pedestrian path

A medical examiner will determine the woman's cause of death

Police have identified the woman whose torso, leg and other body parts turned up inside a Brooklyn park this week as a 26-year-old from the borough who's been missing for months.



The name of the woman, Brandy Odom, was released Wednesday, a day after more body parts turned up in Canarsie Park, according to police.

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Odom's mother contacted police when she learned of the investigation into the dismembered body at the park, law enforcement sources tell News 4. She believed it was her daughter and went to the police precinct, where she told investigators her daughter had a distinctive tattoo -- the word "chocolate" above her left breast.

Alex Didion

Detectives gave Odom's mother a photo, which she positively identified as Odom. Police said Odom had never been reported missing before her body was discovered: she was "very independent" and sometimes left for days at at time, they said. It's not clear if she had a romantic partner, or how long it had been since her family heard from her this last stretch.

Police are urging the public with any information on Odom to contact them.

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Officials have been on the park grounds since Monday investigating the discovery of the woman's torso. Investigators later found a leg, then several bags containing body parts. Police would not say what kind of body parts were inside the bags, but cops believe they are all part of the same person.

It's not clear at this point how Odom may have died or who is responsible for her death.

A woman walking her dog first made the grisly discovery of the torso at around 6 p.m. Monday, about 15 feet off the edge of the pedestrian path.

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The torso had been found face down, covered in leaves but not buried, law enforcement sources say.

It's not known how Odom's body ended up there or how long she had been there.

Community activist Tony Herbert said he thinks the body must have been dumped there recently, adding that "it's a very active park."

"This body couldn't have been here that long," he said.

A medical examiner will determine Odom's cause of death.



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A topless protester with "Women's Lives Matter" written on her body jumped a barricade and got within a few feet of Bill Cosby on Monday as the comedian walked into a suburban Philadelphia courthouse for the start of his sexual assault retrial.

"Protesting Bill Cosby was important for us because he is a man who has been disempowering Women's bodies for decades and in being naked today, I was symbolically taking back the ownership of all the victims bodies and redefining it as a political tool as opposed to a sexual object," Nicolle Rochelle wrote in a released statement.

Rochelle, 38, was charged with disorderly conduct for darting in front of Cosby. Rochelle appeared a few times on The Cosby Show in the early 1990s, according to her IMDB page.

"When I was 12 years old I did recur on the Cosby show but regardless of whether I had been on the show or not, I would have been there today protesting on behalf of Femen and for the rights of women worldwide," Rochelle wrote in a released statement.



She acted on the show under the name Nicole Leach. A friend confirmed the appearances.

The New Jersey native who currently lives in France is accused of disrobing and lunging in front of the comedian and his entourage as they walked into the Montgomery County Courthouse Monday morning. Her body was scrawled with the names of dozens of Cosby accusers as well as the words "Women's Lives Matter."

Television cameras captured sheriff's officers pulling her into a bush before she was handcuffed and led away.

Corey Perrine/AP

Cosby seemed startled by the commotion as a half-dozen protesters chanted at him.

"I wanted him to not be comfortable, in the very least," she told NBC10. "I don't think it was fair that these women are now uncomfortable for the rest of their lives."



Authorities told Rochelle to stay away from the courthouse, a warning she said she will heed.



Rochelle, an actress, said she didn't have any bad experiences with Cosby when she was on the show, nor did she intend to physically hurt him.

"He was funny and he was like a father figure," she said. "So you could imagine when I found out these allegations later on, it definitely hit home to some degree."



She is a member of the European feminist group Femen, which is known for staging topless protests around the world.

She posted a photo of herself wearing a "Hello Friend" sweatshirt with friend crossed out and "Rapist" written below on Facebook Monday morning. In the post, she claims the photo was taken in front of the address used for exteriors on "The Cosby Show" and calls for justice to "finally be served."

Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt praised deputies for their quick action but urged court officials to increase security.

"It's a different world. Things have changed," Wyatt told The Associated Press, referring to recent mass shootings and other episodes. "You never know who's going to want to make a name for themselves."

The disruption came ahead of opening statements, which were delayed while the judge sorted through allegations raised late Friday that a juror told a woman during jury selection that he thought Cosby was guilty. Cosby's lawyers want the juror removed from the case.

Prosecutors have lined up a parade of accusers to make the case that the man revered as "America's Dad" lived a double life as one of Hollywood's biggest predators.

Cosby is fighting back with a new, high-profile lawyer and an aggressive strategy: attacking Andrea Constand and casting the other women testifying as bandwagon accusers looking for a share of the spotlight.

"You've seen previews and coming attractions, but things have changed," said professor Laurie Levenson of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Cosby's first trial last spring ended with jurors unable to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of tense deliberations on charges that the man who made millions of viewers laugh as wise and understanding Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" drugged and molested Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

Bill Cosbys sexual assault retrial is set to begin Monday. But dont expect a repeat of last years trial.

The 80-year-old comedian, who has said the sexual contact was consensual, faces three counts of aggravated indecent assault, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

His retrial is taking place in a radically changed and potentially more hostile environment. The #MeToo movement caught fire four months after the first trial, raising awareness of sexual misconduct as it toppled Harvey Weinstein, Sen. Al Franken, Matt Lauer and other powerful men.

Nearly every potential juror questioned for the case this time knew about #MeToo.

Kristen Houser of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center said that could help prosecutors overcome the skepticism some jurors had last time about Constand's yearlong wait to report her allegations to the police.

"The #MeToo movement is amplifying what experts have been saying for decades: People are ashamed, they're confused, they can't believe somebody they trust would hurt them, and then they worry that others won't believe them," Houser said.

After limiting the focus of the first trial, Judge Steven O'Neill has been willing to let both sides push the retrial well beyond Constand's allegations.

This time, O'Neill is letting prosecutors have five additional accusers testify  including model Janice Dickinson  as they attempt to show Cosby made a habit of drugging and violating women. The judge allowed just one other accuser to take the stand last time.

"This one will be harder for the defense," Levenson said. This time, Constand "is not alone, and there is strength in numbers."

In another difference, the judge this time is letting Cosby's legal team call as a witness a former co-worker of Constand's at Temple University who said Constand spoke of setting up a "high-profile person" so she could sue and enjoy a big payday. Constand's lawyer has said the co-worker is lying.

The judge also decided the jury can hear the answer to one of the biggest questions hanging over the case: How much did Cosby pay Constand to settle her lawsuit against him more than a decade ago? The two sides agreed at the first trial not to mention the lawsuit.

Cosby lawyer Tom Mesereau, who won an acquittal in Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation case, said the jury will learn "just how greedy" Constand was.

In a twist, the judge hinted that he might not allow jurors to hear Cosby's lurid deposition testimony about giving quaaludes to women before sex. He said he would rule on it during the trial. Cosby testified in 2005 and 2006 as part of Constand's lawsuit.

The Associated Press and NBC News do not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand and Dickinson have done.
An Indiana woman serving a 130-year sentence for fatally smothering her two young children was sentenced Monday to an additional 65 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill in the shooting death of a former neighbor.

Amber Pasztor, 30, entered the plea in the September 2016 killing of 66-year-old Frank Macomber. His body was found in a wooded area near Pasztor's home. The two formerly were neighbors in a mobile home park.

Authorities say Pasztor killed Macomber, stole his car and abducted her two young children from their custodial grandparents' home, prompting an Amber Alert. She then drove about 70 miles (110 kilometers) from Fort Wayne to Elkhart and parked behind the Elkhart Police Department. The bodies of 7-year-old Lilliana Hernandez and 6-year-old Rene Pasztor were found inside the car.

Pasztor pleaded guilty but mentally ill to two murder counts in the children's deaths.

Pasztor has told investigators she killed Macomber because he was working with cartels and she wanted to send a message "not to mess with her," court documents say.

Frank Macomber Jr. and his sister, Michelle Troye, testified Monday that their father, a Vietnam War veteran, was a good man who had retired shortly before his death after 30 years as a General Motors line worker. The son called Pasztor a "monster" and said his father was nothing but compassionate toward her.

"She abused his kindness," Troye said of Pasztor.

Pasztor apologized, but said they shouldn't judge her.

"I'm very sorry," Pasztor said. "I've lived a rough life. Don't judge a book by its cover. ... I'm sorry for taking their father. They don't know what was in my mind at the moment."
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during his testimony before the U.S. Senate on Tuesday that his company was working with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference.

At first, Zuckerberg said the company had received subpoenas from Mueller's office but then clarified that he actually was not aware of a subpoena.

"I believe that there may be, but I know we're working with them," he said in response to questions from Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

Facebook staffers have been interviewed by Mueller's team, though Zuckerberg said that he had not. He told the senators that he needed to be careful with his answers because the work with the special counsel was confidential.

Sens. Bill Nelson and John Thune questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about why the social media platform did not inform more than 87 million users that their data had been harvested when a breach was detected.

The Facebook founder is appearing before a joint session of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees, and will continue testifying before the House on Wednesday. The senators asked him about the scandal surrounding the firm Cambridge Analytica, which obtained the data of 87 million users and tried to influence U.S. elections, and about Russia-linked accounts that spread false information, harmful in particular to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

Here are some of the other top moments from the hearing.

A FORMAL LOOK

A "first" became apparent even before the questioning got underway. The 33-year-old CEO, who created Facebook while still a student at Harvard University, appeared before the senators in a suit and tie rather than his customary attire, a t-shirt or hoodie and jeans.

FACEBOOK'S BUSINESS MODEL

Testimony focused on Facebook's business model, its use of personal data to target advertising and the possibility that it could charge users in lieu of advertising. Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah recalled Zuckerberg's first visit to Capitol Hill in 2010 when he told legislators that Facebook would always be free. Would it remain free, he asked.

Zuckerberg, who had been mostly grim faced during the hearing, said that a version would, to which Hatch responded, how could he run a business without charging for it?

"Senator, we run ads," Zuckerberg said.

And he smiled.

When pressed on how to maintain a sustainable business model without charging users to use the platform, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the solution is to run ads.

FACEBOOK'S ENORMOUS REACH

Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, tried to compare Facebook with the automobile industry, where buyers could purchase one car instead of another. Who was Facebook's competitor? If he was upset with Facebook, what was the equivalent product?

Zuckerberg answered with categories of competitors depending on different Facebook services. The average American uses eight different apps, he said.

Didn't he think he had a monopoly in Facebook, Graham asked.

"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," Zuckerberg said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg if the company faced legitimate competition or if it was a monopoly. Graham also asked if Zuckerberg would welcome government regulation.

YOUR RIGHT TO PRIVACY

The hearing is focused on breaches of privacy and to drive home his point, Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois asked Zuckerberg whether he would be comfortable sharing the name of the hotel he stayed at last night.

"No," he answered, and smiled.

What about the names of anyone he had messaged in the past week.

"I would probably not choose to do that publicly here," Zuckerberg said.

Durbin responded: "I think that maybe is what this is all about. Your right to privacy. The limits of your right to privacy and how much you give away in modern America in the name of quote, 'Connecting people around the world.'"

A LEFT-LEANING FACEBOOK?

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz took a different approach from many of his colleagues when he pressed Zuckerberg about whether conservative and liberal groups were treated the same way on Facebook.

Hadn't Facebook blocked pages involving Catholics and supporters of President Donald Trump? Had any pages related to Planned Parenthood been treated that way?

Zuckerberg insisted that he was committed to making sure that Facebook was a platform for all ideas, particularly because it was based in left-leaning Silicon Valley.

Asked at the end of the testy exchange whether he would like a rest, Zuckerberg laughed and said, "That was pretty good."

The hearing took a break anyway.
Two billionaires made a surprise visit Tuesday to the state prison in Chester City to see the jailed rapper Meek Mill.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft joined one of Mill's good friends, entrepreneur Michael Rubin.

The two men with a combined worth of $9 billion (according to Fortune) told reporters outside the State Correctional Institute (SCI)-Chester they came to the prison to give their support in person for the release of the 30-year-old Philadelphia native, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams.

"Amazing young man. I know how Id feel if I was in the situation he is," Kraft said outside the prison. "Every time I see him, I just come away more impressed. Hes very intelligent. And makes it clear to me we have to do something with criminal justice reform."

Kraft described the entire situation as "just sad."

"This guy's a great guy. (He) shouldn't be here," he added.

Last week, the fight over rapper Meek Mills prison sentence for a probation violation reached Pennsylvania's highest court.

The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office filed a motion last Thursday to the court reiterating that it does not oppose Mill being released on bail, a position the office first shared with NBC10 last month.

Mill is serving to 2 to 4 years in prison since being sentenced in November 2017 for violating his probation after failing a drug test, traveling out of the region and getting arrested for fighting and other related offenses.

Attorneys representing Mill have filed several motions to release the rapper from prison, accusing the judge overseeing his case of harboring a grudge and even being infatuated with the 30-year-old.

We are encouraged by the Philadelphia District Attorneys steadfast stance in not opposing Meek Mills release on bail at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court level while the current legal proceedings continue, even in light of Judge [Genece] Brinkleys vindictive and erroneous decision, Joe Tacopina, Mills lawyer, said in a statement.

Two weeks ago, Brinkley issued a 48-page opinion in Pennsylvania Superior Court calling her sentence reasonable and appropriate.

"Instead of simply complying with the terms and conditions of his probation so he could finish out his sentence and continue to work, [Mill] continued to disregard this Court's directions and did whatever he wanted to do," she wrote.

Meek Mill was initially arrested in 2007 on drug and weapon violations. He went to jail and was released on parole in 2009 after serving six months. While on parole, he tested positive for drugs, left the city without permission, engaged in a fight in the St. Louis airport, and illegally operated an ATV on the streets of New York City.
Meek Mill received yet another high-profile visitor to the state prison in Chester City, Pennsylvania, where the imprisoned rapper is serving 2 to 4 years on a probation violation.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney met with Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, for about an hour Wednesday morning, a Kenney spokeswoman said in an email.

The mayor's visit came after the invitation of Mike Rubin, a Montgomery County native-turned-billionaire entrepreneur who is friends with Mill.

"The mayor, like Mike, believes that Robert would better serve the community outside of prison, and that his case makes clear and urgent the desperate need to continue working with our partners to reform our criminal justice system," Kenney spokeswoman Ajeenah Amir said in an email.

Mill is serving to 2 to 4 years in prison since being sentenced in November 2017 for violating his probation after failing a drug test, traveling out of the region and getting arrested for fighting and other related offenses.

His sentence, handed down by Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley, is at least four times longer than the six months he served for the original crime.

Attorneys representing Mill have filed several motions to release the rapper from prison, accusing the judge overseeing his case of harboring a grudge and even being infatuated with the 30-year-old.



A day before, on Tuesday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft joined Rubin in a visit to what is formerly known as State Correctional Institute-Chester.

"Amazing young man. I know how Id feel if I was in the situation he is," Kraft said outside the prison. "Every time I see him, I just come away more impressed. Hes very intelligent. And makes it clear to me we have to do something with criminal justice reform."

Kraft described the entire situation as "just sad."

"This guy's a great guy. (He) shouldn't be here," he added.

Last week, the fight over rapper Meek Mills prison sentence for a probation violation reached Pennsylvania's highest court.

The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office filed a motion last Thursday to the court reiterating that it does not oppose Mill being released on bail, a position the office first shared with NBC10 last month.

We are encouraged by the Philadelphia District Attorneys steadfast stance in not opposing Meek Mills release on bail at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court level while the current legal proceedings continue, even in light of Judge Brinkleys vindictive and erroneous decision, Joe Tacopina, Mills lawyer, said in a statement.

Two weeks ago, Brinkley issued a 48-page opinion in Pennsylvania Superior Court calling her sentence reasonable and appropriate.

"Instead of simply complying with the terms and conditions of his probation so he could finish out his sentence and continue to work, [Mill] continued to disregard this Court's directions and did whatever he wanted to do," she wrote.

Meek Mill was initially arrested in 2007 on drug and weapon violations. He went to jail and was released on parole in 2009 after serving six months. While on parole, he tested positive for drugs, left the city without permission, engaged in a fight in the St. Louis airport, and illegally operated an ATV on the streets of New York City.
Searchers in Mendocino County were continuing their search Tuesday for an SUV that was swept into a river last week, and which matches the description of a vehicle in which four members of a missing Valencia family were riding on a trip from Portland, Oregon, to San Jose.

The members of the Thottapilly family -- father Sandeep, 42, mother Soumya, 38, and their two children, son Siddhant, 12, and daughter Saachi, 9 --"suddenly stopped communicating with family in Valencia'' last Thursday, and a notice of the family's absence was posted Monday on Facebook as a "Missing'' poster, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.

The notice reads: "We lost contact with them on April 5. Last known location is around Klamath -- Redwood National Park Area'' in Northern California near the Oregon border.

The search was being conducted just north of Leggett, California Highway Patrol Officer William Wunderlich said.

"We are evaluating weather conditions,'' Wunderlich said this afternoon.

Earlier, Wunderlich told The Signal that the CHP received reports Friday that a vehicle went into the Eel River from US Highway 101, near mile post marker 95.

"The vehicle was completely submerged in the river due to the heavy rain. We are working on finding the vehicle but we are not able to locate it,'' he said. "Based on our preliminary investigation and witness statements, we believe the vehicle was a 2016 or 2017 Honda Pilot, maroon in color. This vehicle and the missing person's vehicle are similar but, at this time, we are unable to confirm it's the same vehicle. ...We're searching a broad area but because of the moving river, it's a difficult search.''

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station tweeted this morning: "We want to let our community know, we are aware of the missing family story that @SCVSignal published. SCV Sheriff's Station is in contact with San Jose PD, who is handling the case. We will provide updates when we receive more info.''

A San Jose police spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

A relative of the Thottapilly family who lives in the San Jose area reached out to police Sunday out of concern for the family of four's welfare.
Pope Francis admitted he made "grave errors" in judgment in Chile's sex abuse scandal on Wednesday and invited the abuse victims he had discredited to Rome to beg their forgiveness.

In an extraordinary letter published Wednesday, Francis also summoned all of Chile's bishops to the Vatican for an emergency summit in the coming weeks to discuss the scandal, which has badly tarnished his reputation and that of the Chilean church.

The Vatican orders up such emergency visits only on rare occasions, when Vatican intervention is urgently required, such as when the clerical sex abuse scandal exploded in the United States in 2002.

Francis said the meeting, which comes just a year after the Chilean bishops were last in Rome on a regular visit, would have as its objective "repairing scandal where possible and re-establishing justice."

Francis blamed a lack of "truthful and balanced information" in his missteps in judging the case of Bishop Juan Barros, a protege of Chile's most notorious predator priest, the Rev. Fernando Karadima. Francis had strongly defended Barros during his January visit to Chile, despite accusations by victims that he witnessed and ignored their abuse.

In Chile and during an airborne press conference returning to Rome, Francis had accused the victims of "calumny" for pressing their case against Barros, demanded they present "proof" of their claims, revealed he had twice rejected Barros' resignation and insisted: "I am convinced he is innocent."

After causing an outcry, Francis sent the Vatican's most respected sex abuse investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, to get to the bottom of the scandal. While his letter doesn't reveal his ultimate conclusions about Barros, Francis made clear he and the bishops had a lot of work to do to turn the church around.

In words that laid bare his simmering anger, Francis said they must now work together to "re-establish confidence in the church, confidence that was broken by our errors and sins, and heal the wounds that continue to bleed in Chilean society."

Karadima was a charismatic preacher who was removed from the ministry by the Vatican for sexually abusing minors and sentenced in 2011 to a lifetime of penance and prayer. Karadima had long been a darling of the Chilean hierarchy, and his victims have accused church leaders of covering up his crimes to protect the church's reputation.

Scicluna and his colleague, the Rev. Jordi Bertomeu, spent nearly two weeks in Chile and New York earlier this year interviewing Karadima's victims, who for years have denounced Barros' silence and were stunned by Francis' strong defense of him.

In his letter, Francis thanked the 64 people who testified and had the courage to bare the "wounds of their souls" for the sake of truth. He said he felt "pain and shame" in reading the 2,300-page dossier his envoys prepared. He said Scicluna and Bertomeu were "overwhelmed by the pain of so many victims."

"For my part, I recognize  and so I want it to be faithfully transmitted  that I have incurred grave mistakes of judgment and perception of the situation, especially due to the lack of truthful and balanced information," Francis wrote. "From now on I ask forgiveness of all those I offended and I hope to be able to do it personally in the coming weeks."

Many of Chile's bishops, and members of Francis' own sex abuse advisory board, had questioned Barros' suitability to lead a diocese given claims by Karadima's victims that Barros stood by and did nothing while Karadima groped them.

Francis overrode their concerns and appointed Barros bishop of the southern Chilean diocese of Osorno in 2015, saying the church had investigated the claims against him and found them to be baseless.

While church leaders have long blasted the media for exposing pedophiles in their ranks, Francis thanked news organizations for respecting the confidentiality of those victims who came forward to testify, while "respecting the right of citizens to information."

Vergara reported from Punta de Tralca, Chile.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged Wednesday that regulation of social media companies is "inevitable" and disclosed that his own personal information has been compromised by malicious outsiders. But after two days of congressional testimony, what seemed clear was how little Congress seems to know about Facebook, much less what to do about it.

House lawmakers aggressively questioned Zuckerberg Wednesday on user data, privacy settings and whether the company is biased against conservatives. As they did in the Senate a day earlier, both Republicans and Democrats suggested that regulation might be needed, but there was no consensus and few specifics about what that might look like  or even what the biggest problems are.

New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the panel and a 30-year veteran of the House, said at the beginning of the hearing that he plans to work on legislation but is pessimistic that Congress will pass anything.

"I've just seen it over and over again  that we have the hearings, and nothing happens," he said.

For Zuckerberg, who often found himself explaining what his company does in rudimentary terms to lawmakers twice his age, the hearings could be considered a win: Facebook shares rose more than 1 percent after climbing 4.5 percent on Monday. And his company regained more than $25 billion in market value that is had lost since it was revealed in March that Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trump's presidential campaign, gathered personal information from 87 million users to try to influence elections.

Still, Facebook's stock remains 10 percent below where it stood before the scandal, a decline that has wiped out about $50 billion in shareholder wealth.

Zuckerberg agreed to the hearings as pressure mounted over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the company's own admission last year that it had been compromised by Russians trying to influence the 2016 election. Earlier this year, special counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a social media propaganda effort that included online ad purchases using U.S. aliases and politicking on U.S. soil. A number of the Russian ads were on Facebook.

Zuckerberg told the Senate on Tuesday that the company has been working with Mueller in his Russia probe and apologized over and over again for the company's handling of data privacy.

"I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here," he said.

House lawmakers were a bit tougher on Zuckerberg than their colleagues in the Senate, many of whom seemed confused by the company and what it does. Some of the House members curtly cut him off in questioning, trying to make the most of their four minutes each.

Zuckerberg mostly held his composure, repeating many of the same well-rehearsed answers: He is sorry for the company's mistakes. He is working on artificial intelligence technology to weed out hate speech and at the same time ensure that they don't block people for the wrong reasons. People own their own data, as far as he sees it. And he's come a long way since he created the platform in his dorm room almost 15 years ago.

Some of the lawmakers talked to Zuckerberg, 33, as they would their children or grandchildren, and were occasionally befuddled by the complexities of his company.

Wrapping up his four minutes, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., commended the platform, saying "it's wonderful for us seniors to connect with our relatives."

By the close of Wednesday's hearing, Zuckerberg had spent roughly 10 out of the previous 24 hours testifying before Congress.

On regulation, Zuckerberg said he was open to it.

"The internet is growing in importance around the world in people's lives and I think that it is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation," he said.

Still, he said, lawmakers need to be careful, noting that new rules or laws could hurt smaller businesses more than a behemoth like Facebook.

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden said the committee will look at what could be done.

"While Facebook has certainly grown, I worry it has not matured," Walden, R-Ore., told Zuckerberg. "I think it is time to ask whether Facebook may have moved too fast and broken too many things."

Many questions focused on Cambridge Analytica, which gathered data several years ago through a personality quiz created by an academic researcher. The app vacuumed up not just the data of the people who took it, but also  thanks to Facebook's loose restrictions  data from their friends, too, including details that they hadn't intended to share publicly. Cambridge Analytica then obtained the data and was said to have used it to try to influence elections around the world.

Zuckerberg said at the House hearing that his own Facebook data was part of that sweep. He told the Senate that Facebook had been led to believe Cambridge Analytica had deleted the user data it had harvested and that had been "clearly a mistake." He assured senators the company would have handled the situation differently today.

That may be enough to satisfy lawmakers for now. But that could change if Democrats take control of Congress in midterm elections this year.

Pallone said that if Democrats were in charge, "then we would push all the more."

Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook collects data on non-users, citing security reasons, and said anyone can opt out of data collection for advertising "whether they use our services or not."

But Rep. Ben Lujan, D-NM, noted that those people haven't signed a privacy agreement about that data, and that they must have a Facebook account in order to delete that information.

"You're directing people that don't have a Facebook page to have to sign up for a page to erase their data. We've got to fix that," Lujan said.

Also Wednesday, Cambridge Analytica announced that its acting CEO, Alexander Tayler, is stepping down to return to being the company's chief data officer, adding, "We would like to thank Dr Tayler for his service in what has been a challenging time for the company."
The top federal prosecutor in Manhattan has been recused from involvement in the FBI's probe of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer.

Geoffrey Berman, a Republican and former law partner of Rudy Giuliani's, was named the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in January.

He was removed from the investigation of Trump attorney Michael Cohen before investigators obtained search warrants in the case, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The reasons for his removal weren't immediately clear. Under Justice Department policy, a U.S. attorney cannot remove him or herself from a case. That decision is made by a senior Justice Department official in consultation with its general counsel's office, usually when a U.S. attorney has a potential conflict of interest or a question about impartiality may arise.

A spokesman for Berman declined to comment on Tuesday.

FBI agents on Monday raided Cohen's home, hotel room and office, seizing records on topics including a $130,000 payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an affair she said she had with Trump in 2006.

Trump castigated the office of special counsel Robert Mueller after the raids, calling the investigation "an attack on our country."

Cohen's attorney and law enforcement officials, however, said the investigation was being coordinated not by Mueller's team but by FBI agents and prosecutors in New York.

Ordinarily, Berman would oversee that probe but doing so could create at least one potential personal conflict. He was appointed to his post in January on a temporary basis and is still waiting to see whether Trump will formally nominate him for confirmation.

Berman's appointment by Attorney General Jeff Sessions was good for 120 days and expires the first week in May.

Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Berman was a law clerk for a federal appeals court judge in Philadelphia before working from 1987 to 1990 for the independent counsel who investigated the administration of President Ronald Reagan in the Iran-Contra affair.

From 1990 to 1994, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Manhattan office he now leads. From 1994 until January, Berman worked in private practice at Greenberg Traurig, the same law firm that employs Giuliani, the former Republican mayor of New York City, who advised Trump during his 2016 Republican presidential campaign.

After Berman was installed as U.S. attorney, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat, threatened to block his nomination because of concerns about his independence from Trump.

Berman was reported to have been interviewed personally by Trump as part of his vetting for the job. Gillibrand said that meeting was inappropriate, given the possibility that Berman could wind up being part of investigations into the administration or the Trump Organization.

Lawyers who have worked with Berman said they were confident he wouldn't let politics get in the way of his job.

"Knowing Geoff the way I know Geoff, I have no questions about his independence and his commitment to carry out his responsibilities apolitically and completely on the merits," Lorin Reisner, a former chief of the criminal division in the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan, recently told the AP.

Already, Berman has been confronted with decisions involving unusual cases with geopolitical consequences.

Days into the job, he guided his office through the aftermath of the trial of a Turkish banker who was convicted in a plot to let Iran evade U.S. economic sanctions.

Turkish politicians tried to label the trial itself a fraud. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called it an American conspiracy to "blackmail" and "blemish" his country.

If Trump fails to either nominate Berman or name someone else as a replacement, federal law would allow New York's federal judges to pick someone to lead the office.
President Donald Trump is threatening an imminent military strike against Syria, vowing to respond "forcefully" to Saturday's apparent chemical weapons attack on civilians and warning that Russia or any other nation found to share responsibility will "pay a price."

As he began a Monday evening meeting with military leaders at the White House, Trump promised to "make a decision tonight or very shortly thereafter." He said: "We have a lot of options militarily, and we'll be letting you know pretty soon. Probably after the fact."

The White House sharply rejected any suggestion that Trump's own words about pulling U.S. troops out of Syria had opened the door for the attack, which killed more than 40 people, including children.

Trump, asked at midday whether Russian President Vladimir Putin bore any responsibility for the weekend attack, responded: "He may, yeah, he may. And if he does it's going to be very tough, very tough." He added: "Everybody's gonna pay a price. He will. Everybody will."

Then, during the meeting with top military leaders, he said the weekend assault "will be met and it will be met forcefully." Those at the meeting included Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford.

Amid the tough talk at the White House, the U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order. A Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, was underway in the eastern Mediterranean after completing a port call in Cyprus. The guided-missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria following an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians.

The Russian military, which has a presence in Syria as a key Assad ally, said its officers had visited the weekend site in a suburb of Damascus, the Syrian capital, and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used. Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Washington of deliberately stoking international tensions by threatening Russia in a tone "beyond the threshold of what is acceptable, even during the Cold War."

Trump said there was little question that Syria was responsible for the apparent weekend attack, although the government of President Bashar Assad denied it. "To me there's not much of a doubt, but the generals will figure it out," Trump said.

Emphatic in his condemnation of the apparent gas attack, Trump noted graphic pictures of the dead and sickened, calling the assault "heinous," ''atrocious," ''horrible" and "barbaric."

Fielding questions at the White House, Trump press secretary Sarah Sanders said it would be "outrageous" to say that Trump's recent announcement that he intends to remove all U.S. forces from Syria in the coming months had emboldened Assad. "I think that it is outrageous to say that the president of the United States green-lit something as atrocious as the actions that have taken place over the last several days," she said.

Mattis, in separate remarks at the Pentagon, also suggested Moscow bore some blame. He criticized Russia for what he suggested was its failure to ensure the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal under terms of a 2013 agreement.

Trump said no action was "off the table" and also conferred with Vice President Mike Pence and his new national security adviser, John Bolton. Monday was the first day on the job for Bolton, who has previously advocated military action against Syria.

Trump said, "If it's Russia, if it's Syria, if it's Iran, if it's all of them together, we'll figure it out."

The United States, meanwhile, urged the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution that would condemn the continuing use of chemical weapons in Syria "in the strongest terms" and establish a new body to determine responsibility for chemical attacks. The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, was circulated ahead of an emergency Security Council meeting.

An American official said the U.S. was discussing with allies whether they would participate in a retaliatory strike. If Trump decides to proceed quickly, the most likely partner would be France rather than Britain, because of concerns about obtaining permission from Parliament, said the official, who wasn't authorized to discuss the planning publicly and requested anonymity.

Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan spoke by phone Monday with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Sullivan and Johnson agreed that based on reports in the media and from the ground, "this attack bore hallmarks of previous chemical weapons attacks by the Assad regime," the British foreign office said.

The White House deliberations came as Russia and the Syrian military blamed Israel for a pre-dawn missile attack on a major air base in central Syria, saying Israeli fighter jets launched missiles from Lebanon's airspace. A group that monitors Syria's civil war said the airstrikes killed 14 people, including Iranians active in Syria.

Syria's state news agency SANA initially said that attack on the T4 air base was likely "an American aggression," but Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood quickly denied the United States was behind the strike and the agency then dropped the accusation, blaming Israel instead.

As U.S. officials consider whether and how to respond, they are looking at what type of chemical agent might have been used. When Trump ordered airstrikes last year after a chemical weapons attack, it was a response to the use of sarin gas, which is banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention that Syria has signed. An attack with chlorine, which can be used as a weapon but is not outright banned by the treaty, could raise precedent issues, as there have been numerous recent allegations of chlorine attacks in Syria that have drawn no response from the Trump administration.

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas, Catherine Lucey, Josh Lederman, Edith M. Lederer and Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report.
Hardly 'friends': Zuckerberg fends off senators on privacy

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, BARBARA ORTUTAY and DAVID HAMILTON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  Under fire for the worst privacy debacle in his company's history, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg batted away often-aggressive questioning Tuesday from lawmakers who accused him of failing to protect the personal information of millions of Americans from Russians intent on upsetting the U.S. election.

During some five hours of Senate questioning, Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures, disclosed that his company was "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference and said it was working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private data by a data-mining company affiliated with Donald Trump's campaign.

Seemingly unimpressed, Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said Zuckerberg's company had a 14-year history of apologizing for "ill-advised decisions" related to user privacy. "How is today's apology different?" Thune asked.

"We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company," Zuckerberg conceded, and Facebook must work harder at ensuring the tools it creates are used in "good and healthy" ways."

The controversy has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the company's stock value plunging, but Zuckerberg seemed to achieve a measure of success in countering that: Facebook shares surged 4.5 percent for the day, the biggest gain in two years.

In all, he skated largely unharmed through his first day of congressional testimony. He'll face House questioners on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old founder of the world's best-known social media giant appeared in a suit and tie, a departure from the T-shirt he's famous for wearing in public as well as in private. Even so, his youth cast a sharp contrast with his often-elderly, gray-haired Senate inquisitors. And the enormous complexity of the social network he created at times defeated the attempts of legislators to hammer him on Facebook's specific failures and how to fix them.

The stakes are high for both Zuckerberg and his company. Facebook has been reeling from its worst-ever privacy failure following revelations last month that the political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica, which was affiliated with Trump's 2016 campaign, improperly scooped up data on some 87 million users. Zuckerberg has been on an apology tour for most of the past two weeks, culminating in his congressional appearance Tuesday.

Although shaky at times, Zuckerberg seemed to gain confidence as the day progressed. An iconic figure as a billionaire entrepreneur who changed the way people around the world relate to each other, he made a point of repeatedly referring back to the Harvard dorm room where he said Facebook was brought to life.

At times, he showed plenty of steel. After aggressive questioning about Facebook's alleged political bias from Sen. Ted Cruz, for instance, Zuckerberg was asked if he was ready to take a break.

No need. "That was pretty good," he said of the exchange with Cruz.

For the most part, his careful but generally straightforward answers, steeped in the sometimes arcane details of Facebook's underlying functions, often deflected aggressive questioning. When the going got tough, Zuckerberg was able to fall back on: "Our team should follow up with you on that, Senator."

As a result, he found it relatively easy to return to familiar talking points: Facebook made mistakes, he and his executives are very sorry, and they're working very hard to correct the problems and safeguard the users' data.

As for the federal Russia probe that has occupied much of Washington's attention for months, he said he had not been interviewed by special counsel Mueller's team, but "I know we're working with them." He offered no details, citing a concern about confidentiality rules of the investigation.

Earlier this year Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a social media propaganda effort that included online ad purchases using U.S. aliases and politicking on U.S. soil. A number of the Russian ads were on Facebook.

Much of the effort was aimed at denigrating Democrat Hillary Clinton and thereby helping Republican Trump, or simply encouraging divisiveness and undercutting faith in the U.S. system.

Zuckerberg said Facebook had been led to believe Cambridge Analytica had deleted the user data it had harvested and that had been "clearly a mistake." He said Facebook had considered the data collection "a closed case" and had not alerted the Federal Trade Commission. He assured senators the company would handle the situation differently today.

Separately, the company began alerting some of its users that their data was gathered by Cambridge Analytica. A notification that appeared on Facebook for some users Tuesday told them that "one of your friends" used Facebook to log into a now-banned personality quiz app called "This Is Your Digital Life." The notice says the app misused the information, including public profiles, page likes, birthdays and current cities, by sharing it with Cambridge Analytica.

In the hearings, Zuckerberg is trying to both restore public trust in his company and stave off federal regulations that some lawmakers have floated.

Democrat Bill Nelson of Florida said he believes Zuckerberg was taking the congressional hearings seriously "because he knows there is going to be a hard look at regulation."

Republicans have yet to get behind any legislation, but that could change.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Zuckerberg if he would be willing to work with lawmakers to examine what "regulations you think are necessary in your industry."

Absolutely, Zuckerberg responded, saying later in an exchange with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, that "I'm not the type of person who thinks that all regulation is bad."

Ahead of the hearing, John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said, "This is a serious matter, and I think people expect us to take action."

At the hearing, Zuckerberg said, "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He outlined steps the company has taken to restrict outsiders' access to people's personal information. He also said the company is investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014  actions that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.

___

Associated Press writers Richard Lardner and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Ortutay and Hamilton reported from New York.

___

For complete coverage of the Facebook privacy scandal, visit https://apnews.com/tag/FacebookPrivacyScandal

Under fire for the worst privacy debacle in his company's history, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg batted away often-aggressive questioning Tuesday from lawmakers who accused him of failing to protect the personal information of millions of Americans from Russians intent on upsetting the U.S. election.

During some five hours of Senate questioning, Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures, disclosed that his company was "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference and said it was working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private data by a data-mining company affiliated with Donald Trump's campaign.

Seemingly unimpressed, Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said Zuckerberg's company had a 14-year history of apologizing for "ill-advised decisions" related to user privacy. "How is today's apology different?" Thune asked.

"We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company," Zuckerberg conceded, and Facebook must work harder at ensuring the tools it creates are used in "good and healthy" ways.

The controversy has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the company's stock value plunging, but Zuckerberg seemed to achieve a measure of success in countering that: Facebook shares surged 4.5 percent for the day, the biggest gain in two years.

In all, he skated largely unharmed through his first day of congressional testimony. He'll face House questioners Wednesday.

The 33-year-old founder of the world's best-known social media giant appeared in a suit and tie, a departure from the T-shirt he's famous for wearing in public as well as in private. Even so, his youth cast a sharp contrast with his often-elderly, gray-haired Senate inquisitors. And the enormous complexity of the social network he created at times defeated the attempts of legislators to hammer him on Facebook's specific failures and how to fix them.

The stakes are high for both Zuckerberg and his company. Facebook has been reeling from its worst-ever privacy failure following revelations last month that the political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica, which was affiliated with Trump's 2016 campaign, improperly scooped up data on some 87 million users. Zuckerberg has been on an apology tour for most of the past two weeks, culminating in his congressional appearance Tuesday.

Although shaky at times, Zuckerberg seemed to gain confidence as the day progressed. An iconic figure as a billionaire entrepreneur who changed the way people around the world relate to each other, he made a point of repeatedly referring back to the Harvard dorm room where he said Facebook was brought to life.

At times, he showed plenty of steel. After aggressive questioning about Facebook's alleged political bias from Sen. Ted Cruz, for instance, Zuckerberg was asked if he was ready to take a break.

No need. "That was pretty good," he said of the exchange with Cruz.

For the most part, his careful but generally straightforward answers, steeped in the sometimes arcane details of Facebook's underlying functions, often deflected aggressive questioning. When the going got tough, Zuckerberg was able to fall back on: "Our team should follow up with you on that, Senator."

As a result, he found it relatively easy to return to familiar talking points: Facebook made mistakes, he and his executives are very sorry, and they're working very hard to correct the problems and safeguard the users' data.

As for the federal Russia probe that has occupied much of Washington's attention for months, he said he had not been interviewed by special counsel Mueller's team, but "I know we're working with them." He offered no details, citing a concern about confidentiality rules of the investigation.

Earlier this year Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a social media propaganda effort that included online ad purchases using U.S. aliases and politicking on U.S. soil. A number of the Russian ads were on Facebook.

Much of the effort was aimed at denigrating Democrat Hillary Clinton and thereby helping Republican Trump, or simply encouraging divisiveness and undercutting faith in the U.S. system.

Zuckerberg said Facebook had been led to believe Cambridge Analytica had deleted the user data it had harvested and that had been "clearly a mistake." He said Facebook had considered the data collection "a closed case" and had not alerted the Federal Trade Commission. He assured senators the company would handle the situation differently today.

Separately, the company began alerting some of its users that their data was gathered by Cambridge Analytica. A notification that appeared on Facebook for some users Tuesday told them that "one of your friends" used Facebook to log into a now-banned personality quiz app called "This Is Your Digital Life." The notice says the app misused the information, including public profiles, page likes, birthdays and current cities, by sharing it with Cambridge Analytica.

In the hearings, Zuckerberg is trying to both restore public trust in his company and stave off federal regulations that some lawmakers have floated.

Democrat Bill Nelson of Florida said he believes Zuckerberg was taking the congressional hearings seriously "because he knows there is going to be a hard look at regulation."

Republicans have yet to get behind any legislation, but that could change.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Zuckerberg if he would be willing to work with lawmakers to examine what "regulations you think are necessary in your industry."

Absolutely, Zuckerberg responded, saying later in an exchange with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, that "I'm not the type of person who thinks that all regulation is bad."

Ahead of the hearing, John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said, "This is a serious matter, and I think people expect us to take action."

At the hearing, Zuckerberg said: "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He outlined steps the company has taken to restrict outsiders' access to people's personal information. He also said the company is investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014  actions that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.

Associated Press writers Richard Lardner and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Ortutay and Hamilton reported from New York.
An animal shelter in southern Maine is going to great lengths to rescue abandoned dogs.

A team of four from the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland traveled to Puerto Rico last week, and helped volunteer group All Sato Rescue.

"It was emotional for us," said Jeana Roth, spokesperson for the ARLGP. "It was eye opening."

For four years, All Sato has been sending Puerto Rican rescue dogs to Maine for adoption. This is the first time the two groups met in person.

"We really wanted to experience hands on what they do each and every day from a rescue front," said Roth.

All Sato rescues abandoned dogs and transports them to other parts of the United States because Puerto Rico has a large homeless animal population and high euthanasia rate.

The circumstances for abandoned dogs have only gotten worse since Hurricane Maria hit six months ago.

"Since Hurricane Maria, it's really been a crisis for animals on the island," said Roth. "So many animals were abandoned when people moved. It's an overpopulation epidemic right now."

Roth and three other Mainers visited so-called "dump sites" and feeding fields, where they found 100 homeless dogs at a time. They helped rescue three nursing mothers and their litters of puppies, and took several shelter pets off All Sato's hands.

Nine Puerto Rico rescue dogs should be up for adoption this Saturday at the shelter in Westbrook.
What to Know The Worcester DA's office announced Wednesday a man and woman are in custody in connection with the death of a 6-year-old girl.

The girl was unresponsive and the boy was injured when police arrived at a Fitchburg, Massachusetts home on Tuesday. The girl later died.

The suspects were ordered held without bail following their arraignment Wednesday in Fitchburg District Court.

Disturbing details are beginning to emerge following the arrest of a mother and father in connection with the death of their 6-year-old daughter and injuries to their 9-year-old son in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

Shana Pedroso, 37, and Marvin Brito, 38, were ordered held without bail following their arraignments in Fitchburg District Court on Wednesday. Both pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to return to court on April 18.

Pedroso is charged with two counts of reckless endangerment of a child and two counts of assault and battery on a child with injury. Brito is charged with two counts of permitting substantial injury to a child and two counts of reckless endangerment.

District Attorney Joseph Early said police responded to a 911 call at 139 Stoneybrook Road around 11:58 a.m. on Tuesday. When they arrived, they found an unresponsive 6-year-old girl and an injured 9-year-old boy.

Both children were brought to the UMass Memorial Health Alliance in nearby Leominster, where the girl was pronounced dead. The boy was transferred to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

According to court documents released Wednesday, responding officers observed that the boy had sustained serious injuries and bruising to his face. The girl had extensive bruising of various ages over her entire body.

Court documents show the injured boy told police he had sustained the injuries the day before when "he and his sister were attacked by bullies." He also said his sister "wouldn't drink" the next morning, but the parents said not to call 911. Pedroso allegedly glued a wound on the boy's neck closed with super glue. Investigators also found handwritten notes on Pedroso indicating "the children were bad and beaten" on Monday.

Early said state police detectives and Fitchburg police are investigating and are deeming the girl's death suspicious. The chief medical examiner has accepted jurisdiction and will determine the cause and manner of the girl's death.

"We are very early in this investigation," he said Tuesday afternoon. "The case is very active. A lot of moving parts are going on right now."

Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest Martineau said the crime was not a random act and the public is not in danger. Martineau also said the investigation is not connected in any way to a series of recent school threats in the city.

Neighbors on Stoneybrook Road said they first started hearing sirens around noon Tuesday.

"Around noon we first started hearing the cops and sirens coming around, the helicopters, and we're all just listening to the scanners and trying to figure out what's going on," neighbor Mike Naughton said. "There are a lot of theories going around."

Massachusetts State Police said assets including Air Wing, K9, Crime Scene Services, patrols and detectives assigned to the Worcester District Attorney responded to assist Fitchburg police at the crime scene.

Aerial footage showed numerous police and fire vehicles blanketing the neighborhood.

Police were seen checking IDs before letting drivers pass down Stoneybrook Road on Tuesday afternoon.

A white pickup truck was towed from the scene on Tuesday night.

A spokesman for the state Department of Children and Families said in a statement Tuesday night that the agency is assisting law enforcement in the investigation.


The lawyer for a Maine man charged with beating his mother, his grandparents and his grandparents' caretaker to death with a baseball bat in Massachusetts says he will likely pursue an insanity defense.

Orion Krause was held without bail at a mental health facility after pleading not guilty Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court to four counts of murder. He has been ruled competent for trial.

His lawyer, Edward Wayland, said after the proceedings that "I think mental illness will be the explanation for this event."

Krause, of Rockport, Maine, and a 2017 graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, is charged with killing the victims in his grandparents Groton, Massachusetts, home last September.

The victims have been identified as Elizabeth Krause, Frank Darby Lackey III, Elizabeth Lackey, and Bertha Mae Parker.
Tuesday marks the one year anniversary of a massive fire that burned a popular Portsmouth, New Hampshire restaurant to the ground.

State Street Saloon went up in flames after a fire that the owner Eli Sokorelis said started in an upstairs apartment. The restaurant was in the ground floor.

Now, Sokorelis is reopening his popular restaurant under a new name in the same city.

"I knew I had to," Sokorelis said.

Sokorelis owned the State Street Saloon for 35 years. He said he knew he had to come back, even though the fire was devastating.

"To watch it go up in flames was quite traumatic," Sokorelis said.

After months of looking for a new home for his restaurant, Sokorelis settled on the old VFW Post 168 building on Deer Street in Downtown Portsmouth.

"A lot of my customers always called it 'the Statey' so it's [called] the 'Statey Bar & Grill,'" Sokorelis said. "My place is about the locals. That's what I'm about."

Locals in the community are looking forward Sokorelis return to the community.

"That used to be one of my favorite places," Kenneth Westbrook said.

"Being such a staple in town, it's great to see the legacy continue," said Chris Conmet.

"I'm happy for all the patrons and the workers to get back to work," said Debbie Aspbeury.

Sokorelis said much of the restaurant will be similar to the Saloon.

"The same bartenders," Sokorelis said. "The same menu. The same prices and the same friendly people they saw a year ago."

One of Sokorelis' servers said she had no doubt Sokorelis would reopen his restaurant.

"He said, 'don't worry, we'll be back,' and it resonated with everybody," said Beth Cramer.

Customers will see old memorabilia in the new restaurant like a bar stool and sign that were salvaged in the fire.

"When you come in the door I want my customers to feel like they're home again," Sokorelis said.
A Massachusetts woman who was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Revere has died from her injuries.

Maryann Fiandaca, 46, of Revere, was struck and killed by an SUV on Route 145 on Monday night. Police responded to the crash around 8:30 p.m. and said a dark-colored, possibly blue or black sport utility vehicle struck Fiandaca and fled the scene.

We believe this to be a tragic accident, said Peter Marano, the attorney for the man driving the SUV that struck Fiandaca.

Marano said his client  79-year-old Paul Graf  didnt realize he had hit someone.



He heard what he thought was a bang from hitting a pothole or something wrong in the road," Marano said. "When he got home, he noticed the damage to his vehicle and we contacted the state police."

He said Graf, who is a longtime accountant in Revere, was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, doesnt own a cell phone, and has never even had a speeding ticket.

He said the location of the damage to Graf's vehicle may be important for investigators in determining what actually happened.

There was damage to the bottom of the car that we could see that would be consistent with something laying in the roadway, Marano said, as opposed to someone standing up in the roadway and being hit.

John Dourado, who knew Fiandaca, said he lives in the same building where she was staying with an elderly man. Dourado said after the crash, he went to help look for the vehicle.

"I ended up going for a ride to see if we could find the car because I like to help too," he said. "But I couldn't find anything because I didn't know what car it was. If you hit somebody  if you have an accident  you should stop always to check if the person is good or not."

The victims daughter, Kaylee Ann Fiandaca, said on a GoFundMe page set up for her mothers funeral expenses, My mum was such a kind, free spirit, funny, loving, giving, soul. She was one of my favorite people and I loved her dearly.

Marano said, We want to offer our sincere condolences to the family of Ms. Fiandaca.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Graf is scheduled to meet with investigators from the state police and the district attorneys office on Friday to discuss what happened.
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 she 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 one new Democratic 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 she made grave mistakes in allowing Baker to stay in her office for three months in 2016 after learning 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?

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
NEW MILFORD  Police officials looking to reduce the number of outstanding warrants are using social media for help.

Like many area police departments, New Milford has dozens of outstanding warrants on misdemeanor charges such as probation violations or failure to appear in court. In an effort to reduce that backlog, the department began posting information about the warrants on Facebook last month.

Since beginning the effort, the department has received enough tips from the community to serve 34 warrants, including 13 last week alone.

We started using the social media program after the chief asked me to find ways to reduce the number of wanted persons in our community, said Lt. Jeffrey Covello, who heads the

departments detective division.

Covello said the list includes only warrants New Milford police are charged with serving. Someone living in town but wanted by another law enforcement agency likely wont appear on the list.

According to the state courts website, 134 people with New Milford addresses have outstanding warrants. Other towns have similar numbers, including Bethel, where more than 90 people are wanted on outstanding warrants.

New Milfords effort is the latest attempt by an area police department to use social media in novel ways.

In recent years, as the popularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter have increased, so have their use by local police departments.

The Danbury Police Department recently posted a video on its social media pages in an effort to reach more potential candidates as the department looks to fill its ranks. Others post photos of suspects or publish missing persons reports.

Monroe Police Chief John Salvatore, the former president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, said just about every department in the state is using social media in some form.

It helps us solve crimes, and it helps with community outreach, he said. I think everyone sees the value in it.

dperrefort@newstimes.com
To the Editor:

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a sniper as he stood on the balcony of his second floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.

On Jan. 18, 1986, following the passage of the Rubin Law 98-144, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring the third Monday in January of each year a public holiday in honor of Dr. Kins birthday.

Dr. Kings elegant and passionate advocacy of civil and human rights vested in technique of Mahatma Gandhi brought a new dimension of dignity to peoples lives and new hope for freedom and community.

He asked to be remembered as a drum major for love and justice.

Fran Smith

New Milford
To the Editor:

It is reasonable to assume the new Region 12 program of Ag/STEM will gradually grow as it matures and becomes a fully functional AG program. It will have a new staff operating in a renovated and expanded school.

The Region 12 website predicts the number of out-of-region AG students to expand from zero to 119 in three short years and then operate at 119 students for the next 17 years. This is not a realistic expectation.

Anthony Amato, Region 12 board chairman, recognized this and stated in a February 2017 Board of Education meeting the most likely scenario was for 102 AG students.

The Region 12 website (Ag/stem financials - page 12) states the three-year average for out-of-region AG students is 62.

However, the results from recent FOI requests to the sending districts show 61 out-of-region students currently attending the VO/AG program at Region 14.

When the Danbury commitment of 15 maximum students is considered, the number of out-of-region students will be 59.

Assuming the catchment districts initially send 59 students, a realistic plan would forecast annual modest increase of out-of-region students each year as the program matures.

This, unfortunately, could yield an accumulated loss of $15 million over the 20-year bonding period, when the science lab debt service is included in the cash flow analysis.

This result could also mean an average of $658,000 additional taxes each year for the bonding period.

After all of this red ink, there could be an annual subsidy for each out-of-region student starting around $5,300 and gradually decreasing, until the out-of-region student enrollment reaches 119 forecast (twice current three-year average at Region 14).

Ed Wainwright

Bridgewater
In an article published April 10th in the journal Cell Reports, researchers at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) describe a biomarker panel that could tell physicians which patients diagnosed with glioma, a type of brain cancer, will tend to progress to a more aggressive form of the disease in the event of relapse.

According to principal investigator Houtan Noushmehr, a professor at USP's Ribeirao Preto Medical School (FMRP-USP), between 80% and 90% of patients diagnosed with brain cancer develop a second tumor after surgical removal of the original lesion.

In most cases the epigenetic profile of the tumor cells remains the same, meaning that gene expression is not altered. This suggests a favorable prognosis with good longevity. In 10% of patients with tumor relapse, however, the cancer cells acquire a more aggressive phenotype, reducing their overall survival.

"At the time of the primary diagnosis [discovery of the first tumor] our biomarker panel could show whether the patient is among these 10% who tend to progress to a more severe condition. This knowledge would help the physician decide whether more aggressive treatment is appropriate in order to prevent progression of the disease," Noushmehr said.

With support by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP, the study was based on an analysis of 200 samples of glioma, a type of cancer that originates in glial cells (such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia), which mediate immune responses in the central nervous system (CNS) and support the functioning of neurons. The work was carried out during the postdoctoral research of Camila Ferreira de Souza, partly conducted in the United States at the Henry Ford Hospital, thanks to a FAPESP scholarship for a research internship abroad.

Gliomas are the most common group of CNS tumors, accounting for some 80% of cases, with a mortality rate of about 92%. The degree of histopathological aggressiveness (based on tissue characteristics) ranges from 1 to 4. The higher the number, the worse the prognosis.

"We analyzed samples from 77 patients, from both the primary tumor and the first and second relapse, or even the third in some cases. This is the largest case series survey ever of primary and recurrent gliomas from the same patients," Noushmehr said.

Some of the samples analyzed were collected from patients treated at FMRP-USP and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit (USA). The rest of the data was obtained from studies published in the last three years.

Analysis of the samples focused on epigenetic mechanisms, the chemical processes that modulate genome functioning (to adapt to environmental stimuli) and hence cell phenotype by activating or deactivating gene expression.

More precisely, in this study the group chose a specific epigenetic regulation mechanism known as DNA methylation, a chemical reaction that adds a methyl group (made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms) to the DNA base cytosine, potentially altering the expression of certain genes.

Glioma subtypes

In an article published in the journal Cell in 2016, the group led by Noushmehr had identified seven different glioma subtypes on the basis of tumor epigenetic profiles - among them a more aggressive profile, which they called subtype G-CIMP-low, and one with a more favorable prognosis called G-CIMP-high.

"What we show in this new paper is that only 10% of patients who develop a second tumor progress from subtype G-CIMP-high to subtype G-CIMP-low," Noushmehr explained.

The group analyzed DNA methylation in the 200 tumor samples by microarray, a methodology that can identify and characterize millions of sites and functional genomic elements simultaneously.

As the authors explain, the process whereby a methyl group is added to DNA typically occurs in the base cytosine that usually precedes a guanine (dinucleotide CpG). Microarray analysis shows whether the CpG regions studied, including genes and regulatory elements in the genome, are more or less methylated.

The microarray datasets were processed with the aid of machine learning algorithms, a form of artificial intelligence. These algorithms sift through masses of data using advanced statistical techniques in search of patterns on which to base determinations or predictions.

"In this way we identified seven genomic sites where the level of DNA methylation serves as a biomarker of the risk of evolution from the G-CIMP-high phenotype to the G-CIMP-low phenotype. This is how we produced the biomarker panel," Noushmehr said.

Today, he added, all patients diagnosed with glioma are prescribed practically the same treatment. "You have to wait for the cancer to return, undergo another operation and find out whether it has progressed," he said. "If we know from the outset whether there's a risk of progression to the G-CIMP-low phenotype, we can plan treatment accordingly."

For Souza, the development of personalized therapies for glioma patients is "suboptimized".

"This is due in part to the fact that diagnosis is based mainly on traditional histopathological criteria, meaning the degree of tumor malignancy," she said.

The present study, she added, identified epigenetic vulnerabilities that serve to stratify with high levels of sensitivity and specificity phenotypes associated with recurrent gliomas and with distinct clinical prognoses that could not be predicted merely by neurohistopathological grading of tumor biopsies.

"We expect the panel of clinical biomarkers identified to pave the way for a refinement of our current clinical classification scheme," Souza said. "This will help guide future therapeutic decisions before recurrent malignant gliomas become symptomatic. It will also avoid unnecessarily exposing patients with gliomas that are not highly aggressive to toxic radiation therapy and chemotherapy protocols."

Noushmehr and Souza stressed, however, that the biomarker panel must be validated in a clinical trial and that completion of this process typically takes several years.
Experts in pediatric kidney disease have published a new staging system to help doctors better predict the length of time until a child with chronic kidney disease (CKD) will need to undergo a kidney transplant or start receiving dialysis. Although this type of prognostic guide exists for adults, this is the first such tool specific to children.

"We designed a clinically useful, data-driven tool for doctors and nurses to advise parents and plan treatment, based on when a child's kidney disease is likely to progress to the need for transplant or dialysis," said study leader Susan L. Furth, MD, Chief of Nephrology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Furth and colleagues published their study today in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Healthcare providers currently rely mainly on their own clinical experience to estimate when their patients' condition will progress to end-stage renal disease. "Having the proper amount of lead time is important," said Furth. "One key factor is evaluating living donors who intend to donate one of their kidneys for transplant." The donor's workup needs to be current, within a year of the transplant, stressed Furth. After a year, another full workup is necessary.

The researchers drew on two, large multicenter study consortia of children with chronic kidney disease. The Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKid) study gathered data on 891 patients from North American centers, while the ESCAPE (Effect of Strict Blood Pressure Control and ACE Inhibition) study was a European clinical trial with data from 378 pediatric patients.

The study team concluded that a combination of three factors provide the best predictors for estimating disease progression: glomerular filtration rate (which measures how efficiently the kidney filters waste products from the blood), proteinuria (the presence of protein in the urine), and whether the CKD is caused by a glomerular or nonglomerular etiology. In glomerular kidney disease, inflammation in the glomeruli, the kidney's filtration units, impairs normal filtration. In nonglomerular disease, more common in children than adults, structural abnormalities or inherited conditions disrupt kidney function.

The study team found that children with glomerular disease had a faster disease progression than those with nonglomerular disease-;a 43 percent shorter interval. Accounting for all three risk factors, the researchers divided children with CKD into 6 staged, color-coded groups, ranked from best to worst prognosis.

Each group carries an approximate time estimate of how soon a patient will progress to the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT)-;either kidney transplant or dialysis. (In children, more so than in adults, dialysis is usually considered a temporary bridge until a transplant can be done.)

For instance, the median time period from baseline to RRT ranges from over 10 years for the lowest-risk group to about nine and a half months for the highest-risk group.

The new stages, said Furth, are not intended to affect how patients are ranked on organ donation lists, but instead offer a new tool to assist clinical decision-making, and to provide families a better sense of their child's kidney disease timetable. She added, "Follow-up studies in other patient cohorts should be done to validate this tool, but this provides a risk continuum system that we didn't have before."
Life expectancy and health outcomes worsen the more deprived an area or population is, new research from Cass Business School has found.

The researchers discovered that men are more adversely impacted by deprivation and the southeast of England is less deprived than the rest of the country - with the five most deprived districts all in the north of England.

The research paper Inequalities matter investigated the impact of deprivation on demographic inequalities in England, forecast to 2030. It was conducted by Cass for the International Longevity Centre - UK (ILC-UK).

The researchers used the government-preferred Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) to measure deprivation. The IMD is based on 37 separate indicators including income and are grouped into seven domains, each of which reflects a different aspect of deprivation across the lifespan including education, health and crime.

They found that although life expectancy is increasing overall and the life expectancies of men and women are converging, any improvements are slower paced in more deprived areas, with the net gap between rich and poor slowly worsening over time.

Men tend to be more adversely impacted by deprivation than women, with the gap in life expectancy at age 30 between the top and bottom one percent of deprived neighborhoods at 10.9 years for men and 8.4 years for women.

Men are 4.4 times more likely to die at the age of 44 in the most deprived 10 percent of neighborhoods, when compared to the 10 percent of least deprived neighborhoods.

The researchers confirmed that deprivation in England is heavily skewed towards urban areas, with the top five districts of deprivation in Northern England - Middlesbrough, Knowsley on Merseyside, Kingston-upon-Hull, Liverpool and Manchester. By contrast in London, only Tower Hamlets, Haringey and Hackney fall into the top 50 deprived districts.

Lead researcher Professor Les Mayhew, Cass Business School, said many of the differences in life expectancy between districts can be explained by unhealthy lifestyles and a lack of social mobility and investment.

"The causes of ill health are increasingly lifestyle related and rooted in the cultures of different socio-economic groups - think smoking, excessive drinking, obesity, drug abuse and mental illness. Efforts are being made to improve health outcomes in deprived areas but more resources need to be provided for preventative measures, training and education. Policy tools aimed at changing behavior using financial incentives including taxes have shown to be successful and should also be considered."

Professor Mayhew said a positive finding from the report was the gradual reduction in inequalities across the lifespan between men and women.

"This will lead to fewer years of female isolation in later life and longer working lives for women which will have a positive impact on their retirement savings and general health and wellbeing," he said.

However, Professor Mayhew said the gap between rich and poor is widening and the fact that particular districts were more adversely impacted by deprivation was a cause for concern.

"The geographical pattern of deprived districts in England is well established and the reputation of these districts as undesirable places to live tends to go before them, making them unattractive places to invest in. If Government is serious about redressing inequalities, creating attractive job opportunities for the young and investing in training and education is one way do this."

Baroness Sally Greengross OBE, Chief Executive, ILC-UK, said the report had important implications for policymakers and civil society alike.

"The report's call for greater targeted investment in public health is welcome, but sadly echoes calls made by the International Longevity Centre and other experts that have gone unheeded for far too long. If the UK is to realize the potential of our rapidly aging population and all that could mean for our society, we must ensure that the benefits of longevity are shared by all."
The results of an international clinical trial for a new system of diagnosing heart transplant rejection and injury will be presented publicly for the first time at the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) annual meeting, which will take place on April 11 and 12 in Nice, France.

Led by Dr. Phil Halloran and his team at the Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre (ATAGC) at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, the INTERHEART study developed a molecular system for reading heart transplant biopsies through the use of microarrays, commonly referred to as gene chips. The system promises greater accuracy in determining heart rejection and predicting future heart failure.

"Heart biopsies are conventionally read by microscopes, but there is extensive disagreement between doctors reading the biopsies, and therefore, errors," said Halloran, Muttart Research Chair in Clinical Immunology and a professor of medicine at the U of A. "The ATAGC team believes that biopsies should be read by their molecules, and has developed a 'molecular microscope' method to do just that."

The method uses gene chips--similar in some ways to computer chips--to interpret the molecules in biopsies. In the molecular microscope system developed by the ATAGC, software converts the chip readings into diagnoses automatically.

"Unlike conventional microscopes, the molecular assessment can also detect other serious injuries that are not rejection but can be confused with rejection," said Halloran. "The molecular microscope results suggest that unrecognized injury has been confused with rejection in many cases by conventional methods. This emerges as a major opportunity to improve care."

The molecular system diagnoses rejection of two types: by T cells and by antibodies. Molecular microscope readings require less tissue and ATAGC research indicates that it is more precise and accurate than conventional methods.

The clinical trial was supported by an international team of co-investigators in North America, Europe and Australia. The next step is to use the readings to guide therapy for better outcomes. The molecular microscope system is also being developed for lung transplant, with the goal of changing care for those patients as well.
UT Southwestern's Dr. Deepak Nijhawan became a co-recipient of the 2018 Donald Seldin-Holly Smith Award for Pioneering Research. The award recognizes Dr. Nijhawan's work identifying targets for cancer treatment.

In particular, Dr. Nijhawan, an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Biochemistry, and members of his laboratory have made significant advances working with indisulam and CD437, identified as anti-cancer agents in the 1990s but not subsequently developed at that time because their targets were poorly understood. In 2016, Dr. Nijhawan's group first identified the protein target of CD437, followed the next year by the identification of the target of indisulam and of cancer-cell variants most susceptible to its effects. These discoveries have generated new interest in these agents, which are now in active development.

"We take an 'old-fashioned' and now uncommon approach to cancer drug discovery," said Dr. Nijhawan, a physician-scientist. "Most current drug discovery efforts focus on a specific gene or protein and look for ways to influence them with small molecules. By contrast, we start with the small molecule and then work backward to find its protein target. Indisulam and CD437 were promising lead molecules more than 20 years ago. By uncovering their targets, we have revitalized the effort to develop them into potential therapeutics."

The Seldin-Smith Award, now in its third year, was established by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) to connect the legacies of two iconic figures in U.S. medicine  Dr. Donald Seldin of UT Southwestern and Dr. Lloyd "Holly" Smith Jr. of the University of California, San Francisco  with exceptionally creative early career individuals.

Dr. Nijhawan shares the award with Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Dr. Anna Greka, who focuses on developing targeted treatments for kidney diseases. They will share unrestricted support of $30,000 to advance their academic efforts and will be recognized April 21 during the ASCI's joint annual meeting with the Association of American Physicians and the American Physician Scientists Association.

"The fact that Dr. Nijhawan is a fully trained physician in internal medicine, and at the same time in full command of the tools of molecular biology and the study of cancer, emphasizes the importance of a creative internal medicine clinical program that can apply basic science to cancer treatment," said Dr. Seldin, Chairman Emeritus and UT System Professor of Internal Medicine who holds the William Buchanan Chair in Internal Medicine.

Dr. Seldin is nationally known as one of the greatest departmental chairs in the history of internal medicine. His seven-decade career as a visionary, a tenacious leader, and a demanding-yet-patient teacher has established him as the "intellectual father of UT Southwestern.''

"This is a special honor because Drs. Seldin and Smith are heroes amongst physician-scientists," Dr. Nijhawan said. "It is particularly special for me because it is in part named after Dr. Seldin. I am the beneficiary of the tradition of rigorous scientific inquiry that he founded at UT Southwestern."

"It is extremely heartening to know that the Seldin-Smith Pioneering Research Award will be given to Dr. Nijhawan," Dr. Seldin said. "The work for which he is being honored deploys state-of-the-art biochemistry and molecular genetics to elucidate biological mechanisms for chemotherapeutics. His elegant experimental design has identified fundamental cellular processes such as RNA splicing  processes previously lacking clear evidence for druggability in cancer  as targets of these agents. As a result of his work, exciting new studies may lead to the development of truly novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of malignancy."

Dr. Steven McKnight, Professor of Biochemistry and holder of the Distinguished Chair in Basic Biomedical Research at UT Southwestern who supported Dr. Nijhawan's nomination, wrote, "These discoveries, I predict, constitute the most promising avenue of any for biomedical research to achieve the discovery of entirely new therapeutics over the upcoming decade."

The Nijhawan group has partnered with Peloton Therapeutics to further investigate its indisulam discoveries and with the Harrington Discovery Institute to develop CD437 into a cancer therapeutic. Dr. McKnight is the Scientific Founder and Chairman of Peloton's Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Nijhawan earned both his medical and doctoral degrees in 2005 from UT Southwestern's acclaimed Medical Scientist Training Program. Following his education and training at UT Southwestern, Dr. Nijhawan completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (2007) and a fellowship in medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (2011). His laboratory work has been supported in part by the Sass Foundation for Medical Research, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, the Harrington Discovery Institute, and the National Cancer Institute.

The Seldin-Smith Award complements two other prestigious ASCI awards  the Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award and the ASCI/Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine  that recognize senior physician-scientists who have made major contributions to science, mentorship, and the translation of discovery to clinical impact.
It is so common that it likely will have happened at least once somewhere in the United States by the time you finish reading this sentence. But it took more than 230 years for it to happen to a senator.

On Monday, Tammy Duckworth became the first sitting senator to give birth, forcing Senate leaders to face how ill prepared they may be to accommodate the needs of a new mother.

Duckworth, 50, an Illinois Democrat, and her husband, Bryan Bowlsbey, announced she had given birth to a daughter, Maile (pronounced MY-lee) Pearl. Their first child, Abigail, was born in 2014, while Duckworth was serving in the House of Representatives.

"As tough as juggling the demands of motherhood and being a Senator can be, I'm hardly alone or unique as a working parent," Duckworth said in a statement, "and my children only make me more committed to doing my job and standing up for hardworking families everywhere."

Duckworth has made no secret of her bewilderment at the attention she has received since announcing her pregnancy in January. She seized the opportunity to call for adjusting Senate rules to accommodate new parents.

They are changes that could help make a pregnant senator less remarkable in the future, especially as record numbers of women set out to run for office  many of them Democrats spurred by the Donald Trump presidency and Republican-controlled Congress, but also many motivated by the #MeToo movement to fight sexual harassment and assault. A recent Associated Press survey found that 309 Democratic and Republican women so far had filed paperwork to run for the House, a new high.

Duckworth has said the most problematic rules generally prevent anyone who isn't a senator, a designated aide or other official from being on the Senate floor. Because a senator must be on the floor in order to vote, she argued she should be allowed to bring her young child with her.

"For me to find out that there are issues with the United States Senates rules where I may not be able to vote or bring my child onto the floor of the Senate when I need to vote because we ban children from the floor, I thought, 'Wow, I feel like Im living in the 19th century instead of the 21st,'" she told CNN last month.

A spokesman for Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declined to comment on Duckworth's proposal.

The Senate has bent its rules before to make accommodations for senators. Unsurprising for an institution where the average age in January 2017 was 61.8 years, those examples tend to favor senators battling serious illnesses. Exceptions have also been made for members with limited mobility. In 1997, for instance, some steps on the Senate floor were replaced with a ramp to assist newly elected Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.), a disabled veteran who used a wheelchair.

Bill Dauster, who advised Democrats on Senate procedure for decades before retiring last year, said senators might ask their colleagues for permission, with unanimous approval, to bring aides onto the floor. For instance, some senators have brought people to push their wheelchairs. Duckworth may be able to follow that example with her newborn, he said.

"I think it would be wonderful theater if she went to the floor, asked consent that I be allowed to bring my infant child to the floor for brief periods of time for the rest of the session of Congress," Dauster said, "and see who objects."

Like the United States, Congress has no blanket policy on parental leave, allowing senators and representatives to set their own office policy. Duckworth offers her staff 12 weeks of parental leave and plans to take an equivalent amount of time. She will keep in contact with her office and return for close votes, said Sean Savett, her spokesman.

The lingering stigma among some voters against female lawmakers with young children can make it hard to take extended leave, though several candidates have been tackling that head-on. At least two women running for office this year have footage of themselves breastfeeding in their campaign ads.

Those difficulties, along with the demands of motherhood that persist even today, mean many women have postponed or ruled out a career in politics.

"We're asking women, in some senses, to take on a third part-time job," said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "And so what we've seen, still, is women are more likely to wait until they're a bit older to start in politics, which has implications for where they end up in politics."

Walsh pointed out that when mothers do run, they carry their unique perspective with them to Congress. After having her first daughter, Duckworth introduced legislation that would ensure safe, clean and convenient lactation rooms in large- and medium-sized airports. Former Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), the mother of twins who at 38 became the youngest woman elected to the Senate and later the first woman to chair the Senate agriculture committee, championed nutritional school lunches in the late 1990s.

While she is the first in the Senate, Duckworth is among 10 women who have given birth while serving in Congress, five of whom are currently in office. (Betty Koed, the Senate historian, said her office does not keep detailed records of senators' children, though at least two former senators adopted kids while in office: Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas).

Change has been slow  and primarily female-driven. The Office of the Attending Physician opened Capitol Hill's first designated lactation room in 2006. After Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) became the first female House speaker in 2007, she opened more lactation rooms  enabling staffers and members to better adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that children be breastfed for at least the first year of life.

Duckworth is no stranger to breaking new ground. She was one of the first women serving in the Army to fly combat missions in the Iraq War, according to her official biography, and later became one of the first female combat veterans elected to Congress. She was also the first female amputee elected to Congress, having lost both legs while serving in Iraq.

She is also no stranger to the challenges facing a new mother in Congress. In 2014, pregnant with her first child and under a doctor's orders not to travel, Duckworth petitioned House Democratic leaders to allow her to vote by proxy in a round of internal party elections. They refused, citing the problems it could cause when members request absences for other reasons.

While bare shoulders may be unwelcome in the House, children are not. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) brought along her then-7-year-old son, who has Down syndrome, as the House passed legislation in 2014 that helps those with disabilities and their families save money for their care.

The highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress, McMorris Rodgers is also the only woman to give birth three times while serving. In Cosmopolitan magazine last fall, she described missing three weeks of votes while her prematurely born son was in an intensive care unit, as well as the letters from a few constituents who chastised her for running for re-election afterward.

"We need more women and moms in Congress  both in the House and in the Senate," McMorris Rodgers said in a statement to Kaiser Health News. "So we should make sure that the congressional workplace reflects the needs of working moms. The House allows children on the House floor, and I believe it should be allowed in the Senate too."

"My kids, and having all three of them while serving in the House, have made me a better legislator," she added. "Being a mom makes politics real."

KHN's coverage of women's health care issues is supported in part by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormone condition among young women, are prone to mental health disorders, and their children face an increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

PCOS affects 7 percent to 10 percent of women of childbearing age. It costs an estimated $5.46 billion annually to provide care to reproductive-aged PCOS women in the United States, according to the Society's Endocrine Facts and Figures report. PCOS is the most common cause of infertility in young women, and the elevated male hormone levels associated with the condition lead to many other emotionally distressing symptoms like irregular periods, excessive facial and body hair, weight gain and acne.

"PCOS is one of the most common conditions affecting young women today, and the effect on mental health is still under appreciated," said one of the study's authors, Aled Rees, M.B.B.Ch., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., of Cardiff University in Cardiff, United Kingdom. "This is one of the largest studies to have examined the adverse mental health and neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with PCOS, and we hope the results will lead to increased awareness, earlier detection and new treatments."

In the retrospective cohort design study, researchers from the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute at Cardiff University assessed the mental health history of nearly 17,000 women diagnosed with PCOS. The study leveraged data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), a database containing records for 11 million patients collected from 674 primary care practices in the United Kingdom.

When compared with unaffected women, matched for age and body mass index, the study found that PCOS patients were more likely to be diagnosed with mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and eating disorders.

Children born to mothers with PCOS were also found to be at greater risk of developing ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. These findings suggest that women with PCOS should be screened for mental health disorders, to ensure early diagnosis and treatment, and ultimately improve their quality of life.

"Further research is needed to confirm the neurodevelopmental effects of PCOS, and to address whether all or some types of patients with PCOS are exposed to mental health risks," said Rees.
The health of rural and Native American populations will be the focus of an upcoming summit with Sanford Health.

The Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health will host its annual summit April 16-18 in Sioux Falls. For the first time, the Center for Health Outcomes and Population Research will also present at the event.

"The needs of our native and rural communities share many similarities," said DenYelle Kenyon, associate scientist with Sanford Research and principal investigator for CRCAIH. "This kind of event allows for people from across the region to spend time together to search for commonalities, shared experiences and, ultimately, solutions."

Speakers this year will focus on storytelling as a way to share information and experience as it relates to Native American communities, research and innovation. The summit, now in its sixth year, provides networking opportunities and features presentations from researchers and experts in the field of Native American and rural health.

Highlights include:

Rafael Luna, Ph.D., of Boston College will explain how researchers can use the structural aspects of storytelling and narrative to write research manuscripts.

Abigail Echo Hawk, of the Urban Indian Health Institute and Seattle Indian Health Board, will talk about how native populations are rich with knowledge, strength and resilience and how trust and reciprocal partnerships can help research and community.

Emily Griese, Ph.D.; Jessica Hanson, Ph.D.; DenYelle Kenyon, Ph.D.; and Arielle Deutsch, Ph.D.; all of Sanford Research, will talk about their projects related to substance use, education, risks and resiliencies in rural and Native American youth.

Several members of the research and native communities will share their personal stories of how building tribal research infrastructure has helped different populations.

CRCAIH was established in 2012. It brings together tribal communities, researchers and health care entities to address American Indian health through transdisciplinary research. CHOPR was funded in July 2017 through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Center of Biomedical Research Excellence mechanism focused on American Indian and rural health.

Five tribes from North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota partner with the program. CRCAIH has supported three large research projects and 15 pilot grants, with a focus on social determinants of health.

Registration is free and open to the public. For information, go to http://crcaih.org/summit.html. The event is at the Sanford Center, 2301 E. 60th Street North, Sioux Falls.

In September 2012, Sanford Research and its partners received a $13.5 million grant  the largest in its history  from the National Institute of Health's National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to create the CRCAIH.
Sometimes images of a new car are leaked online and you have to wonder if it's the manufacturer itself that's actually the source of the supposed "leak." But when a leaked image appears online and the manufacturer concerned quickly releases its own official image that isn't a whole lot different from the leak, it seems like the automaker is playing catch-up. That's how it appears to be with Lexus and its new ES sedan, which saw a leaked image of the front grille appear online before an official image that's remarkably similar to the leak was put out by the company.

Regardless of how and when the images appeared and who released them, what they all show is the car's absolutely massive spindle grille. The official image shows little more than a close-up of the feature and the Lexus badge, while the leaked image revealed a little more of the front fascia.

The Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept vehicle is presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. (Image: AP)

We won't have to wait too long to see the new Lexus in all its glory though as it's going to be making its full global debut on April 25 at the 2018 Beijing Motor Show in China. The all-new ES, which stands for "Executive Sedan," is likely to be an important model for Lexus in China, and perhaps even more so if the reports of the People's Republic dropping its new vehicle import tariffs and making it easier for foreign manufacturers to sell there do turn out to be true.

The press release from the luxury arm of Toyota doesn't reveal much about the midsize sedan other than the fact it's "more than just a pretty face," and that it will "transform the concept of comfort for luxury consumers all over the world."

Also Read: 2018 Audi A6 Avant Unveiled, Gets Extended Wheelbase!

In European markets the ES is expected to be a replacement for the current but aging GS, which is expected to be discontinued this month as a result of a lack of demand. The new ES will be a totally new model because it will be built using the Toyota New Global Architecture, and will therefore have many things in common with the likes of the Toyota Avalon. The new platform should deliver better packaging and less weight than the GS, which is likely to lead to a positive impact on handling and fuel efficiency.

Also Watch:
Mumbai: Alleging that the probable bidders are using "arm-twisting tactics" to force the government sell the national carrier for cheap, a forum of 10 Air India unions has said that it will take up the issue with the PMO and the civil aviation ministry, among others.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the forum also reiterated its opposition to the privatisation of the loss-making airline, saying that "it (Air India) is our national pride and it served the nation many a times in need."

The statement comes following one after another potential bidder opting out of the Air India sale process after the government coming out with the terms of offer in the information memorandum. "The so-claimed probable buyers are using arm-twisting tactics so as to put pressure on the government to succumb to change the terms and conditions best suited to them and the Air India is sold for a song," the Joint Forum of Air India Unions/Guilds/Association said in the statement.

The forum comprises Air Corporations Employees Union, All India Service Engineers Associations, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers Association, All India Aircraft Engineers Association, Air India Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, All India Cabin Crew Association and All India Airline Retired Personnel Association.

On March 28, the civil aviation ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India's strategic disinvestment, as per which, the government plans to offload 76 percent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control.

The proposed transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services, which is an equal joint venture between the national airline and Singapore-based SATS. "The joint forum as stated many times has strongly opposed the privatisation of Air India and its subsidiaries as the Air India is our national pride and served the nation many a times at needs," the forum said.

"This statement is issued by the joint forum to safeguard the national interest. A detailed letter in this regard will be sent to the prime minister office, ministry of civil aviation and Air India management," it added. Budget carrier IndiGo, which is struggling with Pratt & Whitney engine issues in its A320 Neo planes, had initially evinced interest in acquiring Air India's international operations, but later backed out, saying such an option was not available under the disinvestment plan.

Days later, Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways also said it had decided not to participate in the Air India sale process considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on its review.

The forum had held a protest meeting also at the national carrier's Kalina officer here on Tuesday against the government's privatisation move. The government is giving the Air India to private players at a time when the carrier is improving its operational and financial performance, the forum had alleged, stating that the move amounts to "socialising losses and privatising profits."
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing another loan of Rs 5,280 crore extended by a consortium of 31 banks led by ICICI Bank to the companies of absconding billionaire jeweller Mehul Choksi, officials said on Wednesday.

The probe is different from the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud already unearthed, the investigative agency said. They said whether a fresh FIR will be registered in the case or the ambit of an existing FIR will be expanded, will be decided before proceeding with action in the matter. The agency in February had examined a senior ICICI Bank functionary too, they said.

However, the sleuths said that for the time being, their focus would remain on the fraudulent LoUs worth Rs 13,000 crore given to Choksis and Nirav Modis companies. The loan of Rs 5,280 crore to the companies of Choksi in 2016 will come under its probe at a later stage, they said.

The scanner on the loan comes after ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar and Axis Bank MD Shikha Sharma were summoned by Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) on March 6 while investigating the loan given to the Gitanjali Group.

Meanwhile, the agency questioned three officials from foreign branches of Indian banks, which had given credit facilities to the companies of absconding billionaire jewellers, on the basis of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by Punjab National Bank's Brady House branch in Mumbai.

Two officials of Canara Bank's branch in Bahrain, including its branch manager, and an official of Bank of India's branch in Antwerp in Belgium were questioned by a CBI team in Mumbai, they said.

It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) of USD 2 billion issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims. The accused PNB officials did not enter the instructions for these LoUs in their internal software to avoid scrutiny.

They were sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds. An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.
New Delhi: Amid questions being raised by no less than other judges in the same Court, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Chief Justice of India has the "exclusive prerogative" to constitute benches and he is placed at the helm of the institution by virtue of the Constitution.

A three-judge bench, incidentally headed by incumbent CJI Dipak Misra, held that Constitutional provisions have put the CJI at the helm and his authority is derived from the Constitution to make sure the Supreme Court can effectively discharge its duties.

"There cannot be a presumption of mistrust (against the CJI). Let this issue be put to rest now," said Justice DY Chandrachud, who authored the judgment for the bench.

The Court further maintained that the office of the CJI is an independent safeguard under the constitutional scheme and that entrustment of powers with the CJI is to enable the top court carry out its functions.

It said that while CJI is first among equals in terms of judicial powers, CJI occupies a distinctive position in matters of administrative affairs.

The Court passed its verdict while dismissing a PIL that had questioned the sole prerogative of the CJI to allocate cases and set up benches in the apex court.

The PIL filed by by advocate Asok Pande had urged the bench to issue orders so that CJI sits with other senior judges and set up Constitution Benches including such senior judges. The bench rejected all these prayers.

In January, the four most senior judges held an unprecedented press conference raising questions over the manner in which CJI Misra was allocating politically sensitive cases to certain select benches.

It had come days after CJI Misra, heading a five-judge Constitution Bench, had declared through a ruling that CJI is "the master of the roster".

Around a month later, the CJI also placed the roster of allocation of cases in the top court in the public domain. In the roster, the CJI kept all fresh PILs before his court.

Justice J Chelameswar, one of the four judges in that press conference, reiterated last week during a public talk that not everything is well in the Supreme Court as far as allocation of sensitive cases to benches are concerned.
Srinagar: A soldier and three civilians were killed as militants clashed with security forces on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, triggering violent street protests, officials and witnesses said.

The security forces finally used heavy explosives to destroy the house from where two or three militants linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were firing away in Wani Mohalla in Khudwani area.

By then, however, one soldier and three civilians had been killed while two security personnel and over 40 civilians were injured.

Reports from the battle site said the house where the militants were hiding was destroyed while two others caught fire when the security forces used explosives. Two security personnel were also injured in the gunfight.

There was no official word on the death of any militant.

The civilian casualties occurred when people out of their homes during the gun battle and pelted stones at the security personnel.

Doctors said a civilian, Faisal Elahi, 15, was brought to a hospital in Qaimoh town in Kulgam district and he succumbed to critical bullet injuries.

Earlier, two other civilians, Bilal Ahmad Dar, 17, and Sharjeel Sheikh 28, injured during clashes between protesters and security forces died.

Four injured civilians have been referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment. Informed sources said over 40 civilians were injured in street clashes.

Police said the soldier was killed and two other security personnel were injured in firing by the holed up militants.

Authorities ordered closure of all schools and colleges in Kulgam and Internet services have been suspended in south Kashmir.

Clashes also erupted on Wednesday between students and security personnel in north Kashmir's Sopore town as news about the deaths of civilians in Kulgam spread.

Student protests also rocked Kashmir University in Srinagar, Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora in south Kashmir and Degree College in Bandipora in north Kashmir.
Srinagar: Three militants cornered by the security forces managed to escape after a prolonged fire-fight in south Kashmir's Kulgam district even as a jawan was killed in action while four civilians onlookers lost their lives in the crossfire, officials said.

Briefing reporters, senior police officers said there was specific intelligence about the presence of three local militants owing allegiance to Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba terror group at a house in the Khudwani area following which a cordon was thrown at 10 pm last night.

The security forces suffered a setback at the beginning itself when a jawan identified as Sapper Sada Gunakara Rao (24), was injured and rushed to the Army base hospital here. Rao, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, the gun-fight outside the house where the militants were holed up continued with bullets flying in every direction, they said. The house was on the bank of Jhelum and locals started gathering on the other side of the river, officials said.

Repeated requests were made to the onlookers to leave the area as they were within the firing range. However, the warnings went unheeded and four civilians were killed, they said. Three of the slain youth were identified as Sarjeel Ahmad (25), Bilal Ahmad Tantray (16) and Faisal Ilahi (14). The identity of the fourth was being ascertained. "In the encounter, four civilians, who were injured in the crossfire, have succumbed to their injuries," a police spokesman said.

However, some people in Kulgam alleged that the four were killed when security forces opened fire on a crowd that was proceeding towards the encounter site. Police officials said that after the civilians were killed in the crossfire, the operation had to be called off for a brief time, to allow police and CRPF to disperse the mob that had gathered across the river.

That the three militants, one of them seriously injured, had escaped became clear after the rubble of the house were cleared, police officials said. There were clashes between protestors and security forces and 24 people sustained injuries, they said. While majority were sent home, around seven were still in hospital and their condition was stable, they said.

As the news of civilian deaths spread, protests broke out in several areas of north Kashmir including Baramulla, Bandipora and Sopore towns, officials said. Several security force personnel including the station house officer of Baramulla police station were injured in stone-pelting by the protestors.

Principal opposition party National Conference tweeted that this was a "costly encounter" because of killing of civilians and Army personnel. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the morning in New Delhi, flew to Srinagar instead of Jammu to review the law and order situation in the Valley.

Expressing her grief, she said there was an urgent need "to get together to get Jammu and Kashmir out of this vicious cycle of violence and killings." CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said "seeing dead bodies our young persons has now become a tragic routine and condemnations and denouncements too had become "rituals".

"Our repeated cries for sanity and calm handling of the issues are also falling on deaf ears. Every week new tragedies are unfolding...This has to stop now." Meanwhile, separatists under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) called for a general strike tomorrow against the "civilian killings".
Chandigarh: The BJP government in Haryana will give a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to those residents of the state who were "sufferers" and were imprisoned during the days of Emergency between June 1975 to March 1977, the state Cabinet decided here on Wednesday.

The Cabinet met here this evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The Cabinet approved the Haryana State Shubhra Jyotsna Pension and Other Facilities Scheme, 2018, which will be applicable from November 1, 2017, an official release said.

"Under the scheme, a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 will be given to those residents of Haryana who had actively participated during the period of emergency, that is from June 25,1975 to March 21,1977 and had faced imprisonment under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), 1971 and Defence of India Act, 1962.

"Apart from this, those people who did not have Haryana domicile, but were arrested in Haryana and jailed in the state during Emergency would also be entitled for the pension," the release said.

Citing the cabinet decision, it said those residents of Haryana who had struggled during the period of Emergency and faced imprisonment even for one day under MISA Act or Defence of India Act, 1972 and rules framed there under shall be eligible to avail the benefit of the scheme.

It said the policy shall also be applicable to widows of such persons.

"The beneficiary shall have to produce a jail certificate for the same issued by the Jail Superintendent concerned and countersigned by District Magistrate. In case any such person is unable to produce the jail certificate due to record missing or being unavailable, he may produce certificate from two co-prisoners. Such certificate of co-prisoners must be authenticated by an MLA or MP of the concerned district," it said.

Such Emergency sufferers will have to open an Aadhaar linked saving bank account in any nationalized bank to transfer the amount of pension to their bank accounts and have to give a 'life certificate' in the month of January every year as is being followed in the case of other pensioners, it said.

"Emergency sufferers who are getting pension or honorarium of any kind from any other State Government will also be eligible. However, if an otherwise eligible Emergency sufferer is getting pension from any other State Government for the same purpose of an amount less than Rs 10,000 per month, the entitlement of pension under this scheme would be reduced by that amount," it said.

The pension shall be cancelled in case of conviction by the Court on charges of moral turpitude or for providing false information or affidavit, the release added.
Alappuzha(Ker): A 10-year-old blood cancer patient, who had allegedly tested positive for HIV after getting a transfusion of 'infected' blood, died here on Wednesday.

The girl was suffering from pneumonia, and passed away at the Alappuzha Medical College hospital here this morning, Medical superintendent Ram Lal, told PTI. "The patient had been having blood cancer and died due to its complications," he said.

The girl's family has alleged that she had tested positive for HIV after "undergoing blood transfusion at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC)" in Thiruvananthapuram last year.

Her father alleged that there were 'lapses' in the treatment of his daughter at RCC in March last year. The child had been admitted to the Alappuzha Medical College hospital a week ago and was discharged. She was again admitted today, he said.

The family had not yet received the report of the blood test conducted in New Delhi, he told reporters and alleged that there was 'conspiracy' in not releasing the test report.

The state government had instituted an inquiry committee after the allegations against RCC surfaced. The committee in its report had stated that there was no fault on RCC's part, in the matter.

The child was referred to RCC from the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital last year after doctors noticed a swelling in one of her eyes.
Agartala: Roll Number One, the teacher called out and pat came the reply with a confident Yes, Sir. And so began the day for this middle school student, a 73-year-old, who has captured everyones attention in Mizorams Champhai. Pu (Mr) Ringthar, as his classmates fondly call him, is possibly Indias oldest student in Mizoram.

Lalringthara studies alongside 11 and 12-year-old students after enrolling himself in fifth grade at the Mizo-medium New Hruaikawn Government Middle School in Champhai District, 232 km from Aizawl.

I am very happy to sit next to playful young students in my class. They are lovely and I dont feel awkward in any way. My only worry is to be able to wear proper clothes to school daily. Other than that, I have no other problem, said Lalringthara.

In his crisp white shirt and black trousers, Lalringthara stands in the front row during the morning assembly every day when school starts at 8 am.

He was admitted to the new session (2018-2019) on the 3rd of April this year, and his teachers regard him to be a good student.

Lalringhthara is one among the nine students of Class 5. When he first came to me, I was a little taken aback by his decision to get admitted to school, but he was very serious about it. He wishes to learn English. The students are very fond of him and they respect him for his age, said school headmaster, Vanlalkima.

He walks to the Mizo-medium school every day, which is barely 300 metres from his house in New Hruaikawn village, which only has about forty families.

During free periods and recesses, the headmaster calls him to his room for a conversation, or share words of wisdom and perhaps some lessons too.

Lalringthara has never had a family, but now he is not alone anymore. He had been to school once but could never finish his studies. After clearing Class 2 in 1958, he took to farming and started saving whatever he could for a decent living.

Lalringthara knows how to read and write Mizo, but his only dream is to learn English. Headmaster Vanlalkima said his oldest student is in good health and is very enthusiastic to study and even sit for examinations.

Trying to match his steps with other students in the school drill exercise, Pu Ringthar is spirited enough to look to the future. He hopes to inspire others to ignore obstacles of old age and follow their heart.

Going to school is a very special feeling. Education is the best way to prepare for a promising future and all students should be determined to do their best. And for people like me, I want them to feel free and not be ashamed to go to school, remarked Lalringthara.

(With inputs from Zothansanga)
Lucknow: BJP MP Savitri Bai Phule, who raised her voice against the growing doubts among Dalits regarding the scrapping of reservation, clarified on Wednesday that she is not against the Central government or its leadership.

I am not against BJP government or party leadership but at the same time it is my duty to raise voice against the Dalit atrocities in the country. I am concerned about the condition of Dalits in the state though, said Phule.

There should be an inquiry into the deaths of Dalit people who died during Bharat Bandh on April 2 and strict action should be taken against those who were involved in the violence during the band," she said while addressing a press conference in Lucknow.

Only last week, India had witnessed a massive Bharat Bandh protests across various parts of the country against the alleged dilution of SC/ST Act. 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

On being asked if the MP was not satisfied with the action taken by Yogi Adityanath government against culprits involved in violence during Bharat Bandh, Phule said, All I want to say that if culprits are not punished then Dalits will not get justice. Instead of sending culprits to jail the government has sent Dalit students and workers to jail. I demand that government should immediately release such students and workers else their future will be at stake.

On being asked if she was worried about the consequences awaiting her for speaking against her own party, Phule said, I am not speaking against my party or raising any questions on the leadership. I am part of the government and it is my responsibility to raise the issues related to Dalits and backwards. The security of the Dalits and backwards is the responsibility of the government.

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.

Also, 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.

Earlier, Savitri Bai Phule led a protest march against the Central government alleging there was a conspiracy to end reservations.

She also alleged that the government was just playing the role of a mute spectator.

Speaking to News18, Phule said, Reservation is not begging but instead it is a matter of representation. If the people in power try to change the Indian Constitution and end the reservation through it, then there will be a bloodbath for sure. Reservation was given to us by Baba Saheb as our right and no one else can claim it.

Phule said that there is continuous debate regarding the review of the Constitution and reservation, which is a disguised effort to end the reservation. She said that she will fight against any effort to end reservation tooth and nail.
Chennai: The government cannot force the Indian armed forces to buy indigenous weapons, said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, after inaugurating a defence exhibition that is aimed at projecting India as a global force in defence manufacturing hub.

The four-day DefExpo India, with the theme of Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub, being held in Chennai is the 10th edition of the biennial exercise aimed at establishing Brand India and highlighting the manufacturing capabilities of the country's public and private sectors. India, meanwhile, is one of the biggest defence arms importers in the world.

Asked about the huge export-import gap in the defence sector of a country that does not figure among the top 25 exporters of arms and the reluctance of its forces to buy locally manufactured weaponry, Sitharaman said she could only tell the Indian armed forces to procure from indigenous companies "as much as possible".

According to IANS, she added that she could not cross a "thin line" to impinge on the freedom of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force or the Indian Navy "to make their own decisions" as per their operational requirements.

"I can't imagine prevailing upon them. We will only want them to give space to local manufacturers and buy indigenous products."

The defence exhibition that targets India's futuristic goal of building a self-sufficient domestic arms industry  a key facet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" slogan  comes even as the armed forces of India faces multiple security threats from various quarters.

At the heart of this is the country's inability to boost indigenous defence manufacturing, which is often blamed on inordinate procedural delays, making a product redundant by the time it gets market-ready.

For example, the advanced versions of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft and the Arjun main battle tank. While the aircraft is still not combat-ready despite being in the making for over three decades, the main battle tank is said to be too heavy and poor in serviceability.

At the defence exhibition, dozens of foreign and local companies and defence public sector undertakings are hard selling their products to the Indian armed forces and foreigners, including defence attaches.

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said the government was not targeting a specific number of deals or agreements expected to be signed at the exhibition that "showcases the strengths of India's public sector and also uncovers India's growing private industry and spreading MSME base for components and sub-systems".
Kolkata: Photojournalist Biplab Mondal was allegedly abducted, assaulted and threatened by Trinamool Congress hooligans while he was covering violence that occurred during filing of nominations for the panchayat elections in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district.

The alleged crime took place on April 9 in district headquarters of Alipur at Treasury Building around 11.30 am near the police station and Bhawani Bhawan which is the headquarters of the state CID.

Following the incident, media in Kolkata organized a protest rally from Gandhi Murti-Park Street-Dorina Crossing to Gandhi Murti in Esplanade area on Wednesday.

Nearly 250 journalists and photo-journalists participated in the protest rally. Protesting against anarchy by the ruling party, they demanded adequate security for the media professionals who often risked their life while on assignments.

Reacting to the journalists' procession, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it was a propaganda of a specific media house.

"No such incident has taken place. This is being done deliberately by some quarter. A planned effort is on to influence the judiciary. It is the tactics of a particular media house," Banerjee told PTI.

Appropriate action would be taken against the media house, she said, adding that media must be impartial.

"There is no information of attack on any journalist. I stay at Alipur. If journalists are attacked, I myself enquire. Police told me they talked to the so-called victims of attack and he too did not say anything," the Chief Minister said.

Speaking to News18, Mondal said, I am in this profession for several years but never witnessed such act of high handedness. A team of policemen came to my house today and took my statement. I want stern action should be taken against the accused persons.

When asked to elaborate about the incident, he said, I went to cover filing of nominations on April 9 at Alipore. I took a few photographs which angered a section of youths who were present at the spot. They abused and dragged me inside a small room (close to the venue). It was then their torture started. They stripped me partially and beat me mercilessly. I was screaming for help but they continue to beat me. In the meantime, another youth shouted piece piece kore de.guli kore de (cut him in to piecesshoot him dead). Then one of them threatened to upload my partially naked photograph on Facebook.

He recalled, I was scared but regained by senses. I told them there is no point in uploading my partially naked photographs. (I told them) Its better you kill me, hang my body and then upload my photographs on Facebook for better unnayan (development) in this state. They (assaulters) were backed by the ruling party (TMC) and they claimed that there are posted there because they want development in the state. They snatched my camera and deleted all the photographs I had taken. Presently, the Alipore police have seized my camera for investigation. Soon after the incident, he was rescued by a group of journalists and taken to a nearby health care unit with multiple injuries.

Members of South 24 Parganas Media and Journalists Welfare Association condemned the incident and wrote a letter to the district magistrate and demanded immediate action against the attackers.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday said Railway Minister Piyush Goyal must be sacked and a judicial probe ordered by a Supreme Court judge into charges that a company owned by his wife earned a profit of Rs 30 crore on a paid-up capital of Rs 1 lakh in 10 years.

The party alleged that Intercon Advisors Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Seema Goyal, with a paid-up capital of Rs 1 lakh, had ended up with earnings of Rs 30 crore -- earning Rs 30,000 per share of the total 10,000 allotted shares.

"This must make it the most valued company in recent corporate history," the party said.

"Truth is that the position of Piyush Goyal stands compromised leaving it untenable for him to continue as a union cabinet minister and he should be sacked immediately," said the party.

The Congress questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's silence on the issue.

"The Modi government's fake edifice of self-proclaimed transparency, accountability and honesty lies in tatters.

"Skeletons of conflict of interest, sweetened deals, gross impropriety and bank loan defaults are tumbling out every day," said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera.

Khera said: "Piyush Goyal and Seema Goyal are owners of Intercon Advisors Pvt Ltd. Piyush Goyal resigned as a director on May 13, 2014 (just before becoming a cabinet minister) and transferred his shares to his wife.

"Presently, Seema Goyal owns 9,999 shares and one share is owned by Dhruv Goyal, son of Piyush Goyal, It is a 100 per cent family-owned company," he added.

"In 2007-08, 2008-09, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, Piyush Goyal and family did not even disclose the complete source of earnings of Intercon Advisors Pvt Ltd by merely describing it as consultancy fee, short term capital gains or profit on future and options, without giving any details," he added.

Hitting back at the Congress over its allegations against Goyal, the BJP, in a late night statement, said the party was making "false", "sensational" and "scurrilous" statements to divert attention from the many scams committed by it.

The BJP said that the Congress was misrepresenting the income earned by Goyal through professional consultancy.

"The Congress continues its past record of making false, sensational and scurrilous statements to divert attention from huge scams of Congress party and its leaders which are in public domain," the statement said.

It said while Goyal was a preeminent chartered accountant and financial advisor in the country before May, 2014, he wound up all professional activities after becoming a Union minister.

"From July, 2014, Goyal resigned from the board of the company and it effectively started functioning as an investment company managing its own investments," the BJP statement said.

The saffron party also said that though as a professional, Goyal was running his businesses through a number of firms, he fully dissociated himself from all these companies during 2014.

It said while Goyal was on the board of Shirdi Industries Ltd from April 25, 2008 to July 1, 2010, he had nothing to do with it or its associated companies since then.

"A cursory scrutiny of their statutory filings also discloses that the statements made by Congress about the alleged loan amount was totally incorrect, false and a malicious attempt to defame Goyal," it stated.

(With inputs from PTI)
Mbabane (Swaziland): India on Tuesday donated USD 1 million to support Swaziland's national disaster management agency and expressed commitment to the developmental partnership to create local capacities in the country and across Africa.

The commitment came as President Ram Nath Kovind addressed Swaziland's parliament, becoming the first visiting Head of the State to do so.

The president said India was committed "to developmental partnership and India's approach is to create local capacities in Swaziland and across Africa.

Kovind arrived in Swaziland on Monday on the second leg of his three-nation tour which also included Equatorial Guinea and Zambia.

"To support the Swaziland National Disaster Management Agency, we have decided to donate USD 1 million as well as food grains... We invite Swaziland to join the International Solar Alliance as a partner country," the president said.

He said India was ready to help the country on issues of public health.

"India is the main source of affordable generic drugs including anti-retroviral drugs for fighting HIV. Swaziland has made remarkable progress in slowing the spread of HIV," he said.

India will establish a Centre of Agricultural Excellence in Swaziland for sharing its experience in the sector, Kovind said.

"I had the honour to inaugurate the IT Centre built with Indian assistance. We must also guard against cyber threats. India has offered to help in the construction of a Disaster Recovery Site for providing data backup at Swaziland's National Data Centre," he said.

India is keen to share its expertise and experience with Swaziland and with the whole of the African continent, Kovind added.

"The Kingdom is a member of many regional economic groupings. I see good potential for Indian investors to leverage these advantages, and use Swaziland as a regional hub for manufacturing and services," he said.

India also announced concessional finance for constructing a new parliament building in Swaziland.

However, no details of the concessional finance were provided.
Lucknow: BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused of raping an 18-year-old girl in Unnao, staged a major drama late on Wednesday night when he staged a false surrender at the Lucknow SSP's office soon after it was reported that senior BJP leaders had intervened in the matter. However, he spoke to the media in front of the police station and left after five minutes saying this was only to show that he is not a fugitive and was "willing to join the probe".

This comes after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the rape case stated in its report that Singh may have been involved in the conspiracy behind assaulting the girls father while in police custody.

Sengar told News18, I went to the SSPs office to tell them that I will follow the law and I am not a rapist. I believe in the judiciary. I am traumatised but I am ready for any investigation and I need protection from all the false charges against me.

A day after the girls attempted suicide near CM Yogi Adityanaths house on Sunday, her father died in police custody in Unnao on Monday. He was allegedly beaten up by supporters of Sengar while police officers remained inactive.

The SIT headed by Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow zone) visited Makhi village from where the rape victim hailed and collected information to submit a report to the chief minister.

Sources say the SIT report holds Sengar guilty of conspiracy that led to the death of the rape survivor's father.

The 50-year-olds autopsy report mentioned shock and septicaemia as the cause behind his death. It also mentioned that there were several assault wounds on his body and bleeding in his lower intestine.

When the girls father was taken to the district hospital on April 3, he reportedly had seven visible injuries on his body.

The doctors deemed him fit and he was sent to judicial custody.

However, the number of injuries increased to 18, as mentioned in the post-mortem report. The SIT, hence concluded that the additional injuries were caused by the beatings in police custody.

The report further states that UP police acted under duress to save him (MLAs brother), the Print reported.

Atul Singh, the brother of MLA Sengar, was arrested in Unnao early on Tuesday.

ADG law and order Anand Kumar, who is heading the SIT, said that it was sheer negligence on part of the police.

Though the police earlier maintained that Atul Singh was not on the spot when the teens father was thrashed, we found that the police acted under duress to save him, he told the website.

A video of the girl's deceased father emerged on Wednesday in which he is accusing Sengars brother Atul and other accomplices of thrashing him "mercilessly". He had also alleged that instead of rescuing him, the police was acting as mere spectators.

In the video, which is said to have been shot on April 3, the survivor's father can be seen saying, I was beaten up by the brother of the MLA and his four aides in the presence of the police. Police did not stop them from beating me up neither they saved me.

Wearing a dark blue t-shirt and with visible bruises on his face, the father said that he was beaten up mercilessly by Atul.

The survivor's family has also demanded a CBI inquiry into the death of her father. Hearing a petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will hear the plea for CBI probe next week.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board to produce documents that bear the signature of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim of ownership on the Taj Mahal.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the apex court on Tuesday gave the board a week's time to produce signature of emperor Shah Jahan, who died under house arrest in the Agra Fort almost 18 years after building the monument in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

In 2010, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had petitioned the court against the waqf boards July 2005 decision ordering that the Taj be registered as the latters property. There is a stay on the order.

While tracing the history of the monument, the Chief Justice of India asked, "Who in India will believe that the Taj belongs to the waqf board? How did Shah Jahan sign the waqfnama? When was it given to you?"

The Board through Senior Advocate VV Giri claimed that the monument belonged to the Waqf since Shah Jahan's time and that it is a property under the Waqfnama. The claim is challenged by the ASI.

Appearing for the ASI, advocate ADN Rao said "there was no existence of waqfnama at that time".

"Under the 1858 proclamation, the properties taken over from the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, by the British vested with the Queen. By the 1948 Act, the buildings were taken over by the Indian government, advocate Rao added.

The three-member bench of CJI and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud reminded the board that the monument which was built in the 17th century was passed on to the East India Company after the fall of the Mughal dynasty and further vested in the ASI post-independence.

"Shah Jahan used to view the Taj Mahal from his cell in Agra Fort where he was sent to serve house arrest by his son Aurangazeb. How did he sign the waqfnama while in custody? Show us the documents signed by the emperor," said CJI Misra demanding for documents with Shah Jahan's handwriting.

The issue was first initiated in the court when a resident of UP moved the Allahabad High Court to push his claims to be appointed as caretaker of the Taj Mahal, as a Mughal descendent. The High Court back then had refuse to intervene into the matter and asked to make a representation to the Waqf Board instead.

The Waqf Board is also contesting another crucial battle with the Supreme Court over the ownership of the Ayodhya land on which the erstwhile (now demolished) Babri Masjid stood.
Lucknow: The Allahabad high court on Wednesday ordered to stop the cremation of Unnao rape survivors father even as the accused BJP MLAs wife threatened to give up her life if her husband is proven guilty.

Two days after Unnao rape survivors father died due to shock and septicaemia, the chief justice took suo moto cognisance of the letter written by the 18-year-old girl and said that if her fathers body has not been cremated, it should be put on hold. The matter has been posted for hearing on Thursday.

On the other hand, Bangarmau BJP MLAs wife Sangeeta Sengar said that her husband is innocent. "If he is proven guilty, the entire family will give up their lives. The way evidences are being hidden, it is not correct, we want justice," news agency ANI quoted her as saying.

My husband is innocent. If he is proven guilty, the entire family will give up their lives. The way evidences are being hidden, it is not correct, we want justice: Sangeeta Sengar, accused MLA Kuldeep Senga's wife #Unnao pic.twitter.com/vUgF8ZyQl9 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

Earlier in the day, Sangeeta met UP DGP and demanded NARCO test of the survivor and her husband, Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

There is a political conspiracy to defame my family. I demand NARCO test of the girl, her uncle, as well as my husband. The truth will be out in the open. Our entire family is undergoing mental trauma, Sengar said after meeting UP Director General of Police O P Singh.

The survivor had tried to immolate herself near UP CM's residence on Sunday after alleging that she was raped by the BJP MLA and his brothers. However, a day later, her father died at a hospital.

The father was in custody in Unnao when the incident occurred, prompting the girl to charge that he was killed inside the district jail at the behest of the BJP MLA. The post-mortem report suggested that he died due to shock and septicaemia as "all the ante-mortem injuries on the victims body were fatal".

According to the rape survivors complaint, Sengar's brother Atul and his aides pulled out the girl's father from his house in Unnao, before the father's arrest, and verbally abused him and assaulted him after tying him to a tree to deter him from pursuing the gang-rape case. Soon after, a team of Lucknow Crime Branch arrested Atul from his home.

Adding to the recent charges, a video of the girl's father emerged on Wednesday where he is accusing Sengars brother Atul and accomplices of thrashing him up "mercilessly". He also alleged that instead of rescuing him, the police was acting as mere spectators.

In the video, which is said to be of 3rd April, survivor's father can be seen saying, I was beaten up by the brother of the MLA and his four aides in the presence of the police. Police did not stop them from beating me up neither they saved me. Wearing a dark blue t-shirt and with visible bruises on his face, the father of said that he was beaten up mercilessly by Atul.

The girl has not been able to give any evidence against my husband, and yet my husband has been termed as a rapist. The girl has slapped rape charges in the past, too, on one the boys in her village, Sengar's wife said, adding that proper investigation should be done in the matter and if the rape charges are found to be false, then the girl and her uncle should be imprisoned.

The survivor's family has also demanded a CBI inquiry into the death of her father. Hearing a petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will hear the plea for CBI probe next week.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator "under political pressure" and that the state police would not carry out a "fair investigation under compulsion", the petition said the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

The public interest petition also sought protection and compensation to the victims' kin, as was provided in the Nirbhaya gangrape case.

Meanwhile, news agency ANI quoted ADG Lucknow zone Rajeev Krishna saying that the girl's family will be provided full security.

"They have a relative in Delhi, now it is their decision if they want to live here in Unnao or in Delhi. We have come here to investigate. I will send the interim report to the state government by this evening. All the angles are being investigated. There is no pressure on the SIT. It is working independently," Krishna, who is heading the SIT, said.

The family will be provided full security. They have a relative in Delhi, now it is their decision if they want to live here in Unnao or in Delhi, says ADG Lucknow zone Rajeev Krishna who is heading the SIT in #Unnao rape case pic.twitter.com/oyRiuux4vW ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

We have come here to investigate. I will send the interim report to the state govt by this evening. All the angles are being investigated. There is no pressure on the SIT. It is working independently: ADG Lucknow zone Rajeev Krishna #Unnao pic.twitter.com/F0BbmhOjrX ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

(With inputs from PTI)
Washington: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg during his congressional hearing on Tuesday said he wants to ensure protection of integrity of elections, mentioning that he knows the importance of the upcoming polls in countries, including India, Hungary and Brazil.

Zuckerberg faced a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. He noted that there are several important elections in 2018 in countries like India, Hungary and Brazil and his company wants to ensure protection of integrity in these elections.

Zuckerberg, 33, testified before the senators and a House panel amid a firestorm over the alleged hijacking of data of millions of Facebook users by British firm Cambridge Analytica.

A satirical take on Mark Zuckerberg's Senate testimony on Facebook data breach. (Mir Suhail/News18 Creatives)

Cambridge Analytica also had operations in India, and the BJP and Congress have accused each other of employing the services of the tainted UK firm to formulate election strategy. On Friday, it was revealed that data of 5.62 lakh Indians had been compromised by Cambridge Analytica.

During nearly five hours of questioning by 44 US senators, Zuckerberg repeated apologies he previously made for a range of problems that have beset Facebook, from a lack of data protection to Russian agents using Facebook to influence US elections.

The wide-ranging questions  including about Cambridge Analytica, which used data scraped from 87 million Facebook users to target political ads ahead of the 2016 US election  put the 33-year-old billionaire under a microscope for several hours.

Wearing a dark suit and tie instead of his typical T-shirt and jeans, Zuckerberg remained largely unruffled and serious as senators questioned him. But some senators did provoke a reaction. Zuckerberg was asked whether Facebook was a monopoly. "It certainly doesn't feel that way to me," he said, breaking into a smile as the audience laughed.

But the senators who asked sharp questions were often at a disadvantage because each had only five minutes to pin down the billionaire.

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, from Facebook's home state of California, asked a line of questions about whether Zuckerberg or his senior executives considered notifying Facebook users of the data breach. She was among the lawmakers dissatisfied.

Facebook disclosed in September that Russians under fake names used the social network to try to influence U.S. voters in the months before and after the 2016 election, writing about inflammatory subjects, setting up events and buying ads.

"We believe it is entirely possible that there will be a connection there," Zuckerberg said when asked if there was overlap between Cambridge Analytica's harvested user data and the political propaganda pushed by the Kremlin-linked Internet Research Agency during the 2016 presidential election, which Facebook has said was seen by some 126 million people.

The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Facebook violated an agreement it signed with the agency in 2011 by its actions in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

In the agreement, which Facebook signed to end an investigation into privacy breaches, the company promised not to misrepresent the extent to which it maintains the privacy or security of personal information, and it said it would obtain users' affirmative consent before sharing personal information with any third party.

Zuckerberg told senators he did not see the Cambridge Analytica episode as a violation. But he acknowledged that Facebook did not notify the FTC in 2015 when it first learned of that company's data-harvesting.

On Friday, Zuckerberg threw his support behind proposed legislation, known as the Honest Ads Act, that would require social media sites to disclose the identities of buyers of online political campaign ads.

On Tuesday, however, Zuckerberg would not agree to speak out further on behalf of the Honest Ads Act.

"Are you going to come back up here and be a strong advocate to see that that law's passed?" asked Democratic Senator Tom Udall.

"Senator, the biggest thing I think we can do is implement it," Zuckerberg responded, saying that Facebook already planned to comply voluntarily.

Udall pressed: "I'd like a yes or no answer."

Zuckerberg again demurred, saying: "I'm going to direct my team to focus on this."

(With agency inputs)

04_2018/11-04-2018/zuckerberg_on_election_in_india.mp4
Over the last 18 years, ever since Kareena Kapoor Khan made her debut in Refugee, the diva has not just proved to be one of the finest actresses in the country but also a fashion icon who thousands look up to for inspiration. Kareena's flawless sense of style, chic sartorial choices and the confidence in pulling off anything that she sports, is absolutely commendable. From looking stunning in gowns, beautiful in traditional wear to nailing it in a bikini, Kareena can sure do it all.

Recently, the star was snapped wearing a summery yellow saree, courtesy Masaba Gupta, for the Lokmat awards, held on Tuesday in Mumbai.

Styled by Tanya Ghavri, the diva looked gorgeous in the 'canary yellow chanderi saree' that featured 'tribal vase pleats and kalash khadi palla'. The saree had a bright pink border and was teamed with a matching pink blouse giving it a pop of colour.

Kareena's kohl rimmed eyes with minimal makeup, statement earrings, bindi, hair tied in a bun, only accentuated the diva's elegant look.

Take a look.

 @masabagupta @shriramhariramjewellers A post shared by Tanya Ghavri (@tanghavri) on Apr 10, 2018 at 6:09am PDT

A post shared by Tanya Ghavri (@tanghavri) on Apr 10, 2018 at 6:14am PDT

We love Kareena's latest look. What do you think about it? Tell us in the comments section below.
It's April or as Marvel fans would like to call it, 'Avengers month'. Yes, the plethora of superheroes in Marvel Cinematic Universe are all set to join the forces to fight their biggest and baddest villain till date- Thanos. The film will see the Infinity Stones-lusting alien entering Earth to complete his Infinity Gauntlet and facing the collective force of all the MCU superheroes seen on the big screen.

As explained in the film's synopsis, the much-anticipated film will see an unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice it all in an attempt to defeat the power of Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Infinity War combines almost every single superhero from across the 18-film franchise that began 10 years ago with the release of Iron Man in 2008. As the star-studded trailer shows, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, Chris Evans Captain America, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, Tom Hollands Spider-Man, Paul Rudds Ant-Man, the rest of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and pretty much every other ancillary character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe are back. Directed by the Russo brothers, the film of cosmic proportions is slated to release on April 27 but before that one needs to know the whereabouts of the superheroes after the heartbreaking rift in the team as seen in Captain America: Civil War.

Iron Man

In 2008 Iron Man started assembling a group of remarkable humans to save the planet from external and internal threats working on the idea of S.H.I.E.L.D head Nick Fury. He became the first member to be recruited in the team called Avengers. Now after 10 years, Stark was left to pick up the pieces of the Avengers after the conflict in Captain America: Civil War. Things got a little bit better for Tony when he rekindled his relationship with Pepper Potts and mentored a young Spiderman. Without a full Avengers team to rely on, Stark refocused his efforts on creating the ultimate suit of Iron Man armor for himself. As Avengers: Infinity War Prelude revealed, Stark wants to be able to handle any intergalactic threat on his own.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Captain America and Bucky

Captain America is now hiding in Wakanda with Bucky, T'Challa being on their side. Bucky sought treatment in Wakanda, where Black Panther assured Captain America that they could fix The Winter Soldier. As a post-credits scene in 2018s Black Panther revealed, Letitia Wrights Shuri, Black Panthers sister, healed Buckys mind and gave him a new vibranium arm. To reflect these changes, Bucky also took a new codename, the White Wolf.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Thor

While Asgard might be one of the mightiest planets in the MCU galaxy, it was completely destroyed during 2017s Thor: Ragnarok. As the new King of Asgard, Thor ordered a spaceship full of Asgardian refugees to head towards Earth for refuge. While Thor was admiring his new eye patch in the films post-credits scene, their ship encountered the Sanctuary II, Thanos massive ship that was also heading towards Earth.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Hulk

In 2017s Thor: Ragnarok, Mark Ruffalos Hulk dazzled audiences with his turn as a super-strong gladiator in the Contest of Champions. Once Thor rescued his friend from work, the Hulk transformed back into the neurotic scientist Bruce Banner for the first time in two years. Although he was understandably hesitant about changing back into the Hulk, he ultimately transformed back into the Green Goliath to help Thor defeat Hela. Along with Thor and his allies, Hulk will start Avengers: Infinity War on a spaceship thats travelling towards Earth. This will mark the first time Banner has been back on his homeworld since 2015s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Hawkeye

At the end of Age of Ultron, Hawkeye retired from action to spend more time with his family. After Captain America called him back into action for Captain America: Civil War, he was arrested along with the rest of Caps team. As soon as the Cap broke him out of the Raft, Hawkeye resumed his retirement and returned to his family. Now the character has been mostly absent from the posters and trailers of the film, but he is there in the movie having had a journey of his own. So will he be the underdog who will make his presence felt right during the climax? Wait till April 27 to find out.

Black Widow

After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Black Widow went into hiding, since the government wanted to arrest her for helping the other fugitive Avengers. Even though she opposed them on the Sokovia Accords, Black Widow joined up with Captain America and Falcon. As revealed in the Avengers: Infinity War Prelude comic, she used a new blonde hairstyle and a lifetime of counter-intelligence training to disguise herself and stay ahead of the law.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Guardians Of The Galaxy

Avengers: Infinity War, the movie will also mark the next on-screen appearance of the Guardians of the Galaxy and for the first time in 34 years Star-Lord is going to set foot in his home planet post his mother's demise. The biggest collaboration in the history of Marvel is going to happen when the sassy Guardians will meet the savvy Avengers. Right now, after learning about his celestial heritage and destroying his father (planet?) Ego, the Guardians are roaming in the galaxy in search of new adventures. Also, Both Guardians of the Galaxy movies have also highlighted the relationship between two of Thanos now rogue daughters Gamora and Nebula. Both aliens were adopted by Thanos and raised to become some of the most dangerous assassins in the universe. In the last film, Nebula took off to hunt Thanos down on her own at the end of the movie.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Scarlet Witch and Vision

As residents of the New Avengers Facility in upstate New York, the two Avengers bonded over their vaguely-defined powers, which both stem from the Mind Stone. Even though they were on different sides during the events of Civil War, Vision rushed to her side when she was injured in the conflict. And as the comic book Infinity War Prelude revealed, she and Vision have been hiding out in Europe since Captain America broke her out of prison.

War Machine

In Captain America: Civil War, Rhodey unsurprisingly sided with Iron Mans pro-registration faction of the Avengers. During the Avengers big battle, an errant blast from the Vision took out the reactor that powered his suit. After crashing to the ground, Rhodey sustained massive injuries that seemingly paralyzed him from the waist down. By the end of that movie, he was already learning to walk again with the help of Stark-designed tech.

Black Panther

For almost all of its existence, the true nature of Wakanda has been hidden from the rest of the world. As revealed in 2018s Black Panther, a meteor made of the alien metal vibranium landed in the country thousands of years ago. Since then, generations of Wakandans have used vibranium to become the most technologically-advanced nation on Earth while shielding themselves from the outside world.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Spider-Man

Since making his spectacular debut in Iron Mans team in Captain America: Civil War, Tom Hollands Spider-Man has had a pretty decent career in the MCU. At the end Spider-Man: Homecoming Stark offered Peter Parker the Iron Spider suit, an even more advanced costume, and a spot on the Avengers. Even though he rejected that offer, Peter kept using Starks first Spider-Man costume and is busy being there for the little guy, before noticing the alien invasion in Infinity War trailer.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Doctor Strange

Using the Time Stone, Doctor Strange was even able to trap Dormammu, the ultra-powerful ruler of the Dark Dimension, in a time loop until he submitted. After this battle, Strange placed the Eye back in the protected walls of his training grounds, Kamar-Taj. Despite a warning about keeping the Infinity Stone out of sight, Strange casually wore the Eye of Agamotto in Thor: Ragnarok, and hell wear it in Avengers: Infinity War too.

Credit: @ Marvel Studios

Ant-Man

After destroying Yellowsuit and reuniting with his daughter, Scott Lang aka Ant Man sided with Captain America in Civil War and was last seen in the prison before the Cap broke him out. Now, while his presence in Infinity War matters, there's also the fact that he is going to get a new member on his team - The Wasp.
Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is a fourth generation actor from the Kapoor family, has said that she cannot imagine her life without acting.

Kareena interacted with the media after she received the 'Lokmat Maharashtrian Power Celebrity of the Year Award' at the Lokmat Maharastrian Of The Year award ceremony on Tuesday in Mumbai. Kareena is regarded as one of the topmost actresses of Hindi film industry over the years earning box-office success, critical acclaim and many awards.

However, when asked whether she thought of foraying into other fields apart from acting, she said: "After 18 years of working in this profession, I don't think I can think about anything else because I always wanted to be an actor so, I can't imagine life without acting."

Sharing her feeling on receiving the award, she said, "Of course, each award is important. We always get awards for our work in films but when you get awarded by your own state as 'Maharashtrian Of The Year' with so many important dignitaries getting it, then, I think it becomes very special. I am very proud of my state and city. I am a true Mumbaikar and I feel very humble to receive this honour."

Kareena's Tashan co-star Akshay Kumar also received 'Maharashtrian Of The Year' award at the ceremony. Speaking about him, Kareena said, "I think there is no one more deserving than him (Akshay) because his choices of films are so brave. He tries to do something different in films with relevant topics."

Well-known personalities from politics, corporate, sports, Hindi and Marathi film industry, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta Fadnavis, attended the award ceremony.

Kareena will soon be seen in Shashanka Ghosh's Veere Di Wedding which will be her first film post the birth of her son Taimur. The film also stars Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania. The film is slated to release on June 1.
Ahead of its crucial 22nd Congress in Hyderabad (April 18-22), factional strife appears to have intensified in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) with a section led by former general secretary Prakash Karat and powered by the Kerala lobby, making all-out efforts to oust incumbent Sitaram Yechury and get former Tripura CM Manik Sarkar elected as general secretary instead.

But Yechury, seeking re-election, is no pushover. His supporters are also keenly monitoring the situation.

The Central Committee, comprising around 90 members, elects the new general secretary.

The five-day Congress, the top decision-making body of the CPM, will also fine-tune its future political-tactical line, apart from electing a new general secretary  the partys top official.

Plans are also afoot to garner support and vote out Yechurys amendment to the draft tactical-political line calling for electoral understanding with all secular forces (including the Indian National Congress) to defeat the BJP.

The Karat group had succeeded in defeating Yechurys resolution at the recent Central Committee meeting in Kolkata. However, the party Congress could go in for course correction with hundreds of delegates expected to move amendments.

It is apparent that the party has learnt no lessons from its devastating defeat in Tripura last month when the last Marxist bastion in the country (Kerala alternates between the LDF and the UDF) was annexed by the BJP with ease.

Instead of addressing the serious existential crisis the party is facing, the party Congress is expected to see renewed factional and proxy wars between Yechury and the powerful Kerala lobby led by Karat and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

A script is being written, which some CPM watchers believe is out of pique, to scuttle Yechurys chances of getting a second term at the helm.

Indications to this effect have emanated from a meeting of available Politburo members in New Delhi on Monday. It appears that instead of ironing out differences over the political-tactical line, factional leaders are busy canvassing support for the next general secretary.

Sources said that at the Politburo meeting, a senior leader argued beyond the draft resolution to reaffirm the Karat camps stand of no understanding with the Congress and even the regional parties.

Earlier, Politburo members like Brinda Karat (70), BV Raghavulu (67) S Ramachandran Pillai (80) were in the reckoning as Yechurys successor. While age is not on Pillais side, Raghavulu is a novice vis-a-vis Yechury. And in Brindas case, charges of nepotism may be levelled as she is the spouse of Prakash Karat. That is how the idea of projecting 69-year-old Manik Sarkar who, the Kerala faction and its supporters believe could pip Yechury, came up.

Party constitution allows a general secretary a maximum of three consecutive terms. Karat was re-elected for a third term in 2012, enabling him to helm the party for almost 10 years between 2005 and 2015.

It is intriguing as to why the Kerala faction is adamant on foiling Yechurys bid for re-election for a second term. Among current crop of leaders, Yechury is in the mould of late Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who was proactive in stitching up broad anti-BJP coalitions in 1996 and 2004.

Some in-house critics question the choice of Manik Sarkar, who has a clean image but had failed to stop the BJP juggernaut in Tripura. Many leaders from West Bengal rue that if he had brought all anti-BJP forces, including the Congress, together the results would have been different.

In the 2013 Assembly elections, the BJP polled less than 2 percent of the vote and all of its candidates, save one, lost their deposits. In sharp contrast in March this year, the BJP vote share zoomed to over 43 percent with 35 seats, while the CPM bagged just 16 seats securing 42 percent votes. It is apparent that an anti-BJP alliance could have tilted the scale in reverse order.

Another factor for the defeat in the hill state, critics say, is Sarkars failure in reading the writing on the wall and connect with the youth, especially the millennials.

Joblessness was a critical issue, with Tripura topping the list of states and UTs with the highest unemployment rate in the country. Even some students affiliated with the Left had switched to the saffron camp.

Last year, the ABVP managed to secure 27 seats in the student council polls in as many as 22 government-run colleges in the state even as Sarkar remained sanguine. Can such a leader enthuse the cadre and revive the sinking fortunes of the CPM at national level?

The Central Committee and Politburo are dominated by members from Kerala and West Bengal in that order, followed by Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Andhra, Telangana and Maharashtra.

As of now, the Electoral College is evenly poised and that is why hectic canvassing is going on for the general secretarys post. On Tuesday, Karat flew to Agartala to drum up support for Sarkar.

Sources said before his visit, CITU (CPM labour wing) president K Hemalata, a Karat camp follower, was despatched to lobby support for their candidate. Now, all eyes on the Hyderabad Congress.

(The author is a senior journalist and political commentator. Views are personal.)
Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday accused the state government of conspiring to kill her and her family after state military police personnel assigned to her official residence as guards were withdraw.

In protest against the decision, Rabri, along with her sons, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap, have returned all the security arrangements.

Rabri made the allegation in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with her decision to return all security measures.

"Just now at the stroke of midnight, Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of the two ex-CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby CM of the country," Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet.

  12               -              pic.twitter.com/1CJxeM7MFb Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) April 11, 2018

State government officials and the ruling Janata Dal (United) defended the recall of security from Rabri Devi's house last night, saying that the house guards had been provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys 'Z' category security.

Accordingly, the guards were asked to return as the RJD supremo is currently in jail, they said.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) held a press conference in Patna and, toeing their leaders, decided that partys all 79 MLAs will be returning bodyguards by Tuesday evening.

Senior Party leader Shivanand Tiwary questioned the timing of such actions. Lalu ji went to jail on December 23 last year. So, why this action has been taken now? And the same day CBI also questioned Rabri Devi. This cant be mere coincidence, he said.

Tiwary alleged that the government wanted to ruin the wedding of Lalus elder son Tej Pratap Yadav which, as he said, vindicates nefarious design of the BJP and JD (U). He said the party was demanding more security cover for Tejashwi and the family but just the opposite was done.

However, Additional Director General (ADG) of Police SK Singhal told News18 that special screening committee decides on such matters. When security needs to be beefed up or withdrawn is decided by an expert committee based on which the decisions was taken, He said.
New Delhi: Joining the battle to appropriate BR Ambedkar's legacy, the RSS mouthpiece Organiser, in its cover story, has launched a scathing counter-offensive claiming the Dalit icon was "disgusted with the Congress and Communist' even as the two parties now attempt to represent Ambedkar's 'praxis as their own".

There have been attempts by the Congress leaders and Communists recently to categorically represent Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkars political praxis as their own, which the Sangh finds laughable because Babasaheb was disgusted with both  the Congress and the Communists".

The UP government, through a recent order, has made the use of Ambedkar's middle name Ramji mandatory in all official correspondence. The Organiser article interestingly also refers to the Dalit icon as Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.

There is a colour row taking place in Uttar Pradesh  Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkars statue was painted orange from blue and then repainted blue again.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet, had alleged that it was in the RSS/BJP DNA to keep Dalits at the lowest rung of the society.

Frequent questions are being raised about the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and who owns it especially targeting nationalists and proponents of Hindutva. To be true, the whole Bharat owns it," says Organiser.

The magazine further says, However, the political forces which believe in breaking Bharat have been misappropriating Babasaheb for their schismatic plans. The Congress and the Communists are disfiguring the whole Ambedkarite political idiom of reform, inclusion, democracy and development to suit their agendas of creating division, chaos, and conflict.

COMMUNISTS DIDNT SEE THE ELECTORAL BENEFITS OF DALIT MOVEMENT, WHICH THEY SEE NOW

In one of the sections, Communists Affronted Ambedkar the author Shaan Kashyap writes: Ambedkar still talks today through history and Constitution of India. His original writings when read and reproduced in the right context affirm that the Congress and Communist always detested and discriminated against him.

The article mentions Communist stalwart Shripad Amrit Dange who worked against Dr Ambedkars candidature from Bombay City North constituency in 1952 parliamentary elections. Dange believed that Dr Ambedkar espoused separatist politics.

Marxist leader Sharad Patil tried to situate Dr Ambedkar in the multi-linear methodology known as Ma.Phu.Aa (Marxism-Phule-Ambedkarism). He had to bear with a long, internal struggle within the CPI (M) on the question of caste struggle.

Patil eventually founded his own Satyashodhak Communist Party in 1978 because CPI (M) couldnt see the electoral gains of Dalit movement then, which they see now," says the article.

The edition recalled Bhalchandra Trimbak Ranadive writing in 1979, which states that despite struggles against untouchability Dr Ambedkar failed to produce the desired result of abolition of the evil.

He has mentioned well-known scholar Gopal Gurus remarks that most traditional Marxists have time and again characterised Dr Ambedkar as a liberal bourgeois and refused to grasp the brilliant insights that Dr Ambedkar brought out through his political praxis. Dr Ambedkar was fixated in the liberal bourgeois frame with a purpose by Marxists, it says.

'NEHRU-CONGRESS DIDN'T GIVE AMBEDKAR HIS DUE'

In the cover story, the author has written about the instances when Jawaharlal Nehru disappointed Babasaheb. It says that Dr Ambedkar wanted to serve in the Planning Department but he was given law Ministry.

Ambedkar finally resigned from the Cabinet on September 27, 1951. The article revisits the remarks made by Dr Ambedkar, Being a Member of the Viceroys Executive Council, I knew the Law Ministry to be administratively of no importance. It gave no opportunity for shaping the policy of the Government of India. We used to call it an empty soap box only good for old lawyers to play with.

He continued, When the Prime Minister made me the offer, I told him that besides being a lawyer by my education and experience, I was competent to run any administrative Department Prime Minister agreed and said he would give me in addition to Law the Planning Department which he was intending to create. Unfortunately, the Planning Department came very late in the day and when it did come, I was left out.

The Sangh-backed magazine has further questioned: Why Ambedkar was not made a member of the Planning Commission? Why was his expertise of Economics not utilized for the national services by Nehru? Nehru didnt go by merit, but by nepotism.
Kolkata: By issuing two contradictory orders within 12 hours, the West Bengal State Election Commission seems to have added to the confusion and distrust in the bloody run-up to the states rural polls.

Citing legal hurdles, the Commission issued a fresh order on Tuesday morning to recall its previous evenings order for extension of nomination deadline for panchayat polls by a day. The second order was issued minutes before the earlier one was to take effect.

Ironically, the Commission was reported to have taken extensive legal opinions before issuing the Monday evening order, which came in the wake of a Supreme Court order disposing of a BJP petition. The saffron party had sought the extension of nomination deadline and deployment of central paramilitary troops to man the elections, alleging intimidation and violence by the Trinamool Congress dispensation.

While the Supreme Court chose not to interfere in the matter since the poll process had already been set in motion, it observed that the West Bengal Panchayat Elections Act, 2003 has empowered the state election commissioner to pass appropriate orders in relation to any grievance with regard to any matter relating to and arising out of the election and election process.

The court directed the aggrieved political parties and candidates to approach the SEC who would ensure disposal of any such grievance so made by the party concerned strictly in accordance with law forthwith.

We hope and trust that in order to ensure fair and free election to the panchayats, the State Election Commission shall take appropriate steps to remove the apprehensions of the petitioner and/or intending candidates and they may not be deprived of their chance to contest the panchayat elections, the Supreme Court observed.

It was in interpretation of this order and in the wake of opposition parties turning up with hundreds of nomination papers that the Commission issued its Monday evening order to extend nomination deadline from to 3 pm on Tuesday. The order was passed nearly seven hours after the official deadline had passed on Monday.

In that order (No 982-SEC/IE-88/2017), AK Singh, the Chief Election Commissioner observed that information has been received through complaints, deputations etc that intending candidates and proposers are being obstructed or prevented from making nomination; and... Many intending candidates could not file their nomination papers due to the above disruption.

Honble Supreme Court of India has directed the Commission to consider the grievance once made by any party and/or candidate as the case may be so that the intending candidates may not be deprived of their chance to contest the panchayat elections, Singh stated in his order as justification for his deadline extension decision.

Less than 12 hours later, Singh took a U-turn to recall that order and issued a fresh order (No. 984- SEC/IE-88/2017) which stated it appears there was no specific direction by the Honble Supreme Court of India for extension of the nomination date.

Interestingly, Singh took recourse to the same law himself which the Supreme Court had referred to as the Act which empowered the SEC to issue appropriate orders. Singh made two points to justify the recall.

First, citing section 46(2) of the West Bengal Panchayat Elections Act, 2003, the commissioner stated that the deadline extension order should have been made along with the same order which allowed nominations to be received at the SDO offices besides the BDO offices and not subsequently.

Secondly, the extension should have been made before the expiry of the original deadline and not after.

In effect, Singh admitted that his Monday evening order was bad in law.

A close read of the aforesaid section of the said Act gives the impression that Singh may just have made one among multiple interpretations of the law. No wonder the BJP moved both Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court challenging the Commission and has managed to obtain an interim stay on that order from the HC.

The Trinamool Congress, however, was firm in its interpretation of the law. The Supreme Court direction was clear. It asked the Commission to act in accordance with law and not go beyond it. Here the law is clear. The Commission cannot issue two separate orders for accepting nominations at SDO offices and extend deadline, said Kalyan Banerjee, party MP and the advocate who appeared at Supreme Court to take on the BJP on Monday.

Also, can you revive a person after he is dead already? The extension should have been done before the expiry of deadline, Banerjee argued.

The dramatic developments of the past two days have, nonetheless, resulted in one discernible change in the behaviour of the opposition parties in Bengal: they have shifted the oppositions ire from the Trinamool Congress to a constitutional body called the State Election Commission.

And thats not good news.
Bengaluru: The ruling Congress in Karnataka has been hit by several pieces of election-related fake news in the last few days and the Grand Old Party is pointing fingers at the BJP, accusing it of spreading fake news fearing certain defeat in the Assembly elections scheduled to be held on May 12.

On Tuesday, several media organisations and lakhs of voters across Karnataka received a candidates list allegedly from the Congress via WhatsApp.

The list had 132 names and many fell for it as the Central Election Committee of the Congress is currently discussing candidate selection in New Delhi. Some channels even aired the list. It was only after the list was sent to the Congress office that top leaders of the party scrutinised it and dismissed it as fake.

The list even had the signature of top Congress leader Oscar Fernandes. But the creator of this fake list seemed unaware that Fernandes is seriously ill and has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram hospital in New Delhi. He is no longer the authorised signatory for such lists.

The list mentioned Congress leader in Lok Sabha M Mallikarjuna Kharge as one of the candidates. It even claimed that Kharge had replaced his son and the states IT and Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge in Chitapur seat.

Alarmed by the fake news, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted and asked people not to fall for it. He also asked people to not endorse the products of "fake factory".

I am told a list of Congress candidates for Karnataka Election is under circulation.The AICC has not approved the list of candidates yet. The list under circulation is fake. It has been done to create confusion.Please dont patronize products of the #FakeNews factory. Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 10, 2018

The AICC secretary in charge of Karnataka and former MP Madhu Yashki Goud was more vocal and directly held the BJP IT Cell responsible for it. Threatening a criminal action against the BJP, he said that the saffron party had mastered the art of fake news to misguide the people.

Just three days ago, the Congress was battling another fake news wherein a confidential report was doing the rounds. It was purportedly sent by the chief of state intelligence and advised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to contest from Chamundeshwari in Mysore district. It was signed by the intelligence chief and top IPS officer AM Prasad. But here too, the creators of the fake report did not do their homework.

AM Prasad is already a DGP-rank officer, but the secret note mentioned his designation as ADGP. Secondly, the address of the Intelligence Office in Bengaluru it mentioned was wrong.

A senior police officer clarified that such reports are always submitted verbally or orally and never in writing.

Once again, Siddaramaiah tweeted and asked people not to fall for fake news.

The Congress has expressed fears of a flood of fake news targeting its leaders in the next one month. The BJP is yet to react to it.
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.)
New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Bihar government for constructing 8.5 lakh toilets in a week, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the claim was nothing but a jumla. In a back-handed compliment, Owaisi compared the PM to famous magician PC Sorcar.

PM Modi is now giving stiff competition to PC Sorcar the magician. Now, the day is not far when PM will take out rabbit from a hat. If 8.5 lakh toilets were constructed in a week, it means one toilet per second. The PM is a magician. His show can get top TRPs. How can PM make such careless statement? We are getting used to his Jhumla, said Owaisi.

On Tuesday, at a Swachh Bharat programme in Champaran, Bihar, hailing the Swachhagrahis and the state government for their efforts, PM Modi said: "In the past one week, over 8.5 lakh toilets have been constructed in Bihar and that is not an easy task to do. The speed and development is not a mean feat. This proves that soon Bihar would catch up with the national average."

Tejashwi Yadav, opposition leader in the Bihar Assembly, jolted by PMs 8.4 lakh toilets in a week claim, called it a big goof-up. Whittling down the number, he said it would mean over 84 toilets were built in a minute and wondered if that was possible.

PM claimed 8.50 Lacs toilets made just in a week in Bihar.1 week= 7 Days1 Day= 24 Hrs7 Days= 168 Hrs1 Hour= 60 MinsSo850000%168=5059 Toilets per Hr5059/60 = 84.31 Toilets per minSuch a big goof-up from PM Sahab. I believe even CM Bihar wont agree on such false claims Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) April 10, 2018

Owaisi also took the opportunity to take a dig at the Prime Minister for going on a day-long fast on April 12 in New Delhi to protest against the disruption of Parliamentary proceedings by opposition parties. Owaisi asked if the PM would also undertake a fast over suicide of farmers.

I want to ask, where was his sense of duty lost when thousands of farmers committed suicide. Will he sit on fast over suicide of farmers? Will he sit on a fast when atrocities are committed on Dalit? He could not provide employment and failed on his promises. To cover up his failures, he is indulging in cheap tricks, said Owisi.
Bengaluru: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U) is contesting 25-30 seats in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, on Wednesday made strong grounds for his Bihar-based party that is trying to regain its foothold in this southern state that once saw a significant presence of JD(U).

While claiming that the state has always stood by JD(U) leaders in the past, Kumar cited his Bihar model of development to set the tone for his partys campaign in the poll-bound state.

When I became the CM, I had only one motto of growth with justice, which means development at every level and for everyone without any discrimination. All schemes in Bihar are meant for everyone, said the Bihar chief minister who is trying to increase his partys presence beyond Bihar.

Kumar refrained from commenting on the state of affairs in Karnataka and said, I do not want to comment on the political situation in the state today but I will speak about what we can do for Karnataka and went on to add how he is the only one who follows 'Nudi Nante Nade' (does what he preaches).

What is being done in Bihar, if it is replicated in Karnataka, which is already a developed state, it will take the state to new heights, said the Janata Dal (United) chief and went on to cite some of his government initiatives to prove his point.

In Bihar, 12.5% children were uneducated so I took it up as a challenge and decided to make it our goal that all children should go to school. There were very few girls going to the upper primary school because she wasn't comfortable in the clothes. We started giving them two uniforms, a pair of shoes and a bag and soon the number of girls students went up considerably.

Playing up his image of a peace-loving anti-corruption crusader, Kumar said, Today the situation in the country is that of fear. But we should learn to live in peace and harmony. The violence needs to stop not just in India but all over the world. Today the kind of politicians we have is a disgrace. They think if they have power, they can rule. But they should work like a trustee instead of helping the people they engage in making money.

He further heaped praises on JD(U) Karnataka state president, Mahima Patel son of former chief minister JH Patel. Mahima has been trying to build the party in Karnataka by reaching out to old stalwarts.

JD(U)s foundation was laid here in Bengaluru. Many socialist leaders have come from Karnataka while I was greatly influenced by Lohiya ji. JH Patel was one of those leader and I have great respect for them. Patel was the first person to speak in Kannada in the Parliament and will always be remembered for that, Kumar said.

JD(U) will be contesting in about 30 seats in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly for the May 12 elections, however, there would be no tie-up with its NDA ally, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Washington/San Francisco: Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday told lawmakers that his own personal data was included in that of 87 million or so Facebook users that was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

But he pushed back on Congress members' suggestions that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook in the wake of the privacy scandal at the world's largest social media network. "Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there," the 33-year-old internet magnate told the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual gray T-shirt, the hearing was Zuckerberg's second in two days. On Tuesday, he took questions for nearly five hours in a US Senate hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 percent. They were down 0.7 percent in early trading on Wednesday. Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users' personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US President Donald Trump's election campaign among its clients.

Zuckerberg faced broad concerns from members of Congress about how Facebook shares user data. "How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?" asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce committee.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million. Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway US politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday's hearing expressing confidence in the social network. "I don't want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will," Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. "A lot of that depends on you."

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people's permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

"In principle, I think that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out," Zuckerberg said.
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Testimony Before Congress: Highlights of The Five-Hour Long Hearing Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies on Facebook, Social Media Privacy, and the Use and Abuse of Data" in front of 44 senators. Follow live updates of the testimony. News18.com | April 11, 2018, 04:51 IST
Mark Zuckerberg today promised to do more to tackle hate speech in Myanmar, as he was grilled during a US Congressional hearing about his organisation's alleged role in spreading hate content against Rohingya Muslims. What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more..., he told the US lawmakers when Senator Patrick Leahy asked him about Facebook's role as a breeding ground for hate speech against Rohingyas.

Also Read: Facebook Wants to Prevent Election Intervention in India, Other Countries: CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Zuckerberg was testifying before the US Congress amid a firestorm over the alleged hijacking of data of millions of Facebook users by British firm Cambridge Analytica. "Recently, UN investigators blamed Facebook for playing a role in inciting possible genocide in Myanmar, Leahy said, as he cited the tragic death of a Muslim journalist. "You say you use (AI) Artificial Intelligence to find this. This is the type of content I'm referring to. It calls for the death of a Muslim journalist. Now, that threat went straight through your detection systems, it spread very quickly, and then it took attempt after attempt after attempt, and the involvement of civil society groups, to get you to remove it," the Senator said. Zuckerberg replied that Facebook was working on it, citing various steps in vogue to tackle hate speech in Myanmar.

Also Read: Zuckerberg Says Facebook is Working With Special Counsel Robert Mueller in Russia Probe

"One is we're hiring dozens of more Burmese-language content reviewers because hate speech is very language-specific. It's hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically. "Second we're working with civil society in Myanmar to identify specific hate figures so we can take down their accounts, rather than specific pieces of content. Third, we're standing up a product team to do specific product changes in Myanmar and other countries that may have similar issues in the future to prevent this from happening," he said.

Also Read: Does Facebook Track Your Activities Even After You Log Out? Zuckerberg Doesn't Know

Apart from this, Mark Zuckerberg during his congressional hearing today said he wants to ensure the protection of the integrity of elections, mentioning that he knows the importance of the upcoming polls in countries, including India, Hungary and Brazil. Zuckerberg faced a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. He noted that there are several important elections in 2018 in countries like India, Hungary and Brazil and his company wants to ensure the protection of integrity in these elections.

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Washington: Here's what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wanted 44 senators to know about the scandal in which Cambridge Analytica used the massive social platform to access 87 million users: He made mistakes. Facebook's mission is to "help people connect." And no, he's not resigning.

"Founded Facebook. My decisions. I made mistakes. Big challenge but we've solved problems before," read Zuckerberg's notes, which he left sitting on his desk during a break in testimony to the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. "Going to solve this one."

Not so fast, the much-older senators told Zuckerberg, 33, who was perched atop a seat pillow for the much-anticipated hearing into whether and how the breach affected the 2016 elections. They peppered him with questions about an array of Facebook's lengthy privacy policy and data, but didn't always seem to know how to follow up Zuckerberg's talk of algorithms and AI systems. So one member of the joint committee, average age 62, got to the point.

"I just don't feel like we're connecting," Senator John Kennedy, R-La., told Zuckerberg in hour four of the hearing. "Your user agreement sucks."

This time, there was no flop sweat, perhaps because the senators spent most of the first of two days of hearings reading questions for Zuckerberg on privacy issues rather than attacking him as expected on broader matters such as Russia's role in election meddling or Facebook's lag in responding to the data breach. It wasn't as if senators could forget about the Russian meddling. Multiple investigations are probing the interference. Besides, someone dressed as a Russian troll watched from the audience wearing a pointy, blue-and-green wig.

Zuckerberg repeatedly said unsatisfied Facebook members can adjust their privacy settings  or delete their accounts.

A satirical take on Mark Zuckerberg's Senate testimony on Facebook data breach. (Mir Suhail/News18 Creatives)

Twitter widely noted the apparent age or knowledge gap between Zuckerberg and the senators.

"Wrap it up, Grandpa Grassley," tweeted one user to the Judiciary Committee chairman, who was deep into his first term in the Senate when Zuckerberg was born in 1984.

Some senators of a certain age utilised posters to illustrate their questions, such as Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who's served in the Senate since 1975. He asked Zuckerberg about hate speech, in places like Myanmar.

"What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy," Zuckerberg answered.

"We all agree with that," Leahy snapped.
Google has joined hands with the American Medical Association (AMA) to invite new solutions of mobile health technology, through devices and applications, that can help effectively monitor patients as well as share medical health data to manage chronic conditions. AMA's "The Health Care Interoperability and Innovation Challenge" seeks to evolve available health data to depict a complete picture of a patient's journey from wellness to illness to treatment and beyond that allows health care delivery to fully focus on patient function, state, outcomes, and goals.

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It looks for solutions that demonstrate how data related to remote patient monitoring of conditions is captured on a mobile device, and how it is transferred to and from a clinicians' practice for incorporation into a physician's practice workflow. "The AMA is working to unleash a new era of patient care through its Integrated Health Model Initiative (IHMI) by pioneering a common data model for organising and sharing meaningful health data like patient goal, state, and functioning, and assembling an unprecedented collaborative effort across health care and technology stakeholders," AMA President David O. Barbe, said in a statement on Monday.

Also Read: Zuckerberg Opens Senate Hearing With an Apology

The Challenge requires the development of a supporting patient-physician interaction model that optimises physician time and patient outcomes. The solutions should include how to import or transfer patient-generated data from a mobile device or a mobile application into one or more phases of the physician or payer health data management cycles.

Also Read: Does Facebook Track Your Activities Even After You Log Out? Zuckerberg Doesn't Know

The winner will be selected to share $25,000 in credits for Google Cloud, followed by the $15,000 and $10,000 for the second and third prize, respectively. All Qualified Entries receive $3,000 in Google Cloud credits. The Challenge is open only to individuals and teams who are Startup Entities (individuals or teams who are 18 years of age or older and have received less than $5 million in funding and have earned less than $5,00,000 in annual revenue as of the date of entry).

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IIT-Delhi (IIT-D) has set up a radio lab with an array of antennas for "standardisation, research and manufacturing" of 5G equipment, the institute said on Tuesday. "In an effort to establish India as a key global player in the standardisation, research and development and manufacturing of 5G equipment, a Massive MIMO radio laboratory has been set up at IIT Delhi and will be inaugurated on April 13. This will be the first such lab in India," an IIT-Delhi statement said.

Also Read: Facebook Shares Rise as US Senators Question Zuckerberg

Saif Khan Mohammed, an IIT-D professor working on the Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology, said it will help curb the emittance of radiation harmful to our health and also will allow less radio interference for better communication. "In Massive MIMO, several antennas are deployed at the base station as compared to only a few antennas in 3G/4G. This large antenna array at the base station allows the network to communicate reliably with a very large number of mobile terminals simultaneously at the same time and on the same frequency channel.

Also Read: Zuckerberg Opens Senate Hearing With an Apology

"The large antenna array also improves system power efficiency, as the mobile terminals will now be required to radiate ten times lesser power than in 3G/4G systems. This, in turn, reduces interference to other radio systems and also reduces possible effects of exposure to radiation on our health," Mohammed, a researcher at the L at IIT Delhi, where the lab has been set up, said.

"If cellular telecommunication equipment is manufactured in India, then it will also be financially viable for the operators to provide broadband access in rural areas, which has been an important agenda of the Digital India programme," he said.

Watch: Nokia 6 (2018) Review: A Smooth Performer in a Striking New Design
Enhancing telecom and broadband penetration, simplifying licensing and regulations, efficient spectrum management, uniform telecom infrastructure and Right of Way (RoW) policies, lowering of existing levies and taxes are some of the key things recommended by the telecom industry for the upcoming New Telecom Policy 2018. "With all this, however, increasing telecom network security, while minimising compliance and cost burden and ensuring the privacy of citizens while enabling Digital Revolution in the country, is paramount. If the "digital India" dream is to be realised, telecommunications as a sector and technology democratisation as a tenet, cannot and should not be ignored," said Rajan S. Mathews, Director General, Cellular Operators' Association of India.

Also Read: Facebook Shares Rise as US Senators Question Zuckerberg

"At this time, the industry is in a downward spiral. Cumulative debts amounting to Rs 4.6 lakh crore on revenues of under Rs 1.8 lakh crore are forcing the industry to question the long-term prospects and viability of the sector," he said here on Tuesday. "Creating an enabling environment for technologies considered science fiction, just a few years ago - AI, AR, IoT, Smart city, smart homes, 5G so on and so forth. It will focus on simplifying the regulatory frameworks to aid in quality connectivity-for-all and easing the turf for ease of doing business, make way for foreign investments and strengthen the existing infrastructure." Mathews added.

Also Read: Zuckerberg Opens Senate Hearing With an Apology

The sector is seeking resolution of a number of issues, including a single unified licence across the country where every service provider offering the same service must adhere to the same rules - One Nation One License for services and making available funds for communication infrastructure projects, on the same lines as that for road and rail networks.

Huge investments of over Rs 2-3 lakh crores over the next couple of years would be required for a fully connected and an empowered Digital India. "To achieve this goal, urgent support of the government and the private sector is necessary to improve the already deteriorating financial health of the sector," he added.

Watch: Nokia 6 (2018) Review: A Smooth Performer in a Striking New Design
Washington: Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg accepted personal responsibility Tuesday for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, while warning of an "arms race" against Russian disinformation during a high stakes face-to-face with US lawmakers.

In his first formal congressional appearance, the Facebook founder and chief executive sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social media giant that have angered lawmakers and the network's two billion users.

Under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by a British political consultant, Zuckerberg reiterated his apology for the historic breach, before being grilled over how Facebook collects and protects people's personal information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said the improper sharing of 87 million people's information by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working for Donald Trump in 2016. "I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He added that Facebook fell short in protecting the platform, noting, "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

The 33-year-old CEO spoke of a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well," he said.

"So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last US presidential race.

"After the 2016 election, our top priority was protecting the integrity of other elections around the world," he said.

Open to Regulation

Zuckerberg said he was open to regulation, but cautioned against complex rules that might impact emerging social media firms.

"I am not the type of person who thinks all regulation is bad," he told Senator Dan Sullivan.

"I think the internet is becoming increasingly important in people's lives and I think we need to have a full conversation about what is the right regulation."

He added that "you need to be careful (a new regulatory policy) doesn't cement in the current companies that are winning."

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook is cooperating with the US special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said.

Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data.

"I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them," he said.

Swapping his customary T-shirt for a business suit and tie, Zuckerberg appeared somber as he fielded tough questions over Cambridge Analytica's massive data breach.

"We've been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said in his prepared remarks.

The show of contrition was not enough for several lawmakers.

"We've seen the apology tours before," Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told Zuckerberg.

"And so, my reservation about your testimony today is that I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are specific rules of the road."

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said Facebook has failed to deliver a promised "digital utopia."

"I don't want to regulate Facebook but by God I will," he told the CEO. "A lot of that depends on you.

'Doesn't Feel' Like a Monopoly

Dozens of protestors gathered outside Congress before the hearing wearing Zuckerberg masks and #DeleteFacebook T-shirts.

Inside the jammed hearing room, activists from the Code Pink group wore oversized glasses with the words "STOP SPYING" written on the lenses, and waved signs that read "Stop corporate lying."

Testifying was a new step forward for Zuckerberg, who started Facebook as a Harvard dropout in 2004, and built it into the world's largest social media company worth more than $450 billion.

During questioning, Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," he said when asked if he thinks Facebook has a monopoly.

"The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people. Ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said.

Zuckerberg also said the company believed in an ad-supported business model but appeared to leave open the possibility of a paid version.

"There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," Zuckerberg told the hearing.
Washington: US President Donald Trump welcomed the Emir of Qatar to the White House Tuesday, barely one year after alleging his government funded terrorism at a "high level."

Drawing a line under a spat that called into question the future of a key US air base in the Gulf State, Trump hosted Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in the Oval Office.

"He's a friend of mine" Trump said effusively. "He's a great gentleman."

And a readout of the meeting issued later by the White House said "the leaders discussed joint efforts to finalize new commercial deals that would create more than 50,000 American jobs" in addition to discussing Syria and "Iranian and Russian malign influence" there.

It did not elaborate on the nature of the commercial ventures.

A year ago the picture was very different. Trump had followed the lead of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in taking a hard line against Qatar, saying the country needed to scale back ties with Iran and stop funding extremism.

Qatar's neighbors had also been infuriated by its willingness to host dissidents from across the Gulf and to allow broadcasts critical of them by Doha-based Al Jazeera.

Trump had initially supported an economic blockade on Qatar, but aides -- mindful of the pivotal role that the Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha plays in US Middle East operations -- have since convinced him to take a more moderate approach.

The Emir said Trump "has been very helpful in supporting us during this blockade," and thanked the American people for being "very supportive."

"We do not and we will not tolerate people who fund terrorism. We are cooperating with the United States of America to stop funding of terrorism around the region."

Trump praised Qatar's military purchases, saying they buy "a lot of equipment from us, a lot of military airplanes, missiles."

The pair also "discussed obstacles to restoring unity in the Gulf Cooperation Council," the statement added, a clear reference to the diplomatic feud between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.
Seoul: Japan's foreign minister was in South Korea for a rare visit on Wednesday, armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of a looming summit between North and South Korea.

The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month.

Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of a third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out.

Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security concerns.

Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said "it is extremely important that Japan, the US and South Korea share information and coordinate closely" ahead of the two summits.

Foreign minister Taro Kono will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in the morning.

As well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues", Kono has said he will try to ensure that "the abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit".

He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions.

The North regularly excoriates Japan over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

But ties between the South and Japan have also remained sour for years due to controversy over historical issues left unresolved -- including Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II.

Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a controversial deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims.

Suga said Japan's foreign minister would seek to boost a "forward-looking" bilateral relationship despite the row.

Kim is set to meet Moon on April 27 for a third-ever summit between the two neighbours, and is expected to talk with Trump in May or early June.
Washington/Beirut: US President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles "will be coming" and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump was reacting to a warning from Assad's main ally Russia on Tuesday that any US missiles fired at Syria over the deadly assault on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump said, referring Moscow's alliance with Assad.

In response, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a Facebook post that "smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not towards the lawful government", referring to Syrian rebels and Assad respectively.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any US missile strike could be an attempt to destroy evidence of the reported chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Douma, for which Damascus and Moscow have denied any responsibility.

After the attack, the rebel group holed up in Douma - Jaish al-Islam - finally agreed to withdraw from the town. That sealed a major victory for Assad in Syria's civil war, crushing a protracted rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.

Officials at the White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more details about Trump's comments on the planned military action. The US Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that 43 people had died in Saturday's attack on Douma from "symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals", and more than 500 in all had been treated.

Moscow's threat to down US missiles came from its ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said he was referring to a statement by President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

Zasypkin also said that any hostilities with Washington should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations.

But his remarks could raise fears of direct conflict for the first time between major powers backing opposing sides in Syria's protracted civil war.

Oil prices hit their highest level in more than three years on Wednesday after Trump's threat to unleash missiles, and US stock index futures fell sharply over rising concern about possible Russian-US conflict over Syria.

The Kremlin said earlier on Wednesday it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything to destabilise an already fragile situation in the Middle East, and made clear it strongly opposed any US strike on its ally.

STANDOFF

Moscow and Washington stymied attempts by each other at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Trump cancelled on Tuesday a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on talks with Western allies about possible military action to punish Assad over the suspected gas attack.

Trump had warned on Monday of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Zasypkin, the Russian ambassador, told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any US strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assad's most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large areas of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations".

MISSILE SALVO FROM MEDITERRANEAN?

Any US strike is likely to involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defence systems. A US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

With tensions growing, pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used within that period and there could be intermittent disruptions of radio navigation equipment.

Aviation regulators have been stepping up monitoring of conflict zones since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Recent warnings have tended to be after military action has started, and so Eurocontrol's pre-emptive notice suggests a heightening of regulatory scrutiny.

Both Russia and Iran, Assad's other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would "not remain without response".

RISK OF "UNCONTROLLABLE ESCALATION"

On Monday, U.N. Syria peace envoy Staffan de Mistura cited the air base strike along with other recent events in Syria in a briefing to the Security Council, cautioning against a "situation of uncontrollable escalation".

Syria's Russian-supplied air defences shot down an Israeli F-16 jet in February during a previous bombing run against what Israel described as Iranian-backed positions in Syria.

Last year, the United States carried out strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base after another toxic gas attack on a rebel-controlled pocket.

The US and Russian militaries have sought to avoid conflict in Syria, notably last year in the Euphrates River Valley where they supported rival sides in the campaign against Islamic State militants.

However, US forces in February killed or injured hundreds of Russian contractors fighting on Assad's side during a confrontation in Deir al-Zor province.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that any military action would not target the Syrian government's allies or anybody in particular, but rather the Syrian government's chemical facilities.

Any US strike similar to the limited one launched last year would not cause a shift in the course of the war that has been going Assads way since Russia intervened on his side.

DEADLY CHEMICAL ATTACK

The WHO said that among the more than 500 people treated for symptoms of gas poisoning in Douma, "there were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed".

France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Assad's government had been asked to make necessary arrangements for an OPCW investigation team to visit shortly.

The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but not assign blame.

Despite the international revulsion over chemical weapons attacks, the death toll from such incidents in Syria is only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians killed since the war erupted in 2011.
Washington: The Cambridge Analytica scandal in which personal data of over 87 million Facebook users, including 500,000 Indians, was compromised, has not hit the social media platform in a significant way in terms of people deactivating their accounts.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged this during a Congressional hearing, his second in two days, on issues related on data privacy and security in view of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. "Yes," Zuckerberg replied when Congresswoman Dana Louise DeGette said since the revelations surrounding Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has not noticed a significant increase in users deactivating their accounts.

"Yes, that's correct," he said when DeGette said since the revelations surrounding Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has also not noticed a decrease in user interaction on Facebook. Zuckerberg said as a result of the scandal, and the questions raised, Facebook is going to put, at the top of everyone's app when they sign in, a tool that walks people through the settings and gives people the choices and asks them to make decisions on how they want their settings set.

Everyone around the world deserves good privacy controls, he said. "We've had a lot of these controls in place for years. The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requires us to do a few more things, and we're going to extend that to the world, he told lawmakers.

The GDPR is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union Introduced by the European Union, GDPR or General Data Protection Regulation requires that the company's request for user consent in a clear and concise way, using language that is understandable, and be clearly distinguishable from other pieces of information, including terms and conditions.

It is prescription on how companies treat consumer data. And it makes it clear that consumers need to be in control of their own data. "I think we may be updating it a little bit. But, as you say, we've had the ability to download your information for years now. And people have the ability to see everything that they have in Facebook, to take that out, delete their account and move their data anywhere that they want," he said.

Responding to a question, Zuckerberg acknowledged that a lot of people probably just accept terms of service without taking the time to read through it. "I view our responsibility not as just legally complying with laying it out and getting that consent, but actually trying to make sure that people understand what's happening throughout the product," he said.

"That's why, every single time that you share something on Facebook or one of our services, right there is a control in line, where you control who you want to share with, because I don't just think that this is about a terms of service. It's contextual," he noted. "You want to present people with the information about what they might be doing and give them the relevant controls in line, at the time that they're making those decisions, not just have it be in the background sometime, or make a one-time decision," he said.

Zuckerberg said Facebook has the ability to detect when a foreign entity is attempting to buy a political advertisement. "This is an extremely important area. After we were slow to identify the Russian information operations in 2016, this has become a top priority for our company to prevent that from ever happening again, especially this year, in 2018, which is such an important election year with the US mid-terms, but also major elections in India, Brazil, Mexico, Hungary, Pakistan and a number of other places," he said.

Facebook is working on a number of things, including deploying new Artificial Intelligence tools that can proactively catch fake accounts that Russia or others might create to spread misinformation. The social media company, he said, is not aware of any specific groups like that, that have engaged in the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville last year. "We are conducting a full investigation of any apps that had access to a large amount of data. And, if we find anything suspicious, we'll tell everyone affected," he said.
New Delhi: Five Chinese engineers, who had attacked Pakistani policemen in Khanewal last week over being barred from visiting a "red-light" area, were brought to Lahore from where they were deported to China.

According to a report in Pakistan newspaper Dawn, the workers, who were deported on Tuesday, include the companys country project manager Xu libing, administation officer Tian Weijun, material and equipment engineer Wang Yifan, financial affairs manager Wang Yifan and field engineer Tan Yang.

Sources said that the workers had violated the security protocol set in place. They were unhappy with restrictions on their movement and ban on visits by outsiders at night. The workers had demanded that the special protection unit staff be moved outside their camp.

Following the clash between the police and Chinese nationals, Commissioner Bilal Butt called a meeting and formed a committee comprising Khanewal Deputy Commissioner Muzaffar Sial and District Police Officer Rizwan Umer Gondal to probe the matter.

The committee noted that the workers should have realised the sensitivity of the situation  the camp they reside in is classified A, based on the security threat to it  and should not have taken the law into their own hands. The company must be directed to ensure SOPs regarding security, they said.

Several video clips, which were doing rounds on social media on April 4, show Chinese nationals approaching the police officials in a threatening manner and attacking them.

The outraged engineers also cut power supply to the police camp established within the main construction camp, said the police.

The Chinese workers had stopped work on the project and abandoned heavy machinery and vehicles on various roads in the area. The protesting Chinese engineers wrote a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, claiming that police officials refrained them from performing their duties and attacked them.

They also accused the security in-charge of attempting to hit the Chinese workers with his vehicle. Police officials, however, rubbished the accusations.

The police officials had made it clear to the Chinese engineers that they will not be allowed to leave their camp without security arrangements.

In 2016, a clash occurred between the police and Chinese workers as the latter insisted on staying at a construction camp at night, but the former opposed the idea due to security reasons.
Moscow: Russia and Egypt are to resume direct flights on Wednesday following a more than two-year hiatus after a bomb downed a Russian charter over the Sinai peninsula in 2015.

Moscow officials stopped direct flights citing security concerns after the attack, in a major blow for the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on tourism and had been a popular destination for Russians.

On Wednesday evening an Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Cairo, in a first step towards restoring flights to holiday destinations on the Red Sea.

On Thursday, Egyptair will restart its service between the two capitals, and the two companies will together carry out five return flights between Moscow and Cairo a week.

But the move in itself will not immediately help Egypt's troubled tourism sector, Russian officials have said.

"Tourists do not need direct flights to Cairo. The transfer from Cairo to sea resorts is long and uncomfortable, and no one will be going there in that way," Russian Tourism Industry spokeswoman Irina Tyurina told AFP.

"In practice, the situation is the same as it was before, when people would get there independently via Minsk or Istanbul  either big fans of Egypt or Russians who live there," she said.

"Egypt is not yet back as a tourist destination for the Russian market."

'A great worry'

Flights were suspended at the end of 2015 after a bomb downed a flight carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, killing all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.

The number of foreign tourists in Egypt went from 14.7 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2016, on the back of the suspension of flights and the turmoil following the uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.

In 2017 that number recovered to 8.3 million visitors, according to official figures.

Revenues from tourism at the same time dropped by two thirds, from $11.6 billion in 2010 to $3.8 billion in 2016, according to the Egyptian Central Bank.

Moscow and Cairo are to decide on a date to discuss the resumption of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations once flights between the two capitals have resumed, the Egyptian ambassador to Russia Ihab Nasr has said.

Russian officials have meanwhile not hidden their concerns about direct flights being restarted.

"The resumption of direct flights to Egypt, in particular to resort areas, is a great worry for us," Aleksandr Neradko, head of the Russian Federal Air Navigation Authority, said last week in comments reported by Russian agencies.

Eight Russian experts will be sent to Cairo airport to check security measures are being enforced on flights towards Moscow, according to the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram.
Beirut: Russia has warned that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, raising the possibility of a US-Russian confrontation.

Issuing the warning on Tuesday evening, the Russian ambassador to Lebanon also said such a clash should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations. But his remarks could raise fears of direct conflict for the first time between major powers backing opposing sides in Syria's protracted civil war.

Moscow and Washington sparred at the United Nations on Tuesday over the use of chemical weapons in Syria as Washington and its allies considered whether to strike at Syrian government forces over the alleged poison gas assault.

At least 60 people were killed in Saturday's suspected chemical weapons attack on the town of Douma, Syrian relief workers said. An estimated 500 people were being treated for "symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals", the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

The Syrian government and Russia say the reports are bogus. The Kremlin said on Wednesday it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything that could destabilise an already fragile situation in the Middle East, and made clear it strongly opposed any U.S. strike on its ally.

After the attack, the rebel group holed up in Douma - Jaish al-Islam - finally agreed to withdraw from the town. That sealed a big victory for President Bashar al-Assad, who has now crushed the rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.

On the diplomatic front, Moscow and Washington stymied attempts by each other in the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on talks with Western allies about possible military action to punish Assad for the suspected gas attack on a rebel-held town that had long withstood a devastating Syrian government siege.

Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Alexander Zasypkin, the Russian ambassador in Beirut, told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic.

He said he was referring to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assad's most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large swathes of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations".

Earlier in the week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said there was no threat of the situation in Syria spiralling into U.S.-Russian hostilities. TASS news agency quoted him as saying he believed common sense would prevail.

MISSILE SALVO FROM MEDITERRANEAN?

Any U.S. strike is likely to involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defence systems. A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

With tensions mounting, pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used within that period and there could be intermittent disruptions of radio navigation equipment.

Both Russia and Iran, Assad's other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would "not remain without response".

RISK OF "UNCONTROLLABLE ESCALATION"

On Monday, U.N. Syria peace envoy Staffan de Mistura cited the air base strike along with other recent events in Syria in a briefing to the Security Council, cautioning against a "situation of uncontrollable escalation".

Syria's Russian-supplied air defences shot down an Israeli F-16 jet in February during a previous bombing run against what Israel described as Iranian-backed positions in Syria.

Last year, the United States carried out strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base after another toxic gas attack on a rebel-controlled pocket.

The U.S. and Russian militaries have sought to avoid conflict in Syria, notably last year in the Euphrates River Valley where they supported rival sides in the campaign against Islamic State militants.

However, U.S. forces in February killed or injured hundreds of Russian contractors fighting on Assad's side during a confrontation in Deir al-Zor province.

U.S. officials said last month pro-Syrian government forces including Russian mercenaries massed near U.S. and U.S.-backed forces in the same region, but a potential confrontation was defused after the U.S. military contacted Russian officers.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that any military action would not target the Syrian government's allies or anybody in particular, but rather the Syrian government's chemical facilities.

Any U.S. strike similar to the limited one launched last year would not cause a shift in the course of the war that has been going Assads way since Russia intervened on his side.

DEADLY CHEMICAL ATTACK

Syrian aid workers reported more than 1,000 people injured in the reported gas attack on Douma. Doctors and witnesses said victims showed symptoms of poisoning, possibly by a nerve agent, and reported the smell of chlorine gas.

France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Assad's government had been asked to make necessary arrangements for an OPCW investigation team to visit shortly.

The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but not assign blame.

The Assad government and Russia both urged the OPCW to investigate the allegations, a move by the two countries that was apparently aimed at averting any U.S.-led military action.

A European source said European governments were waiting for the OPCW to carry out its inquiry and for more solid forensic evidence from the attack to emerge. Any plan by Washington and its allies to take military action was likely to be on hold until then, the source told Reuters.

Despite the international revulsion over chemical weapons attacks, the death toll from such incidents in Syria is only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians killed since the war erupted in 2011.
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Could the Avengers beat the X-Men in a fight? Marvel Comics has the answer

Who would win in a fight between the X-Men and the Avengers? Marvel Comics has answered the question several times
BRIDGEPORT  Millie Navarro collects cats.

There are five cats in her house, a mix of rescues and adoptions. Theres a revolving door of neighborhood stray cats that come onto her Shelton Street property, looking to be fed. She obliges.

Im an animal lover, the 55-year-old said.

One thing thats difficult is managing medical costs of all those animals. Spaying and neutering  which keeps pets from reproducing  can cost anywhere from $35 to $300, depending on the animals gender, species, size and other characteristics. So, when Christopher Keith came knocking on Navarros door offering free veterinary services, she was intrigued.

Keith is community outreach manager for Pets for Life, a program created by the Humane Society of the United States to offer free veterinary care in communities with limited or no access to pet wellness resources.

Keith is based at the Nutmeg Spay and Neuter Clinic in Stratford, a nonprofit organization that provides low-cost spaying and neutering services for cats and dogs in Connecticut. The clinic received a grant from the Humane Society to bring Pets for Life to Bridgeport. Its the 35th Pets for Life program nationwide.

Since the national program launched in 2011, Pets for Life has served more than 151,000 pets, performed over 95,000 spay/neuter surgeries, and provided over 386,000 medications, supplies and services throughout the United States.

It addresses the inequity and lack of access to pet resources in certain areas said Jason Schipkowski, mentor and training manager for the national Pets for Life program.

He said, just as there are food deserts that have a dearth of places where residents can buy nutritious food, there are also pet deserts, where there arent enough veterinarians and other resources for people with pets. Thats unfortunate, Schipkowski said.

Love for a pet transcends socioeconomic factors, he said.

The program run through Nutmeg Spay and Neuter is the first one in Connecticut. As part of the grant the clinic received, Keith and Nutmeg Director Clara McCabe identified the nearby ZIP code most in need of free pet services. They landed on 06608, which stretches roughly from Boston Avenue to Steel Point. The program may expand at some point but, McCabe said, right now they are focusing on this high-need area.

Were helping as many as we can in this ZIP code, she said.

Relationship building

Since the program started in February, Keith has been canvasing the neighborhoods, knocking on doors and offering those with pets a free package of services that includes spaying or neutering, vaccinations, flea treatments and other basic services.

He has provided help for some of Navarros cats, and she is grateful. Veterinary care, she said, is so expensive. She said, at some point, she would like to get help paying for pet food. Keith said that could be part of the program at some point but Nutmegs Pets for Life initiative is still in its infancy.

You have to get friendly with the neighbors, Keith said. Theyre not going to trust you immediately.

The key, he said, is to get a few residents, like Navarro and her husband, Chico Gavillan, to trust him, use the programs services, and then spread the word to others.

Though Navarro and Gavillan were receptive, there are some houses Keith has yet to crack.

On the same street as Navarro, there is a house that is overrun with cats. Its front and back yards are covered in garbage, including discarded containers of pet food. Keith said he has been knocking on the houses door for weeks, and gotten no answer. He has heard the person who lives there has had health problems and is living at a care facility.

At some point, Keith said, the city of Bridgeport might need to get involved. But, for now, he knocks, looking for someone to answer.

Keith mentioned other houses where he knows there are pets that need care, but whose owners wont let him in. But he is patient, walking the blocks, knocking on doors, offering spaying, neutering and other services.

Most of this job is relationship-building, he said, adding that people wont accept help if they dont know who you are.
DANBURY  City Council members do not plan to increase the budget for Danbury public schools, despite school leaders pleas.

Council members were sympathetic Thursday night but decided they believe Mayor Mark Boughtons proposed $4 million increase to the districts budget is enough to accomodate the growing district.

In a time of hardship, we really managed to put a few bucks together, Councilman Warren Levy said.

Boughtons proposed $257 million budget for the 2018-19 includes $132.7 million for Danbury schools.

But even with an extra $1.8 million in state grants slated to go to the district instead of the city next year, administrators and school board members project that total still will leave the district almost $1 million short.

Superintendent Sal Pascarella and district leaders made their final pitch for the full $7 million proposed increase to the councils Education Committee on Thursday night as the council dissects the mayors proposed budget.

I know were in a fiscal crisis, but we asked for the money because we need it, Pascarella said. We look at these supplemental monies were able to get  Were at a critical mass where were just limited in terms of what we can provide.

Council members and city officials have said the mayors proposed increase is much larger than the about 2 percent increase the district has traditionally received. But the higher amount reflects the citys understanding it is an extraordinary year with the new wing at Danbury High School set to open this fall.

Every year we go through a similar struggle of trying to find a balance between what we can afford to do and what the needs are on the Board of Education side and city side, city Finance Director David St. Hilaire said. Unfortunately, between that need and the cutbacks at the state and a revaluation, it all came at the same time. Not very good timing, but it is what it is.

School board members have argued the full proposed increase would be simply to maintain the status quo in the district, let alone keep up with booming enrollment or expand services for the districts neediest students.

School board Chairman Pat Johnston lauded the council for the increase, despite his hope it would be bigger, and placed more blame on the state.

We really do appreciate what the mayor and council have included and theyre doing what they can, he said. But they cant alone make up for what the state is doing to us in terms of their funding and what theyre not giving us. (This budget) is not quite enough, but its close.

Pascarella has declined to say where the district could cut from its proposal if it does not receive the full $7 million increase, but he has suggested it likely would mean less training, materials or computer programs designed to help close the achievement gap.

I dont want to go into taking things away from classrooms and I dont want to take things from youngsters, he said. I want to look at these other things first.

The council will discuss the issue again at a public hearing for the entire city budget at 7 p.m. Monday in City Hall. The city budget is set for final approval in early May.

zach.murdock

@hearstmediact.com
Connecticut has joined a multi-state lawsuit to block the Trump Administration from demanding citizenship information in the 2020 Census.

Leading the charge for Connecticut are Attorney General George Jepsen and Secretary of State Denise Merrill, who  along with 16 other states, half a dozen cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors  argue the question would cause a population under count that would harm cities and states with large immigrant populations.
In this series, The Way We Work, Entrepreneur Associate Editor Lydia Belanger examines how people foster productivity, focus, collaboration, creativity and culture in the workplace.

Mo Gawdat has had an illustrious technology career, toggling between entrepreneurship and roles at IBM, Microsoft and, most recently, Google. But despite these feats, which looked great on paper and afforded him a comfortable and privileged lifestyle, he largely spent his 20s and 30s extremely unhappy.

The constant fight for me to acquire more and to be recognized as a more successful businessman was not delivering my happiness, Gawdat says. I had to research the topic of happiness to get myself back to my typical happy self.

He spent nine years trying to crack the happiness code, approaching the task from the logic-driven perspective of an engineer. He developed an equation: Happiness equals your perception of the events of your life, minus your expectations of how life should behave. This model worked well for him. If he let go of his expectations and instead adapted his thoughts and actions to reality, he could maintain constant happiness.

Related: 20 Simple Ways to Hack Your Happiness, According to Science

Then, in 2014, he lost his 21-year-old son, Ali, in a surgical accident, putting his equation to the ultimate test. Thats when he knew he couldnt keep his findings to himself.

My brain ended up deciding that instead of trying to avenge my son's life, I wanted to give life as a result, says Gawdat, who published his book Solve for Happy in January of this year and has given several talks on the subject through a campaign he launched to make 10 million people happy. He recently expanded his goal to #OneBillionHappy and left his chief business officer role at Google X, the tech giants moonshot R&D division, to devote all of his time to teaching others how to be happy regardless of their circumstances.

Entrepreneur spoke with Gawdat about what it takes to be happy today, and why happiness is crucial for success.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Why did you decide to come up with a new approach to happiness?

I couldn't find material that would actually speak to my own brain and the way I look at life. As much as I respect a lot of the happiness work out there, most of it is either anchored in psychology practice or spirituality, or matters that are a little softer than what today's typical person who prioritizes logic needs to understand. So, I researched the topic as an engineer. There is so much you can learn about happiness if you look at it in a more structured, more engineered way.

Youve written about how we have high expectations in todays world because technology increasingly allows us to expect efficiency and certainty. How do we overcome that?

There is no way we can control life. If you understand this fact, then suddenly, you can have a better attitude toward the change in your life while continuing to attempt to control the outcomes as much as possible -- but not letting the things that are out of control upset you.

How does the quest for happiness change as the world modernizes further?

It doesn't change at all. Happiness has never been a result of what the external conditions are outside you. Happiness has always been a decision and then actions that conform to that decision.

Most of the time, we suffer from what I call unnecessary unhappiness. Like, you get in an Uber and the driver doesn't smile, and your brain tells you, He disrespects me. Then you ask your brain, "Is this true, brain? How can he disrespect me if he doesn't even know me?"

Then I ask the other question, which is, "What can I do about it?" When you do something, the unhappiness goes away, because you start to get engaged. If you cannot do anything about it, then accept it. Don't accept it from a point of view of weakness, but accept it from a point of view of strength.

Related: 8 Actions You Can Take to Be Happier at Work Without Changing Jobs

How can entrepreneurs apply these lessons?

Most entrepreneurs I've ever seen in my life who have become successful never built what they put in their original business plan. The idea of a successful human being, and a successful entrepreneur and a happy person, is a person who responds to things when things change, who flows along the opportunity that is presented and then reviews the plans and continues to evolve and improve. This does not only make us happier, but it also makes us a lot more productive in life.

What advice do you have about keeping employees happy?

We hire people, normally, for their qualifications. For their intellectual horsepower, for their experiences and so on and so forth. But we forget that people who are unhappy are going to poison our organization.

To be able to empower people, use their skills and abilities to get things done. At the same time, keep a happy environment where everyone wants to continue to come back to work and continue to deliver.

Working at Google, you say you learned a lot, especially given that Google has been labeled such a great place to work. What can others learn from Google?

Those who were successful at Google were people who believed in Google's mission -- believed in organizing the world's information. And so when they came to work, they didn't feel that it was work. They felt that this was their life's purpose.

My biggest advice is if you feel that what you're working on every day is not really what makes you happy, change.

Start finding something else. It may take you six months, it may take you a year. But honestly, don't spend a day of your life working on anything other than the stuff that makes you happy.

How is achieving happiness in your career in 2018 different than any time before?

It's harder from some angles and easier from some angles. In the modern world, because of distractions and constant bombardment with messages that are driving us to look for more ego and more missed expectations, it requires a little more work, but the concept and path is exactly the same.

My work is truly all about happiness in 2018. Previously, research on happiness was about "Sit down and meditate." Meditation is a technology for happiness that was built thousands of years ago and may not be fit for today's world.

What I talk about in Solve for Happy is technology that allows you to be mindful and present in a meeting room or on your commute to work. It allows you to understand how your brain works, so you don't really necessarily have to shut your brain up or shut it down in the form of meditation to be able to be happy. As a matter of fact, my advice uses work techniques that ask you to engage your brain more.

Related:

This Former Google Exec Shares Why Leaders Get Happiness Wrong and Why Meditation No Longer Makes Sense

Go Inside The Wing, the Women-Only Coworking Space That Celebrates and Supports Women Creators

Take a Look at This Cosmic Coworking Space That Was Inspired By a Hallucinogenic Drug



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
For years Palestinians have been taunted with Where is a Palestinian Gandhi? It has been an unwarranted and uncalled for question. The real question was and continues to be, Why is Israel not being compelled to vacate its long lasting and brutal occupation of Palestinian land  an occupation internationally recognized as being illegal?

A few months back a social-media activist in Gaza started the idea of a mass nonviolent protest. Hamas adopted it and organized the protest.

The plan envisaged 45 days of protests along the border with Israel, starting on March 30, which Palestinians observe as Land Day, and leading up to May 15, the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel, the day Palestinians observe as Nakba or catastrophe.

The plan required setting up camps between 700-1,000 meters from Israels border fence, outside the Israeli armys unilaterally imposed buffer zone, where anyone who enters is liable to be shot.

Tents were pitched to accommodate the protestors.

To a casual observer it might seem rather callous on the part of Palestinian leaders to plan this action, knowing full well that the Israelis are bound to respond with brutal force.

Let it be remembered that no one was dragged by their hair, or at gun point, to participate in the sit-ins and march. If thousands came, it is because the international community has, through all these years, turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to their suffering, to their cry for justice.

This is no terrorist attack or incitement to violence. This suicidal march is their last hope to awaken the conscience of the international community. It is a testimony of the hopelessness of the Palestinians and the blindness and deafness of the international community.

If it takes the deaths of hundreds or even thousands of innocent, unarmed, nonviolent martyrs to make the world take notice, the indomitable Palestinians are ready to pay it.

The leaders of the protest took pains to emphasize that this was going to be a nonviolent, peaceful march. The participants would carry no arms, not even stones. Al-Kurd, one of 20 organizers of the planned march, reiterated again and again that the protest would be completely nonviolent, contrary to how it is being described in Israeli media.

Israel immediately dubbed it as a Hamas-organized event designed to wipe Israel off the map! This in spite of the fact that the flag waved was not a faction flag, but the Palestinian flag. Introducing Hamas into the equation serves as a justification for Israel to employ violence against them.

On its side, while the Palestinians were pitching tents and preparing for the march, Israel deployed a large contingent of armed forces, including several infantry brigades, along the border, with orders to shoot to kill. Israel Defense Forces warned that it would open fire on anyone who tries to breach the border fence and enter Israel or even come into the unilaterally imposed buffer zone imposed by Israel inside Gaza.

On March 30, the opening day of the protest, an estimated 30,000 Palestinians gathered at the border; 18 protesters were killed by IDF and hundreds injured, making this the deadliest day of the ongoing conflict since the 2014 Israel Gaza war.

With the stage set for an imminent massacre, Kuwait requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss grave concerns at the border in Gaza, reaffirm the right to peaceful protest, express the council's sorrow at the loss of innocent Palestinian lives and call for an independent and transparent investigation of the violence.

A closed meeting was held late in the evening of March 30. On March 31, the U.S. representative to the UN dismissed the Palestinian March as bad actors, who use protest as a cover to incite violence and endanger innocent lives.

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mandsour, explained what happened on the Gaza border. Those who wrought the violence and the killing are the Israeli armed forces. Our people in the Gaza Strip, raising, not a banner of faction but the Palestinian flag, demonstrated peacefully, peacefully, peacefully and they were attacked by the Israeli armed forces. It is a massacre by them.

UN Secretary General and the EU diplomatic chief called for an independent investigation, but Israels Defense Minster rejected the idea. Israel has said it will not soften its response to the Hamas-led demonstrations and may target militant groups within Gaza.

On April 7, nine Palestinians were killed, 293 shot, more than 1,000 wounded. This totals at least 30 killed since the protest began  all for no other reason than demonstrating non-violently on their own land.

Gulamhusein A. Abba is a retired journalist and a resident of Danbury.
1. Universe Today  Launching Rockets from Balloons is About to be a Thing, But We Need a Better Name than Rockoons

2. Universe Today  Astronomers Just Found 72 Stellar Explosions, but Dont Know Whats Causing Them

3. Universe Today  NASA Begins Construction of its New Quiet Supersonic Plane

4. Universe Today  NASA Simulates Their Orion Abort System. Now That Would be a Crazy Ride

5. The Hill  Two asteroid missions will help shape the economy of the 21st century

6. Chandra X-Ray Space Telescope Blog  Perseuss Cosmic Dance Helps Reveal the Secrets of Galaxy Cluster Astrophysics

7. Nextbigfuture  SpaceX BFR main body tool has been built

Elon Musk has released a photo on Instgram of the SpaceX main body tool.

Elon Musk described the SpaceX BFR in a talk last September. It will be 106 meters tall by 9 meters wide. It will be able to launch 150 tons and will be 100% reusable and will be able to rapidly relaunch.

The SpaceX BFR will use Raptor engines. The engine will operate at 25 MPa (250 bar; 3,600 psi) of chamber pressure and achieve 30 MPa (300 bar; 4,400 psi) in later iterations. The engine will be designed with an extreme focus on reliability for any single engine. The top part of the BFR called the spaceship can land with either of two engines.

8. Nextbigfuture  Getting to the outer solar system 15X faster with missions over 40 times larger

By beaming hundreds of Megawatts to next-generation ion drive it will be 15 times faster

The system could propel a 12-year mission to 500 AU and could send missions to Pluto/Charon in 3.6 years and Jupiter missions in roughly a year.

The laser power is beamed to provide energy for the superior next generation ion drive. This means the ion drive can be pointed in different directions to move in any direction and to slow down. This means the systems could maintain their position with large telescopes at the gravitational lens points and shift to move around the sun to observe different stars and exoplanets on the other side.

Voyager has taken almost 41 years to reach 141 AU and will take about 150 years to reach 500 AU

New Horizon will take 13 years to reach 43 AU and will take 160 years to reach 500 AU.

Over 1000 times more power and over forty times more mission mass

Beaming megawatts of power enables vastly larger and more capable missions. Currently by bringing bulky nuclear power the missions have to be smaller and are power limited and size limited.

Having megawatts beamed to the mission with lasers enables 80-ton missions to Jupiter versus less than two tons for the Galileo mission. The Galileo mission had less than a kilowatt of power.

9. Nextbigfuture  What would solar system travel be like with scaled Mach effect propellantless propulsion?

James Woodward and the Space Studies Institute has a Phase 2 NASA Innovative Advanced funded study. They are looking at the implementation of an innovative thrust producing technology for use in NASA missions involving in space main propulsion.

They currently believe they can scale the device to one newton of propulsion and then create large arrays of the devices for more thrust. The constant thrust could last for years or decades by using a nuclear power source.

For Mach effect propellantless propulsion it will be better to go to an array of smaller devices.

They expect 1-5 years to get to 1-5 millinewtons of thrust. (Using better materials and other near-term design improvements.)

Tajmar has replicated the 2 micronewton level and will scale to 12 micronewtons with a larger set of discs.

In 5-10 years, have an array of several devices to get to 10-20 millinewtons.

10-20 years, increase thrust to one newton per device.

Test arrays of a hundred one newton devices

MEGA space propulsion would be 1000+ of one newtons devices.

The Brachistochrone orbit travel time columns in the following table describe the trip times within the solar system.

1% acceleration is the fourth column with 0.01G of constant acceleration. This could be 6000 Newtons of thrust with a MEGA drive but a 60-ton spaceship. Anywhere in the solar system out to Pluto within 11 months.

The next column with 0.1G of acceleration could be 60,000 Newtons of thrust and a 60-ton spaceship. Anywhere in the solar system out to Pluto within 4 months.

The next column with 1G of acceleration could be 600,000 Newtons of thrust and a 60-ton spaceship. Anywhere in the solar system out to Pluto within 35 days.
The Conversation claim nuclear fusion is back again. Nextbigfuture has been constantly tracking nuclear fusion and advanced nuclear fission every week for the past 13 years.

The popular question is when will we have commercial nuclear fusion that has a significant impact on the energy production of the world?

MIT has spunout a tokomak fusion project into Commonwealth Fusion systems. They want to apply modular designs to high-temperature superconductors. They want to get to stronger magnets that will shrink the size and cost of the potential nuclear fusion reactor. Improved magnets would improve any nuclear fusion design that involves confinement of plasma. There is less science risk to this MIT approach but more technological risk. They are trying to accelerate the commercial use of high-temperature superconducting magnets and trying to contain their costs. Cost for superconducting magnets for past fusion projects have been $20 per watt but other applications have seen costs of $1.4 to $1.8 per watt.

Updated Prospects for Commercial Nuclear Fusion>



I have had several articles summarizing the prospects for commercial nuclear fusion

The ITER project and the national ignition projects are decades away according to their own timelines. They are really counting on advanced superconductors to reduce the size and improve projected cost and performance. The Commonwealth Fusion systems is an effort to bring advanced superconductors into the equation and to prove out some of the fifteen to twenty major outstanding major technical challenges.



Helion Energy got funding increased towards tens of millions instead of a few million. John Slough works out of the University of Washington. There have been no major announcements on this project for the past two years.

They would need $200 million for a commercial pilot plant. Their timeline has likely slipped a few years.

Prototypes every two years

Delays and risks with nuclear fusion mean the best hope for better nuclear energy is molten salt nuclear fission.

Terrestrial Energy is developing a 190 megawatt small modular molten salt reactor that will cost less than $1 billion to build. This will result in kilowatt-per-hour costs of less than 5 cents, a price competitive with power from natural gas.

Terrestrial Energy of Canada has signed a contract for technical services with the European Commissions Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Karlsruhe, Germany. JRC will perform confirmatory studies of the fuel and primary coolant salt mixture for Terrestrials Integrated Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR).

Molten salt would have vastly reduced nuclear waste and advanced designs could eventually eliminate nuclear waste by closing the fuel cycle and using all of the uranium and plutonium.

There are several other molten salt nuclear reactor and advanced nuclear fission efforts.

* Costs for nuclear energy can be reduced.

* safety can be increased

* nuclear waste  unburned fuel  can be used

High power lasers improving 1000 times every decade

Two recent scientific breakthroughs have opened a new way to laser fusion reactions according to startup HB11 Energy. It involves the reaction between hydrogen H and the boron isotope 11 (HB11) as uncompressed solid state fuel within an extremely high trapping magnetic field. Both of these conditions have been demonstrated by experiments and following predictions from computations.

This has many unknowns in terms of the science but the ultra-high power laser pathway has the advantage of constant and rapidly improving power with short pulse lasers. This technical improvement in well funded underlying technology is something that means that this approach can emerge as the winning approach within 8-15 years.

* a 1 kilojoule laser boosts a magnetic field to 4500-10000 Tesla for over one nanosecond. About 100 times stronger than powerful superconducting magnets

* a second laser causes a nuclear fusion chain reaction

* lab experiments have been performed which indicate fusion yields increase by a billion times.

* energy production with a proposed system would be four times cheaper than coal

A research paper claims experimentally confirmed reaction gains one billion times higher than the classical values, placing it far ahead any DT fusion approaches.

HB11 energy expects to be able to provide energy for about  of the price of coal-fired power, without any carbon emissions or radioactive by-products, which will be disruptive to the power industry.

The specific evaluation of elastic collisions of the generated alphas with protons and boron nuclei documented how the hydrogen nuclei receive an energy within a wide range around 600 keV energy, for reacting with the 11B nuclei at nearly ten times higher fusion cross sections compared with all known other fusion reactions, to produce each three alphas etc. for the avalanche. The measurements with the nuclei for the energetic HB11 reactions on the background of less than few ten eV background plasma, could be theoretical reproduced in details. This shows the need to explore this kind of non-ideal and non-neutral plasmas. The earlier estimations of the anticipated avalanche reactions was then fully proved for use. Under simplified assumptions, the reaction of 12 mg boron fuel can produce one GJ = 277 kWh or more fusion energy, ignited in a controlled way by the one single ps irradiated laser beams in the reactor. The easy operation with one beam ignition should then permit a reactor with one shot per second and sufficiently fast localization of the reaction unit using presently available technology for low-cost power generation. The now presented results show an increase of the HB11 fusion gains by more than nine orders of magnitudes above the classical value.

Most of the venture-funded possibilities for breakthrough nuclear fusion have stalled or have slow progress

LPP Fusion (Lawrenceville Plasma Physics)  the target is to make LPP Fusion with a commercial system 4 years after net energy gain is proved. The hope is two years to prove net energy gain. Then 2021-2026 for a commercial reactor (2026 if we allow for another 5 years of slippage). They could lower energy costs by ten times.

LPP fusion has raised another $665K recently. This will fund their Beryllium electrode experiments which they hope to prove net energy gain.

LPP Fusion is very public about their research. They are minimally funded with a few million. They are trying to get tungsten and beryllium anodes and cathodes to work for their dense plasma focus design. Think of an advanced spark plug design. They are trying to get a handle on contamination from the firings. They are looking to coat their chamber with titanium. They have to up the amperage to about 3-4 megaamps.

LPP Fusion continues to have funding and science risks.



General Fusion- has a steam punk like design with giant pistons striking a sphere with molten metal and plasmoids. They have Jeff Bezos funding as well as the Canadian and Malaysian government. They were targeting 2023 with 4 cents per kwh. They no longer have a published time target or price target.

They have to scale up and reach their net gain objectives. Things would have to start moving a lot faster and money and the team would have to increase at least 30 times for a path to success by 2030.

TAE Technology has had the best funding of the venture-funded nuclear fusion. They had raised well over $500 million.





Lockheed Compact Fusion had a target date of 2024.



There are several other projects.

There was also a claim of ultradense deuterium generated fusion.
Many women will be wearing red on Tuesday for #EqualPayDay, which marks how far into the year most women have to work to earn the same as men did the previous year. The color symbolizes how far "into the red" women are on pay equity.

The National Committee on Pay Equity started Equal Pay Day to raise public awareness of the gender wage gap.

More than 20 years later, the pay gap between men and women remains wide, particularly for women of color.

In a decision issued Monday, in which the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that employers can't pay women less than men because of what they earned at a previous job, the court noted in its opinion that the continuing gender pay gap is "an embarrassing reality of our economy."

So how big is the gap?

- In 2016, women were paid about 80 cents for every dollar men make, a slight increase from 79.6 cents the previous year, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity.

- At that pace, women will have to wait 100 years to make as much as men, according to the American Association of University Women.

- The gap for women of color is even wider than for white women: Black women earn just 63 cents and Latinas make 54 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men.

- Black women would have to work until Aug. 7 to make what white men earned in 2017. Latinas would have to work until Nov. 1.

- Women of color will also have to wait even longer for pay equity: 108 years for black women and 232 years for Latinas.

- One report found that wages for Latinas actually regressed between 2004 and 2014, the years of the Great Recession and economic recovery, declining by 4.5 percent  nearly three times as much as women's earnings overall.

There are some signs of progress.

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy is poised to sign one of the strongest equal pay laws in the country. The Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act, which has passed both houses of the state Legislature, would prohibit an employer from offering lower pay and benefits to women and minorities, who are considered "protected classes" under a state law against discrimination.

Four other states (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana and West Virginia) and Washington, D.C. have so-called "comparable worth" laws," which require employers to pay women an equal wage for equal work.
NEWTOWN - Two high-profile parents who lost first-grade sons in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre are exploring a run for Elizabeth Estys Congressional seat in November.

Mark Barden and Nicole Hockley, co-founders and managing directors of the homegrown nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise, have been asked by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to consider representing the Fifth District, which covers greater Danbury and northwestern Connecticut.

We already live very public lives, but to be a public official is very different, said Hockley on Tuesday after meeting with DCCC representatives. That is why we are continuing to have these conversations with DCCC.

Although it was not clear Tuesday when Hockley and Barden would decide whether to run for Estys seat, it is likely to be within the next two weeks. The two agree that only one of them - not both - would run, she said.

Mark and I are still best friends, Hockley said. One of us would support the other.

Democrats and Republicans are looking at the Fifth District as a brand-new race after Esty announced she would not seek a fourth term after an office harassment and abuse scandal.

Tuesday was Estys first day back to work in Washington, D.C., since Hearst Connecticut Media broke news in late March that she allowed her former chief of staff, who had been accused of abusing a coworker, to get a new job with Sandy Hook Promises Ohio office while keeping the scandal quiet.

Hockley and Barden have become two of the most visible leaders in the national movement to prevent gun violence.

At the same time, Sandy Hook Promise has become one of the premier nonprofit groups of its kind in the country. The group provides free programs to help school communities learn to recognize the signs that someone is preparing to commit violence.

Hockley on Tuesday said she has sometimes thought about what she would do were she to move on from the organization she helped start.

It feels good to know we are making a difference, but if I do make a transition at some point, I want it to be an area where I can make an impact, Hockley said. Politics is something I might want to do.
DERBY  A former Shelton Intermediate School student described to police 18 incidents of sexual abuse by his mentoring teacher over a three-year period and another incident years later, while the pair dined out.

The allegations are contained in Shelton Police Detective Richard Bangos 13-page affidavit, which led to Tuesdays arrest of David Munson, a 76-year-old retired teacher who in 1988 was honored as the citys Teacher of the Year.

Now Munson faces single charges of first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child. The elderly teacher, wearing a blue windbreaker, black pants, a dark cranberry shirt with a floral tie, appeared Wednesday with his lawyer, Jason Lipsky, at Superior Court in Derby before Judge Karen Sequino.

Sequino continued the case until April 24, after Senior Assistants States Attorney Marjorie Sozanski told the judge the case was being reviewed for transfer to Milford Superior Court, where more serious charges are heard.

In the meantime, Munson is free after posting $100,000 bond. Sequino issued a protective order prohibiting the teacher from contacting or approaching the complainant, who is now 25 and living in Florida.

Outside the Derby courthouse, Lipsky said his client denies all the allegations. The lawyer declined to allow Munson to speak with reporters.

Bango reported in his affidavit that police interviewed three other males that Munson mentored, and each denied being sexually abused.

On Oct. 5, 2017, Shelton police were contacted by the Rape Crisis Center of Milford on the complainants behalf. Bango and Shelton Police Sgt. Matthew Kunkel then met with the complainant and Milford Rape Crisis Advocates Peggy Pisano and Shonna Carlson.

The man told them he was a 13-year-old student at Shelton Intermediate School when the abuse began in September 2005. At the time, he said, his mother was suffering from multiple sclerosis; he was sent to live with a grandmother and was having problems at school.

Munson, who retired from his regular teaching job in 1999, was assigned to work one day a week with the teen as part of a mentoring program. During one meeting, Munson walked the complainant to a wooded area across the street from the school and started to hug the boy, the affidavit charges. The complainant told police his pants were pulled down and he was fondled by Munson.

Upon meeting Munson again weeks later, he recalled the mentor saying: Im glad you wanted it. I know you enjoyed it.

A similar fondling happened in the schools computer lab a few weeks later, and eight times in all that school year, the complainant told police. The following year, the man told police, he was sodomized at least once, possibly twice.

He said he never touched Munson or saw him naked, according to Bangos affidavit.

After the second incident, the man told police, he stopped going to school, considered killing himself and eventually was admitted to a psychiatric ward. He later attended high school in another state.

Bango talked to a psychologist who treated the complainant on as many as 70 occasions between May, 2014 and October, 2016. The psychologist told Bango the complainant discussed being sexually abused by a male school employee during four or five sessions.

(The psychologist) did not press him for details about the sex abuse because he was suffering from other problems and he was very vulnerable at the time, Bango said.

Contact between Monson and the complainant and began again in December 2012, about two months after the teens mother died, Bangos affidavit reads.

The two exchanged emails, and dined out at least twice. On the second occasion, when other dinner guests were away from the table, the complainant felt Munson hands fondling his genitals and heard the mentor ask for sex, police said.

The complainant provided police with numerous emails sent from Munson which ended with an emoji symbol of a man blowing a heart kiss, Bangos affidavit reads.

Bango interviewed Munson, who denied inappropriate contact or putting emojis on the emails. While questioning Munson about the dinner he had with the former student, Bango said, the retired teacher admitted referring to gay sex because he had heard the victim had a boyfriend and felt he was gay.
HAMDEN  A Hamden police sergeant who was charged with third-degree assault has been granted accelerated rehabilitation in Superior Court in Meriden but will not return to his position until he is declared fit for duty, according to Hamden Police Chief Thomas Wydra.

Michael Cirillo was arrested Dec. 31 of last year after he left his post that day and became involved in an altercation with the North Haven polices suspect in a harassment complaint.

The suspect, Vincent Terrone, 38, drew North Haven police to a residence on Philip Place because he allegedly had sent threatening text messages to his estranged girlfriend, according to a North Haven police report.

When police arrived at the residence, Terrone told them he had spent the night outside in his vehicle because the woman with whom he was living had changed the locks to the apartment, the report said. As police were arriving on the scene, the woman was at the North Haven Police Department to report threats against her family.

Terrone had been able to get into the basement and was removing tools and other items that he was putting into his vehicle, according to the report. North Haven Police Officer Christopher Spose was in the basement with Terrone when Cirillo showed up there.

Cirillo immediately yelled at (Terrone) and grabbed him by the shirt and chest area, according to Sposes report.

Cirillo pushed (Terrone) backward and both parties went to the ground with Cirillo on top of him, the report continued. Spose tried to get Cirillo off Terrone as Cirillo yelled at him about making threats to his family, according to the report.

North Haven police Sgt. Robert DePalma, who assisted in the investigation, wrote in his report: Cirillo yelled at (Terrone), grabbed him by his upper torso and threw him to the ground. Cirillo continued to wrestle with him and eventually placed him into a headlock. Cirillos actions were unprovoked. Two North Haven officers, Spose and Patrolman John J. Gaspar, were needed to pull Cirillo off Terrone, according to the report.

Terrone complained he had suffered injuries to his lower back during the confrontation. He was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital for evaluation and treatment.

Terrone was charged with second-degree harassment.

Sposes report said Cirillo cooperated with police after the altercation and turned over his gun. (This is also shown in a bodycam video of the incident released by North Haven police.) Police learned Terrones girlfriend had called a relative about the threatening messages and that the person who received the call is related to Cirillo.

According to photographic evidence of the text message, Terrone told the woman that he would go out and kill both (the womans siblings), (her) mother and (her) father.

Cirillos attorney, Patrick Hughes, confirmed Cirillo had been placed on accelerated rehabilitation, a form of probation. But Hughes quickly ended the phone call, saying he was on his cellphone and driving. He did not respond to follow-up requests for comment.

Cirillo could not be reached.

Under accelerated rehabilitation, a defendant with no prior criminal record is given probation for up to two years. When the probation is completed satisfactorily, the charge or charges are dismissed. Cirillo has a disposition hearing scheduled for March 27, 2019, according to a notice from the state judicial branch.

Wydra said the court agreement requires Cirillo to take an anger management course. Wydra said Cirillo is complying with this.

After he completes the course, well have to determine if he is fit for duty, Wydra said. Then he could come back.

Wydra said the case has been referred to the Hamden Police Commission, which may or may not hold a hearing.

They have the final say, Wydra said.

Wydra added, Were negotiating with Mr. Cirillo and his union. He could be back to work in a couple of weeks if we resolve it.

Cirillo remains on administrative leave, with pay, Wydra said. After Cirillo was arrested, he was relieved of his police powers and restricted to administrative duty. He had to turn over his gun, badge and police equipment.

At that time, Wydra said he didnt wish to prejudge the case. But he added, The optics are bad.

Asked this week what he meant, Wydra said, A police officer leaves his jurisdiction without authorization and physically confronts somebody while other officers are on the scene. According to the North Haven police report, Cirillo was on duty at the time of the incident, which began at about 10 a.m.

Wydra added, In my 25 years (in police work) Ive seen a lot, but Id never heard of that. The average citizen probably says, What the heck is going on? How did that happen? He left the reservation, so to speak.

But Wydra then said, Ive known him a long time. Hes a good guy. He had a bad day.

randall.beach@hearstmediact.com
ST. MARYS, GA.  A New Haven peace activist is among a group of seven protesters being detained in jail after they were arrested at a nuclear submarine base in Georgia.

Mark Colville, 55, of the Amistad Catholic Worker group, was charged with possession of tools for the commission of a crime and interference with government property (both felonies) as well as criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor.

The seven members of the Catholic Plowshares movement broke into the Kings Bay Naval Base in St. Marys, Georgia, on the night of April 4, acting on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

According to a news release from the Kings Bay Plowshares, the seven timed it to the anniversary of Kings death because he devoted his life to addressing the triplets of militarism, racism and materialism.

The group carried into the base a statement quoting King: The greatest purveyor of violence in the world (today) is my own government.

The activists also were carrying hammers and baby bottles of their own blood. They had hammers because they wanted to make real the prophet Isaiahs command to beat swords into plowshares.

There have been 100 similar Plowshares actions around the world since 1980. The pacifists hammer nuclear weapons and pour blood on them.

Kings Bay Naval Base is the largest nuclear submarine base in the world. It has six ballistic missile submarines and two guided missile submarines, according to the Plowshares news release.

After the activists broke into the base, they split into three groups, targeting the administration building, the D5 Missile monument and the nuclear weapons storage bunkers.

They were arrested early Thursday morning. At the time of their arrest they read a statement: Nuclear weapons kill every day through our mining, production, testing, storage and dumping, primarily on Indigenous Native land. This weapons system is a cocked gun being held to the head of the planet.

The seven were detained at the Camden County Public Safety Complex in Woodbine, Georgia. The day after their arrest, they were brought to Camden County Court in front of Chief Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Lewis.

Lewis acknowledged the activists did not pose a flight risk but she said they were a threat to the community because they might return to the base, according to the Plowshares news release. Thus she denied their efforts to be released on bond.

Colvilles wife, Luz Catarineau-Colville, said in a statement from New Haven released by the Plowshares group: Im so glad hes OK and is in the same block with one of the guys he acted with. So Marks not alone.

She added, Mark was able to pick up a few books from the library to keep him busy.

She also said the group is awaiting a trial date. Since they werent granted bail, they will be in for a while.

Catarineau-Colville said, We will pray for the members of the Kings Bay Plowshares during our monthly Mass and try to take up a collection to help cover the additional expense of staying in touch with Mark and getting him what he needs while in jail.

randall.beach@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  Nico Rivera, a candidate for an elected two-year term as a student representative on the Board of Education, beat the competition when he submitted his application on time.

It was reported to the Board of Education in March that only three sophomores were petitioning for candidacy: one from Sound School, one from James Hillhouse High School and Rivera, who attends Metropolitan Business Academy.

On Tuesday, the Citywide Student Council heard Riveras platform only, as he was the sole candidate to submit the requisite 100 signatures, 50 of which had to come from five schools other than his own, on time.

Rivera addressed the student council by telling them something his father said to him during a rough patch that always stuck with him: We stand together.

If its like that, why cant the youth of New Haven Public Schools stand together? he said. School should always be a place where a person can thrive and grow without feeling their life is in danger.

Rivera said renewing a positive school climate across the district is a top priority for him.

Its our time, its us, the next generation of workers, the youth, he said. Come on and lets start working. Lets give a helping hand and stand together strong for safe schools, a positive school climate and being unified among the New Haven Public Schools community.

New Haven Academy junior ZNay Morris asked Rivera how he would cut through loud opinions and maintain his regular activities as a student.

Im a multitasker, Rivera said. I am actually involved in six different sports.

In addition to that, he said his goal is to attend West Point  Its the best military college in the United States, he said.

Rivera said he wants to be a conduit for student voice, but it would be important for students to show up and speak for themselves.

He said he considers the districts Director of Security Thaddeus Reddish to be a friend, and he would like to collaborate with the security team to enhance security as students around the nation have become increasingly unnerved by recent school shootings.

Citywide Youth Coalition Executive Director Addys Castillo, who serves on the student elections committee, also addressed the group to solicit feedback on how to get students engaged in running for the school board.

I come to you humbly because I need your help, she said.

Engineering and Science University Magnet School sophomore Thomas Nardini said the lack of voting power has turned off students.

Theyre not going to listen to us, as great of a pursuader as Nico may be, he said.

Castillo said she thought that might be the case.

How are you going to get anybody to be a part of that process when you told students in not so many words that your voice doesnt count, she said, concurring with Nardini.

Throughout 2017, a divisive search for a new superintendent of schools split the school board. Student board members Jacob Spell and Makayla Dawkins said they would not have supported Carol Birks, the eventual hire. Had they been given votes, the vote to hire Birks would have been unsuccessful.

Castillo said it would be important for the school board to address adultism, or the belief among adults that they know more than teenagers on everything.

No matter how many experiences weve had, we dont know your experience, she said.

Rodriguez, who was also present to address the student council, said he was not serving on the school board for the entirety of the superintendent search, but he believes students must be better represented.

We have to create a culture on the board where students like yourself and the student representatives feel their voices are not only being lifted, but their voices are being heard, he said.

He added that, as a Puerto Rican, he empathizes with having representatives without voting representation.

Regional Career High School senior Azhaleia Reyes said she believes the lack of interest may have been an advertising and marketing issue, a point that was cosigned by many on the student council. Castillo agreed, saying the committee was handicapped during a transitional period between former Superintendent of Schools Garth Harries and former Interim Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo.

We should be having this conversation freshman year, she said.

Castillo also imparted upon the students that, even if there are two elected representatives, it would be powerful for the rest of the students to fill the auditorium during school board meetings if they had something important to advocate.

If yall filled the room, then they cant ignore you. You might have to go there and be the infantry to show up, she said. I cant wait to see a board meeting when all of yall occupy the seats.

Robert Gibson, a retired educator who supervises the student council, said the law is unlikely to change to allow students to vote on school board business, but past student movements have shown that students can organize effectively.

In 2017, Dawkins, who will serve the second year of her term next year, beat three other candidates. The year before, Spell, who graduates this year, emerged victorious in a crowded field of seven students. In 2015, inaugural student board members Coral Ortiz and Kimberly Sullivan won their election against one and three other students, respectively.

At the March school board meeting, Rodriguez said there was one stream of savings the Student Election Committee identified: instead of renting election machines to count ballots for $5,000, the Registrar of Voters would lend their machines for the exercise. Now, it seems the district will save money on counting ballots regardless.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
Women in Seattle and beyond continue to face a dismal reality when it comes to their careers: They don't earn as much as men.

A new study from PayScale found that while the gap has closed ever so slightly in the last two years, pay for women lags heavily, and their opportunities in top-paying jobs continue to be limited.

When comparing the salaries of all working women to all working men (the uncontrolled gender pay gap), women in 2018 can expect to earn $0.78 for every $1 earned by men, the study found.

The controlled pay gap, which compares similar women in similar jobs to similar men in similar jobs, is a much smaller gap -- about 2 percent -- but the figure doesn't account for many women unable to reach better paying jobs because of bias, sexism and other factors.

"The uncontrolled gap really matters because you're seeing that women are underrepresented in the best paying jobs in the country," said Lydia Frank, vice president of content strategy for PayScale.

PayScale's study was based on online surveys completed by more than 2 million people between January 2016 and February 2018. Participants provided details about their industry, occupation, location, as well as demographics including age and gender.

RELATED: Report: For Seattle women, education doesn't pay

Women and men have fairly equal opportunities as individual contributors -- or in lower-tiered jobs -- but moving up the ladder to manager, director or executive, women have far fewer roles, the study found.

By the middle of their careers (ages 30 to 44), men are 70 percent more likely to be in vice president or C-suite roles than women. By the time they reach their late careers (45 and up), men are 142 percent more likely to have those high-paying roles.

"I think when you look at corporate America, we like to imagine that women were invited into the room many decades ago," said Amy Nelson, founder and CEO of The Riveter, a woman-oriented co-working space and incubator. "But I would argue women still haven't been given a seat at the table. I think there is still a lot of bias."

At least one factor playing into this are career disruptions, or periods of unemployment. PayScale found that, for men or women, even a 3-month stint of unemployment can lead to a 4 percent pay cut when they return to work. But women are more likely to take time away from a career than men and those breaks are usually longer, so they face a bigger penalty.

Having children is a major factor that can trigger women to step away from a career, though not necessarily because they want to, Frank said.

RELATED: Seattle worst for single woman home equity

And parental leave in the U.S. skews toward far more time for women -- if the employer offers it --something that can force a family's decision.

"If you're making policies where there is not more equity with the time off, you're essentially making choices for the family," Frank said. "You're telling women that they are expected to stay home and care for children and you're telling men that they're not expected to stay home and care for children."

Many policies in the U.S. lag behind other developed nations when it comes to equity for women. Washington state and Seattle especially have taken steps toward more equity with policies like the state's family leave act that allows up to 12 weeks of protected leave after a child birth or for a family medical emergency. Seattle in 2015 also enacted a policy of paid parental leave for all city employees, allowing a month of leave for the birth or adoption of a child (for either the father or the mother or both).

But those policies are only part of a system that is forged upon a way of life that largely doesn't exist anymore, said Stacey Jones, a senior lecturer in economics at Seattle University.

"We still have systems designed around the idea of a single bread earner family, or at least the idea of a family where one person's career is secondary," Jones said. "It's not so much women versus men, it's mothers versus everyone else."

The tax system, social security and many parental leave programs are predicated on the assumption of a traditional, patriarchal family structure where the man works and the woman stays home to take care of the child, she said. Those are the policies that need to change to help allow women to advance to pay equity with men.

While it's good for companies to take steps to even out the playing field, only policy (and federal policy, at that) can usher in the kind of societal change needed, Jones said.

Changing the culture also requires that men get into the conversation, Frank said.

"When men aren't part of the conversation, very little is going to change," she said.

The figures presented in PayScale's study aren't new, and the fact that women continue to stare down at figures that show they earn little more than three-quarters of what men earn can wear down the impact, Nelson said.

"It is very abnormal that women do not earn the same amount as men," Nelson said. "These numbers aren't normal, they're not OK."

Daniel DeMay covers Seattle culture, city hall, and transportation for seattlepi.com. He can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay.
ANSONIA  Mayor David Cassetti has put a call out for volunteers to join him in the trenches this Earth Day to help spruce up the city streets.

Cassetti is seeking volunteers ages 12 and up to pitch in during Ansonias second annual Earth Day Community Clean-Up, scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon April 21. A rain date has been set for April 22.

Thanks to about two dozen volunteers pitching in during two separate clean-up events last year, more than 900 pounds of unsightly trash (mostly paper, cans and bottles) was removed from various areas of the city, according to Greg Martin, the citys director of constituent services.

Martin encouraged volunteers to come out in force once again to help rid the city of even more trash.

Volunteerism is a reflection of community support and shows an appreciation for the environment and also enables the city to stretch public works budgets to focus on other areas of the city instead of litter pickup, Martin said. Its unfortunate that so much litter finds its way from mostly cars onto street sides in such a short time.

Martin said he expects upwards of 75 volunteers to take part so far this year, compared with 25 who lent a helping hand during last years inaugural Earth Day event. He said high school student can also earn community service hours for taking part in the effort.

Volunteers are asked to meet at 9 a.m. at the Ansonia Armory, located at 5 State St., the day of the clean-up. Martin will assemble between five and eight volunteers per group to tackle about 20 miles of city streets. Following the clean-up, volunteers will be treated to a picnic lunch at the Ansonia Nature Center pavilion, as a way for the city to thank them for their time and effort in helping to beautify the city. Trash bags and trash pickers, along with reflective vests, will be provided to all volunteers.

Cassetti said hes looking forward to working alongside the volunteers to keep Mother Earth clean.

I think how our community looks directly affects our residents and I want everyone to take pride in their City, said Cassetti. After all, we have so much to be proud of here in Ansonia.

Cassetti added that he believes its crucial for him to take part in the event.

I participate because its important that our taxpayers know that I am working for them and right alongside them for the good of the community, Cassetti said. They want to know their mayor cares about them and this is a great way to demonstrate that.

For more information, call Martin at 203-736-5963 or by email at: gmartin@ansoniact.org

Earth Day, first celebrated on April 22, 1970, was started by Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who wanted to raise awareness and have people participate in activities specifically geared to protecting the environment. Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe with rallies, clean-up events and earth-friendly activities taking place in more than 193 countries, according to Earth Day Network.

jean.sos@snet.net.
DERBY  The adventures of a baby Canada goose on his journey toward discovery will continue, thanks to local author Tammy DiCenso penning a sequel to her first childrens book.

DiCenso recently self-published her second book, Whatcha Lookin At?, which will be available on Amazon May 1.

The story of Toby the goose, named after DiCensos dog, was inspired by DiCensos passion for photography, particularly her love of shooting all kinds of birds she has spotted along the Derby Greenway and beyond.

The sequel was inspired when I started to take photos of birds who I felt were looking right at the camera, said DiCenso, 58.

The 90-page childrens chapter book has colorful photos of all kinds of birds DiCenso has taken over the past couple of years. Her first book, Do You Want to Take a Selfie, followed the goose on its journey meeting other feathered friends, which were asked to take a selfie with Toby . All the other birds were too busy to oblige Toby, except his mother, who happily took the selfie with him.

In the sequel, DiCenso said, Toby is a little older, and filled with questions that he asks more than 20 species of birds he meets in his travels, such as why do Killdeer birds fake a broken wing? or how do Green herons catch their food?

DiCenso said the bookis educational, teaching young readers about birds and their habitats, and continues to showcase her love of nature and photography.

My mother also loved nature and when I am outside I feel her presence near me, she said. I now find myself opening my eyes and ears just a little tad wider whenever I go outside.

DiCenso said it took her a few months to write the sequel but almost a year to get it published. She credited her nephew, Nathan, with helping with the books design and getting it to the printer.

DiCenso credits her foray into photography and ultimately penning childrens books to a kind stranger she met along the Derby Greenway in 2016 when she and her husband, Kelly, were out for a spring stroll. The stranger let DiCenso try out his cameras massive zoom lens, and when she spotted her first baby Canada goose and its protective mother waddling along, she was hooked.

I fell deeply in love from there, said the mother of two sons.

DiCenso already is thinking ahead to her next book to be titled, Oh Baby, which shell dedicate to her sons, with the message that your children are your heart and soul and you will do anything for them.

DiCenso will appear at two upcoming book readings/signings scheduled for 10 a.m. May 5 at Woodbury Public Library and at 6:30 p.m. May 15 at Derby Public Library.

jean.sos@snet.net
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One modest, unexpected bright spot could be found in the budget coming out of Washington: a 46 percent increase in funding for capital projects, about $160 million more, and more money for operations as well, according to estimates by the housing authority. Still, the needs at hundreds of sprawling complexes  some $20 billion in repairs  are towering.

Mr. de Blasio named Stanley Brezenoff, a longtime city official and the mayors go-to fixer for problematic agencies, as the interim chair, though he will not start until June, several weeks after Ms. Olatoye is to depart. But changes at the top may not result in changes at the ground level, where tenants struggle with mold and broken heating systems, even as high crime rates have eased.

Theres no magic button to push here, Mr. Brezenoff said. I can promise the best possible effort to make the best use of existing resources.

He joins a top-level staff that has seen sustained turnover.

Of the 32 senior jobs, a figure that includes all positions from vice president up to chair, about two-thirds are vacant, have acting appointees or were filled in the last year, according to an analysis of the agencys organizational chart.

As Ms. Olatoye was asked about the high-level departures and vacancies, Mr. de Blasio turned and muttered to her. Some of that turnover is good she said, appearing to repeat what the mayor said to her off mic a moment before.

Ms. Olatoye said she had stayed on until now in part to help with efforts to negotiate a settlement with federal prosecutors. In 2016, the United States attorneys office in Manhattan opened a wide-ranging inquiry into conditions in public housing and paperwork that falsely certified lead-paint inspections. One outcome of the negotiations could be a federal monitor for the authority.

There is already a court-appointed special master for mold. Last month, federal housing officials began requiring the housing authority to get approval to spend federal money, because of the false lead-paint filings. Mr. Cuomo last week ordered the city to choose an independent monitor to oversee new state spending on public housing.
Mr. Brezenoff, born in 1937, has been working in government in New York City since Mr. de Blasio was in high school in Massachusetts.

He was hired as commissioner of the Department of Employment by Mayor Ed Koch in 1978. He eventually became Mr. Kochs deputy mayor for operations and then his first deputy mayor, from 1985 through 1989.

He was also the head of the citys Health and Hospitals Corporation and executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Along the way, he gained a reputation as the consummate, competent government operator, a skilled manager who could be relied on by mayors and governors to clean up a mess or right a foundering ship.

Stan Brezenoff is the finest public manager I have known, the man to whom governors and mayors have turned time and time again to wrestle down the toughest problems we face, and doing so with wisdom, honesty, and an abiding commitment to struggling New Yorkers, Mr. Shorris said.

Ms. Olatoye will leave the authority at the end of the month. Mr. Brezenoff will start in his interim capacity in June, although he said that before Ms. Olatoye leaves he will spend time with her to learn about the agency.

George Arzt, a political consultant who also worked in the Koch administration, said of Mr. Brezenoff: Why was Bernard Baruch the fixer for so many presidents? Because he has the knowledge, hes wise, and he resolves issues. Hes a closer. And he loves government and he loves to fix problems.
Fifty years ago on April 11, Congress enacted the Fair Housing Act, the last of the three great civil rights laws of the 1960s. Along with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act, it was an attempt by Congress to translate the movement led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others into enduring statute. But it also has the more dubious distinction of being the most contested, most ignored and, at times, most misunderstood of those laws.

For most of the 20th century, an array of forces worked to divide American communities into black and white quarters. Some involved explicit discrimination, including racial redlining in federal mortgage insurance, and real estate covenants that restricted home buyers by race. But some were more subtle, like the steering by real estate agents of racial minorities into certain neighborhoods, biased lending and underwriting, and the concentration of low-income housing in low-income neighborhoods.

By the late 1960s, racial tensions came to a head, marked by civil disturbances that the bipartisan Kerner Commission attributed to the growth of two societies, one black, one white  separate and unequal. The fair housing bill, which had been filibustered for many years by segregationist senators, received a critical push from this report. Provisions that would have exempted single-family homes were defeated, and the law passed the Senate.

Then, on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated. His death shook the nation, setting off another round of disturbances. Something had to be done  not just about Americas ugly history of housing discrimination but also about the divided system that had led the nation to this awful moment. The assassination dislodged the stalled housing bill from the House Rules Committee, and one week later the Fair Housing Act was signed into law.
Although a Cambridge spokesman last month downplayed Ms. Mercers role at the company  saying she had a broad business oversight role and no involvement in its daily operations  she serves on the companys board and in the past has worked to drum up campaign business for Cambridge, according to Republicans who have worked with or competed against the firm. Former Cambridge employees said she was close to Alexander Nix, the companys chief executive, who was suspended last month after reports on Cambridges harvesting of Facebook data.

Ms. Mercers intermediary with Facebook was Matthew Michelsen, a tech entrepreneur and investor based in San Diego, who lists his employer as GothamAlpha, a consulting firm. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has also advised major Silicon Valley companies, including Facebook and Palantir, a data-mining firm and intelligence contractor.

Mr. Michelsens meeting came on March 20, the day after Facebook announced that Cambridge had agreed to let it audit the firms computer servers. Mr. Michelsen met informally with a Facebook acquaintance who was accompanied by a Facebook lawyer, according to a person briefed on the meeting, and both Cambridge Analytica and the Mercers were discussed. The person discussed the meeting on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it publicly. No immediate actions were taken as a result of Mr. Michelsens outreach.

Mr. Michelsen acknowledged in an interview on Thursday that he visited the company but he would not discuss the purpose of the trip, citing nondisclosure agreements Facebook required him to sign. Ms. Mercer declined to say whether she and Mr. Michelsen had discussed the purpose of the meeting or whether he had briefed her on it afterward.

Cambridge also mounted a more formal effort to assuage Facebook, the person said, sending its own lawyers to meet with Facebook on the same day Mr. Michelsen was there. The Cambridge lawyers asked Facebook officials whether the firm could be reinstated on the platform. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, acknowledged that meeting in an interview with The Times last month, saying that his company had not decided whether to lift the ban.

A Cambridge spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. In a lengthy public statement on Monday, the company stated that the vast majority of our business is commercial rather than political, contrary to the way some of the media has portrayed us.

Image Stephen K. Bannon and Kellyanne Conway, White House advisers, with Ms. Mercer at the 2017 inauguration. The firm helped the Trump campaign target voters.

In recent years, the Mercers have become among the most prominent and highly scrutinized political donors in the United States. In the early years of the Obama administration, they began doling out tens of millions of dollars to an eclectic array of conservative groups  many of them outside Washingtons mainline Republican establishment. Mr. Mercer invested $10 million in Breitbart News, the nationalist website, bringing on Mr. Bannon as chairman, while Ms. Mercer joined the boards of leading conservative think tanks.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Special Assistant to President Duterte Bong Go at the sidelines of the Boao Forum in China

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte in his chat on Wednesday morning with Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke glowingly of Special Assistant to the President Bong Go. Now in Hong Kong to meet overseas Filipino workers, Duterte and Go talked about their Chinese ancestry with President Xi, with Duterte extolling Go for being very kind and hardworking.Duterte and Go have Chinese lineage. In past interviews with Chinese media, including by news service Xinhua, Duterte traced his roots to a grandfather from Xiamen in Chinas Fujian province. There is a mounting clamor in the Philippines for Go to seek higher office in the 2019 mid-term elections. Last month, various sectors met in Manila to convince Go seek an elective post like a seat in the Philippine Senate. Go was noncommittal although he was profuse in thanking, through a phone call, his supporters who came from all over the country. It remains to be seen though if Go would throw his hat into the political ring if President Duterte himself gives his blessing. A Palace source said Go may be prevailed upon by Duterte himself to serve through an elective post. In serving Duterte as Davao City mayor and now as President, Go himself has been serving Filipinos, added the source.If the President sees SAP Bong Go doing much, much more as a senator perhaps, then why not? I think the President will be the first to give SAP Bong Go the wings to fly, said the Palace insider. An observer on the Duterte-Go-Xi chat remarked: Those are the ties that bind themtheir Chinese lineage, and their being thrust by history in the position to serve others. In a previous visit to China, Duterte told Xinhua that about two million ethnic Chinese live and work in the Philippines and that nearly a quarter of the Philippine population have Chinese lineage. Its only China [that] can help us, Duterte had said then as he thanked Chinas funding support for his projects, including a mega drug rehabilitation center. My grandfather was Chinese. So we might be asking for your help, asking the Chinese people to help Chinese people here. They are Filipinos, but they are also Chinese, Duterte told Xinhua.
During the presidential campaign, Michael D. Cohen got a Google alert for a breaking story: Russian President Vladimir Putin Praises Donald Trump as Talented and Very Colorful.

For most American politicians, that article in December 2015 would hardly have been welcome news. But Mr. Cohen, whose role as personal lawyer and fixer for President Trump has been firmly rooted in the transactional world of his boss, saw opportunity. He emailed an old friend who had been talking about seeking Kremlin support to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, and sent him the article.

Now is the time, Mr. Cohen wrote. Call me.

Mr. Cohens efforts put him under scrutiny in the Trump-Russia inquiries and hinted at the somewhat murky space he occupied in the Trump Organization, where his precise duties were unclear. Since then, a series of disclosures have revealed the unusual range of Mr. Cohens portfolio.

Agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided his office and hotel room on Monday, seeking records related to payments made shortly before the 2016 election to two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Mr. Trump. The investigation poses a legal threat to Mr. Cohen  and possibly his client. Few people closer to Mr. Trump have more knowledge of what the president has been involved with over the years.
I havent seen clear indication yet that we needed to pass something to keep him from being removed, Mr. McConnell told reporters. Because I dont think thats going to happen.

Democrats, for their part, locked in the minority in the House and the Senate, huddled behind closed doors to plot possible responses in case Mr. Trump moved to dismiss Mr. Mueller or the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, who is overseeing the investigation. Publicly, they pleaded with their Republican counterparts to take seriously Mr. Trumps renewed assault on the investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election and potential links to his campaign.

Our Republican colleagues must not continue ignoring the elephant in the room, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, told reporters. We Democrats are urging our Republican colleagues to work with us now  pass legislation to protect this investigation, and head off a constitutional crisis that would be devastating to this country.

For both parties, it was a routine that has grown familiar in recent months, as the special counsels investigation has inched closer to Mr. Trumps inner circle and the president has heightened his criticisms of what he frequently derides as a witch hunt that Democrats have concocted to undermine him.

But even for Mr. Trumps Washington, Tuesday brought a dizzying set of revelations for lawmakers to keep pace with. A day earlier, F.B.I. agents, acting at the behest of federal prosecutors in Manhattan, raided the office and the hotel room of Mr. Trumps personal lawyer, seizing business records, emails and other documents. Mr. Rosenstein is said to have personally signed off on the raid, and several people briefed on the investigation said that the authorities were searching for records about payments to two women who claim they had affairs with Mr. Trump.
WASHINGTON  As President Trump continued to fume on Tuesday about the Justice Departments raids on the office and hotel room of his longtime personal lawyer, the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, made a provocative claim: The president, she said, believes he has the legal authority to fire Robert S. Mueller, the special counsel leading the Russia investigation.

The assertion by Ms. Sanders was surprising because the general understanding has been that Mr. Trump himself cannot directly fire Mr. Mueller, and that he would instead have to order the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, who is the acting attorney general for the purpose of the Russia inquiry, to do so. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from any involvement in the investigation.

Mr. Rosenstein has repeatedly said that he will refuse any order to fire Mr. Mueller unless he decides the special counsel committed misconduct. If the general understanding is correct, then, Mr. Trump would probably have to fire Mr. Rosenstein and hunt for a successor willing to carry out the order  echoing the Saturday Night Massacre during the Watergate scandal.

In 1973, President Richard M. Nixon decided to force the Justice Department to fire Archibald Cox, the first special counsel investigating Watergate. Both the attorney general and the deputy attorney general resigned rather than carry out those orders before the solicitor general, then the No. 3 official in the department, finally agreed to do so. The episode was a milestone in the eventual decision by the House to begin impeachment proceedings.
Heavily backed by Russian air support and Iranian ground forces, Syria is in a different league than adversaries in other places where the United States is at war. Unlike the Islamic State in various parts of the Middle East, the Taliban in Afghanistan or the Shabab in Somalia, the Syrian government has extensive air defense and missile systems capable of shooting down foreign planes.

Sending bombers and fighter jets, with American or French pilots, to strike Syrian airfields or other facilities is considered risky because it could deepen the conflict if a pilot was shot down. That is why the Pentagon is looking at the same sort of retaliation used last year when two Navy destroyers unleashed a fusillade of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Al Shayrat airfield that was believed to have been used to launch chemical attacks.

But less than 24 hours after that strike, Syrian warplanes were again taking off from the damaged airfield, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group. Beyond Al Shayrat base, Syria still had numerous others from which it could launch flights. While Mr. Trumps advisers argued last year that the strike affected Mr. Assads calculations, in the end its limited nature ultimately did not thwart the Syrian governments ability to launch chemical attacks.

Theres a tension between the desire to do something bigger than last time and the presidents clear desire not to stay engaged in sustained operations, said Michele A. Flournoy, an under secretary of defense under President Barack Obama. Conceivably, they could design a larger one-off strike or a series of smaller strikes.

But at the end of the day, its sustained pressure on Assad thats going to change his calculation about whether to use chemical weapons, Ms. Flournoy said.

David F. Gordon, policy planning director at the State Department under President George W. Bush, said Mr. Trump was almost certainly looking to punish Mr. Assad more severely while limiting American engagement.

What theyre probably searching for is: What can we destroy that weakens this guy? Mr. Gordon said. He has to do more than he did last time, and I think he does want to disrupt their capabilities. But I think its basically still the one shot  it may be in two waves or something, but I dont think theres an ongoing response to this.
President Trump quietly signed a long-anticipated executive order on Tuesday intended to force low-income recipients of food assistance, Medicaid and low-income housing subsidies to join the work force or face the loss of their benefits.

The order, in the works since last year, has an ambitious title  Reducing Poverty in America  and is directed at any program that provides means-tested assistance or other assistance that provides benefits to people, households or families that have low incomes, according to the orders text.

But its programmatic goals are considerably more modest, officials said. Many of the initiatives outlined have already been set into motion by the affected agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human Services, which has begun issuing waivers to Republican governors who want to impose stricter work requirements on Medicaid recipients as a way to reduce costs.

And advocates for poor people questioned whether the order could achieve even modest goals, saying most able-bodied adults who receive noncash federal aid either already work or face significant impediments to doing so.
SAO PAULO, Brazil  Gunmen attacked a prison in northern Brazil while trying to enable a mass escape of inmates on Tuesday, setting off a gun battle with the police that killed 20 people and injured at least four, authorities said.

Public security officials in Para State identified 19 of the dead as prisoners or their supporters. A guard at the prison, the Santa Izabel Penitentiary, also died.

Officials were doing a head count inside the prison Tuesday night to determine whether any inmates escaped.

In a statement, police investigator Rodrigo Leao said two assault weapons, three pistols and two other guns were seized from a group that tried to get into the prison to enable a breakout by inmates.
BERLIN  It may seem a paradox that one of the most influential composers of modern sung theater completed only one opera. Pelleas et Melisande brought the French composer Claude Debussy instant fame in 1902, but the stage work achieved such a perfection of his artistic ideals that he never managed to repeat the success.

Skeptical of the theater establishment, relentlessly self critical and plagued by illness in his final years, Debussy left behind a legacy that musicologists are, to some extent, still working to reconstruct. Even after a premiere performance, he would continue making adjustments, sometimes to more than one copy of a given score. And he left the majority of his stage works unorchestrated before dying at age 55.

The centennial of the composers death this year provides an occasion to revisit the less-known corners of his oeuvre. The label Warner Classics in January released the first compilation of Debussys complete works, a 33-CD set that includes four premiere recordings of vocal music.
LOS ANGELES  The mystery buyer that arranged to purchase Norman Rockwells celebrated painting Shuffletons Barbershop from the financially troubled and legally scrutinized Berkshire Museum in Western Massachusetts has just stepped forward: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which broke ground last month and is expected to open here in about four years, has bought the work for an undisclosed sum.

We are very excited to have it join our collection, said Don Bacigalupi, director of the Lucas Museum. This will be one of the anchor works of our museum, which were delighted to share with the public. The museums founder, George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, is already known as the leading private collector of Rockwells work. He owns dozens of Rockwell paintings, most of which are promised gifts to his museum.

Painted in 1950 as a cover for The Saturday Evening Post, Shuffletons Barbershop is one of Rockwells most popular works. Mr. Bacigalupi sees it as one of his most complex compositions as well: a glimpse into small-town life after business hours, which doubles as a reflection on the history of painting, rife with references to modernism like the prominent windowpane structure that echoes a Mondrian grid.
Where do we start? You have art everywhere.

Lets start in the living room. You know, I feel deep connections to art and also to objects that have mythological meaning. I learned a lot about mythology from Joseph Campbell, my neighbor upstate. I also have gotten to know so many artists who became friends. Some have passed away, like de Kooning. Bill and I were neighbors in the Springs  and friends when he was sober. He lived about 100 feet away, through the woods. Id hear a knock at the door at night and it would be Bill. Hed paint in the middle of the night under the light of one light bulb. Then he wouldnt like it. Hed take his knife out and scrape off all the paint.

How did you come by the Picassos?

The Picassos were woodblocks and etchings from the Vollard Suite [a celebrated series of neoclassical works, named after the art dealer who commissioned them]. I also have a Monet etching of Baudelaire and a Chagall artist proof, all bought in various galleries in Arizona and Los Angeles in the late 60s. The works were grossly underpriced. I did not have much money and bought them with a credit card.

I love this hilly landscape. Whos the artist?

My wife, Siv Cedering, was the artist. She passed away. She was a writer, poet and painter from Lapland. She wrote 27 books. She died in the bed upstairs in my arms, about 12 years ago. I still feel her presence.

Whats this? Looks like a birdhouse.

Its a Buddhist birdhouse, a gift to me. You see the pagoda concept? Here is a bell and inside is a tiny Buddha. [Laughing] I dont know if there are any Buddhist birds.

Whats the sound of one wing flapping?

Exactly.

Tell me about your progress as a painter.

I use the same undulating shapes as I do in sculpture, but with color  although I do black paintings too. The paintings are primarily energy. Somebody suggested that looking at the colors I chose, I must be colorblind. Im definitely out of the box. Heres one of my paintings, where the scales of a fish turn into a landscape. The painting underneath is by Peter Reginato, whom I knew in New York.
Social media lives and dies on engagement. You serve your audiences such provocative content  news, political hot takes, baby pictures  that they keep their eyes on you as long as possible.

When Facebooks chief, Mark Zuckerberg, showed up in Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday, he seemed to be aiming for disengagement. Facing a grilling over data breaches and Facebooks role in foreign interference in the 2016 election, he was interested in keeping the provocation, and thus the attention, to a minimum.

If the byword of platforms like Facebook is stickiness, Mr. Zuckerbergs prepared, bland affect achieved the opposite. He was so unsticky, the questions slid right off him.

Washington had been prepared for a showdown since the revelations that tens of millions of users had their data scraped by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The major broadcast and cable news networks carried the hearing live. Mr. Zuckerberg took his seat Tuesday facing a sea of snapping cameras, a handy if heavy-handed metaphor for the invasion of privacy.
WELLINGTONNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted her South Pacific nation was undeniably racist but said she is proud of the efforts to stamp out the problem. The center-left leader was responding to the comments from Kiwi film-maker Taika Waititi that his homeland is racist as fuck. Thor Ragnarok director Waititi, who is Maori, outlined the prejudice he had experienced in an interview with the British magazine Dazed & Confused last week. Its racist as fuck. I mean, I think New Zealand is the best place on the planet, but its a racist place, he said. People just flat-out refuse to pronounce Maori names properly. Theres still profiling when it comes to Polynesians. He said he had been asked during his youth whether he was a glue sniffer, simply because of his Maori background. The remarks prompted a fierce debate in New Zealand, with many backing him and others saying he was overstating a problem that was much worse in other countries.Asked for her view on Waititis assessment, Ardern joked: I dont know where F sits on the quantum! I think probably youd be hard-pressed to find a country that didnt have racism in it, she told TV3 on Tuesday. Is New Zealand one of them? Undeniably. Is there racism in most countries? Undeniably. Can we do better? Yes. Im really proud of the efforts we make daily to do better. Waititi, who last year fronted a Human Rights Commission anti-racism campaign, waded back into the issue Wednesday in response to complaints that white New Zealanders were not the only people who displayed racism. YES there are racist Maori, he tweeted. Many in my family too. Its everywhere. Thats the damn point.
Conan OBrien heads to Italy with an Italophile. And J. K. Rowling explores her old drafts and illustrations in Harry Potter: A History of Magic.

Whats on TV

CONAN WITHOUT BORDERS 10 p.m. on TBS. While other late-night hosts have hunkered down in their studios to crank out political monologues and battle for ratings, Conan OBrien has taken a different tack, meandering to Mexico, Haiti, Israel and more in search of strange foods, unusual customs and quick-witted locals to skewer his hairdo. Now he heads to Italy, joined by a fan favorite on his show: the unflappable staffer Jordan Schlansky, his willing verbal jousting partner and punching bag  and a self-purported expert on Italian culture.

HARRY POTTER: A HISTORY OF MAGIC 8 p.m. on the CW (check local listings). Potterheads in New York will have to wait until October for the exhibition Harry Potter: A History of Magic to arrive at the New-York Historical Society. The collection was previously at the British Library, where this documentary was filmed, exploring the exhibitions historical texts about magical creatures and original drafts and drawings by J. K. Rowling. She appears in this documentary to reminisce about the artifacts and the early days of Harry Potter, while Imelda Staunton, who lent a menacing cough and frigid smile to Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, narrates. The documentary also includes readings by other actors from the film series, including David Thewlis, Evanna Lynch and Warwick Davis.
The journalist Alex Wagner has always been drawn to stories about borders and immigration. The subject is clearly newsworthy, but for her thats been the least of it. In her debut book, Futureface, she describes immigration as an interior act  becoming something new  and as the social act of losing one home and making another. This combination of loss and reinvention can stir up heavy existential questions: Who am I? Where do I belong?

Wagner  previously the anchor of her own program on MSNBC and recently named the co-host of Showtimes political documentary series The Circus  was born in 1977, in Washington, D.C. The only child of a Burmese mother and a white American father, she grew up listening to histories of migrations, escapes, settlement, assimilation. Her mothers family left Burma in the 1960s, after a military coup; her father grew up in Lansing, Iowa, in a large Catholic family that claimed Irish and Luxembourgian roots. Wagner was a third-culture kid, exposed to her parents disparate backgrounds but never fully immersed in either.

I thought of myself as generically American, she writes, recalling a childhood of Chips Ahoy cookies and Sebago boat shoes. Others took a look at her and werent so sure. At 12, visiting a diner with her father, a white line cook asked her a question that reminded her some people couldnt fathom she was related to a white person: Was she adopted?

Futureface is fittingly hybrid in its construction, as Wagner combines memoir and journalism in order to trace the two halves of her upbringing and arrive at an understanding of where she came from and who she is. The title is the term Wagner used, half-facetiously, to refer to herself after she saw the computer-generated image of a mixed-race woman on a 1993 cover of Time magazine, heralding The New Face of America.
 President Trump, using Twitter posts as geopolitical broadsides, promised that missiles would be fired at Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack and said relations between the U.S. and Russia were worse than ever.

Mr. Trump also warned that the Kremlin should not partner with Syrias president, Bashar al-Assad, calling him a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Mr. Trumps early morning tweets were a remarkable instance of telegraphing American strategy. Hes being taken seriously: There were signs that Syria was moving crucial aircraft to a Russian base for protection, and Iran said it would support Mr. Assad in case of foreign aggression.
Current measures to assess cyber-preparedness are either not compulsory or too complex. The federal governments National Institute of Standards and Technology framework is widely respected, but its voluntary, underused and not easily digestible for the average consumer. Only seven Fortune 500 companies mentioned it in their annual filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission last year, and only one said it had adopted it.

MSCI  an index provider and independent research firm for institutional investors  ranks companies on cybersecurity. More than a year before Equifaxs breach was revealed, MSCI scored Equifax a 0 out of 10 on privacy and data security. As prescient as it was, consumers would have had difficulty absorbing such a rating, which is just one of several components that MSCI uses to arrive at an environmental, social and governance, or E.S.G., rating of overall corporate citizenship.

A new grading system should start with the basics: Are companies on top of data security, and if hacked, do they know how to reduce the impact?

Each year, the Ponemon Institute, an independent research group, and IBM look at the cost of the average data security breach, as well as the average cost of each piece of data compromised. In 2017, the average cost of a data breach in the United States was $7.35 million, or $141 per record compromised. But if a company has an incident response team, uses encryption, trains its employees, has a business continuity program and monitors cyber-threat intelligence, that reduces the cost of the average data breach by nearly 47 percent. Using these five factors  weighed for their impact of cost reduction  is a simple starting point.

There are plenty of details to be worked out about a cybersecurity grading system. But the one nonnegotiable aspect would be that, once assigned, letter grades must be made highly accessible to the public. Companies should be required to display their grades prominently at their physical locations, on their websites, on certain documents (mortgage applications, for example) and on credit card readers.

A grading system would not solve every cybersecurity problem, nor prevent every breach. But our sad state of affairs  in which we are equal parts fearful, apathetic and ignorant about digital security  must change. Providing clearer information to the public is the most productive next step we can take.
WASHINGTON  President Trumps advisers insist that the economics profession is solidly behind the administrations threat to impose tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports. Many top economists say, no, theyre not.

Across the ideological spectrum, trade experts and former top economic advisers to presidents say Mr. Trump is right to highlight issues on which China is widely viewed as an offender, such as intellectual-property theft and access to its domestic market. But many of those experts say Mr. Trumps planned tariffs would backfire  by raising costs to American businesses and consumers, and by inviting retaliation against American exporters. They say he would better serve his purposes by enlisting international allies in a pressure campaign against Beijing.

Many economists have said, yeah, theres some legitimate issues here, said Laura D. Tyson, an economist at the Haas School of Business of the University of California, Berkeley, who headed the Council of Economic Advisers under President Bill Clinton. I havent seen any who have said the appropriate response is a series of tariffs on a bunch of goods, most of which dont have any real link to the underlying issue.

Ms. Tyson and many other economists say it was mistake last year when Mr. Trump pulled the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Proponents of that agreement say it would have unified a dozen countries against the Chinese on trade issues.
BOAO, China  The International Monetary Fund chief praised his openness. A senior British banker lauded his authoritarian rule. The Philippine president said he loves the man.

President Xi Jinping of China took center stage at his countrys annual Boao Forum for Asia this week to the welcoming arms of many in the global elite. He portrayed himself as a champion of free trade and world order, speaking to a group that included Ban Ki-moon, the former secretary general of the United Nations, and Pascal Lamy, the former director general of the World Trade Organization, and his words helped move markets around the world.

The forum, held every year on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, has long been a platform for China to portray itself as an economic powerhouse and regional leader.

But this years meetings took on an elevated role, as a platform for Beijing, a result of a growing trade dispute between China and the United States. It was an opportunity for Mr. Xi to present himself as a foil to President Trump, who has rejected globalization and focused on an America First policy, targeting China, in particular, with a series of protectionist moves.
Mr. Pruitt also requested that the agency order other items  including leather-bound notebooks, fountain pens and stationery  from which he wanted to omit the E.P.A. seal and upon which he wanted to feature his name prominently, according to Mr. Slotkin and the person who participated in the discussions about the seal . Ultimately, the items retained a small version of the seal, according to several people familiar with the orders.

The debate over souvenirs came as Mr. Pruitt was engaged in personal and public spending that has since become the subject of scrutiny, threatening his tenure at the E.P.A.

Mr. Pruitt has been under fire for renting a condominium for $50 a night from the wife of a lobbyist with business before his agency, as well as for his spending of taxpayer dollars on first-class travel, which he has asserted was necessary for security reasons.

In an interview with The Washington Examiner this month, Mr. Pruitt said he was under attack because he has been effective in enacting President Trumps regulatory overhaul agenda and opponents would like to stop him. And do I think that they will resort to anything to achieve that? he said. Yes.

Mr. Trump defended Mr. Pruitt in a weekend Twitter message: While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at E.P.A. Record clean Air & Water while saving U.S.A. Billions of Dollars. Rent was about market rate, travel expenses O.K. Scott is doing a great job!

Some critics of Mr. Pruitts coin proposal said it missed the point of the gift item. Scott H. Amey, general counsel of the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group, said that the coins were intended to honor jobs well done and lift morale. The coin should reference the E.P.A., and not become tribute to Pruitt or Oklahoma, he said.
The restaurant scene in NoLIta from the time the chef Einat Admony and her husband, Stefan Nafziger, opened Balaboosta in 2010 until today has changed  enough that they will be closing the restaurant at the end of May.

The neighborhood is saturated, and there are so many Israeli restaurants now, she said, adding that business has fallen off a bit.

She cited the amount of competition and rising expenses as reasons, saying they contributed to the difficulty of keeping the restaurant viable.

Im tired, Ms. Admony said. I need some time off to recalculate everything.

Closing Balaboosta does not mean that Ms. Admony and Mr. Nafziger are withdrawing from the business completely. They still have Bar Bolonat in the West Village and the Taim falafel shops in NoLIta, the West Village and Midtown Manhattan, with one in the financial district on the way. Next month, they will be opening Kish-Kash, specializing in Moroccan-style hand-rolled couscous, at 455 Hudson Street, near Barrow Street in the West Village.
On a recent Saturday in February, it was bridal mayhem at RK Bridal in Manhattan. Brides lined up to try on dresses. Bridal consultants ran around the shop, weighted down with alteration gear. Hovering mothers fussed over their daughters.

The main attractions werent the brides but the dresses on display that day. There were six new ones (from a total of 15) designed by Justin Alexander that were created especially for curvy women, sizes 18 to 32.

Mr. Alexander was on hand to show off his new styles and his Be You campaign.

A plus-size girl doesnt want to be limited to one or two traditional looks, but wants fashion, like an interesting ruffle, he said. They cant try that on because its not available to her. Weve developed a diverse range where they can try on a fit-and-flair with a sweetheart neckline, or something thats beaded. We dont want someone to come into the store and not be able to try on the dress of their dreams.
Its hard to be stuck in a studio while longing to enjoy life outside. Brassai, famed for his classic images of Paris, was neither a photographer nor a Parisian  he wanted to be a painter. But once he arrived in Paris in 1924, he gave up his brushes. The fact was, he was so attracted to Parisian life that he said he had no interest in confining himself to the four walls of an atelier all alone.

That sentiment and others cited in Brassai,  a book recently released by Spains Fundacion Mapfre, were most likely colored by Brassais retrospective regret for not returning to painting. His legacy would come from his peregrinations outside the studio.

Born Gyula Halasz in 1899 in the Transylvanian city of Brasso (now in Romania), Brassai was the son of a local professor of French literature and remembered his fourth birthday in belle epoque Paris during his fathers sabbatical at the Sorbonne. Brassai was enamored with Marcel Proust, so perhaps his need to see beyond four walls is rooted in the Proustian belief that habit threatens an artists childlike wonder.
By Dr. Gary Song-Huann Lin The enjoyment of good health is one of the universal human rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. It is morally wrong for any country or organization to deprive the 23 million Taiwanese people of their fundamental health rights to participate in 2018 WHA and to share international health information as well as the prevention of disease and epidemics. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the SARS outbreak. Fifteen years ago, as a result of the cruel deprivation of Taiwans fundamental health rights imposed by Beijing, Taiwan lost many lives to SARS and greatly suffered. Although Taiwan is back on its feet and has developed an ever stronger disease prevention system, Taiwan is still being prevented from participating in the WHA on political grounds and cannot make contributions towards the uplift of international health and medical services. Virus infection knows no borders. Only when every member of the international community is included in this collective fight against diseases, the negative effects of the next potential pandemic outbreak will be minimized. Taiwan, similar to the Philippines, is one of the key health provider for many developing countries and various Pacific nations, and Taiwan is also one of the most important links of global disease prevention network. Taiwan not only built many hospitals and clinics for the developing countries such as Malawi and Solomon Island, etc, but also routinely sent various medical missions and volunteer doctors to overseas countries. Located at a key position in East Asia, Taiwan shares environmental similarities for communicable disease outbreaks with neighboring countries and is frequently visited by international travelers. This makes Taiwan vulnerable to cross-border transmission and cross-transmission of communicable disease pathogens, which could lead to their genetic recombination or mutation, and give rise to new infectious agents. Unfortunately, as Taiwan is unable to attend the WHA and is excluded from full participation in related WHO technical meetings, mechanisms, and activities, this creates serious gaps in the global health security system and threatens peoples right to health. In this era of increased globalization in which infectious diseases spread across boundaries, Taiwan has the urgent and practical need to become an important and indispensable partner in the fight of the global diseases.Moreover, Taiwan has the ability to make substantial contributions to the global efforts on disease prevention and control, as it has established a comprehensive disease prevention system and organized numerous training workshops aimed at building capacity to prevent Ebola, MERS, dengue fever, and Zika in the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia, thereby facilitating collective efforts to strengthen global health security. In addition, Taiwan was the first country in Asia to implement a national health insurance program, which boasts a coverage rate of 99.9 percent. Medical expenditures in Taiwan account for mere 6.3 percent of GDP. Taiwan is ready and willing to share its experiences with members of the WHO and other countries. Last but not least, Taiwans participation will enhance the global health system and serve as a good role model for the universal health coverage. This is why in January this year, the United States House of Representatives has passed a bill to direct the US Secretary of State to help Taiwan participate in the WHA. It is envisaged that through Taiwans participation in the WHA and the WHO, it can share its experience with other countries, including the Philippines, make timely reporting and acquire information on diseases, and play a constructive role in global and in regional health protection. This would create a win-win scenario for Taiwan, the Philippines, the WHO, and the world community. Taiwan and the Philippines are the closest neighbors. There are approximately 150,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan, and millions of Filipinos traveling through Taiwan. Last year, there were around 300,000 Filipinos visiting Taiwan. Given the bilateral close relations, for our common interests and protection of peoples health, I hereby humbly urge the Philippines Government, Congress, health organizations, and general public to support Taiwan for its participation in the WHA in May 2018. Dr. Gary Song-Huann Lin is the Representative of Taiwan/ROC to the Philippines
Shopping online can make you feel like little more than a data set with a bank account. Thats partly because we do it in private, behind screens  immune to texture and smell, no friends to keep binges in check  but also because the interactions it facilitates say everything and nothing about us. Last Chance! warns the vitamin-subscription ad I once clicked on accidentally. A romantic getaway? asks the hotel newsletter, one week post-breakup.

But theres one place on the internet where I feel less like Alice the Bodiless Cursor and more like Alice in Wonderland: AliExpress, the Chinese e-commerce site. Sixty million people spent $10 billion there in 2017, bewildering figures that only begin to make sense once youve clicked through 17 pages of direct-from-Guangdong cocktail shakers. AliExpress has just about every product you could imagine, and plenty you probably couldnt, presented in no particular order. Youll discover everything from rain galoshes that fit over high heels to motion-activated toilet-seat lights. Shopping there feels like playing croquet with a flamingo or swimming in a pool filled with tears  bizarre but special, and if you find the right thing, you might feel special, too.

AliExpress is not a destination so much as a hobby. While some people watch TV, count their pores or call their grandparents, I spend evenings savoring bot-translated product copy. (Can lay a beanbag chair ... Makeup nail beauty. Or perhaps youd prefer a Funny Pet High Temperature Wire Wig Hair Cat Exploding Hair Fancy Dog Wig.) I once uploaded a selfie into the apps reverse-image search and found that one of my faces nearest matches was a chaise longue. The chair was made by a company called DAMEDAI Fascinating Store, in Zhejiang Province. DAMEDAIs products were popular around the world: Its reviews featured praise from Russia, New Zealand, India, the United Arab Emirates and Iceland. Reading them, I wondered how many others were looking at this chair simultaneously, and whether any of their dimples happened to match its beige synthetic-suede folds as precisely as mine.
The head of a City Council watchdog committee has accused City Halls top lawyer of carrying out a political vendetta against the citys investigations commissioner on behalf of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The accusation, in a strongly worded letter sent Monday by Councilman Ritchie Torres to Zachary Carter, the citys corporation counsel, marked a sharp escalation in a three-sided power struggle among different arms of city government.

The confrontation had taken on an added dimension on Tuesday when the investigations commissioner, Mark G. Peters, announced that he had appointed an outside lawyer to conduct an independent probe of whistle-blower claims lodged against him.

It was a dizzying round robin of investigations, counterinvestigations and finger-pointing, and at its center was Mr. Peters: a onetime de Blasio campaign treasurer who has since become a frequent irritant to the mayor.
Ms. Nixon had declared her support for legalization at a small fund-raiser in Manhattan in late March  pumping her fist in enthusiasm, one attendee said  but Wednesdays announcement was the first time she detailed her position. Regulating and taxing marijuana, she said, would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue and create jobs in the agricultural industry.

In a statement to The New York Times, Ms. Nixon also suggested that she would seek to mitigate the effects of past criminalization.

Ending the injustice of putting New Yorkers in prison for marijuana is a start, she said. But we also have to correct past injustices, by expunging prior convictions  particularly for nonviolent offenders whose only convictions are for marijuana use.

While her candidacy has attracted attention across New York and the country  Ms. Nixon, an actress, is best known for starring in the television show Sex and the City  polls suggest that she faces a steep climb in her challenge to Mr. Cuomo, a second-term incumbent with $30 million in campaign funds. In a Siena College poll last month, 66 percent of Democratic voters said they would support Mr. Cuomo in a primary, compared to 19 percent who chose Ms. Nixon; among African-American voters, 77 percent backed Mr. Cuomo.

Bruce Gyory, a Democratic political consultant who is not working on either campaign, said Ms. Nixons selection of legalization as her first policy issue and her emphasis on racial inequities in marijuana arrests reflected her recognition of Mr. Cuomos bulwark of support among African-American voters.

By pushing for this, it not only helps her connect to younger minority voters but younger progressive voters. But the question is, will it be a motivator to vote? he said. Its a very interesting issue choice  Im not saying its crazy  but I dont know that it will on its own do the trick.

In 2014, when Zephyr Teachout, a little-known Fordham Law professor, challenged Mr. Cuomo for the Democratic nomination, she captured one-third of ballots in the primary  but failed to win a foothold among minority voters.
Homeless students miss an average of 20 school days a year, making them less likely than other children to be on grade level and more likely to drop out of school.

They are also more likely to be suspended, according to a new report from the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, causing them to miss an average nine additional days of instruction. In all, thats almost six weeks of class time lost.

More than 111,500 New York City students were homeless at some point last year, whether they were staying in a shelter, in a hotel or with family or friends.

The report focuses on 102 middle schools that had high rates of suspensions during the 2015-6 school year, which it calls suspension hubs. It found that homeless students at those schools were even more likely than their classmates to be suspended, and when they were, the punishments were more severe, including for similar infractions. At suspension hubs, 14 percent of homeless students were suspended that year, compared with 9 percent of their classmates who lived in more stable circumstances.
Fran Beras fascination with flight began when she took an airplane-themed carnival ride as a young girl in Michigan in the 1930s.

As a teenager she hitchhiked more than 30 miles to an airfield, where she worked odd jobs and saved for flight lessons. She earned her pilots license at 16, and by 24, the youngest allowable age, she became a designated examiner, allowed to certify new pilots.

Ms. Bera went on to win more than a dozen air races. She set an unbroken National Aeronautic Association record for highest altitude attained in a twin-engine Piper Aztec, pushing that plane to an altitude better suited for a jet. And, she said, she once flew a small plane from California to Siberia on a whim.

Ms. Bera also oversaw more than 3,000 check rides, or licensing examinations, for new pilots, and in the 1980s stopped counting her flight hours after she had accumulated 25,000.
They married in 1952. Ruth Nussenzweig received her medical degree in 1953. She and Victor became assistant professors at the university and from 1958 to 1960 worked in Paris on a research fellowship. He survives her.

Another research fellowship, in 1963, sent them to N.Y.U. Intended to be a temporary relocation, it became a permanent one after a military coup in Brazil in 1964 made it too uncomfortable for them to remain in that country. Dr. Nussenzweig, however, did complete her Ph.D. work at the Sao Paolo university in 1968, and the couple continued to maintain ties there until her death.

Though their research sometimes coincided, the Nussenzweigs had separate labs at N.Y.U. several blocks apart. Ruth was early to focus on malaria, which is caused by a parasite that is spread to humans by mosquito bites. The disease kills hundreds of thousands of people every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.

One of Dr. Nussenzweigs first big advances in her research came in 1967, when she discovered that irradiating infected mosquitoes weakened the parasites, or sporozoites, enough that they might trigger an immune response when transmitted to humans rather than cause the disease itself. This suggested the possibility of a vaccine.

Her work later focused on a protein on the sporozoites.

The quest for a vaccine has proved exceedingly difficult because, among other factors, the parasite goes through various stages in an infection, and there are multiple strains of malaria. Several times over the years a vaccine seemed imminent, only to have trials fail or deliver disappointing results.

Yet the work by Dr. Nussenzweig, her husband and other scientists helped clarify how the parasite does its damage and at what stage it might be stopped, and it has helped draw funding to the cause from well-heeled sources, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Jeffrey Weiser, chairman of the department of microbiology at the N.Y.U. School of Medicine, said by email that the Nussenzweigs discovered the major target for a malaria vaccine: a protein on the surface of malaria sporozoites called circumsporozoite, or CSP.
Mississippis remaining abortion clinic, Jackson Womens Health Organization, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights that challenges the Gestational Age Act as well as dozens of other restrictions aimed at obliterating access to abortion for the states most vulnerable populations. Broadly speaking, these restrictions fall into two categories: gestational bans like the 15-week limit and what are known as TRAP laws, or Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, intended to burden abortion clinics with financially and logistically onerous bureaucracy. Before the Supreme Courts decision in Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt struck it down in 2016, the TRAP law HB2 closed over half of the abortion clinics in Texas. Only a few have managed to reopen.

So how is it constitutional to deny people access to a constitutional right? Thats what lawsuits like the one filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights in Mississippi aim to argue, according to Cohen, who also sits on the board of the Abortion Care Network. The Whole Womans Health decision will, hopefully, be a fruitful tool for challenging state policy  it argued that an overly burdensome law with no clear medical benefit or state interest should be unconstitutional. Thats what the Center for Reproductive Rights and other organizations are trying to weaponize, Cohen explained.

But overly burdensome is subjective, and, Cohen pointed out, plaintiffs face a chasm of privilege in the upper courts. From their lofted perch, these things dont seem difficult, he said. Waiting another 24 hours, to a justice in Washington, D.C., whos always had access to the best health care, its no big deal. Talking to your parents, when, you know, these people are in their 60s, 70s, 80s, that doesnt seem like a big deal. Having to drive a couple hours. That doesnt seem like a big deal. Because its not the world they know.

It can be easy if youre a progressive living in a progressive coastal city to fall into your own privilege gap  to say, I believe in abortion, and Ill fight for Roe when the time comes, then feel like youve done your pro-choice due diligence and overlook regressive legislation in places far from where you live. But having the choice of if, when and how to fight is, in itself, a monumental privilege. The right to abortion is not intact  it needs defending now  if it is not accessible to all. If you opt out of the fight when rights are being stripped from impoverished women, rural women, women of color, women who are far away from you, but envision yourself charging in if the right wing ever comes for people like you, youre not fighting for a principle  youre fighting for yourself.

Donate money to clinics and abortion funds. Donate time as a clinic escort. Bother your local and state representatives. Go to medical or nursing school and become an abortion care provider. Fight to dismantle abortion stigma in your family and community (the real political long game is culture change). Madsen said that because of stigma, it can be difficult to find professionals  plumbers, website consultants, contractors  to do work for independent clinics at fair prices. Can you build a website? Unclog a pipe? Reach out and ask what providers in your community need.

And vote. Vote in every primary and every general election.

We can lament that laws are passing, Dr. Parker said, but if youre not voting  I really dont want to hear people talking about, or going to rallies or going to marches, if youre not voting.
To start, these Silicon Valley titans are in denial about history. They pride themselves on not bending to what has come before. Is there racism and sexism in the United States? Didnt happen on my watch! Computers dont see sex or color. When pressed by the few senators of color about Facebooks complicity in running real estate ads aimed exclusively at white people, which would violate the Fair Housing Act, Mr. Zuckerberg defined this as a particularly compelling challenge for artificial intelligence software.

Ads can no longer be explicitly targeted to racial groups, he said, though, of course, the rub is that there are plenty of surrogates for race that advertisers can presumably still use. This led to the absurd observation from Mr. Zuckerberg, in response to a question from Senator Mazie Hirono, Democrat of Hawaii, that most of the enforcement today is still that our community flags issues for us when that comes up. How the community can identify when a real estate ad is appearing only to white people remains a mystery.

Notably, there was no declaration from Mr. Zuckerberg about the pain of racial inequality, nor an apology for Facebooks role in perpetuating it. To Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, he simply said, Im not happy with where we are. There is an unhealthy detachment  a virtualness  to the destruction caused by Silicon Valley innovations. One cant help thinking that the ability to reset or reboot a computer has infiltrated companies calculations about the cost of disruption and destruction.

Despite the length of Mr. Zuckerbergs Senate appearance, there was no serious reckoning with what happened in the 2016 election. Instead, there was an insistent focus on the future, which for Mr. Zuckerberg was synonymous with one phrase, A.I. In five to 10 years, he promised, artificial intelligence will clean up the mess that is Facebook in 2018.

The problems with Facebook emerge from its lack of a human touch, but Mr. Zuckerberg doubles down on software. On Wednesday, Representative David McKinley, a West Virginia Republican, displayed recent Facebook ads offering opioids for sale without a prescription and addressed Mr. Zuckerberg directly. Facebook is actually enabling an illegal activity, and in so doing you are hurting people, he said. Would you agree with that statement? Mr. Zuckerbergs response was to concede things were bad but to hold out the promise of the future. We need to build more A.I. tools that can proactively find that content, he said.

As long as the discussion was about software  how it works, how it can be improved, how users interact with it  Mr. Zuckerberg holds the upper hand. When the discussion is about values, he is as confused as the rest of us, and takes refuge in the belief that society is nothing more than a series of market-based online interactions, as captured, absorbed and understood by engineers.

Government regulation, in this scheme, is a product of a corrupt, inefficient political system; self-regulation, on the other hand, is a product of people voting with their actions and brilliant engineers devising solutions to meet their needs. A smug interpretation that Mr. Zuckerberg outwitted dopey legislators only plays into the Silicon Valley view that being called before Congress to answer questions is a bug of our democracy, instead of a vital feature.
I first met Ms. Lamrabet last fall, in her office at the Mohammedan League of Scholars, a stately building decorated with traditional stucco molding, tiles and wooden latticework. The league is Moroccos pre-eminent official institution of religious scholarship, and Ms. Lamrabets presence within it was in and of itself remarkable.

In her many books and public speeches, Ms. Lamrabet argues for a progressive, contextual reading of the Quran. She doesnt claim, as Islamists do, that Islam already gives women all their rights. She argues that it could, if it was stripped of centuries of misogynist interpretation by male scholars.

When Ms. Lamrabet rejects practices such as polygamy, unequal access to divorce or a husbands authority over his wife, she either shows there is no textual basis at all in the Quran for these practices, or she argues that the historical context needs to be taken into account when interpreting what the text says.

With regard to inheritance, Ms. Lamrabet and others note that women were allotted a smaller share on the assumption that male relatives would provide for all their material needs. That is no longer the case; many households in Morocco today depend largely on a womans income. So Ms. Lamrabet argues that the law should be re-evaluated on the basis of the Qurans original spirit of justice and fairness.

But apparently making this argument, repeatedly and publicly, was too much for the religious establishment in Morocco.

Ms. Lamrabet says her goal is the deconstruction of religious patriarchy. She argues from a religious basis because, she told me, religion is the No. 1 weapon used against women in her country today. She wants to furnish women with arguments with which to reclaim their religion, and to reject inequality and discrimination in the name of Islam.

But she is also critical of the way womens rights have been deployed by Western powers to justify colonialism, military intervention and attacks on her religion. Her arguments will displease both Muslim conservatives who see feminism as an immoral, unnecessary foreign import and those who believe womens subjugation is a unique and unchangeable feature of Islam.
Yasser Murtaja was a self-taught photojournalist who reported on his community and had the distinction of doing camerawork for a documentary by Ai Weiwei, the Chinese dissident and artist.

Normally, that wouldnt be a life-threatening career. But Mr. Murtaja, 30 years old and the father of a 15-month-old son, lived in Gaza, the enclave of nearly two million Palestinians ruled by ruthless Hamas militants that has been devastated by an 11-year blockade by Israel and Egypt and three wars between Israel and Hamas that have killed thousands of Palestinians and about 100 Israelis.

On Friday, Mr. Murtaja was shot and killed by Israeli security forces while covering protests that over the past two weeks have drawn tens of thousands of Palestinians to Gazas border with Israel, demanding to return to lands their families lost in the 1948 war that accompanied Israels founding.

At times, some of the younger protesters have moved close to the borders no-go zone, burning tires and throwing rocks at the fence. Israel has said some Gazans have tried to toss crude explosives, shoot weapons and breach the barrier.
Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2018 7:30 am

The Missouri Department of Transportation held a public meeting Tuesday, April 13 about a pair of new Marshfield projects: a second Interstate 44 interchange and a roundabout on Route CC at Banning Street/Buffalo Street.

The meeting at the Marshfield Senior Center was an informal, come-and-go style, where representatives from MoDOT, along with the city of Marshfield and CMT Engineering, were available to answer questions. Exhibits of the bridge aesthetics (including lighting), roundabout enhancements and a map of the overall project were provided.

Part of our policy for MoDOT is whenever we have a project that has a new alignment like the Route CC going out to the interstate does or if we require a lot of right of way touching multiple people, our commission asks us to have meetings like this, so we can show those designs to the public or anyone interested, including the people who may be impacted by the plans, said John Sanders, transportation project manager with the southwest district of MoDOT. We give them a chance to comment on the design. Whether good or bad, we take those comments and it gives us some things to think about. It allows us to rethink on those things and incorporate some of those comments into our design.

After this meeting, Sanders said they will take the feedback from the community and decide how it can be accommodated into their design plans. He added they will continue with the preliminary plan stage, then move into the right of way plans in the summer, where they will go into more details on the design and finalize how much right of way they will need for the project and the cost.

The estimated start date of both the new interchange (which will be built on I-44 at mile marker 103 in Marshfield) and the new roundabout (which will be built at the Route CC/Banning Street/Buffalo Street intersection) is as early as 2019. Between getting the Right-of-Way acquired, getting Federal Highway Administration approval and taking care of environmental clearances, Sanders said there are still milestones to reach before that start date, including investigating the interstate site to see if it is a bat habitat. This was brought up to the Marshfield Board of Aldermen by Steve Prange with CMT Engineering during its March 23 meeting. Prange, who was present at the interstate meeting, said the project impacts about 40 acres of wooded area that is considered habitat likely for bat population or species to exist in.

The survey that we are going to perform is acoustic survey, where people will go out with special equipment and go near the bats and see if they are there or not, said Prange. The habitat seems to suggest it is possible that they could be there, so we just want to make sure we are not disturbing endangered species habitat. That is why we have to go through that process with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

He added after getting approval from the commission on the right of way plans, they will perform the bat survey and get sign-offs for the project then they can start buying land for the project, with MoDOT to lead that process.
To many Justice Department lawyers, doing good means pursuing equality under the law. They see themselves as representing some of the highest American ideals: Every citizen deserves the protection of the law, and no citizen is above the law.

Donald Trump does not share the view that the United States has a fundamental set of rules that apply alike to rich and poor, powerful and powerless. Trump isnt someone who played close to the line a time or two, or once did a shady deal. He may well be the single most corrupt major business figure in the United States of America, The Washington Posts Paul Waldman wrote yesterday. Waldman then listed Trumps scams: Trump University, bankrupt casinos, illegal labor, stiffed vendors and on and on and on.

He has often figured out how to stop shy of outright illegality or, in other cases, to violate the law in ways that bring only minor sanctions. He has rarely faced big consequences for his misbehavior. But Trump now finds himself in a very different situation.

The scale of the misbehavior by him and his associates appears to be large. It occurred on perhaps the biggest national stage of all, in a presidential campaign. And dozens of talented, committed Justice Department officials have the assignment of figuring out what he actually did. Thank goodness for them and for the work they are doing.

Mr. Trump has spent his career in the company of developers and celebrities, and also of grifters, cons, sharks, goons and crooks, The Times editorial board writes. He cuts corners, he lies, he cheats, he brags about it, and for the most part, hes gotten away with it, protected by threats of litigation, hush money and his own bravado.
I live in one of those old towns that was not built for cars. Its Main Street is narrow, hedged in with historic stone houses and walls. As commuter traffic has intensified over the past several years, its become increasingly dangerous to walk along Main Street.

The mayor of my tiny Virginia town has worked incessantly to fix this, by fostering walkability and traffic-calming measures since he ran for town council in the 1990s. Im determined to help him: I want to walk with my daughter to the playground or the farmers market without fearing for her safety.

Our mayor is liberal. He drives around town with an Obama 08 bumper sticker on his car. I am a conservative, pro-life Christian; in 2016, I voted for Evan McMullin for president. But our partisan political differences mean nothing when it comes to caring for this town and making it better. Here at the local level, our interests intertwine: They are practical, achievable, even apolitical.

This is localism, a bottom-up, practically oriented way of looking at todays biggest policy dilemmas. Instead of always or only seeking to fix municipal issues through national policy, localism suggests that communities can and should find solutions to their own particular problems, within their own particular contexts. The best walkability solutions for Washington, D.C., may not work in my town. Urban revitalization efforts in Detroit will need to look different than those efforts employed in rural Iowa.
This is far from a perfect system, and a flood of tech sector lobbying has made it worse. Since 2009, Facebook has increased its spending on lobbying fiftyfold. And the $11.5 million it spent in 2017 still ranked it third behind Amazon and Alphabet. Lobbying works. Congress hasnt passed a single new major privacy law since a 2009 update to federal health privacy rules. Take a second to think of technologies popularized in the last nine years: drones, self-driving cars, Amazon Echo, Google Home, among others. If it blossomed after 2009, chances are, it is not regulated by any federal privacy law.

What does that flood of lobbying look like? From 2011 to 2014, as a staffer for Senator Al Franken, then chairman of the Senate privacy subcommittee, I worked to pass a bill to force companies to ask for users permission before collecting or sharing records of their movements. The bill would have outlawed so-called stalking apps that let abusers secretly track their victims locations through their smartphones. Industry lobbyists outnumbered our supporters 54 to 2. Yet in 2012, thanks to a small coalition of privacy, womens rights, and anti-stalking groups, we managed to pass the bill out of the Judiciary Committee.

Thats when the lobbying really started. When I called a meeting of industry stakeholders, I had to move it from our 12-person conference table to the full Judiciary Committee hearing room, which seats four or five times that. The bill stalled. It was never again brought up for a vote.

Passing a strong industry-specific privacy law is tough. But at least its possible. When the Obama administration tried to pass an omnibus privacy bill, the laws original framework was promising. It stressed that consumers needed control of their information, transparency about how it was used, and accountability when it was abused. In 2015, after Silicon Valley weighed in, the bill that the White House put forward was so toothless that almost every major consumer privacy group opposed it. Around the time our anti-stalking bill stalled, I remember a lobbyist telling me that we should really consider setting our bill aside until Congress could pass a comprehensive privacy law. Now I know why.

It could be that the Cambridge Analytica scandal will pave the way for previously impossible, European-style reforms. Facebooks actions tell a different story. Even as it yells mea culpa, Facebook is calculating that it can kneecap new privacy rules with impunity. Facebook is spending its lobbying money not only to gut the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act but also to stop a new California consumer privacy ballot initiative.
Rinku Thomas thought she loved the elementary school in Hicksville, on Long Island, where she was living temporarily. Then she and her husband, Ashby, moved with their three children to Syosset. Their daughters third-grade teacher called out of the blue to report on the girls progress. I never had that before, Ms. Thomas said. Their son was inspired to read a book every day and write a report about it. He is in kindergarten.

Like many newcomers to the Nassau County hamlet, Ms. Thomas, 40, who works for an investment bank, and Dr. Thomas, 39, a gastroenterologist, chose Syosset for the schools. In November, they settled into their $870,000 five-bedroom house on David Drive with a swimming pool. Within months, Ms. Thomas said, she felt comfortable enough to ask a neighbor to pick up her children from the school bus when she was delayed at her job.

Syossets warm embrace may surprise the casual visitor. Stepping off the Long Island Rail Road train at the center of town, one finds large commuter parking lots jammed with cars and a nest of pedestrian-hostile roads with traffic lights that bark Wait, wait Crossing the street to buy a bagel is a heart-in-throat adventure.

Charo Ezdrin, the president of the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce, said making the business district around the train station more appealing is a priority: You should be able to walk off the train and walk around, but were not mapped out that way, and thats what we need to work on.
But the most recent results from two surveys  one nationwide in France, the other limited to one region  caused scientists to sound an alarm, because the results suggest that agricultural methods are hurting birds, according to Benoit Fontaine, a conservation biologist at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and a leader of the national survey, conducted twice a year by volunteers.

In the agricultural land, he said, there is something really bad going on.

Over the past 17 years, the numbers of birds in farming areas have dropped by a third. Some of the species have declined even more: Meadow pipit populations, for example, fell by 68 percent. Dr. Fontaine described the situation as catastrophic.

He suspects that pesticides used in agriculture and intensification of land use are linked to the decline, although neither survey comes to conclusions about causes or makes any policy recommendations. But he pointed to the loss of insects, the major food source for many birds, as a likely result of pesticide use.

Vincent Bretagnolle, an ecologist at the Centre for Biological Studies Chize, led the other survey, which has been conducted by scientists in the Deux-Sevres region in the western part of the country for 24 years. Our results are completely in agreement with national and European surveys, he said.

The trend is long-term, he said, except that recently, particularly at the national level, the dip has been steeper, and the more generalist bird species have been affected as they werent in the past.
I saw it for myself while browsing cards for mothers on Hallmarks website on a recent afternoon. The 543 options covered a lot of what someone might want to say to a mother  barring more extreme cases of familial dysfunction  from a Thank You for Your Love on Rosh Hashana card to one whose cover featured a drawing of an androgynous figure farting out Einsteins mass-energy equivalence formula. The inside read: Happy Birthday from your smartass kid.

But many of the Mahogany cards did indeed stand out from the rest. They addressed their intended recipients as Mama and Auntie, and their covers said things like, Baby, your love game is tight. I found that if the inside of a card mentioned strength or dignity in the face of obstacles, it was often a Mahogany product. One Mothers Day offering read, There is something deep within black women that allows them to stand strong, carry on, and make it over  with their dignity, class, and courage intact  no matter what challenges they have to face in life.

Mrs. Zollar nevertheless balks at the notion that Mahogany cards touch on perseverance and fortitude more so than any other Hallmark brand.

I do not think that embedded in Mahogany is the expectation or idea that, for whatever reason, African-Americans have this need to focus in on drama, she said. I think that what our Mahogany consumer wants to acknowledge is that, within the wide spectrum of experiences that African-Americans have, there is some of that. But thats in all cultures, I would say, and we also have many cards that dont speak to that.
That has not stopped angry users from airing their grievances over Facebooks practices.

In 2016, for example, a Missouri man with metastatic cancer sued Facebook. The suit, which sought class-action status, accused the tech giant of violating the mans privacy by tracking his activities on cancer center websites outside the social network  and collecting details about his possible treatment options  without his permission.

Facebook persuaded a federal judge to dismiss the case. The company argued that tracking users for ad-targeting purposes was a standard business practice, and one that its users agreed to when signing up for the service. The Missouri man and two other plaintiffs have appealed the judges decision.

Facebook is quick to note that when users sign up for an account, they must agree to the companys data policy. It plainly states that its data collection includes information about the websites and apps you visit, your use of our services on those websites and apps, as well as information the developer or publisher of the app or website provides to you or us.

But in Europe, some regulators contend that Facebook has not obtained users explicit and informed consent to track them on other sites and apps. Their general concern, they said, is that many of Facebooks 2.1 billion users have no idea how much data Facebook could collect about them and how the company could use it. And there is a growing unease that tech giants are unfairly manipulating users.
Facebooks chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg  or perhaps more accurately, members of his staff  are going to be very busy getting through a stack of homework.

Over two days of congressional hearings this week in which Mr. Zuckerberg was barraged with questions by lawmakers over data privacy, election interference and more, the 33-year-old billionaire was often not able to provide an immediate answer. His standard response in those situations, a variation of my team will get back to you, was repeated so often it became an internet meme.

Here are all the things that Mr. Zuckerberg has committed to getting back to Congress on. Yes, its a long list.

To Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa ...

Improper transfer of data to third parties

Mr. Zuckerberg said he would get back to Mr. Grassley on whether his team finds any new examples in which user data was improperly transferred to a third party in breach of Facebooks terms of service. He also said he would get back to Mr. Grassley on how many outside developers his team has audited to make sure they are following Facebooks rules.
So I dont think the equanimity is an act. Or if it is, she has everyone fooled. Even her mother. The elder Ms. Rashad, speaking by telephone on a break from shooting Creed II, said that her daughter had always spoken her mind and that she has always been given to kindness and to empathy. She told a childhood story of watching Condola standing in the driveway, waiting for a butterfly to alight on her fingers. The butterfly did.

Still, the denial of Joans anger nagged at me. Could Ms. Rashad be great in a great part if she refused to play the full range of it?

Her Broadway roles have included a sweetie-pie Juliet in a muddled Shakespeare, a grief-struck daughter in Stick Fly, a melancholy young bride in The Trip to Bountiful. She has a strong affinity for good characters (with typical humility she disputes this: I dont want to say Im captain good guy), and she has the rare ability to make goodness fascinating. When characters act dishonorably, it throws her.

This season, Kate Sacker, the assistant United States attorney she plays on Billions, makes some less-than-aboveboard moves, and she found the filming hard. Id watched her rehearse the first scene of Saint Joan, and her Joan had been determined, girlish, joyful. Would she be more?

I worried about it all the way home, from the Upper West Side back to Brooklyn, and then I read the play again. Now Im pretty sure Ms. Rashad is right about the anger and the character and probably some other things. Joan is good at converting doubters to her cause. Ms. Rashad is, too.

I shouldnt have been surprised. I had seen her in every play from Ruined, her New York debut, to last years A Dolls House, Part 2, a canny and assertive turn that brought her toe to toe with Laurie Metcalf and earned her a third Tony nomination. (Heres her mother on that part: It was the bomb! My God, girl, where did you get that all from?) So I knew her as a persuasive performer whose incisive instincts were typically matched by scrupulous technique. She makes you feel and know and warm to her characters without ever showing how she does it.
Elaine May is returning to Broadway for the first time in more than 50 years to appear in The Waverly Gallery, the third Kenneth Lonergan play to reach Broadway since 2014.

The Waverly Gallery will start previews in September at the John Golden Theater ahead of an Oct. 25 opening.

Lila Neugebauer will direct, a first for her on Broadway, and the cast will also include Lucas Hedges and Michael Cera, who is currently starring in Mr. Lonergans Lobby Hero at the Helen Hayes Theater. Lobby Hero is set to close on May 13.
Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2018 4:00 am

Voter turnout for the April 3 election, while still low, was slightly higher than expected in the Webster County Clerks office as more than 3,600 people cast votes last week.

The 16.5-percent turnout was pretty strong compared to surrounding counties, noted Webster County Clerk Stan Whitehurst. I think it compares favorably to what the interest level was in the (southwest Missouri) region, he said.

Going into Election Day, Whitehurst thought the highest turnout level would be in the city of Seymour, where a pair of contested city races, including mayor, were to be decided. However, it was the combination of tax levy and bond issues on the ballot by Ozarks Technical Community College and the Marshfield R-I School District that turned out to be the strongest motivating factor for voters, he said. In several of the voting townships where OTC and Marshfield R-I issues were on the ballot (Washington/Grant, Marshfield East and East Ozark), turnout exceeded 20 percent.

All four issues (two each) that Marshfield R-I and OTC placed on the ballot ultimately passed, with property taxes to increase as a result. Whitehurst said those issues were reflective on a good election overall for taxes  a reason he partly attributes to a better mood from voters on money-related proposals.

A lot of tax issues were successful, he said, regarding the southwest Missouri area. In general, voters seemed to feel more favorable towards local tax issues.

From a technical standpoint, Whitehurst said the election went well, with no reported serious issues. He said there were some limited complaints last week about the photo voter identification law that went into effect last year. The April 3 election was the first in Webster County since the laws enactment. However, he said once people get acclimated to the new rules, they will likely not even notice a difference in the former voting method.

He said one of the biggest complaints was regarding the voter registration card that people recently received in the mail. Although no longer needed to show election judges at polling stations, federal law requires the card be mailed every two years, Whitehurst said. However, state law now requires a photo ID be used at the polls. The county clerks office will continue to send voter registration cards out to remain compliant with the law, he said, adding it also is beneficial to the office by keeping the registration rolls clean with up-to-date addresses and polling locations.

Theyre going to get another one in two years, because thats just the outline of the law, he said. And it does help us keep things current.

Less than 10 provisional ballots were filled out last week, due to registered voters showing up at their polling place with no ID, Whitehurst said. He added he was glad to be able to test the new voter ID law in an election with smaller turnout, as opposed to the upcoming August primary.

It was a good test case, he said.
The next part is a little tricky: Freedom cards are technically cash back cards that earn points redeemable at a penny each. But those points become much more powerful when you transfer them to a Sapphire or Business Preferred card (which is done easily on the Chase website), as you can then redeem them for a bonus in the travel portal and transfer them to travel partners.

This quarter (April through June), for example, those categories include grocery stores. That means $100 worth of groceries earns you 500 points, or five percent back on your spending. But those points can be transferred to your Sapphire Reserve and redeemed for travel at a 50 percent bonus, meaning its an effective return rate of 7.5 percent. The Freedom Unlimited, which is uncapped and gives you a 1.5 percent return on all categories, can also transfer points to the Sapphire Reserve, earning that 50 percent bonus. This equates to a 2.25 percent return on all spending when you redeem for travel.

Citi ThankYou Rewards

The Citi Prestige is the centerpiece of the ThankYou Rewards suite of cards, and it has some fantastic perks: It has trip delay insurance benefits that are significantly better than those of its competitors, and offers a unique free fourth night hotel benefit that can pay for the cards annual fee by itself. That means your fourth night of a consecutive four-night stay is completely free, from fleabag motels to the Four Seasons, provided you book through Citi. Thats the good news.

Now, the not-so-good: Citi isnt quite on the level of American Express and Chase when it comes to its transfer partners which, as we know, offer the best points redemption value. Whereas Chase has United and Southwest Airlines as points transfer partners, and American Express can claim Delta, Citi doesnt claim a major American legacy carrier. Partners Avianca (Star Alliance) and Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific) can still offer good redemption values, but cardholders may find less value in partners like Garuda Indonesia and Malaysia Airlines, which dont fly to North America. Finally, while Chase has four hotel transfer partners, including IHG and Hyatt, Citi has zero.

As with American Express and Chase, Id generally recommend forgoing the use of points to pay for purchases, merchandise and gift cards.

Amassing Points

Unless youre putting tons of spend on your credit cards every month, the most efficient way to get points quickly is through sign-up bonuses  the Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, currently offers a 50,000 point bonus (possibly higher if you apply in-branch) when you spend $4,000 in the first three months of having the account open. I monitor forums and travel blogs (Doctor of Credit is good) to see what offers are out there.

A couple of things to keep in mind: Some cards have high annual fees  Chase Sapphire Reserve is $450, American Express Platinum is $550  that only are offset if you manage to collect the bonus. Always make sure you can hit the target spend amount before signing up. Most importantly, I dont recommend juggling a bunch of new credit cards to anyone who cant pay their balance in full every month. The point is to make money, not give it back to the banks.

Im fastidious about avoiding interest and late fees, and dont feel guilty canceling high annual fee cards once Ive collected my bonus, thus I rarely hesitate to jump on a good sign-up offer. If the banks want to help pay for my next trip, at little or no cost to me, Im all for it.
The actor Joy Bryant, originally from New York, now lives in Los Angeles where she filmed the television series Parenthood for six years. Her next role is as a public defender in the fourth season of Ballers, which has its premiere in August on HBO.

Ms. Bryants favorite vacation spots are Jamaica and Kauai. I love island life, man! Im on island time. When she travels to Jamaica, though, she doesnt do much. I eat a lot of ackee and saltfish, and chill. I dont do anything, just eat Jamaican food. I havent been in a few years but Im looking to go back soon. I love the people, the music. In the Bronx I grew up with a lot of West Indians, a lot of Jamaicans and Puerto Ricans, and I have such a love for all things Jamaican from those early years.

She loves Hawaii, too. Ive been to the Big Island and Kauai. I love them both. I dont get in the water a lot. I can catch waves from time to time, if its under the optimal circumstances and I dont have to work too hard for it. I just love being outside and the beauty of the islands.

Her most recent vacation was in Utah. My husband and I snowboard and ski and we spend as much time as we can out there in the winter time. We have a place out in Eden, near Powder Mountain and thats the mountain that we favor out there. Our place is not even a 10-minute ride down the mountain. Its our getaway spot.
First, federal authorities seized the classified advertising website Backpage.com last week. Then, a 93-count indictment was unsealed, charging several of its top officials with facilitating prostitution and revealing details about victims including minors as young as 14.

Now, President Trump has signed new anti-sex-trafficking legislation into law on Wednesday. The law, which passed Congress with near unanimous bipartisan support, will give prosecutors stronger tools to go after similar sites in the future and suspend liability protections for internet companies for the content on their sites.

You have endured what no person on earth should have to endure, Mr. Trump said to victims of sex trafficking and their families who attended the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

Before it was shut down, Backpage featured ads like one titled Get freaky Tuesday, according to the indictment. There were graphic descriptions of women of different ages and racial backgrounds. The grand jury charged that many of the ads also depicted children who were victims of sex trafficking.
A fraternity at California Polytechnic State University was sanctioned by its national organization on Tuesday after students dressed as gang members, including one in blackface, during the colleges annual multicultural event over the weekend.

Photos first surfaced online on Sunday showing white students from Lambda Chi Alpha outside their fraternity house wearing baggy jeans, gold necklaces and bandannas as they flashed fake gang signs.

But it was another photo  of a fraternity brother in blackface  that drew swift outrage from both students and officials at the university in San Luis Obispo, Calif., leading to an almost immediate suspension of the chapter, protests on campus and a standing room only meeting with students to address racism at the college.

On Monday, the college placed Lambda Chi Alpha on interim suspension while it investigated. On Tuesday, the national fraternity office said it had placed the chapter on limited operations, sanctions that restrict it from participating in formal activities.
The report made no recommendations on the governors political future. The investigative committee will continue its work and will probably not make any recommendations on how to proceed until after the regular session ends next month, the speaker of the House, Todd Richardson, said. Republicans solidly control both the House and the Senate.

It is up to the committee to decide whether to file articles of impeachment against Mr. Greitens. If it does, a majority of House members would have to vote for impeachment, after which the case would go to the Senate, which would select seven judges to conduct a trial. No Missouri governor has ever been removed through impeachment.

The damning report details several instances in which the woman, who was Mr. Greitenss hairdresser, said he spanked, slapped or grabbed her, and called her names during sexual encounters.

The woman went to his house in March 2015 at his request, the report said. He bound her to exercise equipment with tape and began kissing her around her stomach, the woman testified, according to the 24-page report. After she began crying and told him to stop, Mr. Greitens helped her undo the tape, and then hugged her and tried to console her.

But then he took out his penis, the report said, and the woman told the investigative committee that although she was not scared, she felt that the only way she could leave his home was if she performed oral sex.

It felt like consent, but, no, I didnt want to do it, the woman is quoted as saying in the report. Coerced, maybe. I felt as though that would allow me to leave.

The committee said in its report that it believed the woman was credible.

Its extremely disturbing and disgusting behavior, said Representative Shamed Dogan, a Republican. I hope the governor does the right thing for the state of Missouri and resigns because hes shown he cant be an effective leader, and hes not doing that.
WASHINGTON  Mick Mulvaney, interim director of the consumer protection agency created during the Obama administration, said on Wednesday he is committed to enforcing the law as Democrats questioned his fitness, commitment and legal right to run a bureau he once vowed to kill.

Late last year, President Trump gave Mr. Mulvaney, the White House budget director, the additional job of running the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency that Mr. Trump and congressional Republicans would like to neutralize, if not eliminate.

Mr. Mulvaney, who recently called on Congress to cripple the agency and who scrapped a planned action against a payday lender accused of abusive practices shortly after taking the helm, insisted on Wednesday that we are still going after the bad actors. He said he had authorized the agencys lawyers to proceed with 25 cases initiated by his predecessor Richard Cordray, a Democrat currently running for governor of Ohio.

I have not burned the place down, said Mr. Mulvaney, a former Republican congressman from South Carolina who vigorously opposed the creation of the bureau, which he once referred to as a sick, sad joke.
John A. Boehner, the speaker of the House from 2011 to 2015, reversed a long-held stance against marijuana legalization on Wednesday, saying on Twitter that my thinking on cannabis has evolved.

Mr. Boehner, a Republican leader who in 2011 told a constituent he was unalterably opposed to legalization, joined the board of advisers of Acreage Holdings, a cannabis corporation that operates in 11 states.

While the announcement might be viewed as a sign that cannabis is becoming a big business that can afford to ally with prominent names from the world of politics, Mr. Boehner cast it as a genuine change of heart.

In a statement, he and William F. Weld, the former Massachusetts governor, who also joined the Acreage Holdings board, said the time has come for serious consideration of a shift in federal marijuana policy.
WASHINGTON  Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has proposed a redesign of the agencys commemorative coin, an adaptation of longstanding challenge coins exchanged among American troops. From a military drinking tradition to civilian government agencies, here is how the coins have evolved and proliferated.

What are challenge coins?

Military commanders often give pocket-size medallions, called challenge coins, to service members as a mark of camaraderie. A commanders unique coin  often copper, bronze or nickel  carries symbols and mottos denoting the unit or office. Coins are usually circular, but also can be pentagons, spades or even dog tags to be worn around the neck.

Throughout their service, military members use the coins to prove their allegiance when challenged. High-ranking officers and retirees often display a collection of coins in their offices alongside uniform patches and ribbons as a symbol of pride.
The Justice Department declined to comment.

Mr. Cohen-Watnick, 31, served briefly at the start of the Trump administration as the senior director for intelligence for the National Security Council, overseeing covert action and other intelligence programs. He was brought on by Michael T. Flynn, President Trumps first national security adviser. But some former officials criticized Mr. Cohen-Watnick, a former clandestine officer in the Defense Intelligence Agency, as too young for the job, which is usually filled by C.I.A. veterans.

Mr. Cohen-Watnick was ousted in August 2017 as part of changes in the White House, one of several appointees of Mr. Flynn who were removed by his replacement, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster.

National Security Council aides usually draw little public scrutiny, but Mr. Cohen-Watnick was swept up in the tumult of early 2017 when Mr. Trump accused the previous administration, without evidence, of wiretapping his phones at Trump Tower.

Mr. Trumps allegations were bolstered by Representative Devin Nunes of California, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who said he had evidence that Mr. Trumps communications were incidentally swept up in surveillance of foreigners by American spy agencies.

Mr. Nunes did not divulge the sources of this information, but American officials later told The New York Times that Mr. Cohen-Watnick, at the instruction of two senior White House officials, helped print intelligence reports that later served as Mr. Nuness proof.
Since Mr. Mueller was appointed last May, Mr. Trump had taken a largely nonconfrontational approach to the investigation, providing tens of thousands of pages of emails, notes, memos and other documents as part of an effort to show he has nothing to hide and to hasten the end of the investigation.

As recently as December, Mr. Trump said he believed Mr. Mueller would treat him fairly. And Mr. Trump has repeatedly said in public and in private that he wanted to sit with Mr. Mueller for an interview. After the search warrant, Mr. Trump now is convinced that his initial belief that Mr. Mueller is simply out to destroy his presidency was correct.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, criticized Mr. Muellers investigation on Wednesday for going beyond its mandate to look into Russias meddling in the 2016 election and into the ties between Mr. Trumps campaign and Russia.

The president certainly has been clear that he has very deep concern about the direction that the special counsel and other investigations have taken, Ms. Sanders said in response to a question about a report that Mr. Trump came close to firing Mr. Mueller in December. This investigation started off as Russian collusion, of which there was none.

It is not clear what role, if any, Mr. Cohen played regarding the Access Hollywood tape, which was made public a month before the election on one of the more memorable days of the campaign. On that day, Oct. 7, the Obama administration called out Russia for meddling in the election and the first batch of emails from Hillary Clintons campaign were released.

But Mr. Cohen has acknowledged paying $130,000 to Ms. Clifford, who said she had a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump and signed a nondisclosure agreement promising not to discuss the matter. Mr. Cohen has insisted there was no relationship, but that he sought to keep a damaging story from emerging regardless.

Mr. Cohen also had a long relationship with David J. Pecker, the publisher of The National Enquirer, who is also friends with Mr. Trump and who engaged in the practice of catch and kill with negative stories, meaning women who made accusations of sexual relationships with the candidate received payments or contracts with the magazine.
Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2018 2:30 pm

It was good news for the Marshfield R-I School District, after voters approved its proposal to borrow $8 million for the purpose of constructing, renovating and improving school facilities in the April 3 election.

Official election returns from the Webster County Clerks Office showed the Marshfield school bond issue passing with 1,641 votes (69.7 percent) in favor and 713 (30.3 percent) opposed.

With the bond issue, the school districts current debt service levy would remain unchanged at 60 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The bond will cover three projects: roofing, heating and air conditioning systems and paving. According to Marshfield R-I superintendent David Steward, the next step on the bond issue is to figure out what smaller projects they can do this summer.

Mike Henry, assistant superintendent, has already been working on phase one of the facility maintenance part and what that will look like, talking to different vendors and putting together a plan of what we can get done this summer, said Steward. We will be working on air conditioning projects, potentially smaller roofing projects and paving, so that we hit the worst, highest need areas there.

Voters also said yes to an increase of 49 cents per $100 assessed valuation to Marshfield R-Is operating tax levy, which will allow the school district to provide more career preparation opportunities for students in non-college-bound careers at Ozarks Technical Community College and improve recruitment/retention of both classified and certified (non-administrative) employees. A simple majority was required for approval. The vote was 1,279 (54.2%) to 1,079 (45.8%) in favor of the increase, which will generate an additional $965,000 per year for the school districts budget.

With the levy passing, Steward said he will work on the schools budget to develop salary schedules for both certified and classified staff that reflect the additional revenue. He added the Marshfield Board of Education will adopt that in June, but there will be work sessions between now and then to see what that looks like.

The salary schedule is going to be a detailed process because a lot of factors go into it, said Steward. I should learn in the coming week or two what to expect from the state budget and how that may impact things. We also have to make some decisions. We have a couple of grade levels in buildings that have some class size issues, so we will have to add a couple of staff members. Once we get those things done, we will see just exactly what we can do with the salary schedules. My goal remains the same; my target number is that every non-administrative employee of the district is able to see about a $2,000 increase in their salary, plus giving a step of advancement. That will be hopefully more than a $2,000 annual raise, but that is kind of my target.

As for the OTC program, Steward explained the school district will start marketing it to students beginning next year. They will work with high school counselors to get the word out to sophomores and juniors about it. The school district will not be able to send students to OTC until fall 2019.

I will talk to Doug Summers, Marshfield Junior High School principal, and Jeff Curley, Marshfield High School principal, about the money we have earmarked for that and see if there is a career-related one-time expenditure or several expenditures we can use that $150,000 to $200,000 on, so that it is going to the career prep side of things for our kids, said Steward. We will have to probably reserve some of it for a little bit of marketing internally to our kids, but if they have some one time needs in the area of career preparation, I would like to take care of those in 2018-19 before we start sending them to OTC in 2019-20.

On a final note, Steward expressed his gratitude to the community, parents and patrons for their support on these issues.

We appreciate the support of our community, our parents and patrons, trusting us to take care of kids and teachers, said Steward. That is what this was about from the beginning. We want to take care of our facilities, our kids and teachers, and I believe this gives us the ability to do that. We are grateful for the vote of confidence and we take that very seriously. We will honor the promises that were made throughout that campaign. We will take our kids and work on career preparation and try to recruit and retain quality employees in our buildings. We've got to take care of some things now, so that 10 or 15 years from now, when growth starts, we will be ready for it.
The administrations desire to quickly resolve Nafta could give Canada and Mexico more leverage. Trade experts say a Nafta deal seems more likely than it has in months, since the United States sees new urgency to conclude talks and is at least offering different proposals. But the United States does not appear to be ceding much ground. Larger concessions will need to be made to reach a deal, observers say  and those could come in the final moments.

Antonio Ortiz-Mena, a former Mexican diplomat in the United States, said he believed a deal would be possible in the coming weeks if negotiators were prepared to compromise. However, he said, I think the biggest threat to Nafta is the United States overplaying its hand and not being flexible enough.

The Nafta provision regarding automobiles has been among the most contentious, given Mr. Trumps focus on the car industry and its importance to all three nations economies.

American negotiators have dropped an earlier demand that half of the value of an automobile be made solely in the United States to qualify for Naftas zero tariffs. Instead, they are asking for an unspecified percentage of each vehicle to be made by workers earning at least an average wage rate for the North American industry, to be recalculated each year. According to preliminary calculations, that wage could be approximately $16 to $17 an hour.

However, other parts of the proposal are unchanged, or add layers of rules. In keeping with its earlier proposal, the United States is asking for 85 percent of the value of a car to be made in North America to qualify for Naftas benefits, up from 62.5 percent under the current Nafta deal. But it has set up a complex tiered system for other auto parts, for example requiring 85 percent of engines and advanced batteries to be made in North America, as well as 70 percent of monitors, wiring sets and autonomous vehicles parts, and 50 percent of brake pads and spark plugs.

It also requires 70 percent of certain auto parts made of steel and aluminum to be made in North America  a further boon to the American steel and aluminum industry, which the Trump administration has sought to protect.
The compromise bill, written by Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, both Republicans, and Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey, both Democrats, would enact a statute codifying an existing Justice Department regulation that says a special counsel may be fired only by the attorney general, and only for good cause, like misconduct.

The bill also creates a 10-day window within which a special counsel can seek judicial review of the firing. If it is determined that the special counsel was not, in fact, fired for good cause, then he would be reinstated. In the interim, it would ensure that the special counsels staff and investigative materials are preserved.

Democrats, who have been clamoring for Congress to act to protect Mr. Mueller, touted the new legislation as a breakthrough but privately conceded that odds remained stacked against its passage. Mr. Tillis, in his own comments, sought to put distance between the measure and the bubbling tensions between Mr. Trump and Mr. Muellers investigation into Russias election interference and possible ties to the Trump campaign.

This compromise bipartisan bill helps ensure that special counsels  present or future  have the independence they need to conduct fair and impartial investigations, Mr. Tillis said. The integrity and independence of special counsel investigations are vital to reaffirming the American peoples confidence in our nations rule of law.

Mr. Grassley, who has raised concerns about the constitutionality of the bill, plans to offer an amendment to it that would formally require the Justice Department to produce reports to Congress each time there is a change in scope to a special counsels investigation or if he is fired. The department would also have to prepare a detailed final report about what a special counsel found and explain any decisions to charge or decline to charge particular suspects, according to Republican committee aides.
STARR COUNTY, Tex.  The soldier stood on a cliff above the swift green waters of the Rio Grande, peering into the brush with binoculars, an M-4 carbine rifle at his chest, a 9-millimeter pistol in a holster low on his thigh. The rainstorm was over, but a thick layer of mud lined the bottom of his combat boots.

He was one of 250 Texas National Guard troops stationed on the border with Mexico, part of President Trumps latest plan to stanch the flow of immigrants entering the country illegally. The troops at the observation post chatted very little. They stared into the brush, took a few steps to change their position, then stared some more.

Then it happened  one of the soldiers saw a raft in the river. The troops got on their radio and summoned the Border Patrol down below, fulfilling, military officials said, one of the primary missions of the National Guards controversial mobilization on the southern border: to observe and report.

On Tuesday, the Guard allowed a group of journalists to shadow some of its troops on the border, an early look at the new deployment that follows a surge in illegal crossings into South Texas. The Department of Homeland Security said more than 37,000 people were detained in March. Though the flow of asylum seekers into Texas regularly goes up in the springtime, detentions this year were three times the levels seen in March of last year.
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The political thriller Scandal has broken some of televisions most tenacious barriers during its seven seasons on ABC. In casting Kerry Washington as the D.C. fixer Olivia Pope, the seriess creator, Shonda Rhimes, gave network TV drama its first black female lead in almost 40 years. The show has tackled difficult subjects from abortion to police violence against African-Americans with startling candor. But it also earned a reputation for its rapid-fire plot twists, often providing more shocking revelations in a single episode than many dramas do in a full season.
For the past year, the photographer Adam Ferguson and I have met with hundreds of victims of Boko Haram.

Girls who were forced to have bombs strapped to them. People who were living along a highway after militants displaced them three or four times from their homes. University students who carried on while under threat from bombings.

But wed never managed to talk to the group of students from Chibok, in Nigeria, who were released after a high-profile kidnapping in 2014 that inspired the social media hashtag #BringBackOurGirls and brought international attention to the group.
The popes belief in the bishops innocence over the victims accusations outraged advocates for abuse survivors, and gave ammunition to those who said the usually politically deft pope had a tin ear when it came to sex abuse. All that pressure prompted Francis to send Archbishop Scicluna to Chile in January as a result of some information received regarding the case, the Vatican said at the time.

The popes letter released Wednesday had an entirely different tone. He wrote that the investigators sometimes felt overwhelmed by so many victims of grave abuses of conscience and of power and in particular of the sexual abuses committed by various clergymen of your country against minors, who were robbed of their innocence.

In Chile, the church hierarchy followed his lead. Msgr. Santiago Silva said church leaders share the pain of Pope Francis, and added, we havent done enough. Our commitment is that this will never happen again.

One of the victims, Juan Carlos Cruz, said of the popes letter, It seems like he is ready to make some much-needed changes that will not only affect the church in Chile, which is in dire need of new bishops, and stop the cover-up of sexual abuse, but it would also send a sign to all the world that zero tolerance is zero tolerance.

The Vatican has repeatedly argued that it is serious about cleaning up what Pope Benedict XVI once called filth in the church. On Saturday, the Vatican police arrested Msgr. Carlo Alberto Capella, a former diplomat at its embassy in Washington, where he was suspected of possessing child pornography. The Vatican had recalled him in September amid an investigation by American law enforcement officials, who had sought to strip him of his immunity.

On Wednesday, the pope seemed to seek a silver lining in what has become a black cloud over his pontificate and the Chilean church. I assure you of my prayers and I want to share with you the conviction that the present difficulties are also an occasion to re-establish the trust in the church, broken by our mistakes and sins, and to heal wounds that havent stopped bleeding in Chilean society, he wrote.

Austen Ivereigh, the author of a papal biography, The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, also seemed intent on finding some good in the painful chapter.

Hes shown hes determined to defend the innocence of a bishop if there isnt convincing evidence, he said of Francis. But when there is, hes willing to say sorry and act.
BEIJING  In the unpolished video that appeared on state television one October morning in 2015, Wang Yu, one of Chinas most prominent lawyers, denounces her own son.

While she was herself under arrest, the young man had been detained after leaving the country without permission or the proper papers. He first flew to the southern province of Yunnan and then rode on the back of a motorcycle into Myanmar, his movements captured on closed circuit cameras.

I strongly condemn this type of behavior, Ms. Wang says in a monotone, sitting inside a featureless room. This kind of action is very risky and is illegal.

It was all a lie, as her colleagues suspected when the video first aired.

Ms. Wangs videotaped contrition was merely an example of how the Chinese authorities routinely coerce detainees into making statements that serve the governments propaganda needs.
BEIJING  The advertisement for sperm donors was exacting.

No bald men. No hereditary diseases like color blindness. And in case there were any doubts, the sperm bank at Peking University Third Hospital clarified: Only men with an abiding love for the socialist motherland need apply.

President Xi Jinpings drive to restore the Communist Partys place at the center of everyday life in China has brought socialist banners to city streets, nationalistic rap music to the airwaves and patriotic heroes to movie theaters. Now Mr. Xi has inspired a new test of party loyalty  reproduction.

The ad placed by the hospital sperm bank, which has circulated widely on social media in recent days, listed support for the Communist Party and Mr. Xi as its top requirements for potential donors.

He must have good ideological thoughts, the ad said by way of describing ideal donors, love the socialist motherland and support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.
This week, a mob of Hindu lawyers physically blocked police officers from entering a courthouse to file charges against the men. The officers retreated to a judges house later in the evening to complete the paperwork.

Image Asifa Bano

Protests and counterprotests are now spreading. On Wednesday, much of Kathua, a small town in northern India near where Asifa was killed, was shut down by demonstrators, including dozens of Hindu women who helped block a highway and organize a hunger strike.

They are against our religion, said Bimla Devi, one of the protesters. If the accused men arent released, she said, we will burn ourselves.

Police officials say they have physical evidence and DNA tests linking the defendants to Asifas death. They also say they have interviewed more than 130 witnesses, who unequivocally corroborated the facts that emerged.

Several prominent members of Indias dominant political force, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, are pushing to have the case taken out of the hands of the state police, arguing that the Central Bureau of Investigation would be a better, more neutral agency to handle it. Many suspect this is an attempt to win leniency for the accused, noting that the bureau is an arm of the central government, which the Bharatiya Janata Party controls.

That a Hindu temple is at the center of the crime makes this case even more combustible. The police say that Sanji Ram, the temples custodian, devised the plan as a way to terrorize the Bakarwals, and that he enlisted a nephew and some friends to kidnap and kill Asifa. The police say the culprits selected Asifa simply because she was by herself and a soft target.

For generations, Bakarwal nomads, who drift with their herds across the plains and hills of northern India, have leased pastures from Hindu farmers for their animals to graze in winter. But in recent years, some Hindus in the Kathua area have begun a campaign of abuse against the nomads. Villagers said Mr. Ram was their ringleader.



His poison has been spreading, said Talib Hussain, a Bakarwal leader. When I was young, I remember the fear Sanji Rams name invoked in Muslim women. If they wanted to scare each other, they would take Sanji Rams name, since he was known to misbehave with Bakarwal women.
BEIJING  She wrote about desiring him: of wanting to kiss his eyes, his cheeks and his mouth a hundred times.

She said she was going crazy because he had not written for a while.

She said in the letter that he belonged to her.

It is unusual for the intended recipient, Mao Zedong, worshiped by many Chinese people as half emperor and half deity, to be portrayed by the state media as an object of romantic desire in such explicit terms. As it turns out, it may be too much for some Chinese people.

The letter was written in 1929 by Maos first freely chosen wife, Yang Kaihui, a prominent Chinese revolutionary, and was broadcast by China Central Television on the show Trust in China. It was the latest manifestation of how the state propaganda machine has been trying to win the hearts and minds of its people.
Irans top leadership Tuesday vowed to avenge the death of seven of its military advisers in Syria in Israeli airstrikes on a military base deemed a drone factory used by Iran.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis foreign policy advisor Ali Akbar Velayati stressed that Tehran will not fold hands in face of the Iranian death toll initially put at four.

The Zionist regimes attack on Syria will not go unanswered, Ali Akbar was quoted as saying upon arriving in the Syrian capital for a visit with President al-Assad.

The seven advisers were members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), local media outlet Tasmin notes.

Israel in the early hours of Monday struck the Syrian T-4 air base in Homs killing reportedly 14 people including Iranian advisers.

Israel on February 10 hit the same base that it believes is used by the Shia regime to manufacture drone.

Teheran Monday condemned the strikes confirmed by Washington. Russia and the Syrian regime also slammed the Israeli air defense sorties.

Iran and its allies, Russia and Lebanon-based Shia movement Hezbollah, have been supporting the Bashar al-Assad regime battling with armed opposition and militants since 2011.
A judge in Myanmar ruled Wednesday that the case against two Reuters reporters who documented a massacre of Rohingya Muslims would proceed on accusations that they violated the Official Secrets Act after they were arrested with papers handed to them by the police.

Judge Ye Lwin, who heard testimony from 17 prosecution witnesses over three months of hearings, refused a request from defense lawyers to dismiss the case against the reporters: U Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, and U Wa Lone, who turned 32 on Wednesday.

In a case that has provoked international condemnation, the two were arrested Dec. 12 while they were investigating the September massacre of 10 Rohingya civilians in the Rakhine State village of Inn Din. The massacre occurred during violent attacks on Rohingya Muslims by Myanmars military and local Buddhist mobs that drove hundreds of thousands of refugees into Bangladesh in what is broadly seen as calculated ethnic cleansing.

In uncovering the massacre, the two reporters obtained photos of the 10 victims kneeling before their execution with their hands tied behind their backs. They also found the mass grave where the victims were buried.
News reports in South Korea and the United States have mentioned Geneva and the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, as possible venues.

Mr. Moon has tried to be a mediator between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump. His envoys met with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang in March, and went to Washington soon afterward to tell Mr. Trump that Mr. Kim wanted to talk.

According to South Korean officials and analysts, Mr. Moon hopes for a comprehensive deal in which Mr. Kim would commit to dismantling his nuclear arsenal and Mr. Trump would reciprocate by offering security guarantees for the North, including normalized ties with Washington.

But implementing such a deal would probably be extremely complicated and protracted. Past talks between North Korea and the United States have had similar aims, but they all collapsed in the early stages, over disputes about freezing the Norths nuclear activities and how such a freeze would be verified.

North Korea, as it has in the past, insists on a phased and synchronized implementation of any denuclearization deal. According to former South Korean officials who have dealt with the North, it fears that any deal it signs with Washington could come to an end after a change in American administrations. So rather than surrender its nuclear facilities up front, it wants incremental steps, matched with corresponding incentives from the United States.

For their part, American officials have said that North Korea has never been sincere in dealing with them, using negotiations to buy time while persisting in clandestine nuclear weapons development. Some hard-liners in Washington, like Mr. Trumps new national security adviser, John R. Bolton, have demanded a quick dismantling of the Norths nuclear weapons program, suspecting that the North only wants to ease the tough international sanctions against it in exchange for a temporary, and deceptive, freezing of its nuclear program.

South Korea hopes that North Korea and the United States will agree on a road map toward denuclearization and quickly implement key steps before Mr. Trumps term ends in January 2021, according to scholars advising Mr. Moons government. They said that a key challenge for Mr. Moon would be to persuade Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump to exchange key trust-building steps soon after they meet, like granting inspectors unfettered access to the Norths nuclear facilities and setting up liaison offices in each others capitals.
It is interesting to think about what someone will find unique about your native land.

Yes, there were the beaches. He was amazed at the sheer number of them. But I expected that.

Yes, he was impressed by our visit to my local doctor. When I pulled out a Medicare card (an Australian universal health care card) in order to pay, it was like hed just witnessed a new and wonderful world. But again, I expected that.

Yes, he was seriously surprised with just how multiethnic Sydney is. But I expected that too. The growth of Asian-Australian as an ethnic group is an evolution in motion that has not translated to the outside world quite yet.

But then there were the things that I didnt expect, the largest of which was  the Australian bird life.

It seriously blew him away.

I had taken it for granted. As a person who grew up in suburban Sydney, I did not for a moment predict the impact it would have on him.
SYDNEY, Australia  The Australian government has warned China against building a military base in the South Pacific following a report that the Chinese had approached the tiny island nation of Vanuatu about establishing an outpost there.

The report on Monday that the Chinese and Vanuatu governments had held preliminary discussions about a permanent Chinese military presence in the former French colony, which is 1,500 miles off the coast of Australia, has raised alarm bells in the region.

But China hit back quickly on Tuesday, with a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman dismissing the report that it was seeking to put a base on Vanuatu as fake news. Vanuatus government also said that there was no such proposal. And Australias prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said Vanuatu had assured his government that no such request had been made.
BRUSSELS  Virtually no one in Europe wants President Trump to plunge headlong into a trade war with China. But nearly everyone thinks that it is time to stand up to Chinas closed markets and trade manipulation.

The European Union may not like Mr. Trump or the way he is doing things  but that does not mean it dislikes his aims when it comes to trading with China.

But Europe would also like the conflict to go away, fearing the bloc will be caught between the United States, its primary market and second-largest supplier, and China, its primary supplier and second-largest market.

The way to make that happen, it believes, is challenging China through negotiations within the existing trading system, avoiding a degenerative tit-for-tat battle that could harm Europes relatively vibrant economy.
PARIS  It was supposed to be the site of the biggest airport in western France, a hub for cargo traffic and Concorde flights.

But instead, it became the center of a utopian experiment and an entrenched protest camp, one that challenged the government of President Emmanuel Macron.

In 1970, 3,700 acres of fields and woodland near the village of Notre-Dame-des-Landes were chosen for the new airport to satisfy a need first identified in 1965.

But in 2009, hundreds of protesters started squatting on the land, complaining of the projects noise and the threat to wildlife. They set up shelters made of corrugated iron, wood and earthworks.
The initial government response was muted, with Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for Mr. Putin, telling reporters that it would be wrong to make hasty decisions and predicting that the value of the ruble and the Russian stock market would bounce back once emotions settled down.

Given the tiny size of the Russian economy  around 2 percent of global G.D.P.  and its limited trade with the United States, there was little expectation of economic retaliation. Any Russian response was likely to come in places like Syria or Ukraine, analysts said, where the Kremlin might ratchet up tensions in order to leverage any solution on ending the sanctions.

With an American strike in Syria possible at any moment, in response to what was suspected to be a chemical weapons attack by the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, an occasion for that scenario might materialize quickly.

Russia had been lulled into thinking no significant sanctions were coming. In January, in response to a new United States law last summer demanding tougher action against Moscow, the Trump administration did nothing more than publish a list culled from the pages of Forbes Magazine of every billionaire in the country along with the Kremlins internal telephone directory.

People thought this was a joke, but now it is clear that the situation is serious, said Vladislav S. Zhukovsky, an economist and investment consultant. This is more serious than the previous sanctions.

The two most prominent industrialists targeted were Mr. Deripaska, whose Rusal company employs an estimated 60,000 in Russia, and Viktor F. Vekselberg, one of the richest men in Russia, whose projects include trying to develop the countrys tech sector.
CAIRO  The crash of a military transport plane that killed 257 people on Wednesday was Algerias deadliest ever, compounding the woeful air safety record of an insular country where there has been little accountability for such disasters in the past.

A Russian-built Ilyushin plane carrying soldiers and civilians slammed into a field moments after it took off from Boufarik military base, about 15 miles southwest of the capital, Algiers. The plane exploded into flames, sending black smoke billowing into the air. Only a handful of people survived.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and Algerias Defense Ministry began an investigation. But there was little prospect of any political repercussions in a country that has come to be seen as the regions hermitlike giant, hesitant and inward-facing, as its economic and political malaise has deepened.

Rich in gas and oil, and the largest country in Africa by size, Algeria should loom large over the region. It avoided the turmoil of the Arab Spring uprisings that engulfed its North African neighbors Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. And it has established itself as a bulwark against Islamist extremism.
The latest salvo in the seven-year war in Syria, an apparent chemical attack in the suburb of Douma at dusk on Saturday, has presented a new challenge to a Trump administration that has vowed to strongly respond.

But much is still unclear or unconfirmed about the attack, including what action the United States will take and what impact it will have on relationships with allies and adversaries. Syrian government forces prevent access to Douma for journalists, aid workers and investigators.

Heres a brief look at what we know so far, and what remains to be seen as of Wednesday.

What we know

 About 500 people in Douma, a suburb of Damascus, had symptoms consistent with a chemical attack: burning eyes, breathing problems and white foam coming from their mouths and nostrils, according to several independent medical and rescue groups.

 Residents said they heard objects falling from the sky, followed by a strange smell that witnesses said resembled chlorine.
Mr. Trump has been critical of Russia and its president, Vladimir V. Putin, for supporting the Syrian regime, led by Bashar al-Assad, believed to be behind the suspected chemical weapons attack on April 7 that has left dozens dead.

The attack on Saturday in the Damascus suburb of Douma has not been confirmed to be the result of a chemical weapon.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday that the United States is still assessing the intelligence on the suspected chemical attack, but that military planning was proceeding.

We stand ready to provide military options if theyre appropriate, as the president determined, he said.

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that there were reports of about 500 people in the Damascus suburb of Douma who have symptoms similar to people exposed to toxic chemicals. It said about 70 people had died while taking shelter in basements and 43 of them had signs of being exposed to highly toxic chemicals.

Mr. Trumps comments about poor relations with Russia echoed what the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said recently in response to the wave of diplomatic expulsions of Russians from the United States and other countries, according to a Reuters report. The expulsions were a coordinated response to the poisoning in Britain of a former Russian spy and his daughter. Since then, analysts have said the Balkans could become a battleground for a new Cold War.
Sudans President Omar al-Bashir, on Tuesday, ordered the release of all political prisoners in the country, state-run news agency reports.

According to SUNA, President al-Bashirs decision came in response to calls from political parties of the National Consensus Government (NCG) to grant detainees the opportunity to engage in the political process. The NCG was installed in May 2017 to implement the outcome of a national dialogue conference.

The Tuesday decision aims to promote peace and harmony among all political parties in order to create a positive environment for achieving national goals, SUNA notes.

The US and European embassies in the country had called for the release of all detainees. Washingtons mission earlier said the detainees were being held in inhumane conditions.

Opposition groups have said about 50 political detainees remain in prison, including the leader of Sudans communist party Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khatib.

President Omar Al-Bashir has announced last year that he will leave office in 2020 after 31 years in power. He was re-elected in 2015 with 94 percent of the vote in an election widely discredited by the international community and opposition parties.

Bashir chose the 66-year-old longtime operative of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and governor of the agriculture-rich Gezira State as his successor.
A start-up is taking on Equifaxs employee verification service, and it now has a bit of a war chest too.

The new company, Truework, will try to compete with an Equifax service known as The Work Number, which helps employers handle all of the irritating notices they receive from banks and other entities that want to verify a persons employment history and salary. The gears of consumer credit cant function well without this process, but its a pain for employers and, as a result, a lucrative business for Equifax.

Most employees do not know that their employer hands over sensitive information to Equifax and similar services each pay period, even though workers have agreed to some kind of employment check somewhere along the way. And Equifax does not notify those workers each time it gives information to a bank or a potential landlord.

Truework aims to change that, promising that employees will receive a message at their work email address each time an entity seeks information about them. The recipients would click to see what information their employers plan to share and can approve the handoff.
One in five dollars spent on online advertising in the United States currently goes to Facebook. The power of the companys ad platform comes from the ability it gives politicians, brands, real estate agents, nonprofits and others to precisely target people on its social networks.

Facebook has expanded its ad apparatus over time by continuously accumulating details about its users and turning those details into targetable data points. As it has grown, however, the company has drawn the scrutiny of privacy advocates, regulators and lawmakers around the world.

The Early Days

When Facebook introduced its ad platform in 2007, advertisers could target people using information they had volunteered on the platform.

This is what a typical target audience might have looked like with those options:

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college and is 18 to 22.

In 2009, Facebook added several features, including the ability for users to click a like button on posts in their newsfeed, which refined the list of interests that advertisers could target. The company also introduced ways for advertisers to target friends of those who had interacted with their brands, and to target ads to people by age or birthday.

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college and is 21.

Introducing Third-Party Data

Three years later, Facebook introduced Custom Audiences, a feature that allowed companies to upload their own lists of people to target. A retailer, for example, could upload its customer list and target ads at those who had recently bought a specific kind of T-shirt.

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college, is 21 and has bought a blue T-shirt in the past year.

Of course, companies were not limited to using lists of their own customers. They could also upload lists of consumers bought from third-party marketing firms known as data brokers.

Data brokers collect vast troves of information from public records, retailers who sell customer information and other sources. The brokers combine that data into consumer profiles, and then resell lists filtered to target certain demographics.

By this time, targeting ads to people based on their interests had become a common online-advertising practice, and marketers and researchers were beginning to tap into big data analysis to push that practice further.

In 2013, a researcher working for the consulting firm Cambridge Analytica released a personality quiz that people could take on Facebook, with the results indicating how open, conscientiousness, extroverted, agreeable or neurotic they were. The researcher compared the quiz results with what those who took it had liked on Facebook, ultimately determining which interests corresponded with which personality traits.

Using that method, which had been developed by researchers at Cambridge University, targeting certain interests was now tantamount to targeting personality traits.

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college, is 21, has bought a blue T-shirt in the past year and is neurotic.

Around 2014, Facebooks ad program began to evolve dramatically, allowing advertisers to pinpoint people even more precisely than before. By then, more than 1.2 billion people on average used the social network every day.

One new feature, Partner Categories, brought hundreds of targeting options from data brokers into Facebooks ad platform. Brands could now target people based on demographics like salary; number of open credit lines; car make and model; and whether a user fit into a category such as trendy moms.

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college, is 21, has bought a blue T-shirt in the past year, is neurotic, makes less than $28,000 a year and is likely to buy a minivan in the next six months.

In 2014, the company also introduced what it called Lookalike Audiences, a feature that allowed organizations that uploaded customer lists to also target people who had profiles similar to those customers.

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college, is 21, has bought a blue T-shirt in the past year, is neurotic, makes less than $28,000 a year and is likely to buy a minivan in the next six months. Plus, anyone on Facebook who is similar to them.

Tracking You Around the Web and Guessing Your Ethnicity

In mid-2014, Facebook incorporated users online browsing history into its ad-targeting platform. The company had been collecting browsing data for years, from any web page that included a Facebook like button or had let people log in through their Facebook accounts. The company used the browsing data  from, say, a users visits to several websites while she shopped for a new tent  to refine the specific interests that advertisers could target and to give them more confidence about what they were targeting.

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college, is 21, has bought a blue T-shirt in the past year, is neurotic, makes less than $28,000 a year, is likely to buy a minivan in the next six months and is interested in camping. Plus, anyone on Facebook who is similar to them.

Around this time, Facebook also added a targeting option called Ethnic Affinity. The company does not ask users to identify their race, but it assigns ethnicities based on activities such as the content and pages that users like. A user could be categorized as African-American, for example, because his Facebook activity aligns with African-American multicultural affinity. The other ethnicities that can be assigned are Hispanic and Asian-American.

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia, studies philosophy in college, is 21, has bought a blue T-shirt in the past year, is neurotic, makes less than $28,000 a year, is likely to buy a minivan in the next six months, is interested in camping and whose interests align with those of African-Americans. Plus, anyone on Facebook who is similar to them.

The recent revelation that Cambridge Analytica collected information of up to 87 million Facebook users has renewed concerns about privacy on the platform, and has prompted the company to pledge to improve its privacy tools and transparency and to re-think at least one aspect of its ad practices. The company has already said it would drop targeting options based on third-party data from its advertising platform.

The changes coincide with the introduction of a new law in the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation. The law, which is to take effect next month, requires technology companies to limit their collection of user data to what they need to perform services, and to obtain customers consent for how their data will be used and with whom it will be shared.
President Trump is threatening to launch missile strikes against Syria to punish President Bashar al-Assads government for a suspected April 7 chemical weapons attack on a Damascus suburb.

But Mr. Trumps pick of targets is complicated by the presence of Russian troops and Iranian militias, who are supporting Mr. Assads forces in Syrias seven-year civil war.

Where America, Russia and Iran Have Military Positions in Syria TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia GOVERNMENT CONTROL Deir al-Zour SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Sparsely populated areas Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia Deir al-Zour GOVERNMENT CONTROL SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Hasaka Afrin Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib REBEL CONTROL ISIS CONTROL GOVERNMENT CONTROL Homs Abu Kamal Damascus IRAQ Sweida 100 MILES JORDAN TURKEY Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Russia Latakia GOVERNMENT CONTROL Deir al-Zour SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Sparsely populated areas Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Russia Latakia Deir al-Zour GOVERNMENT CONTROL SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY Hasaka Afrin Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Russia REBEL CONTROL ISIS CONTROL GOVERNMENT CONTROL Homs Abu Kamal Damascus IRAQ Sweida 100 MILES JORDAN TURKEY Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia GOVERNMENT CONTROL Deir al-Zour SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Sparsely populated areas Iran and

its proxies Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia Deir al-Zour GOVERNMENT CONTROL SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal Iran and

its proxies LEBANON Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY Hasaka Afrin Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib REBEL CONTROL ISIS CONTROL GOVERNMENT CONTROL Homs Abu Kamal Iran and

its proxies Damascus IRAQ Sweida 100 MILES JORDAN TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Russia Latakia GOVERNMENT CONTROL Deir al-Zour SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Sparsely populated areas Iran and

its proxies Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Russia Latakia Deir al-Zour GOVERNMENT CONTROL SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal Iran and

its proxies LEBANON Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Hasaka Afrin Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Russia REBEL CONTROL ISIS CONTROL GOVERNMENT CONTROL Homs Abu Kamal Iran and

its proxies Damascus IRAQ Sweida 100 MILES JORDAN TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia GOVERNMENT CONTROL Deir al-Zour SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Sparsely populated areas Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia Deir al-Zour GOVERNMENT CONTROL SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Hasaka Afrin Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib REBEL CONTROL ISIS CONTROL GOVERNMENT CONTROL Homs Abu Kamal Damascus IRAQ Sweida 100 MILES JORDAN TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia GOVERNMENT CONTROL Deir al-Zour SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Sparsely populated areas Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Afrin Hasaka Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib Raqqa ISIS CONTROL REBEL CONTROL Latakia Deir al-Zour GOVERNMENT CONTROL SYRIA Homs Palmyra Abu Kamal LEBANON Damascus IRAQ Sweida JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY American-led

coalition Hasaka Afrin Manbij KURDISH CONTROL Idlib REBEL CONTROL ISIS CONTROL GOVERNMENT CONTROL Homs Abu Kamal Damascus IRAQ Sweida 100 MILES JORDAN

American forces in Syria have focused mainly on fighting the Islamic State in the countrys northeast.

More than 40 people were killed and dozens more sickened in the suspected attacks on the Damascus suburb of Douma over the weekend. Ever since, Mr. Trump has repeatedly promised to strike Syria  as he did last year following a deadly chemical attack in Idlib Province  and potentially pull the United States into the wider conflict.

American troops landed in the ground war in Syria in late 2015 with a small contingent of Special Operations forces, hoping to forge an alliance with local militias and rebel groups that could fight the Islamic State.

In the months that followed, the number of American troops grew. Their Kurdish and Arab allies, later known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, started ground assaults that would eventually lead to the loss of Islamic State strongholds in the northern cities of Manbij and their de facto capital in Raqqa.

There are currently an estimated 2,000 American troops in Syria, according to the Pentagon. The influx of forces transformed what had been an initial band of commandos in armored pickups into a scaled-down version of the sprawling military presence in neighboring Iraq.

They are spread across hundreds of miles of Syrian territory  contending with a potential Turkish offensive into Kurdish areas in Manbij, and into the middle Euphrates River Valley, where the remnants of the Islamic State are still holding out in the countrys east.

The Pentagon has said it is focused on eradicating the Islamic State extremists, and is fighting in areas that are uncomfortably near Syrian troops and Iranian forces. The United States military has had to deconflict airspace with Russian fighter jets in Syria. And American troops have crossed paths with Russian mercenaries and Iranian-backed militias, including a pitched battle in February and on the Iraqi border last spring. And in June, a United States military jet shot down a Syrian warplane that was trying to bomb American-backed fighters on the ground.

As a result, the combination of foreign actors, militants and local allies have vexed American commanders who are trying to keep their troops out of harms way without setting off an international confrontation.

U.S. special forces soldiers scan the area at a front line outpost outside the northern Syrian city of Manbij. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times

Beyond the contingent of Special Operations forces, the American presence in Syria includes conventional troops tasked with securing rural outposts, engineers for base construction, airmen for flight operations and trainers for the Syrian Democratic Forces, according to defense officials.

When American troops first arrived in Syria, their primary goal was ensuring that local forces fighting the Islamic State were well-trained, equipped and could attack with the necessary amount of air support backing them up. But as the campaign has crept on, American troops have needed an upgraded logistics system and a constellation of outposts to support the fighting.

In early 2016, an improved helicopter pad appeared in Syrias northeast, near Hasaka. Months later, British Special Operations forces were pictured at a base near the border intersection of Syria, Jordan and Iraq farther to the south. The outpost, known as al-Tanf, would later turn into a key hub for American forces and allied Syrian rebels as they turned their assault toward the Euphrates River Valley.

That spring, American troops and Kurdish and Arab forces pushed toward the city of Manbij. Western forces  including a number of attack and transport helicopters  started appearing in satellite photos at a cement plant located between Manbij and Raqqa.

By the end of summer 2016, the American-led coalition and local forces had recaptured Manbij from the Islamic State, and the Pentagon had increased the number of United States troops in Syria to 500.
The Zimbabwean government will for the first time since 2002 allow Western poll observers to monitor its national elections, local media reports.

General elections are scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in July 2018 to elect the President and members of both houses of Parliament.

The vote will be a major test for President Emmerson Mnangagwas democratic credentials since he came to power in November. Also, these elections will be the first held in the country since the end of white minority rule in 1980 that do not feature Mugabe as the incumbent ruler.

According to a list released by the foreign affairs ministry on Tuesday, the southern African nation will invite the United States, the European Unions Commission and parliament, Australia and the Commonwealth to send observers.

The government-owned The Chronicle in Bulawayo reported that the invitations for observers had been extended already to member states of the Southern African Development Community, China, India, Russia, and Turkey among 46 countries and 15 organizations.

These countries and organizations were all previously banned from watching elections since 2002 after Mugabe accused them of favoring his opponents.

As a reminder, the latest election was held on July 31, 2013. The ruling ZANU-PF party obtained then a two-thirds majority.
Claims that property investors in Auckland have all but dried up and have now turned their attention to the regions is by no means true, says Barnett. Yes, the LVRs slowed down some residential investors, but not the long-term ones where rentals are often their primary business. They are still out there in droves and can easily structure their business to meet any LVR requirements.

Barnett says that the investors that have dried up are opportunists who entered the Auckland market several years ago, following promises of large capital gains. Purchasing investment properties in Auckland is now less tempting given the 40% required deposit and levelled sale prices, so many of these investors have now turned their attention to other regions.

However, according to Barnett, losing these investors will help first home buyers to get onto the Auckland property ladder and will also benefit renters in the regions.

When we saw a flurry of opportunist investors motivated by big capital gains and often very financially stretched to make it all work, the likes of property maintenance and tenant wellbeing were probably not their priority. Whereas long-term investors often make better landlords simply because theyre playing a much longer game.

According to Century 21 New Zealand, property investors are an essential part of the market and are unfairly blamed for causing price increases and for dropping out when the market normalises. Property investors are increasingly critical to the housing of more and more Aucklanders, and deserve a break, says the Century 21 head.
Is the Fadnavis factor standing in the way of a BJP-Shiv Sena reunion

Parties believing in Hindutva will have to unite for 2019 polls: Fadnavis

India

pti-PTI

In a subtle hint of his hopes of the BJP and Shiv Sena jointly contesting the next year's polls, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that all "secular but Hindutva" parties would come together to counter the "pseudo-secular" opposition.

He said the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance broke before the 2014 state polls because of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party's "adamant" attitude on seat-sharing.

"The Shiv Sena may be a party led by Uddhav Thackeray, but it is run on the ethos of late Balasaheb Thackeray. Looking at the current situation, I can say that all secular, but Hindutva parties will come together to counter the pseudo-secular opposition parties," he said.

"This was Balasaheb's thinking as well," Fadnavis said.

The chief minister made the comments on Tuesday while being interviewed by Sanjay Raut, the Sena's Rajya Sabha member and executive editor of its mouthpiece 'Saamana', at a Lokmat Group programme here.

Lokmat Group chairman and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda was also present at the event.

Raut asked Fadnavis how he knew the Sena's future plans when he could not even predict the next move of the RSS.

To this, the chief minister said, "The Shiv Sena is a political party and hence it is easy to predict what it will do in future." "The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) does not have any political compulsions. Its programmes are fixed at times a year in advance and it executes them as per their schedule," Fadnavis said.

When Raut asked him why Bal Thackeray's Hindutva ideology was forgotten by the BJP in 2014 when it snapped ties with the Sena, Fadnavis blamed the estranged ally for being adamant for just four more seats.

"We had offered you 147 seats, but you were adamant on 151. Had you accepted our offer, the Sena would have got more seats than the BJP (in the ensuing Assembly polls), and either Uddhavji or you would have become the CM," the CM retorted.

He denied that Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah held the "remote control" of the Maharashtra government.

"He (Modi) has asked us not to take populist measures. He says don't take populist measures and don't make announcements that cannot be implemented," said Fadnavis.

The chief minister also appealed to all political parties to introspect whether they were glorifying criminals by inducting them. People too should decide if such criminals should be elected, he said.

Fadnavis denied that he had failed as the state's home minister, saying the conviction rate is important and not the crime rate.

"In the last three years, we have taken the rate of conviction to 32 per cent from 8 per cent. That is my achievement....(late NCP leader and former home minister) RR Patil had once told me that the CM must keep the Home portfolio with himself, because most of the decisions of the department are given a final nod by the CM," he said.

To a question on former Congress leader Narayan Rane, Fadnavis said the Sena-Rane's former party--should introspect why the BJP had to take him in.

"(We joined hands with him). Because you are giving us indifferent treatment," he quipped.

PTI
Chilling details of Kathua gangrape: How a Bakherwal girl was tormented for a purpose

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The barbaric gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, was done with a purpose. The chargesheet says all this happened in a bid to punish the Bakherwal Muslim community and scare them away from Rasana village in Kathua.

The eight-year-old girl allegedly raped by six men, who had held her in captivity in a small village temple in Kathua district for a week in January, was kept sedated and sexually assaulted once again before she was bludgeoned to death, reveals the chargesheet in the case.

The abduction, rape and killing of the Bakherwal girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area, reveals the 15-page chargesheet filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch in the chief judicial magistrate's court here Monday. It lists the caretaker of the Devisthan, a small temple, in Rassana village in Kathua, about 90 km from Jammu, as the main conspirator behind the abduction, rape and killing.

Bakherwal (or Gujjar-Bakherwal) is a mostly-Sunni Muslim nomadic tribe based in the Pir Panjal and Himalayan mountains of South Asia. They are mainly goatherds and shepherds (Gadaria). Today, they are found in the entire Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, and in the Nuristan province of Afghanistan.

Sanji Ram was allegedly joined by special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu, Ram's nephew, a juvenile, and his son Vishal Jangotra alias "Shamma". The chargesheet also names investigating officers head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence. A separate chargesheet was filed on Tuesday (April 10) on the role of the juvenile, who cannot be publicly named according to the law. All eight are under arrest.

Lawyers in Jammu today struck work in support of the accused. On January 11, six days before the child's body was recovered from the Rassana forest on January 17, the juvenile phoned his cousin Jangotra and asked him to return from Meerut where he was studying if he wanted to "satisfy his lust", the chargesheet stated. The document lays bare the larger conspiracy to instil fear in the Bakerwal community and explains in chilling detail how it was carried out.

The eight-year-old had gone missing on January 10 while grazing horses in the forest. Investigators said the accused abducted the girl on the pretext of helping her find her horses. The day after their daughter went missing, the parents went to the Devisthan and asked Ram about her whereabouts. He said she may have gone to a relative's house. According to the chargesheet, the accused gave the girl sedatives to make her unconscious while holding her in captivity at the Devisthan'.

The juvenile, a school dropout, turned out to be the main player in the abduction and murder, raping the child repeatedly along with Jangotra and Khajuria. The medical examination of the juvenile show he is an adult but the court is yet to take cognizance of the report, said an official. "Khajuria lured the juvenile to kidnap the girl on the assurance that he will help him in passing the board examination (through cheating).

Subsequently, he shared the plan, worked out by Ram and Khajuria, with Parvesh Kumar alias 'Mannu', his close friend and asked for his help in executing the plan," the chargesheet stated. Jangotra reached Rassana from Meerut after his cousin's call and raped the sedated girl along with the juvenile and Mannu. Ram and his nephew performed the usual rituals to avoid suspicion. It was on Ram's direction that the child was removed from the temple and taken to a a culvert in the nearby forest by Mannu, Jangotra and the juvenile with the intention of eliminating her. According to the investigation, Khajuria also reached the spot and told them to wait as "he wanted to rape her before she is killed".

The chargesheet said the girl was once again gangraped and later killed by the juvenile.

"The juvenile hit the girl twice with a stone on her head and later dumped her body in the forest after their plan to throw the body in a canal could not materialize due to failure to arrange a vehicle," it said.

On January 23, about a week after the body was discovered, the government handed over the case to the Crime Branch, which formed a Special Investigation Team. In the course of investigation, it transpired that somewhere in the first week of January, accused Sanji Ram decided to put a plan to dislodge the Bakherwal community from Rassana area which had been brewing in his mind for quite sometime, into operation and in pursuance to that he made accused Deepak Khajuria, a special police officer, and his nephew (juvenile) as part of the conspiracy and assigned them tasks separately and individually, the chargesheet said. Ram surrendered on March 20 after his son was arrested from Uttar Pradesh a day earlier.

Investigations revealed that Ram gave Rs 4 lakh to the police officers investigating the case in three installments. After the body was recovered, head constable Raj, who knew about the conspiracy, met Ram at his home and requested him to hand over one of the accused as things had gone out of control due to the agitation by the Bakerwals. However, Ram paid Raj Rs 1 lakh to be passed on to sub-inspector Dutta. The investigation explained in detail how the accused police officials destroyed crucial evidence by washing the clothes of the victim before sending them to the forensic laboratory and created false evidence at the scene.

"In the course of investigation, it transpired that Ram was against the settlement of Bakherwals in Rassana, Kootah and Dhamyal area and always kept on motivating members of his community not to provide land for grazing or any other kind of assistance to them," the investigation said.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, April 11, 2018, 18:47 [IST]
Congress high command opposed to Siddaramaiahs Chamundeshwari contest

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

There is still no clarity on whether Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah would contest from the Chamundeshwari assembly constituency. While the CM is keen on contesting the seat, the high command is however against it.

With reports emerging that Siddaramaiah may not have it easy in the constituency, the high command is suggesting another seat for him. The CM, however, is keen on contesting the seat and is trying to coax the high command that it would be beneficial for the party.

The high command is however jittery and feels that the opposition would go all out to defeat him. Moreover, G T Deve Gowda of the JD(S) is a strong candidate and holds sway over the voters at Chamundeshwari. He is particularly popular among the Vokkaligas who are 70,000 in number in the constituency which has 2.5 lakh voters.

Is S M Krishna re-joining Congress? BJP says no, Congress, we don't know

The high command is proposing that Siddaramaiah contest the Badami seat in Bagalkot which has a considerable number of Kuruba voters, the community that Siddaramaiah belongs to. Siddaramaiah who was in Delhi to attend the screening committee meeting cited the example of S M Krishna who had shifted from the Maddur constituency and contested from Chamrajapet in 2004. He said that Krishna had invited bad press and the Congress ended up losing power. The high command has now left the decision to Siddaramaiah.

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
Congress trolls Yogi, once again, this time by leaking UP CMs browsing history

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

New Delhi, April 11: Online trolling seems to be the 'favourite game' the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are playing among themselves when their top leaders are not maligning each other on public platforms. With the Karnataka Assembly elections round the corner, abuse, slander and sarcasm have become a part and parcel of social media feeds of both the parties.

On Tuesday, the Congress' official Twitter handle, @INCIndia, shared a video on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The video claims to have "leaks" of the priest-turned-politician's "browsing history".

"Breaking News: UP CM Yogi Adityanath's browsing history (sheet) leaks. Plans to create an ideal UP Model and his secret strategy for 2019 revealed," tweeted the Congress with the video to mock the BJP leader.

Breaking News: UP CM Yogi Adityanath's browsing history (sheet) leaks. Plans to create an ideal UP Model and his secret strategy for 2019 revealed. pic.twitter.com/uXba2CyVGT  Congress (@INCIndia) April 10, 2018

The video, which is a sarcastic take on UP CM's online life, "reveals" Yogi's "secret strategy". The video, funnily titled as, "What Yogi Adityanath's browser history looks like!", shows Yogi sitting in front of a laptop. Instead of the popular search engine, Google, where we all go to know anything and everything, Yogi searches information on "Noodles".

Then it is seen that Yogi searches for "how to make a good hate speech". Thereafter, the CM types "how to bring in bad governance", "how to ensure social disharmony" and "how to be an absentee CM".

The video took a dig at Yogi's hate speeches and misgovernance in Uttar Pradesh. The length of the video is little less than three minutes. Earlier also, the Congress made fun of Yogi in a video.

In the minute-long video, titled "Recipe for a BJP star campaigner", the Congress poked fun at the priest-turned-politician who was frequently visiting poll-bound Karnataka to target the incumbent Congress government in the state.

Reports say that Yogi is once again going to visit Karnataka and campaign for the BJP for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state scheduled on May 12. The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is under fire post the horrific incident of rape of a minor girl allegedly by a BJP MLA and thereafter, the alleged custodial death of the victim's father.

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
What is pogonotrophy, Tharoors new word and why is he using it for PM Modi

Hopeful IT panel will take up Pegasus; officials may have been instructed to skip last meet: Tharoor

Disruptions in Parliament were 'government-sponsored': Tharoor

India

pti-PTI

Raipur, Apr 11: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday (April 11) accused the BJP of engineering "proxy disruption" during the recently-concluded Budget session of Parliament.

He was speaking to reporters at the Raipur airport. "The allegations are baseless. Congress members remained seated and never trooped into the well," Tharoor said, when asked about the BJP's accusation that the session was washed out because of disruptions by Congress members.

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's and other BJP leaders' day-long fast tomorrow over the washed-out session, he quipped, "Modi had said four years ago that Na khaunga, na khane dunga', and it is good that he is not going to eat tomorrow."

"Earlier, BJP's ally, was disrupting the House," he said, in an apparent reference to the TDP which had raised the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh in Parliament.

"When they sat down after 10 days, the AIADMK, which survives in Chennai only because of the support of the BJP, started protesting in the House over the Cauvery issue. They are not opposition parties, they had never opposed the BJP so far," he said.

"I feel it was a government-sponsored disruption. The way they (government) want proxy voting (rights) for non- resident Indians, they did proxy-disruption inside Parliament," the Congress MP said.

"The BJP wanted to avoid debate on no-confidence motion. Just to avoid the country listening to a debate on the failure of the government, they did not allow the debate," Tharoor alleged.

"Naturally, the government was going to win the vote (on no-confidence motion) but they did not even want to have a discussion on the allegations being levelled against them," he said.

Tharoor, who was in Raipur to address the state unit of the All India Professionals Congress, said the organisation was created to bring professionals into politics.

"In our country, people from different sections of society join politics, but generally professionals keep away. They do their work, pay taxes and in the evening, after coming home, they complain about politics," he said.

"Professionals think they don't have the opportunity to join politics. We want to give them a chance, to listen to their ideas," he said, adding that the AIPC has set up 45 chapters in 20 states so far.

PTI
Terror module busted in Delhi, UP shows Dawood is still prime asset for ISI

IAF officer chargesheeted for leaking information to ISI

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

An Indian Airforce Officer has been charge-sheeted by the Delhi police who have accused him of leaking sensitive data to the ISI.

The final report is understood to have alleged that Group Captain Arun Marwah, arrested in February, had leaked classified documents to a woman through internet messenger WhatsApp.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Shehrawat has decided to take cognisance of the final report on April 24. Punishment under the OSA entails a jail term of up to seven years.

The charge sheet has been filed under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Official Secrets Act (OSA), the court sources said.

Marwah, currently in judicial custody, had befriended her through Facebook in December last year, the agency said.

The agency said that the investigation was still on and it was probing whether Marwah was part of a larger espionage ring.

It has also said it may file a supplementary charge sheet in the case.

As per the complaint filed against Marwah by the Air Force, he was caught by the counter-intelligence wing after he was found carrying a high-end phone at the headquarters which are banned there.

Marwah was handed over to the Special Cell of Delhi police after being interrogated for nearly 10 days by the counter-intelligence wing of the IAF.
In the Modi vs who debate, it is only Modi who stands to gain

India

oi-Smita Mishra

('Modi versus who' is a question the opposition cannot avoid)

A few political developments over the past one month have triggered a lot of debate over 'Modi versus who' question. It started with the shock defeat of the BJP candidates in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bye-elections, seats vacated by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of the state. It also buoyed the prospects of two strong regional parties in Uttar Pradesh (SP and BSP) who had been licking their wounds since their mauling in the assembly polls a year ago.

Opposition unity has not yielded many results:

On the national level, the pulling out of Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party and the back to back meetings over opposition unity also led to much writing and discussing in the mainstream media about whether Narendra Modi victory run was losing steam. The meetings for opposition unity haven't yielded much yet. Perhaps because too many leaders are striving to act as the anchor and have initiated moves which appear contrary even at this initial stage. For instance, Mamata Banerjee wants to include the Congress but has nothing to say when the question of Rahul Gandhi's leadership is raised. She also needs to explain why K Chandrashekhar Rao and Naveen Patnaik should agree to align with Congress at a time when they are doing fine in their respective states.

Amit Shah regime has been a glue:

To be sure, the fear of a brutally ambitious BJP under the Amit Shah regime is a glue which can bring foes together for survival's sake but no neta in his true sense would like to sacrifice his or her politics in the home state he or she is ruling to fulfill the ambitions of someone else in Delhi. Perhaps, that is why the much-touted Federal Front has gone out of news and parties like the Left front do not know what to say when their cadres get beaten up daily in West Bengal while Mamata Didi holds her Darbar in the Central Hall of Parliament to bring 'secular' forces together. Chandrababu Naidu is now the next wannabe 'anchor' for the opposition trying to a 1996-redo. To be sure, Sharad Pawar's NCP has been consistent in its political support but while the senior Pawar plans to hold his own dinners his nephew Ajit Pawar doesn't refrain from giving statements like 'we can't play second fiddle to the Congress'.

Modi vs Who?

An overview of all the developments related to opposition activity in the past few weeks has one common thread. And that is, while opposition parties from all four corners of the country have started feeling the need to bury the hatchet and stick together, none has yet shown any enthusiasm for the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

That brings us back to the moot question Modi versus Who? Since we still do not know who it is going to be, the question has to be dealt in hypothetically for now. Let us look at it from the two possible scenarios. What happens if the opposition decides to take on Modi on a state-to-state basis as proposed by Mamata? Or they forge an umbrella alliance at the national level but without projecting a leader till the polls? Some people who have grievances with the Modi govt would veer towards this umbrella alliance. But a majority of voters would assess both the alliances and would be put off by the prospects of a leader-less crowd. India's past experiences in this regard (1989, 1996, 1997) do not inspire any confidence in the people's minds and hearts.

For those who have pointed out 2004, it may be relevant to recall that Sonia Gandhi was the undisputed face of the Congress charge then and the move to 'decline' the PM post was a post-poll development. The very prospect of a squabbling group scheming to bag the PM's post is enough to put off the fence-sitters in favour of Narendra Modi. One may disagree with his policies or ideas or their implementation but everybody knows there has been no let-up in his hold over the reins.

Modi will only benefit:

If, and that is a very big IF, the opposition does come to an agreement and decides to go for a projected face against Modi, the choice still remains tilted in the latter's favour. The opposition with its innate contradictions and regional balancing is unlikely to go for any state leader as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the simple reason that one Chief Minister would hardly be enthused to work for the victory of another contemporary CM and help him\her become the country's boss. That leaves us with the Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar. Since Sonia Gandhi letting Pawar to lead over her son is almost unlikely, we are finally left with Congress President Rahul Gandhi as the challenger to Narendra Modi. The possibility of Rahul scoring over Modi can only arise if anger against Modi reaches an extreme level where people are ready to throw out the incumbent at any cost. Such a scenario has not presented itself anywhere in the country at all in the past four years. While some reaction is visible in states against the administration where the BJP is ruling, areas hitherto unconquered by the party are actually embracing the BJP with enthusiasm. These certainly, are not the indications of an angry electorate.

(Smita Mishra is Adviser, Prasar Bharati)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Indrani Mukerjea discharged from Mumbai's JJ Hospital

India

oi-Madhuri

Indrani Mukerjea, who was arrested for allegedly killing her daughter Sheena Bora, was discharged from Mumbai's JJ Hospital. Indrani was on Friday admitted to the state-run hospital where she was brought in a semi-conscious condition from her prison cell at the Byculla Jail in south Mumbai.

Her health condition is better, the hospital's dean Dr S D Nanandkar said.

She subsequently underwent a series of medical tests. Her urine samples were sent for analysis at a forensic laboratory here and after receiving its report, the hospital authorities said she had an overdose of anti-depressants that were not prescribed to her.

However, the chemical analysis report by the forensic science laboratory (FSL) on Wednesday ruled out drug overdose and said her ill health could be due to some "other medical ailment", CNN-News18 reported. The IG (prisons) will submit his report to the department after completing the inquiry.

In October 2015, Indrani Mukerjea was taken to the J J Hospital from the Byculla women's prison in an unconscious state due to a suspected drug overdose.

Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested for the crime. Shyamvar Rai later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case. Rai had later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case.
A little down in UP? Is Rahul Gandhi in sync with Indian politics?

Is S M Krishna re-joining Congress? BJP says 'no', Congress, 'we dont know'

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

In a bid to pacify former Karnataka chief minister, S M Krishna, the BJP is likely to offer his family member a ticket for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election.

Krishna had quit the Congress in January to join the BJP. There are reports that suggest Krishna who was the CM between 1999 and 2004 is likely to return to the Congress.

The BJP's R Ashok told reporters that if Krishna's family members are ready to contest then the BJP could give a ticket from an assembly constituency in the Mandya segment. Ashok further said that Krishna is not in India right now. I spoke to him and he would return to Karnataka on April 13, he also said.

Ashok while stressing that Krishna was not leaving the BJP also added that the Congress is worried that they will lose the elections and hence they are looking for a leader like him.

Amidst the rumours, Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah refused to comment on the developments. I do not know he said when asked about Krishna's come back to the Congress. Congress leader, Rahman Khan said that he did not know anything. He, however, added that all are welcome into the Congress.

The BJP's spokesperson, S Prakash dubbed the rumours as rubbish and a desperate attempt by the Congress. They have realised his importance now. When he had quit the Congress, they levelled all sorts of allegations against him, Prakash 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
The United States Congress on Tuesday passed a human rights-centered resolution against the Ethiopian government calling for the respect of human rights in the Horn of Africa nation.

The resolution calls on the Government of Ethiopia to lift the state of emergency, end the use of excessive force, release wrongfully imprisoned protesters, and improve transparency. It also urges the government to allow a United Nations rapporteur to conduct an independent examination of the state of human rights in the country.

Since 2007, the regime has denied entry to all UN special rapporteurs seeking to undertake independent investigations.

The Ethiopian regime has long declined to undertake its own credible investigations of human rights violations and spurned investigative exhortations by the U.S. Congress.

The Tuesday resolution however, recognizes Ethiopias efforts to promote regional peace and security, and its partnership with the U.S. to combat terrorism, promote economic growth, and address health challenges.

The Ethiopian regime, which had denied for more than a decade the existence of political prisoners in the country, announced earlier this year the release of such detainees.

A major opposition leader was released and charges against hundreds of others were dismissed.

On February 8, the Ethiopian regime announced it will be releasing 746 more prisoners including Eskinder Nega, the internationally-celebrated journalist.
Masarat Alam will remain a non-starter in J&K thanks to Centres zero tolerance towards separatism

J&K: 4 civilians killed, jawan killed in Kulgam gunfight

India

oi-Madhuri

Four civilians and a soldier have been killed after an encounter started between terrorists and security forces at Khudwani area of Kulgam District in South Kashmir on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Over 4 4 civilians and an army jawan killed in an encounter in Kulgam, J&K0 civilians were injured and admitted to the hospitals in Kulgam and Srinagar.

Local residents started pelting security personnel with stones, leading to clashes in which around 20 civilians were also injured.

The operation, which was launched last night, is underway. It is learnt that 2-3 terrorists have been cornered by the security forces.

Three security force personnel were injured in the initial exchange of firing. Later one of the them, an Army jawan, succumbed to injuries, the officials said. Sarjeel Ahmad (25), Faisal Ilahi (14) and Bilal Ahamad Tantray (16) succumbed to injuries at a hospital, they said.

Meanwhile, mobile internet services have been suspended in Kulgam and Anantnag districts of South Kasmir. As a precautionary measure train services on Srinagar-Banihal route have also been suspended. However, trains will be plying normally on Srinagar-Baramulla route.

The encounter in Kulgam comes on the heels of one of the most violent days in strife-torn Kashmir, where 12 militants were killed and another captured in three separate encounters in Shopian and Anantnag last week. Three Army jawans and four civilians were also killed in the incident.

Earlier on Sunday, the security forces busted an old militant hideout in Rajouri's Gadyog area of Khawas in Jammu and Kashmir during a search operation. At least two AK-47 rifles and bullets along with a few magazines were recovered from the site. Both the state police and the Army launched a joint search operation after receiving a tip-off regarding the hideout.
Kamala Mills fire: Managers of resto-pub 1Above granted bail

India

oi-Madhuri

Managers of resto-pub 1Above- Lisbon Lopez and Kevin Bawa, was on Wednesday granted bail by the sessions court in Mumbai. However, bail for other accused including owners of Kamala Mills were rejected.

Three separate FIRs were registered a day after the fire broke out in Kamala Mills Compound that killed 14 and injured several others. The police said the case was registered on the basis of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation report in which there were complains of illegal construction. After the incident, civic officials conducted an inquiry and found several violations, said an investigator.

The sessions court had earlier rejected their bail applications. Since then, the police have filed a charge sheet, hence, the accused have moved for bail again. So far, Vishal Kariya, connected with the 1Above owners and Utkarsh Pandey, the owner of Nirvana which supplied hookah services to Mojo's Bistro, has been granted bail.
Karnataka: Will Congress not allow Kumaraswamy to be CM for full 5-year term?

Is it chief minister Kumaraswamy or chief manager of Congress Ktaka ATM? BJP has an answer

All is well between Congress, JD(S)? Kumaraswamy meets Rahul as Karnataka waits for full cabinet

India

oi-Madhuri

It surely was a gruelling election which had all the essence that one could have asked for. Karnataka witnessed all the big wigs from all political parties hitting the campaign trail for the May 12 Karnataka elections.

We hope you enjoyed out LIVE coverage of the elections. Thank you for staying tuned with us.

Newest First Oldest First Election observer conducted a raid in Banaswadi area and seized Rs 19 lakh along with voter list and other election related materials. FIR registered. RR Nagar MLA Muniratna ran his constituency like an independent Republic where rule of law had no place. People were harassed and abused. False cases were filed against political opponents. Finally, seems like karma has caught up with Muniratna. Massive blow to Siddaramaiah, says BJP. Victory for Democracy! EC orders countermanding of RR Nagar polls after court ordered FIR against Congress candidate Muniratna Naidu for creating more than 10k fake voter ids. With Siddaramaiah's money bag, Muniratna in the dock, Congress is in a big soup in Karnataka, tweets BJP Karnataka. Polling in RR Nagar has been deferred. Polling to now be held on May 28 and counting on May 31. Earlier this week 9746 voter IDs were seized from a flat in the area. According reports, IT sleuths and district election commissioner conduct raids at Congress candidate Ashok Kheny's residence in Bidar. Kheny is contesting from Bidar South constituency. RSS ideologue Ram Madhav, says, "Karnataka Elections 2018 is an important election. Both parties, namely BJP & Congress have invested heavily in it. I am certain that BJP will be in a comfortable position & will get simple majority & will form the government in the state." Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) & Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) being dispatched from Smt. Kamala Bai Educational Institution to polling booths. The Congress has sought for the lifting of the ban on telecasting the Sriramulu video in which he is alleged to be discussing a pay off with a Supreme Court judge to bail out Janardhan Reddy in the illegal mining scam. Law and order is completely under control says Neelamanu Raju, Karnataka state police chief. 22,000 home guards have been deployed for security, she says. BJP MP, Prathap Simha urges EC to monitor religious places on polling day. He said that political parties would use these places to lure voters as there is no restriction on gathering there. Security has been tightened across the state ahead of polling to be held tomorrow. In Bengaluru, 14 additional commissioners, 1 joint Commisioner and 16 DCPs will oversee security. EC officials seize Rs 20 lakh unaccounted cash from a house in Bagalkote. The money was seized from the house of a man named Sandeep Maji. A Congress delegation has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The Congress has accused both of misleading people and launching personal attacks. Minister Viany Kulkarnis close aide raided by IT officials. Prashanth Kekare whose house was raided was taken into custody. Congress submits memorandum to the Election Commission regarding allegations of bribery of a Judge by BJP candidate B Sriramulu Income Tax Department conduct raids at house of Congress candidate Satish Sail's close associate Mangaldas Kamat in Ankola. According to reports, IT officials raid Prashant Kekare, a close associate of Congress minister Vinay Kulkarni in Dharwad. I-T sleuths raid a house belonging to a doctor in #Mangaluru. I-T officials scrutinise documents. EC officials seize innova car carrying unaccounted cash amount of around Rs 17 lakh in Devanahalli. Poll officials seize Rs 2.17 crore unaccounted cash in Molakalmuru, Chitradurga. Close associate of Congress leader Ramanath Rai, Kachigudda Sanjeev Kumar, allegedly attacked in Bantwal; 4 others including Kumar's wife injured, 2 cars damaged. Police arrest 2 men for trying to bribe voters at Chikkodi in Belagavi. Accused allegedly tried to bribe voters in favour of Rayabagh BJP candidate Duryodhana Aihole. The EC has directed television channels not to air the Sriramulu video in which allegations of him bribing a judge to bail out Janardhan Reddy was made. The direction comes hours after State Home minister Ramalinga Reddy called what the Congress described as an 'explosive press conference' and released the video clippings which were in circulation on social media. Congress claimed the 'sting operation' revealed that alleged attempts were made to bribe to seek a favourable verdict for Reddy. The party alleged that just one day before the then CJI retired, he passed an order in a case related to Reddy brothers' Oblapuram Mining Company. Here are some tips to vote if you do not have a voter ID card. You can vote as long as your name is on the electoral roll. If you do not have a voter ID, then alternative ID proofs can be carried. They are Passport, Driving License, Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt PSUs/Public Limited Companies, Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office, PAN Card, Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR, MNREGA Job Card, Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour, Pension document with photograph,Authenticated Photo Voter Slip issued by the election machinery, Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs. The big fear among the candidates especially those contesting from Bengaluru is that polling day is a Saturday. Bengalureans who have this habit of complaining about everything ironically are the worst when it comes to voting. They need to shrug off their weekend mode and go out and vote. In the 2013 assembly the voter turn in Bengaluru was 57 while in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls it was 54. Those are poor numbers. The Income Tax Department (ITD) today said that at Rs 37.33 crore, it has seized "six times" more cash and jewellery in poll-bound Karnataka this time as compared to the last elections in 2013. The poll campaign, for the 224-seat Assembly to be held on May 12, ended today. "From the beginning of the code of conduct period on March 27 to till date, the department has seized unaccounted cash of Rs 31.50 crore and unexplained jewellery worth Rs 5.83 crore. This is nearly six times the seizure made by the department in the last state assembly election in 2013," the department said in a statement. "The seizures are likely to further go up in the last days of electioneering," it added. Even in case, if the EC is able to ascertain that attempt was made to stop people from voting, it can cancel the poll. If the EC finds that a fraud was involved, it could even cancel election to the constituency. The Commission, the sources said, deliberated on the issue and decided to seek more information from the state election adminstration before arriving at a conclusion. The Election Commission tonight deferred a decision on the recovery of nearly 10,000 voter I-cards from a flat in Rajrajeshwari Nagar assembly seat of poll-bound Karnataka even as it sought fresh information from the state election machinery. The Election Commission of India has proposed 450 women-friendly booths. Known as Pink or Sakhi booths, these booths would be run by women only. A team of the EC is on a three day visit to Karnataka. Arrangements such as ramps, wheel chairs and magnifying glasses are also being made to ensure that differently abled persons have a smooth voting experience. Congress will have 35 manifestos. The manifesto committee headed by senior Congress leader, Veerappa Moily is already ready with the draft and the same will be released in another 2 weeks. The manifestos would be district and administrative region wise. There would be one common manifesto for the entire state. P.Muralidhar Rao, National BJP General Secretary and Karnataka in charge and N.Ravikumar, state General Secretary will address media at BJP media centre, Malleshwaram in Bengaluru. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on April 4 visited the Lingayat seminary Siddhaganga Mutt and met the 111-year old seer along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC President G Parameshwara. Gandhi's visit comes against the backdrop of the Siddaramaiah government's move to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, who are politically powerful. Kannada actor, Sudeep who recently met with JD(S) chief, H D Kumaraswamy has now called on Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah at his residence. There has been a big push to rope in cine stars into this campaign. Following Sudeeps meeting with Kumaraswamy there were speculations of him either joining the party or campaigning for it. Rahul Gandhi accuses Narendra Modi of disrespecting various institutions by having RSS men sitting in every ministry and giving orders. He said if voted to power, Congress would free these institutions of RSS control. "I don't know if you all know that in every single minister's office, there is an RSS man sitting and giving orders. So what can you expect.... nothing but disrespecting the institutions. The banking system of the country has been demolished by having this structure. "18 lakh people are missing from the voting list. We met with the Chief Electoral Officer and urged him to look into it", said Congress spokesperson, Brijesh Kalappa. "At least 18 to 20 lakh names have gone mysteriously missing. It appears as though only members of a particular community find their names missing in the list", Kalappa said. "EC told us that there is still time to rectify this until April 14," he further added. Lies and only Lies!



See how @RahulGandhi fictitiously revokes the SC/ST Act to incite hatred in society. pic.twitter.com/4vcnM0zltM  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 5, 2018 BJP President Amit Shah attacks Congress President Rahul Gandhi in his latest tweet, says "Lies and only Lies". He claimed that the Congress president was "lying and fictitiously revoking the SC/ST Act to incite hatred in society." Karnataka Congress on Thursday tweeted saying, "Thank you Amit Shah for speaking the truth yet again. You are turning out to be our Star Campaigner! Karnataka's Silk production hit an all-time high in 2016-17. Major cocoon markets have been modernised & integrated with e-Mandi platform." Manickram Tagore, Secretary, All India Congress Committee, denied reports suggesting announcement of chief ministerial candidate on April 15. He tweeted, "I am surprised that I was misquoted in an article @thenewsminute about things I have neither said nor implied. Thank you @dhanyarajendran for immediately stepping in and clarifying the same and removing this article." Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, wife of late Srikantadatta Narsimharaja Wadiyar, on Thursday ruled out her entry into politics. I am not entering politics. I have been saying this for a long time. I have no interest in contesting elections, she told the media persons as she ended speculations over her possible entry into politics. Amit Shahs visit, which came ahead of the state assembly elections had attracted unnecessary media attention, she felt. The scion of the erstwhile royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar too had no interest in joining politics, she added. Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa on Thursday 'advised' Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to contest from Chamundeshwari Constituency or face a defeat. Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah's statement to the effect that BJP and JDS have joined hands to defeat him from Chamundeshwari segment on the fringes of Mysuru city, the BJP leader said that by making such a statement Siddaramaiah had conceded his defeat. ''When such is the case why should he contest? That too when he has stated that this is his last election?" he asked. BJP General Secretary, incharge of North East and J&K Ram Madhav has been roped in for Karnataka and is looking at crucial aspects of BJP campaign. Madhav has been tasked to push for a decisive shift in BJP campaign efforts and work towards a repeat of Tripura type performance in Karnataka. He held a series of meetings in Bengaluru today with top Sangh functionaries, intellectuals and civil society members, reports ANI. The BJP's first list of candidates for the Karnataka assembly election 2018 is ready. The party has finalised the names of 130 candidates and would release it soon. The BJP has roped in its Tripura architect Ram Madhav for the Karnataka elections. Sources say he met with several eminent persons in the city to discuss the election strategy. Madhav who is the national general secretary will spend a considerable amount of time in the state, sources say. VS Ugrappa, MLC and Minister Sri HM Revanna to hold press conference at 1:30pm on Friday at KPCC Office today. The party claims that the leaders will give "Breaking News against BJP". The Ministry for Home Affairs has stayed clear of the Lingayat religious minority status issue. The issue is beyond it jurisdiction and the Ministry of Minority Affairs would look into it. An MHA spokesperson said that a decision to this effect would not be taken anytime soon as the model code of conduct is in force in Karnataka. We will win 150 seats in the elections. We will provide good and clean governance. We have to realise Narendra Modis and Amit Shahs dream of a "Congress mukt Bharat. Let also ensure that Karnataka is Congress mukt", B S Yeddyurappa said. "People are in distress because of Congress. Crime rate has gone up, farmers have committed suicide. The only solution to all these problems is the BJP", he also said. Karnataka Assembly Elections: Chamrajpet constituency in Bengaluru set to witness an interesting battle. Zameer Ahmed who quit the JD(S) to contest on Congress ticket while Altaf Khan who quit the Congress to quit on JD(S) ticket. The BJP will field a strong candidate to take advantage of the split in Muslim votes. Will the trick pay off? Let us wait and see. Congress MLC, V.S. Ugrappa and Minister Sri HM Revanna to hold press conference at 1:30pm on Friday at KPCC Office today. The party claims that the leaders will give, "Breaking News against BJP". LED van for BJP campaigning will be inaugurated at Bashan Circle in Bengaluru by B.S.Yeddyurappa, P.Muralidhar Rao, Shobha Karandlaje and other leaders today at 2.30 p.m "I will contest from Chamundeshwari constituency and I will definitely win," says CM Siddaramaiah in Mysore. "Son Dr. Yateendra will contest from Varuna constituency if only party high command decides," he said. CM Siddaramaiah visits famous Lingayat mutt in Suttur. Seeks blessings from the seer. The Election Commission of India has sacked Home Ministry Advisor Kempaiah. This action comes in the wake of JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda complaining to the poll body that Kempaiah was using government vehicles to transport money for the elections. Congress leaders begins press conference at KPCC office in Bengaluru. MLS VS Ugrappa releases 3 Income Tax documents against BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa. The party alleged that Yeddyurappa is involved in Rs 1033 Cores scam. Yeddyurappa as CM issued a tender worth Rs. 1033 cr to RNSIL in Upper Bhadra Project.



IT Depts order dated 28/03/2016 after a seizure operation states that Sunil(V.P,Finance,RNSIL) has on oath & based on diary jottings admitted to have paid bribe to BSY: MLC Ugrappa#BSY420 pic.twitter.com/WyydHmT00O  Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) April 6, 2018 Congress levels graft charges on BSY These are not our documents. This is an order against Shri Yeddyurappa by the Income tax department under the Central Govt. Yeddyurappa has even paid a fine for non-declaration, which is in itself an admission of guilt of receiving Rs. 4.11 crore bribe, Karnataka Congress quoted MLC Ugrappa as saying. Former TV journalist and MP Tejaswini is expected to take on HD Kumaraswamy in Ramanagara on a BJP ticket. BJP state general secretary CT Ravi demanded that Jignesh Mewani be barred from entering Karnataka till voting day on May 12. This comes a day after Dalit leader Mevani advised people to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming rally on April 15. Mevani called for people to enter Modis rally, throw chairs in the air and question the prime minister's promise to generate two crores worth of employment in the state. He said that if Modi does not answer, then he should be asked to leave and take shelter at a Ram Mandir in the Himalayas. Mevani is currently in Chitradurga and he has been appealing to all Dalit groups in the state to not vote for the BJP in the assembly elections. Amit Shah said on Friday he is a Hindu Vaishnav, refuting Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiahs claim that the BJP chief is a Jain. Amit Shah is a Jain. He needs to clarify first whether he is AHINDU. Jain is a separate religion. How can he talk about me like that, Siddaramaiah had said.
Police were in search of the murder and the beheaded of a young man in Dindugal

Modi to formally inaugurate Defence Expo on Thursday

India

pti-PTI

Thiruvidanthai, Apr 11: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday (April 11) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate Defence Expo - a biennial exhibition of weapons and military hardware - tomorrow though he will observe a day-long fast.

"I will fast. He (Modi) will be fasting. But it will not stop him from inaugurating the expo," Sitharaman told reporters.

Modi and other BJP leaders are slated to observe a day-long fast tomorrow to protest against the washout of the budget session of Parliament due to disruptions by the opposition. The four-day-long expo began here today with the participation of major global and domestic military firms. However, it will be formally inaugurated tomorrow.

A raft of defence deals including for setting up joint ventures were signed between private industries on the sidelines of the expo. Delegations from over 40 countries including from the US, Russia, France and the UK are attending the expo. Over 670 defence firms including 154 foreign defence manufacturers are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware.

Secretary (Defence Production) Ajau Kumar said China was invited but it has not sent any delegation.

"We also get invitations to participate in various global exhibitions. But we do not participate in each one of them," he said.

Modi will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai and will inaugurate a variety of infrastructure projects, including a palliative care centre, day care centre and nurses quarter during his day-long visit, an official statement said. The tagline of DefExpo this year is "India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub" to showcase India's capability in the export of defence systems and components, the statement said.

PTI
Police were in search of the murder and the beheaded of a young man in Dindugal

No more IPL matches in Chennai this season, CSK given 4 alternative venues

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

A day after an Indian Premier League (IPL) match was held in Chennai amid raging protests over the Cauvery water sharing issue, reports now say that no more matches would be held this season. Tuesday's (April 10) thrilling match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was held despite massive protests in Chennai.

The CSK has reportedly been given 4 alternative venues to choose from for their remaining home matches. Visakhapatnam is front-runner from among the four cities, the other three being Trivandrum, Pune and Rajkot.

Committee of Administrator (CoA) Vinod Rai confirmed that the prevailing situation has forced them to explore options.

"We are thinking on the lines of shifting the IPL matches from Chennai. There are four alternative venues that BCCI has kept ready. They are Visakhapatnam, Trivandrum, Pune and Rajkot. CSK can play their matches at these venues," Rai told PTI.

Massive police deployment, of over 4,000 personnel, and other security arrangements were made on Tuesday evening outside Chepauk stadium in Chennai to ensure that IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders was held, amid raging protests by Tamil groups. There were disturbances during the match too and a pair of shoes were thrown into the ground, and 6 Naam Tamizhar protestors were arrested.

News agency ANI has quoted sources and stated that the remaining CSK matches have been cancelled. It is being reported that the Chennai Police said it will not be able to guarantee security after massive protests over Cauvery water sharing dispute.

Tomorrow ticket sales for the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals on 20.04.18 has been postponed, Further details will be intimated in due course: Tamil Nadu Cricket Association #IPL18 pic.twitter.com/3NUY5fZwAL  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018

"We are likely to shift the Chennai matches out of the city. An official statement will be released about this soon," The News Minute quoted a top source in the BCCI as saying.

Yesterday, the teams had to enter the MA Chidambaram stadium through the back gate as the complex turned into a fortress with the deployment of hundreds of police personnel. A four-tier security ring was put in place in and around the MA Chidambaram stadium as the IPL authorities engaged hundreds of private security guards and volunteers amidst fears that protesters demanding the formation of the Cauvery Management Board might disrupt the match.

Political parties and outfits have been demanding that IPL matches not be held at this time, saying the state is witnessing widespread agitations on the vexed issue.

[Protest against IPL: Teams enter stadium through back gate, massive police deployment at Chepauk]

On February 16, the Supreme Court raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin.

The court had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance with its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, which modified the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award of 2007. The court had also made it clear that it will not be extending the time for this on any ground. The six-week period ended on March 29.
'If Congress isn't doing anything, we can't be sitting ducks': TMC attacks grand old party

Sidhu will continue as Congress party chief, issue will be resolved says his adviser

Wont be humilitated: Will not join BJP, but will quit Congress says Captain Singh

Protesting YSR Congress leaders 'forcibly taken' to hospital: Party MP

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, April 11: A party Rajya Sabha MP alleged, two YSR Congress leaders, whose indefinite hunger strike here for Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh entered the sixth day, were "forcibly taken" to a hospital on Wednesday.

Five YSRCP leaders had sat on the indefinite strike on April 6. Three of them were hospitalised and discharged later. Midhun Reddy and YS Avinash Reddy, who were continuing their agitation at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, were taken to hospital this morning.

"Police on the advise of doctors forcefully shifted the two leaders to the RML hospital. They pulled and lathi-charged the party cadres who stopped the leaders from being taken," the party Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy told PTI.

"We will hold discussions with party president and announce the future course of action," he said.

YSRCP cadres protested outside the Bhavan and tried to stop the ambulance in which the two leaders were being taken.

The two YSR Congress leaders had yesterday urged Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs to rise above politics and resign from the Lok Sabha to press for the demand of special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

PTI
Unnao Rape Case: 'Want justice for my husband', says accused BJP MLA's wife

India

oi-Madhuri

Sangeeta Sengar, wife of accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar, on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh's Director General of Police OP Singh in Lucknow and handed over a letter to him demanding a Narco test for her husband and the Unnao rape victim.

Speaking to media, Sangeeta said, 'I have come to plead for justice for my husband. There's political motive behind this. Make my husband & girl (rape victim) undergo narco test. My daughters are traumatised. We're being mentally harassed. No evidence has been presented yet, still he's being labelled as rapist.''

Meanwhile, the rape victim has appealed that she be given complete justice. The survivor has alleged that she has been kept in captivity in a hotel room and is not even being given water. ''I appeal to CM Yogi Adityanath to provide me justice. The DM has confined me to a hotel room, they are not even serving me water. I just want the culprit to be punished,'' said the victim.

Reports said that the special investigation team (SIT) has met the woman who levelled rape charges on the BJP MLA and even attempted suicide outside the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Notably, the SIT is slated to submit initial probe findings to the Chief Minister by Wednesday evening.

The rape victim's father, who was earlier arrested by the police in a case of assault, died on Monday while he was in judicial custody in Unnao. The alleged rape victim had earlier claimed that her father aged 50, was thrashed on April 3 by the goons of the MLA in order to get him to withdraw the rape case.

The 17-year-old girl and her family on Sunday had attempted to commit suicide outside the residence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, protesting inaction against Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
BJP UP spokesperson Deepti Bharadwaj

Earlier in day, Sangeeta Sengar, wife of accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar, on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh's Director General of Police OP Singh in Lucknow and handed over a letter to him demanding a Narco test for her husband and the Unnao rape victim.

(Image courtesy- ANI/Twitter)

Bharadwaj's tweet

Meanwhile, the rape victim has appealed that she be given complete justice. The survivor has alleged that she has been kept in captivity in a hotel room and is not even being given water.

"I have been demanding CBI inquiry from the start. In case the SIT arrests the accused till evening, some faith in the administration will be restored. We will not go to Delhi until a decision is taken in this case," the uncle of the Unnao rape victim told ANI.

Tweet appealing PM Modi

Reports said that the special investigation team (SIT) has met the woman who levelled rape charges on the BJP MLA and even attempted suicide outside the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Notably, the SIT is slated to submit initial probe findings to the Chief Minister by Wednesday evening.

The rape victim's father, who was earlier arrested by the police in a case of assault, died on Monday while he was in judicial custody in Unnao. The alleged rape victim had earlier claimed that her father aged 50, was thrashed on April 3 by the goons of the MLA in order to get him to withdraw the rape case.

The 17-year-old girl and her family on Sunday had attempted to commit suicide outside the residence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, protesting inaction against Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
Unnao rape case to be handed over to CBI, victim's family to get security

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Uttar Pradesh government late on Wednesday (April 11) night decided to hand over the Unnao rape case, in which BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar is one of the accused, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It was also decided that FIR would be lodged against Sengar and other accused in the case. The victim's family, which has been alleging that they have been getting threats, would be given appropriate security.

Sengar, who is claiming to be innocent, reached SSP's office on Wednesday night to, as per some reports, surrender.

"Aap (media) jahan kaho wahin chalen. Apke channel mai chal kar baithen. Main channel ke saathiyon ke kehne se yaha aaya hoon. Channel ke saathi jahan par kahenge wahan chaloonga. Namaste (Wherever you people (the media) wants me to come I will come. I will come to your channel if you want. Wherever media wants me to go I will go)," he said outside SSP's office when asked if he had come to surrender.

WATCH: Unnao rape case: BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger reaches SSP office. pic.twitter.com/EZNM8VEXP1  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

Earlier in the day, Sangeeta Sengar, wife of Kuldeep Sengar, met Uttar Pradesh's Director General of Police OP Singh in Lucknow and handed over a letter to him demanding a Narco test for her husband and the Unnao rape victim.

Meanwhile, the rape victim had appealed that she be given complete justice. The survivor has alleged that she has been kept in captivity in a hotel room and is not even being given water.

"I have been demanding CBI inquiry from the start. In case the SIT arrests the accused till evening, some faith in the administration will be restored. We will not go to Delhi until a decision is taken in this case," the uncle of the Unnao rape victim told ANI.

Reports said that the special investigation team (SIT) has met the woman who levelled rape charges on the BJP MLA and even attempted suicide outside the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Notably, the SIT is slated to submit initial probe findings to the Chief Minister by Wednesday evening.

[Unnao rape case: 'Amit Shah ji please save UP', urges a BJP leader]

The rape victim's father, who was earlier arrested by the police in a case of assault, died on Monday while he was in judicial custody in Unnao. The alleged rape victim had earlier claimed that her father aged 50, was thrashed on April 3 by the goons of the MLA in order to get him to withdraw the rape case.

The 17-year-old girl and her family on Sunday had attempted to commit suicide outside the residence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, protesting inaction against Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
Welcome to tech-savvy, digital village of Odisha, courtesy SBI

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Bhubaneswar, April 11: India's digital divide is glaring. On the one hand, cities and towns in the country have almost turned digitalised; on the other hand, most of the villages are yet to have access to computers and internet. In an attempt to streamline the banking system with the help of technology, country's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India or SBI, has adopted Odisha's Bhagabanpur village on Tuesday.

A large number of village people attended the SBI ceremony which aims at total digitalisation of Bhagabanpur. According to a tweet by ANI, the SBI adopted the village to make its residents adopt cashless banking transactions.

Odisha: State Bank of India adopted Bhagabanpur village in an initiative to make residents of the village to adopt cash-less transactions. pic.twitter.com/Qcik5NdcqU  ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2018

Chief general manager (CGM) of SBI Praveena Kala said that the bank gave mobile and Aadhaar-enabled machines to 20 shopkeepers who sell various food and grocery items and medicines.

"Anybody who has Aadhaar seeded to their accounts can make purchases using thumb impression. We want to make Bhagabanpur a totally digital village," Kala told ANI.

Gave mobiles & Aadhaar enabled machines to 20 shop-keepers who sell daily use items, medicines etc. Anybody who has a bank a/c with Aadhaar seeded to their a/c can make purchases using thumb impression. Want to make Bhagabanpur a totally digital village: Praveena Kala, CGM, SBI pic.twitter.com/TgXawpVE5K  ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2018

Last year, corporate bank ICICI achieved the feat of turning 100 Indian villages totally digitalised in 100 days. The Narendra Modi government has been pushing for the use of technology in the banking sector as a part of its grand dream of "digital India".

In fact, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led current regime at the Centre maintains that the much-criticised demonetisation of high-value currency notes in November 2016 was done to turn banking sector more tech-savvy, especially at the users' end.

While it is a laudable step to encourage everyone to go online for all banking transactions, critics maintain that poor internet connectivity and lack of access to gadgets are great stumbling blocks for poor and marginalised to turn tech-savvy.

Welcoming the move of SBI, residents of the Odisha village said that the initiative will go a long way in turning Bhagabanpur digital.
Scope Ratings assigns first corporate ratings in Georgia

Scope Ratings has assigned credit ratings to two of Georgias best known food-retailing and drinks companies, a sign of the leading European ratings agencys commitment to expand in emerging markets in the Caspian and Black sea regions.Scope assigned a B+/Stable rating to JSC Nikora Trade, a food retailer with around 220 shops in Georgia, and a BB-/Stable rating to The Georgian Beer Company JSC, a brewer and supplier of soft drinks.Scope is confident that the coverage of Nikora Trade and Georgian Beer are just the beginning of a long-term presence in Georgia and the broader region.Our pipeline is promising and we are optimistic that our activities in this market will continue to grow, says Torsten Hinrichs, managing director of Scope Ratings.The mandates from the two Georgian companies follow the addition of Scope to the list of external credit-assessment institutions accepted by the National Bank of Georgia, the countrys central bank. Debt securities of issuers rated by Scope are potentially eligible for the central banks monetary operations.Scope assigned Georgia a sovereign credit rating (BB/Stable) last June as part of the expansion of its public-finance ratings across Europe and other major economies.
Karnataka election 2018:Will lack of a Muslim leader hurt Congress in Hyderabad-Karnataka region?

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Will the lack of a Muslim leadership in the Hyderabad-Karnataka/Northeast Karnataka region hurt the prospects of the Congress party. The region comprising Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Gulbarga and, Bellary districts play a crucial role in shaping the prospects of any political party.

On one hand, the Congress government in its attempt to divide dominant community Lingayat - which plays a decisive role in the election- apparently ignored to find a new Muslim leader in the region who can consolidate Muslim votes in the upcoming elections. With the passing away of former chief minister Dharam Singh and the senior most Muslim leader from the region Qamar ul Islam, the party is being crippled by the absence of tall leaders who can bring together Muslim community.

Dharam Singh hailed from the Rajput community, whose numbers are very low in the state. However, he knew the art of winning over political rivals. Qamar ul Islam a well-known name in the region, was elected six times from Gulbarga North constituency.

According to reports, Khaneez Fathima, the wife of late Congress leader and minister Qamar ul Islam, has been convinced by senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge to accept a ticket if given one from Gulbarga North, the constituency Islam represented.

Sources told OneIndia, "The process of finding a new leader is not going to be a cakewalk for the Congress. The party wants to ride on a sympathy wave in Gulbarga North by giving the ticket to Khaneez Fathima but internal revolt cannot be overruled if the ticket is given to her. For the leadership vacuum in the region, late Qamar ul Islam has to share the blame too. He had followers but, did not groom second rung Muslim leadership in the region."

In absence of two tall leaders, now the gigantic responsibility lies on the shoulders of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and his son Priyanka Kharge who is currently a minister in the Congress government. Besides, recent induction of Mallikarjun Khuba, Nagappa Saloni, Basavaraj Patil Anwari and Malikayya Guttedar to the BJP has mounted pressure on the Congress leadership in the region.

Political analyst Mahadeva Prakash blamed Mallikarjun Kharge and Dharam Singh for the leadership crisis in Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Mahadeva Prakash said, "Both of them have grown like a banyan tree in the party. But they never allowed others to grow politically either Lingayats, backward class and minority. In fact, they restricted Qamar ul Islam to Gulbarga North. Qamar ul Islam's wife may win with the help of sympathy wave. However, he ruled out opposition to her candidature."

It may be recalled that the Congress had won 27 seats out of 40 seats in 2013. The rise in the number of seats was attributed to division in BJP vote back due to Lingayat leader BS Yeddyurappa's faction Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP). In fact, traditionally Muslim voters have always stood by the Congress in the region. This time they may have to vote for the Congress without a prominent Muslim face around.

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
Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump

Trump warns Russia about nice, new, smart missiles after Moscow envoy poses threat on Syria

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

US President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday, April 11, asking Russia to wait for missiles (heading towards Syria) - "nice and new and smart". He also warned the Russians against backing a "Gas Killing Animal who kills his people people and enjoys it!"

Trump's words came a day after Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any American missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, escalating the war in Syria towards worse consequences.

The envoy, Alexander Zasypkin, said in his remarks broadcast on Tuesday, April 10, that he was referring to a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his army chief General Valery Gerasimov.

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

On March 13, the Russian military said it would respond aggressively to any US military action on Syria. Russia is a strong ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who has been called animal by Trump on more than one occasion.

The Syrian problem made the headlines last weekend after a suspected poison gas attack killed several people and leaving many more injured in Douma near Damascus which is the last bastion held by the rebels.

Two days after that gruesome incident, the Syrian state media accused the US of carrying out a missile strike at the country's air base at Homs province, an allegation that Pentagon refuted.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV that if the US conducted any airstrike, not only the missiles but even the sources from they were fired would be destroyed. He, however, also said that the idea of clashes should be overruled and negotiations be given a chance.

Trump also tweeted on Wednesday saying the Americans' relations with Russia were worse even compared to that during the Cold War. He also aired a view of cooperation saying Russia needed the US for the sake of its economy and that all countries need to work together. He suggested a halt to the arms race.

Trump cancelled his maiden visit to South America this month for monitoring his country's response to the Syrian crisis. He also met his generals to arrive at a decision on how to go about on the problem.

On Tuesday, both Russia and the US blocked each other's attempts at the United Nations Security Council to establish an international probe into the chemical weapons attacks in the war-ravaged West Asian country.
Malaysia elections on May 9: Can 92-yr-old Mahathir Mohamad be any challenge to Najib Razak?

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Malaysia's ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) will be facing a tough challenge to its 61-year hold on power on May 9 when the country goes to general elections. Malaysia's Election Commission informed about the date on Tuesday, April 10.

The election will be a test especially for Malaysia's embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak who is struggling to contain disappointment over the rising expenses and a multi-billion dollar scandal at a state fund founded by him. Razak is in power in the Southeast Asian country since 2009.

Razak, 64, is however expected to overcome the challenges as the BN enjoys a strong control over the country's weakened institutions. Razak's opponents also claim that the government would resort to all sorts of unethical means to win the elections.

However, Razak's main challenge would be from his 92-year-old mentor Mahathir Mohamad who is also the country's longest-serving prime minister who was in power between 1981 and 2003. Mohamad is reportedly contesting this election from Langkwai in his home state of Kedah in northwestern Malaysia. Mohamad was also confident of unseating the BN from power. Mohamad is contesting this election under the banner of the People's Justice Party as his own party - PPBM - was provisionally disbanded for allegedly failing to produce documents to the Registrar of Societies.

The election commission has also put in place a campaign period lasting 11 days, shorter than the fortnight period which was decided upon in the 2013 polls.

Nearly 15 million people are eligible to cast their ballots in the May 9 election with 1.7 new voters.

Concerns, however, have been raised over deciding a weekday for holding the elections which many believe would affect the voter turnout.

Besides, the Opposition has claimed that the government's efforts in redrawing electoral boundaries and pushing an anti-fake news bill were aimed at making things easier for Razak to emerge a winner. The government and election commission rubbished these allegations saying the observers included equal numbers of local people and foreigners which would ensure fairness.
Will fee be charged to send money through WhatsApp? Here is what Zuckerberg has to say

Zuckerberg at Congress: Facebook CEO must act like a statesman leading a 'country'

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

On Tuesday, April 10, social media giant Facebook's founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg had his first testimony before the US Congress over the recent Cambridge Analytica (CA) data leak scandal and other issues related to compromise with the users' private information.

A bench of veterans went on grilling the young entrepreneur, asking him questions ranging from his company's privacy policies to the CA data leak to the allegations of Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election in the United States.

Zuckerberg began his testimony with an "I am sorry" and was clearly on the defensive during the entire quizzing session. The man clearly had not many options but to stay humble and apologetic because the scandal caught him completely off guard.

Zuckerberg promised to come back to the interrogating members on issues on which he did not have a readymade reply and follow it up with action and investigation, desperately trying to restore the dented trust. But for a man who is considered one of the biggest role models in today's tech-dominated world and one who makes 'speed' a defining characteristic of his business model, the latest episode should be an eye opener - especially as the chief operator of a country.

Yes, a country. Had Facebook been a country, it would have been the largest in the world, even winning over hugely populated countries like China and India. Though it has no physical existence and neither is it sovereign, Facebook yet has a virtual territory inhabited by a 'population' and this requires it to have a 'government' as well. Given its sheer size and the diversity today, Facebook cannot just sit back and allow itself to get manipulated and defeated by 'intruders' - as it happened in the latest scandal.

More than a businessman, Zuckerberg has to act like a statesman

Zuckerberg has to don the hat of a statesman while running his show and not just confine himself within the ambit of his business. This is key because Facebook is not just a business venture but a land of tremendous socio-cultural and political diversity.

Zuckerberg perhaps has a task in his hand even harder than those ruling the most volatile of nations because he has threats and challenges that a physical nation faces but has no military at his disposal to get rid of those.

Whether Zuckerberg's 'free' business model is not apt or if his fresh round of apology should be taken seriously than the last are questions that came flying at him during the congressional testimony. On the spot, Zuckerberg could only assure the interrogators about his company's new policies to curb similar scandals from happening again. But deep within, the man must realise that only putting up eye tools might not be enough but thinking like a man determined to protect his country's borders could.

Facebook's internationalism as opposed to nationalist zeal

The paradox of Facebook is that it transcends borders at a time when nation-states are keen to shut them down as a sign of ultra-nationalism, xenophobia or security phobia - call it whatever you feel to. As nationalisms clash often and internationalism takes a back seat, it becomes doubly problematic for a platform like Facebook to live a peaceful life. Intrusions happen not just as an evil business move but also as an attempt to sabotage the rival's stability. The result of this leaves the biggest impact on Facebook which is just a vehicle to promote internationalism and world community building.

As the 'ruler' of this virtual country, Zuckerberg must secure its border first by bringing in whatever technical requirements he deems fit. But he must put into place a strict and all-encompassing monitoring mechanism to verify each of his users, just as a suspicious government of a real country does when facing threat from foes.

Zuckerberg might also need to rethink his 'free' business model after a point of time if his idea of a technical monitoring system fails to deliver. Whatever it is, the Facebook CEO has to secure his own company's interest first.

It is not easy to keep an eye on users from across the globe, many of whom co-exist with others from an enemy country. This democratic effect that Facebook has is both its strongest and weakest points and Zuckerberg needs to take an equally important measure to ensure that peace prevails in his empire despite the presence of contradictory elements. This is how a successful ruler rules.
Coronavirus pandemic: WhatsApp calls to now support up to 8 people, here's how to use it

Will fee be charged to send money through WhatsApp? Here is what Zuckerberg has to say

Zuckerbergs testimony before social-media unsavvy gerontocrats & shrewd politicians

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared for a testimony before the US Congress on Tuesday, April 10, to defend his company's position in the wake of the recent Cambridge Analytica (CA) data leak scandal and how did it ensure that its users' privacy wasn't compromised.

The hours-long affair was tedious as the Congress members grilled the 33-year-old entrepreneur on diverse issues. Zuckerberg was clearly feeling inconvenient with a lot of questions and he remained apologetic and defensive throughout. However, the Congress members who interrogated him weren't doing great either in grilling him on an issue on which they were not perfectly in tune.

The current US Senate has an average age of 62-plus which makes it the oldest in history and it was clearly showing that the interlocutors did not have great grip on the subject of social media in depth.

They were asking questions more about Facebook's 'free' business model and the ethical and legal aspects and this worked in favour of Zuckerberg who kept on reiterating that he would come back with his plan to deal with a particular problem in question. The lawmakers' limitations were visible when they could not push Zuckerberg beyond a certain point - may be because they are too old to grab the modern-day discipline of social media.

Ted Cruz grilled Zuckerberg better but more about the politics

However, Zuckerberg faced his toughest customer in Ted Cruz, the Texas governor who is known for his caustic interrogation. The 47-year-old former solicitor general of Texas was clearly prepared with his plan of attack and Zuckerberg looked off guard for some time once Cruz unleashed his canon of interrogation.

Although no mention about Cruz's relationship with CA even before the Trump campaign had its connection with it came up during the interrogation, the Texas governor made the talks more political to show his strength as a politician vis-a-vis a non-political opponent.

His questions like "Does Facebook consider itself a neutral public forum?" or ""Are you a First Amendment speaker expressing your views or are you a neutral public forum allowing everyone to speak?" were seen as pertinent ones, more politically pointed than the technically confusing questions some other members but one felt Cruz was more interested to settle a political battle with Facebook which he thought exhibited a bias on the political question.

Zuckerberg even conceded that Silicon Valley was more of a Left-leaning place when replying to Cruz's allegations that Facebook and other tech companies were believers in a "pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship".

But he tried to stick to a politically non-controversial stand when Cruz asked whether he knew about the political orientation of Facebook's huge content review team.

Cruz was clearly making a campaign-sort of thing ahead of his re-election bid in Texas this November by trying to prove that Facebook had little concern for the Republicans. But his effort not only revealed a form of hypocrisy since Cruz reportedly took $7,500 in donations from Facebook during his 2012 election campaign but also a kind of interrogation with a pre-defined goal.

While other members of the interrogation still tried to make Zuckerberg ensure that he would do his best to prevent more damage as has been caused by the CA episode, Cruz was more engaged in the political part and interested to expose Facebook in an ideological battle.

It is always going to be futile because Zuckerberg can't control human thinking even if he has the best of technology at his disposal and could only recruit robots to run his company and please people like Cruz.
ISIS plan 2020: Militants want to take over India, other parts of world in next 5 years

257 killed in Algerian military plane crash near capital: Report

International

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

An Algerian aircraft transporting dozens of troops and equipment went down near an airport at Boufarik less than 20 miles from the capital Algiers. The crash has reportedly left more than 257 people dead. An image posted on an Algerian website show a huge plume of black smoke billowing from an area near the runway.

The cause of the crash was unclear, and an investigation has been opened, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

The Defense Ministry did not provide a death toll but expressed condolences to the victims' families. The flight had just taken off from Boufarik, about 30 kilometres southwest of the capital Algiers, for a military base in Bechar in southwest Algeria, Achour said.

It was scheduled to make a layover in Tindouf in southern Algeria, home to many refugees from the neighbouring Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco. The Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane crashed in an agricultural zone with no residents.

The Algerie Presse service agency said the Iliouchine-type plane was headed for Bechar in south-western Algeria.

As many as 14 ambulances and ten fire engines were deployed at the incident and dozens of bodies were pulled from the wreckage, according to local reports. However, there was no immediate word on casualties.

In 2014, a military plane crashed near eastern Algeria that left at least 77 others dead.The plane crashed in Mount Fertas, which is about 500 kilometers (310 miles) east of Algeris, according to APS.
Another top official tumbles out of WH: This time, its homeland security adviser Tom Bossert

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

New US national security adviser John Bolton made his presence felt soon after joining the office as the Donald Trump administration's homeland security adviser Tom Bossert resigned at the former's request, official sources said on Tuesday, April 10. Bossert thus became another top official to join the departure queue from the White House. Recently, Trump's national security spokesperson Michael Anton quit the White House to return to writing and academics. It was said that Bolton's formal arrival at work on Monday, April 9, had played a part in his exit.

Bolton himself replaced HR McMaster as the third national security adviser of the Trump administration in less than a year and a half.

Forty-three-year-old Bossert is a former deputy national security adviser to President George W Bush who monitored the official response to the mayhem that Hurricane Maria caused in Puerto Rico last year and also the cybersecurity policy.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that President Trump was grateful to Bossert for his hard work towards America's safety and security.

"Tom led the White House's efforts to protect the homeland from terrorist threats, strengthen our cyber defenses, and respond to an unprecedented series of natural disasters," she said.

The Democrats raised concern over the flurry of exits with Delaware Senator Chris Coons, who is also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, telling CNN that Bolton seemed to be in a swift mode to either eliminate several of the president's advisers or push them towards early retirement.

Jamil Jaffer, a former chief counsel to the Senator foreign relations panel and associate counsel to President Bush called Bossert's 'ouster' a "huge mistake" especially at a time when tensions are high and the national security team is witnessing a big churning. He also called Bossert a "very smart and highly skilled national security leader".

Among the senior officials who have left the Trump administration in less than one-and-half-years since it took over are Michael Flynn and McMaster (national security advisers), Reince Priebus (White House Chief of Staff), Hope Hicks and Anthony Scaramucci (communications directors), Gary Cohen (economic adviser), Steve Bannon (chief strategist) and Rex Tillerson (secretary of state), among others.
Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump

Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden

Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump

President Trump cancels South America visit to monitor US response to Syria

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

US President Donald Trump has cancelled a trip to South America which was scheduled to begin on Friday, April 13, to monitor America's response to Syria and developments across the globe, the White House informed on Tuesday, April 10.

Vice President Mike Pence would attend the summit in Peru's capital Lima instead of Trump who was supposed to visit the South American continent for the first time since taking over, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Pence will not be replacing Trump, however, to visit Colombia where the latter was scheduled to meet President Juan Manuel Santos. That event also stood cancelled.

Pence visited Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Panama in August 2017.

Trump, who was extremely happy over the Federal Bureau of Investigation's raid in his attorney Michael Cohen's office and called it a "disgraceful situation", was also contemplating a response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria on Saturday, April 7, which killed several dozen people besides injuring many others.

The US president has already met with his generals and also had a talk to foreign counterparts like French President Emmanuel Macron over the issue and told the media that a decision was imminent.

If Trump orders a strike, it would not be the first time. Exactly a year ago in 2017, he approved strikes on a Syrian airfield in retaliation for another chemical weapon attack though the action did not last more than a few hours. This time, however, Trump has shown more aggression and even held Vladimir Putin responsible for backing "Animal" Bashar al-Assad.

The alleged chemical attack, which affected women and children among others, was carried out to free Douma in the suburbs of Damascus of the occupation of the rebels. It remains the last stronghold of the anti-regime forces in Syria.

The state-run media in the war-ravaged West Asian country also brought allegations a couple of days after the alleged chemical attack that the US had likely carried out a missile strike at one of Syria's air bases in the Homs province, a charge which Pentagon denied.
A secret trip to an ISIS medical camp in Syria changed the course for this Bengaluru doctor

US-Russia relations worse than what it was during Cold War era: Trump

International

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The United States (US)-Russia relations plunged to a new low today (April 11) with President Donald Trump saying that Moscow-Washington ties are worse than ever before. Russia had earlier warned that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel enclave would be shot down, reported Reuters.

Trump had threatened military action following a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, on Saturday that activists say killed at least 40 people, many of them children.

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?," Trump said on Wednesday (April 11).

The UN Security Council has failed to adopt two competing resolutions that would have established a mechanism to investigate use of chemical weapons in Syria as well as another concerning a fact-finding mission in the war-torn country.

The Security Council, voting on Tuesday on the three separate draft resolutions, failed to rally the votes needed to launch an 'independent mechanism of investigation' into the incident, as delegates voiced frustration over the continued paralysis and the expanding rifts between nations

The first draft considered on Tuesday, penned by the United States, which would have established a new investigative mechanism for one year, as well as identify those responsible for the use of chemical weapons, was rejected owing to a negative vote from Russia. The draft received 12 votes in favour, two against (Bolivia and Russia) and one abstention (China).

Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia, speaking following its veto, said the United States was attempting to mislead the international community.

Syrian opposition activists, rescue workers and medics say dozens of people died in a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region. President Bashar al-Assad's government - which receives military backing from Russia - denies being behind any chemical attack, a BBC report said.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, April 11, 2018, 18:09 [IST]
Controversies in the Ruling Team over the Election of Board of GPB trustees

By Vladimer Napetvaridze

On 4 April Parliament has supported Izabela Osipova and Ninia Kakabadze to become members of the Board of trustees of Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB). 99 MPs voted for Izabela Osipova, nominated by the Public Defender.55 lawmakers voted for Ninia Kakabadze, nominated by the parliamentary minority, 12 were against.Election of Ninia Kakabadze as a member of the board caused controversies among the majority members. One group of the ruling party considers this fact as a part of the democratic process, as for the second group of the MPs, electing Kakabadze is unacceptable because she is an enemy of the Georgian Orthodox Church.The chairman of the Parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze,in his interview with Interpressnews, stated that the more unworthy and reputation harmed candidate opposition names, the better for the ruling team.Another member of the majority Gedevan Popkhadze said that if Georgian Dream, according to its political vision, considers Ninia Kakabadze worthy to be a member of the GPB Board, he will leave the majority. The MP told journalists that Kakabadze's candidacy is unacceptable for him. This statement of Popkhadze caused an assumption about possible disassembling of the majority.Another member of the Georgian Dream Zaza Papuashvili criticized Ninia Kakabadzes election. He stated that if it is necessary, he would leave the majority: "I am not here to vote for such people, I haven't stated that I am going to leave the majority, but if it is necessary it will not be a problem to make a decision," Papuashvili said.Politicians responded to assumptions about the possibility that election of Kakabadze could be a beginning of dissolution the majority. The Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze said, that he hopes Gedevan Popkhadze will change his decision and stay in the majority.Member of the Georgian Dream Eka Beselia said that Popkhadze should not leave the majority, because the deputies of the majority who supported Ninia Kakabadze's election are actually only a minority of the majority: "I think Gedevan will reconsider his position. As we see from the results, the majority of the ruling party didn't vote for Kakabadze, and if I am not mistaken, only 39 deputies voted for her election,"-Beselia stated.The chairman of the National Movement Roman Gotsiridze does not believe in disassembling the coalition, he thinks that everything is ruled by one person and today's parliamentarians do not have the power to make such decisions independently."The previous parliament was a stronger coalition, represented by serious political parties and strong political figures with political ambitions, so the parliamentary majority dissolved, but this parliament has no such power because it is ruled by one person," said Gotsiridze.
Live Gaming Summit to Discuss Innovation and Opportunities for Land Based Casinos

Published April 11, 2018 by Ivan P

Bringing together many key industry stakeholders, Live Gaming Summit 2018 will talk about the latest developments and new opportunities in the live gaming sector.

Second annual Live Gaming Summit will be taking place on April 26, 2018, inside the Casino Barcelona. The event will gather many of the industry leaders who will discuss numerous interesting topics from the area of live gaming innovations. Alongside this, a special focus will also be on new opportunities for land-based venues looking to get involved with the online gaming sector through the live dealer segment.

Leading Authorities Sharing Their Insights

Many of the leading authorities have already confirmed their presence at Live Gaming Summit 2018. Those in attendance will hear from the likes of Kevin Kilminster, Playtech's Head of Live Casino Innovation, Ezugi's CEO Kfir Kugler, Gilbert den Hartog of Infiniteviews, and many others.

All of the speakers have an extensive experience in the live gaming sector and they will touch upon many current and important topics, such as the latest developments in the Virtual and Augmented Reality gaming, growing interest for live lottery and bingo draws, and more. Neil Walker will address the audience as well to talk about the best ways to market the live gaming products to the right audiences.

Present at this year's Live Gaming Summit will also be representatives from other leading operators such as LeoVegas, Unibet, Mr Green, Genting, GVC, and many others.

New Opportunities for Land-based Venues

Another aspect that this year's summit will particularly focus on has to do with opportunities for land-based venues and how they can get involved and take advantage of the growing interest for the live gaming sector.

Some of the topics addressed in this segment will touch upon the possibilities presented by localization and private tables as well as closed loop live gaming television. Regulatory issues and diversity in the live gaming sector will be discussed as well.

Apart from the official part of the conference, Live Gaming Summit 2018 will also provide plenty of networking opportunities during the scheduled networking events and casual encounters. Authentic Gaming has also prepared a roulette tournament for everyone interested, which will add some color to the entire event.
Consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Denmark

11-04-2018

On April 11, 2018 Minsk hosted regular round of consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the Republic of Belarus and the Kingdom of Denmark.

The Belarusian delegation was headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oleg Kravchenko, the Danish delegation was led by the Undersecretary for Europe and North America, Carsten Grnbech-Jensen.

The sides discussed a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda, including the cooperation in political, trade, economic, humanitarian and other spheres, as well as the relations between Belarus and the EU, interaction within international organizations. The parties also exchanged views on the specific regional issues.

The participants of the consultations noted their mutual interest to further expand bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation.

   

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Consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Latvia

11-04-2018

On April 10-11, 2018 Minsk hosted consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Latvia on international legal issues.

The Belarusian delegation was headed by the Director-General for Treaty and Legal Affairs, Andrei Metelitsa. The Latvian delegation was led by the Director of the Law Department, Sanita Pekale.

The sides worked on updating the lists of bilateral treaties in force between Belarus and Latvia, exchanged information on the practice of implementation of treaties and progress in concluding new international legal instruments.

During the consultations, the parties also discussed other international legal issues including cooperation within international organizations.

   

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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus A.Dapkiunas participates in the round table on migration

11-04-2018

On April 10, 2018 on the margins of the 51st session of the UN Commission on Population and Development, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Andrei Dapkiunas, participated in the round table The effect of Migration and Urbanization on the Family.

The event was organized at the initiative of Belarus by the Group of Friends of the Family in cooperation with international and American non-governmental organizations for the family.

The UNICEF Chief of the Policy Analysis Division of Data, Research and Policy, David Anthony, the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the US Department of Health and Human Services, E. Scott Lloyd, the Lecturer of Princeton University, Timothy Jon Nelson, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations also attended the round table.

In his opening statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Family, A.Dapkiunas outlined main problems faced by families in the context of migration and urbanization, and stressed the need to develop approaches that could turn the disadvantages resulting from these processes into benefits.

The participants discussed issues of assistance to families on the move to better thrive in modern world, adaptation of cities to the needs of families, issues of family reunification, and the role of the UN in these processes.

   

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From The Hill

Washington, D.C. is now on red alert for the potentially imminent firing by President Trump of special counsel Robert Mueller and other Republicans holding high positions in the Department of Justice.

Monday's raid targeting one of Trump's lawyers, Michael Cohen, may well drive Trump to extreme actions that would be a hostile attack against the administration of justice and bring a death knell for Republicans in the midterm elections.

Following the breaking news of the Cohen raid, Trump made hostile attacks against Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and special counsel Robert Mueller -- all of whom are Republicans.

He demonstrated an anger and rage that could soon lead to a Nixon-like "Saturday Night Massacre" that many Republicans as well as Democrats have long feared.

Trump's anger following the Cohen raid also includes the interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman, who spearheaded the raid and who is also a Republican. Trump appointed Berman to the position after he fired Preet Bharara.

Trump's anger is also targeted against the FBI, whose director is Christopher Wray, also a Republican and Trump appointee after Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey.

Last week, I wrote that Mueller will drop a series of bombshells that will plague Republicans in the midterm elections unless they stand tall to uphold the administration of justice, and I've been warning about the dangers of the Russian scandal in recent months.

The bombshell of the Cohen raid was not dropped by Mueller, who merely referred the matter to the U.S. attorney in New York, who spearheaded the raid, which was approved in a warrant granted by a federal judge who concluded there is probable cause that a crime was committed and the only sure way to obtain the evidence was through the raid.

Republicans in Congress, who are already in grave jeopardy, facing potentially huge losses in the midterm elections, are well aware that the long list of targets of Trump's anger and rage are all Republicans!

A failure of Republicans in Congress to stand up for the administration of justice and a failure to oppose firings of Republican officials would create a death knell for GOP chances in November.

The controversy and chaos surrounding the investigations of the Russian attack against America coincide with other developments of paramount importance as the midterms approach.

The most politically powerful development is the endless series of scandals, mini-scandals and ethical failures that have surrounded the Trump presidency from its beginning.

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I think this proof is dead solid and it is so simple. My thinking is most people are never going to believe the truth even when presented with so very many things that make it so obvious that the official story is absolutely not true. Bottom line, we can throw everything else aside and if the proof cannot be disproved -- and I say it can't be and it hasn't been -- then in such a simple way it presents an absolute proof that cannot be denied even forgetting everything else. Forget the explosions, the squibs, and whatever, the proof relies on none of that. It is based on ONE thing that is proven by observation. You have videos and you can time the fall of the roofline for a measured distance giving the rate of fall at free fall acceleration: 9.8 m/s/s. Even NIST realized they could not keep denying it. Combine that with the intuitively obvious, that even NIST admits it understands, a building CAN'T fall at FREE FALL acceleration if there is ANY structural resistance! So throw everything else away and let the deniers argue with ... Isaac Newton!

Isaac Newton would have been a 9/11 truther!









This very short, very simple proof, is ALL that is required to prove 9/11 was an inside job/false flag event. I say it is absolutely solid and cannot be disproved. I have yet to find anyone that can disprove it. If anyone thinks it can be disproved, show me how.

The proof shows logically that WTC7 was a controlled demolition. I finished by tying the collapse of WTC7 together with the other events of 9/11 to prove 9/11 was an inside job/false flag event.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the governmental agency that "studied" the collapse of World Trade Center building 7 (WTC7). They produced their un scientific final report in 2008 after trying for six years to figure out a way to explain away the virtually perfect symmetrical collapse of WTC7 into its own footprint. Their "investigation" was un scientific. They did not take into account the evidence pointing directly to the collapse being a controlled demolition. If they had, it would have been a short investigation leading to the correct conclusion.

The short, simple proof that 9/11 was an inside job / false flag attack goes like this:

I. Given that a crumpling or naturally collapsing building absorbs energy making free fall impossible (David Chandler, Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth);

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From Smirking Chimp

What's in store for Puerto Rico's future? More disaster capitalism, or solidarity economics? While the lights have come back on for most, 8% of electrical customers are still waiting. The conversation in other media seems to be shifting to the social crises that are emerging -- but for many basic supplies, services and medical care are still nowhere in sight.

And let's not forget that some people are pushing to privatize everything from education to the power grid. In the massive gaps left by our official response, individuals, communities, and organizations are stepping in. A few people who are stepping up join us: Edna Benitez and Damaris Whittaker are from the Middle Collegiate and Fort Washington Collegiate Churches respectively.

They've been organizing trips to help bring essential supplies to Puerto Rico since the hurricane [hit] it. Amy Tidd is with the National Nurses United and has been to Puerto Rico with two delegations since Maria. She's joining us from Bangor, Maine. Plus, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yuln Cruz on what she calls the generous and reaffirming show of support from Americans that have shown support for Puerto Rico.
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From AlterNet

New advertising rules and European Union privacy standards seek to clean up dirty politics.



Mark Zuckerberg

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As Zuckerberg heads into congressional hearings spurred by revelations that a GOP-connected political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, stole personal data from 87 million users in 2014 before working for 2016 Republican presidential candidates, Facebook has done something that will make members of Congress take notice: It has taken more steps to curb abusive campaign advertising and to protect user privacy than anything Congress has done in years.

On the political advertising front, Facebook announced last Friday that it was not going to post any ad from anyone who would not identify themselves, say where they're located, and it would also post links showing all of that political advertisers' messaging. On the privacy front, Facebook also announced it would globally adopt forthcoming European Union rules, which return control over that online personal data to users from advertisers, including campaigns.

Both of these steps have been overlooked in the loud media narrative of how "No One Trusts Facebook" anymore, as a New York Times report put it Monday; one of many accounts where Facebook users lamented the lack of privacy surrounding their personal information. However, what Facebook is doing in the political world is going to be very significant -- if it holds.

Facebook is a must-use platform for campaigns. Part of the upset over the Cambridge Analytica scandal was the extent to which tens of millions of voters were targeted by propaganda based on their Facebook profiles. (The same targeting occurred on other platforms, like Google's YouTube.) The House Energy and Commerce Committee Monday published a copy of Zuckerberg's prepared testimony, where he estimated "approximately 126-million people may have been served content from a Facebook Page associated with the IRA [Internet Research Agency, a Russian government front] at some point during that period [the 2016 election]. On [Facebook-owned] Instagram, where our data on reach is not as complete, we found about 120,000 pieces of content, and estimate an additional 20 million people were likely served it."

Placed in context, those are remarkable figures. IRA's messaging reached more Americans in 2016 via Facebook than the total number of people who voted for president, which was 139 million. Thus, for Facebook to identify and verify who is behind political messages on its must-use platform is doing what Congress has not done for a long time: shine a light on partisan operatives.

If anything, many candidates and the political consulting industry have gone in the opposite direction. The Senate Majority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell, followed by the likes of super-operatives like Karl Rove and super-funders like the Koch brothers, have mainstreamed what's called "dark money" in politics. That's where the identities of those buying political ads stay hidden, in contrast to attacks that have only become more vitriolic. The Democrats are no saints on this front either. They have adopted their opponents tactics in the equivalent of a partisan arms race -- where everyone copies everyone else and no one disarms.

Meanwhile, as campaigns have gotten meaner and less truthful, the federal regulatory landscape has become increasingly toothless. This goes beyond the Supreme Court's campaign finance rulings to vacant federal regulatory seats, which, together, have created a catalog of loopholes favoring big money and secretive donors. Stepping into this mix now is Facebook, a private company, whose corporate-created user and advertising rules don't have to pass the same courtroom tests as federal legislation.

In short, Zuckerberg wants out of the dirty business of anonymous smears and propaganda. Under the heading of "strengthening our advertising policies," his remarks said, "We know some members of Congress are exploring ways to increase transparency around political or issue advertising, and we're happy to keep working with Congress on that. But we aren't waiting for legislation to act."

To Republicans like McConnell, those likely will be fighting words. In the 1990s, McConnell was known for opposing all campaign rules except one: disclosing one's name next to the message sent. Of course, he has long abandoned that stand. What has resulted since are all kinds of front groups throw partisan mud, while efforts to identify who is behind the latest smears often hit brick walls.

But Zuckerberg said that dirty dynamic not going to happen on Facebook anymore, if he can help it.

"From now on, every advertiser who wants to run political or issue ads will need to be authorized. To get authorized, advertisers will need to confirm their identity and location," he said. "Any advertiser who doesn't pass will be prohibited from running political or issue ads. We will also label them and advertisers will have to show you who paid for them. We're starting this in the U.S. and expanding to the rest of the world in the coming months."

Then Zuckerberg said Facebook would go further: it would name those holding the biggest partisan megaphones.

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From Our Future

In the time it takes to read these words, a child under the age of five will probably die in Yemen.

And, as this is being written, the U.N. Security Council is meeting to discuss a gas attack in Syria. President Trump, with newly-appointed National Security Adviser John Bolton at his side, says he will decide on his course of action within 24 to 48 hours.

The Syrian people's tragedy is enormous. So is the possibility for military confrontation between two nuclear powers.

But while the headlines focus on Syria, and as a multitude of voices call for increased military involvement there, don't forget the tragedy in Yemen. We can save lives much more easily there. We don't have to send troops or launch missiles.

All we have to do is leave.

Political scientists at the University of Toronto have linked empathy to left-leaning political views. Linguist George Lakoff associates the liberal personality with the "nurturant parent" model of the family. And the stereotypical American self-image, across the political spectrum, is that of someone who is willing to help others.

Interestingly, most Americans see other Americans as "selfish," according to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey.

Perhaps that's why presidential candidate Bill Clinton used empathic language when he argued for US military action in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- "because," said candidate Clinton, "I'm horrified by what I've seen."

That language reinforced what the New York Times called Clinton's "aggressive tack" on the region.

Under President Clinton, NATO conducted years of bombing in the region and sent 60,000 troops to enforce the Dayton Accords. Clinton faced resistance from left and right. That conflict was, in the words of the New York Times Editorial Board, "not America's war." But Clinton and his team invoked the image of the US as the world's leader -- and the suffering of children -- to make the case for intervention.

In a 1995 speech announcing his decision to send peacekeeping troops, Clinton shrewdly leavened his liberal empathy ("In fulfilling this mission, we will have the chance to help stop the killing of innocent civilians, especially children") with self-interest ("and at the same time, to bring stability to central Europe, a region of the world that is vital to our national interests.")

Clinton then pivoted to the time-tested theme of the US as a uniquely generous and selfless military force. "America has always been more than just a place," he said, adding:

"America has embodied an idea that has become the ideal for billions of people throughout the world... America is about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ... America has done more than simply stand for these ideals. We have acted on them and sacrificed for them. Our people fought two world wars so that freedom could triumph over tyranny."

This is how liberal interventionism has always been packaged in American politics: with the notion that our highest ideals are best expressed, not through diplomacy, but through the projection of military force outside our borders. In this telling, history has ended. We are the indispensable nation. We alone must balance the war-torn world on our khaki-clad shoulders.

Perhaps that's why, as the Bosnian conflict escalated, the Clinton Administration and other world governments ignored the non-violent independence movement taking place in nearby Kosovo. It was only after that conflict turned violent, with the rise of the Kosovo Liberation Army, that the Administration responded.

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(This is a reprint from NewsBred).



Ramachandra Guha and Harsh Mander

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Ramachandra Guha and Harsh Mander began--and hopefully ended--"the minority space" series in Indian Express on Tuesday. On the Day of Judgment--for they would prefer such an option rather than the presence of Bhagwan Vishnu--the duo would be hard pressed to explain the deviousness of their heart; the venoms of their actions.

Over the last fortnight or so, Indian Express has almost daily pushed this "minority space" agenda on its edit pages. This stems from the fear of "Deep State" that, God forbids, if Muslims--and Dalits--were able to recognize that BJP and Modi are their best friends, the last plank of their survival would sink and take them down too in the vast ocean of human junk and wastefulness.

The agenda of these two academic/activist charlatans is clear: Make Muslims fearfully conscious of their separateness from the Hindu majority so that they are further pushed into a seized mentality and a common ground with Hindus is never created. Create Hinduphobia so the Muslims are not able to see the deviousness of Congress, BSP, Left who have done practically nothing for the minority in the last 70 years. The idea is to deny Hindus and Muslims a common ground.

Guha and Mander would skillfully hide the fact that out of 125 Muslim-majority seats in Uttar Pradesh, 84 went to BJP in the last assembly elections. That BJP has 79 Dalit MPs, 549 Dalit MLAs and one Dalit president.

While they beat their breasts and bemoan Muslims being treated as second-class citizens in Hindu-majority India , you would never see them acknowledge that it was Muslims who plunged the dagger of partition into the heart of this nation. You would never find them question Asaduddin Owaisi as to when the latter swears by the sanctity of the Constitution, what problem he has with the protection it offers to cows; or when its core ethos ask for a Uniform Civil Code.

You would never see them encourage Muslims to let Hindus have their way with the Ram Janmabhoomi. After all, even in austere places like Saudi Arabia it is common to move Masjid out of the way, in case infrastructural or other such need arises. Why, just four years ago, there was even a proposal to move Prophet Muhammad's tomb! After all, Quran ordains that Namaaz could be read anywhere, it doesn't need a Masjid for the act. While Namaaz could thus be performed even on roads, there can only be one Ram Janmabhoomi. Guha and Mander would never ask Muslims to make this one small gesture and see the flood of goodwill that would emanate from the majority. Imagine how much strength and unity just one gesture could do to the idea of a unified and strong India .

Guha and Mander would never highlight the fact that the 1857 War of Independence was an act of revolt by the Hindus who nevertheless chose a Muslim--Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar--to be their leader in the struggle.

You would never see them making an appeal to Muslims to do meaningful reforms. After all, there is a great deal of truth that unlike Christianity went through a Reformation Age, and Hindus had the Bhakti Movement to cleanse the outdated practices, Muslims perhaps never quite clinically reevaluate if a few of Quran's maxims needed a debate. You would never find Guha or Mander question the Muslim leadership on their lack of progressive agenda down the centuries to the present modern age.

Guha even bemoans that Hindus were once led by Nehru-Gandhi and now by Modi-Shah. He would never reflect if this change is because Hindus feel Nehru and Gandhi betrayed them and the nation during the Independence struggle by appeasing Muslims--which led to thousands of Hindus' lives lost during the Khilafat movement and Direct Action Day-- and causing the Partition.

Men like Guha and Mander would show a trishul as a sign of Hindu fundamentalism; they would never analyse why such a majority still treats three Khans as their superstars. Why an APJ Abdul Kalam is loved and respected by practically every educated Hindu.

Most tellingly, Guha and Mander are now marginalized voices because of their selective truths. Just look at the reactions Guha has managed on his twitter handle. By mid-day, it had barely touched 100 reactions. And most of them were scathing to his piece that has appeared in Indian Express on Tuesday.

A point about Indian Express too (and The Wire, predictably, joined the chorus). While they pick up every major (Guha) and minor (Apporvanand) voice to create fear psychosis about "minority space", why there is never an intellectual giant such as Subramaniam Swamy or Rajiv Malhotra being asked to present their viewpoints? Why stray incidents are picked and highlighted to paint the entire Hindu community in bad light?
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On April 9, federal agents raided the office, home and hotel room of Michael Cohen, personal attorney to US president Donald Trump. Cohen has come under fire, with potential legal implications, for paying $130k to silence adult film actress and alleged Trump paramour Stephanie Clifford, better known as "Stormy Daniels."

That hush money seems to be the excuse for the raids, but as the Washington Postreports, they are "part of an investigation referred by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to federal prosecutors in New York ..."

Poor Mueller. After nearly a year as special counsel in the "Russiagate" probe, he has yet to accomplish either of his missions.

His putative job is to expose "Russian meddling" in the 2016 presidential election, especially with respect to possible collusion between the campaign of now-president Donald Trump and the regime of Vladimir Putin.

His real goal, of course, is to overturn that election by "getting" Trump on something -- anything will do -- that Congress can treat, and that the public will accept, as impeachable/indictable.

So far Mueller's secured indictments of a few Trump associates on charges having little or nothing to do with his overt mission, and of a few Russians for running an Internet "troll farm" that posted some cheesy social media ads. But he has yet to put real meat on his mandate and doesn't seem to be getting much closer to Trump himself than when he started.

Now he's hitching his wagon to Stormy Daniels's star. Why? There are two plausible reasons.

One is that he hopes to get Trump on something other than "collusion with Russia." Trump has publicly denied the affair with Daniels, and has also denied knowledge of Cohen's payment to Daniels. If he's lying, and if the payment violated any laws, proof of that might be enough to get impeachment proceedings rolling in Congress and move a grand jury to indict.

The other possibility is that Mueller is baiting Trump to fire him, something sure to be followed by the usual suspects crying "obstruction!" and "constitutional crisis!" then demanding Trump's head on a platter, and possibly getting it.

No one is likely to mistake me for a Trump supporter. I wouldn't be at all sorry to see him go. But there are larger and more troubling implications here.

If attorney-client privilege can be so casually breached versus the president of the United States, just how secure do you think it will remain for the rest of us?

And if this president is successfully removed, will there ever again be a presidential election that isn't immediately followed by an open-ended "find something, anything" probe like Mueller's?

The decline and fall of the American empire seems to be speeding up.
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From Reader Supported News

Nixon's motivation for The Saturday Night Massacre was simple. Nixon was no fool, he understood that forcing the firing of Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox was certain to have severe political repercussions and might likely lead ultimately to his resignation.

He didn't do it because he thought it was a smart move, he did it because he thought it was the only move he had left. While the final showdown between Nixon and Cox was over the White House tape recordings, the real problem for Nixon was that Cox was closing in and if allowed to continue would, Nixon was sure, force him from office or worse. It was in political terms the nuclear option, and he saved it as his last option.

The fully warranted raids on Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen's Manhattan office, home and hotel room were technically coordinated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, not by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team. But Mueller referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office based on evidence his investigation uncovered, and his presence in the matter is palpable.

In any case, the FBI's Cohen raids were extraordinary, both historically and legally. Normally obtaining warrants that would allow for the seizure of records from an attorney whose client was under federal investigation would draw the most rigorous scrutiny from the courts. It's a very high threshold, a very high burden of proof for law enforcement. But this is the personal attorney for the president of the United States so the review would have been even more rigorous. Whatever evidence federal investigators presented to the courts had to have been stark, material and compelling.

But that would have been the evidence they had before the raids. Now in possession of Cohen's devices and documents, investigators acting on behalf of U.S. Attorney's Office would not face the same limitations Mueller's team would. They could act on any evidence of criminality they uncovered directly under the jurisdiction U.S. Attorney's Office or refer appropriate evidence back to the Special Counsel's office at their discretion.

These developments are not lost on Donald Trump. In unscripted remarks after the raids were reported, Trump took direct aim at Special Counsel Robert Mueller and top officials at the Department of Justice overseeing his probe. He spoke in direct terms about firing Mueller. It was a threat thinly veiled.

When Trump is absolutely certain Mueller will win, he will do what Nixon was forced to do when his moment came. He will cynically use the powers of the presidency to save himself.

At that moment a very real and immediate constitutional crisis is inevitable. It is highly unlikely that Donald Trump will relinquish power in an orderly way. The argument that an American president is not above the law is about to be tested.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
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As we strive for Peace and Justice, all we have is the Truth. The mechanisms of International Law will not deliver Justice in the foreseeable future since Western countries and their allies have been, and continue to commit Supreme International Crimes as policy with relative impunity. Iraq[1] and Libya[2], for example, were destroyed, and the Western perpetrators flaunt their impunity for their crimes, beneath veils of lies, to this very day.

Western perpetrators of the current overseas holocaust continue to make a mockery of International Justice, as the corpses accumulate.

The lies about the war on Syria have been unprecedented. Western powers and their agencies have shown complete disdain for the truth, and for evidence-based facts. Despite this, there still remains a reasonable expectation for Peace and some form of Justice. Syria has strong institutions, strong allies, and Syrians themselves have demonstrated remarkable resistance and tenacity in overcoming overwhelming odds. Despite over 7 years of war, and terrorists from as many as 100 countries arrayed against her, Syria remains strong and ascendant.

Despite the lies, the fake "NGOs", the fake humanitarians, and the fake covers for the most heinous crimes imaginable, the truth emerges every time areas are liberated.

The Truth is shouting at this very moment, for all who care to listen. As hostages are being released, "Repentance Jails" are emptying, and freed captives are rejoicing, real, primary source evidence is emerging, and it tells a story that contradicts State Department lies and MSM fabrications.

The lie of "Assad is gassing his own people" is also being dismantled, yet again, and as it is being dismantled the most recent chemical weapons "catalytic/false flag"[3] event, which culminated in Israel bombing Syria yet again, is also being dismantled and discredited for all who care about legitimate evidence and truth.

In the video documentary below, Tom Duggan shows us the mortars, the missiles, and the poison gas that Western-supported terrorists have been making and using against civilians in Damascus since 2012.[4]Western-supported terrorists have murdered some 11,000 innocent Damascus citizens and "permanently disabled" another 30,000 with these weapons of war.

These videos demonstrate the lie of the "humanitarian intervention" meme, and they demonstrate the contemptible criminality of our governments and our media as they continue to support terrorists whom they falsely claim to be fighting in their fraudulent "War On Terror."

*

Mark Taliano is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG) and the author of Voices from Syria, Global Research Publishers, 2017.

Notes

[1] Peter Singer, "Crime and No Punishment for the Iraq War." Project Syndicate. 6 April, 2018. (https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/iraq-invasion-illegal-war-of-aggression-by-peter-singer-2018-04)

Accessed 9 April, 2018.

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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall's book, Bottom-Up, offers a compelling vision of a way of being in the world, bringing insights from different cultures and fields together while offering concrete steps to make the vision a reality. This is one of the rare books that, once you read it, will change the way you see the world and your relationships."



Helena Norberg-Hodge, author of Ancient Futures, Producer and co-director of the film The Economics of Happiness, Founder of Local Futures and cofounder of the International Forum on Globalization
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From LA Progressive

Scott Pruitt flies first class international with his entourage to Paris for a couple of days -- just to party -- and then on to Morocco for one day to promote the sale of liquefied natural gas produced by a crony -- a lobbyist for the LNG company that gives Pruitt a sweetheart deal on a fancy place to stay in Washington DC.

Pruitt is head of the EPA, not the Department of Energy or Commerce. He has no official business pushing LNG, yet the entire trip for him and his crew of sleazy associates was paid for by those of us who pony up every paycheck and every April -- you, the American taxpayer. Turns out Trump's buddy, billionaire Carl Icahn, was the majority stockholder in the LNG corporation. Crony corruption.

Pruitt was basically installed by Trump as head of the Environmental Protection Agency with a stated mission to undermine, subvert, and reverse the EPA core mission. To rich Republicans -- well, perhaps to most Republicans -- the environment is simply a dumping ground for toxics, hazardous waste, and other effluents of industry. Why? So that their corporations don't have to pay clean-up costs either in prevention or remediation. The rich ones profit. The poor ones vote to get back dirty jobs that have gone overseas where environmental laws and labor laws are nonexistent or toothless. Crony corruption coupled with a devil's bargain.

To make certain that no fraudulent stone was unturned, Pruitt signed off on massive pay raises for loyalists, lied and denied that he did so on Fox News, and remains untouched by the "You're fired" King. Crony corruption.

Ah, they all do it. And? Trump came in claiming he would "drain the swamp." Liar. The swamp is crawling with worse than anything since Mobutu Sese Seka. Crony corruption.

That Trump himself refuses to make public his tax returns, refuses to divest himself in any way from his corporate profit-taking related to his public office, and that so many of his appointees are wallowing in seamy travel, insider fraud, and shady foreign connections, makes this just part of the Washington wallpaper, right? You hear Trump the carny barker candidate and you elect him -- WTF do you expect?

Naturally, Trump just said Pruitt was "doing a great job." Crony corruption.

Even the Trump White House has criticized Pruitt's ethics. Huh? We are on Full Oxymoron Alert when we hear the phrase Trump Ethical Standards, yet it happened. Still, at least so far, Pruitt's in his gig, swinging his wrecking ball at environmental and ethics rules literally left and right. Crony corruption.

Nixon was Mr. Clean by comparison. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld made $millions off their policies while they ruled and yet never quite exuded the moral and ethical swampy stench we now endure from Team Trump.

Crony corruption. Do we deserve better? Certainly our children and grandchildren do.
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My friend is a veteran of the US Military, who was honorably discharged after her service. With her first-hand knowledge of the military, she has the following points she would like me to share for those who may be swayed by efforts to reinstate a military draft.



Chicago Anti-War Protest | March 18, 2012. Photo by FJJ. | Flickr500 -- 282 - 114k - jpg

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"--Yes, inequality exists in the military, by virtue of its autocratic hierarchical structure.

--Mandatory military service is slavery. Slavery that can not only enslave you, but kill you.

--Voluntary military service implies free choice. However, it's clear that this choice is often made because of a recruit's economic circumstances and opportunities.

--The way to address that is not to draft everyone, but to attack inequality in our society, via strict progressive taxation, implementation and enforcement of regulations to prevent Wall Street pillaging and corporate welfare and tax evasion, and transparency in military funding and services, including the budgets of the Pentagon and its contractors. Redistributing dollars to housing, infrastructure, education, and domestic jobs, would reduce the economic coercion felt by many that leads them to "sign up".

--But what about the duties of citizenship? Well, there are many things we can do to help our communities and states. Locally. In the US. And throughout our lives. Without burdening our youth. For example, if everyone ages 22-65 donated a week of their time every five years to provide "free" services in their areas of education and training, those contributions would improve the quality of life in our country. One week every five years. CEOs and politicians included.

--Won't a general draft invite populist sentiment against war, on our borders and overseas? Non-veterans may not realize that the military is not "service hours" at a nursing home, where you give and then go back to your life. You have no life, no rights. You are not free. The Uniform Code of Military Justice denies you your rights, rights "protected" under the constitution such as free speech. Can a draftee or conscript protest the draft or a war? Not on your life. Such protests would lead to charges before a military tribunal and could land conscripts in the authoritarian environment into military prisons, possibly for life.

--And, wouldn't a draft get parents invested in our country's military "activities" and out protesting against war? Sure, she said sarcastically. 75% of our country currently opposes our wars and actively votes against candidates that propose imperial ventures overseas. But, the wars continue. Thousands upon thousands protest our illegal wars month after month, to no avail. All the protests get protesters are beatings, arrests, and convictions. Protests do not change the policies of our corporate oligarchic empire whose concern for its "citizens" is a big fat zero.

--Wouldn't a draft get Congress to be more active in preventing illegal or unjust wars? Sure. Sarcasm again. A congress sweetened by the millions of dollars provided by the oligarchs to sway votes is unlikely to respond to common voices and risk losing the flow of military/security industrial barons' dollars. Neither the oligarchs or the politicians want to rock that lucrative boat.

--We, the people, are manipulated and powerless, and a draft will not change the fact that we cannot change the direction in which our country is barreling over the past decades. The best we can hope for is to live to the highest values possible and to work for change on a local community level. I will take my children those in need nearby and give there. I will not give my children as cannon fodder to further enrich psychopathic oligarchs in the name of public service."

I have nothing to add to her comments, except to remember them if new arguments for conscription are made.
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From Consortium News

At least since the time of Marcus Tullius Cicero in the late Roman Republic everyone has certainly understood that politicians lie all the time. To be sure, President Donald Trump has been exceptional in that he has followed through on some of the promises he made in his campaign, insisting periodically that he has to do what he said he would do.

Unfortunately, those choices he has made to demonstrate his accountability to his supporters have been terrible, including moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, threatening to end the Iran nuclear agreement and building a wall along the Mexican border. Following through on some other pledges has been less consistent. He has increased U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan and turned the war over to the generals while also faltering in his promise to improve relations with Russia.

The potential breakthrough offered by promising exchanges during phone calls to Vladimir Putin have been negated by subsequent threats, sanctions and expulsions to satisfy hysterical congressmen and the media.

Concerning Syria, Trump last Tuesday said "I want to get out," promising to pull U.S. troops out very soon, but was quickly brought to heel by pressure from Congress and a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that compelled him to change his mind within 24 hours. Israel wants chaos in Syria and its instrument of choice is the American military. Netanyahu has Congress to do his bidding and, for whatever reason, appears to also have Trump under his thumb.

A Pretty Good Liar

So Donald Trump turns out to be a pretty good liar, even if one has to take into account the fact that he frequently has no idea what he is talking about. But the prize for lying at a high level has to go to the British as related to what has been going on both in the Middle East, with Russia, and also in Britain itself.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was the first master at dissimulation in 2002 when his intelligence chief Sir Richard Dearlove told him that the Bush White House had decided on war and "the intelligence and facts were being around the policy" regarding Iraq, meaning that it was ignoring the information that did not support its desire to create a pretext for invading the country and removing Saddam Hussein.

Blair presumably could have derailed the ill-fated invasion by refusing to go along with the venture, which was a war crime, but instead he fully supported George W. Bush in the attack. He thereby had a hand in America's worst foreign policy disaster ever. In 2016 an official British government inquiry determined that Bush and Blair had indeed rushed to war together. The Global Establishment has nevertheless rewarded Tony Blair for his loyalty with Clintonesque generosity. He has enjoyed a number of well-paid sinecures and is now worth in excess of $100 million.

Creating a Foreign Crisis

Moving along to the present, we have Prime Minister Theresa May. May has been in serious trouble, politically speaking. After losses suffered in the recent parliamentary elections, she is clinging to power and is increasingly unpopular even within her own Conservative Party. So what do you do when you are in trouble at home? You create a foreign crisis that you have to deal with.

If you are someone as venal as former American President and bottom feeder Bill Clinton you accomplish that end by firing off a few cruise missiles at a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and at some mud huts in Afghanistan. If you are May, you up the ante considerably, coming up with a powerful enemy who is threatening you, enabling you to appear both resolute and strong in confronting a formidable foe. That is precisely what we have been seeing over the past month relating to the alleged poisoning of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

There is quite a bit that is odd about the Skripal case. Even the increasingly neoconnish Guardian newspaper has conceded that "the British case [against Russia] has so far relied more heavily in public on circumstantial evidence and secret intelligence." And secret intelligence, so called, has all too often been the last refuge of a scoundrel whenever a government is selling snake oil to the public. In this case, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson rushed to judgement on Russia less than 48 hours after the Skripals were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, England, too soon for any chemical analysis of the alleged poisoning to have taken place.

Blaming the Kremlin, Again

May addressed Parliament shortly thereafter to blame the Kremlin and demand a Russian official response to the event in 36 hours, even though she had to prevaricate significantly, saying that the apparent poisoning was "very likely" caused by a made-in-Russia nerve agent referred to by its generic name Novichok. She nevertheless rallied the backbenchers in Parliament, who responded with a lot of hearty "Hear! Hear!" endorsements.

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What level of evidence of an opponent's criminal state activity justifies sanctions, diplomatic expulsions, retaliatory bombings, conventional war or even the risk of nuclear war? The question finds urgent relevance amid unsubstantiated charges of chemical weapons use by the Assad government in Syria and in the light of wild accusations against Vladimir Putin of Russian responsibility for the poisoning of double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

In my new book, The Magic Glasses of Critical Thinking: seeing through alternative fact and fake news, I offer a whole series of criteria for answering questions of evidence and judgment of guilt.

"Magic Glasses" is a term coined by the late comedian and social activist, Dick Gregory, for habitual critical perspective that refuses to go along with group-think imposed by American oligarchs and propagated by the mainstream media (MSM). For Gregory, critical thinking was like donning a pair of spectacles that reveal things as they truly are, not as the oligarchs and their publicists would have us see them. Prominent among the criteria I offer in my own Magic Glasses is what might be called the "9/11 Principle." It enjoys new relevance in the light of a recently-filed petition for a grand-jury hearing about the true causes of the destruction of the 3 World Trade Center buildings on 9/11/01. The 54-page petition with 57 exhibits was submitted on April 8th by the Lawyers' Committee for 9/11 Inquiry. The principle states that:

Since 9/11/01, any evidence for enemy-state wrongdoing (such as use of chemical weapons or alleged assassinations) must surpass the level of the evidence routinely dismissed by the U.S. government indicating that the World Trade Center destruction of 9/11/01 was the result of controlled demolition rather than of fires caused by planes crashing into the structures.

My 9/11 Principle and its implied relationship to Assad, Skripal and the attack on the World Trade Center is found in the final chapter of The Magic Glasses. There I attempt to appropriate Noam Chomsky's propaganda model of mainstream media (MSM) which identifies its function as not that of seeking truth, but of defending government policy despite the facts.

In the case of designated enemies, Chomsky explains, merely circumstantial evidence, hearsay, and the work of discredited intelligence agencies is all that's required to establish guilt and justify retaliation. Moreover, responsibility for the alleged misconduct will be attributed to the highest level possible.

This syndrome finds its most recent expression in the just-mentioned cases of alleged Syrian use of chemical weapons, and in the Skripal poisonings. In both cases, long before the dust had settled, the Trump administration on the one hand and Theresa May on the other quickly drew conclusions condemnatory of designated enemies (Syria in Trump's case, and Russia in May's) before standard criminal investigations were allowed to unfold. In each case, guilt was linked directly and immediately to the relevant head of state -- Bashar Assad and Vladimir Putin.

Contrast such premature judgment with MSM coverage of alleged U.S. crimes. There smoking guns are always demanded. And then if the "gun" is found, responsibility for its use is routinely assigned to the lowest official available. Abu Ghraib represents a case in point. Crimes that were later traced to the oval office itself were originally presented as the work of a few low-ranking bad apples.

More to the point, consider the official story of 9/11. That Washington-sanctioned account has carried the day for more than 16 years despite problematic evidence ignored or dismissed by government investigators. That's the evidence undergirding the case submitted by the Lawyers Committee for 9/11 Inquiry. It includes:

* The historical facts that no steel-framed building in the history of the world has ever fallen as the result of even the most intense fires burning in some cases for days on end.

" Yet three such buildings fell on a single day after a few hours of localized conflagration.

" World Trade Center Building #7 was not struck by aircraft; yet it too fell into its footprint like Building #1 and Building #2 in fewer than 10 seconds after a relatively few hours of fire.

" Larry Silverstein, the owner of WTC Building #7, is heard on tape admitting that he and an unnamed NYC fire official decided to issue the order to "pull" the building in question. Using the language of demolition engineers, where to "pull it" means to initiate the final demolition process, Silverstein says,

"I remember getting a call from the fire department commander telling me they were not sure they would be able to contain the fire. I said, 'You know, we've had such terrible loss of life, maybe the smartest thing to do is just to pull it. And they made that decision to pull. Then we watched the building collapse.'"

* The scientific fact that jet fuel (the medium responsible for ignition of the fires in question) cannot produce fires whose temperatures can cause steel to melt.

* The evidentiary fact that widespread traces of thermite explosives were found amid the wreckage of the collapsed WTC buildings.

* The procedural fact that thorough investigation of the WTC debris was prevented by an inexplicably hastened and immediate removal of crime scene evidence following the buildings' destruction.

In the light of the differences between government and MSM treatment of alleged crimes of the U.S. government on the one hand and of designated enemies on the other, let me repeat my 9/11 principle. It states:

Since 9/11/01, any evidence for enemy-state wrongdoing (such as use of chemical weapons or alleged assassinations) must surpass the level of the evidence routinely dismissed by the U.S. government indicating that the World Trade Center destruction of 9/11/01 was the result of controlled demolition rather than of fires caused by planes crashing into the structures.

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Democracy lovers: Please take 4 minutes to watch this excellent video from the New York Times! The title says it all " I Hacked an Election. So Can the Russians."



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https://www.nytimes.com/video/ opinion/100000005790489/i- hacked-an-election-so-can-the- russians.html?action=click& gtype=vhs&version=vhs-heading& module=vhs -ion=title- area& cview=true&t=2



OPINION



I Hacked an Election. So Can the Russians.

By MATTEEN MOKALLA, TAIGE JENSEN and J. ALEX HALDERMAN | Apr. 5, 2018 | 4:23



It's time America's leaders got serious about voting security.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" """"""""".

While this video deals mainly with touchscreen voting machines, another video of Haldeman testimony before Congress makes clear that cyberattacks can change the results in elections not just on touchscreens, but also on results counted on ballot scanners. Like those in New York. (5 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=AD3qqBfU0no&t=2s

5 minutes: Haldeman testimony: Cyberattacks could change the results of U.S. national elections



"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" """"""""".

v=Cwr6hRxMoGM

Seth takes a break from breaking news to check in on the United States' cybersecurity and how worried the country should be about a foreign power meddling in its elections again.

https://www.verifiedvoting.org



Verified Voting Blog: Verified Voting Hacks into Voting Machine in New Video from the New York Times

Apr 6 2018 - The Voting News

Demonstration Shows Vulnerability of Voting Machines With No Paper Backup



The New York Times published an interactive piece on election security today that included a video featuring Verified Voting fellow, Alex Halderman. The piece, "I Hacked an Election. So Can the Russians," was the result of a months-long collaboration between Verified Voting and the New York Times.





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Ernst & Young Announces Sayed Ali as Semifinalist for Entrepreneur of the Year for Second-Consecutive Year

Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.

www.interpretersunlimited.com

President, Sayed Ali of San Diego-based Interpreters Unlimited Receives Second Accolade of 2018SAN DIEGO, April 10, 2018Interpreters Unlimited, Inc. announced today that its President & CEO, Sayed Ali, is a semi-finalist for Ernst & Youngs Entrepreneur of the Year 2018. The Entrepreneur of the Year is the most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs in the world, and this marks Alis second-consecutive year as a semi-finalist since he achieved the status of finalist in 2003 with his previous company.To be eligible for the Entrepreneur of the Year program, Ernst & Young requires nominees to be an owner, executive, or manager of a private or public company who is responsible for the companys overall performance. Past winners have excelled in leading their industries by creating new product categories and successfully implementing innovative technologies in the workplace.On behalf of Sayed, we are honored to have our president chosen as a semi-finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year program, and for leading our team as we continue to serve the limited-English speaking and underserved populations of our nation through creative and innovative technologies and strategic marketing tactics, said, Shamus Sayed, vice president and chief operations officer of Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.The panel of judges includes past winners, leading CEOs, private equity and venture capital investors, and other regional business influencers. The San Diego Regional Award winners for the program (overall) will be announced at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar on June 7, 2018.For more information about Interpreters Unlimited, please call 800-726-9891 or visitAbout Interpreters Unlimited, Inc.The IU Group of companies include: Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet and Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators, and are headquartered in San Diego, California as a minority-owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment with its diverse team to aid in supplying linguistic and cultural interpretation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry has demonstrated a surplus of leadership and best practices, which has helped establish its respected role in the language services community. Its services include interpretation, document translation and non-emergency medical transportation.10650 Treena StreetSuite 308San Diego, CA 92131
Healthcare Predictive Analytics Market Likely to Supplement the Growth by 2025

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Global Healthcare Predictive Analytics Market: SnapshotThe mounting concern for optimizing healthcare costs among myriad healthcare providers and payers is a key factor boosting the demand for predictive analytics in the healthcare sector. The ever-growing need for boosting patient outcomes and improving the quality of care is a seminal trend boosting the evolution of healthcare productive analytics. In recent years, there is a surging interest among payer organizations and several healthcare institutions in using predictive tools for mediating hospital readmissions. This has especially gathered steam in monitoring a growing number of elderly patients and pediatric populations. The functionality of predictive discussions in simplifying admission scores for such patients has gained significance among researchers and clinicians. In addition, they are gaining adoption in the management of chronic diseases and various cancer types.A number of hospitals are considering the role of healthcare predictive analytics in minimizing financial and reimbursement penalties. Furthermore, predictive analytics are being considered helpful in supporting evidence-based medicines and further in realizing the goal of standardized patient outcomes. To reap the full potential of various predictive analytics models within the healthcare industry, it is essential that the stakeholders furnish an integrated and comprehensive set of healthcare data. In addition, concerted efforts by decision makers to implement these solutions are important. Several factors need to be meticulously considered to leverage the full potential of predictive analytics in various healthcare settings. For instance, it is more prudent to develop predictive analytics for some specific clinical settings or patient needs than for a generic parameter.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Healthcare Predictive Analytics Market: OverviewThe global market for healthcare predictive analytics is estimated to grow at a progressive rate in the next few years. The rising pressure on consumers due to the high cost of medication and the increasing popularity of personalized medicines are expected to augment global healthcare predictive analytics market in the next few years. The research study throws light on the key factors and potential opportunities that are anticipated to encourage the growth of the global market in the coming years. In addition, an in-depth analysis of the competitive scenario has been included in the scope of the report.Global Healthcare Predictive Analytics Market: Drivers and RestraintsSeveral developing nations across the globe are facing issues due to the tremendous rise in the cost of medication. As a result, governments worldwide are making notable efforts to offer quality and cost-effective services to consumers. This is expected to boost the demand for healthcare predictive analytics throughout the forecast period. In addition, the rising demand for personalization for patient care with the use of advanced technology is anticipated to encourage the growth of the overall market in the near future.On the flip side, several privacy issues and data theft are predicted to restrict the growth of the global healthcare predictive analytics market in the next few years. In addition, the lack of skilled professionals is projected to hamper the growth of the global market in the near future. Nonetheless, the key players in the market are making efforts to overcome these challenges and create an awareness regarding the advantages of implementing healthcare predictive analytics. This is likely to supplement the growth of the market in the market in the coming years.Request TOC of the Report @Global Healthcare Predictive Analytics Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global market for healthcare predictive analytics has been divided on the basis of geography into Europe, Latin America, North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. According to the research study, in the last few years, North America held a key share of the global market and is expected to remain in the leading position across the forecast period. The significant contribution from the U.S. and the availability of skilled workforce are some of the major factors that are anticipated to encourage the growth of the North America healthcare predictive analytics market in the near future.Furthermore, Asia Pacific is likely to witness a healthy growth in the coming few years, thanks to the economic development in this region. The rapid development of the information technology industry and the tremendously rising IT outsourcing are estimated to fuel the growth of Asia Pacific market in the forecast period. The research study has provided the forecast statistics related to the regional segments of the global healthcare predictive analytics market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:The study presents insights into the vendor analysis of the healthcare predictive analytics market across the globe. The company profiles of the prominent players in the global market have been listed in the research study to offer a strong understanding of the market. In addition, the business plans that are being used by these players have been discussed in order to guide the market players in making effective business decisions in the near future.Some of the key players operating in the global healthcare predictive analytics market are Optum, Inc., Allscripts, Verisk Analytics, Inc., SAS, IBM, MedeAnalytics, Inc., McKesson Corporation, Oracle, and Cerner Corporation. A rise in the number of strategic collaborations and the rising focus on new product development are anticipated to supplement the growth of the global healthcare predictive analytics market in the next few years. Moreover, advancement in technology is another key factor propelling the global market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Immunohematology Market Expected to Grow at a Rapid Rate by 2025

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Global Immunohematology Market: SnapshotImmunohematology helps in examining the Rh factor, plasma, white blood cells components, and antigens in the blood of the donor. This process is commonly known as blood banking and deals with the preparation of blood cells for transfusions. Immunohematology helps in reducing the threats related to blood transfusions such as thalassemia and HIV.The global immunohematology market is anticipated to observe substantial growth owing to the development of new technologies for blood scanning and the launch of new products. However, expensive immunohematology products and low awareness among people are signaled to be some of the factors restraining the progress of the global immunohematology market, specifically in the emerging economies. There have been rising attempts to spread awareness about blood donations and its benefits all across the world. Moreover, the diagnostic labs and hospitals are also giving preference to automated instruments and integrating multiple functions on a single platform, thus supplementing market growth in return. It has also been projected that many leading companies will try their luck in the market in the coming years. Such large participation is expected to give rise to mergers and acquisitions, thus leading to an enhanced product portfolio and an expanded global market presence.Request Sample Copy of the Report @On the regional front, North America is expected to emerge as one of the leading regions contributing to the growth of the market. The growing number of blood banks and trauma center facilities play a key role in boosting the demand for immunohematology products in the region.Global Immunohematology Market: OverviewThe growing preference of automated technology and the rising demand for advanced technology are some of the important factors that are predicted to augment global immunohematology market in the next few years. A significant rise in the number of players is likely to supplement the growth of the overall market in the near future. The latest trends and lucrative opportunities in the global immunohematology market have been discussed at length in the research study. Moreover, a thorough overview of the global market, key segmentation, and the competitive scenario have been presented in order to guide the new as well as existing market players.Global Immunohematology Market: Drivers and RestraintsAccording to the research study, the global immunohematology market is expected to grow substantially in the next few years. The research study has highlighted the key factors that are responsible for the robust development in the last few years. The emergence of new and technologically-advanced products is considered as one of the major factors encouraging the growth of the global market. In addition, the tremendously rising rate of trauma injuries across the globe is projected to supplement the growth of the market in the near future.Request TOC of the Report @On the flip side, the high cost of products is one of the key factors that is estimated to restrict the growth of the global immunohematology market throughout the forecast period. In addition, the lack of awareness among consumers, especially in under-developed and developing economies regarding the availability of these products is expected to hamper the growth of the market. Nevertheless, the growing prevalence of target diseases and the growing demand from hospitals and diagnostic laboratories is anticipated to accelerate the growth of the global immunohematology market in the near future.Global Immunohematology Market: Region-wise OutlookFrom a geographical viewpoint, North America is anticipated to hold a key share of the global immunohematology market and maintain a leading position throughout the forecast period. The high growth of this region can be attributed to the increasing number of blood bank facilities and trauma centers. In addition, the rising demand for immunohematology products is another major factor estimated to encourage the growth of the North America market in the near future.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Furthermore, Europe is projected to witness a significant growth in the next few years, thanks to the presence of a large number of players operating in this region. The rising number of advanced and innovative immunohematology products is likely to fuel the growth of the Europe market in the coming few years. The Asia Pacific market for immunohematology is anticipated to grow at a robust rate and offer several opportunities to the market players in the next few years. The research study has included the market share and predicted growth size of each regional segment to offer a clear understanding to readers and players.Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:The global market for immunohematology is expected to grow at a rapid rate, owing to which a large number of players are predicted to participate in the market across the forecast period. The prominent players operating in the market are focusing on mergers and acquisitions in order to enhance their product portfolio and market presence across the globe. In addition, the growing focus on research and development activities is estimated to generate promising growth opportunities for the new players in the global immunohematology market.Some of the key players mentioned in the research study are Grifols, BD (Becton Dickinson), Beckman Coulter, Inc., Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Immucor, Abbott, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, ThermoFisher, Hologic, Inc., and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. To provide a thorough analysis of the global market, the research study talks about the competitive landscape, focusing on the company profiles, financial status, product portfolio, business policies, and the latest developments.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis Market Sluggish Growth Rate by 2025

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Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis Market: SnapshotNGS is the term which is used to describe a number of different modern sequencing technologies and is also known as high throughput sequencing. Researchers are allowed to examine the biological systems, deeply due to exceptional throughput, scalability of systems, and speed by the next generation sequencing (NGS). In present times, a greater level of understanding is demanded due to the complexities involved in genomic research, than those offered by old-style DNA sequencing methods. Thus, next generation sequencing has filled the gaps to cater to these greater levels of understanding needs and has become an everyday research tool. A digital alternative to sequence based gene expression, the scalability of next generation sequencing allows altering of the level of resolution to meet experimental needs.Due to constant developments in data integration and cloud computing solutions, data handling bottlenecks are effectively being addressed, involving a sizeable volume analysis of high throughput sequence data. The introduction of NGS methods in combination with increasing clinical diagnosis for personalized treatment of many diseases, and genomic research are in need of fast and precise algorithms and sequencing interpretation tools which can analyze data faster. Concurrent drop in prices and high genetic data output are few of the main causes behind the rise in the scope of sequencing projects. This, in turn, is leading to an increase in the demand for advanced and efficient solutions for elaborate bioinformatics pipeline.Request Sample Copy of the Report @When seen from a geographical aspect, due to the presence of some established market players in North America, it is likely to surface as one of the lucrative regions supplementing the growth of the global next generation sequencing data analysis market. In Canadian universities, increasing number of next generation sequencing research activities is further leading to growth of the market in that region.Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis Market: OverviewNext generation sequencing allows researchers to examine biological systems deeply due to the unprecedented throughput, speed, and scalability of these systems.Today, complexities involved in genomic research demands a higher level of understanding than what is offered by traditional DNA sequencing methodologies. Next-generation sequencing has become an everyday research tool and filled the gap to cater to these needs.NGS is the digital alternative for sequence-based gene expression. Moreover, the scalability of NGS allows to tune the resolution level to meet specific experimental needs.The report analyzes the various segments and sub-segments at length and offers a detailed assessment of their current, past, and future performance. The factor propelling and challenging the global next generation sequencing data analysis market and recommendations on how to overcome the challenges have also been presented in this study. Using industry-centric tools, such as SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis, readers are given a 360-degree overview of where the NGS data analysis market will stand in the near future.Request TOC of the Report @Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe continuous advancements in cloud computing and data integration solutions are effectively addressing data handling bottlenecks, which involves analyzing a sizeable volume of high-throughput sequence data. Technological advancements in bioinformatics are anticipated to provide lucrative opportunities to this vertical and hence propel growth of the global NGS data analysis market in the near future.The introduction of NGS methods combined with their increasing adoption in clinical diagnosis, genomic research, and for personalized treatment of several diseases are bolstering the demand for precise and rapid sequencing interpretation tools and algorithms that can expedite data analysis. Moreover, the scope of sequencing projects is expected to rise due to the high genetic data output and concurrent drop in the prices of sequencing. This has led to an increased demand for elaborate bioinformatics pipeline with advanced and efficient solutions.However, infrastructural cost for the development of algorithms and software is anticipated to hold back the markets growth to some extent. Moreover, time-consuming nature of NGS data analysis is also hampering the markets growth. This, however, will provide lucrative opportunities for commercial service providers to design and develop newer solutions with faster turnaround times.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis Market: Geographical OutlookThe NGS data analysis market can be analyzed with respect to the regional segments of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America is the leading market for NGS data analysis due to the presence of some of the established market players in this region. Moreover, the increasing number of NGS research undertakings carried out in Canadian universities is leading to the growth of the NGS data analysis market in this region.However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in this market in the coming years. This is mainly due to the increasing number of grants received for sequencing projects in the developing countries of this region. Moreover, positive R&D outcomes that are encouraging the inclusion of high-throughput sequencing in clinical diagnosis is anticipated to boost the growth of the NGS data sequencing market in Asia Pacific.Major Companies Mentioned in ReportSome of the leading companies in the global NGS data analysis market includes Illumina Inc., Ingenuity, Station X Inc., DNAnexus SevenBridges Genomics, Genalice, Congenica, Omicia Inc., WuXiNextCODE, Bluebee, and Edico Genome.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Telecom CRM 2018 Global Industry Key Players - Oracle , SAP AG , Salesforce , Microsoft Corp , Ericsson Market Analysis And Forecast To 2025

Global Telecom CRM Market

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Global Telecom CRM MarketThis report studies the global Telecom CRM market, analyzes and researches the Telecom CRM development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeOracleSAP AGSalesforceMicrosoft CorpEricssonAmdocs Systems Inc.Avaya Inc.AsiaInfoMAXIMIZER SERVICESConvergys CorpInfor Global SolutionsHuawei InvestmentHolding Co.Request a Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoSoftwareServiceOthersMarket segment by Application, Telecom CRM can be split intoSmall-Sized EnterprisesMedium-sized EnterprisesLarge-Sized EnterprisesTable of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Telecom CRM Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Telecom CRM1.1 Telecom CRM Market Overview1.1.1 Telecom CRM Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Telecom CRM Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Telecom CRM Market by Type1.3.1 Software1.3.2 Service1.3.3 Others1.4 Telecom CRM Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Small-Sized Enterprises1.4.2 Medium-sized Enterprises1.4.3 Large-Sized Enterprises2 Global Telecom CRM Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Telecom CRM Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Oracle3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 SAP AG3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Salesforce3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Microsoft Corp3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Ericsson3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Amdocs Systems Inc.3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Avaya Inc.3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 AsiaInfo3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 MAXIMIZER SERVICES3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Convergys Corp3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Telecom CRM Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Infor Global Solutions3.12 Huawei Investment3.13 Holding Co.Continued.Complete Report Details @Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Washing Machine Market Robust pace of Industry by 2025

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Washing Machine Market: SnapshotThe growing demand for products which bring convenience to consumers is a key factor fueling the demand for washing machines. The growing changes in lifestyles, increasing disposable income, and the availability of advanced technology are also boosting the growth of the global washing machines market. One of the trends seen in the washing machine market in recent times is the use of technology that reduces the use of water for washing. The growing scarcity of water worldwide and the realization that water is a limited natural resource have compelled manufacturers to devise a technology that minimizes the use of water. In addition to this, smart washing machines have also gained traction in recent times on account of the increasing penetration of IoT and smartphones. The convenience offered by smart washing machines such as ability to operate remotely, control functions of the washing machine by using smartphones, and receive notifications is expected to increase the popularity of these machines in the future.The washing machines with higher capacity load are witnessing more demand in the last few years. In addition to this, consumers are increasingly transiting from semi-automatic washing machines to fully automatic washing machines. Technological advancements will continue to drive the growth of this market. Increasing replacements made from conventional washing machines to advanced and latest machines will ensure a growth of the market in developed nations. The increasing population and improvement in economy will drive the growth of this market in the developing nations.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Washing Machine Market: OverviewThe world washing machine market is prognosticated to rake in ample amount of demand from the residential sector as consumers find a heated inclination toward smart and connected products. Vendors in the market are taking to products which can be managed and controlled with a few touches on the consumers smartphone. Commercial dryers could gain traction as manufacturers introduce heat pump technology in the wake of energy consumption rising to an alarming level. Moreover, government initiatives to support controlled energy consumption, digitalization, and a large demand in developing economies are expected to add to the growth of the market.The segmentation part of the report presented here could include an expert analysis on the basis of important classification groups such as capacity, technology, product, application, and end use. Commercial laundry equipment are envisaged to appeal to government, hospital, and hospitality sectors with outsourcing deemed as a powerful trend of growth.The publication compiled on the global washing machine market sheds light on the critical factors of growth, market opportunities, restraints, market value chain, and more aspects to help analyze the industry at a professional level. Report buyers can access a customized evaluation of the global market to take confident strides toward a realistic growth.Request TOC of the Report @Global Washing Machine Market: Trends and OpportunitiesAs a result of the advent of innovative solutions in the laundry sector, the commercial washing machine market is expected to accept a transition. This could push the need for increased automation in laundry services, which is foreseen to prepare a fine ground for the global washing machine market to build on a robust growth. One of the notable revolutions in the laundry sector is the shift from coin laundries to card-based or digital laundry payment services. As a favorable consequence, the demand for smart connected washing machines is foretold to intensify even more with swiftly changing lifestyle of consumers and mushrooming preference for convenience.For the forecast period, the international washing machine market could invite an optimistic impact as newer technologies take precedence to address the demand for water and power efficient, next generation products. In order to control the consumption of energy, governments especially in North America are asking consumers to prefer energy-efficient appliances with smart grids. This is foreseen to aggravate the manufacturing efforts to develop technologically sophisticated products.Global Washing Machine Market: Regional OutlookThe regional demand in the international washing machine market is predicted to augment with the rising preference for smart connected and fully automatic products in the developing countries of Vietnam, India, and Indonesia. The demand is anticipated to swell further as the populations in these countries falling under the middle-income bracket see a rise. The washing machine market in China could experience a high level of penetration of different types of products, thus allowing the market to increase its growth. In 2015, Asia Pacific took hold of a whopping share in the global washing machine market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @North America is forecasted to not fall behind by much distance from Asia Pacific, owing to the rising want for smart washing machine to replace their traditional counterparts. In the U.S., the demand has grown dramatically with the elevating awareness of products bearing the ENERGY STAR certification.Global Washing Machine Market: Companies MentionedMost manufacturers in the world washing machine market are counting on the formulation of holistic distribution mediums with a view to widen their clientele base. Some of the interesting strategies adopted by the top vendors in the global market are substantial focus on supply chain management through vital investments and improvement of product assortments. Among others, Electrolux AB, LG Electronics Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Whirlpool Corporation are deemed to be the leading players in the market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Pediatric Ultrasound Market Detailed Overview of the Present Growth by 2025

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Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: SnapshotUltrasound imaging, or sonography, makes use of sound waves in high frequencies to take a look inside the body. It is a noninvasive diagnostic procedure that can be used to capture images of the human anatomy in real time. Their real time imaging capabilities also allow them to display internal organ movements, including blood flow and blood vessel formations. The advantage of ultrasound over similar imaging technologies such as X-ray imaging, is that the former does not expose patients to harmful rays. This forms the core principle of using ultrasound imaging in pediatric care.Ultrasound technologies are designed to be safe and painless for patients while still being able to produce accurate images of the anatomy. Pediatric ultrasound can therefore be a significantly better method of generating images of a childs abdomen for the sake of examination. Common body parts that can be diagnosed using ultrasound include the kidneys, stomach, appendix, uterus, spleen, and pancreas. Pediatric ultrasound imaging can therefore help a doctor check the child for deformities or the cause of pain in their abdomen. Ultrasound technologies are also highly advantageous when providing guidance for surgeons attempting to operate on the child. While it is uncommon, abdominal buildup of fluids can occur in children, and needs to be taken care of immediately. Pediatric ultrasound imaging comes handy in situations such as there.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: OverviewPediatric ultrasound imaging, also called pediatric sonography, is one of the standard imaging techniques used across a variety of healthcare facilities to scan different parts of body of children to diagnose and treat a number of medical conditions. The noninvasive and safe nature of the imaging technique is significantly used to evaluate and examine a variety of conditions and is witnessing a steady rise in demand across the globe owing to a significant rise in several diseases affecting children.This report on the global pediatric ultrasound market presents a detailed overview of the present growth dynamics of the market and an analytical overview of the key factors expected to exert a significant impact on the overall development of the market over the period 2017-2025.Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: Trends and OpportunitiesA host of factors are leading to the increased demand for pediatric ultrasound devices in the global market, including the significant rise in prevalence of a number of pediatric diseases, the resultant rise in demand for increased number of diagnostic procedures, and the increased consciousness among parents about the need for early diagnosis of pediatric diseases. The low threat of exposure to harmful radiations as compared to other popular imaging techniques and technological advancements in the field of pediatric ultrasound are also expected to drive the market.Request TOC of the Report @Additionally, vast untapped growth opportunities in developing and less-developed economies are also expected to drive the market for pediatric ultrasounds in the next few years. However, the markets growth is expected to be restrained to a certain extent owing to the thriving industry of refurbished medical devices, limited availability of skilled resources, and some inherent limitations of the ultrasound technology that restrict their scope of use.Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: Geographical AnalysisFrom a geographical perspective, the report examines the global pediatric ultrasound market across regions such as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Of these, the markets across developed regions such as North America and Europe are amongst the top revenue-grossers for the global market. The high prevalence of pediatric chronic heart diseases, high awareness among parents about children health, and technologically advanced healthcare infrastructures in these regions are the key factors driving the pediatric ultrasound market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Over the reports forecast period, however, the market for pediatric ultrasound in Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit growth at the most promising pace, chiefly owing to the increased focus of government bodies on modernization of healthcare infrastructures and rising expenditure on healthcare and fitness. With the presence of some of the worlds leading medical device manufacturers such as Hitachi and Toshiba, Japan dominates the Asia Pacific pediatric ultrasound market.Global Pediatric Ultrasound Market: Competitive OverviewThe vendor landscape of the global pediatric ultrasound market features intense competition in terms of product pricing and product features. The rising demand for portable and handheld systems has compelled leading vendors to focus on this niche segment of the market to reap sustainable returns. Futuristic technologies such as 3D and 4D ultrasound devices are also gaining increasing acceptance across developed regional markets as well as developing regional markets, a trend that could result in excellent growth opportunities for vendors wanting to venture into the pediatric ultrasound market.Some of the leading companies contributing to the development of the global pediatric ultrasound market are Toshiba Medical System Corporation, Boston Scientific, Agfa-Gevaert NV, Hitachi Medical Corporation, Esaote SpA, General Electric Company, Fujifilm Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Samsung Medison Co. Ltd., Mindray Medical International Limited, GE Healthcare, and Siemens Healthcare.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global SD-WAN Market :: Solution, Services, Application and Market Insight 2022

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The SD-WAN market size is set to cross $9.3 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 59.2% between 2016-2022. The market is driven by factors such as rise of cloud computing, need for cost effective network management, simplified network architecture and increasing need for network security and visibility. In terms of type, the SD-WAN market is classified into product (WAN infrastructure, and SD-WAN control and overlay) and service (CSP SD-WAN managed and cloud-managed SD-WAN). SD-WAN products accounted for larger revenue in the SD-WAN market in 2015, and are also expected to contribute larger revenue during the forecast period. However, the market for SD-WAN service is expected to witness higher CAGR of 97.0%, during the forecast period.Explore Full Report Description at:In terms of industry, the SD-WAN market is segmented into IT & telecom, BFSI, government, healthcare and others. The IT & telecom accounted for the major revenue of the SD-WAN industry in 2015. With increasing advancements in telecommunications and information technology, and demand for greater bandwidth for high performance applications, the market is expected to witness potential growth from IT & telecom industry during the forecast period.North America led the global SD-WAN market, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific in 2015. The North American market for SD-WAN was valued at $69.9 million in 2015, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 57.7% during the forecast period, to reach $2.7 billion by 2022. Among the countries in the North American region, the U.S. contributed larger revenue to the North American SD-WAN industry in 2015. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 57.0% during the forecast period.Download Report Sample At:The players in the SD-WAN market are launching new products to gain a larger market share For instance, in September 2016. Mushroom Networks, a provider of SD-WAN solutions, announced the launch of a platform which represents the next stage of SD-WAN industry as VNF Design Studio. The virtual network function (VNF) design studio was to enable large enterprises and various service providers to easily build personalized virtual network functions which are custom made for their wide area networking (WAN) through a curated library of modular and drag & drop components.Some of the key players in the SD-WAN market are Citrix Systems, Inc., Silver Peak Inc., Cloudgenix, Inc., Ecessa Corporation, Viptela, Riverbed Technology, Inc., Mushroom Networks, Inc., VeloCloud Networks and Glue Networks.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide market research reports, industry reports; business intelligence and research based consulting services across a range of industries.With the help of our professional corporate relations with various companies, our market research offers the most accurate market forecasting. Our analysts and consultants interact with leading companies of the concerned domain to substantiate every single data presented in our publication. Our research assists our client in identifying new and different windows of opportunity and frame informed and customized strategies for expansion in different regions.Contact:P&S Market Research347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Thermal Management Technologies Market Predicting the Growth Prospects by 2025

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Global Thermal Management Technologies Market: SnapshotThe electronics industry has witnessed a sea change in terms of underpinning technologies and the way they are integrated in the past couple of years. In most cases, this has upped the total power consumed by the devices which seem to be getting smaller by the day. This has necessitated heat density management through the development of effective heat management technologies.At present, high-performance heat spreader systems that leverage multi-phase cooling in place of alloy-based heat spreaders is one of the most researched areas in the field of thermal management technologies. There is also substantial ongoing research in fabrication or discovery of structures and materials capable of providing notable decline in the thermal resistance of the thermal interface layer between the back layers of electronic devices, which could be a heatsink.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The global thermal management technologies market is choc-a-bloc with players and no single player enjoys dominance over the market. From a geographical standpoint, Asia Pacific is the primary contributor to the revenue in the market on account of the presence of some of the global electronic majors in nations such as Japan, South Korea, and China. Europe is another key market owing to a robust electronic manufacturing and research and development facilities in nations of Germany and the US. The EU regulations requiring the use of thermal interface in electronic devices is also said to be driving the market in the continent. Add to that increasing concerns about the rising ranks of discerning consumers about the environment and what you have is further focus on the development of environment-friendly heat management materials.Global Thermal Management Technologies Market: OverviewThe electronics industry has seen significant enhancements in technologies, system integration, and fundamental materials used to manufacture elemental structures in the past few years. This has led to a rapid rise in the total power consumed by the device, which, in several cases, are seeing a rapid reduction in size. Supplying high power to such devices, with electronic parts crammed in small packages, make the issue of heat density management even worse for the industry. This has increased the industrys focus on the development of efficient heat management technologies.Request TOC of the Report @This report on the global thermal management technologies market covers the state of research and development activities undertaken in this area and their influence on the electronics industry as seen in the past few years. A detailed overview of the thermal management technologies markets present growth dynamics and several forward-looking statements predicting the growth prospects of the market and its key segments over the period between 2017 and 2025.Global Thermal Management Technologies Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe development of high-performance heat spreader systems which use multi-phase cooling in place of alloy-based heat spreaders in conventional systems is presently one of the most researched areas in the field of thermal management technologies. Research efforts in the area so far have led to the development of technologies such as cold plates, jet impingement, and heat vapor chambers. Research is also underway in fabrication/discovery of structures and materials capable of providing notable decline in the thermal resistance of the thermal interface layer between the back layers of electronic devices, which could be a heatsink.Of the key components of a typical thermal management solution, namely thermal management hardware, thermal management interface product, thermal management software, and thermal management substrates, the hardware segment is presently the leading contributor of revenue to the global market. The rising demand for compact microprocessors is expected to enable the hardware segment lead over the next few years as well.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @The segment of thermal management interfaces is also expected to see demand rise at a promising incremental pace over the reports forecast period. The rising implementation of thermal management interfaces in automated machineries and portable and miniaturized computing devices such as smartphones and tablet computers will be the key to healthy growth prospects of the thermal management interface segment.Global Thermal Management Technologies Market: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsFrom a geographic perspective, the report presents an analytical overview of the thermal management technologies market for regional markets such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and Africa. Of these, Asia Pacific is expected to be the leading contributor of revenue to the global market over the forecast period. The presence of some of the worlds leading electronic companies in countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan will further strengthen the demand prospects for thermal management technologies in the region over the forecast period.Europe, with the large number of electronic manufacturing and R&D facilities in countries such as the UK and Germany, is also expected to see a rise in use of thermal management technologies in the near future. The Europe market is also expected to thrive due to stringent EU regulations necessitating the use of thermal interface in electronic devices. The heightened consumer awareness about environment sustenance is expected to lead to an increased focus on the development of environment-friendly heat management materials in the near future.It has been found that the global thermal management technologies market features an exceedingly fragmented competitive landscape, wherein no leading player accounts for a major share in the global markets revenue- or value-wise valuation. Some of the markets leading players are Honeywell International, LairdTech, Alcatel-Lucent, Pentair Thermal Management, Thermacore, Heatex, Aavid Thermalloy, Advanced Cooling Technologies, Thermal Management Technologies, Sapa Group, and Honeywell International.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Infant Phototherapy Devices Market to reach a market size of $101 million by 2023

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According to a new report Global Infant Phototherapy Devices Market, published by KBV research, The Infant Phototherapy Devices Market Size was valued at $72million in 2016, and is estimated to reach $101 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.The North America market held the largest share in the Global Infant Phototherapy Devices Market by Region in 2016 and would continue to be a dominant market till 2023, growing at a CAGR of 3.3 % during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific market is expected to witness a CAGR of 7.6% during (2017  2023).The Mobile Device market held the largest share in the Global Infant Phototherapy Devices Market by Configuration in 2016 and would continue to be a dominant market till 2023, and is expected to witness a CAGR of 4.5% during (2017  2023).The Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs) market held the largest share in the Global Infant Phototherapy Devices Market by Light Source in 2016 and would continue to be a dominant market till 2023;. The Quartz Halogen Lamps market is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.8% during (2017  2023).Full Report:The market research report has exhaustive quantitative insights providing a clear picture of the market potential in various segments across the globe with country wise analysis in each discussed region. The key impacting factors of the Global Infant Phototherapy Devices Market have been discussed in the report with the elaborated company profiles are D-Rev, AVI Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Natus Medical Incorporated, GE Healthcare (A healthcare division Of GE Company), Atom Medical Corporation, Ibis Medical Equipment & Systems Pvt. Ltd., Ningbo David Medical Device Co. Ltd., Phoenix Medical Systems (P) Ltd., Weyer GmbH, and Zhengzhou Dison Instrument and Meter Co. Ltd.Global Infant Phototherapy Devices Market Size SegmentationBy ConfigurationMobile DeviceFixed DeviceBy Light SourceFluorescent Lamps (FL)Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs)Quartz Halogen LampsGas Discharge TubesBy End UserHospitalNeonatal ClinicsBy GeographyNorth America Infant Phototherapy Devices Market SizeUS Infant Phototherapy Devices Market SizeCanada Infant Phototherapy Devices Market SizeMexico Infant Phototherapy Devices Market SizeOther NA Country Infant Phototherapy Devices Market SizeEurope Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketGermany Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketUK Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketFrance Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketRussia Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketSpain Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketItaly Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketOther EU Country Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketAsia Pacific Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketChina Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketJapan Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketIndia Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketSouth Korea Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketSingapore Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketMalaysia Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketOther APAC Country Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketLatin America, Middle East and Africa (LAMEA) Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketBrazil Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketArgentina Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketUAE Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketSaudi Arabia Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketSouth Africa Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketNigeria Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketOther LAMEA Country Infant Phototherapy Devices MarketCompanies ProfiledD-RevAVI Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.Natus Medical IncorporatedGE Healthcare (A healthcare division Of GE Company)Atom Medical CorporationIbis Medical Equipment & Systems Pvt. Ltd.Ningbo David Medical Device Co. Ltd.Phoenix Medical Systems (P) Ltd.Weyer GmbHZhengzhou Dison Instrument and Meter Co. Ltd.Unique Offerings from KBV ResearchExhaustive coverage of Global Infant Phototherapy Devices Market SizeHighest number of market tables and figuresSubscription based model availableGuaranteed best priceAssured post sales research support with 10% customization freeRelated Reports:North America Infant Phototherapy Devices Market (2017-2023)Europe Infant Phototherapy Devices Market (2017-2023)Asia Pacific Infant Phototherapy Devices Market (2017-2023)LAMEA Infant Phototherapy Devices Market (2017-2023)Knowledge Based Value Research is a global brand and consulting firm serving all kinds of business verticals, government and non-governmental organizations, and not-for-profit organizations. Our motto is to extend our services that will have a lasting impact on our clients who trust us with their business goals.4F  CS  27, Ansal PlazaSector  1, Vaishali  201010Delhi NCR, Ghaziabad, India
Project Insight-Global Port Construction Projects

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With the World Trade Organization (WTO) reporting an upsurge of 11% in exports in 2017, many countries are improving or creating new port facilities. However, the potentially detrimental impact on trade of the 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminium imports recently announced by the Trump administration may see investment in port facilities decline.This report looks at the influencing factors in more detail, and takes a global and regional view of the port construction projects, including analysis of the ten countries with the highest value of port projects.Get Sample Copy atPublisher's Construction Intelligence Center (CIC) is currently tracking port construction projects globally with a total value of US$461.1 billion; of this, US$160.1 billion is in the planning stage. Asia-Pacific accounts for the highest value with US$183.2 billion, followed by the Middle East and Africa with projects valuing US$122.6 billion. The Americas follow with projects with a value of US$97.2 billion, and Europe has projects valued at US$58.1 billion. Globally, India heads up port project investment with US$41.1 billion, followed by Malaysia with projects valuing US$28.1 billion. The largest projects currently in the pipeline are the US$22.8 billion Carey Island Port Klang Extension in Malaysia, followed by the US$20.0 billion Payra Seaport Development in Bangladesh.This report provides detailed analysis, information and insights based on 594 global port construction projects (as tracked by CIC) split by region and value. Country profiles are provided for the top 10 countries including India, Malaysia and the US.-Gain insight into the development of the port construction sector.-Assess all major projects by value, start date, scope and stage of development globally, for the regions and top 10 countries to support business development activities.-Plan campaigns by country based on specific project opportunities and align resources to the most attractive markets.Make an InquiryTable of Contents1. Global Overview2. Regional Overviews2.1. The Americas2.2. Europe2.3. Asia-Pacific2.4. Middle East and Africa3. Key Operators3.1. The Americas3.2. Europe3.3. Asia-Pacific3.4. Middle East and Africa4. Project Analytics by Country4.1. India4.2. Malaysia4.3. The US4.4. Indonesia4.5. Brazil4.6. Bangladesh4.7. Russia4.8. Australia4.9. China4.10. Mozambique5. Methodology6. DisclaimerFor More Information about This Report:Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune, India
Immunomodulators Market Prophesied to Grow at a Faster Pace by 2025

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Global Immunomodulators Market: SnapshotThe demand in the global immunomodulators market is expected to increment at a potent CAGR during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025, which can be attributed to a number of key factors, such as increasing adoption of monoclonal antibodies, presence of strong pipeline portfolio, strong adoption of TNF-alpha inhibitors and B-cell inhibitors, advancements in the diagnostic tools, and the development of novel therapies using innovative technologies. On the other hand, the immunomodulators market is facing challenges from high number patent expiration, growing competition from generic and biosimilars, adverse effects of drugs, and discontinuation of drugs under development, which is expected to lead to substantial loss of revenue. Nevertheless, the vendors operating in the global immunomodulators market are expected to gain new opportunities from the emergence of oral agents and focusing on regenerative medicines.Product-wise, the global immunomodulators market can be segmented into immunosuppressants including calcineurin inhibitors, antibodies, antimetabolites, glucocorticoids, and others, and Immunostimulants such as vaccines and antibodies. Application-wise, the market for immunomodulators can be classified into oncology, HIV, respiratory, and others.Request Sample Copy of the Report @This report on the global immunomodulators market has been developed by professional market research analyst and aspires to represent the current scenario as well as the future prospects of the market, figuratively and analytically. The report takes stock of the potential of immunomodulators market in every important geographical region as well as profiles a number of leading companies in order to represent the existing competitive landscape.Global Immunomodulators Market: SnapshotImmunomodulators are referred to as the medications that are used for the regulation or for normalizing the immune system. They are the active agents used in immunotherapy. Immunotherapy refers to treating a disease by suppressing, enhancing, or inducing an immune response. Immunomodulatory regimens at times have few side effects that the existing drugs that have less potential for a resistance cover while treating a microbial disease. Immunomodulators are assorted arrays of natural, synthetic, and recombinant preparations. Applications of immunomodulators include rheumatoid arthritis, Crohns disease, and multiple sclerosis, among others. Substantial untapped opportunities along with development of new drugs to meet the unmet the needs and anticipated product launches are likely to create pave way for future growth prospects.The report is an investigation in the growth of the global immunomodulatory market over the last couple of years and in the coming years. The market research publication further reasons out the causes of the changes in the market across the globe. It does this so by presenting an evaluation of the dynamics and the trends prevalent from the last few years and the ones that are likely to retain an impact during the forecast period. The Porters five forces analysis is being taken into consideration for the analysts to provide a clear view of the vendor landscape to the readers. Mergers, agreements, acquisitions, and other partnerships have also been highlighted in the report. The study further delves into the working of the various leading companies along with the information on the products, strategies, and shares of the companies in question.Request TOC of the Report @Global Immunomodulators Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe global market for immunomodualtors is expected to grow exponentially over the forecast period owing to the rising cases of chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, allergic conditions, cancer, and asthma. Additionally, the growing employment of early immunomodulatory therapy for treating Crohns disease is further expected to bode well for the growth of the market in the coming years. High remission rate and less organ rejection incidents render immunomodulator therapy as a promising alternative. The generation of advanced biological response modifiers is growing significantly owing to the rising incidences of multiple sclerosis across the globe, thus benefitting the immunomodulators market in return. With immunomodualtors posing the risk of less side effects as compared to existing drugs, its market is expected to expand extensively over the coming years. The global market for immunomodulators is also expected to expand over the years owing to the presence of unfulfilled clinical needs and need the alternative treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.Global Immunomodulators Market: Regional AnalysisThe global market for immunomodulators can be segmented on the basis region into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Rest of the World. North America is a potential region vendors can look forward to and capitalize on the opportunities arising from the region. The presence of numerous people suffering from various chronic ailments is the primary factor propelling the demand for immunomodulators in the region. High awareness level among patients and favorable government initiatives are further expected to bode well for the markets growth in North America.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Immunomodulators Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportSome of the key companies in the market are F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Amgen, Inc., Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Merck & Co., Inc., and Biogen.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Isocyanates Market - World Isocyanates Market Size, Trends - 2023

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Increasing awareness of energy crisis leading to increasing demand for energy efficient structures coupled with incentives and government regulations to promote energy efficient structures are the major factors driving demand for isocyanates market.Request sample copy of report here :Further, factors driving the growth of the isocyanate market include high demand from current & emerging applications, demand from emerging economies, and advancement in technology.Organic compounds that contain an isocyanate group are referred to as isocyanates. Isocyanate is the functional group with the formula RN=C=O. An isocyanate that has two isocyanate groups is known as a di-isocyanate and those with multiple isocyanate groups are known as polisocyanates.The global isocyanates market can be classified on the basis of types of isocyanates and applications of isocyanates. On the basis of types of isocyanates the market can be segmented into methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), aliphatic isocyanate, toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and others (including HDI isocyanurate and HDI biuret).Suppliers and manufacturers involved in infrastructure applications are expected to be highly benefited from consumer markets, as the boom in these sectors in emerging economies will increase the demand for products based on it.Access Report Summary with Detailed TOC at :Major competitors in the global isocyanates market are Ashai Kasei Corporation, BASF SE, Bayer MaterialScience AG, Chemtura Corporation, Huntsman International LLC., The Dow Chemical Company, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Hebei Cangzhou New Century Foreign Trade Co., Ltd., Evonik Industries Ag, DAHUA GROUP CO., LTD.., Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd. and Vencorex.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:P&S Market Research347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-Free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Tax Software Market Forecast 2018-2025 Intuit Inc., Xero, Thomson Reuters, Exactor

Tax Software Market

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Survey Tax Software Market 2018A market study "Global Tax Software Market" examines the performance of the Tax Software market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Tax Software market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Tax Software market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Tax Software Market 2018 report includes Tax Software market Revenue, market Share, Tax Software industry volume, market Trends, Tax Software Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Tax Software Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Tax Software Market 2018 :AvalaraVertex, Inc.SOVOSH&R BlockEGov SystemsIntuit Inc.XeroThomson ReutersExactorWolters KluwerFedTaxDrake SoftwareBLUCORALumaTaxLegalRaasta.comService ObjectsTax Software Market : By ApplicationSmall Business and IndividualsMidsize EnterpriseLarge EnterpriseTax Software Market : By TypeCloud BasedOn-PremisesFirstly, the report covers the top Tax Software manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Tax Software report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Tax Software industry, Tax Software industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Tax Software Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Tax Software research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Tax Software market revenue worldwide.Finally, Tax Software market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:GlobeInfoResearch.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact US:5001 Spring Valley Rd #400,Dallas,TX 75244, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Email: sales@globeinforesearch.com
Global DC Contactor Market Forecast 2018-2025 SCHALTBAU GMBH, Curtis Instruments, Eaton, AMETEK

DC Contactor Market

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A market study "Global DC Contactor Market" examines the performance of the DC Contactor market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the DC Contactor market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of DC Contactor market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global DC Contactor Market 2018 report includes DC Contactor market Revenue, market Share, DC Contactor industry volume, market Trends, DC Contactor Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, DC Contactor Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global DC Contactor Market 2018 :TE ConnectivityRockwell AutomationZhejiang Dongya ElectronicGIGAVAC (GuoLi Electronic Technology)ABBSiemensSCHALTBAU GMBHCurtis InstrumentsEatonAMETEKHubbell Industrial ControlsMitsubishi Electric CorporationTrombettaDC Contactor Market : By ApplicationMotor applicationPower switchingOtherDC Contactor Market : By TypeGeneral purpose DC contactorsDefinite-Purpose DC ContactorsFirstly, the report covers the top DC Contactor manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the DC Contactor report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of DC Contactor industry, DC Contactor industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. DC Contactor Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The DC Contactor research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the DC Contactor market revenue worldwide.Finally, DC Contactor market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:GlobeInfoResearch.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact US:5001 Spring Valley Rd #400,Dallas,TX 75244, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Email: sales@globeinforesearch.com
Specialty Polyamides Market Detailed Overview of the Trends by 2025

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Specialty Polyamides Market: SnapshotSpecialty polyamides are fabricated materials that provide comparable amounts of durability and mechanical strength as conventional materials while weighing significantly less. Specialty polyamides are also notable due to the lower carbon footprint their production generates, which has emerged as a key driver for the specialty polyamides market due to the vast environmental consequences of the production of conventional materials such as plastics.The automotive industry is the leading consumer in the global specialty polymers market and is likely to retain a dominant share in the coming years due to the rising acknowledgment of the benefits of lighter cars in terms of minimizing their environmental impact. Using lighter materials in car construction leads to lower fuel consumption, as the same amount of power is distributed over a smaller mass, helping enhance the environmental footprint of the automobile. Lighter cars also provide better handling, since the momentum of the vehicle is reduced. This has also been a key factor in leading to lighter materials, including specialty polyamides, becoming popular in the automotive sector.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Several government bodies, including the U.S. EPA, have also come out in support of the use of lighter materials in car construction due to their significant cumulative potential to reduce mans impact on climate change. The specialty polyamides market has benefited significantly from such initiatives and is likely to rely on government support in the coming years, particularly due to the higher prices of specialty polyamides in comparison to conventional automotive construction materials. Government support will also help the global specialty polyamides market overcome one of its key restraint: lack of awareness in developing countries. The booming automotive industry in developing countries such as China, Japan, and India is thus likely to have a significant impact on the global specialty polyamides market in the coming years.Global Specialty Polyamides Market: OverviewSpecialty polyamide manufacturers are preferring eco-friendly and high-quality alternatives as raw materials to conventional petroleum. These polyamides, which are manufactured using renewable raw materials, have a lower CO2 and other greenhouse gasses footprint and support sustainable development. Continuous research and development activities are paving way for advanced polyamides that provide excellent thermal and mechanical characteristics and enhanced humidity resistance. Governments and organizations worldwide are taking efforts to promote the use of these polyamides across key end-user industries. Thus, the global market for specialty polyamides is anticipated to experience tremendous growth in the foreseeable future. These polyamides are used across various end-user industries such as automotive and transportation, energy, electrical and electronics, industrial coatings, and consumer goods and retail.Request TOC of the Report @The research report presents a concise account of the various critical parameters of the global specialty polyamides market. It includes a detailed overview of the trends and opportunities impacting the global market. It offers valuable insights into the competitive landscape of the market. It provides an in-depth analysis of business strategies, latest developments, market shares, and cost and revenue structures of key players in the market and profiles them. It covers SWOT analysis that forecasts the growth trajectory of each prominent player in the market. It segments the market on the basis of several criteria including end users and geography and provides statistics in terms of both value and volume.Global Specialty Polyamides Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe surge in the demand for emission control and fuel economy improvement is prompting automobile companies to develop alternative solutions for manufacturing lighter vehicles through design modification and material substitution. This is, thereby, fuelling the global demand for specialty polyamides. Moreover, stringent measures taken by government bodies such as EPA to reduce greenhouse gasses emissions are augmenting the market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @On the other hand, volatile economic conditions in several parts of the world are hampering the growth of the market. However, the rising awareness regarding environment conservation is anticipated to promote the adoption of specialty polyamides across different end-user industries over the coming years.Global Specialty Polyamides Market: Region-wise SegmentationThe key segments meticulously studied in the research report are Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific will be a prominent market throughout the forecast period. The robust growth of the end-user industries such as automotive, electronics and semiconductors, and consumer goods is driving the demand for specialty polyamides in the region. The improving economic conditions in emerging countries is also fuelling the growth of the region.Countries such as Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan are likely to be the major contributors to the growth of the region. Owing to the aforementioned factors, the region is expected to register a healthy growth during the same span. In Rest of the World region, countries including Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil will be sights of high growth rate during the review period.Global Specialty Polyamides Market: Competitive LandscapeKey players in the global specialty polyamides market are allocating sizeable funds in the research and development of superior products with high quality and extended durability in order to expand their presence in the market. Manufacturers are focusing towards developing innovative and customized products that are in line with customer requirements. Some of the prominent companies operating in the market are Solvay S.A., Radici Group, Koninklijke DSM N.V., E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and INVISTA.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market Forecast 2018-2025 SFC Energy AG, Oorja Protonics

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market

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A market study "Global Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market" examines the performance of the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market 2018 report includes Direct Methanol Fuel Cell market Revenue, market Share, Direct Methanol Fuel Cell industry volume, market Trends, Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market 2018 :SFC Energy AGOorja ProtonicsDirect Methanol Fuel Cell Market : By ApplicationDefense&SecurityMobility&Industrial ApplicationLeisureMaterials Handling EquipmentTelecommunicationsOtherDirect Methanol Fuel Cell Market : By Type1 KW1 KW-5 KWFirstly, the report covers the top Direct Methanol Fuel Cell manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell industry, Direct Methanol Fuel Cell industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Direct Methanol Fuel Cell research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell market revenue worldwide.Finally, Direct Methanol Fuel Cell market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:GlobeInfoResearch.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact US:5001 Spring Valley Rd #400,Dallas,TX 75244, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Email: sales@globeinforesearch.com
UAE Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Market revenues are projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% during 2018-24

UAE Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Market (2018-2024)-6Wresearch

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Growing SMEs, increasing IT Spending and Expected Rise in Data Centers along with Upcoming Mega Event - World Expo 2020 Would Drive the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Market in UAE - 6WresearchUPS is required to control the power fluctuations and provide back-up in case of power cut offs during critical operations. With rise in government spending towards the growth of commercial sector of the country, a boost is expected in the small and medium scale enterprises industry over the coming years. Further, increasing number of data centers, hospitals and several other industries such as manufacturing units and refineries would ultimately increase the demand for UPS systems to support business continuity in critical service situations in the future.Browse Press Release @According to 6Wresearch, UAE Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Market revenues are projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% during 2018-24. Under UAE Vison 2021, the UAE government is aiming to boost development of several sectors such as education, healthcare, social infrastructure, housing, and government services. As a result, growth in the number of hospitals, hotels, government buildings, manufacturing units and expansion plans for transportation facilities in the country are anticipated to surge the demand for UPS systems in the country as such areas often require power back up facilities for their smooth operations.According to Ravi Bhandari, Assistant Manager, Research and Consulting, 6Wresearch, "The country is all set to host the mega event - World Expo 2020, which would lead to large-scale investment in the commercial sector. Additionally, initiatives such as Smart Dubai 2021, which is designed to strategically remodel Dubai as a smart city and provide data sharing facilities between all the emirates of UAE, would lead to more number of data centers setups. All these factors would spur the demand for UPS systems in the country and the market is anticipated to register a healthy growth over the coming years."According to Priya Sharma, Research Associate, Research and Consulting, 6Wresearch, "Lower and medium rated UPS systems acquired the largest market revenue share in the overall UPS systems market as several industries, hotels and data centers use compiled racks of multiple low rating UPS systems in place of single high rating ones. Further, growing number smart homes in the country, which require UPS systems to regulate the functioning of video surveillance, access control cards, elevators, etc would further surge the demand for low range UPS systems during the forecast period.""Initiatives such as Dubai Plan 2021, Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030 as well as World Expo 2020 would help Dubai's UPS systems market to grow at a rapid pace over the coming years." Priya further added.Some of the key players in UAE Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Market include- Vertiv Co, Riello UPS Middle East FZ-LLC, Schneider Electric SE, ABB Ltd., Eaton Corporation Plc, Socomec Middle East, Arabian Power Electronics Company, TrippLite, AEG Power Solutions, Legrand SNC FZE and General Electric Company."UAE Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Market (2018-2024)" provides in-depth analysis with 52 figures and 34 tables covered in more than 141 pages. The report estimates and forecast the overall Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems Market by revenues, KVA rating, regions and applications such as commercial, industrial and residential. The report provides an unbiased and detailed analysis of the on-going trends, opportunities/high growth areas and market drivers which would help the stakeholders to device and align their market strategies according to the current and future market dynamics.For Sample Pages & Detailed Report Description Visit :For Further details, please contact:Email Us: sales@6wresearch.comCall Now: +91-11-430-24-3056Wresearch is the premier, one stop market intelligence and advisory center, known for its best in class business research and consulting activity. We provide industry research reports and consulting service across different industries and geographies which provide industry players an in-depth coverage and help them in decision making before investing or enter into a particular geography.Delhi/NCR Office1107-1108, PEARLS BEST HEIGHTSTOWER 1, NETAJI SUBHASH PLACEPITAMPURA, New Delhi-110034Phone: +911143024305
AdBlue Market 2018 Global Industry Forecast To 2027: Key Players - Shell, BASF, Bosch, Daimler, Fiat, Nissan, Komatsu, Kruse, and Yara

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AdBlue Market Global Forecast To 2027 research report 2018 predicts future market trends, size, share, and drivers, restraints throughout the forecast period from 2018 to 2027. AdBlue Market by Type (Packaging, Equipment, Can, Tank, Drums, Pistol, Container, Pump), by Application (Railway, Commercial Vehicle), by Method (SCR, EGR, Post combustion) and By Region. The AdBlue market has registered high growth in recent times on account of growing demand.Ad Blue is a non-hazardous solution, consisting 32.5% urea and 67.5% de-ionized water. This urea solution is consumed during selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which is sprayed into the exhaust stream. Global automotive Carbon Fiber market is expected to grow at CAGR of around XX% from 2018 to 2027. AdBlue Market report executes the great study of Price and Gross Margin, Capacity, Production, Revenue, geographical zones, technology, demand-supply, Consumption, Import, Export, and Opportunities.Get sample report of Global AdBlue Market at:Key Players In AdBlue Market: Shell, BASF, Bosch, Daimler AG, Fiat group automobiles, Nissan chemical, Komatsu, Kruse Automotive, Alchem AG, Mitsui Chemical, and Yara.The market is driven by various factors such increase in the use of selective catalytic reduction technology, stringent government regulations for the use of diesel exhaust fluid, and increase in production of vehicles. The Ad Blue has various constraints that hinder the market such as increase in sale of electric vehicles has restrained the use of diesel exhaust fluid.SCR technology is mostly used in Europes Heavy duty trucks and bus manufacturers where the urea is certified, and is known as AdBlue. Urea SCR has been preferred by a number of manufacturers as a technology that meets the requirement of Euro V standard. This increased use of SCR technology in diesel exhaust fluid, is expected to lead to the growth of diesel exhaust fluid market in the forecast period. The first diesel truck was launched in Japan by Nissan Diesel that was equipped with this technology and currently it is the most trending technology for the emission reduction.AdBlue Market Segment Analysis:Segmentation by Type: Comprises Packaging, Equipment, Can, Tank, Drums, Pistol, Container and PumpSegmentation by Application: Comprises Railway and Commercial VehicleSegmentation by Method: Comprises SCR, EGR and Post combustionSegmentation by Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Regional Analysis of AdBlue Market: North America has witnessed the most significant increase in capacity of Nitrogen in the coming years. North America is the third largest region in nitrogen consumption, following India and China. This increase in the consumption of nitrogen have led to the growth of urea demand, which will drive the diesel exhaust fluid market. In 2015, CF Industries had started a new urea plant in Donaldsonville in order to cater North America region. North America is mainly dependent on import of nitrogen, due to which the market is expected to growth in the forecast period. This dependency on nitrogen will lead to the growing consumption of urea, which will drive the Ad Blue market.Intended Audience: Report analyzes AdBlue manufacturing companies, service providers and Government as well as Independent Regulatory Authorities.Table of Content:2.1 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.2 Market Structure3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Forecast3.5 Forecast Model4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunity4.4 Trends4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators5.1 Value Chain/Supply Chain Analysis5.2 Porters' Five Forces Analysis5.3 Pricing Analysis In (2014-2027)5.4 Historical Market Analyses (2011-2015)6.1 Introduction6.2 Ad Blue Market (USD $Million) (2011-2015)6.3 Ad Blue Market (USD $Million) (2016-2027)6.4 Ad Blue Market Share Analysis By Price (2011-2015)6.5 Ad Blue Market Units (2011-2015)6.6 Ad Blue Market Units (2016-2027)6.7 Ad Blue Market Cost Analysis (2011-2015)6.8 Ad Blue Market Gross Margin Analysis (2011-2015)ContinuedBrowse complete report at:About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Wearable Heart Monitoring Devices Industry 2018 - Worldwide Key Players, Top Trends, Investment Feasibility Analysis, Market Size Estimation | with an impressive CAGR of 9.86% Forecast To 2023

Wearable Heart Monitoring Device Market

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Wearable Heart Monitoring Devices Market is expected to grow at an approximate CAGR of 9.86% during the forecast period. Digital revolution and the rapid development of the information technology has transformed virtually every industry and healthcare industry is no exception. Recently, novel devices for wireless monitoring have emerged and begun to be integrated with cardiac patient care. This has led to the development of wearable heart monitoring devices market. By set-up, a majority of the wearable heart monitoring devices consists of wearable monitoring device and a portable data transmission device which transmits real time medical data for analysis. According to the National Health Service in 2015, an average American is constantly connected via high bandwidth to a vast network of data and sophisticated digital platforms with over 90% of American adults owning a cell phone and 55% having smart phones.Check Sample Report of the Research Study @The global wearable heart monitoring devices is segmented on the basis of products, type, application, and end users.On the basis of products, the market is segmented as electric pulse based, optical technology based, and others. The electric pulse based segment is sub-segmented into chest straps, chest patches and others. The optical technology based segment, by product, is further segmented into smart watches, earphones, and others. On the basis of type, the market is categorised into chargeable, non-chargeable, bluetooth enabled, and others. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into healthcare, consumer market, and others. On the basis of end users, the market is segmented into hospitals, retail pharmacies, academic institutes, and others.Wearable Heart Monitoring Devices Market Major Players are:Medtronic (U.S.), Kinetec Products UK Ltd. (South America), Beurer GmbH (Europe), Medisana AG (Europe), Briggs Healthcare (U.S.), Polar Electro (Europe), SUUNTO (Europe), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Europe), Garmin Ltd. (Europe), and others.Regional Analysis:America dominates the global wearable heart monitoring devices market owing to a well-developed healthcare sector and a highly developed information technology sector. Moreover, high prevalence of AFib diseases, increasing healthcare expenditure have boosted the growth of the market in America. Moreover, the presence of developed economies like the U.S. and Canada and global players such as Medtronic, Briggs Healthcare within the regional boundaries fuels the market growth.Europe is the second largest market for wearable heart monitoring devices, which is followed by Asia Pacific. Availability of funds for research, well developed healthcare infrastructure, huge patient population and government support for research & development will drive the market in the Europe.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the market due to the presence of developing economies like India and China within the region which have increasing healthcare expenditures. This along with favourable government policies will boost the market growth in the presence of huge opportunity for the untapped market within the region.The Middle East & Africa has the least share in the global wearable heart monitoring devices market due to presence of poor economies especially in the African region. Majority of the market of the Middle & Africa region is held by the Middle East due to a well-developed healthcare sector and huge healthcare expenditure by the presence of regional economies like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar within the region.Get Amazing Discount @Some points from TOC:Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & AssessmentChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisContinuedSpeak to our Expert @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Manufacturing Analytics Market - Top Player (tableau software, Inc., StatSoft, Inc., QlikTech International AB)

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Manufacturing analytics is a statistical tool which performs rule-based analysis to improve business processes and production quality. Data analytics is into various other industrial domains which include banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), e-commerce, among others. However, increasing pressures to reduce manufacturing cost, meet federal norms, supply-chain requirements, global competition, and improve operating income has seen high adoption of data analytics in manufacturing sector in recent past. Additionally, with manufacturing companies adopting process improvement programs which includes Lean Manufacturing, supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), and Six Sigma has improved the adoption of manufacturing analytics. Moreover, with huge data being generated from the networked industry equipment and automation systems i.e. industry internet of things (IIoT) has resulted in strong demand of analytics in manufacturing sector. Manufacturing analytics gathers data from geographically distributed resources, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), historians and provide organized and modeled analysis.Request Brochure:Manufacturing analytics market is segmented on the basis of deployment of manufacturing analytics software, service type and end-use industry. On the basis of software deployment type, manufacturing analytics market is further categorized as on-premise and hosted. On-premise manufacturing analytics tool allow installation and service of these software suite at client side. Mostly, on-premise manufacturing analytic tool require high cost of operation in comparison to the hosted model. Hosted model provide all the necessary services and hardware installments at providers end and stores data in cloud storage. This reduces overall total cost of operation (TCO) and improves bottom line of any manufacturing company. In terms of service type, manufacturer analytics market is further categorized into managed services and professional services. Professional services include installation, maintenance and consulting. As stated earlier that, data analytics was initially developed for specific industries; data analytics in various manufacturing verticals has started adopting these manufacturing analytics tools to boost their business growth. Thus, based on end-use industry, manufacturing analytics market is further segmented into automotive, electronic equipment and appliance manufacturing, heavy industries, food and beverage, and others (pharmaceutical and retail).Present methods to analyze manufacturing process data are fading out due to increasing multiple industry data sources such as in-factory databases, images, sensor, among others have increased the demand for big data analytics in manufacturing. This factor is among the strongest growth drivers of manufacturing analytics market. Moreover, uprising demand to optimize business process and make them more agile and scalable is further paving the growth of manufacturing analytic software in manufacturing sector. However, complex operation and low return on investment from manufacturing analytics tools is hindering its market growth. Furthermore, technical constraints related with cloud deployment such as data security and privacy is likely to curb its market growth. With large pool of manufacturing industries still remain unaware with need of big data analytics to improve the operational profit especially in nascent economies such as China, India and Brazil; this provide strong business opportunity for the software tool manufacturers. Alongside this, development of low cost manufacturing analytics tools which can meet the demand of small and medium enterprises, showcases a huge market opportunity for the vendors.Browse Our Report:On the basis of deployment model, cloud-based manufacturing analytics tools is likely to witness a strong growth in coming years. The low TCO and improving cloud security are expected to the key factors complementing the growth of cloud based manufacturing analytics tools. Presently, North America is likely to dominate the manufacturing analytics market. The early adoption of these tools among manufacturing sector is the prime factor behind the growth of this market in the region. However, with significant presence of manufacturing sector especially heavy industries, Asia Pacific region is expected to be the front-runners in the growth of manufacturing analytics market.Some of the major vendors operating in manufacturing analytics market are tableau software, Inc., StatSoft, Inc., QlikTech International AB, Tata Consulting Services Ltd., SAS Institue, Inc., Sisense Inc., Predixion Software, Inc., SAP SE, IBM Corporation, General Electric Company, Wipro Ltd., Aegis Industrial Software Corporation, GEMINI Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and TIBCO Software, Inc.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.Download TOC of This Report:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Marjoram Extracts Market Prospects, Upcoming Trends and Opportunities Analyzed for Coming Years

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Global Marjoram Extracts Market-OverviewMarjoram is a culinary and medicinal herb in the mint family. As with the rising demand in food and beverages industries and pharmaceutical industry, the demand of marjoram has increased in the past years. Marjoram is used in tea, medicines and even oil is extracted from it, with the increasing demand of health conciseness in developing and developed nations and the rising demand for the herbal product have positively impacted the demand of marjoram industry.The augmenting market for herbal plant products which are used in making capsules, finished medicines and healthcare products around the world has eventually led to an anticipation of positive CAGR for herbal plant products in coming years, therby driving the marjoram market.Download PDF Brochure @Global Marjoram Extracts Market: Drivers and restraintsis used as a natural flavor. Marjoram Extracts has a wide lists of properties and health benefits which come with its consumption. It is sweet pine and tangy in flavor which can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Marjoram leaves and flowers when dried is widely used as a mixture for food processing industry. Some of the health associated benefits which human body gets on its usage are that it maintains blood sugar level. Moreover, it helps in curing cold, toothaches, measles, fever inflammation, headaches and also provides relief from the spasm in the respiratory system. Oil extracts of Marjoram are used as an antiseptics which heals the external wound and protects it from becoming septic. Marjoram is increasingly used in tea which provides a relief from symptoms such as digestions, gallstones, stomach cramps, poor appetite and liver diseases. With such benefits associated with consumption of Marjoram has led to rising demand in FMCG and pharmaceutical companies around the globe.And some of the side effects which are noted are lung condition, ulcers, allergy, and diabetes which becomes a barrier to the growth of marjoram, and the use of marjoram is opposed by various regulatory bodies in many countries.Global Marjoram Extract Market: Regional OutlookMarjoram is produced in European countries, but it is mostly consumed mostly in the Asian countries due to the growth of food and beverages industries. This study conducted was even taken into consideration of regions like North America and Middle Eastern and Africa countries. APEJ is the leading region in terms of consumption of marjoram followed by European and North America due to the increase in production of medicines and healthcare products. With an increase in the health consciousness among the new generations and the rise in the usage of herbal plant products have led to the growth of Marjoram Extract.Obtain Report Details @Global Marjoram Extract Market: Key playersCG HerbalsHealing Solutions Essential OilsNative American Nutritionals Essential OilsRocky Mountain OilsPlant Therapy Essential OilsAura Cacia Essential OilsPrime Natural Essential OilsMountain Rose Herbs Essential OilsAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is leader in analytics, research, and advisory services for Fortune 500 companies, scores of high potential startups, and financial institutions. Our success stories have proven why we are a preeminent provider of cutting-edge syndicated and customized research services. Leverage the best of our seasoned research analysts who hold a keen interest and enviable expertise of almost 4 million hours in global, regional, and local market intelligence.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dairy-free Yogurt Global Market Top Key Players  General Mills Inc. , The Hain Celestial Group , Good Karma Foods, Inc. , The Whitewave Foods Company (Danone) , Daiya Foods Inc. and Forecast to 2025

Dairy-free Yogurt Market

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Global Dairy-free Yogurt MarketWiseGuyRerports.com Presents Global Dairy-free Yogurt Market Research Report 2018 New Document to its Studies Database. The Report Contain 117 Pages With Detailed Analysis.DescriptionGlobal Dairy-free Yogurt market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingGeneral Mills Inc.The Hain Celestial GroupGood Karma Foods, Inc.The Whitewave Foods Company (Danone)Daiya Foods Inc.Forager Project LLCSpringfield Creamery, Inc.Healthy Brands Collective Co.Yoconut Dairy FreeStonyfield Farm, Inc.Kite HillAmandeGet sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Dairy-free Yogurt in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSoy YogurtAlmond YogurtCoconut YogurtOthersOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingDirect SalesConvenience StoreE-RetailersOthersComplete Report Details @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsGlobal Dairy-free Yogurt Market Research Report 20181 Dairy-free Yogurt Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Dairy-free Yogurt1.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Soy Yogurt1.2.4 Almond Yogurt1.2.5 Coconut Yogurt1.2.6 Others1.3 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Segment by Application1.3.1 Dairy-free Yogurt Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Direct Sales1.3.3 Convenience Store1.3.4 E-Retailers1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Dairy-free Yogurt (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025).7 Global Dairy-free Yogurt Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 General Mills Inc.7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 General Mills Inc. Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 The Hain Celestial Group7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 The Hain Celestial Group Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Good Karma Foods, Inc.7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Good Karma Foods, Inc. Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 The Whitewave Foods Company (Danone)7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 The Whitewave Foods Company (Danone) Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Daiya Foods Inc.7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Daiya Foods Inc. Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Forager Project LLC7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Forager Project LLC Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Springfield Creamery, Inc.7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Springfield Creamery, Inc. Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Healthy Brands Collective Co.7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Dairy-free Yogurt Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Healthy Brands Collective Co. Dairy-free Yogurt Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview..CONTINUEDAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, Industry research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)
Advent of Advanced Oral Anticoagulants Drugs To Propel Global and United States Anticoagulants Drug Market

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Anticoagulants are also known as antithrombotic drugs, which help prevent the formation of blood clot or thrombus. These drugs are used to lessen the formation of clot by reducing the production of vitamin K in the liver. Anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and thrombolytic agents are several types of elements that help in clotting process. Venous thrombosis and arterial thrombosis are both treated with anticoagulant drugs. Marketresearchreports.biz recently published report, titled, 2018-2025 Anticoagulants Drug Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications. Blood clots are formed due to sticking of platelets together and the proteins in blood combine to form a solid mass. So, anticoagulants, stop platelets to stick to each other and clotting proteins as well.For Sample Copy, click here:The rise in geriatric population is one of the major drivers contributing to the growth of global anticoagulants market. Moreover, rise in investment in research and development activities in the pharmaceutical industry and the advent of advanced oral anticoagulants drugs have boosted the market growth as well. On the downside, strict regulations set by several government bodies obstruct the development of the global anticoagulants market. Along with it, the possibility of complications and side-effects related to the usage of oral anticoagulants also hampers the growth of the global anticoagulants market. A noticeable trend in the market is the rise in number of mergers and acquisitions and collaborations among drug manufacturing firms.Complete Report Details @Anticoagulants are majorly segmented into warfarin, herapins, low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs), direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), and factor Xa inhibitors. Among these, Heparin is an injectable anticoagulant majorly utilized in hospitals for speedy anticoagulation. Low molecular weight heparins are given almost twice a day as below the skin injections to cure DVT. LMWHs are comparatively more convenient to use in place of heparins, as it can be self-administered at home, as well. Moreover, warfarin is generally recommended as part of long-term anticoagulant therapy for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation to reduce the danger of heart attack by more than 60%. The global anticoagulants market is segmented on the basis of various applications and anticoagulant drugs. The different types of anticoagulants available in the market are Dabigatran (Pradaxa), Betrixaban, Edoxaban, Eliquis (Apixaban), Rivaroxaban (Xarelto). The application segment is sub segmented into coronary artery diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cardiac arrhythmia, DVT, myocardial infarction, and heart valve replacement.On the basis of geography, North America leads the global anticoagulants market owing to growing awareness regarding therapeutic applications of anticoagulants in illness management in the region. The U.S. holds the biggest market for anticoagulants in North America, trailed by Canada. Johnson & Johnson (US), C. H. Boehringer Sohn (Germany), Daiichi Sankyo (Japan), Roche (Switzerland), Siemens (Germany), CoaguSense (US), Bristol-Myers, Squibb (US), Pfizer (US), Portola Pharmaceuticals (US), Abbott (US), and Alere (US) are some of the key players in the global and US market.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Iraq Edible Oils and Fats Market to Witness Growth Acceleration During 2017-2024

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In a highly consolidated business landscape, top five companies in the Iraq edible oils & fats market hold 70% of the overall market, states Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new report. Marsan Gida San Ve Tic A.S.  the holding company which owns five brands in the edible oil and fats category is a key factor for its high market share. Heavy investments for research & development, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions have been key competitive strategies adopted by key players in this market. Expanding production facility in cost-effective regions has also been on the growth chart of leading players in the Iraq edible oils & fats market.According to a market study by Transparency Market Research, the Iraq edible oils & fats market is predicted to be worth US$2.3 bn by the end of 2025, rising at 6.0% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. The demand in the market was valued at US$1.4 bn in 2017. Vis-a-vis revenue, vegetable & seed oil product segment holds prominence in the Iraq edible oils & fats market. The segment is anticipated to hold the leading 51.3% of the overall market by 2025. Among the key regions, Baghdad is predicted to retain its dominance in the overall market through 2025.Download PDF Brochure @Substantial R&D to Develop High Quality Products to Benefit MarketPrimarily fuelling the Iraq edible oils & fats market is increasing demand for high quality edible oil. High quality edible oils are rich in vitamin E, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3. They have a high smoking point which helps retain nutritional value at higher temperatures. To cater to this demand, large companies involved in the production of edible oils in the country are engaged in research and development to manufacture high quality products. These companies are also making efforts to develop edible oils & fats for health savvy consumers.The increasing consumption of processed food which are mainly oil based has also been a key factor behind the growth of Iraq edible oils & fats market. Changing lifestyle and changing eating habits are fuelling demand for ready-to-eat packaged food. This is favoring the growth of Iraq edible oils & fats market.The growth of the tourism sector holds potential for the growth of Iraq edible oils & fats market. Due to decades of war, closed regimes, and recurrent political instability the Iraqi tourism sector is currently underdeveloped and neglected. However, as political stability and economic development gains momentum, Iraq has the potential to emerge as a global tourist destination. Long considered a destination for pilgrims, leisure tourism is pacing up albeit in low numbers. This is likely to indirectly benefit the edible oils & fats market.Apart from this, rising population leading to the increase in per capita consumption of edible oils is spiking the growth of Iraq edible oils & fats market. This, along with increasing disposable income of consumers which has led to increased spending on dining out and purchase of ready-to-eat foods.Obtain Report Details @Political Instability and Weak Economic Growth Challenges MarketOn the downside, political disturbances and economic upheavals are a key restraint to the growth of Iraq edible oils & fats market. Weak economic condition of large population along with rising population living below the poverty line due to the ongoing conflict have been the reasons International Monetary Fund has provided grant.Moreover, high costs of extraction of various types of cooking oils is restricting the entry of new players. This is slowing the growth of Iraq edible oils & fats market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is leader in analytics, research, and advisory services for Fortune 500 companies, scores of high potential startups, and financial institutions. Our success stories have proven why we are a preeminent provider of cutting-edge syndicated and customized research services. Leverage the best of our seasoned research analysts who hold a keen interest and enviable expertise of almost 4 million hours in global, regional, and local market intelligence.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Esterquats Market Shares, Strategies and Forecast Worldwide, 2017 - 2026

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"The Latest Research Report Esterquats Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2026 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Biodegradability of esterquats has made them a potential ingredient in the production of car washing products. Esterquats have gained tremendous momentum with their ability of improving aesthetics and extending lifespan of cars through their anti-corrosion and anti-rust properties. Growing hair care sector is one of the key growth determinant for the global esterquats market. This is primarily because of growing consumer demand for environment-friendly products with regard to beauty and health. Mounting demand for scented and high-performance fabric softeners will further augment adoption of esterquats significantly.Comprehensive Study on Esterquats MarketPersistence Market Research new insightful analysis on the global esterquats market is an exhaustive report, which traces future demand evolution of esterquats. This analytical study delivers intelligence on the way global esterquats market will witness expansion in the forecast period, 2017 to 2026. Information issued in this elucidates latest trends impacting the market growth, and addresses objective concerns of companies producing esterquats.Get Sample Copy of this report @Constant discussions carried out by the analysts at TMR with companies producing esterquats has enabled provision of actionable insights on the market. Influence of effective & innovative production technologies, mandatory manufacturing regulations & standards, and emerging end users has been reflected across all research findings of this report. Overall market size, and revenue shares of key market segments included in the study, are among key considerations used for interpreting and quantifying data gleaned from primary and secondary researches.A robust research methodology employed by PMRs analysts has enabled them in procuring information from authentic databases and the market participants, which in turn is aggregated and streamlined. The information obtained has then been leveraged for generating a baseline for the market size evaluation, segmentation values, and estimations on the regional market sizes. The report further imparts a first-hand information on lucrative and sluggish marketplaces across the globe by branching the esterquats market into key regional segments. Report readers can capitalize on this information for expanding their footprint in the global market.Scrutinized Analysis on Esterquats Markets Competition LandscapeA key benefit of using the research analysis offered in the report is that readers can gain better understanding on the competition landscape of the global esterquats market. Taking into consideration how companies producing esterquats are seeking aid in extracting information about their competitors and learning about their growth strategies, the competition landscape chapter of this report is valuable for key players operating in the market.From leading players to emerging companies, intelligence issued in this chapter of the report unveils latest strategies as well as current conditions of the market players. Scope of PMRs report on the global market for esterquats is to enable the readers to make informed decisions on future direction of their businesses. The report promises great assistance to companies focusing on the expansion of their presence in the global esterquats market in the foreseeable future.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Content1. Global Economic Outlook2. Global Esterquats Market - Executive Summary3. Global Esterquats Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Global Esterquats Market Taxonomy3.1.2. Global Esterquats Market Definition3.2. Global Esterquats Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20263.2.1. Global Esterquats Market Y-o-Y Growth3.3. Global Esterquats Market Dynamics3.4. Global Beauty and Personal Care Industry Outlook, 20163.5. Supply Chain3.6. Cost Structure3.7. Pricing Analysis3.8. PESTLE Analysis3.9. Porters Five Force Analysis3.10. Investment Feasibility Matrix3.11. Market Positioning & Behavior Assessment3.12. Key Players Competition Matrix3.13. Scenario Forecast3.14. Forecast Factors3.15. List of Distributors3.16. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region4. Global Esterquats Market Analysis and Forecast 2012-20264.1. Global Esterquats Market Size and Forecast By Form, 2012-20264.1.1. Dry Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. Liquid Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2. Global Esterquats Market Size and Forecast By Application, 2012-20264.2.1. Personal Care products Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2.2. Fabric Care Products Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2.3. Home Care Products Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2.4. Industrial Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.4.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.4.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.4.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2.5. Other Applications Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.5.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.5.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.5.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionView Sample PDF @5. North America Esterquats Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20265.1. North America Outlook5.2. North America Parent Market Outlook5.3. North America Target Market Outlook5.4. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Country5.4.1. US Market Size and Forecast (US$ Mn), 2012-20265.4.2. Canada Market Size and Forecast (US$ Mn), 2012-20265.5. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Form5.6. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By ApplicationAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Europe Safety Lancet Market Overview by Trends, Industry Top Manufactures, Size, Industry Growth Analysis & Forecast till 2021

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Competitive Analysis of Europe Safety Lancet MarketThe Europe Safety Lancet Market consists of many major players. However there are some major players in the market are F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Terumo Medical Corporation, Guangzhou Improve Medical Technology Co., Ltd., HTL-STREFA S.A., Bayer Crop Science Limited and others. HTL-STREFA S.A. accounted for major market share of Europe safety lancet market. The large share of the company is attributed to the high demand for safety lancet globally. Moreover, this company has a strong sales and distribution network and the after sales services provided helped the company to play major role in the satisfaction of the customers.Get PDF Sample Copy of This Report @Major Key Players in Safety Lancet MarketLifeScan (USA), BD (USA), Huahong Technology (China), Greiner Bio-One (Germany), Bayer (Germany), Roche Diagnostics (Switzerland), Terumo (Japan), Nipro Diagnostics (Japan), Guangzhou Improve (China), KDL China (China), Liuyang Medical Instrument (China), SteriLance Medical (China), Becton Dickinson and Company (US), Novo Nordisk (Denmark), and Nipro Diagnostics (Japan).Regional Analysis of Europe Safety Lancet MarketEurope holds the second position in the Global market owing to the strong government support, increasing prevalence of diabetes and high healthcare expenditure. Europe is segmented into two major regions: Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe dominates the Europe safety lancet market owing to the increase in the number of patient suffering from disease like diabetes, leukemia, HIV and other chronic diseases. Increasing different allergic test and toxicological test have a synergistic impact on the market growth. Various technological advances and increasing awareness among the people regarding the management of different diseases has also increased the Western Europe market. Additionally, the government in this region is supporting the manufacturer for research & development. However, Eastern Europe show the healthy growth due to developing economy and increasing healthcare expenditure.Europe Safety Lancet Market  OverviewEurope Safety Lancet Market is increasing every year and is expect to increase continuously in future. Lancet is a small needle which is generally use to prick the finger for collection of blood sample. Safety lancets are single use devices for collecting blood samples. They are used in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, doctors offices and wherever both patients and professionals need to feel safe. Safety lancets eliminates the needle stick injury and infections. Safety lancets are gamma-sterilized and protected with a sterility tab, fully enclosed needle housing ensuring that needle is hidden before and after use to prevent sharps injuries, Self-destructing mechanism preventing reuse of the device, lancet is triggered by a gentle push on the test site, minimizes pain because of its high speed penetration. Different shapes of safety lancets are introduced. Majorly safety lancets are used for collection blood sample for blood glucose test or for cholesterol test. Increase in the number of diabetic and obese patient significantly increased the market of safety lancets.Get Discount on This Report @Major driver for increase in the Europe Safety Lancet Market is increase in the diabetic population. It was estimates that one in every seventh person is suffering from diabetes in Europe. According to the WHO, over 60 million people in Europe are suffering from diabetes. Additionally, growing incidence number of contagious and non-contagious diseases, improving medical device regulation, and increasing inclination towards home healthcare will fuel the growth of the market. In 2013 there were approximately 320 cases of allergic reactions after blood transfusion in the UK, these allergic reactions are caused due to the bodys immune system which reacts to substances such as proteins in the donated blood. Lack of awareness and risk associated with blood transfusion may slow the market growth.Latest Industry UpdatesBeing a competitive market, a number of different manufacturer are focusing on the product launch, and acquisition for the market development. Some of the latest development in the market are-Hoffmann-La Roche AG is the world's biggest biotech organization, with genuinely differentiated solutions in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. In June 2016, the company offers a huge type of products: ACCU-CHEK Safe-T-Pro lancet, Accu-Chek Multiclix Finger Pricker, Accu-Chek FastClix, Accu-Chek Softclix, and others.Becton, Dickinson and Company, an American medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents. The company is listed in fortune 500. In ode rot expand the market, in October 2014, the company has acquired CareFusion and in April 2017, the company agreed to acquire C. R. Bard.Some Brief Chapters From Table of ContentChapter 1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope Of The Study1.2.1 Research Objectives1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.3 Market StructureChapter 2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast ModelChapter 3 Report ExcerptChapter 4 Forecast Indicators4.1 Introduction4.2 Growth Drivers4.3 Growth Barriers4.4 Growth Opportunities4.5 Macroecnomical IndicatorsChapter 5 Market Analysis6 Europe, The Middle East And Africa Safety Lancet Market, By Usage6.1 IntroductionTOC ContinuedIf Query, Enquire @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for Global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact Us:Market Research Future Office No. 528,Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar, Pune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Molded interconnect devices (MIDs) Market Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2017 - 2025

Molded interconnect devices (MIDs) Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Molded interconnect devices (MIDs) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Molded interconnect devices are three-dimensional electromechanical components. In addition, these devices are major components for various mechanical and electrical engineering application that are used in automotive and telecommunication industry. Molded interconnect devices can minimizes the number of parts in circuit saving space & reduce assembly time along with cost effective for complex electromechanical functions which in turn is predicted to increase the usage of MID deices in various end use application. Additionally, molded interconnect devices combine with various internal parts that includes circuit board, connectors and cables among others. Moreover, automotive and telecommunication manufactures are now focusing to develop their product by integrating electrical & mechanical functions in a single product. This helps manufactures in saving production costs along with reducing their production time. Even though MIDs have been around for many years but these production adoption has not been widespread. Across the globe, increasing the adoption of smart devices has been observed in last couple of years. Thus, the molded interconnect devices market is likely to witness stable growth during the forecast period from 2017  2025 owing to frequent inventions in telecommunication and consumer electronics application are expected to increase in coming years.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The global molded interconnect devices market has been segmented on the basis of manufacturing process, end use industry and geography. Based on manufacturing process, the market for molded interconnect devices has been bifurcated into various types which includes laser direct structuring, two components injection molding and film back injection molding others. Laser direct structuring (LDS) begins with a single shot molding to generate the physical part of component. In 2016, the laser direct structuring segment hold the major market share among the other process segment. Additionally, laser direct structuring is anticipated to grow at a high CAGR rate during the forecast period. Based on end use industry, global molded interconnect devices market has been fragmented in various types which includes telecommunication, automotive, industrial and healthcare among others. Over the past few years, there has been a significant growth in the growing number of smart phones, tablets and smart devices which is favoring adoption of molded interconnect devices. Moreover, factors such as increasing use of molded interconnect devices in growing penetration of various automotive applications such as sensors, switches, antennas and LED lighting among others are expected to further bring significant growth in the overall market. This complete research study of the global molded interconnect devices market provides a comprehensive review of growth, trends, restraints, drivers, and demand projection, market size and forecast among others. In last couple of years, telecommunication industry accounted for maximum market share, and also predicted to expand at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. However, automotive and healthcare industry is forecasted to witness steady growth during the forecast period. Across the globe, design flexibility of the products and less auxiliary parts along with eco-friendly features technologies in automobile industry has helped fuel major demand for this market. Furthermore, the demand of molded interconnect devices is foreseen to gain a strong momentum is growth due to rising application in the telecommunication and automotive sectors. On the flip side, high tooling costs, high cost chemical element during production process and low circuit density is hindering the growth of the global molded interconnect devices market in coming years.Geographically, the global molded interconnect devices market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America. In coming years, Asia Pacific is expected to hold the maximum market share due to primarily attributed to increasing usage in consumer electronics. In Asia Pacific, China is expected to be the major contributor for the growth of molded interconnect devices market over the forecast period. A range of research and development applications including the usage of developments of molded interconnect devices product could provide opportunity to the market growth. North America, is forecasted to witness strong growth rate due to the U.S. based technological giant companies such as Google, Apple, others are upgrading and expanding their product line. South America and Middle-East & Africa are expected to showcase slower growth in the molded interconnect devices market when compared with other regions.Browse Detail Report @The global molded interconnect devices market is dominated by players such as Molex, MacDermid, Siemens, LPKF Laser & Electronics, Fujitsu, TE Connectivity, Harting, Select Connect Technologies among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:- Market segments and sub-segments- Market trends and dynamics- Supply and demand- Market size- Current trends/opportunities/challenges- Competitive landscape- Technological breakthroughs- Value chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:- North America (U.S. and Canada)- Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)- Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)- Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)- Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)- Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.Make an Enquiry of this report @A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:- A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market- Important changes in market dynamics- Market segmentation up to the second or third level- Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume- Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments- Market shares and strategies of key players- Emerging niche segments and regional markets- An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market- Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
ICO Funding Is The Big Draw In Martech Funding This Quarter | Makes a dramatic entry as the highest funding type received by any company

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA  April 10, 2018 : MarTech Advisor, the worlds leading resource for marketing technology related news, research, resources, expert views and perspectives; released their exclusive Q1 2018 Investscape today. Amongst the many highlights, two that stand out include: the emergence of a brand new investment type and the growing number of countries that received funding, outside of the US.Initial Coin Offering [ICO] has made a dramatic entry as a new funding type this quarter - Telegram Messenger got the highest overall amount of $1.7Bn in ICO funding. ICO is an unregulated means by which funds are raised for a new cryptocurrency venture.Martech companies which received ICO funding include Mobius (USA), Telegram Messenger (UK), Endor (Israel), AdHive (Estonia) and Patron (Japan), with a total VC funding in ICO of $1.8Bn for the JFM 2018 quarter.Last quarter, martech funding had started picking up pace outside of US. Interestingly, this quarter ROW-based companies have edged out US based companies in terms of value of funding received - $2364.1Mn [ROW] compared to $1272.9Mn [US]. Top funded countries include United Kingdom [$1715.40Mn], Canada [$204.07Mn] and South Korea [$130mn]. Countries which got more than $50mn funding are India [$73.75Mn] and France [$55.78Mn].Amit Varshneya, CEO of MarTech Advisor, commented Funding in the martech space is currently going through a remarkable phase. With new funding types and new emerging countries re-defining some of the rules, we are proud to be the one unbiased resource that continues to track and compile all the action. Our Annual Investscape for 2017 was well-received by both - the VC fraternity and the martech ecosystem  and we will continue to serve their need for such a resource, with the quarterly Investscapes in 2018.Q1 2018 saw an elevation of 128% in overall funding of martech companies at $3.6Bn, compared to Q1 2017 which was at $1.6Bn. Major investors included Sequoia Capital, Insight Venture Partners and Lighter Capital.Click here for one-click access to the full reportAbout MTA InvestscapeReleased since 2015, this year, the report provides informed commentary from industry experts, comparative graphs and charts tracking data from 2014 onwards, and a compilation of all the quarterly infographics, for anyone interested in the martech landscape - across vendors, startups, VCs and marketers.MarTech Advisors Annual Investscape 2017 is available hereYou can access all previous MarTech Advisor Investscape infographics since 2015 hereAbout MarTech AdvisorMarTech Advisor is one of the fastest growing media brands providing unbiased news, in-depth research, reviews, expert views and perspectives on the growing marketing technology space. A community of over a million professionals; includes highly engaged thought leaders and marketing experts, that regularly contribute and participate on MarTech Advisor to create a relevant and actionable content experience. For modern marketers, who are looking to create positive business impact in the constantly evolving martech industry, MarTech Advisor is the one definitive advisor who can suitably facilitate their journey and help them succeed.Follow us on Twitter:Like us on Facebook:Connect on LinkedIn:Contact MarTech Advisor:156 2nd St,San Francisco CA 94105For queries: info@martechadvisor.comFor news and stories: editorial@martechadvisor.com
Antenna Transducer and Radome Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report 2016 - 2024

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An antenna is a device which transmits and receives radio-frequency signals. It converts electrical waves into radio waves and vice versa. Transducers are used for conversion of electric waves into radio waves. The radome is structure which protects antenna or radar system from damages. It also helps in hiding the antenna from the public view. Antenna, transducer, and radome technology has been developed for reliability in radar, sonar and communication systems. It helps in detecting small, non-linearly moving targets for radar and sonar applications. Antenna, transducer and radome are important equipment which enable wireless transmission/communication between two or more devices. Antennas, transducers, and radome are used in airspace, marine, and ground security applications to monitor a wide range of targets such as aircrafts, unmanned aerial vehicles, ships and underwater objects.Rise in defense budgets is the key growth driver for antenna, transducer and radome market. Replacement and up-gradation of submarines offers new growth opportunities for the players operating in the antenna, transducer and radome market. In addition to this, the increase in manufacturing of aircraft is anticipated to aid the growth of antenna, transducer and radome market in coming years. Aircrafts and submarines use these technologies extensively.Request Brochure:A number of industries have started implementing antenna, transducer and radome systems, thus, driving market growth. The increasing need for better and efficient long distance communication system is helping the market to grow further. Improvements in sonar and sensor technologies used by submarines and aircrafts are accelerating the market for defense transducers. Furthermore, the defense industry is demanding for advanced radar systems. In addition to this, need for a well-equipped weather forecast infrastructure will drive the market significantly in coming years.In spite of the factors which are propelling the growth of the antenna, transducer and radome market, there are few factors restraining the growth of market such as the cost and high maintenance requirement. Further, it also faces challenges due to problems with operation in underwater environments and complex terrain, and lack of real time testing facility. The market can be categorized into antenna, transducer and radome based on product types. Further, by technology it can be categorized into radar, communication and sonar. In North America, the demand for antenna, transducer and radome systems is expected to be driven by defense applications. Further, in Asia Pacific the demand is anticipated to be driven by growing demand from countries such as South Korea, Japan and India.Browse Our Report:The market for antenna, transducer and radome is competitive with key players focusing on partnerships and investing in research and development to enhance their market positioning. Furthermore, the focus of key players is also on vertical integration in order to enhance the features of their other offerings such as aircrafts and submarines. Major players in the antenna, transducer and radome market includes Cobham plc, Lockheed Martin Corporation, L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc, Thales Group, Cobham plc, Exelis and Raytheon Company. The other competitors in the market are Airbus S.A.S., QinetiQ, Finmeccanica SpA, Honeywell International Inc and Ball Aerospace.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.Download TOC:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Advanced Wound Care Market to Showcase Significant Growth Owing to Rise in Geriatric Population

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A highly detailed report, titled, Global Advanced Wound Care Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook: (2018-2022), has been added by MarketResearchReports.biz to their vast repository. This report prognosticates the market to depict a favorable performance primarily due to rise in number of accidents, thus spurring the number of wound occurrences.Accidents are mainly caused due to vehicles crashes, construction sites, and other industrial environments. In case of serious incidences, advanced wound care management is highly necessary for faster treatment of wounds, consequently driving the global advanced wound care market. Rising ageing population, increasing diabetic population, and surging cases of ulcer occurrences also are some of the key factors driving the global advanced wound care market. This market is largely being benefitted by a rapid progress occurring in the field of medicine and associated healthcare facilities.For Sample Copy, click here:However, lack of professional medicinal facilities in remote and underdeveloped regions of the globe impart a significant restraining effect on the global advanced wound care markets growth. Strict regulations for use of advanced medical devices upheld by governmental agencies in some regions has also managed to impediment the markets pathway to success. Nevertheless, substantial efforts are being made to radically transform devices and other facilities used in the advanced wound care management, thereby anticipating to offset some of the restraints in future.The global advanced wound care market is segmented mainly on the basis of wound type, product type, end user type, and region. Under product type, the market is segmented into advanced wound dressings, advanced wound care, and antimicrobial dressings. Of these, advanced wound care dressings segment, which is less costly as compared to others, held a dominant stance in recent years, mainly due to the need for cost effective solutions.Complete Report Details @Geography-wise, the global advanced wound care management market is spread across North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, and South America. Of these, North America held a leading position in terms of revenue gained, thanks to easy availability of wound care facilities available in this region. Apart from North America, Asia Pacific is also expected to showcase extensive growth in the market, mainly due to a growing patient care base and rapid technological progress.The global advanced wound care market depicts a highly competitive vendor landscape, owing to the presence of a handful of players holding leading market shares. Most players work towards gaining funds from private as well as government organizations, in order to carry out extensive research and developmental activities. Many entry-level businesses are imparting a lot of focus on regulating costs related to the use of wound care facilities. Molnlycke Health Care, Convatec Group plc., Acelity L.P. Inc. and Smith and Nephew plc., are four prime competitors operating in the global advanced wound care market.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Amino Acid Based Formula Market Poised to Expand with Robust Pace by 2017-2026

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Growing availability of amino acid-based formula in pouches, in tandem with smaller conventional containers such as tubs, their sales have witnessed a remarkable rise. Manufacturers are focusing on employing innovative packaging solutions for infant formulas, such as ready-to-use plastic bottles that facilitate firm grip. This further appeals to convenience of busy parents, who find it hard to prepare multiple bottles while tagging along time-constraints.A recently published analytical report of Transparency Market Research (TMR) elucidates key companies underpinning growth of the global amino acid-based formula market, which include Nestle S.A., Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, Danone, Abbott Laboratories, and Ausnutria Dairy Corporation Ltd. A key trend gaining momentum is development of organic infant formulas based on amino acid, such as Earths BEST Organic Infant Formula and Babys Only Organic Dairy Formula, which meet FDA regulations for infant nutrition.Download PDF Brochure @According to the report, the global market for amino acid based formula will register a splendid volume CAGR of 8.5% between the period 2017 and 2026. Revenues from worldwide sales of amino acid-based formula are envisaged to close in on nearly US$ 1,900 Mn by 2026-end.Proliferation of Premium Products to Influence DemandWith the rise in GHDI of consumers in developing countries such as China, India, and Singapore, discretionary spending of households has gained an uptick. This has significantly reflected on demand for premium products among consumes. Parent want to offer their children with the best provision available in the market, and premium infant formulas are no exception.Several premium amino acid based infant formula have been introduced in the market, such as PurAmino, and The Honest Company Organic Premium Infant Formula. Penetration of premium amino acid-based infant formula is further expected to gain momentum, with growing cases of hypoallergenic diseases, malabsorption, and malmetabolism among young infants worldwide.Increasing Women Workforce to Create DemandSteady narrowing of gender gap in employment statistics and the labor market has been recorded since the recent past. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), participation of women in jobs reached nearly 50% in 2015, and the number is likely to exhibit steady surge in the upcoming years. With the lifestyle of these women becoming busier, its influence on birth rate as well as breastfeeding has been remarkable. This is significantly rubbing off on demand for infant formulas, such as amino acid-based infant formula.Obtain Report Details @With rapid growth in health and wellness industry worldwide, probiotics have gained a paramount importance in food products, and in infant formulas as well. As probiotics enrich beneficial microbes in human stomach for proper gut functioning, they are being considered as vital ingredients in infant formulas. Recent studies have showcased effective management of hypoallergenic diseases and modification of gut microbiota in children when fed with amino acid-based infant formula containing probiotics. Preference for such infant formulas have therefore increased among parents worldwide, which in turn is paving lucrative avenues for infant formula manufacturers.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is leader in analytics, research, and advisory services for Fortune 500 companies, scores of high potential startups, and financial institutions. Our success stories have proven why we are a preeminent provider of cutting-edge syndicated and customized research services. Leverage the best of our seasoned research analysts who hold a keen interest and enviable expertise of almost 4 million hours in global, regional, and local market intelligence.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Talent Mine: The One Stop Solution for Conducting Recruitment Procedures

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For any business organisation, conducting recruitment events is likely to take a significant part of the daily life schedules. Arranging an impeccable recruitment system is of the utmost importance for any organisation as it determines the future of that very company. If the procedure is faulty, it could bring drastic outcomes for the companys future.Global Talent Mine is one of the very few companies in South Africa that offers effective solutions to avoid such predicaments. It helps various organisations in identifying genuine talents amongst other applicants and also training them to become valuable assets in future.Services Offered by Global Talent Mine:This organisation offers assistance to both clients who are the owners of different organisations and the candidates who are willing to work for those organisations.Services for Clients:Global Talent Mine offers a vast range of services for their clients which includes:a. Full Recruitment Lifecycle Support: The employees appointed by this company meticulously take care of every possible step of a recruitment drive to arrange an impeccable process of employee selection.b. Candidate Testing: Global Talent Mine carries out the rigorous testing procedure of the candidates to select the most suitable applicants for certain jobs. This process also includes checking the minutiae of every candidates educational background and the veracity of the information provided in their resumes.c. HR Consulting: This process involves interview skills training, staff planning, induction, payroll outsourcing for the selected candidates, and conducting exit interview.d. Staff Counselling and Psychometric Testing: The staff counselling service takes care of the final counselling process of the selected employees for specific jobs and the psychometric testing is all about measuring the mental ability of a certain applicant.Services for the Candidates:Global Talent Mine simultaneously offers many advantageous services to the candidates as well which include:Proper advice for designing professional and effective resumes for the candidates.Providing career counselling, guidance, and advice to perform well in job interviews.Access to myriads of jobs spread across different industries.Access to effective newsletters and articles that contain useful tips for facing interviews.For further information you can visit the website ofAbout Global Talent Mine:Global Talent Mine is a reputed South African company that offers a vast range of services to various business organisations for recruiting the most suitable candidates. They also offer their services to the candidates for facing interviews.27 Jenny Lane, Blouberg Sands, Cape Town7441, Western Cape, South AfricaTel: 021 554 4580Mobile: 073 605 2557
Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) Equipment Market: Business Opportunities, Current Trends, Market Challenges & Global Industry Analysis by 2025

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The Insight Partners.com added Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) Equipment Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Light Source (Laser Produced Plasma, Vacuum Sparks and Gas Discharges); Equipment (Light Source, Mirrors, Masks and Others); and Application (Memory, IDM, Foundry and Others) report to their offering.Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is a technology, which uses small wavelength to make circuits with minor features and obtain an output with better resolution. Lithography is used to print complex patterns which describe integrated circuits onto semiconductor wafers.EUVL system offers enhanced resolving power and high productivity which are the major drivers which help in surging the growth of extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment market whereas complex technology that requires all new step-and-scan systems for production of semiconductors act as a restraining factor for this market. Projection lithography will add new opportunities for this market in the coming years.FREE | Request a Sample Report atThe "Global Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Equipment Market Analysis to 2025" is a specialized and in-depth study of the extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment market with detailed market segmentation by light source, equipment, application and geography. The global extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment market based on light source, equipment and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM). The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 16 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Inquiry before Buying atBesides this, the report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the market in these regions.Also, key extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years. Some of the key players influencing the market are Intel Corporation, Nikon Corporation, SUSS MicroTec SE, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, Vistec Semiconductor Systems, Inc., Samsung Corporation, Ultratech Inc., ASML Holding N.V., Canon Inc. and NuFlare Technology Inc. among others.Some of the important playersIntel CorporationNikon CorporationSUSS MicroTec SETaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company LimitedVistec Semiconductor Systems, Inc.Samsung CorporationUltratech Inc.ASML Holding N.V.Canon Inc.NuFlare Technology Inc.Complete Report is Available atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Address533, 5th Floor,Amanora Chambers, East Block, Amanora Township,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Microarray Analysis Market Analysis and Key Trends 2027 - Agilent Technologies, Inc, Sequenom Inc, Roche NimbleGen, Illumnia Inc, NextGen Sciences PLC

Microarray Analysis Market

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The Global Microarray Analysis Market is expected to grow at a CAGR 9.8%% during the forecast period of 2018-2027.Microarray is an advanced molecular biology technique, used to spot expressions of many genes at the same time. Any abnormalities in gene functioning can lead to a critical disease. Microarrays serves a good platform for the diagnosis and development of treatment for this type of diseases. Microarray can be used for many micro molecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, and tissues. Global microarray analysis market is majorly driven by the rapid development in the genetics, increasing prevalence of cancer and rising need of research. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing healthcare expenditure and continuous development in the technology has propelled the markets growth. However, high cost of the tests may slower this markets growth.Key Players for Microarray Analysis Market:Some major market players in Global Microarray Marker are as follows: Affymetrix, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., Sequenom, Inc., Roche NimbleGen, Illumnia, Inc., and Applied Microarrays. Other companies operating in the global microarrays market are biome rieux SA, Discerna, Gyros AB, Luminex Corporation, NextGen Sciences PLC. And ProteoGenix.Get a Sample Copy of This Report @Segmentation:The global microarray analysis market is segmented into technology, consumables, services, application and end users.On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into DNA microarray, PCR, NGS, SAGE, northern blotting and others.On the basis of consumables, the market is segmented into DNA chips, DNA microarrays, protein microarrays, cellular microarrays, chemical compound microarrays, antibody microarrays and others. On the basis of services, the market is divided into gene profiling, bioinformatics and others.On the basis of applications, the market is categorized into research, drug discovery, diagnostic and others.Regional Analysis:America accounts for the largest share in the global microarray analysis market owing to the presence of huge number of patients, high healthcare expenditure, and the increasing number of cancer patients. Europe is the second largest market in the global microarray analysis market due to increasing governments support and the increasing geriatric population.Get Attractive Discount on This Report @Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market due to the presence of developing countries like India & China, and the presence of huge opportunities that will favor the growth of this market. However, the Middle East & Africa holds the least market share due to limited development in the healthcare sector.Brief TOC1 Report Prologue2 Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Mega Trends4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators5 Market Factor analysisTOC ContinuedInquire about This Report @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market 2016-2020

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Extensive research carried out by the analysts at Publisher has shown that the global dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) market will witness impressive growth and post a staggering CAGR of more than 12% over the forecast period. With the growing number of dental schools and dentists, the market for dental CBCT is expected to have a positive outlook in the coming years. The increasing number of dental specialty hospitals and laboratories in the Americas and Europe is leading to the augmented adoption of CBCT in these regions. In the Americas, the markets growth is high as public-private dental schools are increasing. With the increasing dental problems in the region, there is a high requirement for dentists, which can be fulfilled by the growth of dental schools in the market.In terms of geography, the Americas led the global dental CBCT market during 2015 and is likely to dominate the market over the next four years. The growth of this market in the region is attributed to the increasing number of dental implant procedures and radical improvements in dentomaxillofacial surgeries in the Americas. The use of dentomaxillofacial radiology has increased after the introduction of CBCT application in dental services as it helps in soft tissue examination, temporomandibular joint examination, and plaque detection. The extensive application of CBCT will lead to its increased adoption in the region, especially in countries like the US and Canada.Get Request Sample Copy is Available at:Competitive landscape and key vendorsThe global dental CBCT market is characterized by the presence of intense competition among the global and local vendors. Factors like advances in technology and product upgrading will increase the competition among vendors.Key vendors in this market are -Carestream HealthDentsply SironaDanaherPlanmeca OYOther prominent vendors in the market include ClaroNav, Fussen Technology, J. Morita, LargeV Instrument, LED Dental, PointNix, PreXion, 3Shape, Varian Medical Systems, and Vatech.For Inquire before Buying at:Segmentation by application and analysis of the dental CBCT marketDental implantOrthodonticEndodontic and periodonticDental surgeriesDuring 2015, the dental implant segment accounted for the majority of market shares and will continue to lead the market over the next four years. Dental implants are metal products that provide a stable support to artificial teeth, dentures, and bridges. CBCT is used for imaging in the restoration of implants. CBCT combined with 2D imaging modalities can help in treatment planning, implant placement, and the need of bone augmentation, which will boost this market segments growth over coming years.Segmentation by end user and analysis of the dental CBCT marketHospitalsDental clinics and laboratoriesGet Complete Report is Available at:Contact Us:Phone: +1-646-491-9876Email Id: sales@reportsweb.comAbout Us:ReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township, Amanora Chambers, East Block, Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Automotive Body Panels Market: Pin-Point Analysis For Changing Competitive Dynamics

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Automotive body panels are body parts of the vehicle that are made of conventional material such as steel, iron, magnesium, aluminum, and other materials. Automotive body panels are a primary and integral part of the vehicle, as they cover the vehicle. Automotive body panels are mounted on the chassis and engine of the vehicle and act as cover in order to protect the passengers against the elements. An automotive body panel includes the roof, bumper, hood, and doors.Rise in demand for automotive body panels due to their extensive usage in vehicles, is expected to be a key factor driving the automotive body panels market during the forecast period. Increase in the production of automotive body panels with advance technology by reducing the weight and providing the light weight body panels, which reduces the weight of the vehicle and makes vehicle more efficient are also projected to boost the automotive body panels market during the forecast period.Request PDF Sample@Automotive body panels offer several benefits such as reliability, ease of maintenance, and availability in any region. Lightweight body panels are changing the automotive body panels dynamic in the market, as they provide desired strength for the components with reduced weight. This is likely to provide lucrative opportunities to the automotive body panels market. Lightweight body panels are more expensive on account of the availability of raw material and strength. This is expected to hamper the growth of upgraded automotive body panel market during the forecast period.The automotive body panels market can be segmented based on components, vehicle type, end-user, and region. Based on components, the automotive body panels market can be segregated into bumper, hood, door panels, roof, and others. The door panels segment accounts for a major share of the market, as compared to the others. The door panels segment is followed by the bumper segment, which is expected to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period.Get ToC of This Report @In terms of vehicle type, the automotive body panels market can be segregated into passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. The passenger vehicles segment can be further sub-segmented into hatchback cars, sedans, multi-purpose vehicles, and sport-utility vehicles. The commercial vehicles segment can be further split into lightweight commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles.Based on end-user, the automotive body panels market can be classified into original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket. The aftermarket segment holds a major share of the market, as compared to the OEMs segment. This is due to increase in accident ratio and maintenance.View this Report@In terms of geography, the automotive body panels market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America, and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific accounts for a major share of the global automotive body panels market, due to the high adoption rate and infrastructural developments, especially in China, India, Japan, and Korea.The automotive body panels market in Europe, especially in Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K., is also expected to expand due to rapid expansion in industrialization and technological advancements in the automotive production sector. The automotive body panels market is also expected to expand in North America due to the upgrade of existing infrastructure.Key players operating in the global automotive body panels market include GORDON AUTO BODY PARTS CO., LTD., AUSTEM COMPANY LTD., Gestamp, Magna International Inc., KUANTE AUTO PARTS MANUFACTURE CO., LTD., and FLEX-N-GATE Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Research Blog:
Global Aseptic Packaging Market in the Food Industry to grow at a CAGR of 11.12% during 2017-2021 | Amcor, Bemis Company, DuPont, Tetra Pak

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Aseptic packaging is the process in which a product and its package are sterilized separately, and then packaged within the confines of a sterilized environment. The main purpose of this process in the food industry is to store and maintain the freshness of a food item without refrigeration for a long period, while maintaining its chemical and sensory properties. The market is segmented on the basis of packaging type, such as bottles, cartons, bags and pouches, and others.The global aseptic packaging market in the food industry to grow at a CAGR of 11.12% during the period 2017-2021. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global aseptic packaging market in the food industry for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated by different vendors through sales of various aseptic packaging type such as bottles, cartons, bags and pouches and others.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEAClick to get Sample PDF:Technavio's report, Global Aseptic Packaging Market in the Food Industry 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Amcor- Bemis Company- DuPont- Tetra PakOther prominent vendors- Allied Glass Containers- AptarGroup- Ardagh Group- Bosch- Can Pack Group- CCL Industries- CDF- CKS Packaging- DS Smith- Elopak- Evergreen Packaging- Genpak- Goglio- Greatview Aseptic Packaging..........View Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at:Key questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
RTLS Market in the US 2016-2020

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The global industrial castings market is anticipated to grow rapidly and will post a CAGR of close to 47% during the forecast period. The increasing use of real-time locating systems (RTLS) tags in the healthcare sector will drive the growth prospects for the global industrial castings market during the forecast period. One of the major factors that increase the adoption of RTLS tags in hospitals is improved operations and increased profitability. Other benefits of RTLS tags are monitoring of the sensitive equipment, patients, and hospital staff such as doctors and nurses. Also, the high-frequency (HF) tags and ultra-high frequency (UHF RFID) tags are widely used in healthcare applications. The HF tags are used for a short-range purpose while the UHF RFID tags are used for long-range purposes like tracking and locating critical medical devices, managing inventory, and tracking and identifying patients. Moreover, the tracking surgical instruments and other reusable medical equipment that are integrated with RTLS solutions helps in the automation of sterile processing workflow. This includes cleaning, sterilizing, and distributing medical equipment, surgical and dental instruments, and critical supplies.The emergence of new cost-effective technologies will drive the growth prospects for the market in the forthcoming years. One of the major contributing factors of growth in the RTLS market is the effective technologies such as the ultra-wideband (UWB) and ZigBee. These technologies help in the improvement of day-to-day operations, functions, and efficiency of staff, and reduce the operational cost. In addition, they offer high accuracy, precision, and reliability in manufacturing industries. For instance, ZigBee provides easy-to-deploy and cost-effective technology in comparison with personal wireless networks such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.Get Request Sample Copy is Available at:Competitive landscape and key vendorsIn the US, the vendors of the market witness a high competitive environment. Moreover, with the expansion of RTLS in various sectors such as the retail, automotive, manufacturing, and oil and gas sectors, a large number of companies will enter the market. In addition, the market is expected to witness many mergers and acquisitions (M&A) during the forecast period.Key vendors in this market are -AiRISTAHPSTANLEY HealthcareUbisenseZebraOther prominent vendors in the market include Awarepoint, DecaWave, GE Healthcare, HID, IBM, Intelligent InSites, Identec Solutions, Mojix, PINC Solutions, PLUS Location Systems, Radianse, RF Technologies, Sonitor Technologies, TeleTracking Technologies, ThingMagic, Tyco Security Products, and Versus Technology.For Inquire before Buying at:Segmentation by application and analysis of the dental CBCT marketSystemsTagsThe systems segment accounted for the maximum market share during 2015 and will continue to dominate the market until the end of 2020. One of the major factors that are responsible for the significant growth in the markets segment is the increasing adoption of RTLS by government organizations. Other such factors that contribute to this growth is the increased adoption of RTLS by various industries such as the healthcare, retail, transportation and logistics, oil and natural gas, and manufacturing.Segmentation by application and analysis of the RTLS market in the USGovernmentRetailHealthcareTransportation and logisticsGet Complete Report is Available at:Contact Us:Phone: +1-646-491-9876Email Id: sales@reportsweb.comAbout Us:ReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township, Amanora Chambers, East Block, Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Mexico Cardiac Assist Devices

Mexico Cardiac Assist Devices

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Mexico Cardiac Assist DevicesOverview"Mexico Cardiac Assist Devices Market Outlook to 2025", provides key market data on the Mexico Cardiac Assist Devices market. The report provides value, in millions of US dollars, volume (in units) and average prices (USD) within market segments - Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps, Total Artificial Heart and Ventricular Assist Devices.Click here for sample report @Major Key Players:Abbott LaboratoriesMedtronic plcGetinge AB.Major Highlight of the report:The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of these market segments, and global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants. Based on the availability of data for the particular market and country, information related to pipeline products, news and deals is available in the report.Extensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs), physicians and industry experts to validate the market size, company share and distribution share data and analysis.Scope- Market size and company share data for External Defibrillators market segment - Professional Defibrillators.- Annualized market revenues (USD million) and volume (units) data for each of the market segments. Data is provided from 2015 to 2025.- 2017 company share and distribution share data for External Defibrillators market.- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Mexico Cardiac Assist Devices market.- Key players covered include Physio-Control Inc, Philips Healthcare. and Others.Reasons to buy- Develop business strategies by identifying the key market segments poised for strong growth in the future.- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies.- Design competition strategies by identifying who-stands-where in the market.- Develop investment strategies by identifying the key market segments expected to register strong growth in the near future.- What are the key distribution channels and whats the most preferred mode of product distribution - Identify, understand and capitalize..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Automotive Control Panel Market 2018 Global Forecast To 2023: Size, Share, Key Players - Continental, Johnson Controls, Magna, Hyundai, Faurecia, Lear, Valeo, Delphi, and Toyota

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Automotive Control Panel Market Global Forecast To 2023 research report 2018 predicts future market trends, size, share, and drivers, restraints throughout the forecast period from 2018 to 2023. Automotive Control Panel Market by Component (Rotary Switch, roof light, Touch Pad, Smart Roof, Locking Function, Side mirror, Door Panel Light, Driver Monitoring Camera, Electric Window and Others), By Control Panel Type (Manual, push button and Touch Screen), By Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles) and Regions.The Automotive Control Panel market has registered high growth in recent times on account of growing demand. Global Automotive Control Panel market is expected to grow at 7% CAGR from 2018 to 2023.Market Analysis by Key Players:Continental AG (Germany), Johnson Controls, Inc. (U.S.), Magna International Inc. (Canada), Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd. (South Korea), Faurecia S.A. (France), Lear Corporation (U.S.), Valeo SA (France), Delphi Automotive Plc. (U.K.), Toyota Boshoku Corporation (Japan) and Calsonic Kansei Corporation (Japan).Sample report of Global Automotive Control Panel Market available at:Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversNorth and South AmericaEUAsia-PacificMiddle-East CountriesDevelopment of electronics and communications industry is also contributing extensively in the growth of the automotive control panel market. The other factors leading to the growth of the automotive control panel market are the introduction of stringent safety norms and increasing vehicle electrification. Increase in demand for enhanced cabin comfort and convenience features in high end passenger vehicles owing to the increase in purchasing power, also helps in the growth of the automotive control panel market.Market Analysis by Component:Rotary SwitchRoof lightTouch PadSmart RoofLocking FunctionSide mirrorDoor Panel LightDriver Monitoring CameraElectric WindowMarket Analysis by Control Panel Type:ManualPush buttonTouch ScreenMarket Analysis by Vehicle Type:Passenger CarsCommercial VehiclesIntended Audience:Report analyzes Automotive Control Panel manufacturing companies, suppliers, service providers, Government as well as Independent Regulatory Authorities, and Investment bankers and M&A Consultants.This study provides an overview of the global automotive control panel market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a six year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global automotive control panel Market by component, control panel type, vehicle type and regions.Table of Content:1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2 SCOPE OF THE REPORT2.1 MARKET DEFINITION2.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY2.2.1 DEFINITION2.2.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE2.2.3 ASSUMPTIONS2.2.4 LIMITATIONS2.3 RESEARCH PROCESS2.3.1 PRIMARY RESEARCH2.3.2 SECONDARY RESEARCH2.4 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION2.5 FORECAST MODEL3 MARKET LANDSCAPE3.1 PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS3.1.1 THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS3.1.2 BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS3.1.3 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS3.1.4 THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES3.1.5 SEGMENT RIVALRY3.2 VALUE CHAIN/SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS4 MARKET DYNAMICS4.1 INTRODUCTION4.2 MARKET DRIVERS4.3 MARKET RESTRAINTS4.4 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES4.5 MARKET TRENDSContinuedBrowse complete report at:About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Future of Financial Services - Five technological trends changing the banking, insurance, payments and wealth management industries

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The world of financial services is changing. The recent introduction of FinTech innovations is beginning to shake up the market and improve and streamline financial services and disrupt the order of things. Furthermore, todays generation of customers have very different habits and requirements and insurance companies, banks, currencies, payment services and financial advising will all have to change if they are to remain relevant to the coming generations. Incumbent players in the industry are listening however and many have implemented significant changes to their business models in order to adapt for the future. For instance; Block Chain technology has shown itself to have a great number of potential uses and banks want it for their own. Cashless societies are moving closer to reality and in certain countries, people are finding carrying cash increasingly irrelevant. Cybercrime is now big business and protecting customers from attack is now expensive and difficult. For its part, the stale insurance market has been using new technologies to break the mold and robo-advisors are becoming the norm in the wealth management industry.Get the sample copy of this report :Key HighlightsThe rise of cryptocurrencies is due in the main to the clever technology that allows it to function as a kind of distributed ledger system, called the Block Chain. Many in financial services have been skeptical of cryptocurrencies; seeing their trading volatility and resistance to normal financial regulation in a dim light. However, whilst spurning cryptocurrencies, the financial services industry has woken up to the potential of the Block Chain technology. The Block Chain is effectively a far superior and safe database to any current systems that can be altered in multiple places at once across country borders and markets and can work for many more things than just money alone.The cashless economy has been a longstanding ambition of the financial services industry. Now changes in culture towards the use of digital money for everyday purposes, even tiny purchases, and innovative technology, have allowed countries such as Sweden to move very close to a cashless society. Innovation in transactions and banking has spread efforts to grow the cashless economy to the developing world, ensuring the move away from hard currency is likely to become a global affair. Problems, of course, remain and must be overcome to ensure concerns regarding change are addressed.Robo-advisors are a new category of financial service product that can offer some unique benefits to those interested in wealth management services. From start-ups to the biggest incumbent players, most institutions in the wealth management industry have their own services. Companies offering these products are capturing the desire for cheaper monthly rates, advice more heavily based on mathematics and fully impartial advice. Essentially what these companies are trying to provide, or what is the long term aim of this type of product, is an AI wealth management service and the robo-advisor market today is a kind of halfway house between a traditional human advisor and what will eventually be the norm, when full AI tools role out in the future.Request for complete report TOC @Scope- Examining the changing implications of new Fintech coming in to the FS market- Looking at the disruptive forces in the payments, cryptocurrency, blockchain, cyber crime and insurance world- Learn whether the hype surround these new innovations are justified and just what impact they might haveReasons to buy- What is cryptocurrency and why are banks spending so heavily in developing their own types of blockchains?- Just how far has the idea of a cashless society spread and what the factors effecting its adoption?- What is the financial services industry doing to counter the highly dangerous threat from cyber crime?- Just how has new technology been able to revitalize certain areas of the insurance industry?- What are robo advisors and how are they helping to shake up the wealth managment industry?MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports, supporting clients' market intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market profiles in its repository. We also offer consulting support for custom market research needs.Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that our customers always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries. From Fortune 500 companies to SMEs, MarketResearchReports.biz has built a veritable reputation for fulfilling the most exacting market research needs.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Best Assignment Help in Australia by My Assignment Help Oz

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Writing assignments can be an immense opportunity for students to read beyond the classroom and learn a subject in greater depth. However, the present situation  small deadlines, extensive research, writing, etc  can make the entire process very hectic. As a result, even if students manage to submit it on the due date that is all they are able to achieve. This is because assignment writing requires them to attend to many things at the same time. An assignment service in Australia would not only take of all this but also enhance your understanding of the subject.Firstly, assignment experts in Australia would know the academic writing requirement from students in the city. This means that they will find all the research material very quickly. What this means is that it leaves with a lot of time to focus on the writing and structure of the assignment. At the same time, students can also go to experts for more comprehensible texts to read on the subject. This is because students, especially undergraduates, have to realize that knowing the basics of a subject is of utmost importance. And an assignment in the university is very different from the essay required of them in school. Therefore, both research and structure wise there is a lot that students can gain from assignment writing help services in Australia.The troubles only begin when the research part is over. The next thing students have difficulty with is the organization and structure of the writing. This is important because an academic piece is different from an impressionistic piece of writing. Everything a student says in it has to be backed by textual resources. Furthermore, most subject require students to include examples and case studies in the assignment. An assignment expert in Australia, therefore, becomes indispensable for students because of his/her awareness of the subject and how it applies in the contemporary professional spaces. And these examples cannot be made part of the assignment in a mechanical way. They have to be arranged around the sections and relevant arguments in a very organic manner. This is where the expertise of an assignment service comes into play.The troubles only begin when the research part is over. The next thing students have difficulty with is the organization and structure of the writing. This is important because an academic piece is different from an impressionistic piece of writing. Everything a student says in it has to be backed by textual resources. Furthermore, most subject require students to include examples and case studies in the assignment. An assignment expert in Australia, therefore, becomes indispensable for students because of his/her awareness of the subject and how it applies in the contemporary professional spaces. And these examples cannot be made part of the assignment in a mechanical way. They have to be arranged around the sections and relevant arguments in a very organic manner. This is where the expertise of an assignment service comes into play.Company: My Assignment Help OzWebsite:Email: help@myassignmenthelpoz.comCall: +61 466 332 323
Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market Anticipated To Reach US$ 2,609.9 Mn by 2025

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"The Latest Research Report Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017 - 2025 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"This report on the thyroid gland disorders treatment market analyzes the current and future scenario of the global market. Increasing incidence of thyroid gland disorders. Government regulations and initiatives for increasing awareness about thyroid gland disorders treatment are the major drivers of the global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market.The thyroid gland disorders treatment market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes a market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the segments based on Disorders, and geography. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints of the market and opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. In addition, the section comprises competitive matrix and company profiles with business overview to understand the competitive landscape in the market. This section of the report also provides market attractiveness analysis, by geography and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global thyroid gland disorders treatment market.Get Sample Copy of this report @Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market: Key SegmentsBased on Disorders, the market has been segmented into hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. The disorders market segments have been analyzed based on available approved treatments for hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, cost-effectiveness, and preference for industries. Furthermore, Hypothyroidism is categorized into Levothyroxine and Liothyronine, where hyperthyroidism is categorized into Imidazole and Propacil. The market size and forecast for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year.Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global thyroid gland disorders treatment market has been categorized into five major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (the U.S., Canada), Europe (the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (India, China, Japan, Australia & New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC countries, Israel, and Rest of Middle East & Africa). The market size and forecast for each of these regions and the mentioned countries have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year. The research study also covers the competitive scenario in these regions.Companies Mentioned in ReportThe report also profiles major players in the global thyroid gland disorders treatment market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. The major players in the Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market are Merck KGaA, Pfizer, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, ALLERGAN, Sanofi S.A., AbbVie Inc., Lannett Company, Inc., Aspen, Novartis AG, Mylan N.V., and Others.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The global thyroid gland disorders treatment market is segmented as given below:Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market Revenue, by Disorders, 20152025HypothyroidismLevothyroxineLiothyronineHyperthyroidismImidazolePropacilGlobal Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market Revenue, By Geography, 20152025North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.ItalyFranceSpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificIndiaChinaJapanAustralia & New ZealandRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC countriesSouth AfricaIsraelRest of Middle East & AfricaTable of Content1. Preface1.1. Report Scope and Market Segmentation1.2. Research Highlights2. Assumptions and Research Methodology2.1. Assumptions and Acronyms Used2.2. Research Methodology3. Executive Summary3.1. Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market Size (US$ Mn) and Distribution, by Region, 2017 and 20253.2. Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market: Market Snapshot4. Market Overview4.1. Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market: Product Overview4.2. Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market: Key Industry DevelopmentsView Sample PDF @5. Market Dynamics5.1. Drivers and Restraints Snapshot Analysis5.2. Drivers5.2.1. Increasing incidence of thyroid gland disorders5.2.2. Rise in the number of obese, diabetic, and cardiovascular patients, leading to increased risk of thyroid disorders5.2.3. Growing number of disease awareness programs in developing regions5.2.4. Focus on spreading awareness about disorders as well as promotional campaigns5.2.5. Development of effective combination thyroid disorders drug therapies5.3. Restraints5.3.1. Rising customer preference for alternative treatments5.3.2. Asymptomatic nature of thyroid disorders leading to large pool of undiagnosed patients5.4. Opportunities5.4.1. Asymptomatic nature of thyroid disorders leading to large pool of undiagnosed patients5.4.2. Increase in research and development activities5.5. Global Thyroid Gland Disorders (Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism) Epidemiology5.6. Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market Revenue Forecast5.7. Global Thyroid Gland Disorders Treatment Market OutlookAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. 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Industry Data Analysis of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Smart Home Speakers Market Report 2018

Industry Data Analysis of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Smart Home Speakers Market Report 2018

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The EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Smart Home Speakers Market Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Smart Home Speakers industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Smart Home Speakers 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 Smart Home Speakers 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 & professional report sample:In this report, the EMEA Smart Home Speakers 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 split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Smart Home Speakers for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Smart Home Speakers market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Smart Home Speakers sales volume (K MT), price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingAlphabetLogitechPhilipsInvoxiaLenovoMattelCOWIN TechnologyFABRIQOMAKEREdifierJBLInteractive VoiceLG ElectronicsPan Ocean TechnologySony Mobile CommunicationsOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWiredWirelessOn 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, includingHouseholdCommercialTable of contents:Chapter 1 - Smart Home Speakers OverviewChapter 2 - EMEA Smart Home Speakers Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 3 - Europe Smart Home Speakers (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 4 - Middle East Smart Home Speakers (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 5 - Africa Smart Home Speakers (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 6 - EMEA Smart Home Speakers Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales DataChapter 7 - Smart Home Speakers Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 8 - Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyChapter 9 - Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 10 - Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 11 - EMEA Smart Home Speakers Market Forecast (2018-2022)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
VVT & Start-Stop Systems : CAGR of around 9.5% by 2018-25 Market | Increased Manufacturing of Passenger Cars to Encourage : Schaeffler AG, Eaton Corporation plc, BMW, Delphi Automotive PLC

VVT & Start-Stop Systems

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Press Release - 11 April 2018Global Research and Development News --. .Report Description-' ' Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market: Overview This report on the global VVT & start-stop systems market has been developed by professional market research analysts and aspires to serve as a credible business tool for its targeted audiences such as automotive electronic system manufacturers, investment firms, VVT and start-stop system manufacturers, private equity firms, automotive component manufacturers, and vehicle manufacturers. This report projected the demand for VVT start-stop systems to increment at a healthy CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022. Rapidly decreasing oil reserves, strict emission norms, increasing fuel prices, and hybridization of vehicles are some of the key factors augmenting the demand in the global VVT & start-stop systems market, although high cost of these products and substantial maintenance cost are a few hindrances challenging the prosperity.. . Get Sample Report' ' Global VVT & Start-stop Systems Market: Research Methodology This research is a careful summation of two parts, primary and secondary research, which were conducted specifically to understand and arrive at trends before using them to forecast the expected revenue of the global VVT & start-stop systems market. A major chunk of our research efforts depended on information collected from in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of experts of the industry as well as opinion leaders. On the other hand, the secondary research for the development of this report included study of company websites, press releases, annual reports, various international and national databases. The logic behind the secondary research was for the report to provide qualitative and quantitative estimated market size in terms of US$ Mn for each product, technology, fuel type, and feature type. In addition to that, the report provides estimated market size in terms of US$ Mn for various geographic regions for the period 2017 to 2022, considering the macro and micro environmental factors. To evaluate the revenue generated from each product, the report has considered their launch date in the market, customer acceptance, price of the product, volume sales, trends in industry, and adoption rate across all the geographies. Global VVT & Start-stop Systems Market: Segmentations On the basis of product-type, the global VVT & start-stop systems market has been segmented into dual over-head cam (DOHC) and single over-head cam (SOHC). In the present scenario, the DOHC segment constitutes the most prominent chunk of demand and is projected to increment at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022, when it is estimated to be worth US$37,922.9 mn. Technology-wise, the market for VVT start-stop systems has been bifurcated into cam phasing, cam phasing plus changing, belt-driven, direct starter, enhanced starter, and integrated starter. Based on fuel type, the global VVT & start-stop systems market has been classified into gasoline and diesel, whereas application-wise, this market has been categorized into compact passenger cars, mid-sized passenger cars, premium passenger cars, luxury passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles.Geographically, this report categorizes the global stretcher chair market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific except Japan (APEJ), Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Japan. The current size of the market and its futuristic prospects for each of these regions has been provided for the period from 2017 to 2022, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2022, considering 2016 as the base year. One of the key aspect of this report is that it provides market size and forecast for major countries in the respective regions. The region of North America include the U.S. and Canada, Latin America includes Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, Europe includes the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Nordic, APEJ includes China, India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia, and MEA includes GCC countries, South Africa, Israel, and Nigeria. Global VVT & Start-stop Systems Market : Competitive Landscape Denso Corporation, Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH, Continental AG, Magna International Inc., Delphi Automotive PLC, Hitachi Ltd., Toyota Motors, Johnson Controls, Inc., BMW, Eaton Corporation plc, Valeo S.A., and Schaeffler AG are some of the prominent companies of VVT & start-stop systems market who have been profiled in this report.. . More Clear Details get Table of Contents' '1. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market - Executive Summary2. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Definition2.2. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Dynamics2.4. Supply Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Raw Material Sourcing Strategy and Analysis2.8. List of Distributors2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Analysis and Forecast By Product Type3.1. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast By Product Type, 2012-20223.1.1. Dual Over Head Cam (DOHC) VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Single Over Head Cam (SOHC) VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Analysis and Forecast By Technology Type4.1. Global VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast By Technology Type , 2012-20224.1.1. Cam Phasing VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. Cam phasing plus changing VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.3. Belt-driven alternator starter VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.4. Direct starter VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.4.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.4.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.4.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.5. Enhanced starter VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.5.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.5.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.5.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.6. Integrated starter generator VVT & Start-Stop Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.6.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.6.2. Market Share Comparison, By RegionResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Surgical Tables : 3.9% CAGR by 2018-22 Market | Advancement in the Healthcare Industry to Stoke | Elekta AB, Stryker Corporation, Span America Medical System Inc.

Surgical Tables

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Press Release - 11 April 2018Global Research and Development News --. .Report Description-' ' Global Surgical Tables Market: Overview The report on the global surgical tables market presents a detailed assessment of the market and reliable forecasts regarding its likely growth trajectory in the coming years. The global surgical tables market is assessed on all fronts, including the hierarchy of its segmentation, the major factors influencing its growth, and the leading players staking a claim in it. The comprehensive view provided in the report is backed up by solid facts collated from reliable first- and second-hand sources and reliable market figures. The latest figures for the global surgical tables market are elaborated upon in detail in the report in order to provide readers a clear picture of the markets current standpoint. The analysis of the current figures is combined with insight derived from analysis of the global surgical tables markets historical trajectory to derive solid projections regarding the way the market is likely to progress in the coming years.. . Get Sample Report' 'Surgical tables are a key need in the healthcare sector and have thus benefited significantly from the growing investment in the healthcare sector in developed as well as developing countries. The surgical tables market has also benefited from the steady technological development embraced by the healthcare sector, which has resulted in the development of consistent progressions in design, boosting the demand from the surgical tables market. The rising economic prominence of the healthcare sector in the coming years is likely to ensure stable growth of the global surgical tables market in the near future.The global surgical tables market was valued at US$837.1 mn in 2017. Exhibiting a steady 3.9% CAGR in the 2017-2022 forecast period, the surgical tables market is expected to reach US$1,014.3 mn by 2022. Global Surgical Tables Market: Dynamics The report provides a clear look into the dynamics of how various influential factors affect the global surgical tables market. The most important factors affecting the market are provided with great attention, with its relationship with the surgical tables market analyzed carefully to derive useful insight. Factors hindering the global surgical tables market are also assessed in detail in the report, which becomes a key tool for players to know what pitfalls to avoid. In dynamic markets such as the surgical tables market, with rapid influx of investment resulting in an unstable landscape, small matters can make a difference.The steady growth of the healthcare sector across the world is likely to remain the prime driver for the global surgical tables market. Healthcare industry players have started to pay attention to the growing need for advanced and innovative design in the medical devices industry, which has driven the development of innovative variants of various surgical implements, including the surgical tables market. Global Surgical Tables Market: Segmentation Non-powered surgical tables dominate the global surgical tables market in terms of product type. The non-powered surgical tables segment was valued at US$619.1 mn in 2017, representing 74% of the market. Growing at a CAGR of 4.3%, the segment is expected to grow to US$765.7 mn by 2022, accounting for 75.5% of the global surgical tables market.Geographically, North America is the dominant contributor to the global surgical tables market due to the widespread adoption of advanced surgical equipment in developed countries such as the U.S. and Canada. The North America surgical tables market was valued at US$246.9 mn in 2017 and is expected to exhibit a steady 4.1% CAGR in rising to US$301.5 mn by 2022. Global Surgical Tables Market: Competitive Dynamics Leading players in the global surgical tables market are analyzed in the report in order to provide readers with a clear picture of the competitive dynamics of the global surgical tables market. Regulatory factors influencing the major competitive trends in the global surgical tables market are assessed in the report. Key companies examined in the report include AMTAI Medical Equipment, Inc., Allengers Medical Systems Limited, C-RAD AB, Getinge AB, Skytron Inc., STERIS, Elekta AB, Span America Medical System Inc., and Stryker Corporation.. . More Clear Details get Table of Contents' '1. Global Surgical Tables Market - Executive Summary2. Global Surgical Tables Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Surgical Tables Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Surgical Tables Market Definition2.2. Global Surgical Tables Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Surgical Tables Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Surgical Tables Market Dynamics2.4. Supply Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Raw Material Sourcing Strategy and Analysis2.8. Supplier List2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global Surgical Tables Market Analysis and Forecast By Product Type3.1. Global Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast By Product Type, 2012-20223.1.1. Powered Surgical Tables Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Non-powered Surgical Tables Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4. Global Surgical Tables Market Analysis and Forecast By End User4.1. Global Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast By End User, 2012-20224.1.1. Hospitals Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. ASCs Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.3. Clinics Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region5. Global Surgical Tables Market Analysis and Forecast By Surgery Type5.1. Global Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast By Surgery Type, 2012-20225.1.1. General Surgery Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20225.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region5.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region5.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region5.1.2. Specialty Surgery Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20225.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region5.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region5.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region6. Global Surgical Tables Market Analysis and Forecast By Region6.1. Global Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20226.1.1. North America Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20226.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Product Type6.1.1.2. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By End User6.1.1.3. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Surgery Type6.1.2. Latin America Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20226.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Product Type6.1.2.2. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By End User6.1.2.3. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Surgery Type6.1.3. Europe Surgical Tables Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20226.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Product Type6.1.3.2. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By End User6.1.3.3. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Surgery TypeResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Plastic Antioxidants Market Size, Top Global Key Players Analysis till 2023- BASF SE, Solvay, SI Group Inc., Dover Corporation, LANXESS, Evonik Industries AG

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Market Overview:The inhibitors which are added in the resins to protect the materials or equipment are called plastic antioxidants. It has various significant properties such as excellent tensile strength, protection against thermally induced oxidation with impact resistance. It is used to provide flexibility, quality, and durability to the product.The Global Plastic Antioxidants market has been driven by its growing consumption in various sectors such as aerospace, automotive, coil, petrochemical, and others. Moreover, it is estimated that the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin segment is set to witness the highest growth in the market due to rising substitution of heavy metals by lightweight materials.Read More about Report @Major Key Players:The Major Players operating in the Plastic Antioxidants Market are: BASF SE (Germany), Solvay (Belgium), SI Group Inc. (U.S.), Dover Corporation (U.S.), SAKAI CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO. LTD. (Japan), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), LANXESS (Germany), Trigon Antioxidants Pvt. Ltd. ( India), Krishna Antioxidants Pvt. Ltd ( India), Shandong Linyi Sunny Wealth chemicals Co. Ltd (China)Market Segmentation:The Global Plastic Antioxidants Market is categorized on the basis of Polymer Resin, Antioxidants Type:On The Basis Of Polymer Resin- Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polyvinylchloride, Polystyrene, Acrylonitrile Butadiene StyreneOn The Basis Of Antioxidants Type- Phenolic, Phosphite & Phosphonite, Antioxidant BlendsRegional Analysis:Geographically, Plastic Antioxidants Market is segmented across Five Regions in the world namely: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa.Asia Pacific holds a major portion of the global market and is anticipated to continue its dominance due to rising demand for plastic antioxidants market in various applications. Countries such as China, Japan and India are the major players in this region.The North America region is estimated to witness a higher growth in the U.S., Canada and Mexico owing to increasing demand for inhibitors in aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors. A recognized growth is observed in the European region owing to the growing consumption of lightweight materials in food packaging, automotive and aerospace to produce pollution free and efficient vehicles. Moreover, it is projected that the advancing research & development of product in the market has propelled this region to witness a significant growth in Germany, the U.K. and Italy.The Middle East & Africa is estimated to observe a significant growth due to increasing consumption of inhibitors in oil & gas, petrochemical and automobile industries. Additionally, the growing demand of high performance materials such as polypropylene and polyethylene in architectural, paints and coating industries is projected to boost the market in the Latin American region.Request For Sample Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Market Research Future+16468459312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Industry Data Analysis of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Sliding Vane Pumps Market Report 2018

Industry Data Analysis of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Sliding Vane Pumps Market Report 2018

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The EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Sliding Vane Pumps Market Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Sliding Vane Pumps industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Sliding Vane Pumps 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 Sliding Vane Pumps 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 & professional report sample:In this report, the EMEA Sliding Vane Pumps 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 split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Sliding Vane Pumps for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Sliding Vane Pumps market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Sliding Vane Pumps sales volume (K MT), price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingNational Vacuum EquipmentWallensteinFruitlandMassportGardner Denver WittigMoroJuropHurll Nu-WayLobeProSemler IndustriesBlackmerDover India Private LimitedProcon ProductsOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSynthetic Magnetic DriveMetal in Line Magnetic DriveMetal Magnetic DriveOn 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, includingTransportation IndustryAviationFuelingOtherTable of contents:Chapter 1 - Sliding Vane Pumps OverviewChapter 2 - EMEA Sliding Vane Pumps Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 3 - Europe Sliding Vane Pumps (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 4 - Middle East Sliding Vane Pumps (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 5 - Africa Sliding Vane Pumps (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 6 - EMEA Sliding Vane Pumps Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales DataChapter 7 - Sliding Vane Pumps Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 8 - Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyChapter 9 - Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 10 - Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 11 - EMEA Sliding Vane Pumps Market Forecast (2018-2022)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
Global WiFi Modules Market Growth Opportunities & Technology Developments by 2025

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global WiFi Modules Market Research Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.In a highly dynamic global market for WiFi Modules, companies need to constantly evolve to stay ahead of the curve. To do so, they need accurate information on the market. The recent report endeavors to help them achieve their growth targets by offering crucial information on the global market for WiFi Modules. The findings of the research study is not just expected to help such savvy vendors keen on expanding their global footprint, but also policy makers and regulatory organizations, investors, independent research bodies, and non-profit organizations.The report on the global market for WiFi Modules, presents important current and future figures and also key trends. It factors in macro-fundamentals to understand the dominant future trends as well. The report gathers data from both paid and open sources and also gathers useful insights from industry veterans to understand where the market for WiFi Modules is headed in the future.Global WiFi Modules market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingMurata ElectronicsUSITaiyo YudenAzureWaveTISilicon LabsLSRRF-LINKBroadlinkAdvantech B+B SmartWorxMiMXCHIPSilex TechnologyEnter your information below to receive a free sample copy of this report @Comprised of WiFi Modules pages, it provides a chapter-wise dissection of the market. It segments the market for WiFi Modules based on various parameters such as products, technology, application, and geography. It also throws light into which segment holds out maximum promise for vendors and why. It presents such crucial information leveraging tables, charts, and graphs so as to make it easier for clients to spot key trends and make the most of the available opportunities.The team of experienced analysts who have prepared the report, also delve deep into the factors promoting or hindering the market for WiFi Modules. It also uncovers the important trends that are emerging in the market. Banking upon all the information, it has charted the best course of action for success hungry companies.This report has been prepared after exhaustive primary and secondary research by interacting with C-level executives of prominent companies in the global market for WiFi Modules and through exhaustive online research.Table of ContentsGlobal WiFi Modules Market Research Report 20181 WiFi Modules Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of WiFi Modules1.2 WiFi Modules Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global WiFi Modules Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global WiFi Modules Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2017Read Complete Table of Content @2 Global WiFi Modules Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global WiFi Modules Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global WiFi Modules Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global WiFi Modules Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global WiFi Modules Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global WiFi Modules Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers WiFi Modules Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 WiFi Modules Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 WiFi Modules Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 WiFi Modules Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global WiFi Modules Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global WiFi Modules Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global WiFi Modules Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global WiFi Modules Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global WiFi Modules Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 United States WiFi Modules Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 EU WiFi Modules Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China WiFi Modules Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)Enquiry For Discount Visit @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of WiFi ModulesFigure Global WiFi Modules Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2013-2025)Figure Global WiFi Modules Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2017Figure Product Picture of Universal Wi-Fi ModuleTable Major Manufacturers of Universal Wi-Fi ModuleFigure Product Picture of Router Scheme Wi-Fi ModuleTable Major Manufacturers of Router Scheme Wi-Fi ModuleFigure Product Picture of Embedded Wi-Fi ModuleFigure China WiFi Modules Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2013-2025)Figure Japan WiFi Modules Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2013-2025)Figure South Korea WiFi Modules Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2013-2025)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog:
Global Foodservice Disposables Market Emerging Markets in Developing Countries

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Foodservice Disposables Market Professional Survey Report 2018 to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies Foodservice Disposables in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.The global Foodservice Disposables market is the subject of our latest report which tracks important events in the market such as technological developments, product launches, mergers and acquisitions, and others. The report offers top-line quantitative and qualitative information pertaining to the market size, trends, and its trajectory. The report profiles key players in the market and tries to gauge the overall competitive landscape too.To Download Free Sample Report With TOC:This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringDart Container Corporation.Georgia-Pacific LLC.Anchor Packaging Inc.D&W Fine Pack LLC.Gold Plast SpA.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoPlatesCups and GlassesTrays and ContainersCutleryBowls and TubsMugs and SaucersOther Products (Napkins and Foil Wraps)By Application, the market can be split intoRestaurantsLodging and HospitalityOtherOur extensive report begins with an overview of the market for Foodservice Disposables which also includes a product/service description. It then goes on to discuss the factors promoting or limiting the market. To that end it factors in macro-fundamentals, changes in technologies, new policies, and micro-trends. To further unravel the prospects of the global market for Foodservice Disposables, it segments it depending on various parameters such as products, technology, applications, and end users. It also attempts to understand the size and share of each segment and the reasons behind it. The intent is to help players tap into the lucrative segments to maximize their profits.The report then proceeds to study the geographic regions in the market for Foodservice Disposables to understand which ones hold out massive promise and which ones are already saturated. Banking upon market leading analytical tools such as SWOT Analysis and Porters Five Forces, it tries to uncover the degree of competition players are faced with. It factors in opportunities and threats from various sources such as new companies, substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers and customers, competitive rivalry, etc. to understand the road ahead for existing players.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete table of content is available at:Table of ContentsGlobal Foodservice Disposables Market Professional Survey Report 20181 Industry Overview of Foodservice Disposables1.1 Definition and Specifications of Foodservice Disposables1.1.1 Definition of Foodservice Disposables1.1.2 Specifications of Foodservice Disposables1.2 Classification of Foodservice Disposables1.2.1 Plates1.2.2 Cups and Glasses1.2.3 Trays and Containers1.2.4 Cutlery1.2.5 Bowls and Tubs1.2.6 Mugs and Saucers1.2.7 Other Products (Napkins and Foil Wraps)1.3 Applications of Foodservice Disposables1.3.1 Restaurants1.3.2 Lodging and Hospitality1.3.3 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Foodservice Disposables2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Foodservice Disposables2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Foodservice Disposables2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Foodservice DisposablesEnquiry For Discount Visit @3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Foodservice Disposables3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Foodservice Disposables Major Manufacturers in 20173.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Foodservice Disposables Major Manufacturers in 20173.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Foodservice Disposables Major Manufacturers in 20173.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Foodservice Disposables Major Manufacturers in 20174 Global Foodservice Disposables Overall Market Overview4.1 2013-2018E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2013-2018E Global Foodservice Disposables Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2017 Foodservice Disposables Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2013-2018E Global Foodservice Disposables Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2017 Foodservice Disposables Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2013-2018E Global Foodservice Disposables Sales Price4.4.2 2017 Foodservice Disposables Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)About USQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.We provide a variety of syndicated studies and hold the potential of assisting our clients with their specific market research needs by offering insights based on extensive primary interviews, market surveys, company profiles, and competitive landscaping. Our far-sighted ideas have been successful in igniting a number of startups, investment programs, technology breakthroughs, and new product development projects.Contact US1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog:
2018-21 Food | Global Foodservice Equipment Market : Industry Analysis & Outlook

Foodservice Equipment

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Press Release - 11 April 2018Global Research and Development News --. .Report Description-' 'The foodservice equipment industry involves those companies that manufacture the equipment needed to produce, transport, store, and serve food products. This type of equipment ranges from large freezers and ovens to small appliances sold at kitchen stores. Different versions of equipments are made for large manufacturers and smaller food providers. Foodservice equipment can be organized into six basic categories. Cooking equipments, storage and handling, kitchen purpose, refrigeration, serving and ware washing are the six main areas needed when running a hospitality business such as a restaurant or hotel. The exact type of foodservice equipment required depends on the type and size of the commercial eatery.. . Get Sample Report' 'Foodservice equipment industry is a prominent segment of the foodservice industry. The progress in the number of restaurants, hotels, fast food joints have led to the expansion of the foodservice equipment industry. Foodservice equipments help in preserving the sanitary and hygiene standards which is crucial in todays environment and various rules are laid down by different food regulatory bodies in order to maintain and regulate the standards since hygiene has become an essential issue in preserving good health.The global foodservice equipment market is set to experience favorable growth driven by factors such as rising global population, increasing number of restaurants, rapid urbanization, and development of tourism industry among others. The major trends observed include increased automation in kitchen equipments, development of quick service restaurants and technological advancements. However, the growth of this budding market is constrained by challenges such as high cost of foodservice equipments, stringent regulations and impact of economic downturn.The report Global Foodservice Equipment Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021) analyses the development of this market, with focus on North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The major trends, growth drivers as well as issues being faced by the market are discussed in detail in this report. The four major players: Rational AG, Illinois Tool Works Inc., Middleby Corporation and Welbilt, Inc. (Manitowoc Foodservice Inc.) are being profiled along with their key financials and strategies for growth. The report contains a comprehensive analysis of the global foodservice equipment market along with the study of the regional markets.. . More Clear Details get Table of Contents' '1. Overview1.1 Food Service Industry1.2 Components of Food Service Industry1.3 Food Service Equipment2. Global Foodservice Equipment Market2.1 Global Foodservice Equipment Market Forecast by Value2.2 Global Foodservice Equipment Market by Region3. Regional Market Analysis3.1 North America3.1.1 North America Foodservice Equipment Market Forecast by Value3.1.2 The U.S. Foodservice Equipment Market Forecast by Value3.1.3 The U.S. Foodservice Equipment Market Value by Products3.1.4 The U.S. Refrigeration Equipment Market Forecast by Value3.1.5 The U.S. Cooking Equipment Market Forecast by Value3.1.6 The U.S. Serving Equipment Market Forecast by Value3.1.7 The U.S. Foodservice Equipment Sales by End Market3.1.8 The U.S. Foodservice Equipment Market by Needs3.2 Asia-Pacific3.2.1 Asia Pacific Foodservice Equipment Market Forecast by Value3.2.2 China Foodservice Equipment Market Forecast by Value3.3 Europe3.3.1 Europe Foodservice Equipment Market Forecast by Value4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Rising Global Population4.1.2 Expansion of Restaurant Industry4.1.3 Declining Unemployment Rate4.1.4 Rapid Urbanization4.1.5 Development of Tourism Industry4.1.6 Accelerating Economic Growth4.1.7 Changing Lifestyle of Working Population4.2 Key Trends & Developments4.2.1 Increased Automation in Kitchen Equipments4.2.2 Development of Quick Service Restaurants4.2.3 Technological Advancements4.3 Challenges4.3.1 High Cost of Foodservice Equipments4.3.2 Stringent Regulations4.3.3 Impact of Economic Downturn5. Competitive Landscape5.1 Global Market5.1.1 Revenue and Market Cap Comparison5.1.2 Product Portfolio Summary by Key Companies5.1.3 Global Foodservice Equipment- Companies by End Markets5.1.4 Global Foodservice Equipment- Companies by Geographic Mix5.1.5 EBITDA Margin Comparison by Company5.2 North America5.2.1 North America Foodservice Equipment Revenue by Company5.3 Asia Pacific5.3.1 Asia Pacific Foodservice Equipment Revenue by Company5.4 EMEA5.4.1 EMEA Foodservice Equipment Revenue by Company6. Company Profiles6.1 Rational AG6.1.1 Business Overview6.1.2 Financial Overview6.1.3 Business Strategies6.2 Illinois Tool Works Inc.6.2.1 Business Overview6.2.2 Financial Overview6.2.3 Business Strategies6.3 Middleby Corporation6.3.1 Business Overview6.3.2 Financial Overview6.3.3 Business Strategies6.4 Welbilt, Inc. (Manitowoc Foodservice Inc.)6.4.1 Business Overview6.4.2 Financial Overview6.4.3 Business StrategiesList of TableKey Players - Revenue & Market Cap Comparison (2016)Product Portfolio Summary by Key Companies (2016)Global Foodservice Equipment- Companies by End Markets (2016)Global Foodservice Equipment- Companies by Geographic Mix (2016)Middleby Corporation Acquisitions (2016/2017)ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. 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Chemical Intermediates Market Chemicals 2018-25 Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2025

Chemical Intermediates

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Press Release - 11 April 2018Global Research and Development News --. .Report Description-' ' Chemical Intermediates Market: Overview The international market for chemical intermediates has been prophesized to rise at a robust CAGR rate over the forecast timeframe that extends from 2017 to 2025. Such a growth of the market for chemical intermediates market is primarily due to the increasing demand for chemical intermediates in the manufacturing of plastics. Apart from that, another factor such as usage of chemical intermediates in the preservation of feeds is also expected to fuel market growth.. . Get Sample Report' 'Taking vendor landscape into consideration, the market for chemical intermediates can be regarded as moderately fragmented and the market players has been focusing on strategically important moves like partnerships, mergers and acquisitions so as to reinforce their hold on the said market for chemical intermediates. Chemical Intermediates Market: Trends and Opportunities Intermediates refer to those molecules that are generated when a chemical substance is converted into a final product. Chemical intermediates are generated during each and every step of the chemical reaction that is meant to change a reactant into a final product. These chemicals are very highly reactive and have shorter period of life. These chemicals are used in various applications. For example, they are utilized in the manufacturing of detergents, coatings, plastics, fibers of elastic textile, and pharmaceutical & crop protectants. Apart from all of these, chemical intermediates are also utilized as agents of de-icing agents in the runways of airports.There has been an increased requirement for chemical intermediates for its usage in the application of coatings. Chemical intermediates are used widely in the manufacturing of plastics. Such factors are driving the market for chemical intermediates. As such, many companies are making every possible effort to increase their production of chemical intermediates. In addition to that, hassle free availability of raw materials is also expected to bolster the requirement for chemical intermediates in the years to come.There has been technological progress in the international market for chemical intermediates. Numerous companies are relentlessly trying to come up with better and new avenues for manufacturing of chemical intermediates. As new and better processes pertaining to the manufacturing of chemical intermediates come into existence, it is expected that the same would spearhead the global market for chemical intermediates.However, there are factors that restrain the market growth as well. The price of raw materials remains volatile and as it is to adversely affect the market growth. Chemical Intermediates Market: Geography The market research report on chemical intermediates also includes regional analysis and segmentations of the said world market. In accordance with the said study, the market spreads across the regions of the Middle East and Africa (MEA), North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific (APAC). The region of North America is expected to comprise a major share of the market over the period of forecast that extends from 2017 to 2025.Apart from that, Asia Pacific is forecasted to grow at a very rapid pace when it comes to the market for chemical intermediates in this region. Such rapid growth is due to the soaring demand of chemical intermediates in the industry of textile and leather in the Asia Pacific. The region of Middle East & Africa is forecasted be a lucrative regional market for the chemical intermediates. Such a rise in the demand for chemical intermediates in Middle East and Africa is owing to its requirement in the industry of textile in the said region. Chemical Intermediates Market: Company Profiling The Dow Chemical Company, BASF SE, INVISTA B.V, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), and AkzoNobel N.V are some of the topnotch players of the market.For the purpose of this study, the market has been segmented as follows: Global Chemical Intermediates Market, by TypeReagentsSolventsBuilding BlocksProtective GroupsOthers Chemical Intermediates Market, by FormSolidLiquidGasThe report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications. The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysis The regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period. Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market. . More Clear Details get Table of Contents' 'ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Wax Emulsion Market Size, Top Global Key Players Analysis till 2023- BASF SE, Solvay, SI Group Inc., Dover Corporation, LANXESS, Evonik Industries AG

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Market Overview:The synthetic Wax Emulsions segment is the most widely used material base in the market due to its growing consumption in heavy end-use industries such as paints & coatings, adhesives & sealants, cosmetics, and others. Moreover, durability, wear resistance, and long life is the major factors behind the popularity of this segment.The polyethylene Wax Emulsion is the leading type used in the market and is anticipated to observe a rapid growth due to an increased demand for ink formulations, cable wires, and other applications. Moreover, excellent fabric softening point mechanical properties, abrasion, and chemical resistance are some of the properties offered by the product in the industry.The paints & coatings is the leading application in which emulsifiers are used and anticipated to observe a rapid growth due to boundless consumption of wax emulsions mixtures in floor polishes, ink formulations, and others. Moreover, the textile segment is expected to witness a rapid growth in the sector due to extensive consumption of emulsifiers in designing and production of textiles in the industry.Read More About Report @Market Segmentation:The global Wax Emulsion market is segregated into the material Base, Type, and Application.On The Basis Of Material Base- Synthetic Segments, Natural Segments.On The Basis Of Type- Polyethylene segments, Paraffin segments, Carnauba segments, polypropylene segments.On The Basis Of Application- Paints & Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, Cosmetics, Textiles, And othersMajor Key Players:Some of the major players functioning in the global Wax Emulsion Market are: BASF SE (Germany), NIPPON SEIRO CO., LTD (Japan), ALTANA (Germany), Sasol Limited (South Africa), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), Exxon Mobil Corporation ( U.S.), Momentive (U.S.), Michelman, Inc. (U.S.), Lubrizol Corporation (U.S.), Danquinsa GmbH (Germany)Regional Analysis:Geographically, Wax Emulsion Market is spanned across Five Regions in the world namely: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa.Asia Pacific holds the major portion of the global market and is anticipated to continue its dominance due to rising demand for wax emulsions in various applications. Countries such as China, Japan, and India are the major players in this region.The North American region is estimated to witness a higher growth in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico owing to increasing demand for wax emulsifiers in cosmetics, healthcare, packaging, and others. The growing innovation in research & development activities and technological advancement have driven the manufacturers to use wax mixture product in the end-use industries. Owing to these factors, the market is expected to witness a significant growth in Germany, the U.K, and Italy.The Middle East & Africa is estimated to observe a significant growth due to increasing consumption of wax materials in paints & coatings, adhesives & sealants, cosmetics, textiles, and others. Additionally, the growing demand for smoothing and anti-scuff agents in major industries is projected to boost the market in the Latin American region.Request For Sample Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Market Research Future+16468459312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
8K Ultra HD TVs Market | Estimated to Grow Rapidly | Trending Top key Players Sharp, Hisense, LG, Samsung, Konka, Changhong, Skyworth | Forecast till 2023

8K Ultra HD TVs Market

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The 8K Ultra HD TVs market report gives CAGR value from 2013 to 2018 and how it is expected to reach from 2018 to 2023 with High CAGR. The report provides information by geography, end user, application, competitor analysis, SWOT Analysis, Sales, Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Market Share, Import-Export, Trends and Forecast.8K Ultra HD TVs market is the current highest ultra high definition television (UHDTV) resolution in digital television and digital cinematography. 8K refers to the horizontal resolution of 7,680 pixels, forming the total image dimensions of (76804320), otherwise known as 4320p.8K Ultra HD TVs market has two times the horizontal and vertical resolution of the 4K UHD with four times as many pixels overall, or sixteen times as many pixels as Full HD.High-resolution displays such as 8K allow for each pixel to be indistinguishable to the human eye when viewed at a typical distance from the screen. 8K Ultra HD TVs market can also be used for the purpose of creating enhanced lower resolution videos through a combination of cropping techniques and/or with downsampling techniques used in video and film editing.Resolutions such as 8K Ultra HD TVs market allows filmmakers to shoot in a high resolution with a wide lens or at a further distance, in the case of potentially dangerous subjects (such as in wildlife documentaries), by being able to zoom and crop digitally in post-production. The technique involves taking a portion of the original 8K image and cropping it to match a smaller resolution such as the current industry standard for high-definition televisions (4K, 1080p, and 720p).Get a Premium Sample Report at"8K UHD is the current highest ultra-high definition television (UHDTV) resolution in digital television and digital cinematography. 8K refers to the horizontal resolution in the order of 8,000 pixels, forming the total image dimensions of (76804320). The 8K Ultra HD TV is first launched market by Sharp in 2015."This report focuses on the 8K Ultra HD TVs in global market, especially in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa.This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, types and applications. Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversSharpHisenseLGSamsungKonkaChanghongSkyworthMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, covers65 Inch98 InchOtherMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoHouseholdCommercialContinue..Complete report on Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market Size, Status and Forecast 2023 is spread across 107 pages and provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and landscape details in this niche sector. Get Direct Copy of this Research Report @Major Table of Content1 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market Research Report 20182 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)4 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)5 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market Analysis by Application7 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 8K Ultra HD TVs Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market Forecast (2018-2023 )13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixKey questions answered in the report:What will the market growth rate of 8K Ultra HD TVs market in 2023 ?What are the key factors driving the global 8K Ultra HD TVs market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis of top manufacturers of 8K Ultra HD TVs market?Who are the distributors, traders and dealers of 8K Ultra HD TVs market?Who are the key manufacturers in 8K Ultra HD TVs market space?What are the 8K Ultra HD TVs market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global 8K Ultra HD TVs market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by types and applications of 8K Ultra HD TVs market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by regions of 8K Ultra HD TVs market?What are the market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the 8K Ultra HD TVs market?More inquire atAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined - we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940
Online Hyperlocal Service Market, Segmentation, Top Manufactures, Latest Trend, Emerging Technology & Forecast to 2025

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Global Online Hyperlocal Service Market Size Status and Forecast 2025Online hyperlocal services are considered services provided to the consumers through apps or web portals. Consumers can access the apps or web portals with a click of their fingertip. The service providers connect with the local and nearest restaurants (full service restaurants (FSRs) and quick service restaurants (QSRs)) for food delivery, retailers (including hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores) for grocery delivery, cab and truck drivers for transportation and logistics services, and technicians, electricians, and mechanics for on-demand home utility services.Get sample copy of this report:Top Manufacturers: Delivery Hero, Handy, Instacart, Uber Technologies, Airtasker, ANI Technologies, AskForTask,CLEANLY,Code.org, Google, Groupon, Alfred Club, Ibibogroup (goibibo, redBus, and ryde) , Laurel & Wolf, MAKEMYTRIP, MentorMob, MyClean, Nextag, Paintzen, PriceGrabberMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket Segment by Type, coversOnline Logistics ServicesOnline Food Ordering ServicesOnline Grocery Delivery ServicesOther Online Hyperlocal ServicesMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoIndividual UsersCommercial UsersGet Discount of this report:Internet accessibility is driving the growth of online hyper-local services globally owing to the increasing use of smart phones. The market is also being driven by enhanced awareness of advanced technology and dependence on easily accessible apps in daily life. Due to the rapid penetration of various e-commerce companies, manufacturers operating in this field are trigging the market growth of online hyper-local services.Table of Content:Global Online Hyperlocal Service Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Online Hyperlocal Service2 Global Online Hyperlocal Service Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Delivery Hero3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Online Hyperlocal Service Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Handy3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Online Hyperlocal Service Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Instacart3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Online Hyperlocal Service Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3.5 Recent Developments4 Global Online Hyperlocal Service Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Online Hyperlocal Service Development Status and Outlook6 EU Online Hyperlocal Service Development Status and Outlook7 Japan Online Hyperlocal Service Development Status and Outlook8 China Online Hyperlocal Service Development Status and Outlook9 India Online Hyperlocal Service Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia Online Hyperlocal Service Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Online Hyperlocal Service Market DynamicsComplete Report:Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comCompany Name: ReportsWebWebsite: Reportsweb.comPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Bottled Water Products Market 2018 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022

Global Bottled Water Products Market

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Global Bottled Water Products MarketThe Global Bottled Water Products Market is estimated to be $170.7 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach $329.6 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 8.57% from 2014 to 2022. The factors favoring the market growth are rising health concerns, increasing disposable income and availability of water in different flavors and innovative packaging. However factors such as substitution by low cost tap water and contamination of water are restraining the market growth.Try Sample Report @The Global Bottled Water Products Market is segmented by product type and geography. On the basis of product type, the market is segmented into Still Water, Carbonated Water, Flavored and Functional Water. By geography, it is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. By volume and value, Asia Pacific is the market leader.Some of the key players in the Bottled Water Products Market include Nestle Waters, Fonti Di Vinadio S.P.A., Mountain Valley Spring Company LLC, Coca-Cola Company, Ajegroup SA, PepsiCo Inc, Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co. Ltd, CG Roxane, Groupe Danone and Grupo Vichy CatalanWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 8 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsFor Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Research Scope2.3 Research Methodology2.4 Research Sources3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 ThreatsIf you have any enquiry before buying a copy of this report @4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry5 Global Bottled Water Products Market, By Product5.1 Still Water5.2 Carbonated Water5.3 Flavored Water5.4 Functional WaterContinued..For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comWise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra,Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Industry Data Analysis of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Silicone Fluid Cream Market Report 2018

Industry Data Analysis of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Silicone Fluid Cream Market Report 2018

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The EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Silicone Fluid Cream Market Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Silicone Fluid Cream industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Silicone Fluid Cream 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 Silicone Fluid Cream 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 & professional report sample:In this report, the EMEA Silicone Fluid Cream 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 split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Silicone Fluid Cream for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Silicone Fluid Cream market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Silicone Fluid Cream sales volume (K MT), price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingDow CorningWacker Chemie A.GMomentive Performance Materials IncShin-Etsu ChemicalACC SiliconesGelest IncKCC BasildonBRB InternationalSiltech CorporationSigma-AldrichZhengzhou BoxuanGuangzhou HuizengOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into1000 mPa.sOn 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, includingCosmeticsIndustrialPharmaTextilesOtherTable of contents:Chapter 1 - Silicone Fluid Cream OverviewChapter 2 - EMEA Silicone Fluid Cream Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 3 - Europe Silicone Fluid Cream (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 4 - Middle East Silicone Fluid Cream (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 5 - Africa Silicone Fluid Cream (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 6 - EMEA Silicone Fluid Cream Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales DataChapter 7 - Silicone Fluid Cream Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 8 - Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyChapter 9 - Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 10 - Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 11 - EMEA Silicone Fluid Cream Market Forecast (2018-2022)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
Craft Beer Global Market 2018: Key Players  D.G. Yuengling and Son, The Boston Beer Company, The Gambrinus Company, Lagunitas Brewing Company

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Craft Beer IndustryDescriptionWiseguyreports.Com Adds Craft Beer -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2022 To Its Research DatabaseThis report studies Craft Beer in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringD.G. Yuengling and SonThe Boston Beer CompanyThe Gambrinus CompanyLagunitas Brewing CompanySierra Nevada Brewing Co.New Belgium Brewing CompanyBell's Brewery, IncDeschutes BreweryMinhas BreweryStone BrewingChimay Beers And CheesesOmer Vander GhinsteFeral Brewing Co.Stone & Wood Brewing Co.VagabundRequest for Sample Report @By types, the market can be split intoAlesLagersBy Application, the market can be split intoOn-tradeOff-tradeBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaLeave a Query @Table of ContentsGlobal Craft Beer Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Craft Beer1.1 Definition and Specifications of Craft Beer1.1.1 Definition of Craft Beer1.1.2 Specifications of Craft Beer1.2 Classification of Craft Beer1.2.1 Ales1.2.2 Lagers1.3 Applications of Craft Beer1.3.1 On-trade1.3.2 Off-trade1.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Craft Beer2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Craft Beer2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Craft Beer2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Craft Beer....8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Craft Beer8.1 D.G. Yuengling and Son8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 D.G. Yuengling and Son 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 D.G. Yuengling and Son 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 The Boston Beer Company8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 The Boston Beer Company 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 The Boston Beer Company 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 The Gambrinus Company8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 The Gambrinus Company 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 The Gambrinus Company 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Lagunitas Brewing Company8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Lagunitas Brewing Company 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Lagunitas Brewing Company 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 New Belgium Brewing Company8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 New Belgium Brewing Company 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 New Belgium Brewing Company 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Bell's Brewery, Inc8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Bell's Brewery, Inc 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Bell's Brewery, Inc 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Deschutes Brewery8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 Deschutes Brewery 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Deschutes Brewery 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Minhas Brewery8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 Minhas Brewery 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Minhas Brewery 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Stone Brewing8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 Stone Brewing 2016 Craft Beer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Stone Brewing 2016 Craft Beer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.11 Chimay Beers And Cheeses8.12 Omer Vander Ghinste8.13 Feral Brewing Co.8.14 Stone & Wood Brewing Co.8.15 VagabundBuy Now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Butter Market 2025 by Top Key Manufacturers: Amul, Hatsun, Arla Foods, OLAM, Galactika Group, Murray Goulburn

ReportsWeb

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http://www.reportsweb.com/global-butter-market-professional-survey-report-2018

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Butter Market Professional Survey Report 2018 The report detailed insights about the aspects responsible for augmenting as well as restraining market growth.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringAmulHatsunArla FoodsOLAMGalactika GroupMurray GoulburnWCBFonterraPresident CheeseLand O LakesRochefortKMFGrasslandCalifornia DairiesOrnuaWestland Milk ProductsGoodman FielderOrganic ValleyGet sample of report @Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSalted ButterUnsalted ButterBy Application, the market can be split intoCommercialHouseholdBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaBrowse Complete Report @Table of ContentGlobal Butter Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Butter2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Butter3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Butter4 Global Butter Overall Market Overview5 Butter Regional Market Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Butter Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Global 2012-2017E Butter Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Butter8.1 Amul8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Amul 2017 Butter Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Amul 2017 Butter Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Hatsun8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Hatsun 2017 Butter Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Hatsun 2017 Butter Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Arla Foods8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Arla Foods 2017 Butter Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Arla Foods 2017 Butter Business Region Distribution Analysis9 Development Trend of Analysis of Butter Market10 Butter Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of ButterPlace Direct Purchase order For Complete report @ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiOrganization: ReportsWebEmail: sales@reportsweb.comPhone: +1-646-491-9876505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) Vaccines Market-By Product Type, End Users and Region

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Measles, mumps, and rubella are the three common contagious airborne diseases that are highly caused by virus transmitted by sneezing and coughing of the infected person, which could lead to serious complications or death among children. Vaccines of these diseases are sold as attenuated viral vaccines, manufactured in a lyophilised formulation, which requires reconstitution with water for injection diluent and are available in two forms i.e. monovalent as well as combinational vaccines. Combinational MMR vaccines comprises mixture of two or more viral strains. These measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are administered by subcutaneous injection to children as well as adults. It is generally administered to children aged 1 year and second dosage can be administered as early as one month after the first dose. According to CDC, two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are 97% effective against measles and 88% effective against mumps. One dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is 93% effective against measles, 78% effective against mumps, and 97% effective against rubella.Currently, few vaccines available in the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine market are sold under the trade name of M-M-R II, ProQuad, and Attenuvax by Merck Co. Inc.; Varilrix, Priorixtetra and MMR by GSK; Trimovax by Sanofi Pasteur and Tresivac by Serum Institute of India.Get The Holistic SAMPLE With Research Methodology:Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine Market Taxonomy:By Product Type:MonovalentCombinationalDivalentTrivalentOthersBy End Users:HospitalsHealthcare CentersOthersMeasles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine Market DriversVaccine manufacturers are focusing on partnering with organizations such WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI Alliance to improve their vaccination programs, in order to reach the maximum population to offer vaccines. In spite of several governmental initiatives, measles is a leading cause of death among young children. Therefore, increasing success rate of vaccination programmes depends on government initiatives of each country. Some organizations are focusing on initiative, in order to reduce the prevalence of these diseases. For instance, GAVI Alliances has undertaken an initiative to provide vaccination in high-risk countries such as Afghanistan, Chad, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Pakistan. Similarly, in 2017, the Government of India launches Pan-India Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign, under which children ages from 9 months to 15 years are vaccinated to reduce the incidence of these disease in children. Such initiatives by various organizations and governments is expected to aid in growth of the market. Furthermore, development of combinational vaccines could aid in reducing cost and adverse effects by reducing the number of vaccination programme.The global measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines market is segment on the basis of geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 2017, measles and rubella have been eliminated from the Americas region, however, the challenge lies in preventing the outbreak. However, according to a report by CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), in 2014, the U.S. recorded 667 number of measles cases from 27 states, which was the highest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000. This states that the vaccine programs were unsuccessful in preventing the outbreak of the disease.Key manufacturers in the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine market are focusing on launching new vaccines, in order to enhance their share in the market. According to Access to Medicine Foundation index, 2017, vaccine market is dominated by four major players, collectively referred as 'big four': GSK, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, and Sanofi. Big four contribute to 80% of the global vaccine revenue. Players vary significantly by portfolio and pipeline size. Three of the four companies have larger pipelines than Merck & Co., Inc. or Pfizer. In March 2107, GSKs measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for indication of measles, mumps, and rubella prophylaxis was in phase III trial, which is expected to commercialize in the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. Priorix and Priorix Tetra Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine of GSK are expected to lose their patents in 2019 in the U.S. Some small players such as Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda are focusing on launching vaccines for MMR in regional markets. For instance, Daiichi Sankyos VN-0102/JVC-001 is measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in phase I clinical trials as of May 2016.Get Table Of Content:Side effects related to vaccinations could be a major factor restraining growth of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine market. For instance, in 1998, Japan stopped using trivalent combinational measles, mumps and rubella vaccine due to outbreak of non-viral meningitis and other damaging side effects which will restrict the MMR vaccine market. Moreover, high cost of single dosage of vaccine is another restraining actor for the market growth. Factors such as limited number of vaccines, stringent manufacturing and approval criteria as well as gap between demand and supply during disease outbreak, and special storage and handling leading to high cost of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are major factors negatively affecting growth of the market.Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine Market - CompetitorsThe major manufacturers with WHO prequalified measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are GlaxoSmithKline (Belgium), Merck & Co. Inc. (USA) and Serum Institute of India Ltd, among others.Buy This Exclisive Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Recombined Milk Market Report 2018

EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Recombined Milk Market Report 2018

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The EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Recombined Milk Market Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Recombined Milk industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Recombined Milk 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 Recombined Milk 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 & professional report sample:In this report, the EMEA Recombined Milk 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 split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Recombined Milk for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Recombined Milk market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Recombined Milk sales volume (K MT), price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingAlmaraiAmul DairyF&N MAGNOLIAGulf and Safa Dairies Abu DhabiQifu WangShandong Chuyuan FoodShenghuruyeThai Dairy IndustryWant WantYongli FoodOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoFull-Fat Dairy ProductsSkimmed Dairy ProductsOn 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, includingInfancyChildhoodAdolescenceEarly Adulthood or OlderTable of contents:Chapter 1 - Recombined Milk OverviewChapter 2 - EMEA Recombined Milk Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 3 - Europe Recombined Milk (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 4 - Middle East Recombined Milk (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 5 - Africa Recombined Milk (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 6 - EMEA Recombined Milk Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales DataChapter 7 - Recombined Milk Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 8 - Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyChapter 9 - Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 10 - Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 11 - EMEA Recombined Milk Market Forecast (2018-2022)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
Global Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market 2018 - Yara International, CF International Holdings, Inc., China Petrochemical Corporation, Total S.A.

Global Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global PP Pipe industry, and estimates the future trend of Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product performance both in terms of volume and revenue.The market research report explores the Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market. The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportYara International (Norway)CF International Holdings, Inc. (U.S.)China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) (China)Total S.A. (France)Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands)The competitive landscape of the global market for Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Markets production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product Market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product production volume, data pertaining to demand and Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Diesel Exhaust Treatment Product across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Global Elastic Adhesive Market Key Player Growth Analysis Like Henkel, Sika, Arkema, DOW Chemical and 3M 2018-2025

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https://www.researchtrades.com/report/global-elastic-adhesive-market-research-report-2018/1543837

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The report Global Elastic Adhesive Market offers overview of the industry by enumerating market definition, product specification and their major applications along with recent technological innovations made by manufacturers. The analysis offers an in-depth analysis of the major manufacturing processes by detailing parameters such as sources of raw materials, price structure, and price structure.Request for discount @Scope of the Report:Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Elastic Adhesive in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Elastic Adhesive market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingHenkelSikaArkemaDOW Chemical3MH.B. FullerWacker ChemieWeiconThreebondCemedineNew Polyurethane Technologies (Npt)Grupo CeloMapeiBeijing Comens New MaterialsHermann OttoKleiberitSoudalJowatRecollAderisShanghai Sepna Chemical TechnologyPermabondTremco IllbruckIllinois Tool WorksDymaxHuntsmanMerz+BenteliRequest For Free Sample of this report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoPolyurethaneSiliconeSilane Modified Polymers (SMP)OthersOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingConstructionIndustrialAutomotive & TransportationSome Points from Table of Contents:1 Elastic Adhesive Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Elastic Adhesive1.2 Elastic Adhesive Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Elastic Adhesive Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Elastic Adhesive Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Polyurethane1.2.4 Silicone1.2.5 Silane Modified Polymers (SMP)1.2.6 Others1.3 Global Elastic Adhesive Segment by Application1.3.1 Elastic Adhesive Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Construction1.3.3 Industrial1.3.4 Automotive & Transportation1.4 Global Elastic Adhesive Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Elastic Adhesive Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Elastic Adhesive (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Elastic Adhesive Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Elastic Adhesive Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)Browse Full Report @2 Global Elastic Adhesive Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Elastic Adhesive Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Elastic Adhesive Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Elastic Adhesive Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Elastic Adhesive Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Elastic Adhesive Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Elastic Adhesive Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Elastic Adhesive Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Elastic Adhesive Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Elastic Adhesive Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Elastic Adhesive Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Elastic Adhesive Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Elastic Adhesive Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Elastic Adhesive Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Elastic Adhesive Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Elastic Adhesive Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Elastic Adhesive Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)Who we areResearch Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.Contact Us:Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607 (USA), +91 7507349866 (IND)Web:Skype ID: researchtradescon
Reduced operational costs and the plethora of solutions drive the Public Cloud Market growth

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Cloud services act as the storage or third party vendors where the data of organization is stored for various purposes. The stored data is then retrieved for analytical purposes. The public cloud domain denotes, the cloud services offered over a public network that can be accessed remotely. The biggest advantage of having the public cloud model is that organizations will have limited concerns regarding the storage and maintenance of data. The setup is off-premise and the architecture type is multi-tenant where a number of organizations share the computing space of the third-party vendor. SME`s will be gain more benefits as they outsource the storage and maintenance of their data to third-party cloud vendors and thus save a lot on capital investments in setting up infrastructure. Cost savings, rapid building, testing and lesser time-to-market the product has attracted a lot of businesses across various verticals to adopt the public cloud technology.Inquire before Buying:Over the past decade, the software industry has witnessed massive changes. The deployment of cloud models by organizations being the foremost of them due to the stated advantages it offers. Highly scalable nature of businesses prompt them to opt for cloud based services as the data at storage centers can be scaled up and down as per the user requirements. Additionally, the pricing structure followed by the public cloud vendors model is generally pay-as-per-use. The organizations especially SMEs do not have to pay huge amounts in one go and thus makes it highly desirable for them to deploy public cloud model for their business operations. Core competency of businesses is maintained and hence allows them to stay competitive in this highly dynamic market.Reduced operational costs and the plethora of solutions that are business specific offered from a single source are the primary drivers for the public cloud services market. Need for a scalable, flexible, easy and efficient IT infrastructure is also driving this market considerably. Human errors are minimized as the operations are totally machine operated and eventually attracts the organizations to adopt the public cloud services. The above drivers are the reasons behind the exponential adoption of this market.In spite of being significantly adopted in developed countries of the world, the growth of public cloud services has experienced few constraints. Security concerns regarding the privacy of data has been the major restraining factor for this market. The internet connectivity requirements for this cloud model is high and in countries with poor connectivity will impact the implementation of public cloud. Also, the integration of the model with the legacy systems has been a restraining factor. The other restraints for this market include outages and data mobility.The global public cloud market has been segmented by types into hardware, software and services. Further the public cloud market has been fragmented on the basis of delivery model into SaaS, PaaS and IaaS. In addition, this market has been further segmented based on end-users, namely: SMEs and large enterprises. Public cloud market segmentation is also done on the basis of industry verticals that includes BFSI, Telecommunications, Hospitality & Retail, Government, Manufacturing and Healthcare.North America leads the global public cloud market due to remarkable technological advancements and socio economic development of the region.. Europe which is another major industrial hub has been contributing to the growth of public cloud market. The NORDIC region in Europe with many small industries has largely contributed to the European market share for the public cloud market. Additionally, steadily catching up with these regions is the APAC region with developing countries like India and China gradually investing in public cloud technologies. Some of the key players operating within the global public cloud market include Microsoft Corporation, Salesforce.com, Cisco Systems, Inc., VMWare, Google, Inc., Oracle Corporation, and Eucalyptus among others.The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com
Deep Packet Inspection and Processing Market: New Era Of Industry & Forecast 2017-2025

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Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a technology which allow network owner to analyze data packets in real-time. In DPI process, the network operator can investigate data packets beyond the basic header i.e. sender and receiver address. That means, unlike Internet protocol (IP), DPI can access the payload of the IP packets which allows network operators to control and classify, internet traffic based on the content, subscribers and applications. Thus, DPI, intelligently determines the content of a packet and retrieves information for statistical and analytical purpose. The improving internet security standards globally, is the one of the key trends influencing the growth of DPI and processing market.DPI and processing market is widely segmented on the basis of component type, applications and end-use verticals. On the basis of component type, DPI and processing market is further classified as intrusion detection and prevention system, network improvement, data prevention & management and services. Services segment further include, system installation and training, maintenance, and consulting. With millions of internet connectivity achieved throughout the world, DPI and processing market is widely adopted in many applications. In terms applications,Get PDF Sample of This Report @DPI and processing market is categorized as network security, network management (content optimization, billing and metering applications, load balancing and network and subscriber analysis), monitoring and interception, targeted advertising, copyright enforcement, and content regulation. Based on end-use verticals, DPI and processing market is further segmented into, telecom and IT, government, military and defense, healthcare, transport & logistics, manufacturing & retail, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) and others (education and energy).Augmenting demand for improved internet security is the key market driver in DPI and processing market. The increasing threats in the form of spam, worm and virus has resulted in strong demand of improved cyber security especially among data-sensitive institutions. According to Internet Security Threat Report published by Symantec Corporation based in Mountain View, California, the U.S. in April 2016, 430 Million new malware were diagnosed in 2015 which is 36% more than 2014. This information reveals that, malware threat is the growing significantly, which in turn is likely to proliferate the growth of deep packet inspection and processing market. Additionally, strong demand to improve network performance and reduce the capital expenses (CapEx) and operation expenses (OpEx), is further fuelling the adoption of latest DPI systems among all the business segments. DPI and processing requires robust hardware to process and retrieve information at real time processing speed.Get ToC of This Report @This hardware is often highly priced which make its adoption challenging in small and medium enterprises. This factor is likely to restrain the growth of DPI and processing market. Alongside this, lack of awareness of DPI and processing technology especially in economies such as China, India, Indonesia, and Brazil is expected to curb its market growth. Moreover, concerns over data privacy in the critical IP packets especially in government and defense organization is likely to suppress the market growth of DPI and processing market. With, trending internet of things for connected digital ecosystem and dramatic increase in internet service adoption through smartphones and laptops, projects a significant market opportunity for DPI and processing manufacturers/players.Globally, North America region is the likely to dominate in terms of adoption of DPI and processing technology. The early development and strict government reforms to ensure security of online data are the key factors driving the DPI and processing market in the region. However, with rising use internet services among commercial and public organizations and increasing data security threats in Asia Pacific region, this region is expected to show strong market growth in near term.View Our Report @Some of the key players operating in DPI and processing market are Cisco Systems, Inc., IBM Corporation, Symantec Corporation, Intel Corporation, H-P Enterprise Company Radisys Corporation and Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Brazil Clot Management Devices Key Players - Boston Scientific Corp, Vascular Solutions Inc, Medtronic plc Market Analysis & Forecast 2017 to 2025

Brazil Clot Management Devices

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Brazil Clot Management DevicesOverview"Brazil Clot Management Devices Market Outlook to 2025", provides key market data on the Brazil Clot Management Devices market. The report provides value, in millions of US dollars, volume (in units) and average prices (USD) within market segments - Embolectomy Balloon Catheters and Peripheral Venous Thrombectomy Devices.Click here for sample report @Major Key Players:Boston Scientific CorpVascular Solutions IncMedtronic plc.Major Highlight of the report:The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of these market segments, and global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants. Based on the availability of data for the particular market and country, information related to pipeline products, news and deals is available in the report.Extensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs), physicians and industry experts to validate the market size, company share and distribution share data and analysis.Scope- Market size and company share data for Clot Management Devices market segments - Embolectomy Balloon Catheters and Peripheral Venous Thrombectomy Devices.- Annualized market revenues (USD million) and volume (units) data for each of the market segments. Data is provided from 2015 to 2025.- 2017 company share and distribution share data for Clot Management Devices market.- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Brazil Clot Management Devices market.- Key players covered include Boston Scientific Corp, Vascular Solutions Inc, Medtronic plc. and Others.Reasons to buy- Develop business strategies by identifying the key market segments poised for strong growth in the future.- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies.- Design competition strategies by identifying who-stands-where in the market.- Develop investment strategies by identifying the key market segments expected to register strong growth in the near future.- What are the key distribution channels and whats the most preferred mode of product distribution - Identify, understand and capitalize..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
EU5 Hearing Aid Devices Industry 2018- By Plan Future Business Decisions Using the Forecast Figures 2025

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Summary"EU5 Hearing Aid Devices Market Outlook to 2025", provides key market data on the EU5 Hearing Aid Devices market. The report provides value, in millions of US dollars, volume (in units) and average prices (USD) within market segments - Digital Signal Processing Hearing Aid DevicesThe report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of these market segments, and global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants. Based on the availability of data for the particular market and country, information related to pipeline products, news and deals is available in the report.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Extensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs), physicians and industry experts to validate the market size, company share and distribution share data and analysis.Scope- Market size and company share data for Hearing Aid Devices market segments - Digital Signal Processing Hearing Aid Devices.- Annualized market revenues (USD million) and volume (units) data for each of the market segments. Data is provided from 2015 to 2025.- 2017 company share and distribution share data for Hearing Aid Devices market.- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the EU5 Hearing Aid Devices market.- Key players covered include William Demant Holding A/S, Sonova Holding AG, Sivantos Pte Ltd, Starkey Hearing Technologies, Inc. and Others.Reasons to buy- Develop business strategies by identifying the key market segments poised for strong growth in the future.- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies.- Design competition strategies by identifying who-stands-where in the market.- Develop investment strategies by identifying the key market segments expected to register strong growth in the near future.- What are the key distribution channels and whats the most preferred mode of product distribution - Identify, understand and capitalize.Table of Content: Key Points1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 61.2 List of Figures 72 Introduction 92.1 What Is This Report About? 92.2 Hearing Aid Devices Market Segmentation 92.3 Definitions of Markets Covered in the Report 103 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Europe 113.1 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Europe, Revenue ($m), 2015-2025 113.2 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Europe, Revenue ($m), 2015-2025 133.3 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Europe, Volume (Units), 2015-2025 153.4 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Europe, Volume (Units), 2015-2025 173.5 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Europe, Company Share by Revenue ($m), 2017 194 Hearing Aid Devices Market, France 214.1 Hearing Aid Devices Market, France, Revenue ($m), 2015-2025 214.2 Hearing Aid Devices Market, France, Volume (Units), 2015-2025 264.3 Hearing Aid Devices Market, France, Average Price ($), by Segment, 2015-2025 314.4 Hearing Aid Devices Market, France, Distribution Share by Revenue ($m), 2017 334.5 Hearing Aid Devices Market, France, Company Share by Revenue ($m), 2017 345 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Germany 365.1 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Germany, Revenue ($m), 2015-2025 365.2 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Germany, Volume (Units), 2015-2025 415.3 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Germany, Average Price ($), by Segment, 2015-2025 465.4 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Germany, Distribution Share by Revenue ($m), 2017 485.5 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Germany, Company Share by Revenue ($m), 2017 496 Hearing Aid Devices Market, Italy 51ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Solder Balls Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025

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Albany, NY, 11th April : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Solder Balls Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.Solder balls are bumps of solder that has been placed manually or by automated equipment, and are held in place with a tacky flux to provide the contact between the chip package and the printed circuit board. Rise in quality and performance standards from end-user industries and improvement in living standard in developing countries across the globe is observed to boost the demand for solder balls across the globe.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Global Solder Balls Market: Scope of StudyThe report estimates and forecasts the solder balls market on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2017 and 2025 based on volume (Units) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2016 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the solder balls market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the solder balls market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the solder balls market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein applications and countries have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for solder balls between 2017 and 2025.Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Global Solder Balls Market: Market SegmentationThe study provides a comprehensive view of the solder balls market by dividing it on the basis of end-use and geography segments. The solder balls market has been segmented into up to 100um, 100um  400um and 400um and above based on size type. Size type segment have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for solder balls in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Additionally, the report comprises country-level analysis in terms of volume and revenue for various segments. Key countries such as the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, India, China, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil have been included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual applications in all the regions and countries.Global Solder Balls Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report includes Duksan Metal Co. Ltd., Senju Metal Industry Co. Ltd., Indium Corporation, Nippon Micrometal Corporation, Hitachi Metals Nanotech Co. Ltd. and others. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).The global solder balls market has been segmented as follows:Solder Balls Market  Alloy Type AnalysisLead Solder BallsLead Free Solder BallsSolder Balls Market  Solder Type AnalysisEutecticNon-EutecticSolder Balls Market  Size Type AnalysisUp to 100um100um  400um400um and aboveSolder Balls Market  Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.ItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanASEANRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaBrowse Report @Rest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Pasta Processing Machinery Market Report 2018

EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Pasta Processing Machinery Market Report 2018

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The EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Pasta Processing Machinery Market Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Pasta Processing Machinery industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Pasta Processing Machinery 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 Pasta Processing Machinery 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 & professional report sample:In this report, the EMEA Pasta Processing Machinery 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 split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Pasta Processing Machinery for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Pasta Processing Machinery market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Pasta Processing Machinery sales volume (K MT), price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingBuhlerGEA GroupDesco USAMiddleby CorporationNemco Food EquipmentElectrolux ProfessionalOFFCARMVP GroupMoffat GroupKeating of ChicagoGlobe Food EquipmentTown Food Service EquipmentImperial Commercial Cooking EquipmentOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoFully AutomaticSemi-automaticOn 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, includingFood Processing PlantsRestaurantsOthersTable of contents:Chapter 1 - Pasta Processing Machinery OverviewChapter 2 - EMEA Pasta Processing Machinery Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 3 - Europe Pasta Processing Machinery (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 4 - Middle East Pasta Processing Machinery (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and ApplicationChapter 5 - Africa Pasta Processing Machinery (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and ApplicationChapter 6 - EMEA Pasta Processing Machinery Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales DataChapter 7 - Pasta Processing Machinery Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 8 - Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyChapter 9 - Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 10 - Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 11 - EMEA Pasta Processing Machinery Market Forecast (2018-2022)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
Connected Car Market - Global Industry Analysis 2017 - 2025

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Global Connected Car Market: OverviewToday, connected car is the big buzz word in the automotive and car industry. A connected car is equipped with Internet connectivity to share information between devices within the vehicle or to share information with devices outside the car such as in other cars, office, home, or other physical spaces.Connected cars receive information pertaining to traffic, collisions, and other safety alerts in a timely manner. Connected car features can be categorized into safety, infotainment, payments, navigation, and diagnostics/efficiency.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Typically, connected cars that have been introduced after 2010 has a head-unit, in-dash system equipped with a screen for the driver to view or manage operations of the connections, and an infotainment unit.Global Connected Car Market: Key TrendsThe top factor driving the global connected car market include regulatory mandates on connected car modules. Moreover, rising demand for smartphone features in cars and real-time connectivity with cars to obtain vehicle data updates for vehicular safety is driving the connected car market.However, factors such as network coverage limitation and risk of misuse of customer data by cybercriminals for unscrupulous activities is challenging the markets growth.The connected car market is expected to be benefitted as connected car is considered to be a stepping stone for autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics providers for connected cars can offer telematics and infotainment devices at a cheaper cost, and insurance rate for connected cars is dependent on usage.Request TOC of the Report @The connected car market faces challenges with respect to disparity of product design procedures between OEMs, in-built solutions of cars, and smartphones. Also, the connected car market will benefit with reduced cost of telematics and infotainment equipment and services. In this scenario, creating an ecosystem that functions through cross-industry collaborations between OEMs, technology companies, and mobile network operators is poised to be the winning imperative for the industry.Global Connected Car Market: Market PotentialAt the recent Seoul Motor Show 2017, Hyundai Motors announced a multitude of future-vehicle initiatives, which includes connected cars and electric vehicles. Developed by a team of in-house experts Hyundais new Connected Car Service platform will diminish the lines between mobility, living, and working spaces by means of voice control and allow vehicle owners to connect their vehicles with global appliance service providers.Global Connected Car Market: Regional OutlookNorth America is the leading regional market for connected cars. The U.S. is the leading contributor to the North America connected car market due to regulations in place for monitoring telematics applications.Furthermore, in the U.S., the transportation system is reaching its capacity thus alternatives need to be sought to address the increasing traffic congestion issues. The transportation network in the U.S. is nearing saturation and infrastructure expansion by means of traditional methods is not a viable solution. Connected cars equipped with telematics and navigation tools is an ideal solution to address this issue. Moreover, the U.S. being home to some of the worlds major automobile companies such as General Motors Company, Ford Motor Company, and Tesla Motors Inc., along with the presence of software giants such as Microsoft Corporation and IBM Corporation and telecom providers such as AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., and Sierra Wireless are favoring the growth of the connected car market in the region.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Connected Car Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the key players in the global connected car market include Audi AG, General Motors Company, Google Inc.,Delphi Automotive Plc, AT&T Inc.,Robert Bosch GmbH, Wirelesscar, BMW AG,Tesla Motors Inc.,Volvo Car Corporation, Vodafone Group Plc., Denso Corporation,and Airbiquity Inc.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Canada Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices Key Players - Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic plc, and Edwards Lifesciences Corp. Market Analysis & Forecast 2017 to 2025

Canada Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices

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Canada Cardiovascular Prosthetic DevicesOverview"Canada Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices Market Outlook to 2025", provides key market data on the Canada Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices market. The report provides value, in millions of US dollars, volume (in units) and average prices (USD) within market segments - Cardiac Valve Repairs and Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR).Click here for sample report @Major Key Players:Abbott LaboratoriesMedtronic plcEdwards Lifesciences Corp.Major Highlight of the report:The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of these market segments, and global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants. Based on the availability of data for the particular market and country, information related to pipeline products, news and deals is available in the report.Extensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs), physicians and industry experts to validate the market size, company share and distribution share data and analysis.Scope- Market size and company share data for Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices market segments - Cardiac Valve Repairs and Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR).- Annualized market revenues (USD million) and volume (units) data for each of the market segments. Data is provided from 2015 to 2025.- 2017 company share and distribution share data for Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices market.- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Canada Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices market.- Key players covered include Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic plc, Edwards Lifesciences Corp. and OthersReasons to buy- Develop business strategies by identifying the key market segments poised for strong growth in the future.- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies.- Design competition strategies by identifying who-stands-where in the market.- Develop investment strategies by identifying the key market segments expected to register strong growth in the near future.- What are the key distribution channels and whats the most preferred mode of product distribution - Identify, understand and capitalize..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Robot Software Market, by Deployment Model, Robot, Software, Organization Size, Verticals, and Geography - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Robot software consists of a set of coded commands or instructions that tell a machine-driven device about the tasks to be performed. This software allows tasks to perform autonomously. Several software systems and frameworks such open source frame work and software based framework are available for easing robot programming. These software also aid in reducing the error rates, etc. for application in various verticals. Therefore advantages offered by such software is expected to aid in growth of adoption in various sectors, in turn driving growth of the market.Rising demand for robots in various industries is expected to aid in growth of the robotic software market over the forecast periodIncreasing use of robots in verticals such as healthcare, telecommunication and IT, and manufacturing is one of the major driving factors for the market growth. Businesses are adopting robotics to increase efficiency, for better output and in lesser turnaround time. This helps enterprises to focus on creative, strategic, and customer-facing roles rather than manual and repetitive tasks. These factors, in turn, are expected to aid in growth of robotics software market.Request Sample Copy of this Report @High initial cost is expected to be a major challenge for growth of the marketHigh initial investment costs for deploying robots is expected to be major challenge for growth of the market, as SMEs (Small & Medium enterprises) do not have such high capital for investment.Robot Software Market: Regional InsightsOn the basis of geography, global robot software market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. North America is estimated to hold the largest market share over the forecast period in 2017 in the global robot software market. Canada and the U.S. are expected to be major growth regions. The early adoption of technologies in multiple verticals, such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and logistics. For instance, a group of tiny robots called Magnetic Microbots used to travel the blood vessels and deliver targeted medication. The ability of service robots to assist in surgeries and carry out tedious and repetitive nursing functions will result in its augmented adoption during the forecast period. This increase in the adoption of service robots will indirectly foster the need for robotic software platforms will help in directly propel the growth of the robot software market in this regionRequest For Customization of this Report @Robot Software Market: Competitive BackgroundMajor players in the global robot software market are ABB Robotics, AIBrain, Brain Corporation, CloudMinds Technologies, Energid Technologies, Furhat Robotics, IBM Corporation, Liquid Robotics, Neurala Brain Inc., and Oxbotica Inc.. For Instance, May 10, 2016, ABB had acquired SVIA, a leading provider robot automation cells for machine tending. The acquisition expanded the ABBs portfolio includes the automotive, plastics and electronics, such as smart phone manufacturing. Thus, this expansion offering the benefit both machine OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and established CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machine users as well as ABBs global network of channel partners.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Global Oncology Drugs Market - Competitive Analysis

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Oncology drugs and medications have become a blooming business for players in the pharmaceutical industry. Major pharmaceutical companies are focused on manufacturing and development of oncology drug. Market players have oncology drugs in pipeline, which are expected to be in the market as potential medications in near future. Also, the global oncology market is expected to gain a significant traction with the increasing prevalence of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide, which accounted for around 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths in 2012. The number of new cancer cases is projected to rise to 22 million in near future. The major competitors are focused on developing efficient treatment for specific type of cancer which is expected to be a prominent factor to augment the global oncology drugs market.Major manufacturers in the oncology drugs market include:RocheCelgeneJohnson & JohnsonPfizerSanofiBristol-Meyers SquibbNovartisGlaxoSmithKlineEli LilyMerck & Co.Get The Holistic SAMPLE With Research Methodology:Top 5 company described for competitive analysis in detail:Roche is a world leader in oncology, which is engaged in developing new approaches for advanced cancer treatment. Roche operates in two segments, which includes pharmaceuticals and diagnostics with annual sales of US$ 39.1 Bn and US$ 11.5 Bn respectively. Roche is at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy with ten investigational drug candidates currently in the clinical development phase. In 2016, the company entered into 10 new clinical collaboration agreements to explore drug combinations for maximizing therapeutic benefits and develop the lead immunotherapy drug. The company has set up imCORE, a network of 21 academic institutions working with Roche to advance research into cancer immunotherapies, thus contributing to enhance the global oncology drugs market in the near future.Johnson and Johnson operates in three business segments namely consumer, pharmaceutical and medical devices. The business of Johnson & Johnson is conducted by more than 230 operating companies located in 60 countries worldwide. In 2016, the company has invested around US$ 9.1 Bn in research and development activities. Janssen, the pharmaceutical division of J&J registered the oncology drug sales of around US$ 5.9 Bn among the total pharmaceutical therapeutic area sales. Janssen is focused on strategic collaborations for the development of cancer therapeutics, which in turn favors the oncology drugs market. For instance, in November, 2017, Janssen collaborated with Zymeworks, Inc. to develop six bispecific antibodies based on Azymetric and Effector Function Enhancement and Control Technology (EFECT) platforms for research, development, and commercialization with a potential to generate US$ 1.5 Bn. High sales of IMBRUVICA (ibrutinib) and DARZALEX (daratumumab) were due to increasing patient uptake, additional country launches, and additional indications, which contributed to the growth of oncology drugs.Pfizer, Inc. develops oncology therapies that provide maximum efficacy while minimizing adverse effects on the patient. The current portfolio of oncology drugs covers a range of cancers. The company studies these therapies alone and in combination with other treatments to improve the lives of cancer patients. Pfizers overall strategy is anchored on innovation for developing new medicines and vaccines through collaborations and business relationships which is expected to bolster the oncology drugs market. For instance, Pfizer partnered with Merck KGaA for building a strong portfolio in immuno-oncology, Biolnvent International AB to develop antibodies to advance the novel technology platform of cancer vaccine as well as business relationship with IBM Watson for drug discovery by identifying potential new targets and combination therapies in immune-oncology.Novartiss aims to develop approaches for extending the lives of people suffering from cancer, by adopting the strategy to use science-based innovation for delivering better patient outcomes in growing areas of healthcare. Novartis operates in two business segments namely Novartis Oncology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals, which together form Innovative Medicines Division. The Novartis Oncology segment contributed around 39% of its net sales, it was valued around US$ 12.8 Bn. Increase in revenue is attributed to the strong performance for oncology products Tafinlar + Mekinist, a combination therapy for advanced melanoma, and Jakavi, for blood cancers. Novartis is leading provider of cancer treatments, following the acquisition of oncology products from GlaxoSmithKline in 2015. In 2016, the company collaborated with Surface Oncology to bolster the cancer immunotherapy pipeline that will provide access to four preclinical programs. Also, with a licensing agreement with Xencor, it plans to co-develop two bispecific antibodies designed to target acute myeloid leukemia and B-cell malignancies, thereby aiding the growth of oncology drugs market.Get Table Of Content:Sanofi operates through two business segments namely pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Sanofi gains insights through its network of collaborations with biotech companies such as Immunogen and Evotec, academic cancer centers such as Institut Gustave Roussy, Institut Curie, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, enabling superior use of software, analytics, and new technology, which helps to increase its productivity, maximize return on R&D investment, and accelerate the development of new products. Sanofi Oncology has a large number of collaborations and alliances to support its R&D portfolio. In 2015, Sanofi collaborated with Regeneron focusing on cancer immunotherapy to generate high value development candidates in the emerging field of immuno-oncology and to accelerate its development pipeline in the oncology drugs market. In 2016, the company entered into a collaboration with Innate Pharma to develop innovative bispecific antibody formats engaging natural killer (NK) cells to kill tumor cells. Also, it collaborated with Warp Drive Bio to develop drugs targeting human oncogenes, thus accelerating the innovations for oncology drugs.Novel and targeted oncology drugs manufactured by the major competitors in oncology drug market are geared towards the treatment of specific type of cancer with premium prices, without generic competition from the competitors, as these biologic treatments have an enhanced patent protection. Strategic collaborations and rise in research and development is the basic approach adopted by the manufacturers, as it helps to develop and access knowledge and increase the understanding in new areas of science, thereby accelerating the global oncology drugs market.The major strategic collaborations included in the competitive analysis include:Sanofi and Regeneron collaborated to develop REGN2810, with an overall expenditure of US$ 325 million each towards developing the therapy currently in the Phase IBristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and CytomX Therapeutics collaborated to develop four target cancer therapies using CytomXs Probody drug discovery platform. The collaboration would provide CytomX with a net US$ 1.2 Bn.Buy This Exclusive Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Global Wireless Power Transmission Market to Grow at Phenomenal CAGR of 19.2% through 2025

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been acting as an impressive data source when it comes to evaluating various industrial verticals. The research report titled Global Wireless Power Transmission Market offers a clear insight about the Wireless Power Transmission assessed over the global platform. This analysis proves beneficial for readers & new investors who are aiming to enter the market for Wireless Power Transmission in the near future.Get Exclusive Sample Copy @Looking at the present scenario, the demand for digitization and uptake of smart lightning, wireless charging roads for electric vehicles as well as bullet trains is serving to catalyze the growth of the power transmission market.As per key research findings, the global wireless power transmission market is expected to expand at a cracking speed to register a CAGR of 19.2% from 2017 to 2025. At this swift pace, the market is expected to acquire US$17.15 bn by 2025 from US$3.6 bn in 2016.The initial section of the report discusses the drivers and restraints of the global wireless power transmission market. Further, it also covers the impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for wireless power transmission during the stated forecast period. Also, this study highlights the opportunities in the concerned market at the global and regional level. As the report proceeds, the report comprises a detailed value chain analysis, which offers a comprehensive view of the global wireless power transmission market. The readers can also acquire details about the Porters Five Forces model that has been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the wireless power transmission market.Browse Full Report with Table of Content, List of Table and Figures -The next section of the report offers a decisive view of the global wireless power transmission market by bifurcating it in terms of technology, range, application, and region. All of these segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Further, the geographical expanse is also presented which includes the current and forecast demand for wireless power transmission in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. For each of the mentioned regions, market attractiveness analysis is also enclosed for offering a better status of the wireless power transmission sector.The final section of the report comprises the company profiles of the prime manufacturers from the global wireless power transmission market. Factors such as financial overview, business strategy and recent developments are also provided. Some of the prominent players are Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Texas Instruments Inc., Energizer Holdings, Inc., Leggett & Platt, Inc., Powermat Technologies Ltd. and SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS Co., Ltd.About MRRSEMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Intelligent Emergency Response System Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth by 2025

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In the recent past, Natural disasters and man-made catastrophes such as floods, earthquakes, fire, hijacking, terrorist attacks, and others, have been witnessed all over the world causing severe destruction to global economies and loss of human life. In such situations, prompt security and urgent medical help is required. Intelligent emergency response system is proved to be helpful in such disasters by tackling such disastrous situations. Technological developments have made it conceivable to connect, alert and share information to a huge mass in a short period. Intelligent emergency response system is a prime illustration of technological progression that aids in strengthening security through sending alerts to the medical teams, government authorities and civilians while such emergency situations. During emergency circumstances for example fire in buildings, it becomes extremely difficult for evacuees to look for the nearest evacuation path. Emergency response system plays a vital role by helping evacuees find the safest path in situation of emergencies and evade the rush.Browse Complete Report with TOC:Fast adoption of technological advancements such as Internet of Things (IoT) in the developed countries as well as urban regions is propelling the global market for intelligent emergency response system. Moreover, governments and other responsible authorities are also encouraging the installation of these systems, concerning about the large crowd and high risk factors involved. Threat of terrorism and homeland security is another major concern of the governments driving the market growth. Fast adoption of these systems has been noticed in highly crowded places such as stadiums, shopping malls and auditoriums due to serious threat of terrorism and thus, need for security is mandatory in such places. Also, upsurge in mining industries, awareness about significance of security, hazardous industries, up-gradation of architecture with up-to-date emergency systems are other factors propelling the demand for the global intelligent emergency response market. However, scarceness of interoperability amongst products and absence or lack of awareness regarding technical features restraining the growth of the market.The intelligent emergency response system market is segmented by application into energy & power, government, defense, industrial, healthcare, education, oil & gas, mining, , residential and others. The market is also segmented on the basis of component into wireless chipsets, detectors, sensors, display & lighting, access control, programmable logic controller and optoelectronics. Furthermore, the global market for intelligent emergency response system is bifurcated by system into signage, video surveillance system, back-up power generators, communications system, broadcasting systems, perimeter intrusion system and others. On the basis of geography, the intelligent emergency response system is bisected into North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific and South America.Request a Sample copy of Report:North America holds the largest share of the global intelligent emergency response systems market and Europe being the second holder. Growing need for new regulations & standards to regenerate emergency response in the countries is the key reason of the growing demand in North America and Europe. APAC is anticipated to be the fastest growing market in the near future, owing to increasing adoption of improved technological solutions in emergency circumstances.Cooper Industries PLC, Honeywell, Inc., Safeguard Communications UK LTD, Pageone, ATI Systems (Acoustic Technology, Inc.), Siemens Ag, Everbridge Inc., Criticall Ltd., Mircom Technologies Ltd., Spectrarep, Llc., Vocal Technologies, United Technologies Corporation, Phoenix It Group , Hiplink Software, F 24 Ag, Digital Acoustics, Criticall Ltd. are some of the key industries operating in the global intelligent emergency response systems market.Inquire for Discount on this Report:About Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Contact Us:The Insight partners,Phone: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comWebsite:
Global Stem Cell Therapy Market by Type, Therapeutic Application, Cell Source - Forecasts to 2021

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Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Professional Survey Report 2022 Purchase This Report by calling Healthcareintelligencemarkets.com.Stem-cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. Stem-cell therapy has become controversial following developments such as the ability of scientists to isolate and culture embryonic stem cells, to create stem cells using somatic cell nuclear transfer and their use of techniques to create induced pluripotent stem cells.The report is titled Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Research Report 2017 and accelerates a boundless and centered investigate into Stem Cell Therapy market. The market size is determined through comprehensive study and examination through subordinate research. The report has been hoarded using primary and secondary research methodologies. Both these methods are intended towards collaborating accurate and exact data relating the market dynamics, historical events, and the current market scenario.The research report tries to understand the inventive approaches taken by vendors in the global Stem Cell Therapy market to offer product differentiation through Porters five forces analysis. By various standards, the report segments the market and studies them individually, providing information such as the most prominent segment, sluggishly growing segment and sub segment of Stem Cell Therapy market. The income and growth projections for each of these segments are also given.Download PDF Sample Copy:Company Profiled: The Key Players operating in the Stem Cell Therapy market includes Cellular Dynamics International, Osiris Therapeutics, Vcanbio, Gamida Cell, Golden Meditech, Celgene, Guanhao Biotech, Mesoblast, Vericel Corporation, Stemcell Technologes, Beike Biotechnology, Cytori Therapeutics, Bioheart, Pluristem Therapeutics, Fibrocell Science, Ocata Therapeutics, Athersys, Geron.This report emphases on the global Stem Cell Therapy market and answers many of the critical questions, which an involved or potential shareholder of Stem Cell Therapy market may have. There is and has been a greedy demand for the market in a lot of global activities, so several market players have dedicated their time and motivation to go to the source of the pattern and see what the preference of this substantial market performance is.The report contours the foremost market players which are leading in Stem Cell Therapy market. Similarly, it provides significant information about prominent companies, such as, business overview, financial overview, recent developments, product specification, and contact information. The challenges faced by the companies, the dynamics helping them to reach the highest level in the market, and the tactics implemented by each of the market players to market their products have been given.To Get Reasonable Discount:The research report includes an in-depth assessment of competitive landscape of the global Stem Cell Therapy market. It studies the business and marketing approaches of the overall market and presents an understanding of their trajectory for the forthcoming years. Furthermore, the research report also includes an analysis of the recent developments and future plans of the companies in order to understand the course of the players in the near future.Table of ContentsGlobal Stem Cell Therapy Market Research Report 2017Chapter 1 Stem Cell Therapy Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Global Market ForecastFor More Information:About Healthcare Intelligence MarketsHealthCare Intelligence Markets supply market intelligence reports in the domain of personalized drugs & diagnostics after going through a rigorous research process. The healthcare and pharma industry is constantly evolving as trEnds are getting replaced at a rapid pace.Contact:Shreyas TannaHealthcare Intelligence MarketsKoregaon Park, Pune, 411001sales@healthcareintelligencemarkets.com
Global Intrusion Detection & Protection System Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2026

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The global market discussion on Intrusion Detection & Protection System can be found in the latest study by Fact.MR, which has been freshly added to its massive collection of research database. The report is titled Intrusion Detection & Protection System Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking  Global Review 2017 to 2026, which works to enlighten the readers about the major factors prompting the growth of the concerned market. Apart from that, the research majorly focuses on global Intrusion Detection & Protection System markets competitive outlook by profiling major players functioning across the globe. As the report moves ahead, information regarding the prominent trends as well as opportunities in the key geographical segments have also been elaborated, thus enabling companies to be able to make region-specific strategies for gaining competitive lead. Some of the prime regions emphasized in the study include key regions.According to Fact.MR, the global intrusion detection & prevention system market is expected to represent a value of over US$ 11,500 Mn by the end of 2026.Request For Sample Report-Sales to Remain High in BFSI IndustryAs the need for securing sensitive information continues to arise, demand for intrusion detection and protection solutions is projected to remain high in the large business organizations. In terms of revenue, the large enterprise deployment type segment is projected to represent the highest growth, recording more than US$ 2,000 Mn by 2026-end. On the other hand, the SaaS deployment type segment is projected to reflect a healthy CAGR throughout the forecast period.By 2017-end, the network based IDS system application segment is projected to represent a significant revenue growth, accounting for more than US$ 1,900 Mn. During the forecast period, this segment is projected to reflect the fastest growth in the global market of intrusion detection & protection system. Based on industry, the BFSI segment is projected to reflect a robust CAGR during the forecast period. Moreover, the BFSI industry segment is projected to generate significant revenues, accounting for more than US$ 890 Mn by 2026-end.Market PlayersMajor players in the global market of intrusion detection & protection system are Cisco Systems, IBM, McAfee, Symantec Corporation, Trend Micro, CheckPoint Security Software Market, TippingPoint, Juniper Networks, Inc, Trustwave and SourceFire.Browse Full Report With TOC-Table of ContentGlobal Economic OutlookGlobal Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market - Executive SummaryGlobal Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Taxonomy3.1.2. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Definition3.2. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20263.2.1. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Y-o-Y Growth3.3. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Dynamics3.4. Enterprise IT Investment Priority-Technology wise3.5. IT Service Delivery Model3.6. Enterprise IT Priorities3.7. Enterprise Service Provider Overview3.8. Service Provider Selection3.9. Evolution of Intrusion Detection / Prevention3.10. Vendor Mapping - Product Type3.11. Network Intrusion Detection Framework3.12. PESTLE Analysis3.13. Region wise PLC Analysis3.14. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By RegionGlobal Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Analysis and Forecast 2012-20264.1. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Size and Forecast By Deployment Type, 2012-20264.1.1. On Premise Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. SaaS Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Size and Forecast By End User, 2012-20264.2.1. Large Enterprise Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2.2. Small & Medium Enterprise Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.3. Global Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Market Size and Forecast By Application, 2012-20264.3.1. Network Based IDS System Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.3.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.3.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.3.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.3.2. Hybrid Based IDS System Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.3.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.3.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.3.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.3.3. Host Based IDS System Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.3.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.3.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.3.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionContinued@@@...Check For Discount On This Report-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; thats why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Intellias Keeps Its Position on Inc. 5000 Europe List

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On February 28, 2018, Inc. Magazine ranked Intellias on its annual Inc. 5000 Europe list, the most prestigious ranking of the nations fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look into the most successful companies within the European economy.For 37 years, Inc. has welcomed the fastest-growing private companies into a very exclusive club. To be sure, with millions of private companies operating throughout Europe, being listed on the Inc. 5000 Europe is a significant achievement. The median company on the list has increased sales by more than 254 percent since the beginning of 2013, while the average honoree has grown a mind-boggling 473 percent. These are the results most companies could only dream of in the economy of the past three years.As an Inc. 5000 Europe honoree, Intellias now shares a pedigree with Intuit, Under Armour, Microsoft, Timberland, Pandora, Patagonia, Oracle, and dozens of other prominent alumni. In addition to Intellias, the Inc. 5000 Europe list added such notable companies as HelloFresh, Dyson, Moo, and Coolblue.About Inc. MagazineFounded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. Magazine is the only major publication dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies. Inc. aims to deliver real solutions for todays innovative company builders.The company was the winner of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2012 and 2014. Inc.s total monthly audience has grown significantly from 2 million in 2010 to over 15 million today.About IntelliasIntellias () is a challenge-driven software engineering company based in Ukraine (with offices in Kyiv, Lviv, and Odessa) and represented locally in Berlin, Germany.Since 2002, weve been helping leading European and North American technology companies create software products by assembling and managing world-class engineering teams in Eastern Europe. Weve established a comprehensive system of tools and practices to ensure quick ramp-up, the right cultural fit, high productivity, and excellent results from our teams.Intellias has been featured in 2018 Global Outsourcing 100 List and recognized by Inc. 5000 and GSA UK Awards. Intellias has been ranked Ukraines top IT employer by DOU.ua, the largest Ukrainian developer community, and KPMG has highlighted Intellias as one of the top ITO-BPO providers in Lviv.IntelliasNaukova Street 7DLvivUkraine79060For sales enquiries:+380 322 90 36 90info@intellias.comFor media enquiries:nbubniuk@intellias.com
Microgrid Market - Potential Growth Analysis 2017 - 2025

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Global Microgrid Market: OverviewA microgrid differentiates itself from traditional grid with its capability to work independently as a local energy grid during crisis times such as power outages and storms. Apart from providing a grid backup, microgrids can work to connect to unreliable or small-sized local resources, cut costs, and become more environment-friendly at times. Microgrids can operate indefinitely depending on the management of its fuel and other requirements. Renewable resources such as solar panels, batteries, and distributed generators can be employed to power microgrids.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Microgrid Market: Key TrendsThe world microgrid market could expand at a double-digit CAGR during the forecast years as a result of a swelling demand from remote electrification projects undergoing expansions and economies concentrating on innovations. However, the world market is anticipated to experience a slowdown in growth on account of high initial cost of installation and the connection of multisite microgrids bordered by utility franchise rights. Nonetheless, market players can possibly make progress against the trials with opportunities birthed in various types of segmentation.Remote or island microgrids are expected to grow in significance and vitally benefit the world microgrid market due to the decrease in power generation cost when compared to centralized power grids. Besides this, less generation of heat and smog and other environmental benefits coupled with a substantial drop in the prices of wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV) sources are predicted to help the remote or island microgrids market grow remarkably.The soaring acceptance witnessed in the global microgrid market for software across utilities, municipalities, commercial and industrial sites, and university campuses is prognosticated to decently benefit manufacturers. With the help of load and weather forecasting, software as a service (SaaS) can allow the dynamic control and management of distributed energy resources.Request TOC of the Report @Global Microgrid Market: Market PotentialNot-for-profit open standards enterprise, EMerge Alliance has received business from one of the largest solar trade shows in North America, i.e. Solar Power International (SPI), to expand its footprint. The business expansion will incorporate microgrid ecosystems and a complete smart building in its Smart Energy Microgrid Marketplace. The facility will exhibit an ultimate connection between smart energy products and solar power with a fully-functioning live microgrid and associated products such as electric vehicle charging, automation products, and energy management systems. The SPI 2017 Smart Energy Microgrid Marketplace to be held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas Nevada in September is also expected to showcase solar panel manufacturers and energy storage providers.Global Microgrid Market: Regional OutlookForeseen to rise at a higher CAGR, the Asia Pacific microgrid market could gain an upper hand in the industry as players as well as regional governments take several initiatives to magnify the adoption of microgrid solutions. Other geographies such as Rest of the World, Europe, and the Americas are foretold to emerge as key markets for players to capitalize on. Howbeit, it all depends on how the regional markets face the odds and leverage the opportunities made available by the driving factors taking precedence therein.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Microgrid Market: Competitive LandscapeExelon Corporation, Siemens AG, Eaton Corporation PLC, General Electric, and ABB Ltd. are some of the dominating companies making their presence known in the global microgrid market. For the purpose of enhancing their revenue base, market players are envisaged to consider strategic expansions and launch of novel products. An integrated solar diesel microgrid was commissioned to be installed in Johannesburg, South Africa by ABB at its Longmeadow facility of 96,000 m2 capacity. The solution is aimed at covering all planned and unplanned power outages by ensuring an uninterrupted power supply with the help of off-grid and fully grid-connected functionalities.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
E-Commerce Logistics Market Outlook to 2025 - DHL International, FedEx, SF Express, United Parcel Service, Clipper Logistics, CEVA Logistics and Others

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E-Commerce Logistics is a set of communication computing and collaborative technologies that helps to transform logistical processes to be consumer centric by sharing data, knowledge and information with supply chain partners. The ultimate aim of e-commerce logistic is to deliver right product in right quantities at right place and to the right customer.Increase of cross-border e-commerce activities and rise in the internet penetration are the major drivers which help in surging the growth of e-commerce logistics market whereas infrastructural challenges restrict the service of last-mile connectivity which act as a restraining factor for this market. Large amount of logistic from abroad and value-added services such as innovative tracking of parcel and route optimization will add new opportunities for this market in the coming years.FREE | Request Sample Copy is Available atThe "Global E-Commerce Logistics Market Analysis to 2025" is a specialized and in-depth study of the e-commerce logistics industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global e-commerce logistics market with detailed market segmentation by service type, operational area, end-user and geography. The global e-commerce logistics market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global e-commerce logistics market based on service type, operational area and end-user. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall e-commerce logistics market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM). The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 16 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Inquire about this report atBesides this, the report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the market in these regions.Also, key e-commerce logistics market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Some of the key players influencing the market are DHL International GmbH, FedEx Corporation, SF Express Co., Ltd., Amazon.com, Inc., United Parcel Service, Inc., Clipper Logistics Plc., CEVA Logistics, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Kerry Logistics Network Limited. and Nippon Express Co., Ltd among others.Complete Report is Available atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.533, 5th Floor, Amanora Chambers,Amanora Township, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Terrain Awareness and Warning System Market -Growth Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Terrain Awareness and Warning System Market: OverviewTerrain awareness and warning systems (TWAS) are used to prevent controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents. The technology provides an important layer of protection for aircraft navigation as it changes course as per the terrain and as per weather conditions.TAWS draws data from GPS pertaining to aircrafts position, speed, and direction as well data pertaining to aircrafts altitude and configuration. This information is used to compare data pertaining to Earths terrain and manmade hurdles.Request Sample Copy of the Report @In the U.S., highly accurate GPS information is obtained as a combination of radar topography imagery captured by the U.S. space shuttle program, information from Department of Defense, and other data.Terrain Awareness and Warning System Market: Key TrendsThe global TAWS market is primarily driven by the paradigm shift in transport sector leading to the increasing number of commercial flights. Furthermore, mandates for aircraft to be equipped with TAWS as laid out by stipulations of aviation regulation agencies is driving the growth of the TAWS market. The directives for use of hi-tech systems for aircraft protection are largely in place in developed countries such as the U.S., and the U.K. among several other countries.However, high deployment cost is limiting the adoption of this technology only by countries that have a strong technical base and large budgets for enhancing aircraft security system. Lack of skilled personnel and integrators for TWAS is also challenging the markets growth.Request TOC of the Report @Implementation of TAWS in private jets and cargo flights will extend growth opportunities to the TAWS market. The growth of international trade due to favorable business reforms in many countries worldwide is expected to benefit the markets growth.Terrain Awareness and Warning System Market: Market PotentialAcross the world, defense forces are vying for hi-technology systems to prevent CFIT accidents, which in turn, helps prevents loss of life and loss of property. In a breakthrough development, the Indian Air Force has announced about equipping its new convoy of six C-130J Hercules aircraft with TWAS, as per a solicitation by the U.S. Air Force.The U.S. Air Force, C-130J Division, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, and Wright Patterson AFB has been seeking to identify potential bodies that possess the expertise, experience, and capabilities needed to enter a contract for six C-130J aircraft for a terrain awareness warning system. The subscription will be for 40 months commencing from May 31, 2017, through August 31, 2020.Prior to this, the Indian Air Force had procured six C-130Js, of which one was lost in an accident in 2014 and another damaged in February this year.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Terrain Awareness and Warning System Market: Regional OutlookNorth America is currently the leading market for terrain awareness and warning system and is expected to retain its position over the next few years mainly due to the factors favoring the adoption of TAWS. In North America, high government funding for hi-tech aircraft safety systems as per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates, strong technical base, and the presence of key players in the region are favoring the regional markets growth. The presence of top companies for TAWS such as Universal Avionics Systems Corporation, L3 Technologies Inc., and Honeywell International Inc. enables the latest technical developments for aircraft navigation to be first implemented in the region.Terrain Awareness and Warning System Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the key companies operating in the global terrain awareness and warning system market are Honeywell International Inc., Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems LLC, Avidyne Corporation, Rockwell Collins, Aspen Avionics Inc., Universal Avionics Systems Corporation, L3 Technologies Inc., Garmin Ltd., Sandel Avionics Inc., Mid-Continent Instrument Co. Inc., and Genesys Aerosystems.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Analysis of Enterprise Network LAN equipment Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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Flexibility of LAN network allows it to cater from as few as two or three users in small offices to several hundred users in larger offices. Enterprise networking forms the basis of organization functioning, owing to the requirements for connectivity between computing devices and other electronic devices across various workgroups and departments to enable easy data accessibility. Enterprise Networking LAN equipment helps in maintaining the interoperability of systems and devices to enable internal and external data management.Requirement to improve overall business productivity in organizations will fuel the global enterprise network LAN equipment market demandsAsk for detailed Sample of this Research Report @Urbanization and growing multinational business operations across the major economies of Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific has led to increased requirement for high speed infrastructure. Moreover, advent of 100 GE switch ports for faster internet connectivity, and easy availability of 40 GE, 10GE for other medium and small scale applications are projected to provide considerable traction to the global enterprise network LAN equipment market.The concept of utilization of any critical applications through any device or pre-approved device is stimulating the need of wired and wireless connectivity for businesses. Trends that include Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) and the requirement to enable the workforce connectivity within the enterprise will attract large demands for the enterprise network LAN equipment over the forecast period.Expansion of cloud offerings and 4G & LTE internet services would cement growth prospectsLocal area network servers can be used to download and store suite of application programs that are frequently used. On demand printing and ease of files sharing over multiple devices through the network are enabled through these applications. Thus, increasing number of data centers and need for efficient machine to machine communication will fuel the market demands. Moreover, increasing organizations reliance on cloud offerings such as Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Service as a platform (SaaS) along with proliferation of fast speed internet services such as 3G, 4G and 4G LTE will provide increased requirements for enterprise network LAN equipment market.WLAN equipment are expected to witness highest demandsOwing to ease of deployments, flexible work environment, low installation costs and long term cost benefits in terms of offering mobility to the workforce are the major advantages that in turn has led high inclination of the end users. However, concerns regarding internet security and loss of data privacy will provide consistent demands for wired and passive optical networks equipment in enterprises through the forecast period.Asia Pacific enterprise network LAN equipment market is expected to register highest growth over the forecast periodAccording to Coherent Market Insights, Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) Wi-Fi segment witnessed growth of close to 20% in the first quarter of 2016, with enterprise as the major end use industry. Moreover, according to our research experts, Asia Pacific IT infrastructure investments are expected to witness growth at over 4% year-on-year through the forecast period. This will help the industry participants in the region gain higher profit margins in the regionFavorable government initiatives to boost economic development in India will offer potential growth prospectsChina, India, Indonesia, Thailand are among the major economies that will positively influence the future industry growth in Asia Pacific. Government initiatives such as Digital India Programme, Bharat Net, National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), are expected to present India as the most potential economy in the region. Similar initiatives are expected to be witnessed across other emerging economies to aid future economic growth, which will provide significant boost to the overall enterprise network LAN equipment market.Some of the chief market participants include Alcatel-Lucent, Brocade, Avaya, Cisco, Aruba-HPE, Juniper, Ruckus, Aerohive, Juniper and NEC. Industry is majorly characterized by acquisition of SMEs by major industry players to enhance their portfolio or security offered in the solutions. For instance, in March 2015, HPE acquired Aruba to enhance its switches and routers portfolio and has plans to continue its acquisition strategy. Cisco has also adopted similar strategy and has acquired ThreatGRID, OpenDNS, SourceFire, and Lancope which were acquisitions were aimed to enhance cyber security.Request for Customization As per your Need :About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website :
Increase In Geriatric Population Offers A Promising Future For Vasculitis Treatment Market

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A group of disorder caused by the inflammation of blood vessels is known as vasculitis (plural: vasculitides), also called angiitis. Vasculitis includes inflammation of arteries, veins, and/or capillaries. The disease can affect both males and females equally without any age specifications. Quite a few forms of vasculitis are present, and their scientific characteristics can vary considerably in terms of severity, symptoms, as well as the duration of disease. It depends on the types of blood vessels that are affected by the disease. Vasculitis is a disease which involves the immune system. Here, the immune system stops offering defense aligned with infection and, consequently it fights itself. The precise root of vasculitis is unknown; however, factors triggering the disease include genetic makeup of an individual, blood cancers, immune system diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), infections (e.g. hepatitis B), and response to certain drugs. Inflammation of blood vessels may lead to several complications. It may block the path of blood flow thereby causing organs to dysfunction.According to Vasculitis UK, major cause of vasculitis may be hereditary or environmental. Moreover, there is a lack of approved treatment from the regulatory bodies. According to National Center for Biotechnology Information, in 2011, the therapy rituximab (Biogen Idec/Genentech, Rituxan) happened to be the earliest and only FDA-approved possibility for the treatment of vasculitis. This has encouraged the governments and the manufacturers alike, for development of new drugs for vasculitis treatment. Moreover, early detection is one of the key factors for the treatment of the disease. Advent of technology and advanced diagnosis along with support from governments and regulatory bodies around the world will fuel the growth of the global vasculitis treatment market.Get The Holistic SAMPLE With Research Methodology:Vasculitis Treatment Market TaxonomyOn the basis of vessel size, the global vasculitis treatment market is classified into:Small vessel vasculitisMedium vessel vasculitisLarge vessel vasculitisOn the basis of end user, the global vasculitis treatment market is classified into:GovernmentHospitalsMedical ClinicsOthersThe American Heart Association says even though it is not established that inflammation of arteries or veins causes cardiovascular disease, however, inflammation is widespread for patients with stroke and heart disease patients and is considered to be an atherogenic (deposition of fat in arteries) response. As the number of cardio vascular diseases in on the rise, patients with opt for diagnosis and treatment of vasculitis. Although it is not proven that inflammation causes cardiovascular disease, inflammation is common for heart disease and stroke patients and is thought to be a sign or atherogenic response; this in turn will propel the growth of the global vasculitis treatment market.Get Table Of Content:Increase in geriatric population offers a promising future for vasculitis treatment marketAccording to Vasculitis UK, usually the frequency of occurrence of vasculitis increases from the 50s; however, but infants and young people can be affected as well. According to Administration for Community Living, 46.2 million people in the U.S. were above the age of 65 in 2014. It is estimated that by 2060 there will be around 98 million people falling under this age group. Additionally, latest scientific developments have led to a significant increase in life expectancy around the globe. As the geriatric population increase, so does the propensity of occurrence of vasculitis. As patients have become health aware, and healthcare spend has increased significantly, it can be projected that a part of it will be spent on the diagnosis and treatment of vasculitis; thereby increasing the global vasculitis treatment market.Manufacturers around the world are competing on the availability of technologically advanced drugs for the treatment of vasculitis. Therefore, there is a significant increase in the research and development spends incurred by the companies. Government support is another positive factor that is in favor of the manufacturers. Some of the companies operating in the global vasculitis treatment market are RNL BIO Co., Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis AG, Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Human Genome Sciences, Inc. Genentech, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Teijin Pharma Limited.Buy This Exclusive Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Military Vetronics Market 2017 Research, Share, Size, Growth, Competitor Strategy and Trends by Forecast to 2021

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Market HighlightsVetronics (vehicle electronics) are used in military land vehicles to enable navigation, observation, and communication. They can help in the exchange of inter-vehicular or intra-vehicular information. These systems increase warfare capabilities by facilitating the military in their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.The global military vetronics market is expected to grow steadily in the next few years. This growth is driven by the rising demand for advanced vetronics systems enabling enhanced performance, military modernization programs, and changing nature of warfare (technology-centric warfare) among others. Demand from major markets such as Europe and the US, along with the rising demand from emerging nations in the APAC is also expected to be a major factor for the market growth.Over the last decade, there has been an increasing need to rapidly modernize the military systems. It includes the need to upgrade and equip the military land vehicles with optimized military equipment and vetronics. Traditionally, 'bolt-on' systems were largely used for such requirements. It however leads to added weight, reduced flexibility of the system, and power and cooling issues in the vehicles.To overcome such possible issues, modular approach are largely being implemented. Modular vetronics approach is based on a layered architecture that enables ease for scaling and implementing configuration changes. This approach emphasizes on standard component design while also providing a significant reduction in the cost of making changes in future requirements. Vehicles with modular system approach thus offer more benefit than the conventional vehicles. Because of the similarity in various components, it is easily available during the need for maintenance, which further reduces the life cycle cost, and also enables a lean supply chain.Request a Sample Report @Market Key PlayersCurtiss-Wright Corporation,Oshkosh Corporation,Ultra Electronics Ltd.,TE Connectivity,SAAB A.B.,Kongsberg Gruppen ASA,General Electric Company,BAE Systems plc,Rheinmetall Defence,Moog, Inc.,Lockheed Martin Corporation,Elbit Systems Ltd.,Thales Group,The Raytheon CompanyGeneral Dynamics CorporationIndustry/ Innovation/ Related News:February, 2017:- General Dynamics Land Systems signed a contract worth USD 308 million with the Government of Canada, to upgrade 141 Light Armored Vehicles that would improve the vehicles' performance and survivability while reducing their long-term maintenance costs.February, 2017:- BAE Systems signed a contract worth USD 28.2 million with the U.S. Army, to provide them with 11 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift Evacuation System (HERCULES) vehicles and related vetronics.Military Vetronics Market  SegmentsFor the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding; the military vetronics market is segmented in to three key dynamicsSegmentation by Vehicle Type: Light Protected Vehicles, Unmanned Ground Vehicles, Armored Amphibious Vehicles, and Special Purpose Vehicles.Segmentation by System: (Communication, Navigation, C3 Systems, and Power Systems).Segmentation by Regions: Comprises Geographical regions Americas, Europe, APAC and Middle East and Africa.Browse Report Details @Regional AnalysisThe traditional markets in the US and Europe have been extensively spending for military modernization along with the upgrades of existing military land vehicle fleets. It helps to maintain the operability of the existing land vehicles rather than replacing the entire fleet of ageing vehicles. Meanwhile, the emerging nations are also buying new land vehicles as the additional strength to their respective military forces. Emerging nations such as China, and India, have a large number of military troops, and land military is one of the major force for border defense in both the countries. In the present scenario of increased security concerns, these nations have increased their respective defense budgets, and also for purchase and upgrade of military land vehicles and vetronics.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment Market Witness a Pronounce Growth by 2017-2025

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Carpal tunnel syndrome is a medical condition of numbness, weakness, and tingling in the hand due to compression of the median nerve in the wrist. The median nerve is located on the palm side and also known as the carpal tunnel. This nerve is responsible for sensation in the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, and part of the ring finger. The key work of the median nerve is to supply the impulse to the thumb muscle. Excess pressure in the wrist and the median nerve causes swelling. Some other frequent conditions associated with carpal tunnel syndrome are thyroid dysfunction, high blood pressure, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. The most common signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are tingling, numbness, pain in the thumb, pain and burning that travels up to the arm, weakness in the muscles of the hand, and the wrist pain at night that interferes with sleep. Health care specialists recommend nerve conduction studies, physical examination, and other tests to confirm the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), more than 230,000 procedures are performed for carpal tunnel surgery every year. Approximately 23% of people with carpal tunnel syndrome are able to resume their profession after the surgery. Usually, women are more affected by carpal tunnel syndrome than men. More than 8.3 million people are diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome every year.View Report-Increasing research and development activities, introduction of innovative therapies, rising demand for effective therapies among patients, and growing disease prevalence are projected to fuel the global carpal tunnel syndrome treatment market in the near future. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, high body mass index (BMI), sedentary lifestyle, and high salt intake may increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Jobs that involve repetitive movement of the wrist such as manufacturing, keyboard operating, assembly line work, and construction work raise the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Increasing health care insurance coverage is another factor likely to drive the global carpal tunnel syndrome treatment market during the forecast period.Brochure Download-The global carpal tunnel syndrome treatment market can be segmented based on treatment type, distribution channel, and region. In terms of treatment type, the market has been categorized into medications, physical and integrative therapies, and surgery. Based on distribution channel, the market has been classified into hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, and online pharmacy. In term of revenue, the hospital pharmacy segment dominated the carpal tunnel syndrome treatment market in 2016.Request For Custom Research-Geographically, the global carpal tunnel syndrome treatment market has been segmented into five regions viz. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the leading market for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment. In terms of revenue, the U.S. holds a major share of the North America market. The market in Europe is expanding rapidly, due to high prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in the region. The market in Asia Pacific and Latin America is projected to expand significantly in the near future. Developing economies such as China and India are anticipated to contribute to growth of the Asia Pacific market between 2017 and 2025, due to better health care infrastructure, economic growth, increase in the number of insurance payers, growth of the private health care sector, and rise in awareness among people in these countries. Brazil dominates the Latin America market for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment. South Africa, Turkey, and other developing countries in Middle East & Africa contribute to growth of the MEA market.Key players operating in the global carpal tunnel syndrome treatment market are Pfizer, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Company, Wockhardt Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Johnson & Johnson, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us-90 State Street,Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Analysis of Li-Air Battery Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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Li-Air Battery or Li-Oxygen battery is a metalair electrochemical battery or cell chemistry that utilizes lithium oxidation at the anode and oxygen reduction at the cathode to induce potential difference and the current flow. Research for harnessing the power storage in an efficient manner had begun in 1970s, which has witnessed significant investment in the last few years. Technology is expected to be commercially utilizable by the 2020s. These are expected to find significant applications in smart electronics, proliferating electric vehicles and for power grid backup applications.Ask for detailed Sample of this Research Report @Light weight, low cost, longer lasting power backup are projected to be the primary factors contributing to the industry growthDifferent packaging techniques to deliver efficient outputs are implemented to enhance the stability of the cells and usability for the commercial purposes. For instance, in April 2016, Cambridge scientists demonstrated lithium air battery that was featured with 90% efficiency and durability of up to 2000 battery cycles. Moreover, these battery are featured with relatively low weight density and charge holding capacity of around 5X the conventional Li-ion cells. These application features are among the prominent factors that have garnered huge R&D investments and are expected to drive growth of the Li-Air battery market over the forecast period.Considerable problems owing to the power backup, specifically in the energy grids and the electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be the prominent applications driving the development of these batteriesExtensive development to harness the renewable energy sources to their maximum potential requires storage owing to the irregularity of the daily energy outputs. Owing to these factors, the utilization of these energies is limited to peak loads. Moreover, increased mileage of the EVs to garner increased adoption of environment friendly transportation means is expected to drive the demands for relatively higher charge density. Requirements to meet these demands, organizations are expected to explore the options viable to address the concerning issue. This is expected to drive the R&D and commercialization of these power storage options. For instance, Automotive and Surface Transportation, National Research Council of Canada; MIT researchers, and Cambridge scientists are few of the major participants that have witnessed considerable activities for the utilization of the technology.Significant challenges in these batteries that include fundamental limitations in terms of electrochemical stability are expected to be the major factors delaying the commercialization of the technologySeveral number of studies that were carried out over the past few years have revealed that high reactivity of the lithium peroxide, which is the after product leads to corrosion of both the carbon cathode layers and electrolyte layer. Moreover, owing to utilization of introduction air humidity, carbon dioxide and other impurities will hamper the utilization of these cells. High heat dissipation, large mechanical stress on the structure, low number of charge cycles, high charge degradation rates also add up to the existing challenges, which are expected to hamper the overall industry growth though the forecast period.Considerable number of ongoing and existing alternative approaches for power storages will hinder the Li-air battery marketLi-ion battery market is the major addressable that the ongoing research and development activities are expected to disrupt over the next few years. Some of these include gold nanowire cell, graphene cells, Microsupercapacitors, sodium ion, and foam batteries are few of the alternatives that can present substantial to the ongoing development in this industry segment. Advent of the technology is expected to create significant demands in the developed economies which will eventually expand to Asia Pacific representing the largest industry share. Addressing the existing technical problems is expected to remain the primary concerns of the industry participants over the next couple of years.Request for Customization As per your Need :About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website :
Detailed Analysis Of Coal Seam Gas Market in Global Industry 2018

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Albany, NY, 11th April : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Coal Seam Gas Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.Coal seam gas is natural gas extracted from coal beds. It is found in coal deposits. Coal seam gas is an important fossil fuel formed from decomposition and pressurization of algae, plankton, and other organisms.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Methane is the single largest component of coal seam gas. Coal seam gas mining employs thousands of gas wells, pipelines, compressor stations, waste water dams, and other infrastructure. Unconventional methods are employed for coal seam gas extraction. Coal seam gas contains water and gas. During coal seam gas operations, water is pumped out to lower the pressure and gas is allowed to flow onto the surface. Coal seam gas is used to generate electricity in gas-fired power stations as a low-emission alternative to electricity produced from coal. It is also used in cooking applications. Coal seam gas is an important component in many industrial processes such as production of fertilizers, plastics, and chemicals.Growth in the power generation industry is a key factor driving the global coal seam gas market. Coal seam gas can be used for base-load and peaking power as gas-fired electricity generation is reliable and can be quickly started and stopped. Rise in demand for natural gas for cooking applications is another key factor boosting the coal seam gas market. Recent advancements in the renewable energy sector are anticipated to augment the coal seam gas market in the next few years. According to the International Energy Agency, global demand for natural gas is expected to increase by 1.6% annually over the next few years. This is anticipated to propel the coal seam gas market during the forecast period. Rise in demand for fossil fuels in the chemical industry is also estimated to drive the coal seam gas market. However, implementation of regulations related to coal gas exploration and production activities is projected to restrain the coal seam gas market in the near future.Based on method of exploration, the global coal seam gas market can be segmented into hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. In hydraulic fracturing or fracking, fluid is pumped under high pressure into the coal seam to open up fractures. Horizontal drilling occurs at deep levels underground. It reduces the number of visible vertical wells located above the ground. In terms of application, the coal seam gas market can be divided into power generation, cooking gas, production of chemicals; fertilizers and plastics.Make An Enquiry About TOC with tables & Figures @The global coal seam gas market expanded significantly in 2016.This trend is estimated to continue during the forecast period. Based on demand, North America is considered a key region of the coal seam gas market. Active gas exploration activities, especially through unconventional methods, are triggering the expansion of the coal seam gas market in the region. Australia is the key country for the coal seam gas market in Asia Pacific. The coal seam gas market in the country has expanded rapidly and created valuable jobs over the last few years. Australia has made immense progress in the power generation sector. The market in China is also projected to expand significantly in the next few years. Active gas exploration activities in Eastern Europe are anticipated to propel the coal seam gas market. Countries in Latin America such as Brazil and Mexico have initiated offshore development activities. This is estimated to boost the global coal seam gas market. Presence of oil reserves coupled with domination of oil companies in Middle East & Africa is likely to augment the coal seam gas market in the region during the forecast period.Key players operating in the coal seam gas market include arrow energy, Origin Energy Limited, and Shell Global.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisBrowse Report @The regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Traffic Management System Market, By Solution, Software, Hardware, Systems, and Region - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025 Traffic management is a system that providing traffic management solutions that improve traffic flow and safety of road users. It also advices the command control and signaling system which receives the information about the current traffic and the disturbances in the surrounding. Traffic management system includes pedestrian access, lane and sidewalk closures, traffic plans, services, and others.



Increasing urbanization and growing public concerns for the safety are major factors driving the growth of the global traffic management system market



Increasing urbanization results in the rise of traffic density levels, making traveling troublesome for common folk. For instance, according to the Global Health Observatory (GHO), the urban population in 2014 accounted for 54% of the total global population, and continues to grow. Over half of the population in the world is staying in urban areas, which increases overcrowding in small areas. More people leads to more usage of vehicles triggering traffic congestion. Hence, traffic management system is the major need to control the traffic problems such as traffic congestions and others will positively impact the growth of traffic management market.

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Rising concerns for the safety regarding the road traffic accidents leading to injuries and deaths is another factor fueling growth of the market. These are the major factors that are expected to influence the growth of this market during the forecast period. For instance, according to World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.25 million road accidents occurred globally in 2013, among them around 93% road traffic death occurs in low and middle income economies and over 50 million people are injured by road accidents. Therefore, people are increasingly concerned and cautious regarding the safety aspect, which tends to increase in the growth of traffic management system market.



However, High initial installation cost for traffic management systems which includes CCTV cameras among others are hampering the growth of the market.



Global Traffic Management System Market: Regional Insights



North America accounted for the largest share in the global traffic management market in 2016. U.S. is the major growth engine in North America market. This is owing to increasing initiatives from the U.S. government towards improvement of traffic management facilities and implementation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). For instance, the America's Surface Transportation Act or "FAST Act" was passed in 2015, in order to solve congestion issues regarding the traffic management, and enhance the transportation within the country.



Asia Pacific market is expected to exhibit highest CAGR over the forecast period and this is due to increasing urbanization and growing initiatives for better traffic management in the developing countries such as India and China. For instance, in 2015 Government of India launched "100 Smart Cities Mission" with project investments of US$ 30.02 billion which includes the technologies such as CCTV cameras, ITS (Intelligent transportation System) and others, which is expected to positively influence the growth of regional traffic management system market.

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Global Traffic Management System Market: Competitive Background



The key players in the global traffic management market include Accenture PLC, Atkins Group, Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., Alstom SA, Cisco Systems, Inc., Cubic Corporation, ESRI, GE Transportation, IBM, Indra, Ineo, Kapsch, LG CNS, and Schneider Electric.



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Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.



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Analysis of Microscale 3D Printing Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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Conventional three dimensional printing and manufacturing has garnered significant traction in all major industrial applications. However, increasing requirement for precision and for processes that require precision at meso, micro, and nanometer scales has led to the development of microscale 3-D printing technology. This technology finds application primarily in manufacturing and fabrication industries as well as in research and scientific community.Microscale 3-D printing technology can be utilized for the processing of metals, alloys, glass, photosensitive resins, and others, including different forms of plasticsOver the last few years, the use of microscale 3-D printing technology was limited to the making of complex shapes with the use of thermoplastics. Manufacturers are increasingly making efforts for the utilization of these techniques for varied materials that include semiconductors, living cells, and mixing and matching inks with increased accuracy. For instance, in May 2013, Princeton University scientists created bionic ear utilizing electronic and biological materials that could track radio frequencies. In another instance, in January 2014, scientists at Cambridge successfully completed the printing of eye cells that could be helpful in potential treatment for sight loss.Ask for detailed Sample of this Research Report @Technology expected to garner significant applications, however, is still in its nascent stage of developmentOwing to extensive application capability, the technology is expected to disrupt almost all material manufacturing application segments, however, is limited mostly to prototyping owing to significant challenges in handling expertise. Moreover, this technology is majorly deployed by science and research institutes that include ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Stanford, MIT, Cambridge; and National University, Singapore. It is estimated that microscale 3-D printing market will garner high adoption, however, will require at least over a decade to become mainstream. According to Coherent Market Insights Analysis, technology adoption should be at least 20% in order to become mainstream.Slow speeds in relation to the conventional methods of manufacturing and high initial capital are expected to hamper the overall industry growthFor instance, conventional injection molding can be used to produce thousands of objects within an hour. However, the additive manufacturing technology utilizes layer by layer integration of materials, which limits its application for mass production. Additionally, the initial cost of the technology for high precision applications, lack of skilled workforce, and additional expenses on training and expertise will hinder the adoption rate of the technology.Participants are increasingly making efforts to reduce manufacturing time and increase its application. For instance, Autodesk, a software company has integrated artificial intelligence to create complex design possibilities based on exact weight and strength, most of which can only be created using additive manufacturing.The U.S., followed by Europe, is expected to be a major region that will witness high adoption rate of the technology, primarily owing to the significant efforts and high inclination of the industry participants toward it. Moreover, advanced manufacturing facilities that include automotive, aerospace, and other industrial applications that are expected to witness significant adoption rate are also present in these regions.Some of the key players in the microscale 3-D printing market include Desktop Metal, Formlabs, HP, 3D Hubs, WASP, GE Additive, Aleph Objects (Lulzbot), Apis Cor, 3D-Fuel (3DomFuel), Doob Group, E3D, Nano Dimension, Open Bionics, Zortrax, Nanoscribe GmbH, Monoprice, Stratasys, 3D Systems, Divergent3D, and Optomec. Innovation and advanced product development are expected to be the prominent strategic plans of the players to gain strong foothold in the industry. For instance, in 2016, Nanoscribe GmbH introduced its advanced Photonic Professional GT that is featured with ultra-high resolution three dimensional printing capability.Request for Customization As per your Need :About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website :
Hybrid Operating Room Market Increasing to US$828.1 bn by the end of 2022.

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Hybrid Operating Room Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.Global Hybrid Operating Room Market: OverviewThe global market for hybrid operating room is witnessing a substantial rise in its valuation, thanks to the technological advancements in the field of operating room equipment. With the increasing government support, the market is expected to continue to rise at a high growth rate in the near future. A comprehensive assessment of the global market for hybrid operating rooms has been offered in this research study that intends to present detailed information with deep insights into this market to readers in a bid to assist them in gaining a better understanding of it.Global Hybrid Operating Room Market: Scope of the StudyThe report estimates and forecasts the worldwide hybrid operating room market on the global as well as the regional levels. It consists of a comprehensive analysis of the value chain for each of the segments. The assessment of the value chain also offers an in-depth information about the value addition to the market at each of the stages. Further, the study discusses the drivers and the restraints of this market, coupled with their impact on the demand for hybrid operating room equipment during the period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report also discusses the key market indicators, which impact the growth of the global hybrid operating room market considerably. It assesses the opportunities in this market by examining the market trends thoroughly. The drivers, limitations, opportunities, and the scope mentioned in the report have been justified by utilizing quantitative and qualitative data and have been verified by the primary and secondary resources. Moreover, an analysis of the average price trends and the substitutes have also been presented in this research study.Global Hybrid Operating Room Market: SegmentationThe research study provides a comprehensive overview of the worldwide market for hybrid operating room by evaluating it on the basis of the type of the component, end user, application, and the regional spread. Based on the type of the component, the market has been categorized into surgical instruments, operating room fixtures, intraoperative diagnostic imaging systems, and audiovisual display systems and tools. Based on the end user, the market has been divided into hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).By the application, the market has been segmented into cardiovascular, neurosurgical, thoracic, and orthopedic disease treatments. In terms of the geography, the market is classified into Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Europe, Latin America, North America, and Japan. These market segments have been evaluated on the basis of their current, historical, and future trends.Global Hybrid Operating Room Market: Competitive AnalysisThe research report includes a thorough competitive analysis of the global hybrid operating room market, taking the profiles of the leading players and their market shares in consideration. The leading players profiled in this report are Toshiba Corp., Trumpf Medical, IMRIS Inc., Eschmann Equipment, Stryker Corp., MAQUET GmbH, Skytron LLC, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Siemens Healthineers, and GE Healthcare. The product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents of these players have been reviewed for a better understanding of the competitive scenarios of this market. The company profile includes a number of attributes, such as the overview of the firm and its business, brand, and finances. The business strategies, recent developments, key competitors, and the number of employees have also been discussed in this section of the report.Table of Content1. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market - Executive Summary2. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Definition2.2. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Dynamics2.4. Supply Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Technological Assessment2.8. List of Distributors2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Analysis and Forecast By Component Type3.1. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Size and Forecast By Component Type, 2012-20223.1.1. Intraoperative Diagnostic Imaging Systems Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Operating Room Fixtures Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.3. Surgical Instruments Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.4. Audiovisual Display Systems and Tools Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.4.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.4.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.4.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.5. Other Components Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.5.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.5.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.5.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @4. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Analysis and Forecast By End User4.1. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Size and Forecast By End User, 2012-20224.1.1. Hospitals Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. Ambulatory Surgical Centers Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region5. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Analysis and Forecast By Application5.1. Global Hybrid Operating Room Market Size and Forecast By Application, 2012-20225.1.1. Cardiovascular Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20225.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region5.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region5.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region5.1.2. Neurosurgical Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20225.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region5.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By RegionContinue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on @
Worldwide Veterinary Software Market 2018 | Major Participants: Britton's Wise Computers, ClienTrax, ezyVET Limited, Henry Schein, Hippo Manager Software, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc, Onward Systems, Patterson Veterinary Supply

Veterinary Software Market

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The Global Veterinary software market is growing at the CAGR of ~5.1% during the forecast period 2017-2023 and expected to reach US$ 298.8 million by 2023.The, Veterinary Software Market inquire about report is developing with the quick pace; chiefly due the prospering Healthcare Sector. As per a current report distributed by the Market Research Future, The Veterinary Software Industry Research report is blasting and anticipated that would pick up unmistakable quality over the conjecture time frame. The Market is anticipated to exhibit a colossal development by 2023, outperforming its past development records as far as esteem and volume.You can get easy access to sample report here, please click:Global Veterinary software Market  Regional Analysis:The market of veterinary software is much higher in the Americas region. There are huge population which consider the pet their best friend, which leads the emotional attachment between the owners and pets. Thus, pet owners invest more on the treatment of their pets for better health, which lead the market of veterinary software in this region. According to Statista, in 2017 around 89.7 million dogs are living in U.S. along with 94.2 million cat, whereas report suggest that there are 14 million small animal and 9.4 million reptile in United states. Report also suggest that approx. 12 million of dogs increase from 2015 to 2017.Europe is also consider huge market for veterinary software players, owing to present of huge population keeping pets, thus concern about their health. Government are more focusing on research and development to introduce best treatment for the pets. According to a GfK SE survey, globally, 57% of population own pets, Dogs are the most popular pet globally, owned by 33 percent of respondents, with cats next at 23 percent.Asia Pacific are considering the fastest growing market for veterinary software. The huge number of animals in China and India coupled with their unmet needs have made this market as the fastest growing in the world. Country in this region are focusing on better standards of living, which resulted in an increase in pet ownership and livestock product consumption across the Asia Pacific region. Whereas the Middle East and Africa are low market due to his poor living standard. Government are least concern about the development of veterinary healthcare industry. Developing countries are focusing on new technology, which provide the opportunity to the market player to maximize the market share. This gap between the developed and developing countries will present significant growth opportunity for the veterinary software market players in the coming years.Global Veterinary software Market  Key Players:Brittons Wise Computers Inc.(U.S.), ClienTrax.(U.S.), ezyVET Limited (New Zealand), Henry Schein, Inc. (U.S.), Hippo Manager Software, Inc. (U.S.), IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.(U.S.), Onward Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Patterson Veterinary Supply, Inc.(U.S.), Provet Cloud  Finnish Net Solutions Ltd.(Finland), VetBlue (U.S.), VETPORT (U.S.), Vetter Software, Inc. (U.S.) are some of the leading players at the cutting edge of the competition in the market of veterinary software, globally.Veterinary software is the animal hospital software which is used for multiple purpose such as appointment scheduling, treatment management, patient information, payment and billing process, tracking the inventory, and follow-ups. These software are playing an important role in changing the traditional approach of veterinary healthcare. It help in setup individual practice, super-responsive customer/technical support, access to records online anywhere, and intuitive medical records. As per Oasmia Pharmaceutical AB in the United States, total number of pets (Dogs) has raised from 68 million to 83.3 million from the period 2000 to 2014, around 60 million dogs were kept as pets in countries like Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia and around 15 million dogs in Japan.Global Veterinary software Market  Overview:The global veterinary software market is rising with a moderate phase; mainly owing to increase spending by the pets owners on their pets. Most of the dog owners consider their dogs to be a member of their family. Thus, increasing attachment towards their pets rises the caring factor within the owners which leads the market of veterinary healthcare. According to American Pet Products Manufacturing Association (APPA), around 80% of all dog owners have taking the treatment for their dogs from veterinary clinics or hospitals, thus with the growing spending on treatment of pets enhance the market of veterinary software, and driving the growth of the global veterinary software market.Companies are continuously engage in developing new software for capturing maximum market share globally. Thus major players invest more in research and development activity and expanding their network globally in order to lead the global market. In this regards, ezyVET Limited, in 2017, Announces that company is opening North American headquarters In Frisco, Texas in January 2018. This move by the company clearly indicate the interest of ezyVET to handle North America market in more effective way. This networking help Company to reach the patient population and capturing the market, whereas research and development will help company to leads the market. Increasing interest of people towards pets globally is the factor that leads the market of veterinary software. Moreover companies are more focus to capture the market.Global Veterinary software Market  Segments:Global Veterinary Software Market has been segmented on the basis of type of product which comprise Imaging Software, Practice Management Software, and others. Practice Management Software further sub segmented into Desktop PMS, Client Server PMS, and Internet-Based PMS while Imaging Software further sub segmented into Diagnostic Imaging. Radiation Oncology. On the basis of deployment it segmented into On-Premise, Cloud-based and others. On the basis of end user market is segmented into veterinary hospitals and clinics, Research laboratories, Educational institutions, and others. Hospitals and clinics further sub segmented into Small animal clinics, large animal clinics, and Exotic animal clinics.Any query or specific requirement? Ask to our industry expert, please click:What makes our report unique?1) An extensive research study on the Global Veterinary Software market, and its entire ecosystem, describes the market trends, drivers, restraints and opportunities of the Veterinary Software market.2) We provide you the longest possible market segmentation based on type of products, procedures and geography and describe the market share region wise.3) The report gives a bird eyes view on the competitive landscape which includes mergers and acquisitions, collaborations, market strategies, and new product launches.BRIEF TOC:Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market SegmentationChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast ModelChapter 4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Mega Trends4.5 Macroeconomic IndicatorsChapter 5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Value Chain Analysis5.2 Porters Five Forces5.3 Demand & Supply: Gap Analysis5.4 Pricing Analysis5.5 Investment Opportunity Analysis5.6 Merger and Acquisition Landscape5.7 Upcoming Trends5.7.1 Market Trends5.7.2 Technological Trends5.7.3 Insurance & Regulations5.7.4 OthersCONTINUED For TOCFeel free to get in touch for discounts and customized details:About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Operating Room Management Market is Forecasted to Reach a Figure of About US$ 3,600 Mn in 2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Operating Room Management Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.Global Operating Room Management Market: OverviewThe global operating room management market report describes this lucrative healthcare IT market in great detail. The historical growth trajectory of the operating room management market has been going northwards, owing to a number of key economic factors. The future of the operating room management market thus represents significant investment for many major players in the market. The historical information about the 2012-2017 growth of the segments of the global operating room management market is used to establish a solid foundation for forecasts regarding the operating room management markets growth potential in the coming years. The predictions are backed by the use of industry-standard analytical models and data gathered from primary and secondary sources. The report thus becomes a valuable asset for any player attempting to expand their presence in the global operating room management market in the years to come.According to Transparency Market Research, the global operating room management market is likely to be valued at US$ 3,600 Mn by the end of the year 2022, exhibiting a robust CAGR during the assessment period.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Operating Room Management Market: DynamicsDue to the cutting edge innovations in the realm of healthcare IT, there has been a strong demand for operating room management systems in the various hospitals all over the world. The healthcare sector is focusing on improving their services and efficiency and operations, and at the same time decrease the cost incurred on such activities. In order to achieve this, hospitals are focusing on providing state of the art operating rooms, which have all the latest facilities and enable better coordination and communication between different teams of surgeons and the support staff. Also, with such high-end technology, the number of operations that can be performed in a single operating room increases, also increasing the safety and efficacy of the operations performed. This attracts more number of patients to such hospitals where such kind of advanced operating rooms are available, thereby increasing the revenues of such hospitals.Global Operating Room Management Market: SegmentationThe leading segments of the global operating room management market are profiled in the report to provide readers with a clear idea of the competitive hierarchy of each section of the market. This detailed information about the hierarchy of the operating room management market provides readers with a clear picture of the granular dynamics of the market and the potential of various parts of the market. The report segments the global operating room management market by component, application and delivery mode to provide a comprehensive look into the market. The geographical segmentation of the global operating room management market is also elaborated upon in the report.Geographically, North America is likely to remain the dominant contributor to the global operating room management market, while services segment will remain the largest in component type. The leading application segments of the global operating room management market include Data Management and Communication Solutions, Anesthesia Information Management Systems and Operating Room Supply Management Solutions among others.Global Operating Room Management Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report assesses the various factors affecting the competitive dynamics of the global operating room management market in the coming years. The leading players operating in the operating room management market are profiled in the report, including information such as the product development strategies developed by the companies and their geographical presence. Leading operating room management market players profiled in the report include Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Cerner Corp., General Electric Company, Getinge AB, McKesson Corp., Optum Inc., Richard Wolf GmbH, Steris PLC, Nexus AG and Omnicell, Inc.Table of Content1. Global Operating Room Management Market - Executive Summary2. Global Operating Room Management Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Operating Room Management Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Operating Room Management Market Definition2.2. Global Operating Room Management Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Operating Room Management Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Operating Room Management Market Dynamics2.4. Supply Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Healthcare Quality Reporting Scenario2.8. Service Provider List2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global Operating Room Management Market Analysis and Forecast By Component3.1. Global Operating Room Management Market Size and Forecast By Component, 2012-20223.1.1. Solutions Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Services Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4. Global Operating Room Management Market Analysis and Forecast By End User4.1. Global Operating Room Management Market Size and Forecast By End User, 2012-20224.1.1. Data Management and Communication Services Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. Anesthesia Information Management Systems Market Size andGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Forecast, 2012-20224.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.3. Operating Room Supply Management Services Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.4. Operating Room Scheduling Services Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20224.1.4.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.4.2. Market Share Comparison, By RegionContinue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on @
Retail Market in Indonesia to Grow at a CAGR of 14.99% During The Period 2017-2021.

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Retail Market in Indonesia 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.About RetailRetailing involves a business entity selling its products or services to an individual. The business transaction can occur over different sales channels such as online or brick-and-mortar storefront. In 2016, Indonesia was one of the top five developing retail markets in the Global Retail Development Index, which showcases its strength and future potential in the retail sector. In the 2015 edition, Indonesia was in the 12th position. China is the leading market in this sector, followed by India, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan.Technavios analysts forecast the retail market in Indonesia to grow at a CAGR of 14.99% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the retail market in Indonesia for 2017-2021. The report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Technavio's report, Retail Market in Indonesia 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsCircle KHero GroupIndomaretSuper IndoSumber Alfaria TrijayaOther prominent vendorsLotte ShoppingMatahari Putra PrimaMETRO Department StoreGingersnapsMarket driverBurgeoning middle-class populationFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeLow consumer purchasing power due to high electricity tariffsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendPreference for local brandsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?Table of ContentsPART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: IntroductionMarket outlineEconomic indicatorsPART 05: Market landscapeMarket size and forecastFive forces analysisPART 06: Distribution channel in retail market in IndonesiaDistribution channel in retail market in IndonesiaPART 07: Market segmentation by retail formatRetail market in Indonesia by retail formatConvenience stores market in IndonesiaGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Department stores market in IndonesiaDrugstores and pharmacies market in IndonesiaSupermarkets and hypermarkets market in IndonesiaPART 08: Market segmentation by product categoryRetail market in Indonesia by product categoryFood and beverage retail market in IndonesiaConsumer electronics retail market in IndonesiaApparel and footwear retail market in IndonesiaHome improvement retail market in IndonesiaBeauty and personal care retail market in IndonesiaPART 09: Decision frameworkPART 10: Drivers and challengesMarket driversMarket challengesPART 11: Market trendsPreference for local brandsLeveraging social media platforms for marketingExpansion of organized grocery retailersPART 12: Vendor landscapeCompetitive ScenarioContinue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on @
Construction Material Testing Equipment Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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Construction material testing equipment finds significant applications in the infrastructure building process, primarily owing to the requirement to ensure the safety of the humans, goods and amenities in the building. Requirement of elimination of hazards from every individual building procedures, from selection of lands, concrete & aggregates, cements, bituminous materials, steel, masonry, steel to the mission critical testing of pavements and roads.Request For Sample Copy of this Research Report :Requirement for compliance with the national and state directives and regulations regarding the infrastructure will further propel market growthMost residents are unaware of the standards required for the residential and commercial buildings. In order Requirement to keep a check on human safety, national and state regulatory authorities have established various standards, directives and regulations for these buildings. Regulations also cover the different infrastructure categories that include utilities, industries, telecommunication, transport, and others. For instance, Australasian Procurement and Construction Council in Australia, Environmental Protection Agency and national Association of Home Builders in U.S., and Construction Products Regulation by European Council in EU are few among the many regional bodies that are responsible for the building standards. Requirement of compliance with these regulatory bodies and ensure the requirements are met, construction material equipment market will witness substantial growth over the forecast period.Proliferation of smart cities and connected infrastructure will propel the industry growth through 2025According to United Nations press release in July 2014, around 54% of the global population lived in the urban areas, which is expected to account for overall 66% by 2050. Rapid urbanization across all the major global economies, specifically in the BRIC countries is expected to drive the demands for the infrastructure. Moreover, increasing population and government interests in the smart city infrastructures will inadvertently fuel the growth prospects. According to the white paper report by Technology that was sponsored by the United Parcel Services and Consumer Technology Association, the smart city initiatives rose to over 235 in 2016, an estimated surge of over 38% in comparison to 2013. Proliferation of such infrastructural activities are expected to present extensive growth prospects to the construction material testing equipment market.Residential and commercial infrastructure is expected to dominate the global demands over the next few yearsGrowth of residential housing is anticipated to be the primary growth driver for all the other associated infrastructure that includes transportation, utilities, and other commercial activities. However, according Coherent Market Insights, there have been several incidences of paradigm shifts with the development of commercial and manufacturing activities that in turn led to traction of residential buildings in the vicinity. In both scenarios, residential segment is expected to register highest traction, which is expected to present highest demands for the construction material testing equipment market.Owing to presence of largest population base, highest number of emerging economies, significant growth in infrastructural activities, Asia Pacific is expected to remain the most lucrative regional segment through the forecast period. Trends such as connected vehicles, smart factories and connected infrastructure is expected to drive the demands in other developed economies that include U.S. and the Western Europe. Moreover, large budget projects in the Middle East which specifically includes Gulf Cooperation Council will provide considerable product requirements.Chief players in the construction material testing equipment market include Aimil, Humboldt Mfg., ELE International, CONTROLS Group, and Matest. Industry is characterized by high regional consolidation, with few leading global players. Owing to the intensive competitive scenario, industry is expected to witness significant strategic initiatives to strengthen their industry foothold and expand regional presence. For instance in June 2017, University of Missouri System collaborated with Missouri University of Science and Technology for the development of Advanced Construction and Materials Laboratory (ACML), to address public infrastructure challenges.Request For Customization as per Your Need :About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit Our New Website:
Tilt Sensor Market 2018 by Global Leaders: TE Connectivity, MEMSIC, SICK AG, Murata Manufacturing, Level Developments, Spectron Sensors, Tamagawa seiki, The Fredericks Company

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Market Research Future published a research report on Global Tilt Sensor Market Research Report- Forecast 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Market Scenario:According to Market Research Future analysis, global tilt sensor market has been valued at USD ~51.22 million by the end of forecast period with ~9.50% of CAGR during forecast period 2017 to 2023A tilt sensor is an instrument that is used for measuring the tilt in multiple axes of a reference plane. Tilt sensors measure the tilting position with reference to gravity, and are used innumerous applications. They enable the easy detection of orientation or inclination. Similar to mercury switches, they may also be known as tilt switches or rolling ball sensors. These instruments have become more popular over the years, and are being adapted for increasing numbers of high end applications.Get Sample of Report @Commenting on the report, an analyst from Market Research Future (MRFR)s team said:Tilt sensors are used for non-contact detection of any objects and for observing the level. The sensors are used for detection of non-metallic materials. Tilt sensors are used across various sectors such as construction & mining, gaming, robotics and aviation among others. For instance, in gaming, tilt sensors are used to detect the inclination for which non-metallic materials are used. Non-metallic materials since they are convenient, environment friendly and cost-effective. Non-glass tilt sensors are cost effective as compare with the other conventional sensor techniques and it has a low power of operation.Mining is one of the major end-users of tilt sensor. The key success for the mining industry is the usage of comprehensive series of sensors. The sensors are used to provide control system for plant wide and failure of personnel equipments. The factors contributing to the growth of the increasing exploration around the globe, government initiatives and rising demand for higher energy efficiency are boosting the growth of the mining sector and which in turn is expected to boost the tilt sensor market.The global tilt sensor market is estimated to grow at a promising rate over the forecast period. North America is the leading region followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the world. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region which is estimated to show high growth over the forecast period. Increasing technological advancements and increasing demand for tilt sensors in the construction sectors in this region is expected to drive the growth of tilt sensor market in the region. However, issues related to high initial investments and infrastructure cost is expected to hinder the growth of the market.Key PlayersThe key players in the global tilt sensor market include- Pepperl+Fuchs Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), TE Connectivity Ltd. (Switzerland), MEMSIC, Inc (U.S.), SICK AG (Germany), Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Japan), Level Developments Ltd. (UK), Spectron Sensors (U.S.), Tamagawa seiki Co,.Ltd (Japan), The Fredericks Company (U.S.) among others.Regional Analysis:Regionally, North-America accounted for the largest market share from countries such U.S. among others. The reason is attributed to the increasing investments for these technological products, adoption of these sensors by various domains and low operational cost.However, Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. China, Japan, and India are some of the major countries driving the growth of the said market in APAC. APAC is home to a number of prominent mining and construction, aerospace and defense, and automotive and transportation companies.SegmentsThe global tilt sensor market is segmented on the basis of type, application and region. On the basis of type the segment is further divided into switch based tilt sensors, proportional tilt sensors, and optical based tilt sensors. On the basis of application the segment is further classified into mining, construction, automobile, transport, robotics, gaming, aviation and many more.The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.Get complete Report @Intended Audience Device manufacturers Network Operators Distributors Suppliers Research firms Software Developers Commercial Banks Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers End-user sectors Technology InvestorsAbout Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Electric Bicycles Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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Electric bicycle also known as e-bike is modified bicycle with an electric motor, which offers pedal assistance to the rider. It has similar basic features as regular pushbike with electric assistance. Electric bicycles are the largest selling electric vehicles in the world and are estimated to cross 36 million mark by 2025. Reduction in weights aided by integration of Li-ion batteries, low cost, wide availability, and minimal environment impacts are expected to be the major factors fueling growth of the industry over the forecast period. Increasing urbanization and concerns regarding the environmental impacts of motor vehicles across the global economies are expected to further augment growth of market.Request For Sample Copy of this Research Report :Increasing motor vehicle traffic and pollution levels are expected to drive growth of electric bicycles marketIncreasing motor vehicles traffic levels have led to increased road accidents over the past decade, accounting for over 1.25 million deaths in 2015, according to report published by World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, pollution levels across the globe have witnessed significant surge, owing to increasing vehicle traffic. According to Union of Concerned Scientist, one fifth of the U.S. emissions responsible for global warming are generated due to trucks and cars. Reduction in emissions and traffic levels can be achieved by adopting eco-friendly electric bicycles that can drastically decrease traffic congestion along with negligible carbon emissions, which is expected to propel growth of the electric bicycles market over the forecast period.Increasing awareness and government initiatives to promote use of battery operated vehicles is resulting into increasing adoption of eco-friendly vehicles by consumers. For instance, FAME-India scheme in India, electric bike grant scheme in states of Jersey, and grants offered for EVs purchase by Office for Low Emissions in UK are the government initiatives which were focused on promotion of e-bike. These initiatives are expected to provide potential growth opportunities for the electric bicycles market throughout the forecast period.Health benefits offered by electric bicycles such as cardiac rehabilitation and weight reduction are expected to fuel market growthAccording to National Health Service (NHS), exercise-based rehabilitation programs can reduce deaths risks by 25% and adoption of these bikes provide less cardiac exertion for people with existing coronary problems. Patients suffering from obesity who are unable to exercise can comfortably use these bicycles, which allows them taking short breaks from pedaling. Moreover, biking on rough terrains and difficult slopes by bikers is also fueling growth of the market.Sealed lead-acid (SLA) batteries held the largest share in the marketSLA batteries held largest industry share in market, owing to low costs and large consumer base in China. Batteries utilized in the bikes vary on the basis of voltage, amp hour capacity, life and reliability. However, Li-ion batteries are projected to witness significant demand over the forecast period, primarily owing to relatively better performance characteristics and lower carbon footprints.China has the largest consumer base for electric bicycles accounting for over 80% of the overall market shareAnnual unit sales of electric bicycles in China are projected to decline over the forecast period, owing to increasing traffic disruption and accidents. In 2009, around 10 cities that included Guangzhou, Changsha, Shenzhen, Changzhou, Foshan and Dongguang, had either imposed restrictions or banned usage of e-bikes. However, China is projected to retain dominance in the electric bicycles market over the forecast period due to significant demands for electric bicycles from other cities of economy.Industry is characterized by large number of number of entrants participating in the competition, primarily owing to introduction of new crowd funded projects to reduce the carbon footprints and increasing demands in Germany, India, Netherlands and the U.S. Key players operating in electric bicycles market include Accell Group, Derby Cycle AG, Easy Motion, Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle Co. Ltd., Panasonic, Pedego, Stromer, and Yadea Technology Group Co. Ltd., BionX, Bosch, Electric Bike Technologies LLC, Giant Bicycles, GRACE, Superpedestrian, and Trek.Request For Customization as per Your Need :About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit Our New Website:
Analysis of Low Harmonic Drives Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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The current in an ideal AC power grid is pure sinusoidal wave, however, in reality the current contains harmonics of multiple orders that reduce the efficiency and usability of the electric energy. Low harmonic drives are the systems that are used to reduce the harmonic distortions introduced in the supply lines and provide power outputs that are relatively safer for general and critical applications.Simplicity of deployment and high level of harmonic reduction over multi pulse solutions is expected to garner high adoption ratesIndustry participants that provide these solutions provide factory tested integrated solutions that do not require additional hardware or costs, which enhances the simplicity of installations. Moreover, these are compact and do not require additional power wiring and contribute to significant space savings in the space where they are installed. These systems do not require additional dedicated transformers and are featured with low losses, unity power factor, robust performance, high overall efficiency. These factors are expected to provide high traction to the low harmonic drives market over the forecast period.Ask for detailed Sample of this Research Report @Growing demand for efficient power utilization and reduce the losses with the increasing energy supply demands is anticipated to provide solid growth prospects to the industry growthRequirement to reduce the electrical power consumption costs, organizations and industry participants are increasingly investing in efficient industrial products and equipment that different motors, pumps, compressors, and fans. These requirements to limit the consumption without compromising the energy efficiency are expected to present considerable growth prospects for the low harmonic drive market. Furthermore, requirements to meet the distinct regional stringent regulatory compliances relating to efficient power consumptions will provide the traction to the industry growth. For instance, National People's Congress (NPC) the 12-5 Plan in China, EPA Power Sector Regulations in U.S. and Electricity Industry Act 2010 in New Zealand are among the few directives that are in place to regulate the electricity consumption. However, high switching costs for end users is expected to be the only challenge that will negatively impact to overall adoption rates over the forecast period.Oil & Gas end use industry segment dominated the overall low harmonic drive market end use in 2016Annexation of oil exploration activities such as shale related and offshore explorations are expected to garner high utilizations over the next few years. Moreover, increasing focus on generation of renewable energy will present considerable growth prospects for the industry participants over the long run.High utilization of gasoline in conjunction with low prices of pumps and relaxation in diesel and gasoline taxes in the Europe is anticipated to present considerable growth opportunities for the industry participants in the region. Presence of large number of hydrocarbons in Russia will add up to the overall industry demand, will help the region dominate the overall industry demands over the forecast period. Moreover, increased demands for manufacturing activities in Asia Pacific region is expected to present considerable growth landscape.Chief players in the low harmonic drive market include ABB, Danfoss, Eaton, Rockwell and Schneider Electric. Industry presence is moderately consolidated with several regional players competing with the multinational players. Participants are expected to adopt M&A, and innovative product launches for the propagation of their market shares over the next few years. For instance, in July 2017, Schneider Electric introduced Altivar ATV980 & ATV680 Drives which was featured as the worlds first three level low harmonic drive.Request for Customization As per your Need :About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website :
Global Mixto Tequila Market 2018 - Jose Cuervo, Sauza, Patrn, Juarez, 1800 Tequila

Global Mixto Tequila Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the Mixto Tequila Market across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of Mixto Tequila Market from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global PP Pipe industry, and estimates the future trend of Mixto Tequila on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares Mixto Tequila performance both in terms of volume and revenue.The market research report explores the Mixto Tequila Market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of Mixto Tequila Market. The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Mixto Tequila Market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Mixto Tequila. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Mixto Tequila Market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportJose CuervoSauzaPatrnJuarez1800 TequilaEl Jimador FamilyDon JulioFamilia Camarena TequilaHerraduraZarcoCazadoresCabo TequilaMilagroMargaritavilleClase AzulAvion TequilaThe competitive landscape of the global market for Mixto Tequila is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Mixto Tequila Markets production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Mixto Tequila Market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Mixto Tequila Market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Mixto Tequila production volume, data pertaining to demand and Mixto Tequila supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Mixto Tequila along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Mixto Tequila across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Global Military Smart Weapons Market Professional Survey Report 2018 - The Boeing Company, Denel SOC Ltd, Kongsberg Gruppen,

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Military Smart Weapons Market Professional Survey Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies Military Smart Weapons in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringThe Boeing CompanyDenel SOC LtdKongsberg GruppenLockheed Martin CorporationMBDAOrbital ATKRaytheon CompanyTextron IncTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSmart RadarSmart GPS/INSSmart Bombs & MissileSmart MunitionsOtherBy Application, the market can be split intoReconnaissanceSearchingFightingOtherBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaTable of ContentsGlobal Military Smart Weapons Market Professional Survey Report 20181 Industry Overview of Military Smart Weapons1.1 Definition and Specifications of Military Smart Weapons1.1.1 Definition of Military Smart Weapons1.1.2 Specifications of Military Smart Weapons1.2 Classification of Military Smart Weapons1.2.1 Smart Radar1.2.2 Smart GPS/INS1.2.3 Smart Bombs & Missile1.2.4 Smart Munitions1.2.5 Other1.3 Applications of Military Smart Weapons1.3.1 Reconnaissance1.3.2 Searching1.3.3 Fighting1.3.4 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Military Smart Weapons2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Military Smart Weapons2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Military Smart Weapons2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Military Smart Weapons3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Military Smart Weapons3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Military Smart Weapons Major Manufacturers in 20173.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Military Smart Weapons Major Manufacturers in 20173.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Military Smart Weapons Major Manufacturers in 20173.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Military Smart Weapons Major Manufacturers in 2017Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @4 Global Military Smart Weapons Overall Market Overview4.1 2013-2018E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2013-2018E Global Military Smart Weapons Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2017 Military Smart Weapons Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2013-2018E Global Military Smart Weapons Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2017 Military Smart Weapons Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2013-2018E Global Military Smart Weapons Sales Price4.4.2 2017 Military Smart Weapons Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Military Smart Weapons Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Military Smart Weapons Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Military Smart Weapons Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2013-2018E Military Smart Weapons Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2013-2018E Military Smart Weapons Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2017 Military Smart Weapons Market Share Analysis5.2 China Military Smart Weapons Market AnalysisContinue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on @
Industry Data Analysis of Global Weaving Machines Sales Market Report 2018

Industry Data Analysis of Global Weaving Machines Sales Market Report 2018

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The Global Weaving Machines Sales Market Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Weaving Machines industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Weaving Machines 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 Weaving Machines 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.Browse a complete report sample:In this report, the global Weaving Machines 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 split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Weaving Machines for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), covering United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.Global Weaving Machines market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Weaving Machines sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingITEMADORNIER GmbH, LindauerPicanolBONASCyber MillJ P Extrusiontech...The regional scope of the study is as follows:North AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeRest of Asia-PacificEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaRest of EuropeCentral & South AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaSaudi ArabiaTurkeyRest of Middle East & AfricaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoShuttle Weaving MachineCircular Weaving MachineOthersOn 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, includingUpholstery FabricAutomotive TextilesSportswearOthersThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Weaving Machines sales, value, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);To analyze the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, to study the sales, value and market share of top players in these regions.Focuses on the key Weaving Machines players, to study the sales, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Weaving Machines are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersWeaving Machines ManufacturersWeaving Machines Distributors/Traders/WholesalersWeaving Machines Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, QYResearch offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Weaving Machines market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.Table of contents:Charpter 1 - Weaving Machines Market OverviewCharpter 2 - Global Weaving Machines Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and ApplicationCharpter 3 - United States Weaving Machines (Volume, Value and Sales Price)Charpter 4 - China Weaving Machines (Volume, Value and Sales Price)Charpter 5- Europe Weaving Machines (Volume, Value and Sales Price)Charpter 6 - Japan Weaving Machines (Volume, Value and Sales Price)Charpter 7 - Southeast Asia Weaving Machines (Volume, Value and Sales Price)Charpter 8 - India Weaving Machines (Volume, Value and Sales Price)Charpter 9 - Global Weaving Machines Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales DataCharpter 10 - Weaving Machines Maufacturing Cost AnalysisCharpter 11 - Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersCharpter 12 - Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersCharpter 13 - Market Effect Factors AnalysisCharpter 14 - Global Weaving Machines Market Forecast (2018-2022)Charpter 15 - Research Findings and ConclusionCharpter 16 - 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
Visitor Management System Market to Record an Exponential CAGR by 2027

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Growing importance to track visitor movements across various organizations is the key factor contributes the growth of global visitor management system market. Visitor management system is an effective solution, which helps companies to gain better control over visitor movement in their premises. Visitor management system is a software based solution, which capture, monitor, record and recover visitor information, in order to manage the visitor traffic inside the office/building. Visitor management systems are available with various features, including visitors Photo ID or fingerprint scanning, auto-identification of repeated visitors, and automated pre-registration of expected registers. Visitor management systems generates access-cards, with authorized access and restrictions to facilities based on the type of visitor. Visitor management system delivers touch screen experience to visitors, enable visitors to self-register and delivers notification to employees. Visitor management system eliminates human errors and ensure high level of performance and security of the premise.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global Visitor Management System Market: Market DynamicsGrowing importance to minimize the negative impacts of visitors, rising dependence on software based security solutions in order to address various compliance and insurance requirements, and increasing interest on paper-less administrative operations across various organizations, are the key factors drives the growth of global visitor management system market. Increasing focus to streamline visitor/employee management process to enhance productivity and increasing preference for developing professional set-up with self-sign-in processes and pre- registration facilities, further accelerates the growth of growth of global visitor management system market. Additionally, expanding smartphone users and growing need to access the visitor records across various touch points, expected the fuel the growth of cloud based visual management solutions. However, slow progress in customer adaptation to visitor management system and lack of awareness regarding the potential benefits of visitor management solutions, are the factors identified as restraints likely to deter the progression of global visitor management system market.Global Visitor Management System Market: SegmentationGlobal visitor management system market is segmented on the basis of component, end-user, and region. On the basis of component, the global visitor management system market can be segmented into software and hardware. On the basis of end user the global visitor management system market can be segmented into government, manufacturing, healthcare & medical, BFSI, education, information technology, energy & utilities, hospitality, retail, aerospace & defense and others. Regionally, the global visitor management system market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Global Visitor Management System Market: Regional OutlookThe visitor management system market in North America followed Western Europe are expected to be dominate, high importance to strengthen safety and security of the work premises and supporting existing infrastructure to deploy visitor management system. Among all regions, in terms of revenue, Asia Pacific is identified as the fastest growing visitor management system market, rising security standards across various sectors, including manufacturing, hospitality, information technology and education.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Visitor Management System Market: Competition LandscapeSome of the prominent vendors in the global visitormanagement system market, includes Honeywell International Inc., HID Global Corporation, Genetec Inc., WhosOnLocation, Trackforce, Parabit Systems, InVentry Ltd, Jolly Technologies Inc., Quantum Secure Inc., and AlertEnterpriseAbout UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Parental Control Software Market to Significant Growth Foreseen by 2027

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Increasing children access to multiple internet-enabled devices is the key factor contributes the growth of global parental control software market. Parental control software is an intelligent content filtering tool designed to let parents monitor set controls of childrens internet activity. Parental control software is commonly used to protect children from internet addiction, cyberbullying, harmful content, games and also from online predators. Some of the prominent features in parental control software includes website filtering, personal information blocking, access scheduling, chat monitoring, social network monitoring, remote management, location tracking, and calls & SMS monitoring and blocking. Parental control software is available for various platforms including Android, IOS, Windows, Blackberry, and Linux.A sample of this report is available upon request @Parental Control Software Market: Market DynamicsIncreasing internet addition of pre-teens and teens, rising negative impact due to cyber bullying and expanding childrens computer literacy & Internet competences are the prominent factor drives the growth of global parental control software market.Additionally, expanding the internet and mobile communication infrastructure, and rising household ownership of internet-connected media devices coupled with increasing children access to the computer, tablet, and smartphones accelerate the growth of global parental control software market. Increasing broader range of social media services, rising children access to age-inappropriate contents and growing parental awareness of online child abuse risks, drives the growth of global parental control software market.However, lack of awareness and technical about the parental control software solutions is identified as restraints likely to deter the progression of global parental control software market.Parental Control Software Market: Market SegmentationParental control software market is segmented on the basis of deployment type, platform, End-user and by regionParental Control Software Market: Segmentation on the basis of Deployment typeOn-premiseCloudParental Control Software Market: Segmentation on the basis of PlatformAndroidIOSWindowsOthersParental Control Software Market: Segmentation on the basis of End-UserResidentialEducational InstitutesOthersParental Control Software Market: Segmentation on the basis of RegionNorth AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia-Pacific excluding JapanJapanThe Middle East and AfricaParental Control Software Market: Regional OutlookAmong all regions, parental control software market in North America followed by Western Europe is expected to dominate the market, due to rising Internet risks for child population and increasing demand for software solutions to manage and control children online activities. Asia-Pacific is identified as the fastest growing parental control software market, due to expanding household ownership of internet-connected media devices and rising awareness of gaming & internet addiction decoders on child population.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Parental Control Software Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the prominent vendors in the global parental control software market include Net Nanny, Symantec Corporation, AVG Technologies, AO Kaspersky Lab, KidLogger.net, Qustodio, OpenDNS, Circle Media Inc., Webroot Inc., Blue Coat Systems, and Salfeld Computer GmbHAbout UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Big Data Technology and Services Market Production, Trends, Price, Revenue, Share, Growth and Forecast Until 2026

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The global market discussion on Big Data Technology and Services can be found in the latest study by Fact.MR, which has been freshly added to its massive collection of research database. The report is titled Big Data Technology and Services Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Review 2017 to 2026, which works to enlighten the readers about the major factors prompting the growth of the concerned market. Apart from that, the research majorly focuses on Global Big Data Technology and Services markets competitive outlook by profiling major players functioning across the globe. As the report moves ahead, information regarding the prominent trends as well as opportunities in the key geographical segments have also been elaborated, thus enabling companies to be able to make region-specific strategies for gaining competitive lead. Some of the prime regions emphasized in the study include key regions.According to Fact.MR, the global big data technology and services market is expected to represent a value of over US$ 183,900 Mn by the end of 2026.Request For Sample Report-Adoption to Remain High in Business OrganizationsBusiness organizations are constantly looking for solutions for managing vast amount of data that increases the business value. Incorporating of leading technological solutions such as big data technology and services enables the business organizations to identify vulnerable and sensitive data, which further helps in disclosing data patterns and correlations for better decision making process. As advanced technological solutions allow events forecasting and real-time monitoring arises, leading business organizations are looking to capitalize on these opportunities to leverage a competitive advantage over the other market players. As formulating effective strategies for business development has continued to remain a major challenge, leading organizations are incorporating advanced technological solutions to outline improved decision making process.Supply Chain Management to Impact Global Market GrowthUnstructured data accumulation from abundant sources in the supply chain operations can obstruct the decision making process. As managing data flooding from various channels continues to pose significant challenges, supply chain managers are focusing on opting for leading technological solutions that enable segregating the overflow of data in an organized format. Incorporation of leading technological solutions further harness the potential of data analysis has led the supply chain managers to opt adopt big data solutions. Through implementation of the big data sources, the supply chain managers can optimize the cost and improve the efficiency and agility of the process. As overflow of information can offer enhanced and effective decision making process and solutions, adoption of the big data technology and services continues to remain high in the global market.However, implementation of big data technology leads to modifying the entire approach and analysis patters. Modification in the entire approach further leads to additional investments and expenses. Moreover, various tools offered for management and analysis of data are unable to handle real-time analysis. These factors are expected to impact growth of the global big data technology and services market negatively during the forecast period.BFSI Industry to Represent a Leading SegmentAs the need for gathering and analyzing valuable business information and insights arises, demand for big data analytics software continues to remain high. On the basis of category type, the software segment is expected to represent the highest revenue growth, accounting for a value of over US$ 22,100 Mn by the end of 2026. In addition, the software category type segment is expected to register a significant CAGR throughout the forecast period.Based on industry, the BFSI segment is expected to witness a significant revenue growth, recording a value of over US$ 1,400 Mn by the end of 2017. On the other hand, the retail & consumer goods industry segment is expected to register a healthy CAGR through 2026.By application, the analytics and discovery segment is expected to generate significant revenues, accounting for a value of over US$ 12,100 Mn by the end of 2026. In contrary, the datacenter networking infrastructure application segment is expected to register a robust CAGR during the forecast period.Competition TrackingLeading market players operating in the global big data technology and services market include IBM, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, HP, SAP SE, Amazon Web services, Dell Incorporation (EMC), Teradata, Cisco Corporation and SAS Institute.Browse Full Report With TOC-Table of ContentGlobal Economic OutlookGlobal Big Data Technology and Services Market - Executive SummaryGlobal Big Data Technology and Services Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Global Big Data Technology and Services Market Taxonomy3.1.2. Global Big Data Technology and Services Market Definition3.2. Global Big Data Technology and Services Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20263.2.1. Global Big Data Technology and Services Market Y-o-Y Growth3.3. Global Big Data Technology and Services Market Dynamics3.4. Forecast Factors in Big Data Technology & Services Market3.5. Big Data Technology Ecosystem3.6. The Evolution of Big Data Technology & Services3.7. PESTLE Analysis3.8. Vendor Mapping with Solution Type3.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3.10. Region wise PLC MappingGlobal Big Data Technology and Services Market Analysis and Forecast 2012-20264.1. Global Big Data Technology and Services Market Size and Forecast By Category, 2012-20264.1.1. Server Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. Storage Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.3. Networking Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.4. Software Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.4.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.4.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.4.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.5. Services Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.5.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.5.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.5.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.2. Global Big Data Technology and Services Market Size and Forecast By Industry, 2012-20264.2.1. BFSI Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.2.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.2.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.2.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionContinued@@@...Check For Discount On This Report-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; thats why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Global Natural Gas Refueling Stations Market to Grow at a CAGR of 4.17% During The Period 2017-2021.

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Natural Gas Refueling Stations Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.About Natural Gas Refueling StationsNatural gas is produced using conventional or renewable method. It is a clean-burning alternative fuel in the transportation sector and must be compressed or liquefied for use in vehicles. In most cases, CNG is supplied to the refueling stations via the existing natural gas distribution and is compressed at the station. LNG is cooled and stored in its liquid state and must be converted to gas again for use in vehicles. CNG is primarily used in light and medium vehicles and to some extent used in heavy-duty vehicles. CNG refueling stations are more common than LNG refueling stations. Since the use of LNG is limited but not restricted to long haul vehicles, fleet operators prefer having their own (private) LNG refueling infrastructure.Technavios analysts forecast the global natural gas refueling stations market to grow at a CAGR of 4.17% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global natural gas refueling stations market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the compressors, CNG refueling equipment, fuel dispenser etc., and the market size has been estimated based on vendors that provide complete solutions and few other vendors of individual components..To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Natural Gas Refueling Stations Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsAtlas CopcoClean Energy FuelsKWANGSHINWayne Fueling SystemsOther prominent vendors"O" Ring CNG Fuel SystemsAerotecnica ColtriANGI Energy Systems (part of Gilbarco)BAUER COMPRESSORSChicago PneumaticCryostar (part of THE LINDE GROUP)Cummins WestportENGIEHoneywellIngersoll-RandParker HannifinSiemensMarket driverDemand for cleaner fuelsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeFall in oil pricesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncreasing use of natural gas in transportation sectorFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?Table of ContentsPART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: IntroductionMarket outlinePART 05: Market landscapeMarket overviewMarket size and forecastFive forces analysisGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @PART 06: Market segmentation by technologyGlobal natural gas refueling stations market by technologyCNG refueling stationsLNG refueling stationsPART 07: Market segmentation by typeGlobal natural gas refueling stations market by typeFast-fill natural gas refueling stationsTime-fill natural gas refueling stationsPART 08: Geographical segmentationGlobal natural gas refueling stations by geographyAPACAmericasEMEAPART 09: Decision frameworkPART 10: Drivers and challengesMarket driversMarket challengesContinue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on @
Legal Process Outsourcing Market size exceeded USD +2.9 billion in 2016 with over +34.09% CAGR estimation from 2017 to 2024.

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(LPO) Legal Process Outsourcing Market size exceeded USD +2.9 billion in 2016 with over +34.09% CAGR estimation from 2017 to 2024. The legal process outsourcing market is growing at a rapid rate due to the growing demand to minimize costs by law firms and corporate legal departments to increase flexibility and expand their in-house capabilities One of the leading factors pouring the expansion of this market is the growing market for military sector. The increasing population has led to an accumulative claim for the characteristics and this will drive the market globally. The intensifying per capita profits of the people in this market is alternate reason behind the rising plea for global market. The accumulative number of accidents owing to failure is one of the subordinate causes fueling the progress of this market. As governments make stringent safety rulebooks and guiding principle in an effort to decrease the number of accidents, the plea for Global Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) Market will reinforce during the prognosis period from 2018 to 2023.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @:Top Key Players: Integreon, Inc., UnitedLex Corporation, Elevate Services Inc., Pangea3 LLC, Axiom Law, etc.Competitors in this market are thrashing to tart up the safety of Global Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) Market. Investments are made on examination and enlargement by leading contenders so as to persist in competition as well as bring about enhancements in the Military industry. Foremost contestants are upholding the use of worthy resources and purchasing raw resources from well-known industries. This is serving them to improve Global Market that are in effect, robust, and harmless.The report subdivisions the Global Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) market on the basis of first-class ethics and studies each of the subdivisions along with their sub-sections in an abridged manner. Illuminating the top subdivision, the subdivision with sedentary growth, and also the strongest growing subdivisions, the report happens to be crucial for those aspiring to invest in the global market. Readers are able to make detailed and nifty choices involving investments in this market, hereafter making profits and upholding a strong place in the market in the future.Get 40% discount now @:The US is the most astounding spender in the market, with a large number of projects being sought after in the areas of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) programming products, the tactical local area network (TACLAN) group of frameworks, programming support for radars, net-driven systems networking products, an inclination to distributed computing, and cyber security. Europe is foreseen to develop as the second biggest market, with a noteworthy segment of expenditure inferable from The UK, Russia, and France. Asia-Pacific is another significant high-roller in the area, with most prevalent militaries formulating programs to build up to vigorous communication systems among different strategic units and securing critical networks and framework from cyber undercover work alongside discovering attacking patterns and adoption of open source programming.Some of the cutting-edge contenders working in the Global Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) market are described in the report for the objective of systematic case study. The business and economic summation of these enterprises along with their principal tactics approved have been given in this report.Table of Content:Chapter 1 Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisAbout Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Sunny Denis10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com ,
Automotive Industrial Robotics Market Innovation by ABB, Adept Technology

Automotive Industrial Robotics Market

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Latest research study from HTF MI with title Global Automotive Industrial Robotics by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the market and contains Future trend, Current Growth Factors, attentive opinions, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry validated market data. The study is segmented by products type, application/end-users. The research study provides estimates for Global Automotive Industrial Robotics Forecast till 2023.If you are involved in the Automotive Industrial Robotics industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. Its vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications Arc Welding, Assembly, Handling, Painting, Grinding and Polishing & Other, Product Types such as [Assembling Robots, Handling Robots & Other] and some major players in the industry. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.Request Sample of Global Automotive Industrial Robotics Market Research Report 2018 @:Key Companies/players: ABB Ltd., Adept Technology Inc., Denso Wave Inc., DURR AG, Fanuc Corp., Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., KUKA AG, Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp., Seiko Epson Corp., Yaskawa Electric Corp., OTC, FANUC, CLOOS & COMAU.Application: Arc Welding, Assembly, Handling, Painting, Grinding and Polishing & Other, Product Type: Assembling Robots, Handling Robots & Other.The research covers the current & Future market size of the Global Automotive Industrial Robotics market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data. It also covers various types of segmentation such as by geography [North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia & India]. The market competition is constantly growing higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the industry. Moreover, many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. On the basis of attributes such as company overview, recent developments, strategies adopted by the market leaders to ensure growth, sustainability, financial overview and recent developments.Stay up-to-date with Automotive Industrial Robotics market research offered by HTF MI. Check how key trends and emerging drivers are shaping this industry growth as the study avails you with market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, shares, trend and strategies for this market. In the Global Automotive Industrial Robotics Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023, the revenue is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. The production is estimated at XX million in 2017 and is forecasted to reach XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @Key questions answered in this report - Global Automotive Industrial Robotics Market Research Report 2018What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Automotive Industrial Robotics Market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in Automotive Industrial Robotics Market space?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Automotive Industrial Robotics Market ?What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Global Automotive Industrial Robotics Market?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Global Automotive Industrial Robotics market? Get in-depth details about factors influencing the market shares of the Americas, APAC, and EMEA?Enquire for customization in Report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Automotive Industrial Robotics market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global Automotive Industrial Robotics, Applications of Automotive Industrial Robotics, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia & India, Automotive Industrial Robotics Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Automotive Industrial Robotics Segment Market Analysis (by Application [Arc Welding, Assembly, Handling, Painting, Grinding and Polishing & Other]) Major Manufacturers Analysis;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Assembling Robots, Handling Robots & Other], Market Trend by Application [Arc Welding, Assembly, Handling, Painting, Grinding and Polishing & Other];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global Automotive Industrial Robotics by region, type and application ;Chapter 12, to describe Automotive Industrial Robotics Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Automotive Industrial Robotics sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Buy this research report @Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a 5-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsThanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.com
Sensor Data Analytics Market Global Key Players: IBM Corporation, TCS, SAP AG, Cisco Systems, Schneider Electric

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Market Scenario:Sensor Data Analytics is a statistical tool to collect and analyzed the data which are generated from a sensor in real time. This data can be created by wired sensors or wireless sensors.The most important goal of sensor data analytics is to detect anomalies and these real-time data can be used for various applications. Failure in machine in manufacturing or increasing patients blood pressure drops in healthcare can be monitored easily and could be prevented from serious negative outcome. As the market of Big Data analytics are increasing and new sensors are coming into picture, the analysis of real time data becomes very important and thus, the global market for Sensor Data Analytics Market is predicted to grow at very rapid pace.Major Key Players: TCS (India IBM Corporation (U.S.) SAP AG (Germany) Cisco Systems (U.S.) Microsoft Corp. (U.S.) HP (U.S.) Qualcomm Inc. (U.S.) Schneider Electric (France) Verizon Communications (U.S.) Talend (U.S.)Request a Sample Report @Study Objectives of Sensor Data Analytics Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Sensor Data Analytics Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Sensor Data Analytics market based on various factors- supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by components, services, applications and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Sensor Data Analytics MarketIntended Audience Sensor Manufacturers Sensors Suppliers Government Analytics Service Providers Software DevelopersSegments:Global Sensor Data Analytics Market has been segmented on the basis of Components, Services and applications. The Components includes Hardware such as gyroscopes, magnetometers, accelerometers and pressure sensors among others and Software.The Services includes Managed Services and Professional Services whereas the various applications which has been identified as Manufacturing, Healthcare, Automotive, BFSI, Telecommunication among others.Regional Analysis of Sensor Data Analytics Market:Currently, North America is leading the market of Sensor Data Analytics due to presence of global players in U.S. and Canada. U.S. and Canada also falls under the umbrella of developed nation which gives an advantage to North America. Europe stands as second biggest market followed by Asia-Pacific. Presence of manufacturing companies in China and India is giving boost to the market of Sensor Data Analytics Market in Asia-Pacific.Access Report Details @Table of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure:1.3.1 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market: By Components1.3.2 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market: By Services1.3.3 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market: By ApplicationsContinued..List of TablesTable 1 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market, By ComponentsTable 2 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market, By ServicesTable 3 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market, By ApplicationsContinued..List of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market: By Components (%)Figure 3 Global Sensor Data Analytics Market: By Services (%)Continued..About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
E-paper Display Market Overview, Demand, Growth and Forecast to 2022

E-paper Display Market Overview, Demand, Growth and Forecast

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HTF MI published a new industry research that focuses on E-paper Display market and delivers in-depth market analysis and future prospects of Global E-paper Display market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people get ready-to-access and self-analyzed study along with graphs and tables to help understand market trends, drivers and market challenges. The study is segmented by Application/ end users [Application 1, Application 2 & Application 3], products type [Type 1, Type 2 & Type 3] and various important geographies like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc].Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global E-paper Display market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers. The in-depth information by segments of E-paper Display market helps monitor future profitability & to make critical decisions for growth. The information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the Global E-paper Display Market.The study provides company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of key manufacturers of Global E-paper Display Market, some of them listed here are company 1, company 2, company 3, company 4, company 5, company 6, company 7, company 8 & company 9. The market is growing at a very rapid pace and with rise in technological innovation, competition and M&A activities in the industry many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new manufacturer entrants in the market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.Global E-paper Display (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Type 1, Type 2 & Type 3. Further the research study is segmented by Application such as Application 1, Application 2 & Application 3 with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of E-paper Display in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2017 to 2022.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @Following would be the Chapters to display the Global E-paper Display market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of E-paper Display, Applications of E-paper Display, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of E-paper Display, Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc, E-paper Display Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the E-paper Display Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of E-paper Display;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Type 1, Type 2 & Type 3], Market Trend by Application [Application 1, Application 2 & Application 3];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global E-paper Display;Chapter 12,13, 14 and 15, to describe E-paper Display sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Enquire for customization in Report @Check for discount @What this Research Study Offers:Global E-paper Display Market share assessments for the regional and country level segmentsMarket share analysis of the top industry playersStrategic recommendations for the new entrantsMarket forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional marketsMarket Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimationsCompetitive landscaping mapping the key common trendsCompany profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developmentsSupply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsBuy this research report @Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsThanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218
Full Body Mannequins Continue To Dominate the Global Mannequin Market

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Mannequins are basically articulated dolls which are primarily used by dressmakers, window-dressers, tailors and artists, with the motive to display or cloth fitting. Mannequin is also referred to infer life-sized dolls equipped with replicated airways for teaching progressive airway management skills, first aid and CPR. In the current time, there are different mannequin types which are available in the market; some of these versions include full body, hear & lower body and upper body.Over the years, demand for mannequins has increased with the rise of clothing brands and related needs for showcasing stuff to the consumers. As per a recent research report presented by Fact.MR, the worldwide mannequin market is likely to expand during the forecast period (2017-2022). Accurate estimates reveal that, this concerned market would highlight global sales of close to US$ 13,000 Mn by the end of 2022.Request for Sample Report-APEJ Region Offering Highest CAGR in the Global Market by 2022Looking at the regional expansion of the mannequin market, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is likely to retain its spot as the largest market for mannequins. It has been assessed that, almost one third revenue share of the worldwide mannequin market belongs to the sales made in the APEJ region. Based on these statistics, the APEJ market looks quite promising during the forecast period, followed by North America. In addition, the market in Europe stays comparatively more profitable as compared to North America, but less lucrative than APEJ during the period between 2017 and 2022.Material Preference in the Global Mannequin MarketIt should be known that, mannequins are prepared using a variety of materials. Some of the popular material types include, fiber glass, chrome, polyethylene, foam, metal etc. Out of these, fiberglass would continue as the most attractive material preferred for manufacturing mannequins all around the globe. Further, the sales of polyethylene as well as polypropylene-based mannequins is also anticipated to register a remarkable expansion in the market in the near future. Moreover, wood and metal will stay as the least rewarding material used for manufacturing mannequins globally. Also, between foam- and chrome-based mannequins, the sales of both are expected to offer almost similar CAGR until 2022.Increased Demand for Full Body MannequinsAs per active report findings, full body mannequins are expected to behave as the most promising product type in the global mannequin market. Further, sales of full body as well as upper body mannequins is likely to register the firmest expansion by the period until 2022. Specifically, demand for full body mannequins is surely going to witness a steady rise by the end of the forecast period.The primary target group for mannequins is the adults segment. According to research analytics, sales of adults segment might account more than US$ 6,000 Mn by the end of 2022. Furthermore, the infants & toddlers segment remains the least lucrative group during this period. Innovation and development has led to the availability of inflatable mannequins, which is one of the favorite versions in terms of features.Browse Full Report with TOC-Table of Content:1. Global Mannequin Market - Executive Summary2. Global Mannequin Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Mannequin Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Mannequin Market Definition2.2. Global Mannequin Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20262.2.1. Global Mannequin Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Mannequin Market Dynamics2.4. Value Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Product Innovations2.8. List of Distributors2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global Mannequin Market Analysis and Forecast 2012-20263.1. Global Mannequin Market Size and Forecast By Product Type, 2012-20263.1.1. Full Body Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20263.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Upper Body Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20263.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionContinued.Check Discount on This Report-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized Retail & Consumer Goods market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Shea Butter Global Market Key Players  IOI Loders Croklaan, Ghana Nuts Ltd, Shebu Industries, StarShea - Analysis and Forecast to 2025

Shea Butter Market 2018

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Shea Butter Market 2018Shea butter is an edible vegetable oil or fat, extracted from sun-dried kernels of the African shea tree. Shea butter is extensively used in cosmetics, health products and in the confectionery and chocolate industry (as an ingredient in cocoa butter alternatives). Shea butter and its fractions can also replace other edible vegetable oils or fats in other food applications. Shea butter is used for body, hand and facial products because of its unsaponifiables content. Shea butter contains ester resins recommended for damaged skin repair, cleansing and the sun's protection.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Shea Butter in global market, especially in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, types and applications.Request a Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversIOI Loders CroklaanWilmar Africa Ltd/ Ghana Specialty FatsGhana Nuts LtdShebu IndustriesTiminiya Tuma Company LtdThe Pure CompanyThe Savannah Fruits CompanyVINK CHEMICALS GMBH & CO. KGAkoma CooperativeStarSheaInternational Oils & Fats LimitedMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversRaw and Unrefined Shea ButterRefined Shea ButterMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoCosmetics IndustryMedicine IndustryFood IndustryComplete Report Details @Table of Contents Analysis of Key Points1 Market Overview1.1 Shea Butter Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Raw and Unrefined Shea Butter1.2.2 Refined Shea Butter1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Cosmetics Industry1.3.2 Medicine Industry1.3.3 Food Industry1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market Status and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 IOI Loders Croklaan2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Shea Butter Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 IOI Loders Croklaan Shea Butter Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Wilmar Africa Ltd/ Ghana Specialty Fats2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Shea Butter Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Wilmar Africa Ltd/ Ghana Specialty Fats Shea Butter Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Ghana Nuts Ltd2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Shea Butter Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Ghana Nuts Ltd Shea Butter Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Shebu Industries2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Shea Butter Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Shebu Industries Shea Butter Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Timiniya Tuma Company Ltd2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Shea Butter Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Timiniya Tuma Company Ltd Shea Butter Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 The Pure Company2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Shea Butter Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 The Pure Company Shea Butter Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 The Savannah Fruits Company2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Shea Butter Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 The Savannah Fruits Company Shea Butter Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)....ContinuedABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Address:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Microgrid Market 2024 Studying Influencing Factors and Top Vendors Profile like Siemens AG, Schneider Electric, Caterpillar Inc., S&C Electric Company

Global Micro grid Market  Industry Trends and Forecasts 2024

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Microgrid Market Report is a compilation of the several factors driving and restraining this market along with a thorough run-down of the sales volume of each product within carefully categorized sub-segments of the market. Microgrid is a miniature local electric system which has abilities to provide power either in parallel or isolation from electric grids. It generates, distributes, and regulates the flow of electricity from multiple resources to multiple loads interconnected in a grid. The market is majorly driven by increased demand for automated grid systems and increased government initiatives. However, the high installation costs may restrain the growth of the market.The Global Microgrid Market accounted for USD 18.2 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 14.6% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic year 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Request for a sample copy of this research report@Global Microgrid Market By Geography, Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Connectivity (Grid Connected, Remote/Island), Grid Type (AC, DC, Hybrid), Vertical (Healthcare, Institutions, Industrial, Military, Electric Utility)  Industry Trends and Forecasts 2024TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET1.2 CURRENCY AND PRICING1.3 LIMITATION1.4 MARKETS COVERED2. MARKET SEGMENTATION2.1 KEY TAKEAWAYS2.2 ARRIVING AT THE GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET SIZE2.3 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET: RESEARCH SNAPSHOT2.4 ASSUMPTIONS3 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET: OVERVIEW3.1 DRIVERS3.3 OPPORTUNITIES3.4 CHALLENGES4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY5 PREMIUM INSIGHTS6 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, BY GRID TYPE6.1 OVERVIEW6.2 AC MICROGRID6.3 DC MICROGRID6.4 HYBRID7 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, BY CONNECTIVITY7.1 OVERVIEW7.2 GRID CONNECTED7.3 REMOTE/ISLAND8 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, BY OFFERING8.1 OVERVIEW8.2 HARDWARE8.3 SOFTWARE8.4 SERVICES9 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, BY VERTICAL9.1 OVERVIEW9.2 HEALTHCARE9.3 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS9.4 INDUSTRIAL9.7 OTHERS10 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, BY POWER SOURCE11. GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHY11.1 COUNTRYWISE GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, (ALL SEGMENTATION PROVIDED ABOVE IS REPRESENTED IN THIS CHAPTER BY COUNTRY)11.2 KEY PRIMARY INSIGHTS: BY MAJOR COUNTRIES12 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET: COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE12.1. GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET: COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.2. NORTH AMERICA MICROGRID MARKET: COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.3. EUROPE MICROGRID MARKET: COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.4. APAC MICROGRID MARKET: COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.5. MEA MICROGRID MARKET: COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.6. SOUTH AMERICA MICROGRID MARKET: COMPANY SHARE ANALYSIS12.7. MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS12.8. NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & APPROVALS12.9. EXPANSIONS12.10. REGULATORY CHANGES12.11. PARTNERSHIP AND OTHER STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS13 GLOBAL MICROGRID MARKET, COMPANY PROFILESRead More Market Drivers And Restraints: Increased demand for automated grid systems Growing government initiatives Increasing concerns about carbon footprint High installation cost Land acquisition and registration complicationsMarket Segmentation:On the basis of offering :- hardware, software, and services.The hardware segment is further sub-segmented:- switchgears, power inverters, smart meters, reciprocating engines, energy storage systems and power generators.The services segment is further sub-segmented:- Engineering and design, monitoring and control, and operations and maintenance.On the basis of connectivity:- Grid connected, and remote/island.On the basis of grid type:- AC, DC, and hybrid.On the basis of vertical:- Healthcare, institutions, industrial, military, electric utility, and others.On the basis of geography:- North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.. In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Talk to our experts @Competitive Analysis:The report for Global Microgrid Market include detailed vendor level analysis for market shares in 2016 for Global, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America specifically. Also impact and development analysis of key vendors is registered in the market and factored on the basis of Vendor Positioning Grid Analysis which measures the vendors strengths and opportunities against present market challenges, measure providers ability to identify or satisfy present market needs, map providers market vision to current and upcoming market dynamics among others. The report also measures technology life line curve and market time line to analyze and do more affective investments.Get Detail TOC @Major Market Competitors: ABB Ltd., General Electric Company, Eaton, Siemens AG, Schneider Electric, Caterpillar Inc., S&C Electric Company, HOMER Energy LLC, Power Analytics Corporation, Advanced Microgrid Solution, Pareto Energy Inc., Green Energy Corporation, NREL, Sustainable Power System, among others.Read more about this Report @Key Questions Answered in Global Microgrid Market Report:-What will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global Microgrid Market in 2024?What are the key factors driving, Analysis by Applications and Countries Global Microgrid Market?What are Dynamics, This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, and price analysis of top Vendors Profiles of Global Microgrid Market?Who are Opportunities, Risk and Driving Force of Global Microgrid Market?Who are the opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in Global Microgrid Market?Business Overview by Type, Applications, Gross Margin and Market ShareWhat are the Global Microgrid Market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Market?About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com
Advancements in Ring Main Unit Market 2025

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Ring main unit is a gas-insulated compact switchgear unit that plays an important role in secondary distribution substations. It is used to provide uninterrupted power supply by making a ring of power supply so that in case of failure of the first source of power supply, power can be supplied with the help of the second source. It is preferable over conventional switchgears owing to various properties such as high flexibility, enhanced safety, and less maintenance charges.Read Report Overview @The global ring main unit market can be segmented based on type, application, and region. In terms of type, the ring main unit market can be divided into gas, air, oil, and solid dielectric. Gas insulated ring main unit is expected to be the major type segment of the ring main unit market during the forecast period owing to its properties such as high insulating capacity, easy integration with existing system, and minimum floor space. It is primarily used in power grids, railway systems, wind power plant, etc. In terms of type, the ring main unit market can be classified into distribution utilities, industries, and infrastructure & transportation, and others.The ring main unit market is anticipated to expand significantly during the forecast period due to the increase in demand for these units in the distribution utilities application segment. Demand for electricity and capacity addition has been rising by the day in developing regions such as Asia Pacific owing to this demand for ring main unit is increases in distribution utilities in order to provide uninterrupted power supply to meet the rising demand. Demand for reliable and secure source of power supply is also anticipated to boost the demand for ring main units in power generation during the forecast period. Rise in demand for ring main unit in smart grids is also estimated to drive the overall market for ring main unit during the forecast period. Ring main unit can be used to optimize network performance, improved energy availability, etc. in smart grids. Furthermore, rise in demand for ring main unit in renewable power generation for minimizing power loss is projected to play a significant role in augmenting the demand for ring main unit during the forecast period.In terms of region, the ring main unit market can be segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific is likely to dominate the global ring main unit market, followed by North America and Europe, during the forecast period. Increase in demand for electricity and rise in government initiatives for capacity addition and rural electrification are anticipated to boost the overall market in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. The ring main unit market in North America and Europe is estimated to expand significantly during the forecast period due to the increase in focus on the renewable sector in these regions. The ring main unit market in Middle East & Africa and Latin America is also projected to expand at a rapid pace in the near future.Request to view Sample Report:Companies are adopting merger and acquisition strategies to expand their market share. Furthermore, they are shifting their production facilities to emerging economies in Asia Pacific and Latin America due to the easy availability of land, cheap labor, and governmental subsidies in these regions. Key players operating in the global ring main unit market include Eaton, Schneider Electric, LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED, Ltd., EPE Power Switchgear Sdn. Bhd., OTDS UK Ltd., General Electric Company, ABB, Ltd., and SEL S.p.A.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nano metrology Market - Global Industry Analysis, Segments, Major Geographies and Current Market Forecasts 2023

Nano metrology Market 2018

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Nano metrology Market 2018Nano metrology Market Share, Size, Trends, And Business Opportunity Analysis Report 2018 include historic data, with forecast data to 2027. Nano metrology Market report is helpful for future strategy development, and to know about Market Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, And Global market size, share, Growth, Trends, key players forecast to 2027Market Research Future published a Cooked research report on Global Nano metrology Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2027.Nano metrology Global Market  OverviewNano metrology is the field of metrology that is concerned with the science of measurement at Nano scale level. They are generally used to produce material of nanometer scale meter. Today, the Nano metrology is majorly dependent on the development on the semiconductor technology. The nanotechnology is a vital field for large number of application to meet the global standard. Nanotechnology are divided in two branch mainly molecular nanotechnology and engineering nanotechnology. The requirements for Nano metrology are different depending on the industry and research institute. The Nano metrology for research has progressed at a rapid speed as compared to the industry because it is difficult to implement Nano metrology at industry level. The According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The global market of Nano metrology is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market is forecasted to demonstrate a stunning growth by 2027, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the estimated period (2017  2027).There are various standard that are applied to the Nano metrology in order to drive the market. The International Organisation for Standardization TC-229 Technical Committee on Nanotechnology has developed few standard for terminology, differentiating nanomaterials and nanoparticles through instruments such as AFM, SEM, interferometers, and among others. The Nano metrology is an important technology in future, due to which many countries are establishing standard and programmes for the development of the technology.The growing attention and substantial investment in energy generation is rigorously driving the global Nano metrology market. Major economies around the world are highly focusing on developing the renewable energy power generation so as to reduce their dependency on conventional power generation through fossil fuels. Renewable energy currently holds a substantial share in total global energy production. In 2016, World Energy Council quoted that, hydropower accounted for about 30% of the total global installed power generating capacity and about 23% of total global electricity produced. The increase growth in energy sector is expected to drive the Nano metrology market in future.Get Sample Report@The manufacturers of the automotive industry work hand in hand with the providers of Nano metrology so as to offer continuous innovation in the design and match the needs of the consumers. The manufacturers are making heavy investments into R&D so as to develop technology to reduce the weight of the vehicle to that of providing new shapes.Accu-scope, Leica,Olympus, Glenammer, Keison, Precision Eforming, and others are some of the prominent players profiled in MRFR Analysis and are at the forefront of competition in the global Nano metrology market.Nano metrology Market  SegmentationSegmentation by Type: Comprises Gasoline Engine, Diesel Engine, and New Energy Engine.Segmentation by Application: Comprises Passenger Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle.Segmentation by Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Nano metrology Market: Regional AnalysisIn Europe, the Nano Metrology Market is expected to be one of the leading markets, Nano metrology in recent years has faced an explosive growth different types of applications. The research and development and number of application in Nano Metrology keep on growing in the coming years. With the versatility of application Nano metrology is being used efficiently. The growth of the Nano metrology is majorly driven by The Service National Standards of the FPS Economy, through specific projects assigned to Nano metrology as well as through on-going research into the best possible efficiency of physical measurements. The accuracy of temperature measurements or measurements of electricity or pressure determines the accuracy of the dimensional measurements themselves. The demand for Nano metrology will be on a boom and heading towards the maturity stage where the market will be established.The International Bureau of Weights and Measures Consultative Committee for Length has eventually co-ordinated many national and international metrology institutes comparisons of dimensional Nano metrology standards. Eventually, the entire spectrum of measurements, including electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical, chemical and biological measurements, will be part of these Nano metrological infrastructures. This will lead to the growth of the market in future. In U.S., National Institute of Standards and Technology have been working for the development of nanoscale techniques for measurement and has developed some standard to develop nanotechnology. This will lead to the growth of the market in U.S.Get Complete Report@.....ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.CONTACT US:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Bonded Magnet Market Analysis Covering Growth Drivers and Forecasts till 2025

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A latest research report titled as Bonded Magnet Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 has been recently added to the vast portfolio of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) online research offerings. This report is a professional and in-depth analysis on the present state and future prospect for the global market. It provides valuable information to the industry insiders, potential entrants or investors. It includes an exhaustive enquiry with the reliability of logic and the comprehensiveness of contents.Click here For Free Sample Report @The demand in the global bonded magnets market is projected to experience a healthy CAGR of 7.0%, in terms of revenue, during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. From its evaluated worth of US$1.37 bn in 2015, the valuation of the global bonded magnets market is estimated to reach US$2.50 bn by the end of 2025. Diverse application of bonded magnets, from electrical and electronics to automotive, aerospace, and medical devices, the demand in this market is also expected to gain new opportunities from the advent of additive manufacturing.Hybrid Magnets Emerging as Profitable Product SegmentBased on product type, the global bonded magnets market has been segmented into rare earth, ferrite, and hybrid. The rare earth bonded magnets segment is further sub-segmented into isotropic bonded magnets and anisotropic bonded magnets, whereas the market for ferrite bonded magnets is bifurcated into plastic ferrite and rubber ferrite. In the current scenario, economically available ferrite bonded magnets are extensively used globally. Rare earth bonded magnets is an expensive segment and although acquires a smaller demand-share of the market, it occupies substantial share in terms of value. Hybrid magnets, a combination of ferrite and rare earth, is overcoming the high prices restraint of the global bonded magnets market, and is expected to favor the market throughout the forecast period.Application-wise, the global bonded magnets market gains maximum share of demand from the electronic and electronics category, both in terms of volume and value. Refrigerator door seals, fan motors, frictionless bearings, hand tool motors, watches, cameras, clocks, gaskets, and linear position sensors are some of the common electrical and electronic application of bonded magnets. The automotive sector, which also is in great health, is another cause of prosperity of the bonded magnets market. These magnets are largely used in applications such as motors for vipers, power windows, wheel speed sensors, power mirrors, crash sensor, chassis height sensor, sound deadening panels, fuel gauges, ignition magnets, tachometers, and speedometers.View Full Report with TOC @China Makes Asia Pacific Most Lucrative RegionGeographically, in terms of volume, Asia Pacific served maximum demand in the global bonded magnets market in 2016. China solely contributed more than half of the global demand for bonded magnets, keeping Asia Pacific region in good stead. China has a rich deposit of rare earth metals such as samarium, neodymium, and dysprosium. More than 80% of rare earth agents are manufactured in the country. Japan and South Korea serve considerable demand for bonded magnets too, as these countries are the production base for semiconductor chips and products such as hard disks and other storage devices. The bonded magnet market in Asia Pacific is very fragmented as most of the production is done by small scale manufacturers. Asia Pacific produces and exports enormous amounts bonded magnets due to high availability of raw materials, especially rare earth mental, developed technologies, and cheap labor.As far as the potential of the bonded magnets market in other regions is concerned, North America and Europe collectively account for less than a quarter of the global demand, although the flourishing industries of electronics and automotive in the two regions will keep moderate opportunities open for the stockholders of bonded magnets market. In Europe, Germany has been detected as most profitable country-wide market, whereas The U.S. dominates the demand from North America, accounting for more than 85% of the regional demand.Some of the key companies currently operating in the global bonded magnets market are: Allstar Magnetics, Neo Magnequench, Arnold Magnetic Technologies, Alliance LLC, and Viona Magnetics, etc. In the near future, most of the vendors will aspire to increase their product portfolio to meet newer demand from distinct end-use industries.Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Reports Search EngineMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Venezuela in apparent "Stealth Default"; stopped bond payments in September 2018-04-11  ft.com Venezuela stopped paying bondholders in September, according to central bank data, contradicting statements by President Nicolas Maduro that the country would continue to honour its debts while negotiating a resettlement with its creditors.The data show that regular foreign debt payments of hundreds of millions of dollars a month, in line with the country's sovereign obligations, fell to a few tens of millions from last October for fees and the legacy of a 1980s-era restructuring."This proves that Venezuela is deliberately hoodwinking bondholders and engaging in a stealth default," said Russ Dallen of boutique bank Caracas Capital, who follows Venezuelan debt closely.The data were posted in an Excel file as part of a recent revamp of the central bank's website and include monthly expenditures in US dollars on public foreign debt payments going back to 1996. Previously, data on foreign debt payments were published in the form of a ratio that revealed little information, Mr Dallen said. "This must have been posted by an intern," he added. ... The central bank data, which cover payments of sovereign debt only and exclude obligations by PDVSA and other state entities, show that just $83m was paid in October, compared with sovereign obligations amounting to $465m, according to data from Caracas Capital.Payments in November fell to $28m, compared with obligations of $183m, and in December declined to $23m, compared with obligations of $242m. ... "They have been doing it [defaulting] strategically to sow confusion. They have said they have begun the process of paying things they clearly did not pay, and blamed it all on sanctions."The US has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Venezuelan individuals and institutions. Adding to pressures last August, it also banned any involvement in new bonds or shares issued by the government or PDVSA. Last month it prohibited involvement in the country's proposed digital currency, the petro, as well source article | permalink | discuss | subscribe by: | RSS | email Comments: Be the first to add a comment add a comment | go to forum thread Note: Comments may take a few minutes to show up on this page. If you go to the forum thread, however, you can see them immediately.
Overview of Graft Delivery Devices Market: Size, Trends, Share and Growth Forecast till 2027

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Graft delivery devices are designed for targeted transfer of hydrated autograft, allograft or synthetic bone graft materials to a surgical site while maximizing the material utilization. These devices are easy to assemble and enables the premixing of graft material with plasma concentrate, blood, bone marrow, platelet rich plasma, intravenous fluids, and others. Graft delivery device assists the mixing of graft materials used in different surgical procedures. Graft delivery devices enable surgeons to deliver the graft material of their choice in a minimally invasive manner. Traditionally, surgeons used a metal funnel and tamp to place bone graft which surgeon finds difficulties and danger with this technique. The graft delivery devices are designed to provide a safe, simple and ergonomic solution to deliver graft material in hard-to-reach places. Graft delivery devices are of various types depending on its applications. A stent graft delivery system comprises of a distal end intended to stay outside the patient and a proximal end to be introduced into the patient. A bone graft delivery device can consist of an elongate tube, a tip and a handle having a trigger. The trigger is activated to transport bone graft material through the tube. The tip has one or more openings to transfer the bone graft material to the preferred location and includes a surface suitable to act as a tool for decorticating bone.Request TOC of this Report-Graft Delivery Devices Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global graft delivery devices market is anticipated to register a significant CAGR over a forecast period. The rise in number of ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in developed countries and ongoing technological advancements to make the procedure easier and safer, is anticipated to boost the demand of the graft delivery devices and drives the global graft delivery devices market. The rising in the healthcare infrastructure also anticipated to drives the global graft delivery devices market.However, lack of adequate physician and awareness about newly developed devices and technologies may hamper the demand for the graft delivery devices and restrain the growth of the global graft delivery devices market.Graft Delivery Devices Market: SegmentationThe global Graft delivery devices market is segmented on the basis of product type, application and end user:On the basis of product type, the global graft delivery devices market is segmented into:Bone graft delivery deviceFat graft delivery deviceVascular graft delivery deviceOthersOn the basis of application, the global graft delivery devices market is segmented into:Plastic and reconstructive surgeryOrthopedic surgeryArthroscopic surgeryOthersOn the basis of end user, the global graft delivery devices market is segmented into:HospitalsAmbulatory surgery centers (ASCs)Specialty clinicsBrowse Report-Graft Delivery Devices Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of regional presence, the global Graft delivery devices market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Currently, North America is contributing the leading shares to the global graft delivery devices market in terms of value and anticipated to register a significant CAGR over a forecast period. APEJ is also contributing moderate shares to the market due to rising in the healthcare infrastructure and is expected to show a robust growth to the global graft delivery devices market. Europe is the most lucrative market for the graft delivery devices market. MEA is at a nascent stage to the global graft delivery devices market and anticipated to register a decent growth to the market over a forecast period. Overall, the global graft delivery devices market is expected to show significant growth over a forecast period.Graft Delivery Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the major market players in Graft delivery devices market globally include Arthrex, Inc., Stryker, Medtronic, Nordson Corporation, MEDMIX SYSTEMS AG, SurGenTec, Pinnacle Spine Group, Kleiner Device Labs, LLC, Puregraft LLC and others. These companies are highly focused on the development of advanced graft delivery devices further contributing to the growth of graft delivery devices globally.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Graft delivery devices market segmentsGraft delivery devices market dynamicsHistorical actual market size, 2012 - 2016Graft delivery devices market size & forecast 2017 to 2027Graft delivery devices current trends/issues/challengesCompetition & companies involvedGraft delivery devices market drivers and restraintsRegional analysis includesNorth AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific excluding JapanJapanMiddle East & AfricaReport Highlights:Shifting Industry dynamicsIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected industry size Recent industry trendsKey Competition landscapeStrategies of key players and product offeringsPotential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growthPre-book Global Graft Delivery Devices Market Forecast Report-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized Healthcare market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Corn Gluten Feed Market Prevalent Opportunities upto 2025

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Corn Gluten Feed Market Introduction:Animal feed industry has been witnessing significant growth in the recent past years globally. Animal feed play an essential role in the worldwide food industry and feed is one of the largest and most important component to ensure safe, ample and affordable animal proteins. Corn gluten feed (CGF) is a co-product obtained from wet-corn milling industry which is engaged in manufacturing of starch, sweeteners, syrup, and oil from corn. Wet and dry corn gluten feed represents an excellent feedstuff with wide application in the beef and dairy cattle industry. Corn gluten feed is composed of tremendous amount of nutrients such as minerals, proteins, digestible fiber and essential components. The global corn gluten feed market is expected to witness significant growth in the near future attributable to its excellent nutritional composition and expanding applications in animal feed industry.Corn Gluten Feed Market Segmentation:The global corn gluten feed market is segmented on the basis of nature, product type, and region. On the basis of nature, the global corn gluten feed market is segmented into, organic and conventional. Due to rising demand for natural and organic alternatives the natural segment is expected to depict the considerable growth in the global corn gluten feed market. By form the global corn gluten feed market is segmented into, wet corn gluten feed and dry corn gluten feed. Dry corn gluten feed is the most common type of corn gluten feed available in the southeast and is available either as a meal or pellets. Wet corn gluten feed has superior functionalities over the dry corn gluten feed, however, potential transportation and storage challenges can limit their use. Therefore, wet corn gluten feed is usually distributed in the nearby maize processing plants. By application the global corn gluten feed market is segmented into, ruminant animals, poultry animals, pet food, aquafeed and others.Request for Table of Contents @Corn Gluten Feed Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of the region the global corn gluten feed market is segmented into, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and the Middle East and Africa. As per estimations, approximately 60% of the U.S. corn crop is meant for direct utilization by livestock, however, application of corn in food and beverages represents the second largest growing market. This is expected to fuel the corn gluten feed market in North America. Furthermore, increasing animal feed industry across the globe will add to the accelerated market revenues in the global corn gluten feed market over the forecast period. After North America, Europe is the largest consumer of corn gluten feed followed by South Korea and Japan.Corn Gluten Feed Market Drivers and TrendsThe production of compound feed as well as commercial feed is rapidly increasing which is expected to contribute towards the growing market for corn gluten feed market. Corn gluten feed is a protein rich and fiber rich ingredient containing significant amount of nutrients for better growth and improved health. Corn gluten feed is equivalent to the soybean meal as a protein source and high in digestible energy, protein and phosphorus. Dry corn gluten feed market is expected to witness significant market revenues in the global corn gluten feed market as dry CGF is generally palatable and readily digested by cattle. The global corn gluten feed market is expected to witness significant growth in the near future.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Corn Gluten Feed Market Key Players:Key player operating in the global Corn Gluten Feed market includes Tereos Starch & Sweeteners, Gulshan Polyols Ltd, Grain Processing Corporation, Roquette, Ingredion Incorporated, Cargill Incorporated, Tate & Lyle PlC., Bunge Ltd. Agrana Group and others. The report covers exhaustive analysis on:ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Outsource Technical Support: Worth Investing

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Texas (USA), Canada (Toronto) ; India (Business Network)- 8th December 2017:Many companies avoid to outsource technical support, as per their view it is expensive or ineffective. But this is not true. Basically, when you are associated with an experienced outsource technical support provider, you will notice that your organization gain more benefit in marketing, sales, and product development.Following are the few reasons that show investing in outsource technical support company is worth for your business.1) Bonding with customers: No doubt web page is the public face of your company, but technical support is the real way to interact with your customers. Support team interacts with your customers in order to provide quality user experience. An excellent user experience is what differentiates your business from your competitors. Outsourced technical support team interacts with your customers directly. This bonding with customers will positively reflect the good impact on your business.2) Increase your sales: Generally, If customers are able to use your product effectively then the success rate will be high. Outsourced technical support team not only resolves issues of your customers but also assists them to use your product effectively. This experience of technical support lead to repeat sales and free publicity.3) Fulfil customers expectations: Retaining the existing clients should be more important than to acquire new customers. Its no secret that customer support is associated with negative marks. But when you outsource technical support, you get an experienced and skilled team. Their professional technical support fulfills customers expectations that results in ongoing business.4) Customer-lead product development: Professional Outsource technical support company understand the function of your product and can guide the users accordingly. They effectively identify the needs of your customers and pass the requirement to design and leadership teams so that you can meet the needs of customers.Choosing the right outsource technical support company is necessary to make your investment worthwhile. Suma Soft provides unparalleled support services for various types of businesses. We have dedicated and experienced outsource technical support specialists who can provide you with the resources you need for success. We handle the process from start to finish so that you can focus on core functions of your business. Our outsourced technical support team ensures high-quality support for your business. For More visit >>https://goo.gl/W7Q2GNContact Us:Call : +1 281 764 1825Name: Rick CooperEmail : info@sumasoft.comwebsite:
Global Ducting Silencers Market 2018 - Lindab, Rocvent Inc, Hydrohobby

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the Ducting Silencers Market across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of Ducting Silencers Market from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global PP Pipe industry, and estimates the future trend of Ducting Silencers on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares Ducting Silencers performance both in terms of volume and revenue.The market research report explores the Ducting Silencers Market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of Ducting Silencers Market. The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Ducting Silencers Market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Ducting Silencers. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Ducting Silencers Market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportLindabP&G Fabrications LtdVibro-AcousticsDB Noise ReductionVents CompanyIAC AcousticsKinetics Noise ControlHydrohobbyPacifichvacRocvent IncFans & Spares LtdHG HydroponicsBerlinerLuft. Technik GmbHThe competitive landscape of the global market for Ducting Silencers is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Ducting Silencers Markets production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Ducting Silencers Market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Ducting Silencers Market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Ducting Silencers production volume, data pertaining to demand and Ducting Silencers supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Ducting Silencers along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Ducting Silencers across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Quad-Play Services Market to Reflect Steady Growth Rate by 2026

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Europe Quad-Play Services Market: IntroductionRapid advancements in the field of telecommunication and technology has led to the introduction of converged services, paving a new way for telecom service providers to attract and retain customers. Quad-play services has enabled telecom service providers to increase their customer base, by offering bundled services for broadband, fixed voice, mobile voice and data, and paid television. Therefore, quad-play services, or bundles services, combines television, telephone, mobile phone services with wireless technology services. Even though customers of key telecom service providers in Europe, are interested in quad-play services, they expect a significant discount to their bills. Service providers are increasing their investments in order to offer quad-play services, with an expectation to reduce churns and increase revenue.Europe Quad-Play Services Market: Drivers and RestraintsIn todays world, connectivity plays a vital role in everyones lives, and consumers willingly pay the price for that (television, mobile services, etc.). Moreover, penetration and adoption of new technologies is high in Europe. Quad-play services, succeeding triple-pay services and are offered as bundled services at attractive prices and discounts. Furthermore, many service providers enable customers to access content from any device, anywhere without any charges. These are some of the major factors driving the growth and adoption of quad-play services in Europe. Conventional quad-play services focus on residential consumers, but now many service providers are offering bundled services, such as internet conferencing, for enterprises as well. This factor is expected to contribute to the growth of quad-play services market in the near future.Request for Table of Contents @However, telecom service providers are focused on making profits, offering a generalized bundle of services that fails to meet every individuals requirements. This is causing many subscribers in Europe to shift from quad-play services to stand-alone services. Moreover, in quad-play services, consumers dont have the option of choosing service providers for different applications, as they have to subscribe to one service provider for mobile data and voice services, paid television services, fixed broadband services, etc. These are some factors expected to restrict the growth of quad-play market in Europe.Europe Quad-Play Services Market: SegmentationThe segmentation for Europe quad-play services market can be done on the basis of type of service offered, type of bundle, and end users. On the basis of type of service offered, Europe quad-play services market can be segmented into broadband, television, mobile voice and data and fixed voice services. On the basis of type of bundle, the market can be segmented into fixed bundles and flexible bundles. The different types of end users for Europe quad-play market are residential users and enterprises.Europe Quad-Play Services Market: OutlookEurope quad-play services market is expected to witness a healthy growth over the forecast period owing to the presence of established player and high penetration rate of advanced technologies such as LTE and fiber optics. Quad-play services market in countries such as U.K., France, Spain and Portugal is expected to dominate the Europe quad-play market. Other quad-play services markets in Europe such as Netherlands and Belgium are expected to witness a steady growth over the next few years, as service providers are slowly realizing the benefits of offering bundled services. In Europe quad-play market, residential end users are expected to hold a majority of the market share, however enterprises end user is expected to witness a significant growth over the forecast period.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Europe Quad-Play Services Market: Competition LandscapeSome of the key players in Europe quad-play services include BT Group plc, Orange S.A., Vodafone Group plc, Virgin Media plc, Telefonica S.A., among others. Service providers in Europe quad-play market are focusing on mergers and acquisitions as well as partnerships in order to strengthen their position in the market. For example, in January 2016, BT Group plc completed the acquisition of EE, a prominent mobile network in U.K., in order to make advancements towards offering improved quad-play services and strengthen its position in the U.K.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
In Vitro Diagnostics Quality Control Market: Growing Demand for More Precise Diagnosis to Drive Growth of Market

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Some of the key players in the global in vitro diagnostics quality control market include names such as Quantimetrix Corporation, Sysmex Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Sun Diagnostics LLC, Siemens Healthineers, Seracare Life Sciences Inc., Roche Diagnostics, Randox Laboratories, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Inc., Helena Laboratories, Bio-Rad Laboratories, and Abbott Laboratories among others. These companies are constantly trying to gain an advantage over their rivals. Thus, they are engaging into strategic business activities such as mergers and acquisitions to enhance their overall market presence.Request for Sample Copy of Report @The global market for in vitro diagnostics quality control is expected to reach an overall market valuation of US$710.8 mn by the fall of 2017. The further growth of the global market is projected to yield an estimated market valuation worth US$837 by the completion of the given forecast period in 2022. This growth of the global market for in vitro diagnostics quality control is expected to be achieved with the help of a steady CAGR of 3.3% over the course of the given forecast period.The Asia Pacific except Japan market is expected to play a significant role in the overall development of the global market in the coming years. The APEJ market is expected witness a steady CAGR of 3.5% during the given forecast period and is estimated to reach a valuation worth US$136 mn. The North America market for in vitro diagnostics quality control is expected to dominate the market in coming years The North America market is expected to reach a total valuation of US$262.8 mn by the fall of 2017 and is estimated to rise further to US$311.7 mn by the end of given forecast period in 2022, showing a steady CAGR of 3.5%.Request a Brochure of the Report @The global market for in vitro diagnostics quality control has turned into a key component of the global healthcare sector in the past few years because of the stable advancements in technology related to the healthcare industry. This has also enabled a swift growth of the global market for in vitro diagnostics quality control. The enhanced precision in the diagnoses offered by the in vitro diagnostics has made it a vital component in the healthcare industry. This has also made the global market for in vitro diagnostics quality control extremely vital with respect to maintaining the advantage offered by the system to the physicians. The increasing demand for more precise diagnostics in the healthcare industry is thus likely to act as the chief driving factor for the overall development of the global market for in vitro diagnostics quality control over the course of the given forecast period of 2017 to 2022. The increasing number of accredited clinical labs in the developing economies is also expected to play an important role in driving the overall growth of the global market.Accredited clinical labs have been in consistent need for the services of in vitro diagnostics quality control. However, the serious dearth of these quality control services in the upcoming regions is expected to be the key restraining factor for the development of the global market for in vitro diagnostics quality control.Enquiry for discount on this report @About UsTransparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals.Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories.TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
SDN and NFV Technology in Telecom Network Transformation Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth by 2026

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SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation and network function virtualization (NFV) are two separate networking technologies that are becoming backbone of any communication network now-a-days. These technologies provide ease in operating a communication network. While SDN facilitates a telecom operator to reduce the network complexity and bring down the overall management cost, NFV makes a particular network completely software agnostic. Enterprises, cloud service providers, and telecommunication service providers are biggest beneficiaries of this.In telecommunication sector, there is a lot of margins pressure on service providers, due to the changing needs of consumers such as data consumption and usages of OTT services. Conventional networks of service providers are not capable to handle this particular demand from consumers. Thats why they are reconfiguring their network with the help of SDN and NFV technologies, in order to manage the challenges of traffic explosion and increase the average revenue per user (ARPU).Global SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation in Telecom Network Transformation Market: Drivers and ChallengesThe major reason behind the adoption of SDN and NFV by service providers in their network transformation is because SDN and NFV technologies are synergetic and they offer improved programmability, faster service enablement, and most importantly lower down the overall CAPAEX and OPEX for the service providers. SDN and NFV provide a complete digital network that is essential to increase customer satisfaction level. SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation emerged as paradigm that has potential to transform service providers networks by delivering cloud style nimbleness and innovation.Request for Table of Contents @The communication network telecom service providers are generally more complex, multilayer, and have variety of users that require high network availability and performance. As compared to data centers, a more stringent set of requirements will need to be met, in order to deploy SDN and NFV in these network.Global SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation in Telecom Network Transformation Market: SegmentationSDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation in telecom network transformation market can be segmented on the basis of component, technology, and region. Component category include software and different types of services such as professional services and managed services. On the basis of technology, the market can be segmented into SDN and NFV. Region wise, the Market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Middle East & Africa.Cisco System Inc. Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM Corporation, Juniper Networks, Pica8, Inc., Intel Corporation, and Big Switch Networks, Inc. are some of the big players of global SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation market.Regional OverviewNorth America is the largest SDN and NFV market as most of the technology providers such as Cisco, IBM, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are based in the North America region and are making huge investment over there. Also, due to the ongoing advancements in 4G and 5G technologies the US, telecommunication service providers are deploying SDN and NFV at every layer of their network.In Europe region, technology service providers have already understood the value proportion of SDN and have already started deploying SDN in their networks but enterprise market still remain gloomy in terms of adoption of SDN.In Asia Pacific region, growth in countries such as China, India, and Japan are immensely contributing in the market. In India, the telecommunication services industry is going through the transformation and service providers have started to deploy SDN and NFV technology in telecom network transformation at massive scale.Request to View Sample of Research Report @ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Commercial Fish Feed Market Shows Expected Growth from 2016-2022

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Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled China Commercial Fish Feed Market Research Report 2018 to its Large Report database.The global Commercial Fish Feed market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.The Values marked with XX is confidential data. To know more about CAGR figures fill in your information so that our business development executive can get in touch with you.Request Sample Copy of the Business Report @China plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2022, with a CAGR of xx%.This report studies the Commercial Fish Feed development status and future trend in China, focuses on top players in China, also splits Commercial Fish Feed by type and by applications, to fully and deeply research and reveal the market general situation and future forecast.The major players in China market include Tetra, UPEC, Canadian Aquatic Feed, Coppens International, Ocean Star International (OSI), Hikari, JBL, Sera, Ocean Nutrition, Marubeni Nisshin Feed, Aquaone, Dongpinghu Feed, Inch-Gold Fish, Sanyou Chuangmei, Beijing New Rainbow Feed Industries, Cargill, SunSun, Aqueon, Kaytee, Porpoise Aquarium, Haifeng Feeds.Geographically, this report splits the China market into six regions, South China, East China, Southwest China, Northeast China, North China, Central China, Northwest China.On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K MT), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/MT), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Goldfish, Koi, Tropical Fish, Other.On the basis of the end users/application, this report covers Live Food, Processed Food.Get discount on this report :Table of Contents :China Commercial Fish Feed Market Research Report 20171 Commercial Fish Feed Overview2 China Commercial Fish Feed Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers3 China Commercial Fish Feed Sales and Revenue by Region (2012-2017)4 China &B1& Sales and Revenue by Type/ Product Category (2012-2017)5 China &B1& Sales by Application (2012-2017)6 China Commercial Fish Feed Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Commercial Fish Feed Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders10 Market Effect Factors Analysis11 China Commercial Fish Feed Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2017-2022)12 Research Findings and Conclusion13 Methodology and Data SourceIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.ABOUT WMR :Worldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.CONTACT US:Mr. ShahWorldwide Market Reports1001 4th Ave,U.STel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.comWebsite:
Dairy Packaging Market 2018 Amcor Limited, E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Ball Corporation, Berry Plastics, International Paper

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Global Dairy Packaging Market Information: By Material (Glass, Paper & Paperboard, Plastic, and Others), Type (Bottles, Cans, Pouches, Boxes and Others), End-Use (Milk, Cheese, Butter, Frozen Products and Others), and Region  Forecast Till 2023The type of packaging material for dairy products is of critical importance because of its impact on quality, safety, cost, and marketing of the commodities to consumers. Recently, interest has shifted towards novel applications such as smart or intelligent packaging, modified atmosphere and active packaging, and sustainability. However, it is crucial to focus R&D activity on interactions between packaging, the surrounding and the product. Recent trends shows that milk, and drinkable dairy products such as yogurt and smoothies are available in sleek and PET bottle. As more people around the world is focusing on package size and On to go solution. The dairy industry is able to achieve a 45-day shelf life through the use of ultrapasteurisation (UP) processes, while ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed products achieve a shelf life of three months to one year with no refrigeration.The continuing urbanisation and changing lifestyles keep pushing demand for innovative dairy products to new heights. Urbanisation implies a busy and more complex lifestyle, spurring consumers to save time by eating and drinking on-the-go, including dairy. The long-lasting health- and convenience trends motivate consumers to pay more for value-added products that they can buy when and where they want.Get Sample of Report @The key driver for market growth is increased emphasis on global dairy packaged products due to rising food demand of the increasing population. Dairy packaging market involves various packaging techniques that can prevent dairy items from contamination. Moreover, initiatives that have been taken by the packaging companies in terms of innovations and offerings have greatly contributed to the growth of the dairy market.Global Dairy packaging market is growing with the rapid pace; mainly due to advancement in technologies. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The global market of Dairy packaging is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market is forecasted to demonstrate a stunning growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the estimated period (2017  2023).Key PlayersThe key players of global dairy packaging market report include- Ahlstrom, Airlite plastics, Allied Glass Containers, Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Blue Ridge Paper Products. Amcor Limited, Ball Corporation (U.S.), Saint-Gobain S.A, Tetra Laval International S.A, Alcoa Inc, Reynolds Group Holding Limited, and Crown Holdings Inc.Industry/ Innovation/ Related News:In 2016, Amcor Flexibles announces 5-10% price hike on its products.In 2017, Tetra Paks new package allows production of liquid dairy and juice drinks using existing production processes that can be marketed as ice creams and frozen products2017, Tetra Pak acquired Johnson Industries International which is mozzarella cheese making equipment.Dairy packaging Market - Competitive AnalysisDairy packaging market appears to be competitive with the presence of several large and small players operating in the Dairy packaging Market. These Key players compete based upon pricing, quality, Technology and reputation. Dairy packaging market demonstrates a high growth potential which is likely to attract many entrants to the market resulting in to intensified competition further. Manufacturers operating in the Dairy packaging market strive to respond to the growing demand for Dairy packaging. Moreover, manufacturers mainly ensure to deliver the best quality products based on innovative technologies, and best practices.Access Full Report @Segmentation By Material Glass Paper Plastic & Paperboard OtherBy Product Bottles Can Pouches Boxes OthersBy End User Milk Cheese Butter Frozen Products OthersBy Region North America Europe Asia Pacific ROWRegional Analysis of Global Dairy Packaging MarketNorth America is the largest & fastest growing market for dairy packaging, followed by Europe & Asia pacific. The largest share of North America is attributed to the increased popularity of smaller container & ready to eat dairy food items. The market for cultured dairy products such as yogurt based drinks and ice-cream is driving the market across globe. Market maturity in Western Europe, North America for core categories such as milk, yoghurt and cheese increasingly calls for brand differentiation through packaging in these regions. China & India have become one of the major consumers for dairy products. This is backed by rising incomes and expansion of modern retail outlets which have led to a switch from unpackaged milk and yoghurt to packaged versions.The report for Global Dairy Packaging Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Brief Toc:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology3. Market Dynamics4. Global Market, By Packaging Type5. Global Market, By Technology6. Global Market, By Application7. Global Market, By End-user8. Regional Market Analysis9. Competitive Analysis10. Conclusion11. List Of Tables12. List Of FiguresAsk for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports.About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Market Research FutureMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Market: Increasing Cardiovascular Conditions Ups Demand

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Transparency Market Research states that the global extracorporeal membrane machine oxygenation machine market has a moderately fragmented competitive landscape. Some of the key players in the global market Medtronic Plc., Terumo Corporation, Getinge AB, Xenios AG, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, Eurosets S.r.l., Nipro Corporation, ALung Technologies, Inc, and LivaNova PLC. The report states that the companies are expected to make product launches to garner a wider consumer base. Furthermore, players are expected to venture into newer markets through partnerships and agreements to widen their business operations.Request for Sample Copy of Report @According to the research report, the global extracorporeal membrane machine oxygenation machine market was valued at US$307.00 mn in 2016. During the forecast period of 2017 and 2025, the global market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5.4% to reach a valuation of US$487.40 mn by the end of 2025. In terms of components, the global market is likely to be led by oxygenators during the forecast period. As of 2016, this segment held a share of 38.4% in the global market and is expected to continue its dominance. Geographically, North America is expected to dominate the global market due to better medical facilities in the region.Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine is used for people whose heart cannot pump enough blood to the body, or lungs cannot exhale carbon dioxide even with help from a mechanical ventilator, or lungs cannot provide enough oxygen to the body even giving oxygen mechanically.Request a Brochure of the Report @Rising incidence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are driving the growth of the global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine market. Increasing need for use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines in newborns boosts the demand for the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines. Rising prevalence of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), and meconium aspiration syndrome in infants drives the global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine market. Increasing preference for the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine boosts the market exponentially.Growing awareness about treating complicated respiratory issues and increasing disposable income in the emerging economies are also expected to support the global ECMO market. The report also points out that better healthcare facilities in developed nations, supportive insurance schemes, and affordable healthcare are also likely to fuel the growth of the overall market in the forthcoming years. The growing investments by governments of developing countries to improve the healthcare infrastructure is projected to have a positive impact on the global ECMO market in the long run. The report also highlights that increasing adoption of ECMOs for intensive care in critical conditions has worked in favor of the market. The unfortunate rise in demand for long-term oxygenation support for patients awaiting lung transplantation has played an integral role in augmenting the growth of the global ECMO market.Enquiry for discount on this report @Despite the powerful market drivers, the global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine market is likely to come across a few restraints. The high cost associated with the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine a considered to be one the most significant restraints for the global market. However, the consistent investment in research and development of better technology is projected to open up several lucrative opportunities for the global market.About UsTransparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals.Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories.TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Alcoholic Beverages Market Shows Expected Growth from 2016-2022

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Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled Global Alcoholic Beverages Market Professional Survey Report 2018 to its Large Report database.This report studies Alcoholic Beverages in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.The Values marked with XX is confidential data. To know more about CAGR figures fill in your information so that our business development executive can get in touch with you.Request Sample Copy of the Business Report @This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Anheuser-Busch, Accolade Wines, Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Carlsberg, Constellation Brands, China Resource Enterprise, Diageo, Heineken, E. & J. Gallo Winery, Pernod Ricard, SABMiller, The Wine Group, Torres, Treasury Wine Estates, Vina Concha y Toro.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Beer, Wine, Spirits, Other.By Application, the market can be split into Household, Commercial.By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want) North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, India.Get discount on this report :Table of Contents :Global Alcoholic Beverages Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Alcoholic Beverages2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Alcoholic Beverages3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Alcoholic Beverages4 Global Alcoholic Beverages Overall Market Overview5 Alcoholic Beverages Regional Market Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Alcoholic Beverages Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Global 2012-2017E Alcoholic Beverages Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Alcoholic Beverages9 Development Trend of Analysis of Alcoholic Beverages Market10 Alcoholic Beverages Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Alcoholic Beverages12 Conclusion of the Global Alcoholic Beverages Market Professional Survey Report 2017If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.ABOUT WMR :Worldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.CONTACT US:Mr. ShahWorldwide Market Reports1001 4th Ave,U.STel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.comWebsite:
Security Paper Market 2018 Major Players China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation , Document Security Systems, Security Paper Limited , Giesecke & Devrient and More

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Global Security Paper Market Information, By Security Feature (Hybrid Papers, Watermarks, Holograms, and Threads), By Application (Banknotes, Legal & Government Documents, Certificates, Identity cards, Passport, Checks, and Stamps) and Region - Forecast to 2023.Market Synopsis of Security Paper Market:Security paper is a paper with features that can act to identify or authenticate a document. It provides affordable and reliable security against the problems associated with counterfeiting, forgery, alteration and other forms of document fraud. It contains some of the most sophisticated anti-copy and forgery resistant technologies and are used mainly for the printing of banknotes. Rise in circulation of money, the need for protection, and for anti-counterfeit technologies are some of the factors that push the security paper market towards growth. The growing consumer demand is pushing companies to come up with efficient products, which in turn, is creating more demand, thus aiding the growth of the security paper market.Growing digitalization is acting as a major restraint factor for the growth of security paper market as more people are opting for online payment and online printing of documents.Get Sample of Report @Key PlayersChina Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation (Beijing), Ciotola S.R.L. (Italy), Document Security Systems, Inc. (U.S.), EPL House for Security Printing (Libya), Security Paper Limited (Pakistan), Sequana Group (France), De la Rue plc (U.K.), Giesecke & Devrient (Germany), Fedrigoni Group (Italy) and Goznak (Russia) are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the global security paper market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.Global Security Paper Market - Competitive AnalysisThe key players adopted various strategies in order to sustain as well increase their market share. There are various small and medium sized players in the market and the competition has stiffened over a period of time. It is expected to show similar level of competition in the forecast period.In December 2017, Fortress Paper Ltd. announced that its subsidiary, Fortress Security Papers AG, entered into an agreement with the Swiss National Bank and Orell Fussli Holding AG. With the sale of Landqart, Fortress Paper no longer operates in the security paper products segment. The focus of the deal dissolving pulp business and pursuing other strategic initiatives.In July 2017, Arjowiggins Security entered into an agreement to acquire the Arjowiggins Security BV subsidiary, VHP plant in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. The company engages in the manufacturing of banknote paper for the euro currency, and has an annual production capacity of close to 6,500 tonnes. The agreement was agreed for a price of USD 24.85 million.Salvatore Ciotola announced that it will represent the company at the prestigious SDW (Security Document World) 2017 as the delegate for Asia. It will showcase its products product range such as paper for banknotes, passports, identification documents, visas and tax stamps.DSS International, Inc. Subsidiary announced its expansion plan. It is willing to expand in the international Mmarket for its AuthentiGuard Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection Technology. The company strategizes to enter into the Asian Pacific market in order to build market share for theirr AuthentiGuard anti-counterfeiting, authentication and brand protection technologies. Furthermore their strategic partnership with SeD will enable its immediate presence in Asia, as well as its emergence into several targeted industries which would require product and brand protection.Access Full Report @Global Security Paper Market - SegmentsGlobal Security Paper Market is segmented in to 3 Key dynamics for an easy grasp and enhanced understanding.Segmentation By Security Feature : Comprises  Hybrid Papers, Watermarks, Holograms, and ThreadsSegmentation By Application : Comprises  Banknotes, Legal & Government Documents, Certificates, Identity cards, Passport, Checks, and StampsSegmentation By Regions : Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the WorldGlobal Security Paper Market - Regional AnalysisEurope held the largest market share in 2016. The European market is considered to be matured and stagnant market for security papers, and thus it is forecasted to grow at a lower rate as compared to other regions.Asia-Pacific, however is expected to showcase the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Countries like India has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets in Asia Pacific for the security paper market. The country has opened its door for various international players. Also the need for such security papers in the important industries in India has spiked the growth for such market.The report for Global Security Paper Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Brief Toc:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology3. Market Dynamics4. Global Market, By Packaging Type5. Global Market, By Technology6. Global Market, By Application7. Global Market, By End-user8. Regional Market Analysis9. Competitive Analysis10. Conclusion11. List Of Tables12. List Of FiguresAsk for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports.About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Market Research FutureMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Anti-corrosion Coatings Market 2018 Global Industry Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast To 2022

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SummaryThe global market for anti-corrosion coatings is expected to grow due to its high demand in a broad range of industry end-users across the globe. Corrosion is an ongoing problem in most industries, including major markets such as marine, oil and gas, infrastructure, manufacturing, and automotive.Corrosion causes tremendous financial losses in terms of infrastructure. Globally, the cost of corrosion is over REDACTED which is roughly REDACTED of global GDP.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Corrosion mostly affects the oil and gas, metal, water treatment and manufacturing industries. The impact of corrosion has created tremendous demand for anti-corrosion coatings across the globe. Industries such as petroleum, cement and concrete, paper and pulp, metal processing, water treatment, automotive, power generation, chemical processing, mining and transportation, and manufacturing industries, such as electronics, and textiles, also have high demand for anti-corrosion coatings. There is also a considerable demand for anti-corrosion coatings from other industries such as aerospace, highway bridges, hydroelectrical and nuclear power plants, among others. As the problem of corrosion isincreasing globally, the demand for anti-corrosion coatings has grown over the years.The market for anti-corrosion coatings is segmented based on type (epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, alkyd, zinc, chlorinated rubber, and others), end-user industry (marine, oil and gas, manufacturing, water and wastewater, infrastructure, automotive, and others), technology (solvent-borne, waterborne, powderbased, self-healing and others) and geographic regions (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South America). This report covers market drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges that determine the scope of the market and its trends.In recent years there has been a major shift in the global paints and coatings production, which is moving from the developed regions, such as Europe and the U.S., to the developing economies, such as China and India. Continuous increasing demand from the developed countries in addition to the demand from the developing countries is contributing to the overall expansion of the worldwide anti-corrosion coatings market. Industrial growth in the developing economies is a major driver for the growth in the coatings industry. In most regions of the world, the coatings industry is mature and its growth is dependent on many factors, including the level of economic activity and the state of the construction industry, which remains a major consumer of paints and coatings.The Asia-Pacific is the largest regional market for anti-corrosion coatings and has high growth potential. The growth in the Asia-Pacific region is mainly driven by the growing end-user industries such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and water and wastewater. The oil and gas reserves in China and India are growing, and there is a continuous need for maintenance in the transportation industry, as well as accelerating energy demand in various regions in Asia-Pacific, both of which are ultimately driving the anti-corrosion coatings market.Report Scope:The scope of the report covers the overview and clear understanding of the global market scenario of anti-corrosion coatings and analysis of global market trends, with market data from 2016, considering 2016 as the base year and estimating for 2017 to 2022 with CAGR projections in the forecast period.The report discusses technological, regulatory and economic trends that are affecting the anti-corrosion coatings market. It also explains the major drivers and restraints and regional dynamics of the global anti-corrosion coatings market and current trends within the industry. The market is further segmented and forecasted for major countries such as U.S., Canada, Germany, France, China, U.K., India etc.The different types/chemistries of anti-corrosion coatings considered in the report include epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, zinc, chlorinated rubber, silicone and alkyds, among others. The report further discusses end-use industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, marine, water and wastewater, infrastructure, power generation, and automotive, among others. The different technologies of anti-corrosion coatings included in the report are solvent-borne, waterborne and powder-based, among others.The report concludes with a special focus on the competitive landscape, which includes the key strategies adopted by the manufacturers and detailed profiles of the major manufacturers in the global anti-corrosion coatings market.Report Includes:- 68 data tables and 16 additional tables- An overview of the global market for anti-corrosion coatings- Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2016 and 2017, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022- Coverage of the different types and chemistries of anticorrosion coatings, which include epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, zinc, chlorinated rubber, silicone, and alkyds- Overview of anticorrosion coatings technologies, i.e., solvent-borne, waterborne, and powder-based- Discussion of end-user industries, such as oil and gas, manufacturing, marine, water and wastewater, infrastructure, power generation, and automotive- Analyses of technological, regulatory, and economic trends affecting the anticorrosion coatings market- Profiles of major companies in the market, including 3M Company, Akzo Nobel NV, Ashland Inc., BASF, the Sherwin-Williams Company and Wacker Chemie AG3M CompanyAKZO NOBEL N.V.Ancatt Inc.ASHLAND INC.AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS LTD.BASF SEBluechem GroupDIAMOND VOGEL PAINTSHEMPEL A/SHEUBACH GMBH & CO. KGJOTUN ASKANSAI PAINT CO. LTD.NIPPON PAINT CO. LTD.PPG INDUSTRIES, INC.ROYAL DSM NVTable of Content: Key PointsChapter 1 IntroductionStudy Goals and ObjectivesScope of ReportIntended AudienceMethodology and Information SourcesGeographic BreakdownAnalyst's CredentialsChapter 2 Summary and HighlightsChapter 3 Market OverviewIntroductionTypes of CorrosionsUniform CorrosionGalvanic CorrosionCrevice CorrosionPitting CorrosionIntergranular CorrosionContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Facial Recognition Market: More than Meets the EyeAn Overview of Facial Recognition and its Applications in Retail

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Market HighlightsFacial recognition is a biometric technology used for authentication and identification of individuals by comparing the facial features from an image with the stored facial database. It is expected to witness robust growth during the forecast period owing to its increasing usage in both law enforcement and non-law enforcement applications. Moreover, facial recognition is widely preferred over other biometric technologies, such as voice recognition, skin texture recognition, iris recognition, and fingerprint scanning, due to its non-contact process and easy deployment (using cameras and existing monitoring devices). Currently, this technology is majorly used for security and marketing purpose. For instance, billboards have been designed with integrated software that are used to identify gender, age, and ethnicity to deliver targeted advertising.Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Market Outlook:The facial recognition market holds a substantial scope for growth on the global horizon. The market, which is in its growth stage however, is expected to contribute significantly to the global market within the next 10 years. Facial recognition provides high-level security for public and private sectors. The significant increase in terrorist attacks on government organizations in recent years majorly drives the companies and governments to implement facial recognition biometric. Furthermore, increasing application in physical security and intelligent signage and technology advancements, such as cloud-based services and 3D-based recognition systems, increased the usage of facial recognition. However, increasing sensitivity toward shared personal data, lack of accuracy, and high implementation cost hinder the expansion of the market in certain regions. Technically advanced facial recognition systems with application in mobile security and drones are likely to create greater opportunities in the future.Request Discount on this repots @Top Industry Players:The major players in global Facial Recognition market include Cognitec Systems GmbH, Griaule Biometrics, NEC Corporation, FaceFirst, ZKTeco, FST, Crossmatch Technologies, Smartmatic, Aware, Nok Nok Labs, MorphoTrak, 3M Cogent, Aurora, Global Biometric Solutions, KeyLemon Inc., Morpho (Safran), Fujitsu Limited, HID Global Corporation, Suprema HQ, Precise Biometrics AB, IrisGuard Incorporated, Smartmatic International Corporation, SecuGen Corporation., Nuance Communications, Inc., RCG Holdings Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., ZK Technology LLC, AOptix Technologies Inc., Iris ID Systems Inc. and LexisNexis Group Incorporated.Key Benefits This report provides a quantitative analysis of the current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the global Facial Recognition market from 2018 to 2022 to identify the prevailing market opportunities. The key countries in all the majors regions are mapped based on their market share. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global industry. Market player positioning segment facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of market players. The report includes in details the analysis of the regional as well as global market, key players, market segments, and application areas, and growth strategies.Browse Report @About Future Genic ReportsFuture Generic Reports is a market research and consulting organization, offering premium collection of market research reports, custom research and consulting services to corporations, no-profit organizations and government institutions across the globe.The wide range of information is presented by a team of well-trained researchers of specific sectors through exhaustive research. We deliver premier market research services that cover all industry verticals, including chemicals and material, automotive, healthcare, electronics & semiconductor, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and technology and media.We believe in building an eternal bond with our clients through offering them inclusive research study meeting their specific requirements. Our services are tailored specifically to our clients by proposing them the potential outcome, based on our in-depth analysis and insights for exploring the growth strategies through providing the best possible decision for quality production.Contact us:Future Generic Reports244 , Madison AvenueNew York City, NY - 10016United StatesToll Free +1- 844-445-2861Email: sales@futuregenicreports.com
Global Turning Tools Market Research Report in Construction Industry and Know the Key Players with Forecasts 2023 - Market Research Future

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Market research future published a half-cooked research report on Global Turning Tools Market that contains the information from 2017 to 2023. Global turning tools market is expected to grow with the CAGR of approximately 6.9% from 2017 to 2023.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 85 market data tables and figures spread in 140 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Turning Tools Market Information from 2017 to 2023"Ask Sample for this Report @Turning tools consist of a replaceable insert in its body, and the insert can vary, based on shape, material, geometry, and coating. Turning tools are probably used in every manufacturing industry. Growth of fabricated products in automotive industry driving the growth of turning tools market. Use of face drivers is the latest trend gaining grip in the turning tool market.The turning tools market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period. .Asia-Pacific region dominates the global turning tools marketOn the basis of region, the global turning tools market is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (ROW). Asia-Pacific region dominates the global turning tools market. Continuously growing automotive, and manufacturing sector in countries like China and India driving the growth of the market in APAC region. This region is expected to show the fastest growth during the forecast period. Automation in automotive and mining industry boost demand of the market in European region. North America region is also expected to contribute significantly during the forecast period.Access Report Details @Ask for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports. Ingersoll Cutting Tool Company (U.S.) Sandvik Group (Sweden) Mikron Tool SA Agno (Switzerland) NTK Cutting Tools (Japan) WNT Tools India Pvt Ltd. (India) Kennametal Foundation (U.S.) Hanjiang Tool Co., Ltd. (China) Shanghai Tool Works Co.,Ltd. (China) Union Tool Corporation (Japan) ISCAR LTD. (Israel)This research report provides insights, on various levels of analysis such as industry analysis, market share analysis leading market players and their profiles. This report also helps in studying the target segments by providing views on emerging & high-growth segments and market conclusion. Together the market data comprise and discuss with the basic assessments on the competitive scenarios & strategies, of the turning tools market, including the high-growth regions, countries and their political, economic and technological environments. Furthermore the project report also provides the views over the historical market values as well as, pricing and cost analysis of the same.Enquiry Before Buying@About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comThank You.
Mobile Wallet Market share analysis of the top industry players and Investment Opportunities for next 5 years

Mobile Wallet Market

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Latest research study from HTF MI with title Global Mobile Wallet by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the market and contains Future trend, Current Growth Factors, attentive opinions, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry validated market data. The study is segmented by products type, application/end-users. The research study provides estimates for Global Mobile Wallet Forecast till 2023.If you are involved in the Mobile Wallet industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. Its vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications Retail, Vending Machine, Public Transportation & Restaurants, Product Types such as [Proximity & Remote] and some major players in the industry. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.Request Sample of Global Mobile Wallet Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025 @:Key Companies/players: Apple Inc, American Express Company, Alipay, Bharti Airtel Limited, Google Inc, PayPal Holdings Inc, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, Square Inc & VISA Inc.Application: Retail, Vending Machine, Public Transportation & Restaurants, Product Type: Proximity & Remote.The research covers the current & Future market size of the Global Mobile Wallet market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data. It also covers various types of segmentation such as by geography [United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia]. The market competition is constantly growing higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the industry. Moreover, many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. On the basis of attributes such as company overview, recent developments, strategies adopted by the market leaders to ensure growth, sustainability, financial overview and recent developments.Stay up-to-date with Mobile Wallet market research offered by HTF MI. Check how key trends and emerging drivers are shaping this industry growth as the study avails you with market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, shares, trend and strategies for this market. In the Global Mobile Wallet Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023, the revenue is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. The production is estimated at XX million in 2017 and is forecasted to reach XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @Key questions answered in this report - Global Mobile Wallet Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate beWhat are the key market trendsWhat is driving Global Mobile Wallet Market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in Mobile Wallet Market space?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Mobile Wallet Market ?What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Global Mobile Wallet Market?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Global Mobile Wallet market? Get in-depth details about factors influencing the market shares of the Americas, APAC, and EMEA?Enquire for customization in Report @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Mobile Wallet market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global Mobile Wallet, Applications of Mobile Wallet, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia, Mobile Wallet Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Mobile Wallet Segment Market Analysis (by Application [Retail, Vending Machine, Public Transportation & Restaurants]) Major Manufacturers Analysis;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Proximity & Remote], Market Trend by Application [Retail, Vending Machine, Public Transportation & Restaurants];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global Mobile Wallet by region, type and application ;Chapter 12, to describe Mobile Wallet Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Mobile Wallet sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Buy this research report @Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a 5-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsThanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.comConnect with us at
Aroma Essential Oil Store explains Benefits of Clary Sage Essential Oil on Health & Skin

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Aroma Essential Oil Store, leading Organic essential oils suppliers & manufacturers at a wholesale rate offers a wide range of Clary Sage Essential Oils and other Essential oils in India. People can buy these oils with an ease and use it for various purposes.Today it is really very difficult to imagine that a naturally extracted oil can serve two important purposes that is it can be used to enhance beauty as well as keeps an individual fit & healthy. However, there one such natures gift that has gained huge popularity and that is Clary Sage Essential Oil that is readily available at the online oil store of Aroma Essential Oil Store. The oil is extracted from the leaves and buds of the plant that possess many beneficial properties making it an ideal choice for health as well as skin.During an interactive session with one of the companys official spokesperson on health benefits of Clary Sage Essential Oil on health said, Essential oils in India is becoming very demanding due to the awareness of people about their own health and beauty care products. Today, when every other person is suffering from depression issues and eventually develops negative thoughts, is becoming a prime reason for their depression. When this oil is applied, it boosts the self-esteem and confidence level that generates positive hope in person. Being a wonderful anti-depressant, the oils help in overcoming anxiety. Also, Clary Sage Essential Oil is considered as an effective antibacterial agent that prevents bacterial & fungal infections & also acts as a barrier for the entry of pathogenic bacteria into the body.Adding more to the discussion about the benefits of this essential oil on the skin, the authorized representative of the company further stated, Everyone likes to have a clean, clear & gorgeous skin and this essential oil is an optimum choice. People can buy these magnificent natural oils from Organic essential oils suppliers online () and use it to reduce skin rashes and inflammation that makes the skin looks dull and rough. This oil contains linalyl acetate that helps in balancing the production process of natural oils in the skin. It can be used for dry as well as oily skin without any issues & helps to keep skin free from pimples & acne. Furthermore, the oil finds its wide application in many lotions and creams that can be used in eliminating many skin ailments and also provides relief from neck-ache. It ensures proper balancing for production of sebum and makes sure that the skin remains oil free.People can buy Organic Essential Oils at a wholesale price from online oil store without any hassles. To name a few essential oil that one can buy online includes White Pepper oil, Strawberry oil, Myrrh oil, Ginger Grass oil, Chamomile Roman oil, Anise Star oil, Clary Sage oil, Honeysuckle oil, Lavender Bulgarian oil, Pimento Berry oil, Turmeric Root oil, Sugandh Kokila oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Jasmine Grandiflorum oil, Coriander oil and a lot more.About the Website:Aroma Essential Oil Store is recognized as one of the best USFDA-approved online Essential Oil store in India. Being one of the top Organic essential oils suppliers & manufactures, the company is actively engaged in supplies the best quality of Natural Essential Oils to people spanning all across the globe. Additionally, one can also buy various types of Traditional Indian Attars, Carrier and Base Oils, Spice Oils, Certified Organic Oils, Aromatherapy Oils, Flower Oils, Floral Absolute Oils, Mint Oils, Massage and Spa Oils. Buy these Organic Essential Oils at a wholesale rate simply by placing an order online at the portal & get the bottle of oil delivered to doorsteps within the assured time. Want to get more information, log on to the companys online website.Contact us:AARNAV EXPORTSQ-362, VRV, Sector 15(II),Gurgaon - 122001, Haryana (India)Mobile: +91-74280-75079Email: info@aromaessentialoilstore.comWebsite:
Innovation Benchmarking in Oil Accumulator Market 2205

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Demand for energy is rapidly growing in recent years. Accumulation of oil is an important aspect to eliminate hazards during oil extraction processes. Oil accumulators are considered to be hydro pneumatic devices that store non compressible fluid through an external source such as a fluid, gas, spring, and piston under high pressure. Oil accumulators have gained importance all over the world due to initiatives in reducing harmful environmental pollution during oil & gas drilling activities. Oil accumulators are employed for various purposes such as noise reduction, leakage compensation, and pulsation dampening.Read Report Overview @The oil accumulator market can be segmented based on its types, applications, and region. Based on its types, oil accumulators can be bifurcated as hydraulic or piston, bladder, and diaphragm accumulators. Hydraulic accumulators are generally considered to be piston type accumulators. A free moving piston separates the compressible gas cushion from the hydraulic fluid. The bladder type accumulator consists of an elastic barrier between the oil and gas. The diaphragm type accumulator is designed into two sections that are bolted or screwed together. A synthetic rubber diaphragm is installed for bifurcation of oil & gas. Accumulators are used in drilling rigs in offshore and onshore regions. It is utilized in blowout preventers to restrict the sudden influx of oil & gas during drilling operations. It is used in mud pumps in oil & gas exploration activities and also by drilling tools and equipment manufacturers for developing instruments. Oil accumulators are also used by environmental research institutes and government organizations.Opportunities in the oil accumulator market arise from rising demand for oil & gas exploration and production activities. The attempts to minimize environmental hazards due to exploration have positively impacted the growth of the oil accumulator market. Restraints of the market include high cost of production. However, efforts are being made to reduce costs and develop advance technology oil accumulators. Thus, oil accumulator are an important component when environmental factors are taken into consideration.In terms of geography, North America leads the oil accumulator market in terms of demand. This can be ascribed to the increase in oil & gas activities in offshore regions of the U.S. New discovery of shale oil in the North Dakota region in North America has increased the demand for oil accumulators. The oil accumulator market has been expanding in countries in Asia Pacific such as India, China, and Japan due to the rise in maritime security activities, growth in offshore oil & gas production activities, and improvement in underwater communications. The oil accumulator market in European countries such as the U.K., Germany, France, and Norway is likely to expand due to increased oil & gas drilling activities in the North Sea and improvement in maritime security. Countries in Latin America such as Brazil and Mexico are anticipated to witness an increase in demand for marine instrumentation activities due to rapid urbanization and rise in offshore oil & gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico. Demand for marine instrumentation in countries in Middle East & Africa is also likely to rise due to the increase in number of offshore oil & gas exploration and production activities.Request to view Sample Report:Key global market players operating in the oil accumulator market include companies such as Nippon Accumulator Co. Ltd., Eaton Corporation, Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Bosch Rexroth AG, and Tobul Accumulator Inc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Pelvic Floor Electrical Stimulation Device Market  Current Scenario and Future Growth Analysis by 2024

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Electrical stimulation is a therapeutic treatment to treat muscle spasms and pain. It prevents atrophy and builds strength in patients with injuries. It is helpful to keep muscles active, especially after a spinal cord injury or stroke. Electrical muscle stimulation can be used to strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles. Stimulating activity can be achieved by passive contraction of the pelvic floor muscles through the transmission of low grade electrical impulses to the nerves that supply impulse to the bladder and other sections in the pelvic area.The small electrical impulses are delivered to the pelvic structures through an internal vaginal method or anal electrode method. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is done by inserting a small electrode through skin of lower legs. The electrode can be connected through pulse generator. Similarly, sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) is done using a pacemaker like stimulator above the skin which plays an important role in functioning of the bladder. However, new developments in medical devices allow imaging at the cellular and molecular level, paving the way for earlier diagnosis and treatment by pelvic floor stimulation.Download Report Brochure @High prevalence of diseases such as urinary infection, neurological diseases, rising patient awareness, growing research and development initiatives, and increasing demand for electric stimulation devices such as electrodes and pacemakers are the major factors driving the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 17 million adults in the U.S. suffer from urinary incontinence, where women are twice affected as compared to men. Nearly 35% of female Medicare beneficiaries and 25% of male beneficiaries are estimated to suffer from urinary incontinence. Cost of reagents and sensitivity toward electrical impulses from the devices used during treatment are expected to hamper the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market from 2016 to 2024.The global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market has been segmented by device type, treatment, end-user, and geography. In terms of device type, the pelvic floor electrical stimulation market is classified into non-implantable electrical stimulator device and implantable electrical stimulator device. Based on treatment type, the market is classified into pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), intravaginal neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS). In terms of end-user, the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market is classified into hospitals and ambulatory surgical units.The non-implantable device type segment is projected to witness strong growth driven by increase in urinary incontinence among the population, rising number of elderly women, and obesity. The Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing 2016 has conducted a study to evaluate the effect of intravaginal neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women with multiple sclerosis disease in order to compare the efficacy of the approaches.Request for TOC @Geographically, the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market is classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market due to increasing number of elderly women, rising obesity, and urinary infection rates. Early-phase diagnosis and treatment of disease is driving the medical biotechnology market, which in turn is expected to propel the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market in North America.Europe is the second largest market for pelvic floor electrical stimulation devices due to favorable government policies regarding improvement of health standards for women and awareness programs by NHS and other health institutions. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a higher rate due to rising population, changing lifestyle, aging population, and increasing per capita expenditure. In addition, economic growth has led to improvement in health care infrastructure in developing countries such as India, China, and southeast Asia. These factors collectively support the growth of the pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market in Asia Pacific.Obtain Report Details @Major players operating in the global pelvic floor electrical stimulation device market include Boston Scientific, Coloplast A/S, C. R. Bard, Inc., and Ethicon, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
SlideCamp Celebrates the PowerPoint Revolution!

SlideCamp Celebrates the PowerPoint RevolutionSay bye bye to the blah blah and hello the aha!SlideCamp is a newly all-encompassing solution to making everydaybusiness presentations simple for entire workforces.SlideCamp is an online platform which has been created as a responseto corporate needs in presentations. Keeping the quality, quantity, andusability of presentations has been a constant struggle for businesses formany years, but no more. We have just finished testing our presentationupload, sharing and searching functions, and are thrilled to announce thatthe whole platform is now live!Were a team of presentation people, who were designing presentationsfor the likes of TED, LEGO, and BCG, until we saw the bigger issue.There are thousands of companies all around the world who settle forlackluster presentations. They settle because there is no other solution outthere, and hiring a team of presentation designers to deal with everypresentation made in the company seems a bit mad.This team agrees, so we made a solution. One logical step for us, a giantleap for presentation kind. A simple place for sharp presentation slides tolive, and a logical place for presentations to be uploaded and seen byeveryone who needs them. Branded, unbranded, and completely flexible,our ultimate slide library is what every single company needs to getbranding, marketing, sales, and every other department bang on track.Death by PowerPoint has died a double death says our CEO, and wereexcited to see so many more Aha moments when we make even morebusinesses rocket up their productivity across the board with SlideCamp.SlideCamp is a new online platform empowering employees to build professional presentations.Our work has paid off, and we now have an incredible platform which we're thrilled to see saves companies time and money, whilst simply organising other areas which once seemed uncontrollable like PowerPoint storage and presentation sharing between teams.SlideCamp16192 Coastal Hwy,Lewes,Delaware 19958, USA
Personalized LASIK Surgery Market Detailed Analytical Overview by 2024

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LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a corrective eye surgery used to treat myopia, hypermetropia or astigmatism. LASIK surgery is rapidly gaining popularity to treat eye disorders as it is a permanent alternative to lifelong need of wearing spectacles or lenses. It is a type of refractive surgery in which the curvature of the corneal surface of the eye is altered or reshaped to correct the vision. In a LASIK surgery procedure a laser or microkeratome is used to raise the flap of the cornea and a part of the underlying tissue is removed. This procedure alters the way cornea focuses the incoming light ray on the retina of the eye leading to a clearer vision.Request Report for Table of Contents @Personalized or customized LASIK surgery is a safer version of the traditional LASIK procedure in which the latest laser vision technology is used to take 3-dimensional measurements of the individuals eye and enhances the ophthalmologists ability to re-shape the cornea. Personalized LASIK surgery detects the unique characteristics of each persons eyes and provide a more precise vision correction. This permits a more accurate, individualized vision rectification results to be achieved. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, around 34% of U.S. population uses glasses or lenses due to eye disorders. An estimated 25% of people around the world opt for laser eye sight correction surgeries. Improvement of technologically innovative devices presenting high sensitivity and speed, increasing demand for minimally invasive surgeries, user-friendliness and owing to associated benefits such as short surgery time, and side effects etc. are anticipated to drive the market for personalized LASIK surgeries. Moreover, the personalized LASIK surgery market is also driven by the incidence and prevalence rate of vision related disorders. Additionally, benefits such as cost effectiveness, fewer side effects and less complications are also driving patients towards opting for this treatment.The global personalized LASIK surgery market is segmented on the basis of surgery type, indication and regional presence:Segmentation based on surgery typeWavefront-guided LASIKWavefront-optimized LASIKTopography-guided LASIKSegmentation based on indicationMyopiaHyperopiaAstigmatismPersonalized LASIK is a cutting-edge technology because it has the potential to improve the optical sharpness measured by the standard 20/20 eye chart, but also the precision, in terms of contrast sensitivity and fine detail. This also leads to a reduced risk of post-surgery difficulties, such as glare, halos, etc. With the increasing incidences of vision disorders personalized LASIK surgery market is increasing very rapidly. Moreover significant increase in the healthcare spending and rise in disposable income will boost the personalized LASIK surgery market during the forecast period.Geographically the personalized LASIK surgery market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA region.High affordability in North America makes the region major market for personalized LASIK surgery. North America followed by Europe are currently leading in the personalized LASIK surgery market as high lifestyle pattern and awareness in these region and availability of all the types of minimally invasive advanced customized LASIK surgeries. The Personalized LASIK surgery market in Asia Pacific is expected to deliver tremendous growth due to the growth in per capita income in Asian countries and increase in procedure awareness. With the growing access of public with healthcare professional and expanding economy china is expected to be the fastest growing market for Personalized LASIK surgery.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some major companies in the Personalized LASIK surgery market are Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), Bausch & Lomb, Carl Zeiss, Inc., and Nidek, Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Multiple Reaction Monitoring Assay Market to Witness Comprehensive Growth by 2016 - 2024

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Global Multiple Reaction Monitoring Assay Market: SnapshotThe global multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) assay market is anticipated to experience a strong push forward in demand with the requirement of the technique to detect proteins and peptides in biological specimens. However, the detection of small molecules is performed with the help of this technique in case of clinical specimens. While the MRM technique allows for greater selectivity of proteins within a specimen, the conventional mass spectrometric technique detects all proteins within the specimen, which does not serve the purpose of selective detection. The MRM approach could prove to be crucial for researchers to calibrate and adjust an instrument for the detection of specifically interested proteins.View Report:Even though MRM techniques are usually combined with mass spectrometry (MS), the former provides improved detection speed, sensitivity, and specificity in a wide scope of analyte concentration. Western Europe countries, in particular, are expected to set the tone for a valuable growth in the global MRM assay market on the back of a surging count of installed systems and institutes that hold a significant relation with biology researches. North America could follow Western Europe at close quarters with a rise in the demand for assay products contributing toward the growth of the region. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is also predicted to add to the growth of the worldwide market for MRM assay.Human cardiovascular MRM, custom MRM, human cancer MRM, and human discovery assays could be some of the prominent markets by type, whereas biomarker assessment and MRM-MS quality control are envisaged to be key usages.Global Multiple Reaction Monitoring Assay Market: OverviewMultiple reaction monitoring (MRM) is an extremely selective and sensitive method of analyzing small molecules. This targeted method is used for the quantitation of peptides or protein fragments in complex biological samples. The MRM platform technology enables targeted filtering of specific proteins instead of going through massive amounts of data resulting from nontargeted studies. This powerful method for the quantitative measurement of target proteins has emerged as a principal tool in research methodologies today.Request a Brochure of the Report @Multiple reaction monitoring assays can be of various types: Human discovery assay, custom multiple reaction monitoring assays, human cancer multiple reaction monitoring assays, and human cardiovascular multiple reaction monitoring assays. These are used in diagnostic centers, hospital centers, and research institutes for quality control and biomarker assessment. Geographically, the worldwide market for multiple reaction monitoring assays covers four key segments: Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World.The report serves as an ideal tool for both new and established players in the multiple reaction monitoring assay market, offering some of the best expansion strategies. The latest and most trusted business intelligence tools, such as the Porters Five Forces analysis model, have been employed to give readers a 360-degree overview of the multiple reaction monitoring assay market and the various macro and micro trends impacting its trajectory. Apart from statistical and qualitative insights, the report also includes recommendations from industry experts.Global Multiple Reaction Monitoring Assay Market: Key Trends and OpportunitiesMultiple reaction monitoring has been used for several years now for the detection of peptides and proteins in clinical samples. Multiple reaction monitoring offers a host of benefits to researchers, including better sensitivity, improved speed of detection, greater selectivity, higher specificity, and the ability to adjust or calibrate the instrument to detect a specific protein of interest. These advantages have significantly boosted the global multiple reaction monitoring assay market. In addition, the surge in R&D in the field of biologics has contributed significantly to the worldwide multiple reaction monitoring assay market. The rising use of multiple reaction monitoring assays in research institutes, diagnostic centers, and hospitals has also driven the global market.Global Multiple Reaction Monitoring Assay Market: Region-wise Outlook and Competitive Landscape AssessmentGlobally, North America and Europe led the multiple reaction monitoring assay market. Countries in North America and those in Western Europe, such as Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K., have been contributing majorly to the multiple reaction monitoring assay market thanks to the increasing number of biology research institutes in the regions and the higher number of installed systems.Request For Discount On This Report @The most well-known companies in the global multiple reaction monitoring assay market include MRM Proteomics, Sigma Aldrich, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. These players, along with other prominent players, have been carefully examined in the research report based on key parameters such as company overview, recent developments, product portfolio, R&D, business strategies, and financial standing. The report also employs a SWOT analysis to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the leading players.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nucleic Acid Labeling Market to Undertake Strapping Growth During 2016 - 2026

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Nucleic acid labeling techniques has wide range of applications in Life sciences industry. Nucleic acid Labeling is mainly used to identify proteins, DNA and RNA by using various Labeling techniques. Currently multiple labels are available in the market for specific applications. Proper labeling technique strategy is the key to identify the specific molecules. Previously, market is more dominated by radioactive Labeling techniques. However, because of the safety concerns radioactive techniques are less preferred. Hence, non-radioactive Labeling techniques gaining traction to identify molecules specifically owing to their highly sensitive and safety concerns. In the non-radioactive category, Chemiluminescent and chemifluorescent techniques has replaced the use of radioactive molecules to identify the antibodies. Various companies are involved in developing the novel nucleic acid Labeling test kits for various applications. Majorly diagnostic companies are actively involved in developing the nucleic acid test kits. The nucleic acid Labeling is mainly dominated by the bigger players than medium and small playersRequest Report for Table of Contents @With increase in healthcare expenditure, personalized healthcare treatments, increase in Research and development expenditure and rise in research activities specifically in genomic research and disease diagnosis are the factors fueling growth of this market during the forecast year. However, less skilled professionals and costly process are the major factors hindering the growth of this market.Global the nucleic acid labeling market is divided into following:Based on product, the global nucleic acid labeling market is divided into followingReagents and KitsServicesBased on application, the global nucleic acid labeling market is divided into followingMicroarrayBlottingFISHIn Situ HybridizationDNA SequencingPCROther ApplicationBased on End user, the global nucleic acid labeling market is divided into followingDiagnostic centersResearch centersHospitalsBased on the product, the market was segmented into reagents and kits and Services. Among them, reagents and kits market will have the largest market share than the services due to their use in various diagnostic and research centers. Furthermore, increase in R & D expenditure also boosts the market during the forecast year.Based on the application, major market share was dominated by the DNA sequencing technique. It has many applications in identification of genetic disorders, tumors genetic variations and much more are fueling the growth of this market during the forecast period. In addition to that, increase in R & D projects are also one of the factors driving the growth of this market. Companies are interested in developing new generation DNA sequencing techniques that can provide rapid and efficient genomic sequencing than the conventional sequencingOn the basis of end user, nucleic acid Labeling market is segmented into Diagnostic centers, Research centers and Hospitals. Research centers occupies the major market share owing to increase in funding by government organizations to increase research activity and for the drug discovery purposes. Few companies are launching specific reagents and kits that can be used specifically for research purpose this shows the significance of the research centers impact in this nucleic acid labeling marketDepending on the geographic region, nucleic acid Labeling market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. North America accounts the major market share because of increase in personalized medicines, identifying the genetic modifications and therapeutic areas are the factors contributing the growth of this market during the forecast period. In future, emerging markets like China and Brazil are expected to have significant growth by the end of the forecast period.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Major players in the nucleic acid labeling market include Merck & Co., Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., New England Biolabs, F. Hoffmann La-Roche AG, Enzo Biochem, General Electric Company, Vector Laboratories, Promega Corporation and Agilent TechnologiesAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Greeting Cards Market 2018 Key Players: American Greetings, Hallmark Cards Inc., Visant Holding Corporation, Carlton Cards, Budget Greeting Cards, Party City.

Greeting Cards Market

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Greeting Cards Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Greeting Cards Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryThis report studies Greeting Cards in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringAmerican GreetingsHallmark Cards Inc.Visant Holding CorporationCarlton CardsBudget Greeting CardsParty CityPapyrusInternational GreetingsSimon ElvinAvanti PressJohn SandsArchiesUNICEFVintage Cards & CreationsWilliam ArthurCard ConnectionChild Rights And YouCurrentBy types, the market can be split intoEveryday CardsSeasonal CardsBy Application, the market can be split intoPersonal CareJewelryToysHome AccessoriesStationeryTabletopsBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request Sample Report @Table of ContentGlobal Greeting Cards Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Greeting Cards1.1 Definition and Specifications of Greeting Cards1.1.1 Definition of Greeting Cards1.1.2 Specifications of Greeting Cards1.2 Classification of Greeting Cards1.2.1 Everyday Cards1.2.2 Seasonal Cards1.3 Applications of Greeting Cards1.3.1 Personal Care1.3.2 Jewelry1.3.3 Toys1.3.4 Home Accessories1.3.5 Stationery1.3.6 Tabletops1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Greeting Cards2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Greeting Cards2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Greeting Cards2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Greeting Cards3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Greeting Cards3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Greeting Cards Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Greeting Cards Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Greeting Cards Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Greeting Cards Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Greeting Cards Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Greeting Cards Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Greeting Cards Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Greeting Cards Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Greeting Cards Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Greeting Cards Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Greeting Cards Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Greeting Cards Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Greeting Cards Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Greeting Cards Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Greeting Cards Market Share Analysis5.2 China Greeting Cards Market Analysis5.2.1 China Greeting Cards Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Greeting Cards Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Greeting Cards Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Greeting Cards Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Greeting Cards Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Greeting Cards Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Greeting Cards Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Greeting Cards Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Greeting Cards Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Greeting Cards Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 Greeting Cards Market Share Analysis5.6 India Greeting Cards Market Analysis5.6.1 India Greeting Cards Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 Greeting Cards Market Share Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of Greeting Cards Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of Greeting Cards Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 Everyday Cards of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Seasonal Cards of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor Analysis7 Global 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2012-2017E Greeting Cards Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application of Greeting Cards Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application of Greeting Cards Product Driving Factors Analysis7.3.1 Personal Care of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.2 Jewelry of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.3 Toys of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.4 Home Accessories of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.5 Stationery of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.6 Tabletops of Greeting Cards Growth Driving Factor AnalysisContinuousFor further information on this report, visit Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. 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Antidote Market to Perceive Substantial Growth During 2016 - 2024

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The use of Antidotes is since the early history of medicine. Antidote is agent that counters the effects of poison or over dosage by another drug. It helps in neutralizing the dangerous effects of a poison in body and has scientific approaches that have been taken to assess the therapeutic value of antidotes. Most important development are related to the role of antidotes in the management of poisoning cases that have incurred in past few years. Various studies for instances, toxicodynamic and toxicokinetic is expected to help in improving the approach taken for the development and evaluation of antidotes. In addition due to increasing global concern for the effectiveness of antidotes has resulted in the exchange of knowledge, scientific information and clinical experience between health care professionals and scientists from different parts of the world. The evolution of antidotal therapy has been characterized with the help of new antidotes such as monoclonal antibodies, also by accurate scientific approach for the effectiveness and the complications that may occur, by novel applications of existing pharmaceuticals, and by increased cooperation and collaboration at global level.Request Report for Table of Contents @According to the World Health Organization (WHO) it is projected per year there more than 5 Mn people globally are bitten by snakes, out of which around 100,000 develop severe sequelae. In India mortality is around 30,000 and in the U.S. it was around 50,000 cases of bites out of which 7,000 cases were by venomous snakes. Some key factors such as rising awareness and studies that are conducted for development in identifying toxins in venom bites that by government and companies for better knowledge of these drugs and antidotes is likely to drive the growth of antidote market over forecast period. Identification of snakes is highly important so as to know whether it is snake- specific anti-venoms which are less hazardous as compared to polyvalent anti-venoms. However antidote market has some restraints such as low product of anti-venoms due to rising prices of anti-venoms repressed demand resulting the treatment has declined significantly or even disappeared in some areas is expected to hinder the growth of the antidote market.The global antidote market is segmented on the basis of antidote type, route of administration, and regional presence:Segmentation based on Antidote Type:Chemical AntidotesPhysical AntidotesPharmacological AntidotesSegmentation based on Route of Administration:OrallyCapsules/TabletsSyrupInjectableRise in the incidence of snake bites is expected to boost the antidote market over the forecast period. In addition with better awareness among general population, significance of this condition and better understanding of these antidotes is expected to drive the antidote market during the forecast period.Geographically the antidote market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA region.MEA followed by Asia Pacific is dominating the antidote market as high number of cases found in these regions. According to WHO in Africa there are around 1 Mn snake bites annually with 50,000 in need of treatment, 25,000 deaths and another 25,000 permanent disabilities. This is majorly due to poor reliable reporting system in these regions and failure to report the injury to health care facilities, these numbers are uncertain. In Asia Pacific region the antidote market is expected to deliver significant growth owing to high population density and extensive agricultural activities, this is expected to boost the demand for antidote market over the forecast period. However unsatisfactory market growth in the region such as Latin America owing to lack of functional snake bite control programs and snake bite management is unsatisfactory in this region. North America and Europe is expected to deliver healthy growth due to increasing knowledge of snake venoms composition, sufficient product of anti-venoms and better knowledge of clinical features of envenoming.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some of the companies in the Antidote market are Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc, AstraZeneca, Novartis International AG, Eli Lilly and Company and othersAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Award Winning Florida Author Donna Louis, Author Of New Christian Book 'Miracles Of Direction', To Donate All Proceeds To March For Our Lives Organization

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Multi-award winning Florida author Donna Louis has announced that 'Miracles of Direction' is now available at discounted pricing. She will be donating 100% of the net proceeds to the March For Our Lives organization."I strongly believe in what the young people of Florida are attempting to do by creating their own miracle," Louis stated. "The reduced pricing on 'Miracles Of Direction' may help encourage readers to easily participate in helping Florida's kids make a difference."The book is available at Payhip.Donna Louis' book, 'Miracles of Direction, Miracles of Conquest, Miracles of Provision and Miracles of Purpose' explores biblical miracles that took place while Jesus was here on earth. She then references with miracles that take place on a daily basis in the modern world. She separates these miracles into four categories and presents insightful example of each type, taken directly from the Bible.Louis knows her subject well, as she has personally experienced four miracles. As the result of those life-altering experiences, she began an in-depth study of some of Christianity's most well-documented miracles. In her book, she attempts to expand upon and explain both the purpose and the direction of those miracles.Louis has also announced the upcoming release of her latest Christian book, 'Book of Proverbs, Wisdom vs Wilderness'.'Book of Proverbs  Wisdom vs. Wilderness' delves into the need for gaining greater wisdom. The primary purpose of the Book of Proverbs is to teach wisdom to everyone. The Book of Proverbs provides intellectual depth and insights and exceptional wisdom on how to live a fortunate and tranquil life by honoring and respecting God as omnipotent.The newest book discusses all chapters in Proverbs 1-31 and brings insight, clarity, and basic meaning to several verses in each chapter to solidify why wisdom is essential and mandatory in life, so readers can live a blessed life versus living a life that is destitute, empty, and obsolete. It is scheduled for release in 2018.Louis was chosen as a winner in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' awards contest. 'Miracles' has also received rave reviews from readers. One review called it "amazing, uplifting and inspirational". Another stated, "I was profoundly impressed by the writing."Louis has been nominated for the Top Female Author Award in 2018. The worldwide contest presents nominees from countries all over the world including Australia, Barbados, Canada, Croatia, France, Mexico, Netherlands, the UK and the United States.Donna will be donating 100% of proceeds from sales of her books from Payhip to March For Our Lives until September 30, 2018. She is also now making her book available to both hurricane relief organizations and Christian organizations to be used as a fundraising tool. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the e-book may be donated to those organizations that qualify. Churches and other charitable organizations are welcome to contact Donna using the information below to discuss the details of the program.Donna Louis is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below, or by email at louistolouis@aol.com. More information is available at her website. Miracles Of Direction is available at online retail book outlets. More information is available at her website.Donna Louis is happily married to her husband of 30 years Patrick Louis and currently resides in Florida. She lives to accomplish the task that God created her for and on a daily basis to follow Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."PO Box 1613Shallotte, NC 28459
Demand of Firefighting Chemicals Market Size, Technology Review, Key Manufacturers, Growth Factors, Supply, Latest Rising Trend & Forecast to 2025

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Firefighting Chemicals Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Global Firefighting Chemicals Market: OverviewThe global firefighting chemicals market is benefitting from rising safety concerns and adoption of necessary measures to combat accidental fires. Governmental agencies in several parts of the world have laid safety regulations that necessitate residential and commercial buildings to be equipped with basic firefighting apparatus to protect life and property in the event of an eventuality.The report segregates the global firefighting chemicals market as per extinguisher type, chemical type, and region.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report is a meticulous compilation of key aspects that are important to chart the growth trajectory of the global firefighting chemicals market. Each aspect is analyzed at length to provide a satisfactory analysis of the markets future.Global Firefighting Chemicals Market: Trends and OpportunitiesFactors such as rising industrialization and movement of people from rural to urban areas for work opportunities have led to the construction of high skyscrapers for commercial and residential needs. These high-rise buildings, however, are prone to accidents, and a minor electrical breakdown or short circuit could result in a massive fire. This is necessitating the installation of fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, hoses, and reels in high-rise buildings to prevent loss of life and property in the event of accidental fires.Increasing adoption of fire safety measures that have been mandated by governments and regulatory agencies in several parts of the world are likely to propel the firefighting chemicals market. For instance, dry chemicals based fire extinguishers are used against fires as they help to remove two vertices of the fire triangle. Dry chemicals are used to remove heat or fuel from other components of the fire. Dry chemicals are used for class A fire (ordinary combustibles such as cloth, wood, or plastics), class B fire, class C fire, and class D fire (metal fires).View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Rapid urbanization leading to a soaring number of restaurants and eating joints is also benefitting the firefighting chemicals market. Wet chemicals are used to extinguish class K fires (greases and cooking oils) to remove the heat of fire triangles in commercial cooking operations Foams are also used for fire extinguishing to interrupt oxygen supply. Foams are of various types such as class A foams, synthetic foams, class B foams, and protein foams.In industrial operations, mandates for fire safety to protect loss of life and property is also favoring the firefighting chemicals market. Carbon dioxide is used to extinguish fires in inflammable liquids and electrical equipment such as motors and transformers. Potassium bicarbonate is anticipated to emerge as a key chemical type segment in the firefighting chemicals market.Browse Report @Global Firefighting Chemicals Market: Geographical AnalysisThe global firefighting chemicals market is examined across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Of them, Asia Pacific is anticipated to account for significant revenue contribution to the overall market during the forecast period. North America and Europe firefighting chemicals market are likely to surge at an impressive pace owing to the continual construction of new high-rise buildings that need to be equipped with fire safety apparatus.On the other hand, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa firefighting chemicals market are likely to display sluggish growth due to lack of fire safety regulations for commercial and residential buildings and lack of knowledge regarding the importance of fire safety equipment in high-rise buildings to combat accidental fires.About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @
Glutathione Market Research 2018-2025: Global Industry Top Players (Kyowa Hakko Bio, Shandong Jincheng Biological Pharmaceutical, Kohjin Life Sciences and Shenzhen GSH Bio-tech)

Glutathione Market

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In this report, the Global Glutathione Market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Glutathione in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), covering North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaLooking For More Information on This Market? Get Free Sample Report @Global Glutathione market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including Kyowa Hakko Bio Shandong Jincheng Biological Pharmaceutical Kohjin Life Sciences Shenzhen GSH Bio-tech Kaiping Genuine Biochemical PharmaceuticalOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Glutathione Reduced Glutathione OxidizedOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including Pharmaceuticals Health Products Cosmetics Food OtherThe report is available on discount for a limited time only @Table of Content1 Glutathione Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Glutathione1.2 Glutathione Segment by Type (Product Category)1.3 Global Glutathione Segment by Application1.4 Global Glutathione Market by Region (2013-2025)2 Global Glutathione Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Glutathione Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Glutathione Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Glutathione Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3 Global Glutathione Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Glutathione Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Glutathione Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Glutathione Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)4 Global Glutathione Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Glutathione Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Glutathione Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Glutathione Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Glutathione Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Glutathione Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Glutathione Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Glutathione Price by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Glutathione Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Glutathione Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Glutathione Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities7 Global Glutathione Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Kyowa Hakko Bio7.2 Shandong Jincheng Biological Pharmaceutical7.3 Kohjin Life Sciences7.4 Shenzhen GSH Bio-tech7.5 Kaiping Genuine Biochemical Pharmaceutical8 Glutathione Manufacturing Cost Analysis8.1 Glutathione Key Raw Materials Analysis8.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure8.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Glutathione9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9.1 Glutathione Industrial Chain Analysis9.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing9.3 Raw Materials Sources of Glutathione Major Manufacturers in 2017Looking for more insights from this report? @About Research for Markets:Research for Markets indulges in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa.Our purpose is to serve you, the most customized in-depth Market access data. Our plethora of titles made us one of the most searched market research library across the globe. We work with the most esteemed Publishers around the globe who caters vast industries. We are quick and fragile, when it comes to your various queries, and we ensure our team caters your needs to the best of our abilities, we promise to stay by your side for both pre and post sales servicing, as we believe in long everlasting symbiotic relationship.Contact:Mr. A NaiduResearch for MarketsTel: +44 8000-4182-37 (UK)Email: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.com
Nested Box Market Technical Development, Market Trends, Top Vendors, Regions, Forecast 2025 - New Era Overseas, Shantou Honry Crafts Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Yifeng Paper Products Co., Ltd.

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Nested Box Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Global Nested Box Market: IntroductionThe global nested box market tracks the sales of cardboard and corrugated nested boxes supplied by manufacturers for packaging of wide range of business and consumer goods. Nested boxes have emerged as preferred packaging choice for retail gifts and other consumer packaging. Nested boxes are manufactured in varying sizes depending on end user requirement and product specifications. Manufacturers operating in the global nested box market supply nested box packaging solutions that vary in size, colour, printing capabilities and design.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Nested Box Market: Market DynamicsNested box for packaging of retail gifts and consumer goods are sold prominently through business to business as well as online sales channels. Growth in online retailers and online packaging suppliers have fuelled the growth for the global nested box market.Nested box made of corrugated material are popularly preferred for packaging of heavier and large size objects. Corrugated material allows nested box manufacturers to supply nested box in multiple size and design range. Flexibility in production capabilities has allowed manufacturers, suppliers and retailers of nested box to capture wide range of end users operating in diverse consumer goods segment.The global market for nested box is witnessing sustained preference for corrugated and cardboard material segment due to flexibility in production capabilities. The global market for nested box also includes manufacturers supplying nested box made of plastic material apart from corrugated and cardboard material. The plastic material segment of the global nested box market is expected to register high year on year growth in the immediate years.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Nested box in the global market are supplied in varied design type. The global market for nested box market is segmented by product type into magnetic closure nested box, two piece nested box, telescopic nested box, hinge lid nested box, and folding carton nested box and other nested box. Telescopic nested box supplied in the global nested box market contributes significantly to the overall market revenue as telescopic boxes are highly preferred for the packaging of gifts and consumer goods.Visual quality and attractiveness of nested box plays a vital role in the overall demand generated in the global market. Manufacturers operating in the global nested box market are therefore investing considerably in the printing and laminating capabilities. Printing technology and raw material capabilities of the manufacturers determine the visual quality of the nested box supplied in the global nested box manufacturers.Global Nested Box Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global nested box market is segmented into 7 key regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, and Middle East and Africa (MEA).Browse Report @Global Nested Box Market: Key PlayersSome of the players operating in the nested box market include York Container Company, Qin Sen Apparel Packaging Company, New Era Overseas, Shantou Honry Crafts Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Yifeng Paper Products Co., Ltd., Chengdu A Box Trade Co., Ltd., Forest Packging Group Stock Corporation, Shenzhen Senyu Package Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Fashion Packing Products Factory and BoxCo Industries Inc.About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @
Luxury Hotel Market Research 2018-2025: Global Industry Top Industry Players (Marriott International, Hilton, Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Marriott), Hyatt Hotels and Four Seasons Holdings Inc.)

Luxury Hotel Market

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This report studies the Global Luxury Hotel Market, analyzes and researches the Luxury Hotel development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, like Marriott International Hilton Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Marriott) Hyatt Hotels Four Seasons Holdings Inc. Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC Mandarin Oriental International Limited The Indian Hotels Company Limited Jumeirah International LLC Kerzner International Resorts, Inc. ITC Hotels LimitedLooking For More Information on This Market? Get Free Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States EU Japan China India Southeast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split into Business Hotel Suite Hotel Airport Hotel Resorts HotelMarket segment by Application, Luxury Hotel can be split into Room F&B SPA OthersThe report is available on discount for a limited time only @Table of Content1 Industry Overview of Luxury Hotel1.1 Luxury Hotel Market Overview1.2 Global Luxury Hotel Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.3 Luxury Hotel Market by Type1.4 Luxury Hotel Market by End Users/Application2 Global Luxury Hotel Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Luxury Hotel Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Marriott International3.2 Hilton3.3 Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Marriott)3.4 Hyatt Hotels3.5 Four Seasons Holdings Inc.3.6 Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd.3.7 InterContinental Hotels Group PLC3.8 Mandarin Oriental International Limited3.9 The Indian Hotels Company Limited3.10 Jumeirah International LLC3.11 Kerzner International Resorts, Inc.3.12 ITC Hotels Limited4 Global Luxury Hotel Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)4.1 Global Luxury Hotel Market Size by Type (2013-2018)4.2 Global Luxury Hotel Market Size by Application (2013-2018)4.3 Potential Application of Luxury Hotel in Future5 United States Luxury Hotel Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Luxury Hotel Market Size (2013-2018)5.2 United States Luxury Hotel Market Size and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)5.3 United States Luxury Hotel Market Size by Application (2013-2018)6 EU Luxury Hotel Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Luxury Hotel Market Size (2013-2018)6.2 EU Luxury Hotel Market Size and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)6.3 EU Luxury Hotel Market Size by Application (2013-2018)7 Japan Luxury Hotel Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Luxury Hotel Market Size (2013-2018)7.2 Japan Luxury Hotel Market Size and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)7.3 Japan Luxury Hotel Market Size by Application (2013-2018)8 China Luxury Hotel Development Status and Outlook8.1 China Luxury Hotel Market Size (2013-2018)8.2 China Luxury Hotel Market Size and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)8.3 China Luxury Hotel Market Size by Application (2013-2018)9 India Luxury Hotel Development Status and Outlook9.1 India Luxury Hotel Market Size (2013-2018)9.2 India Luxury Hotel Market Size and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)9.3 India Luxury Hotel Market Size by Application (2013-2018)10 Southeast Asia Luxury Hotel Development Status and Outlook10.1 Southeast Asia Luxury Hotel Market Size (2013-2018)10.2 Southeast Asia Luxury Hotel Market Size and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)10.3 Southeast Asia Luxury Hotel Market Size by Application (2013-2018)Looking for more insights from this report? @About Research for Markets:Research for Markets indulges in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa.Our purpose is to serve you, the most customized in-depth Market access data. Our plethora of titles made us one of the most searched market research library across the globe. We work with the most esteemed Publishers around the globe who caters vast industries. We are quick and fragile, when it comes to your various queries, and we ensure our team caters your needs to the best of our abilities, we promise to stay by your side for both pre and post sales servicing, as we believe in long everlasting symbiotic relationship.Contact:Mr. A NaiduResearch for MarketsTel: +44 8000-4182-37 (UK)Email: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.com
Glass Ceramics Market Future Demand & Growth Analysis with Forecast up to 2025

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Global Glass Ceramics Market: OverviewThe global glass ceramics market is prognosticated to find housing and construction as a larger end-user industry since ceramic abrasives and ceramic tiles are extensively engaged for exterior and interior applications. A crystallized variety of glass ceramic, Neoparium could easily weather harsh environments and is impermeable to liquids. With that being said, glass ceramics also find applications in medical, electrical, optical, and aerospace industries, indicating a bright future of the market. There could be a steady growth in the demand for glass ceramics in the medical industry with the rise in the number of osteoporosis cases on the global platform.Request Report Brochure @The global glass ceramics market could be classified as per end-user industry and type of material. According to experienced analysts, housing and construction is predicted to grab a larger share of the market.The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the global glass ceramics market with key aspects such as market segmentation, market size, and market share taken into consideration. It provides a perspective on various market threats and opportunities along with a study on key trends that could influence growth in the near future. Furthermore, it offers a detailed profiling of important market players.Global Glass Ceramics Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe world glass ceramics market is foreseen to gain impetus due to the boom in the construction industry and the rising demand therein. Compared to other types of materials, glass ceramics cost less. Moreover, they help to reduce sound and find important applications in industrial and commercial sectors. In the aerospace industry, glass ceramics are currently used in nosecones of high-end aircrafts and missiles. They are required to withstand harsh conditions resulting from atmospheric reentry, erosion, and rain. As a result, they are employed in the aerospace industry owing to their combination of properties such as excellent abrasion resistance and high mechanical strength.Read Report Overview @The growing manufacture of antennas for Wi-Fi applications and mobile phones in the electronics industry could bode well for the demand for glass ceramics. Antennas with glass ceramics and copper exhibit a high response to frequencies and offer improved performance. Glass ceramics are surveyed to be choice materials for the semiconductor sector as well. This could be because of their outstanding conducting and insulating properties.Global Glass Ceramics Market: Regional OutlookThe swelling demand for glass ceramics in the construction industry is anticipated to augur well for the growth of the international glass ceramics market in Asia Pacific. By the end of the forecast period 2017-2025, this region could secure a dominating share of the market. Players could expect new prospects taking birth on the back of the speedily growing education and healthcare industries. A massive consumption of implantable devices is projected to take place in the healthcare industry due to the increase in the geriatric population. Nonetheless, the market is predicted to see expansion in Europe and North America due to the impressive growth in the medical and electronics industries.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Frozen Yogurt Market Analysis Report 2018, Leading Players Updates | Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, Pinkberry, General Mills, Amul and Yogurtland Franchising | Worldwide Industry Research Report

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Market Overview:Global Frozen Yogurt Market is projected to grow at the CAGR of 14.5%. The innovation in flavors has a positive impact on the growth of frozen yogurt as a frozen dessert. Sale of frozen yogurt amongst the health conscious consumers experiencing a high surge based on the high nutrient value obtained from it. Frozen yogurt provide fair amount of protein content which is supporting the increase in its market value globally. Shift in consumption pattern due to urbanization has resulted in higher consumption of frozen yogurt fueling up the market share.Changing lifestyle and increasing disposable income of the consumers has influenced the growth of Frozen Yogurt market. The higher demand for low-calorie food products is driving the market for frozen yogurt as they have low-calorie content. Mainly, increasing health consciousness amongst the consumers is having a positive impact on the growth of frozen yogurt market share. Key Players from U.S. are following strategies of merger and acquisition of small players, also they have planned strategic expansion to spread their business in various other regions due to high demand of the product. Spain and Italy are amongst the major key players exporting frozen yogurt to various countries.Receive a Sample Report @Regional Analysis:The Global Frozen Yogurt Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW). Among these North America region has the major market share followed by Europe. However, based on the improving economic conditions amongst various countries of Asia-Pacific region, the consumption of frozen yogurt is anticipated to experience a surge. Germany is the major exporters of frozen yogurt and exports to U.K., France, Italy, Brazil, Netherlands and Belgium. In addition, U.K., Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium are considered the major importers of frozen yogurt.Major Key Players:This report includes a study of strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, product launches by the major frozen yogurt market players. It further includes product portfolios, developments of leading major players which includesYogurtland Franchising, Inc. (U.S.)TCBY (U.S.)Red Mango, Inc (U.S.)16 Handles (U.S.)Danone (France)Menchie's Frozen Yogurt (U.S.)Pinkberry (U.S.)General Mills, Inc. (U.S.)Amul (India)Frozen Yogurt Market is segmented on the basis of product-type, flavor, specialty food-type, distribution channel and region. Based on the product-type the frozen Greek-yogurt segment is found to be escalating at a high CAGR. Amongst the various available flavors, plain and strawberry is calculated to be dominating the segment.Key Findings:Low-calorie frozen yogurt is escalating at a higher growth rate than other specialty food-type segmentsTop five exporters of frozen yogurt include U.S., France, Germany, Spain and AustriaAccess Report Details @Market Segments:Frozen yogurt product has been segmented on the basis of product-type which comprises Frozen Greek Yogurt and Frozen Regular Yogurt. Amongst these two segments, frozen Greek-yogurt is experiencing a high growth rate based on the nutrient values.Frozen yogurt product has been segmented on the basis of flavors which comprises plain, strawberry, banana, berries and other. Plain flavor is found to be consumed more as compared to other flavors.Frozen yogurt has been segmented on the basis of specialty food-type which comprises gluten-free, lactose-free, low-fat, low-calorie and others. Low-calories segment is projected to grow at a high CAGR.Frozen yogurt has been segmented on the basis of distribution channel which comprises hypermarket and supermarket, convenience stores, retailers, specialty stores and others. Sale through hypermarket and supermarkets is evaluated to hold a major share amongst the distribution channel.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Hybrid dry coolers: a water-saving cooling solution

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Closed-loop process cooling systems are gaining attention among a growing number of industries with the introduction of more stringent regulations on water use and increasing costs for water purchase and discharge. A hybrid cooling system where the dry cooling and evaporative cooling technologies are taken together is an attractive alternative to open-loop cooling towers in terms of both water saving and efficiency.The basic operating principle of the hybrid dry cooler is rejecting the heat by means of latent, or evaporative, heat transfer. In a typical dry cooler system, the closed-loop fluid is cooled by sensible heat transfer and the approach temperature of a dry cooler is based on the dry bulb, while in a hybrid dry cooler equipped with evaporative cooling pads its approach temperature is based on the wet bulb which takes into account the moisture in the air stream and which is always lower than the dry bulb temperature. The warmer the climate, the more the efficiency of using hybrid dry coolers. Hybrid dry coolers are also a cost-effective technology for water conservation compared to water-intensive open-loop cooling systems where the water is constantly exposed to the ambient air.In order to fulfill the customer demand for efficient, water-conserving cooling systems, Kaltra launched a family of dry coolers with integrated direct evaporative pads to pre-cool the ambient air before entering the cooling coils. Evaporative media is made from finned aluminium and ensures the high evaporation efficiency, as well as the constant media pad cleanliness  a common problem the users face with cellulose-based evaporative media. At an air velocity of 2.0m/s, the saturation efficiency of the new evaporative media reaches 90 percent, compared to about 70 percent efficiency for cellulose-based media.For small-to-medium installations, Kaltra offers evaporative dry coolers from its new Bora series, while Jumbo series fluid coolers are intended for large-scale applications. Both Bora and Jumbo dry coolers utilize microchannel air-to-water heat exchangers, thus offering high heat transfer rates and optimized fan power consumption thanks the low air pressure drops. Microchannel heat exchangers are made from the new long-life aluminium alloys which ensure the highest level of corrosion resistance. Additional coil protection (e-coating) for the seashore installations, or installations in high-polluted areas is also available as an option. Jumbo series dry coolers can also be equipped with an automatic heat exchanger cleaning system.Kaltra is a HVAC engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in Germany. We offer a full spectre of innovative cooling products for industrial, commercial, and mission-critical applications, such as data centers, clean rooms, contaminant-free areas, processing plants, and other facilities where the reliability and energy efficiency are key factors. Kaltras cooling equipment range includes precision cooling systems, air-cooled, free cooling and water-cooled chillers, evaporative cooling solutions, dry coolers, and condensers.For more information on Kaltra and its products call +49 911 715-32021 or visitKaltra is a world-known innovative provider of cooling technologies and advanced cooling products for mission-critical applications, such as data centers, clean rooms, contaminant-free areas, processing plants, and other facilities where the reliability and energy efficiency are key factors. Kaltras cooling equipment range includes precision cooling systems, air-cooled and water-cooled chillers, evaporative cooling solutions, dry coolers, and condensers.Max-Reger-Str. 4490571 SchwaigGermany
Smart Lock Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 72% during the forecast period 2015 to 2022

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According to Publisher, the Global Smart Lock Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 72% during the forecast period 2015 to 2022. Rising demand for dynamic unlocking mechanism is a primary factor fostering the market. Some of the key factors that drive the market growth include growing awareness regarding safe home solutions, stable growth in portable connected smart devices and rising demand for secure locks. However, threat from phones as its assistance being hacked and issues associated with high R&D costs are creating hurdles in the market growth. Moreover, home access and cloud based lock management solutions are likely to present considerable growth opportunities in this market.For more information @Some of the key vendors in this market include Avent Security, Kwikset Company, Okidokeys, Sheorey Digital Systems Pvt. Ltd., Smart Locking Logic, Cansec System, Mul-T-Lock Company, Schlage, SentriLock, Weiser Lock, AT&T Intellectual Property, Lowe's Companies, Inc., UniKey Technologies, Inc., Comcast Corp. and Yale Real Living.Product Types Covered:- Wi-Fi-Based Smart Lock- Bluetooth-Based Smart LockSub Markets Covered:- Port Security- Casino Management- Data Center Security- Physical Security- Energy SecuritySub Products Covered:- Keypads- Motion Sensor- Touch ScreenLock Types Covered:- Lever Handle- Deadbolt- Padlock- Other Lock TypesApplications Covered:- Enterprise- Critical Infrastructure- Residential- Hospitality- Other ApplicationsRequest Sample CopyRegions Covered:- North Americao USo Canadao Mexico- Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe- Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific- Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptMake an enquiry:Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Food Glazing Agents Market Share 2018 | Capol GmbH, Mantrose-Haeuser Co., Strahl & Pitsch, British Wax, Masterol Foods and Stearinerie Dubois | Industry Research Report

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Market Overview:The emerging market opportunities for food glazing agents appear to be conducive for the acceptance of convenience food in Europe and North America region.Food glazing agents are natural or synthetic substances to food to provide a waxy, homogeneous, glazed texture to prevent water loss and impart protection. These substances are considered as food additives which gives coating ability, binding capability and improves the visual appeal. Food glazing agents are used as food toppings in various bakery and confectionary products to improve the texture and appearance of cakes, biscuits, cookies, chocolates, toffees and other products. With the growing consumer awareness & their increasing interest in the appearance and texture of foods along with the multiple benefits of food glazing agents, the huge demand for food glazing agents will drive the market growth from 2017 to 2022.Also, with the growth of food additive market and advancement in food technology coupled with the innovation and introduction of new natural and organic products under the food glazing agents category has boosted the sales of food glazing agents. These factors have led to the adoption of the food glazing agents in various food applications such as processed foods and convenience foods manufacturing industries, among others. Also, the mounting growth of processed meat and sea food is expected to be one of the vital factors for the rising growth of food glazing agents during the forecast period. Moreover, the increasing application of paraffin wax in the packaging and cosmetics industry is propelling the sales of food glazing agents.Receive a Sample Report @Latest Industry Updates:October 2017 Capol GmbH acquired Colarome Inc. The acquisition aids the organization to strengthen the product portfolio and to increase the presence in North America region.July 2016 Capol GmbH launched CAPOL glazes which helps to protect the confectionery productsFebruary 2016 Mantrose Haeuser acquired Holton Food Products Company to make strong distribution channel In North AmericaCompetitive Analysis:Key manufacturers are focusing to enhance its brand name by arranging various promotional activities. The company has participated in various social media promotions, events and interaction with the consumers. The manufacturers have demonstrated their new product offerings in various events & exhibitions to attract the new customers. By this strategy the product of the company will be popular among the consumers which will aid to increase the overall profitability of the company.Moreover, the key players are emphasizing in the research & development process to introduce new product also to extend the product line. Key players are introducing new food glazing agents to increase the volume sales and to increase the overall revenue of the company. In addition, manufacturers focus on effective packaging design as it has noticeable impact on consumers shopping behavior. Packaging plays a significant role in product marketing for any business that makes or sells products and act as selling point for many consumers by delivering a sense of quality and reflect the products brand image.The key players profiled in food glazing agents are Capol GmbH (Germany), Mantrose-Haeuser Co., Inc. (U.S.), Strahl & Pitsch (U.S.), British Wax (U.K.), Masterol Foods (Australia), Stearinerie Dubois (France), and Koster Keunen (U.S.) among many others.Market Segments:Global Food Glazing Agents Market has been divided into source, type, application and RegionOn the Basis of Source: stearic acid, beeswax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, shellac, paraffin wax, and othersOn the Basis of Type: coating agents, surface-finishing agents, firming agents, film formers, and othersOn the Basis of Application: Bakery, confectionery, processed meat, poultry & fish, fruits & vegetables, functional foods, and othersOn the Basis of Region: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the WorldAccess Report Details @Regional Analysis:The global food glazing agents market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. Among all the region, Europe region is estimated to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period of 2017-2022. Germany is the major country in Asia Pacific which is accounting for approximately 28% market proportion in the year of 2017 and it is expected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period of 2017-2022. This is attributed to the high consumption of processed and convenience food products. Apart from that, increasing growth of processed meat in European countries is expected to fuel the sales of food glazing agents during the forecast period of 2017-2022. North America is estimated to account for the one fourth of market proportion of global food glazing agents market in the year of 2017. North America is also estimated to witness massive growth during the forecast period of 2017-2022. However, Asia Pacific region is projected to expand at a high pace during the forecast period of 2017-2022. The growth of food glazing agents market in Asia Pacific market is attributed to the increasing massive growth of bakery & confectionery industry coupled with the increasing disposable income of the consumers. Among the Asia Pacific countries, China is estimated to hold significant market proportion throughout the forecast period.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Construction Equipment Market is expected to reach $228.74 billion by 2022

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According to Publisher, the Global Construction Equipment market is expected to grow from $140.21 billion in 2015 to reach $228.74 billion by 2022 with a CAGR of 7.2%. Raising infrastructural activities around the globe, steady economic growth, and increasing investment activities from governments are the major factors fostering the market growth during the forecast period. In addition, rising population & rapid urbanization are the factors favouring the market growth. However, fluctuating construction material costs, environmental issues are hindering the market growth.By industry, public works & rail road segment commands the global market due to increasing investments from governments to develop infrastructure in their countries. By application, earth moving segment is anticipated to be a largest segment during the forecast period. Asia pacific is expected to dominate the global market with a higher CAGR over the forecast period. The growth is attributed to raising population & rapid urbanization, raising demand for better transportation and infrastructure.For more information @Some of the key players in global construction equipment market include AB Volvo, Atlas Copco AB, Caterpillar Inc., CNH Industrial, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd., Gemin Equipment and Rentals (GEAR), Guangxi Liugong Machinery, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited, Kobe Steel Ltd., Komatsu Ltd., Liebherr Group, Manitou Americas, Sany Heavy Industry, and Shantui Construction Machinery.Solutions Covered:- Serviceo Maintenanceo Rental- ProductEquipment Types Covered:- Backhoe Loader- Crawler Excavator- Crawler Loader- Crawler Dozer- RTLT-Telescopic- RTLT-Masted- Articulated Dump Truck- Asphalt Finisher- Motor Scraper- Motor Grader- Mini Excavators- Rigid Dump Truck- Skid-Steer Loader- Wheeled Loader >80 HP- Wheeled LoaderReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Thermal Energy Storage Market Research Report 2023  Highlighting opportunities, and supporting business strategic

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A recent report published by Infinium Global Research on thermal energy storage market provides in depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in global as well as regional markets of thermal energy storage market. The study also highlights the impact of drivers, restraints and macro indicators on the global and regional markets of thermal energy storage over the short term as well as long term. The report is a comprehensive presentation of trends, forecast and dollar values of global thermal energy storage market. According to report the global thermal energy storage market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% over the forecast period of 2017 - 2023.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Segments CoveredThe report on global thermal energy storage market covers segments such as application, end user, technology, and material. The application segments include power generation, district heating & cooling, and process heating & cooling. On the basis of end user the global thermal energy storage market is categorized into utility, residential & commercial, and industrial. Furthermore, on the basis of technology the thermal energy storage market is segmented as latent heat storage, thermo chemical storage, and sensible heat storage. On the basis of material the thermal energy storage market, is segmented as molten salt, water, phase change material (PCM), and Others.Geographic CoverageThe report provides regional analysis covering geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. In this section the key trends and market size for each geography is provided over the period of 2015  2023.The countries covered in the North America region include the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; while Asia-Pacific includes China, Japan, India, South Korea, Malaysia and among others. Moreover, European region covers countries such as Germany, UK, France, Spain, and rest of Europe. The U.S. drives the growth in the North America region as it is the largest market in the region. The Asia-pacific region offers a substantial potential for the market growth owing to rapid growth in markets such as India and China.Companies Profiled:The report provides profiles of the companies in the global thermal energy storage market such as, Abengoa Solar, Chicago Bridge & Iron, Baltimore Aircoil Company Inc., Calmac, Brightsource Energy Inc., Burns & Mcdonnell, Dc Pro Engineering Llc., Evapco Inc., Dn Tanks, and Caldwell Energy.For More Enquiry on This Report:Report Highlights:The report provides deep insights on demand forecasts, market trends and micro and macro indicators. In addition, this report provides insights on the factors that are driving and restraining the global thermal energy storage market. Moreover, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis given in the report brings an insight on the investment areas that existing or new market players can consider. The report provides insights into the market using analytical tools such as Porters five forces analysis and DRO analysis of thermal energy storage market.Moreover, the study highlights current market trends and provides forecast from 2017 to 2023. We also have highlighted future trends in the thermal energy storage market that will impact the demand during the forecast period. Moreover, the competitive analysis given in each regional market brings an insight on the market share of the leading players. Additionally, the analysis highlights rise and fall in the market shares of the key players in the market. This report will help manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of the thermal energy storage market to understand the present and future trends in this market and formulate their strategies accordingly.About UsInfinium Global Research and Consulting Solutions is started with a single motto of being business partner of first choice. We at Infinium work on the strengths of our clients to ensure we help them consolidate their market position. We firmly believe in the fact that if you are able to develop newer opportunities then you find there is no dearth of opportunities for you. With our strategic research approaches and deep dive in the market segments, we try to find out new opportunities that our clients can encash with their existing resources. Our experts with over 100 years of cumulative experience in research offer the best in the industry services to our clients to ensure that they achieve their business goals.Contact UsInfinium Global Research,Toll Free:U.S. + Canada: 1-800-638-0796,Website :Email: sales@infiniumglobalresearch.com
Hand Hygiene Agents Market latest Report with Forecast to 2016 - 2024

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Hand hygiene means to keep ones hands clean by washing hands (with soap and water), or disinfecting them with an antiseptic agent, using antiseptic handwash, antiseptic hand rub or surgical hand antisepsis to remove dirt, soil, and microorganism. Antiseptics has been recognized for more than 150 years as the single cost-effective and most prominent means of preventing hospital-acquired infection, as well as for reducing the spread of potential and deadly germs and hence risk of infections from the germs in the society which may lead to hospitalization. It is admissible in all expanse such as workplace, home, and schools. However, the importance of hand hygiene is very high in hospitals or other healthcare related setups.View Report:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World health organization (WHO) and other leading healthcare organizations has given the specific guidelines and indications for hand hygiene in healthcare. The CDC has estimated that hand hygiene reduces the number around 31% of people getting sick with diarrhea, 58% with weakened immune systems and 16-18% of respiratory illness like cold in the general population. Increase widespread of hand hygiene products will prevent infections and promote the patient's safety. There are different types of hand hygiene methods which include routine hand wash, antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub and surgical antisepsis. Preventing sickness by maintaining hand hygiene will reduce the antibiotics overuse and can also prevent people from getting sick with the germs which are resistant to antibiotics which can be difficult to treat.Request a Brochure of the Report @The healthcare-acquired infections (HCAI) prevention and control need is driving the hand hygiene market. While the outbreaks of several infectious diseases like a spread of diarrheal and respiratory illness in many countries offering positive growth for the market. Government initiatives are also contributing to the growth of this market by launching various awareness campaigns and programs such as SAR Hand Hygiene Campaign and SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual global campaign by WHO, which was focused on patient safety and reducing health care-associated infection.The Hand Hygiene Agent Market has been segmented on the basis of types of antiseptic agents used for washing hands in different expanses from household to heathcare sector and based on geographical regions. By types of antiseptic agents, the market has been divided into alcohols, chlorhexidine gluconate, iodine and iodophors, and quaternary ammonium compounds. An alcohol-based hand rub must contain at least 60% -95% alcohol for use in a healthcare settings for optimum results. The concentration of chlorhexidine in antiseptic hand wash should be at least 4%, while the maximum number of iodophor preparations in hand hygiene contain 7.5%10% povidone-iodine. The quaternary ammonium compounds have a slow speed of action and used only in combination with alcohols. Due to the efficiency and the ease of using the alcohol-based hand rubs it is expected to become most popular. The alcohol based antiseptics contributing for the major share in this market, followed by Chlorhexidine and iodine based antiseptics. The rate of healthcare-associated infections was lowered when adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices were improved and antiseptic hand washing was implemented.Request For Discount On This Report @On the basis of geographies, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Because of the high awareness towards hygiene, standard guideline, and proper training to the healthcare professional and general public, North America contributes for the highest share in this market. The Adoption of hand hygiene compliance monitoring (HHCM) devices in hospitals place Europe at the second position. Followed by Asia- Pacific and Rest of the world.The key players operating in the hand hygiene agents market are EcoHydra Technologies Ltd, GOJO Industries, Inc., Kutol Products Company, Inc., Deb Group, 3M Co., STERIS Corporation, Win-Medicare etc., are among other significant players worldwide. On the other hand, Kimberly-Clark Meritech are major companies in hygiene monitoring systems.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Market- Detailed Analysis and Forecast by 2023

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The report on global ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market is an in depth analysis of the segments and sub-segments in the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market. The report provides analysis for the global as well as regional markets over the period of 2015 to 2023. According to report the global ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period of 2017 - 2023.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Segments CoveredThe report on global ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market covers Segments such as form, application and end-use. The form segments include rods & tubes, sheets, polyolefin (PO) and others. On the basis of application the global ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market is categorized into membranes, fibers, medical grade & prosthetics, additives, batteries and others. Furthermore, on the basis of end-use the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene market is segmented as, mechanical equipment, aerospace, shipping, defense and others.Geographic CoverageThe report provides regional analysis covering geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. In this section the key trends and market size for each geography is provided over the period of 2015  2023.The countries covered in the North America region include the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; while Asia-Pacific includes China, Japan, India, South Korea, Malaysia, and among others. Moreover, Germany, U.K., France, Spain, and Rest of Europe are included in the European region. The U.S. drives the growth in the North America region as it is the largest market in the region. The Asia-pacific region offers a substantial potential for the market growth owing to rapid growth in markets such as India and China. The APAC region is projected to experience a growth at a CAGR of x.x% over the period of 2017 - 2023.Companies Profiled:The report provides profiles of the companies in the global ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market such as, Teijin Limited , Honeywell International Inc. , Asahi Kasei Corporation , Braskem S.A. , Rochling Engineering Plastics Pvt. Ltd. , CP Medical, Inc. , Shandong Ningjin Xinxing Chemical Co., Ltd., Global Polymers , Orthoplastics , and EMCO Industrial Plastics, Inc.For More Enquiry on This Report:Report Highlights:The report provides deep insights on demand forecasts, market trends and micro and macro indicators. In addition, this report provides insights on the factors that are driving and restraining the global ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market. Moreover, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis given in the report brings an insight on the investment areas that existing or new market players can consider. The report provides insights into the market using analytical tools such as Porters five forces analysis and DRO analysis of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market.Moreover, the study highlights current market trends and provides forecast from 2017 to 2023. We also have highlighted future trends in the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market that will impact the demand during the forecast period. Moreover, the competitive analysis given in each regional market brings an insight on the market share of the leading players. Additionally, the analysis highlights rise and fall in the market shares of the key players in the market. This report will help manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene market to understand the present and future trends in this market and formulate their strategies accordingly.About UsInfinium Global Research and Consulting Solutions is started with a single motto of being business partner of first choice. We at Infinium work on the strengths of our clients to ensure we help them consolidate their market position. We firmly believe in the fact that if you are able to develop newer opportunities then you find there is no dearth of opportunities for you. With our strategic research approaches and deep dive in the market segments, we try to find out new opportunities that our clients can encash with their existing resources. Our experts with over 100 years of cumulative experience in research offer the best in the industry services to our clients to ensure that they achieve their business goals.Contact UsInfinium Global Research,Toll Free:U.S. + Canada: 1-800-638-0796,Website :Email: sales@infiniumglobalresearch.com
Global Khari Biscuit Market 2018 Key Players: Patel Brothers, Inc., Home Breads, Pujan Enterprise, Vinod Snacks & Confectioners Private Limited, Anis Export.

Khari Biscuit Market

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Khari Biscuit Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Khari Biscuit Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2025reports to its database.Executive SummaryGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Khari Biscuit in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Khari Biscuit market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingPatel Brothers, Inc.Home BreadsPujan EnterpriseVinod Snacks & Confectioners Private LimitedAnis ExportSuleman MithaiwalaSpectrum InternationalSnack Food Inc.Shah Services Private LimitedYours Ethnic Foods Private LimitedNafees Bakery Private LimitedFakhi Sweet ServicesOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoTraditionalTwistOthersOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingChildrenAdultElderlyIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request Sample Report @Table of ContentGlobal Khari Biscuit Market Research Report 20181 Khari Biscuit Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Khari Biscuit1.2 Khari Biscuit Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Khari Biscuit Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Khari Biscuit Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Traditional1.2.4 Twist1.2.5 Others1.3 Global Khari Biscuit Segment by Application1.3.1 Khari Biscuit Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Children1.3.3 Adult1.3.4 Elderly1.4 Global Khari Biscuit Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Khari Biscuit Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Khari Biscuit (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Khari Biscuit Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Khari Biscuit Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Khari Biscuit Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Khari Biscuit Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Khari Biscuit Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Khari Biscuit Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Khari Biscuit Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Khari Biscuit Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Khari Biscuit Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Khari Biscuit Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Khari Biscuit Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Khari Biscuit Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Khari Biscuit Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Khari Biscuit Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Khari Biscuit Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Khari Biscuit Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Khari Biscuit Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Khari Biscuit Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Khari Biscuit Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Khari Biscuit Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Khari Biscuit Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Khari Biscuit Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Khari Biscuit Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Khari Biscuit Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Khari Biscuit Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Khari Biscuit Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Khari Biscuit Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Khari Biscuit Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Khari Biscuit Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Khari Biscuit Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesContinuousFor further information on this report, visit Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Shampoo Market Expected to Account for US$ 31,900 Mn by 2022

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The global market for shampoos is getting a boost due to a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a rise in the per capita income the world over and increasing product innovation in the realm of shampoos. In addition, aiding the market growth is the emerging mens grooming sector and a greater demand for specialized products like organic shampoos and natural shampoos.Request for Table of Contents @Moreover, there is a growing threat of environmental pollution that leads to a variety of hair problems such as hair fall, dandruff, oily hair, etc. which necessitates the use of shampoos. Also, with the changing lifestyle and growing urbanization, there is heightened consumer awareness regarding personal care and grooming and this will also aid the growth of the shampoo market.The global shampoo market is slated to touch a value of about US$ 31,900 Mn in the year 2022 and grow at a moderate CAGR during the assessment period.As per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the herbal shampoo segment is slated to touch a value of nearly US$ 11,200 Mn in the year 2022. This represents a sluggish CAGR growth during the assessment period of 2017-2022. The herbal shampoo segment is estimated to account for more than one-third of the revenue share of the product type segment by the year 2017 and is forecasted to lose market share by 2022 over 2017.As per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the mid-price segment will reach a value of about US$ 9,100 Mn in the year 2017. This represents a moderate CAGR growth during the forecast period. The mid-price segment is forecasted to account for more than one-third of the total revenue share of the price segment by the end of the year 2017 and is expected to gain in market share by 2022 as compared with the year 2017.As per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the men demographic segment is slated to reach a value of nearly US$ 12,100 Mn in 2022. The men demographic segment is expected to gain market share by the end of the year 2022. The largest share is contributed by the APEJ region in the men demographic segment.Persistence Market Research forecasts the supermarket/hypermarket segment to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 4% from 2017 to 2022.Request to View Sample of Research Report @The report has also included the profiles of some of the leading companies in the shampoo market like Kao Corporation, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Shiseido Company Limited, The Unilever Group, Amway Corporation, The Procter & Gamble Company, The Detox Market Inc., Kimberly Clark Corporation, Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft and Church & Dwight Co., Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Advanced Metering Infrastructure Market, by Meter Type, Solution, Services, Industry, and Geography - Global Industry Insights, 2015-2025

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Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is one of the Smart Grid tools that allows two-way communication between services provider and customers. This system obtains data with help of smart meter installed in various sectors such as residential, commercial business, and industries. These system help with cost controlling and minimizing the wastage of energy. This factor is expected to positively impact the growth advanced infrastructure metering market.Request Sample Copy of this Report @Increasing demand for energy is one of the major factor driving growth of the marketIncreasing trend of digitalization is responsible for increasing the demand of energy consumption. According to the Energy Information Administration's (EIA), world energy consumption is estimated to grow by 28% between 2015 and 2040. Growing population and economic development are factors responsible for increasing demand of the energy. Moreover, increasing adoption of smart home technology in turn increases the utilization of smart devices, which are based on IOT. Hence, consumption of energy, which positively increase with digitization is expected to propel growth of the market.Advanced Metering Infrastructure: Regional InsightsOn the basis of region, the advance metering infrastructure market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. The North America held the dominant position in the market in 2017 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The U.S. is anticipated to hold highest market share, followed by Canada throughout the forecast period. Growth in number of the IoT-based devices in various verticals such as electricity, water, gas, and others is major factor driving growth of the market. A major trend observed in these countries of the region is installing smart water meters, which helps consumers to improve management of water consumption through access of real-time usage data. For instance, In August 2016, Pleasanton City (U.S) had deployed around 22,000 smart water meters. Thus, the city will able to reduce the daily average water ration per user by 50 litres a day and city-wide consumption by 450 million litres a day. Therefore, IoT-based devices are fuelling growth of the market.Request For Customization of this Report @Advanced Metering Infrastructure: Competitive BackgroundAMI market is characterized by the consolidated presence of some of the key players in the industry that include IBM Corporation, General Electric, Itron, Inc. The major vendors covered in the AMI market include Cisco Systems, Inc., IBM Corporation, General Electric, Schneider Electric SE, Itron, Inc., Clara Technologies, Elster Group GmbH, Sensus, Tieto Corporation, and Trilliant, Inc. Mergers & acquisition is major strategy adopted by the key industry players to maintain their strong industry foothold. For instance, Itron acquired Actaris Metering Systems which is producing water, gas, heat and electricity meters and associated systems.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Machine Vision System Market Outlook with Industry Review and Forecasts 2017 - 2025

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With increasing demand for automation processes, machine vision system has observed an increase in its adoption, as it eliminates the supervision and evaluation of products in an industry. Machine vision systems effectively extract information of a product by its digital images generated with the use of digital sensors.The maximum adoption of machine vision systems is observed under the industrial vertical for a products information, evaluation, and rectification. Machine vision systems makes use of computer science, optical science, mechanical engineering, and industrial automation to extract the information and characteristics of a product. Various components of a machine vision system are lighting instrument, lenses, image sensors and vision processing.Request Report for TOC @Machine Vision Systems are used during manufacturing process for the inspection of mobile devices, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, semiconductors and electronics. Various applications of a machine vision system are measurement, counting, decoding, and recognition.Machine Vision System Market: Drivers and ChallengesReplacement of humans by machine and transiting towards automation is the primary factor driving the growth of machine vision system market. The replacements results into higher production yield, and reduced labor cost. In addition to this, factors such as performing repetitive tasks with an enhanced accuracy with a faster and a consistent rate also drives the demand for machine vision systems. Furthermore, various application of machine vision systems also governs the growth of overall machine vision systems market.The primary factor challenging the growth of machine vision system is its high operating cost, especially at industries where a lower volume of products are to be catered. Other factors restraining the demand of machine vision systems is its lack of accuracy against high contrast images and its interdependency on its component parts i.e. if one component fails to function, the processing of machine vision systems comes to a halt.Some of the key players of machine vision system market are Cognex Corporation, Basler AG, OMRON Corporation, National Instruments, KEYENCE CORPORATION, Teledyne DALSA Inc., Texas Instruments Incorporated, Allied Vision Technologies GmbH and Intel Corporation.Request to Sample of Report @Machine Vision System Market: Regional OverviewBy geography, Machine Vision System market can be segmented across North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan and Middle East & Africa. Among various regions, North America is expected to dominate the global Machine Vision System Market during the forecast period, owing to high density industrial base in the region. APEJ is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the forecast period, corresponding to the increasing demand for automation in its industries.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Web Content Management Market Accounting for US$ 8,500 Mn in 2022

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Web content management systems enable the users to create, edit and publish digital content such as text, video and/or audio files that are embedded with the text and interactive graphics that make up the content of any presentable website. Such kinds of web content management systems allow the users to upload and write content who dont possess any coding skills by offering theme-based templates that contains a unique design. The advantage of a web content management system is that multiple users can manage and monitor web content. Such kind of users may be from the digital marketing team or the creative team. Some web content management systems can integrate themselves with marketing software, third party tools or analytics programs. All such functionality is provided in a content management system in order to ensure that content presented in a website is interactive, simple and enhances the brand image of an organization.Request Report for TOC @The global web content management market is slated to touch a value of about US$ 8,500 Mn in the year 2022 and grow at a robust CAGR during the assessment period.4 Forecast Highlights on Global Web Content Management MarketAs per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the services component type segment is slated to touch a value of nearly US$ 2,500 Mn in the year 2022. This represents a robust CAGR growth during the assessment period of 2017-2022. The services component type segment is estimated to account for more than one-fourth of the revenue share of the component type segment by the year 2017 and is forecasted to gain market share by 2022 over 2017.As per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the healthcare segment will reach a value of about US$ 700 Mn in the year 2017. This represents a robust CAGR growth during the forecast period. The healthcare segment is forecasted to account for more than one-tenth of the total revenue share of the industry segment by the end of the year 2017 and is expected to gain in market share by 2022 as compared with the year 2017.As per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the on-premises segment is slated to reach a value of more than US$ 5,200 Mn in 2022. The on-premises segment is expected to lose market share by the end of the year 2022. The largest share is contributed by the North America region in the on-premises segment.Persistence Market Research forecasts the U.S. web content management market to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 9% from 2017 to 2022.Request to Sample of Report @The report has also included the profiles of some of the leading companies in the web content management market like Acquia, Inc., Adobe Systems, Inc., Open Text Corporation, SDL plc, Oracle Corporation, Sitecore A/S, Kentico Software s.r.o., Microsoft Corporation, EPiServer AB, and IBM Corporation.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Latest Survey: Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Market 2018 | Velodyne LiDAR, Quanenergy Systems, LeddarTech, Bosch, Delphi

Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Market Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Vehicle Lidar Sensor 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 split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Vehicle Lidar Sensor for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Vehicle Lidar Sensor sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingVelodyne LiDARQuanenergy SystemsLeddarTechContinentalBoschDelphiDensoFirst Sensor AGHellaIbeo Automotive SystemsNovariantPhantom IntelligencePulsedLightTeledyne OptechTriluminaValeoOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoStatic Electricity DriveElectromagnetic DriveElectrothermal DrivePiezoelectric DriveOthersOn 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, includingADASAutonomous DrivingTable of ContentsGlobal Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Market Report 20181 Vehicle Lidar Sensor Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Vehicle Lidar Sensor1.2 Classification of Vehicle Lidar Sensor by Product Category1.2.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Static Electricity Drive1.2.4 Electromagnetic Drive1.2.5 Electrothermal Drive1.2.6 Piezoelectric Drive1.2.7 Others1.3 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 ADAS1.3.3 Autonomous Driving1.4 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Market by Region1.4.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Vehicle Lidar Sensor Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Vehicle Lidar Sensor Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Vehicle Lidar Sensor (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2025)2 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.2.2 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.3.2 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.4 Global Vehicle Lidar Sensor (Volume) by ApplicationGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @3 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Value (2013-2018)3.1.1 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.2 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.3 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)3.2 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)3.3 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)3.4 United States Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)4 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Value (2013-2018)4.1.1 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.1.2 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.1.3 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)4.2 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)4.3 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)4.4 China Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)5 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Value (2013-2018)5.1.1 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)5.1.2 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)5.1.3 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)5.2 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)5.3 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Europe Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Value (2013-2018)6.1.1 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)6.1.2 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)6.1.3 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)6.2 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)6.3 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)6.4 Japan Vehicle Lidar Sensor Sales Volume and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)Continue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Matrix to Showcase Innovative Security Solutions at SECUREX, South Africa, 2018

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www.MatrixVideoSurveillance.com/

Matrix, pioneer of Telecom and Security solutions, is to participate in the SECUREX South Africa, 2018. The event is to be held in Gallagher Convention Centre from 22nd to 24th May18. The event is an ideal platform for different industries to network with their peers and showcase latest products.In the event, we will showcase futuristic technologies from the Security domain. Matrix Access Control and Time-Attendance domain will showcase its newly launched Face Recognition technology for authentication through mobile. The technology enables contactless authentication with precise and accurate authentication. Apart from this, we will display our high-end cloud based Time-Attendance and Access Control solution. Mobile being the next generation technology in the security domain, we will showcase Mobile based Access Control solution whereby user can either scan QR code or just twist his/her phone for authentication. User can mark attendance automatically using GPS or Wi-Fi through mobile application. Thus, Matrix being the front face in innovation, we are going to show some extraordinary Biometric Door Controllers useful for applications in Time-Attendance, Access Control, Visitor Management, Cafeteria Management and many more.Matrix will present its Standalone Access Control solution where one can connect up to 255 devices and 25,000 users. Additionally, to enhance the security Matrix biometric solutions can be integrated with any video surveillance solution. It will capture real-time images when any pre-defined event occurs.Matrixs Video Surveillance wing is going to sport a range of IP cameras incorporating SONY STARVIS series sensors with EXMOR technology. This gives the cameras an edge over others in terms of exceptional low light performance, consistent image in varying light conditions (True WDR), better bandwidth optimization and many other features. These cameras, when coupled with Intelligent Video Analytics, provide excellent perimeter security and intrusion alerts through various means like SMS, Email, etc. We will also exhibit our Video Management System (VMS) SATATYA SAMAS which can seamlessly automate the parallel working of various systems integrated in an organization. Alongside, we are going to present Network Video Recorders that are equipped with characteristics like Cascading, Camera-wise Recording Retention, Database Level Integration and plenty of other distinct features.At SECUREX South Africa 2018, we are looking forward to meeting system integrators and other business associates who can help us strengthen our base in the South African market. We expect to host numerous meetings and get a clear idea of the present market needs, commented Ganesh Jivani, Managing Director.Matrix invites you to visit us at Hall Stand C05, SECUREX South Africa 2018, from 22nd to 24th May18 at Gallagher Convention Centre for a first-hand experience of our feature-rich Security solutions.About MatrixEstablished in 1991, Matrix is a leader in Telecom and Security solutions for modern businesses and enterprises. Matrix, an innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization, is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the telecom and security industries. With more than 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, VoIP Gateways and Terminals, GSM Gateways, Access Control, Time-Attendance and Video Surveillance solutions. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global footprints in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa through an extensive network of more than 1,000 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many international awards for its innovative products.Head Office: 394-GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara-390010, IndiaPh.: +91 265 2630555E-Mail: Customer.Care@Matrixcomsec.comWebsite:
Australia Ammonia Market is Anticipated to Expand at a Healthy CAGR of 6.3% by 2024

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Persistence Market Research delivers key insights on the Australia ammonia market in its latest report titled, Australia Market Study on Ammonia: Increasing Consumption in Nitric Acid Production to Drive Growth by 2024. The ammonia market in Australia is estimated to register 5.8% Y-o-Y growth in 2016 over 2015 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.3% over the forecast period (2016-2024).Request for Table of Contents @By product type, anhydrous ammonia segment is expected to continue to dominate the market in terms of value and volume share throughout the forecast period (20162024). Production of ammonium nitrate by explosives manufacturers to cater to demand for industrial explosives from the mining sector is anticipated to drive growth of the Australia ammonia market over the forecast period. Also, increasing demand for nitrogen-rich fertilizers such as DAP and MAP is expected to drive volume sales of ammonia during the forecast period. However, volatility in natural gas prices and increasing dependency on fertilizer imports are factors expected to restraint growth of the ammonia market in Australia.On the basis of end use, nitric acid segment is expected to exhibit relatively strong projections by 2024 end, owing to pivotal use of nitric acid both directly and as precursor to other downstream products. The segment is expected to continue to account for major value and volume shares in the Australia ammonia market throughout the forecast period, to account for 46.2% by 2024 in terms of value and expand at a CAGR of 7.9% in terms of volume during the forecast period. Ammonium nitrate segment in the Australia ammonia market is expected to be valued at US$ 172.0 Mn by 2016 end, registering 7.3% Y-o-Y growth over 2015.On the basis of application, industrial chemicals segment is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Explosives segment is expected to register the second-highest CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period, to reach value of US$ 298.2 Mn by 2024 end.Western Australia is the largest market for ammonia. The market in the region is estimated to be valued at US$ 230.7 Bn by 2016 end. The ammonia market in New South Wales is anticipated to expand at a significant CAGR of 7.2% in terms of value over the forecast period.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Key players in the Australia ammonia market include Yara International ASA, Orica Limited, Incitec Pivot Limited, and CSBP Limited (Wesfarmers Limited). The Australia ammonia market is highly consolidated, with limited number of ammonia manufacturers and suppliers. However, major players in the market are focusing on expanding their production of ammonium nitrate to cater to demand for industrial explosives from the mining industry. Increase in ammonium nitrate production is anticipated to significantly increase demand for ammonia and nitric acid.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Australia Titanium Dioxide Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 4.0 % by 2024

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Persistence Market Research delivers key insights on the Australia titanium dioxide market in its latest report titled, Titanium Dioxide Market: Australia Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024. The Australia titanium dioxide market is expected to register 5.0% Y-o-Y growth in 2016 over 2015 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.0% over the forecast period (20162024). Pigments segment is expected to account for the highest share in the Australia titanium dioxide market throughout the forecast period.Request for Table of Contents @Demand for titanium dioxide for application in automobiles, housing, and personal care products such as cosmetics is expected to increase during the forecast period, especially in emerging economies such as China. By product type, pigments segment is expected to continue to dominate the titanium dioxide market in terms of both volume and value throughout the forecast period.Rapid growth in demand for automobiles and housing due to growth in per capita disposable income in developing economies is expected to fuel demand for paints and coatings, which in turn is expected to fuel demand for titanium dioxide pigments.This is anticipated to drive the growth of the titanium dioxide market in Australia as the country exports titanium dioxide pigments to these countries. Other industries such as paper, printing, plastics, and rubber are also expected to fuel demand for titanium dioxide. However, volatile prices and low demand globally due to economic slowdown are factors expected to restrain the growth of the Australia titanium dioxide market over the forecast period.On the basis of application, dyes & paints segment accounted for the largest market share in terms of value in 2015. Dyes & paints segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 81.9 Mn by 2016 end, up 5.1% Y-o-Y.By mineral grade, Ilmenite grade segment is expected to register the fastest growth over the forecast period due to easy availability of Ilmenite as well as high demand and cheaper prices as compared to other grades. Ilmenite grade segment is expected to account for 60.5% share of the titanium dioxide market in Australia by 2024.Western Australia is the largest market for titanium dioxide. The market in the region is expected to be valued at US$ 36.63 Mn by 2016 end. The titanium dioxide market in Western Australia is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.1% in terms of value over the forecast period.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Key producers in the Australia titanium dioxide market include Tronox Limited and Cristal Australia Pty Ltd. Both these players are involved in a production of titanium dioxide mineral sands and titanium dioxide pigments. They are focusing on efficient and low-cost operations by investing in various sustainable technologies such as using chloride process for the production of titanium dioxide pigment, which results in lesser amount of waste as well as easy recovery.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Betalactam Drugs Market Projected to Hamper the Growth by 2025

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Betalactam Drugs Market: OverviewBeta-lactams are antibacterial drugs that possess the basic characteristic of inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis. All Beta-lactams possess similar chemistry, with the exception of alkyl groups that bind to the penicillin binding proteins (PBP) located in bacterial cell walls, thereby inhibiting synthesis and cell death. Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for various infectious diseases and affect billions of individuals globally. Majority of these include pneumonia, impetigo, and urinary tract infections. Some of the widely prescribed drugs in this class include amoxicillin, ampicillin, piperacillin, ticarcillin, imipenem, doripenem, meropenem, ertapenem, cefadroxil, cefalexin, ceftaroline, cefuroxime, cefaclor, ceftriaxone, cefditoren, ceftazidime, and others.Download PDF Brochure of Report:Major drivers of the global Beta-lactam drugs market include increase in prevalence of infectious diseases such as MRSA, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and clostridium difficile infections; rise in multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, aging population, and demand for effective and affordable treatments for bacterial infections. Prevalence of infectious diseases is increasing across the globe and is the highest in low to middle income countries. Beta Multidrug-resistant bacterial strains have evolved due to increased usage of Beta-lactam drugs. This provides scope for new innovative drugs and drug combinations. Moreover, aging population in several developed countries is likely to boost market growth, because elderly people have lower immunity and are more prone to infectious diseases. Increase in demand for affordable and effective drugs in the emerging markets is also projected to drive the market during the forecast period.According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, pneumonia accounts for over 1.1 million deaths of children below five years of age each year, which is more than the number of deaths occurring from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria (in the same age group) combined. Other data published by the WHO states that tuberculosis affected over 9 million individuals (across all age groups) globally in 2013, of these 1.5 million individuals died. Furthermore, over 0.3 million gonorrhea cases were recorded in 2012 in the U.S. alone. Increase in prevalence of numerous infectious diseases, rise in demand for effective and affordable generic drugs, and potential pipeline drugs that are in late stage (phase III) clinical trials are anticipated to fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period. However, patent expiry of leading branded formulations such as Doribax (June 2015), Cayston (2017), and Teflaro (2018) is a major factor expected to restrain the market. Moreover, a large number of generic Beta-lactam drugs are available are expected to hamper the growth of the market. Continuous innovation and rising incidence of new infectious diseases provide growth opportunities in the Beta-lactam drugs market. The global Beta-lactam drugs market can be segmented based on antibiotic type, distribution channel, and region. In terms of antibiotic type, the market can be classified into penicillin, cephalosporin, carbapenem, and monobactum. Based on distribution channel, the global Beta-lactam drugs market can be categorized into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies.Request to View TOC of Report Geographically, the global Beta-lactam drugs market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, North America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific held the largest market share in 2016. The Beta-lactam drugs market in this region is highly fragmented, with large number of companies producing branded and generic versions of Beta-lactam drugs. Additionally, rise in prevalence of bacterial infection and increase in government initiatives that appear to be moving toward shorter periods of patent exclusivity for new drug applications are factors attributed to Asia Pacifics dominance of the market. Presence of large population and growing patient awareness are other factors propelling the market in Asia Pacific. Moreover, increasing geriatric population that is more prone to bacterial infections triggered due to low immunity would consequently increase the uptake of Beta-lactam drugs. North America was the second largest market for Beta-lactam drugs in terms of revenue in 2016. Rise in incidence of bacterial infections is one of the major factors driving the Beta-lactam drugs market in North America, as increasing multidrug-resistant bacterial infections is boosting the development of new anti-infective drugs. Increase in incidence of gram negative bacteria in North America is another major factor attributed to the dominance of the region in the Beta-lactam drugs market.Key players operating in the global Beta-lactam drugs market are GlaxoSmithKline plc, Pfizer, Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Merck & Co., Inc., Cubist Pharmaceuticals (Subsidiary of Merck & Co), Eli Lilly and Company, and Shionogi, Inc., among others.Request to View Discount The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.More Trending Reports by Transparency Market Research:Ocular Inflammation Treatment MarketRheumatology Therapeutics MarketAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. 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Australia Lime Market is Anticipated to Register Highest CAGR of 1.7% by 2024

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Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Australia lime market in its latest report titled, Lime Market: Australia Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024.The lime market in Australia is expected to expand at a CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value over the forecast period, 20162024. The market has been segmented by product type and application. The application segmentation consists of mining & metallurgy, building materials, agriculture, water treatment and others of which the mining & metallurgy segment is expected to account for the highest share of the lime market in Australia throughout the forecast period, to account for 31.4% by 2024.Request for Table of Contents @Demand for energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions is expected to be a priority for lime manufacturers in the country over the forecast period. By product type, slaked/hydrated lime segment is expected to continue to dominate the market in terms of both value and volume throughout the forecast period.The segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 146.7 Mn and account for volume share of 68% in 2016. By application, mining & metallurgy and building materials, segments in the Australia lime market are expected to account for significant volume shares of 38% and 35%, respectively.New South Wales is expected to be the largest market for lime in Australia throughout the forecast period. The market in the region is estimated to be valued at US$ 59.1 Mn by 2016 end. In terms of production, Western Australia is expected to be a major producer, contributing over 65% to the total lime production in the country, and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 0.8% over the forecast period.Key players in the Australia lime market include Adelaide Brighton Ltd., Boral Limited, Sibelco Australia, Omya Australia Pty. Ltd, Wagners, and Lime Group Australia. Key players in the Australia lime market are focusing on enhancing their product portfolios. They are focusing not only on basic lime products but also on importing quicklime from ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries such as China to minimize a cost of raw materials involved in a lime production.Manufacturers are focusing on capitalizing on economies of scale to increase production, profitability, and offer cost-effective products in order to target cost-sensitive population in the region. Joint ventures, acquisitions, and strategic collaborations in terms of production and distribution of lime have been the common strategies employed by these companies to achieve their production objectives.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Long-term Outlook: The long-term outlook on the Australia lime market remains on the conservative side, with the market expected to expand at a modest CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value during the forecast period. The revival of the mining sector in the country, increasing demand from the construction sector, particularly in the countrys east coast region, and demand from the water treatment industry are some of the factors expected to sustain a growth of the lime market in Australia.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Fragrances Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Fragrances Market

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Global Fragrances Market: By Form (Perfumes, Deodorants, Cologne, Scent, Body Mists, Aftershave, Roll on, Custom-Made), By Aroma (Floral, Oceanic, Oriental, Citrus, Spicy, Woody, Green, Mint, Pungent, Fresh), By Usage (Men, Women, Unisex), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Drugstores, Online stores) and Geography  Fragrances Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023Market Dynamics: Fragrances MarketFragrances are products which enables mask natural body odor. Fragrances are the complex combinations of synthetic and natural substances which impart distinctive smell. Fragrances have become as an essential daily commodity in a persons life. Surge in disposable income coupled with increased awareness among the people is expected to accelerate demand for fragrances market. Rise in demand for aromatherapies, growing demand for mens products due to rise in appearance consciousness of men boosts the growth of fragrance market. Furthermore, high frequency in launching new products, innovative fragrances, huge demand for beauty products, and rise in beauty consciousness is expected to propel the growth of fragrance market. Moreover, rise in demand for custom made fragrances, the presence of a huge number of young population who are more attractive towards cosmetics, increase in expenditure on beauty and appearance drives the market growth for fragrances. However, harmful effects on skin, high cost of the products hinder the growth of fragrance market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Scope: Fragrances MarketFragrances market is segmented on the basis of Form, Aroma, Usage, and Distribution channel and Geographical regionsBased on the Form, Fragrances market is segmented into the following Perfumes Deodorants Cologne Scent Body Mists Aftershave Roll on Custom-MadeBased on the Aroma, Fragrances market is segmented into the following Floral Oceanic Oriental Citrus Spicy Woody Green Mint Pungent FreshBased on the Usage, Fragrances market is segmented into the following Men Women UnisexBased on the Distribution Channel, Fragrances market is segmented into the following Supermarkets Hypermarkets Drugstores Online storesTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Regional Analysis: Fragrances MarketGeographically, Fragrances market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa regions. North America is expected to account for major share in fragrances market owing to high living standards of the people, high disposable income, and awareness of beauty products. The European region is also the largest market for the fragrances due to rapid adoption of advanced fashion technologies. Asia Pacific region, Latin America and MEA show significant growth over the forecast period in fragrances market owing to growing living standards, the rise in disposable income, entering of multinational companies into the emerging markets like India, Brazil, and China.Need more information about this report @Competition Assessment: Fragrances MarketKey players profiled in the global fragrances market include LOreal International (France) Elizabeth Arden Inc. (U.S.) Bvlgari Parfums (Italy) Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (U.S.) Coty, Inc. (U.S.) Clarins Fragrance group (France) Beaute Prestige International (France) Avon Products, Inc (U.S.) Chanel SA (France) Cartier Perfumes International (France) Calvin Klein, Inc.(U.S.) Cacharel (France)Notable Market Developments: Fragrances Market In April 2017, ITCs Engage launched Engage ON, a new range of pocket perfumes for men and women. In October 2015, Victorias Secret launched customizable fragrances, where the consumer can create their own perfumes.Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies and regulatory framework The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the marketGet access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152  160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Website @
The Dental Carpule Market by International Top Leaders: Gilead, Sanofi Genzyme, Merck, Roche, Pfizer and Novartis

Dental Carpule Market

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The Global Dental Carpule Market report examines the key players and their fundamental profiling in the market, widely analyzing their middle abilities, and drawing an engaged scene for the market. Comprehensive Dental Carpule Market are been driven by need of safe association of injectable prescriptions to the patients having dental issues thusly upgrading the idea of guardian.Carpule is an enlisted exchange name for dental cartridge arranged by Cook-Waite Laboratories which was presented in 1920. These are either made of glass or plastics. As of late, a large portion of the nearby anesthesia producers have begun fabricating plastic cartridges.The Dental Carpule Market is required to accomplish US$ 20 Million of each 2023 from US$ 11 million of each 2016 with a CAGR of approximately 4.9%. Carpule is a sort of ampule or cartridge containing liquid remedy to be implanted using a syringe. It has a puncturable best and one end and a sliding connection on the other side. In dental calling, dental cartridges are known as carpules.Get Exclusive Sample Copy @They have various inconveniences over glass cartridges, for example, constrain required to be connected to the plunger of the syringe, spillage of arrangement amid infusion and the plunger does skim down the plastic cartridge as it does in the glass cartridge. Prefilled dental carpule comprises of four sections to be specific round and hollow glass tube, plug (plunger), aluminum top and stomach. The shade of cartridge band contrasts as indicated by the arrangement filled in it.Dental Carpule Market Key Players:GlaxoSmithKline,AstraZeneca,Gilead,Sanofi Genzyme,Merck,Roche,Pfizer and Novartis.Local Analysis of Dental Carpule Market: Globally North America is the biggest market for Dental Carpule. Europe creates most noteworthy income in dental caruple showcase. This is because of increment popular and mindfulness for dental beautifying agents and dental wellbeing in this district. North America is the biggest market for Dental Carpule which is required to develop at a CAGR of 3.1% and is relied upon to reach at US$ 9.2 million. Interest for dental caruples is expanding North America since patients have perceived the significance of safe organization of sedatives required for any dental strategy. Interest for dental caruples is expanding in North America since patients have perceived the significance of safe organization of injectable medications required for any dental methodology.Get Discount @Major TOC of Dental Carpule Market:1 Report Prologue2 Market Introductions2.1 Introduction2.2 Scope of Study2.3 Research Objective2.4 Assumptions & Limitations2.4.1 Assumptions2.4.2 Limitations3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.1.1 Improving Medical Device Regulation4.1.2 Growing demand of dental cosmetics4.1.3 Increasing awareness about dental health4.2 Restrains4.2.1 Patient safety4.2.2 Cost of caruples.ContinuedAsk Questions to Expertise @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Bronchoscopes Market Discern Magnified Growth During 2016 - 2024

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Bronchoscopes belong to a type of endoscopy medical devices used to study the inner airways of the lungs. An instrument is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a tracheostomy. Bronchoscopes are generally used for diagnostic purposes however sometimes also used for surgical procedures of the airways. Tracheostomy is generally done in order to get an unobstructed view of the whole respiratory system. Bronchoscope is commonly used to diagnose lung bleeding, tumors, inflammation, infections, foreign bodies, parasites and so on.View Report:Bronchoscopes market: Types of designsMost of the bronchoscopes are classified into rigid and flexible designs. Rigid designs are much older and employ metal parts to allow them to view trachea and the nearby major bronchi, whereas flexible designs allow for greater entrance as they employ flexible fiber optic cables that enable real-time video recording and related procedures. Bronchoscopes were first used reportedly in 1897 by Gustav Killian for an obstructive material removal procedure; the modern rigid bronchoscope is based on a 1920 modification done by Chevalier Jackson and Victor Negus who designed the same for bronchial inspection and surgical procedures.The flexible bronchoscope was invented by a Japanese inventor and medical practitioner, Shigeto Ikeda, in 1966 which are still in use. The flexible bronchoscope allowed for 180 degree flexibility and 120 degree extension allowing great maneuverability for the endoscope. Latest technology in flexible endoscope, employs video chips that can transmit video visuals to a monitor wirelessly or through the scope thereby reducing the thickness of the endoscope. However all the types of bronchoscopes have their respective advantages depending upon the nature of the medical condition.Request a Brochure of the Report @Rigid bronchoscopes were designed keeping in mind the medical conditions that require support in case the tracheal wall collapses, electronic cauterization, removal of foreign body, aspiration, protection of the airway while pulling the foreign body out and controlling the foreign body whilst recovering. The wider lumen size of the rigid bronchoscope allows for the performance of the above mentioned medical procedures thereby increasing their favorability for the same. On the other hand rigid bronchoscopes are more prone to cause tissue damage and irritability and are susceptible to side effects like pneumothorax, damaged vocal cord system and others. Flexible fibreoptic and video chip bronchoscopes have smaller lumen size and are often longer than their rigid counterparts, however due to their flexibility they can easily reach deep alveoli sacs and in some designs can perform sample biopsy, suctioning, cauterization, laser resection of tumors, etc. Cost wise, rigid bronchoscopes are much effective in comparison to flexible versions, however the latter provide better efficiency in terms of versatility and applicability. Flexible bronchoscopes being a costlier alternative are yet in great use due to this major reason.Bronchoscopes market: Regions and growth of Bronchoscope marketAt present the market for bronchoscopes is largest in the North American, European and Asia-Pacific region because these regions together form the most populated yet urbanized region in the world that use medically advanced form of bronchoscopes. Rigid bronchoscopes are used in low income hospitals and regions that cannot afford advanced flexible fiber optic bronchoscopes. North American region leads the global market at present and is expected to maintain its position in the near future, followed by European region. A majority of the manufacturers however are Asian origin and provide a wide range of products in the hand-held or non-electric segment. Western manufacturers are more into electric crushers and automated pulverizers.Request For Discount On This Report @Some of the bronchoscope manufacturers include: Olympus Corporation , Bryan Corporation, BlueMed Scientific Pvt Ltd., Uptake Medical, Pentax Medical, etc to name a few.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
PVC Roofing Competitive Intelligence Study  Insights on Market Challenges and New Trends

PVC Roofing Market

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The qualitative research study conducted by HTF MI titled China PVC Roofing Market Research Report 2018 provides primary Data, surveys, Scope of the Product and vendor briefings. The market dynamic forces have been determined after conducting a detailed study of the China PVC Roofing market. The study provides forecasts for PVC Roofing investments till 2023.If you are involved in the PVC Roofing industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. It offers a consequential analysis of the PVC Roofing company, key tactics followed by leading manufactures and trending segments.Get the inside scoop of the Sample report @:The research study is segmented by Types [FleeceBACK PVC, Smooth PVC & Other] as well as Key Applications [Residential & Non-Residential] with historical and projected market share along with the growth rate, revenue figures and gross profit margin in tabular format which makes easy to understand product/service differences, market concentration rate and product distribution for past 5 years.Major geographical regions like South China, East China, Southwest China, Northeast China, North China, Central China & Northwest China and leading players such as GAF, DuPont, Carlisle, Soprema Group, Renolit, Sika, CertainTeed, Oriental Yuhong, Owens Corning, TehnoNICOL, Atlas Roofing, Hongyuan Waterproof, Fosroc, CKS, Joaboa Technology, TAMKO Building Products, Bauder, Jianguo Weiye Waterproof, Hangzhou Jinwu, Yuhong Waterproof, Polyglass, Yuwang Group & IKO Industries involved in this report. The report gives a clear idea about the growth factors, reasons for deterioration of China PVC Roofing in recent years and different opportunities and strategies to expand market.Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports. Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.Each player highlighted in the research study contains companies Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors, in-depth business overview, geographic footprint and contact information. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to SWOT Analysis.Buy this research @Reasons to Buy:- What will be the market size in 2023 and at what rate will it grow?- What growth potential do PVC Roofing market have?- Procure strategically important competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D strategies.- Recognize emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage.- Classify potential new clients or partners in the target demographic.- Plan mergers and acquisitions meritoriously by identifying key players and its most promising contributions.- New Development and identify prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope.- Influential factors that are thriving demand and constraints in the market.To add, value to product and services research report comprises of valuable insights with distinguishable traits that influence consumers behavior and demand. The report offers a measurable and verifiable method made towards analysis of market concentration, new entrants and the technological trends in future.Some of the key questions answered in this report:- Detailed Overview of China PVC Roofing market helps deliver clients and businesses making strategies.- Influential factors that are thriving demand and constraints in the market.- What is the market concentration? Is it fragmented or highly concentrated?- What trends, challenges and barriers will impact the development and sizing of PVC Roofing market?- SWOT Analysis of each key player mentioned along with its company profile.- What growth momentum or acceleration market carries during the forecast period?- Which region is going to tap highest market share in future?- What Application/end-user category or Product Type may see incremental growth prospects?- What focused approach and constraints are holding the market tight?Any Query or Specific Requirement? Ask to our Expert @There are 15 Chapters to display the China PVC Roofing marketChapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of PVC Roofing, Applications of PVC Roofing, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Rate, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes South China, East China, Southwest China, Northeast China, North China, Central China & Northwest China, PVC Roofing Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the PVC Roofing Segment Market Analysis (by Application [Residential & Non-Residential]) & Type [FleeceBACK PVC, Smooth PVC & Other] Major Manufacturers Analysis of PVC Roofing;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [FleeceBACK PVC, Smooth PVC & Other], Market Trend by Application Residential & Non-Residential;Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of China PVC Roofing;Chapter 12, to describe PVC Roofing Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe PVC Roofing sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.com
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market

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Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market: By technology (In-Vitro Fertilization, Artificial Insemination, Surrogacy, Others), By Procedure (Fresh Non donor, Fresh Donor, Frozen Non Donor, Frozen Donor, Embryo Banking), End Users (Hospitals, Fertility Clinics, Others), and Geography  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023Market Dynamics: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) MarketAssisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is a treatment for infertility, performed to achieve the childbirth. ART procedures include stimulation of ovaries to increase the egg production or artificial insemination or combining the sperms and eggs in the laboratory (in vitro) and embryo is transferred to woman to attain the pregnancy. Increase in the number of infertility cases, government initiations to address the infertility incidences, high disposable income in developed countries, increase in population with obesity and mental stress due to change in lifestyle, and rise in consumption of tobacco and alcohol are anticipated to propel the assisted reproductive technology (ART) market over the forecast years. However, high risk of birth defects, high cost of treatment, dearth of skilled professional in underdeveloped countries, and ethical issues may hamper the growth of assisted reproductive technology (ART) market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Scope: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) MarketAssisted reproductive technology (ART) market is segmented on the basis of technology, procedure, end-user and regionBased on technology, the market is segmented into the following: In-Vitro Fertilizationo Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosiso Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm injection Artificial Inseminationo Intracervical Inseminationo Intrauterine Inseminationo Others Surrogacy OthersBased on the procedure, the market is segmented into the following: Fresh Non donor Fresh Donor Frozen Non Donor Frozen Donor Embryo BankingBased on the end user, the market is segmented into the following: Hospitals Fertility Clinics OthersBased on the region, the market is segmented into the following: North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and AfricaTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Regional Analysis: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) MarketGeographically, global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa regions. North America assisted reproductive technology market growth driven by high awareness about assisted reproductive technology among U.S. population, government support for the infertility treatment, rise in prevalence of obesity and stress due to change in lifestyle. Europe assisted reproductive technology market expected to present lucrative growth owing to adoption of newer technologies for infertility treatment, high success rate in assisted reproductive technology, and increase in the prevalence of infertility Spain, Russia, U.K., and Germany. Asia Pacific assisted reproductive technology market expected to account for significant share due to rise in infertility cases, late family planning, and availability of technologically advanced fertility services in the region. Latin America assisted reproductive technology market has a notable share in global market owing to expansion of business by the companies, rise in awareness about infertility treatment, and rise in healthcare expenditure are bolster the market. Middle East and Africa assisted reproductive technology market is poised to grow over forecast period owing to economic growth in the Middle East countries and increase in the infertility due to malnutrition in women are expected to upsurge the revenue of market.Need more information about this report @Competition Assessment: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) MarketKey players profiles in the global assisted reproductive technology (ART) market include: Irvin Scientific (U.S.) Origio A/S (Denmark) Microm UK Ltd (U.K.) Parallabs Ltd (U.K.) Cryolab Ltd. (U.K.) Merck KGaA (Germany) Vitrolife AB (Sweden)Notable Market Developments: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market In January 2016, Irvine Scientific acquired BioCare Europe S.r.l. for strengthening its in vitro fertilization (IVF) portfolioKey Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the marketGet access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152  160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Website @
Autonomous Farm Equipment Market to Surpass US$170,000Mn by 2026

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Agriculture is one amongst the most overbearing industry since the beginning of human civilization. Constant growth in population, increasing need for food, fuel and feed is anticipated to influence trifold of the present-day cultivation. For this purpose, strategies such as initiation of autonomous farming and mechanization are adopted on a larger basis for yielding more from the constrained arable land. Increasing labor shortage and changing trends for the use of autonomous equipment are driving the demand for autonomous farm equipment. Development of IoT along with GPS systems application has transformed the agriculture industry.Request for Table of Contents @High cost essential for the improvement of the equipment performance is likely to affect the product penetration. However, industry players are working towards reducing the total cost by making it affordable, which ultimately will increase the product penetration. M&A are amongst the foremost stratagems executed by the manufactures, in order to form exceptional foot hold in farm equipment industry.Moreover, the equipment provides less downtime and can be utilized even during night as well as extreme fog condition. Autonomous farm equipment provides with outstanding fuel efficiency, compared to standard counterparts and has less chances for errors. Variable climatic conditions and challenges like water shortage are dealt with the help of these equipment.The report indicates that revenues from the global autonomous farm equipment market will increase at an impressive 13.6% CAGR during the forecast period, 2017-2026. The report further projects global sales of autonomous farm equipment to account for revenues worth nearly US$ 170,000Mn by 2026-end.31100 HP Output Power of Farm Tractors to Gain Traction during the Forecast PeriodU.S., India and China are amongst the topmost countries witnessing maximum sales of farm tractors. 31100 HP output power of farm tractors holds nearly 34.5% of the global market for autonomous farm equipment throughout 2026. Canada and U.S. contribute largely towards the growth of the segment. Factors such as low cost in comparison to restricted agricultural land for each farmer and superior horsepower farm tractors will drive fuel the market for medium and small range farm tractors in North America and APEJ.APEJs Autonomous Farm Equipment Market to Hold the Lions Share in Global Market by Expanding at Exceptional 14.1% CAGRThe market size of APEJs autonomous farm equipment is expected to reach a value of US$ 65165.8Mn throughout 2026, due to strong existence of well-known industry competitors in the region. High revenue production can be credited to rolling demand of products like tractors, harvesters and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), installed with auto steering operations.North Americas market for autonomous farm equipment is likely to depict momentous growth through 2026. Increasing product use in the region provides better fuel proficiency and higher productivity, which will drive the growth of industry players. Varying trend with regards to smart devices due to expansion of agrarian economies like India, will positively impact the product penetration in APEJ region.In terms of revenues, partially autonomous equipment contribute significantly to the global market for autonomous farm equipment, subject to their extensive commercialization & competitive pricing. Tractors are expected to lead the market for autonomous farm equipment, in terms of revenue share, contributing nearly 30% sales by 2026. Availability of equipment at competitive price together with exclusive features such as finest path selection and prevention from overlapping paths will positively impact the product penetration.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Important market players sketched by the report include New Holland, Case IH, John Deere, AGCO Corporation, Iseki & Co., Yanmar, Deutz Fahr, Kubota, Claas KGaA GmbH, and Bobcat (a Doosan company).About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Fire Safety Equipment Market Trends Research and Projections for 2017 - 2025

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Safeguarding human life and property are key concerns that drive the fire safety equipment market. Aside from the aforementioned, the cost associated with the loss of man hours due to fire hazards is a vital concern worldwide, which in turn encourages industries to deploy fire safety equipment wherever relevant. Fire safety equipment can be bifurcated on the basis of two key elements i.e. fire detection and fire suppression.Request Report for TOC @It is forecasted that advancements in technology such as wireless sensor networks will drive the fire safety equipment market in the near future. These advancements are also expected to contribute in reducing manufacturing costs involved in fire safety equipment, thereby increasing its future market potential. Also, strict regulations are imposed by various regulatory bodies for the implementation of fire safety procedures, thereby making it mandatory for organizations to use fire safety equipment at workplaces; which consequently increases the demand for fire safety equipment. These factors are expected to rapidly develop the global fire safety equipment market.In the near future, advanced technologies such as nanotechnology, human machine interface solutions and smart building are anticipated to enter the fire safety equipment market. Recent innovation has produced advanced sensors which help in relaying accurate data to control units. The advancement of technology through the use of intelligent sensors and detectors and their connectivity with distant users through WAN/LAN networks has been driving demand for fire safety and protection equipment worldwide.As a result of stringent building and safety codes by regulatory bodies, industries worldwide have been taking cognizance of the fact that fire accidents not only pose threat to human life and assets, but also render sustainable businesses uneconomical to such an extent that investing in fire safety and protection equipment is a more viable option.However, it should also be noted that there is inconsistency in the implementation of fire safety codes in certain regions of the world hamper the overall growth fire safety equipment market. Furthermore, increasing maintenance and replacement costs of fire safety and protection equipment discourages potential buyers to a certain extent; thereby making it imperative for producers to offer their products at an attractive price point while maintaining acceptable quality standards. Small manufacturers worldwide find this a major challenge since they need to sustain business in a highly competitive environment.Request to Sample of Report @End-users face a different challenge due to the complexity in integration of fire detection systems with other fire detection or suppression systems, thereby making it mandatory for them to learn using multiple interfaces.Portability of fire extinguishing equipment enhances product usage. Advanced fire alarm systems offer added advantages and additional features such as photoelectric detectors, etc. Both these factors are expected to encourage potential users to invest in fire safety and protection equipment in industrial, commercial as well as residential applications.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Cancer Gene Therapy Market Value Projected to Expand by 2025

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Cancer could be defined as uncontrolled cell growth in the body leading to organ malfunction. If untreated, it can lead to death. Uncontrolled growth of cell is managed by the body in several ways, one of them is by deploying white blood cells to detect and eradicate these cancerous cells. It has been discovered that the immune system could be manipulated to influence cancerous cells to destroy itself.Radiation and chemotherapy therapy have consistent and reliable effects to decrease cancerous cells in the body. Recently, immunotherapy for hematological cancers has experienced a recognition and is of interest for many researchers Scientists have developed methods to isolate, replicate, and develop cancer-destroying cells from the patients blood cancer and injecting those cells back for the destruction of their cancers, with durable remissions.New options for the treatment is needed to be developed if order to achieve elimination of cancer suffering and death by 2020. According to NCI, 5-year survival rate for cancers such as lung (15%), glioblastoma (5%), pancreatic (4%), and liver (7%) remains very low. Current available treatments have several side effects, the systemic toxicity due to chemotherapy results in nausea, mild cognitive impairments, and mouth ulcerations, in addition to long-term side effects such as increasing risk of developing other types of cancers. Therefore, new and innovative treatment methods are required to reduce the suffering of cancer patients.Global Cancer Gene Therapy Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe emerging field of cancer Gene Therapy offers varied potential treatments. Gene therapy involves a range of treatment types, which use genetic material to alter cells (either in vivo or in vitro) to help cure the disease. Cancer Gene Therapy shown efficacy in various in vitro and preclinical testing. Preclinical testing for cancer gene therapy has been performed on glioma, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and many other cancers.Increase in prevalence of cancer, rise in government funding and initiatives, growth in pipeline of cancer gene therapy products, and collaborations to develop and launch gene-therapy products are some factors driving the Cancer Gene Therapy Market. According to NCBI researchers, development of genetically-modified T-cell therapies for treatment of cancer has had maximum clinical impact among other gene therapies. However, high treatment cost is a major limitation in the cancer gene therapy market. The reason behind the huge cost for cancer gene therapy is the necessity of rigorous, exhaustive clinical trials; also treatment by cancer gene therapy differs from person to person depending upon the genetic acceptance of every patient, unlike other drugs thereby limiting the market growth.Request to View Brochure of Report -Global Cancer Gene Therapy Market: Key SegmentsBased on type, the cancer gene therapy market is segmented into gene transfer immunotherapy and oncolytic virotherapy. Immunotherapy uses genetically modified cells and viral particles to stimulate the immune system to destroy cancer cells. Immunotherapy include treatment with either cytokine gene delivery or tumor antigen gene delivery. Oncolytic virotherapy uses viral particles, which replicate within the cancer cell causing the death of the cell. It is an emerging treatment modality that is expected to shows great promise, particularly in metastatic cancer treatment. It includes treatment with adenovirus, retrovirus, lentivirus, herpes simplex virus, adeno-associated virus, simian virus, alphavirus, and vaccinia virus. Gene transfer is the newest treatment modality that is expected to introduce new modified genes into cancerous cell or associated tissue for destruction of cell or to slow down cancer growth. This technique is flexible as a wide variety of vectors and genes are used for clinical trials with positive outcomes. As gene therapy advance, they could be used alone or in combination with other treatments to control the disease. Gene transfer or gene replacement is performed using naked/plasmid vectors, electroporation, sonoporation, magnetofection, and gene gun.Based on region, the global cancer gene therapy market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to hold the largest market share. The U.S. dominates the cancer gene therapy market owing to its increase in funding for research & development and other government initiatives. Key players in the biotech industry are engaging in research & development of gene therapy products. Moreover, rising demand for DNA vaccines and growing interest of venture capitalists to investment in commercialization of gene-based cancer therapies are likely to propel the market. The cancer gene therapy market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a rapid pace as in China cancer gene therapy is anticipated to attribute for largest revenue, due to the recent launch of Gendicine and rising healthcare expenditure with strong R&D facilities.Request to View ToC of Report -Global Cancer Gene Therapy Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the global cancer gene therapy market are Adaptimmune, ZioPharm Oncology Altor Bioscience, MolMed, bluebird bio, Shanghai Sunway Biotech company limited , MultiVir, Shenzhen SiBiono GeneTech, Corporation.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market Size will Observe Substantial Growth by 2025

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Insufficient availability of tears in eye is termed as dry eye disease. Dry eye disease, also known as Keratoconjuctivitis Sicca, is common phenomenon which is likely to be experienced once in lifetime by an individual. According to various studies conducted across globe, prevalence of dry eye disease varies in the range of 4.5% to 34% across populations. Major symptoms of dry eye disease are burning, stinging, pain, and redness. The dry eye disease is categorized into two types: evaporative dry eye disease (tears produced do not last long and make eyes dry) and aqueous deficiency dry eye (caused by insufficient or abnormal production of tears due to abnormal functioning of tear producing glands around the eye lids). Dry eye disease is also caused by external factors such as pollution, prolonged visual strain, consumption of certain medications, prolonged use of lenses, LASIK, and other refractive eye surgeries and others. Technical advancements in the diagnostic field and better understanding of pathophysiology of dry eye disease has led to advanced diagnostic tools for dry eye disease diagnosis.Global Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market: Drivers and RestraintsDry eye disease is more prevalent in women. Moreover, incidence of dry eye disease diagnostics is high among the geriatric population. Around 50% to 70% of contact lens wearers are likely to experience dry eye disease diagnostics, while over 70% of patients undergoing LASIK and other refractive surgeries experience chronic dry eye disease. Another risk factor for dry eye disease is diabetes. Increase in prevalence of diabetes across the globe is likely to drive the number of dry eye disease diagnostics patients. However, there are no standardized guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease which has led to dry eye disease diagnostics management underrated. Preference for diagnostic tool varies from region to region. Moreover, high cost of specialized diagnostic tools and lack of availability restrains the uptake of dry eye diagnostic tests. Over-reliance on the conventional methods and visual diagnosis by ophthalmologists and optometrists further hampers Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market growth.Request to View Brochure of Report -Global Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market: Key SegmentsThe global dry eye disease diagnostics market can be segmented based on test type, end-user, and region. In terms of test type, the Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market can be divided into Schirmers test, corneal staining, tear break-up time (TBUT), optical coherence tomography, tear film stability analysis, interferometer, tear osmolarity, immunoassay testing, and ocular surface thermography. The corneal staining segment can be classified into fluorescein staining, rose bengal staining, and lissamine green staining. Advance diagnostic systems such as Tomey Corporations RT-6000 which works on the principal of tear film stability analysis, Advanced Tear Diagnostics TearScan MicroAssay System which works on immunoassay technology, and TearScience, Inc.s LipiView are likely to shift the trend of global Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market toward specialized dry eye diagnostics.Geographically, the global dry eye disease diagnostics market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is projected to hold a leading share of the global Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market during the forecast period, due to high adoption of technically advanced diagnostic tools and high health care expenditure. Europe is anticipated to account for a significant share of the global Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market during the forecast period. High prevalence of ocular diseases, increase in awareness about dry eye disease, and developing health care infrastructure in emerging markets such as China and India are projected to drive the dry eye disease diagnostics market in Asia Pacific during the forecast period.Request to View ToC of Report -Global Dry Eye Disease Diagnostics Market: Key PlayersMajor players operating in the global dry eye disease diagnostics market are Johnson & Johnson, Advanced Tear Diagnostics, Tomey Corporation, Optovue Inc., Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, TearLab Corporation, OPIA Technologies, and Quidel Corporation.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Public Cloud System Infrastructure Services Market Expected to be Valued US$ 110,350 Mn in 2022

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The public cloud system infrastructure services market is driven by the advantages that the public cloud services possess. Due to the public cloud system infrastructure services, people can access data, services and applications via the internet. This eliminates the need for costly hardware like hard drives and servers. Also, it offers the advantage of location facility as such type of services can be easily accessed through the internet. The public cloud services offer elasticity as such type of services availed can be scaled up or down in no matter of time to meet the demand of computing at that particular point of time. This results in affordability of public cloud services, and users pay only for what they use, and in turn minimize the hardware and costs related to IT. Also, public cloud services are simple to use as the users become free from the mess of managing servers and updating software.Request Report for TOC @The global public cloud system infrastructure services market is slated to touch a value of about US$ 110,350 Mn in the year 2022 and grow at a robust CAGR during the assessment period.4 Forecast Highlights on Global Public Cloud System Infrastructure Services MarketAs per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the print segment is slated to touch a value of nearly US$ 11,550 Mn in the year 2022. This represents a robust CAGR growth during the assessment period of 2017-2022. The print segment is estimated to account for more than one-tenth of the revenue share of the function segment by the year 2017 and is forecasted to lose market share by 2022 over 2017.As per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the BFSI segment will reach a value of nearly US$ 6,000 Mn in the year 2017. This represents a robust CAGR growth during the forecast period. The BFSI segment is forecasted to account for one-fifth of the total revenue share of the vertical segment by the end of the year 2017 and is expected to gain in market share by 2022 as compared with the year 2017.As per the forecast of Persistence Market Research, the large enterprise segment is slated to reach a value of nearly US$ 63,700 Mn in 2022. The large enterprise segment is expected to lose market share by the end of the year 2022. The largest share is contributed by the North America region in the large enterprise segment.Persistence Market Research forecasts the US public cloud system infrastructure services market to grow from US$ 7,375.6 Mn in 2017 to US$ 30,545.6 Mn in 2022. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.9% from 2017 to 2022.Request to Sample of Report @The report has also included the profiles of some of the leading companies in the public cloud system infrastructure services market like VMware, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Amazon Web Services Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc. International Business Machines Corp, AT&T Inc. Alphabet, Inc., CenturyLink, Inc., Rackspace Hosting, Inc. and Fujitsu Limited.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
India Dry Type Transformer Market 2024: Comprehensive Research Report

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India Dry Type Transformer Market size will exceed USD 250 million by 2024, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights, Inc.Favorable regulatory framework pertaining to establishment of sustainable transmission systems coupled with growing suburban population across the nation will foster the dry type transformer market share. The India Energy Security Scenarios and the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) are key policies introduced by the government to strengthen the environmental and energy policy.Northern region dry type transformer market is set to reach over USD 70 million by 2024. Rising investments from public and private entities to nourish the existing and new electric infrastructure along with growing demand for electricity from off-grid areas will stimulate the industry growth. The IFC has planned to invest USD 5 billion by 2020 toward the expansion of sustainable and renewable energy network in India.Request for a sample of this research report -Large scale integration of renewable energy technologies along with favorable government policies toward Foreign Direct Investments will propel the dry type transformer market size. The consistent demographic and economic escalation across the nation will further fuel the business outlook. The Government of India in 2015, introduced the Green Energy Corridor Project proposing an investment worth USD 1 billion toward the development of a self-sustained grid infrastructure for renewable energy transmission.Effective insulation capabilities, temperature bearing strength, and sustainable product applicability across distribution networks lay competitive grounds for Class H transformer deployment. Rapid technological enhancements in the product design and development have led to the introduction of advanced insulation technologies catering across a broader application prospect.Increasing emphasis on the integration of wide-ranging frequency electric links along with the growing concerns for energy efficiency will stimulate the dry type transformer market growth. The rising demand for high voltage networks to sustain rising peak load demand will further complement the product penetration. Increasing investments by private and governmental organizations to electrify the remote areas will positively influence the business growth.The vacuum pressure encapsulated transformer is set to witness strong growth on account of its effective transformation capabilities and long service life when compared with its competitive counterparts. These products include a series of dip processes aligned to the overall transformer construction that provide better protection from wet and harsh environments.Browse Full Report Details @The rapid expansion of high-tension electrical networks to cater to the rising electricity demand across isolated load centers will stimulate the demand for outdoor transformers. The ongoing expansion of inter-regional electric networks coupled with the revamping and restructuring of the existing grid infrastructure across suburban areas will further escalate the dry type transformer market.Eminent players across the dry type transformer market include ABB, Schneider Electric, Siemens, GE, Kirloskar, GE, Toshiba, Eaton, WEG, Prima, Vijay Power & Control Systems, BHEL, CG and Voltamp.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Explore Our Blog @Connect with us: Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter
Solar Water Heater Market 2024: In-Depth Research Report

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Solar Water Heater Market size will cross USD 4 billion by 2024, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights, Inc.Rising concern to maintain fossil fuel sustainability along with stringent government norms to reduce carbon emissions will stimulate the solar water heater market growth. Introduction of several targets to reduce carbon emissions and encourage the development of renewable energy will further complement the industry growth. In 2016, the government of UK sets target to reduce carbon emissions up to 57% by 2030 from 1990 levels.Request for a sample of this research report -Growing demand for environment friendly, cost effective and reliable systems for water heating purposes across commercial, industrial, and residential sector will augment the solar water heater market. Ability to reduce electricity bill by 50% to 80% will encourage the product penetration over the forecast timeline.China solar water heater market size is predicted to exceed 45GWth by 2024. Introduction of green building regulations and standards to curb greenhouse gas emissions will positively impact the business landscape. Technological innovation in evacuated tube collector design to reduce the cost and improve efficiency of solar thermal system will further boost the product demand.Thermosyphon solar water heater market is predicted to witness strong growth owing to its wide application across commercial and residential buildings. Cost effectiveness, ease of installation and simple design are some of the primary benefits which will boost the product penetration.Favorable measures to encourage the deployment of solar energy along with strict government regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will propel the U.S. solar water heater market share. Under the Obama administration, the country set target to reduce GHG emissions up to 28% by 2025 from 2005 level. Positive outlook towards housing sector will further complement the business growth.Italy in 2016, accounted for over 5% of the Europe solar water heater market share. Introduction of building code with an aim to reduce the overall emissions will further boost the product demand. In March 2011, the government of Italy introduced law number 28 according to which all new building and buildings that are under construction have been required to fulfil up to 50% of hot water demand with renewable energies since June 2012.Browse Full Report Details @Revamp of social housing program for lower income families will drive the Brazil solar water heater market. In August 2016, the United Nation relaunched the Minha Casa, Minha Vida, a social housing program for lower income group which mandated installation of SWH in new buildings.Increasing investment toward renewable energy development will augment the Jordan solar water heater market. In 2016, the EU invested USD 170.56 million to support the development of green energy including Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency II program in Jordan under the 2014-2017 bilateral strategy.Industry giants across solar water heater market include Wagner, Bosch, Alternate Energy Technologies, V Guard Industries, Himin Solar Energy, SunTank, Viessmann, EMMVEE, Rinnai, Chromagen, Linuo Ritter, A.O. Smith, Rheem, Racold and Bradford White.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Explore Our Blog @Connect with us: Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter
Food and Beverage Robotic System Integration Market for Pick and Place Application, by End-use Industry, and Geography - Global Industry Insights to 2025

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Robot system integration is a method of programming and supplying industrial robots for performing manufacturing tasks autonomously. The global food and beverage robotic system integration market for pick and place application is estimated to generate revenue of US$ 17.5 million in 2017 from US$ 15.8 million in 2016. The market is expected to generate revenue of US$ 40.1 million by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.91% over the forecast period.The adoption for robotic system integrator in manufacturing and processing of food and beverages is increasing, owing to increased efficiency, reduced errors, no requirement for clean and contamination free production area, efficient process management, appropriate usage of raw materials, reduced waste, and depletion in production time offered by robotic integration. This in turn, results in enhanced levels of production. For instance, in 2003, a grading system was developed using robots, which segregates deciduous fruits such as peaches, pears, and apples.Request Sample Copy of this Report @This system automatically segregates the fruits by inspecting all sides of the fruit and placing them in their respective crates for further process. In this grading system, robots maximum speed is 1 m/s and its stroke is around 1.2 m. Within 2.7 seconds, the robot can transfer 12 fruits to their respective trays and takes 0.4 seconds to move the product down to the conveyor line. The robotic arm returns back to its original place after releasing the fruit, within 1 second. The pick and place robots complete the entire operation in 4.25 seconds. As per this calculation, one set of pick and place robot can process around 10, 000 fruits per hour.North America held a dominant position in the food and beverage robotic system integration market for pick and place application market in 2016.On the basis of geography, the food and beverage robotic system integration market for pick and place application market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. The Europe region held a dominant position in the market in 2016 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The market in the region is estimated to generate revenue of US$ 4.82 million in 2017, and is expected to reach US$ 11.12 million by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 11.02% over the forecast period. Increasing industrial robots in European region plays a major role for the growth of the pick and place integrator market. Germany is one of the key countries generating revenue in the market in the region and holds the fifth position in the global robotic market. According to International Federation of Robotics, 20,105 units of industrial robots were sold in 2015. Similarly, Italy, France, Spain, the U.K. are some of the key countries, which recorded industrial robotic sales of 6,700 units, 3,045 units, 3,800 units, and 1,645 units, respectively. Increasing sales of robots is in turn, increasing the adoption of these robots in the food and beverage industry. Thus, the market for food and beverage robotic system integration market for pick and place application is growing rapidly.Request For Customization of this Report @Key Players in the MarketMajor players operating in the global food and beverage robotic system integration market for pick and place application market include Blueprint Automation, Bradman Lake Group, EPIC Systems, Inc., Fallas Automation, Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Simplimatic Automation, JLS Automation, KLEENLine, Shuttleworth, LLC., Multivac, Stelram Engineering Ltd, RobotWorx, RightHand Robotics, Inc., PWR Pack Ltd., Bastian Solutions, Inc., iNova Microsystems Pte. Ltd., AMF Bakery Systems, and Gerhard Schubert GmbH.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Educational Baby Toys Market 2018 Global Share,Trend,Segmentation and Forecast to 2023

Educational Baby Toys

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Educational Baby Toys Market 2018 Global Share,Trend,Segmentation and Forecast to 2023.Description:Educational Baby Toys-Global Market Status and Trend Report 2013-2023 offers a comprehensive analysis on Educational Baby Toys industry, standing on the readers perspective, delivering detailed market data and penetrating insights. No matter the client is industry insider, potential entrant or investor, the report will provides useful data and information.Key questions answered by this report include:Worldwide and Regional Market Size of Educational Baby Toys 2013-2017, and development forecast 2018-2023Main manufacturers/suppliers of Educational Baby Toys worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the Educational Baby Toys marketMarket status and development trend of Educational Baby Toys by types and applicationsCost and profit status of Educational Baby Toys, and marketing statusMarket growth drivers and challengesGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe report segments the global Educational Baby Toys market as:Global Educational Baby Toys Market: Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Production Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-2023):North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanRest APACLatin AmericaGlobal Educational Baby Toys Market: Type Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume, Average Price, Revenue, Market Share and Trend 2013-2023):Building SetsJigsaw PuzzlesCard GamesOthersGlobal Educational Baby Toys Market: Application Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume and Market Share 2013-2023; Downstream Customers and Market Analysis)Physical StoresOnline StoresGlobal Educational Baby Toys Market: Manufacturers Segment Analysis (Company and Product introduction, Educational Baby Toys Sales Volume, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin):Guangdong AlphaLego GroupToys "R" UsBeijing Smart ToyChiccoFarlinFisher-PriceGreen Forest HandicraftsHasbroIntex Toys & Plastic ElectronicKids IILeapFrog EnterprisesMattelMelissa & DougMothercareNanhan Jinxiong Plastic & Metal ProductsThe Learning ResourcesThe Walt DisneyVTech HoldingsYunhe Hunter Wooden ProductsZhejiang Mulolo Toys & CraftsAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsChapter 1 Overview of Educational Baby Toys1.1 Definition of Educational Baby Toys in This Report1.2 Commercial Types of Educational Baby Toys1.2.1 Building Sets1.2.2 Jigsaw Puzzles1.2.3 Card Games1.2.4 Others1.3 Downstream Application of Educational Baby Toys1.3.1 Physical Stores1.3.2 Online Stores1.4 Development History of Educational Baby Toys1.5 Market Status and Trend of Educational Baby Toys 2013-20231.5.1 Global Educational Baby Toys Market Status and Trend 2013-20231.5.2 Regional Educational Baby Toys Market Status and Trend 2013-2023Chapter 2 Global Market Status and Forecast by Regions2.1 Market Development of Educational Baby Toys 2013-20172.2 Production Market of Educational Baby Toys by Regions2.2.1 Production Volume of Educational Baby Toys by Regions2.2.2 Production Value of Educational Baby Toys by Regions2.3 Demand Market of Educational Baby Toys by Regions2.4 Production and Demand Status of Educational Baby Toys by Regions2.4.1 Production and Demand Status of Educational Baby Toys by Regions 2013-20172.4.2 Import and Export Status of Educational Baby Toys by Regions 2013-2017Chapter 3 Global Market Status and Forecast by Types3.1 Production Volume of Educational Baby Toys by Types3.2 Production Value of Educational Baby Toys by Types3.3 Market Forecast of Educational Baby Toys by TypesChapter 4 Global Market Status and Forecast by Downstream Industry4.1 Demand Volume of Educational Baby Toys by Downstream Industry4.2 Market Forecast of Educational Baby Toys by Downstream IndustryChapter 5 Market Driving Factor Analysis of Educational Baby Toys5.1 Global Economy Situation and Trend Overview5.2 Educational Baby Toys Downstream Industry Situation and Trend OverviewChapter 6 Educational Baby Toys Market Competition Status by Major Manufacturers6.1 Production Volume of Educational Baby Toys by Major Manufacturers6.2 Production Value of Educational Baby Toys by Major Manufacturers6.3 Basic Information of Educational Baby Toys by Major Manufacturers6.3.1 Headquarters Location and Established Time of Educational Baby Toys Major Manufacturer6.3.2 Employees and Revenue Level of Educational Baby Toys Major Manufacturer6.4 Market Competition News and Trend6.4.1 Merger, Consolidation or Acquisition News6.4.2 Investment or Disinvestment News6.4.3 New Product Development and LaunchChapter 7 Educational Baby Toys Major Manufacturers Introduction and Market Data7.1 Guangdong Alpha7.1.1 Company profile7.1.2 Representative Educational Baby Toys Product7.1.3 Educational Baby Toys Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Guangdong Alpha7.2 Lego Group7.2.1 Company profile7.2.2 Representative Educational Baby Toys Product7.2.3 Educational Baby Toys Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Lego Group7.3 Toys "R" Us7.3.1 Company profile7.3.2 Representative Educational Baby Toys Product7.3.3 Educational Baby Toys Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Toys "R" Us7.4 Beijing Smart Toy7.4.1 Company profile7.4.2 Representative Educational Baby Toys Product7.4.3 Educational Baby Toys Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Beijing Smart Toy7.5 Chicco7.5.1 Company profile7.5.2 Representative Educational Baby Toys Product7.5.3 Educational Baby Toys Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Chicco7.6 Farlin7.6.1 Company profile7.6.2 Representative Educational Baby Toys Product7.6.3 Educational Baby Toys Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Farlin7.7 Fisher-Price7.7.1 Company profile7.7.2 Representative Educational Baby Toys Product7.7.3 Educational Baby Toys Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Fisher-PriceContinueFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Global Core Materials Market Research Study including Growth Factors, Types and Top Vendor Profile like (Diab International AB, Airex AG, Hexcel Corporation, EURO-COMPOSITES) , by regions from 2018 to 2024

Core Materials Market- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024

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According To New Study On Global Core Materials Market accounted for USD 1.19 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.78% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. Upcoming market report contains data for historic year 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Global Core Materials Market By Type {Foam [PVC Foam, PET Foam, SAN Foam, Others (Polystyrene (PS), Polyetherimide (PEI), Polyurethane (PU), Polymethacrylimide (PMI))], Honeycomb (Aluminum, Thermoplastic, Aramid), Balsa)}, End Users (Aerospace, Marine, Wind Energy, Transportation, Construction, Others), Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa)}  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024FREE | Sample Copy is Available @The Latin America market has witnessed a slowdown owing to the political turmoil existing in major markets of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. On the other hand, the market in Africa is expected to experience strong growth rate over the forecast period owing to the forecasted economic growth in the regionThe key participants of the core materials market adopt varied organic and inorganic strategies in order to sustain in the market. Some of the examples of market players in the core materials market include Evonik Industries AG, Diab Group (Ratos), Gurit Holding AG, Hexcel Corporation, Armacell International S.A., 3A Composites, Changzhou Tiansheng New Materials Co. Ltd, Euro-Composites S.A., The Gill Corporation, and Plascore Incorporated.Market Definition:Core materials are created in different assortments such as balsa, honeycomb, froth and aluminum, which are the materials most commonly utilized as center in composite sandwich structures. Core materials increase the thickness and firmness of composite structures for high performance products along with the with minimal weight penalty.Competitive Analysis:-The global Core Materials Market is highly fragmented with the presence of a large number of players across different regions. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.Speak to the Author of The Report @Market Segmentation:On the basis of type:- foam, honeycomb and balsa. Foam is further segmented into PVC foam, PET foam, SAN foam and others where, the other type of foam is sub-segmented into Polystyrene (PS), Polyetherimide (PEI), Polyurethane (PU), Polymethacrylimide (PMI). Honeycomb is sub-segmented into aluminum, thermoplastic and aramid. Foam segment is expected to lead the core materials market for composites over the forecast period.On the basis end users:- aerospace, marine, wind energy, transportation, marine, construction and others. The wind energy segment is expected to grow in the forecasting period due to the utilization of composites in designing of blades for large wind turbines.On the basis of geography:- North America South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa.Some Top Countries Covered In this Report:- U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil among others.In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Request for Detail TOC @Top Market Competitors Diab International AB, Airex AG, Hexcel Corporation, EURO-COMPOSITES, The Gill Corporation, Plascore, Gurit, Changzhou Tiansheng New Materials Co. Ltd., Evonik Industries AG, Armacell International S.A. among others.Major Market Drivers and Restraint: Growing demand for composites from aerospace and marine industries Rising demand from the wind energy industryMarket Restraint: High manufacturing costRead more about the Global Core Materials Market@About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com
Automotive Black boxes Market Revenue, Opportunity, Segment and Key Trends 2018 - 2028

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Automotive Black boxes a.k.a Event Data Recorder (EDR) are an essential tool for investigating the driver movements in case of collision/ accident. These smart units usually record the driver actions 5-10 seconds before the airbags are triggered. Black boxes in vehicles are normally out of sight as they are installed either beneath the seat or on the dashboard. These devices record not only events and movements of the driver but also the speed, braking, turning and whether the seat belt is put on or not plus the other driving parameters. The automotive black boxes are triggered by the sensors upon sudden braking or left/right turns made by the driver while driving.The automotive black boxes are essential tools used by the police and insurance companies to investigate accidents. This helps the investigating authorities to know the exact cause of the accident and the conclusion if the driver needs to be incriminated for the same. The black boxes are useful in case the driver is not in fault. They ensure faster insurance claims thus benefitting the car owners. There are two types of black boxes in the market. One is the standard version that is normally installed on dashboard or beneath the driver seat and the other one is known as video data event recorder which is usually installed on the wind shield. This type of black box records the actions of the driver in real time along with the other parameters plus GPS location and the direction in which the vehicle was moving.Automotive Black boxes Market: DynamicsAutomotive Black boxes mostly preferred by the fleet owners such as cab companies, ambulances, logistic trucks, commute buses and trains. The concept of black box in automobiles has been introduced because of rise in number of land accidents as compared to the ones in air. This has been a driving factor for the automotive black boxes market. In addition to this, the black boxes are being suggested by the insurance companies to support the claims. Plus, the stringent government regulations in may developed countries have made it compulsory for the manufacturers to install a black box in the automobiles they manufacture. This has certainly been a driver for the automotive black boxes market.Request Report Sample@The new trend seen in the automotive black boxes market is installing both the type of EDRs i.e. the standard version as well as the video mount EDR. This is so as to accumulate accurate data from the black boxes in case of accidents and claims. Although they are important tool for acquiring the vehicles data, they have been interrupting the privacies of drivers and the end users are not happy with this. Therefore, this can be recorded as the only hindrance for the automotive black boxes market although it doesnt assert much impact.Automotive Black boxes Market: SegmentationOn the basis of installation, the Global Automotive Black boxes Market can be segmented into:Under-the-seat Black BoxesDashboard Black BoxesWindshield Mounted Black BoxesOn the basis of type, the Global Automotive Black boxes Market can be segmented into:Event Data RecorderVideo Event Data Recorder (Dash Cam)On the basis of End Users, the Global Automotive Black boxes Market can be segmented into:Fleet OwnersCommute BusesLogistic TrucksTrainsVisit For TOC@Automotive Black boxes Market: Regional OutlookMost of the Automotive Black boxes market is majorly concentrated in the developed regions like Europe, U.S, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Although with more number of land accidents witnessed every year, the market is slow paced in the developing countries like China, ASEAN and Latin America. India and parts of MEA are anticipated to be slow adopters of the Automotive Black boxes market. This is due to lack of awareness and the privacy concerns of the users in these regions.Automotive Black boxes Market: Key PlayersExamples of some of the market participants identified across the value chain of the Automotive Black boxes Market are:Car Black Box[x]cube LABS.Auto BlackBox Pty LtdBlackVueEGENs Inc.Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc.Duvonn Electronic Technology Co., LtdShenzhen Newsmy Technology Co. LtdSubaruKiaHyundaiAbout Us Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Mobile Biometrics Market to Grow at CAGR of +29% by 2022: Business Review, Demand, Opportunities, Future Development, Market Insight and Top key Players

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Advancement of security technologies lead to develop innovative security solutions to provide comprehensive security services. Biometric technology is one of the important security solution among innovative security solution. Government organization, banks and financial institutions has been installing these biometric solutions to secure their premises. In the recent era, biometric solution providers has developed mobile biometric solution to take advantage smartphones, tablets, other types of handhelds, wearable technology, and Internet of Things devices for versatile deployment capabilities.Global Mobile Biometrics market to grow at a CAGR of +29% during the period.This market research report gives an in-depth idea about the global Mobile Biometrics market. It highlights the recent market scenario, growth in the past few years, and opportunities present for manufacturers in the future. In this research for the completion of both primary and secondary details, various methods and tools are used. Also, investments instigated by organizations, government, non-government bodies, and institutions are projected in details for better understanding about the market.Get Sample copy of this Report @:Companies Profiled in this report includes, 3M Cogent, Dell SecureWorks, Samsung?KNOX, Good Technologies, Honeywell, LG Electronics, Booz Allen Hamilton, Qualcomm, Neurotechnology, FujitsuDefinitions and specifications are included in the introduction of the report, through its overview. These definitions allow a user to better understand the terminologies used in the rest of the report and consequently gather information at a faster and smoother rate. The overview also provides a list of various end users, which further helps the user understand the global Mobile Biometrics markets industry chain structure.Get 20% Discount on this Report @:Relating to the latest hierarchy in the global Mobile Biometrics market, the report outlines some of the crucial players functioning in the market. Discriminating information about the significant players including their business segmentation, product portfolio, revenue, and business overview has been integrated into the report. Latest improvements in the industry have been taken into concern while anticipating the future perspective of the market. The report also exemplifies the various marketing channels prevailing in the global market and conveys information about few of the critical distributors functioning in the market.The report thoroughly analyzes the most crucial details of the Global Mobile Biometrics Market with the help of an in-depth and professional analysis. Described in a precise manner, the report also presents complete overview of the market based on the factors that are projected to have a considerable and measurable impact on the markets developmental prospects over the forecast period.Enquiry before Buying @:After studying key companies, the report focuses on the startups contributing towards the growth of the market. Possible mergers and acquisitions among the startups and key organizations are identified by the reports authors in the study. Most companies in the Mobile Biometrics market are currently engaged in adopting new technologies, strategies, product developments, expansions, and long-term contracts to maintain their dominance in the global market. Moreover, extensive investments are being made in research and development to enable product enhancements and improvements. With the advent of new technologies on a regular basis, players are striving hard to incorporate the latest technology to gain a competitive edge above the rest.Table of ContentsGlobal Mobile Biometrics Market Research ReportChapter 1 Mobile Biometrics Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Global Mobile Biometrics Market ForecastAbout Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact:Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr,Houston, TX, Pin  77064,+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com,
A Delta College nursing student is working to offset her costs for a medical service trip to Kenya.

Lakeen Arndt, a Bullock Creek High alumna, will embark on the service trip May 1 to set up a medical camp. During the 14-day trip, Arndt and a group of students will provide care to hundreds of Haji internally displaced persons. Arndt's fundraising deadline is this Sunday.

"I've always had a passion to go on a mission trip, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped on it," Arndt said. "This will give me a new perspective as a nurse, and was not something I could pass up."

The community Arndt and a group of students will serve includes families that were displaced from their original homes as a result of political unrest in Kenya.

The students' work will involve removing sand fleas from people's feet, facilitating a woman's hygiene area where local women have created reusable pads, wound cleaning, administering antibiotics and other general medical needs.

Any money raised above the $1,200 the Midland native said she needs to fund travel costs will go to a project called "The Haji Water." The water project was set up by Arndt's nursing professor at Delta, who is leading the service trip. The goal of "The Haji Water" is to get clean water to the community where the group will be working, who have to walk two to three miles to get water.

Anyone wishing to monetarily support Arndt's service trip can mail checks to the Delta student at 1302 Clay St. Midland, MI 48642 and in the memo it write "Kenya." Arndt also set up a GoFundMe titled "Help Me Help Africa," to accept donations online.
Grout Township Supervisor Martin Shearer didnt expect it when an 83-year-old constituent walked up to the board table Tuesday night and sucker punched him during a township meeting.

Gerald George of Gladwin was arraigned in 80th District Court in Gladwin on Wednesday on three counts: assaulting or obstructing a public officer, assault or assault and battery, and disturbing the peace. George is presently held on a $3,000/10 percent bond.

Shearer, 47, suffered a swollen lip, cheek and mouth. He said he is pressing charges.

It was a shock, Shearer said of the punch. He didnt come up aggressively to me. I thought he was just coming up to get in my face. Then he sucker punched me.

It just caught everyone off guard, Shearer said, especially him.

One person called 911 from the Grout Township Hall kitchen and another called from her cell phone. When Gladwin County Sheriff deputies arrived, they arrested George without incident. Afterwards, the meeting calmly continued.

Leading up to the punch, Shearer said George was ranting about a pavilion the board built a year ago. Witnesses said he constantly complains about it, saying that people come to him noting their objections about the pavilion. Shearer said the board has told George that those people should come to meetings.

(George) got upset, threatened a board member and the treasurer, Shearer said. I adjourned the meeting until he left the building.

The suspect, whom Shearer and board members say never misses a meeting, is usually finger-wagging and yelling at meetings.

Shearer said the board is consulting the Michigan Township Association regarding further action, and the alleged act could result in the board barring the suspect from further township meetings.
The County Road Association of Michigan honored the Midland County Road Commission with three IMPRESS Awards at its recent Annual Highway Conference.

IMPRESS Awards recognize county road agencies that demonstrate innovation with special projects in communications, operations and collaboration.

"Our county road agencies are 110 percent committed to improving local roads, especially after weather disasters," said Denise Donohue, director of the County Road Association of Michigan. "Midland County Road Commission is honored for its efforts to keep roads safe for its residents."

MCRC was awarded an IMPRESS Award and a People's Choice Award in the Operations Category for its project "2017 GRS-IBS Bridge Construction Operations."

Four bridges were destroyed and many others were severely damaged in Midland County during torrential rainfall and severe flooding in June 2017. With significant repairs needed in a short time frame, MCRC turned to Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS) structures. GRS-IBS structures are flexible and easy to adapt to different site conditions, take less time to complete and increase safety due to smaller crews and less equipment required. MCRC was able to secure funding for the new bridges and restore access to Midland residents within five months.

In the Communications Category, MCRC received an award for its sustained communication efforts during the summer 2017 flood. MCRC used news releases, social media posts, an information booth at the Midland County Fair, videos and new ESRI software with a GIS technician to create an Interactive Flood Damage Map to keep residents updated on flood damage.

CRA's 2018 IMPRESS Awards were judged by a panel of communications and operations experts from several of Michigan's 83 county road agencies. Award recipients were honored for projects that solved time restraints, labor costs, communication barriers and fostered collaboration.
The concept of value is awfully nebulous in the whiskey world. At least among the products coming out of big, well-established distilleries, there are reliable measuring sticks that one can use. For $25, for example, you can get a bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch on the bourbon side, or Rittenhouse on the rye side of the equation. The reliable existence of/access to these products is the primary factor in terms of implanting ideas of value in the head of the consumer. On some level, if youre a bourbon priced above $25, you have to prove youre worth that upgrade from the Elijah Craig. And if youre a rye with a price tag greater than $25, youre in direct competition for a value comparison with the likes of Rittenhouse or Bulleit Rye.

That works, more or less, when talking about the big distilling companies on the market. But what about independent micro-distillers? Thats another ball of wax. How much is novelty worth? Or the knowledge that a distillery is employing more expensive, esoteric techniques that dont necessarily translate to obvious differences in flavor? Or a few extra percentage points on an ABV?

Typically, those types of questions dont really enter very much into one of my reviews at Paste. But typically, Im not reviewing a two-year straight rye whiskey that retails for $125. So yeahhere, these questions are relevant.

The whiskey in question is Peerless Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Its a new-ish product from Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., a microdistiller producing tiny batches of cask strength rye whiskey (bourbon on the way in 2019), and doing so in a few ways that are unusual. The first oddity is their use of exclusively sweet mash rather than the almost universal sour mashing process, meaning that theyre essentially using fresh batches of yeast for every mash, rather than using previously soured mash to achieve consistency. Secondly, Peerless is devoted to a low barrel entry proof process for their rye, meaning that the liquid enters the newly charred barrel at a lower proof and then isnt cut with water afterward. This has the effect of making the cask strength release only about 107 proof, barely stronger than most bottled in bond releases. Both of these processes are not exactly common in the industry, and they likely contribute on some level to the price tag.

Sporting an aged 24 months in wood sticker, it feels like the brand is well aware that its lack of age will be a talking point, considering the price point. Conveying age in months rather than years simply isnt the kind of thing that instills confidence in someone browsing the liquor aisle, and its probably not the best idea.

But enough talk. Lets actually appraise the liquid here.

On the nose, Peerless Rye conjures an interesting melange of flavors. Im getting a lot of herbal and green notes on this young rye, with lots of pine, dill and a fresh, grassy note. Light brown sugar sweetness and some corny sweetness suggest a decent amount of corn in the mash bill, met by sawdust-like wood notes. Apple fruitiness combines with a quality that is almost salineseawater-esque, finishing with some slightly stinging alcohol.

On the palate, this rye is spicy and clearly on the younger side, with a fairly assertive alcohol presence. The woodsy, floral and piney notes remain, supplement with notes of stone fruit, corny sweetness and brown sugar. Spices convey cinnamon and a bit of anise/molasses cookie, with moderate sweetness. Oddly, it seems like the flavors taper off rather quickly, leaving a neutral (but long-lasting) alcohol burn. Im rather surprised in general that the booze seems quite as assertive as it isit certainly feels like a rougher alcohol presence than in the similarly proofed Makers Mark Private Select we recently sampled.

Regardless, this is both a flavorful and intriguing two-year rye. If someone handed me a glass of Peerless, despite it showing some of its youth, I would think it had more age on it than two years. Told that this was a two-year rye in a blind tasting, I would give it congratulations.

However. If I was then told I would be paying $125 for a bottle of that rye, I would say no way is that happening. Yes, there must be some concession made when a product like this is coming from a microdistillery rather than a major producer, but when your rye is in a rarified price tier, it has to at least be compared against comparable products. Peerless has made an enjoyable whiskey, but even if you cut its price tag in half, it would still face tough competition from the likes of Pikesville 6 Year Rye, which retails at $50 and even has a slightly higher proof, while being three times as old. Its asking a whole lot of the consumer for them to overlook that.

Reportedly, there are stocks of Peerless still being aged, which presumably will lead to 4 and 6-year versions of the rye down the line. Judging from the 2-year, theres genuinely a possibility that those ryes will be really great, but how much will they cost? If $125 is just a starting point, will you be expected to shell out $200 for a bottle of 4-year rye? Whos looking at that, next to a bottle of Hochstadters 16 Year Rye or WhistlePig 15 Year, and choosing the former rather than the latter?

Im not sure. But if money is no object, by all means, go right ahead.

Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.

City: Louisville, KY

Style: Kentucky straight rye whiskey

ABV: 53.5% (107 proof)

Availability: 750 ml bottles, $125 MSRP

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident brown liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.
Academy Award nominee Sacha Baron Cohen will play real-life Israeli spy Eli Cohen (no relation) in Netflixs six-part limited series The Spy, the streamer announced Wednesday.

Eli Cohen, one of the most legendary spies in the world, lived in Damascus undercover in the early 60s, spying for Israel. He managed to embed himself in Syrian high society and rise through the ranks of their politics. His actions, connections and immense sacrifice have had lasting consequences, shaping the Middle East of today. In 1965, Cohen was rounded up from his apartment one night and placed on trial in a Syrian court. After being reportedly tortured and interrogated, Cohen was sentenced to death for espionage.

Gideon Raff, the writer of the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning Showtime series Homeland, starring Claire Danes, will write and direct the limited series. Raff created the Israeli series Prisoner of War, which served as the basis for Showtimes Homeland, which was adapted by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon. Raff has won two Emmys for producing and writing Homeland.

Sacha Baron Cohen received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. He is best known for creating his hilarious characters and then staying in them during interviews, awards shows and other public appearances. He did so as Borat, as Bruno and, most recently, as The Dictator.

Cohens film appearances outside of those characters include roles in Martin Scorseses Hugo, Tom Hoopers Les Miserables, Disneys Alice Through the Looking Glass, Tim Burtons Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the Madagascar franchise. His next interesting character will be Mandrake the Magician, which is in development still. Cohen can currently be seen in Seth Rogens Hilarity for Charity, which is available to stream on Netflix now.
Wednesday morning, President Trump singled out Syria and Russia in a series of tweets, outlining his intent to begin missile strikes against Syria, describing the weapons nice and new and smart!, and that Russia should rethink its partnership with Syria. He went on to describe Syrian president Bashar al-Assad as a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

The condemnation of al-Assad isn't surprising as many world leaders have condemned his actions against his own people, including the recent alleged chemical attack against Syrian civilians. What is surprising is the hypocritical statement that telegraphs the president's planned military response against Syria. Trump previously ridiculed other world leaders, including President Obama, for similar statements, claiming they gave advantageous information to enemies. (There's always a tweet.)

It appears that is exactly what happened here, as the Syrian government moved multiple aircraft to a Russian base near Latakia following the president's comments, and is preparing defenses for its vital weapons systems. Russia signaled its alliance with Syria will continue, with Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin warning the president Tuesday that any missiles fired at Syria will be shot down.

The president commented on current relations between the U.S. and the Kremlin in another tweet, stating, Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War.

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trumps characterization of the relationship between the two powers mirrors comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and the closing of a Russian embassy in Seattle last month.

Parsing out the exact nature of the chemical attack in Syria is providing even more strain on the relationship. The U.S. believe the attack, which left multiple civilians dead, was carried out by al-Assad on his own people, though Defense Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed that the U.S. is still assessing related intelligence. Russia continues to place responsibility on Syrian opposition forces, with Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stating that if American missiles were so smart, then they should hit terrorists and not government targets.

Wednesday, the World Health Organization reported that roughly 500 people in Douma, a suburb of Damascus, have symptoms like those suffered by people exposed to toxic chemicals. 43 of the reported 70 people that died while taking shelter during the attack showed signs of being exposed to highly toxic chemicals.
Over the last several days, President Trump has made a series of vague threats about how we will respond to the Syrian governments most recent reported chemical attack on its own citizens.

Nothings off the table, he said during a cabinet meeting. If its Russia, if its Syria, if its Iran, if its all of them together, well figure it out and well know the answers quite soon.

And just this morning Trump tweeted that wed be firing missiles at Syria soon. Notably, and considering the stakes most frighteningly, he addressed this to Russia:

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Which was brought to you by the same guy who tweeted this:

What other country tells the enemy when we are going to attack like Obama is doing with ISIS. Whatever happened to the element of surprise?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2014

But would military action against the Syrian government be legal? The short answer is no. Its likely unconstitutional, and its a consequence many Americans have been concerned about ever since the President assumed sweeping new war powers in response to the September 11 attacks. What the American people think of this, or dont think of it, says a lot about our awareness of the wars were fighting, as well as our appetite to check the authority of our executive branch. If Trump uses force in Syria and meets no domestic resistance, Americans will have allowed to President to usurp war powers at will and done nothing except shrug in response.

This is part of a larger, disturbing trend in the rise of our tolerance, and for many Americans desire, for authoritarian rule. Its why the Constitution was written in the first place. The President fights wars, but Congress declares war. When the President attacks Assad, he runs the very real risk of starting a new war. That war would involve the Syrian government, but also would likely include fighting against Russian and Iranian forces.

This is obviously a disaster, and one the Constitution wasnt prepared for. Even if its legal for the President to order the strike, which I will argue it is not, such a strike reveals a constitutional loophole: The President can bait war without declaring it.

First, quick background on why were able to deploy troops to Syria in the first place.

The legal justification for the U.S. military presence in Syria is based on a seventeen-year-old Congressional resolution called the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which President George W. Bush signed into law in the wake of the September 11 attacks. In short, Congress gave the President nearly unlimited freedom to use all necessary and appropriate force against people the President believes planned, authorized, committed or aided the September 11th attacks. More importantly, the authorization also gives the President the right to use forces against other organizations and countries who harbored those terrorists.

In other words, Congress, which the Constitution assigned the right to declare war, recused itself from the War on Terror.

Heres the relevant text:

Whereas, the President has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States:

That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.

The AUMF essentially gives the President license to kill al Qaeda anywhere. Its also a license to attack any government that supports al Qaeda. But why is this relevant to Syria?

Its a stretch.

Since 2001, the AUMF has been the basis for executive-ordered U.S. military action in Afghanistan, Iraq, Georgia, Yemen, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and the Philippines. The Obama administration also used the AUMF to justify airstrikes against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Syria, arguing that the Islamic State had at one point been an al Qaeda affiliate in Iraq, and so by extension was connected to the 9/11 attacks and covered by the AUMF. But the two groups are no longer aligned, and for the last few years theyve actually been at war with each other in Syria, of all places. This seems to mark a fundamental divergence in targets, and begs for a rewrite of the AUMF. Thats irrelevant now, obviously, since the AUMF is in place, so lets look at whether it justifies the use of force against the Assad regime.

The Trump administration is using the AUMF to justify the continued presence of U.S. forces in Syria. Today there are 2000 U.S. troops officially in Syria, but we dont count the soldiers in the country on special or secret missions. But even though our presence in Syria might be justified as a check on international terrorist groups, an attack on Assad is a separate issue. The AUMF doesnt authorize military strikes on a sovereign government if that government isnt harboring or supporting people affiliated with al Qaeda. The Assad government is actively fighting the Islamic State.

Theres an obvious precedent Ive ignored until now: Almost exactly one year ago Trump ordered a missile strike on a Syrian air force base in response to a chemical attack on civilians. But just because weve done it before doesnt mean its legal.

Theres no rational claim to be made for self-defense, no authorization of the United Nations Security Council, and no multi-lateral coalition like NATO (which Obama leaned on to justify his action in Libya). The unilateral strike punished Assad, and it didnt prevent an imminent massacre, which was part of the weak justification for NATOs 1999 military action in Kosovo. Importantly, NATO justified that use of force as legitimate, but didnt try to justify the intervention as lawful.

And just this February the Trump administration itself acknowledged the legal limits on attacking the Syrian government itself. Mary Waters, the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, wrote in a letter that the United States does not seek to fight the government of Syria or Iran or Iranian-supported groups in Iraq or Syria. However, the United States will not hesitate to use necessary and proportionate force to defend U.S., coalition, or partner forces engaged in operations to defeat ISIS and degrade al Qaeda.

This seems to lay the groundwork for a legal rationale for future attacks against the Syrian government. That rationale, however, hinges on the necessary defense of the U.S. and allied forces. Its true weve helped carry out attacks on pro-Syrian forces in the past, but that use of force was in immediate response to direct military threats to those forces. Assad didnt attack us or our allies here: He attacked civilians.

But lets go back to last years missile attack. That strike was the first time the U.S. specifically targeted Syrian government forces. Trumps core argument was that the attack was in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. Though Trump makes a compelling humanitarian argument, the legality is gray. Its a lot like NATOs argument for going into Kosovo: legit, but not lawful.

But there are two types of law here: International and domestic. Lets see how this stacks up to both.

This is a pretty solid no, but it comes with a caveat: Will we strike on our own, or with the help of a number of coalition forces? A unilateral strike would be certainly illegal, but reports have recently surfaced that were coordinating our response with France and Britain. A coordinated strike is much smarter: It wont draw international condemnation, and it would likely get the blessing of most countries in the U.N. Security Council, Russia being the obvious holdout there. But if the strike were launched without official U.N. approval, which seems more and more to be the case, it would still test international law. In other words it would be legitimate, but not lawful. More on that in a moment, though.

The United Nations Charter says there are two scenarios in which a nation can use military force in another country without that countrys consent: With the permission of the U.N. Security Council, or with a legitimate self-defense claim. The strike in Syria meets neither condition. The U.N. didnt sanction it, and it wasnt in response to an attack on or direct threat to U.S. forces or interests.

And, as the New York Times pointed out last year, the chemical weapons treaty doesnt sanction attacks as punishment for those who violate the treaty. Remember that Trump cited last years attacks as punishment for the use of chemical weapons. Such an attack doesnt meet the terms of the treaty, which is meaningful because the Syrian government is party to that treaty.

But lets also note that on Monday Trump said, several times, this is a humanity issue. And yes, of course, Assad must be punished for the heinous attack, which is just one in a string of humanitarian atrocities. But though it might seem Im making a callous technocratic argument here, the law is important, and is in place for a reason. And in fact, the United States has never argued that military intervention on humanitarian grounds is legal without U.N. authorization. We theoretically could float that argument, but we havent because the consequences of that precedent could be grave. Any country could then take up the same argument to bypass international law, framing it within its own subjective understanding of what humanitarian means.

That said, as pointed out recently in Just Security, this moment gives the United Nations an opportunity to narrowly define what constitutes a humanitarian military intervention: A governments use of chemical or biological weapons on its own citizens. This definition would require only the objective determination of whether such an attack happened, not the subjective measure of whether a governments behavior qualifies as inhumane.

This provision seems absolutely necessary, and ought to be taken up by the United Nations. That said, no single country should ever be allowed to act unilaterally on what it deems appropriate or moral. You can imagine where that might lead.

But what if we need to respond to a regional threat unilaterally? Or what if Congress decides to declare a just war unilaterally? What if we have legit reasons for violating that international treaty? That leads us to the next and more problematic question

First of all, Congress has been pretty permissive of ever-expanding executive war powers. This doesnt mean it should be, however, and it doesnt mean any such actions are constitutional. That is a legitimate question, and as I mentioned at the top, its getting more and more vital as our nation, and others globally, cede more ground to political leaders with autocratic tendencies.

The Constitution splits war powers between Congress (declares war) and the President (wages war). But recently the distinction has become gray.

As pointed out in Just Security, the presidents obligation under Article II isnt only to international law, but also to treaties to which the U.S. is bound. Those treaties are the supreme Law of the land under the Constitutions Article VI, which makes them domestic law. And though the president under Article II shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, thats only provided two thirds of the Senators present concur. If the president breaks the terms of an international treaty without Congressional consent, hes violating the Constitution.

But as pointed out in the above section, the Constitution doesnt stop the United States from breaking treaties. Congress has breached treaties before, although rarely. But such breaches have consequences: The U.S. would have violated international law and become subject to sanctions and other punishment, as well as to diplomatic isolation and frayed international relations. Sometimes, though, that might be worth it in the national interest.

But you can throw all that out here: Congress hasnt authorized an attack on Syria.

Theres a Constitutional conflict here, which the courts havent addressed, and that conflict hinges on whether Congress needs to give its approval in all instances.

Maybe?

For example, in 1994 the Clinton administration floated an argument to justify military action in Haiti as not being an act of war, because they said it wasnt a war in the constitutional sense. And the so-called War on Terror is an excellent example: The internationally sprawling game of whack-a-mole certainly isnt how the framers envisioned war in the constitutional sense. But again, thats the reason we have the AUMF in the first place: We needed to make an extra-constitutional exception.

Look, whenever the U.S. anticipated the risk of a war in the constitutional sense, the president has gone to Congress. This is true in Vietnam, Gulf Wars I & II, and the AUMF, but the Korean War is an exception. It could be argued, though, that Truman acted against Chinas invasion in the immediate national interest: Securing East Asia, which was recovering its stability after World War II. And seeking Congressional approval has been a judgment call anyway.

But in that light, a great and recent parallel is when President Obama weighed attacking Syria for a chemical attack on its citizens, which he had violated his red line. Obama, like Bush before him, decided that in this instance he should go to Congress instead of acting on his own. In this view it wasnt Obama who failed to attack, it was Congress.

Before you Trumpies attack Obama for making that decision at that time:

Of course, a limited unilateral military action against the Syrian government, such as a pinprick missile strike, might not seem severe enough to qualify as war in the constitutional sense. But pull back for a second: The United States would have entered a raging war that even the founding fathers would see is clearly a war in the constitutional sense. Additionally, given the larger context of possible actions against Russia and Iran, and the Presidents own explicitly stated recognition of that possibilityIf its Russia, if its Syria, if its Iran, if its all of them together, well figure it out Everybodys gonna pay a price. [Putin] will and everybody willwed not just be jumping into a conventional war, wed be baiting an even bigger war.

Okay, but what about the War Powers Act? The WPA says the President can exercise military force with some provisions, such as notifying Congress within 48 hours and limiting troops to 60 days in-country without Congressional action. But that power isnt exactly blanket (though that claim itself is debatable). The WPA says the president can order the use of force only under three conditions: Congressional declaration of war; statutory authorization (such as the AUMF); or a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces. Weirdly, and frighteningly, no presidential administration has agreed the WPA is constitutional, and thats because of the expandability and subjectivity inherent that last point. Whats an emergency? What exactly are territories or possessions? And in Syria, where were fighting a proxy war that includes U.S. soldiers embedded with various murky rebel groups, how far does the definition of our armed forces extend?

Weve too quickly, and predictably, forgotten the brutal lessons of the early twentieth century: This is precisely why the international community, in an effort led by the United States of America, banned unilateral military action to begin with. It baits more war.

It is therefore not not not, as Trump put it last year, in the vital national security interests of the United States to attack the Syrian government. Such an attack runs the very real risk of creating more instability than it would supposedly prevent, considering the attack was narrow and directed at civilians, not our military or associated forces. And that is the single biggest reason we need to recognize Trumps threats as executive overreach: The President, acting alone, can start a war thats very real and very devastating.

This leads to one last question, which should seem obvious but isnt asked: Why would President Trump, in this instance as well as in 2017, feel the need to bypass Congress? Assads attack poses no immediate threat to U.S. interests by any stretch, and we can all agree that, sick as it is, its not a national security emergency and doesnt necessitate an immediate response. Its unclear how the president can rationalize an order to strike as anything other than flaunting Congress. It also suggests Congress wouldnt approve of an attack, but Id argue that, while some might dissent, they most certainly would. What Assad did was horrible and should be punished.

Id also argue its worth violating the U.N. treaty, because the U.N. wouldnt likely sanction the United States for the attack. (Despite Russias guaranteed objections.) The U.N. would, I believe, instead use this opportunity to define a qualitative exception to the humanitarian intervention: When a government uses chemical or biological weapons on its own people.

But this raises another problem, this one ethical: How is a chemical attack any different from dropping barrel bombs on civilians, or setting their houses on fire, or good old fashioned shootups? Trump seems to have made this distinction in Trumpian fashion: He saw horrific pictures of dead kids, and it struck him in a powerful way. Somehow it was different.

But I wonder if anyone has shown the president some of these other horrifying images from the Syrian war, which have nothing to do with chemical weapons. Those innocent Syrian children, the ones Mr. Trump literally said he would look in the face and tell them they cant come into the country he leads, have been getting their bodies blown apart for years. Want to go after another murderous dictator? Here are a few from Sudan. Hell, Getty has an entire gallery of stock images filed under Sudan Famine Boy.

In other words, what makes chemical attacks any different from barrel bombs, systemic starvation (also a horror Assad is visiting on his own citizens)? Why are some massacres important enough to merit a response, but others arent? This gets at the heart of the Syria problem, which no one believes a U.S. attack will solve. It could only make things worse. Whether you blame presidents for overreach, or Congress for negating its duty, or both, and no matter your position on our retaliation against Assad, we run the very real risk of President Trump starting a massive war that no one will win.
Petoskey volleyball struggles to keep up with Cadillac, fall in three

sports
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Russias own actions at the United Nations contradict the claim by Vladimir Putins press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, that the Kremlin backs an objective investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The Russian ambassador to the United Nations in the U.N. Security Council has systematically blocked resolutions calling for joint international investigations of chemical weapons use in Syria.

According to the Security Council Veto List, accessible on the website of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Library, Russia has vetoed 12 Syria-related resolutions during the seven years since the conflict there began.

Along with the Veto List, the Dag Hammarskjold Library provides access to the texts of U.N. resolutions and transcripts of U.N. meetings.

During the seven years since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Russia has used its veto power in 16 cases: two concerning Ukraine, one concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one concerning Yemen.

The remaining 12 Russian vetoes blocked U.N. actions involving the situation in Syria.

Russia exercised six of its vetoes on Syria on the following chemical weapons-related resolutions:

April 10, 2018  a resolution seeking a new mechanism for accountability on chemical weapon attacks in Syria.

November 17, 2017  a resolution seeking renewal of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).

November 16, 2017  a resolution seeking the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) renewal.

October 24, 2017  a resolution seeking Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) renewal.

April 12, 2017 a resolution on the April 4 chemical weapons attack on Khan Sheikhoun.

February 28, 2017  a resolution seeking chemical weapons accountability.

Under the Joint Investigative Mechanism, the U.N. and the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from 2015 to 2017 worked together to determine the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia blocked its renewal three times, claiming bias.

After Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution on April 10 aimed at creating a new mechanism for accountability on chemical weapon attacks in Syria, U.S. Ambassador the United Nations Nikki Haley responded:

"Russia has trashed the credibility of the Council. They are not interested in unity or compromise. Whenever we propose anything meaningful on Russia, Russia vetoes it. Its a travesty. They have now officially vetoed resolutions that would hold these barbaric uses of chemical attacks by Assad six times. It did not need to turn out this way."

The UN measure was in response to reports about a chemical attack carried out on April 7 in the Syrian town of Douma -- theawful consequences of which, according to Peskov, are not based on real data.Polygraph.info debunked Russias claims that the chemical attack in Douma was fabricated.

Records of every UN Security Council veto going back to 1949 can also be found on the www.securitycouncilreport.orgwebsite.
The Damned were the first UK punk band to release a single in October 1976. They were the first UK punk band to release an album in February 1977. Unfortunately, they lacked the hip gunslinger cool of the Clash, the danger and threat of the Sex Pistols, and the well-rehearsed nihilism of countless other bands from that era. Well, whos laughing now eh? The Damned have just released a new album, the drolly entitled Evil Spirits. Weve been waiting since 1981 for the new one from Generation X.

Its a minor miracle that Evil Spirits exists at all. The Damned could not have bothered and joined a ye-olde-punke-rocke package tour, but instead, they went into a recording studio and made this, their 11th LP. The smart money would have been on quick retreads of New Rose and Neat Neat Neat and then off to the bar, but in a very un-punk-rock move, the band regrouped and polished up their act. The result is an album thats pretty great.

Damned diehards Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian have been rejoined by Black Album era bassist Paul Gray for Evil Spirits and the unlikely figure of Tony Visconti sat in the producers chair. Is it ironic that Viscontis former protegee Marc Bolan toured the UK for a final time in 1977, with the Damned as support? Either way, Visconti has coaxed a great set of performances out of this motley crew and added a few signature flourishes while he was about it. A horn section might not be very punk rock, but its a welcome addition to Sonar Deceit, for example.

Fans of the 1984 spin-off project by Naz Nomad and the Nightmares (the soundtrack to a fake 1960s movie by a fake 1960s psych-garage band which was the Damned by moonlight), will appreciate the Farfisa organ which dominates tracks like The Devil in Disguise and Procrastination while fans of the Who will enjoy the Quadrophenia era trumpet and John Entwistle-style bassline of The Daily Liar. This is an ambitious record, made by a band who obviously werent happy just to sleepwalk through an album that sounded like 1977 was happening again.

Musically, the band seems to be in rude health. Captain Sensible turns in a very creditable guitar performance which goes way beyond the power chord frenzy of many of his contemporaries. Dave Vanians voice has lasted the course, going from aggressive on The Devil in Disguise to a Las Vegas croon on the first part of I Dont Care. The new boys, Pinch on Drums and Monty Oxymoron on keys navigate their way through a collision of styles confidently and stylishly. Mr Oxymoron (possibly not his real name) manages to shift from 96 Tears to Holiday Inn Lounge Bar pianist effortlessly. Hes a class act.

Evil Spirits is a strong, weirdly timeless album. Just when you think youve got the measure of it (Oh, theyre going for garage band retro) theyll throw a curve ball like the Scott Walker stylings of Look Left. That particular track has the dubious distinction of threatening to turn into Bat Out of Hell on a couple of occasions  that may be accidental, or a deliberate joke at the expense of their mid-80s goth following Its hard to pin this record down to a point in time  it certainly doesnt sound like 2018, but it sure as eggs are eggs doesnt sound like its from 1978 either. It sounds like a band stretching out and having fun in a studio, under the watchful eye of someone who is accustomed to working with mavericks and outcasts.

The Damned were voted the band most likely to crash and burn from the early UK punk scene. In fact, they did, but they had the good sense to get back together and give it another try. Theyve been giving it another try for about 40 years. Sensible still wears a beret and a tutu and Vanian still looks like a debauched matinee idol. The difference between 1977 and 2018 is that the Damned are now a musically accomplished band with a huge palette of sounds and styles at their disposal. And unlike the Sex Pistols, the Clash and myriad others, theyre still standing, and on their own terms. Now thats punk rock.
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To be clear, hog head cheese (or is it hogs head cheese? More on that later) never was an urban dish.

Its certainly made cameo appearances in cosmopolitan dining rooms: Maya Angelou, for instance, was fond of serving the Southern charcuterie in her New York City brownstone on New Years Day, with Champagne to puncture the porks richness and celebrate the coming year. One of her friends later told The New York Times that it was her job to buy hundreds of dollars worth of ears and trotters from a Hells Kitchen butcher so Angelou could make the delicacy.

Still, a shopper at Fair Deal Grocery on the Eastside was skeptical when she was offered a free sample of locally made hog head cheese after checking out. She grew up in the neighborhood, but didnt encounter hog head cheese until she lived among Caribbean immigrants in New York City.

We had pickled eggs and pigs feet, but only people from the islands would have this, she said, cocking her head at hog head cheese producer Santel Powells improvised spread of hog head cheese, crackers and Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz.

Powell, whose parents opened Fair Deal in 1953, doesnt remember too much hog head cheese from his childhood either. His formal introduction to the dish came courtesy of a one-time colleague named Charlie Turner. A country boy, Powell says. Turner brought his mothers hog head cheese to potlucks at the DuPont plant where they worked.

I liked it, so I fooled around with it, says Powell, who recently launched the Ed Tommy Davis Hog Head Cheese line.

Like many Charleston entrepreneurs whove gotten caught up in the citys current culinary fervor, Powell is taking an artisan approach to a simple food item. Whats unique about his enterprise, though, is he's neither trying to mimic whats already the rage in a bigger city, nor trying to capture the attention of the food elite who live there. Instead, hes propagating an endangered rural tradition just because it tastes good.

By any other name

To be clear, there is no cheese in hog head cheese. It earned its name because people who are short-sighted and big-hearted might mistake it for a more expensive food, much as they might mistake Welsh rarebit for roasted bunny.

Lord Cornwallis fathers cook, Charles Carter, explained the preparation in his 1732 book, "The Compleat City and Country Cook." Carters recipe calls for just two ingredients: Salt, and the head of a hog.

You must bone it and lay it to cleanse 24 hours in water and salt, Carter wrote. Scrape it well and white: Lay salt on the inside to the thickness of a crown piece, and boil it very tender. Then lay it in a cheese press, cover it with a cloth, and when cold, it will be like a cheese.

Where to buy Ed Tommy Davis hog head cheese is currently sold exclusively at Fair Deal Grocery, 47 Cooper Ave. To order, call 843-324-0498.

He concluded, You may souse it.

Carter meant cooks could plunge the faux cheese into a vinegar solution to preserve it. But souse has survived as another name for pig heads reformatted as loaves. Derived from the old French souser, souse is a common term in the Caribbean and south Louisiana, once the cradle of American hog head cheese. According to Slow Food USA, there was a time when every meat processor in the region had a signature souse.

Or hogs head cheese, if youd prefer. Thats the construction which Carter favored, although the Dictionary of American Regional Englishs pioneering late 1960s fieldwork showed South Carolinians, by a healthy 6-to-1 margin, were more likely to say hog head cheese. (By contrast, eaters living in Maine were four times as apt to come up with the possessive hogs head cheese when asked what theyd call food made from parts of the head of an animal.)

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In addition to Cornwallis, Carter worked for the Earl of Pontefract and Duke of Argyle, which suggests hog head cheese had a regal reputation in 18th-century England. But in the U.S., the dish was affixed to the opposite end of the class spectrum.

Back in the day, slave owners did not want anything to do with the head of a pig, Powell says. After emancipation, hog head cheese remained an element of African-American cuisine. Powell continues, Eighty-nine percent of black people know what it is. But not the younger generation. Even my granddaughter, she aint touching it.

Hot as summertime

To be clear, Powells hog head cheese isnt  clear, that is. Many examples of the dish are primarily gelatin, whether from the pig or a package. Depending on the recipe, hog head cheese can resemble a transparent pimento loaf.

Ed Tommy Davis Hog Head Cheese is meaty and dense. Its all pork, Powell says. Its perfect.

Another cheat popular with modern hog head cheese makers involves swapping out offal for cuts more familiar to American-born eaters. The Best Stop Supermarket in Scott, La., which is revered for its boudin, makes hog head cheese from pork meat and pork skin, peppers, onions and MSG.

Unlike years ago, the hog's head isn't used to make the cheese, Best Stop assures its online customers.

When Powell makes hog head cheese, which he now does every week or so, he boils the head in salted water for about seven hours. He typically ends up with enough meat from the ears, snout, jaw and cheeks to produce 10 pounds of hog head cheese, but sometimes has to conscript other parts to fill out the mixture. You might find a foot, he allows.

Always, he adds seasoning. Powell wont say exactly which spices he uses, but he applies them according to the final heat level he has in mind. He calls his mild hog head cheese May in Charleston. Medium is sold as June and Hot as July.

The hottest hot is called August in Charleston, he says. So you can understand that.

While that system makes total sense, Powells reason for choosing Ed Tommy Davis as a brand name requires some explanation. Its named after his granddaughter (the same little girl who doesnt like hog head cheese.) Her name is Mackenzie.

But when Powell learned his daughter was going to have a baby, he lobbied hard for the child to inherit the name of his maternal grandfather, a sometime rascal who swam across the Cooper River on a dare. Powell wasn't able to sway Mackenzie's naming, but got his way on his hog head cheese labels, which bear Davis' name and his granddaughter's picture.

This isnt Powells first foray into the food industry. After leaving DuPont in 1999, he ran an American-style restaurant in Suzhou, China, for 13 years. But at the Black Mirage, he sold Sea Island gumbo, Mrs. Gladys beef stew and 13 kinds of chicken wings. Hog head cheese is a tougher sell, as he discovered when he tried to interest Charleston Grill in it. Word got back to Powell that it was too hot.

In a tone sweeter than most people muster for new paramours and puppies, he dismisses the judgment with an expression that the original Ed Tommy Davis used often, and that family-friendly newspapers never do.

I dont have time for anger, he says. Well see if I cant get it more widespread."
Andrew Knapp is editor of the Quick Response Team, which covers crime, courts and breaking news. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor at Florida Today, Newsday and Bangor (Maine) Daily News. He enjoys golf, weather and fatherhood.
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.
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.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
Assistant Columbia bureau chief

Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill.
Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of stories about living with autism on Guam.

Vince Duenas, an internal medicine physician who works at both island hospitals as well as a clinic, returned to Guam in 2013 after completing his residency, coming home with his wife, Tanya, and their young son, Hunter. Tanya had suspicions then that Hunter might have autism spectrum disorder, and those were confirmed upon their return when Hunter was 2 and received his diagnosis.

"We have to give them the chance, and the sooner we intervene, the better the outcomes."  Vince Duenas, a physician and advocate for kids with autism spectrum disorder

Like most other families of kids on island who are living with autism, the couple used Guam Early Intervention Services (GEIS) and the Guam Department of Education to begin treatment for Hunter. In doing that, as Duenas put it, they noticed the island's services were fairly "nonexistent."

While appreciating the work the advocacy and support groups Parents Empowering Parents and Autism Community Together (ACT) were doing, Duenas, being a doctor, realized he wanted something that focused on realizing autism is a medical condition and diagnosis, which required a very specific type of therapy not even available on island  applied behavioral analysis (ABA). He said it is the gold standard of care in the United States for those with ASD.

The Center for Autism and Related Disorders agrees, stating treatment approaches grounded in ABA are now considered to be at the forefront of therapeutic and educational interventions for children with autism.

HunterSpeaks

Then in 2016 "Dr. Vince," as he is known by many, and Tanya formed the nonprofit HunterSpeaks with the aim of providing medically necessary autism treatment to affected children on Guam.

"We wanted to form an organization that approached autism from a medical standpoint," Duenas said. "So what we have been doing is trying to build Guam's autism workforce, and all our fundraising efforts have been directed at trying to train professionals and paraprofessionals in ABA.

"With this therapy, and if we intervene early, it's our hope that our kids will be more functional as they enter adulthood. It's been proven all kids benefit from this therapy, and if we intervene early when they are 1 1/2, studies show they can catch up to their peers by age 5."

Duenas said currently there are two people on Guam in programs to become board-certified behavioral analysts, with 11 enrolled in programs to become registered behavioral technicians, who would go out and administer the treatment with the board-certified behavioral analysts writing the plans, making the changes and managing the registered behavioral technicians. With board-certified behavioral analysts in high demand nationwide, he admitted how hard it is to bring professionals to the island, hence the reason to get training for people with roots here.

Professional in training

ACT Vice President and GDOE kindergarten teacher Kristal Flores, whose 5-year-old son Jacob has autism spectrum disorder, is one of those professionals in training. She received a scholarship from HunterSpeaks and currently is taking an online program to receive her M.A. in special education with a special concentration on behavioral analysis and autism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. After she and the other candidate finish, they will be the two board-certified behavioral analysts on island who will be responsible for assisting the 11 registered behavioral technicians with carrying out the therapy. The first behavioral analyst should be board certified at the end of this year with 11 registered behavioral technicians finishing their program in June. Flores will finish her master's program in May 2019.

"We're doing all the legwork to get everyone their certifications and all the licensing things so that as soon as one of us can supervise, we have the people," Flores said. "Tanya and Vince are trying to build the capacity within the local community. We could easily bring people in, but what happens when the contract is up? We're trying to constantly recruit."

After establishing local therapists, Duenas said, long-term goals include getting ABA included in individualized education programs, or IEPs, and in use with GEIS.

Guam would need at least 100 registered behavioral technicians on island to get all the kids with autism spectrum disorder the necessary treatment hours they deserve, he said, but added interested candidates needed only a high school diploma to complete the three-month training.

"Autism therapy is actually really easy for people to learn," he said. "Families, moms and dads can learn this therapy because a lot of the treatment is done in the home."

In short, the therapy promotes good behaviors in kids while trying to limit the bad, and is aimed at influencing their already different learning process, he said.

Hunter's Law

HunterSpeaks in 2016 did something else beneficial for the autism community on Guam. They helped pass Hunter's Law, mimicking similar health care reform efforts in California and Arizona, that mandates all commercial health insurance carriers on Guam to pay for all autism-related medical services and diagnostics. The law stipulates up to $50,000 per child per year for ages 1 to 9, and $25,000 per year for ages 10 to 21. So once ABA comes to Guam, the services will be covered. Coupled with the Guam Autism Center, which the group is also in the process of developing, HunterSpeaks will also offer a dedicated work space where kids with autism can go to receive needed services.

"The big push for this is we've seen the state of our island's kids compared to the mainland, where the kids are receiving this recommended (ABA) therapy and it's night and day," Duenas said. "Most of the kids we've met on Guam are severely debilitated, and lots of adults who went with autism untreated are now completely dependent on their parents and the system, and we're trying to change that."

He said he just wants to see the kids here enter adulthood more independent and to be able to hold a job, and that those desires are possible.

"We have to give them the chance, and the sooner we intervene, the better the outcomes," he said. "We want to improve the standard of care, for sure."
Federal agents joined the Guam Police Department in executing a search warrant at a house in Sinajana where two men were arrested on multiple drug possession and firearm allegations Tuesday.

GPD spokesman Sgt. Paul Tapao said the Mandana Drug Task Force, GPD's SWAT unit and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration responded to a report of alleged illegal drug activity at a house along Calle Angel Flores Street.

Tapao said more than 50 grams of cocaine and an undisclosed amount of marijuana and crystal methamphetamine were seized along with two M1 .30-caliber carbines.

The two suspects taken into custody were Tristan San Nicolas Duenas, 33, of Sinajana, and Matthew Paul Borja Duenas, 33, of Mangilao.

They were booked and confined on multiple allegations of illegal possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, illegal possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possession of unregistered firearms.

This case has been forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for prosecution.

How to help

The Guam Police Department continues to ask the community to report suspicious and criminal activities by calling dispatchers at 472-8911.

Information can also be submitted anonymously through the Guam Crime Stoppers 24-hour hotline at 477-HELP (4357) or online at guam.crimestoppersweb.com. All calls will remain completely confidential and a cash reward of up to $1,000 could be paid if the information provided leads to an arrest and a grand jury indictment.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 18:02:04

Zaandam, the Netherlands, April 11, 2017 - Ahold Delhaize today held its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The meeting was attended by 263 shareholders, representing approximately 921 million shares.

Shareholders adopted Ahold Delhaize's 2017 financial statements and established the 2017 dividend at 0.63 per common share, to be paid on April 26, 2017.

Shareholders adopted all other proposals on the agenda, including: the appointment of Wouter Kolk as member of the Management Board and the reappointment of Rene Hooft Graafland as member of the Supervisory Board.

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Ahold Delhaize via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 19:45:17

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Armada Data Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Mississauga, Ontario (FSCWire) - Armada Data Corporation (TSX Venture:ARD). has issued a press release with the following headline:Armada Announces Stock Option GrantsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Armada Data Corporation, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Armada Data CorporationSource: Armada Data Corporation (TSX Venture: ARD, ISIN: CA0420841037)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 1:45 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Armada Data Corporation and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 14:59:14

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Aston Bay Holdings Ltd.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, ON (FSCWire) - Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSX Venture:BAY). has issued a press release with the following headline:Aston Bay Holdings Opens Additional Non-Brokered Private PlacementTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Aston Bay Holdings Ltd., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Aston Bay Holdings Ltd.Source: Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSX Venture: BAY, OTC Bulletin Board: ATBHF, FWB: 6AY, WKN: A2AUFP, ISIN: CA04624P1027)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 8:59 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 21:03:02

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barings, a leading global financial services firm, announced today that it served as mandated lead arranger of a multi-currency financing package to support Bertram Capital's investment in a merger between U.K.-based Mardix (Holdings) Limited and Anord Control Systems, Ltd. of Dundalk, Ireland, an existing Bertram Capital portfolio company.

The combined businesses will form the Anord-Mardix Group, a global provider of mission-critical power distribution and infrastructure equipment for use in data centers, as well as other applications, including renewable energy, building services, infrastructure and others.

"Bertram Capital is pleased to collaborate with Barings on our investment in Mardix," said Kevin Yamashita, Partner at Bertram Capital. "Barings' U.S. and European lending teams worked together to provide a seamless experience for all involved, and their ability to provide a multi-currency financing solution that met the capital needs of the Anord-Mardix Group enhanced their value as a partner to Bertram."

Supported by a global salesforce, Anord has manufacturing capabilities in Europe and the U.S., and Mardix has three manufacturing facilities in the U.K.

"Barings appreciates the opportunity to support Bertram Capital on the investment in Mardix and subsequent consolidation with Anord," said Max McEwen, Managing Director for Barings Private Finance. "The Anord-Mardix Group unites two best-in-class companies with highly complementary product offerings, and the combined team will benefit from Bertram Capital's deep expertise in the sector as it pursues exciting opportunities created by consolidation and secular trends driving growth in demand for data centers globally."

About Bertram Capital

With over $1.3 billion in committed capital, Bertram Capital is a private equity firm targeting investments in lower middle market companies. By supplying flexible investment capital and committing a wealth of operational and strategic resources to each investment, we make it our core objective to move companies, management teams and employees toward unlocking their full potential. Visit www.bertramcapital.com for more information.

About Barings

Barings is a $304+ billion* global financial services firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients. We build lasting partnerships that leverage our distinctive expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service. Part of MassMutual, Barings maintains a strong global presence with over 1,800 associates and offices in 16 countries. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*As of December 31, 2017

Contact:

Brian Whelan, Barings, 980-417-7700, brian.whelan@barings.com

18-457653

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Barings via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 09:08:21

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for 360 Blockchain Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - 360 Blockchain Inc. (CSE:CODE). has issued a press release with the following headline:360 Blockchain Inc. Issues Shareholder Update LetterTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on 360 Blockchain Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/360 Blockchain Inc.Source: 360 Blockchain Inc. (CSE: CODE, OTC Bulletin Board: BKLLF, FWB: C5B, WKN: A2JSTL, ISIN: CA88557T1084)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 3:05 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of 360 Blockchain Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 15:00:45

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Cranbrook, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSX Venture:EPL). has issued a press release with the following headline:Eagle Plains Completes Taiga Spin-Out, Announces Iron Range DrillingTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Eagle Plains Resources Ltd., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.Source: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSX Venture: EPL, OTC Bulletin Board: EGPLF, WKN: 588696, ISIN: CA2699062022)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 9:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Europe Feed Antioxidants Market: Market Estimation, Dynamics, Country Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2013 to 2017 and Forecast 2018 to 2024

Europe Feed Antioxidants Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 11:44:50

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Europe Feed Antioxidants MarketEurope Feed Antioxidants Market Report Description:Europe Feed Antioxidants market report gives comprehensive outlook on Europe Feed Antioxidants across the globe with special emphasis on key regions such as Germany, France, U.K, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe. The report on Europe Feed Antioxidants market gives historical, current, and future market sizes (US$ Mn) on the basis of antioxidant type, feed type, and geographic regions. This report studies Europe Feed Antioxidants market dynamics in emerging markets and developed markets elaborately to identify the current trends & drivers, future opportunities and possible challenges to the key stakeholders operating in the market. In addition, Europe Feed Antioxidants market report includes new product introductions, recent drug patent expiration data, regulatory scenario, and competition analysis with vividly illustrated the competition dashboard to assess the market competition. Moreover, PBI analyzed Europe Feed Antioxidants market to better equip clients with possible investment opportunities across the emerging markets (Regional Investment Hot-Spots) and market unmet needs (Product/Disease Opportunities). Key stakeholders of the Europe Feed Antioxidants market report include suppliers, manufacturers, marketers, policy makers engaged in manufacturing and supply of Europe Feed Antioxidants.A sample of this report is available upon request @Europe Feed Antioxidants Market:The market for Europe feed antioxidants estimated to be valued at US$ XX Mn in 2017 and poised to grow 3.2% CAGR over the forecast period (2017 - 2023) to reach US$ 101.0 Mn by 2023.Significant Livestock Numbers in Europe RegionGrowing pet ownership in developing countries, increase in demand for protein rich food like meat and milk are expected to create demand for compounded feed. Rising number of livestock animals, customer shift towards nutritious food enables trigger market revenue growth for feed antioxidants market. Increase in per capita meat consumption, rapid increase in meat industry is expected to enhance the livestock production. Rising awareness of qualitative feed for the livestock anticipated to increase the market for feed antioxidants over the forecast period.Trend towards formulated antioxidants than the single ingredients and Ethoxyquin Free Antioxidant FormulationsThe livestock population such as cows, sows, and poultry in Europe region has been witnessing dramatic shift in the region, which could impact the growth of antioxidants market in the region. With the growing concerns regarding the usage of ethoxyquin in animal feed in Europe region has prompted the antioxidant manufacturers to look for the alternatives to consolidate the market position. In response to the regulatory changes, market players in Europe region coming up with alternatives to ethoxyquin by redefining the formulation technologies or by promoting the other antioxidantsEU government regulations on synthetic antioxidants is expected to pose threat to market players over the forecast periodEuropean Union established MRLs for synthetic feed additives in aquatic products. These government regulations enables shift the trend towards natural antioxidants for aquatic feed. Favourable government policies in EU to increase poultry production in European Countries, increasing demand for poultry meat is expected to stimulate the revenue growth for feed antioxidants marketTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Competition AssessmentKey players profiles in the global Europe Feed Antioxidants market include: LANXESS INDUSTRIAL TECNICA PECUARIA, S.A. Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant Oxiris Chemicals S.A Affinity Petcare S.A Nestle Purina MIAVIT GmbH APC, Inc. Trouw Nutrition Denkavit Netherlands BV NANTA, SA Kemin Industries, Inc.Market players are focusing on mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, and product diversification to increase the geographic presence in global Europe Feed Antioxidants market. Moreover, players are entering into distribution agreement with local pharmaceutical companies to overcome the market access barrier in developing regions.Need more information about this report @Key Findings of the Report: Europe Feed Antioxidants market expanding at 3.2% CAGR over 2017 to 2013 to reach market value of US$ 101.0 Mn by 2023 owing to growing animal rearing and livestock production According to the European Commission (EC) 2017/962, suspended the authorization of ethoxyquin used as feed additive for all animal species, categories. The existing authorization does not meet the condition set out by article 5 of regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. The supplementary data regarding the safety and efficacy of additive would allow reconsideration of the assessment carried out for that additive. According to Eurostat publication, in 2016, Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy held the largest populations of livestock in the EU-28. The highest numbers of pigs were recorded in Spain and Germany (29.2 and 27.4 Mn head respectively), while the highest numbers of bovines was recorded in France (19.0 Mn head), sheep in the United Kingdom (23.8 million head) and goats in Greece (3.9 million head)Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 08:00:18

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Atalaya Mining Plc--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Nicosia, Cyprus (FSCWire) - Atalaya Mining Plc (TSX:AYM). has issued a press release with the following headline:First Quarter 2018 Operations UpdateTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Atalaya Mining Plc, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Atalaya Mining PlcSource: Atalaya Mining Plc (TSX: AYM, AIM: ATYM)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 2:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Atalaya Mining Plc and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 17:45:02

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) of Heijmans N.V. was held on Wednesday 11 April 2018 in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The key resolutions are as follows:

Composition of the Supervisory Board

Ms P.G. Boumeester and Mr R. van Gelder were both reappointed for a period of two years effective from the date of the AGM.

Reappointment of the external auditor

EY was reappointed by the AGM as the external auditor for the 2018 and 2019 financial years.

Power of the Executive Board to issue shares

Extension of the nomination of the Executive Board as the competent body to issue ordinary shares for a period of 18 months from the date the AGM was approved. This power is limited to 10% of the issued share capital currently outstanding, as well as 10% thereof if the issue takes place as part of a merger or acquisition or as part of the formation of a strategic alliance.

2017 Result Appropriation

The Executive Board, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, and with an eye on the importance of the recovery of the 2017 balance sheet, has decided not to distribute a dividend on ordinary shares. This item therefore was not subjected to a vote.



About Heijmans

Heijmans is a listed company that combines activities related to property development, residential building, non-residential building, roads and civil engineering in the areas living, working and connecting. Our constant focus on quality improvements, innovation and integrated solutions enables us to generate added value for our clients. Heijmans realises projects for private consumers, companies and public sector bodies and together we are building the spatial contours of tomorrow. You will find additional information on www.heijmans.nl.



For more information / not for publication:

Media

Marieke Swinkels-Verstappen

Communications

+31 (0)73 543 52 17

mswinkels-verstappen@heijmans.nl

Analysts

Guido Peters

Investor Relations

+ 31 (0)73 543 52 17

gpeters@heijmans.nl









This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Heijmans NV via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 15:04:01

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duo Security, the leading provider of zero-trust security to more than 10,000 organizations worldwide and creator of Duo Beyond, the first commercial implementation of Google's BeyondCorp security initiative, today launches the Duo Technology Partner Program. This technical partnership ecosystem includes many of the world's leading technology companies, including Akamai, Workday, Microsoft, Intel and VMware. The program enables Duo and its partners' mutual customers to more easily transition to a modern, zero-trust security architecture.

Central to the Technology Partner Program is Duo Beyond, a new platform to address the sea change in how companies secure data in an increasingly mobile and cloud-based world. Duo Beyond is built on the principles of zero-trust and Google's BeyondCorp security framework where every application is logically isolated and access is granted only after full verification of the user and the device. Duo Beyond helps organizations enable safe, seamless access from any location without the frustration of traditional virtual private network (VPN) or network access control (NAC) experiences.

"Our customers consistently rely on us to provide best-in-class interoperability with the rest of their IT investments," explained Ash Devata, Vice President of Product for Duo Security. "We have worked with hundreds of top vendors to support our customers' various security initiatives in the last few years alone, so this formalized Technology Partner Program will help us further scale our ability to meet customers' needs and ensure partnering with Duo is radically easy."

Duo's Technology Partner Program comprises two-tiers designed to serve various levels of partner involvement and integration needs - no matter the organization size or industry:

Duo Select: Customized to assist large, industry leaders such as VMware, Microsoft, Workday, Intel, and CyberArk help their customers adopt a modern, zero-trust approach to security. The most recent addition to the Duo Select lineup is Akamai, who today with Duo introduced a zero-trust ecosystem for remote workers. With Duo and Akamai, even the largest enterprises can enable secure remote access for external users - contractors, business partners, remote full-time workers - in minutes instead of days or weeks.



Customized to assist large, industry leaders such as VMware, Microsoft, Workday, Intel, and CyberArk help their customers adopt a modern, zero-trust approach to security. The most recent addition to the Duo Select lineup is Akamai, who today with Duo introduced a zero-trust ecosystem for remote workers. With Duo and Akamai, even the largest enterprises can enable secure remote access for external users - contractors, business partners, remote full-time workers - in minutes instead of days or weeks. Duo Ready: Tailored to help hundreds of the most innovative enterprise technology leaders, such as ForgeRock, Cylance, Yubico, Avecto, and many more implement best-in-class security solutions with Duo. Duo Ready partners gain access to Duo's existing network of 10,000-plus customers and 2,000-plus resellers, and developers are given full Duo developer accounts to build, test, and certify integrations created with the Duo platform while collaborating with hundreds of other participating developers. Partners often work with Duo to address various use cases such as identity and access management; endpoint security; and security orchestration, automation, and response workflows.

"Microsoft is working with strategic partners around the world to offer the best protection for customer data," said Alex Simons, Director, Program Management, Microsoft Identity Division at Microsoft Corp. "Duo's easy to implement solution is a great option for our joint customers looking to secure their strategic cloud assets."

"Protecting against today's growing attack surface requires leading security companies to work together to protect our customers' modern infrastructure," said Adam Bosnian, Executive Vice President, Global Business Development, CyberArk. "The integration between the market leading CyberArk Privileged Account Security Solution and Duo empowers joint customers to prioritize privileged access security to better manage risk and rapidly respond to emerging threats."

Ashish Jain, Vice President of Product Strategy, End-User Computing at VMware explains, "The integration of Duo Beyond with VMware Workspace ONE provides customers with a simplified, efficient way to view and manage all devices from a central admin console, enabling secure access to all sensitive company information and applications."

Mutual customers benefit from Duo's collaboration with its technology partners around the world, allowing them to implement solutions that ensure trusted access for all their applications. It also enables partner vendors to solve new customer use cases and establish additional routes to market on the Duo security platform.

"The Ohio State University has partnered with both Duo and Workday since 2015," said Helen Patton, Chief Information Security Officer, The Ohio State University. "Their partnership will help our community deliver on the university's mission securely and effectively. We look forward to the partnership and the benefits that it will bring to our university."

The Duo Technology Partner Program is now open to new vendors looking to build and partner. For more information, please visit https://duo.com/partners.

About Duo Security

Duo Security helps defend organizations against data breaches by making security easy and effective. Duo Beyond, the company's category defining zero-trust security platform, enables organizations to provide trusted access to all of their critical applications, for any user, from anywhere, and with any device. The company is a trusted partner to more than 10,000 customers globally, including Dresser-Rand, Etsy, Facebook, K-Swiss, Random House, Yelp, Zillow, Paramount Pictures, and more. Founded in Michigan, Duo has offices in Ann Arbor and Detroit, as well as growing hubs in Austin, Texas; San Mateo, California; and London, UK. Visit duo.com to find out more.

Media Contacts

Meredith Corley & Jordan Fylonenko

Duo Security

Press@duo.com
WHAT: Lexpo 2018 provides a comprehensive overview of the cutting-edge legal innovation trends that will be high on every law firm's agenda in the coming years. The conference connects renowned industry experts, leading providers of legaltech software and services as well as innovative law firms around the globe.

iManage will lead the following demo sessions at the iManage Booth #M16:

PANEL: Monday, April 16: 10:45 - 12:15 - How Modern Knowledge Management Adds Real Value to the Client Relationship

Knut-Magnar Aanestad, Head of Innovation at Kluge Advokatfirma, a top-10 Norwegian law firm, will talk about his experience using iManage in the panel session. The firm recently selected iManage Work 10 for document and email management.

This session will show how knowledge management has evolved by highlighting key approaches and discussing examples of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, harnessing data and providing client-facing applications.

SEMINARS: Monday, April 16

Session 1. (12:45 - 13:15) - Four Steps to Implement "Privacy by Design"

Stephen Murphy, iManage Sales Director and Deborah Garcia, iManage Presales Technical Consultant will outline the four steps a firm should take to secure their clients data through encryption, need-to-know security & ethical walls, retention management and real-time threat detection of data breaches.

Session 2. (13:30 - 14:00) - Embedding AI to Enhance the Delivery of Legal Services

Jan Van Hoecke, Chief Technology Officer iManage RAVN and Gareth Thomas, Sales Director iManage RAVN will focus on how clients are utilising the iManage RAVN Platform to perform classification, extraction and linking of structured and unstructured information to provide assistance in due diligence, the creation of clause libraries and expertise location. It will also explore some of the challenges law firms are facing around the deployment and adoption of AI technology and practical ways they can overcome these obstacles.

WHERE: Movenpick Hotel

Piet Heinkade 11, 1019 BR

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

WHEN: Monday, April 16 - Tuesday, April 17, 2018
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 10:05:02

ALAMEDA, Calif., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jitterbit, the API transformation company, today announced that its Harmony enterprise integration platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) now meets the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements going into effect May 25. Jitterbit's Harmony platform surpasses the security requirements mandated by GDPR for protecting personal data, and fulfills new requirements for consent to share any data collected from its customers in the European Union (EU), as well as for customers to access and erase their data. More importantly, Jitterbit's Harmony platform uses clear and easy-to-understand workflows to track the path of GDPR data, helping enterprise clients across the globe ensure that they maintain GDPR compliance as they connect systems and applications that store data from their own customers in the EU.

GDPR mandates that organizations must follow strict rules for how they collect, share, and protect personal data of citizens of the European Union. The impact of this mandate reaches beyond the EU, because most global companies located outside of the EU collect or store data for EU citizen customers. Connecting customer data across multiple systems is crucial to orchestrate today's best of breed applications and services, but this streamlined data-sharing and automation are complicated by new GDPR requirements. For example, if an EU citizen opts to delete personal data shared with a company through one application, that company must ensure that the data is also removed from all other integrated applications and systems that had access to it.

Jitterbit's enterprise iPaaS enables companies to track GDPR-sensitive data across multiple systems, by ensuring that personal data can be tracked and accounted for at all times. Because Jitterbit users can granularly select the specific records and types of data to exchange between different applications or services, and get a clear visualization of how data flows across the enterprise, Jitterbit makes it easier for companies to comply with some of the more complex GDPR requirements.

Aspects of Jitterbit Harmony platform that support GDPR compliance include:

Privacy-by-design and privacy-by-default principles incorporated into workflows

Synchronization of customers' opt-in consent between various systems

Easy auditing of data processing workflows to confirm limits on data collection and management of personal data usage with regard to stated preferences

Updated process for cross-border data transfers and restrictions

Fully independent clouds for EU and non-EU geographies to ensure data on the platform will not be exposed across regions without client authorization

Finally, Jitterbit has appointed Henk Adriaans and Damon Pugh to serve as data privacy officers for the EU and US, respectively. These new roles will oversee Jitterbit's company-wide and regional data storage policies and processes and respond to customers' data requests and inquiries.

With the GDPR compliance date of May 25 quickly approaching, many organizations are still formulating plans to address GDPR privacy regulations. With so many components to consider in so little time, Jitterbit will host a webinar Friday, April 20, at 11 a.m. CET/5 a.m. EST, to help organizations achieve and maintain compliance. Jitterbit experts will highlight five key elements for a sustainable GDPR strategy and how Jitterbit's enterprise iPaaS solution helps businesses achieve compliance.

Please visit the Jitterbit website to register for the webinar.

About Jitterbit, Inc.

Jitterbit, the API transformation company, makes it quicker and easier for businesses to exploit data from any source, empowering them to rapidly innovate and make faster, more effective decisions. The Jitterbit API integration platform enables companies to quickly connect SaaS, on-premise, and cloud applications and instantly infuse intelligence into any business process. To learn more, visit www.jitterbit.com and follow @Jitterbit on Twitter.

Media Contact:

Nathaniel Hawthorne

BOCA Communications

661.965.0407

jitterbit@bocacommunications.com
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 14:53:02

KKR To Appoint David Haines as Executive Chairman of Global Spreads Business

Finsbury for KRR

Alastair Elwen

+44 207 251 3801

alastair.elwen@finsbury.com

KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announces that it intends to appoint David Haines as Executive Chairman of the Global Spreads Business, subject to and effective from the successful completion of the transaction with Unilever.

On 15 December 2017, Unilever announced that it had received a final, binding, irrevocable and fully financed offer from KKR to purchase its Global Spreads Business. The offer is subject to certain regulatory approvals and employee consultation in certain jurisdictions. Completion is expected mid-2018.

David was previously Chairman and CEO of Grohe Group, and subsequently CEO of Lixil Water Technology Group. At Grohe, David led the complete transformation of the business over a 10 year period. He joined Grohe from Vodafone, where he served as the companys first Global Marketing Director, building Vodafone into a successful, top ten global brand within three years and across multiple markets. Prior to this David was Deputy Division President of The Coca Cola Company in Germany, and for 10 years a General Manager for Mars across different European markets. He began his career in Germany at Lever Sunlicht, and holds a first class Honours degree from the University of Greenwich in London.

Tim Franks, Member, and Christian Ollig, Managing Director KKR said: Davids experience in driving innovation and growth with some of the worlds leading consumer companies will be a great asset to the Global Spreads business. The company has strong potential for future growth, building on its firm foundations and leveraging its plant-based credentials, extensive chilled distribution capability and emerging markets footprint.

David Haines said: I am looking forward to working with the excellent team in the Global Spreads business which has done a fantastic job in preparing the business for separation from Unilever and building a new momentum for growth.

-ends-

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic manager partnerships that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 06:15:17

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Maxtech Ventures Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Maxtech Ventures Inc. (CSE:MVT). has issued a press release with the following headline:Maxtech Signs Joint Venture Agreement in Goi[[99]]s, BrazilTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Maxtech Ventures Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Maxtech Ventures Inc.Source: Maxtech Ventures Inc. (CSE: MVT, OTC Pink: MTEHF, WKN: A1W3JE, ISIN: CA5777282073)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 12:15 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Maxtech Ventures Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 10:02:01

New Study Points to Strong Subscriber and Mobile Broadband Growth in West Africa

Mobile Ecosystem to Be Worth More Than $50 Billion to West Africa Economy by 2022, Finds New GSMA Study

For the GSMA

Beau Bass

+44 79 7662 4962

beau.bass@webershandwick.com

or

David Ntwampe Maila

+ 27 72 015 4702

dmaila@webershandwick.com

or

GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com

The mobile industry in West Africa is forecast to contribute more than $50 billion annually to the regions economy by 2022, according to a new GSMA study published today at the Mobile 360  West Africa event being held in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. The new report, The Mobile Economy: West Africa 2018, calculates that the regions mobile ecosystem contributed $37 billion in value last year, equivalent to 6.5 per cent of GDP1, and will grow to $51 billion (7.7 per cent of GDP) within five years. The economic contribution over this period will be spurred by strong subscriber growth and the move to mobile broadband networks and services.

Todays report demonstrates the vital role West Africas mobile ecosystem is playing in driving economic growth and empowering citizens across the region, as well as in delivering against many of the targets of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, said John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer at the GSMA. However, further work is required as more than half of West Africas citizens are not yet connected to a mobile service, excluding them from the socio-economic benefits that mobile delivers.

Large Youth Populations Driving Subscriber Growth

At the end of 2017, there were 176 million unique mobile subscribers2 across the West Africa sub-region, which comprises the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)3. This is equivalent to a penetration rate of 47 per cent of the regions population, up from just 28 per cent at the start of the decade. Strong subscriber growth is forecast to continue over the coming years; 72 million additional mobile subscribers are expected to be added in West Africa by 2025, lifting subscriber penetration to 54 per cent. Much of this growth is attributable to the demographic situation across the region, as large youth populations are expected to take out mobile subscriptions as they reach adulthood. According to the report, more than 40 per cent of the population in many countries across Sub-Saharan Africa are below the age of 16.

Meanwhile, the transition to mobile broadband in West Africa is being driven by the expansion of 3G and 4G networks, lower data tariffs and the increasing affordability of smartphones. 3G networks now cover two-thirds of the regional population and 4G adoption is also rising rapidly. As of March 2018, there were 29 live 4G (LTE) networks in nine countries across West Africa, six of which have launched in the last year. 3G and 4G together accounted for 36 per cent of West African mobile connections in 2017 and are forecast to rise to 94 per cent of the total by 2025. Local operators are expected to spend $8 billion (capex) over the next two years building out and upgrading their networks.

Mobile Powering Economic Growth and Jobs

The expected increase in the mobile ecosystems contribution to the West Africa economy over the next five years will be due primarily to productivity gains. The greater availability of mobile broadband networks, for example, will enable improved access to information and services, which in turn drives efficiencies in business processes across many industries, including finance and health.

Alongside the economic contribution, the mobile ecosystem also supports jobs and contributes to public funding. Last year, the mobile industry in West Africa provided employment to more than 200,000 people, predominantly in the retailing and distribution of services and handsets, and made an annual tax contribution to the public finances of governments of $4 billion.

Connecting a new generation of mobile subscribers across West Africa requires a new era of collaboration between industry and governments in order to implement policies that encourage network expansion, innovation and affordability, added Giusti. In addition to the work of operators to expand and improve networks, significant effort from governments at all levels is needed to create the right conditions for continued investment.

The new report The Mobile Economy: West Africa 2018 is authored by GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the GSMA, and is available in English and French language versions. To access the full report and related infographics, please visit: https://www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/west-africa/.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

1 The GDP contribution in 2017 comprised direct mobile ecosystem contribution (2.5% of GDP); indirect contribution (0.5%); and productivity improvements (3.5%).

2 A unique mobile subscriber represents an individual that can account for multiple SIM connections.

3 The 15 countries comprising the ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 19:03:02

BERLIN, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novasentis, a leading developer of film based haptic actuators, announced that it won the IDTechEx 2018 Award for Best New Material for Wearables. The award was presented at IDTechEx's Emerging Technologies show in Berlin on April 11th, recognizing Novasentis' unique and patented polymer based haptic actuators which are being designed into AR/VR controllers, smart watches and other Wearables.

Novasentis has created haptic actuators using Electro Mechanical Polymer (EMP) technology, that are feather lite, paper thin (150 microns), and can vibrate at any frequency (few Hz to KHz). The Novasentis EMP actuators can be embedded in the surface of any devices to act as a haptic skin capable of providing both localized and meaningful haptic feedback.

Novasentis transitioned from lab to pilot last year and has commenced design activities with several large OEMs on VR/Gaming and Wearable device makers. And its actuators will shortly commence shipping from a mass production factory.

"On behalf of the independent judges and IDTechEx, I congratulate Novasentis on creating a unique haptic materials technology that brings life into AR/VR applications and gaming devices," said Raghu Das, CEO of IDTechEx. "We have been following Novasentis' progress over the years and are delighted to see that they are getting traction in Wearables applications that we believe will continue to grow rapidly in the next three years."

The market for haptic technology is forecasted to grow to nearly $3b by 2027 per James Hayward, Sr. Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, he expects polymer based haptic technologies like that of Novasentis to grow faster than competing technologies.

"We are thrilled to receive the 2018 Best New Materials Award for Wearables from IDTechEx," said Francois Jeanneau, CEO of Novasentis. "We had been working on perfecting our haptic actuator technology and our work has been validated by customer design wins, investment from key supply chain partners and prestigious industry awards such as this one from IDTechEx. On behalf of our entire team of employees, board of directors and supply chain partners, I thank IDTechEx for this honor."

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research and Events services, helping you profit from emerging technologies. IDTechEx Events provide an analytical, commercial outlook, taking into account market requirements, competitive technologies and development roadmaps. Attendees are presented with the full, diverse range of technologies but the main thrust is always on end user needs and commercialization strategies. For more information see http://www.IDTechEx.com

About Novasentis

Novasentis is the supplier of the world's thinnest and most flexible polymer-based haptic actuators. The patented electro-mechanical polymer (EMP) technology and products are ideal for creating rich haptic feedback and a completely new user experience for applications including smart watches, AR/VR, gaming controllers and many others. Founded in 2006, Novasentis is privately held with corporate offices in Berkeley, California and research facilities in State College, Penn. More information on Novasentis is available at www.novasentis.com.

Contact: Sri Peruvemba; Sri@novasentis.com
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 10:03:01

OutSystems Partners with Atos in UK&I: Brings Digital Transformation Now Road Show to London

C8 Consulting for OutSystems

Michael Bartley

+44 (0) 118 949 7750

michael@c8consulting.co.uk

OutSystems, provider of the number one low-code development platform, today announced a new strategic partnership in the UK and Ireland with Atos, a global leader in digital transformation. Together, the two companies will provide customers with a world-class digital platform for accelerating their digital transformation initiatives, building on the success of the OutSystems and Atos partnerships in other regions of the world.

With the OutSystems platform, expert teams, and the OutSystems Centre of Excellence, we are able to offer agile and innovative products and solutions that are delivered to our clients in weeks, rather than in months or years, commented Howard Williams, Head of Technology UK&I, Atos. Low-code coupled with DevOps in the cloud allows us to successfully execute on the promise of digital transformation. We are now delivering enterprise-ready web-based and mobile solutions with customer-focused features much faster.

To kick-off the partnership, Atos will be hosting Digital Transformation Now in London on April 25, 2018. The OutSystems event series, specifically designed for IT leaders, IT architects, and developers, features real-life customer stories of how companies are innovating with low-code development. IT leaders face two major challenges - speed and scale, said Rui Pereira, VP of Digital Transformation and Co-Founder of OutSystems. This global event series provides a hands-on experience that shows how organisations can solve these challenges with low-code digital factories.

Low-code platforms are now a major disruptor in the software industry. Atos strives to stay ahead of the competition and maintain a leadership position in system integration, IT solution delivery, and digital transformation.

According to Bob Wilson, Vice President Global Alliances and Channels at OutSystems, We see this partnership with Atos as an opportunity to help our customers in the UK and Ireland rapidly develop enterprise-ready web and mobile applications that solve their business challenges in new and innovative ways. Atos delivery capabilities together with the Centre of Excellence are key to support our customers in their digital ambitions, and the OutSystems platform will be an important component to enable them to do this.

About Atos - Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with approximately 100,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of around 13 billion. European number one in Big Data, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing and Digital Workplace, the Group provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across various business sectors: Defence, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Energy & Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

About OutSystems - Thousands of customers worldwide trust OutSystems, the number one low-code platform for rapid application development. Engineers with an obsessive attention to detail crafted every aspect of the OutSystems platform to help organisations build enterprise-grade apps and transform their business faster. OutSystems is the only solution that combines the power of low-code development with advanced mobile capabilities, enabling visual development of entire applications that easily integrate with existing systems. Visit us at www.outsystems.com, or follow us on Twitter @OutSystems or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/outsystems.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005

"With the OutSystems platform we are able to offer agile and innovative products and solutions that are delivered to our clients in weeks, rather than in months or years, commented Howard Williams, Head of Technology UK&I, Atos.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 18:25:01

Bonjour,

Publicis Groupe will publish its 1st Quarter 2018 revenue on Thursday, April 19 at 7:30 am CET (Paris Time). Below, you will find a link to the instructions to connect to the audio webcast that will take place at 10:00 AMCET, hosted by Arthur Sadoun, Chairman & CEO of Publicis Groupe, and Jean-Michel Etienne, Executive Vice President, CFO. Webcast Invitation Direct Link to Webcast

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Publicis Groupe via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 16:34:02

Company Recognized for Being 100% Channel Focused with Award-Winning Programs, Marketing Resources, and Support



SAN MATEO, Calif., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aryaka, the leading global SD-WAN provider, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has given Aryaka a 5-Star rating in its 2018 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel. The 5-Star Partner Program Guide rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs.

To determine the 2018 5-Star ratings, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication.

"Over the last year, Aryaka's channel partners have played a pivotal role in furthering the company's position as a market leader in the global SD-WAN space," said Claudio Perugini, Senior Vice President of Global Channels at Aryaka. "Receiving this recognition from The Channel Company for the second consecutive year is a testament to our commitment to the channel and the innovative approach that Aryaka has taken with our partner program."

Deployed by more than 800 global enterprises, Aryaka is the leading independent global SD-WAN provider and has the fastest growing SD-WAN solution in the market today, delivering enhanced performance for cloud and on-premises applications worldwide. Aryaka's global SD-WAN is a game-changer for the channel community as the company offers global enterprises a next-generation alternative to legacy network technologies, delivers significantly quicker commissions to partners as compared to telcos due to fast deployment schedules (days, instead of months), and drives perpetuity-like revenue streams as its customer retention rates are over 98%. More than 70 percent of Aryaka's revenue bookings come from its global partner program.

"Finding the right technology vendor to partner with can be a daunting task, given the vast array of choices now available to solution providers," said Robert Faletra, Executive Chairman of The Channel Company. "CRN's Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field and find the best fit, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and providing crucial insight into their strengths and benefits. We are pleased to present our 2018 PPG list, recognizing the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel today."

"As Aryaka continues to further expand our channel program in various regions around the world in 2018, we will focus heavily on partner training and enablement," added Perugini. "Aryaka has a very unique place within the evolving SD-WAN space, and it is our goal to continue educating our channel partners as they work to identify their customers' global application delivery and network infrastructure needs."

The 2018 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg.

Last month, Aryaka announced that it maintained its position as the largest independent pure play SD-WAN provider by market share and revenues, and continued its march to close the gap on VMware in Q4 2017, according to the latest industry report from IHS Markit. Recently, Aryaka also won the "2018 SD-WAN Leadership Award" from TMC and was named a market leader in the "FeaturedCustomers' 2018 SD-WAN Customer Success Report."

For more information about Aryaka, visit www.aryaka.com.

About Aryaka

Aryaka is transforming how global enterprises connect sites and users worldwide, and use mission-critical applications to support modern business execution demands. Aryaka's Global SD-WAN combines a purpose-built private network, SD-WAN, optimization and acceleration techniques, connectivity to cloud platforms, and network visibility in a single solution that is delivered as a service.

To learn more, visit www.aryaka.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About the Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com

CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Aryaka Media Contact

Shehzad Karkhanawala

Director of Marketing

Aryaka

408-273-8420

pr@aryaka.com

The Channel Company Contact:

Melanie Turpin

The Channel Company

(508) 416-1195

mturpin@thechannelco.com
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 09:02:02

Soterix Medical Reports Positive Results [..]

Soterix Medical, Inc.

Kamran Nazim, +1-888-990-8327

contact@soterixmedical.com

Soterix Medical Inc (SMI) is pleased to report positive results from two double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trials of its proprietary transcranial Direct Current Stimulation-Limited Total Energy (tDCS-LTE) technology for the treatment of depression. The Depression tDCS-LTE system is unique in providing drug-free therapy with minimal side effects while maximizing energy delivery to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) region, which is implicated in depression control.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005

(Photo: Business Wire)

The first clinical trial reported tDCS-LTE was an effective, safe, and tolerable add-on intervention in patients with type I or II bipolar disorder in a major depressive episode and receiving a stable pharmacologic regimen. In this 59 patient randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind trial, tDCS-LTE produced an average 14-point improvement in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) scores, after just 12 treatments. The benefit persisted for over a month, with common side-effects no different than placebo. The results of the Bipolar Depression Electrical Treatment Trial [..] were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

The second clinical trial reported tDCS-LTE to be superior to placebo producing an average 8 point decrease in the HDRS-17 after 15 consecutive weekdays of treatment (the induction phase), followed by 7 weekly treatments (the taper phase). In this 245 patient double-blind trial, patients received tDCS-LTE plus oral placebo, sham tDCS-LTE plus escitalopram (an SSRI drug), or sham tDCS-LTE plus oral placebo. The tDCS-LTE group had higher rates of itching or tingling, tinnitus, and nervousness than the other groups. The drug group side-effects included sleeplessness and severe constipation. At the trial endpoint, as the tDCS-LTE dose was tapered to weekly while escitalopram was maintained at a high daily dose, patients who received tDCS-LTE maintained significantly improved HDRS-17 scores compared to placebo while patients on high-dose escitalopram had slightly more improved HDRS-17 with noted side-effects. The results of the ELECT-tDCS trial were published in New England Journal of Medicine.

We could not be more pleased with this series of controlled clinical trials, commented Mr. Renato Moratore, VP Regulatory Affairs, which validate Soterix Medical's commitment to developing technologies that provide unique benefits to patients and physicians. These proven benefits of tDCS-LTE as an add-on to drug therapy or a stand-alone treatment reflect years of scientific research and optimization by Soterix Medical engineers and clinical partners around the world.

Mr. Kamran Nazim, Soterix Medicals Chief Product Manager, added There are two essential features of the Depression tDCS-LTE system that maximize efficacy through target engagement while simultaneously ensuring tolerability. The OLE electrode montage is optimized for DLPFC stimulation while the LTE power management ensures comfortable stimulation. These two controlled clinical trials confirm that the Soterix Medical tDCS-LTE system provides an unique and proprietary balance of effectiveness with minimal side-effects.

Physicians in the EU, Singapore, Australia, and Brazil interested in providing Soterix Medical Depression tDCS-LTE therapy are eligible for the Soterix Medicals Partnership program which includes support on the entire patient treatment pipeline, hands-on training and staff certification, and connection to our network of physician researchers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 21:28:05

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Ximen Mining Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Ximen Mining Corp. (TSX Venture:XIM). has issued a press release with the following headline:Supreme Court of British Columbia Rules in Favour of Ximen Mining Corp. Against Dissident ShareholdersTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Ximen Mining Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Ximen Mining Corp.Source: Ximen Mining Corp. (TSX Venture: XIM, WKN: A1W2EG, ISIN: CA98420B1013, OTC Pink: XXMMF)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 3:24 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Ximen Mining Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 22:00:01

EU Commissions Collective Redress Framework Contradicts Some of Its Own Recommended Safeguards

U.S. Chamber: Proposal Could Make EU a Major Global Hub for Abusive Litigation

U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

Christiaan Weiland, +44 7919 136395

or

Justin Hakes, +1 202-463-3156

Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), issued the following statement today about the European Commissions proposal to rescind and replace the EUs Injunctions Directive. The proposal would create a new European Union-wide framework for collective redress (class action lawsuits):

While well-intentioned to provide consumer redress, this proposal nonetheless could make the EU a major global hub for abusive litigation. The proposal lacks critical safeguards and may result in a system that is as bad or worse than in the U.S.

If adopted, the proposal will allow lawsuits to be filed on behalf of undefined groups of consumers. Unlike the U.S. system, this new European system will mean consumers are represented in lawsuits even where they dont want to be represented. Furthermore, in many class actions, lawyers will be paid large fees, litigation financiers will get a cut, and the rest of the money will go to third party groups. The alleged injured consumers, however, will get little or no money.

Further, the proposal would permit many redundant lawsuits to be filed on behalf of the same groups for the same alleged injury. It would also foster forum shoppingsuing in the country with the most permissive laws.

The European Commission contradicted some its own previously recommended safeguards against abusive litigation, and will now prohibitinstead of requireopt-in collective actions.

The Commission also ignored the fact that nearly 70 percent of Europeans support strong safeguards on collective actions.

In 2017, ILR released a six-nation survey of European Union consumers saying that 69 percent said that they would only support advancement of new collective action lawsuits with safeguards in place.

ILR seeks to promote civil justice reform through legislative, political, judicial, and educational activities at the global, national, state, and local levels.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the worlds largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

www.InstituteforLegalReform.com @LegalReform www.freeenterprise.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411006
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 15:00:44

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for The Wonderfilm Media Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - The Wonderfilm Media Corporation (TSX Venture:WNDR). has issued a press release with the following headline:Wonderfilm CEO Message to ShareholdersTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on The Wonderfilm Media Corporation, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/The Wonderfilm Media CorporationSource: The Wonderfilm Media Corporation (TSX Venture: WNDR)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 9:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of The Wonderfilm Media Corporation and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 20:12:02

Oslo, Norway and Florham Park, NJ, April 11, 2018: Yara International ASA and BASF today celebrated the opening of a new world-scale ammonia plant in Freeport, Texas, USA. The $600-million, state-of-the-art facility uses a cost-efficient and sustainable production process, based on by-product hydrogen instead of natural gas.



Yara Freeport LLC is owned 68 percent by Yara and 32 percent by BASF. The plant, located at BASF's site in Freeport, has a capacity of 750,000 metric tons of ammonia per year. Each party will off-take ammonia according to their ownership share.



"Together with our partners at BASF, we built a world-scale ammonia plant that not only raises the bar in terms of safety, efficiency and quality but also applies the principles of industrial symbiosis by using a by-product as feedstock for ammonia production," says Yara President and CEO, Svein Tore Holsether. "Yara Freeport strengthens our leading position in the global ammonia market and expands our production footprint in North America."



"This joint venture with Yara not only strengthens our production Verbund at the Freeport site, it demonstrates BASF's commitment to investing in North America," said Wayne T. Smith, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE and Chairman and CEO, BASF Corporation. "The new plant allows us to take advantage of world-scale production economics and attractive raw material costs to strengthen the competitiveness of our customer value chain in the region."



Conventional ammonia plants use natural gas to produce the hydrogen needed during ammonia production. Yara Freeport's hydrogen-based technology allows the plant to forego this initial production step, leading to lower capital expenditure and maintenance costs. By using hydrogen, which originates from the production processes of various petrochemical plants nearby, Yara Freeport safeguards resources and mitigates environmental impact.



A long-term supply agreement for hydrogen and nitrogen with industrial gases company Praxair Inc. links feedstock cost to the advantageous natural gas prices on the U.S. Gulf coast.



BASF will use its share of ammonia off-take to produce polyamide 6, which is commonly used in the production of carpet fibers, packaging and casings for the wire and cable markets. Polyamide 6 for injection molding is used in high-performance engineering plastics for automotive applications. Yara will market its share of ammonia to industrial customers and the agricultural sector in North America. To support the new plant, Yara built an ammonia storage facility at Port Freeport. BASF upgraded its existing terminal and pipeline assets.





Media Inquiries:



Yara Contacts:



Thor Giver, Investor Relations

Mobile: (+47) 48 07 53 56

E-mail: thor.giaver@yara.com



Kristin Nordal, Corporate Communications

Mobile: (+47) 900 15 550

E-mail: kristin.nordal@yara.com





BASF Contact:



Donna Jakubowski

Tel.: (+1 973) 245-6260

E-mail: donna.jakubowski@basf.com





About Yara

In collaboration with customers and partners, Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet, to fulfil its vision of a collaborative society, a world without hunger and a planet respected.



Our crop nutrition solutions and precision farming offerings allow farmers to increase yields and improve product quality while reducing environmental impact. Our environmental and industrial solutions improve air quality and reduce emissions, and are key ingredients in the production of a wide range of products. We foster an open culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes the safety and integrity of our employees, contractors, business partners, and society at large.



Founded in 1905 to solve emerging famine in Europe, Yara has a worldwide presence with more than 16,000 employees and operations in over 60 countries. In 2017, Yara reported revenues of USD 11.4 billion.

www.yara.com





About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,200 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.9 billion in 2017. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.com.



At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of 64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at

www.basf.com



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.





This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Yara International ASA via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-11 14:00:15

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for ZTEST Electronics Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---North York, Ontario (FSCWire) - ZTEST Electronics Inc. (CSE:ZTE). has issued a press release with the following headline:ZTEST Announces Resignation of CEOTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on ZTEST Electronics Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/ZTEST Electronics Inc.Source: ZTEST Electronics Inc. (CSE: ZTE, OTC Bulletin Board: ZTSTF)Date: April 11, 2018Time: 8:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of ZTEST Electronics Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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The Goethe-Institut Nigeria mobile residency, which is to take six artists to DakArt in Dakar, Senegal will hit the road from Lagos on Wednesday.

The event, which is in its second edition (it began in 2016), is titled Stretched Terrains  The Mobile Museum on its Way to DakArt.

The project involves a group of young artists drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Germany.

The participating artists are Emeka Udemba, Gabriel Goller, Monsuru Alashe, Ray Claver Agbo, Dame Diongue, better known as artist Bay Dam, and Souleymane Konate. The Nigerian artist Emeka Udemba, who lives in Germany, is the curator of the project.

During this leg of the journey, artists will research and simultaneously produce their works, which will be presented at DakArt, and at the Goethe-Institutes in Ghana, Togo, Cote dIvoire and the German-Malian Cultural Centre, Mali.

The group will begin the six-week journey with an old converted public transport bus, the Molue Mobile Museum of Contemporary Art.

They will journey through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Mali, before they eventually arrive in Dakar, Senegal.

Their arrival will coincide with the opening of the 13th edition of the International Biennial DaKArt, beginning in May.

At a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, the director of Goethe-Institut Nigeria, Friederike Moeschel, introduced the project to the audience and gave a background into the MMMoCAs first two trips to Cotonou and Dakar respectively.

She also explained why Goethe-Institut continues to collaborate with Mr. Udemba, given the projects particularity in the context of international and cross-cultural collaborations between Germans and Nigerians, as well as other African artists.

According to her, aside from Mr. Udemba, who is the curator of the trip; Monsuru Alashe, another artist going from Nigeria, and Gabriel Goller from Germany, the other artists will be picked up as the journey progresses.

Mr. Udemba described the curatorial outlook as being based on an exploration of how topography influences not just culture but also impacts the social, the economic and the political, with an emphasis on the experimental.

Mr. Udemba emphasised the reasoning behind conceiving a Mobile Museum in 2004, as looking beyond a fixed address but offering a chance for contemporary art to be seen and appreciated by different people across locales.

L to R: Robin Sohdi, Lufthansa General Manager, Nigeria & Equitorial Guinea; Friederike Moeschel, Director, Goethe-Institut Nigeria; participating artists Monsuru Alashe and Gabriel Goller; curator Emeka Udemba. Photo Credit: Willie Schumann L to R: Robin Sohdi, Lufthansa General Manager, Nigeria & Equitorial Guinea; Friederike Moeschel, Director, Goethe-Institut Nigeria; participating artists Monsuru Alashe and Gabriel Goller; Derin Ajao, Goethe-Institut; curator Emeka Udemba. Photo Credit: Willie Schumann

He said, Art is also about trying to start up a conversation among people. Their minds and consciousness are awakened. The whole essence of being an artist is the collaboration, and interrogation of other cultures. Such resolve cult

In her closing remarks, Ms. Moeschel thanked project co-sponsors Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines, as well as the media representatives in attendance for their support.

She assured the participating artists and guests of the buss resilience for the journey and the organisational measures put in place to ensure that the road trip  while not a luxury cruise  would be smooth-sailing for the participants in terms of healthcare, security, and immigration.

The press conference was followed by a tour of the Mobile Museum at the City Hall Car Park. Journalists and all present got the chance to hop on the solar-powered bus, and to see the facilities available to the participants.
The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, said her leadership of the organization has saved billions of dollars for Nigeria through her anti-corruption style of administration.

Speaking with journalists after making a presentation at the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, Mrs Usman also said she made a case for the dredging of the Excravos channel in Warri Delta state. Excerpt:

Q: Why are you at the Villa today?

A: I am at the State House today requesting FEC to approve the dredging works for Escravos channel in Warri; its navigation is a challenge we have had in the Nigerian ports. We need to ensure that the channels into the Warri ports are dredged.

Q: What are the economic implications?

A: It will fundamentally change the fortunes of Warri ports, it will expand the utilisation of our eastern ports, we believe in the need to ensure that all ports locations are given the seamless access by providing dredging works and that is what we are here to do today.

Q: So what have you been able to achieve so far?

A: We have been able to execute transparency and eliminate corrupt practices, we serve the need to ensure that whatever government leaves with an entity there is full compliance.

We have noted the Treasury Single Account, we have had entities complied to the TSA, we have also made our budget very transparent. We believe in building institutions and we have done tremendous work in deploying Human Resources capacities within our systems.

Q: Is corruption fighting back in that direction?

A: Oh definitely corruption is pushing back, it fights back all the time. We have had instances where corruption is pushing back and we have remained resolute with the support of Mr. President in assisting us to fight corrupt practices in Nigerian Ports Authority.

Q: How much have you saved since you have been doing this?

A: I will say we have saved billions of dollars in terms of ensuring that corrupt practices are eliminated. One of the key things the government has been able to do is to remove the monopoly of the oil and gas cargo. Now in the Nigerian oil and gas you are able to take cargoes anywhere leading to any location in the country.

Hitherto designated terminals got priority considerations to the extent that only those terminals had access to oil and gas cargo which made exploration of oil and gas in the country very expensive. This has tremendously assisted, we have saved billions and billions of dollars in crude exploration following the removal of the monopoly by President Muhammadu Buhari of oil and gas cargo designation.

Q: So whats responsible for the increment in revenue generation in NPA?

A: It has to do with ensuring that debts are paid, ensuring that there is full compliance and deployment of the Treasury Single Account. These are the things we have been able to do to block revenue leakages and ensure that we have seamless accounting processes.

Q: What of Calabar Port?

A: On Calabar Port, we have also reached an advanced stage for the procurement of the dredging works for Calabar. We had inherited a system that did not go through the relevant processes which we terminated. We are now almost concluding Calabar and we will also come and seek Federal Executive Councils consideration for that.

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Liberian health authorities issued an alert on the possible outbreak of monkeypox, an infectious disease which is found mostly in central and western Africa.

Liberias chief medical officer Francis Kateh said the disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, has already been discovered in the southern county of River Cess.

Kateh said there are currently four confirmed cases of the disease. A couple of suspected cases have also been sent for testing.

According to the health official, the time from exposure to the onset of symptoms of monkeypox is around 10 days, while the duration of symptoms is typically from two to five weeks.

He said the virus may be spread from handling bushmeat, an animal bite or scratch, body fluids, contaminated objects or close contact with an infected person.

The monkeypox was first identified in 1958, amongst laboratory monkeys.

The first human cases were discovered in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Fever, itchy toes, headache, muscle pain, and swollen lymph nodes, among others, have been identified as the symptoms of the disease.

The disease is not deadly and can be cured through the smallpox vaccine.

In 2017, Nigeria recorded 172 suspected and 61 confirmed cases of the monkeypox disease between September and December.

(Xinhua/NAN)
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A Brazilian judge has denied former president Luiz da Silva the right to receive a visit from nine regional governors and other politicians in the prison where he is staying in the southern city of Curitiba, the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo reported.

Judge Carolina Lebbos pointed to an earlier order from Judge Sergio Moro, who issued an arrest warrant for the popular politician and said he could have no prison privileges other than a television set in his cell.

The prison regime allows visits only on Wednesdays.

Lula arrived at the prison on Saturday, capping two days of drama over whether or not he would submit to the arrest warrant.

The 72-year-old is to serve a 12-year sentence following his conviction on corruption charges last year.

Lulas Workers Party meanwhile said he remained its candidate in the October 7 presidential elections and announced plans to move its leadership to Curitiba.

Lulas party comrade Dilma Rousseff, who succeeded him as president from 2011 to 2016, said the party would mobilise Lulas supporters to press for his freedom.

There is no plan B for the elections, we maintain Lulas candidacy, Rousseff said during a visit to the Spanish capital Madrid.

Hundreds of people were camping outside the prison Tuesday in a show of support for Lula.

Supporters regard the judicial proceedings as a plot to take Lula out of the presidential race, which he had been expected to easily win, while opponents say jailing him boosted Brazils fight against impunity. (dpa/NAN)
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Russia has warned that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, raising the possibility of a U.S.-Russian confrontation.

Issuing the warning, the Russian ambassador to Lebanon also said such a clash should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations.

His remarks could raise fears of direct conflict for the first time between major powers backing opposing sides in Syrias protracted civil war.

Moscow and Washington sparred at the United Nations on Tuesday over the use of chemical weapons in Syria as Washington and its allies considered whether to strike at Syrian government forces over the alleged poison gas assault.

Syrian relief workers said 60 people were killed in Saturdays suspected chemical weapons attack on the town of Douma.

An estimated 500 people were being treated for symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals, the WHO said on Wednesday.

The Syrian government and Russia say the reports are bogus.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything that could destabilise an already fragile situation in the Middle East, and made clear it strongly opposed any U.S. strike on its ally.

After the attack, the rebel group holed up in Douma  Jaish al-Islam  finally agreed to withdraw from the town.

That sealed a big victory for President Bashar al-Assad, who has now crushed the rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.

On the diplomatic front, Moscow and Washington stymied attempts by each other in the UN Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America on Friday to focus instead on talks with Western allies about possible military action to punish Assad for the suspected gas attack on a rebel-held town that had long withstood a devastating Syrian government siege.

Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.(Reuters/NAN)
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Police in central Pakistan on Wednesday arrested eight suspects after an eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped and burnt alive, sparking widespread protests both on the streets and social media.

According to police, the girl had left her house on Sunday afternoon to buy treats from a nearby shop.

Hours later she was found with burn wounds at a deserted house and was moved to a hospital, where she later died.

Police officials said they suspect sexual assault before she was set on fire, but a forensic report is still pending.

Students from schools, colleges were joined by the civil society activists, traders and lawyers at protests against the crime in the city of Chichawatni in the central province of Punjab.

A hashtag seeking justice for the girl has been trending on Twitter in Pakistan.

We have arrested over a dozen suspects for investigations, police investigator Muhammad Amin told newsmen.

We are waiting for the results of forensic and chemical tests to confirm sexual assault, Muhammad Abubakar, an administration official at the Chichawati hospital, said.

He said that the girls body was over 70 per cent burned.

In January, a rape and murder of seven-year-old girl in the city of Kasur in Punjab sparked nationwide protests.

After weeks of investigation, the main suspect was arrested and sentenced to death on four counts following his confession.

According to the non-profit organisation Sahil, which works for childrens rights, no less than 11 children are assaulted in Pakistan every day. (dpa/NAN)
Israel is finalising deal to deport thousands of African migrants to Uganda under a new scheme after agreements with Rwanda and the UNs refugee agency to find homes for those expelled fell through.

About 4,000 migrants have left Israel for Rwanda and Uganda since 2013 under a voluntary program but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under pressure from his right-wing voter base to expel thousands more.

In January, Israel started handing out notices to male migrants from Eritrea and Sudan giving them three months to take the voluntary deal with a plane ticket and $3,500 or risk being thrown in jail.

The government said from April it would start forced deportations. But right groups challenged the move and Israels Supreme Court has issued a temporary injunction to give more time for the petitioners to argue against the plan.

Government representatives told the court that an envoy was in an African country finalising a deportation deal after an arrangement with Rwanda to take migrants expelled under the new measures fell through.

The representatives did not name the country in court sessions open to the public though Israeli lawmakers have previously said the two countries it was planning to deport migrants to were Rwanda and Uganda.

Israeli Deputy Foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely also identified the countries it was seeking to strike new deportation deals with as Uganda and Rwanda in closed-door comments leaked to Israeli Army Radio.

After the Rwanda deal fell through, the government struck an agreement with the UNs refugee agency to relocate 16,250 migrants to Western countries but Netanyahu scrapped it after an outcry from right-wing politicians furious that thousands more would be allowed to stay in Israel.

The fate of tens of thousands of migrants who entered Israel illegally through its desert border with Egypt and were granted temporary visas has posed a moral dilemma for a state founded as a national home for Jews and a haven from persecution.

Israeli rights groups say the country can absorb the estimated 37,000 migrants still there, or should find them safe destinations such as those agreed under the defunct UNHCR deal.

The rights groups have accused Mr Netanyahu, who is under police investigation for corruption, of playing political games to appeal to his right-wing supporters.

The government calls the migrants infiltrators and says they have come to find work.

The migrants and rights groups say they are asylum seekers fleeing persecution.

The UNs refugee agency and rights groups are also concerned because many of the Africans who left previously for Rwanda and Uganda voluntarily did not get the protection they were promised and some ended up back on the migration trail.

Both countries have denied having any deals with Israel to resettle migrants. Uganda, a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in East Africa, also denied there were discussions about accepting deportees under the new scheme.

We are not aware of any Israeli envoy here.

Let Israelis tell you who that envoy here is going to sign an agreement with, sign with who? With the foreign affairs, with the president, minister of internal affairs, with who?

On what date are they signing? Okello Oryem, Ugandas junior foreign affairs minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

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At the Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem, one of the three judges asked the state representatives why Uganda was denying the deal, if indeed there was one.

The state said it would provide the court with an explanation in a closed session.

Five migrants interviewed by Reuters said they had been told by immigration officials this year that they could go either to Uganda or Rwanda, if they chose to avoid detention.

Ristom Haliesilase, an Eritrean migrant living in Tel Aviv, said he was given until April 15 to decide whether to be deported, or detained.

(Reuters/NAN)
Some major airlines were re-routing flights on Wednesday after Europes air traffic control agency warned aircraft flying in the eastern Mediterranean to exercise caution due to possible air strikes into Syria.

Eurocontrol said in a notification published on Tuesday afternoon that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used over the following 72 hours and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption to radio

navigation equipment.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Syrias

President Bashar Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that had long

held out against government forces.

A spokeswoman for Air France said the airline had changed some flights paths following the warning, including

for Beirut and Tel Aviv flights, while budget airline, EasyJet, said it would also re-route flights from Tel Aviv.

Aviation regulators have been stepping up monitoring of conflict zones since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was

downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

Recent warnings have tended to be after military action has started, and so Eurocontrols pre-emptive notice suggests a heightening of regulatory scrutiny.

Mr Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said.

Mr Trump on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

The Eurocontrol warning on its website did not specify the origin of any potential missile threat.

Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area, it said, referring to the designated airspace.

Aviation regulators in countries including the United States, Britain, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace, leading most carriers to avoid the area.

The only commercial flights above Syria as of 0115 GMT on Wednesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanons Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. At other periods later in the day, there were no flights using the airspace.

Eurocontrol included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus in its statement.

A spokesman for Germanys Lufthansa said on Wednesday its airlines were aware of the Eurocontrol warning and were in close contact with authorities.

As a proactive precaution, Lufthansa Group airlines have already avoided the airspace in the eastern Mediterranean for some time now, he said.

Ryanair, British Airways, Etihad Airways, and Royal Jordanian representatives said flights were operating normally at their respective airlines, but the situation was being monitored closely.

Emirates also said it was closely monitoring the situation and that it would make adjustments as needed.

EgyptAir is not currently planning changes to flight paths following the warning, a source close to the matter said.

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Israels flag carrier El Al declined to comment. EgyptAir and several other major airlines that fly in the area did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

The Nicosia flight information region named in the Eurocontrol statement covers the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters, according to a map on the agencys website.

The same map did not designate any specific territory as being the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Last year, North Korea tested missiles without warning, leading some airlines to re-route flights to avoid portions of the Sea of Japan.

Eurocontrols warning cited a document from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Europes safety regulator.

EASA warned of a danger to aircraft flying over Iran, Iraq, and the Caspian Sea in October 2015 after Russia fired cruise missiles at Syrian targets from the Caspian Sea.

An EASA spokesman said it had informed member states and Eurocontrol of its cautionary message on Tuesday.

(Reuters/NAN)
The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday arrested five operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad who allegedly demanded bribe from a Nigerian writer forcing him to hide in a bank toilet.

A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti, said the officials were attached to the Ipakodo base of SARS and not the Ikeja unit as the police earlier claimed.

PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday reported how James Ibe-Anyanwu, a Nigerian writer, was harrassed for hours by the bribe-seeking officers.

Mr. Ibe-Anyanwu, a businessman who also runs a company called PLANEX, also allegedly had his company documents seized by the rogue officers.

The writer was at a Zenith Bank branch at Ago -Palace Way , Okota, for a business transaction when he was approached by one of the officers who took him to where their vehicle was.

He explained that after searching his car and business documents, the officers labelled him a fraudster and ordered him to enter the vehicle and take them to his office in Ikoyi.

All pleas made by the writer were turned down, including a call placed to the police spokesperson in the state.

The writer said he later sneaked into the toilet of the bank on the pretext of going to withdraw money for the officers where he made a Facebook update narrating his ordeals.

The update sparked outrage online, with many calling for the police authorities immediate intervention.

He would later be free from the antics of his tormentors hours after the Facebook update when some police officers arrived the scene on the order of the PPRO and the rogue officers fled the scene.

The state Commissioner of Police , Edgal Imohimi, immediately ordered that the police officers be identified, arrested and prosecuted.

In his immediate reaction, the police spokesperson said that preliminary investigation showed that the team was led by one Inspector Jude Akhoyemta of SARS, Ikeja.

Screeshot from James Ibe-Anyanwu facebook profile narrating ordeal with FSARS. Screeshot from James Ibe-Anyanwu facebook profile narrating ordeal with FSARS. Screeshot from James Ibe-Anyanwu facebook profile narrating ordeal with FSARS. Screeshot from James Ibe-Anyanwu facebook profile narrating ordeal with FSARS.

But on Tuesday Mr. Oti absolved Mr. Akhoyemta of complicity in the crime, saying the culprits were from the Ipakodo base of SARS.

The culprits, he said in a statement, are two inspectors, Taiwo Omojope and Arigidi Ebibor, and three sergeants, Rotimi Adesoba, Olalekan Olakunle and Friday Oni .

In line with the directive of the Commissioner of Police , the command wishes to inform the public that further enquiry into the allegation of harassment of one Immanuel Ibe  Anyanwu by SARS operatives at Ago- Palace Way , Okota, has revealed the true identities of the policemen involved in the highly regrettable incident, the statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES noted.

The men , numbering five, are from the Ipakodo base of the Special Anti -Robbery Squad and not the Ikeja unit as previously reported.

He noted that they are currently undergoing interrogation at the command s X-Squad Section and will be marched before an adjudicating officer at the Police Provost Department for the commencement of their orderly room trial.

Meanwhile, Inspector Jude Akhoyemta earlier mentioned in the matter was found to be Innocent, the spokesperson said.

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Two Boko Haram suspects who were arrested over five years ago have been freed.

They were freed by the court on Wednesday after the judge accused the government of poor prosecution.

The Federal High Court in Abuja discharged two persons, Ibrahim Ahmed and Sani Argungu, arraigned for alleged ties with Boko Haram, for lack of diligent prosecution.

Discharging the defendants, Justice Binta Nyako noted that Mr Ahmed had been in detention since 2013 while Mr Argungu had been detained since 2012. The judge said since the time of their arrest and prosecution, the government prosecutors are yet to call any witnesses.

The defendants have been in custody with no trial because the prosecution cannot bring its witnesses to court. So, I discharge the defendants and the suit is hereby struck out, she said.

Mrs Nyako, however, said that whenever the prosecution was able to get its witnesses to attend court, the defendants could be re-arraigned.

The judge added that the defendants, although discharged, would be monitored. She warned them not to associate with any person of questionable character.

Mr Ibrahim, who said in his statement that he was a security guard at the Government House, Sokoto, was alleged to have been responsible for giving passage to Boko Haram members.

Over 100,000 people have been killed across Nigeria due to the activities of the Boko Haram terror group.

However, the terror groups activities have been heavily curtailed by the military, who have since restricted the limited attacks to Adamawa Borno and Yobe states. The military have also ensured that the terror group no longer controls any whole local government in the country.
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President Muhammadu Buhari has said irresponsible brand of politics played by some unnamed persons was responsible for the perennial farmers/herders clashes that has claimed hundreds of lives across the nation in recent months.

Mr Buhari also said the crisis predated his administration but added that enduring solutions are being worked out to stem the bloodletting.

He also explained why he recently declared his intention to run for another term in office on Monday, April 9, 2018, during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Receiving the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby in London Wednesday, President Buhari gave his reasons.

I declared before leaving home because Nigerians were talking too much about whether I would run or not. So, I felt I should break the ice. We have many things to focus on, like security, agriculture, economy, anti-corruption, and many others. We needed to concentrate on them, and politics should not be a distraction. The majority of Nigerians appreciate what we are doing, and that is why I am re-contesting.

The President recounted some successes of the administration to his guest, with whom he has built a deep friendship in recent times, and was quite particular about strides in agriculture.

We have cut the importation of rice by about 90 per cent saving billions of dollars in the process. People who rushed into petrol money have now gone back to agriculture. Even professionals have gone back to the land. Nigeria should be able to feed itself comfortably soon. I am so pleased, the President said.

On the war against insurgency, he stressed the need for continuous education of the people, so that they can be free from religious manipulation, adding that no true religion advocates the hurting or killing of the innocent.

Responding to his guests comment on the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in different parts of Nigeria, the President also gave his position.

The problem is even older than us. It has always been there, but now made worse by the influx of armed gunmen from the Sahel region into different parts of the West African sub-region. These gunmen were trained and armed by Muammar Gadaffi of Libya. When he was killed, the gunmen escaped with their arms. We encountered some of them fighting with Boko Haram.

Herdsmen that we used to know carried only sticks and maybe a cutlass to clear the way, but these ones now carry sophisticated weapons. The problem is not religious, but sociological and economic. But we are working on solutions.

President Buhari lamented that irresponsible politics has been brought into the farmers/herders crisis, but assured that enduring solutions would be found, and justice done to all concerned.

On Leah Sharibu, the schoolgirl from Dapchi still being held by insurgents, reportedly because she refused to renounce her Christian faith, the President said:

We are managing the matter quietly. Making noise would not help. We are collecting as much intelligence as possible, working with the Red Cross and other international organizations. There are too many fraudulent people around, who claim they can do this and that. We wont deal with them. That was how we got the Dapchi girls back, and the Chibok girls.

Mr Welby said it was always a delight to see President Buhari, whom I have tremendous respect for.

You have my best wishes on your recent decision. I read your declaration speech. We are neutral as a church, but we will pray for you. Great statesmen are those who run for the good of their country. We will be praying for you.

The Archbishop presented President Buhari with a copy of his recent book, Reimagining Britain. Foundations for Hope.
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The Police Command in Nasarawa State has confirmed five persons killed in a fresh attack on Kadarko village and environs in Obi Local Government, on Tuesday.

Kennedy Idirisu, the commands spokesman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lafia that the attackers invaded the village at night and shot everyone on sight.

He said the command had deployed adequate personnel to quell the attacks, adding that relative normalcy had returned to the area.

He said that the command had arrested three suspects in connection with the Kadarko attacks, but explained that the situation was a bit tense.

According to him, the State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Bello, is already on his way to the affected areas for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

A resident of Kadarko village, who spoke on the Tuesday attack, told NAN that the trouble started when a 17- year-old boy had his arm chopped off by unknown persons suspected to be herdsmen.

The source, who craved anonymity, said that the attackers later stormed the village at night, shooting sporadically at anyone on sight.

Even the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp was not spared, he said, adding that many people were injured in the stampede as women and children scampered for safety.

NAN recalled that Kadarko village was attacked on January 29 by gunmen that killed seven persons.

(NAN)
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President Donald Trump has removed Chad from the requirement of enhanced immigrant vetting because the country has demonstrated it no longer is a security threat to U.S. interests, the White House said in a press release.

Trump signed a proclamation today announcing that the Republic of Chad has improved its identity-management and information sharing practices sufficiently to meet the baseline security standard of the U.S.

Chad nationals will therefore again be able to receive visas for travel to the U. S., the White House said.

Trumps proclamation states that Chad shares information used in the U.S. screening and vetting programmes about known or suspected terrorists.

Chad also improved its handling of lost and stolen passports, which helps the United States and other partners prevent fraudulent use of the documents, the proclamation said.

The departments of State and Homeland Security began in December to restrict the entry of nationals from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela and Yemen.

The measure was part of Trumps executive order on immigration. (Sputnik/NAN)
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Omoyele Sowore, one of Nigerias 2019 presidential hopefuls, has guaranteed immediate freedom for Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, if hes elected president in 2019.

Mr. Sowore also said he will sign an executive order for expedited investigation into the 2015 Zaria massacre of Shiites widely blamed on the Nigerian Army.

Our first act in office would be to release El-Zakzaky, Mr Sowore told a packed audience of youth during a town hall event in Abuja Friday night..

He also vowed to sign executive orders to unravel those behind the deadly assault in which soldiers were indicted for killing nearly 400 civilian members of the Shiites movement.

Everyone must get justice, Mr Sowore said when he expanded the killings to the prevalent cases of abuses linked to state actors.

Mr Zakzaky has been kept in custody by the State Security Service (SSS) since December 2015 when the killings occurred. He was terribly injured at the time, but the SSS later paraded him before the media as a proof of his recovery.

His wife was also detained since then, despite several court rulings for their release.

In July 2016, a judicial panel of inquiry that looked into the massacre indicted a Nigerian Army general, Adeniyi Oyebade, for his role and recommended his prosecution.

Nearly two years on, however, no action has been taken to bring Mr Oyebade and other principal actors to justice.

The dithering might not entirely be a surprise since President Muhammadu Buhari condemned members of the movement for standing in the ways military generals which provoked the attack. This has been widely deemed an indication that the president had no interest in prosecuting those responsible.

The Nigerian Army has strongly denied wrongdoing in the massacre, accusing Mr Zakzaky and his members of being a national security threat by stockpiling arms.

Mr Sowores town hall, which comes a day after Mr Buhari unveiled plans to seek re-election, was a gathering of youth activists and public policy experts.

Auwal Rafsanjani, an anti-corruption crusader, said the time has come for lucid minds like Mr Sowore to take over leadership of the country.

Its time to believe in our comrade, Mr Rafsanji said of Mr Sowore, with whom he had been active first as students union activists and later pro-democracy and anti-corruption voices for nearly three decades. Lets join hands together because its time to take our country back.

Were tired of giving advocacy to criminals. Its time to set an agenda that will liberate this country from backward and analogue people. This is the only broken a have to get out of the artificial poverty.

Mr Sowore has repeatedly reasserted his ability to defeat Mr Buhari since he entered the race for president last month, but has yet to decide on which political party he would run as required by the Nigerian Constitution and extant electoral regulations.

Asked the question last night, Mr Sowore, who has led Sahara Reporters as its fiery publisher for more than a decade, said he was still consulting with other progressive minds to identify a proper coalition that would help actualise the objectives of his Take Nigeria Back movement.
Senators on Tuesday took turns to eulogise late Senator Mustapha Bukar, who passed away last week.

Mr Bukar until his death on Wednesday April 4, represented Katsina North, the senatorial district of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a valedictory service held in his honour on Wednesday, the senators expressed grief at his demise. Most of them described Mr Bukar as a gentleman.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, urged his colleagues to continue in the legacy of the late Mr Bukar.

Im happy to associate myself with Mustapha Bukar. This senate benefitted from his experience and exposure. When people die, the important thing is what theyll be remembered for. We have so much to remember about Mustapha Bukar.

We are going to miss him for those things we could remember. And what this means for us is to continue in the same direction of patriotism unity, peace of this country and creation of opportunities for Nigerians which he canvassed for.

The Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, spoke on the need for the senate to pray in order to prevent deaths.

When I heard about his death, I felt this was one death too painful. As a matter of fact when we lost Senator Adeleke, Senator Wakili and then this, I felt its good for us to collectively pray that this should be the last in this chamber.

He is a man who believes so much in service to humanity, to people and even when he was struggling with ill health, he still managed to come to the chambers to talk on issues relating to his people and Nigeria.

Deputy Majority Leader, Bala NaAllah (Kebbi-APC), wished the world is populated with people like the deceased.

Speaking about the late senator Bukar Mustapha is as painful as having to remember that he will not be with us again. In our religion, there is a saying that thou shall not speak evil of the dead. What Im trying to say is that if the world has been populated by the likes of late senator Bukar, there would not have been any need for that saying.

Let me tell you one striking thing about senator Bukar. Anytime we have an issue here that I need to pass over to Bukar, I will ask him that Im coming to your office, I am very worried about one or two things. He will tell me no, I will come to your office because you are a leader, and he will always come.

Francis Alimikhena (Edo-APC) described Mr Bukars status as a gentleman, as something which started from the inauguration of the 8th senate.

My first contact with him was when this senate was being inaugurated about three years ago. Both of us were sitting there. He came and told me he was just coming from Germany, that what is happening. I told him we were about to vote for presiding officers. He asked me who we are going to vote for and I told him, I wrote it down for him and since then weve been having good rapport.

Hes a gentle man. Every time hes always smiling. Hes always dressing majestically with a turban. He has never dressed as a casual person to this senate. May his good soul rest in peace.

Abu Ibrahim (Katsina-APC) wants the senators to sustain the legacy of late Bukar.

Hes a highly respected individual in his locality. He has contributed his own quota and now left us. This senate has already lost 3 colleagues, it shows us that this life is not permanent. So, we should do our best to work in the unity, stability and progress of Nigeria.

In his eulogy, which came last, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, rued the loss of Mr Bukar.

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He said the country has lost a technocrat and a man with good ideas.

One thing really is that hes a perfect gentleman. As you all said, though being a senator representing the president, you will never see where he carried himself as such. My own personal interaction with him in the senate here was always trying to find solutions to problems and he plays a lot of roles behind the scenes to do that.

I was lucky to have met him long before then when he was in the Ministry of water resources and I was a banker then. What it showed was that he was a good technocrat, very sound, and you could see that in his contributions.

As a country, we have lost a good technocrat. For us in the National Assembly, we have lost a man with a lot of good ideas who has helped not only his constituency but this great country. All we can do is to pray for him.

The senators thereafter, observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased.

The senate also adopted the prayer that it revisits the resolution of the senate on immortalisation of senators for further legislative action.
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The federal government has pledged to invest in facilities that will offer supporting services for people living with neurological development disorder.

President Muhammadu Buhari made this pledge in Abuja on Tuesday at a public presentation and launch of a book titled Neuro-developmental Disorders: Enhancing Everyday Life  Non-Existent Therapeutic Services in Nigeria, lets do something about it authored by Austin Amaechi.

The forward of the book was written by the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari.

The president, who was represented by Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, applauded the author for using his book to speak on the challenges parents and persons with Neurological-developmental disorder face in Nigeria.

In his speech, Mr Adewole said the author had used the book to become a spokesperson for millions of Nigerians living with various neuro-developmental conditions especially by using it to portray the challenges faced by them.

The minister said Neuro-developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual and developmental conditions continueto be a significant public health issue in Nigeria and across the world.

Mr Adewole said the subtitle of the book, nonexistence supportive services in Nigeria lets do something about it is very revealing, troubling and informative.

He said this shows that there are still gaps in the evidence based effective diagnostics, treatments as well as epidemiological studies and investigating the prevalence of the condition and the government needs to do something about it.

He said the government is meant to provide the building blocks needed to address the needs of people with various developmental disorders.

We read and hear frequently of the shortage of diagnosis and therapeutic services, shortage of qualified physicians, high costs and low integration of services especially in rural areas.

The book has shown that we need a robust and increased treatment intervention and how we can better mobilise to do something about it. There is no doubt that our country Nigeria is still grasping with challenges in many sectors, however I am gladdened by the fact that in spite these glitches, we have resilience and capacity to make significant progress in several areas including the health sector, he said.

Mr Adewole promised that the government is able and willing to provide the required leadership to tackle the gap and also ensure that diagnostics, therapeutics services, professionals are provided with education and training to address knowledge gaps.

The author of the book, Austin Amaechi, in his speech said he was compelled to write the book after the experiences he had dealing with one of his children who is suffering from the disability.

Mr Amaechi said the book explores the concept of neuro-developmental disabilities, how to understand and treat autism spectrum disorder, and also advises the government, healthcare providers as well as parents and families of sufferers.

He explained that Nigeria has little or no facilities for these challenged children and as such leaves many families no option than to keep the children in hiding without support services.

The disease is not new, it is just that the awareness of the disease is becoming more pronounced. Neurological disorder is just a non-effective function of the brain and there are over 100 types of the disorder. There is a need to create more awareness to these disabilities and how to handle them.

The government needs to be ready to play its part in making treatments and training of these individuals easy for parents. With adequate supports from the government and by ensuring that children with this conditions have access to public health, education and support services, they will be able to do well within the society, he said.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said one of the greatest challenges it has is the involvement of parents of candidates in their children and wards exam malpractices and fraud.

The registrar of the board, Ishaq Oloyede, said this during a meeting with the Itse Sagay led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption in Abuja on Wednesday

The registrar expressed his displeasure on how parents also paid huge amounts of money into fraudulent accounts in order to pave way to allow their wards pass the exams.

He said most parents have gone haywire in their various activities of making sure their wards passed the examination at all cost.

According to him, the examination act of the board stipulates that parents are not allowed into the examination hall but you find parents arranging mercenaries to write for their wards.

Mercenaries refer to persons who illegally sit for exams on behalf of genuine candidates.

A candidate was caught here for impersonation. He agreed he did it that he was writing for his brother and their mother was aware. And when a call was put through to the mother, she said she is a prophetess. This is an example among others, he said.

Mr Oloyede decried the use of religion to achieve non-religious issues.

My two years here have been more stressful than my cumulative years in the university system. None of my superiors ever asked me to do what is wrong since I became a registrar, Mr Oloyede said.

The board will open an account too and any candidate who pays into the account for fraudulent activities will be disqualified from writing the examination, he hinted.

According to him, out of 1,840,225 candidates who wrote the examination, only 800,000 have the 5 credits minimum requirements for Olevel.

There are 767 tertiary higher institutions in Nigeria, about 560,168 candidates have been admitted. About 20 per cent of the candidates are in SS2, they only took JAMB for trials. 1,178,665 candidates scored above 100 in the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, he said.

The examination held on March 9 and ended March 17.

Speaking on the issue of controversial 120 cut off mark recently agreed on, the registrar said there is need for the masses to be aware of what constitutes the cut off mark.

According to him, the candidates score in JAMB, post-UTME score and Olevel score will be calculated and an average will be gotten which stands for the cut off mark.

Mr Oloyede said since most students do not get the cut off mark, some institutions give them admission and later ask them to regularise their admission by paying a token.

All we ask them to do is cancel regularisation and bring what they are doing backdoor to the table. The cut off mark issue will remove some obstacles for the masses who cannot afford to send their wards abroad to study, he said.

The registrar said the law establishing JAMB stipulates that the board must admit students in conjunction with the Nigerian institution hence the need for post-UTME in schools.

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Meanwhile, Mr Sagay at the meeting said there is need for the board to provide a template to advise other agencies on how to combat corruption and fraudulent activities.

We are here to learn from you especially on how you have been able to maintain the credibility of the board and discovering fraudulent acts, he said.

Mr Sagay said there is need for the board to educate the masses on the issue of cut off mark among others for better understanding.
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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday admitted more bank documents in evidence tendered by the Federal Government in the ongoing trial of Bello Haliru, former National Chairman, PDP.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), the prosecuting agency tendered the documents in a bid to prove its fraud allegation amounting to N300 million against Haliru, his son, Abba and their company.

Mr. Haliru and his son are standing trial for allegedly receiving the said amount from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

The documents included the account opening package, statement of account and certificate of identification issued by Eco Bank Plc.

The prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, had sought to tender the documents but the defence had raised objections.

Solomon Umoh, counsel to Mr. Haliru had argued that the documents were not front loaded as well as attached to the proof of evidence as required by law, thereby making them irrelevant.

The trial Judge, Ahmed Mohammed, however, in a short ruling, overruled the objection of the defence counsel to the admissibility of the bank documents.

The judge agreed with the prosecution that Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act did not guide admissibility of documents, but Section 57 of the Evidence Act, 2011.

Justice Mohammed further held that not front loading a document did not make a document irrelevant.

The judge also granted an application to allow Haliru travel to the United Kingdom for medical check-up since the EFCC did not oppose the application.

He directed the Deputy Registrar of the court to release Halirus international passport but ordered that he was not to leave the country until after May 22 which was the next adjourned date for the matter.

(NAN)
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The police in Ondo State have confirmed the arrest of 46 students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, (AAUA), as well as some parents as the protest against the hike in tuition entered day three.

Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, said the arrested persons would be charged to court.

Some of the students who spoke with journalists said the police opened fire and shot teargas at them at the entrance of the Government Office in Alagbaka during the protest.

But the police spokesman said the students attacked the vehicles of top government officials as they made their way to their offices in the morning.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information, Yemi Olowolabi, has accused politicians of hijacking the protest by the students.

Mr Olowolabi had earlier explained the reasons for the hike in the tuition for the institution, and had called for calm as the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, found solutions to the disagreements.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Grassroots Mobilisers, Ondo state chapter, has decried the arrest as a show of insensitivity to the plight of the people of the state.

A statement by the coordinator of the group, Kunle Ajibogun, called on the state government and the police to quickly release the arrested students and market women.

The PDP group also called for the review of the hiked fees in order to allow peace to reign in the state.

We therefore call on the present administration in Ondo state under the leadership of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to rise up to the occasion and stop been docile in governance, the statement partly read.

Those arrested students and market women should be released. Governor Akeredolu is keeping silence on the matter and playing politics with lives and future of the citizenry.

The current situation in the state needs quick intervention of all genuine and reasonable leaders to save the situation.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday pledged to work to ensure that more women are given the opportunity to vie for offices at the 2019 general elections.

Mr Saraki made this promise when the Conference of Nigeria Female Parliamentarians paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Details of the visit were contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu.

Mr Saraki said there was nothing to fear about having more women occupy political offices, saying such a development will strengthen the nations democracy.

He lamented that the present statistics of women in governance in the country is not encouraging, while pledging efforts to change the tide.

The statement quoted him as saying, Anybody in this country today will agree that from the statistics you have given out here today, it is clear that definitely, we are not doing enough in the inclusion of women in politics and governance.

We must change and turn the tide in this direction. We cannot continue with this low level of participation.

What I want to assure you is that you have my full support and the full support of the National Assembly to see what we can do to ensure that as we go into 2019, it will be a year that we will change the level of participation of women in politics in this country.

The challenge we have is that such an action is something that must be done collectively. We will champion it but it is something that requires all of us to work very hard for it to happen.

I believe that what we will do is to make it clear that it must happen. It has to happen and it is in the interest of this country for it to happen.

We want to reassure those that have fears about it that there is nothing to worry about. It will only strengthen our democracy and make our country better.

I am convinced that your visit is timely that in this 2019, we must make a difference. We must see a real change in this area, he stated.

He commended the group for its advocacy and commitment to ensuring more women are voted into offices.

He added that it is imperative to support women groups to push for greater political inclusion.

Political parties are now gearing up for election, this is the right time we must begin to demand from political parties and candidates that they must tell Nigerians what their policy is on gender affirmation.

You have the votes, at least you have 46  48 per cent, let your votes do the work and if your votes do the work, then you will make the work easier for all of us.

It is time for you to mobilize and work for it because it is important. A lot of us who have had the experience have found out, without any bias, that generally female politicians/parliamentarians are very committed, hardworking and more importantly very consistent and loyal.

I think when you build a country and you build a political space, what is important is consistency and sometimes loyalty, the statement further quoted him as saying.

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Earlier, the Chairperson of the group, Elizabeth Ativie, decried the low level of women participation in the nations governance since 1999, in terms elective and appointive offices.

Saraki with some members of the Conference of Nigeria Female Parliamentarians

Mrs Ativie, the member representing Uhunmwode Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly, commended the Senate President for influencing the nomination and election of five women into the Kwara State House of Assembly during the 2015 general elections.

Nigeria needs to invest in womens participation in politics by creating an enabling environment for women to thrive and tackle perceived systemic and cultural hinderances to womens inclusion, she was quoted as saying.

She sought the support Mr Saraki for the quick passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill, implementation of 35 per cent affirmative action strategy and the abrogation of laws that infringe on citizens rights of women, among others.
The Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday said the 2018 Budget of the National Assembly would be made public.

Mr Lawan said this while briefing newsmen journalists on the objectives of the Open NASS initiative designed to increase public access to the operations of the national assembly.

Mr Lawan heads the Special Committee set up to organise Open Week Event which is scheduled from June 25 to June 29 at the National Assembly Complex.

He described the initiative as an evolving one, adopted by parliaments all over the world.

Increasingly, governments around the world are promoting initiatives in transparency.

Governments that are open and transparent are more accountable to their citizens and are less likely to be corrupt.

Openness generates trust in government and also paves the way for meaningful participation by citizens and more informed and better policies.

Around the world, an increasing number of parliaments are being more proactive in the provision of information.

This has become easier with the proliferation of the internet and access to Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Many parliaments are now uploading significant documents such as daily order papers, draft laws and committee reports for distribution.

It is against this background that the National Assembly has initiated the Open Week to open the National Assembly to the public, he said.

Mr Lawan emphasised that the event would broaden public understanding of legislative functions and processes and engender interactions between legislators and key stakeholders.

Series of activities during the `Open Week will include interactive sessions with various interest groups, question and answer sessions.

It also includes exhibitions and tours, planned over a four-day period to raise awareness on legislative initiative and activities, Mr Lawan said.

He said that the interactive sessions would feature members of the executive arm of government on the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the Judiciary on pre- and post-elections adjudication.

Others are constitutional separation of powers, a session with state assemblies and a session with trade unions on economic growth and industrial relations.

Also, there will be sessions with traditional rulers and pressure groups, civil society organisations on accountability and service delivery in governance as well as sessions with women, youth, and student bodies.

The exercise will feature daily exhibitions for National Assembly Committees to display their outputs and interface with stakeholders via cluster units to be created from both chambers for ease of access.

The benefits of the Open Week are numerous and have direct bearing on democratic governance in Nigeria.

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Through the Open Week, the National Assembly is fostering public participation in the democratic process.

Giving the public access to legislative information, activities and policies are substantial steps towards empowering them to take part in political dialogue and decision-making processes.

Allowing public access to the legislature allows stakeholders to scrutinise our actions as an institution, such public engagement can lead to greater trust in government.

We have nothing to hide; being able to access this information significantly reduces suspicion and generates trust, the lawmaker said. (NAN)
Nigerias Federal Executive Council (FEC), Wednesday approved three memos submitted by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

The first was for the construction of the 44.625 kilometres Babban Lamba-Shandam Road in Plateau State at the cost of N19.392 billion.

Mr. Fashola, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said FEC also approved the reconstruction of the 81-kilometre Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road.

He said the contract for the road was first awarded in 2000, adding, it has since been left uncompleted because there were no budgetary provisions for it.

He said the All Progressives Congress administration is now trying to move the contractor back to site.

He said because of the long abandonment, it has become necessary to review the contract sum.

So the revised rate was brought to council today and a revision of N22 billion was approved for the 81 kilometers road, bringing the total contract price to N56.701 billion, he said.

The third approval, according to Mr Fashola, was for section four of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, the part between Aba and Port Harcourt.

He said the Port Harcourt part of the road has been problematic and has failed severally.

We have a contractor there but we needed to change the design because of the storm water drainage needs and the high water tables there so that the road does not fail.

So that requires a revision of the scope of work to include retaining side lanes and also drainage facilities in the sum of N6.309 billion, Mr Fashola said.

On his part, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said he presented a policy memo highlighting the crisis facing water and sanitization in the country and the need for government to take action.

He said he informed FEC that urban water supply was regressing in Nigeria, while access to improved sanitation had also decreased over time.

Because of that, he said Nigeria is not able to meet the Millennium Development Goals and that works services in the rural areas are unsustainable.

Mr. Adamu also said spending on water sector has declined by 7 to 0.72% of the GDP in 2010.

We submitted a memo to council to approve an action plan on how to address these issues.

We had three prayers for the council to approve the action plan: to declare a state of emergency on water and sanitation sector; to approve the establishment of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (WASH) for the country.

This fund will be one that federal, states and international donors can put in money so that we can begin to address the crisis of water and sanitation sector in the country.

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We also requested that henceforth the budget for water and sanitation in the country should be significantly increased so that we will be able to face these challenges. Council accepted our prayers and we will move on, Mr. Adamu said.

The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, who also briefed reporters, said FEC had approved a contract for the completion of two faculty buildings and Cadet Mess and Cafeteria for Police Academy in Kano.

He said the request is to meet the minimum requirement by the academy before getting accreditation of some of its programmes.

In May 2010, a memo was submitted for the approval of a draft bill when it was upgraded to a degree awarding institution.

So the total amount of the contract is about N234 million. Once it is completed, we will invite the NUC to have a look at some of the programmes that are yet to be accredited, Mr. Dambazau said.

Earlier, spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, said the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, also briefed the council on women empowerment programmes being undertaken by her ministry.

He said Mrs Alhassan also spoke about capacity development for women, promotion of human rights, fighting violence against women, rehabilitation of victims of gender violence, promoting the health of women and children, and the efforts on the rescue of Chibok and Dapchi girls.

Council commended the women affairs ministry for a job well done, he said.

Mr Shehu said the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, spoke on the achievements made in his ministry.

He said such achievements include bringing down the wall that screens out Nigerians in the military engagement in the northeast and the role played in the prompt release of Dapchi girl.

He said the Ministry has also instituted town hall meetings, 11 of which have been held so far across the country.

He said the town hall meetings are ways of getting feedback from the country.

He said Mr. Mohammed spoke about the national sensitization campaigns on insecurity in the country.

He spoke about the institution of regular interaction with Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalists and other relevant bodies.

Also interaction with International Press Institute that are coming into Nigeria for their World Congress in June this year, he said.

He said the Information Ministry has equally made progress with the digital switchover campaigns.

At the end of the day, the council decided to Set up an inter-ministerial committee to fashion out a marshal plan for communications for the ministry to sit down and advise government on how policies and programmers can be better disseminated.

In particular to advise government on how the ministry and its agencies can deliver on its own mandate.

The ministers on the committee are finance, agriculture, budget and national planning, power, works and housing, transportation, communications, Information and Culture, petroleum and Niger Delta, Mr Shehu said.
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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the extension of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to June 30, 2018.

The extension after the original March 31 date is based on the appeals of professional bodies and individual taxpayers, the Presidency said in a statement.

It said no further extension of time will be approved after June 30.

The president added that a new date was also given, based on the conviction of the Ministry of Finance that the overall objective to increase compliance will be attained, and additional revenue will accrue.

A fresh Executive Order will be made to give legal backing to the new timeline.

According to President Buhari, For a nation of people who are competitive and driven, it is not a pride that we are the lowest performer in tax to GDP, not just in Africa, but in the world.

Nigerias growth needs are such that every Nigerian must do his duty to his nation, to his neighbour, and to himself.

Hiding monies overseas, evading taxes by manipulation, and other unwholesome practices, have never developed a country, and for Nigeria to attain her true potential, these must stop.

The President urged Nigerian companies and individuals to join the government in the rebuilding mission, and do the right thing by taking this window of extension to regularize.

He added that the right thing may not be convenient or comfortable, but in the long run, we will all have a nation we can be proud of.

President Buhari further urged tax authorities to use the extension window to perfect plans to prosecute those who fail to regularize their tax status.

The statement by spokesperson Femi Adesina adds the below:

VAIDS is one of the key policies being used by the Federal Government to re-position the Nigerian economy and correct inherited underdevelopment.

The country has one of the lowest tax collection rates in the world at just 6% of GDP. This was partially a function of the reliance on oil that saw us abandon the historical revenue collection systems and switch to a culture of sharing resources, rather than generating them.

President Buhari had last year launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), and the VAIDS tax amnesty is first in the series of reforms that will transform our tax system and provide sustainable predictable funding for all tiers of government.

Tax revenues will ensure that public infrastructure is provided, and public services are funded to improve the lives of the people.

Taxes redistribute wealth from those who have more to those who have less, and VAIDS is one of the windows to achieve such.
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A 53-year-old Dane, Peter Nielsen, who allegedly killed his wife, Zainab, and her three-year-old daughter, Petra, was on Wednesday remanded in Ikoyi Prisons on the orders of a Yaba Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos.

Zainab, a musician popularly known as Alizee.

The Magistrate, K.B. Ayeye, who gave the ruling, said the accused should be kept behind bars pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Mr Nielsen, a Danish citizen, is being tried on a two-count charge of murder.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

But Effiong Asuquo, the prosecutor, told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 5 at his residence at Block 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi.

He alleged that the accused killed his wife, Zainab, 37, and her daughter, Petra, in the house.

The accused who was always at loggerheads with his wife had hit her head on the wall several times leading to her death; he also proceeded to poison his daughter.

He had dragged their lifeless bodies under the gas to create the impression that they suffocated to death as a result of a gas leakage, the prosecutor, a chief superintendent of police, said.

The offences contravened Sections 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 which prescribes death sentence for offenders.

The case has been adjourned until May 8 pending DPPs advice.

(NAN)
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A new university has been approved for the Nigerian Army.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave the approval on Wednesday at its meeting.

The university will be located in Biu, Borno State.

The approval follows the presentation of a memo by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

Mr. Adamu announced the approval while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the council.

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general, had earlier in March announced that the Nigerian Army will upgrade

the Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies to a full fledge University of Technology and Environmental Studies.

The university was conceived as a unique one that will be different from conventional universities in Nigeria.

The concept is to make it a solution provider and a centre of excellence for a variety of technologically related ventures such as generation and armament production, the army chief said.
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The legal wrangling between the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and the Special Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property is only a smear campaign and an unfolding sinister agenda informed by the politics of 2019 elections, an aide to the senator has said.

Mr Ekweremadu is being investigated by the panel for failing to declare his asset comprising mostly of lands and buildings located in Nigeria, Dubai, London and the United States, amounting to billions of Naira.

The federal government last month asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to freeze all undeclared asset traced to the senator.

In order to prevent the forfeiture, Mr Ekweremadus lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, on Tuesday asked the same court to stop the government from temporarily seizing the asset.

The Special Adviser (Media) to Mr Ekweremadu, Uche Anichukwu, said the investigation was not about ownership of properties, but a deliberate effort by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to prosecute members of the opposition ahead of the 2019 polls.

Mr. Anichukwu in a statement on Wednesday alleged that APC lawyers constituted themselves into a panel to try his boss relying on Decree 3 of 1984, now known as the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act, 2004.

He said not only was the law already overtaken by the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004, but the panel was also not gazetted in any publication in the Federal Government of Nigeria Gazette or inaugurated by the President.

The statement quoted him as saying, so, considering the Senators ordeals since his re-emergence as the Deputy President of the Senate in 2015, and with 2019 election fast-approaching, no one needs any soothsayer to know that the FG is up to something more sinister and diabolical of which the asset forfeiture lawsuit is a launchpad.

As earlier clarified by the Senator, the list contains so many fictitious and repeated properties generated by the dismissed Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, who, in his capacity as the Chief Judge of the State in 2016, colluded with his lawyer, Barrister Tagbo Ike, and some politicians, to steal and doctor his will. They then churned out petitions to many government agencies.

Should proper investigation devoid of bias and witch-hunt not require that Ekweremadu be invited to respond to the petition, assuming the panel had the constitutional powers to dabble into matters relating to assets declaration?

But the Panel instead approached the court by way of Motion Ex-parte, which would allow it obtain an interim forfeiture order against the Distinguished Senator, without hearing him, just to achieve a maximum smear effect.

The fact that the petition was authored by a former Chief Judge, who was sacked by the National Judicial Council for corruption and gross abuse of office and is currently facing corruption trial at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt and High Court of Enugu State, was more reason his petition should have been treated with wariness.

Also, the fact that the Chairman of the Panel, Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla, signed, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the very letter referenced HAGF/ENUGU/2000/I and dated February 4, 2016 directing the Inspector General of Police to investigate Umezulike and the Director of Litigation over alleged forgery of a court judgment and order in Suit No. E/170/76 dated the June 25, 1985, is the more reason the Panel should have been circumspect.

Mr Anichukwu said a property, Congress Estate, did not exist anywhere in Nigeria and that the senator did not accept the federal governments offer to pay for Kyami Layout plot located in Abuja. Mr Anichukwus statement did not clarify whether Congress Estate was part of the properties in contention.

He added that Mr Ekweremadus asset declaration form, which the panel obtained from the Code of Conduct Bureau, shows that the House on Evans Enwerem Street, Apo Legislators Quarters, was declared with the plot number by which it was originally known and monetised to the Senator.

Besides, it is on record, as recently reported by some national dailies, that the AGF had in a letter dated November 1, 2017 and signed by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, withdrawn Notices of Investigation, which Obono-Obla sent to some Judges of the Federal High Court, requesting them to fill assets declaration forms all over in clear overreach of the his purported powers.

So, Senator Ekweremadus case is treated differently because the main purpose of the suit, which is another overreach by the Panel, is to intimidate, smear, and embarrass Ekweremadu to give the impression that he illegally acquired and hid properties from the government, which is clearly not the case, the statement further said.
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Some councillorship aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in Kaduna over alleged manipulation of the partys local government primary elections in the state.

Alleging that the primary elections held on March 29 were marred by irregularities, the protesters took over Lord Lugard roundabout, a stone throw from the APC state secretariat, waving placards with inscriptions such as Injustice is a crime against humanity, We have worked well for our great party APC so we need justice, Correct the fraud in APC Primary Elections, We all know elections were not conducted, and We need internal democracy in Kaduna APC.

Addressing journalists at the venue of the protest, chairman of the Congress for Councillorship Aspirants, Kaduna North Local Government, Aminu Adam, said the aggrieved aspirants had sent petitions to Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the partys state executive committee on their grievances.

He said the state governments statement that it was neutral made many aspirants to present themselves for the elections, which they expected to be devoid of interference from government officials.

Mr Adam said contrary to the guarantee of neutrality given by Mr El-Rufai, some top government officials interfered with the processes of the elections.



The interference was so widespread and glaring as not to allow the elections to hold in nine of the 12 wards that make up Kaduna North Local Government Area, he stated.



The silence of the state government and all relevant authorities bordering on complicity is what informed our civil protest today, as part of our resolve to press for the conclusive resolution of the matter which potentially threatens the cohesion of the party.



Mr Adam said unless the matter was judiciously handled, the party stands the risk of suffering electoral losses in the state in view of the growing public discontent with the alleged deliberate disruption of the polls in the affected wards.



He said their petitions articulated the alleged irregularities, which included non-availability of voting materials such as ballot boxes and comprehensive register of party members.

He called on the governor and party leaders in the state to take steps to urgently address the issue in line with the partys internal principles.



When contacted on the development, the states APC Acting Secretary, Yahaya Pate, said as far as the party is concerned the primaries were free and fair in all the 23 local government area of the state.
The European Union (EU) on Wednesday inaugurated 956,000 euros (about N4.3 billion) projects in support of Person With Albinisms (PWAs), provision of water and sanitation management in the Niger Delta

The EU Head of Delegation and Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ketil Karlsen, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of project inauguration ceremony in Abuja.

Mr Karlsen said that the projects were part of EU activities to promote, protect human rights in Nigeria and mitigate the conflict in Niger Delta region by addressing the cause of unrest and violence.

The EU is signing four projects with Civil Society Organisations to provide services in the Niger Delta in water and sanitation management to increase access for the locals.

Another one is launching a support programme for the Albino Foundation which is a wonderful project that we are really following up as a resolution from the EU parliament.

This stressed the importance of EU working with the people with Albinism in Africa to improve their rights and to deepen their opportunity, he said.

He said one of the projects was funded under European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) programme, while the others were funded under component three of the Niger Delta Support Programme (NDSP).

According to him, the projects have a total funding of 956,000 euros and to be implemented over a period of five years.

He said the overall objective of the EIDHR was to help civil society organisations become an effective force for political reform and defence of human right.

So this is another example of close collaboration of EU with CSOs and authority in Nigeria because we know that the chain is as strong as the weakest link.

So we always advocate for civil society, the international community and the authority a like to approach some of the challenges that we have seen in Nigeria and some other places.

He said the Component 3 of the NDSP was aimed to increase access to safe, adequate and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene service delivery to underserved population in five EU approved Niger-Delta states.

The states, according to him, are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers.

He said the implementing entities include state ministries responsible for water, UNICEF, Messer SAFEGE SRLS and four local CSOs

According to him, the choice of the projects is because water management and sanitation are vital for the livelihood of people.

Without good health, people cannot go to schools, they will not learn well, so this is part of wider development of securing wider opportunity for ordinary Nigerians.

So, this is something that is producing tangible and specific result that can be seen with our bare eyes and I think working with people with albinism is part of what has been done in the past.

And I think one of the wonderful things that this project will brought about is more clarity of what is the actual situation of the people with albinism.

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How many people are there all together, what are the needs and difficulties and of course without having that point of departure, it is very difficult to design necessary policy for them.

He said some of the projects would last about 28 months while some would last less.

However, what is important is how to ensure the long lasting effect of the projects and ensure their sustainability.

This is one of the discussions that we need to have with our partners that how do we secure the impact of the project that when the last euros has been paid.

And that is about advocacy, about awareness, building on best practices and multiplier effect, he said.

President of Albino Foundation in Nigeria, Jake Eppele, a beneficiary, commended the EU for the initiative.

Mr Eppele said the projects were to provide access to social services for persons with Albinism in Nigeria.

He said the project were also to provide legal reform to improve the situation of people living Albinism.

Benjamin Ogbalor, Project Coordinator, Initiative for Community Development, a CSO, said his project was aimed at improving the living condition of the population of people in Isoko Local Government of Delta.

This is to enhance safe access, adequate, equitable and sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene services aiming to provide support for the peace process, conflict prevention and local governance, Mr Ogbalor said.

(NAN)
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The police in Enugu has commenced investigation into a multiple motor accident that claimed seven lives in Ugwuoba Community, Oji-River Local Government Area, along Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

The Commands spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident, occurred on Sunday, April 8 at about 8 p.m.

It was gathered that an articulated vehicle with registration number; KTU 31 XA collided with one Mitsubishi bus with registration number XE 911 JJT.

The bus in turn hit another Mitsubishi bus with registration number FGG 233 XG, and as a result, both vehicles crash landed on the truck.

No fewer than seven passengers were confirmed dead including an eight-month-old baby who later died at a nearby hospital during medical attention, he said.

Mr. Amaraizu noted that the identities of the deceased persons were yet to be ascertained.

According to him, other victims who sustained various degrees of injuries were rushed to Salvation and Faith Hospitals in Oji River for treatment.

The deceased bodies have been deposited at the General Hospital Mortuary in Oji River, he added. (NAN)
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The police in Ekiti State have invited the Chairman of the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) in Ekiti State, Oludare Adekolu, over alleged sexual assault on the partys state Women Leader, Oluyemi Ojaomo.

He is also to answer questions on alleged threat to the life of Ms. Ojaomo.

Ms. Ojaomo, a retired teacher, had filed a report at the Olegede Divisional Police Station along Ikere road in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, alleging that Mr. Adekolu was threatening to kill her for rebuffing his sexual advances.

She also told journalists in Ado Ekiti that she had warned the party boss several times to refrain from touching her buttocks anytime she visited the party secretariat in Ajilosun, stating that her warnings got the party chairman angry.

According to her, Mr. Adekolu continued to show his bitterness and threatened to deal with her.

I am not into politics to flirt around, but to contribute my quota to the development of our society, she said.

I joined Mega Party last year and the party resolved to make me the State Women leader. Shortly after resuming office, the chairman began with his sexual advances,which I declined.

I never knew my action didnt go down well with him. But I started to see him displaying enmity towards me and he constantly told me that he would kill me if I refuse to bow to his request.

I didnt take him serious, but when he unilaterally removed my name as the State Women Leader on Monday, I knew he was up to something.

I decided to challenge him on the removal and he told me clearly that my life (is) worth nothing to him. Adekolu is a known Ifa priest. I dont want to die diabolically, that is why I have decided to report him to the police.

Efforts made to get the reaction of Mr. Adekolu were unsuccessful, as he would not pick calls made to his phone.

However, a police officer at Ologede Police Station, who would not want to be named, because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said the police had received the report of the complainant and Mr. Adekolu had been invited to answer questions on the matter.

He took permission to attend a meeting after which he will come to us, so we are hopeful he will be here today(Tuesday), he said.

Though, we have asked the complainant to write her statement and that will determine the next line of action.

The party chairman did not eventually appear before the police on Tuesday.
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Many people were injured as police officers fired tear gas to disperse students of Adekunle Ajasin University in Ondo State protesting the over 500 per cent increase in their school fees.

The students were on a procession to the Government House, Alagbaka, Akure on the third day of their protest on Wednesday when they came under the attack, some of them stated.

One of the students, who identified himself only as Oluwadamilola, told PREMIUM TIMES that some market women who joined the protest were arrested with some of the students union leaders, including their president, Olawale Ijanusi.

We were intercepted by policemen. Some protesting market women have been arrested and our union leaders. I escaped through the bamboo plantation beside the Government House, he said.

The police used tear gas which resulted in some of our colleagues being injured.

Another source reported that 11 students sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to the hospital by their colleagues.

The market women had on Tuesday vowed to join the protest by the students.

The Ondo State-owned university located in Akungba Akoko last week announced new tuition fees ranging from N120,000 to N180,000 per session; from an intial N35,000.

On Tuesday, the state government said it increased the fees to raise funds to sustain the university.
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The Lagos State Police Command says it has uncovered an illegal brewery at Egbe-Afa in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, while five suspects have been arrested.

Edgal Imohimi, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, made this known to journalists at the scene on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the illegal brewery was producing malt drinks, stout and ethanol which they pumped into trucks to bottle at another location.

Mr Imohimi said that the suspects would be subjected to further interrogation to know where the drinks were bottled and sold.

He said that the illegal brewery would be sealed and samples of the drinks would be sent to the laboratory for test.

The police chief attributed discovery of the illegal brewery to the efforts of community policing and partnership.

According to him, the people of Lagos are showing increasing confidence in the police.

Mr Imohimi urged residents to know their neighbours, saying that vigilance was the only way to have a crime-free society.

This success story of the police is an evidence that community policing and partnership is working in the state.

This is an illegal distillery where malt, stout and ethanol are being produced in an unhygienic environment thereby feeding poison to the people.

You will recall that a fake wine factory was also discovered at Mushin recently. This is as a result of vigilance. I encourage the people to do more.

This is an information which should have got to the police earlier, but I commend the people for sharing this information with the police.

People must be deeply involved in crime fighting and this can only be done if we are vigilant.

Lagosians can only give credible information to the people when they are healthy; so I will encourage you to say something when you see something, he said.

NAN reports that the illegal brewery has more than 1,000 drums of brewed malt and 100 tanks where the drinks are pumped before supplying tankers.

A building where operational items of the suspects were kept was also located close to the illegal brewery.

(NAN)
The government of Ekiti State has dropped the murder case against a former Chairman of All Progressives Congress(APC), Jide Awe, and others after five years of prosecution.

The Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kolapo Kolade, at the High court 7, Ado Ekiti, before Justice Bamidele Omotosho, on Wednesday filed an application for the withdrawal of the case against Mr. Awe and other suspects.

He said the state was withdrawing the case in order to promote peace and brotherliness among the people of Erinjiyan Ekiti, which is the community where both the complainant and the defendants in the matter hailed from.

Mr. Kolade said the governor, Ayo Fayose, approved the withdrawal of the case in spite of political differences because of his belief in posterity, peace and welfare of the people of the community.

The judge, Mr. Omotosho, while granting the request of withdrawal, said the court supported the withdrawal because it was to promote peace.

The court then struck out the case against Mr. Awe and others standing trial on the murder of one Ayo Jeje and Julianah Adewumi at Erinjiyan in Ekiti West local government in 2013.

Mr. Jeje and Mrs. Adewumi were defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) when some hoodlums, allegedly loyal to Mr. Awe, invaded the venue and shot them.

Mrs. Adewunmi was the mother of Segun Adewunmi, the current Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

What happened in court today is far beyond politics, the governor in his usual manner of promoting peace and brotherliness in all communities in Ekiti and across party lines has intervened, Mr. Kolade stated while speaking to journalists after the court session.

In this matter, so many good people across Nigeria, even the defendants in this matter, has appealed to his Excellency to intervene in this matter, particularly in Erijinran, more so as the defendants and complainant are of same family, the complainants have given the go ahead and said the matter should be withdrawn.

This development equally supports the cause of justice. One of the cardinal principles of justice is promotion of peace.

The major beneficiary is Chief Jide Awe, the APC chairman in Ekiti State. He, alongside his aide and other party members were alleged to have murdered late Madam Juliana Adewunmi, mother of the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State and Murphy Jeje, a member of the PDP in 2013.

The complainant is the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Defense counsel, Ibrahim Olanrewaju, while reacting to the withdrawal, said reason had prevailed.

He praised the Attorney General for coming himself to court to withdraw the charge, noting that the withdrawal left the court with no other option but to discharge and acquit the defendants.

We are not saying that somebody was not killed or murdered, but we all know that it is more of political fight than looking for justice, he said.

Taking from the words of the attorney general himself, he said that they are trying to allow peace to reign in the community and to promote good neighbourliness and we support it.

The defendants have no business to be charged. But we salute the state for doing this, we salute the courage of the attorney general for the bold step and we salute the courage of our lord Justice Omotoso for discharging and also acquitting the defendants. He could have just discharged without acquitting them.

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Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []
By: Bangladesh Canada Association of Calgary

Media Contact

ANM Shamsuddoha

***@dexcelmedia.com

4034020382 ANM Shamsuddoha4034020382

End

-- BANGLA NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 1425 BY BCAOCSaturday, April 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m.  MidnightLocation: Max Bell CentreAddress: 1001 Barlow Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2E 6S2Host Organization:Bangladesh Canada Association of Calgary (BCAOC)More information:www.bcaoc.caEvent Description:It is our great pleasure to invite you all to celebrate "Bangla New Year Festival 1425" by BCAOC on April 14th, 2018, at Max Bell Centre. Pahela Baishakh (Bengali:  ) or Bengali New Year is the traditional new year day of the Bengali people. It is celebrated on 14 April as a national holiday in Bangladesh, and celebrated by the people of Bengali heritage all over the world. The festival date is set according to the lunisolar Bengali calendar as the first day of its first month Baishakh. This festival is celebrated with processions, fairs, various cultural activities & traditional foods. The traditional greeting for Bengali New Year is   "Shu-bho Nabo-barsho"which is literally "Happy New Year". Bangladesh Canada Association of Calgary every year organizes this significant new year event for all the Calgarians. Come and Join us on 14th April and be part of our colorful festival, buy traditional cloths and enjoy Bengali music with all the Bangladeshi Calgarians.People from all around Alberta including Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge as well as Saskatchewan and B.C. will be attending this grand event. We are also expecting honorable dignitaries (provincial and federal) to be present at this occasion.Kind RegardsANM ShamsuddohaPublicity SecretaryPhone: 403-402-0382bcaoc@bcaoc.caBCAOC
DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "2018 Ukraine Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research work strategically analyzes Ukraine telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others.

The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025.

Ukraine telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in Ukraine together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front.

On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of Ukraine that enable strategy planners to formulate their pricing and branding strategies.

The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Key Findings

Ukraine Telecom Market Overview

Ukraine Telecom Market - Strategic Analysis

Trends Shaping the Future of Ukraine Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in Ukraine

Telecom Investments in Ukraine

Market Drivers

Market Restraints

Ukraine Telecom Market Outlook

Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Ukraine Telecom Competitive Environment

Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry

Ukraine Telecom Industry Benchmarking

Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index

Ukraine Economic Outlook to 2025

GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends

Ukraine Demographic Outlook to 2025

Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in Ukraine

Competitor Analysis

Company A: Profile and operations in Ukraine

Company B: Profile and operations in Ukraine

Company C: Profile and operations in Ukraine

Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/hckq4t/2018_ukraine?w=5

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property champions the need for a strong and dynamic IP protection system in order for the United States to maintain its competitive advantage in a global economy that relies heavily on the value of intangible assets. In promoting this advocacy, we are excited to co-sponsor an afternoon of discussion with policymakers and IP thought leaders titled, "Innovation Policy and Intellectual Property: Building on a Strong Foundation."

The May 8, 2018 event is produced in partnership with the independent non-profit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) and the Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), a division of the United States Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber will host the session at its Washington, D.C headquarters across from the White House, with registration kicking off the afternoon's agenda at 2p.m.

Keynote speakers include two prominent proponents of IP protection, Representatives Doug Collins (R-GA) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Both congressmen serve as members on the House Judiciary Committee, Sub-Committee on the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. The two will address topics surrounding innovation policy, its importance to U.S. competitiveness and job creation, and the role of the government in creating an environment that fosters innovation.

Prior to the keynote presentation, guests are invited to attend a moderated panel discussion,"What is Innovation Policy? Why is it Necessary?" Scheduled to appear are leading experts on innovation, IP and the economy, including:

Robert Atkinson , President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

, Alan Marco , Former USPTO Chief Economist; Professor Public Policy, Georgia Tech

, Adam Mossoff , Professor, George Mason University School of Law; founder Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property

, Manny Schecter , Chief Patent Counsel, IBM; CIPU board member; IPO Education Foundation

"Today's knowledge economy requires policies that safeguard the rights of our nation's innovators," says Dr. Gary K. Michelson, retired surgeon, inventor and founder of The Michelson 20MM Foundation. "We are proud to partner with an organization like CIPU that engages our elected representatives and community members around the importance of maintaining robust intellectual property protections in the U.S."

To view a program of the scheduled agenda, click here. For an invitation, please contact CIPU at [email protected].

About The Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property (MIIP)

The Michelson 20MM Foundation is dedicated to supporting and investing in leading edge entrepreneurs, technologies, and initiatives that seek to transform learning and improve access to educational opportunities that lead to a meaningful career. Its newest initiative, The Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property, addresses critical gaps in intellectual property education to empower the next generation of inventors by providing high quality instructional content. Its library of free educational resources includes an interactive textbook, undergraduate IP curriculum, animated videos, and a self-paced online course.

Michelson 20MM was founded thanks to the generous support of renowned spinal surgeon and inventor Dr. Gary K. Michelson and his wife, Alya Michelson. Learn more at www.michelsonip.com and www.20mm.org.

Follow us on twitter @Michelson20MM

About the Center for IP Understanding

The Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of intellectual property rights and their impact on people's lives. The Center holds events, provides outreach, partners with other organizations and provides an education framework for IP to facilitate ideas, promote competition and create jobs. For more information visit www.understandingip.org.

About the Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce's Global Innovation Policy Center is working around the world to champion innovation and creativity through intellectual property standards that create jobs, save lives, advance global economic and cultural prosperity, and generate breakthrough solutions to global challenges. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. www.theglobalipcenter.com

Media contact: Mayra Lombera, [email protected]

SOURCE The Michelson 20MM Foundation

Related Links

http://www.20mm.org


ROCKVILLE, Md., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As a means to more effectively address competitive pressures by capitalizing on economies of scale and scope, the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry continues to experience consolidations. Many of these transactions occur cross-border, particularly with U.S. and European companies seeking to enter Asia. Many also involve the acquisition of specific product lines or business units, rather than entire corporations. According to Kalorama Information, several of the newer technologies and trends in the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market are helping to drive acquisitions. The healthcare market research firm's recent report, Mergers and Acquisitions in the IVD Market, records over 220 acquisitions in the IVD industry in total, featuring purchase arrangements from 2015 to March 2018.

"Acquisitions now often bring acquiring companies into market segments or approaches to market segments that are new and growing," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information. "As many major IVD companies have reported an average revenue growth of not more than 5% in established markets, they are seeking growth elsewhere."

Examples of these burgeoning market segments or new approaches to market segments being explored include the following:

Gene Editing





Liquid Biopsy





Microbiome Research





Connectivity





Looking to the East

M&A to Secure Gene Editing Leadership

It's been some 20 years since the birth of cloned Dolly the Sheep took the world by storm. A present day legacy of cloning technology is gene editing using CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats). Cas9 is the protein that makes gene-editing work. Basically, Cas9 helps to snip out a piece of DNA at any point in an organism  including, for instance, viral or faulty DNA  and then enables the cell to stitch the ends back together. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary approach that enables rapid, economical model generation through precise genome editing.

The recent acquisition in February 2018 of Lucigen Corporation by LGC increases LGC's exposure to the next generation sequencing (NGS) and gene editing markets, as Lucigen is a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of molecular biology enzymes, reagents, and kits, featuring a portfolio of life science products including NGS kits, enzymes, competent cells, and cloning systems, targeting fast growth applications in clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, synthetic biology and gene editing.

M&A in the Liquid Biopsy Area

With the addition of Cepheid, Danaher will be able to pivot and keep pace with the diagnostics market as it shifts to advanced testing technologies such as liquid biopsy tests.

In February 2017, Bio-Rad Laboratories acquired RainDance Technologies (Billerica, MA), a leading digital droplet PCR developer. The company is now part of Bio-Rad's Life Science business segment. RainDance Technologies offers a proprietary droplet technology that enables research in areas such as non-invasive liquid biopsy.

M&A to Advance Microbiome Research

The continuous search of the etiology of diseases as part of the body's systemic response to change has led to a consideration of the gut microbiome as part of disease processes. While still in the early phase of development, a number of companies have developed assays for the study of the microbiome and there is a proliferation of microbiome related therapeutics.

In July 2017, Enterome (Paris, France) and Nestle Health Science formed Microbiome Diagnostics Partners, a new company to develop microbiome diagnostics for multiple indications, including inflammatory bowel disease and liver disorders. In this 50/50 joint venture between the companies, Enterome will contribute its existing microbiome diagnostic programs and intellectual property for use in all disease areas excluding immuno-oncology. Nestle Health Sciences will contribute the diagnostic development and commercialization expertise of its Prometheus Laboratories subsidiary.

M&A for Enhanced Connectivity

Connectivity is required for cloud computing. There has been an increase in the number of companies offering cloud-computing solutions, especially in the areas of health IT and mobile monitoring. Cloud computing is, in some regards, a newer term of an older process. Improved mobile devices, faster wireless connectivity, more efficient enterprise data centers, and advanced software have bolstered the use of cloud systems and turned it into a resource for the modern delivery of care.

In November 2016, Siemens Healthineers acquired Conworx Technology. Siemens Healthineers picked up Conworx Technology to flesh out its point-of-care informatics capabilities. Conworx becomes a new unit at Siemens, which will offer open connectivity for more than 100 point-of-care devices from major manufacturers.

Africa, Asia and Latin America

In an effort to maintain growth, IVD companies have begun to look to markets outside their home and traditional geographies. The major IVD companies have been active in Asia, Africa, and Latin America for some time and have increased their efforts there. This trend is fuelled primarily by the anticipated increase in the uptake of IVDs in emerging markets that are expected to grow by 10%-20% compared to an average of 5% in mature markets.

In January 2017, PerkinElmer acquired Tulip Diagnostics Private Ltd. (Goa, India). Tulip, with more than 1,200 full-time employees, is one of India's largest domestic providers of in-vitro diagnostic reagents, kits, and instruments. Tulip's solutions include products for the diagnosis of infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV and hepatitis. Tulip has manufacturing facilities in two locations (Goa and Uttarakhand) and 12 branch offices to support more than 30,000 customers and 1,000 distributors in India.

Mergers and Acquisitions in the IVD Market outlines approximately 152 purchase arrangements in 2015-2016 and 69 acquisitions in IVD and related segments so far from 2017 to March 2018. Among specific acquisitions discussed in the report are Abbott's acquisition of Alere and related divestures, Konica Minolta's entry into the health and life sciences space with the acquisition of Ambry Genetics, and Danaher's acquisition of molecular diagnostics leader Cepheid.

The IVD market should anticipate further mergers and acquisitions, as the U.S. tax legislation passed in December 2017 is expected to support increased M&A activity moving forward. Mergers and Acquisitions in the IVD Market can be found at: https://www.kaloramainformation.com/Mergers-Acquisitions-IVD-11556316/.

About Kalorama Information

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.

We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog on our company website: https://www.kaloramainformation.com/.

Press Contact:

Bruce Carlson

212 807 2262

[email protected]

SOURCE Kalorama Information

Related Links

https://www.kaloramainformation.com/


"We are pleased to launch our regional headquarters in the UAE," said Amir Husain, Founder and CEO of SparkCognition. "In our discussions with the senior-most leadership of the UAE, we have been incredibly impressed by their drive to transform the country into a significant global AI player. They continue to illustrate their commitment to technological leadership, and we share their vision of rapid and exponential technological advancement. We hope our presence and investment here will further that aim, while bringing the world's leading IIoT AI platform to our clients and partners in the region."

The company's expansion to Dubai comes shortly after the organization announced its official Series B financing of $56.5 million, which confirmed SparkCognition as having raised the most venture capital funding in Central Texas in 2017. With SparkCognition's 2017 funding, Boeing HorizonX venture arm joined Verizon Ventures, Invenergy, CME Ventures, Brevan Howard, and Alameda Ventures, among other investors. Boeing and SparkCognition have gone on to establish a significant technology partnership solidified by a master agreement between the two organizations. Boeing's strong, established presence in the Middle East and Africa will extend their partnership globally.

"As part of their international expansion, we are honored to have SparkCognition launch their regional headquarters in Dubai," said His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. "This expansion cements UAE's and in specific Dubai's vision in becoming a leading hub for cutting-edge technology in the field of artificial intelligence. Moreover, the launch compliments the UAE's Strategy for Artificial Intelligence which aims to build global relationships and attract best talents to design a better future for the UAE."

"SparkCognition is deploying leading AI technology solutions that are critical to many industries on a global scale. Boeing is excited to see them quickly expand into the Middle East with their first office in Dubai," said Bernard Dunn, President of Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. "The UAE has clear goals to be an innovation and technology leader, investing in AI, 3D printing, robotics, and autonomous systems. SparkCognition's cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology and business-critical solutions will prove invaluable to the forward looking leaders of the UAE and many others in the region."

Founded in 2013, SparkCognition has since established itself as one of the global leaders in artificial intelligence, with hundreds of successfully proven deployments across various Fortune 50, 100, and 500 customers. The company was named to the 2017 Red Herring Top 100 Global, 2017 CNBC Disruptor 50, and 2017 and 2018 CB Insights AI 100.

"SparkCognition's opening is another example of the vibrant cooperation between the United States and the United Arab Emirates in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence," said Steven Bondy, Charge d'Affaires, United States Embassy in the UAE. "With the UAE on the cutting edge of smart city development, we look forward to continued partnership in this important area. The UAE remains a prime focus for American high-tech companies, as we continue to bring the latest in solutions to this important market."

SparkCognition's customers are transforming lives, infrastructure, and financial systems across the globe. Those organizations turn to SparkCognition to transform their systems through world-leading artificial intelligence solutions to accomplish their missions. The company's AI solutions help customers navigate increasingly complex data stores to expose hidden risks, reveal actionable insights, and achieve their greatest potential. SparkCognition's technology is deployed across a variety of industries, including energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, finance, aerospace, telecommunications, defense, and security.

"SparkCognition's rapid growth and expansion comes as a result to the organization's unparalleled technology and innovation in the artificial intelligence field," said Bruce Porter, two-time Chair of The University of Texas Department of Computer Science and Chief Science Officer at SparkCognition. "The company's commitment to advance the art and science of AI will only continue to impact its customers in the UAE."

About SparkCognition

A highly awarded company recognized for cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology, SparkCognition offers business critical solutions for enterprise customers in energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, finance, aerospace, telecommunications, defense, and security. For more information on the company, its technology, and team, please visit www.sparkcognition.com.

For USA Media Inquiries:

John King

VP, Marketing and Communications

SparkCognition

[email protected]

512 956 5491

For UAE Media Inquiries:

Dana Salloum

Communication Director, Middle East & Africa

Boeing

[email protected]

+971 4 213 4747

SOURCE SparkCognition

Related Links

http://www.sparkcognition.com


PHOENIX, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Connect, a leading provider of customer service solutions to other businesses, is pleased to announce that they have finished work on a new location in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company recently finished work on the new location and anticipates starting to hire there as soon as this summer. With space to hire over 250 new employees, the new location is the first outside of Arizona for Alpha Connect.

Alpha Connect recently ranked no. 358 on Inc. magazine's 2017 Inc 5000 List of the fastest-growing companies in the nation - and no. 6 for all Arizona companies. "We are very excited to have made the decision to expand into Las Vegas, Nevada," Alpha Connect President and founder Nick Fasci said. "We looked at several different locations and this made the most sense for our team and our clients."

Alpha Connect works with other businesses looking to outsource their customer service at an affordable price and still maintain a domestic image. "We strive to provide the best customer service possible and our clients rely on us to be their voice when a customer calls in. We are constantly looking at ways to improve and help our clients succeed and this expansion allows us to continue meeting our clients' growing needs, as well as provide additional economic development in a new community," Mr. Fasci concluded.

About Alpha Connect:

Alpha Connect, founded in 2013, offers Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to both domestic and international clientele using employees based in the United States. Alpha Connect provides services that include inbound customer service support, e-mail support, order management and more.

Additional information about Alpha Connect can be found on its website at http://www.alphaconnect.com.

Media Contact:

Nicole de Vera

Phone: 602-456-2257 x309

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Alpha Connect

Related Links

http://www.alphaconnect.com


Led by Amish Shah, a third-generation diamond and jewelry manufacturer, ALTR Created Diamonds has captured the imagination of the modern consumer like never before with its larger carats at better value. ALTR Created Diamonds has opened satellite offices in South Korea and Australia to support its rapidly growing distribution in the regions.

"We are thrilled to bring ALTR Created Diamonds to retailers in more than 20 countries," said Mr. Shah, President of R.A. Riam Group. "The addition of Australia, Germany, and South Korea to ALTR's global distribution network marks an important milestone in the brand's aggressive growth and international expansion.''

ALTR Created Diamonds is a brand forged out of technology to amplify code of diamonds with greater size, brilliance, and impact. Employing proprietary technology to replicate the conditions whereby diamonds form in nature, ALTR creates bigger, more brilliant certified Type IIA lab grown diamonds, identical in chemical, optical, and physical composition to the finest mined diamonds in the world. Every ALTR Created Diamond carries undiminished value and authenticity with certifications from Gem Certification and Assurance Lab (GCAL).

Because ALTR is vertically aligned, it is the only Created Diamond house with the supporting infrastructure not only to grow, cut and polish its supply of Type IIA Created Diamonds, but also design, manufacture and distribute fine Created Diamond jewelry. As part of its commitment to supply chain transparency and integrity, ALTR is also the only Created Diamond house with documented ethical and legal compliance at every stage of the process.

Employing proprietary technology to replicate the conditions whereby diamonds form in nature, ALTR creates certified Type IIA lab grown diamonds that are identical to chemical, optical and physical composition as the world's finest mined diamonds. Because ALTR is vertically aligned, it is the only Created Diamond house with the supporting infrastructure not only to grow, cut and polish its supply of Type IIA Created Diamonds, but also design, manufacture and distribute fine Created Diamond jewelry. ALTR Created Diamonds carry certification from Gem Certification and Assurance Lab (GCAL).

With an extensive design archive and more than 22 exclusive, patented diamond cuts, ALTR Created Diamonds offers a full line of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings sold under the ALTR brand name.

For more information on the ALTR Created Diamonds, please visit www.ALTR.NYC.

About ALTR Created Diamonds

ALTR Created Diamonds are branded lab-grown diamonds created exclusively by RIAM Group. ALTR is solely devoted to creating high-quality diamonds and stunning jewelry designed around these diamonds. The ownership of the parent company RIAM Group has 75 years of experience in the mined diamond industry. RIAM Group has the background and knowledge to bring vertical and integrated manufacturing of Created Diamonds and jewelry made from those diamonds to an international market. RIAM Group is the only fully vertical manufacturer of both mined diamond jewelry and Created Diamond jewelry. The ALTR division of the group manufactures only Created Diamond jewelry.

SOURCE ALTR Created Diamonds

Related Links

http://www.altr.nyc


Together, American Humane and Chicken Soup for the Soul are distributing more than million meals annually of premium, all-natural Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food to U.S. shelters, which house and care for millions of animals each year. The campaign's first shipment of 80,000 pounds of food was sent to help the animal victims in flood-devastated Louisiana, where American Humane set up rescue operations, and an estimated 75 percent of all homes were destroyed, leaving lost, frightened and hungry animals wandering among the wreckage. American Humane now works with Chicken Soup for the Soul to identify shelters where a donation of food can do the most good.

"The CATNIP Foundation at Big Sky Ranch is tremendously grateful to American Humane and Chicken Soup for the Soul for this generous donation," said Catherine Wilbert, CEO of the CATNIP Foundation. "The donated pet food will help many animals throughout our community."

Last year, American Humane awarded the CATNIP Foundation at Big Sky Ranch an $18,000 grant to help with their lifesaving services in the community. The grant money was used for the purchase of a Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) trailer to help prevent animal overpopulation and reduce euthanasia and suffering. In the past year, they have fixed close to 1,000 cats, and rehomed 700. The trailer is used to safely transport large numbers of animals for spay and neuter services, as well for pet adoption in less populated areas of Louisiana.

"This campaign helps animals when they need help most," said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. "On behalf of all the beloved pets across the country, a big thank-you to our friends at Chicken Soup for the Soul!"

The "Fill-a-BowlFeed-a-Soul" campaign is the latest collaboration between American Humane and Chicken Soup for the Soul, which have worked on several projects together, including the publication of Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dog Really Did That? and Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Really Did That? earlier this year, with forewords authored by Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane.

Chicken Soup for the Soul's publisher and editor-in-chief Amy Newmark said, "We're pleased that we can provide assistance to animals in need and we are glad to be working with American Humane on this vital campaign."

About American Humane

American Humane is the country's first national humane organization. To learn more, please visit www.americanhumane.org.

About Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food

Chicken Soup for the Soul understands the unique relationship between people and pets. Health conscious consumers have been feeding their cats and dogs Chicken Soup for the Soul wholesome and balanced, super premium pet food for over 15 years. Holistic in nature, the entire line of products is made from only the finest ingredients: real meats (chicken, turkey, duck and salmon), fruits, vegetables and herbs. With no added corn, wheat, soy, artificial coloring, flavoring or preservatives, Chicken Soup for the Soul pet food is inspired by your love for pets, and promotes overall health and well-being for dogs and cats. The products are proudly made in the USA, and feature rescued shelter pets on every bag. Core and grain-free formulas and a line of treats are available in independent pet specialty stores nationwide and online.

A portion of all proceeds from the sale of Chicken Soup for the Soul pet food goes to help shelters and pets in need through Chicken Soup for the Soul's Fill-a-Bowl  Feed-a-Soul program. The program which was launched in association with the American Humane aims to provide a million meals to shelter pets annually. www.chickensouppets.com.

About the CATNIP Foundation at Big Sky Ranch

The CATNIP (Care And Treatment of Neglected and Indigent Pets) Foundation at Big Sky Ranch's mission is to end the overpopulation, mistreatment, neglect, and ultimately, the needless killing of animals in their community and beyond. They do this through education, aggressive TNR, spay/neuter, foster, rehoming, adoption and programs targeted at special populations in need such as ferals, seniors and free roaming mother cats. For more information, please visit www.bigskyranch.org/catnip-rescue.

SOURCE American Humane

Related Links

http://www.americanhumane.org


SHENZHEN, China, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ampere, which is developing the Arm server platform for the future of hyperscale cloud computing, today announced it has joined the Green Computing Consortium (GCC). Ampere Chairman and CEO Renee James was named vice chair of the GCC and today unveiled her vision for the future of green computing and the need for greater industry cooperation for open standards at a keynote in Shenzhen. Further James outlined Ampere's developers program around the Ampere eMAG reference platform.

"Ampere is designing for the future of cloud computing, giving customers the freedom to build high performance data centers in a responsible power footprint," said James. "Ampere is honored to be joining the Green Computing Consortium as we share the mission for an open source community for software and hardware development to deliver open, greener implementations in hyperscale data centers. As vice chair, I look forward to working with China's leading professors, universities and ecosystem partners."

In her keynote address, James discussed how the Arm ecosystem in China must coalesce around a development platform for open software, which includes the industry coming together around open standards. Ampere announced a developer program with systems available in China. In addition, Ampere will be working with leading universities on developing programming talent.

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About Ampere

Ampere is designing the future of hyperscale cloud computing with its 64-bit Arm server processor architecture. Born in and built for the cloud with a modern architecture, Ampere gives customers the freedom to accelerate the delivery of the most memory-intensive applications such as artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and databases in the cloud. The Ampere eMAG family of products delivers the highest memory throughput and lowest TCO tailored for the emerging growth of cloud computing and next-generation data centers. For more information, visit www.amperecomputing.com

Media Contact:

Nicole Conley

Tanis Communications

650-422-3156

[email protected]

SOURCE Ampere

Related Links

http://www.amperecomputing.com


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Growing pet adoption for companionship, rising disposable income and substantial increase in pet care expenditure will propel industry growth. Furthermore, rise in demand for animal protein and meat consumption will fuel animal diagnostics market growth. Growing number of veterinary clinics such as Animal Healthcare Center of Florida that offers varied pet services including surgical, medical pet care, wellness programs, hospitalization, behavioural counselling, grooming and others will positively impact business growth.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2495

Technological advancements veterinary diagnostics coupled with industry players efforts to develop cost-effective, flexible diagnostic tool capable of delivering faster results will stimulate industry growth. However, low expenditure on pet care in developing economies such as South Africa along with exorbitant cost associated with animal test will hinder industry growth over the forecast timeframe.

Hematology segment will witness robust growth over the forecast period. Growing demand for bleeding (hemostasis) analysis, erythrocyte analysis, and leukocyte analysis coupled with rising number of pets suffering from vomiting, weakness, diarrhea, fever, pale gums and loss of appetite requiring hematological tests for disease diagnosis will lead to segment growth.

Browse key industry insights spread across 140 pages with 80 market data tables & 9 figures & charts from the report, "Animal Diagnostics Market Size By Technology (Immunodiagnostics {ELISA, Lateral Flow Assays, Immunoassay Analyzers}, Clinical Biochemistry, Hematology, Molecular Diagnostics {PCR, Microarrays}, Urinalysis), By Animal Type (Farm Animals {Poultry, Swine, Cattle},Companion Animals {Dogs, Cats, Horses}), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, China, Japan India, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia), Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 - 2024" in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/animal-diagnostics-market

Urinalysis provides valuable information about urinary tract infection in pets especially in small animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and others. Presence of associations such as International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases providing guidelines for management of urinary tract infection will drive segment growth.

Companion animals segment dominated industry in 2016 owing to growing trend of pet adoption coupled numerous efforts undertaken by domestic governments to stimulate growth of animal healthcare sector. Increasing disposable income leading to rise in spending towards pet care will fuel industry growth.

Increasing number of well-informed pet owners demanding for superior pet care products, rising spending towards pet care along with growing disposable income will drive UK animal diagnostics market over the coming years. Growing pet adoption coupled with advancements in veterinary diagnostics will stimulate demand for innovative animal diagnostic tools.

Growing affection of companion animals leading to rise in pet adoption along with rising demand for premium pet products will drive China animal diagnostics market. Rise in spending over pet care and growing number of veterinarian clinics in the country will positively impact industry growth.

Some of the notable industry players operating in global animal diagnostics market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Abaxis, Heska Corporation, Virbac, IDEXX Laboratories, Zoetis, Randox, Qiagen, and Neogen. Industry players are adopting inorganic growth strategies such as merger, acquisition and strategic partnership to expand their product portfolio as well as consolidate market position.

Leading players are focusing on new product development to gain significant market share and sustain its position. For instance, Virbac launched Speed Reader, range of biomarker tests allowing rapid detection of parasitic and infectious diseases in companion animals and cattle in January 2018 in Germany.

Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2495

Browse Related Reports:

Animal Healthcare Market Size 201 7 - 2024

Animal Healthcare Market valued above USD 26 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. Rapidly increasing pet adoption, growing need to control zoonotic diseases spread and advances in drug development for effective animal health will drive global animal healthcare industry.

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/animal-healthcare-market

Animal Healthcare Market valued above in 2016 and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. Rapidly increasing pet adoption, growing need to control zoonotic diseases spread and advances in drug development for effective animal health will drive global animal healthcare industry. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/animal-healthcare-market Animal Parasiticides Market Size 2017 - 2024

Animal Parasiticides Market valued more than USD 5 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow with nearly 4% CAGR from 2017 to 2024. A whooping rise in the zoonotic diseases prevalence and transmission from pets and farm animals to humans is envisaged to drive the global market.

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/animal-parasiticides-market

About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.

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Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights, Inc.

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SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc.
HORSHAM, Pa., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Astea International Inc. (OTCQB: ATEA), a leading global provider of service management and mobility solutions, today announced it will be showcasing its upcoming Alliance Enterprise release at Field Service USA taking place April 17 - 20 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, California. Attendees will get a preview of the newest version of the award-winning Astea Alliance field service management and mobility platform, scheduled for release this summer. Additionally, Chief Operating Officer David F. Giannetto will be leading discussions on Service Innovation and Connectivity Solutions to Keep Your Mobile Workforce Productive on April 18.

Alliance Enterprise will be the most transformative software version release to date for Astea's flagship product, Alliance. This release will include an entirely new look and feel as well as innovative capabilities designed to maximize the efficiency of service operations, digitize and improve the customer experience, improve the effectiveness of field workers and help organizations compete in the face of a global talent war for skilled labor.

"This release is the culmination of a new way of thinking about field service technology: look and feel, usability, and adaptability combined with the deepest and broadest functionality in the industryall designed to help service-driven organizations compete," said David F. Giannetto, chief operating officer at Astea International. "This is the digital transformation platform service-driven companies have been waiting for, and we are excited to be unveiling it at the premier conference for field service organizations in North America."

The newest version of Alliance will offer advanced scheduling of both third party resources and contingent workers via today's most popular worker portals. It will also enable Just-in-Time Service by integrating with the most popular carriers to coordinate parts delivery dates with technician arrival dates. Alliance Enterprise will also deliver greater intelligence via multiple mediums, including embedded and external business intelligence, reporting, dashboards and scorecards, to any stakeholder in an organization's service ecosystem. Information will be accessible via any of the new native applications and portal interfaces that are part of the expanded Alliance mobility applications. Customers, crew chiefs, partners, executives and technicians can now each connect to critical business applications and emerging technologies utilizing native applications that build upon the award-winning Alliance Mobile Edge application.

A core design tenet of the new Alliance Enterprise platform is unmatched configurability and usability. Alliance Enterprise will put powerful capabilities into the hands of non-technical users via a new process flow engine that offers graphical, drag-and-drop functionality to modify application workflow. This new tool can be harnessed by non-technical users to build flexible, agile business processes to address a wide variety of needs such as integrations, multi-channel communication automation, service escalations and custom work processes.

About Astea International

Astea International is a global leader in field service and mobile workforce management, including all the cornerstones of full service lifecycle management: customer management, service management, asset management, forward and reverse logistics management and mobile workforce management and optimization. Astea technology helps the world's best service-driven companies generate higher profit while properly balancing customer satisfaction and service levels through proactive communication that creates a seamless, consistent and highly personalized experience at every customer relationship touch point. Astea's solutions unify processes, people, parts, and information to focus the entire organization on the creation of sustainable value in highly competitive, global markets.

www.astea.com. Service Smart. Enterprise Proven.

 2018 Astea International Inc. Astea, Astea Alliance, Alliance Mobile Edge, Alliance Enterprise and Just-in-Time Service are trademarks of Astea International Inc.

SOURCE Astea International Inc.

Related Links

http://www.astea.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Bankers Cobalt Corp. (TSXV: BANC) (FSE: BC2) (OTCQB: NDENF) (the "Corporation" or "Bankers") will host a conference call to provide an update on the progress to date on activities on the Corporation's exploration projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Mr. Stephen Barley reports:

Conference call:

A conference call will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time for a discussion with management regarding the Corporation's exploration activities in the DRC.

Conference call information:

To register for the call please follow this link

https://onecast.thinkpragmatic.com/ses/W4vzUicTfmqL29gwQ3LxdA~~

To access maps that will be utilized during the conference call please click here.

About Bankers

Bankers is a natural resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of cobalt and copper mineral properties in the DRC to world-class Canadian standards. As battery production for EV's surges, demand for cobalt will probably exceed supply for many years. According to a recent report by Transparency Market Research, global sales of lithium-ion batteries are expected to reach US$70B by 2024, for a compound growth rate of 11.6% over the years beginning in 2016. Bankers holds rights to 26 separate mineral concessions strategically located in the southern DRC Copperbelt and having a total area of more than 391 km. Bankers has the intention to acquire interests in additional concessions. All concessions were obtained as either new grants or through reputable DRC partners and have clean title with no government involvement, making Bankers one of the few, and perhaps only, junior public mining company in the DRC to have 26 concessions capable of being currently explored. Bankers has an experienced operations team operating in the southern Cobalt-Copperbelt of the DRC. Bankers believes it is the front runner in advancing cobalt and copper exploration by a junior mining company in the DRC.

Reader Advisory

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws including statements relating to the outlook of the business of the Corporation, including statements relating to the Corporation's drilling and soil sampling programs, timing, execution and results of such programs; the Corporation's intention to acquire additional concession, the Corporation's ability to explore and develop the concessions, the results of any development and exploration, the ability of the Corporation to meet standards for verifiable supply chain custody, and the Corporation's status as a leader in the junior mining sector for cobalt and copper in the DRC. Although the Corporation believes considering the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Corporation its securities, or its financial or operating results.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF BANKERS COBALT CORP.

"Stephen Barley"

President & CEO

For further information:

Phone: +1-604-684-6730

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.bankerscobalt.com

SOURCE Bankers Cobalt Corp.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Bankers Cobalt Corp. (TSXV: BANC) (FSE: BC2) (OTCQB: NDENF) (the "Corporation" or "Bankers") is pleased to provide an update on new cobalt and copper targets identified at the Comipad-Comima and Kankutu projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Highlights:

Recent trenching at Kankutu discovers a 3 k m strike of Mine Formation (Roan 1-2) series rocks which are host to nearby Kimpe Mine

G round magnetics interpretation of Kankutu indicate a potential extension onto the concession of the structure which controls the nearby operating Kimpe Mine

400m long +200 ppm elevated copper in soil anomaly at Comipad-Comima

Stephen Barley, President and CEO states, "Kabolela North, Hole KADD013 returned 3.69% Copper over 6m from 72m - 78m depth extending the zone originally discovered in Hole KADD011(3.17% copper over 4m from 28m) and Hole KADD012 (2.01% copper over 6m from 34m; including 1m @ 0.3% cobalt from 39m). Drilling is continuing at Kabolela North and results will be released as assays come available. Soil sampling at Kabolela South has shown encouraging elevated cobalt and copper results tracking the same stratigraphy as a former operating pit on the southern border of the Kabolela property. Our team has found highly encouraging cobalt and copper in soil samples or trenches on both the Comipad-Comima and Kankutu concessions. We are having exploration success on all three property areas where our initial activities have been focused."

Adam Anderson, Bankers' DRC Exploration Manager states, "Exploration at the Comipad-Comima and Kankutu projects has been progressing well. At Comipad-Comima, the team has setup a camp, created a 17 km vehicular access and completed soil sampling and infill soil sampling to define a 400m long +200ppm copper in soil anomaly and an adjacent 150m by 50m long +200ppm copper in soil anomaly. The copper in soil anomalies are interesting as they have coincident associated multi-element anomalies. Both are associated with an EW trending tectonic breccia which appears to be hydrothermally altered. At Kankutu, based on ground magnetics interpretation, we have identified a potential extension of the Kimpe Fault which hosts the operating Kimpe Mine located 3.5kms from our Kankutu project."

Kankutu Project (PE 13370; PE 13371; PE 13372; PE 13441)

Kankutu covers a total of 14 sq kms and consists of four contiguous concessions on the border of the operating Kimpe copper and cobalt mine where a recent trenching program has discovered a 3km strike of Mine Formation series of rocks which are the host rocks at the nearby Kimpe Mine.

A total of 1110 soil samples were collected over the project area on a 200m by 50m grid and handheld XRF analysis indicated areas of anomalous copper in soils. A total of 149 pits up to 8m in depth have been completed highlighting an anomalous zone of copper in the SW corner of PE 13371. A trenching program has discovered a 3km strike of Mine Formation series of rocks which are the host rocks at the nearby Kimpe Mine.

Ground magnetics were collected over the four licenses and the data processed by MSA in South Africa. License 13441 in the north of the project has deep soil cover up to 9m and geochemical sampling using a RAB rig drilling vertical holes across the interpreted geology is being utilized. The RAB drilling program is being delayed due to access difficulties associated with the wet season and is expected to be completed by the end of April. The target area is an area of structural complexity highlighted by the reprocessed ground magnetics where the Kimpe Fault is interpreted to extend into the license. The Kimpe Fault is the main control on cobalt and copper mineralization at the Kimpe Mine 3.5km to the SE of the license.

Planned work at Kankutu includes the following:

complete trenching and geochemical drilling program and interpretation of the results

RC drilling on identified targets

(Click here to review Kankutu maps)

Comipad-Comima Project (292)

Three trenches have subsequently been completed over the soil anomalies and the breccia zone has clearly been defined in all three trenches. The breccia in trench 2 contains zones of specular hematite with relict sulfides now replaced by goethite. Handheld XRF readings show these zones to have elevated cobalt and silver but no copper has been identified in the rocks at surface to date. The anomalous copper in soil anomaly suggests there may be leaching at surface and this will require further work. Additional 50m spaced trenches east and west of the breccia zone in trench 2 are currently in progress. Results of the trenching are expected to take approximately 1-2 months as the samples are sent to ALS Johannesburg for multielement ICPMS analysis.

Planned work at the 292 license includes the following :

A series of 50m spaced EW trenches centered on Trench 2 to expose the breccia and provide samples of the breccia.

spaced EW trenches centered on Trench 2 to expose the breccia and provide samples of the breccia. RC drilling is planned soon to test areas highlighted by the trenching

(click here to review Comipad-Comima maps)

Assay QAQC

Bankers Cobalt has implemented an industry best practice QAQC program. All samples are picked up on site by Bankers' geologists or delivered by the drillers to Bankers' personnel. All samples are delivered by Bankers' personnel to the SGS Laboratory in Lubumbashi, DRC for cobalt and copper determination. Check assay standards and blanks are submitted every 20 samples with each assay job and are then reviewed for accuracy.

Qualified/competent person -- National Instrument 43-101 and JORC Code

The geological information in this announcement has been reviewed by Mr. Adam Anderson, a competent person (as defined in the JORC Code, 2012 edition) and Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), a recognized professional organization for the purposes of the Australian Securities Exchange listing rules. Mr. Anderson, who has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release, is also a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Mr. Anderson is the DRC Country and Exploration Manager for Bankers. He has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization, the type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a competent person as defined in the JORC Code and as a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Bankers

Bankers is a natural resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of cobalt and copper mineral properties in the DRC to world-class Canadian standards. As battery production for EV's surges, demand for cobalt will probably exceed supply for many years. According to a recent report by Transparency Market Research, global sales of lithium-ion batteries are expected to reach US$70B by 2024, for a compound growth rate of 11.6% over the years beginning in 2016. Bankers holds rights to 26 separate mineral concessions strategically located in the southern DRC Copperbelt and having a total area of more than 391 km. Bankers has the intention to acquire interests in additional concessions. All concessions were obtained as either new grants or through reputable DRC partners and have clean title with no government involvement, making Bankers one of the few, and perhaps only, junior public mining company in the DRC to have 26 concessions capable of being currently explored. Bankers has an experienced operations team operating in the southern Cobalt-Copperbelt of the DRC. Bankers believes it is the front runner in advancing cobalt and copper exploration by a junior mining company in the DRC.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF BANKERS COBALT CORP.

"Stephen Barley"

President & CEO

Reader Advisory

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws including statements relating to the outlook of the business of the Corporation, including statements relating to the Corporation's drilling and soil sampling programs, timing, execution and results of such programs; the Corporation's intention to acquire additional concession, the Corporation's ability to explore and develop the concessions, the results of any development and exploration, the ability of the Corporation to meet standards for verifiable supply chain custody, and the Corporation's status as a leader in the junior mining sector for cobalt and copper in the DRC. Although the Corporation believes considering the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Corporation its securities, or its financial or operating results.

For further information:

Phone: +1-604-684-6730

Email: [email protected]



Website: http://www.bankerscobalt.com

SOURCE Bankers Cobalt Corp.
"The breadth of data being presented at the ASCRS this year reinforces our commitment to investing in research across the Bausch + Lomb business, one of our core therapeutic areas of focus," said Joseph C. Papa, chairman and CEO, Valeant. "We are committed to the continued advancement of our eye health offerings to meet the needs of our customers and their patients."

A wet lab at the company's booth, as well as educational programs, will also provide opportunities for surgeons to gain firsthand experience with, and learn more about, Bausch + Lomb technologies. These include the company's latest next-generation platform for cataract and retina surgery, Stellaris Elite vision enhancement system, the VICTUS femtosecond laser for advanced cataract and corneal applications, and its broad selection of intraocular lenses (IOLs) and delivery systems, including the new enVista MX60E with StableFlex technology.

The full schedule research to be presented includes:

Saturday, April 14

Sheppard, John D. " Thirty-Six Month Clinical Experience with a Hydrophobic Acrylic IOL in Patients with Endothelial Compromise Undergoing Simultaneous Cataract Extraction and DSEK ." Saturday, April 14 at 4:15 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 144C

." at ; Level 1, Room 144C Shultz, Mitchell C. "Analysis of Optical Aberrations and Depth of Focus Using a Ray-Tracing Analyzer in Patients with Zero Spherical Aberration IOLs." Saturday, April 14 at 1:07 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

Sunday, April 15

Koch, Douglas D. " Evaluation of a New Phacoemulsification Infusion System ." Sunday, April 15 at 3:25 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

." Sunday, April 15 at ; Level 1, Room McCabe, Cathleen M. " Phaco Energy Profile of Various Nuclear Disassembly Techniques in the Setting of Adaptive Fluidics ." Sunday, April 15 at 3:02 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

." at ; Level 1, Room McCabe, Cathleen M. " Intraoperative Evaluation of New Vacuum-Based Phaco System with Adaptive Fluidics ." Sunday, April 15 at 3:45 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

." at ; Level 1, Room Packer, Mark. " Comparison of Spectacle Independence for a New Toric Intraocular Lens (IOL) versus Predicate Spherical IOL ." Sunday, April 15 at 8:51 a.m. ; Level 1, Room 143A

." at ; Level 1, Room 143A Packer, Mark. " Modeling the Effect of Off-Axis Light for Refractive and Diffractive IOLs ." Sunday, April 15 at 8:45 a.m. ; Level 1, Room 143C

." at ; Level 1, Room 143C Shultz, Mitchell C. " Comparative Analysis of Dual Linear Phacoemulsification Using New Adaptive Fluidics System in Femtosecond-Assisted and Traditional Cataract Surgery ." Sunday, April 15 at 3:07 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

." at ; Level 1, Room Shultz, Mitchell C. "Comparative Analysis of Dual Linear Phacoemulsification with New Adaptive Fluidics System in Traditional Phacoemulsification of Various Nuclear Densities." Sunday, April 15 at 3:17 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

Monday, April 16

Jackson, Mitchell A. " Advantages of Multiburst Phaco Modality in Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cases ." Monday, April 16 at 3:41 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143A

." at ; Level 1, Room 143A Liang, Eva I. " Comparison of Visual Outcomes of a Toric Accommodating IOL and a Toric Extended-Depth-of Focus IOL ." Monday, April 16 at 8:17 a.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

." at ; Level 1, Room Liang, Eva I. " Patient Selection and Comparison of Visual Outcomes of an Accommodating IOL and an Extended-Depth-of-Focus IOL ." Monday, April 16 at 8:43 a.m. ; Level 1, Room 143B

." at ; Level 1, Room Sheppard, John D. " Twelve-Month Clinical Experience with a Hydrophobic Acrylic IOL in Patients at Risk for Intraocular Inflammation ." Monday, April 16 at 3:12 p.m. ; Level 1, Room 143C

." at ; Level 1, Room 143C Vittitow, Jason L. "Efficacy and Safety of a Novel Submicron Corticosteroid Formulation in the Treatment of Inflammation and Pain Post-Cataract Surgery." Monday, April 16 at 1:46 p.m. , Level 1, Room 143B



Tuesday, April 17

Rowen, Sheri L. " Surgical Outcomes for Accommodative Intraocular Lens (IOL) in Patients with Highly Aberrated Corneas ." Tuesday, April 17 at 11:08 a.m. ; Level 1, Room 143C

." at ; Level 1, Room 143C Stephenson, P. Dee G. " Clinical Evaluation of a New Material for Hydrophobic Acrylic IOL ." Tuesday, April 17 at 11:03 a.m. ; Level 1, Room 144B

." at ; Level 1, Room Whitman, Jeffrey. "Postoperative Aberration Profile After Implantation of Hinged, Plate-Haptic Accommodating IOL." Tuesday, April 17 at 10:51 a.m. ; Level 1, Room 143C

Posters

Lu, Kenneth. " Using Pattern ERG to Objectively Measure Contrast Sensitivity in Pseudophakes with Different IOLs ." Poster available Saturday, April 14 to Tuesday, April 17

." Poster available to O'Brien, Terrence P. " Manual versus Femtosecond Corneal Incisions ." Poster available Saturday, April 14 to Tuesday, April 17

." Poster available to Singh, Inder P. "Topology Verification of Femtosecond-Created Capsulorhexis and Arcuate Incisions Using Intraoperative Guidance System." Poster available Saturday, April 14 to Tuesday, April 17



Films

Shultz, Mitchell C. "Adaptive Fluidics in Femtosecond LaserAssisted Cataract Surgery." Film available Saturday, April 14 to Tuesday, April 17

About Bausch + Lomb

Bausch + Lomb, a Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. company, is a leading global eye health organization that is solely focused on protecting, enhancing and restoring people's eyesight. Its core businesses include over-the-counter supplements, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Bausch + Lomb develops, manufactures and markets one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry, which is available in more than 100 countries.



About Valeant

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE/TSX: VRX) is a global company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology. We are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health. More information can be found at www.valeant.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements which may generally be identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "will," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "target," or "continue" and variations or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed in Valeant's most recent annual or quarterly report and detailed from time to time in Valeant's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Valeant undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless required by law.

/ are trademarks of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates. Any other product/brand names are trademarks of the respective owners.

 2018 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.

SOURCE Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.valeant.com


MONTREAL, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE)(NYSE: BCE) will hold its first-quarter 2018 results conference call with the financial community on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 8:00 am eastern.

Participants will include George Cope, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Glen LeBlanc, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis.

To participate, please dial toll-free 1-800-377-0758 or 416-340-2219. A replay will be available for one week by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering pass code 8461008#.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on BCE's website at BCE Q1-2018 conference call.

About BCE

BCE is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services throughout the country. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home, and digital media. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

Bell Let's Talk promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace mental health initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Media inquiries:

Jean Charles Robillard

514-870-4739

[email protected]

Investor inquiries:

Thane Fotopoulos

514-870-4619

[email protected]

SOURCE Bell Canada

Related Links

www.bell.ca


With the larger theme "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity," the forum includes 60 sessions falling under four key topics, namely Globalization and the Belt and Road Initiative, An Open Asia, Innovation, and Reform. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered his keynote speech. He announced a series of measures China will take to further promote its opening-up campaign.

This year's forum is taking place just as trade tensions are escalating between China and the United States. This makes issues such as globalization versus anti-globalization, WTO rules and trade protectionism, and unilateralism versus multilateralism hot topics in the forum.

In recent years, despite various constraints including unbalanced development and the lack of innovation, Asian countries have maintained relatively high economic growth rates. In the latest update from the "World Economic Outlook," the International Monetary Fund predicted that emerging and developing Asian countries will grow at about 6.5 percent from 2018 to 2019. Asia has changed its role from a beneficiary to a promoter of globalization.

Although the trade friction provoked by the United States is targeted particularly at China, it is bound to have an adverse impact on the development of Asia as a whole. Asian countries must stand together firmly to promote globalization while upgrading and expanding hard-won progress through reform and innovation.

The Boao Forum for Asia is a platform for seeking and building consensus on development. To achieve substantive results, Asian countries need to work together to advance the development of an Asia-Pacific free trade area, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as other regional and global cooperative endeavors. China will open wider to the outside world and conduct a new round of in-depth reform, in an effort to fuel Asian and world economic development, and to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

China Mosaic

http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

BFA: Asian countries must stand firm with each other

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2018-04/11/content_50863364.htm

About China.org.cn

Founded in 2000, China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn/China.com.cn) is a key state news website under the auspices of the State Council Information Office, and is managed by China International Publishing Group. We provide round-the-clock news service in ten languages. With users from more than 200 countries and regions, we have become China's leading multi-lingual news outlet introducing the country to the outside world.

We are one of the country's authoritative outlets for government press releases and are authorized to cover various major events. "Live Webcast" is our online webcasting service to present State Council Information Office press conferences in both Chinese and English languages. We are reputed for timely and accurate delivery of news and information, and wide interactions with audiences. In addition, we are authorized to publish and live broadcast major events and press conferences of ministries, local government agencies and institutions as well as enterprises.

In the era of mobile internet, we endeavor to create an array of products for mobile devices headed by the multilingual WAP platform and the mobile APP. We also use Chinese and international social media to publish information for different user groups.

In the future, CIIC will continue to offer authoritative information about China, tell China's stories, voice China's opinions, and introduce a vivid, panoramic and multicultural China to the world through multi-language, multi-media and multi-platforms.

SOURCE China.org.cn
TRUCKEE, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- bigtruck has expanded its Board of Directors to include two new Outside Directors, bringing industry experience and perspective to the brand. The Board will be led by newly elected chairman, Caleb Wray who will be joined by Niclas Bornling in addition to Inside Directors Galen Gifford and DJ Novotney.

Wray, a former Officer and Head of Global Securities Lending Sales & Trading as well as Equity Finance with Charles Schwab, begins his term as bigtruck's 2018/19 chairperson on March 7, 2018.

"I am both honored and excited for the opportunity to help guide bigtruck through its next stage of growth," said Wray. "Over the last 3 years, bigtruck has taken the initiative and delivered the hard work to impressively grow revenue, while diligently building the infrastructure needed to both scale and deliver across an omni-channel platform. With the addition of the Niclas and a future Director that will be named in the coming weeks, the business is now poised to move from being a dominate regional brand to a nationally recognized brand."

"Caleb brings incredible finance experience and a profound passion for our brand to the Board," said Bill Sinoff, GM. "We have set some audacious goals for 2018 that will require a big step forward for our entire organization. I look forward to working closely with Caleb and Niclas to clearly articulate our message and spread brand awareness to the largest possible audience."

Bornling is a 20+ year outdoor and ski industry veteran, with experience running Brand and Marketing for Salomon, Black Diamond and New Era. Bornling will be the chief brand architect, simplifying and amplifying bigtruck's brand message. "I'm truly honored and excited to be part of the bigtruck team. The first step to creating a brand that connects with a wide audience is to craft a very simple and focused brand proposition which can scale beyond a core following," said Borling.

About bigtruck

bigtruck got its start making a simple yet symbolic beacon of California Mountain Life: the trucker hat. But we're about far more than just a hat. The brand represents an outdoor counterculture that could only exist in the mountains of California.

We hatched bigtruck to celebrate this place and the people who give it its irreverently adventurous spirit.

We're bigtruck, the California Mountain Company.

Media Contact: Emily Deane, 530-214-3307, [email protected]

SOURCE bigtruck

Related Links

http://bigtruck.com


BUCHAREST, Romania, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Bitdefender, a leading global cybersecurity technology company protecting over 500 million users worldwide, is pleased to announce its participation in the RSA Conference 2018, with sessions on the security in the Internet of Things and sponsorship of IoT Village.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/619860/Bitdefender_Logo.jpg )



Bitdefender Chief Security Researcher Alexandru Balan will host a session titled "Exploiting Cloud Synchronization to Mass Hack IoTs" at 10:30 on April 19 at the Marriot The Sandbox - IoT Stage and another "IoT - The Gift That Keeps on Giving", at 1:45 pm in Moscone South 314, on the latest research into IoT vulnerabilities.

Bitdefender is also a sponsor of IoT Village, which hosts a regular series of talks at international events designed to increase awareness of the security of the Internet of Things. IoT Village will hold a series of exhibits on April 19-20 as part of the RSA Sandbox at the Marriott Marquis, Yerba Buena 8 covering threats to critical infrastructure, the attack surfaces of smart factories and industrial robots, cyber-risks to industrial control systems and more.

About Bitdefender

Bitdefender is a global security technology company that provides cutting edge end-to-end cyber security solutions and advanced threat protection to more than 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Since 2001, Bitdefender has consistently produced award-winning business and consumer security technology, and is a provider of choice in both hybrid infrastructure security and endpoint protection. Through R&D, alliances and partnerships, Bitdefender is trusted to be ahead and deliver robust security you can rely on. More information is available at http://www.bitdefender.com.

SOURCE BitDefender SRL
HOUSTON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (NYSE:BWP) will report its first quarter 2018 earnings on Monday, April 30, 2018. A conference call for analysts and investors will begin at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and will be hosted by Boardwalk's Chief Executive Officer, Stan Horton, and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Jamie Buskill. Boardwalk will issue its earnings news release before the market opens on Monday, April 30, 2018.

The news release and a live webcast will be available online at the Boardwalk website (www.bwpmlp.com). Please go to the website at least 10 minutes before the event begins to register and to download and install any necessary audio software. Those interested in participating in the question and answer session of the conference call should dial (855) 793-3255 for callers in the U.S. or (631) 485-4925 for callers outside the U.S. The Conference ID for the call is 4269513. Following the call, an online replay will be available on Boardwalk's website.

About Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (NYSE: BWP) is a midstream master limited partnership that primarily transports and stores natural gas and liquids for its customers. Additional information about the Partnership can be found on its website at www.bwpmlp.com.

CONTACT:

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP



Molly Ladd Whitaker, 866-913-2122

Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

[email protected]



SOURCE Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

Related Links

http://www.bwpmlp.com


SARASOTA, Fla., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- America's love for cheese is undeniable, from sandwiches to salads to wedding cakes; cheese can be paired with almost any food group. Through it all, one of the classic uses for cheese remains the grilled cheese sandwich. To help celebrate "National Grilled Cheese Day," Boar's Head Brand  , committed to offering only the freshest, best-tasting meats and cheeses available, set out to learn more about America's love for cheese by commissioning a national research study.

The survey polled 1,001 adults from around the United States, aged 18 and older, to gauge overall preferences and feelings towards cheese. The survey revealed that America's love for cheese is so deep, that 87 percent of respondents would give up either coffee, chocolate, or alcohol before giving up cheese! In fact, Americans don't just love cheese, they know it as well - sixty percent of respondents could name more than five cheese varieties if asked.

Some other noteworthy findings from the study include the following:

If they could, nine out of ten respondents would eat multiple servings of cheese every day

When asked about favorite foods, almost half of respondents (46 percent) rank cheese as their first or second favorite, among a selection of food group options; with those aged 25-34 being most likely to rank cheese first (27 percent)

American cheese is the top choice for sandwiches (68 percent), with Cheddar topping the list for salads at 59 percent

Fifty percent of Americans prefer grilled cheese with a blend of two or more cheeses

When asked if cheese were banned where they live, 2/3 of respondents (66 percent) would either definitely move, strongly consider it, or possibly move.

"Cheese is an iconic food not just in America, but around the globe," said Carlos Giraldo, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Innovation, Boar's Head Brand. "We wanted to help showcase just how much people here in America love their cheese. At Boar's Head, we are committed to providing the highest quality delicatessen products, nothing less. From premium, age-imported specialties, to America's favorites like American and Cheddar, Boar's Head has an assortment of over 50 delectable varieties to please even the most discerning palates."

As the #1 premium delicatessen brand, Boar's Head is highly experienced in the cheese category. Boar's Head cheeses use the same exacting standards for quality as its premium meats. Boar's Head Brand  travels the globe to find the most passionate, artisan cheesemakers who employ these standards to ensure exceptional taste.

To learn more about Boar's Head products, consumers can visit www.boarshead.com/products/cheese. Also, be sure to follow Boar's Head on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BoarsHead), Instagram (@boarshead_official) and Twitter (@Boars_Head) to stay up to date on the latest product offerings and news.

About Boar's Head Brand

Founded in 1905, Boar's Head Brand has upheld a commitment to unwavering standards for quality for over a century, refusing to take shortcuts that compromise the integrity of its products for the sake of convenience or economy. What started with just a few products has grown to over 500 products, ranging from premium delicatessen meats, cheeses and condiments to an array of Italian and Old-World specialties, hummus and foodservice items. All Boar's Head meats, cheeses, spreads, and condiments contain no fillers, by-products, MSG added, artificial colors or flavors, gluten, or trans-fat.

Methodological note: This Boar's Head survey was conducted using the online survey platform Pollfish, and was compiled by DKC Analytics, a division of DKC Public Affairs and Government Relations. The nationwide sample of 1,001 individuals in the United States was surveyed on March 30 and 31, 2018. The margin of error is 3.16% and no additional weighting was done to the initial sample. Pollfish's survey platform delivers online surveys globally through mobile apps and the mobile web along with the desktop web.

SOURCE Boars Head Brand

Related Links

http://www.boarshead.com


"Boeing's partnership with SIAEC will create more efficient and customer-focused service solutions by combining our resources and intimate understanding of airframe lifecycle with knowledge of current and emerging requirements in the Asia Pacific region," said Stan Deal, president and CEO, Boeing Global Services.

Under the integrated Global Fleet Care agreements, BAPAS will provide engineering services, maintenance planning and scheduling, and operation control center services, along with materials demand planning and spares support for the airlines. BAPAS also will tailor maintenance and reliability programs and provide support for aircraft modifications. Following these agreements, BAPAS is anticipated to support more than 70 Boeing aircraft within the Singapore Airlines Group.

Boeing and SIAEC also confirmed the completion of the agreements and processes necessary to fully enable the BAPAS joint venture. BAPAS will continue offering industry-leading engineering, materials management and fleet maintenance support solutions for Boeing 737, 747, 777 and 787 aircraft to airline customers in the Asia Pacific region.

About Boeing Asia Pacific Aviation Services Pte. Ltd.

Boeing Asia Pacific Aviation Services Pte. Ltd. (BAPAS) is a joint venture that combines Boeing engineering knowledge of the 737, 747, 777 and 787 aircraft with SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) maintenance, repair and overhaul expertise. BAPAS offers a total fleet maintenance solution that incorporates a suite of knowledge based maintenance services. These one-stop services include Fleet Engineering Services, Fleet Material Services and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services, specifically formulated to cover airline customer needs from entry into service to ongoing operations to the decommission or sale of an aircraft.

About Boeing Global Services

Boeing Global Services, headquartered in the Dallas area, was formed by integrating the services capabilities of the government, space and commercial sectors into a single, customer-focused business. Operating as a third business unit of Boeing, Global Services provides agile, cost-competitive services to commercial and government customers worldwide.

Contact

Stephanie Bass

Boeing Communications

Office: +1 425-237-1156

Mobile: +1 314-651-7376

[email protected]

SOURCE Boeing
INDIANAPOLIS, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Caldwell VanRiper, Inc., Indiana's longest running marketing communications company, announced today that is has signed a strategic partnership with Found Search Marketing (FoundSM), a national search marketing agency based in Indianapolis. Under this agreement, Caldwell VanRiper (CVR) will take over all of the agency services for FoundSM, providing strategic marketing services and content creation for select FoundSM clients. Additionally, CVR will have access to FoundSM's advanced paid marketing and data analytics capabilities for its clients.

Kevin Flynn, President of CVR, believes this strategic partnership provides a great opportunity for both firms' clients and employees. "Both agencies complement each other in different disciplines, making it a win for our clients and growth opportunities for our employees. Content creation, along with video production, has become critical for marketers to tell their story particularly in social media. This partnership will allow CVR to continue to build on our success in social media strategy and content creation, along with the other services we provide."

FoundSM's president, Julie Warnecke, added, "I am very excited to narrow our service offering to paid search, paid social and analytics, with the idea that we can successfully provide more focus and dedication to this side of the business and the team."

Both agencies have experience in retail, higher education, and healthcare clients, and have partnered on projects together in the past. CVR currently has 33 full-time employees and is located in the Salesforce Tower, downtown Indianapolis. FoundSM has 18 full-time employees and is located at 419 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Four of FoundSM's employees became employees of CVR as part of the agreement. CVR recently purchased a 16,500 sq. ft. building at 701 E. New York St., Indianapolis, and plans to move in the next few months. CVR's new office will include a video and photo studio, a podcast recording booth and ample space for growth.

About Caldwell VanRiper, Inc.

Caldwell VanRiper, Inc., dba CVR, is an integrated marketing communications company specializing in advertising, marketing and public relations. Founded in 1910, CVR is the longest running communications agency in the state of Indiana. CVR is a member of AMIN, a global network of independent agencies with more than 50 offices in over 30 countries around the world (www.AMINworldwide.com). CVR services local, regional, national, and international clients in a variety of B2B and B2C industries, as well as many nonprofits. Our philosophy is about building brands that matter, and we are proud of our efforts to help brands make our community and the world a better place. Learn more at www.CVRindy.com

About Found Search Marketing Inc.

Found Search Marketing, or FoundSM, was created by early members of the Google Adwords team with paid search truly at its core. FoundSM employees are certified and fully trained on industry leading platforms, programs, and tools to ensure we can step in to any environment and provide results for our clients. FoundSM services clients locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally in a variety of verticals such as education, healthcare, and home services. We like to think of ourselves as part of the businesses we serve  which is why we've had a 10-year success record with our client-first culture. Learn more at www.FoundSM.com.

SOURCE Caldwell VanRiper

Related Links

http://www.cvrindy.com


SANTA ANA, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Callahan & Blaine has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Brendan Brock, 23, against Uber and Hertz after a horrific accident on March 7, 2018, which resulted in both of his legs being amputated. The Uber driver who was driving Brock incredibly ran out of gas on a major freeway, forcing Brock to get out and push the car to help get the car off the freeway. A third party vehicle lost control and crushed Brock between the vehicles.

According to Callahan & Blaine, the Uber driver had rented his vehicle through Hertz, solely to drive for Uber. The lawsuit alleges that but for the Hertz/Uber enterprise, the driver would not have had a vehicle.

Edward Susolik, senior partner at Callahan & Blaine, explained, "This lawsuit is about corporate accountability and responsibility. Uber and Hertz are making millions of dollars by hiring drivers with rented vehicles, resulting in numerous catastrophic accidents, leaving many innocent third parties profoundly injured or dead. This enterprise is very similar to a taxi company, but without any licensing, regulation, training, supervision or maintenance. Through this rental program, it is no longer a peer-to-peer barter system. The renters of the Hertz vehicles, contacted through advertising to drivers by Uber, become for all intents and purposes Uber employees by virtue of the control that Uber has. Uber must therefore accept the responsibilities of an employer, including financial responsibility for accidents. Instead, Uber purports to call the drivers independent contractors and attempts to avoid the costs associated with having employees. We intend to change this system through this litigation."

The case is Brendan Brock v. Uber, et. al., OCSC Case No. BC701358.

The highly sophisticated litigators and trial attorneys of Callahan & Blaine specialize in complex business and insurance litigation and catastrophic personal injury matters. The firm has won countless trials and accomplished record-breaking jury verdicts and settlements. Visit Callahan-Law.com for more information.

SOURCE Callahan & Blaine

Related Links

http://www.callahan-law.com


PORTLAND, Ore., and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambia Health Solutions (Cambia) and Livongo Health (Livongo) today announced a strategic partnership that combines Cambia's vision to redesign health and health care to be more consumer-driven with Livongo's proven 'whole person' approach to empowering people with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives.

Cambia and Livongo will collaborate to personalize health care for people who have ongoing health needs in simple, meaningful and tangible ways. Initially, the companies will work together to make Livongo's category-leading Livongo for Diabetes solution available to Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The companies will then expand their partnership to co-develop solutions that personalize care for conditions such as hypertension and integrated behavioral health to improve consumers' lives nationwide.

"We see great potential in collaborating with Livongo to transform the experience Americans have in health and in sickness," said Mark Ganz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cambia Health Solutions. "Livongo is a kindred spirit on our journey to make health care more person-focused and economically sustainable. Both companies are committed to a human-centered design approach and seamless experiences for individuals and their families."

Livongo Chief Executive Officer Glen Tullman commented, "At Livongo we create personalized member experiences based on data insights that we offer to our members in a way that empowers them to make better health decisions. We're energized by the opportunity to partner with Cambia and expand the reach and impact of our 'whole person' approach to health and health care."

As part of the partnership, Echo Health Ventures, the digital health investment company jointly owned by Cambia and Mosaic Health Solutions, has made a strategic investment in Livongo.

"Echo Health Ventures' investment in Livongo recognizes the rapid success of the company's diabetes and hypertension offerings and reflects our commitment to invest in and support solutions that personalize care for people with chronic conditions," said Rob Coppedge, Chief Executive Officer of Echo Health Ventures.

Chronic conditions account for the largest and fastest growing part of U.S. health care costs[1] and are responsible for 7 of 10 health related deaths each year.1 Diabetes and hypertension are among the most prevalent of these conditions. The total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2017 was $327 billion, including $237 billion in direct medical costs and $90 billion in reduced productivity, according to a 2018 paper by the American Diabetes Association.[2] Additionally, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. have a mental health condition, 56% of which receive no treatment.[3]

About Livongo Health

Livongo's vision is to empower people with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives. We reduce the daily burdens of people living with chronic conditions, starting with diabetes and hypertension, by driving behavior change through reinforcement learning and the combination of consumer health technology, personalized recommendations, and real-time support at the point of impact. Powered by advanced data science, we create personalized experiences for our members so they receive the right information, tools, and support, at the right time. Our approach is leading to better financial and clinical outcomes while creating a better experience for all people with chronic conditions and their care team of family, friends, and medical professionals.

Livongo's offerings include Livongo for Diabetes and Livongo for Hypertension. Eligible members of the Livongo for Diabetes program will have access to the Livongo for Hypertension program. In addition, Livongo will offer a stand-alone hypertension solution to new members. By addressing multiple chronic conditions on one platform using reinforcement learning, Livongo can better understand the personal health narrative of each member and offer real-time recommendations that are tailored to each person's unique health experience. For more information visit: www.livongo.com.

About Cambia Health Solutions

Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is dedicated to transforming health care. We put people at the heart of everything we do as we work to make the health care system more economically-sustainable and efficient for people and their families. Our company reaches more than 70 million Americans nationwide, including more than two million people in the Pacific Northwest who are enrolled in our regional health plans. To learn more about us, visit CambiaHealth.com or Twitter.com/cambia.

About Echo Health Ventures

Echo Health Ventures LLC invests to build and grow tomorrow's great health care companies. We invest across every stage and work with our portfolio companies to challenge and transform the health care system. As a strategic collaboration of Cambia Health Solutions and Mosaic Health Solutions, we work closely with our Parents to catalyze the development of our portfolio companies and accelerate their innovations to scale nationally. Echo Health Ventures operates nationwide with offices in Seattle, Durham, N.C., and Portland, Ore. Follow us on Twitter @healthecho.

_________________________

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm and https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm

[2] Diabetes Care 2018 Mar; dci180007. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci18-0007

[3] http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/state-mental-health-america

SOURCE Livongo Health

Related Links

http://www.Livongo.com


LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A leading expert has warned the fledgling Californian Cannabis industry that businesses could soon face heavy fines for breaking new laws they don't fully understand.

Brad Davis, Product Category Manager of Acorn Paper Cannabis Packaging, has warned that Proposition 65 has effectively changed the regulations already. As the legal cannabis industry is in a state of constant flux, more regulations could follow, and cannabis licensees need to understand that every change could affect their labeling strategy.

"Proposition 65 is not specified within the MAUCRSA guidelines," said Davis. "But any cannabis products manufactured in California that contain chemicals above safe harbor levels will be required, under Prop. 65, to add to their label warnings. This applies to everyone in the cannabis supply chain."

Prop. 65 regulations come into force on August 30, 2018, and every affected product must be clearly labeled unless it was manufactured before the cut-off date. But this is just one regulation, and there will be more changes as the cannabis industry matures.

It's a controversial industry that has only just found acceptance after decades of prohibition. The cannabis industry will inevitably be under constant scrutiny, and there will be test cases to show that the regulators are taking a strong stance. Individual businesses could find they fall foul of the law and incur massive fines or sanctions if they fail to label their products properly.

Regulatory compliance can be a complete minefield, but there is a simple solution. Los Angeles-based Acorn Paper Cannabis Packaging specializes in helping clients navigate this pitfall-strewn maze. One of the ways APCP is helping clients is with an 'in stock' exit bag with 24-hour delivery where the state requires childproof bags for customer walkout.

The company goes beyond the rules and can help clients produce eye-catching packaging that will help them stand out in a competitive industry that is already turning over more than $31 billion a year globally according to a study by the Brightfield Group and could easily top $20 billion in California alone by 2023. That's going to reap real rewards for suppliers and retailers at every stage in the cannabis supply chain.

Acorn Paper Cannabis Packaging even offers a full range of products that can benefit each stage of the cannabis supply chain. The company is building out a white label range of goods for those that want to get into the explosive cannabis industry, beginning with the development of a supply chains solutions website and an eCommerce platform to launch in Q2.

It's a novel way for companies to dip their toes into the water in one of the most lucrative, and yet highly-regulated new industries in North America. With Acorn Paper Cannabis Packaging on their team, they can rest assured that the products are compliant and clients can simply focus on marketing, sales, and the customer.

Contact:

Randy Schwartz

[email protected]

3686 East Olympic Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90023

323-980-8331

SOURCE Acorn Paper Cannabis Packaging
CHICAGO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Capri EGM, an investment company specializing in corporate build-to-suit and sale leaseback financing, and the acquisition of institutional quality single-tenant office, industrial, and retail net lease properties, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to provide build-to-suit financing and acquire a state-of-the-art, build-to-suit, global office headquarters for Syneos Health, a publicly traded $3.69 billion fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization.

The Syneos Health Global Headquarters is strategically located in Perimeter Park at the confluence of I-40 and I-540, in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina, adjacent to Research Triangle Park, which is anchored by North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and less than 5 minutes from RDU International Airport. The new Class A facility will serve as the Global Headquarters for Syneos Health.

Significant Facts

A Global Biopharmaceutical Solutions Leader: Syneos Health is a leading biopharmaceutical solutions organization. Syneos, includes a Contract Research Organization (CRO) and Contract Commercial Organization (CCO) and is purpose-built to accelerate customer performance to address modern market realities. Created through the merger of two industry-leading companies  INC Research and inVentiv Health  Syneos brings together more than 21,000 clinical and commercial minds with the ability to support customers in more than 110 countries.

Syneos Health is a leading biopharmaceutical solutions organization. Syneos, includes a Contract Research Organization (CRO) and Contract Commercial Organization (CCO) and is purpose-built to accelerate customer performance to address modern market realities. Created through the merger of two industry-leading companies  INC Research and inVentiv Health  Syneos brings together more than 21,000 clinical and commercial minds with the ability to support customers in more than 110 countries. Operationally critical global facility : The new build-to-suit represents best-in-class design that corporations are seeking to help them attract and retain talent and meets the flexibility standards of today's corporate users. This highly functional and efficient facility will serve as the global headquarters for Syneos Health.

The new build-to-suit represents best-in-class design that corporations are seeking to help them attract and retain talent and meets the flexibility standards of today's corporate users. This highly functional and efficient facility will serve as the global headquarters for Syneos Health. Long-term net lease with built-in rent growth: The long-term net lease includes contractual annual increases and provides for future expansion. The build-to-suit site was selected by Syneos Health for its location and proximity to the RDU International Airport, new infrastructure, attractive workforce, and strategic location.

Investment Management Company Comments

Shelby E. L. Pruett, Capri EGM's Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "This build-to-suit structure and acquisition of the Syneos Health Global Headquarters highlights Capri EGM's track record of success as an attractive and reliable source of long-term capital for developers and high credit companies. By unlocking value through creative structuring and capital efficiency, we are committed to building long-term value for our institutional and corporate partners. The build-to-suit financing and acquisition is consistent with Capri EGM's strategy of seeking to own new, high quality, first generation income-generating net lease real estate that originates from the growth and future needs of expanding tenants. Coupled with the long-term lease and the financial strength of Syneos Health, we believe that this build-to-suit acquisition will be an attractive and a solid addition to the Capri EGM portfolio."

Capri EGM

Capri EGM is a real estate investment manager focused on the build-to-suit, sale-leaseback, and net lease commercial real estate markets, providing investment programs for institutional investors and capital solutions for corporations. A venture with Capri Investment Group, Capri EGM is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1992, Capri and its predecessor organizations have acquired, originated, and managed over $10 billion in commercial real estate investments directly and through entity level investments. Diversified assets managed on behalf of Capri's pension fund and other institutional investors totaled approximately$3.6 billion as of December 31, 2017. Please visit capri-egm.com for more information about Capri EGM.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal securities laws. The comments of Mr. Pruett and statements regarding the acquisition of the Syneos Health facility or the characteristics of the property are examples of forward looking statements. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security relating to Capri EGM or any of its entities' funds or investment vehicles. Any offer or solicitation may be made only through the delivery of a definitive Private Offering Memorandum and all information contained herein is qualified in its entirety by such Memorandum.

Capri EGM Media Contacts:

Trish Hoffman 312-805-4314

[email protected]

Jeff Fisher 312-805-4850

[email protected]

SOURCE Capri EGM

Related Links

http://www.capri-egm.com


Ccilu's Stepping Stone Sandal Wins Red Dot Design Award in Time for Summer

Brand adds to its trophy shelf, following top honors from A'Design Awards in 2017
BOSTON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Crayon, the market and competitive intelligence platform company that enables businesses to track, analyze and act based on market movements, has secured $5 million in venture capital funding led by Steve Anderson of Baseline Ventures. Anderson has landed on the Forbes Midas List, the definitive annual ranking of the world's best venture capitalists in technology, for the last four years and has led dozens of landmark investments including in Instagram, Stitch Fix and Exact Target. Crayon will use the new funds to double the team and accelerate growth. In 2017, the company grew its revenue by over 500 percent, tripled the size of its team and saw its market and competitive intelligence platform adopted by tens of thousands of teams worldwide.

Learn more about Crayon market intelligence software at www.crayon.co

"Every company can benefit from market intelligence and the Crayon team continues to execute to make that a reality for millions of businesses," said Steve Anderson. "Just as Stitch Fix started with humble beginnings and grew to $2 billion market cap today, Crayon is on track to provide billions of dollars of value to businesses by giving visibility into their markets and competitors." Anderson and his one-man firm was the largest shareholder in Stitch Fix, owning 28.1 percent when it went public in November 2017. Those shares are worth about $500 million as of April 2018.

The $50 billion market research industry has relied heavily on human efforts, which cannot capture all the changes taking place in a particular market nor capture them in a timely way. Crayon's software-driven approach to market intelligence allows businesses to get exponentially more data, surface the most critical signals and act on that intelligence in real time. Crayon tracks more than 300 million pages across 7.6 million domains and 2.4 million companies. It combines comprehensive data analytics with artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover relevant and timely insights for every employee, making it the most extensive competitive intelligence platform.

"Crayon is ripe for expansion now because today's digital footprints are much larger, massive in fact, and continue to grow," said Jonah Lopin, co-founder and CEO of Crayon. "Market intelligence has always been valuable for businesses, but it's also been expensive because it's human-driven, and the information most companies get lags the market and lacks actionability. Crayon is automating market intelligence to enable businesses to get off the sidelines and start capturing real-time, actionable intelligence so they can improve marketing campaigns, inform company strategy and enable sales teams to close more business."

Lopin joined Boston-based HubSpot as employee no. 6 and was on the management team for six years as the company signed its first 10,000 customers, going from $0 to $50 million in revenue. He co-founded Crayon in 2015, along with AdMob (acquired by Google) alumnus John Osborne. They had seen companies like HubSpot, Salesforce and Google help businesses become data-driven in their sales and marketing by getting visibility into their internal environment. But those same businesses struggled to understand what was happening externally, missing significant opportunity to forge ahead of competitors and drive revenue.

"Crayon is 10 times better than hiring two full-time people to do competitive intelligence," said Crayon customer Dan Briscoe, chief revenue officer at SwoopMe and former vice president of marketing at HCSS. "In fact, even if you hired a team, there's no way a person could find this level of broad intel, at scale, in real time. The ROI of having a pulse on the market is massive. In just 30 minutes a day, I can keep up with my entire market, including competitors, customers and our own company. If I'm in a competitive market, Crayon will be with me on day one."

Crayon customers include Fortune 50 companies and mid-sized businesses across industries, including Intuit, Fuze and Zendesk.

This funding round includes participation from existing investor and board member Eric Paley of Founder Collective, Maia Heymann at Converge and notable angel investors. Crayon previously secured funding from Box Group and others including HubSpot founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, Lean Startup author Eric Ries, Moat founder Jonah Goodhart and Adobe Chief Product Officer Scott Belsky.

About Crayon

Crayon's market and competitive intelligence platform enables businesses to track, analyze and act on market movements from their competitors, customers and partners. Tens of thousands of teams use Crayon's software to capture and analyze complete market intelligence - external messaging and positioning, product and pricing changes, hiring plans, partner strategies and more - pulling from more than seven million sources. Crayon was founded in 2015 by former HubSpot and AdMob executives who believe that millions of businesses have yet to take advantage of valuable market intelligence data to drive opportunities and revenue. To learn more about Crayon or request a free sample market intelligence report, visit www.crayon.co.

Media Contact:

Tracy Wemett

BroadPR

+1-617-868-5031

tracy @ broadpr.com

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Crayon

Learn more about Crayon market intelligence software at www.crayon.co

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Crayon Competitive Intelligence Software

Competitive intelligence and market analysis platform

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Jonah Lopin

CEO and co-founder, Crayon

Related Links

Crayon Competitive Intelligence and Analysis

Crayon Market Intelligence Blog

SOURCE Crayon

Related Links

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FELTON, California, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global Diabetic Retinopathy Market was valued at USD 5,934.1 million in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 10.11 billion by 2022, with a CAGR of 6.8%. Diabetes is a constant disorder linked with defects in the discharge of insulin from the hyperglycemia or pancreas related to insulin resistance which eventually directs to long term multi-organ difficulties of kidneys, eye, heart, nerves and blood vessels. The mainly severe and common sight intimidating impediment of diabetes is DR (Diabetic Retinopathy) by some form of Diabetic Retinopathy, it directs to damage of the blood vessels near the retina of an eye. DR is described as an eye turmoil that harms the blood vessels of the retina. The retina is the light susceptible inner exterior of the eye which takes action as a screen for the creation of an image. Long-term diabetes influences the retina as a soaring blood glucose stage can worsen and harm the miniature blood vessels in the eye (retina).

Diabetic Retinopathy is generally classified into either proliferative retinopathy or non-proliferative DR. Cure for DR is dependent relatively on the phase of the ailment and is focused on trying to stop or slow the succession of the disease. Currently three types of cure exist for Diabetic Retinopathy which is anti-VEGF drugs into the eye or injection of corticosteroids, laser surgery and vitrectomy. Advancements in knowledge have led to the modernization of new goods that offer rapid and secure methods to cure diabetic retinopathy. Augmented use of vitrectomy in the healing of retinal impassiveness is one such trend.

The increase in diabetes tolerant, great inhabitants of baby boomers, and shifting lifestyle in budding countries are some of the leading factors expected to drive diabetic retinopathy market over the forecast period. Additionally, the amplified health awareness and growing disposable income in budding countries have enlarged the superior healthcare services, affordability; which in turns is driving the industry of diabetic retinopathy. The growing awareness in the direction of the cure of diabetic retinopathy and progression of patient monitoring by the electronic medical record are some of current market trend in the diabetic retinopathy industry. The treatment process of diabetic retinopathy depends on a variety of stages of diabetic retinopathy. The increasing market for diabetic retinopathy can be accredited to increasing geriatric population size.

Browse 80 page research report with TOC on "Global Diabetic Retinopathy Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/diabetic-retinopathy-market

Additionally, up gradation of healthcare infrastructure in the length of the increasing demand for early on detection systems are some of the soaring impact drivers for the DR industry. Also, the medical pipeline for Diabetic Retinopathy seems full of assurance by lots of drug beneath umbrella specially directing towards diabetic retinopathy amongst the diabetic patients. Moreover, a shortage of skilled ophthalmologist coupled with deprived primary infrastructure and shortage in a requirement of insurance facilities are expected to pose the challenge for the growth of global diabetic retinopathy industry.

On the basis disease type, the global diabetic retinopathy industry can be broadly categorized as proliferative retinopathy and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. On the basis of the different treatment techniques, the global diabetic retinopathy industry can be generally categorized as corticosteroids injection, Laser surgery, and anti-VEGF drugs. On the basis of different drug use in the worldwide diabetic retinopathy industry, the market can be bifurcated as Anti-Angiogenic, ocriplasmin, BI-30089, Squalamine Lactate, Proteoglycan, OC-10X, Lycium, ATL-1103 and STP-601.On the basis of a geographical region, the market can be segregated into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of world. North America is expected to be the major market for diabetic retinopathy over the forecast period. The industry supremacy of North America is accredited to the soaring obesity rates and huge diabetic patients in this area. Furthermore, the helpful government proposal is also expected to be one of the important drivers of the industry in this area over the forecast period.

Europe is expected to be the second major market of diabetic retinopathy over the forecast period owing to the huge inhabitants of baby boomers in Europe is the most dominating growth factor for the diabetic retinopathy industry in this region over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to demonstrate the highest expansion over the forecast period. The worthwhile augmentation of the diabetic retinopathy industry in Asia Pacific is accredited to the presence of a huge number of diabetic patients in China and India. Furthermore, increasing health consciousness coupled with growing expenditure on healthcare services is also propelling the diabetic retinopathy industry in this area. Beneath Rest of the World, sector Brazil is the biggest opportunity of diabetic retinopathy.

Some of the key players present in the market are Abbott Laboratories Inc, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Bayer AG, Bayer AG, Novartis AG, Ampio Pharmaceuticals Inc, Alimera Science Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceutical Inc, and Pfizer Inc. Strategic acquisitions, new product launches, collaborations, agreements, mergers & acquisitions and joint ventures are some of the main things that are being done by the key players present in the market.

Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights:

Global Diabetic Retinopathy Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 Proliferative

 Non proliferative

Global Diabetic Retinopathy Management Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 Anti VEGF

 Intraocular steroid injection

 Laser surgery

 Vitrectomy

Diabetic Retinopathy Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 North America

 U.S.

 Canada

 Europe

 Germany

 UK

 Rest of Europe

 Asia Pacific

 Japan

 China

 Rest of Asia Pacific

 Latin America

 Brazil

 Rest of Latin America

About Million Insights:

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Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/

SOURCE Million Insights
PARIS and NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EcoVadis, the leader in business sustainability ratings for global supply chains, today announces the release of EcoVadis 10, the latest edition of its sustainability intelligence platform, equipped with new capabilities and a revamped interface. The streamlined, intuitive and user-centered experience will make it easier for buyers and suppliers to collaborate and drive sustainability improvements throughout their supply chains.

EcoVadis 10 Launch

The new capabilities offered through EcoVadis 10 will enable users to be more efficient and collaborative when using the tool. The upgrade delivers the following additional features and benefits:

A combined platform for buyers and suppliers, which allows enterprise customers who are also suppliers a central place to facilitate their EcoVadis experience, all with a single login.

A new portfolio list view that encompasses the supplier journey and brings more freedom to customize supplier management, with additional filter, tag and bulk management options to accelerate user adoption.

A slick, redesigned dashboard that brings forward the most vital information and incorporates an activity status view with alerts to help teams stay on top of suppliers' sustainability progress.

Live, dedicated news feeds for supplier-specific insights, making it easy for category managers and buyers to stay updated and alerted between assessments.

EcoVadis 10 will also be equipped with Eva, a new personal, in-platform user guide created to ensure confidence and mastery of the new features. The new platform will be generally available for all users in July 2018, and will be offered in several languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese, with live support available 24 hours a day, five days a week.

"To truly prioritize ethical and responsible business practices, we need to collaborate as a global supply chain community and equip ourselves with the tools and insights that make change possible," said Pierre-Francois Thaler, co-CEO and co-Founder of EcoVadis. "EcoVadis 10 was designed with this industry need in mind, and the usability improvements and real-time sustainability intelligence it enables will lay the foundation for better engagement and sound, proactive buying choices."

To learn more about the EcoVadis 10 release.

About EcoVadis

EcoVadis is the world's most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. Backed by a powerful technology platform and a global team of domain experts, EcoVadis' easy-to-use and actionable sustainability scorecards provide detailed insight into environmental, social and ethical risks across 188 purchasing categories and 150 countries. Industry leaders such as Johnson & Johnson, L'Oreal, Salesforce, Nestle, Schneider Electric, Subway, Michelin and BASF are among the more than 45,000 businesses on the EcoVadis network, all working with a single methodology to evaluate, collaborate and improve sustainability performance in order to protect their brands, foster transparency and innovation, and accelerate growth. Learn more at ecovadis.com, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Press Inquiries

US: Kate Bachman

[email protected]

+1 617-969-9192

UK/EU: David McClintock

[email protected]

+33 1 82 83 86 09

SOURCE EcoVadis
PHOENIX, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Solera Health, a leading integrated benefit network, today launched a national partnership with Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, to help health plans and providers address food insecurity and improve health outcomes.

More than one in six older adults1 and children2 face food insecurity, which is associated with higher health care utilization and costs. Adults in food-insecure households are 47% more likely to visit the emergency room and 47% more likely to be admitted to the hospital, relative to food-secure households.3 However, food insecurity is not commonly treated as a health issue. With this new venture, Solera Health and Feeding America are seeking to change that.

Solera's integrated benefit network connects patients, payers, and providers to vetted and trusted community partners like Feeding America who are addressing social determinants of health. As part of this effort, Feeding America and Solera will work with payers to refer members who screen positive for food insecurity to Feeding America's national network of food pantries and food banks. Feeding America's community-based agencies will then facilitate both immediate and continuing food security interventions, such as distributing emergency nutritious food, helping check eligibility for food support programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP), and offering healthy eating counseling and education. Solera's technology platform will simplify identification and referrals, providing a feedback loop for outcomes reporting and medical claims payments by health plan clients. Medicare will soon allow its managed care plans to offer supplemental benefits for non-traditional services that increase health or improve quality of life. Medicaid and even commercial health plans are also recognizing how social determinants affect the health of their members.

"In order to promote good health, it's necessary to look beyond simply treating disease," said Michelle Berger Marshall, managing director of community health and nutrition at Feeding America. "Our organization has been at the forefront of advocating for food insecurity interventions to be prioritized at the health care level. Solera is helping us make this a reality by bridging the gap between payers, their members, and our national network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs. Solera has recognized what a critical issue this is, and the difference we can make by addressing it."

"Now more than ever before, we have a body of evidence that connects food insecurity to poor health," said Sandeep Wadhwa, MD, chief health officer and senior vice president of market innovations, at Solera Health and former Medicaid director of Colorado. "But making food insecurity interventions part of regular health interventions will require a paradigm shift. Payers, providers, and consumers aren't used to this approach, and the health care system will have to work together to address this issue holistically. We're excited to be collaborating with Feeding America on formalizing these efforts that can be uniformly covered by insurers, targeted to those in need, and whose impact can be measured."

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

About Solera Health

Solera Health is an integrated benefit network that connects patients, payers, and physicians with community organizations and digital therapeutics providers, simply and securely. Solera helps consolidate highly fragmented programs and services into one integrated network, allowing health plans and medical providers to increase consumer participation while lowering associated costs. Solera proactively identifies the "best fit" program provider based on each individual's unique needs and preferences, which has proven to have a significant impact on improved patient outcomes at a fraction of the cost of traditional medical care. For more information, visit Solera Health at www.soleranetwork.com, call 800-858-1714 or follow us on Twitter @SoleraNetwork or LinkedIn.

_________________________

1 AARP Foundation and Impaq International. Issue brief: Older adults and unmet social needs prevalence and health implications. November 2017.

2 Feeding America. Map the Meal Gap 2017.

3 Carlson, S. & Keith-Jennings, B. SNAP Is Linked with Improved Nutritional Outcomes and Lower Health Care Costs, Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, January 2018.

SOURCE Solera Health
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights:

AWS will join FICO to discuss their collaboration in a keynote presentation

AWS will join FICO to discuss their collaboration in a keynote presentation AWS will discuss securing data on the cloud with FICO's Chief Information Security Officer

AWS will discuss securing data on the cloud with FICO's Chief Information Security Officer Amazon will share its experience using FICO optimization technologies

Silicon Valley analytics software firm FICO today announced that Amazon Web Services (AWS) is joining FICO World 2018, a leading Decisions conference on artificial intelligence (AI), applied analytics, and decision management, as a platinum sponsor. AWS and Amazon executives will discuss their relationship with FICO to help drive digital transformation in organizations.

More information: http://www.fico.com/en/ficoworld/

"We are thrilled to welcome AWS to FICO World," said Nikhil Behl, head of global marketing at FICO. "FICO and AWS have established a relationship critical to enabling our customers' digital transformation strategies. At FICO World, AWS will share key insights into pressing issues such as cost, velocity, and security which impact the way organizations do business today."

Philip Moyer, director of global financial services at AWS, will join FICO at a keynote presentation to discuss the relationship between the two companies. In 2017, FICO migrated core applications to AWS, with additional applications to become available on AWS in the future.

Going cloud-first with AWS gives teams across FICO access to the most comprehensive set of cloud capabilities, proven security and compliance, and operational expertise. This allows FICO and AWS to deliver the most advanced analytics software and tools to enterprises around the globe, including 95 percent of the largest financial institutions in the US, enabling organizations to make smarter business decisions.

Ballu Singh, solutions architect at AWS, will also participate in a session on "Securing Sensitive Data in the Cloud" with Hilik Kotler, chief information security officer at FICO.

Amazon Shares Success Using FICO Xpress Optimization Suite

Additionally, Tim Jacobs, director of research science and planning technologies at Amazon, will present a session on how Amazon has built its customer-centric strategy on FICO optimization technologies. He will share insights into how the company has standardized the FICO Xpress Optimization Suite and FICO Xpress Insight for deployment of its advanced analytic applications. Tim will discuss the difficulties of deploying analytic applications and why Amazon chose FICO's Xpress Insight to meet those challenges and incredibly tight timelines. Tim will discuss various examples of how Amazon uses the Xpress Optimization Suite.

FICO World 2018 will take place April 16-19 in Miami Beach, Florida. Other FICO World sponsors include Equifax Inc., TSYS, FIS, and Creative Solutions. More than 1,000 business leaders from 50+ countries are attending to explore new ideas, technologies and solutions in AI, advanced analytics and decision management. More information about the event can be found at: http://www.fico.com/en/ficoworld/

About FICO

FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956 and based in Silicon Valley, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 185 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2.6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time.

Learn more at http://www.fico.com

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

SOURCE FICO

Related Links

http://www.fico.com


WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Mentor Foundation USA will host approximately 200 DC-area high school students at the House of Sweden for a day-long event to help "shatter the myths" around drug misuse. Students will interact with a top U.S. scientist from the National Institutes of Health and inspiring guest speakers.

As the United States faces the worst drug epidemic in its history, responses like the President's proposed death penalty for drug dealers have received extensive media coverage. In contrast, "Shatter the Myths" focuses on prevention and education to stop teens from falling victims to drug abuse, the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50.

"It will take a community effort to address the opioid epidemic, and by working together, we can make sure our young people are educated and empowered to make healthy decisions," says Michaela Pratt, President and CEO of Mentor Foundation USA.

'Shatter the Myths' is a positive community effort, bringing together government agencies, private foundations and corporate partners to empower and educate young people. The event is co-hosted by the Embassy of Sweden and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, with support from Securitas Security Services USA, Inc., Second Genesis Foundation, and EagleForce Associates, Inc.

During the day, students will learn about substance misuse both from a scientific and social perspective. They will also participate in poetry slam workshops where they can express their own feelings around addiction and the importance of prevention.

Special guest speakers include:

Dr. Ruben Baler , Health Scientist Administrator, National Institute on Drug Abuse, a specialist on the neurobiology of drug abuse and addiction

, Health Scientist Administrator, National Institute on Drug Abuse, a specialist on the neurobiology of drug abuse and addiction Karin Jordas, Secretary General for Mentor International, the leading youth development nonprofit organization working globally to empower young people and prevent drug abuse

H.E. the Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S. Karin Olofsdotter



The students will also hear a heartfelt testimonial from Mary A. Winnefeld, who lost her 19-year old son Jonathan to a tragic accidental opioid overdose in September 2017. "I hope that by sharing our son, Jonathan's story, we can help these students understand the impact of addiction on the entire family, and encourage them to communicate openly about their own struggles. Removing the stigma, educating with science, and opening a dialogue at a young age is critical to combatting drug use and addiction", says Mary Winnefeld, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of S.A.F.E. Project US (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic), a national nonprofit working to end the nation's opioid epidemic.

Media can attend between 10:00am-2:30pm. Recommended times are 10:00-11:30am and 1:00-2:00pm at House of Sweden: 2900 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20007. Please register your attendance: [email protected] or (571) 458-7051.

About Mentor Foundation USA Our mission is to empower young people to live healthy lives, free of drugs. Mentor Foundation USA is an affiliate of Mentor International, which was founded in 1994 by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and the World Health Organization. Mentor is the leading non-governmental organization working globally to prevent drug abuse with National Members in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Denmark, and a regional operation in Lebanon, which includes 22 Arab League countries. Collectively, we have implemented projects in over 80 countries and impacted more than 6 million lives.

www.mentorfoundationusa.org

Facebook: Mentor Foundation USA | Instagram: @mentor_usa | Twitter: @mentor_usa

Contact: Michaela Pratt, President & CEO

(571) 458-7051 | [email protected]

SOURCE Mentor Foundation USA

Related Links

http://www.mentorfoundationusa.org/


DALLAS, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Solovis, a multi-asset class portfolio management, analytics and reporting platform for limited partners, asset owners and allocators, today announced that it will deliver a presentation at the North American Innovation Summit on April 17th at The Convene New York.

The North American Innovation Summit, hosted by Waters Technology, provides a platform to bring together technologists, heads of innovation, business leaders and FinTech entrepreneurs to discuss the latest advances in financial technology. It will take a closer look at key disruptors such as AI/cognitive computing, distributed ledger technology (DLT) and alternative data and how they can be leveraged to solve business challenges and drive innovation.

Solovis CEO, Josh Smith, was chosen by industry delegates to present during "Meet the Innovators"  a fast-paced session designed to give attendees an overview of the most innovative, market-leading FinTech companies in North America.

"Our growth demonstrates that the institutional investment industry is embracing new technology and looking for more effective reporting and analytics tools," said Josh Smith, CEO and co-founder of Solovis. "Our ability to aggregate, model and analyze multi-asset class portfolios at a strategic level is unique in the industry and is disrupting how limited partners approach portfolio management. We are committed to delivering innovative financial technology that transforms how our clients operate, and we look forward to sharing our vision at the North American Innovation Summit."

About Solovis

Solovis is a multi-asset class portfolio management and reporting solution for pensions, endowments, foundations, OCIOs, and family offices. Designed and built for open architecture asset management, Solovis is a flexible, robust technology platform that enables detailed analysis and dynamic data modeling across multiple portfolios and pools of capital for actionable, transparent insights that empower investors from the front to back office. Visit www.solovis.com or follow @solovis on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Solovis

Related Links

https://www.solovis.com


JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation is pleased to announce more than $1.9 million in equipment and resources were awarded to 123 first responder and public safety organizations at the organization's quarterly March board of directors meeting. Many of the grant awards include needed equipment to help protect first responders, increasing their life-saving capabilities and allowing them to continue protecting the communities they serve.

Often overlooked, first responders face an array of health hazards in the line of duty. Cancer-causing chemicals, carbon monoxide and other dangerous toxins are among the dangers many first responders are exposed to on a day-to-day basis. According to studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firefighters face a nine percent increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14 percent increase in cancer-related deaths compared to the general population.

"These brave men and women dedicate their lives to protecting ours. They are our heroes, and we want to be sure they are protected in every way possible," said Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Executive Director Robin Peters. "Our Foundation is always learning and responding to different requests from first responders. While on the job, we want them to serve their community with the best equipment the industry has to offer. We also want them to return home to their families safely."

Seeing a need to better protect first responders, the Foundation approved a variety of protective equipment grant awards, including particulate blocking hoods and personal protective gear, which provide protection against contact with carcinogenic chemicals. Respiratory fit testers and self-contained breathing apparatuses were also on the list, helping prevent first responders from breathing in dangerous toxins, as well as, chemical extracting washers and dryers to remove any harmful toxic byproducts that may have absorbed into protective gear.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was founded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when Firehouse Subs Founders, Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen traveled to Mississippi where they provided food to first responders and survivors. As they traveled back to Florida, they knew they could do more and Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was born with the mission of providing funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has granted more than $33 million to hometown heroes in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Grant allocations are made possible thanks to the overwhelming support of Firehouse Subs restaurants and generous donors. Each restaurant recycles leftover, five-gallon buckets, available to guests for a $2 donation to the Foundation. Donation canisters on register counters collect spare change, while the Round Up Program allows guests to "round up" their bill to the nearest dollar. The Foundation is also the beneficiary of a Charitable Sales Promotion where Firehouse of America (FOA) will donate to the Foundation a sum equivalent to 0.13% of all gross sales with a minimum donation of $1 million through December 31, 2018. To donate online and support Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, visit FirehouseSubsFoundation.org.

Connect:

Facebook: Facebook.com/FirehouseSubsFoundation

Twitter: @savinglives

Website: www.firehousesubsfoundation.org

For More Media Information

Alyssa Auger  Tori Andrews

The Zimmerman Agency

(850) 668-2222  [email protected]

SOURCE Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation
"Many homeowners forget to schedule their annual air conditioning maintenance and just turn the unit on when summer arrives," said Mike Nicholson, owner of Nicholson Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning. "The HVAC unit has likely been dormant over winter and turning it on without prior inspection can have costly results. These issues can be avoided simply by scheduling a spring air conditioning tune-up, and there are many benefits to doing so that will last through summer."

Nicholson offers these five reasons to schedule an HVAC tune-up during the spring:

Reduces potential for summer breakdowns  As the HVAC system lies dormant over winter, mechanical and electrical problems can develop unnoticed. Starting a unit for the first time during the summer heat will put excessive strain on the equipment and can quickly turn any developing issues into major problems. Getting a tune-up early can identify and correct these issues before they worsen and ensure smooth operation during the hottest days of the season. Increases overall lifespan of equipment  Without annual maintenance, minor problems can begin to add up and reduce the overall lifespan of the cooling unit. Scheduling regular tune-ups can correct these individual issues before they cause major components to fail. Improves energy efficiency  Tune-ups include replacing filters, cleaning the internals and lubricating the mechanical parts of the system. The smoother the system can operate, the more efficiently it can cool the home. This directly translates to reduced energy consumption and lower monthly bills. May be required for the equipment warranty  Many HVAC equipment warranties actually require that annual maintenance and checkups be performed since regular maintenance can prevent breakdowns and failures that the manufacturer would otherwise be required to pay to fix. If an HVAC unit breaks down more than a year after the last tune-up, the warranty may very well be void. Improves indoor air quality  Dust, debris and other particles can build up inside the cooling unit during the winter season. Turning the system on without thoroughly cleaning it first can introduce these particles to your living spaces. Getting a tune-up will include cleaning the system and removing these particles before they begin to cycle through the home.

"We want MetroWest homeowners to enjoy the warmer weather and not have to worry about their air conditioners breaking down in the middle of a heat wave," Nicholson said. "Being proactive and scheduling an HVAC tune-up now can save money and grant a valuable peace of mind for the entire summer season."

For more information about HVAC maintenance, call Nicholson Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning at (508) 881-1500 or visit www.nicholson-hvac.com/heating/rebates-more/.

About Nicholson Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning

Based in Holliston, Massachusetts, Nicholson is a family-owned, full-service residential plumbing, heating, and air conditioning company proudly serving all of the MetroWest area and beyond. Nicholson takes an all-encompassing approach to ensure clients reach the highest possible level of comfort, while staying within their budget. The company offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee and Solid Warranty. Winner of the 2018 Best of Houzz Award for Customer Service, Nicholson has also been honored with the Angie's List Super Service Award for eight years in a row, the Carrier 2018 Presidents Award, as well as the 2016 Carrier DCNE Outstanding Performance Award. For more information, visit Nicholson at http://www.nicholson-hvac.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

865-977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Nicholson Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning

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NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Acreage Holdings ("Acreage") (www.acreageholdings.com), one of the nation's largest, multi-state actively-managed cannabis corporations, announced the appointments of former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner and former Governor of the State of Massachusetts Bill Weld to its Board of Advisors.

As members of the Board, Speaker Boehner and Governor Weld will bring an immense, collective and unique set of experiences in government affairs, unmatched leadership and guidance to help drive Acreage towards its strategic mission.

In concert with this announcement, Speaker Boehner and Governor Weld have issued this joint statement:

While we come at this issue from different perspectives and track records, we both believe the time has come for serious consideration of a shift in federal marijuana policy. Over the past 20 years a growing number of states have experimented with their right to offer cannabis programs under the protection of the 10th amendment. During that period, those rights have lived somewhat in a state of conflict with federal policy. Also, during this period, the public perception of cannabis has dramatically shifted, with 94% of Americans currently in favor of some type of access, a shift driven by increased awareness of marijuana's many medical applications.

We need to look no further than our nation's 20 million veterans, 20 percent of whom, according to a 2017 American Legion survey, reportedly use cannabis to self-treat PTSD, chronic pain and other ailments. Yet the VA does not allow its doctors to recommend its usage. There are numerous other patient groups in America whose quality of life has been dramatically improved by the state-sanctioned use of medical cannabis.

While the Tenth Amendment has allowed much to occur at the state level, there are still many negative implications of the Federal policy to schedule cannabis as a Class 1 drug: most notably the lack of research, the ambiguity around financial services and the refusal of the VA to offer it as an alternative to the harmful opioids that are ravishing our communities.

We are excited to join the team at Acreage in pursuit of their mission to bring safe, consistent and reliable products to patients and consumers who could benefit. We have full confidence in their management team and believe this is the team that will transform the debate, policy and landscape around this issue.

On the appointments, Acreage Founder and CEO Kevin Murphy said, "Acreage has a mission to make cannabis available to any patient who can benefit from safe and reliable access. The addition of Speaker Boehner and Governor Weld to our Board will lead to even greater access for patients by changing the conversation overnight. These men have shaped the political course of our country for decades and now they will help shape the course of this nascent but ascendant industry."

Both the Speaker and the Governor have agreed to immediately join the Company's Board of Advisors and have committed to join the Company's Board of Directors once it has been formed and other qualified directors have been appointed.

ABOUT ACREAGE HOLDINGS

Acreage Holdings is a vertically integrated, multi-state owner of cannabis licenses and assets in states where either medical and/or adult use cannabis is legal. Headquartered in New York City and currently operating in 11 states, Acreage owns cultivation, processing and dispensary operations and has among the largest footprints of any cannabis company in the U.S. The company is focused on building and scaling the best-in-breed operations and creating the best consumer-focused cannabis experiences and brands in the space.

SOURCE Acreage Holdings

Related Links

https://www.acreageholdings.com


BRONX, N.Y., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gordon Tomaselli, M.D., FAHA, FACC, FHRS, an internationally renowned physician-scientist in the field of cardiovascular disease, has been named the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Tomaselli assumes his new role on July 1, 2018.

A preeminent clinician, investigator, mentor and natural leader, Dr. Tomaselli will be coming to Einstein from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he serves as the Chief of the Division of Cardiology and Co-Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute. He is a cardiac electrophysiologist who specializes in sudden cardiac death and heart rhythm disturbances. His research on the regulation of the heart's electrical activity has led to breakthrough therapies that prevent fatal heart disorders.

Dr. Tomaselli has been lead investigator on groundbreaking National Institutes of Health-funded research and currently oversees a nearly $30 million research budget, one of the largest at Johns Hopkins. As Chief of Cardiology, he leads a group of more than 550 clinicians, scientists and other staff, including 101 faculty members and 87 fellows and maintains his own clinical practice.

Dr. Tomaselli earned his medical degree from Einstein and will bring his accomplishments, skills and passion back to advance its educational and research mission. He will lead the scientists at Einstein in key areas of cutting-edge basic, clinical and translational research from brain science to immunotherapeutics to obesity and cancer. Dr. Tomaselli will work with students and faculty to build efforts now underway to transform medical and scientific education.

"We are so fortunate to have Gordon join the Montefiore Einstein community at this time of exciting growth and change," said Steven M. Safyer, M.D., President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine. As a prominent researcher, clinician and natural leader, Gordon is the perfect fit. He sees the big picture that unites research and education with great clinical care to advance the field of medicine. Our students, our patients and our communities will all benefit from his leadership."

Dr. Tomaselli succeeds Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., who has served as dean since 2006 and led a significant rise in NIH funding and the integration of Einstein and Montefiore, deepening the research, educational and clinical alignment.

"Gordon is the ideal leader to succeed Dr. Spiegel and to further advance Einstein's position as a first-class institution," said Roger Einiger, chair of the Board of Trustees at Einstein. "The board is honored to have him join a long line of deans who have steered this historic institution to its current position as a premier center for biomedical research and medical and scientific education."

"This is a professional and personal highpoint for me, to return to Einstein and the Bronx after three decades at Hopkins," said Dr. Tomaselli. "The medical milestones and scientific discoveries achieved during my career had their genesis at Einstein. This role presents me with a chance to give back to the remarkable institution that laid the foundation for a career that is exceeding my expectations."

Albert Einstein College of Medicine joined with Montefiore from Yeshiva University in 2015. Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, which is an Einstein affiliate and its current academic overseer, expressed enthusiasm about Dr. Tomaselli's appointment.

"Gordon brings a wealth of experience to his role as dean. As an alumnus, an accomplished researcher and a caring doctor, he is uniquely suited to lead Einstein. I look forward to working closely with him," said Dr. Berman.

After receiving his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1977, Dr. Tomaselli earned his medical degree from Einstein in 1982. He completed his medical training and residency at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) in 1985. He began his career in the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute as a research fellow, then moved to the fellowship program at Hopkins in 1986. He joined the faculty there three years later.

Dr. Tomaselli has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and has written numerous reviews and book chapters on aspects of cardiac arrhythmias.

Dr. Tomaselli has studied better ways to predict which heart disease patients will benefit from implanted cardiac defibrillators (ICDs), which shock the heart in order to correct life-threatening arrhythmias. He currently leads a study called PROSe-ICD (PRospective Observational Study of the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator in the prevention of sudden death), which has enrolled nearly 1,200 patients with structural heart disease who are candidates for ICD placement. They have all undergone detailed examinationclinical, electrocardiographic, genetic, proteomic and MRI studiesto identify markers of sudden-death risk. The goal is to better understand the underlying mechanisms of sudden cardiac death and to develop ways to better predict which patients are at greatest risk for this devastating outcome.

Dr. Tomaselli's arrhythmia research includes studies of ion channels, the fundamental elements of biological electricity, and the use of cellular electrophysiology, optical mapping and genetic screening as tools to enhance our understanding of arrhythmias. His group also uses induced human pluripotent stem cells and 3D bioprinting (3D printing that combines cells, growth factors and biomaterials) to create cellular and tissue models of heart and muscle disease.

Dr. Tomaselli served as President of the American Heart Association from 2011 to 2012, was president of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society from 2003 to 2005 and belonged to the board of directors of the Heart Rhythm Society. He was also a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine exam writing committee for Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing (1998-2004). Dr. Tomaselli was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 1996, the American Association of Physicians in 2010 and the Association of University Cardiologists in 2004. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Tomaselli was born in Portland, Maine and raised in Warwick, New York where some of his family still resides. He and his wife Charlene are delighted to be returning. The couple have three adult children, and one grandchild.

About Montefiore Health System

Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 11 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and close to 200 outpatient care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore, is one of the nation's premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2017-2018 academic year, Einstein is home to 697 M.D. students, 181 Ph.D. students, 108 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 265 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,900 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2017, Einstein received more than $174 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States through Montefiore and an affiliation network involving hospitals and medical centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook , and view us on YouTube .

SOURCE Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

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HANOVER, Md., April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cornerstone Defense LLC, a leader in the delivery of advanced technology services and solutions, today announced the appointment of Charles Jacoby  former Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)  to its board of directors.

"Chuck is a respected leader and his background aligns with our position and strategy in delivering technology solutions and services to the Space, DoD and Intelligence community. We welcome him to our board of directors," said Chris Goodrich, chief executive officer. "We are excited to be working with such an outstanding leader," declared Patrick Palmer, Cornerstone's chief growth officer. "General Jacoby is a proven strategist who has served our country with distinction and honor. We are elated that he has chosen to join the board of Cornerstone to enhance our management team and utilize his 37 years of military knowledge to help advance our support to the government's mission."

"I am honored to be joining the board of directors of Cornerstone Defense and to be associated with a growing company providing cutting-edge technical solutions to the intelligence community and the Department of Defense," expressed General Jacoby. "I am looking forward to working with the leadership team to grow the company while performing an important service to the United States government."

Charles H. Jacoby Jr. is a retired United States Army General who served as Commander of United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Jacoby was the first Army officer to assume command of Northern Command. He previously served as the director for Strategic Plans and Policy for The Joint Chiefs of Staff. A 1978 graduate of the United States Military Academy, General Jacoby attended the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, the School of Advanced Military Studies and the National War College. He has a master's degree in history from the University of Michigan.

About Cornerstone Defense LLC

Cornerstone Defense LLC provides technical services to the intelligence and defense communities of the U.S. government. Headquartered in Hanover, Maryland, Cornerstone specializes in cloud architecture, systems and network engineering, systems networks security and application development. Cornerstone's advanced capabilities in service delivery begin with its employees. By hiring and supporting skilled employees, Cornerstone assists our government and integrator community clientele by delivering cutting-edge capabilities that enable the achievement of mission critical objectives. For additional information on Cornerstone Defense, visit www.cornerstonedefense.com.

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Cornerstone Defense

SOURCE Cornerstone Defense

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SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gigamon, Inc. ("Gigamon"), a company leading the convergence of networking and security operations to help organizations improve their security stance, today announced its presence at RSA Conference 2018. Taking place at Moscone Center in San Francisco from April 17th through April 20th, Gigamon invites RSA attendees to learn more about its GigaSECURE Security Delivery Platform and how it can help reduce the complexity and increase the efficiency of their security stack.

RSA attendees are invited to participate in a full slate of activities throughout the week:

Hear from Gigamon Experts

On Tuesday, April 17 at 11:40 a.m. in the South Hall Briefing Center, Simon Gibson, Gigamon Fellow, Security Architect and Former CISO of Bloomberg, and Graham Melville, Senior Director of Security Solutions at Gigamon will present "The Future of Security for SecOps and NetOps." In this session, they will share insights on the convergence of network and security operations and reveal what they wish they'd known earlier in their careers. Attendees will learn how the fundamentals of security are changing, best practices for strengthening security architectures and the latest technologies that can boost efficiency and simplify operations while reducing CapEx and OpEx.

At 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, in the Webroot Booth #S709, Melville will also present "Scale Your Security Stack  Decrypt Once, Inspect Many Times." Attendees will learn best practices for consolidating their lineup of security tools and the benefits of network visibility when managing high volumes of encrypted traffic.

Meet with a Gigamon Expert

Experts will be available to discuss the Defender Lifecycle Model and share the company's approach to security that fundamentally changes the way organizations address threats. Participants will leave with an understanding of the essential role Gigamon plays to make their network and security infrastructure more resilient, agile and secure. Email [email protected] to request a briefing in the Gigamon Meeting Suite during the following dates and times:

Monday, April 16  3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Tuesday, April 17  7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Wednesday, April 18  7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Thursday, April 19  7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Learn How Gigamon Works with Market-Leading Security Vendors

In Booth #4321 in Moscone North, Gigamon will demonstrate a wide range of technology advancements and integrations with best-in-class security technology partners including AWS, Cisco, IBM, ExtraHop, FireEye, Imperva, Microsoft, Plixer, RSA, Splunk and VMware. Make plans to visit Gigamon, see a demo and engage in conversations with Gigamon security professionals during Expo hours:

Tuesday, April 17  10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Wednesday, April 18  10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Thursday, April 19  10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Join the Annual Customer Thank You Dinner

Gigamon customers are invited to join an exclusive dinner with the Gigamon executive team on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. Email [email protected] to request your seat.

Attend the Annual Government Cybersecurity Breakfast

Federal agencies are invited to attend a Gigamon-hosted breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18. Gigamon CEO, Paul Hooper, and a panel of cybersecurity experts will share insights about increasing the efficiency and reducing the complexity of the security prevention stack and accessing and controlling data. RSVP here to confirm your participation.

Follow Gigamon on Social Media

Stay up to date on the latest news and activities at RSA. Follow @Gigamon and @RSAConference and use #TheEssentialElement and #RSAC when posting on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Gigamon

Gigamon is the company leading the convergence of networking and security operations to help organizations reduce the complexity and increase the efficiency of their security stack. The Company's GigaSECURE Security Delivery Platform is a next generation network packet broker that helps customers makes threats more visible across cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments, deploy resources faster and maximize the performance of their security tools. Global 2000 companies and government agencies rely on Gigamon solutions to stop tool sprawl and save costs. Learn how you can make your infrastructure more resilient, more agile and more secure at www.gigamon.com, on our blog and Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

SOURCE Gigamon

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http://www.gigamon.com


ALBANY, New York, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global endoscopic ultrasound needles market was valued at around US$ 272.7 Mn in 2016 is anticipated to expand at a stable CAGR of over 4.5% during forecast period of 2017 to 2025, according to a new report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled 'Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017-2025.' Expansion of the global endoscopic ultrasound needles market is expected to be driven by technological advancements and increasing use of single-use endoscopic ultrasound needles during the forecast period. The endoscopic ultrasound needles market in Asia Pacific is likely to expand at a CAGR of above 5.0% due to high prevalence of diseases, development in the health care sector, and increased focus on research and developmental activities.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664869/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )



Rise in Geriatric Population and Increasing Incidence of Diseases that Require Endoscopic Ultrasound Procedures to Drive Market Expansion

The global population is aging rapidly, especially in some developed economies such as the U.S., most of Western Europe, and Japan. Developed economies witness high rates of aging as compared to developing economic countries. This is attributed to improved health care infrastructure, reimbursement policies, and advancement in health care facilities in these countries. Moreover, easy access to various diagnostic and treatment services has improved in the recent past, especially in developed economies. This, in turn, has increased the life expectancy of the population. The geriatric population is the major end-user of bariatric surgeries, knee-hip implants, colonoscopy, and gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasound procedures for the improvement in the quality of their life. Increase in number of elderly people leads to high rate of ailments, which, in turn, is likely to propel demand and consumption of endoscopic ultrasound needles.

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High Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Related Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death, and in 2015, it was responsible for 8.8 million deaths worldwide. Helicobacter pylori infection is the best known carcinogen for gastric cancer. Most of the gastric cancer cases in the Western countries are diagnosed at late stages when the treatment remains less effective. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer associated with pancreas and stomach have increased the demand for diagnostic methods to detect cancer at early stages. The progress of gastrointestinal tract related cancers depends upon their stage, and most advanced developments in diagnostic ultrasound endoscopy have therefore focused on early detection. These factors are expected to increase demand for endoscopy ultrasound needles in the future to identify cancers at an early stage.

Rising Patient Preference for Minimally Invasive Surgeries is Likely to Increase Demand for Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles

Presently, doctors have great assistance due to advanced robotic devices that provide higher control and vision during surgeries, allowing them to perform safe, less invasive, and precise surgical procedures. Non-robotic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery also known as endoscopic surgery that can be categorized into laparoscopic surgery and/or thoracoscopic surgery. Minimally invasive procedures use advanced technology to reach internal organs through small incisions that causes decreased pain, small incisions, low risk of infection, shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery time, less scarring, and reduced blood loss compared to traditional surgeries. These factors are likely to drive the endoscopy ultrasound needles market in the near future.

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In terms of product, the market can be divided into aspiration needles (EUS-FNA) and biopsy needles (EUS-FNB). The aspiration needles segment is likely to account for a leading share of the global EUS needles market during the forecast period, owing to wide usage of these needles in pulmonology and gastroenterology. Technological developments in EUS biopsy needles are estimated to result in significant expansion of the biopsy needles segment during the forecast period. Based on application, the endoscopic ultrasound needles market can be segmented into bronchial EUS needles and enteral EUS needles. Increasing adoption of EUS needles in gastroenterology is likely to fuel the enteral EUS needles segment in the next few years.

Rise in Patient Preference for Minimally Invasive Surgeries at Hospitals Drive Expansion of Hospitals End-user Segment

Based on end-user, the market can be segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and specialty clinics. The ambulatory surgical centers segment is estimated to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period, owing to increasing number of these centers and rising number of endoscopic ultrasound procedures performed in these centers.

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Increasing Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Related Cancers in Asia Pacific Region to Create More Opportunities for Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles Market

In terms of geography, the global endoscopic ultrasound needles market can be divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to constitute a leading share of the global market during the forecast period, owing to high adoption of EUS needles and high health care expenditure in the region. Europe is anticipated to account for a significant share of the global market between 2017 and 2025. Increase in the incidence of cancer and chronic hepatobiliary diseases in Europe is projected to fuel the market in the region during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period, due to increasing health care expenditure in the region. The endoscopic ultrasound needles market in Latin America is at a pivotal point today. It was valued around US$ 22.0 Mn in 2016 and anticipated to expand at a significant pace. Increasing focus of key players on expansion in Asia Pacific with its large untapped population and rising awareness about health care are expected to propel the endoscopic ultrasound needles market in Asia Pacific.

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Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus Corporation, and Medtronic Were the Market Leaders in the Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles Market in 2016

Key players covered in this report are Olympus Corporation, Medtronic, Cook Medical, CONMED Corporation, Medi-globe, ACE Medical Devices Pvt. Ltd., and Boston Scientific Corporation. Companies operating in the global market for endoscopic ultrasound needles are focusing on strategic collaborations for developing new products in the emerging regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Popular Research Reports by TMR:

Endoscopic Balloon Dilators Market:

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/endoscopic-balloon-dilators-market.html

Endoscopic Clips Market:

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/endoscopic-clips-market.html

About Us

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.

TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.



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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
WILMINGTON, Del., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Living in an age where information is found just a screen touch away, people can search for details about others and find out what lies in their past. However, most of the information people search for is found in social media accounts where anyone can write what they wish about themselves.

In order to provide people with accurate information about others and help them find out if they are telling lies, GoLookUp is providing users with the most comprehensive People Search directory available today.

A man scrolling on his phone

How to People Search with GoLookUp?

Searching for accurate information about people requires finding their public records that are found at different offices in each state in America. Gathering information in this manner is arduous, but GoLookUp's people search directory gathers the same information in a matter of minutes.

In order to access the information found in public records, all users have to do is enter the first name, last name and state of residence of the person they wish to know more about. Then GoLookUp scans billions of public records all across the United States and provides users with a report that includes criminal records, contact information, sexual offenses, mugshots and much more information about the person of interest.

The people search directory on GoLookUp is meant to help people keep themselves and their loved ones safe from harm that might be caused at the hands of people they do not know or think they know. In cases where a person of interest provided a false name, GoLookUp allows users to conduct a reverse phone look up for a free background check.

Finding information about people allows those they meet discover the truth about their past and protect themselves if it is necessary. GoLookUp's people search directory allows users to find all the information they need about people in their lives and decide if they should continue the relationship with them based on what they found.

For further information:

[email protected]

GoLookUp.com

1000 N West Street

Suite 1200

Wilmington, Delaware 19801

Toll Free: 1-877-890-2213

Related Links

GoLookUp

People Search

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5UQm1-Pvro

SOURCE GoLookUp

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"As we conclude our 100th anniversary, the opening of this new office underscores Grey's vitality and dynamism," Michael Houston said. "We've broadened our definition of creativity and forged a unique end-to-end marketing model. This fully-integrated structure will deliver 'Famously Effective' ideas that break new ground in brand experience with the agility and speed our 'always on' world demands."

Houston continued, "Grey Midwest will become our North American center of excellence for performance marketing as well as a primary service hub for clients who want to work with a lean, nimble agency that has digital, data and ecommerce at its core."

The Grey Midwest hub includes the following co-located resources:

Grey: the award-winning, full-service creative advertising agency, complemented with activation and public relations; social marketing; and design capabilities.

the award-winning, full-service creative advertising agency, complemented with activation and public relations; social marketing; and design capabilities. Grey Commerce: a newly-formed proprietary practice that merges shopper and ecommerce sensibility into a new offering dedicated to making brands buyable, using data and creativity, to move consumers to action and, ultimately, purchase. Christine McCambridge has been named Executive Director of Commerce.

a newly-formed proprietary practice that merges shopper and ecommerce sensibility into a new offering dedicated to making brands buyable, using data and creativity, to move consumers to action and, ultimately, purchase. has been named Executive Director of Commerce. The Cincinnati Office of POSSIBLE: the multi-service digital agency outpost has become part of Grey. The group, known for its digital, data and ecommerce expertise, is a leader in performance marketing.

the multi-service digital agency outpost has become part of Grey. The group, known for its digital, data and ecommerce expertise, is a leader in performance marketing. Townhouse: the full-service, creative production agency, serving Grey clients. Townhouse is opening a new state-of-the-art 3,500 sq. foot end-to-end content creation studio across all channels.

"We're excited to bring the global creativity and resources of Grey and Townhouse into closer proximity and partnership with all our clients, including Procter & Gamble, our largest client," Debby Reiner, CEO of Grey New York, said. "We are confident a high-performance, smartly integrated, hungry team of makers all within arm's reach will ignite creativity, collaboration and speed to market and be attractive to clients all across the Midwest."

Grey Midwest, with 80 employees, will be led by Tony Desjardins as Managing Director, who reports to Debby Reiner, CEO of Grey New York.

The senior management group includes:

Adam Kahn , Executive Creative Director

, Executive Creative Director Brian LeCount , EVP Strategy and Insights

, EVP Strategy and Insights Christopher Reintz , EVP Client Services

, EVP Client Services Steve Noble , VP of Marketing Science and Customer Experience

, VP of Marketing Science and Customer Experience Todd Barker , Senior Director of Technology

, Senior Director of Technology Jamie Grady , SVP Finance & Operations

, SVP Finance & Operations Priscila Fernandes , Group Director, Project Management

, Group Director, Project Management Rachel Durden , Talent Specialist

Tony Desjardins, Managing Director of Grey Midwest, said, "The establishment of Grey Midwest is a vote of confidence in Cincinnati as a creative destination and in its business community. We've created a premier one-to-one communications offering both mid-size and large-size local companies are looking for."

Desjardins continued, "Grey Midwest's Creativity to Commerce rigor will take the big idea and drill it down through the purchase funnel to make brands buyable."

Grey Midwest's anchor clients include: Procter & Gamble, Essilor of America and Perrigo.

POSSIBLE Partnership will operate as a separate entity co-located with Grey Midwest.

About Grey



Grey is the advertising network of Grey Group, which ranks among the largest global communications companies. Its parent company is WPP (NYSE: WPP). Under the banner of "Grey Famously Effective Since 1917," the agency serves a blue-chip roster of many of the world's best known companies: Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Kellogg's, Pfizer, Canon, NFL, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Nestle, Walgreens, Revlon, Applebee's and T.J. Maxx.

Contact: Owen J. Dougherty

212-546-2551

[email protected]

SOURCE Grey
CHICAGO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB), the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace, today announced that it will host a conference call to discuss its first quarter financial results on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. CT, following the release of the Company's financial results. CEO Matt Maloney and CFO Adam DeWitt will host the webcast.

The live webcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations section of the Grubhub website at http://investors.grubhub.com/. Following completion of the call, a recording of the webcast will be available on the website.

About Grubhub

Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation's leading online and mobile takeout food-ordering marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as the largest diner base. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub strives to elevate food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub is proud to work with more than 80,000 restaurant partners in over 1,600 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, Eat24, AllMenus and MenuPages.

SOURCE Grubhub Inc.

Related Links

http://www.grubhub.com


DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "2018 Hong Kong Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research work strategically analyzes Hong Kong telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others.

The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025.

Hong Kong telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in Hong Kong together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front.

On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of Hong Kong that enable strategy planners to formulate their pricing and branding strategies.

The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Key Findings

Hong Kong Telecom Market Overview

Hong Kong Telecom Market - Strategic Analysis

Trends Shaping the Future of Hong Kong Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in Hong Kong

Telecom Investments in Hong Kong

Market Drivers

Market Restraints

Hong Kong Telecom Market Outlook

Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Hong Kong Telecom Competitive Environment

Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry

Hong Kong Telecom Industry Benchmarking

Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index

Hong Kong Economic Outlook to 2025

GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends

Hong Kong Demographic Outlook to 2025

Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in Hong Kong

Competitor Analysis

Company A: Profile and operations in Hong Kong

Company B: Profile and operations in Hong Kong

Company C: Profile and operations in Hong Kong

Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/tjjqjt/hong_kong?w=5

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

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SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotwire, a leading online travel site and operating company of Expedia, Inc., announced today that it has selected Interpublic Group's FCB as its creative agency of record after a full media, creative and public relations review. As part of this new partnership, FCB's San Francisco office, FCB West, will be responsible for Hotwire's brand repositioning and strategy, concept development and integrated campaign execution.

Hotwire joins FCB West's impressive roster of iconic brands, which include Levi's, Clorox, Dockers, Smokey Bear and Ghirardelli. Seeking an agency partner to help them reinvigorate their brand and regain market share among an extremely saturated competitive market, Hotwire conducted a competitive review that started late last year with many of the most admired creative agencies participating.

"This is going to be an exciting year for the brand, and we've found a team of creative partners who not only share in our vision, but also in our passion for the product and what it means to our customers," said Melissa Postier, Director Brand, PR and Social for Hotwire.

Hotwire is a leading discount travel site that can be used to book vacation packages, hotel rooms, airline tickets and rental cars. Launched in 2000, Hotwire operates by selling unsold travel inventory at discounted prices. It uses an opaque sales model to fill unsold hotel rooms, airline seats and rental cars.

"We're excited to be partnering with Hotwire as their lead creative agency to help them drive and fuel business momentum," said FCB West CEO Joe Oh. "We look forward to delivering a breakthrough creative campaign that will be the next great success story in the dynamic travel industry."

This latest client win marks an impressive start to the year for FCB, which was named Ad Age's "Agency to Watch" in 2018 and recently announced the win of the GE Appliances business. FCB West has played a significant role in the agency's success, winning back Levi's in 2014 and Clorox in 2016. The agency's first work for Hotwire is expected to launch later this summer.

About Hotwire

Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site inspiring spontaneous travel through Hot Rate deals. Launched in 2000, Hotwire, Inc. obtains deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. Hotwire.com is an award-winning website, and Hotwire, Inc. is an operating company within Expedia, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com.

About FCB

FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) is a global, fully integrated marketing communications company with a heritage of creativity and success dating from 1873. Based on a deeply developed understanding of diversified local markets and global cultures, FCB focuses on creating "Never Finished" campaign ideas for clients that reflect a deep understanding of the brand's past, a respect for the present and an anticipation of the future potential. With more than 8,000 people in 109 operations in 80 countries, the company is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). With a legacy spanning over 90 years in San Francisco, FCB West helped build some of the world's most iconic brands for blue-chip clients like Levi's, Clorox, Smokey Bear and Ghirardelli. Founded on a culture of innovative firsts, the California agency is known for introducing the much-loved California Raisins and the first broadcast commercial as we know it today. Learn more at www.FCB.com and follow us on Twitter (@FCBglobal) and Instagram (@fcb.west and @FCBglobal) and Facebook (FCB Global).

SOURCE FCB

Related Links

http://www.fcb.com


SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotwire, a leading online travel site, announced today that it has selected three new agency partners to lead the brand's new positioning campaign this year. After a highly competitive creative, media and PR review, the brand selected the following agencies: San Francisco-based FCB West (creative), Minneapolis-based Fallon (media) and the Los Angeles team of Citizen Relations (communications/PR). All three agencies will work with the brand team on the strategic development and execution of a fully-integrated marketing campaign set to launch this summer.

Seeking agency partners to help take Hotwire into its next phase of growth within the fast-moving travel industry, Hotwire's agency review started late last year with many of the most admired agencies participating. The final selection ended in early March, and agency partners were notified of the win this past week.

"This is going to be an exciting year for the brand, and we've found a team of creative partners that not only share in our vision but in our passion for the product and what it means to our customers," said Melissa Postier, Director Brand, PR and Social for Hotwire.

Each of the three agencies will focus on specific areas of the new campaign with a shared interest in the overall vision, voice and disruption the brand is looking to bring this year. FCB West will be responsible for the brand's strategy and creative development while Fallon will oversee and manage the brand's paid media efforts across multiple channels. Citizen will develop and deploy the creative communications strategies and integrated messaging across the brand's media, consumer and influencer targets.

Hotwire has been one of the leading discount travel sites for nearly two decades, serving tens of millions of customers with some of the hottest deals in hotel rooms, rental cars, flight tickets and vacation packages. Because Hotwire regularly offers deals on travel inventory that would otherwise remain unsold, they get some of the "hottest" rates in the industry, and can pass these savings along to the consumer as Hot Rate products.

About Hotwire

Hotwire is a leading discount travel site. Launched in 2000, Hotwire, Inc. was one of the first online travel sites to work with suppliers directly to book unsold inventory. By simply hiding the brand name, Hotwire can offer customers deep savings on hotel rooms, rental cars, flights and vacation packages. Hotwire, Inc. is an operating company within Expedia Group. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com.

About FCB

FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) is a global, fully integrated marketing communications company with a heritage of creativity and success dating from 1873. Based on a deeply developed understanding of diversified local markets and global cultures, FCB focuses on creating "Never Finished" campaign ideas for clients that reflect a deep understanding of the brand's past, a respect for the present and an anticipation of the future potential. With more than 8,000 people in 109 operations in 80 countries, the company is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). With a legacy spanning over 90 years in San Francisco, FCB West helped build some of the world's most iconic brands for blue-chip clients like Levi's, Clorox, Smokey Bear and Ghirardelli. Founded on a culture of innovative firsts, the California agency is known for introducing the much-loved California Raisins and the first broadcast commercial as we know it today. Learn more at www.FCB.com and follow us on Twitter (@FCBglobal) and Instagram (@fcb.west and @FCBglobal) and Facebook (FCB Global).

About Citizen Relations

Citizen Relations is a global, award-winning, integrated creative communications agency. Its mission is to drive clients' business forward through creative strategic frameworks that spark conversation, create citizen engagement, and fuel results. With nine offices around the globe, including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal, London, and Singapore, Citizen operates on a global scale with boutique offering and local-market expertise. Its unique model features a strategic-partner network across more than 40 countries and cities, globally, providing clients valuable on-demand access and highly customized services when, and where needed. Citizen Relations is a division of Vision 7 International, which is majority owned by BlueFocus International. For more information on Citizen Relations, please visit www.citizenrelations.com.

About Fallon

Fallon Worldwide is a Minneapolis-based advertising agency that's part of Publicis Communications, the hub of creative agencies within Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A. Fallon clients include Arby's, Comedy Central, Big Ten Network, H&R Block and Danone. Fallon Worldwide is one of the world's most critically acclaimed creativity companies, delivering breakthrough ideas for some of the world's leading brands. Additional information can be found at www.fallon.com.

 2018 Hotwire, Inc. All rights reserved. Hotwire and the Hotwire logo are trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST # 2053390-40

For more information contact:

Geena Marcella

Marketing Manager for Hotwire

(206) 481-1054

SOURCE Hotwire

Related Links

http://www.hotwire.com


CHICAGO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hub International Limited (HUB), a leading global insurance brokerage, announced today the launch of SHIELD, a new umbrella/excess risk purchasing group insurance program, exclusive to HUB clients and prospects, to give commercial real estate and hospitality businesses (limited service hotels) the purchasing strength to buy insurance at cost savings while reaping the benefits of broadened coverage. Additionally, with HUB servicing customers directly, they benefit from HUB's dedication to exceptional, consistent client services.

"Umbrella/Excess liability insurance is important for any company looking to protect itself from catastrophic and unforeseen events," said Chip Stuart, Practice Leader & Chief Sales Officer for HUB's National Real Estate Practice. "However, our clients are now better served with HUB coordinating their insurance-buying decisions directly with carriers as we offer frontline client service, negotiated renewals and predetermined premiums. Additionally, they can benefit from our risk services resources and team to improve their risk profile to lower costs."

As part of HUB's recently announced Specialty Practices, SHIELD is one of the first examples of the company's tailored insurance solutions designed to best manage its commercial real estate and hospitality clients' risks.

SHIELD will provide broad umbrella coverage, per location aggregates and limits up to $100,000,000, with no shared limits for commercial real estate businesses such as offices, warehouses, light industrial and retail properties as well as limited use hotels and mixed use space. SHIELD will also include additional risk services for HUB commercial real estate and hospitality clients including:

Fire protection impairment , hot work programs design, and monitoring

hot work programs design, and monitoring Water damage prevention and mitigation

Security and protection systems evaluations

Slip and fall preventions

Life safety evaluations

Safety program review and development

Audit and inspection processes

Claim reporting and advocacy

Real property replacement cost valuations

"Given the problems of growing loss severity, less insurance availability, and increasing premiums, HUB recognized an opportunity to better serve our clients by offering this proprietary product nationwide through multiple carriers rated 'A+, XV' or better by A.M. Best," said Tom Delark, Chief Marketing Officer of HUB's National Real Estate Practice. "We're thrilled to bring this proprietary solution to our clients and look forward to continuing our quest to develop solutions that best manage our commercial real estate clients' risks."

HUB collaborated with Sompo Global Risk Solutions, a business within Sompo International which offers comprehensive multiline insurance coverages targeted at select industry verticals and client segments. Sompo's underwriting capabilities and depth of experience within these industries helped to establish SHIELD's best-in-class coverage and service offerings.

About Hub International

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Hub International Limited (HUB) is a leading full-service global insurance broker providing property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits, investment and risk management products and services. From offices located throughout North America, HUB's vast network of specialists provides peace of mind on what matters most by protecting clients through unrelenting advocacy and tailored insurance solutions. For more information, please visit hubinternational.com.

CONTACT:

Media: Marni Gordon

Phone: 312-279-4601

[email protected]

SOURCE Hub International Limited

Related Links

http://hubinternational.com


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Zimmerman, the agency known for its retail expertise, announced the promotion of Fred Schank to Chief Experience Officer. He has a background in software development and since 2011, he has been the driving force behind the Digital Experience, Technology, and Innovation teams at Zimmerman.

Schank's experience includes working on digital initiatives with national brands helping define and differentiate their presence in the digital space. Some of those brands include McDonald's, Chuck E. Cheese's, Virgin Mobile, White Castle, Toys R Us, Saks Fifth Avenue, Firehouse Subs, Boston Market, and Party City. In his new role, he will continue to build the team to produce ideas and technology that solve consumers' problems before they're even aware of them.

Jordan Zimmerman, Founder and Chairman of the agency said, "I believe that success results from finding the intersection between business goals and user goals. This intersection drives the strategy towards customer journey, performance marketing, and eCommerce experience. Fred gets that and he has the skills and drive to find that intersection."

"I was challenged to drive the agency to 'what's next' and I accept the opportunity with great excitement. I share the agency's leadership vision that creating success in today's fierce retail marketplace requires innovation, efficiency and ideas that can change the world," said Schank.

"Too many agencies hide behind the word 'data'. Fred's remit is to help us use data as a weapon instead of a shield. He knows that journeys can't end in an idea, they must be responsible all the way to a retail sale," said Michael Goldberg, CEO of Zimmerman Advertising.

This promotion follows a string of over 75 new positions hired to support the growth of existing accounts like Nissan and Michaels, and new accounts like McDonald's, Gabe's and others.

-------------------------------

About Zimmerman Advertising

Zimmerman Advertising, an Omnicom Group company, is the leading integrated, retail agency in the country. Zimmerman's clients represent some of the most prominent retail brands in the country, including Nissan, McDonald's, Tire Kingdom, Advance America, ADT, Five Below, AutoNation, Chuck E. Cheese's, La-Z-Boy and Michaels. Headquartered in South Florida, the agency has retail service offices throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. For information on the agency, visit http://www.zadv.com.

SOURCE Zimmerman

Related Links

http://www.zadv.com


DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "India Stationery Market (2018-2024): Market Forecast By Types, By Applications, By Regions and Competitive Landscape" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

India Stationery market holds tremendous growth potential as the country has nearly 22-24 crore students studying and requiring notebooks and other stationery materials. Increasing number of schools and offices, improved standard of living as well as shift in focus from inexpensive to premium quality products on account of rapidly burgeoning economy are some of the crucial factors which would drive the demand for stationery products in India over the next six years. Further, government initiatives such as National Policy on Education and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to ensure low cost and quality compulsory education for all would also spur the growth of stationery market in India.



India stationery market revenues are projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% during 2018-24.

In India, major demand for stationery products is generated from education sector due to increasing enrollment of students in schools and higher educational institutions. Further, growing e-commerce industry in the country is also contributing to rising sales of stationery products. Office segment is the second highest consumer of stationery products and is anticipated to register healthy growth during the forecast period due to growing demand for stationery products in the service sector.



Amongst all, paper stationery accounted for the major revenue share in the overall India stationery market. Exercise notebooks, copier paper and premium paper stationery are the key revenue generating segments. Furthermore, exercise notebook segment has captured highest share in paper stationery market. Amongst all the regions, the Northern region accounted for highest revenue share in 2017. Market is expected to surge on account of growing youth population and literacy rate across the country.



The report thoroughly covers the stationery market by type, applications and regions. The report provides an unbiased and detailed analysis of the on-going trends, opportunities/high growth areas and market drivers which would help the stakeholders to device and align their market strategies according to the current and future market dynamics.



Key Topics Covered



1 Executive Summary



2 Introduction

2.1 Report Description

2.2 Key Highlights of the Report

2.3 Market Scope & Segmentation

2.4 Research Methodology

2.5 Assumptions



3 Global Stationery Market Overview

3.1 Global Stationery Market Revenues, 2014-2024F



4 India Stationery Market Overview

4.1 India Stationery Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

4.2 Industry Life Cycle

4.3 Porter's Five Forces

4.4 India Stationery Market Revenue Share, By Types (2017 & 2024F)

4.5 India Stationery Market Revenue Share, By Applications (2017 & 2024F)

4.6 India Stationery Market Revenue Share, By Regions (2017 & 2024F)



5 India Stationery Market Dynamics

5.1 Drivers

5.2 Restraints



6 India Stationery Market Trends



7 India Paper Stationery Market Overview

7.1 India Paper Stationery Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

7.2 India Paper Stationery Market Revenue Share, By Types, 2017 & 2024F

7.3 India Copier Paper Market Overview

7.4 India Exercise Notebook Paper Market Overview

7.5 India Premium Paper Market Overview

7.6 India Drawing Paper Market Overview

7.7 India Pastel Sheet Market Overview



8 India Non Paper Stationery Market Overview

8.1 India Non Paper Stationery Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

8.2 India Non Paper Stationery Market Revenue Share, By Types, 2017 & 2024F

8.3 India Pen Market Overview

8.4 India Pencil Market Overview

8.5 India Eraser Market Overview

8.6 India Scale Market Overview

8.7 India Sharpener Market Overview

8.8 India Art Stationery Market Overview

8.9 India Casual Backpack Market Overview

8.10 India Pencil Box Market Overview

8.11 India Lunch Box Market Overview

8.12 India Files and Folders Market Overview

8.13 India Adhesive Stationery Market Overview

8.14 India Technical Instrument Market Overview



9 India Stationery Market Overview, By Applications

9.1 India Educational Application Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

9.2 India Office Application Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

9.3 India Other Applications Market Revenues, 2014-2024F



10 India Stationery Market Overview, By Regions

10.1 India Northern Region Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

10.2 India Southern Region Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

10.3 India Western Region Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

10.4 India Eastern Region Market Revenues, 2014-2024F

10.5 India Northern Region Market Revenues, By States 2014-2024F

10.6 India Southern Region Market Revenues, By States 2014-2024F

10.7 India Western Region Market Revenues, By States 2014-2024F

10.8 India Eastern Region Market Revenues, By States 2014-2024F



11 India Stationery Market Opportunity Assessment

11.1 India Paper Stationery Market Opportunity Assessment, 2024F

11.2 India Non Paper Stationery Market Opportunity Assessment, 2024F



12 India Stationery Market Import & Export Scenario

12.1 India Drawing Paper Imports, 2014-2027

12.2 India Drawing Paper Exports, 2014-2027

12.3 India Pen Imports, 2014-2027

12.4 India Pen Exports, 2014-2027

12.5 India Eraser & Files and Folders Imports, 2014-2027

12.6 India Eraser & Files and Folders Imports, 2014-2027

12.7 India Notebook Imports, 2014-2027

12.8 India Notebook Exports, 2014-2027



13 India Stationery Market Competitive Landscape

13.1 India Copier Market Company Share, 2017

13.2 India Exercise Notebook Market Company Share, 2017

13.3 India Spiral/Wiro Notebook Market Company Share, 2017

13.4 India Executive Notebook Market Company Share, 2017

13.5 India Diary Market Company Share, 2017

13.6 India Drawing Paper Market Company Share, By Company, 2017

13.7 India Pen Market Company Share, 2017

13.8 India Pencil & Scale Market Company Share, 2017

13.9 India Sharpener & Eraser Market Company Share, 2017

13.10 India Art Stationery Market Company Share, 2017

13.11 India Casual Backpack and Adhesive Stationery Market Company Ranking, 2017



14 Company Profiles

14.1 Hindustan Pencils Pvt. Ltd.

14.2 DOMS Industries Pvt. Ltd.

14.3 BIC CELLO (INDIA) Pvt. Ltd.

14.4 Kokuyo Camlin Ltd.

14.5 ITC Ltd.

14.6 Sundaram Multi Pap Ltd.

14.7 Flair (India) Pvt. Ltd.

14.8 West Coast Paper Mills Ltd.

14.9 Ballarpur Industries Ltd.

14.10 Navneet Education Ltd.

14.11 Pidilite Industries Ltd.

14.12 JK Paper Ltd.



15 Strategic Recommendations



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7xgl78/india_stationery?w=5

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


SLOUGH, England and RICHMOND, Va., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivior PLC (LON: INDV) today announced that it will release its first quarter 2018 results on May 2nd at 12:00 p.m. London time (7:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern). The results will be available via the London Stock Exchange's Regulatory News Service (RNS) and on the "Investors" section of the company's website at www.indivior.com.

Key members of Indivior's leadership team led by Shaun Thaxter, Chief Executive Officer, will host a conference call to discuss the results and address questions from qualified analysts and investors at 1:00 p.m. London time (8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern) on May 2nd.

Access the Live Webcast for the Results Call on May 2nd

The webcast event will be available on the "Investors" section of the company's website at www.indivior.com. The webcast link is https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/dq3mbvwq. Participants also may access the results presentation telephonically: US participants 1-323-794-2149; international participants 44(0)330-336-9411. Please reference confirmation number 1140953. A replay of the presentation will be available at www.indivior.com.

About Indivior

Indivior is a global specialty pharmaceutical company with a 20-year legacy of leadership in patient advocacy and health policy while providing education on evidence-based treatment models that have revolutionized modern addiction treatment. The name is the fusion of the words individual and endeavour, and the tagline "Focus on you" makes the Company's commitment clear. Indivior is dedicated to transforming addiction from a global human crisis to a recognized and treated chronic disease. Building on its global portfolio of opioid dependence treatments, Indivior has a strong pipeline of product candidates designed to both expand on its heritage in this category and address other chronic conditions and co-occurring disorders of addiction, including alcohol use disorder and schizophrenia. Headquartered in the United States in Richmond, VA, Indivior employs more than 900 individuals globally and its portfolio of products is available in over 40 countries worldwide. Visit www.indivior.com to learn more.

Contact:

Jason Thompson

Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: 804-423-8916 or [email protected]

SOURCE Indivior PLC

Related Links

http://www.indivior.com


PHILADELPHIA, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspire, a consumer technology company focused on enabling everyone to have a smart home powered by clean energy, announced today that its Smart Energy subscription plan is now available for all Philadelphians. The award-winning monthly subscription includes an integrated smart home experience, energy management services, and 100% clean energy, with no upfront costs. Personalized for each member, the Smart Energy plan is designed to improve the efficiency of the home, eliminate environmental impact, and automate energy savings.

The average U.S. homeowner burns the energy equivalent of 8,000+ pounds of coal every year. According to the city of Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability, for many residents, energy is the second largest household expense after mortgage or rent. With nearly nine in ten Americans agreeing clean energy is important to the country's future, many want to do the right thingbut often don't know where or how to start. Inspire was founded on the idea that if you give people an easier, more rewarding way to choose clean energy, they will.

"Our Smart Energy subscriptions combine the power of clean energy with in-home smart technologies, enabling us to reward Philadelphians for the energy they don't have to use," said Patrick Maloney, founder and CEO of Inspire. "The more energy efficient Inspire homes are, the more our members save, and the better the world doescreating a triple bottom line. It's the first economic model in energy where the incentives of the consumer, company, and planet are perfectly aligned."

Philadelphia is doubling down on its clean energy efforts, recently committing to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2035, as part of the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy initiative. Many Philadelphians across the city have already switched to Inspire. Last year alone, these members prevented the equivalent of more than 150 million pounds of coal from being burned.

"Inspire's Smart Energy subscriptions make it even easier for all Philadelphians to adopt clean energy, use less of it, and contribute to the city's goal," continued Maloney.

Every Smart Energy plan provides Philadelphians with the following benefits:

No Surprises : One stable monthly subscription price for 100% clean energy that is personalized for each member.

: One stable monthly subscription price for 100% clean energy that is personalized for each member. Increased Home Performance: Ability to adopt smart technologies such as climate, lighting, sensors, and voice control at no upfront cost that will instantly help erase the home's carbon footprint.

Ability to adopt smart technologies such as climate, lighting, sensors, and voice control at no upfront cost that will instantly help erase the home's carbon footprint. Seamless Mobile Experience: The Inspire app, available on iOS and Android, allows members to control their homes from anywhere, unlock in-app rewards, and gain intelligent insights into their home's performance.

The Inspire app, available on iOS and Android, allows members to control their homes from anywhere, unlock in-app rewards, and gain intelligent insights into their home's performance. Automatic Rewards: Automated energy savings designed to pay members back as their homes use the cleanest form of energy  the energy they don't have to use.

Subscribe to Inspire Smart Energy today. Click here to discover your custom plan.

About Inspire

Launched in 2014, Inspire's mission is to create a brighter energy future by simplifying consumer adoption of clean energy and smart home technologies. Disrupting the one-size-fits-all utility model, Inspire's groundbreaking Smart Energy subscription seamlessly combines personalized clean energy plans with best-in-class smart devices. Using Inspire's app, members control their smart homes from anywhere and select automated settings to use less energy while earning rewards. Inspire is dedicated to making it easy for everyone to have a smart, sustainable home. A Certified B-Corp, Inspire is nationally recognized for its commitment to making a positive impact on the planet. It was featured in Fast Company and Mashable, and chosen as one of Fortune's 50 Best Small Workplaces in 2017. Inspire products are available in select areas across the U.S. via helloinspire.com. The company is privately held, with offices in Santa Monica, CA and Philadelphia, PA.

Media Contact

Denise Schenasi, Communications Manager

[email protected] | 310.318.4560

SOURCE Inspire

Related Links

http://www.helloinspire.com


DALLAS, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) was awarded a contract extension to the JSC Engineering, Technology and Science (JETS) Contract at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The contract extension is a two-year option with a potential value of $437.5 million, bringing the total value of the contract to $1.46 billion. The option begins this May and extends the period of performance through April 2020.

Under this contract extension Jacobs will continue providing science and engineering services, digital solutions, and operations support and products to major NASA programs, including the International Space Station, Orion and numerous space science and technology development projects. The contract also provides for curation and research on astro materials brought to earth from the moon, other planets and interstellar space.

"We welcome this opportunity to build upon our longstanding relationship with NASA Johnson Space Center," said Jacobs Advanced Engineering, Research and Operations Senior Vice President Dr. Steve Arnette. "This contract extension enables us to continue supporting a vital role in enabling space exploration and discovery."

Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With $15 billion in fiscal 2017 revenue when combined with full-year CH2M revenues and a talent force of more than 74,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors. For more information, visit www.jacobs.com, and connect with Jacobs on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some of the factors which may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements please refer to our Form 10-K for the year ended September 29, 2017, and in particular the discussions contained under Items 1 - Business, 1A - Risk Factors, 3 - Legal Proceedings, and 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made herein.

For press/media inquiries:

Kerrie Sparks

214.583.8433

Brian Morandi

720.286.0719

SOURCE Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.jacobs.com


Savina will become a member of the Wyndham Destinations executive leadership team. In his capacity as General Counsel, he will oversee all aspects of the company's legal services. Savina will also serve as corporate secretary and chief ethics and compliance officer for the company.

"Jim has a broad and diverse background, with expertise in guiding large companies through extraordinary change while building and strengthening legal, compliance and governance functions," said Michael D. Brown, president and CEO for Wyndham Vacation Ownership. "I'm confident that Jim's capabilities will strengthen our leadership team and the vision we share for the success of Wyndham Destinations."

Prior to joining Wyndham Destinations, Savina served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at The Kraft Heinz Company, where he played a central role in the merger of Kraft Foods Group and H. J. Heinz Company and led the combined company's legal department. Previously, Savina served as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer for Kraft Foods Group. His prior experience includes roles as Executive Director, Global Legal Investigations & Legal Operations for Avon Products; Senior Counsel and Director of Claims and Legal Administration for Energy Future Holdings; and Associate for Jones Day.

Savina earned his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of Texas at Austin.

About Wyndham Vacation Ownership

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world's largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its seven primary consumer brands, CLUB WYNDHAM, WorldMark by Wyndham, CLUB WYNDHAM ASIA, WorldMark South Pacific Club by Wyndham, Shell Vacations Club, Margaritaville Vacation Club by Wyndham and WYNDHAM CLUB BRASILSM. As of December 31, 2017, we have developed or acquired 221 vacation ownership resorts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America and the South Pacific that represent approximately 25,000 individual vacation ownership units and nearly 878,000 owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and is supported by more than 18,000 associates worldwide.

Web Resources:

Wyndham Vacation Ownership

Wyndham Worldwide Company Separation

SOURCE Wyndham Vacation Ownership

Related Links

http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com/category/wyndham-vacation-ownership


CHICAGO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT) will report first quarter 2018 financial results after the market closes on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. A conference call is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 2, 2018.

Participants may access the conference call using the following numbers:

U.S. and Canada: (833) 238-7952 International: +1 (647) 689-4200 Conference ID #: 6987139

The call will be simultaneously webcast on JBT Corporation's Investor Relations website, which can be accessed at http://ir.jbtcorporation.com. To participate on the webcast, please log on to the website at least ten minutes before the call to register.

An online audio replay of the conference call will be available on JBT Corporation's Investor Relations website at approximately 1:30 p.m. EDT on May 2, 2018.

JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT) is a leading global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food & beverage industry with focus on proteins, liquid foods and automated system solutions. JBT designs, produces and services sophisticated products and systems for multi-national and regional customers through its FoodTech segment. JBT also sells critical equipment and services to domestic and international air transportation customers through its AeroTech segment. JBT Corporation employs approximately 5,800 people worldwide and operates sales, service, manufacturing and sourcing operations in more than 25 countries. For more information, please visit www.jbtc.com.

Investors & Media: Jeff Scipta +1.312.861.5930

SOURCE JBT Corporation

Related Links

http://www.jbtc.com


PORTLAND, Ore., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jetblack Corp., a Corporation of Nevada (OTC: JTBK) today announced the company will hold a Shareholder Meeting on May 8th 2018 at 10:00 am. The company has quorum and Shareholders will be sent an information statement.

In addition, Jetblack Corp. is pleased to announce they have retained an attorney to proceed with a Reg 1-A filing with the hopes of raising up to $5,000,000 in capital. "This capital will allow the company to develop our social media software further and take it to the next level," stated Chairman & CEO Daniel A. Goldin. Currently the company is migrating to new servers but expects the site Gabbb.com along with the Gabbb iOS app and Gabbb Android app to be functioning in the coming days. Currently the company has a team of 11 highly skilled developers working full time on their project. "I'd like to thank everyone who has supported us to get to this stage and we look forward to what the future holds for the company," stated Chairman & CEO Daniel A. Goldin.

Forward looking statements & Disclaimer

Our discussions may include predictions, estimates, or other statements that might be considered forward-looking. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements found in our material are statements that represent our current opinions for the future, actual results can differ greatly. The statements represent our judgement at the time of this statement. The company is under no obligation to update such written statements if conditions change or that unexpected events happen which affect the statement afterwards. Sentences, words, phrases that are examples of forward-looking statements but not limited to are "believe", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "hope", "may", "predict", "can", "will", "expect", "should", "intend", "potential", "designed to", "in addition to", "along with". You are cautioned not to place reliance on these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Jetblack Corp.
As part of the Your Hair Talks, Make a Statement campaign, Camila will team up with John Frieda Hair Care to create unique content that speaks to her personal hair story, and how it has played a role in her life. Camila will also join the conversation by hosting events and social activations throughout the year in partnership with the brand.

"My hair has always been a definitive part of my personal style, so I love being part of a campaign that celebrates hair as a form of expression," explains Camila. "I'm excited to join Your Hair Talks, Make A Statement with so many other bold, inspired women."

As a young girl, Camila idolized her ever-supportive mother, always trying to emulate her hair. Hair was a constant topic of conversation amongst the women in Camila's family and as she moved around as a child and teen, she regularly took tips from the women in her life. Camila first discovered John Frieda Frizz Ease while flipping through a fashion magazine and the product quickly became an essential part of her hair arsenal, no matter what style she was trying to achieve.

"Camila is confident and outspoken, which ties in perfectly to Your Hair Talks, Make a Statement," says Heather Warnke, Director of Marketing, Kao USA Inc. "Her bold style and self-proclaimed lifelong passion for hair makes her an amazing addition to our campaign. We're very excited to have her share her journey and unique hair story."

Born in Virginia to parents of Brazilian descent, Camila was predominantly raised in Miami before moving to New York to attend the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Not long after her graduation in 2016, she was cast as a lead in a popular high school television drama series, quickly solidifying her as a beloved up-and-coming actress. Her role on the show along with her real-life bubbly personality has made her a fan-favoriteand with 7 million followers on Instagram, she's cemented herself as a style star to be watched.

ABOUT KAO USA INC.

Kao USA Inc. is a leading manufacturer of premium beauty care brands that are recognized around the world for their innovation and quality. The Kao USA Inc. portfolio includes Ban antiperspirant deodorants and Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths; Jergens and Curel hand and body lotions; Biore facial care; John Frieda Frizz-Ease, Luxurious Volume, Sheer Blonde, Beach Blonde, Brilliant Brunette, Radiant Red and Precision Foam Colour professional hair care products. Founded in 1882, Kao USA Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kao Corporation.

@johnfriedaus

#YOURHAIRTALKSMAKEASTATEMENT

Lauren Donner

Tractenberg & Co

212.929.7979

[email protected]

SOURCE Kao USA Inc.
NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 14th Pharmaceutical Meeting Professionals Summit will be held on November 1314, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick in New Brunswick, NJ, ExL Events announced today. This intimate summit attracts an elite audience of senior-level meeting planners, working in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, and acts as their annual gathering to learn, engage, and network.

With close to 70% of the 2017 audience representing meeting planners and 60% having 10+ years of experience in the events industry, the Pharma Meeting Pros Summit is the ideal forum to learn from and meet with industry veterans to understand current trends, innovations, and effective strategies for optimizing medical meeting operations. Plus, with an anticipated attendance of 200 for 2018, the audience is the ideal size for interactivity to maximize learning and networking with key industry players to optimize engagement.

"Recognizing that most of the Meeting Planners who attend reside in the New Jersey area, we have increased their travel convenience by moving the event to New Brunswick. We've already received much positive feedback regarding this locational change from our loyal participants and anticipate an increase attendance from Planners as a result," says Event Director, Kristen Hunter, now in her 10th year producing this Summit.

Speakers facilitate educational sessions, case studies, interactive panel discussions, intimate roundtables and workshops over the course of the Summit. An exclusive exhibit area highlights leading properties, technologies, and service providers  all with expertise specific to the medical meetings industry.

For more information and to register, visit www.exlevents.com/mpsummit.

Get Involved

To share your expertise on the speaking faculty contact Kristen Hunter at 212-400-6241 or [email protected] .

at 212-400-6241 or . For information on sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, contact Dor Peled at 917-258-5159 or [email protected] .

About ExL Events

ExL Events (aka "ExL Pharma")  a division of Questex, LLC  develops engaging, content-driven conferences and partnered events for dynamic industry audiences, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, diagnostic and contract research organizations; hospital networks; physicians; and communications and other entities. Behind our diverse event portfolio, our experienced team conducts extensive market research and targeted outreach. The results translate into innovative, high-quality events that facilitate the exchange of critical information between industry professionals and suppliers who support shared goals.

SOURCE ExL Events, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.exlevents.com


NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kryon Systems, a leading Robotic Process Automation company that is moving RPA from complex and static to streamlined and dynamic, today announced the official rebrand of the company as "Kryon". The company is launching a re-designed website and logo, which exemplifies its unique approach to RPA through enterprise continuous process optimization.

For nearly a decade, Kryon has been defining the future of the RPA space by speaking the language of business. Its innovative process automation solutions, powered by its own patented AI technologies, are engineered with a deep functional understanding of how large enterprises operate. Today, the company is taking RPA a step further with a comprehensive solution designed to address the entire scope of business automation needs - from process discovery to virtual workforce optimization. The company's aggressive innovation reflects the explosive growth for RPA Software and Services market forecast by Global Market Insights to reach $5 billion by 2024 and per HfS, expected to grow at a CAGR of 54%.

The rapid growth of RPA is aligned with a workplace that stands ready  and welcoming  of automation, as a recent Kryon survey of 1000 employees across US enterprises demonstrates. Respondents indicated they would not only embrace automation to relieve them from burdensome, time-consuming tasks but they further believe RPA would enable them to contribute greater value and innovation to their organizations.

Harel Tayeb, CEO of Kryon explained, "Kryon's uniqueness is our ability to deliver solutions that address the needs of the business and not simply those of IT. Our RPA platform now goes well beyond just replicating a user's actions to a comprehensive solution and methodology that integrates smart analytic tools and cutting-edge AI technology to deliver the highest ROI in the industry." Tayeb continued, "The new brand with its clean, simple design reflects this evolution and our commitment to enabling agile enterprise transformation."

Leading the company's rebrand is a new website that communicates the strength and breadth of Kryon's end-to-end solution. Its logo has also been re-designed as a striking and richly communicative half blue/half gold icon, representing the close collaboration of robots and humans in the future workplace. And by shortening Kryon Systems to Kryon, the company now reflects its simple and clean approach to RPA in its very name.

"As the RPA category matures quickly, winners and losers are quickly being established. Kryon's multi-touch re-brand enables us to communicate our leadership to the world's most demanding enterprises. They know they need process automation, but they need it smartly, unobtrusively, and in a way that never stops improving," said Tayeb.

Under the leadership of CEO Harel Tayeb, Kryon's workforce has quadrupled in size while expanding into the banking, financial services and insurance spaces. With its expansion in the EMEA and APAC markets in Germany and Singapore, as well as new U.S. offices in New York and Atlanta, Kryon continues to invest in extending its R&D leadership, building operations and expanding its industry presence. These milestones followed a $12 million Series B financing round in September of 2017, led by Aquiline Technology Growth (ATG) and Vertex Venture.

Learn more about Kryon and the numerous Fortune 500 organizations already benefiting from its products at www.kryonsystems.com.

ABOUT KRYON

Founded in 2008, Kryon delivers innovative, intelligent Robotic Process Automation (RPA) that speaks the language of business. This understanding of enterprise operation yields solutions that enable true digital transformation. Using patented AI technologies, our Intelligent RPA platform offers the only comprehensive discovery and automation tool capable of continuous process optimization. The Kryon RPA platform can be leveraged for all three kinds of automation: unattended (on virtual machines); attended (on desktops); and Hybrid Automation where there is interaction between the virtual and human workforce for greater ROI on automation investments and enterprise-wide business operations improvement. Leading global enterprises such as Microsoft, Allianz, DXC Technologies are leveraging Kryon's AI-powered platform to drive digital transformation and operational efficiencies.

The new Kryon logo and website was designed by www.natie.com.

Key findings from RPA survey include:

1 in 4 people spend up to 5 hours completing repetitive tasks, like data entry, at work each week.

More than 50% of respondents report they could contribute more at work if they were freed from repetitive tasks.

Over 60% agree that software robots and people could work side by side.

SOURCE Kryon

Related Links

http://www.kryonsystems.com


NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LendIt Fintech, the world's leading event in financial services innovation, today announced the winners for its sixth annual PitchIt competition and 21 winners for its second annual LendIt Industry Awards.

Sponsored by Mastercard, a global payments technology company and in partnership with 500 Fintech, a 500 Startups fund and SeedInvest, a leading equity crowdfunding platform, PitchIt is a leading global competition for fintech startups to attract funding, mentorship, endorsement and exposure to institutions, investors and broad visibility. Out of eight PitchIt finalists, the judge's winner was CreditStacks, a company that offers U.S. based premium credit cards to prime, new-to-credit customers. The audience winner was Narmi, a fintech company the helps credit unions and banks deliver a unified experience with modern and secure online banking, mobile banking and websites. LendIt Fintech received hundreds of applications this year in various segments of fintech, including AI, blockchain, data, visual identity and bank technology.

The second annual LendIt Industry Awards celebrated fintech market leaders, emerging innovators and top talent. The 21 winners were announced during the LendIt Industry Awards Show & Dinner on April 10 at One Market in San Francisco. The night brought together over 400 fintech influencers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders. Categories included, Fintech Innovator of the Year, Fintech Woman of the Year and Blockchain Innovator of the Year. The Industry Awards celebrate fintech market leaders, emerging innovators and top talent.

"Fintech is experiencing a boom in innovation and we are yet again impressed by all the award nominees who are a contributing factor in improving the quality of daily life for everyone," said Peter Renton, Co-founder and Co-chairman, LendIt Fintech. "As the fintech space continues to grow, these recognized thought leaders as well as many attendees at LendIt Fintech are at the epicenter of financial innovation."

Below are the second annual LendIt Industry Award winners, per category:

Fintech Innovator of the Year

Affirm

Executive of the Year

Anthony Hsieh, Founder & CEO, loanDepot

Fintech Woman of the Year

Kathryn Petralia, Co-founder & COO, Kabbage

Blockchain Innovator of the Year

ConsenSys

Most Innovative Token Economy

AxiomZen

Top Consumer Lending Platform

Yirendai

Top Small Business Lending Platform

Kabbage

Top Real Estate Lending Platform

LendInvest

Emerging Lending Platform

LendingUSA

Excellence in Financial Inclusion

Oportun

Most Promising Partnership

LendingClub + Opportunity Fund

Most Successful Cross-Border Partnership

Kasisto + DBS Bank

Most Innovative Bank

Cross River

International Innovator of the Year

IrisGuard

Top Enterprise Technology Company

ThreatMetrix

Top Emerging Technology Company

MoneyLion

Top Professional Services Company

Millennium Trust

Most Innovative Mobile Technology

Juvo

Top Fintech Equity Investor

Edison Partners

Best Journalist Coverage

Tony Zerucha, Managing Editor, Bankless Times

Top Investment Bank in Fintech

FT Partners

LendIt Fintech USA, a gathering of more than 5,000 industry professionals in San Francisco, showcases the leaders in innovation across financial services including the digital banking, fintech, blockchain and lending industries. For more information about LendIt Fintech, please visit www.lendit.com.

About LendIt Fintech

LendIt Fintech is a recognized global internet finance industry leader, founded in New York in 2013. Its aim is to gather industry elites to discuss and explore latest trends in the development of international financial technology. LendIt Fintech has become the largest event in financial services innovation as it hosts three annual conferences, LendIt Fintech USA, LendIt Fintech Europe, and Lang Di Fintech, and dozens of complementary online and in-person industry events. LendIt Fintech also owns and operates one of the world's leading industry educational channels, Lend Academy.

About 500 Startups

500 Startups is a global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator based in Silicon Valley with over $270M in assets under management and more than 1500 investments globally. With over 150 Fintech investments in more than 20 countries, including CreditKarma, RealtyShares, Simple (acquired by BBVA), and Stripe, CB Insights recognized 500 Startups as the world's most active early-stage Fintech investor.

Announced in January 2016, 500 Fintech, our $50M Fintech/insurtech seed fund, accelerator, and corporate partner program scales up 500 Startups' commitment to fostering the digital transformation of the Financial Services industry and the growth of "Financial Services for the Rest of Us."

About SeedInvest

SeedInvest is a leading equity crowdfunding platform that provides individual investors with access to pre-vetted startup investment opportunities. SeedInvest has funded over 200 startups and boasts a rapidly growing network of over 180,000 investors. SeedInvest has had over 15,000 startups apply to raise capital since inception and has only accepted 1% of those companies to feature on the platform. For more information about SeedInvest, visit www.seedinvest.com.

Media Contact:

Tracy Rubin / Jill Fox

JCUTLER media group

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE LendIt Fintech

Related Links

http://www.lendit.com


SAN DIEGO, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Fistel, LLP is investigating potential violations of the federal and state securities laws by Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BW) ("Babcock & Wilcox") and certain of its officers. Babcock & Wilcox provides fossil and renewable power generation and environmental equipment for the power and industrial markets worldwide.

Last year, a Securities Class Action Complaint was filed on behalf of those who purchased securities of Babcock & Wilcox between June 17, 2015 and August 9, 2017. The complaint alleges that defendants made misrepresentations and failed to disclose that: (1) due to rapid growth in the Renewable segment and cost-cutting strategies, the Company lacked sufficient expertise or engineering and other resources to perform on time and within budget the Renewable contracts in its backlog, thereby rendering the backlog an improbable and unrealistic source of profitability; and (2) there were ongoing, undisclosed material problems within the Renewable segment that were exacerbated by the undisclosed diversion of limited resources. On February 9, 2018, Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. issued an order denying the motion to dismiss.

Although the Company has been experiencing major struggles, Babcock & Wilcox's former chief executive officer saw a 14% increase in compensation in the Company's 2017 fiscal year due to a large bonus.

Jim Ferland's full compensation for the fiscal year totaled $6.5 million, up from $5.7 million in the Company's 2016 fiscal year. Ferland received a bonus of $1.9 million in bonus compensation for the 2016 fiscal year.

Babcock & Wilcox announced the departure of Ferland as CEO in February, and he stepped down from the board of directors in March.

In March, the Company reported a net loss of $379 million for the year or a loss per share of $8.09. It also recently disclosed that it is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In aftermarket trading, Babcock & Wilcox's shares were down over 37% from the close on April 10, 2018.

If you have held Babcock & Wilcox shares continuously before June 17, 2015 , you may have standing to hold Babcock & Wilcox harmless from the damage the officers and directors caused by making them personally responsible. You may also be able to assist in reforming the Company's corporate governance to prevent future wrongdoing.

If you are a Babcock & Wilcox shareholder continuously holding shares before June 17, 2015 , and are interested in learning more about your legal rights and remedies, please contact Jim Baker ([email protected] ) at 619-814-4471. If you email, please include your phone number.

About Johnson Fistel, LLP:

Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Contact:

Johnson Fistel, LLP

Jim Baker, 619-814-4471

[email protected]

SOURCE Johnson Fistel, LLP

Related Links

http://www.johnsonfistel.com


HOUSTON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Luby's, Inc. (NYSE: LUB) announced today that it will release its second quarter fiscal 2018 financial results on Monday, April 23, 2018 before the market opens. In conjunction with the release, Luby's has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet, on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Central time.

By Phone: Dial (412) 902-0030 at least 10 minutes before the call. A replay will be available through April 30, 2018, by dialing (201) 612-7415 and using the conference ID 13678419#.



By Webcast: Connect to the webcast via the Events and Presentations pages of Luby's Investor Relations website at http://lubysinc.com/investors/. Please log in at least 10 minutes in advance to register and download any necessary software. A replay will be available shortly after the call.

About Luby's

Luby's, Inc. (NYSE: LUB) is a multi-branded restaurant company headquartered in Houston, TX that operates 160 family-friendly restaurants nationally as of March 14, 2018: 86 Luby's Cafeterias, 67 Fuddruckers - World's Greatest Hamburgers, and 7 Cheeseburger in Paradise. The Company is also the franchisor for 110 Fuddruckers franchise locations across the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Mexico, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Colombia. Additionally, a licensee operates 34 restaurants with the exclusive right to use the Fuddruckers proprietary marks, trade dress, and system in certain countries in the Middle East. The Company does not receive revenue or royalties from the Middle East restaurants. Luby's Culinary Contract Services business provides food service management to 25 sites consisting of healthcare, higher education, sport stadiums, and corporate dining locations as of March 14, 2018. For more information, visit www.lubysinc.com.

For additional information contact:

Dennard Lascar Investor Relations

713-529-6600

Rick Black / Ken Dennard

SOURCE Luby's, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.lubysinc.com


ONTARIO, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Band-It is Rankin Automation's new, more efficient, less expensive hardbander for the oil drilling industry. It will be on display at booth #11013 at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), April 30  May 3, in Houston, Texas, at NRG Park.

The Band-It from Rankin Automation

The Band-It makes hardbanding easier, faster, and less expensive than other hardbanding systems. With an entry level price of only $49,000, it costs far less than traditional, full-size hardbanders, and it produces the same high quality, repeatable welds, again and again. The compact, lightweight design saves operator time and money by reducing the movement of drill pipe, and with a footprint of only 42 x 72 inches and weighing less than 2,200 pounds, the Band-It can be transported to any job site in the back of a pickup truck.

"We specifically designed the Band-It to make hardbanding easier and more cost effective for the oil drilling industry," said Richard Ferry, president of Broco Rankin. "We believe the compact design and easy transportability of the Band-It, combined with the same quality welds and low entry price, will set a new standard for hardbanding."

The Band-It by Rankin Automation

Hardbands in less time and at lower cost

Fits in the back of a pickup truck for easy transportability to any job site

Services standard four to six inch diameter drill pipe

Is ideal for oilfield services and inspection companies

New patent pending design and technology

"Advancing new products like the Band-It is part of our mission at Broco Rankin to inspire positive change in ourselves and the world by providing high quality products and solutions for our customers. I would like to invite industry representatives to visit us at booth #11013 at OTC to see the Band-It in action," continued Mr. Ferry. "We will be hosting demonstrations each morning and afternoon throughout the show."

Broco, Inc. and Rankin Industries, Inc. are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2018. Broco marks 50 years of leadership and innovation in the underwater, tactical and industrial cutting and welding industries, and Rankin celebrates 80 years of design and formulation of superior buildup and hardfacing products for maintenance and repair industries worldwide. Rankin Automation marks 30 years of leadership in the design and manufacture of automated welding systems, including a full range of hardbanders, and Protective Metal Alloys celebrates 40 years formulating and manufacturing superior nickel alloy rods and electrodes.

For more information, please call (909) 483-3222, (800) 845-7259, visit www.broco-rankin.com, write to [email protected], or contact Margaret McCallister at [email protected]. Corporate headquarters are located in Ontario, California.

SOURCE Broco Rankin
DANVILLE, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Palo Alto Health Sciences, Inc. (PAHS), developer of the drug-free Freespira treatment for panic attacks and other symptoms of panic disorder, today announced that another study has demonstrated clinically significant symptom improvement, with 80% of patients panic attack free one year after treatment.

This latest study, conducted as part of the VITAL Program at Allegheny Health Network in Pennsylvania, also demonstrated a 50% reduction in healthcare costs in patients with panic symptoms 12 months after being treated with Freespira.

A Symposium at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Annual Conference in Washington, DC focused on the impact of abnormal breathing patterns on anxiety-related conditions and treatments as reported in five studies. Two studies reported nearly 80% of Freespira-treated patients were panic attack free at 12 months post-treatment. Two additional studies reported that patients with mixed anxiety disorders and low exhaled CO2 at baseline were less responsive and/or discontinued treatment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Acceptance Commitment Therapy.

Early data from a fifth study reported on Freespira treatment for patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Ninety percent of patients in this study experienced a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms at two months and six months post-treatment.

Symposium Chair David Tolin, Ph.D., Director of Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, commented, "Studies of the Freespira treatment have shown that this innovative approach to treating patients suffering from panic symptoms and panic attacks not only significantly reduces or eliminates these symptoms in approximately 80% of patients, but also results in meaningful reduction in health costs."

Debra Reisenthel, CEO of Palo Alto Health Sciences, added, "Patients with panic symptoms and panic attacks have 3-5 times higher medical costs than patients without panic due to higher utilization of medical resources, including ED visits, physician visits and prescription drugs."

Freespira is both easy to use and effective. Once a licensed healthcare provider authorizes the treatment and after a single training session, the patient uses Freespira at home, performing two 17-minute breathing sessions a day over a four-week period, after which the treatment is complete. The peer-reviewed published multi-center Freespira clinical trial, presented by Dr. Tolin, demonstrated that 71% of patients were panic attack free immediately after treatment and 79% of patients were panic attack free 12 months post-treatment.

About Freespira

Freespira is an FDA-cleared, drug-free, four-week at-home treatment for panic attacks and other panic symptoms. Treatment is authorized and completed under the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider. Freespira is clinically proven to reduce or eliminate panic attacks and other symptoms of panic disorder, a mental health condition in which debilitating anxiety leads to life-altering avoidance behaviors. Individuals with panic chronically hyperventilate, even when not experiencing a panic attack. This abnormal breathing pattern has been shown to exacerbate attacks. Freespira works by training the patient to stabilize respiration rate and exhaled carbon dioxide levels, which reduces or eliminates panic attacks.

About Palo Alto Health Sciences, Inc.

Palo Alto Health Sciences, Inc. is a privately held digital therapeutic company revolutionizing behavioral healthcare with evidence-based, non-invasive, drug-free solutions. Their first product, Freespira, is an FDA-cleared treatment for individuals suffering from panic disorder, panic attacks and other symptoms of panic. In the United States, over 6.7 million adults annually suffer from panic disorder; panic attacks affect a total of 27 million adults in the U.S. every year and are a common component of other anxiety disorders.

Freespira is commercially available throughout the U.S. To learn more, visit http://www.freespira.com or contact [email protected].

MEDIA CONTACT

Michele Kong

(800) 735-8995

SOURCE Palo Alto Health Sciences

Related Links

http://freespira.com


LONDON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- nChain, the global leader in research and development of blockchain technologies, is pleased to announce issuance of its first patent by the European Patent Office. This first issued patent, granted by the EPO on April 11, 2018, is for a registry and automated management method for blockchain-enforced smart contracts.

The patent  European Patent Office number EP3257191 - is entitled "A method and system for securing computer software using a distributed hash table and a blockchain". The invention covers a technique that will work for any content that has an executable phase (which is not limited to computer software, but can incorporate music, video and even PDF files) to check, via a blockchain lookup that the accessing resource both has acquired a license for the content, and more importantly that the license remains valid. The invention can be deployed by content producers and rightsholders to more efficiently perform digital rights management, especially for auto-renewing contracts common to digital subscription services, using smart contracts on the blockchain. Further information on this invention can be found on nChain's website at https://nchain.com/en/blog/nchain-innovation-road-smart-contracts/

The patent builds upon one of nChain's other patent-pending inventions - WO2017145016 (Deterministic Key Generation). That invention, entitled "Determining a common secret for the secure exchange of information and hierarchical deterministic cryptographic keys", provides a method whereby two connected nodes, with no trust relationship between them can derive a deterministic hierarchy of each other's public keys through simply sharing their respective public keys and a message of some format, where the respective private keys can still only be generated by the owner of that private key. This invention provides significant security benefits to prevent "Mt. Gox-type" hacks of cryptocurrency wallets. It can also be used far beyond bitcoin and blockchain environments  for any situation in which sensitive data, assets, communications or controlled resources need to be secured. Further information on this method can be found on nChain's website at https://nchain.com/en/blog/nchains-security-inventions/

nChain Chief Scientist Dr. Craig Wright, one of the earliest minds behind Bitcoin, is a key inventor for both referenced inventions.

nChain Group CEO Jimmy Nguyen comments:

"This first patent grant by the European Patent Office marks a major milestone in nChain's ambitious research and patent program, which started approximately two years ago. We expect this will be the first of many more patents to come, as our portfolio of blockchain patent applications is among the largest  if not the largest  in the world."

Nguyen also reinforced nChain's commitment to provide use of its intellectual property for growth of Bitcoin Cash:

"While we are building enterprise value through our patent portfolio, nChain is committed to using our intellectual property to benefit the Bitcoin Cash community. We intend to make key IP assets available for free usage only on the Bitcoin Cash blockchain  through our new 'nChain Open Bitcoin Cash License.' This will give Bitcoin Cash significant advantages over other blockchains, and will incentivize businesses to operate on the BCH blockchain, which represents the original vision of Bitcoin."

Website: nChain.com

Twitter: @nChainGlobal

ABOUT NCHAIN GROUP: The nChain Group is the global leader in research and development of blockchain technologies. Its mission is to enable massive growth and worldwide adoption of the Bitcoin network - focusing on Bitcoin Cash as the true Bitcoin. The nChain Group includes four business units: 1) nChain Limited  a blockchain research and development business in London, United Kingdom; 2) nChain Holdings Limited  a intellectual property holding and commercialization company; 3) nChain Reaction  an investment entity which supports ventures that have Bitcoin Cash products or applications; and 4) nCrypt  a Bitcoin wallet and exchange in Canada. (nCrypt is currently known as nTrust, but will be re-branding in 2018 to reflect its move to focus on Bitcoin).

SOURCE nChain

Related Links

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lacework, the industry's first solution to bring automation, speed and scale to cloud security, today announced a landmark year for the company, with amplified customer satisfaction, enhancements to its cloud security platform and noteworthy industry recognition. Within a two-month period, Lacework saved its customers the need to update more than 200,000 rules that resulted in significant reduction in time spent daily to reconfigure rules supporting threat detection in a cloud. These developments demonstrate the company's continued leadership in providing cloud security solutions designed to self-adapt to ever-changing cloud configurations and workloads.

According to the Gartner report "Clouds Are Secure: Are you Using Them Securely?", January 31, 2018 by Jay Heiser, "by 2022, at least 95% of cloud security failures will be the customer's fault." The recent onslaught of data leaks in public clouds validate one of the main challenges with moving to the cloud: configuration and access controls to cloud resources require special attention to prevent unauthorized users to inadvertently get access to data and computing resources. This means a different approach and skillset are needed from administrators than with traditional data centers. In the cloud, security policies and rule-based intrusion detection solutions that require labor intensive maintenance overwhelm security teams.

"We're proud to announce our success for the past year in the rapid adoption and customer satisfaction of our cloud security platform," says Stefan Dyckerhoff, President and CEO, Lacework. "We're strengthening our leadership in the cloud security market by making key hires to the executive team to help fuel our growth as enterprises look for better ways to address security across their cloud environments."

Lacework brings relief to enterprises adopting the cloud to support rapid innovation but need to systematically establish and maintain security best practices and compliance by providing:

Continuous and automated assessment of their cloud configuration for security best practices. On Amazon Web Services (AWS), and within an hour, customers get a complete review of their security posture and are notified of gaps that need immediate attention;

Account security and automatic detection of anomalous behaviors in AWS Accounts that are indicative of compromise or rogue use of AWS resources;

Workload security supported by a host-based IDS and the systematic detection of threats across all cloud entities: applications, VMs and containers, users, machines and network. Lacework brings innovative capabilities to analyze an unprecedented volume of activity and behavior that leaves no room for threats to hide.

"At Guidebook, we chose AWS so that we can innovate, scale, and iterate as quickly as possible," says Devin Ertel, Head of Security at Guidebook. "At the same time, our customers expect us to keep their data safe. With Lacework, we can protect assets on AWS without slowing down innovation."

"As a data security company, the trust of our customers is paramount," says Tom Conklin, Senior Director of Security and Compliance at Vera. "Using Lacework, we are confident that we are continuously in compliance with established and proven security best practices for AWS. Lacework self-adapts to changes in our AWS configuration and workloads and automatically reassesses our security posture."

To address the company's continued growth in product development and customer adoption, Lacework is expanding its executive leadership team with two key hires by appointing Robert Dunn as Chief Operating Officer and Andrew Wesbecher as Vice President of Sales. Dunn brings more than two decades of experience working with technology start-ups, covering finance, accounting, legal, HR, facilities, IP strategy and oversight of overseas subsidiaries. He was most recently CFO at Wavefront, where he assisted with VMware's acquisition of the company. Dunn has also held senior positions at Instart Logic, Mocana, and WebLogic (acquired by BEA), and has advised several early stage technology companies. Wesbecher brings more than 16 years of enterprise sales experience to the company. He was most recently as Head of Sales for Forward Networks, where he built the company's first sales team and was responsible for all revenue generating aspects of the organization. Prior to Forward, Wesbecher held various sales roles with ThousandEyes, Meraki, Memento Security and TIBCO Software.

Lacework has also been honored with several industry awards and accolades, including:

Recognized by CSO Magazine as a Best Security Software of 2018

Bronze winner in the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards for Most Innovative Company and Best Cybersecurity Startup

Selected as a Finalist in the Cyber Defense Magazine Awards for Cloud Security

To learn more about Lacework and the benefits of the Polygraph Platform, visit the company at the 2018 RSA Conference in the North Hall at Booth #4610. Lacework's Chief Security Architect Dan Hubbard will also moderate an RSA panel on investigative journalism which takes place on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 9:15 a.m. (PT).

About Lacework

Lacework is the industry's first solution to bring automation, speed, and scale to cloud security enabling enterprises to safely innovate fast in the cloud. Unlike conventional security tools built for static datacenters, Lacework is designed to self-adapt to the cloud ever-changing configuration and workloads. Just like DevOps automates code deployment, Lacework automates cloud security, empowering IT to continuously keep cloud environments secure and compliant. Based in Mountain View, California, Lacework is a privately held company funded by Sutter Hill Ventures. Find out more at www.lacework.com.

Media Contact

John Kreuzer

Lumina Communications on behalf of Lacework

(408) 896-3307

[email protected]

SOURCE Lacework

Related Links

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EAST HANOVER, N.J., April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Afinitor DISPERZ (everolimus tablets for oral suspension), for the adjunctive treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged two years and older with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated partial-onset seizures. Afinitor DISPERZ is now the first approved pharmacologic therapy in the US specifically indicated for the treatment of this condition2.

TSC is a rare genetic disorder affecting up to one million people worldwide3. Approximately 85% of individuals with TSC are affected by epilepsy, and uncontrolled seizures associated with TSC can be debilitating for patients1. More than 60% of TSC patients who experience seizures stop responding to available anti-epileptic therapies1. EXIST-3 is the first Phase III study to demonstrate the significant benefit of adjunctive Afinitor DISPERZ in the treatment of patients with TSC-associated partial-onset seizures4. Furthermore, Afinitor is the only approved non-surgical option indicated for treating TSC-associated non-cancerous brain tumors (subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, or SEGA) and TSC-associated kidney tumors (renal angiomyolipoma).

"We are pleased that this latest approval for Afinitor DISPERZ in the US will make an important difference to patients with tuberous sclerosis complex who experience partial-onset seizures, one of the most debilitating manifestations of TSC," said Ameet Mallik, Executive Vice President, Novartis Oncology US. "This is a welcome advance that reinforces the commitment of Novartis to patients with rare diseases."

The FDA approval of Afinitor DISPERZ was based on efficacy and safety data from a pivotal Phase III study, EXIST-3 ( EX amining everolimus I n a S tudy of T SC), which found that when used as an adjunctive therapy, Afinitor DISPERZ significantly reduced the frequency of treatment-resistant seizures associated with TSC compared to placebo. The median percentage reduction from baseline in seizure frequency was significantly greater among patients randomized to Afinitor DISPERZ low exposure (LE; 29.3%, 95% CI 18.8, 41.9; p=0.003) and high exposure (HE; 39.6%, 95% CI 35.0, 48.7; p<0.001) vs placebo (14.9%, 95% CI 0.1, 21.7). Seizure response rate (50% reduction) was also greater with Afinitor LE (28.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 20.3, 37.3) and HE (40.0%, 95% CI 31.5, 49.0; p<0.001) vs placebo (15.1%, 95% CI 9.2, 22.8). The most common all-grade adverse events of any cause reported during the core phase at frequencies > 15% in the Afinitor DISPERZ LE/HE arms included stomatitis, diarrhea, nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, and pyrexia4.

Afinitor works by inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein that regulates multiple cellular functions5. In TSC, inactivating mutations in either the TSC1 or the TSC2 gene lead to hamartoma formation throughout the body as well as seizures and epileptogenesis. Overactivation of mTOR results in neuronal dysplasia, aberrant axonogenesis and dendrite formation, increased excitatory synaptic currents, reduced myelination, and disruption of the cortical laminar structure causing abnormalities in neuronal development and function. Treatment with an mTOR inhibitor in animal models of mTOR dysregulation in the brain resulted in prolonged survival, seizure suppression, prevention of the development of new-onset seizures, and prevention of premature death2.

About EXIST-3 ( E Xamining everolimus I n a S tudy of T SC) (NCT01713946)4

EXIST-3 is a Phase III, three-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of low and high exposure ranges of Afinitor DISPERZ as adjunctive therapy in patients with treatment-resistant TSC-associated partial-onset seizures, defined as inadequate control of partial-onset seizures despite the use of two or more sequential regimens of single or combined anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). The study enrolled male and female participants (ages 2.2  56.3 years) who had a diagnosis of TSC per the modified Gomez criteria and experienced  16 partial-onset seizures during the baseline phase while receiving a stable dose of 1 to 3 concomitant AEDs.

The major efficacy outcome measure was the percentage reduction in seizure frequency from the Baseline phase, during the maintenance period of the core phase. Additional efficacy outcome measures included response rate, defined as at least a 50% reduction in seizure frequency from the baseline phase during the maintenance period of the core phase, and seizure freedom rate during the maintenance period of the core phase2.

Efficacy and safety of two trough exposure concentrations of Afinitor DISPERZ, 37 ng/mL (LE) and 915 ng/mL (HE) were assessed. Patients in all treatment arms concomitantly received one to three AEDs during the eighteen weeks of study core phase. The youngest patient enrolled was two years of age.

The median number of seizures per week at baseline vs end of core phase was 8.6 vs 6.8 (LE); 9.5 vs 4.9 (HE) and 10.5 vs 8.5 (placebo).The median percentage reduction from baseline in seizure frequency was significantly greater among patients randomized to Afinitor DISPERZ LE (29.3%, 95% CI 18.8, 41.9; p=0.003) and HE (39.6%, 95% CI 35.0, 48.7; p<0.001) vs placebo (14.9%, 95% CI 0.1, 21.7). Seizure response rate (50% reduction) was also greater with Afinitor LE (28.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 20.3, 37.3) and HE (40.0%, 95% CI 31.5, 49.0) vs placebo (15.1%, 95% CI 9.2  22.8)3. A 25% or greater reduction in seizure frequency was observed in 61 LE patients (52.1%, 95% CI 42.7, 61.5) and 91 HE patients (70%, 95% CI 61.3, 77.7) vs 45 placebo patients (37.8%, 95% CI 29.1, 47.2). The seizure-free rate was 5.1% LE (95% CI 1.9, 10.8) and 3.8% HE (95% CI 1.3, 8.7) vs 0.8% placebo (95% CI 0, 4.6).

The most frequent (10%) all grade adverse events (AEs), of any cause, reported with Afinitor LE/HE vs placebo included stomatitis (54.7%/63.8% vs 9.2%), diarrhea (17.1%/21.5% vs 5.0%), nasopharyngitis (13.7%/16.2% vs 16.0%), upper respiratory tract infection (12.8%/15.4% vs 12.6%), pyrexia (fever) (19.7%/13.8% vs 5.0%), vomiting (12.0%/10.0% vs 9.2%), cough (11.1%/10.0% vs 3.4%), and rash (6.0%/10.0% vs 2.5%). Grade 3 or 4 AEs occurred in 21 (17.9%) patients in the LE group, 31 (23.8%) patients in the HE group and 13 (10.9%) patients in the placebo group3. The most common Grade 3-4 adverse reactions (incidence  2%) in the LE/HE groups were stomatitis (3%/4%); pneumonia (1%/2% in HE group), and irregular menstruation (2% HE only). The most common key laboratory abnormality (incidence  50%) was hypercholesterolemia. The most common Grade 3-4 key laboratory abnormality (incidence  2%) was neutropenia.

About tuberous sclerosis complex

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multi-organ disease with widely variable expression1. It may cause non-cancerous tumors to form in vital organs including the brain, kidney, heart, lungs, and skin, as well as resulting disorders such as epilepsy, autism, cognitive impairment, behavioral problems, and psychiatric disorders. Many people with TSC show evidence of the disease in the first year of life. However, because manifestations vary from person to person and can take years to develop, many children are not diagnosed until later in life, often with the onset of seizures, skin lesions or other significant symptoms, such as developmental delays6. Because TSC is a lifelong condition, the latest professional diagnostic guidelines issued in 2012 advise that individuals be monitored by a doctor experienced with the disorder to ensure that tumor growth or new symptoms are identified early7.

About Afinitor (everolimus)

Afinitor (everolimus) (known as Votubia in some countries) is an oral inhibitor of the mTOR pathway. Afinitor DISPERZ is the first adjunctive treatment approved in the US specifically for adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated partial-onset seizures. The product is also approved in more than 30 countries, including EU member states, for the treatment of patients with TSC-associated seizures.

Afinitor/Votubia is also approved in more than 95 countries, including the US, EU member states and Japan, for treatment of certain patients with TSC-associated subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) and TSC-associated renal angiomyolipoma.

Afinitor is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of:

Postmenopausal women with advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer in combination with exemestane after failure of treatment with letrozole or anastrozole.

Adults with progressive neuroendocrine tumors of pancreatic origin (PNET) and adults with progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of gastrointestinal (GI) or lung origin that are unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic. Limitation of Use: Afinitor is not indicated for the treatment of patients with functional carcinoid tumors.

Afinitor is not indicated for the treatment of patients with functional carcinoid tumors. Adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after failure of treatment with sunitinib or sorafenib.

Adults with renal angiomyolipoma and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), not requiring immediate surgery.

Afinitor and Afinitor DISPERZ are kinase inhibitors indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 1 year and older with TSC who have subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) that requires therapeutic intervention but cannot be curatively resected.

Afinitor DISPERZ is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the adjunctive treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with TSC-associated partial-onset seizures.

Everolimus, the active ingredient in Afinitor/Afinitor DISPERZ/Votubia, is available under the trade names Zortress and Certican for use in other non-oncology indications and is exclusively licensed to Abbott and sublicensed to Boston Scientific for use in drug-eluting stents.

Indications vary by country and not all indications are available in every country. The safety and efficacy profile of everolimus has not yet been established outside the approved indications. Because of the uncertainty of clinical trials, there is no guarantee that everolimus will become commercially available for additional indications anywhere else in the world.

Important safety information

Patients should not take Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ if they are allergic to Afinitor or AFINITOR DISPERZ or to any of its ingredients. Patients should tell their healthcare provider before taking Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ if they are allergic to sirolimus (Rapamune) or temsirolimus (Torisel). Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ can cause serious side effects, including lung or breathing problems, infections, and kidney failure, which can even lead to death. If patients experience these side effects, they may need to stop taking Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ for a while or use a lower dose. Patients should follow their healthcare provider's instructions.

In some patients, lung or breathing problems may be severe and can even lead to death. Patients should tell their healthcare provider right away if they have any of these symptoms: new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or wheezing.

Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ may make patients more likely to develop an infection, such as pneumonia, or a bacterial, fungal, or viral infection. Viral infections may include reactivation of hepatitis B in people who have had hepatitis B in the past. In some people these infections may be severe and can even lead to death. Patients may need to be treated as soon as possible. Patients should tell their healthcare provider right away if they have a temperature of 100.5F or above, chills, or do not feel well. Symptoms of hepatitis B or infection may include the following: fever, chills, skin rash, joint pain and inflammation, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, pale stools or dark urine, yellowing of the skin, or pain in the upper right side of the stomach.

Severe allergic reactions can happen in patients who take Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ. Patients should contact their healthcare provider or get medical help right away if they get signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction including: rash, itching, hives, flushing, trouble breathing or swallowing, chest pain or dizziness.

Patients who take an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor medicine during treatment with Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ are at a possible increased risk for a type of allergic reaction called angioedema. Patients should talk with their healthcare provider before taking Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ if they are not sure if they take an ACE inhibitor medicine. Patients should get medical help right away if they have trouble breathing or develop swelling of the tongue, mouth, or throat during treatment with Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ.

Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ may cause kidney failure. In some people this may be severe and can even lead to death. Patients should have tests to check their kidney function before and during their treatment with Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ.

Afinitor can cause incisions to heal slowly or not heal well. Patients should tell their healthcare provider if their incision is red, warm, or painful; if they have blood, fluid, or pus in their incision; or if their incision opens up or is swollen.

Increased blood sugar and fat (cholesterol and triglycerides) levels in the blood may occur. A healthcare provider should perform blood tests to check the patient's fasting blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood before starting and during treatment with Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ.

Afinitor and Afinitor DISPERZ can cause decreased red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The healthcare provider should do blood tests to check blood cell counts before the patient starts and during treatment with Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ.

Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ can cause harm to a patient's unborn baby. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about birth control methods that may be right for them during this time.

Afinitor or Afinitor DISPERZ can cause mouth ulcers and sores. When a patient starts treatment with Afinitor, their healthcare provider may also prescribe a mouthwash to reduce the likelihood of getting mouth ulcers or sores and to reduce their severity. Other common side effects include: infections, rash, feeling weak or tired, diarrhea, swelling of arms, hands, feet, ankles, face or other parts of the body, stomach-area (abdominal) pain, nausea, fever, cough, headache, decreased appetite, respiratory tract infections, the absence of menstrual periods (menstruation), and may affect fertility in females and the ability to become pregnant, and fertility in males and the ability to father a child.

Please see full Prescribing Information for Afinitor and Afinitor DISPERZ available at www.Afinitor.com.

Rapamune (sirolimus) and Torisel (temsirolimus) are registered trademarks of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward healthcare cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Located in East Hanover, NJ Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is an affiliate of Novartis which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2017, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.1 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 122,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

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References

1. Chu-Shore CJ, et al. The natural history of epilepsy in tuberous sclerosis complex. Epilepsia. 2010: 51(7): 1236-1241.

2. Afinitor/Afinitor DISPERZ (everolimus) Prescribing information. East Hanover, New Jersey, USA: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; April 2018.

3. ASCO CancerNet.com https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/tuberous-sclerosis-complex. Accessed 6 Feb 2018.

4. French JA, Lawson JA, Yapici Z et al. Adjunctive everolimus therapy for treatment-resistant focal-onset seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis (EXIST-3): a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Lancet. 2016; 388: 2153-63.

5. Wong M. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways in neurological diseases. Biomed J. 2013; 36(2): 1-17.

6. Budde K, Gaedeke J. Tuberous sclerosis complex-associated angiomyolipomas: focus on mTOR inhibition. American J of Kidney Diseases. 2012:276-283.

7. Northrup H. et al. Tuberous sclerosis complex diagnostic criteria update: recommendations of the 2012international tuberous sclerosis complex consensus conference. Pediatric Neurology. 2013; 49: 243-254.

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

E-mail: [email protected]

Eric Althoff Novartis Global Media Relations +41 61 324 7999 (direct) +41 79 593 4202 (mobile) [email protected] Rosemarie Yancosek Novartis Oncology Communications +1 862 778 9043 (direct) +1 862 505 9021 (mobile) [email protected]

Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

E-mail: [email protected]

Central

North America

Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Cory Twining +1 212 830 2417 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425



Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188





SOURCE Novartis

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NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC) will publish its first quarter 2018 results on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. The company will host a conference call to review first quarter results on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 8:30 AM (ET). The dial-in numbers for the conference call are (800) 230-1093 (domestic) and (612) 288-0340 (international). In addition, the conference call will be simulcast and archived at http://investor.omnicomgroup.com/investor-rel ations/news-events-and-filings .

About Omnicom Group Inc.

Omnicom Group (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.

SOURCE Omnicom Group

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HANOVER, Md., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dragos, Inc., the industry's trusted leader in industrial threat detection and incident response, and OSIsoft, the industry's trusted leader in operational intelligence, have formed a partnership to provide the industrial control systems (ICS) community with a broader analysis of both network and operational data to detect and respond to threats more effectively and efficiently.

Enhanced Asset Discovery and Greater Visibility in the ICS

The Dragos Platform integration with OSIsoft's PI System provides broader visibility of operational data and industrial network data that has, until now, effectively been unavailable for ICS security defenders. OSIsoft's PI System collects and connects data from millions of data points from sensors, machinery, and industrial operations. Correlating PI System data with the Dragos Platform's existing collection of industrial network and host data provides ICS network defenders both enhanced asset discovery and an unprecedented level of visibility into ICS network activity.

"We recently established partnership for Dragos Platform integration with OSIsoft's PI System to provide improved situational awareness," said Bryan Owen, OSIsoft Principle Cybersecurity Manager. "By utilizing our deep bench of almost 500 interfaces to different industrial control systems and data sources, cybersecurity management systems can be transformed from disconnected silos of information to an integrated, near-real-time situational awareness platform. Being aware of changing situations covers many areas, from operational upsets to defending ICS networks from cyber-attack."

More Effective Threat Detection and Response

The Dragos Platform leverages threat behavior analytics across broad datasets to identify adversary behaviors. With the addition of OSIsoft's PI System data into the Dragos Platform, the integration allows for new threat behavior analytics, providing analysts with more coverage and confidence in detection. These threat analytics are tied to investigation playbooks, pre-made by Dragos analysts, and help analysts undertake appropriate investigations, security operations, or incident response. With greater visibility into operational and network data, the Dragos-OSIsoft integration provides ICS defenders with a comprehensive process of analyzing data, broader coverage for more effective threat detection, and a reduced mean time of recovery during incidents.

Highlights:

Using threat analytics, the Dragos Platform correlates OSIsoft's PI System data with its existing network and host activity to alert analysts of known malicious activity. Threat behavior analytics, defined by Dragos' Threat Intelligence team or created by users, provide analysts context into adversary actions, such as why alerts are generated and what specific adversary behavior is detected, instead of simply alerting on anomalies and changes in environments.

The Dragos Platform's investigation playbooks, created by experienced industrial cybersecurity analysts in the Dragos Threat Operations Center, provide defenders step-by-step guides to using OSIsoft's PI System data and efficiently responding to detected threats on the ICS.

"OSIsoft is a long-time, trusted community leader," said Dragos' CEO and Founder Robert M. Lee. "Partnering with them not only furthers the coverage of the Dragos Platform by adding historian data, but also adds another key partnership for Dragos to focus on helping the community through innovative approaches to cyber security."

About Dragos

Dragos applies expert human intelligence and threat behavior analytics to redefine industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity. Its industry-first, ICS cybersecurity ecosystem provides industrial security practitioners with unprecedented situational awareness over their environments, with comprehensive threat intelligence, detection, and response capabilities. Dragos' solutions include: the Dragos Platform, software providing ICS-specific asset discovery, threat detection, and investigation capabilities; Dragos Threat Operations Center, providing ICS threat hunting, incident response services, and ICS cybersecurity training; and Dragos ICS WorldView, providing global, ICS-specific threat intelligence in the form of weekly reports and critical alerts upon discovery. Headquartered in metropolitan Washington DC, Dragos' team of ICS cybersecurity experts are practitioners who've lived the problems the industry faces, hailing from across the U.S. Intelligence Community to private sector industrial companies. For more information, please visit dragos.com.

About OSIsoft

For over 37 years, OSIsoft has been dedicated to helping people transform their world through data. Our software turns the vast data streams inside utilities, manufacturers and other industrial customers into rich, real-time insights for saving money, making critical decisions or developing new products. To learn more, please visit osisoft.com.

Media Contacts:

Kari Walker (Dragos)

[email protected]

Michael Kanellos (OSIsoft)

[email protected]

(510) 877-9331

SOURCE Dragos

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"Park Systems is pleased to expand into Mexico with the opening of our new subsidiary which will be fully staffed with trained engineers and scientists with PhDs from major universities and sales experience from JEOL and Zeiss," commented Keibock Lee, Park Systems President. "With the growing need for AFM in Mexico and Latin America, we are pleased to establish Park Mexico in the region to advance nanotechnology with our world-renowned AFM equipment."

Since going public and listing on KOSDAQ in 2016, Park Systems' stock has quadrupled as they continue to lead the world in growing AFM market share. In Mexico, Park will continue to work closely with their established distribution partners in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador to ensure the highest level of customer service and technical support and access to its advanced AFM equipment.

"I cordially welcome Park Systems with confidence that its cutting-edge AFM technology will strengthen the academic and research scientific community here in Mexico," comments Dr. Jesus Arenas Alatorre, Researcher for the Institute of Physics UNAM and former President of the Mexican Association of Microscopy, A.C. "At UNAM, we rely on scanning microscopes (SPM) as a fundamental tool for our research in the physics department and we look forward to working more closely with Park Systems Mexico."

As the demand for AFM technology continuously grows in the region, Park Systems recognizes the need to provide technical sales and service with direct support. Park Systems plans to invest significant resources into the new Park Mexico facility to provide the vast Latin American scientific community a better opportunity to use Park AFM products. For example, Park Systems will display its Atomic Force Microscope at the XXVII International Materials Research Congress 2018 in Cancun, Mexico August 19-24 where its applications scientists will showcase and demo their leading AFM systems. Additionally, Park is planning a NanoScientific Symposium for Latin America early next year where users can hear from leading speakers in the field of nanotechnology, attend an AFM short course and network with other researchers in the field. An official grand opening of Park Mexico will be held in June 7, 2018, and already many in academia and industry give Park Systems an enthusiastic welcome.

"Park Mexico is a historical opportunity to establish more effective collaboration between the university sector and industry, especially in the development of knowledge and new technologies in nanoscience, a field of rapid development and expansion of science and technology," said Dr. Alejandro Gimenez, Centro de Investigacion y Estudios Avanzados.

Park Systems, a global AFM manufacturer, has offices in key cities worldwide, including Santa Clara, California; Tokyo, Japan; Singapore; Mannheim, Germany; Beijing, China; and Suwon, Korea and Mexico. Since becoming the only public offering for an AFM business in 2016, Park Systems growth initiatives reflect the robust growth of their business with many company-wide global initiatives for continued future word-wide success. For more information contact [email protected].

About Park Systems

Park Systems is a world-leading manufacturer of atomic force microscopy (AFM) systems with a complete range of products for researchers and industry engineers in chemistry, materials, physics, life sciences, and semiconductor and data storage industries. Park's products are used by over a thousand of institutions and corporations worldwide. Park's AFM provides highest data accuracy at nanoscale resolution, superior productivity, and lowest operating cost thanks to its unique technology and innovative engineering. Park Systems Corporation is headquartered in Suwon, Korea with its Americas headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Park's products are sold and supported worldwide with regional headquarters in the US, Korea, Japan, and Singapore, Europe and distribution partners throughout Europe, Asia, and America. Please visit http://www.parksystems.com or call 408-986-1110 for more information.

SOURCE Park Systems

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SHANGHAI, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An" or "the Group"), recently announced another milestone in artificial intelligence (AI). The team at Ping An Brain, a big data platform developed by the subsidiary, won the AI+ Environmental Protection International Competition "Power Laws: Detecting Anomalies in Usage" that has just concluded.

It is another award garnered by Ping An in a world-class competition in the AI sector, on the heels of the international awards won by Ping An Technology's Ping An Yingxiang platform for the solution of interpreting CT scans using AI and by Ping An Technology's composition technology using AI. The new milestone demonstrates Ping An's increasingly mature technologies in AI while also laying a solid foundation for the group's further research and development in the smart environmental protection and smart city fields.

The competition, co-organized by Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management, and the leading global data competition community DrivenData, is an important and powerful event in the environmental protection field. The two-month competition themed "Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection" was attended by over 1,700 teams from leading colleges and universities, research institutes and well-known international organizations.

The over 40 million pieces of data in connection with actual power consumption used in the competition was collected from 187 buildings of various types across the world over a seven year period. The biggest challenges facing the competition participants were the detection of unmarked anomalies in power usage from the massive amount of data and the accurate detection of the most relevant anomalies to the actual energy consumption at the anomaly points. An analysis of the anomalies data was required to provide a solution for energy deployment optimization by leveraging the data to build a model, predict the future energy consumption and monitor the anomalies. During the two-month competition, Ping An Technology combined the semi-supervised learning, unsupervised learning and other AI technologies with a professional power energy model to provide a set of anomaly detection algorithms with the aim of saving energy and intelligently protecting the environment. Just one month after the competition started, the company was already maintaining a leading position among the competitors.

During the competition, the data prediction model built by Ping An Technology delivered the highest accuracy and was able to identify anomalies in energy usage and provide a solution for addressing them. The anomalies detected during the competition could help the real-life buildings save 15 to 30% in their consumption of energy.

As energy consumption continues to increase worldwide, a science-based efficient anomaly detection solution helps improve the utilization of energy as well as reduce waste and emissions significantly. As a result, the detection of anomalies in energy usage is becoming increasingly important to the environmental protection sector. Monitoring the usage of energy with advanced technologies, such as AI, will further inspire the research and application in the smart environmental protection field.

As a major high-tech subsidiary of Ping An, Ping An Technology has rich experience in the application of AI technologies and is capitalizing on its leading technologies to support its involvement in building smart cities. The success in the world-class competition reflects the point to which Ping An has seized the opportunity in taking the lead in applying its AI+ capabilities in the environmental protection sector in line with the Chinese central government's roll out of initiatives focused on the development of the AI sector. The combination of AI and environmental protection supports more accurate pollution prediction, smarter pollution control and more intelligent waste disposal. Ping An's Smart Environmental Protection Cloud solution using AI+ technology will help the responsible government authorities in boosting the development of smart cities.

Ping An plans to continue implementing its Finance + Technology dual strategy and innovating. In addition to strengthening its core businesses with technological achievements, the group, supported by Ping An Technology, aims to boost the real-life application of its core technologies, serve the entire community and ultimately, become a leading global technology-driven personal finance and life services provider.

SOURCE Ping An Technology
CLEVELAND, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Plug and Play Cleveland has made its first investment closing a Series A round with Cleveland-founded company, Remesh.

Remesh is a platform that uses artificial intelligence to facilitate live conversations around research questions, replacing polling with real-time interactive customer experiences.

The funding was part of a $10 million Series A funding round led by General Catalyst. This investment comes just 10 months after LionBird Ventures lead the $2.5 million seed round with participation from Cleveland-based North Coast Angel Fund and Techstars.

"Innovation isn't limited to Silicon Valley. Plug and Play Cleveland is excited to work with Remesh to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence in business intelligence and market research," said Plug and Play Director of Health Investments, Neda Amidi. "Remesh has had solid Cleveland-based funding support that created an opportunity for Plug and Play to participate in the next level."

"Attracting world class partners like General Catalyst and Plug and Play is a testament to the great team that Remesh has assembled," said North Coast Angel Fund's Managing Director, Todd Federman. "Plug and Play will provide Remesh with a huge boost by creating exposure to the global corporate community."

Founded in Cleveland in July 2013, Remesh is a graduate of the Barclay Accelerator powered by Techstars and a 2014 graduate of the Cleveland-based Flashstarts accelerator, also an early investor in the company.

"Plug and Play has existing corporate relationships and valuable networks that would have taken us years to develop," said Andrew Konya, CEO of Remesh. "Through Plug and Play's timely and expeditious investment, we now have access to a network that will enhance how we help customers quickly and accurately make decisions with far reaching impact."

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 21 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 220 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, LendingClub, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. www.plugandplaytechcenter.com.

Plug and Play Cleveland Contact

Chantel Moody, 216.534.8771, [email protected]

SOURCE Plug and Play

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BOULDER, Colo., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PopSockets is pleased to announce its partnership with Craig Hospital. The Denver-based hospital is world renowned for specializing in spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. As part of the partnership, PopSockets will donate 10 percent of all net proceeds from sales on PopSockets.com during April through June to Craig's "Culture of Care" program, which facilitates life-affirming activities for patients affected by spinal cord and traumatic brain injury.

In addition to its financial support, PopSockets will also donate 10,000 PopSockets grips to Craig Hospital. Some individuals with spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries are unable to extend their fingers, which makes it difficult or impossible to hold their phones. With the addition of a PopSockets grip  a small collapsible device that adheres to the back of a phone for easy, one-handed holding  patients may be able to wrap their fingers around the grip and operate their phones independently. Accessing a phone allows Craig patients to not only be safe but also allows them to see their calendars, send and receive text messages, email, and open apps using voice commands. Access is also important for allowing patients when they return home to manage their homes, families, school and work.

"I was thrilled to learn that PopSockets grips can have such a positive impact on people who have sustained a spinal cord and/or traumatic brain injury. We are happy to help support these people through our partnership with Craig Hospital," says David Barnett, founder and CEO of PopSockets.

"At Craig, we introduce our patients to a variety of tools to make their lives easier and provide them with the opportunity to try them out, which is why we are proud to partner with PopSockets. Tools like PopSockets can be essential to achieving the highest level of independence and quality of life for people living with disabilities," said Mike Fordyce, president and CEO of Craig Hospital.

PopSockets is hosting a launch event Thursday, April 12th from 3-5pm at their global headquarters located at 3033 Sterling Circle, Boulder, CO 80301: PopSockets CEO David Barnett and Craig's CEO Michael Fordyce will speak at the event, and two guest speakers who are alumni of Craig's program.

About PopSockets

David Barnett is the founder and CEO of PopSockets. He was a philosophy major at Emory, a physics major at University of Colorado Boulder, received his PhD in philosophy from NYU, and from 2005-2015 was a philosophy professor at University of Colorado Boulder. His research specialized in philosophy of language and philosophy of mind, before he reached enlightenment, stopped doing philosophy, and became an entrepreneur.

In 2010, Barnett was looking for a way to stop his earbud cord from getting tangled, and he achieved this by gluing two buttons to the back of his phone and wrapping the earbud cord around the buttons. As ugly as the buttons were, they worked. In the course of improving on the idea, he developed about 60 different prototypes, making the buttons expand and collapse via an accordion mechanism, so that they could function as both a stand and a grip. In 2012, Barnett launched a KickStarter campaign for an iPhone case that would have two PopSockets grips integrated into the case. In addition to getting successfully funded, the KickStarter campaign enabled Barnett to show the world his dancing prowess. Two years later, in 2014, Barnett launched the business out of his garage in Boulder, Colorado, and has subsequently sold over 40 million PopSockets grips around the world.

About Craig Hospital

Craig Hospital is a world-renowned, 93-bed, private, not-for-profit rehabilitation hospital and research center that specializes in the care of people who have sustained a spinal cord and/or a brain injury. As a licensed acute care hospital, Craig provides a comprehensive system of inpatient and outpatient medical care, rehabilitation, neurosurgical rehabilitative care, and long-term follow-up services. Half of Craig's patients come from outside of Colorado. Craig has been ranked as a top 10 rehabilitation center by U.S. News and World Report for 27 consecutive years. Craig has received the NDNQI award in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 for the highest quality outcomes in nursing care in a rehabilitation facility. Craig was voted by employees as a "Top Work Place" by The Denver Post for the past three years, and was ranked in the top 150 places to work in healthcare by Becker's Healthcare in 2014. craighospital.org

SOURCE PopSockets

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HADLEY, Mass., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Qnect, LLC announced today that Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) is the lead investor for Qnect's $3.8 million funding round. Qnect provides software and digital engineering to optimize connections and production throughput for better steel project efficiency.

"We are proud to be able to partner with Nucor. Their investment recognizes the power of our software and is a gratifying endorsement from such a prominent leader in the steel industry," says Jef Sharp, CEO of Qnect. "Qnect helps everybody in the industry with early data and optimization cost benefits that make steel the best choice."

Introduced to the market in April 2016, Qnect's cloud-based connection software is designed for steel detailers, fabricators, engineers and others involved in the structural steel workflow. Qnect projects have recognized savings from earlier delivery of shop drawings, improved fabrication throughput, reduction in connection costs, and streamlined approvals and revisions.

With Nucor's investment, Qnect will strengthen its market position in North America and key international markets.

"This investment in Qnect emphasizes Nucor's commitment to continuous improvement, our dedication to our customers and our belief that technology will continue to drive the steel industry," said John Hollatz, President of Nucor's Vulcraft / Verco Group. "Nucor is looking forward to working with Qnect as it delivers on its vision of bringing significant efficiencies to the design, fabrication, and erection of steel structures and provides stewardship to the construction process."

About Qnect, LLC

Qnect, the optimization company, delivers fast, intelligent, cloud-based connection software (SaaS) for steel detailers, fabricators, owners and engineers who seek efficiency, quality, increased profits and better managed schedules. Qnect's QuickQnect automates structural steel connection design capable of detailing 1,000s of steel connections in minutes.

About Nucor Corporation

Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.

CONTACT: Christian Erickson, 512-814-5611, [email protected]



SOURCE Qnect, LLC

Related Links

http://www.qnect.com


The Nairobi County Government on Tuesday demolished illegal structures in Ngara area to pave way for a matatu terminus.

The demolitions which took place at Figtree left traders stranded and counting loses.

One businessman lamented the loss of his property worth Sh50,000. He says the 24-hour notice did not give them enough time to set up business elsewhere.

A cereal businesswoman says that her demolished shop was only two months old and she had spent Sh100,000 to construct it.

She blames the County government saying they would have given them at least a week to settle for other option.

However, Deputy director of enforcement Peter Mbaya said a three-month notice that had been extended by two weeks for businessmen to vacate the area had expired.

Once we give notice, I dont think we need more consultation, Nairobi has to be orderly, he said on Tuesday.

He explained that the operation is targeting businesses that are illegally positioned in public areas which limits movement of matatus in and out of the city centre.

The operations has started in Ngara where we have Muranga Road (Fig Tree) terminus A and Muranga Road (Fig Tree) Terminus B where traders have encroached leaving no space for the matatus, Mbaya said.

After the demolition process at the Fig Tree terminus in Ngara, the government will move the process to Desai Road, Park Road, Muthurwa, and finally Railways.

He, however, noted that this was an interim move, saying that matatu movement in the CBD will eventually be phased out.

According to a notice by Transport CEC Mohamed Dagane, matatus are expected out of the CBD by the end of this week

Mbaya added that the operation was executed by a multi-agency team that comprises all security agencies and will continue for the next three days.

He said that the operation will also be carried out along Thika Road around the GSU headquarters.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global research antibodies market size is expected to reach USD 4.30 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. The market is predominantly driven by growing number of R&D collaborations among various public and private organizations to promote technical advancements in product development activities and disease progression studies. Consistent recommendations and guidelines issued by regulatory organizations for laboratories to facilitate generation of accurate results and ensure high-quality standards are slated to enhance adoption of research antibodies over the coming years. For instance, in May 2016, the International Society for Stem Cell Research issued revised guidelines for cell-based therapies. The revised guidelines were issued with a focus to improve overall efficiency and quality of preclinical studies.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg )

In addition, prominent market players are entering into partnership with R&D entities that are anticipated to open new avenues. In December 2016, Bayer AG and Versant Ventures collaborated to invest around USD 225.0 million for the establishment of a stem cell research facility in Canada to encourage commercialization of regenerative medicine therapies. Increasing prevalence of breast cancer and soaring need for personalized medicine is stirring up the demand for advanced techniques, which in turn is creating ample growth opportunities for the research antibodies market.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Research Antibodies Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product, By Type (Monoclonal, Polyclonal), By Technology, By Source, By Application (Oncology, Neurobiology), By End-use, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/research-antibodies-market

Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest:

Primary antibodies were the most prominent product segment in 2016 owing to greater specificity leading to increased adoption in research activities. The segment is expected to account for more than 65.0% of the overall market revenue by 2025

On the basis of type, monoclonal antibodies captured substantial share of the market in 2016, owing to high sensitivity for detection of antigens and efficient staining properties with less background noise. The segment is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period

Western blotting commanded the leading share in the market, due to benefits such as better immunogenic response from infectious agents and higher cost efficiency. The immunoprecipitation segment is estimated to post the highest CAGR of just over 7.0% during the same period

Mouse antibodies are relatively easier to produce and possess greater specificity, thus resulting in higher adoption in R&D and accounting for the largest market share in 2016.

Oncology accounted for over 36.0% of the overall revenue in 2016 as a consequence of growing cancer population

Pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies will be the leading end users of research antibodies owing to increased adoption in drug development and discovery. The segment is poised to represent more than 61.0% of the overall revenue by 2025.

Contract research organizations are likely to be the most promising end-user segment during the forecast period owing to greater cost efficiency

North America will continue to be the dominant revenue contributor throughout the forecast period owing to local presence of various biotechnology & biopharmaceutical manufacturers striving to compete in the market

will continue to be the dominant revenue contributor throughout the forecast period owing to local presence of various biotechnology & biopharmaceutical manufacturers striving to compete in the market Some of the key players in the global arena are Abcam PLC; Agilent Technologies; and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. The research antibodies market is moderately consolidated and highly competitive due to low entry barriers.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Clinical Diagnostics Market - Disease management and increasing demand for lab automation are the key drivers of clinical diagnostics market.



Disease management and increasing demand for lab automation are the key drivers of clinical diagnostics market. Aptamers Market - The global aptamers market size was valued at USD 723.6 million in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 28.2% during the forecast period.



The global aptamers market size was valued at in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 28.2% during the forecast period. Stem Cells Market - The global stem cells market size was estimated at USD 6.87 billion in 2016.



The global stem cells market size was estimated at in 2016. Molecular Biology Enzymes And Kits & Reagents Market - The global Molecular Biology Enzymes And Kits & Reagentsmarket size was valued at USD 5.77 billion in 2016 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 19.0%

Grand View Research has segmented the global research antibodies market on the basis of product, type, technology, source, application, end-use, and region:

Research Antibodies Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Primary Secondary

Research Antibodies Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Monoclonal Antibodies Polyclonal Antibodies

Research Antibodies Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Immunohistochemistry Immunofluorescence Western Blotting Flow Cytometry Immunoprecipitation ELISA Others

Research Antibodies Source Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Mouse Rabbit Goat Others

Research Antibodies Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Infectious Diseases Immunology Oncology Stem Cells Neurobiology Others

Research Antibodies End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Academic & Research Institutes Contract Research Organizations Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies

Research Antibodies Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany Asia Pacific Japan China India Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa South Africa



Read Our Blog By Grand View Research: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/healthcare

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]



Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Reuters, the world's largest international multimedia news provider, today announced the recipients of two new Thomson Reuters/White House Correspondents' Association Trust in Reporting Scholarships. The annual one-year scholarships were designed to increase diversity among professional journalists reporting on politics and are available to students of Grambling State University and Arizona State University graduate journalism programs. Recipients will also have access to training and workshops with the Reuters news organization.

The 2018 Grambling State University recipient is Tayler Davis, an aspiring television news reporter who is a graduate student majoring in Mass Communication. Davis, 24, is a native of Baton Rouge, La. She enrolled at the University of Louisiana at Monroe after graduating from Dutchtown High School in Geismar, La. She earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Communications from ULM in May 2017. While enrolled at ULM, Davis worked as a reporter for the campus-based Hawkeye newspaper, as well as the campus public radio station, KEDM. Since enrolling at Grambling, she has become an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists, continued as a volunteer at KEDM, and has served as a moderator for a community town hall forum sponsored by the Grambling Department of Mass Communication.

The 2018 Arizona State University recipient is Pat Poblete, a graduate student studying broadcast journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He has a bachelor's degree in Political Science with a focus on International Relations, and he hosts a weekly broadcast segment that seeks to decrease partisanship by highlighting the thought process behind contentious political topics. Poblete will be in the Cronkite School's Washington Bureau reporting this summer and is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association.

"Creating these new scholarships in partnership with the WHCA offers Reuters an exciting opportunity to help promote diversity in political journalism, a crucial goal for us and for news organizations across the country," said Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler. "Put simply, we need diverse newsrooms so that we can accurately cover the diverse world in which we live."

"The WHCA is proud to announce this partnership with Thomson Reuters and we welcome other news organizations' participation as we expand our national scholarship program," said Margaret Talev, White House Correspondents' Association president. "The awards benefit some of the brightest and most diverse student journalists in the country and connect our members with the next generation of White House correspondents."

Reuters

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Follow news about Reuters at @ReutersPR.

CONTACT

Heather Carpenter

PR Manager, Head of Special Projects

Reuters

[email protected]

646-223-8551

SOURCE Reuters
CHICAGO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosenthal Collins Group LLC (RCG), a leading independent futures brokerage and clearing firm, announced today the appointment of Steve Ivey as Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer. Ivey brings more than two decades of risk management experience in trading, liquidity, credit, operational and market risk.

Starting his role at RCG this week, Ivey joined the firm from OCC (formerly known as the Options Clearing Corporation), the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization, where he served as Vice President of Market Risk and Default Management from 2013 until last October, and as Vice President, Stress Testing and Liquidity Risk Management since that time.

Ivey reports to Richard Mackey, RCG Deputy President.

Mackey said: "Steve's impressive leadership skills and breadth of experience in risk management, futures and options will be a great asset to RCG and our Executive Team. He has some terrific ideas and will build on our strong Risk culture."

Ivey said: "I'm thrilled to be joining RCG, a leader in futures with a deep commitment to prudent risk management. I look forward to working with the team to help strengthen the program even further as RCG continues to grow."

Ivey began his rise to management in the industry at O'Connor & Company, LLC. The firm in 2003 appointed him Assistant Vice President, Risk Manager, overseeing the risk management of all accounts trading equity, index and commodity options and futures as market makers or on a proprietary trading basis. He also took on the role of Branch Office Manager. In 2007, he joined Hanley Group LP, one of the world's largest grain options proprietary trading firms at the time. He served as the firm's Head of Trading Risk and Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance and Business Development, creating the entire Risk and Compliance framework for the company.

Following Hanley's acquisition in 2010, Ivey joined Allston Trading, where he became the Head of Risk Management, chairing the firm's Risk Committee and managing its risk management team until he left for the OCC in late 2013.

Ivey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA at St. Xavier University in Chicago.

About RCG

With more than 90 years of experience in the futures industry, Rosenthal Collins Group is one of the world's leading regulated Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) offering trading execution, clearing, brokerage, institutional foreign exchange (FX), managed futures and a full range of electronic trading services. RCG has a wide range of institutional, commercial, professional and retail customers around the globe, as well as a large network of more than 150 introducing broker and correspondent brokerage relationships. The firm has developed its own electronic trading platform, RCG Onyx Plus, tailored to the needs of its clients. RCG holds clearing memberships on all principal U.S. futures exchanges and has access to world futures markets through a network of correspondent relationships.

SOURCE Rosenthal Collins Group
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Coalition Forces to Support the Legitimacy in Yemen Spokesperson, Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, stated that at 7:40am this morning, Abha Airport's defense system detected an unidentified object moving in the direction of the airport. This object was then managed in accordance with the rules of engagement and destroyed. All air traffic was suspended in accordance with the international laws of aviation, which later resumed after neutralizing the threat. Upon examining the debris of the object by Coalition specialists, it was found to be a hostile Houthi combat drone, with Iranian characteristics and specifications, which was attempting to attack the airport- an area protected under international law.

Additionally, Col. Al-Maliki also stated that at 7:30am today, an unidentified object was spotted heading in the direction of a civilian landmark in Jizan. Air defense dealt with the object, destroying it without causing any losses. Upon Coalition specialists examining the object, it was determined that parts match the combat drone that attempted to attack Abha International Airport.

Col. Al-Maliki also noted that at 5:30 pm today, the Coalition air defense spotted 3 missiles that were launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia from within the Yemeni territory of Sa'ada and the Northern part of the territory of Amran towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. One of these rockets was going towards the capital Riyadh, the other two were directed at the cities of Najran and Jizan, targeting civilian and populated areas. All of these missiles were intercepted by the Saudi Royal Air Defense forces, resulting in fragments of rockets falling in neighborhoods. No injuries or casualties were recorded at the time of the statement being made.

The Coalition expressed a strong warning against the Iranian-backed Houthi militias for their continued targeting of civilians and civilian locations. Their use of terror tactics will be managed with a forceful response, and the Coalition will take all necessary defensive actions, in accordance to international humanitarian law and known customs.

The Coalition issued a warning against using these attacks against civilians, civilian locations, as well as vital and industrial installations. The Houthi militia should be forewarned that these continued actions would have consequences that will be theirs to bear. The Houthis are in clear violation of United Nations resolution 2216 and 2231, threatening the security of the Kingdom and threatening regional security. The firing of ballistic missiles at populated cities and villages is a violation of international humanitarian law, proving that the Iranian-backed Houthi militia continues to flaunt their disregard for international norms.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office
The exhibition will run from April through June 2018, marking the 50th anniversaries of the assassinations of these leaders. Dr. King was shot and killed on April 4, 1968 and Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed June 6, 1968.

"As a pictorial narrative of their public lives as social and political leaders, we want visitors to walk away pondering what kind of country America would be today if both of these leaders were still with us," says Theron Kabrich, gallery cofounder and creative director. "We hope this exhibition encourages reflection that goes beyond one about leadership and events of the past, but just as much or more about leadership and events of the present and future."

Both King and Kennedy were relentless in their pursuit of justice, not being deterred by challenge but compelled to push back for a greater good and to speak the truth as they saw it with directness and clarity. "I am persuaded," Kabrich says, "that each in their own way would have continued to be driving forces in the pursuit of justice on behalf of the underserved and neglected to the present day."

The extraordinary images of these men in various environments, a number of them being shown for the first time, allow some of us to remember and others of us to imagine what they were like, who they were, and why their legacies mean so much even now.

"We all have heroes and heroines who we look up to and admire, figures who inspire us," Kabrich says. "I believe a few of us, though, actually take inspiration to a level beyond inspiration, to aspiration. These people, leaders of the past and of the future, aspired to actually emulate the person that inspires them, to become like that person. In the case of Dr. King, for example, it was Ghandi."

The current exhibition will surely inspire visitors during these three months as the walls of San Francisco Art Exchange will be filled with iconic images of two great men. The gallery also hopes the photographs on display will stimulate a few young people to believe enough in their own dreams to aspire to become leaders and change agents of their generation as had been Dr. King and Bobby in their own. "In some ways," Kabrich says, "the kids in Parkland, Florida are fearless enough and smart enough to strive for something greater than themselves. How refreshing to see such noble audacity - a characteristic of the men whose images are on our walls."

Many of the photographs on display are well known and include images that most people will recognize. Other photographs, however, will be seen for the first time - some of the rarest photos were printed in the early 1960s. All prints are signed by the photographers and will be for sale.

About San Francisco Art Exchange

The San Francisco Art Exchange focuses on popular iconography from the worlds of film, art, music and history guided by the thesis that popular iconography is the language a culture uses to speak to itself in real time and later memorializes those communications as important parts of historical record.

SFAE has sold original artwork of iconic album covers for the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, among many others. The gallery has also concluded landmark sales of rare photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King, Jr., Johnny Cash and Muhammad Ali, to name a few. In addition, SFAE has represented treasured music and movie-related artifacts from private and celebrity archives, such as the Playboy Collection and the Brown Derby Collection.

At its downtown San Francisco gallery, SFAE has hosted live events by everyone from music superstars Brian Wilson and Graham Nash, to civil rights legend Clarence Jones and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm. The gallery's most recent project was the sale of a rare portfolio of photographs of President John F. Kennedy, celebrating the centennial of his birth in cooperation with the Kennedy Foundation, with a percentage of the proceeds benefitting the foundation.

For sales and inquiries, please contact: San Francisco Art Exchange [email protected] or call 415-441-8840.

For more information:

http://www.sfae.com/

SOURCE San Francisco Art Exchange

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MECHANICSBURG, Pa., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Select Medical Holdings Corporation ("Select Medical") (NYSE: SEM), will release the financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2018 on Thursday, May 3, 2018 after the market closes.

Select Medical will host a conference call regarding its first quarter results, as well as its business outlook, on Friday, May 4, 2018, at 9:00am ET. The domestic dial in number for the call is 1-866-440-2669. The international dial in number is 1-409-220-9844. The conference ID for the call is 2793449. The conference call will be webcast simultaneously and can be accessed at Select Medical Holdings Corporation's website www.selectmedicalholdings.com.

For those unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available until 11:59pm ET, May 11, 2018. The replay number is 1-855-859-2056 (domestic) or 1-404-537-3406 (international). The passcode for the replay will be 2793449. The replay can also be accessed at Select Medical Holdings Corporation's website, www.selectmedicalholdings.com.

Select Medical began operations in 1997 and has grown to be one of the largest operators of long term acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics and occupational health centers in the United States based on the number of facilities. As of December 31, 2017, Select Medical operated 100 long term acute care hospitals in 27 states, 24 rehabilitation hospitals in 10 states and 1,616 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Select Medical's joint venture subsidiary Concentra operated 312 occupational health centers in 38 states. Concentra also provides contract services at employer worksites and Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinics. On February 1, 2018 Concentra completed the acquisition of U.S. Healthworks, which operates approximately 220 occupational health centers and provides contract services at employer worksites. At December 31, 2017, Select Medical had operations in 47 states and the District of Columbia. Information about Select Medical is available at www.selectmedical.com.

Investor inquiries:

Joel T. Veit

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

717-972-1100

[email protected]

SOURCE Select Medical Holdings Corporation

Related Links

http://www.selectmedicalholdings.com


HELENA, Mont., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In 72 Hours of Adventure, the Knapp Family takes on the challenge of experiencing as much as they can on a 3-day trip to Missoula, Montana.

72 Hours of Adventure is episode 26 in the Discover Your #MontanaMoment video series and can be viewed on VISITMT.COM.

Montana Snowbowl in Missoula offers visitors stunning views and endless adventure.

http://www.visitmt.com/campaign/montana-tv/episode-26.html

The family's extended weekend getaway basecamps in the city of Missoula. Without needing to travel far, they enjoy easy access to outdoor recreation. The family loves to kayak, so it was a natural fit for Brandon and Jacqui to start their family's trip on a Blackfoot River excursion, where the rapids offer an exciting, yet navigable, experience for the boys. The sun dances off the clear waters as they take in the lush landscape and rocky peaks while following the river's current. With a day trip to Montana Snowbowl, the family of four pedals through fields of beargrass when hitting the trails and takes in the beautiful scenery on mountain bikes. While the area is a popular winter destination, the warm months uncover new opportunities to experience the mountain. While there, the family goes for an adrenaline rush with a zip line tour, leaving lasting smiles of excitement on everyone's faces.

"To me, it's about memory building, and really capturing what we can experience together as a family," says mom, Jacqui.

The family also takes time to slow down and experience all that the city of Missoula has to offer, including a local taste at the weekend farmer's market. They enjoy biking in the city, local dining, and an evening hike up the Mount Sentinel M Trail.

"Traveling builds our family stronger," comments Brandon as the family watches the sun set over Missoula.

"There's big sky, there's big mountains, there's big trails and rivers. Montana has been the perfect place for us," adds Jacqui.

Whether you're a family like the Knapps, a couple, or a group of friends looking to get away, you don't need a big time commitment to find big adventures in Montana. Cities across the state serve as a launch pad for a long weekend, and you can find endless opportunities for outdoor recreation just outside your door. You can also discover the local culture and flavor of your destination by visiting a farmer's market, dining at local restaurants, and exploring the sights and shopping around you.

The Knapp Family's 3-day weekend highlights just a few ways to discover your #MontanaMoment while in Big Sky Country. Find more ideas for family fun and Montana trip ideas for everyone to enjoy. You can also explore inspiration for epic family adventures or road trip adventures to create lasting memories like the Knapps did with your own Montana experiences.

About The Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development (MOTBD)

MOTBD markets Montana's spectacular unspoiled nature, vibrant and charming small towns, breathtaking experiences, relaxing hospitality and competitive business climate to promote the state as a place to visit and do business. For more information, go to VISITMT.COM.

SOURCE Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development

Related Links

http://www.visitmt.com


TORONTO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX: SMT) (BVL: SMT) (NYSE AMERICAN: SMTS) ("Sierra Metals" or "the Company") is pleased to report first quarter 2018 production results featuring the highest level of consolidated quarterly throughput to date.

Results are from Sierra Metals' three underground mines in Latin America: The Yauricocha polymetallic mine in Peru, and the Bolivar copper and Cusi silver Mines in Mexico.

First Quarter 2018 Production Highlights

Silver production of 0.6 million ounces; a 15% decrease from Q1 2017

Copper production of 8.1 million pounds; an 11% increase from Q1 2017

Zinc production of 18.2 million pounds was flat when compared to Q1 2017

Total of 557,710 tonnes processed; a 5% increase from Q1 2017

Record quarterly throughput at both the Yauricocha Mine and Bolivar Mine

The Company achieved record quarterly throughput from both the Yauricocha and Bolivar Mines, continuing the successful production increases realized during 2017. Consolidated production of Copper increased 11% to 8.1 million pounds, silver declined 15% to 0.6 million ounces, lead decreased 31% to 6.3 million pounds, zinc was flat at 18.2 million pounds and gold increased 10% to 1,952 ounces compared to Q1 2017.

The Yauricocha mine achieved record quarterly throughput during Q1 2018. Metal production in Q1 slipped due to a difference in grades and recoveries. Record throughput at Bolivar, along with higher silver head grades, and silver and gold recoveries, resulted in an increase in equivalent metal production compared to Q1 2017. At Cusi, the difference in equivalent metal production was the result of the Company's continued focus on completing access, development, and production from the Santa Rosa de Lima zone which contains wider structures and higher silver grades. The Company expects to realize the benefits of these efforts at Cusi during the rest of 2018.

Igor Gonzales, President and CEO of Sierra Metals, commented: "The Company has started 2018 with solid production results coming from all three mines in the first quarter. Thanks in part to record production at both the Yauricocha and Bolivar mines where we are reaping the benefits of our operational improvement programs. The Company has initiated preliminary scoping / PEA studies to analyze future operational production increases at all three mines and continues development at our Mines with an objective of progressing the recent resource increases at the Cusi Mine, as well as the reserve and resource increases at the Yauricocha Mine into the mine plans. Similar plans will also be put in place with the results from the upcoming Bolivar reserve and resource update.

Yauricocha continues to perform with record tonnage throughput. During Q2 2018 the final infrastructure for the Yauricocha tunnel should be completed allowing for more capacity to handle larger volumes of waste and ore. The Yauricocha shaft will also be sunk to the 1270 level this year providing access to further reserves and resources at the Mine. The Mine will see consistent levels of throughput in 2018 due to a refurbishment of the lower part of the Mascota Shaft which could potentially cause a slowdown in production rates during that time period, which was already factored into our 2018 production guidance.

At Bolivar, the company continues to define higher grade ore sources at the Bolivar West and Northwest zones through successful exploration programs. These new zones are expected to come into the mine plan in later 2019. In the near-term, the Company continues to focus on the El Gallo zone while optimizing equipment usage and improving productivity. We are confident production levels will reach 3,500 tonnes per day in the second half of the year.

At Cusi, tonnages continue to improve with the Mine realizing a 65% increase in throughput when compared to Q4-2017. We continue to campaign development ore from the Santa Rosa de Lima zone with increasing throughput rates, while continuing to mine selected structures in the older part of the mine. The Company expects to reach the existing mill's capacity of 650 tonnes per day in Q2-2018, the addition of another ball mill will see the capacity increase to approximately 1,200 tonnes per day in early 2019.

Mr. Gonzales concluded, "Management continues to be very optimistic for the year ahead as the groundwork for continued improvements, through the modernizing and implementation of best operational practices has been set. Our ongoing aggressive brownfield exploration programs at all mines should also lead to further significant growth in reserves and resources and add to the value of our assets during the year ahead."

Consolidated Production Results







Consolidated Production 3 Months Ended 2018 Guidance

Q1 2018 Q1 2017 % Var. Low High Tonnes processed (mt) 557,710 529,695 5%





Daily throughput 6,374 6,054 5%



Silver ounces (000's) 594 698 -15% 2,474 2,886 Copper pounds (000's) 8,090 7,290 11% 32,700 38,100 Lead pounds (000's) 6,312 9,143 -31% 19,100 22,300 Zinc pounds (000's) 18,214 18,137 0% 62,900 73,400 Gold ounces 1,952 1,777 10% 6,700 7,800 Silver equivalent ounces (000's)(1) 4,394 3,746 17% 13,900 16,210 Copper equivalent pounds (000's)(1) 23,445 25,126 -7% 89,184 104,005 Zinc equivalent pounds (000's)(1) 47,209 52,231 -10% 183,830 214,468

(1) Silver equivalent ounces, Copper equivalent pounds, and Zinc equivalent pounds for Q1 2018 were calculated using the following realized prices: $16.75/oz Ag, $3.14/lb Cu, $1.15/lb Pb, $1.56/lb Zn, $1,334/oz Au. Silver equivalent ounces, Copper equivalent pounds, and Zinc equivalent pounds for Q1 2017 were calculated using the following realized prices: $17.71/oz Ag, $2.64/lb Cu, $1.04/lb Pb, $1.27/lb Zn, $1,231/oz Au.

Yauricocha Mine, Peru

The Yauricocha Mine processed a quarterly record of 271,389 tonnes during Q1 2018, representing an 8% increase from Q1 2017. Despite the record quarterly throughput realized at Yauricocha during Q1 2018, lower silver, lead, and zinc head grades, and lower recoveries of all metals, except copper, resulted in the slight decline in equivalent metal production compared to Q1 2017.

The Company continues to see positive improvements from the restructuring at Yauricocha with increased throughput; however, slightly lower head grades were noted with increased contribution from the Esperanza zone into the production schedule in Q1 2018, as evidenced by the 9% decrease in zinc equivalent production over Q1 2017. During Q1 2018, the Company saw a significant 34% increase in the production of copper, a 2% increase in the production of zinc, and a 7% increase in the production of gold, offset by decreases in production of silver (27%), and lead (28%) compared to Q1 2017.

The Company remains focused on capitalizing on the successful drilling campaigns executed during 2017 which resulted in significant increases to the reserves and resources at Yauricocha. Continued production growth is expected to be realized from the strategic allocation of operating cash flows towards growth efficient capital, in order to provide the infrastructure, and scoping studies necessary to monetize the reserve and resource increases as quickly as possible.

A summary of production from the Yauricocha Mine for Q1 2018 is provided below:





Yauricocha Production 3 Months Ended

Q1 2018 Q1 2017 % Var. Tonnes processed (mt) 271,389 251,180 8%

Daily throughput 3,102 2,871 8%

Silver grade (g/t) 59.52 81.37 -27%

Copper grade 0.89% 0.81% 9%

Lead grade 1.24% 1.76% -29%

Zinc grade 3.45% 3.60% -4%

Gold Grade (g/t) 0.61 0.56 9%

Silver recovery 70.50% 75.95% -7%

Copper recovery 70.22% 62.00% 13%

Lead recovery 81.51% 85.96% -5%

Zinc recovery 87.94% 89.12% -1%

Gold Recovery 15.77% 17.25% -9% Silver ounces (000's) 366 499 -27% Copper pounds (000's) 3,727 2,783 34% Lead pounds (000's) 6,069 8,382 -28% Zinc pounds (000's) 18,144 17,774 2% Gold ounces 835 779 7% Zinc equivalent pounds (000's)(1) 34,767 38,137 -9%

(1) Zinc equivalent pounds for Q1 2018 were calculated using the following realized prices: $16.75/oz Ag, $3.14/lb Cu, $1.15/lb Pb, $1.56/lb Zn, $1,334/oz Au. Zinc equivalent pounds for Q1 2017 were calculated using the following realized prices: $17.71/oz Ag, $2.64/lb Cu, $1.04/lb Pb, $1.27/lb Zn, $1,231/oz Au.

Bolivar Mine, Mexico

The Bolivar Mine processed a record 259,375 tonnes in Q1 2018, representing a 6% increase over Q1 2017. The higher throughput, silver head grades, and silver and gold recoveries resulted in a 1% decrease in copper equivalent production in Q1 2018 compared to Q1 2017. In Q1 2018, copper production decreased by 3% to 4,363,000 pounds, silver production increased 28% to 120,000 ounces, and gold production increased 25% to 1,048 ounces compared to Q1 2017. The Company has been successful at increasing tonnage at Bolivar through the commissioning of 13 new pieces of equipment. The new equipment along with the best use of existing mine infrastructure and equipment will help to maximize ore delivery to the processing plant.

The Company continues to define higher grade ore sources at Bolivar West and Bolivar Northwest which are expected to come into the mine plan by the second half of 2019. However, as a short-term planning strategy, the Bolivar Mine continues to focus on developing and mining the El Gallo Inferior zone to centralize operations, optimize equipment usage and to improve productivity. The Company remains confident that throughput can be increased to 3,500 tonnes per day during Q3 or Q4 2018.

A summary of production for the Bolivar Mine for Q1 2018 is provided below:





Bolivar Production 3 Months Ended

Q1 2018 Q1 2017 % Var. Tonnes processed (mt) 259,375 243,974 6%

Daily throughput 2,964 2,788 6%

Copper grade 0.95% 1.03% -8%

Silver grade (g/t) 17.85 15.25 17%

Gold grade (g/t) 0.18 0.20 -13%

Copper recovery 80.65% 81.49% -1%

Silver recovery 80.91% 78.95% 2%

Gold recovery 70.94% 52.49% 35% Copper pounds (000's) 4,363 4,508 -3% Silver ounces (000's) 120 94 28% Gold ounces 1,048 840 25% Copper equivalent pounds (000's)(1) 5,450 5,533 -1%

(1) Copper equivalent pounds for Q1 2018 were calculated using the following realized prices: $16.75/oz Ag, $3.14/lb Cu, $1.15/lb Pb, $1.56/lb Zn, $1,334/oz Au. Copper equivalent pounds for Q1 2017 were calculated using the following realized prices: $17.71/oz Ag, $2.64/lb Cu, $1.04/lb Pb, $1.27/lb Zn, $1,231/oz Au.

Cusi Mine, Mexico

Total ore processed increased 65% in Q1 to 26,945 tonnes when compared to Q4 2017 but decreased 22% when compared to Q1 2017.

Silver production of 108,000 ounces increased 3% in Q1 2017, as the metallurgical work performed during 2017 increased silver recoveries by 35%, despite the lower throughput. Metal production decreased for gold (57%), lead (68%) and zinc (81%).

The Company is currently mining selected higher-grade structures at the old mine, in addition to campaigning development ore from the Santa Rosa de Lima structure containing improved head grades to the mill at Cusi. The Company expects to gradually increase tonnage from the Santa Rosa de Lima zone as well as other zones in the areas previously developed with a different mandate to produce from disseminated mineralized zones until the mill is operating at its capacity of 650 tonnes per day. It is expected that the main supply of ore in-terms of tonnage and grade will come from Santa Rosa de Lima, in conjunction with other zones such as Promontorio, and Azucarera, starting in Q2 2018. Additionally, structural development at the Santa Rosa de Lima zone will be completed using long hole mining versus the existing cut and fill methodology which should result in lower costs going forward.

A summary of production for the Cusi Mine for Q1 2018 is provided below:





Cusi Production 3 Months Ended

Q1 2018 Q1 2017 % Var. Tonnes processed (mt) 26,945 34,541 -22%

Daily throughput 308 395 -22%

Silver grade (g/t) 143.47 146.13 -2%

Gold grade (g/t) 0.18 0.25 -29%

Lead grade 0.48% 1.25% -61%

Zinc grade 0.51% 1.26% -60%

Silver recovery 86.69% 64.18% 35%

Gold recovery 45.26% 57.87% -22%

Lead recovery 84.21% 80.22% 5%

Zinc recovery 23.44% 37.91% -38% Silver ounces (000's) 108 104 3% Gold ounces 69 159 -57% Lead pounds (000's) 243 761 -68% Zinc pounds (000's) 71 363 -81% Silver equivalent ounces (000's)(1) 136 186 -27%

(1) Silver equivalent ounces for Q1 2018 were calculated using the following realized prices: $16.75/oz Ag, $3.14/lb Cu, $1.15/lb Pb, $1.56/lb Zn, $1,334/oz Au. Silver equivalent ounces for Q1 2017 were calculated using the following realized prices: $17.71/oz Ag, $2.64/lb Cu, $1.04/lb Pb, $1.27/lb Zn, $1,231/oz Au.

Quality Control

All technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Gordon Babcock, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Americo Zuzunaga, MAusIMM CP (Mining Engineer) and Vice President of Corporate Planning is a Qualified Person and chartered professional qualifying as a Competent Person under the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves.

Augusto Chung, FAusIMM CP (Metallurgist) and Consultant to Sierra Metals is a Qualified Person and chartered professional qualifying as a Competent Person on metallurgical processes.

About Sierra Metals

Sierra Metals Inc. is Canadian based growing polymetallic mining company with production from its Yauricocha Mine in Peru, and its Bolivar and Cusi Mines in Mexico. The Company is focused on increasing production volume and growing mineral resources. Sierra Metals has recently had several new key discoveries and still has many more exciting brownfield exploration opportunities at all three Mines in Peru and Mexico that are within close proximity to the existing mines. Additionally, the Company also has large land packages at all three mines with several prospective regional targets providing longer-term exploration upside and mineral resource growth potential.

The Company's Common Shares trade on the Bolsa de Valores de Lima and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "SMT" and on the NYSE American Exchange under the symbol "SMTS".

Continue to Follow, Like and Watch our progress:

Web: www.sierrametals.com | Twitter: sierrametals | Facebook: SierraMetalsInc | LinkedIn: Sierra Metals Inc

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian and U.S. securities laws related to the Company (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's operations, including anticipated developments in the Company's operations in future periods, the Company's planned exploration activities, the adequacy of the Company's financial resources, and other events or conditions that may occur in the future. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be considered to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if and when the properties are developed or further developed. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential" or variations thereof, or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the mining industry including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological formations, floods, labour disruptions, explosions, cave-ins, weather conditions and criminal activity; commodity price fluctuations; higher operating and/or capital costs; lack of available infrastructure; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits and the inability to replace reserves; fluctuations in the price of commodities used in the Company's operations; risks related to foreign operations; changes in laws or policies, foreign taxation, delays or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits; risks relating to outstanding borrowings; issues regarding title to the Company's properties; risks related to environmental regulation; litigation risks; risks related to uninsured hazards; the impact of competition; volatility in the price of the Company's securities; global financial risks; inability to attract or retain qualified employees; potential conflicts of interest; risks related to a controlling group of shareholders; dependence on third parties; differences in U.S. and Canadian reporting of mineral reserves and resources; potential dilutive transactions; foreign currency risks; risks related to business cycles; liquidity risks; reliance on internal control systems; credit risks, including risks related to the Company's compliance with covenants with respect to its BCP Facility; uncertainty of production and cost estimates for the Yauricocha Mine, the Bolivar Mine and the Cusi Mine; and other risks identified in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filings are available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking information. Forward looking information includes statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and the Company's actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Company's statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Note Regarding Reserve and Resource Estimates

All reserve and resource estimates reported by the Company were calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The differences between these standards are discussed in our SEC filings. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

SOURCE Sierra Metals Inc.

Related Links

www.sierrametals.com


Machakos County Governor Alfred Mutua has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Wavinya to apologise for her defamatory remarks against him.

Wavinya, who lost to Mutua in the 2013 and 2017 governor races, claimed she had been threatened and that Mutua should be held responsible should anything happen to her.

My dad (100 years old) was shot just two days before I launched my bid in 2013. The day I served Mutua with court papers for my petition in 2013, my neighbours Range Rover, which was similar to mine, was shot at [as the driver entered] our gate, she said. In early 2017, my opponent opened his MCCP offices 100 metres from my home in an attempt to intimidate me.

Wavinya claimed this was not the first time the Governor was keeping tabs on her. One of my workers recently confessed that he was offered Sh3 million by persons known to him to relay information regarding my movements. I have since reported the matter to the police, Wavinya wrote on Facebook on Monday. She added: Today at around 4:30 pm, he was seen driving slowly by my gate in his white VX Land Cruiser, tailed by a grey Subaru. What he is surveying I do not know. If anything happens to me, please hold him accountable.

In his response on Tuesday, Mutua warned Wavinya Ndeti that legal measures would be taken against should an apology not be issued within one week.

Unless you comply with this demand, our mandatory instructions are to institute legal proceedings against you without any further reference to you whatsoever, he said.

Mutua is demanding an immediate admission of liability for the defamation of his character, an action that will be followed by the assessment of the damage caused.

He also wants Wavinya to stop engaging in unfounded propaganda against him.

His lawyers argued the remarks were intentional outright lies and propaganda calculated to seek sympathy and to portray Wavinya as a victim of imaginary persecution.

It is our case that your behaviour is criminal and portrays you as a rogue, a liar, an inciter and a dishonest person who uses opportunistic, mischievous and scandalous ways to achieve her intentions, BM Mungata & Co. Advocates said in a statement to the media.

A police complaint has been lodged via OB No. 29 of 10/04/2018 at Machakos police station.

Mutua further denied allegations of tailing Wavinya saying he was at the airport, hundreds of kilometers away, on the day Wavinya claimed to have seen him near her gate.

The time you claim our client was seen driving near your home, our client was at an airport, 500kms away, waiting to board flight KQ No. JM 8645 to Nairobi, his lawyers said in the letter.

He was in clear view of hundreds of people including senior government officials. This fact alone exposes you as a shameless and blatant liar out to mislead the public and damage our clients hard earned international reputation.
On the heels of this announcement, Sixt SE is pleased to announce that Mr. Alexander Sixt, Global Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Board Member, will be making his first-ever U.S. appearance next month in Las Vegas as the keynote speaker at the 2018 International Car Rental Show.

"I'm deeply honored to have the opportunity to come to the U.S. to keynote the 2018 International Car Rental Show. We fundamentally believe that much of our growth as a company will be driven by expansion in the U.S. market over the next 10 years," said Alexander Sixt, CAO of Sixt SE. "I'm looking forward to sharing our plans for that growth, as well as our vision for the future of mobility both in the U.S. and around the globe."

Sixt will be speaking on Monday, April 16, 2018 at Bally's Las Vegas. His speech is entitled Sixt's Outlook on Growth Initiatives in the Global Car Rental and Mobility Markets.

Alexander Sixt Bio

Alexander Sixt, together with his brother Konstantin Sixt, is the fourth generation of the Sixt family to serve in leadership at one of the world's most successful and rapidly-growing mobility providers.

Mr. Sixt has served as Head of Corporate Development for Sixt SE since 2009, and in 2015 was appointed to serve on the company's Executive Board as designated Executive Board Member for Organization and Strategy. Alexander Sixt is responsible for corporate strategy and efficiency, mergers and acquisitions, divisions group strategy, central purchasing and procurement, process management, the development and expansion of new mobility services, the global human resources division, and the management of all shared service and administration functions.

Prior to joining Sixt SE, Alexander got his start as a member of Deutsche Banks M&A Department in London, and then joined Roland Bergers Restructuring as a Senior Consultant in the competence center, focusing on distressed financing within the automotive and industrial sector.

Mr. Sixt has a master's degree (M.Sc. Hons.) in corporate finance and accounting from the City University (London) as well as a Diplom-Kaufmann and a Diplome de Grande Ecole from the ESCP (Paris) with distinction. He lives in Munich/Germany with his wife and two children.

For complete details, click here: https://www.internationalcarrentalshow.com/

To learn more, we recommend reading Auto Rental News' "Is America Ready for Sixt?" and Forbes' "The Biggest Car Rental Firm You've Never Heard Of".

About Sixt:

Sixt SE has its registered headquarters in Pullach near Munich and is a leading international provider of high-quality mobility services for business and corporate customers as well as private travelers. With representations in over 100 countries worldwide Sixt is continually expanding its presence. The Company's strengths the high proportion of premium cars in the vehicle fleet, its employees' consistent service orientation and a good price-performance ratio. Taken together these strengths have given Company an excellent market position. Sixt was founded in 1912 and maintains alliances with renowned brands in the hotel industry, well-known airlines and numerous prominent service providers in the tourism sector. The Sixt Group generates revenues of EUR 2.6 billion (2017). http://about.sixt.com/

SOURCE Sixt

Related Links

http://about.sixt.com


SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA), the North American arm of SoftBank Robotics Group (SBR), and Simbe Robotics today announced a global partnership to tackle the challenges retailers face in handling inventory dynamics in their stores. Simbe Robotics, creator of Tally, the world's first autonomous shelf auditing and analytics solution, will leverage SBR's international reach and operational efficiencies to scale its business globally. To address store operations and merchandising challenges in the $23T retail market (source), SBR and Simbe will expand deployments of Tally in Japan, North America and Europe in the near future and will commercialize more broadly over the coming years.

With Tally, retailers benefit from unparalleled visibility and insight into the state of store merchandise including:

Timely alerts for out-of-stock, low stock, and misplaced items

Audited product price tags and promotional execution

Autonomous inventory audits, allowing store associates to better serve customers

Continuous in-store performance insights for brand and retail service partners

Having deployed more than 20,000 robots globally, SoftBank Robotics has strong infrastructure in place to support robotic activations worldwide, including Tally.

"Partnering with industry leader SoftBank Robotics gives us access to robotics deployment expertise and networks that will accelerate our global expansion," said Brad Bogolea, CEO of Simbe. "SBR's scale and scope of deployments is unmatched in the robotics industry, and we look forward to building a mutually beneficial relationship."

Since its unveiling in November 2015, Tally has been deployed by eight leading international retailers and has:

Safely navigated 4,500+ kilometers in-store alongside customers and employees

Captured 32M+ shelf photos, analyzing over 150M+ products and shelf tags

Completed over 7,500 hours of fully autonomous operation

"What the Simbe team has accomplished is nothing short of remarkable," said Steve Carlin, Chief Strategy Officer for SoftBank Robotics. "Their focus on delivering value to their clients through executional excellence is what makes them a leader in the retail operation and robotics space. We are thrilled to be able to help them broaden their reach in the global marketplace."

In the near future, the two companies will explore the ability to connect their robotic systems, Tally and Pepper, to further positively affect the retail experience by helping customers quickly and easily find specific products.

About Simbe Robotics

Simbe Robotics is the global leader in automation solutions that give retailers unprecedented visibility and insight into the state of their store environments, while improving inventory and operational challenges. Simbe is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in San Francisco, CA and works with major worldwide retailers and brands across the US, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.simberobotics.com or follow the company at @simberobotics.

About Tally 

Tally works in concert with retail store associates by empowering them with timely information to ensure products are always stocked, in the right place and correctly priced. Using a suite of sensors, the robot operates safely during normal store hours alongside shoppers and employees and doesn't require any infrastructure changes to the store. Tally's design is intuitive, friendly, and fits naturally into the retail environment. The robot scans entire stores up to three times per day and autonomously returns to its dock allowing for continuous operation. Combined with Simbe's cloud-powered software platform, powered by computer vision and machine learning, retailers have unprecedented information and insight into the state of their stores. This information can be used to streamline store performance, maximize customer satisfaction, increase sales, and optimize operational expenditures.

About SoftBank Robotics America

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA) is driving technology forward by becoming a leader in humanoid robotics. SoftBank Robotics designs and develops everyday robots that work with people to make their lives easier, safer, more connected, and more extraordinary. Our robots, including Pepper and NAO, are used in more than 70 countries worldwide and offer innovative use cases relevant for the fields of retail, financial services, healthcare, travel, and hospitality. Formerly Aldebaran Robotics, SBRA's sister offices remain in Europe, Japan and China under the new SoftBank Robotics Group. To learn more about SoftBank Robotics America go to

www.softbankrobotics.com/us

SOURCE SoftBank Robotics America

Related Links

http://www.softbankrobotics.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania American Legion are seeking applicants for "State Police Youth Week," a summer leadership camp designed for teenagers interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement or the military. State Police Youth Week was established in 1970 with the goal of improving the relationship between Pennsylvania's youth and the law enforcement community.

The week-long camp is staffed by members of the Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and Pennsylvania American Legion. During the camp, cadets take part in team-building exercises, physical fitness training, classroom activities involving police and military careers, and a marksmanship course. Cadets will also visit the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey and Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center in Lebanon County.

The camp will be held at York College in York, Pennsylvania from June 10 through 16. Boys and girls interested in applying for the camp must be between the ages of 15 and 17 prior to entering the camp and not reach the age of 18 during the camp. Students who have previously attended the camp as a cadet are not eligible to apply again. Applicants are expected to have a good academic record and be in good health. For application information, visit the Pennsylvania American Legion website at www.pa-legion.com and click on the "Programs" link or call the Pennsylvania American Legion Headquarters at (717) 730-9100. Teens attend the camp at no cost, as their local American Legion post sponsors their attendance.

In addition to State Police Youth Week, regional Camp Cadet programs are also hosted by state police personnel. The week-long Camp Cadet programs are for boys and girls ages 11-15. To inquire about the availability of a Camp Cadet near you, contact your local state police barracks.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Cpl. Adam Reed, 717-783-5556

SOURCE Pennsylvania State Police Department

Related Links

http://www.psp.pa.gov/


Q1'18 sees second highest quarter of VC investment ever, as median deal sizes grow

US dominates VC market globally investing $28.2 billion

Americas see record breaking $29.4 billion of investment

Unicorns raise $14 billion across 32 deals.

TORONTO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - 2018 had a rousing start with US$49.3 billion of venture capital investment raised across 2,661 deals in Q1, just shy of the global record for a single quarter, according to Venture Pulse Q1 2018, a quarterly report on global VC trends published by KPMG Enterprise. A record-breaking $29.4 billion of investment in the Americas  including $28.2 billion in the US alone  combined with high investment in Asia helped fuel the strong VC market.

While venture capital deal volume continued to decline, the median deal size globally continued to grow across all deal stages in Q1 reaching $1.3 million for angel and seed stage rounds, $7.7 million for early stage rounds, and $15 million for later stage rounds.

"Venture capital investors continue to pour money into late-stage companies, in part because of the number of aging unicorns that have remained private," said Brian Hughes, National Co-Lead Partner, KPMG Venture Capital Practice, and a partner for KPMG in the US. "With strong IPO exits by Dropbox and Zscaler this quarter, and an increase in the number of IPO filings, we could see the tide turning over the next few quarters, bringing with it a resurgence in early stage deals activity."

Q1 '18 Key Highlights

Global VC investment rose from $46 billion in Q4'17 to $49.3 billion in Q1'18, a solid increase buoyed by five $1 billion+ megadeals.

in Q4'17 to in Q1'18, a solid increase buoyed by five $1 billion+ megadeals. The number of global VC deals declined for the fourth straight quarter, falling from 3,286 in Q4'17 to 2,661 in Q1'18. The number of VC deals has dropped by half since reaching a peak of 5,480 deals in Q1'15.

The Americas set a new record for VC investment in Q1'18, with $29.4 billion raised across 1,782 deals, with Asia raising $14.6 billion across 317 deals, and Europe with $5.2 billion raised across 548 deals.

raised across 1,782 deals, with raising across 317 deals, and with raised across 548 deals. Corporate participation in global VC deals set a new record for the second straight quarter, rising from 18.5 percent in Q4'17 to 21 percent in Q1'18.

New and old unicorns  companies valued at over $1 billion  attracted a significant amount of funding with $14 billion across 32 deals.

 attracted a significant amount of funding with across 32 deals. Two unicorns went public late in Q1'18: cloud-based security provider Zscaler and cloud-storage provider Dropbox, with both companies seeing positive results to date. With Spotify set for a direct listing in April and UK-based online loan provider Funding Circle planning to go public later this year, the IPO market may be opening up.

Competition in the ride-hailing space reaches fever pitch

The ride-hailing industry attracted massive VC investment this quarter, accounting for four of the quarter's five largest deals, including: $2.5 billion raised by Singapore-based Grab, $1.7 billion raised by US-based Lyft, $1.5 billion raised by Indonesia-based GO-JEK, and $1.25 billion raised by US-based Uber. Electric car manufacturer Faraday Future rounded out the top five, raising $1.5 billion.

US sees record VC investment in Q1'18, propelling the Americas to strong results

The US saw a record-setting level of VC investment in Q1'18, with $28.2 billion invested across 1,693 deals. In addition to the three $1 billion+ megadeals seen in the US, a bevy of $100 million+ deals helped propel VC investment to a new high. In addition to transportation and autotech, biotech was a big winner in the US this quarter, with large raises by Moderna Therapeutics ($500 million), Harmony Biosciences ($295 million), and Viela Bio ($282 million).

Across the Americas, Canada matched its second-best quarter of VC investment, with $800 million raised across 72 deals, including a $219 million raise by alternative fuels producer Enerkem. Brazil also saw a nice quarter of VC activity, with Nubank achieving unicorn status following a $150 million raise.

VC investment in Europe remains high against historical norms

Europe saw $5.2 billion in VC investment in Q1'18. Amid a quarter-over-quarter decline, Q1 was the fourth highest on record in the region. The number of European VC deals continued its sharp decline, falling to 548, less than half of the number of deals seen during the same quarter last year.

Strong activity outside the UK helped keep European VC investment high although Ireland bucked the trend with investment increasing strongly quarter-over-quarter to $162 million. Germany saw its second highest quarter of VC investment, just shy of $1.5 billion raised and led by a $560 million raise by Auto1 Group. France, meanwhile, achieved a new high of $767 million of VC investment, further cementing its growing prominence as an innovation leader in Europe. Spain also saw a strong quarter, boosted primarily by a $160 million raise by Cabify.

Mega-deals continue to shape Asian market

Asia continued to see large deals in Q1'18, as two $1 billion+ megadeals were struck outside China with Singapore-based Grab raising $2.5 billion of Series G financing, and GO-JEK in Indonesia closing on $1.5 billion of Series E funds. While VC investment in China fell significantly quarter-over-quarter, the country saw a healthy number of $100 million+ megadeals and an increase in the number of deals. India's VC market got off to a great start in Q1'18, seeing a strong rebound in investment. Food and grocery delivery was the hottest area of investment this quarter, with unicorn company Zomato raising $200 million and BigBasket raising $300 million.

Strong outlook expected for remainder of 2018

VC activity globally is expected to remain strong heading into Q2'18, with an increasing focus on artificial intelligence (AI) autotech, and healthtech. With exit and IPO activity also expected to increase over the next few quarters, there will likely also be a renewal of activity at the earliest deal stages.

"AI will continue to a big bet for VC investors across regions because of its broad applicability across sectors and industries," said Arik Speier, Head of Technology, KPMG Somekh Chaikin in Israel. "Particularly in the healthcare space, AI has the potential to foster an entirely new model for providing healthcare, although in the short-term it will primarily be used as a mechanism to supplement existing services and extend the reach of healthcare practitioners."

About KPMG Enterprise

You know KPMG, you might not know KPMG Enterprise. We're dedicated to working with businesses like yours. It's all we do. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a family business, or a fast growing company, we understand what's important to you.

The KPMG Enterprise global network for Innovative Start-ups has extensive knowledge and experience working with the start-up ecosystem. From seed to speed, we're here throughout your journey. You gain access to KPMG's global resources through a single point of contacta trusted adviser to your company. It's a local touch with a global reach.

About KPMG International

KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 154 countries and territories and have 200,000 people working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International

Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such.

SOURCE KPMG International
Opening Address on December 6, 2018 : THE HON E. DAVID BURT JP, MP, Premier of Bermuda and Minister of Finance, Government of Bermuda

Theme for 2018: Insurance Approaches to Cyber Risk Management

Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) named Signature Partner

TORONTO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Registration has opened for the inaugural Bermudian edition of the International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC), event producers announced today.

Pictured (l to r) are Joel Baker of MSA Research, Jereme Ramsay of the Bermuda Business Development Agency, and Adam Segal of the Council on Foreign Relations (New York). (CNW Group/International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC))

Opening remarks at the fourth annual International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre today included the proud news that the successful conference is launching a new Bermudian event and that registration is now open. ICRMC Bermuda will take place December 6-7, 2018 at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. Conference programming and registration can be seen at bermuda.icrmc.com.

The theme of the inaugural ICRMC Bermuda conference is Insurance Approaches to Cyber Risk Management. This unique agenda will focus on cyber risk with an emphasis on re/insurance and risk transfer solutions. Bermuda, the 'World's Risk Capital', is the ideal market to host this vendor-neutral gathering of the global risk management community. The ICRMC Bermuda program is being designed for corporate risk managers, corporate counsel, auditors, CISOs, CSOs, and CTOs, governance and claims professionals, insurers, reinsurers, insurance brokers and service providers.

"We are delighted to be partnering with the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) for ICRMC Bermuda. The agenda reflects the growing need for risk transfer solutions as part of the arsenal of approaches available to organizations to prepare for and recover from a cyber breach," said Joel Baker, President and CEO of MSA Research, the producer of ICRMC. "Risk professionals are faced with cyber attacks that are increasingly difficult to prevent, making insurance solutions that are overtly designed to meet this challenge an important component of corporate cyber risk management and business recovery," Baker added.

A world-class advisory committee comprising cyber risk experts from the fields of insurance, information technology, law, audit and compliance, governance and public policy are shaping the program for ICRMC Bermuda. The British Overseas Territory is a leading global re/insurance hub and the world's most significant property casualty market, supplying an estimated 35 percent of capacity for Lloyd's of London. Bermuda is also the largest domicile for captive insurance and insurance-linked securities.

"As home to a third of the world's top re/insurers, Bermuda is a fitting venue for the type of content and quality of this inaugural event, and we're proud to welcome ICRMC to our market," said Jereme Ramsay, BDA Business Development Manager for the risk solutions sector. "The partnership is particularly fitting, given Bermuda's many close links with Canada, and our location will also allow us to attract US and UK audiences."

ICRMC Bermuda Session Highlights:

Current Cyber Risk Trends and How They're Impacting Services and Offerings

Cyber Pricing, Underwriting, Modelling and Reserving

Reinsurance and ILS  Managing Cyber CAT Risk

From Blockchain to Crypto-Currency  Cyber Security Implications

Employing AI in Cyber Risk Management

ICRMC Bermuda Featured Speakers:

Craigg Ballance , Director, Canadian Member Services, FS-ISAC

, Director, Canadian Member Services, FS-ISAC Anthony Belfiore , SVP and CSO, Aon

, SVP and CSO, Aon The Hon E. David Burt, JP, MP, Premier of Bermuda and Minister of Finance, Government of Bermuda

and Minister of Finance, Government of The Hon Wayne Caines, Minister of National Security, Government of Bermuda

Charles Carmakal, VP, Mandiant/FireEye

Ari Chatterjee , Chief Underwriting Officer, Envelop Risk

, Chief Underwriting Officer, Envelop Risk Todd Daubert , Partner, Dentons US LLP

, Partner, Dentons US LLP Charles Dugas , Director, Insurance Solutions, Element AI

, Director, Insurance Solutions, Element AI Victoria Edmonds , VP, Professional Liability, Markel

, VP, Professional Liability, Markel Alan Frith , Senior Manager, Consulting and Client Services, AIR Worldwide

, Senior Manager, Consulting and Client Services, AIR Worldwide Nick Galletto , Global and Canadian Cyber Risk Services Leader, Deloitte

, Global and Canadian Cyber Risk Services Leader, Deloitte Chris Garrod , Director, Conyers Dill & Pearman

, Director, & Pearman Giles Harlow , VP, Professional Risk Solutions, Aon

, VP, Professional Risk Solutions, Aon Brett Henshilwood , Partner, Deloitte

, Partner, Deloitte John Huff , President and CEO, Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers

, President and CEO, Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers Chris Jansma , SVP, Head of FINPRO, Aspen

, SVP, Head of FINPRO, Noel Pearman , SVP and Cyber Product Lead, XL Catlin

, SVP and Cyber Product Lead, XL Catlin Daniel Rance , Underwriter, Financial Lines, Iron-Starr

, Underwriter, Financial Lines, Iron-Starr Adam Segal , ICRMC Bermuda Emcee and Director of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations (NY)

, ICRMC Bermuda Emcee and Director of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations (NY) Sarah Spurling , SVP, Professional Lines, Sompo International

, SVP, Professional Lines, Sompo International Mark Synnott , Managing Director and EVP, Willis Towers Watson

, Managing Director and EVP, Tim Tetlow , COO, HSCM Bermuda and Partner, Hudson Structured Capital Management Ltd.

, COO, HSCM Bermuda and Partner, Hudson Structured Capital Management Ltd. George Thomas , Senior Advisor, PwC

, Senior Advisor, PwC Ross Webber , CEO, BDA

, CEO, BDA Greg Wojciechowski , President and CEO, Bermuda Stock Exchange

About ICRMC

Now in its fourth year, the International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC) has earned a reputation as one of the world's most trusted cyber security events. Canadian and Bermudian editions of ICRMC are uniquely programmed to reflect each market. ICRMC provides delegates with an essential forum to learn from experts, network and share experiences with peers and colleagues, and get the answers they need to help them mitigate and respond to today's evolving cyber risks. ICRMC is a content-rich event where the primary goal is to inform and educate attendees about the issues. The programming is driven by a world-class advisory committee made up of cyber risk subject matter experts from the areas of information technology, insurance and risk management, law, audit and compliance, governance, academia and public policy.

SOURCE International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC)
MENLO PARK, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A good assistant is worth their weight in gold, suggests a new survey from staffing firm OfficeTeam. Senior managers said their administrative professional's efforts save them an average of 101 minutes a day. That's more than eight hours each week  the equivalent of a full work day.

In addition, all respondents reported that their administrative professional is important to their success at work. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of them said their assistant's contributions are very valuable.

According to an OfficeTeam survey, administrative professionals free up an average of 101 minutes a day for their bosses. See the full infographic with additional stats at https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/salaries-and-skills/todays-administrative-professional-infographic.

OfficeTeam is releasing these findings in advance of Administrative Professionals Day (April 25) as a reminder of why the achievements of office support staff should be acknowledged.

View an infographic about the administrative role's impact and growth.

"Most executives would be hard-pressed to get through a day without the help of their assistant," said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. "Administrative professionals go out of their way to make things easier and more efficient for those around them. There's no question they deserve to be recognized for their daily contributions."

The Changing Administrative Role

These days, support staff are taking on more than standard administrative tasks. Three in four senior managers (75 percent) said office support workers' responsibilities have increased in the past five years. In addition, 64 percent feel administrative professionals have a more promising career-growth track than five years ago.

Ways Administrative Workers Have Surpassed Expectations

It's not uncommon for support staff to help on things outside their traditional job descriptions. Senior managers provided these examples of administrative professionals going above and beyond:

"Analyzed data and identified potential clients for the company"

"Trained fellow employees on technology tools"

"Helped review resumes, post jobs and organize interviews"

"Mentored new employees"

"Worked with the HR team to set candidate compensation packages and send offer letters"

"Gave birthday cards and flowers to each team member"

"Worked on the employee recognition program, veterans initiative and candidate recruitment"

"Chased a delivery van to retrieve a missing package"

Administrative professionals have transferable skills that can benefit various company departments. Executives surveyed identified finance and HR as among the top areas office support workers are most likely to transition into.

For ideas on giving thanks to staff during Administrative Professionals Week (April 22-28) and year-round, download 20 Easy Recognition Tips to Help Employees Work Happy.

About the Research

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 600 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees in the United States and Canada.

About OfficeTeam

OfficeTeam, a Robert Half company, is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has 300 locations worldwide. For additional information, visit roberthalf.com/officeteam. Follow roberthalf.com/officeteam/blog for career and management advice.

SOURCE OfficeTeam

Related Links

http://www.officeteam.com


Among the new functions available to Android EMT 2 and EMT 2 PRO users via upgrade of its companion app is the ability to save recordings to an external SD card. Additionally, users will be able to export files via Wi-Fi, filter out extraneous noise while listening for bats, and custom label recordings.

EMT 2 users will also get access to advanced settings, previously only available to EMT 2 PRO users including audio division ratio settings to customize audio playback, the ability to save non-bat noise files, and turn Nightly Session Mode and Auto-ID on or off.

"The EMT 2 has made the world of bats accessible to virtually anyone," said Sherwood Snyder, director of product management at Wildlife Acoustics. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve our apps and these updates give users ever more powerful tools to explore their interactions with bats."

The EMT 2 modules connect to Android devices via its USB connector. The module's acoustical horn captures the bat's ultrasonic calls and efficiently directs them to a highly sensitive microphone. The calls are then digitized and played back in real-time in audible sounds through the smartphone's speakers with a full-color spectrogram on-screen. The app then automatically reveals the most likely species recorded. Each recording is tagged with the species and geolocation and can be shared with other bat enthusiasts or transferred to a computer for additional analysis.

EMT 2 ($179) is designed for budget-minded nature enthusiasts and batting hobbyists. The EMT 2 PRO ($349) is designed for bat professionals and has a better microphone and advanced features including adjustable microphone gain and a selectable sample rate to record bats with very high frequency calls. Modules are available at www.echometertouch.com.

National Bat Appreciation Day occurs annually on April 17th. Bats play a crucial role in our ecosystems by controlling insect populations and pollinating flowers. A 2011 study estimated that bats have an economic impact of about $23 billion a year in reduced crop damage and pesticide use in the United States.

ABOUT WILDLIFE ACOUSTICS

Wildlife Acoustics, Inc., (www.wildlifeacoustics.com) creates groundbreaking and affordable hardware and software tools for scientists, researchers, and government agencies worldwide who monitor birds, frogs, bats, insects, fish, whales, elephants, rhinos and more. Wildlife Acoustics is the leading provider of monitoring systems that use bioacoustics, an emerging field of research that combines biology and acoustic data to gain insights into the natural world.

SOURCE Wildlife Acoustics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com


SAN DIEGO, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you know if your surgeon is experimenting on you? Using devices that were not cleared or approved by the FDA for the use intended? Getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the device manufacturer to promote, market, and research these devices? Robert Vaage, a personal injury attorney in San Diego, recently settled a case for more than $1 million involving an alleged conspiracy between a cosmetic surgeon and medical device company to promote and experimentally use its devices in breast reconstruction surgery.

Plaintiff Wendy Knecht of Los Angeles, California, filed a lawsuit against Plastic Surgeon Max Lehfeldt and Allergan, Inc., a New Jersey based medical device manufacturer of the SERI Surgical Scaffold and Natrelle breast expanders, alleging that Dr. Lehfeldt conspired with Allergan to promote and use the SERI and Natrelle expander devices in an experimental manner without her knowledge. The FDA did not clear SERI for use in breast reconstruction surgery or with breast tissue expanders, yet Dr. Lehfeldt used both products in Ms. Knecht in her breast reconstruction surgery.

"A patient has the right to know if his or her surgeon intends to implant devices that were the subject of a clinical study," explained Vaage. "There's just no scientific proof/clinical evidence that this SERI surgical scaffold, which is derived from silk, is safe to use in breast reconstruction surgery. Dr. Lehfeldt knew that; Allergan knew that. Unfortunately, Ms. Knecht did not."

During the case, Vaage discovered that Dr. Lehfeldt was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by Allergan to market/promote and research SERI. He was Allergan's #1 SERI consultant and held stock in Allergan. Virtually all of the work that Dr. Lehfeldt performed for Allergan was related to SERI, including a clinical study to test the use of SERI and Natrelle in breast reconstruction surgery.

Mrs. Knecht alleged that the SERI and Natrelle expanders failed and caused her injuries and disfigurement that required three additional surgeries to remove these Allergan products and repair the damage. She ultimately settled her case with Dr. Lehfeldt for his insurance policy limit of $1,000,000. Allergan settled all claims for a confidential amount.

This most recent settlement with a surgeon and device manufacturer is Vaage's fourth verdict or settlement for a client stemming from allegations that the medical device manufacturer fraudulently conspired with a physician to gain patient consent to undergo experimental surgical procedures.

Robert F. Vaage is a trial attorney in San Diego, California. He has represented patients in fraud and conspiracy cases involving physicians and medical device manufacturers.

Case Information : Wendy Knecht v. Max R. Lehfeldt, M.D.; Teleos Plastic Surgery, A Medical Corporation; Allergan, Inc., a corporation; and DOES 1 through 25, inclusive, Case No. BC641979, filed 11/28/16 in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Central District.

SOURCE Law Offices of Robert Vaage
NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bienvenido al bodega! Altos, the tequila affectionately known for being made by the hands and hearts of modern Mexico, will celebrate the importance of la familia and the passion behind its handcrafted sprits, with a six-city event series this spring and early summer. The centerpiece of this tour will be the J. Hernandez and Sons Bodega pop-up experience, named after Altos' master distiller family-duo, Jesus Hernandez, and his son, Jesus Hernandez Jr, Global Brand Ambassador.

Altos is made in Mexico and damn proud of it. Inspired by family ideals and hospitality, the brand is rooted in its cultural heritage and traditions. With the J. Hernandez and Sons Bodega, Altos is paying homage to the family bodegas across the country that embody and define the culture of local neighborhoods.

Kicking off in mid-April, the J. Hernandez and Sons Bodega experience will be open for two nights in each of the six cities that it visits. Featuring vibrant, locally-inspired cocktails from Bar Lab's curators Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta, the stores will be filled with unique family food that incorporate an Altos twist.

The real party starts as guests are welcomed into the store's back of house, a space traditionally reserved for the family and employees only. While Altos is selective about which agave make it into the VIP room at the distillery, all guests at the J. Hernandez and Sons Bodega will be welcomed into the family.

Altos' family roots run deep. The brand was born from a humble and passionate collaboration between the brand's own Master Distiller of 17 years, Jesus Hernandez, and internationally renowned bartenders Henry Besant and Dre Masso. As bartenders, Besant and Masso were looking to curate a tequila that could easily be sipped on its own or used in cocktails, without breaking the bank. This trio saw a unique opportunity to create an exceptionally high-quality tequila at an affordable price by weaving together authentic traditions with modern technologies. Masso will be onsite throughout the traveling pop-up experience to share the Altos family story.

"The entrepreneurship and hospitality at the core of these family-run bodegas help define the unique and distinctive characteristics of neighborhoods across the country," said Andrew Brimer, Senior Brand Manager, Altos, Pernod Ricard USA. "J. Hernandez and Sons shows the connection between the corner stores and Altos; we believe in the importance of celebrating and sustaining family, friends and the appreciation for cultural traditions that bind us together."

As part of this event series, Altos is adding Action Bronson to the family tree. The acclaimed VICE TV personality, chef and rapper, will host the J. Hernandez and Sons Bodega in both Los Angeles and New York.

"I'm no stranger to bodegas and the important role these family-run businesses play in the neighborhood. It's dope that Altos is celebrating bodegas by bringing people together," said Action Bronson. "Throughout my time in the culinary world, authenticity, quality, culture and entrepreneurism are what keep the community booming, which is why I'm stoked to be involved in these events."

Follow along, as J. Hernandez and Sons Bodega travels to the following cities:

Los Angeles, CA  April 16 + 17

 + 17 Denver, CO  April 30 + May 1

 + Austin, TX  May 14 + 15

 May 14 + 15 Nashville, TN  May 21 + 22

 + 22 New York, NY  June 11 + 12

 + 12 Chicago, IL  June 18 + 19

Become part of the Altos family, and follow @Altostequila and #AltosTequila #LaBodegaDeAltos for more information on the traveling J. Hernandez and Sons Bodega, or visit https://www.altostequila.com/.

TASTE RESPONSIBLY.

Enjoy with 100% Responsibility.

OLMECA ALTOS TEQUILA. 100% Blue Agave. Product of Mexico. 40% Alc./Vol. (80 Proof)/

2018 Imported by Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, NY

About Pernod Ricard USA

Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA. The company's leading spirits and wines include such prestigious brands as Absolut Vodka, Absolut Elyx, Aberlour Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Avion Tequila, Chivas

Regal Scotch Whisky, The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Kahlua Liqueur, Malibu, Martell Cognac, Olmeca Altos Tequila , Beefeater Gin, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Monkey 47 Gin, Plymouth Gin, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin, , Hiram Walker Liqueurs, Lot No. 40 Canadian Whiskey, Midleton Irish Whiskey, Powers Irish Whiskey, Redbreast Irish Whiskey, Smithworks Vodka, Smooth Ambler Whiskey, Lillet, Pernod and Ricard; such superior wines as Jacob's Creek, Kenwood Vineyards, Campo Viejo and Brancott Estate; and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier-Jouet Champagne, G.H. Mumm Champagne and Mumm Napa sparkling wines.

Pernod Ricard USA is based in New York, New York, and has roughly 750 employees across the country. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active campaign to promote responsible drinking. For more information on this, please visit: www.responsibility.org.

SOURCE Pernod Ricard USA
Mombasa Woman Rep Asha Hussein has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to lead by example in the polygamy debate and marry a second wife.

The lawmaker was speaking on Monday during a workshop on Affirmative Action in Mombasa. She said a majority of the women are against the proposal, and since the president signed the Marriage Bill into law in 2014, he should then lead in the implementation.

Many women support the idea of legalising polygamy in the country but Uhuru should take the challenge by marrying a second wife and introduce her in the press for all of us to see, Asha said.

The MP, who at first appeared to be supporting the idea of polygamy, later changed her tune after women in the hall opposed it, reports The Star.

She, however, remained non-committal if she supports or opposes polygamy.

Ashas remarks come after Kiambu Women Rep Gathoni Wa Muchomba reignited the polygamy debate when she challenged rich Kikuyu men to marry more than one wife.

If you are a man from the Kikuyu community and can sustain five wives, have them.if you are a man and you are in a position to bring up (many children), do it, she said.

Asha, whose Islamic religion allows men to marry up to four wives, said even though men are allowed to marry up to four wives, Kenyan women are not ready for the same.

We have heard about the polygamy debate. But a majority of women in the country oppose it. Therefore, we cannot impose it on people, she said.
Hurricane Maria's sustained winds of more than 150 mph and 30-plus inches of rain left behind a shocking path of destruction. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Thompson Pump was among the companies contacted to place bids on a relief contract from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Thompson subsequently was given the go-ahead by the government agency and immediately mobilized a team of workers, traveling to Puerto Rico to formulate a strategy to help save a large community of residents living downstream from the Guajataca Dam.

When the dam's spillway failed, it caused an outpouring of water resulting in major erosion that necessitated the evacuation of 70,000 area homes. During and immediately after the storm, there was a real fear they could lose the dam entirely.

"We were going into a situation with a lot of unknowns. We hadn't seen the jobsite yet, other than in photos from the Corp and satellite images. The area was remote, with no cellphone coverage and few supplies available. We planned to be one hundred percent self-sufficient, to the point that we were prepared to camp at the site," said Bobby Zitzka, National Sales Manager for Thompson Pump. "Because of the experience of the team, we were confident we'd be able to overcome any obstacles."

In less than 24 hours, a team of 13 Thompson Pump workers were on the ground in Puerto Rico. All told, 35 Thompson staff members have been in the area at least once during the crisis.

"The selflessness of our people has been remarkable," said Chris Thompson, President of Thompson Pump. "The number of our employees who volunteered to put their own lives on hold to help the people of Puerto Rico is outstanding. I'm really proud of the way our team came together to accomplish this challenging project."

Ten complete systems consisting of 18" pumps, suction and discharge lines, and elbows and fittings were needed to provide relief. The process of staging this equipment and delivering it to the jobsite was an arduous one. Ultimately, due to the volume of equipment necessary to complete the job (approximately 25 truckloads of equipment and supplies, including fusion trailers, skid steers and service trucks), the decision was made that two systems would be flown over to expedite the implementation, while the rest would arrive by barge.

As Thompson Pump began the job of lowering the dam's water level, thus alleviating the possibility of major flooding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers realized Thompson's workers and equipment could be utilized for yet another vital purpose  providing drinking water for almost a quarter of a million people desperate for it.

Within days of the equipment's arrival in Puerto Rico, the first two pumps were used to reroute water from the Guajataca lake reservoir to a canal feeding three water treatment plants. The remaining eight pumps were deployed in a similar manner shortly thereafter, allowing clean water for the community's citizens for the first time in weeks.

Thompson Pump is still providing an integral role in the recovery process. Their pumps continue to operate non-stop. Workers continue to be on the ground providing ongoing maintenance and around-the-clock pump operation assistance. Their working agreement was recently extended by the US Government, assuring Thompson Pump's presence in Puerto Rico for at least six more months.

Thompson Pump, a 48-year old family-owned company based in Port Orange, Florida, is a full-service manufacturer and provider of high-quality dewatering pumps, pumping equipment and engineering expertise for dewatering, bypass, and emergency pumping applications worldwide.

www.thompsonpump.com

SOURCE Thompson Pump

Related Links

http://www.thompsonpump.com


MUNICH and BOCA RATON, Fla., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Unify, the Atos brand for communications software and services, has been positioned by Aragon Research, Inc. in the Leader section of the Globe for Unified Communications and Collaboration, 20181. This report examines 15 major providers in the market focused on voice, video, messaging, and collaboration.

The Globe is segmented into four sectors: leaders, contenders, innovators or specialists. For the second consecutive year, Unify is positioned in the Leader section, recognizing vendors that have comprehensive strategies that align with industry direction and market demand, and effectively perform against those strategies.

"We believe Unify's position in the leaders section reflects the strength of our UCC offering, in particular our complete capabilities with OpenScape Cloud for enterprise communications, combined with Circuit's highly scalable and secure team collaboration platform," said Paul Cunningham, CMO for Unify. "Built on our strong history of innovation in the UCC space, OpenScape Cloud and Circuit are key components of the Atos Digital Workplace, which delivers the solutions and expertise to support businesses as they transition to a digital workplace."

"With Circuit and OpenScape Cloud, Unify has a complete portfolio of UCC capabilities, plus cloud, on-premise, and hybrid cloud deployment options," said report author and lead analyst Jim Lundy. "These capabilities position Unify well going forward, particularly given the shift to more messaging-based collaboration, and are the reason Unify is positioned in the Leader section of this year's Globe for Unified Communications and Collaboration."

About Unify

Unify is the Atos brand for communication and collaboration solutions. At the core of the Atos Digital Workplace portfolio, Unify technology enables organizations of all sizes to transform the way they collaborate, creating a more connected and productive workforce which can dramatically improve team performance, individual engagement and business efficiency.

Unify products represent a strong heritage of technology innovation, reliability and flexibility. Their award-winning intuitive user experience can be delivered through almost any device and in any combination of cloud or on-premise deployment. Augmented by Atos' secure digital platforms, vertical solutions and transformation services, they set the global standard for a rich and reliable collaboration experience that empowers teams to deliver extraordinary results.

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with approximately 100,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of around  13 billion. European number one in Big Data, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing and Digital Workplace, the Group provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across various business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Energy & Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Aragon Research does not endorse vendors, or their products or services that are referenced in its research publications, and does not advise users to select those vendors that are rated the highest. Aragon Research publications consist of the opinions of Aragon Research and Advisory Services organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Aragon Research provides its research publications and the information contained in them "AS IS," without warranty of any kind.



1 Aragon Research, "The Aragon Research Globe for Unified Communications and Collaboration, 2018" by Jim Lundy, April 5th, 2018.

SOURCE Unify

Related Links

http://www.unify.com


Roe, who came to the UNT System last year after serving as Deputy Administrator for NASA, said she's excited to work with Murray to discuss important issues with thought leaders from a myriad of industries, causes and backgrounds. Each podcast will be accompanied by a written companion piece, penned by Roe, and posted to DallasInnovates.com.

"Coming to the UNT System last October after 30+ years with NASA ... this has been a year of 'firsts' for me, and co-hosting a podcast will be another new and exciting experience," Roe said. "As the only university system based in Dallas-Fort Worth, I'm keenly aware of our responsibility to serve the community as a state-funded entity. Part of our duty  as a state-funded institution of higher education  is to provide thought leadership and be actively engaged in North Texas and beyond. It's my hope that Shannon and I can contribute in this space through Bridging Gaps."

Murray, a Dallas-area native and graduate of Duncanville High School, said she and Roe enjoyed meeting a few months ago to discuss the project in its infancy. Through that initial meeting, a new partnership and monthly program was created and the very first episode of Bridging Gaps is available for download and streaming at UNTSystem.edu/podcast.

"As a driven and career-oriented woman, I want to spend time with trailblazers like Lesa Roe," Murray said. "We chose the name Bridging Gaps for several reasons. Throughout her career, Lesa has bridged the opportunity gap for women in STEM  becoming the first woman to lead NASA's Langley Research Center, as well as the first woman to lead the UNT System. In my on-air work for FOX 4, I often work on stories about bridging social gaps, as far as poverty, education and employment disparity here in DFW. On the podcast, we plan to discuss bridging generational gaps, ethnicity gaps, healthcare gaps and so on ... as we seek out topics to explore that matter in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond."

In her role on FOX 4's Good Day morning program, Murray frequently leaves the comfort of KDFW's downtown Dallas studios to cover the biggest stories in North Texas. With her community-connectedness, Murray pairs perfectly with Roe  who travels frequently to UNT in Denton, UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth and UNT Dallas, while also actively serving on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Bridging Gaps will be recorded and produced each month from UNT System headquarters in Downtown Dallas. For more information about Bridging Gaps, please visit UNTSystem.edu/podcast or email the show's producers at [email protected].

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM

The University of North Texas System includes the University of North Texas in Denton, the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth and the University of North Texas at Dallas. The UNT System is the only public university system headquartered in Dallas-Fort Worth  the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Over the past decade, combined UNTS enrollment has grown by more than 25 percent to nearly 44,000 students. UNT System institutions award more than 9,000 degrees each year  including the largest number of master's and doctoral degrees in the DFW region. The UNT System has an annual budget of $1 billion and boosts the Texas economy by $5.2 billion each year.

SOURCE UNT System

Related Links

http://www.untsystem.edu


DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "2018 Uruguay Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research work strategically analyzes Uruguay telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others.

The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025.

Uruguay telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in Uruguay together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front.

On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of Uruguay that enable strategy planners to formulate their pricing and branding strategies.

The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Key Findings

Uruguay Telecom Market Overview

Uruguay Telecom Market - Strategic Analysis

Trends Shaping the Future of Uruguay Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in Uruguay

Telecom Investments in Uruguay

Market Drivers

Market Restraints

Uruguay Telecom Market Outlook

Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Uruguay Telecom Competitive Environment

Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry

Uruguay Telecom Industry Benchmarking

Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index

Uruguay Economic Outlook to 2025

GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends

Uruguay Demographic Outlook to 2025

Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in Uruguay

Competitor Analysis

Company A: Profile and operations in Uruguay

Company B: Profile and operations in Uruguay

Company C: Profile and operations in Uruguay

Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4vhtw5/uruguay_telecoms?w=5

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


PRINCETON, N.J., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- People of all ages are invited to celebrate April as English Language Month by voting for the "TOEFL Word of the Year." Please visit www.toeflgoanywhere.org/english-language-month to cast your vote.

English Language Month, established this year in partnership with ETS's TOEFL Program, is a celebration of the uniqueness of the English language and learners who are working hard to master it. In a world of over 7 billion people, English has become a uniting force, bringing people from different backgrounds together through education, work, business, everyday communication and pop culture. Students strive to learn English in part because it is the language of instruction at many top universities around the world.

Inspiration for the month came from English Language Day (April 23), which the United Nations established in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, according to the U.N. site.

"All languages have words that, simply by hearing or reading them, inspire us to be more than we are today, to strive to improve ourselves," said Jennifer Brown, Executive Director of ETS's TOEFL Program. "Voting for TOEFL Word of the Year is intended to be a fun way to express which English word you think is most beautiful, meaningful or powerful."

Candidates can vote for one of seven words that have been preselected by a team of international reviewers who work in the English-language space. The seven word finalists were chosen because they possess one or more of the following characteristics: they have multiple meanings; are used in multiple contexts; or can function as more than one part of speech. "Integrity" and "empower" are two of the word finalists.

The TOEFL Family of Assessments helps individuals and educators evaluate the English-language proficiency of students from age 8 through adulthood. The cornerstone assessment is the TOEFL iBT test, the most widely respected English-language assessment worldwide, recognized by more than 10,000 institutions in more than 130 countries  including in popular study-abroad destinations, such as Australia, Canada, China, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. For more information and to vote for the "TOEFL Word of the Year," visit www.toeflgoanywhere.org/english-language-month.

SOURCE Educational Testing Service-TOEFL

Related Links

http://www.toeflgoanywhere.org


TEL AVIV, Israel, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Votiro, global leader in content disarm and reconstruction (CDR) technology, a solution that protects organizations against undisclosed, zero-day exploits and other ongoing cyber threats, announced today the launch of Version 8.0. The new version will have the ability to analyze cyber-attacks that were prevented due to Votiro's Disarmer Engine. Votiro's technology ensures safety where other solutions fail. The Votiro Zero-Day Identifier patented technology enables system administrators to evaluate the effectiveness of other security tools. With this tool, organizations can monitor exactly how many attacks have been prevented, providing a clear ROI for CISOs.

Votiro's Advanced CDR technology disarms suspicious files by breaking them down into basic components, extracting from them all malicious content, and reconstructing them as a clean, safe-to-use copy of the original file  without specifically identifying which files contain malicious code and which do not. Votiro's solution is a signature-less technology that supports a wide range of file formats that are most commonly exploited via spear phishing, other advanced persistent threats and cyber attacks, and continuously adds and protects new file types.

Additional enhancements include a user-friendly policy interface, which allows system administrators to set different types of policies for every need. It provides an intuitive and human error-proof experience. The enhanced dashboard enables system administrators to view and monitor the system activities. This exposes useful statistics, providing the system administrator with the opportunity to make data-based decisions for maximum protection with minimum interference. Lastly, the Denial of Service (DoS) Protector prevents malicious denial of service attacks. As a protective measure, the system detects any abnormal memory behavior and blocks the malicious files from entering the network.

"It is our mission to ensure that our solutions are always one step ahead as we are constantly enhancing our technology," said Aviv Grafi, CEO of Votiro. "We are proud that this represents a big step forward for the overall cybersecurity industry. With this new tool, we have found two 'win events' for Votiro -- Votiro's Disarmer detected and neutralized two zero-days that had not been discovered by antivirus engines at the time. The Zero-Day Identifier tool clearly proves Votiro's vital role in preventing malicious attacks."

Votiro will be attending RSA Conference 2018 in San Francisco, April 16-20, showing live demos of its new product at booth 2521.

About Votiro



Votiro is an award-winning cybersecurity company specialized in neutralizing files containing zero-day and undisclosed attacks. Our next-generation patented CDR technology disarms threats that other products fail to expose, leaving our customers with a secure, fully usable data flow across all channels of incoming files. With over 500 customers globally, Votiro has offices in US, Singapore, Australia, and Israel. Votiro is a Gartner Cool Vendor award winner and certified by the international standard of Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (ISO/IEC 15408).

For more information, visit www.votiro.com

Follow Votiro on Twitter: @votiro

Media Contact

Idan Yatziv

[email protected]

+972-52-330-9099

SOURCE Votiro

Related Links

http://www.votiro.com


LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary

Amidst the anticipation of the official federal lifting of cannabis prohibition in Canada, the province of Quebec has quietly prepared itself to be the nation's marijuana leader, starting with provincial deals to provide 62 tonnes of pot to Quebec's legal recreational market.

Deals are being made between Quebec and the market's biggest growers both inside and outside of the province.

Among the companies serving and/or growing within Quebec's borders will be Aphria Inc. (TSX: APH) (OTC: APHQF), Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB) (OTC: ACBFF), Canopy Growth Inc. (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF), The Hydropothecary Corporation (TSX.V: THCX) (OTC: HYYDF), and MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. (CSE: MYM) (OTC: MYMMF).

As Canada's second largest province, the Quebec marketplace will undoubtedly be a very valuable jurisdiction within which to sell, as well as grow-The Canadian market is expected to hit $22.6 billion.

While cannabis giants such as Ontario-based Aphria and Canopy Growth are already signed on to provide supplies to the Quebec market, it's growers with operations within Quebec who could stand to gain the most-of which currently Aurora Cannabis and Hydropothecary are the only two.

The largest Quebec-based grower so far is Hydropothecary, which is set to deliver the most supplies to the province in the first year-slated to provide a whopping 20,000 kilograms of cannabis products, including plants, sprays and powders.

Initially the province has tendered agreements with only 6 companies for the first year, however, it's fair to speculate that more will be added in the near future, including MYM Nutraceuticals whose project in Weedon, Quebec is set to become one of Canada's largest greenhouses, if not in the world.

Working with the municipality of Weedon, MYM and the city have ambitions to make Weedon 'Canada's Cannabis Capital'-and by erecting a 1.5 million-square-foot facility complete with a university and research facility on-site, can certainly bolster their case.

Quebec stands to be at the center of Canada's growing cannabis sector, especially with the work being done by Aphria Inc. (TSX: APH) (OTC: APHQF), Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB) (OTC: ACBFF), Canopy Growth Inc. (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF), The Hydropothecary Corporation (TSX.V: THCX) (OTC: HYYDF), and MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. (CSE: MYM) (OTC: MYMMF) in the years to come.

VIVE LE QUEBEC CANNABIS

According to reports from Le Journal de Quebec, members of the ruling party in Quebec's provincial government are urging Health Canada to issue more licenses for pot growers within Quebec-and they want them faster.

The fact that only two producers have so far been certified in the province is becoming irksome to Quebecers who want to be centrally involved after the anticipated legalization on July 1, 2018.

"Quebec industry is losing the race to produce legal cannabis," said Pierre Killeen, Vice President of Hydropothecary, in an interview with the Journal.

As it stands, the majority of the marijuana purchased on behalf of the future provincial arm of the sector, the Quebec Cannabis Society, will come from the rest of Canada.

So far, only Hydropothecary and Aurora Cannabis are producing cannabis within Quebec. It's abundantly clear that the province wants more-MUCH more.

Enter the proposals of other up-and-comers, including MYM Nutraceuticals, which has plans for two facilities within the province, including the massive 1.5 million square feet of growing space planned for Weedon, Quebec.

MYM'S QUEBEC POWER PLAY

Up until recently, marijuana sector analysts tempered expectations on MYM's Weedon facility, on account of its massive scale, and the ability to see it through to fruition.

However, the company captured a significant milestone in March, when it announced it had received approval on the Weedon production facility, and commenced Phase One construction immediately.

"With the approved permits, architectural drawings and security plans already in place, MYM has commenced construction of the Weedon, QC project," said Rob Gietl, CEO of MYM. "This signifies a monumental milestone for MYM and our plans of building one of the largest greenhouses in the world. This project aligns with our goals of becoming a leading global cannabis producer."

The company is wasting no time, expecting Phase One of construction to be completed by the end of Q3, 2018. This first phase will involve building out 300,000 sq ft of greenhouse space for growing medical cannabis, as well as 20,000 sq ft for processing and manufacturing medical cannabis products. Once this phase is completed, the facility will be capable of producing 30,000 kgs annually.

The entire Weedon facility is scheduled for completion by the end of 2020, and it is estimated that the operation will be capable of producing 150,000 kgs of cannabis.

The company's decision to place their flagship operation in Quebec was very strategic-Nationally speaking, Quebec's costs are quite reasonable .

The province's labor costs are on average 34% less than in the US, and 16% less than in G7 countries. Power is 36% cheaper than in the US, and 49% lower, on average, than in the G7 countries.

However, MYM over the last year has truly became an international player, embarking on a joint venture 1.2 million-square-foot cannabis facility in New South Wales, Australia, and a massive Latin American deal with leading Colombian medical cannabis company NEWCANNA.

Through the Colombia deal , MYM positioned itself within another low-cost production environment, with access to an enormous cultivation space on which indigenous growers had successfully amassed a production capacity of approximately 217,500 kg of high-grade cannabis for processing and global export.

MYM and NEWCANNA fully expect to upgrade this project's capacity through the use of technology similar to that used at Weedon. In total, lands agreed upon in the deal span 7,400 acres of cultivation property, upon which production is expected to surpass 1,000,000 kg of cannabis within the next two years.

Moving forward, MYM stands to benefit from Quebec's emergence as a central player in Canada's cannabis renaissance-and hopes to become one of the province's next major producers.

POTENTIAL COMPARABLES

Aphria Inc. (TSX: APH) (OTC: APHQF)

Aphria is one of Canada's lowest cost licensed cannabis producers, specializing in the production, suppy, and sale of medical cannabis. The company offers sativa, indica, and hybrid medical marijuana products, as well as cannabis oils. It also provides support services in the form of medical consultations, group therapies, and rehabilitation to veteran and first responders. The company sells its products through its online store or phones, as well as engages in the wholesale shipping of medical marijuana plant cuttings and dried buds to other licensed producers. Aphria Inc. is headquartered in Leamington, Canada.

Aurora Cannabis (TSX: ACB) (OTC: ACBFF)

Aurora Cannabis boasts the second highest square footage approved for cannabis production in Canada. Together with its subsidiaries, Aurora produces and distributes medical marijuana products in Canada. The company's products consist of dried cannabis and cannabis oil.

Aurora is the only cannabis producer located in the province of Alberta, giving the company a cost advantage through its free use of fresh mountain-fed water used on site, and housed under the lowest corporate tax rates and power rates in Canada. Capitalizing on numerous farm credit programs provided by the province, Aurora has positioned itself as arguably the lowest cost-per-gram licensed producer in Canada. Aurora became a licensed producer in 2015, and is based in Edmonton, Alberta.

Canopy Growth Inc. (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF)

Owners of the Tweed brand of cannabis products, Canopy Growth is a multi-licensed, geographically diverse marijuana producer, described as "one of the world's - and Canada's first - premier exporters of marijuana" by the Financial Post in 2016. Canopy currently has a combined growing platform of over 665,000 sq. ft. of production space. It was also the first federally regulated, publicly traded cannabis producer in North America, and the first billion-dollar cannabis corporation. Canopy Growth was founded in 2014, and is based in Smith Falls, Ontario.

The Hydropothecary Corporation (TSX.V: THCX) (OTC: HYYDF)

The Hydropothecary Corporation is an authorized licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis licensed by Health Canada under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (Canada). Hydropothecary creates award-winning innovative, easy to use and easy to understand products. With industry-leading cash cost per gram of $0.89, Hydropothecary is one of the lowest cost producers in the country. The first licensed producer in Quebec, the Company is headquartered in Quebec.

For a more in-depth look into MYM Nutraceuticals you can view the in-depth report at USA News Group: http://usanewsgroup.com/2018/02/05/meet-the-biggest-sector-of-2018-and-perhaps-your-lifetime/

Article Source:

USA News Group

http://usanewsgroup.com

[email protected]

Legal Disclaimer/Disclosure: This piece is an advertorial and has been paid for. This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. No information in this Report should be construed as individualized investment advice. A licensed financial advisor should be consulted prior to making any investment decision. We make no guarantee, representation or warranty and accept no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of USA News Group only and are subject to change without notice. USA News Group assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, we assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information, provided within this Report.

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SOURCE USA News Group
MIAMI, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Propelled by the need for an affordable All-IN-ONE Sales and Marketing Platform http://SeeKartra.com celebrates the launch of the World's First software to feature Artificial Intelligence for Small Business with a limited time $1Trial offer.

This one-of-a-kind software levels the playing field for SMB's to utilize the same powerful marketing techniques used by some of the largest companies in the world. Users create pre-built, drag and drop Automated Marketing Sequences that trigger hyper-relevant communications based on specific actions that automatically guide prospects through a sales funnel.

www.SeeKartra.com uses pre-written, automated campaigns proven to capture leads that convert to sales based on people's individual actions! The done for you campaigns are designed by the world's foremost copywriters and elite marketing experts! Users simply drag, drop, click and sell with the press of a button to customize a campaign for their own business.

The All-In-One platform connects everything a small business needs by incorporating powerful email auto-responders, customizable marketing and product pages, multi-step funnels, attractive 1-click opt-in forms, intelligent split testing with complete reporting video player, ad hosting, page builders, shopping cart, point of purchase order bumps, intelligent countdown timers, one click up-sells, down-sells and cross sells, all with market tested done for you campaigns.

www.SeeKartra.com helps get more customers that are worth more and remain longer while eliminating the need for a patchwork of multi-vendor modules. Instead of 8 vendors costing $100 or more per month, www.SeeKartra.com has everything needed to run a successful business starting at just $89.

SeeKartra.com

"This is more affordable than any thing else on the market today," says www.SeeKartra.com Sales Director Mike Gerson. "Businesses can take advantage of this platform at a rate that falls within any budget. Even without the $1 Trial, www.SeeKartra.com is much more powerful and easier to use at less than a fraction of the cost of inferior competitors such as Infusionsoft, Click-Funnels or Salesforce.com and is just one of the reasons we love this product so much."

About SeeKartra.com

www.SeeKartra.com is a results-driven authorized reseller.

Contact:

Mike Gerson

305-877-7440

[email protected]

SOURCE SeeKartra.com

Related Links

http://www.seekartra.com


DENVER, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Wurk, the first and only workforce management company for the cannabis industry, today announced that it has raised $3.2 million in a bridge funding round. The funding round included participation from both new and returning investors, including Poseidon Asset Management, which led the round, as well as Phyto Partners, Altitude Investment Partners, Arcview Investor Network and Arcadian Fund.

The company plans to utilize its funding to make key strategic hires and further build-out its cannabis labor management technology. The platform is designed to scale nationally with the growth of the cannabis industry, while incorporating the local laws and regulations unique to each individual state.

"The cannabis industry has made huge strides since Wurk was founded in 2015, making the jump from a fringe economy into a legitimate industry," said Keegan Peterson, Founder and CEO of Wurk. "As the industry continues to grow, companies in the space need legitimate HR infrastructures to protect what they've built, set themselves up for growth and enable future expansion. We've worked hard to be the first and only company to provide that infrastructure and look forward to using our latest round of investment to continue to fulfill the industry's ever-increasing demand."

"After participating in Wurk's previous two funding rounds, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to invest in the company yet again," said Emily Paxhia, Managing Partner at Poseidon Asset Management. "As investors focused on the cannabis space, we regularly see the HR, accounting, and tax challenges that cannabis startups face on a frequent basis. Wurk's solution helps ease that massive burden on the industry and creates a huge investment opportunity in doing so."

The company, which helps cannabis companies manage payroll, human resources, timekeeping, scheduling and tax compliance, streamlines operations and minimizes compliance risks in the ever-changing cannabis regulatory environment. The company uses its expertise with local and national agencies to automate the complex paperwork process involved on clients' behalf.

About Wurk

Wurk exists to help underserved cannabis businesses fortify, comply, and thrive in the face of uncertain regulatory environments. The platform allows employers to protect and streamline their operations while providing an environment where employees are a priority every step of the way. The intuitive, all-in-one solution automates the most complicated and risk-prone processes with recruiting, scheduling, and payroll. For more information visit enjoywurk.com.

SOURCE Wurk

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Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has pleaded with Mike Sonko to leave civil servants out of politics.

This after the Nairobi Governor accused Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho of holding night meetings to plot against Deputy President William Rutos 2022 presidential bid.

According to Moses Kuria, anyone who touches on civil servants questions the authority of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

During an interview at Kameme FM on Tuesday morning, Sonko had alleged that Kibicho had ganged up with former State House political adviser Nancy Gitau and two senior top officials in President Uhuru Kenyattas administration to scuttle DP Rutos presidential plans.

Kibicho, who is in charge of the intelligence and security portfolio headed by CS Fred Matiangi, dismissed Sonkos allegations and advised the governor to concentrate on cleaning up Nairobi.

We dont do night meetings and if we did, I would tell you. Nobody is trying to fight the DP but there is a cartel of people who always act like they are his protectors. I run the intelligence of this country and there are no such meetings, said Kibicho.

Tell Sonko to man up and address the people he wants to address but not through me. He should address that person directly because thats what men do. I am not a politician and neither would I be politicking around the DP, an angry Kibicho said as quoted by The Star.

He added that his differences with the Nairobi County boss started when he stopped Sonko from flying two flags on his official vehicle.

Why Sonko Has Been Forced To Remove National Flag From His Official Vehicle

Our problems started when he tried to fly two flags like the President and because I am the Interior PS, I am responsible for making him remove the flags.

When you are drowning, you hold on to everything including straws. Tell him to leave Kibicho alone and start cleaning Nairobi, fired Kibicho.

Reacting to the clash between the two leaders, Moses Kuria said there have been no meetings as the Kikuyu community know exactly whom they will support for President in 2022.

Here is Kurias full statement:

*******************************************

Anybody touching on civil servants is questioning the authority of the appointing authority, who is President Uhuru Kenyatta. I believe in giving civil servants a free hand to work without interference. I am personally very protective of civil servants.

I want to plead with Sonko  who is one of my greatest friends and for whom I vigorously campaigned, despite there being Kikuyu candidates running against him  that he needs to leave civil servants out of politics. Let him deal with politicians. For me, civil service is a no-go zone.

The Kikuyu community knows exactly whom they will support for President in 2022 and they will vote for that candidate spontaneously without instructions from anyone. There has never been any central meeting anywhere to guide Kikuyus how to vote. History proves this.

Apart from the meeting at Kigiriti in Thika to decide on founding President Jomo Kenyatta as the leader of Kanu and the one to approve Joseph Kangethe as the as the leader of the Kikuyu  there has never been any other central meeting to tell the community how to vote. The community makes spontaneous decisions as they did in 1997 when they voted overwhelmingly for Mwai Kibaki, almost to a man.

There was a meeting in Thika, which I attended in 1997, which tried to have the community vote in a certain direction, but that failed. The community said they would not be guided how to vote and voted for Kibaki. Even when Kibaki retired in 2013, there wasnt any meeting to decide to vote for Uhuru Kenyatta.

They woke up and from the shambas and their groceries, came out and voted for Uhuru. They will again make their decisions spontaneously in 2022 without taking instructions from anyone. Anybody claiming there are meetings is misguided. I want to caution Sonko that before he makes such claims in public, he first needs to exploit the Jubilee partys internal dispute resolution mechanisms.

He may be trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. I want to plead with him, let him first raise his concerns within the party hierarchy before making them public. I campaigned for him, I even took him to my constituency and many other places. He is a man of respect, but I want to request him to hold his horses.
The former home of Trans Australia Airlines, and more recently Qantas, has sold to an offshore buyer for $90.15million.

The property at at 50 Franklin Street in Melbourne sold with a new long-term lease in place to the Victorian government.

The deal comes just more than a year after Singapore-based property developer Lian Beng picked up the 18-level office tower in the heart of the citys education precinct for $51.5million, and six months after the state government signed a 10-year lease to occupy the entire building.

It was sold by a band of 12 private investors and was sold by vacant possession after the departure of Salmat.

Savills Australias Ben Parkinson, Paul Craig and Ben Azar managed the international expressions-of-interest campaign in conjunction with Colliers Internationals Trent Hobart.

Parkinson said the buyer recognised the potential of the propertys solid passive income stream, which spiked 116 enquiries and ultimately 14 offers, six domestic and eight offshore, from a combination of private and listed groups.

The Victorian state government has signed on for 10 years, with various departments to occupy the space and undertake a multi-million-dollar major building upgrade during the tenancy, he said.

Theres a focus on increasing the NABERS Energy rating from 1.5 stars to three-plus stars.

Ben Azar said the propertys ultimate income security under the strong AAA-rated government lease covenant was the deciding factor in the deal.

This is an extraordinarily rare opportunity to acquire a whole building occupied by a government tenant, he said.

50 Franklin Street is one of only two buildings with a net lettable area under 20,000 sqm, 100 per cent occupied by a government tenant in the Melbourne CBD.

Paul Craig said the Melbourne CBD continued to be a core Asia Pacific investment destination and Australias most diversified office market.

The forecast office supply from 2017 to 2026 is indicating only half the stock of the previous decade will come to market against a backdrop of sustained high demand, he said

This is anticipated to translate to effective rent growth and the ongoing generation of Melbournes sought-after high-return profile.

Mr Parkinson said the buyer planned to capitalise on the towers future development upside, with hotel, studentand residential accommodation among the possible opportunities.

The flexible floorplate configuration allows for easy conversion, he said.

With the prominent total site area of 2,213 sqm, there is potential to increase the building area to 40,000 sqm, subject to council approval.

50 Franklin Street is in one of the Melbourne CBDs most rapidly evolving precincts, with major state government and City of Melbourne infrastructure works being undertaken in the immediate vicinity, including the $10.9billion Metro Rail Project and the revitalisation of the Queen Victoria Market.

Anticipated to become one of the most densely populated precincts in the world, this will be the epicentre for office and education use, Azar said.

During this time of growing demand in the international education sector and falling yields for commercial offices, we expect significant domestic an off-shore enquiry for this asset.

Extensively refurbished about eight years ago, the building includes four passenger lifts, 36 basement car parks, an entrance lobby and flexible ground-floor commercial space.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has quietly called for tenders from real estate agents to sell its Melbourne offices.

It is a B-grade, 15-storey tower on the corner of Collins and Exhibition streets.

No agency has yet been chosen, Fairfax Media reported.

The Bank now occupies only 10% of the building.

Reserve Bank staff occupy about 300 square metres on the top floor of 60 Collins Street.

All tenants in the building occupying the remainder of the 12,000 square metres of lettable space have been notified in writing of the forthcoming sale.

The building contains a high security strongroom vault used for storing gold bullion and exchanging bank notes which has now been transferred to a newly built facility the banks note printing works in Craigieburn on the Hume Freeway on Melbournes outskirts.
Adelaide real estate investor PPI Funds Management has bought the Greenacres Shopping Centre near the CBD for $10.5 million.

It sold fully leased with a yield of 7.25 percent, achieving around $3,500 per sqm.

Savills Australia brokered the off-market deal having approached a select number of investors.

Savills agents Peter Isaksson and Rino Carpinelli brokered the deal on behalf of Graham Investments, suggesting the buyers had been eyeing the asset for some time.

They already own the adjacent Coles supermarket and bulky goods site so Greenacres Shopping Centre is a strategic acquisition, as it consolidates ownership of a major metropolitan-district complex to a total site area of about 43,226sqm," Isaksson said.

Specialty retailers already operating in the centre include H&R Block, Greenacres Surgery medical clinic and National Pharmacies, as well as a BankSA branch.

Carpinelli said the buyer recognised the future upside potential of the property, based on its busy suburban location just 12 kilometres north-east of the CBD.

Greenacres Shopping Centre is superbly positioned on the corner of North East Road and Muller Road, next to a high-performing Coles supermarket and Liquorland, giving it critical exposure to daily passing traffic, he said.

Carpinelli said South Australian shopping centres were becoming a popular market among investors, as record sale prices being achieved for shopping centre listings on the eastern seaboard were pricing out local buyers.

Savills is also sourcing speciality retail tenants for a new retail complex in Victor Harbor, which is anchored by a Coles supermarket, Liquorland and Bunnings Warehouse, he said.
GUEST OBSERVER

Funding for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is expected to support 28,000 people, 6% of all NDIS participants. However, the NDIS has provided limited information about the demand for this specialist housing. Now a newly published study has found the existing supply of SDA needs to grow by 60% to house the 28,000 people the NDIS expects to fund.

The report identified another 33,200 people with very high support needs who may require SDA on top of the 17,500 already in this form of housing. Of these 33,200 people, 6,200 people are under 64 residing in aged care.

These are among the insights revealed in the government-funded report by the Summer Foundation, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) and SGS Economics & Planning.

It is important to understand the nature and scale of demand, given that SDA is expected to account for NDIS spending of A$700 million a year when the scheme is fully implemented. The transformation from grants-based funding to a market-based system in which people with disabilities control their own funding is predicted to create a A$5 billion disability housing market over the next five years.

What is SDA?

Specialist Disability Accommodation ensures the housing requirements of people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs are delivered.

SDA payments cover a wide range of housing options, depending on the individuals needs. By including the payment in the individuals support plan, the person with disability should have choice and control over where they live and who they live with.

Of course, this depends on a fully functioning, mature and competitive market in which providers compete to provide housing to NDIS participants. SDA payment rates have been set to cover the cost of capital and to incentivise a new market.

What are the key findings?

Comparing existing SDA places with the NDISs current projected demand across the country, the study found the supply of such housing needs to grow by 60%. The largest required rate of increase, 120%, is in the ACT. New South Wales requires the most new SDA places (3,290).

The study found the greatest demand in locations with the highest population growth. As an illustration, in southwestern Sydney, the NDIS is expected to increase the current 137 SDA places to 492. Thats 360% growth in disability housing in the area.

The results highlight the differences in people living in current SDA (mainly government-funded group homes) and the population representing the potential demand for SDA.

People in the potential demand group have a far younger age profile. More than two-thirds are under 45 years and half of them are under 34. People now living in SDA have a median age of 42.

The potential demand group also has a very different disability profile. Those living in SDA are predominantly people with intellectual disability. The potential demand group still has a significant proportion of people with intellectual disability, but physical and neurological disabilities become more prevalent. This profile suggests the future SDA cohort will need much more highly accessible housing.

The qualitative component of the study highlights that people who are eligible for SDA have aspirations for housing that is very different from where they live now. Their housing preferences are unlikely to be met by the dominant group home model  most want to live on their own or with friends in a share-house arrangement.

This highlights the need for apartment-style living where people can live independently in their own home with easy access to on-site support.

NDIS pricing encourages these developments. It will provide more than A$107,000 a year for a two-bedroom apartment in addition to the NDIS participants rent contribution.

What do the findings mean for policy?

This study provides much-needed insights into the SDA market, which will help potential providers better understand future demand.

However, the studys predictions of the amount of new SDA housing to be constructed are likely to be underestimates. The studys underlying assumption is that the current stock will continue to provide housing. In practice, much of the existing SDA stock will need to be redeveloped or replaced to be competitive in a market-based system.

The decommissioning of old stock will also help Australia to meet its obligations under Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons. This states:

"Persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement."

Group home living arrangements are inconsistent with this because they force people with disabilities to live with others who, in most cases, they have not chosen.

Recent government inquiries have also shown that group homes are rife with abuse and neglect. Last year over 100 academics wrote an open letter to the prime minister in support of a royal commission into the abuse, with some calling for group homes to be phased out.

When the NDIS is fully rolled out and participants have the freedom to move out of outdated and segregated group homes, they will be seeking a very different type of housing arrangement than they were forced to endure before the NDIS.

This report shows that developers have a significant opportunity to capitalise on the unmet demand. They can achieve sizeable returns while also having a positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities.

How was the study conducted?

In the absence of official NDIS data, the Summer Foundation study analysed data from state-funded disability service systems. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) compiled this data in the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set. The analysis used data from before the transition of most areas to the NDIS, providing a comprehensive snapshot of people using state-funded disability services.

Likely shortfalls in SDA supply were modelled by distributing the expected supply of 28,000 NDIS-funded accommodation places and comparing that to current populations. In addition to identifying areas with major shortfalls, the analysis modelled potential demand from existing service users with very high support needs who were living in other settings, mainly the family home with ageing parents. This included young people living in nursing homes.

George Taleporos, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University

The author wishes to acknowledge the contribution of Robin Zakharov, senior policy adviser at the Summer Foundation.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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Cheap energy in Norway and Sweden for cryptocurrency miners

AUTHOR: publics.bg



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Cryptocurrency miners are moving in to Norway and Sweden to take advantage of cheap hydro-electric energy, Reuters cited.

The two countries provide miners with low temperatures to power and cool their servers. Iceland has been Europes most popular location for miners of digital currencies such as bitcoin and ethereum. But the average commercial price in Iceland is 8 cents euro per kilowatt hours. So Swedens and Norways prices, 6.5 euro cents and 7.1 cents per kilowatt hours, respectively, are quite lower and far below the European average of 11 cents.

The interest is good news for Swedens Vattenfall and Norways Statkraft which are the dominant utilities in their countries. Supplying power to cryptocurrency miners is a tiny part of current business but the two state-owned firms have said they see it as an opportunity.

The process is energy intensive. Miners plug in thousands of servers at a time to get the computing power to produce cryptocurrencies, which is done by solving mathematical equations.

Miners of bitcoin will use about 130 terawatt hours of energy this year, matching Argentinas consumption or the projected usage of all the worlds electric vehicles by the mid-2020s, according to Morgan Stanley.

Mining a single bitcoin requires $1,400-$1,800 worth of electricity, up to a quarter of the total costs and about the annual power bill of a four-person household in Germany.

In Norway, hydropower accounts for over 99 percent of electricity production while in Sweden the number is about 40 percent with the same again from nuclear.
Disney-Hyperion has acquired two new books by Irish childrens author Eoin Colfer, both taking place in the world of his bestselling Artemis Fowl series. The first book, The Fowl Twins, is set for publication in February 2020, to be followed by a second, as-yet-untitled novel. In the lead-up to publication of the new books, Disney-Hyperion will release repackaged editions of the eight-book Artemis Fowl series, two at a time, beginning this October.

In addition, U.K. and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to The Fowl Twins were sold during the recent Bologna Childrens Book Fair to HarperCollins Childrens Books UK. To date, sales for the Artemis Fowl series have reached more than 25 million copies worldwide.

The new books will focus on Artemiss younger brothers, twins Myles and Beckett. Colfer said in a statement, I am delighted to be back in the world of fairies, magic, and criminal masterminds, and I could not be more pleased that Disney and HarperCollins, two wonderful publishers with whom I share a long and fruitful history, are going to unleash the Fowl twins on the world. I cannot wait for a whole new generation of readers to immerse themselves in the magical adventures of Myles and Beckett. The future is bright. The future is Fowl.

Stephanie Lurie, editor-at-large at Disney-Hyperion, acquired and will edit the books in the U.S. The Fowl Twins books will transport readers right back to the world of Artemis Fowl with their trademark humor, high-tech gadgetry, and unforgettable human and fairy characters, Lurie said in a statement. The contrast between Myles and Beckett is hilarious in itself!
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to six novels by Daniel Silva, furthering his association with the publisher's Global Publishing Program.

The first novel in the deal is the author's 21st, The Other Woman, in which spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon confronts a dangerous new adversary. It will be released in July.

Silva was the first author in HC's Global Publishing Program. Since then, HC said it has published seven of his novels, in 24 countries and 15 languages. It achieved a 60% increase in sales from The Heist (2014) to The English Spy (2015), with The Black Widow (2016) continuing the trend. Sales of the seven novels stand at 5.5 million copies.

Brian Murray, HC president and CEO, said: "The energy, focus and passion for [Silva's] books from our international publishing teams has driven foreign language growth in sales of each of his books, setting us up for continued international growth in the future."

In a separate deal, HarperCollins has bought world English rights in Jonas Jonasson's sequel to the bestselling The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, first published in the U.K. by Hesperus and taken over by Abacus.

The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles, has been signed by Anna Kelly (4th Estate UK), Iris Tupholme (HarperCollins Canada), and Katherine Nintzel (William Morrow U.S.). The Swedish publisher is Piratforlaget, and the agent is Carina Brandt at the Brandt New Agency in Barcelona. Jonasson's hero's new adventures begin with a hot air balloon trip and three bottles of Champagne.

Publication will be August 1 in Canada, August 9 in the U.K., and January 15, 2019 in the U.S.
Powerful feminist voices arent always recognized when they come from Muslims. But Daisy Khan, founder and executive director of the Women's Islamic Initiative for Spirituality and Equality (WISE), and the author of a new memoir, Born with Wings: The Spiritual Journey of a Modern Muslim Woman, (Spiegel & Grau, April 24), attracts attention.

In 2008, WISE launched the first Global Muslim Womens Shura Council, an advisory group of experts in law, faith and culture issuing statements on political and domestic violence, female genital cutting, and other social issues. In 2009, she and her husband, imam Feisal Abdul Rauf were at the white-hot center of the national furor over his plans to open a Muslim community center two blocks from the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan. In addition to WISE, she founded Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow  a global social network to promote young grassroots leaders.



Cindy Spiegel, publisher at Spiegel & Grau, calls Khans memoir one of those important stories that havent yet been heard by mainstream audiences. Daisy is doing such significant work to empower Muslim women and girls around the world as well as here at home, and she herself is an inspiring example of a feminist woman having an authoritative voice within Islam.

Khan, who came to the United States as a teenager from Kashmir, India, in 1974, discusses why she wanted to bring the nuances of Islam to a wider audience through her personal story.

(The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.)

Do you see a divine sense of timing in doing this book?

I believe that when 9/11 happened, I felt that a mandate was being placed upon me. In my book, I talk about having lost several pregnancies and having to realize what was that all about. It was devastating. I would have been a great mother. (But) nothing in my life seems like its unplanned. Everything is planned by a bigger hand and a greater hand than myself. So, yes, the book did get delayed unnecessarily for many different reasons. It could have come out two years ago, and perhaps it wouldnt have been so relevant. I do believe that theres a divine hand in this. Maybe coming at a time when more people can benefit from it.I know that I am being used as an instrument right now, and Im prepared for that role.

How did the controversy over the community center change you?

It was a moment that prepared me for a much bigger role. Clearly, I would still be an imams wife and I would still be doing the important [interfaith] work that I was already doing, but I probably would not have had the courage to step away and create my own path and do my own work without necessarily being under the shadow of my husband.

It strengthened me. After the repeated threats, I came to the realization that the worst thing that would happen to me would be death, and so I no longer feared death after that. Movement leaders often wind up getting assassinated, but their message and their legacy goes on. I put myself in their shoes and said, If this message is so important to me, Im willing to pass on a decade earlier than I would, and its OK. It was a moment that created a resilience that I cant even explain. Its very deep.

Who is the intended audience for the book?

This book is meant for everyone: people of conscience and people who are really struggling with trying to understand what the issues are, people of faith and no faith. At one point I lost my faith, so I know what it is like to lose faith and then to have to crawl back to it and then find yourself manifesting it in such a big way. Its for spiritual aspirants who might be seeking to get to know themselves and their own spiritual paths, and community activists because the book addresses so much community activism.

Whats next for you?

A friend of mine who is a Christian feminist wrote a short review of the book and she said it was as if I had invited her into my kitchen and had a cup of tea with her and gave her a crash course on the nuances of my faith that she felt are completely misunderstood. I know there are people who really want to know a [Muslim] one on one, so I would like to get out into the country and meet people and share the story and create a deeper dialogue using my own personal story and the stories of others.
History was made at the 2018 London Book Fairat a Tuesday afternoon session, Josef Marc, CEO of upstart blockchain publisher Publica, announced that the company had just gone live in the Google Play Store with author Sukhi Jutlas Escape The Cubicle: Quit The Job You Hatein effect, Marc said, creating the worlds first #1 title on the blockchain bestseller list.

Of course, there isnt really a blockchain bestseller listat least not yet. But the burgeoning technologybest known in the finance industry for powering cryptocurrencies like Bitcoinholds promise for publishing, supporters say. And at a panel packed with curious authors and publishers at the 2018 London Book Fair, The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) handed out its just-released white paper "Authors and the Blockchain: Towards a Creator Centered Business Model," and heard from a panel of experts and early adopters.

For many in the audience, the most obvious questions was: what exactly is blockchain? Essentially, as the ALLi white paper explains, the blockchain is a public ledger system that enables people to transfer "unique pieces of digital property, known as blocks, in a way that is totally secure, transparent, time-stamped, decentralized and irreversible. Essentially, all necessary details are coded into the blocks, and once accepted, the blocks become an unalterable part of the blockchain.

So how would blockchain work for books? Basically, a digital book created in the blockchain holds both the text, and also all the terms of a books contractreferred to as a smart contractincluding but not limited to commercial terms of sale (and even resale), author credit and other information.

When a user purchases a blockchain book, the transaction is direct between author and readerno middleman, like Amazon. The reader gets the text within an app. The text cannot be tampered with or transferred outside of the contract terms coded therein. And the author is paid immediately, with payments divvied up according to the smart contractfor example, the contract might call for 10% of the book's price to go the authors publisher.

And yes, payments are made in cryptocurrency directly to the authors digital wallet. In the case of Publica, that cryptocurrency is known as a pebble. Cryptocurrency can then be traded on a coin exchangeJutla says a pebble currently trades for about $2.50.

If that all sounds bit complicatedwell, it is. At Tuesdays panel, author and ALLi news editor Dan Holloway conceded that blockchain is not quite ready for prime time, both in terms of consumer adoption, and the technology, which still faces questions of stability and scalability. Its too early to have definitive answers when it comes to blockchain for writers, Holloway cautioned. But questions at this stage are more important than feeling like youve got answers.

Still, as the ALLi white paper points out, blockchain holds significant promise, especially for indie and self-published authors.

 Blockchain could potentially deliver an author-centered financial model for the first time in publishing history. 

The way that blockchain reconfigures digital text, books and media, legal agreements, monetization of content, and payment pathways makes it a technological breakthrough for publishing, the ALLi white paper concludes, adding that blockchain could potentially deliver an author-centered financial model for the first time in publishing history.

Blockchain is definitely on the radar of publishers and service providers at this years London Book Fairand interest is expected to ramp up quickly.

Ashok Giri, chief technology officer at PageMajik, told PW that blockchain could potentially solve many problems currently plaguing publishers, from rights management to piracy. Giri says his company is already implementing blockchain into the next version of its workflow product suite, PageMajik, noting that the technology has wide-ranging applicationsfrom enabling researchers, editors, writers and publishers to work securely and transparently on the same project at the same time, to embedding rights for easy sharing, licensing, and usage.

As demand for more granular rights and rights of any sort increase, this type of technology will be even more vital for its proficiency with sales transactions, tracking and reporting, Giri predicts.

Brian O'Leary, Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group told PW that BISG will have blockchain on the agenda at a "business of rights" program this fall.

"To make a distributed ledger work, we need to make a lot of implicit knowledge explicit," he says of the challenge facing blockchain for publishing, "codifying terms, documenting business models, and creating agreements about what can be sold, and how. Those kind of agreements are useful even without blockchain, and BISG's rights committee is working to start that conversation."

Sukhi Jutla, meanwhile, says for that for all the talk of blockchain's promise, her blockchain debut makes an important point.

To be # 1 on the blockchainits history, she says. What I think it might do is wake up the publishing industry a little bit and make them aware that blockchain is happening right now."
Self-proclaimed Africas hottest sensation Samuel Chombo alias DJ Incredible has taken the next big step in a bid to quit bachelorhood. The Kiss TV DJ last Saturday scarred his knee for love and proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cindy Nambisia.

DJ Incredible, the official Sakata Season 6 DJ, appeared to tap into Kenyas reputation of being Magical, as he executed the surprise proposal at the romantic and scenic Crater Lake in Naivasha.

With the help of friends and relatives, DJ Incredible had his beau weak in the knees as he presented a Pear-shaped Diamond ring that Cindy dreamed of.

How could she say no?

Taking to social media, DJ Incredible further melted the heart of his wife-to-be with a special message.

They say he who finds a wife finds a good thing.. its safe to say I have found a wife, a lover, a partner, a best friend and so much more all wrapped in one so Ive not only found a good thing.. Ive found THE BEST and I thank God she just had to say YES. Huge shout out to my friends and family who came through for us.. I cant thank you enough.. . He posted.

Meanwhile, Nambisia could not keep calm as she gushed and cried about how incredible DJ Incredible is.

This was her Instagram post:



The photos:
From left, Purdue President Mitch Daniels, Rohel Sanchez Sanchez, rector (president) of UNSA, Horacio Barrera Tamayo, vice chancellor for research of UNSA, and Victor Maqque, postdoctoral research assistant, Department of History and the Native American Educational and Cultural Center, share in the excitement of the Purdue-Peru partnership. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Purdue University celebrated the official start of its new Cooperative Technical Alliance Program with the Universidad Nacional de San Agustin (UNSA) with the launch of its initial flagship research and capacity building initiative: the Arequipa Nexus Institute for Food, Water, Energy, and the Environment. The celebration took place Monday (April 9) at Purdue.

Purdue is a leader in developing holistic approaches to global sustainability grand challenges based on partnerships, said Tomas Diaz De La Rubia, chief scientist and executive director of Purdues Discovery Park. Through a close collaboration with our partners at UNSA, Discovery Park can bring the full power of its unique interdisciplinary approach to improve the lives of the citizens of Arequipa through the application of our leading-edge expertise to the regional sustainable development challenges. The partnership represents a new paradigm in the development and application of scientific and socio-economic approaches to global sustainability grand challenges, and we fully expect to expand this new paradigm to new relationships in other regions of Peru and Latin America in the future.

The Nexus Institute represents a vision for a collaborative and vibrant research, education and innovation ecosystem where transformative solutions to challenges faced by Arequipa, Peru, and Latin America are explored. It aims to understand the regions food, energy and water production and delivery systems in the context of the complex socio-economic-environmental challenges Arequipa faces such as a changing climate, diminishing resources, a legacy of environmental degradation and diverse communities striving for prosperity and security.

The tools and perspectives applied will strive to produce a culture of next-generation sustainability thinking, not just within Peru, but in all developing economies. In these regions, agriculture, energy, buildings, waste and water resource sectors are being reengineered to be constructively-linked with synergistic material flows that minimize waste or tradeoffs in environmental or social quality.

We are thrilled to have found a strategic partner in Purdue and Discovery Park, whose mission and themes dovetail seamlessly with the vision of UNSA, said Rohel Sanchez Sanchez, rector (president) of UNSA. The new alliance will draw on Purdues unique expertise, which will foster innovation, solutions and economic prosperity locally and regionally.

Purdues Center for the Environment (C4E) in Discovery Park will be the administrative and collaborative link to UNSA in establishing the Nexus Institute in Arequipa. Timothy Filley, professor of geochemistry and soil science at Purdue and acting director of C4E, will co-direct the Nexus Institutes scientific programs and partnerships together with his counterpart at UNSA, Henry Gustavo Cornejo Polanco, professor and dean of its School of Process Engineering.

The vision for the institute and this first phase of research support is more than a collection of research and capacity building projects, but a deeply intentional research network for addressing past, present and future linked socio-economic and environmental challenges, Filley said. It is born out of the core principle of Purdues Discovery Park and Center for the Environment that science-based decision-making is essential to a sustainable and profitable future.

Initially, the focus of the partnership will be on the development of research infrastructure and interdisciplinary projects that integrate the social and physical sciences to address challenges in food security and safety, water quality, energy efficiency and soil health.

The first phase of funding will allow more than 25 UNSA faculty to collaborate with 35 Purdue faculty and staff, including 12 post-doctoral researchers, representing 17 departments and six colleges at Purdue.

Project topics vary broadly, including developing a decision-making framework for sustainable water management; identifying and mapping soil impairments and improving soil health; strengthening Arequipas grape and wine industry through advancements in sustainable agriculture; designing net-zero energy buildings; and creating robotic water quality monitoring and distribution systems.

In addition, plans are underway to create a Nexus Institute building in the Majes agricultural valley of Arequipa to house these research activities. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation, conference facilities and residential quarters for visiting scientists.

Purdue became involved with UNSA after signing an agreement with the Core Foundation in 2016 agreeing to explore opportunities to provide solutions and economic innovations to help developing communities, especially those in Latin America. Core Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that focuses on economic development through science, technology and innovation coupled with investments in prevention and resolution of social conflicts. The foundation represents 15 universities in Peru with the mission of promoting economic development through strategic partnerships between universities, government and private companies in North and South America.

The UNSA alliance is the latest example of Purdues growing international impact with programs already in place in Africa, Colombia, India, China and Ireland. The goal of the partnership is to make UNSA the premier location in Latin America for cutting-edge environmental sustainability research and innovation.

About Discovery Park

Discovery Park is a place where Purdue researchers move beyond traditional boundaries, collaborating across disciplines and with policymakers and business leaders to create solutions for a better world. Grand challenges of global health, global conflict and security, and those that lie at the nexus of sustainable energy, world food supply, water and the environment are the focus of researchers in Discovery Park. The translation of discovery to impact is integrated into the fabric of Discovery Park through entrepreneurship programs and partnerships.

About the Center for the Environment

The mission of the Center for the Environment (C4E) in Discovery Park is to promote proactive, interdisciplinary research, learning, and engagement at Purdue, addressing important environmental challenges. C4E works with global partners to conduct use-inspired science to address humanitys most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges.

About Universidad Nacional de San Agustin

The National University of San Agustin de Arequipa (UNSA) was founded on Nov. 11, 1828, as a public university. Its mission is to train high-quality professionals to be competitive, capable of being agents of change and development in society, and excellent researchers. Additionally, its mission is to solve problems that impact the environment of the region and the country of Peru, where UNSA is located.

Media Contact: Kayla Zacharias, 765-494-9318, kzachar@purdue.edu

Sources: Timothy Filley, 765-494-6581, filley@purdue.edu

Tomas Diaz De La Rubia, 765-496-6625, tddlr@purdue.edu
Russian free-to-air broadcaster Pyantnitsa, owned by natural gas giant Gazprom, has acquired the BBC drama series McMafia and Sherlock, as well as content from the BBCs flagship natural history unit.





McMafia, an eight-part series set in the world of organised crime, was criticised by the Russian embassy in the UK when it first aired in January 2018, for what it called its negative portrayal of Russians.The series stars James Norton as Alex Godman, the British raised son of Russian mafia exiles who is dragged into the criminal underworld. It has been shown by the BBC in the UK, AMC in the US and Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. BBC hit detective series Sherlock, which previously aired in Russia on Channel One, is also included in the Pyantnitsa deal, along with natural history titles Planet Earth, Planet Earth II, and Blue Planet II. BBC science titles Earth from Space and The Planets were also included, in the content partnership announced at MIPTV in Cannes.Ive been a big fan of the BBC for almost 20 years, said Nikolay Kartozia, general director of Pyatnitsa. Their news, documentaries and dramas are all of the highest quality, so now as general director it is a great honour that BBC Studios has selected Pyatnitsa as a partner. It means that we are going the right way!We are delighted to be partnering with Pyatnitsa on this superb package of content, said Salim Mukaddam, VP and general manager for Central and Eastern Europe at BBC Studios. Sherlock is adored in Russia and was the highest-rated non-Russian programme in the territory last year. We are looking forward to taking the show to a brand-new audience through this agreement.
Oil companies, energy producers, car manufacturers and customers who depend upon all three, are finally experiencing an overheated man-made climate threat truly worth worrying about. It is arriving in the form of expensive and irrational anti-fossil legislation and litigation.

On March 7, a three-judge panel in the 9th District Court of Appeals in San Francisco denied a petition to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Our Children's Trust, an anti-fossil organization which claims that the Trump administration is violating future constitutional rights of future generations by ignoring climate dangers. The claimants are fronted by Earth Guardians, a group of young children and teenagers they organized and sponsored expressly for this purpose.
It was supposed to be the most somber and impressive of presidential moments, a gathering of the national security team at the White House to discuss military options to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a suspected chemical weapons attack on a Damascus suburb that killed at least 60 people, including children. But as the meeting began, Donald Trump was more enraged by a crossed red line much closer to home: the F.B.I.s raid on his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen. I just heard that they broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys . . . its frankly a real disgrace. Its an attack on our country in a true sense, Trump said to reporters, as his new national security adviser, John Bolton, sat beside him looking uncomfortable.
The same pols who say that America cant afford Trumps proposed wall have spent lavishly on the protection of borders outside the country. Every year they give billions of dollars to governments across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. That American largesse, combined with the astronomical costs of U.S. military protection, allow those countries to seal off their borders. Meanwhile, Americas southern border remains largely unprotected and pols pretend they lack the funds to address the crisis. As President Trump put it in his inaugural address, Weve defended other nations borders while refusing to defend our own.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell didnt break much news when he acknowledged that Republicans are facing the possibility of a major wave election threatening their congressional majorities. But his public statement was an unmistakable sign that he considers the GOPs Senate majority, once seen as untouchable because of the historically favorable map, under serious threat as President Trumps political troubles worsen.
Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday he will not seek re-election and plans to end his two-decade career in Congress after this year, sending shockwaves through Washington and jarring Republicans seeking to retain their House majority this fall.

Ryan, who has been the top fundraiser for House Republicans since becoming speaker, told his GOP colleagues he planned to run through the tape  a runners metaphor meaning he would push onward to the end and continue assisting them in their re-election campaigns.

I have every confidence that Ill be handing this gavel on to the next Republican speaker of the House next year, the Wisconsin lawmaker said at a morning press conference. When asked whether the chance of losing the House factored into his decision, Ryan said: None whatsoever, actually,

He attributed his decision to both a sense of accomplishment about his time as speaker, citing the Republicans tax cut law and new military funding, and a desire to spend more time at home with his wife and teenage children. Though rumors about Ryans future have swirled since late last year, he kept the decision close to his vest. A person familiar with Ryans decision said he had been contemplating retirement for months, having conversations with his family and a small group of staff. The final decision came during the Houses Easter recess, and the speaker informed the president, vice president and the GOP leadership team Wednesday morning.

Ryan said he gave thought to the impact of his retirement on the midterm elections, but didnt believe it would be a factor.

I really do not believe whether I stay or go in 2019 is going to affect a persons individual race for Congress, he said. If we do our jobs, as we are, were going to be fine as a majority.

Still, Ryans announcement serves as the most significant warning sign yet that the partys hold on the House of Representatives is in danger, and his impending exit could trigger further retirements within the conference as other lawmakers analyze the political climate for November. Florida Rep. Dennis Ross also announced Wednesday that he would not seek re-election.

Ryans decision also comes against the backdrop of a White House seeming to operate in a continuous state of chaos, which has routinely interrupted GOP lawmakers attempts to promote their tax cut legislation and improvements in the economy. As speaker, Ryan has had to navigate a climate in which Republicans control all levels of power in government but are also subject to the whims of an unpredictable president.

Case in point: Even at his press conference Wednesday, Ryan had to field questions about whether Trump might fire special counsel Robert Mueller. Ryan said he had received assurances from the White House that Trump wouldnt take that route.

Additionally, long-standing ideological divisions within the conference have continued to make Ryans job an unenviable one, particularly on fundamental must-pass measures related to government funding and the budget.

For his part, Trump wished Ryan well, tweeting: Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!

The announcement now renders Ryan a lame duck speaker, which could compromise his ability to move any significant agenda items through the body and to fundraise for his colleagues facing difficult re-election bids. His decision to retire at a time when Republicans have several structural advantages  control of Congress, a stable economy, favorably drawn districts  could further dampen morale within the House GOP.

His announcement also sets in motion what could be a competitive race for the next leader of the Republican conference. Already, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has been a top ally of President Trumps, and House Whip Steve Scalise are angling for the position.

Ryan becomes the 39th Republican to retire from Congress ahead of the midterms, putting an additional seat in play, though the party is confident in retaining Wisconsins 1st Congressional District: Ryans political team released a poll from March showing him leading his Democratic opponent, Randy Bryce, by 21 percentage points.

In addition, announcing his retirement now ends a months-long guessing game about his future, which could provide more certainty for GOP candidates and donors. It could also embolden him to push forward with legislative priorities that could otherwise threaten his speakership or his standing.

On Wednesday, lawmakers began to grapple with the implications of Ryans impending departure, particularly for their own races and the partys future in the midterms.

Make no mistake: Our mission to hold the House continues unabated, said Rep. Steve Stivers, who chairs House Republicans campaign committee. Im thankful for all Paul has done for the NRCC and am confident he has set us on a path to keep our majority. Paul is also a man of follow-through and I know he will continue to be an asset to us this fall.

Still, Democrats leapt at Ryans announcement as evidence they are in strong position to win the House majority.

The American people are hungry for Democratic leadership, and the Democratic Party is organizing in every single ZIP code to provide it in 2018, said Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As Paul Ryan heads for the exit, Democrats are fighting to make sure that his Republican colleagues join him in retirement come November.

Rep. Bill Flores, a Texas Republican, said he didnt expect Ryans decision to have much bearing on the November elections. Hes been an incredible political leader, hes been an incredible fundraiser. Hes going to continue to do the same thing, Flores said.

But Flores also suggested that Republicans should decide on a successor to Ryan before November to alleviate additional uncertainty.

The only thing that might be helpful is if we can figure out who the next speaker is beforehand so the American people have a feel for whos going to lead us, Flores said.

Others, however, disagreed. Rep. Mike Coffman, who represents a suburban Colorado district targeted by Democrats, said the leadership decision should be made after the election. Coffman also downplayed the possibility of problems with Ryans ability to fundraise for House Republicans as a lame duck.

If there wasnt a concern about holding the majority, I think fundraising would be tough. But because of the fact that theres a concern about holding the majority, I dont think fundraising is going to be tough, Coffman said.

Others worried about what kind of message it would send to lawmakers on the fence about running again, and questioned whether Ryan or other members in leadership would have the credibility to convince them to stay on.

It may encourage other Republicans not to run again, I think, more so than affecting the money, said Rep. Thomas Massie. Weve already got twice as many retirements in our party as the Democrats, I think. This may be a signal that its okay to retire.

James Arkin is a congressional reporter for RealClearPolitics. He can be reached at jarkin@realclearpolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesArkin.
This week, the FBI raided the office, hotel room and home of President Trump's personal attorney and self-described "fixer," Michael Cohen. According to various media reports, the Department of Justice signed off on a warrant for the search; presumably, the law enforcement agency is searching for evidence regarding Cohen's $130,000 payment to pornography actress Stormy Daniels, who allegedly had a one-night stand with Trump in 2006. Cohen has openly stated that he paid Daniels to shut up about her peccadillo with Trump -- and he has said that Trump had no knowledge of the payment.

That presents a problem. If Cohen paid off Daniels without Trump's knowledge, that raises the question as to whether their agreement was binding. If not, then Trump may have been party to a violation of campaign finance law, since a $130,000 in-kind donation is well above any legal limit. And if Cohen and Trump coordinated that arrangement, none of their communications on the matter are subject to attorney-client privilege.

So, it's quite possible that the FBI and DOJ may have just ensnared Cohen and, by extension, Trump, in a serious scandal.

But this raises another question: Where the hell were the FBI and DOJ when it came to Hillary Clinton? Trump himself has been enraged by the disparity between law enforcement's treatment of Clinton and its treatment of him. He rightly points out that the FBI and DOJ worked to exonerate Clinton, with former FBI Director James Comey going so far as to change the definition of existing law to avoid recommending her indictment for mishandling classified material. And not only did then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch meet with former President Bill Clinton on a tarmac in the middle of the election cycle and the investigation of his wife; Lynch's Department of Justice allowed Cheryl Mills, Hillary Clinton's top aide, to claim attorney-client privilege. As Andrew McCarthy of National Review pointed out at the time, Mills was involved in the scrubbing of over 30,000 emails, yet the DOJ "indulged her attorney-client privilege claim, which frustrated the FBI's ability to question her !

on a key aspect of the investigation." Furthermore, Mills was allowed to sit in on Clinton's interview with the FBI as Clinton's lawyer.

And herein lies the problem for the DOJ and the FBI. Let's assume, for a moment, that everything they're doing now is totally honest and aboveboard -- that there's no attempt to "get" President Trump and they're just following where the evidence leads. Many conservatives will rightly point to the DOJ and FBI treatment of Hillary Clinton, and state that the agencies ought to be consistent in their application of the law and leave Trump alone. Or they'll suggest that Trump ought to turn those agencies into personal defense organizations, as former President Obama did.

Once supposedly neutral organizations are made partisan, a return to neutrality looks partisan. That means that the FBI and DOJ damn well better have gold-plated evidence against Cohen; they better not leak ancillary information damaging Trump to the press; and they better have dotted all their i's and crossed all their t's. If not, there will be hell to pay, not merely for those agencies but for a country that can no longer trust its own law enforcement agencies.

COPYRIGHT 2018CREATORS.COM
LOME: An Israeli campaign is underway in sub-Saharan Africa on winning over African nations, which, partly due to significant Muslim minority populations, have often constituted a bloc of opposition at the UN.

In June 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first non-African leader to participate in a Summit of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS. The following November, he attended Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyattas swearing-in ceremony in Nairobi, joining leaders from other African countries and holding several bilateral meetings. In 2016, Netanyahu had already become the first Israeli prime minister in three decades to travel to Africa, visiting Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. According to Atlantic Council expert J. Peter Pham, such encounters represent a remarkable testament to how much of a priority the Israeli government has made of Africa. In April of this year, Netanyahu announced a deal with the UN refugee agency to resettle African asylum seekers, keeping 16,000 in Israel and sending 16,000 to Western countries. The next day, under political pressure in Israel, he suspended the deal, outraging Israeli human rights activists. While the suspension holds for now, the prime minister emphasized that it would be reexamined.

With growing investments in East and West African countries, Israel is becoming a key player on the continent. Israels expansion in Africa, like that of China, India and Turkey, is facilitated by relative pullback by the United States and France. The involvement focuses on geostrategic and security interests, particularly forming allies to support Israel in international bodies and fight against jihadist movements to gaining new trade partners and access to markets. So far, the strategy is working as African countries embrace this role.

Historically, Afro-Israeli relations have fluctuated. In the 1960s, Israel provided assistance to newly independent African states in varied fields, ranging from agriculture and medicine to defense and infrastructure construction. More than 30 Israeli diplomatic missions operated in Africa until the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and the Arab coalition led by Egypt and Syria. In the wars wake, the Organization of African Unity instructed its members to cease diplomatic ties with Israel. All except Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland did so. Israeli-African collaboration continued in some fields, including agriculture and development. Israel, fearing opposition forces in states such as Chad, Togo and the former Zaire, also ensured military support to mainly authoritarian regimes. Most African countries resumed diplomatic relations with Israel in the 1990s. Israel currently has ties with 40 out of the 48 sub-Saharan African countries, yet only 10, including Kenya and Senegal, have embassies. Israel is now pushing to regain observer status in the African Union, after losing this role when the Organization of African Union was replaced by the AU.

Securing Israels diplomatic interests represents the main official reason behind Netanyahus visits and renewed African focus. Before attending the ECOWAS, he told Israeli media that he aimed to dissolve  this giant bloc of 54 African countries that is the basis of the automatic majority against Israel in the UN and international bodies.

Israels diplomatic rapprochement may be reaping fruits. In 2015, Israel resisted an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution demanding it open its undeclared nuclear facilities to UN inspectors, partly because several African states abstained or voted against it. Even on issues as tense as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some progress can be seen. In December, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly rejected a resolution recognizing Jerusalems status as Israels capital, and Pham suggests it was a small victory for Israel that only 27 of the 44 members of the Africa Group who are not also members of the Arab League voted in favor. For years, African states had mostly supported Palestinian self-determination, not surprising given that sub-Saharan Africa is home to a considerable Muslim population.

Reducing opposition: Israels goal is to improve diplomatic ties with African nations with substantial Muslim minorities and reduce antagonism against Israeli policies at the United Nations and other international bodies (Source: Pew Research Center, 2014)

According to the Pew Research Center, in 2010, around 30 percent of sub-Saharan Africans were Muslims. The sub-region West Africa has a Muslim majority, just over half the population, and East Africa has 30 percent. Sub-Saharan Africas population is expected to more than double by 2050 with the Muslim population reaching 35 percent.

The implication for Israel is that the Palestinian cause could gain more support in Africa. Olusola Isola, a Woodrow Wilson Center scholar, suggests that Israel direct efforts at carving African countries understanding on the position of Israel vis-a-vis the Palestinian question and in the context of the Middle East conflict and [....] market itself more on the diplomatic sphere. The goal: Gradually sway countries with smaller Muslim populations to support Israel or, at a minimum, avoid antagonism and intense opposition to Israeli policies.

Regardless of stances on the Palestinian question, many African countries seek closer ties with Israel in other geopolitical fields such as security and counterterrorism. Extremist movements, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia, are a threat in East and West Africa alike. Israels security knowledge is perceived as beneficial, especially in terms of technological surveillance, collecting and digitizing personal data, and border-control systems. Israel has direct interest in supporting African states to fight terrorism and monitor jihadist movements, and preventing destabilization of Egypt, its southern neighbor  all in the context of furthering collective security on the global platform, notes Isola, adding that is why France and the United States also fight terrorism on the continent. Israeli security is intrinsically connected with the total extrication of terrorist groups from all parts of the world, including from African countries.

Six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa with Ethiopia in the lead, and trade is another central reason for Israels interest. Africa, despite present-day challenges, is still very much the continent of the future. Pham emphasizes that there are considerable stakes for an economy such as Israels to be able to tap the dynamic region. Africa is also the youngest continent, and Pham points out that by mid-century, one in four workers in the world will be African. With only $1 billion in annual Israeli-African trade value, Israel has barely started exploring this market. Almost two thirds of current trade takes place with South Africa, mostly for diamonds. African states seek access to sophisticated technology in a multiple domains including military applications, surveillance, irrigation, water management and solar energy. African states also hope to diversify arms and military technology suppliers to become less dependent on the United States and Europe.

During ECOWAS, Netanyahu announced an investment of $1 billion in solar energy to benefit the 15 member countries over the next four years with implementation by Energiya Global, Israels leading solar developer. The first project: a $20 million solar field at Roberts International Airport in Liberia, estimated to supply 25 percent of the countrys power. In December, Israel signed an agreement with the United States to increase Africas energy access and electricity deficiencies through innovative solutions. The partnership is part of a $7 billion, five-year Power Africa project, launched by the Obama administration.

For the most part, Israels rapprochement focuses on many of the same areas as during the 1960s and 1970s: military support and raw goods like diamonds. Israel still conceptualizes development, security and economic assistance as exchangeable for votes in international organizations, punishing any non-compliance. In early 2017, following a UN Security Council vote condemning Israeli settlements as illegal, Israel cut aid to Senegal for supporting the resolution. Despite policy sophistication, Israel does not seem ready to quit the traditional carrot-and-stick approach. It may find that long-term connections of mutual interest are more productive.

Reprinted with permission from Yale Global.
Suspected conman Benson Wazir Chacha is fit to stand a trial, a Nairobi Court has been told.

This after a mental health assessment was conducted at the Mathari hospital.

The suspect was arraigned in Court on Monday, April 9 and charged with six counts, including conspiracy to defraud, obtaining registration by false pretence and intent to defraud.

Further charges included; obtaining money by false pretence, attempting to obtain money by false pretence and impersonating a public officer.

He was accused of impersonating Muranga Women Representative Sabina Chege.

Chacha denied all the charges before Milimani chief magistrate Francis Andayi.

The Court heard that Chacha conspired to register a Safaricom mobile number in the name of Sabina Chege. He then used the number to contact former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo on March 4.

Midiwo, who gave Chacha Sh20,000, has since been listed as a witness alongside Sabina Chege.

The Magistrate ordered that Chacha remain in police custody pending the hearing of an application by the Prosecution to have him denied bond and bail terms.

The Prosecution argued that the suspect is a flight risk since he has no fixed abode.
Each year in April, the World Health Organization celebrates World Health Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of global health issues. This year, it is also a chance to observe the centennial of the deadliest global health disaster of the 20th centuryand the deadliest event of the century, period.

One hundred years ago, on March 11, 1918, at Camp Funston, Kansas, a U.S. Army cook by the name of Albert Gitchell fell ill as he and his fellow soldiers prepared to go to war in Europe. He thought he had a bad cold. Soon after, Corporal Lee Drake went to the infirmary showing the same symptoms. By that afternoon over a hundred others joined them, and eventually, this influenza virus would circle the globe.

Over the next two years, the 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, infected nearly a third of the global population, killing more than 50 million people worldwide. At the time, the United States and the world were ill-prepared to combat a pandemic. Influenza viruses had not yet been discovered, there were no vaccines to prevent infection and no medicines to treat it, and the field of public health was in its infancy.

Today, influenza pandemics remain one of our top infectious disease threats. We have a growing set of increasingly advanced tools to detect the emergence of a new strain of influenza virus domestically and abroad, but much work remains to be done.

When it comes to the threat of pandemic flu, as well as other infectious threats, preparedness cannot be confined within borders. The world must work together to focus on the prevention and mitigation of pandemics that pay no mind to borders, and focus the work of institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) on that threat.

Our almost universally interconnected world makes it easier for serious illnesses to spread faster than ever before, and we saw this threat when the 2014 Ebola outbreaks that threatened to spread that illness throughout and beyond West Africa. That is why the Trump Administration strongly supports the Global Health Security Agenda to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats in collaboration with our partner countries.

The United States also supports reforms to WHO to ensure that future epidemics are handled more effectively than Ebola was. We are committed to investing in infectious disease preparedness at home and across the globe, including through the Global Health Security Agenda, and these tasks must be the focus of our global health work.

On flu, for instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with WHO and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has built global flu surveillance networks with partner countries that help to detect and respond to new and known influenza viruses. This network provides an early warning system to detect new flu strains and increases the likelihood that partner countries can effectively combat and contain the virus before it spreads to our shores.

As we work around the world, we are investing at home as well. When I was at HHS in 2005, for instance, we formulated the first Pandemic Influenza Plan, a comprehensive blueprint that outlined how federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners would respond in the event of a flu pandemic. A few years later, the experience of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic showed the value of those preparedness activities, but also revealed remaining gaps. At the time, we did not have the domestic capacity to manufacture enough influenza vaccines to protect the entire American population.

Since then, through HHSs Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, we have worked with partners in the private sector to expand our ability to manufacture influenza vaccines domestically. Our manufacturing capacity has increased ten-fold since the 2000s, while we have worked to reduce the time it takes to develop a new flu vaccine in the event of a pandemic and invested in research toward a universal flu vaccine.

Our international work extends to many other disease outbreaks and threats. U.S. health agencies, including CDC, NIH, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have helped lead the ongoing response to Zika throughout the Western Hemisphere. And just last year, HHS agencies helped the Democratic Republic of the Congo in responding to Ebola; the Republic of the Congo and Nigeria in responding to monkeypox; Zimbabwe in responding to typhoid fever; and Namibia in responding to anthrax. Right now, CDC, NIH, and FDA are assisting WHO and the government of Nigeria in responding to a Lassa fever outbreak.

The world has come a long way since 1918, but we are still vulnerable, not just to the flu but a range of infectious threats. The United States will continue to work with our partners around the globe to build preparedness for these threats and to strengthen our preparedness at home.

Infectious diseases remain a serious threat, but with the right level of cooperation and focus, we can look forward to marking many more World Health Days before we see another pandemic like the Spanish flu.
It is clear enough that the introduction of John Bolton as national security advisor and Mike Pompeo as secretary of state makes war more likely. But that shouldnt obscure the existing reality: that the Trump administration is already fighting many wars and escalating them without the constitutional requirement of congressional approval. Thus, ill-advised military operations threaten to expand in capillary fashion from North Africa.

Take the expansion of counterterrorism strikes in Libya. The Pentagon recently carried out a drone strike that killed militants from an al Qaeda regional affiliate in Southwestern Libya. Prior to that operation, the Obama and Trump administrations had focused drone attacks and airstrikes on Islamic State fighters in Northern Libya.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) fighters and other extremist militants also operate in the Sahel region -- in Niger, Chad, Mali, and Algeria  and the seeming expansion of U.S. military activities in Libya comes after many in Congress were surprised to find out last fall that the U.S. military was fighting Islamists in Niger. The realization came about suddenly after four U.S. servicemen were killed in that country. (More recently, the American media found about another U.S. battle with militants in Niger than killed 11 Islamic State fighters there in December of last year.)

The Trump administration is not asking whether such combat deaths are worth carrying out the aggressive U.S. role as the worlds policeman in faraway countries. These groups normally have regional goals, and redirecting their ire toward Americans is something that should not be done without a sense of clear strategic purpose. Yet, the Pentagon seems ready to double down on its not-so-secret war in this region by preparing to fly combat drone missions from Niamey, Nigers capital. To what aim?

After 20 years of military quagmire and strategic debacle, the potential for counterproductive outcomes to military action should be obvious to the swamp of national security bureaucracies in Washington. President Trump, who seemed to recognize this problem in his presidential campaign, just told us that he signed the budget-busting spending bill only because George W. Bush and Barack Obama depleted the U.S. military. Yet he is expanding the same long-running brushfire wars in remote countries that depleted the military in the first place. Trump has accelerated the already lost war in Afghanistan and escalated the fight against al Shabaab in Somalia, and he just inked a new deal to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is also getting valuable U.S. targeting and refueling assistance to bomb civilians in Yemen -- a country in which the United States continues a long-running air campaign against another al Qaeda regional affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The United States also continues to maintain ground forces in Iraq and Syria, even though ISIS has been tamed.

One of most clear-cut illustrations of the counterproductive overuse of military action is indeed in Libya. The United States created the very mess in that country that it is now trying to clean up using still more force. Barack Obama opposed George W. Bushs disastrous invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. Then as president, Obama was convinced by France and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that it would be a grand idea to use force to similarly topple another leader of an artificial country -- Libyas Moammar Gadhafi. Unsurprisingly, chaos arose in Libya too, with Islamic State, AQIM, and other extremist groups filling ungoverned spaces while weapons from Gadhafis vast arsenal dispersed to further destabilize other Sahel countries. Now the United States is also present in those countries, trying to clean up the mess by using more of the military force that generated the problems in the first place.

The New York Times quoted Luke Hartig, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, as cogently arguing:

Beginning a concerted strike campaign against AQIM or other AQ elements in the Sahel, akin to what we are doing in Yemen and Somalia, would mark a significant expansion of our counterterrorism efforts. If this is going to be the start of a broader campaign, it would be helpful to hear more from the administration about the threat posed by AQIM and why it merits putting our people in harms way and conducting strikes.

Amen, but justification from the Trump administration would not be enough. Congress should debate this new chapter in the so-called war on terror and decide whether to authorize it. While they are at it, maybe they could debate all the other ongoing chapters, each of them a war being waged without sufficient congressional approval.
On May 3, Athens-Clarke County Police responded to reports of a man who had been shot at the intersection of Milledge Avenue and Riverbend Road.
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Contributed photo/Jesse Cook

NORFOLK  Acclaimed Canadian-based guitarist, composer and producer Jesse Cook will be heading out on an East Coast headlining tour this April, making a stop at Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk on Thursday, April 19.

According to a release, Cook released his latest studio album Beyond Borders in September 2017, which debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes World Music Albums Chart and remained atop the chart for a week.
5 events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Connecticut

Here are Hispanic Heritage Month events, celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, around the state.
Three Kenyans living in the U.S are among five suspects arrested for the shooting of a 25-year-old father of three in Cobb County, Georgia two weeks ago.

The victim, identified as Daniel Perez, was in the passenger seat of a pick-up truck on March 23 when two men approached the truck and one shot him in the head.

Police on Sunday arrested 20-year-old Devin Thomas and 18-year-old Maria Mungai. The other suspects, Charlton Kariuki and Hernandez-Ortiz were booked into jail overnight Monday into Tuesday.

An unidentified 15-Year-Old has also been arrested, according to local police.

Arrest warrants indicate Kariuki is accused of buying the murder weapon, a .38-caliber handgun, and then selling it to the shooting suspect, a 15-year-old who was not named for being a juvenile.

Kariuki also allegedly drove the other suspects to the scene of the crime.

Maria Mungai, 18, is charged with helping the suspects escape and hide after the shooting.

A warrant said Hernandez-Ortiz helped in the plan and execution of the armed robbery.

Thomas, a warrant said, distracted Perez while another suspect came up to the truck and shot and killed the man.

After the shooting, Perez was rushed to the WellStar Kennestone Hospital, where he was declared brain dead.

Its just sad because he was just taking his brother to a job interview literally that morning, his sister-in-law, Lucia Gonzalez, told a local news channel.

Perez was taken off life support and died on March 27.

His family was inconsolable as they wondered why he was shot.

They said the week before his shooting they were at Perezs 1-year-old sons baptism. He has two other children, the oldest a 4-year-old girl. He had also recently purchased the truck he was shot in to start his landscaping business.

Theyre cowards for doing this, especially the way they did it.

The suspects are being held without bail.
Garissa Township MP Aden Duale has called on his fellow clansmen to lower the bride price, noting that it is too high in most instances.

The National Assembly majority leader, while asking Muslim men to marry more wives and get more children, said that the dowry demanded by most families is out of reach for many.

When one approaches to wed a lady, he is asked for $10,000 (Ksh. 1 million) worth of bride price. That is ridiculous, what are you buying, a Probox? he posed.

The lawmaker noted that more wives for Muslim men means more children who would translate to more votes and a larger national influence.

By marrying more wives, we can be stronger and have a larger influence on Kenyas scene as the Muslim community, he said.

Tunataka watoto wengi ndio kura zikihesabiwa, zikue mingi kama mvua.

Duale was speaking in Eastleigh, Nairobi during the Firi Festival, a one-day cultural festival and business expo organised by the areas business community meant to celebrate the cultural diversity of the area.

Responding to recent polygamy calls by Gathoni wa Muchomba, Duale noted that Muslim men hold an advantage over Kikuyu men as religion allows them to marry up to four wives.

A while back the lady from Kiambu told men of the Gikuyu community to have more than one wife, but we as the Islam community have the religious go ahead so we should marry four or more wives and have many children, Duale said.
As with jailed Reuters reporters, Aung Ko Htways treatment a worrisome sign of press freedom in Myanmar: RFA President

WASHINGTON  Radio Free Asia (RFA) last night won at the 2018 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards for its television profile piece titled, Child Solider Recalls his Plight. The short documentary by RFAs Burmese Service was awarded a bronze medal in the biography/profiles category. Released last August, it follows former child soldier, Aung Ko Htway, as he describes his abduction and forced conscription for nearly 10 years. Following the interviews airing, Aung Ko Htway was arrested and charged defaming the military. He was sentenced in March to two years hard labor.

Aung Ko Htway was robbed of his childhood, said Libby Liu, President of RFA. Now, after speaking with RFA, he is being severely punished once again.

This award underscores not only his tragic past as a forcibly conscripted child soldier, but also Aung Ko Htways unconscionable current situation and the increasingly worrisome state of press freedom in Myanmar.

Like Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, the reporters from Reuters who are being tried, this brave individual courageously shared a difficult story knowing that it needed to be told and is paying a terrible price for it.

Myanmars armed forces and some of the countrys ethnic armed groups have long recruited and trafficked children to serve as soldiers, particularly in conflict-prone areas in the borderlands. Military recruiters often snatch children under the pretext that they have committed a minor or nonexistent offense and tell them they must serve in the army or go to jail. Children are forced to undergo training in often harsh or inhumane conditions and are routinely subjected to physical abuse by military personnel.

Radio Free Asias Burmese Service produced an in-depth and personal look into the experience of these child soldiers, telling the gut-wrenching story of Aung Ko Htway, who was abducted when he was 14, forced to serve in the Myanmar army, and sentenced to prison for a crime he didnt commit. Twelve years after his ordeal began, he was sentenced on March 28 underSection 505(b) of the countrys Penal Code, pertaining to making, publishing, or circulating information that may cause public fear or alarm and incite people to commit offenses against the state or disturb public tranquility. Just this month, legal troubles for Aung Ko Htway have continued to mount, with additional charges being brought forward by authorities.

The award was presented during a ceremony in Las Vegas. Other winners announced at the 2018 New York Festivals included CNN, PBS, ABC, Al Jazeera, National Geographic, and RFA sister network, Voice of America.
Two independent electoral watchdogs have hit back at accusations that they are seeking to disrupt an upcoming general ballot in Cambodia after expressing concerns over political tensions in the country and the lack of a viable opponent to Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP).



In an interview with RFAs Khmer Service last week, Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee on Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel), questioned the legitimacy of the July 29 election in the absence of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was dissolved by the Supreme Court in November after Hun Sen alleged that it was plotting to topple his government.



Koul Panha said Comfrel would wait until the May 14 deadline for political parties to register before deciding whether it would participate as a monitor in the upcoming vote, and also urged would-be international observers to be aware of the political situation in Cambodia before accepting an invitation from the National Election Committee (NEC)the countrys official electoral bodyto do the same.



Over the weekend, government-aligned media outlets Swift News and Fresh News published letters to the editor by a Pul Peanrin, accusing Koul Panhawho fled Cambodia last year after authorities disbanded the Situation Room group of 40 NGOs led by Comfrel to monitor electionsof colluding with foreigners to undermine the July vote.



The letter also claimed that Koul Panhas recent appointment as chairman of the Bangkok-based regional electoral watchdog Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel) was a reward for his role in disrupting past electoral processes, and warned that he would reestablish the Situation Room in Thailand with the purpose of destroying the upcoming election.



On Tuesday, Anfrel rejected Pul Peanrins letter, saying in a statement that Swift News and Fresh News had published information which inaccurately portrayed ANFREL activities, including allegations that ANFREL intends to influence the election and participate in the organization of a Situation Room.



ANFREL is not aware of the existence of, or involved in any activities related to such Situation Room, the statement said, adding that the group denies any involvement in plans to undermine the Cambodian Elections on behalf of itself, its Board, or any of its member organizations.



Anfrel noted that none of its staff members were interviewed to verify the information published by the two media outlets and welcomed requests for comment.



Comfrel issued a statement Wednesday saying the organization has no stance and has undertaken no activities to destroy a free and fair election, as alleged by certain local news media in recent days.



On the contrary, Comfrel has a mission and carries out activities in support of a democratic, free and fair election in Cambodia, the statement said.



Koul Panha  has stated that he strongly believes in the fight and advocacy for the 2018 election to be free and fair again, so that it reflects the will of the people.



CPP mandate



The government has regularly accused the Situation Room coalition of supporting the opposition after it criticized the NEC for lacking independence and highlighted irregularities in Cambodias 2013 general elections and commune ballot in June last year. The group of NGOs was ordered to disband after the commune vote by Cambodias Ministry of Interior for failing to reflect neutrality.



Hun Sen has accused the coalition of acting as a command center for a color revolution under the pretext of monitoring the elections and vowed that it would never again operate on Cambodian soil.



The latest allegations against Koul Panha come amid an ongoing crackdown on NGOs and the mediaactions widely seen as part of a bid by Hun Sen to ensure that the CPP remains in power for another term.



Sam Rainsy, the former president of the CNRP, called on Cambodians over the weekend to refrain from voting in July if the banned party is refused the right to register for the election and put forth candidates. He also urged national and international monitors to refrain from observing an electoral farce with a foregone conclusion.



The NEC on Monday hit out at calls from certain individuals to boycott the countrys upcoming general ballot, threatening action against detractors who dissuade the public from voting. Later that day, Hun Sen claimed victory in destroying the color revolution in Cambodia and urged voters to turn out for the polls in July.



Social researcher Meas Nee told RFA that statements from the prime minister and his government increasingly hint of CPP concerns over the possibility of a boycott by supporters of the CNRP, which received more than 3 million votesaccounting for nearly half of the countrys registered votersin 2013, and enjoyed similar success in last years commune ballot.



We cant say yet whether the millions of voters who support the CNRP will come to vote or not, he said.



The CPP will still require a mandate for their new government.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong and Sarada Taing. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
An international rights monitor has called on the United States to use sanctions to target Chinese state media organizations that produce and air stage-managed, forced confessions from detainees, often through the use of torture and threats to loved ones.



RSDL Monitor, a monitoring state-sponsored "disappearances" in China, called in a report supported by the rights group Safeguard Defenders for immediate action against state media that have produced and aired such videos.



"Chinas televised confessions are routinely forced and extracted through threats, torture, and fear," RSDL Monitor said in a statement issued with the report. "Police routinely dictate and direct the confessions [and] there is strong evidence that in certain cases they are used as tools of propaganda for both domestic audiences and as part of Chinas foreign policy."



"These confessions are made before trial and often even before formal arrest," the group said, adding that "every single interviewee for this study said their interrogators had forced them to confess."



"Televised confessions represent such a transgression of rights that they are only practiced by regimes such as North Korea and Iran," it said. "They deprive the suspect of due process; infringing on the right to a fair trial, the presumption of innocence, the right to remain silent, the right not to self-incriminate and the right to be protected against giving a forced confession and torture."



Police regularly used threats (both towards the detainees as well as against their family members) and physical and mental torture to produce a state of fear in order to coerce the confession, the report said.



The study of nearly 40 such "confessions" found that detainees had been denied access to family or lawyers, many were being held under "residential surveillance" in an unknown location, and some were unaware that the video would be broadcast on television.



Hebei rights activist Liu Xing said he was forced to make a "confession" video after being detained during the crackdown on more than 300 human rights lawyers and related activists.



The authorities extracted the confession by threatening his fellow activists, he said.



"This was the whole reason I pleaded guilty; they told me directly that they would ... release the other people if they merited it, but that if I remained silent, they wouldn't," Liu told RFA on .



"I hadn't slept for 15 or 16 days, because they wouldn't let me sleep, and in the end they wore me down," he said.



CCTV the chief culprit

Rights lawyer Xie Yang, also a former detainee who "confessed" as part of the crackdown, said he remains under surveillance by state security police, and declined to comment.



"I can't answer your questions ... I really can't," Xie said. "I have my reasons."



The group identified China Central Television (CCTV), including CCTV1, CCTV4, CGTN and CCTV13 as the main channels responsible for airing video footage of forced confessions, and called for travel bans and asset freezes for top CCTV executives.



In 2013, the European Union instituted similar sanctions against Iran's Press TV for similar broadcasts.



Overseas representatives of such media should also be forced to register as agents of a foreign government under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in the United States and equivalent laws in other countries, it said.



Ultimately, all high-ranking personnel in media owned or controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party should be subject to Magnitsky legislation, named after a torture victim in Russia, allowing domestic sanctions such as asset freezes against foreign officials who commit human rights violations.



The report detailed an elaborate "staging" and production process behind the scenes of such confessional videos, carried out by highly skilled staff within state media, with the wording of each confession dictated by the authorities.



In it, former detainees describe how the police took charge of the confession, dressing them in costume, writing the confession script and forcing the detainee to memorize it.



Detainees were then given direction on how to deliver their lines, including being ordered to weep in one case. Unsatisfactory performances would result in retake after retake, it said.



"In many cases, media that broadcast these confessions were active participants in the process of making them, from using the police-provided script of questions, concealing the truth of the confession set-up, to producing a sophisticated news package with graphics," RSDL Monitor said.



State media would also carry out interviews with police and commentators to underline the detainee's "guilt," in spite of the fact that many had never been charged with a crime.



The report cites the testimony of human rights lawyer Wang Yu, who said she was forced into making her "confession" for fear of reprisals directed at her teenage son, Bao Zhuoxuan.



"Her harsh treatment in custody had affected her memory so much that she could not remember the words the police told her to say," it said. "After making hours and hours of retakes over several weeks, they resorted to printing her lines on a computer in large font, like a teleprompter."



Foreign nationals become victims

In the end, the confession never aired, because the police and producers couldn't produce the desired effect, it said.



Wang's husband Bao Longjun said he agreed with the substance of the report.



"You're saying that a lot of people were forced into making confessions? Yes, that's definitely true," Bao said. "If you have no way of protecting your personal freedom and no rights protections to speak of, then of course you are going to be manipulated by the authorities."



Some of the "confessions" are aired shortly after international criticism of the authorities, and are often aimed at denying reports that the detainee was illegally kidnapped, or has been tortured in custody.



"Many of the confessions are delivered by human rights defenders, independent journalists, and Uyghurs, individuals that are typically seen as ... critics or enemies of the [Chinese Communist Party]," it said.



Last November, detained rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong pleaded guilty to "incitement to subvert state power" at the Intermediate People's Court in the provincial capital Changsha on Aug. 22, in a legal proceeding that was dismissed by his U.S.-based wife as a "show trial."



The report also warned that the use of forced televised confessions is already spreading beyond China's borders, with some foreign nationals among the victims, and some privately owned media from outside mainland China taking part in the process.



In February, Hong Kong-based bookseller Gui Minhai gave a videotaped "interview" that was posted to the website of Hong Kongs Oriental Daily News, in which he hit out at international concerns over his second disappearance.



Gui, a Swedish passport holder, had earlier "disappeared" under murky circumstances from his holiday home in Pattaya, Thailand in , only to reappear in China "confessing" on video to a decade-old alleged drunk-driving offense.



Detained Taiwan democracy activist and NGO worker Lee Ming-cheh confessed to charges of subversion at his trial in the central Chinese province of Hunan last September. His wife said his guilty plea wasn't freely made.



In an online broadcast made by Yueyang Intermediate People's Court, Lee "confessed" to making online posts to WeChat, Facebook, and other online communities with intent to "maliciously discredit" the ruling Chinese Communist Party.



Reported by Wong Lok-to for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Hong Kong activist Benny Tai (C), who initiated the Occupy Central movement that helped galvanize rallies in 2014 calling for democratic reforms, shouts slogans as he takes part in an annual protest march on China's National Day in Hong Kong, Oct. 1, 2017.

China stepped up public criticism of an outspoken Hong Kong law lecturer on Wednesday, saying his hypothetical comments on possible independence for the city represented a threat to its sovereignty, and accusing him of making common cause with supporters of independence in Taiwan.

Earlier this month, Hong Kong University associate professor Benny Tai, who has since voiced concerns for his personal safety, had made speculative remarks about the possibility of independence for the city at an academic forum in Taiwan.

Tai, who has since reported being followed and secretly photographed by 'a powerful department,' told the forum that Hong Kong, along with other parts of China, might consider options including independence in the event that China became a democratic country.

His comments prompted an unprecedented rebuke from the Hong Kong government, which "strongly condemned" them, as well as continuing criticism from the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office warned on Wednesday that Tai is trying "unite pro-independence forces" in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and poses a threat to Chinese sovereignty.

"We strongly oppose the collusion of independence forces in Taiwan and Hong Kong to interfere in [the city's governance] and to destroy the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong," spokesman Ma Xiaoguang told a news conference in Beijing.

"These actions and conspiracies are not welcomed by the people and will never succeed," Ma said, adding that Tai was jeopardizing national sovereignty and territorial integrity with his comments.

Tai has repeatedly denied supporting Hong Kong independence, but Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily earlier this week called for Tai to be punished, hinting that the University of Hong Kong might consider firing him.

The paper said in an editorial in its overseas edition that Tai's claim that he was pursuing academic discussion was a "weak excuse," adding that freedom of speech had limitations.

Tai, who was among the initiators of the 2014 pro-democracy movement, has said that the official outcry at his comments come ahead of the government's tabling of controversial legislation outlawing acts that harm China's national security, including charges similar to sedition or subversion.

The ongoing row over Tai, which saw more than 1,000 protesters take to the streets to demonstrate for freedom of speech last weekend, comes amid growing concern by civil and political rights groups over dwindling freedom of expression in the former British colony.

Help for Gui Minhai

In a submission for the United Nations Human Rights Council's forthcoming review of the human rights situation in China, a group of some 40 groups called on the authorities to do more to help Hong Kong bookseller and Swedish national Gui Minhai, who remains in detention across the internal border in mainland China after being snatched from his holiday home in Thailand in October 2015.

Gui was among five booksellers held by Chinese police in opaque operations, including the alleged abduction from Hong Kong of British national Lee Bo, on charges of selling "banned books" containing political gossip about President Xi Jinping to mainland Chinese customers.

"The [Hong Kong government] should immediately undertake an independent and public investigation into the circumstances regarding the detention and abduction of the Causeway Bay booksellers," the Hong Kong Universal Periodic Review Coalition said in a submission to the U.N. this week.

"[The Hong Kong government] should take immediate actions to ensure the safety of Gui Minhai and call for his unconditional release," it said.

It also warned of diminishing academic freedom in the city.

"Measures taken by politicians, university councils and pro-establishment academics have been in contrast to academic freedoms," the report said, and called for an end to the chief executive's role as overall leader of the city's universities.

"This includes calling for the removal of academics, promoting academics with pro-establishment views and placing arbitrary limits on freedom of speech," it said.

'Excessive' force by police

The report cited a number of physical attacks and verbal threats meted out to pro-democracy politicians and activists, in person, via media and online, including the growing use of "excessive" force used by police during political protests.

"During the Umbrella Movement in 2014, police resorted to violence against more than 1,300 people, with 500 admitted to hospitals," the report said, calling for an immediate inquiry into the use of police violence against protesters during the Occupy Central pro-democracy movement.

It called for an end to the prosecution of peaceful protesters on public order charges.

"[The Hong Kong government] is increasingly using the Public Order Ordinance to arrest and prosecute protesters, restricting assembly rights and human rights activism," the report said, calling for charges relating to "unlawful assembly" and "disorder in a public place" to be deleted from the statute book, and for an end to the requirement to notify the authorities of any public meeting in advance.

It said that the administration's Secretary of Justice should no longer be allowed to initiate criminal prosecutions.

The report says the government has also made "no progress" on promises on fully democratic elections made in Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

"[Hong Kong] should outline clear and detailed plans, with a timetable on how universal and equal suffrage will be instituted and enjoyed by all citizens, within one year," it said, calling for a fair, open and transparent electoral system with no more political screening of candidates.

More than a dozen would-be election candidates have been disqualified for their political beliefs in recent months, including Demosisto's Agnes Chow, it said, calling for legislation to protect the rights of citizens to stand for election regardless of their political beliefs.

Reported by Fok Leung-kiu and Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Chen Pan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye speaks with Rohingya Minara Begum and her son Abdul Haque during his visit to the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, April 11, 2018.

In an unprecedented interaction with Rohingya refugees in southeastern Bangladesh, a Myanmar government minister urged them to return to the country, a call rejected by Rohingya protesters who called him a collaborator in genocide.

Under tight security, Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye and his entourage visited a camp housing hundreds of thousands of people who had fled violence in his countrys Rakhine state, and met separately with officials from the United Nations and other international groups.

Nearby, Bangladeshi police used batons to disperse more than 200 protesters who gathered by the camps main road.

I am very glad to meet you, Win Myat Aye told a group of about 30 men, women and children gathered in a pavilion under tight security.

First I would like to talk about our government. We are responsible to protect all the people living in our country. We will solve all the problems to have peace and stability.  Just cooperate with us, and return. In order to return, you should do so in a systematic fashion, he said, speaking in Burmese.

Aye approached some of the refugees and assured them he was addressing their problems.

Abdul Haque, 5, started crying as Win Myat Aye put his hand on the boys head, causing his mother to cry as well.

The minister asked him about his father. His father, Yousuf, was slaughtered, Minara Begum told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

We sympathize with you

Aung Tun Thet, chief coordinator of the Myanmar governments Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine, told the group Myanmar wants all the people to come back.

In addressing the group, he used neither the term Rohingya, an ethnicity not officially recognized in Myanmar, nor the derogatory term many there substitute for it, Bengali.

We will start working to accept you as fast as possible. We understand you have many difficulties and we sympathize with you too. ... Please, those who want to return home, work together with us. But we do not suggest you to come back by force. Please return by your own will, he said.

Afterward, Win Myat Aye told reporters that the hour-long meeting with refugees had been a success and added, The most important thing is to start the repatriation process as soon as possible.

Some participants gave a different account of the interaction.

He told us that we have to go to the camps in Arakan. If so, why will we go there? We want to get back to our homes, Rohingya man Zahid Hossain told BenarNews, using another term for Rakhine state.

Participant Taslima Begum claimed that the minister did not listen to them.

They only talked. They have not heard us. What is the sense of coming here? she asked.

Denier of genocide

Earlier, as Win Myat Aye and his entourage headed toward the pavilion to meet the Rohingya under police escort, a group of men, women and children suddenly appeared along the path.

Some of the protesters unfurled a banner calling him a collaborator in and denier of genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, and chanted calls for justice. Police tried to disperse them, but others, including children, joined the protest.

This man is one of the people responsible for our sufferings. He safely passed by us without listening to us. We do not want to see him here, protester Mohammad Idris told BenarNews.

They killed our brothers, fathers, children and husbands. Now, he has come to show us sympathy. We protest his visit, said another demonstrator, Mahmuda Begum.

The situation turned tense as police shouted and snatched a mobile phone and refugees attacked the officer-in-charge of Ukhia police station, Abul Khayer. Other police, armed with batons, started striking protesters, forcing them to leave the area.

Closed-door meeting

Win Myat Aye and the dozen members of his entourage landed in Coxs Bazar around 10 a.m. after arriving in Bangladesh hours earlier.

Police and Bangladeshs Rapid Action Battalion provided tight security on his trip to the Kutupalong camp in Ukhia, a sub-district of Coxs Bazar. All shops near the camp entrance were closed and police blocked areas to prohibit Rohingya from gathering.

After arriving, Win Myat Aye and Aung Tun Thet met behind closed doors with officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration and other stakeholders.

Bangladeshs refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam gave a presentation focusing on the challenges Bangladesh faces because of the influx of about 700,000 refugees since August 2017. At that time, members of the insurgent group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) allegedly attacked Myanmar police and army posts, provoking a military crackdown on the Rohingya concentrated in the Rakhine state.

Win Myat Aye did not say much during the meeting, which BenarNews attended, while Aung Tun Thet answered questions about Myanmars plan for the refugees.

Without using the term Rohingya, he said his country was not only focusing on return of the people, but was looking at ways to make their return sustainable.

Aung Tun Thet said the group came to Bangladesh to let refugees know what preparations are being made for their return, adding that returnees would be taken to a reception center and then relocated. He told the meeting that Myanmar as not setting up camps to house the Rohingya.

He also spoke about what he said were misconceptions tied to Myanmars national verification card (NVC), adding the returnees must accept an NVC as a first step before applying for citizenship.

The Rohingya see the NVC as unnecessary, a Bangladeshi diplomat told BenarNews.

The displaced Myanmar nationals do not want to take the NVC; they demand citizenship as their forefathers had been Burmese citizens, Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury told BenarNews after the meeting.

Chowdhury said Win Myat Aye was scheduled to meet in Dhaka with Bangladeshs foreign and home ministers on Thursday.

In November 2017, the two countries agreed to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to Rakhine state. The deal called for the process to begin in late January, but the two countries have yet to repatriate any Rohingya.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh authorities gave their counterparts a list of 8,000 Rohingya for verification by Myanmar. Only a few hundred had been authorized to return and none have started the process.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
A Myanmar court on Wednesday refused to drop a case against two journalists from Reuters news agency accused of violating the country's Official Secrets Act for their work investigating violence against Rohingya Muslims by the military in Rakhine state  a day after the countrys army jailed soldiers for committing the murders the reporters had documented.

Thet Oo Maung, also known as Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were formally charged on Jan. 10 with obtaining state secrets while reporting on a military crackdown on the Rohingya in northern Rakhine. They face up to 14 years in prison if found guilty.

Police arrested the pair on Dec. 12 on the outskirts of Yangon shortly after they had dinner with two police officers who gave them documents about the violence which has driven nearly 700,000 Rohingya into neighboring Bangladesh since August 2017.

At the time of their arrest, the two reporters were working on a story about the brutal murders of 10 Rohingya civilians from Inn Din village in Rakhines Maungdaw township. The news agency later produced a gripping account of the killings.

Although the Myanmar government had repeatedly rejected allegations of wanton killings, the country's military commander-in-chiefs office announced on Tuesday that seven officers and soldiers of other ranks involved in the killing of those 10 Rohingya had been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The villagers were shot or hacked to death by soldiers and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist neighbors who dumped their bodies in a mass grave in early September. Their remains were discovered three months later.

The extrajudicial killings were part of the militarys crackdown on the Rohingya, who also bore the brunt of torture, rape and arson at the hands of soldiers during the crackdown in what United Nations officials have called a campaign of ethnic cleansing, if not genocide.

Lawyers representing the journalists filed the motion for a dismissal in late March, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to support the charges and inconsistencies in witness testimony.

Khin Maung Zaw, one of the lawyers representing the reporters, said the judge rejected the motion because eight of the 25 witnesses called in the case still need to testify.

There might be some important witnesses in these eight, he said. Thats why the judge said he was rejecting the case.

But with the sentencing of the military officers and soldiers involved in the Inn Din incident, the reporters families say they expected the court to drop the charges against them.

We have always expected their freedom, and everybody knows their case is not fair, said Wa Lones wife Pan Ei. I want authorities to release them as soon as possible. I am getting so tired of pretending to be OK with this situation when I see him.

Military investigation

A Myanmar military investigation team led Lieutenant General Aye Win of the army commander-in-chiefs office interrogated 21 officers and other soldiers, three members of Myanmar Police Force (MPF), 13 members of a security force, six departmental personnel, and six residents of Inn Din village, about the killings, according to reports by military-run media agencies on Tuesday.

In an extremely rare move in Myanmar, the team concluded that the murders of 10 Rohingya civilians, referred to as Bengali terrorists, without legal arrest, were extrajudicial killings.

Four army officers involved in the murders were dismissed from military service and sentenced to 10 years in a civilian prison with hard labor, while three others were demoted to private, dismissed, and sentenced to 10 years in jail, military-run media said.

Authorities are taking legal action against the MPF members and civilians who were involved in the crime, the reports said.

The soldiers responsible for the Inn Din massacre were already sentenced to 10 years in jail, Wa Lone told the media after his hearing. But we, who reported about it, are facing 14 years in jail. Is that fair?

We report to unearth the truth, and we are being sued, he said. Where is the truth for us? Where is democracy and freedom?

Kyaw Soe Oo repeated the sentiment, saying The murderers were sentenced only to 10 year imprisonments. Is this democracy?

The two reporters are been held in Insein prison on the outskirts of Yangon while they attend court hearings. Their next court appearance is scheduled for April 20.

Ten Rohingya men with their hands bound kneel in Inn Din village of Maungdaw township, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Sept. 1, 2017. Credit: Reuters They just did their jobs

Myanmar media professionals blasted the judges decision, maintaining that the two reporters were framed by police.

We dont think reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo committed what they are being charged with, said freelance journalist Myo. They are journalists. They just did their jobs. It is not a crime.

Nyein Chan Naing, regional officer of the European Pressphoto Agency, said the decision not to dismiss the charges is unfair.

The reporters didnt break into a police station and get the documents, he said. The policemen handed them the documents. We cant say they violated the Official Secrets Act.

Tharlon Zaung Htet, a member of Myanmars Committee for the Protection of Journalists, agreed that the decision is unfair.

The commander-in-chiefs office announced yesterday that the soldiers and officers who killed the 10 Muslims were sentenced to 10 years to jail, he said. That means it happened. The incident was true.

What the reporters wrote about that case wasnt incorrect, he said. Thats why we hoped they would be freed today, he said.

Miscarriage of justice

New York-based PEN America called the judges decision to continue prosecuting the journalists a miscarriage of justice.

Myanmars prosecutors are engaged in a politically motivated effort to punish the crime of journalism, Suzanne Nossel, the organizations chief executive officer, said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in the course of compiling a rigorous, objective, and graphic expose of irrefutable brutality, she said. Their arrest and imprisonment is a black mark on Myanmars nascent democracy. Reflecting the countrys refusal to reckon honestly with the crisis in Rakhine and denial of the essential role of the press in a free society.

PEN America, which in February awarded Wa Lone and Kyaw Saw Oo its PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award designed to honor writers imprisoned for their work, called for the charges against the pair to be dropped and for them and others to be allowed to freely report in Rakhine state.

On Feb. 8, Reuters published a report of the events that led to the killing of 10 Rohingya men, including two teenagers, from Inn Din village, whom it said were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers. The report contained the bylines of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

The next day, the Myanmar government shrugged off the report, saying that the foreign media is hurting our work restoring stability to the region.

The decision not to drop the charges against the reporters came the same day that Win Myat Aye, Myanmars social welfare minister, met with a few dozen Rohingya refugees at Kutupalong displacement camp in southeastern Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district. It was the first visit to the camps by a Myanmar cabinet member.

Win Myat Aye told the refugees that their repatriation to Myanmar was a priority, while they in turn presented him with a list of demands regarding their voluntary return.

His entourage was met by protesters, who unfurled a banner calling him a collaborator in and denier of genocide against Rohingya in Rakhine state, and chanted calls for justice. Police tried to disperse them, but others, including children, joined the protest.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in November to repatriate refugees who want to return to Rakhine, though the program has not yet gotten underway because of various delays.

Reported by Aung Theinkha and Thiri Min Zin for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Russia and Egypt are slated to resume direct flights on April 11 after a more than two-year suspension prompted by the bombing of a Russian charter plane over the Sinai Peninsula in 2015.

Moscow's move to ban flights for security reasons after the bombing, which killed all 224 people on board, dealt a blow to the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on tourism and had been a popular holiday destination for Russians.

On the evening of April 11, an Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Cairo carrying about 120 passengers, in the first of the restored flights.

On April 12, EgyptAir will restart its service between the two capitals, and the two companies will together offer five round-trip flights between Moscow and Cairo a week.

But Russian officials cautioned that the restoration of flights between Moscow and Cairo will not help Egypt's troubled tourism sector, centered in resort towns on the Red Sea coast, where Russian tourists once flocked.

"Tourists do not need direct flights to Cairo. The transfer from Cairo to sea resorts is long and uncomfortable, and no one will be going there in that way," Russian Tourism Industry spokeswoman Irina Tyurina told AFP.

She said most Russians who want to visit the Red Sea areas will continue to book flights through Minsk or Istanbul, as they have since direct flights were suspended.

"Egypt is not yet back as a tourist destination for the Russian market," Tyurina told AFP.

Flights were suspended at the end of 2015 after a bomb downed a flight carrying vacationers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik to St. Petersburg, killing more than 200 Russian tourists.

The attack was claimed by a Sinai Peninsula affiliate of the Islamic State extremist group.

As a result of the bombing and political turmoil in Egypt, the number of foreign tourists collapsed from as many as 14.7 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2016, official figures show.

Revenue from tourism at the same time dropped by two-thirds, from $11.6 billion in 2010 to $3.8 billion in 2016, according to the Egyptian Central Bank.

But tourism in Egypt made a modest comeback last year, with the number of foreign visitors rising to 8.3 million, government figures show.

Once flights resume between Moscow and Cairo, the two countries will decide on a date to discuss the resumption of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations, the Egyptian ambassador to Russia, Ihab Nasr, has said.

Russian officials continue to express concern about the resumption of direct flights to Egyptian resorts, however.

"The resumption of direct flights to Egypt, in particular to resort areas, is a great worry for us," Aleksandr Neradko, head of the Russian Federal Air Navigation Authority, said last week in comments reported by Russian news agencies.

Eight Russian experts will be sent to Cairo's airport to ensure security measures are being enforced on flights headed to Moscow, the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram reported.

With reporting by AFP and TASS


Raise enough money so that we can commit to a permanent lease for our school. We started a GoFundMe account (to) help us get there.

Also, I am trying to finish my fourth book. My first book is about the history of the radio station at UC Irvine. My second and third books are murder mysteries.

The fourth is about a painter and boatman named Stewart Robertson. He worked for MGM for a while (and) he taught Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn how to navigate.

7. Whats new at your nonprofit?

Weve created an advisory board with members of the community who will help guide us to get the funding and build the school.

8. Who do you most admire in the business world?

I admire leaders who are good at what they do but remain modest, humble and friendly.

Two that come to mind right now are Mark Foxworthy of Printing Services Napa Valley and Kevin Morrissey, the winemaker and manager at Ehlers Estate.

9. What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime that you havent yet?
Algerias Defense Ministry says 257 people, mostly soldiers and members of their families, were killed when a military plane crashed in the North African country.

The plane crashed near Boufarik airport in northern Algeria on April 11, killing 247 passengers and 10 crew members, the ministry said in a statement.

It did not provide further details.

Twenty-six members of the Polisario Front were said to also be among the dead. The Algerian-backed group is fighting for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco.

The plane crashed minutes after taking off from Boufarik military airport.

The state news agency said the Soviet-designed Il-76 plane was headed for Bechar in southwestern Algeria.

The cause was not immediately known.

Boufarik is located some 30 kilometers from the Algerian capital, Algiers.

With reporting by Reuters, BBC, AFP, AP, and TASS


Two opposition lawmakers in Armenia have ignited smoke flares in parliament to protest plans to elect former President Serzh Sarkisian as prime minister.

At the podium in parliament on April 11, Ararat Mirzoian of the opposition bloc Yelk (Way Out), called on Armenians to gather on Yerevan's Liberty Square on April 13 "in order not to allow Sarkisian to become prime minister."

"We have to finish with the rule of the Republican Party," Mirzoian said -- and then ignited a flare, which spewed sparks and sent a jet of thick yellow smoke toward the ceiling as he held it up like a torch.

His colleague, Lena Nazarian, approached the podium holding two ignited smoke flares -- one green and one yellow -- and the two stayed at the podium for about a minute until the flares were exhausted.

President Armen Sarkisian was inaugurated on April 9 amid speculation that outgoing President Serzh Sarkisian will become prime minister, a post that is now more powerful than the presidency due to constitutional reforms.

Armen Sarkisian, who is not related to Serzh Sarkisian, was elected to a seven-year term by lawmakers in the South Caucasus nation on March 2.

Opposition leaders have accused Serzh Sarkisian, who was first elected in 2008 and held office for two terms, of seeking the prime ministers job to allow him to retain power.

Parliament is to elect a prime minister on April 17.

Under a shift that was approved in a December 2015 referendum, Armenia changed its form of government from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic.

As a result, presidential veto powers have been stripped from the post and the presidency has been downgraded to more of a figurehead position.

Unlike previous post-Soviet presidents in Armenia, Armen Sarkisian was elected by parliament instead of by popular vote.

The constitutional reforms that came into effect right after Armen Sarkisian was sworn in also limit the president to a single seven-year term.
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Video streamed live on the Armenian parliament's YouTube channel showed opposition lawmakers setting off smoke bombs in the chamber on April 11. The protesting lawmakers called for a rally on April 13 against plans by former President Serzh Sarkisian to run for prime minister in next week's election.
Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission (MSK) installed web cameras at more than 1,000 polling stations across the country for the April 11 presidential vote, saying they would make "the activity of the commission...transparent to voters."

And footage from several stations does just that.

One video even shows how CEC members may have carried out electoral fraud when a team of poll workers appeared to switch a ballot box while briefly blocking the view of an "online observation" camera.

Other videos have also emerged depicting what looks like multiple voting in a number of locations, with the same woman apparently voting at two different polling stations in one case.

The clumsily coordinated ballot-box switch took place in Kurdamir, a town of 19,000 people about 210 kilometers west of Baku.

It involved at least four of the six MSK workers at Kurdamir's Polling Station 2, in voting district No. 57 -- including the polling-station chief, who told RFE/RL there were no irregularities.

Although the other two MSK members at the polling station do not appear to play an active part, the footage shows them in the room at the time.

According to the date stamp on the video, the swap took place at 12:07 p.m. when, according to the MSK in Baku, voter turnout across the country had reached 39 percent.

First, an election worker with a sheet of paper in his hand is seen walking from a table behind two ballot boxes to a place beneath the camera where he cannot be seen.

The translucent sides of the ballot boxes facing the camera do not contain the MSK's official logo. One is about half-full. The other, which is partially blocked from the camera's view by an Azerbaijani flag, is about 20 percent full.

As soon as the man with the paper is out of the camera's view, a woman poll worker is ushered out of an office by the MSK's polling-station chairman, Elmusa Novruzov, who can be seen giving her directions.

He also appears to give directions to a fourth person who is in the office but cannot be seen.

Novruzov points to the ballot box that, later in the video, appears to have been swapped out. He gestures with his hand back toward the office. The woman in a vest stands beside the ballot box and waits.

Meanwhile, a man who appears to be keeping lookout glances furtively around the corner.

He speaks to someone out of view beneath the camera moments before a blank sheet of paper is held in front of the camera for eight seconds.

After the paper is removed, the election worker can be seen walking back to his table, paper still in hand, and a different ballot box is sitting next to the flag.

It is identifiable by a MSK logo that faces the camera, the fact that it is nearly half-full, and because it was placed on the table so hastily that the edge of its upper lid rests on top of the other ballot box.

The woman in the vest, seeing the new ballot box doesn't sit flat on the table, attempts to rearrange it.

About two minutes later, noticing that the MSK logo is facing the camera, she turns it around.

When asked by RFE/RL about the MSK's webcam footage from his Kurdamir polling station, Novruzov denied there was a ballot-box switch or any vote tampering. He also said nobody walked beneath the camera with a paper in his hand and insisted that nobody covered the camera.

"All of that information is untrue. Nothing was replaced here," Novruzov said. "No one even touched the camera or was near it. It might be that there was a technical glitch with the camera for a few seconds."

"I haven't seen any footage," Novruzov told RFE/RL on April 11. "I have heard there was footage, but it's a lie. There was just a technical glitch with the camera. Nothing like this ever happened. It's a lie."

Other than Novruzov, it was not immediately possible to identify the individuals in the video.

But according to the MSK's website, the commission's other workers at district No. 57's Polling Station 2 were secretaries Ata Balayev and Kamil Haciyev, and MSK members Samira Babarahimova, Bayram Ceferov, and Qanira Xalilova.

Novruzov confirmed that they were all present at his polling station for the April 11 election.

Natig Mamadov, the deputy head of the MSK, rejected numerous allegations voters have made about poll workers committing fraud and other irregularities. Mamadov told the Turan news agency that all reports of violations were "lies."

In a different video published by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, the same woman can be seen voting at two different polling stations -- numbers 14 and 18 -- in the Yasamal neighborhood of the capital, Baku. She is wearing the same shawl with a floral motif on her shoulders in both stations but no glasses in the second station.

In another station in Yasamal -- number 15 -- CCTV footage shows a woman putting what appears to be two ballots in the same box.

Also in Station 15 in Yasamal, cellphone footage posted on Twitter appears to show at least two women huddled in the same voting booth before one of them exits it.

However, the CEC said in a statement that reports and videos of apparent voting violations were fake.

"Unreliable news...has been spread on social networks. We would like to point out that the CEChas not yet received official complaints about violations during the election," the statement said.

"The CEC believes that those fake news stories, photographs, and videos are meant to discredit the electoral process and deceive observers," the statement added.
A Belarusian teenager serving a 15-year prison term after being convicted of killing a woman with a chainsaw in an attack on a shopping mall faces new charges and could be sentenced to life in prison.

Uladzislau Kazakevich is now charged with the attempted murder of guards at the prison where he is being held in the eastern city of Shklou, and with plotting to kill the warden.

His second trial started in Mahileu Regional Court on April 11.

The prison administration alleges that Kazakevich, 19, stabbed a prison guard with a handmade knife and tried to stab another guard in October.

At his previous trial, Kazakevich pleaded guilty to using a chainsaw and an ax to attack four women at a shopping mall in Minsk in October 2016, killing one and injuring two.

In March 2017, he was convicted of murder with extreme violence, attempted murder, and the infliction of injuries and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, the maximum term for a minor in Belarus.

Now that he is 19, he could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty.

Kazakevichs parents say that their son is mentally ill and needs medical help.

Investigators in the initial case said that Kazakevich suffered from psychological problems, but the court ruled that he was fit for trial.
More than six months after voting overwhelmingly for independence, Iraqi Kurds are struggling with the economic backlash that resulted from their controversial referendum. Baghdad has refused to let the region separate, but after months of friction, it has reached a deal with Kurds to bring them back into Iraq's federal fold.
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz lawmakers have approved President Sooronbai Jeenbekov's move to sack Prosecutor-General Indira Joldubaeva, who has been criticized for what activists say is the persecution of opposition politicians and independent media.

Parliament backed Joldubaeva's ouster in a 105-2 vote on April 11.

Jeenbekov is now expected to issue a dismissal decree that would make her the latest in a series of officials appointed by former President Almazbek Atambaev to be fired by his successor amid tension between the two men.

Joldubaeva, 39, was appointed in January 2015 after lawmakers approved her nomination by Atambaev.

After she took over the Prosecutor-General's Office, several opposition politicians, activists, and lawmakers were prosecuted and some of them imprisoned.

Joldubaeva's ouster follows growing signs of a rift between Jeenbekov and Atambaev, who steered his former prime minister into the presidency in an October 2017 vote but has criticized him in recent weeks.

On April 7, Jeenbekov dismissed the hard-line head of the State Committee for National Security, Abdil Segizbaev, who also had long been criticized for a crackdown on opposition politicians and independent journalists.

Atambaev had kept a low profile for several months after leaving office in November, but he has publicly criticized Jeenbekov on several occasions following his election as head of the ruling Social Democratic Party on March 31.
The global chemical-weapons watchdog has confirmed Britain's analysis of the type of toxic chemical used in the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter.

In a summary of its findings made public on April 12, The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that its investigators agreed with the British findings.

It did not name the substance involved but said it was "of high purity."

Britain accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin's government of trying to kill 66-year-old Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, with a military-grade nerve agent known as "novichok," which was developed in the Soviet Union.

Russia has denied involvement in the poisoning, which prompted Britain and more than two dozen Western allies to expel over 150 Russian diplomatic staff, in a move reciprocated days later by Moscow.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement on April 12, "There can be no doubt what was used."

"There remains no alternative explanation about who was responsible -- only Russia has the means, motive, and record," he added.

The Skripals were hospitalized on March 4 after being found unconscious on a bench in the English city of Salisbury.

The head of Britain's GCHQ intelligence agency said on April 12 that the Skripals' poisoning proved "how reckless Russia is prepared to be."

Jeremy Fleming said the attack was "particularly stark and shocking" and showed that Moscow was "not playing to the same rules."

Fleming, speaking at a cyber-conference in the northern city of Manchester, accused Russia of crossing the boundaries between criminal and state activity.

Yulia Skripal, who was discharged from the hospital on April 10, said her father was "still seriously ill" and that she was also "still suffering with the effects of the nerve agent used against us."

In an April 11 statement that Britain's Metropolitan Police said it was issuing on her behalf, the 33-year-old also said she did not want any assistance from Russia "at the moment."

She added that comments reported in Russian media by her cousin Viktoria, who was quoted as saying that Britain was denying her permission to visit Yulia, did not represent the views of her or her father.

"I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being," Skripal said in the statement.

The Russian Embassy in London questioned whether the statement issued by British police actually came from Skripal.

"We continue to insist on a meeting with Yulia and Sergei Skripal. The situation around them looks more and more like a forceful detention or imprisonment," the embassy said in a statement.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and the BBC
Hundreds of farmers demonstrated in the Iranian city of Isfahan for a second day in a protest against what they say is government mismanagement of water resources.

Amateur video shared on social media and labeled as shot on April 11 showed crowds in the streets and large numbers of riot police.

The police warned the protesters that they could be arrested for chanting antigovernment slogans, but there were no detentions reported.

Much of Iran is suffering from drought, and residents of Isfahan say officials have diverted the province's main river to neighboring Yazd Province, causing their farms to suffer.

Protests over the water crisis have been held in Isfahan and other parts of Iran over the past few months, including in towns in the the western province of Khuzestan.

The government has promised to pay compensation to the farmers.

The Iran Meteorological Organization has said that around 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree.

Rights groups say the drought has driven thousands of people from their homes.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the country will cope with the latest round of U.S. sanctions, as the ruble fell for a third straight day following the imposition of the new restrictions.

"There is no doubt that we will cope with this pressure. We've learned how to do it," Medvedev said on April 11 in an annual address at the State Duma, Russias lower house of parliament.

"At the end of the day, we will turn all those actions to the benefit of our own economy, he added. But we will not forget those who keep pushing forward that anti-Russia policy."

The Russian currency was down 1.4 percent to 63.9 per dollar in Moscow trading by midday, partly recovering from an earlier loss of 2.7 percent, amid a wave of uncertainty created by the latest U.S. sanctions.

The euro neared the 80-ruble mark before falling back to 79.

President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, played down the rubles slide, describing it as "an emotional phenomenon, maybe a speculative phenomenon in part" in the wake of the sanctions announced by the U.S. Treasury Department on April 6.

"Volatility happens" but "the system has a decent safety margin," Peskov said.

Medvedev denounced unspecified people "in both America and Europe who he said are portraying Russia as an enemy.

"They have been trying to push us out of the global politics, global economic relations. And the latest decisions by the US administration in that matter are an attempt to fight against us using an unfair competition, Medvedev said.

He also spoke about possible retaliatory steps by Moscow but offered few details, saying that the countermeasures "should be well calculated, they should not harm us, they should be adequate."

"I do not rule out that...we will have to weigh all aspects of our cooperation with the United States," Medvedev added.

The U.S. measures targeted more than two dozen tycoons, companies, officials, and political figures seen as close to President Vladimir Putin -- part of an attempt to punish Russia for what the treasury secretary called its "malign activity around the globe."

Russians targeted include well-connected tycoon Oleg Deripaska, whose companies suffered sharp losses on stock markets this week.

On April 10, Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina said that Russia's financial stability does not appear to be at risk for now and that the bank has tools with which to address the effects of the sanctions, which she suggested would not be long-lasting.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, TASS, and Interfax
In the U.S., recognized wine regions  called American Viticulture Areas, or AVAs  are protected by rules requiring that if a wine is labeled with the regions name, 85 percent of the wine must be made from grapes grown in that AVA. However, no such protection exists for the use of foreign names like Champagne, Port, Chianti or Chablis, which are regularly used in labeling by American winemakers.

Representing the French regions of Bourgognes and Chablis, Christian Moreau was among the international members of the Alliance to meet with U.S. lawmakers this month.

For Burgundy and especially Chablis, its nice to join this venture, Moreau said, because you know, Chablis is probably one of the wines which has been most bastardized around the world, especially in [the U.S.] by the big company Gallo, with their jug wine called Chablis.

Moreau noted though that in the last 10 to 15 years, he and others from the region had come across less jug wine erroneously dubbed Chablis.

As for the groups overall mission and their approaching Congress, Moreau said, I think we have to respect the consumer. I think this is very important for the future of the wine trade.
The websites of several Russian firms targeted in the latest round of U.S. sanctions have gone dark for unclear reasons following Washington's announcement of the punitive measures.

The companies in question and their owners -- Russian tycoons Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg -- are among the more than two dozen entities and individuals hit with U.S. sanctions in Washington's latest push to punish what it calls Russia's "malign activity around the globe."

Deripaska's and Vekselberg's publicly traded companies have taken substantial hits since the U.S. Treasury Department's April 6 announcement of the asset freezes and financial restrictions, as have other Russian companies and the Russian ruble.

The Russian news portal Agenstvo Moskva reported on April 10 that the websites of Deripaska's conglomerate, Basic Element, and Vekselberg's investment vehicle, Renova Group, were inaccessible.

Basic Element's site remained down on April 11, while Renova's featured only a message saying that the site was under construction.

The website of Deripaska's aluminum giant Rusal was also reported to be down on April 10. It was live again on April 11, though it directed visitors exclusively to an investor-information page. Attempts to access other pages on the site led back to the same investor-information link.

The websites of other Deripaska-controlled firms hit by U.S. sanctions were not loading at all on April 11. They included En+ Group, which manages the billionaire's assets, Russian Machines, EuroSibEnergo, and Agroholding Kuban.

It was not immediately clear if the inaccessibility of the sites was connected to the new U.S. sanctions, which targeted a range of Russian security officials, politicians, and businessman deemed by Washington to have close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Only one of the companies responded to a request for comment from RFE/RL.

Basic Element spokesman Aleksei Sadykov said in an e-mail that the company was "not commenting" on the matter.

The Treasury Department sanctions, which Russia has called "unacceptable," broadly prohibit "U.S. persons" from dealing with the listed individuals and companies. Furthermore, non-U.S. persons could be hit with sanctions themselves for "knowingly facilitating significant transactions for or on behalf of the individuals or entities" blocked in the action.

Of the Deripaska- and Vekselberg-linked websites examined in this report, all but two are hosted in Russia, according to IP geolocation services.

Agroholding Kuban's website is hosted in Germany, while the En+ Group site is hosted in Britain. The British host, TalkTalk, did not respond to a request for comment. The German host, Hetzner Online, said it could not discuss clients with third parties.

Renova's website was live as recently as April 5, according to Internet archives. The message stating that the site was under construction appeared the following day -- the same day that the new U.S. sanctions were announced.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has urged the United States not to conduct a missile strike on Syria, saying that such an attack could "substantially destabilize" the Middle East.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's remarks on April 11 echoed statements by other Russian officials who have warned the United States not to launch strikes targeting Syrian government forces in response to a suspected poison-gas attack on the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus.

The United States and some of its allies are considering whether to hit Syria over what medical-relief organizations say was a chemical attack that killed dozens of people in Douma on April 7.

"As for the question of what will happen if there is some kind of strike...we would like to hope that all sides will avoid any steps that a) are not provoked by anything and b) could substantially destabilize the already fragile situation in the region, Peskov said in a regular conference call with reporters.

He declined to comment directly on remarks by Russia's ambassador to Lebanon, who on April 10 repeated a warning from the military that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and that that the launch vehicles would be targeted.

Peskov also reiterated Russian denials that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces carried out a poison-gas attack on Douma, saying that "Russia categorically disagrees with this [claim]" and wants a "dispassionate investigation" into the incident, which killed at least 40 people, including children.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to make the perpetrators of the suspected Douma attack pay a "big price," on April 10 canceled a planned trip to South America so he could focus on the Syria situation. The Syrian Army put its forces on alert for a three-day period, while a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, has been sighted in the Mediterranean within striking distance of Syria.

Reuters and TASS reported late on April 10 that the pan-European air-traffic control agency is warning airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean "due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours."

On April 10, Russia's UN ambassador pleaded with the United States not to stage a military strike against Syria after competing U.S. and Russian calls for investigations into the suspected attack in Douma failed to win approval in the UN Security Council.

Russia used its veto power in the council to block a U.S.-drafted resolution that would have established an independent investigative body to determine who is behind alleged chemical attacks in Syria, which the council had approved by 12-2. China, usually Russia's ally, abstained in the vote.

"History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said, referring to Assad.

Haley said the United States "went the extra mile" to get Russian support for the resolution to ensure that a new investigative body would be impartial, independent, and professional -- provisions she said were not in two rival Russian resolutions that failed to win the nine votes needed for passage in the 15-member council.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, accused the United States of setting up the council votes, knowing that both measures would be defeated, and then using their defeat as a "pretext" to "justify the use of force against Syria."

Russia's veto of the U.S. proposal was the 12th time that Russia has used its veto power to block action targeting Syria.

The U.S. proposal would have revived the work of a previous UN panel, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, that shut down in November after Russian vetoed a resolution to renew its mandate.

That panel concluded that the Syrian Air Force dropped the deadly nerve agent sarin on the village of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017, killing nearly 100 people.

The Khan Sheikhun attack prompted Trump to order U.S. missile strikes on the Syrian airfield where he claimed the government's planes launched the attack.

The damage from the U.S. missile strikes did not deter Syria in the last year from gaining the upper hand in its seven-year civil war, but Western countries say such air strikes are intended as "punishment" for Syria crossing a "red line" by using globally banned chemical weapons.

Syria has denied using chemical weapons anywhere in the country, despite the now-defunct UN panel's findings that Damascus was behind several documented chemical attacks there since 2014.

The international chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said on April 10 that it was sending a team of experts to the site of the Douma attack to gather evidence and determine whether it involved banned chemical weapons.

Trump has consulted with the leaders of France and Britain on a possible response to the suspected attack.

The White House said that Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May on April 10 "agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue" in a telephone call.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that any strikes by Western powers would not target the Syrian government's allies, which include Iran and Russia, but rather would be aimed at the Syrian government's chemical facilities.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the Syrian Army has put all of its military facilities, including airports and bases, on alert for the next three days.

With reporting by Interfax, Reuters, and AFP
Contempt shown by governments for independent institutions and civil society, attacks on the political opposition and independent media, as well as an incessant push to blend the ruling party with the state, are becoming the new normal in postcommunist Europe and Eurasia, U.S.-based democracy monitor Freedom House warns in its latest report.

The spread of illiberal politics across the region in countries such as Hungary and Poland has been eroding the regions foundations and prospects for democracy, the group says in its latest annual Nations In Transit report, titled Confronting Illiberalism.

"This is something that, of course, we've been remarking on for a very long time in places like Russia or Central Asia or Belarus, but increasingly, we see this now in Central Europe, in countries like Hungary and Poland. And we see it starting to have an effect at the level of institutions. So, very dramatic changes, especially in Poland," Nate Schenkkan, project director of Nations In Transit for Freedom House, told RFE/RL.

The report said 19 out of the 29 nations gauged got lower democracy scores, the sharpest decline in the projects 23-year history, while for the second year in a row the number of consolidated authoritarian regimes was higher than that of consolidated democracies.

Turkmenistan is singled out as the regions worst performer from what the report calls Eurasias entrenched autocracies -- a group that also includes Belarus, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Decades of authoritarian mismanagement, flagrant corruption, and overspending on megaprojects have thrown Turkmenistan into a full-blown economic crisis, the report says.

In Russia, the report says, President Vladimir Putin won reelection last month in a poll that lacked real competition. Putins only credible rival, anticorruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny, it says, was banned from running due to a conviction on trumped-up corruption charges.

But because of a lack of structural reforms and international sanctions for its annexing of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, Russia is facing economic decay, the report says.

Forced to share a smaller pie, the ruling elites have begun to turn on one another, it says, giving the example of the conflict between Igor Sechin, the head of state oil company Rosneft, and former Economy Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev, which ended with the former entrapping his adversary in a bribery scheme which the report says was a violation of the thieves code that had prevailed inside the regimes top echelons.



Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan present the regions highest risk of sliding into authoritarianism, the report says.

While the window for fundamental reforms may not have closed in Ukraine, the report says, political resistance to anticorruption reforms, attacks on civil society, and the media have seen Ukraines democracy score declining for the first time since 2014.

"It was a relatively small decline, but it was meaningful, and the main cause of the decline is very aggressive pressure on the civil society and on the independent media from government, from leading politicians. It's becoming unfortunately quite normal and standard in Ukraine to accuse civil society actors, NGOs, to accuse media of being antinational and unpatriotic," Schenkkan told RFE/RL.

In the other four countries, informal political and business leaders who control the system from the outside or from the fringes of accountable institutions increasingly dominate their underdeveloped political systems, he said.

However, the democratic regress is most striking in two countries that were most adept at parting with totalitarian regimes in the 1980s -- Poland and Hungary, the report says. It singles out the bulldozing of the judiciary in Poland and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans return to the political practices of goulash communism, characterized by the absence of independent institutions and the fusion between ruling party and state.

It also mentions Romanias regress, where the new government reversed a positive trend, with an all-out assault against the judiciary in general and against the countrys anticorruption agency in particular. It notes that huge public protests prevented some of the most serious reversals in 2017 but that the government continues its push to essentially legalize corruption.

In the Balkans, Serbias standing declined for the fourth year in a row, threatening its status as a semiconsolidated democracy. Although Serbia was named earlier this year by the EU as a front-runner for accession together with Montenegro, the consolidation of power under Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic continues, the report says.



Positive developments of the past year have been taking place in Macedonia and Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan continued the modest thaw that began with the death of President Islam Karimov in August 2016, making small but noticeable improvements in the atmosphere for civil society and the media, the report said.

Meanwhile, in Macedonia, a new government was able to be formed, Schenkkan told RFE/RL.

The new government has embarked on a very ambitious reconciliation process with neighbors Bulgaria and Greece with the goal of unlocking the EU accession perspective, then NATO membership. In addition, and most importantly, domestically, the government has begun to roll back the state capture that had prevailed under the previous government," Schenkkan said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested a missile strike on Syria may be imminent, issuing a tweet warning Syrian government ally Russia that it should "get ready" because missiles "will be coming."

In the tweet on April 11, Trump sharply criticized Russia for backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, accusing Moscow of supporting an "animal " who kills his own people "and enjoys it."

Trump's tweet referred to recent warnings from Russian military officials and diplomats that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch vehicles -- warships, aircraft, or otherwise -- would be targeted.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria," Trump wrote. "Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

That was clearly a reference to Assad, whom Trump has blamed for a suspected poison-gas attack that aid groups and emergency workers say killed dozens of civilians in the rebel-held town of Douma outside Damascus on April 7.

The World Health Organization said on April 11 that 43 people had died in the attack on Douma from "symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals," and more than 500 in all had been treated. In total, more than 70 people were killed during the attack, WHO said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on April 11 that the Pentagon was "ready" to provide options for military strikes in Syria, but noted Washington and its allies were still gathering information.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said Tehran would "stand by Syria's government against any foreign aggression." Iran has been one of Syria's key allies.

Earlier, the Pentagon issued a statement saying that it "does not comment on potential future military actions" and referring questions about Trump's tweet to the White House.

"As the President noted on April 8, the chemical weapons attack by the Syrian regime against innocent civilians...was horrifying, and demands an immediate response from the international community," Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said in the statement.

In a response to Trump's tweet, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the United States should target "terrorists" rather than Assad's forces and suggested the aim of a potential U.S. strike might be to obliterate evidence related to the suspected chemical attack -- which Russia has denied was carried out by the government.

"Smart missiles should fly at terrorists and not at the legitimate government, which has been fighting international terrorism on its territory for several years," Zakharova wrote on Facebook.

Russia has repeatedly claimed that the main U.S. goal in Syria is to oust Assad, not to defeat the extremist group Islamic State, but Washington denies that accusation.

Moscow announced on April 11 that the former rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta -- including Douma, the target of the alleged chemical attack -- had been "totally stabilized" and would soon be patrolled by Russian military police.

'Fighting Like Street Bullies'

State-run Syrian news agency SANA, meanwhile, cited a Syrian Foreign Ministry source as saying that Assad's government was "not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States, which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria."

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the United States and Russia "are fighting like street bullies" and urged them to seek to "heal the wounds of the region" instead.

Trump's tweet on Syria, issued before 7 a.m. Washington time, followed a fresh call from the Kremlin for the United States to refrain from striking Assad's government or its forces.

In a second tweet about 40 minutes later, Trump said that the U.S. relationship with Russia "is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War."

"There is no reason for this," he added. "Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"

Already strained from the start of President Vladimir Putin's current term, in 2012, ties between Russia and the United States have been further damaged by discord over issues including Russia's seizure of Crimea and backing for separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine, its support for Assad in the seven-year war in Syria, and its alleged meddling in the U.S. election that put Trump in office in 2016.

Trump has repeatedly indicated he wants better relations with the Kremlin -- and he faced criticism at home for congratulating Putin on his election to a new six-year term in a March vote that observers said gave Russians no real choice -- but has criticized Russia and Putin himself over Moscow's support for Assad.

Responding with arch enthusiasm to Trump's proposal to stop the "arms race," Zakharova wrote on Facebook: "Great idea!" She suggested the United States begin by eliminating its chemical weapons -- a reference to the fact that Russia has destroyed its declared chemical weapons arsenal under international commitments while the United States has not yet finished that process.

Such statements are likely to ring hollow in the United States, which has seconded Britain's accusation that Russia was behind the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in March with a potent nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union. Russia denies it, and the dispute has deepened tension between Russia and the West.

Russia has waned that a U.S. strike on Syria could have "grave consequences," and Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said a few hours before Trump's tweets that such an attack could "substantially destabilize" the "already fragile" situation in the Middle East.

The United States and some of its allies are considering whether to hit Syria over the Douma attack.

"As for the question of what will happen if there is some kind of strike...we would like to hope that all sides will avoid any steps that a) are not provoked by anything and b) could substantially destabilize the already fragile situation in the region, Peskov said in a regular conference call with reporters.

He declined to comment directly on remarks by Russia's ambassador to Lebanon, who on April 10 repeated a warning from the military that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and that the launch vehicles would be targeted.

Peskov also reiterated Russian denials that Assad's forces carried out a poison-gas attack on Douma, saying that "Russia categorically disagrees with this [claim]" and wants a "dispassionate investigation" into the incident, which killed at least 40 people including children.

Trump, who has vowed to make the perpetrators of the suspected Douma attack pay a "big price," on April 10 canceled a planned trip to South America so he could focus on the Syria situation. The Syrian Army put its forces on alert for a three-day period, while a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, has been sighted in the Mediterranean within striking distance of Syria.

Reuters and TASS reported late on April 10 that the pan-European air traffic control agency is warning airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean "due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours."

On April 10, Russia's UN ambassador pleaded with the United States not to stage a military strike against Syria after competing U.S. and Russian calls for investigations into the suspected attack in Douma failed to win approval in the UN Security Council.

'Protecting A Monster'

Russia used its veto power in the council to block a U.S.-drafted resolution that would have established an independent investigative body to determine who is behind alleged chemical attacks in Syria, which the council had approved by 12 to 2. China, usually Russia's ally, abstained in the vote.

"History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said, referring to Assad.

Russia's veto of the U.S. proposal was the 12th time that Russia has used its veto power to block action targeting Syria.

The U.S. proposal would have revived the work of a previous UN panel, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, that shut down in November after Russian vetoed a resolution to renew its mandate.

That panel concluded that the Syrian Air Force dropped the deadly nerve agent sarin on the village of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017, killing nearly 100 people.

The Khan Sheikhun attack prompted Trump to order U.S. missile strikes on the Syrian airfield from which U.S. officials said the government's planes launched the attack.

Syria has denied using chemical weapons anywhere in the country, despite the now-defunct UN panel's findings that Damascus was behind several documented chemical attacks there since 2014.

The international chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said on April 10 that it was sending a team of experts to the site of the Douma attack to gather evidence.

Trump has consulted with the leaders of France and Britain on a possible response to the suspected attack.

The White House said that Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May on April 10 "agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue" in a telephone call.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that any strikes by Western powers would not target the Syrian government's allies, which include Iran and Russia, but rather would be aimed at the Syrian government's chemical facilities.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the Syrian Army has put all of its military facilities, including airports and bases, on alert for the next three days.

With reporting by Interfax, Reuters, and AFP
A United Nations court has partially overturned Serbian nationalist politician Vojislav Seseljs acquittal on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, sentencing him to 10 years in prison but ruling that he has already served that time.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) said on April 11 that Seselj had already served the sentence because of the time he had spent in custody in The Hague.

Seselj, who was extradited in 2003 and served nearly 12 years in pretrial detention in The Hague but returned to Serbia in 2014 on medical grounds, was not present when the court in the Dutch city delivered its judgment. He also snubbed the appeals hearing in December 2017.

In comments made to the AP news agency after the ruling, Seselj said he was "proud of all the war crimes and crimes against humanity that were attributed to me, and I am ready to repeat them in the future."

Seselj said prosecutors "lied that there were systematic attacks" on Croats in Serbia in the 1990s. Prosecutors have said a speech by Seselj in May 1992 incited crimes against Croats.

Amnesty International welcomed the verdict against Seselj, saying his conviction delivers long overdue justice to the victims of the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s.

Amnesty International's Europe Director Gauri van Gulik said that "despite the fact that the Appeals Chamber cleared Vojislav Seselj of other war crimes, it is significant that it found there was indeed a widespread or systematic attack against the non-Serbian civilian population in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina."

UN prosecutors had asked the court to find Seselj guilty on three counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of violations of the laws or customs of war and sentence him to 28 years in prison -- or order a new trial.

Seselj is accused of committing the crimes against non-Serbs in Croatia, Serbias Vojvodina region, and Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Balkan wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and killed some 130,000 people. The alleged crimes include persecution on political, racial, or religious grounds, deportation, murder, and torture.

Seselj, a 63-year-old member of parliament with his Serbian Radical Party, denies the charges.

In a controversial 2-1 split vote in March 2016, judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) acquitted Seselj of all charges. The MICT is wrapping up the last cases after the ICTY closed in December.

The panel said prosecutors had "failed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt" or provide sufficient evidence that Seselj was responsible for the crimes he had been charged with.

One of the three judges dissented, saying the acquittals ignored international law and the tribunal's jurisprudence.

The prosecution appealed the acquittal, saying judges ignored a large body of evidence when they freed the defendant.

The court's chief prosecutor called the decision a "fundamental failure by the majority [of judges] to perform its judicial function."

With reporting by AFP


The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump believes he has the power to dismiss Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

"He certainly believes he has the power to do so," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a daily news briefing on April 10.

Sanders said Trump believed Mueller's investigation into ties between Russia and his presidential campaign had "gone too far" after federal agents raided the offices of the president's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, on April 9.

"We'll see what happens," replied Trump when he was asked on April 9 if he would fire Mueller.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on April 9, accused the FBI of "breaking into" his attorney's office and accused Mueller of conducting a "witch hunt."

Trump's remarks renewed speculation that he might try to dismiss Mueller, who was appointed last year after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who at the time was leading the Russia investigation.

Under Justice Department regulations, only Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


Badari Deshpande of Burn Boundaries posted a heart breaking update on his Facebook earlier today. The update read 

Latest update from Ladakh

1) Agam shayok  route. Banned

2) Merak-chushul-tsagala  Route banned

3) Hanle  No permission entire season

All this thanks to 4 bikers who went to Umling-la without permission 2 days back.

Authorities in Ladakh taking the easy way out  BAN Traveller from going.

2018  Ladakh FORGET it. Go somewhere else.

As per reports, some bikers reached Umling La without taking necessary permits. They then posted photos and videos along with exact GPS co-ordinates of the route on social media. This is what created the problem with authorities in Ladakh, said the report.

Sudeep Chakraborty from Ahmedabad, who has been among the first few bikers to reach Umling La, had to say this  Not the fault of those four people but its the fault of those who made videos and posted detailed coordinates all over the damned internet and claiming one doesnt need permit for those areas. This false info will inspire such people who will attempt this without knowing the crux and thus this is the end expected result.

Another update from Utsav Chs, who is admin of the Ladakh Return Group on Facebook, read 

Umling La, Marsmik La, Depsang La & Saser La :

In the last few days a total of 4 groups have attempted Umling La. Of which one group only was allowed and they were the first ones. But their digital data was wiped clean of the shots taken in and near Umling. The rest 3 groups were not allowed to visit Umling La.

Umling has been getting lots of attention this season. ITBP has asked DC Leh not to approve travel requests to the area. (unverified info). The security forces are very resistant to allow travelers, especially bikers. (verified info)

It is being deemed that Umling along with Marsmik are strategic points and are being pushed to be promoted to the status of Depsang and Saser La where no civilians are allowed.

It seems that this development from the security forces have been due to a certain information packet containing the accurate GPS data of these classified strategic border locations going viral all over the social media.

A request to people who are able to visit these strategic locations is not to make GPS data available. These location based info of these highly classified areas are kept classified for security purposes. We do record data of such places innocently for vlogging, blogging purposes so to help people visit them. But do realize the sensitivity of these information in the wrong hands can jeopardize national security.

I was hesitant to put this post here, but after discussing with Dk Pandit sir, here it is.

This is for informational purpose only.

Who ever trying to visit Umling, do give it a try. Who knows, you just might be in luck!

All the best and Ride safe!

Admin of BCMTouring, Yogesh Sarkar also posted an informative update  There are rumors that civilian access to the Agham  Shyok Route, Chushul, Hanle and Umling La has been stopped and the DC Office has stopped issuing permit for Chushul and Hanle (permit was never issued for Agham-Shyok route or Umling La.)

Firstly, the rumor is partially true. Leh Administration is expected to take a call on whether or not to stop issuing permit for Hanle in the coming days.

This is mainly due to the fact that those having permit for Hanle, have been going to Photi La and Umling La (these werent open for civilians.) This has irked both the army and the administration and as a result, the administration is contemplating scrapping the permit for Hanle. Since the area around Hanle is quite close to the LAC (Line of Actual Control) and thus quite sensitive.

The armed forces are also irked by the fact that videos have been posted online showing the entire route, along with GPS maps and people are attempting Umling La without any permission (few bikers and their backup vehicle were recently caught and detained by the armed forces en route to Umling La.)

You can read the full thread here.

What is Reality?

Rushlane spoke with officials at Office of the District Magistrate in Leh. As per them, the orders are not yet out. There are some issues with bikers who went beyond the permitted route, thus the confusion. But, it is true that authorities are seriously considering of banning the said routes for 2018.

Authorities are currently discussing all possible alternatives, and no such ban has been officially announced.
[ABUJA, NIGERIA] The future of research in Africa is in jeopardy unless adequate management of national scientific research systems is done, a meeting has heard.

Experts at the meeting said that inadequate management of national scientific research systems is frustrating researchers in Africa and other developing countries.

Top researchers from developed and developing countries at a meeting held by the International Council for Science held in Nigeria last month (7-8 March) noted that the limited availability of research positions, the lack of adequate research laboratories and high-performance technical platforms are other factors stifling the future of researchers.

There is also a complete absence of stimulus  no academic awards, recognitions or appreciation [for scholars]. Nazar Hassan, UNESCO Cairo Office

The meeting which attracted about 30 scientists from countries such as Burkina Faso, Mozambique, South Africa and Norway called for a general overhaul of the educational system in developing countries to focus more on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and creation of specific organisations responsible for research management to ensure that researches are tailored towards national goals and aspirations.

Nazar Hassan, a senior regional science, technology and innovation specialist with the UNESCO Cairo Office, said that shaping the future of researchers would entail developing countries going to the drawing board and implementing the recommendations of the first conference of ministers responsible for the application of science and technology to development in Africa that was held in Dakar, Senegal, in 1974.

Hassan added that the recommendations included the need for African nations to devote one per cent of their gross national product (GDP) to research and development (R&D) by 1980.

This target has proved difficult to achieve, said Hassan, noting that by 1980 most countries allocated only 0.36 per cent of their GDP to R&D.

Hassan added that lack of funding is a problem but there are others such as the low value accorded to researchers, with politicians priorities in many African countries having greater considerations than those of scholars.

Most countries in the developing world lack strategic plans, said Hassan. There is also a complete absence of stimulus  no academic awards, recognitions or appreciation [for scholars].

Ibidapo Obe, former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos in Nigeria , said that changing the narrative means that research in developing countries must provide better welfare including human security, and lead to participation in new and emerging research frontiers such as drone technology and nanotechnology.

Researchers in developing countries must focus primarily on aspects of knowledge expansion that relate to human welfare since development is an aggregate value of comfort to life, he said.



This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
ST. HELENA  The newest member of the St. Helena Police Department is everything you could want in a cop: skilled, outgoing, multi-lingual, loyal to his partner, and clearly not someone a bad guy would want to tangle with.

Plus, if you scratch him behind his ears, youll have a friend for life.

Barrett, bred in Eastern Europe, is the departments new K9. The 15-month-old German shepherd is trained to sniff out narcotics, track suspects or missing persons, search buildings, and, if commanded to do so, chase down and take a bite out of a criminal.

Barrett and his handler, Officer Steve Coultrup, have gotten to know each other over a month of daily ride-alongs  during which Barrett mostly stayed in the car  followed by five weeks of training and bonding with the help of a professional K9 handler in Novato. April 2 was their first day on patrol together.

Hes still a pup, so hes playful, Coultrup said. Hes really attached to me and hes already part of our family. My wife loves him and my daughter loves him.
Millions of Americans have the same life expectancy as the American national average in the 1970s, according to a new task force report from the Arnhold Institute for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. But surprisingly, there are lessons to be learned by the United States in improving community health from low- and middle-income countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Brazil that have seen dramatic gains in life expectancy, according to The Task Force on Global Advantage findings.

The Arnhold Institute convened the Task Force, which included health care leaders from the United States and the world, after receiving support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with a goal to produce a report that clearly identifies a set of global approaches that could yield breakthroughs in the health of America's most vulnerable communities.

Task Force findings distilled global best practices into five components:

Cover & Define: Coverage and access gaps should be mapped at the community level.

Anchor & Embed: Primary care health practices should be local anchor institutions that are embedded in the communities they serve.

Shared & Actionable Goals: Communities and health systems should track progress and act based upon common goals.

Simple Protocols & Accountable Care: A local integrator organization should foster ownership for health management in community settings.

Train & Organize: A network of community-based workers should be developed to organize community members, with the goal of identifying the most pressing community health needs.

"The findings hold great potential to improve the health of struggling communities in America. As global experience shows us, struggling communities can achieve breakthroughs if they are included in the design of their care. To equitably improve health outcomes in the United States, we have to find the world's best solutions and then make them our own," said Prabhjot Singh, MD, PhD, Chair of the Task Force and Arnhold Institute for Global Health Director. "The Arnhold Institute is committed to advancing the important findings of the Task Force."

Agnes Binagwaho, MD, PhD, the Vice Chancellor for the University of Health Equity and former Minister of Health in Rwanda, said, "The foundation for a healthy population is community health. As the Task Force found, it is paramount that efforts to improve health are informed by the needs of our communities. The lessons we have learned through rebuilding Rwanda's health sector have demonstrated how critical it is to equitably invest in our communities to improve health, a sense of well-being, trust, and social cohesion. These efforts have inspired us to create more health solutions with less. We are eager to share these lessons with the world."

Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs of the Mount Sinai Health System, said, "We at Mount Sinai are committed to identifying and embracing the strongest models for community care, regardless of the country of origin. We look forward to working with the Arnhold Institute to advance this important work."

Further information: http://icahn.mssm.edu/globalreport
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a miniature, ultra-low power injectable biosensor that could be used for continuous, long-term alcohol monitoring. The chip is small enough to be implanted in the body just beneath the surface of the skin and is powered wirelessly by a wearable device, such as a smartwatch or patch.

"The ultimate goal of this work is to develop a routine, unobtrusive alcohol and drug monitoring device for patients in substance abuse treatment programs," said Drew Hall, an electrical engineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering who led the project. Hall is also affiliated with the Center for Wireless Communications and the Center for Wearable Sensors, both at UC San Diego. Hall's team presented this work at the 2018 IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC) on Apr. 10 in San Diego.

One of the challenges for patients in treatment programs is the lack of convenient tools for routine monitoring. Breathalyzers, currently the most common way to estimate blood alcohol levels, are clunky devices that require patient initiation and are not that accurate, Hall noted. A blood test is the most accurate method, but it needs to be performed by a trained technician. Tattoo-based alcohol sensors that can be worn on the skin are a promising new alternative, but they can be easily removed and are only single-use.

"A tiny injectable sensor -- that can be administered in a clinic without surgery -- could make it easier for patients to follow a prescribed course of monitoring for extended periods of time," Hall said.

The biosensor chip measures roughly one cubic millimeter in size and can be injected under the skin in interstitial fluid -- the fluid that surrounds the body's cells. It contains a sensor that is coated with alcohol oxidase, an enzyme that selectively interacts with alcohol to generate a byproduct that can be electrochemically detected. The electrical signals are transmitted wirelessly to a nearby wearable device such as a smartwatch, which also wirelessly powers the chip. Two additional sensors on the chip measure background signals and pH levels. These get canceled out to make the alcohol reading more accurate.

The researchers designed the chip to consume as little power as possible -- 970 nanowatts total, which is roughly one million times less power than a smartphone consumes when making a phone call. "We don't want the chip to have a significant impact on the battery life of the wearable device. And since we're implanting this, we don't want a lot of heat being locally generated inside the body or a battery that is potentially toxic," Hall said.

One of the ways the chip operates on such ultra-low power is by transmitting data via a technique called backscattering. This occurs when a nearby device like a smartwatch sends radio frequency signals to the chip, and the chip sends data by modifying and reflecting those signals back to the smartwatch. The researchers also designed ultra-low power sensor readout circuits for the chip and minimized its measurement time to just three seconds, resulting in less power consumption.

The researchers tested the chip in vitro with a setup that mimicked an implanted environment. This involved mixtures of ethanol in diluted human serum underneath layers of pig skin.

For future studies, the researchers are planning to test the chip in live animals. Hall's group is working with CARI Therapeutics, a startup based in the Qualcomm Institute Innovation Space at UC San Diego, and Dr. Carla Marienfeld, an addiction psychiatrist at UC San Diego who specializes in treating individuals with substance abuse disorders, to optimize the chip for next generation rehab monitoring. Hall's group is developing versions of this chip that can monitor other molecules and drugs in the body.

"This is a proof-of-concept platform technology. We've shown that this chip can work for alcohol, but we envision creating others that can detect different substances of abuse and injecting a customized cocktail of them into a patient to provide long-term, personalized medical monitoring," Hall said.

Paper title: "A Sub-1 uW Multiparameter Injectable BioMote for Continuous Alcohol Monitoring." Authors of the study are Haowei Jiang*, Xiahan Zhou*, Saurabh Kulkarni, Michael Uranian, Rajesh Seenivasan, and Drew A. Hall at UC San Diego.
Life expectancy and health outcomes worsen the more deprived an area or population is, new research from Cass Business School has found.

The researchers discovered that men are more adversely impacted by deprivation and the southeast of England is less deprived than the rest of the country -- with the five most deprived districts all in the north of England.

The research paper Inequalities matter investigated the impact of deprivation on demographic inequalities in England, forecast to 2030. It was conducted by Cass for the International Longevity Centre -- UK (ILC-UK).

The researchers used the government-preferred Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) to measure deprivation. The IMD is based on 37 separate indicators including income and are grouped into seven domains, each of which reflects a different aspect of deprivation across the lifespan including education, health and crime.

They found that although life expectancy is increasing overall and the life expectancies of men and women are converging, any improvements are slower paced in more deprived areas, with the net gap between rich and poor slowly worsening over time.

Men tend to be more adversely impacted by deprivation than women, with the gap in life expectancy at age 30 between the top and bottom one per cent of deprived neighbourhoods at 10.9 years for men and 8.4 years for women.

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Men are 4.4 times more likely to die at the age of 44 in the most deprived 10 per cent of neighbourhoods, when compared to the 10 per cent of least deprived neighbourhoods.

The researchers confirmed that deprivation in England is heavily skewed towards urban areas, with the top five districts of deprivation in Northern England -- Middlesbrough, Knowsley on Merseyside, Kingston-upon-Hull, Liverpool and Manchester. By contrast in London, only Tower Hamlets, Haringey and Hackney fall into the top 50 deprived districts.

Lead researcher Professor Les Mayhew, Cass Business School, said many of the differences in life expectancy between districts can be explained by unhealthy lifestyles and a lack of social mobility and investment.

"The causes of ill health are increasingly lifestyle related and rooted in the cultures of different socio-economic groups -- think smoking, excessive drinking, obesity, drug abuse and mental illness. Efforts are being made to improve health outcomes in deprived areas but more resources need to be provided for preventative measures, training and education. Policy tools aimed at changing behaviour using financial incentives including taxes have shown to be successful and should also be considered."

Professor Mayhew said a positive finding from the report was the gradual reduction in inequalities across the lifespan between men and women.

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"This will lead to fewer years of female isolation in later life and longer working lives for women which will have a positive impact on their retirement savings and general health and wellbeing," he said.

However, Professor Mayhew said the gap between rich and poor is widening and the fact that particular districts were more adversely impacted by deprivation was a cause for concern.

"The geographical pattern of deprived districts in England is well established and the reputation of these districts as undesirable places to live tends to go before them, making them unattractive places to invest in. If Government is serious about redressing inequalities, creating attractive job opportunities for the young and investing in training and education is one way do this."

Baroness Sally Greengross OBE, Chief Executive, ILC-UK, said the report had important implications for policymakers and civil society alike.

"The report's call for greater targeted investment in public health is welcome, but sadly echoes calls made by the International Longevity Centre and other experts that have gone unheeded for far too long. If the UK is to realise the potential of our rapidly ageing population and all that could mean for our society, we must ensure that the benefits of longevity are shared by all."
The school district is constructing a new multi-purpose building along with two new classroom buildings, a new kindergarten wing, a new administration building, and new playgrounds.

Perkins, however, is confident that the district is on track for meeting those deadlines.

She said the concrete foundations are being put into place for the new buildings, and that the walls for some of them should be going up this month.

As for the new name and visual identity of Willow Elementary, Perkins said they began a process last spring to figure out what the new school should be called.

First, school officials sent out a survey to gain feedback from parents and others involved with both Salvador and El Centro.

The survey asked if the new school should bear one of the existing school names. About a hundred people responded, and most of them made it clear they didnt like that idea.

Sixty people said no to keeping the El Centro name, and 91 rejected using the Salvador name.

Sixty-two said yes to renaming the combined school.

Following that, a 12-person task force was created to oversee the process for choosing a new name.
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In an effort to make public transportation fares more affordable to the Bay Areas least affluent residents, four of the regions largest transit agencies and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission are proposing a 20 percent discount to low-income riders.

If the plan is enacted, Muni, BART, Golden Gate Transit and Caltrain would offer the discounted fares to anyone with an annual income of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level: $24,280 for a single person, $32,920 for a couple or $50,200 for a family of four. The proposal will be discussed Wednesday at an MTC committee hearing.

As long as there is significant income inequality in this country, what we can do for people on the wrong side of that inequality is going to be a topic of discussion, said Randy Rentschler, an MTC spokesman.

Steve Heminger, the commissions executive director, wrote in a memo to Planning and Allocations Committee members, who will talk about the issue Wednesday, that the affordability of public transportation has increasingly become an issue in recent years.

The matter of making transit fares affordable for the Bay Areas poorest residents has come up repeatedly in the past decade with proposals to fund free rides for low-income youth in San Francisco and to subsidize transit to schools in Oakland.

Now Playing: Why is BART so hot? So loud? We all have questions about Bay Area's BART trains. Here are some of your burning BART questions answered. Video: Kevork Demirjian / SFGATE

The MTC developed a plan tying transit fares to the incomes of the Bay Areas poorest residents within the past year, with any losses in fare revenue to be covered primarily with funds it receives from the state.

The initial idea was to cut fares by 50 percent. While most of the regions two dozen transit agencies expressed interest, many were afraid that theyd lose too much money. So the commission focused the plan on the six largest transit agencies and reduced the proposed discount to 20 percent. Still, AC Transit and SamTrans dropped out because of the financial risks, leaving only Muni, BART, Golden Gate Transit and Caltrain.

The discount would be available to those who use Clipper cards. The discount would cut the price of a BART ride from Oakland to San Francisco from $3.50 to $2.80 and reduce the cost of a Muni ride from $2.50 to $2.

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.

By comparison, BART offers discounts of 50 percent for youths up to 18 and 62.5 percent for seniors older than 65. Muni gives seniors, youths and disabled persons a 50 percent discount. Muni also has a free-fare program for low-income youths and seniors.

MTC would reimburse transit agencies for up to $20.7 million. BART estimates the program would cost $10.6 million, Muni $8.6 million, Caltrain $900,000, Golden Gate Transit $400,000 and Golden Gate Ferry $200,000.

At this point, its not clear whether the program would be a limited test or permanent.

No decision will be made Wednesday, but the committee is expected to continue discussing the program with a goal of firming up a plan by May. Directors of each transit agency would need to approve their participation, which would likely take place during the summer. The tentative goal would be to start the discounts in summer 2019.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
Last years busy wildfire season was an all-too-close reminder that smoky skies can cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. As it turns out, though, the health issues dont end there.

One of the most comprehensive studies yet on the impacts of wildfire smoke in California, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggests that heart problems are as much a concern as respiratory problems, perhaps even more so.

The finding of elevated cardiovascular risk, as much as 40 percent higher when dense smoke is present, provides not only one more reason to steer clear of ash-filled air but another thing for health care providers to consider when responding to wildfires.

During last years deadly Wine Country blazes, millions were exposed to bad air while hospitals saw big increases in people with complaints about smoke, sometimes hundreds of miles away. The new study focused on fires before last year, but its conclusions are equally pertinent.

As were having more and more wildfire events, and smoke affects more and more people, communicating the real risks is important, said Zachary Wettstein, the lead author of the new report and a graduating medical student at UC San Francisco. Respiratory problems are serious, but they may not be as deadly. Heart attacks and strokes can be very deadly.

Wettsteins study found that exposure to wildfire smoke correlates with more hospital visits for coronary heart disease, irregular heart rhythm, heart failure, pulmonary embolism and stroke.

Josh Edelson / Getty Images

While cardiovascular problems have previously been linked to the components of smoke, which include toxic gases and menacing tiny particulates, research on the connection has been limited. Studying smoke impacts is not easy because of the unpredictable nature of fires. Fires make controlled settings and study groups hard to come by.

Wettstein and his fellow researchers at UCSF, the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drew their conclusions by analyzing more than 1 million emergency room visits during Northern and Central Californias 2015 wildfire season.

They collected records from hospitals during a period of severe burns that included Lake Countys Valley Fire, which destroyed nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and outbuildings. The researchers compared the hospital data with satellite observations showing where the smoke was thickest.

The group found that the risk of being treated for heart problems during a fire was higher than usual for men and women of all ages and greatest within a day of excessive smoke.

The elderly faced the most risk. Those 65 and older visited the emergency room up to 42 percent more often than usual for a heart attack and up to 22 percent more often for coronary heart disease.

Were reaching the point at which a large population of Baby Boomers will be in an age group at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke, so well have a greater population of susceptible individuals to these adverse health events, Wettstein said.

Respiratory problems, as expected, were also up among all age groups.

The study did not look at how such personal factors as medical history might affect a persons chance of suffering smoke-related harm. But the authors advised those with high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease to be particularly mindful around smoke.

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.

Wayne Cascio, a co-author of the study and acting director for the EPAs National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, said that better medical guidance and care is likely to result as the link between wildfires and heart problems is better understood.

The findings have public health and clinical implications, he said in a statement. I think it will have a significant impact on how clinicians and public health officials view future wildfire events and the smoke thats generated from them.

More people are likely to be exposed to smoke as wildfires become bigger and hotter in an age of climate change. The number of acres burned in the United States last year was the second highest since the 1950s, following only 2015.

Public health officials generally recommend that people avoid smoky air by staying indoors and wearing filtering respirators, not dust masks.

The Wine Country fires in October, which killed 41 people and destroyed more than 6,000 structures, prompted more than a week of public health alerts across the Bay Area. Schools were shut down, nearby residents were urged to shelter in place and residents, even far from the flames, were advised to avoid vigorous activity outdoors.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Supervisor Jane Kims mayoral campaign headquarters in San Franciscos Mission District appears to have been the target of an attempted break-in.

At around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Kim campaign staffer went to open the office at 2640 Mission St. when she discovered that the heavy security chain draped over the metal gate in front of the offices glass doors had been cut in two, said Kims campaign manager, Jon Golinger.

The metal gate had been pulled up to about knee level, Golinger said, suggesting that someone might have tried to squeeze underneath it. The glass doors behind the gate, which were dead-bolted, were also cracked.

Clearly an object had been banged against them, Golinger said. Thankfully, no one was hurt and (the would-be thieves) were, happily, not successful. And not only did they not break in, they kept the campaign down for all of five minutes while we called the police.

A campaign headquarters makes an odd target for an attempted burglary. Curiously, just a few doors down, a Verizon Wireless store  stocked with expensive electronic equipment  was untouched. In addition to a few old computers that the campaign bought at a thrift store on Valencia Street, Golinger said Kims office contains mostly paper maps of city precincts and campaign materials.

I couldnt think of a worse target for a thief, he said.

There was no evidence to suggest that the attempted break-in was politically motivated, but Golinger said that with just 57 days of campaigning left to go, this is the time of dirty tricks and shenanigans. And whether or not this was (politically motivated), everyone on the campaigns  not just ours  need to be attuned.

 Dominic Fracassa

What he said: A candidate for the 2019 San Francisco district attorneys race attacked Californias liberal policies during a Fox News interview on Monday, saying they have chased out the middle class.

Some of the liberal policies are very expensive, civil rights attorney Joe Alioto Veronese told Fox News host Tucker Carlson, nodding in agreement when Carlson accused California politicians of favoring undocumented immigrants.

California politicians are spending the overwhelming majority of their time talking about how to help people here illegally, Carlson said. Do you worry that youre not paying enough attention to your own people  to your own middle class  and theyre leaving?

Oh, every day, all day long, said Veronese, a one-time police commissioner and son of mayoral candidate Angela Alioto. He went on to attack liberal policies of San Francisco, including a billion-dollar bond measure floated by one mayoral candidate  presumably a reference to Jane Kims pitch for an affordable housing bond.

The Daily Caller, a conservative website that Carlson co-founded, recapped Veroneses surprising statements in an article posted Monday night.

A California Democrat running for the San Francisco district attorney seat admitted during a Fox News interview Monday that the state needs to focus more of its resources on its middle class, the article said.

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.

But Veronese pushed back Tuesday, saying he had been misunderstood.

What I said was, A lot of people are leaving San Francisco because its expensive here, he insisted in a phone interview with The Chronicle.

Taken in context, the question was, Do we need to focus on the middle class in California  and specifically in San Francisco? Veronese said. And my answer was, Yes, absolutely, we need to focus on the middle class.

Veronese probably will compete with another former police commissioner, Suzy Loftus, to challenge incumbent George Gascon for the district attorney seat.

His mother is running a spirited campaign to save the soul of San Francisco  a message that some detractors privately compare to President Trumps Make America Great Again slogan.

 Rachel Swan

Rachel Swan and Dominic Fracassa are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, dfracassa@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @dominicfracassa @rachelswan
California lawmakers wanted rules of the road for self-driving cars. So in 2012 they asked the state Department of Motor Vehicles to write them, making the state among the first to officially green-light autonomous cars.

Brian Soublet, 59, DMV deputy director and general counsel, and Bernard Soriano, 55, DMV deputy director, took on the challenge of crafting regulations for what still seemed like a sci-fi invention. They held innumerable hours of hearings for the public and the industry, visited carmakers and tech companies, and wrestled with questions both technical and philosophical.

Initial regulations adopted in 2014, which still govern the 50-some companies testing here, require each self-driving car to have a special DMV permit and an authorized backup driver. Phase 2 and 3 regulations that took effect this month will allow for robot cars without drivers, and eventually autonomous taxi services, also without drivers.

Soublet, a lawyer, and Soriano, an engineer, bring complementary skills, as well as an easy rapport, to their work together. They joke about their identical initials: With us, you get hit with double B.S.!

The Chronicle interviewed the two about the challenges and controversies of rule making for an emerging industry. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What was your reaction to the fatal crash of a self-driving Uber in Arizona last month? Did you feel any vindication since Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey had taunted California as having too-strict regulations?

Soublet: First, sympathy for the pedestrian. Im anxious to see the results of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

Soriano: Concern for the person who got hit. I wouldnt use the word vindication. This isnt a competition between states. We want to get this right, to roll out the technology in a way to keep the public safe.

Q: When did you first ride in a self-driving car, and what was your reaction?

Soublet: In spring 2013 when we started visiting manufacturers to see how the technology worked, I rode in a (Google) car. After a few minutes, it started to feel mundane. You still marvel at it, but get lulled, like sitting in the backseat when your dad was driving.

Soriano: We still ride whenever the opportunity presents itself. We meet with manufacturers very regularly.

Q: Is your rule making done? The most recent set of regulations allows for cars with no drivers and would carry California all the way to having robot-taxi services without backup drivers.

Soublet: We dont consider it done. Our regulations are only for cars. Next we have to tackle commercial vehicles like buses and trucks.

Soriano: The technology is constantly changing. We need to stay abreast and modify regulations accordingly.

Q: Some consumer advocates have criticized the regulations for eventually ending the requirements for reports on accidents and an annual summary of disengagements  times when the human had to take control.

Soublet: While the vehicles are in testing mode, the data-collection requirements remain the same. The only time those reports are not required is when there is private ownership of the vehicles. Manufacturers may not have that data then. There are existing requirements outside AV (autonomous vehicle) rules to require accident reports (for regular cars). Once the vehicles are outside testing, well rely on what exists.

Q: Another controversy is about allowing carmakers to attest that their vehicles are safe, rather than having independent third-party verification.

Soriano: The self-certification model currently exists within the U.S. Every single vehicle sold in our country has to be certified by the manufacturer that it meets all federal motor vehicle safety standards at the time of sale. As we developed the regulations, we looked at a number of different tools, including a third-party certification. But the issues with that make it very difficult to implement.

Soublet: We put out draft regulations with a third-party verification model, and got comments from manufacturers and consumer advocates. The major stumbling block was: What is the pass/fail criteria? We dont have testing labs or the capacity to set up criteria that every third party would use.

Q: I presume carmakers didnt like the idea of third-party testing?

Soriano: You are correct.

Q: Along similar lines, California has people take eye tests and driving tests before they can get licenses. Would you consider some kind of driving test for robot cars?

Soublet: Not all vehicle technology and testing conditions are the same. If you test the car in Sacramento in the rain, you still wouldnt know if it can handle snow in Tahoe or heat in Palm Springs. If I test one manufacturers car today, will the results be the same for every car they produce off that production line? Maybe (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) will come up with such a test, but we have to rely on what we can do with existing staff and resources.

Q: Pending federal regulations for autonomous vehicles would pre-empt state rules. Is that a concern? Would you ask the California attorney general to object?

Soublet: Our role as state regulators is safe operation of vehicles, whether there is a person behind the wheel or a computer controlling it. The federal side is about the safety of the vehicles.

Q: For cars without drivers, you require remote operators who can communicate with the cars occupants and steer them to the side of the road if need be. Are there concerns about how well this will work?

Soriano: We realize that having real-time control of a vehicle from a remote location presents some technical challenges. The vehicle still makes decisions. If it needs help, the remote operator can assist, but in a very rudimentary way.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Q: Since this would be structured with one remote operator for multiple cars, what would happen if theres a widespread event, such as unexpected snow in Tahoe that could incapacitate multiple robot cars?

Soriano: Manufacturers need to disclose under what conditions their cars can operate. That could be geographic or environment, such as not operating in snowy weather.

Soublet: A big concern is that people could try to make vehicles do things the manufacturer did not intend. If a car cant drive in snow, we dont want a person inside trying to force it to.

Q: Why dont the regulations specify certain benchmarks for the cars to meet?

Soriano: Manufacturers need freedom to develop systems the way they want. If you set up such a rigid regime, then you are responsible for it.

Q: Whats the next step on crafting rules for autonomous trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles?

Soublet: Well probably launch with public workshops sometime this year.

Q: Once all cars are robot cars, will we still need a DMV?

Soublet: The average age of a vehicle in California is 12 years; it will be a long time before all cars are autonomous  if we ever get to that point. Even if we did, there would still be a need for an organization like the DMV. Wed still have a licensing and registration function, overseeing who owns the vehicles, how are fees collected to maintain the road.

Soriano: Its a philosophical question about whether or not AVs will take over and there wont be any conventionally driven vehicles. Theres a segment of the population that would still like to own and drive their own cars. I consider myself in that situation. I want to always own my car.

Q: Will your children or grandchildren have drivers licenses?

Soublet: My daughter, who turns 19 in a week, doesnt know what a dial telephone looks like. Some kids (eventually) wont know what a car with a steering wheel looks like.

Soriano: When my 8-year-old son turns 16, Im not sure if getting a license is something that will happen for him. I cant look into a crystal ball and say in eight years there will be such an influx of AVs that you wont need a license.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
More than 750 environmental, labor, health and social justice groups on Wednesday urged Gov. Jerry Brown to stop issuing permits for oil drilling and begin the phase-out of fossil-fuel production within the state, calling the move necessary to stop climate change.

In an open letter, the organizations sought to pressure Brown in advance of an international climate summit he will host in San Francisco in September. The groups  which have also paid for billboards aimed at Brown in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento  called on the governor to end new permits for oil and gas drilling, fossil fuel infrastructure and petrochemical projects.

It is urgent that you set the state on a course to prevent further climate and community destruction, the letter reads. We must chart a path towards a just transition that protects workers and communities  both in these extractive industries and more broadly  and ensures living wage jobs that are safe for people and the planet.

The groups indicated they would not support the summit if the governor kept issuing drilling permits.

Browns press secretary, Evan Westrup, questioned their approach.

Threatening to sabotage a climate summit aimed at mobilizing world leaders to push beyond the Paris Agreement (an international climate agreement adopted in 2015) is a curious way to fight climate change, he said Wednesday.

The list of signatories to the letter includes environmental, faith, health and labor groups from across the country. Multiple chapters of the climate action group 350.org signed, as did the California Federation of Teachers and the California Nurses Association.

Brown has made fighting climate change one of his signature issues, launching his own international coalition of cities, states, provinces and countries committed to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, he pushed through the Legislature an extension of Californias cap-and-trade system for reining in emissions. Legislation he signed in 2016 requires the state to cut emissions by 40 percent below 1990s levels by 2030.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

He has even argued that in order to stave off the worst effects of climate change, one-third of the worlds known oil reserves must be kept in the ground.

And yet he has steadfastly refused efforts to cut oil production within California, focusing instead on ways to reduce demand. He angered many environmentalists by rejecting calls to ban hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, in the state, choosing to regulate it instead. And he has argued that any sudden moves to scale back the oil industry could damage the states economy. California is the nations fourth-largest oil producer, behind Texas, North Dakota and Alaska.

You cant just say, Were not going to have oil anymore, Brown said last year, at a signing ceremony on Treasure Island for the bill to extend cap and trade. You need an intelligent, planned transition.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
WASHINGTON  Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized early and often for his companys mishandling of users data in his debut appearance before Congress on Tuesday, but strongly defended the companys core business model of making money from the personal information its customers post on their accounts.

Zuckerberg issued several variations on his opening-statement mea culpa that Facebook hadnt done enough to prevent the social network from being used for harm. He insisted, however, that there was no fundamental flaw in the way Facebook lets users limit the spread of their data.

After squirming for a moment before collecting himself, the 33-year-old Internet billionaire did confess to an extraordinary joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees that he would not want to share publicly the name of the hotel where he stayed the night before.

Everyone should have control over how their information is used, Zuckerberg said, responding to a question by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who sought to frame the storm over the misuse of user data in terms personal to the Silicon Valley mogul.

But Zuckerberg added, Every day people come to Facebook to share photos and other information about their lives. Every time they choose to share something, they have a control right there about who they want to share it with  referring to privacy controls on the social media platform that allow users to determine whether their posts go to friends, or to friends of friends, or to the public at large.

Zuckerberg was called to Capitol Hill to respond to revelations that the Russian government used Facebook to try to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, and that the personal information of as many as 87 million Facebook users was accessed without their knowledge by a political firm that did work for Donald Trumps campaign. The Facebook CEO found himself challenged by senators from both parties about whether the public can trust the company to patrol itself.

Both Republicans and Democrats clearly wrestled with how to oversee a social network whose more than 2 billion users worldwide make up a population larger than any country in the world. The tenor of deep skepticism over Facebooks actions indicated that Washingtons hands-off approach to the company  and Silicon Valley generally  may be nearing an end.

You have built an extraordinary American company ... some things youve been able to do are magical, said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. But our promised digital utopia, we have discovered, has minefields. There are some impurities in the Facebook punchbowl, and theyve got to be fixed.

Zuckerberg sought to avoid direct answers about whether he would submit to regulation similar to policies going into effect in the European Union to enforce users privacy and platforms transparency. He said he would be open to working with Congress on the issues, but said the details matter.

He frequently ducked on specifics, repeatedly saying his team would follow up with the senators.

Frustrated senators said Facebook has become more than just an innocent way to connect people, as Zuckerberg insisted remains the companys intent, but instead a business model that exploits users personal data to sell ads.

Let me cut to the chase, said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.. If you and other social media companies do not get your act in order, none of us are going to have any privacy anymore.

Zuckerberg strongly defended Facebooks advertising model, deflecting a question from Nelsonabout whether the company would charge a fee to users who do not allow the service to use their information to sell ads. The companys chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said in a recent interview that Facebook has considered such a charge. But Zuckerberg said charging would go against its mission to reach as many people as possible.

He said most users choose to allow Facebook to use their information to target them with ads. I think thats a good level of control to offer, Zuckerberg said.

As for making people pay for using Facebook without ad targeting, Zuckerberg said that without the money ads bring in, we would still need some sort of business model.

As for misuse of the service for terrorist plots, hate speech, foreign election interference or other unwelcome content, Zuckerberg said artificial intelligence would soon offer the ability to sort through billions of posts to flag potential problems. In the meantime, he touted a plan to hire 20,000 people to sort through the information to ensure such content is removed.

But that prompted sharp questions from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., who asked whether Facebook intends to become a political censor. He challenged Zuckerberg to say whether it claims to be a neutral public forum that can be regulated, or an entity protected under the First Amendment guarantee of free speech.

Our goal is certainly not to engage in political speech, Zuckerberg said. Asked later by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, if Facebook has become the worlds largest publisher, Zuckerberg sought a middle ground, saying he views it as a tech company.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

This is a really big question, Zuckerberg said, making the distinction between being responsible for its content but not creating it.

Amateur Twitter comedians mistook some senators probing questions as technological ignorance. In a question that evoked much ribaldry, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked, Is Twitter the same as what you do?

But Grahams point  that Twitter is a different social media beast and not direct competition for Facebook  was no joking matter for Facebook. Monopolies are subject to antitrust law, and if Facebook lacks direct competitors, regulators can argue that antitrust rules should apply.

You dont think you have a monopoly? Graham asked, noting that Facebook bought Instagram, along with WhatsApp and other companies edging into its territory.

It certainly doesnt feel like it to me, Zuckerberg replied.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and strong ally of the tech industry, expressed amazement that anyone was shocked that Facebook makes money by leveraging its user base with advertisers. Nothing in life is free, Hatch said.

Hatch, leading Zuckerberg on, asked him, How do you sustain a business model if users dont pay?

Zuckerberg, smiling, replied, Senator, we run ads.

The Facebook CEO returns to Capitol Hill Wednesday for a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
Nor will it be unwelcome. Perhaps because they feel much less sentimental about Silicon Valley, the European Union has been way ahead of the United States in debating and now implementing regulation. Next month, the E.U. general data protection regulation will go into effect, a set of rules that require transparency for all online companies around the use of data, greater control for individuals over their data, as well as penalties for abuse.

Far from expressing outrage at this major new imposition, Zuckerberg appears to be relieved. Last week, he said he intends to implement European standards around the world.

As is always the case with these data privacy contracts, lets read the fine print on that promise. Even better, lets write it ourselves. The European initiative on data privacy is a start, but why dont Americans start thinking more creatively about what we really want from the tech companies?

We could, for example, demand more public inquiry and oversight over the algorithms they use to determine what people see. We could ask them to reinvest some of their profits in the independent media whose business model theyve destroyed, particularly to the detriment of smaller communities that have lost their local newspapers.
Mark Zuckerberg isnt just a CEO, hes a victim.

During testimony Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Facebooks co-founder disclosed for the first time publicly that he was one of the 87 million members whose personal data was improperly accessed by British data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica.

When Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, asked if his data was sold to Cambridge Analytica, Zuckerberg said yes. He didnt give any further details.

Eshoo then asked if Zuckerberg personally called Cambridge Analyticas CEO when he learned about the breach, but Zuckerberg evaded the question.

Benny Evangelista and Wendy Lee are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee
On March 25, the Rotary Club of San Francisco, Castro, celebrated its new official status as the first LGBTQ+ Rotary Club in the world. The new club joins eight other San Francisco Rotary groups. Its initial support will go to three Castro-based nonprofits: Larkin Street Youth Services; Lyric, for young LGBTQQ (if youre wondering about the double Q, its queer and questioning) Asian and Pacific Islanders; and Openhouse, which helps LGBT seniors.

Membership chair Gary Keener says that although this club identifies with its specific LGBTQQ community, anyone who wants to join is welcome.

We spent the morning on Sunday, April 8, at the de Young Museum, unusually quiet because the post-rain sunshine had lured spring-atarians to the wonders of the park outside. That was our luck.

Cult of the Machine, as described by Charles Desmarais, focuses on precisionist works that evoke the hard-edged muscle and glory of the machine age. The exhibition is not an homage to the past, but instead an invitation to embrace the future  not metallic but digital  in which we are immersed continually in innovation.

Quotes from Steve Jobs and Apple design chief Jony Ive are writ large on gallery walls, and at one point, theres an interactive quiz in which guests are asked to choose words to participate in a survey about their reactions to technology. I strove for answers to reflect honestly my own mixed sense of awe (exciting? inspiring? revolutionary?) and fear (alienating? surveillance? distracting?). And I could feel the spirits of Jobs and Ives looking over my shoulder and scowling at my hesitations.

The shock in the last work in Cult is the figure in it: a bride in front of an industrial furnace. After the crisp geometry of most paintings in Cult, her soft veil is jarring, a reminder of flesh and blood, humanity.

Which, of course, is at the center of Judy Dater: Only Human, an exhibition at the de Young until Sept 16. It is a collection of photo portraits taken by the artist over a 50-year period.

On one wall, theres a collection of street portraits made in Rome, where she was a visiting artist at the American Academy in the late 1990s. Look at any one of them, and you feel you could tell their story.

Did Dater know their stories? Shed hired a young filmmaker to be her interpreter, she said, so when I saw someone I wanted to photograph, he would ask them for me. Then I would take over, with hand gestures and nods, etc. I pretty much found out who they all were, and I remember most of them: a film producer, pet shop owner, butcher, weaver, mechanic, McDonalds waitress, old guy who said his name was Big Mario, etc.

The film producer invited me out to dinner. He spoke English. But I declined, saying I didnt think that my husband would like that. The next day I saw him again in the same spot, and he was wheeling a baby carriage. I wagged my finger at him and smiled, and he just looked at me and shrugged and smiled back.

 Last summer, artist Ward Schumaker began a series of paintings based on spoken words, all quotes from Donald Trump. Eventually he completed a portfolio of them, images of which he sent to his art dealer, Jack Fischer, asking that he not show them to anyone. But a day later, when a woman came to the gallery asking to see some Schumaker paintings, Fischer couldnt resist showing her the quote pictures on his computer screen. She excused herself to go outside and fetch her husband. And when her husband, Jack Jensen of Chronicle Books, came in to see them, he asked if Schumaker would agree to have them published.

Thats how Hate Is What We Need, just out, was conceived. The author will sign books at the San Francisco Center for the Book from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 18.

 Rachel Howards already raved in The Chronicle about Sutra, Alonzo King Lines Ballets 35th anniversary piece, a collaboration with Zakir Hussain and Sabir Khan. I saw it on Sunday afternoon, and sitting there at a performance was like worshiping at a service in the church of the human body. Its on until Sunday, April 15, so you still have time to be awestruck.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

Why does it always have to be rice? I want French fries.
The Giants clubhouse got weirder by the minute Tuesday. First, reliever Steven Okert walked in with a suitcase. Then Mike Henry appeared. He is the voice actor who portrays the characters Cleveland, Herbert the old man and Consuela on Family Guy.

Henry was there to see old friend Derek Holland, who does voices himself, including a mean Cleveland. They met on the sidelines of a Dallas Cowboys game.

Finally, starter Andrew Suarez rolled in, a bit overwhelmed but happy to be in a big-league clubhouse.

The picture became clear when manager Bruce Bochy announced that Johnny Cueto, his top starter in Madison Bumgarners absence, sprained his left ankle during a weekend workout, which explained why the club kept pushing back his next start.

Suarez will make his big-league debut in Cuetos place Wednesday, making it two debuts in two days after Tyler Beedes on Tuesday night.

Now Playing: Johnny Cueto Injured Video: SFChronicle

You know what? Bochy said. They were in major-league camp. They got a lot of work in. We have a lot of (bullpen) coverage here. Sure, its a little unusual for two guys to make their debuts.  But they were in major-league camp competing for jobs, and here they are.

The Giants promoted Okert from Triple-A Sacramento to take Cuetos spot on the roster and add bullpen coverage Tuesday. They will have to make another 25-man roster move and clear a 40-man spot for Suarez before Wednesdays game.

As dire as all this sounds, the Giants are confident that Cueto is not seriously hurt and they could have him and Jeff Samardzija back in the rotation next week.

Cueto threw off a mound at 70 percent Tuesday. The Giants are being cautious for fear he could injure the ankle further by fielding a bunt or covering first base. He turned the other ankle making a defensive play against the Mariners last Wednesday.

Cueto can return as soon as Tuesdays series opener in Phoenix. Samardzija could rejoin the rotation two days later if all goes well in a rehab start at San Jose on Saturday.

Suarez admitted he was surprised when Triple-A Sacramento manager Dave Brundage told him to pack his bags and drive to San Francisco.

He arrived before batting practice, unsure whether he would be activated Tuesday.

I guess I should find out, said Suarez, a 25-year-old whom the Giants selected in the second round of the 2015 draft out of the University of Miami. He has pitched once this season, four shutout innings in Sacramentos season opener at rainy Tacoma on Thursday.

Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
It was a swan song of sorts at the de Young Museum for the Mid-Winter Gala founders on April 6. Fifteen years ago, event chairs Allison Speer, Kathryn Lasater, Vanessa Getty and (drumroll, please) Ambassador Trevor Traina established the Junior Committee of the Fine Arts Museums to dream up one of the hottest tickets on the EssEff social circuit. This year, they attracted a major gala sponsor in Cartier.

Though the band isnt completely breaking up, theyre looking at new ways and other leaders to continue this fete into the future.

Were delighted there are some legitimate juniors here tonight, like my brother Maxx Traina, Will Harlan, Matthew and Jason Goldman, Traina joked. Especially as some of us founding juniors become more senior.

In mid-May, Traina decamps for Vienna to assume his post as U.S. ambassador to Austria, a position recently confirmed unanimously by a surprisingly unified Senate.

Im proud this party has evolved into an important attractor and fundraiser for the Fine Arts Museums, said Traina. When we started, there were fewer fundraisers for our generation. Now, so many high-cost fundraisers compete for the same audience. Im also proud we offer our guests a lot of enjoyment rather than obligation: We never lost sight of creating a pure spirit of fun.

Catherine Bigelow / Special to The Chronicle

Thats right: Guests either sipped cocktails in Wilsey Court or strolled the galleries now featuring Cult of the Machine. A McCalls meal followed on the tented courtyard that was a riot of Cartier-red floral walls topped by dramatic fabric swags.

And though this party has since moved to the spring, it really felt like winter as the gorgeous red-hot tent was pelted by an atmospheric river of rain.

While Traina gave a brief toast, there was no auction or uncomfortable pledge pleas. And thats thanks to the generosity of the sponsor.

Cartier was a dream partner for us; they really understand how to work with museums, enthused Traina. Aside from its beautiful jewels, Cartier has a strong tradition of supporting the arts through its Fondation Cartier in Paris.

Glamorous ball-gowned guests then nibbled a chocolate molten cake before hitting the dance floor until the wee hours.

Tank top: It was rather an epic week here for Cartier, as the storied jeweler set up an elegant atelier at Pier 48 to host its International Party  a celebration launch for the latest edition of its Santos de Cartier watch. Alerts and updated press releases with names of notable attendees flew fast and furious over the transom.

Catherine Bigelow / Special to The Chronicle

When big-league retailers or hot-shot tech companies hold events here, they often boast of a celebrity presence. Because, you know, San Francisco is a backwater filled with names like Getty, Coppola, Schwab, Ive, Bass, Shultz, Traina, Wilsey, Pelosi and Steel.

But given that Cartiers wrap-around-your-wrist timepiece is available in materials like steel or gold (yellow or pink), as well as a racy white gold beauty adorned with an enamel tiger face (seriously) that ranges in price from $6,850 to $63,500, well, heck, the haute French horologist can certainly afford to fly in a few certifiable celebs.

Led by actor Jake Gyllenhaal, the new face of Santos, it was more like 300 models, actors, musicians and (oh, when can we retire this word?) ... influencers ... from around the globe who alighted for a three-day bacchanalia of exquisitely curated (perhaps another word due for retirement?) design and audio labs evocative of 21st century innovation that were led by creatives including artists Barry McGee, Leo Villareal and Apple Music honcho Larry Jackson.

On April 4 and 5, the group experienced some of the finest Bay Area culinary talent (vintner Sean Thackrey, restaurateur Alice Waters, chef Daniel de La Falaise, perfumer Mandy Aftel) laid out fair lunch feasts, all executed by caterer Paula LeDuc.

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But we got lucky later when LeDuc and her crack crew were on deck Thursday night, delivering cocktail hors doeuvres at Cartiers Bold and Fearless Party, a pulsing Instagram-ready playground created by renowned French designer Alexandre de Betak.

Any dramatic Paris fashion show dreamscape youve ever swooned over, such as a giant floral mountain he created in the Louvres Cour Carree in 2016 for Dior, is most likely designed by Alexandre and his Bureau Betak.

Yet this was Betaks inaugural Cartier event and first time creating in San Francisco.

Pier 48 is a huge, empty pier. Thats what we like best: as blank a canvas possible. When a luxury brand wants you for such a modern occasion, which is Santos, I felt it was important to bring luxury to a raw space in a very modern manner, explained Betak.

But we want guests to know theyre in San Francisco, too, so we opened the piers views onto the bay and Villareal-lighted Bay Bridge.

As gorgeous as that sight is, Villareal had competition from Nonotak, an architectural-music-sound-light installation studio, that created a pulsing, LED-lit runway and DJ audiovisual set.

Watching Leos lights moving across the bridge contrasted with whats going on inside, said Betak, with a laugh. I think we match really well together.

Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicles society correspondent. Email: missbigelow@sfgate.com Instagram: @missbigelow
Has anyone ever watched a Tony Gilroy movie and understood what was going on? Were not talking here about knowing generally, but rather, moment by moment, actually knowing whats happening, and why. Gilroys art seems to be not about illuminating, but about persuading an audience to not mind obfuscation. And the odd thing is, most of the time he gets away with this. Most of the time we end up not really minding, or not minding much.

Such is the case with Beirut, which he wrote and which he dominates, even though Brad Anderson (The Machinist) directed. You may spend half the film feeling like there are four or five books you probably should have read before walking into the theater. The audience is made to be like a fly on the wall, only this time literally: Flies never know whats going on, either. Yet Beirut is always hurtling in a distinct direction, and by the time its over, youll feel like youve been somewhere.

That somewhere is Beirut, from back in the day when the word Beirut was practically a synonym for horrible, dangerous place. (Sample early-1980s exchange: Hows Times Square these days? Forget it, its like Beirut.) Jon Hamm plays a diplomat, and at the start of the film its 1972, and he has the haircut to prove it  just over the ears, accompanied by the obligatory long sideburns. He is hosting a party, and he has the breezy air of a man in control of his destiny. In fact, he has no idea whats about to hit him.

But to get back to the hair and the fashion, for a moment. Its a nice part of Beirut that care is taken to get the visual details right. Usually, only the lead actors will look in the appropriate period, while the supporting players and especially the extras will look like they just got pulled off the street. But Beirut captures 1970s exuberance and then jumps 10 years to the more classic 1980s: Thin lapels, thick tie knots, constructed shoulders. And none of the women have big hair, because big 1980s hair didnt happen until the middle of the decade.

The point is, somebody cared, and this matters, especially in a movie thats confusing in its story: At least the audience can feel grounded in time and place.

By 1982, the young, snappy diplomat  Mason, played by Hamm  is a middle-aged man who has been hitting the bottle, and the bottle has been hitting him back. The CIA recruits him to return to Beirut, supposedly to give a lecture at a university, but hes not stupid and knows something bigger is afoot. When he gets there, they tell him: His friend and former colleague has been kidnapped by terrorists, and the CIA wants him to negotiate a prisoner exchange.

Thats all you need to know, because for a long while, thats all the audience knows, but theres a lot more going on than that. In the meantime, Hamm must deal with a contentious cast of characters. Theres Rosamund Pike, as the woman sent to be his assistant, but more like his minder. Theres Dean Norris, in a rather convincing toupee, as a CIA operative, and theres the always engaging Larry Pine as the American ambassador.

There are blown-up streets and blown-out buildings, and even a two-block walk is a calculated risk. But more than anything, there is an atmosphere of confusion, one which matches the confusion of the viewers. Everyone has a different angle and different interests  the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Israelis and the Christian militias, and even within the U.S. government, there are hidden and conflicting motives.

In such a story, having a movie star at the center is essential, and Hamm is a movie star. He can be drunk and unshaven and look like he slept in his clothes, but we know just by looking at him that hes our guy, and all we have to do is care about him, and the movie will reveal itself. So this is a good movie for Hamm, and also for Pike who, in her recent films, has too often been either a madwoman or a victim of circumstance (and sometimes both). Here she gets to be active and think on her feet, and it makes a big difference.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle

Beirut

Drama. Starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike. Directed by Brad Anderson. (R. 109 minutes.)

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BERLIN - Several international airlines diverted some of their planes on Wednesday, amid concerns about potential U.S. strikes on targets in Syria. In a rare move, Europe's air traffic control agency, Eurocontrol, had issued a rapid alert notification Tuesday afternoon, warning that missiles may pose a threat over the three following days.

An airstrike by the United States could temporarily disrupt radio navigation systems typically used to determine locations, Eurocontrol warned.

"Due to the possible launch of airstrikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area," the alert read, referring to an abbreviation for Flight Information Region (FIR) that's used to describe certain parts of an airspace.

The likelihood of a U.S. strike on Syria appeared to heighten Wednesday morning, after President Donald Trump warned in a tweet that missiles "will be coming" toward Syria. The strike would be in response to a reported chemical attack that killed at least 43 people, including young children, and which the West has blamed on the Syrian regime.

"Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" the president wrote on Twitter, referring to Russia's threats to shoot down any such strikes and Moscow's support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump discussed a response to the attack during a phone call on Sunday but let pass a preliminary deadline to act.

Air France and low-cost carrier easyJet changed some of their flight routes in response to the Eurocontrol alert, according to Reuters news agency. Most carriers, however, have long avoided Syrian airspace after prior warnings by the United States and several European governments. On their website, experts with air traffic monitoring service FlightRadar24 explained that "civilian overflight of the Damascus FIR is already severely limited due to the ongoing conflict."

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"Commercial flights avoid the north and northeast areas of Syria, while transiting the southern portion of the FIR. Flights operating in the eastern portion of the Nicosia FIR avoid transiting the area near Syrian airspace," the air traffic monitoring service wrote, attempting to debunk a viral map that circulated on social media, showing Syrian airspace to be virtually empty as a result of the latest alert. In fact, the same map didn't look too different on any given day last week, FlightRadar24 cautioned.

Although flights of commercial foreign planes over Syria had already sharply decreased, the area affected by Eurocontrol's latest warning is much more expansive. Eurocontrol's alert also cautions about air routes near the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, which is more than 150 miles from Syria.

While some are criticizing the nonbinding alert as overly cautious, air traffic monitors point to the 2014 shoot-down of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, during the fighting there, in which all passengers and crew members - up to 300 people - were killed.
Federal prosecutors investigating President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, are seeking records related to two women who received payments in 2016 after alleging affairs with Trump years ago - adult-film star Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The interest in both Daniels and McDougal indicates that federal investigators are trying to determine whether there was a broader pattern or strategy among Trump associates to buy the silence of women whose accounts could harm the president's electoral chances and whether any crimes were committed in doing so, one of those people said.

Investigators are also seeking all communications about Daniels and McDougal between Cohen, David Pecker - a personal friend of Trump and the chief executive of American Media Inc., which publishes the National Enquirer - and Dylan Howard, the chief content officer of American Media and a reporter there.

Daniels is cooperating with federal prosecutors, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Her cooperation was first reported by NBC News.

Now Playing: President Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday morning via Twitter over news that his attorney Michael Cohen's office and home was raided by federal agents. Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker breaks down whether Trump's complaints have merit. (April 10) Video: Associated Press

ALSO White House asserts Trump can fire Mueller as GOP urges caution

The high stakes of the case were underscored by the involvement of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who personally approved the move to seek a search warrant for Cohen's records, which included raids Monday on his home and office, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation.

The raid infuriated Trump, who was left "stunned" and "livid" by the aggressive move by prosecutors Monday, according to an outside adviser in frequent touch with the White House.

Trump privately continued to gripe Tuesday about Rosenstein, who also oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign, according to people familiar with the situation. Many in the president's orbit think Rosenstein's position is currently the most endangered if the president decides to take action to try to halt the probe, the people said.

Cohen, Trump's longtime attorney, is under federal investigation for possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The New York Times first reported prosecutors' interest in McDougal. The former Playmate has said she had a 10-month relationship with Trump beginning in 2006 and then sold her story to American Media for $150,000 about three months before the 2016 election.

No story about McDougal ever appeared in the publication, a tabloid practice sometimes referred to as "catch and kill."

American Media spokesman Jon Hammond did not respond to questions about whether the company had been contacted by federal investigators.

"American Media Inc. has, and will continue to, comply with any and all requests that do not jeopardize or violate its protected sources or materials pursuant to our First Amendment rights," Hammond said.

McDougal's attorney, Peter Stris, declined to comment on the Cohen investigation.

The search warrants served Monday on Cohen's Rockefeller Center office and home sought his personal financial information and client communications, including records related to Daniels, who was paid $130,000 by the Trump lawyer just days before the 2016 election in what she described as an effort to buy her silence.

The raids, which also swept up communications between Cohen and Trump, left the White House scrambling to contain yet another crisis in an administration rife with them.

Some White House allies think that this one, like many of the administration's pockets of turbulence, was brought on by Trump himself - specifically, by comments he made last week aboard Air Force One, when he claimed he had no knowledge of the payment Cohen made to Daniels, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

"He shot himself in the foot by saying he didn't know anything about the payment," one the people said.

Several lawyers noted that public statements from Cohen and Trump that the president was unaware of the payment may have significantly aided federal prosecutors' legal arguments to justify searching the lawyer's office, home and hotel room.

If both the lawyer and the client insisted that Trump had no idea that Cohen had made the payment, they cannot assert that those activities were protected by attorney-client privilege, legal experts said.

"At that point, anything to do with that entire incident is, I would argue, not attorney-client privilege,'' said Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor who practices law in Chicago. "If I were a prosecutor hearing both the lawyer and the client say the client had no awareness whatsoever of that, I would now feel very confident going to a judge to seek that material."

On Monday, asked by reporters why he doesn't just fire Mueller, Trump said, "We'll see what happens," and added, "Many people have said, 'You should fire him.'" And on Tuesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president believes he has the authority to fire Mueller.

Special counsel regulations say only the attorney general - or in this case, the acting attorney general on the Russia probe, Rosenstein - can dismiss the special counsel. But legal experts say the White House could achieve the same end result by rescinding the regulation that allows for a special counsel.

Within the president's orbit, people described Trump as furious and "lit up" by the recent developments and floating a trial balloon to test the boundaries of trying to halt Mueller's burgeoning probe.

"His anger is unabated," said a Republican strategist in frequent touch with the White House, who added the mood there is "extremely grim."

Someone else in contact with the White House said aides have likened the current atmosphere to two previous crises - when Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey and when the White House was embroiled in the saga of Rob Porter, a former staff secretary accused of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives.

Alan Dershowitz, a retired Harvard Law School professor whose cable-television commentary has captured Trump's attention, had dinner Tuesday at the White House with the president, son-in-law Jared Kushner and a handful of other advisers.

Reached by phone following the dinner, Dershowitz said he was there to advise Trump on Middle East policy and the conflict in Syria. Asked whether they discussed the Russia investigation, Dershowitz would not say.

"I'm not going to discuss what I discussed with the president," Dershowitz said. He added, "That's where he gets my legal advice, on television. I do not have a lawyer-client relationship with him and therefore did not give him legal advice."

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On Capitol Hill, Republicans were divided over Trump's implicit threats to possibly fire Mueller, while legislation to protect the prosecutor remained stalled.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said it would be "suicide" for the president to move to remove Mueller as special counsel.

"I have confidence in Mueller, the president ought to have confidence in Mueller, and I think, to answer your question, it would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller," Grassley said on Fox Business Network. "The less the president said on this whole thing, the better off he would be, the stronger his presidency would be."

But House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., one of Trump's leading allies on the Hill, privately urged Republican colleagues on Tuesday to consider holding Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress if the Justice Department does not provide him with documents he has sought about the Russia probe in coming days.

Nunes is readying proceedings and keeping several House Republicans briefed on his plans, including members of the Judiciary Committee and Oversight Committee, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Nunes has also spoken in the past week with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which has been supportive of Trump, about how a potential contempt effort could unfold. He has not yet spoken with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., about possibly moving forward, the two people said.

Nunes, who has been signaling that Congress could take action this month, declined to comment.

At the Justice Department, meanwhile, some officials made a point of watching Trump's comments on television after the Cohen raid, looking for any hint that his rage this time would lead to consequences beyond a few angry tweets.

The mood at the department has been grim for months and those inside fear their pool of allies is shrinking. Republicans in Congress - once considered a reliable bulwark that might help keep an angry president at bay - have become increasingly incensed over the department's slow production of documents on controversial cases, including the Hillary Clinton email case.

Trump was already complaining publicly about that controversy when the FBI raided his personal lawyer's office.

On Tuesday, the president also canceled a plan trip to the Summit of the Americas in Peru, sending Vice President Mike Pence instead. The White House cited a need to remain in the United States to monitor the U.S. response to a suspected chemical attack in Syria.

The decision to remain stateside, however, further inflamed the anxiety of aides, who worry about the president stewing in Washington as the Cohen case further unfolds and as Comey gives his first interview to ABC News Sunday evening as part of a planned book tour launch.

"I think it's going to get gnarly this weekend," said a Republican strategist in frequent touch with the White House.

---

The Washington Post's Robert Costa, Josh Dawsey, Beth Reinhard and Philip Rucker contributed to this report.
The catch of the day is the HBO documentary on Andre the Giant, the professional wrestler and actor who died in 1993. The film looks at his life and career and airs at 10 p.m.

Netflix offers the standup special Greg Davies: You Magnificent Beast, available for streaming today.

Americas Next Top Model will be chosen in the shows 24th season ender at 8 p.m. on VH1.

Discovery airs a Deadliest Catch special at 8 p.m. called Live From the Docks. It will be followed by the two-hour season premiere of Deadliest Catch at 9.

Hes still standing, except when hes at the piano, and then hes still sitting. CBS airs a two-hour special honoring Elton John with Im Still Standing: A Grammy Salute at 9 p.m.

Shes not so new anymore, but still fresh as a daisy after six seasons: New Girl, with Zooey Deschanel, launches season seven at 9:30 p.m. on Fox.

Frontline probes Trumps Takeover at 10 p.m. on KQED, focusing on Trumps battle for control of the Republican Party and the increased divisiveness in the country.

Erica Ash stars on In Contempt, a new drama on BET about an especially committed public defender, premiering at 10 p.m.

A new episode of Returning the Favor is available today on Facebook Watch, as the team heads to Louisiana to talk to Dwayne Prince Holmes and members of his group Youth Rebuilding New Orleans, dedicated to the ongoing effort to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina. Go to www.facebook.com/watch.

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.

Timothy Olyphant and Wyatt Cenac guest on Late Night With Seth Meyers at 12:35 a.m. on NBC.
As you've heard, federal agents raided the office and home of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's personal attorney. Yet despite how rare an action it is to pierce attorney-client privilege this way, the big picture story here seems inevitable: Once a serious prosecutor with resources and authority began taking a good long look at Trump and his associates, a bunch of people were going to be in big trouble, with some winding up behind bars.

I checked in with Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. Attorney, to get context on the Cohen raid. She emphasized how rare it is for prosecutors to get a warrant for privileged material: Breaching attorney-client privilege in this way only happens when the attorney himself is directly implicated in possible crimes. She also stressed that, because it's such a radical step for prosecutors to take, a complex system of safeguards has been established to make sure it can't be abused.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs Tuesday appearance at the U.S. Senate was presumably about Facebooks plans to protect user privacy in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. But it quickly became about far more than that.

Many of the senators quickly demonstrated that they didnt understand Facebook, or the Internet, very well. (There were questions about the difference between Twitter and Facebook and how Facebook makes money. Senator, we ran ads, Zuckerberg deadpanned. Others were unclear about the concept of cookies that dont come out of the oven.)

But that did not stop senators from railing against Facebooks practices, at least to the extent they understood them. They did so in a bipartisan fashion.

The status quo (on user privacy) no longer works, scolded Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., expressed dismay over Facebooks role in spreading Russian misinformation ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

A number of senators promised if Facebook couldnt get its act together, government regulation was imminent.

In his statement and his answers to the senators questions, a nervous-looking Zuckerberg aimed to present an apologic, humble demeanor. He strove to seem like a cooperative executive, not a stonewalling one.

It was my mistake, and Im sorry, Zuckerberg said.

He promised more: more app audits, a more proactive role for the company in security and content review, more solutions for serious problems like hate speech. He called fighting political misinformation one of his top priorities for 2018.

But the overriding response from the senators was skepticism, and rightfully so.

After all, Zuckerberg has apologized for violations of user privacy plenty of times before  he did so in 2010, for example, after Facebook reached a consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission over privacy standards. The Cambridge Analytica scandal showed how little has changed at the company since then.

Zuckerberg seems to realize that user mistrust and congressional anger is growing. But he still seems to believe that the companys mission to connect people all over the world offers users enough fun and optimism to forgive a disturbing pattern of harm. The hearing gave cause to wonder who to trust: a social-media company with a profit motive to keep sharing our personal information or clueless politicians who might try to regulate it.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris highlighted very different worries Tuesday when they had their chance to question Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in a televised Senate hearing that ran for nearly five hours.

For Feinstein, the alarming Russian intrusion into the 2016 presidential campaign was her top concern. The senator said foreign actors had abused Facebook and other social media platforms to interfere in elections and take millions of Americans personal information without their knowledge in order to manipulate public opinion.

Harris wanted to know how 87 million Facebook users could have their online histories vacuumed up and secretly shipped to a political consulting firm linked to Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, without the social media company letting anyone know about it for years.

Im concerned about how much Facebook values trust and transparency, Harris said. She added that she had previously asked Zuckerberg several critical questions for which you dont have answers, including why Facebook hadnt alerted users that their data had fallen into the hands of the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm when the platform discovered it in 2015.

Knowing what we know now, we should have handled a lot of things here differently, Zuckerberg said, stating what was the theme of his long afternoon under the TV lights.

The differing approaches of Feinstein and Harris were due at least in part to the audiences they were playing to, said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University.

Feinstein is used to playing the adult in the Democratic caucus, and her long experience with foreign affairs and intelligence issues means she will be listened to, without have to go on a full-out attack, he said.

Harris, however, played to the very evident generational difference between the graying and none-too-tech-savvy senators and the 33-year-old Zuckerberg and the crowd of thirtysomething aides who sat behind him, McCuan said.

It was a stark contrast, he added, with Harris focusing on the type of privacy concerns that strike a spark with younger people who live much of their lives online.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Both of the states Democratic senators had to tread carefully. Facebook is both a leader in the technology industry and one of Californias best-known and most powerful corporations. But the states citizens are also front-and-center in the battle for Internet privacy, with plenty of concerns that tech giants are overly eager to turn user data into profits.

And then there is the political outlook in deep-blue California, where Hillary Clinton won 4 million more votes than Donald Trump in 2016.

Russian operatives created 470 Facebook accounts and pages during the campaign and produced ads and false information to create discord and harm Secretary Clintons campaign, Feinstein said.

What exactly is Facebook going to do to ensure that never happens again? she asked Zuckerberg.

The Facebook CEO admitted the company was taken by surprise by the Russian efforts.

We expected a more traditional cyberattack and were slow to respond to the Russian intrusion, Zuckerberg said. The company didnt even identify the problem until around the time of the 2016 election itself, he said.

Avoiding a similar attack is one of my top priorities, Zuckerberg said. One of my greatest regrets is we were slow in identifying the Russian operations in 2016.

But while Facebook has improved its ability to detect foreign intrusions and removed tens of thousands of attacks before they become public, there are no guarantees, Zuckerberg said.

This is an arms race, he said. Theyre going to get better at this, and we have to get better, too.

Harris took a much sharper tone with Zuckerberg, accusing him of avoiding answers to many of the questions senators were asking.

She focused less on the politics of Facebooks actions than on its failure to notify the affected users, who didnt receive an official notice from Facebook until this week.

Was there a discussion in 2015 about whether or not the users should be informed? Harris asked.

In retrospect, I think we clearly view it as a mistake that we did not inform people, Zuckerberg said. And we did that based on false information that we thought that the case was closed and the data had been deleted.

Harris also asked how much money Facebook had made from the fake Russian campaign ads, repeating a question she had asked executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter in November.

Its a moving target, Zuckerberg admitted.

What we do know is that the IRA, the Internet Research Agency, the Russian firm, ran about $100,000 worth of ads, he said. I cant say that we have identified all of the foreign actors who are involved here, so I cant say that it is all of the money.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Theres nothing the folks at Fox News love more than a story rooted in crazy liberal California. And now Fox is warming up to Californias gubernatorial race.

On Tuesday, this flashed on the screen during Stuart Varneys Fox Business Network show:

Newt Gingrich: California may elect a Republican governor  Incredible as that sounds.

Varney was giddy about Gingrichs recent FoxNews.com piece talking up how GOP businessman John Cox is now within striking distance of being elected governor of the infamously liberal state in November.

Gingrich cited a March survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showing Cox in second place in the governors race. The former House speaker acknowledged that the top Democrat still has a significant lead on Cox, but nearly a quarter of likely voters in California remain undecided.

What Gingrich didnt say was that 45 percent of Californias registered voters are Democrats and only 25 percent are Republicans. And that the state hasnt elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006. And that Gingrich has endorsed Cox, who was the California finance chairman of his 2012 presidential run.

With roughly 41 percent of the vote in the June primary expected to be cast for a Republican, it will challenging for a GOP candidate to be one of the top two finishers who advance to the November election.

But it could happen, Gingrich said, if Republicans vote. He quoted a survey from SmithJohnson Reasearch, which found that 99.6 percent of California Republicans said they planned to vote in the June primary, with 97 percent reporting they definitely will vote. 

Unsaid was that the firm is a division of the Wayne Johnson Agency. As in the Wayne Johnson who is Coxs political consultant.

By the way, that top Democrat in the polls whom Gingrich didnt name is Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. He had 28 percent in the Public Policy Institute of Californias survey, double Coxs 14 percent.

Odd that Gingrich didnt mention the lieutenant governor by name, since he showered praise on Newsoms 2013 book, Citizenville, calling it a blueprint for a Republican Party focused on a better future for all Americans, with more freedom, more prosperity and lower cost.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchroniclecom. Twitter: @joegarofoli
As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers swept across Northern California earlier this year, arresting more than 150 undocumented immigrants, the Bay Area restaurant industry watched closely.

Everyone is fearing a day that ICE could show up at their doors, said Gwyneth Borden, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

For restaurateurs and their staff, its more than just speculative anxiety. During the past several months, numerous food businesses in the region have received a notice of inspection from the agency, though no raids have been reported.

Such notices require that a business owner provide employment eligibility verification, known as I-9 forms, for both current employees and former employees who worked for the business within the past three years. Once a notice is received, business owners have three days to produce the forms, which they are legally obliged to possess, according to the ICE website.

The notification process can happen quickly, Borden said. Employers receive a written notice  either in person or via certified mail  at least three days before an actual inspection. ICE officials may also use subpoenas and warrants to obtain documents from an employer without providing three days notice, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Natividad Ramirez, whose family has owned Don Ramons Mexican restaurant in SoMa since 1982, said agents are visiting restaurants. Over the years, she said, she has interacted with agents who have come to her restaurant, asking about specific employees.

The key, she said, is for employers to understand the law and the rights of their employees. We as employers have to be ready, she said. You have to be ready for anything.

According to the Pew Research Center, undocumented immigrants account for 11 percent of the countrys restaurant and bar workforce, a percentage that translates to around 1.3 million people. The workers seldom interact with diners since they tend to occupy lower-level positions such as bussers and dishwashers. Undocumented workers make up 17 percent and 19 percent of each category, respectively, according to Pew.

The 2016 Planning Department Commerce and Industry data showed there were 64,000 restaurant workers in San Francisco, generating $4.5 billion in taxable sales, while accounting for 52 percent of retail sales tax collected in San Francisco.

Nick Cobarruvias, co-owner of Sons Addition in the Mission District, employs roughly 29 people at his restaurant. He said about two-thirds are immigrants.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Cobarruvias said one employee recently failed to show up for work for several days. Both he and staff members tried contacting him, to no avail.

It turned out he was picked up by ICE. Just wrong place, wrong time, Cobarruvias said. This is the new reality were dealing with. People talk about it like its theoretical, but this is really happening.

Ramirez of Don Ramons said the palpable fear is reminiscent of the 1960s. Back then (ICE) would just walk onto your premises, she said. Nobody knew they had rights.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

The GGRA is trying to educate restaurant owners and chefs surrounding such issues. Borden said she is urging people to review AB 450, also known as the Immigrant Worker Protection Act, which was implemented in January. The legislation tells employers who are visited by ICE officials to ask for a warrant, protect private employee records and notify the employees of the inspection notice.

Tobias Damm-Luhr, a Registered Legal Services Attorney from the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area who spoke Tuesday at an industry conference, recommended that employers set reminders on their personal calendars to keep employees I-9 documentation up to date.

Meanwhile, Adrienne Pon, executive director of San Franciscos Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, said employers should be aware of potential pitfalls within ICE paperwork.

I tell employers to arm yourself with accurate and up-to-date information, she said. In this environment, theyre changing questions on forms every week.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
Lost in Space is a barely adequate space drama with an unfortunate title. Why? Because some viewers would expect at least more links to the classic 1965 show of the same name than merely borrowing the basic setup and leaving the campy fun of the original on the shelf.

The remakes 10-episode first season is available for streaming on Netflix on Friday, April 13.

Irwin Allen, the master of popular fare such as the disaster films The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno, created the original in 1965, with theme music by John Williams, based on the classic family adventure yarn, The Swiss Family Robinson. Instead of having the Robinson family shipwrecked on a deserted island, Allen had the bright idea to have them Lost in Space.

Like another TV classic of the 60s, Star Trek, Lost leavened the drama of battling aliens with tongue in cheek humor that became instant camp. Danger, Will Robinson wasnt necessarily meant to be funny when uttered by the rotund Robot, but immediately found its way into common usage as a conversational punch line. The sets looked as realistic as something youd see in a department store window and the special effects worked because they werent very special at all.

The new Lost plays it straight, which would be fine if only the characters and story were as engaging as the slick and seamless special effects. The Robinson family, plus one chicken, are aboard a spaceship seeking a new life on another world, when they crash-land on an icy, forbidding planet. Within seconds, the heat of the ship causes it to sink beneath the surface of melting ice. The family is not only stranded, but all of their supplies are aboard the spaceship.

Daughter Judy (Taylor Russell) impetuously dives through the ice to get to the ship before the ice freezes over again, but shes too late and the family is unable to pull her back to safety. She has enough oxygen for now and her space suit will keep her from freezing to death for a while, but the Robinsons are having little luck hacking through the ice until the youngest Robinson, precocious Will (Maxwell Jenkins), encounters Robot, who helps Judy escape. Instead of looking like a steel-coated Michelin man, the new Robot is totally ripped and has kind of a streetlamp where his face should be. It turns colors, like a mood ring.

Netflix

In addition to Judy and Will, the family includes parents John (Toby Stephens) and Maureen (Molly Parker), and daughter Penny (Mina Sundwall), whose role is to make snarky commentary on whatever the rest of the family is up to at any given time. Pennys burns are the closest the show comes to the humor of the original show, but its not close at all. Mostly, its annoying and phony.

Meanwhile, back at the space station, things are falling apart fast. One woman steals the ID badge from an injured man. His name is Dr. Z. Smith. He is played by Bill Mumy, who not only used to be Billy Mumy and the original Will Robinson but was perhaps the most ubiquitous kid actor on TV in the 60s and is still working today. Mumy gives the show momentary cred.

The fake Dr. Smith is played by Parker Posey, who hitches a ride to safety with an interplanetary smuggler named Don West (Ignacio Serricchio). They crash-land as well on the same planet as the Robinsons.

The series, created by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, is built on an episodic structure as the Robinsons face a weekly challenge trying to get off the planet. One day, the fuel supply is being consumed by unknown forces. Another day, Don West and Judy Robinson team up to keep another ship from falling into an abyss just long enough to siphon fuel from it. Another time, Wills friendship with the Robot is tested.

The writers have laudable intentions when it comes to empowering the series female characters. Maureen is an aerospace engineer and far smarter than her husband, which creates tension in their marriage. Maureen has to pretend at one point that she cant do it all so her dolt of a husband doesnt feel like a dolt of a husband.

Judy is traumatized for a long time after shes defrosted by the Robot, but with time, she regains personal courage and determination. And Dr. Smith, who isnt even the woman she pretended to be when she mugged the real Dr. Smith and stole his identity, is an amoral criminal, but being around the Robinsons, who value family above all else, causes some humanity to seep into the fake doctors personality.

The show is watchable, but mostly for the special effects. The scripts are plodding and formulaic and the direction consistently flabby. The series is marked by what could be termed a suspension of suspense in most episodes, meandering around until Danger, Will Robinson, and then the special effects do their thing.

Theres nothing inherently wrong with remaking a show from more than 50 years ago, keeping some of the elements but making it a more serious drama. There is something wrong when its not very interesting. If the show had no links whatsoever to Irwin Allens original, it would be considered exactly what it is: a modest sci-fi drama that could have been better with sharper scripts and stepping up the pace of the direction.

By the way, Tim Cook at least will be pleased to know that by 2046, civilization will have advanced in many areas, but people still use smartphones.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV

Lost in Space: Sci-fi drama. First season of 10 episodes available for streaming on Friday, April 13, on Netflix.
Edward Von der Porten, a renowned maritime scholar who was an expert on Sir Francis Drakes 16th century visit to California, died Sunday after complications from surgery in San Francisco. He was 84.

Von der Porten was a teacher, an author and a historian, but he was best known as a leading authority on Drakes Pacific voyage in 1579 and his landing near Point Reyes in Marin County.

Drakes voyage was one of the first European contacts with what is now California. The English captain, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, was looking for a place of refuge after attacking Spanish outposts in South and Central America. When he landed on the unexplored West Coast, he nailed a brass plate to a post and claimed the country for England.

For years, scholars argued about the site of Drakes landing. Some thought Drake had come ashore in San Francisco Bay, while others claimed dozens of other sites, even as far north as Oregon.

But Von der Porten and associates, in a group called the Drake Navigators Guild, made a convincing case for a small cove near Drakes Bay on the Point Reyes National Seashore. The federal government agreed three years ago and designated the site as an official landmark.

Von der Porten delighted taking reporters and other interested parties to the place, a wild and windswept corner of the seashore, and talking about Drake and other seafarers.

Ships and exploration fascinated him. He also spent many years conducting research in Baja California, where beachcombers found wreckage of what Von der Porten determined was the Spanish sailing ship San Juanillo, one of the famous Manila galleons that sailed every year for 250 years from the Philippines to Mexico, carrying trade goods and treasures from China.

The ship had a disastrous voyage from Manila as fierce storms battered the ship and disease decimated the crew. Von der Porten believed the crew was in desperate condition when the ship ran aground on the uncharted Mexican coast in 1578. Its wreckage was scattered by hurricanes and remained buried for nearly 450 years. Von der Porten was able to identify it from shards of Chinese Ming Dynasty porcelain carried in its cargo and discovered under the beach sand. He had nearly completed a book on the galleon when he died. The book will be published next year.

Edward Von der Porten was born in New York City in 1933, the son of German immigrants. He moved to San Francisco after high school and graduated from what was then San Francisco State College in 1955. He received a masters degree in history from the college in 1965.

Von der Porten was a high school teacher for many years in Fremont and Santa Rosa, and also taught at Santa Rosa Junior College. During school vacations, he traveled in Europe and did research on World War II naval affairs. He wrote two books on the German Navy and nearly 100 scholarly articles on maritime affairs  everything from Henry VIIIs flagship to the modern battleship Iowa.

He also served as director of the Navy and Marine Corps Museum on Treasure Island from 1985 until it closed in 1992. He then designed the onboard museum on the Liberty Ship Jeremiah OBrien berthed at Pier 45 in San Francisco.

Von der Porten is survived by his son, Michael, of Santa Rosa; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. His wife, Saryl, who he married in 1954, died in 2011. A son, Eric Von der Porten, died in 2008.

Plans for a memorial service are pending.

Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesf
There are enough alternative facts about San Francisco to create an alternative city  maybe when you're surrounded by translucent fog, some of the details are prone to get lost within the shapes.

The true stories, urban legends, and myths are multitude and easy to confuse. San Francisco has had its own United States emperor (true), who banned the use of the word "Frisco" (probably false). There are more dogs than children here (true), and one of those rare children was suspended from school for wishing his teacher a merry Christmas (false).
Courts throughout the nation are considering President Trumps efforts to compel unwilling cities and states to help carry out his hard-line immigration policies. But his most far-reaching decree, a January 2017 order to cut off federal funds to San Francisco and other sanctuary cities, received an apparently chilly reception from a federal appeals court Wednesday.

Trump issued the executive order five days after taking office, telling Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Homeland Security to make sure that sanctuary jurisdictions are not eligible to receive any federal grants.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick III of San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction blocking the order in April 2017. Attorneys in Sessions office had argued that Trump was referring only to a few federal grants, but Orrick said the presidents words, and his later statement on Fox News that a funding cutoff would be a weapon to force a change in sanctuary policies, showed that he was threatening local governments with losses of huge sums that he had no legal authority to withdraw.

The federal government funds a wide range of state and local programs, including schools, transportation, health care and social services. San Francisco receives about $2 billion a year in federal aid, one-fifth of its overall budget, and Santa Clara County, the other plaintiff in the suit against the Trump administration, receives $1.7 billion, more than one-third of its revenue.

On Wednesday, a high-ranking Justice Department lawyer, Assistant Attorney General Chad Readler, told the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that Trump hadnt made any threats or withdrawn any funding and had merely directed Sessions to carry out the law. Members of the three-judge panel seemed skeptical.

Chief Judge Sidney Thomas said Trump had made statements about withholding money from sanctuary cities, and the actions he took threatened their funding. Thomas also said the Trump administration appeared to be claiming authority that goes beyond federal law by seeking to require cities and counties to cooperate with immigration officers or lose their funding.

If Orricks interpretation of Trumps order was accurate, Thomas asked Readler, would you agree that the executive order was unconstitutional?

Perhaps, Readler replied, but Trumps order was actually much narrower and applied only to specific Justice Department and Homeland Security grants.

In that case, Thomas asked, why does the administration object to an injunction against withdrawing other categories of federal funding?

Judge Ronald Gould asked Readler whether Sessions, at Trumps directive, would have the constitutional authority to strip sanctuary cities of funding for education, health care and disaster relief. Readler said no such order had been issued.

Gould, however, also asked San Franciscos lawyer, Deputy City Attorney Christine Van Aken, why the city and Santa Clara County needed a nationwide injunction to protect their funding. Van Aken replied that Trumps order had nationwide impact.

The third panel member, Judge Ferdinand Fernandez, asked no questions during the 40-minute hearing.

More than 300 cities and counties nationwide have limited the cooperation their law enforcement agencies are allowed to extend to federal immigration officials seeking to detain and deport immigrants for crimes or illegal entry.

In a separate case before Orrick, the Trump administration is seeking to withdraw several million dollars from San Francisco and Santa Clara County for refusing to notify immigration officials of the planned release of undocumented immigrants in local custody. Orrick refused to dismiss the local governments case last month and has scheduled a hearing for September on whether the administration has the power to revoke the grants. A federal judge in Chicago has ruled in a similar case that no such advance notice to immigration officials is required by federal law.

The Trump administration has also sued the state of California, in federal court in Sacramento, seeking to overturn state laws that limit local governments authority to cooperate with immigration agents or allow them access to local jails and prohibit employers from allowing federal agents to enter private workplaces without a judicial warrant.

At Wednesdays hearing, lawyers for San Francisco and Santa Clara County urged the court to reject the administrations attempt to interpret Trumps order as merely a directive to the Justice Department to target a few federal grants.

San Francisco has had to set aside substantial funds as a hedge against the prospect of federal withdrawal, and shouldnt be required simply to trust the federal government on this continuing threat, said Van Aken, the citys lawyer.

Danielle Goldstein, a deputy Santa Clara County counsel, noted that Trump had commended the city of Miami for revoking its sanctuary policy because it feared the loss of federal funds.

Trumps executive order, Goldstein said, forces her county to decide whether to follow its own policy or risk financial ruin.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@BobEgelko
Every Wednesday morning, SFGATE finds the biggest headlines in local (and sometimes national) beer. Check back here weekly for news, events, and information about special releases from your favorite local breweries.

SFGATE has launched a beer newsletter! Called the Taploid, it will contain some key stories from this column, as well as other, more nationally-spanning industry news. To sign up, head here, enter your email at the top, and check the box marked "Taploid."

Allagash Brewing Company will team up with The Rare Barrel in Berkeley on Saturday, April 14 for the Maine brewery's fifth annual Saison Day. The event will feature saison pours from a number of local producers, including Sante Adairius, Cellarmaker, and Humble Sea. Allagash's Rob Tod will also head out for the big event  so you know this is kinda major."The Rare Barrel is full of great people doing some amazing things with sour beer," said Jason Perkins, Brewmaster at Allagash. "They're also generous in sharing their knowledge around sour beers with the beer community. We're definitely excited to be joining them for another Saison Day."

After years of collaborative events, Anchor Brewing is releasing its first ever collaboration beer with local retailer San Franpsycho. The beer, a "juicy" IPA, has "stone fruit-forward hoppiness and a slightly sweet finish that celebrates the city and culture of San Francisco." The final decision to make the IPA, as it happens, came as the result of voting at the brewery's Potrero taproom. Anchor will celebrate the release of the beer on April 13 at Neck of the Woods, where local bands will play and, because San Franpsycho is involved, there will be a "live screen printing a limited-edition design."

Sebastopol is getting a bit wacky this April 13 and 14 when it holds its Beer Mile Invitational. What exactly is a "beer mile"? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like: a bit of drinking and a bit of running. The event is actually fairly serious, thanks to some real cash on the line; the winners get $2,000. Find out more info (like how to register) here at their site.

On Tuesday, Bruehol Brewing in Benicia was ranked at No. 9 in a Brewers Association list of the top 50 fastest-growing craft breweries. Another nearby brewery, Steel Bonnet Brewing in Santa Cruz County, also made the cut at No. 43. "With 5 percent growth overall for small and independent brewers in 2017 and microbreweries and brewpubs delivering the majority of that, we wanted to spotlight some of the breweries driving that growth," said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. "As the growth base for craft becomes more diffuse, these fast growing brewing companies illustrate that a diverse set of success stories still exist." See all national rankings here.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.


3 1 of 3 University Press of Florida Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy Halifu Osumare Show More Show Less 3 of 3





As the founding artistic director of CitiCentre Dance Theatre in Oakland, choreographer and author Halifu Osumare has a long history of involvement with the Bay Area dance community. Osumare is a professor emerita of African American and African studies at UC Davis and is the author of three books. The most recent, Dancing in Blackness, is out this year from University Press of Florida. The memoir presents Osumares personal experiences and reflections as a vehicle for discussing defining moments in the history of black dance in America.

Osumare plans to join Raissa Simpson, founder and artistic director of Push Dance Company in San Francisco, in conversation at the Museum of the African Diaspora on Saturday, April 14. Osumares story, which begins in the revolutionary spirit of 1960s San Francisco, provides the pair with fuel to discuss the changing dynamics of race and culture in the Bay Area arts scene.
I would like to ask everyone reading this for a big favor. We need you to contact the White House at whitehouse.gov or 855-948-2311 in support of Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans.

Here is some history. In 1993, a bill called the Agent Orange Act of 1993 passed in Congress, giving VA benefits to Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans who were suffering from certain diseases. This list has been updated since then.

In 2002, the General Counsel of the VA ruled that Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans didnt qualify for these benefits. Since that time, Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans have been fighting to get these benefits back.

You may ask why this is important. Veterans like myself who served on ships in Vietnam were actually exposed to a higher level of the Dioxin that is in Agent Orange than their fellow veterans who served as boots on the ground. This is due to the fact that the distillations system used on the ships actually enhanced the Dioxins instead of removing them.

This has lead to many of these veterans suffering from diseases related to Agent Orange exposure like myself, who now suffers from prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, heart problems, COPD, emphysema and skin cancer.
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., compared Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to the late J. Edgar Hoover, the FBIs controversial founding director.

In a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Rush talked about how the FBIs covert surveillance program, called Counter Intelligence Program, or Cointelpro, collected information on civil rights activists like himself.

Your methodology is similar, said Rush, who said Facebook was guilty of truncating Americans rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

More for you Mark Zuckerberg says he, too, was a Cambridge Analytica victim

What is the difference between Facebook's methodology and ... J. Edgar Hoover? Rush said.

Zuckerberg responded, as he has several times in the past two days of Congressional testimony, that Facebook users had tools to decide who sees what they share on the site. He did not comment directly on the Hoover reference.

Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny
Tucked away in a recent Alaska Airlines blog post with travel tips for carry-on luggage is a notification that the airline will reduce the acceptable maximum dimensions for carry-ons starting in June.

Effective June 4, Alaska said, it will shrink the maximum allowable length, height and width of carry-ons in order to bring its standards in line with those of other carriers.

TravelSkills with Chris McGinnis sponsored by See More Collapse

Our current carry-on bag size is larger than most other international and domestic airlines allow, Alaska said on its website. Were changing our bag size allowance to make sure that your carry-on bag will be accepted aboard all the flights within your itinerary. This will help you avoid carry-on bag size conflicts and make connections with other airlines easier during your future trips.

The current maximum size for a carry-on aboard Alaska flights is a length of 24 inches (including wheels and handles), height of 17 inches, and width of 10 inches. The new limits starting in June will be 22x14x9.

Over the next few months, Alaska said, it will be installing new bag sizers at its airports reflecting the new size limits. It is encouraging passengers to try their carry-on in one of the sizers before the change takes effect so they can be sure their existing bag meets the requirements. Or customers can measure their bag (preferably fully loaded if it is soft-sided) at home.

Be wary of expandable pockets on the front of your suitcase, which can increase the dimensions of your carry-on to the point that it no longer fits into an overhead bin,Alaska said.

The airline said passengers will still be allowed to bring one carry-on bag and one personal item on its flights. (Alaska has not yet adopted the Basic Economy fares of some other airlines that do not allow a free carry-on bag in the overhead bin.)

Last year, Alaska had extended its larger-than-industry-average carry-on size limits to flights of its Virgin America acquisition. To me, this seemed like a nice way to make an overture to business travelers, who generally carry on their bags vs checking them.

Too bad as this was one way that Alaska (and Virgin) could differentiate their product in a consumer-friendly way. Now it just seems like another major carrier.

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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.
A mentally ill woman convicted of killing her three young daughters in Daly City was found suitable for parole Tuesday by a state prison review board in Chowchilla, officials said.

Megan K. Hogg, 45, was sentenced in San Mateo County Superior Court to 25 years to life in 1999 for suffocating her daughters. She pleaded no contest to the three counts of first-degree murder, which allowed her to avoid the possible sentence of life without parole.

At Tuesdays review, a panel consisting of Commissioner Terri Turner and Deputy Commissioner Tim OHara found that Hogg no longer constitutes an unreasonable risk of danger to the community, according to the San Mateo County district attorneys office, which objected to the decision.

The Board of Parole Hearings in Sacramento will now perform an administrative review of the case before it is taken to Gov. Jerry Brown, who can approve or reverse the decision.

On the morning of March 23, 1998, the bodies of Antoinette Marden, 7, Angelique Roberts, 3, and Alexandra Hogg, 2, were found in a bedroom of the Daly City home they shared with their grandparents. The girls grandmother found their bodies and Hogg, who had tried to kill herself by drinking hot chocolate laced with roughly 40 tablets of codeine, Tylenol, Vicodin and Trazodone.

Hogg was diagnosed with depression two years earlier and prescribed several antidepressant medications. She suffocated her daughters by taping their mouths and hands in order to spare them the problems that she had faced in her own life, court records state.

Family members and officials told The Chronicle around the time of the trial that Hogg had suffered from complications of an earlier head injury and may have lost the will to live, in part due to frequent seizures.

Hogg was living with her parents and worked for AT&T as an account executive handling billing out of a San Jose office.

The district attorneys office said serious rules violations, disciplinary issues, poor parole plans and a violation of prison rules on dealing drugs within the prison were among the reasons Hogg should not be granted parole.

She remains incarcerated at the Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla, Madera County.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
Each year, the Irish-American Crossroads Festival celebrates the music, culture and literature of Irish and Irish American communities in the Bay Area. This weekend, that month-long festival comes to a close on Sunday, April 15.

The days schedule includes, among other events, Oral Histories of the Irish in San Francisco. Its part of the Irish-American Crossroads organizations ongoing project to produce a comprehensive archive of stories of San Franciscos Irish community. The archive includes contributions from Irish emigres, their descendants and their Irish American contemporaries. To highlight this work and to honor the lives of the participants in the Oral History Archives, the Irish-American Crossroads hosts the Sunday afternoon of storytelling fit for the entire family.
The Napa County Watershed and Oak Woodlands Protection Initiative of 2018 will appear on the June 5 ballot as Napa County Measure C.

You cant have effective environmental protection without economic wealth, vintner Stuart Smith insists. And Measure C, according to Smith, actually damages the countys ability to protect the watershed.

Measure C would limit the cutting of oak woodlands to make room for new vineyards in the agricultural watershed zoning district that includes local hills. It would strengthen setbacks for streams.

As the election draws closer, one voice that has been raised in constant opposition has been that of Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Vineyards. The Napa County Farm Bureau also has spearheaded the fight against Measure C, with its co-chairs Jeri Hansen and Dave Whitmer. Smith has no connection to the Farm Bureaus No on C committee.

In letters, in public forums, and in individual conversations, Smiths robust opposition comes from his personal experiences developing vineyards on top of Spring Mountain as well as building a respected reputation in helping to craft Napa Countys watershed regulations. He is a past appointee to the Napa County Watershed Task Force and his opposition to Measure C is both scientifically detailed  in the weeds he likes to say  and philosophically practical.

Smith is not new to the valley. He came to the Napa Valley at the age of 22 after receiving his bachelors degree in Economics from U.C. Berkeley and while he was working on a Masters degree at U.C. Davis in Viticulture. And though he grew up in Santa Monica, he said he became fascinated with the opportunities in viticulture, and fell in love with the Napa Valley after visiting friends. He said his personal motivation in focusing on viticulture was to create something of quality.

Everything was planned obsolescence, he said of that time of his youth. But wine, he said, was something of lasting quality.

In 1971 he, along with friends and family, bought acreage at the top of Spring Mountain overlooking the Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. This terroir became the Smith-Madrone Vineyards at elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 feet, on steep slopes which range up to 34 percent. His vineyards at Smith-Madrone are dry farmed and he was a pioneer in that practice in the valley.

He said that the nature of the property required a lot of work, a lot of timber cutting, and a lot of mitigation to prevent soil erosion. As a farmer, he said he knows from experience that the current requirements of Measure C will be unworkable from a practical farming perspective, and expensive for the county to enforce.

But Smith holds a special vehemence about Measure C because of the manner by which it was crafted in secret without the input from all the stakeholders in the valley.

Its a flawed document, he maintains. Because its not based upon science. It attempts to regulate something that has no in-depth scientifically identifiable problem. Its about an emotional reaction to the changes in the Napa Valley without identifying how those changes are impacting the watershed.

Instead of going to the county and requesting a study of the imagined problem, Smith said. The initiative was written by two people and lawyers in a backroom. He characterized the California initiative process as a blunt-force tool to impose the will of these individuals against the property rights of landowners in the county.

Smith points to the successes and the progress that the county has experienced in cleaning up and protecting the Napa River watershed through collaborative work between county officials, environmentalists and land owners in the valley. He recounts, using scientific studies, how the resulting regulations have mitigated erosion problems over the last 20 years, and improved the quality of the watershed, making the Napa Valley one of the best conservation success stories in the nation. But his underlying concern is how this particular initiative is driving a divide between the residents of the valley.

Its become almost tribal in how people have taken sides in this debate, he said. There are people now who believe that the valley has become some sort of cesspool of pollution, and its just not accurate. Instead, Smith believes the quality of the watershed has been proven to be excellent. Pollution is in retreat, he said, and measurable sediment loads in the river are decreasing.

However, the regulations proposed by Measure C, he said, will overlay a one-size fits all remedy on stream set-backs that dont take into consideration things such as the slope of the land. And it will be in conflict with existing county and state regulations, making the provisions of Measure C destined for expensive and fruitless litigation in the years to come.

Nevertheless, he said, Once this measure is passed, theres no turning back  theres no room for collaboration or compromise. The only legal way to change it will be by passing yet another initiative. It will have taken away the ability of these landowners to farm their land in the manner that is economically viable.

Asked how the Walt Ranch development project in Napa  intensely debated and protested by some environmentalists over the last few years  has played in the creation of Measure C, Smith said there was no question in his mind that it has been instrumental in exacerbating the tribal debate about the environment.

But my perspective is that vineyards actually help create firebreaks, he said. And I dont have any real objection to what is happening in that particular project. The Environmental Impact Review report for the Walt Ranch project was enormous  the most extensive scientific EIR on record. Napa County has said that agriculture is the highest use of the countys land resources, and my perspective is that they have every right to do it. It is actually creating agricultural land from forest woodlands.

Looking at the long-term impact of vineyard development in the valley on the environment, Smith posits that the economic dynamic of the wine industry is the key factor by which the Napa Valley has been successful in protecting its natural resources.

You cant have effective environmental protection without economic wealth, he repeated. 

The vineyard development and the wine industry as a whole have enabled the level of wealth necessary to fund the protection of the Napa River, he continued. Tourism, the traffic, the wineries, the vineyards: All of it has transformed the Napa Valley from a poor and somewhat backward-looking county to place where people can actually make a decent living in an agricultural setting.

Im not personally wealthy, Smith said. But I remember what the valley looked like back when I first came here. It was a place where it was really difficult for a woman to find a job except as a teacher, a nurse or a homemaker. It was place where it was really hard to earn a living. The success of the wine industry has created the financial resources required to fund the protection of the environment here. But Measure C will have a negative impact  a destructive impact  on the economic engine that has created the ability to protect the environment in the valley.

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While the Stanford Theatres exciting new series Hitchcock and Other Masters of Suspense might be headlined with Alfred Hitchcock classics, lets not forget the Others  Orson Welles, Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak, Nicholas Ray, Stanley Donen and Henri-Georges Clouzot among them.

Hitchcock represents 16 of the 38 films in the two-month series  19 double features through June 10. But there are many other gems among the other 22.

Volumes have been written about rock-solid classics such as Vertigo, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Psycho, etc., which are screened often in the Bay Area. Instead, here are some highlights of some lesser-known films that will have rare screenings in 35mm:

Sabotage: One of Hitchcocks most unusual and underrated films is this sensitive 1936 adaptation of Joseph Conrads 1907 novel The Secret Agent, a study of domestic terrorism that speaks to todays world far more urgently than, say, the comic book spy worlds of Hitchcocks Technicolor escapist fantasies North by Northwest and The Man Who Knew Too Much (which are together as a double feature from June 1-3).

It is also one of the handful of Hitchcock films told from a womans point of view. In fact, it was also released under an alternate title, The Woman Alone (and it plays at the Stanford Friday-Sunday, April 13-15, on a double bill with perhaps his ultimate female-centered film, Rebecca). Sylvia Sidney, seen in several of the Stanford Pre-Code series earlier this year, is the much-younger wife of Verloc (Oscar Homolka), an immigrant movie theater owner who has a secret life: He has been radicalized by agents of an unnamed organization whose goal is to disrupt London through a series of bombings in public places.

His activities attract the attention of a Scotland Yard detective (John Loder) and threaten the well-being of Mrs. Verloc and her young son from another marriage.

The Hitchcock touches are more subtle than usual  theres a birds motif that Hitchcock would more fully realize in The Birds (which closes the series with Psycho from June 8-10), and his use of the Verlocs movie theater shows us that Hitchcock loved the cinema just as we do.

Friday-Sunday, April 13-15: Sabotage, 6 and 9:50 p.m.; Rebecca, 7:30 p.m. nightly; 3:40 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Journey Into Fear and Ministry of Fear: Orson Welles was desperate to get out of his contract with RKO after the studio bungled the release of Citizen Kane, drastically cut The Magnificent Ambersons and pulled the plug on his Brazil documentary project, Its All True. He had one picture left on the deal and fulfilled the obligation as quickly as possible with Journey Into Fear.

This is a slapped-together movie, with Welles producing and designing the film, collaborating on the script with lead actor Joseph Cotten and co-directing the picture with Norman Foster (Welles did not take credit for any of his contributions except for his acting, in the supporting role as the enigmatic Col. Haki of the Turkish secret police). And yet it is a pure joy to watch, brimming with visual ideas and snappy dialogue, with quite a few bravura sequences.

The plot has Cotten as an American armaments engineer targeted for assassination; he falls in with dancer Dolores del Rio and a ragtag group of passengers  one of them likely an assassin  aboard a tramp steamer as he tries to escape Istanbul unnoticed.

The film, which anticipated Welles everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach he would perfect in The Lady From Shanghai, dovetails nicely with Langs Ministry of Fear, a delightfully over-the-top thriller about a man (Ray Milland) freshly released from an mental asylum in World War II London who accidentally gets mixed up with foreign agents and is falsely accused of murder.

Wednesday-next Thursday, April 18-19: Journey Into Fear, 6:10 and 9:10 p.m.; Ministry of Fear, 7:30 p.m.

On Dangerous Ground and The Spiral Staircase: Journey through two hearts of darkness  one belonging to a New York City cop with an anger-management problem, the other to an unseen killer targeting a mute servant girl  with this May 2-3 double feature.

Rays On Dangerous Ground is less thriller than character study, as violent cop Robert Ryan is sent to rural upstate New York on a case and is emotionally softened by blind woman Ida Lupino, whose cognitively disabled brother may have committed murder. Sensitively handled, with great performances and a terrific Bernard Hermann score, this is a must-see masterpiece.

Robert Siodmaks The Spiral Staircase, however, is pure suspense. Dorothy McGuire is superb in a wordless role, with good support from George Brent and Ethel Barrymore. But the real star is the roving camera of the German-born Siodmak, perhaps the noir genres best visual stylist of the 1940s (see also The Killers and Criss Cross).

Also dont miss: Sudden Fear (May 9-10) is a set-in-San Francisco noir about a playwright (Joan Crawford) whose husband (Jack Palance) plots with his mistress (Gloria Grahame) to kill her. Good location filming.

A Donen-directed double feature (May 16-17) includes the rarely screened Arabesque, with Gregory Peck as a scientist involved in espionage with the alluring Sophia Loren. It screens with the Cary Grant-Audrey Hepburn charmer Charade.

Jack Claytons The Innocents (May 30-31) stars Deborah Kerr and is based on Henry James The Turn of the Screw. Claytons film is one of the most chilling horror films Ive ever seen.

The final week has Frances master of suspense, Clouzot (Diabolique and The Wages of Fear, June 6-7), going head-to-head with Hitchcock (Psycho, The Birds, June 8-10).

G. Allen Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ajohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BRfilmsAllen

Hitchcock and Other Masters of Suspense: Through June 10. $7 per double feature. Stanford Theatre, 221 University Ave., Palo Alto. (650) 324-3700. www.stanfordtheatre.org
Their answers demonstrated the range of services the library provides: the aforementioned Link+, the new Hoopla streaming service, meeting spaces for nonprofits and book clubs, free onsite access to Ancestry.com, and VITA tax preparation services through the UpValley Family Centers. Most charming in an age where information has become nebulous and transient, we learned theres a little area in the back where damaged books are meticulously repaired.

Theres a Spanish-language section, with more than 4,000 items, thats heavily used by the Latino community, especially parents. Patrons who come every day to read newspapers, browse magazines, or use the computers. Unlike at many libraries, you can use the computers all day if you wish  and indeed some people do.

In the first three months of 2018, it hosted 25,847 visitors and its records indicate it has 8,188 cardholders, with 4,674 listing St. Helena as their home address, which is almost 80 percent of St. Helena population.
PHOENIX  Teachers wearing red shirts, chanting and carrying protest signs protested outside Arizona schools Wednesday to show solidarity in their demand for higher salaries.

Walk-ins planned at about 1,000 schools statewide are part of a grassroots movement pushing for a 20 percent raise and more than $1 billion in new education funding. Arizonas demonstration is part of a wave of educators demanding higher pay that started in West Virginia, where teachers successfully won a 5 percent raise after a statewide strike.

Oklahoma teachers have walked out in protest over educating funding, and Kentucky educators called in sick to protest pension reform.

Arizona Educators United has mobilized teachers and supporters across the state through their #RedforEd campaign. In addition to a 20 percent pay bump, theyre seeking increased pay for support professionals, a permanent raise structure and a freeze on corporate tax cuts until per-pupil spending reaches the national average.

Stephanie Terry, a 36-year-old single mother of two and a special education teacher at Fowler Elementary School in Phoenix, said she makes $36,000 annually and lives with her parents.

Im not the only one here struggling at this school, she told fellow teachers.

Noah Karvelis, a co-founder of Arizona Educators United, said while the request for raises has received the most attention, teachers are ultimately fighting for their students.

Our teachers are part of it, but were having kids learning in abysmal situations  no paper towels in the classrooms, no textbooks in the classroom, no chairs or not enough chairs for kids, he said.

Arizona teachers are among the lowest paid in the nation. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Arizona elementary teachers earned a median wage of $43,280 in 2017 and high school teachers $46,470, the third and sixth lowest in the nation, respectively.

Melissa Daniels is an Associated Press writer.
Attorney-client privilege isnt dead, as President Trump claimed after the FBI searched the New York office of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. In fact, the confidentiality surrounding lawyer-client communications is stronger in the U.S. than in most other nations, and has even at times delayed disclosure of public health hazards.

But as the Cohen search showed, the shield of secrecy is not absolute, and does not prevent prosecutors from seeking judicial permission to search lawyers offices for evidence of ongoing or future crimes.

The goal of the privilege is to promote trust and candor in attorney-client conversations, Deborah Rhode, a Stanford law professor and specialist in legal ethics, said Tuesday. But when the conversations goal is fraudulent activities, society has no interest in promoting that behavior.

Among the information reportedly sought in the search Monday were records of a $130,000 payment Cohen made to Stormy Daniels, the porn film actress, for her silence about a past affair with Trump. The New York Times reported that agents also sought records of a $150,000 agreement with Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, to maintain her silence about a former relationship with Trump. Agents also sought bank records, according to media reports.

Such records would be privileged, and could not even be sought by prosecutors, if they concerned only past actions by Cohen and his clients, including alleged crimes or frauds. But federal agents can pierce the shield for information that shows a lawyer and client are committing, concealing or planning criminal activity.

A client having admitted to a lawyer that he has already committed a crime, that would be thoroughly privileged, said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford law professor and co-director of the schools Criminal Justice Center. But the privilege of confidentiality, he said, is not a cover for using the lawyer-client relationship to perpetrate crimes.

First, to gain access to a lawyers records, the prosecutors office  here, the U.S. attorney in New York, on a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller  needs enough information to convince a federal magistrate that evidence of such crimes will be found in the lawyers office. That sometimes proves impossible, Rhode said.

You dont know what you dont know, she said. By using client-attorney privilege, Rhode said, companies have been able to shield compromising information for a very long time, such as the health dangers of cigarettes and asbestos. Often when the information has come out, its only because of a whistle-blower.

The Justice Department also advises a cautious approach to obtaining law office records. Under long-standing policy, the department instructs prosecutors to first attempt to seek the information from alternative sources, and, if unsuccessful, to seek high-level approval for a subpoena of the records, which the lawyer can challenge in court.

A search warrant, obtained secretly and served without warning, should be sought only if other methods could compromise the criminal investigation or prosecution, could result in the destruction of evidence, or would otherwise be ineffective, the departments policy says. Its not clear which of those exceptions was invoked for the Cohen search.

The search itself is supposed to include additional safeguards, because a lawyers office contains a wide range of documents and files. While the lawyer may be suspected of collaborating with a particular client in an ongoing crime, some of the lawyers communications with that client may still be privileged, because they describe only past actions, and other documents may involve other clients who are uninvolved in the alleged wrongdoing.

To keep the FBI, and the prosecutors, from seeing material theyre not supposed to see, the initial search is screened by a taint team of agents and other officers not involved in the current investigation. The team removes any privileged or questionable material and turns it over to another official, called a special master, for a final determination, said Diane Karpman, a Los Angeles attorney who specializes in legal ethics.

In searching a law office, its like theyre using kid gloves, at least compared to searches of other businesses, Karpman said.

And although lawyers wouldnt know in advance that their offices were about to be searched, theyre still not without recourse, said Stanfords Weisberg.

If theyre really worried about privileged evidence going before a grand jury for possible criminal charges, he said, they can try to get a court to limit what can go before the grand jury.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
SANTA FE, N.M.  Documenting sexual harassment complaints against state lawmakers and publicly releasing the outcomes can provide encouragement for people who might otherwise be hesitant to report allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Experts and many female lawmakers say thats true even if the complaints are ultimately dismissed, because it shows legislative chambers take the matter seriously.

If theres no accountability, if we dont know what the outcomes are ... it makes it really hard for them to come forward, it makes it hard for them to trust the system, said Debbie Dougherty, a communications professor at the University of Missouri who researches sexual harassment policies.

In New Mexico, lobbyist Julianna Koob said she was harassed three years ago while working on behalf of a coalition of sexual assault programs but never reported it for fear that doing so would affect her livelihood.

I had no idea that there was a policy for sexual harassment, and the behavior was so in the dark that I didnt think that it should have been reported at the time, Koob said.

Before convening this year, the New Mexico Legislature overhauled its sexual harassment policy to include an outside legal counsel and provided anti-harassment training for lawmakers. It subsequently received a flurry of harassment complaints  two against lawmakers and two against staff  during a 30-day session that ended Feb. 15. That stood in sharp contrast to the prior decade, when just one formal complaint of harassment was filed against a lawmaker.

A similar surge occurred in the Missouri House, which received twice as many sexual harassment complaints in the two years after strengthening its policies in late 2015 as it had in the two previous years.

If you track this, it is like influenza  you can see where the outbreaks are, you can see where the problems are, and then you can specifically tailor a remedy, said Jennifer Drobac, a law professor at Indiana University who focuses on sexual harassment law.

She said the constant churn of lawmakers and staff because of term limits and elections makes it all the more important to establish a formal system of documenting sexual misconduct complaints.

The Kansas Legislature is one of many across the country that said it has no records of any sexual misconduct complaints against lawmakers since 2008. Yet a former top legislative aide went public last fall with assertions that a lawmaker had asked her for sex and that female college interns had regularly served as designated drivers for drunken lawmakers in recent years.

Morgan Lee and David A. Lieb are Associated Press writers.
WASHINGTON  President Trump insisted that all was very calm and calculated at the White House, even as he vented Wednesday about the Russia probe and complained about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Trump, who was so incensed by the FBIs raid of his personal attorneys office and hotel room that he has privately pondered firing Rosenstein, let loose on Twitter on Wednesday against the deputy attorney general and special counsel Robert Mueller. He said the Russia probe was headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!

Trump also tweeted: No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD! About the White House, he insisted: Very calm and calculated.

The FBI agents who raided the office and hotel of the lawyer, Michael Cohen, were seeking all records related to the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump was heard making vulgar comments about women, according to three people who have been briefed on the contents of a federal search warrant, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The search warrant also sought evidence of whether Cohen tried to suppress damaging information about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The agents also seized records on the $130,000 payment to a porn actress who alleges she had sex with Trump.

The raid left the president more angry than advisers had seen him in weeks, according to five people familiar with the presidents views but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Nervous White House aides expressed new fears about the presidents unpredictability in the face of the raid, which he viewed as an assault on a longtime defender and a sign that Muellers probe into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was going too far.

At the same time, a bipartisan group of four senators moved to protect Muellers job.

Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced legislation Wednesday that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing.

Catherine Lucey, Zeke Miller and Jonathan Lemire are Associated Press writers.
MONTPELIER, Vt.  Vermont on Wednesday raised the age to buy firearms, banned high-capacity magazines and made it easier to take guns from people who pose a threat  the first significant gun ownership restrictions in state history, signed into law by the Republican governor.

Its a remarkable turnaround for the largely rural state that traditionally has refused to impose restrictions on gun ownership.

Standing on the Statehouse steps, Gov. Phil Scott signed the three bills into law before a crowd of gun rights activists and supporters of gun control.

This is not the time to do whats easy, its time to do whats right, the governor said.

Scott, a gun owner, had urged the Legislature to pass gun restrictions in the aftermath of what police called a narrowly averted school shooting in Fair Haven by a teenager. He said the incident proved to him that Vermont isnt immune from the school violence that has plagued other parts of the country.

An arrest in the February Fair Haven case came the day after a high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead.

Vermonts new gun laws are mild by some standards. But they are part of a trend of states passing gun restrictions, prompted in part by the Florida mass shooting, said Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York at Cortland who has written books on gun policy.

There has been movement in a number of states, Spitzer said. But Vermont is significant because Vermont is traditionally such a strong gun-rights state and has not moved in this direction in ages, if ever, he said.

Wilson Ring is an Associated Press writer.
With personal privacy front and center in the news, a Georgia lawsuit has gained notice as it tackles an area that previous generations never had to worry about: The legality of listening in on a conversation when you are accidentally butt-dialed.

The case surrounds an incident in 2016 when James Stephens was on his cell phone talking to his boss Mike Coan one evening. Then, after the two hung up, Stephens says he put his phone in his pocket and began speaking to his wife about Coan.
In June, Napa County voters will be asked to consider Measure C -- the Watershed and Oak Woodland Protection Initiative. This measure will protect some of the last intact uplands from development for viewshed considerations, increased recreational access, and protection of biodiversity and clean drinking water sources.

I am a consulting fisheries and watershed scientist, and I offer my perspective on the benefits, if Measure C passes, and a note of caution about potentially irreversible impacts to domestic water supplies, should Measure C fail.

The Napa River was the largest salmon and steelhead producing tributary of San Francisco Bay and had robust, fishable populations of steelhead trout and Chinook and coho salmon into the 1950s. Today these fish species have gone extinct or have been reduced to remnant populations. The change in the aquatic habitat over the last 70 years is profound, and the loss of these iconic species is due to the wholesale change in the aquatic environment. We have passed an ecological tipping point and the Napa River has almost no functional coldwater habitat that these species require.
At 2:15 p.m. ET Tuesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to take the stand before the joint Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees. The following day, hell testify before the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee. He plans to wear a suit and take accountability for Facebooks big mistake, and his seven-page testimony has been released by the House. You can watch Zuckerbergs live testimony below.

Ahead of his hearing, we pulled apart Zuckerbergs testimony document. First, here are recaps of the two significant events that landed Facebook in hot water.

Recap: How did Cambridge Analytica get access to so much user data?

About 87 million is an oft-cited figure in connection with the number of users whose data was mishandled by Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm hired by President Donald Trumps campaign before the 2016 election. But the story behind how the firm got its hands on that information is a little murkier.

Zuckerbergs testimony claims that Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan created a personality quiz app on the platform in 2013 and that about 300,000 people installed it. At the time, laxer privacy settings across Facebook meant Kogan had access to data from tens of millions more users after their friends had installed the app. Zuckerberg says Facebook wasnt aware that Kogan had shared data with Cambridge Analytica until 2015 and that the company ultimately formally certified that they had deleted all improperly acquired data.

However, the firm likely used the information to build psychological profiles to categorize individual American voters. Besides a claim, theres no clear evidence Cambridge Analytica has since deleted that data -- but Zuckerberg says theyve agreed to a forensic audit by a firm Facebook hired.

Recap: How did Russian agencies spread misinformation ahead of the 2016 U.S. election?

After the election, Facebook found that bad actors ran ads and coordinated groups of fake accounts to endorse or denounce certain causes and candidates -- or sow widespread distrust in the political institutions themselves. One disinformation campaign linked to about 80,000 Facebook posts in two years was run by the Russia-based Internet Research Agency (IRA), and the company estimates that 146 million people might have been served its content on Facebook and Instagram combined. The IRA also invested about $100,000 in Facebook ads seen by about 11 million people in the U.S., according to Zuckerbergs testimony.

Here are six concrete takeaways from Facebook's plan to prevent future incidents.

1. More secondhand data protections

The company is introducing restrictions on tools such as groups and events to protect the data of other users besides the one signing in, according to Zuckerbergs testimony. Theres no word yet from Facebook on exactly how those tools will be restricted, and the company didnt respond to a request for comment by publication time.

2. Restricted data permissions for apps

For Facebook users who havent used an app in three months or more, Zuckerberg says the app developers will no longer have access to their data. And instead of granting apps access to data such as public profiles and friends lists, users will now only need to provide their names, profile photos and email addresses. Facebook claims it has already begun showing all users a list of the apps theyve used and clear ways to revoke their data permissions at the top of the News Feed. As of publication time, Entrepreneur staffers were unable to see this tool.

3. More oversight for app developers

Zuckerberg says there will be more regulation on the back end as well, with developers signing contracts with strict requirements in order to ask anyone for access to their posts or other private data. Theres no word yet from Facebook on what those requirements will be.

4. More oversight for advertisers

One key change coming to Facebook ads: Every advertiser behind issue or political ads will need to be authorized based on identity and location. The company plans to extend that verification to users who manage large pages, in the hopes of preventing viral misinformation.

5. More political ad transparency

In the coming months, labels will be introduced for political and issue ads, including who paid for them, and Facebook will launch a searchable archive of past political ads. The company is also testing a tool that shows all of the ads any given page is running and plans to launch it worldwide in summer 2018.

6. Quicker implementation timeline

Zuckerberg says all Facebook ad changes should be complete months before the 2018 elections, as well as for upcoming elections over the next year in India, Pakistan, Mexico and Brazil.

Related:

Is Zuckerberg Happy to Share his Messages Publicly? No Prizes Guessing

Zuck Goes to Washington and Makes $3 Billion. Here Are 3 Things to Know Today.

5 Takeaways for Entrepreneurs From Facebook's User Privacy Mistakes



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Members of the St. Helena Asset Planning Engagement Committee (SHAPE) are to be commended for volunteering to help the city address the needs, uses and, ultimately, the fates of city-owned properties.

Friends & Foundation is concerned, however, about two proposals the committee has heard recently that would negatively impact our towns treasured and award-winning public library. One involves moving the library out (where, exactly?) and moving city hall into the building. Another suggests that the library and historical society share the space, which without the building of an addition would significantly cramp both organizations. One member of the committee argued that our library is bigger than a town like ours needs, but EMG, the citys consultant, reported that the total area of the library building is consistent with libraries in other towns of similar size.

We ask the committee and the city council to consider the following facts about the St. Helena Public Library before any decision is made:
Former Raiders and 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith had a blood alcohol content of 0.40  five times the legal limit for driving in California  when he showed up at the San Francisco Sheriffs Department last week to be fitted with GPS and alcohol-testing ankle monitors, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Smith, 28, whose career has been marred by troubles with the law, had been ordered to enroll in monitoring during a court appearance last Thursday following arrests stemming from a March 3 alleged domestic violence incident in San Francisco.

He arrived at the sheriffs department Friday evening to be fitted for the monitors, but he was extremely intoxicated, Assistant District Attorney Courtney Burris said at a brief court hearing Wednesday.

While at the sheriffs department, Smiths blood alcohol content rose slightly to 0.41, Burris said. He was taken into custody for violating a court order, and remains in custody on $500,000 bail.

Burris said the incident was evidence of a severe alcohol issue for Smith and recommended he be taken to a residential alcohol rehab facility for treatment.

Smith, wearing orange jail-issued clothing, only responded once to San Francisco Superior Court Judge Robert Foley during Wednesdays hearing, saying he understood his rights. His attorney, Josh Bentley, declined to comment outside court.

Smiths arrest Friday marked the third time he has been jailed in recent weeks following the alleged domestic violence incident. He allegedly assaulted a woman in a home on the 600 block of Bush Street on March 3 and fled the scene before San Francisco police arrived. He turned himself in three days later and posted $30,000 bond.

But three weeks after the alleged incident, Smith allegedly contacted the victim, prompting police to issue a warrant for his arrest. He was held on suspicion of three misdemeanor counts of violating a protective order after turning himself in.

Smith was in domestic violence court last week to face the new charges and was granted conditional release, which included not drinking alcohol. Thats when a judge ordered that he wear a GPS monitor and a SCRAM alcohol monitor. He has pleaded not guilty to charges in the domestic violence case.

The Raiders released Smith shortly after his arrest in early March. Smith played four seasons with the 49ers, but was released from the team following several brushes with the law.

Smith has had alcohol-related run-ins with the law before, including DUIs. But Fridays arrest appeared to suggest severe addiction, one expert said.

If he can walk around at 0.40, he has to be exceptionally alcohol-dependent already, said Dr. Keith Humphreys, an addiction expert and professor in Stanfords Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Thats an exceptional amount of consumption. Anyone at that level has a serious alcohol problem.

Humphreys said Smith would likely have had to detoxify under medical supervision in jail.

That amount of alcohol is the equivalent of the anesthesia for major surgery, he said. A normal-type person would be blacked out unconscious and at risk of a coma.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
The FBI agents who raided the office and hotel of President Donald Trumps lawyer Monday were seeking all records related to the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump was heard making vulgar comments about women, according to three people who have been briefed on the contents of a federal search warrant.

The search warrant also sought evidence of whether the lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, tried to suppress damaging information about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

It is not clear what role, if any, Cohen played regarding the tape, which was made public a month before the election. But the fact that the agents were seeking documents related to the tape reveals a new front in the investigation into Cohen that is being led by the U.S. attorneys office in New York City.

The disclosure comes a day after it was revealed that authorities also sought documents from Cohen related to payments made to two women who claim they had affairs with Trump, Karen McDougal and Stephanie Clifford, as well as information on the role of the publisher of The National Enquirer in silencing the women.

The new details from the warrant reveal that prosecutors are keenly interested in Cohens unofficial role in the Trump campaign. And they help explain why Trump was furious about the raid. People close to Trump and Cohen regard the warrant as an attempt by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, to pry into Trumps personal life  using other prosecutors as his proxy.

Muellers spokesman declined to comment.

Stephen Ryan, a lawyer for Cohen, referred to his earlier description of the raid as completely inappropriate and unnecessary. He has described it as an overreach by prosecutors into the privileged communications between Cohen and his client, Trump.

Cohen served as part fixer, part attack dog for Trump. He has acknowledged paying $130,000 to Clifford, a pornographic film actress known as Stormy Daniels, who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump. She signed a nondisclosure agreement, promising not to discuss the matter. Agents also sought documents related to deals with other women.

Federal prosecutors are investigating Cohen for possible bank fraud, but they are also scrutinizing whether these efforts amounted to improper campaign donations to Trump.

Trump, who had been planning to make a decision this week about whether to sit down with the special counsel for an interview, has taken a more adversarial tone toward Mueller since the warrant was executed Monday. Although he had said for months that he wanted to be questioned by Mueller, his stance has changed since Monday, and the prospect of him willingly being questioned is far less likely, according to two people briefed on the matter.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Starting July 1, Srinivas "Srini" Pulavarti will serve as vice president and chief investment officer (CIO), responsible for overseeing the university's investment portfolio totaling approximately $6.9 billion.

Emory University has named Srinivas Srini Pulavarti as vice president and chief investment officer (CIO), responsible for overseeing the universitys investment portfolio totaling approximately $6.9 billion. He will assume the post at Emory on July 1.

Emorys endowment provides ongoing financial support for a wide range of crucial initiatives to fulfill every aspect of the universitys mission, from funding student scholarships and financial aid, to investing in faculty excellence, and benefiting society through breakthrough research and high-quality patient care.

Srini Pulavarti is an innovative, forward-thinking investor with a proven track record of success, says Christopher Augostini, Emorys executive vice president for business and administration. His energy, intellect and collaborative style in this highly complex environment have driven outstanding results for the institutions he served.

In his role as CIO, Pulavarti will lead the Emory Investment Management (EIM) group, a team of investment managers who work to maintain a well-diversified portfolio, invest with best-in-class external partners, and seek opportunities to add value throughout market cycles.

Since 2012, Pulavarti has been president and chief investment officer of UCLA Investment Company in Los Angeles, managing approximately $2.3 billion for UCLA Foundation and its affiliate organizations.

With nearly 25 years of investment experience with managing assets for endowments, foundations and pension funds in the U.S., Pulavarti served from 2005-2012 as president and CIO of Spider Management Company, an asset management affiliate of the University of Richmond. While there, he conceived and built the first successful outsourced CIO model in a university environment.

Previously, Pulavarti had served as director and head of global investment strategy for Citigroup Pension Investments in New York, as director of investments at Johns Hopkins University, as portfolio manager and manager of investments at Lockheed Martin Investment Management Company, and as senior fixed income and sovereign research analyst at Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, physics and chemistry from Bangalore University in India, and a master of science in applied economics from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

David Barrett of David Barrett Partners was search consultant for the position.
California Highway Patrol officials are acknowledging that an SUV matching the description of that of a family reported missing was found completely submerged in a river in Mendocino County the day they were scheduled to show up to a relative's home in San Jose.

The Thottapilly family, traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Santa Clarita in Southern California, was last seen or heard from on Thursday, San Jose police said.

The concerned family member who was expecting the Thottapillys to show up to her home days before called San Jose police on Sunday. At that time, a missing persons report was filed.

The CHP's Garberville-area office is redirecting inquiries about the family and their 2016 maroon or burgundy Honda Pilot to its Facebook page, in which has a post about an "unusual incident" in which officers tried to locate the vehicle.

At about 1:10 p.m. Friday, the CHP received a report of a car that had gone over the side of a steep embankment on U.S. Highway 101 south of Dora Creek.

Emergency personnel who responded found the car was totally flooded in the Eel River. Responders from the CHP, Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue, and the Piercy and Leggett volunteer fire departments all responded but could not locate the vehicle "due to the strong river current and the poor clarity," CHP officials said.

The CHP sent out a helicopter in an effort to search for the car.

On Tuesday, the Garberville CHP established a joint command effort with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, Cal Fire, and other agencies to search for the vehicle and its occupants, CHP officials said.

"Through the collaborated efforts of all the involved agencies we are working to resolve this incident as quickly and safely as possible," CHP Garberville officials wrote in the Facebook post. "Rescue personnel will be searching the immediate and surrounding areas and constantly evaluating the condition of the river and the weather during the search efforts."

The Thottapilly family's disappearance is being investigated by the San Jose Police Department. Anyone with information on the family's location should call 911 or police Detective Michelle Zanato with the Missing Persons Unit at (408) 277-4786.

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SALINAS (BCN)

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office announced today that a Salinas resident and former caregiver has pleaded guilty to insurance and welfare fraud.

Elizabeth Hernandez, who was employed through ResCare HomeCare, pleaded guilty last Wednesday to the felony charges and will be sentenced on June 27, prosecutors said.

County prosecutors received a tip from the workers' compensation insurer for ResCare HomeCare in July 2016, at which point it was revealed that Hernandez claimed workers' compensation benefits while not disclosing a second job with Monterey County.

Prosecutors said that had Hernandez informed either her employer or doctors of her second job, her benefits from the injury she claimed happened on Sept. 5, 2015, would have been reduced.

Through the investigation, prosecutors learned that Hernandez did not report her second job to the Department of Social Services either.

On April 7, 2017, the district attorney's Workers' Compensation Fraud Unit filed charges against Hernandez for fraud, welfare fraud and perjury.

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(831) 755-128
A Greenfield resident has pleaded guilty to home burglary, unlicensed contracting and an absence of workers' compensation insurance, Monterey County prosecutors announced today.

Salomon Calderon Medina, 54, entered his plea on March 13 after an investigation by prosecutors revealed he had pretended to be a legitimate contractor and offered services to a King City couple who needed home remodeling help.

After making the offer, Medina returned several days later with two other workers to do general yard work and abandoned the bathroom project. When the couple called to get their money back, Medina ceased communication.

Prosecutors discovered Medina had prior felony convictions for elder abuse, diversion of contractor funds and fraud. Prosecutors said that in light of his record and the "predatory nature of his interactions" with the couple, he was charged with residential burglary.

Judge Carrie Panetta will sentence Medina on April 24, according to prosecutors. He faces up to four years in state prison.

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(831) 755-5128
REDWOOD CITY (BCN)

A man accused of going on a random drive-by shooting spree starting with an apparent road rage incident last month in East Palo Alto pleaded not guilty to all charges today, San Mateo County prosecutors said.

Oscar Alfredo Tapia-Carmona, a 30-year-old resident of East Palo Alto who's already on felony probation, was stopped at a red light at the intersection of West Bayshore and Capitol Expressway when he got angry with a stranger in an adjacent vehicle, then allegedly took out a handgun and fired a shot that went through the victim's open window.

Tapia-Carmona allegedly sped off, but was followed by the victim, who tried to take a picture of his license plate. After that the defendant stopped at the intersection of Newell and Woodland, then allegedly fired two shots at a 65-year-old woman carrying her groceries home.

The victim was struck in the arm. The force of the gunshot knocked her down and the bullet shattered at least one of the bones.

Tapia-Carmona once again allegedly fled the scene, driving into Palo Alto and allegedly striking a bicyclist, who wasn't injured - before going to work.

He allegedly told his coworkers that he had been chased by several people on his way to work. The police were notified and Tapia-Carmona was arrested. Investigators said they found a Beretta handgun in his possession.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe called it odd to see crimes like this with no apparent motive.

"The conduct itself, the lack of motivation for this dangerous conduct and the lack of explanation, makes one wonder if" he has a mental illness, Wagstaffe said.

Tapia-Carmona remains in custody on no-bail status, and is scheduled to return to court April 23 to set a date for his preliminary hearing.

If convicted and sentenced, he could face life in prison, according to Wagstaffe.

Defense attorney Savas Loukedis did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his client's behalf.

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(650) 363-4752

Defense attorney (PDP) Savas Loukedis (650) 361-8300
OAKLAND (BCN)

Principal Cliff Hong at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland is receiving an educator leadership award from the Coalition for Community Schools, which is based in Washington, D.C., school district officials said.

In its statement honoring Hong, who has been at Roosevelt since 2010, the coalition said, "Through his leadership and commitment to the community school strategy, Mr. Hong created a strong alignment between the school's academic programs and community school partnerships."

It said, "As a result, Roosevelt Middle School has made progress on academic, social-emotional, and civic student outcomes, including lowering the chronic absenteeism rate to 6.5 percent and decreasing suspensions."

Hong said he shares the award with his entire school community.

In his own statement, Hong said, "In all honesty, the Roosevelt staff, students, families, and partners have collectively earned this award through a team effort. I am proud of the community we have built."

The coalition said that in an era dominated by divisions, the awardees, including Hong, have partnered to work across boundaries of race, class, religion, institutions, disciplines, and programs to advance youth by bringing a multitude of services into schools and their communities.

Jose Munoz, the coalition's director, said, "All of the leadership awardees have dedicated themselves to courageously bringing others together in responding to the unique needs of their neighborhood and community members."

Munoz said, "As a result, children, youth, and adults are college, career, and civic-ready, going on to raise strong families and build healthier communities."

Hong says the award is gratifying but more importantly it motivates him to work even harder.

Hong said, "This award is an indicator that we are succeeding at building a school where students and families feel cared for. And it puts extra wind in our community's sails as a confirmation of our good work."

Hong added, "It will motivate us to keep building a school where every student becomes a creative community leader."

The coalition will present the national leadership awards to Hong and the other winners at the Community Schools National Forum in Baltimore in early May.

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Foster City officials have selected a replacement for current city manager Kevin Miller after he retires in July.

Jeff Moneda will take Miller's place. Moneda has worked in Foster City government for four years and is currently the director of public works and a city engineer. Prior to working in Foster City, Moneda worked for the cities of Chula Vista, La Palma and Milpitas.

"Foster City is a well-run city with the most passionate and engaged members of the community out of all the cities that I have served," Moneda said in a statement. "I look forward to this wonderful opportunity."

Moneda is a California native and currently lives in Brisbane with his wife Michelle, according to city officials. He received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from San Diego State University and has two grown children, Abigail and Nathaniel.

"I'm confident that we've made the right choice and I'm looking forward to working with Jeff ... to ensure this city remains a great place to live, work and play," Mayor Sam Hindi said in a statement.

Hindi said Moneda is an expert at serving his residents and has made Foster City the "envy" of other towns that struggle to maintain their infrastructure.

The city council will review Moneda's employment agreement at its regular meeting on May 7 in the city council chambers.

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The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a plane crash in Scottsdale, Arizona, that killed a Sonoma County woman and five other people Monday.

The Scottsdale Police Department has not identified the occupants of the plane but social media sites identified her as Mariah Coogan, 23, of Santa Rosa, a former student at Cardinal Newman High School.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to temporarily suspend business registration licenses and fees for drivers of taxis, Uber and Lyft, amid a lawsuit filed earlier this year by the city attorney alleging that state law gives preferential treatment to Uber and Lyft drivers.

Sponsored by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, the ordinance amends the city's Business and Tax Regulations Code so that transportation network company drivers and taxi drivers won't have to apply for a business registration license and pay fee requirements for the time being.

The ordinance comes amid a lawsuit filed in February by City Attorney Dennis Herrera, alleging that state law gives preferential treatment to Uber and Lyft drivers by allowing TNC drivers to be exempt from local business registration requirements.

Senate Bill 182, approved by Gov. Jerry Brown in October, prohibits local jurisdictions from requiring that a TNC driver obtain more than one business license, regardless of how many jurisdictions the driver operates in. The driver is only required to obtain a business license for the jurisdiction in which they live.

Because most TNC drivers do not live in San Francisco, the lawsuit claims that the out-of-town drivers are clogging up city streets as the TNC companies avoid paying for congestion, road repair and traffic safety costs.

Also today, the Board passed an ordinance that would appropriate $1.1 million of last year's fund balance in the General Fund to the Department of Public Works for enhanced street cleaning operations.

According to Supervisor Jane Kim, the city's stock of about 285 full-time street sweepers is not enough, as the amount of calls for sidewalk cleaning has doubled in the last two years. The ordinance would allow for the creation of about 40 temporary street sweeping positions.

"It's just not OK to have to step on feces while walking," Kim said. "The conditions of our streets have really reached a critical point."

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(415) 430-7091

Ivy Lee for Jane Kim (415) 554-7973

Carolyn Goossen for Hillary Ronen (415) 554-7729
OAKLAND (BCN)

A San Francisco man was charged with two counts of attempted murder today for allegedly stabbing a man and a woman at BART's Coliseum station in Oakland on Saturday afternoon, prosecutors said.

Robert Arlington Dolph, 32, was arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court and is scheduled to return to court on May 9 to enter a plea.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said the two victims, a 68-year-old woman and her brother, who's in his 50s, boarded a train at the South San Francisco station and Dolph, who was unknown to them, boarded the train at the Civic Center station in San Francisco and began acting erratically with verbal outbursts.

When the victims got off the train at the Coliseum station at about 2:50 p.m. on Saturday Dolph followed them and as they approached the fare gates he pulled out a knife and began stabbing them in what appears to have been an unprovoked attack, according to Trost.

A station agent immediately called police and a good Samaritan intervened and held Dolph down until officers arrived two minutes later, Trost said.

A second good Samaritan then arrived and also helped hold Dolph down as he was handcuffed, according to Trost.

The victims were taken by ambulance to a hospital, where initially the woman was listed in fair condition and her brother was listed in critical but stable condition.

The woman has since been released from the hospital but her brother is still listed in critical condition.

BART police said the knife that Dolph allegedly used was recovered at the scene and he admitted his involvement in the stabbing when he was interviewed by investigators.

In addition to the two counts of attempted murder, Dolph is charged with two counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse.

Prosecutors say Dolph has prior convictions for maintaining a place for selling or using controlled substances and for possession of controlled substance precursor.

Dolph is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail.

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272-6280

BART media line (510) 874-7464

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost (510) 464-6154 or (510) 414-4725 cellphone
SANTA ROSA (BCN)

Two gang members pleaded no contest Monday to charges of attempted murder for a 2016 shooting, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.

Salvador Flores Jr., 19, of Santa Rosa, and Gustavo Alex Castillo, 25, of Santa Rosa, entered the pleas and also admitted to each using a firearm during the crime on Aug. 28, 2016, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Flores and Castillo knew the victim, who cooperated with law enforcement in a prior gang-related stabbing. The victim's cooperation got one of their fellow gang members a prison sentence. Prosecutors didn't release details of that case.

Flores, Castillo and another gang member saw the victim in a parked car, and that's when the pair approached him and fired five shots from a .357-caliber revolver, striking the victim twice, prosecutors said.

The pair drove away from the scene but Santa Rosa police detained them a short time later.

Castillo, who was on parole at the time of the shooting, will receive a 21-year and 4-month term and Flores will get a 15 years-to-life sentence, with three years added for discharging a firearm during the crime.

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565-3098
SAN LEANDRO (BCN)

Two men were arrested after trying to steal a laptop at a San Leandro Starbucks coffee shop Friday, police said.

San Leandro police responded to a theft at 11:40 a.m. at the Starbucks at 1057 MacArthur Blvd. after they received reports that coffee shop patrons were chasing down a suspect who tried to take a laptop.

Police said they arrived and saw many people holding down a man who was attempting to get away. Witnesses said the suspect tried to get into another suspect's car but they caught up and detained him.

Paris Williams, 18, of Oakland, was arrested. Police said he dropped the laptop while running away and they recovered it.

A Berkeley man, 18-year-old Roosevelt Curry, was taken into custody for allegedly being the driver.

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A San Francisco police officer said Tuesday he is being targeted and retaliated against for filing a complaint last year against other officers in which he claimed racial and religious discrimination.

The San Francisco Public Defender's Office announced that the officer, who's not being named, initially made the complaint because in addition to being harassed for being of Afghan descent and Muslim, he also witnessed several incidents of racism and homophobia at the hands of officers at the city's Central Station.

According to an Equality Employment Opportunity complaint filed in January with the city's Department of Human Resources, the officer said that he started working for the Police Department in 2016 and in June 2017 was assigned to the Central Station in the city's North Beach neighborhood.

In the complaint, the officer described several incidents of misconduct and harassment by other officers, including an instance when other on-duty officers took him to a Broadway strip club to purposefully embarrass him.

He also claimed to endure repeated accusations of his family being terrorists and of him having bombs or weapons.

In addition, the officer said another officer once called him a "sand ni****" about four times and on another occasion, someone vandalized his locker at Central Station, writing a flag with the word "ISIS" on it and the words "go back" underneath.

The officer also said in the complaint that he witnessed other officers use the word "fa****" several times and on one night, an officer confessed to him that he would only pull over drivers because they were black and Hispanic and figure out a probable cause afterward. Later that night, the same officer allegedly referred to a black driver as a "monkey."

After filing a complaint with the department's Internal Affairs division in November, against the advice of his superiors, the officer said he was moved to the Richmond Station.

However, after growing tired with the unit's inaction, the officer went to the city's human resources department where he filed the EEO complaint, which was made public Tuesday.

The officer is alleging that details of his initial complaint with the Internal Affairs unit were not kept confidential and led to him being retaliated against.

"Since making my complaint, I have been labeled a rat, singled out by my colleagues, and I now fear for my safety," the officer said.

"Last week, it was brought to my attention that IA shared confidential information about me and their investigation with those I accused of harassment," he said. "I am truly ashamed of them. They have dishonored every principle and ethics the Police Department stands for," he said.

According to Public Defender Jeff Adachi, the officer has not filed a suit with the Police Department and is more interested in seeing change within the department.

"This is not about money, this about wanting to improve the department," Adachi said.

The officer said he has no plans to leave the department and is requesting that officers receive cultural sensitivity education and training, and that the police academy update its curriculum to include Middle Eastern cultural studies along with existing African America, Latino and LGBT cultural studies.

The officer, who is still on his probationary period, is choosing to remain anonymous since he plans to stay with the department for years to come.

The officer said he has wanted to be a San Francisco police officer since he was 8 years old, after an officer helped his family when they first arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Afghanistan.

"This comes at a time when there is increasing scrutiny on the Police Department, following the racist text messages, following (the U.S.) Department of Justice's COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program coming in, and the so-called reforms that were supposedly implemented to ensure that this doesn't happen," Adachi said.

Tuesday's allegations come against a backdrop of several other alleged incidents involving misconduct, including two separate racist and homophobic text message scandals in 2015 and 2016.

In 2017, Officer Joel Babbs claimed he was being retaliated against for complaining of harassment and discrimination within the department, after he was arrested and charged with using false vehicle registration stickers and filing a false police report, both misdemeanors.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, it learned of the allegations in November and immediately began an investigation into them. Currently, there are three ongoing investigations into the incidents being conducted by both SFPD and the city's human resources department.

The department said that within the last three years, it has implemented a number of measures that ensure that all members of the public and the department are treated with dignity and respect.

"The department has instituted implicit bias and procedural justice training for all sworn and civilian members; implemented best practices recommendations from the U.S. Department of Justice; instituted electronic audits of communications; entered into agreements with academic partners to analyze vehicle stops and the use of force; and launched the Not-On-My-Watch campaign to promote improved relations between officers and the public," SFPD said in a statement.

A San Francisco man was charged with two counts of attempted murder Tuesday for allegedly stabbing a man and a woman at BART's Coliseum station in Oakland on Saturday afternoon, prosecutors said.

Robert Arlington Dolph, 32, was arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court and is scheduled to return to court on May 9 to enter a plea.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said the two victims, a 68-year-old woman and her brother, who's in his 50s, boarded a train at the South San Francisco station and Dolph, who was unknown to them, boarded the train at the Civic Center station in San Francisco and began acting erratically with verbal outbursts.

When the victims got off the train at the Coliseum station at about 2:50 p.m. on Saturday Dolph followed them and as they approached the fare gates he pulled out a knife and began stabbing them in what appears to have been an unprovoked attack, according to Trost.

A station agent immediately called police and a good Samaritan intervened and held Dolph down until officers arrived two minutes later, Trost said.

A second good Samaritan then arrived and also helped hold Dolph down as he was handcuffed, according to Trost.

The victims were taken by ambulance to a hospital, where initially the woman was listed in fair condition and her brother was listed in critical but stable condition.

The woman has since been released from the hospital but her brother is still listed in critical condition.

BART police said the knife that Dolph allegedly used was recovered at the scene and he admitted his involvement in the stabbing when he was interviewed by investigators.

In addition to the two counts of attempted murder, Dolph is charged with two counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse.

Prosecutors say Dolph has prior convictions for maintaining a place for selling or using controlled substances and for possession of controlled substance precursor.

Dolph is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail.

A Daly City man who was arrested Saturday on suspicion of robbing five banks in the Bay Area was a wanted suspect known as "Big Man Bandit," the FBI confirmed.

Gregory Vaughan, 50, was arrested Saturday after a San Mateo police officer saw the suspect's gold Cadillac in the parking lot of the Jockey Club at 2495 S. Delaware St.

Vaughan admitted to police that he was responsible for three robberies in San Mateo, one in San Jose and one in Campbell, police said.

He was booked into San Mateo County Jail under $300,000 bail, according to online jail records.

The FBI, which had put out a news release last week with photos of the suspect, was involved in the case because it is a federal crime to rob any national bank or state member bank of the Federal Reserve System.

Two men were arrested, including one after a 120 mph chase through Arizona, in connection with a Pleasant Hill homicide on Saturday, police said.

Pleasant Hill police contacted the Arizona Department of Public Safety and asked them to be on the lookout for Luther Lee, who they believed was an accessory in the homicide of Oshry Elor, 23, who was found fatally shot at his home on Norse Drive around 11:15 p.m. Saturday.

Police determined that Lee was driving east through Arizona on Interstate Highway 40, and Arizona state troopers conducted a traffic stop.

Lee and two others exited the vehicle and Lee was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Pleasant Hill. Keith Jones, another person who was still inside the vehicle, then allegedly fled in the car, police said.

Arizona state troopers pursued Jones for about 90 miles at speeds reaching up to 120 mph. They finally apprehended him with a spike strip after he crossed the New Mexico state border, police said.

Police arrested Jones and said they later determined that he killed Elor, who had been shot multiple times. Police said the shooting and robbery happened after a planned marijuana deal.

Jones, 29, is being held at McKinley County Adult Detention Center in New Mexico on suspicion of murder. Lee, 24, is being held at the Navajo County Detention Center in Arizona on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery and murder.

A family traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Santa Clarita in Southern California was scheduled to stop at a relative's home in San Jose on Friday but never showed up, according to San Jose police.

Police received a call from the Thottapilly family's relative on Sunday when they requested to file a missing person's report. They were on their way home and never made it to their stop in San Jose.

The Thottapilly family has not been seen or heard from since Thursday, according to police. A missing persons report has been filed.

The family was driving a 2016 maroon or burgundy Honda Pilot with a California license plate number of 7MMX138, police said.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to temporarily suspend business registration licenses and fees for drivers of taxis, Uber and Lyft, amid a lawsuit filed earlier this year by the city attorney alleging that state law gives preferential treatment to Uber and Lyft drivers.

Sponsored by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, the ordinance amends the city's Business and Tax Regulations Code so that transportation network company drivers and taxi drivers won't have to apply for a business registration license and pay fee requirements for the time being.

The ordinance comes amid a lawsuit filed in February by City Attorney Dennis Herrera, alleging that state law gives preferential treatment to Uber and Lyft drivers by allowing TNC drivers to be exempt from local business registration requirements.

Senate Bill 182, approved by Gov. Jerry Brown in October, prohibits local jurisdictions from requiring that a TNC driver obtain more than one business license, regardless of how many jurisdictions the driver operates in. The driver is only required to obtain a business license for the jurisdiction in which they live.

Because most TNC drivers do not live in San Francisco, the lawsuit claims that the out-of-town drivers are clogging up city streets as the TNC companies avoid paying for congestion, road repair and traffic safety costs.

Also Tuesday, the Board passed an ordinance that would appropriate $1.1 million of last year's fund balance in the General Fund to the Department of Public Works for enhanced street cleaning operations.

According to Supervisor Jane Kim, the city's stock of about 285 full-time street sweepers is not enough, as the amount of calls for sidewalk cleaning has doubled in the last two years. The ordinance would allow for the creation of about 40 temporary street sweeping positions.

"It's just not OK to have to step on feces while walking," Kim said. "The conditions of our streets have really reached a critical point."

The "Bee Kind" event set to take place at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo today will give attendees a look into the new bee apiary that replaced the one wiped out by the Coyote Creek floods.

At 11 a.m., the event featuring County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and Councilmember Tam Nguyen will provide an environment to learn about bees and how honey is made, with storytelling, sampling and live demonstrations, according to a newsletter sent out by fellow city leader Lan Diep.

In February 2017, the bee facility that raised $15,000 a year in honey sales to protect mountain gorillas at Virunga National Park in the Congo was wiped out, the District 4 newsletter says.

Luckily, a team led by Happy Hollow's "Bee Guy" Steve Demkowski raised enough money quickly through the Farrington Foundation, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and hundreds of other donors to get the bees buzzing again at the park. Chavez was an advocate for the project.

This event is free with the price of zoo admission, according to Diep's "Bore Me Once" Edition newsletter.

At least one person died in a crash late Tuesday night in Daly City, officials with the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash was reported at 10:56 p.m. on the transition road from northbound state Highway 35 to northbound state Highway 1, CHP Officer Damian Cistaro said.

The transition road was cleared around 4:10 a.m. this morning.

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SIU recognizing 2018 World Voice Day with an April 17 event

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Most people use their voice every day  to communicate, express themselves artistically or simply relieve frustration. And few people give much thought to preserving this important aspect of ourselves until there is a problem.

World Voice Day was created by an organization representing head and neck surgeons to help promote awareness of voice problems and educate others on how to protect their voices.

SIU to celebrate World Voice Day April 17

Southern Illinois University Carbondale will support the cause with a special event at Morris Library from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on April 17 to raise awareness, share information, and help save voices.

Everyone is welcome to attend the free event.

Learn to save voices

Visitors are welcome to stop by the information booth anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the hall near the Lincoln bust to talk with campaign members, who will be wearing special T-shirts for the occasion.

With educational materials, activities and discussions, SIU students will share how to prevent voice problems and why protecting voices and practicing good vocal hygiene is important.

Ways you can protect your voice

For instance, they note that by not smoking, staying hydrated, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, avoiding straining vocal cords and even taking care not to cough or clear your throat too much, you can help avoid damaging your vocal cords.

Theyll also offer information about available treatments for voice issues and advocate in support of VocaliD, a company that creates customized synthetic voices for speaking devices used by people who have lost their own.

Video presentation will be featured

An exhibit of short videos focusing on voice science and protecting our voices will be featured as well.

The presentation will take place at noon in the John C. Guyon Auditorium at the library.

Several organizations involved

The event, which takes place the day after the worldwide celebration of World Voice Day, is sponsored by the SIUs Communication Disorders and Sciences program, the Rehabilitation Institute and the campus chapter of the National Student Speech-Language and Hearing Association.

The theme is Make the Choice to Cherish Your Voice.
In a bid to increase the number of foreign workers to alleviate the country's labor shortage, Japan will introduce a new residency status for foreign technical intern trainees as early as April 2019.

Foreign nationals who have finished a five-year technical intern program will be allowed to stay and work for an additional five years. They may also be able to change their visa status to work longer in the country and invite family members from their home countries.

Currently, foreign technical interns must leave Japan after finishing the five-year program. The new visa is aimed at extending their stay to help alleviate the nation's labor shortage.

Japan's policy, in principle, is to not grant unskilled workers permanent residency. Instead, the government hopes to expand the scope and length of the technical intern program, which allows foreign nationals to work in the country to acquire on-the-job skills.

The move, which broadens the scope of the program, signals a significant policy change by allowing interns to remain in the workforce for an additional five years.

A bill introducing the measure through an amendment to the Immigration Control Law will be submitted as early as April 2019.

The new residency status will help ease labor shortages in such areas as farming and nursing.

As of the end of October 2017, the number of interns in Japan totaled about 250,000. The government believes the new status will attract many interns and boost the number of foreign workers by at least several tens of thousands.

Industries suffering from a lack of labor, such as farming, nursing and construction, will be the main beneficiaries of the new measure.

The main purpose of the technical trainee program is for trainees to transfer skills acquired in Japan to their home country, meaning that participants must leave Japan after finishing the program.

But both trainees wanting to continue working in Japan and their employers have been calling for a change in the policy.

To keep the program running as intended, the new visa will only be granted to trainees who revisit Japan after having returned to their home countries for a specified period.

One requirement for foreigners who want to obtain permanent residency in Japan is to have lived continuously in the country for 10 years or more.
Dimensions Dance Theater has long been a leader in introducing African-derived dances  like Jazz and Haitian styles, among many others  to American audiences. This year, the company celebrates its 45th anniversary with the premier of new works.

On Friday-Saturday, April 13-14, Dimensions performs two new pieces. One is a 25-minute meditation on homelessness created by Latanya d. Tigner (who has been with the company since 1986). The other, titled Aint No Turning Back, is choreographed by Oakland native and former company member Andrea Vonny Lee in tribute to the life and works of Harriet Tubman.
A burned-out home selling for $799,000 in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood is quickly becoming a symbol of Silicon Valley's insane real estate market.

Listing agent Holly Barr of Sereno Group published an image of the fire-ravaged home at 1375 Bird Ave. on her Facebook page Willow Glen Charm, and the post had been shared hundreds of times as of Wednesday morning.

Barr says the price is based on the cost of local housing. But on the page, many commenters said the property is emblematic of the lack of affordable housing in what many market analysts say is the hottest market in the country.

"What has this area come to when a family earning good money cannot even afford to buy even a burned-out wreck," wrote Facebook user "Cally Jayne." "Greed, pure greed from all concerned right here."

Another Facebook user posted an image of the house he built in Texas for $250,000 to show that other parts of the country are considerably less expensive.

ALSO: This San Jose neighborhood is the hottest real estate market in the entire country

Barr says it's the 5,800-square-foot lot that she's selling, and its prime location near a commercial strip lined with trees, cafes and boutiques. The home is adjacent to downtown San Jose, where Google plans to build a new campus.

Barr did her research on recent sales in the neighborhood and feels the property is priced reasonably.

"Houses nearby have sold for $1.6 million," Barr says. "This is land value at half of that."

The burned-out home on the property isn't scaring buyers away. Barr says she already has 10 people interested and the home hasn't even officially gone on the MLS.

Doug Goss, vice president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, says that price on homes, condos and townhomes has increased 18 percent in the past six months in Santa Clara County. The increase is the result of low inventory and high demand.

Goss says there are less than 1,000 homes on the market in the county right now and many buyers have been looking for a house for months. Homes often receive multiple offers, and Goss is currently closing a townhome that received 23 offers.

"You have these clients who you are like 'Wow, you are really paying premium for that home,' and then three months later what they paid is a deal," he says.

ALSO: Wired co-founder selling lush Ross estate for $7.495 million.

Goss has noticed an especially hot frenzy to buy in Willow Gleng ever since Google announced plans to build a new campus to the north in Downtown San Jose.

"It's like what happened in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara when Apple was anticipating putting in the new headquarters, and prices around there skyrocketed," he says.
Three heavy metal fans dressed in black were sipping beers around a campfire on an island in Loch Leven, Perthshire, Scotland, when they saw a squadron of police boats speeding toward them.

According to The Guardian, Scottish police marshaled fire engines, ambulances and lifeboats in a full-scale rescue mission Sunday night to save the lives of people involved in a suicide pact.

But there was no suicide pact.

"For some reason the police had received a tip that we might be in grave danger and they came to rescue us," Panagiotis Filis, a lecturer at Aberdeen University and a founder of the Black Metal Brewery, told the Guardian. "They really did a great job of rescuing us, the only issue is that we didn't need rescuing."

READ MORE: Border agents caught on camera dumping man in Mexico

Police reportedly smashed a window of one of the group's cars, which was parked on the mainland, apparently while searching for a suicide note.

The campers were ferried back to the mainland for questioning, where at least 20 emergency service vehicles and 50 responders were waiting for them.

The Scotsman quoted one of the campers, David Henderson  a modern languages teacher and member of the heavy metal band Nyctopia  as saying, "They kind of made us feel as if we did something wrong, but we just like to go wild camping, drink beer and listen to heavy metal music."

READ MORE: Former 49er, Raider arrested with .40 blood alcohol

Henderson speculated that someone may have reported the group because the campers were all wearing black and their three children  who had been sleeping in tents when police arrived  had face paint on.

Police Scotland acted as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about the incident.

"We were called regarding a concern for a group of people on Sunday at around 1900. Inquiries were carried out, along with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and they were all traced safe and well at around midnight," a police spokeswoman said.
ALGIERS, Algeria  An Algerian military plane carrying soldiers, their families and some refugees crashed soon after takeoff Wednesday into a field in northern Algeria, killing 257 people in what appeared to be the North African nations worst-ever aviation disaster.

Algerias Defense Ministry said those killed included 247 passengers and 10 crew. An Algerian-backed group seeking independence for Western Sahara said 30 of its people, including women and children, were among the dead.

The cause of the crash was unclear, and an investigation has been opened.

Algerian authorities did not mention any survivors, but one witness reported seeing some people jump out of the aircraft before it crashed at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday. Algerian TV Dzair said five people were in a critical state, but its unclear whether they were inside the plane when it crashed.

The flight had just taken off from the Boufarik military base, 20 miles southwest of the capital Algiers, for the southwestern military base in Bechar, according to Farouk Achour, spokesman for Algerias civil protection services.

The Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane crashed in a farm field with no people nearby, Achour said.

Footage from the scene showed thick black smoke coming off the field, ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles arriving at the crash site and body bags lined up in the field.

Several witnesses told Algerian TV network Ennahar they saw flames coming out of one of the planes engines just before it took off. One farmer said some passengers jumped out of the aircraft before the accident.

The plane started to rise before falling, an unidentified man lying on what seemed to be a hospital bed told Ennahar TV. The plane crashed on its wing first and caught fire.

Aomar Ouali is an Associated Press writer.
1 Dissent crackdown: A court in northern Vietnam sentenced a dissident to 13 years in prison on Tuesday after finding him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government. He was the seventh activist to be jailed in the past week as Communist authorities step up a crackdown on dissent. Nguyen Van Tuc, 54, was convicted of affiliating with an outlawed group named Brotherhood for Democracy in a half-day trial at the Peoples Court in Thai Binh province. Despite sweeping economic reforms since the mid-1980s that opened the country to foreign trade and investment and made it one of fastest-growing economies in the region, Communist-ruled Vietnam maintains tight controls on almost all aspects of society, including the media and religion.

2 Thousands detained: Libyan militias, including some affiliated with authorities, are holding thousands of prisoners in prolonged arbitrary and unlawful detention that includes torture, the United Nations said Tuesday. Men, women and children across the country have been rounded up based on tribal or family links and perceived political affiliations, and held with little or no recourse to judicial remedy or reparations, while armed groups roam free with impunity, the organization said in its report. Libya plunged into chaos after the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime ruler Moammar Khadafy. Today the country is ruled by rival governments in the capital, Tripoli, and in the east, each backed by a loose array of militias.
KATHMANDU, Nepal  Three men have climbed to the top of the world 21 times, all of them mountain guides who grew up in the shadow of Mount Everest. Two of these famed Sherpa guides have retired. But 48-year-old Kami Rita says hell be summiting Everest for years to come.

My goal is to reach the summit of Everest at least 25 times, he said, shortly before heading back to the mountain for what he hopes will mark a record-breaking climb. I want to set a new record not just for myself but for my family, the Sherpa people and for my country, Nepal.

For Rita, climbing is a family tradition.

His father was among the first professional guides after Nepal opened to foreign trekkers and mountaineers in 1950. His brother has scaled Everest 17 times. Most of his male relatives have reached the top at least once.

He decided to become a guide when he was a child. Growing up in the village, I envied the good clothes and things that people in in the village brought back after expeditions, he said.

He first scaled the 29,035-foot Everest at 24 and has made the trip almost every year since then. He has also climbed many of the regions other high peaks, including K-2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse. In the autumn, he guides clients to smaller peaks in Nepal.

As a veteran guide, he earns about $10,000 for each Everest climb, an enormous income in a country where most people earn just $700 or so per year.

Life has changed for many Sherpa families since 1950. Yak herders and traders who lived in the Himalayan foothills, the Sherpas knowledge of the mountains and stamina built over years of walking high-altitude trails made them ideal guides.

The other two summit record-holders are also Sherpas. Apa, a 58-year-old guide who uses only one name, retired in 2011 and moved to Utah. Phurba Tashi, 47, retired from high-altitude climbing in 2013 but still works at Everests Base Camp, helping organize expeditions.

Mountaineering has been Ritas professional life, but it still weighs heavily on his family.

His wife, Lakpa Jangmu, dreads when he leaves for expeditions.

I keep telling him we could look for other jobs, start a small business, she said. But he does not listen to me at all.

Rita and Jangmu both insist their children will not be mountain guides.

Binaj Gurubacharya is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON  President Trump put Syria and Russia on notice Wednesday in a Twitter post, promising that missiles fired at Syria will be coming, nice and new and smart! and telling the Kremlin that it should not partner with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it! After the threat, the president said in a separate tweet that relations between the United States and Russia are worse than ever.

The president appeared to be reacting to reports Tuesday that the Russian ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, warned the United States and its allies that any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down.

Trumps comments were remarkable in that he is, in a way, telegraphing the United States response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, which is something he had previously criticized other leaders for doing. Trump has said publicly that sharing military plans could give enemies information they could use to their advantage.

With U.S. strike intentions so clearly forecast by Trump, the Syrian government has moved key aircraft to the Russian base near Latakia and is taking pains to secure important weapons systems, military analysts said.

Pentagon officials said that even if Syrian warplanes manage to elude a U.S.-led strike campaign, the United States and its allies can still seek to so damage Syrian airfields  across the country  that it would hamper Assads ability to use them to launch future chemical weapons attacks.

That kind of damage, though, would require a sustained campaign  likely over a number of days. It was unclear whether the United States, France and other allies involved have made a decision to extend a bombing campaign beyond one night.

But the presidents subsequent tweet struck a different tone. After he warned Russia what it would be up against in Syria, Trump lamented that relations between the two countries were worse than during the Cold War, a decades-long geopolitical and ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union when both were armed for, and prepared for, nuclear war.

Russia has blamed the suspected chemical attacks on the Syrian opposition forces.

Eileen Sullivan and Michael D. Shear are New York Times writers.
SEOUL The United States and North Korea have been negotiating with will and sincerity over the details of the planned talks between President Trump and the Norths leader, Kim Jong Un, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea said Wednesday.

Trump said Monday that U.S. officials had been talking directly with the North Koreans to prepare for his meeting with Kim, which he said would probably take place in May or early June. Moon said the two sides were discussing where to hold the meeting, among other issues.
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Two Australian union officials allegedly linked to a fundraising scam on a Facebook page titled Black Lives Matter have been expelled from the National Union of Workers.

The NUW said it was "deeply distressed and appalled" by reports of the sham Black Lives Matter Facebook pages and websites.

"The NUW has launched an investigation into claims made by a CNN report and has terminated the officials concerned," the union said.

A screenshot of the Facebook page, taken by CNN.

The union said it was not involved in and had not authorised any activities with reference to claims made in a CNN report that the Facebook page was a scam with alleged links to two union officials.
Sydney businessman Justin Fischer was portrayed as a hugely successful millionaire on Nine Network hit reality series Married at First Sight.

He took eight weeks out of his busy schedule to try his luck at love. The 41-year-old was partnered with Carly during the television experiment, but things didnt work out.

Justin Fischer is the founder of soft serve and frozen yoghurt manufacturing business Brullen.

Hes back at full steam after filming the series and insists that the business ticked over fine during his very public quest for love.

My only regret was that I didnt watch the last season, so I knew nothing about the show and how heavily scripted and fabricated the show was, he says.
Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombusdman Kate Carnell has rejected the Australian Taxation Office's argument that there is no need for greater scrutiny, saying watchdog agencies - including her own office -need more powers to ensure small business and individual taxpayers get justice.

Kate Carnell wants greater powers to investigate small business complaints against the ATO. Credit:Louis Douvis

Revenue and Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer has launched an investigation into the tax office amid allegations of unfair treatment of small businesses and individuals, following a joint Fairfax Media-Four Corners investigation, which revealed several cases of bullying, intimidation and cover-ups by the agency.

Treasury is expected to undertake the review, with input from the Inspector-General of Taxation Ali Noroozi, and Ms Carnell's office.

Ms Carnell is advocating that the Inspector General of Taxation be given much more resources and the powers to make binding determinations, but she also wants her office to be given greater scope to investigate small business complaints.
The widow of the former NSW Premier Neville Wran has made a rare intervention in state politics to criticise plans to relocate the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo to Parramatta.

With a final announcement on the fate of the Powerhouse imminent, Jill Wran said she was ''absolutely crushed'' that the legacy of a man ''whose contribution right across the cultural lines of NSW was itself monumental'' might be dismantled and that the cultural relevance of the institution responsible for a world-renowned collection would be so undermined.

Jill Wran says she is crushed by plans for the Powerhouse. Credit:Ben Rushton

It was ''hurtful'' too, to the Wran family that there had not been a ''stronger response'' from Labor, which has been in lock step with the government on the need to decommission the Ultimo site and establish a dedicated science and innovation institution in western Sydney, though it is reviewing its support.

Ms Wran said she wholeheartedly agreed western Sydney deserved cultural resources and programming.
But Netflix made good on its promise following confirmation the festival's rules would be changed to exclude non-theatrical films, a rule change Netflix said was aimed squarely at them.

The market-disrupting streaming platform had threatened to walk from the world's most iconic international film festival in an eleventh-hour standoff with organisers.

It's official: Netflix is out of the Cannes Film Festival.

"We want our films to be on fair ground with every other filmmaker," Netflix''s chief content officer Ted Sarandos told the trade newspaper Variety today.

"Theres a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival," Sarandos said. "Theyve set the tone; I dont think it would be good for us to be there."

The French film market has an unusual set of existing regulations which make Netflix's presence at the Cannes festival - a major fixture in the film calendar - a little complicated.

Existing regulations stipulate that films which are released in French cinemas cannot be released on non-theatrical platforms - such as Netflix - for 36 months after their theatrical window.

As a result, Neflix's original films - like many independent films - previously entered the festival without distribution.
But Avital does a bit more than that. In Orfeo, a new work by Elena Kats-Chernin for mandolin and string quartet commissioned by Kim Williams, the mandolin player personifies a minstrel-like Orpheus, starting with a charming excerpt from Monteverdi's Orfeo.

Mandolin player Avi Avital brings musical intensity to an instrument that Mozart, in the aria Deh vieni alla finestra from Don Giovanni, characterised as mostly suitable for light plinking and plonking.

(Kats-Chernin worked with producer Barrie Kosky on a production of all three surviving Monteverdi operas, an experience that formed the background for this piece.)

But in the second and fourth movements, Avital played like a soul in torment. Overall, Avital and the Giocoso String Quartet created a light and glistening sound world.

The program's other contemporary work, Cymbeline by Britain-based David Bruce, also glistened in its first movement using ambient atmospheric sounds to create the emerging glow of a metaphoric sunrise with sinewy oriental melodies, while the finale used delicate plucking sounds and undulating accompaniment to capture fading radiance.

The movement in between was vivid with driven rhythms. The Giocoso String Quartet began the program by tapping the seriousness of Schumann's String Quartet in A minor, Opus 41, No. 1 with mature control and, in the finale, deft agility.

Avital also played Bach's Chaconne from Partita number 2 (originally for solo violin) with focused emphasis, exact articulation and telling tonal contrast.
The Ganges with Sue Perkins

SBS, 8.30pm

Sue Perkins ranks high on the likeability scale. The English TV identity at the heart of The Great British Bake Off and general BBC woman about town has made a living out of being drolly funny, and thus it has come to pass that in the tradition of all drolly funny British TV identities she has embarked on the third age of her career as a TV travel guide. On her latest three-part effort following the Ganges river from its mountain source to the sea, Perkins battles altitude sickness, paralysing grief over the recent death of her father, and people who mistake her for Bake Off co-host Mel Giedroyc. India's exotica is the TV equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel but there's really not much new to see here. LD

Pay

Weather Top 10s

Discovery Science, 8.30pm

There's a big viral-video element to this special looking at bizarre weather phenomena, but there are also proper scientists on hand to explain how everything works. In the case of volcanic lightning, which we see flashing and crackling through the ash plumes of erupting volcanoes, we learn that it's a result of ash particles rubbing together and building up electrical charges in the same way water does in thunderclouds. Perhaps the most bizarre sight is that of "ice shoves", in which the ice on a frozen lake breaks up into big chunks, climbs out of the water and marches on to land in the form of destructive, fast-moving walls that can be up to 12 metres tall and 15 kilometres long. The fire tornado that appeared in a Canberra bushfire in 2003 also comes under examination. Part of Discovery Science's Weather Week. BN

Sue Perkins Perkins battles altitude sickness in The Ganges With Sue Perkins.

Movie

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Go, 8.40pm

David Twohy's 2000 sci-fi thriller Pitch Black was an effective genre piece: abrupt, scary and self-aware. The sequel is anything but. A sprawling space opera that cannibalises everything from Star Trek to David Lynch's Dune, The Chronicles of Riddick is your basic lone hero saves the universe set-up, with a relentless army of planet-hopping conquistadors, The Necromongers, running afoul of Vin Diesel's Riddick. Post The Fast and the Furious, Diesel's torpid hero visits various planets and kills those who question his taciturn manner. Whenever the narrative moves to a closed environment, Twohy's action scenes have a decent kinetic charge, but the plot is a mess and the attempt to play the often ludicrous twists with serious intent leaves the supporting cast foundering. As a Necromonger courtesan, Thandie Newton borrows liberally from Lady Macbeth, while Dame Judi Dench recounts various prophecies and then turns to air. The movie does much the same. CM

Back with the Ex

Seven, 9pm

Anyone still nursing a Married At First Sight hangover (with attendant self-hatred) will be overjoyed at the arrival of this rarest of beasts  a dating show that doesn't appear to suck. The premise is simple but rich with promise: four pairs of long-lost lovers try to rekindle their romance. There's no mention of the dreaded words "social experiment", praise the Lord; there's a level of sincerity in each of these pairings that draws from a deep well of familiarity, affection and past hurts. Between the endless recapping lies a show with real emotional traction that dispenses with the manufactured outrage of MAFS for something approaching sincerity. Now there's a novel concept. LD
A coroner hearing an inquest into the death of a Canberra prisoner who overdosed after being prescribed methadone has recommended the jail consider drug testing inmates who claim to be heroin users, without a history of dependence, before prescribing the drug.

Coroner Robert Cook also recommended on Wednesday that the jail consider introducing compulsory exercise programs, and remain vigilant in stopping illegal drugs from getting into the prison.

Steven Freeman's admission to the methadone program, as well as his tolerance to the drug and the treatment and care afforded to him in the days afterwards were topics scrutinised at the inquest into his death in the ACT Coroner's Court over several weeks last year.

In Wednesday's findings, the coroner "recognise[d] deficiencies and inconsistencies" within the Alexander Maconochie Centre's methadone program. But he was unable to conclude that those deficiencies and inconsistencies affected the quality of care, treatment and supervision afforded to the 25-year-old Indigenous man, to the extent it contributed to his death on May 27, 2016.
An astounded judge has remarked on the lack of guile from a bumbling one-time drug courier who tipped off border police to his own illegal haul.

Van No Le declared he had brought food into the country despite concealing more than 5 kilograms of pseudoephedrine in his luggage when arriving at Sydney Airport from Vietnam on February 27, 2017.

In sentencing the 59-year-old last month, NSW District Court judge Peter Berman, SC, remarked the incompetent criminal had set himself up to be sprung.

Accordingly, his bag was searched, as it was always going to be once he had ticked Yes to the appropriate question, Judge Berman said in his published reasons.

When Les bag was opened, border officers found 13 packages of what appeared to be food, but actually concealed 5.4 kilograms of pseudoephedrine.
Growing support: A protester outside the offices of Emanuel Exports in Perth on Monday. Credit:AAP No one can fail to be appalled by the footage of sheep dying of thirst amid the corpses of others on board a transport ship to the Middle East. Horrors like this in the live cattle and sheep industry seem to happen too often. The question is: what can be done to stop them happening again? The alternatives are to ban the trade  and destroy a legitimate industry and the livelihoods of thousands in regional Australia  or to clean it up. The federal government, in the person of Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, understandably prefers the second option. But he will have to make sure the problem does not recur. The example to avoid is the Gillard governments precipitate decision in 2011 to end live exports to Indonesia. Then, as now, shocking footage had revealed animals exported from Australia were being treated with intolerable cruelty. Though that ban was understandable given the cruelty involved and the public outcry, the action was too hasty. An entire industry was suddenly deprived of its main market. Whole regions in northern Australia lost their livelihood.

Loading In Indonesia the ban disrupted food markets and caused great offence besides. Cattle producers and others affected are still before the Federal Court seeking compensation from Canberra in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Knee-jerk responses are no way to regulate an industry in which failures of this kind are entirely predictable. This time, things are slightly different. The footage shows animals in serious distress, standing or lying deep in their own filth, dead or dying of thirst  but on board a ship in transit. Australia thus has some control. The government and even the shipping company are saying the right things. Mr Littleproud has quite rightly praised Animals Australia, the activist group which made the video and brought it to public attention. He has also announced  again, quite rightly  an inquiry into the performance standards of the summer live export trade. Clearly he realises that action is needed, but we may suspect equally that he hopes to forestall another groundswell of outrage which might force more drastic action. Most people will ask: why do things go wrong this way? On a vessel designed for animal transport, is it really too hard to give sheep enough water and fodder to keep them alive? If it is too hard, why is the vessel allowed to keep operating?
A man has suffered crush injuries in an industrial accident in Sydney's north on Wednesday morning.

Ambulance crews were called to Dale Street in Brookvale just after 6am, following reports that a man had been trapped between machinery and a truck.

The 30-year-old was conscious but had head injuries, an ambulance spokesman said.

He was rushed by ambulance with a police escort to Royal North Shore Hospital, where he is in a stable condition.

The incident occurred at the Dale Street depot for waste management company United Resource Management.
A fire at Energex's Yatala substation left about 7000 Gold Coast residents without power on Wednesday.

Fire crews were called to the facility on Pearson Road about 4.30pm and less than two hours later the four crews on site were dampening down hotspots.

Smoke was seen rising from one of the buildings at Energex's Yatala substation. Credit:7 News Brisbane - Twitter

An Energex spokesman said the number of customers without power had reduced to about 2500 by 6pm with repair crews waiting for the all clear from the fire service to inspect the damage.

By 7.45pm, less than 550 Gold Coast customers remained in the dark, the Energex spokesman said crews had gained access to the substation and were working to repair the damage.
Even more common is an Aboriginal man, in his late thirties or early forties. He has been in youth detention, then adult prison. Now he sleeps on the street, but the kinship systems and group-based relationships of his culture means that his story is different from those of his non-Aboriginal counterparts, who remain, for the most part, utterly alone. His response to the final, open-ended survey question about what he needs to be safe and well often includes his wish for a wife, or a partner in life. Women are less common rough sleepers simply because they are often in shelters away from the city. But those who are sleeping rough overwhelmingly tell tales of domestic violence. Their main fear is for their own safety on the street. Their responses to the final survey question overwhelmingly talk about how their situation has estranged them from their children, and how they want to regain stability, health and independence from drugs or alcohols for a single purpose: to get their children back. The young people, the 17-18-year-olds, have come from foster care, the juvenile justice system or have been kicked out of home. They have started drinking and using drugs early.

Often, they will couch-surf as teenagers, invisible to the system, hidden in the suburbs. Often even their teachers dont know they are homeless. If they dont manage to work things out, theyll drift towards a bad crowd. After they turn 18 they graduate into the grown-up world of the streets and become visible in the system again. Paul Flatau is director of the University of WA Centre for Social Impact, which compiled The State of Homelessness in Australias Cities report. He said the statistics behind the stories were stark. Out of all the respondents in Perth and Fremantle, 31 per cent were indigenous, 10 times the 3.1 per cent represented in the total population of WA. This was roughly in line with the results from Brisbane and 11 per cent higher than a national rate of 20 per cent. Melbourne brought the totals down nationally, with a much lower overall indigenous population.

Nearly 74 per cent of indigenous respondents had been in prison, compared with 52 per cent of non-indigenous respondents. Nearly half had been in youth detention at some point. Of the 1662 rough sleepers in Perth and Fremantle, 72 were veterans of the Australian Defence Force, though it was not asked whether they had all been in theatre of war environments. About 43 per cent said they had a serious brain or head injury. Veterans were less likely to present with others during their homelessness journey than non-veterans, but more likely to report having a pet. You have to remember veterans dont make up that much of the Australian population, Professor Flateau said.

Were pushing the Australian Defence Force to give us the numbers of the total number who have served since WWII ... in the American context theyve been doing a lot of work on veterans homelessness. Loading Our hypothesis is that the rate is higher ... that we as a society are not looking after veterans as we should. At the time of the interviews nearly 70 per cent of the veterans said they were sleeping rough most of the time. That is a very high rate, and a very high rate of brain injury. "This is a story we need to follow through on. Its not simply that war caused the whole issue. Its about risk factors and the intervening role of the ADF.

The report is the largest ever collection of detailed information on the circumstances of those experiencing homelessness in Australia, and also profiles health conditions and mental health, alcohol and other drug issues, income and employment circumstances, social needs and connections. In the end, it investigates the closing question every one of these men and women were asked  what do you need to be safe and well  and the answers were gut-wrenching in their simplicity. Overwhelmingly those sleeping rough wished for food, water, warmth and to be able to rest or sleep in a bed. These wishes were closely followed by a yearning for health and safety; to be able to see a GP or counsellor; to get help with drug or alcohol probems; to be safe from a partner; to have a door to lock. They wanted to be able to get away from dangerous people and to develop a stable routine so they could address their desires to reconnect with family and to work.

All the things, in other words, most Australians take for granted. On Friday, the Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness will launch a 10-year plan to end homelessness in WA, the details of which will be covered in part 4 of WAtodays series. Many people create their own initiatives and they are wonderful, the doing of laundry, supporting people on the streets, are wonderful, Prof Flatau said. But we need to focus on the big things right, getting people off the streets, and that is about engaging with homeless agencies. So sign the petition, and call your local agency and ask how you can support them. Contact your MP and tell them you want action. And attend the launch of the End Homelessness Campaign on Friday night.
A Perth council under investigation by the state government will host a special meeting of electors for a raft of contentious issues.

But City of Melville councillors won't participate in the discussion or answer any questions because of concerns over personal safety and a potential "abuse of process".

More than 500 electors backed a request for the April 26 meeting to discuss controversial decisions taken by the council such as approval of high rise around Canning Bridge and the construction of a $25 million wave park - itself the target of a packed special electors meeting in February.

The meeting itself will focus on "specified details" provided by the requestors, such as the "responsibility of elected members and the CEO to ensure that the City complies with legislative processes" and whether "particular elected members and the CEO have acted with due diligence and good faith".

There has been ongoing rancour between some residents and the council, with Local Government Minister David Templeman revealing last year nearly 300 complaints had been received about the city since 2014.
For quite a while now, nearly a decade, theres been sort of plans from mainly over east to bring in sea lion enclosures to protect sea lions, he said. But honestly we dont see them. We dont see them around the boats and we dont catch them. Australian sea lions only breed in the coastal and offshore waters of South Australia and Western Australia, and can be found on offshore islands anywhere from the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, near Geraldton, to the Pages Islands just east of Kangaroo Island in South Australia. They also spend time on islands inside the Jurien Bay Marine Park, the Marmion Marine Park, and the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park off Rockingham  zones already protected under WA environment laws. But activists and scientists have argued the population continues to suffer due to commercial fishers either accidentally catching sea lions in nets or cutting into their food supply, and the exclusion zones should be further expanded to better protect the animals.

An Australian sea lion. Credit:Shannon Conway A petition from the Humane Society urging WA Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly to adopt the gillnet exclusion zones has since gained about 6000 signatures. "These closures are now a matter of urgency and we need your help to ensure that the WA government meet their deadline and finally take this essential action to protect Australian sea lions," the petition reads. "The WA government has been required to undertake significant work to protect this species but has failed for a decade to take the necessary steps to actively reduce the number of fishing-related mortalities of the species. "It is now imperative that WA implement gillnet exclusion zones to protect foraging Australian sea lions, and reduce their bycatch in their shark fishery."

However, Mr Scimone said the fact some of the states most productive commercial fishing zones would be closed due to regulations developed by interstate authorities failed to acknowledge the fishermen out on WA waters day after day. Canberra has just decided lets bring this in in WA as well, he said. Their first point of ammo was that we were catching them, and then when there was research done to prove that we werent, it was that we were catching their feed. The latest research into the Australian Sea Lion Management Strategy and its success found the species is still in decline despite the introduction of gillnet fishing closures to South Australia.

Us local fishermen have had to live with this threat hanging over our head for nearly a decade. Jason Scimone The 30 species of fish and shark that we catch, sealions have been proven to not eat a whole lot of them," Mr Scimone said. Theyre after smaller fish than what we catch. I dont know whos coming up with these rules but well definitely cop it. Its a serious issue, because the amount of ground they want is unbelievable. Us local fishermen have had to live with this threat hanging over our head for nearly a decade. To be a fisherman, you need to be able to fish. Its on the same level as a farmer. Youve got so many paddocks of sheep, but that paddock there, you cant touch. Theres no real good reason behind it but maybe some birds might want to feed there.

In WA Fisheries' Joint Authority Meeting 2016-17 report, researchers acknowledged the impact the exclusion zone would have on fishermen. It was noted that the impacts of management changes in response to matters such as proposed marine parks, and Australian sea lion interactions was putting increasing pressure on the viability of operators in the fishery, it said. The impact of these changes, and possible other changes, should not be considered in isolation but rather on a cumulative basis. Fisheries WA have been backing the fishermen, Mr Scimone said. All the environmentalist groups and those on a federal level are still pushing it, and fishermen have sort of had a gun to their heads for a long time - you will do this or else.
A man is due to face court on Wednesday on a string of drugs and weapons charges after a traffic stop north of Perth.

Police were conducting patrols on Marmion Avenue on Tuesday morning when they stopped a Mitsubishi Lancer in Eglinton.

Crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice. (file image). Credit:Courtesy Thorpe

It will be alleged during a search of the car officers found approximately 18 grams of MDMA and six grams of methamphetamine.

A 27-year-old man from Yanchep is facing six charges including possess with intent to sell or supply a prohibited drug (MDMA), possess a controlled weapon and having ready access to weapons and drugs.
Pig shortage

"It is expected that, as a result of Germany's invasion of Denmark and Norway, Australia may be called upon to supply Great Britain with increasing supplies of foodstuffs, especially pig products. According to the Australian Stud Pig Breeders' Society, this might well mean that Australian farmers would shortly be asked greatly to increase their output of pig products to help overcome the deficiency."

In the Herald

The flying minister

"The Minister for Air, Mr Fairbairn, will act as pilot tomorrow for the Prime Minister Mr Menzies and the Minister for the Army, Mr Street. Mr Street is due at Puckapunyal to inspect the A.I.F. camp there and Mr Menzies will attend a dinner which is to be given to Mr Fairbairn at Dandenong tomorrow night. The fact Mr Fairbairn's own plane is in Canberra solves transport difficulties for all three."
The death in custody of indigenous Canberra man Steven Freeman has been labelled "a great tragedy" as both the government and opposition sharpen focus on drugs and a lack of activities in the prison as key issues.

Coroner Robert Cook on Wednesday handed down his findings and recommendations of the inquest into Mr Freeman's death in the Alexander Maconochie Centre in May 2016, as a result of aspiration pneumonia secondary to methadone toxicity.

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His report made seven recommendations to improve the prison's screening processes for drugs, its opioid treatment program and that the government consider daily physical education sessions for inmates, among others.

Corrections minister Shane Rattenbury said Mr Freeman should never have died in the government's custody and that it was a great tragedy he did.
The Turnbull government minister responsible for the Pacific has sounded a new warning about foreign loans, suggesting unsustainable levels of debt risk destabilising island nations on Australia's doorstep.

Wading into a fresh debate over China's increasing influence in the South Pacific, International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells said the Australian government welcomed investment from other nations, but not if it became a burden for developing economies.

Minister for International Development and the Pacific Concetta Fierravanti-Wells. Credit:Andrew Meares

Senator Fierravanti-Wells, who stirred controversy in January by accusing China of financing "useless buildings" and "roads to nowhere" in the Pacific, also said island nations should be aware that loans come with conditions and that aid donors and lenders  including development banks  should take into account the economic vulnerability of developing nations.

"We welcome contributions but in the end we do not believe that the debt burden should be increased. Our priority is to ensure that we have a stable, secure and prosperous Pacific," the minister told Fairfax Media.
When the Northern coal station in my home of Port Augusta was slated for closure by Alinta Energy in 2015, the end came rapidly, with only a year for workers, the community and the energy sector to prepare.

Despite missing out on a smooth transition, Port Augusta is now creating a new future in renewable energy and storage. Thats why its maddening to watch politicians scramble over the Liddell coal-fired power station in NSW  putting at risk a fair transition for working families who deserve better.

The Liddell power station in the Hunter Valley. Credit:Janie Barrett

After coal closures in South Australia and Victoria, a key recommendation of the Finkel review was for advanced notice of closure to be given, allowing workers and the community to plan for the future. To AGLs credit, this is what they have done with Liddell. In contrast, Alinta Energy who the Turnbull Government is now trying to force AGL to sell Liddell to, closed Port Augustas coal station with little notice.

Similarly, the lack of a strong emission reduction target in the National Energy Guarantee does not provide local communities with the certainty they need. What the country needs is investment in renewable and storage technologies to be in place when our remaining coal stations close and for transition plans to be in place for local communities, yet the NEG is predicted to send renewable investment off a cliff.
A Beijing-funded wharf in Vanuatu that is struggling to make money is big enough to allow powerful warships to dock alongside it, heightening fears the port could be converted into a Chinese naval installation.

Fairfax Media inspected the $114 million Luganville wharf on Wednesday and was told US coastguard officials and Marines recently visited the sprawling facility and took a keen interest in its specifications.

Some defence experts have warned the wharf, which is now the largest in the South Pacific and strategically located in the same harbour in which the US based tens of thousands of troops during World War II, has been built with the option of converting it in the future to a naval base.

Vanuatu's Luganville wharf captured in August 9, 2015 and just ahead of its completion in April 27, 2016.

Fairfax Media revealed this week that Beijing is looking to establish a permanent military presence on Vanuatu. The Chinese and Vanuatu governments have strenuously denied they have discussed a military base, though Fairfax Media has confirmed with multiple senior sources that Australian national security officials have been aware of the overtures for some time, and are deeply concerned.
Salim Mehajer's stint outside Silverwater prison may be short-lived after he was convicted of multiple counts of electoral fraud.

Salim Mehajer arrives at Sydney's Central Local Court on Wednesday morning. Credit:AAP

Local Court magistrate Beverley Schurr found on Wednesday the property developer and former Auburn deputy mayor engaged in a "joint criminal enterprise" with his sister Fatima to rig the September 2012 local government election, which catapulted him into public office.

Ms Schurr said the pair exchanged "numerous" incriminating text messages on July 30, 2012, shortly before the close of the electoral roll.

In a statement after the decision, Mehajer said he had "huge confidence in the justice system and I am sure everything will be okay".
The NSW government has committed to combating Sydney's heat island effect by planting 5 million trees over the next 12 years, in a bid to offset the cracking pace of development.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the government would spend $38.7 million over the next four years on its "Five Million Trees" initiative, as part of its plan to boost Sydney's existing tree canopy from 16 per cent to 40 per cent by 2030.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian committed $37.5 million to planting five million trees across Sydney over the next 12 years. Credit:Louise Kennerley

While Ms Berejiklian trumpeted the policy as a first for any Australian state government, dozens of councils across the country have also implemented canopy policies and targets.

"No other state government that I know of anywhere in Australia has ever talked about tree canopy," she said.
It is an exhibition space dedicated to showcasing the latest innovations in film and digital arts, but rapid advances in technology has begun to make many of ACMI's long-standing exhibits look out of date.

So the Australian Centre for the Moving Image will get its first major revamp in its near 20-year history, including an overhaul of its interior and a renewal of its permanent exhibitions.

The centre, at Federation Square, will shut its doors for about nine months from early next year while the works take place, and is due to reopen in late 2019.

27/2/17 Katrina Sedgwick, the head of ACMI. Photograph by Chris Hopkins Credit:Chris Hopkins

The Andrews government announced on Wednesday that it had committed $31.6 million in the 2018-19 budget towards ACMIs latest transformation.
The number of college students taking courses online is surging, creating a tough dilemma for educators who want to prevent cheating.

Do you trust students to take an exam on their own computer from home or work, even though it may be easy to sneak a peek at the textbook? Or do you force them to trek to a proctored test center, detracting from the convenience that drew them to online classes in the first place?

The dilemma is one reason many online programs do little testing at all. But some new technology that places a camera inside students' homes may be the way of the future _ as long as students don't find it too creepy.

This fall, Troy University in Alabama will begin rolling out the new camera technology for many of its approximately 11,000 online students, about a third of whom are at U.S. military installations around the world.

The device, made by Cambridge, Mass.-based Software Secure, is similar in many respects to other test-taking software. It locks down a computer while the test is being taken, preventing students from searching files or the Internet. The latest version also includes fingerprint authentication, to help ensure the person taking the test isn't a ringer.
Algiers: An Algerian military plane carrying soldiers and their families crashed soon after takeoff Wednesday into a field in northern Algeria, killing 257 people in what appeared to be the North African nation's worst-ever plane crash.

Algeria's Defense Ministry said those killed included 247 passengers and 10 crew. The cause of the crash was unclear and an investigation has been opened.

Firefighters and civil security officers work at the scene of a fatal military plane crash in Boufarik. Credit:AP

Algerian authorities did not mention whether there were any survivors but one witness reported seeing some people jump out of the aircraft before it crashed at 7:50 am Wednesday local time.

The flight had just taken off from the Boufarik military base, 30 kilometres southwest of the capital Algiers, for a military base in Bechar in southwest Algeria, according to Farouk Achour, the chief spokesman for the civil protection services.
Jakarta: An Australian woman has been detained by Cambodian police in the tourist city of Siem Reap and could face charges for possessing marijuana.

The Brisbane woman, Rachel Prins, is said to be the owner of the Soul Train Reggae Bar, which she runs with her Cambodian boyfriend.

Ms Prins was one of 11 people, including several other Australians, brought in for questioning by Cambodian police after being detained at the bar on Monday night.

An online expats' forum first named Ms Prins and posted some details of the police raid, while also suggesting it was linked to marijuana being freely available at the bar.
Jakarta: An Australian man in Bali has been found guilty on drug charges, but will serve time in a rehab centre, rather than in jail.

Isaac Emmanuel Roberts was found guilty of the illegal use of category 1 narcotics for personal consumption and the possession of psychotropic drugs.

But the Bali court sentenced Roberts, a self-described drug addict who had pleaded for mercy last week, to undergo one year and three months of treatment at the Anargya rehabilitation centre.

Australian man Isaac Roberts has avoided a jail sentence on drugs charges in Bali. Credit:Amilia Rosa

Roberts has already served about five months in the centre, which means he will be free early next year.
Taipei: Russia's foreign minister is to visit North Korea in a reigniting of relations between the countries ahead of Kim Jong-un's meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Sergei Lavrov said he had agreed to travel to Pyongyang for the first time in almost a decade during talks in Moscow with Ri Yong-ho, his North Korean counterpart. He last visited North Korea in 2009.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Credit:AP

Lavrov has said the US should offer an "ironclad" guarantee of North Korea's security as part of any denuclearisation talks.
London: Having a new strong-willed, feminist, social media savvy member of the royal familys "Fab Four" generation is going to challenge the monarchy to up its game, biographer Andrew Morton predicts.

Morton  whose secretly-authorised biography of Princess Diana shook the monarchy at its highest levels 25 years ago  has written a new biography of Prince Harrys fiancee Meghan Markle, titled A Hollywood Princess.

The book covers Markles fractured and fraught family life and her precocious interest in politics and civil rights. It quotes a childhood friend saying she wants to be Princess Diana 2.0.

She is going to be far more active  and quite forthright, Morton predicted on Wednesday, a day ahead of the books UK publication (it will be published in Australia on April 19).
Berlin: The Dutch House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to strike down a centuries-old law that makes insulting the king and his immediate family punishable by as much as five years in prison.

By a vote of 120-30, lawmakers approved a bill that would instead make insulting the king (or any other head of state) equivalent to insulting police officers, ambulance drivers, emergency-room workers and social workers. These carry a maximum penalty of four months in prison.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron last month.

"Our King, Willem-Alexander, and of course other heads of state should not be insulted, but if it does happen, then everyone should be equal in front of the law," said Kees Verhoeven, the lawmaker with the progressive party Democrats 66 who introduced the bill.

The bill will now go to Parliament's other chamber, the Senate, where it is expected to be approved.
Six people died in the shootout that ensued, and chroniclers of Mexico's brutal drug wars have long attributed the massacre to Joaquin Guzman Loera, a young kingpin known as El Chapo, who was settling a score with the leaders of the gang  the brothers Francisco Javier and Ramon Arellano Felix. On Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn claimed that Guzman, known widely as a master of escape tunnels, was indeed involved and said that they planned to tell the tale of the decades-old slaughter at his trial.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the press as he is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican soldiers and marines in January 2016. Credit:AP

Drawing weapons from their coats, contemporaneous news reports said, the gunmen shot out the nightclub's lights and then trained their fire on the revelling members of a drug gang called the Arellano Felix organisation.

The gunfight  which took place, prosecutors said, as Guzman was consolidating his control of smuggling routes as a rising power in the Sinaloa drug cartel  was mentioned in a 90-page US government memo filed in the case this week. With the sprawling conspiracy trial set to begin in September, the memo was designed to list the crimes Guzman was believed to have committed, but were not specifically laid out in his indictment. Those were legion, the memo said, and included murders, acts of torture, kidnappings, prison breaks and an attempt to smuggle seven tonnes of cocaine in cans of jalapenos.

In the 15 months since Guzman was extradited from Mexico to New York, his prosecution has been bogged down in legal technicalities related to his extradition and in arguments about the harsh conditions of his confinement in the high-security wing of Manhattan's federal jail. The government's new filing was the first detailed account of the often gruesome evidence that prosecutors plan to present to the jury.

The jail cell shower area where authorities claim drug lord El Chapo, slipped into a tunnel to escape from the Mexican Altiplano maximum security prison. Credit:AP

In 2001, the government said, as Guzman was making war on two rival gangs  the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas  he ordered his pistoleros to capture and torture any members of the groups they could find. Some of the men were brought to him "bound and helpless," the memo said, for personal interrogations. "In at least one instance," prosecutors wrote, "the defendant himself shot the rivals at point-blank range and ordered his lackeys to dispose of the bodies."

Nine years later, while Guzman was fighting another competitor, the Beltran Leyva organisation, he received word that one of its top lieutenants, Israel Rincon Martinez, had been kidnapped by his henchmen, the government said. According to the memo, Rincon was shuttled between a series of Guzman properties, where he was tortured and questioned by his cousin, Juan Guzman Rocha. Even though Guzman ordered the interrogators not to kill Rincon until he got there, the memo claimed that by the time he arrived, Rincon was dead.
Washington: President Donald Trump was fuming on Tuesday over FBI raids of his lawyer's office and home in search of details about ties between Trump and two women who say they had sex with him, aides said.

The latest turn of events in a wide-ranging probe that Trump has called a "witch hunt" has moved investigators deeper into the president's inner circle of advisers and cast a pall of uncertainty over the White House.

US President Donald Trump Credit:AP

The raids on attorney Michael Cohen represent a dramatic escalation of a federal inquiry led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and possible collusion by Trump campaign aides.
Panaya to Showcase SFDC Change Delivery Solution at Salesforce World Tours

HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY  April 11, 2018  Panaya, the leader in SaaS-based application delivery and testing, today announced it is hitting the road and will be attending the Salesforce World Tour in Amsterdam, Toronto, London and Paris  and later Dreamforce in San Francisco  to showcase Release Dynamix (RDx), a cloud-based Enterprise Agile Delivery Platform. From initial business change request through to testing and production, Panaya RDx for SFDC removes the calculated guesswork and state of uncertainty associated with implementing Salesforce.com changes. Panaya will demonstrate how RDx for Salesforce.com  specifically designed to support SFDC change delivery  offers an innovative approach to risk mitigation and QA to enable Salesforce change projects with speed and quality.

According to Forrester Research, the average Salesforce project rollout has increased from nine months to 19 months since 2010, and half of all new customers now deploying three or more modules are increasingly hindered by long, expensive impact-analysis and regression testing projects. This is due to every single application change which risks breaking integration links, third-party add-ons and the hundreds of data and process customizations deployed.

In response to the growing complexity of change delivery in SFDC environments, Panaya focused on creating a simple solution for Salesforce application leaders to gain the visibility they need to make informed decisions before heading into production. To resolve potential change delivery risks and ensure quality ahead of time, RDx for SFDC provides:

 A detailed summary of entities impacted by daily modifications, scheduled releases or major projects.

 A list of development and customization tasks, derived from project scope and assigned to team members.

 Test plan scoping according to impacted entry points.

 Continuous risk assessment and multidimensional views of potential risks.

With the real time insights into risk and quality and automatic corrective actions prior to code development, SFDC leaders ensure a fast and safe release to production.

\Salesforce.com has quickly become the epicenter of many business organizations. And while it\-\-s a relatively new and agile technology, the ALM methodology and release processes behind it have been somewhat stagnant to date,\ said Rafi Kretchmer, VP of Marketing. \Since the launch of RDx, we\-\-ve had an incredible level of interest, validating the growing need for a reliable agile Salesforce change delivery solution. RDx was designed with both business users and IT in mind, enabling greater collaboration, while ensuring greater release certainty and immediate results at the click of the button. It is our goal to change the way organizations are delivering changes to SFDC.\

Panaya has a proven record of successfully enabling thousands of projects for nearly 2,000 customers, including one-third of Fortune 500 companies. Stop by and see Panaya for a demonstration of RDx for Salesforce.com at Salesforce World Tours and Dreamforce:

 Amsterdam  April 12, 2018

 Toronto  May 3, 2018

 London  May 17, 2018

 Paris  June 6, 2018

 San Francisco  September 25, 2018.
Is hybrid working a red flag for business security?

The new normal was all we heard about when it came to the working model shift after the pandemic hit. Businesses worldwide adopted working from home, and then the hybrid model: a balance of remote work and office work. And according to a recent survey by 451 Research, nearly 80% of organisations surveyed said they have implemented or expanded universal work-from-home policies as a result of COVID-19, whilst 67% expect these policies to remain in place either permanently or for the long-term. With more vacant office spaces, the question is: is hybrid working a red flag for business security? Empty-office days When buildings and office spaces are still active with advanced technology, equipment and assets on show, yet footfall is not as busy as it once was, opportunistic criminals are closely watching and taking note. But what are they learning? Security systems provider, Expert Security UK, investigates our new normal. Offices are nests for expensive, valuable equipment, with maybe the latest technology Instead of a packed, busy office five or six days a week, hybrid working means more empty-office days, which is music to the ears of burglars. Offices are nests for expensive, valuable equipment, with maybe the latest technology and safes sitting there, or potential stacks of cash or company cards. You may be thinking, well, who leaves company cards or cash out? Youd be surprised, especially when business owners think theyll never be a victim, or sometimes, staff make mistakes. Hybrid working model And dont forget, burglars dont always know whats been left and will take their chances. And when a hybrid working model is the new normal, that means a lapse in security - at least in a thiefs mind. So how worried should business owners be? Well, the latest figures are pretty worrying, but also, not massively shocking. Reiterating the temptation and lure the working model shift has on robbers, Statista recorded a 12-year high for robbery offences in the UK in 2019/2020. When more businesses either shut up shop or sent staff away to home offices, its not hard to make a connection. These figures reflect how, when given the opportunity, thieves will strike and take advantage. Handing vital information Whether youve decided to go fully remote, its crucial to review and rethink your business security However, its worth noting that the lockdowns and empty streets would also have played a part in this spike, and now that were out of lockdowns with a world back to flipping its sign to open, many businesses will be carrying on working from home, but towns, shops, and streets are busy again. Whether youve decided to go fully remote, or have adopted the hybrid model, its crucial to review and rethink your business security, starting with your social media presence. Its a good idea to review your social media channels. We forget how open we can be on social media, and how our digital presence can actually work as a perfect guide and insight for criminals. All they have to do is follow your channels to pick up on clues. And if youre not giving it a minutes thought about what you're putting out there, you may even be just handing them vital information and helping their plans. Remote working shift Of course, there is information readily available such as your opening times, location etc. But, do you really want/need to show off the new, state-of-the-art tablets youve just kitted your office out with? It can be hard as a business, or even as a social person, to not want to share positive news on social media, but we really do have to stop and think, especially if people know a lot about the company and its remote working shift. Its also a good idea to have a meeting with your staff about a social media policy Maybe share a post about that new, intelligent security system you've installed instead. Its also a good idea to have a meeting with your staff about a social media policy or maybe just a casual chat about best practices, e.g. not to tag the business in a post about their new office gadget etc. Improving business security With fewer office days, you probably wont need to take up as much work space anymore. Maybe some equipment has become more ornamental. Anything you dont use or need, you could sell or donate. If you do have expensive equipment lying around thats not being used, try and make money back from it or store it elsewhere. If you are keeping a lot of expensive equipment in vacant premises, especially fixed equipment and technology, then consider installing bars and shutters over the windows. Whatever your budget, you can improve your business security tenfold with key security measures. One of them being access control. Security gates with access control are incredibly effective at stopping unauthorised people from gaining entry. There are also car park barriers and bollards that are highly effective at keeping any potential getaway vehicles out. Easily portable technology High-quality CCTV is a best friend to any business, but you need to be reviewing it frequently High-quality CCTV is a best friend to any business, but you need to be reviewing it frequently, especially if youve done a perimeter check and noticed any signs of forced entry or damage. Dont forget those signs either, let visitors or trespassers know theyre on camera. To fit in with the hybrid working model, static fixtures are becoming redundant. For instance, companies are switching to laptops instead of computers, so that workers can transport them easily to and from the office. This is not only more efficient and convenient, but it means assets are more guarded. Its the same for any other gadgets. Having easily portable technology is good for business, hybrid working, and security. Dont forget about your deterrents. Simple signs to warn people of alarms, CCTV, and even the fact that you dont leave equipment inside overnight can go a long way. Best security technology Thieves are famous for taking their chances. Some will meticulously plan, and many strike at a convenient, opportune time. So having signs in place that show you have high-quality, intelligent security in place can work wonders, making them think twice. Its also worth noting that you may not have the best security technology in place at the moment, but those on the outside dont need to know that; they can be fooled. However, having the best physical security in place is vital, as criminals lurk and will take chances. Keep reviewing your security, especially as your business adapts and reshapes - whether you return back to full office days or carry on the hybrid working model. This guest post was contributed by Danny Scholfield, Managing Director of Expert Security UK.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 84F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
Satellite images reveal the dark zone of the Greenland ice sheet, which is leading to a positive feedback effect where melt begets melt.

From above, Greenland's ice sheet looks like a vast field of brilliant white  for the most part. In the summer months, the western margin is shaded by a dark zone that seems to have gotten darker in recent years, threatening to speed up the rate of melting.

A new study offers an explanation for the phenomenon, putting the blame on impurities like carbon and ice-dwelling algae.

"What we show is that the dark zone is covered in a finely distributed layer of dust and black carbon, which provide nutrition for dark-colored algae," study co-author Alun Hubbard, a professor at Norway's Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, said in a statement. [Photos: Under the Greenland Ice Sheet]

The ice sheet covers more than 80 percent of Greenland's landmass about 656,000 square miles (1.7 million square kilometers), an area three times the size of Texas, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The ice is more than a mile thick on average, and it holds 8 percent of the world's fresh water. If it melts completely, global sea levels would rise about 23 feet (7 meters), according to NASA.

A drone captured this image on Aug. 5, 2014, showing an overhead view of the tents and scientific equipment used for the Dark Snow Project. The dark zone is particularly visible east of the melt stream near the camp. (Image credit: Dark Snow Project/J. Ryan/J.Box /A.Hubbard )

Because of that disastrous prospect, scientists have been trying to understand why the shrinking of Greenland's ice sheet has been accelerating over the past few decades.

Blindingly white snow and ice have high reflectivity, or albedo, meaning they reflect more of the sun's energy than they absorb. Dark patches and meltwater, however, absorb more energy and can induce a positive feedback that leads to even more melting in an ice sheet. So, the dark zone in Greenland has become a focus of some recent research.

"The fact that a large portion of the western flank of the Greenland ice sheet has become dark means that the melt is up to five times as much as if it was a brilliant snow surface," Hubbard said.

Hubbard and his colleagues went to Greenland in August 2014 and used a hand-launched drone to capture high-resolution images of a section of the dark zone. While crevasses and pools of meltwater explained some of the dark spots, the researchers observed that the majority of the shadowy surfaces had a uniform coating of impurities. These impurities include trapped dust and soot that have accumulated over the years from faraway fires and factories, as well as dark-colored algal blooms from microbes that, scientists recently discovered, can thrive in Greenland's harsh environment.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications last month.

The scientists wrote that the nature and drivers of the impurities in the ice sheet are not yet fully understood. But some recent research has suggested that there could be another complex feedback effect in the dark zone: algal blooms fueled by some of the impurities that get trapped in the ice.

"The algae need nutrients and food, essentially dust, organic carbon and water," Hubbard explained in the statement. "In summer, these are plentiful, and the algal bloom takes off. Because algae are dark in color, they reinforce the dark zone. Thereby you get a positive feedback effect where the ice sheet absorbs even more solar radiation, producing yet more melt."

Original article on Live Science.
The Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics, located nearly a mile below the surface of the Gran Sasso mountain about 60 miles outside of Rome, detects tiny particles called neutrinos.

Deep below a mountain in Italy, in the coldest cubic meter of the known universe, scientists are hunting for evidence that ghostly particles called neutrinos act as their own antimatter partners. What these researchers find could explain the imbalance of matter and antimatter in the universe.

So far, they have come up empty-handed.

The latest results from the first two months of the CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment in Gran Sasso, Italy, show no hint of a process proving neutrinos, which are generated by cosmic radiation, are their own antimatter partners. This means if the process does occur, it happens so rarely that it takes place roughly once every 10 septillion (10^25) years.

The ultimate goal of this experiment is to solve one of the universe's most enduring riddles, and one that suggests we shouldn't even be here. That riddle exists because the theoretical Big Bang  in which a tiny singularity is said to have inflated over 13.8 billion or so years to form the universe  should have resulted in a universe with 50 percent matter and 50 percent antimatter. [Big Bang to Civilization 10 Amazing Origin Events]

When matter and antimatter meet up, they annihilate and render each other nonexistent.

But that's not what we see today. Instead, our universe is mostly matter, and scientists are struggling to discover what happened to all the antimatter.

That's where neutrinos come in.

What are neutrinos?

Most elementary particles have an odd antimatter counterpart, called an antiparticle, which has the same mass as its normal-matter partner but the opposite charge. But neutrinos are a little odd on their own, in that they hardly have any mass, and they are chargeless. So, physicists have surmised, they could be their own antiparticles.

When a particle acts as its own antiparticle, it's called a Majorana particle.

"The theories that we presently have simply don't tell us whether or not neutrinos are of that Majorana type. And it's a very interesting thing to look for, because we already know that we are missing something about the neutrinos," theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, a fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies in Germany, told Live Science. Hossenfelder, who is not part of CUORE, is referring to the bizarre unexplained features of neutrinos.

If neutrinos are Majoranas, then they'd be able to transition between matter and antimatter. If most of the neutrinos morphed into ordinary matter at the universe's inception, the researchers said, this could explain why matter outweighs antimatter today  and why we exist.

The CUORE experiment

Studying neutrinos in a typical laboratory is difficult, because they rarely interact with other matter and are extremely hard to detect  billions pass through you undetected every minute. It's also hard to tell them apart from other sources of radiation. That's why physicists needed to go underground  nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) below the Earth's surface  where a giant steel sphere encases a neutrino detector run by the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics' Gran Sasso National Laboratory. [5 Mysterious Particles That May Lurk Beneath Earth's Surface]

This laboratory is the home of the CUORE experiment, which is looking for evidence of a process called neutrinoless double-beta decay  another way of saying neutrinos act as their own antiparticles. In a normal double-beta decay process, a nucleus decays and emits two electrons and two antineutrinos. However, neutrinoless double-beta decay wouldn't emit any antineutrinos, because these antineutrinos could serve as their own antiparticles and would annihilate each other.

In their attempt to "see" this process, the physicists watched for the energy emitted (in the form of heat) during the radioactive decay of an isotope of tellurium. If neutrinoless double-beta decay occurred, there would be a peak at a certain energy level.

As the radioactive tellurium atoms decay, these detectors look for that energy peak.

The CUORE collaboration  a team of 200 scientists, engineers and technicians  released their first results. Their new paper, which was published March 26 in the journal Physical Review Letters,reveals that the experiment has not shown any neutrinoless double-beta decay after two months. However, they said they plan to continue the experiment for another five years to gather more data  the amount of time necessary to definitely rule out (or find) neutrinoless double-beta decay.

"The observation that neutrinos are their own antiparticles would be a significant discovery and require us to rewrite the commonly accepted Standard Model of particle physics. It would tell us that there is a new and different mechanism for matter to have mass," study researcher Karsten Heeger, a professor at Yale University, told Live Science.

And even if CUORE cannot definitively show that the neutrino is its own antiparticle, the technology used in the study may have other uses, said Lindley Winslow, an assistant professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and part of the CUORE team.

"The technology that cools CUORE down to 10 mK is the same that is used to cool superconducting circuits for quantum computing. The next generation of quantum computers may live in a CUORE-style cryostat [a device that keeps the temperature extremely cold]. You could call us early adopters," Winslow told Live Science.

Originally published on Live Science.








Fallout was written by Tom Garrigus and was directed by Joe Lazarov. This is Garrigus first episode for the series, and his other credits,, and, dont inspire confidence. I found this to be a very disappointing episode. The plotting was either stupid or heavy-handed, and the episode ended by destroying Toms (Kiefer Sutherland) character. The Tom Kirkman that Ive come to know  and really like  would never have had the knee-jerk reaction to kill people for revenge. Really, theres no coming back from that  and I dont care that he lost his wife and has Mosss words ringing in his ears. Where has his moral fortitude gone now?Tom is sure that Chairman Kim (Tom Choi) is behind the dirty bomb and detains him for his own safety. Did anyone not realize right from the get go that Joon (Daniel Jun) was lying or refusing to talk because his girlfriend had been kidnapped? And how stupid is Blakey (Dillon Casey) to let him take the baking soda and escape from the hospital?It was momentarily nice to see Reed Diamond back as John Forstell, but again, it was clear from the beginning that theyd simply brought him back to die. Suddenly, Hannah (Maggie Q) isnt a one woman show able to accomplish everything spy-related on her own? And if they dont stop ignoring Chuck (Jake Epstein), Im going to become even more irritated Chuck gets that Joon and his girlfriend just want to be together. Of course, now Tom is free to appoint Hannah as the head of the FBIWe do get some nice scenes with Diamond as he tries to make amends for the investigation into Alex. When he first arrives, Tom cuts him off as he tries to offer condolences. Why Forstell thought he had to apologize to Hannah is a mystery to me. However, she urges him to go to the President. It really seems like the pot calling the kettle black when she tells him that crusades always start with the best intentions. What about her crusade to catch the bomber who killed her lover  and did she ever apologize to his wife?Diamond and Sutherland are both very good in the scene in which Forstell does go to Tom to apologize. And suddenly, Tom doesnt seem to be angry with him? Forstell did behave with the best intentions, investigating because he thought something was there not because it was personal. Tom asks him if he ever behaved in a way that was inconsistent with the law and when Forstell says no, Tom assures him that he was just doing his job. A job Tom expects him to keep doing. And then, of course, Forstell runs into the Metro station to try to save his men  rather than calling them on their radios  and gets killed with them. Well, at least he got a heros death.In another heavy-handed move, they drag Andrea (Kim Raver) back to use her surveillance technology. She is disturbed because she didnt sell the technology to the government in the first place because of Fourth Amendment concerns. Shes concerned that shes working for the FBI. Tom reassures her that shes working with the FBI and adds his personal pleas for help. I did like the discussions around the Fourth Amendment and how it bled into the Emily (Italia Ricci) storyline too.Emily pressures Kendra (Zoe McLellan) about the case against Moss. Kendra tells her that they have to be scrupulous in their gathering of evidence  and we already know that Emily used illegal means to get the information. Kendra finds out and tells Emily that the information is inadmissible and that Moss has the Constitution on his side. Emily has suddenly lost her mind  too much power? I really hate that they are making her character do stupid things in the name of protecting the President. The Tom we know  not the Tom by the end of the episode  would not stand for such behavior. Kendra agrees that they should protect the President but do it the right way. In the end, Emily compounds her bad behavior by leaking the information to Simon Day (Morgan Kelly) via an anonymous email  sent from Seths (Kal Penn) computer! So now she has him on the hot seat too.I really liked the scene between Kendra and Emily after Day asks if Moss is being investigated for leaking information at Seths press briefing on the initial bomb. Kendra knows Emily sent the anonymous email and is furious with her. She tells Emily that she is defending the Rule of Law  something in short supply in real life  and the Fourth Amendment. Emily at least looks a little troubled.The presence of the dirty bomb sends everyone scurrying to the bunker. We learn that Toms brother has taken the kids to Yellowstone Park, so they are safe. I loved Tom wanting to talk to the staff before heading to the bunker and Mike (La Monica Garrett) telling him that if he didnt move his feet right then, hed pick him up and carry him! And theres no doubt in my mind that he could!Andrea and the new Vice President, Eleanor Darby (Aunjanue Ellis) are also taken to the bunker. Kendra is introduced to Andrea and reassures her that there is a difference between finding material  like the nuclear waste used in the bomb  and hunting down a person. Kendra also has papers for Andrea to sign that will allow her to violate privacy laws. Eventually, Andrea is able to send Chuck a picture of the bomber  Arturo Rojas (Jsin Sasha)  who the eventually find dead of radiation poisoning. Andrea also finds the DC Metro location  but Chuck finds Rojas ultimate location all on his own  so did they really need Andreas technology?Day takes a bigger lead in the press room and asks Seth pointed questions about the whereabouts of the President and the rest of the command structure. Seth wants to get ahead of the message, and Lyor (Paulo Costanzo), not surprisingly, wants to lie. Tom needs to address the issue without addressing it. Mike finally relents to let Tom make a five minute, high-profile appearance with the Interfaith Coalition that happens to be in the White House. Day still comes to Seth later and tells him that hes still convinced that there is some kind of crisis going on, and Day also makes a comment about an anonymous emailTheres also a nice scene between Ellis and Sutherland. Tom finds Eleanor sitting alone and tells her that she needs a distraction. Luckily, there is a chess board sitting right there  and one of the reasons Tom picked her for VP was that she played chess. Eleanor opens up to him and tells him that she realized that when he went up for his photo op, she was the designated survivor! She tells him that shes not ready to be President, and in fact, never wants to be President. Tom tells her that thats another reason that he picked her. He goes on to explain that if you are overly ambitious, it compromises you, but if you are obligated to serve  as he was  then you more clearly serve the American people. Its another nice dig at the current governments rampant self-interest.Naturally, Tom spends some quality time with Andrea. He stops in to see how shes going, and she asks him why he asked her to come back. He tells her that shes brilliant and that everyones talking about her platform. He just thought she could help. And possibly help him too?After the first bomb is detonated Seth and Lyor both want a distraction from Days revelations about Moss. Lyor insists that the public needs to see the President out and about to reassure them. Tom settles on taking Andrea out for lunch to a hot dog place where she ends up ordering for him because shes apparently an expert on this restaurant. I have to question the optics of the President going out on what looks like a date. Is it too soon? There should be some blow back on this  but the show is clearly moving the two into a relationship  its another reason for that time jump.After the actual dirty bomb is detonated  and somehow the radiation ended up not being a big thing? I mean really, how were Hannah and Blakey able to just wander around where the bomber ended up with radiation poisoning? Tom addresses the nation, and Hannah is clearly devastated by Forstells death.At any rate, they discover that Joon was not behind the bombing but was set up by the Kunami government. And Im really tired of the fake places. Tom has Ambassador Salimi (Ali Hassan) brought to the White House. He denies their involvement and insists that the bank transfers to the bomber were fabricated.Salimi wants to know why his country would do it  they wouldnt want to start a war with the US! Tom insists that Kunami makes a lot of money off war and therefore didnt want peace between East and West Hun Chiu. Salimi asks for time to find answers, but Tom tells him that hes out of time. This is utterly out of character for Tom. Even Lyor urges Tom to at least reach out to the Kunami government. Absolutely no one supports the strike that Tom orders on Kunami.This was not my favorite episode by far. In addition to what feels like character assassination on Tom, Emily is also becoming less and less likeable with every episode. It felt very contrived to bring Forstell back merely to kill him too. Funny that Diamond was also onthis week! Too bad hes also dead there. I like the dynamic between Sutherland and Raver, and perhaps some of the heavy-handedness can be attributed to the fact that its transparent that they are end game. Mainly, once again, I felt that the spy-plot was just not clever enough. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
THE SHORT FAMILYS QUIRKY HISTORY IS REVEALED, ON LIFE IN PIECES, THURSDAY, APRIL 26#TBT: House Destiny Introduction Retirement  The Short familys quirky history is revealed with stories of when Tim met Heathers family for the first time; when Jen and Greg bought their dream home; when Matt got sidetracked after he saw Colleen while waiting for a blind date; and Johns last flight before retiring, on LIFE IN PIECES, Thursday, April 26 (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.CHEAT TWEET: Ever wonder about the early days of the Short family? How did Greg propose to Jen? How did John handle retiring? Did Tim ever have hair? #TBT to some of their quirky stories on @lifeinpieces #CBS 4/26 9:30pm http://bit.ly/2HdMgPIREGULAR CAST:Dianne Wiest (Joan Short)James Brolin (John Short)Zoe Lister-Jones (Jen Short)Colin Hanks (Greg Short)Angelique Cabral (Colleen Brandon-Ortega)Thomas Sadoski (Matt Short)Betsy Brandt (Heather Hughes)Dan Bakkedahl (Tim Hughes)Niall Cunningham (Tyler Hughes)Holly J. Barrett (Samantha Hughes)Giselle Eisenberg (Sophia Hughes)Hunter King (Clementine Hughes)Ana Sophia Heger (Lark)WRITTEN BY: Sarah TapscottDIRECTED BY: Chad Lowe




Thanks to Miea for the heads up.





Sacha Baron Cohen is set to headline the six-episode limited series The Spy, which will debut globally on Netflix (outside of France), and on OCS in France.Written and directed by Gideon Raff, creator of the Israeli drama Prisoners of War on which Showtimes Homeland was based, The Spy tells the story of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen (Baron Cohen). Eli Cohen lived in Damascus undercover in the beginning of the 60s, spying for Israel. He managed to embed himself into Syrian high society and rise through the ranks of their politics until he was uncovered by the Syrian regime, sentenced to death and publicly hanged in a Damascus square in 1965. Cohen is considered a national hero in Israel. His actions, connections and immense sacrifice have had lasting consequences, shaping the Middle East of today.The Spy is produced by Legende Films and Alain Goldman.
With the internet shrinking whats left of privacy, some people are trying to wrestle it back in at least one area  real estate purchases.

Properties are commonly recorded in southwestern Connecticut as being transferred between limited liability companies, or LLCs. If you do it right, no one can find out whos behind it, said real estate attorney Lorraine Slavin, a partner at Day Pitney working in its Greenwich office. In a world where its harder and harder to remain private, Ive seen a huge increase in the use of LLCs, especially in the last 10 years.

Between the internet and new federal tax plan, the trend is likely to grow. Its become common for property deeds on luxury homes to list not names but the propertys address or an acronym ending with LLC. For example, buyers of a West Norwalk home recently formed The Roman Empire LLC to purchase a house now listed as their home address.

Most of my clients in high-end residential real estate use LLCs for their purchases, said Slavin, adding her clients can get creative with their LLC filing, sometimes using combinations of their pets or childrens names.

The norm in commercial deals

The large majority of commercial real estate property transfers happen between entities with LLC in the title. Theyre an integral part of business for Summit Development in Fairfield, which owns roughly 90 commercial properties across the state.

Everything we own is in an LLC and everything we acquire is through an LLC. We even have owning interests through another LLC,  said Summit Development managing director Felix Charney.

More than half of Norwalk property transactions in the first quarter of 2018 included an LLC, family trust or other legal entity, according to papers filed with the town clerk and reviewed by Hearst Connecticut Media.

Property records in Stamford show almost all major commercial real estate deals are traded between LLCs. In commercial real estate, its the norm, said Mark Pruner of Berkshire Hathaway N.E. Properties. Pruner has authored a book on the topic titled A guide to Connecticut limited liability companies.

According to Stratfords director of economic development Mary Dean, large real estate projects have risks for both developers and municipalities, so developers typically opt to buy real estate through LLCs.

Why use one?

For LLCs registered in Connecticut, state law requires disclosure of the people behind the cryptic names. But if the arrangement does not produce income, it doesnt have to be registered in Connecticut. Thats why Slavin goes to Delaware to register LLCs for her clients, where the disclosure laws arent nearly so strict.

Asset protection is a motivating factor in all types of real estate deals. In the case of, for example, a contract dispute with an architect, Slavin said, an LLC would shield the property owners other assets from a lawsuit, so long as everything has been done in the LLCs name. That means opening up a bank account in the LLCs name and paying contractors from that account.

Its essentially a very inexpensive insurance policy, Pruner said. There are some more complicated tax filing requirements, but thats negligible for anyone in a commercial operation.

Some anticipate the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will spur more growth in the use of LLCs for certain real estate deals.

With the tax act, it looks like LLCs would be the beneficial way to go when investing in real estate, Pruner said, especially for wealthy investors and large property deals, explaining that the law provides a reduction in the tax rate when investing through an LLC.

Hiding behind LLCs

Though the names behind LLCs cannot by law be hidden, they can be buried under legal filings that arent always easy to track down. In Bridgeport, some blighted factories, such as the Remington plant on Arctic Street, for years owed millions of dollars in back taxes and required environmental cleanup.

Yet its hard to hold owners responsible when ownership is difficult to decipher, with the structures owned by a series of LLCs that over the years frequently changed hands, at least on paper, setting back the clock on collecting taxes and cleanup fees. The Remington buildings are today owned by the city.

Former Mayor Bill Finch in 2009 decried the use of LLCs that raise questions of ownership. When the markets falling apart, theres foreclosures and limited liability corporations involved and it can be a real detective job, Finch said at the time. I have buildings up for years playing this cat and mouse game.

Chris Bosak, Jordan Grice, Paul Schott and Alexander Soule contributed to this article.

Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_
The latest incident of perceived passenger mistreatment  a teenager with Down syndrome kicked off an Alaska Airlines flight because he got sick  raises an important question: Just how much latitude do airlines have in deciding who can fly with them and who cant?

In the Alaska Airlines incident, the teenager and his parents were told to deplane just after boarding a St. Louis-Seattle flight because the boy threw up. The airline rebooked them on a flight the next morning but didnt provide overnight hotel accommodations.

An Alaska Airlines official said the deplaning of the family was justified because the teenager was visibly ill, and it is safer for guests to be treated on the ground, as our crew are not trained medical professionals.

The boys sister (a law student) told NBC News she considered it a case of disability discrimination, alleging that if her brother didnt have Down syndrome, he wouldnt have been removed from the flight simply for throwing up. The NBC report states that Alaska Air upgraded the family to first class for the trip home the next day.

Was the airline within its rights to remove this passenger? It probably was, if you consider that airlines define their own rights when it comes to deciding who can fly and who gets the boot.

Passengers are scrutinized during the boarding process by flight attendants who look for lots of things that could potentially disqualify a traveler from taking his seat. Flight attendants told the U.K. newspaper The Independent last year that one of the first things they look for is a passenger who is visibly drunk or appears to be under the influence of drugs. These individuals are considered clear safety risks, and the captain  who holds the ultimate authority on a plane  will almost always back up the flight crews call.

They also keep an eye out for passengers who appear to be seriously ill. This is not always obvious, but when it is, the individual could be denied boarding to protect other flyers from catching whatever he or she has. (And not just physical illness  travelers who are clearly deranged or overtly hostile could also pose a safety threat.) Flight attendants were one of the first lines of defense during recent outbreaks of SARS or the various influenza panics that have hit the travel industry in recent years.

And they watch for travelers who try to carry on something they shouldnt, like a small pet in a handbag, or an open liquor bottle. Flight attendants said they also try to identify passengers who are big and strong, in case they need to call on them for assistance during an emergency (like sitting on an unruly passenger until he is restrained).

For details of boarding denials, take a deep dive into the airlines contracts of carriage. These are the carriers lengthy legal statements of just what a customer is  and isnt  entitled to.

For example, United's contract of carriage  under Section 21 H, Safety  lists 19 categories of passengers who can be denied boarding or removed from a flight. For example, passengers (or their service animals) who demonstrate disorderly, offensive, abusive or violent conduct. (Id say that offensive conduct could cover a multitude of sins and is really in the eye of the beholder.) Other violations: passengers who are barefoot or not properly clothed (again, a pretty subjective judgment); passengers who violate smoking rules; passengers who have or cause a malodorous condition (no argument there!); passengers who make voice calls on their phones after the aircraft doors have closed; and women in the ninth month of pregnancy (unless they have a doctors certificate).

And to get back to the issue we started with, Uniteds contract of carriage permits flight crews to deny boarding to passengers who appear to have symptoms of or have a communicable disease or condition that could pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others on the flight, or who refuse a screening for such disease or condition.

Delta's contract of carriage, under its Rule 35 F, covers many of the same reasons for keeping passengers off a flight. One of its stated reasons is a real catch-all in case the flight crew wants someone off the plane but cant nail down a specific violation: It permits denied boarding when a passengers conduct creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to other passengers.

Are airlines within their rights to keep certain passengers off planes? Was it okay to remove the teen for throwing up? Please leave your comments below.

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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.
Three years ago millennials surpassed Gen Xers to become the single largest cohort working in the United States, according to a study conducted by PEW Research. This means more young people will be assuming positions of management and leadership. As they do, they will probably make the same first-time mistakes that have traditionally plagued new leaders.

The most important trait in becoming a leader is keeping an open mind. Business leaders who are arrogant will only be able to advance so far until their inability to take feedback or act introspectively catches up with them. They won't listen to sound advice that open-minded leaders use to better serve the people on their team while advancing your career faster.

As a new leader, begin an introspective process to evaluate your strengths, where you need development and how to avoid making these common rookie mistakes.

1. Failing to view employee training as an ongoing responsibility.

Its tempting to view employee training as a two- or three-week period during which you bring new hires up to speed as quickly as possible. But in truth, the first few weeks of training simply review the basic information that an employee will need to know to be successful.

Employee training must be an ongoing process through which you provide candid feedback to people on your team and give employees new opportunities to develop themselves professionally.

Yes, initial employee training is an important part of making your organization successful. But training cannot end there. Instead, take a page out of AT&Ts book. The organization continuously trains employees to ensure they have the skills the company needs to succeed in an ever-changing world.

Related: 4 Secrets Behind the Best Employee Training

2. Settling for B or C players to fill an open position quickly.

Hiring is one of the most important responsibilities of any business leader. Finding smart people and helping them to communicate with one another to solve tough problems is what separates a business leader from a talented individual contributor.

Therefore, one of the gravest mistakes a young leader can make is settling for less-talented candidates in order to fill a position on time. Never make the mistake of settling for talent simply to hit a hiring deadline. Instead, work with your HR team or third-party recruiters to acquire only the cream of the crop.

In the long run, waiting a few weeks or months to find the right person will make it easier for you to succeed, and will help your organization to meet seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Related: How to Hire Like a Pro

3. Neglecting to delegate challenging assignments.

Inexperienced leaders commonly take control of projects that they feel are too complex for their team to manage. While understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the people on your team is important, it is also important to give your employees an opportunity to grow by assigning them projects outside of their comfort zone.

Assign these projects with the full knowledge that youll need to carefully manage the project at every step of the way. And dont hesitate to share feedback with the project leaders to ensure they learn from mistakes.

Related: 7 Rules for Entrepreneurs to Delegate Effectively

4. Underestimating the importance of centralized project management.

Your job as a business leader is to bring smart people together to solve hard problems. Rather than being an individual contributor, your biggest responsibility is facilitation. By making it easier for your team to work together, youll increase the odds that your people will arrive at innovative solutions.

To aid cross-team communication and better understand what your people are working on, insist your team use a centralized workflow to manage projects. However, recognize that no single tool can solve team communication, though project-management tools like Trello, Asana and Jira can help.

What matters most is that you put a system in place that enables your people to keep their projects transparently updated. Doing so will aid team communication.

Related: Why Project Managers Are Essential to Your Business

5. Not planning for employee development and compensation.

A recent study conducted by Glassdoor found that among employees who said they are thinking of leaving their current job, 45 percent (a plurality) cited salary as the single biggest motivating factor for leaving their current company. A different study found that roughly 75 percent of all employees leave their organization when changing roles. Presumably these are instances in which an employee leaves for a more senior position.

Hiring great professionals is only effective if you are able to retain them. To ensure that employees feel valued and continuously motivated, create an employee development and compensation plan. While you dont need to necessarily share this information with employees directly, it is smart to preplan in this area.

Related: Employee Retention : Why it Remains a Daunting Task at Startups

6. Neglecting your own personal development.

As a young leader it can be difficult to find time to invest in your own personal and professional development. But doing so will make you a better leader and will help you to advance your career. Find time to learn new skills, whether they are soft skills like negotiation and manager presence, or hard skills like learning about data science.

Set clear development goals for yourself, and share them with your manager. If your manager is good, he or she will be glad to hear youre motivated to continue to grow, and should work with you to create a development plan.

Related: The 9 Aspects of a Successful Personal Development Template

7. Expecting work-life balance to remain unchanged as your career develops.

As you earn new responsibilities within your organization, you will need to work more. Its as simple as that. Dont expect the work-life balance youve created for yourself as an individual contributor to remain the same when you have multiple people reporting directly to you.

While you must still find time to disconnect from work, set realistic expectations for yourself. Even if you optimize your day to the last detail, being a good leader means being available to your people. Create flexible boundaries that give you the space you need to recharge, while putting you in a position to respond to the needs of your team when they are important.

As a young business leader, you have an exciting future ahead of you. The things you learn over the next few years will shape your professional future. Embrace the journey and make it a point to apply the tips outlined here to your professional life.

Related:

Shut It Down, Bro: How to Avoid Toxic Culture at Your Company

Entrepreneurship Has Created a New Mindset for Youth on America's Southern Border

Collaboration Works Best With Diverse Collaborators



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
STAMFORD  A defense attorney says his client should not have been arrested for a fatal pedestrian accident because video footage shows the victim did not have the right of way.

Lindy Urso entered a not guilty plea Wednesday on behalf of his client, George Christiansen, 29, who has been charged with second-degree manslaughter for the January accident.

Police said Lynette Wagner, 58, of Fairfield, was crossing Elm Street when she was struck by Christiansens work van.

However, the police investigation revealed Wagner began crossing Elm Street against the walk signal, according to Christiansens six-page arrest affidavit.

It is extremely unfortunate that police felt the need to make an arrest in the case, said Urso, whose client is scheduled to return to court on May 3. All it does is compound the tragedy for the family of the victim. There is such a thing as an accident still in this world. Thats what this was, a tragic accident. My client feels devastated as he has from minute one. This decision doesnt help anybody.

The arrest affidavit said Christiansen made a right turn on a red light in a large Sprinter Van and struck Wagner as she stepped off the curb. A traffic camera showed the dont walk sign lit when the accident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. on Jan. 2, the affidavit said.

The camera also showed the front of the van strike Wagner, sweeping her under the passenger front tire. Police believe the right rear tire also ran Wagner over.

Another motorist driving down the exit 8 southbound ramp of Interstate 95 witnessed the accident. The motorist saw the van strike Wagner and continue to make a right turn, the affidavit said. The witness drove around the block and returned to the intersection where Christiansen was kneeling next to the victim.

Wagner, a mother of two who was walking from the train station to her job at Henkel, was still alive when first responders arrived but went into cardiac arrest and died soon after, the affidavit said.

The injury broke Wagners left leg and caused contusions of her lungs, heart diaphragm, kidneys and lacerations to her heart and liver and blunt-impact injuries to her head, the affidavit said.

Attorney Dante Gallucci, who is representing Wagners family, attended Wednesdays court hearing but declined to comment on the case.

There have been two pedestrian fatalities in Stamford this year and seven since 2015. To address the about 300 car-vs.-pedestrian accidents during that period, city officials have recently launched several initiatives, including increased downtown traffic enforcement, pedestrian safety education and re-timing all traffic signals for the first time in decades.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
I ts that time of the year again. The top brass at Britains biggest firms will be grilled by investors in the coming weeks as the annual meeting season kicks off.

As shareholders votes on companies policies are counted in the coming months, expect a few particularly spicy exchanges. Alongside old favourites, such as controversial pay packages, audit blunders  brought to the fore by Carillions collapse and the sudden implosion of Conviviality  will be high on the agenda, while tensions could rise over directors independence and gender diversity.

Here we raise the curtain on the most polarising issues.

Audit mistakes

Investors will be putting audits under particular scrutiny in the wake of Carillions collapse, especially as red flags around its significantly increased debt and pension deficit were there.

Plus, the outsourcer went bankrupt despite being called a going concern by auditors KPMG last year. The rapid collapse of Conviviality, Britains biggest beer, wine and spirits distributor, has also added to such woes after it had to admit it discovered an unpaid 30 million tax bill with just weeks left to pay it, among other failures.

Investors want to get a better understanding from audit committees about how they have assessed the quality of the [financial] audit, says Andrew Ninian, director of stewardship and corporate governance at the Investment Association.

Investors have been looking at other listed businesses that ex-Carillion directors sit on, putting pressure on them to resign. And the regularity with which firms switch auditors may also be discussed.

Britains outsourcers, including Capita and Interserve, where similar financial blunders have been already been detected, will be under scrutiny.

Another leitmotif will be the number of independent voices in the boardroom as well as the so called over-boarding, where directors hold too many positions and dont have sufficient time to fulfil their responsibilities. Although independent non-executive directors, including the chairman, should make up the majority of the board, some firms still have too many executives who have current or former ties with the company, and not enough independents.

Gender diversity

A year ago Rio Tintos chairman, Jan du Plessis, was in the line of fire before its annual general meeting. Some investors thought the mining giant should have dug deeper to promote or recruit women for its upper echelons and so they vowed to oppose his re-election. Just two of its 12 board directors were women. The move was unsuccessful. Rival Glencore got the same treatment.

This year, after recent headlines on calling out huge gender pay gaps, a greater number of investors are threatening to vote against firms that fall short of the Government-backed target to ensure a third of directors are women by 2020. So far, 59 FTSE-350 companies have 33% or more women on their boards.

City voices have warned, however, that some firms have been slashing the number of non-executive directors, distorting comparisons. Rio, which hosts its AGM today, still has two women on its board but now has 10 directors.

We wont accept that a company is not hitting the targets, or worse, is going backwards in terms of gender diversity, says Hans-Christoph Hirt, who runs Hermes Equity Ownership, which advises investors with more than 180 billion of combined assets. There will be more robust voting behaviour on this from investors.

Others such as 30% Club, the lobby group, are putting more pressure on chief executives to set targets for leadership teams below boardroom level. This move is likely to be mirrored by the new corporate governance code, being drafted by the Financial Reporting Council, where companies will have to report directly on those numbers, too. Investors, in turn, will have a clearer picture if the worst offenders are making progress.

Executive pay

Conversations could heat up around annual bonuses and salary bumps. Companies will need to have convincing arguments for shareholders to give the nod to fatter pay cheques, particularly given the uncertain outlook for companies created by Brexit.

Investor opinion is also divided on the so-called restricted shares schemes as more companies want to introduce them. Under this model, for example, the chief executive could get better pay quicker if the share price goes up, as opposed to longer-term targets he would have to hit. Last year, six companies wanted to adopt the scheme, but three withdrew their proposals before the AGM, one passed by a narrow margin, and two breezed through.

The number of companies facing significant shareholder dissent over pay is on the wane.

The pay policy was approved at all FTSE 100 companies in 2017, with just publisher Pearson and credit-checking company Experian getting less than 80% backing from shareholders. However, if there is a high vote against, investors now increasingly expect a public explanation as to why and what is being done.

A lot of remuneration proposals are modified or dont see the light of day based on feedback from the key investors and that does lead to changes, adds Ninian.

So, despite the fact companies have made efforts to engage with investors more regularly in recent years, there will be some heated back-and-forths that could send shockwaves through the City.

Meetings to watch:

Persimmon- April 25

The housebuilder faces a revolt over executive bonuses this month after a leading adviser called on investors to reject them. The move is a further blow for the company, which has been in the firing line over bumper bonuses at a time when builders are under pressure for not constructing enough homes.

Chief executive Jeff Fairburn was set to receive a 110 million bonus under a long-term incentive plan from 2012, but in February it was slashed by about 25 million after a shareholder outcry.

Barclays- May 1

Chief executive Jes Staley is under investigation by the financial watchdog for trying to identify a whistleblower at the bank. Activist investor Sherborne, led by Edward Bramson, has also built a 5% stake in Barclays to put pressure on the bank to improve its performance.

For the year under review, Staley received a bonus of 1 million, which could be another sticking point.

WPP- June

The ad giants ever-intriguing AGM will have extra oomph this year. Boss Sir Martin Sorrells mega-pay is usually discussed but his grip has been loosening after allegations of personal misconduct emerged this month. Sorrell has denied the claims.
In all seriousness Zuckerberg navigated through the first of two US congressional hearings without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business.

During nearly five hours of questioning by 44 US senators, Zuckerberg repeated apologies he previously made for a range of problems that have beset Facebook, from a lack of data protection to Russian agents using Facebook to influence US elections.

But the 33-year-old internet mogul managed to deflect any specific promises to support any congressional regulation of the worlds largest social media network and other U.S. internet companies.

Ill have my team follow up with you so that way we can have this discussion across the different categories where I think this discussion needs to happen, Zuckerberg told a joint hearing by the US Senates Commerce and Judiciary committees, when asked what regulations he thought were necessary.
I n January 2017, addressing US Republicans in Philadelphia, Theresa May declared that, like Theodore Roosevelt, she refused to be numbered among the cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat. In none-too-subtle homage to Margaret Thatcher, she insisted that, while it has been Americas destiny to bear the leadership of the free world, Britain was proud to share that burden and to walk alongside you at every stage.

Yet, in the same speech, the Prime Minister was no less adamant that the days of Britain and America intervening in sovereign countries in an attempt to remake the world in our own image are over: a renunciation of the principle of nation-building, the Wests protracted engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11, and (more distantly) the interventionist doctrine famously encapsulated in Tony Blairs 1999 Chicago speech.

The tension between these two positions  fearless global action versus creeping withdrawal from the world stage  now haunts the PM. On the one hand, she says that, after the horrific attack on Douma in Syria, she and Donald Trump have resolved not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.

But she has allowed herself considerable wriggle room, promising only that: Well be working with our allies... crucially, to make an assessment of what has happened.

The complexity and cunning of modern warfare requires Western governments to be correspondingly nimble and fleet of foot. Instead, they are sinking ever deeper into a procedural quagmire.

Especially since the Iraq War, the UN Security Council has acquired the moral status of a geopolitical Holy See: its approval must be sought before significant military action is taken. Yet whenever retaliation against the Assad regime is under consideration, Russias veto and Chinas abstention may more or less be taken for granted.

Allied to this  and acknowledged in the PMs call for further assessment  is the growing taste for what Jeremy Corbyn calls a full and independent investigation into whatever hostility or security crisis faces the free nations of the world.

Whether the case in hand is the use of a nerve agent on British soil or the deployment of chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb, the default position, especially on the Left, is that we need more evidence.

To which one can only respond: how much evidence do you need? In Syrias long civil war, Bashar al-Assads forces have made repeated use of sarin and chlorine  an inventory of shame documented by the report delivered last October by the Joint Investigative Mechanism by the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

This pattern of behaviour is a more reliable guide to what happened in Douma than anything that internationally sanctioned inspections is likely to unearth.

The depressing truth is that the embrace of procedural procrastination suits plenty of MPs on either side of the political divide. For the Corbynite Left, all military action  except, perhaps, against Israel  is suspect and tinged with imperialism. On the Right the era of Brexit has spawned an isolationism that approaches strategic agoraphobia.

It is a sad reflection that when Nigel Farage cries None of our business! None of our business! he captures the spirit of the age.

It is no surprise, then, that the PM is being warned that she would almost certainly lose a vote in the Commons on military action against Assad. This may be true, but it is not an argument for or against such retaliation.

The complexity and cunning of modern warfare requires Western governments to be correspondingly nimble

As Peter Hennessy and Matt Lyus have demonstrated in their indispensable survey of the role of Parliament in conflicts since the Second World War, the Commons vote to endorse action against Saddam Hussein in 1998 was a departure.

In the years that followed, MPs were effectively granted a veto over the use of force: a political practice that, wrongly, has acquired the status of a constitutional convention.

It is right and necessary that Parliament should scrutinise military decisions taken by any government. But the notion that all such decisions should be subjected to the pre-emptive judgment of 650 MPs is ridiculous.

The Prime Minister now has an opportunity to reclaim a measure of authority by taking the decision herself, as she is constitutionally meant to do, rather than referring it in advance to a fractious hung Parliament. It should trouble Mrs May that Trump called Emmanuel Macron first: a little less than a year before Britain leaves the EU, its significance on the global stage is already waning.

More important still than the UKs geopolitical standing is the need for the West to act in concert and with resolve as it faces nations ready to flout international law precisely because they do not fear systematic and strategic punishment.

When Assad attacked Douma, he must have known that he was inviting retaliation. But, in the seven years of the Syrian civil war, he has learnt that these retaliatory exercises tend to be brief and are shamefully driven by the Western news cycle.

A year ago, after the sarin attack on Khan Shaykhun, Trump fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at al-Shayrat airfield. Yet, only last week, he announced quite clearly that Well be coming out of Syria  like  very soon. Whatever he does now to assert American might momentarily, his administration has no Syrian strategy to speak of  and Assad knows it.
D aliso Chaponda owes me money. I placed a bet on him to win Britains Got Talent last June and was confident of a payout. He had already been fast-tracked into the semi-final after judge Amanda Holden laughed so hard she pressed the golden buzzer. In the end Chaponda came third but it has not held him back.

I came third but it felt like winning, he says with a chuckle. We are chatting in a South Bank bar before he heads to nearby ITV to pitch an idea. He is hot property. The tour of his show What the African Said has sold so well that 21 extra dates had to be added, including a second night at the Leicester Square Theatre in addition to his gig there on Thursday.

Britains Got Talent introduced Chaponda, 38, to a huge UK audience. In the semi-final he explained that he was from Malawi. If any of you dont know where that is, its where Madonna adopted all the babies from... I do miss my little brother. Clips went viral. His audition routine racked up more than nine million views. But he was already established in Malawi, where he dominated the embryonic comedy circuit. I was the biggest comedian in Malawi. But I was the only comedian in Malawi! In London I get recognised by about five people a day. In Malawi I get recognised by everybody.

He recently flew there and realised how famous he had become: I got off the plane and saw around 100 people wearing T-shirts with my face on them, dancing and singing songs about me. His name Daliso means blessed and that is how he currently feels.

I got off the plane and saw around 100 people wearing T-shirts with my face on them, dancing and singing songs about me

In the UK he talks freely about politics, religion and sex, but though Malawi has a democratically elected government there are restrictions on free speech and Chaponda has been in trouble with the censorship board. Not a lot of people talk about the politics there.

He plays down suggestions that he is a fearless satirist. On a scale from Kim Jong-un to Sweden Id say Malawi is below 50 per cent. You wont be taken away and never seen again but you might be put in jail overnight.

In 2010 the rising sun image on Malawis flag was changed to a full sun. I said it should be changed to an eclipse because the government was falling apart and people were starving. It was seen as criticising the government but I wasnt trying to bring them down. I was just saying what was going on.

Daliso's got talent: The Malawian comedian was in the final three of Britain's Got Talent / Steve Ullathorne

Last year there were reports of lynch mobs stoning people accused of being vampires. I joked about there being too much god, not enough education. That was shocking for them. He has been fined for his material, but he is now being paid well enough in British currency that the penalties are not too onerous to stop him speaking out.

Criticising the government, however, has been a delicate family affair. His father, George, was a high-ranking minister and when his son became famous things became tense. People were saying my father couldnt control his son. But I had to criticise his party when they were in government. If I only did it when he was not in the government I wouldnt be doing my job.

He considered changing his name. But I decided if Im going to say offensive things, this is who I am. For a long time I was known mainly as his son. Maybe thats why I was determined to tear him apart on stage.

Chaponda certainly has a different background to most comedians. He lived all over the world when growing up, due to his fathers diplomatic work. He became hooked on stand-up when he was a student in Montreal. But he had already developed humour as a defence mechanism.

Boarding school in Kenya was traumatic. I dont know if it was because I was black, short or clever, but I was the victim of bullying. Things improved when he moved to a school in Swaziland. There were a lot of scholarship pupils so being clever wasnt seen as a bad thing. I went from being ostracised to being someone interesting.

Despite a privileged upbringing he saw terrible things on visits to refugee camps in Somalia and Kenya. I saw someone being burnt alive. They had stolen something and a tyre was put round their neck, petrol was poured on and it was set alight. The images have stayed with him. Laughter is how I cope with pain.

He has just recorded his first series for Radio 4 in Manchester, where he lives. Its called Citizen of Nowhere. It is about the UKs relationship with Africa. Its comedy with a serious side to it: I admire people who do silly jokes, but I love people who do more serious stuff, such as Chris Rock.

One subject he tackles is foreign aid: I make jokes about Madonnas charity but she has saved lots of children. Foreign aid is not perfect but its the best system weve got.

Chaponda does not have any plans to follow his father into politics but, with his strong views, I would definitely not bet against it.

London's best comedy clubs and nights 1 /15 London's best comedy clubs and nights The Soho Theatre Sara Pascoes favourite comedy venue, and with good reason: the Soho Theatre is arguably Londons finest place to see both up-and-coming and established acts. Being a theatre, rather than a comedy club per se, expect to see full sets from individuals rather than bills with a few comics. Its three rooms host all sorts of things, from the latest Edinburgh winners to big names road-testing their latest bits. The standard is reliably excellent: even if youve never heard of a comedian, chances are, if theyre playing here, theyll be worth watching. The Comedy Store Another old favourite, the Comedy Store benefits from being built for purpose: no other venue in London suits stand-up quite so well (and the beer isnt too ridiculously priced, either). After starting out above a strip club in Soho, this place made its name throughout the eighties by breaking the pioneers in alternative comedy. Its happy to host mainstream stars these days, and never struggles to draw top acts, but if you can only make one thing, try The Comedy Store Players, old pros whose improvised shows on Wednesdays and Sundays all but guarantee hilarity. Tuesdays The Cutting Edge is best for those who like topical humour. Old Rope at The Phoenix Old Rope is popular with circuit veterans and newbies alike, so the weekly show usually has a mix of big names, comedy veterans and ones-to-watch. Host Tiff Stevenson leads an evening of new material  yes, lots of jokes given their test run  and its given its name for the noose that hangs over the stage. Ironically, this noose is a bit of a life-saver: if the new act is going badly, comics can grab the rope and fall back on old material. Knock2bag Always top value, the Knock2bag nights offer the chance to indulge in the odder end of the comedy spectrum: expect serious helpings of whimsy, eccentricity and surrealism. If you're looking for something different, this is your place to go. Monkey Business Comedy Club A first-rate comedy club and well worth travelling for. Wed pick the Thursday night over Saturday, but youll get a decent show on either day. Theres a mix of big names and up-and-comers, and host Martin Besserman is a pro wholl keep you laughing in between acts. Of which, theres often as many as twelve a night, so youll get your moneys worth. If one isnt to your taste, another promises a laugh. Banana Cabaret Club The Banana Cabaret Club hosts a lot of top drawer comics, and is well loved in comedy circles  in part, because theyve been going a good thirty years and in part because of the man running things, David Vickers, whose had everyone from Eddie Izzard to Stephen K Amos performing. Stars pop-in, and comedy circuit regulars play often, but its also on the finest spots to see new talent . No wonder Marcus Brigstocke name-checked it as his favourite London comedy club. Besides, once the two-hour show is done (typically wrapping up around 11pm), DJs strike up and everyone dances till 2am. Splendid. http://vivivi.co.uk/ Piccadilly Comedy Club Hats off to the Piccadilly for keeping comedy cheap: their shows cost 10 at the most, and they do a meal deal, where you can eat at Tiger Tiger and see the show for 20 all-in. A bargain. Expect a mix of well-known TV regulars alongside the best newcomers on the scene. Line-ups are particularly well thought out here: they dont just sling together anyone, so the nights tend to be uniformly excellent. Leicester Square Theatre The Leicester Square Theatre draws the big names, so expect to see top flight acts: Richard Herring hosts a weekly podcast here on Wednesdays, and the likes of Bridget Christie, Micky Flanagan and Frankie Boyle all make it a stopping point on their tours. That said, check the website for whats upcoming  there are chance to see some under-the-radar sets too. Live at Zedel The excellent Brasserie Zedel  whose Bar Americain is one of the finest drinking spots in the capital  relaunched Crazy Coqs as Live At Zedel last year and following a successful first run, are launching their second season. Besides comedy  the standard is usually very decent  they also host musical theatre and drag acts. The cocktails are terrific and there's at-table service. Eat in the restaurant beforehand (or after), too: we swung by recently and the food is as good as its ever been. Cheap, too. Happy Mondays This fortnightly show boasts the best new up-and-coming acts in the capital, combined with big name hosts  expect the likes of Miles Jupp, Sara Pascoe and Holly Walsh  who keep the standard up to scratch. Definitely up to par, somewhere to find your new favourite comedian. Angel Comedy Just how a comedy club should be: small, crowded and above a pub. Best of all, its free, and each night offers something different, from open-mic nights to well-known names giving their latest sets an airing. Check the website for details, but you wont be let down  just get down early, as it fills up quickly. Ginglik Comedy Club Following a decade of success in Shepherd's Bush, this comedy club has found a new home at the ever-popular Roof Gardens. Known as 'Jimmy Carr's favourite comedy club', the Ginglik has had everyone from Al Murray to Robin Williams play, and is set for more success. Laugh Out London The likes of Stewart Lee, Reginald D Hunter and Tony Law play these nights, which gives an idea of just how decent they are. Laugh Out London always do a good job of bringing the highlights from Edinburgh festival to town, so take the chance to see who everyones been tweeting about. The 99 Club This Leicester Square club is much, much better than you might expect for a place that continually flyers. A big favourite with the Chortle Awards, it always attracts big names  it runs a little like Live At The Apollo but on a smaller scale. There are three acts a night, and shows are fairly priced: some are as cheap as a fiver, though most will cost around 10 - 15. Theyve also got venues in Soho and Covent Garden. Live At The Chapel Bit of a shame that shows here are so few and far between  usually about once a month  but theres no place more beautiful than the Union Chapel to see comedy in London. The upside is that, with so few performances, they always get the big names headlining, with unfailingly impressive support. Plus theres usually a live band, who are fab. The atmosphere is everything. Anthony Devlin/PA Wire
F or disciples, baking bread is nothing short of a spiritual experience. That smell  its therapeutic. Oh my God, yes, says Ana Velasquez, head pastry chef at Andina Panaderia, the citys first Peruvian bakery, which is the brainchild of Ceviche and Casita Andina founder Martin Morales.

Bread is something alive  its more than just yeast and flour. When youre working the bread you have a connection with it. And its such a slow process that you see how it reacts  its such a humbling thing to do. The bakery opens in Notting Hill next month and will be sending slowly fermented hints of the Andean foothills along Westbourne Grove.

Inside, the restaurant is all eucalyptus wood tables, mustard-yellow seating and terracota pendant lamps. From early morning its shelves will start to fill up with Andean black mint and sweet potato sourdough, delicately crusted traditional pan frances rolls and the challah-like Chancay bread, a cinnamon-scented take on brioche. Chancay is a bread of love  two brioche-like rolls embracing each other like paramours, rhapsodises Velasquez.

Sweeter treats will include the pastel de lucuma, an Andean spin on the famed Portuguese custard tart, and the chicha morada muffin, a purple corn muffin with a corn and almond centre. There are also Tanta wawa, sweet rolls in the shape of babies, finished with decorations representing the blanket  like gingerbread men without the ginger. These are eaten on All Souls Day in Peru.

Velasquez emphasises that Peruvian traditions stretch back millenia, so they know what theyre doing: Flour and wheat came with the Spanish, she says, referring to Perus colonial past. Before that, she adds, the indigenous people cooked corn flour in the form of tortillas, often wrapped in leaves and roasted on embers. Later, after Peruvian independence, French bakers arrived in droves to satisfy the whims of Limas emerging aristocracy.

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Managing the oven requires a steady hand. No two loaves are alike, Velasquez says. You have to smell it, you have to see  because sometimes it separates, sometimes it smells like beer, sometimes champagne. Its all about how you treat your yeast. If your hands are cold, if you have very dry skin  all of these things make a difference. In Peru the climate is ideal, as it is humid but warm all the time. But we will make it work here.

For Morales, the smells are a trip down memory lane  a form of aromatherapy that takes him back to the bakeries of the Andes. I was just six years old and after an eight-hour journey up through the mountains, we arrived at Santiago de Chuco, my grans village, to be greeted by the enticing aromas of fresh bread and pastries, he says. It takes me right back to these small villages dotted around Peru, to the huge smile and hug of my grandmother, to people getting up at six oclock in the morning to get the broscita biscuits.

London's best bakeries and cake shops 1 /16 London's best bakeries and cake shops Ottolenghi Scandinavian Kitchen Violet Cakes Kristin Perers Kova St John Bakery Nordic Bakery Steven Joyce Maitre Choux Amy O'Boyle Crosstown Doughnuts Gail's Bakery Cutter & Squidge Jacob The Angel Bread Ahead Old Post Office Bakery Fleet River Bakery Konditor and Cook

Theres science behind breads pre-eminence as a happy food. Dr Amalia Scannell, an assistant professor of food and sensory science at University College Dublin, says bread is a powerful trigger thanks to the brains anatomy, as it sets off the olfactory bulb, which starts inside the nose and runs along the bottom of the brain. The olfactory bulb has connections to the two brain areas that are strongly implicated in emotion and memory.

A neighbouring sister site, Andina Picanteria, will also open in May, paying homage to the family-run roadside restaurants found along the mountain highways across Perus 12 regions. It will serve small plates including sivinche, an ancient take on ceviche made with yellowfin tuna, trout roe and popped kiwicha, and a purple corn tamal with choclo corn succotash and sweet kale pesto.

There are more than 12,000 dishes from one region alone, says Morales. The beauty of the cuisine is the sheer variety of flavours  its mindblowing. Which sounds delicious, if you have any room left.

As a rule, filling up on bread before dinner is generally discouraged, but Andina Panaderia is the exception.

Six other buns you need to try

Raisin' The Escargot Bun at Paul

Escargot raisin bun - Paul

Raisin pastry is a variation on croissant dough, spread with vanilla custard and plump raisins, sliced, proved and baked.

Carrot bun - Ole & Steen

A soft bun with fresh grated carrot and sunflower seeds. Try with a slice of cheese.

Chashu pork belly bun - Beer & Buns

A soft, pillow-like steamed Hirata bun filled with chashu pork belly, braised red cabbage and mustard mayo.

3.95, 3 Appold Street, EC2A, beerandbuns.co.uk

Cinnamon bun - Beyond Bread

Beyond Breads cinnamon bun is gluten-free and made from only natural ingredients.

Dim Sum delight: Crispy Aubergine Bao Bun at Ping Pong

Crispy aubergine bao bun - Ping Pong

Three fluffy white steamed buns with crispy aubergine, crunchy seaweed, pickled carrot and cabbage and hoisin sauce.

Chelsea Bun - Gails Bakery

The dough is studded with mixed peel, currants and a sprinkle of spices.
Harrods is famed for the spectacular markdowns at its New Year sale. Now bosses are braced for another stampede of bargain hunters as they prepare to open the worlds poshest charity shop.

The Knightsbridge emporium is launching the first standalone charity outlet in its 184-year history on Friday round the corner in Sloane Street, on a site that has brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Tom Ford as neighbours.

Fashion Re-told will run for a month in partnership with the NSPCC, stocking donations from the rails at Harrods, from labels such as Paul Smith, Mulberry and Peter Pilotto, and from locals gifting pre-loved items worn only once or twice. These will be dry-cleaned.

Ranges will include womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and accessories. Second-hand dresses from brands such as Max Mara will start from 200, skirts from the likes of Missoni from 100, mens designer shirts from 35 and new handbags from 200.

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All cash raised after costs incurred by Harrods and landlord Cadogan, which donated the shop space, will go to charity. Harrods managing director Michael Ward, who came up with the idea, said: No one would ever think of Harrods running a charity shop, its a very British thing that foreign brands cant really do. Its all about having a bit of fun, making it lighthearted.

The distinctive and playful pink interior is fitted out to the same luxury spec as a department in the store. If you walked past youd think it is a de-signer fashion shop. If Harrods does it, Harrods does it properly, Mr Ward said. It will be staffed by Harrods and NSPCC volunteers. If it is a success it is likely to be repeated on a more regular basis.

It is not the first charity pop-up by a big London store  Liberty hosted Mary Portass Living & Giving store for Save the Children last year  but it is thought to be the first in separate premises. Cash from Fashion Re-told will fund key services in the capital like Letting The Future In, which helps young people recover from the trauma of abuse.

Claire Hoyle, NSPCC deputy director of fundraising, said: Wed like to thank Harrods for being so committed to their partnership with us and Cadogan for a stunning space. Cadogan chief executive Hugh Seaborn said: Creating great places is not just about bricks and mortar  its about contributing to the local community and wider society.
A council candidate who was hit with a 3ft iron bar while out canvassing in Tower Hamlets said today: I thought my head had split in two.

Abdullah Al Mamun, 36, was knocking on doors in Wapping when he was ambushed by a masked man on the stairway of a block of flats.

The father-of-two, a market trader standing for disgraced former mayor Lutfur Rahmans new Aspire Party, staggered from the block with blood pouring from a head wound before calling 999. He was taken to hospital and needed 11 stitches. Police are hunting the attacker, who fled the scene in Reardon Street.

Mr Al Mamun said: The man came down the staircase onto the landing. He hit me straight on the front of my head with a metal bar. He didnt say anything  he didnt make a sound. I thought I was dying. I felt that my head had split in two with the blood pouring out.

I fell on the floor and got very scared and thought, What if he hits me again? It was a round heavy bar. I just tried to stop the blood.

Mr Al Mamun, from Stepney, said he feared the attack was politically motivated and he was considering whether to step down from the election. Since that day I have not been able to campaign. I cant leave the house. I have been a dedicated community worker all my life. I entered politics so I could help people. I never dreamed that for my public service I would be attacked.

He said his wife was expecting their third child: She was upset. My two daughters were really upset, they were telling me not to go out. Scotland Yards special enquiry team are already investigating various allegations of bribery, forgery and ballot tampering in the run-up to the Tower Hamlets poll.

Independent mayor Mr Rahman was removed from office in 2015 and banned from standing for election for five years by a judge for corrupt and illegal practices. He was replaced by Labours John Biggs, who vowed to clean up the borough after winning election in 2015, and is fighting for a second term in office.

Reardon House in Wapping, Tower Hamlets where the attack on Abdullah Al Mamun allegedly happened

Ahead of the polls on May 3, Labour has 22 seats on the council, Aspire 10 and other parties 13. Aspire councillor Mahbub Alam said Mr Al Mamun, who is standing in St Katharines and Wapping ward, was fearing for his life. Hes frightened and doesnt feel safe. That scar will be with him for life. He was just doing his job  saying hello to people. We are all worried and Ive written to the [police] borough commander.

Tower Hamlets council said: We are concerned at this awful incident. We are working closely with the police. The attack took place at about 6pm last Friday at Reardon House. A Met spokesman said: No arrests have been made. This is being treated as GBH. Officers are keeping an open mind as to motive.
S adiq Khans plan to close more than half of Londons police stations to the public has been put on hold following a legal challenge from a university professor brutally attacked at home.

The High Court has agreed to hear a crowdfunded judicial review application from Paul Kohler, questioning the legality of the consultation process being used to shut 38 of the 73 police front counters in the capital.

Mr Kohler said the recent spate of shootings and stabbings, which have taken the capitals violent death toll above 50 this year, made the need for police to retain local links even more important.

City Hall has agreed not to sell any of the stations pending the outcome of the hearing, which is due to take place in June.

Mr Kohler, 58, believes he only survived when a gang attacked him in 2014 because police were able to respond within eight minutes from Wimbledon police station  now due to be sold off. His four attackers were sentenced to between 13 and 19 years in jail.

He said: Many of the terrible events we have seen recently, including children being shot and a pensioner initially arrested for murder after confronting a burglar in his own home, could not offer a more fitting reminder of the need to ensure police remain at the heart of Londons various communities.

I do not believe the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, is addressing that issue by closing local police stations and removing officers from the communities they police.

I predict the level of violence we are currently witnessing will become more commonplace as communities suffer by not having locally-based officers with locally-based knowledge, who know the issues of a particular area and can often intervene before problems escalate.

The Mayors Office for Policing and Crime said it would robustly defend its plans and the consultation process. It said it had not objected to the case proceeding to a full hearing in order to draw this matter to a close as quickly as possible.

Mr Khan believes he can raise 165 million from property sales and save 8 million a year by closing police station front counters. Just eight per cent of crimes are said to have been reported at front counters in 2016.

The Mets budget has been reduced by 600 million since 2010 and it has to find a further 400 million of savings by 2021. City Hall said a police front counter would remain open 24/7 in every borough.

Sadiq Khan and Jeremy Corbyn slam Conservative cuts

Mr Kohler, a legal academic at SOAS university, said: We have got to keep police local. We are not saying cut bobbies to keep police stations. What we are saying is use your resources better.

His solicitor Tessa Gregory, from Leigh Day, said: Our client believes the public consultation was inadequate and unlawful.
P olice were today urged to step into the war of the posies battle over a street shrine to the burglar stabbed to death by a pensioner.

Floral tributes left for career criminal Henry Vincent in the street where he died were torn down today for the fourth time in 48 hours. Neighbours said the dispute had turned their quiet south-east London street into a war zone.

The makeshift memorial in Hither Green was erected on Monday by members of Vincents family, apparently including his girlfriend and children.

More than 100 bouquets as well as cards, teddies and balloons have since been repeatedly put up and torn down from the fence in South Park Crescent, opposite the home of Richard Osborn-Brooks, 78, who stabbed Vincent during the 37-year-olds botched burglary.

Iain Gordon pulls the flowers down from a fence opposite the house of Richard Osborn-Brooks in South Park Crescent in Hither Green, London / Gareth Fuller/PA

Police on horseback were seen patrolling the street yesterday afternoon as tensions between Vincents family and vigilantes threatened to boil over.

Shrine to Hither Green burglar removed for third time

Today a 58-year-old resident, who has lived in the road for 18 years, said: The flowers have made things worse. They keep going up then taken away. Now we are living in a war zone in what has always been a quiet street and it needs to stop. Police have to be the grown-ups and calm things down. It cant go on.

Tributes row: A man removes flowers left in Hither Green for stabbed burglar Henry Vincent / Daily Mail

One neighbour, who did not give her name for fear of reprisals, said: This is a quiet community and its being ruined. The attention is ramping up and its causing vigilantes from outside the area to turn up. We feel under threat and its putting us all in danger.

The latest incident came at midday today, when a man his sixties wearing a stetson and high-visibility jacket, who gave his name as Iain Gordon, began tearing down flowers and cards.

Shrine to burglar killed by Richard Osborne-Brooks destroyed

He ripped all 15 remaining bouquets from the fence and threw them in a pile on the floor. The man claimed he had a long-standing row with the travelling community, adding: Weve had enough. Mr Gordon said that although he did not know Mr Osborn-Brooks he thought he was a hero.

Yesterday a hooded man arrived at 9.30pm and was filmed ripping nine bouquets from the fence.

A police cordon outside Richard Osborn-Brooks house / Alex Lentati

Minutes earlier, two women had pulled up in a dark BMW and straightened flowers that had been blown upside down by the wind. Insisting on anonymity, the hooded man said: I do feel very strongly about this. I think its quite disrespectful actually. I do [feel bad for his family]. But I feel extra for Mr Osborn-Brooks.

Police patrol where Henry Vincent was killed whilst burgling a house in Hither Green, south east London / PA

Mr Osborn-Brooks was arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail, but was told on Friday that no action would be taken. The pensioners arrest prompted a public outcry.

Henry Vincent was stabbed to death during a struggle with a pensioner during a break-in in Hither Green / EPA

Mr Osborn-Brooks and his disabled wife have had to leave their home because of concerns for their safety and are thought to be staying with friends.

Friends and family of Henry Vincent who was killed whilst burgling a house in Hither Green, south east London last week attach flowers to a fence where he died for a third time / PA

Vincents alleged accomplice, Billy Jeeves, 28, is being sought over the failed burglary, Scotland Yard said.
A woman is fighting for her life in hospital after falling from a funfair ride in west London.

Paramedics rushed to the scene at a funfair in Philpots Farm, West Drayton, at about 8.15pm on Tuesday.

The woman, believed to be in her 40s, was rushed to hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

Scotland Yard confirmed that the Health and Safety Executive has been informed of the incident.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: Police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) on Tuesday, April 10 at 8:15pm to a report of a woman injured after falling from a ride at a funfair at Philpots Farm, West Drayton.
I S THERE a Soldiers Club on the Conservative benches in Parliament? Asked over dinner recently, Johnny Mercer, former commando and Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, winked that not many were proper soldiers as most are reservists  the new name for the Territorial Army.

Proper soldiers include Bob Stewart, MP for Beckenham, and a former colonel, and James Heappey, MP for Wells, who undertook tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Those Mercer was taking a cheeky pop at might include Rory Stewart, the prisons minister, who spent five months with the Black Watch. And Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge and Malling, who served in the TA and was also military assistant to Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff.

But Mercers teasing was just army bantz, I gather. Probed, the Conservatives with a military record close ranks.

Heappey says serving soldiers and reservists are utterly indistinguishable. Stewart says reservists are proper soldiers when theyre deployed.

Two prominent Labour MPs, Dan Jarvis and Clive Lewis, both toured Afghanistan. Jarvis had a 17-year career with the Paras, while Lewis was in the Territorial Army.

Tugendhat says that the important thing is to have served. Many of us who have served in combat have a bond. All the more so for those of use who have actually fought side-by-side as Dan Jarvis and I did. There is no difference between a reservist and a regular in combat.

Owen Jones, the socialist activist who accused Mercer of being frit and chickening out by refusing to debate with him in Plymouth, would be advised to remember all this when name-calling. But Mercer is generous in response. He tells us he has no problem being called a coward by Owen Jones. Perhaps those tours of Afghanistan and Iraq have left him sanguine.

Coughing major has all the answers

CHARLES Ingram, the infamous coughing major, and his wife Diana were at the Noel Coward Theatres press night of Quiz last night. The play, by James Graham, relates their attempts to defraud Who Wants to Be a Millionaire of its top prize in 2001, using coughs to indicate the correct answers.

During the play, audience members are asked to take part in a pub quiz, and Ingram was heard shouting answers  not all correct  at the couple next to him. He told them: If this is wrong Im going to blame you.

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THE teasing of Karen Pierce, UK ambassador to the UN, isnt quite fair. With respect to Karl Marx, I think he must be turning in his grave to see what has become of his country, she is quoted as saying, despite the fact that he was German. But she was misquoted, by the Middle East Institutes Charles Lister.

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ACTRESS Emily Blunt is fund-raising for the charity set up by Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban, now studying at Oxford. People are intimidated to meet her, Blunt says. They feel not worthy. Yet theres a normalcy to her. Shes sweet, subversive and bright, but at the same time she loves shoes and clothes.

Gucci greets geekiness in a celebration of its latest collection

ITS a story to hearten parents of bedroom-bound geeks everywhere: boy spends all day on his computer playing with Photoshop, uploads his pictures to the internet and lands a contract with a major fashion house. Spanish artist Ignasi Monreal was discovered by Gucci on Instagram in 2015 and last night celebrated the launch of Guccis new collection with a dinner at Brunswick House in Vauxhall.

Guests included Gala Gordon, the British-Argentinian actress and model, artist Helen Downie and playwright Polly Stenham. Also there were Mr Keira Knightley, Klaxons keyboardist James Righton, Alex Lawther, the actor who stars in End of the F***ing World. Its all a long way from Ignasi Monreals days playing Dungeons and Dragons with the curtains closed. Combining those two worlds... was my dream, he told W magazine. To infiltrate the fashion world with proper geekiness. Like, actual geeks.

SW1A

WHAT prompted Boris Johnson to back Leave? Maybe it was just an Oedipal conflict which had to be resolved at a continental level, Rachel Johnson mused at a Frontline Club Q&A with their father, Stanley. Johnson senior was a passionate Remainer during the campaign and isnt overly sold on the result: Normally I wake up in the middle of the night and think to myself: What a f***ing shambles.

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CHRIS Heaton-Harris MP enjoyed a brief, uncomfortable 15 minutes of fame last October when he wrote to university vice chancellors asking for a list of professors lecturing on Brexit. His letter caused outrage and the assistant government whip slunk away from the spotlight and back to his favoured pastime: posting awful jokes on Twitter. How do you catch a fish with maracas? Cast a net, he wrote this week. Then: What is precise and sounds like a carrot? Accurate.. Hmmm.

Quote of the day

Mama Mia: Amal Clooney (Photo Robert Kamau/GC Images) / GC Images

George was careful to ensure that Mama was the first word. Amal Clooney says that her Hollywood film star husband made sure that their young children know whos boss

Poppys up for a scrap over Picasso

Fighting fit: Poppy Delevingne (Photo Dave Benett/Getty Images for National Georgraphic) / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Nat

WHATS Poppy Delevingne like in a brawl? Actress Samantha Colley learnt the hard way when she had to film with Delevingne for Genius: Picasso, National Geographics TV biopic of the Spanish painter.

The pair play two of Picassos mistresses, whom the manipulative painter incited to fight  physically  for his love.

We went for it, Colley said at a screening at Tate Modern last night. I almost broke my wrist. I was sort of just ramming myself into her midriff a lot.
B ritain has until the end of 2020 to reverse its position on leaving the single market and customs union, Michel Barnier has said.

The European Unions chief negotiator said if the UK changed its red lines during the post-Brexit transition period then the EU would follow suit.

It comes after Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain will quit the single market and customs union.

The EU official gave Mrs May until December 31, 2020 to change her mind on Britain exiting the pair as it withdraws from the EU.

He said: "So long as they have not left, during the transition period, everything is still possible."

The Prime Minister used a speech in March to repeat her "red lines" that the UK will leave the single market and customs union as well as the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

The UK will formally leave the EU on March 29 2019, two years after the invocation of Article 50.

The 21-month transition period is due to end on December 31 the following year, coinciding with the end of the EU's seven-year budget.

Speaking to European reporters, Mr Barnier said: "If the British wish to modify their red lines, we will modify ours in consequence.

"I am not hearing that today but everything is possible, there is no dogmatism."
A mber Rudd is to announce a 9million boost for a Government crackdown on criminals who exploit the internet underworld known as the dark web.

The Home Secretarys multi-million-pound cash boost will go towards efforts to tackle offenders using online space to trade in guns, drugs and child abuse images.

The dark web refers to a hidden layer of the internet that allows site operators and users to keep their activities hidden.

This anonymity has attracted criminals seeking to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies.

Speaking at the CYBERUK security conference in Manchester on Wednesday, Ms Rudd will describe the dark web as a "dark and dangerous place where anonymity emboldens people to break the law in the most horrifying of ways" and a "platform of dangerous crimes and horrific abuse".

A "sickening shopping list of services and products are available", the Cabinet minister will warn.

She will say the 9 million-plus funding is being provided to "enhance the UK's specialist law enforcement response", adding: "They will use this money to help combat the criminals who continually exploit the anonymity of the dark web."

The details of the measures planned as part of the cash injection are not being released for operational reasons.

In addition, 5 million has been earmarked for dedicated cyber crime units so online offenders can be pursued at a regional and local level.

According to the Home Office, only 30 per cent of local police forces currently have a cyber capability that reaches the minimum standard.

The funding is part of 50 million allocated to ensure the criminal justice system is equipped to investigate and prosecute illegal activity perpetrated in or facilitated by cyberspace.

Ms Rudd will say: "[The 50 million of funding] will mean that cyber crimes are investigated thoroughly and police can support local businesses and local victims, providing the advice and care they need.

"Whilst criminals plot and hide behind their screens, their actions have real-life consequences for their victims.

"My own father was the victim of fraud and I know from personal experience the importance of supporting those who have been victimised through no fault of their own.

"Now that it's happening online, it's happening to even more people."

She will emphasise that business owners, cyber security experts and individuals also have a role to play.

"In the same way that shops protect themselves from burglary with locks, alarms and security guards, I expect businesses to take equivalent precautions digitally," Ms Rudd will say.
T heresa May has called an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the British response to reported chemical attacks in Syria as Donald Trump warned air strikes were imminent.

The PM called senior ministers to gather in Downing Street on Thursday after declaring "all the indications" were that the regime was responsible for a chemical strike on its own people last weekend.

Mrs May has said Britain will co-ordinate its response to the incident in the rebel-held town of Douma - where at least 40 people are reported to have been killed - with the US and France.

But in a sign of his growing impatience for action, Mr Trump tweeted a warning that air strikes "will be coming".

The US President has warned 'nothing is off the table' for the US response to the alleged attack / AP

At the same time Mrs May is under pressure to give Parliament the chance to vote before committing UK forces to any new action in Syria, amid fears it could draw the West into direct conflict with Assad's main backer, Russia.

Speaking during a visit to Birmingham on Wednesday, Mrs May again said the use of chemical weapons by the regime "cannot go unchallenged" as she reaffirmed her intention to continue working with the UK's "closest allies".

Theresa May: Syria and Russia must be held to account on chemical weapons attack

"We have been working to get an understanding of what happened on the ground. We are rapidly reaching that understanding," she said.

"All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible and we will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account.

"The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged."

Russia has warned against military action and said it will shoot down rockets fired at its ally.

In a tweet responding to the threat, President Trump said: "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.

"Get ready, Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'. You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkinhad, warned that the federation's military will shoot down US rockets and "even the sources that launched the missiles".

Later however, US defence secretary General James Mattis suggested that discussions about military action were still ongoing

"We're still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies. We're still working on this," he said.

Trump says US will 'forcefully' respond to Syria 'chemical weapons attack'

Mr Trump's decision to announce in highly inflammatory language on Twitter that missile strikes are imminent, rather than retaining an element of surprise, raised eyebrows among military chiefs.

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former commander of Joint Forces Command, said Russia's warnings that launch platforms could be targeted in response to air strikes meant "they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky - that's war".

Meanwhile Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the Government must seek the support of Parliament if it was to join any action against the Assad regime.

"Parliament should always be given a say on any military action," he told the BBC.

"What we don't want is bombardment which leads to escalation and leads to a hot war between Russia and America over the skies of Syria."

Mr Corbyn said the PM must seek the support of Parliament / PA

His call for Parliament to be given a say on military action was echoed by the SNP and the Liberal Democrats as well as a number of Conservative MPs.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: "The use of chemical weapons is a clear red line, and there must be consequences for crossing it.

"There must be a debate and vote in the House of Commons ahead of any military action."

The attack in Douma happened 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 that more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were taken to medical centres with breathing problems, foaming at the mouth and with burning sensations in the eyes.

It comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That assault prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.
T heresa May has said "all the indications" are that the Syrian regime was behind a chemical attack on its own people as the US prepares to launch air strikes.

The PM did not indicate whether Britain will be involved in the military campaign but insisted continued attacks "cannot go unchallenged" as she pledged to continue working with the UK's "closest allies" on how the dictatorship is held to account.

Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that airstrikes are imminent in Syria, declaring missiles "will be coming".

Bashar Assad's regime has called the threats "reckless" and Moscow said dropping missiles would destroy evidence of a chemical attack.

The US President has warned 'nothing is off the table' for the US response to the alleged attack / AP

Mrs May said: "All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible and we will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account...

"And how we can prevent and deter the humanitarian catastrophe that comes from the use of chemical weapons in the future.

"The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged."

The Prime Minister sidestepped questions over whether she was concerned about the US president's tweet.

She told reporters during a visit to Birmingham that she was "appalled" but "not surprised" by Russia's decision to veto a draft resolution at the United Nations on Tuesday which sought to create a new body to determine responsibility for the attack.

"There can be no role now for investigations by the UN."

She faces pressure to secure support from the Commons, which is currently in recess for Easter, for involving Britain in air strikes but has the power to take the decision without the backing of MPs.

Russia has warned against military action and said it will shoot down rockets fired at its ally.

In a tweet responding to the threat, Mr Trump said: "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.

"Get ready, Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'. You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Soon afterwards, however, he suggested it was time to "stop the arms race" and said there was no reason for the low in relations between Russia and the US.

He tweeted: "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this.

"Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkinhad, warned that the federation's military will shoot down US rockets and "even the sources that launched the missiles".

Trump says US will 'forcefully' respond to Syria 'chemical weapons attack'

Meanwhile British Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable joined calls for Parliament to be given a vote on any British military action in Syria.

Sir Vince said that while the use of chemical weapons crossed a "clear red line", ministers should present their evidence of regime involvement to MPs.

"A unilateral response by any country, outside of a wider strategy, without allies is not the way forward. There must be a debate and vote in the House of Commons ahead of any military action," he said.

SNP defence spokesman Stewart McDonald also called for a parliamentary vote before any decision to launch air strikes against the regime.

Sir Vince demanded a vote on British intervention / ALEX LENTATI

"While the need for action is clear - that action must be properly considered. Air strikes have not prevented these attacks and will not provide the long-term solutions needed to end the war," he said.

"Any proposed change to the role of UK forces in Syria must be subject to full scrutiny and a vote in Parliament."

Mr Trump's decision to announce in highly inflammatory language on Twitter that missile strikes are imminent, rather than retaining an element of surprise, will raise eyebrows among military chiefs.

Soon after the tweets, Russia's foreign ministry said that "smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government".

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned whether the idea behind military action was to "use the smart missiles to sweep the traces of the provocation under the rug".

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former commander of Joint Forces Command, said Russia's warnings that launch platforms could be targeted in response to air strikes meant "they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky - that's war".

Former soldier Johnny Mercer, who sits on the Commons Defence Select Committee, said Britain played a calming role as he criticised the "unhelpful rhetoric" tweeted by the US president.

The attack in Douma happened 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 that more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were taken to medical centres with breathing problems, foaming at the mouth and with burning sensations in the eyes.

It comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That assault prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.
A street called Bell End will not have its rude name changed despite an outcry from residents.

A petition was launched in January after people living in the road in the West Midlands town of Sandwell said they had become a laughing stock.

Some 200 people backed the petition calling on Sandwell Council to change the name amid claims that young residents could be bullied at school.

A rival-campaign calling for the historic name to be kept attracted almost 5,000 signatures.

It called the proposed name-change "pointless" and "deeply offensive".

Bell End: The petition has gained 12 signatures so far / PA

Sandwell Council has said it has not received copies of either petition and there are no plans to change Bell End.

A spokesman said: We have not received any petitions, either for or against a name change, at this stage."

The original petition page on change.org, which called for the name to be changed, read: "As you may be aware, the term 'Bell End' can be seen and used as a rude and/or a offensive word.

"It can affect people including children being bullied and teased at school and generally now become a laughing stock, as seen very recently on Facebook and other social media sites, and it's time for a change."

Bell End was ranked fourth on a list of the top 15 most rude-sounding street names in the UK in 2014.

Minge Lane beat Slag Lane to be crowned the rudest street name in the UK - with Fanny Hands Lane in Ludford, Lincolnshire, completing the top three.

Fourth place was given to Bell End, and Crotch Crescent in Marston, Oxfordshire, came fifth, with The Knob, Turkey Cock Lane, Cockshoot Close, Cumming Street and Cock A-Dobby rounding off the top 10.
M ore than 50,000 people have backed a petition to stop a doctor on the cusp of qualifying from being kicked out of the country.

Luke Ong, who lives in Manchester, came to the UK more than 10 years ago from Singapore to study and train to be a doctor.

Now, just five months before completing his GP training, Dr Ong faces a battles to remain in Britain.

The 31-year-old claimed he has successfully appealed a Home Office decision to deny him permanent residency last year as his application was 18 days late.

An immigration judge ruled it would not be proportionate to remove him, the Manchester Evening News reported.

However, Dr Ong has alleged that the Home Office applied to overturn the ruling.

He set up a change.org petition last week urging the Home Office to drop the appeal. The page has since amassed more than 56,000 signatures.

In the statement Dr Ong wrote: At a time when the NHS is struggling to train and recruit GPs, I find it absolutely ridiculous that I am on the cusp of becoming a GP.

I have given the best years of my life to the NHS, toiling relentlessly through nights and weekends for many years, paying my taxes and contributing to wider society - sadly right now, all this counts for nothing.

He added: I am broken, and I dont know how much longer I can take this. I want to be a doctor here in the UK. Please help me by signing.

The doctor has another three or four months before he finds out the result of the appeal, the MEN reported.

His MP, Manchester Centrals Lucy Powell, told the newspaper: The case is ridiculous. Hes not allowed to work at the moment.

He is a fantastic young man who wants to have a life here in the UK."

A Home Office spokesman said: All visa applications are considered in line with immigration rules and on the evidence provided.
Y ulia Skripal, the daughter of poisoned former Russian spy Sergei, has spoken out after being discharged from hospital.

Ms Skripal, who was poisoned alongside her father in Salisbury in March, said she had found herself living a "totally different life".

She said: "I was discharged from Salisbury District Hospital on the April 9. I was treated there with obvious clinical expertise and with such kindness that I have found I missed the staff immediately.

"I have left my father in their care, and he is still seriously ill. I too am still suffering with the effects of the nerve agent used against us.

"I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago, and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects, whilst also recovering from this attack on me.

"I have specially trained officers available to me, who are helping to take care of me and to explain the investigative processes that are being undertaken.

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

"I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can.

"At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal's daughter Yulia Skripal speaks for the first time since Salisbury nerve agent attack

"Most importantly, I am safe and feeling better as time goes by, but I am not yet strong enough to give a full interview to the media, as I one day hope to do.

"Until that time, I want to stress that no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves. I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being. Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my father's.

"For the moment I do not wish to speak to the press or the media, and ask for their understanding and patience whilst I try to come to terms with my current situation."

Experts at Porton Down said they had been unable to identify "the precise source" of the nerve agent used to poison the pair.

Gary Aitkenhead, the chief executive of the Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, said the poison had been identified as a military-grade Novichok nerve agent which could probably be deployed only by a nation-state.
A irlines in the Eastern Mediterranean were placed on high alert amid the possibility of a US-led airstrike response to a suspected chemical attack in Syria.

But European Aviation Security Agency warned pilots of possible air-to-ground missile launches as Donald Trump and US allies continued to weigh up retaliatory measures.

Pilots have been told due consideration must be taken due to the possibility of cruise missile strikes with the next 72 hours, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation said.

Trump says US will 'forcefully' respond to Syria 'chemical weapons attack'

It told operators: "Please note that EASA has issued Rapid Alert Notification for Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR (flight information region) area stating that: Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area."

It came as Mrs May agreed with her American and French counterparts that the international community needs to respond following the suspected chemical weapons attack.

The Prime Minister spoke to Mr Trump and Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, as speculation mounted about what action will be taken.

Mr Trump has said the apparent poison gas attack in Syria will be "met forcefully", but did not give a time-frame for any retaliatory action, and he cancelled a foreign trip on Tuesday to manage the crisis.

Trump: The US President had said a decision was imminent / AFP/Getty Images

Downing Street said Mrs May and the two leaders agreed that the international community "needed to respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons".

A spokeswoman said Mrs May held separate calls with the two leaders on Tuesday and that they agreed the reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria were "utterly reprehensible" and that they would "continue working closely together".

Boris Johnson criticised Russia after it vetoed a US draft resolution at the United Nations which sought to create a new body to determine responsibility for the attack.

The Foreign Secretary said the move was "hugely disappointing" and accused Russia of "holding the Syrian people to political ransom by supporting a regime responsible for at least four heinous chemical attacks against its people."

Theresa May: Syria and Russia must be held to account on chemical weapons attack

Amid speculation over whether Britain will take action against Syria, Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee Julian Lewis said "airstrikes can only be effective when they are in support of ground troops".

And he warned that Britain would be helping al Qaida if it assists with a miltary campaign against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Mr Lewis told BBC Two's Newsnight: "What we've got here in Syria is a choice between monsters on the one hand and maniacs on the other, and it is absolutely untrue to say that apart from the Kurdish-led forces, the Salafists and the Jihadists are not in control of the opposition groups.

"They are and we will be helping al Qaida if we help them to do a sustained military campaign against the brutal Assad regime."

The United States is looking to the UK and France for support as it finalises its response to the assault on the rebel-held town of Douma.

Attack: Image released by Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets shows a child receiving oxygen following an alleged poison gas attack in Douma / AP

President Trump and his French counterpart Mr Macron had already agreed to co-ordinate a "strong, joint response" after talks by telephone.

Mrs May sidestepped questions about whether Britain would be involved in military action during a visit to Cambridge earlier on Tuesday.

She is expected to comment on the situation again on Wednesday during a visit to Birmingham.

The attack in Douma happened 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 taken to medical centres with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth and burning sensations in the eyes.

The attack comes almost exactly a year after a chemical atrocity 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.
D onald Trump is considering firing the senior public prosecutor who approved an FBI raid on the office and hotel room of his personal lawyer, it was reported today.

Washington insiders said the US president was out for blood after agents in New York seized lawyer Michael Cohens records associated with a $130,000 (92,000) payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had sex with Mr Trump.

Republican leaders have warned the president that it would be political suicide to dismiss special counsel Robert Mueller, who is in charge of the investigation into alleged links between Russia and Mr Trumps election campaign.

Mr Mueller reportedly referred information to the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, which led to the raid.

Now, according to the New York Times, the president has turned his sights on deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who approved the raid and was responsible for appointing former FBI director Mr Mueller as special counsel in the Russiagate probe.

Mr Trump, who denies any affair with Ms Daniels, told aides that Mr Muellers investigation was a disgrace, and tweeted yesterday: Attorney-client privilege is dead!

Last night Mr Cohen, pictured, was spotted leaving French restaurant La Goulue on Manhattans Upper East Side, seemingly in good spirits. Earlier, he told CNN the FBI agents who raided the Loews Regency hotel, where he had been staying, and his office in 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Monday, were professional, courteous and respectful.

Mr Cohen has denied wrongdoing over his payment to Ms Daniels in 2016. Critics of the Trump administration say the payment amounted to an illegal campaign contribution as it helped him in the election.
H einz has released a new sauce which blends together ketchup and mayonnaise.

New product Mayochup is designed for foodies who can not decide between the two sauces.

The product, which is currently only sold in the Middle East, divided opinion among sauce fanatics across the globe.

Talia Pick wrote on Twitter: I am finding Mayochup deeply upsetting.

But others said they could not wait to try the new product.

One delighted fan of the sauce wrote: Ive heard Heinz have produced a Mayochup somewhere and need to find it."

Some savvy people noted that the sauce could be made at home by mixing the mayonnaise and ketchup together.

Lewis Gorse wrote: Heinz have invented Mayochup: Mayonaise and Ketchup!

Hunnies please, Ive been doing that since I was three.

Many people were disappointed that the new sauce was not available in the UK.

However, Heinz said it has no plans to bring Mayochup to Britain.

A spokesman for the company said: This is a product that we have been selling across Gulf markets since 2016. It is not available in the UK.
A massive search is under way for one of Germanys richest tycoons who went missing in the Swiss Alps after embarking on a skiing trip.

Karl-Erivan Haub, the magnate in charge of the Tengelmann retail group, was near the border with Italy when he vanished on Saturday.

The 58-year-old was on holiday at a ski lodge near the Matterhorn when he failed to show for an appointment at a hotel in the ski resort town of Zermatt. His family immediately alerted police and mountain rescue.

Mr Haub, whose personal wealth is estimated at more than 3 billion, regularly takes holidays in the Alps.

He was in Switzerland to train for the Patrouille des Glaciers ski race, an international long-distance event organised by the Swiss army in which both military personnel and civilians compete. The race is scheduled to take place next Tuesday.

His brother Christian Haub wrote to the Handelsblatt business daily that Karl-Erivan was a very experienced Alpinist and skier and hoped he would be found safe.

But he added that the worst case scenario cannot be ruled out: Of course our family is prepared for such a situation. The business will continue to run smoothly and orderly.

Karl-Erivan Haub took over at the top of Tengelmann in 2000, after his father Erivan Haub died unexpectedly at his ranch in Wyoming, USA.

The family-run company began life in 1867, importing tea, coffee and other commodities.

Its current 73 holdings employ 215,000 people and generate close to 30 billion in revenues each year.

Mr Haubs family is financing the helicopters which are now involved in the search for him, but the risk of avalanches and poor weather is hampering their task.

A British snowboarder died after falling into a snowdrift in the French Alps on Wednesday last week.
A sexual assault charge against Kevin Spacey is being considered by prosecutors in Los Angeles.

The police investigation in California, reports of which emerged on Wednesday, adds to three already active against the two-time Oscar-winning actor in London.

Prosecutors from the Los Angeles District Attorney's industry sex crimes task force are considering bringing a charge over a claim that Spacey attacked a man in West Hollywood in October 1992.

A spokeswoman for the department said that the force's special victims bureau began an investigation into allegations of a sexual assault involving Spacey in December.

Accused: Kevin Spacey / Getty Images

The Standard has approached representatives of Spacey for comment.

District attorney spokesman Greg Risling confirmed the investigation and said the case was handed to prosecutors on April 5 for review.

Scotland Yard has been investigating allegations of sexual assault on three men in London, spanning from 2005 to 2008.

As movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's downfall spread throughout Hollywood, Spacey was one of the first to face public allegations.

Actor Anthony Rapp was the first to make an allegation, claiming he was 14 when a 26-year-old Spacey made a sexual advance to him in 1986.

Spacey, now 58, said he did not remember the encounter but apologised for any "inappropriate drunken behaviour".

Ridley Scott: No action against Spacey for re-shoots costing millions

Additional reporting from the Press Association.
M ark Zuckerberg agreed to consider tighter regulation of Facebook as he faced a mammoth five-hour grilling by Congress over potential data misuse.

His concession came as it emerged Facebook and Cambridge Analyatica are facing lawsuits for allegedly misusing personal data of more than 71 million people.

Senators had threatened the Facebook chief with greater state oversight of the technology industry, saying the firm and others like it had failed to police abuses on their platforms.

"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said at the hearing.

He agreed the firm should take a "more proactive view in policing the ecosystem". But asked if Facebook should face tougher regulations, he replied that should only happen if they are the right regulations.

Mr Zuckerberg, 33, faced increasing scrutiny in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal which sent shockwaves through political spheres on both sides of the Atlantic.

Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook Congress Hearing - In pictures 1 /15 Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook Congress Hearing - In pictures Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during a Senate hearing AFP/Getty Images CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg (C) takes his seat following a break in testifying before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee joint hearing on 'Facebook, Social Media Privacy, and the Use and Abuse of Data' on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC EPA Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee joint hearing about Facebook on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images An aide to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg closes a binder of notes left on the table as Zuckerberg takes a short break from testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington AP Grilling: The 5'7 CEO testifies before US senators in Congress Getty Images Senator John Kennedy looks on as Senator Lindsey Graham holds up the privacy agreement of Facebook as its CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies Reuters Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks with Senator John Thune and Senator Chuck Grassley following a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill AFP/Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is surrounded by members of the media Reuters Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves after he testified before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify Getty Images A audience member wearing a blue and green pointy wig, aiming to look like a Russian troll as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington AP 100 life-sized cutouts of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sit on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg faced questions over the Cambridge Analytica scandal EPA Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images

The US Senate's Commerce and Judiciary committees heard a range of issues from Facebook's handling of alleged Russian attempts at election interference to consumer privacy and hate speech.

Mr Zuckerberg also told US senators Facebook is working with special counsel Robert Mueller on his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Mark Zuckerberg said he would agree to tighter regulations if they were the 'right regulations' / AP

He also said the firm would investigate "tens of thousands of apps", conducting a full audit to understand whether or not they are doing "anything improper".

He went on to admit his view that the "average person...probably doesn't read [the terms and conditions]" of Facebook's privacy policy and provoked laughter in the gallery when he denied the firm had a monopoly on social media data.

Mr Zuckerberg told Congress no-one at Facebook's app review team had been fired as a result of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Five things we learned from Mark Zuckerberg's first congressional testimony

1. Facebook will audit "tens of thousands" of apps to discover if any other companies have accessed data in a similar way to Cambridge Analytica (CA), Mr Zuckerberg said.

2. The company is in an "arms race" with Russia. Mr Zuckerberg warned there were people in the country tasked with finding ways to breach Facebook's systems.

3. The Facebook CEO was not comfortable sharing some of his own personal information amid the televised Senate hearing.

Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night? asked Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Um, no, he responded.

4. The social media site has developed "new AI tools" to identify fake accounts such as those used by Russian trolls during the US election.

Mr Zuckerberg said "one of my greatest regrets in running the company" was its slowness at uncovering and acting against disinformation campaigns before the 2016 election.

He said the company will keep investigating in combatting fake news.

5. Facebook considered the data allegedly shared with Cambridge Analytica a "closed case" after the company said it had deleted it.
M ark Zuckerberg sat on a four-inch booster cushion as he was grilled by US senators over Facebooks data scandal.

The firms CEO gave evidence in Congress after it emerged 87 million of the sites users had their profile information accessed by marketing company Cambridge Analytica.

But it was his chair which caught the attention of people around the world, with photographs of the booster cushion shared widely on social media.

The thick cushion, the same shade of black as the chair, gave the 5ft 7ins billionaire a boost in height behind an ornate wooden desk.

The 5'7 CEO testifies before US senators in Congress / Getty Images

One person wrote: "Is that a billionaire's version of a booster seat?"

Another Twitter user posted: "Wonder if they gave him crayons and a coloring book also."

In his opening testimony, he said that his company has taken several steps to restrict outsiders' access to people's personal information on Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg: 'It was my mistake and I'm sorry'

Mr Zuckerberg said the firm is also investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014 - something that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.

Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook Congress Hearing - In pictures 1 /15 Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook Congress Hearing - In pictures Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during a Senate hearing AFP/Getty Images CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg (C) takes his seat following a break in testifying before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee joint hearing on 'Facebook, Social Media Privacy, and the Use and Abuse of Data' on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC EPA Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee joint hearing about Facebook on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images An aide to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg closes a binder of notes left on the table as Zuckerberg takes a short break from testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington AP Grilling: The 5'7 CEO testifies before US senators in Congress Getty Images Senator John Kennedy looks on as Senator Lindsey Graham holds up the privacy agreement of Facebook as its CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies Reuters Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks with Senator John Thune and Senator Chuck Grassley following a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill AFP/Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is surrounded by members of the media Reuters Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves after he testified before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify Getty Images A audience member wearing a blue and green pointy wig, aiming to look like a Russian troll as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington AP 100 life-sized cutouts of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sit on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg faced questions over the Cambridge Analytica scandal EPA Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images

Facebook is under fire in the worst privacy crisis in its history after it was revealed that the Trump-affiliated data mining firm improperly accessed information from 87 million users  including over a million in the UK - to try to influence elections.

Mr Zuckerberg, 33, told Congress no-one at Facebook's app review team had been fired as a result of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Mr Zuckerberg said at the hearing.

He agreed the firm should take a "more proactive view in policing the ecosystem". But asked if Facebook should face tougher regulations, he replied that should only happen if they are the right regulations.

Um... no: Zuckerberg challenged on privacy
M ark Zuckerberg told US senators his own personal data was shared in the Cambridge Analytica data leak as he was grilled by Congress for a second time.

The Facebook CEO was taking part in the second of a two-day interview by American politicians over his firm's response to the leak.

The 33-year-old internet mogul was grilled in a joint hearing of the US Senate's Commerce and Judiciary committees on a range of issues from Facebook's handling of alleged Russian attempts at election interference to consumer privacy and hate speech.

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, who blamed Facebook for the "cynical manipulation of American citizens for political purposes", asked Mr Zuckerberg: "Was your personal data sold sold to malicious third parties?"

Mr Zuckerberg appears before Congress on Tuesday / Reuters

Mr Zuckerberg responded with only: "Yes."

The social network chief has faced increasing scrutiny in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal which sent shockwaves through political spheres on both sides of the Atlantic.

Um... no: Zuckerberg challenged on privacy

Earlier this year US special counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election via social media.

Senator Bobby Rush blasted the site, comparing it to the COINTELPRO project, run by the FBI to undermine civil rights activists in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

He told Mr Zuckerberg: "Your organisation, your methodology, in my opinion, is similar...You're truncating the basic rights of the American promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...by the wholesale invasion and manipulation of their right to privacy.

"What is the difference between Facebook's methodology and that of J Edgar Hoover?"

Mr Zuckerberg went on to say he was "looking into" suing Aleksandr Kogan, the Cambridge University professor allegedly behind the data breach.

"It's something we're looking into...We're going to be doing a full audit to make sure we know [what data he still holds].

Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook Congress Hearing - In pictures 1 /15 Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook Congress Hearing - In pictures Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during a Senate hearing AFP/Getty Images CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg (C) takes his seat following a break in testifying before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee joint hearing on 'Facebook, Social Media Privacy, and the Use and Abuse of Data' on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC EPA Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee joint hearing about Facebook on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images An aide to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg closes a binder of notes left on the table as Zuckerberg takes a short break from testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington AP Grilling: The 5'7 CEO testifies before US senators in Congress Getty Images Senator John Kennedy looks on as Senator Lindsey Graham holds up the privacy agreement of Facebook as its CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies Reuters Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks with Senator John Thune and Senator Chuck Grassley following a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill AFP/Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is surrounded by members of the media Reuters Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves after he testified before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify Getty Images A audience member wearing a blue and green pointy wig, aiming to look like a Russian troll as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington AP 100 life-sized cutouts of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sit on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg faced questions over the Cambridge Analytica scandal EPA Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Getty Images

"To our current knowledge, he was the only one who sold data to Cambridge Analytica."

On Tuesday, he admitted his view that the "average person...probably doesn't read [the terms and conditions]" of Facebook's privacy policy and provoked laughter in the gallery when he denied the firm had a monopoly on social media data.

Mr Zuckerberg told Congress no-one at Facebook's app review team had been fired as a result of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
P ope Francis has invited victims of Chile's sex abuse scandal to visit him in Rome, begging them for forgiveness and admitting he made "grave errors" in his response to the scandal.

The Pope faced criticism for his support of a Chilean bishop accused by victims of witnessing ignoring child abuse.

In an extraordinary letter published on Wednesday, Francis also summoned Chile's bishops to the Vatican for an emergency meeting.

He reportedly hopes to discuss the scandal, which has badly tarnished his reputation and that of the Chilean church.

The Pope attends Mass in Rome last month / AFP/Getty Images

Francis blamed a lack of "true and balanced information" in his mis-steps in judging Bishop Juan Barros, a protege of Chile's most notorious predator priest.

He strongly defended Barros despite accusations by victims that the Chilean priest witnessed and ignored their abuse.

Donald Trump meets Pope Francis in Rome 1 /10 Donald Trump meets Pope Francis in Rome U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive at Fiumicino's Leonardo Da Vinci International airport AP U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive at Fiumicino's Leonardo Da Vinci International airport AP U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive at Fiumicino's Leonardo Da Vinci International airport AP U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania meet Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican Reuters The prefect of the papal household Georg Gaenswein gestures as Pope Francis stands with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during a private audience at the Vatica AFP/Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka Trump meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican AP AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis walks past U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump at the end of a private audience at the Vatican AFP/Getty Images AP REUTERS

Francis sent the Vatican's most respected sex abuse investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, to investigate the scandal.

While the pope's letter does not reveal Mr Scicluna's conclusions, Francis made clear the bishops needed to "repair the scandal where possible and re-establish justice".

Francis thanked the 64 people who gave testimony to his envoys about the abuse scandal as well as the media for its "professionalism" in covering the case.

He said he felt "pain and shame" in reading the 2,300-page dossier his envoys prepared after a nearly two-week visit to New York and Chile to take testimony from victims, whom he praised for having had the courage to bare the "wounds of their souls" for the sake of truth.

While church leaders have long criticised the media for exposing paedophiles in their ranks, Francis thanked news organisations for respecting the victims' confidentiality while "respecting the right of citizens to information".

In words that laid bare his simmering anger, however, Francis made clear that Chile's bishops must now work to "re-establish confidence in the church, confidence that was broken by our errors and sins, and heal the wounds that continue to bleed in Chilean society".
D onald Trump today went on the warpath over Moscows threat to down US missiles in the clash over Syria  tweeting: Get ready Russia ... they will be coming, nice and new and smart!

The extraordinary message, issued in the early hours in America, appeared to pave the way for imminent air strikes against Bashar Assads regime in response to the suspected chemical attack on rebel-held Douma.

The president lashed out after Russias ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, escalated tensions with a threat to target planes and ships which fire at Assads secret chemical weapons stockpile.

If there is a strike by the Americans then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired, Mr Zasypkin told Hezbollahs al-Manar TV.

Mr Trump tweeted: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!

Ambassador warns Russia ready to retaliate for US strikes on Syria

You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it! Mr Trumps tweet caught the UK Government, and mostly likely Washington and Paris, by surprise. It came as the US, Britain and France are understood to be seeking to carefully gather further evidence of whether the Assad regime was behind Saturdays attack on the rebel-held town of Douma, in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

In a further astonishing tweet 40 minutes later, Mr Trump added: Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

President Trump with Putin / AFP/Getty Images

Rescuers in Douma say at least 70 people died, and today the World Health Organisation condemned the attack, saying some 500 patients went to health facilities with signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals.

Peter Salama, WHO deputy director-general for emergency response. said: WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response.

The Syrian regime has been found previously to have repeatedly used chemical weapons.

The war of words between Mr Trump and Mr Zasypkin, sparked growing concerns that the Syrian civil war could spiral into a broader conflict.

Attack: Image released by Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets shows a child receiving oxygen following an alleged poison gas attack in Douma / AP

General Sir Richard Barrons, who led UK Joint Forces Command from 2013 to 2016, warned: I hope the ambassador has chosen his words very carefully.

What he is actually saying is if the US and allies decide to strike against Syrian chemical weapons and delivery aircraft, not only are they going to try to shoot down the missiles, which they are capable of doing but wont be with total success, but by saying launch platforms, hes saying they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky  thats war.

The Kremlin declined to comment on Mr Zasypkins remarks, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: We would like to hope that all sides will avoid any steps that, a) are not provoked by anything and, b) could significantly destabilise an already fragile situation in the region.

Andrei Krasov, a senior Russian MP, warned his country would treat a US air strike not just as an act of aggression but a war crime of the Western coalition. As tensions intensfied:

Airspace chiefs warned planes to be careful when flying close to Syria. In a notice on Eurocontrols website, the European Aviation Safety Agency said: Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours ... consideration needs to be taken.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom is understood to be ready to support military action against Assads regime without a parliamentary vote.

A number of Tory MPs voiced concerns over armed action.

Syrian military chiefs were reported to be moving planes to an airbase with Russian forces in an attempt to protect them from air strikes.

Aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and its strike group were due to leave Norfolk, Virginia, today, and head to Europe on a scheduled deployment.

A meeting of Britains National Security Council was delayed.

Tory MP John Baron told BBC radio: Weve been here before and many of us believe we need to approach this in a cautious manner because of the risk of escalation. If there is going to be significant military intervention then I think Parliament has every right to ask questions, particularly given our poor track record on previous interventions across the region.

Commons Leader Ms Leadsom is among a number of senior Tory MPs who believe a parliamentary vote is not needed for limited strikes in response to Assads use of chemical weapons.
A "punk turtle" with a green mohican is the star attraction in a new list of endangered reptiles.

The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) has a head crowned by vertical strands of algae that also grow on its body.

It sports long fleshy barbels under its beard and, in perhaps its most unusual feature, can breathe through its genitals.

Measuring up to 40 cm, it lives in just one location - the Mary River in Queensland, Australia.

Its docile nature historically made it a popular pet. In the 1960s and 1970s its nest sites were mercilessly pillaged for the pet trade. Today, the Mary River turtle is one of the world's most endangered turtle species.

It is just one of many weird and wonderful species featured in the Zoological Society of London (ZSL's) Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (Edge) Reptiles list.

The Edge programme uses a complex formula to award a threat score to unusual species at risk of extinction.

Ten most endangered species list highlights importance of zoos 'working to save' animals from extinction 1 /10 Ten most endangered species list highlights importance of zoos 'working to save' animals from extinction AN7513451Undated-British-an.jpg Critical: There are only 45 Amur leopards left in the wild Blue crowned thrushes.jpg On the decrease: There are only 250 mature blue-crowned laughingthrushes left AN7513439Undated-British-an.jpg Dwindling: Native to Montserrat, the Mountain Chicken frog population has decreased by 80% due to disease AN7513440Undated-British-an.jpg Rare: The ploughshare tortoise is the most endangered tortoise in the world AN7513408Undated-British-an.jpg Homeless: Blue-eyed black lemur is endangered due to land clearances. Male black lemurs are solid black while the females are a reddish-brown Polyalthia_verdcourtii_AndrewRMarshall_ARM2187.JPG Just a few: A man stands under a Verdcourt's polyalthia tree, which is only found in three places in Tanzania AN7513448Undated-British-an.jpg Horned: Scimitar-horned oryx native to Tunisia, Morocco, and Senegal is extinct in the wild AN7513437Undated-British-an.jpg Snipped: The white-clawed crayfish is endangered due to an infectious disease nearly wiping out the entire species British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquariums/PA AN7513418Undated-British-an.jpg Many under one: Polynesian tree snail is the generic name for 70 sub species AN7513395Undated-British-an.jpg Conserved: The Potosi pupfish, endemic to Mexico, is extinct in the wild

The Mary River turtle ranks number 30 in the league table of 572 reptiles. Top of the list is one of its cousins, the Madagascan big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis), with an Edge score higher than that of any other amphibian, bird or mammal.

Other stand-out species on the reptiles list include the Round Island keel-scaled boa from Mauritius (casarea dussumieri), that can change colour and is the only vertebrate known to have a hinged upper jaw, the Minute Leaf chameleon (Brookesia minima), from Madagascar, which measures just three centimetres, and the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), a slender-snouted fish-eating crocodile.

Edge reptiles co-ordinator Rikki Gumbs said: "Reptiles often receive the short end of the stick in conservation terms, compared with the likes of birds and mammals.

"However, the Edge reptiles list highlights just how unique, vulnerable and amazing these creatures really are.

"Just as with tigers, rhinos and elephants, it is vital we do our utmost to save these unique and too often overlooked animals.

"Many Edge reptiles are the sole survivors of ancient lineages whose branches of the Tree of Life stretch back to the age of the dinosaurs.

"If we lose these species, there will be nothing like them left on Earth."

The researchers outline how they compiled the Edge reptiles list in the journal Public Library of Science ONE.

First established in 2007, Edge lists have previously been published for amphibians, birds, corals and mammals. Each species is given a score which combines extinction risk with how isolated or unique the species is.

A large number of turtles and tortoises feature on the reptiles list, along with lizards and snakes.
S hocking CCTV footage shows the moment a gang of men attacked a couple who were holding hands after attending Miami's Gay Pride event.

The video shows four suspects approaching the two men before beginning to push and shove them in Lummus Park on Ocean Drive on Sunday evening.

The couple, who were holding hands at the time, are then shown being violently punched and kicked and falling to the ground.

MSNBC named the victims as Rene Logunov and Dmitry Logunov who both reportedly sustained facial injuries.

Police were hunting for the four suspects / Twitter/MiamiBeachPD

A Good Samaritan named as Helmut Muller Estrada, who tried to break up the fight, is said to also have been kicked and punched.

The incident report quoted by the news station said there was a "pool of blood" where Mr Estrada fell as he suffered lacerations to the back of his head.

"We probably provoked them because we were walking together, holding hands. It was gay pride, South Beach was full of gay people," Mr Logunov told NBC Miami.

Four suspects handed themselves in to police after the video was shared online, Miami officers said.

Miami Beach Police wrote on Twitter: "The four subjects have just surrendered through an attorney.
U S actor and comedian TJ Miller has been charged for intentionally reporting a fake bomb threat on a train, officials have said.

Mr Miller, who allegedly called police to report a fellow passenger with a bomb in her bag was arrested in New York on Monday.

The Deadpool actor faces up to five years in jail if he is found guilty.

The 36-year-old allegedly initially told officers that a woman with "brown hair and a scarf" was carrying a device on a train travelling from Washington DC to New York City in March.

When an investigator called him back he said the woman had "red hair and a red scarf" and was holding a black suitcase, according to a US Attorney statement released on Tuesday.

The Amtrak train was later inspected at a stop in Connecticut. It was found not to contain any explosive devices or materials.

Mr Miller is perhaps best known for his role as Erlich Bachman in the US comedy series Silicon Valley.
A woman who faked having terminal cancer to scam money from family friends has been jailed for three months.

Hanna Dickenson, 24, from Melbourne, accepted A$42,000 (22,000) after telling her parents she needed medical treatment overseas.

Her parents had received donations from their friends, a court was told. It heard Dickenson spent much of the money on holidays and socialising.

The scam was uncovered when one of her victims found photos on her Facebook profile which made him suspicious of her claims.

He contacted police who identified other victims, including a man who had just been discharged from hospital after cancer treatment and transferred A$10,000 to her in 2013.

At Melbourne magistrates court yesterday, Dickenson pleaded guilty to seven charges of obtaining property by deception. Magistrate David Starvaggi called her conduct despicable, but her lawyer said she had turned her life around.
O nce youve shopped for the perfect outfit, worked out travel logistics and sorted your accommodation, all thats left is to pick out the perfect gift for the happy couple.

If youre feeling flush, there are some truly incredible presents out there that will leave even those with the most discerning taste in awe.

From vintage champagne to works of art, here are the best luxury gifts for the newlyweds with Champagne tastes.

If youre looking for a gift at a more modest price point, see out list of the Best Wedding Gifts from 10-100.

In the meantime feast your eyes on the best wedding gifts money can buy.

Harvey Nichols The Negroni Hamper

Harvey Nichols

Bring the Italian aperitivo hour home with this hamper bursting with ingredients and nibbles to make copious rounds of Negroni, accompanied by nibbles. Packed in a smart black wicker hamper, which can be given a second life as storage when the contents have been devoured.

Lalique Orchid Decanter - Clear

Lalique

French heritage crystal house Lalique oozes elegance and sophistication, so if your friends appreciate the finer things in life, it's a fabulous place to start. This frosted white decanter is finished with statement orchids splayed across the topper, making it a piece to admire all day every day.

Bose Home Speaker 500 Smart Speaker with Voice Recognition and Control, Silver

Bose

On John Lewis's top wedding list, this incredibly powerful Bose speaker can be used through voice commands as well as a control to deliver room-filling sound when you want it. It works with Google Assistant and Alexa, which will both still hear you even when the volume's turned right up. Also available in black, it comes with a two year guarantee.

L'OBJET Leopard Espresso Cup and Saucer Set of Six

LObjet

Sure, a tea set may be a traditional wedding gift, but luxe homewares brand L'Objet breathes new life into the option with a fierce and fetching leopard print set. The handcrafted set of six is finished with 24ct gold detail and is handwash only - so best rolled out for when VIPs visit.

Amara Deluxe 2 Person Hamper

Amara

Elevate a simple picnic into a five-star dining experience with the help of this deluxe picnic hamper from A by Amara in collaboration with Willow Direct.

Handmade by skilled craftsmen, this beautiful basket has everything a picnicking couple could possibly want - including salt and pepper shakers. There's also a bottle duffle to protect a bottle of fizz, and a polar fleece picnic blanket - because, well, this is England. All this alongside china plates, stainless steel cutlery, napkins, wine glasses, a bottle opener and steel mask with two mugs. In short, everything but the kitchen sink.

Roberto Cavalli Monogram Champagne Goblets

Roberto Cavalli

A pair of Champagne flutes make a classic wedding gift, but if youre looking for something with edge, we present this set of gilded monogrammed goblets from Roberto Cavalli. Not content with spreading glamour on the catwalks, the lauded designer has expanded into the world of tableware. Made with 24 per cent lead crystal and embossed with opulent gold, these six Champagne flutes come boxed and ready to wrap.

FUJIFILM LiPlay 2-in-1 Hybrid Instant Camera

FujiFilm

Printed photos, once the norm, are fast becoming a rarity  which is a shame as theres something about holding an image in your hand that no amount of swiping can imitate. Then again, at least digital photos will never fade or get lost. Online, theyre safe and preserved forever. FujiFilms Instant Camera brings together the best of both worlds with an instant printer integrated onto a digital camera that can easily slip into weekend luggage and sightseeing day bags. The lovebirds can take as many honeymoon snaps as they like, print their faves and upload the rest to their social media. Happy days.

Arcade1Up PAC-MAN Cabinet Including Riser

Arcade1Up

What do you get the couple who already has everything, including true love? Well, how about the gift of time travel via this full-size arcade game? Just like the ones they may have wasted their pocket money on in their childhood, this upright design has a pleasingly retro feel and plays the classic game Pac-Man as well as Pac-Man Plus.

Jonathan Adler Rainbow Hand Beaded Wall Art

Jonathan Adler

Help them find a daily pot of gold with this incredibly detailed artwork from design genius Jonathan Adler. What looks like a fairly simple rainbow image is, on closer inspection, a picture made up of thousands of precisely placed colourful beads. Made in India, this piece took almost 100 hours to make. Dimensions: W 96.52 cm, D 5.08 cm, H 71.12 cm.

Google Nest Hub

Google

Anyone whos ever hosted a party know how angst-ridden it can be. An extra helping hand is always useful, and in 2021 thats increasingly in the form of a robotic friend.

Googles Nest Hub is a digital assistant with a 7 inch touchscreen display but it can do so much more than showcase photos. From playing Spotify playlist to helping you cook up a feast for the in-laws with the recipe assist function, and even turning out the lights before bed, The Hub is a digital butler your friends will wonder how they lived without.

Its a superb entry level assistant that doesnt take up too much space (the thin stand will fit onto a slim window ledge easily), and can control a variety of other smart home devices  especially other Nest products like the doorbell, heating and lighting. Best of all, its intuitive for anyone whos ever used Google. So, thatll be all of us then.

Coravin Model Two Elite Gold Wine System

Coravin

If you've ever pondered over the future of wine drinking, ponder no more - the future is here. Offering the cutting edge in wine tech, Coravin's Model Six system uses a revolutionary needle to extract a glassful of corked wine without opening the bottle, sidestepping oxidisation and protecting the flavour within for days, or even years to come. It's ideal for any couple with a cellar full of aged bottles and a curious disposition. This set comes with extra medical-grade Argon gas capsules and a screw cap and a two year-warranty.

Alessi The Strongman Nutcracker

Alessi

On a list of things a newlywed duo may expect to receive, this Strongman-shaped nutcracker is probably not on it. Not because it shouldn't be, but because they may not know it exists. But we think youll agree: once seen, its never forgotten. Fabulously designed by Marcel Wanders and crafted by Italian design house Alessi, this limited edition playful piece is one of only 999 made.

Although it functions perfectly well as a nutcracker, it can also be used as a centrepiece or 'table sculpture', designed to raise smiles as well as eyebrows at the couple's next soiree.

PlayStation VR Starter Pack (PS4)

PlayStation

Virtual Reality is huge, with more options to dive into computer-created worlds from the comfort of your own home. So for a slightly left-field option, why not give the gift of VR? Using stunning visuals, 3D audio and intuitive controls, PlayStation VR transports players directly into the heart of immersive games and experiences - everything from high-octane racing to exploring deep space and taming dragons, Khaleesi-style.
W ith research and development teams optimising the travel experience at every turn, a new type of luggage has emerged that does a lot more than just carry your clothes.

From frequent business travelling to mini getaways, we've got the details on some of the most exciting smart luggage available right now. So what does smart luggage actually mean? Many features that define these newly developed products include power banks that charge your electronic devices, electronic baggage tags, GPS tracking and TSA approved locks.

The TSA (Transport Security Administration) is a US agency with strict guidelines that stipulate any suitcase can be opened and searched for security purposes, including the forced opening of any non-compliant locks. So if you're travelling stateside and want to secure your luggage you'll need an update on your lock. However, due to the tech minded approach of smart luggage, companies are now making TSA compatible locks which can be opened using a special TSA master key. Some particularly smart locks include a function that will turn a small light on the lock red, indicating a master key was used.

This being said, regulations have been placed on these new forms of luggage based in part on the lithium battery included in many. American Airlines explains that from 15th January customers who travel with a smart bag must be able to remove the battery in case the bag has to be checked at any point in the customers journey.

With that in mind, weve gathered the best smart luggage brands that fit these regulations and make for more efficient and very smart travelling.

Away - carry on and medium case

The Away suitcases have everything you can want in a suitcase. A lightweight polycarbonate unbreakable shell exterior? Check. An interior compression system for over packers? Check. A removable laundry bag? Yep...and these features are just the icing on the cake.

The brands suitcases also have 360 degree wheels, a built-in USB with removable 37-watt lithium-ion battery located underneath the handle, a TSA approved combination lock and it available in a large range of colours including red, green, pink and white to make them easily identifiable.

Carry-On

225 | Away | Buy it now

Medium Case

275 | Away | Buy it now 

G-Ro - Carry-on Classic

Available in navy and black with the option for different wheel colours, the G-Ro suitcases stand-out from the rest for their large, high manoeuvrable wheels. This star feature allows you to roll the luggage over any terrain and in all different weathers, from taking it up and down stairs, to pushing it through the snow - anything is possible. The ultra-durable cases have a removable power band and a Bluetooth luggage tracker for an added layer of security in case your belongings get lost or stolen.

TravelPro Crew 11

The preferred brand of airline crews, the durability of TravelPro cases speak from themselves. Standing the test of time, despite excessive use, we found the high-quality nylon lightweight, expandable and water and stain repellent. There is also a USB charging port and a removable battery. A excellent and more budget friendly option within the smart luggage family.

270 | Amazon | Buy it now

Neit - The Check-in

Transporting an additional case just got a whole lot easier with Neit. Despite the hard shell outer, the case folds to just three inches flat in only 10 seconds allowing you to store it just about anywhere when not in use. The wheels of the case also fold away ensuring they won't get knocked off or damaged. Bonus: you can add a tracking device to locate your bag through the app.

299.99 | Neit | Buy it now

Modobag

Not currently available in the UK, the first motorised suitcase has arrived across the pond. Saving you from carrying around a heavy suitcase, this variation actually carries you. Modobag can travel for 6 miles without needing to be recharged and with speeds of up to 8mph  and it still remains relatively lightweight for when you need to pull it.

$1,495 | Modobag | Buy it now

From the label that has just collaborated with Supreme, Rimowas answer to smart luggage allows you to digitally check in, cutting your waiting time and simplifying the check in process. Through a companion app, you can send your flight information to the case, which automatically displays your flight data electronically rather than attaching a flimsy paper copy. Available on the brands signature models; the Salsa, Limbo and Topas as well as in a variation of sizes, materials and colours, it has a five-year warranty and a TSA combination lock.

Salsa Electronic Tag

559 | Rimowa | Buy it now

With the first range from this smart luggage brand selling out everywhere, frequent flyers are eagerly awaiting the release of Series 2. Bluesmart cases are renowned for their efficiency. Allowing you to connect the case to your smartphone, you can track your travel data, follow your bag anywhere in the world without subscriptions or a fee. You can also receive an alert if the Bluetooth detects that your phone is out of range and can consequently lock your case remotely. There is also a digital scale included and a compartment for electronics in the carry-on allowing you to access it quickly and easily access it during the security checks.

349.99 | Currys | Buy it now

Verdict:
L inda Robson broke down in tears while discussing the stabbing of Ben Kinsella, who her son Louis comforted in the moments after his stabbing.

The presenter became choked up while commemorating the 10th anniversary of Kinsellas murder on Loose Women.

There was a bit of an argument with a couple of boys earlier in the night. Nothing to do with our kids at all.

"And as Ben left that night, he was walking along the street, three youths attacked him very violently. They stabbed him.

Victim: Ben Kinsella / COLLECT

All of those families that have lost children and its on the increase, every single day. Its something thats so pointless.

Children are picking up their phones and theyre picking up knives.

Kinsella was stabbed to death in 2008 aged 16 after getting caught up in an argument started by other school children.

Robsons son Louis supported Kinsella after the attack, holding him until the emergency services arrived.

The host recently spoke about her concern over knife crime incidents in London.

New TV shows to look forward to in 2018 1 /17 New TV shows to look forward to in 2018 The Little Drummer Girl Florence Pugh as Charlie with Alexander Skarsgard as Becker in the John le Carre thriller BBC / The Little Drummer Girl Distribution Limited. The Cry Jenna Coleman and Ewen Leslie Synchronicity Films Ltd/Lachlan Moore Vanity Fair ITV and Amazon's remake of William. M. Thackeray's classic novel starring Olivia Cooke and Tom Bateman ITV Wanderlust Toni Collette and Steven Mackintosh star in BBC's new raunchy drama BBC/Drama Republic Press Charlotte Riley and Ben Chaplin go head-to-head as rival newspaper editors in new drama from Doctor Foster creator Mike Barlett BBC Death and Nightingales Jamie Dornan, Ann Skelly and Matthew Rhys star in a three-part drama for BBC Two BBC Maniac Emma Stone and Jonah Hill star in the limited Netflix series coming September Michele K. Short / Netflix Disenchantment Matt Groening is back and on Netflix with new adult comedy following Princess Bean and friends Netflix / Matt Groening Age Before Beauty Age Before Beauty on BBC One with Polly Walker, Sue Johnston and Lisa Riley follows a family business with plenty of secrets BBC/Mainstreet Pictures/Todd Antony Hard Sun Luther creator Neil Cross has another dabble at the cop show format in this crime/sci-fi drama inspired by the Bowie song Five Years. BBC/Euston Films A Very English Scandal Hugh Grant stars in this drama from Doctor Who/Sherlock writer Russell T Davies, which adapts John Prestons book about the scandal that surrounded Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe BBC/Blueprint Television Ltd Kiri National Treasure writer Jack Thorne pens a four-part drama about the abduction of a young black girl. The ever-reliable Sarah Lancashire is unconventional social worker Miriam, who finds herself being blamed. Channel 4 Britannia Filmed in Wales and Prague, Jez Butterworths historical drama is set in 43AD, when Roman General Aulus (David Morrissey) is attempting to conquer the Celts. Sky Collateral David Hares four-part drama (his first original TV series) explores the repercussions after a pizza delivery man is shot dead. Carey Mulligan plays Detective Inspector Kip Glaspie, who investigates. BBC/The Forge Save Me In the absence of Doctor Foster, Suranne Jones stars as the mother of a missing girl who believes that her ex- (Lennie James, who wrote the show) is guilty of the abduction, forcing him to work to clear his name. Sky Atlantic Troy: Fall of a City Swords and sandals epic in eight parts made in a collaboration with Netflix, written by David Farr (who also wrote The Night Manager). BBC/Wild Mercury Productions Patrick Melrose Benedict Cumberbatch looks right at home in this adaptation of the Edward St Aubyn novels about an outrageous aristocrat struggling to overcome the damage inflicted by an abusive father. Dave Benett

She told The Mirror: You live in hope that things had got better [since Ben died]. But a young boy next door to my daughter just got killed with a machete.

Another boy on my sisters estate was killed. Its a worry for parents every time our kids go out.
G oogle has officially retired the original Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL smartphone from its online store.

The smartphones, Googles latest foray into original products, which were released in October 2016, are still available to buy from third parties, such as Amazon, Google confirmed to The Verge.

This has sent the Internet rumour mill into overdrive, predicting when we could see the next instalment in the series: the Google Pixel 3.

Heres what we know so far about the Google Pixel 3.

Google Pixel 3 release date and name

Associate editor of the India-based website Killer Features, Ivan Mehta, spotted that the next Google Pixel smartphone would be named Pixel 3 in a Google post on the Android Open Source Project Pages.

Considering the past releases of the Google Pixel, we can safely say that the Google Pixel 3 release date will be some time in October.

This allows the hype to calm down a little after the iPhones September release, making way for the next Android smartphone.

Google

Will there be a mid-range Google Pixel 3?

Like other smartphone makers, Google has been releasing the original smartphone as well as an up-sized version with the Pixel and Pixel XL and Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices.

That means there is probably going to be a Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphone released in October.

However, recent leaks have suggested there could be a third Pixel smartphone in development.

Codenamed Desire, this is expected to sit underneath the next Pixel devices, with a lower price point.

Its worth noting that Google acquired HTCs smartphone team last year for $1.1 billion. As HTC has always made smartphones aimed at the mid-range, it makes sense that Google would be exploring these avenues with its newly acquired team.

And we all know that HTC has locked down the Desire name-tag for its smartphones.

Google Pixel 3 software

When it comes to the Google smartphone range, there is a big emphasis on the software.

This is because Google creates Android, the open-source software which is fitted in all Android phones like Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus. Whereas Apple, with its iOS smartphone software, keeps everything in-house only.

For Android fans, it's often a better bet to buy Google's own smartphone in order to be the first in line for operating system upgrades.

This year, Google is going to be releasing the next Android software, Android P, an upgrade on the current Android Oreo.

When Android Oreo was released publicly in August last year, the Google Pixel 2 was the first smartphone to come with Oreo already installed.

If Android P is also released this August, then the new Pixel 3 will likely come with the upgraded Android software already.

The Google Pixel 2 XL phone / AP

Google Pixel 3 camera

Not much has been revealed yet about the Google Pixel 3 camera, but we have high hopes. We named the Google Pixel 2 XL as the best smartphone for pictures, thanks to its superb camera.

Google has a lot to live up to in this department, particularly as Samsung and Huawei are both promoting the abilities of their new flagship smartphone cameras.

Considering the strength of the past Pixel cameras, Google will need to pull the stops out for this years release.

How much will the Google Pixel 3 cost?

Last year, the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL cost 629 and 699 respectively. Its likely the Google Pixel 3 will cost around the same amount as its previous releases, though there could be a price hike if the new smartphones are a big improvement.
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The Judicial Inspection (IJ) announced on Wednesday that it was pursuing disciplinary action against chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi over the prosecutor's appointment to a control team of a magistrate in an obvious state of incompatibility.

"The Judicial Inspection has conducted disciplinary action against Ms Laura Codruta Kovesi, chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) over commission of disciplinary deviations provided for under Article 99 (g) of the Law No.303/2004, namely failure to observe the instructions of a higher hierarchical prosecutor given in writing and in accordance with the law, namely knowingly violating the provisions of Article 7 (3) in Order 5 of January 12, 2016 issued by the attorney general with the Supreme Court of Justice, which regards the competence to order and conduct thematic control: 'control for special instances and thematic control shall be ordered by the managers of the prosecutor's offices and carried out by them directly or through designated prosecutors', by appointing the counselor to the DNA chief prosecutor, a reassigned judge, who was obviously in a state of incompatibility with regard to the conduct of the thematic control at two local services," the IJ said Wednesday in a press statement.

The Judicial Inspection also took disciplinary action over commission of deviations provided for in Article 99 (m), second sentence, of the Law No.303/2004, namely "unjustifiably failing to carry out other administrative duties stipulated by the law or regulations" in that, in order to carry out the same thematic control, she willingly violated Article 65 (3) in the Law No.304/2004, republished and amended, transposed into the provisions of Article 7 (s) of the Internal Regulations of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, which regards the duties of the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, who "shall exercise control over the activity of prosecutors and to all the subordinate staff, directly or through designated prosecutors; in this case the designation involved the counselor to the chief prosecutor of DNA, a reassigned judge who is said to have been in an obvious state of incompatibility."By violating the regulation and appointing to the control team a magistrate in an objective and manifestly incompatible state, the principles of legality, impartiality and fundamental rules (Articles 1 (5), 16 (1) and (2), 20, 21 (3), 132 (1) of the Constitution of Romania, Article 5 of the Law No.303/2004 corroborated with Article 58 (3) of the Law No.303/2004 and Article 65 (3) of the Law No. 304 / 2004), as well as the prestige and credibility of the act of justice in which the National Anticorruption Directorate was involved."According to IJ, a disciplinary report was submitted to the Prosecutors' Disciplinary Section of the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM), which will decide on the liability of Kovesi.

AGERPRES .
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Administration (MDRAP) Paul Stanescu, on Wednesday met with Stefan Olsson, general manager of the General Directorate for Employment, Social Affair and Inclusion of the European Commission, and with Cendrine de Buggenoms, head of department with the same directorate.

The discussions focused mainly on the public administration reform, as well as on the management and implementation of funds carried out through the Administrative Capacity Operational Programme (POCA), managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration, reads a release of the MDRAP.

"Granting support to the local public authorities and increasing European funds absorption are two of our governing priorities. Both at the level of the Ministry that I lead and at Government level, we are aware of the needs of the public administration in Romania and we have them in mind in all of our approaches. More than that, European funds represent an opportunity for us to modernize the administration, an opportunity that we intend to capitalize on as much as possible," stated Paul Stanescu.He specified that the concern for carrying out a real reform of the public administration in Romania was triggered by the need to develop and strengthen the capacity of the central and local public administration, so that it can function at European standards.We are carefully monitoring the contracts that we are implementing right now, with a special attention being paid to the central public authorities. In what concerns the local public administration in Romania, we have launched calls for projects of quality management implementation and we also intend to launch measures related to the strategic planning and the decision-making process at this level. Moreover, we are going to launch a call for projects for implementing simplification measures at local level," stated Stanescu.

AGERPRES .
Strengthening and diversifying the bilateral cooperation on a political, economic, cultural, technical and scientific level for a closer partnership in these areas was the main topic tackled during a meeting on Wednesday of Romania's Senate Chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel Tzipi Hotovely.

According to a press statement of the Senate, the Israeli official paid an official visit to Bucharest on an invitation extended by Romania's Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu.

"Tariceanu congratulated the Israeli official on the 70th anniversary of the declaration of the Independence of the State of Israel; taking into account the fact that Romania was among the first countries to recognise the new state in June 1948, this year is also the 70th anniversary of uninterrupted bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries. In respect of the latest developments in the Middle East peace process, the Senate chairman underscored that Romania shares, in coordination with other member states of the European Union, the peace solution that provides for the co-existence of two states, Israel and Palestine, under conditions of sovereignty, security and mutual recognition, while the status of Jerusalem remains to be established through a negotiated direct agreement between the parties," the statement says.Tariceanu appreciated the dialogue and cooperation with Israel over the community of Romanian-born Jews and the support offered for the preservation of the community's Romanian linguistic and cultural identity, an important element for maintaining the dynamic nature of cooperation relations, including in the economic sphere and in terms of investments between Romania and Israel.Tariceanu also voiced Romania's interest in boosting bilateral collaboration in technical, scientific and research areas, giving that both countries have got themselves noticed through valuable contributions.

AGERPRES .
Within hours of a patently false-flag chemical weapon attack in Syria at the weekend, US President Donald Trump was threatening to go to war with Syria and its allies Russia and Iran. How bizarre that Trump who unceasingly deprecates fake news should be willing to potentially ignite World War III on the basis of flagrant fake news.

Following a dubious incident in Syrias Eastern Ghouta at the weekend, Trump was tweeting authoritatively:

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 went on to condemn Russian leader Vladimir Putin for being complicit with Animal Assad.

President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay

The latter words implied the US would strike at Syria, as well as its allies Russia and Iran present in the country. A White House counter-terrorism advisor, Thomas Bossert, told US media that all options were on the table.

Trump was being swept along like so many other Western political leaders and news media by unverified video footage supplied by the CIA-funded White Helmets group. The latter is the media arm of various terrorist networks that are now facing defeat from Syrian and Russian forces.

Despite Trumps assertion of many dead, including women and children, there were no verified numbers of casualties from the alleged attack on civilians supposedly carried out by the Syrian armed forces with chlorine gas.

During Syrias seven-year war, there have been many cases of the Western-backed militants staging provocations with chemical weapons. But this latest one would seem to be most blatant yet, in that the video footage which was given saturated Western media coverage since the weekend has not been substantiated with a single casualty.

Russia, Syria and Iran labeled the alleged chemical weapon incident in Eastern Ghouta a fabrication aimed at delaying the final recapturing of the militants last stronghold near the capital Damascus.

Russia also warned that any military strike carried out by the US on the back of a false pretext will not be tolerated without an armed response. The US and France have said in a joint statement that they will take coordinated, strong action in Syria.

Already, the Israeli air force reportedly launched a deadly air strike on Syrias major airbase at Tiyas in the center of the country. Among the 14 dead there are believed to be Iranian servicemen which heightens the unfolding international tensions. The Israeli attack was said to be in revenge for the alleged chemical-weapon incident. The irony is beyond words that Israel is claiming to be responding to avenge civilians being gassed while its snipers are shooting dead dozens of unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza.

One year ago, on April 4, 2017, a similar provocation using chemicals was staged by the Al Nusra Front terrorist organization and their White Helmets media arm in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib Province. Three days later, President Trump ordered a barrage 59 cruise missiles on Syria, which resulted in several civilian deaths.

Since then, Russia has repeatedly warned that any further US military strikes on Syria will be met with response. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this week amid Western clamoring for revenge over the Eastern Ghouta incident at the weekend that Russia has legal obligations to defend Syria.

Russias growing intolerance towards American aggression against Syria is all the more acute because the alleged chemical weapon incident in Eastern Ghouta is quite clearly a brazen provocation.

Russian military officers reported two days after the weekends purported assault that no Syrian medical personnel had recorded receiving any patients suffering from chemical agents.

It has also been reported that the two-month Syrian and Russian offensive to retake Eastern Ghouta has now been completed. No areas remain under the control of the militants. The remaining militants and their families were evacuated by buses under a Russian-brokered surrender deal to a designated location in Idlib.

So, the alleged victims of the chemical weapon incident in Eastern Ghouta are something of a mystery. Western news media broadcast videos of children being hosed down with water and being administered with respiratory masks. Admittedly, some media outlets qualified the information by saying unverified or unconfirmed. But the impression created, of course, was that the alleged chemical attack was factual. As can be gleaned from Trumps disdain above declaring many dead, including women and children.

But where are the victims and their death certificates? They appear to have disappeared into thin air like phantoms.

The CIA-backed terror proxies in Syria and their propagandists in the Oscar-winning White Helmets have staged provocations with chemicals over and over again. From the August 2013 original incident in Eastern Ghouta, to the Khan Sheikhoun event last year, to the latest drama at the weekend. Their artful fabrications have become a little too slick to stick.

For several weeks, the Russian government was warning that the militants were preparing a false flag event with chemical weapons. Russia had provided information on chemicals and makeshift laboratories being operated by the insurgents whose intention was to stage an atrocity against civilians which would conveniently be blamed on the Assad government and its Russian ally.

The Syrian army says it did not use chemicals at the weekend, nor before for that matter. It says the victorious recapture of the militants last stronghold shows they had no need to use such munitions. The very notion is preposterous.

However, in the death throes of a strategic defeat, the militants and their CIA sponsors do have every motive and means to make one last-ditch effort at provoking a military intervention by the US and its NATO allies.

Only last week, Trump was saying he wanted to get US troops out of Syria. He promptly came under fire from war hawks, the Pentagon and CIA for being a loser.

Following the latest chemical-weapons stunt, the American president is being chided by politicians and pundits that this is his defining moment to demonstrate he is not a wimp like Obama.

The absurdity of it all is that Trump considers himself to be such a smart debunker of fake news. And yet here he is ready to start to World War III on the back of the most outrageous fake news possibly ever to have come out of Syrias war yet.

Just when that war had largely been won by Russia too.
On Friday, April 6th, Reuters headlined Russian businessmen, officials on new US sanctions list, and opened: The United States on Friday imposed major sanctions against 24 Russians, striking at allies of President Vladimir Putin over Moscows alleged meddling in the 2016 US election and other malign activity. Below are the most prominent businessmen targeted along with their main assets and connections as well as extracts from the US Treasury statement.

As that Reuters list makes even clearer than before, US economic sanctions against Russia are focused against mainly the following four categories of targets in Russia:

1. Russian competitors to Americas largest international oil companies. These specific US firms were listed, on March 27th, in an excellent article by Antonia Juhasz in Pacific Standard magazine, INSIDE THE TAX BILL'S $25 BILLION OIL COMPANY BONANZA: A Pacific Standard analysis shows the oil and gas industry is among the tax bill's greatest financial beneficiaries. There, they were listed in rank order. For example: the largest such firm, Exxon/Mobil, was given $5.9 billion in 2017 Tax Act Savings, and the second-largest, Philipps 66, won $2.7 billion in it. The latest round of anti-Russia sanctions focuses clearly against these international US oil firms Russian competitors.

However, previous rounds of US sanctions have especially focused against:

2. Russian competitors of Lockheed Martin and other international US weapons-firms  Russian manufacturers that are selling, to foreign governments, military aircraft, missiles, and other military equipment, on the international markets: competing military products. The competitive purpose of these sanctions is to boost not US international oil-firms, but US international weapons-firms.

3. Russian banks that lend to those firms. Some of these banks have also other close ties to those firms.

4. Russian Government officials, and billionaires, who cooperate with Russias elected President, Vladimir Putin. Putin refuses to allow suppliers to the Russian military to be controlled (such as are the military suppliers to Americas Government) by private investors (and especially not by foreigners); he wants the weapons-manufacturers to represent the state, not the state to represent the weapons-manufacturers; i.e., he refuses to privatize Russias weapons-producers, and he instead insists that all firms that supply Russias military be controlled by Russias elected Government, not by any private investors. (By contrast, The West relies almost entirely upon privately owned weapons-makers.) He also prohibits foreign interests from controlling Russias natural resources such as oil firms, mining, and land-ownership, and this explicitly applies even to agricultural land. However, most important are Russias Strategic Sectors Law (otherwise known as Strategic Investment Law), which defines as a Strategic Entity and thus subject strictly to control only by the Russian Government and citizenry, four categories: Defense, Natural Resources, Media, and Monopolies. Russias refusal to allow US billionaires to buy control over these  to buy control over the Government  is, to a large extent, being punished by the US anti-Russia sanctions.



Focusing on the latest round: The Reuters article lists the specific main targets of the new sanctions. These targets are, as described by the US Treasury Department, and as quoted by Reuters:

Oleg Deripaska is being designated  for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.

Viktor Vekselberg is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.

Kirill Shamalov is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.

Andrei Skoch is being designated for being an official of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Suleiman Kerimov is being designated for being an official of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Bogdanov is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.

Igor Rotenberg is being designated for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.

Those are the ones that the Reuters article specifically listed. In addition, there are:

DESIGNATED RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Andrey Akimov, chairman of the board at Gazprombank

Andrey Kostin, president of VTB bank

*Alexey Miller, chief executive of Gazprom

Mikhail Fradkov, president of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies

Sergey Fursenko, member of the board of directors of Gazprom Neft

Oleg Govorun, head of the Presidential Directorate for Social and Economic Cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States Member Countries

Gazprom is Russias oil-and-gas giant; and, likewise in accord with Putins demand that national-security industry remain under state-control instead of control by private investors, its controlling investor is the Russian Government. However, a few individuals are listed who are simply Russian Government officials, presumably likewise more cooperative, with carrying out the intentions of the elected President, than the US and its allied governments consider to be acceptable.

Clearly, the special focus of these sanctions is on supporting US international oil firms competing against Russian international oil firms.

On January 26th, Reuters bannered US hits Russian deputy minister and energy firms with sanctions, and opened:

The United States added Russian officials and energy firms to a sanctions blacklist on Friday, days before details of further possible penalties against Moscow are due to be released.



A Treasury Department spokesperson said the department is actively working on reports required under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Terrorism Act and aimed to release them consistent with timelines in the legislation.

Trump or his Treasury Secretary were actually responding to pressure from Democrats and unnamed others; but, when the final statement from the Treasury was issued on January 29th (and largely ignored by the press), it turned out that no new sanctions were issued, against anyone. The billionaires lobbyists had achieved nothing more than to provide (via the anti-Russia verbiage from members of Congress) to the American public, yet more anti-Russia indoctrination in support of Americas war against Russia; but, this time, no real action was taken by the President against Russia.

On 28 December 2017, the private CIA firm Stratfor, which does work for the CIA and for major US corporations, had headlined, Russia Won't Sit Still for Additional US Sanctions, and summarized prior US economic sanctions against Russia:

Since the Soviet period, the United States has targeted Russia with numerous sanctions. The primary ones currently in effect were instituted over human rights violations and the conflict in Ukraine. In late 2012, the United States expanded its Soviet-era sanctions over human rights and approved the Magnitsky Act to punish those deemed responsible for the death of Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky, a whistleblower who investigated Kremlin abuses and a tax-fraud scheme. The act penalizes dozens of people believed to be involved in the case, but the measure has evolved into a platform for the United States and its allies to punish Russia for a much wider scope of human rights abuses.

The Ukraine sanctions imposed by the United States (and, to a lesser extent, by the European Union, Canada, Australia and Japan) stem from Russian involvement in the conflict there and includes the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russian support of the previous government, the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and the annexation of Crimea. Those penalties include:

 Limits on debt issuance to Russia's six largest banks, four primary state oil firms and four state defense firms.

 Sanctions on Russia's energy industry, prohibiting US firms from providing, exporting or re-exporting goods and technology related to deep-water, Arctic offshore and shale oil and natural gas projects in Russia.

 Bans on subjects receiving dual-use goods by Russia's primary state defense companies.

 Sanctions (travel and asset freezes) against hundreds of Russian entities and individuals.

That was a fair summary; but, because Stratfor derives some of its income from the CIA, it stated as being facts, instead of as being lies, that Sergei Magnitsky [was] a whistleblower who investigated Kremlin abuses and a tax-fraud scheme, even though Magnitsky actually was never a whistleblower, and he was, to the exact contrary, assisting an American hedge-fund operator to illegally avoid $230 million in taxes that were due to the Russian Government and which tax-fraud had been reported not by Magnitsky as any whistleblower but instead by, essentially, a bookkeeper, who was afraid of being prosecuted if she didnt report to the police this tax-evasion that she was working on. Furthermore, Stratfors to punish those deemed responsible for the death of Magnitsky also is a lie, because the only person who so deemed was the American tax-fraudster who had employed Magnitsky. That employer accused Russias police of beating to death in prison this criminal suspect, Magnitsky, and he used, as documentation for his charges, fake translations into English of the police documents, and these translations were taken at face-value by US and EU officials, who couldnt read Russian, and who wanted to cooperate with, instead of to resist, the US Barack Obama Administration and the UK David Cameron Administration.

Furthermore, Stratfor, when it refers to human rights violations and the conflict in Ukraine, is actually referring instead to the most blatant coup in history, as the head of Stratfor put it when describing what the Obama regime referred to as the revolution that in February 2014 had overthrown Ukraines democratically elected Government and that then began an ethnic-cleansing campaign to get rid of the residents in the areas that had voted over 75% for the President whom the US-run operation had overthrown. In fact, US think-tanks criticized Obama for providing insufficient assistance to the newly installed Ukrainian regimes firebombings of the places where over 90% of the residents had voted for the now-ousted Ukrainian President. And that was entirely typical. This is a sort of philanthropy that Americas billionaires receive charitable tax-writeoffs for funding (donating to). No matter how aggressive a US President may be against Russia, Americas aristocracy (through their philanthropies etc.) complain that its not aggressive enough  Americas Government must do yet more, in order to support human rights abroad.

So, thats what Americas anti-Russian sanctions are all about: serving Americas billionaires.
Chaos reigns in the United States, spreading to its closest allies. The war amongst Western elites is in full swing, manifesting itself from commercial wars to failed diplomacy, empty threats of war, corruption, and announced military withdrawals and attacks.

To sum up the last few weeks of international events, it is worth comparing the direction taken by the multipolar troika of Russia, China and Iran, and the one taken by the fading unipolar order led by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

We can analyze the respective changes taking place within the unipolar and multipolar camps, especially in the economic, commercial, diplomatic and military fields. The introduction by the US of duties on imports, applied to 1,300 products, including iron and aluminum, has triggered a chain of events, including the imposition of as many duties on various products exported by the US to China. The pressure on Americas European allies continues, against the protests of France and Germany. It seems that Europe is struggling to form a common front on many issues relating from foreign policy to trade. The Western elites continue its in-fighting, between the European Union (led by Berlin and Paris) and the UK and the US, clashing over agreements between London and Brussels and Washington and Brussels. The Trump tariff war aims to deliver a blow to Americas opponents, but it risks provoking strong responses, even from allies. Moreover, many analysts and economists have warned that this form of commercial warfare risks harming American workers the most.

A divided Europe finds itself dealing with an ever-increasing need to justify its defense and security package. The British, thanks to the artificial Russian threat  characterized by fake chemical attacks, hypothetical invasions of the Baltic countries, and the situation in Ukraine  continue to sustain an environment in which Europeans seek the protection of NATO, which includes Britains nuclear deterrent. Looking at this critically, the intent of Berlin, Paris, and especially London and Washington, is evidently to justify increased military spending to counter an alleged threat emanating from Moscow. All this comes down to increased sales of British, German, French and, above all, American weapons to NATO and EU countries. This only serves to continue the flow of money into the coffers of the elite, thanks to artificial tensions like the one generated between Russia and the UK over the poisoning of the former Russian spy in England.

If the unipolar world seems to have thrown to the wind the concept of diplomacy and adherence to international norms  with a flurry of expulsions of diplomats, false accusations, one-sided motions in the UNs Security Council, and ignoring the basic rules of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)  in Asia, on the other side of the globe, diplomacy continues to bear fruit. Xi Jinping just met with Kim Jong-un, in the first of a series of meetings that could bring the North Korean leader to an initial meeting with Moon Jae-in, and later with Putin. We have heard from Washington only bellicose rhetoric directed against Pyongyang, even within the confines of the United Nations. In line with the ideological attitude of American exceptionalism, the American establishment appreciates Trump's threats, but is quite naturally less enamored with the announcement of a meeting between the American president and the North Korean leader. According to Americas traditional ideology, no negotiations are to be entered into with geopolitical opponents and peer competitors, for the simple reason that Washington is not willing to negotiate or make any concession on any matter; the only way it knows how to engage in international relations is to impose its will by any means possible. In Syria, the example is clear, where indirect or direct military force has failed to remove Assad, and now Washington finds itself isolated, mainly diplomatically, with the Geneva II Conference on Syria now replaced by the agreement reached in Sochi, from which the United States excluded itself on account of not enjoying a leading position, thereby conceding this role to Ankara, Tehran and Moscow. This is a good example of how the Western elite's strategic attempt to overthrow Assad and partition Syria has ran into the military reality on the ground, which includes the strength of alliances (especially between Iran, Russia and China), and the willingness of Moscow and Tehran to resolve the Syrian crisis by military and diplomatic means.

In economic terms, the revolution the petro-yuan represents becomes more and more real, this new medium of exchange set to sooner or later involve Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of crude oil, with China as its largest buyer. The Western elites will try to oppose by any means possible such an arrangement, given that the petrodollar is the basis American military power. But it is an inevitable process, which must necessarily be backed up with a military component in order to discourage the United States from behaving recklessly. Iraq and other countries have been on the receiving end of Americas imposition of its petrodollar hegemony militarily. For this and other reasons, mainly related to US ABM systems placed all around Russian borders, Putin has had to resort to a very public demonstration of the Russian Federations means of deterrence, advertising the existence of the countrys new hypersonic weapons.

As demonstrated by the recent meeting between the defense ministers of Russia and China, the multipolar strategy is now wide-ranging, relegating Washington, Tel Aviv and Riyadh to further digging themselves into the hole they have already dug themselves into (see recent events in Syria with Israel launching 8 missiles and Trump beating the drums of war). As General Wei Fenghe stated, We came to Moscow to let the Americans know about the close military ties between the armed forces of China and Russia. When these two military and economic powers unite their efforts, involving regional powers and mediating over various conflicts, it becomes clear that the challenge to Washingtons hegemony is progressively leading away from an international reality consisting of one superpower to one consisting of three to four powers that maintain an international balance via diplomatic, economic and military means.

The phase in which we currently live is turbulent and is essentially caused by a single factor that has two very strong thrusts. The acceleration of the dwindling of the unipolar phase is directly connected with the strategic and tactical errors of the American deep state and its main sponsors, like Israel and Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the opposing push comes from the multipolar environment, which tends to consolidate its sphere of influence via diplomatic and military means. The goal for Moscow and Beijing is to present to the American and European elites a viable alternative that is shared among several actors. For the time being, the Euro-Atlantic establishment continues to consider itself capable of changing the course of events and preventing the drift towards multipolarity. Whether the Western oligarchy is a victim to its own propaganda or whether it simply wishes to avoid facing reality and is using every means available to postpone an epochal change, is difficult to determine; and this makes the future uncertain, and is therefore highly dangerous.
The events in Syria are likely to escalate into a regional conflict. USS Donald Cook already deployed in the Mediterranean can deliver a limited missile attack against Syria but a large-scale operation is unlikely to be launched until USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group (CSG) arrives in roughly 10-14 days. The CSG left the home base in Norfolk on April 11. The land strike-capable USS Porter can reach the Syrias shore pretty soon. USS Laboon and USS Carney, two more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, as well as USS Georgia and USS John Warner submarines, are in close proximity to add more punch if an order to strike is given.

The composition of the carrier group includes at least five warships (one cruiser and 4 destroyers) capable of cruise missile attacks against land targets. Each US destroyer or cruiser can carry over 50 land attack missiles. It could be more, depending on the mission. USS Georgia is an Ohio class submarine (SSGN) to carry 154 land attack missiles. USS John Warner is a Virginia-class submarine to carry 12 Tomahawks. The USS Iwo Jima amphibious strike group can deploy to Syria in a few days from the Arabian Sea.

The UK, France, perhaps some other NATO and Middle East allies, including Israel, will join a US-led operation in Syria. The British Air Force can operate from Cyprus. A RAF KC2 air tanker is already there. The talks between the US, the UK and France are underway. Syrian armed forces are taking precautionary measures expecting strikes any time now.

US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Hailey, sounds like if a sustained operation, not a one-off strike, is a done deal. The envoy says America will strike with or without a UN resolution. The voices are heard calling for striking Syrian command and control sites as well as regimes political centers, despite the fact that where Russian advisers could be there. Thats something the US military has not done before.

A proposal to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty to contain Moscow without military actions has been floated. No actual war, but Russia will be considered an enemy. John Boltons warnings that an Islamic State ouster would allow Syrian President Assad to remain in power, with Iranian influence intact in Iraq are remembered to bolster the calls for action. In 2015, the newly appointed national security adviser called for carving out an independent Sunni Muslim state in northeastern Syria and western Iraq. He has his chance now.

A US-led multinational operation in Syria has become a predominant idea in Washington. On April 10, President Trump postponed his visit to Latin America because of the events in Syria. One can assume that the provocation in Douma was staged to make President Trump reconsider the decision to pull forces out in favor of confronting Russia, Syria and Iran. Those who did it hoped the US president would bite it. And bite he did.

There is no way to get rid of Assad but launch an international invasion. Washingtons global standing has received a strong blow after the unimpressive operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. A US-led intervention could boost it if it were a success. America would present itself as a defender of Syrians suffering from the atrocities of Assads dictatorship. Heading an international coalition would help restore Americas image as the world leader. This is the way to make Washington a friend of Sunni Muslims who allegedly need protection from Tehran.

Invading Syria is the way to weaken Irans influence in Iraq. Such an operation would meet the goals of the Russia containment policy. An intervention could bring the US-led force and Turkey together in their desire to oust Assad. That would distance Ankara from Moscow, which will not leave its Syrian ally in lurch. From Washingtons view, these are the pros to bolster the plan to invade.

And now about the cons. After the failures in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, you name it, the US would once again get tied up in the messy situation in the region. It may need to go beyond the Syrias borders. For instance, the US-led coalition would have to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon. There is a big chance the US and its allies would get involved in another protracted bloody war with no final victory in sight.

Suppose, the intervention ends up as a quick, victorious operation in purely military terms, what about the prospects of winning war to lose peace, like in Iraq? Washington will be responsible for the outcome of nation building in a country divided along religious and ethnical lines. The US will be rebuked for failure and accused of depriving Syria of the chance provided by the Astana peace process. Invading Syria means fighting Iranians. The Washingtons goal is to incite them to rebellion. An invasion of Syria could backlash to make all Iranian people united behind the ayatollahs regime.

Finally, invading Syria is a great risk as Russia would not stand idly if the lives of its servicemen were threatened there. The possibility of clash will grow immensely. But if the US-coalition applies de-confliction efforts, there will be no containment. To the contrary, the world will see that Moscow cannot be ignored. It isnt now. Despite all the tensions souring, Russias Chief of General Staff will meet the NATO Supreme Commander in a few days. No doubt, they will discuss Syria.

If Iran gets united and stronger, Russia remains to be an actor to reckon with, nation building fails and Assad keeps on fighting back to make the coalition suffer casualties, then there will be only cons with no pros. And that will take place against the background of failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Risks are too great to ask the question  why should the US get involved in the faraway Syrias conflict at all? By no stretch of imagination could such an operation be considered a move to enhance US and Wests security and meet the goals of America First policy.
At the end of 2017 the U.S. withdrew American maintenance and repair technicians working for the Iraqi Army to maintain their force of nearly a hundred M1 tanks. The Americans also stopped supply spare parts of the Iraqi M1s and refused to restore this tech support until Iraq retrieved two M1s still unaccounted for and believed to be held by pro-Iranian PMF militias. The U.S. is also holding up delivery of additional M1s the Iraqis ordered. The Iraqi government had recently retrieved seven M1s from pro-Iranian militias and one was taken back with the help of U.S. backed Kurds who were attacked by militiamen in October 2017 when the Iraqi government took control of Kirkuk province, settling a dispute that went back over a decade. The Kurds withdrew from Kirkuk province but not before immobilizing an M1 tank used by one of the advancing militias.

By December Iraq had retrieved all but two M1s and showed no enthusiasm for finding and retrieving the last two tanks because it would involve a confrontation with Iran and one the more militant pro-Iran Shia militias. At that point, the Americans invoked the sales contract Iraq had agreed to for the M1 tanks which allowed the U.S. to suspend support for the M1s if the Iraqis could not account for them at all times. The Iraqis are still looking for a way out of this mess. In March Iraq made the militias (the PMF, Peoples Mobilization Forces) part of the Iraqi military which apparently enables the government to put more pressure on the pro-Iran PMF units, which are believed to hold the two M1 tanks, to surrender them or else. The or else includes all the Iraqi M1s becoming inoperable eventually and additional American sanctions imposed that could include the growing Iraqi force of F-16 jet fighters and other American made weapons. That gambit has not worked as the militias insist that they still retain a degree of autonomy despite now being part of the military.

This mess had its origins in the mid-2014 ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) offensive that captured about a third of Iraqi territory, including the city of Mosul. The Iraqi forces that were in the way largely collapsed and fled, abandoning hundreds of armored vehicles, Corruption in the Iraqi Army led, before 2014, to Iraqi M1 crews being poorly trained and led. Thus during the 2014 rout Iraqi troops lost (or abandoned) at least 40 M-s to enemy action or panic. At least one Iraqi M1 was destroyed by a Russian ATGM (anti-tank guided missile). The United States directed air strikes to destroy any M-1s spotted in the possession of ISIL. By 2015 it became obvious that some of the missing M1s had been recovered by PMF units that Iran helped organize in late 2014. The PMF played a key role in halting the ISIL offensive and then pushing back ISIL until all the lost territory was regained by the end of 2017. The U.S. documented at least nine M1s that had apparently been retrieved by pro-Iran PMF units from ISIL and, instead of turning them over to the Iraqi Army, continued to operate them. Some maintenance support was obtained, illegally, for these M1s from the Iraqi Army but repairs for major problems had to be performed at an Iraqi Army facility where American technicians carried out more complex work or shipped tanks back to the United States for a major overhaul. The Americans there noted evidence that some of these tanks had been in the possession of PMF units when they became inoperable.

Currently, ten of these U.S. technicians remain in Iraq, mainly to keep an eye on (but not repair) several dozen Iraqi M1s awaiting repairs. These M1s are also watched by American security personnel. Meanwhile, Iraq had ordered 73 Russian T-90 tanks and 36 arrived in February. The rest are to arrive before the end of April. The T-90 is one of many upgraded T-72s available. Until 2003 the Iraqi Army operated hundreds of T-72s. The T-90 has been produced in large quantities but not for Russia. It is mostly an export item. The T-90 was a 1980s project that was to incorporate T-80 features into many upgrades of the T-72. Originally it was designated the T-72BU but when Russia finally began production in 1993 it was renamed the T-90. That succeeded in making the tank an export success with most (84 percent) of those produced were for export. In fact, India and Algeria each have more T-90s in service than Russia. Worse Russia has quietly put over a third of its newly 550 built T-90s into reserve. While the T-90 was loudly proclaimed to be the next big thing the Russian army preferred the refurbished T-72s in the form of the T-72B3. These proved to be more reliable, something that got little publicity. While all the upgrades (new engine, gun, fire control and protection) made it nearly as expensive as the T-90 it was preferred by the troops and the older officers quietly agreed that it was a better tank than the new T-90/T-72BUs.

This apparently has something to do with the design of the T-72BU (trying to merge T-80 elements into the T-72 design) and the decline in manufacturing quality in Russian the defense industry after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Since the T-72B3 was introduced in 2013 it has been produced in far greater numbers than any other tank and that continues. Especially telling was how T-90s began to be taken out of service (and put in reserve) as soon as enough T-72B3s became available. At the same time, the most popular Russian tank for export customers is the T-72B (a B3 with fewer of the upgrades) and these cost nearly two million each but can be delivered in a few months after the contract is signed. The T-72B3 has been so popular with Russian troops that the government is giving it more publicity in the state-controlled mass media.

Iraqi knew of the T-90 when in 2008 they ordered and received (by 2010) 140 M1A1 tanks. Then in 2015, Iraq ordered 170 more. Delivery of those is being held up until Iraq can account for all the M1s it already has. The U.S. threatens to cut more military support, including deliveries of F-16s and other aircraft if the M1s are not recovered.

Iran says it can supply Iraq with what it needs. Iraq does not believe or want that. Iraq has seen the American equipment in action since the 1990s and has been increasingly using that stuff over the last decade. Iraqi commanders want the American weapons and equipment and the U.S. government is not cutting Iraq any slack over the missing M1s. This could get interesting. Meanwhile, Iraq is not the only Arab nation to become fond of its M1 tanks. Iraq was not the first Arab country to operate the M1 tank. Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia already operate over 1,600 of them, and Egypt has built hundreds of them (mainly using components imported from the U.S., but with some locally made parts). Iraq received the M-1A1 version. All the other Arab users have at least some of the latest model (M1A2 SEP). The Iraqis promise they will do better with their new batch of M-1s but first, they have to account for the ones they already have and so far that has not happened. But there is hope. Until about a week before the American technicians were ordered home and all support for the M1s was halted the Iraqis thought the Americans were bluffing.
by Austin Bay April 10, 2018

U.S. Pacific Command still calls itself PACOM, but it appears INDO-PACOM -- India-Pacific Command -- might be the acronym of the future.

Pentagon and State Department studies now routinely refer to the "Indo-Pacific region," as do the defense and foreign policy papers authored by their counterparts in Japan and Australia.

"INDO" obviously contracts Indian Ocean, equivalent to "PAC." However, Chinese admirals in Beijing detect another implication: the huge nation that dominates that body of water -- India.

To paraphrase Shakespeare's Hamlet, (SET ITAL) aye, there's the rub. (END ITAL)

For China, India is a very large rub. The subcontinent dominates the Indian Ocean. China, seeking to assure a steady supply of raw materials and energy for its expanding economy, has invested heavily in Africa and the Middle East. Tankers carry oil from Sudan and freighters cobalt from Congo to China, passing through waters patrolled by the Indian Navy.

That's the result of long-standing geographic circumstances. However, in the last 25 years, other facts have changed.

As the Cold War faded, a cool aloofness continued to guide India's defense and foreign policies. Indian military forces would occasionally exercise with Singaporean and Australian units -- they'd been British colonies, too. Indian ultra-nationalists still rail about British colonialism, but the Aussies had fought shoulder to shoulder with Indians in North Africa, Italy, the Pacific and Southeast Asia, and suffered mistreatment by London toffs. Business deals with America and Japan? Sign the contracts. However, in defense agreements, New Delhi distanced itself from Washington and Tokyo.

The Nixon Administration's decision to support Pakistan in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War embittered India. Other issues hampered the U.S.-India relationship. Indian left-wing parties insisted their country was a "Third World leader" and America was hegemonic, etcetera.

However, in the last 12 to 15 years, India's assessments of its security threats have changed demonstrably, and China's expanding power and demonstrated willingness to use that power to acquire influence and territory are by far the biggest factors affecting India's shift.

In 2007, The Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), at the behest of Japan, held its first informal meeting. The Quad's membership roll sends a diplomatic message: Japan, Australia, America and India. Japan pointed out all four nations regarded China as disruptive actor in the Indo-Pacific; they had common interests. Delhi downplayed the meeting, attempting to avoid the appearance of actively "countering China."

No more. The Quad nations now conduct naval exercises and sometimes include a quint, Singapore.

The 2016 Hague Arbitration Court decision provided the clearest indication of Chinese strategic belligerence. In 2012, Beijing claimed 85 percent of the South China Sea's 3.5 million square kilometers. The Philippines went to court. The Hague tribunal, relying on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty, supported the Filipino position that China had seized sea features and islets and stolen resources. Beijing ignored the verdict and still refuses to explain how its claims meet UNCLOS requirements.

That is the maritime action. India and China also have mountain issues. In 1962, as the Cuban Missile Crisis diverted world attention, the two Asian giants fought the Indo-Chinese War in the Himalayas. China won. The defeat still riles India.

Armed incidents still occur in two sectors where the border is disputed. One is in the east, the India-Bhutan-China border "trijunction," and one in the west, near the junction of the China-Pakistan-India border.

By the way, China supports Pakistan in its nuclear-armed cold war with India. India says Chinese rhetoric vis-a-vis the Himalayan disputes echoes its intransigent positions regarding the South China Sea.

The Quad would be a fearsome foursome. The decision lies in New Delhi.
Since 2015 the Shia rebels have fired 108 ballistic missiles, nearly 90 percent at targets in Saudi Arabia. Most of the ballistic missiles are shorter range models aimed at targets in Asir and Jazan provinces, which border Yemen. Few, if any, have hit their intended target either because they were intercepted by Patriot missiles or were headed for an uninhabited area and ignored by the air defense system.

Iran denies any involvement with providing ballistic missiles to the Shia rebels but has, again, offered to assist the UN in persuading the Shia rebels to discuss peace terms. Iran has done this before and no one expects anything to come of it. For Iran, the Shia rebels are a low-risk/high payoff investment because it keeps their Arab enemies busy and looking bad in the media.

In the south (Aden and surrounding areas) many (at least fifty) clergy have fled the country because of the growing number of Mosque imams and preachers being murdered. Most of the dead were conservatives who supported an independent south ruled by Islamic law in cooperation with tribal leaders. There have been 25 such killings since 2016 but fifteen have taken place in the last six months. The tribes blame the Arab Coalition, especially the UAE, for the murders but there is no evidence of UAE involvement. The tribes point out that these killings benefit the UAE backed government in the south and that the dead (or fled) clerics are usually replaced (by the government) with more moderate ones.

April 10, 2018: In the northwest (Hajjah province) Arab coalition and Yemeni troops have spent the last four days advancing into coastal parts of this province which also borders Saudi Arabia. The fighting has been around the coastal town of Midi. The Shia rebels lost Midi in by June 2017 and have been trying to get it back ever since. This most recent battle has inflicted heavy casualties on the rebels because the coalition can apply lots of artillery and airstrikes.

April 9, 2018: In the southwest (Taiz province) government and Arab coalition forces continue more than a month of pushing rebels out of areas the rebels have held since 2015. The most heavily fought over area continues to be Taiz city, near the Red Sea and the current fighting concentrates on taking all the high ground surrounding the city. This is part of an operation to clear Shia rebels from most of Taiz province, especially along the Red Sea coast. Currently, the main purpose of the coastal drive is to find and eliminate rebel bases where missiles, naval mines or remotely controlled bomb boats are being stored and prepared for use against ships in the Red Sea. This is an Iranian idea, to make life more difficult for Saudi Arabia, Egypt and nations that depend on the Suez Canal to avoid taking the longer route around Africa. Hasnt worked yet but could if Iran supplied anti-ship weapons sink a tanker or large freighter.

April 8, 2018: In the northwest Shia rebels fired a short-range ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia (Asir province) at a military radar.

April 7, 2018: In the north, the Shia rebels launched a ballistic missile from Saada province towards the Saudi city of Narjan near the border. The missile was intercepted.

In the past 48 hours airstrikes on rebel bases in central Yemen (Baida province) and the north (Saada province) have killed three rebel leaders as well as destroying large quantities of weapons and ammo stored at those bases.

April 6, 2018: In the northwest (Hajjah province) Arab coalition troops from Sudan were ambushed by rebels who opened fire on several trucks carrying soldiers, killing over 30 of them. These were the heaviest losses suffered by the Sudanese troops since they arrived in 2o15. The Sudanese government said it would keep its forces in Yemen. The Sudanese troops were part of the reinforcements being sent north, from quieter areas in the south, to push the rebels away from the Red Sea.

April 5, 2018: The UN agreed to increase the inspection of ships carrying relief aid to Yemen, especially those delivering it via the Red Sea port of Hodeida. This wont stop the smuggling, which is able to get ballistic missile components and other Iranian weapons into rebel controlled areas. Enough of this stuff is intercepted to make it clear that Iran is sending weapons meant to hit targets inside Saudi Arabia or take down Saudi warplanes operating over Yemen. This stuff is getting through in large part because Yemen has always been smuggler friendly. With Iranian help (cash and diplomacy) the smuggled weapons kept the war going. This was also helped by the fact that Qatar and Oman had always been active in using Yemeni smuggling networks. But the main conduit for smuggled goods was via aid shipments. For most of 2017, the UN has been pressing the Shia rebels to peacefully give up control of the Red Sea port of Hodeida but the rebels have refused to consider this. Even proposals that Hodeida be turned over to a neutral third party are turned down. This is not a matter of trust, its a matter of survival for the rebels. In part, this is because of the smuggling. The rebels have prevented UN personnel from inspecting aid shipments (for weapons and other contraband) and the government claims the rebels have been seizing aid shipments and preventing UN personnel from verifying that the aid is going to civilians. As long as the rebels hold onto Hodeida and Iran still has powerful allies in the UN (mainly Russia and China, who can veto some measures) the smuggling can continue as can the use of food to control civilian populations that are hostile to the rebels. The government and coalition forces are now concentrating on taking Hodeida and other Red Sea coast areas held by the Shia rebels. This is working but it is slow going and has increased casualties among government and coalition forces. Some weapons are smuggled in via government controlled ports, like Aden. This involves more risk, and more bribes, to get trucks carrying aid or commercial goods, along with illegal weapons, to rebel controlled territory.

April 4, 2018: In the northwest Shia rebels fired a short-range ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia (Jazan province), apparently at Jazan city. This missile was intercepted before it could hit oil facility (mainly large oil storage tanks) it was apparently aimed at.

April 3, 2018: In Yemen Shia rebels used an Iranian missile to hit a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea as it passed near the port of Hodeida. Damage was slight. Over the last week, at least eight Iranian ballistic missiles were used in Yemen to attack Saudi Arabia. These continued to be unsuccessful, but one missile, fired at a Saudi base in Yemen did hit the target and there were casualties. The mass missile attack on Saudi Arabia did do some damage when debris from one shot down missile hit and damaged two homes. One Egyptian foreign worker was killed and two wounded. The U.S. warned a month ago that Iran is succeeding in building up a stock of anti-ship missiles, naval mines and remotely controlled bomb boats on rebel held areas of the Red Sea coast. These would threaten, as they already have, military ships maintaining the blockade as well as commercial shipping in the Red Sea (a vital sea lane for Saudi Arabia and, because of the Suez Canal, Egypt.)

March 29, 2018: In central Yemen (Baida province) an American UAV used a missile to kill four AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) members. This is the seventh UAV attack this month. The American UAV attacks continue in Yemen and many of the attacks are not announced. So far in 2018, there have been 23 attacks. As in 2017 (when there were 131 attacks), the ones in 2018 have been mainly against AQAP and ISIL camps and key personnel in central Yemen (especially Baida province). This greatly reduces Islamic terrorist capabilities in Baida, which had long been an Islamic terrorist stronghold. East of Baida province are Shabwa and Hadramawt provinces. The later stretches from the sea to the Saudi border and is largely desert. Along with Baida, these two provinces used to host most of AQAP personnel and base areas. But in the last year, AQAP has been under heavy attack by the Americans and the Arab coalition and responded by shifting more of their terror attacks to the government and Arab coalition forces. AQAP took credit for 273 attacks in 2017 and in the first six months of that year, some 75 percent of these attacks were against the Shia rebels. But in the second half of 2017 half, the attacks were against fellow Sunnis (government and coalition forces). In 2018 the remaining AQAP are mainly fighting for survival against the government and coalition forces.

March 28, 2018: In the southeast (Hadramawt province) an army checkpoint was attacked by AQAP and a dozen soldiers killed and beheaded.

March 25, 2018: Shia rebels commemorated the third anniversary of the civil war by firing seven ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia. All were aimed at cities, three at the Saudi capital and all but one was intercepted. This mass use of ballistic missiles also featured a very visible, and rare, failure of Patriot anti-missile missiles. One interception involved two Patriot missiles (to ensure the target was hit) but both Patriots failed with one exploding in the air and the other flying out of control and into the ground. All this was caught on cell phone video. Because of the multiple ballistic missiles launched a lot of Saudi were up, outside and had their cell phones. Saudi Arabia ordered 600 more PAC 3 (the anti-missile version) missiles in 2015 and has fired over 200 PAC 3s since then. Saudi Arabia has had to hire more foreign contractors to maintain their Patriot systems, which have never seen such high, and sustained use. It will probably be a few months before the report of why those two PAC-3 missiles failed. That information will be shared because there are many PAC-3 users in the region who want to know what happened.

March 21, 2018: In the north (Saada province) Shia rebels claim they shot down a Saudi F-15 operating overhead. The Saudis said an F-15 was damaged but returned safely. The F-15 was apparently fired on by a Russian R-27 air-to-air missile (previously owned by the Yemen Air Force) adapted to be fired from the ground.
TICKERS: KER; KERMF; 7AZ1

Source: Clive Maund for Streetwise Reports (4/10/18)

Technical analyst Clive Maund explains why he believes this gold explorer is set to go higher.



We ditched Kerr Mines Inc. (KER:TSX; KERMF:OTC; 7AZ1:FRA) back in January after it started to drop sharply on very heavy volume, which suggested that the stock would drop further and be "under a cloud" for a while, and such has proven to be the case. We got out about even.

Now, however, after a due period of convalescence, there are signs that it may soon start higher again. On its latest 6-month chart we can see where we last bought, where we sold at about the same price, and then how it continued to drop after we sold, before running off sideways into an increasingly tight horizontal trading range. The challenge for us is to figure whether this narrow range is a consolidation pattern that will be followed by another drop, or an intermediate base pattern that will be followed by renewed advance. On the negative side, the falling 50-day moving average has now caught up with the price and could force another drop, especially as the earlier oversold condition has now unwound. However, various other factors suggest that it will instead break out upside from this range. First, although the 50-day moving average has dropped down close to the price and is pressuring it from above, it is very clear that it will quickly turn up if the price should break to the upside. Second, although the oversold condition has unwound, opening up downside potential again, the MACD indicator easing and closing on the zero line also shows that downside momentum has largely dropped out, so it's a double edged thing. The dwindling volume could also lead to a break in either direction.

Alright, so what other clues are there regarding which way it is going to break? A bullish one is that the price is well below a still about flat 200-day moving average, which is a measure of how oversold it still is. Another positive indication is the long-tailed candles early in February showing underlying support, but perhaps the most important positive indication is the steadily rising Accumulation line shown at the top of our second 6-month chart below. It is already at all-time highs and it strongly suggests that Kerr is under accumulation and that the pattern will resolve with a break to the upside, and of course it should certainly be empowered if gold breaks out of its large Head-and-Shoulders bottom pattern, which is becoming more and more likely with passing time. That a big move should occur soon in Kerr is made obvious by the Bollinger Bands shown on this second 6-month chart, which are tightly pinched together showing conditions of excessive calm that cannot last.

To grasp the big picture of what is going on in Kerr we will now look briefly at its long-term charts. Starting with the 5-year chart we see that a bull market started in the stock from a very low level back early in 2016, and the reason that it reacted back more heavily in recent months was that after big percentage gains it had accelerated towards a zone of considerable resistance that is shown on this chartit needed a rest and it has had one. Notice again that despite the reaction the Accumulation line has continued to march higher, indicating a high probability that Kerr will soon turn higher again.

Lest you should think that Kerr was getting expensive during the latter part of last year, take a look at the 10-year chart where you will see that it was actually still very cheap historically, and is even cheaper now after its reaction, for back in 2011, when gold peaked, it got as high as about C$8.20, which is about 37 times the current price!! So it shouldn't take much effort of the imagination to figure what is likely to happen to it if gold should embark on another strong bull market uptrend, and here it is worth noting that the estimates of the magnitude of Kerr's reserves have about doubled in recent months, which the market yawned at, but it won't be yawning if gold takes off higher again.

Conclusion: weighing it all up, it looks like Kerr will break to the upside soon from the current tight range, and it is therefore rated a strong buy here. Because this range is tightly defined it is possible to place a close stop in case this interpretation is proven incorrect, although this risks being whipsawed out. Bear in mind that there is a fair chance that it will break below the nearby support shown briefly and then reverse dramatically to the upside, with the chance of this happening being increased by the long-tailed candles early in February, which show where the underlying support is.

Kerr Mines website.

Kerr Mines Inc, KER.TSX, KERMF on OTC, closed at C$0.225, $0.172 on 6th April 2018.

Clive Maund has been president of www.clivemaund.com, a successful resource sector website, since its inception in 2003. He has 30 years' experience in technical analysis and has worked for banks, commodity brokers and stockbrokers in the City of London. He holds a Diploma in Technical Analysis from the UK Society of Technical Analysts.

Want to read more Gold Report articles like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent articles and interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page.

Disclosure:

1) Clive Maund: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: None. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: None. CliveMaund.com disclosures below. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Kerr Mines. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Kerr Mines.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Kerr Mines, a company mentioned in this article.

Chart provided by the author.

CliveMaund.com Disclosure:

The above represents the opinion and analysis of Mr Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund's opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. Mr. Maund is an independent analyst who receives no compensation of any kind from any groups, individuals or corporations mentioned in his reports. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund's opinions on the market and stocks can only be construed as a solicitation to buy and sell securities when they are subject to the prior approval and endorsement of a Registered Securities Advisor operating in accordance with the appropriate regulations in your area of jurisdiction.
TICKERS: DNI; DMNKF

Source: Streetwise Reports (4/11/18)

A Toronto-based graphite company makes headway in Madagascar, Brazil, India and Korea, potentially impacting the graphite industry in a major way.



Lithium-ion batteries contain much more graphite than lithium, so much so that Tesla's Elon Musk has joked that they should be called nickel-graphite batteries. With a renewed focus on graphite, one company with a low-cost source of graphite has come into focus.

DNI Metals Inc. (DNI:CSE; DMNKF:OTC.MKT: DG7:FSE), a Canadian graphite company, has two projects in Madagascar, Vohitsara and Marofody, which are located only 50 km from a port, making shipping the graphite convenient. DNI just purchased its Marofody property in October 2017.

The deposits are hosted in saprolite, a soft rock, which provides a cost advantage because unlike hard-rock deposits, saprolite does not require drilling, blasting and only minimal primary grinding. The material is scooped up and floated for processing.

DNI Metals announced in March assays for 17 drill holes and 1 trench at the company's Vohitsara graphite project in Madagascar. Results included 14.65 meters grading 9.92 graphic carbon from surface and 24 meters grading 7.71 graphic carbon from trenching.

The company noted that "drilling continues to confirm that saprolitic weathered material amenable to free-dig extraction has been developed to depths in excess of 30 metres below natural surface; averaging 28m." DNI has now received the results of all the drill holes in its 2017 program.

"DNI's graphite is some of the highest grade and quality that I am familiar." - Bob Moriarty, 321 Gold



DNI's CEO Dan Weir stated, "We continue to be encouraged by the tenor of the graphite mineralisation at our 100%-owned Vohitsara project. Nearly 15 metres grading just under 10% graphitic carbon right in the central portion of our main mineralised target area is an excellent result."

As for extension possibilities, Weir noted, "The 24-meter intercept in trenching at the extreme southeastern margin of our Main Zone delineates a new and previously untested area of mineralisation and potential extension to the current strike length of the Main Zone."

Weir stated that the company is now ready "to move forward calculating the mineral resource at Vohitsara and with building the pilot plant/small-scale production at our 100%-owned Vohitsara project, in 2018."

Earlier this year, DNI announced bulk delivery to India from its Madagascar graphite project.

According to the press release, DNI has "delivered a 28 tonne bulk sample to India. This sample comprises 14 tonnes from each of the Main Zone ('MZ') and Southwest Zone ('SWZ'), of DNI's 100% owned Vohitsara graphite project in Madagascar. The Indian group, a potential off-take customer, will process the material at its plant, and report the results back to DNI."

"It was our team's understanding of the high production and capital expenditure costs associated with so-called 'hard rock' graphite mining that inspired DNI to search for saprolite-hosted graphite deposits. Certain parts [of] Madagascar and Brazil, produce graphite from weathered material called saprolite."



As of now, the largest hard rock producer is China. So DNI says the low-cost saprolite deposits have a cost advantage over China.

DNI's large India delivery comes on the heels of DNI's binding agreement with Korea Graphite, a subsidiary of Peninsula Mines, to supply flake graphite for Korean end users.

The agreement includes a "commitment by DNI to supply up to 24,000 tonnes per year of flake graphite to Korea Graphite, subject to Korea Graphite finalising offtake agreements with Korean end users commencing Q4, 2018," according to the company.

Jon Dugdale, managing director of Peninsula Mines and director of Korea Graphite, said, "This binding supply agreement with DNI is a key pre-cursor to establishing binding offtake agreements with Korean flake-graphite end users. . . Madagascar has been producing high-purity, large-flake graphite for over 100 years and DNI's large-flake graphite deposits are saprolite hosted and close to port."



Korea is one of the largest producers for lithium ion batteries. With increase in demand for lithium ion batteries, DNI's CEO, Dan Weir, says that means a graphite demand increase. Given the breakdown of the batteries, Weir argues, "they should really be called nickel graphite batteries."

Weir says that DNI plans to build a pilot plant in Madagascar for small-scale production (Korea included). But come 2019, he expects DNI to escalate its Madagascar plant to full commercial production.

At the end of last year, Bob Moriarty of 321 Gold noted that "graphite, cobalt and lithium are going to be in big demand and short supply for years in the future. DNI is bringing in a small test plant so they can deliver actual representative samples to prospective customers. The graphite is some of the highest grade and quality that I am familiar. The properties were in production, are near a port and the graphite is at surface. DNI will continue drilling and one day soon the market will understand the potential. With a market cap of under $4 million, DNI has a bright future in graphite."

Blockchain Technology and Brazil Wholesale Business

With Madagascar and Brazil producing already weathered graphite, DNI has also placed a lot of attention on its wholesale business operating right out of Brazil.

DNI made the bold decision to incorporate blockchain technology into its graphite business. In January, DNI announced that it signed a deal with Blockmine Development Inc. (BMD).

BMD was specifically created to develop and incorporate blockchain technology into the mining industry, according to the press release.

BMD President Brent Rouble noted, "BMD recognizes the importance of DNI's graphite property for future high-tech industrial graphite applications."

"The BMD model is a clear concise pathway utilizing the blockchain model, including but not limited to, cryptocurrency in a strategic format that has the potential to revolutionize the way mine development and mineral exploration is accomplished. BMD anticipates they will add Government and First Nations to the program in the near future to further enhance all aspects of the program," according to the news release.

Currently, there's no cost to DNI. BMD says it will use DNI as a test case as it develops its platform.

DNI stock currently sits at CA$0.08. According to Weir, "There are currently 100 million DNI shares outstanding, 15% owned by insiders."

Want to read more Gold Report articles like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent articles and interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page.

Disclosure:

1) Nikia Wade compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article/interview, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with DNI Metals.

3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of DNI Metals, a company mentioned in this article.

Disclosures from Bob Moriarty, 321 Gold, "Tax Loss Silly Season Ending," Dec. 18, 2017

Bob Moriarty: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Cabral Gold Inc., Altamira Gold, Metals Creek Resources, DNI Metals and Anaconda Mining. Cabral Gold Inc., Altamira Gold, Metals Creek Resources, DNI Metals and Anaconda Mining are advertisers on 321 Gold.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah are holding a discussion pertaining to the setup of the caretaker government, which will take over once the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government completes its tenure in end May.

The opposition leader reached PM House Wednesday morning to hold the third meeting with the premier over the matter.

The prime minister will share the opinion of the government and its allies with the opposition leader on the name of the caretaker prime minister.

Sources said that the two leaders are also expected to hold a discussion over the budget for this year, which will be announced next month.

Abbasi and Shah will also review matters pertaining to Pakistans political situation, sources said further.

The current government is expected to conclude its five-year term on May 31, after which the caretaker government will take over to hold the general elections, which are expected to be held in the last week of July or first week of August.

As per the Constitution of Pakistan, the caretaker prime minister is appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the opposition leader in the National Assembly.

Both the premier and the opposition leader then present names of three nominees each from which the consensus candidate is appointed as the caretaker prime minister.

The prime responsibility of the caretaker government is to ensure that the elections are held in a transparent manner.

'Opposition yet to submit name for caretaker PM'

While speaking to Geo News on Monday, Shah had remarked that the opposition has yet to submit a name for the caretaker prime minister.

The upcoming general elections depend on who will be elected as caretaker PM, he said.

I have not had any final discussion with opposition allies over the issue. They havent submitted a final name. My party has to meet and decide on a name as well. The government might submit a name too, he said.

"We want to bring forward people who can safeguard democracy in Pakistan. If we make a mistake and bring a person who is unable to hold free and fair elections, that will do major damage, Shah emphasised.

In case a caretaker premier is not agreed upon by both sides, the matter is sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan, which then decides from among the given candidates.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday have refused to accept the Amnesty scheme after it was presented in the National Assembly.

During a speech, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the scheme is announced for those who want to loot the country. Our party has decided to oppose the ordinance, he asserted.

PTI leader said that the government indirectly relied on tax, however, it should have also done something for direct taxation. He further demanded to include the scheme in upcoming budget if it is that much effective, adding that its the first government to present six budgets in five years.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that State Bank and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are also feeling hesitation while accepting it. Meanwhile, PPP leader Naveed Qamar said that the ordinance is inappropriate and asked why should the people trust PML-N as it is not giving any relief.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Siraj Muhammad Khan joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday soon after Shehbaz Sharif landed in Peshawar for his maiden visit after being sworn in as the party president.

Siraj Khan was elected to the National Assembly from the NA-6 Nowshera-II constituency in the 2013 general elections.

This is the first major relief for the PML-N after the party was shocked by eight of its members from South Punjab parting ways with it and forming an independent group to struggle for a separate province of South Punjab.

The lawmaker made the announcement during his meeting with Punjab Chief Minister and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif at the residence of PML-N KPK President Amir Muqam in Peshawar.

KP Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi and other party leaders were present during the meeting.

Reposing his trust on the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif, Siraj Khan said that PML-N is the only party which can lead Pakistan towards prosperity. It is also the only party which has steered Pakistan out of crisis, he added.

Shehbaz Sharif Welcomed the lawmaker to PML-N and said that his inclusion will further strengthen the party.
rumors

1. Samsung could be eyeing a July 2018 release date.

2. Note9 could have a larger screen than Note8.

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be an imaging powerhouse.

4. The internal hardware will be more or less similar to that of the Galaxy S9+.

5. Slow-Mo videos? No problem.

6. How about new S-Pen features?

7. The headphone jack would most likely stay.

8. Most possibly, a Larger Battery.

9. Samsung might skip the In-Display Fingerprint Scanner.

Since 2011,has been releasing two sets of flagship Android smartphones annually. For the first half of the year, the company has the S-Series. And for the second half, just in time for holiday gadget shopping, the Korean Giant unveils the Note line, which comes with an S-Pen stylus.In 2017, Samsung had a big hit with the-- thanks to its stunning design, water-resistant build, massive display, Dual Camera module, advanced security settings, and of course, the S-Pen that's great for creative work on the go.As early as today - April 11, 2018, we are already starting to hearabout the much-awaited 2018 follow-up to the Samsung Galaxy Note Android phablet series.In this post, I'm going to give you nine of the most interesting things that I've seen online about what followers of the brand are already calling the. Note, however, that these are not official details coming from the Korean company itself so we would all do well to take them with a grain of salt.Historically, Galaxy Note smartphones were announced in the month of August and released in September. This year, however, the brand might release the newest iteration as early as July. In fact, according to insiders, Samsung has just started the production of large SuperAMOLED panels in preparation for the early launch of Note9.The screen of the 2017 flagship Note handset measured 6.32 inches across. Well, it is said that its follow-up with have a 6.38-inch panel also with curved sides and 18.5:9 aspect really and a resolution of either QuadHD or 4K.Just like its predecessor, we can expect the new model to still have a Dual Rear camera. But what's special about the refresh is that - akin to the Samsung Galaxy S9 - it will feature variable aperture for great imaging performance across various lighting conditions.Note8 had been called a larger version of the Galaxy S8+ with stylus -- and it appears that we could say the same thing about the Note9. With that, I'm expecting the Note8 to be powered by either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 processor that's complemented by 6GB of RAM and at least 128GB of expandable storage.Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ have the ability to record high-definition videos at a whopping 960 frames per second. I guess it's but natural for the Note9 to have this feature too.Every year since the first Note handset was launched, Samsung has been refining the S-Pen stylus look and software features. This year, I'm excited to see what the company has in store for us in this department.If you ask me, the fact that the Korean Giant didn't remove the 3.5mm audio jack on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ means that the company sees this feature's continued relevance to consumers. That said, the Galaxy Note 9 will still have this feature.Since the Note7 explosion fiasco, Samsung has become more careful in crafting its smartphones' batteries. Note8 had a modestly sized 3,300 mAh pack, which I thought could have been a bit bigger -- but I guess Samsung tried to be more cautious with it than anything. This year, the company might boost the Note9's battery capacity to 3,850 mAh that - along with the more energy-efficient processor - should result in longer uptime.I was hoping that the Korean Giant would finally be able to integrate a Fingerprint Sensor on the touchscreen of the Note9. But based on what I've been hearing, it appears that the company is not yet ready to deliver that feature on this year's flagship phablet. I'd love to be pleasantly surprised, though. I mean, Samsung still has time to work on it since the technology is already out there.These are all things I know so far about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9.Let me know what you want to see on this model via our comments section below. Oh, and kindly stay tuned for updates!
Monday we reported that the US Department of Justice had seized classified ads website Backpage. The official notice on the site stated that the Justice Department would have more information on the enforcement action on Friday.

However, USA Today was able to obtain unsealed indictment documents from the US Attorneys Office listing 93 charges against seven individuals involved with running the website.

Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin, along with their co-indictees face charges ranging from facilitating prostitution to money laundering. The indictment lists 50 instances where ads on the website were used to solicit prostitution. More than 40 counts of money laundering are also detailed.

Other Backpage employees facing charges include:

Scott Spear, a former executive vice president

John Jed Brunst, former chief financial officer

Dan Hyer, sales and marketing director

Andrew Padilla, operations manager

Joye Vaught, assistant operations manager

At least 17 witnesses have testified that they were trafficked through the website with some of them being as young as 14 at the time. It was even mentioned that a client answering to a Backpage ad killed one of the trafficking victims.

As to laundering, Backpage revenue was electronically transferred into and out of foreign nations. It was also converted into various cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin to disguise the origin of the money.

US Attorneys spokesperson Cosme Lopez says that virtually every dollar flowing into Backpages coffers represents the proceeds of illegal activity.

According to the US Attorney's Office, Michael Lacey specifically asked an Arizona bank for advice about moving his funds to an offshore account as to not have them seized by the government. A short while later, he allegedly transferred $16.5 million to a Hungarian bank account.

Despite having sold all of their interest in Backpage in 2015, the indictment claims Lacey and Larkin continued receiving tens of millions of dollars from Backpage-related sources.

The US Attorneys Office described the operation as a thinly veiled and lucrative online brothel.

Indeed, a US Senate report stated that the website generated $135 million in 2014 alone. An appraisal from 2015 listed the companys worth at more than $600 million.

An internal memo identified in the indictment quotes Lacey referring to Backpage saying, For the very first time, the oldest profession in the world has transparency, record keeping, and safeguards.

It would seem that the US Attorney is not the only one that saw Backpage as a lucrative online brothel.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was scheduled to testify before the US Congress twice this week in response to last months Cambridge Analytica data fiasco and is without question the largest scandal the social giant has ever faced. Today's hearing was before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, while tomorrow he's expected to testify in front of the Committee on Energy and Commerce (watch the livestream here).

This was the first time Facebooks founder testified before Congress, somewhat reminding us of the late 1990s when then technology industry's poster child, Bill Gates was put in the hot seat, trying to defend Microsoft's business practices.

It was an interesting exchange. Senators tried to grill Zuck, but he seemed better prepared than the 44 U.S. Senators that questioned him. For the most part, Zuckerberg came out unharmed from the five hour long testimony.

At one point, he was questioned about Facebook's "free" nature and business model...

Senator Hatch: Now, Mr. Zuckerberg, I remember well your first visit to Capitol Hill back in 2010. You said back then that Facebook would always be free. Is that still your objective?

Zuckerberg: Senator, yes. There will always be a version of Facebook that is free. Were committed to doing that.

Senator Hatch: Well, if so, how do you sustain a business model in which users dont pay for your service?

Zuckerbot: Senator, we run ads.

When questioned about Facebook being a monopoly, he avoided mentioning competitors, although Whatsapp and Instagram (both owned by Facebook) were mentioned more than once.

Senator Graham: Whos your biggest competitor?

Zuckerberg: Senator, we have a lot of competitors.

Senator Graham: Whos your biggest? Let me put it this way. If I buy a Ford, and it doesnt work well and I dont like it, I can buy a Chevy. If Im upset with Facebook, whats the equivalent product that I can go sign up for? ... Is there an alternative to Facebook in the private sector?

Zuckerberg: Yes, Senator. The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people, ranging from texting apps to email

Senator Graham: Which is the same service you provide?

Zuckerberg: Well we provide a number of different services.

Senator Graham: Is Twitter the same as what you do?

Zuckerberg: It overlaps with a portion of what we do.

Senator Graham: You dont think you have a monopoly?

Zuckerberg: It certainly doesnt feel like that to me.

Ultimately, Zuckerberg was able to handle all questions and perhaps his appearance was softened by the fact that over the past few weeks there have been numerous announcements on Facebook's part to show that they are committed to fight data leaks and do better.

Talking of privacy invasion, ironically enough, Zuckerberg left his talking points and notes open in front of his seat letting an AP photographer take a high-resolution snap of them and giving light to different prepared statements and counterpoints. Here are the contents (via The Verge):

Cambridge Analytica - Breach of trust; sorry we let it happen; took steps in 2014 to stop it happening again. - Quiz app designed by Cambridge University researcher named Aleksandr Kogan. - People who used app gave Kogan FB information like public profile, page likes, friend list + birthday; same for friends whose settings allowed sharing; NO credit card/SSN info. - Kogan sold to CA in violation of our terms; when we found out, told them to delete data. - Confirmed they had  now seems untrue. Should have done more to audit + tell people. - Didnt think enough about abuse; rethinking every part of our relationship with people. Compensation - Important issue but no credit card information or SSN shared. - People gave Kogan access to Facebook information like their public profile, page likes, friend list, birthday; same for friends whose settings allowed sharing. - 2014 changes mean it couldnt happen now; restricted apps access to data even further. Reverse lookup (scraping) - Found out about abuse two weeks ago, shut it down. - Useful to find someone by phone number/email; if people have the same name. - Malicious actors linked public info (name, profile photo, gender, user ID) to phone numbers they already had; shut it down. Need to do more to prevent abuse. Accountability - Fire people for CA?: Its about how we designed the platform. That was my responsibility. Not going to throw people under the bus. - Do you ever fire anyone?: Yes; hold people accountable all the time; not going to go into specifics. - Resign?: Founded Facebook. My decisions. I made mistakes. Big challenge, but weve solved problems before, going to solve this one. Already taking action. - No accountability for MZ?: Accountable to you, to employees, to people who use FB. Data safety: - I use FB every day, so does my family, invest a lot in security. - Made mistakes, working hard to fix them. - Giving people more controls, just yesterday stated showing people their app controls. Business model (ads) - Want FB to be a service that everyone can use, has to be free, can only do that with ads. - Key for me is mission  helping people connect. Business model supports that mission. - Lets be clear: Facebook doesnt sell data. You own your information. We give you controls. - People know [...] need ads; tell us if they have to see ads, want them to be relevant. [...]/wellbeing - Facebook [...] not time spent; time spent fell 5% Q4; pivot to MSI. - [...]ssesm[..] to communicate with kids; MK gives parents control. - [...] like N[...] have commercial ads. We have no plans to do so. Defend Facebook - [If attacked: Respectfully, I reject that. Not who we are.] - Billions people globally use FB every day to connect to the people that matter. - Families reconnected, people met and gotten married, movements organized, tens of millions of SMBs now have better tools to grow and create jobs. - More work to do, but cant lose sight of all the ways people are using FB for good. Tim Cook on biz model - Bezos: Companies that work hard to charge you more and companies that work hard to charge you less. - At FB, we try hard to charge you less. In fact, were free. - [On data, were similar. When you install an app on your iPhone, you give it access to some information, just like when you login with FB. - Lots of stories about apps misusing Apple data, never seen Apple notify people. - Important you hold everyone to the same standard.] Disturbing content - Its very disturbing; and sadly we do see bad things on Facebook. - Should have no place on our service; community standards prohibit hate, bullying, terror. - Working to be more proactive; AI, hiring more people e.g. terror, e.g. suicide. - Will never be perfect; but making huge investments. Election integrity (Russia) - Too slow, making progress. France, Germany, Alabama. - Midterms are important, but not just in the US  Brazil, Mexico, Hungary. - Just announced committee of academics to commission independent research on social media on democracy. Diversity - Silicon valley has a problem, and Facebook is part of the problem. - Personally care about making progress; long way to go [3% African American, 5% Hispanics]. Competition - Consumer choice: consumers have lots of choice over how they spend their time - Small part of ad market: advertisers have choices too  $650 billion market, we have 6%. - Break up FB?: US tech companies key asset for America, break up strengthens Chinese companies. GDPR (Dont say we already do what GDPR requires) - People deserve good privacy tools and controls wherever they live. - We build everything to be transparent and give people control. GDPR does a few things: - Provides control over data use  what weve done for a few years. - Requires consent  done a little bit, now doing more in Europe and around the world. - Get special consent for sensitive things e.g. facial recognition. - Support privacy legislation that is practical, puts people in control and allows for innovation.
Although Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before US Congress to answer questions about the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Russian election interference, he also found himself addressing a conspiracy theory that has been around for years: does Facebook secretly record people using a devices microphone for ad targeting purposes?

"Yes or no," asked Sen. Gary Peters. "Does Facebook use audio obtained from mobile devices to enrich personal information about users?"

"No. Let me be clear on this: You're talking about this conspiracy theory that gets passed around that we listen to what's going on on your microphone and use that for ads," Zuckerberg replied. "We don't do that." The CEO added that Facebook could only record audio as part of a video thats being filmed and uploaded by users.

For many years, some Facebook users claim to have seen ads on the platform related to their recent conversations, leading to the suspicion that the company is surreptitiously listening in on them using a devices mic. While there are plenty of advertisements on Facebook, conspiracy theorists say these particular ones feature the same obscure, specific products they were just discussing.

Last October, Facebooks president of ads, Rob Goldman, denied the spying allegations. "I run ads product at Facebook. We don't - and have never - used your microphone for ads. Just not true," he tweeted. Even Snopes has debunked the theory, and the Wall Street Journal posted a video last month explaining why people believe it happens.

I run ads product at Facebook. We don't - and have never - used your microphone for ads. Just not true.  Rob Goldman (@robjective) October 26, 2017

As weve been finding out recently, Facebook already knows plenty about its users without having to resort to tactics that could send its employees to jailand all just to improve its targeted advertising. There are also the technical issues that would make such a practice almost impossible. Facebook may be a privacy nightmare, but it definitely doesnt record your conversations.
A majority of copyright laws in effect today were written before Internet access was widespread and a necessity for everyday life. The European Parliament passed a slightly more modern action called the European Copyright Directive in 2001. Considering the vast changes and capabilities for sharing works, there is an on going push to update the law.

Admittedly, there is no single system that all parties are going to agree on. However, there is one section of a new proposal by German member of the European Parliament Axel Voss that should be extremely concerning to all that value an open internet. Part of the proposal includes language that would implement a "link tax" that requires a fee be paid by websites to publishers so that quotes can be used and attributed.

The link tax would be mandatory and publishers would be required to collect the fee from all sites using their work. As an inalienable right, there would be no option to waive the fee for non-profit organizations, small businesses, personal blogs, or other groups that may not have a lot of money to spend on quoting recognized news sources.

Spain has already passed a similar link tax. Google News was the largest casualty of the legislation. Instead of opting to pay millions of dollars for displaying snippets from websites, Google simply shut down its Spanish news search business.

Another article introduces a mandate that would require internet services to monitor user uploaded content for potentially illegal works. This section is mainly targeted towards video and photo sharing websites, but is not limited in scope. Platforms such as Github or Wikipedia would also be required to check every single user-made change to their sites under the proposal.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mozilla are both advocating against the link tax and uploaded content filtering sections of the European Copyright Directive revision. Mozilla has gone as far as writing a prepared script and provides a way to call members of the European Parliament.
Weird things are happening to iPhones that have had their screens replaced by third-party repair houses, and it has a whiff of conspiracy theory to it.

On Monday Motherboard reported that iPhone 8 users were finding that their phones bricked after updating to iOS 11.3. Owners claimed that their devices had worked fine before the update, but after installing 11.3, their screens lost touch functionality. The common thread between all the bricked phones was that they had been repaired using aftermarket screens.

Now it appears that those with aftermarket screens are not the only ones being affected by display problems after the update. According to Engadget, some repair shops using genuine Apple replacement screens in iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X are finding that the displays will no longer auto-adjust the brightness. It is a subtle glitch and one that does not entirely make the device useless, but it is still not an acceptable issue that users should have to swallow. This concern is not only isolated with iOS 11.3, but also affects devices running 11.1 and 11.2.

These problems are understandably frustrating for users, but third-party repairers share in the frustration as well.

"We dont even do the 8 repairs this year."

Georgia-based repair shop Injured Gadgets CEO Aakshay Kripalani told Motherboard, This [loss of touch functionality] has caused my company over 2,000 reshipments.

Where the story gets conspiratorial is that some shops using genuine Apple parts are saying that those same screens function fine when replaced by Apple. Third-party service providers are wondering how it is that their repairs are failing while Apples are not.

Customers are annoyed, and it seems like Apple is doing this to prevent customers from doing 3rd party repair, said Kripalani.

Repair tech Michael Oberdick said his shop intentionally refuses to do iPhone 8 repairs. We dont even do the [iPhone] 8 repairs this year, on purpose. I had a really good feeling that something like this was going to happen again, he said.

Oberdick was referring to a similar problem with iPhone 7s last October that sprung up after the iOS 11.0.3 update. In that instance, Apple quickly issued a patch that resolved the problem. In all likelihood, the same will happen this time.

The last thing Apple needs is a bunch of angry users with bricked devices, especially after the FTC has just come down on several companies regarding the legality of placing warranty voiding stickers in their devices.

While the FTC did not mention which companies it had targeted, Apple is known to void warranties if they can detect that the phone has been opened. A device can even have its warranty voided when official Apple parts are used outside of an authorized repair facility.

Whether there is anything to the conspiracy remains to be seen. Perhaps it is just an honest bug in iOS 11.3, or maybe it is Apple fighting back and turning up the heat on the Right to Repair movement that we have reported on numerous times in recent months.

So far Apple has not responded to requests for comment.
According to the CNE, the EU observation mission will respect the national legal framework during the regional elections. | Read More
Boao, China: Financial services companies will face an easier path to doing in business in China by the end of June as the country seeks to stave off a trade war with the United States.

China has set a deadline of June 30 for many of the measures it will take to open its financial services to foreign companies including the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions on banks and financial management companies will be lifted.

Foreign banks will also be allowed to open branches in China.

Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) detailed a timeline for the opening up of the country's financial services. Credit:Bloomberg

Chinas new central bank governor Yi Gang provided the first timeline on Wednesday, after Chinese president Xi Jinpings speech a day earlier was criticised by US business groups for not containing enough detail.
The Red Centre will be that little bit closer for Brisbane after Jetstar announced on Wednesday it would introduce direct flights between the capital city and Uluru.

From August, the airline will offer three flights a week, slashing travel times for those keen to visit the World Heritage Area about 450 kilometres from Alice Springs, the nearest major town.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was originally an Aboriginal Reserve, handed back to Anangu traditional owners In 1985. Credit:Quentin Jones

Queensland Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the government had partnered with Jetstar to secure the route, the first direct flights being offered from Brisbane, which she estimated would support up to 100 jobs a year.

Brisbane Airport Corporation chief executive officer Julieanne Alroe said the direct flight would meet the current demand of international visitors who chose Brisbane as their gateway to Australia.
Port Botany now handles about 2.4 million containers a year and that is forecast to rise to 5 million by 2040. Credit:Jon Reid

This raises the possibility of the federal governments competition watchdog taking action over the arrangements imposed during the privatisation process.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is now investigating the restrictions, which were introduced when Port Botany and the Port of Newcastle were being privatised.

Hundreds of thousands of trucks could be shifted from Sydneys roads by a new container terminal at Newcastle, but secret restrictions introduced during the privatisation of NSW ports are preventing its development.

Modelling by Deloitte Access Economics has found a new container terminal at the Port of Newcastle would immediately slash the number of shipping containers transported through Sydneys transport networks by half a million, rising to 1.1 million by mid-century.

The operator of Newcastles port wants to build a container terminal but claims that a new facility is not viable because of constraints imposed at the time of privatisation.

Roy Green, the chair of the Port of Newcastle, said the efficiency of our port system "is being compromised by the restrictive arrangements that the government set up at the time of privatisation".

Deloitte's analysis, which was commissioned by the Port of Newcastle, draws attention to the impact of tolls on the movement of containers to and from Port Botany. It will cost $60-$80 in tolls to move a container west of Port Botany in future, the report estimates.

Mr Green said the business model for the WestConnex motorway was thoroughly tied up with restrictions favouring Port Botany.
Government and Catholic schools in NSW are operating with less than 70 per cent of the income per student of the state's private schools, with public schools reporting a net yearly income of $13,318 a student compared to the private schools' income of $20,053 a student.

NSW government schools had a net recurrent income, which includes federal and state government funding, fees, charges, parent contributions and other private sources of money, of $13,318 a student in 2016, the latest data provided by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) shows.

This was similar to the average Catholic school net recurrent income of $13,691 a student in 2016, but far below the average private school income of $20,053 a student.

Government and Catholic schools in NSW are operating with less than 70 per cent of the income per student of the state's private schools. Credit:Louie Douvis

Chief executive of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW Geoff Newcombe said: "Differences in school income are due to fees collected from parents who choose to use their after-tax dollars to contribute to the cost of their child's education, rather than spending on other discretionary items."
In late 2012, doctors told Melbourne photographic artist Polixeni Papapetrou she had but days, maybe weeks, left to live.

Just three months earlier, they had discovered that the breast cancer she was diagnosed with in 2007 had returned, and spread. She had just celebrated five years all-clear of cancer.

Polixeni Papapetrou pictured with her works at a 2012 show at Melbourne's Nellie Castan Gallery. Credit:Wayne Taylor

The fact that she lived for another five years, in that time creating critically acclaimed works shown around the world, is a testament to her fierce will.

The death of Papapetrou, 57, was announced on Wednesday by her husband Robert Nelson, a Monash University professor and The Ages visual arts critic.
Running from before World War I to 1989, it is an intergenerational narrative with the unputdownable quality of soap plus the satisfactions of prose that can disclose realities and a set of interconnected stories that mirror the movement of history.

Pachinko, the epic novel by Korean-American novelist Min Jin Lee, is a family and national saga that presents that fraction of Koreans who found themselves living among the Japanese.

Is Pachinko a masterpiece? No. But it is one of those books that takes a mighty bite of big-time subject matter and has its own kind of grandeur.

Min Jin Lee uses the individual life, not the world-historical one, but then shows how the one impacts on the other. Her novel is grandly conceived and bristles with intelligence and ambition. Two quotations brood over it. The first from Dickens: "Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit answered to, in strongest conjuration."

The second, from Benedict Anderson about a nation as "an imagined political community  imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow members  yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion."

This is clever stuff and makes for a long haunting novel about Korean exile and Japanese repression.

I read the first half wondering if this was a Tolstoyan recapitulation of how the Koreans become the day labourers and chattels of the Japanese and then the second at speed.
An Indian-American's story of immigration and entrepreneurship has gone viral in the wake of The Simpson's Apu controversy.

Amar Shah, a writer and digital producer from Orlando, Florida, took to Twitter earlier this week to share some family history about growing up as the son of a convenience store merchant, who shared similar aspects to that of fictional character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

The issue of Apu came to prominence last year when comedian Hari Kondabolu raised concerns in his documentary, The Problem With Apu, that The Simpsons had created a long-running joke based on the character being Indian, which had negative impacts on the Indian-American community.

But Mr Shah's flurry of tweets came after Fox's long-running comedy addressed accusations of racial stereotypes on-air. In a recent episode of The Simpsons, Lisa asked her mother: "Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive, is now politically incorrect. What can you do?"
Conservation group WWF-Australia wants public donations to buy a commercial gillnet licence in water north of Cairns and set up a huge, Tasmania-sized, net-free refuge for dugongs, sharks and turtles in north Queensland.

The 85,000-square-kilometre net-free refuge will stretch from Cooktown to the tip of Cape York and become the worlds second-largest dugong refuge if it wins the co-operation of the Queensland government, WWF-Australia says.

Queensland has 25 per cent of the worlds dugong environment; warm shallow coastal waters with seagrass meadows.

About 10,000 dugongs now live off Queensland's east coast. down from 72,000 in the 1960s.

The Ecological Society of America estimated there were 72,000 dugongs along Queenslands east coast in the 1960s, but WWF-Australia now estimate there are now about 10,000.
Brown coal will get a $100 million lifeline as the federal and state governments invest in an ambitious project to convert one of Australia's most polluting energy sources into hydrogen.

But on the same day, Victoria will also unveil the results of its first big renewable energy auction.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will join several ministers in the Latrobe Valley to unveil the formal launch of a $496 million, four-year pilot project to convert brown coal into hydrogen for export to Japan and elsewhere, companies and officials said.

The federal and Victorian governments have both pledged $50 million each to the project, with the rest of its funding coming from a Japanese consortium comprising the Japanese Government, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, J-Power, Iwatani Corporation and Marubeni, while AGL is providing coal from its Loy Yang brown coal mine.

However, in Melbourne, Victoria's energy minister Lily D'Ambrosio will steer a different path, telling a lunch at the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) her government had received a "fantastic" response to its auction to supply 650-megawatts of new wind or solar power.
"This will, ultimately, have catastrophic results for sex workers who use the internet to find and screen clients, share resources, and communicate with other workers." Credit:Shutterstock

When I broke up with my boyfriend towards the end of last year, the first place I realised I needed to go was back to work.

Not in an office, or a cafe, or a shop, but in a brothel.

After only a few weeks of being single, I returned to brothel work and nestled myself in the safe embrace of the sisterhood that exists within dressing rooms across the world: for there are few men more universally hated in a brothel than a worker's bum ex-boyfriend.

Sex work has allowed me to take trips overseas, to pay for expensive university courses, and to furnish my life with luxurious things I otherwise would never have been able to afford. Sex work has also paid my overdue bills, put food on my plate, and put money in my pocket when I barely had enough in my bank account to top up my Opal card.
The strident denials by both China and Vanuatu that there are any plans for the former to develop a major military base in the small island nation only 2000km from Australia's shores must be taken with a large grain of salt.

The ancient adage, dating back to the Trojan War, to beware of Greeks bearing gifts, applies to modern China in spades.

The rising power's eagerness to provide easy credit to small nations, often mainly for the benefit of ruling cliques, bears some similarity to the ancient Greek tale.

Beijing understands the value of "soft power" and dollar diplomacy as tools with which to expand its sphere of influence.
Two Canberra cyber security companies are teaming up to take world-leading, locally created technology to the world's biggest cyber security conference in San Francisco.

Deception.ai has partnered with QuintessenceLabs to add new quantum technology to its products, which use artificial intelligence to make decoy files that confuse hackers and leave them attacking fake targets that realistically mimic the real ones.

Vince Lee from QuintessenceLabs with deception.ai chief executive Ben Whitham at the Australian Cyber Security Centre conference in Canberra, where they announced a new partnership on Wednesday.

Deception.ai chief executive Ben Whitham said the approach was a world-first in advanced cyber threat detection, likening it to camouflage that constantly adapted to its surroundings.

He said deception.ai's systems could generate fake documents, computers, databases, websites and credentials, constantly updating them at a speed far greater than a human could.
Half of the departmental secretaries will be women, with Liz Cosson announced on Wednesday as the new secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Simon Lewis has announced that he will retire, with his last day in the role to be May 18.

Retired major general Liz Cosson will take over as the secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Ms Cosson has been deputy secretary in the department since 2016, after also serving as deputy secretary in the Department of Health and the then Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Her public service career began after more than 30 years in the defence force, where she was the first woman to reach the rank of major general in 2007.
A man accused of assaulting and torturing his girlfriend for hours in his Brisbane home has been granted bail.

Police allege the 20-year-old punched, scratched and choked the woman during a dispute over their break-up at his Wooloongabba home on Tuesday night.

The man forced the woman into a shower, punched her in the stomach and sprayed her with hot water, Brisbane Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday.

The woman then fled to a neighbouring home.

She later returned and spoke to police alongside the man, who was taken to hospital for a panic attack.
A former Commonwealth Games boxer for Scotland has been charged with assault after allegedly punching a woman in the face and throwing a glass at a man at a Gold Coast nightclub.

Police were called to SinCity Nightclub in Surfers Paradise about 3am on Thursday, after a dance-floor disturbance between Glasgow 2014 bronze-medallist Stephen Lavelle and two 18-year-old locals.

Scottish boxer Stephen Lavelle won bronze at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The former heavyweight fighter, who lives in Victoria, allegedly punched the woman in the face and threw a glass at the man, cutting his face.

Security intervened and called police before the 18-year-old man was taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.
The union representing public servants has written to Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, calling for the cap on public servant staff numbers to be removed in the upcoming federal budget.

Community and Public Sector Union secretary Nadine Flood took the step of writing to the minister this week in a bid to ramp up focus on the issue in the weeks before budget night.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who is being lobbied by the CPSU to drop a cap on the number of public servants. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The average staffing level (ASL) cap limits the number of employees in each government department, and the union blames the ceiling on staff numbers for the boom in contractors and labour hire across the public service.

"The ASL cap is driving an increased use of contractors and labour hire, which is usually more expensive than directly employing staff," Ms Flood wrote.
There are three evident policy responses to the latest revelation of barbaric treatment of livestock on ships bound for the Middle East.

Reasonable outrage and distress have been sparked by shocking fresh footage, provided by a whistleblower, of the wanton cruelty of conditions suffered by tens of thousands of sheep. Public revolt is ratcheting up political pressure for Australia to emulate New Zealand, which long ago banned live exports.

Ships of shame.

The three options are: exporters can actually obey the law, rather than merely promising to do so; live exports can be halted during the hottest months; live exports can be totally banned.

The status quo is not an option. There is valid widespread scepticism  exporters have been egregiously flaunting due process.
A Bundoora masseur has been ordered to stop touching clients, as Victorias Health Complaints Commissioner probes a spate of sexual misconduct allegations within the industry.

Charles Michael Dispenzeri has been slapped with an interim prohibition order preventing him from providing any general health service, or promoting therapies involving physical contact, until July.

Mr Dispenzeri operates Massage Australia One, in Ellery Street Bundoora, and offers various forms of relaxation and speciality massage, in addition to counselling and hypnosis, according to its website.

The veteran therapist declined to comment about the prohibition order on Wednesday.

The investigation into Mr Dispenzeri is ongoing and no official findings have been made, but the commissioner, Karen Cusack, said she was satisfied it was necessary to avoid a serious risk to health, safety or welfare of the public.
Pressure is growing for an overhaul of NAPLAN, with Victoria becoming the latest state to call for a review of the compulsory literacy and numeracy test.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said the review should look at the contents of the test and how the results are reported.

We are continually looking for ways to improve these assessments and given NAPLAN has been in place for 10 years, it is timely for a review to occur, he said.

Victoria has joined other states in calling for a review of NAPLAN Credit:Gary Schafer

While Victoria has joined NSW, Queensland and South Australia's calls for a review, Mr Merlino said the test had merits.
Missing librarian Julie Ann Garciacelay.

One of Melbourne's most enduring mysteries was on Wednesday declared by a coroner to be a murder case and missing persons detectives will now kick-start a review.

It was a little over a week before librarian Julie Ann Garciacelays 20th birthday when she disappeared from the flat she shared with her sister in Canning Street, North Melbourne, on July 1, 1975.

Police long suspected Ms Garciacelay, who had moved from California eight months earlier, was murdered and on Wednesday, State Coroner Sara Hinchey confirmed their suspicions.

Despite there being no evidence as to the exact circumstances and cause of Ms Garciacelays death, her death was the result of homicide, Ms Hinchey found.
If you woke up warm and wondering what season we're in, you weren't alone.

A dust storm covered the city this morning. In some parts it was 30 degrees at 5am. Credit: Paul Jeffers

Thursday morning brought a confusing array of wild weather to the city including wild winds, a dust storm causing flight delays and temperatures as high as 30 degrees at 5am.

The dust storm was reported across Deer Park, Manor Lakes and Laverton and was moving into Footscray on Thursday morning. The State Emergency Service said a dust storm hit Ballarat and Ararat overnight.
In the George Orwell classic Animal Farm, there was a binary notion that the animals lived by  four legs good, two legs bad.

This eventually morphed into four legs good, two legs better as the pigs who became the lead animals began walking on two legs like the evil farmer they had replaced.

Binary thinking has a role in areas like engineering where, unless a bridge or building is a certain strength, it may fall down.

However human biology is not quite as amenable to this approach. Notwithstanding that we are all similar, no two people (even identical twins) are exactly the same.

When medical professionals seek to treat or help people, we need a variety of options. No one antidepressant or antihypertensive works for everyone. Different approaches are required and we must tailor what is best to the individual.
Emergency services have freed a woman who became trapped in a car that rolled over near Gingin.

The incident occurred on the Brand Highway near the intersection of Gingin Brook Road in Granville, just after midday.

It's understood the car crashed into a tree, leaving a woman trapped inside.

Brand Highway near Gingin. Credit:Google Maps

Firefighters are at the scene attempting to free the woman from the wreckage, and WA Police are also in attendance.
Canberra's rents have surged to a record high, now second highest in the country.

Domain's latest State of the Market Report released on Thursday shows Canberra's median asking rent for houses has caught up with Darwin, at $530 a week, second only to Sydney, at $550.

Jessica Gonzales in front of her apartment complex on the Kingston Foreshore. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Rent for units has jumped to $450 per week, representing a quarterly increase of 4.7 per cent  the highest quarterly growth in the country.

Canberra apartment rents are second most expensive in the country. The median rent in Sydney is $550 a week.
ACT Racing Minister Gordon Ramsay has accused Canberra Liberal Mark Parton of changing his arguments to reverse the incoming ban on greyhound racing because of the trackside euthanisation of two dogs this year.

Mr Parton had branded the territory government as hypocrites for receiving $1 million a year in licensing fees from Tabcorp, which facilitates betting on greyhound racing in the ACT.

Liberal politician Mark Parton said if Racing Minister Gordon Ramsay could speak fluent dog, "the people's dog" Nugget (aka Community Values) would tell him he loved to race.

Unlike greyhound racing itself, gambling on the sport will not be illegal in Canberra after this month.

Mr Ramsay said Mr Parton was "clutching at his final straws" by questioning the sale of ACTTAB four years ago.
The reviews on TripAdvisor for the Elizabeth Hostel - a backpackers on Elizabeth Street opposite the Queen Victoria Market - are not great. Half its guests rate it as terrible. Some warn it is dangerous.

A visit to the backpackers on Wednesday failed to find Qun Xie - a mysterious figure enrolled to vote at this address, and who this week drew the number one spot in the ballot for Melbournes next lord mayor.

The Elizabeth Hostel where Qun Xie, the number one candidate on the ballot for lord mayor of Melbourne, is registered as living. Credit:Joe Armao

Ms Xie turned 55 on Tuesday, the day nominations closed.

Other candidates for lord mayor couldnt wish her happy birthday - none questioned by The Age on Wednesday had heard of Ms Xie before, knew who she was, or why she was running.
Victorias prison population is set to swell, and police are set to be given new military-style weapons and high-tech crowd surveillance vans, under a series of tough-on-crime initiatives to be unveiled by the Andrews government.

More than 600 officers including country police will be supplied with and trained in the use of semi-automatic weapons at a cost of $25 million.

People who commit serious crimes including armed robbery, home invasion and carjacking will be stripped of the opportunity to seek a community corrections order and avoid going to prison, under new legislation to be introduced in Victoria.

Victoria Police will gain access to new weapons and surveillance vans. Credit:Jason South

The Andrews government is set to extend its tougher sentencing regime to cover seven new offences, further reducing the legal avenue for convicted criminals to serve non-custodial sentences.
Beijing: She was a promising young student of Chinese literature with sterling grades and an industrious work ethic.

But in 1998, during her second year at one of China's most prestigious universities, Gao Yan was raped by a professor, her friends and relatives say, and soon afterwards, she killed herself.

Now, on the 20th anniversary of her death, Gao's story has become a rallying cry for China's fledgling #MeToo movement, inspiring calls for the government to do more to prevent sexual assault and harassment.

Zhang Qiongwen, who says she was sexually abused by a dean at her university in southern China, is pictured in Wuhan, China. Credit:New York Times

China has so far greeted the #MeToo movement with caution, seemingly out of concern that it could threaten stability in the country's male-dominated halls of power.
Singapore: The Pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol on Wednesday warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in the following 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within that period and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

US President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Syria's President Bashar al-Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on Douma, a rebel-held town that had held out against government forces.

Officials of the Trump administration have been discussing with officials of France and Britain a possible joint military response with the Associated Press quoting sources saying the allies have weighed launching a military strike as early as the end of this week.
Charlotte, North Carolina: Kyle Conti may not get the last word on the sexual harassment complaints filed against him. But he apparently wanted the first.

A scene from a promotional video for Charlotte Yoga Studios in North Carolina. Credit:Screengrab

Last week, before a meeting with a government agency to discuss the allegations filed by two of his former female employees, the owner of Charlotte Yoga posted a selfie of himself in which he shared some early morning thoughts. Conti was clad only in a towel, and this is what he wrote: "When your integrity is questioned & you get the opportunity today to look your accuser in the eyes you wake up at 4 am so excited for that moment ... "

Two more selfies followed. In those, Conti had exchanged the towel for a dark suit and blue dress shirt, and he appeared to be soliciting feedback on how he should finish off his fashion look for the upcoming sit-down with his accusers.
The tweet came as Trump administration officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syria's alleged poison gas attack. Mr Trump cancelled a foreign trip to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russian lawmakers have warned the US that Moscow would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime, saying it could trigger a direct military clash between the two former Cold War adversaries. Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted - a stark warning of a potential major confrontation in Syria. The US, France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, US officials have said. None of the three countries' leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorised to discuss military planning publicly.

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the US in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syria's political and military support from Russia and Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron said France, the US and Britain would decide how to respond in the coming days. He called for a "strong and joint response" to the attack in the town of Douma on Saturday. The Syrian government denies responsibility. Mr Macron does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the US-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month. Mr Trump suggested on Monday that he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which US intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Mr Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the US, France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April. That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Assad from further use of chemical agents. Asked whether France would take military action, Mr Macron said his country would continue discussing technical and strategic information with US and British allies and "in the coming days we will announce our decision". He said any action would "target chemical weapons" stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then. Mr Trump spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed that the attack in Syria was "utterly reprehensible" and that the international community must respond "to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons". The President also met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Mr Trump "see eye to eye" on the Syria problem.
There are those who think Im a little insane for planning to hit the woods this November in an attempt to fill my first buck tag. Typically it wouldnt be an unusual situation, but by then I will be eight months pregnant and likely pretty uncomfortable.
Norristown, Pennsylvania: Two accusers lashed out at Bill Cosby from the witness stand on Wednesday morning US time, as his sexual assault retrial took a dramatic turn in its third day of testimony.

"You remember, don't you, Mr Cosby?" Chelan Lasha tearfully challenged the defendant, interrupting Judge Steven T. O'Neill as he attempted to dismiss the jury for lunch. The once-aspiring model had just finished recounting for jurors how she said the comedy icon knocked her out with pills and assaulted her in 1986 in a Las Vegas hotel room, when she was 17.

Cosby smiled slightly as she spoke; his lawyers stood in anger, asking the judge to declare a mistrial. O'Neill denied the request.

Lasha's remark came just minutes after another accuser, Heidi Thomas, who says Cosby drugged and abused her in 1984, had finished testifying, but not before declaring under cross-examination, "I want to see a serial rapist convicted."
LONDON, ON, April 11, 2018 CARPROOF Corporation has announced the launch of True Trade  a lead generation tool that allows dealers to leverage the CARPROOF brand to provide consumers with accurate trade-in values.

True Trade uses real transaction data and advanced analytics from CARPROOF  the most trusted name in Canadian automotive information. It is a digital tool that integrates seamlessly into dealership websites, allowing consumers to enter information about the vehicle they're interested in trading in. The tool provides instant trade-in values that consumers can trust and dealers can use to profitably acquire inventory for retail or wholesale purposes.

Consumers spend a significant amount of time researching online before they visit a dealership, and they often come away with unrealistic expectations of their vehicle's value. The number they expect is often based on how much similar vehicles are listed for online or the results from other appraisal tools, which may not be accurate. These customers are then disappointed with the offer they receive from a dealer.

"We know that trade-in valuation is one of the most contentious elements of selling a used vehicle," says Shawn Vording, vice-president of automotive sales at CARPROOF. "Consumers want a fair value that comes from a trusted independent source, and dealers want to work with numbers that help them maximize trade-wins and profit. Backed by the most trusted brand in the business, True Trade will help to educate consumers about what their trade is really worth and why. The end result? More qualified leads, more trade-wins and higher sales."

Dealers that are interested in trying True Trade should visit http://go.carproof.com/truetrade and provide their contact information. CARPROOF will reach out to them as the rollout continues.

About CARPROOF

CARPROOF, a unit of IHS Markit , is Canada's definitive source of automotive information, delivering vehicle history, appraisal and valuation. Drawing on billions of data records from thousands of unique sources, its products enable used vehicle buyers and sellers to make informed decisions. CARPROOF is trusted to provide impartial and comprehensive information to dealerships, vehicle manufacturers, consumers, major auctions, governments, insurance providers and police agencies. Dedicated to transparency since its founding in 2000, the company has been named one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies, and was also honoured with Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 and Fast 500 awards.

Connect with CARPROOF on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE CARPROOF

CONTACT: For media inquiries please contact: Brittney McKee, PR & Content Manager, CARPROOF, 226.268.2997, bmckee@carproof.com

RELATED LINKSwww.carproof.com
Mazda to Exhibit CX-8 at Beijing Motor Show

HIROSHIMA, Japan, Apr, 10 2018; Mazda Motor Corporation will show the CX-8 three-row crossover SUV at the 2018 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2018),(1) which will be open to the public from April 29 through May 4. Other new-generation vehicles to be displayed include the Mazda MX-5 RF, Mazda CX-5 and Mazda6.(2)

The CX-8 is the flagship model of Mazda's SUV lineup in Japan. The three-row crossover SUV offers a new alternative for customers who don't want to compromise on driving performance or styling in a multi-passenger vehicle. Since the car's December launch in Japan, orders have exceeded 20,000 units. The model is especially popular with customers in their 30s and 40s. Large SUVs are in great demand in China, the world's biggest market for automobiles, and exhibiting the CX-8 there will allow Mazda to introduce the car to customers in China and other nations.

In line with its "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030" vision for technology development, Mazda aims to use the fundamental appeal of the automobile - driving pleasure - to inspire people, enrich society and help bring about a beautiful earth. By offering an experience of car ownership that celebrates driving, the company hopes to enrich lives and build a strong bond with customers.

(1) A press preview is scheduled for April 25 and 26; an industry preview will be held April 27 and 28. (2) Called Mazda6 Atenza in the Chinese market

About Mazda Mazda Motor Corporation started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.mazda.com
Clockwise from top left: Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Evans. Photo: Getty Images

If youre like us, youve spent the past few weeks struggling with a very personal and difficult crisis: There have been so many changes lately in the Hollywood Chris relationship statuses, its nearly impossible to keep up.

We know that Chris Pratt is getting divorced from Anna Faris  but is he seeing anyone now? And Chris Evans has been on/off with our dream best friend Jenny Slate for a while now  so whats the deal there? Whats the latest with Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworths love lives? But perhaps most importantly, do these Hollywood Chrises know were available for dating and/or friendship that turns into dating and also that we always wanted a fall wedding?

So, from Hemsworth to Pine, heres the latest relationship status updates on the Hollywood Chrises.

Chris: Pratt

Relationship status: Mingling

Whats going on there?: Since announcing his split from Anna Faris after eight years of marriage last summer, there have been a ton of rumors about Pratts love life  many of which seem completely baseless. Hes not dating Jennifer Lawrence, which many people speculated about, and hes also not dating Olivia Munn, which we did not know people were speculating about until she told us that people were speculating about it. Last we heard, hes been hanging out with an unidentified blonde (per Lainey Lui). So wed say hes dating, at least, but maybe (hopefully) not tied down yet.

Chris: Pine

Relationship status: In one, it seems!

Whats going on there?: The fact that Pine is apparently in a relationship has been in front of our faces for two-ish weeks  we were just too blinded by his overalls to notice. At the end of March, Pine was photographed at the airport in the aforementioned overalls  and with actress Annabelle Wallis, who previously dated another Chris (Martin, of Coldplay and Gwyneth Paltrow, not of Hollywood Chrises). Then, Pine and Wallis even ate dinner together in Malibu (check out the pic below). So, according to People, theyre dating. US Weekly has some info about how the coupling came to be, courtesy of an insider: She was seeing someone else when they met. They kept it casual for the beginning. Chris was very attentive and wooed her to get her attention away from the other guy. Wooed!

Chris Pine and Annabelle Wallis. Photo: Billy Farrell/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

Chris: Evans

Relationship status: Single :( and mustached :(((

Whats going on there?: Unfortunately, Chris Evanss on/off relationship with the delightful Jenny Slate is back in the off position. The pair first dated for around ten months while filming the 2016 movie Gifted, then they broke up (and the whole world fell deeply in love with Slate when she got real about their split to Vulture). After that, she went to a movie with Jon Hamm, and next thing we know, Evans and Slate were back together and spent the holidays with his family. Love was real again! But sadly, by March, the pair split once again. What a rollercoaster!

All by himself (again). Photo: RB/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

Chris: Hemsworth

Relationship status: Still married, nothing to report

Whats going on there?: While there are always the inevitable rumors of potential marital strife here and there, it seems that Hemsworths marriage to Spanish actress Elsa Pataky is still going strong. They have three cute kids together and live in Australia. No updates. Everythings just fine and attractive between them. We mean, look at how freaking romantic they are  they had a dang picnic on a cliff!! (See below).

Here he is with a koala, too. Just for your records:

This post has been updated with additional Chris information.
The Google Inc. logo is displayed at a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 5, 2008. (Maurice Tsai/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Amid USChina Trade Tensions, US Tech Giants Turn to Taiwan for Investment

Amid growing trade tensions between the United States and China, three American high-tech giants, Google, Microsoft, and IBM, have recently announced their plans to grow their staff in Taiwan and establish research centers on the island nation in the coming months.

Taiwan has a separate political and economic system from mainland China and considers itself a separate country, but the Beijing regime views Taiwan as a breakaway province that will one day be reunited with the mainland. Though the United States only maintains formal diplomatic relations with China, it has kept friendly ties with Taiwan. The U.S. government has continually sold arms to Taiwan for the island to defend itself.

Google announced on March 21 that it would hire 300 new employees in Taiwan and train 5,000 students in artificial intelligence (AI) programming.

Microsoft also announced in January that it would invest $33 million to build an AI research and development (R&D) hub in Taiwan and hire 100 people for the center in the next two years. That number will go up to 200 people within five years.

Taiwan is known as a world-leading manufacturing hub. This gives the island the right environment to push forward with AI and expand its R&D capabilities, said Ken Sun, General Manager of Microsoft Taiwan in a press release. Its education system has cultivated a large and outstanding talent pool in mathematics, engineering, and the sciences.

Meanwhile, the Taiwan general manager of IBM, Lisa Kao, said last month that her company would expand its R&D center in Taiwan, focusing on artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and cloud computing. She added that she anticipated 100 new hires in 2018 and that a new cloud research lab is in the works.

We are not surprised that the U.S. high-tech giants are recruiting talents in Taiwan, said Taiwans Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker, Kolas Yotaka, in an interview. She added that Taiwans business climate is much more welcoming for the high-tech industry, compared to mainland China, where concerns of intellectual property (IP) theft and forced technology transfers are rife. The phenomenon has even led the United States to enact punitive tariffs on Chinese high-tech goods as a countermeasure to the Chinese regimes unfair trade policies.

William Kao, Taiwanese entrepreneur and founder of the Victims of Investment in China Associationa group that provides legal counsel for Taiwanese businesspeople who have been scammed while conducting business in China told The Epoch Times that Taiwan, as a democratic society with rule of law, respects and protects IP rights, whereas the Chinese Communist regime actually encourages the theft of high-tech from other countries.

He added that after U.S. President Donald Trump enacted tough measures to call out Chinas trade practices, countries are being more cautious about doing business with China. I think business owners know the advantages of Taiwan. They can foresee there might be conflicts between the United States and China. So they will choose Taiwan.

Kolas, meanwhile, believed that the high number of outstanding talents in Taiwans tech field is one of the reasons American firms are investing more in Taiwan.

Kolas also noted that workplace management is not as well-organized in Chinese firms. The tech sector is worried that opportunity costs are higher there, so theyd rather go to Taiwan, she said.

She added that the infrastructure of major cities in Taiwan is at the level of developed countries, yet cost of living is lower than in Europe and the United States, thus making the island an attractive country for investments.

Chen Han and Zhou Huixin contributed to this report
Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the opening of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao, in south China's Hainan Province on April 10, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images)

In Economic Forum Speech, Chinese Leader Xi Jinping Concedes to US Trade Pressure

China will cut auto tariffs, open up markets, and protect IP, Xi says

After weeks of escalating trade tensions between China and the United States over import tariffs, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has finally capitulated to U.S. pressure.

In a speech before the Boao Forum for Asia, held on the southern Chinese island of Hainan on April 10, Xi made it clear that he was willing to concede on several demands that U.S. President Donald Trump has made in pushing China toward a more equitable trade relationship with the United States.

Trumps April 8 tweet led many to speculate on whether a compromise between the two countries was imminent. 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, he wrote.

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

Xis words at the Boao Forum, taking a much softer stance compared to the Chinese state medias aggressive threats of a trade war, suggest that he may be heeding Trumps wishes. While Xi did not mention Trump or the recent trade disputes specifically, his comments were an obvious response to Trump.

Just one day before Xis speech, Trump had posted on Twitter about the disparity between car import duties imposed by China versus the United Statesa point he has repeatedly made to illustrate the trade imbalance between the two countries. When a car is sent to the United States from China, there is a Tariff to be paid of 2 1/2 percent. When a car is sent to China from the United States, there is a Tariff to be paid of 25 percent. Does that sound like free or fair trade. No, it sounds like stupid tradegoing on for years! Trump wrote on April 9.

Xi said he would reorganize Chinas State Intellectual Property Office and strengthen its powers to enforce IP laws.

Xi, in his speech on April 10, said, This year, we will considerably reduce auto import tariffs, and at the same time reduce import tariffs on some other products.

When a car is sent to the United States from China, there is a Tariff to be paid of 2 1/2%. When a car is sent to China from the United States, there is a Tariff to be paid of 25%. Does that sound like free or fair trade. No, it sounds like STUPID TRADE  going on for years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2018

On the issue of intellectual property theftthe target of the United States recently announced $50 billion to $60 billion in tariffs on Chinese tech goodsXi said he would reorganize Chinas State Intellectual Property Office and strengthen its powers to enforce IP laws. It was one of only a few times Xi has directly addressed this issue.

A recent report on Chinas IP practices, published by the U.S. trade representative, revealed that the Chinese regime has been strategically directing both state-owned and private firms to acquire foreign tech innovations through foreign investments, with the intent of gaining dominance in global markets.

And on the oft-mentioned topic of the U.S. trade deficit with China, which topped $375 billion last year, Xi made an indirect comment: China does not pursue a trade surplus as its goal. Xi added that he would work to increase Chinas importssomething Xi admits Chinese citizens would welcomeand push for the countrys participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO)s Agreement on Government Procurement, a treaty requiring fair trade practices for its signatories.

Trump had previously expressed his wish for China to cut its trade surplus with the United States by $100 billion, noting that the countrys trade barriers made it difficult for American goods to enter the market.

Xi also spoke about opening up access to Chinese markets, reiterating previous promises made by senior Chinese officials to raise the foreign ownership limit on joint ventures in the auto, shipbuilding, aircraft, and other sectors. Foreign firms are currently limited to a 50 percent stake in joint ventures and cannot establish their own wholly owned factories.

Reactions

Whether Xi will make good on his words remains to be seen. Since at least 2013, Chinese officials have said they would ease restrictions on foreign joint ventures in the auto industry, but have not provided a timeline for that to happen.

A survey released in January by the American Chamber of Commerce in China found that American businesses still dont feel welcome in China. Fifty-five percent of respondents said restrictions on market participation were their primary concern when it comes to unfair treatment in China.

Some economists have expressed cautious optimism after Xis Boao speech.

President Xis speech appears to have struck a relatively positive tone and opens the door to potential negotiations with the U.S. in our view, said economists at Nomura, a Japanese financial services firm. But of course actions speak louder than words. We will keep an eye on the progress of those opening-up measures.

The U.S.-China Business Council expressed hopes for real change. Ultimately, U.S. industry will be looking for implementation of long-stalled economic reforms, but actions to date have greatly undermined the optimism of the U.S. business community, said Jacob Parker, vice president of China operations.

Trump remained positive after Xis speech. Very thankful for President Xi of Chinas kind words on tariffs and automobile barriers, he posted on Twitter on April 10. We will make great progress together!

Very thankful for President Xi of Chinas kind words on tariffs and automobile barriersalso, his enlightenment on intellectual property and technology transfers. We will make great progress together!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018

Reuters contributed to this report.
#MeToo Movement Pushes Ahead in China: Professor at Prestigious Peking University Accused of Sexual Assault

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Michigan Millionaire Says City Pays Him $20,000 a Year Since 1998 for Road That Doesnt Exist

A city about 30 miles northwest of Detroit has been paying tens of thousands of dollars a year for nearly 20 years for a non-existent road.

The city of Novi, Michigan, planned to build a road about 20 years ago and won a court ruling forcing a local landowner to sell a piece of his property so the thoroughfare could be constructed.

It was the utmost urgency to put the road in, said Kevin Adell, the landowner, according to Fox 2.

Not only was a lump-sum payment made, the court decided the city would have to pay Adell a yearly sum until the road was complete.

They paid me $800,000 in the late 90s, 2000 and they have been paying me $20,000 a year for the last 18 years, Adell said.

Novi taxpayers are out about $1 million now, and still no road.

After Novi sued Adell in 1998 and won the adjudication, forcing him to sell the one-acre piece of land to build a road there, no ground has been broken.

The city is legally bound to pay Adell $20,000 a year  forever  until the road is built.

Adell, a millionaire who owns The Word Network and 910 AM The Superstation, told Fox 2 that hes speaking up because he sees it as a waste of taxpayer resources.

Its the citizens that are getting affected, Adell said.

Pete Auger, the Novi City Manager told Fox 2 reporters that the city hasnt changed its mind about building the road, but that the right project that would justify its construction simply has not materialized yet.

Absolutely, were waiting for a viable project come through and that will make the corner of the lot easier to navigate, he said. We can build a road there, it is designed and ready to go. We just have to wait for the right project.

The city manager reportedly also said that he has been working with Adell on developing the 23 acres that he still owns adjacent to the plot that he was forced to sell.

Fox 2 reporters asked Adell whether the road had anything to do with your project, suggesting that perhaps the reason he was speaking up now was to pressure the city to build a road that would benefit him.

No because my project turns to the right, Adell said. This project turns to the left.

Adell refused to provide details about his project, but insisted the road would not be of any benefit to him.

This is the road to nowhere, he said. At the taxpayers expense.

The issue has sparked an exchange of opinions on social media. Some commenters expressed indignation over forced government land seizures, and others touched on the need for greater accountability. Still others questioned Adells motives for waiting so long to speak up.

But with the issue more squarely in the spotlight, there is likely to be more scrutiny of Novi city authorities by taxpayers concerned about their pockets.

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Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello speaks during an interview in New York City, on Nov. 2, 2017. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo)

Puerto Rico to Get $18.5 Billion to Rebuild Shattered Housing Market

SAN JUANPuerto Rico will receive $18.5 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help rebuild its battered housing stock and infrastructure after Septembers Hurricane Maria, the islands governor and HUD officials said on Tuesday.

The funding for the U.S. territory was the largest grant in the history of the HUD, said HUD undersecretary Pamela Patenaude.

But the award was significantly less than the $46 billion requested by Governor Ricardo Rossello in November.

HUD is awarding a total of roughly $28 billion to nine states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico that have been recently affected by major disasters, including Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria, as well as the recent California wildfires.

The funds are part of a $90 billion disaster aid package signed by Trump in February. The Virgin Islands is set to receive $1.6 billion in HUD disaster recovery funds, a department media advisory said on Tuesday.

Rossello said at a news conference that he expected to adjust Puerto Ricos fiscal turnaround plan to reflect the full grant. The most recent version of the plan pegged at $13 billion the amount of funds from HUD that the commonwealth expected to receive.

Puerto Rico is navigating the largest bankruptcy in U.S. government history, and the plan is meant to establish economic projections that will serve as a basis for forthcoming restructuring talks with creditors owed $120 billion in bond and pension debt.

Rossello and Patenaude made the announcement in Villa Hugo, a shantytown in Canovanas, which sustained severe damage when Maria hit the island on Sept. 20.

Villa Hugos 6,000 residents are squatters on government land. Most built their homes informally, and do not own title to their properties.

Informal construction  which can also refer to property owners who illegally subdivide their land  is thought to comprise between one-fourth and one-half of Puerto Ricos 1.2 million homes.

The prevalence of informal housing, which often does not comply with building codes, was thought to compound damage to Puerto Ricos housing stock when the storm hit.

The HUD funds can be used for housing, economic development and infrastructure, and could be used to help repair the islands crippled power grid. While local authorities determine where funds will be used, HUD provides technical assistance and guidelines, Patenaude said.

Maria was a vicious blow to an already struggling island that has been in recession for more than a decade, with a poverty rate near 50 percent.

Puerto Rico now projects to receive roughly $50 billion during the next six years in federal disaster relief assistance, mostly through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the governments latest fiscal turnaround plan.

By Luis J. Valentin Ortiz

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A Taiwanese navy soldier salutes from the Dutch-made Chien Lung-class submarine during a combat skills demonstration in the waters near the Tsoying navy base in southern Kaohsiung, Taiwan on Jan. 14, 2014. (Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Gives Boost to Taiwans Submarine Program by Sharing US Tech

The U.S. State Department has approved a long-standing request from Taiwan to solicit help from American companies in building the island nations own indigenous submarines. While the go-ahead is only the first step in a long process, observers say the decision reflects the Trump administrations commitment to strengthening Taiwans defense and deterring the Chinese regimes aggression.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense confirmed on April 7 a Taiwanese media report that the U.S. government has awarded a marketing license in support of the island nations efforts to develop its own diesel-electric submarines. It added that it expresses its thanks to the U.S. government for attaching importance to Taiwans defense and security.

A marketing license means that the U.S. companies can share brochures and technical information so that Taiwan can consider making a purchase, said David An, a senior research fellow with the Global Taiwan Institute and a former State Department political-military affairs officer.

While the news has since been widely reported by Taiwanese and international media, neither U.S. nor Taiwanese official statements make clear which particular submarine part or technology the marketing license has authorized Taiwan to seek from U.S. companies.

Fu S. Mei, director of the New York-based Taiwan Security Analysis Center and an expert in U.S.Taiwan arms sales, said that the marketing license in question would allow one unnamed U.S. company to demonstrate specifications of its submarine combat system to Taiwan.

Another U.S. company seeking to sell submarine combat systems to Taiwan has also received similar marketing approval through a technical assistance agreement, Mei said.

A marketing license does not guarantee Taiwan would be able to purchase the parts or technology it has been shown, which would require a separate export license. But experts say that the decision by the Trump administration to greenlight the technology demo is an important step for Taiwan, which has been struggling for over a decade to build a new fleet of submarines.

The United States is careful about even approving marketing licenses, said An. It is a good sign for Taiwan, since the U.S. approves marketing licenses for items [for which] it has a high chance of actually approving the final export license.

Beijing has continued to build up and modernize the naval and air forces of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), along with other military platforms such as ballistic missiles, in preparation for a possible military campaign against Taiwan.

The Taiwanese navy, while commanding a sizeable surface fleet with more than two dozen destroyers and frigates, has only two combat-capable submarines, which the island nation acquired from the Netherlands in the 1990s.

Over the past decade, a select number of U.S. defense writers and also some Taiwanese have questioned the usefulness of the submarines for Taiwan. Ultimately, however, a majority of the analysts and the Taiwan military itself see submarines as a critical asset for Taiwan to counter the Chinese regimes military threat asymmetrically, and to complicate and thwart any invasion attempt by the PLA.

Submarines will contribute to the survival of a democratic Taiwan, which by simply surviving denies the middle of the first island chain to China, and also strengthens the defense of Japans islands in the Ryukyu island chain, said Richard Fisher, a senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center.

Taiwans president, Tsai Ing-wen, has reportedly committed her administration to building a fleet of at least eight indigenous defense submarines. Her party, the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, published a defense policy blue paper back in 2015 calling for new submarines to enter service by 2025.

This decision [to approve a marketing license] is a testament to the Trump administrations new willingness to view Taiwan as a strategic benefit to the United States, said Fisher.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: President Donald Trump (L) greets Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-WI, as he arrives on stage to delivers remarks at the National Republican Congressional Committee March Dinner at the National Building Museum on March 20, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump Responds to News That Paul Ryan Wont Seek Re-Election

President Donald Trump lauded House Speaker Paul Ryan for his achievements after learning on Wednesday that Ryan wont seek re-election.

Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question, Trump wrote on Twitter. We are with you Paul!

Ryan (R-Wis.) announced on Wednesday that he wont seek re-election in November. Ryan will retire in January after serving his full term, Fox News reported, citing a statement from his office.

After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father. While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him, Brendan Buck, counselor to the speaker, said in the statement.

Ryan was instrumental in passing Trumps tax-reform bill, something the speaker had pushed for years. The new legislation will reduce the tax burden on Americans and companies by $5.5 trillion over the next decade.

Ryan was Mitt Romneys running mate in the 2012 presidential election.

Over the years, Ryan has gained a reputation as an advocate for limited government and balanced budgets. He worked to repeal and replace Obamacare and passed several bills to dismantle it, the most significant of which failed in the Senate last year.

Ryans departure will open the House leadership seat. The frontrunners for the position are believed to be House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and GOP Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Ryan has been in Congress since 1999 and became the House speaker in 2015.

Recommended Video: President Donald Trumps Weekly Address, April 7, 2018
U.S. President Barack Obama is introduced by Pastor Bill Hybels of Chicago before he speaks about comprehensive immigration reform at the American University School of International Service in Washington, July 1, 2010. (Reuters/Larry Downing)

U.S. Megachurch Pastor Retires, Says Investigation That Cleared Him Took Its Toll

Bill Hybels, the founder of one of the largest evangelical megachurches in the United States and a former spiritual adviser to Bill Clinton, retired early on Tuesday, saying an investigation that cleared him of misconduct had taken its toll.

Leaders at Willow Creek Community Church in a northwest suburban of Chicago said two weeks ago they had cleared Hybels of wrongdoing after an investigation found that allegations of misconduct against several women were untrue.

Hybels told his congregation he had decided to retire on Tuesday, six months earlier than the October date he had planned.

I have complete peace about this decision, Hybels said after several people shouted No in the packed hall in South Barrington, Illinois.

I have been accused of many things I simply did not do, he said.

The controversy has been extremely painful to him and his wife Lynne and continued to be a distraction, he said, his voice cracking.

Hybels founded the church in 1975, drawing 125 worshippers to the first service in the Willow Creek Theatre in Palatine, Illinois, according to the churchs website.

It said 25,000 worshippers now regularly attended at the main campus in South Barrington and satellite sites across Chicagoland.

Hybels was one of President Bill Clintons spiritual advisers around the time of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the Washington Post reported.

By Brendan OBrien

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Iran's national flags are seen on a square in Tehran Feb. 10, 2012, a day before the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. (REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/File Photo)

US Backs EU Iran Sanctions Push, Warns Firms Against Tehran Trade

LONDONThe United States on Tuesday welcomed a push by some EU states to impose new sanctions on Iran and warned firms considering doing business with the Islamic Republic that they could be funding militant groups and regional instability.

U.S. President Donald Trump has set European allies a May 12 deadline to revamp an international deal agreed with Tehran in 2015 that lifted international sanctions against Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Speaking in London at the start of a tour of European signatories to that deal, Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said sanctions were an important part of a comprehensive effort to counter Irans malign activity in the region.

We understand that the EU, its been reported in the press, is considering new Iran-related sanctions. This is a good and important step that we support, she told reporters before meetings with British officials.

Last month, France, Britain and Germany sought EU support for approval of new sanctions, but have struggled to persuade other member states to back them. Mandelker will visit Berlin and Paris during her three-day tour.

Mandelker said Iran was using money to support Hezbollah, Hamas and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and that those attempting to do business with Iran despite the sanctions risked indirectly funding those groups activities in the Middle East.

We say any company thinking about doing business in Iran or with Iranian companies face serious risks that they will be doing business with those, like the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps), supporting terrorism and instability throughout the world, she said.

IRAN WARNING

Irans President Hassan Rouhani warned on Monday that the United States would regret pulling out of the nuclear deal, and that Tehrans response would be stronger than anticipated.

The 2015 pact between Iran and six major powers  Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States  lifted sanctions that had crippled Irans oil-based economy, in return for restrictions on its nuclear activities.

But, since coming to office, Trump has criticized the deal, agreed under his predecessor Barack Obama, and told European allies to fix the terrible flaws of the deal, or he will refuse to extend a suspension of U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Mandelker said Iran had not followed through on other reforms separate to the nuclear deal, citing the example of a continued lack of transparency in the Iranian banking system.

The onus of responsibility lies in Iran and were going to continue to highlight the risks of doing business there because they havent taken the actions that they have promised they would take, she said.

Mandelker also said she would be discussing with European allies how to disrupt North Korean efforts to evade sanctions.

She added that she looked forward to continued close working with Britain on sanctions against Russia.

By William James

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US, Russia Clash at UN Over Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria

UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUTRussia and the United States tangled on Tuesday at the United Nations over the use of chemical weapons in Syria as Washington and its allies considered whether to strike at President Bashar al-Assads forces over a suspected poison gas attack last weekend.

Moscow and Washington could not come to an agreement at the U.N. Security Council in order to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, which is in the throes of a seven-year-old civil war.

At a certain point youre either for an independent and impartial investigation, or youre not. Today for the 6th time Russia failed the Syrian people and vetoed a mechanism that would have held those who use chemical weapons against them accountable.  Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) April 10, 2018

President Donald Trump and U.S. allies are discussing possible military action to punish Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that long had held out against government forces.

Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.

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

Pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in next 72 hours.

On the diplomatic front, the United Nations Security Council failed to approve three draft resolutions on chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia vetoed a U.S. text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get a minimum nine votes to pass.

Moscow opposes any Western strike on its close ally Assad and has vetoed Security Council action on Syria 12 times since the conflict started.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council that adopting the U.S.-drafted resolution was the least that member nations could do.

History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people, Haley said, referring to Assad.

At least 60 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in Saturdays suspected chemical weapons attack on the town of Douma, according to a Syrian relief group.

Doctors and witnesses have said victims showed symptoms of poisoning, possibly by a nerve agent, and reported the smell of chlorine gas.

Russia Accuses

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washingtons decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria.

I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that youre currently developing for Syria, he said after the council failed to approve a third draft resolution on chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

International chemical weapons experts are expected to go to Douma to investigate the suspected poison gas attack.

France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

The Douma incident has thrust Syrias conflict back to the forefront of the international stage, pitting Washington and Moscow against each other once again.

Trump said that he would make a decision about how to respond within a few days, adding that the United States had a lot of options militarily on Syria.

.@POTUS Trump condemns the heinous attack on innocent Syrians with banned chemical weapons. #Syria pic.twitter.com/qiEahlL3Ah  Department of State (@StateDept) April 9, 2018

Assads government and Russia have said there was no evidence a gas attack had taken place and that the claim was bogus.

Any U.S. strike is likely to involve naval assets, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defense systems. A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

A key issue being considered by U.S. defense and intelligence agencies and war planners is the effectiveness of Syrian air defenses and the extent to which Russia is helping to organize, and ultimately, direct Syrian air defense operations, according to two U.S. government sources.

Last year, the United States launched strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base.

U.S. military action similar to last years would likely not cause a shift in the direction of the war that has gone Assads way since 2015 with massive aid from Iran and Russia.

There was little expectation that members of Congress would object if Trump launched an attack on Syria, despite some calls for lawmakers to exert their power to authorize military action. Most members of Congress  Democrats as well as his fellow Republicans  praised Trump after the strike last year.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that any strikes would not target the Syrian governments allies or anybody in particular, but would be aimed at the Syrian governments chemical facilities.In Syria, thousands of militants and their families arrived in rebel-held parts of the countrys northwest after surrendering Douma to government forces.

Their evacuation restored Assads control over eastern Ghouta, formerly the biggest rebel bastion near Damascus, and gave him his biggest battlefield victory since 2016, when he took back Aleppo.

Aggravating the volatile situation in the region, Iran  Assads other main ally  threatened to respond to an air strike on a Syrian military base on Monday that Tehran, Damascus and Moscow have blamed on Israel.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, meanwhile, said there was no threat of the situation in Syria resulting in a military clash between Russia and the United States. TASS news agency quoted him as saying he believed common sense would prevail.

A Russian warplane flew over a French warship at low altitude in the eastern Mediterranean this weekend, a deliberate breach of international regulations, a French naval source said on Tuesday.

The weekly magazine Le Point said the Russian plane had flown over the frigate Aquitaine and was fully armed. The Aquitaine is equipped with 16 cruise missiles and 16 surface-to-air missiles. It is currently operating off Lebanon alongside U.S. ships as part of Frances military contingent fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

Despite the international revulsion over chemical weapons attacks, the death toll from such incidents in Syria is only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians killed since the war began in 2011.

By Michelle Nichols and Ellen Francis
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press

CVS Health launched Wednesday what it called the pharmacy industrys most comprehensive effort to hold in check escalating costs for prescription drugs.

CVS is based in Woonsocket, R.I., with more than 50 pharmacies in southwestern Connecticut. The company is in the process of acquiring Hartford-based Aetna, with its CVS Caremark affiliate among the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the country.
Take some time today to hang out with your furry, scaly and feathered friends. It's National Pet Day!

To celebrate, we've asked you, the readers, to send us photos of your best friends so we can put them in the spotlight.
NORWALK  Six years after moving from Vermont to Stamford, Bruce Bird is still looking for a new home for his Museum of Black WWII History.

On Wednesday, he brought a very small sample of the museums collections to Norwalk City Hall to raise awareness of African-Americans contributions to the war effort and possibly get a lead on a new home.

Here we are, have you got any ideas? asked Bird, founder and curator of the museum, summarizing his pitch to a passersby. No prospects yet but its like lightening. There is no warning.

Bird is hopeful an opportunity will present itself in a flash. He said he needs several thousand square feet, excluding parking space, to house the museum collection, which includes a half-track, two pickup trucks and a post-war Jeep.

Among the items on display Wednesday on a table within the Veterans Hall of Honor at Norwalk City Hall were shells of various sizes, models of American and German tanks and fighter planes, a first-aid kit and a photograph of the Tuskeegee Airmen.

While the Tuskeegee Airmen gained fame for piloting fighter and bomber planes during the war, they were hardly the only African-Americans to help secure victory for the Allies. Bird cited the 761st Tank Battalion.

They were deployed first in France. Their first day of action was the 8th of November 1944, Bird said. They were south of the Battle of the Bulge.

Members of the 761st Tank Battalion were among the soldiers rushed by Gen. George Patton to relieve American soldiers trapped in the city of Bastogne.

According to Bird, 1.1 million African-American troops served in World War II, including 909,000 in the Army, 167,000 in the Navy, 19,168 in the Marines and more than 5,000 in the Coast Guard. In addition, 7,093 African-American women served in uniform, mostly in the Army.

Bird said he hopes to find a permanent home for his museums collections, which remain in storage after he was forced to vacate space he leased in Pownal, Vt.
Moroccos membership in the African Unions Peace and Security Council will help the kingdom assert its leadership in promoting peace and stability in the continent, said Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

Morocco has a vision for peace in Africa and will act on all issues relating to stability in the continent, said Bourita in an interview with the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

Bourita put emphasis on Moroccos extensive experience in peacekeeping operations in Africa saying that it will bring its expertise to the mechanisms of the council, which it effectively joined last April.

More than 60,000 Moroccan peacekeepers have participated within five UN peacekeeping missions in Africa and 11 Medical and Surgical Field Hospitals were deployed in 10 African countries and provided more than 530,000 medical services to the local populations.

Moroccos vision is based on the link between security, regional integration and development, said the Foreign Minister, adding that Africas emergence hinges on development which in turn is inconceivable in the absence of peace and regional integration.

These three factors are key to averting conflicts in Africa and maintaining peace and stability in the continent, he said, noting that Moroccos guiding principle is fostering African solidarity and unity.

In this respect, the Moroccan official stressed the need to avoid division and polarization within the council.

The election of Morocco to the AU Peace and Security Council is a step forward towards putting the AU on track of addressing Africas pressing issues of security and stability on which the continents development hinges.

Morocco, the unique candidate from the North-African region, was elected to the Council for a renewable two-year term (2018-2020) by 39 votes. The minimum of votes required is 36.

The Council, chaired by Algerias pro-separatist Ismail Chergui, has long been used by the Polisario-proponents to take decisions detrimental to Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara.

Morocco together with its friends said they will act as a bulwark against any attempt to derail the AU from its key tasks: promoting African integration and safeguarding states unity and territorial integrity.
WILTON  A problematic intersection in town has been targeted as the potential landing spot for a modern roundabout due to concern over the frequency of accidents over the past few years.

The state Department of Transportation met with town officials and members of the police force in recent weeks to discuss the potential installation of a roundabout system at the four-way intersection where Wolfpit Road turns into New Canaan Road.

State officials said the Belden Hill Road intersection was selected as a candidate for a modern roundabout due to recurring problems with dangerous accidents in the area.

They identified this area as a high-crash frequency over the last three years, in particular the majority of those being angled-type crashes, which can be the most severe in terms of injuries, said Capt. Rob Cipolla, a police spokesman.

In the past three years, there have been 19 accidents at the juncture. Sixteen of the accidents were identified as dangerous angled-type crashes, three of which resulted in injuries, according to police reports.

The intersection is also home to frequent traffic jams and congestion around peak commuting hours. In a study from January 2017, the DOT found approximately 7,043 cars use the intersection between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The analysis tallied nearly 1,400 cars per hour during commuting peaks in the morning and afternoon.

The solution to both problems, Cipolla said, may be the implementation of a roundabout- or rotary-type intersection.

(Roundabouts) can reduce congestion by keeping traffic moving, they reduce emissions and pollution by not having cars idling up at stop signs and they have been shown to significantly reduce head-on and T-bone collisions  the kind of collisions that are the most severe in terms of injuries, Cipolla added.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials claims that such installments have reduced up to 78 percent of severe crashes and 48 percent of overall crashes across the nation.

While there isnt much data on roundabouts in Connecticut, DOT officials estimate theyve eliminated about 150 crashes and prevented 100 injuries since installing modern roundabouts around the state.

Looking at the national statistics, they deem it to be a safer resolution than a traffic signal. Even with a traffic signal, youre going to have people that are trying to beat the lights and then you have increased speeds through the intersection, as opposed to a roundabout that is naturally going to speed cars down as they enter the roundabout, Cipolla said.

The proposed roundabout would be a modern model as opposed to a traditional rotary system, Cipolla explained. The main distinction between the two arises mainly from design differences. A modern system uses raised islands to force vehicles to slow speeds and bear right into the roundabout.

This isnt the first time the Wolfpit-Belden Hill intersection has popped up on the states radar. In 1996, the state identified the crossroads as a candidate for a traffic signal, however then-First Selectman Bob Russell shot down the plan and instead focused on the widening of Route 7.

At that time the issue was congestion, and we continue to see that issue today with continued congestion and high volumes, Cipolla said. Fast forward to where were at today, and now we have what has been identified as a safety issue.

While the roundabout could possibly solve traffic and accident woes, its construction could open up another can of worms for the town. In order to build the roundabout, the state would need to acquire some land adjacent to the intersection. The impact, however, would likely be less invasive than signalizing the intersection, Cipolla said.

If the project were to move forward, Wilton would join an exclusive group. According to DOT officials, there are only seven modern roundabouts throughout the state. Wiltons troublesome intersection is one of approximately 35 locations across the state that is being considered for a roundabout.

DOT estimates the project could cost around $2.5 million. On April 2, the Board of Selectmen authorized the police department to organize a public information session with DOT to discuss the project with town residents and other stakeholders.
EDWARDSVILLE  The Edwardsville Police Department is looking into the possibility of adding electronic motorcycles into its fleet.

As discussed at Mondays Public Safety Committee meeting, the department is set to take part in an electronic motorcycle demonstration Thursday, April 12 at the public safety facility. Zero Motorcycles will be providing the motorcycle for the demonstration.

Edwardsville Police Chief Jay Keeven addressed committee members and said if the EPD likes the electronic motorcycle concept, it may be worth looking into later on.

We have not (had motorcycles in our fleet before). Glen Carbon does have a couple of Harley Davidsons. I know Troy has a Harley Davidson in their fleet, Keeven said. I like motorcycles for patrol purposes. Case and point, we receive a lot of complains for running stop signs or speeding in a neighborhood. Quite frankly, in a three-block stretch of roadway, if you park a marked squad car, everybody sees you, so they address their driving behavior accordingly.

We also have red light runners in our community and its easy and certainly not safe to try to do a three-point turn with a squad car in an intersection that has five lanes of traffic going in each direction. Motorcycles are a little more agile for that type of use, although they do come with their own dangers. If youre struck in a vehicle, you have the vehicle to protect you. The motorcycle, like a bicyclist, you do not, he added.

With the electric motorcycles, the Zero Motorcycles website states that by going electric, the motorcycles wont have a need to visit gas stations, has no need for oil, no exhaust, has a lighter weight than that of a normal motorbike, and several other benefits.

Keeven said if the department were to add electronic motorcycles to its fleet, it would require additional trainings for the officers that showed interest.

If we do have officers that expressed an interest, there would be additional training required. I wouldnt put an officer on a motorcycle unless we go through training. Now, the training that the Illinois State Police officers is not with electronic motorcycles. Some of the training that they do is bringing motorcycles up and down stairs, laying motorcycles down when youre moving, Keeven said. Its a hard course and not everybody passesbut I would still want our officers to go through that police motorcycle safety course.

The electronic motorcycles, according to Keeven, would also have a cost savings when compared to the price of a standard police Harley Davidson bike.

The electronic motorcycles are probably going to run you $15 - $16,000 fully equipped, Keeven said. I think a Harley Davidson police bike isprobably closer to $18 - $20,000. So an electronic motorcycle would probably be a little less expensive.

Keeven told committee aldermen Will Krause and SJ Morrison that if the bikes were utilized by the EPD going forward, theyd likely be used for enforcement patrols both on the streets and on the bike trails. He also said the noise wouldnt be significant with the motorcycles, unless officers were going over 30 miles per hour.

Aldermen were in favor of looking into the idea and Keeven said if the demonstration goes well, it is an option for the department to consider.

Its a great opportunity to at least see their product and have others see their product, Keeven said. If its the direction we want to go in the future here, its an option for us.
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.
EDWARDSVILLE  Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton is back in the race for the 56th District Senate seat.

However, this time, hes running as a new party and hes calling it Downstate United.

Following four months of appealing to state appellate and circuit courts, Patton officially launched his petition drive Tuesday, April 10, after making an announcement at a press conference at the Gateway Commerce Center.

Patton said the next step is to gather enough petition signatures to get back on the ballot for the general election in November.

The most important next step are these petitions. These are the petitions that will need to be circulated and signed. We will need nearly 10,000 registered voters between now and the end of June, Patton said. Its a tall task for the amount of time that we have, but its another opportunity for us to get the message out there and to get people to participate in an important election.

Patton will need to acquire, at minimum, 5,200 petition signatures by Monday, June 25, to be put on the ballot for the general election.

Patton initially announced his candidacy six months ago with an intent to run for the Republican Senate seat for the 56th District; however, local courts opted to remove him from the ballot after he signed a petition for State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville. According to Illinois state law, a candidate cannot sign petitions for different parties.

With Pattons name off of the ballot during the March primary, he then appealed the U.S. Supreme Court in hopes of getting back on for the Republican nomination.

However, Patton said the case dropped due to the lack of consideration.

What I was being told was we needed one member of the Supreme Court to bring that up for consideration and unfortunately, that information was not complete. The reality is there are four justices that are Democrat and theres three justices that are Republican. I needed a total of four justices to bring that up, according to what my attorney told me. Thats where it dropped, Patton said.

With his options narrowing to get back on the ballot, Patton said his best option was to form a new party, although he still considers himself a Republican.

In order to avoid any future legal challenges, my best option is to form a new party to run. This idea evolved over the last few weeks, as I met with local office holders and talked with many passionate supporters, Patton said. Im not in any way, shape or form leaving the Republican party. Ive clearly been in that since 1998. But, Ive also, as mayor and as an independent, Ive attracted other voters because of my willingness to not deal with the partisan politics.

Patton is looking for volunteer petition circulators. Those who wish to circulate petitions for Patton dont have to live within the 56th District; however, there is a restriction.

The only restriction is on the circulators. If you circulated a petition for another candidate, Republican or Democrat, you cannot circulate for me and for Downstate United, he said.

Pattons campaign emphasizes his successes so far as the mayor of Edwardsville, bringing new jobs to the area, building a new public safety building, adding funds in tax revenue and investing in new parks with no increase in property taxes.

Patton said ultimately, he hopes to represent all political parties and correct the election process in Springfield.

I believe it is time for downstate Illinois voters to take back their representation, to speak as one voice about the things that matter most to us, regardless of our normal political affiliation. A voting block working for the things we value, fiscal responsibility, excellent schools, job opportunities for our hardworking people and steadfast support for the First and Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Patton said.

I think I have the track record of being a positive representative, of growing a community, of treating people fairly, working with our unions and creating jobs for our trades. Ill put that track record against anyone, he added.

The 56th District includes all or parts of Edwardsville, Alton, Glen Carbon, Bethalto, Caseyville, Collinsville, East Alton, Elsah, Fairview Heights, Hartford, Godfrey, Granite City, Madison, Maryville, OFallon, Pontoon Beach, Roxana, Shiloh, South Roxana, Swansea and Wood River.

For more information about Hal Pattons campaign, visit his website at www.halpattonforsenate.com.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita is currently touring a number of European capitals to explain to his interlocutors the latest developments of the Sahara issue, following the incursions of the Algeria-backed Polisario in the buffer zone, east of the Moroccan defense berm.

Bouritas talks are also covering ways to strengthen partnership between Morocco and the visited countries and other issues of mutual concern, Morocco being a key partner of Europe in security, counterterrorism and struggle against illegal migration, to mention but a few.

After a visit to Paris, where he met French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday, Nasser Bourita arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for talks with his German counterpart Heiko Maas.

Talks between the Moroccan and German officials will cover bilateral cooperation, relationship between Morocco and the European Union and Moroccos territorial integrity.

Germany, which has friendly relations with Morocco, will join the UN Security Council in 2019 as a non-permanent member.

A Moroccan governmental source told local media that the Foreign Minister is not planning to meet the UN Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy for the Sahara, German Horst Kohler, whose offices are based in Berlin.

Bouritas tour is taking place against the backdrop of the Polisarios latest provocative acts in the Moroccan Sahara, as the separatist front deployed armed elements in demilitarized areas, including, in Mahbes, Tifariti and Bir Lahlou, to the east of the Moroccan defense berm.

Morocco made it clear in a letter to the Security Council on April 1 that it shall not tolerate the transfer of any military or administrative structure of the Polisario to the buffer zone that is under the exclusive control of the MINURSO, in line with the ceasefire agreements signed in 1991.

Also, last week, Nasser Bourita met in Washington Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan to discuss the deep U.S.-Morocco bilateral relationship and regional issues, including efforts towards achieving regional peace.

On this occasion, the United States expressed its commitment to United Nations-led efforts to find a peaceful, sustainable, and mutually acceptable political solution to the long-standing dispute over the Sahara.

He later on flew to New York to hand the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres a written message from King Mohammed VI related to the developments in the buffer zone.

He also handed the UN Chief as well as the President of the Security Council, Perus Permanent Representative Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, several evidences of the Algeria-backed Polisarios breaches of the 1991 ceasefire in the Sahara.
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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The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. 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(Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.
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China Hydroelectric Corporation is a developer, owner and operator of small hydroelectric power projects in China. The projects are located in Zhejiang, Fujian, Yunnan and Sichuan. As of December 31, 2012, wholly owns 22 operating hydroelectric power projects and have controlling interests in three operating hydroelectric power projects. In March 2012, the Company sold 100% of the Yuanping hydroelectric power project. In April 2013, the Company sold the Yuheng hydroelectric power project, a 30 megawatt (MW) project located in Fujian province. In July 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the merger with CPT Wyndham Sub Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CPT Wyndham Holdings Ltd.

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3 Downgraded Stocks That Are Worth a Second Look

There are not many things that are more disheartening to an investor than seeing the value of a particular holding move down sharply. And it can be even more concerning when downward price action coincides with a downgrade from the analyst community. However, just as an analyst upgrade is not always as bullish as it may first seem so too an analyst downgrade is not always an indicator of bearish sentiment.

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The future looks bright. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

About three hours after news broke on Wednesday morning that House Speaker Paul Ryan plans to retire in January, a small group of the Democratic Partys top donors received an email.

Today, with the news of Speaker Ryans impending retirement and increasing GOP fears about losing the House of Representatives, Republicans are making their last stand by training their sights on the Senate and pouring millions of dollars into retaining their slim majority, read the private fundraising note, sent from the Senate Majority super-PAC, Democrats largest Senate-focused big-money group.

They are rightfully nervous, continued the email, which was obtained by New York.

Over the course of the notes nearly 900 words, it listed reasons for Democratic optimism, from Republicans ugly primary contests and the GOP tax reforms lack of resonance, to the partys improved standing even in long-shot states like Mississippi and Texas. And it directed the big-money donors to a recent Washington Post story outlining Senate Republicans increasing desperation to get their party to pay attention and save their 51-49 majority.

For over a year, even most private conversations about the midterms in political circles have focused almost exclusively on the House: musings about control of the far unlikelier-to-flip Senate have nearly always been met with a bipartisan eye-roll. As of Wednesday, however, that era is now over  Ryans retirement having laid bare the scale of the GOPs House challenge even to those Republicans who were holding out hope.

The fight for the Senate is coming fully into focus for Democrats, but also for Republican power brokers desperate to hold onto at least one of the houses of Congress.

A predictable flood of everything is fine messages from House-focused strategists and panicked officials hit GOP inboxes shortly after Ryans announcement. But a number of top party donors and operatives say those warnings were too little, too late, and that the Speakers exit was the final piece of evidence they needed to flip their attention toward the upper chamber.

Ive gotten a couple emails, Dan Eberhart, an energy executive and an increasingly higher-profile GOP fundraiser, told me on Wednesday morning. He paused. I mean, I think the House is gone. The focus is going to, more and more, be on the Senate.

If youre a donor, and youre looking at Paul Ryan saying, Im going to go ahead and retire, its a pretty clear signal. If he thinks the House is lost, who would be more in the know than Paul Ryan? So a focus on the Senate is an absolutely correct reaction, added Scott Jennings, a longtime senior Republican operative who is close with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell, in the last few days, has said, The House is lost, we have to hold the Senate, he continued. It would surprise me if that blunt pitch is not happening all over the place in donor meetings.

Its a dramatic behind-the-scenes flip, though the nothing to see here message persists in public.

Few of the GOPs elected leaders on the House side are willing to concede publicly that Nancy Pelosis Democrats could soon be back in power. (Make no mistake: our mission to hold the House continues unabated, said Ohio representative Steve Stivers, chair of the House Republican campaign wing, in a statement.) Ryan appears set to continue traveling the country raising money for his House colleagues.

And even skeptics of the partys chances of keeping the House acknowledge that Ryan seemed to genuinely want out of Washington after two decades on Capitol Hill, and after three years in a job he tried to avoid taking. Hes not just running for the hills to get out of the way of an impending electoral wave. Eberhart, for one, recalled spending time with Wisconsin governor Scott Walker while Ryan was considering taking the Speaker job in 2015, as the two 40-something Wisconsinites texted about Ryans real hesitance to jump in.

Everybodys going to write the timing is just because Republicans are going to lose. And thats true, he said of Ryans departure. But he really just wanted to go home.

Yet GOP operatives and donors spent their Wednesdays looking anew at the 2018 map, glued to their phones as they tried to make sense of the new landscape. Many heard new appeals to help Republican leaders keep the Senate, for the sake of Trump and McConnells missions to reshape the judiciary.

Republicans path to keeping the body  where they hold 51 seats  isnt any more difficult Wednesday evening than it was before Ryans announcement. Theyre still on offense in ten states where Trump beat Hillary Clinton, including five where he won by double digits. Nevadas Dean Heller is still the only incumbent Republican senator facing a stiff challenge, and party leaders are also trying to lock down the Arizona seat being vacated by Jeff Flake.

But Republicans are also monitoring their seat in Tennessee  where Bob Corker is retiring and Representative Marsha Blackburn is trying to replace him, fighting to fend off the states last Democratic governor, Phil Bredesen  and theyre not thrilled that Mississippi firebrand Chris McDaniel is running for a vacant seat, either. Democratic representative Beto ORourkes unmatched fundraising in his long-shot attempt to unseat Ted Cruz in Texas right now rates as another minor annoyance.

Earlier this week, McConnells affiliated super-PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, began circulating its own memo to donors that warned them of an electoral climate reminiscent of 2006, when Democrats won both the House and Senate. That document, which was originally made public by the Washington Examiner, again made the rounds on Wednesday, as the new Senate focus crystallized.

In that missive, Steven Law, the top McConnell ally running the PAC, insisted things are looking up for the party in most of the looming competitive Senate races, and he described his feelings about Tennessee, Nevada, and Arizona as cautiously optimistic.

But he warned about McDaniel, whom he called the Mississippi Roy Moore, and urged the donors to realize that GOP Senate candidates need more money, and soon.

Late last year we wrote: Republicans can expect to face the toughest political conditions next year since 2006, when the party lost control of both the House and the Senate, Law wrote. Despite a small uptick in President Trumps approval rating and a tightening of the congressional generic ballot in the GOPs favor, we see no reason to adjust that forecast.

Three hours after Ryan bowed out, I asked one top GOP donor if hed gotten Laws memo.

He responded one minute later.

3 times this AM.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, January 18, 2018. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

House Speaker Paul Ryan is retiring before he can lose his majority, and potentially his own seat in Congress, but too late to save his reputation.

The key to Ryans rise was that very few people understand who he was or where he came from. Ryan was a conservative-movement ideologue devoted to supply-side economics. During the Bush administration, Ryan demanded larger increases to the budget deficit than those he dismissed as the green-eyeshade, austerity wing of the party could swallow. He demanded larger debt-financed tax cuts, and tried to drum up support for a debt-financed Social Security privatization scheme that the Bush administration rejected as fiscally irresponsible. As a back-bench ideologue, he attracted little attention except from a handful of conservatives who agreed with his ideas.

Ryan burst onto the national scene in 2010 because he simultaneously fulfilled two major needs. The Republican Party needed a new leader who could rebrand them after the disaster of the Bush administration. And the national media and the business elite needed a Republican who could serve as a projection of their disappointment with the Obama administration.

And so the image of Paul Ryan that was introduced to the country was as Americas accountant, the Kevin Kline character from Dave, an earnest midwestern boy with a passion for saving the country from fiscal calamity. The kind of nightmare Ryan imagined was a very peculiar dystopian fantasy. Ryan believed the Obama administration was undermining the moral foundations of American society by redistributing too much income from the makers to the takers. As he explained in 2009, shortly before his star turn (and when he could scarcely have even predicted it):

But by 2010, Ryan had become the face and the brain of his party. And the national news media and the business elite had something different in mind when it came to fiscal calamity. They feared the budget deficit, which Ryan had spent his career working to increase, was too large, and they believed bipartisanship, which Ryan had spent his career ignoring, was the necessary solution. And so Ryan was cast to the country as the champion of bipartisan cooperation to solve the debt crisis, which was understood by these elites to be the countrys foremost problem. Here is the slick, high-production-value Ryan defining the crisis in elite-friendly, green-eyeshade terms:

Ryan inhabited this peculiar role because the news media, having concluded that the Obama administration had forsaken bipartisanship and irresponsibly inflated the deficit, desperately needed someone to play the part it had cast. The fact that Ryan personally and repeatedly undermined every single bipartisan negotiation to reduce the deficit  opposing the Bowles-Simpson plan, direct negotiations with the administration, and a compromise Obama hoped to strike using the fiscal cliff as a prod  did not shake loose his reputation.

What finally killed off the myth of Paul Ryan was Donald Trump. Here was a figure who absolutely revolted the same elites Ryan had cultivated. In the face of something as large and obvious and grotesque as Trump, Ryan could no longer straddle the gap between his base and the national media. He tried, for a while, by publicly standing behind his partys nominee while signaling his discomfort sub rosa.

Once Trump assumed the presidency, the contradiction became impossible to ignore or manage. Ryan submitted himself fully to the president. As House Speaker, Ryan has played an indispensable role in insulating Trump from public and legal accountability. Ryan has buried votes that would compel the release of Trumps tax returns, and unleashed Devin Nunes to run a counter-investigation designed to discredit the Department of Justice and ultimately clear the way for Trump to halt the probe of Russian interference on his behalf.

This has not gone the exact way Ryan would have liked. In his perfect world, Republicans would run on tax cuts, carry out deep cuts to social insurance programs, and everyone in America would be devouring editorials from The Wall Street Journal. But political reality demands compromises. And those constraints have forced Ryan to choose what really matters to him: the protection of the makers from the predations of the takers.

The critics who flay Ryan as a coward have never understood that his actions are a form of idealism. To Ryan, the greatest danger to liberty lies not in a president who defies the rule of law but in high tax rates and a functioning social safety net. When Ryan speaks with pride about the policy accomplishments he helped carry out with Trump, he is not spinning. In Ryans worldview, he has struck a powerful blow for liberty against the socialist hordes. Ryan leaves his endangered majority convinced he has done his job well. It is a triumph of his own propaganda that so few people believe he is actually sincere about this.
Heitkamp isnt interested in joining Trumps GOP. Photo: AP/REX/Shutterstock/AP/REX/Shutterstock

As one of Washingtons most conservative Democrats and someone running for reelection in a state Donald Trump won by 36 points, North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp frequently appears on lists of lawmakers who might switch parties. On Tuesday she revealed that Trump actually urged her to become a Republican at least once, but she declined.

When I visited with him in Trump Tower before he was sworn in, he asked me to switch parties, Heitkamp told the Washington Post. At the time the Trump team was said to be considering Heitkamp and fellow Democratic Senator Joe Manchin for Cabinet positions, which in addition to demonstrating bipartisanship, would have cleared the way for Republicans to take their seats. However, Heitkamp says she quickly shot down the idea:

He says, You should switch parties,  Heitkamp said. She responded with an ask of her own.

I said, You should give me an Ex-Im bank,  the senator said, with a chuckle. It was a reference to the Export-Import Bank, an agency she was pushing to make fully operational.

Heitkamp has tried to maintain a chummy relationship with the White House, and Trump even heaped praise on her at a September rally in North Dakota when he was trying to secure a few Democratic votes for the Republican tax bill. Heitkamp suggested that Trump may have urged her to join the GOP a second time, while they were traveling together on Air Force One. He might have asked me on that trip, she recalled.

Trump has been known to suggest political maneuvers that are not entirely plausible, but its easy to see why he thought he might succeed with Heitkamp. Last summer, he managed to convince West Virginia Governor Jim Justice  a Republican who became a Democrat in 2015  to come back to the GOP.

Heitkamp seems very interested in maintaining a cordial relationship with Trump (and the many North Dakotans who support him), though she did not ultimately support his tax bill and said of defecting, I think he knows its not going to happen.

In further questions about her party affiliation (which the Posts Sean Sullivan said he brought up), Heitkamp took the opportunity to highlight how far right she is, for a Democrat. Hes always ribbing me a little bit about being too conservative to be a Democrat, she said.

And why she wouldnt consider Trumps suggestion more seriously? I do feel allegiance and ties to the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, Heitkamp said, referencing the state Democratic operation  not the party of Chuck, Nancy, and other bogeymen for conservative voters.
Bye, Paul. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Paul Ryan is ready to cash out  and Democrats just might cash in.

After fulfilling his lifelong dream of exacerbating economic inequality, the House Speaker is ready to depart for the private sector, as his current job has become endlessly frustrating, in part because of President Trump, Axioss Jonathan Swan reports. That scoop was subsequently confirmed by the Washington Post.

Ryans dogmatic brand of conservatism might lead one to assume that he represents a deep red area. But Wisconsins First District leans Republican by only about 5 percent, according to the Cook Political Report; as of this writing Democrats lead the 2018 generic ballot by more than 8 percent.

Ironworker (and social-media darling) Randy Bryce has been campaigning as a Democratic challenger to Ryan since last summer. In December, a poll from the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group showed Ryan leading Bryce by only 6 percent  even as 79 percent of likely voters reported that they didnt know enough about Bryce to say whether they viewed him favorably or unfavorably. Which is to say: A significant portion of Ryans constituents were willing to pick the devil they dont know over the one theyve gotten to know all too well.

Bryce has yet to secure the Democratic nomination for the House seat in Wisconsins First. And its far from clear who his Republican opponent would be, if he did. At present, the leading challenger to Ryan from the right is Paul Nehlen, a white supremacist who has called on border patrol to gun down Mexicans as they approach the border, be they man, woman, or child.
With Paul Ryan moving on, Steve Scalise (at left in photo) and Kevin McCarthy (center) are the likeliest successors, depending on the will of House conservatives. Photo: Al Drago/Getty Images

House Speaker Paul Ryans announcement that he plans to give up his gavel at the end of this Congress without waiting to see if voters tear it from his grasp in November wasnt a total surprise; it had been rumored for months, despite regular denials from his camp.

But its occurrence at this particular moment, with the GOP struggling to hang onto control of the House, and with the perpetual restlessness of House conservatives never far from the surface, could be more than a little problematic.

Ryans availability as Speaker next year should not in theory have any major negative impact on Republican prospects for November (though his retirement from the House does put his own district into play). After all, midterm elections typically revolve around perceptions of the president, and the president we have right now is particularly adept at dominating political life. But there are already signs that Republican donors and other movers-and-shakers may think Ryans decision to pack it in reflects an understanding that the electoral landscape is even worse than they imagined. And according to one of Washingtons best-wired Republicans, who is quoted by Axios, they may join Ryan in heading for the hills:

This is a Titanic, tectonic shift  This is going to make every Republican donor believe the House cant be held. The announcement will help Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in his fundraising because the Senate becomes the last bastion, the Republican said.

From this perspective, Ryans retirement is an effect rather than a cause of electoral agony for his party. But talk among donors of writing off the House as a lost cause this early in the cycle could represent a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Beyond November, Ryans self-defenestration could return House Republicans to the state of constant factional conflict in which they lived during the tenure of his predecessor, John Boehner. A leadership contest, most likely featuring Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, will soon ensue unless the latter decides to defer to the formers seniority. Even then, McCarthy must prove himself acceptable to the conservatives who derailed his speakership campaign in 2015, or he could fall short of the votes he needs to win the gavel, paving the way for Scalise, who is perceived as being more ideologically rigorous.

But McCarthy has been working on his ideological street cred, most recently by taking the lead on a rescissions proposal aimed at clawing back appropriations recently made in the omnibus appropriations measure signed by the president last month. While its not likely to fly in the Senate, the proposal is a salve to the wounds of conservatives angry about concessions to Democrats that enabled passage of the omnibus. And it also offered another chance for McCarthy to work in tandem with the angriest Republican of them all, Donald Trump, who is known to be quite fond of the Californian. That could be McCarthys, er, Trump card, according to Politico:

The California Republican has a lot going for him that he did not three years ago, most notably his tight relationship with President Donald Trump, who calls him my Kevin. If Trump endorses McCarthy for the job, as McCarthy allies think he would, the presidents sway with conservatives could help seal the deal.

Whether or not they back McCarthy, conservatives will continue to hold disproportionate power in the House GOP conference, and that power would be enhanced by a poor general election showing this year, a result more likely to befall modestly conservative members in swing districts. Youd think three years of leadership from the famously conservative Paul Ryan would have reduced the extremist pressure on House Republicans. But then Ryan, after all, was mostly defeated in his career-long assault on the welfare state. And if theres one thing most conservatives believe, its that the answer to conservatisms failures is to keep moving to the right.
Russian president Vladimir Putin prefers to talk, not tweet. Photo: Alexei Druzhinin/AFP/Getty Images

Hours after President Trump announced on Twitter that the U.S. will be attacking Syria, and warned Russia about partnering with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, the Kremlin has responded by brushing him off.

We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. We support serious approaches. We continue to believe that it is important not to take steps that could harm an already fragile situation.

In a separate response to Trumps tweet, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook that Trumps so-called smart missiles should be aimed at terrorists, not the legitimate government that has been fighting international terrorism for several years on its territory. She also questioned whether Trumps eagerness to bomb Syria was an attempt to cover up the true nature of the suspected chemical attacks on Douma, a suburb of Damascus.

Four days after the attack in Douma, the Russian and Syrian governments are blaming it on Syrian opposition forces. Like Trump, those on the ground in Syria are blaming Assad.

Trump followed up his early-morning saber-rattling with an admission that his attempts to improve relations with Russia have failed.

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

He followed that by placing blame for the poor relations not on himself, or the Kremlin, but on the U.S. media.
The CEO who started the year telling investors that 2018 would be all about making sure that Facebook isnt just fun to use, but also good for peoples well-being and for society, has now assumed the manner and appearance of a post-toga-party penitent atoning for the way he trashed your parents basement.

Sombre suit. Pastel tie. Freshly trimmed hair cap. Mark Zuckerberg, the 33-year-old wunderkind looking now like a tired version of the 19-year-old undergrad who launched a social media revolution in his dorm room, told a joint U.S. Senate committee hearing Tuesday that hes sorry, responsible and making corporate amends. Ill advisedly, he then offered a near recitation of previously supplied remarks that framed the company as idealistic and optimistic and working hard to be a positive force in the world.

In other words, he described a company that has yet to graduate from short pants, a company that as Zuckerberg himself testified has figured out privacy and policy issues reactively, or as others might say, on the go. Good news: with each and every passing day Facebook is getting better at that, including developing new AI tools that will do a better job of identifying fake accounts being used to identify false information.

Just what comfort can be taken from that falls short. In future were going to have tools in order to be able to identify bad content, Zuckerberg offered. To take one example: when Sen. Patrick Leahy (a Democrat from Vermont) referenced the role of Facebook in the genocide of Rohingya in Burma, he cited Facebook messages calling for the death of a Muslim journalist. The threat went straight through your detection systems, Leahy reminded Zuckerberg of messages that had to be brought, repeatedly, to the companys attention. The CEOs response? Were hiring dozens more Burmese language content reviewers.

The takeaway: Mark Zuckerberg has created a leviathan too big to control. Hiring legions of Facebook enforcers  more than 20,000 will work on security and content review  hardly seems up to the task when the CEO describes the challenge presented by Russia alone as an arms race.

This is all on Zuckerberg, who controls the company through multiple voting shares, making Facebook a controlled company that relieves it from having a majority of independent directors on the board. Zuckerberg serves as both CEO and chairman, in defiance of what we might term non-antique rules of governance. Nor is the company required to have an independent nominating committee. So its a 20th-century company with control in the hands of a single individual, which Zuckerberg defends as a way to keep Facebook free of attacks from agitated institutional investors. When asked if Facebook is a monopoly, Zuckerberg replied, It certainly doesnt feel that way to me. There was laughter in the hearing room.

There were so many answers the CEO could not supply, repeatedly offering to get his people to get back to senators. Did any Facebook employees ever work with Cambridge Analytica, Maria Cantwell (Democrat of Washington) wanted to know. I can have my team get back to you was the CEOs reply.

Had he seen the terms of service between app developer Aleksandr Kogan and Facebook that in fact put Facebook on notice that Kogan could sell information gathered from users? I have not, he told Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat of Rhode Island), who defined the Facebook business model as one that prioritizes the maximization of profits over privacy.

Read more:

Mark Zuckerberg discloses Facebook is working with Mueller in Russia probe

Opinion | A day of reckoning for social media

Mark Zuckerberg faces calls to step down as chair of Facebooks board of directors

Does Facebook consider itself a neutral public forum or one that engages in political speech, wondered Sen. Ted Cruz (Republican of Texas). I would need to follow up with you on that.

Zuckerberg didnt even know when his own company changed its mantra from move fast and break things to the much more sedate move fast with stable infrastructure.

Share your thoughts

This is mind-boggling: when asked how long backup copies of Facebook accounts exist post-deletion, Zuckerberg replied, I dont know what our current systems are. Do all backups get wiped? Thats certainly the way its supposed to work.

But lets talk about the bad actors and bad data out there. Zuckerberg defined terrorist activity as truly bad activity that we want to get down. On the other hand, determining something as hate speech is very linguistically nuanced.

The nut of the hearing Tuesday focused more on the Cambridge Analytica scandal than Russian election interference. Its worth remembering that it was only through the work of journalists at the Guardian that Facebook learned that personal data gleaned via the app created by the aforementioned Mr. Kogan had been shared with Cambridge Analytica.

This was 2015, two years after Kogan created his personality quiz app, This Is Your Digital Life, and a year after Facebook tried to pull up the drawbridge against improper access to personal information. Apps could no longer ask for information about a users friends unless the friends also authorized the app, Facebook announced in 2014. (An investigation into apps created prior to 2014 is underway. I expect well find some things, Zuckerberg said.)

Not until last month did Facebook learn, again from the media, that Cambridge Analytica may not have deleted the data, data that grew from an opening set of about 30,000 Facebook users to as many as 87 million. In a conference call with the media last week, Zuckerberg said we dont know today what they have in their system. He also said defensively, People chose to share that data with (Kogan). As to what constituted the certification of data deletion, Zuckerberg said Tuesday he believed there was a legal contract in place. A full forensic audit in the U.K. is underway. What if the information is in, say, some other country? To this Zuckerberg gave a button-eyed response, which is to say, he does not know.

Chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, in her own recent media tour, said, We should have followed up. Thats on us. Did Zuckerberg feel there was an ethical responsibility to notify those 87 million users? Zuckerbergs response: We considered it a closed case.

Who is we? Were there senior leadership discussions about notifying users back in December 2015? Im not sure what other people discussed, Zuckerberg responded. Was a decision taken not to inform users? I dont remember a conversation like that. Heres another question: where was the board?

Facebook made notifications to victims this week.

Less explored was the disinformation campaign run by Russias Internet Research Agency, which created Facebook accounts and pages that Facebook now estimates could have resulted in nearly 130 million people receiving IRA-associated content, content that promoted or attacked specific candidates and causes, or as we could call it, the upending democracy campaign.

Whether as a result of the idealism he often proclaims or of studied artifice, Zuckerberg has always been shy of casting his company as an advertising-fed model, but that is precisely what it is, one that relies on user sentiment driving advertisers desires.

We offer advertisers a unique combination of reach, relevance, social context, and engagement to enhance the value of their ads, the company explained in its prospectus six years ago. We allow advertisers to select relevant and appropriate audiences for their ads, ranging from millions of users in the case of global brands to hundreds of users in the case of smaller, local businesses.

The result, said Sen. Chris Coons (Democrat of Delaware) in one of the clearest points of Tuesdays hearing, is that the companys bold pronouncements about social connectivity as a force for good and the reality of Facebook operating in the world are in persistent tension.

On Tuesday, in a rare break from proclamations of the connectivity mission, Zuckerberg did say, refreshingly, We get paid when the action the advertiser wants to happen, happens.

The risk factors that Facebook outlined when it went public are obvious, including concerns related to privacy and sharing, safety, security, or other factors.

Those concerns came clear Tuesday, and Zuckerberg did admit that while there hasnt been a mass exodus from the social media platform, beyond a delete movement that got shared a bunch, trust has been broken. I think people are concerned about it, he did admit.

What the leader failed to do was convince that privacy-first has been a core concern of the company. The extent of auditing procedures undertaken in 2011 in settling the Federal Trade Commissions allegations of eight counts of deception remained opaque. The question was asked: would we be where we are today if Facebook had rigorously followed the FTCs direction?

Perhaps that will be explored more fully Wednesday, when Zuckerberg appears before the House energy and commerce committee. Yes, theres more. There will be more talk of regulation, and the bills that are destined to be introduced. Next month, the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation comes into force. Heres just one piece of the new EU rules: breach notifications must be made within 72 hours of a company becoming aware of a breach. Penalties for running afoul of the regulations, and that includes insufficient customer consent, will run as high as 20 million ($31 million).

Zuckerberg believes regulation is a fine idea in the abstract; hes just not sure what it should look like. Fair enough. Its complicated.

After more than five hours, Zuckerberg took his leave. Heres a gift: Facebook is introducing an unsend feature in Messenger. Funny thing is, Mr. Privacy has had this feature at his disposal for four years. What, you didnt think this was a level playing field, did you?

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Alitalia SpA has attracted interest from a host of European rivals including budget carrier EasyJet Plc and Deutsche Lufthansa AG of Germany as part of a government-led rescue effort for the cash-strapped Italian airline.

Alitalia, which is based in Rome, has said it received three offers, without specifying from whom. Lufthansa confirmed Wednesday submitting a document, while EasyJet, which is Europes second-biggest low-cost airline, said Tuesday its revised expression of interest was made as part of a consortium, without naming the other members. Both carriers referred to a restructured version of Alitalia.

Air France-KLM Group and private equity investor Cerberus Capital Management are part of the EasyJet group, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. A spokesperson for the French airline said it doesnt plan on taking a stake in Alitalia, while a representative of Cerberus could not provide immediate comment. Wizz Air Holdings Plc has declined to comment on a report in Italian newspaper Il Sole that its also in the running.

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Italy loans Alitalia $900 million as it seeks new buyer

This is the second time in a decade that Alitalia has sought to attract an international partner after filing for bankruptcy. The carrier, which is on government life support, was declared insolvent almost a year ago and has been in talks with a number of foreign investors interested in acquiring parts of its business, which could provide a gateway for competitors into the Mediterranean market. Italy has pumped 900 million euros ($1.3 billion Canadian) into the airline through bridge loans during the past year to keep it afloat.

There is no certainty at this stage that any transaction will proceed, and EasyJet will provide a further update in due course if and when appropriate, the Luton, England-based carrier said in its statement. Lufthansa, which has its main hub in Frankfurt, said its document outlined ideas for a restructured Alitalia and could envisage further talks.

A takeover of Alitalia would come on top of EasyJets successful bid for defunct Air Berlins operations at the German capital citys Tegel Airport. With that acquisition, the carriers fleet will exceed 300 single-aisle Airbus SE aircraft and the number of passengers is expected to rise to 90 million in 2018.

Lufthansa expressed interest last year in portions of Alitalia, saying it would preserve the Italian rivals long-term economic prospects. Ryanair Holdings Plc pulled out of the bidding process, saying it needed to focus on fixing the fallout from a staffing shortage. Air France would like to keep Alitalia as part of the global SkyTeam alliance, which includes Grupo Aeromexico SAB and Delta Air Lines Inc., without buying an equity stake, chief financial officer Frederic Cagey told Bloomberg TV in February.

Italys political uncertainty means additional financial assistance for Alitalia may not be forthcoming. The country is in the process of trying to form a coalition government after March 4 general elections resulted in a hung parliament with no party having enough votes to govern. President Sergio Mattarella is holding talks with parties this week to try to find an accord.

In 2014, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways PJSC took a 49 per cent stake in Alitalia with plans to cut costs and focus on longer international routes from Rome and Milan. Those plans faltered when Alitalia went bankrupt.
Analysts are maintaining their buy ratings on the shares of Facebook, even though the costs of the leading social networks data privacy missteps amid rising regulatory scrutiny are expected to squeeze profit margins.

In his prepared testimony before a two-day U.S. Congressional hearing that continued Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested steps to tighten controls over information users post on Facebook will mean billions in ongoing expenses and significantly impact our profitability going forward, adding that protecting our community is more important than maximizing profits.

During testimony in front of two Senate panels he said the company will have 20,000 employees by year end to monitor content and weed out malicious actors  an addition of 5,000 to the payroll.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebooks chief operating officer, meanwhile, said in media interviews, Weve seen a few advertisers pause with us since revelations in March that data mining firm Cambridge Analytica improperly gained access to the personal information of 87 million Facebook users to direct political advertising.

Zuckerberg, who told lawmakers Wednesday that his own personal data was included in the Cambridge breach, said a #deleteFacebook movement has yet to have any impact on the business.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he believes it is "inevitable" that there will be regulation of his industry. (The Associated Press)

Facebooks model allows for free access, while relying on revenue from online advertisements that target its 2.13 billion monthly user base through access to data volunteered on the platform. Sandberg proposed a tool that would let users who do not want Facebook to leverage personal profile data to target me for advertising opt out for a fee, a notion that Zuckerberg did not refute.

The company also faces the potential of record multi-billion-dollar fines relating to the latest scandal and a U.S. Federal Trade Commission probe into possible violations of a 2011 consent decree over privacy safeguards.

Greater regulations in the U.S. and the European Union are also possible, with the prospect adding to downward pressure on Facebooks stock that has been evident since the end of 2017 when the company reported its first quarter-over-quarter decline in daily users in the U.S. and Canada.

Facebook shares have fallen about 11 per cent since the company first acknowledged on March 16 that user data had been leaked, but have rallied during the Capitol Hill hearing from $157.93 (U.S.) at the end of trading Monday to $166 at 4 p.m. Wednesday, for a gain of 1.28 per cent.

Brian Wieser, a senior research analyst at Pivotal Research Group, one of only two equity analysts with a sell rating on Facebook stock versus 43 buys, said in a report to investors that Facebook lost users in January to Google properties led by YouTube, adding that the company is not well managed and that he believes Zuckerberg and Sandberg will be in different roles within a year.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg batted away often-aggressive questioning Tuesday from lawmakers who accused him of failing to protect the personal information of millions of Americans. (The Associated Press)

But other analysts said making money from personal data is widespread in Silicon Valley, as is a slowing of user growth across social media, suggesting also that Facebook has the abiding appeal to users and the financial wherewithal to invest in security that others may lack.

They also say that a slowing in growth will be offset by higher ad prices over the next few quarters and a greater contribution from photo and video-sharing unit Instagram, while investments in security could elevate user trust in the longer term. Greater data controls, however, may slow monetization of Facebooks messaging apps, an effect that would become apparent next year.

Aegis Capital analyst Victor Anthony said Zuckerberg has held up well under the Congressional grilling, suggesting that any legislation on Facebook wont be heavy handed and damage Facebooks business model or by extension other social media platforms. Anthony, who is maintaining a buy rating and $215 Facebook price target, said the company is clearly open to an ad-free subscription option similar to Netflix.

Phillip Capital senior analyst Paul Chew noted that Facebook revenue has increased by 50 per cent for five consecutive years and the company now controls nearly 27 per cent of global Internet ad revenue, second in market share to Google. He said it is unlikely that users will bolt the platform because they would be hard pressed to find an alternative in terms of scale and features.

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EDMONTONTalk about a buzz kill.

Edmontons city council voted Tuesday to raise property taxes as part of its plan to cover cannabis legalization costs.

Mayor Don Iveson said the city had no choice, as the province has not committed to sharing any of its tax revenue with municipalities.

I havent given up hope that well get a resolution, but its frustrating. And property taxpayers should be frustrated that, for the time being anyway, were on the hook, Iveson said.

Council had previously pegged the 2018 property tax increase at 3.2 per cent, but that went up to 3.5 per cent after adding costs for cannabis and several other items Tuesday.

Neighbourhood renewal and LRT eat up the bulk of the overall increase.

The federal government announced in December 2017 that 75 per cent of tax revenues from marijuana sales will go to provinces, with the expectation that a large portion will go to municipalities.

Federal tax revenues will be capped at $100 million a year, and anything above that will also go to the provinces.

In a report that went to council Monday, staff pegged Edmontons first-year pot costs at just under $4.3 million, including 18 new full-time employees.

That covers $1.43 million for police, $772,000 for bylaws, $689,000 for development services, and additional costs for citizen services, transit, fire rescue, social development, communications and regional economic development.

Council voted to take almost $2.6 million out of its financial stabilization reserve to cover one-time costs, and $1.7 million out of the property tax levy.

Iveson said Canadas big-city mayors have been vocal about needing a revenue-sharing guarantee from provinces for the past year. And its difficult to work with the Alberta government while Iveson and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi are still waiting for that commitment.

Its hard for us to have a mature government-to-government relationship without an answer to this question, Iveson said.

Coun. Ben Henderson said the city is more than happy to implement legalization, but the city shouldnt be burdened by the cost.

Its very frustrating that were not seeing that money, and that were having to make these choices with no support or help whatsoever, he said.

Police, who are getting the biggest chunk of the cannabis dollars, say the $1.43 million will cover one-time funding for equipment and training on how to recognize drug impairment.

Edmonton Police Service director of finance Robert Davidson said weed-related policing costs will likely change for the police in the future.

Based on what we know today it seems to address the risks we have, Davidson said. However, with the changing legislation, changing environment, we dont know how thatll be impacted going forward. It could mean more, it could mean less.

Mike Brown, spokesperson for Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci, said in a written statement that the province will bear the biggest cost around legalization in terms of enforcement, regulation and education.

He said provincial officials will sit down with municipal governments when they have more clarity on federal funding.

We require additional information from the federal government, but will continue conversations with municipalities on this issue, Brown wrote. Its important to note that we do not anticipate a net gain in revenue of legal cannabis for the first couple years.

Related:

City of Calgary staff recommend bylaw to ban marijuana use in public places

Saskatchewan to set legal age for cannabis at 19, wont charge minors

Plain packaging proposed for legal marijuana

With files from Ameya Charnalia

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EDMONTONCall it an ice surprise.

A University of Alberta grad student made an unexpected discovery studying an ice cap in the Canadian Arctic last spring that could provide clues about life beyond Earth.

PhD student Anja Rutishauser was using radar to study bedrock conditions underneath the Devon Ice Cap in Nunavut, a remote Arctic glacier on Devon Island, the largest uninhabited island in the world.

Underneath the 550 to 750 metres of ice was something that seemed impossible: water.

We were super surprised when the radar data showed up that there should be liquid water, Rutishauser said.

It was very confusing, because it was supposed to be about -10 C there.

It turns out the two bodies of water, each stretching several square kilometres, are isolated hypersaline  extremely salty  subglacial lakes.

They are believed to be the first in the world.

The water is four times saltier than seawater, which allows it to stay in liquid form.

Only once we started to see the big picture and started to put the pieces together and understand that these subglacial lakes contain salty water, so the salt depresses the freezing point, Rutishauser said. So then it started to make sense.

Rutishauser was studying data acquired by NASA and the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics using electromagnetic waves when she made the discovery.

The waves are sent into the ice and analyzed as theyre reflected back, essentially allowing researchers to see through the ice.

U of A glaciologist Martin Sharp and other scientists tested Rutishausers hypothesis, and on Wednesday the finding was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

While there are more than 400 known subglacial lakes on Earth, all the others are believed to contain fresh water, rather than the hypersaline water that comes from salt-bearing geologic outcrops under the ice on Devon Island.

And although the lakes dont quite resemble anything else on Earth, they might have relatives on one of Jupiters moons.

Rutishauser explained that they could serve as a terrestrial analog for Europa, which has similar conditions of salty liquid water underneath an ice shell.

If we can explore the Devon subglacial lakes in terms of life, we can maybe better understand what are the possibilities and limitations of life in such extreme environments  not only on earth, but also on other planetary bodies, she said.

The lakes could house microbial life, but it will probably be several years before scientists can say for sure.

Rutishauser and her colleagues are partnering with the W. Garfield Weston Foundation to do a more detailed geophysical survey over the Devon Ice Cap this spring.

Ultimately, they want to get through the ice and fish for life.

Its kind of our long-term mission to drill into those lakes and collect a sample, Rutishauser said.

Its not very straightforward. And it has to be super clean drilling so we dont contaminate anything. So it would be a long-term project, maybe five to seven years from now.

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A little over three weeks ago, T.J. Miller allegedly called 911 to report that a woman on his Amtrak train from Washington to New York had a bomb in her bag. Amtrak investigators stopped a train in Westport, Connecticut, where passengers were told to evacuate so that a bomb squad could search the cars.

There were no detected explosive devices on board, and law enforcement claims the actor knew this to be true when he contacted them.

Miller was charged Tuesday with intentionally calling in a fake bomb threat, according to a release from the U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut. He was arrested at LaGuardia Airport on Monday night and appeared before a New Haven judge the next day. Released on a $100,000 bond, he could face a maximum of five years in prison.

The federal complaint states that Miller told a 911 dispatcher March 18 of a female passenger on Amtrak Train 2256 who kept checking her black carry-on and asking an attendant for the name of the next stop. The dispatcher, who sensed slurring, asked Miller if he had consumed alcohol that day, to which the actor allegedly admitted he had had a glass of red wine.

Amtrak investigators did not find a bomb after they stopped Train 2256 in Westport, according to the release, and they realized Miller had actually been travelling on Train 2258. The correct train was eventually stopped and inspected, and an attendant told investigators that Miller had seemed intoxicated when he boarded in Washington, and that he had been removed in New York after drunkenly arguing with a female passenger in the same first-class car.

Per the release, that woman was not carrying any explosives and was seated out of Millers direct line of sight. The complaint alleges that the 911 call was motivated by a grudge.

Miller made headlines a year ago when HBO announced in May that he would be written out of Silicon Valley after four seasons. The next month, he told the Hollywood Reporter that he had walked away from the show after producers offered him a decreased role in the fifth season.

In December, the Daily Beast published a womans allegations of Miller sexually assaulting her while they both attended George Washington University. The actor, in a joint statement with wife Kate Gorney, called the claims false accusations.

The Amtrak incident is being investigated by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force, Connecticut State Police, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, Amtrak Police Department and Westport Police Department. The Post has reached out to Millers legal representatives for comment.
OTTAWAAlberta Premier Rachel Notley says her government is open to buying the Trans Mountain pipeline to ensure the controversial project gets built as Ottawa struggles to resolve the political standoff.

Notley floated the proposal Tuesday as frustrations mount in Alberta over the pipeline expansion that now hangs in limbo. The pipelines backer, Kinder Morgan, suspended work on the project, citing the extraordinary political risks it says are caused by B.C.s opposition.

We are considering a number of financial options to ensure that the Trans Mountain expansion is built, up to and including purchasing the pipeline outright if it were to come to that, Notley said in a statement.

Obviously the best interest and outcomes for Albertans will be front and centre as we explore these options, she said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declared that the pipeline  to move Alberta oil to a port near Vancouver for shipment overseas  is in the national interest. He vowed it will get built, despite the opposition of B.C. Premier John Horgan.

Yet an emergency cabinet meeting in Ottawa ended Tuesday afternoon with no hint of a solution.

In a hurried meeting with reporters, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna offered no updates on Ottawas efforts to end the standoff.

Instead, they repeated the same talking points used Sunday and Monday after the companys announcement it needed more clarity and assurances that the project will not be stalled further by challenges from B.C.s minority NDP government.

The government is 100 per cent behind this pipeline. Its important for Canada, Carr said.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna echoed the talking points, and declared the Kinder-Morgan project  which has been put on ice by the company until May 31 is not dead.

Its not a matter of whether the project will go ahead but how and we intend to work with everyone because this is a project that will benefit people right across this country, she said.

Justin Trudeau says the federal government remains determined to see the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion built after Kinder Morgan hit pause on the project, but the prime minister wouldnt say what Ottawas next steps would be. (The Canadian Press)

Asked whether Ottawa would support Albertas bid to invest in the project or even take it over Carr dodged the question.

Weve been saying for the last two days were prepared to look at many options and that has not changed, he said.

We believe there are many options available to the government of Canada and well examine them all thoroughly. Gotta go, Carr added as he and McKenna then fled from reporters.

The abrupt end to the news conference with little sign of progress on the file left some scratching their heads.

The reaction is huh? What did he just say, quipped B.C.s Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver, appearing on CTV moments later. Im not sure why they called a press conference.

Weaver, whose three members hold the balance of power with the NDP premier, said the affair shows hypocrisy on the Trudeau governments part, because nobody is talking about the Energy East pipelines collapse because it goes through Quebec.

The bizarre optics of a news conference that ran less than a minute prompted NDP MP Kennedy Stewart on CBCs Power and Politics show to react with disbelief. He said it shows theyre out of options and this pipeline is very close to dead.

Cabinet ministers had been summoned to Ottawa during a parliamentary break to deal with what next steps the government would take.

Trudeau leaves Thursday on an extended nine-day trip abroad, travelling first to the Summit of the Americas summit in Lima, Peru, then across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris and on to London for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders.

A senior advisor defended the prime ministers lengthy absence from the country as trouble brews on the domestic front with two provinces squabbling and the clock ticking on the May 31 deadline set by Kinder Morgan to meet the conditions it laid out for the project to go ahead.

U.S. President Donald Trump is no longer travelling to Lima for the summit. That decision lowered expectations that an agreement-in-principle on a new North American free trade pact could be announced.

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On a small west-end Toronto street lined by cookie-cutter houses, theres a neighbourhood jewel  or stone, rather.

The terracotta-tiled home near Dundas St. W. and Dupont St. is covered in large reddish-brown tiles and lintels with elaborate engravings: rows of leaves, flowers and cherub heads nestled over pairs of wings.

All of this is now behind a tall metal fence with No trespassing and Danger signs. New owners took possession earlier this week and began renovations, causing neighbours to fear they may damage the historical property.

So far, it seems whoever bought it, its been quick and dirty, said Carol Sampson of the construction. Shes lived on Jerome St. for 14 years and said shes seen people come from all over the city to look at the unique house. The state of the property, its not contemporary any longer, but it is very beautiful. Everyone would like to see some attempt at even partial preservation.

The home was erected in 1905 by west-end builder J. Turner and is listed as a heritage site. Catherine Nasmith, president of the Architectural Conservancy Ontario, said the unusual approach to the design is part of its heritage listing.

The property changed hands earlier this month, selling for $700,000, according to land registry documents.

Mike Marino, who said he co-owns the home with Sergio Melo, said the tiles are what attracted him to the property and that he had originally wanted to move in after doing work to plumbing, drywall and electrical.

Lo and behold, the house was structurally unsound to be lived in, said Marino, who works in construction. Going forward, now were just waiting for direction from the building inspector for where we go from here.

Marino said he wants to save the tiles but can make no promises and is working closely with the citys heritage and building departments.

Im going to try  like I said to everybody  my best to preserve, but it all depends on what happens when we start touching the brick. I cant guarantee anything because everythings so fragile, he said.

In a letter to their neighbours, the new homeowners claim a windstorm caused portions of the west wall tiles to separate from the wood and fall to the ground on the day their engineer came to inspect it.

While he was here, high winds caused a section of the brick cladding on the West wall to collapse into the sideyard (sic), the letter said.

But Terry Alexis, who has lived four doors down from 20 Jerome St. for almost two decades, said he worries it may be a first step to them taking down the home. He said if bulldozers were to come out, he is ready to stand in front of them in protest.

Its part of the neighbourhood. To see something else built in its place, Im not that happy about (that), Alexis said.

For others, the home has more than just historic value.

The previous owners were Carole and Clarence Vaters. A few neighbours recounted how the couple spent their whole lives, from marriage to their deaths in 2009 and 2016, respectively, in that unique house.

They met on this street when they were kids because they lived next door to each other. And then they got married, and grew old together in that house, said Caileigh Suline, recounting how the couple would give out the best Halloween treats, let her sit on their porch, and mistook her name for Kayla as their ability to remember wore.

They were the most adorable, lovely people, she said. Weve got to protect their memory.
OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau says that Canada's military will not participate in expected strikes against the Syrian regime that are meant as retaliation for a suspected chemical attack against civilians.

Speaking to Radio-Canada, the prime minister said Canadian military personnel are already involved in missions in northern Iraq and Latvia and will be deploying to Mali. We are not looking to be present in Syria, Trudeau said in an interview.

But he said Canada has been involved in delivering humanitarian assistance and working through diplomatic and political channels to resolve the conflict in Syria that has laid waste to cities, left thousands dead and forced citizens to flee to safety in neighbouring countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Wednesday of an imminent strike on Syria, declaring on social media that missiles will be coming and taunted Russia for its pledge to shoot them down.

Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! Trump said on Twitter.

The threatened action comes after an attack last weekend in the Syrian town of Douma that possibly involved chemical weapons, which is believed to have killed 40 people. The attack is blamed on the government of President Bashar al-Assad though it has denied responsibility.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland condemned the attack at the time, saying the repeated and morally reprehensible use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime has been confirmed by independent observers.

Canada condemns the Assad regime  and its backers, Russia and Iran  for its repeated, gross violations of human rights and continued, deliberate targeting of civilians, Freeland said in a statement.

Trump has spoken to world leaders and U.S. officials said the U.S., France and Britain discussed the possibility of a military strike, according to a report by The Associated Press.

Canada did have CF-18 fighters jets in the region flying bombing mission against Daesh extremists in Iraq. That mission  launched by the previous Conservative government  was halted by Trudeaus Liberal government after it took office in 2015.

Currently, Canada has a small number of special operations forces troops still deployed in northern Iraq to assist local forces in their fight against Daesh, along with Griffon helicopters. A CC-150 Polaris air-to-air refueller is also still flying missions, refuelling other fighters in their patrol missions.

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The man who tried and failed to reform Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and anti-poverty programs. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Paul Ryans legacy in his relatively brief period in the national limelight (basically beginning with his emergence as the chief fiscal spokesman for Republicans after Barack Obamas election in 2008) is multifaceted. As New Yorks Jonathan Chait points out, he was the eternal representative of a highly hypocritical brand of fiscal politics that enabled budget deficits in Republican administrations and demonized them under Democrats, to the strange delight of media elites. He was also an ambivalent figure in the Republican Establishments relationship with the conservative movement, serving an intermediary function as Mitt Romneys running mate in 2012 and as House Speaker since 2015. And you could make the argument that he (with a lot of accomplices) led the GOPs surrender to Donald Trump after the 2016 elections.

But in the long run, Ryan may be remembered as a Republican politician with the ambition and (it seemed, for a moment) the means to undertake a mission that had thrived in the conservative dreamscape since the days of Barry Goldwater: the unraveling of the New Deal/Great Society safety net, also known as the welfare state. Unless he and his destructive agenda make a major comeback, he will have to be adjudged a failure in that endeavor.

Its true that Ryans most concrete contributions to the anti-welfare-state cause  all those annual Ryan Budgets that Republicans approved during the Obama presidency  were mostly symbolic measures sure to be vetoed by a Democratic chief executive. But they served to solidify Republican interest in Ryans twin goals of entitlement reform (fundamental overhauls of Medicare converting it to subsidies for private health insurance  and Medicaid  making it a block grant to the states) and anti-poverty strategies that included killing off most existing public-sector programs.

Then, in October of 2016, apparently annoyed that media types were yawning at his agenda, Ryan offered a glimpse of what Republicans might do if they managed to pull off a trifecta and gain control of both the Executive and Legislative branches.

This is our plan for 2017, Ryan said, waving a copy of his Better Way policy agenda. Much of this you can do through budget reconciliation. He explained that key pieces are fiscal in nature, meaning they can be moved quickly through a budget maneuver that requires a simple majority in the Senate and House. This is our game plan for 2017, Ryan said again to the seemingly unconvinced press.

He even called the reconciliation process a bazooka in my pocket. And for a while there it seemed very likely that it would be the vehicle for a health-care-focused budget bill that would block-grant the old Medicaid entitlement while repealing the new Obamacare entitlement, thus giving Ryan and Republicans a historic victory.

But as we now know, the bazooka wasnt powerful enough to blast the bill through the Republican-controlled Senate, and complicated matters on many occasions by subjecting the legislation to all sorts of arcane parliamentary rules that limited its scope. And so both Obamacare, and Medicaid-as-we-know-it, survived 2017.

Yes, Republicans did enact a tax cut that, for them, salvaged the year, and that had to be gratifying to the inveterate supply-sider Ryan. But when he talked about reviving his most important passion  entitlement reform or in its demagogic form, welfare reform  in 2018, he was brusquely shot down by Mitch McConnell and the White House.

So looking ahead to a straitened GOP margin in the House  if not a Democratic House  next year, and the prospect of having to wait until 2021 at the earliest to resume the fight against the welfare state (and that assumed the mixed blessing of a Trump reelection), Ryan decided to go home to Wisconsin and regroup. Hes only 48, and has plenty of time to gird his loins for another crusade against the New Deal and the Great Society.

But what Ryans setbacks should have taught him  as they earlier taught Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush  is that there is not and may never be a solid political foundation for a successful assault on popular programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, or even Obamacare, food stamps, and disability benefits. When push comes to shove, even Republican voters are squeamish about implementing their partys rhetoric supporting the free market or the states as superior mechanisms for providing income security or health care. Crude, ignorant, and erratic as he is, Donald Trump seems to understand this basic reality. True believers in conservative ideology like Paul Ryan dont, and thus tend to fail.
OTTAWAJustin Trudeaus national security adviser is on the verge of retirement  although insiders insist it has nothing to do with the controversy over his suggestion that factions in Indias government sabotaged the prime ministers trip there in February.

Daniel Jean notified the government in January  well before the furor erupted  of his intention to retire, said one source familiar with the matter. Another insider echoed the notion that Jeans plan to leave predates the current controversy.

Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Read more:

New national security committee to conduct special review of Jaspal Atwal affair

National security adviser requests to brief committee on Trudeaus India trip

Trudeau stands by official who suggested Indian factions sabotaged trip

A spokesman for the Privy Council Office (PCO), the bureaucracy that serves the Prime Ministers Office, would not confirm or deny Jeans impending retirement, saying PCO does not talk publicly about personnel matters.

Jean did not respond to requests for comment. His intended departure date  and how it may or may not have been impacted by the current controversy  remains unknown.

Jean, a veteran diplomat and former deputy minister of foreign affairs, has served as Trudeaus national security adviser since May 2016.

Hes been at the centre of a political uproar over Trudeaus trouble-plagued trip to India after giving a background briefing to reporters in which he suggested factions in the Indian government were behind the embarrassing revelation that a convicted attempted assassin had been invited to two prime ministerial events.

Jaspal Atwal, a B.C. Sikh convicted of attempting to assassinate an Indian minister in 1986 during a visit to British Columbia, was photographed at one event in Mumbai with the prime ministers wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau; his invitation to a second event was rescinded after news of his presence broke.

During the briefing, Jean advanced the theory that rogue factions in the Indian government arranged for Atwals presence in a bid to prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi from becoming too cosy with a foreign government they believe is sympathetic to extremist Sikh separatists.

At the time, reports attributed the theory to a senior government official, but the Conservatives quickly outed Jean as the official in question. They have been demanding ever since that Jean give the same briefing to MPs.

The Liberal government initially rejected that demand, offering up only a classified briefing to Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.

However, last week Jean offered to testify openly before the House of Commons public safety and national security committee, in addition to giving a classified briefing to Scheer. He is scheduled to appear before the committee on Monday.

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A Toronto man and his parents are on trial this week in a downtown courthouse after pleading not guilty to multiple charges related to the sons arranged marriage that ended after three months.

Rajinder Gupta has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault, three counts of assault and one count of uttering threats. His mother, Sheela Gupta, twice said this is lie, when entering her not guilty plea Monday to uttering threats and assault. His father, Vinod Gupta, also pleaded not guilty to uttering threats.

The complainant, a soft-spoken woman who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, was on the stand for a second day Tuesday, testifying how her short-lived marriage in 2015 spiralled from bad to worse. It began when her husband allegedly forced her to have painful sex twice on their wedding night and escalated to numerous incidents of rape, violence, threats and verbal abuse inside his familys tension-filled home, she testified through a Punjabi interpreter.

Read more:

Opinion | Shree Paradkar: Sex assault trial in arranged marriage about removal of female choice

She told Superior Court Justice James Diamond she and Gupta met after they both posted profiles on Shaadi.com, an India-based online matchmaking service that purports to have pioneered online matrimonials and redefined the way Indian brides and grooms meet for marriage.

She was living in a different province at the time with her parents, while he was living with his parents in a west-end Toronto townhouse. Vinod Gupta contacted her father and invited them to Toronto.

The couples meeting lasted between 10 and 15 minutes, she testified.

He said I like you, I want to marry you, and he inquired, Would you like to marry me? she said.

She agreed  after they exchanged stories about previous marriages  and swapped gifts: she accepted a gold chain; she gave him a gold ring to put on his finger.

It meant both of us were engaged to each other, the woman testified.

Sometime later  she wasnt clear on the timing  she returned with her family to Toronto where the couple wed in April 2015 in front of a small gathering.

After the ceremony they returned to his parents townhouse, where they planned to live. They retired to his bedroom where he told her he wanted to have sex and pushed her to the bed and removed her clothes, she said.

At that time I was saying, I dont want to do that, she said, adding she was scared. He held her arms, and proceeded to have intercourse with her anyway, she said. The encounter was painful and she sat through dinner with his parents not able to walk or sit properly, she testified.

Crown attorney Kelly Simpson asked why. Because he did it forcefully, she replied. He forced her to have sex again later that night, ignoring her requests to stop because of her discomfort, she said.

Gupta, sitting next to his parents in court, has remained expressionless throughout her testimony.

The woman became emotional describing numerous instances of Gupta forcing her to have sex and of the rising tensions in the townhouse, where she said she was told what to eat and when and ordered not to dress like a call girl.

The witness said her in-laws always sided with their son, who was frustrated and angry whenever she rebuffed his sexual advances. She recalled instances of him pulling her hair, slapping her and, one time, biting her all over her body.

On one occasion, Sheela Gupta slapped her daughter-in-law across her cheek, after upbraiding her for not obeying her sons wishes, the witness said.

She said Vinod Gupta was equally unhappy with the woman he had picked out as marriage material for his son.

She has made everything filthy, the witness testified she overheard her father-in-law say. She recalled him pounding on the dining room table and threatening to hang members of her family upside down.

By July 2015, the new bride had given a statement to Toronto police.

The judge-alone trial continues Wednesday.
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression has called an emergency meeting to reconsider a statement it released earlier this month condemning one-sided use of military force against journalists and civilians in Gaza and asking Canada to pressure Israel to initiate an investigation into the massacre.

The statement triggered controversy over the journalistic organizations mandate. In the days since it was released, critics have slammed the statement for overstepping the groups role in defending free expression domestically and around the world, and for seemingly taking a position in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

At an emergency meeting Tuesday evening, the board was expected to determine its next steps and reconsider the process statements go through before being published.

The statement, published in early April, said Canada must condemn the one-sided use of military force against civilian demonstrators and media in Gaza and must use all available diplomatic, political and economic channels to pressure Israel to initiate a fulsome and transparent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the massacre. The post, which was scrubbed from the CJFE website, was later reposted on Facebook by a staff member.

It was reported in the statement that the Israel Defence Forces used sniper fire, tank rounds and tear gas during the incident that killed 15 people and wounded more than 1,000, including journalists.

Tom Henheffer, a member of the board and acting vice-president, said that the CJFE has released dozens of similar statements in the past about Iran, Russia, Turkey and Egypt that were within the organizations mandate.

A lot of people have conflated this statement incorrectly, calling it a broad condemnation of Israeli policy, Henheffer, who is also the organizations former executive director, said. But that is completely false.

He said the board would consider if the statement was within its mandate at the Tuesday meeting, and whether it should be re-posted or an apology issued. The board was also to discuss how to vet the process of posting statements in the future. Currently, statements are written and edited by one or two staff members, then approved by the executive director.

At the end of the meeting, Henheffer told the Star were definitely not shutting down, but would not comment further. He said the organization would release a statement Wednesday morning.

CJFE co-executive director Duncan Pike has recently stepped aside, Henheffer said.

The board did not ask for his resignation, Henheffer said, but he felt that it was best for the organization to kind of clear the air and give it a bit of a fresh start.

Kevin Metcalf, the promotions and communications coordinator for CJFE who wrote the statement, told the Star on Tuesday that he has not quit, but is unsure of his employment status going forward.

Weve published dozens of what I would term to be politically charged press releases as an advocacy organization in the past, targeting many countries with egregious human rights records, Metcalf said in an interview with the Star on Tuesday.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Metcalf wrote Congratulations Canada, youve killed free speech.

CBCs Carol Off resigned from her position as chair of the CJFE gala last week. As co-host of CBC Radios As It Happens, she said the very strong political stand CJFE took put her in a conflict of interest.

I needed to step down in order to continue my work, Off said in a Twitter message.

Off said she defends the CJFEs right to take up various causes, but journalists cant do that  or at least, I dont.

Off spent a decade as chair of the gala. During that time, the gala awarded reporters who have risked life and liberty in the course of doing their jobs.

She added that she believes the CJFE is regrouping, and has every confidence that it will find its way.

Journalists took to social media to raise concerns with the statement, including The Globe and Mails Doug Saunders and Postmedias Sue-Ann Levy, among others.

Jonathan Kay, the Canadian Editor at Quillette Magazine, called the statement one-sided, adding that it was an unusual time to put out such a statement.

The narrative wasnt that different, Kay said. It wasnt one of these incidents  where one side was saying there had been a massacre of hundreds of Palestinians and the Israelis were saying no, he said.

Jesse Brown, host and publisher of Canadaland, said the statement condemned Israeli policy in a way that would put journalists covering the conflict in a compromised position.

The Israel-Palestine conflict is probably the issue under which journalists are most scrutinized by all sides, Brown said.

Any evidence or perceived evidence of bias is seized upon to prove that, either the journalist is in the pocket of the Israel lobby or that theyre just crusading for the Palestinian cause, Brown said. People who cover this have to be incredibly mindful.

The idea that a journalist could be a member of a lobby group that is petitioning the Government of Canada to take a position and denounce Israeli policy, it seems to be a non-starter.

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The cost of Mayor John Torys signature transit plan could increase significantly, and the city will have to draw on an existing fund created through property tax increases in order to finance the project, according to a new city report.

The report, which was released Tuesday and will be debated at the mayors executive committee next week, requests council officially commit to funding SmartTrack, Torys plan to add six new stations to existing GO Transit lines within Toronto.

Should council endorse its recommendations, it would mark a major milestone for SmartTrack, a more extensive version of which formed the main plank in Torys 2014 election campaign.

At a press conference in Liberty Village, a planned station site, Tory said the report marked a good day for transit riders and the city of Toronto as a whole.

He predicted the project will provide real relief, real economic benefits, real choice, and real transit options for a city that has been short of the transit it needed for a considerable amount of time.

According to the latest estimates, SmartTrack would serve 33 million customers annually by 2041, 6.2 million of which would be new riders on the system.

The mayor highlighted some good financial news for the city in the report. In 2016, council agreed to pay the operating and maintenance costs of SmartTrack, which is being built as part of a wider expansion of GO service called regional express rail. But the new report recommends Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency in charge of GO, pick up the operating and maintenance costs, which have yet to be determined.

A spokesperson for provincial Transportation Minister Kathryn McGarry wouldnt commit to paying the costs, but said discussions with the city have been progressing well.

The mayor also stated the anticipated cost of building the six new SmartTrack stations remains within the projected budget of $1.2 billion.

However, while the estimated cost of the stops is slightly less than the $1.25-billion estimate staff provided council in 2016, the new report recommends council authorize additional spending of up to $268 million, which would bring the total cost to $1.46 billion.

The extra money would be for station infrastructure over and above the base requirements of a regular GO stop. The additional components were either requested by council or recommended by staff, and are intended to connect SmartTrack stations with the TTC network and surrounding communities.

Examples include a bus loop for TTC service at the planned St. Clair-Weston station, a bridge to connect the East Harbour to nearby neighbourhoods, and entrances at Gerrard-Carlaw to link up with a planned relief line subway stop at the same site.

Tory said council will have the discretion to either do those things or not do them, and argued the important point was that the base case for the stations remained within budget.

Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22, St. Pauls) said the mayors assertion that station costs havent risen was not true.

I think hes being careful with his words to try to sell it better, said Matlow, a frequent critic of the mayors transit plans. The costs have gone up.

The report also provides details of the proposed financing plan for SmartTrack. Of the anticipated $1.46-billion total cost, the city expects the federal government to pay 40 per cent, leaving a city contribution at $878 million.

To pay its share, staff propose issuing a 30-year debenture, and then paying it off using a mixture of development charges, tax increment financing, and the City Building Fund council established in 2017 to pay for new transit and housing. The annual debt charges would work out to an average of $53.1 million.

Tax increment financing, or TIF, leverages projected future property tax revenue expected to be generated as a result of a project to pay for that project. Under the plan, the city would designate areas around stations as TIF zones, and then use the incremental property tax revenues from new development in the zones to pay for SmartTrack.

Tory said during his campaign TIF could be used to pay the entire cost of SmartTrack, which was then estimated at $2.7 billion, but staff are now recommending it should only be relied on to raise $292 million over 25 years.

The report notes there are risks associated with banking on TIF because there is always considerable uncertainty associated with any longer-term forecast of development, which can be affected by many factors.

On Tuesday, Tory batted away the suggestion that his promise to pay for the entire project using TIF had been unrealistic. He said the important thing for the public is that the money for SmartTrack is not coming about as a result of a property tax increase being levied on them going forward.

What I said of SmartTrack was that it would be built without a tax increase being imposed on the people of Toronto, a property tax increase, and that is the case, he said.

Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 14, ParkdaleHigh Park), another frequent critic of the mayor, rejected the assertion that SmartTrack isnt being built with tax increases. Thats because the City Building Fund staff propose to use to finance the project is made up of revenue collected through annual 0.5-per-cent property tax increases that began in 2017 and are scheduled to continue until 2021.

By that point the fund is expected to generate about $74.2 million a year, an average of roughly $18.2 million of which would go towards financing SmartTrack. The city would continue to draw on the fund until 2055.

Like Tory, Perks supported the creation of the fund, but argued the mayor cant claim SmartTrack isnt relying on property tax hikes. John Tory said today that hes not increasing taxes to pay for SmartTrack. John Tory increased taxes; hes using it to pay for SmartTrack, Perks said. Its a fact.

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Paid police agent Carmine Guido used cocaine while working undercover in a two-year project against the Ndrangheta organized crime group in the GTA, court heard Wednesday.

I know that he did use cocaine during the investigation, RCMP Staff Sgt. Blair Fuhrman said, testifying in a University Ave. courtroom.

His comments came in the drug trafficking trial of Cosmin (Chris) Dracea, 41, of Toronto and Giuseppe (Pino) Ursino, 64, of Bradford, Ont., who each face two counts of cocaine trafficking for the benefit of a criminal organization and one charge of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

Read more:

Ex-mobster tells court $2.4M he was paid for working as police agent isnt half of what I gave up

Man who worked as paid agent for RCMP tells court he was not involved in murder of reputed mobster Carmine Verduci

I was starting to lose my mind, former mobster tells cocaine trafficking trial

Guido, 47, is a self-described wise guy in the local organized crime world. On the witness stand, he has described Ursino as a boss in the local Ndrangheta, a strain of the Mafia.

Guido, a former construction executive, made $2.4 million as a paid agent for the RCMP between 2013 and 2015, as he secretly taped dozens of conversations with suspected Ndrangheta members and associates.

During that time, Guido tested positive for cocaine while working for the RCMP and was caught on camera using the drug, court heard.

Things apparently cleaned up in the final stages of the undercover project after he had a stint in rehab, Fuhrman testified.

He  was put in rehab with his cocaine addiction, Fuhrman said under cross-examination from Ursinos lawyer, Dragi Zekavica.

Fuhrman said Guido was under daily RCMP watch between 8 a.m. and midnight, but police sometimes called it a day early on days Guido went to bed early.

Zekavica asked if it was possible that Guido snuck out once the Mounties were gone.

It would be possible but it was unlikely, Zekavica said, noting police had a tracking device installed on Guidos car.

Court heard he drove a government-provided BMW during the operation.

Fuhrman, who was in charge of undercover operators during the project, said the project was well underway when he joined in October 2013.

Under questioning from Zekavica, Fuhrman said Guido also had Percocet opioid painkillers with him during the operation.

He would arrive with a little pill bottle  a little pharmacy in a bottle, Fuhrman said.

There was concern about his drug use, Fuhrman said. They (senior officers) wanted us to be in proximity to him, keep an eye on him.

Under questioning from Draceas lawyer, Kathryn Wells, Fuhrman said the RCMP imported some 1,500 pounds of jerk sauce from Jamaica via undercover officers posing as a GTA food distributor involved in the drug trade.

At one point, Guido said drug traffickers in the Caribbean planned to slip a spoon or fork into a bucket of jerk sauce shipped up to the undercover Mounties in order to test border security.

I was tasked to check 30 buckets of jerk sauce, Staff Sgt. Robert Saunders testified.

He acknowledged the jury as he continued in a flat voice: I see some of you smiling. It was somewhat painful  We didnt find it.

This is the first time in Canada that the Ndrangheta has been targeted as an organized crime group since the offence of criminal organization came into effect in 1997, senior federal prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos said earlier in an interview.

The trial continues.
Toronto police are expected to hold a news conference Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. to provide an update on alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Police are expected to provide updates on three aspects of the investigation into McArthur.

It has been more than a month since police took the rare step of releasing a photograph of an alleged victim of McArthurs, in hopes that someone could identify him.

Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga said that the image had been cleaned up, and data from the photo released on the Toronto police website shows it was altered, including by a photoshopping tool to erase and smudge parts of the image.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. Toronto police have released a photograph of a man who is believed to be a victim of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur. Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga says releasing the image is a last resort to find the mans identity. (The Canadian Press)

While Idsinga said the man is deceased in the photograph, he would not say how investigators obtained the image, nor would he speak on the mans cause of death.

McArthur, 66, was arrested on Jan. 18 and has been charged in the deaths of Selim Esen, Skandaraj Skanda Navaratnam, Andrew Kinsman, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi and Dean Lisowick.

All six men vanished from in or around Torontos Gay Village between 2010 and 2016. Investigators have been combing through evidence at properties linked to McArthur, who is alleged to have hidden human remains in planters placed at homes where he worked as a landscaper.

Police have combed through as many as 20 such planters over the course of their investigation. Several such planters were seized at a home in Leaside, where McArthur was connected through his landscaping work.

McArthur will be appearing in court Wednesday morning.
Police say they have charged two people after a six-year-old girl went missing from her Scarborough home Tuesday and ended up being found hours later 15 kilometres away.

The girl was located across the city at Dufferin St. and Eglinton Ave. at around 12:55 p.m., police say.

Several officers were brought in to assist with the search, including six officers on horseback, the canine unit and about 20 concerned volunteers.

Police said she approached a bystander for help in the Bathurst St. and Eglinton Ave. W. area, about 15 kilometres away from her home near Midland Ave. and Eglinton Ave. E. Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, Toronto police Supt. Mark Barkley said the girl is safe and doing well.

Theres family thats wrapped around the child and we want to work with the family to see what has transpired here, Barkley said.

After officers arrived on scene at the girls apartment building, they learned that she had been seen by other residents of the building at around 5 a.m. While it was initially reported that she wasnt wearing shoes or dressed for the weather, police located her wearing a coat and hat, and with shoes on her feet.

One woman has been charged with public mischief, and is set to appear in court at Old City Hall at a later date.

Another woman has been charged with obstruction of a peace officer. She is scheduled to appear in court at 1911 Eglinton Ave. East at a later date.

The police have not released the names of the women charged to protect the identity of the child.

Police said an Amber Alert wasnt issued because they didnt suspect the girl had been abducted.
City of Vaughan staff are recommending the municipal government take a favourable position at the Ontario Municipal Board hearings regarding a 28-acre residential development application around a Thornhill mosque.

The recommended approval is conditional, and 46 pages long.

In their report, city planning staff say they recommend city council endorse the application as long as issues identified in studies of the impact of parking, traffic and environmental pressures are addressed  issues Thornhill residents have been at odds about for more than four years.

Its too high, too dense, and there too many parking issues, said Rom Koubi, chairman of the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association.

In 2014, the Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) submitted an application seeking permission to rezone and develop the property around the Jaffari Community Centre mosque at 9000 Bathurst St. The application has since been appealed at the Ontario Municipal Board, with a proposal that had been revised over 28 meetings with city staff and the Preserve Thornhill Woods Association.

The original application consisted of two 17-storey residential apartment buildings and 61 townhouses. It now proposes 6- and 8-storey residential apartment buildings and 60 townhouses.

Despite these changes, many Thornhill residents remain strongly opposed to the development.

In the lead up to and during the almost four-hour long April 4 public hearing, the application received 45 deputations, 125 communications and a petition dated Jan. 21, 2014, containing more than 5,000 names of residents opposing the application. In total, the City of Vaughan has received 360 letters seeking city councils refusal of the application.

At the hearing, residents main concerns were traffic, an issue many told the committee they were fed up with. One resident speaking at the hearing called the issue chronic and ongoing since the mosque was built. Parking was also a repeated concern, as was the environmental impact of the 28-acre development.

It has to fit in the neighbourhood, said Josh Martow, president, Beverly Glen Ratepayers Association. Martow has lived in Thornhill all his life, and believes the proposal does not agree with the neighbourhoods detached-townhomes appearance.

This land was zoned for something when people bought their homes in the area, Martow said. After theyve made Thornhill their homes, a developer is asking the plans to be turned completely on their head.

I dont think its NIMBY-ism to say when city planners come out and put forward a plan for the neighbourhood, we stick to it.

Shafiq Ebrahim, ISIJ vice-president, is encouraged by city councils decision to take a position. Weve been working city staff on this for a long time, he said. This is due process, well work through it  well do whatever is necessary to build within the parameter we have been approved.

Mitchell Kosny, the associate director of Ryersons school of urban and regional planning, told the Star the fact that the process has taken over four years is inappropriate and unacceptable. He cant recall a development application that has taken a similar amount of time for a decision to be reached.

Planning issues are not that complicated, he said, noting that they are slow and rooted in a complaint-reaction process. It doesnt take four years.

I think were all dancing around what the issue is here, he added. Parking, traffic, theres a hundred of those things, theyre all nice, gentile code for we just dont want it here or we dont like them.

Kosny believes the onus is on city council to make firm decisions on planning issues and help figure out how to help turn suburbs into communities.

For Gods sake, stand up and make a decision.

City council will vote on their position Wednesday.

Read more about:
Already an investigation of unprecedented scale, the ongoing probe into Bruce McArthur grew ever larger Wednesday as Toronto police announced they are now examining 15 cold cases reaching back to 1975 and will soon search 75 properties linked to the accused serial murderer.

Growing, too, is the list of McArthurs alleged victims. Yet another first-degree murder charge was laid against the 66-year-old landscaper Wednesday, bringing the number of men he is accused of killing to seven.

Police now believe McArthur murdered Abdulbasir Faizi, 42, a quiet and kind immigrant from Afghanistan and father of two who went missing from the Church and Wellesley area in December 2010.

Two years later, his wife filed for divorce under the false belief her husband had simply abandoned her  a conclusion she drew after an extensive search involving family, friends, co-workers and police, and which was described in heartbreaking detail in divorce documents.

I have been to the area where he was last seen, Church St. and Wellesley St. in Toronto numerous times, Kareema wrote. All attempts to locate Abdulbasir have been futile.

News of his death  delivered to Faizis family last month but made public Wednesday  brings closure but not surprise. Faizi had been one of three men whose disappearances between 2010 and 2012 were the subject of a special police probe dubbed Project Houston.

Bruce McArthur has been charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance of Abdulbasir Faizi (pictured), who went missing on Dec. 29, 2010.







The missing persons investigation ran for 18-months and briefly involved the Toronto police homicide squad, but closed in 2014 after police found no evidence to suggest criminal activity. After McArthurs January arrest in the deaths of Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen, police have since charged McArthur in the deaths of two of the men linked to Project Houston: Majeed Kayhan, 58, and Skandaraj Skanda Navaratnam, 40.

With McArthurs charge in Faizis death, police now allege he killed all three men whose disappearances were the subject of the special probe closed years before McArthurs arrest.

Read more:

Opinion | Rosie DiManno: Another charge, more questions in Bruce McArthur case

Key dates in McArthur investigation

How McArthur hid in plain sight for years

Investigators from that project feel a sense of closure that all three men have been accounted for, Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga told reporters at a news conference at police headquarters Wednesday.

But whether officers missed key evidence during Project Houston and could have arrested McArthur sooner  saving lives  is top of mind for some within the LGBTQ community and beyond. Police have faced increasing scrutiny about their handling of missing people from the Church-Wellesley community in recent years.

They had leads, there were people they could have followed up on, there were things they could have done, said James Dubro, who has spent decades writing about the LGBTQ community, and who is among a group of activists calling for an independent public inquiry into the handling of the McArthur investigation.

But Idsinga stated otherwise, saying there was nothing left for the investigators to do and that the probe had been exhaustive.

Hindsights always 20-20. You can always go back and look at what you did do or didnt do. All I can say is that I was familiar with Houston. I look back at those occurrences now and Im quite content with the job that was done by (local police) 51 Division in this case, Idsinga told reporters.

As the Star has previously reported, investigators spoke with McArthur around the time of Project Houston. Later, in 2016, he was questioned by police after a man reported McArthur attempted to strangle him during a sexual encounter. McArthur was let go.

The following year, McArthur is alleged to have killed Kinsman and Esen.

Two reviews are ongoing into Toronto police handling of missing persons cases  one internal and one conducted independently, commissioned last month by the Toronto police board.

McArthur, who was arrested on Jan. 18, is also charged in the death of Soroush Mahmudi, 50, who disappeared in August 2015, and Dean Lisowick, 47, who disappeared in April 2016. Since the arrest, investigators have scoured properties linked to McArthur and uncovered the dismembered human remains of at least seven people inside the planters of a Leaside home where the landscaper worked and stored his equipment.

Idsinga announced Wednesday forensic pathologists have now identified three sets of those remains as belonging to Faizi, Esen and Lisowick. Through fingerprint and dental records, forensic experts had previously matched the human remains of Kinsman, Navaratnam and Mahmudi. At least one set of human remains is yet to be identified.

McArthurs alleged murders now span from September 2010 to June 2017  but police believe they may go far further back.

Working in conjunction with the Toronto police cold case squad, Idsinga announced police are reviewing 15 homicide cold cases from 1975 to 1997. The list was drawn up after the cold case unit reviewed outstanding cases that may be linked to the Gay Village from the 1970s to 2010.

Read more:

Police chief announces review of missing persons investigations

McArthur investigators not ruling out 1970s Gay Village cold cases

As investigators continue to dig back in time, they also plan to search upwards of 75 properties linked to McArthur, bringing search dogs out and digging at some properties as early as May. The list of properties has grown from the previous estimate of 30 as more people have come forward to police who earlier may not have wanted investigators on their property.

Idsinga reiterated his commitment to doing whatever we can to protect your privacy.

Idsinga said Wednesday that police believe Faizi and McArthur knew each other before the alleged murder. McArthur killed Faizi on or about Dec. 29, 2010, according to documents filed in court Wednesday  the day he was reported to missing to Peel Regional Police.

His last known location was in the Church and Wellesley Sts. area, and Faizis car, a 2002 Nissan Sentra, was found abandoned on Moore Ave., near St. Clair Ave. E. and Mount Pleasant Rd.  a short drive from where McArthur worked as a landscaper.

Described by those who knew him as quiet and down to earth, Faizi worked on and off for five years as a press assistant at a Mississauga industrial printing company now known as WestRock. According to a fellow employee, he worked right up until the day before he disappeared, clocking out at 3 p.m. on December 28, 2010.

To his fellow co-workers he often showed photos of his girls and was particularly proud when they were dressed well.

Court documents show Faizi and Kareema had been married since 1999, and had been living in Brampton since November 2007. The couple had two daughters who were 8 and 11 years old at the time of his disappearance.

Kareema had filed for sole custody, and cited adultery as the reason for divorce: It was discovered after Abdulbasirs disappearance that he had multiple adulterous relationships during his marriage with men and had used the familys financial resources and home for these affairs without (Kareemas) knowledge or consent, the documents state.

In an affidavit, Kareema wrote of her belief that Faizi was avoiding all responsibility to his family, both emotional and financial, and avoiding completing a divorce and seeing and supporting his children.

The last time they spoke was on Dec. 29, 2010 at around 7:20 p.m., according to Kareemas affidavit. Faizi told his wife he was at work and then out with coworkers  Kareema calls both details false statements. His phone, she wrote, was disconnected shortly after.

In the same affidavit, Kareema goes on to detail her attempts to find her husband: she contacted all of his living relatives, including his sister and brother in Iran. She reached out to all the friends she knew of, in Canada and around the world. None of his friends or family members know of his whereabouts or were aware of his other life, she wrote.

She sent email messages to every email address she had of his, and messaged him on Facebook. She went to the Church and Wellesley area where he was last seen multiple times to try and find him  her last visit was in December 2011.

Faizis brother, Farid, and Peel Police aided in the search, she wrote.

The Star couldnt reach Farid or Kareema for comment.

Wednesdays developments come one month after police took the rare step of releasing a photograph of a deceased man who investigators alleged was a victim of McArthurs. The photo was released with the hope that a member of the public may be able to identify him.

More than 500 tips have since flowed in, and investigators received a total of 70 potential identities for the man in the photo, which officers have winnowed down to 22.

Urging anyone who may have more information to come forward, police re-released the photo of the dead man that has been retouched by Nikki Ward, a digital artist and member of the LGBTQ community. Investigators also released a sketch of the man created by Toronto polices Forensic Identification Services.

McArthur is due back in court later this month.
On a grey Thursday in January, Toronto police made one of the biggest arrests in the citys history.

Apprehended from a Thorncliffe Park apartment complex was Bruce McArthur, a self-employed landscaper. Police had uncovered evidence linking him to the deaths of two missing men from Torontos Gay Village, Andrew Kinsman, 49, and Selim Esen, 44.

At a press conference announcing the arrest, police said they believed there were more victims.

Over the next three months, McArthur, 67, would be charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of six more men: Majeed Kayhan, 58; Soroush Mahmudi, 50; Dean Lisowick, 47; Skandaraj (Skanda) Navaratnam, 40, Abdulbasir Faizi, 42, and Kirushnakumar Kanagaratnam, 37.

The sprawling, months-long police probe has seen the largest forensic investigation in Torontos history, and resulted in the discovery of dismembered, skeletal human remains buried in large planters on a Leaside property.

The arrest of the serial killer came after long-held speculation in the Church-Wellesley community that a murderer was in their midst  a concern met with denial by police until just weeks before McArthur was arrested. As questions mounted about whether an arrest could have been made sooner, an independent review has been launched into the Toronto police handling of missing persons cases.

A little over one year later, on Jan. 29, 2019, McArthur pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder.

Below is a detailed account of key dates in the police investigation into the Gay Village serial killings:

The Star intends to update this timeline as the Bruce McArthur case unfolds. It was last updated Feb. 8.

Oct. 2001: McArthur, 50, attacks a man midday inside the victims apartment in the Gay Village. McArthur strikes the man numerous times with a metal pipe. The victim, who has advertised in gay publications as a male hustler, calls 911 and is taken to hospital. McArthur goes to police headquarters to say he may have hurt someone and doesnt know why he did it.

Jan.  April 2003: McArthur pleads guilty to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm in the 2001 attack, his first criminal conviction. He later receives a conditional sentence of two years less a day, and three years probation. As part of his probation, he is barred from an area of the city that includes the Gay Village and from spending time with male prostitutes. He is also ordered to have a sample of DNA taken and added to a database. He later obtains a pardon for the conviction.

Sept. 2010: Skandaraj (Skanda) Navaratnam, 40, goes missing after he is seen leaving Zipperz, a now-closed bar at Church and Carlton Sts., with an unknown man. Speaking anonymously, a source tells Xtra that McArthur once dated Navaratnam, who is originally from Sri Lanka, beginning around 1999. The two men were listed as friends on Facebook.

McArthur kills Navaratnam on or about Sept. 6, according to a statement of facts presented at his sentencing.

Dec. 29, 2010: Abdulbasir Faizi, a 42-year-old machine operator at a printing company in Mississauga, is reported missing to Peel Regional Police. His car is later found abandoned in Toronto, in the area of St. Clair Ave. E. and Mount Pleasant Rd.

McArthur kills Faizi on or about the day he went missing, according to the statement of facts.

Oct. 2012: Majeed Kayhan, a 58-year-old Afghan immigrant, disappears and is reported missing by his son.

McArthur kills Kayhan on or about Oct. 18, 2012, according to the statement of facts.

Nov. 2012: Toronto police in downtowns 51 division launch Project Houston, an investigation into the disappearances of Navaratnam, Kayhan, and Faizi.

Late 2012  June 2013: During Project Houston, Toronto police find some evidence Navaratnam has been murdered. Investigators from the homicide squad join the case, pursuing evidence including the suggestion Navaratnam had been the victim of a cannibalism ring.

That evidence is discounted  and the investigation continues without the involvement of the homicide squad.

April 2014: Project Houston ends. McArthur was never a suspect in the investigation, but court later hears he was interview by police over his connections to the missing men. He is considered a witness, and is never considered a person of interest.

Aug. 2015: Soroush Mahmudi, a 50-year-old professional painter, is last seen alive by his home near Markham Rd. and Blakemanor Blvd. in Scarborough. He is reported missing by his family.

McArthur kills Mahmudi on or about Aug. 15, according to the statement of facts.

Late 2015: McArthur kills Kirushnakumar Kanagaratnam, 37, on or about Jan. 6, 2016, according to the statement of facts.

Kanagaratnam, a refugee from Sri Lanka, had never been reported missing.

June 20, 2016: Toronto police question McArthur after a man calls 911 to report that McArthur attempted to strangle him in his van during an otherwise consensual encounter.

McArthur turns himself into police and is arrested. He is later let go without charges.

April 2016: Dean Lisowick checks into the Scott Mission shelter in Toronto for the last time.

McArthur kills Lisowick on or about April 23, 2016, according to the statement of facts.

April 2017: Selim Esen, a 44-year-old Turkish citizen, goes missing.

McArthur kills Esen on or about April 16, 2017, according to the statement of facts.

June 2017: Andrew Kinsman, a 49-year-old Cabbagetown resident, goes missing. Investigators will later confirm that Kinsman and McArthur had a sexual relationship.

McArthur kills Kinsman on or about June 26, 2017, according to the statement of facts.

Aug. 2017: Toronto police launch Project Prism, a probe into the disappearances of Esen and Kinsman. Investigators from downtowns 51 division and other units are brought in, and information is shared from Project Houston.

Sept. 2017: McArthur becomes a person of interest in Kinsmans death, launching a probe into McArthur that would include surveillance of his vehicle and a team of officers tracking him around the GTA.

Nov. 2017: Police uncover evidence suggesting Kinsman has likely been murdered and McArthur is a suspect. Part of their investigation includes seizing McArthurs rusted maroon Dodge Caravan from Doms Auto Parts in Courtice, just outside Oshawa.

Unsealed court documents later reveal that Kinsmans blood was found inside one of McArthurs vehicles.

Dec. 2017: Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders downplays the suggestion of a serial killer in the Gay Village as concerns mount about a growing list of people disappearing from the area.

A police spokesperson says there is no evidence  let me repeat, no evidence linking any of the disappearances. Homicide investigators, meanwhile, obtain authorization to surreptitiously enter McArthurs home and clone his computer in connection to Kinsmans death.

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Jan. 18, 2018: McArthur is under police surveillance when officers observe a young man entering his apartment and intervene. The man  who will be referred to as John at McArthurs sentencing hearings  is found tied up but unharmed.

McArthur is arrested and charged with the murders of Esen and Kinsman.

The charges are made possible after police uncover evidence that pushed the case over the edge, says Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga, the lead detective on the case. Investigators believe there are other victims and reveal they are searching properties linked to McArthur, in Toronto and Madoc, Ont.

Jan. 29, 2018: McArthur is charged in the deaths of three more men: Kayhan, Mahmudi, and Lisowick. Idsinga reveals police discovered the dismembered, skeletal remains of three unidentified people buried inside planters at a Leaside home where McArthur worked as a landscaper. Investigators seize more than a dozen large planters from the property in search of more human remains.

Feb. 8, 2018: Toronto police reveal that the remains of at least six people have been recovered from a private property at 53 Mallory Cres., a Leaside home owned by Karen Fraser and Ron Smith. The remains of Kinsman are identified through fingerprint evidence.

A few days later, after heating and excavating frozen earth in the backyard, police say they will halt digging but may return when the weather is warmer.

Feb. 23, 2018: McArthur is charged with Navaratnams murder. Navaratnams remains were among the dismembered human remains recovered inside the planters, identified through dental records.

The charge means McArthur is now accused of killing two of the three men whose disappearances were probed during Project Houston. Mahmudis remains have also been identified through dental records, police reveal.

March 5, 2018: In a rare move, Toronto police release a photo of a dead, unidentified man who they believe is a seventh victim of McArthur. The image is a close-up of a deceased man with dark skin, black hair and a beard. Investigators cleaned up the photo to remove some artifacts, Idsinga says.

Police also reveal that a seventh set of human remains have been uncovered in the Mallory Cres. planters. The discovery means four outstanding sets of human remains are undergoing forensic DNA testing to be identified.

March 6, 2018: The Star reveals that an internal police misconduct investigation has begun in connection with a past police interaction with McArthur. Idsinga tells the Star he initiated a complaint into concerning behaviour of officers who potentially did not do what they were supposed to have done, but does not provide any detail.

The incident is later revealed to be the 2016 choking report that resulted in no charges.

March 22, 2018: In the wake of mounting questions about past handling of the McArthur investigation, the Toronto police board commissions an external review of how Toronto police handle missing-persons cases  though the probe cannot directly examine the McArthur case because of the ongoing investigation and looming trial. The external investigation is supported by Chief Saunders, who had already launched an internal investigation of missing-persons cases.

April 3, 2018: Toronto police withdraw an application to participate in the 2018 Pride parade, one day after Pride Toronto and a coalition of LGBTQ groups called on police to rescind their request to take part.

Citing anger and shock about the deaths in the Gay Village and insufficient investigations into missing-persons cases, the groups said the damaged relationship between the community and police cannot be mended through a parade.

April 11, 2018: McArthur is charged with a seventh count first-degree murder in Faizis death after forensic pathologists identify his remains among those found in the Mallory Cres. planters.

April 16, 2018: Police identify the deceased man in the photograph as Kirushnakumar Kanagaratnam, and charge McArthur with an eighth count of first-degree murder. Kanagaratnam is the youngest man alleged to be killed by McArthur.

May 2018: Toronto police complete their four-month forensic examination of McArthurs 19th-floor Thorncliffe Park apartment building. They seized 1,800 exhibits and took more than 18,000 photographs. The probe is officially the largest forensic investigation in Torontos history.

June 2018: Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Gloria Epstein is tapped to lead an independent review of how Toronto police review missing persons cases. She retires from Ontarios highest court to conduct the review, which will examine whether the probes into the alleged McArthur victims disappearances could have been tainted by systemic bias or discrimination.

July 2018: Toronto police resume an extensive search behind 53 Mallory Cres. involving cadaver dogs and locate human remains just hours in. Human remains are found virtually every day of the nine-day excavation of what police called a compost pile at the back of the property, in a forested ravine.

The remains are identified as those of Kayhan, the sole alleged McArthur victims whose remains had not yet been recovered. His are the only remains not buried inside large planters on the same Leaside property.

Idsinga says at a press conference announcing the identification of Kayhans remains that theres no evidence to suggest there are other remains to be found, or any indication there are more victims.

October 2018: Toronto police provide details of its dedicated missing persons unit, formed after criticism of Toronto police handling of sudden disappearances, including those now alleged to be McArthurs victims. In court, McArthur appears in person for the first time in months and waives his preliminary hearing, sending his case directly to trial.

October and November 2018: The remains of the victims are released back to families and friends, allowing for funerals and memorial services to take place, including for Esen, Lisowick, Kanagaratnam and Navaratnam.

Nov. 30, 2018: Ontario Superior Court Justice John McMahon schedules McArthurs trial for Jan. 6, 2020.

Jan. 28, 2019: Toronto police announce in a news release that there will be a significant development when McArthur appears in court the next day.

Jan. 29, 2019: McArthur pleads guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder, once for each man he killed between 2010 and late 2017.

McMahon schedules sentencing hearings for the following week.

Feb. 1, 2019: Sources confirm to the Star that Sgt. Paul Gauthier is facing professional misconduct charges of neglect of duty and insubordination over his handling of the 2016 choking incident, for which McArthur was arrested by not charged.

Feb. 4, 2019: At Day 1 of McArthurs sentencing submissions, Crown lawyer Michael Cantlon describes new details of the police investigation of the Gay Village killings, including two pieces of evidence that helped crack the case open: A note recovered from Kinsmans calendar, and grainy security footage of the him getting into the killers van.

Cantlon also describes in new detail how when police arrested McArthur, they found John handcuffed to the killers bed.

Feb. 5, 2019: Friends and family of McArthurs victims describe their pain in a series of emotional victim impact statements.

Crown prosecutors ask McMahon to sentence McArthur to consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole for 50 years. The killers defence lawyers ask for concurrent sentences with parole eligibility at 25 years, when McArthur would be 91.

McMahon says he will return a decision on Feb. 8.

Feb. 6, 2019: In a letter to his colleagues, Gauthier writes he is being made the fall guy for police errors in the McArthur investigation.

Gauthier is alleged to have failed to both videotape the victims statement and photograph the victims injuries within 72 hours of the June 20, 2016, incident. Both steps are required by the Toronto police policy on domestic violence investigations.

Feb. 8, 2019: McMahon sentences McArthur to eight life sentences for first-degree murder, to be served concurrently with no chance of parole for 25 years  the earliest possible date, given his crimes.

Even if McArthur lives to 91, McMahon said, the chances are very remote at best he will ever get parole.
Do not smoke this daisy.

The New York Times is reporting that Scott Pruitt has ordered the redesign of the Environmental Protection Agencys swag, including the so-called challenge coin  a souvenir token handed out by the agency. And hes insisting that the redesigned products not display the EPAs official seal, because he thinks the logo looks like a marijuana leaf. In fact, its a daisy  modified, to be sure, but definitely a daisy  and its there by dint of a stubborn Ronald Reagan appointee named Anne Gorsuch, whose surname may ring a bell if you care about the composition of the Supreme Court.

When it opened its doors in 1970, under President Nixon, the agencys first seal  its official round logo  was much like the one you see above. It was usually rendered in greens and blues, and it was, for a government agency created by a Republican administration, a little bit cute. After a few years, the agencys rather hit-or-miss internal design work came under review. At the time, many government agencies, under an initiative called the Federal Design Improvement Program, were waking up to the possibilities of better graphics, and their employees were getting less-drab offices and better letterheads and such. NASA got its worm logo, and several other Cabinet departments materials were redesigned as well.

In 1976, it was the EPAs turn, and its administrators hired Chermayeff & Geismar, the great design firm behind every logo from Chase to Mobil to NBC, to carry out the job. A young guy named Steff Geissbuhler did most of the work, and what he produced was a streamlined set of graphics. His (correct) instinct was to dump the busy little daisy seal in favor of a much flatter logo. He retained the leaves and the rising sun and sea, but the flower was gone. It was a very weak thing, he recalled to me for an essay in the recent reprinting of the EPAs Graphic Standards Manual. We felt that it had come out of the 60s, with hippies putting flowers in the rifle barrels of soldiers, and we said, What you really need is something stronger, because this is an agency that is not without authority. They can stop and fine people and corporations. Its a law-enforcement agency. And the symbol did not seem to do that justice.

Geissbuhlers new system of graphics was much cleaner, dependent mostly on the Swiss typeface called Univers  and his redesigned logo was itself less playful, more corporate, toughened-up. (His team had proposed dumping the entire botanical construction, but they were told that some continuity with the old logo was required.) The daisy was banished. The inventive system, affecting everything from stationery to posters to brochures, was put into place around the start of the Carter administration.

Geissbuhlers redrawn logo.

And barely outlasted it. In 1981, after his election, Ronald Reagan installed a new head of the EPA. Anne Gorsuch, like Pruitt today, held a stance basically hostile to much of the EPAs mission. She cheerily oversaw heavy budget-cutting in her own agency, and did away with more than her share of clean-water regulations. In the process, she alienated a great many people inside and outside her realm. As her predecessor, William Ruckelshaus, put it, she treated a lot of people in the agency as the enemy, and they werent. But within a week, they were. She very quickly became unpopular, and a year or so later, when she got snared in a scandal over the allocation of some Superfund money, she was left twisting in the wind by the Department of Justice. She was gone after 22 months.

As she had carved away at the agency, one thing she got rid of was that graphics program that Geissbuhler had so painstakingly built. And although the logo he had drawn was kept in some settings, Anne Gorsuch insisted that the old seal, despite its awkward and vaguely countercultural appearance, be retained as well. I dont like the stationery  I want my daisy back is how she reportedly put it. Oddly enough, the Reaganite had chosen the hippie logo over the tough corporate one. One suspects that the Euro-cosmopolitanism of the clean Swiss lines and Univers type were not her preferred aesthetic.

The mix of versions that the EPA uses today.

Gorsuch  she divorced and remarried once, becoming Anne Gorsuch Burford, before her death in 2004  had three children, and one of them grew up to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court. Neil Gorsuch, whether you like him or not, is clearly excellent at the machinations of the Washington game, and he is said to have learned from his mothers rough experience. He survived and endured. As does the EPA seal that his mother insisted upon, the one that Geissbuhler, to this day, refers to as that stupid little daisy. No wonder Scott Pruitt felt the need to stomp on it.
At a recent baby shower in her Victoria hometown, British Columbias NDP Finance Minister Carole James couldnt help notice how times had changed.

Instead of sharing tips on how to get babies to sleep through the night, parents were fretting about child care.

I just heard panic from all these young moms and young dads. Which one of them could take time out of their jobs? Or did you get yourself on the (child care) wait list, the day you found out you were pregnant? recalled James, who has two grandchildren, ages 7 and 11.

It was not the kind of enjoyable conversation and sharing that you would expect at a baby shower. It was real anxiety that shouldnt be there for people.

That anxiety, felt by young families and also by businesses scrambling to attract and retain employees as the population ages, was behind the NDPs decision to make universal child care a key plank in their election platform a year ago, James said.

And it was a winner.

No question, it had an influence in the provincial election, she told the Star in a wide-ranging interview about child cares popularity in the polls.

James, who was in Toronto last week to address the Economic Council of Canada, says she isnt surprised Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is offering free child care for preschoolers starting in 2020 along with a provincial wage grid to boost pay in the sector as part of the Liberals bid for re-election later this spring.

I think we are reaching a turning point, she said.

The Wynne governments recent $2.2 billion budget initiative is coupled with its 2016 commitment to create 100,000 new licensed spots for kids under age 4 within five years.

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath last week vowed to do better in her election platform. Doug Fords Progressive Conservatives have yet to say anything on the issue.

Its a very positive sign that we are seeing child care as such a large part of the discussion (in Ontario,) James said. We want to see other provinces move ahead, regardless of how elections turn out.

Parents in B.C. and Ontario pay some of the highest child care fees in the country. Median fees for infants top $16,300 a year in Vancouver and $21,000 in Toronto.

The B.C. governments recent $1 billion budget investment in child care is not only good for families, but smart economics, James said.

When you look at demographics . . . when you have the Governor of the Bank of Canada speaking in favour of child care as a recruitment and retention issue, getting women back into the workforce is critical, she told the Star.

The longer women are out of the workforce after having children, the lower their earnings and the fewer their career advancement opportunities, James noted, arguing governments cant advance pay equity without child care.

It is the same point Wynne made last month.

If we dont do something to give more women the choice to return to work after having kids and do it on their own terms, then we will never achieve gender equality, Wynne said.

Both politicians argue their plans are economically responsible and point to the experience of Quebec, where universal, affordable child care has been provincial policy for two decades.

A 2011 study of Quebecs $7-a-day scheme showed governments recoup $1.50 in consumption and income taxes for every dollar the province spends on child care. (Child care fees in Quebec are now based on income and cost families between $7.75 and $21.20 a day.)

The workforce participation of women of child-bearing age in Quebec has jumped to 87 per cent from 74 per cent since the program began 20 years ago, while it sits at just 83 per cent in the rest of Canada.

Child poverty rates in Quebec are the lowest of any province in the country at 14.4 per cent, according to 2015 tax filer data compiled by Campaign 2000. The rate in B.C. is 18.3 per cent while child poverty in Ontario is 17.2 per cent.

B.C. studied the Quebec model before designing its own 10-year initiative, James said.

Under the B.C. plan, launched in Jamess February budget, monthly fees for infants and toddlers dropped by $350 for all parents starting April 1 in participating child care centres. Monthly fees in home-based daycares were cut by $200.

For low- to moderate-income parents, a new B.C. child care benefit  to replace the provinces out-of-date subsidy system  will further help reduce fees for families with pre-tax incomes of up to $111,000 beginning in September. Families earning less than $45,000 would pay nothing, James said.

Funding to create 22,000 new licensed spaces and bursaries to support staff training in early childhood education are also part of the budgets three-year plan.

B.C. has roughly 105,000 licensed child care spots for children under age 12, enough to serve about 18 per cent of the provinces young children.

Ontario has more than 406,000 licensed spots, enough to serve about 22 per cent of children under age 12.

Ottawa budgeted $7 billion over 10 years in its 2017 budget to help lower-income families access high-quality licensed care. But that is barely 70 per cent of what the previous Liberal government committed through bilateral agreements with the provinces in 2005, James said.

The words are there when they talk about gender and supporting women, she said, referring to the recent federal budget. We would have expected them to have come to the table with more resources than they have.

With two of the countrys largest provinces launching universal child care initiatives, Canada is experiencing a watershed moment, said national expert Martha Friendly, of the Toronto-based Childcare Resource and Research Unit.

These are two big provinces with at least two different parties putting out very progressive goals in this area, she said.

The question now, is what role will Ottawa play. Medicare started in Saskatchewan. But it took the federal government to make it into a Canada-wide program that has stability, Friendly said.

A system of universal, high-quality child care is also in the national interest, and requires the federal government to provide the necessary glue, she added.

James, a former Greater Victoria School Board trustee and B.C. director of child care policy before she was elected as an MLA in 2005, says her province is resolved to keep pushing.

Im very passionate about this issue. Ive worked a lot of my life in this field. And I know the impact, she said. Raising kids is stressful enough  Parents shouldnt have to worry day to day about their child care situation.

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The organization Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) said it will amend its communications policy after a recent statement condemning Israels one-sided use of military force in Palestinian protests sparked controversy.

The group said Wednesday that the statement, which was published in early April and subsequently scrubbed from the groups website, went beyond the organizations mandate. The statement called on Canada to condemn the actions of the Israel Defence Force at the protests, and for an inquiry into what it called a massacre.

Twenty-six protesters have been killed and hundreds wounded, including journalists, since the protests began March 30. Israeli troops are closely guarding a border fence in the area and has warned it will not tolerate attempts to breach it. Israel says it has only fired at instigators trying to carry out attacks.

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Canadian journalists hold emergency meeting over statement condemning Gaza violence

Critics slammed the statement for overstepping the organizations role in defending free expression and for seemingly taking a side on the ongoing conflict. Two journalists the Star spoke to Tuesday said the CJFEs stance could, or did, place journalists covering the ongoing conflict into a conflict of interest.

In an emergency meeting held Tuesday night, the CJFEs board opted to amend its communications policy. All future public statements will be approved by a panel of board members to ensure they are consistent with our mandate, CJFE president Philip Tunley wrote in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.

Tunley added the statement was published without vetting from the board and went beyond the organizations mandate.

In the Wednesday statement, Tunley also clarified the CJFEs stance on the events that took place in Gaza.

The board condemns, in the strongest terms, any attacks on journalists or peaceful groups expressing their rights to free expression, he said. We condemn the Israeli Defense Force (IDF)s use of deadly force on journalists and protesters.

The CJFE also reiterated its call for Israel to launch a a full, transparent, independent investigation into the violence.

We also ask the Canadian government to echo this call, Tunley said.

Kevin Metcalf, the promotions and communications co-ordinator for CJFE who wrote the statement, has been placed on paid leave until further notice.

CJFE confirmed his employment was under review.

Metcalf said his head is spinning that the CJFE action disavows the previous statement and yet reiterates its core points.

Calling the CJFE a very important organization in Canada and in journalism, Metcalf said he welcomes their intention to find a new way forward, revisit its mandate (and) restructure in a way that suits its mission.

In an interview with the Star, CJFE Vice-President Tom Henheffer said the initial statement was simply too broad, its focus wasnt where it needed to be and it was written in such a way that it could easily be misinterpreted.

The statement released Wednesday, Henheffer said, dealt with the core issues straight ahead  the call to action, especially to the Canadian government, is far less broad and the entire board agrees that it is aligned with our core mission.

Clarification  April 12, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version to include the Israeli governments claims regarding its use of force at the Gaza protests.

With files from the Associated Press

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A top aide to former premier Dalton McGuinty finds out Wednesday if he will get, as a prosecutor recommended, real jail time for the wiping of computer hard drives in the wake of the $1.1 billion gas plants scandal.

David Livingston, a career TD Bank executive who was chief of staff to McGuinty during his final 10 months in office, was convicted in January of illegal use of a computer system.

Crown attorney Tom Lemon called for six months behind bars for Livingston at a sentencing hearing in February, saying only real jail time will adequately denounce his conduct and deter others.

The conviction was for arranging a special password to enable a private contractor clear hard drives in McGuintys office before Kathleen Wynne became premier in February 2013. Two other charges were dropped.

Justice Timothy Lipson called it a dishonest scheme to protect McGuintys government from political fallout from the cancellations of gas-fired power plants in Oakville and Mississauga before the 2011 provincial election, which reduced the Liberals to a minority.

An Ontario Provincial Police investigation began in the spring of 2013 and charges were laid in late 2015 against Livingston and former deputy chief of staff Laura Miller, who was acquitted in their trial that began last September.

Livingstons laywer told court in February that the last five years have been difficult and the personal fallout is enough of a deterrent.

The years of stress and loss of employment status...the disgrace and stigma he has suffered...will deter others, Brian Gover said at the time.

Although court heard during the trial that Livingston dimissed as political bull---- the legal powers of a legislative committee to demand sensitive documents on the plant cancellations, he was more contrite at his sentencing hearing.

I apologize to my friends and my family for the anguish I have put them through. I regret the time and money that have been required to investigate and prosecute this case.

McGuinty was not a subject of the OPP investigation and co-operated with police.

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The province has announced the locations of its first four marijuana shops  including one in Toronto that will be located in a strip mall alongside a student tutoring service, a kids martial arts centre and a McDonalds.

Torontos outlet of the Ontario Cannabis Store, on Gerrard St. E. at Victoria Park Ave., is also within a kilometre of several public schools, including Blantyre elementary about 450 metres south.

The government released the locations online Wednesday afternoon, saying initial stores will also be located in Kingston, Guelph and Thunder Bay.

My question would be, what was their process to decide that location in Toronto, said Laurie French, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association.

Did they consult with the school board?

French said there is significantly less distance between the shop and schools than the Toronto District School Board had hoped for, though I realize how difficult that can be in the city.

She said school boards have been clear that they wanted to be involved in consultations on locations.

The Guelph store will be on Stone Rd. W. in Kingston, at a mall on Gardiners Rd., and on Harbour Expressway in Thunder Bay.

The Toronto store is in federal Liberal MP Bill Blairs Scarborough Southwest riding. The former Toronto police chief was tasked by the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be the governments point person on its cannabis legalization that takes effect this summer.

The province says more Ontario Cannabis Store locations will be communicated over the coming months.

The Toronto strip mall is a popular hangout for high school students from Malvern Collegiate, as well as Neil McNeil and Notre Dame Catholic high schools.

It has a Kumon tutoring centre, as well as a PRO Martial Arts franchise that promotes anti-bullying among kids.

The Kingston shop is at an outdoor mall, though it would not be a typical area for students walking around their schools, French said.

Our board, our chair, was not made aware of nor involved in the selection of that site, said French, who is a trustee with the Limestone District School Board.

During its deliberations, the government said it wanted to ensure that the shops are not  in close proximity to schools.

The province plans 40 stores by this summer, eventually opening 150 across Ontario by 2020.

The government-controlled stores, and online sales, will be the only legal places to purchase cannabis, and buyers must be at least 19 years of age.

Smoking marijuana in public places, vehicles and offices will be against the law.

The government also announced that Nancy Kennedy has been named president of the Ontario Cannabis Store. She is a veteran senior bureaucrat.
Premier Kathleen Wynne was forced on the defensive at a Black community debate Wednesday night over continued concerns with street checks by police, along with systemic racism facing Blacks in schools and the correctional system.

As her New Democrat and Green Party rivals earned ready applause from a crowd of 300 for straightforward promises to end carding  in which officers have disproportionately targeted Blacks despite new provincial regulations limiting random stops  Wynne insisted thats not as easy as it sounds.

End it! one man in the audience shouted, after the premier, seeking re-election June 7, said her government is going to continue to work to solve this challenge.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford also got a rough ride in the form of loud boos from the crowd for skipping the debate because of a northern Ontario campaign swing.

On carding, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said its time to shut down the unconstitutional practice because it undermines the Black community, particularly youth.

Lets build them up instead of tearing them down, she told the event hosted by Black Vote Canada and other groups at the Jamaican Canadian Association hall near Hwy. 400 and Finch.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner proposed mandatory anti-racism training for police to accelerate a culture shift and destruction of all data gathered through street checks.

Wynne, whose Liberals have been in power since 2003, accused her rivals of taking a simplistic approach to the issue.

There is a culture shift that has not yet been completed within police forces, Wynne added. Id love to say we have a magic wand.

She was also asked by debate moderator Royson James, a Toronto Star columnist, why the government has not done more to boost Black graduation rates in schools, lower expulsion rates and improve Black acceptance rates at universities  statistics he described as crushing and well below levels for whites.

I feel that frustration, Wynne replied to James, as another man in the crowd yelled clueless!

Fifteen years, interjected Horwath, a reference to the fact the Liberals under former premier Dalton McGuinty and Wynne have been in power since 2003.

Thats going to be Andreas theme. I get that, Andrea, the premier shot back in a testy exchange.

I know theres more to be done. I know were not there.

The debate wasnt the only such event in the spotlight Wednesday as Wynne challenged the absent Ford to at least three televised debates before the June 7 election.

Ford cheekily accepted.

Lets do the first one outside the jail where the senior Liberal operative will be spending four months, the newly minted PC boss tweeted, referring to the sentence given to former McGuinty chief of staff David Livingston earlier in the day.

Schreiner remarked on the irony of three white party leaders appearing before a mostly Black audience for almost two hours.

None of us have experienced what it is like to live as a Black person in Canada.

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With a million-man army, a bevy of intercontinental ballistic missiles and a growing nuclear arsenal, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has sought to project the image of a powerful leader who can face off against President Donald Trump and Chinas Xi Jinping.

Yet as he prepares for a possible summit with Trump next month, its not clear that Kim possesses another piece of crucial hardware for the aspiring global negotiator  an airplane that could reliably fly him across the Pacific Ocean, or to Europe, without stopping.

We used to make fun of what they have  its old stuff, said Sue Mi Terry, who served as a senior CIA analyst on Korean issues during the George W. Bush administration. We would joke about their old Soviet planes.

Most public speculation over the undecided summit location has focused on the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, where South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet Kim this month. Others have pointed to nearby China or Russia. But some analysts have suggested Trump would favour a grander setting in the United States or another country outside the region  such as Singapore, Switzerland or Sweden, which acts as the protecting power for the United States in Pyongyang.

That has raised a question about how Kim, who made his first trip outside North Korea to Beijing in an armoured train last month, would get there.

In terms of his travelling anywhere, it would not be a problem  the South Koreans or the Swedes would give him a ride, said Victor Cha, who served as senior Asia director at the National Security Council under Bush. But it would be embarrassing.

If Kim took his own plane, stopping to refuel on the way to any summit could also prove embarrassing by highlighting the limits of the aircraft  and where to stop would be complicated as well, given the number of countries that have sanctioned North Korea.

The logistics of Kims movements are likely to draw less public scrutiny than, say, whether the North is serious about denuclearization or how Trump is preparing. But Kims surprise visit to Beijing offers a window into the fundamental dichotomy of North Korea, as he attempts to modernize the regimes image abroad while presiding over a nation where the vast majority of its 25 million citizens lack sufficient food and electricity.

This sharp contrast is the byproduct of a nation that has remained cloistered since the Korean War armistice in 1953 and invested a lopsided portion of its limited trade revenue into the development of military weapons.

Since assuming power in 2011, Kim, who is thought to be in his early 30s, has tried to project a more charismatic and worldly image than his father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung. That has included building skyscrapers in the capital city of Pyongyang, constructing a luxury ski resort in Kangwon Province to bolster international tourism, and opening several private runways near Kim family compounds for single-engine personal jets.

Kim Jong Il was afraid of flying and, on the rare occasion that he left Pyongyang, rode in an armoured train similar to the one used by his son on the China trip last month. In recent years, the younger Kim staged a series of photo-ops designed to demonstrate that not only does he not share his fathers aversion to the skies  he took international flights to attend boarding school in Switzerland  but that he is actually a pilot.

In Dec. 2014, North Korean state media released a video of him behind the controls of the An-148, a Ukrainian-made plane designed for midrange, regional trips that was acquired by Air Koryo, the Norths national airline.

Less than two months later, images were released of Kim on a different plane  a presidential jet quickly dubbed Air Force Un  en route to inspect a construction site. He was photographed holding a phone to his ear while seated in a plush leather chair, behind a polished wooden desk arrayed with blueprints. In a sign that his was not the most modern of airline experiences, however, Kim casually dangled a cigarette in his left hand and a crystal ashtray was at the ready.

This plane was a Cold War-era Ilyushin-62, a Soviet-manufactured long-range jet. Yet some analysts concluded there was reason to doubt the planes reliability due to its age and lack of regular testing.

They dont have an aircraft that can fly across the Pacific  most are quite old, said Joseph Bermudez, an author who contributes to 38 North, a website on North Korean affairs run by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

In 2016, Enrique Perrella, publisher of Airways Magazine, paid $2,200 to a London-based tour company to join a group of 75 foreigners to ride on several older Air Koryo jets. (Among other things, he was treated to the famed Koryo burger, a patty of questionable meat that he found surprisingly tasty.)

When he arrived in Pyongyang, only a very small portion of Air Koryos two dozen planes appeared operational, Perrella said in an interview. The others were parked on tarmac, some covered or missing parts. The newest planes, including a 21st century Russian model, were short range, he said.

Still, Perrella said he thought Air Koryo could probably find something in its fleet to handle a transcontinental flight.

Charles Kennedy, a London-based aviation journalist who has been to North Korea numerous times, was more bullish, noting in an email that the Il-62 remains in use for heads of state in Russia, Sudan and Ukraine. He added that Air Koryo also maintains two Tupolev jets, delivered in 2010, that are similar to a Boeing 757, with a 5,000-kilometre range and an excellent safety record.

The older model planes are generally used to lure aviation tourists, he said, but the newer planes have made trips to Kuwait, where North Korea provides low-wage workers, and to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Kennedy acknowledged that a trip from Pyongyang to Los Angeles  a flight path of 9,500 kilometres  would stretch the boundary range of Kims Il-62. But he emphasized that the plane is extremely rudimental technology and the North Koreans would have no trouble keeping it in top condition.

By comparison, Air Force One, a Boeing VC-25 similar to a 747, is capable of flying nearly 13,000 kilometres without refueling.

Air Koryo used to operate flights to Africa and Europe, but they were discontinued, in part due to international sanctions. (One Air Koryo employee was implicated in the plot to assassinate Kims older half brother, Kim Jong Nam, at a Malaysian airport in 2017.)

Now, Air Koryo flights are limited to Chinese cities and to Vladivostok, Russia, just over 600 kilometres from Pyongyang.

There have been some mishaps. In 2014, Choe Ryong-hae, the second-highest-ranking North Korean official, was turned back on a flight to Moscow when his Il-62 had mechanical problems. In 2016, an Air Koryo plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Shenyang, China, after a fire started onboard. A year later, the same plane  reportedly a Tupolev  was grounded after a wing flap fell off during flight.

Other options for Kim, such as borrowing a plane from Russia or China, would raise additional security concerns, experts said, including the likelihood that the aircraft would be bugged. Besides, it would probably not be the kind of signal youd want to send to his domestic audience if he got off a foreign plane, said Curtis Melvin, editor of the North Korea Economy Watch blog.

And after the summit was over, Kim would have to return it, Melvin added. God knows how that would go.

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WASHINGTONFour senators  two Republicans and two Democrats  are taking a step to protect special counsel Robert Muellers job as U.S. President Donald Trump has angrily mused about firing him.

Legislation offered on Wednesday by Republicans Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrats Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey would give any special counsel a 10-day window to seek expedited judicial review of a firing.

The measure, which combines two bipartisan bills introduced last summer, signals escalating concerns in Congress as Trump fumes about a Monday FBI raid of the office of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen. Trump has privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing Muellers investigation, and publicly criticized Mueller and his Russia inquiry.

Read more:

As Trump seethes over FBI raid, Robert Mueller isnt the only one hes thinking of firing

Top Republican senator says its suicide for Trump to discuss firing Mueller

Many people have said you should fire Mueller, Trump says after FBI raid on his lawyers office

Mueller is investigating potential ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 campaign, and examining whether the presidents actions constitute obstruction of justice. As the investigation has worn on, Trump has called it a witch hunt. On Monday, after the Cohen raid, he said it was an attack on our country. In a tweet Wednesday, he said the investigation is never ending and corrupt.

The raid was overseen by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Manhattan and was based in part on a referral from Mueller, said Cohens lawyer, Stephen Ryan.

Graham said in a statement that the purpose of the bill is to ensure a special counsel isnt fired for political reasons.

I think this will serve the country well, he said.

Coons said its time for Republicans and Democrats to stand up and make it clear that we are committed to the rule of law in this country.

After introducing similar bills in August, when Trump first began criticizing Muellers investigation, Tillis and Graham kept quiet for months about the need for the legislation while Democrats continued to push it. The two GOP senators said they didnt think Trump would really move to fire Mueller. But the four senators  all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee  moved to push out a new, combined bill in the hours after Trumps tirade Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump also called special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation "an attack on our country." (The Associated Press)

Some Republicans still say they see no need for the legislation.

I dont think its necessary, said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said after the legislation was introduced. And if it did pass, would the president sign it? I think its unlikely that he would.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has similarly shown little interest, saying Tuesday he doesnt think Mueller will be fired.

Still, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley told reporters on Wednesday the legislation could come up as soon as next week for a committee vote. He has said in the past he wanted the two bills to be reconciled before the committee could consider it.

Now that has happened, Grassley said he has some obligation to move along with it.

On Tuesday, Grassley told the Fox Business Network that it would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller.

No similar legislation has moved in the House. Speaker Paul Ryan made a similar comment to McConnell on Wednesday, saying he doesnt think Mueller will be fired.

I have assurances that its not because Ive been talking to people in the White House about it, Ryan said.

The legislation would write into law existing Justice Department regulations that say a special counsel can only be fired for good cause by an senior Justice official. And the expedited review would determine whether the special counsel was fired for good cause.

As the current regulations stand, any dismissal for cause would have to be carried out by Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller in May 2017 and has repeatedly expressed support for him.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared to challenge the existing regulations on Tuesday, telling reporters that Trump certainly believes he has the power to fire Mueller, though he isnt taking that step now.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif.California Gov. Jerry Brown accepted U.S. President Donald Trumps call to send the National Guard to the Mexican border, but rejected the White Houses portrait of a burgeoning border crisis and insisted that his troops will have nothing to do with immigration enforcement.

The Democratic governor broke a week of silence Wednesday by agreeing to contribute 400 troops, though not all will be on the border. Browns commitment brought pledges from the four states that border Mexico just shy of the low end of the presidents target to marshal 2,000 to 4,000 troops.

Brown cast his decision as a welcome infusion of federal support to fight transnational criminal gangs and drug and firearms smugglers.

Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans  Republicans and Democrats, Brown wrote in a letter to Defence Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

Read more:

Trump wins pledges of 1,600 National Guard troops for Mexico border duty

Arizona, Texas sending 400 National Guard troops to U.S.-Mexico border after Trumps call

National Guard troops await orders for Trumps border security deployment

Federal law, notably the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, sharply limits military involvement in civilian law enforcement, creating a supporting role for the Guard. The Pentagon said last week that troops wont perform law enforcement functions or interact with people detained by border authorities without its approval.

Brown released a proposed agreement with the federal government that emphasizes the widely shared understanding of the Guards limited role but explicitly bans any support of immigration enforcement. It says troops cannot guard anyone in custody for immigration violations or participate in construction of border barriers.

The White House praised Browns decision without addressing his comments on immigration enforcement.

Were also glad to see California Gov. Jerry Brown work with the administration and send members of the National Guard to help secure the southern border, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

Reaction in California was limited, with few of Browns allies or opponents weighing in.

State Sen. Kevin de Leon, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and author of Californias so-called sanctuary state law, said Guard deployment was unnecessary and not a good use of resources. But he said more can be done to combat border crime and that he appreciated Browns design of a clear and limited mission focused on real public safety threats.

I am confident Governor Brown will not use our National Guard to harass or tear apart immigrant families in California, he said in a statement.

Rob Stutzman, who advised former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, praised the decision on Twitter, calling Browns decision to accept money for using the Guard to fight drugs and human trafficking good government.

Immigration advocacy groups were generally quiet, although some were skeptical.

Pedro Rios, director for the American Friends Service Committees U.S.-Mexico border program in San Diego, questioned why Brown would send troops while rejecting Trumps premise that they are needed to help stop illegal immigration.

If hes in disagreement with Donald Trump about the justifications for having the National Guard on the border, then why would he accept it? he said.

Unlike Republican governors in other border states, Brown disagreed with Trumps portrayal of a border spiralling out of control, noting that Border Patrol arrests fell to the lowest level last year since 1971 and that California accounted for only 15 per cent of the agencys arrests on the Mexican border.

Here are the facts: there is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California, Brown wrote the Trump Cabinet members.

In contrast, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is contributing 1,000 troops, embraced Trumps mission the day it was announced, saying it would promote the rule of law and help ensure we are doing everything we can to stem the flow of illegal immigration.

Brown said Californias troops would join an existing program to combat transnational drug crime, firearms smuggling and human trafficking. About 250 California National Guard troops are already participating, including 55 at the border.

The new contingent of California Guard members being deployed could be posted at the border, the coast and elsewhere statewide, Brown said.

California deployed troops to the border under former presidents George W. Bush in 2006 and Barack Obama in 2010.

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ALGIERS, AlgeriaA hulking military transport plane crashed just after takeoff in Algeria on Wednesday, killing 257 people in the worst aviation disaster in the North African nations history and plunging the country into mourning.

Soldiers, their family members and a group of 30 people returning to refugee camps from hospital stays in Algerias capital died in the morning crash of the Russian-made Il-76 aircraft.

The plane went down in a field just outside a military base in Boufarik, 30 kilometres south of Algiers, and was devoured by flames, killing 247 passengers and 10 crew members, the Defence Ministry said.

There was no official mention of survivors, but one witness reported seeing people jump out of the aircraft before it crashed.

Arabic-language channel Dzair TV reported that five people were in a critical state, but it was unclear if they had been on the plane or were injured on the ground.

Several witnesses told Algerian TV network Ennahar they saw flames coming out of one of the planes four engines just before it took off.

The plane started to rise before falling, an unidentified man lying on what appeared to be a hospital bed told Ennahar TV. The plane crashed on its wing first and caught fire.

Video on the state television channel ENTV showed a blackened hulk broken into pieces, with huge wheels scattered about along with other plane parts. Firefighters doused the flames while body bags were placed in rows in the field.

The victims bodies were transported to the Algerian armys central hospital outside the capital.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika ordered three days of mourning starting immediately and prayers for the dead on Friday at mosques across the country.

In the south, the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, seeking independence for Western Sahara, ordered a week of mourning for the 30 dead Sahrawi people returning to its refugee camps in Tindouf, a statement from the group said.

The flight was scheduled to go to Tindouf and then Bechar, the site of another military base, according to Farouk Achour, spokesperson for Algerias civil protection services. Tindouf is home to many refugees from the neighbouring Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco.

Algeria is vast and plane flights are often the best way to traverse Africas largest nation.

It was the first crash of an Algerian military plane since February 2014, when a U.S.-built C-130 Hercules turboprop slammed into a mountain in Algeria, killing at least 76 people and leaving just one survivor.

The four-engine Il-76 made its maiden voyage in 1997, according to Aviation Safety Network. The plane has been in production since the 1970s, and is widely used for both commercial freight and military transport.

The Algerian military, which historically depended on the Soviet Union and then Russia for military hardware, operates several of the planes.

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with Teal Group outside Washington, said it would be difficult to compare the accident rate of the II-76 to common Western airplanes because of the relatively smaller number produced and the fewer hours flown.

It is a Russian design. That doesnt make it unsafe, but they tend to need more maintenance, he said.

The II-76 was designed to carry extremely heavy cargo, and it is unlikely that passengers alone  even a large number  would be a problem. Aboulafia said the number of troops that could be carried would be limited by space inside the aircraft more than weight considerations.

A retired Algerian officer, Mohamed Khelfaoui, told the online Algerian TSA site that he had flown in the aircraft several times and it has proven itself in Algeria and elsewhere.

Wednesdays crash was not the deadliest of an Il-76. According to Aviation Safety Network, the 2003 crash of an Il-76 of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard killed 275 people.

The heavy loss of soldiers was certain to deeply shake Algeria. The National Liberation Army  which grew out of the fighting force which freed Algeria from French colonial rule  is revered by Algerians.

Today, the army is credited with saving the nation from an insurgency by Islamist extremists in the 1990s and early 2000s. The battle continues with sporadic attacks around Algeria and networks dismantled by soldiers.

The armys experience fighting terrorism has made it a valued ally of the United States and other western nations.

The U.S. Embassy in Algiers expressed its deepest condolences to our partners and colleagues in the Algerian military, one of the numerous condolences that flooded into the capital from far and wide.

The previous deadliest crash on Algerian soil occurred in 2003, when 102 people were killed after a civilian airliner crashed at the end of the runway in Tamanrasset, in the south. Only one person survived.

Also in 2003, 10 people died when an Algerian Air Force C-130 crashed after an engine caught fire shortly after it took off from the airbase near Boufarik, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
TOKYONorth Koreas parliament was scheduled to convene on Wednesday amid a series of diplomatic moves by leader Kim Jong Un that could have a major impact on the direction the country takes in the months and possibly years ahead.

Meetings of the full Supreme Peoples Assembly are usually brief, once-a-year affairs intended to approve budgets, formalize personnel changes and rubber-stamp Kims policy priorities.

But this years session was being watched more closely because it was to begin just two weeks before Kim is to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and as Pyongyang and Washington are working out the details of a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or early June.

Read more:

Air Force Un: Does North Koreas leader have a plane to fly on world stage?

North Koreas Kim Jong Un attends South Korean pop stars show in Pyongyang

How China and North Korea depicted the meeting between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un

Kim just completed his first summit, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month. His foreign minister is currently in Moscow, reportedly exploring the possibility of a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Kims seemingly sudden switch from launching missiles at a record pace last year to exploring dialogue has generally been welcomed. But questions remain over how willing Kim might be to make serious compromises on his nuclear weapons program in return for security guarantees and the lifting of economic sanctions that are taking a big bite out of his countrys economy.

Pyongyang has been careful not to reveal its hand.

The first significant news of the overtures in its official media came this week, when they reported that Kim laid out his plans for dialogue with South Korea and the United States at a preassembly gathering of top ruling party officials on Monday. But even those reports were cautious: Trump wasnt mentioned by name and Kim was said to have talked about the prospect of dialogue with Washington.

It was not immediately clear what was on the agenda for the assembly or how much of it would be made public.

State media, which only announced the date of the assembly session last month, do not generally report about the meetings until they are over. Foreign media in Pyongyang  including The Associated Press  were not allowed to cover the session independently.

North Koreas supreme assembly is a far cry from the Western democratic idea of what a parliament should be.

The assembly, which has had 686 members since the most recent elections in 2014, generally holds one and sometimes two sessions each year.

Its headed by Kim Yong Nam, the Norths 90-year-old senior statesman who accompanied Kims sister to South Korea in February to attend the opening of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. He has been the head of the assembly since 1998, and although he seems to be in good health, speculation that he may retire has been circulating for years.

The assembly is technically the highest organ of state power under the Norths constitution. In practice, it serves more to formalize whatever decisions and policies that are put before it. But it is an important means of keeping the deputies updated and informed of national priorities so that they can in turn pass that information on to their districts.

When the assembly is in session, it is common to see long caravans of buses filled with deputies being taken around the capital for tours of museums and visits to historical sites  probably a rare experience for some of the representatives of the more remote or rural areas.

State media reported Tuesday that this years deputies toured a revolutionary history museum, a cemetery for revolutionary martyrs and a teachers university.

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Senator Bernie Sanders joins with others during an event to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination on April 4, 2018, in Memphis, Tennessee. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Last week, I joined Bernie Sanders in Memphis, Tennessee, and Jackson, Mississippi, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination. Sanders was overwhelmingly well received by both passersby and the local audiences who came to hear him speak. But so far, the media coverage of his trip has revolved around a brief aside, in which Sanders faulted the Democratic Party for its recent legislative failures:

The business model, if you like, of the Democratic Party for the last 15 years or so has been a failure, said Sanders. People sometimes dont see that because there was a charismatic individual named Barack Obama. He was obviously an extraordinary candidate, brilliant guy. But behind that reality, over the last ten years, Democrats have lost about 1,000 seats in state legislatures all across this country.

Twitter erupted immediately, and critics, like former South Carolina representative Bakari Sellers, accused Sanders of arrogance and of dismissing President Obama. But Thursdays critiques were only loosely tethered to Wednesdays words, which, on their face, were fairly uncontroversial: Who could defend as successful the almost unprecedented loss of legislative seats over the last ten years, or Hillary Clintons defeat to game-show host Donald Trump? In Mississippi, when Sanders called the Democratic Party a failure, the audience erupted into applause. And of course, President Obama was a uniquely charismatic and brilliant president.

In fact, if Beale Street could talk, it would tell a very different story about Bernie Sanders than the now-familiar critique that he is insufficiently sensitive to racial issues. As I walked with Sanders down Memphiss famous thoroughfare, his popularity, including among the predominantly black crowd attending the commemorative festivities, was self-evident. The senator was stopped every few feet by selfie-seekers and admirers. Yes: Perhaps this is to be expected of any politician with a national profile, but given his poor showing in Mississippi during the 2016 Democratic primary, in which he secured less than 17 percent of the black vote, I had thought the senator and his small cohort might go unnoticed. I was wrong.

A group of 40-something black women were among the first to spot the senator as he exited a parking garage, followed quickly by a black teenager, who endearingly apologized repeatedly to Mr. Sanders as he snapped a selfie. Later, at a hotel in Jackson, Mississippi, two black receptionists chatted substantively about the senator after he went upstairs to change for the evenings event, remarking that Sanders hadnt forgotten the people who had voted for him  the people he was fighting for. Unlike other politicians, they agreed, Bernie hasnt proven himself to be that way yet.

Even though a recent poll found Sanderss support among African-Americans and Hispanics to be strong, I was surprised. Although I, a black woman, was a supporter of Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary, on some level, I had succumbed to the persistent narrative that Sanders has a black problem. The claim is that Bernie Sanders, who does indeed appear more comfortable explaining how class-based programs can benefit the 99 percent than discussing the struggles endemic to historically marginalized communities, simply doesnt get us.

So I asked Sanders what he thought about critics who say he seems to care more about white voters than people of color. Its just not true, he said. Sanders explained that he believes his agenda, which includes Medicare for All and free public education, will have an especially profound and positive effect on communities of color. And hes right: Blacks and Latinos are, respectively, two and three times more likely to be uninsured than whites. And although black Americans are about as likely to enroll in college at a higher rate than any other racial group, we are less likely to matriculate  in part due to difficulty paying for college.

Having said that, he continued, is racism a very significant and powerful force in American society that has got to be addressed? The answer is absolutely. Will a Medicare for All or single-payer system end racism in America? No, it wont. So above and beyond moving forward on strong national programs, weve got to pay a special attention to communities of color, which are especially hurting right now.

Sanders went on to cite the racial wealth gap, the disproportionate incarceration of black Americans, and the unequal public education system which plagues many low-income communities. So its not either/or, he explained, rejecting the race versus class framing that has become popular since the 2016 presidential election. Its never either/or. Its both. He continued: It is making sure every American has high quality health care as a right  the right to excellent education. But it is also addressing the special problem of racism, of sexism, of homophobia, etc.

When I asked for examples of identity-specific problems that cannot be resolved by class-based initiatives, Senator Sanders identified the need to improve access to homeownership, which plays a key role in the racial wealth gap, as well police reform. He specifically praised the work of Philadelphias progressive district attorney Larry Krasner, who now requires that incarceration costs be stated on the record at sentencing. And he emphasized the need for police reform: What we have got to do is have national police training which says that lethal force is the last response and not the first response.

Wednesday evenings summit in Jackson with the, dare I say, charismatic 35-year-old black progressive Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, was designed to further cement the class and race theme by reminding the audience of Dr. Kings emphasis on economic matters toward the end of his life. Kings economic message  True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring  hung over the discussion both literally and figuratively, and the panel opened with a chorus of young black students demanding, What does economic justice look like on southern soil?

During the discussion, it was difficult to ignore the parallels between late-period Kings focus on economic equality and Sanderss own priorities: You have to appreciate that while [King] was [challenging President Johnson on the Vietnam War], suddenly the money for his organization starts drying up, Sanders said. And then in the midst of this  he said, we gotta attack racism in all its forms, but we have to deal with economic justice. Im gonna to organize, he says, a poor peoples march  a poor peoples campaign. Were gonna march on Washington. Were gonna have low-income African-Americans, low-income whites, low-income Latinos, low-income Native Americans, were gonna stand together to demand that the United States change its national priorities  man, what courage that was.

Over dinner afterward, Mayor Lumumba elaborated on the unique conditions of his state to Senator Sanders, highlighting why economic justice matters: The per-capita income in Mississippi is only about $19,000 per year. It is one of five states with no minimum-wage law, and despite the efforts of Democratic lawmakers, who filed 1,151 bills last year, conservative legislators blocked the vast majority of them  only 36 passed.

The city of Jacksons infrastructure is so badly compromised that a cold snap last January froze and burst pipes, cutting off water to city hall, where port-a-potties had to be installed to service the citys legislators. And during the half-a-day I spent in Jackson, I heard no fewer than five separate jokes about the number and depth of potholes  none of which failed to land with locals.

But few, if any, Democratic politicians have paid much attention, much less a personal visit, to the struggling state  despite the fact that, in addition to being red, Mississippi is also blackest state in the union, with a population that is 37 percent African-American.

Sanders is pushing a return to the 50-state approach to elections that Howard Dean used to help flip Congress in 2006: When Obama ran in 2012 in Mississippi, he got approximately 44 percent of the vote  [I]f you had a Democratic Party that was a 50-state party, which was paying attention to Mississippi, and South Carolina and Georgia, as well as Kansas and Montana and Idaho, if you had a party that was putting resources and energy into every state in the country, there is no way on earth that you will not get 20 or 30 percent of white Mississippians voting for a candidate like Obama. Combined with higher voter turnout from their large African-American populations, Sanders believes many southern states like Mississippi could soon turn not just blue, but could lead the charge of progressivism.

But in order to ensure that black voters turn out, Sanders understands that people need something to vote for, not just someone to vote against. They need to feel heard.

Mayor Lumumbas closing remarks at the panel reinforced the theme that identity alone is not enough: There was a time, he explained, where our fight was to get leadership that looked like us. Now our mission must be to have leadership that thinks like us.

Framed this way, Sanderss frequent focus on universal programs seems less an evasion of our nations obligation to remedy the harms it has inflicted on marginalized groups, and more an effort to provide the redistributive remedies people of color have long demanded. If he can convince more people of color that hes right, he might surprise the Democratic Party again in 2020.
EVERETT, Wash.Police in Washington state have released images of a man created through groundbreaking DNA technology that they say could help solve the murders of a young British Columbia couple more than 30 years ago.

The composite images released by the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office show a white man with fair hair and green or hazel eyes, traits that investigators say are connected to the DNA of the person they believe killed 18-year-old Tanya Van Cuylenborg and 20-year-old Jay Cook.

The bodies of the high school sweethearts from Saanich, B.C., were found in separate locations near Seattle in 1987 after they disappeared on an overnight trip.

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New DNA analysis could crack 30-year-old murders of Victoria couple

Investigators sent forensic evidence to a lab in Virginia, which conducted DNA phenotyping  a process that looks at specific codes to predict a persons appearance, including eye, skin and hair colour, facial features and ancestry.

The technology cannot predict traits like body weight, but police have released three images predicting what a possible suspect may have looked like at 25, 45 and 65 years old.

Snowhomich Det. Jim Scharf says theyre asking anyone who recognizes the images to get in touch with police, saying 30 years is a long time for Cook and Van Cuylenborgs families to wait for answers.

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Israeli PM suspends asylum deal, April 3

It is Passover, a time for Jews to retell the ancient story of their exodus from oppression and their escape from a cruel society that denied them safety. The safe haven they sought was Israel. The Passover story admonishes us to not oppress the stranger for you know the feelings of the stranger.

Ironically, this week, the Israeli government reneged on an agreement with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to resettle about 16,000 African asylum seekers, mostly fleeing brutal dictatorships in Eritrea and Sudan, in more welcoming Western countries (including Canada), with the remaining 18,000 to remain in Israel.

When, hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled this deal in response to pressure from his cabinet and returned to the plan to deport the asylum seekers to Rwanda, the progressive Jewish community in Israel, Canada and across the democratic world, gasped.

The reversal is in violation of International Law (the 1951 Refugee Convention), contradicts the Israeli High Court ruling prohibiting these forced deportations, contradicts democratic values and smells painfully of racism. To rub salt into this wound, Netanyahu blamed the progressive New Israel Fund for scuttling his illegal plan to forcibly deport these vulnerable refugees.

Many of my family members, and Jews everywhere, died in the Holocaust. The response to our pleas was None is too many. Today, silence is unacceptable. Those of us who love Israel and want her to live up to Jewish values must speak out. Together, we are raising our voices in support of the African asylum seekers, along with thousands of Israelis who say Not in our name!

Barbara Landau, chair, Shared Society Committee JSpaceCanada, Toronto

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Police withdraw Pride request, April 4

As a gay man, I am disgusted at the decision to exclude uniformed police officers from marching in the Toronto Pride parade again this year. Last year, it was the Pride committee led by Olivia Nuamah folding to the Black Lives Matter pressure and this year to the Bruce McArthur investigation.

Lets let the investigation find out what happened in the McArthur case. As I see it, this was not a conspiracy against the gay community but the fact that the Toronto police department is understaffed and underfunded.

The last job I would want is to be a police officer in Toronto, where there is no respect from the public and little support from Mayor John Tory. Asking the police to withdraw their application to participate is not bargaining in good faith but a bully technique that is not acceptable.

Yes, the Pride parade was born out of protest and resistance to the police but those days are over. Now, Pride is a hot mess and past its prime.
New details emerge in temp workers death, April 7

With respect what the court didnt hear in the death of Amina Diaby at Fiera Foods, we found it strange that the Ministry of Labours evidence did not contain similar findings as that of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board? Why wasnt the Ministry of Labour as aggressive in its investigation?

And, why wasnt the WSIB report shared with the ministry, since it would have had an important bearing on the trials outcome? A $300,000 fine for a workplace death is cheap, especially since there were two previous deaths associated with this employer. Was this companys safety record entered as evidence?

Why does this carnage continue? The answer lies, in part, in the fact that the chance of getting caught is small and the cost of non-compliance much lower than the cost of complying with mandated safety measures. The problem is aggravated by the powerlessness of these workers and ineffective enforcement.

An effective enforcement system must ensure that the chance of getting caught is high and the cost of non-compliance much greater than the cost of compliance.

Importantly, it also requires adjusting the unequal balance of power in the workplace by enhancing workers individual and collective rights  along with aggressive enforcement by the government. These conclusions are based on peer-reviewed empirical studies.

Robert and Dale DeMatteo, occupational health researchers working with GE workers for just compensation

The Star should be commended for its diligence in revealing further disturbing details about the workplace accident that killed a young temp worker.

There was a coworker witness who did not know how to help her when her head scarf got caught in the machine and strangled her. He wasnt trained in how to use the emergency stop buttons.

To view such a horrific loss of life was likely traumatizing. Yet we dont know what, if any counselling was offered.

The shocking thing about this saga is that there had all ready been other deaths and critical injuries at this same Fiera Foods workplace.

I understand the employer is in business to make money and not to save lives but what about the Ministry of Labour?

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires training of all workers. This accident could have been avoided. A life could have been saved.

The ministry needs to acknowledge that more and better enforcement is needed in Ontario workplaces. Employers and workers need to sense that presence and obey the law to prevent needless deaths and injuries.

Linda Vannucci, director, Workers Health and Safety Legal Clinic, Toronto

Correction - April 12, 2018: The above letter was edited from a previous version that included an error introduced during the editing process. The previous version mistakenly referred to the need for the ministry to acknowledge that more and better enforcement is present.
A new plan to overhaul Canadian health-care systems, Opinion, April 7

With the World Health Organizations declaration of achieving universal health care around the world as its top priority, we share Drs. P.G. Forest and Danielle Martins observation that any health-care reform must have people at the centre. Everyone should be provided with high-quality health care.

Since 1995, Taiwan has developed a universal health-care plan that models after Canadas single-payer system and other countries best policies. In 2016, Taiwans total health expenditure as a share of GDP was 5.9 per cent, significantly lower than the average of 9 per cent among OECD countries. Equally importantly, Taiwans coverage rate is 99.9 per cent. Almost all citizens and foreign residents are enrolled, including 60,000 Canadians living in Taiwan.

Taiwans health-care plan offers valuable practice in delivering high-quality, cost-effective medical care for all. It can help the WHO realize its goal of achieving universal health care globally.

Taiwan would welcome the opportunity to share its experience in the 71st World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO, May 21-26 in Geneva. It is greatly appreciated if Canada, the like-minded advocate of universal health coverage, could continue to give its support for Taiwans participation in the Health Assembly.
Jews must speak out on asylum reversal, April 7, and This is not my Israel, April 4, Letters

The Star published two letters calling Israel a cruel, heartless and racist country because of its policies toward tens of thousands of African migrants residing there. These descriptions are totally false.

The Africans found a sanctuary in Israel after not being wanted in Egypt, especially after a massacre in Cairo in 2005, in which about 100 Sudanese were killed. Even more horrific, the Africans were raped and murdered in large numbers by Bedouin tribesmen in the Sinai desert crossing into Israel.

Israel wants to resettle the Africans in other countries because it is a tiny, very densely populated country, half of it desert. Moreover, even as its Jewish population is now less than 75 per cent, it wants to exist as the only Jewish country in a world that has more than 100 countries where Christianity or Islam dominate.

The statement that Israel is racist is preposterous, when it is the only Western country that deliberately sought out Black people  the Jews of Ethiopia  to welcome them in Israel. Today, more than 125,000 of them reside in Israel.

There are only a few industrialized countries opening their gates to African and Muslim migrants, certainly not Hungary and Poland, in Europe. Even the sparsely populated, advanced democracies of New Zealand and Australia are not welcoming them, especially the latter, which imprisons refugees offshore in brutal conditions.

Jacob Mendlovic, Toronto

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The setting was different, the story was familiar.

Instead of a village of Punjab, its Canadas largest city. Instead of a Khap Panchayat or village councils dotted across India that often dish out their own extrajudicial brand of social justice, it is the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

On Monday and Tuesday, a woman, well call her Sakhi  her name is under a publication ban  testified in harrowing detail of her experiences during her three-month marriage to Rajinder Gupta. He has been charged with 10 counts of sexual assault, three counts of assault and one count of uttering threats and has pleaded not guilty.

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Toronto man on trial for sex assault involving arranged marriage

His mother Sheela Gupta is charged with one count of assault and one of uttering a threat. His father, Vinod Gupta, is charged with one count of uttering a threat. They both pleaded not guilty. There is no jury on this trial.

The following is based on Sakhis testimony:

In 2015, Sakhi and Gupta saw each others profiles on Shaadi.com  an Indian matrimonial website  and after Guptas father approved, the two families met in Guptas house. It was more like a social call during which the couple got 10 minutes of privacy, after which they both agreed to get married, and were engaged. Her family had come prepared with a ring for this eventuality.

The settings for arranged marriages unfold in a variety of ways. From the restrictive ambience described here to situations where couples, vetted by parents, meet in bars and go out on a few dates and then decide whether to get married or go their separate ways.

Sakhis account was an indictment  not of arranged marriages, but of the disempowerment of her as a female, the removal of choice and agency at every step of the way and the expectation to appease and put up with what her in-laws threw her way.

On their way back from meeting him and being engaged, Sakhi said, Guptas mother called and said the two should not meet, that they could only speak on the phone until they were married, implicit in this is an expectation of modesty.

There were other red flags, or what would be seen as red flags for women with choice.

He told her he didnt like her going out on a school trip, she said. And when she couldnt turn back because she was already on the bus, he handed over the phone to his mother saying in the background that he didnt like her.

There was a moroseness to the wedding that she described. It was simple by any standards, but particularly so for Punjabi weddings that tend to be hearty celebrations. Gone was the big party and the groom on the horse and a big guest list. In its place there were 20 to 25 people and a quiet wedding at a Hindu temple. The court heard they had both been married previously. Did that contribute to the quick and subdued affair?

Its not clear if their marriage was officially registered.

The portrait she drew of a petulant controlling man grew menacing very quickly. Hours after they wed, they went to his house and after a quick ceremony there, went up to their bedroom to change. He wanted to have sex, pushed her on the bed. I said I dont want to do that, she testified in Punjabi. But he insisted.

His clothes were off, and he pinned her arms down, opened her legs and forced himself on her, she said.

She describes being numb. I was in pain, she said. I had a feeling someone was doing wrong by me. When they went downstairs for a meal, even sitting was painful, she said.

Then, on that wedding night, they made a trip to Walmart for groceries. And when they came back, once again, she says, he began squeezing her breasts hard and forcefully penetrated her although she said she didnt want it.

And she says when she told him she was in pain, he simply said, dont worry, let the pain happen.

A week after their wedding, Gupta took her on a day trip to Niagara Falls for a honeymoon, she says. They checked into a hotel only long enough for him to force sex, despite her saying no, she was bleeding heavily from her period and suffering from menstrual cramps.

Until she left that house he insisted on sex every day, she says, sometimes more than once or twice a day.

Their marriage lasted three months. Sakhi drew a story of escalating violations, of being choked, of being raped multiple times, of being controlled in every aspect of her life. I have often heard women share stories of possessive, controlling men insisting on branding ownership on their wives, of being upset if they didnt wear the symbols of being married. A friend of mine was married to a man who insisted she sit dolled up in her house in her bejeweled bridal finery, every day.

In Sakhis case, wearing a bindi  a decorative dot on the forehead sometimes used to signify marital status  ended up with him yanking her by her hair, flinging her on the bed and slapping her, she said. Gupta had previously said he didnt want her to display signs of being married.

In that house, she said, she wasnt allowed to wear what she wanted, wasnt allowed to wear makeup, not allowed to eat her choice of food, not allowed to speak to her friends, not allowed to call her sister and eventually not allowed to call her parents.

Her testimony continues Wednesday.

Shree Paradkar writes about discrimination and identity. You can follow her @shreeparadkar
MONTREALIn the increasingly fiery debate over the planned expansion of the Alberta/B.C. Trans Mountain pipeline, there is no mystery about the conflicting end games of the three governments embroiled in the dispute.

But what about Kinder Morgan itself?

Alberta and Ottawa want to see the project designed to bring more of that provinces oil to tidewater completed  as planned until last weekend by its parent company  while British Columbias NDP government would like it to be scrapped.

But what would an outcome, satisfactory enough for Kinder Morgan to resume work on the project by May 31, actually look like?

Is its ultimatum merely a prelude to walking away from a project that has become less potentially lucrative in the wake of the election in the United States of a pro-pipeline president and the planned completion of two projects designed to link the Alberta oilfields to the American refineries?

Alternatively, is the company essentially looking to minimize the risks to its shareholders by getting Canadas pipeline-hungry governments to shoulder at least part of the risks?

In either case, the solution would involve Alberta and Ottawa joining forces to finance the project in whole or in part. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has indicated her province would even consider purchasing the Trans Mountain pipeline outright. So far federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau has not ruled that option out.

Paving the road to completion with public funds could offer the two governments the path of least resistance to keep the project alive.

For if Kinder Morgan is expecting a sea change in the adversarial climate attending its implementation of the Trans Mountain plan between now and the end of May, it might as well be reaching for the moon.

It is not that the federal government does not have legal and constitutional tools in its box to try to ensure the project goes through but that it has none that is guaranteed to achieve peace anytime soon on the pipeline front. Indeed, using those tools could make matters worse.

For one there is no scenario that could transform B.C.s New Democrat minority government into a pipeline-friendly one. Its survival and its future electoral prospects depend on it being seen to stick to its guns on Trans Mountain.

But even if one or more retaliatory federal moves against the B.C. government convinced the latter to wave a white flag, that would not deter demonstrators from picketing the pipeline work sites.

On the contrary, the foreclosing of alternative avenues to fight the project could translate into more pipeline opponents turning to the streets and to acts of civil disobedience.

Justin Trudeau says the federal government remains determined to see the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion built after Kinder Morgan hit pause on the project, but the prime minister wouldnt say what Ottawas next steps would be. (The Canadian Press)

And then there is the matter of what it is that the pro-pipeline forces want B.C.s current government to desist from doing.

Premier John Horgan has not adopted a law to block the pipeline nor has his government proposed legislation to do so. By its own admission, such a bill might not survive a legal challenge.

But Horgan is considering asking the courts whether the province has a say in regulating the substances that transit through the province.

With Alberta Conservative leader Jason Kenney leading the charge, there are calls on Trudeau to slash federal social payments to B.C. presumably to discourage its government from pursuing those legal options.

To do so would place the federal government on a slippery slope that would likely lead straight to a wall of provincial resistance, along with more litigation.

As unpleasant as the prospect may be for pro-pipeline advocates, it is not an affront to the rule of law or an abuse of provincial power to challenge the federal governments constitutional authority in a given file in court.

Such moves have been a legitimate part of the workings of the federation for decades.

In the early eighties, it was in the courts that the bulk of then-Alberta premier Peter Lougheeds epic battle against the National Energy Program unfolded.

During Stephen Harpers recent tenure in power, Alberta and Quebec successfully challenged the federal plan to create a national securities regulator in court.

The threat of provincial court challenges was also instrumental in forcing Harper to refer his senate reform plan to the Supreme Court. It died there.

If the federal government were to slash its transfer payments to provinces that engage in constitutional or legal challenges of policies Ottawa deems to be in the national interest, is Kenney saying he would expect no less of Trudeau if and when one or more Conservative-led provinces set out to fight the Liberal carbon-pricing plan in court?

Chantal Hebert is a columnist based in Ottawa covering politics. Follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert

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Across the globe, people are growing increasingly hostile toward liberal democracy.

At the same time, populists and autocratic leaders are on the rise everywhere  in the U.S. with Donald Trump, in Europe with a series of right-wing leaders, and right here in Ontario, with first Rob Ford and now Doug Ford.

The latest victory for right-wing populists occurred April 8 when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a decisive third consecutive mandate, which many see as yet another omen of tough times ahead for the future of democracy in that country as well as other parts of Europe.

Orban ran on an anti-immigrant platform aimed primarily at Muslim immigrants, championing himself as a defender of Christian values and dismissing his critics and opponents as elites who were out to ruin traditional Hungary.

Indeed, liberal democracy as we have come to know, is now in serious danger.

That stark reality is the basis of a new book, The People vs. Democracy, by Yascha Mounk, a Harvard University lecturer on government, that is receiving rave reviews in the U.S. and Europe. The world has changed and we have to fight for our democracy or it will fall victim to a populist backlash, Mounk said during a recent visit to Toronto.

And that backlash extends from Europe to Canada and right into Ontario, where Doug Ford is running for the premiership as a populist in the June 7 election.

Liberal democracy, as Mounk describes it, includes a promise to the masses to let them call the shots; a promise to minorities to protect their rights from an oppressive majority; and a promise to economic elites that they will be allowed to keep their riches.

But in recent years, the percentage of people who believe it is essential to live in a democracy is falling rapidly. Thats especially true for young people. For example, among Canadians born in the 1980s, only 45 per cent of those surveyed consider democracy essential. Worse, 14 per cent say democracy is bad or very bad.

Similarly 43 per cent of older Americans think its wrong for the military to take over power if the government is incompetent, yet just 19 per cent of millennials think the same way.

Mounk argues there are three main reasons for the drop in support for liberal democracy. First, social media and the internet have allow the spread of fake news, extremist views and hate speech.

Second, many people arent seeing any improvement in their living standards and their future job prospects look grim.

Third, mass immigration has caused increased anxiety among people who feel the ground is shifting under the both culturally and socially, thus opening the way for someone strong enough to restore the comforting past.

Doug Ford is a classic example of a populist feeding on that anxiety. The millionaire Ford portrays himself as the only politician who can represent the little people, seeing anyone who suggests otherwise is the enemy and blaming the media and elites even within his own Conservative party for what he sees as the ills that plague Ontario.

In his book, Mounk says citizens have grown restless, angry, even disdainful. Voters have long disliked particular parties, politicians, or governments; now many of them have become fed up with liberal democracy itself.

Despite this rising populism, Mounk believes our democracy is worthy fighting for and offers some ways governments and citizens can join the fight.

For governments, it means ensuring middle- and lower-income families enjoy some of the fruits of economic growth, spending more money on education, making housing more affordable, actively promoting multiculturalism and forcing Facebook, Twitter and other social media to stop the spread of fake news and hate speech without going to outright censorship.

For citizens, it means having the courage to stand up to the right-wing populists, to urge mainstream parties to pursue ambitious economic programs that aim to provide better futures for everyone and to leave nationalism behind.

It will be a tough fight, but given recent trends in Europe, the U.S. and here in Ontario its one we must start right now.

Bob Hepburn is a politics columnist and based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @BobHepburn is a politics columnist and based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @BobHepburn

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Last time I checked, Albertas oilfields had not been seized by marauding bands of eco-warriors. But you might be confused into thinking so by the inflamed rhetoric coming out of Ottawa and Alberta.

Were told that the country faces a national crisis over the resistance to the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline, following an ultimatum by Houston-based Kinder Morgan that its suspending long-stalled building plans unless its assured a green light by May 31.

With both Alberta and Ottawa offering full-throttle support for the project, including potential financial backing, a chorus of rage has arisen from the countrys business and political ranks over B.C.s refusal to fall into line.

Some commentators insist this shows Canada is broken, even implying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a sissy unless he gears up to send in the army to restore the rule of law.

So what precisely has B.C. done that it is trampling on the rule of law?

After hiring the distinguished former B.C. Supreme Court justice Thomas Berger as a legal adviser, B.C.s NDP government sought and won intervener status in a federal court case involving the pipeline, and it has announced plans to consult the B.C. public about developing new regulations to protect its environment from oil spills.

These seem like law-abiding measures.

In a legal showdown, Ottawa would almost certainly win, since it has constitutional power over projects it deems in the national interest. But without a Supreme Court ruling, it doesnt seem outrageous for B.C. to test its right to protect its environment.

Business pundits complain that theres no time to seek such a ruling since were staring at the May 31 deadline.

No doubt, Kinder Morgan has shareholders to satisfy, but should the timetable here  given the momentous issues involved  really be driven by the needs of a foreign company?

The pipeline would dramatically increase oil tanker traffic in the sensitive Burrard Inlet  to more than 400 supertankers a year  risking potentially devastating, long-lasting impacts from an oil spill that put the May 31 deadline in perspective.

Justin Trudeau says the federal government remains determined to see the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion built after Kinder Morgan hit pause on the project, but the prime minister wouldnt say what Ottawas next steps would be. (The Canadian Press)

B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, who holds the balance of power in B.C.s government, notes that the diluted bitumen travelling through the pipeline from Albertas oilsands is more dangerous than regular oil if spilled into water.

It sinks. We cannot clean up a spill, said Weaver, an internationally recognized climate scientist, in an interview on CBC-TVs Power and Politics.

Weaver, who was part of a team sharing a Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, dismissed the scientific review of the Kinder Morgan project carried out by the National Energy Board as a sham.

Then theres the fact the pipeline would go through unceded Indigenous territory, where resistance to it has been fierce.

Martyn Brown, who was chief of staff to former B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, argues that B.C. should go further and bring in legislation giving Indigenous people shared jurisdiction over environmental protection related to oil spill prevention and cleanups.

Then, of course, theres the matter of climate change; building a new pipeline means well pump more oil, making it harder to reduce our carbon emissions.

Weirdly, Trudeau fashions himself as a champion of climate solutions. According to his backflip of an argument, the pipeline is key to an implicit bargain that allows Alberta to get its oil to market, in exchange for Albertas support for a carbon tax.

Only by pumping more carbon into the atmosphere can we hope to stop climate change  sort of like only by smoking more cigarettes can we hope to stop cancer.

Trudeaus bargain has always seemed full of holes, but perhaps it has taken the Kinder Morgan ultimatum to finally out it as the truly unworkable, fraudulent deal that it is.

Its premised on the notion of compromise, which isnt necessarily a bad thing. Its just that climate change isnt something you can compromise on.

In a column in the National Post, Claudia Cattaneo expressed outrage over how B.C.s intransigence is negatively impacting foreign investors, complaining that B.C. doesnt seem to grasp the implications of messing with a lawfully approved project.

But she and other business commentators apparently dont grasp the even bigger implications of messing with nature.

Linda McQuaig is an author and journalist whose column appears monthly. Follow her on twitter @LindaMcQuaig. is an author and journalist whose column appears monthly. Follow her on twitter @LindaMcQuaig.

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Snitches keep riches? Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Michael Cohen does not typically treat those who threaten Donald Trump with tact or courtesy. The presidents longtime lawyer, fixer, and personal pitbull once boasted, If somebody does something Mr. Trump doesnt like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr. Trumps benefit. If you do something wrong, Im going to come at you, grab you by the neck, and Im not going to let you go until Im finished.

On Monday, the FBI did something that Mr. Trump did not like. On orders from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, federal law enforcement raided Cohens home, hotel room, and office, seizing business records, emails, and other documents related to the attorneys ostensibly illegal payment to Stormy Daniels (and possibly to other matters). The president called this measure disgraceful, a violation of attorney-client privilege, and an attack on our country in a true sense.

And yet, Cohen did not grab any FBI agents by the neck, figuratively or otherwise. Instead, he went on Donald Trumps least-favorite news network, and said that members of the FBI that conducted the search and seizure were all extremely professional, courteous, and respectful. And I thanked them at the conclusion.

Asked if he was fearful, Cohen replied, I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No.

Around the same time that Cohen made this confession, the Associated Press reported that Cohen has confided in associates that he is fearful of being a fall guy.

These developments  combined with Robert Muellers demonstrated talent for turning legally embattled Trump aides into snitches  has sparked speculation that Cohen just might sell his boss up the river. Judging by the intensity of Trumps reaction to Mondays raid, that prospect seems to have occurred to the president, too.

There are likely few people on Earth who know more about Donald Trumps shady business practices, relations with Russian oligarchs  and how each might have interacted with his 2016 campaign  than Michael Cohen. And Cohen may soon find himself with a strong incentive to sing.

The Feds (almost certainly) have a rock-solid case against Cohen for campaign-finance violations (and, quite possibly, for much more than that).

In order to raid the office of an attorney (let alone, the presidents attorney), law enforcement must convince a judge that there is probable cause for believing said attorney possesses evidence of a crime, and that the attorney cannot be trusted to turn over that evidence voluntarily.

In order to seize communications between an attorney and his or her client (let alone, a presidential client), law enforcement must present evidence that said client used his or her laywers services for the purpose of committing a crime or fraud.

On Monday, Michael Cohens lawyer said that the FBI had collected communications between his client and Donald Trump. So, even before the office of federal law enforcement ransacked Cohens properties, it already possessed substantial evidence that he was involved in a crime  and, if Cohens lawyer is to be believed, that the president was, too.

The former fact is barely news. Weve known for weeks now that Cohen paid adult-film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election, in exchange for keeping the details of her affair with the Republican nominee to herself. Under federal campaign-finance laws, this would ostensibly qualify as an in-kind contribution to Donald Trumps campaign  one far larger than any individual is allowed to give to a single candidate. This alone could put Cohen behind bars.

And reports suggest that the FBI also obtained a warrant to seize evidence of bank fraud. Which would make sense: As defense attorney Ken White notes in the New York Times, routing a payment [to Stormy Daniels] through a shell company to hide the fact that the money came from the Trump campaign  if that is what happened  would probably violate federal money-laundering laws.

Its also quite plausible that the FBI possessed evidence of crimes unrelated to Stormy Daniels before the raid on Cohens home  and even more plausible that they possessed such information afterward. For the past decade, Cohen has been intimately involved in Donald Trumps (often shady) financial affairs. Many people suspect that not all of the presidents dealings with foreign creditors were aboveboard  including, by all appearances, the president himself. Trump has repeatedly warned the special counsel not to look too closely at his companys books, and reportedly considered firing Mueller last December, after hearing that the FBI was trying to obtain information about his business dealings with Deutsche Bank  a bank that happens to have recently paid a $10 billion fine for helping wealthy Russians launder their ill-gotten money.

Maybe Trump doesnt want federal law enforcement to look at his dealings with Deutsche Bank for perfectly innocent (and/or irrational) reasons. And maybe he doesnt want the public look at his tax returns on similarly innocuous grounds.

But its also possible that a billionaire developer whos notorious for profiting off of wage theft and fraud might have occasionally indulged in a bit of white-collar crime. And if that is the case, theres every reason to believe Michael Cohen has a story to tell about it. Whats more, if theres anything to the most serious allegations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, Cohen can almost certainly shed some light on the matter. After all, it was Cohen who spent the early months of Trumps presidential run trying to get the Kremlin to give its blessing to a Trump Tower development in Moscow.

The case for thinking Cohen wont snitch.

Im the guy who protects the president and the family, Cohen said last year. Im the guy who would take a bullet for the president. On Tuesday night, veteran New York political strategist Hank Sheinkopf echoed this sentiment, telling the Times, Michael Cohen would lay his life down for Donald Trump. He is the ultimate Trump loyalist.

And Cohen has comported himself as the moguls loyal henchman ever since he betrayed his fellow condo owners at Trump World Tower by taking the Donalds side in a dispute between him and the buildings board. In 2007, shortly after that condo matter was settled, Trump offered Cohen a job as executive vice-president and legal counsel for the Trump Organization.

Cohen may have been rich when he met Trump  but hes grown much richer under Trumps wing. And the lawyer has routinely demonstrated gratitude for the opportunities his boss provided him. Lest we forget: This whole Stormy Daniels mess began when Cohen took $130,000 from his home equity line so as to prevent one of Trumps old paramours from leaking his sexual secrets to the press.

Furthermore, Cohen doesnt actually need to choose between showing loyalty to his longtime patron and keeping himself out of a prison cell.

As Cohen is surely aware, Trump floated pardon promises to Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort. And, by letting Joe Arpaio off the hook, Trump has already signaled his readiness to abuse his pardon powers. So, Cohen can have his illustrious position in Trumpland and his get out of jail free card too.

The case for thinking Cohen will fold like a cheap deck of cards.

Theres no honor among thieves, let alone among New York real-estate investors. Its not like Cohen and Trump are childhood chums; theyre two unscrupulous worshippers of Mammon who collaborated on business ventures for a few years. Cohen made grandiose public statements about the depths of his loyalty to Donald Trump because thats what he was paid to do. If his self-interest now requires him to make radically different public statements about the mogul, he will surely flip the script.

And all signs suggest that it is in his public interest to give federal law enforcement what they want. Sure, Trump could pardon Cohen. But the president has no power to spare Cohen from the consequences of state-level offenses  and in New York, money-laundering is such a crime. This fact, combined with Donald Trumps inherent untrustworthiness, makes striking a deal with prosecutors Cohens surest means of ensuring that he spends the next few years living the life of a multimillionaire, instead of that of a prisoner.

++

All of which is to say: At this point, its impossible to know exactly what prosecutors have on Cohen, or precisely how hed react if they had enough to put him behind bars. But from what we do know, it isnt hard to see how and why Cohen might turn states witness  and Trumps apoplectic reaction to Mondays events suggests he can envision that development all too clearly.
VANCOUVER People who list Vancouver properties on short-term rental sites without obtaining or being eligible for a business licence could face fines of $1,000 a day under new rules that will go before council next week.

The City of Vancouver moved to both allow and regulate rentals of less than 30 days last November, but released more details of how the program will roll out on Wednesday. The city hopes to return around 1,000 units of rental housing to Vancouvers beleaguered long-term rental market, where vacancy is under one per cent.

The city and short-term rental platform Airbnb, where 88 per cent of Vancouvers short-term rentals are listed, also announced they have entered into an agreement to ensure Vancouver properties cannot be listed on the site without a valid city business licence.

The memorandum of understanding includes a commitment from Airbnb to share the name, contact information and address of property listers who the city believes are not complying with new rules intended to both allow and regulate short term rentals.

Airbnb will also share quarterly data with the city, and will require property listers to allow the platform to share their name and address with the city in order to continue listing property on the site.

Fairbnb, a coalition of unions, hotels and renter advocates, had previously called for such an agreement as the only real way to ensure the new regulations had teeth.

"It sounds like those are the key things that needed to happen," said Octavian Cadabeschi, a research analyst with Unite Here Local 40, one of the members of Fairbnb.

But, he warned, memorandums of understanding are voluntary, not legally binding agreements: "MOUs in other cities havent always played out the way cities hope.

"What happens when the platform doesnt provide all the data, and what will the consequences be?"

Alex Dagg, a spokesperson for Airbnb, acknowledged that people interested in listing properties as short term rentals may turn to platforms like HomeAway or VRBO, which have not yet signed agreements with the City of Vancouver. The city is currently in talks with Expedia, the owner of HomeAway and VRBO, said Kaye Krishna, general manager of development, buildings and licensing for the city.

Under the new rules, people who own or rent will be able to short-term rent the residence where they live full-time; that requirement applies to basement suites and laneway houses. Renters must have permission from their landlords and condo owners must be in accordance with their stratas rules. They will be able to start applying for a business licence on April 19, but the city will not start enforcing the new rules in earnest until September to encourage as many people as possible to comply, said Krishna.

The city is rolling out an online business application  something not currently available for other businesses  in an effort to make the process as easy as possible.

The city estimates there are around 6,600 short-term rental listings in Vancouver and 80 per cent of those are single listings by one person, indicating they will likely continue to be able to operate under the new rules.

But just over 1,000 listings are multiple listings managed by one owner or property manager, the kind of commercial activity the city wants to end. Those units will not be eligible for a business license and, Krishna warned, will be subject to immediate enforcement.

Jen St. Denis is a general assignment reporter based in Vancouver. Follow her on Twitter: @jenstden

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ALTON  City firefighters extinguished flames on a mattress burning in a basement apartment Tuesday before the fire could spread to the structure, blaming a squatters untended candle for igniting the blaze.

We got the phone call at 5:25 a.m., when the firefighters arrived, they saw light smoke coming from the basement and first floor, from the back of the building, said Chief Bernie Sebold of the Alton Fire Department regarding the 1.5-story, wood frame building at 1118-1120 E. Seventh St.

Shortly after their arrival, firefighters located the burning mattress just inside the walkout basement door, Sebold said. They quickly put out the fire with a limited amount of water, he said.

The door and two windows to that basement apartment had been boarded up.

The unknown, apparently homeless man, though, had pulled off the wood covering the door to get inside, he said.

This was a homeless individual who had been hanging around the property for some time now, according to a neighbor, Sebold said. The candle was lit too close to the mattress.

The basement apartment did not have electrical service. The structure, with a covered front porch, resembles a single-family house but has two front doors and a walkout basement apartment. It is located just east of Central Avenue.

Sebold said the only unit in the building with an occupancy permit was for the first floor of the 1120 E. Seventh St. side. Firefighters called police regarding the man illegally entering and occupying the apartment, with officers making an incident report.

There were no injuries.

There is no reason to believe this was an arson, it was not an intentional act, Sebold said of Tuesdays fire, when there have been several suspected arson fires in the city since late last year.

On March 27, Sebold issued a press release regarding a $1,000 reward for whoever provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for any of the suspicious fires, of which there were four between March 11 and March 27.

This is a running reward, we still are actively seeking information, he said. Sebold said no one has provided the Fire Department with such tips and is unaware if Alton police or the Illinois State Fire Marshal have received any useful information regarding the suspicious fires.

People with such information may call: the Alton Police Departments tip line at: (618) 465-5948, or the Fire Marshals hotline at: 1-(800)-252-2947.

Reach Linda N. Weller at 618-208-6450 or on Twitter @Linda_Weller
WOOD RIVER  Rodney Walker, the keynote speaker for child advocacy group Refuges third annual fundraising dinner Thursday, knows well the abused, neglected clientele served by the Wood River nonprofit.

He was one.

Walker, founder of Forever Life Productions, a company that creates custom videos for special occasions and events, was a foster child himself, overcoming academic and social struggles to become an award-winning entrepreneur, an author, a public speaker and much more. Walker earned a bachelors degree from Morehouse College and a masters degree from Yale University, and in May he will graduate from Harvard University with a doctorate degree in education focusing on trauma in childhood.

Given his experience, Walker said the family aspect of Refuge is what he most appreciates.

The core of my experience in foster care was meeting with social workers, case managers, and therapists, Walker said. No one seemed to consider that I just simply needed a family. Thats what compels me the most about Refuge; kids wont simply be part of a system; they will be a part of a village. A safe haven. A home.

Walker, a Chicago native, will visit with Alton High School students Thursday morning.

Refuge Executive Director Erin Bickle said they are expecting close to 500 attendees for their annual fundraising dinner, which will include a welcome from Refuge Board Chair Megan Slusser, an address from Walker and a program update given by Bickle. The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. at The Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey.

A few seats remain for the dinner. To RSVP, email Erin@refuge4kids.org or call 618-251-9790.

Reach managing editor Nathan Grimm at 618-208-6456.
EDWARDSVILLE  County membership and representation with the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois was debated at Mondays Grants Committee meeting.

The committee is considering whether to continue to pay $30,000 as a county, or several individual memberships at $1,900 each.

At the last Grants Committee meeting, it had been suggested that the county consider the individual memberships rather than the county membership.

As part of the current arrangement, the county has two members on the councils board. One major area of contention is that committee members want more representation on the board.

Executive Director Ronda Sauget and President Kevin Powers attended the meeting.

Sauget said the importance of the council is that it provides a regional approach to economic development, something she said is needed because of the lack of concern/action from the state.

She also said they take a pro-active stance to address issues, rather than wait for people to come to them.

She also said the $30,000 paid by the county, along with a similar amount from St. Clair County, goes toward a number of programs. That includes programs aimed at encouraging high school students to look at skilled trades and other job opportunities.

She noted that one of the local business parks recently lost a fulfillment center because of workforce issues.

Absent that (county) support we are not sure well be able to continue (those efforts), she said.

The wide-ranging discussion included issues from Scott Air Force Base and the levee system to STEM-related jobs and the countys role in economic development.

During the discussion, Board Member James Futrell, R-East Alton, said that while everybody was talking about membership, what they were actually discussing was membership and sponsorship of several programs.

Two other members, Bruce Malone, D-Alton, and Ann Gorman, D-Edwardsville, also expressed support for the current level of support.

To me there is a key investment in these areas, Gorman said.

At one point County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler joined the discussion, saying he felt that the county has been deficient in economic development before leaving the meeting.

That comment upset several Madison County Community Development representatives, who later voiced concerns in the meeting. Economic development is under the umbrella of MCCD.

The committee eventually approved tabling the issue until there could be further discussion about expanding the countys representation.

The committee also approved resolutions applying for Illinois Department of Human Services grants, a participation agreement with Ameren to expand MCCDs weatherization program, and a resolution awarding bids for the weatherization program.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.
EDWARDSVILLE  Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles Mark Hildebrandt, PhD, associate professor of geography in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) has been selected as a candidate to the prestigious Fulbright Specialist roster of the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Institute of International Educations Council. For International Exchange of Scholars.

The Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP) sends faculty and professionals from the United States to businesses and academic institutions in more than 140 countries around the world. Countries eligible to participate in the program include those where there is a U.S. embassy or a Fulbright commission.
From the day he announced for president, Donald Trump spoke of how the United States was losing ground to other countries, especially China, in international trade. Were not winning anymore, Trump complained throughout the campaign, and he promised to change that.

Trump has fulfilled every expectation on the trade issue. Unlike most politicians who promise one thing and then do another after the election, Trump has followed through on his campaign promises on trade.

As Trump tweeted last Saturday: 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, Trump added. Cannot continue!

Trump tweeted again on Monday, April 9: When a car is sent to the United States from China, there is a Tariff to be paid of 2 1/2%. When a car is sent to China from the United States, there is a Tariff to be paid of 25%.

Does that sound like free or fair trade. No, it sounds like STUPID TRADE - going on for years!

With his new actions on trade with China, President Trump has brought the era of bipartisan pusillanimity to an end. Trade wars always exist, and now our side is finally going to fight back.

For at least two decades, Republicans and Democrats alike have known about and tolerated Chinas systematic violations of trading rules that the United States observes. Our leaders have refused to do anything about Chinas lawless behavior, primarily because the Wall Street donors who finance both parties have fomented fears about a trade war.

The China problem emerged in the year 2000, when Republican Congressional leaders (including the future Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, and the future Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell) conspired with President Bill Clinton to give China preferred access to the American consumer market. Normal trading privileges paved the way for Chinas entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, despite its failure to meet basic requirements for membership.

Phyllis Schlafly strongly opposed the trade giveaway to China, which never would have attained the two-thirds vote required by the Treaty Clause in the Constitution in order to pass. So instead this handout to China was passed as a non-treaty.

One-fourth of House Republicans voted against their leadership in 2000, while two-thirds of House Democrats voted against their president. The naysayers were proved right as China continued to flout the rules for the next 18 years and still shows no sign of real reform.

In its early years of access to the American market, China profited by paying extremely low wages to people making ultra-cheap products. Now China is rapidly moving up the food chain to sell us high quality products containing innovative technology that was created and developed in the United States.

How did the Chinese get their hands on the latest American high tech know-how? First, by stealing it: Chinas commercial espionage is estimated to cost U.S. companies over $20 billion a year, with a cumulative total of $600 billion over 20 years.

China also forces American companies to share their technology as the price of access to the Chinese market. Such requirements are supposedly prohibited by the WTO, but with no one stopping them, the Chinese trade surplus in goods reached a new all-time record of $375 billion last year.

We have a tremendous intellectual property theft situation going on, the president said on March 22 as he signed an order that could eventually impose tariffs on hundreds of Chinese products. As Peter Navarro, director of the White House National Trade Council, explained, What the United States is doing is strategically defending itself from Chinas economic aggression.

Even long-time free-traders are starting to see the light. Last Sunday Lawrence Kudlow admitted that the whole world knows China has been violating trade laws for many years and President Trump is the guy calling them on it, and hes right.

This is a problem caused by China, not a problem caused by President Trump. I would go so far as to say Trump is there to fix the problem, Kudlow explains.

His argument, and its a good one is this: You cant have free trade unless China brings down its barriers, opens up its markets, and stops this technology steal that theyre doing, Kudlow adds.

Peter Navarro properly observed last Sunday, What we want from China is very clear. We want fair and reciprocal trade.

We want them to stop stealing our stuff. We want them to guard intellectual property, not take it from us, Navarro concluded.

China has far more to lose in a trade war than the United States does. Indeed, our job market would improve if tariffs reduced our massive trade imbalance with China, and Trump is right to take strong steps toward that goal.

John and Andy Schlafly are sons of Phyllis Schlafly (1924-2016) whose 27th book, The Conservative Case for Trump, was published posthumously in 2016.
Trump cant pass up an opportunity to outdo a former president, even if its Nixon. Photo: Pool/Getty Images

For the past few weeks weve been waiting to see which top official President Trump would fire next, but to the likely relief of Scott Pruitt, Mondays FBI raids on Trumps longtime attorney Michael Cohen shifted the conversation. Trump is obviously quite irate, and now hes said to be considering firing someone tied to Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation. But who should it be? Mueller himself? Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the man who appointed him? Or perhaps Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whose surprising refusal to do Trumps bidding started this whole mess?

Even Republicans are warning Trump that retaliating against any Justice Department official will only create a bigger mess. On the other hand, its hard to see how this situation ends without a torrent of firings. Here are the likeliest targets of Trumps rage, and the consequences for finally giving them the boot.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller

FBI Director Robert Mueller during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., June 2013. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Why Trump Is Angry at Him: Last summer Trump told the New York Times that Muellers investigation would cross a red line if it moved beyond Russias 2016 election interference and started digging into his familys finances. I think thats a violation. Look, this is about Russia, Trump said.

Since then, theres been a steady drip of reports about the special counsel probing everything from Trumps business to how his son-in-laws foreign ties might have influenced policy. The New York Times reported that the FBI agents who raided Cohen were searching for records on payments to two women who claim they had affairs with Trump long before his presidential run, which certainly crosses his red line. Mueller didnt orchestrate those searches; he merely referred the matter to the U.S. Attorneys office in Manhattan, but that nuance was lost on Trump. He and Cohen reportedly believe Mueller is using New Yorks prosecutors as his proxy.

Or, to put Trumps gripes in much simpler terms, Attorney-client privilege is dead! A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!

Evidence That Trump Will Try to Fire Him: It appears Trumps already tried it  twice. Months ago, we learned that the president ordered Muellers firing last summer, but his attempted Saturday Night Massacre flopped when White House counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign.

On Tuesday night, the Times reported that Trump tried to fire Mueller again in early December. That incident was triggered by reports that Mueller had subpoenaed information about his business dealings with Deutsche Bank. Trump backed down when his lawyers learned that the stories were not accurate:

Mr. Trumps lawyers, who have studied Mr. Trumps bank accounts, did not believe the articles were accurate because Mr. Trump did not have his money there.

The lawyers were also able to learn that federal prosecutors in a different inquiry had issued a subpoena for entities connected to the family business of Mr. Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The news outlets later clarified the articles, saying that the subpoena to Deutsche Bank pertained to people affiliated with Mr. Trump, who was satisfied with the explanation and dropped his push to fire Mr. Mueller.

Trump raised concerns that hes thinking of firing Mueller (again) when he discussed the possibility during an unrelated meeting on Monday. Well see what happens. Many people have said, You should fire him. Again, they found nothing and in finding nothing thats a big statement, Trump told reporters, adding that Muellers team is biased and has the biggest conflicts of interest I have ever seen.

Can He Do That? Probably not, but that might not stop him. When Rosenstein appointed Mueller, he pointed to a Justice Department regulation that says the special counsel can only be fired by the attorney general, and only for misconduct. The general thinking is that Trump would have to order Rosenstein to fire Mueller, since Sessions has recused himself. The deputy AG has said hell abide by those rules, so Trump would have to follow in Nixons footsteps and keep firing Justice Department officials until he found someone willing to comply.

However, Jack L. Goldsmith, a Harvard Law School professor and former head of the Office of Legal Counsel in the Bush administration, told the Times that Trump may be able to make a case for firing Mueller directly.

I agree that the proper and most legally sound route would be to order Rosenstein to dismiss Mueller and then fire him if he doesnt comply, Goldsmith said. That is clearly the right way under the law. That is the right way under the precedents. And that would be the legally safer way to do it. But there is an argument that he could do so directly and that question has never been tested in a context exactly like this.

During Tuesdays White House briefing, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggested Trump may try to fire Mueller himself, saying, Weve been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision.

What That Would Accomplish: Not what Trump thinks it would. Is it possible that congressional Republicans would shrug off a constitutional crisis? Sure. But as Vox notes, Mueller isnt working alone: there are 17 prosecutors in the special counsels office, at least two grand juries, multiple live indictments, and several people awaiting sentencing.

Nixon managed to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, but his team ultimately continued its work. Trump could try to go after lower-level federal prosecutors too, but that would set off an unprecedented legal and political crisis, and presumably any dirt hes trying to conceal would quickly be leaked.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2017. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Why Trump Is Angry at Him: Under fire for facilitating the dismissal of FBI director James Comey 11 months ago, Rosenstein turned around and appointed Mueller to serve as special counsel. Trump has reportedly been raging at Rosenstein intermittently for months, claiming that hes from Baltimore, and thus must be a Democrat (hes actually a Republican from Philadelphia).

Rather than reining in Mueller, Rosenstein has allowed his investigation to expand, prompting Trump to publicly attack the deputy AG on several occasions. Since the Comey incident Rosenstein has attempted to demonstrate that his loyalties lie with the law, not Trump. He made that point dramatically when he personally signed off on the FBIs decision to raid Cohens offices.

Evidence That Trump Will Try to Fire Him: Rosensteins job has been at risk for some time, but on Tuesday night CNN reported that the idea gained urgency following the Cohen raid. While theres division within Trumps team, some of his legal advisers say they now have a stronger case against the deputy AG:

They believe Rosenstein crossed the line in what he can and cannot pursue. And they consider him conflicted since he is a potential witness in the special counsels investigation because he wrote the memo that justified firing former FBI Director James Comey. The legal advisers also believe they have successfully argued to the American public that the FBI is tainted and think they can make the same case against Rosenstein.

Can He Do That? Yes, as a presidential appointee, Rosenstein can be dismissed without cause.

What That Would Accomplish: Firing Rosenstein might be Trumps best option for reining in Mueller, though its still highly risky. In the event of Rosensteins dismissal, Solicitor General Noel Francisco would assume supervision of the Mueller probe. If Francisco refused to comply, Trump could keep firing Justice Department officials until he found someone who would.

There may be an easier route. Under the Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, which Trump has already used in other agencies, he could appoint anyone whos already been confirmed by the Senate to serve as acting deputy attorney general, until the Senate approves Rosensteins permanent replacement. That would likely spark a legal battle, as its unclear whether the law applies to officials the president fires.

Once Trump put a loyal deputy AG in place, the savviest move would be to have him or her gradually undo Muellers investigation rather than firing the special counsel, as Louis Seidman, a constitutional law professor at Georgetown University, told the Post:

Trump moves someone in to replace Rosenstein, Seidman theorized when we spoke in February, and that person would then say, You cant subpoena the president, and whats more you cant investigate his financial holdings.

Reached Tuesday evening, Seidman further suggested that Rosensteins replacement could reel in the authority that Mueller already had been granted. If Rosenstein said Mueller could dig into Trumps real estate transactions, his replacement (say, Pruitt, for the sake of argument) probably could make those areas off limits. Pruitt could refuse to sign off on further prosecutions.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions holds a news conference at the Department of Justice on December 15, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Why Trump Is Angry at Him: At one critical juncture, he put the rule of law above his personal loyalty to Trump. Recusing himself from the Russia probe (shortly after it was revealed that he made false statements to Congress about his contacts with Russians while serving as a Trump campaign surrogate) put Rosenstein in a position to appoint a special counsel.

Evidence That Trump Will Try to Fire Him: Trump has been publicly attacking his AG since July, when he said he wouldnt have hired Sessions if he knew he was going to recuse himself, and called the decision very unfair to him personally.

In his comments on the Cohen raid, Trump reiterated this point in perhaps the strongest terms yet, saying the attorney general made a terrible mistake when he gave up control of the Mueller probe.

When he did this and when he recused himself, Trump said, We would have used a  put a different attorney general in. So he made what I consider to be a very terrible mistake for the country.

While Sessions has weathered many near-firings, a Republican close to the White House said that following the Cohen raid, Trump may finally pull the trigger. According to Vanity Fair:

Hes sitting there bitching and moaning. Hes brooding and doesnt have a plan, a Republican close to the White House said last night. I could see him having a total meltdown and saying, Fuck it, Im firing all of them, a Trump friend told me. This is very dry tinder. If someone strikes a match to it, you could see it catching fire, added a former official.

Can He Do That? Yes. As Sessions once put it: I serve at the pleasure of the president. Ive understood that from the day I took the job.

What That Would Accomplish: While Trump has every right to fire Sessions, the politics around replacing him are a much trickier thing. For starters, Trumps repeated efforts to fire the AG are reportedly part of Muellers investigation, so following through could open him up to new allegations of obstruction of justice.

The move could spark a huge backlash from both parties in the Senate. While Democrats would be up in arms about any effort to curtail Muellers investigation, Republicans have made it clear that they stand by their former colleague and have little interest in quickly confirming a replacement AG.

In the interim, the deputy AG would usually take over, but putting Rosenstein at the top of the Justice Department wouldnt do Trump any good. He could use the Vacancies Reform Act to name another temporary replacement  perhaps Pruitt, whos been campaigning for the job  but that could spark a legal battle, depending on whether Sessions quit or resigned.

Its always possible that Trump will decide to fire everyone in a fit of anger, but at this point its hard to see how he could dial back the Mueller investigation without making the situation far worse.

Two people close to the White House told Politico that while Trump may be fuming more than usual, they arent aware of any concrete plans to oust top Justice Department officials.

I would be very, very surprised if you saw any type of DOJ or Mueller shakeup at the direction of the president, said one Republican. I think the president has a sense that it would be very difficult to do it and to follow up with other appointments that would get Senate attention.
It is going to be a scrumptious mini-season of the Chef's Table, an award-winning American documentary series on world-renowned chefs; starting April 13, Netflix will air four episodes featuring the most celebrated pastry makers in the businessa bird's eye view of the genesis of some of the most mouthwatering desserts on the planet.

In Chef's Table: Pastry, you will meet Christina Tosi, a pastry chef from New York, whose retro confections like the (cumbrously named) cornflake-chocolate-chip-peppermint cookie, crack pies and sprinkle-laced cake truffle tossed up a bakery empire. The founder of Milk Bar tutors celebrities like Seth Rogen, and her cereal milk soft serve is a Kendall Jenner favourite.

On the other end of the spectrum (and the globe) is chef Will Goldfarb, whose all-dessert restaurant in Bali is most popular for its creme brulee made of cocoa paste, mangosteen bitters, and Balinese sea salt. His was a tumultous life. Goldfarb opened his trademark Room 4 Dessert in Manhattanthink 1920s hedonism, only for taste budsbefore he fell out with his partners and later made a decision to move to Bali with his family. Before the journey, however, he was diagnosed with a malignant tumour in his right leg.

Or take the case of Jordi Roca, a Spaniard whose radical experimentation got him the title of the world's best pastry chef from the British magazine Restaurant, in 2014. Some of his more eccentric creations include stuffing caramelised olives, black olive oil and dried olives in a dessert, and developing an edible perfume as a foundation for another.

Chef's Table: Pastry will also feature Corrado Assenza of the famous Cafe Sicilia Noto in Italy, known for his specialties like fresh buffalo mozzarella with bergamot jam.

The series has completed three seasons, and has featured 18 "culinary visionaries" so far. Directed by David Gelb of the Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame, the show was lauded for its slick narrative style and an artistic fervour which sometimes borders on the myth-making.

It has also received its share of brickbats. Critics rued that the show lionised the most expensive restaurants owned by celebrity chefs, imbuing them with a halo of invulnerability. But the last season was praised for its profiling of more interesting personalities like Jeong Kwan, a Buddhist nun breaking new ground with temple food in South Korea, and Ivan Orkin, a goofy American Ramen chef in Tokyo.

The mini-season on pastry chefs has already received flak for not including enough women; Tosi is the only woman to be featured so far. On the flip side, in this year's nominations for 'outstanding pastry chef' at the James Beard Award, considered the Oscars for food, all twenty nominees are women.
Adani Defence and Aerospace will soon tie up with Punj Llyod and US-based Rave Gears to manufacture high precision aerospace gears. Adani Defence and Aerospace, a part of the diversified conglomerate of the Adani group, announced its intention to collaborate for the design, manufacture and assembly of high precision gears and transmission systems for rotary platforms at the DefExpo 2018 in Chennai on Wednesday.

Announcing the tie-up, Adani Defence and Aerospace head Ashish Rajvanshi said, The tripartite agreement would leverage on the strengths of the three companies. He further said the collaboration intends to manufacture gears and gear assemblies for rotary platforms which is now produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for all the aircrafts and helicopters manufactured or assembled in India. The collaboration of the three companies will also look for future programmes like naval utility helicopters and naval multi-role helicopters. We will use the base in India for export to Global OEMs, both in military and civil aerospace domain, Ashish added.

Refusing to deliberate on the partnership, Ashish said,the facility will be set up at Malanpur near Gwalior. The roadmap is still to be worked, he added.

Elaborating more on the collaboration, Ashok Wadhawan, president, manufacturing business, Punj Llyod said the commercial operations will begin in a year, while the other preliminary activities for setting up the facility are under way. This is a unique collaboration. The first of its kind of a tripartite agreement which will start developing the gears in which only HAL was a clear leader, said Ashok.

We have been at the forefront of building industrial capabilities in defence manufacturing in the country across various domains from small arms to artillery guns. This collaboration will help India achieve indigenisation in one of the most critical components of rotary platforms, he added.

Nick Patel, CEO, Rave Gears, said It is an opportunity for Rave to do what it is best at. We will offer the technology, said.

The three companies would soon evaluate options of floating a new firm under the agreement. The collaboration will evaluate setting up a manufacturing base in India, and also look for exporting aerospace gears to global original equipment manufacturers.
The salt to software conglomerate Tata Group plans to consolidate its various businesses in the aerospace and defence sector under one unitTata Aerospace & Defence (Tata A&D)a move it feels will help the group better target opportunities in the sector, and also execute larger projects.

Tata A&D proposes to leverage its full range of experience and capabilities, from across group companies related to land mobility solutions, aerospace, weapon systems, sensors and command, control, communication, computers and intelligence, it said on Tuesday.

The move is part of a broader plan to simplify the management and organisational structure of the Tata Group, as outlined by N. Chandrasekaran, who took charge as the chairman of Tata Sons in February 2017.

"The formation of Tata A&D, a single unified entity, will allow us to better target emerging opportunities in aerospace and defence, and engage holistically with customers both in India and globally," said Chandrasekaran.

Currently, several Tata Group companies are engaged in aerospace and defence as a part of their individual businesses.

Tata A&D will combine synergies from Tata Motors' defence division, TAL Manufacturing Solutions, Tata Power strategic engineering division, Tata Advanced Materials and Tata Advanced Systems.

"Tata A&D will be better equipped to execute larger and more complex projects, and be more globally competitive as a part of the global supply chain," said Banmali Agrawala, president infrastructure and defence and aerospace at Tata Sons.

Tata A&D plans to be deeply invested in the development of indigenous platforms for India's armed forces,which the company says is central to its long-term strategy.

It aims to bring together over 6,000 employees and have production facilities in Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Jharkhand.
Making it clear that it has not given up its ambition to expand beyond Delhi despite electoral debacles, the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday announced that it will contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan.

The AAP, in a major decision, has also removed Kumar Vishwas as in-charge of party affairs in Rajasthan, replacing him with Deepak Bajpai, who is AAP's national treasurer. The relationship between Vishwas and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal had hit rock bottom after the former was not nominated by the party to the Rajya Sabha. There were complaints from the party's Rajasthan unit that Vishwas was not taking adequate interest in the AAP's activities in the state.

Bajpai had been deputed to Rajasthan over the last few weeks to assess the political situation in the state, and he toured several districts and Assembly segments. The process for identifying candidates has begun, the party said.

The decision to contest the Assembly elections in Rajasthan was taken by the political affairs committee of the party two days ago.

Announcing the decision, AAP leader Ashutosh said the party would present itself as an honest alternative to the duopoly of the Congress and the BJP.

The farmers and labourers of Rajasthan have suffered persecution and atrocities. Farmer agitations have erupted in almost all parts of the state. Electricity prices are on the rise. Corruption has reached unprecedented levels. Both the BJP and the Congress have betrayed the people of the state at every step, Ashutosh said.

The party would sell its 'Delhi success story' in Rajasthan, and its leaders have already begun stating that if voted to power, it would bring down electricity rates and the water supply would be free, as is the case in the national capital.

It will also draw comparisons between the condition of government schools in Delhi, which it claims have undergone a dramatic transformation under the AAP regime, and the state of schools in Rajasthan.

The AAP will offer the people of Rajasthan an honest alternative. The party's government has made a huge difference to the lives of all sections of society in Delhi, and the party will replicate the work in Rajasthan, said AAP Rajasthan leader Poonam Chand Bhandari.

AAP had last year focused big time on fighting the Assembly elections in Punjab, with Kejriwal himself spending a substantial amount of time in the state. However, it failed to make much of an impact in the state, with the Congress winning the elections to end Akali rule.

It also failed to make any ripples in Goa, which saw state elections around the same time as Punjab. The defeats in the Assembly polls were followed by an even more embarrassing trouncing at the hands of the BJP in the civic polls in Delhi, which the party had expected to win. The series of electoral setbacks had given rise to speculation on whether the party, which made a token appearance in the Gujarat polls late last year, would now focus only on Delhi for some time to come.
Just like the death of the father in the Unnao rape case in UP, the Preeti Raghuvanshi suicide case in Madhya Pradesh has presented a twist with the brother of Preeti being reported as missing.

The family members of Preeti Raghuvanshi, daughter-in-law of PWD minister Rampal Singh, have approached the police with a complaint that her brother, Deepak Raghuvanshi, has been missing for a week.

Preeti's family members approached the Udaypura police station on Monday evening stating that Deepak had not returned home after visiting the police station to record his statement on April 7.

Police have recorded the statements of Preeti's family members in the case but they are yet to register an FIR. Girijesh Pratap Singh, son of Rampal Singh and who was married to Preeti, has not turned up to record his statement. Deepak's family members have alleged that police were not registering their missing report.

Meanwhile, Deepak Raguvanshi had filed an application in Bhopal district court to register an FIR against the minister and his son in the case for abetment to suicide.

On March 16, Preeti hanged herself after learning that her husband Girijesh was planning to marry another girl. Girijesh had married Preeti, who used to live in the opposite house, in a temple of Arya Samaj at Nehru Nagar in Bhopal on June 20 last year. The marriage was performed under Arya Marriage Validation Act, 1937. A certificate was issued after the marriage, which was solemnised in the presence of Neeraj Raghuvanshi, Preeti's brother, and several friends of Girijesh.

Minister Rampal, however, refused to accept the marriage and rejected the claim of Preeti's family that she was his daughter-in-law. Police recovered a suicide note alongside the Preeti's body. In the note she apologised to her parents for marrying the ministers son and sought forgiveness from them. Preeti was upset that her husband was marrying another woman.

Meanwhile, Police Sub-Divisional Officer Rajaram Sahu told media that Deepak had come to Udaypura police station saying that he was going away from his home on his own free will. According to the police, Deepak said that he does not want to return home.

However, Chandan Singh Raghuvanshi, father of Preeti, said that his son was made to drink liquor forcibly and held captive. Chandan Singh, who used to work as an ambulance driver in the government hospital, said that the minister had been pushing him to get Preeti married to someone else and even offered the family money.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress had launched a statewide Nyaya Yatra (justice yatra) seeking justice for Preeti Raghuvanshi.
Despite recent data on falling sex ratio at birth, the Centre is under pressure from doctors' bodies to "dilute" the law against pre-natal sex determination, activists say.

Last week, when the Indian Medical Association met J.P. Nadda, the Union minister for health and family welfare, to express members' opposition to the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017, the IMA also demanded certain amendments in the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.

Doctors are agitating against them being criminally prosecuted for "clerical errors" and administrative lapses, which activists say will dilute the law. "They have been assured by the health ministry that the law will be diluted. Strong deterrent sections will be amended by bringing in graded punishments. Also, the plan is to make family members liable for filling the form F [detailed forms for maintenance] rather than the doctor. Right now, if there's a case against the doctor, the burden of proof is on them to prove their innocence. The doctors want that the blame should be shifted to the family," said Dr Sabu M. George, a prominent activist and member of the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee under the PC&PNDT Act. "States such as Maharashtra, Haryana and Rajasthan that have implemented the Act properly have seen a high number of convictions under the Act and have experienced improvements in sex ratios," he said.

Citing latest data on sex ratio at birth, George said that according to Niti Aayog's Health Index, sex ratio at birth (SRB) is falling. The SRB is substantially lower in almost all larger states17 out of 21 States have SRB of less than 950 females per 1000 males. SRB has declined between the base year (2012-14) and reference year (2013-15) in most states except for Bihar, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh where improvements in SRB were noted. In Jammu & Kashmir the ratio has stagnated. Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Haryana recorded substantial drops (10 or more points) in this indicator, he said, quoting the report.

According to the report, the maximum drop in the sex ratio at birthfrom 907 girls per 1,000 boys in 2012-14 to 854 girls per 1,000 boys in 2013-15was found to be in Gujarat, THE WEEK had reported in February.

Dr Neelam Singh, member of the Central Supervisory Board under the Act, said that last month, the Supreme Court had rejected the IMA's demand that MBBS qualification is adequate for doctors to conduct ultrasounds. "The SC upheld the Centre's rules on the requirement for a formal six-month training to conduct ultrasound. In many places, AYUSH doctors are conducting sonography, and unethical practices are going on," said Singh. The IMA's demands to forego the training would have lead to a mushrooming of ultrasound centres, leading to a rise in sex selective procedures, she said.
With an aim to channelise investments and help the small and medium industries, Ministry of Defence will soon set up a dedicated defence and aerospace SME fund, registered with SEBI where minority stake could be taken by investors.

This fund would help channelise investments into the two defence corridors announced by the governments of Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, said Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence Production, MoD, while speaking at the FICCI session on Offsets: Way forward towards a win-win framework. The session was held at the DefExpo 2018 organised by the MoD to discuss and deliberate on the business opportunities in the defence production sector.

Sharing the governments thought process on major reforms in the offset policy, Kumar said that the OEMs and the government were both dissatisfied with the earlier policy and that the MoD wishes to indulge in a larger dialogue with all stakeholders.

He highlighted saying that the new paradigm would focus on three principlesinvestment in defence infrastructure like government identified PSU/ quasi-PSU projects, providing higher incentives for transfer of Know Why and targeted offset discharge. He added: Investments into testing infrastructure, training facilities and test beds would attract higher value of multiplier.

The government has addressed the current concerns of OEMs of delays in offset discharge by putting in place a framework for ensuring ease of doing business. In addition, measures such as facilitating third party certification based on data provided by the Registrar of Companies (ROC) subject to physical verification and statutory audits have also been taken.
Amidst the debate over making India as a defence manufacturing hub on one side, and the country continuing to be the world's top most buyer of military equipment on the other, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made it clear that she cannot force armed forces to use only 'indigenous manufactured' products.

The Army has raised flagged several objections over the home-built Arjun tanks, while Navy has outrightly rejected naval version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Similarly, short range air defence missile system Aakash has also not been received favourable response from the Indian Air Force. In fact, recently IAF had also come with several reservations to LCA Tejas.

The issue has become critical, when the ministry of defence is making tall claims of turning the country into defence export hub.

Speaking at the DefExpo event, which is to officially to be inaugurated on Thursday by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sitharaman on Wednesday said she cannot prevail upon armed forces to choose a particular weaponry.

"If you have plans to export military equipment, ideally it should be first used by our forces. I am also telling the forces to procure from the indigenous sources, but the forces are free to decide what they need for their readiness. They are free to choose their equipment," Sitharaman said while adding that she wants a prepared, lean and mean military, and want give them space to choose, and that there is a fine line on whether homemade products fulfills their requirement or not.

On March 12, Stockholm based global think-tank, SIPRI, in its report, revealed that India continues to be on the top in the list of biggest importer of weapons in the world, with around 70 per cent of its weapons being imported.

Sitharaman, who decided to hold the DefExpo first time in Chennai, said this year, they had been very clear to make India into a manufacturing hub for defence equipment with a strong potential to export.

"This year, we will highlight India as a manufacturer of defence products and country's export potential," She added.

While commenting on the budgetary allocation for modernisation of defence forces, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra assured that "resources were adequate to meet the requirement of armed forces. Almost 33 per cent of Indias capital budget is for defence."

The four-day DefExpo will provide platform for various companies, including micro, small and medium enterprises, to showcase products at the global level, as it is biggest naval, air and land system exhibition in Asia.

On making Chennai as the permanent destination for DefExpo, Sitharaman said ,"Choosing Chennai as the venue is done with a purpose. First, setting up of a defence corridor in Tamil Nadu was announced in this year's Union budget. Secondly, DefExpo has never come down to south India. It was a usual feature of Delhi and the prime minister wants us to organise such events outside national capital and move to other places,"she added.

Over 670 defence firms, including 154 foreign manufacturers, are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware on the East Coast Road, spread over an area of 2.90 lakh sqft.

Confirming participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who along with other BJP MPs will observe a day-long fast on Thursday to protest the recent washout of the budget session, the defence minister said, Yes, I will be on fast. So as the Prime Minister. And he will be here as fast does not stop work.
Even as RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, now in a private room in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, is trying to bring opposition parties together for a joint strike against the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, things are not well for him at home in Patna, on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at Motihari in the state.

His wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi has written to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, warning him that if anything untoward takes place with her or her family, the home ministry (of Bihar) would be held responsible. She wrote the letter after the CBI raided their house in Patna on Tuesday, at the end of which the security guards posted there were withdrawn by the government.

An anguished Rabri Devi, in her dramatic style, told media that the chief minister was conspiring to harm them, and that her husband's life was in danger. She even expressed total distrust of the government. The security guards were apparently posted at their place given that Rabri is a former chief minister of the state.

In a midnight tweet, Tejashwi Yadav who is the acting president of the RJD said in Hindi that the chief minister had withdrawn the security at the residence of two former chief ministers in a hurry, as if this will help him keep his chair.

On Wednesday, Rabri Devi said that it was a conspiracy by Nitish Kumar, Sushil Kumar Modi (of the BJP) and the government. Lalu ji is in jail and dying every day. Don't know if he's dying due to disease or being killed using medicines. His sugar level is rising. How do I trust the government? If the government asks us to vacate our house, we're ready to do it.
The commissioner general of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Doris Akol, is under attack by President Museveni for failing to meet her targets. It is, therefore, no surprise her team is becoming more creative with the law.

Disgusted with the ever-changing tax laws, an American once vented his ire: The difference between death and taxes is death doesnt get worse every time Congress meets.

Uganda can relate. Every year before the budget is read, the Income Tax Act (ITA) and other tax-related laws are amended. Every amendment comes with rigors, restrictions, fewer benefits to the payer, but more rewards to the treasury.

In 2014, parliament came up with the Tax Procedures Code bill whose objective was to provide a code that would regulate, harmonize and consolidate the procedures under the existing tax laws.

Although the objective was to ensure tax compliance, this law, which commenced in 2016, has the most intrusive and oppressive provisions against taxpayers.

It should be challenged in the Constitutional court because powers bestowed onto the commissioner general and various authorized officers are so wide that if enforced, they are likely to infringe on the privacy and property rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Further, if enforced fully, it may result into unintended dire consequences such as unnecessary shutdown of businesses and massive imprisonment.

The public was recently jolted when it learnt URA had directed all banks in Uganda to provide vital information on their account holders for a period between January 2016 and December 2017.

URA seeks to know the current balances on individual accounts. Besides the account name, tax identification number (TIN), National Identification Number (NIN), physical address, telephone contacts and email address, URA also wants to know total cash deposits and withdrawals on individual accounts for the proposed period.

This request not only infringes on the customers right to privacy, but it is also illegal. It is also likely to impose unplanned financial burdens on banks as they would have to hire firms or persons to compile such information for URA. The banks may also experience a customer exodus; not that clients are many. Uganda has 23 licensed commercial banks sharing only eight million customers.

Therefore, if banks obliged to this blanket request, they would be breaching their confidentiality agreement with their customers. This confidentiality covers all transactions concerning the account and information obtained by virtue of the relationship between the two parties.

However, the duty is qualified by some exceptions laid down in various laws  which URA attempts to exploit. The duty to comply with legislation, such as The Tax Procedures Code Act (TPCA), overrides the duty of confidentiality and secrecy. For example, if the disclosure is intended to prevent a crime, it is a regularity requirement of the banks (and must be backed by law).

Details of customer accounts can also be disclosed for evidence in courts of law and/or tax purposes. In its request for the information, URA claims to be backed by section 42 of the TPCA.

I disagree with URAs interpretation of this provision because it does not give blanket powers to URA to intrude into account affairs of bank customers. This provision falls under part X of the Act, described as investigations.

Only section 41 of TPCA authorizes the commissioner unfettered access to any record, data, and premises of the taxpayer that may help in the investigations. Under this section, the commissioner does not need to give any prior notice to the taxpayer under investigation.

Section 42 is headed: Notice to obtain information or evidence. A heading in an Act is a short pointer to the subject matter of the section. For the commissioner to invoke section 42 presupposes there is an investigation about tax non-compliance by certain persons and, therefore, seeks evidence or information from the bank to accomplish the investigation.

So, is URA suggesting all bank customers in Uganda are under investigation?

In my view, for section 42 to be applied by the commissioner, she must first establish whether there is an ongoing investigation that requires such confidential information. Like the Act stipulates, the person from whom information is sought doesnt have to be liable for tax, but fundamentally there must be an ongoing investigation to warrant this intrusion.

The requests for information must be relevant for determining the correct amount of tax due. Unless URA proves it is investigating tax affairs of all bank customers in the country, banks are not obliged to surrender the information.

This indiscriminate request is illegal. All taxpayers have the right to not expect tax authorities to intrude unnecessarily into their privacy. This right is guaranteed under article 27(2) of the Constitution of Uganda.

Although parliament has not enacted an enabling law for this right, the supreme law guarantees avoiding unreasonable searches of peoples homes, correspondences, communication or any other property. This is the time to petition the Constitutional court for interpretation of some of the provisions in the TCPA.

The author is the business development director at The Observer Media Limited.
The legal noose seems to be tightening around BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the main accused in the Unnao rape case, and his fate will now depend on the report of the UP Police's special investigation team (SIT). The SIT is likely to submit its report by Wednesday evening.

The primary defence the BJP has adopted in the case has been that, so far, Sengar's name had not figured in the FIRwhether it was the alleged rape of the victim or the custodial death of her father.

But after the self-immolation bid by the victim in front of the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on April 8, the matter has created a virtual ruckus and had put the ruling government on the back foot.

As news about the case became viral, it compelled the Adityanath government to take some action against the accused. As the first step, the government formed an SIT to probe the matter and the police quickly arrested Atul Sengar, the MLA's brother, on Tuesday.

With the formation of the SIT and the Allahabad High Court taking suo motto cognisance of the matter on Wednesday, problems are becoming acute for the accused MLA and his family. The Supreme Court, too, has agreed to hear a petition in which a lawyer had demanded a CBI probe against the accused and compensation for the victims family. The High Court will take up the matter on Thursday.

If the SIT sleuths who have gone to the village of the victim name the BJP MLA in their investigation, then the coming days will be difficult for him. Kuldeeps problems are also increasing with a recording of a phone conversation between him and the victims family members becoming viral. The last audio recording of the victims father clearly states that he was assaulted by Kuldeep's brother and other accomplices. These types of evidence may put Kuldeep in further trouble.

The SIT, which has been functioning under ADG Rajiv Krishna, a senior police officer, has already made it clear that there is no pressure on them and it will not hesitate in questioning even the accused MLA if his involvement is found in any way in the case.

Meanwhile, Kuldeep's wife, Sangeeta Sengar, too has jumped into the fray to save her husband. She has demanded a narco test for her husband to ascertain the truth. She alleged there is no evidence against her husband and still he is being termed a rapist.
In what will be perceived to be a major embarrassment for the BJP government of Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of developments in the Unnao rape case.

An 18-year-old woman had accused a BJP MLA, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, and his accomplices of raping her. The victim's father died on Monday of injuries sustained while he was in police custody.

The Allahabad HC has appointed an amicus curiae in the case and will begin hearing the matter on Thursday. The HC has also halted the cremation of the victim's father.

Meanwhile, the victim has told media agencies that she has been 'confined' to a hotel room by the district magistrate and appealed to Adityanath.

In another development, the wife of Sengar met the UP DGP and claimed her husband and family were being harassed and sought that the victim and her husband be subjected to narco analysis. However, audio recordings have been circulated of a phone conversation purportedly between Sengar and the victim's uncle in which the MLA is heard pressuring him to withdraw the complaint.

A spokesperson of the state BJP, Rakesh Tripathi, on Wednesday sought to defend Sengar, claiming the victim had not initially named the leader. Tripathi added that the victim's relatives were associated with the Samajwadi Party.

On Tuesday, Sengar's brother and three others were arrested as the state police formed an SIT to investigate the matter. The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea next week seeking a CBI probe into the case.

(With agency inputs)
Two YSR Congress leaders, whose indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi for special category status for Andhra Pradesh entered the sixth day, were 'forcibly taken' to a hospital on Wednesday, a party Rajya Sabha MP alleged.

Five YSRCP leaders had sat on the indefinite strike on April 6.

Three of them were hospitalised and discharged later. Mithun Reddy and Y.S. Avinash Reddy, who were continuing their agitation at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, were taken to hospital on Wednesday morning.

"Police, on the advice of doctors, forcefully shifted the two leaders to the RML Hospital. They pulled and lathi-charged the party cadres who stopped the leaders from being taken," Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy told reporters.

"We will hold discussions with party president and announce the future course of action," he said.

YSRCP cadres protested outside the Andhra Bhavan and tried to stop the ambulance in which the two leaders were being taken.

The two YSR Congress leaders had on Tuesday urged Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs to rise above politics and resign from the Lok Sabha to press for the demand of special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The YSRCP had taken a lead in campaigning for special status for AP and was the first to announce it would move a no-confidence motion against the government of Narendra Modi. However, the TDP and other opposition parties allege the YSRCP is colluding with the BJP.
Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour in a remote area for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine state last September, the army said on Tuesday.

The military said in a statement published on Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaings office Facebook page that seven soldiers have had action taken against them for contributing and participating in murder.

The massacre was being investigated by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 - who were subsequently arrested in December and are still behind bars facing charges of violating the countrys Official Secrets Act.

The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation independently and that it is unrelated to the Reuters reporters who are accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers.

The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murder in February.

The murders were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August. The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation which Myanmar denies.

Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of private, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour at a prison in a remote area, read the military statement.

It added that legal proceedings against the police personnel and civilians involved in the crime are still under way.

On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 militants who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military had said.

The militarys version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses published in the February story.

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses told Reuters that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, creating one of the worlds largest refugee camps.

A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether the two Reuters reporters will be charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

On Wednesday, the judge will rule on a motion by defence lawyers for dismissal of the case.

-Reuters
Russia has warned that any US missiles fired at Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, raising the possibility of a US-Russian confrontation.

Issuing the warning on Tuesday evening, the Russian ambassador to Lebanon also said such a clash should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations. But his remarks could raise fears of direct conflict for the first time between major powers backing opposing sides in Syrias protracted civil war.

Moscow and Washington sparred at the United Nations on Tuesday over the use of chemical weapons in Syria as Washington and its allies considered whether to strike at Syrian government forces over the alleged poison gas assault.

At least 60 people were killed in Saturdays suspected chemical weapons attack on the town of Douma, Syrian relief workers said. An estimated 500 people were being treated for symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

The Syrian government and Russia say the reports are bogus. The Kremlin said on Wednesday it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything that could destabilise an already fragile situation in the Middle East, and made clear it strongly opposed any US strike on its ally.

After the attack, the rebel group holed up in Douma - Jaish al-Islam - finally agreed to withdraw from the town. That sealed a big victory for President Bashar al-Assad, who has now crushed the rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.

On the diplomatic front, Moscow and Washington stymied attempts by each other in the UN Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on talks with Western allies about possible military action to punish Assad for the suspected gas attack on a rebel-held town that had long withstood a devastating Syrian government siege.

Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired, Alexander Zasypkin, the Russian ambassador in Beirut, told Hezbollahs al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic.

He said he was referring to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any US strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assads most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large swathes of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations.

Earlier in the week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said there was no threat of the situation in Syria spiralling into US-Russian hostilities. TASS news agency quoted him as saying he believed common sense would prevail.

Missile salvo from Mediterranean?

Any US strike is likely to involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defence systems. A US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

With tensions mounting, pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used within that period and there could be intermittent disruptions of radio navigation equipment.

Both Russia and Iran, Assads other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would not remain without response.

Risk of uncontrollable escalation

On Monday, UN Syria peace envoy Staffan de Mistura cited the air base strike along with other recent events in Syria in a briefing to the Security Council, cautioning against a situation of uncontrollable escalation.

Syrias Russian-supplied air defences shot down an Israeli F-16 jet in February during a previous bombing run against what Israel described as Iranian-backed positions in Syria.

Last year, the United States carried out strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base after another toxic gas attack on a rebel-controlled pocket.

The US and Russian militaries have sought to avoid conflict in Syria, notably last year in the Euphrates River Valley where they supported rival sides in the campaign against Islamic State militants.

However, US forces in February killed or injured hundreds of Russian contractors fighting on Assads side during a confrontation in Deir al-Zor province.

US officials said last month pro-Syrian government forces including Russian mercenaries massed near US and US-backed forces in the same region, but a potential confrontation was defused after the US military contacted Russian officers.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that any military action would not target the Syrian governments allies or anybody in particular, but rather the Syrian governments chemical facilities.

Any US strike similar to the limited one launched last year would not cause a shift in the course of the war that has been going Assads way since Russia intervened on his side.

Deadly chemical attack

Syrian aid workers reported more than 1,000 people injured in the reported gas attack on Douma. Doctors and witnesses said victims showed symptoms of poisoning, possibly by a nerve agent, and reported the smell of chlorine gas.

France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Assads government had been asked to make necessary arrangements for an OPCW investigation team to visit shortly.

The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but not assign blame.

The Assad government and Russia both urged the OPCW to investigate the allegations, a move by the two countries that was apparently aimed at averting any US-led military action.

A European source said European governments were waiting for the OPCW to carry out its inquiry and for more solid forensic evidence from the attack to emerge. Any plan by Washington and its allies to take military action was likely to be on hold until then, the source told Reuters.

Despite the international revulsion over chemical weapons attacks, the death toll from such incidents in Syria is only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians killed since the war erupted in 2011.

-Reuters
Russia and the United States tangled on Tuesday at the United Nations over the use of chemical weapons in Syria as Washington and its allies considered whether to strike at President Bashar al-Assads forces over a suspected poison gas attack last weekend.

Moscow and Washington halted attempts by each other in the UN Security Council to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria, which is in the throes of a seven-year-old civil war.

US President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that long had held out against government forces.

Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.

Pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in next 72 hours.

On the diplomatic front, the United Nations Security Council failed to approve three draft resolutions on chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia vetoed a US text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get a minimum nine votes to pass.

Moscow opposes any Western strike on its close ally Assad and has vetoed Security Council action on Syria 12 times since the conflict started.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council that adopting the US-drafted resolution was the least that member nations could do.

History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people, Haley said, referring to Assad.

At least 60 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in Saturdays suspected chemical weapons attack on the town of Douma, according to a Syrian relief group.

Doctors and witnesses have said victims showed symptoms of poisoning, possibly by a nerve agent, and reported the smell of chlorine gas.

Russia accuses

Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washingtons decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria.

I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that youre currently developing for Syria, he said after the council failed to approve a third draft resolution on chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

International chemical weapons experts are expected to go to Douma to investigate the suspected poison gas attack.

France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

The Douma incident has thrust Syrias conflict back to the forefront of the international stage, pitting Washington and Moscow against each other once again.

Trump said that he would make a decision about how to respond within a few days, adding that the United States had a lot of options militarily on Syria.

Assads government and Russia have said there was no evidence a gas attack had taken place and that the claim was bogus.

Any US strike is likely to involve naval assets, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defence systems. A US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

A key issue being considered by US defence and intelligence agencies and war planners is the effectiveness of Syrian air defences and the extent to which Russia is helping to organise, and ultimately, direct Syrian air defence operations, according to two US government sources.

Last year, the United States launched strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base.

US military action similar to last years would likely not cause a shift in the direction of the war that has gone Assads way since 2015 with massive aid from Iran and Russia.

There was little expectation that members of Congress would object if Trump launched an attack on Syria, despite some calls for lawmakers to exert their power to authorize military action. Most members of CongressDemocrats as well as his fellow Republicanspraised Trump after the strike last year.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that any strikes would not target the Syrian governments allies or anybody in particular, but would be aimed at the Syrian governments chemical facilities.

Chemical weapons probe

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Syria had been asked to make the necessary arrangements for the deployment of an investigation team.

The team is preparing to deploy to Syria shortly, it said in a statement.

The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but will not assign blame.

The Assad government and Russia both urged the OPCW to investigate the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma, a move by the two countries that was apparently aimed at averting any US-led action.

Syria is keen on cooperating with the OPCW to uncover the truth behind the allegations that some Western sides have been advertising to justify their aggressive intentions, Syrias state news agency SANA said.

A European source said European governments were waiting for the OPCW to carry out its investigation and for more solid forensic evidence from the attack to emerge. Any plan by Washington and its allies to take military action was likely to be on hold until then, the source said.

In Syria, thousands of militants and their families arrived in rebel-held parts of the countrys northwest after surrendering Douma to government forces.

Their evacuation restored Assads control over eastern Ghouta, formerly the biggest rebel bastion near Damascus, and gave him his biggest battlefield victory since 2016, when he took back Aleppo.

Aggravating the volatile situation in the region, Iran - Assads other main ally - threatened to respond to an air strike on a Syrian military base on Monday that Tehran, Damascus and Moscow have blamed on Israel.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, meanwhile, said there was no threat of the situation in Syria resulting in a military clash between Russia and the United States. TASS news agency quoted him as saying he believed common sense would prevail.

A Russian warplane flew over a French warship at low altitude in the eastern Mediterranean this weekend, a deliberate breach of international regulations, a French naval source said on Tuesday.

The weekly magazine Le Point said the Russian plane had flown over the frigate Aquitaine and was fully armed. The Aquitaine is equipped with 16 cruise missiles and 16 surface-to-air missiles. It is currently operating off Lebanon alongside US ships as part of Frances military contingent fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

Despite the international revulsion over chemical weapons attacks, the death toll from such incidents in Syria is only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians killed since the war began in 2011.

-Reuters
Salil Parekh is set to complete a financial quarter as the CEO of Infosys. In the next couple of days, he is expected to outline the company's new marketing strategy. The company will soon announce its quarterly results and the financials for the year-ended March 31, 2018.



Expectations are high among IT analysts, and those in the IT sector, that Parekh may outline the company's vision. Business Today has learnt that the company has hired a strategy consulting firm to fine-tune its new vision. The irony that Infosys which wants to expand its consulting practice is relying on a strategy consulting firm can't be missed.

Those who have been watching the developments in the company closely say, perhaps, there is a reason for the company to learn from Microsoft and Accenture. A powerful narrative may be important even if the growth does not see a jump, as the market takes overall view of the company's health.

So, what is the narrative, one is likely to expect from Infosys. It is expected to go beyond the Artificial Intelligence (AI), which was the case when Vishal Sikka was at the helm. It wants to go beyond seeing digital as all about user experience and look at all aspects of the client business. Adding weight to this is company's clear moves at increasing investments abroad with the opening up of its new innovation hubs in the US and build its broad-based competencies. Afterall, the idea seems to be to leverage the multitude of digital technologies, including AI, to transform the client business.

Some, however, argue the extent to which Parekh might be able to get a free hand and on where N R Narayana Murthy, who has been rather silent currently, stands today? But then, what seems to stand out this time is the personality of Parekh, who is seen, both internally within the company and outside as one who is more slow and steady and therefore one, who is unlikely to bring about abrupt changes. Also, the fact that he is seen as one who is not flashy and a bit more softer in his approach even though he understands the space very well and has clear views.
The central government is failing to ensure timely payments for the work carried out by labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MN-NREGA) scheme in the past few months, complains a civil society group.

The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a group comprising of workers' collectives, trade unions, organisations and individuals that closely track India's flagship employment guarantee scheme, says that 99 per cent of the Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) for NREGA wage payments sent to the Public Finance Management (PFMS) in April 2018 remains unprocessed. For the month of March, the percentage of unprocessed payments or FTOs stands at 86. Almost 64 per cent of the FTOs of February also remain unprocessed, they complain.

It was in January 2016 that the central government introduced the National Electronic Fund Management System (NEFMS) to streamline the process of NREGA wage payments. Civil society groups allege that the system had only tightened the ministry's control over NREGA funds as it 'routinely withholds the processing of FTOs'.

"Last year, the Ministry froze processing of FTOs worth over Rs 3,000 crores due to lack of NREGA funds. It may be recalled that in August 2017, the Ministry of Rural Development demanded a supplementary NREGA budget of Rs 17,000 crore, but the Ministry of Finance approved only Rs 7,000 crore, that too in January 2018. As inadequate funds should not be a problem at the beginning of a financial year, the reason for the current non-processing of FTOs is not clear", Jean Dreze, a development economist and activist says.

In an interim directive in ongoing public interest litigation by Swaraj Abhiyan, the Supreme Court had instructed the government to ensure that workers are paid within 15 days of doing work. The activists say that the situation of long and unpredictable delays in NREGA wage payments continues despite the Supreme Court directive. Incidentally, there is a clause which entitles the workers for compensation if the payments are delayed beyond a fixed time.

Last year, the activists had produced documents to show that the finance ministry had itself accepted the problem of partial payment of compensation, but stated that the full payment for the entire duration of delay will be a heavy financial burden on the government. "As the Modi government failed to curtail NREGA through overt measures such as restricting the programme to the poorest districts or reducing the wage - material ratio, it has resorted to undermining the Act by starving it of funds", the Morcha states.
The following companies are subsidiares of Laboratory Co. of America: 1957285 Ontario Inc. dba Quality Underwriting Services, 2089729 Ontario Inc., 2248848 Ontario Inc., 3065619 Nova Scotia Company, 3257959 Nova Scotia Company, 896988 Ontario Limited, 9279-3280 Quebec Inc., Accupath Diagnostic Laboratories Inc., Alpha Medical Laboratory LLC, Assets of Pathology Inc, Beacon LBS IPA Inc., Beacon Laboratory Benefit Solutions Inc., CannAmm GP Inc., CannAmm Limited Partnership, Center for Disease Detection International, Center for Disease Detection LLC, Centrex Clinical Laboratories Inc., Clearstone Central Laboratories (U.S.) Inc., Clearstone Holdings (International) Ltd., Clipper Holdings Inc., Colorado Coagulation Consultants Inc., Colorado Laboratory Services LLC, Correlagen Diagnostics Inc., Covance Inc., Curalab Inc., Cytometry Associates Inc., Czura Thornton (Hong Kong) Limited, DCL Acquisition Inc., DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (DE), DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (FL), DCL Sub LLC, DIANON Systems Inc., DL Holdings Limited Partnership, Decision Diagnostics L.L.C. (aka DaVinici/Medicorp LLC), Diagnostic Services Inc., DynaLifeDX, Dynacare - Gamma Laboratory Partnership, Dynacare Company, Dynacare G.P. Inc., Dynacare Holdco LLC, Dynacare Laboratories Inc., Dynacare Laboratories Limited Partnership, Dynacare Northwest Inc., Dynacare Realty Inc., DynalifeDX Infrastructure Inc., Endocrine Sciences Inc., Esoterix Genetic Counseling LLC, Esoterix Genetic Laboratories LLC, Esoterix Inc., Execmed Health Services Inc., FirstSource Laboratory Solutions Inc., GDML Medical Laboratories Inc, Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratories GP Inc., Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratory Limited Partnership, HHLA Lab-In-An-Envelope LLC, Health Trans Services Inc., Home Healthcare Laboratory of America LLC, IDX Pathology Inc., Impact Genetics Corp, Impact Genetics Inc., Kaleida LabCorp LLC, Lab Delivery Service of New York City Inc., LabCorp BVBA, LabCorp Belgium Holdings Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Canada) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (China) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Singapore) Pte., LabCorp Development Company, LabCorp Employer Services Inc., LabCorp Health System Diagnostics LLC, LabCorp Indiana Inc., LabCorp Japan G.K., LabCorp Limited, LabCorp Michigan Inc., LabCorp Nebraska Inc., LabCorp Neon Ltd., LabCorp Neon Switzerland S.a.r.l., LabCorp Specialty Testing Billing Service Inc., LabCorp Specialty Testing Group Inc., LabCorp Staffing Solutions Inc., LabCorp Tennessee LLC, LabCorp UK Holdings Ltd., LabWest Inc., Laboratoire Bio-Medic Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America, Lifecodes Corporation, LipoScience Inc., Litholink Corporation, MEDTOX Scientific Inc., Medical Neurogenitics LLC, Medtox Diagnostics Inc., Medtox Laboratories Inc., Monogram Biosciences Inc., Monogram Biosciences UK Limited, NWT Inc., National Genetics Institute, New Brighton Business Center LLC, New Imaging Diagnostics LLC, New Molecular Diagnostics Ventures LLC, Orchid Cellmark Ltd., Orchid Cellmark ULC, PA Labs Inc., Path Lab Incorporated, Pathology Associates Medical Lab LLC, Pee Dee Pathology Associates Inc., Persys Technology Inc., Pixel by LabCorp, Princeton Diagnostic Laboratories of America Inc., Protedyne Corporation, ReliaGene Technologies Inc., SW/DL LLC, Saint Josephs-PAML LLC, Sequenom Biosciences (India) Pvt. Ltd., Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine LLC, Sequenom Inc, Sequenom Inc., Southern Idaho Regional Laboratory, Tandem Labs Inc., The LabCorp Charitable Foundation, Tri-Cities Laboratory LLC, Viro-Med Laboratories Inc., and Yakima Medical Arts Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of D.R. Horton: 10700 Pecan Park Austin Inc., 11241 Slater Avenue NE LLC, 2 C Development Company LLC, 8800 Roswell Road Bldg. B LLC, 91st Avenue & Happy Valley L.L.C., ANN & 215 LLC, Austin Data Inc., BP456 Inc., C. Richard Dobson Builders Inc., CH Funding LLC, CH Investments of Texas Inc., CHI Construction Company, CHM Partners L.P., CHTEX of Texas Inc., CV Mountain View 25 Inv LLC, Cane Island LLC, Continental Homes Inc., Continental Homes of Texas L.P., Continental Residential Inc., Continental Traditions LLC, Crown Operating Company Inc., Cypress Road L.P., D.R. Horton - CHAustin LLC, D.R. Horton - Colorado LLC, D.R. Horton - Crown LLC, D.R. Horton - Emerald Ltd., D.R. Horton - Georgia LLC, D.R. Horton - Hawaii LLC, D.R. Horton - Highland LLC, D.R. Horton - Indiana LLC, D.R. Horton - Iowa LLC, D.R. Horton - MV LLC, D.R. Horton - Nebraska LLC, D.R. Horton - Permian LLC, D.R. Horton - Regent LLC, D.R. Horton - Terramor LLC, D.R. Horton - Texas Ltd., D.R. Horton - WPH LLC, D.R. Horton - Wyoming LLC, D.R. Horton BAY Inc., D.R. Horton CA2 Inc., D.R. Horton CA3 Inc., D.R. Horton CA4 LLC, D.R. Horton Commercial Inc., D.R. Horton Cruces Construction Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. - Birmingham, D.R. Horton Inc. - Chicago, D.R. Horton Inc. - Denver, D.R. Horton Inc. - Dietz-Crane, D.R. Horton Inc. - Greensboro, D.R. Horton Inc. - Gulf Coast, D.R. Horton Inc. - Huntsville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Jacksonville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Louisville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Midwest, D.R. Horton Inc. - Minnesota, D.R. Horton Inc. - NNV, D.R. Horton Inc. - New Jersey, D.R. Horton Inc. - Portland, D.R. Horton Inc. - Torrey, D.R. Horton Inc. Foundation, D.R. Horton Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton LA North Inc., D.R. Horton Life Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton Los Angeles Holding Company Inc., D.R. Horton Management Company Ltd., D.R. Horton Materials Inc., D.R. Horton Realty LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Atlantic County LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Central Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Delaware LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Georgia Inc., D.R. Horton Realty of Melbourne LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Tampa LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Virginia LLC, D.R. Horton Seabridge Marina Inc., D.R. Horton Serenity Construction LLC, D.R. Horton Urban Renewal LLC, D.R. Horton VEN Inc., D.R. Horton  Corpus Christi LLC, DBC54 LLC, DHI Commercial - Lakeview LLC, DHI Commercial - Signal Butte LLC, DHI Commercial - Tamarron LLC, DHI Commercial Inc., DHI Communities Construction LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Arizona LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Colorado LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Florida LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Iowa LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Nevada LLC, DHI Communities Construction of North Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of South Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Texas LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Utah LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Virginia LLC, DHI Communities II LLC, DHI Communities Inc., DHI Engineering LLC, DHI Insurance Inc., DHI Mortgage Company, DHI Mortgage Company GP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company LP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company Ltd., DHI Ranch Ltd., DHI Realty of Alabama LLC, DHI Realty of Mississippi LLC, DHI Title GP Inc., DHI Title LP Inc., DHI Title of Alabama Inc., DHI Title of Arizona Inc., DHI Title of Florida Inc., DHI Title of Minnesota Inc., DHI Title of Nevada Inc., DHI Title of Texas Ltd., DHI Title of Washington Inc., DHI Verandah South Shores Communities LLC, DHIC - Bridges LLC, DHIC - Brittmore LLC, DHIC - Carolina Forest LLC, DHIC - Desert Peak LLC, DHIC - Durbin Creek LLC, DHIC - Freestone LLC, DHIC - Hammock Landing LLC, DHIC - Heritage LLC, DHIC - Horizon Uptown LLC, DHIC - Jacobs Reserve LLC, DHIC - Lakeview LLC, DHIC - Lipoma LLC, DHIC - Minton Cove LLC, DHIC - Mountain Vista LLC, DHIC - Naco LLC, DHIC - Northshore LLC, DHIC - Prairie Village LLC, DHIC - South Creek LLC, DHIC - Tamarron LLC, DHIC - Valley Vista LLC, DHIC - Varina Gateway LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh II LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh III LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh LLC, DHIC - Westridge LLC, DHIC LLC, DHIC  Glendale LLC, DHIC  Grove West LLC, DHIC  South Park LLC, DHIC  Westinghouse LLC, DHIR - Aspen Vista LLC, DHIR - Avian Pointe LLC, DHIR - Emerald Lakes LLC, DHIR - Fosters Ridge LLC, DHIR - Gulf Stream LLC, DHIR - Parkview at Lynn Haven LLC, DHIR - Poplar Terrace LLC, DHIR - Properties I LLC, DHIR - Rock Ridge LLC, DHIR - Sunset Village LLC, DHIR - Village at Hickory Street LLC, DRH - ARK LLC, DRH - ASG LLC, DRH - HWY 114 LLC, DRH Cambridge Homes LLC, DRH Capital Trust I, DRH Capital Trust II, DRH Capital Trust III, DRH Colorado Realty Inc., DRH Construction Inc., DRH Energy Inc., DRH FS Mortgage Reinsurance Ltd., DRH Land Opportunities I Inc., DRH Land Opportunities II Inc., DRH Mountain View LLC, DRH Oil & Gas Inc., DRH Opportunities I Inc., DRH Properties Inc., DRH Realty Company Inc., DRH Realty of Iowa LLC, DRH Regrem L LLC, DRH Regrem LI LLC, DRH Regrem LII LLC, DRH Regrem LIII LLC, DRH Regrem LIV LLC, DRH Regrem LV LLC, DRH Regrem VII LP, DRH Regrem XII LP, DRH Regrem XIV Inc., DRH Regrem XIX Inc., DRH Regrem XLIX LLC, DRH Regrem XLV LLC, DRH Regrem XLVI LLC, DRH Regrem XLVII LLC, DRH Regrem XLVIII LLC, DRH Regrem XV Inc., DRH Regrem XVI Inc., DRH Regrem XVII Inc., DRH Regrem XVIII Inc., DRH Regrem XX Inc., DRH Regrem XXI Inc., DRH Regrem XXII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIV Inc., DRH Regrem XXV Inc., DRH Southwest Construction Inc., DRH Tucson Construction Inc., DRHI Inc., Deer Valley Office Park LLC, Desert Ridge Phase I Partners, Emerald Creek No. 4 L.P., Emerald Realty of Alabama LLC, Emerald Realty of Central Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of North Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Encore II Inc., Encore Venture Partners II (California) L.P., Encore Venture Partners II (Texas) L.P., Encore Venture Partners L.P., Express Realty of Central Florida LLC, Express Realty of North Florida LLC, Express Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Forestar Group, Forestar Group Inc., Founders Oil & Gas II LLC, Founders Oil & Gas III LLC, Founders Oil & Gas IV LLC, Founders Oil & Gas LLC, Founders Oil & Gas Operating LLC, GP-Encore Inc., Georgetown Data Inc., Germann & McQueen L.L.C., Grand Title Agency LLC, Grande Realty Incorporated, Grande Realty of Pennsylvania LLC, Greywes LLC, HPH Homebuilders 2000 L.P., Hadian LLC, KDB Homes Inc., Kaomalo LLC, Lexington Homes - DRH LLC, MRLF LLC, Martin Road Lake Forest LLC, McQueen & Willis LLC, Meadows I Ltd., Meadows II Ltd., Meadows IX Inc., Meadows VIII Ltd., Meadows X Inc., Melody Homes Inc., Pacific Ridge - DRH LLC, Rielly Carlsbad LLC, Rielly Homes Madison LLC, SFTEN LLC, SGS Communities at Grand Quay L.L.C, SHA Construction LLC, SHLR of California Inc., SHLR of Nevada Inc., SHLR of Washington Inc., SRHI LLC, SSHI LLC, Schuler Homes of Arizona LLC, Schuler Homes of California Inc., Schuler Homes of Oregon Inc., Schuler Homes of Washington Inc., Summerlin Pkwy & Cimarron LLC, Surprise Village North LLC, The Club at Cobblestone LLC, The Club at Hidden River LLC, Tierra Financial Advisors LLC, Travis County Title Company, Treasure Assets LLC, Venture Management of South Carolina LLC, Vertical Construction Corporation, WPH-Camino Ruiz LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon II LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon LLC, Walker Drive LLC, Western Pacific Brea Development LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Mountaingate L.P., Western Pacific Housing - SDG LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Westlake II L.P., Western Pacific Housing Inc., Western Pacific Housing Management Inc., Western Pacific Housing-Antigua LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Broadway LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Canyon Park LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Carrillo LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Communications Hill LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Copper Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Creekside LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lomas Verdes LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lyons Canyon Partners LLC, Western Pacific Housing-McGonigle Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Norco Estates LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Pacific Park II LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue East LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue West LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Playa Vista LLC, Western Pacific Housing-River Ridge LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Terra Bay Duets LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Meadows LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Village Center LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Windemere LLC, and Wilson Parker Homes.
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA engages in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking, and wholesale banking. It operates through the following segments: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and Rest of Eurasia. The Spain segment includes mainly the banking and insurance business that the group carries out in Spain. The United States segment consists of the financial business activity of BBVA USA in the country and the activity of the branch of BBVA SA in New York. The Mexico segment refers to banking and insurance businesses in this country as well as the activity of its branch in Houston. The Turkey segment reports the activity of Garanti BBVA group that is mainly carried out in this country and, to a lesser extent, in Romania and the Netherlands. The South America segment comprises of operations in n Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Rest of Eurasia segment includes the banking business activity carried out by the group in Europe and Asia, excluding Spain. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

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The Delhi High Court today dismissed US-based agro major Monsanto Technology's plea to enforce the patent for its BT cotton seeds in India.

A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna partially allowed the counter-claims of three Indian seed companies that Monsanto does not have a patent for its BT cotton seeds, a genetically modified variant which resists bollworms.

The court also upheld the decision of a single judge on the issue of trait fee payable to Monsanto by the three Indian companies -- Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd, Prabhat Agri Biotech Ltd and Pravardhan Seeds Private Ltd -- under the sub-licence with them.

The single judge had said that the Indian companies would pay trait fees to Monsanto according to government-set rates.

Monsanto wanted to charge a higher rate of trait fee under the sub-licence given to Indian companies to use its seed technology.

Both sides had challenged the single judge's order before the division bench.

Monsanto had challenged the single judge's decision reinstating a sub-licence between it and the three Indian seed companies, which the foreign entity had terminated.

The Indian companies in their appeal had challenged the rejection of their claim by the single judge that the US-based agro major Monsanto was incorrectly granted patent for BT cotton seeds.

After the verdict was pronounced, Monsanto sought that the decision be kept in abeyance for a few weeks so that it can file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

The high court declined to keep the operation of its decision in bench, but granted the US company a certificate of fitness to file an appeal in the apex court.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ecolab: AO Ecolab, Abednego Environmental Services, Abednego Environmental Services LLC, Abednego Mexico Holdings LLC, Abednego de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alcide Corp., Anios America S.A., Anios Diffusion SAS, Anios Manufacturing SAS, Bioquell, Bioquell Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Bioquell Global Logistics (Ireland) Ltd., Bioquell Holding SAS, Bioquell Inc., Bioquell Limited, Bioquell SAS, Bioquell Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd., Bioquell Technology Canada Ltd., Bioquell UK Limited, Bioxyquell Limited, CALGON EUROPE LIMITED, CALGON LLC, CID LINES HOLDING NV, CID LINES INVEST NV, CID LINES NV, CID Lines, CID Lines Beijing Animal Hygiene Co Ltd., CID Lines France Sarl, CID Lines Iberica SL, CID Lines LLC, CID Lines Mexico S.A. DE C.V., CID Lines R&D NV, CID Lines Sp. z o. o., CORPAK MedSystems, Cascade Water Services, Champion Technologies, Chamtech L.L.C., Chemlawn, Chemstaff Inc., Chemstar Corporation, Cirlam BVBA, Copal Holding NV, Copal Invest NV, DERYPOL SA, DMD, E&M Bio-Chemicals LLC, ECOLAB NL 10 B.V., ECOLAB PEST FRANCE SAS, Ecolab (Antigua) Ltd., Ecolab (Aruba) N.V., Ecolab (Barbados) Limited, Ecolab (China) Investment Co. Ltd, Ecolab (Fiji) Pty Limited, Ecolab (GZ) Chemicals Limited, Ecolab (Guam) LLC, Ecolab (Proprietary) Limited, Ecolab (Schweiz) GmbH, Ecolab (St. Lucia) Limited, Ecolab (Taicang) Technology Co. Ltd., Ecolab (Trinidad and Tobago) Unlimited, Ecolab (U.K.) Holdings Limited, Ecolab A.E.B.E., Ecolab AB, Ecolab AP Holdings LLC, Ecolab AT 2 GmbH, Ecolab AU2 Pty Ltd, Ecolab Acquisition LLC, Ecolab ApS, Ecolab Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Ecolab B.V., Ecolab B.V.B.A./S.P.R.L., Ecolab Bahrain S.P.C., Ecolab CDN 2 Co., Ecolab CDN 4 ULC, Ecolab CH 1 GmbH, Ecolab CH 2 GmbH, Ecolab CH 3 GmbH, Ecolab CH 5 GmbH, Ecolab CH 6 GmbH, Ecolab Chemicals Limited, Ecolab Co., Ecolab Colombia S. A., Ecolab DE 1 GmbH, Ecolab Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab EOOD, Ecolab East Africa (Kenya) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Tanzania) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Uganda) Limited, Ecolab Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Ecolab Engineering GmbH, Ecolab Europe GmbH, Ecolab Export GmbH, Ecolab FR 1 SAS, Ecolab FR 4 SAS, Ecolab Finance Company Designated Activity Company, Ecolab Food Safety & Hygiene Solutions Private Limited, Ecolab G.K., Ecolab Global Business Services LLC, Ecolab GmbH, Ecolab Gulf FZE, Ecolab HK 1 Limited, Ecolab HK 2 Limited, Ecolab Hispano-Portuguesa S.L., Ecolab Holding Italy S.r.l., Ecolab Holdings (Europe) LLC, Ecolab Holdings Inc., Ecolab Holdings Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Ecolab Hygiene Kft., Ecolab Hygiene d.o.o., Ecolab Israel Holdings LLC, Ecolab JVZ Limited, Ecolab Korea Ltd., Ecolab LLC, Ecolab LUX & Co Holdings S.C.A., Ecolab LUX 1 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 2 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 4 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 7 Sarl, Ecolab LUX Sarl, Ecolab Limited, Ecolab Ltd., Ecolab Lux 10 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 12 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 13 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 14 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 15 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 9 S.a.r.l., Ecolab Lux Partner LLC, Ecolab MT Holdings LLC, Ecolab MT Limited, Ecolab Malta 1 Limited, Ecolab Malta 2 Limited, Ecolab Malta GPS, Ecolab Manufacturing IE Limited, Ecolab Manufacturing Inc., Ecolab Manufacturing UK Limited, Ecolab Maroc Societe a Responsabilite Limitee, Ecolab NL 11 B.V., Ecolab NL 15 BV, Ecolab NL 16 B.V., Ecolab NL 23 B.V., Ecolab NL 3 BV, Ecolab NL 4 BV, Ecolab Name Holding Limited, Ecolab New Zealand, Ecolab Peru Holdings S.R.L., Ecolab Pest Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab Philippines Inc., Ecolab Production Belgium B.V.B.A., Ecolab Production France SAS, Ecolab Production Italy Srl, Ecolab Production LLC, Ecolab Production Netherlands B.V., Ecolab Production Poland sp. z o.o., Ecolab Pte. Ltd., Ecolab Pty Ltd., Ecolab Quimica Ltda., Ecolab S. de R.L. de C.V., Ecolab S.A., Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Ecolab SAS, Ecolab SIA, Ecolab SNC, Ecolab SRL, Ecolab Sdn Bhd, Ecolab Services Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Services Poland Sp. z o o, Ecolab Sociedad Anonima, Ecolab Sp. z o o, Ecolab Spain Services S.L.U., Ecolab Temizleme Sistemleri Limited Sirketi, Ecolab U.S. 2 Inc., Ecolab U.S. 6 LLC, Ecolab U.S. 7 LLC, Ecolab US 1 GP, Ecolab USA Inc., Ecolab Viet Nam Company Limited, Ecolab Water Holding LImited, Ecolab a.s., Ecolab d.o.o., Ecolab s.r.l., Ecolab s.r.o., Ecolab y Compania Colectiva de Responsabilidad Limitada, Ecolab-Importacao E. Exportacao Limitada, Ecolabone B.V., Ecolabtwo B.V., Endoclear Equipamentos Medicos Hospitalares Ltda., Enviroflo Engineering Limited, Food Protection Services, GCS Service, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd., GallayTrac Pty. Ltd., Georgia-Pacific - Paper Chemicals Business, Gibson Chemical Industries, Green Harbour Mainland Holdings Ltd, Guangzhou Green Harbour Environmental Operation Ltd., HYDROSAN LIMITED, Henkel-Ecolab, Hicopla SL, Holchem Laboratories, Huntington Laboratories, Hydenet SAS, INDUSTRIAL) UNIPESSOAL LDA, INTERNATIONAL WATER CONSULTANT B.V., Immobiliare R.E.O.P.A. SRL, Instrunet Hospital SLU, Jianghai Environmental Protection Co., Jianghai Environmental Protection Co. Ltd., KATAYAMA NALCO INC., Kay BVBA, Kay Chemical Company, LHS (UK) Limited, Laboratoires Anios, Laboratoires Anios-Distribution SAS, Les Produits Chimiques ERPAC Inc., Lobster Ink, Lobster Ink Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Lobster International S.A., London & General Packaging Ltd, MALAYSIA SDN. BHD, MANUFACTURING S.R.L., MOBOTEC AB LLC, Master Chemicals OOO, Meratech Rus Group LLC, Microtek Dominicana S.A., Microtek Italy S.R.L., Microtek Medical B.V., Microtek Medical Europe Limited, Microtek Medical Holdings, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., Microtek Medical Inc., Microtek Medical Malta Holding Limited, Microtek Medical Malta Limited, Midland Research Laboratories, Midland Research Laboratories UK Limited, NALCO (SHANGHAI) TRADING CO. LTD., NALCO AB, NALCO ACQUISITION ONE, NALCO ACQUISITION TWO LIMITED, NALCO AFRICA (PTY.) LTD., NALCO ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., NALCO BELGIUM BVBA, NALCO CHINA HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO COMPANY OOO, NALCO DANMARK APS, NALCO DE MEXICO S. de R. L. de C.V., NALCO DELAWARE COMPANY, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND MANUFACTURING GMBH UND CO. KG, NALCO DUTCH HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO EGYPT LTD., NALCO EGYPT TRADING, NALCO ESPANOLA MANUFACTURING S.L.U., NALCO ESPANOLA S.L., NALCO EUROPE B.V., NALCO FINLAND MANUFACTURING OY, NALCO FINLAND OY, NALCO FRANCE, NALCO FRANCE SNC, NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO HOLDING B.V., NALCO HOLDING COMPANY, NALCO HOLDINGS G.m.b.H., NALCO HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, NALCO HONG KONG LIMITED, NALCO INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING COMPANY, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (NANJING) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (SUZHOU) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (THAILAND) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES CHILE LIMITADA, NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO INVESTMENTS U.K. LIMITED, NALCO ISRAEL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LTD, NALCO ITALIANA, NALCO ITALIANA HOLDINGS S.R.L., NALCO ITALIANA SrL, NALCO KOREA LIMITED, NALCO LIMITED, NALCO LUXEMBOURG HOLDINGS SARL, NALCO MANUFACTURING BETEILIGUNGS GMBH, NALCO MANUFACTURING LTD., NALCO NETHERLANDS B.V., NALCO NORTH AFRICA LIMITED, NALCO OSTERREICH Ges m.b.H., NALCO OVERSEAS HOLDING B.V., NALCO PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED, NALCO PHILIPPINES INC., NALCO PORTUGUESA (QUIMICA, NALCO PWS INC., NALCO SAUDI CO. LTD., NALCO TAIWAN CO. LTD., NALCO TWO INC., NALCO U.S. HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO UNIVERSAL HOLDINGS BV, NALCO WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO ZAO, NALFLOC LIMITED, NALTECH INC., NANOSPECIALTIES LLC, NLC PROCESS AND WATER SERVICES SARL, Nalco (BN) SDN BHD, Nalco (China) Environmental Solution Co. Ltd., Nalco Anadolu Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Nalco Canada ULC, Nalco Company LLC, Nalco Contract Operations LLC, Nalco Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Nalco Gulf Response Corp., Nalco Japan G.K., Nalco Libya, Nalco Middle East FZE, Nalco Polska Sp. z o. o., Nalco Production LLC, Nalco Real Estate GmbH, Nalco Schweiz GmbH, Nalco US 1 LLC, Nalco Wastewater Contract Operations Inc., Nalco Water India Limited, Nalco Water Pretreatment Solutions LLC, Nalco Worldwide Holdings S.a.r.l./B.V., Nigiko, Nuova Farmec S.r.l., Oksa Kimya Sanayi A.S., Oy Ecolab AB, PT Ecolab International Indonesia, PT Ecolab Technologies and Services, Purate business - AkzoNobel, Quantum Technical Services LLC, Quimicas Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Quimiproductos S.A. de C.V, RP Adam Ltd, Research Fumigation Co., Royal Pest Solutions, Shield Holdings Limited, Shield Medicare Limited, Shield Salvage Associates Limited, Soluscope International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Soluscope SAS, Swisher Hygiene, Technical Textile Services Limited, Techtex Holdings Limited, Terminix, Ultrafab, Wabasha Leasing LLC, and vanBaerle Hygiene AG.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday said his organisation was committed to ensure integrity of elections across the world, including India, as he testified before the US Congress amid a firestorm over the alleged hijacking of data of millions of Facebook users by British firm Cambridge Analytica. He said data privacy and foreign interference in elections were topics that they have discussed at the Facebook board meeting.

"These are some of the biggest issues that the company has faced, and we feel a huge responsibility to get these right," Zuckerberg told the US lawmakers during the Congressional hearing, adding that this is one of my top priorities in 2018. He said Facebook was taking steps to ensure integrity of elections in countries like the United States, India, Brazil, and Pakistan.

"2018 is is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections," the Facebook founder and CEO said.

Zuckerberg began his two-day hearing as his organisation faces charges of failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica, the data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trump's presidential campaign, from gathering personal information from over 80 million users to try to influence election.

The Facebook CEO said his one of the greatest regrets was that Facebook has been slow in identifying the Russian information operations in 2016. "We expected them to do a number of more traditional cyber attacks, which we did identify and notify the campaigns that they were trying to hack into them," he said.

Zuckerberg said he was now more confidant as his company has set the things right . "Since the 2016 election, there have been several important elections around the world where it has had a better record. There was the French presidential election. There was the German election. There was the US Senate Alabama special election last year," Zuckerberg said. Facebook deployed new Artificial Intelligence tools that better identify fake accounts, trying to interfere in elections or spread misinformation. "Between those three elections, we were able to proactively remove tens of thousands of accounts before they could do significant harm," he said.

Speaking on the threat to the system, Zuckerberg said that there are people in Russia whose job is to try to exploit Facebook systems and other internet systems as well. "So this is an arms race, right? I mean, they're going to keep on getting better at this, and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this, too, which is why one of things I mentioned before is we're going to have more than 20,000 people, by the end of this year, working on security and content review across the company," he said.

The Facebok CEO said after the US 2016 election, Facebook's top priority was to protect the integrity of other elections around the world. What we're going to do is to ask a valid government identity and we're going to verify the location. "We are going to do that so that someone sitting in Russia, for example, couldn't say that they're in America and, therefore, able to run an election ad," he added.
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DOUG MILLS

President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday morning embarked on a tweetstorm that included an admonition to Russia to "get ready" for a U.S. military response to an apparent gas attack by Syria's Assad regime that reportedly took the lives of dozens of civilians.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria," Trump tweeted just before 7 a.m. "Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"
COLONIE When she moved to Albany 15 years ago, she counted down the days until she could leave.

I grew up in Washington, D.C. I went to Delaware State University. Then I moved to Albany. It was a culture shock, Dorcey Applyrs, founder and CEO of InVision Her and 1st Ward Albany councilwoman, told a crowd of 90 women Wednesday at the fourth Changemakers breakfast held by the Times Unions Women@Work networking group.

Applyrs has built a personal and professional life in the city of Albany devoted to improving the quality of life for residents. With a doctorate in public health she has focused on health disparity and environmental safety issues affecting her constituents. She recently launched InVision Her, further promoting advocacy and female empowerment throheugh events and experiences.

Im going to be very candid and honest, Applyrs said. I was used to being in communities in which multiple people I was surrounded by looked like me.

The only two people she knew when she arrived in Albany were Dwight Williams, a professor at University of Albanys School Public of Health, who recruited Applyrs to attend the graduate program there, and his wife.

I spent a lot of time in my studio on South Lake crying, she said. I had to learn to grow where you are planted. I was thinking about Albany the wrong way. I was thinking about Atlanta and what my life would have been like had I decided to move there. Once I changed my mindset about Albany, things just started to happen.

She met her husband and fast forward several years she received a quality education and became a strong young woman here in Albany, she reflected.

When I campaigned I talked about my obligation to give back to the community. This community has poured so much into me, she said. It is an obligation to give back.

Applyrs shed a couple of tears when she began to talk about Williams. She was introduced to Williams when she was a junior at Delaware State and she remembers first sharing with him her story of growing up in Washington, D.C., learning how peoples environment influences their health. She talked honestly to him about her fathera substance abuser who contracted HIV. She said her family was affected by the three epidemics of the 1980s: crack, heroin and HIV.

I lost my father at a very young age, she said. He was 25 when he passed.

Applyrs learned Williams also grew up in Washington, D.C. and went to Delaware State University.

He understood my story, she said. He felt he wanted to be instrumental in extending an olive branch for me to have opportunities.

When Applyrs first moved here, Williams and his wife bought things she could not -- including a mattress. They also cooked and took care of her. Williams mentored her through her program and taught her life lessons.

The day Applyrs defended her dissertation Williams was there.

After my defense, what I didnt know was he marched into the deans office and handed him his letter of resignation, she said. He was retiring from the university after being there for so many years. When we talked after, he said, I was just waiting for you to be done. My job was to see it through.' 

That taught her a valuable lesson about mentorship, she said.

Its to be really invested in peoples lives, she said. Not for a short period of time. But to be in it for the long haul, every day, whether its about politics, whether its about family. He has been a constant in my life.

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Still, she said she looked at the opportunity to address Women@Work members as another when opportunity meets fate circumstance.

In addition to when opportunity meets fate, I believe God puts people in your path to help usher you along in your journey, she said.

Applyrs had the opportunity to be a Center for Women in Government and Civil Society fellow. From there she met Judith Mazza, the New York State Health Department AIDS Institute director of the HIV Comprehensive Case Management Program. Mazza later would encourage her to first run for public office in 2014.

That program changed my life, she said. It changed my trajectory.

She has learned campaigning is a contact sport.

Women do have a hard way to go, she said. There is a double standard. Theres a certain expectation that you have to be a backslapper. That you have to fit a certain mold.

But when she tries to recruit other women to run for public office, she explains what they should expect.

If youre not prepared its enough to leave you running and not wanting to move forward, she said. We should not be paralyzed by peoples ignorance.

To that end, she has created InVision Hera business seeking to motivate women to achieve their goals.
Albany

Walmart plans to spend an estimated $52 million to improve 15 of its stores statewide, including four in and around the Capital Region. The move comes in an increasingly competitive retail environment as foodstores consolidate, European low-cost retailers Aldi and Lidl expand, and Amazon launches two-hour delivery service from its recently acquired Whole Foods Markets in a growing number of cities.

Local Walmart locations slated to undergo improvements include 311 Route 9W, Glenmont; 101 Sanford Farms Shopping Center, Amsterdam; 279 Troy Road (U.S. Route 4), East Greenbush; and 1549 Route 9, Halfmoon.

Walmart plans to add online grocery shopping to a number of stores. The service already is offered at the Halfmoon Supercenter, with Walmart employees delivering the groceries directly to the vehicle of the customer.

Walmart said it also is continuing to evaluate its Pickup Tower concept, where customers can pick up their online orders in-store by scanning a bar code sent to their smartphone. The service is currently available only at Walmart's Monroe store in the western part of the state, although another tower is being installed at its Glenmont store. That tower is expected to be completed and operating later this spring, a spokesman said.

"We look forward to expanding these convenient services in other communities throughout the state, while continuing to provide the convenient one-stop shopping experience our customers know and love," said Keith Wyche, a Walmart regional general manager in New York.

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Walmart is facing more competition following the acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon. Smaller regional supermarket chains, meanwhile, have struggled. Tops Friendly Markets filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in February, while Southeastern Grocers, which operates the Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo supermarket chains, filed for Chapter 11 in late March.

Tops operates more than a dozen stores in and around the Capital Region, stretching from Chestertown to Rhinebeck and Hoosick Falls to Cooperstown.

At its annual meeting in October, Walmart officials said the company plans to spend $11 billion on capital improvements during the current fiscal year.
New York

When Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg made the media rounds in advance of Mark Zuckerberg's congressional testimony this week, it was a telling sign that Dana Perino was chosen to question her for Fox News Channel.

The assignment speaks to Perino's growing role at Fox, and a sense that sources are trusting her as an honest broker of information. Perino, who hosts an afternoon news hour and is a panelist on "The Five," is quietly persistent in a medium where bluster pays. She believes in homework at a time when "fake news" is used as an epithet.

She's a Bush Republican in a Trump world.

"My nature," said the former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, "is to try to show people that we may actually agree on things more than we think."

The Sandberg interview was only the third such interview Perino has done, and the one with the highest profile. The beginning was awkward, as Perino couldn't dislodge Sandberg from talking points. But when the anchor observed that people are more tribal the more connected they've become, it opened a real discussion. Only one question seemed designed specifically for a Fox audience, when Perino asked about concerns among conservatives that changed algorithms for sharing news would benefit liberals.

"There are a lot of people who are angry about Facebook," she said in an interview. "But nobody has the same grievance. It was hard to kind of settle in on what to ask her about."

For most of her career, Perino was at the other end of the questions. She grew up outside of Denver and worked as a press secretary on Capitol Hill in the late 1990s. Following the 2001 terrorist attacks, she went to work for the Bush administration and was his final press secretary, leaving the White House when Bush did in January 2009.

She searched for a second act, and found television the most satisfying. She was an original panelist on "The Five" when it started in 2011. Fox gave her more assignments  she was filling in for Bill O'Reilly when he was fired and it was left to her to tell his audience he wouldn't be back  and earned a weekday show at 2 p.m. last fall. Her show was called "The Daily Briefing" in part because that hour was often interrupted by the White House press briefing she once led.

While not as brash as Shepard Smith, who seems to delight in debunking theories pushed by Fox opinion hosts, Perino largely takes refuge in reporting.

During her time on "The Five," Perino paid a summer visit to the Bush compound in Maine. She said the first time former first lady Barbara Bush spotted her, she said, "Ah, it's the voice of reason" on the show.

"I'll never get a T-shirt and wear that around," Perino said. "But if people feel they can get that from me and get other things from other people, then that's good."

Her show includes Democratic guests, unlike times at Fox where they're unwelcome or deliberately outnumbered in discussions. Jennifer Palmieri, communications director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, recently discussed her new book with Perino, and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is booked for Wednesday.

Perino said she's been in contact only once with Donald Trump. At the time he announced his candidacy for president, Perino ridiculed it like many others, publicly wondering about the planet where that would be considered a good idea. Trump took a shot at her on Twitter and followed up a few days later, where she said they had a "frank and friendly discussion."
Adirondack Pub & Brewery

33 Canada St., Lake George

adkbrewery.com

Since 1999, the Adirondack Pub & Brewery has become a year-round destination for those seeking great beer and all-American comfort food. "We love developing relationships with those that share an enthusiasm for our beer," Founder John Carr said. The next time you head to Lake George, be sure to carve out some time to swing by the brew pub. (Their brews are also available in bottles at retailers across the region.)

Bear Naked Ale

Style: American Amber Ale

ABV: 5.2 percent

This medium-bodied ale holds a brilliant copper color and is a clean, crisp beer with a toasty, slightly fruity backbone. Pair it with your favorite burger and you're happy.

Lake George IPA

Style: Juicy or Hazy IPA

ABV: 7.0 percent

Built to change with Lake George's four distinct seasons, LGIPA changes with each of the four distinct seasons. With each transition, you can expect a new "Wave" of hazy, juicy, East Coast IPA. The malt bill remains the same, but the hop profile changes every time; no two Waves are exactly the same. Try LGIPA with a slice of carrot cake!

Tangerine Summer Dream

Style: Fruit beer

ABV: 4.7 percent

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More Information Local Flights is a new column introducing readers to some of the brews available at area breweries. See More Collapse

Perfect for BBQ deck parties; Dried tangerine peel and tropical-aroma hop varieties are added to this brew for a unique tangerine and citrus flavor. This crisp, highly drinkable ale will surely brighten your summer. Pairs well with good times.

Lake George Cider Project

Style: Cider

ABV: 5.8 percent

Lake George Cider Project is produced from a blend of 100-percent New York state McIntosh, Empire, Gala, and Spygold apples blended to their own unique formula. Fermented with a dry chardonnay yeast and naturally gluten-free. Pairs nicely with a grilled chicken salad.

Compiled by Erik Budrakey, Certified Cicerone (registered), co-founder/content manager of True Brew - A Craft Beer Lifestyle Magazine. True Brew is a free magazine that covers the craft beer scene in and around the Capital Region, including featured breweries, news & notes, beer education, and events. Look for TBM at local breweries or craft beer retailers. Erik@Truebrewmagazine.c-om
NISKAYUNA  The Niskayuna Town Board meeting room was overflowing with residents Tuesday evening during a public hearing on granting a special permit for a proposed Holocaust memorial that lasted hours.

Michael Lozman, a Latham orthodontist, is spearheading the effort to build a Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial on Troy-Schenectady Road, in a lot east of the Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery donated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

Town Attorney Robert Hess stressed that the Town Board's role was solely to decide the legality of granting a special permit to the project.

"The issue is not whether we think Holocaust remembrance is important. The issue is not even whether we think this is a good idea," Hess said.

He saod that within its next two meetings, the Town Board would propose a resolution to address the permit. If approved, the project would go back to the Planning Board for site plan approval.

Residents living near the proposed site for the memorial spoke against the project, citing concerns about keeping the residential character of the neighborhood and traffic safety on Route 7.

Dozens of people lined up to voice their opinions on the project, including a few Holocaust survivors.

"I truly hope you will vote for this project. I discussed it in detail with my wife and children and everybody is for it," said Marian Rosenbloom, who was born in Germany and said he escaped a ghetto when he was 11 years old. "It is important to educate people about what happened so it doesn't happen again."

The memorial is designed to have railroad tracks in the shape of the Star of David leading to a box car standing in front of a stone wall  representing a gas chamber  on one side of which Lozman plans to engrave the names of Holocaust survivors who lived in the community, and the handprints of their children on another. An exterior pathway leading to the memorial will be lined with educational kiosks, the content for which Lozman said he is working with educators and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York. The memorial, Lozman said, symbolizes the Jews who were transported in box cars to death camps.

"This is not designed to be a shocking rendition of the concentration camp," Lozman told the audience. "Initially there may have been some items in there that caused great concern, but we listened to people and made changes."

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Neil Golub spoke at the tail end of Lozman's presentation, saying the Jewish community is not against a Holocaust memorial but has questions about the details of the project.

"Unfortunately in his haste to get this idea through, Michael avoided the Jewish community and many of us feel like, 'Whoa, what's this all about?'" He said. "I would suggest you wait until (Lozman and the Jewish Federation) come to an agreement."

Union College Professor Stephen Berk spoke strongly in favor of the project.

"I have visited Auschwitz 80 times, I have gone to the concentration camps, I have seen Holocaust museums and memorials  this is as good as it gets," he said. "(Discrimination) is on the rise, and I think this proposal will more than (teach) students what discrimination and hate can lead to."

Others felt differently.

"As a retired teacher of 35 years, I don't see an educational component to this memorial," said Sally Magid. "We do need a Holocaust memorial, but this is the wrong place and has not been thought out well enough. It's a skeleton of what it has to be at the end."
Banking stocks fell in Wednesday trade after 10-year government bond yields rose 4.35% since April 5, 2018. On April 5, the yield stood at 7.127%. It fell off the recent high of 7.780 reached on February 22, 2018.

While the Sensex was down just 20 points at 33,859 level, the BSE Bankex was trading 250 points or 0.88% lower to 28,118 at 12:32 pm.

On the bankex, 7 stocks were trading in the red with PNB (3.04%), SBI (1.96%) and Bank of Baroda (1.70%) being top losers.

Federal Bank (2.11%), Kotak Mahindra Bank (0.49%) and IndusInd Bank (0.05%) were the top gainers on the index.

Bank Nifty too was trading 180 points or 0.71% lower at 25,046 points

Public sector banks are typically the biggest buyers of govt bonds. They are likely to see a fall in treasury income in March quarter with a spillover effect in FY19 due to rising bond yields.

Banks are required to mark to market the individual scrips in available for sale at quarterly or more frequent intervals and held for trading at monthly or more frequent intervals and provide for net depreciation.

If a security is purchased at a certain price and the market price later fell, the holder would have an unrealized loss, and marking the security down to the new market price would result in the mark-to-market loss.

In March, brokerage Credit Suisse warned that state-run banks, which are typically the largest investors in sovereign securities, could lose more than Rs 200 billion ($3.1 billion) in the January-March quarter, due to a continued spike in bond yields and as they held more bonds than are required by the regulator. That would be three times more than their losses on bonds in the preceding quarter.
Albany

After months of fruitless searches for a home, Debra and Eric Fagans decided to a build a one-story house in the South End.

They thought they'd cleared the hurdles of a home search. Soon, they learned it was just beginning.

First, the bank wouldn't give them the mortgage amount necessary to build a new home at their chosen location  Osborne Street.

Then, they struck out several times looking for a contractor to build it.

"It's because of the ideas about the neighborhood," Eric Fagans said.

"... Their perception about the South End," Debra Fagans added.

Struggling neighborhoods are often hampered by low property values and the perceptions of high crime, which become major hurdles for developers and individuals who try to improve those communities.

Banks are reluctant to provide the money needed to purchase and rehabilitate buildings or build new ones because of fear the home will never be worth the money that goes into the construction. Contractors often fear that building materials will be stolen from job sites.

"The banks are dooming the area to not get any better than it is," Debra Fagans said. "Because it's going to cost more than $70,000 to rehab any one of these houses."

Even though they only sought a $100,000 loan from the bank, the Fagans were denied, and relied on the sale of their Clifton Park home to build their new one in the South End.

The estimated cost for their one-story home on Osborne Street was about $200,000, yet it's valued at $95,000, according to city property records.

Other buildings on the block range from $15,000 to $75,000 in value, records show.

The cost of renovating vacant and abandoned homes in distressed communities  especially if they're poised to be affordable, low-income housing  makes the need for historic and low-income housing tax credits that particularly necessary, elected officials say. Both tax credits may face cuts in the federal budget.

Costs to rehabilitate one floor of a home in the South End is roughly $150,000 to $200,000 due to lead and asbestos abatement requirements and interior and structural improvements, said Cynthia Herbach, executive director of the South End Improvement Corp.

"I think it's important for us as elected officials and government officials to promote homeownership in general, and promote a lot of the existing programs that probably not a lot of people know about," said Albany County Legislator Sam Fein, who represents parts of the South End.

Amid reluctance from banks, developers and individuals often turn to alternative sources of funding like community development agencies, tax credits and grants, said Peter Schaeffing, an analyst at High Impact Financial Analysis in Albany. "It just costs too much to rehab these properties relative to what you can sell them for," he said.

Organizations like the South End Improvement Corp. and Albany County Land Bank provide assistance to fix up homes or obtain grants.

"I think there are resources out there," Herbach said. "If we could pull them all together we could do a bigger lift. But the problem I've seen, for every one that you fix up, two more go into disrepair."

Adam Zaranko, executive director of the Land Bank, admits they face an uphill battle, but sees a change with lending agents. The non-profit made efforts to developing stronger relationships with banks.

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"Banks have received a bad rap in terms of their role in the 2008 banking crisis," he said. "But now there is a willingness, local banks especially, they're interested in being part of the solution. I see more interest in banks being invested in the community."

If the economic hurdles weren't enough for distressed communities, those wanting to improve the neighborhood also face negative perceptions about crime and safety.

Dan Kepple, of Kepple Glass Block in Albany, said because of past experiences he's not a fan of doing work in Albany's West Hill as well certain part of Schenectady and Troy.

"I'm not crazy about going down there. It's kind of scary," he said. "The last job I did on First or Second (streets), a week later a guy got killed right in front of the place. You have to watch your truck like crazy."

Fein said he'll often hear comments about certain areas of Albany being unsafe, but he thinks it's a misconception.

"I live 100-feet off Grand Street (in the South End) and never feel unsafe," he said. "It's definitely a difficult notion to dispel, but the main goal is to get people who already live in the community, who feel safe, to get others to feel that it's a nice neighborhood" where residents care about each other and "get them to purchase homes."

The Fagans eventually found a willing contractor  HRS Construction  to build their home on two vacant lots purchased through the Albany County Land Bank.

"The people who built our house lost nothing," Eric Fagans said. "At times, they even put things out front hoping neighbors would take them so they wouldn't have to take them to the dump."

Debra Fagan added: "We have not lost anything."

afries@timesunion.com  518-454-5353  @mandy_fries
Scotia

Village Mayor Kris Kastberg will not be seeking another term, giving up the job he says he is most proud of on a resume that includes 32 years as an educator.

"(Teaching) is a career that never stops giving back to you, but being mayor you're in the ultimate position to change your community," Kastberg said.

The Democrat-turned-independent cited resurgence in commercial building projects, the new dog park, the curfew law and the "do not vend" program that allows residents to opt out of having vendors solicit them as major accomplishments during his 12 years as mayor.

"We're a prime target for door-to-door vendors, so for people who don't want this at their door, this is good for them," said Kastberg, who is 60.

He said his one regret is that he wasn't able to replace the timeworn municipal building with a new one because of the recession coupled with the state tax cap.

"The idea of a major municipal building wasn't feasible," added Kastberg.

He is proud his administration has been free of any real controversy.

"Unhappy people are vocal and happy people are generally quiet because that's what they expect from government, that you do the right thing," he said

The race to succeed Kastberg pits Loretta Rigney, a Republican, against Deputy Mayor Thomas Gifford, a Democrat.

Gifford and Rigney have been endorsed by their respective political parties. The part-time job comes with an annual salary of $14,855.

Kastberg hasn't made a public endorsement but says he hopes the winner will resist the push statewide to dissolve small villages like Scotia.

Gifford said he is not "academically opposed to consolidation if we can keep our services."

"I don't think it would work, but I'm willing to listen to it and try," said Gifford, who is midway through his four-year term and is running with incumbents Joe Rizzo and Keven Mathes.

Gifford, a volunteer firefighter in the village, said the facilities in Scotia, particularly the police and fire stations are "horribly antiquated and dangerous" and need to be updated based on what the village can afford.

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Rigney, who recently made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the county legislature, said she wants to be more visible and increase interaction with constituents.

She wants to bring more retail and small businesses to Mohawk Avenue business corridor.

"We need to maximize our commercial space and also look at getting more municipal grants," said Rigney, 45.

She said those monies will pay for Scotia's long overdue infrastructure improvements.

Kastberg, who retired from teaching at Scotia-Glenville High School about six years ago, said he knew when he won re-election in 2014 that he would be bowing out of politics once this term ended.

Asked what advice he would give to the next mayor, Kastberg said he would encourage his successor in the job to "look at it as if you were one of your neighbors."

pnelson@timesunion.com  518-454-5347 @apaulnelson
HARTFORD  A bill approving self-serve alcohol machines at Connecticut bars and restaurants won a thumbs up from the House on Tuesday.

Championed by David Arconti, D-Danbury, the bill would allow people 21 and older to buy beer, wine and cider at the self-dispensing machines with a card obtained from the bartender. Consumers would be limited to 10 ounces of wine or 32 ounces of beer from the machine.
ALBANY  Paul DerOhannesian, a criminal defense attorney from Albany, has been retained by Keith Raniere, the co-founder and leader of NXIVM who is facing federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labor.

DerOhannesian, a former assistant district attorney in Albany, filed a notice in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on Tuesday indicating he will represent Raniere in the case.

Raniere was arrested March 25 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on a federal criminal complaint filed in February by the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York. Raniere made his first court appearance March 27 in Fort Worth, Texas, and has been held at a federal prison in Oklahoma City for the past two weeks. He remains in the custody of U.S. marshals without bond and is being returned to Brooklyn in the coming days, according to people briefed on his case.

Raniere, 57, is the leader of an international "self-help" organization that has been headquartered in the Capital Region for roughly two decades and has been described by some experts as a cult.

The federal complaint alleges that Raniere took part in forming a secretive group within NXIVM in which women said they were coerced into joining a slave-master club. The women, some of whom said they were pressured to have sex with Raniere, told federal authorities that a female doctor associated with NXIVM used a cauterizing iron to brand them with a design on their lower abdomen that contained the initials of Raniere and Allison Mack, an actress and NXIVM associate who is listed in the complaint as an unnamed co-conspirator.

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In court filings, U.S. Justice Department officials said that Raniere fled to Mexico last November when the federal investigation began. They have asked for him to be detained without bond while the case is pending, describing him as a flight risk and danger to the community.

The federal investigation has broadened beyond the slave-master club allegations. Two weeks ago, FBI agents searched the Saratoga County residence of NXIVM's president, Nancy Salzman.

Salzman is a registered nurse who has been listed as a co-founder of NXIVM.
COLONIE  Faulty internet connections, blank screens and outright crashes were among the problems reported Wednesday when public elementary and middle school students across the state were given computer-based English Language Arts tests.

The students were well underway with the testing and there were connectivity issues and the computers were going on-line, off-line, said Megan DeLaRosa, a teacher at the Shenendehowa school district and president of the teachers association there.

Many of the students lost all or some of the work they had done on their computers, added DeLaRosa, who was proctoring a fourth-grade English exam.

Shenendehowa officials also notified parents of the problems in an email, saying students who were unable to submit the tests on line could start over on Thursday and Friday if needed. The tests are administered in two sessions.

Shenendehowa is one of hundreds of schools, with an estimated 32,000 students where the annual grade 3-8 English and math assessments are being done with computers, rather than the traditional paper and pencil.

The Shenendehowa students had been using Chromebooks all year but the technical snags they encountered when trying to connect to the online test were taking their toll, DeLaRosa said.

Some lost all of their work during one of the crashes.

State Education Department spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said in a prepared statement that schools have flexibility regarding test schedules and they could re-start the exams later Wednesday or on Thursday.

"Questar Assessment Inc., New York State's assessment vendor, experienced delays in the delivery of computer-based tests to students in some schools across the state this morning. Questar resolved the matter as quickly as possible with the delay times varying," DeSantis said.

Questar said that 49,000 students in the 263 schools that were participating in the computer program completed their tests on Wednesday. It wasn't immediately clear how many students were unable to finish the tests.

At least one Capital Region school said they planned to start again on Thursday.

More for you School exams begin as controversy swirls

During the test today, there was a statewide loss of online connectivity to the testing system. This prevented students from being able to submit their ELA test. Students were able to pause their testing session today and will be finishing their tests tomorrow,Principal Tim Dawkins of Oliver W. Winch Middle School in South Glens Falls wrote in an email to parents on Wednesday.

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Students also lost their tests at schools in Yonkers, and in one instance when trying to answer a question were confronted by a message saying there was a "system error."

Representatives of the states major teachers union, New York State United Teachers said, as of Thursday afternoon, they heard of problems in schools from the Rochester area as well as Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks.

NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango said they had earlier written to the state Education Department voicing concerns about the the computerized tests.

We were worried about the connectivity issues, DiBrango said. They also said they had questioned the reliability of the tests and whether students who didnt yet have keyboard skills would be at a disadvantage.

We raised all of these questions, DiBrango said.

NYSUT has also criticized the way the tests are scored, contending that the current system makes it appear more students are failing than is actually the case.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU
NXIVM co-founder Keith Raniere has been transferred to a federal detention facility in Brooklyn and remains in custody without bond on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labor.

Raniere is scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. Friday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. He was arrested on March 25 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and had been held for almost two weeks at a federal prison in Oklahoma City.

On Monday, Paul DerOhannesian, a criminal defense attorney from Albany, filed a notice in federal court indicating he had been retained by Raniere.

Raniere, 57, is the leader of an international "self-help" organization that has been headquartered in the Capital Region for roughly two decades and has been described by some experts as a cult.

The federal complaint alleges that Raniere took part in forming a secretive group within NXIVM in which women said they were coerced into joining a slave-master club. The women, some of whom said they were pressured to have sex with Raniere, told federal authorities that a female doctor associated with NXIVM used a cauterizing iron to brand them with a design on their lower abdomen that contained the initials of Raniere and Allison Mack, an actress and NXIVM associate who is listed in the complaint as an unnamed co-conspirator.

In court filings, U.S. Justice Department officials said that Raniere fled to Mexico last November when the federal investigation began. They have asked for him to be detained without bond while the case is pending, describing him as a flight risk and danger to the community.

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A warrant for Raniere's arrest was issued more than a month ago. He was taken into custody after Mexican federal police helped U.S. authorities track him to a luxury, $10,000-a-week villa in Mexico, where he was staying with several women, federal officials said.

The federal investigation has broadened beyond the slave-master club allegations. Two weeks ago, FBI agents searched the Saratoga County residence of NXIVM's president, Nancy Salzman.

Salzman is a registered nurse who has been listed as a co-founder of NXIVM.
COHOES  A frequent critic of Mayor Shawn Morse has filed a notice of claim against the city alleging Cohoes police falsely arrested him on a harassment charge in January as a result of an exchange he had on Facebook with a relative of the mayor.

The claim filed by Jeffrey Bagley, 52, also accuses the mayor of defamation for a series of incendiary and apparently false statements that Morse made about Bagley in January, when Morse called a local talk radio show that was discussing Bagley's arrest.

Morse called the radio station, Talk 1300, on Jan. 11 and publicly stated that Bagley had been "arrested 19 times for harassing people ... has a history of doing this to people ... called and texted a woman on her personal phone after she told him to stop ... (and) harassed and threatened a young woman so badly that she was afraid for her life."

The claim says those statements and others made by Morse, including his allegation that Bagley "sold crack cocaine to kids," were false and constitute defamation under state law. Morse also claimed that Bagley, who is friends with the mayor's wife, "used to call my wife non-stop."

The claim filed by Bagley seeks up to $200,000 in damages, including legal fees. Morse did not respond to a request for comment.

Albany County prosecutors have informed Bagley's attorney, Kevin A. Luibrand, that they will not oppose dismissal of the harassment charge, in part, because there was no basis to make the arrest.

The claim alleges police went to Bagley's city residence on Jan. 5 and arrested him as retaliation for his comments on Facebook calling for Morse's resignation. Bagley's criticism of Morse followed an incident on Nov. 10 in which Morse's wife, Brenda, called 911 and told a dispatcher that her husband had grabbed her by the neck and thrown her to the ground.

An investigation of the alleged domestic abuse incident was conducted by State Police and the matter is pending with the Albany County district attorney's office.

Bagley's harassment case is pending in Cohoes City Court. Rensselaer City Court Judge Carmelo Laquidara, who took over the case after Cohoes Judge Andra Ackerman recused herself, had scheduled a conference on Tuesday, when prosecutors were expected to agree to a dismissal, but the judge left the Cohoes courthouse and the proceeding was postponed.

Laquidara previously questioned the "sufficiency" of the evidence supporting Bagley's arrest and declined a request by an Albany County assistant district attorney to issue an order of protection.

Bagley said the police handcuffed him and brought him to the city police station after his arrest. He was given an appearance ticket and they told him to "get out of here" after one of the officers looked at Bagley's mobile phone at the police station, and apparently saw that he had called the Times Union during his arrest and left the phone on, Bagley said.

The harassment arrest stemmed from an incident in December when Morse's cousin, Barbara J. Borden, 47, contacted Cohoes police and accused Bagley of sending her electronic messages "for no legitimate purpose causing alarm and annoyance." A complaint, signed by Borden on Dec. 15, did not mention Facebook, provided no details about the alleged messages, including how many were sent or whether they included any threats.

"This seems to be on its face a glaring issue in this case, the sufficiency of the evidence," Laquidara said in January when Bagley appeared in court. "I got to tell you, the court has some real concerns just based on the face of this. I don't know what's alleged. There are no facts in here when it comes to what's alleged in terms of the contact."



Ackerman, a Cohoes city court judge, issued the warrant for Bagley's arrest in December after receiving a written request from Cohoes police. On Jan. 18 -- not long after the Times Union reported the details of the arrest -- Ackerman filed a letter recusing herself from the case "to avoid any possible appearance of impropriety."

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Bagley was arrested nearly three weeks after Ackerman signed the warrant. Multiple police sources said Cohoes police do not normally arrest people for low-level harassment charges, and instead issue them appearance tickets or call to ask them to come to the station to pick it up.

The complaint filed by police states the alleged harassment began at 11:40 p.m. on Dec. 12, which was the date and time that Bagley had an exchange with Borden through Facebook Messenger, records show.

"I have what they want he needs to apologize and step down. Shawn does NOT scare me," Bagley wrote to Borden through Facebook's messaging system.

Borden, according to the post, responded: "He has done a lot for the city."

"It doesn't matter you know the truth as well as I do as long as he is there the city is at a stand-still," Bagley answered.

Arrest records indicate Bagley was arrested twice for harassment, once in 1997 for a violation and a second time in 1998 for misdemeanor aggravated harassment. The 1997 charge was dismissed, and the 1998 charge was reduced to contempt and Bagley sentenced to probation, according to a person briefed on his criminal history.

The appearance ticket issued to Bagley was signed by Sgt. Anthony Pucci, a friend of Morse.
ALBANY  Convoluted problem-solving in this year's state budget could help New Yorkers with high incomes or large property tax bills ward off a looming federal tax hike.

In response to the December overhaul of the federal tax code, which was funded in part by capping deductions for state and local taxes, the state budget authorizes the creation of charitable tax credits and a new payroll tax program so taxpayers can limit their federal tax liability while school and municipal bills still get paid.

The plans take advantage of existing federal deductions by shifting tax burdens or redefining taxes as donations. Both proposals, though, are only directly beneficial to taxpayers who itemize their federal taxes and they would still be expected to use state and local tax deductions, which are now capped at $10,000.

What remains to be seen is how many taxpayers will take advantage of New York's approach, which businesses, local governments and school districts will opt in and whether the Internal Revenue Service will allow the expanded use and definition of charitable deductions.

On the local level, municipalities and school districts will soon have the option to accept donations in lieu of property taxes to fund a portion of their operations.Taxpayers could get up 95 percent of their donation applied toward their tax bill and then they would deduct the donation on their federal taxes.

The state, in conjunction with the New York State School Boards Association and others, is hammering out the details for the credits. The budget left unanswered questions about the collection of revenue and the creation of financial entities that will received the money from taxpayers.

"We're working together so we can get this rolled out in the most effective way," said Peter Baynes, executive director for the New York Conference of Mayors, which is also lending guidance to the state.

Baynes and Gerry Geist, executive director of the Association of Towns of the State of New York, are hopeful that the charitable credits will enable New Yorkers, especially in downstate communities with higher properties taxes, to avoid an increased federal tax liability. This sentiment was echoed by David Albert, school boards association's director of communications and research, who is worried that without state action the cap on SALT could jeopardize school budget votes in the future.

"Some of the suburban areas around the larger upstate cities are definitely interested," said Baynes of the local charitable credits.

Without these workarounds, Geist warned that wealthy New Yorkers might leave the state because of their higher tax bills and the state and local tax burden would shift to the remaining taxpayers.

Charitable credits will also be allowed on the state level, where donations will be accepted for three nonprofits and funds supporting public education and health care. These donations will allow New Yorkers to decrease their state income tax burden and claim a federal deduction, while still providing the state's general fund with revenues.

For the programs to be successful, though, they'll need the tacit approval of the federal government and that's still an unresolved issue.

State Division of Budget spokesman Morris Peters argued that the charitable credits were rooted in precedent, pointing to a long history of taxpayers deducting contributions to charities. "It's not a new concept at all," he said.

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E.J. McMahon, research director for the Empire Center for Public Policy, countered that deducting donations that fund local governments and schools was a deviation from past practices. "It's highly unlikely that the IRS will go along with this," he said.

McMahon doesn't foresee any legal challenges to the state's new payroll tax expansion, but he doesn't think businesses will have an interest in enrolling in the new program, which would involve the state replacing a portion of its income tax revenue with a payroll tax collected by businesses.

"It's hopelessly complicated and unappealing," said McMahon.

The program is a neutral shift for businesses because they can deduct the state's increased payroll tax from their federal taxes. The payroll tax, which starts at 1.5 percent and increase to 5 percent in three years, would likely result in a decreased take-home pay for employees, but the difference would be restored when they paid their federal taxes. Businesses would have to opt in to the program every year before December and the higher payroll tax would only apply to income above $40,000.

Ken Pokalsky, a vice president with the Business Council of New York State, wasn't aware of any members in his organization that were planning to take advantage of the program.

He also said the program's appeal would be limited as certain employers, including non-profits and governmental entities, have no federal taxes against which the state payroll tax can be deducted.

Guidelines for implementing the program are still being drafted and they need to answer unresolved issues concerning the effect on pensions, bonuses, life insurance policies and collectively bargained benefits.
Actress and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon is making legalization of recreational marijuana a central plank in her bid for governor of New York.

Citing racial justice as the primary reason New York should join eight other states in legalizing the substance, Nixon also says it would generate tax revenue and create new agricultural opportunities in a video released by on social media Wednesday.

"There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana, but for me, it comes down to this: we have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity," she says in the video. "Eighty percent of the New Yorkers arrested for marijuana are black or Latino, despite the fact that whites and people of color use marijuana at roughly the same rates."

The Nixon campaign is also urging supporters to sign a petition calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature to pass a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in New York. New York currently has a medical marijuana program that is among the most restrictive in the country.

Cuomo, who will face off against Nixon in September's Democratic primary, has scoffed at the idea of making weed legal in the past, calling cannabis a "gateway drug." However, in this year's budget, he pushed for the inclusion of funds for a study the impact of marijuana legalization in neighboring states like Massachusetts and Vermont.

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In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has also indicated that he is in favor of legalizing the drug, prompting some to question why New York is lagging behind.
ALBANY  State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman hailed the $25 million settlement in a lawsuit by former students of now-defunct Trump University as a victory for victims of what he described as a "fraudulent university" established by real estate developer turned President Donald J. Trump.

A federal judge on Monday signed off the settlement in which former students of the program said they were conned by what was touted as a real estate investment school, but which offered no real education.

Victims of Donald Trumps fraudulent university will finally receive the relief they deserve, Schneiderman said in a prepared statement. This settlement marked a stunning reversal by President Trump, who for years refused to compensate the victims of his sham university.

The settlement was approved Monday by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel in San Diego, Calif. Curiel was the target of Trump's attacks during the case, including a June 2016 interview in with the candidate said the Indiana-born jurist should not be presiding because "he's a Mexican."

An estimated 8,000 former students around the nation can now receive between 80 percent and 90 percent of what they paid to the school.

Schneiderman sued in 2013 on behalf of the estimated 600 students who attended the school in New York. That suit was combined with a similar action in California.

Trump did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, which was reached shortly after he was elected president in 2016. Finalization was delayed, though, as one student wanted to continue the suit in hopes of getting an apology from Trump.

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Trump University opened in 2004 and closed in 2010. "I can turn anyone into a successful real estate investor, including you," Trump's promotional material stated at the time.

Courses started at $1,495 for a three-day seminar and went up from there, according to court papers.

The $25 million recovery rate for the victims was unusually high, Curiel said.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before the joint senate panel on April 10th must have left him feeling pretty good. He was grilled for hours, and he presented a suitably contrite face. But he did not yield on anything major. Does he want his own data to be shared in public? Nope. Does he think the government should regulate Facebook? Nope. Will Facebook change the way it seeks to use data and take permission each time? No. And does Facebook intend to implement GDPR (Europe's General Data Protection Regulations) style privacy protection for the rest of the world? Definitely not, unless he is forced to by individual governments.

In essence, Zuckerberg wore a suit, he apologized for lapses, but he doesn't want to change anything about the way Facebook collects data, tracks its users, and stores data unless he is forced by law and government authorities to do so.

There were a few significant issues that did not get discussed much during the hearings, probably because at least some of it was beyond the ambit of the Senate committee discussion. One was, why does Facebook need to continuously increase the data it captures from its users.

Number two, even if Facebook promised that it will be more careful about sharing the data it captures with companies like Cambridge Analytica in future, it is not making any promise that it will not use the data itself for all sorts of purposes still to be defined, or that it reserves the right to profile its users in the creepiest sort of manner, or that it even offers a choice to users - you get to safeguard your profiling provided you pay for the services, and don't take it for free. That part is simply not going to be its business model - or that of any of the other tech companies that are gathering your data, from Google to Amazon.

When the Cambridge Analytica scandal hit the front pages, and it was revealed that the data included that of a number of Indian users, Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that India would summon and put Facebook (or Zuckerberg) on the dock if necessary. Since then, much data has passed under the bridge but the need to fix India's data and privacy laws has taken a back seat.

The country cannot take the kind of laidback approach that it has been taking about data capture by everyone from global giants like Facebook and Amazon and Google to Indian apps like Paytm and the others without serious consequences. It is time to set up a task force for a new set of data privacy law for the country, and have strict deadlines for it.
TROY  A captain and two sergeants were sworn in at City Hall Wednesday afternoon as the Troy Police Department continues to shape a new era of leadership.

Sgt. John Becker became the citys newest captain. Officers Eric Smith and Martin Furciniti are the new sergeants.

Mayor Patrick Maden said the promotions are a testament to the hard work the three officers have shown in protecting the city. The City Council chambers were packed for the ceremony.

This promotion also reinforces the departments confidence in you and your abilities, Madden said.

"This is an important day for our department and city,"Chief Brian Owens said.

These three promotions filled promotions that became open when Assistant Chief Daniel DeWolf was promoted from captain; former Detective Sergeant Michael Parrow retired in March; and Becker's promotion left his sergeant's spot vacant. The 130-member departments leadership has changed rapidly due to the retirements of Chief John Tedesco in January; Deputy Chief Richard Buddy McAvoy in September; and Assistant Chief George VanBramer in March.

Becker, Smith and Furciniti move into command and supervisory positions as the police force embarks on a renewed commitment to community policing. The department is shifting officers into community policing division, under DeWolfs supervision.

Another captains post and an additional sergeants position will open when Capt. Christopher Kehn is promoted to assistant chief to fill VanBramers position commanding the patrol division. Its anticipated that Kehn will be sworn in as assistant chief later this month.

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In promoting Becker, Madden passed over Detective Stg. Randall French. While French was ranked first on the civil service list for captain, his fatal shooting of Edson Thevenin during an April 2016 DWI stop has been surrounded by controversy.

Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove is awaiting a June 20 trial on a felony and two misdemeanors for his handling of the case. The state attorney generals office is prosecuting Abelove. The district attorney didnt require French to sign a waiver of immunity before he testified before the grand jury that investigated the shooting less than a week after it occurred.

Becker was second on the promotional list for captain followed by Sgts. Salvatore Carello, Stephen C. Seney and Adam R. Mason.

Its anticipated that Mason will fill the captains vacancy created by Kehns promotion, department members said.
Donald Trump's presidential campaign left little doubt about how he would treat climate change, which he infamously called a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. In office, he has filled his administration with climate hoaxers whose self-interests align with climate inaction.

A few outliers made it into senior positions, giving modest hope that the president could be nudged away from populist nationalism on the issue of climate. Unfortunately, the odds of such progress have worsened since his inauguration.

Ivanka Trump failed to convince her father to keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Accord. Gary Cohn  nicknamed "Carbon Tax Cohn" by former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon  resigned. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who at the helm of ExxonMobil supported a carbon tax, just got shown the door, leaving the administration virtually devoid of rational views on climate.

Trump's chief of staff, John Kelly, recently blocked an attempt by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to host a televised "debate" on climate science; what a relief. When the head of the agency responsible for addressing climate change wants to explicitly undermine well-established and sound science, we've reached a new low.

As the president fulfills his campaign promises to combat progress on climate, those calling for urgent action must turn to another group to drive the issue: Republicans in Congress. Yes, Republicans. In Congress.

At first blush, the prospect sounds outlandish. Why rely on a group of politicians with a lengthy record of peddling anti-science arguments? There are three compelling reasons.

First, Democrats' historic "leadership" on climate has only entrenched opposition. They proclaim doomsday scenarios that encourage equally emotional reactions from the other side. Their solutions offer quick and easy ways to grow government, give handouts to special interests, and increase the cost of energy for all Americans.

Second, Republicans have real solutions to offer that can appeal to voters across the political spectrum. Recently Bob Inglis  a former Republican congressman and executive director of RepublicEn, a nonprofit, for which I do volunteer work, that is dedicated to free-enterprise climate solutions  traveled throughout the Capital Region talking about a revenue-neutral carbon tax, which would encourage competition, increase innovation, create jobs, and shift the economic cost from hard-working Americans to exporters like China. Solutions like this from politicians with conservative credentials stand a greater chance of making progress than liberal alternatives.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Third, Millennials. Climate change is a uniquely millennial issue since younger generations will bear its costs. Recent polling found 57 percent of Republicans and 77 percent of Independents believe mankind should try to stop climate change. Roughly a quarter of all young Republicans left the party between December 2015 and March 2017. It behooves Republicans, who can't afford a political deficit with this voting bloc, to evolve on the issue.

Fortunately, Republicans can build on short strides being made in Congress. Groups like RepublicEn.org have crossed the country bringing more, particularly young, conservatives onboard. Two godfathers of GOP policy  James Baker III and George Shultz, both former secretaries of state  have helped reframe the narrative with the "Baker-Shultz Plan" to offer a carbon dividend while slashing harmful EPA regulations. And slowly but surely, the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the House of Representatives has grown to 70 members, including upstate New Yorkers like Reps. Elise Stefanik, John Faso, Claudia Tenney, Tom Reed and Chris Collins. The group has made steady progress advancing the conversation on bipartisan solutions.

The road ahead is steep, but real conservative solutions exist, and Republican lawmakers should take on the cause.
The number of people signing on the Live Register in Co. Tipperary has dropped by 14% in the last year, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Unemployment in Ireland has fallen steadily from a peak of 16% in 2012 to 6% in March 2018. When compared with this time last year we see almost 20,000 more people back to work.

Senator Maria Byrne said: It is very positive to see that the number of people signing on the Live Register in Tipperary has reduced by 14% in the last year. This equates to 1,542 more people back in work.

Fine Gaels Action Plan for Jobs is working. Since it was launched in February 2012, the Live Register in Tipperary has decreased by 44%. This equates to 7,460 people who have returned to employment for the benefit of themselves, their families and the local communities in which they live.

Unemployment was arguably the worst consequence of our economic crisis as it caused terrible financial and personal stress in households across the country. Driving down unemployment is part of our overall goal to support families and strengthen communities right across the country.

We are working hard to ensure that the economic recovery is felt across every region. Despite what the Opposition would have you believe, four out of every five jobs created in the past year were outside of Dublin. And these are not just in the commuter belt, with seven out of every 10 jobs created outside of Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. In fact unemployment has decreased in every region of the country since the current Government was formed in early 2016.

In tandem with steady economic growth and falling unemployment, the Government is also investing in a sustainable future for our country. The Governments plan called Project Ireland 2040 aims to ensure that Ireland is ready for the future with a society that has sustainable and balanced growth, nurtures talent, serves the welfare of our people, and offers opportunity for all.

Over 300,000 jobs were lost in the last years of the Fianna Fail government and they couldn't be replaced overnight. We are now thankfully moving towards full employment and we will ensure that all parts of Ireland can share in our prosperity and economic growth, including here in Limerick.
AINTREE DAY 1 TIPS

13:45

A race opened up by the withdrawal of Arkle winner Footpad, the vote goes to FINIAN'S OSCAR (4/1), who was disappointing in the JLT at Cheltenham. The ground was heavy in places that day, which wouldn't have suited him, and the slightly better forecast of good to soft here should see a better side to him. He won well at this track last year and may well come good again at the expense of Brain Power.

14:20

Another tricky contest to pull apart but it may be worth taking on likely favourite Apple's Shakira with WE HAVE A DREAM (2/1). Nicky Henderson regularly pitches up with a few winners at Aintree and this one could get him off to a good start this week. The horse skipped Cheltenham which could leave him fresher than others here, and he also comes into the race on the back of four consecutive wins.

14:50

Might Bite will be all the rage here having finished second to Native River in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but at odds of 4/6, I'd be looking to find an alternative. With that in mind, BRISTOL DE MAI (5/1) is worth the risk having its first run since a wind operation. Having blown Cue Card away by nearly 60 lengths at Haydock late last year, he struggled in two subsequent starts and was eventually ruled out of Cheltenham. The wind op could be the trick with him and as a stout stayer on good to soft ground, he could give the Nicky Henderson hotpot something to think about.

15:25

Supasundae is the obvious one here but at odds of 1/1, he is a little short. It's unfair to suggest his recent winnning form isn't strong, but Apple's Jade and Faugheen did let it down slightly since. However, I'd be willing to take one more risk on MY TENT OR YOURS (6/1), a faithful servant to Nicky Henderson, who is now an 11-year-old. He is arguably one of the most consistent horses in training and was in fact second in this very race last year behind double champion hurdle winner Buveur D'Air. He can earn himself one last big day in the sun.

16:05

BEAR'S AFFAIR (20/1) is the one to side with here in an ultra competitive Foxhunters. He was a good seventh in this race last year and has had a pleasing preparation for the 2018 renewal. He was third behind Premier Portrait at Taunton in January in his only run this season to date. He has been laid out for this race and therefore has a good chance of running into a place.

16:40

KING'S SOCKS (5/1) is a good bet here after showing some consistency in two runs in Britain. He moved from France to David Pipe's yard last year and has since gone through a wind operation. In France, he had form with Footpad, this year's Arkle winner, having finished just two lengths behind him at Auteuil in June 2016. Since arriving on British soil, he's finished 3rd in a race won by Modus at Kempton and 5th behind The Storyteller in a Grade 3 chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month. He can improve once more to take victory.

17:15

A nigh-on impossible race to work out, and tentatively going for top connections with an each-way priced shot may be the way to go. That's the only reason I've gone for CEDAR VALLEY (20/1) for trainer Phillip Hobbs and top jockey Richard Johnson. The horse itself was a debut winner at Taunton last month, and has the potential to go well again.
What other shop could you go to that sells ferret food? That was the reaction of Nenagh Chamber's vice-president Denis Finnerty to news that the Farm Shop on Kenyon Street has closed. The shop opened in 1994 and had been run by Dermot O'Hara since.

The Farm Shop is a real loss to Nenagh, said Denis. That's the kind of shop that made Nenagh.

Describing the Farm Shop as unique, Denis said it was a shame to see it close as it was a link back to the whole idea of Nenagh being a market town.

It stocked great seeds and animal foodstuff, he said.

Meanwhile, Denis welcomed news that the former Dunnes Stores premises on Pearse St. had been bought.

Anything that will improve the look of the town centre and its trading environment is to be welcomed, he said.

The premises had lain idle for a number of years.

It had become an eyesore and I am happy it has been sold, he said. He pointed to the modern look at Breo Jewellers at Market Cross as an example of what can be done in the town.

We suffered because of out-of-town development. A town needs to be a social place and it is good to see something positive happening, he said.
Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has signed a pact with a consortium of Indian oil companies to jointly develop and build a mega integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL), in Maharashtra. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on sidelines of the International Energy Forum (IEF) conference in the capital earlier today.

The strategic partnership brings together crude supply, resources, technologies, experience and expertise of these multiple oil companies with an established commercial presence around the world. The Indian consortium consisting of IOCL, HPCL and BPCL will own a 50% stake in the joint venture while Saudi Aramco will hold the remaining half. According to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Saudi Aramco may also seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the project.

Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said that this project, with an estimated investment of over Rs 3 lakh crore, would bring huge benefits to the region and the entire country in terms of large-scale employment generation, direct and indirect, as well as all-round economic development.

According to the statement, a pre-feasibility study for the refinery has been completed, and the parties are now finalising the project's overall configuration. The refinery will be capable of processing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day (60 million metric tonnes per annum). It will not only produce a range of refined petroleum products, including petrol and diesel meeting BS-VI fuel efficiency norms, but also provide feedstock for the integrated petrochemicals complex, capable of producing around 18 million tonnes per annum of petrochemical products.

Furthermore, the project will also include the development of associated facilities such as a logistics, crude oil and product storage terminals, raw water supply project as well as centralised and shared utilities.

If things go according to plan, RRPCL will rank among the world's largest refining and petrochemicals projects and go a long way in meeting India's fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand.

Saudi Aramco President and CEO, Amin H. Nasser, said that the MoU marks a significant development in India's Oil & Gas Sector, adding that participating in this mega project will allow Saudi Aramco to go beyond the role of crude oil supplier to a fully integrated position which supports India's future energy demands.

What's left unsaid is that this move will give Saudi Arabia a new outlet for its oil. In fact, according to Reuters, buying stakes in refineries is the strategy that the kingdom has adopted to expand its market share in Asia and fend off rivals. Saudi Arabia is competing with Iraq to be India's top oil supplier. That apart, Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil producer, is moving to invest in refineries overseas to help lock in demand for its crude ahead of an initial public offering expected later this year, or the next.

(With agency inputs)
If you're looking to to stream Ultra HD content on your 4K TV and you're not a fan of Apple, it looks like you'll soon have a fresh option from Google. According to a new report, a new Android TV dongle could be on its way to retailers soon.

(Image credit: Ausdroid)

This news comes our way via Ausdroid, an Australian Android news site, was just approved by the FCC. The FCC report states that this tear-drop shaped device comes from Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co., Ltd. and is named "4K ATV Stick," but there's good reason to believe this is going to be sold by Google itself.

MORE: Amazon Fire TV Stick vs. Google Chromecast vs. Roku Stick: Face-Off

For starters, it's got the Google G logo on it, and sold with a remote that features a dedicated Google Assistant button. Not only is that a first for Google, but the instruction manual (available here) submitted to the FCC alongside the adapter looks exactly like what Google itself would use to promote the device, down to the font.

The 4K Apple TV leverages Siri to find content to watch, whether you're searching by actor, genre or show, and it offers access to games and apps. However, at $179, Apple's streaming box is on the price side. There's not word yet on the price of this Android TV dongle, but we would expect it to cost less.

(Image credit: Ausdroid/fccid.io)

Google's created a space in its product lineup for such a device, as its predecessor, the Nexus Player, stopped receiving updates. Google already sells the 4K Chromecast Ultra, but this would provide access to a platform of Android apps, not just streaming video.

The Android TV adapter also runs Android Oreo, another sign that it's going to be sold by Google, even if the company didn't put its name on the FCC application. The adapter uses HDMI 2.0, features an Amilogic S905X processor and 2GB of memory with 8GB of onboard storage for games and apps.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced some pretty harsh questioning from U.S. senators today (April 10) over how the company handles the data of members of its online social network and how much of that data gets handed over to third parties.

Questions aimed at the Facebook CEO during the hearing included Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, asking whether Zuckerberg would reveal the Washington hotel he was staying in, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, accusing Facebook of suppressing conservative opinions.

(Image credit: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint Senate committee hearing. Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty)

Terms of Service Blown Up

The most devastating criticism came from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, whose aides displayed an enlarged section of the Terms of Service for "This Is Your Digital Life" app. The text made clear that collected user data might be sold or passed along to third parties. Zuckerberg said he had never seen that text before.

MORE: Use This Shortcut to See If Your Facebook Data Leaked

Blumenthal's aides then displayed language from a settlement that Facebook reached with the Federal Trade Commission in 2011 that barred Facebook from letting other commercial services get user data.

The senator pointed out that "This Is Your Digital Life," which ended up passing along the data of an estimated 87 million Facebook users to the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, clearly violated the FTC consent decree from the get-go.

"Has anyone been fired from the app review team?" Blumenthal asked Zuckerberg.

"Not over this, no," Zuckerberg admitted.

The Facebook CEO spent much of the afternoon facing questions from both sides of the aisle during a hearing called in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a political data-mining firm got a hold of the personal information of millions of Facebook users.

The hearing was a special joint session of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee, and all 44 senators on both committees were slated to ask Zuckerberg questions.

Fix This Or Else

"If you guys don't get your act in order, none of us are gonna have privacy anymore," Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, the ranking member of the Commerce committee, told Zuckerberg. "If Facebook can't fix the privacy invasions, then we will have to."

Durbin started off his five minutes of questioning with a zinger, asking Zuckerberg: "Would you be comfortable telling us the hotel you stayed in last night?"

"Um ..... no," Zuckerberg responded.

"Would you be comfortable telling us who you've messaged with in the past few days?" Durbin asked.

"No," replied Zuckerberg.

'A Lot of Mistakes'

John Thune, R-South Dakota, chairman of the Commerce committee, was similarly blunt.

"You have a 14-year history of apologizing for unwise decisions," he told Zuckerberg. "How is today's apology different? Why should we trust Facebook?"

"We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company," Zuckerberg replied. "We are going through a broad philosophical shift. In the first 10 to 12 years, we were concerned with building tools and building the company. .... People will see real differences."

'Arms Race' with Russian Trolls

Asked by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, whether he had regrets, Zuckerberg admitted to one major one.

"We were slow to identify the [Russian] disinformation operations," he said. "We're now doing a better job of identifying fake accounts, especially in the French elections" that took place in 2017.

"This is an arms race," Zuckerberg added about the disinformation campaigns. "They're getting better at this, and we have to make sure we're getting better too."

Facebook Cooperating with Mueller Investigation

Zuckerberg also disclosed what many political observers had assumed: Facebook is cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian influence upon the 2016 presidential election.

"Have you or others at Facebook been interviewed by the Special Counsel's office," asked Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont.

"Yes, others have, but I have not," Zuckerberg replied, but then deflected that line of questioning by stating, "I want to make sure I don't say anything here that's confidential."

Cruz: Do You Censor Republicans?

More than one senator brought up the question of whether Facebook suppresses conservative viewpoints, and none was more aggressive about it than Cruz.

"Many Americans are concerned that Facebook and other internet companies are engaged in censorship of conservative opinions," Cruz said. "There appears to be a pervasive pattern of political bias."

Zuckerberg responded that Silicon Valley is "an extremely left-leaning place," but maintained that he tried to make sure that no non-violent political opinion was suppressed on Facebook.

"Have you ever made hiring or firing decisions based on political views?" Cruz asked.

"We have not," Zuckerberg said.

"What about Palmer Luckey?" Cruz asked, referring to the creator of the Oculus Rift VR headset, who left Facebook in early 2017 after having garnered criticism on social media for expressing support of President Donald Trump.

"That was an internal personnel matter," Zuckerberg said. "I am very committed that Facebook is a platform for all ideas."

Cruz then asked if Zuckerberg knew of any Facebook staffers "who have supported a Republican candidate for office."

"We don't ask people those questions," Zuckerberg replied.

No Listening to Conversations

Gary Peters, D-Michigan, addressed a long-running conspiracy theory regarding Facebook listening to what its users say within range of mobile phones, then displaying ads based on the conversation.

"Does Facebook use audio obtained from mobile devices to enrich data about its users?" Peters asked.

"No," said Zuckerberg. "We don't do that."

Won't Commit to Consent Bill

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, today introduced a bill that would require explicit, opt-in consent from users of online platforms before those platforms could use their data. He tried to get Zuckerberg to commit to endorsing the legislation, but Zuckerberg didn't take the bait.

"In principle," Zuckerberg replied, he would support such a bill, "but we need to work out details."
Mark Zuckerberg spent hours this week testifying before the Senate and Congress, but the questions haven't been exactly great. Not only did Ted Cruz try and derail the conversation by talking about Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey's departure, but Zuckerberg also sat through a series of pointless questions about his time at Harvard.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

We've decided to reach out to some of the smartest and most-tapped-in journalists to see what your representatives should have asked. Here's what they said:

Casey Newton  Silicon Valley Editor, The Verge

@CaseyNewton

"Should Facebook be allowed to continue to acquire competitive social networks?"

"Why should Congress not require you to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp?"

MORE: 5 Biggest Takeaways From Zuckerberg's Testimony

Matt Novak  Writer, Gizmodo

@paleofuture

"Mr. Zuckerberg, what kind of personal information of yours was sold to third parties?"

"Was the sale of your data limited to just Cambridge Analytica or was it given to other companies?"

"Did you take the personality quiz that led to your data getting stolen or did a friend? And most importantly, what Disney princess did the quiz say you'd be?"

Steve Kovach  Senior Correspondent, Business Insider

@stevekovach



"Do you use the default privacy settings on Facebook?"

"What tools, options, or additional privacy features do you have on Facebook that I don't have?"

Joanna Stern  Personal Technology Columnist, Wall Street Journal

@JoannaStern

"Why did you decide to stop working with data brokers?"

MORE: How to Stop Facebook From Sharing Your Data

Lance Ulanoff  Reporter at Large

@LanceUlanoff

"Can you describe your concept of a simplified and obvious opt-in privacy policy?"

"Are there ways you could envision, aside activating on users data and not including charging members, Facebook could generate enough revenue to continue running a healthy business? If so, what are they?"

Mike Isaac  Reporter, The New York Times

@MikeIsaac

"A.I. seems to be a common response of yours when answering long term questions about how to deal with questionable content. Why do you expect it to take five to ten years to get to an acceptable level to deal with Facebook content, and what will you do in the meantime? Clearly 20,000 contractors wont be anywhere near adequate."



"Can you define which social media companies you see as Facebook's largest competition? Are they foreign or domestic? And do you see your data collection practices as an advantage to staging off competitors?"
Jaguars plan to launch a bigger SUV to sit above the F-Pace is taking shape. A new report from Autocar reveals that theres more to the rumor than what we previously thought. Apparently, the model already has a yet-to-be-confirmed name  J-Pace  and a tentative launch timetable of 2021. Once its out, the model is expected to sit above the F-Pace and serve as Jags flagship SUV.

If it happens, the so-called J-Pace will sit above the F-Pace in Jags SUV pecking order

Jaguar is swimming in the success of its SUV lineup, so we shouldnt be surprised that the British automaker is looking to add another model to its growing family of sporty people movers

Jaguar is swimming in the success of its SUV lineup, so we shouldnt be surprised that the British automaker is looking to add another model to its growing family of sporty people movers. The J-Pace is an ideal addition because its going to occupy a segment that none of the other Jag SUVs currently occupy. The only point of concern about the model was whether it would step on the toes of the Range Rover. As it turns out, neither Jaguar nor Land Rover are particularly concerned about the possibility because the J-Pace will not only enter the same segment, but itll reportedly be based on the Range Rover itself, all-aluminum architecture included.

The J-Pace will be different from the Range Rover in a number of ways, most notably its design. Without going into detail, the Autocar report hinted that the J-Pace will be longer and a teensy bit wider. Itll also have a more spacious interior and will sit lower to the ground because, well, its a Jag. In terms of design, the J-Pace will be the first Jag model to receive a new design language from the automakers design maestro, Ian Callum.

The SUVs engine option will also be based heavily on the Range Rover, including the potential for a plug-in hybrid system

The SUVs engine option will also be based heavily on the Range Rover, including the potential for a plug-in hybrid system. That said, dont expect these options to be available from the start. Jag will probably roll them out one at a time to give these engine variants room to breathe on their own.

Jaguar is reportedly also willing to go a little off-book in the SUVs development. That can be interpreted in a number of different ways, but that was already hinted at by JLR Australia Managing Director Matthew Wiesner, who told GoAuto last week that all options are on the table, as long as it delivers what Jaguar stands for.

Does it deliver on Jaguars promise around performance? If it does, its on the table, Wiesner added.

The addition of a full-sized SUV should help round out Jags SUV family. It already has the F-Pace, which has become Jaguars best-selling model in recent memory after posting around 70,000 sold units in each of the past two years. The smaller E-Pace and all-electric I-Pace are also expected to be hot ticket items. If the J-Pace becomes reality  its actually been in Jags radar as early as 2015  it would give the Big Cat all the claws it needs to take a swipe at the competition.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Jaguar E-Pace.

Read our full review on the 2018 Jaguar F-Pace.

Read our full review on the 2018 Land Rover Range Rover.

Read more Jaguar news.
Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday told lawmakers that he was among the 87 million or so Facebook Inc users whose data was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

But the chief executive of the world's largest social media network pushed back on Congress members' suggestions that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook.

"Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there," the 33-year-old internet billionaire told the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Zuckerberg's admission that his own data made its way into the hands of Cambridge Analytica laid bare that even the company's technologically adept founder was unable to protect his own information from parties seeking to exploit it.

That underscores the problem Facebook has in persuading lawmakers that users can safeguard their own information if they carefully manage their personal settings and that further legislation governing Facebook's use of data is unnecessary.

"How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?" asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce committee, at the beginning of the hearing.

Wearing a dark suit and tie and prefacing almost every remark with "Congressman" or "Congresswoman", Zuckerberg repeatedly defended the company's privacy practices, saying that users have control over their own data and decide what to share. But when asked if his data had been improperly used he replied: "Yes." He gave no further details.

INEVITABLE REGULATION

Zuckerberg was on Capitol Hill for the second time in two days to answer questions about data privacy in the wake of revelations last month that millions of users' personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted U.S. President Donald Trump's election campaign among its clients.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

The data was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica by an academic who gathered data on users and their friends through a questionnaire app on Facebook. Facebook has since shut off the ability of apps to gather such data, but Zuckerberg said on Wednesday it will take "many months" to complete an audit of other apps to determine if they also improperly used data.

The House hearing followed a five-hour questioning by U.S. Senators on Tuesday, in which Zuckerberg made no further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business.

Facebook shares were up 1.2 percent on Wednesday after dips earlier in the day. They posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday as Zuckerberg managed to deter any specific discussion about new regulations that might hamper Facebook's ability to sell ads tailored to users' profiles.

"It is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation" of internet firms, Zuckerberg said on Wednesday, but he again steered away from any specifics.

Some lawmakers grew frustrated at their limit of four minutes each to press Zuckerberg on specifics, and chastised the billionaire at times for offering up rehearsed platitudes about valuing user privacy.

"I can't let you filibuster right now," Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn said at one point. She cut Zuckerberg off a number of times.

Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democratic congressman, was in the process of asking Zuckerberg when he learned that Facebook allowed advertisers to prevent ads from being shown to certain minority groups, a possible violation of civil rights laws. He was cut off.
About Me Oscar Bartoli Washington, DC, United States Avvocato, giornalista pubblicista, collabora con molti media italiani. Risiede negli Stati Uniti dal 1994 e vive tra Washington D.C., Los Angeles e Bangalore (India). Consigliere comunale per il Partito Liberale a Palazzo Vecchio (Firenze) porta ancora addosso i segni delle percosse che i 'compagni' comunisti di allora gli hanno dato per essere andato a parlare nelle piazze dove comandava solo il PCI. Ha lavorato per molti anni nel gruppo SMI,leader europeo nel settore metalli non ferrosi, successivamente nell'IRI come responsabile dei contatti con i media e in seguito direttore IRI USA. Ha insegnato per dieci anni alla scuola di giornalismo della Luiss e per due anni alla Catholic University di Washington DC. Tiene un corso sulla comunicazione nel Master di Relazioni Internazionali dello IULM di Milano. Rotariano da decenni ha contribuito a creare due Club a Roma, e' stato presidente del Cassia Romana ed attualmente fa parte del Washington Rotary Club. Da giovane, per pagarsi gli studi ma, soprattutto, perche' gli piaceva, ha lavorato come chitarrista - cantante suonando nelle case del popolo, circoli cattolici, night clubs, radio e televisione. View my complete profile

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Lark Rise by bere:architects could be the poster child for a Green Technology Revolution.

Most of the time we think of houses as consumers of energy. On TreeHugger we like to promote houses built to the Passive House standard, that need very little energy; lately we have been seeing Passive House Plus designs that are Net Zero, producing in a year as much energy as they consume. Now Justin Bere has designed Lark Rise, which raises the bar to a whole new level; It is not a house but a power station, generating twice as much power as it needs.

 bere:architectsCurrently it can't offload that power, as the crappy National Grid in Buckinghamshire, UK is not set up to accept the excess. However after two years of careful monitoring to determine their actual consumption, they are installing a 13kWh battery this spring that will soak it up.

Once the battery has been installed, we will be able to assess how much excess solar-generated energy is available to power an electric car and when the excess power is available for this, and to assess the potential for an electric car to store energy not just for its own use, but for the benefit of the house and its occupants needs.

 bere:architects

I used to complain that Net-Zero homes wired to the grid put an unfair burden on people that didn't have the money or the roofs to install solar panels, because they would have to pay for every kWh and the utilities would still have to maintain infrastructure to handle peak loads. (It's the Duck Curve problem) Batteries change all this; Houses as power stations like Lark Rise actually can buffer the grid, shave those peaks, and significantly reduce demand on the grid. Bere writes:

At the same time as removing peak supply spikes from the grid, the battery will also help eliminate peak demand spikes from the grid. This is important because national peak demand (the triad scenarios) is mainly what sets the national power station capacity requirement.

Where warm sunny climates have a duck curve problem every day, more northern climates have a serious seasonal problem where the sun is really low and there isn't a lot of solar power to be gained, so the utilities have to have enough capacity to keep the heat on. But by going to the Passive House standard, far less energy is needed for heating. Engineer Alan Clarke has designed the mechanical and electrical systems so that the house can meet most or all of its energy needs in winter. In fact, the thermal performance far exceeded projections, using half as much energy as predicted.

 bere:architects

Bere has grand ambitions for this concept of house as power station; he sees it as an alternative to building the new nukes that are on the boards in the UK.

Lark Rise demonstrates the potential for the UK government to drive policy initiatives that will save money that will otherwise be required for power stations to supply the alternative business-led scenario. Gentle nudging of market forces can provide a new focus for UK industry to facilitate a joined-up plan to enable the emerging microgrid vision to materialise smoothly  in short, to provide the stimuli needed to create a new Green Technology Revolution.

 bere:architects

There are a lot of other things to love in this house; it seems to be just about plastic foam-free with foamed glass under the concrete slab and mineral wool insulation above grade (although the roof is insulated with polyisocyanurate). An electric air-source heat pump serves the underfloor heating, domestic hot water, and heat recovery ventilation.

I recently wrote about how the vast majority of our carbon emissions comes from two things: our buildings, and traveling between our buildings. Imagine if all our homes were power stations capable of supplying their own needs and charging their owners' cars. Justin Bere is right; this would truly be a Green Technology Revolution.

More at bere:architects, where you can also download a serious monitoring report.
If you live in the countryside, the suburbs or even parts of urban areas, you would be familiar with some of our feathery, neighbourhood friends. There are several small-sized bird species which live around our homes, schools and workplaces.
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JIT are our worst political opponents: Nawaz Sharif 11 April, 2018



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Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday alleged once again that three members of the joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe his family's business dealings abroad were "are our worst political opponents", and expressed fears that Adiala Jail was already being prepared for him.



Sharif, along with his daughter Maryam, made the remarks after appearing before an accountability court in Islamabad in a reference concerning his family's Avenfield properties.



"Bit by bit, the reality of the JIT's investigative report is being revealed," he said in his customary talk with the media after the court's proceedings.



"You know that the facts that went in our favour were [deliberately] hidden by the JIT," he alleged. "You already know what has come out of Wajid Zia's mouth and, in a way, he has given us a certificate [of innocence]," he further claimed.



Though the Sharif family has kept up a narrative that Zia, the prosecution's star witness and head of the JIT, has considerably weakened the case by failing to hold up to cross questioning, the PML-N's political opponents say the court's proceedings have been misconstrued by the PML-N to present a distorted picture to give Nawaz's supporters false hopes.



"A new truth has come to light today," Sharif said today before alleging that of the six members of the JIT, "three are our worse political opponents. They, or their wives or [other] family members are active members of the PTI," he claimed.



He chose to exclude the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) representative, Irfan Naeem Mangi, from his list, choosing to stick to criticism of the intelligence agencies' representatives on the team.



"My case was not a terrorism case. I was doing nothing against the interests of Pakistan. What was the need to include the ISI and MI in the JIT?" he asked.



Earlier, Sharif's lawyer Khawaja Haris had completed his cross-examination of JIT head Wajid Zia in the Avenfield refence, ten days after he began examining the witness.



Maryam Nawaz's counsel, Amjad Parvez, has now taken over from him.



During the examination, Zia had said that the team did not maintain a daily diary of its proceedings as it had been ordered by the Supreme Court to submit a report every 15 days.



He further stated that the JIT had not been conducting a criminal investigation but had the powers to conduct an investigation according to the Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC), the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and under the powers given to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).



He revealed that while confidential matters were reviewed only by JIT members, the JIT secretariat had a staff of between 30 and 40 people. This included security guards, record typists and cook.



The JIT also took assistance from 30-40 experts who have not been named in the JIT report as the Supreme Court had been requested to keep their names secret. The apex court had not issued any order regarding this, but their names were not revealed in the report, Zia said.



Zia also elaborated on his professional life, informing that he had joined the public service in 1988 as an assistant superintendent police (ASP). He said that he remained associated with criminal investigations throughout his career.



Earlier, when asked by Haris about whether he knew about JIT member Bilal Rasool being a relative of PML-Q founder and current PTI leader Mian Azhar, Zia replied in the affirmative. But he said he could not say for sure whether Rasool's wife was appointed as a lawmaker on a special seat by PML-Q or comment on her active association with the PTI.



He also said that he was aware of procedural actions ongoing against Irfan Naeem Mangi, but said he did not know of a committee investigating him on the orders of the Supreme Court.



He said he was unaware of Brigadier Nauman Masood being a source employee of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).



He also said it was incorrect to say that the JIT conducted the investigations against the Sharif family in a biased way or with a specific agenda in mind.



Sharif today also spoke on recent political developments, including a number of defections from the PML-N.



"Those who have been with us for generations will not change their loyalties," he said. "People will not vote for those who change their loyalties."



Addressing renewed concerns about the lack of development in south Punjab after PML-N defectors announced they would begin a movement for a new province in the area, Sharif chose to appreciate the work done in the region under his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's leadership.



More importantly, he engaged with rumours of preparations being made in the infamous Adiala Jail for the arrival of important political personalities.



"House cleaning has already begun in Adiala Jail. Do they know in advance that somebody is coming?" he asked.



He also said that he does not want NAB to influence the upcoming general elections by pressurising candidates before elections. Informal consultations regarding making the body ineffective during the caretaker setup have taken place with the prime minister's involvement, he revealed



The accountability references against Sharifs  now in their final stages  had been filed on the orders of the Supreme Court as a continuation of the Panamagate affair.
In the Ramayana the question is asked as to what is the worst sin. The answer is poverty. Poverty is, more likely than not, associated with the material possessions and finances of a person. Countries have a definition of poverty related to earnings per capita below a certain amount.
Thanks for the reply,

Red stripe is already a light beer at 4.7% ABV, and really doesn't have much flavour. I'm not interested in trying the light(er) version. Heineken is dutch FYI and also a light lager. I didn't know about Dragon Stout so I'll keep an eye out for that one. Thanks! I'm not typically a stout drinker (usually APAs and IPAs) but I'm definitely interested in trying it.

Any ideas what US beers they have? I would have preferred local but I'm OK paying for quality. I traveled to Vermont not too long ago (I'm near Toronto) to check out the breweries and they were AWESOME! Impossible to find the big brands (like Alchemist) in stock though. Apparently it sells out within 24 hours of delivery LOL.
So let's start with the fact that DL and AM are code-share airlines and work very well together. You will arrive into MEX in Terminal 2, and 1.5 hours IS sufficient time to make a connection between DL & AM, if everything is on time. However you may not have enough time to run and find your favorite cup of Starbucks or to grab a Krispy Kreme donut. But making your connection, if everything is on-time, you will be fine.

Understand that you will clear Mexican Immigration upon your arrival into MEX. The Immigration Agent will return the bottom portion of the FMM Tourist card to you, that you will need to keep and surrender upon your flight departing out of MEX back to NYC.

Your luggage should be checked all the way through to HUX (check your tag receipts upon check-in in NYC). I believe you will re-claim your luggage, walk out through the frosted glass doors, and then return your luggage to the AeroMexico Agents standing ahead of you to the Right. Then you will just pick up your luggage upon your arrival into HUX. [Note, I say "I believe....." because currently the country of Mexico is modifying their in-bound Customs procedures at many airports, and actually x-raying luggage behind the scenes to reduce congestion in Mexican Customs. They won't even look at your bags any further unless they suspect you may have too much alcohol or cigarettes].

Then just make your way to your connecting flight. Make sure to check the monitors frequently, as gate changes are a common thing in MEX. Safe travels.

Diviertanse!
I visited Amsterdam/Netherlands the first time for one day (early morning to late evening) taking the train from Brussels 2 weeks ago.

Amsterdam is a very cool and unique city. What surprised me is how small the city really is and you can basically walk to all major sights within an hour. Housing/architecture was gingerbread looking which was really pretty. Canals everywhere was cozy and charming. People were nice and beautifully dressed and everybody spoke perfect English!

I took the canal cruise for an hour close from the train station which I strongly recommend. I then walked throughout the city and passed thru all major highlights of the city. Food was good, prices not that bad and your desserts were awesome!

Red light district was cool but too crazy something not used to and never seen before. How liberal and open minded people are. I guess if I stayed for the evening I heard I would have seen ever more wild stuff lol.... Luckily weather was sunny and mild.

Overall I loved Amsterdam and would definitely return back one day in the future. Nice city!

I also visited Barcelona, Madrid, Andorra, Brussels, Paris, Stockholm and Luxembourg on this 2 week trip. Amsterdam little bit reminded me of Stockholm kind of with water everywhere but Stockholm having more open space and spread out.
10 days is agenerous amount of time for this trip, and as Cromans says, it will still be relatively cool south of Coffs Harbour.

My recommendation would be to zoom up the nighway to Moonee Beach or Sawtell on day one (almost a full day driving on a motorhome). Both locations have excellent caravan parks right on the ocean - I love Moonee fo the walks, but Sawtell has a "cafe street" in walking distance. Stsy there for a couple of nights snd explore the beaches.

Then, do a side trip up to Dorrigo and Bellingen, stay in Bellingen that night.

Next, Yamba, then Lenox Head or Byron Bay fir a couple of nights, then I would drive to the Sunshine Coast and spend two nights at Caloundra (Dicky Beach Caravan Park) and then ttwo nights at Noosa River Caravan Park in Noosaville.

This will give you a beautiful and varied beach holiday in regions warm enough to really enjoy it.

Cheers.
Hi,

I will be driving from Sussex, New jersey to Niagara Falls, New York any recommended spots to see along the way? I am into nature and landscapes so the more scenic the better. Not sure on the route I am taking yet, will be going mid June and only able to visit the American Side. I was planning on visiting Watkins Glen state Park to see Rainbow falls but not sure my grandfather who is 89 will be able to walk the trail especially if wet and it will be a weekday (the shuttle only runs weekends) so I am looking for alternatives. What places have you guys seen where the trails were easy or places with quick overlooks.

Thank you in advance for the suggestions,

Athena
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Re: Where to stay in Vietnam for one month?

2. Re: Where to stay in Vietnam for one month?

Vung Tau, Nha Trang, An Bang (Hoi An), and Da Nang. That's from South to North.

From July on through October, it's the moonsoon/typhoon season, affecting Hoi An and Da Nang mostly. In the last few years, it has lasted longer, through December and even January.

The summer month (late May through early August) can see large crowds in all of those places.

Cheers,

John
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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!


There are several questions regarding cherry blossom in mid- and late- April in and around Tokyo/Kyoto. While there are over 200 (or 600, depending on how you classify) species of cherry trees in Japan, it's over for the most common Somei-Yoshino types in and around Tokyo and Kyoto.

While I understand the disappointment, mid-April is not exactly the best time for Somei-Yoshinos in and around Tokyo and Kyoto - for them, people should come in late March and early April, strictly speaking. This year was about one week earlier for opening and peaking, and blossom only last for about a week or ten days.

Please come again and pick the right timing - or be flexible enough to travel to places that blossom later than Kyoto and Tokyo, like the Tohoku Region or the mountain areas of Nagano. Actually the countryside in the Tohoku Region has better viewing (in my personal and honest opinion) than in the cities like Kyoto and Tokyo, against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains and clear waters of rivers. Good seafood, beef, chicken, or pork, great drinks if you allow some alcohol, interesting regional snacks, and hot springs await you.

While it's past-peak for much of the coastal areas of the Tohoku Region, Aizu Wakamatsu (Tsurugajo Park) and Yamagata Prefecture (Kajo Park) inland are approaching peak in the upcoming days.

While traveling on trains in the weekend, I came across many travelers from Southeast Asia, apparently from Thailand and Malaysia and they were visibly delighted to see cherry blossom in full bloom around the town of Miharu including the 1,000 years old giant Takizakura, or the Shiroishi River 1,000s in Funaoka-Ogawara. Then I come across a few questions on whether they are "worth it". Honestly speaking, something like the very best of Japan can't be expressed in words like "worth something".

Aizu Wakamatsu:

Edited: 3 years ago
For typical Kansai trip, usually don't need to consider any pass unless you plan long distance attractions, examples which proposed in #1.

Using any pass will limit your choice of transport. Not good for those not familiar with it.

JR PASS - cannot be used in subways and private lines

KANSAI THRU PASS - cannot be used in JR

And moreover, those passes dont pay off your trip easily.

Get an IC card like ICOCA and it will be the best choice for you.

The only ticket that is easy to use is the "Osake 1 Day Ticket" for Osaka Metro at JPY550.

Edited: 3 years ago
The dates could be flexible by a day or two, both ways. Of course the earlier a start the better, due to fall foliage. I am trying to plan for my son and daughter-in-law, their first taste of Japan. My husband and I were there Nov 18 2016 for three days in Kyoto. The color was spectacular. I thought that the trip should start from Kyoto, though it is in the southern part of Japan. They should end in Tokyo for the flight home. I hope that they can, also like us, catch the best time in Kyoto. Kyoto, Tokyo, and Fuji are the only destinations I know. Please give suggestion as to other destinations, conveniently along the way.

Once we can establish a plausible route, I would have them reserve hotels (probably not the Japanese style hotel, we stayed in one, the floor was a little tough for foreigners). Good hotels are still available, as of today.

Thank you so much.
Your first source of information on issues like this is the University providing the internship.

I think you should do a more detailed list of your probable travel destinations beyond the Disney properties and Fuji, and whether you want to spend a weekend in some place further like Kyoto (which would involve hotel and Shinkansen expenses). Minimally you need to get a SUICA, a rechargeable travel card use able on all local public transportation to save you the trouble of having to buy a ticket every time you travel. You have to recharge it from time to time as you use it.

Cooking in reduces your expenses considerably, and dinners out are generally more expensive than lunches out, so watch out for that. So your university should point out the local supermarket nearest your accommodations. It is not unheard of to buy a reduced price prepackaged meal in the late afternoon or early evening.

So congratulations on the internship, but further research is also necessary especially on possible travel.
First of all, sorry for any mistakes in my english as this is not my first language.

I Will be travelling alone to Japan for 16 full days(May 6th - May 24th), as it takes about 28 hours to reach Japan from the place where I live(Sao Paulo, Brazil)

The first 7 days of my trip are already decided: I will be staying in Tokyo until May 11 and then Kyoto until May 14.I wanted to visit the Japanese Alps, and chose the city of Takayama to stay for 2 days.But I also wanted to go to Hiroshima/Miyajima(2 days) and Osaka(2 days), before heading back to Tokyo for another 3 days and finish my stay in Japan.

But I don't know which way is the best:

1)Should I go to to Osaka after Kyoto for 2 days, since these cities are near, then go to Takayama for 2 days and after that Hiroshima/Miyajima for another 2 days

OR

2)Should I go to Takayama for 2 days after Kyoto, then Osaka for 2 days and after that go to Hiroshima/Miyajima for 2 days, before heading back to Tokyo

I Know probably both ways are possible, but which one do you think is the best to enjoy the little time I have in each place?

Sorry if that was too confusing!If you have any other suggestions to make my route I will appreciate it

3)Another question: Since I have not much time to get to know all of Japan's beauties, I was considering not staying in Osaka for 2 days, and spending another day in Tokyo or maybe Hakone.PS: I've already been to Universal Studios in Orlando

Thank you very much!!!!
Hi

Anyone from the uk that has booked through Thomsons. Last year we booked through Thomson (TUI) it was a Hayes and Jarvis booking and American Airlines flight. We stayed at the Sheraton We wasnt charged the Hotel tax and weve never heard of it! We came to book a few days ago and was told that we may have to pay ... everyone has to but they couldnt tell us why we didnt pay last year! Apparently the charge has been there since nice 2013, does anyone have any info on this To try and clear it up I dont want to book to be charged anything between 10$ upwards yo over $30 a night !

I do hope someone knows the answer as Thomson dont! Please only people who have booked and paid through Thomsons or Hayes and Jarvis thanks for your help in advance
Day 1: Times Square & the theater district is surprisingly not a very great area for bar hopping. You may need to really plan which bars you will hit as a lot of the good ones are inside or on top of hotels and you may not realize they are there. There are some really bad tourist trap bars in this area.

Other neighborhoods have great bar hopping, so this won't be an "issue" everywhere.

Day 2:

This is a busy but fun plan, except that you may not have time to eat anything but a hot dog and cookie for the entire day and night. Are you sure that's enough? Eating another meal will take time and you don't have much to spare here.

Day 3:

If you want to go to SOL you should book tickets in advance for first thing in the morning if possible. It's a long process to go there. Not just something to take an hour or two at the end of the day. statuecruises.com is the official site for booking tickets.

Most food tours are during the day. I don't think you'll be ready to head to the LES/East Village until evening with all you have planned.

Day 5: If you check out of your hotel at 11am, then make your way to Williamsburg and eat brunch, you can't be at JFK by 2:00-2:30. Plus coordinating the luggage storage you propose sounds like a major pain and will take at least some amount of time to have it picked up and then to retrieve it.

If you want to do Williamsburg, do it on a day when you have more time. You can do closer things for the couple of hours you have that day. That means your hotel can store your luggage.

I would reconsider doing a spa on Day 4. It's a short trip. You have a lot of things you want to do. Relax when you get home.
I am a woman who has been to New York many times.

I went with my parents in the 1970s. We had no issues.

I went as an college student in the early 1980s with friends. We had no issues.

I went alone several times as a 20-something on business trips in the mid 1980s. I had no issues.

I went with co-workers in the late 1980s. We had no issues.

I went several times with my husband before we had kids in the 1990s. We had no issues.

I went twice with my husband and two kids under 12 in the 2000s. We had no issues.

I went alone to meet up with friends in the 2010s. We had no issues.

I went twice with my daughter in the 2010s. Once when she was 13 and again for her 16th b-day. We had no issues.

I hope to return soon, and I do not anticipate problems.

I have never seen anybody with 'big guns' in my day-to-day travels. Police officers usually carry a hand gun in a holster,

In the 1980s, I went to Paris for the first time and was surprised to see guards with LARGE guns outside of most banks on the the Champs Elysee. I had a necklace stolen from my neck on the Paris subway in the middle of the afternoon. This is much different than my NYCity experiences.

I have never felt uncomfortable in NY. Whoever 'he' is that is telling you this is watching too much TV. Shows like Law & Order are FICTION.

Edited: 3 years ago
The primary reason for earning a certificate is to gain essential skills and knowledge that make you more employable. Unfortunately, the certificates that make a graduate most attractive to a potential employer tend to change continuously. While some certificate courses in Kenya offer students a promising career opportunity, others lack value in the labour market. Therefore, you must choose a course strategically because it will go a long way in strengthening your prospects of getting a job upon graduation.

Image: unsplash.com

Source: UGC

A marketable certificate course is one that is attractive to potential employers or clients. It is also one that is in demand now and will be in future upon your graduation. Although the labour market keeps changing, employers are looking for well-rounded graduates. These are people who can keep learning, understand the content, can deal with contingency and changes, and can communicate more effectively.

List of the best certificate courses in Kenya

If you are looking for the most marketable certificate courses in Kenya that can make you a well-rounded graduate, you should consider the following.

1. Certificate in Information Technology

The programme provides students with a general understanding of information systems, computer operating systems, software, hardware, and programming.

As a scholar, you will learn how to develop IT solutions that can address practical business problems using a technological and engineering approach. Upon graduation, you will be able to use your training and learning skills to earn a position in the IT department of a small or large business.

The skills you will learn will also allow you to start up your IT consulting service or become a specialist in the installation, maintenance, and operation of computer systems. Top institutions in Kenya that offer ICT certificate courses include Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and the Technical University of Kenya.

2. Certificate in Business Administration

Another course that will make you a well-rounded graduate is the Certificate in Business Administration.

It is one of the most marketable certificate courses in Kenya that focuses on an array of managerial and administrative skills needed in the workplace. You can learn about controls, planning, financial management, accounting, and statements.

The programme prepares you for entry-level positions by introducing you to fundamental business practices and concepts. Some of the topics you will learn can include economics, business communication, risk management, computer applications, and more.

Since the course focuses on many fundamental business concepts, it will prepare you for a diverse range of professional goals and apply your business skills in the areas of business management, marketing, entrepreneurial ventures, finance, and small business management, among others. You can enrol for the programme at Maseno University.

3. Certificate in Health Records and Information

One of the many marketable KMTC certificate courses you should pursue is Health Records and Information. It is a programme that equips you with the knowledge and skills of collecting and maintaining medical information. The information may include patient diagnostics, records, financial information, and insurance, among others.

Image: unsplash.com

Source: UGC

You will explore many subjects such as database management, electronic health records, ethical and legal issues related to health information management, and medical coding. Upon graduation, you will qualify to become a hospital receptionist, dental secretary, or health information clerk. The programme is available at KMTC.

4. Certificate in Sales and Marketing

The programme provides training for career success in the fields of sales and marketing. As a student, you will acquire the necessary skills to be a manager in marketing and sales.

You will learn about markets, distribution channels, market research, publicity, marketing strategies, pricing strategies, public relations, advertising, and more. As one of the many online certificate courses in Kenya, it provides practical training on a wide range of duties in the competitive world of business.

Upon graduation, you will qualify as a sales and marketing manager. Part of your job will be to manage staff, recruit, train, control, guide, and motivate them. Your work will also be to plan and organise various activities within the sales and marketing department in your organisation.

5. Certificate in Purchasing and Supplies Management

The programme offers students skills on how to efficiently and effectively manage the activities of an organisations supply chain. You will get first-hand and up-to-date information in the field of commercial and industrial purchasing and supply chain management.

The classes focus more on case studies, practical solutions, and theories that revolve around purchasing and supply chain management.

At the end of the course, you will get the necessary training and information to become eligible for certification. The certification will allow you to become an associate buyer, purchasing director, transportation personnel, distribution specialist, procurement manager, production assistant, or inventory control manager.

You can enrol for the programme at various learning institutions in Kenya, including Kenya Institute of Management, Zetech College, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology.

6. Certificate in Food Technology

As one of the many Technical University of Kenya certificate courses, the programme empowers a student with the skills and knowledge necessary for research, quality control, and development in food industries.

You will learn how to use various technologies to ensure the quality and safety of food products. The studies also focus on how to improve food manufacturing methods through storage, preservation, and product development.

Upon graduation, you will get certification that will allow you to work as a food technologist. You can also become a food and drug inspector, food science technician, food scientist, and food manufacturing specialist.

The biggest employers in Kenya for certified individuals include government health departments, food manufacturing companies, and county governments. You can enrol for the programme at the Technical University of Kenya.

7. Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

The programme is one of the best KNEC certificate courses you should pursue if your entry points for a diploma are low. It is also a marketable course because it provides students with the foundational theories of electronics through laboratory and classroom instruction work.

Students learn about electronics and computer equipment. You will also have the opportunity to learn how to use some of the latest equipment in the electrical engineering field.

Image: unsplash.com

Source: UGC

Upon graduation, you will qualify as an electrical and electronics engineer. That will make you more employable in various industries, including automotive, manufacturing, IT, construction, electronics, power, manufacturing, telecommunications, and more.

You will also gain enough knowledge of designing electrical and electronic tools. The programme is available at the East Africa Institute of Certified Studies, Mount Kenya University, and Machakos Institute of Technology.

8. Certificate in Food Production

If you have paid close attention to the Kenyan economy, you will notice that there has been an increase in the number of hotels, restaurants, and fast-food chains. Thus, a certificate in food production is now more marketable to graduates. As one of the many Utalii College certificate courses, the programme prepares you to work in different kitchens in the hospitality industry.

You will learn how to plan, prepare, and cost many different types of foods under hygienic conditions. At the end of the course, you will have enough knowledge of operating common food processing machinery and equipment.

Also, you will know how to choose the most appropriate raw materials for the production of food and have a solid foundational background for further training in the food processing industry.

9. Certificate in Catering and Accommodation Operations

The Certificate in Catering and Accommodation Operations is one of the best paying certificate courses in Kenya.

It is a programme designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to prepare them for the ever-challenging roles of the hospitality industry. Learners will get training on cost control strategies and how to perform basic food production.

You will learn how to work in a team and how to manage front office and housekeeping operations. The course will also teach you how to develop your communication and leadership skills as a prerequisite of the hospitality industry.

After graduating, you will be well-prepared for a career as a restaurant manager, pastry chef, hotel manager, or food and beverage manager. You can enrol for the programme at the East African Institute of Certified Studies.

10. Certificate in Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy

One of the many KUCCPS certificate courses you should consider is Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy. It is a programme designed to build a learners passion and interest in the hair and beauty industry. The course covers an array of skills from twisting, plaiting, and styling to nail art and make-up. You will also learn hair and scalp physiology and customer care skills.

Once you graduate, you will have enough skills to become a hairstylist or beauty therapist. The knowledge you will gain will allow you to start your business instead of waiting for employment. You can enrol for the programme at Vera Beauty College.

Certificate courses are not equivalent to degree courses. However, they provide a well-rounded education that allows you to learn new things and gain a pool of knowledge. But since the purpose of getting one is to increase your chances of employment, consider enrolling for the most marketable certificate courses in Kenya. The course should be the one that is attractive to potential clients and employers or is currently in demand.

Source: Tuko.co.ke
- The two are pushing for formation of a single party to bring together all Luhya leaders

- Their plan is to unite the Luhya community and rally behind one of their own in 2022

- But they will also need support of other regions if they have to produce a president

- Their activities in Uasin Gishu could be seen as an attempt to bring on board leaders from other parts of Kenya

Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi and his new-found political ally Moses Wetangula seem to have taken a break from scolding Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga and are now preaching peace.

The pair have reportedly dispatched teams of youthful party officials to different counties to spread the new message of peace and unity, even as they strive to establish a new political outfit in readiness for the 2022 contest.

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ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya boss Moses Wetangula have shifted focus from attacking Raila to preaching peace and unity. Photo:TUKO.

READ ALSO: Nyumba ya kifahari ya mbunge wa Rarieda, Otiende Amollo, yasisimua wengi (picha)

TUKO.co.ke can confirm Mudavadi's ANC and Wetangula's Ford Kenya party officials on Wednesday, April 11, pitched tent in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, where they launched their peace campaign in the region.

Addressing journalists during the rather unusual political event in Deputy President William Ruto's backyard, ANC party youth leader Billions Eboli said they had teamed up to preach peaceful co-existence in Uasin Gishu.

"We have just started and will go on. We will work with all peace-loving Kenyans and will not discriminate anyone. We have so far visited a number of churches in Uasin Gishu to pass the same message," Eboli said.

READ ALSO: Kenya shall only rest when Mudavadi or Wetangula is elected president - Khalwale

He added their aim is to bring together all regional parties and form a single party that they believe will help unite all Kenyans moving forward.

"We welcome everyone to join us so we can travel this journey together. Our party leaders Wetangula and Mudavadi are strongly behind us," Eboli said.

READ ALSO: Jamaa amfumania mkewe akifyonzwa na mpango wa kando nyumbani kwake

Mudavadi and Wetangula have been criss-crossing Western region calling for Luhya leaders to unite.

The two National Super Alliance (NASA) co-principals had indicated they were planning to merge their parties into one.

The decision, TUKO.co.ke understands, was made as a result of the acrimonious fall-out in NASA which has so far seen the coalition's affiliate parties take different paths.

READ ALSO: Luhya unity remains elusive as leaders clash over formation of single party for western region

However, not all Western leaders have welcomed the idea of creating a new party for the Mulembe nation.

Addressing the public in Bungoma County, Speaker of the Senate Ken Lusaka said the push for formation of a Mulembe party was untimely, selfish, ill-informed, and bound to fail.

Lusaka argued although he was fully in support of calls for peace and unity, the time was not ripe for 2022 politics.

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.

Kalonzo Musyoka dismisses removal of Moses Wetangula from Senate - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
It's our pre budget show where we bring you some of the most talked about items on the econo
Four Ukrainian soldiers were wounded and one was injured in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues, Colonel Dmytro Hutsuliak said this at a press briefing on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Four Ukrainian servicepersons were wounded in enemy attacks in the ATO area over past day, another one suffered a combat injury," he said.

The wounded soldiers were immediately taken to mobile hospitals. The state of their health is satisfactory, the spokesperson said.

He also added that Russian-backed militants over the past day launched 64 attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, of which 61 were targeted ones.

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Oleksandr Turchynov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, has called the nuclear disarmament of Ukraine "a historical mistake" and stressed that only powerful modern deterrent weapons can prevent an aggressive nuclear country from large-scale invading.

Turchynov said this in an interview with the Gordon Ukrainian online newspaper, the press service of the National Security and Defense Council reported on Wednesday.

"In today's world, everyone has to be self-reliant. Nobody pays attention to the weak. The weak are being humiliated and used! Only a strong Ukraine can make others respect it and reckon with its national interests! We must build such a Ukraine together," Turchynov said.

He added that nuclear disarmament was Ukraines historical mistake. "The security guarantees given to us were not even worth the paper which they were written on," the NSDC secretary said.

Ukraine should rely on its own forces until it joins NATO, Turchynov explained

"What can prevent an aggressive nuclear country from large-scale invading? Only the powerful modern deterrent weapons capable of hitting the enemy at any distance. In my opinion, this matter should be settled as a priority. No one in the world has moral or legal right to disagree with this stance," he said.

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Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk has stated that Ukraine will insist on maintaining the natural gas transit in a volume of not less than 40 billion cubic meters after 2019, otherwise it will be economically unprofitable for Ukraine.

He told this to journalists, when commenting on the statement by Russias Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller that gas transit flows through Ukraine could be between 10 and 15 bcm per year.

"Ukraine will not agree on such volumes, because they will be economically unprofitable for Ukraine. This means we will need to invest funds to pump such gas volumes," Nasalyk said, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He recalled that the European Commission assured it would assist in keeping the natural gas transit through Ukraine.

"We will fight to maintain the transit of more than 40 billion cubic meters," Nasalyk stressed.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash of a military aircraft in Algeria.

"I am shocked by a great number of people who died in Algeria military plane crash. I express my deepest condolences to the families and relatives of the victims," he wrote on Twitter.

At least 257 people were killed on Wednesday when a military plane crashed near the Algerian capital, Algiers, shortly after takeoff. State media reported that the Soviet-designed Il-76 plane was heading for Bechar in southwestern Algeria.

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Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis will travel to Kyiv and the Donetsk region as part of his official visit to Ukraine on April 11-12, the press service of the Lithuanian government has reported.

"Skvernelis will meet with the leadership of the Donetsk military and civilian administration, examine the consequences of military operations and the course of their liquidation, visit an outpatient facility repaired at the expense of Lithuanian funds and open a children's playground equipped with Lithuanian volunteers' resources," reads the statement.

It specifies that the Lithuanian prime minister will also meet in Donbas with the local population, transfer the support of the Government of Lithuania and Blue/Yellow to the Ukrainian troops - food, optics, and medical devices.

In Kyiv, Skvernelis will meet with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, open the Kyiv Security Forum and attend the session of the prime ministers of Ukraine, Lithuania and Moldova "Regional Cooperation: Uniting Common Goals."

Last November, the Lithuanian government approved the transfer of arms to Ukraine for almost EUR 2 million.

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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will soon visit Ukraine and make a trip to Donbas, the press service of the Ukrainian president has reported, following negotiations held between President Petro Poroshenko and Maas.

"The German foreign minister confirmed his intention to visit Ukraine, including Donbas, in the near future," the statement reads.

According to the press service, the head of state expressed his gratitude for Berlin's strong position in support of Ukraine, the condemnation and non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea, the cessation of Russian aggression in Donbas, and the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The parties coordinated approaches regarding the prospects for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to the occupied part of the Donbas. They emphasized that UN peacekeepers should cover the entire occupied territory, including the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border. They also stressed the importance of work in the Normandy format and the need to extend sanctions against Russia as an element of deterring aggression and encouraging a true search for peaceful settlement.

Particular attention was paid to energy solidarity between Ukraine and the EU, as well as the strengthening of Ukrainian-German cooperation, in particular in the field of enhancing cybersecurity and countering propaganda.

Maas stressed that his country would continue to support Ukraine and the reforms that Ukraine is currently pursuing.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin will pay an official visit to Macedonia on April 11-12, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported.

"In Skopje, Pavlo Klimkin will meet with the country's top leadership and hold talks with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov," reads the statement.

The visit is aimed at promoting Ukrainian-Macedonian cooperation, discussing opportunities to intensify economic cooperation and business contacts between the two countries, and preparing for the conclusion of an agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Macedonia on the visa-free regime for short trips of citizens of both countries - the holders of biometric passports.

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President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has instructed the Security Service of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to prepare a draft decision on new sanctions against the Russian Federation.

As the Head of State posted on Facebook, "the sanctions will be introduced and will be harmonized with the decision of the U.S. government. Deripaska and other Russian oligarchs, who, in particular, are rather active in Crimea or supply arms to the Russian armed forces, will be put on the sanctions list."

As reported, during a visit to Germany, Petro Poroshenko said at a joint briefing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine would prepare a draft decision on imposing sanctions against Russian oligarchs in the coming days.

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Requiring the non-governmental activists to file the electronic asset declarations is not a direct violation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. It is rather an attempt to achieve transparency in their activity with inadequate methods.

"Requiring the non-governmental activists to file the electronic asset declarations is not a direct violation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. It is a violation of a somewhat different type: a violation of the EUs principles. It is not a direct violation of the Agreement, but it is an attempt to achieve transparency in the work of activists and non-governmental organizations with inadequate methods. Other approaches can be applied. I am very disappointed that such actions of the Parliament create additional tension, cast a shadow over our relations with the EU," Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze said in an interview with the Obozrevatel Ukrainian media outlet.

Commenting on the progress of Ukraine's implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU, she stressed that political will, capable institutions, professional people, clear and transparent procedures were needed to eliminate a gap.

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Two years ago, Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Acknowledging possible synergies and trade-offs between the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and targets will make it much easier to achieve the Agenda and to translate ambition into reality.

The World Public Sector Report 2018 aims to inform efforts by countries to foster policy integration for implementing the SDGs. It asks, what are the challenges to and opportunities for policy integration across the different stages of policy cycle at the national level? What are some innovative examples of institutional and administrative arrangements that can foster integrated approaches to the 2030 Agenda?

The report distinguishes the dimensions of horizontal integration, i.e., integration across sectors or institutions; vertical integration, i.e., integration of policies and actions across various levels of government; and engagement, i.e., the inclusion of relevant stakeholders in the realisation of shared development objectives.

Horizontal integration in the context of SDG implementation

An increasing number of countries around the world are integrating the SDGs into their national policies. Looking at institutional arrangements in a sample of 60 countries, the report finds that about half created a new structure or mechanism specifically for leading or coordinating SDG implementation. Most of these new institutions are of an inter-ministerial nature and are placed under the authority of the head of State or Government. This stands in contrast with countries that are using pre-existing institutional mechanisms, the majority of which are under a specific ministry. This shift may be an indication of countries interest in addressing the integrated nature of the SDGs and of their determination to rally all parts of government around them.

Going forward, countries may be able to enhance horizontal integration by actively leveraging various means and instruments. Those may include revised budget processes aligned with the SDGs, as done by Mexico, and adequate incentives for integrated work in the public service. Strengthening the capacity of public institutions to track and monitor progress on the SDGs in an integrated way will also be important, as it could reduce the likelihood that implementation initiatives by individual governments institutions are counteracting one another.

Vertical integration for the implementation of the SDGs

In many countries, local governments are very actively engaging around the SDGs. At the planning stage of policy-making, many sub-national governments have been aligning their strategies and plans to the SDGs, sometimes under a national legal mandate. At the implementation stage, the drive for alignment across government levels may come from the national or the sub-national level. Colombia is an extreme case of alignment, where multi-level processes enable allocation of budget resources across territories and establish common reporting formats. Local governments have also been involved in monitoring and evaluation, with the national level sometimes recognizing sub-national and local SDG indicators or supporting their development. Network of cities are active on the SDG front, replicating some of the forms of networking observed in areas like climate change in the past. Decentralization reforms, political economy considerations and organizational factors related to the country context may create specific opportunities for and barriers to vertical integration.

Engaging stakeholders for integrated implementation of the SDGs

The comprehensive scope of the 2030 Agenda requires coordinated action between governments and all stakeholders. The report finds that stakeholder engagement around the SDGs has been happening through different activities, including: awareness raising on the 2030 Agenda; adaptation and prioritization of the Goals to the national context; the development of national SDG implementation plans; their implementation; and monitoring and review. Engagement has happened both at the systemic level, looking at the SDGs as a whole, and around specific goal or target areas, the latter often before the adoption of the SDGs. Hence, lessons from the functioning of such engagement mechanisms could inform current efforts around the SDGs. Several countries have put forward multi-stakeholder partnerships or created frameworks for those in relation with the SDGs. For example, the Netherlands has a broad coalition of over 75 different stakeholders referred to as the Global Goals Charter NL. Finlands whole-of-society approach to the achievement of the goals encourages stakeholders from all parts of society to make public commitments that contribute to the goals.

Integrated approaches for migration, health and in post-conflict contexts

The report illustrates the importance of integrated approaches for three topical issues: international migration, health, and sustainable development in post-conflict contexts.

Linkages between international migration and sustainable development are multiple, as illustrated by the ongoing international discussions around a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. For public institutions and public administration at the national level to adequately address these linkages, multi-dimensional approaches are required, which often involve multiple institutions and actors. The report examines national institutions and policies on migration in a sample of 29 countries representing different regional, economic, social and political backgrounds, with emphasis on labour, education and health policies as they apply to migrants and refugees. It finds a broad variety of institutional settings, as well as a range of integration challenges. It shows the important role played by local governments in meeting the needs of migrants, and the equally important role of stakeholders, including migrant communities themselves, in supporting the economic and social integration of migrants.

The report explores how countries have institutionalized integrated approaches to health, which take into account the multiple linkages between health and other policy areas, including food, nutrition and consumption and urban areas, and also strive to work with multiple actors including communities themselves. Examples of practical approaches to policy integration in health abound. One of them is Health in All Policies, an approach adopted in both developed and developing countries, which systematically considers the health implications of policy decisions across sectors. Tools that mobilize and disseminate data from multiple sources are another example, as illustrated in the report. Many types of institutional mechanisms and structures have been tried in different contexts, making health a pioneering sector in terms of adopting integrated approaches. Some of the approaches surveyed in the report could possibly inform integration initiatives in other sectors.

Finally, the report recognizes the particular importance of policy integration in post-conflict contexts. Realizing the SDGs will be more difficult in post-conflict contexts than in other countries. Countries emerging from conflict have to simultaneously address three generic types of issues: securing quick developmental gains; restoring basic functions of the State; and progressing toward sustainable development; in a context of narrow fiscal spaces and low public revenue mobilization capacity. Several countries have used the SDGs as a framework to align their long-term development strategies and plans, as well as other instruments such as budget processes. Among countries having suffered from conflict, Chad, Colombia, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands and Somalia have explicitly linked high-level objectives expressed in their national plans and strategies with the SDGs.

Working together: Integration, Institutions and the Sustainable Development Goals

Achieving the SDGs is not an exercise in achieving a collection of individual targets, but rather an exercise in collaboration and joint efforts within and across government, and between government and various stakeholders, to a level that has not been seen before. The World Public Sector Report 2018 highlights some of the institutional approaches that countries have put in place since 2015 to achieve this objective.
The Admiral Makarov frigate with Kalibr cruise missiles may also be sent to Syria.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is based in the annexed city of Sevastopol, has been put on alert.

All the command of units is at the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet since morning, the Krymsky Kanal (Crimean Channel) reported on Telegram.

Read alsoUkrainian border guards respond to maritime threats from Russia

"An emergency intercom call with the Russian Defense Ministry is under way. It is reported that the Black Sea Fleet has been put on alert since mid-March. The Pytlivy ship with the Smerch-2 anti-submarine system, the Admiral Essen and Admiral Grigorovich ships with Kalibr surface ship and submarine-launched anti-ship cruise missiles on board are already in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Syria along with large landing ships such as the Caesar Kunikov, Orsk and Minsk," the report says.

At the same time, the Admiral Makarov frigate with Kalibr cruise missiles may also be sent to Syria. It is allegedly stationed in Baltiysk at the moment.
Savchenko will not be hospitalized today as investigative actions are planned.

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Nadiia Savchenko, who is suspected of plotting terrorist attacks and seizing state power, has been on hunger strike for 20 days and has reportedly lost 15 kilograms.

Her mother and sister visited her in the morning, the TSN news service reported.

They say Nadiia has lost weight to 70 from 85 kilograms. She does not eat anything, only drinks water and smokes, which has caused problems with the digestive system.

"She has stomach problems, that's all what I know. She has stomach cramps, sometimes vomiting, nausea," her mother said.

Read alsoPolice raid on Savchenko's flat under way

Savchenko will not be hospitalized today as investigative actions are planned. However, as she told her relatives, she is going to request a doctor's appointment on Thursday, April 12.

"She is provided with full medical care on the spot," the SBU Security Service's press service said, the news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

As UNIAN reported, the Verkhovna Rada on March 22 green-lighted the arrest of Member of Parliament Nadiia Savchenko, a former Ukrainian pilot released from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner-of-war exchange.

Ukraine's prosecutors charged Savchenko with plotting a coup and an act of terror in Ukraine, following an elaborate sting operation by SBU Security Service agents, who initially targeted former hostage swap negotiator Volodymyr Ruban. The latter is believed to have conspired with Savchenko.

On March 23, a Kyiv district court ruled that Savchenko be remanded in custody for 59 days without bail.

Savchenko is suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 109 (actions aimed at the forcible change or overthrow of the constitutional order or seizure of state power); Part 1 of Article 14 (preparations for a crime), Part 2 of Article 28 (committing a crime by a group of persons, a group of persons by prior agreement, an organized group or a criminal organization), Article 112 (an attempted attack on the life of a public figure), Part 3 of Article 258 (an act of terror); Part 1 of Article 258-3 (creation of a terrorist group or organization) and Part 1 of Article 263 (illegal possession of weapons, ammunition or explosives) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On March 29, the Kyiv City Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the first instance court to keep Savchenko behind bars for a period of 59 days until May 20.
The Foreign Minister said the Russian occupation authorities must not be allowed to plunder and destroy Ukrainian property in the occupied Crimea.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin states that UNESCO has taken a decision that actually allows for the deployment of a monitoring mission to monitor the situation in the occupied Crimea.

"The UNESCO Executive Council has just made an important decision regarding Crimea. In fact, this is an opportunity to deploy in Crimea a monitoring mission and struggle for the rights of education, science, and protection of cultural monuments, including the Khan Palace," Ukraine's top diplomat wrote on Twitter. We will not allow the occupation authorities to plunder and destroy Ukrainian property!" wrote Klimkin.

Read alsoUkraine's Permanent Envoy to CoE Dmytro Kuleba: "Surprisingly, some EU member states still believe dialogue is needed with Russia"As UNIAN reported earlier, on March 7, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, chairman of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO Sergey Kyslytsya and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay discussed the prospects of introducing a direct monitoring of the situation with cultural and historical heritage as a result of Russia's occupation of Crimea.

In February, Ukraine provided to UNESCO a detailed analysis of the problems caused by the Russian occupation of the peninsula.

As noted on the website of Ukraine's Permanent Mission to UNESCO, eight decisions on monitoring the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) were taken in a row from the beginning of the occupation of the peninsula by the UNESCO Executive Board.

The decisions allowed for ensuring, throughout four years, the consolidation of problems of the occupied Crimea in the list of priority issues on the agenda of UNESCO's governing body, and also contributed to the formation of UNESCO's integrated monitoring mechanism on the human rights situation in Crimea and Sevastopol. The decisions are based on the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine" adopted on March 27, 2014.
Ukraine is at risk of falling into authoritarianism, it said.

International non-governmental human rights watchdog Freedom House, engaged in the support and research of the state of democracy, political freedom and respect for fundamental human rights, has said Ukraine's Democracy Score declined this year for the first time since the 2014 revolution.

"For the first time since the 2014 revolution, Ukraine's Democracy Score declined this year," Freedom House said in its study titled "Nations in Transit 2018. Confronting Illiberalism."

Read alsoUkraine legislation risks 'serious harm to democracy'  media

"Ukraine is at risk of falling into authoritarianism. The window for fundamental reforms may not have closed in Ukraine, but it has narrowed considerably amid political resistance to anticorruption reforms and a series of attacks on civil society and the media," reads the report.

This year, 19 of the 29 countries in the report recorded declines in their Democracy Scoresmore than in any previous edition of Nations in Transit, it said.

Nations in Transit 2018 measures progress and setbacks for democratization in 29 countries from Central Europe to Central Asia. This annual study covers events from January 1 through December 31, 2017.
Details of the charges are not disclosed.

Press secretary of the Ukrainian Crimean Prosecutor's Office Tetiana Tykhonchyk says the captain of the Crimean-registered Nord fishing vessel, Volodymyr Horbenko, has been served with a new indictment.

"He was served with a new indictment. The court will decide on a preventive measure today," the news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda quoted Tykhonchyk as saying.

She could not clarify the article the indictment is based on. Neither could she say whether Horbenko would be present in the Kherson court.

Read alsoOccupation authorities try to hand over Ukrainian passports to crew of seized Crimean vessel

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian-flagged and Crimea-registered fishing vessel Nord operated by a crew of 10 was seized by the Ukrainian Border Guard Service in the Sea of Azov on March 25 on charges of infringements on the Ukrainian border crossing rules in relation to the occupied territory. The vessel and crew were brought to the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine announced that the captain of the Nord, who turned to be a citizen of Ukraine, was indicted under Part 2 of Article 332-1 (violation of entry/exit rules into/from temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On April 8, the Ukrainian Border Guard Service reported an attempt to smuggle the Nord's crew in Russian diplomatic cars through the Hoptivka checkpoint in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. The sailors presented Russian-issued emergency travel documents instead of passports. The border guards drew up a report on the incident and returned them to Ukraine.
The militants used proscribed weapons both in the Donetsk and Luhansk sectors.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 64 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with four Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoTurchynov: Ukraine tests Vilkha missile system (Photo)

"In the Donetsk sector, the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka, Butivka coal mine and the villages of Berdianske, Lebedynske, Shyrokyne, Vodiane, Pisky and Kamianka came under fire from proscribed 120mm mortars. Militant tanks attacked positions near Vodiane, Pisky and Kamianka, while 82mm mortars were used to shell Butivka mine, and the villages of Pisky, Talakivka and Lebedynske. In addition, the occupiers used grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns and small arms against the defenders of the towns of Avdiyivka, Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, Butivka mine, and the villages of Lebedynske, Starohnativka, Talakivka, Kamianka, Hnutove, Vodiane, Novotroyitske and Pavlopil. Moreover, the aggressor fired cannons of infantry fighting vehicles at the defenders of Pisky, Hnutove and Krasnohorivka, while an anti-tank missile system was used near Shyrokyne," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

In the Luhansk sector, the aggressor fired 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Novo-Oleksandrivka, while infantry fighting vehicles were used near the village of Luhanske.
The battalion commander is confident in the Ukrainian army's combat effectiveness.

Commander of Ukraine's Kyiv-2 battalion Bohdan Voitsekhovsky has said statements recently made by former "Defense Minister" of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic ("DPR") Igor Girkin, nom de guerre Strelkov, about Russia's big mistake to stop large-scale military actions against Ukraine and the need to go as far as to Dnipro are "just talks and wishful thinking."

"It's all talks and wishful thinking. What kind of threat Girkin poses if our army is strong enough, in full gear and combat-ready," he told the Ukrainian news outlet Obozrevatel.

Read alsoDonbas sees escalation: 64 enemy attacks on Ukrainian troops, 4 WIA's in last day

According to him, the Russian-backed militants and the former leaders controlled by the Russian FSB may influence the situation only as much as the Ukrainian army lets them.

The battalion commander is confident in the Ukrainian army's combat effectiveness.

"We may lose the battle but not the war. We may lose a battle for Kharkiv, even for Kyiv, but still we will win the war, because capturing does not mean keeping. They will have no strength or ability. They must not only capture, but also keep, and they have already failed to," he said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Girkin drew three possible scenarios of developments for the self-proclaimed republics in Russian-occupied Donbas. According to him, if the Russian Federation closes the border, then the so-called Donbas republics will cease to exist in a few days.
The United States and other Western powers consider taking military action over Saturday's attack.

Russia on Tuesday vetoed a U.S.-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that would have created a new inquiry to ascertain blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Read alsoPOLITICO: Russia complicit in Syria gas attack, Haley tells U.N. Security Council

Twelve council members voted in favor, while Bolivia joined Russia in voting no, and China abstained. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States to pass, as reported by Reuters.

"This resolution is the bare minimum that the council can do to respond to the attack," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council before the vote, referring to reports of a deadly poison gas attack in Syria's Douma.

The United States and other Western powers consider taking military action over Saturday's attack.
The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria.

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, a step that could trigger a major escalation in the Syrian war.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, in comments broadcast on Tuesday evening, said he was referring to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff, Reuters wrote.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria, targeting any missiles and launchers involved in such an attack. Russia is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally.

Read alsoRussia vetoes U.S. bid to form new Syria chemical weapons inquiry  media

The United States and its allies are considering whether to hit Syria over a suspected poison gas attack that medical relief organizations say killed dozens of people in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus on Saturday.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then...the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic. He also said a clash "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations."

Russia and the United States blocked attempts by each other in the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.
In his tweet, Trump called Assad a "gas killing animal."

U.S. President Donald Trump has tweeted that Russia should "get ready" for missiles to be fired into Syria, in response to an alleged chemical attack at the weekend.

Senior Russian figures had threatened to meet any U.S. strikes with a response, the BBC reported.

Trump previously promised a "forceful" response.

President Bashar al-Assad's government  which receives military backing from Russia  denies being behind any chemical attack.

In his tweet, Trump called Assad a "gas killing animal."

Read alsoRussian envoy to Lebanon: Any U.S. missiles fired at Syria will be shot down  Reuters

On Saturday, Syrian opposition activists, rescue workers and medics said the rebel-held town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region had been attacked by government forces using bombs filled with toxic chemicals.

The Syrian-American Medical Society said more than 500 people had been found with symptoms "indicative of exposure to a chemical agent", and on Wednesday the World Health Organization demanded access to the area to verify reports from its partners that 70 people had died.

After the attack, Trump and his Defence Secretary, James Mattis, canceled travel plans. The U.S. and Western allies said they have agreed to work together.

Several senior Russian figures warned of a Russian response to a U.S. attack, with Alexander Zasypkin, Moscow's ambassador to Lebanon, repeating on Wednesday a warning by the head of the military that missiles would be shot down and their launch sites targeted.

Trump's tweet referred to this warning.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
Air traffic controllers in Smolensk gave the Polish plane crew erroneous information on their approach to landing, the report added.

A Polish presidential plane flying to Smolensk, western Russia, in 2010 was destroyed while in the air as a result of an explosion, according to a report by investigators released in Warsaw on Wednesday.

A commission probing the crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others aboard - including top political and military figures - said that the incident was not a result of pilot error, Radio Poland wrote.

According to the commission, first the presidential planes left wing exploded when the jet was more than 900 meters from Smolensk airport.

Later, while the plane was still in midair, there was an explosion in the planes hull and a total power failure, according to the report.

Air traffic controllers in Smolensk gave the Polish plane crew erroneous information on their approach to landing, the report added.

Read alsoPoland's Lech Kaczynski was "last great" regional leader: Ukraine's YushchenkoThe report findings were released a day after commemorations across Poland on Tuesday, exactly eight years since the presidential plane disaster.

Polands ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has long challenged an official report into the 2010 crash issued by the country's previous government, which cited a catalog of errors on the Polish side, while also pointing to errors made by Russian staff at the control tower of Smolensk Military Airport.

A Russian report placed all the blame on the Poles.

Law and Justice have launched their own inquiry into the crash which, in initial findings, suggested the plane was probably destroyed by a midair explosion, and that Russian air traffic controllers deliberately misled the Polish crew about the plane location as the presidential plane approached the runway of the Smolensk military airport in 2010.

In mid-December last year, Poland's defense minister at the time, Antoni Macierewicz, said that Russia was responsible for the plane crash. He also said that the Polish presidential plane was destroyed by "two explosions."

Read alsoMH17 downing: Media shed light on involvement of Russian ColonelIn January, the new team of investigators appointed by Macierewicz said that the jets left wing was destroyed as a result of an explosion on board.

The commission said that the explosion had several sources on the plane.

Macierewicz, who now himself heads the commission probing the disaster, said that the report made public on Wednesday focused on technical issues and was not the final report into the crash.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The Ambassador of Pakistan to Iran Asif Durrani said that the successful completion of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would further boost Pakistan- Iran cooperation as transit hub for the region.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :The Ambassador of Pakistan to Iran Asif Durrani said that the successful completion of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would further boost Pakistan- Iran cooperation as transit hub for the region.

He said this during a reception to commemorate the 78th Pakistan's National Day in Tehran, said a message received here on Wednesday. Interior Minister of Iran Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli was the chief guest on the occasion while a large number of guests from all walks of life including Alaeddin Borojardi, Chairman National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Majlis, members of the Iranian Parliament, Deputy Ministers of Defense, Interior and Trade, high ranking civil and military officials, diplomats, scholars, media persons and prominent citizens of both countries attended the event.

The ceremony began with playing of national anthems of Pakistan and Iran. Ambassador Asif Durrani, in his welcome remarks, greeted the guests with Norouz wishes and shed light on the significance of Pakistan's National Day with a pledge to strive for a peaceful, prosperous and stronger Pakistan.

Highlighting the myriad challenges that Pakistan faced in recent years, Ambassador Durrani said that Pakistan has sacrificed more than 70,000 of its citizens including armed forces personnel and law enforcement agencies in fighting terrorists and has succeeded in defeating terrorism on its soil.

He said: "Today, there are no safe havens for terrorists on our soil". Now, Pakistan is on the path of economic progress, it is rated as the most progressive emerging market with GDP growth of 6 per cent this year and projection of 6.5 percent in the coming year, the ambassador said.

Ambassador Durrani lauded the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran which are getting stronger by the day and said that both countries have displayed exemplary cooperation on many regional and international issues.

With 35 percent increase in bilateral trade since last year, the ambassador expressed hope of attaining $5 billion mark of bilateral trade in the next three years. Iran's Interior Minister Fazli, in his speech extended felicitations to the Government and people of Pakistan on Pakistan's National Day and lauded commemorating of 70 years of relations between Iran and Pakistan including cultural, civilizational, religious and historical.

The Iranian Interior Minister reiterated the interest of the Supreme leader of Iran on the expansion and deepening relations with Pakistan and said that it has given further strength to these bonds, which has been followed by all the governments of Iran, especially the present govt of Rouhani.

Fazli hoped that opening of new border points between both the countries would enhance potential of border markets and border security. The development of Gwadar and Chabahar ports, signing of FTA and implementation of PTA, establishing banking channels between Pakistan and Iran would bring about economic prosperity for both the neighbours and the region.

At the end of the ceremony, Durrani, Fazli and the dignitaries cut a cake to mark Pakistan- Iran friendship. A documentary showing Pakistan's rich cultural heritage and economic progress was also screened on the multimedia. (Since 23rd March falls during Norouz holidays in Iran, Pakistan National Day reception was held on 10th April, 2018).
Built on the latest technology standards, Pakistans No.1 home appliance brand brings energy efficient appliances for its consumers.

Karachi (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) Dawlance  Pakistans no.1 home appliances brand, has created the Dawlance Solar Express - a colorfully branded truck that will display invertor and non-invertor models of Refrigerator and Chest Freezers, powered by solar-energy.

The aim of this activation is to introduce the energy efficient range of Dawlance refrigerators and chest freezers, which are meant to impact the monthly electricity bill equivalent to that of two energy savers.

This vibrant float embarks on a two-month long journey from Karachi to Peshawar, carrying the energy efficient appliances of Dawlance. It is designed to create awareness among the masses about the benefits of hi-tech invertor machinery that can run on solar power.

Navigating across more than 43 cities of Pakistan, and demonstrating the appliances that promise unmatched conservation of energy, the Dawlance solar express is a first of its kind initiative, ever to be introduced by a home appliance manufacturer in Pakistan.

The devices displayed on the Dawlance Solar Express will be solely powered through a single Solar-Panel generating 300 watts, while mounted on the roof of this truck. Each of these appliance consume less electricity than two energy-savers bulbs, thus giving unbelievable economy in utility bills.

These new refrigerators and chest freezers are built on high efficiency compressor and comes with an enhanced body with improved insulation that gives better cooling retention. Solar-power technology is the most sustainable and environment-friendly solution, that promises an endless source of energy.

It can reduce the worlds reliance on rapidly-depleting fossil-fuel reserves.

Dawlance Head of Marketing - Hasan Jamil stated, Dawlance has positioned itself to achieve this new milestone in innovation by offering noticeable savings on electric bills for its consumers and the country at large.

The Solar Express is an ambassador of the revolutionary technologies that Dawlance has created, to help the nation in reducing its energy-consumption, while the consumers get consistent performance from their reliable home appliances, to lead a comfortable and prosperous life. The move has been designed not only to upgrade our millions of esteemed customers to the new technology standards on offer but also to benefit from the tremendous savings with these refrigerators and chest freezers which will have an impact of as low as 2 energy savers on the monthly electricity bills, he added.

This campaign will also eliminate several misperceptions in the society, as it will prove that the new power-saving technologies are actually lower in prices, with much lesser maintenance costs in the long-run.

Dawlance Solar Express, is a testament against these misconceptions, as it will demonstrate the amazing benefits of power-saving appliances that can run on minimum solar power. Arcelik Dawlance is committed to extensive Research & Development, deploying teams of technology experts in numerous countries, including; Turkey, Thailand, Romania, and South-Africa, to help develop revolutionary products and home appliances.

Dawlance has a deep understanding of the Pakistani market and life-styles. Hence it has always been successful in introducing cutting-edge technologies to meet the evolving needs of the consumers in this country.
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Pakistan and the Kuwait Fund here Wednesday signed Supplementary Loan Agreement of K.D 4.5 million (equivalent to US$ 15 Million) for financing Golen Gol Hydropower Project.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Pakistan and the Kuwait Fund here Wednesday signed Supplementary Loan Agreement of K.D 4.5 million (equivalent to US$ 15 Million) for financing Golen Gol Hydropower Project.

The State of Kuwait has already been co-financing this Project with an amount of K.D 11.00 million (equivalent to US$ 37 Million). The document was signed by Ghanem Sulaiman Al-Ghenaiman, Deputy Director General, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and Secretary, Economic Affairs Division, Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jilani.

The signing ceremony was attended by Fawaz Al-Adasani, Assistant Regional Manager for East, South Asia and Pacific Countries of Kuwait Fund, Fahad Al Mazeel, Charge d Affairs, Embassy of the State of Kuwait and senior officials from Economic Affairs Division, Ministry of Water Resources and WAPDA.

Secretary, Economic Affairs Division on the occasion said that completion of the Golen Gol Hydroelectric Power Project would offer new opportunities for the people living in Chitral and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. It will meet electricity demand in the area and also boost tourism and economic activities, he added.
Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited's commodity index on Tuesday closed at 3,385 points; with traded value of metals, energy and COTS/FX recorded at Rs 7.921 billion.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited's commodity index on Tuesday closed at 3,385 points; with traded value of metals, energy and COTS/FX recorded at Rs 7.921 billion. The number of lots traded was 11,382, said PMEX statement here on Wednesday.

(The data is compiled and released after 24 hours).

The major business was contributed by gold amounting to Rs 3.206 billion, followed by currencies through COTS Rs 1.500 billion, DJ Rs 838.469 million, WTI crude oil Rs 751.595 million, silver Rs 516.334million, NSDQ100 Rs 392.658 million, platinum Rs 328.102 million, Brent crude oil Rs 191.245 million, natural gas Rs 80.347 million, copper Rs 64.013 million and SP500 Rs 51.438 million. In agricultural commodities, 10 lots of cotton amounting to Rs 4.768 million were traded.
South Korea's domestic cereal bar market grew 19.6 percent on-year in 2017 amid a rapid increase of the number of single-person households, a report showed Wednesday.

SEOUL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :South Korea's domestic cereal bar market grew 19.6 percent on-year in 2017 amid a rapid increase of the number of single-person households, a report showed Wednesday.

The market size for cereal bars was estimated at around 49 billion won (US$46 million) last year, Dongsuh Foods Corp. said, citing a report from Nielsen Korea Ltd.

Dongsuh Foods, a major South Korean food company, said sales of its cereal bar products have been rising in line with the overall popularity of instant meals, mainly due to the increase of single and double-income households.

Households consisting of a single member accounted for 27.2 percent of all family units in 2015 and are expected to rise to account for 29.6 percent of the total next year to become the most common household type in the country for the first time.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani Wednesday informed that provincial cabinet has approved legal draft 2018 to end corporal punishments in all government and private sector schools.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani Wednesday informed that provincial cabinet has approved legal draft 2018 to end corporal punishments in all government and private sector schools.

He was briefing the media persons regarding cabinet meeting held in the chair of KP Chief Minister in Civil Secretariat here. He said that parents have to approach courts in the absence of a law regarding corporal punishments and Peshawar High Court has directed provincial government to initiate legislation against the practice.

Violators would be awarded six year incarceration and fine of Rs 50,000 and a committee has also been constituted to address the complaints, he elaborated. Provincial cabinet has also approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Department of Elementary and Secondary education and British Council for capacity building of teachers giving training to 83000 teachers.

Cabinet also approved KP Civil Courts Amendment Act 2018 and KP Motor Vehicles Rules 1969 making Director Transport competent authority to issue licenses of Heavy, Light and Public Sector vehicles while District Police Officer would issue licenses of car, jeep and motorcycle.

SSP and Deputy Commissioner would issue licenses in Peshawar and Malakand respectively and period of learner license has been reduced to 45 days from six months. Cabinet also approved development budget of district Charsadda while CM directed uniform and judicious distribution of developmental funds, he told.
(@FahadShabbir)

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private School Regulatory Authority has started functioning with the immediate registration of private schools in all districts of the province.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private school Regulatory Authority has started functioning with the immediate registration of private schools in all districts of the province.

The Authority has requested owners of the private schools for registration and annual renewal for which forms have been made available on the official website of Elementary & Secondary education Department: www.kpese.gov.pk.

Schools management may submit dully filled and completed forms at nearby District Monitoring Officer IMU (DMO) located in all 25 districts. DMOs are also appointed as their respective district's scrutiny committee chairman.

The authority is committed to facilitating parents of the students of private schools. Efforts are underway to fix fee structure which will be finalized by the next month. Managing Director Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Regulatory Authority (KP-PSRA) has notified the directives to all the private schools under the judgment of Peshawar High Court.

The Managing Director (MD) Syed Zafar Ali Shah said that management of private schools, who have violated the honorable Peshawar High Court Judgment dated 08.11.2017, are required to immediately de-notify the un-authorized increase in fee, if made by any of the schools/institutions and refund the same to the parents within seven (07) days positively.

In case of failure, action will be taken against all the concerned defaulters under the PSRA Act-2017 and the Rules & Regulations made there under. Private School Regulatory Authority (PSRA) requests all stakeholders including parents and owners of the schools/institutions to consult the KP-PSRA Regulations, 2018 and mandate of the authority available on the website given above.

In case of complaints, suggestions or clarifications, the Authority may be contacted at kppsra.complaint@gmail.com.
Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique said the government is utilizing maximum resources to ensure easy access to the people to the health facilities and utilising heavy resources for this purpose.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical education Khawaja Salman Rafique said the government is utilizing maximum resources to ensure easy access to the people to the health facilities and utilising heavy resources for this purpose.

He stated this while visiting Multan on Wednesday. Kh Salman Rafique expressed his displeasure over the mismanagement of the hospital administration and observed that despite all measures by the government, the hospital administration shown negligence in providing medicines to the patients in Nishtar Hospital.

Minister said that Punjab government is providing quality healthcare services in the hospitals moreover, free medicines are being provided to the patients. He said that government had introduced Seehat Card to facilitate the people which is a revolutionary step.

During the meeting of syndicate, various steps were approved for the improvement in the administrative and academic matters besides recruitment of medical teachers and the staff.

The meeting also gave approval to adopt the rules of Fatima Jinnah Medical University for Nishtar Medical University temporarily and advised that the separate rules for the university should be formulated on early basis.

The syndicate meeting also approved the construction of admin block, medical warehouse and the PC-I for this purpose. The meeting also discussed the pay package and attractive incentives to hire the services of professors for the university.

Earlier, Minister Specialized Healthcare Kh. Salman Rafique paid a surprise visit to the Children Hospital Multan. The Minister also reviewed the ongoing construction work and other administrative matters of the hospital.

Kh. Salman Rafique also met with the doctors, patients and their attendants and inquired regarding the facilities being provided in the hospital. On this occasion, DC Multan Nadar Chatha and other concerned officers were also present.
Punjab Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir has said that international exhibitions on health sector would help to introduce modern trends and use of new technology in health sector .

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Punjab Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir has said that international exhibitions on health sector would help to introduce modern trends and use of new technology in health sector .

He said this while inaugurating the 2nd day of 3-days Health Asia Exhibition at Expo Centre Johar Town, here on Wednesday. On the occasion, senior office bearer's of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association including Kh Shahzeb Akram and owners of pharma industry were present.

Kh Imran Nazir took a round of the stalls set up in the Health Asia Expo. It was informed that 390 stalls had been set up in the exhibition by the local and multinational pharmaceutical units as well as the medical equipments, tools and other medical related articles had been displayed in the exhibition.

Not only from the country but also from China and Turkey,the manufacturers of medical equipments are participating in the exhibition. Kh Imran Nazir expressed keen interest in the latest medical equipments and use of information technology.

The minister said that information technology would be utilized for establishing E-BHUs in Punjab. He said that Health Asia Exhibition was a great achievement of the administration of the exhibition. He said that such activities were very helpful for promoting the trade and economic activities in the country.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Staff in Emergency Department of Lahore General Hospital was allegedly attacked by the attendants of a patient, resulting in injuries to six persons.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2018 ) :Staff in Emergency Department of Lahore General Hospital was allegedly attacked by the attendants of a patient, resulting in injuries to six persons.

This was stated in a press release issued here on Wednesday by the LGH management. It further said that after a traffic accident patient Shakeel was brought to Lahore General Hospital where his treatment was started in Emergency Department and in the meantime his attendants tried to enter to meet him then security guard stopped and told that at a time one attendant could be there.

On this they all started scuffling and started to beat security guard on which other guards reached to rescue him.

As a result, some of the hospital staff namely Ibrahim, Raashid, and Ali Murtaza got injuries and were admitted in the same hospital.

Hospital administration and Police authorities reached immediately after hearing this incident and those involved were taken into custody. Principal Post Graduate Medical Institute Prof. Dr. Ghias-un-Nabi Tayyab expressed concern on this incident and assured the doctors, nurses and para medical staff that they would be provided all out security at their job sites and no one would be allowed to take law in their hands.

He also appealed the patients to follow one man one attendant policy during their treatment at hospitals.
UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2018 ) :Bolivia has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss "the threats of unilateral military action" against Syria, hours after US President Donald Trump warned of missile attack.

"My delegation has requested the presidency of the council to convene a meeting for tomorrow for consultations and also for the presidency to ask the (UN) Secretariat to brief the council on the situation (in the context of) the escalation of rhetoric regarding Syria and threats for unilateral military action," Bolivia's U.N.

Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorentty Soliz told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday. He said the meeting would be in the form of closed-door consultations. "There's a consistency in these threats, so we are concerned because any unilateral action would be a violation of the principles and purposes of the (U.N.) Charter," Ambassador Soliz said, obviously referring to Trump's threat of military action.

Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected deadly poison gas attack, declaring that missiles "will be coming" and denouncing Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Dozens of people died and hundreds were injured in the attack, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The 15-member Council failed on Tuesday to approve three draft resolutions on chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Russia vetoed a U.S. text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get a minimum nine votes to pass. "Whatever happens next has to abide by international law," Swedish U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog told reporters on Wednesday, referring to U.S.

plans for military action. "What the Syrian people want and need is peace and justice, not further military escalation or impunity. Let that also be a response to planned military intervention etc.," Skoog told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.

"Whatever happens now has to be in line with international law," he said before walking into the Security Council chamber for a meeting on Mali. Skoog refused to comment on a tweet by Trump Wednesday morning.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump tweeted.

Asked whether such military actions against Syria requires Security Council authorization, Skoog said: "The (UN) Charter is very clear about military intervention." APP/ift
(@rukhshanmir)

Police in their crackdowns against anti-social elements have arrested 17 lawbreakers including three bootleggers besides recovering 3570 grams charras, 32 liters liquor, four pistols 30 bore with 39 rounds and other items from their possession.

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Police in their crackdowns against anti-social elements have arrested 17 lawbreakers including three bootleggers besides recovering 3570 grams charras, 32 liters liquor, four pistols 30 bore with 39 rounds and other items from their possession.

According to a police spokesman, City Police netted Babar for having 200 grams charras. Gunjmandi police arrested Asif with 200 grams charras. New Town Police rounded up Qaiser and recovered 220 grams charras.

R.

A.Bazar police seized 210 grams charras from Shabbir and 220 grams charras from the possession of Usman. Civil Line police nabbed Khalil for carrying 1100 grams charras. Taxila police seized 520 grams charras and held Zubair.

Mandra police sent behind the bars Fayyaz for possessing 400 grams charras and Habib with 500 grams charras. Three bootleggers namely Izatullah, Imran and Zamrud were held as police recovered 32 liters liquor from their possession. Other accused were rounded up for having illegal weapons.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

An accountability court on Wednesday ordered medical examination of Shahid Shafique, involved in Ashiana Housing Scam, from Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :An accountability court on Wednesday ordered medical examination of Shahid Shafique, involved in Ashiana Housing Scam, from Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

Accountability Court-V Judge Syed Najamul Hassan passed the orders while accepting an application filed by the wife of accused Shahid Shafique for the purpose. Earlier, the applicant's counsel alleged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) subjected Shahid Shafique to torture during physical remand.

He pleaded with the court to order medical examination of the accused. However, NAB's prosecutor opposed the plea, saying that no torture had been committed. The accused Shahid Shafique was also presented in the court.

The court after hearing arguments of the parties ordered medical examination of the accused from Sheikh Zayed Hospital. It is pertinent to mention here that Shahid Shafique, owner of Bismillah Engineering, is still in the custody of NAB on physical remand.

Shahid Shafique had been accused of illegally acquiring a Rs 14 billion contract in Ashiana Housing Project. The accused in connivance with the LDA officers had presented fake documents of joint consortium and eventually obtained a contract of Rs 14 billion being owner of C4 category company, which was not eligible to get a contract worth more than Rs 150 million.
Balochistan Assembly Tuesday strongly condemned an incident of military airstrike at a Madrassa in Kanduz area of Afghanistan and passed unanimously a condemning resolution demanding the United Nations to take action in this regard.

QUETTA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2018 ) :Balochistan Assembly Tuesday strongly condemned an incident of military airstrike at a Madrassa in Kanduz area of Afghanistan and passed unanimously a condemning resolution demanding the United Nations to take action in this regard.

The Assembly session was chaired by Speaker Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- F member Shahida Raouf presented the joint resolution which read that we strongly condemn the American military airstrikes bombing on a religious Madrassa in Kanduz area of Afghanistan.

He said several innocent children had lost their lives in the military airstrikes when they were presenting turbans (Dastarnbandi) during a ceremony in the Madrassa. Provincial Minister for Home Mir Sarfraz Bugti said unfortunately Afghanistan military also was involved in the incident and urged the international human rights organizations to take notice of the incident.

Provincial Ministers Prince Ali Ahmed, Mir Asim Kurd Gellu, Syed Agha Raza, and MPAs Zamark Khan Achakzai, Shahida Raouf, Syed Liaqat Agha, Abdul Reheem Ziaratwal and Dr, Hamid Khan Achakzai also supported the resolution and said the United Nations should play its role to take action against perpetrators of such incidents so that they could be avoided in future.

Later, Speaker Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani presented the joint condemning resolution which was approved by the house. Meanwhile, Standing Committee for Planning and Development Chairman Haji Muhammad Aslam Baloch tabled a Balochistan Public Private Partnership Bill legislation 2018 which was approved in the session.

The session was adjourned till April 13 by Speaker Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani.
China said it "firmly supports" the recent visit of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to Afghanistan. "China highly appreciates and firmly supports Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Afghanistan," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Geng Shuang said during his regular press briefing.

Beijing, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2018) : China said it "firmly supports" the recent visit of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to Afghanistan. "China highly appreciates and firmly supports Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Afghanistan," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Geng Shuang said during his regular press briefing.

"It is an important step towards improving relations between the two countries and also demonstrated the sincere wishes and firm resolution of Pakistan and Afghanistan to enhance dialogue and cooperation," Shuang added.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson further said, "It is noted that both countries have reached consensus on promoting the Afghan peace process and enhancing regional inter-connectivity.

" The spokesperson said the Pakistani premier's visit is very important and encouraging for the early achievement of peace and development in Afghanistan.

Responding to a question, Shuang said, "As a friend and neighbour of Pakistan and Afghanistan, China is willing to play a constructive role in improving relations between the two countries and actively promoting China, Afghanistan and Pakistan trilateral cooperation." Prime Minister Abbasi visited Kabul on the invitation of Afghan President Ghani on April 6.

During the day-long visit, the two countries agreed on Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity.
The district police in a grand crackdown against drug peddlers and inter provincial network of smugglers held 188 narcotics smugglers in one month, said a press release of police here Wednesday.

KOHAT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :The district police in a grand crackdown against drug peddlers and inter provincial network of smugglers held 188 narcotics smugglers in one month, said a press release of police here Wednesday.

The arrested smugglers included 31 members of inter districts and inter provincial network and 57 local narcotics sellers.

On the directives of DPO Majeed Abass, the district police parties strengthened check points and created some extras along with border of tribal areas to end narcotics smuggling.

Meanwhile, the police teams also apprehended huge number of narcotics consumers from different areas during the period. The police recovered 80 kilogram Cannabis, six kilogram heroine, two kilogram Opium, 150 gram Ice and 12 bottles of alcohols from the arrested smugglers and narcotics sellers.
The Placement office, Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) Wednesday organized an alumni dinner 2018 which was attended by a large number of former students from 2001 to 2017.

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :The Placement office, Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) Wednesday organized an alumni dinner 2018 which was attended by a large number of former students from 2001 to 2017.

The aim of the dinner was to help 17-year alumni to keep in touch with each other, share information and experiences and to provide them opportunities to build professional development, and friendship.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Samina Amin Qadir said, "We proud to see all of you successful in your fields and towards a better career.

" Some former students on the occasion shared their life experiences and how FJWU empowered them to become successful.

Entrepreneur, Ms. Amna Shoaib, Sub Inspector and Ms. Maira Zahoor, Financial Officer USEFP shared their experiences. Ms. Humera Sadia, Placement officer thanked the guests for their participation and university administration for providing an opportunity to organize such an event. The program ended with the performance by a musical band.
Chairman Akhuwat Dr. Amjid Saqib has said that adequate efforts are being made for the promotion of education to facilitate underprivileged families.

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2018 ) :Chairman Akhuwat Dr. Amjid Saqib has said that adequate efforts are being made for the promotion of education to facilitate underprivileged families.

Talking to APP on Wednesday evening at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) he disclosed, "We are establishing Akhuwat University which will be first free university of Pakistan with quality higher education." Dr.

Saqib said that the mega project university will be accomplished at a cost of Rs. 45 crore and will be operational in August, adding that development work on the project is in full swing. Akhuwat is operating multiple free educational institutions with success.

"Akhuwat schools, college, Akhuwat first Faisalabad Institute of research, science & technology and management are the main feature of our education programme," he said.

Dr. Saqib further stated that Akhuwat uses all its donation in developing long term solutions towards creating a self-reliant and educated society.

He disclosed that clothes donated by people from all over Pakistan are brought at Akhuwat Cloth Bank where they are carefully sorted, repaired, washed and packed by a team of transgenders. This project is also promoting dignified employment for transgenders.

He further said that these clothes are distributed across the country and for this purpose many distributing events have been held.
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The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding to foster awareness and prevention activities against corruption.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :The Higher education Commission (HEC) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding to foster awareness and prevention activities against corruption.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, HEC and Muhammad Imtiaz Tajwar, Deputy Chairman, NAB signed the MoU in a ceremony held here Wednesday, a news release said. The MoU is a renewal of an MoU signed between the two organisations earlier in November 2014.

Under the MoU, HEC and NAB will establish a sustained and effective collaboration and partnership in combating corruption, its threats to society, institutions, ethical values, democratic standards, justice and rule of law in the country.

They will enhance awareness among the masses, especially youth regarding the menace of corruption. The MoU also underlines preparation of curricula on anti-corruption themes apart from holding seminars, walks, conferences and workshops in universities.

The two parties will also hold essay, painting and poetry competitions, debates and declamations on the need for anti-corruption efforts. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed reiterated HEC's resolve to continue cooperating with NAB in countering corrupt practices.

"HEC is proud to be part of NAB's anti-corruption efforts in the country, as it is national cause" he stated. He said the two organisations have been jointly working under the MoU to create awareness among youth.

He said the renewal of MoU between HEC and NAB reflects commitment of the two organisations to eradicating corruption. He maintained that youth are the country's asset and future, so they need to be educated on the threats of corruption to society.

"It is our obligation to tell the youth the right direction," he stressed. He urged teachers and Imams to play their role in social uplift. Character building and moral training of youth has a great significance in nation building, he said.

HEC also informed the participants about the HEC's Community Engagement initiative and said HEC will hold University Olympics this year to promote extra-curricular activities among students. He said HEC does not tolerate academic corruption and plagiarism, adding that over 480 MPhil and PhD programmes of different universities have been shut down as they failed to fulfil the set criteria.

In his remarks, Mr. Tajwar stressed the need for enhanced joint anti-corruption efforts, as the partnership between HEC and NAB is aimed at the welfare of future generations. He said the Character Building Societies established with the support of HEC are playing a vital role in this regard.

He emphasised inclusion of anti-corruption topics in curricula of various academic programmes. "Curriculum is a source to guide and give a way-forward to youth," he asserted. Senior officers from both sides including Waseem S.

Hashmi Syed, Adviser, Human Resource Development, HEC, Mrs Shaheen Khan, Adviser, Learning Innovation Division, HEC, Dr Shahid Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Awais Ahmad, Director General, Administration and Coordination, HEC, Muhammad Raza Chauhan, Director General, Academics, Nasir Khan, Director General, Awareness and Prevention (A&P) Division, NAB, Nasim Ahmed Khan, Additional Director, A&P, NAB, and Kashif Khan Sikandari, Assistant Director, NAB also attended the MoU signing ceremony.
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Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Media Affairs Senator Dr Musadik Malik Wednesday said horse-trading in elections was not in national interest as it was weakening democracy.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Media Affairs Senator Dr Musadik Malik Wednesday said horse-trading in elections was not in national interest as it was weakening democracy.

Former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his party were still popular among the masses as hundreds of thousands of people were participating in the gatherings being addressed by him, he said talking to a private news channel.

Musadik said quitting of some parliamentarians would not affect the popularity of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Some nefarious elements were intimidating parliamentarians of southern Punjab to quit the PML-N, he added.

Replying to a question, he said Nawaz Sharif was disqualified for having an Iqama (residential permit) but not on the basis of corruption charges though he had cooperated with the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for transparent investigation.

Commenting on Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in Sindh, he said the alliance would give tough time to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in the general election 2018.
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Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak Wednesday said PTI's provincial government has given a legal cover to all the reforms introduced in various sectors to keep the people on receiving benefits and justice in future.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak Wednesday said PTI's provincial government has given a legal cover to all the reforms introduced in various sectors to keep the people on receiving benefits and justice in future.

Presiding over a cabinet meeting, he said that forming the governance structure was not an easy take to do but PTI had through commitment and right approach and strategy translated the reforms for good governance in the province.

Pervez Khattak said that his government today legally banned corporal punishment in schools of the province adding that the previous protection in this regard was further improved and the act was cleared by the provincial cabinet.

The CM asked WAPDA to immediately release its share of Rs 22 billion on net hydel profit and added that the province would put on ground the overall design of improved educational facilities including training to 83 thousands teachers and improved schooling facilities in the province.

Pervez Khattak said his government would never compromise on the standard of education, asserting that the concept of the reward and punishment would continue for strengthening of educational system.

PTI government had introduced a number of reforms and an ideal environment for the teachers now they should have to deliver in matching manners and improve delivery system in their respective educational institutions.

The CM said that the merit criteria laid down for the recruitment of permanent Managing Director for a period of three years was a good step and the process should be carried out within the legal framework and the laid down procedure of the state bank of Pakistan.

The provincial cabinet approved it. Meanwhile, the cabinet approved developmental fund of the district Charsadda. The Chief Minister directed for a uniform, transparent and just distribution of resources in the district.

He also directed against any substandard solarization and street lights etc. A standardized solarization in all TMAs, schools etc should be ensured, he directed. Pervez Khattak said that the decision amending the civil procedural code by his government for the settlement, completion of all civil cases was a good decision and pro poor initiative.

Chief Minister directed for expediting work on BRT and provision of buses in time. He said the provincial government would not subsidize the project, it is a resource generating project and would stand on its own feet, therefore the negative propaganda against it is uncalled for, he added.

Earlier, the cabinet meeting offered Fateha for the departed soul of father of Finance Minister Muzaffar said advocate.
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The last three train sets of Orange Line Metro reached here, and after their arrival, the total train sets have swelled to 27 in the city.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :The last three train sets of Orange Line Metro reached here, and after their arrival, the total train sets have swelled to 27 in the city.

Fourteen train sets had been parked at train's depot Dera Gujjran while the stabling yard at Ali Town will house 13 sets. Advisor to the Chief Minister, Punjab and Chairman of the steering committee for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (LOMTP) Khawaja Ahmad Hassan disclosed this after the weekly progress review meeting, here, Wednesday.

The work for laying metallic track as well as installation of electrical and mechanical equipment was in full swing thesedays as additional workforce had been employed by the Chinese contractor CR-NORINCO for this purpose with a view to partially starting the trial run of the train very soon, he added.

He said the Parks and Horticulture Authority had been tasked for designing ornamental lightening system for illumination of track as per international standards. He said the train would be operated with electricity and construction of an electric sub-station near University of Engineering and Technology at G.T.

Road had been completed for this purpose. The LESCO had assured to make it functional as and when required. He further said that first four metro stations from Dera Gujjaran to Mehmood Booti would be completed during the current week while target had been set for completing Pakistan Mint station and Nichelson Road station by the end of next week.

More than half of the track laying work at this stretch had already been completed, he said. The meeting was told that so far 86.41 per cent civil work on the project had been completed. Progress of work on package-I from Dera Gujjaran, G.T.Road to Chouburji was 91.27 percent, on package-II from Choburji to Ali Town was 81.05 percent, on Depot near Dera Gujran was 87.10 percent while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town it was 88.20 percent.

Progress on Electrical and Mechanical work on the project had been 53.92 per cent. Khawaja Ahmad Hassan directed for completing rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, affected by the ongoing civil work, by the end of this month for ending the sufferings of the general public as well as the local traders.

He urged the departments concerned to finalize shifting of utility services for this purpose before the carpeting of roads as road cuts will not be allowed after the construction of roads is finalized.

Chief Engineer TEPA, LDA Mazhar Hussain Khan, senior officials of LESCO, WASA, ptcl, SUI GAS, Traffic Police, Railways, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Chinese Contractor, CR-NOROINCO, representatives of Chinese Engineering consultant and local contractors of the project attended the meeting.
National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior here on Wednesday recommended that National Assembly may pass the bill on "The Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants".

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior here on Wednesday recommended that National Assembly may pass the bill on "The Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants".

The 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee was chaired by Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan, MNA here at Parliament House. The members of the committee held a discussion on "The Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Bill" moved by the government.

The committee recommended that the bill may be passed with insertions for further legislation.

The committee also unanimously confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting held on February 26, 2018.

The committee meeting was attended by Syed Iftikharul Hassan, Mian Shahid Hussain Khan Bhatti, Nawab Muhammad Yousaf Talpur, Naeema Kishwer Khan, Sheikh Muhammad Akram, Ehsanur Rehman Mazari and Dr Arif Alvi. The senior officers from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, Federal Investigation Agency and their staff were present in the meeting.
Chairman Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI), Zubair Motiwala lauded Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for his efforts to ease strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2018 ) :Chairman Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI), Zubair Motiwala lauded Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for his efforts to ease strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, Zubair Motiwala said at this time of deteriorating relationship and growing mistrust, the recent visit of the Prime Minister to Afghanistan can be termed as significantly instrument for strengthening the historical ties between the two nations.

Chairman PAJCCI strongly welcomed the announcements of prime minister made during the visit, which also satisfies the manifesto of PAJCCI and are in alignment with the PAJCCI's proposals recently presented during Af-Pak Regional Connectivity Forum in Islamabad.

The four significant declarations included that economic connectivity between the two countries will not be impacted by the political whims and security imperatives, abrupt border closures would be avoided, initiation of pending table-talks especially holding of APTTCA and JEC meetings and waiver of the Regulatory Duties only for Afghan exports to Pakistan that were imposed in October 2017.

Additionally, H.E. Prime Minister as a goodwill gesture also gifted 40,000 MT wheat to Afghanistan. Motiwala showed confidence that this initiative of breaking the ice will help revive and strengthen long-standing business ties between both the countries and urged both the Governments to keenly follow-up such concerns and develop measures of a long term nature, for ensuring overall economic stability in the region.

Chairman PAJCCI further requested for a call-on meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan for deliberating upon important issues that require policy advocacy and for incorporating strategic insight to facilitate the solution of major issues hampering the historical ties between two brotherly nations.

He also made reference to PAJCCI's recent initiative of preparing a comprehensive proposal on the basis of stakeholders' perspectives from across the border. This policy document, is being prepared across the border with consensus and will shortly be submitted to the Governments at both the sides in order to facilitate a futuristic and constructive strategizing across the border.
The Government of Pakistan and the United Nations in Pakistan Wednesday signed the UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF), also known as the One Programme III (OPIII) 2018-2022 at a ceremony held in the Economic Affairs Division (EAD).

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :The Government of Pakistan and the United Nations in Pakistan Wednesday signed the UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF), also known as the One Programme III (OPIII) 2018-2022 at a ceremony held in the Economic Affairs Division (EAD).

Secretary EAD and United Nations Resident Coordinator signed the document along with other UN agencies working in Pakistan, said a press release. Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jillani, Secretary EAD remarked that the signing is an important milestone for the Government of Pakistan as it reinforces 70 years of trusted partnership with the UN.

Pakistan is amongst the first countries that adopted the SDGs as National Development Goals and one of the few countries that is investing its own resources to achieve the SDGs. We are confident that the new 5-year programme will create impactful results for the people of Pakistan, he added.

The 5-year partnership framework sets out the direction of the UN's support to the Government of Pakistan to achieve the 17 Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UNSDF/OPIII sets-out 10 key outcomes in areas in which the UN can leverage its strong comparative advantage in support of Pakistan's commitment to the SDGs; inclusive and sustainable economic growth; decent work for all; improved health coverage and equitable WASH services; better nutrition; lasting food security and sustainable agriculture practices; greater resilience; quality education and learning; gender equality and dignity for all; strengthened governance; and more effective social protection.

Strong partnerships and country-ownership are the twin pillars of the UNSDF/OPIII. The programme is aligned both with the SDGs and the aspirations of Pakistan's Vision 2025. It commits the UN to greater inter-agency collaboration while working closer than ever with our partners-federal, provincial and local governments, the private sector, civil society, donors and the international community - to deliver a more prosperous, inclusive and equitable future for Pakistan' said Neil Buhne, UN Resident Coordinator.

Since 2009, the UN has contributed over $2.3 billion to support the Government of Pakistan to tackle its development challenges that has benefitted millions of Pakistanis throughout the country.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Pakistani origin Dr Robina Shah will be installed as the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester on Thursday. Radio Pakistan reported that in recognition of her services, her Majesty the Queen appointed her the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester.

She is the first British Pakistani woman to achieve this honour. She is a graduate of the University of Manchester and is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners and Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine Open Section Council.

Dr Shah is a chartered consultant psychologist and director of the University's Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience.

Dr Robina Shah is an academic at the University of Manchester, has an extensive public service record spanning over 25 years.

The high sheriffs central role is to support the Crown and the judiciary. It supports the police, emergency services, probation, prison services and voluntary sector organisations. Dr Shah will also support charities and organisations working with young people and other vulnerable members of the community. Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibne Abbas will attend the ceremony.
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The Punjab Food Authority(PFA) in its ongoing drive of checking food outlets on Tuesday inspected various sites while seven outlets were sealed for not making proper cleanliness arrangements in Rawalpindi area.

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2018 ) :The Punjab Food Authority(PFA) in its ongoing drive of checking food outlets on Tuesday inspected various sites while seven outlets were sealed for not making proper cleanliness arrangements in Rawalpindi area.

The Departments spokesman told media that PFA sealed seven outlets including Moon Ice product and Abbasi cold corner while fine of over Rs 300,000 were imposed on several restaurants for not making hygienic environment.

PFA also issued notices to dozens of outlets to improve cleanliness. He further said that strict action is being taken against violators to ensure provision of hygienic food to the residents.
Rice exports of the country has increased by 29 percent in terms of value during the period of July 2017 to March 2018 in comparison to the same period of the previous fiscal year.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2018 ) :Rice exports of the country has increased by 29 percent in terms of value during the period of July 2017 to March 2018 in comparison to the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Senior Vice Chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Rafique Suleman, in a statement here on Tuesday, said this year, total 2.95 million metric tons of Rice amounting to $ 1.412 billion, whereas in the same period of last year the volume was 2.53 million metric tons that amounted to $.1.09 billion.

He said the REAP members were putting their untiring efforts to increase the rice exports and to earn more foreign exchange for the country.

He said the REAP had been sending trade delegations to various countries for aggressive marketing for Rice.

At present, a REAP delegation was on visit to Iran, which was very and potential market for Basmati rice. He said Kenya was the largest buyer of Pakistani non -Basmati rice and during last nine months, Pakistan exported 342,000 metric tons of rice amounting to $ 122 million.

He also mentioned that China was the 2nd largest destination for Pakistani non- Basmati rice. From July 2017 to March 2018, 270,000 metric tons of rice valuing $ 99 million was exported.
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Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Wednesday reiterated commitment to protect, preserve and defend each and every word of the country's constitution.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Wednesday reiterated commitment to protect, preserve and defend each and every word of the country's constitution.

In his remarks in the National Assembly on the occasion of constitution day observed yesterday, the speaker paid tributes to those who gave immense sacrifices for the sanctity and protection of constitution.

He said this sacred document was vital for a strong democracy and peaceful and prosperous future of the country.
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National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH) will soon implement the idea of establishing a state-of-the-art "Pakistan Park" in the premises of Quaid Mausoleum in Karachi which will provide a glimpse of all the province.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH) will soon implement the idea of establishing a state-of-the-art "Pakistan Park" in the premises of Quaid Mausoleum in Karachi which will provide a glimpse of all the province.

This was announced by Advisor to Prime Minister on NH&LH, Irfan Siddiqui during a media interaction on Wednesday here at National Book Foundation (NBF). "Pakistan Park" will provide the visitors a visual insight into cultural and social aspects and traditions of all the provinces, giving pictorial overview of the whole country.

"This Park will be like a Mini Pakistan", he said. The newly created division has taken strong and result oriented initiatives to reactivate all the 12 departments working under it. Listing the initiatives taken by his division, Irfan Siddiqui revealed that the division has started work on PC-I of the National Museum of Pakistan which will pave the way to realize the dream of creating a national level museum in Federal capital to house thousands of antiquities, representing country's rich cultural heritage.

The work on the design of National Museum of Pakistan, to be built on 3.24 acres land adjacent to Lok Virsa, has been completed. Irfan Siddiqui also announced that a new auditorium will be inaugurated at Pakistan academy of Letters (PAL) this month while new offices of PAL are also being established in the remote areas of Dadu, Gilgit, Muzzarafabad and FATA to expand the scope of literary activities in the country.

He said participation of over 3,50,000 people in the recently held four-day National Book Festival reflected that people have great love for the books despite the advent of modern technology. During the four-day festival featuring 132 book stalls and 70 different programmes, the books worth Rs.

20 million were sold out on discounted rates, he revealed. Speaking about the performance of the division, Irfan Siddiqui said soon after assuming the charge as Advisor, organizational structure of 12 of its departments was completed and renowned literary personalities were appointed as heads of these organizations to revitalize these.

He said the Endowment Fund of Rs. 500 million given by former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for literary activities in the country is invested in the National Bank and the funds generating from this amount would be utilized for the welfare of writer's community.

The amount of the stipend for deserving literary persons was raised from Rs. 7000/ upto Rs. 13,000 while the number of stipends was increased from 500 to 1000. The number of Kamal-i-Fun awards has also been increases from 12 to 20 while the amount has also been doubled, he said.

The insurance cover for literary persons was also expanded from 350 writer's upto 700 with increase in the amount. The Advisor also mentioned the other initiatives taken by his division including arrangement of national and international calligraphy exhibitions and calligraphy competition, establishment of National Institute of Calligraphy, installment of Water Treatment Plant at Quaid's Mausoleum, creation of Translation Bureau, arrangement of Vesakh festival for Buddhist monks, listing of archaeological sites at UNESCO's list, restoration of Readers Club Scheme, creation of Braille Corner at National library of Pakistan, digitalization of 22 volumes of urdu dictionary and implementation of Urdu as official language.

Irfan Siddiqui announced to hold an International Conference on Allama Iqbal at Lahore on April 24 where international scholars will participate.
FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Apr, 2018 ) ::A tax culture in any country is a prerequisite for development of the country, while trust deficit among people and collecting agencies needs to be bridged to make people pay taxes honestly.

This was stated by University of Agriculture Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar while addressing a tax awareness seminar, arranged by the office of research innovation and commercialisation, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and the Punjab Revenue Authority as an initiative of the Punjab government at New Senate Hall, UAF, here Tuesday.

UAF Treasurer Tariq Saeed said that Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) collected tax through withholding agents on different services whereas majority of the service providers were not registered with the PRA.

Director Institute of Agricultural Resource and Economics Dr Sultan Ali Adil said that developed nations were spending 20 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product on education whereas in Pakistan, only five percent was being spent that needs to be enhanced to face challenges of modern era.

Tax expert Hamid Masood called for holding the tax seminars in every corner of the country in order to educate people about importance of the tax. APP/aar/ia/rsd
Elected representatives from across Pakistan, top government figures, foreign diplomats, policy strategists, social sector experts and other eminent personalities came together at a three-day international conference

ISLAMABAD (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) Elected representatives from across Pakistan, top government figures, foreign diplomats, policy strategists, social sector experts and other eminent personalities came together at a three-day international conference which kicked off on Tuesday to bring to spotlight the crucial role local governments can play in the implementation of the sustainable development goals in the Asia and Pacific region.

Themed Think Globally, Act Locally  SDGs' Implementation through Local Governments, has being organised by the United Cities and Local Government Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) in collaboration with the Local Councils Associations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Provinces of Pakistan.

The conference is supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The heads of district governments in the four provinces of Pakistan and Islamabad Capital Territory (mayors, chairmen, chairpersons, nazims) showed up at the event.

In addition, 60 delegates from over a dozen countries worldwide including mayors of the cities of England, Russia, Turkey, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal and Afghanistan, directors of United Nations agencies, envoys of European Union and other regional and international cooperation agencies are scheduled to attend the moot.

Mayor of Jakarta (Indonesia), Hangzou (China), Tai pie (Taiwan), Jeju (Korea), Kazan (Russia), Fuzho (China) amongst others are attending the conference. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Shahid Khaqan Abbasi would be presiding over the conference today (Wednesday).

Speaking on occasion, President Local Councils Associations of Punjab (LCAP) and Co-President UCLG ASPAC Syed Muhammad Asghar Gillani said the increased recognition of the roles and importance of regional governments in a growing number of developing countries is being undertaken to strengthen democracy and to improve the quality and effectiveness of government and service delivery at local level.

''We all know that centrally-led, top-down development policies and programme cannot alone succeed in addressing the complexities of sustainable development and fighting poverty. Public and private actors have their role to play especially at local level.'' In his televised message, Won Hee Ryong, Governor, Jeju Special Governing Province, South Korea and President UCLG ASPAC said the conduct of the international conference on SDGs' implementation through local governments would significantly held in sensitising the authorities in Pakistan at government level regarding the importance of SDGs and their effective implementation.

Dr Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi. Secretary General  UCLG ASPAC said local government bodies have a critical role to play as a bridge between national governments and citizens as well as in global partnership to improve wellbeing of the citizens.

''The current development challenges facing the countries in the region are inequality, unemployment, poverty, climate change, rapid urbanisation and these require the local governments to play a more developmental role for policy-making.

'Think Globally, Act Locally  SDGs' Implementation through Local Governments' is extremely relevant to the sustainable development discourse in the region.'' Deputy Mayor Islamabad Zeeshan Naqvi said sustainability in cities can be achieved through harnessing of cooperation, political vision and governance through projects with themes revolving around sustainable development goals.

Divided into different sessions including speeches, presentations, interactive sessions, group discussions, study tours and informal discussions, the conference discusses the important role of local governments in responding to Agenda 2030 and the challenges local governments face in the implementation, monitoring and financing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

It provides insights into best practices to serve as an opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue, form partnerships and create networks.
Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has established National Incubation Centers (NIC) across the country to provide a nurturing environment to technology based business ideas to prosper and become viable contributors to the country's economy.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has established National Incubation Centers (NIC) across the country to provide a nurturing environment to technology based business ideas to prosper and become viable contributors to the country's economy.

Pakistan's first largest National Incubation Center (NIC) at Islamabad is running under the public-private partnership providing a comprehensive eco system for startups, incubators and accelerators.

While NIC Lahore has been established at LUMS ,MOS IT Mrs Anusha Rahman has inaugurated the institute in December 2017. After the successful launch of NIC Peshawar, NIC Karachi is LMKT's second venture into the national incubation space.

The Karachi incubation center is projected to start operations in the second quarter of 2018. Ignite - The Techno logy Fund has awarded the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) a project worth PKR 560 million to set-up the National Incubation Center (NIC) in Quetta.

NIC Quetta is the last of the 5 regional NICs, for which, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom is funding through Ignite for promoting entrepreneurship in the country. In order to promote entrepreneurship in Pakistan, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has established National Information Technology Park at Chak Shehzad Islamaba and Work on IT Parks in Lahore and Karachi will also be started soon.

Islamabad IT park key features include space for 5000 IT professionals, Data Center, incubation center, Business Centers, and support infrastructure. 14 Software Technology Parks are providing nearly 1 million square feet of space to IT companies with state of the art redundant facilities in numerous cities and more are in the pipeline in various phases.

While talking To APP Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Anusha Rehman said, in the first there years of the tenure ministry of IT has been determinately working on IT infrastructure and still working on it as only strong infrastructure could take the IT sector to the next level.

CEO Ignite Yusaf Hussain said, National Incubation Centers (NIC) aim to present an opportunity for startups that seek to solve meaningful problems with the help of academia and for corporate. While talking to APP, he said, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has established National Incubation Centers (NIC) across the country to transform and thrive in this age of global competition and pervasive change by partnering with the investing in startups.

Yusuf Hussain said that there were 140 project which were going to be execute but in last one year we had funded 30 projects. He said, establishment of the National Incubation Centers would assist in channeling the entrepreneurial drive amongst young graduates of the nation.

He said, Innovation was the need of the hour, and by empowering the youth with the necessary digital skills and entrepreneurial acumen , society's most challenging problems could be tackled. While responding to a question he said, "We are working with universities, Industry and startups because with collective effort we can deliver effective and efficiently." He thanked the present government for taking important steps for IT industry as 3G/4G had given the boost it.
Seventeen people were killed in a flashpoint district of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, an AFP reporter saw Wednesday.

Bangui, Central African Republic, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Seventeen people were killed in a flashpoint district of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, an AFP reporter saw Wednesday.

Residents of the PK5 district laid out the bodies of 17 men in front of the headquarters of the United Nations mission in Bangui, saying they had been killed in clashes on Tuesday between local armed groups and UN peacekeepers.
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Algeria suffered its deadliest ever air catastrophe Wednesday when a military plane crashed near the capital, killing 257 people on board, mostly army personnel and their family members, officials said.

Boufarik, Algeria, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Algeria suffered its deadliest ever air catastrophe Wednesday when a military plane crashed near the capital, killing 257 people on board, mostly army personnel and their family members, officials said.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw the charred wreckage of the plane after it caught fire in a field near the Boufarik airbase, 30 kilometres (30 miles) south of Algiers, from where it had taken off.

Hundreds of ambulances and dozens of fire trucks with sirens wailing rushed to the scene of the crash, in an uninhabited area where one person was injured on the ground by debris. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and security forces set up a cordon to prevent journalists and onlookers from approaching.

The defence ministry said in a statement that 247 passengers and 10 crew were killed without mentioning any survivors. Most of those on board were army members and their families, it said. There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash.

Deputy Defence Minister General Ahmed Gaid Salah visited the site and ordered an investigation, the defence ministry said. The Ilyushin IL-76 transport plane was bound for Tindouf in southwest Algeria near the borders with Morocco and Western Sahara.

The Tindouf region is home to refugees from Western Sahara and houses the administrative offices of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic declared in 1976 by the Algiers-backed Polisario Front which seeks independence for the region.

Rabat considers Western Sahara an integral part of Morocco and proposes autonomy for the resource-rich territory. According to the plane manufacturer's website, the IL-76, a four-engine plane built in the Soviet Union and then Russia, can transport between 126 and 225 passengers depending on the model and configuration.

The North African country has suffered a string of military and civilian aviation disasters but Wednesday's was Algeria's deadliest ever plane crash and the world's fourth costliest in human lives in 20 years.
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Azerbaijanis voted on Wednesday in a snap presidential election boycotted by the main opposition parties and set to extend the autocratic rule of President Ilham Aliyev.

Baku, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Azerbaijanis voted on Wednesday in a snap presidential election boycotted by the main opposition parties and set to extend the autocratic rule of President Ilham Aliyev.

An Aliyev victory is widely seen as a foregone conclusion with the Caspian state's downtrodden opposition unable to mount a serious challenge to his authoritarian rule. His position has also been boosted by the steady influx of petrodollars into his government's coffers.

Opposition parties in the tightly-controlled Caucasus nation have said the elections are a sham and accused the authorities of preparing to rig the vote. They have also condemned Aliyev's surprise -- and unexplained -- decision to hold the election six months ahead of schedule, saying it was aimed at shortening the campaign period and hampering the opposition's efforts to prevent vote-rigging.

"All previous elections in Azerbaijan were falsified and held with blatant violations of the electoral law. These elections will be no exception," said the executive secretary of the opposition Republican Alternative Movement, Natig Jafarli.

In a statement released ahead of the vote, 11 leading Azerbaijani rights activists said the "election environment and electoral legislation did not provide guarantees for free and fair elections." "The elections are completely non-competitive and without political alternative," they said, describing the media environment in the run-up to the election as "alarming".

The authorities rejected the opposition's criticism, insisting the vote will be free and fair. The head of the Central Election Commission said turnout was 69.9% at 1300 GMT, nine hours after polls opened, but opposition and rights activists expressed doubts about the accuracy of the figures.

- 'Unprecedented' powers - At a polling station in the capital Baku, 38-year-old schoolteacher Elmira Balayeva said she had voted for Aliyev because he was the only candidate capable of steering the country towards economic wellbeing and political stability.

"There is no alternative to Aliyev. Only thanks to him is Azerbaijan a stable country with a strong economy," she said after casting her ballot.

But for Natig Veliyev, a 27-year-old student who didn't bother to vote, "the elections are pure farce." "We have never seen free elections in this country.

Aliyev simply extends his reign again and again." Poised to secure a fourth consecutive term, Aliyev, 56, was first elected in 2003, after the death of his father Heydar Aliyev. A former KGB officer and communist-era leader, Aliyev senior had ruled Azerbaijan with an iron fist since 1993.

He was re-elected in 2008 and 2013 in polls that were denounced by opposition parties as fraudulent. In 2009, he amended the country's constitution so he could run for an unlimited number of presidential terms, a move criticised by rights advocates.

In 2016, Azerbaijan adopted fresh controversial constitutional amendments, extending the president's term in office from five to seven years. The changes drew criticism from Council of Europe constitutional law experts as "severely upsetting the balance of powers" and giving the president "unprecedented" authority.

Cementing his family's decades-long grip on power, the president last year appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyeva as first vice president. Apart from the incumbent president, seven candidates are running in the poll -- all low-profile figures who have barely carried out any campaigning.

- 'Hidden wealth' - Supporters have praised the Aliyevs for turning a republic once thought of as an ex-Soviet backwater into a flourishing energy supplier to Europe. But critics argue they have crushed opposition and used their power to fund a lavish lifestyle for themselves and their family.

Aliyev has denied accusations of rights abuses and corruption. Monitored by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the polls were due to close at 1500 GMT.

Some 5.2 million people are registered to vote. The Central Election Commission was to begin announcing results late Wednesday, following government-commissioned exit polls released shortly after the vote closes.
Baku, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Likened in leaked US diplomatic cables to the fictional mob boss Michael Corleone, Azerbaijan's strongman Ilham Aliyev is expected to secure his fourth term as president in snap polls on Wednesday.

The 56-year-old took over in 2003 after the death of his father Heydar Aliyev, a former KGB officer and Communist-era boss. Extending into a third decade his family's firm grip over the oil-rich Caspian state, Ilham Aliyev was re-elected in 2008 and 2013 in polls that were denounced by opposition parties as fraudulent.

Supporters have praised the Aliyevs for turning a republic once thought of as a Soviet backwater into a flourishing energy supplier to Europe. But critics argue they have crushed the opposition and used their power to amass a fortune that funds a lavish lifestyle for the president and his family.

"For decades, the Aliyevs have been appropriating Azerbaijan's national riches, they have amassed an immense hidden wealth," Khadija Ismayilova, an anti-corruption crusader, told AFP. "They cling to power to continue looting the country's resources," said the award-winning journalist who spent 17 months in jail in 2014-2016 after she exposed official graft.

In 2009, Aliyev amended the country's constitution so he could run for an unlimited number of presidential terms, in a move criticised by rights advocates who say he could become a president for life.

In 2016, Azerbaijan adopted controversial constitutional amendments, extending the president's term in office to seven years from five. The changes drew criticism from Council of Europe constitutional law experts as "severely upsetting the balance of powers" and giving the president "unprecedented" authority.

"Ilham Aliyev redrew Azerbaijan's constitution so that he could concentrate in his hands unlimited power for an indefinite time," independent political analyst, Alesgar Mammadli, told AFP. - Caucasian Corleone - In 2017, the president appointed his glamorous wife Mehriban Aliyeva as first vice president.

Born into the powerful Pashayev family, Mehriban is sometimes seen as a possible successor or even rival to her husband. The next generation of the Aliyev dynasty seems set to continue the family's leading role in Azerbaijani politics.

In 2010, The Washington Post reported property worth $75 million (55 million Euros) in Dubai in the Names of the president's young son Heydar and his daughters Arzu and Leyla. Often spotted at lavish red carpet events abroad, Leyla, 32, and Arzu, 28, are thought to control substantial businesses interests of their own.

Bolstered by billions in oil money, Ilham has overseen years of steady economic growth and followed a pragmatic foreign policy agenda, treading carefully between Russia and the West. That calculating approach saw him likened in one US diplomatic cable to the coldblooded fictional character of Michael Corleone from "The Godfather" movies.

At the same time, Aliyev's heavy-handed treatment of dissent at home inspired comparison to another character from the Corleone clan -- Michael's hotheaded brother Sonny. "His goal appears to be a political environment in which the Aliyev dynasty is unchallenged," said the cable, released by whistleblowing organisation WikiLeaks.
Tehran, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Russia's special envoy on Syria Alexander Lavrentiev visited Iran on Tuesday for an unannounced meeting, Iranian state media reported, with both sides criticising Western reactions to an alleged chemical attack.

Western countries have accused Syria of launching a chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus on Saturday that killed more than 40 people. "If there is a claim about the use of chemical weapons, we want this issue to be legally investigated," Hossein Jaberi Ansari, a senior aide in Iran's foreign ministry, said after the meeting according to state news agency IRNA.

Syria and its allies Russia and Iran deny the attack and have called for an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Lavrentiev reportedly held extensive discussions on the situation in Syria with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme Council on National Security, and other officials.

Ansari said Western powers were using the alleged chemical attack as "an excuse" to undermine the Syrian regime's recent success on the ground. "Any time there is an important victory in confronting terrorists in political and field developments, we face a coordinated game and tactic from terrorist groups and foreign players," said Ansari.
Sweden, a non-permanent Security Council member, said Wednesday it opposes military strikes on Syria, suggesting such action would violate international law.

United Nations, United States, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Sweden, a non-permanent Security Council member, said Wednesday it opposes military strikes on Syria, suggesting such action would violate international law.

Tensions have soared over the possible military escalation, with President Donald Trump warning Russia that "missiles will be coming" in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria. "What the Syrian people want and need is peace and justice, not further military escalations or impunity," Sweden's UN Ambassador Olof Skoog told reporters.

"Let that also be a response to planned military interventions. Whatever happens now needs to be in line with international law." The Security Council failed on Tuesday to agree on setting up an investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria, with Russia and the United States failing to win support for their rival proposals.

Skoog said that while the council failed to agree on a way forward, the inaction did not create a "legal vacuum" that would justify air strikes by the United States, France and Britain.

"Whatever happens next, there is international law and it needs to be abided on," said the Swedish ambassador.

The warning set the stage for a new clash at the Security Council over the legality of any military action, which is likely to be carried out without a UN mandate. Sweden is a member of the European Union along with Britain and France, but is not part of NATO.

Russia has repeatedly warned at the council that Western military action in Syria would be illegal and could lead to a wider conflict. After the three failed votes at the council on Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia implored the United States to change course.

"I would once again ask you, once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that you are currently developing for Syria," he said.
Armed groups in Libya are holding thousands of people in detention where they are being submitted to torture and other human rights violations, according to a new United Nations report published.

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2018 ) :Armed groups in Libya are holding thousands of people in detention where they are being submitted to torture and other human rights violations, according to a new United Nations report published.

The study, by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, and the UN Support Mission in the country, known as UNSMIL, estimates that some 6,500 people are being held in official prisons while thousands more are in facilities nominally under the authorities or that are directly run by armed groups, some of which are affiliated with the State.

"This report lays bare not only the appalling abuses and violations experienced by Libyans deprived of their liberty, but the sheer horror and arbitrariness of such detentions, both for the victims and their families," said Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

One facility, believed to be the largest of its kind in western Libya, houses 2,600 people who face torture, unlawful killing, denial of adequate medical treatment and poor detention conditions.

"Men, women and children across Libya are arbitrarily detained or unlawfully deprived of their liberty based on their tribal or family links and perceived political affiliations," the report stated.

"Victims have little or no recourse to judicial remedy or reparations, while members of armed groups enjoy total impunity." The report's findings are based on first-hand accounts and other information gathered from sources inside Libya.

Some detainees have been held since 2011 in relation to the armed conflict that led to the overthrow of former President, the late Muammar Gaddafi, and a surge in armed groups. The report further stated that since renewed hostilities broke out in 2014, armed groups on all sides have rounded up suspected opponents, critics, activists, politicians and others, while hostage-taking for prisoner exchanges or ransom is also common.

"Rather than reining in armed groups and integrating their members under State command and control structures, successive Libyan governments have increasingly relied on them for law enforcement, including arrests and detention; paid them salaries; and provided them with equipment and uniforms," the report said.

The authors are calling on the Libyan authorities to condemn torture, ill-treatment and summary executions of those detained, and to ensure accountability for these crimes. "These violations and abuses need to stop and those responsible for such crimes should be held fully to account."
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United Nations, United States, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2018 ) :The United Nations is in talks with Canada on speeding up the deployment of six helicopters to shore up its peacekeeping force in Mali, a UN envoy said Wednesday.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif said Canada will send the helicopters in August but that the mission needs them in June, when Germany pulls out of the mission with its fleet. After two years of talks with the United Nations, Canada announced in March that it will send two Chinook transport helicopters and four Griffon attack helicopters to the MINUSMA mission in Mali.

Annadif, who is the UN's envoy to Mali, said talks were ongoing with Canada and Germany to avoid a vacuum.

"We want them in June," he told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York. The United Nations has 13,000 troops and police in Mali, many of whom are deployed in the country's lawless north.

Seven UN peacekeepers have been killed in attacks in Mali this year alone, serving in a mission that has been described as the UN's most dangerous. Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

Insurgents remain active, linked to drug, arms and migrant trafficking in the vast Sahel region.
Cambodias former opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, arrived in Tokyo, Japan this week to lobby the government to press for a free and fair election in July.

Speaking to Japans NHK Television upon arrival, Rainsy said he believed Japan had a key role to play in bringing democracy to Cambodia following months of anti-democratic measures taken by Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party.

We will ask Japan, and I think Japan is proceeding in the right way, to ensure that the next election set for 29 July will be free and fair with the participation of the only opposition party that is really credible and viable, which is the CNRP, he said, referring to the Cambodia National Rescue Party which was dissolved by the Supreme Court in November.

Rainsy added that Japan had strong leverage over Cambodia due to its considerable development assistance and investment.

During talks with Hun Sen on Sunday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited Cambodia last week and urged a free and fair election, but did not comment on the governments actions against the opposition.

So Japan has understood very well that any election without the participation of the opposition CNRP is meaningless, is useless and will lead to instability, Rainsy said. Because any government that would be formed following an illegitimate election, that government will be illegitimate in itself and will have unpredictable consequences on the situation of Cambodia.

Rainsy is scheduled to meet with Japanese lawmakers, officials of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the business community, and the Cambodian expatriate community, according to party officials.

The Cambodian government arrested CNRP president Kem Sokha in early September, before the dissolution of his party on November 16 last year and the banning of 118 party officials from politics for five years.

Cambodia is scheduled to hold a national election on July 29 and time is running short for the opposition as the National Elections Committee has required all parties to register by May 14.

Rainsy and the overseas Cambodian community have recently called on voters to boycott the elections if the CNRP cannot participate.

But when he arrived in Japan, Rainsy expressed optimism that the opposition would be able to take part in the election.

I am still very hopeful, he said. Anything can happen in Cambodia anytime given the right environment, given the right support from the international community.
Chinas continued forced deportation of North Korean defectors, who face imprisonment or even death upon return to the repressive state, has received muted international criticism, as diplomatic efforts have intensified to negotiate a denuclearization deal with Pyongyang.

In the first three months of 2018, China apprehended at least 41 undocumented North Korean migrants, who crossed the Sino-Korean border trying to escape extreme poverty or political persecution under the authoritarian Kim Jong Un government, and more than 100 others between July 2016 and December 2017, according to the advocacy group Human Rights Watch.

Continued crackdown

China classifies these North Korean escapees, or defectors as they are often called, as illegal economic migrants, and forcibly returns them to North Korea, despite knowing they may be tortured under interrogation, sent to live in harsh conditions in forced labor camps or even sentenced to death.

The Chinese crackdown on these defectors, which has intensified in recent years, could get worse as relations improve between Beijing and Pyongyang, following Kims recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

If relations between China and North Korea are good, North Korean authorities will be able to put pressure on the issue of North Korean defectors, said Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean defector and analyst with the World Institute of North Korean studies.

Kims expressed commitment to engage in denuclearization talks with South Korea and the U.S. has helped ease tensions in the China/North Korea alliance that had grown tense over Pyongyangs defiant nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

To encourage his allys increased cooperation on nuclear negotiations, Xi is likely to demonstrate greater solidarity on border security enforcement, with little regard for humanitarian concerns.

Hes using these defectors to say to Pyongyang that we are still your friend, we are committed to working with you, and we dont want these people either, said Phil Robertson, the deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.

Robertson says Chinas forced deportation policy is in violation of a 1951 United Nations convention, which Beijing signed, recognizing the right of asylum for a people fleeing persecution.

North Korea increased the number of guards and security measures at the border in recent years to prevent defections that are viewed as a threat to the Kim governments tight control over the population.

While an estimated 100,000 undocumented North Koreans currently live in China, most near the border area, they are in constant fear of forced repatriation, say human rights activists.

Nuclear priority

Many other defectors attempt dangerous journeys through China to reach a third country like Thailand or Mongolia, where they can request asylum in South Korea.

Under South Korean law, defectors are eligible to become citizens, as they are considered part of the greater Korean Peninsula. Over 30,000 North Korean defectors have received asylum in the South.

However human rights activists are concerned the progressive government of South Korean President Moon Jae-in is taking a passive approach to supporting defectors and confronting human rights violations on North Korea, in an effort to improve inter-Korean relations and facilitate a nuclear deal with the U.S.

I had no confidence whatsoever that the South Korean government is going to push the human rights agenda with either China or North Korea at this point, said Robertson.

The Moon administration is currently preparing for an inter-Korean summit later this month where the two Koreas will discuss the nuclear issue and also possibly restarting reunions for families separated since the start of the Korean War.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been a more vocal critic of North Korean human rights violations, and some defectors expect he will confront Kim on this issue when they meet for their summit, that is expected to take place in late May or early June.

Although North Korea will feel uncomfortable, I am confident that the US-North Korea summit will contribute significantly to the overall improvement of human rights in North Korea, said North Korean defector Ahn.

However other advocates have voiced concern that Trump may be using human rights criticisms as a negotiating tacit to reach a better deal to end the North Korean nuclear threat.

This story was written by VOAs Brian Padden in Seoul. Lee Yoon-jee contributed.
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday ordered the security forces to remain vigilant after he claimed that the authorities had foiled a Khmer New Year terrorist plot to bomb the iconic Wat Phnom in the capital and a location in Siem Reap province.

At a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said the alleged plot was orchestrated by Sam Serey, the leader of the Khmer National Liberation Front (KNLF), who was convicted on terrorism offenses in 2014 but lives in Denmark.

Last night I sent secret orders to the municipal governor about an alleged April 12 plot to bomb at Wat Phnom, the citys best known Buddhist temple. You must be careful. I already control the situation. Sam Serey, the chief traitor, is giving orders to launch the explosion. I sent it to the relevant police section, Hun Sen said.

The premier ordered those involved in the plot arrested and for the police to step up security in the capital.

Numerous Buddhist events are scheduled for April as Cambodians continue to celebrate their new year, with the Angkor Sankranta, one of the largest, to be presided over by Hun Sens son, Hun Many, in Siem Reap province on Friday, where tens of thousands of Cambodians are expected to attend.

Khieu Sopheak, Interior Ministry spokesman, said there was no information on whether the alleged plotters had yet been apprehended.

"What the Prime Minister has raised is the urgency of our police to make more efforts during Khmer New Year, especially until the election day. Our police are increasing their presence and communications, the police in the country and our police abroad are connected.

The Khmer National Liberation Front movements stated aim is to overthrow the government through a mixture of armed insurrection and propaganda, according to the National Police.
(This story originated in VOA's Ukrainian service.)  Mild climate, warm ocean temperatures, buzzing nightlife  Miami has been a favorite tourist destination for Eastern Europeans for years. But lately, many of those coming to The Sunshine State have been bringing home much more than a beautiful tan, as Russians and Ukrainians come to the city to give birth, so that their babies are US citizens. VOAs Mariia Prus has more.
Discrimination against women and girls is a more pressing global challenge than disparities in income between the rich and the poor, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said on Tuesday.

The 93-year-old, who established the Carter Center in 1982 to prevent and resolve conflicts and push for human rights, also backed women to bring about a more politically stable world.

"There's no doubt in my mind that a woman is more inclined to peace than a man is, so I think we can move towards peace if women get more and more positions in parliament and more and more positions as president," he said.

Carter was speaking at the annual Skoll World Forum, a gathering of 1,200 social entrepreneurs. He previously cited disparity in income as the world's greatest challenge when receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Carter also pointed to unequal numbers of women and men in parts of India and China, suggesting that prejudice against females meant they had been killed by their families.

Experts have said previously that a strong preference for sons is the root cause behind the uneven ratios, with some parents taking illegal gender tests to abort female fetuses.

The Skoll Foundation was bestowing on Carter its Global Treasure Award. Sally Osberg, president of the foundation, said there were no formal criteria for the award.

"We just know that there is someone in our midst whose integrity is inspiring and whose record of achievement in addressing the world's pressing problems is nothing less than stunning," said Osberg.

Previous winners have included fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, the Dalai Lama and Irish rock star Bono.

Carter served as president between 1977 and 1981. He was succeeded by Ronald Reagan.

Carter was followed on to the stage at Skoll by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of the United Nations' agency on women, who reminded the audience that it was Equal Pay Day in the United States.

The awareness-raising day has been observed for two decades to mark how many more days women must work in a subsequent year simply to catch up with what men earned in the previous year.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said the average global gender pay gap was 23 percent, adding that this could be worse for women of color, indigenous women, those who are disabled, or for reasons of sexual orientation.
Algerian media is reporting that over 250 passengers were killed when an Ilyushin 76 transport plane crashed in fields near a military base outside the Algerian capital Algiers. Eyewitnesses say they heard an explosion before seeing the plane crash and burn in nearby fields.



Algerian TV showed video of the military transport plane burning on the ground, as plumes of white and black smoke billowed into the air and flames licked the sides of the plane's fuselage. Dozens of ambulances could be seen in the field where the plane crashed.

A nearby resident said he rushed outdoors to see what was happening after hearing an explosion around breakfast time.



He said that he was indoors when he heard the explosion, including a big bang, and then he saw thick plumes of smoke when he went to see what was happening.

It was a real catastrophe, he added, and everyone was afraid there would be more explosions. He said young men were coming to take pictures of the crash. He said he called the police and civil defense forces.



Another man explained that he and others were not able to get close to the crash after the police arrived. He said the plane was taking off from the Boufariq military base when it crashed.

He said firefighters came quickly to try to put out the fire and that bodies were scattered all around the debris. B he said he wasn't actually able to get near the wreckage.



Other eyewitnesses who saw the crash from a nearby highway told Algerian TV the pilot appeared to have a technical problem before veering off to the right and crashing in a field.

"The pilot had the presence of mind to veer off to the side so as not to hit the highway during morning rush hour," one witness said.



A young man by the name of Sadeq, who lost his brother in the crash, cried as he spoke with journalists. He said his brother called him before he left on the plane that crashed and told him that he missed him and wished him well.



Air safety analyst Mohammed Ben Zarouk told Algeria's An Nahar TV the plane was heading to the far-off region of Tindouf and then to Boushar. He said the pilot had "no doubt filled up his fuel tanks to maximum capacity."

Other analysts indicated that the Russian-built Ilyushin 78 transport plane was originally designed to fuel fighter jets in the air.



Algerian air defense head Baqoush Allash told journalists there would be an investigation into the crash as well as an investigation of Ilyushin 78 planes.
Azerbaijan's longtime president, Ilham Aliyev, won a fourth term Wednesday in an election boycotted by the opposition.

Election officials said they expected Aliyev to finish with 86 percent of the vote.

"I am grateful to my people for voting for our achievements and success," Aliyev said late Wednesday, as supporters drove cars and honked their horns in celebration through central Baku.

Election officials said they had received no complaints of fraud, although some in the opposition reported incidents of some voters casting multiple ballots.

European election monitors planned to issue their report Thursday.

Wednesday's election was originally scheduled for October but was moved up to avoid clashing with several other high-profile events.

Aliyev was elected in 2003, taking over from his ailing father, Heydar Aliyev, who had been Azerbaijan's president for 10 years.

Ilham Aliyev changed the constitution twice through referendums, allowing him to cement his power.

Oil riches have allowed Azerbaijan to thrive since its post-Soviet independence. But the global collapse in energy prices has put a strain on the economy.

The opposition said Aliyev has no tolerance for dissent and is guilty of human rights violations.
Closer business ties with Beijing could lead tiny, economically strapped Brunei to open a potentially oil-rich tract of sea to Chinese exploration despite competing sovereignty claims, experts say.

The two countries contest rights to a rectangular tract of the South China Sea extending northwest from the island of Borneo. But ties have improved while the Bruneian economy slips because of declining world oil prices and diminishing supplies. Oil and gas make up 60 percent of Bruneis economy.

China is propping up that economy now with investments that will make it easier to tap, process and transport fossil fuels, experts say. Economic concerns will take "priority" over political issues including sovereignty, said Jonathan Spangler, director of the South China Sea Think Tank in Taipei.

"I think that China has not so much been using like an aggressive approach with Brunei, but just using economic incentives," Spangler said. "I dont know if it will even need to tell Brunei what to do about its maritime claims."

As recent signs of closer ties, Chinese contractors built a 2,680-meter-long sea bridge thats due to open this month. Chinas Hengyi Petrochemicals Co. offered $79 million worth of bonds last month on a Chinese stock exchange to fund a petrochemical plant in Brunei.

Chinese pressure

Heads of state from Brunei and China said in September the Southeast Asian country would get more play on Beijings Belt and Road, a $900 billion initiative calling for new Chinese-funded infrastructure and stronger trade routes in 65 Eurasian countries.

China has invested roughly $4.1 billion altogether in Brunei. Still, the Bruneian economy sank 2.5% in 2016 and the International Monetary Fund forecast it would fall again last year on global fuel prices that have gone weaker since 2015.

Growing economic dependence on China could compel Brunei to soften its maritime claim, said Alan Chong, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

"Every one of the claimants on the Belt and Road admits some concessions," Chong said.

For China to push Brunei away from its claim, he said, "at the end of the day they have to sell the Bruneians something so significant that the Bruneians will be prepared to do so.

Joint oil drilling

China may someday propose joint oil and gas exploration with Brunei in waters they both claim, experts forecast. China is talking now with the Philippines, another eager recipient of Chinese investment, about similar projects despite their own maritime sovereignty dispute.

A Chinese joint venture led by the company that floated bonds last month announced in March 2017 it would work toward a $3.445 billion oil refinery in Brunei, Beijings state-run China Daily news website said.

Investment officials in Brunei declined to give information for this report about Chinese projects in the well-off country of about 430,000 people.

Brunei might use its claim to the resource-rich Louisa Reef in its contested maritime tract to to keep Chinese investment coming, said Fabrizio Bozzato, a Taiwan Strategy Research Association fellow specializing in East Asia. Access to the Bruneian claim would be something like a bargaining chip with Beijing, he said.

Part of Bruneis steady supply of offshore oil over the past 80 years comes from around Louisa Reef, which is claimed also by China and Vietnam.

Brunei has 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas beneath the seabed, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

"So, China keeps the investment tap open," Bozzato said. "For these reasons it will be severely counterproductive for Brunei to renounce its claim, because doing so would equate to nullify its leverage vis a vis China, so what Brunei is likely to do is keeping quiet, bend over backwards, keep its claim heavily sedated, side openly with China."

Quiet claimant

Brunei is now the quietest of six governments that compete for sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea, Bozzato added. Its the only one of six South China Sea claimants without a military presence in the disputed waters.

Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also vie for sovereignty over the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea. China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have all explored before for undersea gas and oil.

China, backed by Asias strongest armed forces, has upset the others by building up small islets for military use and passing coast guard ships through disputed waters.

Beijing may later use its ties with Brunei to win favor with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Spangler said. That bloc includes Brunei as well as members such as Vietnam that resent Beijings maritime expansion. China has tapped Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines for similar support before.

"If you can control one of those members from the outside, then you can control the entire group," he said.
The daughter of poisoned former spy Sergei Skripal said Wednesday that she didn't want help from the Russian Embassy as she recovers from the nerve agent attack that left her and her father in critical condition and created an international furor.

Yulia Skripal, 33, said in a statement that she found herself with a "totally different life" than the one she had before the March 4 poisoning in southwest England. She was released from the hospital this week, while Sergei Skripal remains hospitalized.

"I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance," Skripal, a Russian citizen who was visiting her father in the cathedral city of Salisbury, said in the statement. "At the moment, I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but if I change my mind I know how to contact them."

Britain has blamed the attack on Russia, triggering the expulsion of more than 150 Russian diplomats from Western countries. Russia vehemently denies any involvement and has responded by expelling the same number of diplomats.

Russian criticism

Yulia Skripal's statement, which was distributed by London's Metropolitan Police, is important because the Russian Embassy in London has criticized the British government for not allowing diplomatic staff to visit the Skripals since they were stricken. Britain has said it is up to the father and daughter to decide whether they want to meet with embassy officials.

Earlier, the embassy protested that its requests for consular access had been "left without a substantial reaction on part of the British authorities."

"We would like to know what exactly the British side did to comply with its international obligation under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the bilateral Consular Convention, and what were the reasons for such a unfounded conclusion," the embassy said.

Yulia Skripal's statement also addressed a controversy over her cousin, Viktoria. British officials alleged that the cousin was a pawn of the Russian government after she gave interviews with Russian media outlets.

Skripal thanked Viktoria for her concern and asked her to "not visit me or try to contact me for the time being."

"Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my father's," Yulia Skripal said.
A large study offers more evidence of a link between traumatic brain injuries and dementia later in life, with repeated injuries and severe ones posing the greatest danger.

Researchers analyzed 36 years of health records of 2.8 million people in Denmark, where a national health system makes it possible to explore connections in a far-reaching way.

Overall, the risk was small. About 95 percent of people who suffered a brain injury never developed dementia.

But a single severe brain injury increased the risk of later dementia by 35 percent compared with a person who never had brain trauma. A mild brain injury increased the risk by 17 percent. Each additional brain injury added to the danger.

Overall, the risk of dementia was 24 percent higher for people with a traumatic brain injury compared with people without one. The study was published Tuesday in the journal Lancet Psychiatry. A study of 3.3 million people in Sweden earlier this year showed similar results.

Despite the size of the studies, they won't settle scientific questions - or social debate - about brain injuries from sports, war, car crashes or domestic violence.

Scientists know that a blow to the head can damage brain cells, but they don't know exactly how that might lead to later cognitive problems, said lead researcher Dr. Jesse Fann of University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.

This kind of study can't prove a cause-and-effect relationship, but researchers tried to eliminate the possible effect of age, gender, marital status and health, including depression. And they looked at other types of trauma, such as broken bones, and found that brain injuries were more closely tied to dementia.

In a commentary in the journal, Dr. Carol Brayne of University of Cambridge's medical school in England wrote that improvements in care mean more people are surviving brain injuries, making it crucial to understand more about their long-term effects.
Hundreds of displaced Iraqis who returned to their homes after the defeat of the Islamic State are now going back to Kurdish refugee camps, due to a lack of services and an impasse in reconstruction, Kurdish and Iraqi officials said.

Falah Mustafa Bakir, the Kurdistan region's foreign relations minister, has announced that about 4,000 displaced civilians mostly from Nineveh province, who went back to their homes after the Iraqi victory over IS last year, have returned to Kurdish refugee camps since January.

"What we are seeing this year is a reverse return to the Kurdistan region," Bakir said Tuesday during a joint press conference with Ramanathan Balakrishnan, the U.N. Population Fund representative in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region.

"The return of internally displaced and refugees requires work on ensuring security, providing basic services, and creating job opportunities, in addition to efforts for a national reconciliation," Bakir added.

With the Kurdish region facing a major financial crisis, Bakir pleaded for international aid, adding that the internally displaced and refugees have become a heavy financial burden on Irbil.

The region currently hosts 1.1 million displaced Iraqis and nearly 250,000 Syrian refugees who fled violence over the years. The U.N. agency is seeking $156 million in financial support to help provide services to people in refugee camps.

Star Newroz, a spokesperson for the Iraqi ministry of migration and displaced, said those who returned to refugee camps were mostly from areas far from Mosul where the Iraqi government had difficulty reaching out to certain areas to provide basic services.

He said only about 40 Iraqi families have been reported as leaving their homes to go back to refugee camps.

"They are leaving due to logistical reasons, either because their homes are far from the center of the province and services, or their homes are completely destroyed and unlivable," he told the Iraqi Shafaaq news agency.

Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul from IS in July 2017 and declared victory over the terror group in December.

The victory came at a heavy price for Iraq. Months of IS occupation, and the Iraqi battle to oust the terror group, left thousands of people dead, millions of others displaced, and great destruction.

In Mosul alone, the U.N. has estimated that nearly 40,000 buildings need to be rebuilt or restored.

The historical district of Mosul, locally known as the Old City, remains a pile of rubble months after the removal of IS.

Slow reconstruction

An assessment last year by the U.N. Human Settlements Program estimated 5,390 of the 8,400 housing sites destroyed or severely damaged in Mosul were located in the Old City.

Now, more than eight months since the removal of IS, reconstruction remains slow and disappointing for residents.

Those who returned said a lack of basic services, particularly water, electricity and job opportunities, remain the main burden for restarting life. Many preferred living in refugee camps, where they at least did not have to worry about those provisions.

WATCH: Old Mosul District's Sole Returned Family Lives in Crumbling Home

With general elections to be held in May, the current Iraqi government said it is doing its best to stabilize and reconstruct the recaptured areas. But it said it cannot handle the damage without international support.

In February, an international conference in Kuwait collected about $30 billion, mostly in credit and investments, to help rebuild Iraq's economy and infrastructure. However, that amount fell far short of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's expectation of $90 billion for infrastructure and recovery after IS.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he thinks U.S.-Russian relations are at their lowest point ever, including the saber-rattling Cold War years of six decades ago.

Trump offered his assessment of the diplomatic climate between Washington and Moscow, even as he vowed in a Twitter comment to launch "nice and new and 'smart'" missiles targeting Syria, where Russian troops are fighting alongside the Syrian military, to punish Damascus for last weekend's suspected chemical weapons attack that killed at least 40 people.

Trump warned, "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming," adding his disapproval of Moscow's support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Aside from Russia's involvement in the long-running Syrian conflict, Trump claimed "Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation" into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller has been conducting a nearly year-long investigation into Trump campaign links to Russia, and the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Moscow was targeting the election in an effort to help Trump win.

Trump has repeatedly rejected the notion that his campaign colluded with Russia or that he has obstructed justice by trying to short-circuit the probe.

He complained that the investigation is "headed up by ... all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for (former President Barack) Obama," although Mueller is a Republican and was appointed as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation by both Republican President George W. Bush and Obama.
Farmers in Isfahan, Iran, are continuing to protest the lack of water available to irrigate their fields.

Recent amateur video on social media showed protesters chanting slogans while security forces tried to disperse them.

Much of Iran is suffering through a drought that has sparked several protests across the country in the past month, including in towns near Isfahan and around the western province of Khuzestan.

Isfahan has been at the epicenter of the protests. Farmers say that over the years, the government has deprived them of their right to the water sources of the region. The farmers also claim that either because of mismanagement or bribery, government officials have diverted water from Isfahan to its neighboring province, Yazd.

Iran's farmers have struggled with several successive years of drought. Farming has never been easy in Iran, where three-quarters of the country gets less than 8 inches of rain a year, most of which evaporates before seeping into the soil.

The government has promised to pay compensation to help the struggling farmers.

Approximately 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree, according to the Iran Meteorological Organization.

"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," Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, told Reuters.
The world's rivers and fresh water systems are full of pollution from prescription and over-the-counter drugs and it is taking a toll on the environment and wildlife, experts say.

Scientists meeting Tuesday in Vienna said if no action is taken, the problem will increase by 65 percent by 2050.

The drugs include painkillers, hormones, anti-depressants and antihistamines.

Much of it ends up in the waters through human and animal waste because only small amounts are filtered out in treatment plants or absorbed into the ecosystem.

The drugs have caused sex charges in fish and amphibians and one type of anti-inflammatory drug has driven vultures in India close to extinction.

U.N. experts have also said medicines in the environment are helping create drug-resistant bacteria.

Some experts say that technology is not enough to tackle the problem and that a substantial reduction on a dependence on drugs is also needed.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told lawmakers Wednesday the internet sector will need some form of regulation.

After weathering heated questions from two Senate panels, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returned to Capitol Hill Wednesday to face more questions from the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the social media platform's transparency and user privacy.

Zuckerberg said it "is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation" of internet companies, an idea that has been floated by Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

While it is not clear what that regulation would look like, lawmakers have said they want better protections after data breaches affected tens of millions of users.

Zuckerberg cautioned lawmakers to be careful about what they propose, as larger companies like Facebook have more resources to comply with regulations than smaller ones.

In Senate testimony Tuesday, he promised to submit proposals for regulating social media companies and work with lawmakers to craft legislation.

Zuckerberg was called to testify on Capitol Hill this week after news emerged that the personal data of some 87 million Facebook users had been harvested without their knowledge by Cambridge Analytica, a British voter profiling company that U.S. President Donald Trumps campaign hired to target likely supporters in 2016.

The CEO said his data was included in the personal information that ended up in hands of Cambridge Analytica.

On Tuesday, Zuckerberg promised to better protect Facebook users. The social media mogul spoke with pride about Facebooks ability to connect people for the common good but admitted the company has not been proactive in safeguarding its users from misuse of data or those sowing malign messages.



"I started Facebook, I run it. And Im responsible for what happens here," Zuckerberg said.



Earlier this week, Facebook began notifying 87 million users, most of them in the United States, whose personal data may have been mined by Cambridge Analytica.



Zuckerberg pledged Facebook will scrutinize and, when necessary, block other firms from gaining access to the platform and empower its 2.2 billion users to wall off their apps from third parties.



Senators also sought assurances that Facebook and other social media platforms are blocking fake profiles originating in Russia that spread divisive messages to sow discord during and after the 2016 U.S. election.



"We will be verifying the identity of any advertiser whos running a political ad," Zuckerberg said. "And were also going to do that for [Facebook user] pages  that will make it significantly harder for Russian interference efforts or other inauthentic efforts to spread misinformation through the network."



Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy noted that misuse of Facebook extends far beyond the United States, saying that Facebook has been used to spread hate speech against Burmas Rohingya minority.



"Recently U.N. investigators blamed Facebook for playing a role in inciting possible genocide in Myanmar, and there has been genocide there," Leahy said.



"Were working on this," Zuckerberg responded. "Were hiring dozens of more Burmese language content reviewers. Because hate speech is very language-specific, its hard to [detect] it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically."

Facebook faces a backlash from some consumer groups. Members of #DeleteFacebook gathered outside Tuesdays hearing on Capitol Hill.



"We knew that they had your data, but the extent of what is being breached is a concern for me. What do they know about my children and my grandchildren?" said a woman who identified herself as Alison.



Lawmakers pledged to hold separate hearings focusing on Cambridge Analytica in the near future.
Since 1980 when he began farming in Illinois, Brent Scholl's mornings have consisted of a similar routine ... waking early to head out to one of several buildings to check in on hundreds of his pigs.

Every eight weeks, we get 1,100 pigs delivered to us, Scholl told VOA while tending to a feeding system for his hogs, which he raises for several months before sending them to market. In a years time, we sell over 6,000 pigs.

Its a costly and labor intensive - but sometimes profitable - process, which Scholl attributes to increased foreign demand for pork.

Every fourth hog of mine goes overseas somewhere, he said. So thats 25 to 28 percent of what I am making coming from foreign dollars.

Foreign dollars at risk if Chinas proposed 25 percent tariff on U.S. pork products - a response to U.S. tariffs on Chinese aluminum and steel - is implemented later this year.

If that all goes away its a losing business," Scholl said.

Small profit margin

The increasing trade tension between the United States and China has rattled farmers in the American heartland, where many of the products on which China seeks to impose a tariff are produced. Many farmers like Scholl are increasingly wary about how tariffs will impact their income.

I heard one say that the difference between losing money and making money at this point is exports, and so if he doesnt have as many exports as he did last year, hes going to lose money, explained Tamara Nelsen, Senior Director of Commodities for the Illinois Farm Bureau, who added that after several years of declining farm income due largely to increased input costs, tariffs will only take away more money from a farmers dwindling bottom line.

Even though Chinas tariff might only be 25 percent, the market might get nervous enough on a given day to have it be a greater discount than that. That just makes it hard for a farmer to make money.

And it's not just for profits from pork.

Brent Scholl also farms soybeans, and Chinas threat to impose a tariff on that commodity has already cost Scholl money.

Yesterday, the market went down over 50 cents, he noted.

Domestic politics

Scholl is concerned China will look elsewhere to obtain cheaper commodities, limiting a key market for U.S. products. He feels there is only one person to blame for his uncertain financial outlook.

Right now, I would say our president," he said.

A president Scholl voted for in the 2016 election, despite Trumps tough talk on trade agreements.

Talking with reporters before a recent Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump addressed farmers' concerns with his trade policies.

If we do a deal with China, if during the course of a negotiation they want to hit the farmers because they think that hits me, I wouldnt say thats nice, said Trump. But I tell you, our farmers are great patriots. These are great patriots. They understand that theyre doing this for the country. And well make it up to them. And in the end, theyre going to be much stronger than they are right now.

With the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, or TPP, last year, and more recently the re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, also known as NAFTA, compounded with potential Chinese tariffs on the key products Scholl raises, its a challenging time for U.S. farmers. Scholl admits he has some buyer's remorse for supporting Trump.

I thought he was the lesser of two evils, he told VOA. I dont know what Im thinking right now.

Scholl is holding out hope President Trumps trade tactics will work in protecting American jobs and ultimately realizing better trade deals.

If not, Scholl says it could influence his decision at the ballot box in the next presidential election.
The head of the International Monetary Fund is warning that the global trading system is in danger of being "torn apart."

In a speech prepared for delivery in Hong Kong Wednesday, Christine Lagarde urged nations to "steer clear of protectionism." That may be a reference to Washington's recent moves to slap large tariffs on imported steel and other products. China responded by raising tariffs on U.S.-made products, beginning a cycle that some experts warn could escalate further into a trade war.

Lagarde says the benefits of trade far outweigh the costs and has credited unfettered global trade for drastically reducing the number of people around the world living in extreme poverty. Lagarde and other experts say everyone loses in trade wars, particularly the 800 million people around the world who, the World Bank says, remain mired in poverty.

While Lagarde's comments implied criticism of the Trump administration, she also urged nations, presumably including China, to do a better job of protecting intellectual property. President Trump and many foreign businesses operating in China have complained that they are pressured to turn over technology secrets to Chinese partner companies in exchange for access to the huge Chinese market. She also urged economic reforms, including ending policies that unfairly favor state-owned enterprises.

Lagarde says the global economy is experiencing a strong upswing, and says now is the time for nations to make economic reforms such as opening up the service sector in developing economies, and doing more to use digital technology to improve the the delivery of government public services. She warns that economic reform is more urgent now because of the growing uncertainties arising from trade tensions, uncertain geopolitics and rising fiscal and financial risks.

Lagarde's speech comes ahead of next week's meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, where top economic and financial leaders and experts from around the world will gather to seek solutions to problems in banking, trade, deficits and many other topics.
Deaths from drinking toxic bootleg alcohol in Indonesia have surpassed 100 this month, police said Wednesday as they vowed a "scorched earth" crackdown on the makers and distributors of black-market liquor.

Deputy National Police Chief Muhammad Syafruddin said deaths have been concentrated in populous West Java and Jakarta, the capital, but there were also cases in South Kalimantan and other regions that brought fatalities to more than 100.

Indonesian TV has broadcast images of distraught relatives in several cities and lines of gurneys bearing dead bodies in hospital hallways as the death toll relentlessly climbed since late last week. There were 31 deaths in Jakarta and satellite cities at the beginning of the month followed by a dramatic surge in deaths in West Java and hospitalizations of dozens of people suffering nausea, blurry vision and loss of consciousness.

"This is a crazy phenomenon," said Syafruddin, standing in front of seven handcuffed suspects at a news conference. "If we let it continue, it will harm the nation."

"I have ordered all the police chiefs in Indonesia to make these cases stop, zero victims, meaning to reveal the roots ranging from the producers, distributors, sellers to those who have the idea of mixing alcohol with fatal chemicals," Syafruddin said.

Police displayed huge quantities of confiscated alcohol at the news conference, some of it in the small clear plastic bags it's sold in for about 25,000 rupiah ($1.80) as well as professionally labeled bottles purporting to be whiskey or wine.

Syafruddin said production of illegal alcohol must be eradicated completely with a scorched earth campaign and called for the cooperation of the Cabinet and government agencies.

It's unclear how effective the crackdown will be. Curbs on sales of legal alcohol in Muslim-majority Indonesia, including a ban implemented in 2015 on sales at tens of thousands of convenience stores, have created a significant black market for bootleg liquor among the country's poor.

"If what is needed is limited in the legal market because of (government) policies, then the need would be fulfilled by those who want to make a profit" from the black market, said Sugianto Tandra, a researcher at the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies.

"The current incidence of rampant bootleg alcohol is because there is a need to drink but the product is not available in the legal market," he said.

Potentially lethal methanol can be a byproduct of bootleg distilling and the tainted alcohol is also sometimes mixed with soft drinks. In the recent spate of deaths, police said pure alcohol was sometimes combined with ingredients such as cough mixture and insect repellant.

Syafruddin said laboratory testing of black-market alcohol sized by police in several raids in Jakarta showed it contained methanol.

Construction worker Andri Rizal, who was hospitalized near the West Java capital, Bandung, said he and three friends fell ill after drinking palm wine mixed with an intoxicating ginseng drink he'd bought for $1, an unusually cheap price.

"We purchased and mixed it with the palm wine just to make it feel better and slower to get drunk. Ginseng by itself is too hard," said the 28-year-old. "It was not like usual when it's instantly delicious. I felt limp and dizzy."

Deaths from toxic alcohol are common in Indonesia and foreigners are occasionally among the victims. Some governments warn travelers to the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok to be cautious about consuming local spirits and alcoholic beverages.

But the latest cluster of fatalities is extreme, leading to speculation that a single large distributor was responsible. But West Java police said they have found no evidence to support that.

The Kompas newspaper said there were 32 deaths last year from bootleg liquor.
A day after President Donald Trump canceled plans to attend the Summit of the Americas, Trump adviser and daughter Ivanka Trump announced she will unveil an initiative at the event to promote economic empowerment for women.

The summit is scheduled to start Friday in Lima, Peru.

The White House said Trump will not attend in order to focus on a U.S. response to a reported chemical attack in Syria and related developments.

Speaking to reporters during a phone briefing Wednesday, Ivanka Trump said she will highlight the importance of promoting women's economic empowerment through public-private partnership at the summit.

"While in Peru, I'm excited to announce a new initiative to propel women's economic empowerment in the region. Furthermore, to underline the joint collaboration between the United States and Peru, both in the public and private sector," she said. She did not provide further details about the initiative.

The first daughter, who will speak at the CEO Summit of the Americas, said one goal is to increase the number of women in Latin America who open their own businesses.

"Although women labor force participation rate in Latin America and the Caribbean improved from 44 percent in 1990 to 54 percent in 2014, rates of women-owned business formation have remained low at just 12 percent of all businesses," she said.

While in Peru, Ivanka Trump will meet with female corporate leaders and entrepreneurs at the Lima stock exchange. She will also visit a local woman-owned business that sells organic products from the rural regions of Peru.

A senior White House official said the initiative is in line with the Trump administration's overall security approach.

"Within the national security strategy, there is a pillar entitled 'empower women and youth,' and it says, specifically, societies that empower women to participate fully in the civic and economic life are more prosperous and peaceful," said the official. "We support the efforts to advance women's equality, protect the rights of women and girls, and promote women and youth empowerment programs."

President Trump originally planned to attend the 8th Summit of the Americas and travel to Bogota, Colombia, which would have been his first trip to Latin America.

"At the President's request, the Vice President will travel in his stead. The President will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday.

The official emphasized there will be "a very high-level delegation" from the administration to attend the summit to "further strengthen the relationship between the United States and the Americas, and to promote collaboration, investment, trade and sustainable development."

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green and Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) President Ray Washburne are departing Wednesday for Lima and will be joined later this week by Vice President Mike Pence and Senior White House Adviser Jared Kushner.
A cold wind sweeps across the rocky hilltops of Myanmars Sha It Yang camp, where the Kachin Independence Organization says 5,000 of its internally displaced civilians have struggled to call home since relocating there from the Zai Awang and Maga Yang camps in December of 2016.



Inside a long wooden hut, a chorus of youthful voices singing a traditional song gives the appearance of stability; but, in reality, nothing is further from the truth.



Most of the children and teenagers have faced repeated displacement after being attacked by the Myanmar military, often under heavy artillery fire.



Thirteen-year-old Hpare Ja Nupan's family of nine has been uprooted four times since fighting between the military and guerrillas of the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic armed group, resumed in 2011 after a 17-year cease-fire pact broke down.



"When I lived in the Zai Awg IDP camp, I thought there would be no more running away from the fighting, but it happened again just like before," she quietly explained, as tears welled up in her eyes.



"The Burmese army shot inside the camp, and the artillery shells dropped in our IDP camp. So, we had to flee and hide in a big tree near the river."



Nearly 100,000 internally displaced persons remain in 165 camps in Kachin and Northern Shan state, according to the UNHCR, and many of themhave faced repeated displacement since the resumption of the conflict.



As Myanmar is largely an agrarian region, farm families make up a large part of the camp population. For most, the loss of land also means a loss of earnings.



Many of the landowners fled their property without taking their land documents. Now, civil society groups report foreign companies are buying up large tracts of property deserted by local Kachin families, dimming any hopes the IDPs have of returning home.



Along with the fertile land, valuable mineral resources in the region are a key cause of the ongoing attacks and displacement.



Global Witness, a Washington-based organization that exposes corruption and environmental abuse, estimated the jade mines in the Hpakant region of Kachin state generated a revenue of $31 billion in 2014 alone.



There are also vast tracts of land containing amber and gold reserves, primarily in Kachin state's Tanai township, where most of the Sha It Yang IDPs originate.



At least $1 billion of legitimate amber trading takes place in the country yearly.



Farmer Nhkum Awng Law, whos been displaced four times, now makes a meager income carving out bamboo cups for sale in the local market, despite his farmland property located near rich reserves of amber in Tanai Township.



"I feel like the Burmese army targets Kachin people because we have many natural resources like jade and gold mines, the 54-year-old said, as he sanded the edge of a wooden handle.



"They are jealous of us and want to steal everything. That's why they attack the Kachin."



Last June, Myanmar army helicopters scattered leaflets over the township, warning people in the mining areas to leave by June 15 or be seen as supporting the Kachin army, according to the Democratic Voice of Burma, a leading Myanmar news outlet.



The leaflets, seen by VOA, stated the Myanmar army would not be responsible for anyone injured in the ensuing clearance operations of the targeted territory, to prevent further damage to the environment by amber miners.



The military is trying to improve itself with the democratization on the way, says Nyo Mint, director of National Reconciliation and Peace Center, an organization formed by the NLD - led government in 2016. This is why they warned in advance in a conflict area to prevent any civilian casualties so that the civilians can move out of the area.



More than a thousand miners and their families fled the area and were temporarily sheltered in church facilities around Tanai town.



Food, water and medicine are in short supply at many of the camps as the Myanmar government increasingly restricts the movement of international aid into the ethnic army-controlled territory of Kachin state.



Many of the IDPs receive donations from local church-based groups, but it's not enough.



"The food supply has been blocked from inside Myanmar, so we often receive it from the China side of the border," said Sha It Yang camp co-leader Hpau Besan Shaung.



Only one medical clinic exists in the remote camp. To save money, many of the basic health problems are often treated with home remedies and natural herbs.



"I'm learning how to use herbs for medicine and treatment and also use them to heal diabetes for people in the IDP camp," said Lahpai Nang Bawk, attending an open-air meeting led by a few local doctors.



"We're taught how to use herbs to treat the decayed teeth and paralysis, so we need to learn from an expert medical doctor," added the 53 year-old mother whose family has been displaced four times.



Despite Myanmar's economic growth, which the World Bank estimates slowed to 5.9 percent last year, the ethnic areas, including Kachin state, have yet to benefit because of the ongoing conflict.



As peace talks stall with only two fringe groups joining the latest additions to the Nationwide Cease-fire Agreement's eight original signatories, the KIA has re-formed a new alliance - the Federal Political Negotiating and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) - with ethnic armed groups close to the China border and led by the United Wa State Army.



"The Chinese government finds the way to help our group negotiate with the Burmese government," said Gen. Zau Tawng, head of security for the KIA.



"Every ethnic armed group that lives on the China border has joined together to become united, and the Chinese government supports the FPNCC."



The new alliance comprises 80 percent of the ethnic armies. With no signs of peace, most IDPs are preparing for an extended stay in the newest border camp.
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
Immigrants in detention in the U.S. will no longer be getting legal advice, at least temporarily.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review is planning this month to halt a program that provides incarcerated immigrants with information about their rights in immigration court  the latest in a series of immigration measures taken by the Trump administration.

The program is run by the Vera Institute of Justice and, along with other nonprofits, it holds information sessions for more than 50,000 immigrants each year in some 40 detention facilities around the U.S.

A spokesperson for EOIR, an agency of the U.S. Justice Department, told The Washington Post the program will be subjected to "efficiency reviews which have not taken place in six years."



"Through [the Legal Orientation Program] legal service organizations provide basic information to men and women in immigration jails about the detention and deportation process. The goals of the bipartisan program are to improve judicial efficiency and help immigrants in detention without attorneys navigate the immigration court process," said Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director for the National Immigrant Justice Center, which provides legal services to immigrants.

McCarthy's statement said a 2012 DOJ study found that the program reduced the time immigrants remained in jail by six days and saved the government $17.8 million per year.

Other changes to immigration

In addition to the legal program, the Trump administration has made several other immigration policy changes in the last 10 days.

On Friday, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation calling for multiple federal government agencies to work together to end the so-called "catch and release" policy.

Under catch and release, immigrants seeking asylum at the border are released from detention while their cases make their way through the immigration courts.

The proclamation calls for multiple reports from the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Justice, and Health and Human Services. In 45 days, the agencies are to report on their efforts to end catch and release. Within 75 days, they are to report on what resources they need to achieve this goal. And in 60 days, they must report on what measures are being taken to ensure deportable immigrants are returned to their home countries.

The proclamation also commissions a list of facilities, including military sites, that could be used to incarcerate people suspected of violating immigration law.

"It is time to empower federal authorities by providing them with the legal authority and resources they need to effectively enforce our nation's immigration laws. Otherwise, the influx of illegal aliens into the United States will only continue," the White House said in a statement on the proclamation.

Also last Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a "zero-tolerance" policy on border crossings. The policy amounts to a call to federal prosecutors on the Mexican border to pursue all immigration cases referred to them by the Department of Homeland Security.

Earlier in the week, the Justice Department issued a requirement that immigration judges process 700 cases a year. While the directive is intended to make a dent in a sizable backlog of immigration cases, advocates believe it will not improve the quality of justice in immigration cases.

"Each week, the Trump administration finds new and cruel ways to hurt immigrants," Lorella Praeli of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on the halt of the Legal Orientation Program.
One of Hungary's two national opposition dailies will shut down on Wednesday due to financial problems, its publisher said, in a sign of rapidly deteriorating prospects for media freedom after the landslide re-election of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The closure of Magyar Nemzet will be a milestone in the gradual disappearance of independent media in Hungary that western European Union leaders and international rights groups say underlines the country's slide into authoritarianism.

The 80-year-old daily is owned by tycoon Lajos Simicska, once an ally of the right-wing nationalist prime minister who fell out with him and became one of his staunchest opponents in the election campaign.

Simicska's media holdings, once highly profitable, incurred heavy losses after he fell out with Orban and his publications were deprived of government advertising.

"Due to the financing problems of Magyar Nemzet, the owners have decided to cease media content production activity from April 11, 2018. Therefore Magyar Nemzet and its online version mno.hu will close," the publisher said in on its website.

The timing of the announcement, two days after Orban won a two-thirds majority for the third time with the ability to amend the constitution to entrench his power, suggests the newspaper's closure had political dimensions.

"Simicska dedicated his past year to revenge (against Orban), and his media portfolio was a conduit for that," Policy Solutions analyst Tamas Boros said. "Now that he sees Orban with another two-thirds majority, it was no longer worth his while."

"He sees the results, anticipates government revenge, and is shutting down unprofitable media organizations."

Magyar Nemzet publisher's will also close Lanchid Radio, a sister radio station, at midnight on Tuesday and seek buyers for other Simicska group outlets.

Orban has become the central European country's dominant leader by projecting himself as a savior of its Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, an image which resonated with more than 2.5 million voters on Sunday.

Orban's Fidesz party, in power since 2010, has turned public broadcasters into obedient mouthpieces, his closest allies have bought big stakes in privately owned media and advertising has been channelled to heavily benefit government-friendly outlets.

Businessmen close to the premier purchased then-shuttered Nepszabadsag, the country's top opposition newspaper, in 2016.

They also bought up nearly all regional dailies and acquired dozens of radio licenses covering the entire country.

The only remaining independent publications with widespread reach are the RTL television group owned by Germany's Bertelsmann and the news website Index.hu, where a close Simicska associate sits on the board of the foundation that owns the company.

The other independent national newspaper, Nepszava, is owned by ex-Socialist Party treasurer Laszlo Puch via an Austrian company, but has far less readership than Index.
Morocco's minister for human rights admitted his country could do better in the way it deals with civil rights in the disputed Western Sahara, as the North African kingdom warned it could act against the Polisario Front independence movement in the region.



Mustapha Ramid told The Associated Press on Monday that Morocco is "working to enhance the institutional framing of human rights. Morocco is not hell for human rights, but it is not a heaven."



Ramid spoke days after Morocco's foreign minister warned that all options, including military action, are on the table if the United Nations doesn't act against alleged plans by the Polisario Front to build military posts in U.N.-monitored buffer zones in Western Sahara.



Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975 and fought the Polisario Front, a movement seeking independence for mineral-rich Western Sahara. The U.N. brokered a cease-fire in 1991 and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor the truce.



Morocco considers Western Sahara its "southern provinces" and has proposed giving the territory wide-ranging autonomy. The Polisario Front insists on self-determination through a referendum for the local population, which it estimates at between 350,000 and 500,000.

Political parties from across the spectrum met on Monday in Laayoune, Western Sahara's largest city, to condemn the latest actions of the Polisario Front.



Speaking at the rally, head of government Saad Eddine El Othmani confirmed Morocco "is ready to use all means at its disposal to defend its territory."



Lawmakers attending the gathering signed a statement proclaiming political unity in defending the territorial integrity of Western Sahara.



The statement condemns and rejects "actions carried out by the enemies of our territorial integrity at all levels, especially the recent acts of hostility by the Polisario ... in flagrant violation of the cease-fire agreement and in total ignorance of the will of the United Nations and Security Council resolutions."



U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned both Morocco and the Polisario Front against actions that could slow down the resolution of the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will never let Iran establish a military presence inside Syria.

Netanyahu made the vow during a telephone call Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Netanyahu's office gave little information about the call. But a Kremlin statement said Putin talked about the importance of maintaining Syria's sovereignty and said Israel should not take any action that threatens its security.

The Netanyahu-Putin phone call came on Israel's annual Holocaust memorial day, when the country pauses to remember the 6 million Jews slaughtered by the Nazis in World War II.

"Events of recent days teach that standing up to evil and aggression is a mission imposed on every generation," Netanyahu said at Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. "We saw the swastika the rioters waved on the Gaza fence. We saw the Syrian children slaughtered by chemical weapons. Our hearts were torn from the horrific images."

Netanyahu also said Iran should not test Israel's "resolve" as he let the Iranian people know that Israel is not their enemy, but the "regime of tyrants" in Tehran is.

"When this regime disappears from the world, and it will disappear eventually, our two ancient peoples  Jews and Persians  can live again in cooperation and brotherhood," he said.

Israel is on high alert for possible Iranian retaliation after an Israeli airstrike on a Syrian air base Monday.

The airstrike was launched in response to an alleged Syrian chemical attack on a Damascus suburb Saturday that killed more than 40 civilians and injured hundreds.
Police in Thailand have filed new charges against a self-described Russian sex guru and a woman who claims to have evidence of Russian ties to President Donald Trump's election campaign.

The woman, Anastasia Vashukevich, also known as Nastya Rybka, has attracted widespread attention for claiming to have recordings of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a crony of President Vladimir Putin, discussing interference in the U.S. election. She is being held in an immigration detention center and has said she fears for her life and pleaded not to be expelled to Russia.

Col. Apichai Krobpetch, a police superintendent in Pattaya, where the two were arrested with eight others for working illegally by holding a sex training course, confirmed Wednesday that additional arrest warrants had been issued for soliciting, with a maximum prison term of 10 years, and conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years.

The original charge on which all 10 were held was working without a permit, punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment. Three of the 10 have already received a suspended jail sentence of six months and been ordered to leave the country. The others will have to appear in court on April 17 to hear the new charges.

The group was arrested on Feb. 25 in a hotel meeting room in Pattaya, a seaside resort city noted for its sex industry and popularity with Russian visitors. The lessons were attended by about 40 Russian tourists, many wearing T-shirts saying "Sex animator" in English with an arrow pointing to the wearer's crotch. The course was led by Alexander Kirillov, also known as Alex Lesley, who was Vashukevich's mentor.

Vashukevich, who carries a passport from Belarus, became the center of a public scandal in early February when Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny published an investigation drawing on her social media posts suggesting corrupt links between billionaire Deripaska and a top Kremlin official, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko. The report featured video from Deripaska's yacht in 2016, when Vashukevich claims she was having an affair with him and allegedly recorded him talking about Russian interference in U.S. politics.

Deripaska has been linked to Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager has been indicted on money laundering charges in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

Deripaska is one of 24 Russian officials and tycoons faced with new sanctions imposed by the United States last month as Washington stepped up its condemnation of Russia's actions in recent years, including its 2014 annexation of Crimea, support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, hacking attacks and meddling in Western elections. The metals tycoon controls a business empire with assets in aluminum, energy and construction and is worth $5.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
The U.S. State Department says there are no restrictions on the travel of Pakistani diplomats in the United States, after reports their movement would be restricted.

Pakistani and Indian media said the Trump administration has notified Pakistani authorities that diplomats at the country's U.S. embassy and consulates will not be able to travel more than 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from their post without permission. The reports indicate the measures are expected to take effect in May.

When asked about the reports, a State Department official told VOA in a statement, "there are no restrictions on the travel of Pakistani diplomats in the United States."

But the official did not say whether there are plans to impose such restrictions in May.

Pakistan's embassy in Washington told VOA Tuesday that it has received no information about such restrictions. The White House has not yet responded to inquiries about the reported policy change.

The news comes amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Washington over the war in Afghanistan and longstanding U.S. concerns over the Pakistani military's ties to the Taliban and other militant groups.

Last week, a U.S. defense attache at the U.S. mission in Islamabad was involved in a deadly traffic accident that killed a motorcyclist and injured another. Pakistani authorities have pressed for the attache, Col Joseph Emanuel Hall, to stand trial. The U.S. embassy has said it is cooperating in the probe.
Months after the defeat of the Islamic State in Mosul, Jafaar Subhi, his wife and eight children are the only family that has returned to their district in the Old City. He tells VOA they have no choice but to resettle in their war-torn home. VOA's Kawa Omar reports from Mosul.
The English hospital treating poisoned spy Sergei Skripal on Wednesday accused a Russian TV crew of "appalling behavior'' for sneaking into the facility overnight.

Footage posted online by British newspapers showed a reporter from the REN TV network walking along corridors at Salisbury District Hospital early Wednesday and commenting on the apparent lack of security.

The hospital said in a statement that "this footage shows appalling behavior on the part of these Russian journalists  approaching staff in the middle of the night with no warning and without asking for any permission.''

It said "any attempt to harass, intimidate or cause distress to any of our staff or patients is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.''

The Wiltshire police force said officers "attended and spoke to two men in the reception area, who were believed to be news reporters. They were asked to leave the hospital and did so. No arrests were made.''

Britain's National Union of Journalists said reporters "need to act responsibly and sensitively when covering stories at hospitals.'' It said it would be alerting the Russian Union of Journalists about the incident.

Pair found unconscious

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence agent convicted of spying for Britain, has been a patient at the Salisbury hospital since he and his daughter were found unconscious in the southwest England city on March 4.

Britain alleges they were poisoned with a Soviet-developed nerve agent, and it blames Russia. Russia denies involvement in the pair's poisoning, which triggered a diplomatic crisis between Moscow and the West.

The hospital announced Tuesday that the ex-spy's 33-year-old daughter, Yulia Skripal, had been discharged. She was moved to an undisclosed location.

Russia has accused Britain of refusing to share information about the case and has demanded consular access to Yulia Skripal, who is a Russian citizen. Her father was given British citizenship after coming to the U.K. in 2010 as part of a spy swap.

Britain's Foreign Office said Wednesday that Yulia Skripal had declined to speak to Russian officials.

Russia's embassy in London said it would "demand to meet with Yulia and Sergei Skripal, whose situation ever more resembles forced captivity or deprivation of freedom.''
*This report originated in VOA's Africa Division.

BUGULI, RWANDA  Valens Rukirizas mud-walled house was too dim for a journalists on-camera interview. So, he and neighbor Silas Bihizi lugged a long wooden bench out of the tidy living area and into the dusty courtyard, one man on each end, negotiating turns with easy familiarity.

They already have grappled with a much weightier task: reconciliation.

Twenty-four years ago, Bihizi joined other ethnic Hutus in killing five Tutsi neighbors: Rukirizas brother, the mans wife and their three children. It was part of the three-month spasm of bloodshed triggered on April 6, 1994, when the plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down over the capital, Kigali. The president was a Hutu. Extremist Hutu militants rampaged, attacking the minority Tutsis and Twas as well as Hutu sympathizers. At least 800,000 people died, most of them Tutsis; the Rwandan government puts the genocides toll at more than 1 million.

"I was among those who participated in the killings," the soft-spoken Bihizi acknowledged.

"We were friends and neighbors," he also said of Rukiriza and his kin. "We shared a lot and visited each others families."

Years in prison

Bihizi was arrested in early 1995 for actions he had come to abhor. He was among at least 130,000 suspects rounded up after the violence. With the justice system overwhelmed, most were imprisoned without trials.

Bihizi spent 13 years in overcrowded Gitarama Central Prison, now called Muhanga Prison, in Southern Province. He was released to face a gacaca  the Rwandan government's form of community-based courts, involving victims' relatives and friends, set up to speed prosecutions stemming from the genocide.

The gacaca for Bihizi took place here in Buguli, a community of roughly 500 people  mostly subsistence farmers growing corn, bananas, cassava and sweet potatoes  tucked amid hills.

"During the trial, I confessed, asked for forgiveness and was sentenced to 13 years"  the time served, Bihizi explained.

WATCH: 2 Rwandan Families Reconcile After Genocide

Rukiriza, the key witness against Bihizi, told VOA that he had argued for a life sentence.

"We had to accept his apology, but it was difficult. It required one being brave. At first I hesitated. I felt I could not do it. But, thanks to God, I had to accept the apology," said Rukiriza, a Christian. "Our government encourages us to promote unity and reconciliation and to co-exist peacefully. It's God who made this happen. If you don't like unity, you're actually hurting yourself. You will be restless, full of stress, because of that heavy burden that you carry."

After his release, Bihizi returned to his wife, their seven children and his farm work  but worried about the inevitable meetings with his victims' relatives.

"I prayed for strength to confront them and ask for their forgiveness" again, Bihizi told VOA. "I decided confessing was not enough and went ahead to meet them. I apologized and sought forgiveness because I wanted to free my soul."

An unexpected union

Repairing the broken relationships has been an ongoing process.

A big step came in 2009, two years after Bihizi's release. His son, Stanislas Niyomungeri, approached him with plans to wed Hyacinthe Murayire  Rukirizas daughter.

"That came as a shock to me. I couldnt imagine having to face Rukiriza again to tell him that my son wanted to marry their daughter," said Bihizi.

Her father resisted, too. Rukiriza didn't think it was right that his daughter would wed the son of a man who had ripped apart the family.

But the young couple were deeply in love. Stanislas Niyomungeri swore he would commit suicide if they could not be together.

"He repeated those threats to my family when we visited them," Murayire recalled. "It is then that I made a decision: Instead of losing him, I'd rather stay away from my family if they opposed our marriage."

Given the prospect of losing his daughter, Rukiriza relented and blessed the marriage. He called it "supporting reconciliation."

"I did it to avoid self-torture and living a stressful life," he said.

Forgive but don't forget

That measure reflects the Rwandan governments approach to recovering from the genocide. It has stripped ethnic categories from national identity cards and textbooks, denounced "divisionism" and urged Rwandans to forgive but not forget.

Today, both Rukirizas and Bihizis bloodlines commingle in three young, beloved grandchildren.

"They love me. I enjoy seeing them running to hug me every time I visit them. They are very warm," Bihizi said. "When I see them, I reflect back and regret that other kids like them had their lives cut short.

"What happened was terrible  and kids should not have to go through that again."
With Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan deciding against re-election, the focus Wednesday turned to other Republicans who could run for the southeast Wisconsin congressional seat that Ryan has held for 20 years.

But possible Republican candidates weren't saying much about their future plans, instead focusing on praising Ryan as he prepares to exit.

"Wisconsin Republicans are committed to keeping this Congressional seat and I am confident that our eventual nominee will uphold Paul Ryan's legacy of principled, conservative leadership," said Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brad Courtney.

Among those mentioned by Republicans as possible candidates are: former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus; Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos; state Rep. Tyler August; state Sen. David Craig; state Rep. Samantha Kerkman; and longtime Ryan friend, Bryan Steil, an attorney and University of Wisconsin Board of Regents member.

"Hey, it's the year of the woman," Kerkman said. "There's a lot to think about."

Vos tweeted a picture of himself with August and other Republicans at the White House, where they were attending a meeting and fundraiser. He did not comment on Ryan. August issued a statement that did not address whether he would run for the seat, calling Ryan a mentor to whom he would continue to turn for advice.

Priebus tweeted his praise for Ryan, but didn't say whether he would consider returning to the Wisconsin district where he used to live for a run.

The leader of Ryan's campaign team, Kevin Seifert, said Ryan has no plans to endorse if there is a Republican primary in the race to replace him, but that he "will work tirelessly so Republicans keep this seat."

Most Republicans in Wisconsin said the focus will be on whether Vos, the Assembly speaker since 2013, would get in.

"You have to start with Robin Vos as the one who decides whether or not he runs," said Brandon Scholz, a longtime GOP strategist in the state and former Wisconsin Republican Party executive director. "After that, there will be several other possible Republican candidates. Everyone is going to take a deep breath and decide what happens next. But Democrats won't take a deep breath. This certainly means the Democrats will pour multi-millions of dollars into the seat."

Union iron worker Randy Bryce, who goes by the colorful nickname "Iron Stache," has been building a national profile and raising millions to challenge Ryan. Janesville school teacher Cathy Myers is also running as a Democrat.

"Paul Ryan decided to quit today rather than face Randy Bryce and the voters," said Bryce spokeswoman Lauren Hitt. "With nearly $5 million raised to date, a strong field program aided by organized labor, a broad coalition of support locally and nationally, Randy Bryce is incredibly well positioned to [win]."

Bryce is named on a national House Democrats' list of top challengers in Republican-held districts  not an official endorsement but a profile boost that comes with fundraising and organizational help, and an early sign of how confident the party has been that Ryan and the GOP majority are vulnerable.

Myers said the speaker "was running scared and was afraid of his constituents," even beyond what may happen to his party around the country in November.

She said Ryan's decision to drop out shouldn't change the approach for her or Bryce  or any Democrat in any other district. Republicans who run instead of Ryan "will just be Ryan-lite," Myers said. "The issues will be the same."

The only declared Republican was Paul Nehlen, who was banned from Twitter for a series of posts criticized as racist or anti-Semitic. Seifert, from Ryan's team, said Nehlen's "bigoted rhetoric and his reprehensible statements should disqualify him from holding any public office."

Ryan, 48, was first elected to Congress in 1998 and became speaker in 2015. The congressional district in southeast Wisconsin borders Illinois and includes his hometown of Janesville, Racine and Kenosha on Lake Michigan, and the southern Milwaukee suburbs.

President Donald Trump won the district by over 10 percentage points while winning statewide by less than a point. In last week's election for an open Wisconsin Supreme Court seat, conservative candidate Michael Screnock won the district by over 5 points while losing statewide by 12. The last time it went Democratic in a presidential election was when Barack Obama carried it by 3 points in 2008 before redistricting made it a little more Republican.
Saudi forces say they have intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Shiite rebels, directed at the kingdom's capital, Riyadh.

Saudi state-run TV channel al-Ekhbariya reported the news on Wednesday as residents of the capital posted on social media their accounts of hearing a loud explosion and seeing smoke in the sky.



The rebels in neighboring Yemen, known as Houthis, have launched missiles at Riyadh in recent months, and dozens have been fired at southern Saudi cities that border Yemen.

A missile fragment last month killed an Egyptian resident of Riyadh  the first death reported in the capital as a result of the Houthi missile strikes.



The kingdom has been at war in Yemen for more than three years. More than 10,000 Yemenis have died in the conflict.
Senate Democrats are formally calling for Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt to resign or be fired, citing allegations of ethical lapses and questionable spending on travel and security.



New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall said the mounting allegations against Pruitt mean it is time for his imperial tenure to end. Udall and other Democrats said they will introduce a formal resolution calling for Pruitt's ouster for the good of the American people.



Congressional Republicans are standing by Pruitt, making it unlikely the measure will succeed in the Republican-controlled Senate. But Democrats say it's a sign of their frustration with Pruitt over his lavish spending on security, first-class airline tickets bought at taxpayer expense and his bargain-priced rental of a $50-a-night Capitol Hill condo tied to a lobbyist.



Speaking at a Capitol news conference, Udall said Pruitt has misused taxpayer dollars while enhancing his own personal perks, skirted enforcement responsibilities to let polluters off the hook and subverted scientific processes in a manner we have never seen.



President Donald Trump had defended Pruitt, downplaying the ethical questions swirling around his embattled EPA chief while commending his work at the agency.



Advancing Trumps agenda

Administrator Pruitt is focused on advancing President Trump's agenda of regulatory certainty and environmental stewardship, EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox said Wednesday.



EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins is conducting at least five investigative audits related to Pruitt, including a probe into questionable spending by his swollen security detail. The Associated Press first reported last week that the 20-member team tasked with providing day-and-night protection for Pruitt had racked up salary, overtime and travel expenses approaching $3 million.

Pruitt's staff has said the outsized security spending and his first-class flights were justified because of unprecedented death threats against him. Senate Democrats sought to undercut that argument Tuesday, citing a recent internal EPA analysis that concluded EPA Intelligence has not identified any specific, credible, direct threat to the EPA administrator.



The career staffer who wrote the February memo questioning Pruitt's security costs, Mario Caraballo, was fired Tuesday shortly after the existence of the memo became public. He was the latest of at least a half dozen EPA employees dismissed, demoted or placed on involuntary leave after pushing back against Pruitt's spending demands.



Staff for the Republican-led House Oversight committee expanded its review this week of Pruitt's travel spending to include ethical questions surrounding his bargain condo rental. The property was co-owned by the wife of a prominent lobbyist who runs a firm with a roster of fossil fuels clients who have received favorable regulatory rulings from Pruitt's EPA.



The Office of Government Ethics is also demanding documents related to Pruitt's condo rental.



While they flinch at repeated revelations about his ethics and spending, congressional Republicans say Pruitt has led administration efforts to ease federal regulations on manufacturing, mining and other industries.



Conservative groups also have weighed in on Pruitt's behalf.
Thousands of megawatts of wind and solar energy contracts in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia have been signed, seriously challenging the financial viability of major hydropower projects on the river, an energy expert told a water conference last week.

Buoyed by a recent Thai government decision to delay a power purchase deal with a major mainstream Mekong dam, clean-energy proponents and economists told the third Mekong River Commission summit that the regional energy market was on the cusp of a technological revolution.

Brian Eyler, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a nonprofit in Washington dedicated to enhancing global peace and security, said 6,000 megawatts' worth of wind and solar contracts had been signed in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos in the last six months.

He said that in January 2017, he and his colleagues had suggested that more solar and wind energy projects be incorporated into Cambodia's power development plan, the prospect of which had been "basically off the table" at the time. "In a year's time, Cambodia has entirely restructured its energy sector" to emphasize solar projects in the country, "and if Cambodia's doing it, you can bet that the other countries are doing it as well."

Two gigawatts of wind and solar projects were announced in Vietnam in February and March alone according to a spreadsheet provided by the Stimson Center.

Hyunjung Lee, senior energy economist at the Asian Development Bank's Southeast Asia Energy Division, said technologies such as wind and solar power were "going to hit the region very significantly, in my view."

"The atmosphere in the region has been changed," she said, even in just the past year. "We see a lot of development can happen in solar and wind in the region," though more integrated approaches were needed.

Lee said the ADB was working to set up a Regional Power Coordination Center that would mimic a highly successful project in southern Africa to create an efficient, integrated regional market.

Impact on river system

A six-year Mekong River Commission Council study on development plans for the Mekong, which was the focus of the summit, suggested catastrophic impacts upon the health of the river system if all planned hydropower dams  11 mainstream projects and more than 100 on tributaries  were built.

In a January report, the International Renewable Energy Agency found that the cost of electricity generated by solar facilities that supply utilities had fallen by 73 percent from 2010 to 2017, and the cost was forecast to be cut in half again by 2020.

At that price trajectory, the cost of solar power would fall below that of hydropower by 2020, long before many planned Mekong dams go online.

Global solar capacity grew 32 percent, adding 94 gigawatts in 2017, while renewables across the board increased by 8.3 percent, the IREA survey of 15,000 data points found. Renewables and solar grew faster in Asia than anywhere else in the world, while the amount of hydropower commissioned across the globe was the lowest in a decade.

Wang Wenling, an assistant professor at Yunnan University's Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, said she had just seen firsthand how far the price of solar technology had plummeted on a recent trip to North Carolina in the United States.

"I was super surprised how their solar power production cost per unit is actually cheaper than hydropower. I don't know how they make it  it's almost impossible for me  but their cost is only about 15 percent of the cost in China," she said.

"So I think we have a lot of alternatives and it needs to be considered," she said.

Some participants, particularly from Laos and Cambodia, remained skeptical of the technology.

"I think we need some more figures," said a Cambodian member of the audience, raising concerns about stability. "We also think about some figure for the comparison between the occupation of the land of hydropower with solar energy."

Attractive idea for Cambodia

Jake Brunner, program coordinator for the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said the figures for solar were particularly attractive in Cambodia, where land remained relatively cheap, while energy demand was high in neighboring southern Vietnam.

"We calculated that if you took one 10,000-hectare economic land concession in Cambodia, for example, and you made some very conservative assumptions, you could generate about 3 gigawatts, which is pretty close to Cambodia's entire national consumption," he said.

Land is a particularly sensitive issue in Cambodia, where rights group Licadho says more than half a million people have been affected by land conflicts.

Gregory Thomas, executive director of the Natural Heritage Institute, told the summit his organization had researched a solar photo-voltaic alternative for Cambodia that didn't require any land at all.

Instead of building the massive planned Sambor dam on the Mekong, a "no dam alternative" study commissioned by the Cambodian government had recommended placing solar cells on the existing reservoir of the Lower Sesan II dam in Stung Treng.

"The advantage of integrating solar arrays on a hydropower reservoir that already exists is that you can use the unoccupied space on the reservoir without any land use conflicts whatsoever," he said. "And, of course, the reservoir storage acts as a battery, essentially, to backstop the intermittent nature of the solar generation."

Such a project could be cost-competitive and go online much more quickly than a hydropower dam, with 100 megwatts deployable in year, he said.

Floating solar projects are being developed around the world, including in China, where an enormous 150-megawatt installation on a lake that used to be a deserted coal mine is expected to go online in May, powering 15,000 homes.
South Sudan's former army chief, Paul Malong, recently formed his rebel group, the South Sudan United Front, as a result of political ambition, a government spokesman told VOA News on Tuesday.

"We have been monitoring his activities in Nairobi," spokesman Michael Makuei told South Sudan in Focus. "He had started recruitment, and he went to Khartoum, where he also did recruitment. Some of his followers here followed him, and according to our sources he has now declared his movement to overthrow the government and is charging the government with atrocities and corruption."

Malong, once one of President Salva Kiir's closest allies, was fired by Kiir in May 2017 and placed under house arrest in Juba. In November, he was granted permission to leave the country on medical grounds. He now lives in Nairobi.

Makuei said Malong was removed from his post because he was planning to stage a coup against Kiir. He said Malong had formed his new movement because of personal grudges against the Kiir administration.

"It was observed that he had suspicious activities that would lead to something like what he has declared now. He wanted to make a coup, but the government moved faster than him and he was released," Makuei told VOA.

Malong's spokesman told South Sudan in Focus on Monday that the former army chief had founded the South Sudan United Front to end what he called "the suffering of the South Sudanese people and to restore democracy and the rule of law."

'Nest' of corruption

In a statement Monday, Malong said: "The country has become a nest for systematic corruption, which has devastated the lives of all citizens on a daily basis." He cited nepotism, ongoing conflict, poor health care and a collapsed economy as evidence that Kiir had failed.

Makuei accused Malong of similar wrongdoing, saying he had presided over widespread atrocities as army chief.

"He is actually at the top of the corruption. He is at the top of atrocities ever committed, because all that he did during his time as chief of general staff were atrocities that were beyond anything. He has destroyed the army through corruption," said Makuei.

Makuei said the Kiir administration would not reach out to Malong and strongly warned him against mounting attacks on government positions. He advised Malong to the join the opposition during the next and final phase of peace talks known as the High Level Revitalization Forum, scheduled to take place at the end of April in Addis Ababa.

Malong said in his statement that his group would sign the Cessation of Hostilities agreement, which the government and various armed groups signed in December. He also asked the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is serving as mediator for the talks, to include his group in the opposition coalition that will negotiate with the government in Addis Ababa.
President Donald Trump's cancellation of his first visit to Latin America was met with a shrug Tuesday from regional counterparts, many of whom dreaded shaking hands with the American leader as he pushes forward with plans to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and renegotiate trade deals.



Trump canceled his plans to travel to South America later this week, choosing to stay in Washington to manage the U.S. response to an apparent chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria. Instead, Vice President Mike Pence will lead the U.S. delegation to the Summit of the Americas that kicks off Friday in Lima, Peru, with leaders from around the hemisphere, including a soon-to-step down Raul Castro from Cuba.

The decision marks the first time a U.S. president has not attended the summit, which President Bill Clinton started in 1994 as a way to assert American trade influence in the region. A stop in Colombia  long Washington's staunchest ally in the region  was scrapped altogether.



The region seemed to be taking the decision in stride, reflecting some of the unease generated by Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric and growing economic self-confidence in a region long resentful of Washington's dominance.



The summit's host, Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, played down Trump's cancellation, saying he was disappointed but adding that Pence's substitution was a sign the U.S. takes the meetings seriously. Argentina President Mauricio Macri, a longtime business acquaintance of Trump, didn't comment on the decision at a joint news conference with visiting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.



"The truth is, given the level of discourse on trade, immigrants and intervention coming from this administration, not paying much attention to the region may be welcome by a number of governments as they search for their own alternatives," said Christopher Sabatini, executive director of Global Americans, a group promoting better engagement in the region. "The question though is what it means for U.S. leadership, not just now but over the long term."



Even some Republicans expressed frustration.

"I am disappointed that the president won't make it to Lima," Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said at a hearing to discuss the summit. "It's rather symbolic of the broader challenge we face in the region for the better part of the decade. Every time we say we want to focus on the Western Hemisphere, something emerges in the Middle East or somewhere else that distracts our attention."



Like Trump, Pence is expected to use the summit to push for a stronger response to what the U.S. considers the rise of dictatorship in Venezuela. With the White House's support, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been barred from the meeting over his plans to hold a presidential election that the opposition is boycotting and many foreign governments consider a sham.



Maduro, who had been vowing to attend the summit anyway, celebrated Trump's cancellation, calling it further proof that the U.S. still views Latin America as Washington's backyard.



"Donald Trump said he isn't going to Lima because he said he doesn't have time," Maduro told supporters at a rally in Caracas.



The Trump administration is considering imposing an oil embargo on the OPEC nation, while Panama recently became the first Latin American nation to pursue sanctions of its own by blacklisting dozens of Venezuelan officials from doing business in the Central American country. Several other governments are contemplating similar moves.



But despite a shared commitment to getting tough on Venezuela, most leaders weren't looking forward to welcoming Trump, Sabatini said.



A regional survey by respected Chilean pollster Latinobarometro said Latin Americans last year viewed Trump even more unfavorable than they did George W. Bush or Cuban dictator Fidel Castro in the year of his death. Whereas President Barack Obama had an average rating of 7 out of 10 after his first year in office, Trump ended his with less than half that rating.

Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric, strained relationships with leaders like Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto and the rolling back of the Obama administration's opening to Cuba have all hurt U.S. outreach at a time China, Russia and other nations are gaining influence, U.S. diplomats across the region quietly acknowledge. The decision to deploy U.S. troops on the border with Mexico and accusations that Central American migrants were carrying out rape have also aggravated feelings.



Meanwhile, recent comments by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson vindicating the 19th century Monroe Doctrine, coupled with Trump's threat of a military solution to Venezuela's crisis, have spread fears of a return to U.S. unilateralism.



While Trump has vowed to scrap NAFTA and pull out of trade agreements as part of his America First policy, most of the region has been moving in the opposite direction. Three major nations  Mexico, Chile and Peru  have all signed up for the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Trump has scuttled, while China's decision to slap tariffs on U.S. soybeans in retaliation for U.S. trade measures stands to benefit major farm producers like Argentina and Brazil.



"In some sense, all of the fuss that he has been raising on trade operates to Latin America's advantage," said Albert Fishlow, a former U.S. deputy secretary of state. "The region is trying to separate itself from the U.S. as much as possible."
At 79, Thai businessman Boon Vasin's latest $500 million venture is a bet on a market he knows well - looking after Thailand's rapidly growing population of old people.

Not only is Thailand aging faster than its neighbors, but it is also becoming an increasingly popular retirement option for foreigners attracted by its agreeable climate, low living and health costs and culture of service.

"We will look after them from their waking hours until they go to sleep," said Boon, chairman of the Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl. "This group has big spending capacity."

His Jin Wellbeing County is a 'medical city' for Thai and foreign retirees being built across more than two hectares (5 acres) on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The first of nearly 500 housing units being sold in an initial phase are being marketed for nearly $130,000, plus additional fees of 7,000-8,000 baht ($224 - $385) a month for meals and services ranging from fitness sessions to excursions.

Boon predicts care services will yield recurring profits of up to 240 million baht each year from the project, plus unit sales and medical services.

Together with China, Thailand is aging much faster than its regional neighbors. By 2040 it is expected to have the highest share of elderly people of any developing country in East Asia, according to the World Bank.

Thailand has 7.5 million people aged 65 and over, a figure projected to swell to 17 million by 2040 - more than a quarter of the expected population.

That's partly due to improving medical care extending life expectancies, but also a fall in birth rates from an average of more than six children per woman in 1960 to 1.5 in 2015.

In the past, generations of the same Thai family lived under the same roof and elderly were cared for by their offspring. But the changing population balance as well as a shift from the countryside to towns means that's increasingly impractical.

Real estate developers are already tapping the market.

A residential project worth $160 million by developer Magnolia Quality Development Corporation, which is scheduled to open in 2022, will include a wellness centre offering elderly care services with specialists in areas such as dementia, said chief executive Visit Malaisirirat.

All the homes in SC Asset Corporation Pcl's $350 million luxury brand are equipped with designs aimed at the elderly, the group's marketing head, Nattagit Sirirat, told Reuters.

This includes shock absorbent floors and wheelchair access.

"We worked with Siam Cement, which designed a shock absorbing compound to use in flooring," he said. The company was "closely studying retirement homes and communities" and was considering a partnership with a local private hospital operator to build a retirement community, he added, while declining to divulge predicted returns.

A place in the sun

For his care home, Boon is focusing on people with an income of over 100,000 baht a month - and not just Thais. The aim is to sell at least 20 percent of the project to foreigners, who are targeted along with locals in marketing materials.

"We have Chinese and Japanese buyers who are interested," he said.

Boon has partnered with a Chinese agent, Shanghai Losen Sale, to sell 90 units worth 671 million baht to Chinese customers.

Thailand did not make the top ten list of International Living's 2018 index for the best places to retire for U.S. expats. Costa Rica was at number one and neighboring Malaysia at number five.

International Living described Malaysia as "easy, English-speaking and First World." English is still not widely spoken in Thailand, particularly outside of the major cities.

The state has tried to address this by promoting English as a second language.

Many parts of Thailand away from the well-known expatriate enclaves also fall decidedly in the developing countries category.

But it is becoming an increasing draw for retirees.

The number of foreigners over 50 who have applied for retirement visas to stay in Thailand almost doubled to nearly 73,000 in 2017 from fewer than 40,000 in 2013, according to immigration bureau data.

At the top of the list are Britons - and last year the government launched a campaign to specifically attract British pensioners once Britain leaves the European Union and closer destinations such as Spain become less attractive.

Bryan Walker, 78, is one of those retirees attracted by Thailand's food and climate.

"It's just so good," said Walker, a former humanitarian aid worker who is considering a number of retirement facilities in the north of Thailand.

"I've lived and worked in so many countries. Here the cost of living is wonderful, the climate is superb, although it's a bit hot at times. But the range of food is like nothing I've ever experienced," Walker told Reuters.

Peter Brown, owner of the Care Resort Chiang Mai, a care facility in the northern Thai city, set up his business after seeing his mother in a care home in Britain.

"I found problems in how they do care. Basically, not enough nursing staff," he said. "I decided on a better way to do this."

The resort began operation in 2012 and around half the guests are now from the United States, he said. An all-inclusive stay, not including medicine, costs around $1,500 a month.

"A lot of Americans are not getting healthcare free," he said, emphasizing the importance of Thailand's service culture as a draw. "You can see it everyday in the way the staff interact with the elderly."
Comedic actor Tracy Morgan, who rose to prominence on sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live" after growing up in one of New York City's toughest housing projects, said he felt right at home receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday.

With his trademark wide, mischievous grin, Morgan, 49, bent over and kissed the emblematic terrazzo and brass star along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, now one of the city's most-visited sites but for decades was a home to L.A.'s underbelly.

"When I was a poor kid growing up in the projects in Brooklyn, I would never dream of having a star on the Walk of Fame," the comic known for his cringe-inducing style said.

"But now that I'm here, I have to tell you I feel pretty comfortable," the "30 Rock" star added. "I'll tell you why! Because of the smell of weed and stale urine - it's just like being in the projects. What would really make me feel at home, if somebody spray painted graffiti on my star."

Morgan, who stars in the new Time Warner-owned TBS comedy "The Last O.G." with Tiffany Haddish, was introduced by Oscar winner Jordan Peele and comedian Martin Lawrence, who gave Morgan his first break in 1994 on his TV comedy series "Martin."

"The Last O.G." is Morgan's first big step back into Hollywood after he was seriously injured in 2014 when a Wal-Mart truck crashed into his limousine on the New Jersey Turnpike killing his friend, the comedian James McNair.

"He's been through so many things and he's come out with an outlook on life that is absolutely beautiful," Peele told the assembled crowd.

"He'll take you all over the map in a conversation with him," Peele added. "You'll be laughing one second, you'll be crying the next second. He'll have you thinking one second and then he'll say something so stupid it's just funny the next second."

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday decried the "never ending and corrupt" investigation into links between his 2016 campaign for the presidency and Russia, which he acknowledged is taking "tremendous time and focus" for him.

In one of a string of early morning Twitter comments, the U.S. leader assailed Monday's FBI raid on the New York office and hotel residence of his personal attorney Michael Cohen to seize financial records and documents related to payoffs before the election to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep them quiet about affairs they claim to have had with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied the purported liaisons.



Trump repeated his continuing rebuttal that his campaign colluded with Russia to help him win or that he has obstructed justice to thwart special counsel Robert Mueller's criminal investigation, "other than I fight back."



"So now they do the Unthinkable," Trump complained, "and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!" In a subsequent tweet, Trump criticized Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as "conflicted."

Despite the ongoing Russia probe, Trump said on Twitter he is "very calm and calculated" in handling other issues, including a threatened air strike against Syria for last weekend's chemical weapons attack that killed more than 40 people.

Authority to fire Mueller?

Trump's broadside against the Russia investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller came hours after the White House asserted that Trump has the authority to fire Mueller. CNN reported that Trump is considering dismissing Rosenstein, who is overseeing Mueller's investigation.



"We've been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Tuesday when they asked about Trump's power to fire Mueller.



Many legal experts said the president would have to take such an action through Rosenstein, who could refuse to comply.

A number of Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans in Congress have warned such a drastic move would imperil Trump's presidency and possibly trigger a constitutional crisis.



"I think it would be suicide for the president" to fire Mueller, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, said on CNN on Tuesday. Grassley called on Trump to let the special counsel's probe go forward.



Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lindsey Graham, as well as Democratic Senators Chris Coons and Cory Booker, are backing legislation that would give additional job protections to special counsels.



The New York Times reported late Tuesday that Trump demanded Mueller be fired in December and his investigation shut down.



The Times story was based on interviews with a number of White House officials. It says Trump was infuriated by newspaper reports that Mueller's office was issuing subpoenas over his business dealings with Deutsche Bank.



The reports turned out to be inaccurate. But the Times story illustrates Trump's state of mind when it comes to Mueller possibly expanding his investigation from Russian election meddling into other matters concerning the president.



Rosenstein finds himself as the point person because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation.



The president has never forgiven Sessions for the recusal, White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged Tuesday.



Trump has called Sessions' recusal a "terrible mistake."



Asked by a reporter if he had spoken with Trump on Tuesday, Sessions said, "Not today."



VOA followed up with a question to Sessions about the status of his relationship with the president  amid speculation Trump could fire him at any time  but the attorney general did not reply.



With Sessions' recusal, Rosenstein would also have been the one to have asked judges to approve Monday's FBI raids on the New York office and hotel room of Trump's personal lawyer, Cohen.



Trump on Tuesday continued to rail about the raids, calling them "a total witch hunt."



Huckabee Sanders said she is not aware of whether Cohen continues to represent Trump.

The raid

FBI agents executed search warrants and seized financial documents and other records possibly related to Trump's contacts with his personal attorney who allegedly paid hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal before the 2016 presidential election.



Cohen called the raids "upsetting" and said he was mostly concerned about his family. He told CNN he believes everything he did concerning Stormy Daniels was legal, but said he would be lying if he said he was not worried.



Trump has said he had no knowledge of the payment to Daniels, who media reports say is cooperating with federal investigators.



"The president has been clear that he thinks that this has gone too far," Sanders told reporters Tuesday concerning the scope and direction of Mueller's investigation.



With the special counsel's findings, "we could see criminal charges that implicate Donald Trump in some way and that, even if they don't lead to an indictment, provide the basis for possible action in Congress, which could mean impeachment," American University assistant professor of government Chris Edelson said.



But Edelson, also a fellow at the Center for Congressional and Political Studies, said he does not expect such action soon because even if Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in the November election, it would take a two-thirds majority in the Republican-controlled Senate to remove the president.
Striking Syria with missiles is one option U.S. President Donald Trump is considering to retaliate for the latest alleged chemical attack blamed on Syria's government forces, according to the White House.

"Just because he does one thing doesn't mean he can't do a number of other actions as well," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday afternoon, repeatedly stating that "all options are on the table."

A robust, U.S.-led retaliatory military response is expected within days, according to officials and analysts in Washington.

WATCH: White House Says Options on Syria Still Being Considered

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis was at the White House on Wednesday as Vice President Mike Pence convened the president's national security team for a meeting to contemplate the latest use of force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Mattis, earlier in the day, said that while intelligence about the attack in Syria was still being assessed, "we stand ready to provide military options if they're appropriate as the president determined."

After Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said Russian forces would shoot down any missiles fired at Syria, Trump said on Twitter that the Russians should be ready, "because they will be coming."

The Kremlin has called on all parties involved in Syria to refrain from actions that could destabilize the region.

Meanwhile, Russia's military, which had deployed its troops to Douma, the site of Saturday's suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people and sickened hundreds, said early Thursday that the Syrian government is now in control of the town.

Asked whether Russia was now regarded as an enemy, Huckabee Sanders demurred, saying "we certainly think they've proven to be a bad actor," and noting that Moscow had "guaranteed that the use of chemical weapons by Syria would not happen again. They failed at that."

More than 2,000 U.S. troops are in Syria, where a U.S.-led coalition has launched thousands of airstrikes  mostly against Islamic State members and other extremists.

The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, with about 6,500 sailors, departed from Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for what the U.S. Navy termed a routine deployment to Europe and the Middle East. A Navy guided missile destroyer, the Donald Cook, left Cyprus on Monday in the Mediterranean Sea.

Tomahawk missiles

The Cook and the USS Porter, on April 7 last year, together launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Mediterranean at Syria's Shayrat airbase in response to a chemical attack three days prior that killed at least 74 people and sickened hundreds.

The Porter is also in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, which includes the Mediterranean.

Last year's attack ordered by Trump "was neither operationally nor strategically successful," Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Edward Markey said Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Democrat said that while Assad's barbaric use of chemical weapons must never again occur, Trump "must come to Congress for authorization" prior to another military operation against Syria.

"Obviously, the administration will follow whatever laws and regulations are necessary for any actions that we take," Huckabee Sanders said in response to a question about this from VOA. "Because we haven't laid out any specific actions that we plan to take, I can't tell you exactly what needs we would have to go to Congress with."

Analysts predicted Trump's response would be heftier than his April 2017 missile strike.

"Nonetheless, however big the strike package or alliance, it is unlikely to significantly affect Assad's calculus," according to Tobias Schneider, a research fellow at the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin.

'Significant risk of escalation'

"Any attack large enough to cow Assad would carry significant risk of escalation," Schneider, who studies chemical weapons use in Syria, told VOA. "Russia can swallow a limited, slap-on-the-wrist kind of strike like last year, but it won't easily tolerate any action that seriously undermines its gains in Syria."

Syria and Russia, according to Schneider, "could choose to retaliate by making life harder for Americans deployed on the ground and in the air across the country's Northeast."

Trump  who canceled a Latin America trip to focus on Syria  has spoken in recent days with his British and French counterparts to coordinate action.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, without seeking parliamentary approval, is ready to give the go-ahead for the United Kingdom to take part in the military action, according to the BBC.

British submarines have been ordered to move within range of Syria, according to The Daily Telegraph of London.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which coordinates its activities with the United Nations, is to send a team to investigate the incident, but it was uncertain whether it would arrive before a military response began.

Russia, at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, vetoed a U.S.-drafted plan that would have set up a commission to investigate and assign blame for the chemical weapons attack.
Two Reuters journalists accused of violating the Myanmar's colonial-era Official Secrets Act will face trial after a court rejected a request to dismiss the case against them.

Judge Ye Lwin said Wednesday there was a proper reason for the accusations against Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, and they should not be released.

A statement from the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar expressed disappointment that the two journalists remain in detention. "They have been jailed for doing their jobs as journalists," it said.

Amnesty International called it an "appalling but wholly unsurprising decision" that "is entirely in keeping with Myanmars continued regression on freedom of expression and human rights in general."

The Reuters reporters were arrested on December 12 after they were handed a stack of documents by two policemen at a restaurant in Yangon. The pair were covering the brutal military campaign in Rakhine state that has driven nearly hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh since last August.

The two journalists face 14 years in prison if they are convicted under the Official Secrets Act , which dates back to 1923 when Myanmar ruled by Britain.

The case against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo is clearly politically-motivated and completely baseless," Amnesty International said. "They are languishing behind bars simply because of their peaceful journalism and investigating the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people by Myanmars own security forces in Rakhine State."
The United Nations says it hopes the Democratic Republic of Congo will attend a donors conference in Geneva later this week aimed at raising $1.7 billion for life-saving aid. DRC authorities say they will boycott the conference because the UNs description of Congos humanitarian crisis as catastrophic is false and gives the country a bad image.

The United Nations reports more than 13 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are in need of humanitarian assistance. Seven-point-seven million are going hungry, more than two million acutely malnourished children are at risk of dying, and four-point-five million people are displaced by conflict.

Because of worsening conditions in DRC, the United Nations declared three regions in the country  the Kasai, Tanganyika and South Kivu--as a Level 3 emergency late last year. This is the world bodys highest-level emergency.

A spokesman for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jens Laerke, tells VOA the DRC governments displeasure with this designation is based on a misunderstanding.

It is not a classification of the severity of a crisis. It is a classification that is internal to the UN system, so that we mobilize, so that we are able to respond to the crisis as it is," said Laerke. "I think it is important to stress that an L3 is an internal designation to make sure that we actually meet the needs.

In other words, Laerke says the L3 designation is intended to get humanitarian organizations to beef up their assistance activities so they are able to respond adequately to the crisis that exists.

That includes, for example things such as ensuring that there is a deputy humanitarian coordinator in place," said Laerke. "It is to make sure that staff, and there are hundreds of additional staff  UN and NGO staff, which have been sent to the DRC so that they can implement the programs that we have now. What is important now is that we get these programs funded.

Laerke notes the L3 emergency was declared for a six-month period and will expire on April 20th.

The OCHA spokesman says the U.N. invitation to the DRC to attend the conference, which takes place on Friday is still open. He says the UN hopes the Government will change its mind and be present at the event.

But, whatever happens, he says the pledging conference will go ahead as the lives of millions of people are at stake and depend upon the generous response and support of donor countries.
A United Nations war crimes court on Wednesday sentenced a Serbian ultranationalist to 10 years in prison, overturning his acquittal over crimes against humanity and other charges during the Balkan wars in the 1990s.

Vojislav Seselj, who leads the Serbian Radical Party and is a lawmaker in the Serbian parliament, was acquitted in 2016 of nine war crimes and crimes against humanity charges because of insufficient evidence.

Wednesday's sentence centered on a speech Seselj gave in the Serbian village of Hrtkovci close to the Croatian border on May 6, 1992, which resulted in dozens of ethnic Croats being deported.

Prosecutors had accused him of war crimes including persecution, murder and torture and had demanded a 28-year sentence for his support of Serb paramilitaries during the bloody wars in Croatia and Bosnia that claimed over 100,000 lives and left millions homeless.

Judge Theodor Meron said the court found him guilty of "instigating persecution, forcible displacement, deportation, and other inhumane acts" in Hrtkovci.

The ruling on Wednesday at The Hague, Netherlands, left Seselj a convicted war criminal, yet he remained free because he had already spent nearly 12 years in tribunal custody since surrendering in 2003.

Seselj told The Associated Press that Wednesday's was ruling "illegal," adding that he was "proud of all the war crimes and crimes against humanity that were attributed to me. And I am ready to repeat them in the future."

Seselj said judges "lied that there were systematic attacks" on Croats in Serbia.

During the war, the far-right leader won notoriety for rhetoric that incited ethnic hatred among the ex-Yugoslav nations. In one speech, he had called for eyes of Croats to be gouged out "with rusty spoons."

'Long-delayed justice'

The prosecution said that acquitting Seselj would have damaged the legacy of the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Croatia's foreign ministry said the verdict against Seselj was proof of "planned criminal acts" against the country in the 1990s. However, it called Seselj's sentence "too lenient in relation to the committed crimes" by his supporters during the Balkan wars.

Seselj surrendered to the court in The Hague in February 2003. He was released late in 2014 on compassionate grounds due to ill health but kept up his ultranationalist stance in the Serbian parliament.

Amnesty International Europe Director Gauri van Gulik called the ruling Wednesday "a welcome development which delivers long-delayed justice to thousands of victims of the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia."

The appeals court did not fully overturn Seselj's 2016 acquittal, but Van Gulik said Wednesday's decision showed "there was indeed a 'widespread or systematic attack against the non-Serbian civilian population in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina."'
The U.S. State Department has confirmed via email that there are "no restrictions on travel for Pakistani diplomats in the United States" despite reports that they will soon be subjected to new travel restrictions.

Pakistani and Indian media had earlier reported that the Trump administration has notified Pakistani authorities that diplomats at the country's U.S. embassy and consulates will not be able to travel more than 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from their posts without permission. The reports indicate the measures are expected to take effect in May.

Pakistan's embassy in Washington told VOA on Tuesday that it had received no information about such restrictions.

The reports came amid heightened tensions between Islamabad in Washington over the war in Afghanistan and long-standing U.S. concerns about the Pakistani military's ties to the Taliban and other militant groups.

Last week, a U.S. defense attache at the U.S. mission in Islamabad was involved in a traffic accident that killed a motorcyclist. Pakistani authorities have pressed for the attache, Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall, to stand trial. The U.S. Embassy has said it is cooperating in the probe.

VOA's Urdu service contributed to this report.
Amid unresolved questions about the role of its military in Africa, the U.S. has kicked off a two-week exercise in Agadez, Niger, designed to strengthen security partnerships and train elite counterterrorism units in the volatile Sahel region.

Flintlock, an annual military exercise directed by the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, involves participants from eight African countries and 12 Western countries. The event helps regional partners learn to work together to patrol vast, ungoverned spaces where terrorist groups such as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansar Dine and Boko Haram operate.

Major General J. Mark Hicks, the commander for Special Operations Command Africa, said the investment in training in the region is crucial because the terror groups control only patches of territory and can still be destroyed.

"Africa matters to us because it is a 'preventive-medicine theater' versus an 'emergency-medicine theater,' " Hicks told reporters in a conference call on April 5.

"These threats, as they exist in Africa, are at a level where they can be dealt with  by, with and through our African and European partners, at a very low cost," he said. That cost efficiency, he said, makes them comparable to preventive health care, "versus something like Iraq and Syria, where you have to go into emergency medicine and large military activities."

Enabling regional partners

One regional effort taking shape that Flintlock organizers hope to support is the G5 Sahel, a 5,000-person joint military force created by Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. The U.S. is contributing $60 million toward the G5 Sahel project, but believes the training offered at Flintlock offers unique value.

"We are enabling the G5 Sahel partners both to command and control tactical formations, to cooperate across national boundaries and deal transnationally with transregional threats," Hicks said. "We're also providing tactical training to tactical units, which will be fielded in the context of the G5 Sahel immediately after the exercise."

This year's Flintlock exercise is the first since an ambush last October in which four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerian troops and an interpreter were killed while on patrol near the border with Mali. The exercise location rotates annually and was already planned to be held in Niger.

"The focus this year on Niger is really centered on the increasing threats that we see, both from al-Qaida-aligned JNIM (Group for Support of Islam and Muslims) and ISIS-aligned ISIS Greater Sahara. They are descending through central Mali, threatening not only Mali but Burkina Faso and Niger," Hicks said. "So we are mindful of the changing facts on the ground, and this exercise is focused to enable our partners that are part of the G5 to deal more directly and more effectively with those threats."



U.S. involvement

Since the October attack on U.S. forces, many have questioned the U.S. military presence on the continent. The Pentagon has yet to release its report investigating the incident, but reporting by The New York Times concludes that "a series of intelligence failures and strategic miscalculations" led to the attack in October, and leaked drafts suggest the Pentagon will pull back on its presence on the ground in West Africa.

Five U.S. senators recently returned from a one-week, bipartisan congressional trip to Africa, including a stop in Niger. The senators met with U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Special Operations Command officials and were briefed on the October ambush.

"The United States has some of our best military personnel, diplomats and aid workers serving on the front lines in Africa," Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, said in a statement. "My past week in Niger, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso has been an eye-opening testament to the vital economic, political and security assistance partnership between the U.S. and African countries.

"In each of our meetings this week, we reaffirmed the value we place on U.S.-African relations and the dire need for a fully staffed, empowered U.S. diplomatic corps committed to working to advance fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, and democratic transparency and accountability," he added.

According to U.S. Ambassador to Niger Eric Whitaker, who also participated in the conference call, Americans cannot wall themselves off from the issues affecting the region and must play a role in helping local partners find solutions.

"We have a vested interest in Africa developing its own security because we wouldn't want to see issues there, such as pandemics, terrorist organizations or other issues  piracy, for example  that might spread on to the United States," he said. "So we've chosen to invest in the African partner nations in helping them to address security challenges first and foremost."
U.S. progressive and left-wing groups are gearing up for a wave of protests across the United States in the event that President Donald Trump fires the special counsel probing allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016

election.

Mueller's ouster would put Trump above the law, said protest organizer MoveOn.org, which is planning 800 demonstrations nationwide, with at least one "Nobody Is Above The Law" rally in every state. More than 300,000 people have pledged to attend one of the "Nobody Is Above the Law" protests, according the MoveOn's website.

"If Trump fires special counsel Robert Mueller, it will create a constitutional crisis," MoveOn, which recently supported the March For Our Lives gun control protest in Washington, said on its website.

The White House on Tuesday said Trump had the authority to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has widened his probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow.

Russia has denied it interfered in the election, and Trump and the White House have said frequently that there was no collusion.

Other organizations in the movement include Common Cause, Public Citizen, Indivisible and Stand Up America, MoveOn said.

A bipartisan group of senators will introduce legislation on Wednesday to protect the office of the special counsel.

Trump has grown angry over the Mueller probe, calling it "a disgrace" and an attack on the country. He threatened to fire Mueller after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the offices of Trump's personal lawyer on Monday, based partly on a referral by the special counsel.
Thomas Hushek, nominated as U.S. ambassador to South Sudan, told a Senate panel Wednesday that he is ready for the job despite the war-torn, impoverished East African country's complexities.

"If confirmed, I will press the leaders of all parties to the conflict in South Sudan, and especially the government, to disavow violence and make the hard compromises necessary to achieve a peaceful resolution of their political differences," Hushek said during his one-day hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

South Sudan, which separated from Sudan in 2011, has been caught up in civil war since December 2013.

Hushek is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, according to the State Department's website. A three-time deputy chief of mission and director of two State Department offices, he currently is an official with the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations.



Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat who has visited South Sudan, told Hushek he was frustrated with the lack of progress on the country's peace process and with the Trump administration's failure to flesh out a policy regarding the conflict, now in its fifth year.



"My concern is compounded by not only the deteriorating effects in South Sudan, but I just feel we have no articulated strategy to deal with this crisis," said Booker. "And more than that, I have to say I am very concerned about this administration's concern about this crisis."

Weapons concerns

Booker also expressed frustration over what he calls the undermining of U.S. efforts in South Sudan by neighboring governments who help prop up the administration of President Salva Kiir.

He said the UN panel "has reported that Uganda has supplied Kiir's regime with weapons and we are giving weapons."

The U.S. Defense Department "has spent $130 million to train and equip in Uganda," he added. "And according to my notes, we have given a lot of heavy equipment, including helicopters and ammunition, and there is concern that they have been transferred from Uganda to South Sudan."

Booker wondered if this isn't "a serious undermining of our efforts in that area?"



Hushek said he was unaware of any transfer of U.S.-supplied weapons from Uganda to South Sudan. If true, he said the practice "needs to be ended if the idea of the arms embargo or stopping the ammunition and arms flows into the country is in order to reduce the suffering of the victims of the civil war."



Two aid workers were killed in South Sudan several days ago, bringing the number of such deaths in South Sudan to at least 98, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. And, as Hushek said, the numbers keep rising, making South Sudan the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers.

Hushek assured the Senate panel he is committed to working toward ending the violence.



Hushek added that he would "work tirelessly to urge respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms so that the people of South Sudan might once again aspire to a peaceful and prosperous future."



Sanctions



The State Department has sanctioned certain high-powered individuals in South Sudan, applied a domestic arms embargo and added restrictions on U.S. companies that do business with the country's oil sector. Hushek said those pressures would be increased.



"Last fall, we took it up to the next level and we put sanctions on some people that were on cabinet-level positions in the government of equivalence," Hushek told U.S. senators. "And the idea is to continue to increase this pressure."



A number of high-level vacancies remain at the U.S. State Department. Mike Pompeo is scheduled to undergo Senate confirmation hearings to be the next secretary of state, replacing Rex Tillerson. Still vacant are the posts of assistant secretary of state for Africa affairs as well as special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan.
After weathering heated questions from two Senate panels, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to face more questions from a House committee about the social media platform's transparency and user privacy.



WATCH: Mark Zuckerberg - day 2 of testimony before Congress

Lawmakers want better protections after data breaches that affected tens of millions of users.

WATCH: Facebook hearing

"There was clearly a breach of consumer trust and a likely improper transfer of data," Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said.

"It was my mistake, and Im sorry," Zuckerberg said moments later.

Senators demanded action from the Facebook CEO.

"If you and other social media companies do not get your act in order, none of us are going to have any privacy," the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee, Bill Nelson of Florida, said. "If Facebook and other online companies will not or cannot stop the privacy invasions, then we are going to have to  we, the Congress."

Zuckerberg was called to testify after news emerged that the personal data of millions of Facebook users had been harvested without their knowledge by Cambridge Analytica, a British voter profiling company that U.S. President Donald Trumps campaign hired to target likely supporters in 2016.

Zuckerberg promised to better protect Facebook users. The social media mogul spoke with pride about Facebooks ability to connect people for the common good but admitted the company has not been proactive in safeguarding its users from misuse of data or those sowing malign messages.

"I started Facebook, I run it. And Im responsible for what happens here," Zuckerberg said.

Earlier this week, Facebook began notifying 87 million users, most of them in the United States, whose personal data may have been mined by Cambridge Analytica.

Zuckerberg pledged Facebook will scrutinize and, when necessary, block other firms from gaining access to the platform and empower its 2.2 billion users to wall off their apps from third parties.

Senators also sought assurances that Facebook and other social media platforms are blocking fake profiles originating in Russia that spread divisive messages to sow discord during and after the 2016 U.S. election.

"We will be verifying the identity of any advertiser whos running a political ad," Zuckerberg said. "And were also going to do that for [Facebook user] pages  that will make it significantly harder for Russian interference efforts or other inauthentic efforts to spread misinformation through the network."

Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy noted that misuse of Facebook extends far beyond the United States, saying that Facebook has been used to spread hate speech against Burmas Rohingya minority.

"Recently U.N. investigators blamed Facebook for playing a role in inciting possible genocide in Myanmar, and there has been genocide there," Leahy said.

"Were working on this," Zuckerberg responded. "Were hiring dozens of more Burmese language content reviewers. Because hate speech is very language-specific, its hard to [detect] it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically."

Until now, social media companies have been largely self-regulating. Several senators said Congress must consider steps to protect users of the platforms.

"What do we tell our constituents, given whats happened here, why we should let you self-regulate?" South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham asked.

"My position is not that there should be no regulation," Zuckerberg said. "I think the real question, as the internet becomes more important in peoples lives, is: What is the right regulation?"

The Facebook CEO promised to submit proposals for regulating social media companies and work with lawmakers to craft legislation.

Facebook faces a backlash from some consumer groups. Members of #DeleteFacebook gathered outside Tuesdays hearing on Capitol Hill.

"We knew that they had your data, but the extent of what is being breached is a concern for me. What do they know about my children and my grandchildren?" said a woman who identified herself as Alison.

Lawmakers pledged to hold separate hearings focusing on Cambridge Analytica in the near future.
America's allies are offering to join a possible military response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. But they're urging Washington to avoid swift retaliation, saying that before a reprisal is launched, more evidence is needed that Syria was behind the chemical attack.

In very direct terms, U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Twitter Wednesday that a military response was coming:

Russian officials were quick to respond, saying if there was an American strike, then Russia would shoot down the missiles and target the positions from where they were launched.

"Smart missiles should fly toward terrorists, not the legal government that has been fighting international terrorism for several years on its territory," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova remarked in a Facebook post.

Amid the heated social media exchange with threats and counterwarnings, all raising the stakes of a military confrontation between the U.S. and Russia, Britain, France and Australia offered backing for a U.S. missile strike, but they weighted their backing with caveats.

And they questioned the deterrent effect of missile strikes, pointing out that U.S. military retaliation a year ago in response to a Syrian government sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun in the northern Syrian province of Idlib had failed to stop Assad from launching other chemical attacks, predominantly with chlorine barrel bombs dropped from regime helicopters.

In a phone conversation with Trump late Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May offered her support but, according to British officials, said Britain would need more evidence of who was behind the suspected chemical attack on Saturday on a rebel-held Damascus suburb. The attack left at least 40 people dead and up to 500 injured.

With inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) preparing to visit the suburb of Douma, the site of the attack, other Western allies said there should be no action until more facts were established.

France's President Emmanuel Macron has said France is ready to commit to punitive action, if it is confirmed that Assad crossed a red line and used chemical weapons. But he appears to want to limit retaliatory strikes to Syrian government chemical weapons facilities.

With the U.S. and its Western allies telegraphing a possible military response, analysts say they have lost the element of surprise and given the Syrian government and its military backers Russia and Iran plenty of time to get ready for an attack.

"The obvious pitfall for this likely U.S.-France-U.K. strike on Assad is that the effect of surprise is totally lost but also has given enough time for the Syrian regime, Russia and Iran to get prepared with anti-aircraft batteries and to empty potential targets," said Olivier Guitta, managing director at GlobalStrat, a security and geopolitical risk consultancy.

He said the situation now was different from 2013 when Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, threatened to strike at Assad for a chemical attack, also on rebels and civilians in a Damascus suburb.

"Then the repercussions would have been much less in terms of actors because Iran and Russia were barely present in Syria," he said. "While a strike on Assad is more than overdue since 2013, there's a risk of conflagration, escalation and the first actual fighting between Russia and the West, opening the door to a longer, protracted conflict," he warned.

That fear also appeared to be weighing on the minds of European governments allied with the U.S., including among members of May's ruling Conservative Party in Britain, who worry that the Trump administration has no overall strategy for Syria.

"There are worries about being involved in any military action," said David Amess, a British lawmaker. "Given the disastrous consequences of our involvement in Iraq, we need a strategy. We need it clearly laid out to parliament, what our objectives are. This is not a straightforward issue and we need to wait for the reports from the OPCW. This is a very dangerous and worrying time."

Like other senior Conservative lawmakers, he said the prime minister would have no option but to seek parliamentary approval before ordering any strike on Syria. Julian Lewis, chairman of the British Parliament's defense committee, said Tuesday: "When we are contemplating military intervention in other people's conflicts, Parliament ought to be consulted first."

That raises the prospect of a repeat of the setback suffered by May's predecessor in Downing Street, David Cameron, who sought Parliament's agreement in 2013 to participate in a U.S.-led military strike on Syria, only to lose the vote. The withholding of British support contributed to Obama's decision to stay his hand and not to enforce his "red line" on the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government.

British officials said Trump had not formally asked May to participate in military action. They also said there were no immediate plans to recall the House of Commons, which is currently in recess. But May has called for a meeting Thursday of her war cabinet, prompting concern among opposition leaders that she might commit to some joint action without seeking parliamentary approval first.

In a statement after Mays conversation with the U.S. leader, Downing Street said the two had agreed that the international community had to respond, but they stopped short of blaming the Syrian government, which denies being behind the Douma attack. That contrasted with the tone of U.S. officials, who have been clear in pointing the finger at Assad.

The former head of British armed forces, Lord Richard Dannatt, said that if the U.S and Britain did take action, it shouldn't be restricted to an isolated retaliatory strike, which, he said, on its own would be meaningless.

A reprisal, he said, has to be done within a "broader strategy." He said an isolated "missile strike like the one Donald Trump ordered last year wouldn't achieve anything, and that didn't achieve anything."

Dannatt dismissed various and shifting Russian explanations for the attack, including Kremlin claims that the White Helmets, a first-response volunteer organization operating in parts of rebel-controlled Syria, could have faked the attack. "The Russians have developed fake news into an art form," he said.

"Up to this moment, it has seemed much more than likely, and high on the balance of probabilities, that this was an attack using chemical weapons carried out by the Syrian regime. ... And it is right that they don't get away with it," he said.
President Donald Trump lifted a U.S. travel ban on citizens from Chad on Tuesday after a six-month U.S. government review found improvements in the African country's security standards, the White House said.

The Trump administration added Chad to a revamped travel ban list in September after it said the Chadian government had failed to send proof it had taken adequate security measures to prevent terrorists from traveling to the United States.

With Chad taken off the list, seven countries  Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela  are still subject to the travel restrictions.

In a proclamation lifting the ban on Chad, Trump said the other seven countries "did not make notable or sufficient improvements in their identity-management and information-sharing practices" and would remain on the list.

Trump's critics have said his travel ban unfairly singled out Muslims, and violated U.S. law and the Constitution.

Courts struck down the first two versions of Trump's travel ban, and the current one is narrower in scope than its predecessors. The U.S. Supreme Court will consider its legality this spring, and a decision is expected in June.

Trump said in the proclamation that Chad had taken steps to make its passports more secure and had improved the sharing of information with the United States on known or suspected terrorists.

Chad has been an ally of the United States in fighting jihadist groups  some linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State  in the Sahel.
Lawmakers in Zimbabwe are preparing to summon ex-president Robert Mugabe to answer for his management of the diamond sector, which he nationalized in 2016.

Mugabe announced the state seizure two years ago on Zimbabwe state TV, saying, "There has been a lot of secrecy  and we have been blinded. We have not received much from the diamond industry at all."

Foreign mining companies operating in the country were quick to challenge the stop-work orders in court, and some cases are still pending.

But analysts question Mugabe's 2016 assertion that as much as $15 billion in diamond revenue was missing, and it was the fault of the foreign companies.

Now, the parliamentary mines committee wants answers.

"He must be able to tell the country where he got these figures from," the head of the parliamentary committee, Temba Mliswa, told VOA. "It is not witch hunting.

"If there is anything parliament is doing, [it is] to support the executive to ensure that the economy has to pump through a process where minerals are accounted for. You got to bring closure to this. And you must also understand that it would be unfair for people to say he [Mugabe] is too old, when he could have been the president right now."

Mliswa says the committee also plans to summon former vice president Joice Mujuru, as well as current Vice President Kembo Mohadi.

Mugabe's 37 years in office came to an abrupt end last November, when he resigned under pressure from the army. Popular anger over the failed economy had been mounting for several years.

In 2010, Global Witness began voicing concern about abuses and mismanagement in the country's diamond sector. Last year, the global anti-corruption watchdog presented evidence connecting state security agencies and ruling party elites to diamond mining and smuggling.

Alice Harle of Global Witness welcomes parliament's plan to question Mugabe.

"If he does testify, it will be difficult to see how much he is prepared to reveal," Harle said. "If Zimbabwe's diamond money is to benefit Zimbabwean people in fighting poverty and driving development, it is essential that the sector is open to scrutiny. A lot of the problems around the industry are directly related to how opaque the sector is."

Current Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa spent decades by Mugabe's side, serving in various official roles as one of his closest allies. The ruling ZANU-PF has chosen Mnangagwa as its candidate for the July elections.

Reacting to the news that parliament would summon Mugabe, presidential spokesman George Charamba told VOA that parliament can summon anyone, except a sitting president.
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The National Patriotic Front (NPF) linked to ousted former president Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, has promised Zanu PF fireworks in the forthcoming general elections, saying it will defeat the ruling party if polls are free and fair.

The NPF, which has been holding consultation meetings countrywide, says so-called political commissars identified as members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces deployed by the ruling party mostly in rural areas, should be immediately withdrawn as they are set to cause havoc in most communities ahead of the polls.

The Zanu PF commissars have already started collecting voting slips in villages across the country, a move that has been deemed as illegal by the government and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

NPF acting chairperson Eunice Sandi Moyo said President Emmerson Mnangagwa should immediately order his party members to stop intimidating voters.

There are many things we seem to be getting from the grassroots and so we are saying let the (foreign) observers be given the opportunity to visit everywhere so that they can see what is happening. There is an issue of Zanu PF activists collecting BVR (Biometric Voter Registration) slips and the deployment of soldiers in rural areas.

 We have people who come from the army who are all over the country. We are saying they must not be given a new name that they are commissars. They must be withdrawn so that people feel free to do what they want in the country.

Suspected Zanu PF activists and members of the army terrorized Zimbabweans in the 2008 presidential election run off after the late opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeated Robert Mugabe in the first round though he did not get enough votes to form a new government.

More than 180 people, mostly opposition members, were killed while others were maimed in the clampdown that was spearheaded by the national army.

Mrs. Moyo further said she is prepared to die in order to restore the legacy of the late Zimbabwean vice president Joshua Nkomo and Mugabe, who fought hard to liberate the country from white colonial rule.

She said the Mnangagwa government has sidelined Zapu supporters, who were supposed to grace his Cabinet in proportional numbers with Zanu activists following the signing of a unity accord between the two parties in 1987.

Nkomo and Mugabe wanted unity but Mnangagwa has decided to sideline Zapu cadres, she said.

A few Cabinet members are drawn from Zapu, once led by vice president Nkomo.

The NPF is believed to be the brainchild of former Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, former Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, former Youth Minister Patrick Zhuwao and others, who were allegedly targeted for arrest by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces which carried what it codenamed Operation Restore Legacy last November, claiming that some criminals were surrounding Mugabe.

Moyo, Kasukuwere, Zhuwao and members of the Zanu PF faction known as Generation 40 or G40 were ousted in the operation, which Mugabe described as a military coup.
stratovolcano 1117 m / 3,665 ftKyushu, Japan, 31.59N / 130.66E(3 out of 5)1955-ongoing, 1954(?), 1950, 1948, 1946, 1942, 1941, 1940, 1939, 1938, 1935, 1914-15, 1899(?), 1860, 1799, 1797, 1794, 1792, 1791, 1790, 1785, 1783, 1782, 1779-81, 1756, 1749, 1742, 1706, 1678, 1670(?), 1642, 1478, 1471-76, 1468, 778, 766, 764, 716-18, 712(?), 708Explosive(5-day volcano expedition to observe Sakurajima volcano's activity from close)

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If Ms. Aguilera has time, she may want to poke around Azerbaijans jails. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Azerbaijan ranks among the worst jailers of journalists in the world, with at least 10 imprisoned when its last survey was completed in December. She might also want to set aside some time to get a reality check on Azerbaijan from Khadija Ismayilova, a courageous journalist who endured a prison term for the crime of her hard-hitting investigative reports about Mr. Aliyevs family wealth. Or, perhaps Ms. Aguilera could visit Ilgar Mammadov, a prominent alternative voice to Mr. Aliyev who was arrested more than five years ago shortly after announcing he would challenge the president in the 2013 elections. Mr. Mammadov was accused of inciting violence and sentenced to seven years in prison after a faulty trial. The European Court of Human Rights found his detention illegal. He is still locked away.
An uninvited minor candidate for governor, whose past campaigns have been marked by controversy, was charged with breach of peace and trespassing after officers were forced to drag her off stage during a Democratic forum Monday in Brookfield.

Lee Whitnum, a declared Democratic candidate for governor, was not invited to participate in the forum, but attempted to anyway, bringing her own sign with her name on it and taking a seat at the table.

I will not be Wasserman Schultzed by you, maam, Whitnum shouted at the organizers of the event, referencing Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who resigned when it appeared she was favoring Hillary Clintons campaign over Bernie Sanders.

Police said Whitnum, 57, provided officers with several identifications and was charged under the name Lisa Baker, which is her married name. She was released shortly after her arrest on a $500 bond.

Thats more than double what her campaign committee for governor, Citizens for Lee Whitnum, has raised. According to her latest campaign finance report, filed April 8, Whitnum has given her campaign $200 and spent $300. She has not raised any additional money, according to the report.

Whitnum, who has run several failed campaigns and is perhaps best known for once calling Sen. Chris Murphy a whore during a televised debate, has not been invited to any of the forums featuring Democratic candidates for governor.

There is so much at stake in the gubernatorial election, and we are only a month away from our convention, said Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto. We need to be focused on the candidates in the race who are going to talk about moving the state forward. Lee Whitnums behavior was inappropriate, and frankly its not the first time. Theres no place for that type of behavior in our party, and there is too much as stake this fall as Republicans try to rollback progress on gun safety legislation, workers rights, womens rights and continue to cower to Trumps agenda.

Whitnum is due in state Superior Court in Danbury on April 19.

More for you Minor candidate dragged off stage in Brookfield Democratic forum

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
OTTAWA  The federal border-guard union warns Manitobans travelling to the United States could face long lines when returning home, with no sign of Ottawa hiring more staff to deal with asylum-seekers entering the country places such as Emerson.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/4/2018 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The federal border-guard union warns Manitobans travelling to the United States could face long lines when returning home, with no sign of Ottawa hiring more staff to deal with asylum-seekers entering the country places such as Emerson.

The unions comment comes as the United States prepares to end a deportation reprieve program for Liberia natives, many of whom live in Minnesota.

In their spring budget, the federal Liberals earmarked $173.2 million for the fiscal year that started this month "to support security operations at the Canada-U.S. border and the processing of asylum claimants."

But Jean-Pierre Fortin, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, said the Canada Border Services Agency seems to be transferring officers from regular border stations to process asylum-seekers crossing on foot into Canada.

He said officers arent aware of any new hires, whom he said take 20 weeks to train. On a February visit to Manitoba, he heard officers had enough staff for the current flow, but not if theres an uptick this summer.

"We don't have any new blood," Fortin said. "They need to actually give green-light to the (human resources) person to increase the resources."

Februarys federal budget calls for "short-term processing and security-screening supports at the border" and more refugee-hearing adjudicators. But it doesnt say whether the CBSA will hire more border guards -- formally called officers.

The office of Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale could not immediately say whether it plans to do so.

"The CBSA has over 13,000 employees and regularly reallocates resources as needed. When planning any temporary deployment, the CBSA always works to minimize any operational impacts," spokesman Scott Bardsley wrote.

Bardsley said the CBSA will advise the government whether it needs more resources as the flow of claimants changes. He said last summer, when thousands of asylum claimants arrived during a Canada 150 tourism boom, electronic airport terminals and reallocating staff kept a reasonable waiting time for processing arrivals.

Last year, the RCMP apprehended 1,018 irregular asylum claimants near Emerson, up from a few dozen in recent years. It remains unclear whether Manitoba will see another boom in refugee claimants from the United States.

Minneapolis holds one of the largest concentrations of citizens of Liberia, many of whom will have to leave the U.S. by April 2019.

On March 27, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would not extend the Deferred Enforced Departure program, giving thousands of Liberians 12 months to get their affairs in order and leave America.

Since 1991, the U.S. has issued Liberians without a criminal record temporary-stay permits. These DED permits started due to a civil war in Liberia, and former U.S. presidents kept extending the permits, due to the West African country's extreme poverty and the recent Ebola outbreak.

While some have naturalized as U.S. citizens, advocates say many are still living on the temporary permit, despite starting families and giving birth to U.S. citizens.

When the Trump said it would end a similar program to DED, called TPS, for Haiti, thousands of Haitian citizens crossed into Quebec to file asylum claims.

Abdullah Kiatamba, head of the non-profit African Immigrant Services in Minneapolis, said many Liberians are trying to find a way to get U.S. citizenship, or advocate for a change to the DED policy.

"Canada is all we have as the most immediate, or the most viable back-up plan," he said.

Kiatamba said immigration raids have ramped up in Minnesota over the past year, and some families have learned their relatives had expired permits only after theyd been arrested and selected for deportation.

"The enforcement is still at an alarming and a high rate, and that is affecting all aspects of the immigrant community," he said. "It is creating its own trauma that I think does not help, to make people feel welcome, as part of this American family."

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A local immigration law centres website advises visitors to delete their browser history in case their smartphones are being monitored.

U.S. officials say Liberia is no longer ravaged by Ebola and is a peaceful country, but activists say the country is struggling with unemployment and cant handle an influx of people.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, has been leading efforts to get a law passed that would offer DED holders a chance to get U.S. citizenship, or get Trump to reverse his decision.

"The thought that just like that, the people who have been caring for your parents and grandparents will vanish is an outrage," Klobuchar said at an event last month, according to local media.

But similar attempts at offering citizenship to undocumented people brought to the States as children have been heavily politicized, with Trump changing his mind and Democrats prompting a government shutdown over the issue.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  The seven First Nations set to inherit Kapyong Barracks will gather at the former military base early Wednesday to pray for a successful future for the site, as federal bureaucrats scramble with last-minute plans.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 10/4/2018 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The seven First Nations set to inherit Kapyong Barracks will gather at the former military base early Wednesday to pray for a successful future for the site, as federal bureaucrats scramble with last-minute plans.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan will join the seven chiefs of Treaty 1 alongside Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr to announce an agreement that marks the first major step towards a solution for the site, which has sat dormant for almost 14 years.

Wednesdays events have been hastily organized, sources working on the project say, with progress over the weekend and last-minute invitations.

In fact, Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman only got an invite late Monday afternoon, and its unclear whether Premier Brian Pallister did.

Those working on the project say theres been a baseline agreement between the chiefs and Ottawa, but added that talks were continuing this afternoon to see whether specific pledges or timelines could be announced as part of that agreement.

The press conference starts at 11 a.m. at Assiniboia Downs. All seven chiefs and the federal ministers will speak and take questions from the media. Afterwards, the chiefs will host a private feast to celebrate the project.

Sajjan will be the Crown's representative for the event, while Carr will attend as the MP for the area and the only Manitoban in the federal Cabinet.

But before the public meeting at Assiniboia Downs, the chiefs will have a solemn, private visit to Kapyong Barrcks, to hold water and pipe ceremonies.

"Asking blessings from our Creator, thats what its about," said Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches, who speaks on behalf of the seven bands.

The pipe ceremony symbolizes the earth, within the Kapyong site and across the planet. The water ceremony commemorates life and is meant to draw attention to droughts and flooding.

"In this day and age, we recognize the changes with our land and our water  its very important we recognize that," Meeches said.

Meeches expects scores of local people to be at the public portion at Assiniboia Downs, though a fair amount of local dignitaries wont be able to make it.

Bowmans office said the mayor received an invite late Monday which did not specify what the federal announcement would entail. Bowman will instead be chairing the Executive Policy Committee meeting at City Hall, though this event normally lasts less than 30 minutes.

"The mayor has been consistent in his support of developing the Kapyong lands, already citing its significance two years earlier in his State of the City address, and has been respectful of the federal leadership role throughout the process," spokesman Jonathan Hildebrand wrote.

Some councillors were invited this morning, like John Orlikow, whose ward of River Heights-Fort Garry borders the Kapyong Barracks property.

Orlikow chairs the citys property and development committee, which will likely have input into any development agreement.

"Im glad its moving forward because its been a long-time waiting. The neighbourhood would like to know some clarity as to whats going on, so we need to do this first step of transferring the land," he said, adding he was excited to finally learn who would be managing the land.

Orlikow said hed try to attend, pending how long the EPC meeting runs.

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Janice Lukes, who represents South Winnipeg-St. Norbert, said it was good to hear of some progress.

"The property is an eyesore. Its in limbo; people dont know whats going on. This will help us with our expansion or whatever we do for Kenaston Boulevard."

The province said it had no comment this afternoon, given that it will be a federal announcement and it had received no details.

Neither Municipal Relations Minister Jeff Wharton nor Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Eileen Clarke had received an invitation to attend the event, a provincial spokeswoman said. A spokesman for Brian Pallister said he was not aware that the premier had received an invitation.

With files from Aldo Santin and Larry Kusch

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Eighty people from 19 different nations became Canadian citizens Tuesday at a special citizenship ceremony at Winnipegs Via Rail station.

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This article was published 10/4/2018 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Eighty people from 19 different nations became Canadian citizens Tuesday at a special citizenship ceremony at Winnipegs Via Rail station.

"You know that day you circled on your calendar for the past couple of months?" Manitobas former chief of protocol, Dwight MacAulay, said in his opening remarks. "This is it, ladies and gentlemen. April 10th.

"Today your lives will literally change forever."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS PHOTOS Talile Brhanu shakes Dwight MacAulays hand at a special citizenship ceremony at the VIA Rail Station in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

MacAulay, who presided over the ceremony, said unless you are a member of a First Nation, everyone in attendance was an immigrant.

"Now, we dont all share the same past, thats a given," he said. "But I tell you this: were all part of the same future. And that future  ladies and gentlemen  that future is Canada."

During the ceremony, each individual was called up one at a time to receive their citizenship papers and a small Canadian flag, and shake the hands of MacAulay, MP Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North) and a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the RCMP, in that order. Each new citizen received applause, while some were also cheered on by friends and family in attendance.

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Lamoureux told the new citizens they are now part of Canadas greatest strength. "It is our diversity that makes us who we are as a nation," he said.

Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press 80 new citizens take the oath at a special citizenship ceremony at the VIA Rail Station in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Rosemary Kidn first came to Canada from what is now South Sudan in 2007, and applied for citizenship in 2015. On Tuesday, she wore a pink-and-yellow dress and a big smile.

"I just wanted to become a citizen because you have all of the freedom, you can do whatever you want to do, and that is what convinces you to become a true Canadian," she said. "Now I am free, nobody can say you are not Canadian.

"I can speak out, I can... talk and do whatever I want to do. Because Im a Canadian, I can express my needs, and it really uplifted me. Being a true citizen is something I will not forget in my life."

The ceremony ended with everyone standing and singing O Canada.

nicholas.frew@freepress.mb.ca
Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen refused NDP and Liberal demands Tuesday that he apologize for saying Manitoba workers' lack of loyalty to their employers is causing high vacant job rates.

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Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen refused NDP and Liberal demands Tuesday that he apologize for saying Manitoba workers' lack of loyalty to their employers is causing high vacant job rates.

"His comments are insulting and undeserving," said Liberal MLA Cindy Lamoureux, who told the legislature she is among the young generation of workers Pedersen attacked during his department's estimates hearing April 5.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen has refused to apologize for saying workers' lack of loyalty to their employers is causing high vacant job rates in the province.

"Ageism works both ways. I am offended the minister would accuse us of having a poor work ethic."

New Democrat MLA Tom Lindsey said Pedersen isn't loyal to his own staff: he's cut 58 jobs in the department (14 per cent of the employees). It has a 12 per cent vacancy rate Pedersen blames on workers' lack of loyalty to the employer, he said.

"Why has the minister attacked the reputation of Manitobans? Why is he hiding that he is dismantling his own workforce?" Lindsey said.

Pedersen initially responded to questions Tuesday by listing companies that have created new jobs in Manitoba, but when he was specifically asked to apologize, Premier Brian Pallister and Finance Minister Cameron Friesen responded instead.

Neither addressed the apology issue, though Pallister praised "the honesty and work ethic of the people who live here."

Friesen reminded the house the Tory government will be unveiling a transformation plan for the civil service.

The official Hansard transcript shows Pedersen said during the April 5 hearing, in reference to his department's 12 per cent vacancy rate, "There is no loyalty in the workforce anymore. It used to be... a person would get a career and they would stay there for 30 years."

Hansard shows Pedersen and Lindsey went back and forth, with more than a half-hour of squabbling over Pedersen's insistence he's trying to fill the vacant jobs and Lindsey's allegations the minister is leaving them open to save money.

Pedersen also outlined a list of 17 steps the government must follow in a lengthy process just to hire one person.

Such a list is normal these days, said Barbara Bowes, president of the human resources and management consultant Legacy Group.

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"I know it seems like a long time," Bowes said Tuesday. "It takes a minimum of 12 weeks to get the finalists in front of your clients."

Meanwhile, Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union president Michelle Gawronsky said the vacancies at Growth, Enterprise and Trade are just a part of a larger government plan to cut jobs.

The province has said it wants to reduce the civil service by 1,200 positions, or eight per cent, through attrition, by the spring of 2019.

"The minister keeps blaming others for vacancies in his own department, but the reality is that his own government is deliberately not filling vacancies and leaving vital public services without enough staff," the MGEU president said.

"In fact, they have announced a target of eliminating 1,200 jobs as positions become vacant. That's not someone else's fault; that's their policy."

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
The provincial government is reducing labour relations staff and spending because management and workers are solving their own disputes without strikes and government intervention, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen said.

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The provincial government is reducing labour relations staff and spending because management and workers are solving their own disputes without strikes and government intervention, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen said.

Pedersen told the estimates hearing into his department's budget Monday that he's been able to make cuts, because strikes and "labour strife" are down.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Blaine Pedersen, Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister.

Management and labour are working out their differences without involving government, Pedersen told NDP labour critic Tom Lindsey. Pedersen said there's far less need for conciliation officers, whose ranks have been cut in half.

The employment standards office is facing one-third of the disputes it used to handle, said the minister.

The official government transcript Hansard quotes Pedersen: "Good news is labour and management are sorting out their differences without coming to Employment Standards. In the early 2000s there would be upwards or over 3,000 claims coming in on an annual basis. In this past year, there's 2,000 claims that Employment Standards dealt with...33 per cent reduction in the amount of claims," Pedersen said.

But academic specialists cautioned today that the Pallister government shouldn't be cutting back.

"Theres no evidence to suggest that theres less need for government conciliation services," University of Manitoba history and labour studies Prof. Julie Guard said today. "Strikes rates have certainly declined; it might mean that conciliation is working. One would need data to determine that."

"There is extensive evidence from research in Ontario that employers today frequently violate these basic rights. What's needed is the spending of more money on pro-active enforcement as well as public education about these rights," said U of M labour studies and sociology Prof. David Camfield.

Pedersen said that the conciliation and mediation office has had its budget cut in half to $300,000 -- gone are the executive director and two conciliation officers. The Manitoba Labour Board underspent $212,000 in 2016-2017, and employment standards was $500,000-plus under budget in 2016-2017.

The worker advisor office was underspent by $143,000 in 2016-2017 and now has had its budget cut by $34,000. The minister says its because the Workers Compensation Board is performing better than it did under the NDP.

Asked Guard: "I suspect that, if the Employment Standards agents could talk to you, they would say they hear from workers every day who have been denied their rights by employers. If things in the province are working out as well as the Conservatives say they are, why change the apparatus thats working so well?

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"The overall reality is that unions are less able to negotiate good contracts, so perhaps, since the likelihood of significant gains is low, unionized workers are less likely to want to strike," Guard said.

"Strikes are costly; workers almost never do better financially as a result of a strike when lost wages are compared with wage increases," she said. "Conciliation isnt usually about money; conciliators help the parties sort out other problems."

Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck said it's the Tories who are threatening to end the peaceful labour relations Manitoba has enjoyed for the past two decades.

"Manitobans want labour peace and they expect their government to support a labour relations system where both sides can come to the table and negotiate fair deals with minimal disruptions to the services families count on," Rebeck said.

"In talking about the labour unrest of the 1990s, the minister conveniently leaves out the fact that this was a time when the Filmon Conservative government was attacking public sector workers and the vital services they provide and forcing thousands of nurses, home care workers, and others out on strike. Since then, there had been a recognition on the part of government, labour, and employers that maintaining labour peace was desirable, with respect for free and fair collective bargaining," he said.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Through the smoke of burning sage and sweetgrass, the future of the Kapyong Barracks site in south Winnipeg became a little clearer Wednesday.

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Through the smoke of burning sage and sweetgrass, the future of the Kapyong Barracks site in south Winnipeg became a little clearer Wednesday.

While details are scant about what will replace the decaying buildings on the 160-acre site, it was confirmed most of the land will be redeveloped as an urban reserve.

Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, Manitoba's only federal cabinet minister, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, gathered with 10 First Nations chiefs to announce the signing of an agreement in principle in front of 400 people.

Following an early morning water and pipe ceremony on the Kapyong land, Indigenous honour songs echoed loudly through the main hall at Assiniboia Downs, where the agreement was officially signed at noon.

"Some people get the wrong idea of what we want to do with an urban reserve. We want to show the citizens of Winnipeg that we can be progressive in the right way," Sagkeeng First Nation Chief Derrick Henderson said.

"'We're not going anywhere. We will always be here as Indigenous peoples. We will leave a future for our young people. I want to thank the government of Canada for recognizing Treaty 1 territory."

The agreement will guide the development of a final settlement agreement for the site, which will include terms of the sale and future use of the land.

Once finalized, the deal will see 110 acres transferred to seven Treaty 1 First Nations who will hold the land in common and redevelop it as a joint urban reserve. The remaining 50 acres will be held by Canada Lands Company, the federal crown corporation that oversees public land.

While it remains unclear what will be built at the site, Long Plains First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches said there are many possibilities for a mixed-use redevelopment.

"It's a big parcel of land that we have there. We're looking at condo development. We're looking at government, commercial space, arts, culture, Indigenous war museum, cadet programs, Indigenous cadet programs, green space, convention space (and) hotel space. There's a lot that can be done," Meeches said.

"The development of Kapyong will take some time, but I think the first order of business will be (the potential widening of) Kenaston (Boulevard). I'm hoping to begin immediate discussions with the city on that issue," he said.

Wednesday's announcement was the first public sign of progress on the controversial file, which has been subject to a protracted legal dispute between First Nations groups and the federal government since 2008.

Since troops moved out of the barracks in 2004, the site has sat empty and the buildings have deteriorated. It has long been seen as a blemish on the city, in the heart of one of its most expensive neighbourhoods.

Many details of the agreement in principle remain confidential, said Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.

He said specifics, such as the sale price, won't be made public until after a final deal is struck. He also said it's too early to say what might be developed on the Canada Lands Company section.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kapyong Barracks area located between River Heights and Tuxedo.

Carr, who is the MP for the area, has said he wants to see the land transferred before the 2019 federal election. On Wednesday, however, he side-stepped questions about whether that is possible.

"The good news is the deal has been signed in principle by 2018. We're very encouraged by that, and we've made very good progress on a relatively short period of time for this government. We look forward to people sitting down now and working out the next steps," Carr said.

A recent Free Press series on the Kapyong Barracks found some area residents worry about the site being turned into an urban reserve, admitting the term had negative connotations for them.

That anxiety is not lost on the First Nations groups set to inherit the land and was touched upon by many of the chiefs who spoke Wednesday.

"To our non-Indigenous brothers and sisters: don't be afraid of urban reserves," Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellgarde said.

"We have over 100 urban reserves in Saskatchewan and they create opportunities and jobs. This is a good thing. This is the tough work of reconciliation, and it's what we have to do to provide hope to our little ones."

Not all area residents were pleased with the announcement. Paul Knight said any talk of building a casino or a hotel should be considered a non-starter.

"Build some houses, sell off some plots of land, keep some green space. Maybe, maybe, build a small strip mall or two. But any sort of major development like a hotel or a casino should be completely off the table," Knight said.

"We don't want or need a hotel or casino development here. I'm lost as to what the value of that would be. We don't need retail here. If you go from Polo Park to Whyte Ridge, you've got solid retail. How much do you need?"

Another resident, who asked not to be named, also criticized the fact details about the agreement in principle are confidential, adding he doesn't believe the neighbourhood will be properly consulted about the redevelopment.

"If they think this will bring us closer to our First Nations brothers and sisters, then they have another thing coming. This will basically drive a wedge between us," he said.

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Meeches, however, believes once people see what's done with the land, concerns will disappear, saying it will be a "win-win" for all involved and a "game changer" for the city.

"I think the word 'reserve' itself has been a challenge for pretty much everybody. But that's what they're called. There's no way around that. It's in the legal text. That's what it is. It's an urban reserve," Meeches said.

"There is, really, nothing we can do about people living in certain locations who may say, 'Well I don't want a reserve in my backyard.' This is Canada, so we have to move forward.

"I think people are going to eventually embrace it. If they're not embracing it today, they will eventually embrace it. They would really have no choice. It's coming."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

@rk_thorpe
A mysterious lockdown has ended at the Pine Falls Health Complex, although emergency services remain suspended until further notice with ambulance diversion in effect.

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This article was published 10/4/2018 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A mysterious lockdown has ended at the Pine Falls Health Complex, although emergency services remain suspended until further notice with ambulance diversion in effect.

After a third-party reported threats to staff Friday morning, the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority made the decision to suspend services, initiating a "code white lockdown" at the hospital in Powerview-Pine Falls, some 120 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

"Increased security presence has been added to Pine Falls Health Complex. The regional health authority is maintaining one point of entrance, the emergency department doors, to the hospital and emergency department after hours," Interlake-Eastern said in an initial statement.

The order was in effect until around 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Powerview-Pine Falls Coun. Gary Berthelette said residents were relieved the facility had reopened after more than four days, however, the alleged threats arent an isolated incident. The situation is representative of larger issues plaguing the community of 1,300, including a drug-abuse crisis that's getting worse, he said.

Powerview-Pine Falls has historically had a difficult time attracting doctors, the town councillor said Tuesday, adding he worries situations such as the recent the lockdown may drive current employees away or make it even more difficult to attract new ones in the future.

"There are rumours there were more threats a couple weeks ago made against the doctors, threatening them over drugs. Theres concern here that after were finally able to get doctors here, theyll up and leave because of stuff like this," Berthelette said.

"Besides (Selkirk Regional Health Centre), this is the busiest hospital in the area. If this place gets shut down, then Selkirk gets overwhelmed."

Berthelette said it was frustrating local residents weren't kept in the loop during the lockdown, with only vague updates being posted to the health authority's website. He said some people only became aware of the situation after showing up at the hospital to find it closed to the public.

On Monday, an RCMP spokesman told the Free Press an investigation into the alleged threats  which were made off-site and reported by a third-party  had concluded "early Friday afternoon."

"It was determined no direct threats were made towards any staff," the spokesman said.

However, the spokesman reversed course Tuesday, saying the RCMP investigation remained open and officers were looking to re-interview one of the doctors allegedly threatened.

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Manitoba Health officials and Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen were tight-lipped about the multi-day lockdown Tuesday, directing Free Press inquiries to the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority.

"While the ministers office has been regularly updated on the issue in Pine Falls, the IERHA is responsible for ensuring continued service delivery and the safety and security of staff at the facility," Kevin Engstrom, the ministers press secretary, said in a statement.

During the lockdown all medical services were suspended, ambulances were diverted to other emergency departments, and people looking to visit patients were turned away.

According to the RCMP spokesman, the alleged threats involved a man showing up at the complex with a knife. No charges have been laid in connection with the incident.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

@rk_thorpe
Churchill residents should not be concerned polar bears will be going unchecked in town  it's all fear-mongering, Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires declared Tuesday.

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Churchill residents should not be concerned polar bears will be going unchecked in town  it's all fear-mongering, Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires declared Tuesday.

"Shame on the NDP for not knowing how to read a budget," Squires told reporters after NDP leader Wab Kinew told the legislature the provincial government has slashed Churchill's polar bear alert program by 40 per cent.

That's a $300,000 cut, said Kinew.

"It's a life or death issue. This is about keeping people safe from polar bear attack," said Kinew.

Not true, said Squires.

"It's really unfortunate that the NDP are fear-mongering, as well as getting their facts wrong," she said.

Spending was down during polar bear season last fall, but the program was unchanged: the cost depends on when the ice forms on Hudson Bay and how long the bears are a threat to Churchill, Squires said.

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There were 150 polar bear alerts in Churchill this past season, compared to 319 the year before when the formation of ice was the latest in recent memory, she said.

Additional conservation officers are stationed in Churchill during polar bear season to keep the town safe, and to relocate the bears with the use of helicopters and other equipment, Squires explained.

"It is an incredible job to handle a 960-pound bear," she said.

The NDP should know the cost of the alert program would have varied every year for the 17 years they were in power, Squires said. She expects the spending to increase again later this year.

"We do know climate change plays a factor. We know the bears are going to be on the land longer," Squires said.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
A dog was shot and killed by a wildlife control officer at the Richardson International Airport Monday after running loose on a runway and diverting flights.

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This article was published 11/4/2018 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A dog was shot and killed by a wildlife control officer at the Richardson International Airport Monday after running loose on a runway and diverting flights.

"The reality is everyone here feels horrible about this. This is certainly not the outcome that anyone wanted," said Tyler MacAfee, the Winnipeg Airport Authoritys director of corporate communications and public affairs.

SUPPLIED Greta, a Golden Lab mix who was estimated to be two years old, was shot and killed at the Richardson International Airport on Monday.

Meantime, the dog rescue group responsible for bringing the animal south said a broken kennel is to blame for the dogs escape and Transport Canada has been called to investigate what happened.

Around 4:30 p.m. Monday, the airports operations centre got a call from Perimeter Aviation warning that a dog had escaped from one of its aircrafts.

The dog, which was a rescue from Shamattawa First Nation being transported to Winnipeg, was running around the tarmac. Staff, including two wildlife control officers in vehicles, spent half an hour trying to corral the Golden Lab mix named Greta, who appeared to be about two years old.

"We actually had a flight that had to abort their landing as a result and unfortunately we werent able to move the animal," MacAfee said. "Unfortunately, one of our wildlife control officers was forced to use lethal force on a feral dog on the airfield. In situations like this, its always a last resort and its always an incredibly difficult situation or decision that they have to make in those kinds of situations."

MacAfee said officers would only shoot an animal if "there was a threat to aviation safety."

Manitoba Mutts executive director Rebecca Norman said Greta was known to be friendly  not feral  and was likely terrified after being chased.

"She was afraid, she had never been on an airplane before. (The dog) jumped out and was being chased by people with guns and vehicles. I think any dog would run from that situation," Norman said.

The pooch was set to be taken in by a first-time foster family, who was waiting at the Winnipeg airport and wound up "quite traumatized by the ordeal," Norman said.

Perimeter Aviation and the airport authority are conducting their own internal investigations into the situation.

Tranquilizer guns considered

MacAfee said the airports investigation will look at ways the scenario could have been handled differently. Equipping the wildlife control officers with tranquilizer guns rather than shotguns could be a future change, he acknowledged.

Norman said Perimeter airline workers put Greta in a smaller, plastic kennel with a hole in one side, rather than a larger, metal kennel Manitoba Mutts provided. The rescue group didnt know about the kennel swap until the dog was already in the air.

She was afraid, she had never been on an airplane before. (The dog) jumped out and was being chased by people with guns and vehicles. I think any dog would run from that situation." Rebecca Norman

Carlos Costillo, vice-president of commercial operations for Perimeter, said the airline hasnt yet confirmed why the kennels were switched, but the metal kennel may not have fit on the plane being used.

Costillo said Perimeter believes the dog chewed through the plastic kennel, making the hole it escaped from.

"We wouldnt have accepted the kennel with the hole in it," Costillo said. "And the evidence, its pretty clear... that the dog chewed through it."

Perimeter has been flying dogs south for several rescue groups for about 10 years, Costillo said, and this is the first time a dog has escaped in the cargo hold, to his knowledge.

"Were very used to handling this type of transportation, but this seems to be a very unusual dog that we had to deal with," he said.

There was another dog on board, too, who made the trip safely in a kennel provided by Manitoba Mutts.

First time rescue dog has been harmed

Norman said her rescue group has partnered with Perimeter for the past seven years, flying in dogs from remote communities on a weekly basis. This is the first time one of their dogs was harmed.

"Theres regulations for a reason that are put in place and usually followed. We have really never ever seen anything like this happen before," Norman said.

"It will be nice to be able to talk to the airlines about how to cope with something like this in the future, if a dog gets loose again," she said. "And we will definitely be buying some higher-quality kennels and having them at Perimeter airlines more often so that this type of scenario is not going to happen (again).

"Its a slim chance, but always a chance it could happen again. Were dealing with at-risk animals."

The airports wildlife control officers are licensed to carry firearms on the airfield, MacAfee said, though they rarely use their shotguns.

Instances of pets escaping planes happen about once a year, MacAfee estimated. Usually the animals are tame and their owners can be brought out to calm the pets down and collect them. That wasnt the case Monday.

"The challenge in this case is where its a rescue animal from the north (and) it wasnt, you know, domesticated the same way," he said. "So as they tried to corral the animal, it kept turning back to go to the active runway and thats where the decision had to be made."

"Its something where this is not the outcome that anyone wanted," MacAfee said. "And unfortunately, the situation with this animal, with the way it acted and it coming back to the active runway for a second time, required this to be the outcome."

Transport Canada responded to an inquiry about the incident Wednesday and the government body said it is not investigating the situation.

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"Transport Canada has been in contact with the Winnipeg Airport about this incident, which will be investigated internally by the airport," a spokesperson said by email.

"Our thoughts are with this dogs foster family and those who witnessed the incident. Airport operators are responsible for ensuring a safe airfield environment for aircraft taxiing, landing and taking off. This responsibility includes a requirement to manage animals so aviation safety is not compromised," their statement continued.

"Transport Canada is aware that wildlife control officers at the Winnipeg Airport tried to capture the dog and the department recognizes the decision to shoot it must have been a difficult one to make."

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu
An increasing number of people are voicing concerns about our day-to-day use of plastics. Single-use plastics of any kind  such as grocery bags, cutlery, straws, polystyrene and coffee cups  are significant yet preventable sources of land and marine pollution.

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This article was published 11/4/2018 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

An increasing number of people are voicing concerns about our day-to-day use of plastics. Single-use plastics of any kind  such as grocery bags, cutlery, straws, polystyrene and coffee cups  are significant yet preventable sources of land and marine pollution.

In Canada, bans on plastics have been left up to municipalities. Montreal and Victoria recently decided to ban plastic bags in stores, with business owners subject to huge fines if caught providing them to customers. Other municipalities and provinces, such as Halifax and Nova Scotia, are contemplating bans in the wake of Chinas decision to no longer accept the import of certain recyclable products.

Public awareness appears to be gaining widespread momentum across Canada and globally. National and regional plastic bag bans have been successfully implemented in Asia, Europe, Australia and North America.

But plastic bags arent the only single-use plastic items being targeted  polystyrene is on the hit list. Food businesses in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco will no longer be able to use containers or other food service products made of polystyrene. The town council of Brunswick, Maine, voted unanimously to ban polystyrene food containers. All retailers, restaurants and vendors are prohibited from using polystyrene foam packaging, including takeout containers, meat trays and egg cartons.

In Canada, some players are taking steps to reduce plastic use regardless of government policy. In 2009, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Canadas largest grocer, implemented a five-cent charge on plastic grocery bags. This unassuming fee has reportedly diverted 11 billion plastic bags from our landfills and oceans over the past nine years. In February 2016, Walmart Canada followed suit and began charging customers a five-cent fee for shopping bags.

Public sentiment on climate change and environmental stewardship has changed significantly over just the last few years, and more Canadians expect industry to act.

But, while the movement toward bans on single-use plastic items is significant, not everyone is convinced of their effectiveness.

Some claim plastic bags serve an important food safety function and protect the public from harmful bacteria, outbreaks and food-borne illnesses. A University of Arizona microbiology study suggested the combination of reusable grocery bags and food can be harmful. According to the study, coliform bacteria and E. coli were found in half the reusable grocery bags sampled.

The Mercatus Center think tank in the U.S. claimed discouraging the use of single-use plastic bags is almost pointless given the insignificant variance in carbon footprint between bagging alternatives, including paper bags. And data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggest only 0.28 per cent of all the garbage generated by municipalities, by weight, comes from plastic bags.

These groups believe banning the use of plastic bags is more about appearances and idealism than protecting the environment.

Clearly, the ban of plastic bags is a divisive issue. Several cities have been hesitant about introducing anti-bag legislation and some laws have even been rescinded. Toronto once had a five-cent levy for plastic bags and an outright ban on plastic bags was sought in 2012, but the bag ban was rejected by the city council in 2013.

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Plastic bags are a convenience and habits are hard to break. What could be an inconvenience to food shoppers can be a political nightmare.

But the problem wont go away, since the planet is drowning in plastic pollution.

A study led by the 5 Gyres Institute in Los Angeles estimates at least 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing 268,940 tons are floating in our oceans. Most of us cant see the problem, but its out there. While some trash skimmers, capable of removing floating debris in marinas and harbours, achieve modest success, a global cleanup is next to impossible.

The situation is being made worse by countries such as Canada, whose food industry generates more waste from single-use plastic food packaging every year. Given that 26 per cent of all Canadian households consist of one person and the number of those living alone will continue to grow, the single-serve economy will expand, especially in food. This means single-use plastic packaging could increase at alarming rates.

Sylvain Charlebois is dean of the faculty of management and a professor in the faculty of agriculture at Dalhousie University, senior fellow with the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, and author of Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking. Tony Walker is assistant professor with the school for resources and environmental studies at Dalhousie University.

 Troy Media
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
DrAgerwerk AG & Co. KGaA operates as a medical and safety technology company in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The company develops, produces, and markets system solutions, equipment, and services for acute point of care, including emergency care, perioperative care, critical care, and perinatal care. It also develops, produces, and markets products, system solutions, and services for personal protection, gas detection technology, and integrated hazard management to customers in industry and mining sectors, as well as public sectors, such as fire departments, police, and disaster protection. The company's products portfolio includes anesthesia devices and ventilators, thermoregulation equipment, consumables and accessories, supply units, lights, gas management systems, patient monitoring, software applications, and system products. Its product portfolio also comprises stationary and mobile gas detection systems, personal protective equipment, professional diving equipment and systems, and alcohol and drug testing devices. In addition, the company offers various training and services, as well as undertakes projects that include fire training systems. DrAgerwerk AG & Co. KGaA was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in LAbeck, Germany.

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William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) released its earnings results on Wednesday, November, 6th. The construction company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.07. The construction company had revenue of $466.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $487.15 million. William Lyon Homes had a net margin of 3.04% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 6.98%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS.

View William Lyon Homes' earnings history.
Wall Street analysts have given Africa Oil 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 Africa Oil 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 Crown: Adularia Inversiones 2010 S.L., Angleboard Sweden AB, Bates Cargo-Pak ApS, Butimove, CMB Machinery and Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CROWN AP (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Aerosols & Promotional Nederland, CROWN Aerosols Italia Srl, CROWN Aerosols Nederland BV, CROWN Aerosols UK Limited, CROWN Americas LLC, CROWN Arabia Can Company Ltd, CROWN Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Ltd., CROWN Asia Pacific Investments (T) Limited, CROWN Bevcan Espana S.L., CROWN Bevcan France SAS, CROWN Bevcan Slovakia s.r.o., CROWN Bevcan Turkiye Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, CROWN Bevcan and Closures (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Cambodia) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Dong Nai) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Beijing Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Changchun Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Danang Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hangzhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hanoi Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Heshan Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hong Kong Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Huizhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Malaysia Sdn Bhd, CROWN Beverage Cans Nanning Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Putian Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Saigon Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Shanghai Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Sihanoukville Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Singapore Pte. Ltd., CROWN Beverage Cans Ziyang Limited, CROWN Beverage Packaging LLC, CROWN Beverage Packaging Puerto Rico Inc., CROWN Cans Ghana Limited, CROWN China Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, CROWN Commercial Belgium BVBA, CROWN Commercial France SAS, CROWN Commercial Germany GmbH & Co. KG, CROWN Commercial Hungary Kft, CROWN Commercial Netherlands B.V., CROWN Commercial Vermogensverwaltung GmbH, CROWN Cork & Seal USA Inc., CROWN Embalagens Metalicas da Amazonia S.A., CROWN Emballage France SAS, CROWN Emirates Company Limited, CROWN Envases Mexico S.A. de C.V., CROWN Famosa S.A. de C.V., CROWN Food Packaging (Thailand) Public Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Hat Yai) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Nakhon Pathom) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan Germany GmbH, CROWN Foodcan GmbH, CROWN Imballaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Imgallaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Italy Finance srl, CROWN Khmer Beverage Cans Limited, CROWN Maghreb Can, CROWN Magyarorszag Csomagoloipari KFT, CROWN Metal Packaging Canada Inc., CROWN Metal Packaging Canada LP, CROWN Middle East Can Co. Ltd., CROWN Packaging (Barbados) Limited, CROWN Packaging Holdings LLC, CROWN Packaging Investment (H.K.) Limited, CROWN Packaging Ireland Ltd, CROWN Packaging Jamaica Limited, CROWN Packaging Polska Sp.z.o.o., CROWN Packaging Technology Inc., CROWN Packaging Trinidad Limited, CROWN Packaging UK Limited, CROWN Promotional Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN SIEM, CROWN Senegal, CROWN Societe Malgache d'Emballages Metalliques, CROWN Speciality Packaging BV, CROWN Speciality Packaging Investment Pte. Ltd., CROWN Specialty Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN TCP Beverage Cans Company Limited, CROWN Verpakking Belgie NV, CROWN Verpakking Nederland B.V., Caretex Asia Ltd., CarnaudMetalbox Engineering Ltd, CarnaudMetalbox Food South Africa (Pty) Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Group UK Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overeseas Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overseas Limited, Cierres Hermeticos S.A. DE C.V., Constar International, Crown Americas Capital Corp., Crown Americas Capital Corp. II, Crown Americas Capital Corp. III, Crown Americas Capital Corp. IV, Crown Americas Capital Corp. V, Crown Americas Capital Corp. VI, Crown Brasil Holdings Ltda., Crown Canadian Holdings ULC, Crown Closures Spain S.L., Crown Colombiana S.A., Crown Comercial de Envases S.L., Crown Commercial Italy Srl, Crown Commercial Polska Sp. z.o.o., Crown Consultants Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Company (DE) LLC, Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Crown Cork & Seal Receivables (DE) Corporation, Crown Cork & Seal de Portugal Embalagens S.A., Crown Cork Kuban, Crown Cork and Seal Receivables II LLC, Crown Developpement SAS, Crown European Holdings, Crown Food Espana S.A.U., Crown Foodcan Turkey Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Crown Hellas Can Packaging SA, Crown Heshan Trading Company Limited, Crown Holdings Italia Srl, Crown Holdings Spain S.L., Crown International Holdings B.V., Crown International Holdings Inc., Crown Luxembourg Holdings, Crown Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., Crown Overseas Investments B.V., Crown Packaging Commercial UK Limited, Crown Packaging Distribution UK Limited, Crown Packaging European Division GmbH, Crown Packaging European Division Services SAS, Crown Packaging European Holdings GmbH, Crown Packaging Lux I S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux II S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux III S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Manufacturing UK Limited, Crown Packaging Maroc, Crown Receivables III, Crown Services Iberia, Crown UK Holdings Limited, Crownway Insurance Company, Dacro B.V., EMPAQUE, Fabricas Monterrey S.A. de C.V., Form Koruyucu Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Foshan Continental Can Co. Limited, Foshan Crown Easy-Opening End Co. Limited, Glass & Silice S.A. DE C.V., Globoplastt s.r.o., Gunther S.A.S., Haloila Bulgaria EOOD, Interstrap B.V., Josef Kihlberg AB, Kiwiplan GmbH, Kiwiplan Inc, Lachenmeier ApS, Liljendals Bruk AB, Litec France S.A.S., Mezger Heftsysteme GmbH, Mima Films S.a.r.l., Mima Films Sprl, Mima Packaging Systems S.A.S., Mivisa, Nordic S.A.S., Norsk Signode AS, Oy M. Haloila AB, PT CROWN Beverage Cans Indonesia, Package Design and Manufacturing, Prolatamex S.A. DE C.V., Quandel Verpackungs- und Foerdertechnik GmbH, SMB Schwede Maschinenbau GmbH, SMP Schwede Maschinenbau Weischlitz GmbH, SPG Denmark, SPG France Holdings SAS, SPG Germany Service Management GmbH, SPG Industrial Packaging S.a.r.l, SPG Netherlands B.V., SPG Packaging Ireland Limited, SPG Packaging Systems GmbH, SPG Packaging UK Ltd, Scybele S.A.S., Shippers Europe S.p.r.l., Signode BVBA, Signode Brasileira Ltda, Signode Hong Kong Limited, Signode Industrial Group, Signode Industrial Group AB, Signode Industrial Group Colombia S.A.S., Signode Industrial Group GmbH, Signode Industrial Group Holdings Lux S.a.r.l., Signode Industrial Group Holdings US Inc, Signode Industrial Group Lux S.A., Signode Industrial Group Mexico, Signode Industrial Group Sweden AB, Signode International Holdings LLC, Signode International IP Holdings LLC, Signode International Investment LLC, Signode Kabushiki Kaisha, Signode Korea Inc, Signode NZ Limited, Signode Netherlands B.V., Signode Packaging (Qingdao) Co., Signode Packaging (Shanghai) Co., Signode Packaging Espana S.L., Signode Packaging Group (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Signode Packaging Group Australia Pty Ltd, Signode Packaging Group Canada ULC, Signode Packaging Group NZ, Signode Packaging Systems Limited, Signode Pickling Holding LLC, Signode Polska sp. Z.o.o., Signode Singapore Pte. Ltd., Signode Sweden Holdings AB, Signode System GmbH, Signode System Packaging GmbH & Co. KG, Signode Systems (Thailand) Ltd., Signode US IP Holdings LLC, Silice De Veracruz S.A. DE C. V., Silice Del Istmo S.A. DE C.V., Silices De Veracruz, Societe Civile Immobiliere Rousseau-Ivry, Societe Civile Immobiliere des Baquets, Societe de Participations CarnaudMetalbox, Stopak India Pvt. Ltd, Strapex Austria GmbH, Strapex Embalagem L.d.a., Strapex Holdings Limited, Strapex S.A.S., Strapex Srl, Superior Investments Holdings Pte. Ltd., Superior Multi-Packaging Limited, TopFrame LLC, V.A.C. B.V., Vichisa S.A. de C.V., and Warehouse Automation Iberia S.L..
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

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USG Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells building materials worldwide. The company's Gypsum division manufactures and markets gypsum and related products to construct walls and ceilings of residential, nonresidential, and institutional buildings; and agricultural and industrial customers. This segment offers gypsum wallboards and compound portfolios, as well as corner beads, joint tapes, and plasters under the USG Sheetrock brand; glass mat sheathing portfolios under the Securock brand; construction plaster products under the Red Top, Imperial, Diamond, and Supremo brands; and lightweight gypsum panels under the USG Sheetrock brand, as well as ultralight panels, USG Sheetrock brand ecosmart panels, and industrial gypsum. Its Performance Materials division manufactures and markets products for interior and exterior building applications of residential and nonresidential buildings, as well as industrial applications. This segment provides cement boards, backer boards, shower systems, performance floorings, air barrier systems, roof board portfolios, and structural panels under the USG Durock, Fiberock, Levelrock, Securock, ExoAir, Securock, and USG brands. The company's Ceilings division manufactures and markets ceiling tiles under the Radar, Eclipse, Mars, and Halcyon brands; ceiling grids under the Donn, DX, Fineline, Centricitee, and Identitee DXI brands; specialty ceilings under the Curvatura, Compasso, Radians, Illusions, Multiples, Runways, Barz, Planx, Mirra, Corniche, Wallforms, and Parti brands; and acoustical drywall ceilings under the Ensemble brand. Its USG Boral Building Products division manufactures, distributes, and sells building products, mines raw gypsum, and sells natural and synthetic gypsum under the USG Boral Sheetrock, USG Boral NextGen, Elephant, Jayaboard, Durock, and Donn DX brands. The company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

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The Gabelli Utility Trust is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by GAMCO Investors, Inc. It is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC. The fund invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It makes its investments in stocks of companies providing products, services, or equipment for the generation or distribution of electricity, gas, water, telecommunications services, and infrastructure operations. The fund invests in stocks of companies across market capitalization. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against S&P 500 Utilities Index, Lipper Utility Fund Average, and S&P 500 Index. The Gabelli Utility Trust was formed on July 9, 1999 and is domiciled in United States.

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GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alermac Inversiones S.A. de C.V., Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, Brown Brothers Distribution Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Flint Soluciones Seguras Para Trafico, Ennis Highway Traffic Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Ennis Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Ennis Paint Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis Paint Boya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Germany GmbH, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Prismo Italio S.r.l., Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis  Flint Mexico, Ennis  Flint New Zealand, Ennis  Flint New Zealand Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Africa (Pty) Ltd, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Manchester Thermoplastics LLC, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Canada Limited, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holding Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG AP Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l., PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Manufacturing SARL, PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hellas S.A., PPG Hemmelrath Coatings Inc., PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Czech Republic s.r.o., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Kft., PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., Prismo Road Markings Limited, ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 007 857 392, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, SigmaKalon Middle East B.V., Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, United International Business NV, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, Worwag Coatings, and Zaganite Industries Pty Ltd.
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.
The following companies are subsidiares of Air Products and Chemicals: 7001 Hamilton Properties LLC, ACP Europe SA, ACP Zolder Invest NV, AJWAA Gases LLC, AP Services South America SpA, APCI (U.K.) Inc., Air Products (Anshan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (BR) Limited, Air Products (Cangzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Changsha) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Chongqing) Chem-Materials Co. Ltd., Air Products (Dongguan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Guangzhou) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Hangjin Qi) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Hefei) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Huaibei) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Jiangxi) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Jincheng) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Jinjiang) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Kunshan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Linfen) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Middle East) FZE, Air Products (Nanjing) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Ningbo) Hi-Tech Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Rozenburg) B.V., Air Products (Shenyang) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Xi'an) Gases Co. Ltd, Air Products (Xiamen) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (Zhongshan) Gases Co. Ltd, Air Products (Zhumadian) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products A/S, Air Products Advanced Materials LLC, Air Products Asia Inc., Air Products Asia Inc. Taiwan Branch, Air Products Bahrain W.L.L, Air Products Brasil Ltda., Air Products Canada Ltd./Prodair Canada Ltee, Air Products Caribbean Holdings Inc., Air Products Central Asia Group LLC, Air Products China Inc., Air Products Debang (Lianyungang) Co. Ltd., Air Products Ecuador S.A., Air Products Emirates Gases LLC, Air Products Equipment Limited, Air Products Gas O.O.O., Air Products Gases Holdings B.V., Air Products Gases S.A.E., Air Products Gesellschaft mbH, Air Products GmbH, Air Products Group Limited, Air Products Gulf Gas LLC, Air Products Helium Inc., Air Products Helium Inc. Qatar Branch, Air Products Holdings B.V., Air Products Holdings GmbH, Air Products Huadong (Longkou) Co. Ltd., Air Products Hydrogen Company Inc., Air Products Iberica S.L., Air Products Industrial Gas LLC, Air Products International LLC, Air Products Investments B.V., Air Products Investments Holdings LLC, Air Products Investments LLC, Air Products Ireland Limited, Air Products Italia S.r.l., Air Products Japan Inc., Air Products Japan K.K., Air Products Korea Inc., Air Products LLC, Air Products Leasing B.V., Air Products Llanwern Limited, Air Products LuAn (Changzhi) Co. Ltd., Air Products Maghreb S.A.R.L., Air Products Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Air Products Management S.A., Air Products Manufacturing Corporation, Air Products Manufacturing LLC, Air Products Middle East Industrial Gases LLC, Air Products Nederland B.V., Air Products Netherlands Gases B.V., Air Products O.O.O., Air Products PLC, Air Products PLC Branch, Air Products Peru S.A., Air Products Qudra (GICIS), Air Products Renewable Energy Limited, Air Products S.A., Air Products SAS, Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd., Air Products Services Europe S.A., Air Products Shared Services Sdn. Bhd, Air Products Singapore Industrial Gases Pte. Ltd., Air Products SinoHytec (Beijing) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Air Products Slovakia s.r.o., Air Products Sp. Z o.o., Air Products Specialized Process Equipment SDN, Air Products Switzerland Sarl, Air Products Taiwan Holdings Co. Ltd., Air Products Ukraina LLC, Air Products West Coast Hydrogen LLC, Air Products Yanbu Limited, Air Products and Chemicals (Anhui) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Banan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Beijing) Distribution Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Binzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Guiyang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Hefei) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Hohhot) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Jiyuan) Onsite Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Lianyungang) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Nanjing) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Pengzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Putian) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Qingdao) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shaanxi Pucheng) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shaanxi) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Electronics Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Gases Production Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) On-Site Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shanghai) Systems Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shangluo) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Shenzhen) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Tangshan) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Tongxiang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Weifang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (WuXi) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (WuXi) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Xingtai) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Xinxiang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Xian) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Yichun) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Yulin) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Zhuhai) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals (Zibo) Co. Ltd., Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Air Products and Chemicals Inc. of Utah (Utah), Air Products and Chemicals Tech Development (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Air Products spol s.r.o., Asia Industrial Gas Company Ltd., Beijing AP BAIF Gases Industry Co. Ltd., Blue Ocean Industrial Gases Co. Ltd., Carbolim B.V., Carburos Via Augusta Logistics S.L., Centro Tecnico Indura Limitada, Chengdu Air & Gas Products Ltd., Contse S.A.U., CryoService, CryoService Limited, Dixons of Westerhope, DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials, EPCO Carbon Dioxide Products, EPCO Carbon Dioxide Products Inc. (Illinois), East Coast Nitrogen Company LLC, East Coast Oxygen Co., Gardner Cryogenics (Pennsylvania), Gas Direct Limited, Gas Supply Services Ltd., Gas Technologies Ltd., Gases Industriales de Columbia S.A.  Cryogas, Gases Integrated Company Limited (GIC), Gasin II Unipessoal LDA, Gastel Limited, Goar Allison & Associates, Green BioFuel s.r.o., Harvest Energy Technologies (California), Harvest Energy Technology, Helap SAS, Indura, Indura Argentina S.A., Indura Holdings Colombia LLC, Indura Inversiones Limitada, Indura Peru S.A., Indura S.A., Indura S.A. (Peru), Indura Sociedad Comercial Limitada, Ingemedicas Santandar Ltda., Ingenieria en Redes de Gases S.A. - Gasproject S.A., Inversiones Air Products Holdings Limitada, Jazan Gas Projects Company, Jazan Integrated Gasification and Power Company (JIGPC), KRIG Holdings B.V., KRYVYI RIH Industrial Gas, Korea Industrial Gases Ltd., Kulim Industrial Gases Sdn Bhd, Lida SAS, Markaziy Osiyo Sanoat Gaz LLC, Matgas 2000 A.I.E., Napro S.A., Olin DNT Limited Partnership, Oxigeno Medicinal Domiciliario Limitada, Oxigeno de Sagunto S.L., Oxigenol S.A., Oxygen & Argon Works, Oxygen & Argon Works Ltd., Oxygen Center Ltd., Oxygen Warehouse Trade (1980) Ltd., PQ Ammonia, PT Air Products East Kalimantan, PT Air Products Indonesia, PT Air Products Indonesia Services, Permea China Ltd., Permea Inc., Procal (California), Prodair Air Products India Private Limited, Prodair Corporation, Prodair Escravos Limited, Prodair S.A.S., Prodair Services Limited, Prodair et Cie S.C.S., Quimica Basica S.A., ROVI Cosmetics International, S.I.Q. Beteiligungs, SAGA SAS, SCWC Corp., STP & DIN Chemicals Sp. Z.o.o., Servicios Indura Limitada, Sociedad Espanola de Carburos Metalicos S.A., Soprogaz SNC, Stravinsky Investments LLC, The Former SR Manufacturers Inc., Tyczka Industrie-Gase GmbH, Union Mobiliere Industrielle S.A.R.L., United Industrial Gases Company LLC, Vitalox Industrial S.L.U., WuXi Hi-Tech Gas Co. Ltd., Yangon Industrial Gas (Thilawa) Company Limited, Zibo Chuangcheng Engineering Design Co. Ltd., and ir Products Israel Ltd..
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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MAXIMUS, Inc. engages in the operation of government and human services programs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Services; U.S. Federal Services; and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers a variety of business process services, and appeals and assessments for state, provincial and national government programs. The U.S. Federal Services segment includes process solutions, program management, as well as system and software development, and maintenance services for various United States federal civilian programs. The Outside the U.S segment comprises of national, state, and county human services agencies with a variety of business process services, and related consulting services for welfare-to-work, child support, higher education institutions, and other human services programs. The company was founded by David V. Mastran in 1975 and is headquartered in Reston, VA.

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Wall Street analysts have given Ophir Energy 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 Ophir Energy wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides meat products and snacks, deli products, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, salads and kettle products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, muffins, breads, pastas, and baking and sushi products, as well as processed meat products. It is also involved in the distribution of food products, including meat, seafood, and halal food products, as well as operation of retail/convenience store and concessionary, and provision of food and seafood processing services. The company operates under the brand names of Harvest Meats, Hempler's, Grimm's Fine Foods, Piller's, Freybe, Isernio's, Expresco, SJ Fine Foods, McSweeney's, Made Rite, Fletcher's, Deli Chef, Belmont Meats, Conte Foods, SK Food Group, Oven Pride, Hygaard, Quality Fast Foods, HQ Fine Foods, Creekside Custom Foods, Stuyver's Bread, Bread Garden Express, Audrey's Patisserie, Duso's, Gourmet Chef, Island City Baking, Skilcor, Leadbetter's, Mclean Meats, Buddy's Kitchen, Raybern's, Partner's Crackers, Shaw Bakers, Oberto, Concord Meats, Country Prime Meats, The Meat Factory, and Golden Valley Farms. It serves chains and large format retailers, independent and specialty retailers, foodservice operators, foodservice distributors, and other food manufacturers and food brokers. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Richmond, Canada.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: AFP (Shanghai) Limited, AFP Inc. (Branch), AFPTOH LTD, Aconcagua Distribuciones SRL, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc., Auto-C LLC, Automated Packaging Systems, B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., CPI Packaging Inc., CPI Packaging Systems Inc., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cactus Shanghai Trading Co. Ltd., Ciras C.V., Ciras C.V. - Luxembourg Branch, Ciras C.V.  Luxembourg Branch, Cleanwise Inc., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Chile Holdings LLC, Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac Inc., Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal - Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal Embalagens Ltda, Cryovac Sweden AB, Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Deltaplam Embalagens Industria e Comercio Ltda, Diversey, Diversey Australia Pty. Ltd., Diversey Austria Trading GmbH, Diversey B.V., Diversey Belgium BVBA, Diversey Brasil Industria Quimica Ltda., Diversey Canada Inc., Diversey Centroamerica S.A., Diversey Danmark ApS, Diversey Hungary Acting Off-shore Capital Management Limited Liability Company, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Diversey Ceska republika s.r.o. clen koncernu Diversey, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packing Co. Ltd. (Chongqing Branch), Fagerdala (Chongqing) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shenzhen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packing Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Leamchabung Ltd., Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V. (Chihuahua Branch), Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Shanghai Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd (Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited (Taiwan Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala Thailand Ltd., GEIE VES, Getpacking.com GmbH, Indonesian Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JCS Sealed Air Kaustik, JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Packaging C.V., ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal - Producao de Embalagens Ltda., Proxy Biomedical Ltd., Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (China) Ltd., Sealed Air (India) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Sealed Air (Thailand) Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R. L. de C. V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty Ltd., Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile S.P.A., Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Embalagens Ltda., Sealed Air Europe Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Europe Holdings LP, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance II LLC (Sucursal Mexico), Sealed Air Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. Luxembourg (L) Root Finance Branch, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. US Finance Branch, Sealed Air Funding Corporation, Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air Global Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I LLC, Sealed Air GmbH, Sealed Air Hellas S.A., Sealed Air Holding France S.A.S., Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air HoldingS I LLC, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Holdings LLC, Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong (Jakarta Indonesia Branch), Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air International Holdings LLC, Sealed Air International Holdings LLC , Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air Korea Limited, Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited, Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Nevada Holdings Limited, Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.A.S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Venezuela Corporation, Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, Soinpar Industrial Ltda., TART s.r.o., TART s.r.o. Joint Venture, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, TempTrip LLC, Trigon Industries, and Vietnamese Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited.
The following companies are subsidiares of MetLife: 1001 PROPERTIES LLC, 10700 WILSHIRE LLC, 1201 TAB MANAGER LLC, 150 NORTH RIVERSIDE PE MEMBER LLC, 1925 WJC OWNER LLC, 23RD STREET INVESTMENTS INC., 500 GRANT STREET ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, 500 GRANT STREET GP LLC, 60 11TH STREET LLC, 6104 HOLLYWOOD LLC, AFP GENESIS ADMINISTRADORA DE FONDOS Y FIDECOMISOS S.A., AFP PROVIDA S.A., AGENVITA S.R.L., ALICO EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LIMITED, ALICO HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, ALICO OPERATIONS LLC, ALICO PROPERTIES INC., AMMETLIFE INSURANCE BERHAD, AMMETLIFE TAKAFUL BERHAD, American Life Insurance Company, BEST MARKET S.A., BIDV METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, BLOCK VISION HOLDINGS CORPORATION, BLOCK VISION OF TEXAS INC., BORDERLAND INVESTMENTS LIMITED, BOULEVARD RESIDENTIAL LLC, BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER LLC, CC HOLDCO MANAGER LLC, CHESTNUT FLATS WIND LLC, CLOSED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY MASTER D, COMPANIA INVERSORA METLIFE S.A., CORPORATE REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LLC, COVA LIFE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, DAVIS VISION INC., DAVISVISION IPA INC., DELAWARE AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, DES MOINES CREEK BUSINESS PARK PHASE II LLC, ECONOMY FIRE & CASUALTY COMPANY, ECONOMY PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY, ECONOMY PREMIER ASSURANCE COMPANY, EURO CL INVESTMENTS LLC, EXCELENCIA OPERATIVA Y TECNOLOGICA S.A de C.V., FEDERAL FLOOD CERTIFICATION LLC, FORTISSIMO CO. LTD, FUNDACION METLIFE MEXICO A.C., GLOBAL PROPERTIES INC., General American Life Insurance Company, Grand Bank N.A., HASKELL EAST VILLAGE LLC, HIGH STREET SEVENTH AND OSBORN APARTMENTS LLC, HOUSING FUND MANAGER LLC, INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES LIMITED, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO DOS LIMITADA, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO TRES LIMITADA, JOINT-STOCK COMPANY METLIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, LHC HOLDINGS, LHCW HOLDINGS, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING LLC, LHCW HOTEL OPERATING COMPANY, LONG ISLAND SOLAR FARM LLC, LUMENLAB MALAYSIA SDN. BHD., Logan Circle Partners, MARKETPLACE RESIDENCES LLC, MAXIS GBN S.A.S., MC PORTFOLIO JV MEMBER LLC, MCJV LLC, MCMIF HOLDCO I LLC, MCMIF HOLDCO II LLC, MCP - WELLINGTON LLC, MCP 100 CONGRESS MEMBER LLC, MCP 1500 MICHAEL LLC, MCP 1900 MCKINNEY LLC, MCP 2 AMES LLC, MCP 2 AMES ONE LLC, MCP 2 AMES OWNER LLC, MCP 2 AMES TWO LLC, MCP 220 YORK LLC, MCP 22745 & 22755 RELOCATION DRIVE LLC, MCP 249 INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK MEMBER LLC, MCP 3040 POST OAK LLC, MCP 350 ROHLWING LLC, MCP 4600 SOUTH SYRACUSE LLC, MCP 550 WEST WASHINGTON LLC, MCP 60 11TH STREET MEMBER LLC, MCP 7 RIVERWAY LLC, MCP 9020 MURPHY ROAD LLC, MCP 93 RED RIVER MEMBER LLC, MCP ALLEY 24 EAST LLC, MCP ASHTON SOUTH END LLC, MCP BLOCK 23 MEMBER LLC, MCP BRADFORD LLC, MCP BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER 2 MEMBER LLC, MCP BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER BLDG B LLC, MCP BURNSIDE MEMBER LLC, MCP CENTER AVENUE INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, MCP CLAWITER INNOVATION MEMBER LLC, MCP COMMON DESK TRS LLC, MCP DENVER PAVILIONS MEMBER LLC, MCP DILLON LLC, MCP DILLON RESIDENTIAL LLC, MCP ENV CHICAGO LLC, MCP FIFE ENTERPRISE CENTER LLC, MCP FRISCO OFFICE LLC, MCP GRAPEVINE LLC, MCP HIGHLAND PARK LENDER LLC, MCP HUB I LLC, MCP HUB I PROPERTY LLC, MCP LODGE AT LAKECREST LLC, MCP MA PROPERTY REIT LLC, MCP MAGNOLIA PARK MEMBER LLC, MCP MAIN STREET VILLAGE LLC, MCP MOUNTAIN TECHNOLOGY CENTER MEMBER TRS LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS HOLDCO LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS MASTER LESSEE LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS OWNER LLC, MCP ONE WESTSIDE LLC, MCP ONYX LLC, MCP PARAGON POINT LLC, MCP PLAZA AT LEGACY LLC, MCP PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MCP SEATTLE GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL I LLC, MCP SEATTLE GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL II LLC, MCP SEVENTH AND OSBORNE MF MEMBER LLC, MCP SEVENTH AND OSBORNE RETAIL MEMBER LLC, MCP SHAKOPEE LLC, MCP SLEEPY HOLLOW MEMBER LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  ANAHEIM LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  BERNARDO LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  CANYON LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  CONCOURSE LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  FULLERTON LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  KELLWO00OD LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  LAX LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  LOKER LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  REDONDO LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL  SPRINGDALE LLC, MCP STATELINE LLC, MCP THE PALMS AT DORAL LLC, MCP TRIMBLE CAMPUS LLC, MCP UNION ROW LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE ONE LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE OWNER LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE TWO LLC, MCP VANCE JACKSON LLC, MCP VINEYARD AVENUE MEMBER LLC, MCP VOA HOLDINGS LLC, MCP VOA I & III LLC, MCP VOA II LLC, MCP WATERFORD ATRIUM LLC, MCP WEST BROAD MARKETPLACE LLC, MCP  ENGLISH VILLAGE LLC, MCPF ACQUISITION LLC, MCPF FOXBOROUGH LLC, MCPF  NEEDHAM LLC, MCPP OWNERS LLC, MCRE BLOCK 40 LP, MEC HEALTH CARE INC., MET 1065 HOTEL LLC, MET CANADA SOLAR ULC, METLIFE 1007 STEWART LLC, METLIFE 1201 TAB MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MANAGER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 555 12TH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 8280 MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ACOMA OWNER LLC, METLIFE ADMINISTRADORA DE FUNDOS MULTIPATROCINADOS LTDA., METLIFE ALTERNATIVES GP LLC, METLIFE ASHTON AUSTIN OWNER LLC, METLIFE ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., METLIFE ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE ASIA SERVICES SDN. BHD, METLIFE ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., METLIFE ASSIGNMENT COMPANY INC., METLIFE AUTO & HOME INSURANCE AGENCY INC., METLIFE BL FEEDER, METLIFE BL FEEDER LP, METLIFE BORO STATION MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CABO HILTON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAMINO RAMON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAPITAL CREDIT L.P., METLIFE CAPITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, METLIFE CAPITAL TRUST IV, METLIFE CB W/A LLC, METLIFE CC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CHILE ADMINISTRADORA DE MUTUOS HIPOTECARIOS S.A., METLIFE CHILE INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS DE VIDA S.A., METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS GENERALES S.A., METLIFE CHINO MEMBER LLC, METLIFE COLOMBIA SEGUROS de VIDA S.A., METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND GP LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND LP, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE REIT LLC, METLIFE CONSQUARE MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CONSUMER SERVICES INC., METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND LP, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY REIT LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY TRS. LLC, METLIFE CREDIT CORP., METLIFE DIGITAL VENTURES INC., METLIFE EMEKLILIK VE HAYAT A.S., METLIFE EMERGING MARKET DEBT BLEND FUND, METLIFE EU HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE INSURANCE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPE SERVICES LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LLC., METLIFE FINANCIAL SERVICES CO. LTD, METLIFE FM HOTEL MEMBER LLC, METLIFE FUNDING INC., METLIFE GENERAL INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE GLOBAL BENEFITS LTD., METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY I GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY II GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION S.A. De C.V., METLIFE GLOBAL INC., METLIFE GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE GROUP INC., METLIFE HCMJV 1 GP LLC, METLIFE HCMJV 1 LP LLC, METLIFE HEALTH PLANS INC., METLIFE HOLDINGS INC., METLIFE HOME LOANS LLC, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE LIMITED, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE PTE. LTD., METLIFE INSURANCE AND INVESTMENT TRUST, METLIFE INSURANCE BROKERAGE INC., METLIFE INSURANCE K.K., METLIFE INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HF PARTNERS LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND I LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND II LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND III LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND IV LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND V LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VI LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VII LP, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENTS ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS PTY LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS SECURITIES LLC, METLIFE INVESTORS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, METLIFE INVESTORS GROUP LLC, METLIFE IRELAND TREASURY D.A.C., METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND LP, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS LLC, METLIFE LATIN AMERICA ASESORIAS E INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE LEGAL PLANS INC., METLIFE LEGAL PLANS OF FLORIDA INC., METLIFE LHH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE S.A., METLIFE LOAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE MAS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MEMBER SOLAIRE LLC, METLIFE MEXICO HOLDINGS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., METLIFE MEXICO S.A., METLIFE MEXICO SERVICIOS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT GP LLC, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL GP LLC, METLIFE MULTI-FAMILY PARTNERS III LLC, METLIFE MUTUAL FUND COMPANY, METLIFE OBS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE OFC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ONTARIO STREET MEMBR LLC, METLIFE PARK TOWER MEMBER LLC, METLIFE PENSION TRUSTEES LIMITED, METLIFE PENSIONES MEXICO S.A., METLIFE PET INSURANCE SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE PLANOS ODONTOLOGICOS LTDA., METLIFE POWSZECHNE TOWARTZYSTWO EMERYTALNE S.A., METLIFE PRIVATE EQUITY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE PROPERTIES VENTURES LLC, METLIFE RC SF MEMBER LLC, METLIFE REAL ESTATE LENDING LLC, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF BERMUDA LTD., METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF CHARLESTON, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF VERMONT, METLIFE RETIREMENT SERVICES LLC, METLIFE SAENGMYOUNG INSURANCE COMPANY LTD., METLIFE SECURITIZATION DEPOSITOR LLC, METLIFE SEGUROS S.A., METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FINCO LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FUND LP, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING GP LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING HOLDINGS LP, METLIFE SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE SERVICES CYPRUS LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EAST PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EEIG, METLIFE SERVICES EOOD, METLIFE SERVICES SOCIEDAD LIMITADA, METLIFE SERVICES SP Z.O.O, METLIFE SERVICIOS S.A., METLIFE SLOVAKIA S.R.O. V LIKVIDACII, METLIFE SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD., METLIFE SOLUTIONS S.A.S., METLIFE SP HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN FUND SCSP, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN LUX GP S.A.R.L., METLIFE THR INVESTOR LLC, METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO FUNDUSZY INWESTYCYJNYCH S.A., METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEN NA ZYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A., METLIFE TOWER RESOURCES GROUP INC., METLIFE TREAT TOWERS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, METROPOLITAN CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN DIRECT PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC., METROPOLITAN GROUP PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE SEGUROS E PREVIDENCIA PRIVADA S.A., METROPOLITAN LIFE SOCIETATE de ADMINISTRARE a UNUI FOND de PENSII ADMINISTRAT PRIVAT S.A., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INC., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INSURANCE COMPANY OF TEXAS, METROPOLITAN PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER REALTY COMPANY INC., MEX DF PROPERTIES LLC, MFA FINANCING VEHICLE CTR1 LLC, MIDTOWN HEIGHTS LLC, MIM CLAL GENERAL PARTNER LLC, MIM EMD GP LLC, MIM I LLC, MIM METWEST INTERNATIONAL MANAGER LLC, MIM ML-AI VENTURE 5 MANAGER LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF GEORGIA 1 LLC, MIM THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MANAGER LLC, MISSOURI REINSURANCE INC., ML - URS PORT CHESTER SC MANAGER LLC, ML 300 THIRD MEMBER LLC, ML ARMATURE MEMBER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MANAGER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MEMBER LLC, ML BRIDGESIDE APARTMENTS LLC, ML CAPACITACION COMERCIAL S.A. DE C.V., ML CERRITOS TC MEMBER LLC, ML CLAL MEMBER LLC, ML DOLPHIN GP LLC, ML DOLPHIN MEZZ LLC, ML MATSON MILLS MEMBER LLC, ML MILILANI MEMBER LLC, ML ONE BEDMINSTER LLC, ML PORT CHESTER SC MEMBER LLC, ML SENTINEL SQUARE MEMBER LLC, ML SLOANS LAKE MEMEBR LLC, ML SOUTHLANDS MEMBER LLC, ML SOUTHMORE LLC, ML SWAN GP LLC, ML SWAN MEZZ LLC, ML TERRACES LLC, ML THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, ML VENTURE 1 MANAGER S. DE R. L. DE C.V., ML VENTURE 1 SERVICER LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 1 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 2 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 3 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 4 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 5 LLC, MLIA MANAGER I LLC, MLIA PARK TOWER MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF COLONY MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF MANAGER LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS II LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS LLC, MLIC CB HOLDINGS LLC, MLJ US FEEDER LLC, MM GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER S.A. DE C.V., MMP CEDAR STREET OWNER LLC, MMP CEDAR STREET REIT LLC, MMP HOLDINGS III LLC, MMP OLIVIAN OWNER LLC, MMP OLIVIAN REIT LLC, MMP OWNERS III LLC, MMP OWNERS LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK OWNER LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK REIT LLC, MREF 425 MKT LLC, MSV IRVINE PROPERTY LLC, MTC FUND I LLC, MTC FUND II LLC, MTC FUND III LLC, MTL LEASING LLC, MTU HOTEL OWNER LLC, NATILOPORTEM HOLDINGS LLC, NEWBURY INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, OCONEE GOLF COMPANY LLC, OCONEE HOTEL COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LLC, OCONEE MARINA COMPANY LLC, OMI MLIC INVESTMENTS LIMITED, PACIFIC LOGISTICS INDUSTRIAL SOUTH LLC, PARK TOWER JV MEMBER LLC, PARK TOWER REIT INC., PJSC METLIFE, PLAZA DRIVE PROPERTIES LLC, PNB METLIFE INDIA INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PREFCO FOURTEEN LLC, PREFCO XIV HOLDINGS LLC, PROVIDA INTERNACIONAL S.A., SAFEGUARD HEALTH ENTERPRISES INC., SAFEGUARD HEALTH PLANS INC., SAFEHEALTH LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, SEVENTH AND OSBORN MF VENTURE LLC, SINO-US UNITED METLIFE INSURANCE CO. LTD., SOUTHCREEK INDUSTRIAL HOLDINGS LLC, ST. JAMES FLEET INVESTMENTS TWO LIMITED, SUPERIOR PROCUREMENT INC, SUPERIOR VISION BENEFIT MANAGEMENT INC., SUPERIOR VISION HOLDINGS INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE PLAN OF WISCONSIN INC., SUPERIOR VISION OF NEW JERSEY INC., SUPERIOR VISION SERVICES INC., Safeguard Health Enterprises, Security First Group Inc., THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH AVENUE MEZZANINE LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL HOLDING LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL OWNER, THE DIRECT CALL CENTRE PTY LIMITED, TRANSMOUNTAIN LAND & LIVESTOCK COMPANY, UVC INDEPENDENT PRACTICE ASSOCIATION INC., VERSANT HEALTH CONSOLIDATIONS CORP., VERSANT HEALTH HOLDCO INC., VERSANT HEALTH LAB LLC, VIRIDIAN MIRACLE MILE LLC, VISION 21 MANAGED EYE CARE OF TAMPA BAY, VISION 21 PHYSICIAN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, VISION TWENTY-ONE MANAGED EYE CARE IPA INC., Versant Health, WDV ACQUISITION CORP., WFP 1000 HOLDING COMPANY GP LLC, WHITE OAK ROYALTY COMPANY, and WHITE TRACT II LLC.
Tenaris SA manufactures and supplies steel pipe products. The firm operates through the following business segments: Tubes and Other. The Tubes segment includes the production and sale of both seamless and welded steel tubular products and related services mainly for the oil and gas industry, particularly oil country tubular goods used in drilling operations, and for other industrial applications with production processes that consist in the transformation of steel into tubular products. The Other segment includes all other business activities and operating segments, including the production and selling of sucker rods, industrial equipment, coiled tubing, heat exchangers, and utility conduits for buildings and the sale of energy and raw materials that exceed internal requirements. Its principal finished products are seamless and welded steel casing and tubing, line pipe and other mechanical and structural steel pipes for different uses. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Luxembourg.

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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..
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Just hours after unverified reports of a poison gas attack in Syria emerged Sunday, Canadas Liberal government issued a statement provocatively blaming the Assad regime and its ally Russia for war crimes. Following hot on the heels of Ottawas expulsion of four Russian diplomats over the alleged poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal, and Ottawas claim that Russia has interfered in Canadas democracy, the Trudeau governments response makes clear that it is in the frontline of the US-led charge to war.

In Ottawas statement on the gas attack, which has all the hallmarks of a CIA-orchestrated operation, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland denounced the Assad regime as morally reprehensible. She continued, Canada condemns the Assad regime and its backersRussia and Iranfor its repeated gross violations of human rights and continued deliberate targeting of civilians.

In reality, no plausible explanation, let alone any evidence, has been provided as to why Assad, whose forces are on the verge of clearing the last remaining Islamist rebels from the environs of Damascus, would launch a chemical weapons attack. It is much more likely, if any gas attack in fact occurred, that it was staged by the US-backed Islamists so as to serve as a pretext for a massive escalation of Washingtons illegal military operations in Syria. Such an escalation could rapidly trigger a regional war with Iran and/or a military clash with nuclear-armed Russia.

Freelands statement is in line with the bloodthirsty military threats being made by US President Donald Trump, who vowed Monday to reach a decision by today on what military response to take. Chemical weapons attacks are a war crime, declared Freeland. Canada, alongside its international partners, will pursue accountability for these atrocities by all available means.

Freelands invocation of human rights and hand-wringing over the targeting of civilians are shot through with hypocrisy and cynicism. Canada has participated in virtually every US-led war of aggression over the past quarter century, including the bombardment of Libya in 2011a regime-change war that was dressed up as a crusade to protect human rights, resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians, and has left the North African country in turmoil.

Canadian forces are also playing a major role in the conflict in Syria and Iraq, which is itself an outcome of the series of ruinous, aggressive wars Washington has waged in the Mideast since 1991.

Canadian Special Forces played a front-line role in supporting the brutal US-led onslaught on the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, and Canadian military aircraft continue to support US coalition bombing raids in Iraq and Syria. Iraqs second largest city, Mosul, was decimated by air strikes and shelling in an operation to reclaim it from ISIS that led to thousands of civilian deaths.

The Canadian government, which is committed to hiking military spending by over 70 percent in the coming decade, is now readying to participate in a far larger war that will eclipse these bloody conflicts. What other interpretation can be given to Freelands remark, under conditions where missiles from the US and their French and British imperialist allies could be raining down on Syria within hours, that Canada will pursue accountability, alongside its international partners with all available means?

Canada has played a leading role in the aggressive anti-Russia campaign led by the US and its NATO allies since Washington and Berlin orchestrated a fascist-spearheaded coup in Ukraine in 2014 to overthrow the countrys pro-Russian elected president, Viktor Yanukovych. Canada is one of the four lead NATO states providing command and troops for the alliances forward battalions stationed on Russias borders in the Baltic and Poland with the aim of encircling and threatening Russia.

Canadian workers must take Freelands denunciation of Russia as a serious warning of the imminent danger of war. It comes little more than a week after Ottawa expelled four Russian diplomats and refused to allow three more to enter the country in response to the alleged poisoning of Skripal in Salisbury, England.

In a statement announcing this action, which coincided with the expulsion of over 60 Russian diplomats by the US and dozens more from Western Europe, the Liberal government asserted that those it had targeted had used their diplomatic status to undermine Canadas security or interfere in our democracy.

No evidence whatsoever was provided to back up this incendiary claim. It essentially parrots the narrative about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election the American intelligence agencies and the Democrats have been peddling for the past year and a half to pressure the Trump administration to adopt an even harder line toward Moscow.

Asked by reporters eager to stoke the anti-Russian atmosphere what precisely the diplomats had done to interfere, Trudeaus main allegation was their role in last years exposure of Freelands grandfather, Mikhail Chomiak, as a Nazi collaborator. We all can remember, Trudeau declared, efforts by Russian propagandists to discredit our Minister of Foreign Affairs in various ways through social media and by sharing scurrilous stories about her.

In fact, the purported Russian scurrilous stories were true. Following Freelands appointment as Foreign Minister in January 2017, evidence came to light confirming that Chomiak served as editor-in-chief of Krakivski Visti, one of the largest Ukrainian-language newspapers under Nazi occupation. After taking over equipment seized by the Nazis from a Jewish publication, Krakivski Visti published Nazi propaganda, including anti-Semitic diatribes.

As the World Socialist Web Site explained when Chomiaks role first came to light, if the Liberal government, with the full support of the media and opposition parties, was so emphatic in denouncing the revelation of his Nazi ties, it wa s because Canada has a long history of collaborat ing closely with far-right Ukrainian nationalists both in Canada and the Ukraine, including during and s in ce the 2014 coup. Many of these far-right nationalists celebrate Stepan Bandera and his Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which colluded with the Nazi occupation of the Ukraine and Poland, including in slaughtering Jews . (See: Canadian media denounces exposure of foreign ministers grandfather as Nazi collaborator)

Trudeaus decision to appoint Freeland as Foreign Minister in January 2017 was itself in part a provocation aimed at Russia. An anti-Russia hawk with close ties to right-wing Ukrainian nationalists, Freeland is on a Russian blacklist adopted in retaliation to Western sanctions over Russias annexation of Crimea.

As well as preparing the ground for a potential military clash with Russia, the hysterical claims about the threats posed to Canadian democracy and elections will be used to clamp down on democratic rights and expand political censorship ahead of next years federal election. In late February, Janis Sarts, head of NATOs Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, asserted in an interview with the Canadian Press, without offering a shred of evidence, that Ottawa should assume Russia will interfere in the 2019 federal election.

The Trudeau government has tasked Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould with closely following how our allies are addressing these challenges in their countries, according to a government spokesperson. This was a clear reference to the Liberal governments endorsement of the campaign against Russia and purported fake news mounted by the US intelligence agencies with the full-throated support of the Democrats and the New York Times. This campaign is being used to justify censorship by Google and other internet giants, to smear the growing opposition in the working class as the product of Russian interference, and to whip up pro-war fever.

The entire media and political establishment in Canada is in full agreement with the anti-Russia campaign. The opposition Conservatives and New Democratic Party have no differences with the Liberals over their hard-line anti-Russia stance, as was shown last October when the three parties united to pass a law modelled on the US Magnitsky Act that imposes sanctions on Russian businessmen.

Denunciations of Russia have become so routine that the major media outlets did not even bother to report Freelands latest statement on Syria that all but commits Canada to an expanded war in the Middle East.

The corporate medias reaction to the expulsions of diplomats was to push for the government to go even further. In a piece titled Why arent we more freaked out about the Russians? Susan Delacourt, writing on the iPolitics website, complained bitterly in the aftermath of the expulsions of the Russian diplomats that the government was not doing more and the public appeared indifferent. The silence of the government and citizenry, wrote Delcaourt, was kind of stunning. She went on to demand the government launch a broader crackdown in the name of combatting Russian interference in Canadian democracy.
Hundreds of cars lined up at the four remaining water distribution centers in Flint, Michigan after Governor Rick Snyder announced last Friday that the state would cease distributing bottled water by Friday, April 13 or even sooner if remaining supplies run out.

To justify this latest provocation against the residents who have suffered from years of lead-poisoned water, Snyder said the latest tests by state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) show lead in water at the rate of 4 parts per billion (ppb), which is less than the 15 ppb considered an action level by the US Environmental Protection Agencys Lead and Copper Rule. Scientists have said no amount of lead in water is safe.

The DEQ, moreover, is the same agency that lied to the public, saying the water was safe to drink for more than a year even as residents complained and protested about foul-smelling and discolored water coming out of their taps. In effect, the Snyder administration is now saying to residents: We dont care if you trust your water or trust us. Its time to pay up!

In a vote of no confidence, those residents who were able took their cars and lined up for the last remaining water bottles. Some of the backups at the distribution centers were almost a mile long. A YouTube video showed the vehicle line ups.

Its a form of terrorism that they are carrying out, longtime Flint resident Gladyes Williamson told the World Socialist Web Site. They need to put someone in jail. They are terrorizing people with fear. People are waiting one, two or three hours just to get water.

Kory Saim, a former Ford worker, told the WSWS, The decision by the state is disheartening, especially since we have been going through this for so long. I really think its a debacle, especially after people voted against giving Nestle the water and they go ahead and do it anyway.

I dont believe anything is resolved [regarding the waters toxicity]. They have fixed some things, but it is not complete by any means. People should have clean water.

Im in the same boat as everyone else. They came and replaced my pipes from the front yard to the house; however, they never touched the pipes in the street before it comes to the house.

Altogether Im severely disappointed. Its the worst thing I have lived through in Flint other than the plant closing.

Phyllis told our reporter, Im here to pick up water for my 93-year-old mother. I dont know of anyone who has any confidence in the water and plans to use it. My feeling is the governor should take responsibility for his actions and for what he allowed his people to do to Flint.

Larry Ross said, This is borderline ridiculous. First, how could they claim they resolved the problem with the water in the city? At most maybe one-third of the city has had its pipes changed. Thats at most!

It makes you feel that there never was a plan to replace the pipes. They are blowing smoke. And now they are saying the water is safe? I thought they had to build up the water in the system by flushing it through for the water to be safe. How could they do that when the pipes havent been replaced? I have no idea of how they did the screening to determine who gets the pipes changed. In the end, its all about the money. They dont want to spend the money.

Im afraid that people have started drinking the water and will get sick. The problem is we will never know the extent of the damage for two or three years. I can tell you if they stop distributing the water Im not going to drink it. Ill buy it at the store for me and my kids. Im never going to drink this water.

Lynn was extremely upset with the decision to stop the water distribution. Im opposed to it. They tested the water in the schools and found out they had a problem. They havent finished all the pipes and some people dont have a car to drive down to the PODS [distribution points] and get water. What are they supposed to do?

I know quite a few people who have not had their pipes replaced. Even those who have dont trust the water. A friend of mine lost his wife last month and they found out recently she had Legionnaires disease from the water. This happened a month ago, which means this is still an issue we are dealing with. She was only 35 years old and had children.

Its just devastating. Heartbreaking

Cars lined up to pick up water

From the beginning, Flints working-class residents have had to fight for everything in the face of the criminal indifference and cover-up by government officials. They only proved their water was poisoned and a public health crisis existed in the city by soliciting the support of scientists, including a Virginia Tech team led by Professor Marc Edwards and local pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. The doctor revealed that lead levels in the blood of the citys children blood had doubled since the citys water supply was switched to the Flint River.

Initially the Snyder administration vilified these findings. Finally on October 8, 2015nearly 18 months after the switchover to the Flint RiverSnyder announced funds would be made available for Flint to switch back to its original water source. By then, Flints water pipe infrastructure was decimated as a result of the decisions made by the state, first to switch to the highly acidic Flint River water, secondly to do this illegally without the use of corrosion control. So, it was unknown how long it would take for lead levels to improve and the pipe system to stabilize.

Initially, as a result of widespread news coverage, charitable donations of bottled water were trucked up to Flint by sympathetic forces, mainly workers who wanted to do something to help. The distribution of free bottled water by the state did not start until January 2016, after Snyder finally declared a state of emergency.

Then-newly-elected Democratic Mayor Karen Weaver launched a Fast Start lead pipe replacement project in February 2016. The programs stated goal was to replace all the citys lead and galvanized service lines by 2020. To date, only about one-third of the programs goal of replacing 20,000 pipes has been completed. Even with the completion of the project, many residents say they will never trust the water.

Lifelong resident Florlisa Fowler also spoke with the WSWS. I have a 79-year-old neighbor who asked me to come over because she was interviewed by the media. The state hasnt fixed a thing in her house. Its not just the line to the house. They havent done anything.

It is horrible what they are doing to people. Whats really bad is that this is affecting children and the elderly. People will get sick if they use the water.

At the same time the state is cutting off the water distribution, the city is beginning water shutoffs for nonpayment of bills. Many residents refuse to pay for the water, which they cannot drink. The cutoff of water distribution along with the water shutoffs of residents in arrears are calculated to force residents to pay the exorbitant water bills. Both Democrats and Republicans advocate this savage campaign, which will ostensibly allow the city to retain its independence from an emergency financial manager by reestablishing its revenue stream from water bill payments.

My concern is the water, Gladyes said. The pipe replacement, she continued, is not scheduled to be completed until 2020. If that is the case, the state should provide water until the pipes are replaced.

I went by the line for water and it must have been at least three-quarters of a mile long. Its just unbelievable! One guys car overheated. There are so many things building up that there is going to be an explosion.
In late March, doctors and nurses, fed up with the deteriorating state of Togos public health care system, walked out on strike, completely shuttering hospitals and clinics in the capital city, Lome. Patients were turned away at various hospitals and were encouraged to seek care at privately run facilities, with existing patients discharged.

Speaking to the popular support for the strike among Togolese, prominent activist Farida Nabourema told the New York Times, People have a lot of respect and consideration for the doctors. The strikes are a key part of the resistance.

The issues underlying the strike are the miserable conditions experienced by medical personnel and patients alike throughout the entire public health care system. The government is starving funding for health care, spending the criminally negligent amount of just $16 per person in a country of nearly 8 million.

The ratio of available doctors per patient in Lome, Togos largest city, with a population 837,000, is extremely lowfour for every 10,000. This is in contrast to international standards, which call for 20. Medical facilities are plagued by obsolete or non-functioning equipment, and for every 13 patients, there is one nurse, when the standard calls for one for every four.

According to a report in the New York Times documenting the deplorable conditions present in a neonatal ward at the central hospital in Lome, air-conditioning had malfunctioned, leaving infants on the ward languishing in the sweltering heat common to the West African region. Worse still, there was only one nurse to attend to the care of two dozen newborn infants, all suffering from life-threatening conditions.

Mothers of infants on the ward were compelled to implore family members and friends for money to purchase basic supplies from pharmacies elsewhere in the city. Public hospitals suffer a chronic shortage of medicines, thermometers, bandages, and even clean water.

The Times noted the case of Tresor Tsolenyanou, an infant born in February afflicted with gastroschisis, a condition in which the intestines are exposed through a hole in the abdominal muscles. The survival rate for newborns in Togo stricken by gastroschisis is nearly zero. By comparison, in the United States, the survival rate of an infant born with the condition is 90 percent.

Expressing the utter helplessness felt by medical staff after decades of chronic neglect for health care in the country, Dr. David Dosseh, a surgeon at the central hospital in Lome, told the Times,  When you accept to work in these conditions, you might be complicit in a situation that could cause death. You are responsible . So at a certain moment, you have to ask if its better to just stop working.

Many employed in the health care sector work long hours and receive low pay and remuneration for their service of providing health care for the Togolese masses. A new doctor just out of medical school can expect to make less than a taxi driver.

The central hospital in Lome has come to be known among Togolese as the Morgue. Underscoring the ghastly appellation, a surgeon at the hospital, Dr. Atchi Walla, told the Times, In the emergency room, if you dont pay, you die.

Owing in large part to government corruption, medical personnel in the course of their duties must cope with broken equipment, lack of electricity, and a lack of water. Frequently, due to persistent blackouts suffered throughout the country, surgeons perform operations in the light provided by a cellphone.

Underlining the deplorable state of health care in the country, Dr. Agbessi Amouzou, a Togolese public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, who studies public health systems in sub-Saharan Africa, told the Times that public health care in Togo was a complete disaster.

Expressing the contempt of the government of President Faure Gnassingbe for the doctors, and the abysmal state of the public health care system, Minister of Health Moustafa Mijiyawa hung up without saying a word when the Times called for a comment regarding the strike and the overall dismal state of public hospitals.

The doctors strike comes amid growing social opposition to Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled Togo for half a century.

In September last year, the eruption of social opposition to dynastic rule took the form of near-revolutionary dimensions when thousands of Togolese took to the streets of Lome and throughout the country to express their disgust with the government, calling for the immediate resignation of the president. In response to the uprising, police forces detained, tortured and killed scores of demonstrators.

Police arrested and jailed Ihou Majeste, vice dean of the University of Lome medical school, in March for comments he allegedly made on an audio clip circulated online in which he compared the Ministry of Health to a broken-down car.

Togo is among the most impoverished countries in the world. In a country with a GDP of $4.4 billion, according to UNICEF, 81 percent of the population lives on $2 or less per day. On the other end of the economic scaleas one exampleLome-based Ecobank presides over a financial empire spread across 36 African countries, and holds assets totaling $24 billion. The banks annual revenues of $3 billion are nearly equal to Togos GDP and dwarf the paltry $128 million provided for the health care of millions in the country.

The World Bank in 2015 declared Togo friendly for business, with the country rising 15 places, to 149 of the most business-friendly nations, surpassing Nigeria. As a result, there has been a scramble by international banks and corporations for the profits to be made in Togo.
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Washington officials have released a 911 call made by a child welfare worker who was attempting to reach the Hart family on the day their SUV was found on the bottom of a California cliff.

The call, made by a child welfare employee with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, came into the Clark County emergency dispatch center shortly after 10:30 a.m. on March 26  the same day the Harts vehicle was found at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff off the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California, according to KOIN6.

The employee told 911 dispatchers she had tried to contact the family multiple times but had been unsuccessful, so she was calling 911 to request a welfare check, the outlet reports.

Who are we checking on? the Clark County emergency dispatcher asks the worker.

The mothers are Sarah and Jennifer Hart, and according to my intake, they have six children in the home, the worker says on the call, KTPV reports.

Ive been to the home Monday and Friday and knocked on the door just this morning, and I can get no response, the worker says. Different cars have been moving in and out, I noticed, so I feel like someone is there.

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When asked why she was checking on the children, the worker says the department received concerns that the children arent being fed, CBS News reports.

On March 26, five of the eight members of the Hart family  parents Jennifer and Sarah and three of their children  were discovered dead at the bottom of the cliff.

Authorities have also said that Devonte, 15, Hannah, 16, and Sierra Hart, 12, remain unaccounted for and are feared dead.

On Saturday, officials from the California Highway Patrol announced that a body had been found in the surf around Highway 1, an area which is in the immediate vicinity of the recent Hart Family crash.

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The body found on Saturday appears to be that of an African American Female but the age and a positive identity could not be determined, states a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office.

An autopsy on the body is pending.

Three days before the crash was reported, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services received a call reporting that the six Hart children appeared to be potential victims of alleged abuse or neglect, Norah West, the departments spokeswoman, previously told PEOPLE.

In 2011, Sarah pleaded guilty to an abuse charge, admitting to taking her daughter into the bathroom, bending her over the edge of the bathtub and hitting her on the backside.

Sarah was originally charged with domestic assault and malicious punishment, according to court records. She agreed to plead guilty to the domestic assault charge and the malicious punishment charge was dropped.

She was sentenced to 90 days in jail  which was stayed  and one year of supervised probation, according to court documents.

Sheriff: Crash Was a Crime and Not an Accident

Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said on April 4 that he believes the crash was a crime and not an accident.

Im to the point where I no longer am calling this an accident; Im calling it a crime, Allman said during an appearance on HLNs Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield.

Previously, authorities cited information pulled from the vehicles software as evidence that the vehicle may have purposefully been driven off the cliff.

Capt. Greg Baarts with the California Highway Patrols Northern Division said the Harts SUV was stopped at a flat, dirt pull-off area before it sped off the steep rocky face and plunged down toward the water.

Baarts also cited the lack of skid marks near the cliffs edge  indicating that the vehicle did not attempt to brake.

However, police have not discussed a possible motive or whether a link exists between the crash and child abuse allegations in the familys past  including Sarahs guilty plea.

The Dekalbs, a neighbor couple, have told local media that they reported the suspected abuse of the children, and said that when state workers knocked on the Harts door, the family was allegedly home but did not answer.

The next morning when we saw that the vehicle was gone, and then Sunday morning when it still wasnt there, we figured something was off, Bruce Dekalb told TV station KGW.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced Wednesday that he plans to leave Congress at the end of his term in January.

"Its a big job with a lot riding on you and you feel it. You realize you hold the office for a small part of our history and I think we have achieved a heck of a lot," Ryan said at a morning news conference.

"I did not seek this job. I took it reluctantly. But I have given this job everything I have," he said. "To be clear, I am not resigning. I will serve my full term as I was elected to do."

Ryan broke the news during a GOP Conference meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, telling members that he would not seek re-election in November. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family as husband and father.

#HappeningNow: At GOP Conference where @SpeakerRyan just announced he will not seek re-election. pic.twitter.com/1SfDsu4ps8  Steve Pearce (@RepStevePearce) April 11, 2018

"After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father," said Brendan Buck, counselor to Speaker Ryan, in a statement. "While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him."

PHOTO: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announces his retirement during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., April 11, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump, who has had a complicated relationship with the Speaker, tweeted that Ryan "is a truly good man" adding, "he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question." Trump, Ryan and other congressional Republican leaders will have dinner together tonight at the White House, administration officials say.

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Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

There were lots of long faces leaving the Speakers office this morning following a GOP staff meeting where Ryan reportedly told colleagues that hes retiring in January 2019. Not resigning, Ryan told reporters in the hallway.

A spokesman for Ryan says hes going to run through the finish line and remain as Speaker for now. "I'll be handing this gavel on to the next Republican speaker of the house next year," Ryan said at his news conference.

But Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the leader of the conservative Freedom Caucus, suggested it might not be realistic for Ryan to remain in the top leadership position into 2019, noting the race to succeed him will begin immediately.

They wont wait for nine months, Meadows told reporters of his party.

Ryan's departure is a blow for Republicans as they scramble to protect their Senate and House majorities in the midterms. His seat is now up for grabs in a district that some analysts now see as a toss-up. Ryan's move could also be seen as a sign he believes there's a good chance Democrats will take control of the House.

Speaker Ryan sees what is coming in November, and is calling it quits rather than standing behind a House Republican agenda," said a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Tyler Law.

Asked by ABC News whether the prospect of Republicans losing control of the House in the midterms was a factor in his decision, Ryan said, "not at all."

"I'm not a guy that thinks like that," Ryan said. "My kids aren't getting any younger and if I stay they will only know me as a weekend dad and that's consciously something I cannot do and that's it right there."

Asked if President Trump played any role in his decision, Speaker Ryan said he did not, and that he was happy the president gave him the opportunity to do "big things."

Ryan, who was drafted to serve as speaker after Rep. John Boehner's surprise resignation, led Republicans through an overhaul of the tax code this year, a longtime goal. He has been one of the party's most prolific fundraisers.

PHOTO:House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., pauses as he speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill, March 20,2018. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP, FILE)

With Republicans bracing for heavy losses in the upcoming midterms, Ryan has faced lingering questions about his future and whether he would stay in Congress to lead a slimmer Republican majority or the minority.

He had said he would come to a decision with his family sometime in the spring ahead of the June filing deadline in Wisconsin.

Republican in the room for Ryan's announcement said he cast his decision in personal terms, explaining that he wants to spend more time with his family and noted that he was approximately his daughters age when his father passed away. He said at this point he really only has Sunday with his family and wants more with his kids in high school.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., have quietly started preparing for leadership bids in the event of Ryan's departure.

The Speaker has been an avid advocate for his point of view and for the people of his district," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in a statement. Despite our differences, I commend his steadfast commitment to our country. During his final months, Democrats are hopeful that he joins us to work constructively to advance better futures for all Americans."
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn today detailed acts of violence and certain drug trafficking activity they want to introduce at the trial of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, including murder, torture and kidnapping.

Guzman, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of importing massive quantities of heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States and generating billions of dollars in illegal profits. His trial is scheduled to begin in September.

He is accused of carrying out a host of crimes to make sure nothing stopped him.

Starting in the 1980s, the defendant systematically kidnapped, assaulted, tortured and murdered individuals who threatened the success of his drug tracking activity, federal prosecutors said in a new court filing.

'El Chapo' suffering hallucinations, memory loss in stringent jail conditions: Lawyers

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Pleads Not Guilty to Charges in His 1st Appearance in NY Courtroom

According to the filing, Guzman led a 1992 attack on a rival cartel at a discotheque in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, that left six dead; after he escaped from prison in 2001, he instructed his subordinates to locate, kidnap, torture and interrogate rivals and, in at least one instance, the defendant himself shot the rivals at point-blank range; Guzman ordered a hit in retaliation for the killing of the son of one of his allies.

Such alleged acts show the lengths to which Guzman would go to defend his narcotics trafficking enterprise, federal prosecutors said.

The court will decide whether to allow prosecutors to introduce all this at the trial. The defense did not immediately respond to the governments filing.

At trial, which is expected to last three months, prosecutors said they would prove Guzman started trafficking drugs at age 15, pioneered the use of cross-border tunnels, established relationships with Colombian cocaine suppliers, trafficked drugs from jail and imported fentanyl from China.

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While prosecutors said all the alleged conduct is necessary to prove Guzman, 61, was the preeminent leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, an international drug-trafficking syndicate, one thing they do not want to be discussed is his potential life sentence.

Because of the potential severe sentence in this case, any mention by the defendant of punishment during any part of the opening or closing statements, or during the presentation of evidence, will be extremely prejudicial to the government, according to the new court filing.

The Mexican government extradited Guzman to the United States in January 2017 after he escaped from two prisons there.
Amal Hair

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Amal Clooney's name comes with a checklist of immediate associationsher work as an international human rights lawyer, her marriage to actor George Clooney, and her role as a multi-tasking mother of 9 month-old twins Alexander and Ella. This month, the May Voguecover star opens a window into her sartorial tastes, experimenting with classic pieces with a twist from Oscar de la Renta, Balmain, and Alexander McQueenand yet, in the beauty realm, her head-turning, voluminous blowout is perhaps the most well established aspect of her personal style. Whether paired with a bordeaux lip stain, oversize sunglasses, or a pressing of metallic eyeshadow, Clooney's tumble of thick, swingy, polished brunette waves is a uniform scene-stealer, and it works every time.

A recent trip to New York City, where Clooney's thick swingy mane looked especially robust, was no exception. And the go-to beauty strategy is no accident: From dinner dates and red carpet walks with her Oscar-nominated husband to days spent at the UN, juggling mom duty, or attending protests (the couple donated half a million dollars to the student-led March for Our Lives and attended it themselves), the sleek lengths make an unabashed statement of bold femininity, while accomplishing practical magic: the polished style allows Clooney to pursue her work while simultaneously navigating Hollywood's glamorous red carpet sceneall without missing a beat.

Here, a look at how the British-Lebanese barrister is single-handedly bringing the power blowout back into the present tense.
Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - The Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest and most unstable countries, was rocked on Wednesday after 19 people, including a UN soldier, were killed and more than 100 wounded in clashes between peacekeepers and militias in a flashpoint Muslim enclave of the capital.

Bangui's bloodiest flareup in two years brought hundreds of angry residents of the PK5 district to the base of the United Nations mission, MINUSCA.

There they laid out the corpses of 17 men who they said had been killed by UN troops on Tuesday -- violence that according to MINUSCA had begun with an ambush of peacekeepers after they had launched a security sweep.

Several bodies bore bullet wounds, an AFP reporter saw.

"Yesterday they killed lots of people. Here are the dead, which we have brought here," one man told AFP, as the bodies, draped in white, were laid before the closed door of the mission.

Reacting to the clashes, President Faustin-Archange Touadera said later Wednesday that criminal groups were holding people in the troubled district to ransom.

"Bandits have taken the population hostage," Touadera said as he left a meeting of UN and African Union representatives, according to a video released by the UN.

"This operation has as its sole objective the apprehension of the leaders (of the armed militias). It is not against one community or against the population" of the area, he added.

A security source late Tuesday said a UN soldier was killed and eight were wounded in the violence, which came when their patrol was ambushed on the outskirts of the neighbourhood.

Fifty-six wounded people were brought to the Bangui public hospital, one of whom subsequently died, according to staff there. Separately, the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it treated 44 wounded.

"A Rwandan patrol supported by Central African forces was shot at and then pursued the attackers into PK5," the security source told AFP.

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The clashes marked the bloodiest incident in Bangui since President Faustin-Archange Touadera was elected in 2016 -- an event showcased as a turning-point in one of the world's most chronically unstable countries.

"When President Touadera was on the campaign trail, he promised us that he would not touch a hair on a Muslim's head if we voted for him, which we did. Now you can see the results," said one of the demonstrators, who gave his name as Riyad.

The former French colony of 4.5 million people spiralled into bloodshed after longtime leader Francois Bozize was overthrown in 2013 by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance.

France intervened militarily to push out the Seleka alliance, but the country -- one of the poorest in the world -- remains plagued by violence between ex-rebels and vigilante militias.

Many armed groups are nominally organised along Christian or Muslim affiliations.

They both typically gain their revenue from extortion, roadblocks or mineral resources.

The PK5 district was once a Muslim rebel bastion, but it is now home to several criminal groups who have taken advantage of the weakness of the state.

Touadera's government can claim to control just a fifth of the country, with the rest in the hands of militias.

The UN recently threatened to dismantle all the armed groups' bases in PK5 unless they hand over their weapons, according to sources.

A series of clashes began on April 1, when UN peacekeepers on patrol in PK5 came under attack and returned fire.

A security sweep that began in the area on Sunday led to the deaths of two people, with 60 others injured, and was followed by Tuesday's bloodshed.

The UN's under-secretary general for peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the African Union's commissioner for peace and security, Smail Chergui, issued a joint statement on Wednesday appealing for calm.

The two arrived in Bangui on Tuesday on a visit aimed at promoting peace in the troubled country.

The AU last July agreed to launch an "African peace initiative" for CAR, consisting of a round table gathering armed groups and the government.

It had finished off a round of exploratory talks with militia groups on April 1.

In Paris, the French foreign ministry said it condemned "with the greatest firmness the attacks and violence" against MINUSCA and CAR forces.

Their joint operation consisted of "disarming and arresting criminal groups" in PK5, it said.
Soweto (South Africa) (AFP) - Thousands of mourners flocked Wednesday to the heart of South Africa's sprawling Soweto township, a centre of anti-apartheid resistance, to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela's former wife and struggle hero Winnie Mandela.

Her grandson Bambatha Mandela described Winnie, who died on April 2 after a long illness, as "an extraordinary woman, a mother, a soldier, a fighter".

"Even at 81 (she) was one person I thought would live forever," he said in an emotional tribute. "I had the privilege of being the first grandchild they could raise after (Nelson Mandela) returned from prison."

The choice of Soweto's 37,000-capacity Orlando stadium for both the memorial service and the full state funeral planned for Saturday was highly symbolic.

Unlike many struggle-era leaders who moved from townships like Soweto to formerly white suburbs after apartheid fell, Winnie Mandela remained embedded in the community where she met Nelson Mandela at a bus stop in 1957.

"I don't think I want to wake up alongside my enemies," Bambatha remembered his grandmother as saying.

Sunshine broke through a dense cloud cover over Soweto during multi-faith prayers, while outside the stadium a motorcycle club sporting African National Congress (ANC) colours arrived to pay their respects.

"I had seen her, I was here in 1974 when she came to the schools and said we were marching out. She was a hero for us, a fighter with us," said mourner Lilian Motgung from nearby Zakariyya Park.

- 'Fighting spirit' -

Inside, the Soweto Gospel Choir sang several rousing numbers which prompted mourners to stand and dance beside their plastic foldaway seats.

Deputy President David Mabuza said that many South Africans were left "weeping" after learning of her death.

"Though you are gone from our human eye, the black fortress of human dignity cannot be erased.

"You reminded our daughters and mothers that they are powerful beyond measure.

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"You are a torch-bearer of our liberation."

The charismatic master of ceremonies cried "Long live the fighting spirit of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela", and "Viva Soweto!" to spirited chanting from the crowd.

"Every time we met Mrs Mandela, she'd tell wonderful stories, she was like no other," church leader John Moletsane told AFP as he made his way to the ceremony.

"She would tell you about how to build the future and not look to the past. I don't know where South Africa would be without her -- no one can fill her space."

Rita Ndzanga, a frail former anti-apartheid fighter who was detained alongside Winnie Mandela, drew rapturous cheers from the crowd as she spoke about their experiences together.

"I remember when we were arrested in our fight against pass laws for women," she said, describing how they were both breastfeeding at the time.

As well as numerous ministers, religious leaders and family members, George Bizos, an anti-apartheid icon who was close friends with Nelson Mandela, also attended.

He sat alongside at least 100 VIP delegates including Nelson Mandela's third wife Graca Machel on a black stage decorated with bright yellow and white flowers and flanked by two big screens.

Mananki Joyce Seipei, the mother of a boy whose kidnapping Winnie was convicted of in 1991, was reportedly encouraged by the ANC to attend Wednesday's event.

- 'The best we could have' -

She told local media she was "very sad to hear that Winnie is no more because she and I had made peace".

Winnie Mandela was found guilty of kidnapping Stompie Moeketsi, a 14-year-old boy who was then beaten to death by her bodyguards in her home in 1988.

She was also accused of running a mafia-style gang responsible for multiple murders and beatings in Soweto, and of endorsing "necklacing" -- killing suspected informers with burning tires put over their heads.

Her convictions for kidnapping and fraud, and her reputation for overseeing violence in black townships, were brushed aside with tributes to her bravery, independence and integrity.

ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte told critics of Winnie Mandela to "sit down and shut up" during her speech to the crowd.

Most of Winnie Mandela's 38-year marriage to Nelson was spent apart, with Nelson imprisoned for 27 years, leaving her to raise their two daughters alone as she kept his political dream alive.

Glamorous and tough, she played a high-profile role in the battle to end repressive white-minority rule.

In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela finally walked free from prison -- hand-in-hand with Winnie.

The Mandelas separated in 1992 and divorced four years later, after a legal wrangle that revealed she had had an affair with a young bodyguard.

During her old age, she re-emerged as a respected elder who was feted as a living reminder of the late Mandela -- and of the long and celebrated struggle against apartheid.

"She was the best we could have," said one of her young great-granddaughters to an ecstatic crowd response.
UPDATE April 11: All four suspects turned themselves into Miami Beach police late Tuesday, according to NBC.

Officers identified the men as Luis M. Alonso, 20, and 21-year-olds Juan C. Lopez, Adonis Diaz and Pablo Reinaldo Romo.

They have reportedly been charged with aggravated battery.

Previously:

A brutal attack on a same-sex couple recorded on camera cut short the celebratory vibe of Miami Beach Gay Pride this weekend.

Surveillance footage shows Rene Chalarca and his boyfriend, Dmitry Logunov, being attacked by four unidentified men outside of a public restroom Sunday evening, The Miami Herald reports. Chalarca and Logunov were on their way home from the citys pride parade and holding hands at the time of the attack.

A third man, Helmut Muller, was standing near the restrooms and tried to break up the assault. He was hit by one of the attackers and knocked unconscious when he struck his head on the pavement.

New: @MiamiBeachPD releases photo of 4 people they say are on video attacking two gay men and a Good Samaritan after the pride parade. If you know them contact detectives. @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/jwl8XxZ9GV  Jamie Guirola (@jamieNBC6) April 10, 2018

One of the suspects, Chalarca told NBC 6, used anti-LGBTQ slurs in Spanish as he attacked the men. He and Lugonov had cuts and bruises on their faces and were treated by paramedics at the scene.

Muller was taken to a local hospital, where he received four stitches for his head injury.

Its unclear whether the case will be deemed a hate crime. Speaking to CBS Miami, Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police called the attack completely uncalled for and unnecessary.

Police are seeking help from the public in identifying the assailants. We really need to hold those responsible, accountable, Rodriguez said.

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Chalarca and Logunov believe they were targeted by the group because of their sexuality.

Gay couple says they were just holding hands when they were attacked on Miami Beach during Pride. @MiamiBeachPD looking for 4 suspects. @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/lCSMXP7GRf  Jamie Guirola (@jamieNBC6) April 10, 2018

We were together, Chalarca told WPLG, a local ABC affiliate. So for me, its like, yes, it was a hate crime.

Added Logunov, We probably provoked them because we were walking together, holding hands. It was gay pride. South Beach was full of gay people.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
While the alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels might be a story made to dominate the tabloids, Americans are actually far more concerned about the prospects of President Donald Trump firing special counsel Robert Mueller, according to a new poll this week from Quinnipiac University.

Sixty-nine percent of voters told Quinnipiac that the president should not fire Mueller, who is tasked with investigating the president, his associates and their connections with Russia. Just 13 percent said he should fire the special counsel.

Even among Republicans, folks want Mueller to be allowed to finish his investigation. A solid majority, 55 percent, said he should not be fired, while just 22 percent said he should.

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"American voters in huge numbers, including a majority of Republicans, tell President Donald Trump: Keep your hands off Special Counsel Robert Mueller," Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a statement.

Trump has criticized Mueller with semi-regular "witch hunt!" tweets. The New York Times reported this week that he sought to fire the special counsel in December but eventually did not do so after his lawyers learned reports about Mueller subpoenas gathering information about his business dealings were incorrect. Speculation that Trump would take the drastic action of firing Mueller gained further steam after the president tweeted "Attorneyclient privilege is dead!" and "A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" on Tuesday after the FBI raided the office and home of his lawyer Michael Cohen the day prior.

djt

Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

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In comparison to Mueller potentially being fired, very few people cared about Trump's alleged 2006 affair with Stormy Daniels. Seventy-three percent of voters said it was not an important issue, according to the Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday. Despite that result, nearly 60 percent of voters told Quinnipiac they believed the president knew his lawyer paid Daniels $130,000 to stay quiet ahead of the election and 58 percent of voters said they believed the affair happened.

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"Yes he did it. No we don't care," Malloy said in a statement regarding voters' attitudes toward the alleged Daniels affair. "A big yawn from voters on Stormy Daniels, President Trump and the payoff."

The Quinnipiac survey interviewed 1,181 voters via phone from April 6 through April 9 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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PARIS (Reuters) - A Russian warplane this weekend flew over a French warship at low altitude in the eastern Mediterranean, a deliberate breach of international regulations, a French naval source said on Tuesday. The incident, first reported by Le Point magazine, comes as tensions mount between Russia and Western nations following a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria on April 7. At least 60 people were killed in the attack, according to a Syrian relief agency. France, the United States and their allies are considering a coordinated military response after accusing the Russia-backed Syrian government of being behind the attack. Damascus and Moscow have denied a chemical attack took place. The weekly magazine said the Russian plane had flown over frigate Aquitaine over the weekend and was fully-armed. The Aquitaine is equipped with 16 cruise missiles and 16 surface-to-air missiles. It is currently operating off Lebanese shores alongside U.S. ships as part of France's contingent fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. "The flight took place several days ago," a French naval source said, adding that France had contacted Russian authorities over the matter. "Passes by military aircraft over warships are things that happen at sea. When it is deemed too close, the opposing party is notified," the source said. The Russian air force has already carried out such "aggressive" flights over Western warships in the past. In April 2016 two Russian warplanes flew simulated attack passes near a U.S. guided missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea, so low they created wake in the water. Phone calls to the Russian defence ministry in Moscow were not answered after business hours on Tuesday. (Reporting by Sophie Louet and John Irish; Editing by Richard Lough)
President Donald Trump continued to seethe Tuesday morning over the FBI raid of his longtime attorney Michael Cohen, expressing his displeasure in a pair of tweets.

Attorney Client privilege is dead! Trump tweeted shortly after 7 a.m. A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!

Cohens attorney Stephen Ryan said Monday that the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York had executed several search warrants to seize communication between Cohen and Cohens clients, and that the warrants were partially because of a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Ryan categorized the search as completely inappropriate and unnecessary, arguing that it resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney client communications between a lawyer and his clients.

Attorneyclient privilege is dead!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018

A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018

While Trump did not mention Cohen or the raid by name, the reference to his personal attorney was clear: On Monday night, Trump railed against the situation, calling it disgraceful and calling the special counsels office biased and politically motivated.

These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I have ever seen, he said at a meeting of military advisers Trump had called to address a suspected chemical gas attack in Syria.Democrats  all. Either Democrats or a couple of Republicans who worked for President Obama. Theyre not looking at the other side  Hillary Clinton all of the crimes that were committed, all of the things that happened that everybody is very angry about from the Republican side and the independent side. They only keep looking at us.

Trump also declined to rule out the possibility of firing Mueller on Monday night. Well see what happens, he said. Many people have said you should fire him.
Thanks to an Arizona Supreme Court ruling on Monday, students in Arizona who are protected from deportation by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will now have to pay more for state and community colleges, AZ Central reports.

DACA allows certain immigrants who came to the country undocumented as children to stay, and those protected by it are known as Dreamers. Previously, over 2,000 Dreamers were paying in-state rates at Arizona's state and community colleges. In-state rates are about one-third of the out-of-state rates: Arizona State University, for instance, costs $27,618 out-of-state and $9,834 in-state. The judge in the case  between the state of Arizona and Maricopa Community Colleges, which was charging Dreamers in-state rates  ruled that Arizona Dreamers no longer get to pay in-state rates.

Because of a Board of Regents policy, those who graduated Arizona high schools after attending school there for at least three years only pay 150 percent of in-state tuition, even if they're not considered residents, the Arizona Daily Sun reports. This likely means not all Dreamers in the state will have to pay full out-of-state rates.

Still, this ruling will make it "almost impossible" for Dreamers, who already lack access to state and federal financial aid, to afford an education, Karina Ruiz, president of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, told AZ Central. The coalition is currently raising money for an emergency tuition fund.

With community college summer and fall enrollment already beginning, this will likely affect students' decisions, The Washington Post reports. In fact, recent college graduate Korina Iribe told AZ Central that because of this ruling, she can no longer afford to get her master's degree. "Unfortunately, today, a decision was made to block access to education for deserving Arizona students," she said.

Ruiz said during a news conference that the decision "shows that the politicians are going to continue their attacks on our community" and stops immigrants "from going to college, from contributing to society, from bettering themselves."

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Related: DACA Won't End on March 5, Thanks to the Supreme Court

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Yerevan (AFP) - Armenia's Serzh Sarkisian was on Wednesday set to become the country's prime minister as the ruling party announced his nomination for the premiership, days after he stepped down as president.

"At the session of its executive committee, the Republican Party took the decision to nominate Serzh Sarkisian for the prime-ministerial post," party spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov, told AFP.

"The nomination will be submitted on Saturday and the vote will take place on Monday," he added.

The pro-Moscow veteran politician -- who has already served as premier in 2007-2008 -- concluded his second and final term as president after his successor Armen Sarkissian was sworn in on Monday. They are not relations.

Armen Sarkisian's inauguration has allowed controversial 2015 constitutional amendments to come into force, turning the country into a parliamentary republic with a strong prime minister.

The political shift was initiated by Sarkisian and was approved in a referendum with 63 percent of the voters backing the changes.

The opposition has said the reform was designed by Sarkisian to remain in power after he steps down as president.

After the December 2015 referendum, thousands of opposition supporters rallied in protest against alleged mass violations at polling stations.

Council of Europe observers have said the referendum was marred by allegations of large-scale vote buying and multiple voting, among other irregularities.

A shrewd former military officer, Sarkisian, 63, has been in charge of the landlocked South Caucasus nation of 2.9 million since winning a vote in 2008.

After that poll, 10 people died in bloody clashes between police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate.

Sarkisian won a second term in 2013.
Activists lined up a horde of fake Mark Zuckerberg cardboard cutouts on Capitol grounds on Tuesday. The demonstration, designed to make a statement about fake identities, came as the Facebook founder made his much-anticipated appearance before Congress to testify about the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

Avaaz, a political advocacy group dedicated to left-wing causes, staged the demonstration on the Capitol Lawn at 8:30 a.m. local time. All told, organizers brought 100 cardboard cutouts of the embattled Facebook founder, decorating the CEO's typical normcore shirt with a sign that read "Fix Facebook."

Although it coincides with Zuckerberg's testimony related to a data scandal that affected an estimated 87 million users, organizers described the installation as a general critique of Facebook's more controversial practices.

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Nell Greenberg, the campaign director for the group, said the cutouts represent, among many things, the bot accounts that populate the social media platform.

"There are armies of fake bots that are attempting to sow division and spread hate," Greenberg told Newsweek. "We saw it with Trump, the general election and we're seeing it with the spread of misinformation."

In an open letter, the group made a direct appeal to Zuckerberg, asking the CEO to ban bots and submit the company to an to independent audit. More than anything, Greenberg said, the users also want Zuckerberg and the company to "tell the truth." Since April 5, the letter has collected more than 890,000 signatures.

Coming on the heels of a public misinformation campaign that likely influenced the 2016 general election, the Cambridge Analytica scandal has further crippled public relations for the behemoth Silicon Valley-based company. The data firm, which employed Steve Bannon as a vice president, allegedly used personal information to influence voter opinion in favor of President Donald Trump.

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Avaaz

Avaaz

Michael Stefanone, a professor at the University of Buffalo who studies social media, told Newsweek that the Facebook's recent actions have been a textbook case of "what not to do" when embroiled in a public relations disaster.

"Zuckerberg was missing in action for about a week before he communicated publicly about the data breach," Stafanone said. "In that time, there has been a swell of interest and outrage which culminated in Zuckerbergs finally agreeing to appear before congressional committees. This is not a proactive approach to crisis management."

It remains to be seen whether the scandal will have long-lasting effects for Facebook or Zuckerberg. The company, which has an estimated 2.13 billion monthly users and about 25,000 employees, has so far suffered from a major dip in valuation and public outcry. There have also been discussions about government regulation of the social media empire.

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For his part, Zuckerberg has apologized profusely for the data leak. He told users in a lengthy letter that the company was working to shore up its security. "We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can't then we don't deserve to serve you," he said.

The company has since rolled out a number of features, including tools that tell users whether their account was used by Cambridge Analytica, and other functions meant to make it easier for users to see what third-party accounts have access to their information. When it comes to misinformation and the spread of false news stories circulating on the site, the company announced a new "trust" feature.

Greenberg, who said she still uses Facebook and believes the company can be a force for good in the future, said that won't solve the problem. What they've done so far is "a step," but the company needs to take "leaps," she said.

"For example, Facebook is offering to notify people who've shared fake information, but there's no notification for those who have seen it or read it," she told Newsweek. "So, right now, it doesn't get to the real scale of this."

Facebook

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Baku (AFP) - Azerbaijan strongman Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday secured a fourth consecutive term in a snap election boycotted by the main opposition parties, near-complete results showed.

An Aliyev victory was widely seen as a foregone conclusion with the Caspian state's downtrodden opposition unable to mount a serious challenge to his authoritarian rule.

Aliyev's position has been boosted in recent years by the steady influx of petrodollars into his government's coffers.

In power for 15 years, Aliyev received 86 percent of the vote, with 94 percent of votes counted, the Central Election Commission said in a statement.

Turnout was 74.5 percent, the statement added.

Claiming victory in the election, Aliyev addressed the nation, thanking Azerbaijanis for "support and trust".

"Citizens of Azerbaijan have voted for security and progress," he said in a televised address.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the first foreign leader to congratulate Aliyev on his electoral win, the Azerbaijani presidency said in a statement.

The main opposition parties in the tightly controlled Caucasus nation boycotted the vote, calling the elections a sham and accusing the authorities of preparing to rig the vote.

They also condemned Aliyev's surprise -- and unexplained -- decision to hold the election six months ahead of schedule, saying it was aimed at shortening the campaign period and hampering efforts to prevent vote-rigging.

"All previous elections in Azerbaijan were falsified and held with blatant violations of the electoral law. These elections will be no exception," the executive secretary of the opposition Republican Alternative Movement, Natig Jafarli, said ahead of the vote.

But authorities rejected the criticism, insisting the vote was free and fair.

"Azerbaijan is on a firm and irreversible path of democratic development. A free, open and transparent environment has been created in Azerbaijan for the presidential elections," foreign ministry spokesman, Hikmet Hajiyev, told AFP.

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"All the candidates enjoy equal rights and opportunities," he added.

- 'Unprecedented' powers -

Earlier in the day at a polling station in the capital Baku, 38-year-old schoolteacher Elmira Balayeva said she had voted for Aliyev because he was the only candidate capable of steering the country towards economic wellbeing and political stability.

"There is no alternative to Aliyev. Only thanks to him is Azerbaijan a stable country with a strong economy," she said.

But for Natig Veliyev, a 27-year-old student who did not turn out to vote, "the elections are pure farce."

"We have never seen free elections in this country. Aliyev simply extends his reign again and again."

Aliyev, 56, was first elected in 2003, after the death of his father Heydar Aliyev.

A former KGB officer and communist-era leader, Aliyev senior had ruled Azerbaijan with an iron fist since 1993.

Ilham Aliyev was re-elected in 2008 and 2013 in polls that were denounced by opposition parties as fraudulent.

In 2009, he amended the country's constitution so he could run for an unlimited number of presidential terms, a move criticised by rights advocates.

Azerbaijan adopted fresh controversial constitutional amendments in 2016, extending the president's term in office from five to seven years.

The changes drew criticism from Council of Europe constitutional law experts as "severely upsetting the balance of powers" and giving the president "unprecedented" authority.

Cementing his family's decades-long grip on power, the president last year appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyeva as first vice president.

Apart from the incumbent president, seven candidates ran in the poll -- all low-profile figures who barely carried out any campaigning.

- Corruption claims -

Supporters have praised the Aliyevs for turning a republic once thought of as an ex-Soviet backwater into a flourishing energy supplier to Europe.

But critics argue they have crushed opposition and used their power to fund a lavish lifestyle for themselves and their family. Aliyev has denied accusations of rights abuses and corruption.

Some 5.2 million people were registered to vote in polls monitored by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Brasilia (Brazil) (AFP) - If Brazil's right-wing politicians thought they'd seen the last of Lula with his imprisonment, they couldn't have reckoned on running into more than 60 new "Lulas" popping up in Congress on Wednesday.

Like an army of clones, members of Lula's Workers' Party in the legislature have changed their names to that of their fiery leader.

The tribute to the disgraced two-term former president -- and gleeful dig at his opponents -- was led by the Workers' Party head, Senator Gleisi Hoffmann.

From now on, she will be referred to in the legislature as Gleisi Lula Hoffmann, she wrote in a letter to the Senate speaker published Wednesday.

That includes every time the speaker wishes to call upon her during debates and the way her name will appear on the electronic voting board.

The party's leader in the lower house, hitherto known as Paulo Pimenta, sent a similar letter: he is now Paulo Lula Pimenta.

The 60 Workers' Party deputies in the lower house have followed suit.

The stunt doesn't go as far as legally changing the politicians' names, but "it's a way to show our solidarity," said a party spokesman.

The backlash, however, has already started.

Sostenes Cavalcante, from the small right-wing DEM party, has informed that he will now make Moro his middle name, paying tribute to Judge Sergio Moro, who convicted Lula.

And Capitao Augusto, from the right-wing Partido da Republica, insists on becoming Capitao Augusto Bolsonaro -- a reference to Jair Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain, presidential candidate and scourge of Lula.

Lula was convicted of taking a seaside apartment as a bribe and imprisoned Saturday to start serving a 12-year sentence. He says the trial was a plot to prevent him from running in October presidential elections in which he currently in the lead.
Brasilia (AFP) - A justice on Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a delay until next week of a debate on changing a law that could, if passed, lead to the imminent release of recently jailed ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The debate had been due to take place Wednesday, but Justice Marco Aurelio accepted a request by the tiny, right-wing PEN party, which originally petitioned the legal change, for a delay of five days.

PEN said it had just changed its lawyer and that the new lawyer needed time to review the case.

The postponement gives the Supreme Court breathing space ahead of what could be a momentous case.

Currently the law says that anyone convicted of a crime should serve their sentence after losing an initial appeal. Under the change petitioned by PEN, people would be allowed to remain at liberty until exhausting all appeals at higher courts.

This would apply to Lula, who was imprisoned on Saturday to start serving a 12-year sentence for corruption, having lost his first appeal in January. If the law were changed he would likely be released and allowed to stay free while pursuing further appeals.

The change would also apply to many others currently behind bars.

PEN filed the petition back in 2016. The hard-right party had a change of heart this week, even trying to withdraw its petition, when it became clear that if successful the petition would benefit Lula, the main leader of Brazil's left.

To supporters of the current law, prison after a first appeal is needed to prevent the rich and powerful from playing the courts and avoiding prison for months or even years.

Supporters of changing the law say that presumption of innocence doesn't end until the appeals process also ends.

The legal argument has become a central part of the political drama shaking Brazil six months before elections.
Lagos (AFP) - Now that Muhammadu Buhari has ended months of suspense over whether he will seek re-election as Nigeria's president, all eyes are on the ruling party to see whether it will give him a clear shot at the nation's top job.

Buhari made history in 2015 when he became the first Nigerian to defeat an incumbent candidate, amid anger over the Boko Haram jihadist insurgency and rampant corruption in West Africa's largest economy.

But his administration has been criticised for being too slow to address Nigeria's worst recession in decades, resurgent Islamist attacks and an escalation in bloody clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

Shortly after making the announcement, the 75-year-old former general boarded a plane to London for an undetermined period of time, raising fears that his health is still an issue.

Buhari was away from the capital Abuja for months last year receiving treatment for a mystery illness, leaving vice president Yemi Osinbajo to run the government.

In seeking re-election, Buhari is defying calls from political heavyweights to step aside for a younger, more dynamic candidate.

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo said Nigeria should not "reinforce failure", while former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida said Buhari was an "analogue" president in a digital age.

Buhari's first challenge will be to consolidate support within his divided All Progressives Congress (APC) party to win the nomination.

His leadership is contested by a new generation of ambitious rulers who, like him, have a strong base in the north.

Former Kano state governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sokoto state governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senate president Bukola Saraki are all rumoured to be interested in the top job.

Still, Buhari is the favourite to win, said Amaka Anku, Africa analyst at Eurasia Group, a Washington-based political risk consultancy.

"No one can really challenge Buhari in the APC for the nomination," Anku said.

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"That's a part of why he's coming out now, to settle all the politicking behind the scenes."

- 'High-profile defections' -

The real challenge will come from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, though the party is weakened after being gutted by defections three years ago and tarnished by a series of corruption scandals.

"The PDP is a damaged brand, and it is already having challenges producing any candidate capable of upstaging Buhari," political analyst Saheed Animashaun wrote in a recent column.

But the best candidate may be yet to come in a country where crossing the floor is common.

"We can expect high-profile defections," said political analyst Chris Ngwodo. "Some of the contenders might leave to the PDP to pursue their ambitions."

Atiku Abubakar, former vice president to Olusegun Obasanjo, already quit the ruling party to announce he is seeking the PDP nomination in the party's primary in August.

Both parties are expected to choose a candidate from Nigeria's north in accordance with an unofficial rule in the country that the presidency should rotate every eight years between a candidate from the mostly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south.

Party primaries for presidential, governorship, federal and state elections are scheduled from August 18 to October 7, 2018.

- Tolerable alliance -

In the meantime, Buhari has been putting his house in order, reaching out to estranged leaders who helped him to victory in 2015.

Last month, Buhari made his first official visit to Lagos, where he attended an event to mark the 66th birthday of Bola Tinubu, a master political strategist in the swing region of southwest Nigeria.

In a cheeky remark reflecting the turbulent but politically necessary alliance, Tinubu thanked Buhari for "tolerating" him.

But for now, Nigeria is waiting for Buhari to return.

"I think the key question is going to be how long he's going to stay in London," Anku said.

"If he ends up having an extended period in London, whether it is for health or another reason, it will start to change the tide."
Ottawa (Canada) (AFP) - Accused serial killer Bruce McArthur was charged Wednesday with a seventh murder, after the victim's remains were reportedly identified as those hidden inside large planters the Canadian landscaper used.

McArthur, 66, made a brief appearance in a Toronto court where the new charge was announced, via video link from a detention centre.

It relates to Abdulbasir Faizi, who went missing in December 2010 and would have been 42 at the time of his disappearance.

According to local reports, Faizi's car was found in early 2011 not far from a midtown Toronto property used by McArthur to store his landscaping supplies.

The home's garage has become ground zero for the investigation after police uncovered in some 20 planters the dismembered body parts of several men who went missing from downtown Toronto's Gay Village.

Police were scheduled to later brief reporters on updates in their investigation.

So far, police have matched only four of the victims to their remains, including Faizi and McArthur's former lover Andrew Kinsman.

Last month, police asked for the public's help in identifying a possible eighth victim from a photograph believed to have been taken after his death.

The man appeared to be in his 40s or early 50s, with dark hair, a beard and bruises on his face.

Police would not comment on the origin of the photo, described by lead investigator Sergeant Hank Idsinga as a "key piece of evidence."

Authorities have scoured more than 30 properties linked to McArthur, but plans to bring in sniffer dogs and excavate several yards in search of more victims have been hampered by frigid temperatures.

McArthur came under suspicion in September 2017 in connection with Kinsman's disappearance, but police at first rejected suggestions that a serial killer was prowling Toronto's gay neighborhood.

According to local media, police made a quick decision to enter McArthur's apartment and arrest him on January 18 when they saw a young man enter his home. Police found the man tied up on a bed, but unharmed.
President Trump obviously has strong feelings about China: It should buy more American stuff. We should buy less Chinese stuff. Hes so sure of this hes willing to spook financial markets by imposing tariffs and threatening a trade war.

Trump has singled out the auto industry as one thats particularly imbalanced. China imposes tariffs of 25% on auto imports from the United States, while Chinese-made cars imported to the United States face a mere 2.5% tariff. Trump wants China to lower its tariffs and import more American cars, and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently indicated that might happen.

Whats more likely, however, is a surge of Chinese-made cars coming to the US market. Americans bought about 50,000 made-in-China cars in 2017, but that figure is expected to swell to 225,000 in 2019 and 500,000 in 2023, according to forecasts form the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. And those wont be strange-sounding Chinese brands, but cars built in China by well-known automakers such as Buick, Volvo and Ford.

Automakers sold about 267,000 US-made cars in China last year, according to research firm LMC Automotive. So the United States actually has a surplus of trade in automobiles with China, for now. But the number of US-made cars exported to China has been going down, while the number of Chinese-made cars coming to America has been going up, and LMC forecasts a dip to about 240,000 US-made cars exported to China by 2020. So a trade surplus in this one industry could become a deficit before longexactly the thing that so irks Trump.

The American and Chinese car markets are very different, and most big automakers already have an established presence in both. Since labor and production costs are higher in the United States, its cheaper to build cars in China. The Buick Envision crossover, which went on sale in 2016, was the first Chinese-made car exported to the United States. Volvo, now owned by the Chinese automotive giant Geely, also exports a couple Chinese-made variants of its S60 sedan to the United States, though most S60s come from Europe.

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Ford will begin making its Focus subcompact in China in 2019, and importing that to the United States, which will account for much of the coming increase in Chinese auto imports. Ford builds the outgoing version of the Focus in Michigan, and originally planned to build the next generation in Mexicobut then moved planned production to China last year. Profit margins on small cars are tiny, and sales have been shriveling. Ford, like most automakers, decided to move small-car production overseas while building higher-margin vehicles like pickups and SUVs at its US plants.

Established automakers planning to import more Chinese-made vehicles to the United States are taking an obvious gamble, especially with Trump in office: Could they face a backlash from American consumers or politicians? Some auto execs point to Apple to make their case: iPhones are assembled in China, and nobody seems to mind. Yet Trump has already attacked automakers for building too many cars in Mexico. China cant be any better, in his mind.

Vehicles shipped the other directionfrom the United States to Chinatend to be luxury makes sold to wealthy buyers unfazed by the 25% tariff, such as BMW SUVs made in South Carolina, Mercedes SUVs built in Alabama, and Teslas built in California. Automakers prefer to build cars in the country they sell them in, unless theres only enough global demand to justify one assembly linewhich is often the case with lower-volume luxury makes.

If China does lower its 25% tariff, its possible US auto exports to China could tick up. But automakers would still prefer to build high-volume cars meant for Chinese buyers in China, which lowers shipping and production costs, reduces risks related to currency fluctuations and helps avoid the kind of political trouble surfacing now with brewing trade wars. The US and international-based firms want to be producing in China for the Chinese market, says Kristin Dziczek of the Center for Automotive Research. Its not really rational for US factories to be making mass-production cars for export to China right now. Lower Chinese tariffs wouldnt change that.

Its also worth noting that China is unlikely to do anything to jeopardize the growth of its domestic auto industry, which is one of the high-priority sectors of its economy identified in the Made in China 2025 plan, which guides official policy in China. That means tariff reductions could end up being nominal, at best  unless China finds another way to protect its home-grown automakers while giving Trump something he can claim as a victory.

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China will send a Communist Party official with an art troupe to North Korea for a festival celebrating the country's founder, state media said Wednesday, as the neighbours seek to heal battered relations.

The delegation will leave on Friday to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival at the invitation of North Korea's Workers' Party, China's official Xinhua news agency said in a brief report.

Song Tao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's international department, will lead the mission.

Song had visited Pyongyang late last year to brief officials about the party's October congress.

The festival is held in Pyongyang as part of the commemorations for the anniversary of the birth of the North's founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, 1912.

Both North Korean and foreign artists take part, and this year's week-long event includes concerts, dance performances and acrobatics.

China has sent art troupes to every festival since 1986, except in 2016.

Beijing is North Korea's sole major ally, an alliance dating back to the 1950-1953 Korean War, but relations deteriorated after China backed United Nations sanctions to punish Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons programme.

Both sides have since sought to improve ties, with North Korea's Kim Jong Un meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping last month in Beijing -- the young leader's first known official trip abroad.

Kim's visit was seen as an attempt by both leaders to shore up a key alliance ahead of the North Korean leader's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in this month and US President Donald Trump in the following weeks.

Song's trip "is an important cultural exchange activity to follow through on the consensus reached by the two heads of state," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.

"I think this will play a positive role in the deepening the cultural exchanges between China and the DPRK," Geng said, using the North's acronym.

Baik Tae-hyun, a spokesman for South Korea's unification ministry, said Seoul believes the Chinese delegation's trip is "part of the efforts to strengthen friendly cultural exchanges between North Korea and China following their summit".

Seoul, Baik added, "will watch with interest whether it will lead to a performance in China by North Korean artists that was cancelled in December 2015".
One of the three woman who survived being raped and held captive for more than a decade in a Cleveland home announced on Tuesday that she is married.

Michelle Knight made the announcement to Dr. Phil McGraw on an episode of Dr. Phil schedule to air on April 24.

Ive got really good news for you, she told the talk-show host while smiling broadly. Im married!

Knight  who has since changed her name to Lillian Rose Lee  was kidnapped by Ariel Castro in August 2002, when she was 20, along with Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus.

The trio escaped from Castros home on May 6, 2013. Since then, the women have gone their separate ways while they heal and get reacquainted with the lives they once led.

Knights appearance on Dr. Phil will run before the May 1 release of her new memoir, Life After Darkness: Finding Healing and Happiness After the Cleveland Kidnappings.

Michelle Knight

Michelle Knight

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In her second book, she will discuss her battle with addiction, the truth about her relationship with Berry and DeJesus, and how she has adjusted to life after escaping Castros house of horrors.

Michelle shares how she dared to emerge into life again, rebuilding and re-creating her true self, says Mauro DiPreta, vice president and publisher of Hachette Books told PEOPLE exclusively in January. And [she] offers her thoughts on how anyone who has suffered greatly can learn to find new meaning and purpose.

A year after the escape, Knight released her first book, Finding Me, which became a New York Times bestseller. In it, she revealed how a troubled childhood helped her cope with some of her darkest days in captivity.

It was a difficult [childhood], but its no longer me now, she exclusively told PEOPLE in 2014. I learned to cope with certain things that happened to me when I was younger, and it helped me to survive this incident that I went through.

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Knight has been the most public of the three survivors, including making a visit to Castros neighborhood before his house was demolished three months after the women were rescued.

Castro, 53, pleaded guilty in 2013 and was sentenced to life in prison. A month into his sentence, he was found dead in his cell. His hanging death was ruled a suicide.

Since her escape, Knight has tried to live life to the fullest. Now 36, shes an artist, author, speaker and a survivor, according to her bio.

She is passionate about inspiring others, helps animals while volunteering at local shelters, creates art and advocates for change so that others are safe from the experience she has overcome.
Franchy Cordero (33) and Cory Spangenberg (15) take practice swings prior to a spring training baseball game last month (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

If you like category juice, youre probably going to like Franchy Cordero. Is he finally ready for his close up in San Diego?

Corderos profile took a big step forward last summer. He posted a monster .326/.369/.603 slash at Triple-A El Paso, with 17 homers and 15 steals over 93 games. Sure, its the Pacific Coast League, but they dont hand out stats like that at the airport. Cordero also had 18 triples.

[NBA Playoffs Bracket Challenge: $1M for the perfect bracket]

He struggled with his first Padres audition  a .228/.276/.424 slash over 92 at-bats, with three home runs. But not everyone hits the ground running in their first chance, and Cordero was just 22. Maybe things will pop this year.

Cordero started 2018 in the minors, in part because he had a groin injury this spring. He ripped seven hits in 17 Triple-A at-bats, and is now headed back to the Padres. The team has a glaring hole in the outfield, with Wil Myers (triceps) and Manuel Margot (ribs) on the disabled list.

Cordero is just about universally free in Yahoo, owned in a mere one percent of leagues. Its time to consider entry on the ground level. Lets see where this story goes.

 While youre shopping in San Diego, perhaps give lefty Joey Lucchesi a look. Lucchesi earned the Behrens seal of approval before his March 30 debut, and although that turn wasnt great, hes struck out 15 batters in his last two starts. He posted six bagels in Colorado, of all places, Tuesday night, grabbing a victory in the process.

Add it up and Lucchesi has a 1.72 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 16 Ks against just four walks over 15.2 innings. Hes at home against the Giants on Sunday.

 Asdrubal Cabrera was a big deal in his Cleveland days. Remember his 25-homer, 17-steal season back in 2011? Hes downshifted into boring veteran status in his 30s, and hes bounced around a bit. The Nats had him for part of 2014. He spent a year with the Siberia Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. Hes now entering his third year with the Mets.

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New York is off to a blistering 9-1 start, with Cabrera a big factor in Tuesdays victory (two homers). Hes carrying a .341/.400/.534 slash; obviously unsustainable, but he did bat .280 in each of the last two years. He hit 23 homers as recently as 2016, and he qualifies at three infield positions. Sounds like someone who should be owned in more than 44 percent of Yahoo leagues.

 When the Red Sox said Xander Bogaerts (ankle) would be out a mere 10-14 days, I was instantly suspicious. Teams are notorious for being overly optimistic with these types of timetables. But maybe the small fracture in Bogies left ankle isnt that big of a deal. Hes already shed his walking boot and is aiming for a return this month. Bogaerts was off to a ridiculous start, with a .368/.400/.711 slash and nine extra-base hits (seven doubles, two homers).

No one took Hanley Ramirez seriously when he talked about a 30-30 season, but hes backed up the talk thus far: three steals, along with a .359/.395/.487 slash. Just one homer to this point, but the No. 3 spot in the Boston order is perfect for run production. Hanley has 11 RBIs and six runs through nine games.

 Weve already had a lot of Tim Anderson talk, so this is going to be a brief note on the way out.

When Anderson wants a bag, he takes it. Hes 31-for-34 for his career, and he went 15-for-16 last year. Hes always had the upside for a monster-steal season, its just getting the green light and wanting to do it.

Maybe this is the year he wants to do it. Anderson grabbed Bag No. 6 in Tuesdays game  a steal of third while the White Sox were down five runs. This is the sort of aggressiveness were thrilled to see.

Andersons batting-average risk has generally been an overplayed card  hes hitting .263 this year, .268 for his career. Thats not going to hurt you in the shape of todays game. And if his lack of walks turned you off (and ramped up the average fear), note that hes already collected four walks in 2018 after a mere 13 last year.

This is a 24-year-old player with a first-round pedigree. Sometimes young players improve, talented players put things together. It could be a fun summer on the South Side of Chicago.
Bob Murray, photographed in 2007, spoke at the annual Bloomberg New Energy Finance summit on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

Bob Murray, the chief executive of coal giant Murray Energy Corporation, issued a grave warning to the nations leading renewable energy conference on Tuesday.

Subsidize coal-fired power plants, he said, or grandma gets it.

You have a responsibility in this room to make sure grandma doesnt die on the operating table, Murray, 78, told an audience of energy analysts, investors and executives packed into the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt New York in midtown Manhattan.

In an impassioned 15-minute speech at the annual Bloomberg New Energy Finance summit, Murray repeatedly dismissed the threat of climate change and instead cautioned that the electrical grid risked collapse without reliable energy from coal-fired plants. He cited dramatic winter weather such as the polar vortex of 2014 or last Januarys bomb cyclone, both of which brought Arctic temperatures to parts of the United States, as examples of times when alternatives like wind, solar and natural gas failed to compete with coal.

Thats a crude way of putting it, but we were very close to it during this polar vortex and during this bomb cyclone, he said. He pointed to a Department of Energy report stating that coal prevented widespread blackouts on the East Coast, though grid operators contested the findings to The Washington Post. One environmentalist accused the report of cherry-picking data and called it an advocacy piece masquerading as analysis. The Union of Concerned Scientists dubbed it a bogus study to prop up coal plants.

Scientists say storms like the polar vortex and bomb cyclone could become more frequent as global temperatures surge. The heat escaping from the surface water of oceans causes the polar vortex winds that swirl above the Arctic to weaken, allowing cold polar air to slip southward more often. The planet is heating up as a result of emission from burning fossil fuels, particularly coal. But Murray, who rejects the overwhelming scientific evidence that conflicts with his companys business model, dismissed that problem.

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Michael Nelson, a coal miner worker, shakes hands with President Donald Trump as he prepares to sign Resolution 38, which nullifies the "stream protection rule," at the White House. (Photo: Carlos Barria / Reuters)

We have an energy problem in this country, he said. We dont have a global warming problem.

Murray has wielded unprecedented influence at the White House, quietly meeting with top cabinet officials to provide his draft of a so-called action plan for the administrations energy and climate policies. The proposal included a federal bailout of coal-fired plants, repeal of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and reconsidering the 2009 EPA endangerment finding that determined carbon dioxide pollution causes climate change and therefore poses a threat to public health.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry met with Murray in March 2017 to discuss the bailout plan and then proposed one in September. But the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in a break with the White House, rejected the proposal in January.

Last month, the Ohio-based utility FirstEnergy requested that the Energy Department provide financial support for its power plants under an obscure provision of the Federal Energy Act of 1920, which allows regulators to intervene in energy markets to stave off electrical reliability emergencies.

On Monday, Perry cast doubt over the plan in a speech at the same conference. But, the next day, Murray called on Perry to agree to FirstEnergys request.



Im an American first  I represent the coal industry, and Im probably the coal guy in this room  but Im an American, he said. Our power grids are not as reliable as the grid operators would like you to believe.

Will we have to have a system collapse before we really recognize that something has to be done about the security, resilience and reliability of the power grid? he added.

The Trump administration is acceding to one of Murrays other key asks. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt met with Murray at least twice in March 2017, and in October he announced a repeal of the Clean Power Plan, a suite of rules to reduce emissions from utilities.

But Pruitts push to host a televised debate on climate change  an event many saw as a first step to reconsidering the carbon dioxide endangerment finding  hit a snare when White House chief of staff John Kelly reportedly kiboshed the idea, deeming it too politically risky. Asked Tuesday what would be the top thing the Trump administration could do to help the coal industry, he said: Eliminate the endangerment finding.

Murray said former Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) warned him in the 1990s that, if we ever say that carbon dioxide is a pollutant, were going to have a glorious mess in this country.

Thats exactly what we have, Murray said. A polarized, glorious mess.

Its political correctness in the United States, he added. Its politics.

Yet Murray stands to score another victory this week. Andrew Wheeler, who worked as Murrays lobbyist in Washington from 2009 to 2017, is poised to be confirmed by the Senate as the EPAs deputy administrator as early as Tuesday, putting him next in line to lead the agency if Pruitt succumbs to mounting pressure to resign.

Wheeler could also lead an effort to reexamine the endangerment finding. In March 2010, he accused the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of blurring the lines between science and advocacy and functioning more as a political body than a scientific body, according to remarks posted to his lobbys firms website. He suggested the EPA could reconsider its endangerment finding without almost exclusively relying upon the IPCC.

Related...

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10. Florida

> 2014 coal electricity generation:52,046 GWh

> 2014 total electricity generation:231,062 GWh

> Coal as pct. total electricity generation: 22.5%

> Natural Gas as pct. electricity generation: 61.0%



Florida  the third-largest consumer of energy in the country  generated more than 52 thousand GWh of coal energy in 2014, 10th most of any state. However, there are no coal mining operations in The Sunshine State. All the coal burned in the state is shipped by barge and rail from other major mining states, primarily Illinois, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Florida is one of the most populous states in the country. So while the state produced the 10th highest amount of energy from coal in the country, this energy accounted for just 22.5% of the states electricity generation well below the share of coal-based electricity generation nationwide of 38.7%. Natural gas is of greater significance in Florida. More than 60% of the states energy came from natural gas, the fourth highest share in the country.



Read more at 24/7 Wall St.

7. West Virginia

> 2014 coal electricity generation:77,510 GWh

> 2014 total electricity generation:81,162 GWh

> Coal as pct. total electricity generation: 95.5%

> Natural Gas as pct. electricity generation: 0.8%



Last year, West Virginia generated the 19th most energy out of all states, producing roughly 81 thousand GWh. The state, however, generated the seventh most energy from coal, or 77,510 GWh. This amounted to 95.5% of West Virginias electricity generation, making West Virginia the most coal-dependent state in the country. This may not be surprising given the scope of the states coal mining industry. The states Appalachian Plateau region contains rich natural gas and coal deposits, and no state east of the Mississippi yields more coal each year than West Virginia. Roughly a quarter of the states coal stays in West Virginia, and the rest is shipped elsewhere to be turned into electricity. Consequently, while the state has just 0.5% of the countrys population, its resources are used to generate about 5% of total U.S. energy production.



Read more at 24/7 Wall St.

5. Kentucky

> 2014 coal electricity generation:83,497 GWh

> 2014 total electricity generation:90,737 GWh

> Coal as pct. total electricity generation: 92.0%

> Natural Gas as pct. electricity generation: 2.7%



With 92% of Kentuckys electricity coming from coal, only West Virginia relies more heavily on coal to keep the lights on. The state is the third largest producer of coal behind West Virginia and Wyoming, and one out of every four coal mines in the country can be found within the state. Roughly two-thirds of all coal mined in the state is exported. Apart from a small amount of hydroelectric energy, the state has almost no renewable energy generation at all.



Read more at 24/7 Wall St.

4. Illinois

> 2014 coal electricity generation:87,371 GWh

> 2014 total electricity generation:202,352 GWh

> Coal as pct. total electricity generation: 43.2%

> Natural Gas as pct. electricity generation: 2.7%



The fifth most populous state in the country, Illinois is a large consumer of energy. The state generated, 87.4 million MwH from 57.4 million tons of coal last year. Over the course of the last decade, nuclear power and coal have been alternating as the states the leading energy source. Last year, however, more than 48% of the Illinois electricity came from nuclear power, while 43.2% came from coal. No other state in the country derives more electricity from nuclear power, and only three other states derived more electricity from coal in 2014.



Read more at 24/7 Wall St.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
(Repeats April 6 item with updated graphics. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters)

* Aluminium premium timeline: https://tmsnrt.rs/2GWOjHR

* U.S. aluminium imports 2017: https://tmsnrt.rs/2uQFfQ0

* U.S. product imports 2017: https://tmsnrt.rs/2Hd5nte

By Andy Home

LONDON, April 6 (Reuters) - The rhetoric of trade war is escalating with each passing day.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatens another $100 billion of tariffs on Chinese goods. China warns that it will fight back "at any cost".

This storm started with steel and aluminium, with tariffs coming into effect on March 23, but has grown in intensity to encompass a lengthening list of goods and products.

Rising trade tensions have weighed on industrial metal prices, unsurprisingly given their exposure to global growth prospects, but have caused the U.S. aluminium premium market to whipsaw higher.

Which is ironic since prior to this week the premium was falling as the aluminium market realised that in its case the U.S. administration's bark has proved considerably worse than its bite.

Graphic on the CME aluminium premium contract and reactions to key tariff announcements:

https://tmsnrt.rs/2GWOjHR

A MIRROR ON TARIFF POLITICS

The CME's Midwest aluminium premium contract has provided an accurate market mirror on President Trump's seemingly chaotic approach to tariffs.

Based on the supply and logistics drivers of the North American aluminium market, it is a much more sensitive gauge of U.S. tariff impacts than the London Metal Exchange price.

It is also an increasingly popular one with contract volumes up 32 percent in the first quarter and open interest at a year's high.

The premium exploded upwards on Feb. 13, the day of the release of the Section 232 investigation into U.S. imports on national security grounds.

The report's recommendations for blanket tariffs and/or quotas propelled the CME's Dec 2018 contract from 13.0 to 16.5 cents/lb, a 27 percent jump equivalent to a $77 per tonne rise in the cost of delivered aluminium in the U.S. Midwest.

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After a brief pull back it surged again to 17.0 cents/lb after Trump announced on March 1 his intention to impose duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium.

Crucially, there was no talk of countries being exempted, not even Canada, the largest supplier of aluminium to the U.S. market place and one that is "integrated" with the U.S. industrial base, to quote the Section 232 report.

There was panic in Canada with officials simultaneously promising it would never happen and mulling possible retaliatory measures.

And there was panic everywhere else, encapsulated by the surging aluminium premium.

However, the premium dropped following Trump's signing of the executive order on tariffs on March 8 with "carve-outs" for both Canada and Mexico.

It dropped harder towards 15 cents/lb after U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on March 22 the Administration would "pause" on both steel and aluminium tariffs for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the European Union and South Korea.

These exemptions, particularly that of Canada, significantly cushion but do not eliminate the tariff hit on the U.S. market.

Graphic on top 10 suppliers of primary aluminium to the U.S. in 2017: https://tmsnrt.rs/2uQFfQ0

Graphic on top 10 suppliers of plate, sheet and strip to the U.S. in 2017: https://tmsnrt.rs/2Hd5nte

HITTING THE TARGET(S)

Exempted, for now at least, are three of the largest 10 suppliers of primary unwrought aluminium to the United States last year; top supplier Canada, fourth largest Argentina and eight largest Australia.

India, sixth largest source of imports, is lobbying hard for its own carve-out.

And others will be doing the same. Among last year's top 10 importer list are the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, all of which offer intriguing bilateral deal potential for an Administration that explicitly mixes trade and politics.

Probably not lobbying so hard are Russia and Venezuela, two of the five countries singled out in the Section 232 report as benefiting from state subsidy, being potentially unreliable partners or acting as points of transhipment.

The other three were China, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Russia was the second largest shipper of aluminium to the United States last year and what happens to that metallic flow is perhaps the key question to determining the lasting market impact of tariffs.

However, the broader take-away here is that after threatening to use a sledge-hammer, the U.S. Administration has narrowed its sights on those it regards as the real targets.

A similar pattern emerges from the tariffs on aluminium products.

Four out of last year's 10 top suppliers of aluminium plate, sheet and strip are exempt. Canada, Germany, Austria and France all duck the tariff bullet.

That leaves exposed China, target number one and by a wide margin the biggest-volume supplier of products to the United States last year.

It would be wrong, however, to suppose that all of this is low-grade material being dumped out of an oversupplied Chinese market.

Chinese imports to the United States, particularly those of lower-specification products, have been falling in recent years in response to ever tougher anti-dumping actions on specific product lines.

Last month, for example, the U.S. Commerce Department slapped hefty duties on imports of aluminium foil from China, previously a major part of the two countries' aluminium trade.

Some of what China supplies may not be easily replaceable, opening the door for potential product exemptions, a process that is now underway.

This gradual dilution of the original "shock and awe" threat to hit everyone and every product with a 10 percent tariff is why the aluminium premium was steadily retreating from its earlier highs.

Until this week, that is.

WHIPLASH

The rising political trade temperature has whiplashed U.S. aluminium premiums higher again.

The Dec 2018 contract closed Thursday back up at 17.0 cents/lb. as everyone reassesses, again, their previous assumptions about how this tariff storm is going to play out.

An interesting contrarian indicator comes in the form of the share price of Century Aluminum, a prominent lobbyist for action against China aluminium imports and a domestic producer now promising to reactivate idled capacity.

The Century share price hit a two-year high of $24.77 on the day the Section 232 report was released.

It slumped on the two exemption announcements and is currently trading just above $17.00 with no obvious knock-on impact from the renewed strength in physical premiums.

Is that because, when it comes to aluminium at least, Trump's tariffs are not what they first appeared?

(Editing by David Evans)
(Maysam Behravesh is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science and an Affiliated Researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden. He is also a news producer and editor at the TV channel, Iran International. The opinions expresed are his own.)

By Maysam Behravesh

April 9 (Reuters) - In a last-ditch attempt to save the Iran nuclear deal ahead of President Donald Trumps May 12 deadline, Washingtons European allies have rushed to address the U.S. administrations main objections to the historic agreement. One of the most contentious of these is the accords failure to restrict Irans ballistic missile program; critics of the deal say that allowing Tehran to continue developing non-nuclear missiles could enable it to deliver atomic warheads sooner once nuclear restrictions expire.

On March 5, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited the Islamic Republic in order to press Iranian leaders into negotiations over the missile program and to warn them that Europe would be obliged to accommodate Washingtons demands. Two weeks later, France, which under President Emmanuel Macron has adopted a more assertive role in the Middle East, urged the European Union to take a tougher stance on Iran over its ballistic missile activity and involvement in Syrias 7-year-long civil war. Accordingly, three European signatories to the Iran deal  namely France, Germany and Britain  have proposed new sanctions against persons and entities involved in Tehrans missile program and its Syrian war effort.

These efforts are almost certainly doomed to fail in the long run, especially since Trumps recent decision to appoint the hawkish John Bolton as his national security adviser makes it more likely that the U.S. president will withdraw from the accord.

No matter what punitive measures Europeans adopt, Iran is unlikely to agree to any restrictions on its missile program beyond a superficial cap on the range of its missiles. (Tehran has suggested that it will not develop missiles with ranges longer than 2,000 kilometers (about 1,243 miles), which already allows Iran to target the Israeli heartland  as well as U.S. bases in the region  in the event of a conflict.) From Tehrans point of view, the missile program is a question of self-preservation, particularly because decades of Western sanctions have prevented Iran from building up a powerful air force.

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Iranians have not yet forgotten how, during their long war with Iraq, Saddam Husseins air force conducted a series of systematic air raids and missile attacks against major Iranian cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan and Shiraz. Beginning in 1984, these strategic operations against urban areas, which became notorious as the War of the Cities, killed numerous civilians. In June 1987, Saddam ordered a chemical attack on the border town of Sardasht in western Iran which killed at least 113 people and wounded many more.

Iran retaliated by deploying warplanes, but relied more heavily on its air defenses to fend off aerial bombardments. Over time, this persuaded Saddam to respond with more systematic missile attacks. Tehran, with no missiles of its own and under international sanctions, found itself helpless. In a widely-publicized response to a Japanese reporters question about the adverse effects of Tehrans missile program on its trade relations with the international community, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says that Iran did not have a single missile to retaliate so that maybe Saddam Hussein would stop. We went, he adds, to one country after another, begging, begging, I am insisting, begging for a single Scud missile to defend our people. Begging! Now you want us to get a few dollars to Iran to abandon defending our people?

Second, Tehran believes that the Trump administration has failed to honor its end of the bargain and even actively sought, through a policy of confusion which runs contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the nuclear deal, to hinder Iran from reaping its economic benefits. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pointed this out in a February interview with the BBC to explain Tehrans reluctance to negotiate over its missile program. In his words, We have already negotiated on our nuclear program and the deal has not become a successful story for Iran. Why Iran should negotiate on any other issue? Especially on an issue which is directly linked to our national security.

Decades of deep-rooted mistrust and institutionalized hostility between the Islamic Republic and Western powers have convinced Iranian leaders that the more they retreat and compromise, the more their rivals will advance and demand. A leitmotif of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis public speeches, the conviction has made its way into the political psychology of decision-making in Iran, particularly in areas of national security. This partly explains the Islamic Republics general aversion to making concessions in response to domestic dissent and foreign pressure alike. In their view, compromise paves the way for more compromise, to the extent that not just the policy issue at hand but also the whole survival of the regime may be undermined beyond redemption.

Its highly unlikely that efforts to incorporate restrictions on Irans missile program into the nuclear deal, as the United States has demanded, or even negotiating a separate missile deal, as Europe prefers, will save the nuclear accord. Irans political and military authorities have more or less unanimously ruled out negotiations over Irans missile and defense capabilities. Even if they accede to them under growing international pressure, expectations of talks that would lead to a qualitative reduction or modification of Tehrans missile program are naive and unrealistic. (By Maysam Behravesh)
LANY, Czech Republic (Reuters) - The Czech president has advised Prime Minister Andrej Babis to try to negotiate a new government with two fringe parties after coalition talks with the Social Democrats collapsed, Babis said on Tuesday.

President Milos Zeman recommended that Babis, a billionaire businessman who leads the ANO party, should revive his previous attempts to form a coalition with the Communists (KSCM) and far-right, anti-European Union SPD party.

Babis won an election last October but has yet to muster enough support to win a parliamentary confidence vote. Talks with the Social Democrats, who led a previous coalition government that included ANO, fell apart last week in a row over ministries.

"The president recommended to me to continue negotiations with KSCM and SPD," Babis told reporters after meeting Zeman at the presidential retreat in Lany, 40 km (25 miles) west of Prague.

A number of parties have shunned Babis mainly due to criminal charges which he is facing over an alleged fraud of EU subsidies worth 2 million euros ($2.5 million) a decade ago. He denies any wrongdoing.

However, the two fringe parties are problematic as the Communists want the Czech Republic to leave the NATO defence alliance and SPD has called for the country to quit the EU, pushing for a referendum similar to when Britons voted for Brexit in 2016.

Babis said the ANO leadership will meet probably on Thursday to decide how to proceed.

His minority government lost a confidence vote in January and has been ruling in a caretaker capacity since then.

Financial markets have largely shrugged off the protracted political stalemate - which is not unusual in Czech politics - with the economy roaring ahead and public finances in surplus.

(Reporting by Petra Vodstrcilova; Writing by Robert Muller; editing by David Stamp)
LONDON (Reuters) - Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in Britain last month along with her father, a former Russian spy, said on Wednesday she did not wish to take up the offer of services from the Russian Embassy in London.

In a statement issued on her behalf by British police, Skripal said her father, Sergei, remained seriously ill and she was still suffering from the effects of nerve gas used against them in an attack that led to one of the biggest crises in Britain's relations with Moscow since the Cold War.

"I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can," Yulia Skripal said.

"At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them."

The Russian Embassy in London has previously said it had not been granted consular access to the 33 year-old woman.

Following Yulia Skripal's statement, the embassy said: "We continue to insist on a meeting with Yulia and Sergei Skripal. The situation around them looks more and more like a forceful detention or imprisonment."

Yulia Skripal was discharged from a hospital in the English city of Salisbury on Monday, where, she said, she was treated " with obvious clinical expertise and with such kindness".

Skripal said she was not yet strong enough to give a media interview and she said comments made by her cousin to Russian media were not her's nor those of her father.

"I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being," the statement quoted her as saying.

The Skripals were in a critical condition for weeks after the March 4 attack before their health improved.

Sergei Skripal, who was recruited by Britain's 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.

Britain accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack and Western governments including the United States expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats. Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and retaliated in kind.

(Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Updated | At least 100 people have been killed in a military plane crash near the Algerian capital of Algiers.

There are believed to be no survivors from the crash, which occurred on Wednesday morning close to the Boufarik military airport. The BBC reported that at least 247 people have been killed, while local media sources said as many as 257 have died. This would make it the most deadly crash in Algerian history and one of the worst 10 aviation accidents of all time.

Local television stations said that at least 14 ambulances had been dispatched to the scene, which is some 20 miles from the Algerian capital. The plane reportedly crashed into a field in an agricultural area.

Trending: Comey Says Trump Is Like a 'Mob Boss' in Upcoming Interview

Mohammed Achour, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency, told the Associated Press, There are more than 100 deaths. We cant say exact how many at this point. News website TSA-Algerie reported a provisional death toll of 105 from the civil protection agency.

Video footage posted to social media showed thick black smoke rising from mangled wreckage in a field. Other images showed that much of the planes fuselage remained intact, as rescuers moved around the tail fin which could still be seen above olive trees.

Don't miss: Why Did Trump Remove Chad From the Travel Ban List?

Local news website Algerie24 reported that the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft was carrying military equipment and dozens of soldiers. Algerie24 said the aircraft had been heading to the western Algerian city of Bechar via a stop-off in the town of Tindouf. The BBC reported that those killed include 26 members of the Polisario Front, a rebel group supported by Algeria fighting for the independence of the Western Sahara from Morocco.

An Algerian defense ministry statement said the head of the Algerian army has ordered an investigation into the crash and will visit the scene.

If the reported death toll is accurate, the crash would be the worst since 77 people died when a Hercules C-130 military passenger plane went down in the north east of the country in 2014. There was one survivor from the accident, in which the C-130 crashed into a mountain amid bad weather conditions.

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Most popular: What Does the National Guard Do? | Opinion

In July 2014, the country's deadliest ever air accident killed 116 people when an Air Algerie jet went down in the Malian desert. Pilot error was blamed for the crash, in which 53 French citizens also died.

2014 Algeria plane crash

STR/AFP/Getty Images

This article has been updated to reflect revised casualty figures.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Deadpool and Silicon Valley star T.J. Miller (Credit: AP)

US actor and comedian T.J. Miller has been arrested for allegedly calling in a fake bomb threat while travelling on an Amtrak train last month.

Miller, 36, whos starred in Deadpool, the sitcom Silicon Valley and The Emoji Movie, had landed at La Guardia airport in New York when he was brought in by authorities.

According to a press release from the U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, via Yahoo Entertainment in the US, hes being charged with intentionally conveying to law enforcement false information about an explosive device on a train traveling to Connecticut, a federal offence.

He appeared before a judge in New Haven yesterday and was released on bail of $100,000, and if convicted, could face up to five years in jail.

Miller said that he was travelling on the Amtrak 2256 train from Washington D.C. to Penn Station in New York when he made the call.

He alleged that a female passenger was carrying a bomb in her bag, describing her as having brown hair and a scarf.

The train was stopped, and the bomb squad was brought in to investigate, but no evidence of explosives was found.

(Credit: Reuters)

According to reports, investigators suspected that he had been drinking, but he said that he had had only one glass of wine, and denied that he was suffering from any mental illness.

He told investigators: This is the first time Ive ever made a call like this before. I am worried for everyone on that train. Someone has to check that lady out.

However, it was later determined that he was not travelling on the train he said he was, but another Amtrak train, which had also been stopped and searched, and where also nothing was found.

Amtrak attendants on that train said that Miller appeared intoxicated when he boarded, and consumed multiple drinks on the train, and that he had been removed in New York owing to his intoxication.

It was also claimed that Miller had been involved in hostile exchanges with a woman who was sitting in a different row from him in the first-class car.

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Investigators determined that Miller had been motivated by a grudge against the subject female, called 911 to relay false information about a suspected bomb on the train, and continued to convey false information to investigators while the public safety response was ongoing.

Its only the latest controversy to face the actor.

He was cut from the fifth season of Silicon Valley last year following allegations of drug and alcohol intoxication on set, allegations he has denied.

According to claims in The Hollywood Reporter, his behaviour was described as explosive and that he was almost a danger to have on set.

Then in December last year, historic allegations of sexual assault re-emerged, dating back to his time at George Washington University.

He was also involved in a violent altercation over Donald Trump with an Uber driver in December 2016, resulting in his arrest.

Miller settled with the driver last month.

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Washington (United States) (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "missiles will be coming" in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, defying Russian warnings against a strike.

Upping the stakes in an escalating confrontation with Moscow, Trump took to Twitter in the strongest assertion yet that he plans to take military action in Syria.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote.

Damascus, which has long accused Washington of supporting "terrorists" opposed to the regime, hit back at Trump's threats.

"We are not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria," state news agency SANA quoted an official source at the foreign ministry as saying.

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.

Efforts to find a diplomatic solution at the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed, with Washington and Moscow opposing each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.

Trump in another tweet said US-Russian relations are "worse now" than ever, "and that includes the Cold War".

Russia has meanwhile taken to stronger and stronger warnings.

"We would hope that all sides will avoid steps that in reality are not provoked by anything and that could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The situation is tense," Peskov said, adding that Russia is calling for an "unprejudiced and objective investigation before making judgements" on the suspected use of chemical weapons.

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- Air traffic control alert -

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also insisted that "smart rockets should be aimed at terrorists, rather than the legitimate government" of Syria.

Trump has said he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay a "big" price for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Both Trump and his defence secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -- moved to within striking range of Syria.

The air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has also released an alert from the European Aviation Safety Agency to flight operators in nearby airspace of "the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours."

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response "in the coming days."

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," he said, insisting he did "not want an escalation."

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a town in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is on the verge of falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

- WHO demands access -

The OPCW said it would "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday demanded "immediate" access to the victims of the alleged chemical attack.

"We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma," said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," he added.

In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

Douma has been heavily bombed by the regime and Russia making it extremely difficult for media, including AFP, to independently verify the claims.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the OPCW should be granted unfettered access to investigate.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for attacks, and the joint OPCW-UN taskforce that once did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed the Syria regime.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

burs-mm/dr
Washington (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations warned world powers against letting the crisis over an alleged chemical attack against civilians in Syria from "spiraling out of control" after US President Donald Trump said "missiles will be coming."

As tensions mounted over a face-off with Damascus-ally Russia, opponents of unilateral US action called an emergency closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council for Thursday. Britain also scheduled an emergency cabinet meeting.

With punitive US military action seemingly imminent, Russia scrambled to deflect blame from Syria's Bashar al-Assad and, according to a monitor group, regime forces evacuated key defense buildings in Damascus.

Trump's bellicose tweets came in response to a warning from Russia's ambassador to Beirut, who took to a television network run by the armed group Hezbollah to declare that any US missiles would be shot down "as well as the sources they were fired from."

If the US action follows the pattern of a previous punitive strike on Syria last year, it will begin with a salvo of cruise missiles fired from US warships in the Mediterranean, as Trump implied when he tweeted they would be "nice, new and 'smart.'"

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as well as CIA director Mike Pompeo met at the White House on Wednesday to discuss options, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

With the UN Security Council failing thus far to find a diplomatic solution, Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that time was running out.

"Today, I called the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council to reiterate my deep concern about the risks of the current impasse and stressed the need to avoid the situation spiraling out of control," he said, referring to the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.

- 'Gas Killing Animal' -

Moscow and Washington have so far vetoed each other's motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.

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Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry said the Syrian regime flag was flying in Douma -- the target of Saturday's attack -- which it said indicated government forces have taken full control over the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta.

"The raising of a regime flag over a building in the town of Douma signified control over this town and consequently over Eastern Ghouta as a whole," Major General Yury Yevtushenko was quoted as saying Thursday by the Interfax news agency.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the remaining rebels in Eastern Ghouta surrendered their heavy weapons to Russian military police and their leader left the enclave for the north.

The Russian army has continued to deny their side's latest victory came after Assad launched a chemical attack on the last rebel-held pocket of the enclave in the Damascus suburbs, instead accusing the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging the supposed gas assault.

Trump's spokeswoman dismissed this idea, and pointedly refused to say that concern about the risks of a direct confrontation with Russia would hold the US military back.

"The intelligence provided certainly paints a different picture," Sanders said. "The president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack."

But while the Russian president's lieutenants continued to up the ante with threats and allegations, Vladimir Putin himself adopted a more statesmanlike tone, in remarks to new ambassadors presenting their credentials at the Kremlin.

"The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic but all the same we hope that common sense will finally prevail and international relations will take a constructive path," he said.

Trump's tweets were more belligerent. He told Russia: "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" He declared that US relations with Russia have plunged to a historic low.

But Trump notably also said there was "no reason for this," reiterated his hope for talks with Putin to halt a new arms race, and blamed his domestic political opponents for poisoning ties.

Assad's Damascus regime, which has long accused Washington of supporting its armed opponents in the country's bloody seven-year-old civil war, hit back at Trump's "reckless escalation."

- OPCW to deploy -

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has called an emergency cabinet meeting for Thursday, while French President Emmanuel Macron is to decide on a response in the coming days, having insisted he does "not want an escalation" and that any response would focus on Syria's chemical capabilities, not on allies of the regime.

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which has blamed the regime for previous attacks, to visit the site.

The OPCW said it would "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

burs-rlp/ach
Mark Zuckerberg wrapped his second day of congressional testimony to address Facebook privacy concerns, and the CEO faced tough questions about a pair of Trump-loving sisters.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, amid discussion of the Cambridge Analytica data breach that affected 87 million Facebook users, Zuckerberg was asked whether the social media site engaged in political censorship, specifically regarding conservative sisters Diamond and Silk.

Why is Facebook censoring conservative bloggers such as Diamond and Silk? asked Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, on Tuesday. Facebook called them unsafe to the community. That is ludicrous. They hold conservative views. That isnt unsafe.

Congressman, Zuckerberg answered, in that specific case, our team made an enforcement error, and we have already gotten in touch with them to reverse it.

Trump supporters and sisters Diamond, left, and Silk were a topic of discussion in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs congressional testimony. (Photo: Johnny Louis/WireImage)

Just so you know, we will always have our Presidents back.

"Don't Get It Twisted!" (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead) pic.twitter.com/d5YwEqbT3g  Diamond and Silk (@DiamondandSilk) March 24, 2018

And on Wednesday, while alleging that Facebook suppresses trending conservative news, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, used Diamond and Silk, with their 1.4 million Facebook followers, as examples. To a great many Americans, that appears to be a pervasive pattern of political bias, said Cruz.

Diamond and Silk, otherwise known as sisters Lynette Hardaway (Diamond) and Rochelle Richardson (Silk), of Fayetteville, N.C., have gained an obsessive following for their pro-Trump views on immigration, border security, and the economy. First of all, if yall havent noticed: We black.  And just because we black, we found out, that doesnt mean we have to vote Democrat, Diamond said in 2016, according to Rolling Stone.

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On their show Chit Chat Live, which airs on The Viewers View, their YouTube channel with more than 142,000 followers, they take aim at the presidents perceived enemies, such as Hillary Clinton, Megyn Kelly, FBI director Robert Mueller for his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with the president during his marriage to Melania Trump.

Thank you Diamond and Silk! https://t.co/qdsLUy2hqD  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2016

The sisters are former Democrats who joined the Republican Party when Trump declared his presidential campaign in 2015, reported the Atlantic. When he announced and we heard everything that he stood for, it was on and poppin, and weve been on the Trump train ever since, Hardaway told the publication.

She added, Listen, we keep voting for the same system that only hands us some crumbs and thinks thats OK. We deserve more than crumbs; we need a slice of the cake.  Thats why we look at Donald Trump. He can fix this mess. He can fix this economic mess. He can bring back opportunities for everyone.

Diamond and Silk also leaned toward Trump because they perceived Clinton to be out of touch. When she runs around with a bottle of hot sauce, when she walked up in the black church trying to sing the Negro spirituals  she knows she dont go to a black church, Diamond said in 2016, per Rolling Stone. When shes running around here doing the nae nae and doing the black dances. Get out of here. Youre not black. You got the Clinton Foundation. What has your foundation done for black people in the hood, like Detroit? Chicago? You were born in Chicago and you aint never done nothing.

The pair has appeared onstage at Trump rallies, joining Lara Trumps Women for Trump tour in 2016 and earning praise from the president himself. How great are they? Trump said of the sisters at a North Carolina rally in December 2016.

Hardaway and Richardson did not return Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment; however, on Wednesday, they appeared on Fox News to express their disbelief at being brought into the congressional hearings. We were never taken down, we were still up, said Diamond. But theres algorithms on our page that will not allow our viewers and our followers and our fans to see our content  were not coming up in their newsfeed.

That same day, the sisters told talk-show host Laura Ingraham that in September, they noticed that their Facebook engagement had suddenly stopped, so they contacted the platform for answers. They kept giving us the runaround, said Diamond. Then, they wrote and they said they deemed our content and our brand unsafe to the community. And we are the brand  two chicks that are down with politics that love our president and love our country.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Moscow (AFP) - With Donald Trump weighing strikes on Syria but Moscow warning of "grave repercussions" to any military action, an escalation seems increasingly likely even as analysts play down a direct clash between Russia and the US.

Washington has promised a "forceful" response to an alleged chemical weapons attack on Saturday that killed at least 40 people in Douma, the last rebel outpost in the Syrian capital.

But the Syrian regime and its backers in Moscow have denied a chemical attack took place, with Russian officials insisting the claims are a pretext to justify further intervention by the West.

The Russian ministry of defence has previously said it will fire at any US craft that strikes government areas of Damascus, where Russian officials are also based.

Boris Dolgov, an analyst at the Russian Institute of Oriental Studies, however, told AFP the US was more likely to intervene via proxies.

He suggested an attack would come from armed opposition groups supported by the US, "Kurdish fighters or non-American special services".

Alexey Malashenko, a specialist in the Syria conflict, said Washington and Moscow were more likely to remain engaged in a war of words.

"Moscow understands that a strike (against US forces) will bring about a response and it is not certain that Russia will emerge victorious from such a conflict," he told AFP.

"Russia risks losing allies such as Turkey or even Assad. There's only one thing for them to do -- stay still and puff out their cheeks."

But Malashenko said those in power in Moscow could be "unpredictable".

As early as mid-March, Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Syrian rebels were preparing "provocations" involving chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta, where Douma is located.

- 'Very, very dangerous' -

In April 2017, Donald Trump ordered strikes on a military base in Syria in response to a gas attack blamed on the Syrian regime that killed more than 80 civilians.

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The strikes provoked no more than protest from Moscow.

This year at least five Russians working for a private security firm in Syria were killed and dozens more injured in American strikes, but again the incident did not draw a military response from Moscow.

The Russian and US armies exchange information on Syria under agreements aimed at avoiding collisions between their planes or the accidental deaths of soldiers in strikes.

The battle for influence between Washington and Moscow is currently being played out in the UN, where both powers have proposed resolutions to investigate the alleged attack.

The rival proposals put the Security Council on course for a clash that could trigger vetoes of both measures.

After US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley promised a response "either way", Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said he feared Washington was looking for a military option.

Such a move would be "very, very dangerous" he said.

Relations between Russia and the US have taken a nosedive in recent years over the Syria conflict as well as Moscow's annexation of Crimea, accusations of interference in the 2016 US election and most recently a spy poisoning in the UK.

President Vladimir Putin launched what appeared to be a new arms race when he unveiled a range of "invincible" new nuclear weapons at his state of the nation address in March.

Russia first intervened in Syria in 2015, turning the tables in the multi-front civil war in favour of ally President Bashar al-Assad.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Iran not to test Israel's resolve, in a speech marking the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Speaking at a ceremony at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, the Israeli premier spoke of the murderous Nazi aggression that was not sufficiently challenged by Western powers.

"Today, too, there's an extremist regime that's threatening us, threatening the peace of the entire world," Netanyahu said of Iran. "That regime explicitly declares that it intends on destroying us, the Jewish state."

"I have a message to the rulers of Iran - don't test Israel's resolve," Netanyahu said.

Russia, Syria and Iran accused Israel of an air strike Monday that hit a regime base in Syria, killing 14 Syrian and Iranian personnel.

Israel has refused to comment on the strike.

Israel has acknowledged carrying out dozens of air strikes in Syria since 2013 to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group fighting alongside Damascus.

Israel has also repeatedly warned it will not accept its arch-foe Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

"We nip the aggression in its bud," Netanyahu said without specifying. "These aren't empty words, we back them up with action."

The Israeli leader also reiterated his stance on the shortcomings of the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, which he believes must be changed.

"Signing the agreement with Iran not only didn't curb their aggression, it increased it," he said.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to walk away from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions by May 12 unless tough new restrictions are imposed on Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.

Netanyahu also spoke of the duty to stand up to "evil and aggression" throughout generations, citing recent violent protests on the border with Gaza and the alleged chemical attack carried out by the Syrian regime.
Paris (France) (AFP) - Sitting at a fountain outside the Sorbonne University in Paris, Christian Faucomprez recalls his heady days as an anti-capitalist student in May 1968 when the campus was the epicentre of a social and cultural rebellion.

He remembers corridors strewn with the sleeping bags of students who occupied the building in a standoff with paternalistic post-war leader Charles de Gaulle that turned central Paris into a battleground.

"And at night we weren't always sleeping," he says mischievously, alluding to the push for greater sexual freedom that accompanied the upheaval.

Fifty years later, the snowy-haired 72-year-old returned to the scene on Tuesday to join several hundred students and leftist activists who marched from the Sorbonne through the capital's Left Bank in protest over President Emmanuel Macron's tightening of university entrance requirements.

Shouting "Resistance!" and "Free our Comrades!" -- the rallying cry of May 68, used to condemn the arrests of students -- the protesters urged rail workers, pensioners and civil servants to oppose the president's reform agenda.

The numbers mobilised so far are a drop in the ocean of the 10 million that went on strike in 1968, or the million-strong demonstrations in 1995 that forced the rightwing government of the day to withdraw pension reforms.

But Faucomprez is convinced it is the start of something big.

"We were only a few hundred on the first day in 1968. It's only starting to mature," he said.

- Education for all -

Students began occupying a handful of universities in March over plans to give public universities the power to set admission criteria and rank applicants -- moves students assailed as a violation of the French principle of free education for all.

Currently, students who pass their school-leaving "baccalaureat" exam can enrol in any university course, a situation blamed by the government for overcrowding and the failure of 60 percent of students to complete their degree within four years.

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The situation reached a crisis point last year, with universities using a lottery system to share out places in dozens of oversubscribed courses, causing disappointment for thousands.

Now, public universities will be given access to a student's school records to help them select those whose "motivation" and "aptitudes" best match the course on offer.

For Florian Mazet, who studies economics at the Nanterre University west of Paris that fired up the 1968 protests, the changes are nothing short of a betrayal of French values.

"In France we have a social model based on aspirations that include the right to study what you choose," he said.

He worries that universities will recruit mainly from the top of the academic pile for sought-after courses like law and psychology, leaving youngsters from underprivileged neighbourhoods by the wayside.

It's a concern shared by Paul Guillibert, a philosophy lecturer at Nanterre.

"Universities are the last bastion of egalitarianism in this country," the 31-year-old said, comparing the 70-odd public universities, which charge only nominal fees for a basic degree, with the ultra-selective "grandes ecoles" which groom top executives, engineers and public servants.

- Natural selection -

Higher Education Minister Frederique Vidal has promised that weaker students will be offered catch-up classes to meet new minimum course requirements.

But in an open letter Tuesday some 400 professors said they had seen no sign of the one billion euros ($1.24 billion) she promised to fund the reforms.

The professors also blamed "drastic budget cuts" over the past decade for the falling standards.

With end-of-year exams looming and a handful of campuses still blocked by increasingly radicalised protesters, tensions are rising.

On Monday, riot police stormed Nanterre to remove a group of several dozen students who staged a sit-in, injuring at least one student and arresting seven.

On Wednesday, the head of the Sorbonne also appealed for police backup after clashes between student backers and opponents of a sit-in at a faculty in eastern Paris where a store of petrol bombs was found at the weekend.

Universities in Montpellier, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Rennes, among other cities, have also been partly or totally blocked.

Voicing growing public frustration with the protests, Caroline Kahn, a doctoral student in civil law, argued that a brutal selection process was already in operation.

"It's called selection by failure," said Kahn, whose first-year lectures packed in 1,000 students -- only a third of whom returned the following year.

"We are the only country in Europe where universities are not a place of excellence. It's frustrating," said the smartly dressed 24-year-old, who spent an exchange year at Britain's Oxford University.

"To those who fear selection I'm tempted to say: Work harder!"
Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) - Poland and the European Union are now engaged in a "genuine dialogue" toward ending a row over Polish reforms Brussels fears undermine judicial independence, a top EU official said Wednesday.

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans welcomed talks he had Monday with the right-wing government in Warsaw and said he was "encouraged" by changes to the reforms Poland's parliament was debating.

"I am glad that we are now in a genuine dialogue," Timmermans told a news conference in Brussels.

"I see willingness of the Polish government to find a solution," the Dutchman said. "I hope we can make substantial steps forward in the days and weeks to come."

Brussels on December 20 launched unprecedented legal action against Warsaw over "systemic threats" to the independence of the Polish judiciary, and gave it three months to say how it will comply.

Warsaw handed Brussels a reply on March 20, which the commission is now studying.

Timmermans called for ending the two-year-long standoff "as quickly as possible" when he met with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Foreign Minister Jacek Jacek Czaputowicz and others in Warsaw on Monday.

"This is actually for me the first time that in Warsaw we actually went to the concrete discussion about the issues," Timmermans said upon returning to Brussels.

He said the "Polish government has a vision" about how to resolve the differences with Brussels.

He said the goal is to "find solutions so that there is no longer a systemic threat to rule of law in Poland," rejecting the notion of a compromise.

"We have seen that in the Polish parliament over the last days and weeks some changes and amendments have been introduced and I was encouraged by some of them," he said.

For example, he said he understands that the parliament no longer supports a difference in the retirement age between male and female judges.

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"If that than becomes law that is already a good step in right direction," Timmermans said.

The stakes are high if Warsaw fails to satisfy Brussels.

It could be stripped of its voting rights in the bloc under the Article 7 procedure of the EU treaty -- covering systemic threats to the rule of law -- which had never been previously used against an EU state.

However, Poland's ally Hungary, which has also clashed with Brussels over democracy issues, has vowed to veto any sanction.
By Jamie Freed SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Some major airlines were re-routing flights on Wednesday after Europe's air traffic control agency warned aircraft flying in the eastern Mediterranean to exercise caution due to possible air strikes into Syria. Eurocontrol said in a notification published on Tuesday afternoon that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used over the following 72 hours and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption to radio navigation equipment. U.S. President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Syria's President Bashar Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that had long held out against government forces. Lebanon's Middle East Airlines, one of the few to fly directly over Syria, is rerouting those flights temporarily, a Beirut airport source said. A spokeswoman for Air France said the airline had changed some flights paths following the warning, including for Beirut and Tel Aviv flights, while budget airline easyJet said it would also re-route flights from Tel Aviv. Aviation regulators have been stepping up monitoring of conflict zones since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Recent warnings have tended to be after military action has started, and so Eurocontrol's pre-emptive notice suggests a heightening of regulatory scrutiny. Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established. The Eurocontrol warning on its website did not specify the origin of any potential missile threat. "Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area," it said, referring to the designated airspace. Aviation regulators in countries including the United States, Britain, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace, leading most carriers to avoid the area. The only commercial flights above Syria as of 0115 GMT on Wednesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. At other periods later in the day, there were no flights using the airspace. HEIGHTENED SURVEILLANCE Eurocontrol included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus in its statement. A spokesman for Germany's Lufthansa said on Wednesday its airlines were aware of the Eurocontrol warning and were in close contact with authorities. "As a proactive precaution, Lufthansa Group airlines have already avoided the airspace in the eastern Mediterranean for some time now," he said. Ryanair, British Airways, Etihad Airways, and Royal Jordanian representatives said flights were operating normally at their respective airlines, but the situation was being monitored closely. Emirates also said it was closely monitoring the situation and that it would "make adjustments as needed". EgyptAir is not currently planning changes to flight paths following the warning, a source close to the matter said. Israel's flag carrier El Al declined to comment. EgyptAir and several other major airlines that fly in the area did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The Nicosia flight information region named in the Eurocontrol statement covers the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters, according to a map on the agency's website. The same map did not designate any specific territory as being the "Eastern Mediterranean" region. Last year, North Korea tested missiles without warning, leading some airlines to re-route flights to avoid portions of the Sea of Japan. Eurocontrol's warning cited a document from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Europe's safety regulator. EASA warned of a danger to aircraft flying over Iran, Iraq, and the Caspian sea in October 2015 after Russia fired cruise missiles at Syrian targets from the Caspian Sea. An EASA spokesman said it had informed member states and Eurocontrol of its cautionary message on Tuesday. (Reporting by Jamie Freed in SINGAPORE; additional reporting by Victoria Bryan in HAMBURG, Alexander Cornwell in DUBAI, Sarah Young in LONDON, Conor Humphries in DUBLIN, Tova Cohen in Tel Aviv and CAIRO Bureau; Editing by Robert Birsel, Mark Potter and David Evans)
Mark Zuckerberg is about to face down US lawmakers, in a Congress hearing that could make or break Facebook.

But the most likely consequence is that nothing much at all will happen, senior politicians who are taking part in the hearings have warned.

The questioning before Congress has been built up in a range of reports, but the tone of politicians actually involved in them is far softer. One of the most senior politicians involved in quizzing Mr Zuckerberg referred to him as a "very nice young man", ahead of the hearings.

Mr Zuckerberg is making an appearance in large part to try and ensure that the US Congress and other regulators don't propose new regulations on internet-based companies likes his own Facebook.

Many have called for such regulations after it emerged that the site had been giving data on its users to political advertising firms, without their knowledge. But it is unlikely that anything will actually happen, despite the widespread anger  in part because the issues are so complex.

Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify before a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees.

He is confronting combined outrage over how Russia used Facebook to spread divisive political propaganda during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and how Facebook seemed unaware that a political consultancy, Cambridge Analytica, improperly harvested personal data of about 87 million Facebook users, most of them Americans.

Senator Bill Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, said on Monday that while he believed new regulation was needed in the face of Facebook's twin scandals, he did not expect anything substantive to happen.

He attributed that in part to the format for Tuesday's joint hearing before the Senate's Commerce and Judiciary committees that will give Zuckerberg an advantage, saying it would favor spectacle over thoughtful dialogue.

"How in the world can you have 44 senators do a hearing that has a lot of substance when each senator only has four minutes?" Nelson asked reporters on Monday.

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Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, told reporters after speaking with 33-year-old Zuckerberg, that he "was a very nice young man" who "obviously knows what he's doing and has a very pleasant personality."

PRIVACY ADVOCATES OUTNUMBERED

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders declined to say on Monday if new regulations were needed. aI don't have a specific policy announcement on that front, but I think we're all looking forward to that testimony.a

Republicans are generally against more corporate regulation and they are not persuaded that tech companies need more of it. aI donat want to hurt Facebook. I donat want to regulate them half to death,a said Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a member of the Judiciary Committee aBut we have a problem. Our promised digital utopia has minefields in it.a

Companies that have been victimized by computer hacks have been accused by lawmakers of failing to take adequate security measures to protect their customers' personal information.

Senior executives from a host of companies including Target Corp, Alphabet's Google, United Airlines and Equifax, have testified before Congress on a variety of issues including network security and walked away with little more than a scolding and a temporary dip in stock price.

Powerful lobbying forces assemble against any effort to convert public and political outrage into regulation, privacy advocates have said. Facebook spent $1.35 million on lobbying in 2011 and six years later spent $11.5 million, according to data maintained by the Center for Responsive Politics.

"People have this idea that we are going to pass omnibus privacy legislation and it is going to be a silver bullet," said Alvaro Bedoya, a former congressional aide who worked on privacy issues for former Senator Al Franken. "The reality is lobbyists outnumber consumer privacy advocates in Washington 20 to 1 or 30 to 1."

Instead of major regulatory changes, lawmakers in Congress have offered narrowly focused legislation.

The Honest Ads Act, for instance, aims to address concerns about foreign nationals covertly purchasing ads on social media to influence American politics. It would require political ads on the internet to reveal who paid for them, much the same as ads on television and radio. It legislation has been stalled since its introduction last October, although Facebook endorsed it on Friday.

Congress did pass legislation last month that chipped away at the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which for decades has guarded internet-based companies from liability for what users post on their platforms.

The legislation, which is expected to be signed into law this week by U.S. President Donald Trump, was aimed at penalizing operators of websites that facilitate online sex trafficking. Internet companies have expressed worry that it could be the first step toward dismantling decades of a hands-off regulatory approach by Washington.

Technology industry officials said they also expected Zuckerberg's testimony to be long on political point scoring and short on legislative ideas.

"They don't understand ad targeting and they will probably ask him a bunch of unrelated questions that play to their respective political bases," said one technology industry source, who spoke on condition on anonymity because his company had not authorized him to speak on the matter for the record.

"So Democrats will ask about monopolies and Republicans will ask about anti-conservative bias in Silicon Valley."

Additional reporting by Reuters
Facebook (FB) CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for five more hours of wide-ranging questions, this time from the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committees.

The topics were familiar from Tuesday and revolved around the Cambridge Analytica controversy, whether Facebook users own their data, and whether Facebook mishandled user privacy in general over the years. The jabs were slightly harsher, as some lawmakers underscored and outlined Zuckerbergs lack of knowledge as it pertained to certain critical issues and missteps.

His prepared remarks were almost identical to his opening statement before the Senate committees and written testimony released Monday: Its not enough to just connect people, we have to make sure those connections are positive. Its not enough to just give people a voice, we have to make sure people arent using it to hurt people or spread misinformation. Its not enough to give people control of their information, we have to make sure developers theyve given it to are protecting it too. Across the board, we have a responsibility to not just build tools, but to make sure those tools are used for good.

Zuckerberg began the hearing explaining that Facebook is not a media or financial institution. Congressman Frank Pallone of New Jersey called for Zuckerberg to commit to having Facebook default user settings that would protect users privacy. Zuckerberg did not make a clear commitment, but he acknowledged that Facebook needs to clarify how its advertising business works for the public.

We dont sell data, Zuckerberg explained. Thats not how advertising works. I do think we can do a better job explaining that given the misperceptions out there.

However, Facebooks chief executive did acknowledge the social network fumbled when it came to user privacy.

We were trying to balance data portability in order to have new experiences  but on the other hand, we also need to balance users privacy, Zuckerberg acknowledged. We didnt get that balance right out front.

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On the subject of Cambridge Analytica, Zuckerberg conceded for the first time that Aleksandr Kogan, the researcher who sold data to Cambridge Analytica, also sold that same data from up to 87 million Facebook users to a handful of other companies. When asked if Zuckerberg could identify which companie, he could not. Zuckerberg also confirmed his Facebook account was one of the 87 million affected by the Cambridge Analytica data leak. He briefly summarized some of the measures Facebook is taking to protect users data moving forward, including an audit of tens of thousands of developers who had similar access to user data before Facebook restricted access.

Weve realized that just taking developers at their word isnt enough, Zuckerberg added.

During the hearing, Zuckerberg was asked repeatedly whether Facebook users actually own their online presence. I believe everyone owns their own content online  the first line of our terms of service says that, Zuckerberg said. Giving people control of their information and how they want to set their privacy is fundamental to the whole service.

But lawmakers were not convinced. In an exchange with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, a representative for Californias 18th congressional district, Eshoo asked Zuckerberg about potentially altering Facebooks business model to better protect users.

Congresswoman, Im not sure what that means, Zuckerberg simply replied.

When asked about Facebooks role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Zuckerberg briefly explained some of the measures Facebook is taking to thwart future activity from bad actors, which includes developing tools using artificial intelligence to proactively catch fake accounts that Russia or others might create to spread misinformation.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook will comply with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, a new European law crafted to protect online users privacy that goes into effect on May 25. When pushed, Zuckerberg said the social network would extend the same protections and privacy settings to users in the U.S. but could not specify to what extent. In one measure, Facebook will put a notification on top of its app that walks users through how to adjust their privacy settings, Zuckerberg explained.

Congressman Scott Peters, a Democrat from California, asked whether it would make sense for Congress to define privacy in law. He noted that privacy isnt a bottom line issue for shareholders.

Privacy doesnt drive profits, and it may interfere with profits, Peters stated before asking whether it would help if there were real financial disincentives to violating privacy.

Indeed, accountability was a major theme that permeated Wednesdays hearing.

Oftentimes, technology folks spend too much time thinking about what they can do and not what they should do, said Congressman Bill Johnson from Ohio.

Congressman Billy Long from Missouri reiterated a sentiment that surfaced on Tuesday about Facebooks onerous Terms of Service.

If we invited everyone that has read your terms of service, we could probably fit them at that table, Long quipped.

Another topic that surfaced time and again: Diamond and Silk, two sisters known for their pro-Trump beliefs who have garnered a large conservative fanbase. Last September, the sisters allege, the social network began to prevent them from notifying followers of new videos and started to limit the spread of their posts.

Why is Facebook censoring conservative bloggers such as Diamond and Silk? Congressman Joe Barton from Texas asked. That is ludicrous. They hold conservative views. That isnt unsafe.'

In that specific case, our team made an enforcement error and we have already gotten in touch with them to reverse it, Zuckerberg asserted.

The other major topic on Wednesday? Opioid ads that permeate Facebook, hawking drugs like Percocet.

Your platform is still being used to circumvent the law, and allow people to buy highly addictive drugs without a prescription, Congressman David McKinley from West Virginia told Zuckerberg. With all due respect, Facebook is actually enabling an illegal activity and, in so doing, you are hurting people. Would you agree with that statement?

I think that there are a number of areas of content that we need to do a better job policing on our service, Zuckerberg replied.

As he did on Tuesday, Zuckerberg agreed to cooperate with the government on some type of regulation of not just Facebook but all social media platforms. Acknowledging the challenge of overseeing content on the social network, he continued to explain the companys use of artificial intelligence and reiterated plans to hire more people to focus on security and reviewing content. Zuckerberg also said Facebook would do a better job of auditing all the third-party apps that the company has deals with.

Investors appeared to be satisfied with Zuckerbergs second-day performance, Facebook shares edged up 0.78% to $166.31 at market close Wednesday.



JP Mangalindan is the Chief Tech Correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering the intersection of tech and business. Email story tips and musings to jpm@oath.com. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

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By Aziz El Yaakoubi AL-MOKHA, Yemen (Reuters) - High-tech radar units stretch along the quay of this tiny Yemeni port and underwater fortifications have been built to block attacks from unmanned boats packed with explosives. Once a thriving coffee exporting hub, al-Mokha is now a heavily guarded forward naval base from which the United Arab Emirates monitors shipping lanes and the movements of the Houthis, their foes in a conflict that has sparked a humanitarian crisis in one of the world's poorest countries. "They cannot get close to this port anymore, they will be under fire," said a UAE soldier loading an anti-aircraft gun onto a patrolling warship. Winning and keeping control of Yemen's ports in the Red Sea, no matter how small, is of paramount importance to the UAE, a key partner in the Saudi-led coalition that has overseen the effort to wrest the coast from the Iran-aligned Houthis as part of a strategy to box them in around the capital, Sanaa. Dotted along one of the most important trade routes for oil tankers heading from the Middle East to Europe, the ports - also vital entry points for Yemen's food imports and aid - are too strategic to lose. Gulf government officials familiar with UAE and Saudi thinking said capturing the coast would block the Houthi supply lines and push them towards the negotiating table. Maintaining that military presence would be a key condition for any political resolution of the conflict, they said. "Saudi Arabia and UAE are very worried about Iran's influence, so they are seeking to keep some military presence on the Yemeni coasts even if the civil war ends," said a Yemeni official who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation. A spokesman for the coalition did not respond to a Reuters' request for comment. The coalition, which intervened in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has not made major gains in Yemen since February 2017, when it seized al-Mokha. But the war shows no signs of abating. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have spent billions of dollars on the effort at a time when deficits caused by low oil prices have forced them to introduce austerity and cut spending. Saudi Arabia's military spending hit record highs of 224 billion riyals ($59.73 billion) in 2017, according to finance ministry documents, against a budget of 191 billion. Military spending of 210 billion riyals has been approved for 2018. The Houthis control Yemen's most populated areas, including Sanaa in the north and the main port of Hodeidah, and the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition control the rest. The Houthis have launched a series of missile strikes on Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, over the last year and in late March fired a short-range ballistic missile towards a facility of Saudi oil company Aramco in Najran. Aramco said at the time its plants and facilities were not affected. In the most recent incident, a Saudi oil tanker was attacked off Hodeidah on April 4. The Saudis blamed the Houthis but the Houthis said their target was a warship. The latest attacks could complicate a new U.N. push to end the war. A special envoy is visiting the region this month. At least 10,000 people have been killed and another 53,000 injured in the conflict, leaving thousands with disabilities that prevent them from physical work, according to the United Nations. Three million people were forced to flee their homes, including two million who remain displaced. Millions are living with the threat of mass starvation and disease, including the world's worst cholera outbreak with more than 1 million suspected cases. STRATEGIC TARGETS The UAE trained, armed and paid the thousands of fighters from the southern provinces who captured the southern port of al-Mukalla from al-Qaeda militants and the port city of Aden from the Houthis. They also hold Hawlaf Port on the Socotra Island and the strategic Perim island. They now want to take control of Hodeidah, which handles the bulk of Yemen's imports including fuel, medicine and aid, saying the Houthis are using the port to smuggle weapons from the Sunni coalition's arch-foe, Shi'ite Iran. The Houthis, a predominantly Shi'ite community from the mountainous north, deny they are being helped by Iran. "The Houthi strongholds are largely in more mountainous areas and -- as history tells us -- it is far easier to hold the Yemeni coasts than it is to take the center," said Adam Baron, a Yemen expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations. A coalition commander declined to comment on the advance on Hodeidah because he didn't want to talk about military strategy. UAE-backed forces are approaching Hodeidah from the south, with the Gulf state supervising the advance from al-Mokha, some 75 km north of the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait that is the gate into the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. The fighting has reached al-Jarahi district, some 100 km (60 miles) from Hodeidah, meaning the coalition has never been closer to the more densely populated coastal areas as it is now. Another campaign has been launched from the north along the coastal border with Saudi Arabia in Hajja province to hem in the Houthis and cut off trading maritime routes. On a recent visit to al-Mokha, a squad of young Yemeni fighters chewed the narcotic green leaf qat and took selfies in front of modern armored vehicles used by UAE troops. Dead coral, left by massive waves, lay scattered across the empty quay. The thin frames of the Yemeni and Sudanese troops manning towers and checkpoints barely filled their uniforms, a stark contrast to the Gulf Arabs in their crisp Marines-style outfits. But their morale appeared to be good. "We are the special forces," said one Yemeni fighter proudly. Western countries have urged the coalition to protect civilians and find a quick end to the war. They also acknowledge Riyadh's argument that it needs to defend itself from Houthi cross-border strikes and limit the spread of Iranian influence. "My major concern is that I have not heard anything that made me think that there has been sufficient steps taken to protect civilian lives should the fighting reach another densely populated area like Hodeidah," said Kristine Beckerle, Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch. Graphic: Yemen coastal offensive, click https://tmsnrt.rs/2GD7kzZ Graphic: UAE and Saudi military spending, click https://tmsnrt.rs/2GEZm56 (Additional reporting by Tom Miles in Geneva, Noah Browning in Dubai, Stephen Kalin in Riyadh; Editing by Ghaida Ghantous, Michael Georgy and Sonya Hepinstall)
(Reuters) - The federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion by Donald Trump's campaign has targeted - directly or indirectly - a growing group of presidential associates. As Special Counsel Robert Mueller presses on with his Russia probe, the following is a list of people who have been indicted or are being investigated. The court documents related to Mueller's investigation are at https://www.justice.gov/sco. Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign and has long denounced the Mueller probe as a witch hunt. Mueller told Trump's attorneys in March he was continuing to investigate the president but did not consider him a criminal target "at this point," the Washington Post reported in early April. Trump has said he would sit down for an interview with Mueller's office. ABC News, citing multiple sources close to the president, reported on April 10 that Trump was less inclined to be interviewed following an FBI raid targeting his personal lawyer. Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime personal lawyer, is being investigated by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. Cohen's lawyer, Stephen M. Ryan, said that U.S. prosecutors conducted a search on April 9 that was partly a referral by Mueller's office. Federal prosecutors are investigating Cohen for possible bank and tax fraud, and for possible campaign law violation in connection with a payment to a porn actress and perhaps other matters having to do with foreign support to Trumps 2016 campaign, a source familiar with the investigation said. Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser to Trump who was also a close campaign aide, pleaded guilty in December to lying to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents about his contacts with Russia and agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. Paul Manafort, a former Trump election campaign chairman, is facing two indictments in different federal courts brought by Mueller. Charges against him include conspiring to launder money, failing to register as a foreign agent in connection with his lobbying for the previously pro-Russia Ukrainian government, bank fraud and filing false tax returns. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has argued that Mueller has overstepped his authority. Rick Gates, a former deputy campaign chairman, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and agreed to cooperate with the Mueller probe. George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, pleaded guilty last fall to lying to FBI agents about his contacts with Russia. According to documents released with his guilty plea, Papadopoulos offered to help set up a meeting with then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is now cooperating with Mueller. Alex Van der Zwaan, a lawyer who once worked closely with Manafort and Gates, pleaded guilty in February to lying to Mueller's investigators about contacts with an official in the Trump election campaign. Van der Zwaan, the Dutch son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men, was sentenced on April 3 to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000. Thirteen Russians and three Russian entities were indicted in Mueller's investigation in February, accused of tampering in the 2016 election to support Trump. The Russian government has repeatedly denied meddling in the election and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denounced the allegations as "absurd," ridiculing the notion that so few Russian nationals could undermine U.S. democracy. Richard Pinedo, who was not involved with the Trump campaign, pleaded guilty in a case related to the Mueller probe in February to aiding and abetting interstate and foreign identity fraud by creating, buying and stealing hundreds of bank account numbers that he sold to individuals to use with large digital payment companies. Pinedo "made a mistake" but "had absolutely no knowledge" about who was buying the information or their motivations, his lawyer said. Sources familiar with the indictment said Pinedo was named as helping Russian conspirators launder money as well as purchase Facebook ads and pay for rally supplies. (Compiled by Frances Kerry; Editing by Tom Brown)
A family of four has disappeared while on a West Coast road trip from Southern California to Oregon.

The Thottapilly family left Valencia, Calif., on March 30, driving more than 900 miles to Portland and stopping at several destinations along the way.

But they never made a scheduled stop on the way back in San Jose and the family's contact there didn't hear from them as planned.

According to a missing persons flyer posted to social media, all contact with the family was lost April 5 after they were last seen in the Klamath - Redwood National Park area.

The flyer ID'd the family as husband and wife, Sandeep and Soumya Thottapilly, and their 12-year-old son Siddhant and 9-year-old daughter Saachi.

The California Highway Patrol responded Friday to reports of a vehicle falling off the side of a steep embankment on the 101 Freeway in Mendocino County, according to the LA Times.

The description of the vehicle, a Honda Pilot, matches that of the SUV the Thottapilly family was driving when they vanished.

Authorities now fear their vehicle went into a rain-swollen river in Mendocino County.

Search teams from multiple agencies were unable to search the river over the weekend because it was deemed unsafe for divers.

In a Twitter post, a user who identified himself as Sandeep Thottapilly's father in India pleaded with his country's minister of external affairs to work with California authorities to help find his son.

"I am a senior citizen and resident of Surat, Gujarat. My son Sandeep Thottapilly is residing in California, USA. He and his family are reported missing since last Thursday. Would request your good office to take up this matter with concerned authorities in USA and help find my son and his family as soon as possible," the post read.

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Niamey (AFP) - Niger opposition leader and former premier Hama Amadou on Wednesday lost an appeal against a one-year jail term for baby smuggling, legal sources said.

The case has becoming a long-running political saga in the Sahel country, with Amadou's lawyers saying the prosecution is aimed at sidelining President Mahamadou Issoufou's biggest rival.

As Amadou lives in France, he was tried and convicted in absentia, and would have to return to Niger in order to serve his sentence.

He is among a group of around 20 people, including one of his wives, who in March 2017 received one-year terms for allegedly smugging babies from Nigeria via Benin to wealthy couples in Niger.

Amadou -- nicknamed "the Phoenix" for his political comebacks -- challenged Issoufou in Niger's presidential elections in 2016.

He was arrested on November 14, 2015, on his return from exile, and was forced to campaign for the presidency from behind bars.

He was released on medical grounds on March 16, 2016, four days before the second round of the voting, and flew to France.

Issoufou went on to win with 92 percent of the run-off ballot. With the opposition boycotting the election, Amadou only got seven percent of the vote.

Constitutional lawyer Amadou Boubacar confirmed that under Nigerien law, Amadou was now barred from elective office.

"His appeal has been rejected, which means that his conviction is definitive," Boubacar told AFP. "Unless and until he is declared innocent, he will not be entitled to vote or run for office."
Chattahoochee High Schools prom wont take place until April 28, but it has already fired up a controversy. As Atlanta news affiliate Fox 5 reports, the Johns Creek, Ga., school is being accused of discriminating against two gay students by ruling them ineligible to be this years prom king and king. Though the couple, Joel Lerner and Carter Hebert, were both named to the royal court, the school insists that protocol prevents them from taking the highest honor  a decision Lerner has called heartbreaking. Lerner and Hebert noted that the court also includes a heterosexual couple eligible to be prom king and queen. According to a Change.org petition, which currently has nearly 500 signatures,.Lerner and Hebert arent fighting just for their right to be prom kings but for a gender-neutral royal court
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's head of domestic intelligence said on Wednesday there was a "high likelihood" that the Russian government was behind a cyber attack on German computer networks, although he conceded it was difficult to be 100-percent certain. Hans-Georg Maassen told reporters that German authorities carefully monitored the attack after it was discovered in December, and it had not caused any damage. He said there was no evidence to link it to APT28, the Russian hacking group blamed for a May 2015 attack on the German lower house of parliament and the U.S. Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 U.S. election. However, Maassen said the attack was considered an "advanced persistent threat (APT)", a phrase used by experts to describe a cyber attack so sophisticated and complex that it can only be carried out by a government entity. "We perceived it as a cyber attack with a Russian origin," Maassen said. "A 100-percent attribution ... that the perpetrator is in Moscow and that it's a government agency is not possible, but we can talk about a high likelihood." He said a so-called "false flag" operation, aimed at intentionally misleading authorities about which country was to blame, could not be completely excluded, but he added: "We assume it had a Russian origin." Germany's federal prosecutor's office is also investigating the incident as a possible case of espionage. Sources briefed on the incident said it was first detected in December but may have begun as much as a year earlier. The Russian government has dismissed the suggestion that Russian hackers were behind the cyber attack. A German Interior Ministry spokesman last month said the affected IVBB computer network was used to exchange documents labeled "for government use only," but did not carry highly classified documents. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Paul Carrel and Richard Balmforth)
For hour after hour on Tuesday afternoon, Facebook (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered questions from the Judiciary and Commerce committees, representing almost half the Senate.

Behind him were two individuals, visible in the video feeds. To Zuckerbergs left, in green, sat a Facebook star lobbyist Myriah Jordan, whose official title is public policy director. Jordan had previously worked in Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)s office where she was general counsel, and before that worked for the George W. Bush administration as special assistant for policy.

Myriah Jordan and Joel Kaplan, the people behind Mark Zuckerberg in the Senate. (Yahoo Finance screenshot)

On Zuckerbergs right sat Joel Kaplan, Facebooks VP of global public policy. Kaplan served as George W. Bushs deputy chief of staff, where he succeeded Karl Rove. Kaplan clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and came to Facebook from Texas electric utility Energy Future Holdings.

Wednesday at the House

Zuckerberg was back on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, and the faces in the cameras direct view behind him changed somewhat. From left to right: Pearl Del Rosario, associate general counsel; Catlin ONeill, public policy director; Joel Kaplan; Chris Herndon, public policy director.

Facebook Mark Zuckerberg on day two of his Capitol Hill rounds, in front of the Senate.

ONeill, granddaughter of a former Speaker of the House Tip ONeill, worked in the office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for 10 years. Del Rosario has not worked for the government. Herndon was the counsel for the Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation, the legislative director for former Rep. George Radanovich, and legislative counsel serving Rep. Patrick McHenry.

The faces behind Zuckerberg, doubtless familiar to many of the lawmakers present, illustrate the importance of government relations and lobbying efforts for large tech companies in Silicon Valley.

An aide to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg closes a binder of notes left on the table as Zuckerberg takes a short break from testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The CEOs talking points, left open on the desk for photographers to see, showed the careful prep work that went into Zuckerbergs polished performance that had him parrying almost all of the senators jabs.



Fundstrats Thomas Block, who has prepared witnesses for tough congressional hearings before, told Yahoo Finance that the government relations employees did a good job preparing Zuckerberg.

He was well-prepared, had obviously had good practice sessions and importantly seemed to catch the right balance between personal poise yet respectful to the senators, said Block. The market seemed to like performance.
Those in favor of firearms control in the United States today often point in exasperated envy at laws in countries like Australia and the United Kingdom. Why cant the United States behave like these civilized countries?, they ask.

The reality is that these countries were able to pass their strict laws partly because American laws are so lax. At just 4.4% of the worlds population, Americans own roughly a third of all the firearms in the world. According to a 2007 survey, American civilians own about 275 million of the worlds 875 million firearms. For the worlds gun manufacturers, this fraction of the worlds population is their largest single market. As long as it stays open, they can count on business, and governments around the world can feel secure about the health of an industry they rely on for defense.

Since firearms became central to warfare, governments have faced a structural problem: They need gun manufacturers but do not generate enough demand themselves to keep those manufacturers in good health by serving the military alone. Peace, in particular, is bad for gunmakers.

The global history of governments and gun manufacturers efforts to cope with this basic problem is not fully understood, but it has had serious implications for the situation today.

The Glorious Revolution of 1689 established a new regime in Britain. It had to defend itself against rebels at home and abroad who wanted to restore the ousted king. To that end, the new government set about developing a new hub of firearms manufacturing in Birmingham, to ensure an alternate source for guns in case rebels captured Londons firearms manufacturing capacity.

For the next century, Britain was almost always at war, and Birminghams gunmakers thrived: from an initial annual production of tens of thousands of arms, they could produce millions by 1815. The government also launched its own factory, at Enfield, to further diffuse the industry.

To keep this industry healthy during interludes of peacein an era in which firearms possession was largely an entitlement of the upper classesthe government helped it find other outlets. British gunmakers sold firearms all over the world: in West Africa, as part of the slave trade; in North America, to Native Americans and colonial settlers; in South Asia, as part of trade and conquest. Occasionally, British officials worried about arming their own enemies. But inevitably, the logic prevailed that not selling guns to potential enemies would merely send those enemies to a rival supplier, like the French, and the British would forfeit both profit and influence.

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The government also encouraged gunmakers to diversify into products that could be sold to British civilians: buttons, buckles, harpoons, swords, bells. Diversification became more necessary in the 19th century as the empires fear of armed colonial rebellion increased. The Birmingham Small Arms company (BSA), the largest privately owned rifle manufactory in Europe until the 1890s and the largest in the U.K. through World War I, also made bicycles, motorcycles and cars. The governments machine-gun supplier, Vickers, made various civilian goods, too.

This strategy freed the government from worrying overly about the health of its firearms industry. In 1934, it selected a Czech design for the new army light machine gun, over protests from BSA and Vickers. After World War II, the Ministry of Defense stopped maintaining an R&D team for small arms design. BSA ceased military rifle production in 1961 after a government decision to let them go. They turned out other metal goods and motorcycles until they were edged out of those businesses in the early 1970s.

The Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, meanwhile, did develop and supply the SA80, the standard postwar military firearm. In 1985, it and other government arms factories were made into a public corporation, Royal Ordnance, which, in 1987, was bought by British Aerospace, the then-reprivatized company in which Vickers had merged during the 1960 nationalization of the aircraft industry.

That year, 1987, was also the year of the mass shooting known as the Hungerford massacre. Gun control in the U.K. got tighter as the gun industry shrank to vanishing point. The next year saw both the closure of the Enfield unit and amendments tightening existing firearms controls. After the Dunblane shooting in 1996, private possession of handguns was banned almost entirely; thousands of guns were surrendered. By that point there was essentially no firearms industry to put up a protest; U.K. military arms were mostly sourced abroad. In Australia, too, passage of tight gun control laws in 1996 was eased by the absence of a major Australian gun industry.

The United States followed a different path.

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To be sure, American gunmakers also diversified to cope with whimsical government demand. Most famously, Remington, the countrys oldest rifle maker, turned out sewing machines and typewriters during the slump in firearm demand after the Civil War. But, for the most part, American manufacturers could rely on sales to civilians to cope with lulls in government demand.

Between the world wars, the federal government and the American gun industry both opposed suggestions for controls on sales to civilians, out of fear that they would endanger an industry essential to national defense. During the Cold War, the U.S. became the new firearms depot of the world. When the Swedish firearms manufacturer Interdynamic AB could not find a civilian market for its TEC-9 submachine gun at home, its Miami subsidiary Intratec sold it to Americans, who made it a notorious instrument of mass shootings.

If gun-control advocates focus on the NRA and politicians who take money from the group as the sole obstacles to sensible gun control laws in the U.S., theyll be missing a larger structural reality: selling arms to American civilians has become crucial to an industry on which both the United States government and governments around the world depend. Indeed, it is the American publics very division over gun control that keeps the industry healthy, given the saturation of the civilian market: without panic buying triggered by recurring fear of impending controls, companies like Remington and Smith & Wesson face dismal prospects. (Remington has now filed for bankruptcy, though its operations remain unaffected.)

The more the rest of the world limits gun possession, the more American civilians keep the worlds firearms makers in business. The NRA and gun manufacturers benefit from promoting intense cultural and ideological commitment to their reading of the Second Amendment, but so does every government that needs firearms for its military and law enforcement services. Studies have shown that the presence of astronomical numbers of guns in the United States is a specific cause of the high rate of mass shootings, but the presence of those guns has become a matter of global security. This vision of global security has thus perversely come to depend on continual insecurity about mass shootings in the United States.

Priya Satia is the author of Empire of Guns: The Violent Making of the Industrial Revolution, available now.
Its no secret that homework is stressful. But in recent decades, researchers have begun to wonder whether the anxiety it produces outweighs its benefits. A myriad of research suggests that indeed, the bad may overshadow the good. One study in particular, from Stanford University in 2014, found excessive homework not only heightens stress, but causes difficulty sleeping, and exacerbates other physical ailments such as headaches.

Given this research, it was only a matter of time before schools began experimenting with a radical solution: eliminating homework altogether. The first to make news for trying this was an elementary school in Montreal, where the principal said he wanted his young students to be playing after school instead of working.

But now a school in Sweden has taken it a step further: banning not only homework but tests. The high school, located in a small town called Boden, reportedly informed its students of the new policy, aimed to reduce stress, in February. It was my idea, Petronella Sirkka, principal of the Sturenskolan School, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. The students have expressed that they are relieved, since they are under a lot of pressure during our school year.

Sturenskolans homework and test ban has met mixed reviews in the town. But that hasnt stopped Sirkka from pushing onward. We are constantly receiving new reports that our children feel bad. And thats because they have a very high stress level all the time, Sirkka told SVT, the Swedish national public broadcaster. This is our way of trying to reduce that stress.

Sirkka said that the curriculum her students study is very complicated and places extremely high demands on them individually. Eliminating homework and tests (except for nationally required tests) is an attempt to make it less challenging for their psychological well being overall, according to a Sputnik News article.

Sirkka says that, since the students were away on Easter break, they havent been in class long enough for her to adequately judge how its going. But in general, she says the students are happy with the decision. For Sirkka, thats good news. Her goal, if it goes well, is to introduce a permanent ban on homework and tests at Sturenskolan in 2019.

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The anxiety that Sirkkas solution is aimed at tackling isnt unique to Sweden. Research shows that young Americans are more anxious than ever. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 31.9 percent of adolescents in the U.S. now have a diagnosable anxiety disorder, compared with just 19 percent of adults. In the last decade, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports, the number of adolescents and teens admitted to a hospital for suicidal thoughts has doubled.

Although there are many contributing factors to increased anxiety among teens  threats to physical safety being one of them  the burden of homework is real. The aforementioned Stanford study, published in the Journal of Experimental Education, looked at more than 4,000 students in upper-middle-class California communities (a demographic, it should be noted, that receives more homework help than others) and found that excessive homework, along with adding stress, leads to decreased socialization with friends and family.

Studies like that one, combined with anecdotal evidence from parents, have led to a growing irritation with after-school assignments. In a book titled The Case Against Homework, authors Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish argue that there is no evidence showing actual benefits of homework among students  and a wealth of evidence proving its negative effects.

Photo: Getty Images

Homework overload is compromising our parenting choices, jeopardizing our childrens health, and robbing us of precious family time, Bennett and Kalish write. Many homework experts claim that one of the benefits of homework is increased parental involvement. But is it really beneficial when we constantly argue about homework or stay up late to do our kids assignments with them  or for them?

In a piece criticizing Bennett and Kalishs book, the Washington Posts Jay Matthews argued that their hypothesis missed a crucial fact. When students are not doing homework, their principal pastimes are not play or reading for pleasure or any of the other meaningful activities homework protesters say are being cut back because of too much homework, Matthews writes. Instead, they are watching a lot of television.

Those arguments, written in the mid-2000s, are still relevant today. But even though homework has long been in the spotlight, American schools havent reduced the amount they dole out. A more recent piece in the New York Times reported one byproduct of this, a growing trend of homework therapists. These experts, as their name implies, are brought in to tutor kids and offer emotional support at the same time.

Lisa Jacobson, one of the women quoted in the Times article, owns a high-end tutoring company in New York that now employs eight homework therapists. She captures their job in one sentence: Its all about calming people down. Thats the same thing that Sirrka and her teachers hope to do, but in their case, by simply eliminating the homework itself.

Sirrka, who understands that critics may disapprove, says its important to note that the banning of homework and tests doesnt represent a complete unraveling of the school structure. This does not mean that we dont assess or examine our students, Sirkka tells Yahoo Lifestyle. We just dont make them do homework such as studying for tests in their home.

Instead, grading at Sturenskolan will be done on work thats completed at school, during the normal hours. Whether it works remains to be seen. For homework detesters, hope springs eternal.

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Neo Nazis and white supremacists pictured at the rally in Charlottesville: Getty

A holocaust survivor says that he sees a lot of parallels between what is happening in American today and the atmosphere in pre-Nazi Germany that led to millions of people being murdered by the state.

Stephen B Jacobs, who has lived in the United States since being liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945, told Newsweek that the growing prominence of far-right voices since President Donald Trumps ascension to Americas highest office is worrying  and that things seem to just be getting worse.

Things just go from bad to worse every day, Mr Jacobs, a 79-year-old architect in New York who designed a memorial at his former concentration camp, said. Theres a real problem growing.

He said that it is not just that far-right demonstrators feel emboldened in the age of Trump, but also that their rhetoric and talking points have seeped into some areas of mainstream political discourse.

It feels like 1929 or 1930 Berlin, Mr Jacobs, who said he sees a direct parallel between 2018 America and the nascent days of Nazi Germany, said.

Things that couldnt be said five years ago, four years ago, three years ago  couldnt be said in public  are now normal discourse. Its totally unacceptable, he continued. We thought our country had change. In fact, it didnt. We were operating under a misconception. My god, we elected a black president in the United States! Look how far weve come! We havent.

Observers note that the divisive rhetoric of Mr Trumps campaign has carried over into his presidency, squashing previous hopes that he would become a unifying presidential figure once actually in office.

That has resulted in both tangible and symbolic developments: The Southern Poverty Law Centre  a civil rights advocacy group  saw a 4 per cent spike in the number of hate groups in the country, while a white supremacist rally resulted in the death of a counter-demonstrator being killed in Charlottesville last year  an incident that Mr Trump appeared hesitant to denounce in the days that followed.

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Mr Jacobs told Newsweek that he does not think of the president as a fascist  youve got to know what fascism is. And I dont think he has the mental power to even understand it  but said that he knows the president personally from the New York real estate industry, and that he fears the worst.

Im involved with New York real estate, I know this man personally, he said. Trump is an enabler. Trump has no ideas. Trump is out for himself.
Viktor Orban and Fidesz, his party, won a landslide victory on April 8 that gives them a supermajority of seats in the countrys parliament. Polls underestimated the partys support and turnout was higher than many expected, at a near-record 69%. Orban, who will now serve a third consecutive four-year term as prime minister, ran almost his entire campaign on fear of migrants and grievance toward the EU over refugee quotas. And with Fidesz winning a two-thirds majority in parliament, Orban will no doubt become more confrontational with the European leadership in Brussels.

Orbans win marks a victory for his brand of illiberal democracy, which represents a direct challenge to EU rules and values. Its a system of limited checks and balances in which the law exists mainly to protect the leaders and their mandate. Judges and journalists are expected to promote and protect the rights and choices of those who win elections. To criticize or block the agenda of elected officials is to undermine the will of the people.

Orban, who has championed illiberal democracy, will be building his next government over the next few weeks. His supermajority will allow him to amend the countrys constitution, and he will move quickly to undermine the independence of the courts. In May, Fidesz could pass the controversial Stop Soros law, named for civil society activist and Hungarian native George Soros, which could effectively ban the work of NGOs without government approval, notably ones that support migration and pose a national security risk.

Orban will become even more aggressive in attacking the media. Business leaders who dont support his agenda will face new pressures. He will double down on his bid to close the Soros-founded Central European University, where anti-Orban protests have become common.

But its the question of migrants that has come to define Viktor Orbans political persona. In September 2015, as hundreds of thousands of people flowed from the Middle East and North Africa toward Europe, EU interior ministers approved a plan to relocate 120,000 migrants across the continent to help ease the burden on countries like Greece and Italy, despite no votes from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania. Though the small populations of these countries meant they were asked to accept relatively small numbers of migrants, Orban and others immediately objected.

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After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in 2015, Orban promised to keep Hungary as Hungary. As a candidate, Orban warned of infiltration by Islamic invaders. That strategy seems to be working, and fresh from a landslide victory, Orban will continue to insist that Hungary, where less than six percent of the population is foreign-born, will never admit migrants with different cultural characteristics and backgrounds.

Orban may also move to write a rejection of the EU quota system into Hungarys constitution. In response, the EU could cut funds to Hungary from the unions next budget, but tougher punishments, like stripping the country of its EU voting rights, require a unanimous vote from EU members, and Eastern European states aligned with Hungary will vote no.

Hungary, Poland, and (probably) Italy will now have Euroskeptic governments that can undermine a push by Frances Macron and Germanys Merkel to reform the Eurozone, manage relations with Russia, and find a lasting solution to the migrant crisis. The unions East-West divisions are becoming harder to ignore.
After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September and October of 2017, officials tried to estimate how many people died during the storm. Rising tides drowned people, mud trapped people, falling debris struck people and some had heart attacks. The Center for Investigative Journalism claims that the "official" government count was only 64, up from an early count of just 16.

New research in the journal Health Affairs, however, estimates a death toll of 1,085. Gaps in data and confusion over what counts as a hurricane-related death make coming up with these numbers difficult, though, the scientists say.

This isn't the first time the public has questioned the alleged government estimate. In December, just 66 days after the hurricane ended, the Center for Investigative Journalism published an estimate of 1,000 additional deaths after Marias impact.

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Other outlets, such as The New York Times, suggested similar, high estimates. By comparing the number of deaths in the 42 days after Maria made landfall with the same dates in previous years, the Times found that 1,052 more people died than expected for that time of year in Puerto Rico.

PuertoRicoAfterHurricane

RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images

Most of the deaths come from vulnerable populations, such as the elderly. Nursing home deaths saw a 45 percent increase in 2017, and emergency rooms saw a 41 percent increase, according to the Health Affairs report.

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More than 3 million Puerto Ricans lost power during the hurricane, and that loss could have caused many deaths, though less directly. Living without power means living without air-conditioning unless a home has a generator. Temperatures were dangerously high for vulnerable people. Dialysis machines and respirators were also dependent on the limited energy that generators could provide, The New York Times reported.

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After scrutiny, the Puerto Rican government announced it is working with George Washington University to come up with a more accurate calculation of how many people died during and in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday denied President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort's latest request to loosen the terms of his bail conditions, saying some of the assets he offered to post as collateral are too tied up and cannot be used to meet a $10 million bond obligation. The denial by Amy Berman Jackson, a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia, means that Manafort will for now continue to remain on house arrest and be required to wear an electronic monitoring device. Manafort is facing two indictments in different federal courts brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as part of Mueller's wide-ranging probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Manafort is accused of a wide range of offenses, from conspiring to launder money and failing to register as a foreign agent in connection with his lobbying for the pro-Russia Ukrainian government, to bank fraud and filing false tax returns. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. But since Manafort's arrest last October, he has struggled to come up with $10 million in assets he can post as a bond, in exchange for lifting his house arrest conditions. That is because some of the homes he offered to pledge are already posted as collateral for other mortgage loans, such as his condo in Alexandria, Virginia. The judge on Monday said he is no longer able to post one of his New York properties, because it is now tied to pending bank fraud charges against him in the other case in the Eastern District of Virginia. Those bank fraud charges are "not under the jurisdiction of this court and could give rise to remedies outside of this court's control," she wrote. She also said he was not allowed to post funds from a bank account owned by his daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Christopher Shand. She noted that the account has "already been seized" and that a co-owner of it is "neither the defendant nor a blood relative of the defendant." Jackson said that Manafort can try once again to resubmit a new package that is valued at $10 million and contains unencumbered assets. Russia has denied meddling in the U.S. election, although American intelligence agencies have unanimously concluded that was the case. President Donald Trump has repeatedly denied there was any collusion between his election campaign and Russia. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Kendra Wilkinson stepped out for the L.A. premiere of the Netflix show Lost in Space on Monday. (Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic)

Four days after confirming that her marriage to Hank Baskett is over, former Girls Next Door star Kendra Wilkinson has turned to some famous friends.

Wilkinson and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation stars Nicole Snooki Polizzi and Deena Cortese, self-described Meatballs, had an L.A. lunch date on Tuesday. It must have gone well too because Cortese gave Wilkinson a huge compliment.

The fourth member of their lunch crew was celebrity makeup artist Joey Camasta. While we dont know what they talked about, Wilkinson looked happy, so they probably werent dishing about her split from her husband of nearly nine years, which she announced last week.

Both Wilkinson and Baskett cited irreconcilable differences in their court filings made Friday, according to the Blast. They requested joint legal and physical custody of their 8-year-old son, Hank IV, and their daughter, Alijah Mary, 3.

Wilkinson insisted in an emotional Instagram post announcing the split that their kids would never know the difference after they had gone their separate ways. In fact, she and Baskett both attended their daughters first soccer game over the weekend.

But the lunch with friends was strictly for Mom. Afterward, Wilkinson attended the Millennial Mamas Moms Night Out, where she mingled with Beverly Hills, 90210 actress and Tori & Dean alum Tori Spelling and another close friend, Jessica Hall, who appeared on Wilkinsons reality shows, including Kendra on Top, and, in 2009, The Hills.

From left: Erin Ziering, Beverley Mitchell, Kendra Wilkinson, Tori Spelling, Jessica Hall, Veena Crownholm, and Kimberly Caldwell attend the Millennial Mamas Moms Night Out on April 10 in Calabasas, Calif. (Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images)

Come to think of it, the topic of conversation at their lunch was obviously plotting an all-star reality show.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Seoul (AFP) - North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un discussed future talks with the US at a party meeting, state media reported Tuesday, in his first official mention of dialogue with Washington ahead of a planned summit with US President Donald Trump.

At the meeting of party officials Monday, Kim delivered a report "on the development of the recent situation on the Korean peninsula", including the separate summit with South Korea to be held later this month, the official KCNA news agency reported.

Kim "made a profound analysis and appraisal of the orientation of the development of the north-south relations at present and the prospect of the DPRK-U.S. dialogue", it said, referring to the North by its official acronym.

In a growing rapprochement on the Korean peninsula, Kim is scheduled to meet the South's president Moon Jae-in for a rare inter-Korean summit on April 27.

Trump has agreed to meet Kim for a historic US-North Korean summit as soon as next month.

However Pyongyang has never officially confirmed its offer of denuclearisation talks to the White House, which was delivered by a South Korean envoy.

Kim's remarks on Monday did not specifically refer to a summit with Trump.

But following multiple reports of secret talks between the Cold War rivals, Trump told reporters Monday he planned to meet Kim in "May or early June".

"I think there will be great respect paid by both parties and hopefully there will be a deal on denuking," he said.

"Hopefully it will be a relationship that will be much different than it has been for many, many years."
Fox News host Laura Ingraham suggested that President Donald Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen may not be as loyal as he seems because he spoke about the FBI raiding his home with media outlets that Trump despises.

Ingrahamwho recently came under heavy criticism for tweeting that Parkland, Florida, shooting survivor David Hogg whines about being rejected by four collegesalso took a jab at Cohens fashion sense.

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Very interesting that Michael Cohen, who was kind of chased down the street today with that puffy down jacket of his, running through the street, I dont know, men in puffy jackets. We women dont like that  but let me get to the point. Dont wear a puffy jacket, we dont like those. They catch up with him eventually, but its on the phone with Don Lemon, and then with a reporter from ABC, Ingraham said on Tuesday. Why is he going to media outlets that are fairly hostile to the president at this point? What do you think?

Its curious, Ingraham concluded.

Cohen granted his first interview to CNN with anchor Lemon after FBI agents raided his home. Cohen said it was upsetting to say the least, and, "I would be lying to you if I told that I am not (worried). Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No."

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Fox contributor and Washington Examiner conservative columnist Byron York told Ingraham she had a good question.

To some degree, there are a lot of people in the White House who actually communicate with the president through the media, York said. They are trying to send him a message to the media, through the media.

Trump has repeatedly voiced his dislike for media outlets other than Fox News. His most retweeted Twitter post from 2017 is a GIF of him at a WWE event beating a CNN stand-in for his opponent, that he captioned #FraudNewsCNN #FNN.

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This article was first written by Newsweek

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle greet members of the public. (Photo: Getty)

Kensington Palace have revealed the names of some of the 2,640 members of the public invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding.

In a series of tweets today, the royal household noted that the couple asked Lord Lieutenants to invite 1,200 people to join the royal wedding celebrations, reaching out to young people who have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities.

Members of the public from around the UK have this week learned that they will be amongst the 2,640 people at Windsor Castle for Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markles wedding. pic.twitter.com/cjAHVEF4gu  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 10, 2018

The Palace then decided to publicly name some of the lucky guests and share their stories.

One lucky guest is Amy Wright, who is chair of the Board of Directors for the Usual Place cafe in Dumfries, Scotland.

The organization supports young people from ages 16 to 25, giving them the skills they need for jobs in hospitality, retail, and front of house. The aim is to give them the confidence and self-belief they need to achieve anything they want in life.

It was an amazing honor and a privilege to be asked to be part of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding and just the fact that theyre deciding to invite members of the public is great, Wright told Yahoo Style U.K. about her excitement at being invited to the big day.

Its been two months since the Lord Lieutenants got in touch to first say wed been nominated, she continued. We havent been able to tell anyone until today, so weve had to keep it secret.

What will she wear for the May 19 nuptials? Ive got a few ideas but I think its going to be a few long shopping trips!

Amy Wright from Annan. Amy is Chair of Board of Directors for the Usual Place cafe in Dumfries, which provides employment training and support for young people aged 16-25 with special needs. pic.twitter.com/ATZrolP2cV  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 10, 2018

Among the other guests will be Philip Gillespie from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, who lost his right leg in an IED incident in Afghanistan.

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Gillespie now works to raise funds and awareness for ABF The Soldiers Charity.

Philip Gillespie from Ballymena who lost his right leg in an IED incident in Afghanistan and works to raise funds and awareness for ABF The Soldiers Charity. pic.twitter.com/WadD7gRpRq  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 10, 2018

Another lucky guest is Pamela Anomneze from the London neighborhood of Haringey, who is the manager of the mental health and creative arts initiative Studio 306 Collective CIC.

Pamela Anomneze from Haringey. Pamela is the manager of Studio 306 Collective CIC, a social enterprise that helps those recovering from mental health issues through the creative arts. pic.twitter.com/gSNTcRt9SO  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 10, 2018

The final royal wedding guest who the Palace chose to annouce is Reuben Litherland, a schoolboy from Derby, England. The Palace explained that Litherland was born deaf and has started lunchtime lessons to teach sign language at school.

Reuben Litherland from Derby. Reuben was born deaf and has started lunchtime lessons to teach sign language at school. pic.twitter.com/bpUUO0rIKL  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 10, 2018

The Diana Award, the charity legacy to the late Princess Diana, also took to Twitter to announce that seven of its recipients are on the royal guest list.

Were thrilled to share that 7 of our inspiring young people have been invited to share in the wedding celebrations of our supporter Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle. Read more: https://t.co/QADiTorU6B #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/PRYjW4RE1o  The Diana Award (@DianaAward) April 10, 2018

The organization included a link to an article on its site, stating the names of the seven recipients who had bagged an invite.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Kim Kardashians makeup artist wants Meghan Markle to hire him for the royal wedding

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are using the royal wedding to help end period stigma

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry arent inviting political leaders to the royal wedding  so no Trump, Obama

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg fielded questions from Congress Tuesday, April 10, after the recent Cambridge Analytica data leak raised questions on the social media networks privacy and how users data is handled.

Zuckerbergs testimony was described as the most intense public scrutiny since the Microsoft hearing in the late 1990s by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R  UT), who questioned him Tuesday.

Zuckerberg showed up to the joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees Tuesday sporting a suit  a far cry from his signature look of a T-shirt and jeans. He will be back in front of lawmakers again Wednesday, when he is slated to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee at 10 a.m. (E.T.)

Tuesdays testimony will mark the first time Facebooks 33-year-old CEO will testify in person before Congress. But why is Zuckerberg in trouble?

The current scandal surrounding Facebook, and in turn, Zuckerberg, is connected to the Cambridge Analytica data breach that was revealed last month. More than 87 million Facebook users data were notified Tuesday that some of their personal information was compromised as part of the breach.

The ongoing fallout from Cambridge Analytica has caused immense volatility to Facebooks stock, which dropped more than 27 points in the last three weeks. Zuckerberg has also lost millions as a result of the ongoing saga  as of Tuesday, he was down $80 billion since the Cambridge Analytica scandal happened.

Heres the latest on Zuckerbergs Congressional testimony, including how to watch it live and what he says:

When is Mark Zuckerbergs testimony today?

Zuckerbergs testimony in front of Congress began around 2:30 p.m. E.T. on Tuesday, April 10. Senators Chuck Grassley (R  IA), John Thune (R  SD) and Dianne Feinstein (D  CA)  who all have leadership roles on the Senate Judiciary Committee  opened the hearing reviewing Facebooks reach and background on the Cambridge Analytica situation.

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The Senate is providing a livestream at commerce.senate.gov and judiciary.senate.gov. News agencies like TIME are also livestreaming Zuckerbergs testimony. Others are also livestreaming on YouTube and C-Span 3 and PBS Newshour are livestreaming Zuckerbergs testimony on Facebook as well.

What is Mark Zuckerberg going to say to Congress?

Zuckerbergs Tuesday remarks were released by the Senate. His opening statement mentions that Facebook is an idealistic and optimistic company focused on connecting people. However, Zuckerberg also said Facebook hasnt done enough to prevent harmful use of its own tools in regards to issues including fake news, election interference, hate speech and privacy concerns.

It was my mistake, and Im sorry, he said, appearing to get momentarily emotional.

The opening statement largely reiterates what happened with the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Facebooks plans to stop a similar event from happening, as well what the company has done in light of possible election interference before leading into questions.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee also released his planned opening statement ahead of his Wednesday testimony.

What was Mark Zuckerberg asked at Tuesdays hearing?

Senators grilled Zuckerberg about how users information is handled by Facebook.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D  FL) focused on how user data is used, especially when it comes to ads.

Therefore, you consider my personally identifiable data, the companys datais that it? Nelson asked. Zuckerberg said that Facebooks terms of service states users control their content and information on Facebook.

Nelson also asked whether people could determine whether or not their information is used for advertising, even if they would have to pay for the service. Zuckerberg said users currently have the ability to turn off third-party sharing but added, The overwhelming feedback that we get from our community is that people would rather have us show relevant content there than not.

Hatch asked if Facebook would always be free, as it has been since its inception, to which Zuckerberg replied, There will always be a version of Facebook that will be free.

Hatch also asked how Facebook how it plans to sustain itself without having users pay.

After a beat, Zuckerberg simply replied, We run ads, before smiling.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R  SC) evoked memories of 1998s Microsoft Senate hearing, after asking Zuckerberg what Facebooks biggest competitor is. When Zuckerberg struggled to come up with a concrete response, Graham questioned whether there was enough competition for the social media giant, asking, You dont think you have a monopoly?

It certainly doesnt feel that way to me, Zuckerberg replied.

Sen Graham asks if Facebook is a monopoly after FB CEO struggles to name its closest rival.

Zuckerberg: "It certainly doesn't feel like that to me." pic.twitter.com/5Z9VlUmdDF  Leo Kelion (@LeoKelion) April 10, 2018

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D  VT) also asked why Cambridge Analytica, which was banned from Facebook last month wasnt banned in 2015 when Facebook first learned it acquired user data inappropriately. Zuckerberg noted that Cambridge Analytica wasnt on Facebook at the time, though he quickly added after a break that his team advised him that they did become an advertiser later in 2015. He then said they should have been banned then.

In a slightly awkward moment during Zuckerbergs testimony, Sen. Dick Durbin (D  IL) asked if the Facebook CEO would share with the chamber what hotel he stayed at the night before. After Zuckerberg paused, laughter echoed in the hall and he eventually refused to provide the information. Durbin then followed up by asking if the Facebook co-founder would share who hes communicated with recently. Again, Zuckerberg declined. This questioning ultimately led Durbin to note, I think that may be what this is all about. Your right to privacy.

Sen. Gary Peters (D  MI) focused on the different ways Facebook obtains data, and said he hears frequently from constituents and members of his own staff that they suspect the company of mining audio from their mobile devices and using that data for targeted ads. He posed the question directly to Zuckerberg, asking if Facebook uses audio taken from mobile devices to enrich personal information about its users.

Zuckerberg replied, No. Let me be clear on this. Youre talking about this conspiracy theory that gets passed around that we listen to whats going on on your microphone and use that for ads. We dont do that.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D  CA) opened by listing all the questions Zuckerberg avoided answering throughout the course of the hearing, including questions about Facebook tracking user activity after a person logs off, whether Facebook can track users across multiple devices and who is Facebooks biggest competition. Harris also asked if Zuckerberg was part of any conversations at Facebook around December 2015, where the company decided users did not need to be informed about the Cambridge Analytica breech. Zuckerberg said he wasnt aware of any such conversations.

In retrospect, that was a mistake, he said.

How has Facebook responded to the Cambridge Analytica scandal?

On Tuesday morning, Facebook launched a see how youre affected tool that appeared at the top of all users News Feeds. Facebook tailored the notifications people received based on how they were impacted by the Cambridge Analytica breach. The breach is connected to a third-party Facebook app called thisisyourdigitallife. Only 270,000 people downloaded the app, but because of Facebooks privacy settings at the time, people who were friends with those who downloaded the app may have had some of their personal information shared.

My information was shared with Cambridge Analytica via a Facebook friend. pic.twitter.com/qYatiSYZ9h  Selena Larson (@selenalarson) April 10, 2018

Facebook said it requested the data be deleted in 2015 after finding out the information was shared. Cambridge Analyticas Facebook account has since been suspended.

The role of social media in the 2016 presidential election was already called into question before it was revealed Cambridge Analytica, which claims to have helped President Donald Trump get elected, had access to millions of users data.
4_9_CT BMJ

Eating extremely spicy food may cause much greater discomfort than a burning tongue or watery eyes. A man who decided to eat what's known as the world's hottest chili pepper, the Carolina Reaper, went to the emergency room after experiencing striking, severe head pain for days.

The 34-year-old man's reaction to the pepper began with pain and dry heaves, but the repeated headaches led him to seek emergency care. Initially, when he ate the chili pepper, he got the pain immediately, Dr. Kulothungan Gunasekaran, an internist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit who was involved in the mans case, told Newsweek. He waited for a few days but kept on getting a headache again and again, so he came to the ER."

Trending: Syria Chemical Attack Was 'Fake,' Says Russia, Accusing U.S. of Slander

Tests for various neurological problems came back negative, but a CT scan revealed that arteries in the man's brain were constricted. This led his primary neurologist, Dr. Gregory Cummings, to diagnosis him with thunderclap headachesuncommon, extreme head pain that claps like thundercaused by reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, a temporary artery narrowing in the brain.

4_9_CT BMJ

Credit: BMJ Case Reports 2018

Although a situation like this is rare and possibly the first to be documented, it is important to note that it is possible, said Gunasekaran, who co-authored a description of the man's symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and followup that was published Monday in BMJ Case Reports.

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The public should be aware that they might get [severe symptoms] after eating peppers, such as the Carolina Reaper, Gunasekaran explained. If you do begin to experience these symptoms, you should go to the emergency room immediately because if the [blood vessel constriction] occurs in the heart it can lead to heart attack and if in the brain, it can cause a stroke.

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The man recovered after receiving a combination of IV fluids, pain medication and close monitoring. Within five weeks, his arteries returned to their normal size.

The Carolina Reaper earned the title of hottest chili pepper in the world because it has more capsaicinoidsa class of compounds which produces the spicy effectthan any other peppers.

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You might try a pepper and have the tip and think that its OK. But its actually the tip that has the lowest amount of capsaicin, Dr. Nancy Rahnama, a bariatric physician in Beverly Hills who was not involved in the case, told Newsweek. Its when you reach the stem of the pepper that it actually multiples to the thousands in the amounts of capsaicin.

4_9_chili pepper

STR/AFP/Getty Images

Although people should be cautious of eating capsaicin, it can also help boost metabolism, promote weight loss and decrease joint pain, she notes. However, as for the Carolina Reaper, its probably best to stay away.

People are trying to show how tough they are by having these contests where they eat these peppers or want to prove a point. This case is the perfect example that you need to watch out and listen to your body, Rahnama advised.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Ahead of his appearance on Capitol Hill, Mark Zuckerberg spent several days preparing with outside consultants and a Washington DC law firm.

So adamant he was to be ready for any question that might get thrown his way, and so insistent was he to appear charming and contrite, his team even arranged a mock session, with members of staff filling the roles of senators.

As it was, the man who kept reminding everyone how he started a company now valued at $80bn in his college dorm room, may have been better off asking his grandparents, or else someones elderly relatives.

It would be cool to see Zuckerberg questioned by people who know how Facebook works  Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) April 10, 2018

During a session involving 44 senators from two different committees, time and again it appeared those questioning him had only a vague grasp on the subject matter. Some seemed utterly clueless, and yet that did not stop them from grandstanding during their five minutes of questioning.

Orrin Hatch, an 84-year-old Republican from Utah, was among those accused of exposing the generational divide when he asked the Facebook boss about the possibility of a paid service that would enable users to not see any adverts. This is something the companys chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, mentioned recently.

Mr Zuckerberg insisted there would always be a free version of Facebook. Mr Hatch asked how he could sustain a business without charging anything for it. Sir, we run ads, Zuckerberg explained gently. Hatch replied: I see.

Lindsey Graham, who did ask Zuckerberg one decent question about what Facebook was doing to counter hate speech on its platform in Myanmar  one of the few times the 33-year-old seemed to have to think - asked if he believed Facebook was a monopoly.

To push his example, the South Carolina senator sought to compare social media to the car industry. If I buy a Ford, and it doesnt work well, and I dont like it, I can buy a Chevy. If Im upset with Facebook, whats the equivalent product I can go sign up for?

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Some but not all of these lawmakers seem digitally clueless, allowing Zuckerberg to assume the role of tech professor  HowardKurtz (@HowardKurtz) April 10, 2018

Zuckerberg sought to suggest he was not comparing like with like. Asked if Facebook operated a monopoly, he replied: It doesnt feel that way to me.

Roy Blunt, a Republican senator from Missouri, asked whether Facebook friends were really friends. He then mentioned his grandson, Charlie, who he said was an avid user of Instagram. In a question that may have been penned for him his staff, Mount then asked about the possibility of cross-device tracking, even when devices are not used to access Facebook.

There may be some data necessary to provide the service that we do, thats something that I would like to follow up with you on, Zuckerberg said.

Perhaps the toughest questions came from Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell, one of the few politicians present with a background as a tech executive.

She asked several points about tech company Palantir, and whether it scraped Facebook data. Zuckerberg said he did not know. (She did not spell out that tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a major backer of Palantir, is a Facebook board member.)

Yet crucially, nobody pressed Zuckerberg hard about the issue of whether Facebook and other similar platforms should face tougher government regulation. Indeed, many of them seemed pleased when he agreed to help draft legislation they wished to pass.

Midway through the afternoon, apparently concerned about their guests stamina, Senator John Thune suggested a break.

We can keep going, Zuckerberg said to laughter Maybe 15 minutes?
By William James

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump have said the world must act to ensure those behind a suspected chemical attack in Syria are held to account, as Washington considers a multinational military response.

Trump promised on Monday forceful action in response to the attack that killed at least 60 people and injured more than 1,000, according to a Syrian relief group. U.S. officials said military options were being developed.

May spoke with Trump by telephone on Tuesday afternoon, agreeing that the reported attack was "utterly reprehensible" and that the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on chemical weapon use.

"They agreed they would continue working closely together and with international partners to ensure that those responsible were held to account," a statement from May's office said.

May had earlier agreed the same thing in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

A White House statement said Trump and May "agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue".

May, whose Conservatives lack a parliamentary majority, is wary of the domestic political risks of promising military action. So far she has focused on the need to discover the facts about the attack and establish a common international response. But British diplomats have indicated that all options remain on the table.

Britain currently conducts air strikes in Syria from its military base in Cyprus, but only against targets linked to the Islamic State militant group.

Parliament voted down British military action against President Bashar al-Assad's government in 2013, in an embarrassment for May's predecessor, David Cameron, that then deterred the U.S. administration of Barack Obama from similar action.

"If the government is proposing to expand its military activity in Syria, they should seek a fresh parliamentary mandate for that action," a spokeswoman for Britain's opposition Labour Party said.

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Asked by a reporter whether Britain would join the United States if Washington decided on further military action, May said only: "We believe that those responsible should be held to account."

Some Conservative party members have already urged May to consider committing to a military response without seeking the approval of parliament, which is due to return from recess on April 16.

May is not obliged to win such approval, but a non-binding constitutional convention to do so has been established since a 2003 vote on joining the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. It has been observed in subsequent military deployments in Libya and Iraq.

(Reporting by Sarah Young and William James; editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey and David Stamp)
Algiers (Algeria) (AFP) - An Algerian transport plane with around 100 army personnel on board crashed on Wednesday shortly after taking off from an airbase outside the capital.

There was no immediate word on casualties after the plane went down near the Boufarik airbase.

According to an AFP photographer at the scene, thick black smoke rose from the wreckage of the plane which crashed in a field near the base.

Hundreds of ambulances and dozens of fire trucks with their sirens wailing rushed to the scene.

Around 100 military personnel were on board the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane, a military source told AFP, asking not to be named.

Algeria has suffered a string of military and civilian aviation disasters.

Two military planes collided mid-flight in December 2012 during a training exercise in Tlemcen, in the far west of the country, killing the pilots of both planes.

In February 2014, 77 people died when a military plane carrying army personnel and family members crashed between Tamanrasset in southern Algeria and the eastern city of Constantine.

Only one person survived after the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft came down in the mountainous Oum El Bouaghi region.

The defence ministry blamed that crash on bad weather.

An Air Algerie passenger plane flying from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed in northern Mali in July 2014, killing all 116 people on board including 54 French nationals.

In October the same year, a military plane crashed in the south of the country during a training exercise, killing the two men on board.

That came more than a decade after all but one of the 103 people on an Air Algerie Boeing 737-200 died in March 2003 when it crashed on takeoff in the country's south after an engine caught fire.
El Paso (United States) (AFP) - Texas will send more than 1,000 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border, in response to President Donald Trump's call for the military deployment to the southern frontier, the state announced Tuesday.

An initial 250 Texas military personnel were sent to the border over the weekend. The Texas Military Department said the initial deployment was command and planning staff, along with support aircraft, vehicles and other equipment.

The department announced Tuesday it would activate 300 reserve troops this week, and each of the following weeks, for a total of more than 1,000 troops.

"The number of people coming across the border has increased more than 200 percent over this time last year," Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement.

"The addition of National Guard on the border has proven to have a meaningful impact to reduce the flow of people and illegal activities coming across the border."

Texas already had approximately 100 troops at the border prior to Trump's request. They were first activated in 2014 and have been serving in an "observe and support" role, officials said.

The additional troops will be tasked with assisting border patrol agents by carrying out surveillance, communications, and other tasks.

The US Defense Department last week signed an order calling for as many as 4,000 National Guard personnel to assist at the southern border.

National Guard troops are normally commanded by governors.

The border state of Arizona has also responded to the federal request, deploying 225 members of its Guard on Monday.

The defense department said the troops would not carry out law enforcement activities without federal approval and would be armed for self-defense when necessary.

Trump has indicated he might keep troops at the border until his promised border wall is built.

The deployment has heightened tensions with Mexico, whose President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday ordered a review of its bi-lateral cooperation with the US.

The National Guard has previously been deployed to help patrol the southern border, including in 2010 under former president Barack Obama, and from 2006-2008 under George W. Bush.

Both deployments were limited to around a year.
Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that plans for a controversial second underwater pipeline to bring gas from Russia could not go forward without Ukrainian involvement in overland transit.

After months of tension with eastern neighbours and the European Commission over the so-called Nord Stream 2 project, Merkel's concession to Kiev's grave concerns marks a striking shift in policy.

"A Nord Stream 2 project without clarity about the Ukrainian transit role is not possible," Merkel said, after talks in Berlin with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The German leader said the pipeline plans, which have long thrown a wrench in bilateral ties, had played a big role in their discussions.

Merkel, who had previously called Nord Stream 2 a purely "economic project", admitted Tuesday there were "political factors that must be taken into account".

She added that in her talks with Poroshenko, "I listened closely to the concerns of Ukraine".

"The fact is that we cannot allow that, with Nord Stream 2, Ukraine would have no significance at all any more with regard to gas transit," Merkel told reporters at a joint press conference.

She noted that while there would "always be dependence on Russian gas", Ukraine relied heavily on income from transit fees.

- 'Extremely unreliable partner' -

In an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt on Monday, Poroshenko urged Berlin to abandon plans to build Nord Stream 2, saying it would enable an "economic and energy blockade" against Ukraine and blasting it as "political bribe money for loyalty to Russia".

The pipeline as planned would double the amount of Russian gas arriving in the European Union's most powerful economy via the Baltic Sea -- without transiting Ukraine -- by late 2019.

Authorities in Germany issued the final permits needed for construction of Nord Stream 2 on its territory and in its waters to begin last month, although other nations' green lights are still needed.

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But "the Ukrainian transit pipeline is much cheaper and can be modernised cheaply and easily," Poroshenko insisted in the Handelsblatt interview.

He accused Russia of being an "extremely unreliable partner" in energy provision, pointing to state-owned energy firm Gazprom's refusal to pay Ukraine billions of euros after shutting off gas supplies in the middle of winter.

Ukraine has also urged sanctions against former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder over his vocal support of the Russian government and $500,000-a-year job on the board of Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, calling him "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's most important lobbyist".

- 'Question our solidarity' -

Gazprom accounts for around one third of Europe's gas supply.

Less and less gas has arrived via Ukraine in recent years, part of Moscow's conflict with its former satellite which saw Russia annex the Crimean peninsula in 2014 -- prompting EU sanctions in response.

The project has also proved a bone of contention within Germany itself.

A rare cross-party alliance of high-ranking German politicians from Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, the environmentalist Greens and pro-business Free Democrats warned in February against allowing Nord Stream 2 to go ahead.

It would "split the EU politically and call into question our solidarity with Poland, our Baltic neighbours, Slovakia and Ukraine, but also Sweden and Denmark," they wrote.

During a visit to Berlin in February, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki cautioned that a single gas producer -- Russia -- must "not be allowed to have a monopoly and force its prices on the European Union".

During their press conference, both Merkel and Poroshenko denounced repeated violations of a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, with Merkel calling progress in reducing tensions "limited".

The armed conflict between the Ukrainian army and Russian-backed rebels has claimed more than 10,000 lives since its outbreak in 2014.

Kiev and the West accuse Russia of supporting the separatists by deploying troops and arms, which Moscow denies despite evidence to the contrary.

A string of ceasefire deals have helped to reduce the violence but nevertheless sporadic clashes still erupt between the warring sides.
wti

Markets Insider

US President Trump told Russia to "get ready" for military action in Syria in a tweet on Wednesday.

Both Brent and WTI oil spiked on the news amid fears about what this could mean for supply.

See oil prices in real time here.



LONDON  Oil prices spiked Wednesday after US President Donald Trump hinted at possible military engagement with Russia in Syria and explosions were reported over the capital of Saudi Arabia.

West Texas Intermediate hit its highest level since 2014 shortly after Trump tweeted: "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Trump followed up his tweet with another saying the US's relationship is "worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War."

Oil climbed further later in the morning US time after reports that missiles were intercepted above Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

West Texas Intermediate and the global benchmark, Brent oil, were both up by more than 2% at just after 11.00 a.m. ET (4.00 p.m. ET).

brent

Markets Insider

Fawad Razaqzada, a technical analyst at FOREX.com, said in an email shortly after Trump's tweet: "Fears that the supply of crude could be interrupted as a result is the main reason behind the oil price rally.

"Oil prices have been further supported by the OPECs reduced output. However, with US oil production set to rise further in the coming months, the global oil market will likely remain amply supplied in the long-term.

"We, therefore, think that oil prices will struggle to rise significantly further, although in the short-term price spikes are possible given the heightened possibility of military action in Syria. The fact that both Brent and WTI are testing or approaching their previous 2018 highs means there is also the possibility of at least a short-term breakout as resting buy stop orders are tripped."

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Trump's escalation of tensions with Russia comes after a suspected chemical weapons attack carried out by Syria's Bashar al-Assad against his own people last week. Russia is allied with Assad and has sort to warn the US off any action in response to the attack.

Lukman Otunuga, a research analyst at FXTM, said: "While oil is likely to remain supported by geopolitical risk and a vulnerable U.S Dollar for the moment, soaring U.S Shale production has the ability to cap upside gains."

NOW WATCH: A $163 billion chief economist outlines his biggest market fear

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PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's government said on Monday it will not intervene in a dispute between the Trump Organization and a new majority investor in a hotel in the country's capital, after the U.S. president's family business asked for help. In March, legal representatives of the Trump Organization wrote to Panama President Juan Carlos Varela asking him to help the group in its fight over ownership of the 70-floor hotel complex, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The letter from a law firm, dated March 22, asks Varela to use his influence and alleges that its due process rights had been violated. But the Panamanian vice president said on Monday that getting involved in the dispute would be outside the government's remit. "I don't think that the executive branch has a position to take while this issue is in process in the judicial branch," Vice President Isabel Saint Malo told reporters. The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bitter dispute surrounding the Trump-branded hotel has shone a fresh light on the business dealings of the U.S. president across the world. When it was completed in 2011, the 70-floor building in Panama City was Donald Trump's first international hotel venture, a complex including apartments and a casino in a waterfront building that has earned him between $30 million and $50 million. Trump licensed his brand to the luxury project and provided hotel management. But workers removed the Trump name from the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower in March after the Trump Organization lost control of administration of the property. The letter alleges that legal decisions violated a 1983 trade deal designed to protect U.S. investors in Panama. The case is now in international arbitration. (Reporting by Elida Moreno, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
PANAMA CITY/CARACAS (Reuters) - Panama will ban several Venezuelan airlines from working in the country for at least 90 days, the government said on Tuesday, the latest twist in a dispute that began when Venezuelan officials were put on a "high risk" money laundering list. The suspension of Venezuela's major carriers in a regional hub further isolates the crisis-hit country, after most international airlines pulled out, citing economic and security concerns. The targets are companies that have struggled to fill the travel vacuum, including state-owned Conviasa and Aeropostal, as well as private companies Avior, Laser, Santa Barbara and Turpial. In March, Panama put more than 50 Venezuelans, including President Nicolas Maduro, on a "high risk" list for laundering money and financing terrorism. In response, Venezuela last week halted commercial relations with Panamanian officials and companies, including airline Copa, for alleged involvement in money laundering, prompting both countries to recall their ambassadors. Panama's government said in a statement on Tuesday that the airlines would be suspended for 90 days from April 25. The Venezuelan government did not respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Elida Moreno; Additional reporting by Girish Gupta in Caracas; Writing by Christine Murray; Editing by Sandra Maler)
House Speaker Paul Ryan shocked Washington by announcing Wednesday that he will not seek reelection, saying he wanted to spend more time with his children. The Wisconsin Republican expressed pride in his partys accomplishments, which includes delivering on tax-cut promises, and told reporters that House Republicans, considered in danger of losing their majority in November, could run on that record.

The 115th United States Congress formed on Jan. 3, 2017, during the final weeks of Barack Obamas presidency, and will conclude on Jan. 3, 2019, after two years of Donald Trump in office. Ryan is expected to remain speaker for the remainder of the year, an unusually long lame-duck period for a retiring speaker. Yahoo News contacted political scientists and governance experts to see what such an early announcement means for his remaining time and the GOPs future.

Nolan McCarty, chair of the department of politics and a professor at Princeton Universitys Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, said there arent any recent examples for comparison. He pointed out that John Boehners three-week period between announcing his resignation and stepping down was the longest in recent memory.

The others who resigned were replaced very quickly. You really have to go back to the 1920s, when there was a period in which a speaker was a lame duck for any period of time, McCarty said. Before we changed the Constitution, there would be these long lame-duck sessions of Congress between the November elections and the March inaugurations. The 20th Amendment, ratified in 1933, moved the start of congressional terms from March 4 to Jan. 3.

House Speaker Paul Ryan announces he will not seek reelection in November, April 11, 2018. (Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters)

The unusual nature of lame-duck sessions is why McCarty suspects there may be some pressure on Ryan to resign and allow for a quicker replacement. On the other hand, he said, it took three weeks to replace Boehner because of infighting among the Republican Partys many factions. The person the party settled on was Ryan.

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I suspect that might still be true, so they might have a difficult time trying to figure out who will replace Ryan. In the meantime, I think he will just hold the office and not accomplish very much, he said.

Sarah Binder, professor of political science at George Washington University, agreed that Ryans exit is unusual for modern American politics. Others speakers have stepped down abruptly amid scandals (Jim Wright, Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston) or when their party has lost control (Dennis Hastert, John Boehner). Therefore, she said, history doesnt provide us with a great roadmap for what to expect going forward.

One possible path for Ryan, Binder said, is continuing to fight for Republican control of the House, which would include fundraising and trying to persuade his fellow Republicans from retiring. But she said there are questions about how effective he can be at that since hes just waved the white flag and jumped ship, even though hes postponed the jumping of the ship.

Another option, she said, is for Ryan to significantly distance himself from Trump.

House Speaker John Boehner, right, stands with his successor Rep. Paul Ryan in October 2015. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)

We do have other retiring Republicans, who once they decided to sever their connection with the voters, have been a little more willing to speak up. Is that Paul Ryan? I dont know. It depends in part on what he sees as his future, Binder said.

David Barker, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies and government professor at American University, also thinks Ryan will be less effective, as lame ducks always are, because people will rightly recognize that he will not have direct power or the ability to punish or reward members.

He will not have peoples trust. This is especially true if he does start really speaking his mind in a way that does not reflect pure loyalty to the partisan tribe or to Trump. So, the more he gets off his chest, the less power he will have within the chamber, Barker said.

Ryan may simply think that the GOP is going to lose the House and has no interest in being minority leader. And he is surely tired of the same thing that other retiring Republicans such as Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. are  having to defend the indefensible, Barker said.

But it could also be the byproduct of either satisfaction or frustration.

Satisfaction that he was able to push through the biggest tax cut in history  which is the sort of thing that has really animated him  or frustration over what is happening on the spending side on his watch. He might be ready to give up, or at least not want to shoulder any more blame for what will happen to the debt.

House Speaker Paul Ryan. (Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters)

Nevertheless, Barker said, Ryan may decide to start speaking freely, depending on his next steps. Straying from the party line may salvage his reputation more broadly, possibly historically. Barker said this could set himself up for a better book deal, a better media deal or a place within the party after the Trump era.

Matt Dallek, a historian at George Washington Universitys Graduate School of Political Management, said the major downside to Ryans announcement is that from the Republican perspective he has essentially neutered himself. Despite claims that he will continue to raise money and defend Republican seats, Ryans announcement could result in a decline in GOP morale and bolster the popular narrative that they are barely holding on and will likely lose their majority in November.

If you have a leader who is able to maintain the fire under his or her troops and say, Its a bad environment but we have all these assets, you can maintain morale. But if hes gone, its very hard for him to be the voice that inspires Republicans, Dallek said.

Its significant in all these sorts of ways, and makes it harder for Republicans to run, not just on what they have achieved, but what they are going to do. What would they do in the next Congress, given they have this leadership vacuum? Its unclear what their agenda would be.

Mark Harkins, senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute of Georgetown University, said its not a surprise that Ryan announced he wont be speaker next Congress  the only surprise is that it was today. He said this isnt great news for the Republicans but that Ryan can rightfully say the early announcement is for the good of the party.

Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

There are already reports that Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy have been quietly courting Republicans in the event that Ryan retired. Harkins said speculation about their interest in his job may have forced Ryan to act sooner.

In an attempt to bring this out from the shadows and let everybody be above board, his announcing that hes not going to stand for speaker next time allows Scalise and McCarthy the ability to solicit their colleagues without feeling that theyre going behind Speaker Ryans back. That actually helps the party a lot in making this all above board, Harkins said.

Harkins said Ryan may also be thinking about the fate of his own congressional seat. The filing date in Wisconsin is June 1. He already has a Democratic challenger, so if he cares about keeping the seat in Republican hands he needed to announce now so other Republicans could line up to run for his seat.

Ryans stepping down doesnt mean hes out of politics altogether. He may be preparing for a gubernatorial race in his purple home state or angling for a presidential run. If the latter is true, by 2024, either Trump will be term-limited or a first-term Democratic president will be running for reelection  either way it will be an open primary for the Republicans.

Hes 48 years old, Harkins said. In six years, hes still going to be less than 60, which is almost a decade younger than the last set of presidential candidates when they were running.

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The daughter of the Russian spy poisoned in Salisbury has been transferred to a secret, secure location after being released from hospital, leading to accusations from the countrys embassy she had been abducted.

Yulia Skripal was discharged more than five weeks after being left critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent in an attempted assassination blamed on the Russian state.

Doctors said she and her father, 66, had responded exceptionally well to treatment and he too was expected to be discharged in the future.

The pair had been widely expected to die after they were exposed to a rare nerve agent the British government says came from the Russian militarys novichok chemical weapons programme.

Theresa May has said it is highly likely Russia was behind the attack on Mr Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer released to the UK in a 2010 spy swap after he was jailed for spying for the British.

Russian spy poisoning | Read more

The Russian embassy in London congratulated Ms Skripal on her recovery, but said it needed urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will.

It went on to say the secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation.

Russia has denied any involvement in the attack and criticised the British investigation for a lack of transparency, but the Government has said the Kremlin is trying to hide its guilt with a blizzard of conspiracy theories.

Moscow has sought consular access to Ms Skripal, but the Foreign Office has said it is up to her if she wants to meet Russian officials.

She is expected to be kept under tight security while she continues to recover. Sources said it was too early to speculate on whether she will need lifetime protection.

Any ongoing protection will fall to the police. Under the police witness protection programme, called the UKs Protected Persons Service, she could be given a new identity and relocated.

Story continues

The National Crime Agency, which runs the service, declined to comment.

Secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation.https://t.co/UuTxgZGKigpic.twitter.com/Ow3d61T3ni  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) April 10, 2018

Doctors at Salisbury district hospital gave the first indication of how they had managed to save the Skripals and a police detective, DS Nick Bailey, who was poisoned as he investigated.

Dr Christine Blanshard, medical director, said they had been given round the clock care, with doctors drawing on advice from experts around the world.

The poison had attacked its victims nervous systems leaving symptoms including hallucinations and sickness.

Dr Blanshard said: Our job in treating the patients has been to stabilise them - ensuring that the patients could breathe and that blood could continue to circulate. We then needed to use a variety of different drugs to support the patients until they could create more enzymes to replace those affected by the poisoning.

"We also used specialised decontamination techniques to remove any residual toxins.

"Both patients have responded exceptionally well to the treatment we've been providing. But equally, both patients are at different stages in their recovery.

She said Ms Skripal would need more treatment, but her release from hospital was a significant milestone.

Sergei Skripal, a former officer with the GRU military intelligence service, was taken off the critical list on Friday and is said to be making good progress.

Dr Blanshard said: Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course.
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis admitted Wednesday he had made "grave mistakes in the assessment and perception of the situation" in Chile after reading the findings of an investigation into sexual abuse committed by the clergy in the country.

Francis said in a letter to Chilean Bishops released by the Vatican that he intended to summon them to Rome to discuss the investigation, which involves Bishop Juan Barros' alleged cover-up of abuse by priests in his diocese.

During a trip to Chile in January, Pope Francis had strongly defended Barros, accused of concealing and even witnessing the abuses of paedophile priest Fernando Karadima during the 1980s and 1990s.

The Argentine pontiff said that he was convinced of Barros' innocence and demanded "proof" of abuse before he would speak out against him.

"There is not a single piece of proof against him. Everything is slander. Is this clear?" Francis said.

However he later apologised to the victims and dispatched Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a renowned Vatican investigator, to Chile to collect evidence. Scicluna returned at the end of February.

Francis made no specific mention of Barros in his letter to the 32 Chilean bishops.

But he expressed his "shame" and "pain" for the suffering of the victims and pledged to meet them.
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis admitted Wednesday he had made "grave mistakes" in his handling of a sexual abuse scandal in Chile as he looks to quell the latest controversy to rock the Roman Catholic Church.

In a letter to 32 Chilean bishops released by the Vatican, Francis said he intended to summon them to Rome to discuss an investigation into an alleged cover-up by Bishop Juan Barros of abuse by paedophile priest Fernando Karadima during the 1980s and 1990s.

Francis expressed his "shame" and "pain" for the suffering of the victims and pledged to meet them.

"I have made grave mistakes in the assessment and my perception of the situation, especially due to a lack of truthful and balanced information," Francis wrote.

He made no specific mention of Barros, who was appointed Bishop of Osorno in Chile, despite being accused of concealing and even witnessing abuse carried out by Karadima.

A 2,300-page report sent to the pope includes testimony gathered from 64 people in New York and Santiago.

The pope asked the bishops to Rome to discuss the findings of the probe by Archbishop Charles Scicluna and requested their "collaboration and assistance" in finding measures that can "repair the scandal as much as possible and restore justice".

"The present difficulties are also an opportunity to restore confidence in the Church, a confidence broken by our mistakes and sins," Francis wrote.

- 'Everything is slander' -

During a trip to Chile in January, the pontiff had strongly defended Barros, who appeared at public masses celebrated by the Pope in three different Chilean cities, causing a public outcry.

Francis said that he was convinced of Barros' innocence and demanded "proof" of abuse before he would speak out against him.

"There is not a single piece of proof against him. Everything is slander. Is this clear?" Francis said.

However, he later apologised to the victims and dispatched Scicluna, a renowned Vatican investigator, to Chile to collect evidence. Scicluna returned at the end of February.

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Karadima, an influential Chilean priest, was convicted by the Vatican in 2011 of abusing teenage boys and sentenced to a life of penitence. Civil charges against him in the Chilean courts were dismissed because of a lack of evidence.

The president of the Episcopal Conference of Chile, Bishop Santiago Silva, said that the church "had not done enough" in the case.

"Our commitment is that this does not happen again," he added.

Silva said the meeting of Chilean bishops with the pope in Rome would take place on the third week of May.

Scicluna, Archbishop of Malta, was until 2012 a prosecutor in the Vatican Court to investigate cases of paedophilia among priests, making a name for himself with his determination.

He allowed the opening of an investigation into Father Marcial Maciel, Mexican founder of the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ and the perpetrator of numerous cases of paedophilia.

Since taking over in March 2013, Francis has championed the cause of the marginalised and launched a reform agenda.

But sex abuse scandals have haunted his papacy and the Vatican announced it was reviving its anti-paedophile panel in February.

The pope has often spoken out about sexual abuse, and has vowed zero tolerance towards what he has described as a "great humiliation" for the Catholic Church.

But many victims remain bitter over alleged coverups and Church inaction over the years.
Chinese President Xi Jinpings vow to open up its economy and lower import tariffs for vehicles and other products could improve Teslas business prospects in a country that CEO Elon Musk believes could one day be a bigger market than the United States.

Musk tweeted his approval of Xis comments, which were made in the opening keynote at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 in Hainan Province. This is a very important action by China, Musk wrote in a tweet. Avoiding a trade war will benefit all countries.

Xis repeated many of the points he made in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last year. But with a trade war looming with the U.S., his words Tuesday were particularly notableespecially for foreign companies (and their shareholders) that would suffer under high tariffs.

Lower tariffs would greatly benefit Tesla, an automaker particularly exposed to escalating trade tensions between China and the U.S. Tesla doesnt have a factory in China, unlike other automakers such as Ford Motor, GM, and BMW. Instead, Tesla builds its electric sedans and SUVS at its factory in Fremont, Calif. and ships them to China, which subjects the vehicles to a 25% import tariff.

This is a very important action by China. Avoiding a trade war will benefit all countries.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2018

And while a growing number of its Model S and Model X vehicles are sold in China, Teslas growth has been stifled by a combination of import tariffs and its inability to reach a deal with the government on a local factory.

Tesla was in talks for months with Shanghais government to build a factory there. And at one point, reports suggested a deal had been struck. But those negotiations have stalled because the two parties disagree on the ownership structure for a proposed factory, Bloomberg reported in February. Foreign companies must typically form a 50-50 joint venture with a local partner to build a factory in China. Tesla was been working on an unprecedented deal that would allow it to build a factory without a partner.

In March, Musk reached out to Trump through Twitter to lobby for the U.S. and China to reach an agreement on equal and fair rules for cars. The tweets preempted Trumps announcement on proposed tariffs for imported steel and aluminum. Chinas response to Trumpnew tariffs on more than 100 U.S. productswould double the current import duty, essentially shutting down sales of Tesla vehicles there except to the extremely wealthy.
Russia is an adversary of the United States and it is a mistake to believe otherwise, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee declared Tuesday as tensions increased between Moscow and Washington.

The remarks were made in response to reports that Russia has been actively jamming the GPS systems of U.S. drones flying over Syria. Russian military officials are likely concerned that the U.S. will retaliate against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in response to a chemical weapons attack against civilians over the weekend. The Trump administration is deliberating over how to respond to the killing of around 60 civilians in the strike.

Russia has denied any involvement in the attack, as has Syrias government in Damascus. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would call for an independent inquiry at the United Nations into the use of chemical weapons. U.S. lawmakers remain unconvinced and claim that Russia is undermining U.S. interests in the country, where a Russian-backed government is fighting against a number of rebel groups.

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"It is insane to think that Russia is anything but an adversary. Americans want to kill ISIS and prevent the normalization of chemical weapons attacks against innocent families. Russia wants to undermine our interests at every turn, Republican Senator Ben Sasse told the Senate Tuesday. Putin is already waging a shadow war with the United States, but too many American politicians are asleep on the watch."

Experts largely agree that Washington and Moscow have conflicting interests in the Middle East and worldwide, and that the risk of a military confrontation between the two superpowers is growing.

"It could very well be a shadow war or it could be competing interests playing out in the same space, but given the state of relations between the U.S. and Russia, it might be the former," Amanda Kadlec, a national security expert with the Rand Corp., told Newsweek.

Story continues

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"If two countries have opposing interests in the same place with military operations running simultaneously, then there is going to be conflict, directed and purposeful or not," Kadlec noted.

Republican politicians traditionally have been tough on Russia, but President Donald Trump has demonstrated a consistent unwillingness to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin. As his administration expels Russian diplomats and sanctions Russian oligarchs in response to Russian aggression abroad, Trump has remained conspicuously quiet.

In a rare departure from his typically soft rhetoric on Russia, Trump used a Monday Cabinet meeting to strongly condemn the chemical weapons attack in Syria and pledge that Putin would pay a price if found responsible. Trump also canceled a scheduled trip to Peru for the Summit of the Americas in order to oversee the response to Syria, signaling that the U.S. will likely use military force to hit the Assad regime in the coming days.

In April last year, Trump ordered a strike on an airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack against Syrian civilians, but the U.S. informed Russia about its plans before the attack.

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"Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established de-confliction line. U.S. military planners took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield, a Pentagon spokesman said at the time.

The Trump administration would likely target other airbases or even the Syrian air force this time around. But the relationship with Russia is tenser than it was before, leaving open the possibility of military escalation, experts warn. Also on Tuesday, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev warned that he believes Russia and the U.S. are on the brink of a confrontation.

There is a major war scare here in Moscow. Russia is expecting a U.S. strike in Syria. The Russian chief of military Valery Gerasimov promised a response against U.S. platforms launching missiles, Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Newsweek from Moscow. The U.S. needs to keep in mind not only the adversarial position of Russia, which of course is the case, but the Russian nuclear potential.

Cohen added, An escalation in Syria that affects Russia may lead to a military conflict with Russia, which has an escalation trajectory towards a nuclear war.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Asia Times

Security,

Think S-400.

Can Russia Really Shoot Down U.S. Missiles in Syria?

The Trump administration appears to have officially come to a conclusion on whether to respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, with the US president suggesting Wednesday that a missile strike is eminent.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, Trump wrote on Twitter. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!

Russias foreign ministry responded to the warning by accusing the US of attempting to destroy evidence of the reported chemical weapons attack, which Russia and the Syrian government have denied ever occurred. An international team of inspectors was said on Tuesday to be readying for an official probe into the widely reported incident.

The apparent decision by the White House to conduct a missile strike comes after Russia claimed the Syrian government shot down several Israeli cruise missiles over the weekend.

Israels Haaretz newspaper speculated that the claim was an indication that Syrias ruling Assad regime was revealing new capabilities.

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In the past, such reports came from Syria and were considered an attempt to minimize humiliation over the strikes, the report said. This time, Russia announced it

Israeli military sources expressed differing opinions about the significance.

According to a former senior Israel Air Force officer, it is not difficult to shoot down missiles. Some cruise missiles, including those that according to foreign sources Israel employs, are heavy, relatively slow and can be detected by radar with relative ease [] Another former senior air force officer said he doubts that the Syrian army could intercept such a high percentage of missiles  five out of eight  unless it had help from the Russians by means of an advanced missile system like the S400 and other systems.

This first appeared in AsiaTimes here.

Read full article
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia appealed to the United States on Tuesday to "refrain" from any action it might be planning against Syria over a suspected deadly chemical weapons attack. "The threats you are proffering that you're stating vis-a-vis Syria should make us seriously worried, all of us, because we could find ourselves on the threshold of some very sad and serious events," Nebenzia told U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley. "I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that youre currently developing for Syria," he said after the council failed to approve a third draft resolution on chemical weapons attacks in Syria. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Trading blows: Donald Trump tells Russia to

Trump warns missiles 'will be coming' after threats from Russia to shoot them down

Russia accuses US of planning to destroy evidence of chemical attack

Syria and allies 'emptying' military bases as they prepare for missiles

Civilian airliners warned to be cautious above the eastern Mediterranean

Opinion: It's make or break time for Britain: We must show America that we're still its closest ally

Donald Trump has told Russia and Syria to "get ready" for a missile attack on the Assad regime, saying the bombs will be "nice and new and smart".

Mr Trump tweeted an extraordinary response to Russia's claim that it would shoot down any missiles fired at Syria following the chemical weapons attack on Douma.

The US President added: "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Mr Trump described the relationship between the US and Russia as "worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War" but insisted there was "no reason for this".

Earlier, Alexander Zasypkin, the Russian envoy to Beirut, said: If there is an American strike, then we... will shoot down the missiles and target the positions from where they were launched.

In the past few days, we have seen an escalation towards a significant crisis."

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Mr Zasypkins comments, made in an interview with a Hizbollah-affiliated television channel, are the sternest Russian warning yet against American strikes. They go beyond previous threats that Russian troops would use their missile defence systems to shield the Assad regime.

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Mr Trump's tweets increase the pressure on Theresa May, the Prime Minister, to give her unequivocal backing to air strikes against targets in Syria, having said on Tuesday that she and Mr Trump would not "allow the use of chemical weapons to continue".

Russia responds to 'provocation'

On Wednesday, after Mr Trump's tweets, Moscow also suggested US plans to strike could be a pretext to destroy evidence of the alleged chemical weapons attack, which Russia has said was a staged "provocation" to justify Western intervention.

"Is the whole idea to quickly remove the traces of the provocation...(so) the international inspectors will have nothing to look for in terms of evidence?" asked foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a Facebook post.

The Kremlin later added that it did not engage in "Twitter diplomacy", the Interfax news agency reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying that care should be taken not to aggravate the situation in Syria. "We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy," he was quoted as saying. "We support serious approaches. We continue to believe that it is important not to take steps that could harm an already fragile situation."

Syria described Mr Trump's threats as a "reckless escalation". "We are not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria," an official source at the foreign ministry said.

Earlier in the day Eurocontrol, the pan-European air traffic control agency, warned civilian airliners to be cautious above the eastern Mediterranean because of the possibility of strikes in the next 72 hours.

The agency warned that both missiles launched from aircraft or from naval forces might be launched before the end of the week.

"Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean, the agency said in a statement.

The US has two Navy destroyers capable of firing a barrage of cruise missiles in the eastern Mediterranean already. An American naval strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman, is moving towards the area.

Evidence mounts of chemical attack

The World Health Organisation said that 500 people were treated in last weekends suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma and demanded access to the site.

The global health agency said it estimated 500 were brought to hospital with "signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," said Peter Salama, the deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response.

The Syrian regime has so far prevented UN agencies from visiting the site of the alleged attack, although Russian military inspectors have been allowed access.

Syria 'emptying' out military bases

As Mr Trump made his public threats on Twitter, Syrian opposition activists reported that regime forces and their allies were emptying bases and moving military equipment in an effort to shield it from expected US strikes.

Opposition groups said that Syrian regime was shifting military vehicles away from its airbase in Hama, a potential target for American cruise missiles.

Activists also said that Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group supporting the Assad regime, was emptying out its military base near the T4 airbase in central Syria. Israeli jets reportedly struck the T4 base on Sunday night, killing 14 people, including seven Iranians.

Michael Horowitz, a senior analyst at the Le Beck geopolitical consultancy, said that the regime would probably move its most sensitive equipment close to Russian forces, in the hope that the US would be less likely to hit it and risk accidentally striking Russian troops.

Answering some questions about flights in #Syria and the EASA rapid alert notification published by Eurocontrol regarding the Eastern Mediterranean / Nicosia FIR.

https://t.co/YXJPpd6yONpic.twitter.com/2XFt6qb9Ll  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) April 11, 2018

The Syrian military has already had time to take some contingency measures and evacuate some of the potential targets Washington could decide to strike, which could limit the impact of any possible American intervention, he said.

The Syrian air force in particular will likely redeploy to Russian or Russian-protected air base, in a bid to limit its exposure.

Syrian regime aircraft could be moved to Khmeimim, the main Russian base in northwest Syria, or else clustered around known Russian positions inside of Syrian regime bases.

Syrian regime aircraft were largely absent from the skies of Syria on Wednesday, with only Russian warplanes in the air. Mr Horowitz said that was an indication of a change in behaviour by regime forces in anticipation of US strikes.

May gives backing to Trump

Meanwhile, Theresa May has given her strongest signal yet that Britain would support President Donald Trump in military action against the Syrian regime as the two leaders resolved not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.

Douma chemical attack

The Prime Minister spoke to both Mr Trump and the French President Emmanuel Macron by telephone during which all three agreed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had shown total disregard for international laws against the use of such weapons.

A Trump official upped the diplomatic tension by describing the chemical attack on Douma, Syria, as genocide and saying a military response was appropriate.

Mr Macron said the three countries would decide within days how to respond and discussed the possibility of hitting Syrias chemical capacities. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said: All options are on the table.

Russia wields UN veto

It came as Russia used its veto power at the UN Security Council on Tuesday evening against a US resolution to create new expert body to determine responsibility for Syria chemical weapons attacks, a move expected to increase the likelihood of US military intervention.

Russia urged the US to avoid taking military action, warning Washington that it will "bear responsibility" for any "illegal military adventure" it carries out.

Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washington's decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria.

"I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that youre currently developing for Syria," he said after the council failed to approve a third draft resolution on chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

President's options | What could military action in Syria look like?

He added: "If you took the decision to carry out an illegal military adventure, and we do hope that you will come to your senses, well then you will have to bear responsibility for it.

Whitehall sources suggest Mrs May would prefer to have the backing of Parliament in any decision to join a military response against Syria, but with both Mr Trump and Mr Macron eager to strike swiftly, that option is unlikely to be open to the Prime Minister.

Syria chemical attack | Read more

The Telegraph has learnt that no plans have been put in place to recall MPs before Monday, when they will return after the Easter recess, suggesting Mrs May has resigned herself to taking the decision in conjunction with her Cabinet, rather than seeking the support of the Commons.

Downing Street issued a more cautious statement than the White House, in which Number 10 said that the chemical attack if confirmed would represent fresh evidence of Assads appalling cruelty.
Madrid (Spain) (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince arrived in Madrid on Wednesday on the last stop of his global diplomatic charm offensive in a bid to project a new liberal image of his conservative kingdom.

Spain's defence minister, Maria Dolores Cospedal greeted Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who serves as defence minister and also controls economic policy for the world's top oil exporter, at a military air base at Torrejon de Ardoz near Madrid, according to an AFPTV reporter at the scene.

Cospedal was representing Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis who is accompanying Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on an official visit to Argentina.

Prince Mohammed is scheduled to meet with Spain's King Felipe VI, who acceded to the throne in 2014, on Thursday morning before holding talks later in the day with Rajoy.

During his short visit Spain and Saudi Arabia are expected to sign five memorandums of understanding in the areas of culture, science, employment, air transport and defence, a Spanish foreign ministry source said.

Top-selling daily newspaper El Pais reported earlier this week that Spain would likely make progress during his visit on a deal to sell five warships to Saudi Arabia for around two billion euros.

A coalition of NGOs including Amnesty International and Greenpeace urged Spain not to go ahead with the sale of the five corvettes because they could be used in Saudi Arabia's military campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, where thousands of civilians have been killed.

The Saudi prince's trip to Spain comes hot on the heels of a three-day official visit to France and after a tour lasting several weeks of the United States, Britain and Egypt, where the self-styled moderniser signed multimillion-dollar deals.

Spain and Saudi Arabia's royal families are very close as King Felipe VI's father Juan Carlos was a close friend of the kingdom's late King Fahd, who reigned from 1982 to 2005, and is close to his brother King Salman.
The on-going protests in Gaza have been a long time coming. They are also a wake-up call for the international community. According to any indicator, conditions in the Strip have become unsustainable. What little hopes Gazans had left have been dashed by failure of the latest round of intra-Palestinian reconciliation talks to deliver any improvements to their daily lives.

For the last eleven years, Gazas inhabitants have been under a joint air, sea, and land blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt. In addition, they face the legacy of three wars with Israel which have degraded Gazas infrastructure and killed thousands, and more recently, sanctions imposed by President Mahmoud Abbass Palestinian Authority against Hamas and Gazans alike. The consequence is a man-made social, economic, and humanitarian crisis that will make Gaza unliveable by 2020 according to the UN.

Against this backdrop, it can be of little surprise that the anger and frustration felt by average Gazans has driven tens of thousands to protestlargely non-violentlyalong the border with Israel. While Hamas and other Palestinian factions have played an important supporting role, these protests are driven at the grassroots level by Gazan civil society which remains resilient despite numerous constraints.

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Of course, these protests are useful for Hamas, which has allowed the emergence of a carefully controlled space for popular mobilisation. In doing so, Hamas hopes to deflect popular anger over the worsening humanitarian conditions away from it, and towards Israel and the PA. This is partly a means of short term survival, partly an attempt to leverage an easing of restrictions on the Strip. To a certain extent, this also reflects a debate within the Islamist movement about the merits of non-violence in its struggle against Israel.

Hamass embrace of protests as a political tool could not be more different from Abbas who has sought to constrain and de-mobilize Palestinian civil society in the West Bank. The lack of any large-scale mobilizations by Palestinians there, either in support of Gazans, or against Israeli settlements, has less to do with popular apathy, and more to do with PA restrictions, through the detention of Palestinian activists, restrictions on freedom of expression, and close security cooperation with Israel.

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Back in Gaza, results remain mixed two weeks into the protests. Protestors have put Israel on the backfoot, both on the ground and in the international spotlight, momentarily shown-up Abbas, and shifted the plight of Gaza back up the list of urgent crises facing world leaders. But the protests have not yet been a game-changer. Israel has inflicted a high Palestinian casualty rate, and prevented protesters from penetrating its border fence on mass, at a so far manageable cost in its foreign and media relations. Protesters have also done little to convince Abbas to reverse his policy. In fact, he has doubled down on his anti-Hamas rhetoric, and withhold the salaries of the thousands of PA civil servants based in the Strip.

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All eyes are now focussed on what will happen in mid-May when Gazas protests culminate with Palestinian commemorations of the Nakba, Israels seventieth anniversary, and the inauguration of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Israel and Abbas no doubt hope that the protests will slowly burn themselves out after that. But this misses the genuine sense of anger, disillusionment, and hopelessness that has driven protestors, and that will continue to build absent any positive changes to their situation. The possibility that UNRWA may be forced to reduce its services in June due to U.S. budget cuts, and threats by Abbas take further national, legal, and financial measures against Gaza will further increase volatility.

For now, at least, Hamas has chosen to confront Israel through non-violent means, and avoid renewed military confrontation. Besides averting even more suffering for Gazans, its embrace of protests should be seen as positive, if incomplete, response to international demands that it renounce violence. But this shift is jeopardised by the lack of any real improvements on the ground, and little international accountability for Israels continued use of disproportionate force against protestors, both of which risk a return to more violent Palestinian responses.

2018-04-09T165115Z_21508420_RC1DF673ED60_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-PROTESTS

REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

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A rapid easing of Gaza border restrictions would therefore be an important step in cooling tensions, while potentially also demonstrating that non-violent resistance can deliver results. Egypt has indicated it may allow for the more regular opening of its Rafah border crossing with Gaza. There is also much Israel could do without risking its own security, such as re-extending the maritime fishing zone, and restoring permits for Gaza businessmen. Even the White House has voiced nominal support for the long term economic development of the Strip. This is not to mention the financial boon that would come from developing Gazas off-shore gas field.

But neither short-term humanitarian fixes, nor long-term economic development, can deliver a sustainable and dignified future for Gazans absent concomitant progress on the political front. This requires a serious international effort to support Egyptian sponsored reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah, pressure on Abbas to roll-back his punitive sanctions against Gaza, and greater international willingness to engage with Hamas as a legitimate Palestinian political actor. Such steps may appear distasteful to some, but they are the only way to break out of the current cycle of violence and destruction that has ensnared Gazas inhabitants.

Hugh Lovatt is a Policy Fellow with ECFR's Middle East and North Africa Programme. During this time, he has focussed extensively on Palestinian politics and worked to advance the concept of EU Differentiation, which was enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 2334. He is regularly interviewed or quoted in international media, including by AFP, Reuters, Newsweek, France24, and Al Jazeera.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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By Dustin Volz and David Ingram WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg fielded 10 hours of questions over two days from nearly 100 U.S. lawmakers and emerged largely unscathed and considerably richer. He parried questions of how much control people have over their data on the world's largest social media network without a major gaffe, while avoiding being cornered into supporting new government regulation. The hearings that ended on Wednesday revealed no consensus among U.S. lawmakers about what kind of privacy legislation they might want to pursue, if any, and no timeline for action. As he did on Tuesday before a Senate hearing, Zuckerberg refused during a House of Representatives committee hearing to make any promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business. "It is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation" of internet firms, Zuckerberg said, but he avoided any specifics. (Full text of Zuckerberg's prepared testimony: https://bit.ly/2Hkhr9L) Although Zuckerberg, 33, had never testified at a congressional hearing before, he succeeded in deflecting questions like a Washington veteran. Forty times the internet mogul told lawmakers he had no answers at hand and would get back to them later. About one in three lawmakers got that response over the two days. Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell expressed frustration with Zuckerberg's frequent promises to get back to lawmakers later in writing. "Some things are striking during this conversation," she said. "As CEO, you didn't know some key facts." On one point, Zuckerberg undercut his consistent message that Facebook users have control of their data. He said he was among the nearly 87 million people whose personal information was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. He gave no further details. His admission that even the company's tech-savvy founder was unable to protect his own data underscored the problem Facebook has in persuading skeptical lawmakers that users can easily safeguard their own information and that further legislation governing Facebook is unnecessary. The Cambridge Analytica issue was the reason Zuckerberg was on Capitol Hill, answering questions about how that company - which has counted U.S. President Donald Trump's election campaign among its clients - got hold of data about Facebook users. "How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?" asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, at the beginning of Wednesday's hearing. Zuckerberg said it would take "many months" to complete an audit of other apps that might also have improperly gathered or shared users' data. "I do imagine that we will find some apps that were either doing something suspicious or misusing people's data," he said. INEVITABLE REGULATION? Zuckerberg was unable to answer Dingell, the Michigan congresswoman, when she asked how frequently Facebook used computer code embedded in websites to gather dossiers on virtually everyone online. In a series of questions on how people can remove data from Facebook, Zuckerberg said the company does "collect data on people who are not signed up for Facebook, for security purposes." He had no response when asked how a non-Facebook member could remove information without signing up for the service. He also said he was not familiar with what various media reports call "shadow profiles," collections of data assembled on Facebook users that they have no knowledge of or control over. Wearing a dark suit and tie and politely prefacing almost every remark with "Congressman" or "Congresswoman," Zuckerberg appeared even more controlled than he did on Tuesday when he testified before senators. He refrained from cracking jokes and flashed few smiles. The performance had favorable results. Facebook shares closed up 0.78 percent on Wednesday after rising 4.5 percent Tuesday. Over the two days, the value of Zuckerberg's stake in the company grew about $3 billion. (GRAPHIC: Facebook share-price status: It's complicated - https://reut.rs/2qpcbcX) Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Greg Walden, told reporters he would talk with committee members about holding similar hearings with other technology chief executives. He did not name specific companies. "This is a wake-up call to Silicon Valley and the tech community that if you let these things get out of hand, having grown up in a very lightly regulated environment, you could end up with a lot more regulation than you seek," he said after the hearing. Many Democrats disagreed, saying their Republican colleagues held no genuine interest in having a meaningful debate that could lead to a regulatory overhaul of how technology firms handle data. What remained as the dust settled on Wednesday was an inability to translate bipartisan concern into regulation due to the complexity of regulating technology issues and the powerful lobbying forces assembled against any effort to do so. "If you think it is hard to pass a bill that affects a lobbyist's favorite client," said Alvaro Bedoya, a former congressional aide who worked on privacy issues for former Senator Al Franken, "try passing a bill that affects all of them." (Reporting by Dustin Volz and David Shepardson in Washington and David Ingram in San Francisco; editing by Bill Rigby, Susan Thomas and Richard Chang)
As critics continue to accuse Sinclair Broadcast Group of bias toward President Donald Trump, the media giant is defending itself by taking aim at one of the presidents favorite targets: CNN.

In a four-minute YouTube video linked at the top of the websites of several of its local television stations, Sinclair accuses CNN of dishonesty and hypocrisy. (Watch it below.) The cable network was one of the first to report on a script blasting media bias that Sinclair pressured its local news anchors to read on air.

Sinclairs video, however, is fraught with misleading statements about the shifting concept of fake news, sending a disingenuous message to its viewers  of which there are many. The broadcaster currently reaches around 40 percent of U.S. homes and is gearing up to acquire more stations, which would increase its reach to around 70 percent.

Much of the video focuses its attack on Brian Stelter, CNNs senior media correspondent. It begins with a March 7 clip in which Stelter said Sinclair had taken a page out of Trumps playbook by forcing its journalists to read the controversial script, which criticized false news stories and reporters who use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda.

Patching together CNN segments, the video attempts to show that Sinclairs message to viewers about false news and Stelters warnings about fake news amount to the same thing  and that CNNs criticisms of Sinclair are thus dishonest.

Does CNN really think a warning about Fake News is Trumps rhetoric? Sinclair asks.

But the broadcasters video clearly ignores a whole lot of recent history and context.

A Sinclair station in Baltimore linked prominently to the company's CNN attack video on Tuesday. (Photo: Sinclair Broadcast Group)

Sinclair begins by pointing out that Stelter and CNN warned viewers about fake news repeatedly in 2016 and 2017. As anyone with internet access can easily confirm, this is accurate. Many major media outlets began talking about made-up news stories as the 2016 election was heating up  and particularly after BuzzFeed discovered a cabal of Macedonian teens who were churning out fake pro-Trump stories for the advertising revenue. (Pope Francis did not, for example, endorse Trump for president.)

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Sinclair suggests that this coverage was a lot like what Sinclair anchors talked about in 2018  or what Sinclair made its anchors talk about in 2018  and, on the surface, it all does sound similar.

But the larger picture is that the term fake news has been politicized since it was first used by journalists to describe objectively false stories made up by writers foreign and domestic. Today it is repeatedly applied to reporting on well-documented real events, such as the FBIs investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, that some readers dont want to believe  often for partisan reasons  and to news analysis that readers dont agree with.

This twist has been driven by Trump, who routinely slurs stories  from crowd size to White House dysfunction  that displease him. The president has even used the term on a human being, telling a CNN reporter, You are fake news.

To Stelter, Sinclairs on-air warning about false news is particularly troubling because the anchors were ordered to read it or risk their jobs  a threat to press freedom.

Heres the thing: These promos became a story because Sinclair staffers spoke up and said they were uncomfortable, Stelter tweeted on Tuesday. They said theyd never seen anything like this before.

Other journalists were quick to push back against Sinclairs latest defense on Twitter, too.

Trump appropriated fake news after the election to dismiss critical or unflattering coverage from legit news orgs, Politico media reporter Michael Calderone wrote. And hes used the term throughout his presidency to suggest the public should trust him and not the press.

Trump appropriated "fake news" after the election to dismiss critical or unflattering coverage from legit news orgs. And he's used the term throughout his presidency to suggest the public should trust him and not the press.  Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) April 10, 2018

Sinclair's promos do mention "false news" on social media, but also charge "some media outlets" with publishing "fake stories" and "some members of the media" with pushing "personal bias and agenda." That's why Sinclair's promos, in 2018, have been seen as echoing Trump.  Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) April 10, 2018

Its disingenuous to act like the fake news [Stelter] was warning viewers about in 2016 and early 2017 is the same fake news Sinclair is railing against today, wrote Mediaites Justin Baragona.

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It is disingenuous to act like the "fake news" @brianstelter was warning viewers about in 2016 and early 2017 is the same "fake news" Sinclair is railing against today. Stelter was highlighting intentionally false stories made to agitate and mislead specific audiences.  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) April 10, 2018

By now, fake news has become a slippery term with multiple definitions. In the script it made its employees recite, Sinclair doesnt distinguish between the objectively false and the critically true, between genuine disagreements about the meaning of events and deliberate attempts to spin the truth  and thats the problem.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Abdi Sheikh NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somalia has disbanded a United Arab Emirates program to train some of its troops in a fresh sign that a dispute in the Gulf involving Qatar is spilling into the volatile country in the Horn of Africa. The government will take over paying and training the soldiers in the program, Defence Minister Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman told Somalia's state news agency SONNA on Wednesday. The UAE has trained hundreds of troops since 2014 as part of an effort boosted by an African Union military mission to defeat an Islamist insurgency and secure the country for the government, which is backed by Western nations, Turkey and the United Nations. Analysts say Somalia's relations with UAE are strained by a dispute between Qatar and Saudi because Mogadishu has refused to take sides. Arab states have strong trading links with and influence in Somalia, but that is offset by the sway of Qatar and its ally Turkey, one of Somalia's biggest foreign investors. "Somalia will fully take over (its troops) trained by the UAE ... Those forces will be added to the various battalions of the Somalia National Army," Abdirahman said, adding that the troops would be integrated into other units on Thursday. There was no immediate comment from the UAE government. Somali security staff seized $9.6 million at Mogadishu airport on Sunday from a plane that had landed from the UAE. On Tuesday, the UAE denounced the seizure of the money, which it said was destined to pay the soldiers. The Mogadishu government said it was investigating what the money was for. The seizure has fueled a belief among many Somalis that foreign powers cause their country's problems, analysts said. Somalia has lacked a strong central government since 1991. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday his government was trying to resolve the issue with Mogadishu but Abdirahman's statement casts doubt on progress. The Gulf state is one of the main donors to Somalia's security sector, according to a report by the International Peace Institute think-tank. Last year the United States suspended food and fuel aid for most of Somalia's armed forces over corruption concerns. Other military donors include Turkey, which has a military base in Somalia. An official from Somalia's foreign affairs ministry told Reuters the contract with the UAE to train its security forces expired in 2016, though it was unclear how the program appeared to have continued. (Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Dubai; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
Johannesburg (AFP) - The first South African to be jailed for racist slurs went to court on Wednesday in a bid to appeal her conviction and three-year jail sentence.

Former realtor Vicki Momberg, 49, was last month sentenced to three years with one year suspended after being found guilty of four counts of crimen injuria -- wilfully hurting someone's dignity -- for repeatedly hurling the word "kaffir" at a black policeman.

Her case turned the spotlight on racial divisions in South Africa a generation after the end of apartheid rule.

Momberg had been caught on video verbally abusing a black police officer who had been trying to assist her following a break-in of her car in 2016.

She used the word "kaffir" -- a deeply offensive term in the racially-sensitive country -- 48 times.

She is the first person in South Africa to be sent to prison for crimen injuria. Previous convictions typically resulted in fines.

In 2016, another white real estate agent Penny Sparrow was fined $10,000 for comparing black beachgoers to monkeys in a Facebook post.

The state prosecution Yusuf Baba on Wednesday opposed Momberg's application describing it as "vague" and "fatally defective".

"The grounds of appeal are bad," said Baba.

The appeal hearing continues next Wednesday.

Momberg's sentence was largely welcomed by the government, civil society groups and many South Africans.

But campaign group AfriForum, which advocates for its largely white membership, many of whom speak Afrikaans, criticised the sentence saying it exposed the application of double standards in matters concerning race.
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors said on Wednesday former president Park Geun-hye had unfairly dodged some bribery charges in her trial and they appealed against her jailing for only 24 years, after they had demanded a 30-year sentence, media reported. Park was sentenced last Friday at the conclusion of the country's most momentous graft trial in years, which exposed webs of corruption between political leaders and some of its biggest conglomerates. "The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it finds part of the ruling clearing Park of some of the bribery charges against her unfair," the Yonhap news agency reported. The office was not immediately available for comment. Park, the daughter of a former military dictator who became South Korea's first democratically elected leader in 2012, had pleaded not guilty. She was fined 18 billion won ($16.9 million) after she was found guilty on 16 counts, including bribery and abuse of power, in connection with the scandal that saw a court oust her from office in March last year. Prosecutors had charged her on 18 counts and called for an 118.5 billion won ($111.16 million) fine, in addition to a 30-year jail term, but the court acquitted her of two of the charges. The court ruled that Park was guilty of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to receive about 7 billion won ($6.56 million) each from Lotte Group, a retail giant, and Samsung, the world's biggest maker of smartphones and semiconductors, while demanding 8.9 billion won from SK, an energy conglomerate. One of Park's state-appointed lawyers suggested after the trial that she could appeal, but she has yet to do so. In South Korea, an appeal must be filed within a week of a court verdict. (Reporting by Haejin Choi; Editing by Robert Birsel)
The Republican tax overhaul will increase income taxes in many states, thanks to state-level tax systems that are synched to the federal code. Politicos Brian Faler explains:

When Congress pares back tax breaks, as it did with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, those changes are duplicated in state codes around the country, often automatically. So, in many states, unless legislators reduce their own tax rates or make other changes in their own codes to offset those changes, they will suddenly raise more money.

The potential jump in revenues varies considerably, from an estimated $30 million in Vermont to more than $1 billion in New York. And while a handful of states, such as Georgia and Idaho, are reducing their tax rates to eliminate the windfall, others, including Colorado and Maryland, are debating what to do with the cash influx.

The unintended tax hikes arent the only issues states are grappling with in the aftermath of the GOP tax overhaul. High-tax blue states including New Jersey and California are still looking into ways to limit the loss of state and local deductions, while Minnesota and New Jersey are mulling tax hikes on corporations and wealthy citizens to fund new projects. Steve Wlodychak of Ernst & Young told Politico, Tax reform isnt over  we still have to worry about whats going to happen at the state level.

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SheKnows

Donald Trump had more than his share of infidelity allegations while he was in the White House. For some people in that position, they might be on their best behavior, knowing that America was watching their every move. But for Donald, he reportedly doubled down on his bad behavior by trying to get the attention []
In this article:

Former adult film actress Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) is cooperating with federal agents investigating a $130,000 payment she received from President Donald Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen, NBC News first reported Tuesday.

Daniels cooperation is part of federal agents broader investigation into Cohen, NBC noted.

Daniels lawyer, Michael Avanatti, tweeted Tuesday afternoon that she would fully cooperate with any search for the truth. Avenatti didnt immediately return HuffPosts request for comment.

My client @stormydaniels and I will fully cooperate with any search for the truth regarding the threats, cover-up and lies concerning the NDA and $130k payment. Unlike others, we dont require the presence of the fine members of the FBI in order to speak honestly. #basta  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 10, 2018

The FBI raided Cohens office and hotel room on Monday. Investigators retrieved documents related to several topics, including the payment Cohen made to Daniels, reported The New York Times.

The FBI is investigating Cohen for possible bank fraud and campaign finance violations, sources told The Washington Post.

Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 days before the 2016 election, reportedly in exchange for her signing a nondisclosure agreement, stating that she not discuss her alleged affair with Trump in 2006. Some have speculated that such a payment would violate campaign finance laws.

The White House has repeatedly denied that Trump had an affair with Daniels. Trump said last week he was unaware of the payment.

Trump called the FBI raids on his longtime lawyer a total witch hunt.

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2005

At the AVN Awards at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas.

2005

At a signing for comedian Dane Cook's new CD/DVD "Retaliation" at Tower Records on July 27, 2005, in Hollywood.

2006

At the Adult Video News Awards Show at the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

2006

During Missy Elliot Hosts Yahoo! Music's Exclusive Grammy After Party at Mood in Hollywood.

2006

During Circle of Passion: An Evening with Lloyd Klein, at Astra Lounge in West Hollywood, California.

2006

At "The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift" premiere at Universal Studios in Universal City, California.

2006

At "The Bliss" screening in Los Angeles.

2006

At the grand opening of an Original Penguin on Nov. 2, 2006, in Hollywood.

2007

At the 24th annual Adult Video News Awards Show at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

2007

At the 49th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

2007

At the Trump Vodka launch party at Les Deux in Los Angeles.

2007

At the premiere of "Superbad" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

2007

At "A Truly Irresistible Evening" at Les Deux in Los Angeles.

2007

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At The MarketAmerica.com Super XLI Party in Miami Beach.

2007

During the second annual Diva Las Vegas Party at TAO Las Vegas at The Venetian.

2007

During Jet Nightclub's first anniversary celebration at Jet Nightclub at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

2007

At the "Knocked Up" premiere in Los Angeles.

2007

At a surprise birthday party for MMA champ Tito Ortiz hosted by Jenna Jameson on Jan. 23, 2007, at Pure Nightclub in Las Vegas.

2008

At the premiere of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

2008

At the 50th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

2008

At TAO Nightclub at The Venetian Hotel and Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

2009

At Jet Nightclub at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

2012

Daniels with her husband, adult film actor Brendon Miller, at the 29th annual Adult Video News Awards Show at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Jan. 21, 2012, in Las Vegas.

2013

At the 2013 XBIZ Awards held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

2016

At the 2016 XBIZ Awards held at JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

2016

At the 2016 Adult Video News Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

2017

At the 2017 Adult Video News Awards held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

2017

At the Wicked Pictures booth at the 2017 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

2018

At the 2018 Adult Video News Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

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This article originally appeared on Just Security.

This weekends chemical attacks against civilians in Syriaand the Trump administrations likely military responsehighlight an intensifying dilemma underlying international law on the use of force. The confused state of the law, and the state practice increasingly occurring outside of it, threatens to undermine the UN systems already limited ability to constrain state violence. Given this crisis, improvements to the current legal framework are desperately needed. An improved legal framework using a qualitative thresholdlegitimizing humanitarian intervention against regimes that use chemical and biological weapons (CBW) on civilianscan offer a way forward for both protecting civilians and strengthening international law in the UN system.

Few Bases for Action under International Law

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04_09_Syria_Assad

Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images

Despite the severity of the Syrian regimes past chemical attacks against civilians, and their almost universal condemnation, the legal justification for previous U.S. strikes against the Syrian regime has been hotly debated. Without falling under the UN Charters exceptions for interventionSecurity Council authorization under Chapter VIII or Article 51s provision for self-defensethere seems to be little direct authorization for the strikes under the UN framework. No explicit authorization exists for the use of force outside of these exceptions.

Politically motivated vetoes, as have been cast before by Russia, will likely continue to prevent Security Council authorization for more forceful measures. Similarly, a doctrine of unilateral (or unauthorized) humanitarian intervention, which would open the door to legality for interventions not explicitly authorized under the UN Charter, finds limited support among states and legal scholars.

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However, despite this proscription in the current UN framework, state practice in Kosovo, Syria, and elsewhereand the muted reaction of much of the international communitysuggest that a notable number of states in the international system may in reality be tacitly accepting a diverging norm. Such divergence was captured by U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley in April 2017, when she said, in response to the Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack, that when the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action. Soon after her remarks at the UN, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to strike the air base in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched.

This disconnect between formal legal principle and state practice, as well as the dissonance between the Charters guiding principles of both sovereignty and humanity, creates more than just confusion in the international system. Rather, this gap poses a threat to the very legitimacy and capacity of international law to guide state behaviorrisking casting international law into irrelevance as states act to promote both state interests and humanitarian principles.

Opposition to Humanitarian Intervention Under Current Law

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Perhaps the most fundamental objection to a doctrine of humanitarian intervention under current international law is the subjective nature of determining the legitimacy of any such interventionin essence, identifying true humanitarian crises necessitating the use of force. As noted by many commentators, the difficulty in identifying a just cause remains a significant stumbling block for the development of such a doctrine. One states humanitarian intervention is often another states aggression falsely justified under a humanitarian pretext.

This problem derives from the fact that current bases for humanitarian intervention, as conceived by proponents, rely upon ambiguously defined and implicitly quantitative measures of harm. The current soft Responsibility to Protect (R2P) framework, adopted under the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, embodies this ambiguity: In it, UN General Assembly members pledged to take action in cases of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Determination of such crimes, of course, is itself a subjective exercise. What level of civilian atrocity rises to the legal threshold for such crimes: 100,000 deaths? 1,000? 100? What types of atrocities should trigger culpability? And most fundamentally, who should make the determination when triggering crimes occur?

A Qualitative Threshold for Humanitarian Intervention: Responses to CBW Attacks

The Syria crisis, and its associated instances of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) use against civilians, marks a key moment for scholars, statesmen, and practitioners to envision an improved legal framework on humanitarian intervention. The Trump administrations repeated use of force in Syria, as well as its ongoing acceptance by the vast majority of states, points the way to the development of a qualitative-based legal threshold for unilateral humanitarian inventions: interventions in response to CBW use against civilians.

Instead of relying on ambiguous quantitative thresholds to determine legitimate interventions, the Syria strikes represent an opportunity to consider developing in the UN-system qualitative thresholds for authorizing unilateral humanitarian intervention in cases of Security Council paralysis. Such qualitative thresholds would capitalize on cases where there is little debate regarding the severity of humanitarian need or the interests of states in addressing itcases such as CBW use against civilians.

As I explored in an earlier analysis, under such a framework, unilateral intervention in response to CBW attacks on civilians could be authorized and deemed legitimate under international law, even without approval by the full Security Council. To provide a further check against such a doctrine becoming a cover for illegitimate state aggression, this framework for R2P intervention against CBW use could require a further condition of approval by a super-majority of permanent Security Council members. Such a framework would ensure that a single vetoing state could not paralyze UN members actions against CBW-employing regimes.

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Despite many scholars and states deeply ingrained opposition to a general doctrine of humanitarian intervention, such interventions have gained broader global support in particular cases. Witness the tacit acceptance by many non-Western governments of NATOs illegal but legitimate intervention in Kosovo, or the widespread global support for the April 2017 U.S. strikes in Syria. These cases tell us that it is likely not humanitarian intervention per se that is generally problematic, but the potential for abuse of such doctrine under the current quantitative and subjective measures of assessment.

An official determination of CBW use against civilians, obviously an essential triggering finding under such a legal construct, would be a key procedural element that would need to be established in accordance with UN practice. Such a determination would likely need to be made by an independent, UN-established commission, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or some other body of qualified independent experts.

Such a condition, authorizing but not requiring the use of force, would have the normative benefit of giving the international community greater flexibility to stop CBW use against civilians and save innocent lives in cases of CBW atrocities, while also narrowly limiting contexts under which a single Security Council veto could be disregarded. Under this model, there would be little debate about the legality of the intent of force in response to a humanitarian crisis. Instead, the only issue for dispute would be the factual question of the act of CBW use itself. Such a framework could limit endless debates in the Security Council about whether the nature or harm to civilians rose to the threshold of genocide or ethnic cleansing, because numbers of deaths or the level of atrocities would not be relevant to the ultimate decision.

Such a framework could generate much greater support among positions traditionally skeptical of a humanitarian intervention doctrine. Many states would likely be more open to such a framework than a traditional doctrine of humanitarian intervention because its inherently limited in its scope. Thats because only a few states today possess CBW capability, therefore any such legal framework would pose little threat to states security or sovereignty. Additionally, the objective nature of the CBW standard would limit the abuse of the humanitarian criteria: States would find it difficult to justify aggressive interventions as humanitarian, as in the case of Russias invasion of Georgia. Additionally, this framework could gain greater support from legal formalists based on its bright line, its objective requirements for intervention, and its maintenance of the Security Councils final role in the authorization of force.

Clearly the political challenges facing such a proposal are formidable. In its 72-year history, the UN has adopted few formal changes to its governing principles on the use of force. Even more daunting, the permanent members of the Security Council have little incentive to dilute their authority over authorizing state force. However, those promoting the Charters principle of humanity will find many reasons to support the broadening of international legal provisions to protect civilians. Similarly, those promoting the legitimacy and power of international law will find many reasons to support improving the laws authority over state practice.

R2P supporters should thus work toward promoting legal principles authorizing unilateral intervention in cases of government CBW usage against civilians, gearing efforts toward beginning formal international consideration on adopting such a provision within the R2P frameworkwith an ultimate goal of securing adoption within the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

While the possibility of adoption of such a framework may be distant, the conversation associated with this debate could have lasting effects in shaping a currently broken UN system. Such a development could, in the long run, help to promote human rights, deter future CBW attacks, and ultimately strengthen the laws ability to promote humanity and justice in the international system.

Andrew Bell, Assistant professor of international studies at Indiana University-Bloomington Follow him on Twitter @AndrewBellUS.

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Dozens of buses arrived in rebel-held northwestern Syria on Tuesday carrying Syrian insurgents who had agreed to surrender the town they controlled near Damascus after it was hit in a suspected chemical attack, a monitoring group said. Their evacuation, along with their families, came as the United Nations Security Council prepared to meet later on Tuesday to discuss a suspected poison gas attack on Douma over the weekend. Rebels blamed the government, which denies any involvement, and U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to take swift action. The U.N. chemical weapons watchdog has started an investigation. The Syrian government's main ally, Russia, says the reports of the chemical attack are bogus. Hundreds more people began to leave Douma on Tuesday and the pro-government Watan newspaper said about 40,000 militants and their families were due to leave in all, as the U.N. refugee agency voiced alarm at "spiralling new displacement". The deal restores President Bashar al-Assad's control over the entire eastern Ghouta - formerly the biggest rebel bastion near Damascus. Sixty-seven buses carrying hundreds of fighters, along with family members and other civilians who did not wish to come back under Assad's rule, reached opposition areas near Aleppo on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. RIA news agency quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying 3,600 militants and their families had left Douma over the past 24 hours. As part of the surrender deal, the Jaish al-Islam group that controlled the town released scores of people it had been holding. The deal took effect on Sunday, hours after medical aid groups reported the suspected chemical attack, saying it had killed dozens of people in Douma. ASSAD'S VICTORY The government and its allies had been attacking the densely populated eastern Ghouta for seven weeks. Thousands of fighters from other rebel groups, accompanied by tens of thousands of civilians, have already left for northwestern Syria after deals surrendering the Ghouta's other major towns. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said around 130,000 people had fled eastern Ghouta over the past four weeks. "Our particular concern is the situation in Douma ... where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped," UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic told a news briefing. The recapture of eastern Ghouta represents Assad's biggest battlefield victory since late 2016, when he took back Aleppo, and underlines his unassailable position in the war. Western countries have said Assad's assault on eastern Ghouta was a violation of a Security Council resolution calling for a complete ceasefire across Syria. Damascus and Moscow said the groups controlling the area were not covered by the truce, and the offensive was needed to end the control of Islamist insurgents over the area's large civilian population and to stop mortar attacks on the capital. The United Nations is not party to the Douma surrender deal, in which the evacuees are going to an area around Jarablus and al-Bab in northern Syria controlled by Turkish-backed rebels. Large numbers of people have also crossed into government-held territory rather than leaving along with rebels. Some 45,000 displaced people are staying in eight collective shelters near Damascus, the UNHCR said, while roughly the same number have left the shelters after a screening process. Medical teams at the shelters have reported skin disease and respiratory problems among children, said a spokesman for the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF. (Reporting By Angus McDowall in Beirut, Jack Stubbs in Moscow and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Tom Perry/Kevin Liffey)
Teens in Quebec are decorating their clothing with yellow squares to protest their restrictive and sexist school dress code  with female students demanding to ditch their bras.

On March 22, Celestine Uhde and three other students at Joseph-Francois-Perrault High School launched the Facebook group Les Carres Jaunes (yellow squares) in response to their school dress code, which prohibits spaghetti straps and shorts that end above mid-thigh, among other items. We consider that most regulations are archaic and that we have the right to claim certain things, per the groups mission statement, translated from French. The Yellow Square is our distinctive sign.

Teens in Quebec are protesting their school dress code  and the right to go braless. (Photo: Facebook/Les Carres Jaunes)

In a follow-up post, the group stated, Moreover, we claim the right not to wear brassieres and respect when we do not wear them.

We launched the movement to fight the culture of rape and hypersexualization, Uhde tells Yahoo Lifestyle, in an email translated from French. We want the equality of men and women both in our treatment and how the world views our bodies, adding that the group chose the color yellow because its easily recognizable.

Noting that bras can be physically uncomfortable, Uhde says, In an ideal world, women would not need to hide their breasts and freely assume their bodies, because hiding ones breasts sexualizes them more.

A representative from Joseph-Francois-Perrault High School did not return Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment but the school principal Marlene Bureau told CBC, We can be proud that our youths question things.

The Facebook group has also attracted students from neighboring schools who object to their respective dress codes. For example, one girl who attends Mont-Saint-Sacrement school in Quebec complained that dyed hair, patterns, and flashy accessories are banned. And Uhde tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the group has drawn support from both male and female students.

School dress code protests often draw controversy for enforcing gender-and-weight discrimination, and lately, bras have become a focal point for some who feel the rules have gotten too invasive.

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BHS is so out of line. Now they want to dress code you for not wearing a bra. My underwear is none of there business. pic.twitter.com/HgocMryaGB  remy (@remyaltuna) August 17, 2017

Earlier in April, a Florida high school junior named Lizzy Martinez vowed to attend school braless after her dean told her to place Band-Aids over her nipples to prevent male students from becoming distracted.

If the boys in my class were so distracted, shouldnt they have been talked to and educated about the situation and not me being pulled out of class? Martinez told Columbus, Ohio, local news station NBC4i. Her mother agreed, telling Tampa Bay station WFTS, We would not target a male who had excessive breast tissue and ask them to confine the movement.

In 2017, Remy Altuna, a student at Beaumont High School in California, was told by her assistant vice principal to wear a jacket over her black bodysuit to conceal the fact that she wasnt wearing a bra. Altuna told Yahoo Lifestyle, Because I wasnt wearing a bra, she didnt want people to think anything bad of me or talk inappropriately or have anything bad to say.

In 2016, Montana teen Kaitlyn Juvik launched a Facebook page called Kaitlyn the Braless Warrior after a male teacher complained he was uncomfortable with her look.

Boys always get the excuse about their hormones, that boys will be boys, Juvik told People, but instead, perhaps people should start teaching boys not to sexualize womens bodies. Wearing a bra is a personal choice. Its my body. Why is it anybody elses business whether Im wearing a bra, especially when Im covered up and dressed appropriately?

Juvik pointed out that she hadnt worn a bra to school for a year prior because it was too restrictive and that her school handbook has no such requirements. In response to the incident, her peers created the Facebook group, No Bra, No Problem and hundreds of female students went braless in protest, with some male students strapping on the undergarment.

Helena (Mont.) High School principal Steve Thennis said Juvik had created a manufactured crisis, and according to People, said, Im not going to check students undergarments. We are going to ask them to dress appropriately, and if we feel it is inappropriate, male or female, we are going to ask them to cover up.

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Dhaka (Bangladesh) (AFP) - Tens of thousands of university students marched in cities across Bangladesh on Wednesday in one of the biggest protests faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power.

Students fighting against a controversial policy that sets aside government jobs for special groups have united in mass protests rarely seen on such a scale in Bangladesh.

In Dhaka chanting mobs of students blockaded major roads and swarmed Dhaka University, bringing traffic to a standstill in the congested capital of 15 million.

Police were deployed to the university where clashes in recent days left more than 100 students injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.

"There are more than 5,000 protesters at the DU," a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer told AFP, referring to Bangladesh's most prestigious university.

Police in Savar, northwest of Dhaka, said an estimated 7,000 students had descended on a major highway linking traffic to the capital, causing chaos.

"They completely blockaded the road," police inspector Abdul Awal told AFP.

In Chittagong, the second-largest city, some 4,000 students blocked a railway track and roads, police said.

Protesters also caused disruptions in the major cities of Khulna, Barisal, Kushtia, Comilla, Mymensingh and Gopalganj.

The prime minister told parliament she had instructed her cabinet secretary to review the quota system and try to resolve the situation.

"Why should the people suffer? she said in a speech to parliament as reported by private broadcaster Ntv.

She condemned the violence and said in the past three civil service tests, more than 70 percent of the posts were recruited on merit.

Protests intensified Wednesday after allegations circulated widely on social media of a violent confrontation between a ruling party activist and a student protest leader.

Demonstrators want the share of top government positions set aside for minority groups and the disabled significantly reduced.

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They are also particularly irate that 30 percent of government positions are reserved for descendents of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war.

The government has promised to review the quota system but that caused a rift among demonstrators, with some accepting the assurance and others rejecting it.

A pro-government faction of the student movement had postponed its protest action but left-leaning groups pledged to keep up the fight.

"These job quotas are discriminatory. We want equal opportunities for all," said protestor Nur Mohammad, who said he missed out on a coveted government job because of the allocation system.

Hasina -- whose father was the architect of the Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan -- has in the past rejected demands to slash the quotas.
Pyongyang (North Korea) (AFP) - Eleven tiny unicyclists circled in front of a Pyongyang theatre Wednesday to celebrate North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung.

The five- and six-year-olds -- boys in red caps and leotards, with white shirts and tights, and girls in sequinned yellow dresses -- confidently rode their cycles round and round, waving the emblem of the April Spring Friendship Art Festival.

The week-long event, the 31st of its kind, is part of the annual commemorations of the anniversary of the birth of the North's founder Kim Il Sung, who remains the country's Eternal President despite dying in 1994.

It features concerts, dance performances and acrobatics, and is one of the rituals with which North Korean authorities inculcate and reinforce loyalty to the ruling dynasty.

Small girls in colourful dresses spun and danced, youths waved flags, acrobats leapt and an all-female marching band played as more than 200 foreign performers - mostly from former Soviet bloc states -- walked into the venue.

The 106th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth on April 15 is "the most auspicious holiday of Korean people and the world's progressive people", culture minister Pak Chun Nam told the opening ceremony.

Korea's people were "advancing towards a brighter future", he added, "under the wise leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Un".

The third member of the family to rule the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the country is officially known, Kim Jong Un has overseen rapid strides in the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The UN Security Council has imposed multiple sets of sanctions as a result.

Pyongyang remains isolated despite a recent and rapid diplomatic rapprochement on the peninsula - a summit between North and South will be held later this month, ahead of planned talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump, and Kim visited Beijing two weeks ago to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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By far the biggest contingent of foreign artists at the festival came from the North's longstanding backer Russia, followed by Belarus, but there was also a smattering of westerners from France, Spain and Portugal.

A concert by a North Korean orchestra opened with The Song of General Kim Il Sung, with English and Russian subtitles displayed on either side of the stage:

"Who is the partisan whose deeds are unsurpassed / Who is the patriot whose fame shall ever last / So dear to all our hearts is our General's glorious name / Our own beloved Kim Il Sung of undying fame."

As his portrait was projected on the backdrop, the audience erupted into applause.

Spanish flamenco dancer Yolanda Gavino, the prima ballerina of a group from Madrid, told AFP her troupe of 10 was "delighted" to be at the festival.

"The treatment is marvellous, we're very happy and satisfied," she said.

Asked about performing at a festival in honour of Kim Il Sung, she said, "I don't know", adding: "We came after the invitation of the embassy. We've been invited this year to take part (in the festival), and we're delighted to come here from Spain".
Former Silicon Valley actor T.J. Miller was arrested and accused of making a false bomb threat from a train last month, prosecutors said.

Miller was arrested Monday night at LaGuardia Airport in New York City and was charged with intentionally conveying false information to law enforcement, which has a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. He was released on $100,000 bail.

Prosecutors said Miller called 911 while on an Amtrak train on March 18, saying that a woman with brown hair and a brown scarf was carrying a bomb in her bag. When the train stopped at Westport, Connecticut, Amtrak investigators had the passengers disembark and sent in a bomb squad to search the train. Nothing was found.

Also Read: 'Silicon Valley' Star Zach Woods Talks T.J. Miller's 'Sad' Exit, Jared's Secret Friends

Later, an investigator contacted Miller about his claim. Prosecutors said Millers description of the woman was different, and that the investigator detected slurring in his voice. Miller said the woman kept checking her bag  which he described as a black bag carry on suitcase with a handle  without taking anything out, prosecutors said. He also said she kept asking the first-class attendant what the next stop was, and seemed to want to get off the train and leave her bag behind, prosecutors added. When asked if he had been drinking, Miller said he only had one glass of wine, prosecutors said.

During the stop, Amtrak officers spoke with the attendant in the first-class car where Miller had been sitting, who said the actor appeared intoxicated when he boarded the train and had multiple drinks while onboard, prosecutors said. The attendant also said that Miller had been hostile towards a woman sitting in a different row from him on the train, prosecutors added. Investigators identified the woman and determined that she did not have the bag Miller described.

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Also Read: TJ Miller Accused of Harassment by Porn Star

Representatives for Miller did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations Joint Terrorism Task Force, Connecticut State Police, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, Amtrak Police Department and Westport Police Department.

Miller left HBOs Silicon Valley last year after for four seasons, citing creative differences with showrunners Mike Judge and Alec Berg. He most recently appeared in the Steven Spielberg film Ready Player One in a voice role.

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President Donald Trump adopted the same strategy he repeatedly criticized his predecessor for using when he issued Wednesdays warning about imminent airstrikes on Syria.

Trump, responding to a Russian warning that it would shoot down any U.S. missiles headed for Syria, wrote on Twitter: Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Trump, as a candidate and before, railed against former President Barack Obama for doing exactly what he did himself on Wednesday: giving away his military plans.

His rants date back to 2013, when Obama announced that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would represent a red line that could spur a U.S. military response:

Why do we keep broadcasting when we are going to attack Syria. Why can't we just be quiet and, if we attack at all, catch them by surprise?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

What other country tells the enemy when we are going to attack like Obama is doing with ISIS. Whatever happened to the element of surprise?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2014

On the 2016 campaign trail, Trump referred numerous times to his secret plan to defeat the so-called Islamic State. He told Fox News in 2015 that he wasnt broadcasting the plan because he didnt want the enemy to know about it. He later said he was keeping it a secret so that his opponents in the presidential race didnt catch on.

He maintained his stance into his own presidency.

I dont want to be one of these guys that say, yes, heres what were going to do. I dont have to do that. I dont have to tell you what Im going to do in North Korea, Trump told a reporter last year.

This week, Trump at first seemed to be trying to maintain the element of surprise in announcing Monday that he would make a decision on how to respond in Syria within 24 to 48 hours.

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But on Wednesday, Trump jumped the gun, revealing that airstrikes will be coming.

Russian and Syrian forces are reportedly preparing for strikes.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) called out Trumps hypocrisy on Wednesday, imploring the president to follow his previous advice.

This article has been updated with comment from Johnson.

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President Donald Trump thinks special counsel Robert Muellers investigation has gone too far, the White House has said.

The president "has been clear that he thinks that this has gone too far," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters, speaking the day after federal agents raided the offices of Mr Trump's personal attorney.

Ms Sanders refused to say whether Mr Trump would fire the special counsel investigating his campaigns possible ties to Russia, saying only that he had the power to do so if he wished.

Weve been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision, she said, responding to pushback from reporters who said only Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had that authority.

The comments came after Mr Trump criticised Mr Mueller over an FBI raid of lawyer Michael Cohens hotel room and offices. Agents confiscated emails, business records, and other documents belonging to Mr Cohen, who is the presidents longtime personal attorney, according to the New York Times.

Mr Cohens attorney accused Mr Mueller of pointing the prosecutors towards his client.

Mr Trump condemned the raid on Monday, calling it an attack on our country. Asked if he would fire the special counsel, he replied: "I think it's a disgrace what's going on. Well see what happens, but I think its really a sad situation.

The president also lashed out on Twitter, repeating his claim that the special counsels investigation was a witch hunt and adding that attorney-client privilege is dead!

He also privately mulled firing Mr Rosenstein, who personally signed off on the decision to raid Mr Cohens offices, according to the Times.

Ms Huckabee Sanders declined to comment further on Mr Trumps faith in Mr Rosenstein, saying the president had certainly voiced his frustrations with the deputy attorney general.

While Mr Trumps comments echoed what he has said about the Russia investigation, the raid was not directly related to Mr Muellers probe. Instead, the action was carried out by federal prosecutors after a referral from the special counsel, according to Mr Cohens lawyer.

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It was not immediately clear what crimes the prosecutors sought to investigate.

Ms Huckabee Sanders acknowledged that the two investigations were separate, but said that publicly, they have been conflated quite a bit.

Several of Mr Trumps fellow Republicans have urged him not to fire the special counsel  an action some experts have said could amount to obstruction of justice. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said on Tuesday that firing Mr Mueller would be suicide for the president.

I think the less the president says about this whole thing, the better off he will be, the Republican said. I think Mueller is a person of stature and respected and I respect him. Just let the thing go forward."
President Donald Trump certainly believes he has the power to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Sanderss remark came the day after FBI agents raided the home, office and hotel room of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, a search that Cohens lawyer said came from a referral by Mueller. Following the raid, Trump told reporters, I think its a disgrace whats going on. Well see what happens. Many people have said, You should fire [Mueller].

Related: Mueller investigation is closing in on Trump

Trending: Republican and Democrat Senators Move to Shield Mueller From Trump Firing

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller last May to oversee the FBIs investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.

By law, the special counsel can be disciplined or removed only by the personal action of the attorney general. That can only happen for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest or for other good cause, including violation of departmental policies, the law states. The attorney general is required to notify the special counsel in writing and cite a specific reason for the removal. The attorney general in this case is Rosenstein, because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.

04_10_Sanders_Trump_Mueller

Mark Wilson/Getty

Don't miss: 'Deep State' Mueller Has Gone Rogue And Declared War On Trump, Sean Hannity Claims

A Congressional Research Service report from last June clarified further: To comply with the regulations, the attorney general himself must remove the special counsel, not the president or a surrogate. The exception is if the attorney general is recused, according to the report, as is the case with Mueller. The report does not clearly clarify that exception, but it likely means only that the acting attorney general would have the power to remove the special counsel.

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By saying that Trump believes he has the power to fire Mueller, Sanders might have been choosing her words carefully, as its possible Trump does in fact believe he has that authority. But she has previously made similar comments, saying last June that while the president has the right to fire Mueller, he has no intention to do so.

And there might be one exception that gives Trump authority to fire Mueller, according to Neal Katyal, the former acting solicitor general who helped write the special counsel regulations. Katyal has said that the president can direct repeal of the regulation because the president controls the prosecution power. But, he added, hed have to do so publicly.

Most popular: Devin Nunes Threatens to Impeach DOJ's Rod Rosenstein and FBIs Chris Wray

Its also possible that Sanders was referring to Trumps authority to request that Rosenstein fire Mueller.

But if Rosenstein refuses and Trump fires Rosenstein, oversight of the Mueller probe is supposed to go to another Department of Justice official, according to the agencys order of succession. Because the associate attorney general position remains without a Senate-approved nominee following Rachel Brands resignation, and officials serving in temporary capacities cannot serve as acting attorney general, the solicitor general or one of the several assistant attorneys general would likely become responsible for the probe.

In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in December, Rosenstein said he thought Mueller was doing a good job and that he would only fire the special counsel if there was good cause. As recently as March 12 he told USA Today, I dont believe there is any justification at this point for terminating the special counsel.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Trump is responding to "decades of misdeeds by China trade," White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow says.

"I don't know if we'll have tariffs or not," he adds.

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told CNBC on Monday that President Donald Trump is warning China about its trade practices with tariffs.

"This president's got some backbone, others didn't and he's raising the issue in full public view, setting up a process that may include tariffs. Hopefully, it will be mostly negotiations," Kudlow said on " Squawk on the Street ." "I don't know if we'll have tariffs or not."

"[Trump] is responding to decades of misdeeds by China [on] trade," said Kudlow, an ex-CNBC contributor and a former Wall Street economist. "It's high time we did that."

"Somebody's got to do it. Somebody's got to say to China, 'you are no longer a Third World country. You are a First World country and you have to act like it,'" he said. "The president's got to stick up for himself and the United States."

In a tweet early Monday, Trump called out China again for what he has said are unfair trade practices by the world's second-largest economy.

@realDonaldTrump: When a car is sent to the United States from China, there is a Tariff to be paid of 2 1/2%. When a car is sent to China from the United States, there is a Tariff to be paid of 25%. Does that sound like free or fair trade. No, it sounds like STUPID TRADE - going on for years!

The president unveiled a list of Chinese imports last week that his administration aims to target as part of its crackdown on China. Shortly after the announcement, the Asian nation announced additional tariffs . China's Foreign Ministry blamed the United States on Monday for trade friction and said that it was impossible for negotiations to take place under current conditions.

Stocks were higher Monday as the Trump administration tried to soften its tone regarding trade relations. During a "Fox News Sunday" interview, Kudlow tried to calm trade war fears but added Trump was "not bluffing" on tariffs. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday he does not expect a trade war between the U.S. and China to take place.

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Trump last month picked Kudlow to succeed Gary Cohn as director of his National Economic Council. Gary Cohn , former No. 2 executive at Goldman Sachs, resigned from the White House role shortly after losing his fight to persuade the president not to impose import tariffs on steel and aluminum, an earlier move separate from the latest China tariffs over what the U.S. considers Chinese companies' theft of American intellectual property.

Saying he supports almost all of Trump's policies, Kudlow on Monday reminded viewers he did not like the across-the-board steel and aluminum tariffs announced last month. But he said Trump fixed that with the exemptions that included Canada and Mexico, pending a successful reworking of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

"I have no specifics to offer this morning, but I will say progress is being made on renegotiating and recalibrating NAFTA. Good progress is being made on that," Kudlow added.

Watch a CNBC flashback from 2011: Kudlow vs then-citizen Trump on China trade



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President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that American airstrikes on Syria, in retaliation for a deadly chemical attack, were imminent.

Trump directed a morning tweet at Russia, the Syrian governments primary ally in the years-long civil war President Bashar Assad has waged against rebel groups. The Kremlin has warned the U.S. it planned to shoot down any U.S. missiles headed for Syria.

Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! Trump tweeted. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Trump, with his rhetoric, has taken an unusually hard line against the Assad regimes brutality, condemning the attack as sick and atrocious and even coining a new nickname for the countrys leader: Animal Assad.

The president said Monday that hed respond within 48 hours, though his administration has yet to formally announce any strikes. Trump did, however, speak with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday about a possible coordinated response, according to the White House.

Trump reacted forcefully one year ago, following a similar chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun. He ordered cruise missile strikes on a Syrian airbase, a move experts said did little to deter Assads campaign against his own people. Conventional and chemical attacks have continued in the past year, focused on the eastern Ghouta region, one of the last remaining rebel strongholds.

The United Nations refugee agency estimates that more than 133,000 people have fled the region in the past month. More than 1,000 have also been killed in the last two weeks, according to Doctors Without Borders.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

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A wounded child receives medical treatment at Sahra hospital after the Assad regime forces attacked with chlorine gas in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib, Syria on April 4, 2017.

A child gets treatment at a hospital after Assad regime forces attacked with suspected chlorine gas.

A civil defence member breathes through an oxygen mask, after what rescue workers described as a suspected gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib, Syria April 4, 2017.

Civil defense members try to reduce the effects of chlorine gas with water as they carry out search and rescue efforts after a gas attack in Syria.

A wounded child waits for treatment at a hospital after Assad Regime forces attacked with chlorine gas to the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib, Syria.

Children get treatment at a hospital.

A man carries the body of a dead child, after what rescue workers described as a suspected gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib, Syria on April 4, 2017.

Bodies of chlorine gas victims are seen after Assad regime forces attacked with chlorine gas.

A still image taken from a video posted to a social media website on April 4, 2017, shows people lying on the ground said to be in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, after what rescue workers described as a suspected gas attack in rebel-held Idlib, Syria.

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President Trump on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Russia, tweeting that he will direct an air strike at Syria in response to last weeks chemical attack and chastising the Kremlin for its support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, Trump wrote on Twitter. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Trump added: Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

Russias military has propped up Assads regime as it wages a multiway war against both the so-called Islamic State and various antigovernment forces. According to the UN Envoy for Syria, an estimated 400,000 Syrians have been killed since 2011.

The Russian foreign ministry responded in a Facebook post, saying smart missiles should fly toward terrorists, not legal government.

Trump later suggested the bad blood between Washington and Moscow has been caused by Special Counsel Robert S. Muellers ongoing federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The president also called Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who signed off on Trumps decision to fire FBI Director James Comey last year, conflicted.

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump has been weighing U.S. military options in Syria in the wake of Saturdays chemical attack that killed at least 40 people. But during a meeting with national security officials at the White House earlier this week, Trump told reporters he would not publicly telegraph his moves  something he criticized former President Barack Obama for doing.

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Were making decisions as to what we do with respect to the horrible attack, Trump said Monday. And it will be met. And it will be met forcefully. When I will not say because I dont like talking about timing.

Last week, the White House announced that the U.S. military mission in Syria is coming to a rapid end. That was before Saturdays attack.

Trump lashed out at Russia and Iran for its support of Assad the next day  notably calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name.

President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad, Trump tweeted. Big price to pay.

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On Wednesday, a day of growing peril in a part of the world where Russian and American forces sometimes confront each other, the president who campaigned on never telegraphing his intensions to adversaries decided to taunt Russia with the threat of a missile attack. Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, President Trump tweeted Wednesday morning as an anxious world watched to see if the Syrian crisis will escalate out of control. Get ready, Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

President Trumps tweets fly in the face of the norms that even during the Cold War kept the two great nuclear powers from needlessly provoking each other. They risk further inflaming a conflict that has already drawn in regional and world powers in a dizzying nest of alignments. With the common enemy the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on the brink of defeat, those opposing forces are increasingly coming into conflict as they jockey for position and territorial control inside Syria.

Just this year, U.S. forces in Syria have battled Russian mercenaries who attacked their base, reportedly at the direction of the Kremlin, and killed more than 100 of them. In northern Syria, U.S. troops and their Kurdish allies remain engaged in a tense face-off with the military forces of Turkey, a NATO ally. This week, Israeli warplanes attacked a military base in Syria, where Iran coordinates its militias, killing four Iranian military advisers.

A Syrian child receives medical treatment after the Assad regime forces allegedly conducted a poisonous gas attack in Damascus, April 7, 2018. (Photo: Halil el-Abdullah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

This weeks suspected chemical weapons attack by Syrian forces, which reportedly killed more than 40 people in a rebel-held stronghold near Damascus, and President Trumps telegraphed determination to respond militarily, have set the escalation cycle spinning even faster.

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The new normal is that President Trump uses Twitter as direct fire to convey his feelings and intent to audiences at home and abroad, bypassing the United States entire foreign policy and diplomatic apparatus. Its now understood around the world that those tweets are a direct pipeline to his thinking, which is an unprecedented and significant development, said retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, a former senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan, and currently the distinguished practitioner in residence at American Universitys School of International Service.

In weighty matters of war, the presidents tweets may offer a direct conduit to the Trumpian id, but they are unfiltered by a careful calculation of U.S. interests and the risks involved, or by a strategy guiding the actions of a great power. Instead, Trumps tweets and off-the-cuff pronouncements, Barno notes, reveal a constant tension between U.S. military commanders who want to sustain a military presence in Syria to consolidate their gains from the defeat of ISIS, and a commander in chief who instinctively dislikes U.S. boots on the ground, but is willing to use bombs and missiles to achieve his goals. Those two ideas remain very much in tension in this administration, and Im not sure that adds up to a strategy.

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, left, and Gen. Joseph Votel. (Photos: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

In the wake of Trumps recent dismissal of his secretary of state and national security adviser, the administrations Syrian policy has devolved into incoherence. In January, then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson articulated a Syrian strategy that envisioned an indefinite U.S. military presence to achieve ambitious goals, including removing Syrian strongman Bashar Assad from power, returning millions of Syrian refugees to their homes, rolling back Iranian influence and securing Syrian chemical weapons.

On April 3, U.S. special presidential envoy Brett McGurk and U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel spoke at the U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington. They laid out a carefully crafted stabilization plan to return millions of displaced residents to their homes in territory in Iraq and Syria liberated from ISIS, to consolidate the military rollback of the extremists. The hard part is still to come, which is stabilization, getting people back in their homes, consolidating our gains, and creating the conditions that will allow these things to happen, said Votel.

Even as his top diplomat and general on Syria were laying out their stabilization plan, however, President Trump was telling reporters at the White House that he wanted U.S. troops out of Syria. The White House subsequently froze over $200 million in aid earmarked for stabilization in Syria by the State Department. I want to get out, I want to bring the troops back home, I want to start rebuilding our nation, Trump said at a White House news conference with leaders of the Baltic nations on April 3. Trump has reportedly told the Pentagon to withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. military troops in Syria in the next four to six months.

Photos: Deadly gas attack in rebel-held Douma, in Syrias eastern Ghouta 

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey is a former commander of U.S. Southern Command, and a division commander in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. We now have a White House in chaos, a president threatening missile strikes even as he blunders by mindlessly signaling that he wants U.S. troops out of Syria, and U.S. military commanders who lack a coherent strategy or realistic objectives learning about U.S. policy from the presidents tweets. So weve never seen a mess like this, he said in an interview. If Trump carries through on his threats to launch missile strikes to enforce a so-called red line against Assads use of chemical weapons, as seems likely, McCaffrey believes the U.S. should hit hard to gain leverage in future negotiations over an eventual U.S. withdrawal from Syria. Military power is a terrible tool for sending political signals, but if the Trump administration truly intends to send a signal, it should take out the Syrian air forces and as many of Assads generals as possible. That would signal to a lot of bad actors in Syria not to screw with us as we look for an exit.

In reality neither the Obama nor the Trump administration has had a clear plan for a post-ISIS Syria. The defeat of the Islamic State is now in sight, as Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies are close to winning the civil war. Those seismic events have left the major players looking to consolidate their gains, and eyeing opposing forces suspiciously. The current status quo of U.S.-backed Kurdish forces holding territory in northern Syria near the Turkish border, and Iranian forces entrenched on bases in central and southern Syria, has also drawn the ire and military interventions of Turkey and Israel, respectively.

Survivors of a reported air strike in a section of Aleppo, Sept. 11, 2016. (Photo: Ameer Alhabi/AFP/Getty Images)

The question of what happens the day after we defeat ISIS has been kicked down the road for a long time, and now the Trump administration is having to confront the really complex realities of that situation, said Andrew Tabler, a Syrian expert and fellow in arab politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. With the help of its Russian and Iranian allies the Syrian regime has all but defeated the rebellion, he noted, but that victory leaves Assad as king of the rubble.

And two neighboring countries and U.S. allies find the outcome of the war unacceptable, and the interventions of Turkey and Israel threaten to turn the Syrian civil war into a wider regional war also involving Iran, Russia and the United States, said Tabler. So while Americans on both sides of the political aisle are war weary, the United States still has a significant interest in insuring that ISIS doesnt reclaim safe havens in Syria from which to launch terror attacks on the West, and in preventing Iran from launching attacks on our ally Israel from Syria that could ignite an all-out regional war that impacts energy prices.

In weighing those interests against the inherent risks involved, Trump administration officials will confront the reality that the long-standing U.S. position that Assad must go was never pursued with the same determination that Iran and Russia brought to their desire that he should stay. Syrian territory has long represented a critical land bridge between Iran and its chief Lebanese ally and proxy Hezbollah, and Damascus has been a key foothold in the Arab world for Moscow going back to the early years of the Cold War. The resulting disparity between the two sides willingness to expend resources and accept risks has hamstrung U.S. policy on Syria for years.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, center, speaks with Syrian troops near Damascus, March 18, 2018. (Photo: Syrian presidency Facebook page via AP)

Overthrowing Assad and replacing him with a better leader was always desirable, but as a goal it was always well beyond what the American people were willing to commit in blood and treasure, said retired Ambassador James Dobbins, the former special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Obama administration, and a senior fellow at the Rand Corp. Instead the Trump administration should concede that Assad has won the civil war and offer to normalize relations and withdraw U.S. troops, Dobbins argues, based on two conditions: an offer of limited autonomy for Syrian Kurds in territory they now control, thus keeping faith with a key U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS, and the withdrawal of all foreign militias.

At the moment, the Iranian militias and Hezbollah are key to Assads survival, but when the war is over he will want them to go home, which will go a long way toward addressing Israels concerns. I also think the United States can broker an accommodation between Turkey and the Syrian Kurds, just as we once did between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds, said Dobbins. The wider point is that its time to take the politically unpalatable position of acknowledging that Assad has won, and try to make the best of a bad situation.

A number of experts worry, however, that the conflicting signals and constant chaos emanating from the White House will undermine the deft diplomacy, complex messaging and military posturing needed to strike such a deal. The alternative is that the United States continues to lurch between a premature pullout from Syria that could leave a wider regional war in our wake, and a shoot from the lip bellicosity that risks miscalculation and conflict with a nuclear superpower.

Rather than having a strategy driving our actions, we have a president who speaks and thinks in terms of applause lines and impulsive showmanship, and there is a price to be paid for that kind of strategic incoherence, said Paul Pillar, a former senior CIA intelligence analyst specializing in the Near East and South Asia. Our adversaries like the turmoil that messaging sows between the United States and our allies, who are constantly confused about who speaks for the administration, and what exactly to make of the presidents tweets.

Eastern Ghouta following an airstrike carried out by the Assad regime, April 7, 2018. (Photo: Mouneb Taim/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

James Kitfield is senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress, and author of the recent book Twilight Warriors: The Soldiers, Spies and Special Agents Who Are Revolutionizing the American Way of War (Basic Books). He is a former senior correspondent for National Journal and has written about defense, national security and foreign policy issues from Washington, D.C., for more than two decades.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen says everything he did in regard to paying adult film star Stormy Daniels was perfectly legal, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing an interview.

Cohen said FBI agents who raided his home and office "were extremely professional, courteous and respectful," CNN quoted him as saying. Trump denounced the raids on Cohen's office, hotel and home on Monday in New York as disgraceful.

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann; Writing by Eric Walsh)
Istanbul (AFP) - The Turkish spy agency has flown three suspected members of the movement blamed for the 2016 failed coup back to Turkey from the African state of Gabon in a covert operation, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

As part of a secret mission carried out by the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), the men were brought back to Turkey on a private plane from Libreville, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The suspects are accused of belonging to the group of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara accuses of orchestrating the bloody July 15 coup bid two years ago, aimed at unseating Erdogan.

Ankara calls his group the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO) but Gulen insists he runs a purely peaceful movement and denies any link to the failed plot.

"Thanks to God, Gabon delivered three senior FETO members to our country," Erdogan said in a televised speech in Ankara to lawmakers from his ruling party.

The latest MIT swoop comes on the heels of the controversial expulsion of six alleged Gulen group members from Kosovo in a similar operation.

Hinting at further operations, Erdogan added: "We got six from Kosovo, three from Gabon. Our MIT is chasing them. Let's see where the new ones will come from."

- Held incommunicado -

Gulen's group had built up huge influence in Turkey but also abroad -- notably in Africa, the Balkans and Central Asia -- in particular through an education network.

In the Gabon operation, one of the suspects is accused of being the education coordinator of Gulen schools operating across Kenya and another of being director general of Gulen schools in Gabon, according to Anadolu.

Anadolu said some high-ranking Gulen movement members were detained on March 23 in a raid by the Gabon security forces.

But a lawyer for the men told AFP in Libreville they had been arrested on March 15 and held for almost a month without their legal team being allowed access to case documents.

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"They were subjected to an inhuman and degrading treatment," claimed the lawyer who asked not to be named.

The lawyer said that the suspects' close families were extradited to Turkey too -- a total of 13 people. The family members were allowed to go free in Istanbul.

The lawyer added that they worked at a Libreville international school called Ecole Internationale La Lumiere.

- 'Won't walk freely' -

Gabon is ruled by President Ali Bongo Ondimba, the son of Omar Bongo Ondimba who governed the oil-rich nation for more than 41 years until his death in 2009. Ali Bongo Ondimba held talks with Erdogan in Ankara in 2015.

A second lawyer for the men claimed the Gabonese authorities were "unfortunately subjected to the will of the Turkish authorities which clearly did not disturb them much."

In March, five teachers and a doctor, all Turkish nationals alleged to be Gulenists, were flown back to Turkey from Kosovo in a hugely contentious operation carried out by the Pristina interior ministry and MIT.

The operation sparked a crisis in Kosovo, with both the prime minister and president protesting that they were not informed of the operation.

The government said its intelligence agency had brought back from abroad a total of 80 suspected members of the Gulen movement, without elaborating further on the countries.

Over 50,000 people have been given jail sentences or are in prison awaiting the outcome of trials in the crackdown that followed the coup bid which has raised tensions with the West.

Erdogan has vowed to hunt down Gulenists inside and outside Turkey, saying on Monday: "We will never allow those vile people to walk freely."
Paris (France) (AFP) - Two dinosaur skeletons marketed as hip design objects-- one of a diplodocus, the other of an allosaurus -- sold for more than 1.4 million euros ($1.7 million) apiece at auction in Paris on Wednesday.

"The same foreign buyer acquired the two dinosaurs," the Drouot auction house said, hailing "exceptional" prices for dinosaurs, though neither was a record.

The diplodocus -- a herbivorous giant measuring 12 metres long from nose to tail -- fetched 1.44 million euros, compared with 1.41 million for the carnivorous allosaurus, a minnow in dinosaur terms at just 3.8 metres (12.5 feet) long.

The two dinosaurs roamed the Earth during the late Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago.

Only about five dinosaur skeletons are put up for auction around the world every year, mostly snapped up by ultra-rich collectors or museums in Europe or the US.

But auctioneers have noted a surge in interest in China.

"Dinosaurs have become cool, trendy -- real objects of decoration, like paintings," fossil sales expert Iacopo Briano told AFP ahead of the auction, citing Hollywood actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicolas Cage as fans of such outsize prehistoric ornaments.

The nationality of Wednesday's buyer was not revealed.

In 1997, McDonald's and Walt Disney were among donors stumping up $8.36 million to buy Sue -- the most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever found -- for the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
As President Donald Trump weighs a military response to the alleged chemical weapons attack in western Syria, several nations have signaled a willingness to join retaliatory strikes. The result is expected to be a more aggressive response than last year when the U.S. Navy unilaterally launched a salvo of 59 cruise missile attack against a remote Syrian airbase.

The U.S., France, Britain and Middle Eastern allies, including Saudi Arabia, have publicly acknowledged internal deliberations on how to address the suspected poison gas Saturday in the rebel-held western Syrian city of Douma. Activists and monitoring groups said the death toll numbered at least 60 people and injured more than 1,000 others.

Over the past two days, Trump has met with senior national security staff and military leaders at the White House and spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May. All agreed the use of chemical weapons in Syrias blood-soaked civil war, now in its eighth year, must come to an end.

In an indication the Trump Administration preparing to deal with any fallout related to aggressive military action in Syria, the White House on Tuesday canceled Trumps long-scheduled trip to South America this weekend. Shortly thereafter, Defense Secretary James Mattis also canceled his weekend trip to the West Coast.

U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would not disclose specific plans for a military response, but acknowledged that several options were being developed and would likely include foreign allies.

The American guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, which carries 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles, recently arrived in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The ship can fire the missile from hundreds of miles offshore, well out of range of Syrian air defenses. Britain and France have warplanes in the region and may direct warships to join the Cook.

We have a lot of options militarily, Trump told reporters late Monday, adding that those involved would pay a price, including Syrian allies Russia and Iran.

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This is about humanity, he said. Were talking about humanity, and it cant be allowed to happen.

U.S. intelligence agencies continue to collect evidence on the Douma attack and whether it involved the use of a powerful nerve gas  a blatant violation of Trumps red-line. Videos and images of the incident posted to social media show lifeless children with foam bubbling from their mouths and other victims with unblinking eyes that have pinpoint pupils  telltale signs of chemical attack.

The Syrian government, along with ally Russia, has denied launching a chemical attack on civilians and invited international watchdogs to Douma to investigate. The offer was accepted Tuesday by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The possible use of such weapons is a staggering episode that has drawn the worlds attention back on the many atrocities carried out by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad. The attack came just days after Trump publicly announced his desire to pull American troops out of Syria.

Now U.S. war planners are drawing up target lists that risk drawing American forces deeper into the war, in a abrupt reversal of policy. Any attack would mark just the second time that the U.S. would deliberately targeted Assads military. The U.S. has since 2014 focused on targeting ISIS militants in the multi-sided civil war there.

The U.S. acted alone in April last year when it attacked aircraft and facilities at Shayrat airbase, which was the launching point for a lethal gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikoun. The U.S. and its allies could follow with a similar response to the alleged chemical attack on Douma by hitting Al Dumayr air base, where the attack began. The airfield, about 25 miles from the Syrian capital of Damascus, has hosted Syrian attack helicopters as well as Russian advisors.

But if last years strike wasnt enough to deter Assad, then a repeat performance  even with the inclusion of more allies  is unlikely to send the message, said Frederic Hof, a former White House advisor for Syria under President Obama who also worked on regional issues for the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations.

If Assad comes to the conclusion that is a one-off strike, the Trump Administration will have accomplished nothing, Hof said. The message to Assad, and the world, frankly, needs to be clear: There is a high price to pay if you develop and use these weapons against civilians.

Any operation is likely to be challenging and fraught with risk, Hof said, because Assads forces are so tightly entwined with Iranian and Russian troops at various bases. The target list could include whats left of Syrias dwindling number of attack jets, Russian warplanes at Hmeimim air base in northwestern Syria, or headquarters where Assads military officers command and control forces.

The elimination of any of those targets wont break Assads hold on power, since he has nearly defeated the Islamist-dominated rebel groups spawned in the chaos of Syrias 2011 revolution. But it applies pressure to halt continued use of chemical arsenal, which Assad was supposed to hand over after August 2013 his forces lobbing sarin-filled shells at rebel-held enclaves near Damascus. More than 1,000 people were killed, according to U.S. estimates.

The attack almost caused the Obama Administration to launch airstrikes. Obama relented, instead opting for a deal pushed through by Russia saw the government surrender its stockpiles of chemical weapons  including sarin and VX  to the United Nations. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said more than 95% of the governments arsenal was eliminated as a result of the agreement. But Assad launched the Khan Sheikoun attack with sarin last year and dozens of chlorine gas attacks since then.

The last attack intended on degrading Assads ability to launch chemical weapons attacks and deter the regime from using the weapons, said Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst at the nonpartisan Institute for the Study of War in Washington. The Administration accomplished the first part of the mission, but obviously didnt convince Assad not to use chemical weapons. We should expect a more convincing response this time.
U.S. allies France and Saudi Arabia may be joining President Donald Trump in an upcoming attack on Syria, defying Russia, China and Iran, which support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and question his role in a recent chemical weapons attack.

It has been a full day since Trump vowed to respond "forcefully" within "the next 24 to 48 hours" after reports emerged that the Syrian military released toxic gas Saturday in the rebel-held town of Douma outside of Damascus. The statement has reportedly prompted a mobilization of those fighting on behalf of Assad as White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed Trump had already reached out to leaders in France and the U.K.

Related: Russia Responds to Trump's Military Threats in Syria, Puts Forces on High Alert

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"We're going to continue to work with a number of our partners and allies as we determine what the next best steps are," Sanders told reporters at a press briefing.

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YOAN VALAT/AFP/Getty Images

Trump and Defense Secretary James Mattis canceled travel plans Tuesday as speculation grew over what action the president may decide to do in Syria, where the Pentagon's stated mission was limited to the defeat of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), and the U.S. military's presence has been declared illegal by Assad's government. The U.S., Saudi Arabia and France supported the 2011 uprising against Assad's government, and have once again sought an opportunity to challenge him amid recent reports of his chemical weapons use.

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During a phone call Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump urged a "strong response from the international community" to the alleged chemical attack in Douma. Macron said Tuesday he would make a decision "in the coming days," and even discussed potential targets.

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," Macron said, emphasizing that he did "not want an escalation," according to the Agence France-Presse.

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The U.S. and France had previously discussed conducting joint airstrikes against the Syrian government in 2013, after allegations that its armed forces used sarin gas in the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta, near Saturday's suspected attack. The operation was called off after Russia helped mediate a deal in which the Syrian government agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal. However, some Western governments and their allies suspect Assad still has access to such weapons.

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STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also discussed the possibility of taking part in an attack on Syria during a joint press conference with Macron. The young, powerful royal serves as his kingdom's minister of defense and deputy prime minister, and has railed against the growing regional influence of Iran, a close supporter of Assad and a leading rival to Riyadh.

"If our alliance with our partners requires it, we will be present," Prince Mohammed said, echoing Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, who earlier said "that those responsible have to be held accountable and brought to justice," as Reuters reported.

Russia and Iran have joined their Syrian ally in denying the chemical weapons accusations, viewing them as a pretext for foreign intervention against Assad. Top Moscow military officials have already threatened to strike back against any attack on Syria that threatened Russian personnel, who often operate alongside Syrian security forces, and senior Russian legislator Vladimir Shamanov urged his country Tuesday to make good on that warning should the U.S. choose to attack.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif slammed Trump on Twitter Tuesday, accusing him of "helping extremists" by threatening to attack Syria, whose armed forces were also battling ISIS along with other jihadis and rebels. Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned Israel for an airstrike Monday that killed up to seven Iranians at the T-4 air base in central Homs province.

"The crimes will not remain unanswered," he said during a trip to Damascus, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

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Institute for the Study of War/Reuters

Russian, Iranian, Syrian and Lebanese officials have blamed Israel, which has not yet claimed responsibility, for the airstrike. Like Saudi Arabia, Israel has been a vocal opponent of Iranian influence, especially via its Lebanese Shiite Muslim ally, Hezbollah. As Trump broke with his Western allies in threatening to scrap a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, the revolutionary Shiite Muslim power has developed closer ties to Russia and China, who also signed the agreement. China was set to host a seminar Wednesday on the benefits of staying in the Iran deal, according to Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency.

Like Russia and Iran, China was also a supporter of the Syrian government, but has limited its intervention to investment in reconstruction as Assad reclaimed most of the country. China and Russia, who have sought closer military cooperation in recent years, have used their privilege as permanent United Nations Security Council members to block resolution targeting Assad. Russia vetoed and China abstained on the latest resolution calling for an inquiry into Assad's potential role in a chemical weapons attack Tuesday. The Chinese Foreign Ministry urged nations to wait for a comprehensive investigation and respect Syrian sovereignty.

"The Syrian issue now stands at a crucial crossroads. Political settlement is the only viable way out and military means will lead to nowhere," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a regular press conference.

"China always stays committed to peacefully resolving disputes, opposes the wanton use of or threat of use of force in international relations and advocates acting in accordance with the U.N. Charter," he added.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations is in talks with Canada on speeding up the deployment of six helicopters to shore up its peacekeeping force in Mali, a UN envoy said Wednesday.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif said Canada will send the helicopters in August but that the mission needs them in June, when Germany pulls out of the mission with its fleet.

After two years of talks with the United Nations, Canada announced in March that it will send two Chinook transport helicopters and four Griffon attack helicopters to the MINUSMA mission in Mali.

Annadif, who is the UN's envoy to Mali, said talks were ongoing with Canada and Germany to avoid a vacuum.

"We want them in June," he told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.

The United Nations has 13,000 troops and police in Mali, many of whom are deployed in the country's lawless north.

Seven UN peacekeepers have been killed in attacks in Mali this year alone, serving in a mission that has been described as the UN's most dangerous.

Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

Insurgents remain active, linked to drug, arms and migrant trafficking in the vast Sahel region.
At the Greenberg Law office in Brooklyn, framed advertisements reading The Real Call Saul hang on the walls between tongue-in-cheek posters for movies like Devils Advocate. A small, wiry-haired man sits at a desk with sheets of notes splayed out before him. My name is Howard Greenberg, he says. Im a poor excuse for a criminal defense attorney. And thats everything you need to know.

Greenberg is no one to mess with: He has garnered a reputation as one of Manhattans craziest  and most successful  defense lawyers, having represented roughly 4,000 defendants and produced an unusually high number of acquittals and dismissals in cases where such results were thought to be impossible.

It would be my privilege to defend a Nazi, Greenberg says. It would be my privilege to defend Charles Manson. You dont go to the Hall of Fame winning easy cases.  You hone your skills defending the dregs of the Earth, so that the occasionally really innocent person gets the benefit of your work.

Greenbergs outrageous courtroom tactics and ability to successfully represent the lowest of the low has led to the press dubbing him the real Better Call Saul. I disavow that comparison because Saul routinely cheats, he says. And I only cheat from time to time.

In this weeks episode of Yahoo News Unfiltered, we sit down with infamous criminal defense attorney Howard Greenberg, a man who isnt afraid to defend the worst of the worst and who believes the justice system and the government are far from perfect.

We are called upon every day to turn water into wine, Greenberg says of his profession, in which he has labored for almost 30 years. We get paid to do the impossible, and I say impossible because we go up against the other side and they have all the cards, he says about the criminal justice system.

Everything is admissible if the prosecutor wants it, Greenberg adds, and nothings admissible if the defense attorney wants it.

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One of Greenbergs most high-profile cases was the murder of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky by Levi Aron on July 11, 2011. Nicknamed the Butcher of Bensonhurst, Aron kidnapped Kletzky as he was walking to school and subsequently murdered and dismembered him. What was unusual about the crime was that it occurred within the insular, relatively safe Brooklyn Hasidic community.

Levi Aron appears in court for sentencing with his lawyer, criminal defense attorney Howard Greenberg.

Greenberg, one of several attorneys representing Aron, spurred harsh backlash when he implied that the defendants actions resulted from his being a product of inbreeding. Experts told us to explore the theme [of inbreeding], he explains. And when I said that to the press, the whole world went crazy. One such criticism came from New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who called Greenberg a miserable, self-hating Jew.

Such comments seem to slide off Greenberg. The only way to ensure that the truly innocent person gets a fair shake is to defend the worst among us, he says. Theres no such thing as going too far. If you dont go over the line, youre not doing your job.

Indeed, Greenberg is no stranger to taking things to a whole new level when it comes to defending a client, even getting himself admitted to the emergency room the day before a big trial. I go there for the ancillary purpose of getting one of these, he says, showing off a medical wristband. And that will adorn my wrist throughout the pendency of the trial. Sometimes if I have back-to-back trials  I keep it on for months at a time.

I want the jury to wonder, why am I wearing this? In my fantasy mind I imagine them .. saying to themselves, My God, this lawyer must be under treatment for cancer. And look how heroic this son of a bitch is here.

Even Greenbergs office freezer plays a role. Youll see names on pieces of paper, he says while looking at thin strips of paper curled up among the ice, explaining that this is part of a plan to cast spells on my adversaries.

I freeze [them], he says. And you know what? That s*** works, man.

Greenberg doesnt believe hes the only one going to extreme lengths. You know, when they start fighting fair, Ill tone down my act.

Is there anyone Greenberg wouldnt be able to defend? When it comes to the recent mass shootings, domestic terror events and infamous sexual harassment cases, Greenberg rises to the challenge and provides the answer: Not really.

Yes, I would defend the deranged coward who mowed down the bicyclists on the bike path in Manhattan, he says. For him, Im looking for nullification. Muslims have a lot of legitimate grievances against the United States, and I would hope to find one person [on the jury] with whom that proposition resonates.

Greenberg also says that he would defend Harvey Weinstein with great pleasure, and the theme of the theory of his defense is hes sick.

New York terror attack suspect Sayfullo Saipov and former movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

When it comes to the individuals he defends, Greenberg seems to show an endlessly generous side: I cannot apply the label evil to someone who begs me in some manifestation for help.

For those finding themselves in trouble, Greenberg has three words of advice: Better. Call. Howard.
Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (AFP) - More than two dozen F/A-18 Hornets roared off the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in an ear-splitting display of US military might as the aircraft carrier sailed through the South China Sea.

The training exercise Tuesday came ahead of a port call in the Philippines, which along with several other nations is embroiled in disputes with Beijing over its claim to the strategic waters.

The demonstration, during a visit by Philippine generals and journalists, was held just days after Beijing flexed its own military muscle with a huge naval drill involving its sole aircraft carrier and dozens of other vessels several hundred kilometres to the north.

"We have seen Chinese ships around us," carrier strike group commander Rear Admiral Steve Koehler said.

"They're one of the navies that operate in the South China Sea but I would tell you that we've seen nothing but professional work from the ships that we've encountered," he said.

Koehler acknowledged "there's a lot of disputes" over the area but insisted the carrier group was transiting through international waters.

The US, a long-time ally of the Philippines, is not party to any of the disputes but says it wants to keep the crucial waterway open to shipping.

"If all the navies are operating in accordance with the international norms and law, which is what we're doing and what we've seen all the navies that are operating in and around the South China Sea (do), that's the whole point," Koehler said.

"We have not seen any dangers in our actions."

Beijing has been building artificial islands to reinforce its claim over most of the resource-rich South China Sea.

Its neighbours, particularly some of those involved in maritime disputes over the waters, have expressed fears China could eventually restrict freedom of navigation and overflight.

Koehler said his strike group's presence in the area was planned well in advance and it was "probably by happenstance" that its mission coincided with the Chinese drill.

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"Certainly in the last few years China has increased their naval capacity. We certainly see that," he said.

The Roosevelt's captain, Carlos Sardiello, said it was "in the vicinity" of Reed Bank, a supposedly gas-rich undersea formation claimed by Manila and Beijing, and about 270 nautical miles from Manila.

Beijing has previously protested over similar US Navy manoeuvres in the South China Sea.

US warships regularly conduct "freedom of navigation" operations near islands controlled by Beijing.

The carrier group was en route to Manila, having returned to the Pacific after its warplanes launched more than 1,000 sorties last year, both against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and also in Afghanistan.

Compared with the 11 active carriers in the US Navy, China currently has just one.

But it has made no secret of its desire to build up its naval forces and last month announced an 8.1 percent increase in military spending to 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion).
New York (AFP) - When Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman learned in 2006 his men had captured two suspected members of the rival Las Zetas cartel, he first wanted to have lunch.

Next the now jailed El Chapo -- then one of the world's most powerful drug traffickers -- ordered the men beaten and killed with bullets to the head, before their bodies were thrown in a hole and ignited.

The chilling incident is among the violent crimes allegedly carried out by Guzman included in a more than 90-page long memo filed Tuesday in a Brooklyn federal court, where he is slated to go on trial September 5.

The government filing laid out brutal crimes El Chapo is accused of committing that were not detailed in the indictment, evidence of which prosecutors are requesting permission to present at the trial.

The memo additionally alleges Guzman was behind an infamous gun battle at a disco in Puerto Vallarta that left six dead.

"Starting in the 1980s, the defendant systematically kidnapped, assaulted, tortured and murdered individuals who threatened the success of his drug tracking activity," the memo said.

The document also cites a 1993 seizure of 7.3 tons of cocaine stashed in cans of jalapeno chili peppers destined stateside.

The prosecution -- which claims to have some 300,000 pages of documents and hundreds of satellite photos, emails, videos and intercepted calls proving El Chapo's guilt -- requested some witnesses be allowed to testify under a pseudonym for security reasons.

Guzman's lawyer, Eduardo Balarezo, did not immediately respond to AFP request for comment.

El Chapo, 60, was one of the world's most powerful drug traffickers.

But his reign was cut short in January 2017 when he was extradited to the United States following his capture after a brash escape from a Mexican prison, his second jailbreak.

Accused of running the Sinaloa Cartel, a powerful criminal syndicate, Guzman is facing 17 charges. If convicted he is likely to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security US prison.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will vote Tuesday on rival US and Russian draft resolutions in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, setting up a clash as the threat of US military action loomed large.

The council will meet at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) for a first vote on a US proposal to set up an inquiry to investigate chemical weapons attacks in Syria, but the measure is likely to face a veto from Russia, diplomats said.

Russia has also asked for a vote on a separate draft text presented in January that calls for an inquiry, but Western powers have already dismissed that measure as biased in favor of Damascus.

In a surprise move, Russia put forward a second draft resolution backing the deployment of investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to Syria, according to the text seen by AFP.

Russia and Syria have called for the OPCW to send its experts to the rebel-held town of Douma, where toxic gas was allegedly used in an attack on Saturday that killed dozens.

Diplomats said allowing OPCW experts to carry out a fact-finding mission could be aimed at heading off Western military strikes.

The OPCW, however, does not have a mandate to identify those responsible for chemical attacks, a task that the United States wants to confer to its proposed panel.

- Threat of military action -

The US-Russia showdown at the Security Council comes amid warnings from President Donald Trump that there will be a "big price to pay" for the alleged attack in Douma.

During a stormy council meeting on Monday, US Ambassador Nikki Haley called for action to address chemical weapons use in Syria and warned that the United States was ready to respond, with or without the United Nations.

"We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done," Haley said.

"History will record this as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria," she added.

Story continues

"Either way, the United States will respond."

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned that US military action in Syria could lead to "grave repercussions."

"From what we hear now, I am afraid they are looking for a military option, which is very, very dangerous," Nebenzia said.

A draft resolution requires nine votes to be adopted in the 15-member council and no vetoes from the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Russia has used its veto power 11 times at the council to block action targeting its Syrian ally.

The United States is proposing to establish the new panel for one year to work with the OPCW to identify perpetrators, reviving the work of a previous panel that ended in November when Russia vetoed the renewal of its mandate.

That panel, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), had found that the Syrian air force had dropped sarin on the village of Khan Sheikhun in April of last year.
A crash-test dummys life is full of ups and downs. That is perhaps even truer for the dummies NASA has enlisted.

The space agencys Langley Research Center in Virginia has given shed some light on the experiences of these abused figures, including footage of the devastating crashes they endure in the name of science.

Researchers have to use crash test dummies to evaluate the likelihood of injury when theyre either coming back to the ocean or theyre going to be coming back to land, Martin Annett, a structural impact dynamics engineer, said in the NASA video.

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The they he refers to are astronauts returning from a space mission, but crash-test dummies are used to investigate more than just spacecraftthey could be used to make airplanes safer too, for example. The dummies are rigged up to deliver data from the crashs impact to a computer, and the researchers analyze that data to find out if safety equipment like helmets, suits and chairs are effective and what sort of impacts would cause human injury.

It can be a tricky process.

Everything that you really want to know about injury occurs in anywhere from one-tenth to four-tenths of a second, Annett said. So we have to be able to capture a lot of data within that timeframe.

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The video includes wince-inducing footage of dummies smacking to the ground inside small planes, an astronaut crew capsule and a piece of a fuselage.

NASA uses dummies of different shapes and sizes to understand how maneuvers impact both men and women, large and small. They also drop the dummies and their test vehicles at different angles and speeds to get various views of the impacts.

According to officials, the inanimate victims are the same kind automobile companies use on their own crash tests, although those involve more forward and backward movements than vertical drops.

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crash-test-dummies

Screenshot

This article was first written by Newsweek

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By Angela Moore

POLO, Illinois, April 10 (Reuters) - Brian Duncan runs a farm two hours outside Chicago that has been in his family for four generations. Each morning he wakes to attend to his hogs and his crops, but now, more often than not, he also has to pay attention to President Donald Trump's Twitter feed.

With the threat of a trade war between the United States and China, Duncan is worried his hog sales along with his soybean, corn and wheat crops will be affected if China slaps tariffs on U.S. agriculture.

The hogs market has been volatile, dropping on days when the tensions rise, rising when officials sound more conciliatory. Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures are down 6 percent since the end of March.

The uncertainty is creating headaches for Duncan.

It is a difficult environment. I, like most businessmen, would like stability. As we go from one tweet to the next, it creates an unstable environment, said Duncan from the office of his farm, which covers 4,000 acres in Polo, Illinois. It brings about 70,000 hogs to market annually.

In response to Trumps initial threats to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese goods, China said it would levy an extra 25 percent duty on pork products and other American products.

Trump has said the administration will protect farmers, but has said little in the way of specifics. Some farm-state lawmakers have said the omnibus farm bill, which passes every five years or so, could address the issue, but analysts warned against extensive subsidies that could have wide-ranging effects, causing too much production in an already oversupplied market.

"This could set off a little bit of a roller coaster or a landslide if it were to get too large," said Ryland Maltsbarger, associate director in pricing and purchasing at IHS Markit.

"If you start subsidizing production, you could get retaliation not just from rival exporters, but also importers."

Duncan, who is also vice president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, said the inconsistent message keeps him up at night. About 30 percent of his hogs are exported, and China plays a strong role in the global market.

If we lose the China market or if we cede that market to other countries, it could be a game changer for generations negatively too, because once you lose those markets, they are hard to get back, he said. (Reporting By Angela Moore; additional reporting by Ayenat Mersie, writing by David Gaffen; Editing by David Gregorio)
Washington (United States) (AFP) - US President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday that missiles would be launched at Syria following a suspected chemical attack, virtually ensuring a military strike against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The question now becomes what the United States, probably with France and Britain, will hit in war-torn Syria, and what are the risks of escalation and miscalculation with Assad allies Russia and Iran.

- What will it target? -

The United States and its allies France and Britain want to send a clear and definitive message to Assad that the future use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

One way to ensure Assad cannot use such weapons is to conduct strikes on his chemical infrastructure, including by targeting factories and weapons holding areas.

However, such an action carries risks, including the possibility of unintentionally unleashing a cloud of toxic gas into the environment.

The strike could also target what is left of Assad's air force and air defenses, though the delay between Saturday's attack and an eventual retaliatory strike means he likely will have moved his warplanes to safety.

Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst for the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, told AFP that one potential target would be Dumayr military airport northeast of Damascus, from where regime aircraft used in Saturday's attack may have launched.

Moscow has two air bases on the Syrian coast, Tartus and Hmeimim, protected by S-300 and S-400 air missile defense systems.

- How big will the strike be? -

Trump last year ordered a strike against Assad following a deadly sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.

The US Navy launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, targeting Shayrat air base, its aircraft, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radars.

But the strike was limited and designed to not draw America into the chaos of Syria's bloody civil war.

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Since then, the regime is alleged to have repeatedly used chlorine and other chemicals, forcing Pentagon planners to consider broader action.

Cafarella said the United States must decide how far it wants to go in terms of hitting Iranian proxy forces near US positions in eastern Syria, or even targeting Russian-supported facilities.

"The president has publicly stated that he intends to hold not just Assad but his backers accountable as well," she noted.

- How will it be launched? -

A strike against Syria will likely come in the form of missiles, as was the case last year.

The United States would not want to risk putting manned fighters over Syrian air defenses -- a shoot-down would send the conflict spiraling in unforeseeable new directions.

The USS Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, is within easy striking range of Syria, as is a French frigate with its own cruise missiles.

These two ships, possibly aided by a US submarine, are likely to play a role in a strike.

The US also has B-2 bombers at its disposal. These stealth planes were used in 2017 against the Islamic State group in Libya, having flown all the way from America on a 34-hour round trip.

- What are the risks? -

The reaction from Assad backer Moscow is unpredictable and Russia has threatened retaliatory action against the United States if missiles are fired at Syria.

The Russian army on Wednesday accused the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging a chemical weapons attack in Douma, where observers say more than 40 people died in a gas attack.

NBC News reported Tuesday that Russia has learned how to use GPS jammers to limit the capabilities of US drones operating over Syria.

"The US has to be very careful not to accidentally strike Russian targets or kill Russian advisors," Ben Connable, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, told AFP.

"That significantly limits the number of options available to the United States, because the Russians are embedded in many cases with the Syrians."

Connable warned that if the US accidentally or purposefully kills uniformed Russian soldiers, there would potentially be a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear powers.
By Peter Nicholls SALISBURY, England (Reuters) - Yulia Skripal has left hospital more than five weeks after she and her father, a former Russian spy, were poisoned with a nerve agent in an attack that has sparked one of the biggest crises in the West's relations with the Kremlin since the Cold War. Yulia and Sergei Skripal, 66, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who betrayed dozens of agents to Britains MI6 foreign spy service, were found unconscious on a public bench in the English cathedral city of Salisbury on March 4. Britain accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack and Western governments including the United States expelled over 100 Russian diplomats. Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and retaliated in kind. The Skripals were in a critical condition for weeks and doctors at one point feared, even if they survived, they might have suffered brain damage. But the Skripals' health since then has begun to improve rapidly. Yulia, 33, has been discharged from Salisbury District Hospital, Christine Blanshard, medical director of the hospital, told reporters on Tuesday and her father could be discharged in due course. "We have now discharged Yulia," Blanshard said. "This is not the end of her treatment, but marks a significant milestone." "Her father has also made good progress," Blanshard said. " "Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course." Yulia has been taken to a secure location, the BBC said. The Sunday Times reported that Britain was considering giving the Skripals new identities and a fresh life in the United States to protect them from further attacks. Russia said it would consider any secret resettlement of the Skripals as an abduction of its citizens. "The world, while having no opportunity to interact with them, will have every reason to see this as an abduction of the two Russian nationals or at least as their isolation," a spokesman for the Russian embassy in London said. DIPLOMATIC CRISIS British 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 denied Britain's charges of involvement in the first known offensive use of such a nerve agent on European soil since World War Two and suggested Britain carried out the attack itself to stoke anti-Russian hysteria. Russia has said it does not have such nerve agents and President Vladimir Putin said it was nonsense to think that Moscow would have poisoned Skripal and his daughter. Blanshard, a doctor with 25 years experience, said nerve agents work by attaching themselves to particular enzymes in the body that then stop the nerves from functioning. She said this had resulted in sickness and hallucinations. Giving the first details about the medical treatment of the Skripals, she said doctors had first sought to stabilize them to ensure that they could breathe and that blood could circulate. "We then needed to use a variety of different drugs to support the patients, until they could create more enzymes to replace those affected by the poisoning," Blanshard said. "We also used specialized decontamination techniques to remove any residual toxins." She did not say when Yulia had been discharged. Both Britain and Russia congratulated Skripal, a Russian citizen, on her recovery. "We congratulate Yulia Skripal on her recovery," the Russian embassy in London said, adding that it had not been granted consular access to her. Sergei Skripal, who was recruited by Britain's 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. He has British citizenship. (Writing by Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge; Additional reporting by Alistair Smout and Sarah Young; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Yulia Skripal was discharged from hospital after responding exceptionally well to treatment amid reports in the Russian media that she would soon release a statement about political asylum.

Skripal, 33, and her father, Sergei, 66, were poisoned with a novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, on March 4, which left both of them fighting for their lives in hospital.

Dr Christine Blanshard, medical director at Salisbury District Hospital, confirmed on April 10 that Yulia Skripal had been discharged from the hospital.

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Yulia Skripal

Yulia Skripal/Facebook

"Both patients have responded exceptionally well to the treatment weve been providing. But equally, both patients are at different stages in their recovery," she said.

"I also want to take this opportunity to wish Yulia well. This is not the end of her treatment, but marks a significant milestone.

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"Her father has also made good progress. On Friday I announced that he was no longer in a critical condition. Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course."

Western powers have accused the Kremlin of carrying out the attack on Skripal and his daughter, though Moscow denies any involvement. The U.S., U.K. and other allies have ordered a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats and spies. Russia has responded in kind.

Sergei Skripal is a former Russian military intelligence colonel convicted of being a double agent for the British in 2006. He was released from prison in Russia under a 2010 spy swap deal with the U.S. Skripal settled in England.

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According to Russian state media, Sergei Skripals niece Viktoria said in a TV interview that her cousin will soon make a statement on political asylum, though she gave no further details. Yulia Skripal is a resident of Moscow and was visiting her father in England when the attack happened.

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It follows a report in Britains The Sunday Times newspaper that the U.K. and U.S. intelligence services are working together to offer the Skripals new identities and a fresh start in America where they will likely be safest.

The report also said other countries in the five eyes intelligence-sharing partnership were being considered. That partnership includes Britain, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Wellington (AFP) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted her South Pacific nation was "undeniably" racist but said she is proud of efforts to stamp out the problem.

The centre-left leader was responding to comments from Kiwi film-maker Taika Waititi that his homeland is "racist as fuck".

Thor Ragnarok director Waititi, who is Maori, outlined the prejudice he had experienced in an interview with British magazine Dazed & Confused last week.

"It's racist as fuck. I mean, I think New Zealand is the best place on the planet, but its a racist place," he said.

"People just flat-out refuse to pronounce Maori names properly. Theres still profiling when it comes to Polynesians."

He said he had been asked during his youth whether he was a glue sniffer, simply because of his Maori background.

The remarks prompted fierce debate in New Zealand, with many backing him and others saying he was overstating a problem that was much worse in other countries.

Asked for her view on Waititi's assessment, Ardern joked: "I don't know where F sits on the quantum!"

"I think probably you'd be hard-pressed to find a country that didnt have racism in it," she told TV3 on Tuesday.

"Is New Zealand one of them? Undeniably. Is there racism in most countries? Undeniably. Can we do better? Yes.

"I'm really proud of the efforts we make daily to do better."

Waititi, who last year fronted a Human Rights Commission anti-racism campaign, waded back into the issue Wednesday in response to complaints that white New Zealanders were not the only people who displayed racism.

"YES there are racist Maori," he tweeted. "Many in my family too. It's everywhere. That's the damn point."
Mark Zuckerberg has revealed Facebook has been cooperating with the special prosecutors investigation into Moscows alleged election meddling, as he claimed countering Russian interference was an arms race.

Appearing before politicians on Capitol Hill for the first of two days of testimony, the Facebook CEO said the company he established in 2004 was seeking to undergo a philosophical change amid recent controversy over the inappropriate use of peoples data, even as he sought to shape any pending regulation.

Indeed, on a day that bore with it potentially huge implications for a $80bn company and its 33-year-old chief, Mr Zuckerberg seemed largely untroubled by the questions he encountered. Many commentators on social media suggested most of the senators questioning the Harvard drop-out, did no more than confirm how little they know about the subject.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed the suggestion by several Republican lawmakers on Wednesday that the social media network is biased against conservative content  but admitted he is worried about the issue of censorship on the platform in general.

This is one of the areas that, frankly, Im worried were not doing a good job at right now, Zuckerberg said in his testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The principle that were a platform for all ideas is something I care very deeply about. I am worried about bias  and I agree that this is a serious issue.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., cited the recent example of Facebook rejecting a Catholic universitys ad showing Jesus on the cross, which outraged some religious conservatives. The company apologized and subsequently accepted the image.

That it happened at all is deeply disturbing, she told Zuckerberg. Could you tell what was so shocking, sensational or excessively violent about the ad to cause it to be initially censored?

It sounds like we made a mistake there, and I apologize for that, Zuckerberg replied. With the amount of content in our systems and the current systems that we have in place to review  we make a relatively small percent of mistakes in content review, but thats too many. And this is an area where we need to improve.

Zuckerberg continued: I wouldnt extrapolate from a few examples to assuming that the overall system is biased. I get how people can look at that and draw that conclusion, but I dont think that reflects the way were trying to build this system or what we have seen.

The 33-year-old executive said that while the complaints cited by the panel were about conservative content, he hears from both sides.

I can assure you that there are a lot of folks who think we make content moderation mistakes  and content review mistakes  of liberal content as well, Zuckerberg said.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a House Energy and Commerce hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Appearing before the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, Zuckerberg faced pointed questions from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, about Facebooks perceived liberal bias.

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Does Facebook consider itself to be a neutral public forum? Cruz asked. Its just a simple question.  Do you consider yourself a neutral public forum? Or are you engaged in political speech, which is your right under the First Amendment?

Our goal is not to engage in political speech, Zuckerberg replied.

Cruz said that there are a great many Americans who, I think, are deeply concerned that Facebook and other tech companies are engaged in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship. Cruz noted that Diamond and Silk, sisters who have become famous for their pro-Trump videos, recently said that their Facebook page was blocked after the site determined it to be unsafe to the community.

On Wednesday, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, told Zuckerberg that he has received several questions from constituents about the duo on his own Facebook page.

Please ask Mr. Zuckerberg why is Facebook biased against conservative bloggers such as Diamond and Silk? Facebook called them unsafe to the community, Barton said, reading one message from his phone aloud. That is ludicrous. They hold conservative views. That isnt unsafe.

In that specific case, our team made an enforcement error, Zuckerberg replied. And we have already gotten in touch with them to reverse it.

Zuckerbergs appearances before the congressional panels come in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which exposed personal information from as many as 87 million Facebook users. Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm used by Donald Trumps presidential campaign, was able to access user data through a third-party quiz app.

Rep. Billy Long, R-La., said his constituents are not concerned about the data breach  but are worried about censorship.

I represent 751,000 people, Long said. Im not getting the outcry from my constituents about whats going on with Cambridge Analytica.

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We know the world is hypocritical, but if we needed further proof that the human rights discourse and the rights organizations have nothing to do with human ethics, the past few days have provided that proof.

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The volume of criticism against Israel over the casualties of the March of Return is larger than the volume of criticism against Syrian President Bashar Assads ongoing massacre of his own citizens. And in general, there are more international demands for an investigation against Israel than demands for an investigation against the butcher of Damascus.

Make no mistake. The Muslim world is the victim of this moral and human distortion. Because when everyone involved in the massacre in Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia and many other centers of friction is allowed to carry out crimes against humanity without any international criticismthe massacre continues.

The world's hypocrisy doesnt benefit the Muslims. Its their enemy

Israel is hit with hypocritical criticism. The Muslims are hit with massacres. The hypocrisy doesnt benefit them. Its their enemy.

The problem isnt the international bodies, like the United Nations Human Rights Council. The automatic majority there has turned Israel into the most criminal country on earth. The number of anti-Israel resolutions leads to the conclusion that Israel kills thousands of Muslims a week, for no reason.

The problem is with the human rights organizations. They are cooperating with this great deception. They are joining the criticism against Israel. They are pointing an accusing finger. They are talking about crimes. And they are barely talking about the great massacre being carried out by Assad. This silence is a license to massacre.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for his responsibility for the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people in Darfur, became the Muslim worlds hero. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is very sensitive when it comes to hurting Muslims who scream death to the Jews and wave a Palestinian flag combined with a Nazi flag, embraced that same Bashir. A few years earlier, he presented former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi with a human rights award. Ahed Tamimi, who supports suicide bombings, and who has been turned into Anne Frank by some fools among us, has also received a prestigious prize from Erdogan for her successful shows.

Muslims and Arabs are massacring Muslim Arabs, but the ICC prosecutor has announced another investigation against Israelnot against Assad and his friends (Photo: AFP)

Some 20,000 people are murdered every year by jihad branches in recent years. Dozens a day. About 2,000 a month. Its a terror routine which makes no headlines, because Muslims are killing Muslims. Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood founder, called it the industry of death, and his successors keep doing it.

Thousands are being massacred in conflicts, like the conflict that left Syria in ruins seven years ago. But the condemnations are directed at Israel, which has to deal with people waving the Nazi flag and screaming death to the Jews.

During the Second Lebanon War, Israel leveled the Dahiya Quarter in Beirut. The entire world condemned Israel. But one righteous journalist, James Delingpole, wrote at the time: Forming your opinion on the Israel/Hezbollah war on the basis of Jeremy Bowen's handwringing BBC news reports from Beirut is a bit like deciding what you think of the Second World War based on local coverage of the firebombing of Dresden, as filmed with the full co-operation of Mr. Goebbels's press department.

Nothing has changed. Muslims and Arabs are massacring Muslim Arabs. But the ICC prosecutor has announced that she is launching another investigationagainst Israel, not against Assad and his friends.
In a series of special events, Poland recently marked the national remembrance day for Poles who saved Jews during the German occupation. The law, establishing the memorial day as a  national holiday  for all intents and purposes, was initiated by President Andrzej Duda and approved in the following weeks in swift legislation by the two houses of the Polish parliament with votes from both the coalition and the opposition.

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The dateMarch 24was selected to mark the day in 1944 in which the Nazis murdered eight members of the Ulma family, two adults and six children, who hid eight Jews in their home. Those Jews were also murdered. They were all turned over to the Germans by a polish policeman.

In 1995, Yad Vashem added the Ulma family to the Righteous Among the Nations list. The family lived in the village of Markowa in southeastern Poland, at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. Before World War II, the village had 120 Jewish residents. About 30 of them survived the Holocaust after finding shelter (usually for money) with local peasant families.

The Auschwitz death camp. Some 250,000 Jews who fled the ghettos, the trains and the death camps were turned over to the Nazis by Polish people, and thousands were murdered by their neighbors (Photo: AP)

The Polish government, led by the nationalist-conservative Law and Justice party, inaugurated in Markowa in 2016 the Ulma Family Museum of Poles Saving Jews in World War II. The museum, which has a Hebrew-language website, was the center of the ceremonies and conferences marking rescue day. Independent Polish historians have criticized the museum display for being one-sided and ignoring the persecutions, extraditions and murders of Jews in the area.

The remembrance day for Poles who saved Jews was led by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), which is combination of a research institute, an archive and a legal practice. Among other things, IPN produced a video about the Polish acts of heroism in saving Jews, distributed learning material for schools and prepared a mobile exhibition about the Zegota organization, the Polish Council to Aid Jews, which operated as a secret arm of the Polish national resistance and the states army. The Polish postal company issued a special stamp with the portrait of Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who saved many Jewish children and was recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations.

Some 3.3 million Jews lived on Polish territory before World War II broke out; 50,000 of them survived the Holocaust. Half a million Jews lived in the capital of Warsaw; 98 percent of them were murdered in the Holocaust and in the revolt, and 2 percent survived. There was no other ghetto like the one the Nazis built in Warsaw in any other city in occupied Europe.

Jewish Canadian historian Gunnar S. Paulsson estimated in his controversial book Secret City that some 80,000 Poles in the Warsaw area had been directly or indirectly involved in aiding Jews. Many historians believe the number is radically exaggerated, and that only several thousand noble and brave Poles operated in occupied Warsaw, as Prof. Havi Dreifuss has stated.

Polish President Duda apologizes to Jews driven out in anti-Semitic incidents (Photo: EPA)

Nearly 6,700 Poles have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nation, according to strict Yad Vashem criteria, including the condition of not taking any money or cash equivalents for the rescue. But since the reality in the days of the Nazi occupation in Poland was very complex, its impossible to make clear distinctions between humanitarian and material motives. The correct number of Poles who saved Jews is therefore higher, but its still far from the hundreds of thousands implied by the modern rewriters of Polish history.

Some 250,000 Jews who fled the ghettos, the trains and the death camps were turned over to the Nazis by Polish people, and thousands were murdered by their neighbors.

The Polish governments attempt to emphasize the issue of Poles who saved Jews can be seen as a distraction and manipulation trick aimed at whitewashing and clearing the Poles conscience, presenting Poland as a victim of an international plot, mainly a German-Jewish one. On the other hand, Polands efforts to glorify the rescue of Jews during the Holocaust can be seen as a source of great national pride and a moral message to the young generation, a message of sacrificing yourself for your Jewish neighbor.

With all the justified criticism over the law against slandering Poland, over the regular replacement of museum directors, over the forgiveness towards anti-Semitic acts, we shouldnt ignore the fact that 75 years after the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Poland is still mercilessly dealing with the open wounds of the Holocaust era and continuously engaging in national-moral self-examination. As far as Poland is concerned, as far as were concerned too, that past isnt over and done with.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday that a well-known Gaza journalist who was killed by Israeli gunfire over the weekend was a member of Hamas, an allegation denied by the Islamic terror group and the journalist's family.

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Yasser Murtaja died from a gunshot wound while filming a mass demonstration near the fence with Israel on Friday in an area engulfed in thick black smoke from Palestinians setting tires on fire.

Defense Minister Lieberman (Photo: Efraim Sharir)

Hamas has called for Palestinians to amass at the border as part of a weeks-long campaign of protests against a decade-old Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the territory. It also has suggested that it may attempt a mass border breach.

Israel is closely guarding the fence and has warned it will not tolerate attempts to breach it. Twenty-six protesters have been killed and hundreds wounded since the protests began March 30. Israel says it has only fired at "instigators" trying to carry out attacks.

Murtaja was shot while carrying a video camera and wearing a flak jacket marked with the word "press."

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Lieberman said that Murtaja was a "terrorist" who had been on the Hamas payroll since 2011. He said Murtaja had used a drone to collect intelligence on Israeli forces along the border.

Murtaja, after being shot (Photo: Reuters)

"This is a member of the military arm of Hamas who holds a rank parallel to that of captain, who was active in Hamas for many years," Lieberman said. "Once again we see how Hamas uses the media, ambulances and patients, including cancer patients who are sent to hospitals in Israel," to carry out "terrorist missions."

Lieberman provided no evidence to support his allegations. Israel's military said it is still investigating and was not able to confirm Lieberman's claims.

Prior to linking Murtaja to the terror organization, Lieberman argued that "Anyone who operates multirotor drones over IDF soldiers needs to understand he is endangering himself."

"What we saw over the past two weeks is a parade of terrorism," Lieberman said on Saturday during Mimouna celebrations in Ashkelon. "Members of Hamas's military wing, dressed as civilians, tried to hurt Israel's citizens and its sovereignty, and we won't allow it."

"We saw dozens of cases in which Hamas terrorists used ambulances, dressed up as Red Crescent workers, and dressed up as journalists," he continued. "We won't take any risks."

Yasser Murtaja

Murtaja, 30, was the co-founder of Ain Media, a local TV production company that has done projects, including aerial drone filming, for foreign media clients such as the BBC and Al-Jazeera English.

The State Department said Tuesday that the media production company had recently received an $11,700 grant from the US government. Ain Media became a USAID program beneficiary last month under a program that supports private sector development. The State Department said the grant was still in its early stages, and no equipment or technical assistance has been provided.

It said the grant was vetted according to strict US government requirements of USAID-funded assistance.

Murtaja had been hired to begin work for the Norwegian Refugee Council, a major international aid organization. The group released footage showing what it described as his "last work." He died two days before he was to start his new job.

The footage, taken at a protest a week earlier, shows several aerial shots of tires being set on fire near the border fence, wounded protesters being rushed to medical tents as well as other shots, apparently taken from the ground, of an Israeli tank and Israeli troops off in the distance.

The NRC's secretary-general, Jan Egeland, called Murtaja's death "heartbreaking," and has called for accountability for "the shooting of an innocent civilian."

Friday's riot at the Gaza border (Photo: EPA)

In Gaza, Murtaja's brother, Mutasem, angrily denied Lieberman's claims.

"He spreads lies to get himself out of the impasse," he said. "Yasser was filming the protests with simple cameras to show they are peaceful."

At the funeral Saturday, Murtaja's body was draped in a Palestinian flag with his flak jacket reading "press" placed upon it as it was carried through the streets of Gaza.

Hamas' leader, Ismail Haniyeh, attended the funeral in a sign of respect. But no gunmen were visible at the ceremony, as is common when members of militant groups are buried.

Hamas, a militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, has called for the protests to continue until May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding, when Palestinians commemorate their displacement during the 1948 war over Israel's creation.

Hamas hopes the protests can create pressure to break a border blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, when Hamas took over Gaza, without the militant group being forced to disarm.

Israel has accused Hamas of using the recent protests as a cover for carrying out attacks and trying to infiltrate Israel. It has said some of those at the border tried to damage the fence, planted explosives or hurled fire bombs. The army says it uses live fire as a last resort, and only on attackers.
Dublin Mayor Micheal Eamonn Mac Donncha, who led a decision to expel the Israeli ambassador from his city, landed at Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday night and arrived at a conference in Ramallah as a guest of the Palestinian Authority, although Interior Minister Aryeh Deri had instructed authorities to stop him from entering Israel.

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Donncha apparently managed to enter Israel due to a misidentification, and authorities are looking into ways to expel him Wednesday.

Micheal Eamonn Mac Donncha

A source in the Population and Immigration Authority said Wednesday morning that the Dublin mayor entered Israel due to a technological glitch "which could happen," and went on to blame the Ministry of Strategic Affairs for the error.

"The details aren't received with the man's picture," the source explained. "The Ministry of Strategic Affairs misspelled the man's name in the document it gave the border control, and that's how it was entered into the system. If someone is barred from entering, the system should produce a warning as soon as the name is entered, but when someone arrives with a passport bearing a different name, there's no way of knowing about the ban."

The source admitted, however, that had the man been banned entry for security reasons, it would have been a serious mishap. "He is in Ramallah, he didn't come here to carry out a terror attack in Israel," the source said. "Tens of thousands of people enter the country every day, and the inspectors dont know him personally. He's not a famous person."

A Ministry of Strategic Affairs official clarified that "the ministry gave the Population and Immigration Authority the Dublin mayor's full and correct name as it is spelled on his official website." The official also provided a screenshot from the website.

The screenshot provided by the Ministry of Strategic Affair

Interior Minister Deri appointed his ministry's director-general, Mordechai Cohen, to look into the incident. "This examination is required to prevent such mishaps in the future and draw conclusions from what happened," he said.

"In any event, after the Dublin mayor leaves Israel and in light of his activity against the state, I have instructed authorities to hand him a letter banning him from entering Israeli territories in the future."

He acts in any way possible against Israel, Deri said in his justification of his decision to ban Donncha's entry. He initiated condemnations against us and yesterday he led a resolution to expel our ambassador in Ireland.

Now, he wants to enter PA territory in order to continue to incite and harm Israel. I instructed that he be prevented from entering so that he cannot harm the state, the minister continued. I will continued to use my authority against anyone who tries to harm the State of Israel, including senior public officials.

Deris decision was taken following a recommendation by the Ministry of Strategic Affairs. Following the recommendations, the Foreign Ministry stated that there was no political impediment to preventing the mayor's entry.

The Foreign Ministry also issued a statement responding to Irelands decision expel the Israeli ambassador.

The city of Dublin adopted a shameful and ridiculous resolution, in the hateful spirit of Hamas and similar organizations, the statement charged. It is utterly unacceptable that the capital city of a country which is a member of the European Union adopts resolution that is entirely a boycott, hateful and racist. We expect a scathing Irish condemnation of this despicable resolution.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Emannuel Nahshon also wrote on his Twitter page, slamming the Irish for the resolution.

The Dublin city council resolution to call for the expulsion of Israels Ambassador is utter nonsense, worthy of dark dictatorships. This is lowbrow Antisemitism, not what youd expect of the capital of an EU member state, Nahshon wrote.

A day before departing for Israel, the Dublin City Council adopted the resolution to expel the ambassador for the deaths of Palestinians during the March of Return violent demonstrations staged on the Gaza border. The resolution, however, was purely declarative, and carried no practical obligation on the government.

Minister Deri (Photo: AFP)

Donncha slammed US President Donald Trumps decision last year to transfer the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, asserting that the move constituted a serious obstacle to peace, reconciliation and justice in Palestine and Israel.

He announced that he would provide assistance to Ramallah in order to bring about the recognition of eastern Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state under a two-state solution to the conflict, which he said has been recognized by the international community and blocked by Israel.

Jerusalem is a place of immense cultural and religious significance to people all over the world, including in Ireland, he said. It is, obviously, a place of immense significance for the Palestinian people.

Donncha also said that he had decided to head to Ramallah in order to demonstrate his solidarity with the Palestinians who suffer violence by the Israeli forces, as we saw recently in Gaza with shooting at protesters.

The Dublin Council also adopted a resolution calling for a boycott against HP, since the its technology is used by the Israeli government at checkpoints in the territories and it is used in identification cards and naval systems that enable Israel to impose apartheid on the Palestinian people.

In May 2017, the Dublin City Council approved the placing the Palestinian flag above its building for a month, in solidarity with the Palestinian people "suffering from brutal apartheid and the 50th anniversary of the occupation.
Pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol on Tuesday warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within that period and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

The Eurocontrol warning on its website did not specify the origin of any potential missile threat.

"Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area," it said, referring to the designated airspace.
Police have arrested five people who participated in protests for the release of Avera Mengistu, an Israeli citizen held by Hamas, in the city of Rehovot.

The five were arrested on suspicion of disrupting public order, blocking roads and attacking police officers.
UNITED NATIONS - Rival US and Russian resolutions to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria suffered defeats at the United Nations on Tuesday, a result that the Russian ambassador said the Trump administration wanted so it can "justify the use of force against Syria."

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The Security Council also rejected another Russian-drafted resolution that would have welcomed an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of allegations of a weekend chemical attack in the suburbs of Syria's capital. The US, Britain and France opposed the measure, saying that the investigators are already headed there and that the text didn't include a new way to assess blame for chemical attacks.

UN Security Council (Photo: AFP)

The council has met four times in the past week on chemical weapons in Syria, with the US, Britain and France facing off against Russia, Syrian President Bashar Assad's key ally that insists no chemical attack took place in the Douma suburb.

At least 60 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in Saturday's suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma, according to a Syrian relief group.

Doctors and witnesses have said victims showed symptoms of poisoning, possibly by a nerve agent, and reported the smell of chlorine gas.

Chlorine canisters in Douma

US President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Assad for the suspected Douma attack. Both the UK and France stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.

Security Council paralyzed

As tensions escalate over possible US-led military reprisals for the suspected attack, the UN's most powerful body remained paralyzed, unable to overcome its deep divisions that have been a hallmark of its debates during the seven years of conflict in Syria.

Sweden's ambassador, Olof Skoog, who tried unsuccessfully to find a compromise solution, told the council after the third vote that he was disappointed.

"I just hope that we do not consider this the end when it comes to ensuring that the facts are established ant that there is a true accountability and no more impunity for the horrendous use of chemical weapons in Syria and elsewhere," Skoog said.

After the defeat of Russia's second resolution, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said to US Ambassador Nikki Haley: "I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that you're currently developing for Syria."

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia (Photo: EPA)

The threats of US military action against Syria "should make us seriously worried, all of us," Nebenzia said.

In Tuesday's first vote, Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have condemned the suspected Douma attack in the strongest terms and established a new independent and impartial investigative body to determine responsibility for Syrian chemical attacks.

The vote was 12 in favor, with Bolivia joining Russia in voting "no" and China abstaining.

"History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," Haley said, referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley (Photo: AFP)

She said the United States "went the extra mile" to get Russian support for the resolution to ensure that a new investigative body would be impartial, independent and professionalprovisions she said were not in the rival Russian resolution.

Haley said the Russian draft would have allowed Russia to choose the investigators and assess the outcome of the investigation. "Does any of that sound independent or impartial?"

Russia accuses US for preparing ground for strike

Nebenzia accused the United States of trying to mislead the international community and said it is "taking one more step toward confrontation."

He said the US and its allies didn't need a resolution to determine responsibility because it was already blaming Syria and Russia.

"You do not want to hear the fact that no traces of a chemical attack were found in Douma," Nebenzia said. "You simply have been looking for a pretext" and want the resolution to fail "to justify the use of force against Syria."





Children receiving treatment after attack in Douma

The team also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas twice in 2015 and 2016.

Russia rejected the findings on Syria's culpability and vetoed a Western-backed resolution in November that would have renewed the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism, or JIM.

Nebenzia told the council Tuesday the US resolution was trying to recreate the JIM, which he said "became a puppet in the hands of anti-Damascus forces."

The rival Russian resolutionson a new accountability body and the OPCW fact-finding missionboth failed to get the required nine "yes" votes needed for adoption. The US, Britain and France voted against both measures but didn't have to use their vetoes.

Nebenzia and Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said that despite the council's failure to welcome the OPCW fact-finding mission, its investigators are heading to Syria with support from both Russia and Syria.

Nebenzia said two groups of OPCW experts could be on the ground "as early as this week."
An explosive device was set off Wednesday morning near an IDF force on the Gaza border, east of Sujjaiya, in the area near the Karni Crossing. There were no reports of injuries.

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Palestinian sources reported IDF tanks had fired at three observation posts east of Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood in retaliation.

IDF's retaliatory fire (Photo: Roee Idan)

The explosive device was detonated against a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer which was on routine activity on the Israeli side of the fence. There was no damage, the army said, and the force wasn't fired on.

"A number of targets belonging to the Hamas terror organization were attacked," the IDF said in a statement. "The IDF sees Hamas as responsible for any incident taking place in and from the strip and won't allow the terror organization to turn the fence area into a conflict zone."

Israel-Gaza border, Wednesday morning (Photo: Roee Idan)

Residents on both sides of the border reported hearing bursts of gunfire and tank shell explosions. Despite the incident, residents and farmers in the Gaza vicinity area have been given no special instructions.

"There was a huge blast," one of the farmers told Ynet. I was sitting in my office and all the windows trembled. It was unusual."

Apart from the infiltration of Palestinians through the fence, this was the most significant incident to take place in southern Israel in recent days since the mass protests and tire-burning last Friday as part of the Palestinians' "March of Return" events.
Iranian news agency Tasnim published new photos from the T-4 military base in Syria on Wednesday morning, the first since it was bombed earlier this week in a strike attributed to Israel

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The strike, which apparently destroyed an Iranian drone base, claimed the lives of 14 military personnel, among them at least seven Iranian "military advisers."

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

The T-4 base in Syria after it was bombed

The T-4 base is hundreds of kilometers away from the Israeli border, located between the cities of Homs and Palmyra. Other than the Syrian army's air and ground forces, it also houses Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces. A small Russian aerial force is also stationed at the base.

The T-4 base in Syria after it was bombed

The T-4 base's location plays a crucial role in the fighting in the Middle East, as it is situated in the middle of the Syrian section of the ground and aerial corridor from Teheran, through Lebanon and Syria's Mediterranean ports.

The T-4 base in Syria after it was bombed

Just two months ago, a stealth drone the Revolutionary Guards tried to infiltrate Israel with left from the T-4 airbase. In addition, it is common knowledge the Revolutionary Guards supervise the Iraq-Syria border crossings they control from the T-4 base.

In an unusual move, Iranian media released photos of the seven "military advisers" who were killed in the attack in the Homs District, some of them officers in the Revolutionary Guards. The Fars news agency reported the bodies of the seven had arrived back in Tehran.





The seven Iranians killed in the strike

In Israel, the Air Force and the Northern Command have raised the level of alertness in recent days to prepare for the possibility of an Iranian retaliation for the strike from Syrian territory.

'Major crisis' looms over possible retaliation for chemical weapons attack

Tensions were also high on Israel's northern border ahead of possible retaliation by the US and its Western allies to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria over the weekend, which claimed the lives of over 60 people in Douma and has been largely attributed to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russia, Assad's ally, has rejected claims his regime was behind the attack and has vowed to respond to any retaliatory attack against the Syrian army.

Russia's Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin told Hezbollah's TV network Al Manar that "If there is a strike by the Americans then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired."

Bombardments in Douma (Photo: AP)

He warned of a possible "major crisis" and said Moscow was willing to hold talks on the matter.

Zasypkin said the US and its Western allies considered the Syrian army's recent victories in eastern Ghouta as their failure, and that they were trying to undermine the understandings reached in the Turkey-Russia-Iran summit held in Ankara recently.



A joint UN-OPCW investigative team accused Syria of using chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015 and the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others. The latter attack led to a US airstrike on a Syrian airfield.

Suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma (Photo: Reuters)

The Pentagon updated Israel ahead of the April 2017 American attack in Syria, which allowed the defense establishment to prepare for a possible Syrian aerial or ground response.

However this time, there are two factors working to Israel's detriment: The reports from Washington and Moscow pointing to Israel as being responsible for the T-4 base attack serve to further erode the "plausible deniability" that has so far allowed Israel to attack without fearing reprisal. In addition, Assad is much stronger today, more confident and on his way to winning the civil war in his country with the aid of the Russians.

Syrian army tanks on the outskirts of Douma (Photo: AFP)

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that if his nation was to launch a retaliatory strike on Syria, it would target chemical weapons facilities.

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regimes chemical capabilities," he said, adding he did "not want an escalation."

Suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma (Photo: AP)

He said talks with the US and Britain on the matter were ongoing, adding a decision would be made "in the coming days."

Macron also said French intelligence had shown "that chemical weapons were indeed used and that the regime could clearly be held responsible."

The French president further accused Russia of violating UN Security Council decisions on the ceasefire in Syria.

Also on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone, agreeing that the reported chemical attack in Douma was utterly reprehensible and that the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on chemical weapon use.

Suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma (Photo: AFP)

They agreed they would continue working closely together and with international partners to ensure that those responsible were held to account, a statement from Mays office said.

May had earlier agreed the same thing in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

A White House statement said Trump and May agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.
While most of his fellow Jews were being killed or brutalized in Nazi death camps and ghettos, Baruch Shub and his friends were hiding in the forests of the former Soviet Union, trying to undermine the Nazis by derailing trains, burning bridges, sabotaging communication lines and killing the occasional collaborator.

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"You couldn't really fight the German army, given our means, but we did our best to disrupt them," recalled the 94-year-old Shub at his retirement home in central Israel. "Whether or not it made a difference, I don't know. But it gave me a great sense of joy that at least I was doing something to get even with them."

As Israel marks its annual Holocaust memorial day, those aging survivors who actively resisted and helped shape the country's fighting spirit are quickly disappearing. Shub is among perhaps only a handful of remaining Soviet partisan fighters. Only two remain from the greatest symbol of resistance of allthe 1943 Warsaw ghetto uprising.





Warsaw ghetto resistance fighters, April 1943 (: gettyimages)

Israel will come to a standstill Thursday for its annual remembrance of the Holocaust's 6 million victims. It falls on the same date on the Hebrew calendar as the Warsaw uprisingthe ultimately doomed revolt that played such an important role in defining the country's psyche.

Even the day's official name"Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day"alludes to the image of the Jewish warrior upon which the state was founded.

The conditions for resistance were limited, Shub said, given the all-encompassing scope of the Nazi genocide, but those who could fight back did so. With their actions, he said they continued a tradition dating back to biblical times.

Baruch Shub (Photo: AP)

Shub's mother and three siblings were murdered by Nazis and their local collaborators in his native Lithuania. After a failed uprising in the Vilna ghetto, he escaped to the forests to join the underground network led by famed resistance fighter Abba Kovner. Four battalions of Jewish fighters raided villages for food and supplies and hacked away at communication and electricity lines used by German forces, he said.

After the Red Army liberated the ghetto in what is now called Vilnius in 1944, Shub returned to find all its Jews killed by Nazi SS troops. Among the bodies strewn on the street was that of his father. A blood-soaked note in his hand, written in Yiddish, said, "If anyone sees my son, tell him to take revenge."

Baruch Shub (Photo: AP)

Israel's identity is defined by the axiom that never again will Jews be helpless in the face of annihilation. But Shub fears that message is being lost. He is angered that a planned museum to honor Jewish fighters, along with the 1.5 million Jewish World War II veterans, has been bogged down in bureaucratic delays for more than a decade.

Dina Porat, chief historian at Israel's Yad Vashem memorial, said that thanks to the many books, films and collected testimony, there is little danger of their legacy being erased. Still, the live witness accounts pose a powerful rebuke to the current wave of historic revisionism in several eastern European countries to play down their own wartime complicity.

Jews at the Warsaw ghetto in September 1942 (Photo: Getty Images)

Survivors have been outraged by a Polish law criminalizing the blaming of Poland for crimes committed by Germany during the Holocaust. Lithuania also has recently pushed for legislation to prohibit the sale of books that "distort Lithuanian history" by mentioning its complicity. Lithuanian authorities have launched investigations into the partisans' wartime activities and accused Yitzhak Arad, a former chairman of Yad Vashem, of killing Nazi collaborators who are regarded today as Lithuanian heroes for opposing communism. The charges were later dropped.

"There is a process of rewriting history in these places," said Arad, 91, who blew up 16 German supply trains as a teenager. "We are fading away, so it will be up to the next generation to continue this battle with the tools at their disposal."

There are even fewer who remain from the single greatest act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust, which wiped out a third of world Jewry. Though guaranteed to fail, the Warsaw ghetto uprising symbolized a refusal to succumb to Nazi atrocities, and inspired other uprisings and underground resistance by Jews and non-Jews alike.

Warsaw ghetto uprising, May 1943 (Photo: Getty Images)

Three-quarters of a century later, only 89-year-old Aliza Vitis-Shomron is left in Israel to tell the story. The only other known surviving fighter, Simcha Rotem, is in ill health.

Vitis-Shomron said the hardest moment was fleeing just before the Nazis vanquished her comrades. They had few weapons and it seemed pointless to keep around a teenage girl who could escape and tell the world what had happened.

"They said I was too young to die," said Vitis-Shomron, who has three children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. "I still feel guilty that I got out and they stayed."

Along with her mother and younger sister, she found a cellar to hide in outside the ghetto. She vividly remembers poking a hole in the curtain and watching the red skies above the burning ghetto where her friends were waging war.

Warsaw ghetto wall (Photo: AP)

The resistance movement began to grow after the deportation of July 22, 1942, when 265,000 men, women and children were rounded up and later killed at the Treblinka death camp. As word of the Nazi genocide spread, a small group of rebels began spreading calls for resistance, carrying out isolated attacks and sabotage.

The Nazis entered the ghetto on April 19, 1943, the eve of the Passover holiday. Three days later, they set the ghetto ablaze, but the Jewish fighters kept up their struggle for nearly a month, fortifying themselves in bunkers and managing to kill 16 Nazis and wound nearly 100.

Vitis-Shomron said that Mordechai Anielewicz and other fair-looking leaders of the revolt had ample opportunities to escape.

"They are the real heroes, the ones who stayed knowing they would die," she said. "They had daring and a will to avenge the Nazis and prove that the Jewish people did not surrender. There were those who fought back."
Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any US missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, a step that could trigger a major escalation in the Syrian war.

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Russian Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, in comments broadcast on Tuesday evening, said he was referring to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any US strike on Syria, targeting any missiles and launchers involved in such an attack. Russia is Syrian President Bashar Assad's most powerful ally.

Trump and Putin. Russia and the US blocked attempts by each other in the UN Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria

Meanwhile Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked government ministers not to make public statements on the current security situation, explaining that "this is a sensitive reality."

The United States and its allies are considering whether to hit Syria over a suspected poison gas attack that medical relief organizations say killed dozens of people in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus on Saturday.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then...the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic. He also said a clash "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations."

Zasypkin added that the United States and its allies saw the recent developments in eastern Ghouta as their failure and were trying to delay the results of the three-way summit held between the Russian, Iranian and Turkish leaders in Ankara.

Russia and the United States blocked attempts by each other in the UN Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

According to Syrian report, the Assad army is preparing for a possible American attack. French daily Le Figaro reported Wednesday that the Syrian army was evacuating the Dumayr airbase in the Qalamun Mountains on the Syrian-Lebanon border. The soldiers and missiles from that base, the French paper said, were being transferred to the Russian-operated Khmeimim airbase.

Children hurt in alleged chemical attack in Douma (Photo: AP)

According to the French report, the planes that carried out the chemical attack in the rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta took off from the Dumayr airbase.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria.

Opposition-affiliated media outlets in Syria reported Tuesday that the Assad regime and its allies were taking precautions in bases across the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian regime forces and the militias supporting it were on a heightened state of alert in all military bases and posts across the country, including in Damascus.

In letters issued by senior Syrian regime officials, the forces were ordered to maintain a heightened state of alert for 72 hours. The report added that the Shiite militias supporting the Assad regime had started preparing their bases for a strike that could take place at any moment. Sky News Arabia reported that Iranian fighters and Hezbollah members had evacuated their posts in the city of Abu Kamal, near the Iraqi border.

European airspace authorities are warning aircraft to be careful over the next days when flying close to Syria because of possible military action against President Bashar Assad's forces.

The Eurocontrol airspace organization said that the European Aviation Safety Agency had sent a "Rapid Alert Notification" that flight operations needed to consider the possibility of air or missile strikes into Syria.

In a notice posted to Eurocontrol's website, EASA said: "Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken."

US Ambassador Nikki Haley at the UN Security Council (Photo: AFP)

Rival US and Russian resolutions to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria suffered defeats at the United Nations on Tuesday, a result that the Russian ambassador said the Trump administration wanted so it can "justify the use of force against Syria."

The Security Council also rejected another Russian-drafted resolution that would have welcomed an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of allegations of a weekend chemical attack in the suburbs of Syria's capital. The US, Britain and France opposed the measure, saying that the investigators are already headed there and that the text didn't include a new way to assess blame for chemical attacks.

After the defeat of Russia's second resolution, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said to US Ambassador Nikki Haley: "I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that you're currently developing for Syria."

The threats of US military action against Syria "should make us seriously worried, all of us," Nebenzia said.

In an interview to the RIA Novosti agency, a "reliable source" rejected recent rumors that Assad and his family members had left Damascus for Tehran. According to the source, the president and his family were staying in Syria.

Reuters, Liad Osmo and Rachel Cadars contributed to this report.
Violent attacks on Jews worldwide dropped in 2017 despite a rise in other forms of anti-Semitism, researchers reported Wednesday, in a year characterized by normalization and mainstreaming of anti-Semitism not seen in Europe since World War II.

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Researchers at Tel Aviv University said assaults specifically targeting Jews fell 9 percent last year. They recorded 327 cases compared to 361 in 2016, which had already been the lowest number in a decade.

But they noted attacks were far more brazen and brutal. Most dramatic were a pair of cases in France, where a Jewish woman was thrown to her death out of her apartment window and a Holocaust survivor was stabbed and burned to death in her Paris home.

File photo: Neo-Nazis in Poland create burning swastika to commemorate Hitler's birthday

The decline in anti-Semitic incidents, the researchers explained, is because there are "less Jews with skullcaps and Stars of David."

Threats, harassment and insults have also driven thousands of French Jews to relocate.

"Neither the public nor the private space is perceived as safe for Jews," said Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, an umbrella group representing Jewish communities across the continent. "The general feeling shared by Jews, as individuals and as a community, is that anti-Semitism has entered a new phase, and is widespread in most parts of the world."

According to the report, Jews feel less safe and are less inclined to identify as Jewish in public. "Jewish parents in Europe have to deal with explaining to their children that eventually there would be no choice but to leave public schools and move to Jewish institutions," Kantor said.

Rally against anti-Semitism and in memory of Mireille Knoll, a Holocaust survivor murdered in her home in Paris (Photo: AFP)

Tel Aviv University's Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry releases the report every year on the eve of Israel's Holocaust memorial day, which begins Wednesday at sundown.

Increased security measures are credited with reducing violence, but it may be masking a trend of anti-Semitism becoming more mainstream and acceptable, particularly in European politics. The report described a toxic triangle made up of the rise of the extreme right, radical Islamism and a heated anti-Zionist discourse on the left accompanied by anti-Semitic expressions.

"The religious dimension of classic, traditional anti-Semitism has returned, and the term 'Jew' has become an insult," Kantor said.

He noted that the majority of anti-Semitic incidents still went unreported, either out of fear of retribution or a lack of interest on the part of local authorities.

Despite the overall drop, anti-Semitism rose in many places globally. In Germany, home to the world's fastest growing Jewish community, there was a rise in anti-Semitic acts from 644 in 2016 to 707 in 2017. Among these were 24 violent cases in 2017, compared to 15 the year before.

Kantor also said that the ascendancy of British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn led him to believe that "the banality and normalization of Jew-hatred has reached the highest levels."

British Jews protest against Corbyn and anti-Semitism in the Labour party (Photo: EPA)

Critics say Corbyn, a longtime critic of Israel, has long allowed anti-Jewish prejudice to go unchecked . Corbyn's supporters have been accused of sharing Holocaust denial and international Jewish banking conspiracies on social media. On Tuesday, Israel's Labor Party suspended its ties with Corbyn over his party's expressions of anti-Semitism.

The year was also marked by the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville , Virginiawhere demonstrators used the Heil Hitler salute, donned swastikas and chanted slogans such as "Jews will not replace us." Far-right parties gained strength following elections in Germany and Austria. US President Donald Trump's December recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel also set off demonstrations that were used as a pretext to attack Jews with anti-Semitic slogans, including calls for murder.

The report cited an audit of the Anti-Defamation League that found anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose 57 percent in 2017the largest single-year increase on record and the second highest number reported since the ADL started tracking such data in 1979. The sharp rise was due in part to a significant increase in incidents in schools and on college campuses, which nearly doubled for the second year in a row.

The rising threat appears to be drawing growing interest.

Israel recently hosted a global forum to address the various ways of combatting anti-Semitism that drew experts from around the world. Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial says there has been wide participation in its recently launched online course on the origins of anti-Semitism.

Baruch Adler, the deputy chairman of the annual "March of the Living," explained why the march is still important and relevant in 2018.

"In France, Jewish-owned stores are being burned again, in eastern Europe the voices of anti-Semitic politicians grow stronger, and new laws seek to limit the truth. In enlightened states in the US, there are neo-Nazi power displays without any no shame, while at the polls the voices calling to go back in time to authority, homogeny and fascism are gaining in strength," Adler said.
US President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack , declaring that missiles "will be coming" and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

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Trump was responding to a Russian warning on Tuesday that any US missiles fired at Syria over the assault on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump said, referring Moscow's alliance with Assad.

Trump warns Putin 'nice and new and smart missiles' are headed Syria's way

In response, Russia's Foreign Ministry said "smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government." Damascus and Moscow refer to rebels fighting Assad as terrorists.

In a later tweet, Trump offered to help boost Russia's economy and sought an end to what he called an "arms race," in an apparent diplomatic overture less than one hour after warning Moscow about pending missile strikes in Syria.

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?" Trump wrote on Twitter.

The Syrian government and Russia say the reports of a poison gas assault on the Syrian town of Douma are bogus.

After the attack, the rebel group holed up in DoumaJaish al-Islamfinally agreed to withdraw from the town. That sealed a big victory for Assad, who has now crushed the rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.

Moscow's threat to shoot down US missiles came from the Russian ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said he was referring to a statement by President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

Zasypkin also said that any hostilities with Washington should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations.

But his remarks could raise fears of direct conflict for the first time between major powers backing opposing sides in Syria's protracted civil war.

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that 43 people had died in Saturday's attack on the town of Douma from "symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals," and more than 500 in all had been treated.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything that could destabilize an already fragile situation in the Middle East, and made clear it strongly opposed any US strike on its ally.

Standoff

Moscow and Washington stymied attempts by each other at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on talks with Western allies about possible military action to punish Assad over the suspected gas attack.

Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Zasypkin, the Russian ambassador, told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic.

Children hurt in alleged chemical attack in Douma (Photo: Reuters)

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any US strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assad's most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large areas of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations."

Earlier in the week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said there was no threat of the situation in Syria spiraling into US-Russian hostilities. TASS news agency quoted him as saying he believed common sense would prevail.

Missile salvo from the Mediterranean?

Any US strike is likely to involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defense systems. A US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

With tensions growing, pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used within that period and there could be intermittent disruptions of radio navigation equipment.

Aviation regulators have been stepping up monitoring of conflict zones since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Recent warnings have tended to be after military action has started, and so Eurocontrol's pre-emptive notice suggests a heightening of regulatory scrutiny.

Both Russia and Iran, Assad's other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would "not remain without response."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clashed with Education Minister Naftali Bennett during a coalition leaders' meeting Wednesday to discuss the possibility of adopting an override power over the Supreme Court in a bid to amend the Prevention of Infiltration Law and allow the state to jail and deport migrants.

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Netanyahu informed the ministers that he would advance the wider version of override power. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who opposes the broader move, didn't showed up for the discussion.

During the meeting, Bennett urged Netanyahu to convene the Ministerial Committee for Legislation the same day to approve the wider override power. The prime minister refused, saying an alternative option should be looked into.

Bennett urged Netanyahu to convene the Ministerial Committee for Legislation the same day, but the prime minister refused (Photos: Ohad Zwigenberg, Alex Kolomoisky)

Sources close to Kahlon said the finance minister had made his stance on the issue clear to the prime minister's chief of staff, Yoav Horowitz. Kahlon stressed that his Kulanu party would only support a specific override power to urgently handle the infiltrator issue.

Netanyahu said he would advance the override power according to a British model suggested by Minister Yariv Levin. The prime minister added that the coalition leaders would convene for a quick meeting on Sunday to advance the legislation as soon as possible.

According to the British model, the Supreme Court would be able to point to constitutional difficulties which would be presented to the legislature, but would be unable to strike down a law.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit hasnt been asked for his opinion on the issue yet, but Justice Ministry sources believe he will accept the adoption of an override power only as part of Basic Law: Legislation, which would define the relationship between the state's different authorities.

In such an event, Mandelblit would be in favor of legislation regulating the Supreme Court's authorities to strike a law over a violation of rights, but the Knesset's authority to reenact the law would require a majority of 70 Knesset members rather than 61, as suggested by Minister Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.

African migrants released from the Saharonim detention facility (Photo: Reuters)

"There is a ready British model and it will be discussed properly on Sunday," one of Netanyahu's associates said. "Apart from Bennett, none of the coalition heads asked to convene the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, because Bennett's proposal is weaker than the one the coalition heads would like to advance at this time."

Minister Levin said, "We may have to reach a compromise later because the law has to be approved by the Knesset, but I believe we should go for a broader move which has a wider consensus. Going for a specific override power will only cause damage because it won't pass the High Court test, like in the case of an override power concerning the IDF draft law."

On Tuesday, the High Court of Justice (HCJ) discussed a petition filed by human rights organizations for the release of over 200 illegal African migrants detained in Saharonim detention facility.

The state, which is against releasing the migrants at least until after the conclusion of negotiations with a third country, said to be Uganda, insists that their deportation to the east African country is still on the cards.
BEIRUT - Syria's foreign ministry accused the United States on Wednesday of using "fabrications and lies" as an excuse to target its territory, state media said.

"We are not surprised by such a thoughtless escalation by a regime like the United States regime, which sponsored terrorism in Syria and still does," state news agency SANA cited an official source in the ministry as saying.
The Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouins in the Negev announced Wednesday it had reached an agreement with the residents of the illegal Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran, according to which they will voluntarily move to the nearby village Hura.

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Residents recently received demolition orders for their homes, and the forced evacuation, which was expected to begin after Passover, was thus averted due to the agreement reached.

"The most important thing about the agreement is that there is no more pain. There are no more crying mothers," said Ra'ad Abu al-Qiyan, a representative of the residents. "We signed the agreement to avoid more bloodshed."

The plan to evacuate the Bedouin community of Umm al-Hiran will commence this August (Photo: Adalah Suhad)

Over the past 24 hours, some 200 of the adult residents of Umm al-Hiram signed a voluntary evacuation agreement, which is in line with orders from the High Court of Justice.

After all residents sign the agreement, they will begin independently moving to neighborhood 12 in Hura. Each family will be given a lot for free, where they will be able to build their permanent home. In addition, residents will be compensated for the old structures in Umm al-Hiran that would be demolished, in accordance with the rules common in the Bedouin sector.

The evacuation of Umm al-Hiran is expected to be completed by August of this year.

In January 2017, a violent clash between locals and police forces over the demolition of illegal structures ended in the death of a police officer and one of the residents

Yaqoub Abu al-Qiyan ran over police officer Erez Levi with his car, leading the other police officers on the scene to open fire and kill him. An internal police investigation into the incident pointed to failures in the conduct of the police on the scene.

Umm al-Hiran resident al-Qiyan rammed cop Erez Levi with his car, killing him

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, who is in charge of the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouins in the Negev, praised the agreement.

"The right combination of the determination of law enforcement officials along with a generous offer from the state led to the result we're all happy withan agreed evacuation of Umm al-Hiran without violence, based on the court's rulings."

The Director-General of the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouins in the Negev, Yair Maayan, also welcomed the agreement.

"I congratulate the residents of Umm al-Hiran, who have been living there for decades, and praise the heads of the village who acted responsibly to benefit all residents.

"The voluntary evacuation agreement and the move to neighborhood 12 in Hura, which was developed especially for them, will allow them to continue living together in a new neighborhood and allow residents enjoy high-quality infrastructure and services and the quality of life available in Hura."
A photo exhibit is on display for Holocaust Memorial Day at the Ghetto Fighters' House museum in the western Galilee to remember the thousands of Jewish and Gypsy children who were deported from Holland and murdered between 1942-1945.

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The exhibit includes the names of 17,964 children and youths who were slaughtered by the Nazis, details about their place and date of birth, where they lived and where they perished.

In addition, the exhibit will comprise 3,000 photographs of the children which will be on display.

(Photo: Yaakov Madar)

During World War II, more than 19,000 children and youths under the age of 18 were deported from Holland in 102 transport loads. Close to 18,000 of them were murdered and around 1,000 returned.

The exhibit was held in Amsterdam in 2012 for the first time, and since then, more than 700 names of unknown children have been added to the list, along with new details about some of them.

During an interview with Ynet, the curator of the exhibit, Yaara Glaor, explained how the idea was conceived.

The exhibit began following a situation experienced by a 5-year-old boy in 1947 when he was travelling on a bike ride with his father after the war and arrived at the neighborhood in which all the doors were smashed, Glaor explained.

He descended his bike and asked his father where everyone was. The emptiness he was experiencing was extremely strong as he was standing in the middle of the neighborhood and asked. For years he carried that feeling with him, she said.

(Photo: Yaakov Madar)

The boy, she continued, went on to become a famous author in Holland and presided over a project that involved compiling the names of all the children who were sent to their death.

The project took him six years. He didnt believe it would be so hard for him to find the details about the children, Glaor continued. In the end, of course, the full lists were in the German records, and when the manifest lists were written, three duplicate copies were made in various places.

Among the photos to go on display are two brothers, who were aged 3 and 5 when they were murdered by the Nazis, of Fred Altman, a Holocaust survivor

In an emotional interview with Ynet, he said that he is unable to visit Holocaust memorial museums such as Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

Yad Vashem is for my children and grandchildren, not for our generation. My way is to turn off the television in the evening of memorial day, Altman said.
Current tensions in Israel's northern sector have a bone-chilling historical link to Holocaust Memorial Day, which begins Wednesday evening. They are both linked by the usage of chemical weapons and noxious gases against defenseless civilians.

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Germans were the first to use mustard gases in World War One. Nobody stopped them or punished them, and so they once again used deadly gases on an industrial scale to put to death millions of civilians in World War Two. The international protocol signed in the two world wars' interim did little to deter them from doing so.

Today it is Russia that is using themthe former victim of Germany during World War Two, many of whose civilians were slaughtered by gas along with the Jews of other countries.

Trump (L) declared a punitive strike in Syria in response to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons, possibly leading to a Russian counter response

They are the ones spearheading the use of chemical weapons ( poisoning is also considered the use of chemical weapons)against those individuals in their population that they consider to be traitorswhile also sponsoring a ruthless Middle-Eastern despot such as Bashar al-Assad and allowing him to butcher his own people with chemical weapons.

The conclusion is clear: international law and conventions are not worth the paper they're printed onif there's no one to enforce them. If the US, therefore, does not act decisively in retaliation to the Russian sponsored use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime, many more states will follow in Syria's footsteps.

It may be assumed that US President Donald Trump will back up with actions his words to attack the Syrian regime as a punitive measure for its use of chemical weapons against its own countrymen.

Nevertheless, Trump does not wish for the US to act alone in this endeavorand rightfully sobut as part of an international coalition currently in the formulation stages.

Syrian victims of chemical weapons attack this week (Photo: AP)

The American need to act as part of a coalition stems from their desire to be afforded legitimacy outside the halls of the United Nations for military action against a sovereign state, and to make clear the objection to using chemical weapons is not an American whim but a value shared by the entirety of the enlightened, democratic world.

French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced his country will take part in any such punitive measures against Syria, but Trump needs additional partners from the international community rather than only European ones. That, it may be assumed, is the chief reason for the delay in the American response.

The second reason, however, is the American need to allow their allies as well as other countries to prepare themselves for a possible tit for tat on the part of Russia and the Syrian regime for any attack on Syrian soil.

International aviation authorities, for their part, have announced the eastern basin of the Mediterranean as a zone dangerous for civil aviation in the next 72 hours, but Americans and their allies must also gird themselves for Russian President Vladimir Putin to strike elsewhere.

These other possible avenues for retaliation range from ramping up hostilities in the Ukraine, through electronic warfare disrupting coalition actions against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

More than anything else, however, it is not unthinkable for Russia to utilize its cyber warfare capabilities to cripple the civil and military infrastructures of the US and its allies, if the superpower is hit in Syria.

Russia may also use economic means, such as halting the flow of gas to Europe through the Ukraine in response to a possible American attack.

All of these means are well within the Russians' reach, but it is more than likely that if the American offensive homes in on the regime itself and its military assets, the Russians may contain their retaliation to political-diplomatic channels, rather than outright warfare.

Despite his proclamations, Putin must not be willing to risk vital Russian interests and Russian troops to defend his client, the butcher of Damascus.

Russian President Putin (L) and his Syrian client Assad (Photo: AP, Presidential TV)

It all boils down to interests. Russia isn't in Syria because of its immense fondness for Assad, but because it is promoting its global and regional agenda by so doing. It will not sacrifice Russian interests or human lives for the preservation and welfare of the Assad regime, or for the Iranians to continue their strive to Middle-Eastern hegemony.

Tensions in the north, thereforein anticipation of the American attackare justified, but a global war is not likely to break out even if that strike does happen.

Rebuilding deterrence and credibility

The American need to strike in Syria stems from three reasons. Firstly, rebuilding the American strategic deterrence in the world in general and in the Middle East in particular.

This deterrence suffered a grievous blow during the term in office of former president Barack Obama, but the US can still use a well-timed show of strength and determination to keep its word and rehabilitate its standing as the world's foremost political and military power.

In so doing, it may also set an example for other countries carrying out crimes against humanity, much like the Syrian regime.

This show of determination will have a deterring effect not only on Russia, however, but also on North Korea, Iran and any other countries breaching international law and interested in manufacturing or developing unconventional arms.

The second reason the US is hard-pressed to avoid striking is its need to restore its credibility and leading status among its East Asian and Middle Eastern allies. Belief in the Americans' ability to come to the aid of countries attacked by North Korea or Iran was greatly shaken in Japan and South Korea, for instance, as well as in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman. Saudi Arabia may become skeptical of the American ability to defend it against Iran if the US does not strike (Photo: Reuters)

Many in Israel's Cabinet and defense establishment are also skeptical as to whether the US will come to our aid in our own time of peril. If the US does not strike, this feeling will only be reinforcedin Israel as wellleading to the strategic perception that we should act without taking international opinion into consideration, since no one will do the job for usfor instance as it pertains to stopping the Iranian nuclear program or the country's entrenchment in Syria.

The third reason the US should act is to send a message to the international community that using chemical or otherwise unconventional weapons is illegitimate, despite the fact that Russia uses it and allows Syria to do the same.

It is for these three aforementioned reasons that Jerusalem believes President Trump must act, or the damage caused to the US's international standing, deterrence andfinallyalso to its economy will be far worse than the damage caused during the Obama presidency.

Five guiding rules will most like steer the US in planning the action American armed forces will undertake. Chiefly among them is the rule stating that the targets hit and the damage caused to them must be directly linked to Assad's use of chemical weapons.

The second rule the Americans will adhere to is to avoid civilians uninvolved in the fighting in Syria.

The third rule is to abstain from harming Russian civilians, military personnel or installations on Syria soil. Washington will also want to avoid hitting any Iranian assets, so as not to drag these two countries into the conflict and opening a possible cyber warfare and terror front against the US and its allies.

Russian troops in Syria. The US must be wary of harming Russian assets in its strike (Photo: Reuters)

The Americans will do their level best for Russia, Iran and Hezbollah to stomach the blow to the Syrian regime, without issuing any retaliatory action.

The fourth rule is to act from within an international coalition. The fifth and last rule is to refrain from deploying American ground forces in the punitive measures, so as not to sink into the Syrian mud, so to speak.

These five reasons, then, lead us to believe that military means the Americans will use will include cruise missiles launched from American destroyers in the Mediterranean, and precision-guided ordnance launched from fighter jets at Syrian targets from a distance of hundreds of kilometers.

It may also be assumed that electronic blocking measures will be used along with disruption of Syrian radar systems, but American vessels and aircrafts in the Mediterranean will nevertheless act in a manner preventing any close brush with Syrian air forces on Syrian soil.

A complex task for Israel

It's likely the Americans will attack three groups of targets. The first group is symbols of the Syrian regime, targeted to weaken Assad's regime in a manner putting him off using chemical weapons against his civilians or Israel again. Harming the palace in which the Assad family residesafter forewarning for them to evacuate itis an example.

The Assad family. Bombing the presidential palace where they reside is likely

Harming the Syrian army and air force's command headquarters near the presidential palace is also an option, as are command and control centers directly linked to the utilization of chemical weapons.

The second group includes military targets, which will be hit solely to weaken Assad's army in such a way to bolster the spirits of the rebel groups fighting him and necessitating the Russians and Iranians to reequip it.

Such a strike will hinder the process of the Syrian takeover of all of Syria's territory, thereby levying an immense economic burden on both the Iranians and Russians.

If the American damage is large-scale, moreover, Russian will have to foot the bill for hundreds of millions of dollars for recouping Assad's armament caches and rehabilitating his military. Iran, too, will be forced to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to preserve Assad's strength and defend his regime.

In this context, it should be remembered that the Russian economy's fortunes are dire as it is, and the Iranian economy is finding it hard to bounce back as well, with the economic situation in the Middle Eastern juggernaut leading to anti-regime protests.

Iranian anti-regime protests. Iran is strapped for cash as it is, leading to widespread protests (Photo: AP)

The third grouping of targets contains installations for the development and production of weapons in Syriamostly of the chemical variety.

To hit all three of these target groups, hundreds of cruise missiles, bombs and precise surface-to-air missiles. This means the cost of the attack will be significant and the likelihood of errors leading to innocent lives lost greater.

It is therefore extremely likely for the Americans to choose a handful of symbolic targets in each of the target groups to hit. The effect will be mostly symbolic and geared towards deterrence, and it will be less practical.

Even if the Americans attack, war in the north remains unlikely. From an Israeli perspective, it is better for the US to strike despite the attendant dangers. Otherwise, Assad and Iran will consider the American abstention from action as legitimizing the development and even deployment of unconventional weapons.

Israel can ill afford that eventuality and the IDF may then be forced to act in regions where the Americans have not. Israel will sit out of the American coalition because it has no interest in exacerbating a growing rift with Russia, and has no reason to join its allies in the first place if they carry out a strike themselves.

Israel's chief goals in Syria at the moment are twofold: to prevent the military entrenchment of Iran and the militias operating on its behalf and to avoid as much as possible involvement in the Syrian all-out war.

A photo of the Tiyas base published in Iranian media

This is a complex task, because the threat posed by Iran is severe and the Islamic republic is more than likely prepared to realize that threat by hitting Israel, following the killing of their people and destruction of their advanced weapons systems in the Tiyas Military Airbase in the attack foreign media has attributed to Israel

The seven Iranian mortalities of the attack on the T-4 Airbase

The Iranians are nevertheless unlikely to make good on such retaliation from either Syria or Lebanon. It's likelier for them to carry out a retaliatory strike using the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's Quds Force and its overseas terror attack apparatus farther down the line.

Estimates now say Iranians have a vested interest in allowing Assad's regime to stabilize, and will therefore prefer to avoid any action providing Israel the pretext to strike at Assad's regime or their men on the ground in Syria.
President Reuven Rivlin spoke at the state memorial ceremony for Holocaust Memorial Day at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.

Speaking on rampant anti-Semitism in Europe and around the world, the president said, "We will never extend a hand to those who disavow the truth or who try to obfuscate it. Not on the part of individuals or organizations, heads of parties or heads of state."

"The Jewish people will forever bear the standard of combating anti-Semitism and racism. No political or economic interests can cause us to turn the other way," the president added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday not to take any action that could destabilize Syria or put its security in peril, the Kremlin said.

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The Kremlin released word of the two leaders' conversation during Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech at the state ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum.

"The Syrian matter was discussed, including the recent missile attack on the T-4 Airbase in Homs, which was carried out by the Israeli Air Force," the Russian statement said.

PM Netanyahu (L) spoke to Russian President Putin on the phone, who underscored the importance of maintaining Syria's sovereignty in the wake of the impending US attack there

In the telephone call, the Prime Minister reiterated that Israel will not allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria, a message by the Prime Minister's Office said.

Syria, Iran and Russia say Israel was behind an air strike on a Tiyas Military Airbase also known as T-4on Sunday that killed 14 people, among them seven Iranian military personnel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the accusations.

The Kremlin's statement said Putin "underscored the principal importance of observing the sovereignty of Syria and called for holding back from any actions that would further destabilize the situation in this country and present threats to its security."

The telephone call took place after a series of harshly-worded Russian messages following the attack near Homs.

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said the attack signified a "dangerous development," whereas a spokesman for the Kremlin said the Russians were not forewarned, adding, "We have communicated our position to Israel."

The Russian president's statements to Netanyahu came mere hours after an especially combative tweet by US President Donald Trump. "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" the tweet read.

President Trump's tweet

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War," the president asserted in a subsequent tweet.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, striking a cautious tone hours after Trump's more pugnacious threat of missile strikes, said the United States was assessing intelligence about the suspected attack

Asked if he had seen enough evidence to blame Assad, Mattis said: "We're still working on this."

Without elaborating, he added that the US military stood ready to provide military options, if appropriate. It was unclear whether his remarks reflected any unease about Trump's apparent move toward military action.

US Defense Secretary Mattis said the US was still assessing intelligence about the suspected chemical attack by Assad's regime (Photo: AFP)

Meanwhile, reports in Syria show preparations for a US retaliatory response are expanding. French daily Le Figaro reported Wednesday that the Syrian army was evacuating the Dumayr airbase in the Qalamun Mountains on the Syrian-Lebanon border.

The soldiers and missiles from that base, the French paper said, were being transferred to the Russian-operated Khmeimim airbase.

According to the French report, the planes that carried out the chemical attack in the rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta took off from the Dumayr airbase.

Opposition-affiliated media outlets in Syria reported Tuesday that the Assad regime and its allies were taking precautions in bases across the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian regime forces and the militias supporting it were on a heightened state of alert in all military bases and posts across the country, including in Damascus.
Border Policemen opened fire at a vehicle that broke through a checkpoint in the vicinity of Ni'lin in the West Bank.

The Border Police said the force suffered no casualties and the vehicle made its escape.

The circumstances of the incident are under review.
The Al Jazeera network reported that a German battleship is accompanying an American fleet currently sailing towards the Middle East.

Earlier Wednesday Russia announced it was monitoring American vessels in the Gulf due to tensions in Syria.
A South Australian couple, Krzysztof and Sarah Kuchar, who blew up their investment property in Adelaide nearly seven years ago to claim insurance money, have been sentenced to six years in jail.

The couple, who were both found guilty of arson at a District Court trial in 2017, were ordered to serve a non-parole period of two-and-a-half years. Sarah was allowed to serve her sentence in home detention to care for her three young children, including a child with severe autism.

In the District Court on Tuesday, Judge Paul Muscat said the only rational explanation for the harebrained scheme was to make a successful insurance claim.

The court heard the couple had devised the plan to burn down their Holden Hill property on October 23, 2011, after experiencing problems with the tenants.

The couple went to the property, about an hours drive from their home, and parked around the corner. Krzysztof then spread petrol throughout the property and set it alight.

Instead of catching fire, the house exploded. The blast was so powerful, neighbouring properties were damaged by flying debris and the sheer force of the explosion.

Judge Muscat said the explosion was caused by the accumulation of petrol vapour in the home.

As a fire investigator who gave evidence at the trial said, such an explosion was basically a one-in-a-million occurrence, he said. The explosion completely destroyed the house and literally shook the neighbourhood.

A prosecutor told the District Court a man at a nearby party had heard the explosion. According to the prosecutor, the eye witness saw Krzysztof crawling out of the rubble with bone jutting out of his leg.

The witness then helped Krzysztof to his car where his wife and children were waiting.

Instead of driving to the nearest hospital, the Kuchars drove for eight hours to Wangaratta, Victoria. They sought medical assistance at a local hospital, telling staff Krzysztof had been injured in a motorbike accident.

Neither Kuchar expressed any remorse, and intended to appeal their convictions.

Despite having participated in a seven-day long trial, neither of you appear to appreciate the overwhelming nature of the prosecution case against you, Judge Muscat said.

Furthermore, the manner by which both of you conducted your defence, by unfairly and unjustly blaming your own criminal action on your former tenants and their friends, reveals the lengths each of you were prepared to go in order to escape or avoid responsibility for what you did.

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Manasquan, New Jersey - Jersey Mikes Subs, known for its authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, joined with its generous customers this March during the 8th Annual Month of Giving to raise a record amount of over $6 million to help charities nationwide.

The campaign culminated on March 28, Day of Giving, when 1,360 Jersey Mikes restaurants donated 100 percent of sales, not just profits, to more than 170 different charities across the nation.

I would like to thank our extraordinary customers, franchise owners, team members and charity partners who helped us raise the most ever during Jersey Mikes 8th Annual Month of Giving in March, said Peter Cancro, Jersey Mikes founder and CEO. Our mission statement has always been focused on making a difference in peoples lives, and the over $6 million raised this March will go a long way toward supporting the good work of our local partner charities.

Cancro, who bought his first sub shop at age 17, credits two local businessmen in Point Pleasant Beach where he grew up  Jack Baker of Bakers Lobster Shanty and Bob Hoffman of Hoffmans Ice Cream  with showing him the importance of giving unconditionally to the community. From the beginning this philosophy has been central to Jersey Mikes mission.

During the month of March, customers were invited to come in to their local Jersey Mikes restaurant and make a donation to a local designated charity partner. Then on Jersey Mikes Day of Giving 100 percent of the days sales were donated to each local charity partner. The charity recipients included schools, hospitals, youth organizations, food banks and more.

Givingmaking a difference in someones life has been the mission of Jersey Mikes from the beginning. Since 2010, Jersey Mikes locations throughout the country have raised more than $28 million for worthy local charities and have distributed more than 2 million free sub sandwiches to help numerous causes.

For more information about Jersey Mikes Month of Giving, please visit: https://www.jerseymikes.com/mog
Latest News

Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission staff has sent warning letters to six major companies that market and sell automobiles, cellular devices, and video gaming systems in the United States.

The letters warn that FTC staff has concerns about the companies statements that consumers must use specified parts or service providers to keep their warranties intact. Unless warrantors provide the parts or services for free or receive a waiver from the FTC, such statements generally are prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a law that governs consumer product warranties. Similarly, such statements may be deceptive under the FTC Act.

Each company used different language, but here are examples of questionable provisions:

The use of [company name] parts is required to keep your . . . manufacturers warranties and any extended warranties intact.

This warranty shall not apply if this product . . . is used with products not sold or licensed by [company name].

This warranty does not apply if this product . . . has had the warranty seal on the [product] altered, defaced, or removed.

Provisions that tie warranty coverage to the use of particular products or services harm both consumers who pay more for them as well as the small businesses who offer competing products and services, said Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection.

FTC staff has requested that each company review its promotional and warranty materials to ensure that such materials do not state or imply that warranty coverage is conditioned on the use of specific parts of services. In addition, FTC staff requests that each company revise its practices to comply with the law. The letters state that FTC staff will review the companies websites after 30 days and that failure to correct any potential violations may result in law enforcement action.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - What is Giving? On Tuesday, April 17th, the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma will discuss the role that giving plays in your personal finance plan at 4:00 p.m. at the Main Library. All ages welcome! There is no charge to attend.

This workshop is offered in conjunction with Thinking Money, a traveling exhibition designed to teach tweens, teens and the adults in their lives about money. The interactive, all-ages exhibit will be at the Main Library, 2951 S 21st Drive, through May 5th. The exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours, Monday-Thursday 9AM-9PM; Friday-Saturday 9AM-5PM.



For more information, call (928) 782-1871.



Thinking Money was created by the American Library Association (ALA) in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - On Thursday, April 12th over 100 Yuma area fifth graders will experience college life for a day. Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University Yuma Branch Campus continues to invite groups of 5th graders each semester to campus. Classes from Valle Del Encanto and Desert Sonora Elementary Schools will participate in the college experience on the AWC/NAU-Yuma campus during the Im Going 2 College event.

Students will arrive on campus at 9:30am. After participating in a group orientation, they will experience three mini-classes in Science, Art, Career-Tech, Math, English and Leadership. The day will end with an Achievement Event in the Schoening Conference Center located within the College Community Center (3C) from 12:45-1:30. The students will receive an Achievement Certificate and a thank you for attending from representatives from both schools; NAU Yuma Branch Campus and AWC.

The faculty and staff of AWC and NAU-Yuma are excited to host these future college graduates. The classes they will be participating in are all classes offered at the college levelgeared towards the fifth grade age group.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Power China Limited Vice President Li Yanming, according to a news report. This has been signed between Inter-State Gas Systems (ISGS) and Power China for the construction of a gas pipeline in Sanya, China. This MoU was signed on 9th April 2018.

According to Abbasi, this pipeline will provide a secure and continuous supply of affordable gas in areas where the demand is high because of industrial use. It will also reduce the cost associated with transporting petroleum products. Abbasi and other dignitaries are currently in China to attend the Boao Economic Forum.
- Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy have been at each others throat for sometime now

- Stonebwoy had called Shatta Wale a pig and Shatta replied calling Stonebwoy a one-legged cripple

- However, a latest picture of the two proves all beef has been arrested

YEN.com.gh has sighted a lovely photo of dancehall musicians, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale together, and it looks like that the two are now cool with each other.

The photo which has gone viral on social media was reportedly taken at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

The entire Zylofon Media family including the Stonebwoy and Shatta, Becca, Joyce Blessing, Kumi Guitar and the others, had gone to Kumasi to join in this years celebration of the Akwasidae Festival.

Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy reunite

READ ALSO: 25-year-old Prince Senyo supports children living with Leukemia

In the photo, the Zylofon boss, Nana Appiah Mensah, is captured standing in the middle of the two musicians.

Shatta Wale then has a hand raised up towards Stonebwoy in a 'hi5' mode.

The two musicians are captured smiling brightly at each other.

Their gesture has warmed the hearts of some of their fans, who have commented about how excited they are about the new development.

READ ALSO: Bill Asamoah is like a father to me  Kumawoods Maame Serwaa denies chopping allegation

Here are some of the comments:

tetteh_precious: Unity is peace.bigups guys.

nanakad27: These guys r never enemies, it's jxt business.

rabbana1: Stonebwoy ready to punch . Shatta ready for hi 5 .

kofi_skare: U ppl day joke plus wanna mind......

amoah5038: Nice pic.

kingastero2001: I know this our stars are playing with our mind their good friends,boys make ur money.

READ ALSO: Akufo Addo will get the shock of his life after election 2020  Prophet Nigel drops prophesy

Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy have been in the news for sometime now fighting and calling each other names.

But it is believed that with this new photo, they would continue to work and relate with each other in peace.

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: Ebony's response to her managers when they asked her about her 17 tattoos

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook now!

Source: Yen Ghana
- Organisers of the 2018 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) have released the list of performers for the event on Saturday, April 14.

- Sarkodie, Fancy Gadam, Samini, Tiwa Savage and Akosua Agyepong are among the performers for the night

- However, two of Ghana's topmost artistes, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy are not on the list

The list of performers for this year's Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) has been released.

Sarkodie, Samini, Kwesi Arthur, Joe Mettle, King Promise, Kidi and Fancy Gadam are some of the artistes billed to perform.

Others are Efya, Adina, MzVee, Kuami Eugene, Praye and Akosua Agyepong.

Nigeria's Tiwa Savage and South Africa's Nasty C complete the list as the African artistes for the night.

List of performers for 2018 VGMAs out

Curiously, Dancehall artistes Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy are missing from the list.

READ ALSO: PHOTO: Lady sacked from church for 'exposing her body'

As two of Ghana's best music performers currently, their absence from the list has left some questions on the lips of Ghanaians.

It is not yet known if the move to exclude the two has something to do with a notice put out by Zylofon Media, managers of the two musicians, about the use of their artistes for events.

The 2018 VGMAs comes off at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC) on Saturday, April 14, 2018.

READ ALSO: Sister Deborah causes confusion as she releases new nude photos

This year's awards ceremony is the 19th edition and it is under the theme Our Music Beyond Borders.

Undoubtedly, the biggest night in Ghana's music industry, it will honour players in the industry for their works over the 2017/2018 music year.

Rapper Sarkodie has the highest number of nominations with nine including the 'Artiste of the Year.'

Gospel artiste and last year's 'Artiste of the Year' winner, Joe Mettle follows with seven nominations.

READ ALSO: Top Kumawood actor 'exchanges blows' with Amandzeba over actress' love

Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, the late Ebony Reigns, and new kid on the block, Kidi have six nominations each.

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:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen.com.gh
Controversial TV personality, Deloris Frimpong-Manso, popularly known as Delay, has told young Kumawood actress, Maame Serwaa, that she looks older than her age.

According to Delay, Maame Serwaas huge breasts and backside do not suit her age as a teenager.

Delay made this remark when Maame Serwaa appeared as guest on the Delay Show last Sunday, April, 8, 2018, which was monitored by YEN.com.gh.

Maame Serwaa

READ ALSO: Ebony's response to her managers when they asked her about her 17 tattoos

The controversial Delay said that Maame Serwaas demeanour, and behaviour make her look like an adult.

She added that if the young actress does not take care, she might end up looking old in the near future even at a young age.

Maame Serwaa has been in the news lately following some revelations she made while on the Delay Show.

READ ALSO: Nana Ama gives hubby passionate kiss in latest video

The 18-year-old actress opened up on many rumours and accusations about her in the interview.

While she has been accused of having an affair with actor Bill Asamoah, Maame Serwaa said that accusation is false.

According to her, Bill Asamoah is like her father, and his wife plays a motherly role in her life.

Therefore, she can in no way have anything doing with him.

Maame Serwaa also revealed that she has no idea how much money she has made in her career so far because her parents are the ones in charge of her bank account.

She also revealed her desire to enrol into NAFTI to study film editing and script-writing.

Maame Serwaa will turn 19 in August.

READ ALSO: Rev. Owusu Bempah appointed to Gender Ministrys Cancer Board

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: Akufo Addo will get the shock of his life after election 2020  Prophet Nigel drops prophesy

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook now!

Source: Yen
Marriage is a revered thing in Ghana as our customs and traditions duly recognize it.

Apart from the recognition, it is considered as one of the things that brings glory to one's parents and family.

In fact, it goes without saying that, every Ghanaian parent and well-wishing relative longs for their young ones to get married successfully.

It is therefore, ideally, supposed to be the dream of every young person.

READ ALSO: Wiyaala 'challenges' Sister Deborah's nude shots with new wild photos of her own

But these days, it does not seem a priority for many young people especially, the males. When you meet 10 guys on the street and ask them about marriage, you will likely get more than half having no immediate plans or showing no interest at all.

And even for the old ones, some literally fear getting married.

YEN.com.gh set out to find why some Ghanaian men afraid of getting married and has compiled some of the reasons.

1. Financial (Lack of funds) reasons:

Most answers to YEN.com.gh's question suggested that respondents were not necessarily afraid of getting married but lacked the necessary funds to get married.

READ ALSO: PHOTO: Lady sacked from church for dressing indecently

And Mrgoodman pointed it out clearly.

Asare supported Mrgoodman's position adding that Ghanaian women only loved 'already made' men

2. Lack of good women (marriage materials:

Some of the respondents said they were not afraid of marriage but afraid of the women they were to marry.

According to them, many of the women are just not marriageable

Kwaku put it aptly as:

Da Osei claimed that only 10% of ladies were marriageable hence the difficulty in getting married.

3. Over-demanding ladies:

For some, though they could afford to marry, the demands which come from some ladies put them off.

READ ALSO: PHOTO: Ghanaians mock Shatta Wale over his 'Tiger Head battery' look to Asantehene's palace

Richard reminded us that Ghanaian ladies are not supportive and once you propose to them, you become a debtor to them.

4. Inability to propose (Fear of being rejected):

The problem of some of the respondents had to do with proposing to ladies. They literally fear being rejected or going after the women they like.

Akwasi is interested in friendship leading to marriage but it seems it's not been working for him.

5. Not interested in settling down:

A good number of respondents were simply not interested in settling down like Fuseini who wanted to "enjoy all them."

Sham Sham had a funny analogy to the whole issue of marriage.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: 'Fresh boy' Bawumia has suddenly become an 'old man'  Mzbel mocks veep

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:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen
- A 9-week-old baby has died at the St. Gregory Hospital after doctors cut oxygen supply to him

- According to the boy's parents, the doctors cut the supply because they could not pay a bill of GHC 533

-The hospital's authorities are yet to comment on the development

The parents of a nine-week-old baby have narrated the sad circumstances under which they lost their son at the St Gregory Hospital at Kasoa in the Central Region.

According to the bereaved parents, their baby boy died because they could not afford the cost of helping him breathe through an oxygen machine.

Speaking in an interview on Joy News TV, the boy's parents revealed that a medical doctor on duty pulled the plug from the oxygen machine because they could not pay GHC533 to keep their son alive.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Obinim 'delivers' lady who's slept with 'over 9000' men from prostitution

The boy, Prosper, was born on January 19, 2018, fell sick and was taken to the hospital on March 5 and died three weeks later.

The baby's mother, Sefakor, disclosed that a few weeks after the baby was born she realised he was not breathing well.

She sent her son to the St. Gregory Hospital where Prosper was admitted after preliminary tests with the intention of transferring the case to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital later.

READ ALSO: PHOTO: Lady sacked from church for 'exposing her body'

The baby was given blood and kept on the oxygen machine because he could not breathe well.

However, when it became clear the family could not pay for the cost of treatment before the intended transfer to Korle-Bu, the doctor decided to take a drastic decision.

"That Saturday, the Doctor came, he ask me that I hear from my husband [about the bills] I say I didn't hear. Then he removed the oxygen...it is too late," Sefakor managed in the little English she could speak.

Hospital authorities are tight-lipped on the issue explaining they are investigating the circumstances that led to the death of the baby.

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:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen
- Actor and musician, Lil Win, has suggested that the government should pay more attention to celebrities who are currently alive

- According to him, this can help with the promotion of locally-manufactured products

One of Ghanas most popular entertainers. Kojo Nkansah, better known as Lil Win, has cautioned the Ministry of Creative Arts against honouring the dead more than the living.

According to a report by MyNewsGH.com, the celebrated actor and musician argued that Ghana has done little in making use of its celebrities in the promotion of Made-in-Ghana goods.

This, he went on, is in contrast to the governments desire to ensure that Ghanaians patronize locally manufactured goods.

Lil Win

READ ALSO: Sister Deborah causes 'confusion' with her latest photos

According to Lilwin, it was wrong for GTP to name a cloth after Ebony after the musician lost her life, as the dead are of little relevance.

Use us whilst we are still alive. How sensible is it to produce a cloth in our names when we are dead? Look at Manifest; he always brands himself with GTP products, but have you ever seen a billboard of him projecting their brand?", he quizzed.

He added that a country that honours its dead people more than the living ones isnt on the path to ensure the success of its local products.

Lil Win therefore appealed to the government to take a second look at the how to best make use of Ghanaian celebrities, as the focus isnt money to be received, but a future that all will be proud of.

READ ALSO: Top NDC man dragged out of Peace FM studios for being 'drunk'

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.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen.com.gh
- A young Ghanaian inventor has introduced a wedding carriage with unique features

- It comes with WIFI services as well as a camera with streaming features

A Ghanaian inventor, Sampson Appiah, has manufactured a wedding carriage that comes with WIFI services.

According to a report by zionfelix,net, a camera is also attached to the carriage to aid in live streaming services.

Appiah, who is a first year student of Ghana Telecom University, is the founder of Linkme, has been praised by Ghanaians for his unique invention, after it became public.

READ ALSO: Father shows up with money after hospital cuts off child's oxygen support

He initially studied at Regent University where he pursued an Open Source Technology programme.

He is also an IT expert who studied Micro Computer Technology at NCR Computer Institute, an international organization which installs ATM machines.

According to him, the carriage is available for weddings, parties, music video shoots, movies and any other activity.

READ ALSO: Mzbel and friends mock Samira Bawumia in a new video

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.

Use the comments section below to share your views on this story. Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or Instagram

Source: Yen.com.gh




Guwahati, April 10 : Security forces had apprehended a hardcore NSCN (K) militant in Nagaland. Based on intelligence input, the troops of Kohima Battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (North) conducted an operation based on specific information in general area Phulbari Chowk, Kohima District alongwith a police representativeand apprehended one NSCN (K) militant who was

identified as Self Style Adjutant Job.





Security personnel had recovered two NSCN/GPRN/K extortion Slips for Rs 80,000 and Rs 20,070 cash.





Subsequently a follow up operation was launched to carry out search of the residence of Self Styled Adjutant Job in High School Junction wherein one receipt from Traders Union for Rs 35,000, one NSCN/GPRN/K extortion slip of Rs 7,000, one NSCN/GPRN/K blank extortion slip and one used NSCN/GPRN/K extortion slip pad were also recovered.





The apprehended militant alongwith recovered items was handed over to North Police Station, Kohima for further investigation.





On the other hand, Wokha Battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (N) launched a search operation alongwith a police representative in Upper Mt Tiyi Colony, Wokha and recovered illegal arms and ammunitions.





The seized materials included four 12 bore Rifles, two Muzzle loaded Rifles, two Air guns, seven Rifles butt, three metal cup for modification of illegal weapon/bomb, four Air gun spring, nine hollow iron rod, six live rounds of 9 mm pistol, eight rounds of point 22 mm, eight point 22 empty cases and one hand made bomb.





The illegal material was recovered from the house of L D Yanthan Lano, a resident of Upper Mt Tiyi Colony in Wokha who was absconding from the house.





The seized illegal arms and ammunitions were handed over to Wokha police station and an FIR was also lodged for further investigations.




BEIRUT: The international chemical weapons watchdog said Tuesday it will send a fact-finding mission to the Syrian town where a suspected gas attack took place over the weekend, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations.





In a statement, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said a fact-finding team is preparing to deploy to Syria shortly.





It was not immediately clear whether the announcement would avert US military action against Syria. President Donald Trump has vowed to respond forcefully to Saturdays attack on civilians in the town of Douma, in the eastern Ghouta suburbs, and warned that Russia  or any other nation found to share responsibility  will pay a price.





Trump on Tuesday cancelled plans to travel to South America later this week, choosing to stay in the United States to manage the response to the events in Syria.





Syrian government forces were on high alert and taking precautionary measures Tuesday at military positions across the country amid fears of a US strike in the aftermath of the attack near Damascus.





The OPCW, in its statement, said its technical Secretariat has asked the Syrian government to make the necessary arrangements for the deployment of a fact-finding mission. The group is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1997, which has been signed by 192 member states.





Syria became a member in 2013 as part of a deal brokered by the US and Russia after a chemical attack in eastern Ghouta killed hundreds of people. That attack was widely blamed on government forces, who denied responsibility.





Syrian opposition activists and paramedics said at least 40 people were killed in last weekends suspected chemical attack and blamed the government. The Syrian government and its Russian backers strongly deny the allegations, and have questioned whether a chemical weapons attack took place.





Earlier Tuesday, Syria invited the OPCW to send a fact-finding mission to Douma, the last rebel stronghold in the eastern Ghouta suburbs. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the government will help the watchdog investigate the alleged attack.





UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday he is outraged by the reported attack, and that the use of chemical weapons would be a violation of international law. He also reaffirmed his support for an OPCW investigation.





A senior Russian lawmaker said Tuesday that Moscow is willing to help arrange an OPCW visit to the site of the suspected attack. Yevgeny Serberennikov, from the defense committee at the Federation Council, told the RIA Novosti news agency that Russia is eager for the OPCW to finally start carrying out the functions it was created for.





Asked in Berlin whether she supports the idea, German Chancellor Angela Merkel responded unenthusiastically, saying that the evidence that chemical weapons were used there is very, very clear.





A Syrian air base was struck by missiles a little more than 24 hours after the alleged chemical attack, an airstrike that Syria and Russia have blamed on Israel. Israel does not typically comment on its operations in Syria, and it is unclear whether the missile attack was linked to the alleged use of chemical weapons.





Seven Iranians were among the estimated 14 people killed in the missile attack, and a senior Iranian official visiting Damascus said the attack will not remain unanswered. Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Irans supreme leader, spoke upon arrival in the Syrian capital on Tuesday, and was quoted by Irans state-run news agency IRNA.





Irans semi-official Tasnim news agency put the number of Iranians killed in the missile attack at seven. It said the victims have been transferred to Tehran, and that funerals will be held in the victims hometowns across the country.





Iran is one of Assads strongest backers and has sent thousands of troops and allied militiamen to support his forces.





The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that as of Monday night, troops have been on a 72-hour alert and are fortifying their positions.





The Observatorys chief, Rami Abdurrahman, said the alert includes all army positions and bases from the southern province of Sweida all the way to Aleppo province in the north, the Mediterranean coast in the west to Deir el-Zour province in the east, along the Iraqi border.





The Sound and Picture Organization, an activist collective in eastern Syria, said that Iranian fighters and members of Lebanons Hezbollah group have evacuated their positions in the Boukamal area, near the Iraqi border, which was recently retaken from the Islamic State group.





A Lebanese politician with close links to the Syrian government confirmed that precautionary measures were being taken throughout Syria.





The politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about secret military movements, said the atmosphere and US statements hint at a possible strike, but there are no indications on the ground so far.





The politician said the Syrian government was expecting a limited US strike, similar to the one on Shayrat air base last year, which came after an alleged chemical attack on a rebel-held town in northern Syria that killed dozens of people.




WASHINGTON, April 11: Defying Russian warnings against U.S. military strikes in Syria, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that missiles will be coming in response to Syrias suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people.





Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, Trump tweeted. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!





Trump did not detail what a strike would look like, or whether these would be U.S. missiles. The tweet came as Trump administration officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syrias alleged poison gas attack. Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.





The tweet drew a quick response from Russias Foreign Ministry. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Facebook that smart missiles would destroy any evidence of a suspected chemical weapons attack.





The term smart missile dates to the introduction decades ago of weapons with advanced guidance systems  for example, using GPS  to achieve greater precision in targeting. The term was meant to contrast with dumb bombs lacking such technology. Virtually all U.S. missiles now have advanced guidance systems.





Russian lawmakers earlier warned the United States that Moscow would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime, saying it could trigger a direct military clash between the two former Cold War adversaries. Russias ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted  a stark warning of a potential major confrontation in Syria.





Trumps tweets Wednesday also delivered a mixed message, not unusual for the mercurial president.





Shortly after warning that missiles were coming, Trump tweeted that the U.S. relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. Then, striking a more conciliatory tone, he said: There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?





Trumps administration has sought to show they are being tough on Russia, with a series of economic and diplomatic actions, including new sanctions last week against government officials and oligarchs. But Trump has also largely avoided criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, though he singled him out in a tweet over the weekend for supporting Bashar Assad.





In the past Trump, has condemned forecasting military plans. During a speech on foreign policy in 2016, he said: we must as a nation be more unpredictable. We are totally predictable. We tell everything. Were sending troops. We tell them. Were sending something else. We have a news conference. We have to be unpredictable.





The U.S., France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, U.S. officials have said. None of the three countries leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorized to discuss military planning publicly.





A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the U.S. in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syrias political and military support from Russia and Iran.





President Emmanuel Macron said France, the U.S. and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days. He called for a strong and joint response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.





The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the U.S.-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month.





Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.





One official said the U.S., France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April. That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Assad from further use of chemical agents. So the three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.





Asked whether France would take military action, Macron said his country will continue discussing technical and strategic information with U.S. and British allies and in the coming days we will announce our decision. He said any action would target chemical weapons stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.





Trump spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was utterly reprehensible and that the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Trump see eye to eye on the Syria problem.





We cannot tolerate with a war criminal, the emir said, adding, This matter should end immediately. Qatar hosts the United States main air operations center for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.





A watchdog agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it will send shortly a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit would delay or avert U.S. or allied military action.




DOLAKHA, April 11: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has directed the officials and stakeholders to complete the construction works of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project on time, without delaying even a single day.





During his inspection visit to the tunnel and dam site at Bigu Rural Municipality-1 in Dolakha district on Wednesday, the Prime Minister asked the officials to perform their duty responsibly and assist in nation's development process.





The PM said incumbent government would not give space to those working irresponsibly and carelessly. He also said that the project is bearing a loss of Rs 40 million every day due to delay in construction of 456-megawatt project.





Bringing together the Minister for Energy, Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority; the PM asked the officials to directly inform him if there were any obstacles in the project development.





Claiming that the current government has advanced in new styles for making the nation prosperous, Oli added no government agency would create problems in development construction works.





As the Chinese contractor company, Sino Hydro was delaying in project construction, the PM had also taken the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal for the onsite visit.

On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador Yu Hong expressed her concerns to the delay in construction works and promised to sort out the issue by holding talks with the key persons of the Sino Hydro Company.





Likewise, Minister for Energy Barsha Man Pun said that Upper Tamakoshi Project should be completed in the given deadline at any cost.





According to the information shared by the spokesperson of the project, 94 percent of the construction works of the project was completed so far.





Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of the Project, Bigyan Raj Shrestha, said supplies of the construction materials is a challenge for the poor condition of the road from Charikot to Lamosanghu.





Shrestha also said that the Chinese company and Indian contractor were not performing satisfactorily and urged the PM to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels sooner than later.





The construction works of the project was extended by two years due to Gorkha Earthquake and Indian blockade on Nepal.





The first unit of the project is targeted to generate power by the last of 2018 while all six units are expected to come into operation from mid-April of 2019.




The UN Secretary-Generals special representative for the Sahara and MINURSO Chief, Colin Stewart, has been trapped by the Polisario, when he described the separatists late representative to the UN, Ahmed Boukhari as ambassador.

Colin Stewart made the gaffe when writing on the condolences register following the death of Boukhari, who passed away last Tuesday in Bilbao, Spain.

Canadian Stewart not only attributed the title of ambassador to the late Bukhari, but he also expressed his condolences on the register, in his name and on behalf of the UN and its Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

Following this blunder, the head of MINURSO was to be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rabat, for clarification. Actually, Rabat deems Stewarts wording inappropriate as the title of ambassador is normally assigned to diplomats of a universally recognized sovereign country, which is not the case of the late Bukhari.

The pseudo Sahrawi republic SADR he represented is a puppet entity, which meets none of the criteria of a sovereign state and which has never been recognized as such by the UN.

After he avoided a first trap by declining, as demanded by the Polisario, to go to Bir Lahlou in the buffer zone to present his condolences, Colin Stewart was however, ensnared by the separatists in Rabouni. He signed their register of condolences placed near a pennant of the pseudo-SADR.

This blunder comes as Morocco is campaigning against the Polisarios multiple provocative incursions into the buffer zones in violation of the 1991 ceasefire agreement.

Encouraged by his Algerian civilian and military mentors, the Polisario is reportedly planning to transfer some of its military and administrative structures and part of the population of the Tindouf camps to one of the demilitarized zones: Tifariti, Bir Lahlou or Mhabes.

The separatists would thus attempt to modify the legal framework of this region and claim possession of a liberated territory, a dream they have cherished for more than 40 years.
John Lindsey is PG&E's Diablo Canyon marine meteorologist and a media relations representative. He also appears regularly on KVEC (920 AM). Email him at pgeweather@pge.com or follow him on Twitter: @PGE_John.
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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.  What has been described as a complicated hurricane season brought new challenges for the maritime forces in 2017. With hurricanes hitting Texas and Florida in back-to-back months, it was the first year on record that two category four storms made landfall in mainland United States.

On top of that, islands such the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were hit hard by Hurricane Maria, causing massive wind damage and power outages.

While taxing at first, sea service leaders at the Hurricane Update Panel at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition April 11, said they were pleased with their combined efforts to help the affected areas during the time of crisis and feel more prepared for the expected above-average 2018 hurricane season.

The panelists collectively had years of storm relief experience but even that wasnt enough to fully prepare for the four major hurricanes in 2017.

Maj. Gen. Pat Murphy, director of the National Guard Bureau Joint Staff, led the National Guards response efforts for Hurricane Sandy when it hit the Northeast in 2012. But not even Sandy could compare to Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria individually, let alone collectively.

Hurricane Sandy was originally referred to as Super Storm Sandy, Murphy joked, but since the summer of 2017, Ive not heard it called super anymore. Because it really paled in comparison to what happened in 2017. I would categorize Sandy as a different type of event and not to the magnitude of the past summers events.

Handling the historic meteorological events quickly became a joint command effort once Hurricane Irma and Maria left, according to Rear Adm. Jeffery Hughes, former commander, Expeditionary Strike Group.

Relationships are absolutely critical, Hughes said. At no point in my near 30-year career have I ever placed a higher premium on relationships, because it drives that unity of effort.

Hughes also was reassured that they had full control on when and where they were allowed to respond.

At no point did I ever not have the authorities to allow me to respond immediately, he said. At no point was I waiting to say, I would really like to do something, but Im waiting to be told that I could. We had the authorities in place, and we had the unity of effort throughout the entire response team, from the federal and territorial level, to allow us to go in and save lives.

However, the response effort didnt go as smoothly as anticipated, at first. Most of the relief-related issues stemmed from Hurricane Marias damage to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The sea services successfully sent the needed resources to the islands, but the lack of power and the situation of the islands slowed down the distribution process.

Of course, lack of power wasnt the only challenge for the relief effort. Murphy later pointed out the limited capability of Puerto Ricos resources also made delivering equipment in a timely fashion difficult.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Partly cloudy in the morning. Increasing clouds with periods of showers later in the day. High near 90F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

A few showers during the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low near 70F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
 "Privatizing Criminal Procedure" | Main | "Victims of crime and reformers should work together on criminal justice reform" 

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this local report on oral arguments before the New Mexico Supreme Court yesterday. Here are some details:

Even before abolishing the death penalty, New Mexico had executed only one inmate in nearly 50 years. And that person, child-killer Terry Clark, had waived his right to further appeals, clearing the way for his death by lethal injection in 2001.

The rarity of the death penalty in New Mexico emerged as a key point in oral arguments Tuesday as the state Supreme Court wrestled with whether to allow the execution of the states only two inmates remaining on death row. Their crimes came before the 2009 repeal, making them still eligible for execution.

Much of Tuesdays debate was technical, focusing on proportionality  whether death for these two inmates would be out of line with the sentences for similar defendants whod committed similar crimes.

Justice Charles Daniels zeroed in on the question this way: New Mexico, he said, executed 27 people in the first 47 years of statehood, and then only one in a 57-year period after that. And there were certainly people who committed horrible murders but escaped the death penalty, he said.

That raises a question, he suggested, about whether the state was evenhanded in deciding which people to execute. Can we really look in the mirror and say weve walked the talk and imposed the death penalty consistently in New Mexico? Daniels asked at one point.

Hanging in the balance are the lives of Robert Fry and Timothy Allen  both convicted of murder, in separate cases. Allen faces a death sentence for strangling a 17-year-old girl, Sandra Phillips, in 1994. He also was convicted of kidnapping and attempted rape. Fry was sentenced to die for the killing of Betty Lee, a mother of five, in 2000. She was hit with a sledgehammer and stabbed.

Their attorneys asked the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to revisit how New Mexico handled death cases from that era, in light of the 2009 repeal.

A 1983 decision by the court outlined how the judiciary should go about determining whether an inmates death sentence is disproportionate to the penalties imposed on similar defendants. The justices that year established a narrow view of which cases are similar  requiring that the defendants being compared had been convicted under the same aggravating circumstances.

But the attorneys for Fry and Allen argued for a broader pool of cases for comparison, in which defendants receive life sentences. You could argue that the universe of cases ought to include any case where the death penalty could have been sought, but wasnt, they argued. Furthermore, they said, New Mexico hasnt properly tracked the handling and circumstances of cases to provide a meaningful way to search for comparable crimes, making the 1983 decision impractical to carry out....

Assistant Attorney General Victoria Wilson urged the Supreme Court to stick with its 1983 decision on comparable cases. State law doesnt require the kind of data collection the inmates attorneys say is necessary, she said. The question before the court, Wilson said, was simply whether the death sentence had been imposed arbitrarily.
 Looking into the modern state of the private prison industry in the states | Main | "Privatizing Criminal Procedure" 

April 10, 2018

Federal district judge finds Michigan's elimination of good-time credit in Miller fix unconstitutional

As reported in this local article, a "federal judge has ruled a Michigan law violates the constitution by not allowing juvenile lifers to earn good-time and disciplinary credits while in prison." Here is more:

Following [the Supreme Court's ruling in Miller], the state put into law the ability to sentence child killers to a number of years with a chance of parole. Because that law does not allow those offenders to earn good-time credits, Goldsmith ruled it is unconstitutional and ordered the state calculate good-time and disciplinary credits for those who have already been re-sentenced under that law within 14 days. Todays ruling is a tremendous victory for fairness in our criminal justice system, Dan Korobkin, ACLU of Michigan Deputy Legal Director and one of the plaintiffs attorneys said in a statement. Hundreds of youth who were serving unconstitutional life sentences will now benefit from good-time credits they earned in prison for good behavior, credits that were taken away from them by mean-spirited retroactive legislation in 2014. There are more than 360 people in the system who were children at the time of their crimes, including four from St. Clair County: Jimmy Porter, Raymond Carp, Michael Hills and Tia Skinner. Restoring these credits to individuals who earned them will likely save the state millions of dollars, and will give deserving individuals a chance to reunite with their families when they no longer pose a threat to society, Korobkin said.

The full ruling in Hill v. Snyder, No. 10-cv-14568 (April 9, 2018), is available at this link. Here is how it begins:

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that juveniles convicted of first-degree murder cannot be subject to mandatory life sentences without parole. Because of their lesser culpability and greater capacity to change, they must be sentenced under a process that gives them an individualized opportunity to present mitigating circumstances to avert such a harsh sentence. In response, the Michigan legislature enacted legislation that purported to comply with the Courts ruling, which included the possibility of being resentenced to prison for a term of years. However, the legislature provided that in calculating any such sentence, the youth offenders were not to receive any credit -- known as good time or disciplinary credit -- even though such credits were earned while the youth offenders served their illegally imposed sentences. In that respect, the legislative response ran afoul of our Constitutions ban on ex post facto laws -- the constitutional guarantee that laws may not retroactively criminalize conduct or enhance the punishment for criminal acts already perpetrated. For this reason, the Court must declare that provision of the statute unconstitutional and order that the youth offenders receive the credit that they have previously earned.

April 10, 2018 at 08:42 PM | Permalink

Comments

This is reminiscent of the Iowa governor's move whereby he commuted all JLWOP sentences to 80+ year sentences. The courts were equally unamused.

Posted by: John | Apr 10, 2018 11:31:47 PM

BS decision---there is no right to good time credits under the old law, and hence no vesting under the new.

Michigan should, of course, appeal, and even if it loses, ignore the courts. Miller needs to be fought with foot-dragging and everything.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 11, 2018 1:10:19 AM

Talking out your other end again fed?

Even the state acknowledges the legally earned credits exist. Why they tried to ilegally take them back once the USSC messed up their plan to allow them to collect useless credits they could never use. Once faced with in mates with who knows have many days, months or years if those credit well they had to do something even if it broke the lsw

Posted by: Rodsmith3510 | Apr 11, 2018 3:51:41 AM

If it was in any circuit not divisible by three, the State would have a solid argument that the courts should look to the over-all sentencing scheme and not its particular parts. If the overall statute lowers the sentence from life to a term of years, it's hard to credibly argue that the fact that the term of years will be served without eligibility for good time credit makes the new sentences longer than or harsher than the old sentence. By way of analogy, if I gave you three fresh apples but took away a rotted apple core, would that be reducing your food supply?

Posted by: tmm | Apr 11, 2018 11:05:11 AM

So, the Third, Sixth and Ninth have different rules here?

I again wonder the reach of this "ignore the courts" rule. And, does it apply to agencies and other bodies if they are really really wrong? Does it just apply to "states"? Can Puerto Rico or Guam ignore the courts when they believe they are really really wrong?

Posted by: Joe | Apr 11, 2018 11:21:09 AM

Fed might say ignore the courts. I'm just noting that the Third, Sixth, and Ninth have a lot of recent history of loosely interpreting Supreme Court precedent and getting slammed for it by the Supreme Court. I think the other circuits (e.g. Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, and Eleventh) would reverse this trial court decision but the Sixth probably will affirm. Whether there is a sufficient likelihood of a grant of certiorari to justify the resouces is for the Michigan Attorney General's Office to decide.

Posted by: tmm | Apr 11, 2018 2:32:24 PM

I'd be curious to know what they're thinking was on this.

federalist, I'm not entirely sure I understand your argument. You said there is no right to good time credit under the old law. Are you saying the old law didn't provide for an opportunity for good time credit or that such credit wasn't a "right"?

Posted by: Erik M | Apr 11, 2018 2:32:42 PM

By definition, juve LWOP didn't have right to parole/good time. So when the law was changed, nothing was taken from them.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 14, 2018 11:09:45 AM

Post a comment
 Federal district judge finds Michigan's elimination of good-time credit in Miller fix unconstitutional | Main | Can and will New Mexico carry out two executions even after its repeal of the death penalty? 

April 11, 2018

"Privatizing Criminal Procedure"

The title of this post is the title of this newly posted article appearing on SSRN authored by J.D. King. Here is the abstract:

As the staggering costs of the criminal justice system continue to rise, many states have begun to look for non traditional ways to pay for criminal prosecutions and to shift these costs onto criminal defendants. Many states now impose a surcharge on defendants who exercise their constitutional rights to counsel, confrontation, and trial by jury. As these user fees proliferate, they have the potential to fundamentally change the nature of criminal prosecutions and the way we think of constitutional rights. The shift from government funding of criminal litigation to user funding constitutes a privatization of criminal procedure. This intrusion of market ideology into the world of fundamental constitutional rights has at least two broad problems: it exacerbates structural unfairness in a system that already disadvantages poor people, and it degrades how we conceive of those rights. This Article proposes solutions to ameliorate the harshest effects of these rights-based user fees but also argues for the importance of resisting the trend of the privatization of constitutional trial rights.

April 11, 2018 at 10:35 AM | Permalink

Comments

This is a test, please delete this message if it posts to the forum.

Posted by: Tester | Apr 11, 2018 11:03:59 AM

Thyself shalt see the act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assured Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest.

Shakespeare. The Merchant of Venice Act 4, Scene 1,

Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Apr 11, 2018 2:35:27 PM

Post a comment
Montri Suwanposri added that C.P in Thailand is the leading firm exporting chicken meat to Japan for years with the quantity of five million a week.





There has been an increase in poutry meat orders lately because many countries banned import chicken from Brazil , an exporter of chicken to Japan, after food safety scandal. These countries switched to import chicken meat from Asian countries especially Thailand.



At present, prices of poultry in hi-tech farms in Vietnam is similar to chicken prices in other Asian countries, accordingly, C.P Thailand will share its orders with Vietnamese firms and C.P Vietnam has planned to sell chicken meat to Japan in 2019.



In 2017, Vietnams livestock sector marked its new stage when Koyu & Unitek shipped its first batch of chicken meat to Japan which is considered a difficult market with tough restrictions. Monthly, shipment of the meat is around 200 tons while the demand is buoyant with 300 tons a month.



According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Animal Health Department. The shipment is the fruit of two sides talks in 2016. The Department of Animal Health studied the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)s regulations carefully before discussing with Japanese counterpart.



Japan agreed to cut some requirements on chicken made in Vietnam and used only OIE standards such as: the animal raised in farms quarantined for diseases; production chains in manufacturers which meet Japans veterinary requirements, the national measures against diseases on poultry as well as food safety supervision plan on chicken for export.



Therefore, after a long pause because of fierce competition with frozen chicken meat, poultry breeding revived. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it is result of switching from small raising in households to raising in farms with adoption of hi-tech to prevent diseases.



The quantity of farms increased from 9,300 farms in 2013 to 9,900 farms in 2014. In 2016, around 22,000 farms were set up in the country.



Director of Ba Huan Company Ms. Pham Thi Huan said that thanks to hi-tech adoption in breeding, costs of breeding is down; farmers can earn profit from breeding.



Truong Chi Thien from Vinh Thanh Dat Company said that prices of eggs in Vietnam are equal in many countries; therefore, other countries eggs will have no chance for competition in Vietnam.



Deputy chairman of Poultry Association in the Southeast region Vietnam Nguyen Van Ngoc said that price of a pack of ten eggs went upVND3,000  4,000 ( or VND16,000 a pack of ten) , lower that other countries and at average compared to the world. No importer has imported eggs so far, said Ms. Huan.

Meantime, if the government just allows import of whole frozen chick, foreign chicken cant beat with locals ; however, at present, importers just imported low parts of a waterfowl such as thigh, legs, and wings making local farmers in despair.



The Department of Animal Health said that in 2017 some more firms namely Ba Huan Company, DTK Company, Thanh Duc Company, C. P Vietnam, DABACO, Cau Tre proposed the department helping to finish paper works to sell fresh eggs to South Korea, ASEAN.



The Department is helping Koyu & Unitek, C.P Vietnam to sell processed chicken meat to EU, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Iraq, China, and Singapore. Additionally, the department supports Bel Ga (Bel Chicken) to sell bred eggs and poultry to Myanmar, Lao and Cambodia.

By staff writers  Translated by UYEN PHUONG
Holding a reception for Danish Minister of Health Ellen Trane Norby in Hanoi on April 10, PM Phuc hoped to receive further support from Denmark in the prevention of non-infectious diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular and high blood pressure as well as in medical personnel training.



Lauding the northern European countrys achievements in managing and providing comprehensive public health care as well as mobilising the involvement of private sector, the leader hoped that Denmark will share its experience with Vietnam and endorse Vietnam in information technology application in the medical sector.

Ellen Trane Norby, for her part, affirmed that Denmark is willing to help Vietnam in health care and food safety research.

Denmark holds strengths in cancer prevention, control of diabetes and many other non-infectious diseases, she said, hoping that both sides will have deeper cooperation in the fields.

Vietnamnews
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on April 11, 2018

2018/04/11

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Japan upon invitation from April 15 to 17 and co-chair the 4th China-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's this official visit to Japan makes an important move for the two countries to step up high-level exchange and communication. We hope this visit will strengthen mutual trust, build consensus and manage differences between the two sides, thus further consolidating the momentum of improving China-Japan relations.

Q: President Xi Jinping's speech on expanding opening-up at yesterday's opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference has drawn great attention worldwide. Some foreign media said that China quite coincidentally plans measures in areas where the US has previously expressed its concerns, such as automobile and intellectual property right. Can you confirm that such opening-up measures China plans to take are related to the trade friction with the US?

A: I can assure you unequivocally that these major measures we will take have nothing to do with the trade friction we are having with the US. Anyone who has some knowledge of how the Chinese government operates will understand that the rollout of such an important decision involving all these major measures will take some time to formulate, deliberate, and improve until everything is ready. It is impossible to make such a decision at short notice.

You may recall that we keep stressing that China will continue to adhere to its fundamental national policy of opening-up and pursue development with its door wide open. China's door of opening-up will not be closed and will only open even wider! This is our consistent position. Last year's 19th CPC National Congress report and this year's government work report drew up guidance and plans for our opening-up efforts going forward.

Yesterday's announcement of these measures is a solid step to implement the aforementioned two reports. It was made in line with our own needs, timetable and roadmap.

China is determined to open wider to the outside world, no matter what others do.

Q: According to reports, Song Tao, who serves as head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will visit the DPRK on Friday. Could you provide more information?

A: According to my information, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee has already released relevant information. At the invitation of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), Song Tao, Director of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, will lead a Chinese art troupe to the DPRK to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival on April 13.

The April Spring Friendship Art Festival is an international event hosted by the DPRK to promote cultural exchanges. China sent art troupes to the previous festivals upon invitation. This time, our attendance at the festival, which comes on the heels of a historic summit between General Secretary Xi Jinping and Chairman Kim Jong-un, is meant to implement the important consensus reached between the two leaders of the parties and the countries on deepening cultural exchanges. We believe that this visit will contribute to strengthening China-DPRK friendship and promoting cultural exchanges between the two sides.

Q: The UN Security Council failed to adopt three draft resolutions on the issue of chemical weapons in Syria on April 11. What's your comment?

A: China's representative has stated its position and proposition in a comprehensive and clear way when the Security Council took actions regarding relevant draft resolutions.

China firmly opposes the use of chemical weapons under whatever circumstances and for whatever purposes by any country, organization or individual. China all along maintains that the Security Council should engage in negotiation with patience to build consensus and send out a message of solidarity. We are regretful that it failed to reach consensus on the issue of chemical weapons in Syria and concerned over the latest development of the situation there.

China calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint and avoid any move that may escalate tension. The pressing concern for now is to conduct a comprehensive, fair and objective investigation on the suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria to find out the truth. We have noted that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will send experts for investigation on the ground.

Q: It is reported that while meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on April 10, President Xi Jinping said that the two sides should continue to properly handle the South China Sea issue, and discuss joint exploration, development and cooperation at an appropriate time, thus making the waters a sea of cooperation and friendship. President Duterte also said that the Philippines will work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and boost cooperation in this regard. What is your expectation for such bilateral cooperation in the South China Sea?

A: China remains committed to peacefully resolving the South China Sea dispute with parties directly concerned through negotiation and consultation. Pending final settlement, China would like to conduct practical cooperation in various fields with parties concerned, including under the principle of shelving differences and seeking joint development. Joint development will not affect the legal position of either side on the relevant issue.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the two sides, China and the Philippines have seen a sound and steady development of bilateral ties and a smooth running of practical cooperation in various fields. Yesterday, the two leaders held another successful meeting and made the strategic decision on continuing to properly handle the South China Sea issue and move forward maritime cooperation. For the benefit of the two countries and peoples, China stands ready to work with the Philippines to implement the important consensus reached between the two leaders, jointly conduct and deepen practical cooperation in the South China Sea, and seek an early realization of joint exploration and development.

Q: What topics will come up in State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's discussions with the Japanese side this time? What is China's expectation for the outcomes of this visit?

A: As I said, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's official visit to Japan this time makes an important move for the two countries to step up high-level exchange and communication. We hope this visit will strengthen mutual trust, build consensus and manage differences between the two sides, thus further consolidating the momentum of improving China-Japan relations.

In addition, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will also co-chair the 4th China-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Q: According to reports, a senior Australian official said yesterday that they would view with great concern the establishment of any foreign military base in Pacific Island countries and their neighbours, and China seems more engaged in the Pacific region. What's your comment?

A: Such allegation of the Australian side is sheer fiction, and Vanuatu has clarified on this matter.

I would like to point out that the practical cooperation between China and South Pacific island countries in various fields has effectively promoted local socioeconomic development and been warmly welcomed by local governments and people.

The South Pacific island countries should not be the sphere of influence of any country. Enough with certain Australian individuals' interference in other's internal affairs. It would be better if they can make concrete contributions to those countries' development rather than stir up troubles.

Q: Why did China abstain from voting on rather than veto the resolution proposed by the US concerning the Syrian issue at the Security Council yesterday? Given the increasingly tense situation in Syria, military operation may become an option. What is China's attitude on this matter?

A: As I said, Ambassador Wu Haitao, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the UN, already made an explanatory statement to explain China's position in a comprehensive, thorough and clear manner when the Security Council took actions on relevant draft resolutions. You may refer to that.

As to the latest development of the situation in Syria as mentioned, including possible military strike, I already made clear China's position yesterday. We always believe that political settlement is the only viable way out and military means will lead to nowhere. China always stands for peaceful settlement of disputes, opposes wanton use or threat of use of force in international relations and acts in accordance with the UN Charter. China is willing to work with parties in support of the mediation by the UN to ease the tension in Syria and promote the political settlement of the Syrian issue at an early date.

Q: The Spokesperson of the US White House said on April 10 that the US is encouraged by President Xi Jinping's words and wants to see concrete actions from China, and the US is going to continue moving forward its tariff measures until those happen. How do you respond?

A: By announcing these new major opening-up initiatives, China demonstrates its commitment to promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, forging an open global economy, and seeking win-win cooperation with other countries. We also made clear our opposition to unilateralism and trade protectionism. We believe that companies and people of all countries, not just in China, stand to benefit from our new measures.

The international community responded to these measures with positive remarks. At the luncheon held after the opening ceremony, leaders of many foreign states and international organizations said that China's attitude is quite clear, and now it is up to the US to respond. We hope that the US could carefully assess the situation and make the right choice.

As for what you asked about the US proceeding with its imposition of tariffs, I would like to reiterate that if the US takes further actions to undermine China's interests, we will fight back forcibly. There is no doubt about that. We never just talk the talk.
Robert 'Rob' Scott Murphy, age 53, of California MD, passed away unexpectedly at St. Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown, MD, on Friday, April 6th, 2018 due to a medical emergency. Born in Lansdale, PA, to Grace M. Hill (Houpt) of Kempton, PA, and Robert W. Murphy of Albuquerque, NM.



Rob displayed an early love for theater and a talent for humor that would serve him well through a career with the U.S. Navy. He served in active duty as an H-46 pilot and after 20+ years of dedicated service, as a civilian employee. Rob graduated from Perkiomen Valley High School, Collegeville, PA in 1982. After graduating from Villanova University, PA, in 1986 with a degree in Computer Science, Rob was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and later attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, earning a Master of Science degree in Operations Research. He served numerous deployments overseas and eventually transitioned to the program management field, supporting rotary wing programs (both manned and unmanned) at the Naval Air Systems Command. A gifted orator, Rob was well known for his quick recall and storytelling abilities.



He is survived by his wife Stephanie (St. Clair) and their two children Caitlin and Haley; his first wife Diane Shaw Freeman, and their daughter Erin of Tuscaloosa AL; his parents; his father-in-law John Hill; his brother Andy; his sister Julie; and numerous nieces and nephews.



A Memorial Service will be conducted at Brinsfield Funeral Home in Leonardtown, MD, on Friday, April 13, 2018 from 6-8pm with a prayer service at 7 pm. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations to his children's college funds will be gratefully accepted at NFCU Acct# 3096119114, P.O. Box 3100, Merrifield, VA 22119-3100.




ANNAPOLIS (April 11, 2018)Overhauling state tax code in response to sweeping federal tax cuts, bolstering school safety after a shooting at a Southern Maryland high school and stabilizing health insurance markets in the wake of Congressional action were just a few of the myriad policy decisions the Maryland General Assembly addressed in 2018 during the 90-day legislative session.



Legislators also overturned vetoes and passed a bill left from last year that takes aim at the lack of diversity in the state's nascent medical marijuana industry.



Republican Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday signed 114 pieces of legislation, including on school safety and health insurance. The governor also signed legislation related to organ donation; House Speaker Michael Busch, D-Anne Arundel, underwent a liver transplant last year.



"This has been our most successful legislative session," Hogan said. "I believe it was a big win for the people of Maryland."



Hogan on Monday said his biggest disappointment was legislation removing power from the Board of Public Works on school-construction funding, calling it a "purely political move."



In an election year, changing faces next year are expected, but federal criminal proceedings and the death of a lawmaker meant notable absences in the Senate before Monday's midnight close of the session, known as "Sine Die."



Here is a roundup of the changes and happenings in Annapolis during the 2018 General Assembly session:



BUDGET: Schools, environment, opioids



Hogan touted a record $6.5 billion in funding for K-12 education and included $13.7 million to fight the opioid crisis. The state continued to fund efforts to clean up the Chesapeake by allocating more than $52 million to the The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund. The governor's budget also allocated $11.5 billion for Maryland's Medicaid program.



TRANSPORTATION: Highways, Amazon and Metro



The state Department of Transportation has several large projects under way, including the new Purple Line light rail and a planned $9 billion public-private highway plan Hogan called the largest transportation project in the "known universe." The planned widening of I-270, I-295 and I-495 has been closely tied to the state's multi-billion dollar bid for Amazon's second headquartersincluding up to $5.6 billion in tax incentives, which lawmakers approved (HB0989/SB0877) and about $2 billion in transportation projects. The state also set aside $167 million (HB372/SB277) annually to improve the Metro system, as part of a joint commitment with Virginia and Washington, D.C.



TAXES: Federal and state changes



Tax-relief legislation increases the maximum standard deduction to $2,500 for single taxpayers and $5,000 for those filing jointly (SB318), in tax years 2018 through 2020, according to a state analysis. In January, Comptroller Peter Franchot explained a national tax overhaul, which touts savings for Maryland taxpayers of $2.8 billion on the federal side, would also increase state and local taxes for many Marylanders, according to a state report. Hogan proposed legislation (SB733/HB875) that would encourage standard deductions for federal taxes while allowing taxpayers to itemize state and local taxes. That bill failed.



ENVIRONMENT: Forest conservation, oysters, climate alliance



A bill (SB610) that would have strengthened replanting requirements for developers under the state's Forest Conservation Act was stripped of its teeth. The amended measure creates a task force to study forests in Maryland. And lawmakers passed a bill (HB572) that will increase tax credits for restaurants to recycle oyster shells. The Democrat-controlled legislature also passed a bill (HB 3) that will require Hogan to include Maryland in the U.S. Climate Alliancea coalition of governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Republican President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement in June.



OPIOIDS: Funding, overdoses



The Maryland General Assembly targeted "pill mill" doctorsphysicians who unscrupulously supply opioid prescriptionsby passing a bill (HB 359) requiring the state's health department to establish a tip line to report suspicious prescribing practices and to examine the prescription and treatment history of those who died from opioid overdoses.



ME TOO: Parent rapists; domestic violence; sexual harassment



Hogan in February signed a bill (HB 1) allowing rape victims to terminate parental rights of their attackers. In keeping with the growing "#MeToo" movement this session, another bill changed the definition of abuse to include revenge porn and "generally relating to domestic violence" (SB121). A bill (HB1342) also passed that makes several changes related to anti-harassment procedures, policies and training within the state's legislative branch. And Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery, became the first legislator to share her #MeToo moment this session when she said a lobbyistwho has denied the accusationgroped her in an Annapolis pub.



VETO OVERRIDES: Sick leave; 'ban the box'; school construction and personnel



The legislature overrode four bills this session. Mandated paid sick leave and "ban the box"removing questions about criminal history on college applicationswere vetoed by Hogan in the 11th hour of the 2017 session, and overridden by the Legislature in January. Late in this session, Delegate Maggie McIntosh, D-Baltimore, added an amendment to a school funding bill (HB1783) that stripped the Board of Public Works of power to approve school-construction fundingessentially a rebuke of Democrat Comptroller Peter Franchot's involvement in local school issues. The same day, both chambers overrode legislation (SB639) that alters procedures for suspending or dismissing public school personnel, among other changes.



EDUCATION: Gaming revenues



The General Assembly passed legislation (SB1122) that could amend the Maryland Constitution to require the governor to use commercial gaming revenues to fund public education, beginning in fiscal year 2020. If approved in November, the funding would total $125 million the first year, increasing to more than $500 million by 2023, according to a state analysis.



HEALTH: Insurance, tobacco



Bills to stabilize the insurance market (SB1267/ HB1795) passed, with the governor's support, to counterbalance recent healthcare decisions at the federal level. The two measures focused on applying for a federal-funds waiver and creating a reinsurance pool based on approval of the waiver. A bill also passed that prohibits and penalizes distribution of electronic nicotine delivery systems to minors (HB1094). Legislation that allows the holder of an electronic nicotine delivery systems retailer license to make sales through the mail (HB47/SB90) passed.



MEDICAL CANNABIS: More licenses, diversity



After its dramatic failure in the final minutes of Sine Die in 2017, a bill diversifying Maryland's medical cannabis market passed this year. Despite assurances from the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus that it would be on the governor's desk in January, it slowly crept to the finish line. The bill offers more funding for the Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Cannabis Commission while attempting to draw more women and minorities into the industry. The law funds free or discounted medical cannabis to some patients. On Monday, Hogan said he had yet to read the amended bill and wouldn't sign it until he does.



PUBLIC SAFETY: Schools, crime, 'red flag'; police corruption



The Maryland Safe to Learn Act of 2018 (SB1265) will require all Maryland public schools to have an armed school resource officer by 2019, and establishes a School Safety Subcabinet. State costs for Senate bill 1265 are projected to be $15 million in 2019, according to a fiscal note, while local costs for the officers will total around $98 million. Another measure, part of (HB1783), calls for new security equipment and safe zones for refuge.



The General Assembly compromised on a mix of punishment and rehabilitation measures to address crime in Baltimore City. Tougher laws and sentencing for repeat gun offenders were met with funding for preventative programs. One measure makes it easier for certain felons to erase offenses from their record. Another makes it easier to crack down on gun crimes though wiretapping. Funding comes from two public safety actsone of which is named after Delegate Talmadge Branch's grandson, who was killed by a repeat gun offender in September 2017. (Bill numbers: SB1137, SB101, HB113 and HB432.)



And a new "red flag" law would allow individuals who are concerned that a gun owner is dangerous to petition a court or law officer to remove the firearms for a period of time. (HB1302)



Maryland passed a law (SB270) to allow a court, during prosecution for certain sexual offenses, to admit evidence of "sexually assaultive behavior" by the defendant that occured before or after the offense on trial.



On the back of police corruption, the Legislature passed a bill (SB1099) to establish a commission that will investigate the practices of the Baltimore Police Department's former Gun Trace Task Force, many of whom were indicted on federal charges.



OTHER MATTERS:



Other matters of note that passed in the 2018 General Assembly session include:



 Hemp: Legalization of an industrial hemp pilot program passed this session. It's main uses are for fiber, fuel, food and medicine. (HB698/SB1201)



 Divorce: A court will be able to allow divorce on the grounds of mutual consent if the parties have minor children. Sponsor Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, said the measure helps to eliminate a drawn-out process of divorce that can take years to conclude.



 Pink hunting gear: A bill (SB341/HB1118) adds bright pink as an approved color for hunting gear in Maryland.



 Richard Collins scholarship: After Bowie State University student Richard Collins III was fatally stabbed in May on the University of Maryland, College Park campus, the state's General Assembly created a scholarship in his honor for minority students in ROTC programs at historically black colleges or universities (SB1202). Prior to his death, Collins had been commissioned into the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant.



 Gay conversion: Delegate Meagan Simonaire, R-Anne Arundel, who will not run for re-election, opened up about her sexuality when discussing a bill that bans conversion therapy for minors (SB1028). She discussed how her parentsincluding Sen. Bryan Simonaire, R-Anne Arundel, who argued passionately against the billwanted to put her through the therapy when she opened up to them. The legislation passed in both chambers.



NOTABLE FAILURES:



Some measures did not advance this session, among them:



 State hiring: Delegate Clarence Lam, D-Howard and Baltimore counties, introduced legislation (HB 1778) that would add a layer of oversight to state hiring practices. The late bill failed to pass the Senate.



 Cyber bullying: After passing unanimously in the Senate, "Grace's Law 2.0," an update to a cyberbullying law designed to reflect modern media, was shelved in a House committee. The ACLU opposed the "overbroad" bill.



 Addiction: A bill (HB 326) with wide-ranging support, which would create supervised drug consumption sites, and another (HB 499) that would authorize parents to involuntarily admit their adult children for addiction treatment, failed to make it through the general assembly this session.



 HBCUs: Legislation to equalize funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities did not progress, but a lawsuit against the state and a settlement offer of $100 million over 10 years from Hogan remain.



 Physical Education: A bill that would require 150 minutes of physical education per week for elementary school students failed for the eighth year.



 Adultery: A bill aiming to repeal the crime of adultery, a misdemeanor with a fine of $10, failed to advance.



LEGISLATURE CHANGES: Senate loses two: Norman; Oaks; lawmakers out



Sen. H. Wayne Norman Jr., R-Cecil and Harford, 62, unexpectedly died in his sleep on March 4. His wife, Linda Norman, was sworn into his seat on March 16, for the remainder of the session.



Sen. Nathaniel Oaks, D-Baltimore, resigned on March 29. He wrote that his reasoning was "to eliminate all clouds that have hovered over the 2018 Legislative Session, due to any potential concerns or questionable activities on (his) behalf." Oaks plead guilty to federal corruption charges on the same day, and awaiting sentencing, scheduled for July 17.



A number of lawmakers have retired or declared their candidacy in another public office, so both chambers of the Legislature will have vacant seats up for grabs in the 2018 election.



BEYOND THE LEGISLATURE: News in Annapolis and the rest of the state since the beginning of 2018, included a fatal school shooting; burgeoning transportation plans; lawsuits by the state's attorney general; and the governor's health.



 Great Mills: Jaelynn Willey, 16, died two days after being shot in the head by 17-year-old student Austin Rollins at Great Mills High School on March 20. The shooter, who had been in a relationship with Willey, died on March 20. He had exchanged fire with the school resource officer, Blaine Gaskill, 31, but authorities determined his cause of death to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 14-year old student was also injured.



 Board of Public Works: This session, the Board of Public Works and its three membersFranchot, Hogan and Treasurer Nancy Koppapproved millions in emergency funding to fix mold issues in Carroll County hospitals and preventative maintenance and replacement issues in the state's Department of Corrections. Kopp approved the sale of $475 million in AAA rated tax exempt bonds, and $50 million in taxable bonds.



Franchot also called attention to the transportation administration's cost of property needed to construct the Purple Line. Franchot was criticised this session for using his seat on the board as a "platform for political theatre," especially as it related to heating and cooling issues in local schools.



 Hogan's cancer: Hogan posted a selfie on Twitter captioned "Larry2 Cancer0" in February after he announced that he had minor surgery to treat a common form of skin cancer.



He remains in remission after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2015.
An organization dedicated to making people feel uncomfortable now finds itself in the uncomfortable position of ending operations.

GetEQUAL is closing, executive director Gabriel Garcia-Vera confirmed to SFGN. Financial problems and internal staff dysfunction prompted the shutdown, he said.

In the coming weeks, I will do my best to close GetEQUAL with responsible and loving stewardship, wrote Garcia-Vera in a letter dated March 27. I will work to assure that we pay all of our debts, and that our transitioning employees and contractors are treated with fairness and compassion. I will look for ways to pass on our intangible assets of contacts and other resources to other organizations that share our vision and values.

Garcia-Vera, a queer Latinx organizer, had been at the helm of GetEQUAL less than a year and described his relationship with movement building and campaign manager Aaryn Lang as troubled from the start.

Unfortunately, while well-intentioned, the arranged marriage set-up in the hiring of both Aaryn and me created a context in which neither of us was well-positioned to succeed, Garcia-Vera wrote.

Lang, a black trans woman, accused the GetEQUAL board of directors of racism and transphobia and demanded donations be made to other organizations supportive of transgender and queer people of color. Garcia-Vera denied the allegations of discrimination and said GetEQUALs board had collapsed, assets were extremely limited and fundraising nearly impossible due to a social media storm.

In a Facebook post, Lang labeled GetEQUALs closing a victory.

GetEQUAL is closing its doors and though this is a victory I do not delight in it, it is a victory nonetheless. A victory that I hope will aid us in our collective growth as a movement, Lang wrote.

Founded in 2010, GetEQUAL first gained attention with its demonstrations against the U.S. military policy of Dont Ask, Dont Tell. Led by Lt. Dan Choi, an out U.S. Army officer, three GetEQUAL members were arrested for handcuffing themselves to the White House fence.

Following the repeal of DADT and on the heels of the landmark Supreme Court decision of Obergefell v. Hodges, GetEQUAL went in a new direction. Still advocating non-violent direct action, the organization began to focus more on the transgender community and racial and social justice issues.

Liberation Cant Wait became the new GetEQUAL rallying cry.

Under the direction of Angela Peoples, GetEQUAL protested and disrupted Pride parades and festivals for their corporatization, heavy police presence and overall failure to support and uplift queer and trans youth of color.

Will Kohler, author of the blog Back2Stonewall, called GetEQUALs dilemma rich in irony.

The irony of GetEQUAL being accused of racism and transphobia after years of accusing the gay and lesbian community of racism and transphobia is not lost on many in the community who have questioned their tactics and behavior, Kohler wrote.

Garcia-Vera, who was named to SFGNs OUT50 list in 2017, said he was shuttering the organization with a heavy heart.

I know this conversation has struck a nerve in the community, Garcia-Vera wrote. I want to acknowledge that anti-blackness, racism, misogyny, anti-trans sentiments are things that we must all unpack, and also are things that we are all taught. I believe that these conversations are things that as a community we must be willing to unearth if we truly believe that our struggle for liberation is connected.
Former Standardbred race caller James E. Boyd, 83, of Batavia, New York, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 5 at the Northgate Health Care Facility in North Tonawanda.

Widely known as Gentleman Jim, Boyd took over the Batavia Downs track announcing duties from the legendary Max Robinson in 1984 and continued to call races there until it closed in 1996. He was also the announcer at Buffalo Raceway and called races at Finger Lakes racetrack.

Boyd called the richest race ever held at Batavia Downs, the $268,756 Breeders Crown Aged Mare Trot in 1988, won by Armbro Flori, and also Getting Personals 1:53.3 track record in 1993.

Jim was known for a very steady voice and very accurate calls, said Todd Haight, Batavia Downs director/GM of racing. Even though its been over 20 years since his retirement, our old-timers still ask about him.

Besides calling the races, Boyd was also a salesman in the Buffalo area for many years,

Boyd was born in Batavia, the son of the late Harry S. and Marjorie (Price) Boyd and was also preceded in death by his wife Josephine (Nevin) Boyd and siblings, Raymond, Robert, Ronald Don and Harry Jack Boyd.

He was a graduate of Batavia High School and Alfred State College and served honourably in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. Upon returning home he became a member of the Glenn S. Loomis Post #332 of the American Legion in Batavia and rose to the position of Post Commander.

Boyd is survived by his beloved daughter, Deborah (William) Evans of Nevada, dear friends, Paula (Frederick) Leigh of Batavia along with many nieces and nephews.

The family will be present from 10  11 a.m. Thursday April 12, 2018 at the Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel LLC located at 4120 West Main Street Road, Batavia, New York 14020 where his Funeral Services will be celebrated by Jim's nephew, Rev. David Boyd at 11 a.m. He will be laid to rest alongside his beloved wife in Grand View Cemetery with military honours. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his memory are suggested to Volunteers for Animals of Genesee County.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of James Boyd.

(Batavia Downs)
All Catholic Women Invited to the 98th Annual Convention of the National Council of Catholic Women

Contact: Laraine Bennett, National Council of Catholic Women , 703-224-0990, lbennett@nccw.org WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- All women are invited to the 98th Annual Convention of the National Council of Catholic Women to be held in Pittsburgh, PA from August 29-September 1, 2018 with the theme, NCCW Reflecting God's Joy: Missionary Disciples  Mission Possible!Held at the Wyndham Grand Downtown Pittsburgh Hotel, where Pittsburgh's famed three rivers meet soaring skyscrapers in the heart of the historic city, the 2018 Convention will welcome more than 600 Council women from across the country to join in prayer and fellowship; become empowered through workshops on spirituality, leadership, and service; hear inspiring speakers; celebrate moving liturgies; and visit a jam-packed exhibit hall."Our Annual Convention is an occasion to experience the scope and breadth of Council across our country; to feel the solidarity and friendship of women who share our faith though we are from different communities and cultures, to learn and pray together -and to have fun together. In short, a wonderful opportunity to see how Catholic women truly do unite in voice and presence to Reflect God's Joy!" said NCCW President Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski.Speakers for the 2018 National Convention include: the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, the fifth bishop of Bridgeport, a noted catechist who has delivered WYD talks in Sydney, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Krakow and received a standing ovation after his exploration of just what comprises a missionary disciple at Convocation in Orlando; Holly Joy McIlwain, a youth ministry speaker, a mother and cancer survivor; Gina Loehr, a popular author, inspirational speaker, and a frequent guest on Catholic radio and television; and Bob Rice, an associate professor of catechetics and the director of the Masters of Arts program in Catechetics and Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition, attendees will learn about exciting, new NCCW programs such as an anti human trafficking project in conjunction with the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, a Holy Land project that unites Catholic school students in the U.S. with their counterparts in the Holy Land, new NCCW formation study resources, and outreach to younger women and youth.Founded at the direction of the US Catholic bishops in 1920, NCCWs mission is to act through its members to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. Its programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world. To request an interview with NCCW President Maribeth Stewart please contact lbennett@nccw.org or call 703-224-0990. Visit nccw.org for more information on the National Council of Catholic Women and for all Convention registration materials.
Children Desiring God Becomes Truth78

Contact: Steve Watters, Truth78, 502-689-1626



LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 11, 2018 /Standard Newswire/ -- At an inauguration event on April 10, Children Desiring God re-introduced itself as Truth78, an independent 501(c)3 organization structured to more strategically fulfill its mission to equip the next generations to know, honor and treasure God.



The event at Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. featured a charge by Bruce A. Ware, professor of theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a video message from John Piper, founder of Desiring God. Also speaking were Ryan Fullerton, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church; Mark Vroegop, pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis, and David Michael, Truth78 founder and chairman of the board.



In his charge, Ware said it was of utmost importance to teach the next generations a high view of God. "May God help us to be tools in his hands in the life of the next generation," Ware said. "To see them grow up with a high view of God. To know him rightly and to enter into the joy and the truth of the Christian faith, that they might in turn pass that on to the next generation following."



John Piper shared in his video message the impetus for Children Desiring God launching out as Truth78. He explained how over the past 20 years Children Desiring God grew as a developer of curriculum, the Fighter Verses Scripture memory tools, family discipleship resources and vision-casting and training, while Desiring God increasingly focused its emphasis on spreading a passion for the supremacy of God through resources on the website of DesiringGod.org. He added that those growth trajectories resulted in distinctive needs for infrastructure, technology, fundraising mechanisms and artistic and editorial methods.



"We saw pretty clearly after a while that we were holding each other back from the maximum flourishing of both by trying to constrain this under one organizational structure," said Piper. "Hence the new name and new organizational structure." Reflecting on the transition process, Piper added, "If you put your ear to the sound of this transition, what you'll hear is mutual cheering on both sides for the joy and hope of what's going to come of these two ministries."



"Twenty years ago as Children Desiring God was being launched," David Michael said in his message, "we were stunned by the interest and growth we were seeing as our resources made their way into homes, churches and schools throughout North America and then...into Europe and into South America. As we look ahead to the next decades as Truth 78 we wonder with excitement what God might do with opportunities for reaching the nations."



Michael then reported on current translation projects in progress for 13 different language groups including Korean, Haitian Creole, Indonesian, Burmese, Dutch, Chinese, Romanian, Russian and French. "With much of our material already available in Spanish," he added, "there is exciting work happening in various parts of Latin America, including El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and there have been recent conversations about needs in Honduras, Mexico, and Cuba." Michael reported that a current project will translate a 5-day Truth78 curricula into eight languages in India that will be taught to 360,000 children in the next three months.



Michael said that the passion to advance the vision for equipping the next generations is stronger than ever and that his desire is for the next decades as Truth78 to be even more effective and more fruitful than the first two.



"Awaken the church in our neighborhoods and in our cities and across America and throughout the world," Michael said in a closing prayer, "to her God-given calling to faithfully and intentionally impart the whole counsel of your Word to the next generation."



Attendees received copies of a new book from Truth78, Indestructible Joy for the Next Generation, an anthology featuring chapters by John Piper, Albert Mohler, Russell Moore, Bruce Ware and more.



In addition to Indestructible Joy for the Next Generations, Truth78 introduced two other resources for equipping churches and parents: Glorious God, Glorious Gospel, an interactive devotional for families and When I Am Afraid, a children's book.



www.truth78.org


Banning hummus sounds like a headline from The Onion. But the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement is a serious effort to destroy the Jewish State. Under the guise of Justice for Palestine, all the usual bad-actor left-wing groups have jumped on the bandwagon.

But I would advise the Swarthmore Queer Union (SQU) to do some research before claiming that queer and trans liberation cannot take place without Palestinian liberation as well. They will find that gay men from Gaza and the West Bank escape to Tel Aviv to seek asylum, to avoid being slaughtered by their own familiesfor being gay.

Via Campus Reform.
The first meeting between the two schools since 2013, was a classic with Loyola edging Mira Costa in the neighborhood rivalry, despite the schools not being located in the same city
Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Xi urges Taiwan business community to shun independence

Reuters, Beijing :

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Taiwan's business community on Tuesday to shun any idea of independence for their island and to promote peace and stable ties with the mainland, state media reported.

Ties between Beijing and self-ruled Taiwan have been frosty since the independence-leaning Diplomatic Progressive Party (DPP) won a Taiwan election in 2016, defeating the nationalist Kuomintang party. Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. "Friends in the island's business community should take a stand and firmly maintain the '1992 consensus', oppose 'Taiwan independence' and firmly promote the peace and stability of cross-straits relations," Xi told the chairman of a foundation that promotes trade between China and Taiwan.

The "1992 consensus" refers to an agreement reached that year that both sides are part of "one China", a cherished principle in Beijing.

Xi made the remarks to Vincent Siew, a former vice-president of Taiwan when it was under Kuomintang rule and head of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, on the sidelines of the Chinese Boao Forum for Asia on Hainan island.

"The Taiwan problem is of great concern for the basic interests of the Chinese nation," Xi told Siew, according to a report of their talk from the official People's Daily newspaper.

"We hope that compatriots across the straights can together shoulder the virtuous cause of the nation and push for the peaceful reunification of the motherland." Xi said in a speech to China's annual meeting of parliament in March that Taiwan would face the "punishment of history" for any attempts at separatism, his strongest on the issue warning yet.
Trump's Homeland Security Adviser Tom resigns

AP, Wasington :

"The President is grateful for Tom's commitment to the safety and security of our great country," Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "Tom led the White House's efforts to protect the homeland from terrorist threats, strengthen our cyber defenses, and respond to an unprecedented series of natural disasters."

He reportedly left his position at the request of John Bolton, the new national security adviser, Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs said, which would fall in line with the expectation that Bolton would reportedly further purge the National Security Council and bring in his own staff in an effort to root out any possible leakers.

National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton, suspected of leaking information to the press, announced his own departure a day before ? a move also reportedly demanded by Bolton himself.


After China`s massive drill, US patrols disputed South China Sea

US Theodore Roosevelt\'s presence in South China Sea comes days after China\'s massive air, naval drills.

World, Reuters :

South China Sea: In a span of 20 minutes, 20 F-18 fighter jets took off and landed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, in a powerful display of military precision and efficiency.

The nuclear-powered warship, leading a carrier strike group, was conducting what the U.S. military called routine training in the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday, headed for a port call in the Philippines, a defence treaty ally.

The United States is not alone in carrying out naval patrols in the strategic waterway, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate, possibly increasing tensions and risking accidents at sea.

"We have seen Chinese ships around us," Rear Admiral Steve Koehler, the strike group commander, told a small group of reporters on board the three-decade-old carrier.

"They are one of the navies that operate in the South China Sea but I would tell you that we have seen nothing but professional work out of the ships we have encountered."

Navies in the western Pacific, including China and nine Southeast Asian countries, have been working on a code of unexpected encounters (CUES) at sea to avoid conflict.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt's presence in the South China Sea comes days after China's massive air and naval drills in the area, in what some analysts described as an unusually large display of Beijing's growing naval might.

China's growing military presence in the waters has fuelled concern in the West about Beijing's end game.

The United States has criticised China's apparent militarisation of manmade islands and carried out regular air and naval patrols to assert its right to freedom of navigation in stretches of a sea China claims largely as its own.

"This transit in the South China Sea is nothing new in our planning cycle or in a reaction to that. It is probably by happenstance that all that is happening at the same time," said Koehler, who gave a tour of the carrier to Philippine military officials and watched flight operations aboard the 100,000-tonne warship.

"All of the operations that we do in and around the South China Sea or any of the bodies of water we operate in, there is a function of international law and that is ultimately what we want to recognise," Koehler said.

Tension between the United States and China over trade and territory under U.S. President Donald Trump has been stepped up of late, with fear in the region that the South China Sea, vital to global trade, could one day become a battleground between the two rival powers.
CPA chairman pledges to turn Port into business friendly

CCC Mayor A J M Nasir Uddin speaking at a coordination meeting with Cleanness Department as Chief Guest on Monday.

Chattagram Bureau :

Newly assigned Chairman of Chattagram Port Authority (CPA) Commodore Zulfiqar Aziz expressed his desire to turn the principal seaport of the country into a business friendly sea port in Asia .

Since his assigning as CPA chairman he undertakes the some immediate tasks on priority basis so as to tackle the situation towards continuous port's progress the views shared with the different trade personalities and port users in the meantime. He also formulated a short term planning to sustain the continued progress of cargo handling of which implementation process in hand. CPA chairman disclosed it to media personalities while exchanging views recently.

In the view exchanging he stressed the need of constructions of new berths, terminals without any excuse to sustain the continuous progress of cargo handling . He also told that at present there are no new berths and terminal than existing and I should go ahead with the existing berths and terminals to sustain the continuous progress .

Therefore, in this short term planning, handling of bulk cargo and containers should be speed up on priority basis.

While asked about his short term planning told this correspondent that three major tasks i.e. container delivery, cargo loading in container(stuffing) and cargo unloading from container(unstuffy) will be relocated from present port shed to Bay Terminal site and the implementation process of new plans now in hand. He also hoped that the new formula of cargo handling from Bay Terminal instead of Port shed may be from June 2019.

About Bay Terminal, CPA Chairman told that government already acquisioned 7 acres of land for CPA where yard construction will be undertaken on priority basis and the yard jurisdiction will be expanded further after more acquisition of land . He further said after transfer of container delivery yard, stuffing, unstuffy of cargos to will be Bay terminal, the existing port yard will be divide d into two zones i.e. one for import cargos and other for export consignments come from private depots. As a result huge spaces inside the port sheds will be cleared from congestion where cargo handling can be undertaken smoothly in a speedy way. Commodore Aziz opines the average stay of a container vessel in port will be lessen by 24 hours than the present average stay of 54 hours and annual vessel handling will increase by double if the new d e vice of handling is affected . He firmly told that if the new plans is implemented , there will be no need of new berths at this moment till constructions of new terminal. Following the questions of embarkation and disembarkation of a vessel, he told that minimum time 12 hours required for unloading of cargo and another 12 hrs need for disembarkation duly completion of all necessary formalities of customs and port.

After calcutating the tide and ebb tide of sea, total 36 hrs fixed for a vessel to sail from port berths. Commodore Aziz further told that this short term planning is a temporary one to tackle the continuing growth of CPA till the new terminals comes under port.

While asked about the ongoing projects of CPA, he told BSS in the meantime, construction of Patenga Termianl at Laldiarchar already started under overall supervision of Engineering core of Bangladesh Army which will be completed for operation on December 2019 next. Meanwhile a bulk terminal at Laldiarchar under Public Private partnership formula already approved by the concerned authority in the meantime and documents processing for PPP including foreign investment in the project now undergoing.

While asked about the non-enlisting in the priority programs of Prime Minister regarding Bay Terminal, CPA chief told despite non-enlisting in first track programs, the project work is progressing fast and in the meantime land aquisation work already completed. Port chairman further told that beside the constructions of terminals, berths , we should deploy the new modern equipments of handling like other developed ports for accelerate the handling activities. He disclosed that modern handling equipment for about Tk.1200 crores already procured from abroad.

He told that out of 52 types of equipments, agreement signed with foreign companies for 42 types of equipments. He further disclosed that 6 new gantry cranes will be added with the present equipments by this year. On the other hand , the r eparing of two inoperative cranes now under progressing which will be deployed in operation by end of this year, as a result total 8 gantry cranes will go into functioning this year in addition of existing cranes. Port chairman also clarifies the reasons of govt procurement policy (DPM) for procurement of equipments for CPA and said the procurement of equipment will be done through open tender system from next.


Young girl found slaughtered in Cox's Bazar hotel

UNB, Cox's Bazar :

A young girl was found slaughtered at a residential hotel in the district town on Tuesday evening.

Policed recovered the throat-slit body of Sumi Das, 20, from BM Resort around 6:30pm. They also recovered a blood-stained knife from the spot.

Citing the register, hotel manager Parvez said one Rahul Das and Sumi checked in at room No 108 of the hotel on Monday night introducing themselves as couple and hailing from Hatgaon village in Patia upazila of Chattogram.

Getting no response from the room throughout the day on Tuesday, they informed police, he said.

Later, police broke open the door only to find Sumi lying slaughtered, the hotel manager said. Officer-in-charge of Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station Farid Uddin Khandakar said Rahul went into hiding. The body was sent to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy, he said.

2 Rohingya youths sentenced to 10 years : A court here on Tuesday awarded two Rohingya youths 10 year jail terms on charges of smuggling Yaba into Cox's Bazar from Myanmar in 2015.

Joint District and Session's Judge Begum Salma Khatun handed down the verdict.

The court also fined then TK 3,000 each, in default, to suffer three more months in jail.


LafargeHolcim top executive due today

Business Desk :

Caroline Luscombe, member of the executive committee and head of human resources of LafargeHolcim Group, will arrive today. During her visit, Luscombe will meet the LafargeHolcim Bangladesh leadership team as well as high profile HR professionals, business Leaders and customers, said a press release on Wednesday.

A British national, Luscombe has been a member of the Executive Committee of LafargeHolcim Group since July 2016, and is responsible for Human Resources. She graduated from University College, London and has wide experience of working in leading global companies like Syngenta and GE Group.
Women empowerment to ensure food security underscored

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya on Wednesday stressed the need for ensuring education, income and empowerment of women to ensure food security in the country.

"To address gender inequity in food security, awareness must be started from the family level. If we want to ensure food security, we must ensure education and income for women and their empowerment," he said while addressing a discussion in the city.

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and the World Vision Bangladesh jointly organised the discussion titled 'Addressing Gender Inequality in Food Security Programming' at Hotel Amari in the city.

The national learning event was organised to disseminate the outcomes of a USAID-funded project Nobo Jatra.

Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Shah Kamal, Khulna Divisional Commissioner Lokman Hossain Miah, Chief of Party of Nobo Jatra project (World Vision Bangladesh) Rakesh Katal , Senior Programme Development Specialist of USAID - Bangladesh Mahmuda Rahman Khan, Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist of World Vision International Krista Bywater and Director of USAID's Office of Food, Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Paul Mason, among others, spoke at the discussion.

Speaking as the chief guest, Maya said a vigorous social movement must be created aiming to ensure food security for all in the country.

"Inequity in food security is not created for lack of food. But, it is created because of our poor mentality," he added.

Urging all to change their mindsets to women, the minister said rural teachers and opinion leaders, public representatives and influential people must play a role in this regard.

He said the government has ensured equal supply of food at all districts, but now a social and cultural movement should be created to ensure the equal rights of all members of a family to food.

Dr Sanzida Akhter, an associate professor of the Department of Women and Gender Studies at Dhaka University, and Tasnuva Zaman, gender manager of Nobo Jatra, made separate presentations on gender inequality and food security at the event.
Women Parliamentary Caucuses to ensure gender equality

Md Osman Ali, Retired Joint Chief :

A caucus is, according to the Oxford Dictionary, a meeting of the members of a legislative body, who are members of a particular political party, to select candidates or decide policy. Caucus is widely believed to be an important arrangement for bringing parliamentarians together across political party lines so that they may share information, discuss policy issues, channel common interests and concerns and engage with civil society. Women's caucus or women parliamentary group is a mechanism within the parliaments of respective country to strengthen cooperation among women engaged in politics. The women parliamentary caucuses (WPC) established at the national, regional and district level provide a platform to unite women parliamentarians from different political parties around issues they all can support beyond party lines to fight for women's causes or collaborate on other policy issues.

The 'women caucus' adopts, according to the political and cultural connotations, widely different names: Forum of Rwandan Women Parliamentarians in Rwanda, Women's Political Caucus in Indonesia, Women's Parliamentary Club in Macedonia, Congressional Cauca's for women in USA, Parliamentary Group for Women in Parliament in United Kingdom, Women Parliamentary Caucus in Pakistan, Parliamentary women's caucus in Bangladesh etc . In each case the name is naturally be determined, at least in part, by the objectives of the caucus in a respective country

The study will examine to what extent the women caucus work together across party lines to promote women's equal access to decision making process in the parliament and to increase women's political participation in the country. As such this study will look at background information in establishing WPC, its leadership model, strategic activity and challenges encountered to achieve its objectives.

Environment to Establish WPC : Women are typically excluded from the public sphere on the basis gender. In legislature around the world, women account for only about 23 per cent of parliamentary seat in 2015. However, there is dramatic increase recently in political participation of women in most areas of the world. Rwanda has a proportion of 64% women in parliament, followed by Sweden with 44 percent and South Africa with 42 percent. In almost all developing countries women form a minority in parliament. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 1995 report findings showed that women as a group, to exert a meaningful influence in legislative bodies, required a 30% level of representation. Women in national assembly' in the SAARC countries (Afghanistan 28%, Bhutan 9% India 12% Pakistan 21% Nepal 30% Srilanka 5% Maldives 10%) especially in Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan is over 20 percent. Women representation in Bangladesh parliament is also 20 percent which is traditionally dominated by male-centered representatives. In many instances women parliamentarian are not viewed as equals by their male peers. Consequently, they have had no proper spaces enabling them to make their voices heard in societal and political decision making process.

Women parliamentarians mostly worked in isolation, without enough sharing of inter- and intra-party experiences. It is difficult, without necessary support for them, to affect the policy agenda in the parliament. Hence, there was feeling among the women parliamentarian about necessity of association for working together to promote specific reforms in the laws and policies. Women were also discovering that there exists greater strength in numbers. They accordingly expressed a genuine interest in forming a caucus. Besides, there was also women's movement among women activists and women's civil society groups who are prepared to work in partnership under caucus. A forum "Celebrating Women's Leadership in Bangladesh," brought together female MPs and other Bangladeshi women with political aspirations to inspire and encourage them to run for office and to work together across party lines to increase women's political participation in the country. Hence a multi-party women caucus at the initiative of the Bangladesh Alliance for Women Leadership (BDAWL) was formed in 2010 to support elected women representatives on women issues and to measure progress on women's legislative issues and to cooperate across party lines on issues of importance to women. BDAWL, with NDI support, help a core group of women political leaders outline a caucus charter. There is so long lack of assessment on extent of progress of caucus activities and preparation of its charter. However, there is development of collaborative attitude among women parliamentarian to work together for equal access to decision making process in the parliament. Hence WPC was established in Bangladesh in November 2011 with the support of PRODIP, a project supported by USAID, UKAid and implemented by the Asia foundation and SUNY. They raised their collective voices on issues that affect women's lives and transcending their party politics, religion, and district for the common goal of women's empowerment to ensure their the adequate involvement in parliament, its committees and other parliamentary bodies, and have an influence over the policy making processes. They can now identify non-partisan issues despite extreme political conflict; endorse a platform for improving women's political participation.

Leadership and Membership: There are a number of different models and structures of women's caucuses that can be used to best suit the local political context.

The Rwandan Women Parliamentary Forum has five governing structures. The General Assembly, Executive Committee, the Standing Committees, the Audit Committee. The last governing structure is the Executive Secretary, which is in charge of the forum's daily management.

In Finland, there is no a formal women's caucus in parliament. Women Parliamentarians formed the Network of Women Deputies of the Finnish Parliament. The practical aspects of the network's activities are handled by an executive committee elected each year by the general assembly. The president and the vice-president of the network are appointed for a year, chosen in turn from each of the different caucuses.

The WPC in Pakistan consists of two tiers, the General Body, a larger forum of 93 members, and the Working Council which comprises 10 members. Woman's Parliamentary Caucus was formed under the leadership of Speaker of the National Assembly, who was patron of the Caucus,

The WPC is run by its executive council. The issue of partisanship, if any, is addressed by giving one seat on the executive council to each party and rotating its presidency among the different parties to give more women opportunities at leadership positions. In Nepal, the chairwomen of the Women's Caucus are elected for a one-year term. Additionally, if the chair of the caucus is of one party the vice chair is of the other party..

The WPC may be formal or informal by definition. Formal caucuses are formed by a parliamentary resolution and their specific roles and responsibilities are outlined in the parliament's internal rules. Informal caucuses are not formal structures of parliament but require to abide by national regulations that apply to other groups and enjoy more freedom than formal caucuses from parliamentary rules. It is, in Bangladesh, an informal caucus with a core group of eleven members and works on national women's issues within the broader parameters of the parliament. Other women MPs of the parliament occasionally involve themselves with different initiatives of this caucus . The WPC serve as a melting pot of sorts; despite the divergent and often contentious views of political parties on many issues. The Caucus can nominate former parliamentarians, as in El Salvador and Panama and male parliamentarians as in Uganda as member who enhance the profile and momentum of a caucus, and pursue gender equality issues effectively. The civil society's representatives, as in Indonesia and Afghanistan, are also included as members of caucus. The WPC eleven members, in Bangladesh, can represent a broad spectrum of politics. Its internal organization as well as the commitment and dedication of its members along with political party's support and will, are keys to its success.

Objectives : The overall goal of the WPC in Bangladesh is to promote gender ideals and women empowerment in all legislative activities. However, its specific objectives are designed keeping in view overall goal .These are as follows

Advocating or lobbing for legislation or amendment of existing legislation on issues of gender equality and women empowerment,

Enhancing the capacity of women parliamentarians as effective legislators and representatives

Sensitizing the parliamentarians to the principles of gender equality

Facilitate networking with other organizations and institutions within and outside the country for promoting gender equality and participation

Facilitating to work as an effective 'watch dog' for gender equality and women rights issues undertaken or already undertaken for legislation in the parliament

Focusing public attention of women through skill use of media and on matters affecting women in the country, regionally and Internationally across party lines

Activities of WPC: The activities of a caucus depend on what it wants to accomplish. Caucuses engage in a variety of activities they support. The WPCs identify and develop specific policy and legislative agenda on women issues (Women Economic Activity, Health, Security, Education, Leadership issues etc) that require deeper examination, collecting data and conducting investigations so as to strengthen the advocacy impact of the caucus. These activities can in particular be undertaken in collaboration with government and research institutions, or with women organization, civil society organizations

According to its stated objectives, the WPCs encourage collegiality, participation and cooperation among elected women in parliament beyond party lines to develop consensus on women priority issues both within and outside the parliament. The WPCs facilitate discussion among citizens, politicians and government on issues of a great significance for the country and especially for women. The WPCs often undertakes a variety of meetings, seminars and to promote gender equality efforts in parliament and to help identify gender issues and to understand how parliamentary works are strategic in creating gender equality and justice.

The WPCs, as in Uganda , organize seminars in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Law and parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Home and department of Police on the enforcement of the laws If any, they help pass: The Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 and 2003, The Domestic Violence (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2010 and others.

Practically, the activities of the WPCs include empowerment of women parliamentarian to promote gender equality issues and women advancement. Hence the WPCs have to sensitize all Parliamentarians on the principles, policies and regulatory frameworks governing gender equality and equity in order to facilitate their effective representative, legislative and oversight functions. To this end the WPC's proper functioning mostly depends on close cooperation of parliamentary committee. Hence the WPC urges parliamentary committees and other complementary bodies to exert an influence so that incorporation of women's issues and interests in the policy-making processes and legislation is ensured

WPC's relationship with Parliamentary Committee : There is also a great potential for WPC and parliamentary committees to work in a complementary manner. Parliamentary committees being formal bodies of parliament, draft, review legislation, hold hearings and conduct other parliamentary functions. Parliamentary committees are more closely regulated by parliamentary rules and have more legislative power than caucuses. The WPCs responsibility as informal groups include lobbying for legislation, conduct outreach activities, gain visibility for women's issues and articulate women's interests and gender equality issues and accomplish other stated goals . Though WPCs have no formal legislative responsibilities, they can be more persuasive, mainly through advocacy, which is frequently a priority among their informal activities.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)'s global survey on Gender-sensitive Parliaments found that women's caucuses can be as effective as gender equality committees in promoting gender equality in a parliament's work practices and outputs. That is why women parliamentarians usually opt to establish a caucus preferring to mainstream gender and women's issues in the work of all committees rather than confine them to a single specialized committee The WPC can establish strategic cooperation with parliamentary committees and other organs responsible for gender issues and gender equality, in order to exert greater influence on the legislative process in parliament.

The parliamentary committees, if and when, deals gender equality issues within its areas of responsibility can involve members of WPC. In the case of lack of women representation in committees, Caucus members attend meetings of committees as observers and provide advice on legislation from a gender perspective. Hence the Caucus has to develop a strong degree of co-operation with all committees (especially with the Committee on women and children) and the Speaker of the parliament

Observation, Analysis and learning Lesson for Replication : The WPCs observe, analyze and learn from successful women's activities and policies in different countries through study visits to, and dialogue with, women politicians in such countries. Lesson learnt from' successful gender related efforts in such countries help parliamentarians propose for replication of similar activity in own countries.

(To be continued)
British envoy has called for dialogue but we have no politics of dialogue

THE British High Commissioner in Bangladesh Ms Alison Blake on Tuesday stressed the importance of a dialogue between political parties to resolve differences on holding an all-inclusive general election. She further said, as a Commonwealth partner to one another, the UK, together with international partners, EU and others, will continue to encourage a peaceful way forward, and encourage dialogue between all political parties to resolve disputes.

Well in tuned with her Excellency, we have also penned many times on the importance for holding constructive and meaningful dialogue - an essential requirement for the roadmap towards a free and fair election.

That dialogue should continue for holding peaceful, free, fair and credible polls. It is the desire of every sensible citizen of the country. However, the call is not a new one and is being played in the fashion of an old-gramophone record for many years now. And the ruling party has repeatedly turned deaf ears to that call. Since the output of all such diplomatic press conferences, especially regarding holding dialogue between the major political parties have ultimately ended with a zero. It's time the foreign envoys take the matter and discuss it with the highest authority of the government. Perhaps only their collective efforts by engaging the chiefs of political parties can bring a change in holding a meaningful dialogue.

However, on the question about the possibility of mediation by foreign quarters, the British envoy said Bangladesh political parties 'do not need friends to mediate' as people here 'can find a way.' We are somewhat forced to disagree on this point, otherwise decades old stalemate over holding free, fair and credible polls wouldn't have continued. The country is truly in need of a permanent solution and that too with the help of the international community.

To think that our political leaders can solve the election crisis through dialogue is not going to happen. Here we need help of our democratic friends abroad. Surely the British High Commissioner here knows the kind of politics and political leadership we have. We cannot say we have a duly elected government in the country.






India finds us too weak and undecided to be helpful



INDIAN Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale left Dhaka on Tuesday, ending his two-day official visit to Bangladesh. According to the diplomatic circle, Gokhale came here to finalize the schedule of the meeting between PM Sheikh Hasina and Indian Premier Narendra Modi on April 19 or 20 on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London. The two Premiers will discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues and review the implementation of the 62-point joint statement issued during Hasina's India visit in April 2017.

The visiting Indian foreign secretary held a closed-door meeting with a select group of people representing media and civil society at a city hotel on Sunday. In the meeting he said, 'India sincerely wants an early solution to the current Rohingya crisis as it considers it a serious security concern. India already conveyed its wish that Myanmar should come forward to solve the crisis and take back its nationals who took shelter in Bangladesh.'

Mr. Gokhale mentioned 'nationals' should be taken back. It is very much contradictory. We know, except a very few Myanmar government even doesn't consider the majority Rohingyas as their nationals. So, it was clear from the Indian FS statement that India cannot be of any help; but our leadership is so helpless that it is relying on India's help without knowing how to take help and who can really help in Rohingya issue. We have telling from the very beginning that Myanmar is taking full advantage of our foreign policy lapses. It is our Foreign Ministry people that claimed they can solve the refugee issue bilaterally and the government is not still sure how to organise international cooperation.

During a meeting with Indian FS, Bangladesh PM has urged India to put 'more pressure' on Myanmar to take back over one million Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh. Did India ever put any pressure on Myanmar earlier? If not, then how it will put more pressure?

This refugee crisis should have taken from the beginning that the forced mass migration through genocide is an international crime and we can be helpful only if international communities through the United Nations are ready to deal with the rouge country Myanmar. Our Foreign Ministry meekly received delegations from Myanmar with flowers thinking appeasement will serve the purpose. Myanmar committed crimes against humanity and also aggression against us and we were on our knees to keep Myanmar in good humour.

We are not to be surprised if our international friends so willing to help us got the wrong message. Even we are not sure how much we depend of UN role. The international pressure being created for the trial of those in Myanmar who committed genocide is a bid to pressure for taking back the refugees.
257 killed in Algeria military plane crash

Al Jazeera News :

At least 257 people have been killed after a military plane crashed near the Boufarik airbase outside the Algerian capital, Algiers, according to Algerian state television.

The plane, an Ilyushin Il-76, mostly carried soldier when it went down shortly after takeoff on Wednesday morning.

Ennahar TV quoted an Algerian ruling party official as saying that 26 people onboard were members of the Polisario Front, a separatist movement in West Sahara - a territory also claimed by Morocco.

Algerie24, a local news website, said the plane was heading to the western Algerian city of Bechar.

Images posted on an Algerian website showed thick smoke billowing from the site of the crash, as several people rushed to help. The crash at Boufarik would be the worst in Algeria since 2003 when an Air Algerie jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Tamanrasset, killing 102 people.

In 2014, more than 70 off-duty military personnel and their family members were killed when a C-130 plane crashed into the Djebel Fertas mountain shortly before it was to land in the northern city of Constantine.

In December 2012, two military jets conducting routine training operations collided in mid air near Tlemcen, in Algeria's northwest, killing the pilots of both planes.

A month earlier, a twin-turboprop CASA C-295 military transport aircraft, which was carrying a cargo of paper for the printing of banknotes in Algeria, crashed in southern France.

That plane was carrying five soldiers and a representative of the Algerian central bank, none of whom survived.


Quota protests bring Dhaka traffic came to a halt

Traffic movement across the capital came to a halt as university students continued their demonstrations for the 4th consecutive day on Wednesday blocking roads to press home their demand for reform of quota system in public services. This photo was taken

Staff Reporter :

Traffic movement in different parts of the capital came to a halt on Wednesday as university students continued their demonstrations for the fourth consecutive day blocking roads to press home their demand for reform of the quota system in government jobs. The protests resuming from Dhaka University campus spread campuses across the country and now the private university students, infuriated by the finance minister's statement of imposing value added tax on them, joined the demonstration in Dhaka city.

Students blocking several key points of the city on Wednesday of different private universities joined the ongoing demonstration demanding reform in quota system in public services.

Students of Asia Pacific University brought out a procession in Green Road area and took position at Farmegate, halting traffic movement.

Traffic movements at Panthapath and Mirpur Road remained suspended for several hours as the students of Daffodil International University took to the streets to press home their demand.

Students of several private universities also put up blockades at Satmasjid Road in the city's Dhanmondi area creating huge trouble to commuters as well as students of school and colleges.

Students of different private universities, including Asia Pacific, World, City, UIU, Ahsanullah and North South put up barricade on roads at Agargaon, Mirpur Road, Azimpur, Jigatola, Firmgate, Dhanmondi and Basundhara areas disrupting vehicular movement and triggering huge traffic gridlock. Students of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University took to the streets at 10 am to express solidarity with the movement for quota reform, disrupting traffic at Bijoy Sarani and Mirpur Road.

Students of Eden College, Dhaka College and Home Economics College took position at New Market intersection around 10:4m am and staged demonstrations. Besides, students of Daffodil University blocked road on the eastern side of Dhanmondi-27. Golam Rafi, a student of Asia Pacific University, said, "This is a logical demand. We will continue our movement until our demand is met."

Earlier in the morning, several hundred Dhaka University students gathered in front of its Central Library and staged demonstrations as part of their scheduled programme.
Akbar Ali opines Reservation for FFs job quota should be reviewed

Staff Reporter :

Former Adviser to the caretaker government and Cabinet Secretary Akbar Ali Khan on Wednesday told media that reservation for freedom fighters in government jobs should be reviewed since the facility is contrary to the country's Constitution.

About the students' demonstration seeking reform in quota system, he said the job seekers feel aggrieved when they are deprived of government jobs due to quota system, after more than two years of efforts required for recruitment.

"Our constitution provides for quota for backward segment only of the population. Freedom fighters' quota should be applicable to benefits for freedom fighters injured in war and also insolvent ones," said Akbar Ali Khan, himself a freedom fighter.

The former bureaucrat maintained that the core principle of the Constitution is to hire manpower for the public sector based on merit. "Our government must not render the quota facility to anyone having a freedom fighter's certificate," he insisted.

Citing India's quota system for Dalit (lower cast) community, he said, "if any Dalit member avails of the privilege, his/her children are no longer entitled to it. It is called 'Creamy Layer' in India."

He pointed out that if the Bangladesh government follows the Indian model, the number of candidates seeking facility under the freedom fighters' quota will come down.

"There is no other country in the world that has such a system," said Akbar Ali Khan, a former caretaker government adviser.

Describing district quota as 'no-longer necessary' he said, there are 258 types of quota in the country while it was only 35 when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the system in 1972.

Akbar Ali Khan recalled that district quota was not introduced as a permanent arrangement. "It was expected to be lifted within 10-15 years."

"Since the quality of education in all the districts and our transportation and communication have improved significantly, the district quota is no longer relevant," Akbar Ali Khan elucidated.

"The number of types of quota will come down to 38 from 258 if only the district quota is abolished. However, the quota for women, indigenous and people with disability should remain," he said.


Saudi team to visit Rohingya camps today

Staff Reporter :

A high profile delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will arrive in Cox's Bazar today to see the plights of the Rohingya Muslims.

Sources said the delegation, led by Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, General Supervisor of the King Salman, Relief and Humanitarian Center, will arrive in Cox's Bazar on a two-day visit to Bangladesh.

Dr Rabeeah, who is also an advisor to the Royal Court of the Kingdom, will arrive in Cox's Bazar at 10:30 am and will visit the Rohingya camps at 11:00 am.

During the visit, he will distribute rice among Rohingyas at Balukhali camp in Cox's Bazar.

Dr Rabeeah will visit Cox's Bazar Hospital today (Thursday) and witness a signing ceremony with the UNHCR.

The Saudi delegation will also leave Dhaka for home today.
PM announces scrapping of quota system in public services

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina yesterday announced scraping of quota system in public service and urged students to return to their classes.

"To stop this sufferings and troubles, the quota system has been cancelled," the premier said in a statement in parliament referring to the impact of the protests affecting public life and disruption of academic activities in universities.The premier added: "Classes and examinations were suspended at all universities and the common people are suffering from severe traffic jam due to the demonstrations of the students demanding reform in quota system."

"Why the common people will suffer repeatedly," she said in reply to a supplementary raised by Awami League lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanak in the House.

The premier strongly condemning the attack on the VC's house and said by insulting teachers and elders one cannot receive education though may obtain a certificate saying "may be a degree can be obtained, nothing else".

"Being the prime minister or whatever I may be, I am still a student

before them (my teachers) and I behave with them in that way," she said

The premier said the VC's house was ransacked and looted the way the Pakistani occupation forces looted "our house in Dhanmondi 32 and attempts were (also) made to hit the VC . . . It's a heinous incident and I strongly condemn it".

The prime minister said the attack was made in a planned way and those who carried out the assault "are not eligible to be university students (as) no student can insult his/her teacher in this way".

The premier said her government earlier took into account the students demand and "the issue was discussed in the cabinet meeting and Obaidul Quader was given the task to hold discussion with them and accordingly, he held talks with them".

Sheikh Hasina said simultaneously she asked the cabinet secretary to examine the issue and hold discussion with all concerned.

"Many students accepted it and many didn't accept . . . many students stayed at the TSC for the entire night. Why it happened when the discussion was underway and what was the justification to continue the movement?" she asked.

The prime minister said the students vandalised and burnt materials prepared for the Mongal Shobhajatra, the UNESCO heritage, for the Bengali New Year celebrations and again asked "why the students will unleash destructive acts".

Sheikh Hasina said the female students came out of their dormitories at late night and she couldn't sleep for whole night. "I phoned time and again and sent (minister Jahanir Kabir) Nanak along with Chhatra League president and secretary to the spot to hold discussion with them," she said.

The premier said they discussed with the students and informed the reporters about the outcome of the talks but yet the students continued to stage the demonstration and the government and private university students even the students outside the capital took to the streets. "This is not for the first time, the demand of quota system reform came . . . time and again it was reformed," she said.

The premier said her government was running the state with a principle and it was very much aware of the wellbeing of the students.

She said the quota system has been continuing since 1972 and it was reformed several times.

"Whatever remains vacant in quota, we always fill them up from the merit list if the quota is not fulfilled," she said particularly referring to mentioning the 33rd, 35th and 36th BCS examinations.
Govt conspiring to kill Khaleda gradually: BNP

Staff Reporter :

The BNP on Wednesday accused the government of hathcing conspiracy to kill the party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia gradually.

"The government has kept the former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in an uninhabitable and abandoned prison in old Dhaka. She has been deprived also of proper treatment and consultation with personal physicians. It makes it clear that the government does not want Begum Khaleda Zia to recover and to survive fatal diseases," said BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi addressing a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

Rizvi said, the government medical board has carried out the pathological test of Khaleda Zia. It includes few blood test and x-ray only.

"If the medical team conducts MRI and other modern lab tests, they might get the real picture of her health condition," the BNP leader said.

He accused the Election Commission of holding another one-sided polls like January 5 in 2014.

"The EC's unwillingness to include the Army under the definition of law enforcement agency in its draft amendment of Representation of the People Order (RPO) is a sign of another one-sided polls," he said.

The BNP leader said that most of the political parties, including BNP, intellectuals and civil society members recommended to the EC during the dialogue with it (EC) for deployment of army in the coming national polls.

He said that the government took the step to shut down the way for deployment of Army in polls.

He termed the EC's move to consider army as law enforcers are politically motivated and anti-constitutional initiative.

The Senior Joint-Secretary General also condemned the ruling Awami League for indecent remarks about the protestors and the movement for reforming the quota system. He said that the movement was purely of students. However, the government initiated efforts to mislead people by raising questions about who are inspiring the agitators and who are doing it. He came down hard on Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury for branding the agitators as Rajakars' children, saying it is her tactic to confuse people.

Rizvi also accused the Chhatra League activists of brutally repressing the demonstrators at different residential halls of Dhaka Universality in the last few days.

He strongly protested and condemned the act.
BCL female leader cuts tendon of DU student

Attacker again expelled from DU, BCL

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

The tendon of a student of Kobi Sufia Kamal Hall of Dhaka University (DU) has been cut fiercely with a machete by Iffata Jahan alias Esha, President of the hall unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

The attacker insulted and tortured Morsheda Akter, a fourth year student of Botany Department of the university before cutting the tendon of her left leg in a room of the hall on Tuesday night on charge of taking part in the on-going quota reform movement, residential student sources said.

The torturing news of Morsheda spread in the hall and the agitated students started demonstration demanding expulsion of the heinous attacker from the hall dormitory and university. At one stage, the angry general students beat Esha in a room and garlanded her with shoes, reports media.

Following demonstration, the hall authorities went to the room and rescued Esha and pledged for disciplinary actions against her. Soon after the rescuing of Esha, the university administration hung a notice regarding her temporary expulsion from hall and all academic activities, a residential student said. Earlier, Esha was expelled from the BCL accusing her violating the organization rules. BCL central committee president Saifur Rahman and general secretary SM Jakir Hossain issued a statement of the expulsion, she said.

Seeking anonymity, some witnesses said, Esha assaulted three more students in a room at 12:15 am on Wednesday. Even she cut the tendon of Morsheda when she was screaming to gather the other students. However, another student said that Morsheda rushed in and kicked the window pens that caused her injuries. Protesting the incident, hundreds of students took position outside the hall demanding expulsion of Esha. They returned to the hall at about 4:00am. DU Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani confirmed that Iffat Jahan had been expelled from the university. They university authorities handed Morsheda to her relatives after giving treatment, he claimed.

He said also that Morsheda was expelled from the hall a few moths ago. Shamim Banu, a Residential Teacher of the hall, admitted of the injury to Morsheda Khanom.

She said that they saved Esha from the hands of the angry demonstrators. Dr Galib, Medical Officer of Government Karmachari Hospital, said that they sewed the leg of Morsheda as she was admitted to the hospital around 1:30am.

A student of DU said that Esha is 'tendon cutter.


Quota protest escalates

PM's specific announcement demanded

Quota protesters on Wednesday continue demonstrations for the 4th consecutive day in front of TSC as part of their country wide movement.

Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council on Wednesday threatened to boycott all classes and examinations across the country until specific announcement by the prime minister within seven days regarding quota reform.

"Different speeches from a number of ministers regarding quota reform issue are not acceptable. We will go for boycotting classes and examinations until we do not get any specific announcement from the Prime Minister," said Nurul Haq, joint convener of the student's platform.

Earlier, Hasan Al Mamun, convener of the platform readout the statement of the council at a press briefing at the Central Library premises in Dhaka University campus around 11 am.

The council strongly condemned all the attacks on students on different halls of DU and demanded expulsion of those involved in the attack from the university.

They also demanded immediate implementation of the decision taken by the DU authorities to expel Kabi Sufia Kamal hall unit BCL president for attacking a female student of the hall.

Pressure has been created on the conveners of the council of different universities for stopping movement, they alleged. The council strongly protested the incidents and asked those involved in putting pressure on them to express their solidarity with them, said the release.

Earlier in the morning, several hundred students of DU thronged in front of the Central Library and staged demonstration as part of their scheduled programme.

Expressing solidarity with the demonstrators, Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman on Wednesday said the demand of students is logical.

The VC came up with the remarks while speaking at a press briefing at his office.

"We have asked the government to take quick measures and give assurance to the students so that they can return to normal life," he said.

The VC also urged the law enforcing agencies to behave well and ensure safety of the students.

Referring to the attack on a female student of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, Prof Akhtaruzzaman said, "The university administration is adopting a zero tolerance stance against such incident and a probe committee has been formed to look into the matter."

Wishing anonymity, a high official concerned of the university, said the order for temporarily expulsion of the BCL leader Iffat Jahan Esha was signed.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) also expressed solidarity with the demonstrators. DUTA president Prof Maksud Kamal read out the press note at a press briefing held at the Dhaka University Club around 12:30 pm.

They also urged the government to accept the demand of the demonstrators.

Later, the DUTA leaders joined the demonstrators at the foot of Raju sculptor where the students were staging demonstration demanding quota reforms.

Besides, the students of private universities including University of Asia Pacific, Daffodil International University were staging demonstration in different areas of the city, disrupting traffic movements.

As reports came in, thousands of students had rolled on to the key thoroughfares in Mirpur, Farmgate, Sukrabad, and Dhanmondi areas demanding quota reform.

The students of Asia Pacific University brought out a procession in Green Road area and took position in city's Farmegate area, halting traffic movement.

Traffic movements in Panthapath and Mirpur Road remained suspended for several hours as the students of Daffodil International University took to the streets demanding quota reform.

Students of several private universities also blockade Satmasjid Road in the city's Dhanmondi area creating huge trouble for the commuters as well as students of school and colleges.

Meanwhile, around 5,000 students of Jahangirnagar University took position on Dhaka-Aricha highway near the main gate of the campus and staged demonstration demanding quota reform.

The agitating students gathered at the Central Library premises around 9:30am and brought out a procession.

Traffic on the busy highway remained stranded following the incident.

In Sylhet, The students of Shahajalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) took position in front of the university gate and staged demonstration for the fourth consecutive day over reform of the quota system.

They also boycotted their classes and examinations.

Movements of university and shuttle buses remained halted as the students intercepted vehicular inside the campus.

In Khulna, the students of Khulna University staged demonstration after blocking Khulna-Satkhira highway for the same demand. Later they brought out a rally and heading towards Shibari intersection in the city and took position there.

The students of Chittagong University (CU) put up barricade at Sholosohor Rail Station in the city halting shuttle train movement.

The demonstrators brought out a procession at the campus around 8 am as part of their scheduled programme and took to the streets and railway tracks over the issue.

In Barisal, student of Barishal University and Shahid Abdur Rab Serniabat Textile Engineering College blockade Patuakhali-Barisha and Dhaka-Barishal highways respectively, demanding quota reform.

They also boycotted all classes and examinations.

Meanwhile, Bus Owners and Workers Association in Barisal has suspended bus service from Nathullabad Bus Terminal to other parts of the country as they faced barricades on the highways.

Earlier on Tuesday, the students' platform announced to go on with the agitation programme until a specific statement from the prime minister to this end is made.

Rashed Khan, joint convener of the platform, came up with the announcement at the foot of Raju Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus around 5:55pm on Tuesday.

He said they continue their movement at all universities and colleges across the country from 10m to 7pm every day until their demand is met.

UNB adds: The students of Chittagong University (CU) put up barricade at Sholosohor Rail Station in the city demanding reform of quota in government jobs, halting shuttle train movement.

The demonstrators brought out a procession at the campus around 8 am as part of their scheduled programme and took to the streets and railway tracks over the issue.

They also refrain from attending classes and examinations.

Shahab Uddin, station master of Sholosohor Railway Station, said the protesters set up barricade on the railway tracks halting two shuttle trains which were scheduled to leave for the campus on 9:45 am and 10:30 am.

Md Arju, a co-ordinator of Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council, said "We'll continue our movement until the demand is met."
KS relief chief visits Rohingya refugee camps

Saudis will help IOM to deliver vital aid during Monsoon

Relief Web, Cox's Bazar :

The Supervisor General of Ksrelief - Saudi Arabia's King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre - Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, on Wednesday visited IOM's relief operations for Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

The visit included an inspection of a new logistics base, funded by the Saudi foundation, which will play a key role in getting vital aid to the refugees during the difficult and dangerous conditions expected during the upcoming monsoon season.

The log-base at Nhilla will be a hub for IOM's distribution of aid to refugees in the southern part of Cox's Bazar during the wet season, when mud and landslides are expected to create severe access challenges across the entire district. The hub will guarantee aid deliveries remote areas even if established distribution points further north are cut off. Around 900,000 Rohingya refugees are now sheltering in Cox's Bazar and are almost entirely reliant on aid. Most arrived after fleeing extreme violence in Myanmar's Northern Rakhine State that began in August 2017. IOM, partner aid agencies and the government of Bangladesh are involved in a massive joint effort to develop and upgrade access and improve and ready supply systems before the bad weather hits.

perhaps as early as next month. During his visit, Dr Al Rabeeah also witnessed a WFP distribution of rice - some of 550 MT donated by KSrelief - together with non-food items, including blankets, mattresses and plastic buckets, also donated by his agency. "I am happy to be at Kutupalang and Balukhali refugee camps in Cox's Bazar witnessing the joint work of IOM and Ksrelief and IOM's support to the Rohingya minority. Our work together is a model of joint compassion for those in need and an example of many other excellent partner projects globally, " said Dr Al Rabeeah, who was an internationally acclaimed surgeon and health expert before joining KSrelief. KSrelief has currently provided over USD 4.2 million to fund IOM's shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene support for Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshis living in the Cox's Bazar District. Shortly after the beginning of the crisis, in September 2017, KSrelief also organized an airlift of aid into Cox's Bazar, which IOM distributed. It included rice, blankets, mattresses and water purification tablets. IOM and other agencies have worked with the government of Bangladesh to significantly improve conditions in the camps since those early days, but the arrival of the monsoon will bring new dangers and fresh misery for the refugees and the local community. Work is urgently underway to improve shelters, re-locate those most at risk and build resilience among those who will be affected. Key shelter and other aid items are being stockpiled by IOM to be distributed when the monsoon and cyclone seasons begin. This includes pipeline agreements with partners to ensure that the whole humanitarian community is well stocked with essential aid like tarpaulins. To help restore access to the refugees quickly in the event of landslides and blocked roads, IOM is working alongside WFP and UNHCR to preposition machinery in key locations for disaster response operations to enable humanitarian access and clear drains and waterways to reduce the risk of flooding. Work also continues to improve roads and drainage to prevent further erosion on the bare hilly slopes, which were cleared of vegetation during the initial influx by refugees desperate to find a place to put up shelters. In recent weeks, IOM has provided 22,500 families with shelter-upgrade kits as part of a rollout to help 120,000 households improve and strengthen their living quarters. In addition, 33,550 households have received community training on shelter upgrades and disaster risk reduction. More than 550 families deemed most at risk have already been relocated to safer areas with that number set to increase significantly over the coming weeks, as new sites are prepared. As well as observing IOM's work to support the hundreds of thousands of refugees in the Balukhali/Kutupalong makeshift settlement, which is now one of the biggest refugee camps in the world, the KSrelief delegation will also visit medical facilities supporting the refugees and the local community.

After visiting a Malaysian-run hospital in the settlement, they will travel to Cox's Bazar general hospital. IOM medical staff refer refugees and local people to this hospital for specialist treatment if it is not available any of IOM's 12 medical clinics in the district.

"This visit comes at a vital time for the humanitarian response to this crisis, as we prepare for the impending monsoon and cyclone seasons," said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM's Director of Operations and Emergencies, who accompanied the KSrelief delegation. "We are grateful to KSrelief for their support in Cox's Bazar and around the world and we appreciate this strong partnership. But we are still operating with funding shortfalls, notably in site management and improvement, alternative fuel supplies and shelter. All of these are essential, especially in response to the expected extreme weather over the next few months. Our main priority as always is to save lives," he added. In addition to funding IOM's humanitarian operations in Bangladesh, KSrelief also funds IOM projects in Myanmar, Yemen, Somalia and Greece.




CCTV footage must be released to know truth and identify culprits

Editorial Desk :

The quota reform movement has further spread all over the country yesterday. Students from public and private universities and other higher educational institutions are massively taking part in the non-violent and peaceful demonstration demanding quick resolution of the problem.

The Prime Minister yesterday told the Parliament that there will no quota system in government job but the students were not convinced till writing this report last evening with a general comment. They want specific commitment within a timeframe for not to be misled by ambiguous comment at the end. Student leaders said they would give their opinion on the PM's offer this morning.

Student protests continue in Dhaka University campus and other public varsities as they vowed to continue it until demands being fulfilled. VC's of Dhaka, Khulna and Sylhet Shahjalal University and Jahangirnagar University supported the movement terming quota a wrong system.

Dhaka University Teachers Association also lent support to the movement yesterday although they had opposed it the day before.

Only few members of Muktijhudha Santan Command opposed it gathering at Shahbagh point yesterday.

Meanwhile the city was almost totally paralyzed yesterday as students of private universities laid siege on the streets in front of their institutions blocking way to traffic. They were non-violent but refused to withdraw until the government come with definite proposals to open talks on a broader scale how to reform the quota system.

The Dhaka University campus - the centre of this movement was overcrowded yesterday like the previous days with protesters demanding reform of the system and calling on the authorities to release their fellow students, police arrested on the first day of the massive protest.

Students are making angry reaction as government ministers are blaming students for attacking on the residence of the Vice-Chancellor. They call it a conspiracy against their peaceful movement to be tainted with violence and ransacking the VC's residence. They fear it is clearly a move to deny bail to the arrested students and divert it to a new direction.

Student leaders wonder why the VC and the government are hastily blaming students for the attack before a judicial inquiry makes its finding. The students are also demanding judicial inquiry and any one with honest intention will wait for the probe report before bluntly blaming students and implicating them in false cases for the attack on the VC's residence. Even the VC of Dhaka University has not blame the students involved in the movement.

It was seen by every body that the students were most praiseworthy for peaceful movement till police entered the Dhaka University campus and use brutal force against them. Many were arrested and many others were severely injured. A woman Student League leader has been caught torturing women students fighting for their cause.

Deputy Commissioner of Ramna division of Metropolitan Police Maruf Hussain Sardar said they are trying to collect the CCTV footage. He declined to comment on police action in the campus. But the point is that provocative police action on peaceful demonstrators made the situation volatile in the campus and there should be also a probe how and why police entered in the campus and beaten students. Who had authorised them if not the Vice-Chancellor?

But DU Proctor Prof. Gulam Rabbani said to his know ledge police did not enter the campus in the first place. They went there when they learnt about attack on the VC's residence and had accompanied the Fire Service men. Many believe this should also be investigated to clear the situation.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the media after the incident that they had the CCTV footage as to who had carried out the attack. But many wonder why these are not being released to the media to publicly identify the criminals.

Latest estimate shows over 300 students were injured all over the country, besides 44 arrests in the capital and at other places.

Our students are our children and all concerned have agreed that their demand is just and deserves immediate consideration.
Quota abolition 'people's victory', says Moudud

Staff Reporter :

BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Wednesday described the Prime Minister's announcement to abolish the quota system in public service in the face of a students' movement as a defeat to the protesters for quota reform.

"The Prime Minister has announced that there'll be no quota system in country as she could finally realise the intensity of the

movement. They (govt) could also understand it'll be difficult for them to stay in power if the movement continues," he said. Speaking at a discussion, Moudud further said, "I would like to say it's a victory of people while the government has suffered a defeat."

A faction of Labour Party (Iran) arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club demanding deployment of army in the next general election.

In the wake of a nationwide movement by students and job-seekers, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday announced that there will be no quota system in government jobs.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, urged his party colleagues to get inspiration from the students' movement to realise their rights. "We'll also establish our rights the same way. We'll also free Khaleda Zia through a mass movement."

Terming justified the students' demand for reform of the quota system in public service, he said the movement has reflected the outburst of pent-up anger of people and common students across the country. "The students also voiced their resentment against the way the country is run now."
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.
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Showers and a few thunderstorms likely. High 86F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.


Manga release schedules:



Nothing right now.





Other Events Coming Up:

Nothing right now.






The Adventures of Red Riding Hood: An Exhibit at the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books

A new exhibit at the Osborne Collection of Early Childrens Books explores the story of this most famous of fairy tale heroines, and her counterpart, The Wolf, in books, advertisements, toys, games and original illustrations, dating from 1721 to 2017.

View pop-ups, miniatures, shaped books, paper dolls, puzzles, household items and more, and dont forget to take our Little Red Riding Hood quiz!

The exhibit is on through Saturday, June 2.

It's free and all are welcome!

Charles Perraults "Little Red Riding Hood"



The earliest-known literary version of Little Red Riding Hood was published as Le Petit Chaperon Rouge in Charles Perraults 1697 Histoires ou Contes du temps passe (Stories, or, Tales of Past Times). In Perraults tale, the girl is simply eaten  there is no happy ending. In a moral attached to the story, Perrault warns children to beware of wolves who may act in a pleasing fashion, yet hide their true designs.





This rhyming translation of Perraults tale was published in 1816.

The Brothers Grimms Little Red Cap



Jacob and Wilhelm Grimms Rotkappchen (Little Red Cap) appeared in 1812 in the first volume of their Kinder- und Hausmarchen (Childrens and Household Tales). In their story, the girl and her grandmother are rescued by a huntsman. The Grimms emphasize the consequences of disobedience  at storys end Little Red Riding Hood promises never to stray from the path again when her mother has forbidden it.

Later versions of the tale blend storylines from Perrault and Grimm.



In this 1856 publication, the wolf devours Little Red Riding Hood, falls asleep and is discovered by her father. The father kills the wolf with the assistance of several woodcutters, but the girl is not saved.

Red Riding Hood-Themed Advertising and Ephemera





This eight-page booklet, published ca. 1895 by J.A. Pozzoni Pharmacal Co., contains advertisements for Allens Hygienic Fluid and Pozzonis Complexion Powder.





American printer Louis Prang issued this die-cut shaped book in 1863.

The Mighty Midget books were designed to be read by children in air raid shelters during World War II.

Fractured Fairy Tales

Modern adaptations of Little Red Riding Hood are known for their inventiveness and humour.

The following books, on display at the Osborne Collection, are also available for loan through Toronto Public Library branches:

A little boy takes a walk in the forest to visit his grandmother. He finds a red coat and puts it on. Who, or what, waits at his destination?

Little Red sees through the wolfs disguise and comes up with a plan to save herself.

Cat tries to read dog the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but dog keeps interrupting.

In a village in Ghana, Mr. Dog tricks Salma and attempts to eat her grandmother, until Salma outwits him.

Little Red is a student pencil who makes her way to Principal Grannys office where she encounters a fearsome pencil sharpener known as the Wolf 3000.

This retelling for older readers has two endings  in the first, the leather-clad predator makes a successful getaway on his motorcycle. In the second, the SWAT team snares the villain, leaving the girl and grandmother unharmed.

Lon Po Po or Grandmother Wolf





Ed Young retells a Chinese folktale in which three little girls rescue themselves from a ravenous wolf.

The Big Bad Wolf









The Big Bad Wolf is a stereotyped villain that appears in many traditional childrens tales (The Three Little Pigs, The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids and The Boy Who Cried Wolf to name a few), yet in real life, wolves are extinct or endangered in many places due to overhunting and habitat loss.



Positive Portrayals of Wolves

Modern non-fiction books emphasize the important role of wolves in nature and in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

The introduction of a family of wolves restores the balance of nature on a northern island. View original art from this book in the Osborne Collection exhibit.



Godkins picture book tells of the successful reintroduction of 25 Canadian wolves into Yellowstone Park in 1995-1996.





Many indigenous tales and legends present the wolf as noble, brave and a friend to humankind.





In this Seneca legend by C.J. Taylor, Wolf helps Little Water learn the secrets of the animals to heal his people.

This collection features legends from the Dakota Sioux, Cherokee and other indigenous tribes.

With thanks to Martha Scott
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved plans for the development of three new residential communities in Dubai with a total of 10,000 plots, said a report.



This comes as part of the goverment's plan to create new eco-friendly residential communities featuring mosques, schools, parks and shops for Emiratis in Dubai, reported the state news agency Wam.



"We have ordered the allocation of new land plots as part of promoting the well-being and prosperity of Emirati citizens in Dubai," Sheikh Mohammed was quoted as saying.



The Dubai Ruler directed the housing authorities and Dubai Municipality to start the distribution and development process to ensure a comfortable life for citizens, it added.



Dawood Abdulrahman Al Hajiri, the director-general of Dubai Municipality said the civic body will take the necessary steps to implement the order of Sheikh Mohammed.



The new residential communities in Dubai include: Area One in Al Ruwayyah Third' with a total area of 2,256 hectares comprising 8,428 land plots; Area Two in Wadi Shabak with a total area of 232 hectares comprising 1,315 land plots; and Area Three in Mushrif with a total area of 59 hectares comprising 349 land plots. Each land plot in the allocated developments has an area of 1,115 square metres.



"The distribution of land plots to Emirati citizens, who have obtained approval from the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment, will start soon," stated Al Hajiri.



The new residential communities will have mosques, schools, public parks, and retail shops as per the highest international sustainability standards, he added.
UAE-based Binghatti Developers will be showcasing a number of its innovative projects including the waterfront development - Millennium Binghatti Residences Business Bay - at the Cityscape Abu Dhabi expo.



A premier property exhibition, Cityscape Abu Dhabi will run from April 17 to 19 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.



Inspired by the international deluxe Millennium Hotels and Resorts, the Dh400-million ($109 million) residential complex is located on Dubais Water Canal in Business Bay.



Consisting of 230 units including studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, this project offers a number of hotel-inspired facilities and recreational activities, said the statement from Binghatti.



Offering direct views of the Dubais Water Canal and iconic Dubai Skyline, the award-winning project features many facilities such as premium concierge-style services, day-care services, catering services, laundry services, housekeeping services facilitation, 24/7 maintenance hotline, and many other premium facilities, it stated.



With unit prices starting at Dh625,000 ($170,138) the Business Bay project is expected to draw an overwhelming response from investors during the three-day event, said the developer.



The Dubai firm will also exhibit the companys award-winning project Binghatti Stars. Officially launched at Cityscape Global last year, this project features 363 residential apartments and is situated in a prime location in Dubai Silicon Oasis, at the entrance of the upcoming Silicon Mall project and 10 minutes from Downtown Dubai.



The development, which showcases a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, features a plethora of lifestyle amenities including a health club by Technogym, a heat-monitored swimming pool, a relaxing jacuzzi, a childrens play area, and a public terrace for residents.



"Binghatti Stars took the spotlight at the 2018 Gulf Real Estate Awards. In fact, the project allowed Binghatti Developers to win the Best Off-Plan Project award and the Best Marketing Campaign award category for the projects exceptional launch at the latest Cityscape Global Show," remarked CEO Muhammad BinGhatti.



Both of Millennium Binghatti Residences and Binghatti Stars will prove to be great assets for investors and end-users, he stated.



"Both of Business Bay and Dubai Silicon Oasis have proven to be excellent areas for investors seeking long-term rental returns as well as end-users seeking to join the most thriving and distinguished communities of Dubai," he noted.



On its participation, BinGhatti said: "Cityscape Abu Dhabi is a must for any serious and ambitious property developer in the UAE. It is one of the key barometers for the region's property sector as it acts as a platform for developers, investors, real estate professionals and government entities to meet and do business."



"The exhibition brings together every aspect of the real estate industry and it constitutes a fantastic opportunity to expand professional networks, build brand awareness, and engage with potential investors," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (DCCE) have joined forces to further strengthen the existing partnership and collaborate in sustainable agriculture and development.



The collaboration was formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Dr Ismahane Elouafi, director general of ICBA and Ivano Iannelli, chief executive officer of DCCE.

Through this partnership, both organisations agreed to cooperate in technical research, knowledge sharing, capacity building and project development.



The collaboration includes reviewing technical aspects of research projects of mutual interest and support in equipment supply, sharing content highlighting ICBAs contributions and efforts under its mandate in different areas, including but not limited to green economy, sustainability, sustainable development, food security and nutrition and capacity development, to be featured in DCCEs knowledge products such as national reports and The Sustainabilist magazine.



Moreover, the collaboration includes promoting joint initiatives through outreach activities and developing knowledge hubs to address current regional needs in agricultural sustainability.



The agreement also covers brainstorming and collaboration on studying the needs of the Mena region in agricultural sustainability and developing project concepts for implementation in collaboration with concerned government entities.



Dr Elouafi said: ICBA is delighted to partner with the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence to work together on sustainability projects. Sustainability is one of the core areas addressed by ICBA research and development programs. Through partnerships with national, regional and international organizations, we have so far implemented our programs in over 30 countries. I am sure this new partnership with the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence will further boost our efforts to work towards sustainable agricultural production and a more food and nutrition secure world.



Iannelli said: ICBA is pivotal towards regional success stories in the food, water and energy nexus. Their work has created a tangible knowledge base that can enhance our soil and water management best practices amongst an array of other scalable initiatives linked to carbon emission mitigation and adaptation.



As an applied agricultural research center, ICBA has been working to address current and future risks and problems in marginal areas. Since 1999, the center has been identifying, testing and piloting resource-efficient, climate-smart crops and technologies in salt affected, water scarce and drought vulnerable regions around the world.



As a result, ICBA has accumulated extensive applied experience and developed tailor made solutions to the problems of salinity, water scarcity and drought. The centre is uniquely positioned to introduce much needed climate-smart crops and technologies in different parts of the world to alleviate projected food and water crises.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Aramco is displaying its latest GIS maps and applications at the 12th National Forum for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and exhibition, organised by Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.



Saudi Aramco is also participating as sponsor of the forum which opened today (April 10) and will run until April 12.



The event is being held under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province.



The forum titled Geographical Information Systems in the service of the Public Sector and Society is providing a platform to showcase and discuss state-of-the-art geographical technology applications in health, environment, security and real estate, said a statement.



The forum is being attended by prominent local and international figures, including researchers and specialists as well as students and private and governmental bodies associated with geographical information systems, it said.



Fahad E Al Helal, vice president of project management, said: Saudi Aramco continues its efforts in adopting and developing the latest technologies in geographical information systems, in addition to strengthening our relations and collaborations with associations and experts in the industry.



Al Helal emphasised the importance of measurement and geographical information systems when running critical projects across the kingdom. He also noted the need for investments to ensure the continuous development of these systems, given the important role they play in Saudi Aramcos expanding operations.



Geographical information systems allow us to further enhance our upstream operations, safety procedures, project management, our detection and monitoring capabilities, and the preservation of our wide-ranging assets, he said.



The forum provided access to the latest technological developments and their scientific and practical applications. The goals of the event aligned with the kingdoms efforts to localise this industry and implement essential development projects and programs that employ and invest in geographical technologies to provide investment opportunities for the public and private sectors, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the global financial centre in Abu Dhabi, has joined hands with Georgia's Anaklia Special Economic Zone/City to facilitate closer collaboration on initiatives that will bolster the growth of the financial markets in Abu Dhabi and Georgia.



The MoU comes following the visit of Dimitri Kumsishvili, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia to ADGM on Al Maryah Island, which was hosted by Ahmed Al Sayegh, the chairman of ADGM.



Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Georgia in 1992, bilateral relations between the two countries continue to deepen in the economic, administrative, and social fields.



This agreement formalises a framework for both the entities to share expertise and information on banking, financial services and securities legislation and regulations in both jurisdictions, said Keti Bochorishvili, the chief executive of Anaklia City and Special Economic Zone, after signing the deal with Philippe Richard, the international affairs director at the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM in the presence of Kumsishvili and Al Sayegh



She dubbed ADGM as a global leader and a role model of innovative approach towards business development.



"Anaklia already has special status in the Constitution of Georgia, creating the opportunity to deploy special legal regime. Anaklia SEZ will be a global development on the hinterland of Anaklia Deep Sea port which is set for launch in 2020," noted Bochorishvili.



"Experience of ADGM in many directions is revealing and extensive, thus Anaklia SEZ is pleased to establish regional partnership with ADGM to further foster development between two zones," she added.



Richard Teng, the chief executive of FSRA, said: "We are ready to support our partner, their financial institutions and companies in expanding their growth and global footprints via ADGMs innovative and international platform."



"As one of the worlds most innovative and leading IFCs, ADGM understands its responsibility in fostering an open and conducive trading environment, and will continue to form meaningful collaborations with authorities and stakeholders locally and globally," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Airlines have been warned of the danger from possible airstrikes and missile attacks on Syria, as Western allies prepare a military response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in the country, said media reports.



In a message on Eurocontrol's website, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) wrote: "Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken."



The potential threat to carriers has grown on a day of rising tensions and threats as the US, Britain and France seek to co-ordinate their response to last week's suspected chemical attack which killed 70 people in the rebel-held town of Douma.

Early today, President Trump put Syria and Russia on notice in a Twitter post, promising that missiles fired at Syria will be coming, nice and new and smart! and telling the Kremlin that it should not partner with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday that the United States is still assessing the intelligence on the suspected chemical attack, but that military planning was proceeding.



We stand ready to provide military options if theyre appropriate, as the president determined, he said.

Amidst the sudden turn of events, Rusisian President Putin called up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging Israel not to take any action to destabilise Syria and threaten its security.



The sabre-rattling began when Alexander Zasypkin, the Russian ambassador in Beirut, told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV: "If there is a strike by the Americans, then...the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired".



His remarks, raising the possibility of a US-Russian confrontation, provoked a belligerent response from President Donald Trump, who tweeted: "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.



"Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!," tweeted Trump.

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that there were reports of about 500 people in Douma who have symptoms similar to people exposed to toxic chemicals.

It said about 70 people had died while taking shelter in basements and 43 of them had signs of being exposed to highly toxic chemicals.

He added: "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this."



Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said America was still assessing intelligence on the suspected chemical attack in Syria.



US military officials revealed that the Syrian military had started re-positioning some air assets ahead of possible strikes.
Octal, one of Omans principal exporters, recently partnered with the Omani Ministry of Commerce and Industry to ensure exports of Omani PET resin to Canada are uninterrupted without any additional duties imposed.



Octal, one of Omans principal exporters recently partnered with the Omani Ministry of Commerce and Industry to ensure exports of Omani polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET resin) to Canada are uninterrupted without any additional duties imposed.



The win for Omani industry came in the wake of an inquiry conducted by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal into the effect of dumping and subsidizing of PET resin originating in or exported from China, India, Pakistan and Oman on Canadian industry, which resulted in the finding of negligible.



Oman has a window of opportunity to accelerate economic growth and stimulate job creation and investment opportunities by continuing to foster a progressive international trade policy, said Octals CEO, Nicholas Barakat.



The ongoing implementation of Omans diversification agenda, boosting of exports and investment for the future by nurturing innovation, are key elements for Oman to achieve its economic development aspirations.



Barakat added: The win for Omani PET resin in the Canadian market is a real testament to Omani manufacturing, its capabilities and most importantly, its promise for the countrys growing exports and international trade, which is increasingly considered the modern engine of prosperity.



The size of the economy in Oman has been growing steadily, and market conditions are stable. Oman and Canada have a growing trade and investment relationship. Canadas export credit agency, Export Development Canada classified Oman as a key market for Canadian businesses and investment.  TradeArabia News Service
Honor, the leading smartphone e-brand under the Huawei Group, is rolling out the new and advanced Face Unlock feature in their recently launched phones: Honor 9 Lite and Honor 7X.



The feature only requires a software update as the Honor team has already considered and built in the hardware requirements for the new feature.



The exclusive feature adds more value to the accessible phones, giving them that flagship-like quality. As its name suggests, the Face Unlock feature allows you to unlock the Honor 9 Lite using your own face. You need to enrol your face by accessing the Face Unlock feature in the Settings menu and then simply look at the front camera of the device. This helps the provided facial recognition technology recognise your face and enable an easy unlocking function over the existing fingerprint, pattern, or PIN unlock.



Chris Sun Baigong, vice president of Honor in the Middle East and Africa said: As a young, innovative and trendsetting brand, Honor has always strived to bring flagship experience to our customers. Powered by the latest update, the Face Unlock Function will be available on the Honor 9 Lite and Honor 7X. Developed based on cutting-edge facial recognition AI algorithms, the Face Unlock Function can be used to unlock the smartphone instantly by scanning a recognized user's face. With this function, users can enjoy an enhanced AI-powered user experience on the well-loved Honor 9 Lite.



On the security front, the Face Unlock feature is based on biometric identification technology, which can effectively prevent a users device from being unlocked by using duplicated photos, videos, printed photos, or in circumstances where users eyes are closed through facial recognition.



The feature recognizes your face when you look at your phone's lock screen and expands notifications so you can read them. If someone else does this on your mobile phone, the notifications stay hidden. This feature also applies when you are looking but not interacting with the mobile phone; the screen wont turn off if you are looking at it.  TradeArabia News Service


Say yes to the cute pink dress.

It's now official. You and your girlfriends are heading to the Caribbean for your summer vacation. You're in the process of choosing a destination and getting your wardrobe together. You don't have to fret about either because we are going to give you some suggestions for both.



If you're looking for a destination with a lot of beautiful beaches and all-inclusive hotels, then you can check out Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Some of the places of interest include Playa Uvero Alto, Higuey, Bavaro, Macao and Cap Cana.



The beaches in Playa Uvero Alto are not overrun by tourist, so if you're not a fan of overcrowded beaches, then it is the ideal spot for you. If you are a little adventurous there are also a lot of activities you can try including surfing, windsurfing and sailing.



If you're looking for an exciting location in Punta Cana, then you can check out Bavaro. It has many all-inclusive hotels, restaurants and water and adventure parks. It has some fantastic beaches as well.



Picture you and your girlfriends enjoying this beach in Punta Cana.





Beautiful Beaches in Aruba and Curacao

Beautiful Dutch influenced buildings in Willemstad, the capital of Curacao

Swim with Stingrays in Antigua

Aruba is a beautiful and fun place. It has great food and the beaches are beautiful as well. Make sure and check out Eagle beach and Baby beach. If you visit Aruba you definitely have to check out Oranjestad, the capital.If you want to have some fun you can spend the day at De Palm Island, which is an all-inclusive attraction offering activities like banana boat rides, snorkeling, zip lining and air jumpers. There is also a water park and an all you can eat and drink buffet menu. Curacao is another beautiful island you can visit. Together with Bonaire and Aruba these three make up the ABC islands. Curacao has a distinctive Dutch flavor because of its history with the Netherlands. You can see the Dutch influence in its architecture, especially in the capital city of Willemstad.Make sure and check out the Curacao Sea Aquarium, Shete Boka National Park and the Queen Juliana Bridge. Of course you want to spend the day at the beach. If you're looking for white sand and crystal clear water, then check out Cas Abao beach. If you're looking for a popular beach with activities and beach bar then you should check out Kokomo Beach. If snorkeling and diving is your cup of tea, then head out to Playa Kalki.If you and your girlfriends are looking for a full-on beach vacation, then you should definitely head to Antigua and Barbuda. Antiguans will tell you that they have a beach for each day of the year. Too much to mention here, but if you decide to spend your summer there, then you should at least check out some of the popular beaches on the island. Dickenson Bay, Carlisle Bay, Pigeon Point, Ffrye's Bay, Half Moon Bay and Long Bay Beach are some of the beaches you should check out.If you're looking to spend the day in the water, but you want a lot more excitement, then you should check out Stingray City and swim with the rays. We did it and it was one of the most memorable times we have had since traveling.



There are many beautiful islands in the Caribbean and we just wanted to give you an idea of some of the places you can visit if you choose the region for your summer vacation. If you want to know more about the Caribbean islands; what to do, see, eat and drink, then check out our article on the "Highlights and quick guide to the amazing Caribbean Islands."



Now that we got that out of the way let's get down to the business of choosing a hot pink dress of your summer travels. I mean, after all you've got to make sure that you have at least one of these pink summer dresses packed for your summer girls trip. Right?





Taylor & Sage All Over Lace High Neck Trapeze Dress

Picture this. You're staying at an all-inclusive resort In Barbados, probably Sandals Barbados, and you and your girlfriends plan to spend the evening dining and then relaxing at one of the bars. This dress would probably be the ideal one for such an occasion. What do you think?



The dress is made with cotton, nylon and rayon, features a high neckline and comes in three sizes, which are extra small, small and medium. This lace dress is machine washable. I know some of you ladies will love the fact that it is.



I WANT IT







BCBGMax Azria Halter Dress with Front Keyhole

This is a beautiful pink dress, but it will set you back a couple of dollars. The dress features cold-shoulders, halter-style neckline, long blouson sleeves and sleeve cuff buttons. You can get it in the following sizes, extra small, small, medium and large.

I WANT IT







FANCYINN Spaghetti Strap Mini Dress

This is a simple yet sexy dress that you can use during an evening out, whether you're going to have drinks or going to a cocktail party or just chilling by the bar while having a few exotic cocktails with your girlfriends.



Made with polyester the dress is sleeveless, backless and has pockets. The sizes available are small, medium, large and X-large. It is also available in several other colors including blue, black, polka dot, white and red.





I WANT IT







QueenBridal Backless Off Shoulder Dress

This is a cute and sexy dress. What is even better is that you can get it in hot pink or regular pink. The dress comes with a built-in bra and it is short at the front and long at the back. The sizes range from 2 to 26 plus. It is highly recommended that you refer to the size chart that has been provided before you get it.





I WANT IT

In Gear Stud Empire Halter Dress

Come on, you know we had to do it. We had to feature a least one printed dress that screams, "I am on vacay in the Caribbean". This dress certainly does. What do you think ladies? This halter dress is made with polyester and spandex and features a pull on closure and a V-neck. You can get it in the following sizes, small, medium, large and X-large.





I WANT IT

FFLMYUHULIU Summer Boho Off The Shoulder Maxi Dress

Floral, off shoulder, pink and maxi, this dress is summer itself. This high waist floral dress is available in small, medium, large, X-large and XX-large sizes. Even though we are featuring pink summer dresses, you can get this in several other colors including navy, brown, blue and black.





I WANT IT





Sophia17 Bodycon Cocktail Midi Dress

Heading to a cocktail party. We know there are some really good ones in the Caribbean. This sexy bodycon pink dress might be the one that will help you be the focus of the party. There is nothing wrong with that at all, right ladies?



The features of the dress include package hip, back split and a hidden back zipper. It is made with polyester and spandex and comes in sizes ranging from small to XX-large. It is recommended that you wash the dress by hand using cold water and hang it to dry.





I WANT IT

Meilun Sleeveless Bandage Dress

This dress is made using rayon, nylon and Spandex. It's available in the following sizes, extra small, medium, large and extra large. It is recommended that you check out the size chart to choose the right size for you. Only dry clean this dress.





I WANT IT
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

Imphal East (Manipur): The Muslims in Manipur are angry with attempts of the BJP-led state government to evict the community members from Kshetri Bengoon Mamang Ching, Mantripukhri and adjoining areas in Imphal East district which the government claims is protected and forest land. The government claims that it is implementing the Manipur Conservation of Paddyland & Wetland Act 2014.

The eviction row brought Muslim community and BJP at loggerheads in the state with the All Manipur Muslim Organizations Coordinating Committee (AMMOCC) calling for 32-hour general strike on Tuesday, April 10. The agitation was called off on Tuesday evening after a memorandum of understanding was signed between Government of Manipur and AMMOCC.

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The Chief Minister appreciated the sentiments of the affected people and appealed to call off the agitation. Thereafter, both the parties agreed to continue the talks to find an amicable solution to the concerns of AMMOCC in three weeks and in turn the AMMOCC agreed to call off the agitation with immediate effect in public interest, reads the memorandum signed by Dr. J. Suresh Babu, Chief Secretary and the Muslim leaders.

The Muslim body had submitted a memorandum giving an ultimatum to the Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh on April 4 seeking revocation of the earlier order of the eviction. A similar memorandum was submitted earlier in February 2018 as well.

The AMMOCC have alleged government of playing a politics of displacement and derecognition with the Muslim community, often called Pangal Meiteis, a minority ethnic group in Manipur by targeting their settlements to mentally torture, intimidate, humiliate, harass and dishonor them.

The villagers who have been residing at Kshetri Bengoon Mamang Ching since late 1960s and with most of the civic amenities or entitlements of a citizen from Manipur government have been targeted and the process of evacuation is being stayed by High Court, AMMOCC said in a memorandum submitted to the state CM on April 4 earlier this month.

Residents of Mantripukhri and adjoining areas have been continuously targeted and peace of mind robbed by demolishing houses constructed on certified patta land. Your government itself has been flip-flopping on the reason for such merciless actions. As per records, your government wanted the area for MLA quarters construction in 2017 and now it seems the government wants to protect the areas from non-agri usages under paddy land conservation act 2014, the memorandum reads.

The Muslim body has also found out that as a consequence of Govt move, the houses and business establishments of Muslims living in Nagaram and adjoining areas of Khuman Lampak in Imphal West, have been intimidated and asked by the locals to vacate.

It also alleges government of intimidating Muslim community by actions of combing operation in the name of anti-drug campaign and identification of illegal immigrants allegedly harbored by Muslims in their localities.

Pangals (Muslims) have been relegated to second citizens by your govts actions. All the steps that BJP government has taken up against Pangals in the past one year of rule indicate systematic stripping of Pangals indigenous identity, it alleges.

According to Md Raees Ahamed, a civil society member, the government is only targeting Muslim areas and not even a single notice has been served to people from the other communities.

As an Indian citizen, I have rights. They cant just show up with a notice, then demolish and ask us to go away. We have spent lifelong earnings in constructing the houses,

SM Jalal Sheikh, President AMMOCC says that the Muslim body wills resist the government move at any cost and wont allow illegal eviction of the community members.

Right now we are in talks with the government and within few days, the people from civil society group, elders, and religious heads will meet and decide the future course of action, Jalal told TwoCircles.net.

During a news conference held on Tuesday by Minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution and revenue, Karam Shyam said that the government strictly abides by the laws and acts of the land and has no intention to fan communalism.

Quoting government reports, Shyam said that around 75 houses of nearly 400 villagers were built at the Kobithabi Nongmaijing Ching reserve forest area.

Under the DFO, Central Forest Division of Manipur Forest Rule, 1971, a show-cause notice was served on March 1 to the encroachers seeking clarification on the constructions within March 14. An eviction order was issued to the encroachers on March 17, saying that encroachers should vacate the reserve forest before March 24, he told the media persons.

He further said that the state has a proposal to construct a quarter complex for ministers, MLAs and other officials as a direct purchase under the Manipur Conservation of Paddyland and Wetland Act 2014.
[April 10, 2018] LookingGlass Cyber Solutions Promotes Key Product and Engineering Leaders to Senior Vice President Roles

LookingGlass Cyber Solutions, a leader in threat intelligence-driven security, today announced the promotion of leaders in the company's engineering and product teams to key executive leadership roles. Dave Horn has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Engineering and Eric Olson (News - Alert) is now Senior Vice President of Product Management. In their new roles, Horn will lead and oversee research and development activities and Olson will be responsible for LookingGlass' overall product strategy shaping LookingGlass' comprehensive portfolio of Automated Data Services, Threat Intelligence Platforms, Threat Intelligence-as-a-Service offerings, and network-based threat mitigation solutions. "Organizations face increasingly sophisticated cyber risks and demand smart, scalable tools to effectively combat them," said Chris Coleman, Chief Executive Officer at LookingGlass Cyber Solutions. "A key component of providing the highest quality solutions to our customers worldwide is identifying, developing and empowering our rising leaders. This is integral to bringing innovative capabilities and compelling value to the market. Eric and Dave have demonstrated remarkable leadership and contributions since heir arrival at LookingGlass in 2015. We congratulate them and look forward to their continued success."



As Senior Vice President of Engineering, Horn will continue managing LookingGlass' product development teams in delivering comprehensive cybersecurity and threat intelligence solutions meeting the needs of the company's global enterprise and government customers. Horn brings more than 20 years of experience leading teams delivering customer-centric solutions for software and IT problems. Before LookingGlass, Horn served as a Director of Engineering across multiple product lines at Cisco (News - Alert) , ultimately leading a large global team of software and test engineers developing Cisco's Unified Communications Solutions software. Olson will lead product strategy development and execution across LookingGlass' comprehensive threat intelligence portfolio. He is a product development expert, a Certified SCRUM Product Owner (CSPO) and Pragmatic Marketing Certified (PMC) in product management. Olson has been a dedicated member of the LookingGlass team for nearly two decades - first serving in product management roles at Cyveillance until its acquisition by LookingGlass in 2015. Most recently, he served as LookingGlass' Vice President of Intelligence Operations, leading the groups responsible for intelligence collection and system configuration, as well as LookingGlass' threat research and investigations teams.

About LookingGlass LookingGlass Cyber Solutions delivers unified threat protection against sophisticated cyber attacks to global enterprises and government agencies by operationalizing threat intelligence across its end-to-end portfolio. Scalable threat intelligence platforms and network-based threat response products consume our machine-readable data feeds to provide comprehensive threat-driven security. Augmenting the solutions portfolio is a worldwide team of security analysts who continuously enrich our data feeds and provide customers unprecedented understanding and response capability into cyber, physical and 3rd party risks. Prioritized, relevant and timely insights enable customers to take action on threat intelligence across the different stages of the attack life cycle. Learn more at https://www.lookingglasscyber.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180410005109/en/

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[April 10, 2018] Uniserve Appoints New Independent Director to Board

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uniserve Communications Corporation (the Company) (TSX.V:USS) is pleased to announce that Mr. Louis-Vincent Gave has agreed to join its Board of Directors as an independent Director of the Company. Mr. Gave is the founding partner and Chief Executive Officer of GaveKal Capital Limited and Gavekal Research Limited. Mr. Gave oversees the firms money management business. Mr. Gave, now a resident in Canada, brings a wealth of experience from the Asia-Pacific market, which Uniserve now has begun targeting. Mr. Gaves company Gavekal Research, focuses in particular on artificial intelligence and financial modelling, which Uniserve will soon embrace. Mr. Gave has also written five books, including his latest, Too Different for Comfort, published in October, 2013. He also speaks English and French and received his bachelors degree from Duke University. He studied Mandarin at Nanjing University and served as a second Lieutenant in the French Mountain Infantry Division. About Uniserve



Uniserve is a unified communications company which has been in existence for over 28 years, combining voice, data and media all into one seamless solution, one bill and one point of contact in Canada, spread across 13,000 customers serving the Residential / Small Office / Home office and Enterprise markets. The Company resells diverse metropolitan networks across Canada from the incumbents, and provides a rich service of enhancements, with a mixed product portfolio wrapped around connectivity. This news release was prepared on behalf of the Board of Directors, which accepts full responsibility for its contents.

Learn more at www.uniserve.com or at www.sedar.com. Michael C. Scholz

Chairman of the Board For more information please contact Mr. Mark Stanton at 604-395-3908 or email us at mark.stanton@uniserveteam.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Management has prepared this release and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. The statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. Such statements are based on managements estimates, assumptions and projections using available information. Uniserve cautions that actual financial results could differ materially from the current expectations due to several factors.

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One of the South Caucasus longest-running conflicts came into the spotlight last week, as high-ranking officials from more than 100 countries gathered together in Baku to attend the 18th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement  an organization that advocates for international cooperation and multilateralism. aspian News reports in its article Aliyev Says South Caucasus Unstable Until Karabakh Conflict Is Resolved that with a more than 25-year-long history, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains the central issue that has been threatening regional peace and stability, according to Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev. The occupation of the Azerbaijani territories must be stopped, and only after that the peace can be established in the region, the head of the South Caucasus largest country said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s, when Yerevan launched an ethnic cleansing campaign against Azerbaijanis living in Armenia. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia launched a military campaign against Azerbaijan, which lasted from 1992 to 1994 and spanned Azerbaijans southwestern region of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.

Over three years, the war claimed the lives of over 20,000 Azerbaijanis, while nearly one million Azerbaijanis were internally displaced and 4,000 went missing. The full-scale war came to a stop in 1994, thanks to a ceasefire, but Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts are still occupied by Armenia.

In 1993, shortly before the war was suspended, the United Nations Security Council tabled four resolutions  all demanding the full withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijan. But Yerevan still ignores those demands.

There is no mechanism for implementing these resolutions, President Aliyev said during the Thursdays meeting.

If sanctions were imposed against Armenia at the very beginning of the conflict, I think, it [the conflict] would have been settled long ago, he added.

Despite the war coming to a stop in 1994 after the signing of the Bishkek Protocol in Kyrgyzstan, violations on the frontline are not uncommon. After a series of skirmishes between Armenia and Azerbaijan that took place in 2010, 2012, and 2014, the region has underwent another flare-up in April 2016, following Armenian shelling of Azerbaijani villages.

Those more recent clashes, which were later dubbed the April War, or Four Day War, spanned the line of contact separating the troops of Armenia and Azerbaijan and proved to be the most bloody since 1994. Starting on April 1, 2016, the hostilities continued until April 5, when both sides announced a ceasefire.

As a result of the Four Day War, Azerbaijan retook two strategic hills, a village, and a total of about 2,000 hectares (approximately 5,000 acres) of its land.

Meanwhile, Armenian armed forces have been violating the ceasefire agreement as they have been firing at the Azerbaijan military and civilians every day since 1994. For example, only throughout the previous month, Armenians violated the ceasefire for more than 4,000 times, according to the data provided by Azerbaijans Defense Ministry.

Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region believes that if there is fighting, it will be hard to manage.

A new conflict in the Caucasus could lead to thousands of casualties and economic devastation  without resolving the core issues, he wrote in his article dubbed The Threat of a Karabakh Conflict in 2017.

A descent into a new conflict in the South Caucasus is the last thing anyone wants  least of all the ordinary Armenians and Azerbaijanis who will be caught in the middle of it.
Oil prices settled higher Monday, to recover much of what they lost last week, as U.S.-China tensions appeared to ease, but concerns over U.S. production growth lingered in the wake of a hefty weekly rise in domestic rig activity.

Market Watch reports in its article Oil prices rebound as U.S., China trade tensions ease for now that the market saw a nice relief rallyafter U.S. officials backpedalled on a trade war with China over the weekend, said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management Inc. The gains, however, were still smaller than Fridays declines, so it remains to be seen if this is a trading bounce or the start of a more serious advance, he said. With trade in the spotlight all week, we could see significant volatility and swings in both directions.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May West Texas Intermediate crude CLK8, +1.29% rose $1.36, or 2.2%, to settle at $63.42 a barrel. The contract fell 2.4% on Friday to tally a loss of roughly 4.4% for last week. June Brent crude LCOM8, +1.30% the global benchmark, added $1.54, or 2.3%, at $68.65 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe, after losing 3.2% last week.

Oil prices declined Friday, and suffered their worst weekly declines in two months. Prices had followed equity markets lower amid growing fears of a trade war between the worlds two largest economies. On Monday, crude oil tracked global stock prices higher on signs over the weekend that President Donald Trumps administration may be softening its stance in the trade spat with China, though remarks from Chinas foreign ministry and a tweet from Trump suggest the dispute could easily heat up again. The market is currently concerned for the escalating China-U.S. trade war tensionsand with good reason since this [would] be bad for global growth and oil demand growth further down the line, said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Markets. However, oil market fundamentals are tightening, and oil prices look set to be squeezed higher as long as OPEC sticks to its cuts.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and 10 countries outside the oil cartel, including Russia, have been holding back crude output by 1.8 million barrels a day since the start of last year. The agreement, which is set to expire at the end of 2018, helped crude prices climb more than 50% in the second half of last year. OPEC production fell in March to an 11-month low of 32.14 million barrels a day, down 250,000 barrels a day from February, led by output declines in Venezuela and Angola, according to a survey from S&P Global Platts released Friday. In the U.S., however, the number of rigs drilling for oila proxy for activity in the sectorwas up by 11 last week, according to Baker Hughes BHGE, -0.61% a further sign of relentless U.S. crude output. Oil market observers are looking ahead to monthly reports from OPEC and the International Energy Agency, due Thursday and Friday, respectively, with an eye to potential revisions on the global oil demand. The Energy Information Administration will also release its monthly short-term energy outlook report Tuesday and weekly U.S. petroleum-supply data Wednesday.

The market is also keeping an eye on developments out of Syria, after reports an air base near Homs was struck by missiles. The U.S. also announced new sanctions on Russia Friday.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono expressed hope that Seoul and Tokyo would closely cooperate to bring about the denuclearization of North Korea and establish peace in the region. His remarks came Wednesday in a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha who he met in Seoul.

As United Press International writes in the article Tokyo diplomat hopeful for cooperation on North Korea crisis, Kono's two-day visit comes amid concerns that Japan has been sidelined while South Korea and the United States prepare for their respective summits with North Korea.

During his meeting with Kang, Kono reportedly lauded Seoul's efforts in creating the current atmosphere of peace between the two Koreas, JTBC reported. He said he hoped there would be close cooperation between the South and Japan to bring about denuclearization as well as regional peace, security and prosperity.

Kang expressed hope that the upcoming summits with North Korea would serve as a major turning point to achieve denuclearization, adding that Seoul also hopes for cooperation with Japan to achieve their shared goals regarding the North Korea crisis. She said the next few months will be a critical time on the Korean Peninsula, and for establishing peace in the Northeast Asian region.

A Seoul foreign ministry official who was at the meeting told reporters that Kono stressed the need to maintain pressure and sanctions on the North until Pyongyang takes substantial action to denuclearize, Yonhap reported.

He also requested Seoul to convey Japan's stance on the North's nuclear weapons and missile programs as well as raise the issue of Japanese abductees in the North, during the inter-Korean summit on Apr. 27.

Kang is said to have responded there is no change in Seoul's stance on maintaining sanctions and pressure on the North until there is significant progress in efforts to denuclearize. Kono's trip to Seoul marks his first since taking office last August. He plans to pay a courtesy call to Moon and visit the Seoul National Cemetery to pay tribute to Korean veterans before he returns to Tokyo.
Armenia's National Assembly unanimously adopted the bill on ratification of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia as well as the European Union (EU), European Atomic Energy Community, and their member countries.

The agreement was supported by 95 deputies, News.am reported.

The Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement was signed on November 24, 2017 in Brussels, and it replaces the Armenia-EU Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation.
Yelk opposition faction MPs burnt flares at todays session of Armenia's National Assembly.

An opposition lawmaker, Ararat Mirzoyan, was booked for speaking, but instead of delivering a speech he fired a flare and called on the countrys population to attend the rally to be staged on April 13 in Yerevans Liberty Square against Serzh Sargsyans nomination for the prime-ministerial post.

"Time has come to prevent the third term of Serzh Sargsyans rule and the governance of the Republican Party of Armenia and to form the Armenia we dream of. To achieve that, it is necessary to come to the Liberty Square on April 13, where we together will burn our torch of freedom," ARKA cited him as saying.

Lena Nazaryan, another member of the opposition faction, joined Ararat Mirzoyan and fired her flares.

Eduard Sharmazanov, an Armenian Republicans man and vice speaker at the parliament, reacting to this step, said that the show has failed, since only 10 MPs were present at the session.

Speaker of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan, in turn, called the oppositions action at todays session dangerous.
Yemens armed Houthi movement said it had launched a drone strike on a facility belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco in southern Saudi Arabia - though the company said its plants there were operating "normally and safely".

The Houthis Al-Masirah TV channel did not say when the attack took place or give details of any damage.

"The air force announced the execution of air strikes with the Qasef-1 aircraft on Aramco in Jizan (province)," the channel said on its Twitter account, referring to a drone the Houthis unveiled last year.

Al-Masirah said the Houthis had also launched an attack with the same model of drone on the airport of Abha in neighboring Asir province, Reuters reported.
Azerbaijan people vote today at the early presidential election in favor of the country's future, development and stability, the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Ilyas Umakhanov said, who is engaged in observing the voting process in the Azerbaijani presidential election within the CIS PA observation mission, the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reported.

"First of all, I want to say that the international community's high interest in the election of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan is evidenced by a large number of international observers, in particular from a number of international organizations, including the OSCE. The CIS is very solidly represented - the Executive Committee, the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth, a number of national parliaments are represented here. This is largely due to the general interest in Azerbaijan as one of the most dynamically developing states in the post-Soviet space," he noted in the first place.

Ilyas Umakhanov drew attention to changes in the electoral legislation of the republic. "I was lucky to participate in the observation of the elections since 1998, and I can say that there have been serious positive changes in the national legislation of Azerbaijan regarding the electoral rights of citizens and equal opportunities for presidential candidates to participate in the pre-election race. Including the right of representatives of the opposition to participate in the work of precinct election commissions, up to 30%," the senator explained.

According to him, the CIA PA observation mission will visit about 80 district commissions today. "We took part in the opening of the polling stations from the morning, and there were huge queues at 8:00 am. That is, one can expect that the voter turnout will be high. For voters, elections are always a feeling of hope for the best, and we got the impression that people go to polling stations in a good mood, with confidence in the future, which means stable development, stability and prosperity of Azerbaijan," Ilyas Umakhanov said.

He appreciated the organization of the election. "There is a very clear organization of the election process  well-equipped polling stations, good facilities, and an opportunity to vote freely, openly and transparently. Finally, these are very good conditions for the work of international observers who have not encountered any obstacles, both in terms of communicating with members of the commission and with voters, after they have made their choice. So I can say that the presidential election in Azerbaijan is a good example of open, honest and democratic elections," the senator emphasized.

Answering the Vestnik Kavkaza question about the development of the Russian-Azerbaijani relations after the elections, the deputy chairman of the Federation Council expressed confidence that they will only be strengthened. "I am very optimistic about the future and the present of relations between our states, because they are consistently developing. I represent Dagestan, and there is a very large group of observers from the Russian regions in this election. Our contacts are actively developing through cross-border, interregional cooperation. Of course, the tone of these relations is set by the current president Ilham Aliyev and Russian president Vladimir Putin," Ilyas Umakhanov stressed.

Eight candidates were registered at the presidential election. Six candidates of them were nominated from political parties - Ilham Aliyev from the New Azerbaijan Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev from the Whole Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, Araz Alizade from the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Faraj Guliyev from the National Revival Movement Party, Razi Nurullayev from the Frontists Initiative Group, Hafiz Hajiyev from the Modern Musavat Party, one was a self-nominee - Zahid Oruj - and one candidate was nominated from the Initiative Group - Sardar Mammadov from the Azerbaijan Democratic Party.
US 'smart missiles' should fly towards terrorists and not the legitimate Syrian government, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page commenting on US President Donald Trumps tweet that Russia should be ready to shoot down missiles fired at Syria.

"Smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not the legitimate government which has been fighting against international terrorism in its territory for several years," the Russian diplomat stressed.

Zakharova also warned that the US hypothetical missile strike against Syria may destroy evidence related with the alleged use of chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta.

"Have the OPCW inspectors been warned smart missiles will eliminate all alleged chemical weapons-related evidence on the ground? Or is the real purpose to promptly eliminate the traces of a provocation using smart missile strikes to create a situation where international inspectors will have no evidence to look for?" she asked.
Azerbaijani citizens temporarily residing in Moscow and Moscow region voted today at the early presidential election on a par with the republic, the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reports: if as of 14:00 (MSK), 67.74% of voters cast their ballots in Azerbaijan, then at the polling station 47 at Azerbaijan's embassy in Russia - 60%. Moscow residents were the first one to vote, after 12:00 residents of the Moscow region have started to arrive at the polling station. According to the chairman of the precinct commission, Agalar Atamoglanov, the citizens who were not not on file at the embassy, were registered, so that they could vote.

The rector of the Moscow State University of Humanities and Economics, Vagif Bayramov, brought his Azerbaijani students to the polling station. "Today I accompany my students, there are children with disabilities among them. They vote for a strong president and strong Azerbaijan, and I am very pleased to be here, although I am a citizen of the Russian Federation. I am very happy today, because I also contribute to this historic event that is taking place in Azerbaijan today," he said.

The rector of MGGEU added that the students went to vote with joy. "When they announced that they are going to vote today, there were no questions, their pride in their state and patriotism prompted them to come and vote for the future of Azerbaijan," Vagif Bayramov said.

Part of the students arrived on the site in an organized manner. "We are all very happy that the Azerbaijanis of Russia have the opportunity to vote both in Moscow and in the consulates of St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. We observe a very large influx of Azerbaijani citizens, which shows that Azerbaijanis who live abroad, are not indifferent to the political future of their country and fulfill their civic duty," member of the board of Azerbaijan Youth Association of Russia Emin Hajiyev told Vestnik Kavkaza.

Citizens of Azerbaijan are travelling to Moscow for voting not only from the Moscow region, but also from the central Russia. For example, a group of listeners of the Academy of Law Management of the Federal Penal Service was brought from Ryazan by the head of the Ryazan regional public organization "Bulag" Elshan Aliyev. "Today, 65 students of the Academy, citizens of Azerbaijan, came to the polling station in the embassy to fulfill their duty for the first time. They came to Moscow with great joy, and after the voting will return to Ryazan and continue to study," he said.

"They have a festive mood, they are glad that they came here to fulfill their civic duty. They're in great mood, they promise to be excellent students and be useful to their state," Elshan Aliyev concluded.

Eight candidates were registered at the presidential election. Six candidates of them were nominated from political parties - Ilham Aliyev from the New Azerbaijan Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev from the Whole Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, Araz Alizade from the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Faraj Guliyev from the National Revival Movement Party, Razi Nurullayev from the Frontists Initiative Group, Hafiz Hajiyev from the Modern Musavat Party, one was a self-nominee - Zahid Oruj - and one candidate was nominated from the Initiative Group - Sardar Mammadov from the Azerbaijan Democratic Party.
The Azerbaijani people will make the right choice in today's presidential election, Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbul oglu said, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza before casting his vote at the polling station in Moscow.

"In the life of every state, every people, the election of a president, the election of a leader is a very important event which determines the development of the country in the coming years. The election that is held in Azerbaijan today was well prepared and widely covered. There are many observers in the republic, including from Russia. Three polling stations have been opened in Russia: at the Embassy of Azerbaijan Republic in Moscow, at consulates general in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg," the ambassador said in the first place.

"According to the data as of 10 am Moscow time, our citizens present in Russia vote very actively. I am confident that the Azerbaijani people will make the right choice. Azerbaijan's successes over the past few years have been evident, and I am sure that the republic will remain on the right track in the future," Polad Bulbuloglu said.

"There are relations of strategic partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan, which are developing every day and every year, our trade turnover is growing. Whatever the political situation around our countries is, we remain neighbors, friends and will always support each other. I wish all our citizens who are in Russia to fulfill their civic duty so that Azerbaijan achieves new successes," the diplomat concluded.

Eight candidates were registered at the presidential election. Six candidates of them were nominated from political parties - Ilham Aliyev from the New Azerbaijan Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev from the Whole Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, Araz Alizade from the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Faraj Guliyev from the National Revival Movement Party, Razi Nurullayev from the Frontists Initiative Group, Hafiz Hajiyev from the Modern Musavat Party, one was a self-nominee - Zahid Oruj - and one candidate was nominated from the Initiative Group - Sardar Mammadov from the Azerbaijan Democratic Party.
Russia needs support of the United States, US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?" the tweet reads.

Trump also said that the US relations with Russia is worse now than it has ever been.
Russia should get ready to shoot down new and smart missiles fired by the United States at Syria, US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" the tweet reads.

Earlier, the Wast claimed that a chemical weapons attack took place in Eastern Ghoutas town of Douma on April 7. The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed the statement as a bogus story, while Russias Defense Ministry pointed out that the White Helmets were not a reliable source of information.
US President Donald Trump and his advisers weighed a more robust retaliatory strike against Syria than last years missile attack, reasoning that only an escalation of force would look credible and possibly serve as a deterrent against further use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians, The New York Times reports citing the White House sources.

"Administration officials said they expected any new strike to be more expansive than last years, but the question was how much more," the newspaper writes, adding that possible options included hitting more than a single target and extending strikes beyond a single day.

Trump and his team enlisted support for action against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. American officials expressed confidence that they would have the backing of France, which has been vocal about the need for a strong response, as well as Britain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all of which called for Syria to be held accountable for the suspected chemical attack. It remained unclear, however, whether any of the allies would participate.
Environmental disputes in Vietnam: case studies from distributive and procedural justice perspectives Updated: 16:33 - 11/04/2018

Nguyen Van Thang and the Research Team

[1]

*

Wastewater discharged from Long Thanh Industrial Park, Dong Nai province__ Photo: Internet

Tan Dong Hiep Quarrying Mine Sonadezi Long Thanh Song Lam Sugar Co. Firms in Cau Luong River Thuy Hai Food Processing Co. About the case This dispute occurred near the Tan Dong Hiep quarrying mine, in Di An town, Binh Duong. The mine has operated since 1993. The dispute arose because the quarry is located close to residential areas. This dispute occurred in Long Thanh Industrial Park, a joint stock company with 51 percent state ownership. The park has more than 100 firms. Citizens of Tam An commune have been conducting agriculture business in close proximity to the park and the Dong Nai River. The Song Lam Sugar Co. moved to Anh Son district in 1998. It produces sugarcanes, fertilizer and alcohol. The increase in production during 2009 - 2010 gave rise to complaints about environmental pollution among local citizens. Cau Luong River irrigates and drains nearly 2,000 ha of agricultural land in Van Lam and My Hao districts, Hung Yen. Sewage from firms is considered the most important cause of pollution in the river. Citizens protested against firms for years. In 2003, Thuy Hai Food Processing Co. was established and located in Thuy Hai commune, Thai Binh. Citizens complained about smells from the firm since 2005, and the protests peaked during 2011 - 2012 with hundreds of people blocking the firms gate. Result by December 2017 Disputes on house cracking have not been resolved Almost all impacted households received financial support, the dispute was resolved Citizens accepted that the firm has upgraded technology - the dispute has been resolved Five firms have been fined (2010 - 2016), but pollution persists. Citizens keep complaining. The firm moved to new place (2013). The dispute has been resolved. Distributive justice Citizens complained the quarry operation pollutes the surrounding area with noise, vibration and dust, and cracks their houses.

The firm and local government confirmed the firm followed regulations; and technology is used. Citizens believed the pollutions by the IP are harmful to their health and agricultural livelihood. The pollution is not one-off incident.

The firm and local government confirmed that they followed regulations (only one-off incident), the firm contributed greatly to local development Citizens are divided where come groups benefits from the firm, while nearby communities suffer pollution.

The firm and local government argued that the firm has upgraded its technology. The firm has a great contribution to local development. Citizens blamed the firms for damaging the natural environment. Their health and livelihood suffer.

The firms argued that they followed regulations, and that it is not clear who are the causes of pollution. Citizens complained for the negative effects on their health and fishing livelihood.

The firm believed this was unfair competition (rather than environmental issues). Procedural justice Citizens complained

The firm and citizens negotiate on support amount and beneficiaries

Complaints on house cracks have not been addressed Citizens complained since 2005

Local government acted in 2011 with evidence of IP violation.

Research institute helped assess the impact area Citizens complained and hostilely protested against the firm

Local government acted in 2012 with violation evidence. The firm updated technology. Citizens complained and hostilely protested

Local government found evidences and fined five firms

Pollution continues at high level Citizens complained since 2005, the firm and government believed the issue was not serious

Citizens hostilely protested in 2011-2012, the firm had to move out

Cau Luong river in Hung Yen province is seriously polluted__ Photo: Internet



[1] * The research team comprises researchers from the Asia Pacific Institute of Management, National Economics University (Vietnam) and John Gillespie, Monash University (Australia). http://epi.yale.edu/ , accessed on January 6, 2018). [2] The Environmental Performance Index, created by researchers at the Yale University, is a worldwide ranking for 180 countries (, accessed on January 6, 2018). [3] See CECODES, VFF-CRT & UNDP (2017), p. 28. [4] See CECODES, VFF-CRT & UNDP (2017), p. 28. [5] See China Pollution Map project http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/caseconsortium/casestudies/135/casestudy/www/layout/case_id_135_id_983.html

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Vietnams impressive industrialization and associated reduction in poverty has come at a high cost to the natural environment. According to the Environmental Performance Index, [2] in 2016 Vietnam ranked in the top 10 countries with the worst air quality (Hsu A. et al., 2016). When asked about trade-offs between economic development and environmental protection, in 2016, 77 percent of respondents from nationwide surveys, the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) [3] , suggested the state should prioritize environmental protection even at the risk of economic growth. Currently there is limited research on how different perceptions about what constitutes an equitable balance between economic development and environmental protection influence environmental disputes in Vietnam. We consequently know very little about how different stakeholders conceptualize and respond to environmental disputes, how such disputes occur in practice, what drives them, how they affect citizens, and what constitutes appropriate public policy responses, and dispute resolution practices.In 2017, the National Economics University (NEU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam conducted a study on environmental conflict, distributive justice, and social change in Vietnam. The research paper coming from the study was launched in January 2018. The study is based on distributive and procedural justice frameworks to analyze how different stakeholders conceptualize the conflicts, their causes and consequences. This study draws on 17 reported cases in the government database and five in-depth case studies about environmental disputes between businesses and citizens. Disputes were selected for both their relevance to business-citizen disputes, occurring within the last five years, and maturity, having proceeded through different stages of disputation including complaint, negotiation and resolution. Regional diversity and access to interlocutors, such as local officials, businesses, citizens, media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), were additional selection criteria.The Table summarizes key information and analysis from the cases.Four key lessons emerge from the study.Learning point 1: The state-based administrative management system, on its own, cannot control environmental pollution.The government uses a combination of spatial planning and administrative licensing to manage the emission of pollution, (i.e., the government sets and monitors compliance with emission standards). This approach is only partially effective in controlling pollution for several reasons. Firstly, the government lacks sufficient resources, knowledge and skills required to effectively monitor and enforce standards. Most provinces have approximately 15 environmental police officers and about the same number of environmental inspectorate officials (Ortmann 2017). As provinces have about 20,000 to 30,000 firms, each environmental police officer is required to monitor 1,000 to 2,000 firms. Secondly, trust in local government varies greatly among localities. Citizens that were interviewed in the five case studies, for example, concluded that the governments did not always rigorously enforce environmental standards or act independently from polluting firms.What is missing in Vietnam is citizen engagement in environmental management. Effective citizen participation requires organization and support from non-state and professional organizations. In the cases studied, citizens lacked access to independent and technically competent expertise. Media, social network, and business codes of conduct also played a peripheral role.Learning point 2: Citizens conceptualize environmental harm as a violation of procedural and distributive justiceCitizens conceptualized environmental harm in terms of procedural and distributive justice more than infringements of personal/subsistent or property rights. They believed that polluters disproportionately benefited from natural resources, while citizens disproportionately endured the burden of environmental harm. Citizens rarely perceived the harm caused by environmental pollution as infringements upon legal rights to persons and property. Although the case studies considered damage to rural communities, it is possible that urban citizens, who were not considered in this study, might deploy rights-based understandings of environmental harm.Learning point 3: Citizens take direct action when state-based dispute resolution failsThe case studies show that when state-based methods of dispute settlement fail, citizens turn to high-risk protesting tactics. For example, citizens use collective protests and direct action, such as blocking access to polluting industries as negotiating tactics. A key reason for direct action is that citizens lack the support services needed for deliberative approaches to dispute resolution, such as fair discussions with involved actors and access to legal and technical assistance. The other reason is that direct action is often more successful in attracting responses from local governments than the use of state-based institutions like the mainstream media or courts. Finally, based on the case studies, it is clear that citizens lack of trust in political authorities may obstruct even sincere attempts from local government and firms at resolving the disputes. This points to the need to involve non-governmental and/or quasi-governmental mediators, which might help generate trust.Learning point 4: Lack of non-state and professional mediatorsAlthough the 2014 Law on Environmental Protection (LEP) recognizes the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) as a potential mediator for environmental disputes, in practice, VFF and its member organizations play a peripheral role. In the selected case studies, local government officials acted as mediators, but citizens lacked access to organizations (e.g., state-supported local lawyers associations and legal aid services) that were capable of providing legal and technical assistance, and acting as impartial mediators. The need for neutral actors, with experience in resolving environmental disputes, is especially pertinent where citizens do not trust local governments to act neutrally.Before discussing policy implications and the way forward, we caution readers on the limitation of the study. The analysis and findings have been based on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)s documents of 17 disputes and our five in-depth case studies. The information and analysis have not adequately addressed the roles of media and social network in the environmental movement. Future research should address this issue to shed light on relevant policy and legal reforms.As Leaning Point 1 shows, Vietnam relies primarily on top-down command and control regulation, and underutilizes the regulatory potential of public participation in environmental governance. This regulatory approach relies primarily on the state (especially local governments) to promote distributive justice and determine who should benefit most from the environment.International experience suggests three ways to strengthen environmental regulation in Vietnam. Firstly, it is possible to rectify procedural problems with top-down regulation. Secondly, it is possible to minimize the risk of environmental disputes by encouraging bottom-up citizen regulation and increasing regulatory pluralism. Thirdly, neutral and impartial mediation has the potential to resolve many environmental disputes.Much of the regulatory burden for approving and monitoring environmental impacts in Vietnam falls on central bodies that lack sufficient resources to rigorously verify claims made in license applications (Article 23 of the 2014 LEP), and ensure that local authorities monitor and enforce environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs) (Ortmann 2017, Chapter 3).The 2014 LEP focuses on developing, rather than monitoring compliance with EIAs. Article 26 makes project owners responsible for compliance with EIAs, while Article 28 makes local authorities responsible for ensuring that pollution abatement has been completed. But surprisingly, there are no concrete provisions requiring monitoring after EIAs have been granted. Article 121 only requires on-going monitoring for firms designated at risk of harming the environment.International experience shows strong monitoring and enforcement from both state and non-state actors are required to give the law authority. Low levels of compliance and weak enforcement are mutually reinforcing, creating a chain reaction with potential to undermine the 2014 LEP.It is recommended that the 2014 LEP be amended to stipulate continuous monitoring of EIAs and EISs by state and non-state actors. In addition, EIAs and EISs should be made publicly available to encourage monitoring by non-state actors. The Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (2001) [4] provides the best practice model regarding public access to environmental information. The China Pollution Map project also provides a possible model of citizen monitoring. [5] Once investment licenses are granted (Ortmann 2017, Chapter 3), an expectation arises that EIAs will also receive official approval (VIR 2016). The Indonesian Environmental Protection and Management Law (2009) avoids this problem by requiring the approval of EIAs before business licenses are issued.It is recommended that the 2014 LEP be amended so that investment/business licenses can only be issued after EIAs have been approved. In addition, the 2014 LEP should be amended to provide a less technically complex processes governing the issue of EIAs for small and medium sized enterprises (Ortmann 2017).Learning Point 4 shows that citizens in Vietnam have few opportunities to participate in state-based environmental regulation. A key consideration in encouraging public participation in state environmental regulation is whether citizens can detect and respond to environmental harm. Citizens, for example, can play a vital role in identifying environmental harm because they often have daily information concerning on-the-ground pollution. However, mere access to information does not automatically result in effective control and prevention of environmental risks. International experience shows that citizens need the assistance of professionally capable social organizations to effectively monitor and pressure polluting industries.There is considerable scope for citizens to take direct action to curb environmental harm. Leaning point 2 shows that many citizens do not conceptualize environmental harm as infringements upon legal rights that protect personal health and property. As a result, they rarely consider litigation as a possible remedy. Negative perceptions about the competency and impartiality of courts also limit the scope for litigation (see UNDP 2016; Ortmann 2017). Despite these barriers, environmental litigation is recommended as a long-term measure for protecting peoples rights and ensuring environmental justice. Capacity building for the collection of environmental evidence for litigation is also recommended.Under the existing LEP, citizens affected by pollution may sue polluters, and ask courts to determine whether and how such harm should be remedied. However, Vietnamese citizens rarely, if ever, consider court action as a viable cause of action in environmental disputes. In 17 environmental disputes reported in MONREs database, affected citizens filed a lawsuit against polluters in only one case. This concerned pollution in Cha Va River in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Another major constraint to environmental litigation is that environmental pollution usually affects many people and is technically complex, but affected citizens lack the knowledge and skills required to compile the evidence needed to support litigation. International experience shows that litigants need to mobilize resources for complex environmental litigation. For example, the 2009 Environmental Protection and Management Law of Indonesia gives citizens the right to take class actions, and the 2015 Environmental Protection Law in China allows NGOs to mount environmental litigation on behalf of communities.The 2011 Law on Denunciations (Article 19) allows class actions. It is recommended the 2014 LEP and related legal documents be amended to allow class actions in environmental litigation, and allow NGOs and/or independent institutions to mount environmental litigation on behalf of affected communities. NGOs and independent institutions can support affected communities in compiling the evidence required for environmental litigation.Studies show that the current regime in Vietnam does not facilitate meaningful citizen participation in environmental regulation (ORourke 2003; Thang and Ha 2014; Ortmann 2017). Citizens have few opportunities to influence the spatial planning that determines the location of polluting industries, or opportunities to influence the standards used in EIAs and EISs. For example, although Article 21 of the LEP 2014 requires project owners to consult communities that are directly affected by the project, it does not require public meetings that might allow transparent and meaningful deliberation that informs licensing decision-making. In many cases, concerned citizens are notified after licensing decisions have been made, reducing the possibly meaningful participation in decision-making.International experience shows that public participation can expand the policymaking circle to include the interests of those most directly affected by developments (McCarty and Zen 2010). It can change how the environment is conceptualized and how businesses respond to public interest concerns. Participation shifts the role of citizens from end-users, who are consulted tokenistically, to active stakeholders and development partners. Recognizing the importance of public participation, the 2009 Environmental Protection and Management Law of Indonesia requires public hearings during the preparation of EIAs, and before environmental licenses are granted. The 2001 Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters provides the best practice model for public participation in environmental decision-making.It is recommended that the LEP 2014 and related laws be amended to give concerned citizens the right to participate in public hearings and influence the spatial planning of polluting industries and the preparation of EIAs and EISs. Government authorities should not only have a duty to record and publicly disseminate transcripts of public hearings and the recommendations made by citizens, but also to base environmental planning and licensing decisions on recommendations made at public hearings.Studies further show that even if citizens are given access to public meetings, they often lack the knowledge and skills required to evaluate project proposals, and assess how projects might harm the environment and their interests (see Learning Point 1). International experience (discussed in Appendix 2) suggests that citizens need institutional support to mobilize resources, and draw on accumulated organizational skills and knowledge. In China, the state has created deliberative design institutions that give citizens the resources to make evidence-based recommendations regarding the location of polluting industries. The Indonesian government has liberalized the establishment of community-based and national environmental NGOs, and it is these organizations that have promoted citizen participation in environmental decision-making.It is recommended that Chapter 15 of the 2014 LEP (and associated legislation) be amended to allow the formation of community-based and national environmental NGOs with the right to mobilize resources to monitor and enforce compliance with the law and represent the public in protecting the environment.The Chinese experiment with deliberative designs offers a promising way to increase public participation in environmental decision-making. Policymakers who want to consult the public directly face a dilemma. If they consult the public, the opinions they receive are largely uninformed (He 2011). Most citizens lack knowledge and skills to analyze complex environmental issues. But if policymakers do not directly consult the public, and allow organized interests to speak for the people, then environmental planning becomes unrepresentative.Deliberative designs have been developed to enable policymakers to conduct public consultation directly and bring a wide range of well-informed voices into the policymaking loop. Deliberative designs aim to: mobilize citizens by providing the resources and expertise required to analyze environmental projects; provide opportunities to question stakeholders and experts (such as fiscal experts, environmental scientists, planners and academics); encourage reasoned communication between policymakers and citizens that conveys new and possibly controversial views; and, develop a set of written recommendations that inform the policymaking process.The assumption underlying deliberative designs is that in a cooperative and well-informed environment, individuals are less adversarial and self-interested, and more prepared to reflect upon different views and reach negotiated compromises.It is recommended that a pilot deliberative design be trailed to guide the planning and development of a large-scale industrial project with the potential to harm the environment.This recommendation relates to building an innovative, responsible, and integrated business sector. Environmental disputes will only be sustainably prevented and/or resolved when businesses voluntarily and responsibly engage in environmental protection and attend to environmental justice. To foster this sense of social responsibility, we offer three recommendations. Firstly, social responsibility in general, and environmental responsibility, should be included as a key content in university business studies curricula. In addition there should also be integrated short-course training in this area for businesses. Secondly, financial institutions should consider using environmental performance as a condition for granting funding. Thirdly, firms with better environmental performance (based on historical records and environmental management certificates such as ISO14000) should be put in fast-track for administrative issues so that firms would be able to save time and improve their productivity.Learning point 2 shows that Vietnamese citizens conceptualize environmental conflicts in terms of procedural and distributive justice, rather than legal rights. International experience shows that mediation is the most appropriate means of resolving this type of conflict. Indonesias experience demonstrates the usefulness of narrative mediation in resolving environmental disputes. Mediators use narrative mediation to encourage disputants to share stories about the conflict, and find points of agreement that can bridge conceptual differences. They do not attempt to assess the truth behind stories, rather they focus on understanding how different parties conceptualized the dispute. They aim for a solution based on the narratives the disputants tell, rather than upon some external framework, such as laws and state policies.This approach is well suited to environmental disputes because it provides a non-blaming approach that reduces the emotional temperature of disputes, and increases trust. It also generates a joint understanding about how past events have generated disputes and the solutions required to move forward. This approach helps overcome the power asymmetries between businesses and citizens.As the five case studies reveal, there are many different, often contradictory, perspectives about the problems underlying environmental disputes. Mediators can reconcile differences and then shift the discussions about how disputes harm personal interests to consider what can be done to resolve the situation.International experience shows that the selection of well-trained and neutral mediators is vital for successful environmental mediation. Mediators need to attract the respect of the disputants. Also, they must be energetic and enthusiastic, knowledgeable about local customs and the environmental issues, and, most importantly, unbiased and impartial about the communitys interests. Well-resourced environmental NGOs have played an active role in mediating environmental disputes in Indonesia, as have specialized university environmental institutes.It is recommended that the 2014 LEP and related legislation (such as the 2012 Law on Water Resources) be amended to establish a clear framework for non-state mediation of environmental disputes. Indonesias 2009 Environmental Protection and Management Law provides a useful model (see also ISPONRE 2013).In addition, consideration should be given to funding and trailing environmental mediation. With appropriate training, university-based environmental institutes could act as centers for environmental mediation in Vietnam. Alternatively, retired state officials, such as environmental police officers or members of the Vietnam Lawyers Association, might be suitable environmental mediators.-
HA NOI  FPT Software was officially awarded the title of Amazon Web Services (AWS) premier consulting partner at the AWS Partner Summit in Singapore.

With this recognition, FPT Software has become the first ASEAN headquartered AWS Consulting Partner to be accorded the highest tier of the partnership.

We are proud to be recognised as AWS Premier Consulting Partner, said Pham Minh Tuan, CEO of FPT Software.

Achieving this status is a milestone for FPT Software, an acknowledgment of our dedicated and effortless work with AWS to enhance our competency and foster technology innovation to create more value for FPT Softwares customers, accelerate their cloud adoption journey and maximise their AWS investment, he said.

Prior to this status, FPT Software had earned several recognitions, including AWS Technology Partner of the Year in 2017. It was among AWS partners to achieve the Managed Services and Migration Competencies awards in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

With a strategic location in Asia, FPT has a significant role to play in building relationship with countries in the region, AWS said. The main markets of FPT include Viet Nam, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Tran Huy Bao Giang, technology director of FPT Software, told ICTnews that the company officially began cooperation with AWS in 2016.

Currently, FPT and AWS are working together in the fields of mass migration, managed services and innovation (Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data and blockchain).

By becoming AWSs Premier Consulting Partner, FPT Software can access major partners in the world to implement large-scale projects globally, Giang said.  VNS
The deadly fire that occurred at the Carina Plaza tower in HCM City on March 23 is likely to set back the apartment market but only for a short period, experts forecast. Photo zing.vn

HCM CITY  The deadly fire that occurred at the Carina Plaza tower in HCM City on March 23 is likely to set back the apartment market but only for a short period, experts forecast.

Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HCM City Real Estate Association (HoREA), said the fire had an impact on the market but the effect would wear off soon for three reasons.

Firstly, living in apartments is inevitable in a modernising society, he said, pointing to Singapore, where some 85 per cent of the population lives in apartments. The rate is 60-70 per cent in EU and North American countries.

The second reason, Chau said, was that demand in every apartment segment had been rising. Last year demand in the mid-range segment was in the hundreds of thousands, he said.

Finally, rather than hitting the market itself, the Carina Plaza fire has only raised public awareness of the dangers of fires and forced developers and authorities to improve fire safety systems in buildings.

It is profitable for developers, residents and the community as they can live in a safer environment.

Concurring with Chau, Trang Bui, head of markets at property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Viet Nam said developers were re-examining fire prevention systems and the functioning of building managements.

Buyers had begun to ask for fire prevention systems when buying condos, she said.

Meanwhile, authorities were cracking down on failure to instal fire safety systems in new buildings and raising efficiency norms for approval.

Pham Lam, general director of DKRA Joint Stock Company, was quoted by vnexpress.net as saying that the market had been hit in the aftermath of the fire but he expected the situation to normalise soon.

"Apartments are the preferred choice of residence for many, especially young families and people with medium incomes," he said.

Now, because of the fire, apartments with good fire safety systems would sell well, he said, referring to another fire in an apartment block in District 2 that was quickly put out by the firefighting system.

Duong Thuy Dung, senior director, CBRE Vietnam, said: Developers may slow down their sales plans by three to six months. They will undertake activities to assuage buyers like commitment to fire safety systems.

But buyers would be cautious, she said.

At the end of last year her company had predicted that around 40,000 apartments would be sold in 2018, but the recent fire would have an impact and the figure could now be below 35,000, she said.

It will affect the low and medium segments.

Around 9,500 units have come into the market so far in the first quarter, 79 per cent higher year-on-year.

HoREA said since September 2016 there had been 34 fires in buildings, 26 cases in apartment buildings.

Last year the city suffered from 1,007 fires which killed 26 people and injured 44 others.

The worst ever apartment fire in the city was at the Carina Plaza in District 8 last month in which 13 people perished.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Russian Export Centre yesterday held a networking event in HCM City to enable Vietnamese and Russian business executives to meet each other and improve the business relationship between the two countries.

Held at the Rex Hotel, it was attended by around 20 businesses from the two countries.

Robert Kurilo, chief representative of the Russian Export Centre (REC) in Ha Noi, said: Viet Nam is good at agriculture, medical products and tourism, which Russia has high demand for.

However, trade between the two countries has not been as good as we would hope. I think this is because after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia had to focus on its domestic markets.

Russia is slowly paying more attention to the Viet Nam market, but now there is a lot of competition with countries such as Japan and the US, so that can be a challenge.

But with the support of businesses, the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Russian authorities, we hope to build the relationship between the two sides.

Since January this year logistic companies such as Russian Railway Logistics are providing services enabling export of Vietnamese goods to Russia and vice versa by rail, which is faster than by sea.

Sergey Klishin of Schelkovo Agrohim, one of Russias largest plant protection chemical manufacturers, said: We are here to network with Vietnamese companies and research the plant protection chemicals market in Viet Nam as we are aware that Viet Nam has high demand for such products. We are looking for partners so we can tap the market.

Nguyen Viet Anh, marketing manager of NaFoods Group (a Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exporter), said the event was a great opportunity to meet with Russian companies that can help export Vietnamese fruits to Russia, which has great demand for Vietnamese fruits.

He did meet some potential partners and hoped for close co-operation with them, he said.

RECs Russian Gastro House in District 1, a showroom for Russian food items, plans to expand in the next few months.

It will change its name to Trading House of Russian Export Centre and showcase more types of products and organise more promotional events.

Trade between the two countries last year was worth around US$5.2 billion.

Alexey Popov, Russias consul general in HCM City, said the two countries hoped to reach $10 billion by 2020.

Vo Tan Thanh, deputy director of the VCCI said the Viet Nam - Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement which took effect in 2016 and the expansion of RECs services were major factors in boosting trade and fostering the relationship between Viet Nam and Russia.  VNS
The e-commerce sector in Viet Nam has seen remarkable growth in recent years, but a lack of uniformity in delivery and payment methods may lead to many businesses missing opportunities. Photo vnll.com.vn

HA NOI  The e-commerce sector in Viet Nam has seen remarkable growth in recent years, but a lack of uniformity in delivery and payment methods may lead to many businesses missing opportunities.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade organised a seminar on logistics and e-commerce in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

The Viet Nam E-commerce Association (VECOM) said that growth in the countrys e-commerce sector was more than 25 per cent last year, and this growth could be maintained between 2018 and 2020.

Shipping is considered the backbone of e-commerce, but the current logistics infrastructure in Viet Nam is struggling to keep up.

A recent survey by Sendo JSC shows that more than 40 per cent of consumers respond on the speed of delivery, while the cost of delivery is high relative to the average price of the goods that consumers are buying.

Director of Lazada Express Vu uc Thinh said that logistics costs in Viet Nam account for 30 per cent of all e-commerce revenue, which is above that in other countries such as India, where the rate is no more than 15 per cent.

Moreover, he said that the development of the countrys logistics sector had not yet met the requirements of e-commerce development.

With the number of orders up topping hundreds of thousands of transactions per day, businesses can not develop enough of supply chain of delivery drivers to deliver goods across the country. Motorbikes are a common vehicle used for delivering orders, while the cost of investing in transportation by cars is high and causes traffic congestion, he said.

It can be seen that the lack of collaboration between e-commerce businesses and logistics enterprises may result in lost opportunities for businesses.

Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Logistics Association ao Trong Khoa said that there are very few logistics enterprises that can meet the requirements necessary for e-commerce businesses.

"If businesses link to one another to take advantage of each others services, they can meet the demand of customers," said Khoa.

Director of Lazada Express Vu uc Thinh recommended that logistics enterprises focus their investment on automation technology, improved operational capacity, and enhancing the quality of human resources.

He also proposed a focus on green development and said that Lazada Express would invest in electric cars when they receive the support of the state agencies.

Lai Viet Anh, the Deputy Director of the Department of E-Commerce and Digital Economy, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, also emphasised that the system of legal documents has adjusted the core issues of e-commerce.

This will open up better opportunities for enterprises, specifically in investment and co-operation for mutual development," she said.  VNS
The Ministry of Finance has asked the Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Joint Stock Corporation (Sabeco) to pay about VN2.5 trillion (US$111 million) worth of undistributed profit to the State Budget. Photo plo.vn

HA NOI  The Ministry of Finance has asked the Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Joint Stock Corporation (Sabeco) to pay about VN2.5 trillion (US$111 million) worth of undistributed profit to the State Budget.

The inquiry follows a recent report of the State Audit of Viet Nam , which in March proposed Sabeco pay the same amount of money to the State Budget.

According to the audit report sent to the Government, that amount of money was part of Sabecos VN2.7 trillion in undistributed profit and considered the dividend that the Government should have received from Sabeco for its 89.6 per cent stake in the company recorded as of December 31, 2016.

Sabeco should have paid the dividend to the State as the Government was holding nearly 89.6 per cent of the brewer prior to 2016, not 36 per cent  the States remaining stake in Sabeco after selling 53.6 per cent in December 2017  as reported in the firms financial statements, the audit agency said in its report.

This action did not comply with Decree 99/2012 issued by the Government in November 2012 regulating obligations and duties that State-owned enterprises should uphold to ensure efficient use of the State capital in their businesses, causing losses for the State Budget, the auditor said.

According to Article 7 of the Law of State Audit 2015, Sabeco must pay this amount of money to the State Budget as the audit report is mandatory for any businesses and organisations that are reported to have misused and mismanaged the State investment in their capital, the finance ministry said in its letter to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Thus, the finance ministry requested the MoIT to direct its State-capital representative at Sabeco to quickly make the payment requested by the State audit agency.

MoIT and Sabeco should have reported their final results to the Corporate Finance Agency under the Ministry of Finance by April 30, the finance ministry said.

In a response made earlier to the State audit, Sabeco said it could not take immediate actions regarding the audits requests as the requests do not correspond to the Law of Enterprise and Sabecos corporate charter.

Sabeco has neither finalised the list of shareholders nor asked for shareholders approval on the dividend payout, the company said. The dividend payout rate will be determined after the company finalises the list of beneficial shareholders and has a plan for the dividend payment.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked for instructions from the Government to completely resolve the issue, according to Truong Thanh Hoai, Director of the Heavy Industry Department under MoIT.

The amount of money, which has been frequently requested by the finance ministry and the State audit, had been isolated and action is pending the final decision of the Government, according to Hoai.  VNS
HA NOI  Ha Noi plans to pilot the operation of automated convenience stores and organise a network of vending machines at public places in the city.

These cashier-free convenience stores will use the model of 020 Online 2 Offline, apply quick response code for online ordering and online payment as well as use electronic logistics for goods delivery.

This is a part of the capitals e-commerce development plan issued by the Peoples Committee of HaNoi last week.

The city targets online retail sales to account for 8 per cent of total retail sales and services in the city this year as well as second or higher ranking in terms of e-Business Index every year.

The plan also aims to raise the proportion of Ha Nois online shoppers in 2018 to 66 per cent of internet users in the city, a year-on-year increase of 3 per cent.

The city will strive to get 85 per cent of modern distribution and retail establishments, petrol stations, electricity and water supply companies and telecommunication services accept non-cash payment. In addition to this, the capital city also targets up to 62 per cent of enterprises to have websites or apps providing information of enterprises, and production and business activities.

The city will also promote e-commerce application and multi-channel sales through websites as well as social networks to expand the consumption market.

In September 2017, Ha Noi installed many vending machines serving bottled beverages on the walking streets around Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake. The way of selling the products got good response from residents and visitors alike.  VNS
HA NOI  The Czech Republic hopes to accelerate bilateral investment ties between Vietnamese and Czech businesses in environmental protection, mining technology, construction technology, chemicals, telecommunications, chemicals, industrial machinery and hi-tech farming.

Czech Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Vladimir Bartl made the statement at a business forum held in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

Viet Nam has become an attractive destination for foreign investors including those from the Czech Republic, the deputy minister said.

As of March, the Czech Republic had 36 projects, worth more than US$90 million, in Viet Nam, 48th among 126 countries and territories investing in the country, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investments Foreign Investment Agency.

In his speech at the event, Ta Hoang Linh, head of the European-American Markets Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade highlighted the fast growth and integration into the global and regional economy of both Viet Nam and the Czech Republic as a favourable condition for the two countries to accelerate bilateral co-operation.

He said Viet Nam has created a favourable investment environment for foreign investors in terms of political stability, better legal system in line with international practices and improved infrastructure.

The Czech Republic is among Viet Nams biggest trade partners in Central and East Europe, he affirmed, calling on Czech firms to focus more on the Vietnamese market.

oan Duy Khuong, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), affirmed that bilateral relations between the two countries in trade and investment have experienced stable growth over the years.

Khuong mentioned farm produce, textile and garments, machinery and equipment, hospital medical equipment, energy and information technology as promising sectors for two-way investment co-operation.

In terms of trade, top priority should be given to balancing two-way trade as Viet Nam recorded an export surplus with the Czech Republic, Khuong said.

Viet Nam will be an effective gateway for Czech businesses to access the lucrative ASEAN market, while the Czech Republic will help Vietnamese firms to penetrate deeply into the European market, especially when Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement comes into effect, he noted.

Statistics from the General Department of Customs revealed that bilateral trade turnover reached more than $257 million in 2017, representing a modest yearly increase of 3 per cent. Of the sum, Viet Nam exported $151 million worth to the Czech while its imports hit $106 million.

In past two months of this year, trade fetched nearly $50 million, up 31.3 per cent from the same period in 2017. Viet Nams exports worth more than $28 million in the time were mostly footwear, apparels, aquatic products, industrial machines, spare parts and electronic devices.  VNS
HA NOI  The annual Hung Kings Memorial Festival (Hung Temple Festival) hosted by the northern province of Phu Tho is approaching. Organisers have put together an exciting list of events, including contributions from neighbouring provinces.

The event will consist of various ceremonies and entertaining activities between April 21 and 25 (the 6th to 10th day of the third month of the Lunar New Year). It will be a gathering space for tourists, local traders and entertainers from Phu Tho Province as well as from the four provinces of Binh Duong, Kien Giang Thai Nguyen and Quang Nam.

Last years festival had a turnout of over three million people, so local authorities are making an extra effort to ensure the smooth execution of this years celebrations.

The festival will include a ceremony dedicated to the Hung Kings, a memorial to mark the death of National Father Lac Long Quan, and an incense offering ceremony to the National Mother Au Co. There will also be a palanquin carrying ceremony at the Hung Temple Complex, a memorial for the ancestors of the Hung Kings, xoan (spring) singing in Phu Tho and a folk street carnival.

Communities in Phu Tho Province will perform artful items, for example: locals from Thanh Thuy District will act in the ao Xa elephant procession ceremony, people from Lam Thao District will perform activities in the Tro Tram Festival, and entertainers from oan Hung District will perform walking on stilts.

Various vocal folk activities from districts such as Thanh Son, Yen Lap, Ha Hoa, Cam Khe and Tan Son will take place at the event.

Dozens of exhibitions will take place to advertise local culture, there will aslo be cake making contests, and sport tournaments and folk games will be organized throughout the province.

A night market and a food street will be organised in a pedestrianised zone to entertain tourists throughout the celebration.

Melodious Xoan singing will be performed at the Lai Len Temple, and the Thet and Kim ai communal houses in the Kim uc and Hung Lo communes of Viet Tri City.

Local authorities will uphold a five pillar policy throughout the festival. This includes limiting traffic jams, curbing over-charging of tourists, ensuring there is no unsafe food, no violence, and a zero tolerance stance on begging.

The organizing board has set up hot lines for tourists to use leading up to the occasion: the numbers are 02103860026 and 02106551666.

Vietnamese legend has it that Lac Long Quan, the son of Kinh Duong Vuong, married Au Co, the daughter of King e Lai. Au Co then gave birth to a sack containing 100 eggs from which 100 children were born.

The couple then decided to separate in order to populate the land. Half of the children followed their mother to the highlands, while the rest went with their father to the sea.

The first child went with his mother Au Co to Phong Chau, now Phu Tho Province. He then became King Hung and founded Van Lang - the first recorded nation in the history of Viet Nam.

Ruling the country for 18 generations, the Hung Kings taught the people how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for lush crops.VNS
RIYADH  Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli are in Saudi Arabia  headlining the kingdoms first ever Arab Fashion Week, an event that opened Tuesday to equal parts excitement and controversy.

Two weeks later than initially planned, the Saudi Arabian edition of Arab Fashion Week joins designers from Europe and the Arab world over the course of four days  including the kingdoms own Arwa Banawi, whose The Suitable Woman line is adored by fashionistas across the region, and Mashael Alrajhi, the eponymous gender-inclusive label of a rarely-seen Saudi sheikha.

Princess Noura Bint Faisal Al-Saud, honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council in Riyadh, joined designers, influencers, and industry insiders from Ukraine to Lebanon for the inaugural season of fashion week at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, the hotel now infamous as the holding place of hundreds of royals and businessmen arrested in a state-sponsored corruption crackdown.

"Fashion has always an interest of Saudi Arabia," Princess Noura said at the event.

"It has not been something that wasnt on the table or in the picture," she added. "Our fashion council is trying to bring the fashion industry in Saudi Arabia to a whole new level, a whole new industry."

Listed as an international fashion week alongside Paris and Milan, Arab Fashion Week offers exclusively see-now-buy-now collections and pre-collections. Until this week, it had been hosted exclusively by Gulf fashion capital Dubai.

But unlike Dubai, the Riyadh shows are not open to cameras, and attendees remain women-only.

The ultraconservative kingdom has witnessed rapid policy change since the June appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of the king and heir to his throne.

As of this summer, women will be allowed to drive in the kingdom. The crown prince has also hinted that the abaya, the long loose robe worn by women from the neck down, may not be compulsory.

"We are so excited today to be announcing a history and new era for the kingdom, and for the entire Arab world, which is Arab Fashion Week," said Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council.

A second edition of Saudi Arab Fashion Week is already scheduled for October.

Dubai will continue to host its own parallel Arab Fashion Week, with the sixth edition slotted for May 9-12.  AFP
HA NOI  The 23rd session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Assembly kicked off in Ha Noi yesterday to discuss preparations for the fifth meeting of the NA, the supervision programmes of the NA and its Standing Committee and the law and ordinance-building programme next year.

Speaking at the opening of the session, NA chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said the NA Standing Committee would give opinions on a number draft laws including the Law on Coast Guards, the revised Anti-Corruption Law, the law on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Amnesty, the Urban Development and Management Law, the Husbandry Law and the Cultivation Law.

The legislators would consider the Governments report on efficiency and wastefulness in 2017, the supervisory report on the management and establishment of Phu My Town and its wards in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Phuoc Cat Town in the Central Highlands province of Lam ong.

The submission of several draft laws, including the Law on State Investment, would be postponed. Revisions to the Public Security Law and the law on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Food Security and Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms would also be postponed due to a lack of sufficient documents, she said.

Working on the draft Law on the Coast Guard in the morning, the majority of deputies expressed their support for upgrading the Ordinance on the Coast Guard to the Law on the Coast Guard.

Given the fast-changing world and regional situations, the issuance of the law is necessary to ensure unity in legal framework and create a legal foundation for all coast guard activities, they said.

According to Lieutenant General Le Chiem, Deputy Minister of Defence, the East Sea is considered one of the most complicated sea areas in the world. It not only affects the interests of many countries along the East Sea , but also concerns the political interests of the world powers.

The situation of Vietnam s sea areas is unpredictable. Traditional and non-traditional security threats, organised and transnational crime as well as violations of the law on security and order occur more regularly at sea. Therefore, Vietnam Coast Guard officials have a tough job, according to Chiem.

Chiem said the Ordinance on the Coast Guard was not compatible with the position, functions and powers of the Vietnam Coast Guard in this tense situation. In addition, the Ordinance has revealed some inadequacies that need to be rectified in order to comply with the provisions of the Constitution and to ensure the legal systems unity. As a result, the compiling of the Law on the Coast Guard was urgent and necessary, he said.

While agreeing with Chiems opinion, Phan Thanh Binh, chairman of the NA Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children emphasised the need to clarify the scope of operation of the Vietnam Coast Guard, particularly between the Coast Guard and the Border Guard, to avoid overlapping responsibilities.

Many deputies suggested that the compiling committee carefully review the contents to guarantee consistency and avoid creating redundancy between the draft law and relevant laws, especially on issues relating to the organisation, authority and legal status of Vietnam Coast Guards forces.

They also gave opinions on other content concerning the tasks, scope of operation, patrol activities, use of weapons and supporting tools as well as professional technical equipment of this force.

Concluding the debate, Deputy NA Chairman o Ba Ty said the NA Standing Committee agreed in principle with the content and coverage of the draft law. However, the committee required further review of existing regulations, including subordinate legislative documents to ensure a comprehensive law.

Regarding the function of the Vietnam Coast Guard, most deputies agreed to consider them as an armed force. However, many suggested the need to further clarify the legal status of this force.

Basing on deputies opinions, Ty said, the NA Standing Committee agreed to submit the draft law to the National Assembly at the fifth meeting, and proposed the Committee on National Defense and Security coordinate with the compiling committee and relevant agencies to complete the draft law in accordance with the approval process.

In the afternoon session, deputies mulled over reports on the management and use of State capital and property in businesses and the equitisation of State-owned enterprises in 2011-2016.The session is scheduled to run until April 17.  VNS
HA NOI  The Secretariat of the Central Committee Communist Party of Viet Nam saw positive results regarding reform measures in Party building and Ho Chi Minh thought in 10 provincial governments and central agencies, after the bodys top working group concluded inspections.

Reports on performance in Party building and Ho Chi Minh thought codified in the Party Central Committees Resolution and Politburos Directive 05 were reviewed in the meeting held yesterday and chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Political and ideological education were prioritised by Party branch leaders and Ho Chi Minh thoughts and lessons were injected into activities of the agencies and organisations. Officials and Party members, especially those in key positions, were deemed to have led by example and successfully managed to promote anti-corruption, anti-wastefulness and administrative reforms.

The inspections by the working groups of the Secretariat also showed that heavy but fair punishments were meted out to corrupt members.

However, the reports pointed out the study of Party resolutions and Ho Chi Minh thought in some agencies was superficial and being implemented in an inconsistent and perfunctory manner. Co-operation in information dissemination between agencies remains lucklustre, as is the fight against "peaceful evolution", which would lead to the dilution of Communist ideology, or wrongful views. Certain agencies were found to have failed to call out unscrupulous behaviour in Party members, for fear of disrespecting them.

Workforce streamlining and structural reforms remain slow and inefficient, while transparency in asset declaration of Party members and officials leaves lots of room for improvement, according to the reports.

Concluding the meeting, General Secretary Trong reaffirmed that robust efforts in promoting transparency and Party building would translate to better socio-economic development, as evidenced by the economys performance last year and in the first months of 2018.

He also warned that Party members must be on guard against straying from Communist ideology. He asked for utmost loyalty to the Party, in addition to continuing the recent intensive focus on eradicating moral degeneration and economic corruption.

He also stressed the role of the leader in galvanising efforts in the fight against corruption and other deviant behaviours and thoughts.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) held a ceremony in Ha Noi yesterday to celebrate the 45th anniversary of its founding.

VNOSMP Director Le Thanh Tung said the office is an inter-sectoral group under the management of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security.

Over the past 45 years, thousands of VNOSMP staff together with tens of thousands of personnel from local authorities and citizens nationwide have sought the remains of US servicemen missing in action.

Viet Nam and the US have conducted 130 joint activities, with 972 sets of remains being handed over to the US , nearly 720 of which have been identified.

Viet Nams goodwill and full cooperation has been welcomed by the US administration and Congress, the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia and the US war veterans organisations, which also stepped up US efforts to address war consequences in Viet Nam, especially post-war bomb and mine clearance and dioxin clean-up in a Nang and Phu Cat airports, and Bien Hoa airport in the near future.

In particular, the US war veterans organisations provided information regarding more than 11,000 Vietnamese martyrs, thus helping Viet Nam recover over 1,000 remains, Tung said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc said the VNOSMP would need to continue staying united and working closely with ministries, agencies and localities on the effort.

He suggested stepping up policy consultations with attention given to new US proposals.

As Viet Nam and the US will mark the 30th anniversary of the joint search for remains of US servicemen this year, Ngoc asked the office to outline a report reviewing its activities, considering it an important milestone to popularise Viet Nam s humanitarian cooperation.

Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh urged the VNOSMP to improve capacity and raise public awareness of the search.

Deputy Director of the General Department of Security under the Ministry of Public Security uong Minh Hung applauded the VNOSMP for handling contingencies during the process.  VNS
HA NOI  Beginning on July 1, the Health Ministry and Viet Nam Social Security will adjust the unreasonable prices of some healthcare services to better manage health insurance funds, said Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.

The adjustment would be carried out in two periods, Tien said at a meeting between the Health Ministry and Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue on Monday. The ministry would make amendments to a circular on payment of healthcare services by May this year and review medical services to determine which prices are inappropriate.

In the second period, the Health Ministry, Finance Ministry and Viet Nam Social Security would study the experiences of other countries to re-organise medical services and set new prices for some 2,000-3,000 services.

The Health Ministry, Finance Ministry and Viet Nam Social Security were reviewing healthcare check-up frequency and frequency of use of scanning and health examination services to make adjustments to the prices, she said.

The new prices of medical services will increase by 5 to 8 per cent, according to the Health Ministry.

The increase is predicted to add some VN3-4 trillion (US$130.5 million-174 million) per year to the health insurance fund.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue required the Health Ministry to calculate healthcare service prices in accordance with market mechanisms.

Drug and medical equipment bidding

Hue said that centralised drug bidding would be a vital solution to reduce drug prices.

Extending the list of biddable drugs would not only be economically beneficial but also a humanitarian imperative, especially to ensure that the poor can buy drugs without worry about price hikes.

According to the Health Ministry, drug bidding is being conducted at three levels: national, provincial and hospital-level.

In 2018, the ministry will open national centralised bidding for 30 of the most commonly used drugs. It will also extend the list of drugs eligible for provincial bidding.

The ministry will negotiate prices of eight types of highly used patented medicine.

The national centralized drug bidding last year on 22 types of drugs helped save VN477 billion ($20.7 million).

Deputy Prime Minister Hue asked the Health Ministry to conduct open, transparent and competitive bidding on medical equipment and other supplies at some Health Ministry hospitals.

He proposed selecting some medical equipment for trial bidding. VNS
HCM CITY  There is enough stock of rabies vaccines to meet demand in the country, the Drug Administration of Viet Nam has said.

The announcement follows reports from many hospitals and medical centres in HCM City last week that they face a shortage.

The administration said two kinds of rabies vaccines are imported, Verorab and Abhayrab.

Suppliers, vaccination centres and hospitals around the country have also reported that they have enough vaccines.

Dr Nguyen Minh Ngoc, deputy head of the clinical, biological and testing department at HCM Citys Pasteur Institute, told Viet Nam News her institute has adequate supply of the vaccines.

Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, director of the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, one of the main places for rabies treatment, said: The hospital has just been provided 400 more doses of these vaccines, it is enough.

More doses are expected in the next few weeks, he said.

According to the Drug Administration of Viet Nam, co-operation between suppliers and vaccination centres should be closer to make the vaccine import and storage plan more efficient and ensure there is adequate supply of rabies vaccines.

The administration has instructed hospitals and centres providing vaccines to report any temporary shortage so that it could resolve them soon.  VNS
Headquarters of the Modern Tech JSC Co at 68 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, HCM City.  Photo nld.vn

HCM CITY  The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) was closely following an alleged cryptocurrency fraud in HCM City, to which as many as 32,000 people could have fallen victim, involving a sum of up to VN15 trillion (US$666 million), a bank official said.

Nguoi Lao ong (The Labourer) newspaper on Tuesday cited SBV HCM City Branch deputy director Nguyen Hoang Minh saying that the bank would co-operate with police to investigate the case.

On Sunday afternoon, dozens of people gathered at the headquarters of the Modern Tech JSC Co at 68 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, carrying banners saying biggest digital money fraud in history to protest against the company.

The location, however, was a ghost address. No activities of the company took place there.

According to the protesting citizens, Modern Tech advertised the cryptocurrency iFan to potential investors, promising them huge monthly interest of at least 48 per cent, in cash, and four months as the maximum time for full payback. Those who could invite others to buy the digital currency would also enjoy a commission of 8 per cent.

The only condition for the investors was that they had to buy at least $1,000 worth of the digital money.

For many, the lucrative offer was too tempting to decline. More than 32,000 investors poured some VN15 trillion into buying virtual money.

However, Modern Tech changed their policy following a global cryptocurrency crash late last year which caused iFans value plummeted to about 1 US cent per iFan.

The company no longer paid interest and principle back to the investors in cash, but in iFan currency. Modern Tech set iFans value at $5, much higher than the market price, causing losses to the customers.

Victim Le Thi Huong said that a group of high-level investors in the pyramid-structured company used to organise meetings and deliver speeches to attract more investors, but they started denying their involvement with the company when the cryptocurrency market collapsed in 2017.

All their Facebook accounts disappeared in January this year, Huong said.

It was only then that we truly understood what we had refused to believe before. Our money is all lost, she said.

Minh said that cryptocurrency was not legally recognised by the SBV and hence it would be very difficult to protect the rights of digital money owners.

Police are investigating the case.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnamese Government prioritises health care and stands ready to continue cooperating with Denmark in medical technology to modernise the health care system and improve quality of life, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

At his reception for Danish Minister of Health Ellen Trane Norby in Ha Noi yesterday, PM Phuc said he hoped to receive further support from Denmark in the prevention of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular illness and high blood pressure as well as in medical personnel training.

Lauding the northern European countrys achievements in managing and providing comprehensive public health care as well as mobilising the involvement of the private sector, the leader said he hoped that Denmark would share its experiences with Viet Nam and help Viet Nam apply information technology in the medical sector.

Ellen Trane Norby affirmed that Denmark was willing to help Viet Nam in health care and food safety research.

VN-Denmark workshop

Denmark holds strengths in cancer prevention, control of diabetes and many other non-communicable diseases, she said, expressing her hope that both sides would deepen cooperation in the fields.

As part of her visit to Viet Nam , the Danish health minister yesterday also took part in a workshop at the Ha Noi Medical University on the importance of grassroots health care and awareness-raising regarding non-communicable diseases.

At the workshop, reports showed an upward trend of non-communicable diseases and related deaths in Viet Nam . According to latest data, for every 10 deaths, seven were due to non-communicable diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, cancer or lung issues. According to estimates, Viet Nam has some 12 million people suffering from high blood pressure, nearly 3 million diabetes patients and 2 million with chronic heart and lung diseases, in addition to 120,000 new cancer cases every year. The leading causes were deemed to be smoking, drinking, heavy consumption of fat and little intake of vegetables or fruits and lack of physical exercise.

The Danish health minister said that health reforms and technology application must be intensified to ensure everyones access to care.
HA NOI  More researches on labour, social issues and labour market supply and demand should be conducted and more instruction should be given to vocational training.

This was said by Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs ao Ngoc Dung on Tuesday afternoon at a conference of the Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs (ILSSA).

Dung said the researches and instruction would help reduce the unemployment problem of recent years.

At present, the country has some 54 million workers and nearly 2,000 vocational training centres and schools. However, many schools cannot enrol trainees. And many trainees do not get a job after graduating from the schools, so unemployment remains high.

According to Dung, the labour market supply and demand do not agree with each other because research on the issue do not reflect the reality

With the role of a research institute which gives advice to the ministry, the institute should conduct more researches, Dung said.

He added that researchers of ILSSA should think of different questions, including what needs to be renewed in research and what should be the breakthrough.

ao Quang Vinh, director of ILSSA, said the institute would conduct different researches on renewing vocational training to meet the demand of international integration and solve labour issues while Viet Nam joined the ASEAN economic community and signed trade agreements.

The researches will strive to cover new issues and wider sectors in the new era and supply theoretical and real evidence to set up and complete policies on the issues.

In the past 40 years, ILSSA has conducted numerous researches, including Viet Nams labour market forecast for 2017-20, social welfare, social security, pension, poverty reduction and social skills in the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0.  VNS
PHU YEN  The Education and Training Department in central Phu Yen Province found at least three high schools with poor infrastructure that threaten the safety of students and staff.

Cao Van Su, head of the Planning and Finance Division under the department, said in the past few months, the department had inspected the infrastructure of schools in the province and concluded that degraded infrastructure in three high schools should be fixed urgently.

So far, the department has given the schools some VN3.5 billion (US$154,000) to fix minor problems.

The department, together with the schools, plans to ask for more funds from the provincial Peoples Committee to improve school infrastructure.

Tran Tien Lap, principal of Tran Phu High School in Chi Thanh Town, one of the three schools, said the school was built 40 years ago.

Dozens of classrooms in the school are unfit for use due to serious degradation, Lap said.

Last year, the provinces Peoples Committee approved VN1.5 billion ($66,000) for the school to build new facilities but, so far, the school authorities have only received one fifth of the amount, he said.

oan Nhat Nam, a student of class 12 in the school, said water leaked in his classroom when it rained, adding that students and teachers lived in fear of the room collapsing any moment.  VNS
By Bich Huong

There are more and more ways to communicate with each other nowadays, which help narrow or even blur geographical distances, but sometimes closer to home, people are finding it difficult to communicate.

None more so than a story that moved me about the plight of a young student.

Pham Song Toan  an eleventh grader in HCM City revealed at a meeting with education officials late last month that her Math teacher did not deliver vocal lectures for about three months.

The teacher even did not talk to students at all and only wrote instructions on a board, which made students too scared to say anything.

The reason the teacher didnt speak is not known, although some suggested it was because a pupil had threatened to record the teacher behaving badly in class, then post the video on social media sites to expose her.

Students had reported the silence of the maths teacher to the head teacher but the problem was not resolved.

Vice chairwoman of HCM City Peoples Committee Nguyen Thi Thu, as soon as she informed about the case in Long Thoi High School in Nha Be District, said the teachers silence was a kind of mental abuse against students.

Early this week, school principal announced the teacher Tran Thi Minh Chau was suspended while waiting for further action to be decided.

This week, the student who spoke out was moved to another school in the city to avoid possible pressures and isolation from her classmates even though she was right to speak out.

After local media reports, Chau retalked to her students including Toan, and admitted she was wrong.

In addition, Chau asked Toan why she did not tell her instead of speaking at a public meeting.

Optimistic thinkers may believe an earlier dialogue between the teacher and the students could have ended the silence sooner as it not only affected the students psychology but their studying.

However, pessimistic thinkers say that nothing could ensure the success of such dialogue and in fact, communication between the head and the maths teacher failed, the communication between the head teacher and school principal failed too.

It wasnt until the student spoke out that the problem was solved, but theres no denying the mental abuse pupils must have suffered for months.

Thu Ha, a teacher in Ha Noi told Viet Nam News she was astonished to know about month-long silence of the teacher in class, especially a maths teacher.

Ha said that like any other job, teaching brought happiness, stress and hardship that challenged teachers but there was no excuse for Chaus silence.

Solving problems between students teachers and the school is part of their job, Ha said, adding that expertise, enthusiasm, tolerance were all needed to solve the problems.

Ha said when she was unable to solve the problems that students shared, she asked for assistance from students family, colleagues or school board.

Dr Nguyen Tung Lam, president of Ha Noi Association of Educational Psychology said that Chau was wrong to choose silence to communicate to her students even if it was the way she responded to the students naughtiness or non-cooperation.

In this case, the principal is also responsible, Lam said.

"Teachers and students not getting along with each other can be seen in any school, so the matter is how the managers/principal addressed it, for example, change to another maths teacher," Lam said.

In the long-term, this case also awoke schools in Viet Nam to improve their psychological consultation which offered both students and teachers proper advice in addressing school problems.

For long, psychological consultation in schools in Viet Nam was disregarded. Students are not encouraged to speak about their problems or at least there are no mechanisms or channels in place to encourage them to do so. Students can only talk about their problems to each other.

Many parents have total faith in teachers and trust the education system so often are unaware of issues their child may have.

Late last year, the Education and Training Ministry passed a circular on psychological consultation for high school students that took effect in February.

Accordingly, every high school must establish a psychological consultation group to assist students in major issues relating to gender, reproductive health, anti-abusing, career orientation or problems arising in social relationships.

The group includes a member of principal board, teachers, a health worker, parents representative and students.

Lam said that school psychological consultation was important and must be regular. And counselors must be trained.

Without proper training and expertise, the group could not befriend students, Lam said.

Once the counselors become friends of students, the students would trust, and then share their problems, seek advice whenever they need, Lam said.

There is a saying that The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives. I do hope we can choose the right way to communicate with each other so that we can together solve problems and have better lives.

Its great if such school psychological consultation could help improve communication between students and teachers so that such a sad case in Long Thoi High School will not happen again.  VNS
RIO DE JANEIRO  At least 21 people died on Tuesday in an attempted breakout from a prison in northern Brazil aided by an armed group on the outside trying to blow up a wall, officials said.

The Para state security service described the mass escape attempt at the Santa Izabel Penitentiary Complex, near the Amazon rainforest city of Belem in Para state, as a military style battle in which both prisoners inside and associates on the outside were armed.

"In the rescue attempt, explosives were used against one of the walls," the agency said in a statement.

"The attempt was supported by an extremely heavily armed group. According to preliminary reports, the prisoners also had weapons inside the prison," the statement said.

Prison guards fought back in "an intense exchange of gunfire," it said.

The confirmed dead so far included 20 prisoners and outside attackers, plus one guard. Another five guards were injured, including one seriously.

A headcount was underway to establish whether anyone escaped, while a police SWAT team was reinforcing security.

Police had recovered two rifles and five handguns at the scene, the statement said.

Deadly reality

Brazil is one of the worlds deadliest countries, with around 60,000 homicides a year, and the prisons are notoriously overcrowded and violent.

There were 726,712 inmates as of June 2016 and capacity for only 368,000, according to the most recent official statistics.

Powerful drug gangs routinely take their turf wars from the streets of Rio de Janeiro and other big cities into penitentiary facilities.

In the worst cases, security staff are reduced to bystanders as criminal bosses run daily life.

In one of the bloodiest episodes, 56 people were killed in an uprising in a prison in the city of Manaus in Brazils Amazon in 2017.

In January, fighting between gangs at a prison in northeastern Ceara state left 10 dead.

That bloodshed took place in the Itapaje Public Prison, about 125 kilometers from the state capital Fortaleza.

A few days earlier, at least 14 people had been gunned down at a nightclub in Fortaleza.

Local media reported that the massacre, conducted by armed men who arrived in three cars, was related to disputes between rival drug traffickers.

Adding to Brazils security woes, the police force is regularly accused of breaking the law in carrying out extrajudicial killings, falsifying evidence and failing to investigate its own officers.

Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that police had killed 4,224 people in 2016 -- the last available figures -- about 26 percent more than in 2015.

The streets are also deadly for police: 437 were killed in 2016, the report said.  AFP


WASHINGTON  Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg accepted personal responsibility on Tuesday for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, while warning of an arms race against Russian disinformation during a high-stakes hearing with US lawmakers.

In his first formal congressional appearance, the Facebook founder and chief executive answered questions for nearly five hours as he sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social media giant that have angered lawmakers and the networks two billion users.

Under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by a British political consultant, Zuckerberg reiterated his apology for the historic breach, before being grilled over how Facebook collects and protects peoples personal information.

It was my mistake, and Im sorry, Zuckerberg said about the improper sharing of 87 million peoples information by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

I started Facebook, I run it and Im responsible for what happens here.

He added that Facebook fell short in protecting the platform, noting: That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy.

The 33-year-old CEO spoke of a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere.

There are people in Russia whose job is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well, he said.

So this is an arms race. Theyre going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too.

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last US presidential race.

The Senate hearing, ahead of another appearance in the House on Wednesday, featured several tense and some friendly exchanges on Facebooks security, hate speech and other topics.

Of the hundreds of questions he faced, none appeared to flummox him more than Senator Dick Durbins pointed query about where he slept the previous evening.

Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night? Durbin asked.

Zuckerberg paused for a full eight seconds, chuckled, grimaced and ultimately demurred.

Um, uh, no, he said.

And if youve messaged anybody this week, would you share with us the names of the people youve messaged? the Illinois Democrat persisted.

Again, a similar unwillingness to answer.

Perhaps more than any other senator during five hours of questioning, Durbins everyman tactic put a finger on the crux of the issue surrounding Facebooks handling of its users private data.

Open to regulation

Zuckerberg said he was open to regulation, but cautioned against complex rules that might impact emerging social media firms.

I think the internet is becoming increasingly important in peoples lives and I think we need to have a full conversation about what is the right regulation, he told the hearing.

You need to be careful (a new regulatory policy) doesnt cement in the current companies that are winning.

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook is cooperating with the US special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I dont reveal something thats confidential, he said.

Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data.

I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know were working with them, he said.

Swapping his customary T-shirt for a business suit and tie, the Facebook chief appeared somber as he fielded tough questions over Cambridge Analyticas massive data breach.

Weve been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesnt happen again, he said in his prepared remarks.

But the show of contrition fell short for several lawmakers.

Weve seen the apology tours before, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told Zuckerberg.

And so, my reservation about your testimony today is that I dont see how you can change your business model unless there are specific rules of the road.

Paid-for Facebook?

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Congress before the hearing wearing Zuckerberg masks and #DeleteFacebook T-shirts.

Inside the jammed hearing room, activists from the Code Pink group wore oversized glasses with the words STOP SPYING written on the lenses, and waved signs that read Stop corporate lying.

Testifying was a new step for Zuckerberg, who started Facebook as a Harvard dropout in 2004, and built it into the worlds largest social media company worth more than US$450 billion (RM1.7 trillion).

During questioning, Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people, ranging from texting apps to e-mail, he said.

Zuckerberg also said the company believed in an ad-supported business model, but appeared to leave open the possibility of a paid version.

There will always be a version of Facebook that is free, Zuckerberg told the hearing.  AFP
BANGUI  A United Nations peacekeeper was killed and eight others wounded on Tuesday in clashes with armed groups in a restive neighbourhood of the capital of the Central African Republic, a security source said.

Peacekeepers from the UNs Minusca force and Central African soldiers have since Sunday been locked in an operation to rout armed groups in Banguis mainly Muslim PK5 neighbourhood.

At least 46 people have been injured in fierce armed clashes in the enclave, according to aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) which has treated the majority of casualties.

The security source told AFP the peacekeeper was killed when a Minusca patrol was ambushed by rebel gunmen on the outskirts of the PK5 neighbourhood on Tuesday afternoon.

"A Rwandan patrol supported by Central African forces was shot at and then pursued the attackers into PK5," the source told AFP.

One PK5 resident contacted by AFP said that civilians had been killed in the ongoing violence, though that was not possible to independently confirm.

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.  AFP
Flying Legends of Victory Tour

Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum brings a rare chance to tour and ride in iconic warbirds

Mesa, Arizona  (April 10, 2018)  Two of the most iconic airplanes from World War II, B-17 Bomber Sentimental Journey and B-25 Mitchell Maid in the Shade, will depart on separate routes throughout the U.S. and Canada this summer for the Flying Legends of Victory Tour. The tour, made possible by the volunteers of the non-profit 501(c)(3) Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum, will visit nearly 50 cities from May to October.

At each tour stop, the public will have the opportunity to climb aboard the airplane to soak in the breathtaking stories of courage and service by Americans during some of the most important periods in U.S. history. The Museums mission is to educate others about the incredible machines and heroes in combat aviation history.

Tours cost $10 per person and $20 for a family of four (U.S. and Canada). Seats on the B-17 are $425 USD per waist compartment seat and $850 USD for bombardier/navigator seats in the nose and are limited to 8 passengers per flight. Seats on the B-25 are $325 USD per waist gunner compartment seat or $650 USD for flight deck jump seat and are limited to seven passengers per flight. Ride reservations are required.

B-17 Tour Stops (as of April 11th, 2018):

B-25 Tour Stops (as of April 11th):

Sentimental Journey will kick off in Palm Springs, CA, May 26  28, 2018 and Maid in the Shade will begin her tour in Santa Fe, NM, May 29  June 3, 2018. For a complete Flying Legends of Victory tour schedule, pricing information, and to book your seat, visit www.FlyingLegendsTour.com. More stops will be added as finalized.
Garrison: Promotion of Deputy Jailers a Good Thing

Advertisement

By Greg Garrison

Apr. 10, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By Greg Garrison Apr. 10, 2018 | 10:34 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Over the last few months the citizens of McCracken County have been expressing their concerns in reference to the operational state of the county jail. It has become a hot topic throughout the county and they are concerned about the future and stability of the jail.



It is time to move forward and focus on the jail's financial troubles, including shoring up operational concerns that have plagued our local jail.



I am pleased that the Fiscal Court and current appointed jailer have taken these first steps toward professional leaders such as Captain Stephen Carter and Lieutenant Tray English.



I had the opportunity and honor as Chief Deputy Jailer to watch both of these men establish themselves as honorable professionals who have a passion to serve this county. I never had a doubt about initiative, dependability or integrity while we worked side by side on many issues.



They performed reliably and responsibly and can be trusted to be consistent in their duties. Carter and English take initiative to find ways to make improvements. Being motivated and enthusiastic like these two men will be the starting point to recovery.



Congratulations Captain Carter and Lieutenant English for being honorable and stepping up to the plate once again to serve your community. I look forward to serving with you again soon.



Former Chief Deputy Jailer Greg Garrison announced his candidacy in January for McCracken County Jailer in the 2018 election.



Garrison, a Republican, served as Chief Deputy Jailer for 10 years under former Jailer Bill Adams, who retired early in 2017. During that time, he managed day-to-day operations of the facility.
By The Associated Press Apr. 10, 2018 | 03:25 PM | LOUISVILLE, KY

Kentucky teachers who rallied last week at the state Capitol to support education funding plan to be there again Friday when state lawmakers reconvene to consider overriding the Republican governor's veto of budget and revenue measures.

The Kentucky Association of School Superintendents has encouraged local school leaders statewide to send delegations to the rally in Frankfort, said Tom Shelton, the group's executive director. Shelton acknowledged Tuesday that "closing school may be necessary if they have too many staff absent, but that is a local decision."

In Trimble County, the school district said on its Facebook page that classes would be canceled Friday in the northern Kentucky district to allow teachers and staff to join the rally.

In Lexington, Fayette County schools Superintendent Manny Caulk signaled he would lead the contingent of teachers and staff from the state's second-largest school district.

"We're going to Frankfort on Friday to make our voices heard and to insist the fight for justice, the fight to equity still continues," he said. "That's a fight not only about our educators. It's about our children and families."

Caulk didn't say whether he would cancel school Friday.

Patricia Lea Collins, the Head Start and preschool director for the Pike County school system in eastern Kentucky, said teachers were "furious" after Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin announced Monday he would veto a $480 million tax increase and a two-year operating budget.

"It was kind of contentious ... after the governor's press conference," she said. "People here in Pike County wanted to walk out today."

Collins predicted the district would send a large group of teachers and staff to the Capitol on Friday.

Thousands of Kentucky teachers and other school workers swarmed the Capitol at last week's rally, forcing superintendents in districts not on spring break to cancel school. Some school administrators have accompanied their teachers and staff to rallies in a show of solidarity.

The statewide teachers union had called on Bevin to spare the budget and revenue bills, which include no pay raises for teachers but substantially increase education funding.

The budget vetoed by Bevin included record-high classroom spending, restored funding for school transportation and family resource centers and ensured that teachers who retired after 2010 but don't yet qualify for Medicare would have health insurance.

The revenue plan would impose a 6 percent sales tax on a variety of services like auto and home repairs while cutting the income tax rate for some individuals and businesses.

Bevin's administration has questioned the revenue projections, saying the new taxes would not pay for the spending that lawmakers approved, but would lead to at least a $50 million shortfall over the next two years. Bevin said the budget and the new taxes were not responsible or wise.

The Kentucky Education Association denounced Bevin's vetoes as another example of "his blatant disrespect for Kentucky's public employees." The Jefferson County Teachers Association, which represents Louisville educators, urged its members to take a personal day on Friday to come to the Capitol and urge lawmakers to override the vetoes.

Lawmakers could override Bevin's vetoes later this week. The Republican-led legislature is scheduled to convene Friday and Saturday before adjourning for the year.

Teachers and other public employees also are waiting to see what Bevin does with pension legislation. The overhaul measure preserves benefits for most workers but cuts them for new teachers. Kentucky's pension system is among the worst funded in the country. Opponents worry that the changes will discourage young people from becoming teachers.

The unrest in Kentucky comes as teachers elsewhere are mobilizing to protest low funding and teacher pay along with changes to struggling pension systems.

In Oklahoma, classes remained canceled in the state's biggest school districts Tuesday as teachers walked out for a seventh day. Leaders of Oklahoma's largest teacher's union have demanded a repeal of a capital gains tax exemption. They also want the governor to veto a repeal of a proposed lodging tax as they push for more education funding in massive demonstrations at the state Capitol. The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia, where teachers walked out for nine days earlier this year and won a 5 percent pay increase.

Collins was unsure whether Kentucky teachers would win more concessions with their rally Friday. The bigger goal, she said, is to influence legislative elections this November and in 2019, when the governor's race will top statewide elections.

"We're going to keep working," she said. "We may lose this battle, but we'll win the war in November of '18 and November of '19."
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15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1)
100 kilos = 220 pounds

That is now the next stage I am working for, I have a rough time imagining being thinner than that. At 220 pounds I am skinny. That will put me at about a 34 waist and it will be loose fitting.. This will be a blessing, because in Russia men are much skinnier than American men and they are not shorter, they may be taller in general

34 waist will allow me to have a big selection of good clothes.my big issue is neck size, chest size and arm length at that weight. I have a big neck, long arms and a barrel chest. Oh well

Grandma said, Those damn German bones you have! As she looked at Grandpa Stroud

Actually it is also my Grandpa Keeton side of the family. He was an Englishman and built the same as my German grandpa. Both 63 and big boned. Big men in their days. I am a carbon copy of them. My dad was 59. I am 63 like my grandpas

I found this interesting

Workers have unearthed an artifact, as well as about 300 other objects dating to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, on Ostozhenka Street. Artifacts include red glazed stove tiles with battle scenes and an elk-horn belt shaft.

Source: 18th century button with Maltese cross unearthed on Ostozhenka Street / News / Moscow City Web Site

Cool

Since I am diabetic. I found this interesting

The timely screening and three-stage rehabilitation system for people with metabolic disorders in Moscow hospitals and polyclinics.

Source: Diagnosis of diabetes in Moscow up to European standards with increasingly more people diagnosed at an early stage / News / Moscow City Web Site

Hmm.not too good

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Israeli-officals-US-must-strike-in-Syria-549144

I guess Israel IS running America

Good morning from Moscow Russia. This is what I woke up and saw at 4:30 a.m.

It has gone away for it has reached +1 and climbing right now, but it was interesting this morning. Good thing I love snow

It had just dried up and was looking safe to try to walk around. The mud had become solidified again and I was able to wear regular shoes. Oops back to the rubber boots

Time to walk again, I have walked 9,800 steps already today and I need to walk another 10,000. Gotta go

WtR
Russian Envoy to the UN: US, UK and France push for World War III (full transcript)  Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia addressing the Security Council on April 9, 2018, in regard to an alleged chemical attack in the suburban Damascus city of Douma.

Thank you. If you believe it is a great pleasure for me to speak about the issue we will talk about now, and to make a statement, then you are mistaken. Unfortunately, the situation is such that I will have to say a great deal today, and it will be incumbent upon you to listen to what I have to say. We are grateful to Mr. De Mistura [Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Syria] for his briefing as well as to Mr. [Thomas] Markran [Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs].

The Russian federation demanded for this meeting to be held on the agenda items, threats to international peace and security, insofar as we are deeply alarmed at the fact that in a number of capitals, above all Washington and those blindly following it, London and Paris, a deliberate policy was undertaken to stoke international tensions. The leadership of the United States, the United Kingdom and France, without any justification and without considering the consequences, have engaged in a confrontational policy against Russia and Syria and they are prompting others to follow suit. A broad arsenal of methods is being leveraged to slander and insult: hawkish rhetoric, blackmail, sanctions and threats to use force against a sovereign state.

Russia is being unpardonably threatened. The tone with which this is being done has gone beyond the threshold of what is acceptable, even during the Cold war. Such boorishness against my country is something your predecessors did not take the liberty to undertake. What is next? We remind a rhetorical question which our President put forward in 2015 from the UN General Assembly to our Western partners, above all the United States, concerning the reckless of their geopolitical experiments in the Middle East. Do you understand now what you have done? And the response at that time hung in the air.

But there is a response: no, you do not understand. Just as you fail to understand what you are doing now. The lack of a clear strategy on any issue is appalling not just to us, it confounds not only us, but it confounds the majority of those sitting here. But they have decided not to openly put this forward to you, following you everywhere you go, regardless of the fact that with everything you touch, chaos is left behind. You try to wish in murky waters, but but the only thing you catch is mutants. I will put forward another rhetorical question. Do you understand the dangerous threshold towards which you are bringing the world?

One of the areas where the hostility is most stark is Syria. The terrorists and extremists supported by external sponsors are enduring a defeat there. Let us recall that we are talking about those terrorists and extremists whom you supplied, financed, and deployed in a country to oust a legitimate government. Now it is clear why this is causing hysteria among those who invested political capital in these dark forces.

Recently, thanks to the efforts undertaken by Russia in line with the Security Council resolutions, a large-scale operation has been undertaken to lift the siege of Eastern Ghouta. Its residents, for a number of years, were forced to endure the mockery and torture of fighters. More than 150,000 civilians were evacuated from that Damascus suburb, completely voluntarily, with the requisite security conditions being provided. Tens of thousands of them have already been able to return to the liberated areas and many met with their relatives. There has been no change [or replacement of population]: this composition being shouted about by supporters of the Syrian opposition has not occurred. These are lies.

With the leaders of these armed groups, difficult negotiations took place. As a result, many of them left the areas they had occupied, with full respect for guarantees for their safety. Incidentally, during the transportation operations, several attempts were undertaken to stage terrorist attacks when the militants attempted to reach the buses with suicide belts. Others preferred to settle their status with the Syrian authorities. Thanks to Presidential amnesties, they will be able to return to civilian life, and subsequently, they may even enter the Syrian security forces. We are talking about implementation of a UN principle: demobilization, disarmament and reintegration.

However, this positive dynamic is not to the liking of some foreign sponsors through Western countries who are willing to take up any straw just to maintain a hotbed of terrorist resistance at a striking distance from the Syrian capital, so that the fighters can continue to terrorize ordinary civilians, to seize their food and to request from the international community that humanitarian assistance be delivered. Incidentally, they were not prepared to share medicine with ordinary civilians  as was shown in the inspection of the stronghold left behind by the fighters. It was already the case in the past in Eastern Aleppo: improvised hospital facilities in basements were full of medicine which, as a result of sanctions  Western sanctions , were not provided to Damascus and other government-controlled areas.

Also, large storage of [indistinct] were found as were the bodies and corpses of people who had been subjected to torture. We are stunned at the scale of the tunnels that were used by Jihadis. In some of them, small trucks were able to freely move about. These surprising underground facilities brought together the positions of groups who are viewed by some as moderate, and they were linked to the stronghold of the Al-Nosra Front.

On April 6, the new head of Jaysh al-Islam, following instructions of sponsors, derailed the evacuation of a party of fighters from Douma and resumed the rocket and mortar fire against residential areas in Damascus. The firing targeted [indistinct name of four areas]. According to official information, eight people died. 37 civilians were wounded. Unfortunately, we failed to see statements from Western capitals condemning the shelling of a historical district of Damascus. The following day, April 7, fighters accused the Syrian authorities of dropping barrel bombs with toxic substances. At the same time, diversions were being mixed up. It was either called sarin, chlorine, or a mix of toxic gases. Based on a well-known scheme, these rumors were immediately taken out by those who are financed by western capitalists; I am referring to NGOs and the White Helmets who are mendaciously acting under the cloak of health professionals. And these reports were also taken up and transferred to media outlets.

It behooves us once again to state that many of these dubious structures have a clear list of the email addresses of representatives of Security Council members, which shows that some of our colleagues, with a reckless approach towards their status, are leaking sensitive information to their proteges. Incidentally, all should recall the way that accidentally, the White Helmets put on the internet a video which showed preparations for staging a so-called victim of an alleged attack perpetrated by the Syrian army.

In 2011, the chemical serial began, and it continues to be shown to us with the calculation for each new episode to be more resonant than the one prior to it. In Washington, London, and Paris, immediate conclusions were drawn, pinning blame on the Syrian authorities, or as they call it, the Syrian regime. Has nobody wondered why would Damascus need this? There were insults against the Syrian leadership. However, the main burden of responsibility was pinned on Russia and Iran. And I think this is hardly surprising to anybody at this point, but this was done immediately based on current trends, without any investigation being conducted.

On April 8, the Syrian troops sweeping through {Al-Shimona} near Douma found a homemade Jaysh al-Islam manufacturing area to manufacture chemical substances artisanally. Chlorine agents of German manufacture and special equipment were also discovered. In Istanbul, an opposition journalist, [indistinct name], put on his Twitter page a video allegedly from the area of the incident, probably from the White Helmets. An unknown individual is next to a handmade bomb with a chemical that allegedly struck the bedroom of a building in Douma. All of this was accompanied by comments about another attack by the regime against civilians. The staged nature of this action is something of which there is no doubt. The trajectory of the alleged bomb is unnatural. This bomb supposedly entered, piercing through a roof, and naturally, calmly, fell into a bed, without even damaging this bed. Can a bomb fall on a wooden bed without even damaging the wooden bed?! Clearly, it was placed there prior to preparation for the staging.

Theres an interesting sequence of events. The chemical provocation in Douma on Saturday, April 7, occurred immediately after the US delegation at the Security Council received instructions to convene for today, Monday, April 9, to convene expert level consultations on their draft resolution on the mechanism to investigate incidents with chemical weapons. The initial text today has far-reaching changes and revisions.

Under these obscure circumstances, we need of course to get to the bottom of what is taking place. However, we need to do so in an honest, objective, impartial way, without disregarding the principle of presumption of innocence, and by no means prejudging the outcome of the investigation. Despite provocations, Russian specialists continue their efforts to resolve the situation in Eastern Ghouta.

On the afternoon of Sunday, April 8, following a new agreement that was reached, the evacuation of Jaysh al-Islam fighters resumed. Following the liberation of Douma from fighters, Russian specialists on radiological, chemical and biological protection were sent there to collect evidence and information. They took soil samples which show the lack of any nerve agent or chlorine substances.

Locals were interviewed about the cessation of resistance to the fighters. Not a single local resident confirmed the chemical attack having taken place. In local hospitals, there were no reports about symptoms from a toxic substance such as chlorine. Other medical facilities are not located in Douma. The bodies of the dead as a result of contamination were not found. Medical personnel and residents have no information about their potential burial areas. Thereby, the use of sarin and chlorine is not confirmed. Incidentally, the representatives of the Syrian Red Crescent refuted the statement allegedly made on their behalf about a delivery of assistance to victims of toxic gas. I call upon those who will speak against me and slander the regime to proceed from the premise that there was no chemical weapons attack.

Sweden prepared a draft resolution to investigate the incident. In principle, in order to conduct an investigation, the OPCW needs no resolution. However, we are willing to consider this resolution. Today, we propose that what you envisage in your draft be done. Let the OPCW, who through the Director-general of the Technical Secretariat Mr. Uzumcu stated a willingness to get to the bottom of what took place, let it immediately tomorrow fly to Damascus. There, the Syrian authorities and Russian troops will provide conditions to travel to the area of the alleged incident for them to familiarize themselves with the situation. Incidentally, this is what President Trump and other Western leaders called on us to undertake.

As for the possibility of a chemical attack, this was repeatedly warned about by the Syrians at the Russian Center for the reconciliation of opposing sides. It was stated that in order to record on film a chemical attack, and I put this in quotes, the necessary equipment has already been brought in. We too made the relevant statements at the Security Council. You heard these warnings. You have heard them but deliberately ignore them insofar as they do not align with the doctrinal views of those who seek the elimination of a legitimate government in another Arabic country.

Still, what is not being looked into is the fact that a significant number of chemical weapons were discovered on November-December 2017 in Syrian territory that had been liberated from terrorists. On the storage sites in al-Zakhariya and al-Afafir in Hama province, twenty 1-ton containers were discovered. More than 50 munitions were found which contain toxic chemicals. In Tal-Adli, Idleb province, 24 tons of toxic chemicals were discovered and this is believed to be chlorine. At the storage site Adhamiya, 30 kilometers northeast of Damascus, 240 and 160 millimeter caliber munitions were found. Plastic canisters were found with phosphorus substances and compounds. In the area of Al-Servita, Idlib province, an industrial complex was found for the synthesis of various toxic substances. 54 chemical munitions were found with a 44 chemical containers and these could be used for the manufacture of toxic substances.

From the beginning of this year alone, four instances were reported of fighters using toxic chemicals against positions where government troops are located in Shuja and Al-Mesharif. More than 100 Syrian troops were hospitalized. On March 3rd, when Hazrama and Al-Tars were liberated in Eastern Goutha, fighters from government troops discovered in a tunnel an underground artisanal manufacturing site to produce chemical munitions of a handmade nature. And this is far from a full list. It points to the wrongdoings and abuses by the irreconcilable opposition. However, the OPCWs experts being sent there to identify evidence is not something which we see people eager to do. We demand that OPCW verify all of those areas. Access can be provided.

Also, information is surfacing that at the Al-Tanf camp, American instructors have trained a number of groups of fighters to stage provocations with chemical weapons used to create a pretext for a strike. It was clear to us that attempts to shelter terrorists and at the same time punish the regime so hated by some Western capitals would sooner or later be undertaken. Speaking heads on television screens sought to repeat last years strike against Syria. This morning, there were strikes against the T4 Air Field in Homs province.

We are deeply troubled by such actions. Provocations in Douma echo last years incident in Khan Sheikhoun. The unifying aspect is the fact that theres a planned nature of these attacks. An analysis of the USS operations prior to and after the incident in Khan Sheikhoun in April 2007 shows that Washington, ahead of time, prepared for its operation. The USS Porter destroyer, from 4 to 7 April last year  that is when the toxic substance was used in Khan Sheikhoun, before the strike against the Shayrat airbase , was already present in the Mediterranean waters where it was engaged in planned operations. It not enter the ports where an exchange of munitions could have happened in order to increase the number of cruise missiles.

Incidentally, 4 to 5 April, the USS Porter destroyer was located southeast of Sicily, and the USS Ross destroyer was in a passage from the Rota naval base in the area south of Sardinia. Later, 6 April, an expedited movement of both destroyers was reported towards the firing positions more southwest of Cyprus. From there, on April 7, they conducted a mass strike against the Shayrat airfield. At the same time, the number of Tomahawk missiles that were launched (59) surpassed the overall munitions on both destroyers if they had actually been engaged in the anti-missile defense operations that had been assigned to them. For that purpose, only 48 units were necessary. Thereby, US vessels, even prior to the chemical incident in Khan Sheikhoun, entered military service with extra strike equipment that is an increase of cruise missiles that were not necessary for the anti-missile defense. And this could attest to prior planning by Washington of an act of strike against Damascus.

The fake news on Saturday from Douma are geared entirely towards drawing attention of society away from the Skripal case which was muddled up by London, and throwing on Russia completely unconfirmed accusations with the aim of pulling solidarity to build an anti-Russian alliance. Now the British are stepping away from a transparent investigation and putting forward specific responses for the questions and at the same time they are sweeping up their tracks. During the Security Council meeting on April 5 on the Skripal case, we cautioned that an attempt to unjustifiably blame us of having had a hand in the Salisbury incident was linked to the Syrian chemical dossier. Yesterday, this issue saw new interesting developments. For the moment, Foreign minister Boris Johnson continues to disclose things against Russia and attempt to be witty, and heres the following pearl: experts of an RAF listening post south of Cyprus intercepted on the day of Skripals poisoning reports sent from Damascus suburbs to Moscow. And this is what Times is reporting. It contains the following sentence, the phrase The package has been delivered and  the two individuals made a successful egress. This turns out to be part of the intelligence information provided by London two hours prior to the expulsion of Russian diplomats. However is it not clear that theres an irrefutable link here? Is that not clear to all? Syria-Russia-Salisbury?

I will give a hint to the British intelligence services and I will do so free of charge. Here is another great idea to cover-up their tracks: they could suggest that Novichok, which is so liked now, reached Salisbury directly from Syria by package. This is a complete mockery here.

Ambassador Haley has recently said that Russia will never be a friend of the United States. And I wish to respond to that. Friendship is something which is both reciprocal and voluntary. One cannot force a friendship. And we are not particularly keen to be friends with you. Nor are we begging to be friends with you. What we want from you is really nothing. Its something that is normal civilized relations which you arrogantly refuse, disregarding basic courtesies.

And you are misguided if you think that you have friends. So-called friends of yours are only those who cannot say no to you. And this is the sole criterion for friendship in your understanding. Russia has friends and unlike yourselves, we do not have adversaries. We do not view the world through that prism. And yes, international terrorism, that is our enemy. However, we continue to propose cooperation. This needs to be respectful and mutual cooperation, it needs to go towards resolving real and not imagined problems. And you should be just as interested as we are in such a cooperation.

Ultimately, as permanent members of the Security Council, we bear the main responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Through the relevant channels, we already conveyed to the US that armed force under mendacious pretexts against Syria, where, at the request of the legitimate government of the country, Russian troops have been deployed, could lead to grave repercussions.

We call upon Western politicians to scale down their hawkish rhetoric, to meaningfully consider possible repercussions and to cease the reckless spill over of threats to global security. What military misadventures of the West brought about is well known to us if we consider the examples of Yougoslavia, Iraq and Libya. And nobody has vested you with the power to act as policemen of the world and as investigators, procurators, judges and executioners all at the same time.

We call for your return to the legal fold to comply with the UN Charter and to jointly tackle problems that arise, rather than attempting at each step to advance your egotistical geopolitical game. All of the energy needs to be focused on support for the political process in Syria, to which it is necessary to constructively pull the efforts of all influential players. Russia always stands ready to engage in such cooperation.

To conclude, Mr. President, I wish to take this opportunity to request an open briefing of the Security Council on the outcomes of the UN assessment mission in Raqqa and the situation in the Rahman camp. We see the way of members of the Commission attempting to create a smoke screen around this issue, which is a result of their actions in Syria, including the operation to raze Raqqa to the ground through bombings. No chemical provocations will divert attention from this, from what youve done. Thank you.
Another Japanese unit resumes commercial operation

10 April 2018

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Unit 3 of the Ohi nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui Prefecture today resumed commercial operation, Kansai Electric Power Company announced. The reactor is the sixth to be restarted after clearing the country's revised safety regulations.

Ohi units 3 and 4 (Image: Kansai)

Following the shutdown of all of Japan's reactors after the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Ohi 3 and 4 were given permission to resume operation in August 2012. However, the two 1180 MWe pressurised water reactors (PWRs) were taken offline again for Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) inspections in September 2013.

The NRA announced in May 2017 that the two units meet safety standards introduced in July 2013. The NRA approved Kansai's plan for strengthening the units in August last year. The regulator subsequently conducted pre-operation inspections of the units to confirm that the safety countermeasure equipment complies with the approved construction plan at the plant. The governor of Fukui Prefecture approved the restart of Ohi units 3 and 4 in November.

New reactors?



An energy advisory panel has included nuclear power as an option for Japan to meet its emissions targets for 2050, implying the possibility of the construction of new reactors, Reuters reported today.



The panel, whose recommendations will feed into a review by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of the country's 2030 basic energy plan and its measures to reduce carbon emissions by 2050. While recommending a reduction in Japan's reliance on nuclear, the panel includes nuclear as an option for long-term decarbonisation.



"The report does not specifically talk about possible building of new reactors or replacing existing reactors, but it does not deny such a possibility either," Shogo Tanaka, director of METI's energy strategy office was quoted as saying.

Kansai began loading the 193 fuel assemblies into the core of unit 3 on 9 February, completing the process on 13 February. The reactor was restarted on 14 March and attained criticality - a sustained chain reaction - the following day.

Kansai announced that Ohi 3 resumed commercial operation at 4.40pm today after completion of the final periodic outage inspection - the integrated plant performance test - by the NRA.

Kansai President and Director Shigeki Iwane said, "Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my sincere gratitude, in particular to members of the public in the host region, for deep understanding and generous support toward restart of the plant." He added, "We are committed to exerting every possible effort to gain more trust and understanding in the importance and safety of nuclear power generation from members of the public while making steady steps forwards to achieve and maintain safe plant operation after restarting operation."

Ohi 3 is the sixth of Japan's 42 operable reactors which have so far cleared inspections confirming they meet the new regulatory safety standards and have resumed operation. The others are: Kyushu's Sendai units 1 and 2; Shikoku's Ikata unit 3; and Kansai's Takahama units 3 and 4. Another 18 reactors have applied to restart.

Kansai began loading the fuel assemblies into the core of Ohi unit 4 yesterday. It expects to restart that unit around mid-May.

Kyushu Electric Power Company expects to restart both units 3 and 4 at its Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga prefecture later this year.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Lucy Hughes-Hallett at The New Statesman:

Daniel Kalder was living in Moscow in the early years of this century when, switching on his television, he saw a Brobdingnagian book. It was candy-pink and green, and as high as several houses. On its front cover was embossed the golden bust, in profile, of a dictator.

By the time Kalder travelled to Turkmenistan in 2006 the self-styled Turkmenbashi (Father of all Turkmen) was dead. The mechanism of the gigantic book, which opened to display, each night, a different double-page spread of his thoughts, had failed, but the book still loomed, floodlit, over the capital, ominous and immense and exceedingly kitsch. A symbol of the vanity of human hubris to rival Ozymandiass trunkless legs, it set Kalder off on an investigation of the curious fact that dictators from Lenin to Kim Jong-il, not content with absolute power over their peoples lives, have aspired to be, as Stalin put it, engineers of souls as well, and  in pursuit of that object  have written some very long and very tedious books.

Kalders own book, on the other hand, is brisk, and full of antic fun. Here are some of the words and phrases he uses to describe the works under consideration: turgid, boring, entirely vapid, aggressively stupid, obscure, repetitive and violent, staggeringly incompetent, rote pap, sub-fascist waffle, virulently awful, the worst books ever written.

more here.
(4/10/2018) - A former employee of the Michigan Cardiovascular Institute avoided jail time when she was sentenced for embezzling from the clinic.

Marcia Conaway, 71, stole about $467,000 from the facility beginning in June 2010 until her retirement last February. She pleaded guilty in late February to one count of embezzlement of more than $100,000.

On Tuesday, a Saginaw County judge sentenced her to one year on a tether and five years of probation. She also was ordered to repay all $467,000.

Investigators claim Conaway used the institute's funds to pay off personal purchases on her personal credit cards. Prosecutors also allege she falsified the company's accounting records by withholding revenue to cover up the missing funds.


Cobalt Project Claim Acquisition

Perth, April 11, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Eon NRG ("Eon" or the "Company") ( ASX:E2E ) ( OTCMKTS:ICRMF ) advises that 24 lode claims prospective for Cobalt have been staked by the Company's Geologist within close proximity of the original 18 existing claims in the Stillwater Range (Table Mountain District). Eon now has exploration rights over 42 lode claims which cover 840 acres of land and includes the historic Gilberts silver, gold and lead mine.The historic Gilberts Mine, located in the recently staked claims, was discovered in 1878 and produced silver, lead and gold. Other historic workings as well as numerous adits and tunnels have been located within the newly staked claims. Eon is assessing these new prospects and the Gilberts Mine for Cobalt which is often associated with polymetallic deposits. The new claims are considered highly prospective given the proximity of the Lovelock Cobalt mine some 3 miles west.The Gilberts Mine area is widely spread with old workings, adits, and shafts. The company is targeting broadly disseminated mineralisation that has the potential to host a significant orebody that would not have been economic to the old timers who mined this over a century ago. This new prospect meets the company's criteria.The nearby Lovelock Cobalt Mine was reportedly discovered around 1882 and production of nickel and cobalt began in 1883. Records of a geochemical analysis from that era indicate that the average composition of the cobaltite contained 14% cobalt and 12% nickel (see Note below). Approximately 500 tons of nickel and cobalt mineralized ore was mined between 1883 and 1889.The Company's claims cover portions of the Humboldt igneous complex in west central Nevada. The complex is comprised of Triassic and Jurassic fossil limestone overlain and intruded by igneous diorites, gabbros and basalts. The intrusive and extrusive rocks composing the Humbolt igneous complex are part of a larger lopolith which rests upon the Boyer Ranch orthoquartzite. The lopolith is interpreted to be an allochthonous block, which was displaced eastward from its original arc environment and over upon the underlying Star Peak carbonate sequence. Continuing igneous and volcanic activity within the area has continued as evidenced by Miocene dikes cutting older Jurassic units. These veins and dikes are generally derived from more felsic magmas and have a distinctly different geochemical character than the Humboldt assemblage.Eon's claims cover a variety of different units. The three groups of claims were chosen to test various sedimentary, igneous, and volcanic rocks along an area which has been historically active in prospecting for gold, silver and lead.The northern most claims covers two main rock bodies; the Star Peak group of shaly limestones and an assemblage of either Triassic or Jurassic aged igneous and volcanic rock. The Gilberts mine is located within this set of claims and is positioned near the contact of the Star Peak and the igneous assemblage. Additional unnamed shafts and adits are found along the footwall of the Dixie Valley fault at the base of the hill.The southern claims group covers a grouping of limestone, conglomerate, gabbro and quartzite. There are active hydrothermal vents along the Dixie Valley fault within this set of claims. Inactive hydrothermal areas are also evidenced by surface mineralization and staining.The ABAY claim group is the southern-most group of claims along the Dixie Valley Fault. These claims cover recent landslides and a mixture of gabbro, basalt and rhyolite. Shafts and adits are found along the perimeter of the landslides along the contact made with the Jurassic assemblage of igneous and volcanic rocks.CobaltCobalt is almost always a by- or co-product of mining for other base metals, mostly nickel and copper. Most of the worlds known Cobalt reserves are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Australia.The lithium-ion battery is the most commonly used type of battery with cobalt being found in the cathode. Cobalt is also important in other battery technologies such as nickel-cadmium batteries (NiCd) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Eon NRG is expanding its relevance in the energy sector through the creation of its battery minerals exploration division to take advantage of the growing demand for metals used in battery storage.The industrial importance of cobalt resulted in the London Metal Exchange (LME) introducing cobalt futures contracts in 2010.Note:Nickel Deposits In Cottonwood Canyon, Churchill County, Nevada By H. G. FERGUSON Geologist, U. S. Geological Survey (page 13- http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/7ZJ41K2K To view figures, please visit:About EON NRG Ltd

EON NRG Ltd (ASX:E2E) is an USA onshore focused energy exploration and production company. The Company's growth path is through drilling of high impact oil exploration wells, supported by its 100% owned and operated long life oil and gas production assets and associated cashflow. The company also has a battery minerals division with prospective leases in Nevada which are at the early stages of low-cost exploration.


Mereenie Update

Brisbane, April 11, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Central Petroleum Limited ( ASX:CTP ) ("Company" or "Central") advises that the Ensign Rig is expected to be fully at the site at Mereenie by next week. The rig crew have been selected with the site preparation continuing apace. It is anticipated that West Mereenie-26 will be spudded on 20 to 21 April and the drilling will take 35 to 40 days.The $12 million ($6 million Central's share) Mereenie plant upgrade remains within budget and on time for being available by 1 December, the date by which the Northern Gas Pipeline is assumed to be operational.In addition, the Company has negotiated an extension of the existing debt facility with Macquarie of an additional $5 million.About Central Petroleum Limited

Central Petroleum Limited ( ASX:CTP) is a well-established, and emerging ASX-listed Australian oil and gas producer. In our short history, Central has grown to become the largest onshore gas producer in the Northern Territory (NT), supplying industrial customers and senior gas distributors in NT and the wider Australian east coast market.

Central is positioned to become a significant domestic energy supplier, with exploration and development plans across 180,000 km2 of tenements in Queensland and the Northern Territory, including some of Australia's largest known onshore conventional gas prospects. Central has also completed an MoU with Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to progress the proposed Amadeus to Moomba Gas Pipeline to a Final Investment Decision.

We are also seeking to develop the Range gas project, a new gas field located among proven CSG fields in the Surat Basin, Queensland with 135 PJ (net to Central) of development-pending 2C contingent resource.
Taking a popular product and turning it pink isn't always a success -- see Scottish brewery BrewDog's recent stunt attempt to sell discounted pink beer for women.

But Nestle has avoided controversy so far with its new pink KitKat -- it's simply being billed as an aesthetically-pleasing, naturally colored chocolate.

The new hue is the product of distinctive ruby cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast, Brazil and Ecuador. There's no artificial additives involved; instead it's got a naturally fruity flavor.

The globe-trotting new product was conceived by Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut and has been more than 10 years in the making.

Additive-free

This highly Instagrammable KitKat made its debut in Japan and Korea in January and will be on sale in the UK from April 16 onwards.

KitKats are crazy popular in Japan where there are plenty of gourmet versions on offer from green tea to sushi.

In part, its success is down to the name. It sounds similar to "kito kato," which in Japanese translates as "to surely win."

Chocolate aficionados have been eagerly awaiting its arrival on British shores, eager to taste this reimagined iconic four-finger wafer bar.

Now the pink KitKat is premiering in the UK, its original birthplace.

"After the extremely successful launch of KITKAT Chocolatory Sublime Ruby in Japan and South Korea, this is the first time the Ruby chocolate will be available in an iconic four-finger format and we are sure that the Ruby chocolate KITKAT will be a great hit in the UK," says Alex Gonnella, Marketing Director for Nestl-'s UK confectionery business.

"Consumers across the world will be intrigued by the unique taste of this crispy delight!" adds Pablo Perversi, Chief Innovation, Quality and Sustainability Officer at Barry Callebaut.

After its UK premiere, the pink chocolate will be crossing the pond -- aiming to break America and go global in upcoming months.
UPDATE 4/16/2018 11:05 a.m.



LEGGETT, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the search for a family whose vehicle plunged into Northern California river.

Officials in Northern California say crews found a vehicle that plunged into a rain-swollen Northern California river after noticing a gasoline smell.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said Monday that a boating team searching the Eel River noticed the fuel odor about half a mile downstream from where the crash was reported.

Searchers found the car Sunday and recovered the bodies of 41-year-old Sandeep Thottapilly and 9-year-old Saachi Thottapilly. The body of 38-year-old Soumya Thottapilly was found Friday.

The couple's 12-year-old son, Sidhhanty Thottapilly, remains missing.

The office says 70 searchers combed the area, including more than 20 crew members searching the water in Jet Skis, boats and kayaks.

It says the vehicle was encased in sediment but that divers were able to feel a person inside the car.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press.)

___

UPDATE 4/12/2018 3:40 p.m.

LEGGETT, Calif. (AP) - The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office says recovered debris and personal items confirm that a vehicle seen plunging into a storm-swollen Northern California river last week belonged to a family that went missing.

A sheriff's office statement Thursday says the vehicle and its occupants haven't been located in the Eel River but searchers have found numerous items from the vehicle's body and interior.

They say the items are consistent with a family on vacation and unspecified items were identified by relatives of the Thottapilly family.

The family of four - two parents and two children - was traveling from Portland, Oregon, to their home in Santa Clarita, California, last week when they stopped communicating with relatives.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press.)

__________________________________________________

Valencia Calif.-- A missing family mystery possible new clues in the case of a Valencia family of four that vanished while on a road trip.

The family was supposed to drive down from Portland to San Jose before heading home to Valencia. They never made it there.

CBS2's Randy Paige is in Valencia with new clues in the case.

A single candle stands on the driveway where the Thottapilly family lives, while hope for their safe return begins to fade.

This video taken by a security camera mounted on Mat Lemus's house across the street chronicles the last day they were here.

It was March 30th, at 7:40 in the morning, when Soumya Thottapilly pulls out of her garage in the family's red Honda Pilot as she takes her children to school, fifteen minutes later she's back.

At 2:54 p.m. that afternoon, Soumya and her 9 year old daughter Saachi bring in the empty garbage cans.

Six minutes later, the family's off apparently heading for Portland Oregon then, on their way back they planned to stop and see a relative in San Jose. They never arrived.

Consider their route they planned to drive south from Portland and arrive in San Jose on Friday.

That same day Friday the CHP got calls about a red Honda Pilot, the same make and color of the Thottapilly's SUV, that was seen careening off a windy two lane section of the 101 north of Leggett, and disappearing into the swollen Eel River in a pounding rain.

That SUV has not yet been found.

The CHP says there is no way to know if the Honda Pilot seen going into the river belongs to the Thottapilly family because it's been too dangerous for divers to search.

In Valencia, their neighbor has been keeping watch over their home hoping to see some sign of life.

A neighbor says, There are no lights in the house no one comes by, no police no sheriff no family nothing. And when you look at their Facebook picture it's heartbreaking. It is because we see them daily running around playing outside and to think that could be potentially them is upsetting.

According to CHP it has been too dangerous to send divers into the river, so the SUV people say has not been found yet.

San Jose Police say the Thottapilly family is still missing.

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Andrew Bailey, Chief Executive discusses our Business Plan publication and the coming year. The annual Business Plan gives details of the specific areas of work the FCA is prioritising for the next year.
STG Aerospace has been selected as the supplier for the photoluminescent emergency floor path marking system across Alaska Airlines Boeing and Airbus fleets, as the airline begins to streamline the cabins of its Virgin America fleet.



Courtesy STG Aerospace



Alaska Airlines will install STG Aerospaces next-generation saf-Tglo SSUL photoluminescent emergency escape path marking system (EEPMS) on 116 aircraft across its retrofitted and new Boeing 737-700, MAX9 and Airbus A320 Family fleets  making it one of the largest multi-platform programmes ever awarded.



The retrofit programme, which is due to commence in late 2018, will see Alaska Airlines upgrade the photoluminescent EEPMS system in their Boeing and Airbus fleets to the latest saf-Tglo SSUL design, which is the lightest, narrowest and most discrete photoluminescent solution available. Alaska Airlines will also replace the electrical emergency lighting system in the Airbus fleet, a change expected to realise significant operational cost savings due to the high reliability and fail-safe nature of saf-Tglo.



Commenting on the recent contract award, Warren Hamilton, Director of Cabin Products and Interiors at Alaska Airlines, said: STG Aerospace has been an exceptional supplier over many years, and their saf-Tglo system has a proven track record of both robustness and reliability. This made the decision to integrate the system as part of the retrofit programme a natural one. Aesthetically, the system will assist us in unifying cabin appearance across the new combined Boeing and Airbus fleets, but more importantly it will assist us in keeping our guests and crew safe when theyre in our care.



Marcus Williams, Director of Global Sales at STG Aerospace added: We are always delighted when a long term customer chooses us for their latest cabin upgrade programme, as it means we are doing something right. In this case it is even more special because Alaska Airlines has trusted us to be part of their new brand following the integration of the Virgin America fleet. We are looking forward to beginning the installations next year and upgrading the entire fleet with our latest next-generation photoluminescent system.
Inmarsat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mahata Aero Teknologi (MAT), Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik, to provide an inflight broadband service to passengers onboard Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Citilink Indonesias fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft.





Above: The team from Inmarsat, Mahata Aero Teknologi, Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik will provide inflight broadband to Citilink Indonesia.

Courtesy Inmarsat



This collaboration of four leading technology companies will enable Citilink to provide a unique onboard experience and build passenger loyalty through a market-leading Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) connectivity offering, powered by Inmarsats high-speed, award-winning GX Aviation inflight broadband service.



Ben Griffin, Inmarsat Aviations Regional Vice President, said: Asia Pacific is a key region for Inmarsat Aviation and we are delighted to welcome Citilink as a customer of GX Aviation.



In partnership with MAT, Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik, we will provide an advanced inflight broadband solution that will allow Citilink passengers to browse the internet, use social media and stream online content in the air, just as they do on the ground.



President Director of PT Mahata Aero Teknologi (MAT), M Fitriansyah, said: The option to deliver inflight passenger Wi-Fi services for Citilink is particularly interesting due to the airlines strong technology focus.



There is significant interest in this new era of digital technology and through this collaboration, we will bring the passenger a state-of-the-art inflight wifi experience with GX Aviation.



Jan-Peter Gaense, Head of Passenger Experience Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems, said: Thanks to BoardConnects open architecture and the use of modern docker technology, MAT will be able to include any additional e-commerce service Citilink wishes for. We are happy to support another airline in the Asia-Pacific region to get connected in the clouds.



Nina Schulz, Head of Product Sales Aircraft Modification at Lufthansa Technik, said: We feel very privileged signing the first agreement with an Indonesian provider. With 15 years of experience in state-of-the-art connectivity, we are able to tailor the equipment of even the largest fleets to our customers individual requirements in the shortest possible time.



I am convinced that we will contribute significantly to Mahata Aero Teknologis goal of providing market-leading wireless solutions for passenger airlines services. This is a further proof of our successful cooperation with our partners Lufthansa Systems and Inmarsat. Both Mahata Aero Teknologi and Citilink Indonesia will benefit from our multiple expertise.
Kuwait Airways is to become the Middle Easts first airline to offer inflight connectivity services over Inmarsats GX Aviation high-speed broadband service on a single aisle aircraft fleet.

Above: Kuwait Airways A320 landing at Dubai Airport.

By Mike Fuchslocher / Shutterstock



Inmarsat partner SITAONAIR is to deploy its award-winning Internet ONAIR portal and Mobile ONAIR services  powered by Link ONAIR over our GX Aviation network  line-fit aboard the airlines new A320 and A321 Neo aircraft fleet. Service activation on commercial flights throughout the Middle East, India, Europe and Africa is planned for early 2019.



SITAONAIRs Internet ONAIR inflight connectivity portal enables passengers to seamlessly maintain their digital lives as they fly  to stream, surf, message, consume digital content, shop and stay connected with loved ones. With Mobile ONAIR, passengers can enjoy an at-home mobile connectivity experience.

Long-running partnership



The deal marks the evolution of SITAONAIR and Kuwait Airways long-running partnership delivering SwiftBroadband to its A330 and A320 fleets and is testament to SITAONAIRs expertise as the only Value-Added Reseller of GX Aviations high-speed broadband network to offer both Wi-Fi and mobile services.



Dr Maria-Angelika Hanne, Chief Commercial Officer, Kuwait Airways, says: Being able to adopt the latest inflight technologies and high-speed capabilities is integral to the quality inflight experience our airline offers.



We are proud to be expanding our long-standing relationship with SITAONAIR to activate high-speed inflight connectivity with Internet ONAIR and Mobile ONAIR over GX Aviation.



Stephan Egli, SITAONAIR Regional Vice President of the Middle East, Africa and Europe, says: This is a fantastic moment for SITAONAIR as we deliver our rich, value-added inflight connectivity services, and the promise of the connected aircraft experience, to our valued customer, Kuwait Airways.



With our leading Internet ONAIR and Mobile ONAIR solutions, harnessing the power of GX Aviation, passengers will have access to the latest connectivity technologies, so their digital lives continue uninterrupted in the air, just as on the ground.
Fast forward to January 2018. I attended a seminar on the HPV vaccine at Anne Arundel Medical Center with my now 12 year old daughter. We were not persuaded to purchase the shot, and the Annapolis Capital published my op-ed describing my concerns:

My actions back then bought me credibility with my county school and health officials. I was right about FluMist being inappropriate for distribution in county schools. The key to my efforts was to be polite, well informed, and to come from a place of cooperation in the spirit of public health. I am now using that goodwill to initiate a statewide public advocacy campaign against the secret marketing of HPV vaccine in state school classrooms.

I am told that our county superintendent called a meeting with the Department of Health officials. He was not pleased about being publicly blindsided at the public meeting. The following week, an awkwardly worded letter came home, again with my daughter, saying there was a shortage of FluMist and it would not be available in county schools. Other counties nearby immediately followed suit. The shortage story was clearly a lie, as there were boxes of the product stacked up at our local fire house, and it was widely available for purchase in pharmacies. No matter. It was out of our schools. The coup de grace came a month later, when CIDRAP announced that FluMist was virtually worthless and had no effectiveness at all against influenza for the past four years.

In October 2016, my then 11 year old daughter came home with a notice that FluMist- a live attenuated inhalable vaccine containing four strains of live influenza virus- would be distributed in her school. I took my case against this policy directly to my local school board at the next meeting. During the public comments section, I simply read the non-serious side effects to the board. I also e-mailed to each board member the same information. The meeting is live steamed and widely viewed by thousands of residents of my county, and other interested citizens as well. The next day, by sheer luck, our local paper printed my letter describing the same data- here is the letter: http://www.capitalgazette.com/opinion/letters/ph-ac-ce-letters1012-20151011-story.html

http://www.capitalgazette.com/opinion/columns/ac-ce-column-mazer-20180112-story.html

The next day, a career registered nurse in Montgomery County e-mailed me. She told me that she felt she was being forced to market HPV vaccine to students, that she objected to the policy, and that she was scared to speak out for fear of losing her job. She provided me two letters, one on state DOH letterhead, the other county school board letter head, confirming the secretive effort to market HPV vaccine in state school classrooms.

Remembering how effective my earlier appeal to county school board had been, I wrote up a letter and attached the documents from the school nurse and e-mailed every member of the school board. I attended the next meeting and voiced my concerns that 11 and 12 year olds are being data mined to Merck using our public school classrooms. The reaction was again one of stunned disbelief. To give legs to my campaign, I created a website www.hpvisstd.com and e-mailed every member of our state house and senate; every member of Governors Hogans staff, and every school board member in Maryland.

About a week after I brought this matter up, I received a call from the office of the deputy director of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He drove up from Charles County, Maryland to meet with me for 90 minutes. He listened courteously and attentively to the concerns outlined in my letter to my legislators. He agreed with me that the DOH letter from August 2017 was improper in several respects, and he has promised to get back to me by April 7, 2018.

My objective with this campaign is for Maryland to publicly denounce the stealth marketing program initiated by the Department of health to target 11 and 12 year olds for sale of the Merck product. It is unethical and improper that our schools are being used to prospect for sales of a for profit pharma product, and that the parents were deliberately not informed that this program is underway. I am asking that Maryland set a national example by withdrawing public funding for marketing the vaccine in our state- much like the current situation in Japan. The Japanese government withdrew recommendation for HPV vaccination in 2013. There was then a public debate on the pros and cons of the shot- and the recommendation to this day has not been re-instated.

Please help us in using citizen advocacy to lead Maryland to set a national example. Stop marketing HPV vaccine to 11 and 12 year olds in our state school classrooms. Do not initiate programs like this without input from all the stakeholders- especially parents. Our kids should not be data mined to pharma while in school. The Department of Health should concern itself with keeping our kids healthy and protected- not acting as a state subsidized marketing division for Merck, Incorporated. Please click on this link to send Governor Hogan an e-mail:

https://www.hpvisstd.com/contact-governor-hogan

Express your thoughts about the HPV vaccine, and the way it is being stealth marketed in schools. All comments are welcome, from-non Marylanders as well. For the purposes of this advocacy campaign, it is more effective if you concentrate on the HPV vaccine.

See the Maryland Department of Health August 2017 letter here:

https://www.hpvisstd.com/dept-of-health-letter

See the letter sent to all state legislators, the Governors staff, and all school boards in Maryland here:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/State-School-Board-Agenda-Item-Request--Maryland-Department-of-Health-Marketing-HPV-Vaccine-to-11-and-12-year-olds-in-State-Scho.html?soid=1123212559451&aid=0s4daRMcq0Q

Again- here is the link to send Governor Hogan your views on stealth marketing HPV vaccine in state schools:

https://www.hpvisstd.com/contact-governor-hogan

All politics is local. With your help, we can force Maryland to back down on this unethical campaign. Help us sunlight this issue! Please send a courteous e-mail to Governor Hogan right now, and ask your friends to do so as well. Lets Japanese the HPV vaccine in Maryland- so that other states may follow the lead. We can do it- but we need your help and action. Thank you!
 A321LR launch customer relies on Airbus expertise to debut its transatlantic operations

 Full FHS-TSP in Europe driving the opening of a new pool and new Engineering Centre of Competence in London Stansted

 First comprehensive maintenance solution with FHS powered by Skywise for the first A321LR operator

Primera Air, the Riga, Latvia-based airline, has selected Airbus Flight Hour Services  Tailored Support Package (FHS-TSP) for its complete fleet of A321neo aircraft (including the A321LR). Under the agreement, Airbus will handle component services (pool, on-site stocks at main bases and outstations, repair), logistics, warehousing, transportation, fleet technical management and line maintenance services for Primera Air. This will be supported by the newly opened Airbus FHS pools in London Heathrow and Miami, USA and coordinated by a dedicated Airbus Fleet Technical Management (FTM) team located in London Stansted, interfacing with Airbus teams worldwide.

Airbus FHS will be strengthened by Airbus data platform Skywise, taking advantage of state-of-the-art data hosting and analytics to optimise Primera Airs A321neo fleet utilisation. This new service will harness big data to greatly enhance levels of operational performance, compared with current industry technologies. Thanks to Skywise, Airbus FHS-TSP will proactively deliver parts and inventory forecasting, dynamic and virtual supply chain optimisation, while boosting operational and management efficiencies.

Hrafn Thorgeirsson, CEO of Primera Air said: Our new Airbus A321neos are just around the corner. One of the biggest challenges in introducing a new aircraft type into any airline is to create from scratch the right environment for them with regards to both flight and technical operations. This is why we decided to contract Airbus for its superb Flight Hour Services and Tailored Support Package powered by Skywise - which will ensure that Primera will have the most capable minds and hands from Airbus working closely with our Technical Teams here in Riga and Copenhagen to keep our planes flying on time.

Laurent Martinez, Head of Services by Airbus business unit said: We are proud to welcome Primera Air as our very first FHS Powered by Skywise customer in Europe. We have an excellent track record of driving the highest levels of daily utilisation and operational performance with our FHS-TSP customers and we are pleased to be entrusted by another airline. We are excited to launch the new era of FHS Powered by Skywise in collaboration with Primera, and to be a fully integrated partner in their innovative journey.

This FHS-TSP will support the opening in May of Primeras new transatlantic routes to the US and Canada (including Newark, Boston and Toronto) from its three European main bases (London Stansted, Birmingham and Paris CDG).

Airbus FHS encompasses a portfolio of fully integrated component services, aircraft engineering and maintenance management, to enable the highest levels of aircraft availability and dispatch performance. Through FHS, airlines and operators can leverage Airbus wide and flexible portfolio of products and services, supported by its global team of aerospace professionals.


Brazilian passenger airline Azul is to lease two Boeing 737-400 freighters to support the rapid growth of its cargo business unit, Azul Cargo Express.

Both aircraft are expected to be delivered during the second half of this year. Details of the lessor are not available.

In December 2017, Brazils postal service Correios and Azul announced that they were joining forces to create a logistics platform to serve the Latin American nations e-commerce sector, allowing "the expansion of logistics services and products to locations not yet attended.

Activities are expected to begin in the first half of 2018, after the approvals from government authorities.

Izabel Reis, director of Azul Cargo Express, said of the freighter leases: "We have decided to order these freighters because we see the need to have some dedicated narrowbody aircraft to support the growth of our cargo business.

"The B737 is the only narrowbody freighter option in the market and was chosen because of the models low ownership cost combined with its superior capacity and unbeatable reliability track record.

"With these planes, well have greater versatility based on the needs of our clients, and we will also be able to offer new services, such as air charter. With no doubt, these cargo planes will support our fast expansion."

The B737-400F has capacity for up to 20 tonnes of cargo.

Brazils largest airline by cities served added that Azul Cargo Express expects to grow its revenues by 40% this year, expanding its service offering throughout Brazil. In 2017, Azuls cargo business registered a 49% revenue growth compared to the previous year.

Azul offers 739 daily passenger flights to 105 destinations. With an operating fleet of 120 aircraft.

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American Airlines has appointed Strike Aviation as the cargo GSSA for its new direct B767-300 passenger flight from Prague to Philadelphia, as well as the offline cargo GSSA for Bulgaria, Romania and the Slovak Republic.

"This is another milestone we have achieved with our Czech team commented Julia Ostwaldt, commercial manager-Europe at Strike Aviation.

"The additional capacity supports the growth of American Airlines from the European continent to their worldwide network, we are happy to be a part of it," she added.

Bulgaria, Romania and the Slovak Republic markets will be connected by road feeder services to Prague and the other European gateways.

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The need for convergence on UK and European Union (EU) rules on aircraft wet-leasing is one aspect of a new Brexit study by UK business lobby, the CBI.

In the report, published today, the CBI has outlines where Britains top company bosses want to stay close to European Union rules and where they want divergence.

Aviation is one of 23 industry sectors analysed in the CBI report, Smooth Operations, which provides an A to Z of the rules that will matter after the transition period when the UK finally exits the EU, or Brexit.

The task of unpicking 40 years of economic and regulatory integration is complex and colossal, CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn warned at the launch of the report.

On wet-leasing, where EU regulations permit aircraft and their crew to be transferred between carriers, the report states: Within the air cargo sector in particular, wet leasing is a common practice: there are numerous cargo airlines, including some based in the UK, that specialise in supplying aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance services.

Convergence on EU rules for wet leasing will be important to ensure open and liberal access.

The report says that the process of wet leasing for third country airlines is much more complicated than the EU process.

The CBI also identifies UK membership of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as imperative, adding that the UK should continue to play a key participatory and leadership role in the agency.

It added: EU rules on the aviation sector are not just designed through the process of legislation in the European Commission and Parliament, and enforced by the European Court of Justice. Instead, a decentralised agency  EASA  plays a crucial role in the design, monitoring and enforcement of standards for the aviation sector.

If the UK Civil Aviation Authority is no longer a part of EASA, outside the EU aviation market and no longer benefiting from the services EASA provides, it would have to set up new systems, hire more people and create UK standards and practices for processes that already exist.

These UK standards would then have to be recognised in new bilateral aviation safety agreements with third countries, like the US.

Warns the report: Should other countries not be satisfied with the UKs initial arrangements, they may require inspections of the UKs airports and airlines, which would incur additional costs. Convergence and continued involvement in EASA is therefore crucial.

Goods worth 160bn were shipped by air between the UK and non-EU countries in 2015  over 40% of the UKs extra-EU trade by value.

On flying rights, the report highlights that UK airlines currently have automatic access to the EU Single Aviation Market, allowing aircraft to fly across and between European countries, resulting in member state airlines operating 26,000 flights across the continent each day.

Aviation market access between the EU and the UK must be secured to ensure connectivity continues, and convergence between rules in this sector will be necessary to achieve this, states the CBI.

It recommended that the UK government work with the EU to protect and secure the current level of market access in any agreement  including the right to fly intra-European routes and domestically within EU Member States.

These abilities  to fly from Hamburg to Frankfurt as well as from Frankfurt to Florence, instead of just Glasgow to Frankfurt  says the CBI, are not commonly included in traditional aviation agreements and will only be possible if the UK converges with EU aviation rules.

If convergence is not maintained, this will have an impact both on the industry and the consumer. While airlines can undertake some mitigating actions to ensure they comply with EU market access restrictions, such as taking out an Air Operator Certificate, this will ultimately increase business complexity and cost.

It added: The individual air service agreements which operated between the UK and each of the Member States before the creation of the Single Aviation Market are not a sufficient fall-back.

A question mark remains over their legal validity, as they were all superseded by membership of the internal market. But whatever their legal status, these agreements are restrictive, antiquated and not fit for purpose.

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Calhoun Community College has been awarded a $1.5 million federal grant toward an automotive technology program center for the college's Decatur campus.

The facility is expected to create 219 jobs and generate $32 million in private investment.

The college conducted a groundbreaking event last fall at its Decatur campus for the 23,400 square-foot, approximately $7 million facility. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today announced the grant through the Department's Economic Development Administration.

"The President and the Department of Commerce are committed to ensuring that American communities have tools available to meet the demand for a skilled workforce," Ross said.

Construction is expected to begin later this year on the $7 million, 23,400-square-foot facility.

The Automotive Technology Program Facility will provide entry-level skills necessary to work into the automotive service and repair industry. The college says the center will help in expanding and strengthening the automotive cluster in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee.

That cluster was one of the deciding factors in Huntsville landing the $1.6 billion Mazda Toyota plant in Huntsville, expected to open in 2021.

The project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments.

"Words truly can not appropriately express our excitement and gratitude in finding out this morning that the College has been awarded this $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce," Calhoun President Dr. Jim Klauber said.
When Shannon Boutwell, 14, of Helena played a violin that was crafted in Germany in 1774, and that had been played and owned by a Holocaust survivor, she was overwhelmed with emotion.

"It was an amazing experience," Shannon said. The violin had a "velvety" sound, she said.

"I even felt it vibrating in my chest," she said. "This is the most wonderful experience I've had."

Weinstein traveled from his home in Tel Aviv to Birmingham this week for a series of Violins of Hope concerts and events, bringing many of the violins.

Shannon played one of them for school groups from Homewood, Wenonah, Jackson-Olin, West Blocton and other high schools. Joanna Hotten, 18, a student at Vestavia Hills High School, also performed with one of the violins. Both girls drew applause from students gathered for a lecture on the violins at Jemison Concert Hall.

Many of the 14 violins on display at the event were played in orchestras at concentration camps. Shannon and Joanna played the violins again for students on Thursday at Temple Emanu-El.

Birmingham hosted Violins of Hope in a series of concerts at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and at the Alys Stephens Center, concluding Saturday night with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

During the Holocaust, the Germans used orchestras to lull prisoners into a false sense of security, often having them play to greet arriving prisoners, and to play music as prisoners walked to their deaths in gas chambers.

For others, the music inspired them to endure until the camps were liberated by Allied Forces.

Weinstein's family moved from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Israel in 1936. His father, Moshe, knew many of the top Jewish musicians in Europe before they were sent to concentration camps.

Accomplished musicians who were prisoners in the death camps were sometimes kept alive to play in the orchestras. For some, their violins saved their lives.

Weinstein, now 78, was born in 1939. He recalled that as a child, many Jewish violinists brought his father violins that were made in Germany.

Some he has only obtained recently.

Sonia Beker holds a violin that her father Max, a Holocaust survivor, played. She donated the violin to Violins of Hope.

"My dad's violin is on the table," said Sonia Beker, author of the 2006 book, "Symphony on Fire: A Story of Music and Spiritual Resistance." Beker was in attendance at the school event Wednesday afternoon.

She said both her father, a violinist, and her mother, a pianist, were Jewish survivors of the Holocaust who played in an orchestra made up of survivors.

Her father was a Polish soldier from Vilnius who was captured and held in a prisoner of war camp by the Germans. He was able to get a violin in the camp and played in an orchestra.

"He had his violin with him all this time," Beker said. "I remember it from when I was a child. He and mother would play with their survivor friends. As the years went on, he played it less and less, and then he passed away. I had the violin. I don't play. Nor does anyone in the family. I just kept it. I learned about Amnon Weinstein and I thought, that would be a good place for my father's violin."

"It's the continuity of the violin, and also the violin's story," Beker said. "I have been incredibly privileged and humbled by all these amazing events. I can't tell you how stirring it's been. It brings together these terrific history, family connections and the power of music, a remarkable force in the world."

Beker attended the concert at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, in which Caitlin Edwards played a violin that had been used in the concentration camp orchestra at Auschwitz.

"Each violin is a soul and a voice," Beker said. "He is restoring those voices and bringing them back into the world. There is such sacred depth to each one, each story."
Nine months after a double homicide in Calhoun County's Rabbittown community, an Anniston man has been arrested in Atlanta in connection with the killings.

Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade said today that Rhimington Otarivs Johnson, 26, was arrested early this morning in Atlanta on charges of cocaine possession.

Rhimington Johnson

Johnson had been wanted since last year in connection with two killings on July 23, 2017 - Travis Frost, 73, and Joshua Moody, 23.

The two men were beaten and shot to death at Frost's Rabbittown Road residence in the eastern part of Calhoun County. Authorities received a call about 4:30 a.m. the morning of July 23. Frost's wife, who called authorities, was hiding in a bedroom when the killings occurred.

Wade last year said Moody knew at least one of the people being sought and that the killings "were not random." Today, he said they were drug related.

Last Aug. 4, Jeffrey Jamall Briskey, and Sicondria Michala "C.C." Carter, both of Anniston, were taken into custody at an Econo Lodge in the Petersburg, Va. Briskey was wanted for murder, while Carter was sought for hindering prosecution. The three were connected to the crimes by a tip given last year.

"I wish we could have caught him on the day it happened, but I'm happy he was caught," Wade said at a press conference today. Authorities had suspected Johnson was in Georgia, he said.

Wade said detectives have already interviewed Johnson in Atlanta about the murders and he "gave a lengthy statement."

When Johnson can return to Alabama to face the charges is unclear.
A well-known Alabama evangelist, public speaker and author was arrested in Hoover Tuesday on child sex charges.

Paul Edward Acton Bowen, a 37-year-old Gadsden native who now lives in Etowah County's Southside community, was taken into custody by Hoover police about 12:35 p.m. The founder of Acton Bowen Outreach Ministries is charged with second-degree sodomy, enticing a child to enter a vehicle or house for immoral purposes, and second-degree sex abuse. The victim was a young male, but police did not release his age except to say he is over 12 and under 16.

Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said the department's Special Victim's Unit first launched an investigation three weeks ago. The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office issued the warrants on Monday.

"This is certainly one of the more disturbing cases that we've investigated in quite some time,'' Rector said. "Mr. Bowen is in a highly-respected position of influence and he is trusted by many. We believe he betrayed that trust in the worst kind of way."

Bowen was taken into custody in Pelham and transported to the Hoover City Jail. He was moved to the Jefferson County Jail where he was released early Wednesday on $90,300 bond.

Rector said the victim in this case is an underage family acquaintance, "He is currently doing well and has been in a safe environment since police were first notified,'' Rector said.

According to Alabama law, a person commits the crime of second-sodomy if he or she, being 16 years old or older, engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another person less than 16 and more than 12 years old.

For enticing a child to enter vehicle, house, etc., for immoral purposes, the law says, "It shall be unlawful for any person with lascivious intent to entice, allure, persuade, or invite any child under 16 years of age to enter any vehicle, room, house, office, or other place for the purpose of proposing to such child the performance of an act of sexual intercourse or an act which constitutes the offense of sodomy."

Second-degree sexual abuse occurs, the law says, when a person who is 19 years or older, subjects another person to sexual contact who is less than 16 years old, but more than 12 years old."

Rector said no further details will be released concerning the case because of its sensitive nature and the age of the victim.

According to Bowen's website, he is a speaker, best-selling author and visionary.

"Many words are used to describe him, but Acton Bowen's only passion has been to connect people with the one, true God,'' the website states. "Once recognized as one of the nation's leading student pastors, God has clearly blessed Acton with the ability to reach today's high tech, attention-lacking culture."

Bowen is president and founder of Acton Bowen Outreach. His bio says he served for 12 years in a local church, led a citywide student Bible study in Gadsden and was also the host of xlroads TV, a worldwide broadcast viewed weekly by millions of teens and adults in every city in America and over 170 countries around the world.

The website says Bowen is a cohost of Top3 on the JuceTV Network in New York City.

"Everyone associated with JuceTV was shocked and disheartened to hear of the egregious allegations made against Acton Brown this week. Our prayers go out to those who may have been hurt and victimized," a JuceTV spokesperson said in a statement to AL.com. "Mr. Brown made four appearances on JuceTV, an affiliate of TBN, the most recent last summer, but there are no on-going ties."

The outreach website described Bowen as a regular contributor on Fox News as a correspondent on faith and religion. However, network officials say Bowen has never been employed or paid by Fox News.

It goes on to say he speaks up to 20 times a month at churches, disciple-now weekends, citywide crusades, camps, conferences, school assemblies and leadership seminars - giving him a live platform in front of more than 350,000 people.

Bowen served as a chaplain in the Summer Olympic Games in London and is the author of "Escape the Noise," which reached the New York Times Best Sellers List and the Amazon Top 100 list. At one point, he was on staff at CrossPoint Community Church in Gadsden.

"When we first learned of these accusations we wanted to make sure we investigated thoroughly in order to get the truth,'' said Hoover police Chief Nick Derzis. "The victim in this case is a brave young man and he should be commended for coming forward. He and his family deserve our best effort and we believe that we've accomplished that. We will continue to work on their behalf as this troubling case progresses."

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this case or the suspect is encouraged to call Special Victim's unit Detective Brandon Harris at 205-444-7742.
A man is in the hospital after being shot at the Anchor Motel in Birmingham Tuesday night, according to Birmingham police.

Police said someone drove the man to St. Vincent's Hospital after he was shot. It is unclear where at the motel the man was shot.

Officers do not have a suspect in custody or a motive for the shooting at this time.

The man's current condition is also unknown.

The motel is in the 8400 block of First Avenue North.
A Birmingham police officer was shot at while conducting a traffic stop late Tuesday night, according to Birmingham police.

The officer stopped a car for an expired tag at Delta Street and Sixth Avenue South, police said. The tag was also came back as stolen.

The car drove off during the traffic stop, starting a pursuit. At some point during the pursuit, someone in the car fired shots at the officer out the back window, police said.

Officers search the outside of a patrol car after a someone fired shots out the back window of a car during a police pursuit late Tuesday night. The officer was not injured and the patrol car was not damaged in the shooting.

The officer was not injured and the patrol car was not struck by gunfire, police said.

Police inspected the patrol car at the Walgreens parking lot on Lomb Avenue across from Princeton Baptist Medical Center.

Officers later recovered the suspect vehicle in the 400 block of Tuscaloosa Avenue.

Police said they are still searching for the three suspects who were inside the car.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Birmingham police or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
A 22-year-old man is under arrest after police say they found thousands of child porn images during a raid at his Tarrant home.

Dalton Lee Cato was officially charged Wednesday with possession of child pornography, said Tarrant police Lt. Larry Rice. He is en route to the Jefferson County Jail, where his bond is set at $60,000.

The investigation began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said Tarrant. That tip came from Texas and alerted police to a possible child porn predator in their city.

Tarrant detectives made the case their highest priority. "These cases take precedence because of the vulnerability of the victims,'' Rice said. "The quicker we can get these people off the streets, the fewer children are victimized."

Authorities were able to develop enough evidence to obtain and serve a search warrant for Cato's home on Princeton Avenue in Tarrant on Tuesday. It was a joint search with Tarrant police and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Special Victims Unit.

Because the investigation is ongoing, Rice said he couldn't release specifics but said they found thousands of pornographic images in Cato's possession.

"We feel like this guy is a child porn dealer,'' Rice said. "These folks use all types of social media outlets and every time one of these images is shared, that child is victimized again."

Cato is charged with four counts of possession of obscene matter containing visual depiction of persons under age 17. According to Alabama law, a person commits that crime by knowingly possessing any obscene matter that contains a visual depiction of a person under the age of 17 years engaged in any act of sado-masochistic abuse, sexual intercourse, sexual excitement, masturbation, genital nudity, or other sexual conduct. It is a Class C felony.

Rice said additional charges will be sought through the grand jury process. "This will be one less person victimizing children,'' he said. "We're here to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
Michelle Luo, a product manager at Google.

The Google Arts & Culture app, which became a viral sensation earlier this year, allows users to find their doppelganger in a famous piece of art.

The feature's sudden popularity was unexpected, said Vestavia Hills native Michelle Luo, a product manager at Google, who helped create the vision and strategy for the app.

"It was not something that we necessarily expected, but we are really delighted that people enjoyed using the feature," she said, from her Google office in Paris, France. "We were glad to see people exploring art in this new way."

Luo, who has worked for Google for three and a half years, is part of a team of about 50 based in Paris and London who developed the app.

Keeping the app up-and-running for its millions of new users are a bit hectic, she said. But, the team heard lots of interesting feedback, including a woman matched with her own grandmother who was featured in a painting, and a husband and wife who were matched with a painting of a husband and wife.

Google Arts & Culture, which launched in 2016, includes artwork from more than 1,500 museums in 70 countries. The team works on technologies that help preserve and share culture and allow curators to create engaging exhibitions online and offline, inside museums.

The Birmingham Museum of Art has an exhibit on the app.

Luo is the daughter of research scientists who formerly worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She said they research virus structures with the goal of counteracting sicknesses caused by viruses.

Her father, Ming Luo, was on the faculty at UAB for 27 years, and her mom, Jun Tsao, was on faculty for 21 years. Tsao also did some of her postdoctoral studies at UAB prior to joining the faculty.

Her parents now live in Atlanta where her father is on the faculty at Georgia State University.

"They influenced me a lot," Luo said. "They created a very good family atmosphere for me and my sister growing up. They did travel with us a lot when we were younger. They were very interested in having us exposed to different places and different cultures. They instilled those values in us when we were younger."

Luo said she has many fond memories of growing up in Birmingham. She remembers a giant canister of liquid nitrogen that was in the hallway of the UAB building where her parents had their offices. She also recalls going to McWane Science Center and watching a demonstration of liquid nitrogen instantly freezing a blown-up rubber glove.

"Birmingham will always be home and where I came from, she said.

Plus, Luo's learned from living aboard that Birmingham barbecue "really can't be beat."

While she grew up in Vestavia Hills, Luo attended Indian Springs School, a private school near Pelham, which she loved for its emphasis on music and the arts. "It just felt like a natural place for me to be," she said.

Young adult author John Green is a famous alum of the school.

Luo said a lot of her time growing up was spent playing piano or in the dance studio. She practiced ballet at the Birmingham Dance Academy.

Growing up, Luo liked math and science, but she was also creative. She thought she would become an architect. After high school, Luo decided to attend Harvard University, which doesn't' have an architecture program.

She discovered computer science there, and a friend in her intro to computer science class told her about the Google FUSE program, where students are given the chance to visit Google's New York offices.

Luo went on to do two internships with Google during her college years. She liked the transparency of the company and how they combined work with play.

For anyone seeking advice on how to get a job at Google or a similar tech company, Luo suggested interning to learn more about the company and to allow the company to learn more about you.

"It would say it is important to keep in mind that Googlers come from all sorts of backgrounds," she said. "They come from all over the country and also all over the world. It is a group of people who are passionate about what they do."

Luo said she took the opportunity to work on Google Arts & Culture in Paris after learning a spot was open on the team. She said she was wanting to experience living and working outside the United States. And, since she had taken French in high school, Paris seemed to be a perfect fit.

Moving on from the selfie craze, the Google Arts & Culture team is now working on Art Palette, which using a combination of computer vision algorithms, the program matches artworks from cultural institutions from around the world with the users' selected colors.

The team is also working to make 4 million photographs taken by LIFE Magazine, most of which were never published, available for viewing.
On May 11, 1996, ValuJet Flight 592 left Miami International Airport on its way to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. About 11 minutes into take off, passengers reported smelling smoke and before long, a fire erupted in the cabin. Smoke filled the plane as the pilots sent out an emergency call to air traffic control to request to land at the nearest available airport.

They never made it.

Instead, the DC-9 crashed into the Florida Everglades, a few miles west of Miami.

Jay Smith (Contributed photo/First Command Educational Foundation)

The plane nosedived into the shallow swampy land at speeds topping 507 mph, investigators said, killing two pilots, three flight attendants and all 105 passengers on board and obliterating the aircraft. Among those killed were Lt. Paul "Jay" Smith, a 24-year-old computer specialist with the U.S. Air Force stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery and Dennis Sabo, 48, an assistant professor of education at Auburn University.

The National Transportation Safety Board later determined the fire that brought down the plane started in the cargo compartment below the passenger cabin. A flurry of indictments followed the crash, including some directed at ValuJet Flight maintenance contractor SabreTech and its employee Mauro Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who had loaded boxed oxygen containers on the aircraft.

Valenzuela faced criminal charges after crash investigators determined he had a role in the mishandling and packaging of oxygen generators that were placed in the plane's cargo hold. The generators, which were missing their required safety caps, ignited in the cargo area, causing the crash.

Valenzuela didn't appear for trial, however, and the FBI declared him a fugitive. Now, 22 years after the deadly crash, the FBI is turning up the heat in hopes of nabbing the fugitive airline mechanic.

Recovery personnel work at the crash site of ValuJet Flight 592. (FAA Photo)

A new reward

The FBI announced this week it was offering a $10,000 reward to generate new leads that could result in Valenzuela's capture. A new wanted poster showing Valenzuela as he appeared in 1996 and how he could look today was also released.

"We've tried over the years to find him. It bothers me. I've lived and breathed it for many, many years," said FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge, who has served as the primary agent on the case since it began. "We want closure."

If captured, Valenzuela would face charges related to the crash and additional federal charges, issued in 2000, for fleeing and failing to appear at his trial. The flier is being circulated in the U.S. and Santiago, Chile, where Valenzuela has family connections. He may also be traveling to Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, the FBI said, and has ties to Georgia in the U.S.

The FBI said Valenzuela may be living under a false identity.
Michael McAllister, a Republican candidate for governor who kept a low profile during his short time in the race, was found dead Sunday inside his Troy home following a welfare check, the Pike County Sheriff's Office told AL.com on Wednesday. He was 69.

"Nobody heard from him for a few days, so the deputies went down and had to force entry to the residence," said Pike County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Buck Williams. "He had already been deceased [when deputies found him], and there was not any evidence of foul play. He had a bunch of health problems."

Williams said he did not know what those specific health problems were.

McAllister was a former corrections officer, according to the sheriff's office.

He entered the Republican primary for governor, but did not respond to repeated phone calls for an interview or to repeated invitations to participate in AL.com's candidate debate.

The Alabama Republican Party issued the following statement Thursday on McAllister's death:

"The Alabama Republican Party is saddened to hear of the very sudden passing of ALGOP Gubernatorial Candidate Michael McAllister. We honor his willingness to be a citizen servant as he was seeking to be elected to a position in public office. Please join us as we lift up his family and friends in prayer during this very difficult time."
Scott Dawson, one of five Republican candidates for Alabama governor, is pushing for mandatory drug testing at all public schools in Alabama.

His plan is to test all students who voluntarily participate in extracurricular activities, a method that has won past approval in federal court.

Dawson, a youth pastor and evangelist in Birmingham, said his proposal would be financially backed by the private sector, and would be able to withstand potential legal challenges.

"This is not to hurt people," said Dawson, one of four main candidates for GOP nomination for governor. The primary is June 5.

"It is because I'm tired of drug addiction holding a generation hostage," said Dawson. "Drug addiction doesn't know a gender, a race, a socioeconomic status. Every family that I speak to in a setting has got someone ravaged in their family by drug addiction and I'm tired with it. We have to do something about it."

Dawson said he understands the proposal would be costly - one expert with the American Academy of Pediatrics once pegged the costs of around $24 per student, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for some of Alabama's largest school districts.

But Dawson said his policy hinges on partnering with private or non-profit entities.

Said Dawson: "I've said, 'Do you not think there is a corporation or companies around our state or in our country that won't just line up and be partners with us as we try to eradicate drug addiction in our high schools?' I've talked to enough business owners who can't get enough employees to pass a drug test."

'Local' decisions

Dawson's views on student drug testing offer a stark difference from his three Republican opponents, two of whom believe the issue should be decided locally.

And the issue could be a hot topic for discussion during one of the upcoming GOP governor debates, the first of which is taking place Thursday in Birmingham organized by WVTM Channel 13.

Dawson will also participate in the Reckon by AL.com GOP governor's debate on April 18 at the Lyric Theater in Birmingham.

"We cannot create a task force to sit around a table and come up with technical solutions," said Dawson. "We have to start acting on this."

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who is likely not going to attend the upcoming debates, told AL.com Tuesday in Montgomery that decisions to drug test students should be determined by local school officials.

Said Ivey: "My initial thought is those kinds of issues ought to be left to the local leaders, whether it's the superintendent, the principal, folks that are closest to the situation."

She also said that "extra money" provided in the Legislature's recently approved budget will include money for the Department of Mental Health to "expand some programs they've got to help drug abuse or drug situations in our schools."

State Sen. Bill Hightower, R-Mobile, echoed Ivey's stance. "I would always go to the local groups to find out how they want to deal with the problem. They are the closest to it."

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, however, believes that making drug testing mandatory won't solve problems, and isn't "part of my agenda."

"It's very expensive," he said. "You look at the expense of it and what it does to people when you demand they do something like that. It's almost like saying 'you're guilty until proven innocent.' I think this whole society is based upon innocent until proven guilty and that's something I've fallen back on pretty hard."

Hightower did say he would be interested in learning how other states have handled mandatory drug test policies, though there is no known statewide policy in the U.S. making drug tests mandatory for every public-school student who participates in an extracurricular activity. Nor is there a state that budgets for such widespread mandatory drug tests.

Prevalent but effective?

Daniel Romer, a research and director of the Adolescent Communication Institute at the University of Pennsylvania's Anneberg Public Policy Institute, said there is no state mandating random drug tests. He said that Dawson's policy, on its surface, may run afoul with previous U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

"They did approve randomized testing, but blanket testing might be a problem," said Romer, whose group has studied the effectiveness of drug testing students.

Indeed, Dawson's campaign is pointing to two previous Supreme Court decisions they believe will support his program.

In 1995, the court upheld the constitutionality of a random drug testing program implemented by a public school in Oregon.

In 2002, the court on a 5-4 decision upheld the constitutionality of random drug testing of students participating in extracurricular activities. That case, stemming from an Oklahoma school board's decision, focused on whether the school system violated the U.S. Constitution by subjecting students to random urinalysis screenings for drug use.

Dawson's policy is also likely to face opposition from civil libertarian groups like the ACLU, which contend student drug testing is unconstitutional because it violates their right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure as outlined in the Fourth Amendment.

"We shouldn't be treating students as if they are criminals," said Randall Marshall, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama. "Indiscriminate and suspiciousless drug testing violates student privacy rights."

In recent years, there has been a rise of local school systems implementing their own drug testing policies, according to national media reports.

A 2012 Center for Disease Control report indicates that nearly 30 percent of U.S. public school districts containing middle or high schools have adopted a student drug-testing policy. Among the schools with these policies, 65.1 percent of them tested whenever there was belief that drugs were being used by a student, while 59.1 of districts tested a specific group - athletes, or those participating in extracurriculars - randomly.

The Washington Post, in a 2015 article about the issue and in citing a national survey, showed that 28 percent of school districts randomly tested all students and not just those who participate in after-school programs.

Dawson said he's not advocating drug testing all students attending public schools. Instead, he wants to focus only on students who voluntarily participate in extracurricular activities.

In Alabama, past adoptions for mandatory drug screenings haven't come without controversy.

In 2015, Auburn city school officials adopted a policy requiring mandatory random drug tests for all seventh to 12th grade students. Some parents voiced their objections to media outlets, and said they believed students with drug problems should feel more comfortable going to authority figures for help, not threatened by them.

The Auburn program, which is still in effect, authorizes the superintendent or designee to come up with a program to ensure all students participating in extracurricular activities are free from alcohol and drugs.

Daisy Griffin, an Auburn resident who opposed the school's program, said the testing can have an opposite effect of its intent.

"Extra-curriculars are, in and of themselves, beneficial in the fight against drugs," she said. "Random drug testing creates a hostile environment which increases the risk of drug use and incentivizes kids to not participate in group building activities."

Romer's group and others like Griffin are also questioning the effectiveness of drug-testing. Groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute on Drug Abuse claim that widespread drug-testing of students shouldn't be a stand-alone solution to combatting drugs.

Romer's group, in its analysis in 2013, claims there are better solutions to combatting drugs such as "better school climates that encourage norms of drug avoidance," life skills training, drug education and greater involvement of parents and teachers to help recognize signs of drug use.

Dawson's plan, according ot his website, would provide "guidance and counseling" for students who fail the drug test with a specified discipline program under the same terms as those who use drugs on school campuses

AL.com reporter Mike Cason contributed to this report.
Twenty suspected drug dealers were arrested Wednesday as part of a major drug bust in Bay Minette.

The three-week-long sting, known as "Operation Spring Clean," managed to seize crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and associated items. Firearms and nearly $2,500 was also taken.

The drug bust came as a result of complaints from residents of the Baldwin County city.

"These enforcement efforts are ongoing and will continue. We want to thank the citizens for providing us information and tips to act on," said a Bay Minette spokesperson. "This communication between Law Enforcement and citizens are vital in our crime fighting efforts.

This post will be updated as more details become available.
In 2015, the assistant principal at Escambia County Middle School was indicted for child abuse after paddling a fifth-grader.

The boy had been disruptive during a school assembly, according to court records, and had gotten into a fight with another child. The assistant principal, Angela Parham, and other school staff testified that she followed school board-approved procedure for the corporal punishment, including having it witnessed by other teachers. In the days following the paddling, the student's mother took pictures of bruising on her son's buttocks and filed a police report.

During an evidentiary hearing in the case, District Attorney Stephen Billy asked Parham whether school policy allowed her to cause physical injury to a student.

"Our school policy allows corporal punishment," she responded.

"Does it allow you to use force against a student?" he asked.

"If corporal punishment is force, it allows us to use corporal punishment."

After more back-and-forth, the district attorney asked Parham: "You're administering corporal punishment, in your mind, how much force is allowed on a student?"

"I don't know how to answer that," she said. "I don't know how to measure force."

Corporal punishment is still used on thousands of students in public schools across Alabama each year. Yet when it comes to paddling, how hard is too hard?

Alabama state law explicitly gives public school educators the authority to use corporal punishment. But there's no guidance on what constitutes an acceptable amount of force.

The arrest in recent years of at least two Alabama educators for paddling raises troubling questions about a practice most of the nation has long since given up.

Legal immunity

In the mid-1990s, Fob James campaigned for a second term as governor on a law-and-order platform of school and prison reform that included support for corporal punishment and the reinstatement of chain gangs.

His school paddling law passed in 1995. Alabama Code 16-28A-1 specifically gives teachers the authority to "use appropriate means of discipline up to and including corporal punishment as may be prescribed by the local board of education."

Further, the law says that as long as teachers follow board policy while disciplining students, they "shall be immune from civil or criminal liability."

There were more than 20,000 incidents of corporal punishment statewide in the 2015-2016 school year, according to state data. Alabama is one of 15 states with laws that specifically allow corporal punishment in public schools. Another 29 states have banned the practice.

Some local systems and some schools in Alabama have also eliminated paddling, as research shows little benefit to discipline and educators often cite concerns about liability.

"There's 50 years of research, and it's not even a close question anymore, that (paddling) doesn't do any good and is often counter-productive," said Victor Vieth, senior director and founder of the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center. "And often school corporal punishment is administered disproportionately against boys, against minorities, and against children who have experienced abuse at home."

Still, most Alabama school systems allow it. About three-quarters of Alabama school districts had at least one incident of corporal punishment in 2015-2016.

And despite it being protected under law, educators still face criminal and civil penalties for paddling.

The Alabama Education Association, which provides legal services to member educators, sees an average of three corporal punishment cases per year, said Amy Marlowe, AEA assistant executive director. Those are a mixture of civil and criminal cases.

Local school board policies typically outline rules for corporal punishment, including number of licks with the paddle, how many witnesses are required, how parents are notified, etc. but don't address the amount of force used, she said.

Headed to trial

In 2016, an assistant principal at Etowah Middle School, Nathan Ayers, claims he followed district policy when he gave a 12-year-old boy two licks with the paddle. The boy was given the choice of paddling or detention after a teacher wrote the boy up for making an obscene gesture, The Gadsden Times reported.

He chose the paddling.

Later, the boy's mother showed pictures to school personnel of bruising on her son's buttocks. At the suggestion of a school nurse, the mother reported the incident to Attalla police.

A subsequent Attalla City school board investigation concluded Ayers acted within the scope of his authority and followed board policies on administering corporal punishment.

But in September 2017, a grand jury indicted Ayers on felony child abuse and second-degree assault charges. The paddling had caused deep-tissue bruising, according to the district attorney.

Last week, a judge denied a motion to dismiss Ayers' charges. His trial is set for August.

As evidenced by cases like this one, there's a line between school-sanctioned discipline and child abuse.

But state law leaves educators to figure it out.

Popular in Alabama

Most American education and child advocacy groups have called for a ban on corporal punishment.

While the Alabama Education Association does not have an official position on corporal punishment, the Alabama Association of School Boards recently passed a resolution discouraging the use of paddling.

"Research shows it is not as effective as some of the other more positive forms of school discipline," said Dana Vandiver, public relations director for the AASB. "It's on the decline. I think attitudes have changed."

In 2016, then-U.S. Education Secretary John King wrote a letter to governors and state school officers urging them to stop using corporal punishment.

"Notably, the very acts of corporal punishment that are permissible when applied to children in schools under some state laws," he pointed out, "would be prohibited as criminal assault or battery when applied to adults in the community in those very same states."

Yet paddling remains in use in schools in most Southern states.

Of the 21 states that still paddled in 2013-2014, according to federal data, a dozen were in the South.

Alabama ranked third highest that year for the percentage of students who were paddled, behind only Mississippi and Arkansas.

Federal data shows 18,749 students in Alabama were paddled in 2013-2014, or about 2.5% of all students in Alabama.

Paddling is particularly popular in rural areas. According to state data for the 2015-2016 school year, 21 school systems in Alabama paddled 10 percent or more of the children. All were county systems in rural areas.

Conecuh County by far paddled the highest percentage of its students that year, followed by Covington and Choctaw county systems in south Alabama.

Corporal punishment has fallen out of favor in larger urban systems in the state. Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile school systems each reported zero paddlings that year. However, Jefferson and Madison county systems still allow it.

'Excessive' force

In the Escambia County case, although a police investigator testified that he thought the force used to paddle the student was "excessive," the court eventually dismissed the case against Angela Parham.

The judge explained his decision by saying state law explicitly gave Parham immunity from criminal and civil liability because she followed the school district's guidelines for corporal punishment.

But the case against Ayers is moving forward, after Etowah County Circuit Court Judge William Ogletree denied a motion this week to dismiss charges against Ayers.

Efforts to reach the prosecution or Ayers' attorneys were unsuccessful.

His defense team maintains in court documents that Alabama law grants Ayers immunity from criminal prosecution because he followed the school board's policy on administering corporal punishment.

Etowah County Superintendent David Bowman declined to comment on Ayers specifically, but said he was not reviewing the district's corporal punishment protocols at this time. He also said he believes school administrators are able to accurately determine the amount of force necessary for corporal punishment to be meaningful but not criminal.

Vieth said that the determination of "reasonable" force depends on the judge or jury, and as corporal punishment continues to fall out of favor with the general public, "the definition of reasonableness is shrinking."

"The law isn't shrinking, but society's view (of acceptable corporal punishment) is shrinking," he said, "More and more people are turning away from this. It's risky.

"If you're leaving it up to teachers" to determine whether a student should be paddled, he said, "I'd tell them you do it at your own risk. If you exceed what a jury in your community says is reasonable, you're criminally liable."
Evangelist Scott Dawson, a Republican candidate for governor, said that he did not know he was listed on the board of advisers for an Etowah County evangelist who was arrested for child sexual abuse.

Dawson said he knows Acton Bowen, and used him as a speaker in 2014 at one of his evangelistic events, AtlantaFest.

"I never noticed anything that caused concern - but I was not on his board," Dawson said in a text message to AL.com.

The web site for Bowen's ministry has now been taken down, but it previously listed Dawson on its board of advisers.

Bowen, the founder of Acton Bowen Outreach Ministries, was arrested in Hoover Tuesday on child sex charges.

Paul Edward Acton Bowen, 37, a Gadsden native who lives in Etowah County's Southside community, is charged with second-degree sodomy, enticing a child to enter a vehicle or house for immoral purposes, and second-degree sex abuse. The victim was a young male, but police did not release his age except to say he is over 12 and under 16.

Dawson said he sent out this message to his campaign team about Bowen's arrest:

"It is heartbreaking," Dawson said. "When I got the news it surprised me - then I had to decide how to respond. Preacher? Politician? Neither. We respond as a follower of Christ. When I heard that I was listed as an adviser to him, it was a total surprise, but again, I am the least impacted. Let's pray for Acton and his wife. Pray for the family. We don't know what has happened or the result that will take place. All we know is that every time this happens it causes the world to doubt. Let's commit ourselves to be found faithful."

Documents on file with the Secretary of State do not list Dawson on the board of directors or board of advisers for Acton Bowen Outreach Ministries.

The state legal documents of incorporation for the ministry were prepared by Gadsden attorney Trenton Garmon, who was listed as a member of the board of directors for Acton Bowen Outreach. Garmon also worked as an attorney for former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore of Etowah County during his failed campaign for U.S. senate last year. Garmon wrote a letter on Moore's behalf threatening legal action against AL.com for reporting on allegations of sexual misconduct by Moore.

Efforts to reach Garmon for comment on Bowen's arrest were unsuccessful.

Bowen wrote two books aimed at youth, including the 2007 publication "Escape the Noise: A Thirty-Day Devotional Journey for Students," that Dawson appears to have endorsed with a blurb.

"In Escape the Noise gifted speaker and author Acton Bowen shows clearly what God's Word says concerning life, joy, fulfillment, purpose and focus," Dawson wrote. "Reading these 30 devotionals will impact your life in a profound and irreversible way."

Dawson said he did not remember endorsing the book, but probably did. "I give endorsements to books all the time," Dawson said.

There was also an endorsement from Dawson about Bowen's speaking ministry on Bowen's web site. "Acton's voice rings out with a clarion call for each of us," Dawson wrote. "As a gifted author and powerful speaker Acton clearly communicates what God's Word says about life and purpose. Experiencing his ministry on stage or in print will impact your life in a profound and irreversible way."

Asked about the endorsments, Dawson said: "Sad. I've heard him speak and he was good. I've realized that God will always work through us when we speak His word. But it's my responsibility to live a life for Him to work in me."
As thousands of National Guard troops deploy to the Mexico border, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to bring his firm stance on immigration enforcement to New Mexico where a group of Southwest border sheriffs are meeting Wednesday.

Sessions will speak in Las Cruces at the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition Annual Spring Meeting with the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition, which is made up of 31 sheriff's departments from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Their counties are located within 25 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigrant rights activists promised to protest Sessions' visit on Wednesday, as they rejected his past characterization of the border region during a 2017 visit to El Paso, Texas, as "ground zero" in the Trump administration's fight against cartels, and human traffickers.

"He treated our home like a war zone, referring to it as 'ground zero,'" said Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso. "He was wrong then, and he is wrong now."

El Paso is some 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Las Cruces.

Sessions' trip to Las Cruces, a city about an hour north of the border, comes as construction begins nearby on 20-miles (32-kilometers) of steel fencing that officials say is a part of President Donald Trump's promised wall.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have described the new, heightened barrier as a structure that will be harder to get over, under and through than the old post and rail barriers that has lined the stretch of the border's El Paso sector.

Sessions has issued an order directing federal prosecutors to put more emphasis on charging people with illegal entry, citing a "crisis" on the border.

A 37 percent increase in illegal border crossings in March brought more than 50,000 immigrants into the United States, which was triple the number of reported illegal border crossings in the same period last year. It was still far lower, however, than the surges during the last years of the Obama administration and prior decades.

The attorney general's "zero-tolerance" for border-crossing prosecutions calls for taking action against people who are caught illegally entering the United States for the first time. In the past, such offenses have been treated as misdemeanors.

He also recently set quotas for immigration judges to reduce enormous court backlogs, saying they must complete 700 cases a year to earn a satisfactory grade. The quotas take effect Oct. 1.
An environmental group plans to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not taking steps to protect an endangered species of fish that lives near the planned site of the Toyota-Mazda manufacturing plant in Limestone County.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice of intent to sue the FWS for not designating critical habitat for the spring pygmy sunfish, which is known to survive in just one spring complex in Limestone County.

That spring complex is near the planned site for the auto manufacturing plant expected to eventually produce 300,000 automobiles a year and employ 4,000 people.

The spring pygmy sunfish

The group says the new plant will mean extensive new development, including roads, buildings and parking lots throughout the watershed, and that by not designating any critical habitat, the FWS has neglected its legal responsibility to ensure the development does not harm the spring pygmy sunfish.

"We won't let this rare fish wait any longer for the habitat protections it's guaranteed under the Endangered Species Act," Elise Bennett, an attorney at the Center, said in a news release. "Reckless development has already sent this little fish diving toward the brink of extinction.

"The Fish and Wildlife Service needs to protect the sunfish's habitat immediately before this massive manufacturing plant destroys what's left of it."

The spring pygmy sunfish was twice thought to have already gone extinct, but a population was found in the Beaverdam Spring Complex, very close to the site of the plant.

The group says that developers need to either find a new site for the auto plant or "serious mitigation measures need to be put in place."

In its arguments, the group cites the whiteline topminnow, a species that used to live in Big Spring before the development in downtown Huntsville. It is now believed to be extinct.

The spring pygmy sunfish was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2013, and the FWS sought public comments on the designation of critical habitat for the species. However, that process was never finalized.

A spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service said the agency would respond to the lawsuit in the coming days, but was not ready to do so at publication time.
President Trump today nominated Andrew Brasher, solicitor general for the Alabama attorney general's office, for a federal judgeship.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Brasher will serve as a district judge for the Middle District of Alabama. He would fill the seat vacated by Judge Mark Fuller, who resigned in 2015 after his arrest in a domestic dispute with his wife.

Brasher has served as Alabama's solicitor general since 2014. In that role, he oversees the state's cases involving the U.S. Supreme Court, 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court.

Brasher worked in the Birmingham office for the law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP before joining the attorney general's office. He also served as law clerk to 11th Circuit Appeals Court Judge Bill Pryor.

Brasher received his bachelor's degree from Samford University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.

Brasher was one of about 30 nominees announced by the White House today for federal judge and for U.S. marshal.

Brasher replaces Brett Talley as the Trump nominee for the Middle District seat. The White House announced late last year it withdrawing Talley's nomination. That came after a committee of the American Bar Association rated Talley as not qualified.

"Andrew Brasher is abundantly qualified to serve as District Judge for the Middle District of Alabama," said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.

"His impressive academic credentials are equally matched by a legal resume that leaves no doubt about his ability in the courtroom. From cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School to successfully arguing cases before judges from Alabama's Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court, Mr. Brasher's experience would be an asset to the bench. As Solicitor General of Alabama, he has served this State and the Attorney General's Office with distinction. I fully support his nomination and urge his swift confirmation."
1995 was a great year to be a college freshman. Our government was stable. The economy was strong. The closest thing to wars were a few missiles fired here and there by remote control. History was at an end and the American-led West had won. It was only a matter of time before every nation on earth converted to democracy and plugged into the New York Stock Exchange.

And to top it all off, there was this new thing, a nascent network of computers bringing unprecedented connections for communication and access to information from all over the world.

The World Wide Web was born, and we were there to see it.

Every new college student received an email account. It was like the world had given us a driver's license for the future, and our parents didn't have one.

I still remember the first website I saw. A few of my cohorts and I walked to the campus computer lab one afternoon after a lunch trip to Taco Bell.

"Name a company," my friend said, sitting in front of a computer.

I looked at the cup in my hand.

"Taco Bell," I said.

He typed "http://www.tacobell.com" into the Netscape browser and there it was -- a crude site with a list of Taco Bell locations and an electronic taco you could "eat" by clicking on it.

Whoa.

Then my friend asked us to come up with the sickest sexually deviant behavior we could imagine. I don't remember the exact combination, but I do remember it involved hamsters. A few more clicks on a keyboard and there it was -- a colonoscopy via Habitrail.

Nasty.

The Internet was our genie, ready to grant us any wish.

At least until Congress tried to wrest control of it. Dirty pictures of naked people doing nasty things! And children could go on their computers and see this stuff! Somebody had to stop this, and Congress decided that somebody was them.

They failed, obviously, but one unintended side effect of their attempt lasts to this day -- a line of code, if you will, in federal law, that changed the world.

When Congress passed the Communications Decency Act of 1996, it meant to make indecency on the internet illegal. Civil libertarians howled. Lawsuits flew through the courts like flying monkeys, challenging it as a necessary encroachment on the First Amendment.

By the time my sophomore year began, my computer lab pal was now my college roommate. We did our part to resist the oppressive CDA: We changed the desktop backgrounds in the campus computer labs to a cartoon of a puppy peeing on the bill.

Take that, feds!

The lawsuits, it turned out, worked a lot better. By 1997, the federal courts shredded the bill. Only one significant provision of the CDA remained: Section 230.

A bug and a feature

About the same time I was vandalizing computer lab desktops, I took a course computer science and learned to write a little code. When you learn to code on a computer, the first thing you learn is that a single misplaced punctuation mark can crash the whole thing, corrupting your product or even negating its intent.

Section 230 of the United States Code was such a line. It did anything but make the internet decent.

The critical portion says this:

"No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider."

What that means is this: If you have a platform on the internet and you allow users to publish information on that platform, you cannot be held liable for what those users put on your site.

Pretty much everything everyone hates about the internet today -- anonymous trolls in comment threads, Russian bots, revenge porn, fake news, videos of ISIS beheadings, ads for black market drugs, cookies that track your searches and then chase your around the internet with ads for the things you searched for -- all that can be traced back to this line in our federal code. None of that would be possible without it.

But for some, it wasn't a bug. It was a feature.

Pretty much everything fantastic about the internet today -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc. -- would not exist without it, either.

Freedom from responsibility

The key things to understand here is that 230 separated the role of platforms from that of publishers. For instance, if you write a letter to the editor that libels somebody and the newspaper prints that letter, the newspaper can be held liable for publishing your defamation. It's a publisher.

But if you post those libelous things in a comment thread on a newspaper's website, the company can't be held liable. That's a platform.

Suddenly tech startups had all the freedom of the First Amendment and none of the responsibility. Without it, Twitter would have to vet each tweet and YouTube would have to screen each video. (And before you say it, yes, we would have to sift every comment on AL.com.) User-generated content as we know it would be legally dangerous and cost-prohibitive.

Under 230, platforms can let users publish whatever, all while running ads next to that content and putting the profits in their pockets.

Freedom from responsibility is not what the authors of 230 intended.

Around the same time my pals and I were horsing around in the college computer lab, the federal courts ruled that Prodigy (a competitor of AOL) had made itself liable for user-generated content. Prodigy, the courts found, had moderated its user forums, and by doing so, had touched that content -- making it responsible for all content on its platform.

More directly, by trying to clean up some of the content on its platform, Prodigy had become liable for all the content on its platform. Trying to take any control of content on a platform was then legally dangerous for platforms.

Christopher Cox, a Republican from California, and Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, saw this disincentive as dangerous to the internet and the pioneers staking their claims there. They tried to fix this problem, first with their own bill. When their bill failed to pass, they tried again by inserting much the same language in the CDA.

Their amendment became Section 230.

As the other provisions of the CDA died in the federal courts, my internet libertarian pals and I celebrated those victories. The digital world would be free from government interference, we thought.

But ultimately, it was the CDA that made this new realm free from responsibility and densely populated with new hazards.

The End of the End of History

Mark Zuckerberg was 11 years old when the CDA passed into law. Eight years later -- as he reminded the world over and over again in his testimony before Congress this week -- he launched Facebook from his college dorm room. He didn't even have to walk to the computer lab.

What a crazy world.

I thought two things while watching Zuckerberg's testimony this week.

First, I had an eight-year lead on this kid but I'm not yet a billionaire. I haven't rattled markets with my pronouncements. I haven't hosted a party for my company's IPO. But also, I haven't poisoned democracy throughout the world, nor have I empowered genocide in Myanmar.

I call it a wash.

The second thing I thought was this: These wrinkly old men in Congress haven't learned a damn thing about the internet since 1995.

One after another in the Senate committee room Tuesday, lawmakers put their outrage on display, but also their ignorance. Not one of these buffoons could set up an iPhone without an intern's help.

Zuck sat there and took it. Patiently as one senator demanded to know when Facebook would give users control of their privacy and information, he patly explained that users already could. He was ready with answers, but the old men weren't ready with questions. I kept waiting for one of them to demand Zuck explain how to program a VCR.

These are men (some women, but mostly men still) with incredible power. How many of them, do you figure, know they are the ones who made Zuckerberg's success possible? How many of them understand this unruly digital world exists, not because of Silicon Valley but because of Washington, D.C.?

All because of one line of code.

It's time for those wrinkly old men to smarten up, get with the times, and debug the law.

Doing so, for a time, will turn the world on its head. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other tech giants would have to evolve quickly and drastically. The disrupters would be the disrupted. Some would probably go bankrupt. Many newly rich people would suddenly be poor. There is a cost to be paid.

But there's a benefit, too. Each day, it becomes more apparent that the social media giants are the tobacco industry of the 21st century. Go on Facebook or Twitter today and you'll see one friend or another announcing they are deleting their accounts with all the boasting and bravado of a smoker who just threw a carton of cigarettes in the trash. But they'll be back. We know this stuff is poisonous, but we can't quit.

Zuck will cry. Folks like that 18-year-old me in the college computer lab will howl. They'll say deleting 230 will destroy freedom on the internet. That's nonsense.

Deleting 230 will restore responsibility.

The internet's birth and adolescence have been fast, painful and strange, but it's time for it and us to grow up.

Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group.

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Student Government senators unanimously supported increasing funding for the Disability Resource Center at a Senate meeting Tuesday night.

Senators also passed a resolution  a written statement with no legislative weight  to raise awareness of the financial hardships undergraduate international students face.

Sen. Felipe Gatos (Inspire, District D), who also serves as the president of the Brazilian Student Association, said he noticed a lack of scholarships and work opportunities available to these international students.

I dont think any student should have to choose between paying for rent, food and education, he said.

Senators also unanimously passed bills that will change election codes, including a neutrality act used to ensure the future members of the elections commission and the supervisor of elections have no affiliation with a political party or independent candidate. Another approved bill stated no candidate or representative of a political party can coerce, intimidate or threaten a student or a member of a student organization.

Sen. Ben Lima (Inspire, District D) said he wrote these acts to fix some problems he saw with the election codes after serving for two semesters as Inspire Partys president.

The codes arent going to be perfect, and every once in a while you have to take a look at them, Lima said. The codes are necessary. We should be trying to improve our democracy and our laws.

Contact Christina Morales at cmorales@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @Christina_M18.
The Amherst Student. The Daily Campus. The Sunflower.

Over the last few years, in the face of shrinking finances, these are just a few of the student-run publications that have had their independence jeopardized. Others have been forced to fold. Across the U.S., student-run newsrooms  just like professional newsrooms  are struggling to survive. They are hemorrhaging.

But no one is talking about it.

As professional newsrooms shrink, communities have become more dependent on student newsrooms as a source of local coverage, holding not only our universities accountable but also city governments and county administrations. And as most traditional newsrooms throw up paywalls, our journalism has remained free in the stands and online. We write these articles, attending meetings and hounding sources, while juggling classes, exams and, for many of us, part-time jobs. We do it because were passionate and care about our communities. Freedom of the press is the freedom of the people.

But we face the same problems legacy publications do. Rising print costs are no longer offset by print ads, and the new paper tariffs will only make this worse. Because of this, more student publications are having to turn to their universities for funding. But the financial help often comes with unwanted opinions and less editorial control. In short, university funding can lead to censorship. Publications that rely on a student government for funding, for instance, feel pressured to choose between running an article to expose corruption or greed within their university and paying their staff.

The Student Press Law Center has advocated for asserting legal rights for high school and college journalists state by state with the New Voices campaign. But the conversation on helping student-run publications survive needs to continue over the years, and thats what #SaveStudentNewsrooms, a movement launched by the editors of The Alligator, is trying to achieve.

After news broke that the Daily Campus, the newspaper serving the Southern Methodist University community, would reaffiliate with its university later this year, we realized how critical it is that this conversation happens now. Student journalists cannot wait for another year to strategize  some can barely wait a month  we need to act now.

So here is our solution: In order to survive the tumultuous era of journalism, student journalists must start advocating for themselves. Its a strange concept; we are taught to write and think objectively about sources, issues and topics through the journalism college. Dont become the story. But its important for student journalists to become advocates for themselves and to remind others how critical they are to a community. No one else will. We cant expect funding to drop from the sky or people to decry censorship if we do not. We also encourage those of you who are unaffiliated with the journalism world to pay close attention to the state of student journalism. The students who are working long hours for little pay  and sometimes for none  are the ones who want to become the future professional journalists.

In the coming days, youll see social media posts with #SaveStudentNewsrooms from college journalists across the country. Pay attention, because were just getting started.

Help us save student newsrooms.

You can donate to The Alligator here

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By submitting this article to a friend we reserve the right to contact them regarding Fastmarkets AMM subscriptions. Please ensure you have their consent before giving us their details. Global ali: US, Brazil premiums at 3-year highs

The US Midwest aluminium premium surged after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Oleg Deripaska and UC Rusal; Asian and European markets remained mostly firm while participants assessed the sanctions' effects on the physical markets.

The US Midwest premium is up by nearly 20%

Aluminium premiums in Brazil were at their highest since August 2015

In Europe, the premium for aluminium in Rotterdam on a duty-unpaid basis remained unchanged

Premiums in Asia were mostly firm, with participants adopting a wait-and-see approach

Spreads on the London Metal Exchange have been volatile following the US Treasurys announcement

The US Midwest aluminium premium has soared by nearly 20% week on week as a result of consternation in the market about the US sanctions that froze assets belonging to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and aluminium producer UC Rusal  and could lead to a shortage of available prime aluminium in the United States.The US Treasury on Friday April 6 targeted a group of Russian government officials and oligarchs, and the companies that they control, for reasons including Russias involvement in the annexation of Ukraines Crimea peninsula and in the unrest in Syria, the department said.American Metal Markets assessment on Tuesday April 10 of the spot US P1020-grade aluminium premium places it at 22-23 cents per lb, up by 18.4% from 18.75-19.25 cents per lb on Friday April 6. This is a year-to-date high for the premium, and is about 1.5 cents lower than the premiums record high of 24-24.25 cents per lb, which it reached in early 2015. The premium is now up by 138.1% from the beginning of the year.While the driver for the premiums uptick earlier this year was speculation about the then-pending Section 232 reports on steel and aluminium imports into the US, the driver this week was mostly speculation about how the market will handle the sanctions on Rusal, since many buyers are reliant on Russia-origin metal.This is the sort of confusion that the market doesnt need, one supplier said.Some traders said that customers had been in a state of panic since the sanctions were handed down on Friday, but others said that buyers and sellers alike were reluctant to engage with the spot market until some clarity was gained.Customers are coming out of the woodwork nervous, a second supplier said. All of a sudden, the world of traders got really small Im going to squeeze my customers now.Domestic aluminium ingot premiums in Brazil have reached their highest level since August 2015 due to concerns about domestic supply disruptions and the soaring US Midwest premium.Metal Bulletin assessed the P1020-grade aluminium premium ddp Sao Paulo at $340-380 per tonne on April 10, up by 7.5% from a week earlier.Meanwhile, aluminium premiums on a cif main Brazilian ports basis rose to $210-220 per tonne, from $190-210 per tonne a week earlier. This is the highest level since June 2015.Premiums have been on the rise due to the spike in the [US] Midwest premiums and supply fears in Brazil, one seller said. Now that the confirmation of the troubles at Albras just came out, premiums should move even higher.Norsk Hydros Albras smelter in Brazil announced earlier on Tuesday that it is cutting its aluminium production by 50% due to restricted alumina supply from Alunorte, which was ordered by the government to halve its output on worries about water contamination after heavy rains.I am really concerned about what might happen now, one consumer, who buys ingot from Albras through a contract, told Metal Bulletin.The benchmark premium for P1020A material in Rotterdam on a duty-unpaid basis increased week on week to $98-105 per tonne on April 10, from $95-103 per tonne. It has, however, remained steady since the US announced its sanctions on Rusal last Friday.Market participants are holding on to metal while they try to figure out the major effects of the sanctions. If premiums move up, we would not want to miss a trade, one trader in Europe said.Still, the general expectation is for premiums to increase in the next few days while more market participants are expected to stay away from Rusal-branded metal, making the market tight for some.There is an expectation that financial institutions and buyers with a presence in the US will stay away from Rusal material. There has been very little duty-unpaid business concluded since the start of the week.No one wants to use [Rusal metal. Its almost as if it were] contaminated, a second trader in Europe said.Banks and financers are staying away from financing Rusal material for now, market participants agreed, making the metal nearly impossible to transact at the moment.Banks dont want to take [Rusal metal], a third trader said.You cant trade [Rusal metal] in dollars because it goes through US banks, a financing source said.The P1020A Rotterdam duty-paid premium moved up to $164-174 per tonne from $160-169 week on week on April 10 - reflecting a 12% uptick in the London Metal Exchange aluminium cash price to $2,206.25 per tonne week on week and a deal reported above the range.Premiums for aluminium on an fca duty-paid basis in Italy remain high, at $200-210 per tonne, with the market there continuing to be tight. But market participants there expect fresh non-Rusal metal to arrive in the next few weeks, which could add pressure to the market.The aluminium premium for metal on a cif basis in Turkey also remained steady at $120-140 per tonne, although there is an expectation that a flood of Rusal metal will hit the market.The Turkish market will be swamped with Rusal units, a fourth trader in Europe said. Its going to be interesting.The spot aluminium premium, cif main Japanese ports, remained unchanged from Friday at $110-125 per tonne on April 10, with the market taking a wait-and-see approach to the US sanctions on Rusal.No deals were reported in a quiet Japanese market. Nearby spreads showed tightness in the market, with LME cash/April at a $3.20-per-tonne backwardation and LME cash/three-month at a $16-per-tonne backwardation.Market participants in Asia have adopted a wait-and-see approach to the Rusal sanctions. Responses have so far been mixed, with some expecting a decline in demand for Russian aluminium by end-users that export to the US, as well as increased competition for non-Russian material. But others are concerned that Asia premiums could be damped by Russian aluminium flowing into Asia and higher LME aluminium prices.If Rusal cant sell ingot, then world premiums [will] go up. But if they can sell to Europe and Asia, then premiums here will go down, a Japanese trader said about the insecurity concerning the direction for premiums.There is so much uncertainty. I havent done deals since the [Rusal] announcement, an Asian trader said. I think it will take some time.Premiums in South Korea were stable amid slow spot demand, with the fca premium unchanged at $115-130 per tonne this week.The US sanctions on Rusal are unlikely to have significant consequences for South Korean aluminium premiums, because Russia is not a major supplier of P1020-grade material to South Korea, sources said.The Malaysia fob premium was assessed slightly lower on Tuesday, at $95-110 per tonne, compared with $100-115 per tonne a week ago, amid persistent slow demand. Deals on an fca basis were heard at $100 per tonne, with supply deemed ample within the country.In China, Shanghai aluminium premiums on an in-warehouse and cif basis were both assessed at $95-105 per tonne on Tuesday, with offers heard as high as $105 per tonne. Deals were sparse, however, due to a closed import window and good availability of metal in the domestic market. The arbitrage import loss was $371 per tonne on Monday April 9.Stock levels in the country remained high, with Shanghai Futures Exchange aluminium stocks at 970,233 tonnes on Wednesday April 4.Metal Bulletin assessed aluminium warrants in Asia at $5-15 per tonne; the price assessment took place before the London Metal Exchange announced late on Tuesday that it had suspended placing Rusal metal on-warrant.Shivani Singh and Vivian Teo, Singapore; Danielle Assalve, Sao Paulo; and Justin Yang, London, contributed to this article.
Posted on: April 11, 2018 1:02 PM

Sites across the centre of Salisbury remain cordoned off more than a month after Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench in the city centre. They were later found to have been poisoned by Novichok, a nerve-agent linked to the Russian government. On Sunday, the Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam, will lead a service of cleansing and celebration in the parish church of St Thomas, not far from where the Skripals were found.

Mr Skripal, 66, a former Russian military intelligence officer who acted as a double agent for the UKs intelligence services, remains in hospital in Salisbury; but is reported to be responding to treatment and is no longer in a critical condition. His 33-year-old daughter Yulia was released from hospital this week and is said to be living with police protection. British authorities have said that a military grade nerve agent called Novichok, was used in the attack. The international community has laid the blame for the attack on the Russian government. More than 150 Russian diplomats working in 29 countries, as well as NATO and the UN, have been expelled.

Police and security service investigations continue into the attack; and several sites in and Salisbury remain cordoned off, with a large presence of police and counter-terrorism officers, more than a month after the attack took place. Now, the Bishop of Salisbury and the Rector of the Parish in which the Skripals were found, are inviting members of the public to a special service to celebrate the community life of the city. The service, at St Thomas Church at 3 pm on Sunday 15 April, will include prayers for cleansing as close to the site as possible, in order to symbolically reclaim the city for the common good.

The Rector of St Thomas, the Revd Kelvin Inglis, said: the service will bring together city leaders and representatives, members of the business community and local people, together with leaders and members of the emergency and public services. We shall gather in thanksgiving for the work of the services involved, in prayer for those affected, and in looking forward to the future of our fine city.

At the conclusion of the service, we shall go in procession to near the site where the Skripals were found for a ceremony symbolically to reclaim our city for the common good

Our service will include hymns and prayers from both Russia and this country, as well as from the Christian Bible that been the grounding of both of our cultures.

While we feel rightly outraged at this act, I have seen no sense that in the city wishes anything but friendship with the Russian people and better relations between our governments.

Bishop Nicholas added: in this season of Easter, which the Church celebrates for fifty days, this feels like an affirmation of the Christian story  that good ultimately triumphs over evil, truth over deception and life over death. Salisbury was built on that Christian story 800 years ago and it still centres the city today.
(ANSA) - Rome, April 11 - An exhibit on Giovanni Antonio Canal (1697-1768), better known as Canaletto, the aptly surnamed Venetian painter whose views of the lagoon city contributed to visually define it in the world's imagination, is opening Wednesday in Rome.

The show runs through August 19 to mark the 250th anniversary of the painter's death.

The exhibit - "Canaletto 1697-1768" - will showcase the largest number of masterworks by the artist ever displayed in Italy.

They include nine drawings, 16 books and archive documents and 42 paintings from Italian museums as well as private British collections and museums abroad including the Pushkin in Moscow, the National Gallery in London, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest.

The show required two years of preparation and cost almost one million euros.

Organized in nine sections, it has the objective of giving an insight into Canaletto's entire career - from his work as a set designer through his revolution of landscape painting.

It embraces his work in Venice and Rome, the city that fascinated him with its millennial history.

The exhibit showcases the first landscapes representing the Rialto Bridge viewed from the north and the Canal Grande and Santa Maria della Carita with a natural lighting lending fresh crispness to the spectacular views.

Patrons offered Canaletto important commissions after his success in Italy and abroad.

The Bucintoro di ritorno al Molo il giorno dell'Ascensione is from this period.

Canaletto's talent - which reflects the age of Enlightment as well as the music, theater, social and technological progress of his time - garnered him a clientele of Britons undertaking Grand Tours, also thanks to the promotion of patron Joseph Smith.

After Padua, the artist moved to London, where he painted, among others, the "Representation of Chelsea College, Ranelagh House, and the River Thames".

The 1751 painting was cut in half and will now be exceptionally showcased in its entirety for the show.

The left part belongs to the National Trust's Blicking Estate, in Britain, while the other half is part of Cuba's Museo Nacional de bellas artes de la Habana. The exhibit ends with the last years the artist spent in Venice, continuing to paint views of his city and drawings.


(ANSA) - Florence, April 10 - Italian highways company Societa Autostrade said Tuesday that it will replace devises for an electronic speed-monitoring system on its network after a ruling that it had breached the patent of a small Tuscan firm by using them. A Rome court ordered Societa Autostrade to remove the devices and destroy them due to a breach of the patent filed by the Craft firm of Greve in Chianti in case that started in 2006.

The judges also ordered the company to pay Craft 500 euros for every day it fails to apply the ruling.

Societa Autostrade said the devices will not be immediately removed, but phased out, adding that it would appeal to the supreme Court of Cassation against the sentence. It said it would pay the penalties for failing to immediately remove the devices in order to keep the current system active while it replaces them, saying this should take three weeks.

It said it had decided to do so "to avoid the cancellation of the benefits of the Tutor (device), which has reduced the number of deaths on the motorway network by 70%".


(ANSA) - Milan, April 11 - The Lombardy regional government will stand as civil plaintiff in the latest probe into corruption in the Lombardy health system, Governor Attilio Fontana told an ANSA Forum on Wednesday. "We have already tasked a lawyer, we'll make it formal in the next executive meeting, who will follow us as injured party, and we will stand as plaintiff" in the case involving two premier children's hospitals, Fontana said.

Four hospital ward chiefs and a health agency manager were arrested in Milan Tuesday in connection with a probe into suspected healthcare kickbacks. Two of the ward chiefs were from the Pini Hospital and the other two from the Galeazzi Hospital. They and the health sector manager were placed under house arrest.

Meanwhile, an entrepreneur in the sector was arrested and detained in jail.

The five are accused of corruption.

Those placed under house arrest were, for the Pini Orthopaedic Institute, its health manager Paola Navone; Giorgio Maria Calori, head of its surgery unit; and Carmine Cucciniello head of its corrective orthopaedics ward.

For the Galeazzi, the head of the analysis lab Lorenzo Drago, and the head of reconstructive surgery, Carlo Luca Romano, were placed under house arrest too. Tommaso Brenicci, the head of a Monza healthcare sector company, was placed under arrest in prison.

Paola Navone, the Pini hospital manager, allegedly got a 1,000-euro Christmas basket, the promise of an internship for her daughter in one of the firms of detained entrepreneur Brenicci, and the payment of her expenses for conferences in Paris and Alto Adige, the investigations judge wrote in the warrant. In exchange, she allegedly authorised the introduction into the orthopaedic institute of a device to diagnose joint infections sold by Brenicci, at a company that was also linked to another two ward chiefs who were arrested.


(by Cristiana Missori)

ROME - Award-winning Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir presented her latest feature film, Wajib (invite), on the opening night of the Middle East Now film festival in Florence on Tuesday.

The film - which will premiere in Italy on April 19 - talks about Abu Shadi (Mohammed Bakri), a 60-year-old teacher and divorced father of Shadi (Saleh Bakhri), an architect who has lived in Rome for years and returns to help his father hand out invitations personally (wajib) for the wedding of daughter Amal, according to Palestinian tradition.

The protagonists, who are father and son in real life, spend a lot of time together in their old family Volvo car, stuck in traffic in the largest Arab city in Israel.

Jacir told ANSAmed that the city is ''violent'' and ''tension is very high''. ''It is a real ghetto, where 60% of the population is Muslim and 40% Christian and where Palestinians live as third-class citizens''. Arab Israelis, ''about 15% of Palestinians, have never left those places but experience a constant contradiction as citizens of a country in which they feel strangers''.

The generation divide is central to the film with Shadi, who has lived in Italy for years and perceives the lack of freedom and backwardness of those who have stayed, and his father who would like his son to come back and live according to tradition.

The movie also sheds light on the divided Palestinian community with gaps between social groups and their perception of Israeli society - a reflection on exile and return.

Jacir, who was born in Bethlehem in 1974, lived in Saudi Arabia before moving to the US to study and then Amman and Haifa.

On Wednesday, the festival dedicated to cinema, art, music and food from the Middle East, running through April 15, will dedicate a retrospective on the Palestinian filmmaker with some of her most famous films. They include Like Twenty Impossibles (2003), the first Palestinian, feature film in the official selection of the cannes film, festival, and Salt of this Sea (2008), which was selected in the category Un Certain Regard in Cannes.
ROME - The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an alert on air routes on the eastern Mediterranean, according to international media reports.

The alarm was issued due to potential air raids with surface-to-air missiles and cruise missiles over the next 72 hours, it said.

EASA also warned about the potential intermittent interruption of air navigation devices.
BRUSSELS - Fourteen projects for a global investment of 16 billion euros to connect over the next few years countries overlooking the Mediterranean in one sustainable electrical network able to provide energy to some 500 million consumers. This is the action plan drafted by Med-Tso, the association formed by 20 electrical providers (including Italy's Terna) from 18 EU and non-EU countries, including Italy, France, Spain, Egypt and Libya. Its objectives obtained after three years of work were outlined to the European Parliament yesterday.

''Trans-border interconnections in the Euro-Mediterranean region are more than an option, they are a real necessity to reach the national and regional objectives of the energy political agenda'', stressed the secretary general of Med-Tso, Angelo Ferrante.

The action plan, which provides for the construction of 2,200 km of new lines, was drafted by 146 experts who worked for the creation of a joint database for different electric networks of Mediterranean countries. With Croatia set to take part in the project, which was announced yesterday, the countries involved have risen to 19.

''The contribution of the Commission was key favoring the participation of some countries that would have had difficulties and enabling us to develop a consolidated and coherent project of activities'', said Ferrante.

Work could effectively start in 2030.

Italy, thanks to its geographical position, will have a leading role with projects concerning some North African countries.

The Med-Tso project was started thanks to EU funding worth three million euros. The second part of the project - until 2020 - should soon kick off with the signature of a new agreement between Med-Tso and Brussels and additional funding.

Michael Koehler, who is in charge of the general directorate for development and cooperation of the European Commission, said that ''20-30% of investments'' of the EU plan devoted to African and Mediterranean countries ''will go to the energy sector''. He added that investments must be supported by ''common rules and interconnection''.
ROME - Three children have been killed and dozens others have been seriously injured over the past 10 days in the Gaza Strip, said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, in a statement issued on Wednesday.

One in four children (250,000) are in need of psychosocial support due to past trauma and more than half of children depend on some form of assistance for their daily survival , Cappelaere added.

''UNICEF deplores all acts of violence against children.

Children in Gaza have been living in extremely dire circumstances for many years'', the statement said. ''It is imperative that all actors on all sides put the protection of children first. Children should never be the target of violence and must not be put at risk of violence nor encouraged to participate in violence. The UN official said that ''these latest developments compound an already acute crisis in the Gaza Strip, where families have been coping with less than five hours of electricity per day for almost a year. Among young people, who have experienced three major rounds of armed conflict in the last decade, unemployment is above 60 per cent. Only 10 per cent of families in the Gaza Strip have regular direct access to drinking water''.
Jacir's new film opens Middle East Now fest in Florence Movie on exile and return to Palestine

(by Cristiana Missori) (ANSAmed) - ROME, APRIL 11 - Award-winning Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir presented her latest feature film, Wajib (invite), on the opening night of the Middle East Now film festival in Florence on Tuesday.



The film - which will premiere in Italy on April 19 - talks about Abu Shadi (Mohammed Bakri), a 60-year-old teacher and divorced father of Shadi (Saleh Bakhri), an architect who has lived in Rome for years and returns to help his father hand out invitations personally (wajib) for the wedding of daughter Amal, according to Palestinian tradition.



The protagonists, who are father and son in real life, spend a lot of time together in their old family Volvo car, stuck in traffic in the largest Arab city in Israel.



Jacir told ANSAmed that the city is ''violent'' and ''tension is very high''. ''It is a real ghetto, where 60% of the population is Muslim and 40% Christian and where Palestinians live as third-class citizens''. Arab Israelis, ''about 15% of Palestinians, have never left those places but experience a constant contradiction as citizens of a country in which they feel strangers''.



The generation divide is central to the film with Shadi, who has lived in Italy for years and perceives the lack of freedom and backwardness of those who have stayed, and his father who would like his son to come back and live according to tradition.



The movie also sheds light on the divided Palestinian community with gaps between social groups and their perception of Israeli society - a reflection on exile and return.



Jacir, who was born in Bethlehem in 1974, lived in Saudi Arabia before moving to the US to study and then Amman and Haifa.



On Wednesday, the festival dedicated to cinema, art, music and food from the Middle East, running through April 15, will dedicate a retrospective on the Palestinian filmmaker with some of her most famous films. They include Like Twenty Impossibles (2003), the first Palestinian, feature film in the official selection of the cannes film, festival, and Salt of this Sea (2008), which was selected in the category Un Certain Regard in Cannes. (ANSAmed).




ANSAmed - Tomorrow's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, APRIL 11 - These are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area for tomorrow: THURSDAY APRIL 12 BRUSSELS - World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders event at the European Parliament.



BRUSSELS - EU, High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini receives Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Ennahdha political party in Tunisia.



ROME - Farnesina, presentation of Seeds&Chips, The Global Food Innovation Summit (ANSAmed).




Rome - Tension between Russia and the United States over Syria shows no sign of easing after the chemical attack of the rebel-held town of Douma and the veiled or open threats between the two superpowers. "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria," tweeted US President Donald Trump. "Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this," Trump added. "The 'smart' missiles should fly towards the terrorists, not towards the legitimate government" of Syria, the Russian foreign ministry spokesman replied. Russia claims that the missiles that the US president has promised to launch in Syria will destry the evidence of the alleged chemical attacks. Meanwhile the Russian ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, has said that "Russian forces will tackle any aggression by the US against Syria" and that the Russian army reserves the right to "shoot down missiles" and "destroy their launch pads". (ANSAmed).


No company has come forward to say it is interested or to reaffirm previous interest.

India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt.

New Delhi: Indias steel-to-autos conglomerate Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the state-run carrier as the governments terms are just too onerous, two sources familiar with the matter said.

India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt.

But the government has stipulated the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses as long as the government holds a stake. The winner may also be required to list Air India and would need to abide by conditions designed to safeguard employee interests, restricting its ability to cut staff.

Since the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interested or to reaffirm previous interest, while Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, have already publicly opted out of the race.

Tata Group, which already owns stakes in two airline joint-ventures in India, does not see how a deal would be workable under the current terms, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The same source also said the airline had too much debt and noted there was little clarity on what a buyer would be allowed to do with the airlines large workforce.

Anyone who puts money upfront ... even for Tata to put in that kind of money, it would want complete control, added the second source.

Tata Sons, the holding company for the conglomerate Tata Group, declined to comment.

Prior to the disclosure of the terms, there had been some expression of interest from the group.

In January, Leslie Thng, the chief executive of Vistara, a joint-venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines told reporters its owners were open to evaluating a bid for Air India. Vistara declined to comment and Singapore Airlines had no immediate comment on Wednesday.

Last October, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, said in a TV interview the group would definitely look at Air India once the privatisation process was finalised.
Government considering raising the FDI limit to 49 per cent for some time now.

Bad loans of public sector banks stood at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the end of second quarter last fiscal.

New Delhi: The proposal to hike FDI limit in public sector banks (PSBs) to 49 per cent is in cold storage now as frauds and malfeasance have hit the sector one after another and the bad loan level reached an alarming level of 20 per cent.

The finance ministry, prime ministers office (PMO) and Niti Aayog officials have met and decided to keep the FDI hike proposal in abeyance till a better scenario emerges when non-performing assets (NPAs) come down from the current level of 20 per cent.

The trio also sought to put the bank consolidation proposals on hold till many of the current troubling issues of high NPAs, frauds are resolved and strong and robust safeguard systems are in place.

The governments new thinking is that even if FDI is allowed, banks wont be getting a correct valuation in this mess. Most of the bank stocks are trading below par most of the time.

Bad loans of public sector banks (PSBs) stood at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the end of the second quarter last fiscal, a bulk of which came from corporate defaulters, according to Reserve Bank data.

The government was considering raising the FDI limit to 49 per cent for some time now. The Modi government was mulling allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the banking sector and the finance ministry was about to approach the PMO for its approval. The finance ministry, the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and the Indian Banks Association were once also discussing a proposal to hike in FDI cap in from 74 per cent to 100 per cent in private sector banks.

But now the scene has changed. Official sources said with many NPA cases reaching closer to resolution, it is better to wait for a clearer picture to emerge.
Till now, only the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister had the powers to approve award of an block.

The Cabinet on Wednesday allowed ministers of finance and petroleum to award oil and gas blocks to their winners in the ongoing auction, bids for which are due on May 2.

New Delhi: In a bid to quicken award of licences, the Cabinet on Wednesday allowed ministers of finance and petroleum to award oil and gas blocks to their winners in the ongoing auction, bids for which are due on May 2.

Till now, only the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister had the powers to approve award of an block or area for exploration and production of oil and gas.

"In line with the Government initiative of ease of doing business, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for delegating the powers to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Finance Minister to award the blocks/contract areas to successful bidders," an official statement said.

The two ministers will approve the award based on the recommendations of a panel of secretaries, called the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECS).

The delegation of power is for Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bid rounds under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP).

Presently, the first round of OALP is underway, with bids for 55 exploration blocks on offer for prospecting of oil and gas due on May 2. These blocks are to be awarded by July.

"Under HELP, blocks are to be awarded twice in a year. Therefore, this delegation of powers will expedite the decision making process on awarding blocks and give a boost to the initiative of ease of doing business," the statement said.

India had, in July last year, allowed companies to carve out blocks of their choice with a view to bringing about 2.8 million sq km of unexplored area in the country under exploration.

Under this policy, called HELP, companies are allowed to put in an expression of interest (EoI) for prospecting of oil and gas in any area that is presently not under any production or exploration licence. The EoIs can be put in at anytime of the year but they are accumulated twice annually.

The blocks or areas that receive EoIs at the end of a cycle are put up for auction with the originator or the firm that originally selected the area getting a 5-mark advantage.

HELP replaced the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) where government carved out areas and bid them out. Under the NELP policy, ECS make recommendations to Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for award of blocks after considering the bid evaluation criteria (BEC) and conducting negotiations with the bidders wherever necessary.

"The entire process, including inter-ministerial consultations (IMC) is quite lengthy and time consuming. In consonance with the Government initiative of 'Ease of Doing Business', it is desirable to shorten the duration of time taken for award of the blocks/contract Areas," the statement said.

Under HELP, the competitive bidding will be continuous and blocks will be awarded twice a year. HELP offers revenue sharing contract, single licence for exploration and production of conventional as well as unconventional hydrocarbon resources and marketing and pricing freedom.

OALP under HELP, is main innovative feature wherein investor can carve out blocks of their own interest and submit an Expression of Interest (Eol) throughout the year. Based on the areas for which expression of interest has been expressed bidding will be conducted every 6 months.

"Government received an overwhelming response in first Eol cycle of OALP which started on July 1, 2017 and closed on November 15, 2017. In the first Bid round, 55 blocks, having an area of 59,282 sq km spread across 11 states have been offered for bidding. The bidding process is being handled through a secured and dedicated e-bidding portal," it added.
Rupee is trading at 65.11 against dollar ahead of release of US Fed meeting minutes scheduled later in the day.

Mumbai: The rupee depreciated 12 paise to 65.11 against the US dollar in opening trade on Wednesday ahead of the release of US Fed meeting minutes scheduled later in the day.

However, weakness in the US dollar against select currencies overseas and a higher opening in domestic equities capped the losses.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold equities worth Rs 684.99 crore yesterday, provisional data showed.

On Tuesday, The rupee had ended higher by 3 paise at 64.99 against the American currency amid easing US-China trade war fears.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex advanced by 92.26 points, or 0.27 per cent, at 33,972.51 in early deals.
Abhay's latest release Nanu Ki Jaanu is a horror comedy directed by Farz Haider.

Mumbai: Abhay Deol is known to have been giving good parallel cinema. He made Bollywood debut with Imtiaz Alis romantic comedy Socha Na Tha, thereafter he went on playing different characters. Abhay is known to have performed complex and serious characters in parallel cinema, like Manorrma Six Feet Under, Oye Lucky Oye. He is known as an unconventional actor by the Indian media. His latest release Nanu Ki Jaanu is a horror comedy directed by Farz Haider.

While talking about not endorsing any brands, Abhay says, I am not against supporting or endorsing any brands.Owing to my pure observation through my practical experience the product will like to go with the XYZ actor who may be having five films in a row. Simply because all these brands believe in going after individual celebrities who are brands them. They have no confidence in their product and thus refuse to take any risk. Also these individual brands may discuss their openness on any given platform being different in spite of the fact these stars are conformists.

Abhay is a keen supporter of environmental cause now, he says, Yes, I remember when I spoke to a journalist about fairness cream he did appreciate my openness and speaking truly from my heart. They did put my open view on the use of such brands. But surprisingly, their front page had a big AD of fairness cream. So what I mean to saywho is the media to point out at the celebrities those who endorse various brands? When they themselves give all those brands pretty big space. Now I have decided only to support environment causes and speak of them.

Abhay is currently enjoying his single status, speaking about that, the Dev D actor tells, Yes on personal front I am single and enjoying my single status. Now for almost 2 years you will see me work work and work.

But all work may make Abhay a dull boy? Lets take it this wayLast few years I have been playing all the while so lets see these coming years as all work and work So Abhay will not be a dull boy," concludes Abhay.
The actor still has a few more days of shooting for Shoot the Piano Player left.

Ayushmann Khurrana is ready with two movies now. One is filmmaker Amit Sharmas Badhai Ho with Sanya Malhotra, and the second is the Sriram Raghavan-shepherded film Shoot the Piano Player with Radhika Apte.

The actor smiles, saying that shooting with Sanya was a lot of fun. Badhai Ho was an amazing experience. Sanya is a great actor. Were both from Delhi as well, and we had a lot of fun on the sets. Shes just started her career with Dangal, and is an amazing performer, Ayushmann says, adding that he didnt have to share any histrionic tips with his co-star. She has done such a big film like Dangal, what tips can I give her!

The actor still has a few more days of shooting for Shoot the Piano Player left. We have yet to film the climax. There are around six days of shoot left. Well mostly be filming the climax of the film in June, the Vicky Donor actor says.

 Sanskriti Media
According to some little birdies, its the same lack of fund thats caused the makers to move.

Shahid Kapoors Batti Gul Meter Chalus last schedule was to begin in Dehradun last week. However, it has now been delayed, and while there have been reports of lack of funding for the project, producer Prernaa Arora has denied them.

Even while snoops investigate whats happening on the financial front, we hear that the makers will recreate Dehradun in Mumbai now.

Its a call taken mutually by the makers of the film. They decided theyll put up a set to make Mumbai look like Dehradun. Now, the shooting will start next week, a source adds.

According to some little birdies, its the same lack of fund thats caused the makers to move.

Prernaas KriArj Productions has been in the news with John Abraham filing a complaint against her for defaulting on payments for Parmanu. She was also in the news for a legal tussle with Abhishek Kapoors company during the production of the temporarily stalled Kedarnath.

We sure hope Shree Narayan Singhs Batti Gul remains untouched in the time of financial strife.
The film was originally made in Bengali, but the makers now feel a Hindi version will also be relevant.

The ethereal Rakhee Gulzar, who mesmerised her fans with 70s classics like Sharmilee, and Kabhi Kabhie is back on the screen. This time, shes part of a Bengali-Hindi bilingual directed by veteran Bangla director Gautam Haldar.

Speaking exclusively on her return to acting, the actress who turned numerous offers down in recent years, reveals more about her comeback. Normally, Id say no to any acting offer, no matter how tempting. But when the director told me he was doing a screen adaptation of Moti Nandys classic novel Bijolibalar Mukti, I agreed to make an exception this time, she says.

The film was originally made in Bengali, but the makers now feel a Hindi version will also be relevant.

Explains Rakhee, Its a very topical subject. It touches on communal and caste issues, as well as the rights and privileges of a 70-year-old Brahmin widow. We shot the film in Bengali, but now on the directors request, we are dubbing the film in Hindi too.

The actress, who is very closely attached to Bengal and Kolkata, will return to her favourite city at the end of the month to dub in Hindi for the film, which she informs, is called Mukti in Bengali and Nirvaan in Hindi.
A total of nine short films by young local filmmakers will be screened during the festival on May 14 and 15.

Mumbai: Saudi Arabia has announced that it will be participating in the Cannes Film Festival.

A total of nine short films by young local filmmakers will be screened at the Short Film Corner during the festival on May 14 and 15, reported Variety.

Saudi Film Council, which was recently launched by the country's General Culture Authority (GCA) after the lifting of 35-year-old ban on the films, will also set up a pavilion in order to enable the guests to participate in roundtable discussions with Saudi industry representatives and to understand the Kingdom's industry ambitions through its various initiatives and programmes.

"The kingdom looks forward to its debut presence at the festival, celebrating and supporting the diversity of talent and opportunities within the Saudi film industry," , Saudi culture minister and chairman of GCA's board Awwad Alawwad said in the statement.

"Saudi Arabia is embarking on the development of a sustainable and dynamic industry that supports and encourages all stages of a film cycle and offers an incredible range of locations for the world's filmmakers to discover," he added.
Police sources said that clashes between a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants and security forces broke out on Wednesday morning.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the district's Khudwani area on Tuesday night, following information about presence of militants there, the officials said. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Srinagar: Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed during a fire fight and simultaneous street clashes in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Kulgam district on Wednesday morning.

The police sources said that the clashes between a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants and the security forces broke out on Wednesday morning after the latter laid siege to Wani Mohalla of Khudwani area in Kulgam.

At least, two gunmen are believed to have been trapped inside a private house.

The officials said a cordon-and-search operation was launched jointly by the Armys 1 Rashtriya Rifles, the counter-insurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) following a tip off about the presence of militants in Wani Mohalla. While soldiers were moving into the locality, gun shots were heard and this ensued the encounter, said a local resident.

During the initial exchange of gunfire, three security personnel suffered grievous injuries, the sources said adding that they were rushed to Srinagars 92 Base Army hospital where one of the Army jawan succumbed to his injuries.

While the fire fight was underway, surging crowds made repeated attempts to relocate to the encounter site and soon clashed with the security forces, the officials said.

The security forces opened fire on alleged stone-pelters, killing three persons including 16-year-old Bilal Ahmad Tantray of Qoimoh village of Kulgam. The other slain civilian has been identified as Sharjeel Ahmad Sheikh. The third youth, Faisal Illahi, who was injured in the shooting succumbed to his injuries in a local hospital.

The police officials said they may have been caught in crossfire between holed up militants and security forces but added that proper investigation alone will determine how they were killed.

The Army said that the identity of the deceased soldier will be disclosed only after family members were informed about his death.

Reports stated that the security forces also used batons and fired teargas canisters and pellet shotguns to quell the protests, injuring about 35 people.

Meanwhile, the authorities have placed key separatist leaders under house arrest, closed educational institutions in Kulgam and in a neighbouring district. It has also suspended train services between Srinagar and Banihal and snapped mobile internet services in southern parts of the Valley.

The civilian killings in Kulgam have sparked off protests in some other parts of the Valley including north western town of Sopore.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said Cong President Rahul Gandhi should also apologise for allegedly using leaked data to swing poll results in India.

Union MInister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress President Rahul Gandhi should apologise and promise not to manipulate voters and divide the society in future. (Photo: PTI | File)

Mumbai: Hours after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised over the hijacking of its user data by Cambridge Analytica, Union Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress President Rahul Gandhi should also apologise for allegedly using the leaked data to swing poll results in India.

Taking to Twitter, the Union minister said that Cambridge Analytica's role in manipulating elections is clear and Facebook has given an assurance "to stop it and maintain integrity of India's elections".

Now that Cambridge Analyticas role in manipulating elections is clear & Facebook has assured to stop it and maintain integrity of Indias elections, probity demands that @RahulGandhi should apologise & promise not to manipulate voters and divide the society in future! https://t.co/xo4iJUJsBw  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 11, 2018

On Tuesday, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told the US Congress that he took personal responsibility for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, and assured the senate that his company will do "everything" to ensure the upcoming elections in India and other countries are safe.

"2018 is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections," the Facebook founder and CEO said.

Also Read: Will ensure fair elections in India, says Zuckerberg at senate hearing

The Facebook chief has been under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultant firm.

Cambridge Analytica is reported to have been involved in "all kind of projects" in India and had major political parties like Congress as it clients. Christopher Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee, had told a British parliamentary committee that the British firm even has an office in India.

"I believe their client was Congress. But I know that they have done all kind of projects. I don't remember any national project, but regionally... India is so big that one state can be the size of Britain. They do have offices there, staff there. I believe I have some documentation on India which I can provide if you're interested," 28-year-old Mark Zuckerberg said.

There have been allegations that Cambridge Analytica data has been used by other parties in India too.

(With inputs from PTI)
The Armys health services come under the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), which employs more than 6,000 doctors trained in allopathic medicine.

New Delhi: The week-long Army commanders conference which will begin here next Monday is expected to take a call on whether to introduce alternative and traditional Indian systems of medicine like ayurveda, unani, naturopathy, siddha, homoeopathy and Sowa Rigpa in Army hospitals across the country.

Listed as an item for discussion in the confidential agenda note prepared for the meeting of top Army brass, any final decision will be taken collectively via the collegiate system which will ensure due diligence.

The Armys health services come under the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), which employs more than 6,000 doctors trained in allopathic medicine. Opening its doors to alternative systems of medicine would mean recruiting professional experts from these alternative medicine streams.

Traditional systems of medicine have received a major fillip after the setting up of the Ayush ministry in November 2014 a few months after the BJP-led NDA government came to power.

Applying alternative and traditional medicine systems in the context of the armed forces is being seen as a challenge largely because the armed forces operate in a combat setting where application of such alternative systems may not be feasible.

Nevertheless, last year the government allowed the use of such medicines on terminally-ill patients who have stopped responding to allopathic treatment and also allowing a trial study at a few top hospitals, including setting up two Ayush centres at the Armys Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi and the Air Force Hospital near Hindon.

After facing some resistance, finally it seems that the move to introduce such systems of medicine is finally attaining consensus, said a top military official on condition of not being named.

The Army commanders conference is an important event in the planning and execution process of the Indian Army, that undertakes a 360-degree look at the current emerging perspectives on issues relating to operations, logistics, administration, human resources and welfare.

The biennial conference is addressed by the defence minister while the Army Chief presides over the event. All seven Army commanders, heads of defence public sector undertakings and the directors-general of various military units and branches, including the director-general of AFMS, attend the conference.
NDA govt is trying to project 10th edition of DefExpo as first serious attempt to transform India into a hub of military manufacturing.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the armed forces were at liberty to pick and choose the equipment they need from anywhere in the world. (Photo: File/ANI)

New Delhi: The government cannot compel the armed forces to buy indigenous weapons, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday after inaugurating a major defence exhibition --the DefExpo-- that aims to project India as one of the major defence manufacturing hub in the world.

The NDA government is trying to project the 10th edition of the biennial event as first serious attempt to transform India into a hub of military manufacturing and pursue its goal of achieving turnover of Rs 1,70,000 crore in military goods and services by 2025 by promoting the domestic defence industry.

According to a report in NDTV, Sitharaman, while speaking to reporters at exhibition in Thiruvidanthai near Chennai, said she can't "force the forces" to buy only "Made in India" equipment.

While it would be nice if that were to happen, the armed forces were at liberty to pick and choose the equipment they need from anywhere in the world, she added.

On being asked about the huge export-import gap in the defence sector of a country that does not even figure among the top 25 exporters of arms and reluctance of its forces to buy locally manufactured weapon systems, the defence minister said she could only tell the armed forces to procure from indigenous companies as much as possible, news agency IANS reported.

While India's military remains the world's biggest buyer of defence equipment, the country is aspiring to become a key manufacturer and eventually an exporter.

To that end, the DefExpo is focusing on India's ability to successfully manufacture defence systems - a shift from offering foreign firms a platform to showcase products the country could buy.

The theme of the expo is India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub.

According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms, including 154 foreign manufacturers, are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware. It is being attended by official delegations from over 47 countries, including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam.

Major international companies, which are participating at the expo include Lockheed Martin, Boeing (US), Saab (Sweden), Airbus, Rafale (France), Rosonboron Exports, United Shipbuilding (Russia), BAE Systems (UK), Sibat (Israel), Wartsila (Finland) and Rhode and Schwarz (Germany).

India's indigenously developed land, air and naval systems are also being showcased. The weapons and platforms being displayed include the Tejas fighter jets, advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS) designed by the DRDO Arjun Mark 2 tank and Dhanush artillery guns.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) exhibits include the Nirbhay missile system with launcher, autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (AUGV), MBT Arjun Mk-I tank, Astra missile, low level transportable radar (LLTR) system, medium power radar (MPR) system and Varunastra -- heavy weight anti submarine electric torpedo. The exhibition is spread over an area of 2.90 lakh square feet.

(With inputs from PTI)
It is suspected by the ED that an alleged payment of Rs 26 lakh was made by Aircel Televentures Limited to ASCPL

New Delhi: The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday grilled former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidamabaram, in two different cases. While the ED questioned Karti in connection with Aircel-Maxis money laundering case, the CBI interoorgated Rabri Devi in connection with the alleged IRCTC hotel scam during the tenure of her husband Lalu Prasad as the railway minister.

According to sources, Karti was questioned for the first time by the ED in connection with the case which is related to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval granted by his father in 2006. It is suspected by the ED that an alleged payment of Rs 26 lakh was made by Aircel Televentures Limited to ASCPL, the firm allegedly linked to Karti, within a few days of the FIPB approval, they claimed. The agency said it is investigating the circumstances of said FIPB approval granted by the then finance minister (Chidambaram).

The agency further said FIPB approval in the Aircel-Maxis FDI case was granted in March 2006 by Chidambaram even though he was competent to accord approval on project proposals only up to Rs 600 crore and beyond that it required the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

In the instant case, the approval for FDI of 800 million USD (over Rs 3,500 crore) was sought. Hence, CCEA was competent to grant approval. However, approval was not obtained from CCEA, the agency alleged. The agency said its probe revealed that the case of the said FDI was wrongly projected as an investment of Rs 180 crore so that it need not be sent to the CCEA to avoid a detailed scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the CBI questioned former Rabri Devi in a case of alleged corruption in handing over IRCTC hotels management to a private firm when her husband Lalu Prasad Yadav was the railway minister. She was questioned by the CBI in Patna. The CBI officials made it clear that only Rabri Devi was questioned at her residence in Patna rejecting the claims by RJD leaders that her son Tejashwi Yadav was also quizzed. Only Rabri Devi was questioned today, said a senior CBI official.

A team of officials questioned Rabri Devi on the issues pertaining to change in ownership of Delight Marketing Company owned by Sarla Gupta, to Lara Projects owned by Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi. It is alleged that after the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotel, the ownership of Delight Marketing Company changed hands.
Modi called for moving responsible oil prices that balance the interests of both the consumers and the producers.

Modi stressed on moving to transparent market for both oil and gas, with the view to serve the energy needs of humanity in an optimal manner. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 16th edition of International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial on Wednesday, which is being hosted by India and co-hosted by China and South Korea.

In his opening address, the Prime Minister observed the increasing energy demands of the world and the economies' gradual shift to green energy and energy efficiency in accordance with the climate change agenda based on the COP21 agreement.

The Prime Minister also observed India's growing energy needs due to the rapid economic growth, "I came across an energy forecast prepared by an agency according to which India will be the key driver of the global energy demands in the next 25 years. India's energy consumption will grow by 4.2 per cent a year for the next 25 years."

"Currently India is the fastest growing large economy in the world. All leading agencies are estimating India to grow at 7 to 8 per cent in the future," he said, adding, "Our govt is boosting local manufacturing through Make in India and filling of youth in industries such as textile, petrochemical, engineering, etc. This, in turn, is also increasing out energy needs further."

Sharing his views on the hydrocarbon sector, Prime Minister Modi called for moving responsible oil prices that balance the interests of both the consumers and the producers.

He also stressed on moving to transparent market for both oil and gas, with the view to serve the energy needs of humanity in an optimal manner.

The Prime Minister also shed some light on India's endeavor to achieve energy security.

"People must have universal access to clean, affordable, sustainable and equitable supply of energy," he said, and added, "My vision for India's energy future has four pillars- energy access, energy efficiency, energy sustainability and energy security. Energy in general and hydrocarbons in particular are important parts of my vision for India's future. India needs energy which is accessible and affordable to the poor."

Prime Minister Modi also listed down various ways in which the country is addressing the energy demands of the country, maintaining a balance between the economic growth and the needs of the poor.

"Our government has encouraged private participation across entire oil and gas value chain. Our government believes in an integrated approach to energy planning and our energy agenda in India is inclusive, market-based and climate-sensitive," he said.

The three-day forum with 92 participating countries will discuss the future of global energy.
Wife of accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar met a top police officer in Lucknow to demand 'justice for her husband'.

Sangeeta Sengar said 'He (Kuldeep Singh Sengar) has isolated himself in his room and is feeling helpless.' (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Lucknow: Two days after the father of an 18-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, who alleged rape by a BJP MLA, died in police custody, and her family was reportedly confined to a hotel in Unnao by the police, the wife of accused lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar met a top police officer in Lucknow to demand "justice for her husband".

Read: Confined to hotel room, no water, Unnao rape victim in 'prison-like conditions'

During her meeting with Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh, MLAs wife Sangeeta Sengar complained that the media had already declared her husband guilty of rape.

He has isolated himself in his room and is feeling helpless. We want the truth to come out. Just by using words like 'balatkaari' (rapist), nothing will be proved, Sengars wife said.

Talking to news agency ANI, Sangeeta Sengar threatened that the entire family will give up their lives if Kuldeep Singh Sengar is proven guilty. My husband is innocent. If he is proven guilty, the entire family will give up their lives. The way evidences are being hidden, it is not correct, we want justice, Sangeeta Sengar added.

The MLA's wife told ANI, "There is a political motive behind this. Make my husband and girl (rape victim) undergo Narco Analysis Test. My daughters are being traumatised. We are being mentally harassed. No evidence has been presented yet. Until and unless it has been proven, my husband cannot be labelled as a rapist."

The 18-year-old woman has accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Jaideep Sengar, also known as Atul, of raping her in June last year.

The victim family's numerous attempts to file an FIR (First Information Report) against them were thwarted by the police. They were even threatened and shooed away. But the family didn't give up.

Last week, an angered Kuldeep Singh Sengar allegedly let his brother brutally thrash her 55-year-old father. Their struggle to file a complaint against Atul and his men for the assault, however, led to a counter-complaint by his daughter's alleged rapists.

The injured man was arrested and put in jail. He wasn't taken to the hospital till he vomited and complained of abdominal pain. He died of septic shock at the hospital on Monday, his postmortem report revealed among other gut-wrenching details.

Also Read: Postmortem of Unnao rape victim's father reveals 14 severe injuries

Atul was arrested a day later on charges of leading an assault on the man. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to question his brother.

"The allegations against Atul Sengar about murder are totally false. It is that man (the girl's father) who came to our house and abused us. He had a big criminal record," NDTV reported Sangeeta Sengar saying.

The rape victim had tried to kill herself right outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home on Sunday. The same day, her family had sent a handwritten letter to the chief minister's office. The subsequent FIR named all the attackers, but omitted the MLA's brother.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar has dismissed all allegations and said "these low level people are trying to frame me".

Also Read: They are from low class, trying to malign me: UP BJP MLA on rape allegation
Shankar, who was under the debt of nearly Rs 1 lakh, was upset after he did not get any benefit from Maharashtra govt's loan waiver scheme.

The deceased, identified as Shankar Bhaurao Chayre, in his suicide note blamed the central government and its policy for his death. (Photo: ANI)

Yavatmal (Maharashtra): A 50-year-old debt-ridden farmer committed suicide in Yavatmal by consuming poison.

The deceased, identified as Shankar Bhaurao Chayre, in his suicide note blamed the central government and its policy for his death.

Shankar, who was under the debt of nearly Rs 1 lakh, was upset after he did not get any benefit from the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

Following the incident, the family of the deceased even refused to take over the body for last rites and demanded to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to reports, Yavatmal district has one of the highest suicide cases of debt-ridden farmers.
Blackmoney curbs, jobs, FDI to top pre-2019 exercise.

New Delhi: As promised ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing to present his governments report card that is expected to reel off figures on reduction in black money, increase in smart cities, Ganga cleansing, employment generation and economic reforms leading to increase in foreign direct investment and improved financial health of banks fighting non-performing assets.

The Prime Ministers office has asked all ministers to enlist their achievements and compare them with promises made by the BJP in its 2014 Lok Sabha manifesto. The move is seen as the partys preparation for 2019 elections.

Sources said Mr Modis report card may touch on issues like the status of Section 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, smart cities and their development, Namami Gange which deals with cleaning of the river, employment generation, FDI attracted under the NDA government, reduction in black money and the status of non-performing assets in public sector banks.

The Modi governments achievements are likely to be compiled in the form of a booklet for wide circulation. A massive media blitzkrieg may complement the exercise, sources said.

I&B secretary N.K. Sinha has written to ministries asking them to collect details on their achievements in the past four years.

The information is expected to be used by the Press Information Bureau, the governments publicity arm, for wider circulation as the Modi government completes four years in office on May 26.

It is learnt that ministers have been asked to prepare status reports with a political perspective and highlight how government schemes have benefited the masses.

A committee of four ministers, headed by railway minister Piyush Goyal, is expected to oversee the preparation of the governments performance report card. Other members on the committee are information and brodcasting minister Smriti Irani, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
Bihar officials, JD(U) defended recall of guards saying they were provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys 'Z' category security.

Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi alleged a conspiracy to eliminate her and her family members. (Photo: File)

Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday returned her state security cover in a protest after the Nitish Kumar-led government withdrew guards from her residence in Patna. Her two sons, Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, also returned their security cover.

However, the state government officials and the ruling Janata Dal (United) defended the recall of security from Rabri Devi's house on Tuesday night, saying the house guards had been provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys 'Z' category security.

The guards were asked to return as the RJD supremo is currently in jail, they said.

Expressing anguish over the withdrawal of guards, Tejashwi Yadav in a tweet said, "Just now at the stroke of midnight, Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of the two ex-CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby CM of the country."

"Returning the security (covers) provided to my mother Rabri Devi as ex-CM, to my brother as an MLA and to me as Leader of the Opposition. Hope Nitish Kumar gives up acting spitefully and concentrates on doing something constructive," he added.

Earlier, Rabri Devi, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said the recall of house guards has left the security of her residence and family in "tatters".

"As soon as my husband went to jail on December 23, all the security personnel deployed in his security were withdrawn by the state government. Those who remained were part of the security cover provided to me and the residence allotted to me in the capacity of former chief minister," she wrote.

Rabri Devi said she did not see any point in retaining the security personnel as an "eyewash". "I am therefore returning herewith all security personnel and escort vehicles deployed at my residence. If anything untoward happens to me or my family members, the state Home Department and the minister in-charge of the same shall be responsible," she said.

The Bihar chief minister has kept the Home portfolio with himself.

"The safety of myself and my family would be ensured by the workers of my party and the people of Bihar. Many congratulations to you and your government for taking such a step," the RJD national vice-president said in the letter.

Talking to reporters outside her residence on Wednesday, Rabri Devi alleged a conspiracy to eliminate her and her family members.

"The state government's action is a conspiracy to eliminate me and my family members, hatched at the behest of Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi," she said.

Meanwhile, a top police official said it is common to recall security personnel when the VIP, they are attached to, is physically absent.

"Those security personnel were part of Prasad's security cover and there was no point in keeping them at 10, Circular Road," he said.

JD(U) spokesman and MLC Sanjay Singh told reporters hat there is no provision of law under which a person serving sentence in a jail can be provided security cover by the state government. "

The RJD leaders are trying to garner public sympathy by playing the victim card," Singh said.

Strongly criticizing the move, RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary said, "I wonder whether Nitish Kumar has lost his sense of discretion. Only on Tuesday Bihar witnessed so much of violence by those opposed to reservation for Dalits and backwards. Leaders like Lalu and his family members face a heightened threat in such an environment."

(With inputs from PTI)
The Wakf board is fighting with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over the ownership of the Taj Mahal.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court directed the Wakf board to produce documents signed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim over Taj Mahal. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Then you show us the original deed executed by Shah Jahan. Show us the signature.

This is what the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board to produce to it. The board has claimed that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan executed a wakfnama to declare Taj Mahal its property.

The Wakf board is fighting with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over the ownership of the Taj Mahal.

A three-judge bench of the apex court directed the board to produce documents signed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim over the monument.

The court has given a weeks time to the board to produce the signatures of the Mughal emperor who died in 1666.

Who in India will believe it belongs to the wakf board? These kind of issues must not waste the time of the Supreme Court, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra told the board.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud reminded the board that the 17th century monument and other heritage structures built by the Mughals had passed on to the British after the Mughal rule, came to be vested with the government of India after Independence and were being managed by the ASI.

Appearing for the board, senior advocate VV Giri said Shah Jahan executed a wakfnama in favour of the board, a submission challenged by ASI. Following this, the court asked them to produce the signatures.

The ASI in 2010 had petitioned the court against the wakf boards July 2005 decision ordering that the Taj be registered as the latters property. There is a stay on the order.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, CJI Misra, however, had a few questions for the board.

How did he (Shah Jahan) sign the wakfnama? He was in jail and used to view the monument while in custody, he asked.

ASI advocate ADN Rao said there was no wakfnama.

Under the 1858 proclamation, the properties taken over from the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, by the British vested with the Queen. By the 1948 act, the buildings were taken over by the Indian government, he said.

The board had in July 2005 given the order to declare Taj Mahal a Wakf property on a petition filed by Mohammad Irfan Bedar.

Bedar had moved the Allahabad high court because the board delayed its decision on the petition he filed in 1998. It was on the high courts order that the board looked at his petition ordered that the monument be registered as a Wakf property.
The bench said it would hear the plea which has also alleged that the rape victim's father was tortured and killed in police custody.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear next week a plea for CBI probe into the Unnao gangrape case allegedly involving a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it would hear the plea which has also alleged that the rape victim's father was tortured and killed in police custody at the behest of the "ruling party" in the state.

The petition, filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, sought the court's direction to the CBI to probe the alleged kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in July 2017 "by the BJP MLA and his companion and custodial death of her father via torture" on April 9.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator "under political pressure" and that the state police would not carry out a "fair investigation under compulsion", it said the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

Referring to the victim's statement, the petition also alleged that sitting BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar from Bangarmau constituency in Unnao district was the main accused in cases of the girl's rape in July 2017 and custodial death of her father after her protest against the legislator.

The public interest petition also sought protection and compensation to the victims' kin, as was provided in the Nirbhaya gangrape case.
Security forces used explosives, fired mortars and automatic weapon to blow up the house in which the militants were holed up, sources said.

Relatives and neighbours wail near the dead body of Sarjeel Sheikh, a civilian who was shot during a protest near the site of gunbattle in Khudwani village, about 60 km south of Srinagar. (Photo: H.U. Naqash)

Srinagar: After a lull of four days, mayhem returned to Kashmir on Wednesday. Four civilians and an Army jawan were killed and nearly 50 people injured during a firefight between militants and security forces and simultaneous street clashes in the restive Valleys southern Kulgam district.

The militants, believed to be Lashkar-e-Taiba cadres who were trapped inside a private house during a cordon-and-search operation, are reported to have escaped, much to the embarrassment of the security forces. According to the police, no bodies were found in the smouldering debris of the house during searches conducted after the guns fell silent.

The operation has been called off after no militant bodies were retrieved from the debris of the blasted house, a police official said.

Officials here said that fighting broke out at around 11 am on Wednesday after the security forces laid siege to Wani Mohalla of Khudwani area in Kulgam, about 72-km south of Srinagar.

They said a cordon-and-search operation was launched jointly by the Armys 1 Rashtriya Rifles, the counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) following a tip-off about the presence of militants in Wani Mohalla. While the security personnel were moving into the locality, gunshots were heard and with that the encounter started, said a local resident.

During the initial exchange of gunfire, three security force personnel received grievous injuries, sources said adding that they were rushed to Srinagars 92 Base Army hospital where one of the injured Army jawans succumbed to his injuries.

Security forces used explosives, fired mortars and automatic weapon to blow up the house in which the militants were holed up, sources said. Witnesses added that an Army gunship helicopter was also used during the operation. One house was completely razed and two others caught fire during the operation, reports said.

While the firefight was underway, surging crowds made repeated attempts to reach the encounter site and clashed with the security forces, officials said. The security forces opened fire on stone-pelters who, they alleged, tried to disrupt the operation against militants, causing critical injuries to several persons. Four of them, identified as 16-year-old Bilal Ahmad Tantray, 28-year-old Sharjeel Ahmad Sheikh, 14-year-old Faisal Illahi and 30-year-old Aijaz Ahmad Palla, succumbed to injuries on way to or in hospitals.

The slain soldier has been identified as 24-year-old Sada Gunakara Rao, a resident of Atisurikaviti village in Andhra Pradeshs Srikakulam district. Rao, who is survived by his parents, had joined the Army in 2012, a defence spokesman here said.

The locals alleged that the Army fired indiscriminately into the protesting crowds, but a statement issued by the police here said that the civilians were caught in crossfire. A statement issued by it in read: The three civilians, Sarjeel Sheikh of Khudwani, Bilal Ah Tantray of Frisal and Faisal Ilahi of Melhoora Shopian, who were injured in the crossfire, have also succumbed to their injuries. The statement was silent on the death of the fourth civilian.

Reports from Kulgam said that the security forces also used batons and fired teargas canisters and pellet shotguns to quell the protests during and immediately after the encounter, injuring nearly 50 people.

The authorities immediately placed key separatist leaders under house arrest in Srinagar, closed educational institutions in Kulgam and in neighboring district of Anantnag and northwestern Sopore town, suspended trains services between Srinagar and Banihal and snapped mobile, internet services in some parts of the Valley.

The civilian killings in Kulgam sparked off protests in some other parts of the Valley, including northwestern town of Sopore. An official spokesman said that all educational institutions in the Valley except in Ganderbal district will remain closed on Thursday, and all board and university examinations scheduled for the day have been postponed.

Joint Resistance Leadership, the alliance of key separatist leaders, has called for a Valley-wide shutdown on Thursday to mourn and protest civilian deaths in Kulgam.

Wednesdays incidents come close on the heels of days of disturbances witnessed in Kashmir Valley in the aftermath of the killing of 14 militants and five civilians as security forces stepped up counterinsurgency measures in the first week of April.
Randeep Surjewala of Congress also said the BJP-led central government should be blamed for the Parliament washout.

The Congress' reaction came after the BJP announced that the prime minister would observe a day-long fast on Thursday, along with the party MPs, to protest the recent washout of the Budget Session of Parliament. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Congress, on Tuesday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that he, along with Bharatiya Janata Party MPs, would observe a day-long fast on Thursday to protest the washout of the Budget Session of Parliament was a "farce", adding that the prime minister should instead apologise to the youth, Dalits and other sections of the society, who were allegedly let down by his government.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also said the BJP-led central government should be blamed for the Parliament washout.

"This is a farce of a fast by the Modi government. The BJP should apologise to the nation and hold a fast for disrupting Parliament for over 250 hours. The Lok Sabha, where the BJP has a majority, functioned for only one percent of its time and the Rajya Sabha functioned for six percent of its time," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Also Read: Modi, Amit Shah to observe day-long fast on April 12 against Parl disruption

Surjewala also alleged that the government had "disrespected" and "degenerated" the Parliament. Holding the government responsible for the CBSE papers leak and the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Congress spokesperson said the prime minister should "hold a fast to apologise to the country for the 13 banking scams, where people like chhota Modi that is Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi ran away with over Rs 61,000 crore".

He added that the BJP should also apologise to the country for not revealing the details of the Rafale deal and thereby, compromising on issues of national security.

The Congress' reaction came after the BJP announced that the prime minister would observe a day-long fast on Thursday, along with the party MPs, to protest the recent washout of the Budget Session of Parliament, while party chief Amit Shah would hold a sit-in at Hubli in poll-bound Karnataka on the same day.
Modi was in Motihari to launch Satyagraha se Swachhagrah campaign during the centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Bihar governor Satyapal Malik upon his arrival at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: Sharing the dais with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi complimented him for taking measures to eliminate corruption and communalism in Bihar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Motihari to launch Satyagraha se Swachhagrah campaign during the centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha.

The Centre is standing firmly behind Bihar government who has acted against forces trying to destroy the peace and harmony. Some destructive forces are trying to disturb the government who has been trying to work for development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing a gathering during the event. He also said that Bihar has contributed to the cleanliness drive actively by constructing over 8 lakh toilets.

According to political analysts, the statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was an attempt to end simmering discontent between the JD (U) and RJD. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar earlier during the same event had expressed his concerns over growing communalism in Bihar. He had said that hatred will not help the country progress, respect for all religions and caste is needed to build a developed nation. Tension and clashes will ruin everything. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing over 20,000 swachhagrahis during the event said that projects worth Rs 6,600 will be a boon to Bihar.
From the UK Queen wearing colourful clothes to Prince George always wearing shorts, here are fashion rules royals need to follow.

From bright coats in every shade to hats in every hue of the rainbow, the Queen often selects extremely colourful outfits when shes out in public.

The UK royals making a public appearance always makes for a spectacle. However, the likes of the Queen and Kate Middleton cant just wear whatever they want - here are 13 rules they follow, and some of them may surprise you

Queen wears colourful clothes: From bright coats in every shade to hats in every hue of the rainbow, the Queen often selects extremely colourful outfits when shes out in public. According to the Queens biographer, Robert Hardman, she was quoted as saying: "I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am."

By wearing colour, the Queen can stand out for the crowd and people can say, I saw the Queen.

Royal family always travel with a black outfit packed: All royals are required to bring a black outfit when they travel. This is in case a member of the royal family passes away during their trip.

Fur is banned: King Edward III banned all royals from wearing fur in the 14th century, although this rule has been broken. However, Kate and William suffered a backlash in 2016 when they wore traditional scarves trimmed with otter fur in Canada last year.

Royal women wear weights in their dress hems: To avoid dresses blowing up in the wind, women in the royal family put weights in their dress hems.

Clutch bags cover cleavage: The royal family always dress appropriately and avoid any skimpy or revealing outfits. However, on occasions, when they need to step out of cars, bags can play a big role in maintaining modesty.

Princess Diana was said to be a fan of using clutch bags to cover her chest and her bag designer Anya Hindmarch even called them her cleavage bags.

Clutches also prevent hand shaking: Kate Middleton will often hold a clutch bag with two hands in front of her. This is to prevent any situations where hand shaking could be awkward.

Colourful nail varnish is banned: For her public duties, the Duchess of Cambridge is always pictured with nude nails, and there is strict reason for this. According to OK! magazine, coloured nail varnish and fake nails are not part of the royal etiquette, and are typically considered to be vulgar.

No tiara if you arent married: Single women and children never wear tiaras and it is usually strictly reserved for married women.

According to etiquette expert Grant Harrold, who spoke to the BBC, the old rule is that hats are never worn indoors after 6pm, because that is when the ladies changed into evening dress, and tiaras and the family jewels would come out.

Handbags give secret signals: The Queen has secret signals to let her staff know when she is ready to stop talking to someone, it has been revealed.

According to royal historian Hugo Vickers, if the Queen is at an event and she wants to end a chat, she will shift her bag from her usual left side on to the right.

Her aides will then notice and usher the Queen away in a polite fashion.

She also uses her bag as a symbol she is ready to leave an event, as when she places it on a table, it gives her ladies-in-waiting their five-minute warning that she will soon be off.

UK Queen nearly always wears hats and gloves: Diana Mather from The English Manner etiquette consultancy told BBC that up until the 1950s, ladies were very seldom seen without a hat as it was not considered 'the thing' for ladies to show their hair in public.

The Queen is rarely seen without her gloves, which are often Michael Jackson-esque white or a dark-toned leather to match her handbag. She wears these for practical reasons during the daytime as she is frequently required to shake hands with hundreds of people and does not want germs being spread from person to person.

Prince George always wears shorts: William Hanson claims that shorts on young boys are a silent British class marker and trousers are deemed suburban  something no self-respecting royal would want to be considered.

The Queen gets someone to break in her shoes: To make sure that when she wears new shoes, she doesn't run the risk of sore feet or blisters the Queen employs a special trick - she gets a member of her staff to break in her footwear for her.

Queen Elizabeth nearly always wears a black pair of simple shoes by shoemaker Anello & Davide that are known as her "work" shoes that cost 1,000.

When a new box of the shoes arrives they are given to a junior member of Buckingham Palace staff who take the same size. It is believed that the staff member also wears a pair of beige cotton ankle socks when breaking in the shoes and is only allowed to walk on carpet.

They get one trial run outside to make sure they have decent grip before they grace the Queen's feet.

Tights are required: It was recently revealed by royal insider Victoria Arbiter that it is required of the women in the family to wear tights during public occasions.
Fadnavis resists Sena ministerial delegations pressure.

MUMBAI: A delegation of Shiv Sena ministers met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday demanding the expulsion from the party of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Shivajirao Kardile in connection with the murder of two Sena workers in Ahmednagar on Saturday.

The chief minister, however, declined the request, sources in the BJP said. The party is unlikely to take any action against Kardile, who is a senior MLA. The party will not expel him until he is proven guilty, the sources said.

Two motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Thube (40) in Shahunagar area of Kedgaon in Ahmednagar on Saturday, hours after a Congress candidate was declared elected in a civic by-election.

Mr Kardile, who represents the Rahuri constituency in the Assembly, was arrested on Monday for allegedly vandalising the office of the Ahmednagar superintendent of police on Saturday along with supporters after was detention of his son-in-law and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Sangram Jagtap, in the double murder case.

Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam, a member of the delegation, said that the Ahmednagar incident would only lead to more trouble for the alliance between the two parties ahead of the 2019 general election. He reiterated that the Sena would face the elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assembly on its own.

Ahmednagar police has filed a conspiracy case against Mr Kardile, Mr Jagtap and some others for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to kill the two Sena leaders, apparently over the political rivalry.

Apart from Kadam, the Sena delegation included Industries Minister Subhash Desai, transport minister Diwakar Raote, public undertakings minister Eknath Shinde and health minister Deepak Sawant.

We asked the chief minister to sack Kardile for his alleged involvement in the double murder of Sena activists. We also demanded death penalty for the culprits, Mr Kadam said after meeting the chief minister at his office in Mantralaya. Jagtaps father and NCP member of the legislative council, Arun Jagtap, who was also booked in connection with the killings, is on the run.
The high court then issued notice to the election commission to present its view on the matter.

Mumbai: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has dismissed a plea against the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypoll. Nagpur resident Pramod Gudadhe had moved court, requesting it not to allow the bypoll, saying that when fresh Lok Sabha polls were merely a year away, expenditure on conducting the bypoll could be a waste.

Mr Gudadhe filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court and challenged the bypoll in Bhandara-Gondia. According to his plea, As per the 2011 Census, there were 21,90,000 voters in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The then EC spent rupees six crore, 28 lakh and 86 thousand on the election. If we go for the bypoll, more money will be needed for arrangements. Not just that, there will be a general election within one year. So, this will be a double expense. As it is public money, it shall not be used for such frequent expenses.

The high court then issued notice to the election commission to present its view on the matter. The EC asked for more time. Finally, there was a hearing on the matter in Nagpur on Wednesday, and the court rejected Mr Gudadhes plea as keeping a constituency vacant for more than six to eight months is not constitutionally approved. This cleared the decks for elections in both Lok Sabha constituencies.

After BJPs defeat in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, the two bypolls in Maharashtra are eagerly awaited in political circles. For BJP, it will be a test to keep both seats like in 2014.
On Friday (April 6), Mukerjea was taken to JJ Hospital after she fainted inside the prison cell.

Mumbai: An inquiry into the drug overdose of Indrani Mukerjea, the high-profile inmate of the Byculla womens prison who claimed a threat to her life, is focusing on her 10-man police escort team.

Prison officials have taken the statements of four of the personnel on the team that escorts Mukerjea (41) a key accused in the 2012 Sheena Bora murder case, to the court and back.

Special IG (Prisons) Rajvardhan Sinha will record Mukerjeas statement on Thursday which is expected to cover the drug overdose as well as her claim about a threat to her life. Mukerjea said after her discharge from the state-run JJ Hospital on Wednesday that there was a threat to her life. Mukerjea had been treated at JJ Hospital in October 2015 also on being round in an unconscious state in her cell due to a suspected drug overdose.

On Friday (April 6), Mukerjea was taken to JJ Hospital after she fainted inside the prison cell. Prison officials said that the escort team is of Mumbai police and hence they had to seek the details of the personnel from them.

There were a total of 10 police personnel in her escort team. We have recorded the statement of four members till now and the process will continue on Thursday. Mukerjea will also be questioned on the revelations and pertaining to what happened, said an official from Byculla women's prison.

The investigators said they have recorded the statement of 18 people so far. However, nothing has become clear so far, even as the full medical reports from the FSL are awaited.

The investigators are also scanning footage from the CCTV cameras inside her prison barrack and also the court premises where she was taken by her escort team for the ongoing trial.

The probe is seeking to find out how and where the dosage was administered, whether inside the prison premises or on the court premises.

Mukerjea was admitted to the hospital on April 6 where she was brought in a semi-conscious condition from her cell in the Byculla jail.

A significant presence of the anti-depressant drug, Benzodiazepine, in Mukerjea's body fluid samples implied that she had consumed the drug in a large quantity.

The reports of her urine sample showed a significant increase in the level of benzodiazepine, a class of anti-depressants, said Dr. Sanjay Surase, the superintendent of the JJ hospital. Her vital parameters are normal, she has started accepting oral feed and her fever has also reduce yesterday evening so she was fit to discharge, he added.
The much vaunted Make in India has not taken off, while FDI in the military-industrial complex has been almost zero.

The Indian soldier, as always, will fight the enemy to the death to defend Indias territorial integrity, even when using totally obsolete weapons, but raw courage alone or only diplomacy cannot deter or defeat a ruthless enemy, as the disastrous 1962 India-China war showed. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

In 2018, India has an effective or real defence budget of about $44 billion which, at 1.49 per cent of GDP, is the second lowest since 1950. Another $18 billion is spent on pensions under the heads of MoD Misc (Rs 16,206 crores) and defence pensions (Rs 1,08,853 crores). By comparison, the Russian defence budget for 2018 is $46 billion (2.8 per cent of GDP), while the Americans and Chinese have allocated $750 billion and $175 billion respectively. Can India emulate some aspects of the Russian model as today Russia has the capability to deter both the US and China due to its technologically advanced and innovative nuclear arsenal with associated delivery systems.

Few people are aware that India built up a formidable defence capability between 1962 and 1991 despite a low defence budget because we got a large amount of diverse weapons for the armed forces at friendship prices with repayment spread over 18 years at two per cent simple interest, courtesy the erstwhile USSR (Pakistan is getting something similar from China now). This, along with a powerful and decisive Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, resulted in Indias greatest-ever military victory in the 1971 war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh. Post-1971, the Indian politico-bureaucratic leadership decided to sideline the military and keep the three service chiefs out of military decision-making while successive Pay Commissions reduced the pay and parity of the military vis-a-vis the civil bureaucracy. The decline really set in with the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and matters further deteriorated with nuclear parity between India and Pakistan after the 1998 nuclear tests, and Chinas phenomenal economic-cum-military rise, its supply of conventional and nuclear delivery capabilities to Pakistan along with the well-known presence of Chinese Navy warships, submarines and new bases in the Indian Ocean.

India is upset over the growing Chinese influence in the Maldives and is expecting a hot summer when the snow melts along the disputed India-China border post the Doklam standoff of 2017. Growing Chinese military infrastructure (roads, 14 airfields in Tibet, military reorganisation, a defence budget of $175 billion, etc) and new missile tests by Pakistan Navy of Chinese copies have created some justified unease among the strategic community despite statements that India is ready to fight a two-front war while its Army is importing basic infantry weapons like rifles, carbines and light machine-guns and its Air Force is facing drastic shortages in combat jets. Even the Navy, which has prided itself in designing and building ships and submarines for over 50 years, is facing a funds crunch with well-known shortages in submarines, mine counter-measure vessels, ship-borne helicopters and amphibious warfare capability.

In the meantime, Russia, with a landmass about five times larger than India, and a declining population of 150 million, has managed to hold its own against the United States. In 2009, during a submarine seminar in the US, where I spoke, I recall a US admiral saying that despite the breakup of the USSR, its successor state Russia was still the only nation capable of destroying the US in a single day due to its nuclear arsenal. Today, an impoverished North Korea, having tested a 11,000-km range nuclear-tipped ICBM which can reach the US mainland, has found itself in a position to plan a Kim-Trump summit meeting.

Media reports indicate that Russia under President Vladimir Putin has developed new long-range ballistic missiles with multiple re-entry vehicles (nuclear-tipped MIRVs), which can reach any target on earth and cannot be intercepted by existing ballistic missile defence systems (BMDS). To this arsenal, the Russians have added a long-range hypersonic nuclear-tipped cruise missile system, propelled by a miniature nuclear engine, and also a new long-range underwater high-speed nuclear-tipped drone, which when launched from a submarine can destroy large coastal cities. And knowing how the Russians defeated Napoleon in the early 19th century and Hitler in the mid-20th century, neither the US nor China has any doubts about Russias political will to respond to any threat. In addition, Russian scientists, unlike our DRDO, have produced a new generation of stealth combat jets (SU-57), strategic nuclear submarines (SSBNs) and tactical nuclear submarines (SSNs). Given its poor economic state, Russia cannot be termed a global superpower, but it cannot be ignored or threatened.

The Indian soldier, as always, will fight the enemy to the death to defend Indias territorial integrity, even when using totally obsolete weapons, but raw courage alone or only diplomacy cannot deter or defeat a ruthless enemy, as the disastrous 1962 India-China war showed. Political vision, leadership, resolve, along with a scientific-industrial base and a relevant higher defence management organisation are essential. Sadly, India is lacking in all these.

What then can India do, given that a localised border conflict (Doklam repeated along multiple points of the disputed LAC) or even a clash at sea (in case India ever decides to intervene in the Maldives) cannot be ruled out? Appeasing China will only embolden it further to keep testing Indian resolve and is not recommended, but needless provocation can be avoided. The obvious answer is an increase of the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of our GDP, but this is highly unlikely given the glacial pace of military modernisation and our ostrich-like attitude to growing threats from China, Pakistan and terror. Reorganisation of the higher decision-making system is unlikely given that little has happened since 2014 and new elections are due in 2019. The much vaunted Make in India has not taken off, while FDI in the military-industrial complex has been almost zero. Getting into military alliances is ruled out, though some form of intelligence-sharing with like-minded nations is feasible, especially in the maritime domain, and should be done.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very little time before the nation swings into general election mode. The only possible options available to India could include a tweak of its No First Use (NFU) nuclear doctrine, which needs to actually deter any misadventure by two nuclear-armed neighbours, by introducing ambiguity that nuclear weapons maybe used by India in rare cases if some red lines are crossed.

Since the DRDO cant be expected to emulate the latest Russian technological advances in missiles, we can at least ramp up domestic production of our Agni ICBMs and nuclear submarines. Having joined the MTCR, India could get some cruise missiles from Russia. Also, hopefully, before the next general election is announced, the government (always busy with numerous state elections) makes available the minimum additional funds to make up for the well-known critical shortages of conventional operations in the three services. This process will take over a decade, if unspent funds are not allowed to lapse annually, and may require the defence budget to increase to at least two per cent of GDP. Finally, there is no alternative to Make in India pioneered by the Indian Navy, which should be provided to continue with its path to become a builders navy.
Nokias technology could help Google offer a faster alternative to existing Wi-Fi on airplanes.

Nokias LTE A2G cellular-based system creates a direct link between an aircraft and the ground instead of bouncing the signal off of a satellite, enabling in-cabin high-speed internet services using Wi-Fi. (Representative Image: AP)

Alphabet Incs Google is in talks to buy Nokia Oyjs airplane broadband business, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Nokias technology could help Google offer a faster alternative to existing Wi-Fi on airplanes, the report said, adding that talks were advanced and a deal could be reached soon.

Nokias LTE A2G cellular-based system creates a direct link between an aircraft and the ground instead of bouncing the signal off of a satellite, enabling in-cabin high-speed internet services using Wi-Fi, according to its website.

A final decision, however, had not been made and the companies could still decide against a deal, Bloomberg said.

Google did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment, while a Nokia spokesman declined to comment.
The company said 316 posts from the Russian accounts were made on the popular pro-Trump page.

Moscow denies any meddling in the 2016 elections to help Republican Trump win.

Social media network Reddit announced on Tuesday that it had taken down nearly a thousand accounts suspected of links to Russias Internet Research Agency.

The company said 316 posts from the Russian accounts were made on the popular pro-Trump page, The_Donald, which reflected intense support for the New York businessman during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Internet Research Agency, based in St. Petersburg, Russia, employs hundreds of people to push pro-Kremlin content under phoney social media accounts, according to US lawmakers and researchers.

The office of US Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russians and three Russian companies, including the Internet Research Agency, with engaging in a criminal and espionage conspiracy to tamper with the 2016 US presidential campaign to support Donald Trump and disparage Hillary Clinton.

A court document released in February said those accused had a strategic goal to sow discord in the US political system, including the 2016 US presidential election.

Moscow denies any meddling in the 2016 elections to help Republican Trump win.

US Senator Mark Warner said in a statement following the Reddit announcement, As the 2018 elections approach, I will continue pressing the nations intelligence leaders and social media companies to be far more aggressive and proactive in responding to this threat.
The 33-year-old Internet mogul managed to deflect any specific promises to support any congressional regulation.

Ill have my team follow up with you so that way we can have this discussion across the different categories where I think this discussion needs to happen, Zuckerberg told a joint hearing. (AP Photo)

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday navigated through the first of two US congressional hearings without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business.

During nearly five hours of questioning by 44 US senators, Zuckerberg repeated apologies he previously made for a range of problems that have beset Facebook, from a lack of data protection to Russian agents using Facebook to influence US elections.

But the 33-year-old internet mogul managed to deflect any specific promises to support any congressional regulation of the worlds largest social media network and other US Internet companies.

Ill have my team follow up with you so that way we can have this discussion across the different categories where I think this discussion needs to happen, Zuckerberg told a joint hearing by the US Senates Commerce and Judiciary committees when asked what regulations he thought were necessary.

Investors were impressed with his performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years, closing up 4.5 per cent.

The shares fell steeply last month after it came to light that millions of users personal information was harvested from Facebook by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US President Donald Trumps election campaign among its clients. The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

That disclosure pitched Facebook into a crisis of confidence among users, advertisers, employees and investors who were already struggling with Facebooks reaction to the fake news and its role in the 2016 election.

Packed Hearing

The crowded Senate hearing was not without theatrics, although most were from the audience, like an activist dressed in costume as a Russian internet troll. On Twitter, observers seemed obsessed with an extra cushion on Zuckerbergs chair that was dubbed his booster seat. A photojournalist for Associated Press took a picture of his prepared talking points and the photo was posted on Twitter.

The Senate hearing ended just past 7 p.m. (2300 GMT), and the second session before a House of Representatives committee is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT).

Wearing a dark suit and tie instead of his typical T-shirt and jeans, Zuckerberg remained largely unruffled and serious as senators questioned him. But some senators did provoke a reaction. Zuckerberg was asked whether Facebook was a monopoly. It certainly doesnt feel that way to me, he said, breaking into a smile as the audience laughed.

But the senators who asked sharp questions were often at a disadvantage because each had only five minutes to pin down the billionaire.

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, from Facebooks home state of California, asked a line of questions about whether Zuckerberg or his senior executives considered notifying Facebook users of the data breach. She was among the lawmakers dissatisfied.

Mark Zuckerbergs failure to answer several critical questions during his appearance before the Senate today leaves me concerned about how much Facebook values trust and transparency, she wrote on Twitter.

Seeing a connection

Facebook disclosed in September that Russians under fake names used the social network to try to influence US voters in the months before and after the 2016 election, writing about inflammatory subjects, setting up events and buying ads.

We believe it is entirely possible that there will be a connection there, Zuckerberg said when asked if there was overlap between Cambridge Analyticas harvested user data and the political propaganda pushed by the Kremlin-linked Internet Research Agency during the 2016 presidential election, which Facebook has said was seen by some 126 million people.

The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Facebook violated an agreement it signed with the agency in 2011 by its actions in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

In the agreement, which Facebook signed to end an investigation into privacy breaches, the company promised not to misrepresent the extent to which it maintains the privacy or security of personal information, and it said it would obtain users affirmative consent before sharing personal information with any third party.

Zuckerberg told senators he did not see the Cambridge Analytica episode as a violation. But he acknowledged that Facebook did not notify the FTC in 2015 when it first learned of that companys data-harvesting.

On Friday, Zuckerberg threw his support behind the proposed legislation, known as the Honest Ads Act, that would require social media sites to disclose the identities of buyers of online political campaign ads.

On Tuesday, however, Zuckerberg would not agree to speak out further on behalf of the Honest Ads Act.

Are you going to come back up here and be a strong advocate to see that that laws passed? asked Democratic Senator Tom Udall.

Senator, the biggest thing I think we can do is implement it, Zuckerberg responded, saying that Facebook already planned to comply voluntarily.

Udall pressed: Id like a yes or no answer.

Zuckerberg again demurred, saying: Im going to direct my team to focus on this.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
The nuclear-powered warship, leading a carrier strike group, was conducting routine training in the disputed South China Sea.

The aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt is sailing through the disputed South China Sea in the latest display of America's military might after China built a string of islands with military facilities in the strategic sea. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: In a span of 20 minutes, 20 F-18 fighter jets took off and landed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, in a powerful display of military precision and efficiency.

The nuclear-powered warship, leading a carrier strike group, was conducting what the US military called routine training in the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday, headed for a port call in the Philippines, a defence treaty ally.

The United States is not alone in carrying out naval patrols in the strategic waterway, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate, possibly increasing tensions and risking accidents at sea.

"We have seen Chinese ships around us," Rear Admiral Steve Koehler, the strike group commander, told a small group of reporters on board the three-decade-old carrier.

"They are one of the navies that operate in the South China Sea but I would tell you that we have seen nothing but professional work out of the ships we have encountered."

Navies in the western Pacific, including China and nine Southeast Asian countries, have been working on a code of unexpected encounters (CUES) at sea to avoid conflict.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt's presence in the South China Sea comes days after China's massive air and naval drills in the area, in what some analysts described as an unusually large display of Beijing's growing naval might.

China's growing military presence in the waters has fuelled concern in the West about Beijing's end game. The United States has criticised China's apparent militarisation of manmade islands and carried out regular air and naval patrols to assert its right to freedom of navigation in stretches of a sea China claims largely as its own.

"This transit in the South China Sea is nothing new in our planning cycle or in a reaction to that. It is probably by happenstance that all that is happening at the same time," said Koehler, who gave a tour of the carrier to Philippine military officials and watched flight operations aboard the 100,000-tonne warship.

Function of Law

"All of the operations that we do in and around the South China Sea or any of the bodies of water we operate in, there is a function of international law and that is ultimately what we want to recognise," Koehler said.

Tension between the United States and China over trade and territory under US President Donald Trump has been stepped up of late, with fear in the region that the South China Sea, vital to global trade, could one day become a battleground between the two rival powers.

Philippine ties with China have meanwhile warmed under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has put aside disputes with Beijing and wants it to play a key role in building and funding urgently needed infrastructure, from highways and ports to railways and power plants.

China has long objected to US military operations off its coasts, even in areas Washington insists are free to international passage.

"They (China) certainly have the right to exercise off their coast like we do, nor are they necessarily in charge of our transit cycle, but our deployment's been planned," Koehler said.

As the crew in colour-coded uniforms raced to service dozens of aircraft taking off and landing, "handlers" in the flight deck control made sure the deck had enough room for jets to manoeuvre and refuel with the help of a "Ouija board".

The board has all the models of each aircraft, which are marked with squadron name, model, make, and number of personnel. At any given moment, the flight deck is home to dozens of aircraft and helicopters.

"It is a showcase of the capability of the US armed forces," Philippine army chief Rolando Bautista said of the demonstration. "Since Americans are our friends in one way or another, they can help us deter any threat."
The attempt was described as a military style battle in which both prisoners and associates on the outside were armed.

The mass escape attempt took place at the Santa Izabel Penitentiary Complex in Brazil. (Photo: AFP)

Brasilia: At least 21 people died on Tuesday in an attempted breakout from a prison in northern Brazil aided by an armed group on the outside trying to blow up a wall, officials said.

The Para state security service described the mass escape attempt at the Santa Izabel Penitentiary Complex, near the Amazon rainforest city of Belem in Para state, as a military style battle in which both prisoners inside and associates on the outside were armed.

"In the rescue attempt, explosives were used against one of the walls," the agency said in a statement. "The attempt was supported by an extremely heavily armed group. According to preliminary reports, the prisoners also had weapons inside the prison," the statement said.

Prison guards fought back in "an intense exchange of gunfire," it said. The confirmed dead so far included 20 prisoners and outside attackers, plus one guard. Another five guards were injured, including one seriously.

A headcount was underway to establish whether anyone escaped, while a police SWAT team was reinforcing security. Police had recovered two rifles and five handguns at the scene, the statement said.

Deadly reality

Brazil is one of the world's deadliest countries, with around 60,000 homicides a year, and the prisons are notoriously overcrowded and violent.

There were 726,712 inmates as of June 2016 and capacity for only 368,000, according to the most recent official statistics.

Powerful drug gangs routinely take their turf wars from the streets of Rio de Janeiro and other big cities into penitentiary facilities.

In the worst cases, security staff are reduced to bystanders as criminal bosses run daily life. In one of the bloodiest episodes, 56 people were killed in an uprising in a prison in the city of Manaus in Brazil's Amazon in 2017.

In January, fighting between gangs at a prison in northeastern Ceara state left 10 dead. That bloodshed took place in the Itapaje Public Prison, about 78 miles (125 kilometers) from the state capital Fortaleza. A few days earlier, at least 14 people had been gunned down at a nightclub in Fortaleza.

Local media reported that the massacre, conducted by armed men who arrived in three cars, was related to disputes between rival drug traffickers. Adding to Brazil's security woes, the police force is regularly accused of breaking the law in carrying out extrajudicial killings, falsifying evidence and failing to investigate its own officers.

Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that police had killed 4,224 people in 2016 -- the last available figures -- about 26 percent more than in 2015. The streets are also deadly for police: 437 were killed in 2016, the report said.
The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in September 2017 after being hacked to death.

The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing, an accusation which Myanmar denies. (Photo: File)

Yangon: Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour in a remote area for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine state in September 2017, the army said on Tuesday.

The military said in a statement published on Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaings office Facebook page that seven soldiers have had action taken against them for contributing and participating in murder.

The massacre was being investigated by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 - who were subsequently arrested in December and are still behind bars facing charges of violating the countrys Official Secrets Act.

The authorities in February said that the military opened an internal investigation independently and that it is unrelated to the Reuters reporters who are accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers.

The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in September 2017 after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.

The murders were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August.

The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation which Myanmar denies. Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of private, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour at a prison in a remote area, read the military statement.

It added that legal proceedings against the police personnel and civilians involved in the crime are still under way.

On January 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 militants who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military had said.

The militarys version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses published in the February story.

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses said that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, creating one of the worlds largest refugee camps.

A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether the two Reuters reporters will be charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

On Wednesday, the judge will rule on a motion by defence lawyers for dismissal of the case.
A large number of people of Chichawatni, Sahiwal district, held a demonstration and blocked the main GT Road for several hours.

Locals found her in a deserted street in an unconscious state with burns all over her body. (Photo: Representational)

Lahore: An eight-year-old girl was burnt alive after being raped in Pakistans Punjab province, a brutal incident which triggered protests in the province.

A large number of people of Chichawatni, Sahiwal district, some 200-km from Lahore, held a demonstration and blocked the main GT Road for several hours to lodge their protest against the brutal incident.

After the assurance of police that claimed to have arrested a suspect, the protesters dispersed.

According to police, the grade-II student of the government girls high school Chichawatni went missing on Sunday after she left home to buy some sweets from a grocery shop. When she did not return after a while, her family members and neighbours held a search.

They found her in a deserted street in an unconscious state with burns all over her body. Initially she was shifted to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Chichawatni from where she was brought to Lahores Jinnah Hospital.

She succumbed to her burns on Wednesday as doctors could not save her life despite efforts, Jinnah Hospital spokesman Dr Abdul Jabbar said. He said the girl had received more than 70 per cent burns.

Police official concerned Atif Ikram told reporters that police had arrested a suspect who is being interrogated. He said it was suspected that the girl was set on fire after being raped.

However, autopsy report would confirm it, he said, adding that an FIR has been registered against the suspected person(s).

There has been an upsurge in rape incidents especially in Punjab province in 2018. The murder of seven-year-old girl in Kasur district of Punjab earlier this year had shocked the whole nation.
by Mathias Hariyadi

A poem read on TV by a nationalist politician had caused the wrath of the Indonesian United Muslim Forum (FUIB). It turns out that poem was written in 1987 by an illustrious Muslim cleric, the ninth chief advisor to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest moderate Islamic organisation in Indonesia with over 80 million members. For analysts, radicals fear the NU the most.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  The latest political controversy over blasphemy, sparked by Islamic extremists turning on an Indonesian nationalist, has been settled with an official apology.

Recently, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo came under attack from Islamic radicals, like former Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, and more recently Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, daughter of Indonesias first president.

Pranowo, 50, is a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDI-P), founded by Sukmawatis sister, former President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Central Javas governor is currently running for re-election on 27 June. Politically, it is the countrys second most important province, and is being hotly contested.

Pranowos main rival, Sudirman Said, was a minister in the government of President Joko Widodo before he was dismissed, for reasons unknown. After that he became a major supporter of Anies Baswedan, the current Islamist governor of Jakarta.

Baswedan's victory in April 2017 represents the greatest political success by extremists in recent years. And analysts fear that they will use the same methods to take Central Java, i.e. exploiting religion against their opponents.

In the ongoing campaign, radical movements have been waiting for a false step, real or imagined, by their adversaries to mount a campaign of denigration.

A few days ago, Pranowo read some verses from a poem on TV. You said that God is very near (But) You have always called Him with a loud speaker every time, he recited.

Thinking that he was the author of these words, the Indonesian United Muslim Forum (Forum Umat Islam Bersatu, FUIB) accused the nationalist politician of "insulting Islam", and pledged to organise protests.

Yesterday the poems authorship was made public: Kiai Hajj Ahmad Mustofa Bisri (picture 2), an important and charismatic Muslim cleric in Rembang (Central Java).

Born in 1944, Kiai is affectionately known as "Gus Mus" and heads a local Islamic school. He is also a highly respected figure and the ninth chief adviser to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesias largest moderate Islamic organisation in Indonesia with over 80 million members.

A few hours after the error was revealed, FUIB held a press conference in Jakarta (picture 1) to apologise to Nahdlatul Ulama and Gus Mus and announce the cancellation of any protest.

"We decided to ask Nahdlatul Ulama and Kiai Hajj Gus Mus to forgive us for our planned protest against the poem's recitation, as soon as we discovered that it was not written by Pranowo but by Gus Mus, said FUIB leader Rahmat Himran. We issued incorrect information and for this reason we apologise."

The extremists quick reaction to the error has several observers suggest that radical movements fear Nahdlatul Ulama the most.
Russia rejects the US proposal: a pretext for military intervention. The US promises a harsh response to the chemical attack. The climate of tension in the region is exacerbated: Iran promises that the Israeli attack on its bases in Homs "will not remain unanswered".

New York (AsiaNews / Agencies)  A war of vetoes and of words continue between Washington and Moscow in the UN Security Council, in the context of the escalation of tensions that continues after the chemical attack on Douma, in Syria.

Opponents, doctors and rescuers accuse the government of President Bashar al-Assad of having launched a chemical attack on the city of Douma, in the eastern Ghouta region, injuring 1,000 people and killing more than 60.

The city was controlled by the rebels Jaish al-Islam , who have entered into an evacuation agreement with Syria and Russia.

Supported by the Russian ally, Damascus denies being involved in the episode. A team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will "soon" confirm or deny the effective use of prohibited weapons on Douma, but the experts cannot determine the author of the attack.

Yesterday, Russia vetoed the American proposal to launch a new independent investigation into the facts and warns: it will consider Washington "responsible" for any "illegal military action" it intends to put into practice.

Alongside Russia, China abstained from voting, while among the 12 votes in favour there were those of France, United Kingdom, Kazakhstan and Kuwait. Previously, Washington, London and Paris rejected the Russian proposal, stating that it would not create an independent investigation commission, because it would have to report the results of its investigations to the Security Council, which would then attribute the responsibility for the attack.

UN Security Council resolutions are passed with a majority of nine out of 15, and no vote against by the five permanent members - the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the United States.

The heated discussion between the representatives of Moscow and Washington at the Security Council is just the latest in a series of verbal confrontations between the two superpowers. The Russian representative, Vasily Nebenzia, accused the US of seeking a "pretext" to intervene militarily in Syria.

The statements followed the promise of US President Donald Trump to implement an "incisive" response to the chemical attack and his decision to cancel the first official trip to Latin America, precisely to focus on Syria. Alongside the United States, the United Kingdom and France stand, giving substance to the possibility of coordinated Western military action.

The climate of tension is enveloping the whole region: yesterday, a senior Iranian official visiting Damascus warned that the Israeli attack on Syrian base T4, in the province of Homs, in Syria - where 14 Iranians would have died - "will not remain unanswered ".
by Sumon Corraya

In Bangladesh 56 per cent of civil service jobs go to the children and grandchildren of liberation war veterans, women, tribal and disabled people. The current unemployment rate stands at 8 per cent whilst ten million Bangladeshi have left the country seeking their fortune abroad.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Hundreds of students have been protesting in Dhaka for four days over the countrys civil service quota system, which they deem unfair and unjust.

Students are demanding changes to the quotas of reserved jobs for the children and grandchildren of those who fought in the War of Liberation and other vulnerable groups.

In Bangladesh 56 per cent of civil service jobs are reserved: 30 per cent for children and grandchildren of the countrys "freedom fighters", 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for districts lagging behind, 5 per cent for ethnic minorities, and 1 per cent for physically challenged people.

For protesters, the quota system affects the unemployment rate, which is currently more than 8 per cent. At least ten million Bangladeshis have left the country in search of work.

Some government websites were hacked overnight. Some homepages were replaced with pages demanding quota reform and a photo from the current protest.

The protests continue in front of the Dhaka University Central Library. They began peacefully but soon degenerated, with clashes between demonstrators and police.

The opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) backs the protests. Conversely, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, supports police.

"I have applied several times for a government job, but I did not get any, said one protester speaking to AsiaNews. I believe the number of reserved jobs must decrease. This is the only way to be blessed with a civil service job.

"Our protest was peaceful, but the police attacked us, he added. The government must understand our pain."

Students from private universities also joined the protest, boycotting classes lessons and exams.

Protesters pledged that they would not disperse until their demands are met, and demanded an apology from Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, who described them a razakar children". The razakars were an anti-Bangladesh paramilitary force organised by the Pakistani military during the 1971 liberation war.

Meanwhile, some students were responsible for an attack against the residence of the vice chancellor of Dhaka University.

Yesterday, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader vowed to bring to justice those responsible for the attack.
France has given its full support for the Saudi position on Yemen, slamming Houthi rebels. On Syria, the Saudis are ready to "step up" if requested by its allies. Macron acknowledges Saudi concerns over Iran. Agreements worth US$ 18 billion are signed.

Paris (AsiaNews/Agencies)  As Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman flew home he took from his Paris visit a long hug, "full support" for the Saudi position in Yemen and trade deals worth US$ 18 billion.

Prince Mohammads three-day visit ended yesterday with a dinner at the Louvre which included Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The meeting between the three leaders is significant given events in November. During a visit to Riyadh, Hariri resigned as prime minister, slamming Hezbollah and Iran, historical rival of the Saudi kingdom, for their influence in Lebanon.

At the time, Lebanese authorities accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri against his will. The diplomatic crisis was eventually settled with Macrons mediation, followed by Hariri rescinding his resignation and a trip of the Lebanese prime minister to Paris.

In recent months, Macron and Prince Mohammad have developed an "excellent" personal relationship, confirmed during the visit - before dinner  by a visit to the Delacroix exhibition at the Louvre.

On this occasion, the Saudi prince, who is trying to promote an image of himself as a reformer and a moderniser, praised the famous painting Liberty leading the people.

The good state of Franco-Saudi relations was also highlighted by the position taken by the French president on sensitive issues like the conflict in Yemen, which has been torn apart by civil war since January 2015 pitting Saudi-backed former president Hadi and Houthi rebels, who are close to Iran and Hezbollah.

Standing next to his guest, the French President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday that Paris would host a conference over humanitarian the crisis unfolding in Yemen.

Macron used this occasion to express Frances full support for Saudi security, slamming Houthi rocket attacks. He also reiterated support for a political solution to the conflict and the great humanitarian need of the civilian population."

The French president and the Saudi prince also discussed other sensitive topics, like the war in Syria, Lebanons upcoming elections and Iran.

On Syria the two leaders share the same view as US President Donald Trump, condemning the government of Bashar al-Assad, which has been blamed for the Douma chemical attack, in which dozens of people died.

Paris is looking into possible military action coordinated with the United States and the United Kingdom, against Syrian chemical capabilities.

Asked Tuesday in Paris if Riyadh would take part in strikes against the Syrian regime, Prince Mohammad said: "If our alliance with our partners calls for it, we will step up."

Conversely, on Iran, Riyadh has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with French support for the nuclear agreement.

Yesterday, Macron acknowledged the concerns of his close friend", who for his part admitted that the two sides share a "common vision despite tactical differences".

The two leaders did not forget business. The two countries inked trade agreements worth US$ 18 billion with possibly more to follow.

One includes a US$ 5 billion petrochemical project between the French company Total and Saudi Aramco.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The incident occurred on April 8 in the parish of Kusumdegi, in Rourkela diocese. The suspect speaks only the Odiya dialect. Sajan K George: "Aggression on a place of worship deeply wounds our Christian sentiment".

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Police in Orissa arrested a mentally ill man on charges of destroying a statue of the Virgin. Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), told AsiaNews that the incident occurred on April 8th in Lafurberan, in the parish of Kusumdegi, adjacent to that of Bihabandh, where on the evening of Easter some unknown criminals vandalized the statue of Mary and the grotto with the Child Jesus at the entrance of the structure ( see photo).

The president of the GCIC reports that the arrested "is not a Christian and speaks only the Odiya dialect". In any case, he adds, "the arrest is similar to the one that occurred last July in Goa, when the police stopped a man accused of desecrating crosses. Even in that case, a vandalism took place and then the arrest ".

Sajan K George comments on the incidents that occurred at Easter in the diocese of Rourkela,: "Certainly these are small incidents, but the aggression to a place of worship deeply wounds our Christian sentiment and increases the sense of fear and vulnerability of the miniscule Christian community ".

The GCIC also recalls that 10 years ago Orissa was the theater of the most ferocious anti-Christian pogrom in the history of India. "Justice continues to be denied to victims and survivors, while seven innocent Christians languish in jail". The GCIC, reaffirms the Christian leader, "prays for peace, sectarian harmony and justice for our Christians in Orissa".

Msgr Kishor Kumar Kujur, bishop of Rourkela, declares: "A man has been arrested but we do not know much more. The police are investigating. Those who saw him wandering around the area believe that he is the same person who desecrated another Marian shrine last Friday [6 April]. But he is not mentally ill".
Francis urges faithful to look up the date of baptism and celebrate it as their "second birthday", the day of their rebirth". To baptize children because with Baptism "the Holy Spirit enters that child" that nourishes within "the Christian virtues that will then flourish".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Baptism, the first of the sacraments, "is the door that allows Christ the Lord to dwell in our person and for us to immerse ourselves in his mystery" and to live united to him "to collaborate in the Church , each according to his own condition, for the transformation of the world ". Having completed the cycle of catechesis on Mass, Pope Francis dedicated his general audience meditation to baptism.

Pope Francis also gave some homework to the 25 thousand people present in St. Peter's Square: to look up the date of baptism and celebrate it as their "second birthday", the day of their rebirth".

With baptism, in fact, "the Easter of Christ, with its charge of novelty, reaches us" to transform us in his image: "the baptized are of Jesus Christ, He is the Lord of their existence". Hence the recommendation to baptize children because with Baptism "the Holy Spirit enters that child" that nourishes within "the Christian virtues that will then flourish".

"The Greek verb 'to baptize' - said Francis - means 'to immerse' (cf. CCC, 1214). The bath with water is a ritual common to various beliefs to express the transition from one condition to another, a sign of purification for a new beginning. But for us Christians it must not escape us that while the body is immersed in water, it is the soul that is immersed in Christ to receive forgiveness from sin and shine with divine light (cf. Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Dead, VIII, 3: CCL 2, 931, PL 2, 806). By virtue of the Holy Spirit, Baptism immerses us in the death and resurrection of the Lord, drowning the old man, dominated by the sin that divides from God in the baptismal font, and giving birth to the new man, recreated in Jesus. In Him, all the sons of Adam are called to new life ".

"Let us remember the last words of the Risen Lord to the Apostles; they are a precise mandate: "Go and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19). Through the baptismal washing, those who believe in Christ are immersed in the very life of the Trinity. In fact, it is not just any water of Baptism, but water invoked by the Spirit who "gives life" (Creed). Think of what Jesus said to Nicodemus to explain his birth to the divine life: "A men, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit "(Jn 3: 5-6). Therefore Baptism is also called 'regeneration': we believe that God has saved us "for his mercy, with a water that regenerates and renews in the Spirit" (Titus 3: 5) ".

"Immersing ourselves in Christ, Baptism also makes us members of his Body, we are not isolated, that is the Church, and partakers of his mission in the world (cf. CCC 1213). The vitality that flows from the baptismal font is illustrated by these words of Jesus: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit "(cf. Jn 15: 5). The same life, that of the Holy Spirit, flows from Christ to the baptized, uniting them into one Body (cf. 1 Cor 12:13), crested by holy unction and nourished at the Eucharistic table. Baptism allows Christ to live in us and in us to live united to him, to collaborate in the Church, each according to his condition, for the transformation of the world. Received only once, baptism illuminates our whole life, guiding our steps to the Jerusalem of Heaven. There is a before and after the baptism. The Sacrament supposes a journey of faith, which we call the catechumenate, evident when an adult asks for baptism. But even children, since ancient times, are baptized in the faith of their parents (see Rite of the Baptism of Children, Introduction, 2) ".

"Nobody deserves Baptism, which is always a free gift for everyone, adults and new-borns. But as happens for a seed full of life, this gift takes root and bears fruit in a soil that is fed by faith. The baptismal promises that every year we renew in the Easter Vigil must be revived every day so that the Baptism "christifies" the one who received it, it must be christified, resembling Christ, truly becoming Christ-like .
Baby wipes may contribute to food allergies





Baby wipes may contribute to the development of food allergies in children new research out of the US has discovered.

According to a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology on 6 April 2018, researchers found a recipe for developing food allergies that includes the mix of genetics, environment, exposure to allergy foods on the skin and the use of baby wipes to create a food allergy.

Baby wipes were identified as problematic as they leave soap on the skin, disrupting the first layer of skin made of lipids (fats) that acts as a barrier.

To help discover what combination leads to a food allergy, Professor Cook-Mils and her research team exposed mice to peanuts, eggs, dust and baby wipes.

Lead researcher, Professor Joan Cook-Mils, said the discovery of what mix may lead to a food allergy is a major advance.

An estimated 4-6 per cent of US children currently have a food allergy. In 2017, an allergy researcher called Australia the food allergy capital of the world after a study found 10 per cent of children in a study had a food allergy.

Professor Cook-Mils said parents should wipe off any soap applied to infants after it is applied, including any soap left by baby wipes.

Limit use of infant wipes that leave soap on the skin, Professor Cook-Mils said.

Rinse soap off with water like we used to do years ago.

Professor Cook Mils also suggests parents reduce a babys skin exposure to food allergens by washing hands before handling their baby.

Related articles
Beer boosts Australian economy





Beer generates $16.9 billion a year to the Australian economy and accounts for just over one per cent of GDP new research has found.

In a new report into the economics of beer conducted by CIL Allen Consulting for the Brewers Association of Australia, it was also found that 95 per cent of all beer sold in Australia is made locally.

Production of beer supports over 143, 00 Australian jobs (more than 105, 00 full-time equivalent).

Brewers Association of Australia Chief Executive Officer, Brett Heffernan, said many Australians believe beer plays a role in Australian culture, but some are not aware of how much the beverage contributes to the economy.

Beer alone, independent of its flow-on effects through the broader economy, supports 14, 297 full-time Australian jobs in its direct supply chain and generate $6.2 billion in economic activity each year, Heffernan said.

When you add in the jobs and economic inputs beer drives across agriculture (primarily barley and hops); the broader supply chain, including manufacturing, packaging and transport sectors; through to pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants and retailers; beer production in Australia generates a massive 105,148 full-time equivalent jobs and $16.9 billion a year to the economy.

For every direct full-time equivalent job making beer in an Australian brewery (3,954), a further 26.6 jobs are created elsewhere in the economy.

Every Australian schooner of beer sold in pubs and other licensed premises contributes $6.24 to GDP, while its off-license equivalent in packaged liquor store beer sales contributes $2.73 to GDP.

The complete 2015-16 data on beer and taxes is also compelling. Australian beer drinkers poured almost $3.8 billion into government coffers  thats $2 billion in excise and $1.78 billion in GST. Australian Government tax is the single biggest ingredient in the cost of a beer.

Over 9.1 million Aussies celebrate with a beer. Who knew that Aussie beer is, itself, worth celebrating? Its a huge supplier of local jobs. Its a major economic driver and revenue raiser for government. Its also the spice of life, so enjoy in moderation, secure in the knowledge youre doing your country a favour.

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Byron Bay Cookie marks 15 years with Qantas



Byron Bay Cookie's Choc Pretzel and Pecan Art Series cookie

Byron Bay Cookie has launched a new range of cookies to celebrate 15 years as a Qantas supplier.

The Art Series range includes a sour cherry cheesecake cookie that will be served on selected Qantas domestic flights until September 2018.

For international flights, a Choc Pretzel and Pecan cookie will be served.

Packaging for the range features artwork from Byron Bay graffiti artist Davey Mac who goes by the artistic name of Teazer.

Marketing Manager at Byron Bay Cookie, Emilie Emond, said it was important to celebrate 15 years with Qantas in a meaningful way.

Packaging design is at the core of our brands image and working with Teazer has definitely enhanced our creative process, whilst allowing us to support a local artist, Emond said.

To help further mark the occasion, Qantas domestic flight passengers will have the chance to select the next Byron Bay Cookie flavour whilst going in the run to win a Byron Bay foodie holiday.

Outside of Qantas flights, Byron Bay Cookies Art Series can be purchased at the Byron Bay Cookie website for AUD $2.50 per 40g cookie. Purchases made online can be shipped worldwide.

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By Adam Brumm, ARC Future Fellow, Griffith University

D.P. McGahan , Author provided

Another collection of stone tools dating back more than 50,000 years has been unearthed on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Details of the find, at a rock-shelter known as Leang Burung 2, are described in our paper out today in PLOS ONE.

But we uncovered no human fossils, so the identity of these tool-makers remains a mystery.

In 2016 we reported the discovery of similar findings dating to 200,000 years ago on Sulawesi, and we also have no idea who made them.

The earliest Sulawesi tools are so old that they could belong to one of several human species. Candidates include Homo erectus and Homo floresiensis, the dwarf-like Hobbits of Flores.





Read more:

World's scientists turn to Asia and Australia to rewrite human history





Alternatively, they might have been Denisovans, distant cousins of Neanderthals who met early Aboriginal people in Southeast Asia, leaving a genetic legacy in their descendants.

They may even have been Homo sapiens that had ventured out of Africa long before the main exodus of our species.

Or they could be a totally unknown species.

Where did they go?

Not only do we not know who the first inhabitants of Sulawesi were, we have no idea what happened to them.

By 40,000 years ago people were creating rock art on Sulawesi. Given the sophistication of these artworks, their makers were surely Homo sapiens with modern minds like ours.

If the first islanders were a now-extinct group, did they linger long enough to encounter modern cultures?

Sulawesi also holds great promise for understanding the initial peopling of our land.

This large island on the route to Australia might have been the launch pad to these shores up to 65,000 years ago. It could even be where the First Australians met Denisovans.









Adam Brumm, Author provided





Resolving this mystery is not easy on a huge landmass like Sulawesi. Where do you begin to look? Which brings us to Leang Burung 2.

The original dig

Leang Burung 2 is a limestone rock-shelter in the islands south. It was first excavated in 1975 by archaeologist Ian Glover.









ESRI (right map), Author provided





Glover dug to a depth of 3.6m, uncovering Ice Age artefacts dating back 30,000 years. He also found, at the bottom of his trench, a layer of yellow clay containing simpler stone tools and fossils of large mammals (megafauna) that were rare to absent in overlying (that is, younger) Ice Age levels.

But before Glover could explore these hallmarks of earlier habitation he had to shut down the dig  large rocks in the trench had made further progress untenable.

Decades later, the late Mike Morwood, of Hobbit fame, resolved to extend Glovers trench to bedrock. He had a hunch that below the undated clay might be evidence that archaic humans existed on Sulawesi until relatively recent times. In fact, Mike thought the ancestors of the Hobbits might have come from this island to the north of Flores.

In 2007 Mikes team (led by Makassan archaeologist Irfan Mahmud) deepened the trench to 4.5m, but the dig was once again halted by rocks.

A new dig and deeper

Later, at Mikes invitation, and with colleagues from Indonesias National Research Centre for Archaeology (ARKENAS), I reopened the trenches in an effort to finally get to the bottom of things.









Adam Brumm, Author provided





Over three seasons (2011-13) we excavated to a depth of 6.2m  deeper than ever before. It was a trying dig, requiring the use of heavy-duty shoring to support the unstable walls and specialist drilling equipment to remove huge rocks that had hindered prior work at this site.

Instead of reaching bedrock, we hit groundwater. With water seeping in, our dig was done.









Adam Brumm, Author provided





Nevertheless, we can confirm that beneath an upper disturbed zone there is indeed evidence of an early human presence, having exposed a rich cultural horizon in a brown clay deep below Glovers yellow clay.

Among the findings are large, rudimentary stone tools and megafauna fossils. We also turned up a fossil from an extinct elephant, the first known from the site.









M W Moore, Author provided





Dating the new find

We are fortunate to have dating methods that were unavailable in Glovers day, but the age of the lowermost layers has still proved tricky to nail down.

Our best efforts suggest that the top of Glovers clay is over 35,000 years old, while the brown clay is about 50,000 years old  and we still have not bottomed out.

The early inhabitants used tools like those made 200,000 years ago on Sulawesi, so the deepest artefacts may be connected to the islands oldest tool-making culture.









M W Moore, Author provided





These cave dwellers could still have been around when the first rock art appears 40,000 years ago, but owing to dating uncertainties and the erosion of a large amount of sediment from Leang Burung 2, we cant be sure.





Read more:

Ice age art and 'jewellery' found in an Indonesian cave reveal an ancient symbolic culture













Adam Brumm, Author provided





A new hope

Digging deeper at Leang Burung 2 is possible but it will require serious effort, including artificially lowering the water table. But while research at this shelter has been challenging, it has led us to another site with better prospects.

Our excavations at nearby Leang Bulu Bettue have unearthed rare Ice Age ornaments up to 30,000 years old, and we have now reached deeper and older levels.

Further work at this cave may yield vital clues about the original inhabitants of Sulawesi, including, we hope, the first fossil remains of these enigmatic people.

Adam Brumm receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Originally published in The Conversation.
CCMS said: I don't know why people continue to use those useless overseas 'agents".



Yes, you can contact the Department directly. No, they don't like getting email attachments.



My representation agreement does not allow my clients to access their application through ImmiAccount or to contact the Department directly, so you should check your agent contract.



I wouldn't worry if it it annoys the AHC. Who cares. They are there to do a job.



If you are not happy with the agent, get rid of them, take over the application yourself or engage another agent. Click to expand...

The trouble is my agent is not some shady agent in Pakistan who can barely read and write English. My agent is a very well known Immigration Lawyer based in Sydney. If I mention his name here, you will instantly recognise him. I especially flew from Perth to Sydney for our initial consultation as he refused to do that over Skype. I'm paying him top dollar for his service and this is what he gives me in return. I guess he's got too much business to care about losing any individual customer or even bad press for that matter.There is a lot riding on my wife's visa application so I don't want to get into another complication at this stage. I'll see after her visa grant if I should register a complaint against him with MARA.Anyway, thank you very much for your help again.
Global leader in organ-on-a-chip technology backed by international syndicate for worldwide commercial expansion and new product development

Leiden, the Netherlands, April 11, 2018 / B3C newswire / -- MIMETAS, leader in organ-on-a-chip products and tissue models, has secured 20.5 million USD in financing from an international syndicate from Asia and Europe. MIMETAS will use the proceeds of this Series B financing round to expand its global commercial footprint with the OrganoPlate organ-on-a-chip platform. In addition, the company will broaden its product portfolio, establish tissue production facilities, develop novel OrganoPlate products and expand into clinical market segments, including personalized medicine. The company has operations in the Netherlands, USA and Japan.

Investors are European Life Sciences Growth Fund (ELSGF, Singapore), Aglaia Oncology Fund II (the Netherlands), Korys (Belgium), Cathay Venture (Taiwan), InnovationQuarter and Oost NL (the Netherlands).

Ginger Hsiao, fund manager of ELSGF, acting as spokeswoman for the syndicate: From the start, we were impressed by MIMETASs technology and highly talented team. We consider the company as todays leader in the organ-on-a-chip space with tremendous growth potential in the coming years. Its customer base already includes leading multinationals from Europe, US and Asia and the adoption of the platform ranges from academic users to high-throughput screening facilities for pharmaceuticals. We are looking forward to supporting the MIMETAS team with their commercial expansion and addressing new markets.

This strong investor base ticks all the boxes for MIMETAS in this phase of corporate development., according to founders Jos Joore and Paul Vulto, Korys has solid expertise in product commercialization at the interface of hardware and biology, while Aglaia brings a wealth of clinical and oncology expertise to the company. ELSGF and Cathay will support the company in expanding in the Asian market. This is complemented with local support from Oost NL and InnovationQuarter.



About MIMETAS

MIMETAS (Leiden, the Netherlands, Gaithersburg, USA) provides organ-on-a-chip products for compound testing, screening and fundamental research. Its flagship product, the OrganoPlate, supports 3D cell culture under continuous perfusion, with membrane-free co-culture and epithelial and endothelial tubules. The company develops and validates customized disease, toxicology and transport models and ultimately will make its technology available for personalized therapy selection. MIMETAS has developed models for the kidney, liver, gut, brain and a range of oncological applications, that offer better predictivity towards human physiology as compared to laboratory animals and conventional cell culture models. Since its commercial launch in 2014, MIMETAS has grown its customer base to half of the global top-50 pharmaceutical companies, in addition to chemical, food and consumer goods companies. The fast market acceptance of the OrganoPlate is driven by its unsurpassed ease-of-use and throughput, in combination with complex human biology and disease relevance.

About European Life Sciences Growth Fund (ELSGF)

ELSGF is a private capital fund investing in Best of Europe Life Sciences for growth into the Asian markets. The fund creates value by building out a presence in Asia for its portfolio companies and adding revenue from the region to their existing business. The fund is managed by Pilgrim Partners Asia in Singapore.

About Aglaia

Aglaia invests in ground-breaking technologies that have the potential to translate into solutions for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Aglaia is actively involved in the companies it invests in. By translating high-potential research into commercially and clinically successful products Aglaia gives meaning to the concept of impact investing.

About Korys

Korys is a family-owned holding company investing in non-listed companies, private equity funds and managing a portfolio of listed investments. Today, it has more than EUR 4 billion of assets under management, among which a significant participation in Colruyt Group, a leading retail company in Belgium and France. Investment decisions are taken with a long-term perspective on the basis of economic, ecological and social merit. Korys aims to create sustainable value through a diversified portfolio of investments. Korys has a team of more than 20 professionals based in Belgium and Luxembourg.

About Cathay Venture

Cathay Venture is an evergreen fund, wholly-owned by Cathay Financial Holdings, based in Taipei, Taiwan. Cathay Financial Holdings is the largest financial group in Taiwan, with registered capital of USD 4 billion. Composed of insurance, securities, banking and other diversified financial institutions, Cathay Financial Holdings is a multi-faceted financial platform servicing more than 13 million customers in Asia. Cathay Venture is committed to maximizing the potential and value of its portfolio companies with its comprehensive network.

About Oost NL

Oost NL (East Netherlands Development Agency) is an agency that focuses its activities and projects on strengthening and stimulating the economy of the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, the Netherlands. Oost NL acts as a bridge between government, companies and knowledge institutes and supports starting and growth-phase SMEs. Oost NL does this partly with risk capital from various revolving innovation funds, and partly through our knowledge, networks and personal contacts. With this investment, Oost NL supports employment opportunities at the production site of Mimetas at the High Tech Factory in Enschede.

About InnovationQuarter

InnovationQuarter is the regional economic development agency for West Holland. InnovationQuarter finances innovative and fast-growing companies, assists international companies in establishing their businesses in West Holland, and facilitates (international) collaboration between innovative entrepreneurs, knowledge institutes and government. In this way, and in cooperation with the business community, InnovationQuarter supports the development of West Holland to become one of the most innovative regions in Europe.



Contact



MIMETAS BV

Jos Joore, co-CEO

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+31 85 888 3161
Contact The Californians Robert Price at 661-395-7399, rprice@bakersfield.com or on Twitter: @stubblebuzz. His column appears on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; the views expressed are his own.
Residents throughout central Bakersfield will choose among four candidates in an April 10 special election to determine who will help lead Bakersfield City School District  the state's largest elementary school district.

One of them will fill a seat left vacant by Raymond Gonzales, an established assemblyman and Latino rights leader who won re-election in 2016, then resigned abruptly over health concerns.
Few issues that come before the Kern County Board of Supervisors are as fraught with emotion
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
I'll be on 1170 KFAQ with Pat Campbell Wednesday morning, April 11, 2018, just after the 8:00 am news to discuss the teachers' strike, the race for governor and other political topics. Listen at 1170 on the AM dial, online, or on the Tune In app.

A collection of notes about the Oklahoma teachers' strike, which has extended over seven school days so far.

The teachers' unions continue to move the goalposts and act like they've gotten nothing. This handout circulated at the capitol on Monday morning, purporting to be the latest set of demands, including repeal of the capital gains tax exemption that was approved in 2004, veto of the reversal of the proposed $5 nightly tax on hotel rooms, taxes on the wind industry, and an increase in the state sales tax rate (offset by a grocery exemption).

Alicia Priest, head of the Oklahoma affiliate of the far-left National Education Association, emphasized two demands as the strike ended its first week: Taxing long-term capital gains and reinstating the hotel/motel tax that was approved with the original tax package, then repealed by a separate bill. But it didn't seem to matter to her if any of the money went to schools.

Reporter: So, you are asking for 100 percent of the capital gains? Priest: I'm saying that we need the repeal of the hotel/motel repeal and we need to pass capital gains in order for the walkout to end. Reporter: What portion of capital gains for education? Priest: I'm not... Reporter: So, the walkout would end if (the governor) vetoes the hotel/motel tax and capital gains passes, but not another dime goes to the student funding formula? Priest: I don't think that is it at all. I think we have to get them passed and work on getting funding to public education.



This is a significant overreach. I understand the OEA lobbying for more more money to schools, but why specify the funding mechanism? Why should it matter to the OEA where the money is coming from? The answer, I believe, is that as a state affiliate of the left-wing NEA, they just want more money flowing to government. I have to wonder if this was part of a deal -- funding for strike expenses in exchange for pushing for a tax on capital gains.

It's also a non-starter. Oklahoma business owners and farmers understand how this tax would hurt them. Investors would find it much more attractive to invest their money south of the Red River as Texas has no income tax at all and thus no tax on capital gains. If we want businesses to be able to grow and create jobs and diversify our economy, they must have access to capital investment. In his FY 2005 budget, Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat, called for a long-term capital gains exemption:

A key to economic growth, and especially wage and income growth, is investment. Accordingly, any practice, policy or law that discourages investment in Oklahoma is not in the state's best interest and should be changed. One such policy is the taxation of gains on investment in Oklahoma. This budget recommends a full exemption from the individual income tax for all capital gains resulting from Oklahoma business interests or property held for five years or more.

The folks at the state and metro chambers of commerce must feel rather used right now. They've been vocal in supporting higher taxes for education and have helped to build the platform of positive publicity that the teachers' unions are now using to call for a tax that would damage their members. The bill passed the Senate but won't be heard by the House. Had the unions succeeded in browbeating passage of the tax, they would have found their erstwhile allies leading and funding the repeal effort. Legislative leaders have said that the capital gains tax came out of the funding package in order to get the votes needed for passage.

The teachers would have been wise to have their one-day show of force at the capitol and then returned to the classroom. They don't have much to show -- ball-and-dice games in casinos and Amazon tax -- for seven days of lobbying.

Someone else who feels hung out to dry is State Rep. Kevin McDugle. His frustrated video complaint about teacher behavior at the capitol, posted the morning of the strike's second day, went viral. McDugle voted for the tax increases and voted to make it easier for the legislature to impose higher taxes, alienating many of the Republican constituents who supported him, supposing him to be a conservative. In his Facebook video, he didn't specify the behavior that got under his skin, but clearly he felt the teachers were not sufficiently appreciative of the political risks he and others took to give them their demands. His video drew brickbats from the union teachers -- and an opponent to his re-election. McDugle now finds himself not only politically homeless and in the midst of what looks like a messy divorce, in his wife, the plaintiff cites adultery as grounds for divorce, a charge McDugle denies.

That aside, it's not smart to alienate the people who have helped you. I'm sure McDugle isn't the only legislator who feels underappreciated right now, and many may wish they could get their vote back. I read somewhere that the reason the $5 hotel tax needed a separate repeal, rather than being taken out during conference committee, is that House leaders were uncertain that they'd be able to get 76 votes for the bill the second time through. By continuing to push, despite the big legislative win that happened before the walkout, teachers are risking the same sort of backlash that followed passage of HB 1017.

In a press release in connection with her signing the repeal of the new $5 hotel tax, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has said she's done with education funding for the year, and it's time to move on. I'm not a Fallin fan, but she's right about this.

Fallin said today's action should complete funding K-12 public schools for the 2019 fiscal year. She encouraged legislators to turn attention now on other issues, such as criminal justice, and address the financial needs of other core services, such as public safety and health and human services, in finishing work on the 2019 fiscal year budget.



Dave Bond of OCPA tallied all of the new funding for education approved in the last three weeks, most of it before the strike began (bullets added for legibility):

HB 1010xx - signed by Governor BEFORE the teacher's union walkout began: cigarette tax increase = $152 million

little cigars tax increase = $1 million

gasoline fuel tax increase = $51 million

diesel fuel tax increase = $53 million

oil gross production tax raised to 5% = $95 million

natural gas gross production tax raised to 5% = $71 million HB 1011xx - signed by Governor BEFORE the teacher's union walkout began: itemized deductions capped at $17k = $94 million HB 3375 - awaits Governor's signature: gaming expansion ("ball & dice") to be assessed exclusivity fee = $24 million HB 1019xx - awaits Governor's signature: third-party sales on Amazon now assessed sales tax = $19 million Total new revenue = $560 million



That represents a 19% increase in state appropriations for public education and moves Oklahoma to 2nd in average regional teacher's pay and 1st in benefits.

Four of the six major Republican candidates for governor have gone on record about the recent tax increases. Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, Gary Richardson, and Kevin Stitt all said they would have vetoed them, State Auditor Gary Jones would have signed them into law (and took credit for the plan), and outgoing Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett wouldn't say one way or the other. Former State Rep. Dan Fisher was not quoted in the story.

Lamb said the package "gets an 'F' in reform. I'm opposed to tax increases. We continue to kick the reform can down the road ... I'm very frustrated and very disappointed in how this teacher pay raise was signed and how it was passed."

That certainly narrows the field for me. I'd already ruled out Mick Cornett, but now I'm ruling out Gary Jones as well. I appreciate Jones in his role as State Auditor, I respect his integrity, but I have also observed over the years that he has a hard time thinking outside the box. I want a governor that is aggressively looking for ways to deliver state services without growing government and increasing our tax burden. Where Jones sees barriers and hurdles to getting money where it needs to go, a real leader in the governor's office would push to tear those barriers down, even if it means amending the constitution or changing laws. Some people are pushing to change the constitution to make it easier to impose tax increases on the people without their approval; why not instead change the constitution to make it easier to allocate the tax dollars government already receives to the areas where they're most needed?

In hindsight, Jones deserves some of the blame for the current lack of leadership at the State Capitol. Jones was elected Oklahoma Republican Party chairman after the disastrous 2002 election, when Democrats used cockfighting and fears of school consolidation to mobilize rural voters for Brad Henry. Jones's platform focused on building the party in rural areas. He and his team recruited legislative candidates who were not party activists or vocal conservatives but rather were respected leaders in the community who happened to be registered Republican. The strategy was successful in winning seats that Republicans had never before held, ultimately producing Republican supermajorities, but many (perhaps most) of these new legislators did not have the grounding in principle to withstand the blandishments of lobbyists and bureaucrats. As a result, we don't have a principled conservative majority in either chamber, and, consequently, significant cost-saving reforms that might have provoked resistance from vested interests didn't move forward. Thus we found ourselves in a budgetary dilemma that, to Jones's way of thinking, could only be solved by a tax increase. That same lack of political courage meant that the legislature wouldn't override Governor Fallin's veto of a 2013 bill that would have created a joint legislative committee authorized to direct his State Auditor's office to conduct performance audits of state agencies.
St. Petersburg police are investigating the shooting death of a 20-year-old man.

It happened about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday in the 4200 block of 14th Avenue South, very close to a child's park that was full of children at the time.

"When we got here, we found out there was a group of people, and somehow there was an altercation, and what we found was that one man, a 20-year-old man, had been shot," said St. Petersburg Police spokesperson Yolanda Fernandez.

That man, Christopher Miller, later died at a local hospital.

Meanwhile, at the same time officers found another man, 53-year-old John Walker, about a block away also suffering from a gunshot wound. His injury is not life-threatening, police said.

Investigators are still piecing together whether there's a connection between the two injuries.

"We're still trying to determine exactly whether the two are related and how it happened," Fernandez said.

Investigators closed several streets in the area as they continue to search for the shooter and evidence to build their case. As of this writing, they cannot confirm whether the shooter and Miller knew each other or whether this was a random act.
The parents of the man accused of killing four people in the Seminole Heights area of Tampa will receive some of the requested changes to their house arrest.

Parents of accused Seminole Heights killer want house arrest changes

Rosita and Howell Donaldson Jr. were found in contempt last month

Donaldson allowed to drive younger son to school activities, meet with lawyers

Rosita and Howell Donaldson Jr. were found in contempt last month for refusing to answer questions about their son, Howell Donaldson III, in regards to the case.

Howell Donaldson III is facing four counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths last fall of four Seminole Heights residents. Since his arrest in November, the parents have refused to answer investigators' questions.

The Donaldsons asked for some leeway with their 6-month house arrest and will be allowed to drive their younger son to and from school activities. They also will be allowed to leave home to meet with their attorneys.

However, Circuit Judge Mark Wolfe denied a request to attend cosmetology classes.

The Donaldsons own a cosmetology and hair academy and both have cosmetology and hair licenses. Rosita Donaldson had requested to attend a continuing education class in South Florida.

They were also denied a request to see their son, Howell III, in jail.

The Donaldsons have been under house arrest since Feb. 16.
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan will not run for re-election, he announced Wednesday, injecting another layer of uncertainty as Republicans face worries over losing their majority in the fall.

"This year will be my last one as a member of the House," Ryan said. "I will be retiring in January, leaving this majority in good hands with what I believe is a very bright future."

Ryans plans have been the source of much speculation and will set off a scramble among his lieutenants to take the helm. A self-styled budget guru, Ryan had made tax cuts a centerpiece of his legislative agenda, and a personal cause, and Congress delivered on that late last year.

Ryan, 48, announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Wednesday morning, according to those present. His tone was somber, and he read directly from prepared remarks.

The speaker called extended family and a few close friends Tuesday night and alerted a few staff. On Wednesday morning, he called the president and the vice president and informed the rest of his staff before going to the conference meeting, officials said.

Ryan will serve out his term and retire in January, Buck said.

Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998. Along with Reps. Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy, he branded himself a rising Young Gun in an aging party.

He became the GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romneys running mate in 2012.

Ryan was pulled into the leadership job by the abrupt retirement of House Speaker John Boehner in 2015. Boehner had struggled to wrangle the chambers restless conservative wing and failed to the seal big-picture deals on fiscal policy he sought. Ryan had more trust with the hardliners in the House, but had no more success in brokering fundamental reform of entitlement he sought.

He ultimately had to wrestle with another unexpected challenge: President Donald Trump, a president with little of Ryans interest in policy detail or ideological purity. The two have had not had a close working relationship.
Velella Velella Return to Oregon Coast, This Time Much Larger in Size

Published 04/10/2018 at 5:15 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Oregon Coast) - Strange yet familiar, the little blue creatures have returned to the Oregon coast. Except this time theyre not so little. (Photos courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium).

Velella velella have begun showing again in fairly large numbers along the coastline, with reports of fairly heavy populations on the central Oregon coast, at Manzanita and some at Arch Cape (near Cannon Beach). A few areas, like Seaside, dont appear to be seeing much  if at all.

The masses of them havent been especially large, mostly somewhat sizable piles here and there. But the specimens themselves are of a larger size than usual: the bodies are bigger than normally seen. This indicates theyre much more mature than what often winds up here. Most of the time when velella appear theyre around the size of a silver dollar. Last year, a lot of juveniles showed up and they were around the size of a quarter.

These are almost twice the size of a silver dollar.

Charlie Plybon, with the Newport chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, said theyve been appearing for a few weeks in that area.

Tiffany Boothe, with Seaside Aquarium, encountered a few in Arch Cape and made these photographs, but they had dried up and thus lost their color.

I havent really seen them around Seaside, she said.

Sometimes called Purple Sails or By-the-Wind-Sailors, they begin popping up when west winds kick in. They have no real means of propelling themselves, so they are at the mercy of the winds. If it's westerly winds pushing onshore for awhile, the seas draw them onto the Oregon coast's sands.



Velella velella are closely related to salps, which in some ways are like jellyfish in that they too are gelatinous in nature. Yet actually, salps have more in common with mammals than jellyfish biologically. They don't sting at all, but they are more closely related to the Man-O-War  a kind of salp that does sting prey and pokes humans. These do not exist on this coastline.

While they can't hurt you, officials say you should not touch them or walk on them barefoot. They are, after all, something formerly alive that's now rotting on the beach.

Velella capture the phytoplankton they eat with tiny tentacles.

The big problem with Purple Sails is the stench they create. After a couple of days, especially if the sun shines on them for awhile, they begin to stink. Sometimes it's nearly unbearable and you find you have to drive past some Oregon coast beaches with your window rolled up.

Purple Sails tend to show up more in later April, so this may well be a precursor to a much bigger stranding. Its likely youll see them for awhile through the spring. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





Previous inundations of velella velella below, courtesy Seaside Aquarium











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In this three-part series, Lapologang Caesar Lekoa* explains the pillars that inform Botswanas foreign policy posture and how these have withstood the test of time



Botswanas 50 year independence anniversary (September 2016), offered an opportunity to reflect on the countrys achievements using multilateral diplomacy or multilateralism as a foreign policy tool, and the future relevance of that particular approach in promoting the countrys national interest abroad.



Evans and Newnham (1998) describe multilateralism as a system of coordinating relations between two or more states in accordance with certain principles of conduct....to realise objectives in a particular issue area. Simply put, multilateralism refers to the voluntary involvement of more than two countries in addressing common challenges for mutual interest based on agreed rules, usually under a specific institutional/organisational arrangement.



To place our assessment of the tool in the proper context, we should ask three questions. First, what did Botswana want from the international system (that is, the countrys foreign policy goals), second, what was the context (both domestic and external), under which Botswana pursued these goals.



Finally, how did Botswanas foreign policy makers perceive and interpret the international environment around them based on their philosophical/conceptual worldview at the time (that is, did they see only threats around them, a rosy world out there, or indeed a mixture of the two?).



The type of conceptual lenses that foreign policy makers wear (and consequently what they see), is critical because it determines the type of foreign policy choices they make.



First, what Botswana wanted in the international system was based on what the policy makers saw as key national interests, namely, national security (protection of territorial integrity and national sovereignty) and economic development. These key imperatives were pursued in the context of equally important national values of democracy, national unity and self-reliance, as well as internationally accepted principles of peaceful co-existence, peaceful resolution of conflicts and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.



The chief focus of foreign policy was therefore the concrete goals of physical and economic security, as well as non-quantifiable attributes, in the form of national values which defined the country in the eyes of the world. These were practical goals, limited to the primary needs of the country at the time, but still relevant for any assessment of the countrys performance in the foreign policy space today. Second, the country operated in a domestic and external environment that tempered her foreign policy ambitions with reality, arising mainly from geography and resource limitations. As the author Kaplan (2012) says A states position on the map is the first thing that defines it, more than its governing philosophies even.



While Kaplan recognises the constraints of geography, he acknowledges that human agency can substantially influence the course of human events. Still, Botswana could not escape her sobering internal circumstances, then and today, for example, a small population, limited economic resources and opportunities, limited human resource capacity, and unfavourable climatic conditions.



These limitations dictated, inter alia, that Botswanas foreign policy attaches great importance to regional and international cooperation. The external environment was as inhibitive as it was threatening: a hegemonic apartheid state and hostile minority regimes as neighbours, a landlocked geographical position, import dependency and other vulnerabilities.



These factors may not have totally derailed Botswanas foreign policy train, but they surely tempered with some of her cargo. For example, the country maintained technical level contacts with racist South Africa through SACU (Southern African Customs Union), but had no formal diplomatic relations with the apartheid regime.



Botswanas foreign policy achievements should thus be assessed in the context of this unconducive domestic and external environment, elements of which still encumber Botswanas foreign policy choices today.



Third, foreign policy makers can perceive the outside world in many ways, for example, as realists who generally believe that states will always use their economic power and political influence to pursue narrow national interest at the expense of others, or liberals who contend that shared common objectives can moderate states parochialism in favour of the larger collective good.



Many other shades of philosophical belief exist in between. In my humble view, Botswanas foreign policy practitioners wore and indeed still wear today these and other conceptual lenses simultaneously, and saw the world as it really was, not as a static, predictable monolith, but an ever changing phenomenon, requiring that you adapt your tactics, within the parameters of your core principles, to situations as they arise, to protect national interest. This made the policy makers pragmatists.



As realists, they knew that national power (economic/military etc) was critical to guarantee physical and economic security, but as liberals they knew that additional leverage from regional and international mechanisms such as Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), was essential to succeed. As liberals they believed, in principle, in the moderating influence of international institutions over rogue states behaviour, but as realists they knew that it was unrealistic to expect the UN or the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to protect their country from neighbouring rogue states on a daily basis, and that a pragmatic foreign policy to help safeguard national security was needed. We therefore see a general trajectory in the period under review where practical considerations often trumped political orthodoxy in foreign policy making and execution.



As a small country, Botswana placed a high premium on multilateralism to protect and promote her national interest in the international system. For small countries, multilateralism comes naturally as an effective tool for survival in international politics. This is so because small nations, acting individually or unilaterally, do not possess adequate material resources and power to influence international relations in their favour. Their international leverage derives largely from solidarity acting together.










BrahMos pavilion at DefExpo 2018.

THIRUVIDANTHAI, TAMIL NADU (BNS): The worlds most potent weapon system BRAHMOS is being showcased at Defexpo India 2018, the biennial Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition, which began at Thiruvidanthai, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.



The remarkable journey of the Indian - Russian Joint Venture BrahMos and its achievements has today become a perfect role model to emulate 'Make in India' programme.



The BRAHMOS is the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile. It is a precision strike weapon for Army, Navy as well as Air Force and can be fitted in Ships, Mobile Launchers, Submarines and Aircraft against land and sea targets.



Dr S Christopher, Chairman DRDO and Secretary Department of Defence R&D, visited the BrahMos pavilion and was shown the missile systems on display by Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mishra, CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace, DS & DG (BrahMos).



At Defexpo 2018, the India-Russia Joint Venture BrahMos Aerospace is displaying BRAHMOS in various configurations, encompassing the land, naval, underwater and aerial variants of the supersonic cruise missile system.



The highlights during the exhibition are the BRAHMOS Coastal Defence System consisting of the land-attack variant of the 290-km range missile, BRAHMOS Land Mobile Complex and BRAHMOS Ship-based Weapon Complex consisting of the ship-to-land and ship-to- ship variant of the missile. Also on focus are the replica of BRAHMOS on Su-30MKI along with the BRAHMOS air-borne launcher and equipment manufactured by BATL for Defence and Space applications including systems and sub-systems manufactured by Indian industries associated with BrahMos, and BRAHMOS-NG.



BRAHMOS Ship-based Weapon Complex System:

BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile is capable of hitting sea based targets beyond radar horizons. It can be launched in either inclined or vertical configuration based on the type of the ship. The vertical launch configuration of BRAHMOS enhances the stealth capabilities of the warships as the missiles are under the deck and not exposed.



The Universal Vertical Launcher (UVLM) being used in these ships has a unique design, developed and patented by BrahMos Aerospace. The potential carriers are Destroyers, Frigates, Corvettes, Offshore patrol vessels and any other type of ships. The Indian Navy has currently deployed the missile system on almost all the front line surface warships of the maritime force.



BRAHMOS Land-based Weapon Complex System:

The land-attack version of BRAHMOS model is fitted on the state-of-the-art Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL). The mobile land-based configuration of BRAHMOS has achieved several advancements over the years with each having its own distinct potentiality to hit and destroy enemy target.



BRAHMOS Air Launched Weapon System:

BRAHMOS air-launched version has been successfully flight-tested from the Su-30MKI fighter of the Indian Air Force. The air-launched BRAHMOS is smaller and lighter than its previous variants but equally lethal in firepower and devastating capability as its range and maximum speed of 290-km and 2.8 Mach respectively will remain unchanged. With this maiden launch, BRAHMOS has bolstered the IAFs air combat capability and completed the tactical cruise missile triad.






CHENNAI (PTI): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a navigation satellite, the eighth such satellite to be the part of a constellation, from Sriharikota on Thursday.



The PSLV-C41/IRNSS-1I mission is scheduled to be launched on Thursday morning at 04:04 AM, the space agency said on Tuesday.



IRNSS-1I is expected to replace IRNSS-1A, the first of the seven navigation satellites, that was rendered ineffective after its three rubidium atomic clocks failed. The seven satellites are part of the NavIC navigation satellite constellation.



The launch will be ISRO's second attempt at sending a replacement satellite.



The previous mission of a PSLV carrying IRNSS-1H in August last year failed after the heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate.



"India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its forty-third flight (PSLV-C41) in XL configuration will launch IRNSS-1I Satellite from First Launch Pad (FLP) of SDSC (Satish Dhawan Space Centre), Sriharikota," the ISRO said.



The IRNSS-1I mission will take place two weeks after the space agency launched GSAT-6A on board GSLV Mk-II. Though the rocket placed GSAT-6A in orbit, ISRO lost communication with the satellite.




Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with other Ministry officials addressing the press on the opening day of DefExpo India 2018. Photo: Twitter/Defence Minister

THIRUVIDANTHAI (PTI): Days after it began the process for a multi-billion dollar deal to procure 110 fighter planes, India on Wednesday assured global aerospace majors that the exercise will not meet the same fate as that of an failed initiative earlier to buy 126 jets.



Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra said there should not be any apprehension about the government's sincerity in fructifying the fresh process to procure a fleet of 110 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) which could be one of the biggest such procurements in recent years globally.



There should not be any such apprehensions. It will not be a re-run (of the process to procure 126 jets), he told a press conference on the sidelines of the Defence Expo being held at Thiruvidanthai on the outskirts of Chennai.



He was asked about apprehension in certain quarters on whether the government will be able to conclude the procurement or not.



India last week had kick-started the process to procure around 110 fighter jets by issuing an RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender for the deal.



It 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 four years ago.



Following the scrapping of the MMRCA deal, the NDA government, in September 2016, signed an Euro 7.87 billion (approx Rs 59,000 crore) deal with the French government to buy 36 Rafale twin-engine fighter jets.



Leading military aircraft producers Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Saab, Dassault and Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG are among the competitors which are likely to vie for the new mega deal.



An official said the deal could be worth over US$ 15 billion.



Mitra said the procurement will be in sync with the government's Strategic Partnership model. Under the new policy, the government plans to rope in select private firms to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.



According to the RFI, three-quarters of the total jets will be single seat aircraft while the rest will be twin-seat.



Aircraft manufacturers interested in the deal will have to send their proposals by July 6.



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, IAF has 31 fighter squadrons as against authorised strength of 42 squadrons.



The UPA government had floated a tender in 2007 for the purchase of 126 MMRCA for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of them  Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon  remained in contention. However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime.



Last September, Swedish defence giant Saab and Indian conglomerate Adani group had announced collaboration, mainly eyeing the contract for the fighter jet deal. US aerospace major Lockheed Martin has joined hands with India's Tata Advanced Systems to build the planes in India.



All major global defence firms are participating in Defence Expo, which began on Wednesday.


BUCKS COUNTY >> Now that grape picking and processing season is inching to an end for the six family-owned wineries of the Bucks County Wine Trail, the wineries are offering a chance for guests to come celebrate and taste the fresh-pressed fruits of their labor. The Bucks County Wine Trail will hold its annual Harvest Celebration on the weekend of...
Two bosses of an estate agency in Burnham-On-Sea have been disqualified for price-fixing.

David Baker and Julian Frost oversaw Abbott and Frost Estate Agents in College Street, pictured here.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) discovered they were part of a cartel that secretly fixed their commission fees at 1.5% which meant that homeowners could not negotiate lower moving costs from February 2014 for just over a year.

Mr Baker will be unable to act as a company director for three and a half years, whilst Mr Frost has been disqualified for three years.

As a result of its investigation, the CMA found that a number of directors were actively involved in the cartel or were aware of it and failed to take steps to stop it, said a spokesman for the CMA.

The CMA has secured legally binding undertakings from two of these directors  Mr Baker and Mr Frost  which have the effect of disqualifying them as directors and preventing them from being involved in the management of any UK company.

The CMA is continuing to investigate whether to seek the disqualification of other directors of companies involved in the fee-fixing agreement.

The CMA has the power to seek the disqualification of an individual from holding company directorships, under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, where they have been director of a company which has breached competition law and their conduct makes them unfit to be a director.

Investigations continue into a number of other agencies involved in the cartel, which we previously reported here.

Michael Grenfell, executive director for enforcement at the CMA, said: Agreeing prices with competitors is one of the most serious ways a company can break competition law, as it harms individuals, businesses and the economy.

When, as in this case, estate agents agreed among themselves commission fee rates, the effect is to stop people from shopping around for the best deal to help them with one of the biggest financial decisions any of us make  selling a house.

Company directors have an important responsibility to ensure that their companies dont engage in illegal anti-competitive practices.

This news should send a clear message to directors that if their companies breach competition law they risk personal disqualification.

In May 2017, the CMA issued a decision finding that 6 estate agents had infringed competition law. The CMA imposed fines totalling 370,084 on Abbott and Frost Estate Agents Limited, Gary Berryman Estate Agents Ltd (and its ultimate parent company Warne Investments Limited), Greenslade Taylor Hunt, Saxons PS Limited and West Coast Property Services (UK) Limited.

The sixth party, Annagram Estates Limited (trading as CJ Hole), was not fined as it was the first undertaking to confess its participation in the arrangement under the CMAs leniency policy and co-operated with the CMAs investigation.

Julian Frost previously told Burnham-On-Sea.com: The episode regarding the CMA represents a dark day in our company history. First and foremost, we wish to apologise unreservedly to all those Abbott & Frost customers who may have been affected by this. In addition, we wish to express our apologies and regret to the people of Burnham, and also to the loyal staff who serve us and our customers well.
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The Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the carrier as the governments terms are just too onerous, two sources said. India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt. But the Centre has stipulated the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses as long as the government holds a stake. The winner may also be required to list Air India and would need to abide by the conditions ...
Disinvestment-bound is hoping to garner a revenue of over Rs 900 million a month from the lucrative New Delhi-San Francisco sector, in which it operates nine flights a week.

The national carrier added three flights on the route on March 25, taking the total number of non-stop services to nine a week.

The revenue from the sector was about Rs 600-650 million per month and it went up to Rs 710 million in December last year.

The service was launched in December 2015.

"We expect a net addition of Rs 25 crore (250 million) from this month onwards with the three new services, taking the total number of flights operating on this route to nine (a week)," an airline source said.

The source also hinted at augmenting services on other sought-after routes soon.

Air India's operating profit stood at Rs 2.98 billion in 2016-17 fiscal.

Last month, it took delivery of its 23rd and the last of the Boeing 777 plane which can be used in ultra-long haul routes, completing its 68 aircraft orders placed with the US plane-maker.

But the controversial sale of five aircraft to Etihad in 2014 has been a sore point for the airline, robbing it the edge it could have enjoyed in the international over other airlines, airline sources said.

"We could have dominated the US market had the sold-out aircraft remained with us. Today, our rivals are driving customers through their hubs abroad, to US destinations, whereas we could have offered them non-stop flights from here to several other US destinations," one of the sources said.

In its report tabled in Parliament in March last year, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had said that had sold five Boeing planes to Etihad Airways at a significantly lower price than the indicative market price of the aircraft.

It said that had incurred a book loss of Rs 6.71 billion on the sale of these planes and payment of Rs 3.24 billion towards interest on loans availed for procurement of these aircraft.

The aircraft were delivered to Etihad Airways between January and April 2014.

Now that the airline is on the block with the disinvestment process kicking in, the sources said they would continue to explore augmentation of services on the routes with high-seat factor, without being affected by the sell-out process.
Rishad Premji, chief strategy officer and Board member at Indias third-largest IT services company Wipro, on Tuesday assumed the chairmanship of industry body Nasscom. In an interview with Bibhu Mishra, he talks about how the industry body is trying to address various issues.

Edited excerpts. You are taking up the mantle for representing the IT industry probably at one of the most difficult times. What will be your immediate priorities? I am very honoured, humbled and privileged to have this opportunity to be a part of this iconic industry body that has had so much ...
The Gateway, a 197-room Kolkata hotel managed by the Taj Group for over four years, has ended up at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), having failed to repay its loans. Edelweiss ARC has taken the owner, Jalan Intercontinental Hotels, to NCLT to recover its dues.

A round of bidding for the asset has taken place at the NCLT but the bids received are learnt to be lower than the liquidation value. Launched in December 2013, this was the first Gateway hotel in Kolkata and the second Taj hotel in West Bengal after a gap of 24 years. Its first property, the iconic Taj Bengal, ...
Alleging that the probable bidders are using "arm twisting tactics" to force the government sell the national carrier for cheap, a forum of 10 Air India unions has said that it will take up the issue with the PMO and the civil aviation ministry, among others.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the forum also reiterated its opposition to the privatisation of the loss-making airline, saying that "it (Air India) is our national pride and it served the nation many a times in need."



The statement comes following one after another potential bidder opting out of the Air India sale process after the government coming out with the terms of offer in the information memorandum.

"The so-claimed probable buyers are using arm twisting tactics so as to put pressure on the government to succumb to change the terms and conditions best suited to them and the Air India is sold for a song," the Joint Forum of Air India Unions/Guilds/Association said in the statement.

The forum comprises Air Corporations Employees Union, All India Service Engineers Associations, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers Association, All India Aircraft Engineers Association, Air India Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, All India Cabin Crew Association and All India Airline Retired Personnel Association.

On March 28, the civil aviation ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India's strategic disinvestment, as per which, the government plans to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control.

The proposed transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services, which is an equal joint venture between the national airline and Singapore-based SATS.

"The joint forum as stated many times has strongly opposed the privatisation of Air India and its subsidiaries as the Air India is our national pride and served the nation many a times at needs," the forum said.

"This statement is issued by the joint forum to safeguard the national interest. A detailed letter in this regard will be sent to the prime minister office, ministry of civil aviation and Air India management," it added.

Budget carrier IndiGo, which is struggling with Pratt & Whitney engine issues in its A320 Neo planes, had initially evinced interest in acquiring Air India's international operations, but later backed out, saying such an option was not available under the disinvestment plan.

Days later, Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways also said it had decided not to participate in the Air India sale process considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on its review.

The forum had held a protest meeting also at the national carrier's Kalina officer here yesterday against the government's privatisation move.

The government is giving the Air India to private players at a time when the carrier is improving its operational and financial performance, the forum had alleged, stating that the move amounts to "socialising losses and privatising profits.
On April 4, the US remembered Martin Luther King Jr. on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his death. The discussions and reminiscences about the civil rights leader brought home some stark realities about race relations in the country  that notwithstanding the progress made since the period of the civil rights movement, the US is still a long way from achieving the dream King fought and died for.

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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She has also urged the Uttar Pradesh government to respond to the notices issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in this case and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. The NHRC had on Tuesday sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state police chief seeking a detailed report on the custodial death of the 50-year-old man after his daughter had accused a BJP MLA and his aides ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the government cannot compel Indian armed forces to buy indigenous weapons, after she opened a major defence exhibition that projects India -- the biggest global arms importer -- as one of the major defence manufacturing hubs in the world.

The four-day DefExpo India, whose theme is "Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub, held at Thiruvidanthai off the East Coast Road in Chennai, is the 10th in the biennial exercise aimed at establishing Brand India and highlighting the manufacturing capabilities of the country's public and private sectors.

Asked about the huge export-import gap in the defence sector of a country that does not even figure among the top 25 exporters of arms and reluctance of its forces to buy locally manufactured weapon systems, Sitharaman said she could only tell the Indian armed forces to procure from indigenous companies "as much as possible".

She said she could not cross a "thin line" to impinge on the freedom of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force or the Indian Navy "to make their own decisions" as per their operational requirements.

"I can't imagine prevailing upon them. We will only want them to give space to local manufacturers and buy indigenous products."

The defence exhibition that targets India's futuristic goal of building a self-sufficient domestic arms industry -- a key facet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" slogan -- comes even as the armed forces of India facing multiple security threats continue to be saddled with sub-optimal weapon systems.

At the heart of this is the country's inability to boost indigenous defence manufacturing, which is often blamed on inordinate procedural delays, making a product redundant by the time it gets market-ready.

For example, the advanced versions of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft and the Arjun main battle tank. While the aircraft is still not combat-ready despite being in the making for over three decades, the main battle tank is said to be too heavy and poor in serviceability.

At the defence exhibition, dozens of foreign and local companies and defence public sector undertakings are hard selling their products to the Indian armed forces and foreigners, including defence attaches.

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said the government was not targeting a specific number of deals or agreements expected to be signed at the exhibition that "showcases the strengths of India's public sector and also uncovers India's growing private industry and spreading MSME base for components and sub-systems".

Over 650 exhibitors, including some 520 Indian companies, are participating in the event.

The response from foreign companies this time, as compared to the previous DefExpo held in Goa in 2016, has not been that good. A total of 232 foreign companies had participated in Goa, while it is 154 this time.

Official delegations from nearly 50 countries, including the US and the UK, are attending the expo that has participation of some major global companies including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems, Rafael, Saab, Airbus, Rosonboron Exports, United Shipbuilding, Sibat, Wartsila and Rhode and Schwarz.

Also on display at the 2.90 lakh-square-feet exhibition area along the sea coast are indigenously developed land, air and naval systems.

These include Tejas fighter jets, advanced towed artillery gun systems designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Arjun Mark 2 tank and Dhanush artillery guns.

The DRDO is showcasing the Nirbhay missile system with its launcher, MBT Arjun Mk-I tank, Astra missile, low-level transportable radar system, medium power radar system and Varunastra -- heavyweight anti submarine electric torpedo.
The deployment of National Guard members to the US-Mexico border at President Donald Trump's request was underway with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration.

The Trump administration also announced that Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will visit this week a stretch of new border wall breaking ground in New Mexico, putting additional focus on what Trump has called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime.

The construction and commitment of at least 1,600 Guard members from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas provoked fresh condemnation from immigrant activists and praise from border-state Republican governors, who will retain command-and-control of their state's Guard during a mission that for now has no firm end date.

The only holdout border state was California, led by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not announced whether troops from his state's National Guard will participate and has repeatedly clashed with Trump over immigration policy. The state was still reviewing Tuesday whether it join the effort, said Lt. Tom Keegan, a spokesman for the California National Guard.

In Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to put more than 1,000 Guard members into action, military officials said Tuesday that 300 troops would report to armories this week for preparation and training. Texas has previously kept about 100 Guard members stationed on the border for years as part of its own border security efforts.

"What is different now it is happening in a different context and a different narrative," said Fernando Garcia, director of the Border Network for Human Rights, an immigrant advocacy group.

Speaking from the Rio Grande Valley where immigrant crossings are the highest along the 3,200-kilometer US-Mexico border, Garcia said, "When you hear the narrative of the president, it seems to him the enemy is the immigrant family."



Abbott said in a statement Tuesday that the Guard has "proven to have a meaningful impact" in reducing immigration and crime.

In the Texas border town of Roma, about a half-dozen uniformed Guard members were seen Tuesday near an bridge along the Rio Grande.

Children played just across the river in Mexico, and it wasn't clear whether the Guard members were new or part of Texas' earlier observe-and-report missions.

One guard member was armed with an M4 rifle and used binoculars to peer across the river. Pickup trucks with guard members inside circled the town square along with border patrol vehicles. Mexican children who had attended school on the U.S. side of the border showed their passports and paid a toll to cross a bridge over the river and walk home to the Mexican community of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.

Trump said last week he wants to send 2,000 to 4,000 National Guard members to the border, issuing a proclamation citing "the lawlessness that continues at our southern border." Trump administration officials have said that rising numbers of people being caught at the southern border, while in line with seasonal trends in recent years, require an immediate response.

Monthly border arrests surpassed 50,000 in March for the first time since December 2016. The Border Patrol, which polices between but not at official crossings, made more than 37,000 of those arrests, including more than 14,000 in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, nearly 6,000 in its Tucson, Arizona, sector and more than 4,000 in San Diego.

Inspectors at official crossings made nearly 13,000 arrests in March, led by the Laredo, Texas, field office with more than 4,800 and the San Diego field office with about 3,800.

Apprehensions are still well below their historical trends during the terms of former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, both of whom also deployed the Guard to the border.

Some Guard members will be armed if they are placed in potential danger, Abbott said, adding he wanted to downplay speculation that "our National Guard is showing up with military bayonets trying to take on anybody that's coming across the border, because that is not their role."



There is no end date for the deployment, Abbott said: "We may be in this for the long haul." Trump has said he wants to use the military at the border until progress is made on his proposed border wall, which has mostly stalled in Congress. Defense Secretary James Mattis last Friday approved paying for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel from the Pentagon budget through the end of September.

Mexico's foreign relations secretary said his government is evaluating its cooperation with the United States.
The Dubai-based cryptocurrency firm Alibabacoin Foundation on Tuesday said Alibaba Group Holding Ltd cannot monopolize the "magical" Alibaba name, and asked a U.S. judge to dismiss the Chinese e-commerce retailer's trademark lawsuit. In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Alibabacoin rejected the claim that consumers would be confused into thinking Alibaba supported its alleged effort to raise money in the cryptocurrency market. Alibabacoin, which is also known as ABBC Foundation, said it has not been trying to piggyback off the Alibaba name, and ...
The Israeli army said it fired at unspecified Hamas "military targets" in Gaza on Wednesday after a Palestinian bomb attack on an army engineering unit working inside the Hamas-ruled territory.

No Israelis were reported injured in the explosion, which the army's radio station said appeared to have targeted a mechanical digger.

The army said the bomb was planted under cover of mass protests along the Gaza-Israel border since March 30.

"During routine activity in northern Gaza, an explosive device that was placed under the guise of the riots was detonated against an (army) engineering vehicle on the western side of the security fence," a military statement said.

"In response, the Israel Defence Forces struck a number of Hamas military targets," it added.

The statement did not give the location of the targets or the type of military fire used. Israel has used both tank fire and air strikes against Hamas targets in the past.

It was also not clear what the engineering unit was working on, though Israel routinely carries out maintenance work on the border fence.

The mass rallies, under the name "the Great March of Return," call for Palestinian refugees to be allowed back to their former homes now inside Israel.

They have led to clashes in which Israeli forces have killed 31 Palestinians. No Israelis have been hurt.
Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour in a remote area for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine state last September, the army said on Tuesday. The military said in a statement published on Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaings office Facebook page that seven soldiers have had action taken against them for contributing and participating in murder. The massacre was being investigated by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe ...
He prepared for harder questions than he got during his first testimony before US lawmakers. No senator asked him, for example, about whether he should resign from Facebook - a question Zuckerberg would have answered by saying he has solved big problems before, according to a snapshot of his notes from the Associated Press. Or about the fact that malicious actors may have abused Facebooks search feature to scrape data on a majority of its 2 billion users, which, he would have explained, the company has ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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Mark Zuckerberg was confronted Wednesday by lawmakers scoffing at his apologies over lapses in protecting user privacy and pledges to do better, with one member asking, Whos going to protect us from Facebook? The question by Representative Janice Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, was echoed by members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee from both parties as the founder of Facebook Inc. was questioned on Capitol Hill for a second consecutive day.

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
Indian stocks continue to be under selling pressure this year even as the benchmark indices have remained largely range-bound. According to data, 374 of the BSE 500 stocks have offered negative returns in 2018 despite the Sensex declining only 0.5 per cent during the year. As many as half of the BSE 500 companies saw their shares tumble over 10 per cent each.

Analysts attribute this pessimism in equities to weak domestic cues, including delay in earnings recovery, concerns over toxic assets in banks and increased taxes on market transactions. Escalating fears of a trade war between the US and China and hardening of bond yields are also weighing down the investor sentiment.

Macro concerns linger on and will likely affect market returns. The bottom-up corporate earnings trend has improved somewhat, but is unlikely to offset the effect of macro concerns. While the Nifty has dipped 9 per cent from its peak, we believe the upside will be capped. Potential slowdown in domestic equity flows is the near-term concern, said Mahesh Nandurkar, India strategist, CLSA.

Technology player Vakrangee saw its shares fall nearly 61 per cent in 2018, making it the worst-performing stock on the BSE 500 index. Shares of Kwality and Balrampur Chini also declined 51 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively. Punjab National Bank, hit by a Rs 130-billion fraud, saw its shares tumble 39 per cent during the year.

Weak earnings have been one of the biggest challenges for the Indian equities over the last few months. Brokerages have been trimming their earnings estimates for the March quarter, prompting investors to review their equity strategy. Even the earnings estimates for the quarter-ended March 2018 seem disappointing. According to the consensus estimates, the bottom line of the Nifty companies is expected to grow 11 per cent year-on-year during the three months ended March. This is lower than 11.5 per cent growth reported in the year-ago period. The trigger assumes significance as India Incs profits have seen limited growth in the last three years on account of several economic and regulatory factors.





The clamour for earnings recovery is becoming louder. This is particularly because last three years were characterised by a muted earnings performance due to macro disruptions and several policy changes pertaining to asset quality in the banking sector. We expect to see earnings recovery this fiscal (year). However, the market is likely to be distracted by several macro factors along the way, said Gautam Duggad, head of research, Motilal Oswal Institutional Equities.

According to market participants, reducing inflows into home grown mutual funds (MFs) is also a key concern. Net inflows into equity MFs in March nearly halved at Rs 66.6 billion compared with Rs 162.7 billion in February. MFs played a crucial role in the market rally last year even as overseas funds preferred to adopt a wait-and-watch approach. However, analysts are anticipating a redemption pressure on MFs in the medium term if the selling pressure in the continues.

Indian have witnessed several downsides since February when the current phase of market correction began. Hardening of bond yields and the Centres decision to reintroduce the long-term capital gains tax spooked investors. This was followed by the Rs 130-billion banking fraud and concerns about widening fiscal deficit on account of rising crude oil prices.
Around 40 armed insurgents were killed during Afghan Security Forces (ANSF) operations conducted in Afghanistan on Tuesday.

As per a statement by the Afghan's Ministry of Defense, "During the operations, 35 other insurgents were wounded and nine suspects were arrested", reported the Tolo News.

The operations were conducted in Afghan provinces including Nangarhar, Kapisa, Ghazni, Logar, Khost,Uruzgan, Zabul, Farah, Faryab, Kunduz and Helmand the ministry added.

Mullah Naeem a Taliban commander in Zabul province was also killed during the operations.

In total 16 clearing operations have been conducted in the area.

No details were given about possible casualties among the security forces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Myanmar military has sentenced seven of its soldiers to 10 years of hard labour over the massacre of 10 Rohingyas, according to the country's state media on Wednesday.

The Tatmadaw True News Information Team was quoted by a report by state-run newspaper Global Light of Myanmar as saying that four officers and three men of other ranks were involved in killing "10 terrorists".

The sentencing of the seven soldiers comes after an internal investigation by Tatmadaw or the Myanmar military recently revealed that the bodies of 10 Rohingya men were found buried in a mass grave in Inn Din, a village located in the strife-torn Rakhine State, CNN reported.

Also, according to the report by Global Light of Myanmar, civilians and police officers were found guilty of participating in the killings. However, they are yet to be sentenced.

Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

More than 600,000 Rohingyas are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar military campaign launched in August last year.

The United Nations (UN) had said the scorched-earth operation, which had left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Myanmar's Rakhine state, amounted to 'ethnic cleansing'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed an agreement with the Ministry of External Affairs, for preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the first phase for development of the Kalay Airport as a green airport in Myanmar.

The agreement was signed by Anil Gupta, Executive Director (Land Management and Business Development), Airports Authority of India, and Ankan Banerjee, Director (Bangladesh, Myanmar) in theMinistry of External Affairs on 10th April 2018.

Speaking on the occasion, Gupta envisaged AAI's vision for going global, considering AAI expertise and capabilities in Airport development and operation management.

He also informed that over a period of time, AAI had developed more than 60 airports in metro and non-metro cities in India and now AAI wants to leverage its expertise to other countries on bigger scale.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur is a leading and tourism hub in South East Asia. That is why many international retail companies and brands are eager to expand their presence in this country.

Aeon is a prominent Japanese retail group that is already operating 34 stores and five supermarkets in Malaysia.

Recently, the company added a new supermarket to its crown of stores under the name "MaxValu Prime".

"We have operated supermarkets under the name "MaxValu". Last year, we made a new brand called "MaxValu Prime". The difference is that in the Prime service, we not only sell groceries, beverages and assorted delights, but offer customers the option to eat in. Also, we have here for the first time a special corner for non-halal items. In Malaysia, shops usually are not allowed to sell non-halal items, but we managed to get a license to sell these," said Hiroyuki Kotera, an official from AEON.

This store is located in a area where around 15,000 employees work. It is already attracting around 3,000 customers a day.

"We have the "cook for you" service, so customers can buy all items from our store like meat, fish and other dishes. After they pay at the counter over there, our staff will cook those dishes for the customers within fifteen minutes and serve it to them," said C. Y. Chen, another AEON official.

This new service, among others, is making daily life more convenient for working parents in Malaysia.

"I think we live at a time where both parents are working parents and getting to do your shopping is not so simple and easy. Therefore, it's great to have a delivery service for your groceries to your house," a customer said.

AEON Malaysia has signed a tie-up with "Honest Bee, Malaysia", which operates shopping agency services. Customers order AEON products from the website and staff who reside at the store receive the online orders. After checking them out, they pick up the products and handle them. The products are then taken for delivery by motorcycle to the customer's location within the next one hour.

MaxValu Prime reflects on AEON's concepts of providing 'maximum value' to all customers in terms of quality of goods, "value-for-money" prices, product freshness, assortment, and customer service. MaxValu prime is another example of how Japanese companies strive to continually make customer's shopping needs their top priority.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll in the military plane crash at Algeria's Boufarik has risen to 257 on Wednesday.

The plane Ilyushin Il-76 was mostly carrying army soldiers when it went down shortly after taking off, as reported by the Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera further quoted a local Afghan media saying that 26 people on board were members of the Polisario Front, a separatist movement in West Sahara - a territory also claimed by Morocco.

The plane was said to be headed to the western Algerian city of Bechar.

Earlier it was reported that 200 people had been killed in the incident.

The rescue operation is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed diamantaire Nirav Modi's company, Firestar Diamond, to ask him to return to India.

The court told Firestar Diamonds's counsel to, "ask Nirav Modi to return to India" in response to which the defense counsel said that he is not aware of Modi's whereabouts.

The defense counsel said that he is just handling the company's case.

The Delhi High Court however announced May 3 as the hearing date of the case filed Firestar Diamond, against the seizure of his properties by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud case.

Firestar diamond on May 6 had challenged the decision of the Enforcement Directorate for seizing its valuable properties.

It also challenged the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that allow the ED to conduct search and seizure of property.

Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi are accused in the multi-crore scam that has rattled the country and economy.

The scam started in 2011 and was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The locals in Kargahar area of Bihar's Rohtas held a protest against the alleged rape of a six-year-old, on Wednesday.

In a show of solidarity with the supporters, the shop-owners in Kargahar Market shut down their shops too.

According to police, the accused in the case has been arrested, but the enraged locals have been demanding a death sentence for him.

The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday evening, when the victim was playing outside her house. The accused lured her into his house with chocolate.

In a search launched by her family, she was later in the day found in a critical condition.

The child was rescued and the accused was arrested by the Police.

Presently, the victim is battling for her life at Sasaram Sadar Hospital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the latest development in the multi-billion Punjab Bank (PNB) scam case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday questioned two Canara Bank officials from the Bahrain branch and one Bank of India official from the Antwerp branch in Belgium.

On a related note, the CBI on Sunday had issued a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle and business partner, Mehul Choksi, in connection with the PNB scam.

The PNB in February detected the multi-crore scam, wherein Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi had allegedly cheated the bank to the tune of Rs 114 billion, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a money laundering case against Modi and others on the basis of a CBI First Information Report (FIR).

Currently, the probe agencies are investigating the matter and have also seized many properties of both Modi and Choksi.
Premium British lifestyle brand Carlton London partnered with Ace Turtle, an omnichannel platform company to ramp up its e-commerce in India.

Ace Turtle's proprietary omnichannel platform, Rubicon, will power Carlton London's e-commerce through seamless inventory and catalogue management across existing and new demand generation channels.

Having a meaningful presence across multiple retail channels has become one of the top priorities of any large brand. However, control over the presence of inventory across multiple retail channels has always been a challenge that retailers are grappling with. Ace Turtle's Rubicon platform through its tech capabilities aligns inventory view and allocation of stock towards the channel that performs the best.

"India's retail consumerism is going through a paradigm shift with customers interacting with brands through various channels. The rise of e-commerce has ensured growing dominance of online channels, as one of the most preferred platforms to optimise sales. However, adoption of technology becomes critical in ensuring optimisation of fulfilment using data. We are confident that Ace Turtle's platform will add significant value in scaling up our omnichannel in India," said Business Head of Carlton London, Kim Virk.

Rubicon will provide real-time information about the availability of inventory across the brand, regardless of which channel is accessed. Moreover, a single feed of catalogue, pricing, and inventory shared with all multiple retail channels will ensure consistent brand representation, feature rich descriptions and real-time inventory for better control in the multiple retail channels.

The growing awareness of global fashion trends in India has been fueled by the increasing internet consumption. As a result, consumers are conscious not only of the international styles but also about the lifestyle attributes connected to the brand, leading to increasing penetration of premium international brand.

In this regard, Carlton London, by venturing into multiple retail channels operation, aims to reach out to a wider audience across geographies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China may soon have a military base in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), China is keen to have a permanent military presence in the South Pacific, a move that experts say will have long term global ramifications.

A report published by Fairfax Media said the governments of China and Vanuatu have had preliminary discussions on this issue, though a formal proposal is yet to be made.

Security officials say these initial discussions could eventually lead to China setting up a military base in Vanuatu.

China eyeing Vanuatu as a possible location for a military base is being discussed and assessed by the concerned governments of Australia, the United States and New Zealand.

The SMH report says, "A base less than 2000 kilometres from the Australian coast would allow China to project military power into the Pacific Ocean and upend the long-standing strategic balance in the region, potentially increasing the risk of confrontation between China and the United States."

A military base on Vanuatu, which would likely be followed by bases elsewhere, would allow China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to challenge America's post-war dominance of the Pacific, which is strongly supported by Australia and has been seen as a cornerstone of Australia's security.

"It would be the first overseas base China has established in the Pacific, and only it's second in the "

Beijing has been deepening its influence with Pacific island governments by giving large infrastructure building and loans. Vanuatu, in particular, has reportedly been given hundreds of millions of dollars in development money. China reportedly accounts for nearly half of its USD 440 million foreign debt.

According to the SMH report, last week, Beijing committed to building a new official residence for Prime Minister Charlot Salwai as well as other government buildings.

Multiple sources have been quoted as saying that "China's military ambition in Vanuatu will likely be realized incrementally, possibly beginning with an access agreement that would allow Chinese naval ships to dock routinely and be serviced, refuelled and restocked. This arrangement could then be built on."

One of the most substantial projects funded by Chinese money is a major new wharf on the north island of Espiritu Santo.

The wharf is close to an international airport that China is helping Vanuatu upgrade.

Fairfax Media is reporting that China's PLA would like to move quickly to establish a proper base on Vanuatu.

China has already projected its military strength into the sea by building military capacity on a number of reclaimed reefs in the South China Sea, prompting condemnation from the international community, including Australia, reports the SMH.

Vanuatu is one of the few countries that has steadfastly supported Beijing's controversial island-building program.

Charles Edel, a former adviser to former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry, was quoted, as saying, "If it turns out there are one or more Chinese bases ... what it has the ability to do is challenge, and make much more challenging, American access into the region."

Edel believes that Beijing's growing presence in the South Pacific will change Australia's external security environment in a way not seen "probably since the 1940s".

Zack Cooper, a former White House and Pentagon official now at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said he had expected China to establish bases in the Pacific and predicted more to follow.

Dr. Cooper said with the US focused on north Asia, Washington would expect Australia to stop the South Pacific from sliding too deeply into Beijing's hands.

He said, "I think it is important that Australia appreciate that China is far away but Chinese activity is definitely affecting Australia in a much more proximate way."

Vanuatu's High Commissioner to Australia, Kalfau Kaloris, said his country's foreign ministry was "not aware of any such proposal".

A Chinese embassy spokeswoman in Canberra refused to comment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A fasting Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not skip the inauguration of the 10th edition of the Defence Expo in Chennai on Friday.

The Prime Minister, who will observe a fast over disruptions during the budget session of the Parliament, will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai.

He will unveil the plaque inaugurating the diamond jubilee building, palliative care centre (Mahvir Ashray) at Sriperumbudur, Day care center and nurses quarter at the Adyar Cancer Institute.

Titled 'India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub,' the DefExpo this year aims to showcase India's capability in the export of defence systems and components.

More than 670 exhibitors, including over 150 international exhibitors, will take part in the event.

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector will also have a fair representation of about 15 percent, at the event.

Indian participation includes majors like Tata, L&T, Kalyani, Bharat Forge, Mahindra, among others.

Major international companies including Lockheed Martin, Boeing (USA), Saab (Sweden), Airbus, Rafael (France), Rosonboron Exports, United Shipbuilding (Russia), BAE Systems (UK), Sibat (Israel), Wartsila (Finland), Rhode and Schwarz (Germany) are also participating at the DefExpo 2018.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi, earlier in the day, exhorted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, MLAs and other party workers to observe a fast on Thursday to expose the Opposition.

While interacting with the BJP MPs, MLAs and other people's representatives on "Gram Swaraj Abhiyan" through the medium of an audio bridge, the Prime Minister said it was the responsibility of the party leaders and workers to bring the sin of those who strangled democracy before the nation by observing a day-long fast.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Calling her as a 'really lovely lady', Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie has heaped praise on Queen Elizabeth II.

In a new documentary entitled 'The Queen's Green Planet', the 42-year-old said she has been inspired by the British monarch to teach her children - Maddox (16), Pax (14), Zahara (12), Shiloh (11) and nine-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox -about the importance of forest conservation.

On a visit to Namibia, Jolie, as reported by E! Online, explained, "For us to come here and say to the children, 'This is why it's important to plant a tree,' that's the biggest message I can teach my kids, and it's something that they've certainly learned from Her Majesty and her message."

"They ask me, 'Why is it so important to her?' You know when you sit up at night in a tent with your kids and they say, 'Why does the Queen of England care about planting trees in Africa?'"

The 'Maleficent' star added, "But you try to say, 'You know she's just this really lovely lady who really cares about people around the world, and she really cares about the future, and she wants your grandkids and her grandkids to be able to be running around, enjoying nature and other cultures, and the importance of other cultures."

"She thinks that really matters and I agree with her.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ABC/Fred LeePanic! at the Disco introduced their new album Pray for the Wicked with the single "Say Amen (Saturday Night)," which was accompanied by an elaborate video starring Brendon Urie as he calmly dispatches home-invading ninjas. If you were wondering how a video like that is made, Panic! has shared a behind-the-scenes peek.

The clip shows all the different stunts Urie and his co-stars go through, including chopping off fake hands and getting pushed through glass windows. It also gives Urie the chance to say, "I'm throwing dudes through windows and stuff's blowing up. It's no big deal to me."

Pray for the Wicked, the follow-up to 2016's Death of a Bachelor, will be released June 22. Panic! kicks off a U.S. tour in support of the album July 11 in Minneapolis.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that India will soon highlight as a manufacturer of defence products and country's export potential.

Sitharaman was speaking at a seminar organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on 'Bolstering make in India in Defence' at the Defence Exposition 2018 premises.

"This year we will highlight India as a manufacturer of defence products and country's export potential. Defence Expo is being held in Chennai as we are also planning defence corridor in Tamil Nadu. The region has strong presence of defence manufacturers," Sitharaman said while addressing the gathering.

"I am also telling the forces to procure from the indigenous sources, but the forces are free to decide what they need for their readiness. They are free to choose their equipment," Sitharaman added.

Sitharaman also said that, Indian Industry has reached great heights particularly in engineering and automobile sectors.

India's mega defence exhibition, the defexpo 2018, began in Chennai today.

The event will underscore India's first serious attempt to project itself as a major military manufacturer.

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India and Zambia on Wednesday signed four agreements after the delegation-level talks held in the capital city of Lusaka.

The four agreements are signed in the areas of avoidance of double taxation; visa exemption on diplomatic and official passports; judicial cooperation, which seeks collaboration in training and expedition of judicial matters affecting the two countries and their citizens; and for the establishment of an Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Zambia.

President Ram Nath Kovind, along with First Lady Savita Kovind, on Tuesday reached Lusaka as part of his three-nation Africa tour.

The President also received a ceremonial reception.

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

On Sunday, he wrapped up the first-ever visit of an Indian head to Equatorial Guinea, where, President Kovind announced to open an Indian embassy to strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

He reached Swaziland on Monday where he met Swaziland's King Mswati III at the Lozitha Palace.

The President addressed the gathering in Swaziland's Mbabane and also underlined the benefits of Ayurveda and the traditional medicines of Swaziland.

Zambia, the current stop of the President's Africa tour, is known for being one of the oldest democracies with an uninterrupted and peaceful transition of power. The country has a multi-party democracy since 1991.

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Pune might be the new host of the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches that were moved out of Chennai, said chairman Rajiv Shukla on Wednesday.

The ongoing 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, which were scheduled to be held in Chennai, was moved out of the state in wake of protests during the venue's first match and threats to disrupt more fixtures.

"We had decided to hold IPL matches in Chennai on police's assurance that adequate security would be provided. But today Chennai Police informed IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) that they won't be able to do it. Keeping this in mind, the other six matches will be held at other venues," Shukla told ANI.

"There are a number of venues, but most likely Pune will be chosen as an alternative venue in lieu of Chennai. The proposal has been sent to the Governing Council for approval," he added.

The news of the change in venue came just a day after Chennai Super Kings made a happy homecoming at MA Chidambaram Stadium and went on to beat Kolkata Knight Riders in the last-over thriller on Tuesday

However, the clash was marred by controversy as 21 Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) party workers were arrested and sent to Puzhal Central Prison for holding protests over Cauvery issue outside Chennai's Chepauk Stadium in a bid to stop the match.

The arrested party workers were charged for beating up policemen on duty who were deployed to curb the protest and ensure the match to be held between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was played without trouble.

The protestors were demanding that the IPL matches not be held when a more pressing matter - the Centre's failure to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) - was at the fore.

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Pakistan Army on Wednesday resorted to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control in two different places in Jammu and Kashmir.

The first violation took place at 14:00 hours in Nowshera sector, while the other at 16:45 hours in Krishna Ghati sector. They initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of Small arms, automatics and mortars.

The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively to the firing from the other side of the border.

More details are awaited.

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The members of Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Wednesday staged a protest here, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-led inquiry in the Kathua rape case.

The protestors also demanded deportation of Rohingyas from Jammu.

The eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, drugged, raped, tortured and killed in January.

The victim belonged to a nomadic Muslim tribe in Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir. After being missing for a week, her body was found on January 17.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police filed an FIR against lawyers who tried to prevent Crime Branch officers from filing a charge sheet in a court on Monday in connection with the rape and murder of the minor nomad girl in Kathua.

The lawyers of Jammu Bar Association are observing a bandh with similar demands. They raised slogans against Rohingyas settled in the area and urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to take back her order on tribal issue.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to provide security to a 26-year-old Karnataka woman, who alleged that she was married off without her consent.

The apex court issued a notice to the Karnataka government and the Centre after hearing the woman's plea seeking protection and direction for making prior consent of a boy and girl mandatory before marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act.

The woman, who is the daughter of a Karnataka politician had fled to Delhi from her wedding ceremony as she did not approve of the marriage.

A petition was filed earlier by the woman in the SC who sought striking down of certain provisions under the Hindu Marriage Act and that it requires the consent of the boy and girl before marriage.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud said that it would treat the petition as a habeas corpus plea and would not deal with the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act.

The bench observed that the Section 12 C of the Hindu Marriage Act provides for annulment of marriage if there is forced or fraudulent consent.

The top court added that the identities of the woman and her family members would not be revealed.

The apex court will now hear the matter on May 5.

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Max Life Insurance, one of the leading life insurance companies in India, has been recognised as one of the top 15 'Best Workplaces in BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance Sector)' in a study conducted by the prestigious Great Place to Work institute.

What makes the recognition even more significant is the fact that more than 600 companies participated in the survey this year, out of which 55 were from the BFSI sector.

The achievement is a testimony to Max Life's values-driven culture and strong practices around employee engagement and talent development, which have been the bedrocks of sustained success.

"It is indeed a proud moment for us. The recognition strengthens our commitment to raising the bar on building a great workplace. Any organisation across any sector stands tall basis the passion and dedication its employees have for their company and the it is engaged in. It is the culture of excellence, customer centricity and meritocracy along with a highly talented team that we have developed over the years, to help us being amongst the best today. The result of our efforts on people centricity resonates equally in our focus on customer centricity and superior numbers," said Shailesh Singh, Director and Chief People Officer, Max Life Insurance.

The recognition holds a lot of credibility with its holistic and credible dual-lens methodology.

Great Place to Work Institute has been accessing workplace cultures across hundreds of organisations in India for more than a decade. The first lens looks at workplaces from the employees' perspective and assigns a two-third weight to the voice of employees.

The remaining one-third is assigned based on the strength of people practices implemented across the organisation.

The achievement is a result of consistent efforts that the organisation made for the well being of its employees.

At Max Life employees are encouraged to be proud of what they do, share their ideas, collaborate with others and realise their full potential and also help other people realise theirs.

We strive to create a working environment where people are cared, feel respected and feel professionally fulfilling.

We are committed to doing what is right, as part of our mission and listening to voices from outside and inside becomes very critical.

Emphasis is laid on bottom-up and purpose backward communication, which acts as internal lever of growth.

The organisation nurtures a culture of meritocracy through setting of aspirational goals and objective assessments done in a transparent and fair manner.

A robust performance management system enables high performance culture by providing clarity and alignment on organisation and individual employee goals.

Above all, the organisation believes in collaborating - working together to achieve results, which is the bedrock of our values.

Max Life believes in the power of one, as every employee partners in the company's progress by providing their views, thoughts and inputs.

The entire organisation is aligned from top-down to work collectively towards the strategic direction that we set out through rigorous consultation and discussions with our employees.

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The Pakistan government has deported five Chinese engineers on charges that they attacked policemen in Khanewal last week for barring them from visiting a brothel.

According to the Dawn, the Chinese were escorted to Lahore and thereafter deported to China on Tuesday.

Those deported include the Chinese company's country project manager Xu libing, administation officer Tian Weijun, material and equipment engineer Wang Yifan, financial affairs manager Wang Yifan and field engineer Tan Yang.

The Dawn quoted sources, as saying that the Chinese violated security protocols set in place for their safety in Pakistan.

Information collected on the Khanewal incident revealed that the Chinese were unhappy with restrictions imposed on their movement and a ban on visits by outsiders at night. They also wanted special protection unit staff to be stationed outside their camp.

Several video clips doing the rounds on social media on April 4, show Chinese nationals approaching the police officials in a threatening manner and attacking them. The outraged engineers also cut power supply to the police camp established within the main construction camp, claimed the police.

The Chinese engineers also wrote a letter of complaint to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif explaining their side on the incident, but this was not accepted.

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Pakistan's Punjab Province is poisoning the people of Sindh by releasing pollutants into rivers which flow into Sindh, according to a grave warning issued by the Sindh Assembly.

The Assembly has passed a resolution asking the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of lethal chemical pollutants being released towards Sindh by factories in Punjab as they were virtually killing Sindh.

The resolution was moved by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) parliamentary leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro to draw attention of the Supreme Court's water commission towards the constant menace of discharge of industrial seepage from Punjab into Sindh's water supply.

The resolution states that: ""The House is of the opinion that it is essential that these industrial effluents should be scientifically treated before their release in water channels and expects the water commission to take up the matter with the government of Punjab, since all previous pleas from Sindh in this regard have fallen on deaf ears."

He added that the disaster is entirely man-made and has been caused by the negligence and apathy of federal institutions.

Khusro also expressed concern over the failure and apathy of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to curb the continuing and accelerating erosion of the most fertile coastal land of the Indus Delta by the sea.

The resolution adopted by the Sindh Assembly on Monday also demanded that the Chief Justice of Pakistan take suo moto notice of the severe water shortage in Sindh.

Various NGOs and political organizations have also raised concern over Punjab province's unfair treatment in sharing resources with other provinces in Pakistan.

Dr Hidayat Bhutto, a London based activist of the Sindhi Congress, said, "It's a long standing problem that Punjab establishment is trying to build Kalabagh Dam, a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Indus River, through Supreme Court of Pakistan which has been rejected by all other three provinces. About 80 per cent of people in Sindh drink contaminated water hence 25-30 per cent people are suffering with diseases like Hepatitis."

He added, Punjabi establishment is the culprit but corrupt Sindh government as well the Supreme Court also act as a tool for the establishment".

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The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday clarified over the tour program of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's delegation for April 12 which is being circulated on social media stating that the version was prepared before the latter's fast was announced.

Prime Minister Modi, will observe a fast over disruptions during the budget session of the Parliament, will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai.

"An older version of the tour program of Prime Minister Modi's delegation of 12th April (Defence Expo 2018) is being circulated on social media. This version was prepared before Prime Minister Modi's fast was announced," says PMO Source.

"The current tour program has no breakfast or lunch on board," PMO source added.

BJP President Amit Shah will also join the protest in Karnataka. The BJP has blamed the Congress and Sonia Gandhi for the disruptions that meant that the budget session of parliament was a lost cause.

A fasting Prime Minister Modi will unveil the plaque inaugurating the diamond jubilee building, palliative care centre (Mahvir Ashray) at Sriperumbudur, Daycare center and nurses quarter at the Adyar Cancer Institute.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi exhorted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, MLAs and other party workers to observe a fast.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Sunni Waqf Board to provided ownership documents of Taj Mahal.

While hearing a 2010 appeal filed by Archeological Survey of India over ownership of Taj Mahal, Supreme Court asked the Sunni Waqf Board what documents do they have to prove that Taj Mahal is their property?

Appearing for the board, senior advocate VV Giri told the apex court that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan executed a wakfnama in favour of the board.

Advocate Vishnu Jain told ANI: "Sunni Central Waqf Board declared Taj Mahal as Waqf property in 2004 against which Archaeological survey of India filed an appeal. In that plea, SC has sought reply from Waqf board that what documents do they have to prove that Taj Mahal is their property."

The board has a week to produce the signatures of the emperor who died in 1666, almost 18 years after the monument he built in the memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, was completed.

Taj Mahal is one of several iconic monuments managed by ASI. Considered one of the most beautiful monuments in the world, Taj Mahal has been dragged into several controversies in recent years.

Advocate Jain also told ANI that a civil suit has been filed in Agra civil court caliaming that the Agra's Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple.

Some political leaders and groups like Hindu Mahasabha have also claimed the monument is in fact Tejo Mahalaya - a Hindu temple.

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Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday lauded the MPs who are on indefinite hunger strike demanding Special Category Status for the state.

Enquiring about the health and well being of the MPs, Reddy through a video conference interacted with the MPs Mithun Reddy and Avinash Reddy in Andhra Pradesh Bhawan Delhi and said that the state is proud of them.

"The entire State of Andhra Pradesh is proud of you. This is the fifth day of fasting, close to 100 hours. People of Andhra Pradesh are with you, today our party held highway blockade and tomorrow we are doing Rail blockade to protest against the injustice to our State. We are doing everything to secure our rights. You MPs are our inspiration!" Reddy said.

Responding to the same, the MPs said that the hunger strike is not easy but seek Reddy as an inspiration and taking it forwards.

Fight for Andhra Pradesh's special category status continued as the indefinite hunger strike by the YSRCP members entered the fourth day on Tuesday.

The hunger strike was launched on April 6 after five party MPs tendered their resignations to the Lok Sabha speaker, Sumitra Mahajan.

The agitation also saw Senior MPs Mekapati Raja Mohan Reddy (73) and Varaprasad Rao (64) getting admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. Despite their deteriorating health, they are continuing their fast.

However, other three - YV Subba Reddy, Mithun Reddy, and Avinash Reddy - are continuing their hunger strike at Andhra Pradesh Bhawan.

On Monday, doctors advised Subbareddy to get admitted and immediately end the strike, but YVS Reddy refused to do so and is continuing with his fight at Andhra Pradesh Bhawan.

The YSRCP has been waging the fight against the Centre, and party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy announced on March 31 that his party's MPs would quit and sit on an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi to press for the special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

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The royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle generally attracts eyeballs all over the and is dotted with the presence of leaders.

However on Tuesday, the Kensington Palace said in a statement that the soon-to-be royal couple will not be inviting leaders to the wedding, at least not on the basis of their official position, CNN reported.

This means that current United States President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama will not attend the royal wedding. Also, British Prime Minister Theresa May will not turn up at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The Palace clarified that since the royal wedding was a private event and not an official function, it did not invite world leaders.

Instead, only personal friends of the royal couple will attend the wedding.

"It has been decided that an official list of political leaders -- both UK and international -- is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle's wedding," a Kensington Palace spokesman said. "Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by the royal household."

Also, an official from White House confirmed that neither Trump nor his wife and First Lady Melania was invited to the royal wedding.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to tie the knot in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19.

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The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday handed over the Unnao rape case, wherein Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar is prime accused, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On the basis of the SIT report submitted to the state government, instruction has been given to lodge an FIR against the MLA from Unnao.

Two doctors, namely Dr. D.K. Dwivedi and Dr. Prashant Upadhyay, have been suspended and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against three other doctors "for laxity in giving proper medical care to the victim's father, both prior to judicial custody and on referral from jail to the district hospital while in judicial custody", according to an official statement.

Apart from this, Safipur Circle Officer Kunwar Bahadur Singh has also been suspended for negligence in handling the repeated complaints given by the victim.

Meanwhile, in a late night development, BJP MLA Senger appeared outside Lucknow SSP's residence.

"I came here to show to the media that I am not on the run, and I am very much in Lucknow. I am here, tell me what to do," Senger said.

Singh is accused of rape by a 16-year-old girl from Unnao, which took place last year in June.

Since then, the family attempted to file an FIR against the accused numerous times, but were thwarted by the police.

Earlier on Sunday, a woman, along with her family members, tried to commit suicide in front of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath 's residence in Lucknow, alleging that she was raped by Sengar and his fellow accomplices.

Later, the rape victim's father was arrested, and on Monday, he died in hospital. However, the family alleged that he was murdered by Sengar.

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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Lucknow Police reached Unnao on Wednesday, to investigate the custodial death of the father of the woman, who was allegedly raped by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and his accomplices.

Additional Director General (ADG) of Lucknow zone Rajeev Krishna told reporters that a report will be sent to the administration by evening, "We have come here to investigate, and by this evening, I will send the interim report to the DGP and the state government."

He also assured that all angles of the case would be investigated.

On questions of whether there was any political pressure on the investigative team, Krishna said, "There is no pressure on the SIT. It is working independently."

The Police further said, "The victim's family will be provided full security. They have a relative in Delhi, now it is their decision if they want to live here in Unnao or in Delhi."

On Sunday, the woman, along with her family members, tried to commit suicide in front of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath 's residence in Lucknow, alleging that she was raped by BJP MLA from Unnao Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his fellow accomplices.

Later, the rape victim's father was arrested, and on Monday, he died in hospital. However, the family alleged that he was murdered by Sengar.

On Tuesday, the MLA's brother Atul Singh along with three others, was arrested from Unnao on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) DGP, by the Lucknow crime branch team.

The victim's family had alleged that the accused MLA's brother had thrashed the victim's man on April 3 for refusing to withdraw the FIR.

As many as six police personnel were also suspended for allegedly beating up the victim's father.

Meanwhile, the accused BJP MLA on Monday refused to resign from his post following the allegations of rape against him.

He further went on to dismiss the entire incident saying the allegations were completely wrong.

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United States President Donald Trump has lifted the travel ban on the citizens of Chad after six months, citing improvements in the "identity-management and information sharing practices" of the Central African nation.

"By lifting travel restrictions on nationals of Chad, the United States is demonstrating that the criteria set forth in Proclamation 9645 can and do work to enhance the security of the United States," the Hill reported, citing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as saying.

The president, according to a statement from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, signed a proclamation that will allow Chad nationals to "again be able to receive visas for travel to the United States."

Chad's foreign minister Cherif Mahamat Zene welcomed the lifting of the travel ban.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Chad is pleased to be removed from the list of countries whose nationals are banned from entering the United States, and hopes to further strengthen the strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries."

The travel restrictions will be officially terminated on April 13, according to the reports.

The travel ban was one of US President Donald Trump's first official acts since taking office.

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Russia and the United States have reportedly agreed to disagree over a probe into the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

According to several media reports, representatives of both nations in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) blocked each other over a move to allow international investigations into chemical attacks in Syria, where a civil war has been on since 2011.

The media reports said that three draft resolutions on the chemical weapons attacks in Syria failed to get passed in a UNSC meeting. Russia vetoed a U.S. text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get the minimum nine votes required for approval.

Moscow opposes any Western strike on Syria. It vetoed UNSC action on Syria on twelve previous occasions.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the UNSC that adopting her country's resolution was the least member nations could do.

"History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," Haley was quoted, as saying, while referring to Syrian President Assad.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washington's decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria.

Meanwhile, international chemical weapons experts are expected to go to Douma to investigate a suspected poison gas attack.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Syria had been asked to make the necessary arrangements for the deployment of an investigation team.

"The team is preparing to deploy to Syria shortly," it said in a statement.

The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but will not assign blame.

European governments said they will wait for the results of the OPCW investigation and for more solid forensic evidence before taking the next step on the matter.

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Infosys will be watched. Calix announced a strategic multi-year partnership with Infosys, that will accelerate communications service provider (CSP) adoption of AXOS, its Software Defined Access (SDA) Platform. Calix and Infosys will jointly invest to co-create new services and value-added offerings on the award winning AXOS platform. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 10 April 2018.

By reducing time-to-market for new AXOS capabilities and greatly broadening AXOS offerings, the partnership will enable service providers to accelerate deployments of next generation access networks that will dramatically reduce their operating cost and enable them to deploy new services at a rapid pace.

Lemon Tree Hotels said that the company's wholly owned subsidiary Carnation Hotels has executed a Hotel Operating Agreement for operating and managing the property of 120 rooms at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh under the company's brand Lemon Tree Premier. The hotel is expected to be operational by March 2021. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 10 April 2018.

IFCI has changed its Short Term Benchmark Rate (IBR-ST) from 8.80% per annum (p.a.) to 9% p.a. with monthly rests with effect from 12 April 2018. The IFCI Benchmark Rate for other than Short Term Loans continues to remain unchanged at 10.20% p.a. with monthly rests. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 10 April 2018.

Himachal Futuristic Communications said that the company has bagged advance purchase order for Rs 579 crore approx from Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) for building 2G global system for mobile (GSM) base service set (BSS) network in Assam. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 10 April 2018.

Star Cement said that the company alongwith its subsidiaries have received Rs 80.26 crore towards subsidies claim from the Central Government and this amount shall be utilized towards pre-payment of loans. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 10 April 2018.

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The stock is quoting at Rs 930.35, up 1.45% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 37.42% in last one year as compared to a 12.86% spurt in NIFTY and a 13.91% spurt in the Nifty Energy.

Reliance Industries Ltd is up for a fifth straight session in a row. The stock is quoting at Rs 930.35, up 1.45% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.15% on the day, quoting at 10386.95. The Sensex is at 33881.38, up 0%. Reliance Industries Ltd has risen around 0.01% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Reliance Industries Ltd is a constituent, has risen around 1.91% in last one month and is currently quoting at 13636.75, down 0.48% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 34.7 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 65.95 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 931.15, up 1.24% on the day. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 37.42% in last one year as compared to a 12.86% spurt in NIFTY and a 13.91% spurt in the Nifty Energy index.

The PE of the stock is 17.56 based on TTM earnings ending December 17.

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At least 257 people were killed on Wednesday after an Algerian military aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Boufarik military airfield outside the capital, the Defence Ministry said.

The majority of the victims were from military, comprising 247 passengers and 10 crew members, all of whom were killed when the Soviet-manufactured Ilyushin aircraft crashed into a field near the airbase between Algiers and the city of Blida, the BBC reported citing the Ministry as saying.

The aircraft was en route to southwest province of Bechar. It was not clear what caused the crash. It is the deadliest plane crash since 2014, when 298 people were killed after a Malaysian airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine.

Algerian TV station Ennahar showed images of smoke rising from the plane's fuselage, tilted to one side, with part of the aircraft sticking out above olive trees.

Dozens of bodies were seen in numbered bags as paramedics and firefighters worked at the crash site. Cranes at the site were trying to move the debris.

Among the dead were 26 members of the Polisario Front, seeking independence from Morocco for Western Sahara and supported by Algeria, reports said.

Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah extended condolences to the families of the victims and ordered an investigation into the crash. The authorities were working to identify remains of those killed.

One man told Ennahar TV station that he was at home when he heard an explosion and drove to the site, where they tried to put out the fire and reach victims. "We saw bodies ... it was a catastrophe."

"We were afraid the plane would explode. We covered some bodies and put out some fires," he said.

The crashed aircraft has been involved in a number of crashes, most recently in 2016 when one on a firefighting mission crashed near Lake Baikal in northeast Siberia, killing all 10 crew members on board.

--IANS

soni/vm

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Three resolutions on investigating the alleged chemical attack in a rebel-held area of Syria failed in the UN Security Council on Tuesday amid reports that the US was preparing to attack facilities of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

US President Donald Trump has cancelled a trip to the Summit of the Americas in Peru's Lima, citing the Syrian developments and on Tuesday conferred with National Security Adviser John Bolton and defence officials.

He also discussed with British Prime Minister Theresa May the preparation for a strike on the Syrian government, which it blames for the chemical attack.

Even as the Security Council wrangled over a resolution to confer the Council's authority on the probe, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced it was sending a fact-finding mission to Douma, where the chemical weapon attack is said to have taken place.

On Monday, Russia and Syria had told the Council that they were inviting the OPCW to send investigators and they would provide them protection and facilities.

Last Saturday a chemical attack was reported to have taken place in Douma, where the rebel group Jaish al-Islam controls territory. The US says 89 people were killed and several hundred injured by chemical weapons used there.

The rival resolutions that paralysed the Security Council had small differences that Russia and the West hoped to score points with rather than act on Syria.

Russia vetoed the first resolution sponsored by the US and its supporters calling for an independent investigative mechanism into the use of chemical weapons, after it got 12 votes for, two against and an abstention by China.

The next two offered by Russia failed to get a majority, avoiding the need for a Western veto.

The first Russian resolution also called for the creation of the independent investigation mechanism, but would have required it to take into account the OPCW data as well as information provided by the Syrian government on the rebel organisations, which met with Western objections.

It received six votes, seven voted against it and two abstained.

Condemning Moscow's veto, US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley said, "History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people."

After a break for consultations to try for a compromise, Russia introduced another resolution similar to its previous one, except that it did not include the independent investigation mechanism proposal.

Five countries voted for it, four against it and six abstained.

China supported both the Russian resolutions.

Since the two Russian resolutions did not get a majority, none of the Western permanent members -- the US, France or Britain had to veto them.

After vetoing the US resolution, Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said it would have recreated the joint investigative mechanism that lapsed in November 2017, because of a Moscow veto and a similar new body would take a long time to become active.

He accused the US of introducing the resolution knowing it would not pass so they could use it as a pretext to attack Syria.

Later, Nebenzia, addressing Haley directly, said, "I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that you are currently developing for Syria."

While Haley had insisted on an independent investigation mechanism in addition to the OPCW fact-finding mechanism, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert praised the Hague-based organisation that won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2013.

"They're the gold standard in collecting this type of information (about chemical weapons use), and we would certainly rely upon them, as we have in other instances, to take a look at that," she said.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said an estimated 500 people went to health facilities with "signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals" after the attack on the rebel-held town of Douma in Syria at the weekend.

It also demanded "unhindered access" to Douma in Syria. The Syrian government denies any use of chemical weapons, the Guardian reported.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," Peter Salama, the agency's Deputy Director General for emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement issued in Geneva.

The US has threatened a "forceful" response to reports of an attack but Russia has called this a "pretext" to attack its ally.

The WHO cited reports that 70 people were killed in the attack. It said its "health cluster" partners reported that 500 people had suffered symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals, including difficulty breathing, irritation of mucous membranes, and disruption to the central nervous system.

"Two health facilities were also reportedly affected by these attacks," the WHO statement added.

Syrian opposition activists, rescue workers and medics alleged that the attack on Douma was carried out by government forces using bombs filled with toxic chemicals.

The attack appeared to have prompted a surrender deal the following day by local rebels. Jaysh al-Islam, the dominant opposition group in Douma, agreed to leave the town along with thousands of civilians for northern Syria, after weeks of saying they had no intention of agreeing to a deal, the daily said.

Since then, thousands of the estimated 100,000 people still living in Douma have left on buses heading north. More were expected to leave on Wednesday.

Douma was the last holdout in eastern Ghouta after other rebel groups agreed to leave other parts of the region, which has been under siege for years and subjected to multiple chemical attacks in the past.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said the world must react to the use of chemical weapons or risk dire consequences.

"After decades when we thought we had successfully outlawed the use of chemical and biological weapons, the world is sitting idly by while their use is becoming normalised in Syria," said Al-Hussein.

The French representative at the UN Security Council said poison gas had deliberately been used as it could seep down to the basements, the BBC reported.

Following the alleged attack, Syria and Russia reached an evacuation deal with the Jaish al-Islam rebels, who up until now have been holding Douma.

--IANS

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is gearing up to form a third front with Left parties to fight the BJP and the Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls in Rajasthan, AAP sources said on Wednesday.

A senior AAP leader told IANS that they have had three or four meetings with Left parties in the state and discussions were in an "advanced state". The development was confirmed by an AAP Rajasthan state leader.

The source said the AAP would fight a majority of the 200 seats in Rajasthan and was hopeful the Left would settle for 20-25 seats.

"Rural economy and farmers issues will be the main planks on which the election will be fought," the leader said.

The leader said they have also spoken to some independent MLAs and regional parties to be a part of the third front.

Earlier, the AAP announced it had removed founder member as the Rajasthan in-charge and appointed Treasurer Deepak Bajpai in his place.
Infrastructure player Adani Group on Wednesday said it will collaborate with Punj Lloyd and Rave Gears, US for design, manufacture and assembly of high precision gears and transmission systems for rotary platforms.

The Adani Group made the announcement at the exhibition of defence equipment manufacturers DefExpo 2018 being held near here.

In a statement, the group said the collaboration intends to manufacture gears and gear assemblies mainly for rotary platforms, currently under production in India for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) as well as for future programmes like naval helicopters.

The collaboration will use the manufacturing base in India for exports to global original equipment manufacturers - both in the military and civil aerospace domain.

"The collaboration is another step in Adani Group's vision of creating a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem by bringing world-class capabilities to the country. It will help establish new production lines in India, generate employment and build sustainable skills," Ashish Rajvanshi, Head of Adani Defence and Aerospace was quoted as saying in the statement.

--IANS

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Stating that 'Ravan raaj prevails in the state, the Congress on Wednesday demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath must resign immediately for protecting Unnao BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplices for their alleged role in gangraping a 17-year-old girl and the custodial death of her father.

It also demanded that Jammu and Kashmir government order a CBI enquiry into the Kathua rape and murder case and thast the accused should be arrested soon.

"Beti Bachao" under Modi government should be renamed as 'BJP se Beti Bachao'. Modiji's (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) favourite slogan of 'Bahut Hua Naari Par Vaar' is now a cruel joke on the women of India," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

He said: "BJP which politically exploited Nirbhaya rape case is now outrightly brazening it out on the rape cases in Kathua and Unnao. It is squarely replicating the 'Naliya Rape Model' where BJP leaders drugged, raped and blackmailed the victim in a sex racket in Kutch, Gujarat."

"There is no justice for women under Modi government's watch. Be it Unnao or Kathua -- both states are ruled by the BJP. The governments remain benefactor and protectors of those who are guilty. What happened in Unnao is shameful," he added.

Surjewala said: "A hapless victim cried for justice before Adityanath and the UP government for virtually for 8 to 9 months. She had to take the extreme step of self-immolation before Chief Minister's residence. Yet a cruel Adityanath government did not budge.

"It is so because the accused person is a crony BJP MLA who is protected by the Chief Minister. The father was persecuted. There are now audio tapes available where family of the BJP MLA is seen threatening the father and the family of the victim for withdrawing the rape case," he added.

The leader said that instead of arresting the absconding MLA, BJP government proceeded to arrest the father of the victim by calling him a listed criminal.

"The BJP government has the audacity to file a report saying that no rape took place and that this was a family feud. This is the 'Ravan raaj' that prevails in Uttar Pradesh under the watch of Adityanath.

"If goondas are going to be protected in this fashion by the Chief Minister and BJP government, he has no right to continue as Chief Minister even for a minute and he must resign," said Surjewala.

The Congress also pointed out that as far as women are concerned, Adityanath's track record is rather dismal.

"Since he took over in UP, the number of rapes have gone up by 36 per cent. Incidents of rape between April 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018 are almost 15,000. Total crime against women under Adiytanathji's watch have gone up by 33 per cent in the state," he added.

Surjewala said: "803 incidents of rape and 229 murders were reported in first two months of Adityanath's tenure. We are dealing with a Chief Minister whose entire mindset is anti-women. We demand that the victim should be protected, compensated and all the accused named by her must be arrested."

He said the family of victim of the Kathua rape and murder case must also be protected and provided all help possible.

"Why is the BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir shy of ordering a CBI enquiry and arresting those who are accused. Why are they trying to divert attention by complete diversionary tactics?" he asked.

Surjewala also asked: "Why is it that wherever BJP is in power, incidents of rape, molestation and attack against women are highest -- be it Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan or Gujarat.

"Does that not tell us about a certain mindset that prevails in the minds of BJP leadership in these states and also at the centre?" he added.

--IANS

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A day after the Bihar government downgraded security at the official residence of former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, her two sons and all RJD lawmakers decided to give up their security cover in protest.

The government withdrew 32 personnel of the Bihar Military Police posted at 10 Circular Road -- the official residence of Rabri Devi and her husband, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad -- after the CBI raided the place on Tuesday in connection with a IRCTC hotel tender case.

Calling it political vendetta by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his ally BJP, Rabri Devi's son Tejashwi Yadav, also the Leader of Opposition, said he and his brother, former Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, also asked the bodyguards to return to the police headquarters on Wednesday.

He has called a meeting of RJD legislators on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

According to a staff member at 10 Circular Road, at present the sprawling bungalow is without a single security personnel. "It is for the first time that there is virtually no security jawan at the residence of Lalu-Rabri."

Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari told the media: "Lalu's family has been targeted for opposing divisive politics. Nitish Kumar is indulging in revenge politics, which is not right."

He said Lalu Prasad's family is already on the hit list of several gangs for opposing reservation.

"In view of the threat perception to them, downgrading of security cover was not proper. Tejashwi Yadav has been visiting different places across Bihar to address public meetings. If anything happened to him, nobody but Nitish Kumar would be responsible."

Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav said the Chief Minister sent him a notice to vacate the government residence he is presently living in.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to interfere with the panchayat elections in West Bengal as it asked the state BJP to approach the Calcutta High Court with all the issues raised before the apex court, including extending the deadline to file nomination papers.

A bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre heard the plea by West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party that questioned the State Election Commission's decision to revoke its order of extending the last date for filing nominations by a day to April 10.

As senior counsel Dushyant Dave, appearing for West Bengal, urged the apex court to say that none of the latter's observations will impact the High Court hearing, the bench said: "... observations do not carry any weight. If it (had) carried weight, then the State Election Commission would not have rescinded its order."

The panchayat elections are scheduled for May 1, 3 and 5, while the counting of votes will be taken up on May 8.

--IANS

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A 24-year-old Australian woman, who faked having terminal cancer before scamming money from friends of her family, has been jailed for three months, a media report said.

A judge called the scam "despicable". Hanna Dickenson accepted $31,000 after telling her parents that she needed medical treatment overseas, the BBC reported.

Her parents received donations from their friends, the court was told. Dickenson spent much of the money on holidays and socialising.

Dickenson had pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to seven charges of obtaining property by deception.

In sentencing, magistrate David Starvaggi said Dickenson had "engaged in conduct that tears at the very heartstrings of human nature".

"People's desire to assist and social trust has been breached. These are people who worked hard and dug into their own pockets," he said.

The court was told one person donated $7,750 to Dickenson after being discharged from hospital following his own cancer treatment. Another person gave money on four separate occasions.

The ruse was uncovered when another donor raised suspicions with police after seeing pictures of Dickenson on Facebook, the BBC reported.

An Australian celebrity blogger, Belle Gibson, was fined around $318,000 in 2017, after falsely claiming to have beaten brain cancer.

The court said in this case it pronounced the jail term to deter others from engaging in similar conduct.

--IANS

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the government cannot walk a "thin line" to compel Indian armed forces to buy indigenous weapons, after she opened a major defence trade fair that projects India - world's biggest global arms importer - as one of the major military equipment manufacturing hubs.

The four-day DefExpo India, themed "Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub," and being held at Thiruvidanthai off the East Coast Road near here, is the 10th biennial exercise aimed at establishing Brand India and highlighting the manufacturing capabilities of the country's defence sector.

Asked about the huge export-import gap in the defence sector of a country that does not even figure among the top 25 exporters of arms with even its own forces hesitating to buy locally-manufactured weapon systems, Sitharaman said she could only tell the Indian armed forces to procure from indigenous companies "as much as possible".

She said she could not cross a "thin line" to impinge on the freedom of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force or the Indian Navy "to make their own decisions" as per their operational requirements.

"When I am promoting Indian exports, Indian manufacturing, I am also telling the forces to procure domestically as much as possible.

"I would want to draw a thin line between the government's enthusiasm to make sure the production capabilities are such that they meet international standards and are export-worthy and the other side of the line where the Army, Navy or Air Force make their decision on what they want, what combination of equipment they want and in that combination if an India produced item fits in well.

"I can only go that far and not further, just as they can only go that far and not further without compromising each others' interests. I can't imagine prevailing upon them. We will only want them to give space to local manufacturers and buy indigenous products."

With the third largest armed forces in the world, India's defence market is one of the most lucrative in the world. According to estimates, the country is expected to lay out a $620-billion budget for defence procurements till 2022, offering foreign as well as local businesses immense opportunities.

Over 30 per cent of India's defence budget goes on capital acquisitions and 60 per cent of defence-related requirements are met by imports. The government is trying for import substitution and has offered foreign countries to "Make in India" -- a key facet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance aspects.

The defence exhibition that targets India's futuristic goal of building a self-sufficient domestic arms industry comes even as the armed forces of India facing multiple security threats continue to be saddled with sub-optimal weapon systems.

At the heart of this is the country's inability to boost indigenous defence manufacturing, which is often blamed on inordinate procedural delays, making a product redundant by the time it gets market-ready.

For example, the advanced versions of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft and the Arjun main battle tank: while the aircraft is still not combat-ready despite being in the making for over three decades, the main battle tank is said to be too heavy and poor in serviceability.

At the defence exhibition, dozens of foreign and local companies and defence public sector undertakings are hard selling their products to the Indian armed forces and foreigners, including defence attaches.

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said the government was not targeting any specific number of deals or agreements expected to be signed at the exhibition that "showcases the strengths of India's public sector and also uncovers India's growing private industry and spreading MSME base for components and sub-systems".

Over 650 exhibitors, including some 520 Indian companies, are participating in the event.

The response from foreign companies this time, as compared to the previous DefExpo held in Goa in 2016, has not been that good. A total of 232 foreign companies had participated in Goa, while it is 154 this time.

Official delegations from nearly 50 countries, including the US and the UK, are attending the expo that has participation of some major global companies including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems, Rafael, Saab, Airbus, Rosonboron Exports, United Shipbuilding, Sibat, Wartsila and Rhode and Schwarz.

Also on display at the 2.90 lakh-square-feet exhibition area along the sea coast are indigenously developed land, air and naval systems.

These include Tejas fighter jets, advanced towed artillery gun systems designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Arjun Mark 2 tank and Dhanush artillery guns.

The DRDO is showcasing the Nirbhay missile system with its launcher, MBT Arjun Mk-I tank, Astra missile, low-level transportable radar system, medium power radar system and Varunastra -- the heavyweight anti-submarine electric torpedo.

(Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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Soon after a fake list of Congress candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka was circulated on social media on Tuesday, the party clarified that it was a "fake press release and AICC has not issued anything regarding this".

"A fake press release from AICC regarding the names of Congress candidates for the legislative assembly election Karnataka is being circulated in social media," said AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal, in a statement.

"I would like to clarify that this is a fake press release and AICC has not issued any press release regarding this," he added.

Venugopal also said: "Now, the screening committee meetings are going on and any list regarding the same will be released only after the Central Election Committee meeting."

"Until now no CEC meeting has happened regarding the Karnataka Assembly Election," he added.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted: "I am told a list of Congress candidates for Karnataka Election is under circulation. The AICC has not approved the list of candidates yet. The "list" under circulation is fake. It has been done to create confusion."

"Please don't patronise products of the fake news factory," he added.

--IANS

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The CBI is probing another loan of Rs 5,280 crore taken by diamond trader Mehul Choksi and his companies from a consortium of 31 banks led by ICICI Bank, informed sources said.

The probe is part of the existing FIR filed against Choksi and his Gitanjali Group of companies, said the sources.

They said the Rs 5,280 crore loan amount was separate from the Rs 13,600 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud already being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"The investigation is under the purview of working capital loan and it may become the part of the existing PNB fraud cases. If this proves to be a fraud too, the whole fraud amount may officially touch Rs 19,000 crore."

As per the complaints of PNB, the country's second-biggest state-run lender, the CBI is currently probing about Rs 7,080 crore fraud during 2013-17 against Gitanjali Gems Ltd, Gill India Ltd, Nakshatra Brand Ltd and Asmi Jewellery India Ltd.

The CBI on February 15 filed a case against Gitanjali group of companies controlled by Choksi for allegedly defrauding the bank of Rs 4,8886.72 crore. Later the agency got another PNB complaint on February 22 wherein the fraud in respect of Foreign Letter of Credits increased by another Rs 1,251.56 crore.

The agency on March 4 received another complaint from PNB against Gitanjali Group regarding additional exposure of about Rs 942.18 crore.

Choksi, the chairman of the Gitanjali Group, was so far accused along with his nephew Nirav Modi in the Rs 13,600 crore PNB bank fraud. The CBI has registered separate FIRs in connection with the case.

Billionaire diamantaire Modi, a regular on the lists of rich and famous Indians since 2013, his group companies -- Diamond R US, Stellar Diamond and Solar Exports-- his wife Ami and brother Nishal Modi are also named in along with others in the fraud, admitted by the PNB in February and leading to a massive upheaval in the country's banking system.

Choksi, Modi and his family are still at large as they fled abroad in first week of January - around a month before the PNB filed first complaint against them about the fraud.

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.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, on Wednesday published a signed article in a major British newspaper, saying that "the United States has announced successive protectionist tariffs pursuant to its domestic law, forcing China to take counter-measures."

The so-called "investigations" under legislation, such as section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, risk igniting a trade war between the world's two biggest economies, Liu said in the article carried by The Guardian newspaper, reports Xinhua.

"But a trade war, which would be unpopular, damaging and anachronistic, should and can be avoided," he said.

"There would be no winner in a trade war," the Chinese ambassador said, "If the Trump administration, by announcing unilateral protectionist measures, believe there could be, it must be suffering the damaging after-effects of the years in which it had a hegemonic mindset. It must also be suffering from historical amnesia."

"Should a trade war erupt, the multilateral trade system would bear the costs, and the global economy, which is yet to fully recover from the last crisis, would be at risk again," he said.

"To uphold the rules-based international trade regime as well as to safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests, China has taken counter-measures," he added.

Raising tariffs will not balance US books because the real problem is its excessive consumption and low saving rate, Liu noted.

"The trade imbalance with China is further aggravated by the long-term US restriction on high-tech exports to China."

"The Trump administration is putting domestic law above international law and forcing America's trading partners to make concessions," he said, "It is tantamount to returning the international trade order to the 'law of the jungle'. In the face of this, China had to act."

"China has not, however, closed the door to negotiations," he said.

"On the contrary, we will continue to deepen reform and open up on all fronts with a view to building closer trade and economic partnerships with the world."

It is China's consistent position to address trade disputes through negotiations and consultations, he said. "China stands ready to carry out constructive negotiations with the United States on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, as long as the United States abandons unilateralism and trade protectionism."

--IANS

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Ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London next week, several bodies on Wednesday raised the issue of journalists being killed and the threat to the media's rights.

Six Commonwealth organisations unveiled proposals for a 12-point code of conduct aimed at reducing the heavy toll of journalists' killings and other threats to the media's right to report.

" freedom is in peril," CJA President Mahendra Ved said. "The Commonwealth should now demonstrate the will to defend it through actions, not just words; I believe these guidelines can help to make the commitments real."

"Governments are always keen to shape the political message. freedom is hard won and needs constant vigilance and active defence," Sue Onslow, Deputy Director of ICWS, said.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has said that in 2017 that the number of journalists killed for doing their jobs represented "a serious indictment of our collective efforts to build a safer and more inclusive future".

Among the widely reported cases in 2017 were the fatal shooting of editor and journalist Gauri Lankesh in India in September and the car bombing in October that killed investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta.

Figures published by Unesco, the UN agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression, show that 57 journalists were killed for their work in Commonwealth countries between 2013 and 2017.

The Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the in Good Governance were made public at the University of London's Senate House, the home of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICWS), the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) said in a statement.

The six signatories are the Commonwealth Journalists Association, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Commonwealth Legal Education Association, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK.

They were drawn up by a working group representing journalists, academics, parliamentarians, lawyers, legal educators and human rights advocates across the Commonwealth.

The document reflects international standards and best practice with regard to the relationships between the media and the three branches of government, effective protections for the independence of the media and its role in informing the public, the media's respect for accuracy and fairness, and promoting member states' observance of the principles.

"The CLA has been proud to play a part in drafting these important principles," Desmond Browne, who represented the Commonwealth Lawyers Association on the working group, said.

"The intention is that they should provide a universal code for the Commonwealth which will protect both freedom of expression and the activities of responsible journalists."

Unesco's statistics show that fewer than 10 per cent of all killings of journalists in Commonwealth countries have resulted in those responsible being brought to justice.

Human rights groups say that high rate of impunity is at odds with the Commonwealth's commitments to the rule of law and protecting the media's legitimate right to report in the public interest.

"As a letter-bomb survivor and victim of the most gruesome attack on media freedom in my country, Nigeria, I support the Commonwealth Media Principles," Kayode Soyinka, publisher of Africa Today, said in the statement.

"The time has come for the Commonwealth to prove its relevance as a true champion of democratic values," Soyinka said.

Apart from condemning the high number of targeted killings of journalists in several Commonwealth member states, media and press freedom organisations have called for coordinated actions to combat numerous cases of abduction, violent assault, criminal prosecution and arbitrary closures of media outlets.

The organisations which are jointly putting forward the principles say they want these to be adopted by the Commonwealth as a "manual of good practice" to assist governments, legislatures, judiciaries and the media to contribute in appropriate ways to promoting open, democratic and accountable societies, in accordance with Commonwealth values.

This year's CHOGM is being held in London from April 16 to 20. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among the leaders attending the summit.

--IANS

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Accusing the Congress and CPI-M of ganging up with the BJP for the coming panchayat polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked the two parties whether they supported the saffron outfit's ideology in the state.

"We want one to one fight against BJP, because it is a communal party. We believe in that. CPI-M and the Congress also say the same thing. But in Bengal, they are together.They are three brothers here. Does that mean they (Congress and CPI-M) don't consider BJP in Bengal as communal? They should clarify?" she told media persons here.

Training her guns on the Congress, Banerjee asked how come they were with the BJP in Bengal, and fighting the party outside.

"Congress, rather than fighting (Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah, tied up with the BJP here. They should first answer people how they have joined forces with the BJP overnight here.

"In Bengal they are with BJP. Outside Bengal, they are fighting the BJP. How come is that possible?"

Banerjee lashed out against the Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders for failing to declare 'jihad' against the RSS, and held them responsible for the CPI-M people contesting as BJP candidates in the upcoming polls.

"BJP had contested only 11,000 seats in 2013. This time they are in fray in 38,000 gram sabha seats. CPI-M 'harmads' (pirates) have joined them. CPI-M should be ashamed.

"Today, CPI-M can't put up candidates. This has happened for their leaders. They should have declared a jihad against RSS. They should explain it to their cadres."

Denying allegations that the opposition parties were being forcibly prevented from filing their nominations, she said the opposition has put up 90,000 candidates for the around 58,000 Panchayat seats.

"Including independents and smaller parties, the figure is 90,000. The opposition could not file nominations in some seats because they lack people, lack a tight organisation. Moreover, many seats have been reserved for Scheduled castes, tribes and Other Backward Classes. It is difficult to find the right candidates for these seats," she said at the state secretariat Nabanna.

Banerjee said in 2003, her party had contested only 30,000 of the 58,000 seats. In 2008, her party could put up only 35,000 candidates.

She also castigated the Left parties for calling a general strike on Friday and said public life would not be disrupted on that day.

"It's only a drama. There will be no strike or shutdown on that day".

--IANS

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Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Wednesday said cooperation of all stakeholders is required for the successful formulation of policies and their implementation to improve the health of women, children and adolescents.

"Convergence between ministries, states and stakeholders is critical to achievements of shared goals for health of women, children and adolescents," said Nadda at a panel discussion organised by the Ministry and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), which is a multi-constituency partnership supported by a small secretariat hosted at the WHO"

Nadda said the government was committed to collaboration for expanding universal health coverage for women, adolescents and children at the function which was a curtain raiser event for the 2018 Partners' Forum to be held here on December 12-13, 2018.

The Partners' Forum is a global event that provides a platform for learning and exchange between countries on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.

Three earlier Forums were held at Dar es Salaam in 2007, New Delhi in 2010 and Johannesburg in 2014.

Highlighting the achievements in health, Nadda said India had accelerated its progress towards the target of 90 per cent full immunisation coverage.

"Earlier, the annual increase in full immunisation coverage was one per cent. It has increased to 7 per cent through 'Mission Indradhanush'. The special intensified drive will focus on improving immunisation to more than 90 per cent by December 2018," he said.

Underscoring the importance of the 2018 Partners' Forum, former President of Chile and Incoming Chair of PMNCH Board Michelle Bachelet said cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships were vital for the progress on improved health.

"If we don't invest in women and children, we won't be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," said Bachelet.

She emphasised the need for global sharing of best practices and technical expertise at the civil society, academic, private sector and governmental levels to change public discourse and lead society into adopting innovative methods to resolve issues and improve health indicators in children, adolescents and women.

Actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra highlighted the importance of a healthy childhood with good quality health care as it sets the course for positive adolescence, adulthood and parenthood.

"We need to give girls the same opportunities as boys if we want them to be healthy and successful," she said, adding a little encouragement from the family and community goes a long way in helping girls become community leaders and achieve their dreams.

"Let's start valuing the girl child. I hope that by lending my voice I can make a difference to their lives," she said.

The 2018 Partners' Forum in December will provide a unique platform to the alliance of more than 1,000 organisations from 92 countries.

--IANS

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When Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes on a two-day visit to Sweden next week, cooperation in the area of innovation will form a key element of his agenda, Sweden's ambassador to India Klas Molin has said.

Speaking to IANS here, Molin said that the summit between Modi and his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven on April 17 will see discussions on cooperation in bilateral, regional and global issues.

"Of the global ones, of course, multilateral cooperation. You have environment and climate, trans-boundary issues of common concern where we have been gratified and heartened by India's leadership in taking on important responsibility, assuming responsibility for some of these global issues in a very positive way," he said.

"I think you will also hopefully see the leaders discussing and agreeing perhaps on continuing the work that was started two years ago in Mumbai where we had a joint statement outlining a plethora of issues and areas in which to cooperate."

Lofven had visited Mumbai in 2016 to participate in the "Make in India Week". Modi's visit will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to Sweden in 30 years since that of Rajiv Gandhi in 1988.

Stating that innovation is a broad but specific area of cooperation between the two countries, Molin said that this was an important part of the India-Sweden joint statement that was released during Lofven's visit.

"How do we cooperate further, how do we get our best and the brightest people together, how do we also perhaps think about funding certain areas, how do we go into areas where we can cooperate even more and develop new technologies, create employment and sustainable solutions on a number of issues," he said.

During Modi's visit, an India-Sweden Innovation Partnership is also expected to be launched.

"I think it is something we are discussing with the Indian side but exactly how this will look, of course, will have to be finalised," the ambassador said.

"But I think it is a way of focusing our attention on both sides to create a platform that, in turn, can attract investments, that can attract companies to plug in."

Stating that Sweden has signed such innovation partnerships with France and Germany, Molin said that "we will be certainly very happy to sign this with India".

"It will be an umbrella under which there will be a number of areas of particular interest," he said.

Molin also said that Lofven himself is "personally extremely engaged in innovation" and chairs the Swedish Innovation Council that was set up by the government.

On bilateral economic relations, the ambassador said that trade is growing on both sides "and quite impressively so".

Though bilateral trade dipped to $1.9 billion in 2016-17 from $2.17 billion, both countries have set a lofty total trade target of $5 billion.

"I think it will be useful also to set targets that are very lofty goals," Molin said. "Nothing wrong with that. They are not always met, but I think the ambition is most important."

He was of the opinion that trade in services between the two countries is growing and this might even overtake trade in goods.

"But in trading goods, we have definitely seen impressive growth in the figures, I think for Swedish exports, more than 25 per cent; and India is also growing, not perhaps dramatically but growing significantly and consistently," the ambassador said.

"If you include services, I think this is where, of course, one of India's amazing advantages lie with the talent pool of people. There is IT services, you have back offices, you have all kinds of support services, you have software development."

Stating that cooperation in academics and research and development is another important area of focus, Molin said that both the countries are looking to increase student exchanges between universities.

On April 17, India and Sweden will also co-host the first ever India-Nordic Summit, where, apart from Modi and Lofven, the Prime Ministers of the other four Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway will also be present.

Molin said that Nordic countries are close as neighbours and cooperate very closely in a number of issues.

"But we are not a political entity in that way," he said. "It's not like the EU, it's not a regional organisation in any way. It's a convenient forum."

According to figures provided by the External Affairs Ministry, India's trade with the Nordic countries totaled around $5.3 billion in 2016-17, with cumulative foreign direct investment in India at $2.5 billion.

"The Nordic countries have globally recognised strengths in clean technologies, environmental solutions, port modernisation, food processing, health, agriculture infrastructure, skill development and innovation which are also the focus areas of India's development," a ministry statement said. These complementarities and the unique strengths of India and the Nordic countries hold the potential to further boost trade and investment from both sides.

Apart from his meeting with Lofven, Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of the other four Nordic countries on the sidelines of the summit.

(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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India's high jumper Tejaswin Shankar and quarter-miler Hima Das finished sixth in the final of their respective events at the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday.

In the men's high jump final, Tejaswin missed his third attempt at 2.27 metres and finished at 2.24m to finish sixth in the 12-men final while finished sixth in the women's 400 metre final with a personal best of 51.32 sec.

Brandon Starc of Australia bagged the gold with a 2.32m while Silver went to Jamal Wilson (2.30m). Django Lovett settled for bronze in the high jump final.

The Indian jumper started off well, clearing the first attempt but then failed to clear his rest of the attempts and finished at 2.24m. At the jump of 2.27m, the Indian player faulted in all the three attempts.

Earlier on April 9, Tejaswin entered the final, registering a best attempt of 2.21 metres.

Meanwhile, Hima Das finished sixth with a personal best of 51.32 sec. The gold medal went to Amantle Montsho of Botswana while the silver went to Anastasia Le-Roy of Jamaica. Stephenie McPherson settled for bronze.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hima posted a personal best of 51.53 seconds to improve on her previous best of 51.97 seconds to advance to the final.

She finished third in the semi-final 1. She reached the final on the basis of having the top-two timings among the competitors who didn't finish top-two in each of the three heats.

In the women's long jump qualifying round, Nellickal V. Neena 6.24 and Nayana James entered the final with a attempt of 6.24 and 6.34 respectively.

--IANS

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Indian shooter Om Mitharwal took the bronze medal in the men's 50 metre Pistol event at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG) here on Wednesday.

Om registered a score of 201.1 in the final.

Daniel Repacholi of Australia took the gold with a new CWG record of 227.2. Shakil Ahmed of Bangladesh took silver with 220.5.

Defending champion Jitu Rai, the other Indian in the fray, had a disappointing outing.

The reigning Asian Games champion registered a decidedly below par 105 to finish at the bottom of the eight-man final.

Om had a good start in the final, scoring 111.3 after the first round in Stage 2 to take the second spot behind Singapore's Swee Hon Lim.

But Daniel scored 10.0 and 10.1 to take the lead in the next round. The local favourite then produced a string of consistent scores to blow away the opposition and hold on to the pole position till the end.

Earlier, Indian shooters Om Mitharwal and Jitu Rai qualified for the final of the men's 50 metre Pistol event at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG) here on Wednesday.

Om topped the standings at the end of the qualification stage with a score of 549 points.

Jitu qualified at the sixth position with 542.

Om was trailing Shakil Ahmed of Bangladesh till the fifth shot before taking the lead with his sixth and final attempt.

Bin Gai of Singapore was second with 546 while Australia's Daniel Repacholi was third.

Ahmed fell off the pace after leading till the fifth shot to eventually end the qualification stage at the fourth spot with 545.

Malaysia's Johnathan Guanjie (545), Kristian Callaghan (541) of England and Singapore's Swee Hon Lim (534) were the other shooters to qualify for the final.

--IANS

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Shreyasi Singh shot her way to the gold medal in the women's Double Trap event at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG) here on Wednesday.

Shreyasi edged out Emma Cox of Australia in a shoot-off to win the title after both shooters had finished the final round on 96 points each.

Cox found the target only once during the shoot-off but the Indian held her nerves to score twice and claim the gold.

Varsha Varman, the second Indian in the fray, missed out on the bronze by a narrow margin. She scored 86 to finish fourth, just a single point behind bronze medallist Linda Pearson of Scotland.

Shreyasi had a bright start, scoring 24 with her first shot to take the lead. But she slipped to the third spot after the second shot with Linda taking the lead followed by Cox.

Varsha meanwhile, climbed to the fourth spot after the second shot and held on till the lead.

Linda could only manage to score 18 with her third shot to slip by a couple of spots. Cox fired an excellent 27 to take the lead while Shreyasi scored 22 to go second.

Cox however, stumbled during the fourth and final shot as she could only manage to score 18. Shreyasi grabbed the chance with bot hands by scoring 25 to finish the final round at the joint top spot.

--IANS

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The Delhi government on Wednesday launched the "Mission Buniyaad" scheme to improve learning levels of children from classes 3 to 9.

Primary falls within the ambit of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) while the Delhi government is supposed to offer from classes 6 to 12.

Under the programme which will run from April to June for class 3 to 5 in MCD schools and class 6 to 9 in government schools, children will undergo a reading level assessment based on which they will be enrolled in specialised classes.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who holds the portfolio, highlighted that children were unable to read and write fluently. "It is basically a reflection on the failure of the school system," he said while launching the scheme.

"This situation puts children in a seriously disadvantaged situation to acquire further learning.

And the unfortunate part is that the school system instead of owning its own failure projects it on children and their parents as if it is they who are at total fault," he said.

Sisodia urged the teachers and officials to reach out to children and their parents "to ensure that in next three months all children should be able to read, write and do basic maths fluently so that they are on the right track to attain grade appropriate learning outcomes".

--IANS

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Digital transformation will add close to $154 billion to India's GDP by 2021 and increase the growth rate by one per cent annually, software giant Microsoft said on Wednesday.

According to a joint report by Microsoft and IDC Asia/Pacifc, in 2017, about four per cent of India's GDP was derived from digital products and services created directly through the use of digital technologies such as mobility, Cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"India is clearly on the fast-track towards digital transformation. Within the next four years, it is estimated that nearly 60 per cent of India's GDP will have a strong connection to the digital transformation trends," Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, told reporters here.

"Organisations are increasingly deploying emerging technologies such as AI that will accelerate digital transformation led growth even further," Maheshwari added.

The survey took into account 1,560 business decision makers in mid and large-sized organisations across 15 economies in the region.

According to the survey, organisations are seeing significant and tangible improvements from their digital transformation efforts across these benefits in the range of 11-14 per cent.

"Business leaders expect to see more than 40 per cent improvements in those key areas by 2020, with the biggest jump expected in productivity, customer advocacy as well as profit margins," the report said.

Digital transformation has increased productivity, customer advocacy, cost reduction, revenue from new products and services as well as profit margin for the enterprises.

"These benefits will also improve by at least 40 per cent in the next three years, with the biggest jump expected in productivity, customer advocacy as well as profit margin," the survey noted.

The study indicated that while 90 per cent of organisations in India are in the middle of their digital transformation journey, only 7 per cent in the entire region can be classified as "Leaders".

"Leaders" are experiencing double the benefits of "Followers" and these improvements will be more pronounced by 2020.

Almost half of "Leaders" (48 per cent) will have a full digital transformation strategy in place.

Emerging technologies such as AI (including cognitive services and robotics) and IoT are areas where "Leaders" are investing in.

Besides these emerging technologies, "Leaders" are also more interested in investing in big data analytics to mine data for actionable insights than others.

"Organisations need to invest in building their ecosystem, from employees, to customers, to partners, across their value chain by gaining new insights through new data sources, and incorporating digitization in their products and services," said Anil Bhansali, Managing Director, Microsoft India (R&D).

"The pace of digital transformation is accelerating, and IDC expects that by 2021, at least 60 per cent of India's GDP will be derived from digital products and services," added Daniel-Zoe Jimenez, Research Director Digital Transformation Practice Lead, IDC Asia/Pacific.

--IANS

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The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday questioned Delhi Health and Power Minister Satyendar Jain in connection with its probe into a money laundering case.

The agency had questioned Jain, an Aam Aadmi Party leader, on April 3 also for over five hours and recorded his statement in the alleged 'proceeds of crime' case.

The ED booked Jain and five others in the case last August after taking cognisance of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR against the AAP leader.

The CBI, in April last year, registered a Preliminary Enquiry against Jain on the basis of what it termed evidence it had collected in connection with the laundering of Rs 46.3 million in 2015-16.

Jain is accused of involvement in the crime through Kolkata-based Prayas Info Pvt Ltd, Akichand Developers and Mangalyatan Project Pvt Ltd. Jain and his wife were allegedly holding one third shares in these companies during the period.

Jain is also accused of laundering Rs 117.8 million in 2010-12 through these companies and Delhi-based Indo-Metal Index Pvt Ltd.

The Delhi Minister was accused of giving the money in cash through his employees and public associates to Kolkata-based entry operators and shell companies. Thereafter, the entry operators routed the black money in the form of investment in shares of Prayas Info Pvt Ltd, Akichand Developers, Mangalyatan Project Pvt Ltd, and Indo-Metal Index Pvt Ltd -- all allegedly controlled by Jain.

"The shares were bought at a premium of 60 times the unit price," the CBI had said.

Jain had technically resigned from the directorship of the companies in view of the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections, the CBI official had said, adding that the money received back in the form of investment in shares was used by him for purchasing agricultural land valued at Rs 276.9 million in Delhi in the name of companies controlled by him.

Jain was accused of misusing his powers as Minister to get the agricultural land declared as residential land by the Delhi government to gain huge financial benefits.

The matter was referred to the CBI by the Income Tax Department under the new Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act.

The I-T Department in September 2016 summoned Jain for questioning on his alleged links with the firms under the scanner over hawala transactions of nearly Rs 170 million.

Jain had earlier said he made investments in these companies as an investor four years back but had withdrawn since 2013 and that he had done nothing wrong.

--IANS

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In an effort to enhance the BJP's connect with people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon the party's elected representatives to go to villages to ensure that the benefits of the government's welfare schemes aimed at the poor and those living in rural areas reach them.

Addressing party MPs, MLAs and other public representatives through an "audio bridge" technology, he also launched on a massive programme that will take its leaders to villages under "Gram Swaraj Abhiyan" programme.

The programme, which Modi dubbed as to "unite the country" will begin on the birth anniversary of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar on April 14 and will end on May 5.

"I myself will be visiting Bijapur in Chhattisgarh on April 14 to join the programme. The BJP government is continuously working hard to fulfil the dreams of 'Gram Swaraj' by leaders such as B.R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, in which social justice, education, brotherhood, respect for women, upliftment of poor and villagers and cleanliness can be strengthened," Modi said according to a party statement.

He said that his government has been working to make India stronger and self reliant by ensuring social justice, providing education and empowering women and poor.

"For the empowerment of poor and farmers, BJP's public representatives will take the campaign among the rural areas of the country through which the dreams of great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and Jyotiba Phule will be fulfilled," he said.

He emphasised that the dream of new India will be strengthened with the strengthening and development of villages.

"With the improvement of living standards of people in rural India, the country will automatically move ahead on the path of development," he said.

To make the "Gram Swaraj Abhiyan" successful, Modi asked all the party public representatives to go from people to people and village to village to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach women, farmers and poor people.

He asked party leaders to celebrate April 18 as Swachh Bharat Parv, April 20 as Ujwala Diwas, April 24 as Panchayati Raj Diwas, April 28 as Gram Shakti Abhiyan, April 30 as "Ayushman Bharat Diwas" which is popularly known as Modi care.

He also said that a Kishan Kalyan Karyashala, focussed on empowering farmers by doubling their income, will be organised on May 2 and a Kaushal Vikas Mela will be organised for the labour class on May 5.

Modi also announced that on April 22, he will interact with all the BJP public representatives and party workers through Narendra Modi app.

Explaining the reason behind party's call of fast on Thursday, Modi said that the BJP will expose the mind set of handful of people who are frustrated after being out of power, and constantly conspiring to murder democracy by not letting the parliament to function.

He will observe a day-long fast on April 12 along BJP MPs including party President Amit Shah to protest against the washout of the second part of Parliament's budget session due to continuous disruptions, which the BJP blamed on the Congress.

The Prime Minister's reach out programmes come at a time when the BJP is facing is facing opposition chareges of being anti-Dalit and anti-poor. The opposition parties led by Congress has also stepped up its attack on the Modi government by dubbing its claims on various fronts as nothing but "lip service".

--IANS

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The European organisation for Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), based in Belgium here has warned airlines operating in the Eastern Mediterranean of possible missile strikes in Syria in the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol, an international organisation overseeing air traffic and aviation safety in Europe, said in a statement posted on its website late on Tuesday that airlines with planned flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean area should exercise caution till Friday, Efe news reported.

"Due to the possible launch of airstrikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area," the statement said.

US President Donald Trump vowed on April 9 to respond "forcefully" to the suspected chemical attack in the Syrian city of Douma, which killed dozens of people and injured hundreds others, according to several NGOs.

Trump added that he would make a decision on what measures Washington would take against the Syrian government in the coming hours.

The US is currently discussing the matter with France and Britain, which also stressed during an unprecedented UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday the need to adopt measures against Syria, while Russia opposed the involvement of the UN body in this matter.

Russia, for its part, vetoed a resolution proposed by the US in the UN meeting to launch an investigation into chemical attacks in Syria.

--IANS

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Four persons, including a dismissed Constable of the Indian Reserve Battalion from Manipur and an MBA passout, have been arrested from south Delhi on charge of stealing automobiles, police said on Wednesday.

Abdul Gaffar Khan, 34; MBA degree holder Aksar Ahmed, 34; Mohammad Fakruddin, 31, a dismissed IRB Constable; and Sorokhaibam Chorijit Singh, 25, were members of an interstate gang of automobile thieves and stayed in Kotla Mubarakpur and Malviya Nagar.

"The accused were arrested between March 27 and April 8. Eight countrymade pistols and 16 stolen vehicles, including a BMW, two Fortuners, two Honda City, five Hyundai Creta, a Chevrolet Cruz, were seized," Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said.

"The accused tampered with chassis numbers and sold the vehicles in Manipur," Baaniya said.

They told police they had taken more than 50 stolen cars to Manipur, where these were registered at offices of District Transport Officers (DTOs) in Manipur.

The gang was active in Haryana's Gurugram and west Delhi, including Najafgarh, since 2017.

On a tip-off, police arrested Aksar Ahmed on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road on March 27 when he was on way to deliver a countrymade pistol to his contact in Saket in a stolen car.

Aksar told police he had started a call centre in Gurugram but suffered financial losses. He later joined a gang of drug suppliers and was arrested by the Special Cell. After release from jail, Aksar joined the co-accused in stealing vehicles, the police officer said.

Fakruddin was dismissed from service after he was found involved in auto thefts, he added.

--IANS

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Four civilians and a soldier were killed on Wednesday as a gunfight between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district sparked off violent street protests and a call for a two-day shutdown in the Valley.

Sepoy S. Gunakar Roy was killed when militants hiding in a house in Wani Mohalla in Khudwani area fired at security personnel closing in on them. Two other security personnel were wounded in the fighting.

The security forces fired back in a bid to capture the militants, said to be linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

As the fighting raged, hundreds of people poured out of their homes and attacked the security forces with stones. The security personnel opened fire.

Doctors named the civilians who died as Aijaz Ahmad Palla, 30, who had a gunshot injury, Faisal Elahi, 15, Bilal Ahmad Dar, 17, and Sharjeel Sheikh 28.

Police issued a statement saying the civilian deaths took place as a result of crossfire between the militants and security forces.

This was strongly contested by locals who assert that the civilians were shot dead by the security forces determined to break up the street protests.

In the end, the troops fired explosives to destroy the house where the militants had been hidden but there was no word on how many guerrillas had been killed. Two other houses in the vicinity caught fire.

Police officials said the debris of the house were being cleared to trace the bodies of the militants.

Four injured civilians have been referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment. Informed sources said over 40 civilians were injured in street clashes. The condition of two of them was said to be critical.

Authorities ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in Kulgam and Internet services were suspended in south Kashmir areas.

A Station House Officer (SHO) sustained a head injury during clashes between the civilian protesters and the security forces in north Kashmir's Baramulla town.

Similar clashes also erupted in north Kashmir's Sopore town as news about the deaths of civilians in Kulgam spread. Unrest also gripped Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian towns.

Student protests rocked Kashmir University in Srinagar, the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora in south Kashmir and Degree College in Bandipora in north Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik was detained soon after he and separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called for a two-day shutdown in the Kashmir Valley on Thursday and Friday to denounce the Kulgam killings.

While Malik addressed the media in person, Geelani and the Mirwaiz spoke to the journalists over telephone.

After the press conference, Malik set out on a protest march but was detained, triggering more clashes between JKLF supporters and security forces in Srinagar.

--IANS

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Filmmaker and artist Shona Urvashi has been conferred a French honour for her contribution to bringing the new wave of independent cinema in India and improving the ease for foreign films and talent to work in and with India.

French Consul General Yves Perrin bestowed the honour on the Indo-Canadian filmmaker at a ceremony on Tuesday night.

Shona's work as a filmmaker spans across countries where she has curated and executed many cross-platform project and ad campaigns. She helps independent filmmakers network with national and international film communities, and in promoting foreign projects to film in India while striving towards more collaborative efforts using homegrown talent.

Perrin said in a statement: "While most people know Shona as a filmmaker and advertising professional, very few know of this aspect of her life. Quietly, behind the scenes, building bridges for others to find success, recognising cinema as a cultural ambassador she continues to strive to increase the chances for contemporary narratives arising from India to cross over."

Shona reminisced her connection with France, speaking of the time when her grandfather Parmanand Anand traveled there, distributing Indian films.

"There is an innate awareness, sensitivity the French have to the need to preserve and document culture and history through the arts. I deeply share the same values and believe that through our collaboration with each other, there are more dynamic conversations to be had, many exciting projects we must do together and so many new people on both sides just waiting to discover the other for better opportunity for all," she said.

Shona, sister of actress Masumeh Makhija, believes the arts are an important cultural ambassador.

"They translate similarities and differences between us, so we can learn from each other," she said.

--IANS

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While bad cholesterol has been blamed for increasing risk of heart disease, variations in the good cholesterol levels may also lead to infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis or pneumonia, according to a study.

Individuals with very low high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol had a 75 per cent higher risk of infectious disease, whereas the risk was 43 per cent higher in those with very high HDL cholesterol, the researchers said.

"We found that individuals with both low and high HDL cholesterol had high risk of hospitalisation with an infectious disease," said Borge Nordestgaard, Professor at the University of Copenhagen in Demark.

"Importantly, these groups of individuals also had high risk of dying from infectious disease," Nordestgaard added.

For the findings, published in the European Heart Journal, the team examined the data from 100,000 individuals.

"Numerous studies in animals and cells indicate that HDL is of importance for the function of the immune system and thereby the susceptibility to infectious disease. However, this study is the first to examine if HDL is associated with the risk of infectious disease among individuals from the general population," explained co-author Christian Medom Madsen, post-doctoral student at the varsity.

However, the study cannot conclude that very low or very high HDL is the direct cause of the increased risk of infectious disease.

"Our findings indicate that, in the future, research into the role and function of HDL should not narrowly focus on cardiovascular disease, but rather focus on the role of HDL in other disease areas, such as infectious disease," Nordestgaard said.

--IANS

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Three Indian nationals hailing from Himachal Pradesh who were kidnapped in Nigeria have been released, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

"We have secured the release of Sushil Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Kumar who were abducted in Nigeria," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

She also appreciated the efforts of Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria B.N. Reddy in this regard.

According to a media report, the family of one of those kidnapped, Sushil Kumar, last received a satellite phone call from him on March 12 when he said that Nigerian pirates hijacked his ship which also had two other Indian crew members on board.

All three worked in the merchant navy and hailed from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.

--IANS

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Facebook-owned has officially rolled out a new "Focus" camera feature for its users and is reportedly testing a new feature dubbed as "Nametags" -- a clone of Snapchat's 'Snapcode' which will let users create a "custom scannable tag" by designing a pattern of emojis.

The new 'focus' camera feature lets you focus on the face of the person or object being clicked and softly blurs the background.

"Focus" button will appear next to the "Superzoom" option under the record button.

"The new camera feature is available on iPhones and Android devices that support Instagram's version 39.0", an official blog post said on Wednesday.

According to reports, the 'Nametag' feature will also offer an option to use a selfie image for creating a custom "Nametag", Inverse reported late on Tuesday.

Snapchat launched "Snapcode" in January 2015 that allowed users to add friends using their phone cameras.

Instagran has been in the for cloning Snapchat's features for long.

"Instagram is simply building upon a technology that Snapchat created," Kevin Systrom, Co-Founder, Instagram had said in a recent interview with Wall Street Journal.

Instagram recently introduced a "@mention" sticker for iOS users.

"After you've taken a photo or video in your stories camera, open the stickers tray, tap the @mention sticker, start typing the name of the account you want to mention and select from the options that appear," the company's blog informed.. "You can then rotate, scale and place your sticker wherever you'd like."

Meanwhile, there was no word on when Instagram will roll out the "Nametag" feature globally, the report said.

Instagram also announced the launch of the "@mention" sticker for iOS users.

After a photo or video captured @mention sticker, it will let the users type the name of the account they would want to mention, rotate it, scale it and place it wherever they'd like.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is happy to be back at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) after two years and giving the local fans a reason to cheer as his side clinched a thriller against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

CSK have made a comeback in the cash-rich league after serving two-year suspension for spot-fixing.

In the first match at their home on Tuesday, CSK's Sam Billings' 23-ball 56 run cameo overshadowed KKR's Andre Russell's blistering 36-ball 88 as the host won their second game by five wickets.

Speaking after the match, Dhoni said: "It feels good to come back after two years and win the first game. I think it was a fantastic game. They (the crowd) deserved every bit of it; the first innings and the second innings."

"Everyone has their emotions and we tell everybody to keep it under control. We need to have the faith in the batsman who is batting or the bowler who is bowling. At the end of the day, there is one man to bat that particular delivery and one bowler to bowl that particular over," the Ranchi stumper added.

Dhoni also revealed the reason of his presence in the dressing room rather than the team's dugout during a match.

"At times you feel disappointed, but that's why the dressing room is there to express yourself and not in the dugout. We all feel the same. If we are too expressive, the commentators get a lot to talk about," the skipper said.

"Bowlers had a rough day from both the sides, but overall it was a good day for the crowd over here," Dhoni added.

CSK will take on Kings XI Punjab in their next outing on April 15.

--IANS

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All the remaining Indian Premier League (IPL) matches of Chennai Super Kings will be shifted out of Chennai to Pune in the wake of Tuesday's violence over the Cauvery waters dispute.

"CSK will be asked to move their home matches to Pune as the Chennai police has expressed their inability to to provide adequate security for the remaining matches," IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla told reporters here on Wednesday.

Earlier, talking to IANS on phone, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Chief Executive Officer K.S. Viswanathan said: "We talked to the Chennai's Commissioner of Police over the issue. He suggested we shift the matches as the situation is volatile in the city."

"We have put the ball in BCCI's court and the board will now take a call on the issue," he added.

Various Tamil groups had demanded that the authorities cancel all IPL matches in Chennai until the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) as mandated by the Supreme Court are set up the Central government.

--IANS

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Wednesday and briefed him on, among other things, the security situation in the state.

Informed sources said that she advocated the need for talks with separatist to end the cycle of violence in the Valley, apart from talking about militant violence, infiltration and cross-border firing that had significantly increased over the past couple of months.

Both also discussed the probable names for governorship of Jammu and Kashmir when incumbent N.N. Vohra's term end in June, the sources said.

During the half-an-hour meeting, Mehbooba Mufti briefed Rajnath Singh on the horrific rape-cum-murder of an eight-year-old girl from the minority community in Kathua which outraged people across the country.

She pointed out how some Bharatiya Janata Party Ministers were backing lawyers and protesters who hit the streets in Jammu and Kashmir in defence of the crime accused.

The meeting comes in the wake of growing demands for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the rape-murder case.

--IANS

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Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Wednesday announced it would manufacture defence products and systems for domestic and export markets in partnership with the state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).

"In line with the government's efforts to indigenise the defence sector under the 'Make In India' initiative, we have signed an agreement with BEL to make defence products and systems for the domestic and export markets," said the Mumbai-based L&T in a statement here.

Through the tie-up, the companies seek to leverage their capabilities to meet the growing requirements of Indian armed forces, it added.

The partnership aims to tap the well-developed supply chain and experience of Bengaluru-based BEL and L&T to enhance exports in the defence sector.

"The agreement gives an opportunity for public-private partnership in defence equipment and systems and thereby export market products with higher indigenous content," said L&T's Director, Defence, Jayant Patil in the statement.A

The two firms have earlier partnered for the production of sub-systems of the weapon systems like Akash Missile launchers, among others.

--IANS

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Mahindra Defence - part of the Mahindra Group - on Wednesday said it has signed up a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israeli company Aeronautics for naval shipborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

In a statement issued here, Mahindra Defence said the two companies will offer a UAV system which can be launched and recovered by Indian warships.

Aeronautics, a leading manufacturer, is an Israeli public listed company and is a key player in the defence domain.

Aeronautics makes the Orbiter series of UAVs which have been sold in many countries globally.

The Aeronautics Orbiter 4 is an advanced multi-mission platform with the ability to simultaneously carry and operate two different payloads.

With an open architecture, the Orbiter 4 can be specially adjusted to the needs of each mission.

Among the different payloads the Orbiter 4 can carry are maritime patrol radar (MPR), cellular interception sensor, satellite communication, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), automatic identification system (AIS) and advanced electro-optic payload, the statement said.

Mahindra Defence and Aeronautics have entered into the partnership to offer the maritime version of Orbiter 4 to the Indian Navy, the statement said.

"Aeronautics has entered into this partnership to offer the maritime version of Orbiter 4 to Indian Navy. We will work together with Mahindra Defence to manufacture Orbiter UAVs in India," Amos Mathan, CEO, Aeronautics was quoted as saying in the statement.

"We are ready for transfer of technology and transfer of production line in India. This is a sign of Aeronautics' commitment to India by offering our newest and most advanced aerial solutions for operations by Indian Navy - one of the best navies in the world," he added.

"Specifically, we have entered into this partnership to address a range of possibilities from offsets to manufacturing in India which includes transfer of technology and life-time support of the product," S.P. Shukla, Group President, Aerospace & Defence Sector, Mahindra Group and Chairman, Mahindra Defence was quoted as saying in the statement.

--IANS

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Mahindra Defence, a part of India's Mahindra Group, on Wednesday signed an MoU with Japan's company ShinMaywa Industries Ltd on MRO services and manufacturing of the US-2 amphibian aircraft.

In a statement issued here, Mahindra Defence said both the companies have entered into this partnership with a view to set up maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) services in India and also to undertake manufacturing, assembling of structural parts and components for the US-2.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the DefExpo 2018 held near here.

ShinMaywa US-2,manufactured by ShinMaywa Industries, is a veritable force multiplier since it fulfils a multitude of missions in a single platform, the statement said.

"This partnership between two companies familiar with the aviation business is positive especially for MRO and maintenance services in the Indian defence aerospace sector," SP Shukla, Group President, Aerospace & Defence Sector, Mahindra Group and Chairman, Mahindra Defence was quoted as saying in the statement.

--IANS

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has donated 3,500 books from his personal library to his alma mater Panjab University (PU) here, a university official said on Wednesday.

Singh, who was here on Wednesday, announced his wish to donate the books.

University authorities said that arrangements would soon be made to transport books and memorabilia, photographs and paintings from New Delhi to the university campus.

The books and other objects will be kept in the Guru Teg Bahadur Bhawan on the university campus.

Singh, also a noted economist, was a student of the university in the 1950s and later joined the Department of Economics here as a faculty member.

He became a professor at the age of 32 years and continued teaching in PU till the mid-1960s before moving to other international assignments.

He was the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.

--IANS

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Actress Gracy Goswami says some of the cast members of the upcoming fantasy show "Mayavi Maling" had to take lessons in Sanskrit.

The show is an upcoming saga of three princesses played by Gracy, Vaani Sood and Neha Solanki, and their fight to save their kingdom.

The language used in the show is a mix of Hindi and Sanskrit. Initially, the three actresses found it tough to speak in Sanskrit fluently. Hence, the director decided to get a Sanskrit tutor to train them.

The training went on for a couple of months even before the actors started shooting for the show.

"We went through diction training for 'Mayavi Maling'. The language and pronunciation of a few words are different from the Hindi that we speak on a regular basis so, it was a must for all of us. It was initially challenging," Gracy said in a statement.

"Mayavi Maling" will air on Star Bharat.

--IANS

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A military plane carrying over 200 people crashed in Algeria on Wednesday after taking off, media reports said.

The crash took place at the Boufarik military airport near Algiers. The airport is a base for the country's Air Force, the BBC reported. Footage captured by witnesses showed a huge plume of black smoke billowing from near the runway.

TV news reports said 14 ambulances were at the scene and the injured were being rushed to hospitals.

--IANS

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Noting that India will be a key driver of global energy demand in the next quarter century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for "responsible" pricing in the hydrocarbons market so as to balance the interests of oil and gas producers and consumers.

Inaugurating the 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) ministerial here, being held in India after a gap of 22 years, Modi said that a massive transformation has been underway in the energy market with consumption growth shifting from the developed world to the emerging and developing economies.

"The world has seen prices on a roller coaster for much too long. We need responsible prices to balance the interests of both producer and consumer," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said energy demand in India is projected to grow at 4.5 per cent in the next 25 years, while gas demand was expected to triple.

"We need a transparent and flexible market...there has to be a mutually supportive relationship between producers and consumers. Efforts at artificially distorting prices are self-defeating as history has shown us," he said.

"Let us build a global consensus on responsible pricing which will serve both producer and consumer. In a period of global uncertainty, India needs energy security," Modi added.

He pointed to the transformation in the energy market with the Shale Revolution in the US that would soon make America the largest oil producer, the move by oil companies to invest more in renewables and the use of technology like the "internet of things (IoTs), artificial intelligence, robotic process, automation, machine learning and 3D printing" by the industry.

In view of these changes, "India provides a perfect setting for discussing the future of the energy section", Modi said.

Hosted by India, and co-hosted by China and Korea, IEF16 aims to focus on how global shifts, transition policies and new technologies influence market stability and future investment in the energy sector around the theme of "The Future of Energy Security".

Among ministers from overseas attending the meeting this year are those from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Qatar, Nigeria, Japan, China, Russia and the US.

Saudi Arabian Petroleum Minister Khalid Al-Falih in his address called for creating "an enabling environment along the entire value chain" as fossil fuels "will be there for some time to come".

Noting that the future supply situation of energy sources, particularly of oil, is "not reasssuring", he said the producers in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) "remain committed to the long-term market".

"Saudi Arabia and Russia are discussing extending the cooperation and monitoring of the market to extend stability," he said referring to the crude output cuts agreed in 2017 between OPEC and Russia in a move to stop the slide in oil prices that had fallen to around $25 a barrel two years ago. Crude currently is averaging around $70 a barrel.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will observe a day-long fast on April 12 along BJP MPs including party President Amit Shah to protest against the washout of the second part of Parliament's budget session due to continuous disruptions, which the BJP blamed on the Congress.

Modi will observe the fast but that would not stop him from continuing routine official work including inaugurating 10th edition of Defence Expo in Chennai at Tiruvidanthal, in Kancheepuram district that has been on edge due to protests over Cauvery water issue.

"The Prime Minister will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai. He will unveil the plaque inaugurating the diamond jubilee building, palliative care centre (Mahvir Ashray) at Shriperumbadur, Day care centre and nurses quarter at the Adyar Cancer Institute," an official statement from PMO said on Wednesday.

Amit Shah will observe a hunger strike in Hubli in poll-bound Karnataka, while party MPs will fast in their constituencies.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in Chennai that she would also fast to protest the disruption of Parliament by the opposition during the just-concluded Budget Session.

"I will be fasting. PM Modi is also fasting. Fasting is not going to stop him from coming here," Sitharaman said, after opening the DefExpo 2018 that showcases India's capability to manufacture arms and weapons platform systems.

Union Minister Vijay Goel said that he will join the nationwide fast on Thursday morning at Shastri Park here against the divisive of Opposition especially the Congress.

Modi's decision, which may be the first time a Prime Minister is observing a fast, will be part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's day-long hunger strike that day to protest against the disruption of Parliament by the opposition.

"Despite repeated failures in derailing and disruting the development model of the Prime Minister, the opposition has been constantly disrupting Parliament and not allowing the government to bring important legislations which are aimed at making India a stronger and better nation," the BJP said in a statement.

Modi, while addressing over 20,000 Swachhagrahis (cleanliness volunteers) at the concluding ceremony of 'Champaran Satyagraha' centenary celebrations in Motihari on Tuesday, accused the opposition of trying to "divide" the country and creating hurdles "from streets to parliament" in the governments' efforts to uplift the poor and the downtrodden.

"They (opposition) are creating hurdles in the work of the government from the streets to Parliament. Today you have a government at the Centre which is working to unite the people of the country while the opposition is working to divide the people," he said.

The BJP's fast comes days after Congress President Rahul Gandhi led the party's day-long fast at the Rajghat here on Monday over alleged increasing atrocities on Dalits, adivasis, and minorities marked by controversies as 1984 anti-Sikh riots accused Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar were asked to leave the Rajghat before Rahul Gandhi's arrival.

Also, a picture showing some Delhi Congress leaders eating "chole bhature" at a restaurant before the protest -- also held at district headquarters by party leaders across the country to promote harmony in society -- went viral on social media.

Protesting against the parliament disruptions, the BJP had earlier announced that the National Democratic Alliance MPs would forego salaries along with allowances for 23 days due to the washout of the second half of the budget session.

The budget session of Parliament started on January 29 and went into a break on February 9. The two houses met for the second half of the session on March 5, which concluded on Friday.

While the first half of the session -- January 31 to February 9 -- recorded 134 per cent productivity in the Lok Sabha and 96 per cent in the Rajya Sabha, in the second-half, from March 5 to April 6, the lower house recorded just four per cent productivity and the upper house eight per cent.

--IANS

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Cyient, a Hyderabad-based company, and Israel-based BlueBird Aero Systems entered into a joint venture on Wednesday to offer field-proven unmanned aerial vehilce (UAV) systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security and police forces.

A release said on Wednesday that the joint venture, named Cyient Solutions and Systems Private Limited, has 51 per cent and 49 per cent shareholding by Cyient and BlueBird respectively.

Cyient and BlueBird signed the joint venture agreement at the DefExpo 2018 in Chennai. The event was attended by stakeholders from both companies and industry representatives from India and Israel.

The release said that Cyient Solutions and Systems will indigenise, manufacture, assemble, integrate and test advanced UAV systems at its production facilities in Hyderabad by leveraging BlueBird's technology and manufacturing know-how.

Cyient Solutions and Systems, supported by BlueBird, will also provide comprehensive aftermarket services including spares.

The release said the joint venture's portfolio includes SpyLite, ThunderB, and MicroB systems that offer "highly-innovative UAS technology designed to fulfill covert, real-time intelligence, and tactical mapping-on-demand missions across open areas or crowded urban environments."

Cyient Solutions and Systems recently conducted field trials in India that successfully demonstrated the SpyLite's outstanding performance in a tactical surveillance role at high altitude and in extreme weather conditions.

Commenting on the announcement, Krishna Bodanapu, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Cyient, said the joint venture underlines the commitment of both partners to the government's Make in India initiative.

While Cyient provides engineering, manufacturing, geospatial, networks, and operations management services to global industry leaders, BlueBird specialises in design, development and production of micro, mini and tactical unmanned aerial systems and peripheral equipment.

Cyient has 14,000 employees across 21 countries.

--IANS

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India on Wednesday named Sripriya Ranganathan, a 1994 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, as its new Ambassador to South Korea

"Sripriya Ranganathan (IFS: 1994), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

"She is expected to take up her assignment shortly," it added.

Ranganathan, who is currently Joint Secretary (Bangladesh-Myanmar) in the External Affairs Ministry, will take over from Vikram Doraiswami in Seoul.

--IANS

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South Korea on Wednesday said the issue of human rights will not be discussed at the inter-Korean April summit with Pyongyang, since the focus is on denuclearisation of the North.

Seoul ruled out the discussions on human rights contrary to what over 40 NGOs had called for on Tuesday, including Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), Efe news reported.

On Tuesday, international NGOs sent a letter to Moon asking him to press the human rights issues in the April 27 meeting.

An official from the Blue House said it considers denuclearisation "the most urgent issue" in the meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Although the South considers the human rights issue as "important" at present its top priority is denuclearisation and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The NGOs have also called on South Korea to urge Kim to follow the UN recommendations on human rights.

It also urged Kim to participate in the exchange of information with international organisations and to allow meetings between separated Korean families.

The April summit will be the first inter-Korean leaders meeting in 11 years.

--IANS

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The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) on Wednesday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the upcoming 2018 Partners' Forum, to be held in New Delhi on December 12-13.

PMNCH is an alliance of more than 1,000 organisations in 92 countries of the sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health communities, as well as health influencing sectors.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister shared with the delegation his personal experiences on the initiatives taken in Gujarat for increasing institutional deliveries, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Modi told the visiting delegates that the increase in institutional deliveries happened through partnership with the private sector and organising community feeding for the poor and pregnant women in villages, so that their nutrition needs could be met.

The PM stressed on effective communication strategy and emphasised that "participation is partnership", the statement said.

He also suggested to involve people from across the globe, specially young people in areas like nutrition, age of marriage, pre-natal and post-natal care, and seek ideas for effective implementation and communication for programmes for women, children and adolescents.

Modi suggested an online quiz competition on these themes and provide awards to prize winners in the upcoming Partners' Forum meet.

The delegation included Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, former President of Chile and incoming chair of PMNCH Board Michelle Bachelet, actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra, Minister of State A.K. Choubey and Health Secretary Preeti Sudan.

The Prime Minister agreed to be patron of the PMNCH Forum and accepted the Logo of the forum.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will fast on Thursday but that woould not stop him from inaugurating a major defence exhibition near Chennai city that has been on edge due to protests over Cauvery water issue, a Central Minister said on Wednesday.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters that she would also fast to protest the disruption of Parliament by the opposition during the just-concluded Budget Session.

"I will be fasting. PM Modi is also fasting. Fasting is not going to stop him from coming here," Sitharaman said, after opening the DefExpo 2018 that showcases India's capability to manufacture arms and weapons platform systems.

The expo, themed "Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub", is a key facet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" slogan.

The DefExpo comes amid heightened protests across the southern state demanding setting up of the Cauvery Management Board. There is widespread anger over the central government dragging its feet in implementing the Supreme Court guidelines.

The opposition DMK has asked people in the state to wear black shirts and sarees during Modi's visit to formally inaugurate the 10th edition of DefExpo.

DMK working President M.K. Stalin last week threatened that his party cadres would show black flags to Modi to protest against the Centre's failure to set up a Cauvery Management Board.

There was a commotion in Chennai city on Tuesday evening as demonstrators squatted on roads and threatened to disrupt the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, to press for constitution of the Supreme Court-ordered board.

The top court in a February 16 judgment had directed the Centre to frame a water-sharing scheme between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry and Kerala by March 29.

(Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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Senior IPS officer Rajesh Ranjan on Wednesday took charge as 27th Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the force's headquarters here.

Ranjan assumed his office a day after the Personnel Ministry appointed him to the post that was lying vacant after incumbent O.P. Singh took over as Uttar Pradesh Police's Director General in January.

A ceremonial guard of honour was presented to Ranjan.

The government on Tuesday appointed Ranjan, a 1984 batch officer of Bihar cadre, as CISF chief till November 30, 2020, the date of his retirement from service.

Prior to his appointment as CISF chief, Ranjan was Special Director General in Border Security Force at the force's headquarters here since March 20 last year.

A post graduate in English, Ranjan, who was selected into the Indian Police Service (IPS) at the age of 24, has held many important and sensitive positions. He served as Superintendent of Police in four districts in Bihar, and also held key posts at the state police headquarters.

Ranjan has also served with the Central Bureau of Investigation and as Financial and High Tech Crime Sub Directorate at the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France. He has also served as Chief Vigilance Officer in Gas Authority of India Ltd.

He has been decorated with the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2000 and President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2008.

Now, Ranjan will lead the CISF which has become a premier multi-skilled security agency, mandated to provide security to major critical infrastructure installations of the country in diverse areas.

The CISF, which came into existence in 1969, is currently providing security cover to nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive government buildings and ever heritage monuments.

Among the important responsibilities entrusted to the CISF are the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, VIP Security, Disaster Management and establishment of a Formed Police Unit of the UN at Haiti.

--IANS

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Actor Ayushmann Khurrana has said that Ranveer Singh is the most energetic performer.

Ayushmann on Tuesday graced the unveiling of 'Man's World' magazine's latest edition.

When asked about the most stylish and experimental actor in terms of fashion in Industry, Ayushmann said, "Ranveer Singh is the most energetic actor around. And that reflects in his clothes and styling as well, only he can carry that because of his energy.

"He wears his energy all the time. Of course, I am calmer version; my styling will be more calm and subtle. So I think it depends on your mood and personality," he said.

Ayushmann Khurrana looks dapper on the cover, which is his second spread with the magazine.

Speaking about the fashion the 'Vicky Donor' actor said, "Fashion has become very flexible now. You can make your own choices. You just need to be little more aware of international fashion scene also at the same time."

After 'Bareilly Ki Barfi', Ayushmann Khurrana is paired with "Dangal" girl Sanya Malhotra for 'Badhaai Ho', helmed by Amit Sharma.

Talking about the film, Ayushmann said, "'Badhaai Ho' was an amazing experience. Sanya Malhotra is a great performer. She is a great dancer as well. Both of us are from Delhi and we were shooting for a film from Delhi. It was great fun."

--IANS

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The remains of almost half of the 573 American service personnel presumed missing in action (MIA) in Laos during the Indo-China War have been located.

Vientiane Times on Wednesday quoted a press release from Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the US has informed the Lao government that as of today the remains of 281 soldiers have been found and handed over to the US, Xinhua news agency reported.

Laos and the US are committed to continuing to search for the other 292 personnel through joint humanitarian activities between the two countries.

The latest handing over of the remains of American service personnel took place on Monday at southern Laos' Pakxe International Airport attended by Deputy Minister of Lao Foreign Affairs Sengphet Houngboungnouang on behalf of the Lao side, and Charge d'Affaires of the US Michael Fanklin Kleine on behalf of the US government.

The remains handed over at the ceremony were found during the second and third joint field activities conducted in 2017-2018 in Khammuan province, some 250 km southeast from here.

--IANS

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Two Reuters reporters who documented a massacre of Rohingya Muslims will face trial for violating the Official Secrets Act after they were arrested with papers handed to them by police, a Myanmar judge ruled on Wednesday.

Judge Ye Lwin, who heard testimony from 17 prosecution witnesses over three months of preliminary hearings, ruled that there was enough evidence to proceed with the case against Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone, the New York Times reported.

Following the verdict, the reporters were escorted from the court by police as dozens of people outside gathered expressed disappointment.

Wearing handcuffs and flashing the thumbs-up sign, Wa Lone, who turned 32 on Wednesday, said: "I have a question to the government. Where is the truth?"

"Journalists (might) get 14 years in prison. The killers got only 10 years. I want to ask government, whether (this is) in line with a democracy system or not," he added, referring to violations of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act that carries prison sentences of up to 14 years.

In a case that has provoked international condemnation, the two were arrested on December 12 while they were investigating the massacre of 10 Rohingya civilians in the Rakhine State village of Inn Din.

The massacre occurred in August during violent attacks on Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar's military and local Buddhist mobs that drove at least 700,000 Rohingyas refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh in what was broadly seen as "calculated ethnic cleansing".

In uncovering the massacre, the two reporters obtained photos of the 10 victims kneeling before their execution with their hands tied behind their backs. They also found the mass grave where the victims were buried.

The judge's decision came barely 12 hours after the military announced that four Army officers and three soldiers had been sentenced to 10 years with hard labour for their roles in the massacre.

The two journalists are due in court again on April 20, which will be their 13th court appearance since their arrests on in Yangon on suspicion of receiving secret documents from police related to the conflict-torn Rakhine state.

The Myanmar Army has denied most allegations of abuse against the Rohingyas despite worldwide condemnation.

The EU said the reporters' continued imprisonment amounted to "serious intimidation against journalists doing their jobs in Myanmar".

Over 80 per cent of government documents are considered confidential under the Official Secrets Act, according to Myint Kyaw, a member of the Myanmar Press Council. He said the judge's ruling demonstrated the influence that the military exerted over the judiciary and society.

--IANS

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Russia on Tuesday vetoed a US-drafted Security Council resolution on an investigation mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria.

Twelve of the 15 members of the UN Security Council voted in favour of the US text, while Russia and Bolivia voted against it, reports Xinhua.

The draft failed to be adopted as Russia has veto power. China abstained.

Before the vote, Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia accused the US of pushing for a vote as a pretext for possible use of force against Syria.

He asked Washington to "come to senses" and warned that it will have to bear responsibility if it attacks Syria.

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said before the vote that her delegation had tried hard to incorporate Russian proposals in the draft that would not compromise the impartiality of investigation.

Russia has also tabled a draft resolution for vote on Tuesday.

Haley said the main difference between the US-drafted text and the Russian one is that Russia wanted to choose the investigators and assess the outcome while the US text allows for an independent investigation.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to declare that a marraige performed without the woman's consent was void as it issued notice on a plea by a Karnataka woman seeking annulment of her marriage.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said: "We can't give a declaration that the petitioner's marriage performed without her consent is void."

It asked Delhi Police to give her protection during her stay in the city as she said she was married in the family of an influential politician and there was threat to her life.

As senior counsel Indira Jaising said that in the Hindu Marriage Act, there was no provision for providing the bride's consent, the bench -- referring to its judgment in a Kerala 'love jihad' case wherein it said that a marriage can't be annulled in a habeas corpus petition -- said it did not want to go into whether the marriage was performed without the woman's consent and against her wishes.

Having made clear that it would not go into the validity of the marriage, the court said this was for a family court to decide and directed police protection for her.

The petitioner challenged the constitutional validity of Sections 5(ii) and 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, saying they "fail to prescribe/stipulate free, fair, valid prior consent of the parties to a marriage".

Stressing that she was not opposed to the customary rites and rituals allowed under the Act, she said the Sections are in violation of the Constitution's Articles 14 and 21, arbitrary and discriminatory in nature.

The petitioner - who has a B.Tech degree and is pursuing M.Tech - said her fundamental right to choose her life partner has been "brazenly trampled by her family members, who coerced, threatened, blackmailed, harassed, pressurized, abused, compelled and tricked her into getting married against her wishes and free consent".

Narrating the ordeal, she said she was made to believe by her family that her reluctance to get married would cost her father his political ambitions and was threatened by her own brother of rape, acid attack and murder.

She said she was assured by her family that her marriage would be brought to an end soon and then she would be free to marry any person of her choice.

--IANS

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A civilian and a soldier were killed on Wednesday in an ongoing gunfight between the security forces and the militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two other security personnel were also injured as the the holed up militants fired at security forces in Wani Mohalla of Kulgam district, informed sources in the police said.

Protests have broken out near the gun battle site. A protester, identified as Sharjeel Sheikh, 28, who sustained a bullet injury, have succumbed at a hospital, the sources said.

Two-to-three LeT militants were still holed up inside a house.

Authorities have ordered closure of all schools and colleges in Kulgam and Internet services have been suspended.

--IANS

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An Indian Army soldier and two civilians were killed on Wednesday during a gunfight between the security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir that started late last night.

Hospital sources said a second injured civilian, identified as Bilal Ahmad Dar, 17, was brought to the hospital after sustaining bullet injuries at the gunfight site in Kulgam district.

The teenager was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors.

Earlier, another civilian, Sharjeel Sheikh, 28, was killed when clashes erupted at Wani Mohalla in Khudwani between protesters and the security forces.

Police said a soldier was killed and two other security men were also injured earlier on Wednesday when militants holed up inside a home started firing at the security personnel closing in on them.

Protesters pelting stones at the security forces even as two-to-three LeT militants reportedly remained holed up inside the house.

Authorities have ordered closure of all schools and colleges in Kulgam and Internet services have been suspended in South Kashmir areas.

Clashes also erupted between students and the security personnel in north Kashmir's Sopore town immediately after the news about the deaths of civilians in the Kulgam gunfight spread across the town.

--IANS

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The Left Front's poor show in the Tripura Assembly polls will hit the Left movement only temporarily and the setbacks will be overcome, CPI-M Central Committee member Bijan Dhar said on Wednesday.

He was speaking to the media here at the end of a two-day state committee meeting of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the dominant partner of the Left Front in Tripura.

CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat was among the attendees.

"The Left Front's electoral disaster will temporarily affect the Left movement in India. But we will overcome the setback through party programmes and actions," Dhar said.

"The Assembly polls were the first direct fight between the Left and the BJP. There was lack of understanding and perception about the corporate-backed BJP-RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) communal activities in Tripura," said Dhar, who is State Secretary of CPI-M.

He admitted that the CPI-M was not fully aware of the micro-management and digital activities of the BJP-RSS combine before the elections.

"To woo voters, the BJP invested huge money much ahead of elections. We did not give due importance to BJP-RSS's organisational and other activities to woo different communities," the Left leader added.

The BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura coalition bagged 44 seats, including BJP's 36 seats in the 60-member Assembly.

"Multifarious conspiracies involving the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), different central Ministers, BJP and IPFT, helped in saffron party's win. Even though Congress and other political parties were present, a majority of anti-Left votes consolidated in favour of BJP-IPFT alliance."

He said the CPI-M had planned a series of actions and programmes after the 22nd party Congress from April 18 to 22 in Hyderabad to bounce back.

--IANS

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US President Donald Trump believes that he has the power to fire Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is heading the probe into the links between his campaign and Kremlin efforts to influence the 2016 election, the White House has said.

At her daily press conference, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday was repeatedly asked by reporters if Trump believes he has the authority to fire Mueller.

Sanders replied: "We've been advised that the President certainly has the power to make that decision", an answer suggesting that the White House has checked into that matter.

That statement, however, contradicts the opinion of many legal experts.

They say if Trump wanted to fire Mueller he would have to turn to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who was the one who named Mueller to head the Russia probe and is overseeing his investigation.

Sanders said that the White House does not agree with the idea that only Rosenstein has the authority to dismiss Mueller.

Sanders said that the White House had received the advice of its own legal experts and Justice Department personnel.

Rosenstein is responsible for supervising the special counsel because US Attorney General Jeff Sessions had to recuse himself from the Russia investigation in March 2017 after it came to light that he had hidden from Congress facts about several meetings he had with then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak.

Then, Rosenstein named Mueller special counsel and tasked him with investigating the alleged links between members of the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

During his investigation, Mueller discovered compromising information on Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, and shared it with the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which on Monday ordered a raid on Cohen's offices and his hotel room to seize documents.

The incident enraged Trump, who reportedly is now weighing the idea of firing Rosenstein, given that he gave the final approval for the raids, according to local media.

When questioned whether Trump is considering firing Rosenstein, Sanders said that the President several times has expressed his "frustrations" with the DOJ official.

Trump's numerous and frequent public criticism of Mueller and Rosenstein for months has fuelled rumours about their possible dismissals, something that the Democratic opposition in all likelihood - and perhaps certain Republican lawmakers as well - would consider to be a direct attack on US democracy.

--IANS

in/

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The World Bank provided a grant of $691 million to Afghanistan to support its efforts in reviving economy and improving access to quality healthcare, the Afghan Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.

The new financing will help modernize state-owned banks, expand regional telecommunication connectivity, electronic-government services and create enabling environment for private sector investment, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Improving the quality of health services, strengthening the banking infrastructure and digitising government systems will enhance our ability to deliver better and quality services to our people," said Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi.

"This contribution demonstrates the continued commitment and support of international community helping the government of Afghanistan implement priority reforms for sustainable development," he said.

Afghanistan is implementing an ambitious reform programme in a context of strong budget pressures imposed by low domestic revenue, massive security spending and enormous development needs, said Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank country Director for Afghanistan.

"In this challenging environment, we remain committed to helping the government of Afghanistan in further improving the service delivery to the Afghan people," he said.

--IANS

and/soni/mr

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Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels fired a barrage of ballistic missiles on the Saudi Defense Ministry in Riyadh and oil giant Aramco in Saudi border region of Najran, the Houthis said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The rocketry forces of the Yemeni (Houthi) army and popular forces have already fired a barrage of long-range ballistic missiles, Burkan-H2, toward the headquarters of the Saudi Defense Ministry in the capital Riyadh," said the statement, which is posted on the Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency.

"Other several ballistic missiles were fired toward the headquarters of the Saudi oil giant Aramco in Saudi border region of Najran," Xinhua cited the Houthis as saying.

Houthis said the barrage of missiles also targeted King Abdullah city in the Saudi border province of Jizan.

Though, the Saudi-run Al Arabiya television channel reported that Saudi air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed several ballistic missiles over the capital Riyadh, and southern provinces of Jizan and Najran.

Hours earlier, the Houthis said that they had launched drone air strikes on a facility run by oil giant Saudi Aramco in Najran and on a civil airport in Abha city in the Saudi border province of Asir.

However, the Saudi company tweeted that its establishments were operating "normally and safely."

--IANS

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Three persons, including a yoga guru and a Congress leader, were killed on Wednesday in a three-vehicle pile-up on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district, police said.

The incident took place near Faguha Bhatia when a car was hit by another car coming from the wrong side. A third car also hit it from the rear.

Yoga guru Laxmipati Verma, who was a close associate of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, died on the spot along with Congress leader Dharam Raj Verma. Hari Mohan Agarwal (58), who was in another car, was also killed.

Six others who were critically injured were rushed to a hospital.

--IANS

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One person was killed and seven others were injured when a minibus rammed into parked vehicles at Kasba area in the city today, police said.

A Kasba-Howrah route minibus rammed into two auto-rickshaws and a car near Kasba New Market building, in the southern part of the city, at around 11 AM, an officer of Kasba police station said.

While one unidentified bystander was declared dead after being taken to a nearby hospital, seven others were admitted to the same hospital, the officer said.

The bus has been impounded but the driver was absconding, the officer added.

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Eleven pro-Tamil activists have been arrested in connection with the footwear hurling episode during an IPL tie here, police said today.

A number of pro-Tamil outfits had staged agitations here yesterday against the conduct of Indian Premier League, saying it was being held to divert attention from the ongoing protests seeking formation of Cauvery Management Board.

Police said the 11 were also arrested for raising slogans on the Cauvery issue.

The footwear was thrown into the ground when the Chennai Super Kings-Kolkata Knight Riders IPL match was in progress at the M A Chidambaram Stadium last night.

Their action had amounted to affecting public peace, a police release said.

They were produced before a court and remanded to custody, it added.

Similarly 10 persons were arrested for allegedly attacking a policeman while staging anti-IPL protests, another release said.

When the accused were stopped from proceeding to the stadium, they allegedly attacked a policeman, it said.

The injured policeman suffered a cut in his lip and lost three teeth as a result of the assault, before he was rushed to a hospital, the release said.

Police were on the lookout for two other persons wanted in connection with the incident.

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Seventeen people were killed in a flashpoint district of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, an AFP reporter saw today.

Residents of the PK5 district laid out the bodies of 17 men in front of the headquarters of the United Nations mission in Bangui, saying they had been killed in clashes yesterday between local armed groups and UN peacekeepers.

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Two Bhim Army activists were detained on the charge of attempting to disturb peace in Shamli district, as they threatened to sit on hunger strike in support of the outfit's founder Chandrasekhar, who is lodged in a jail in Saharanpur.

SHO of Thanabhawan police station said the two detained activists were produced before a magistrate yesterday and later released.

After the Bharat Bandh on April 2 in which at least 11 people were killed, Chandrasekhar had announced that he would sit on a hunger strike in the jail protesting atrocities against Dalits.

He was arrested on June 8 last year by the Uttar Pradesh task force from Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie in connection with his alleged role in the Thakur-Dalit clash in Saharanpur in May that year.

One person was killed and 16 others injured in the violence between the upper caste Thakurs and the Dalits on May 5. In the violence that followed following the killing, a police chowki and 20 vehicles were set on fire by protesting Dalits on May 9.

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An Algerian military plane crashed and caught fire today killing 257 people, mostly army personnel and members of their families, officials said.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw the charred wreckage of the plane in a field near the Boufarik airbase from where the plane had taken off.

Hundreds of ambulances and dozens of fire trucks with their sirens wailing rushed to the scene of the crash about 25 kilometres southwest of Algiers.

The defence ministry said in a statement that 247 passengers and 10 crew were killed without mentioning any survivors.

Deputy Defence Minister General Ahmed Gaid Salah visited the site and ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the crash, the defence ministry said.

The Ilyushin II-76 transport plane was bound for Tindouf in southwest Algeria.

Algeria has suffered a string of military and civilian aviation disasters.

Two military planes collided mid-flight in December 2012 during a training exercise in Tlemcen, in the far west of the country, killing the pilots of both planes.

In February 2014, 77 people died when a military plane carrying army personnel and family members crashed between Tamanrasset in southern Algeria and the eastern city of Constantine.

Only one person survived after the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft came down in the mountainous Oum El Bouaghi region.

The defence ministry blamed that crash on bad weather.

An Air Algerie passenger plane flying from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed in northern Mali in July 2014, killing all 116 people on board including 54 French nationals.

In October the same year, a military plane crashed in the south of the country during a training exercise, killing the two men on board.

That came more than a decade after all but one of the 103 people on an Air Algerie Boeing 737-200 died in March 2003 when it crashed on takeoff in the country's south after an engine caught fire.

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Three militants cornered by the security forces managed to escape after a prolonged fire-fight in south Kashmir's Kulgam district even as a jawan was killed in action while four civilians onlookers lost their lives in the crossfire, officials said.

Briefing reporters, senior police officers said there was specific intelligence about the presence of three local militants owing allegiance to Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba terror group at a house in the Khudwani area following which a cordon was thrown at 10 pm last night.

The security forces suffered a setback at the beginning itself when a jawan identified as Sapper Sada Gunakara Rao (24), was injured and rushed to the Army base hospital here. Rao, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, succumbed to his injuries.

Meanwhile, the gun-fight outside the house where the militants were holed up continued with bullets flying in every direction, they said. The house was on the bank of Jhelum and locals started gathering on the other side of the river, officials said.

Repeated requests were made to the onlookers to leave the area as they were within the firing range. However, the warnings went unheeded and four civilians were killed, they said.

Three of the slain youth were identified as Sarjeel Ahmad (25), Bilal Ahmad Tantray (16) and Faisal Ilahi (14). The identity of the fourth was being ascertained.

"In the encounter, four civilians, who were injured in the cross fire, have succumbed to their injuries," a police spokesman said.

However, some people in Kulgam alleged that the four were killed when security forces opened fire on a crowd that was proceeding towards the encounter site.

Police officials said that after the civilians were killed in the cross fire, the operation had to be called off for a brief time, to allow police and CRPF to disperse the mob that had gathered across the river.

That the three militants, one of them seriously injured, had escaped became clear after the rubble of the house were cleared, police officials said.

There were clashes between protestors and security forces and 24 people sustained injuries, they said. While majority were sent home, around seven were still in hospital and their condition was stable, they said.

As the of civilian deaths spread, protests broke out in several areas of north Kashmir including Baramulla, Bandipora and Sopore towns, officials said.

Several security force personnel including the station house officer of Baramulla police station were injured in stone-pelting by the protestors.

Principal opposition party National Conference tweeted that this was a "costly encounter" because of killing of civilians and Army personnel.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the morning in New Delhi, flew to Srinagar instead of Jammu to review the law and order situation in the Valley.

Expressing her grief, she said there was an urgent need "to get together to get Jammu and Kashmir out of this vicious cycle of violence and killings."



CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said "seeing dead bodies our young persons has now become a tragic routine and condemnations and denouncements too had become "rituals".

"Our repeated cries for sanity and calm handling of the issues are also falling on deaf ears. Every week new tragedies are unfolding...This has to stop now."



Meanwhile, separatists under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) called for a general strike tomorrow against the "civilian killings".

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The father of an LA-based Indian who has been missing with his wife and two children after a road trip in the United States has requested External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help trace them.

In a tweet, Surat resident Babu Subramaniam Thottapilly posted a photograph of his son Sandeep Thottapilly, his daughter-in-law and their two children, and urged Swaraj to take the matter up with the authorities in the US.

Sandeep (42), his wife Soumya (38), son Siddhant (12) and daughter Saachi (9) went missing in the US state of California on Thursday while travelling from Portland to San Jose.

The authorities in the US fear the worst for an SUV, matching the missing family's vehicle, was believed to have been swept away by a swollen river, according to a media report in the US.

Sandeep worked as a vice-president with the Union Bank and lived in Los Angeles with his family.

The banker's father, originally from Kerala and living in Gujarat's Surat for several years, was in a state of shock and unwilling to speak to PTI.

Sandeep grew up in the Gujarat city and settled down in the US over 15 years ago, said a relative when contacted by PTI over the phone.

"Till now we have not received any information about the family's whereabouts from the Indian embassy in the US," the relative said.

Babu Thottapilly had earlier tweeted, "Respected Sushma Swaraj ji, I am a senior citizen and resident of Surat, Gujarat. My son Sandeep Thottapilly is residing in California, USA. He and his family are reported missing since last Thursday.

"Would request your good office to take up this matter with concerned authorities in USA and help find my son and his family as soon as possible. requesting your kind cooperation."



Along with the message, he posted a photograph of his son and his family.

"We have taken help of Facebook post to reach out to more and more people in California...," he said.

A post by Babu Thottapilly on Union Bank's Facebook page read: "This is to inform you that my son and his family have been missing during the trip to Oregon. The complaint in this regard has been registered with the police authorities and they are looking for his whereabouts.

"Till that time I would like to inform you that kindly do the needful from your end to ensure that law authorities are able to track him and his family."



A media report in the US said authorities were looking for a maroon Honda Pilot that went down an embankment on Friday at around 1:10 pm on Highway 101 near the Dora Creek.

The vehicle is similar to the one the Thottapilly family was travelling in. They were on their way back home in the southern California city of Valencia from Portland, Oregon, after a road trip. They were to have stopped by in San Jose to meet their relatives but never turned up, The Mercury reported.

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At least four people have been killed in more attacks blamed on herdsmen in central Nigeria's Benue state, an area wracked by deadly sectarian violence between herders and farmers, officials said today



According to the Benue state police commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, police were investigating an "incident" yesterday evening in the village of Gbeji.

"There is said to be an attack by suspected herdsmen in the area but we can confirm that as at this morning, four dead bodies were recovered there. We have stepped up security in the area and we are investigating," he told media.

Nevertheless, according to a local chief, Joseph Anawah, 10 people had been killed over a period of 24 hours in attacks aimed at a number of villages, including Gbeji.

"On Tuesday evening between 6 pm and 9 pm ... fully armed herdsmen came down heavily on the affected communities," he said.

"They burnt down houses and killed about eight people in the community and injured many." The attackers continued and "killed two people and burnt down houses" in the Tswarev region, Anawah said.

The killings were happening "everyday," he continued.

"It is obvious from this development that the security personnel sent to the area are either insufficient or they have been overwhelmed." Benue state lies in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt that separates the predominantly Muslim north from the largely Christian south.

The area has long been a hotbed of ethnic, sectarian and religious tensions between indigenous farming communities, who are mainly Christian and the nomadic Hausa/Fulani cattle herders, who are Muslim.

Tensions have boiled over access to land and resources, escalating into a rift that has deepened along nominally religious lines.

On Sunday, at least five people were killed travelling on a road in Benue state.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, an ethnic Fulani Muslim from the north, is under intense pressure to end the killings that have claimed hundreds of lives since January.

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Four men posing as 'brothers' of an NRI allegedly opened his safe vault at a nationalised bank here and decamped with valuables worth about Rs 12 lakh after producing his fake death certificate and will, the police said today.

The police has arrested the bank's manager and one of the impostors in connection with the incident.

The impostors allegedly opened the locker in January this year but the offence came to light in February when the NRI, settled in USA, visited the bank for opening his safe vault, Deputy Commissioner of Police Manish Singh told PTI.

The Non-Resident Indian (NRI) had last operated his safe deposit in the bank in April 2007, the police said.

As per the bank records, hehad nominated his wife and daughter to operate the locker in his absence.

However, when the NRI came to operate it in February, the manager of the bank, located on the Rajmahal Road here, informed him that his four "brothers" had opened the locker on January 13 byproducing his "death certificate" and a "will" stating that they were his legal heirs, Singh said.

Before going back to the US, the NRI lodged a complaint in this connection at the Navapura police station on February 26 against the five people - the branch manager and the four impostors.

Based on the complaint, the police started an investigation into the case and arrested the bank manager and and one of the impostors late last night, Singh said.

A search was on for the other three accused, who are brothers of the arrested impostor, he said.

The nationalised bank also registered a complaint with the Navapura police in connection with the case.

Offences were registered against the accused under IPC sections for cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, mischief and criminal conspiracy, police sub-inspector A R Mahida said.

An officer investigating the case said the four men did not have the vault's key and despite that, the branch manager allowed them to open it after breaking its lock, and permitted them to take away all the valuables.

The manager neither inform his seniors, nor followed guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India while allowing the four men to open the NRI's safe vault, he said.

There is clear involvement of the bank manager in the crime, Singh said.

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Director Prabhudeva says it is a myth that only those who play challenging roles are appreciated by the audience.

The key is to entertain the viewers and win their hearts, he says.

"If you are playing a hero you have to connect with the audience. It is not that only if you do challenging roles then people will like you. You don't have to be a NASA scientist to show your acting (skills)," Prabhudeva told PTI.

"Not all those who play tough roles are given the best actor awards, those who manage to entertain the audience also get recognition."



After the success of his Tamil film "Devi", Prabhudeva says he was given similar offers but he prefers directing over acting.

"I like both (acting and directing) as today there are a lot of exciting opportunities for me as an actor. But I love directing more than acting," he says.

Prabhudeva says whether he is working as an actor or as a director, he tries to give his hundred per cent to his craft.

"Once you become popular, it doesn't mean you let go of things. Rather you have to work harder and make sure that you maintain the name that you have made for yourself in the industry. I am in that position that I can do things I like and want to experiment. Today I am an improved actor," he says.

Other than films, Prabhudeva says, he knows nothing.

"In the initial days, I wanted to make a name for myself here. Then I went after money and did some films. Today, I do films for passion," he says.

He is looking forward to the release of "Mercury", a silent thriller in which he plays an antagonist.

"This film looks tough but I never felt it was tough as the director was very good. If I would have made this film, I would not have been able to finish it. I would not have been able to do justice," he says.

"The genre is new, I wonder how you can make a film without dialogues. When you see the film, you will never feel it is a silent film."



Being a director himself, Prabhudeva says he never interferes with the direction process of another person.

"...When I act, I just act, I hear the story and listen to the instructions of the director. At times, I show another take, if the directors like it, they retain it, even if they don't, I am ok," he says.

The film is set to release this Friday.

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Adani Defence and Aerospace, part of the diversified conglomerate Adani Group, today said it is collaborating with Punj Lloyd and US-based Rave Gears to manufacture high precision aerospace gears.

Announcing the tie-up during the ongoing DefExpo, organised by the Defence ministry at Thiruvadanthai, about 40 km from here, Adani Defence and Aerospace Head Ashish Rajvanshi, said the tripartite agreement would leverage on the strengths of the three companies.

Declining to elaborate about the partnership, he said "we are collaborating together to manufacture high-end aerospace gears in India."



The companies would evaluate options of floating a new company under the agreement over the coming months, he said.

"The collaboration intends to manufacture gears and gear assemblies mainly for rotary platforms, currently under production in India," Rajvanshi told reporters.

The collaboration will evaluate for setting up a manufacturing base in India and also look for exporting aerospace gears to global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), he said.

"The agreement furthers the indigenisation agenda under Make in India programme and will bring state-of-the-art technology to the country," he said.

Commenting on the partnership, Rave Gears CEO, Nick Patel, said, "It is an opportunity for Rave to do what its best at; to offer technology which led Rave to conquer NASCAR market in three years."



"We at Rave are excited at the immense potential that offers from this collaboration," he said.

Punj Lloyd, Manufacturing Business President, Ashok Wadhawan, said the collaboration will enable India achieve indigenisation in one of the most critical components in rotary platforms.

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Adani Group on Wednesday said it has tied-up with Punj Lloyd and US-based Rave Gears to design and make high precision gears for aerospace and defence.

The collaboration is for manufacturing gears and gear assemblies mainly for rotary platforms, currently under production in India for HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd), and for future programmes like the naval utility and multi role helicopters, it said.

The company said the tie-up will use the manufacturing base in India for exports to global OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), both in the military and civil aerospace domain.

"Adani Group...has collaborated with Punj Lloyd and Rave Gears (USA) for the design, manufacture and assembly of high precision gears and transmission systems for rotary platforms at DefExpo 2018," the company said in a statement.

Head of Adani Defence & Aerospace Ashish Rajvanshi said that it is another step in group's vision of creating a "vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem by bringing world-class capabilities to the country. It will help establish new production lines in India, generate employment and build sustainable skills".

The three aim at increasing self-reliance at the tier-I level, which will be critical for system integration of platforms in India.

The collaboration furthers the indigenisation agenda under the government's 'Make in India' programme and will bring state of the art technology to the country.

This collaboration will enable India to achieve indigenisation in one of the most critical components in rotary platforms, Ashok Wadhawan, President Manufacturing Business at Punj Lloyd said.

"We at Rave are extremely excited at the immense potential that unfolds with this collaboration," Rave CEO Nick Patel said.
An Afghan official says Pakistan has fired nearly 200 rockets across the border into the northeastern Kunar province, killing one person and forcing nearly 300 residents to flee.

Provincial government spokesman Abdul Ghani Musamim reported the attack yesterday.

Pakistani officials were not immediately available for comment.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have long accused each other of failing to crack down on militants operating along the porous border.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked two security posts in the central Ghazni province, killing four policemen.

Provincial government spokesman Arif Noori says three other police were wounded in the attacks yesterday.

The Taliban control or have a presence in large swathes of the province.

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Air force stations based in Rajasthan close to Indo-Pak border are participating in the ongoing Indian Air Force's combat exercises, defence officials said.

The two-week long exercise named 'Gaganshakti' started from Sunday to check the force's operational preparedness with a focus on dealing with any possible security challenge from China and Pakistan, the officials said.

The air force stations at Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Uttarlai, Phalodi, Nal and Suratgarh in Rajasthan are also participating in the exercise, they said.

"The aim of this exercise is real time coordination, deployment and employment of air power in a short and intense battle scenario," the IAF said in a statement.

It said concepts of accelerated operations, network centric operations, long range missions with concentrated weapon releases across all air to ground ranges in India and inter valley troop transfer have been planned as part of the exercise.

Special operations employing transport aircraft and helicopter as well as special forces have been planned during the exercise whereas new strategies and tactics, various humanitarian assistance and disaster relief drills will also be validated, the IAF said.

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An Algerian military plane carrying soldiers, their families and some refugees crashed soon after takeoff today into a field in northern Algeria, killing 257 people in what appeared to be the North African nation's worst-ever aviation disaster.

Algeria's Defense Ministry said those killed included 247 passengers and 10 crew. An Algerian-backed group seeking independence for Western Sahara said 30 of its people, including women and children, were among the dead.

The cause of the crash was unclear and an investigation has been opened.

Algerian authorities did not mention any survivors but one witness reported seeing some people jump out of the aircraft before it crashed at 7:50 a.m. today. Algerian TV Dzair said five people were in a critical state but it's unclear whether they were inside the plane when it crashed.

The flight had just taken off from the Boufarik military base, 30 kilometers southwest of the capital Algiers, for the southwestern military base in Bechar, according to Farouk Achour, spokesman for Algeria's civil protection services.

The flight also included a layover in the southern city of Tindouf, he said.

The Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane crashed in a farm field with no people nearby, Achour said.

Footage from the scene showed thick black smoke coming off the field, ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles arriving at the crash site and body bags lined up in the field.

Several witnesses told Algerian TV network Ennahar they saw flames coming out of one of the planes' engines just before it took off. One farmer said some passengers jumped out of the aircraft before the accident.

"The plane started to rise before falling," an unidentified man lying on what seemed to be a hospital bed told Ennahar TV. "The plane crashed on its wing first and caught fire."



The victims' bodies have been transported to the Algerian army's central hospital for identification.

Algeria is vast and plane flights are often the best way to traverse Africa's largest nation.

Tindouf is home to many refugees from the neighboring Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco.

The Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara from Morocco, told The Associated Press that 30 refugees who had been treated in Algerian hospitals were among those killed in today's crash.

Algeria President Abdelaziz Bouteflika declared three days of national mourning and prayers for the dead on Friday.

The Il-76 model has been in production since 1970s and has an overall good safety record. It is widely used for both commercial freight and military transport. The Algerian military operates several of the planes.

It was the first crash of an Algerian military plane since February 2014, when a US-built C-130 Hercules turboprop slammed into a mountain in Algeria, killing at least 76 people and leaving just one survivor.

The heavy loss of life of soldiers was certain to shake Algeria to the core.

The National Liberation Army - which grew out of the fighting force which freed Algeria from French colonial rule - is revered by Algerians.

Today, the army is credited with saving the nation from a deadly insurgency by Islamist extremists in the 1990s and early 2000s. The battle continues with sporadic attacks around Algeria and networks dismantled by soldiers.

The army's experience fighting terrorism has made it a valued ally of the US and other western nations.

The US Embassy in Algiers expressed its "deepest condolences" to "our partners and colleagues in the Algerian military," and their families.

The previous deadliest crash on Algerian soil occurred in 2003, when 102 people were killed after a civilian airliner crashed at the end of the runway in Tamanrasset. There was a single survivor in that crash.

Also in 2003, 10 people died when an Algerian Air Force C-130 crashed after an engine caught fire shortly after it took off from the air base near Boufarik, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

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A police team today recovered a huge cache of ammunition stashed in a number of villages in East Garo Hills district.

The police got information about the hidden ammunition from the five Garo National Liberation Army activists (GNLA), who were arrested recently, a police officer said.

"A massive search operation was launched in the former strongholds of the GNLA after the recovery of the earlier stash of weapons and ammunition a few days ago," the Superintendent of Police, Ringrang TG Momin, said.

The search continued over 3 days and was spread over Dorenkigre, Chachatgre, Bawegre and Nengmandalgre, he said.

"Many villagers, aware of the terrain, helped in the search. The well-coordinated search has led to the recovery of a huge amount of ammunition from the villages of Dorenkigre, Chachatgre and Nengmandalgre, the SP said.

A total number of 2,406 assorted ammunition, 10 circuits, two remote controls and 16 charger clips were also recovered.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the same district in the first week of this month, he said.

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An Army jawan was today killed in fresh ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said.

Naik Thorat Kiran Popatrao (31) was grievously injured in the exchange of firing in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district this evening and later succumbed to injuries, the spokesman said.

On Monday, two soldiers - rifleman Vinod Singh and rifleman Jaki Sharma, both hailing from Jammu and Kashmir - were killed in the ceasefire violation by Paksitan in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri, the official said.

"Paksitani troops initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars along the LoC from 1400 hours in Nowshera sector of Rajouri and from 1645 hours in Krishna Ghati sector," the spokesman said.

The Indian Army gave a befitting reply and the exchange of fire between the two sides continued for quite some time, he said.

Popatrao was a resident of Fakirabad Wadi of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife.

"He was a brave and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the spokesman said.

His death took the number of Army personnel killed in the cross-border firing by Pakistan in the twin districts since Monday to three and 15 security personnel this year.

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An Army jawan was killed in an encounter between militants and security forces, while four civilians also lost their lives in the crossfire in south Kashmir's Kulgam district after which the operation was suspended and three ultras who were holed up escaped, officials said today.

The joint team of the Army, police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) called off the operation, which started last night, in the afternoon as people continued to gather at the encounter site.

Two videos, purportedly showing the crowd helping in the escape of the militants and later cheering them as they were seen fleeing on motorcycles, surfaced on various social networking sites. The three militants managed to escape after civilian casualties increased.

Senior police officers, while briefing reporters, said there was specific intelligence about the presence of three local militants owing allegiance to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group at a house in the Khudwani area, following which a security cordon was put in place at 10 pm last night.

The security forces suffered a setback at the start of the operation as a jawan identified as Sapper Sada Gunakara Rao, 24, was injured and rushed to the Army base hospital here. Rao, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, later succumbed to his injuries.

Meanwhile, the gun-battle outside the house where the militants were holed up continued with bullets flying in every direction, the police said.

The house was on the banks of the Jhelum and locals started gathering on the other side of the river, officials said.

Repeated requests were made to the civilians to clear the area as they were within range of the gun shots being exchanged between security forces and militants. But, the warnings went unheeded and four civilians were killed in the crossfire between the militants and security forces, they said.

The four slain youths were identified as Sharjeel Ahmed Sheikh (25) of Khudwani, Bilal Ahmad Tantray (16) of Frisal, Faisal Ilahi (14) of Melhoora Shopian and Aijaz Ahmad Pala of Bijbehara. Police said Sheikh was involved in an Arms Act case.

"In the encounter, four civilians, who were injured in the crossfire, succumbed to their injuries," a police spokesman said.

However, some people in Kulgam alleged that the four were killed when security forces opened fire on a crowd that was proceeding towards the encounter site.

Police officials said that after the civilians were killed in the crossfire, the operation had to be called off, to allow police and CRPF to disperse the mob that had gathered across the river.

It emerged that three militants, including one who was seriously injured, had escaped after the rubble from the house was cleared, officials said.

Police spokesman, however, said there were two militants holed up and later escaped. Police identified the injured militant as Azad Dada, who is wanted in a number of serious cases involving killing of civilians.

There were clashes between protesters and security forces, resulting in injuries to 24 people, they said.

While three people injured were sent home after treatment, 21 were still in the hospital and their condition was stable, officials said.

As the of civilian deaths spread, protests broke out in several areas of north Kashmir, including Baramulla, Bandipora and Sopore towns, officials said.

Several security forces personnel, including the station house officer of Baramulla police station, were injured in stone pelting by the protesters.

Principal opposition party National Conference tweeted that this was a "costly encounter" because of killing of civilians and an Army personnel.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the morning in New Delhi, flew to Srinagar instead of Jammu to review the law and order situation in the Valley.

Expressing her grief, she said there was an urgent need "to get together to get Jammu and Kashmir out of this vicious cycle of violence and killings".

CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said, "Seeing dead bodies of young persons has now become a tragic routine and condemnations and denouncements too had become rituals.

"Our repeated cries for sanity and calm handling of the issues are also falling on deaf ears. Every week new tragedies are unfolding...This has to stop now."



Meanwhile, separatists under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) called for a general strike tomorrow against the "civilian killings".

Hurriyat Alliance Kashmir also said that there will be peaceful protests on April 13 and a "Khudwani Chalo" campaign on Saturday to protest against civilian killings.

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Army paid tributes to the soldier who was killed in a gunbattle with militants in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir today.

"Army paid befitting tributes to Sapper Sada Gunakara Rao, who attained martyrdom during counter terrorist operations in Kulgam district," an army spokesman said in a statement.

Rao sustained bullet injuries during the fierce operation at Khudwani early today. He was provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital but he succumbed to injuries, the spokesman said.

General Officer Commanding of Chinar Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhatt, led all ranks in paying homage to the soldier on behalf of the nation.

"In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the martyr," he said.

Rao (24) had joined the Army in 2012 and belonged to Atisurikaviti village of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. He is survived by his parents.

" The mortal remains of the martyr were flown for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours," the spokesman added.

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A bipartisan group of four senators is moving to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's job as President Donald Trump publicly muses about firing him.

Republican Sens Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey are introducing legislation today that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing, the four senators said in a statement.

The legislation, which combines two bipartisan bills introduced last summer, signals escalating concerns in Congress as Trump has fumed about a Monday FBI raid of the office of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

Trump has privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly criticized Mueller and his Russia probe.

In addition to investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, Mueller is also examining whether the president's actions constitute obstruction of justice.

As the investigation has worn on, Trump has repeatedly called it a "witch hunt." On Monday, after the Cohen raid, he said it was "an attack on our country."



The raid was overseen by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan and was based in part on a referral from Mueller, said Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan.

Trump continued his criticism Wednesday morning, tweeting that the investigation is "never ending and corrupt." Graham said in the statement that the purpose of the bill is to ensure a special counsel isn't fired for political reasons.

"I think this will serve the country well," he said. Coons said it's time for Republicans and Democrats to "stand up and make it clear that we are committed to the rule of law in this country.

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Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland was "gung ho" about its defence business and would focus only on mobility of defence products, a top official said today.

The city-based heavy commercial vehicle maker has showcased six advanced products and technology solutions at the DefExpo organised by Ministry of Defence at Thiruvadanthai about 40kms from here.

"We are gung ho about our defence business. We are going to focus only on mobility. That means we will not manufacture submarines, missiles. You know, we have been the largest provider in transportation (business)," Ashok Leyland, Managing Director, Vinod K Dasari told reporters here.

Stating that the defence business constitute about Rs 800 crore to the group as a whole, he said, there was enough scope in this sector which would enable the company to reach Rs 5,000 crore 'cumulatively' over the next five years.

"Number of tenders and the level of activity (in defence business) have gone up a lot", he said to a query on the opportunities available in the domestic market.

The four-day DefExpo is focused on the theme India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing hub, scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow.

Some of the products showcased by Ashok Leyland are Light Specialist Vehicle 4x4, logistics vehicle -- Guru 715, medium bullet proof vehicle 4x4, high mobility vehicle Super Stallion 8x8, power pack for artillery guns -- technology solution for Indian army and tracked vehicles -- repower, upgrade solutions for tracked vehicles.

The local content in the manufacturing of light specialist vehicles was 98 per cent, Dasari said.

"This year's DefExpo is to showcase India, as a major hub of defence production in the world. Ashok Leyland is proud to be leading in this area for almost three decades and we plan to be at the forefront of designing and making in India by expanding our range of vehicles", he said.

Ashok Leyland has developed capabilities which will help the company to bid for 20-25 per cent of the tenders of the Indian Army against the one per cent earlier, he said.

The six advanced products were formally unveiled by Mahadevi Bilebal, wife of the late Lance Nayak Hanumanthappa Koppad, who was posthumously awarded the Sena medal and Veer Chakra Captain Raghunath Singh at the company's stall in DefExpo.

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The Assam Police is awaiting confirmation from its Jammu and Kashmir counterpart whether a missing youth from the northeastern state has joined militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, a senior police official said today.

"Whether he has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen is still to be confirmed by Jammu and Kashmir Police. The verification process is going on," Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay told PTI.

"The fact that he is missing is confirmed. The special branch of Assam Police is investigating and has taken up the matter with Jammu and Kashmir Police," Sahay said.

A photograph of the youth from Assam's Jamunamukh village in Nagaon district holding an automatic assault rifle has gone viral on social media. The photograph has a caption that suggests he is now a member of Hizbul Mujahideen.

The youth's mother recognised him in the photograph as her missing son and said the government should shoot him dead for being a traitor.

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Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar today expressed concern over 'atmosphere of tension' in society, but said it would not last long.

Pointing out that many today felt politics was an opportunity for creating wealth, he said those who follow ideal politics, and serve people will be successful.

"Whatever is the atmosphere in the country, there isan atmosphere of tension. People are only attacking eachother. They are blabbering, no one is looking at the amount ofwork happening, people only blabber," Kumar said.

Addressing JDU workers at the state conference of the party here, he said "the atmosphere that has been created in the society, the tension that is created, all these according to me will not continue for long."



The country will progress when there was love, peace, goodwill, harmony and respect towards each other in the society, Kumar said.

"Let us follow any religion, or belong to any community, if we don't respect each other and if there is no atmosphere of peace, then the country cannot progress, he added.

Without naming anyone, Kumar said some people were trying to create an atmosphere of unrest within the country and also outside. "A different kind of atmosphere that is being created. I'm fully confident that it will not continue for long," he said.

Speaking about the current state of politics, he saidat the end only those who follow ideal politics and serve the people will be successful.

Reminding Mahatma Gandhi's words that those in power are just trustees, he said "many feel politics is an opportunity, instead of doing service, they indulge in creating wealth. Wehave to get rid of it."



Kumar expressed hopes of a good start for his party in the May 12 assembly elections in Karnataka.

"We need not think about what will happen in thiselection, but I'm sure that it will be a good start.the good start will pave the way for Karnataka's tomorrow, I'm fully confident about it," Kumar said.

"All of you should work together to give new direction for Karnataka....," he said.

Expressing confidence in the leadership of Mahima Patel who is the state President of the JDU, Kumar asked party men to work with full energy.

"Now elections have come, you (Patel) fight this election and field number of people you want to field. We are all with you," he said.

Mahima Patel is the son of former Chief Minister J H Patel.

Reminding party workers not to think just about today, he called on them to work for the future.

"Have patience, don't loose it. Believe in ideal politics...." he advised.

Indicating that JDU will contest May 12 polls in someof the constituencies, Mahima Patel said the first list of candidates will be announced on May 15.

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said she has decided to scrap the quota system in government services after thousands of students marched across the country in protest against a controversial policy of setting aside jobs for special groups.

In Dhaka, mobs of students blockaded major roads, bringing traffic to a standstill. Police were deployed to the Dhaka University where clashes in recent days left more than 100 students injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.

Prime Minister Hasina has suggested abolishing the quota system for government jobs altogether.

"The quota system will be abolished as the students do not want it," she said in a statement in parliament.

An apparently annoyed premier added that, "they have demonstrated enough protests, now let them return home".

She said classes and examinations were suspended at all universities while the protests exposed ordinary people to worst sufferings which "they don't deserve".

The premier, however, said the government could make special arrangements for jobs for the people with disabilities and the backward ethnic minority ones.

The students began the protests on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs, leaving scores of people injured at the Dhaka University.

A group of protestors broke into the vice-chancellor's campus residence, forcing his panicked family to go into hiding.

The premier, however, said those who attacked the vice-chancellor's house were not "eligible to be students" and promised to punish the guilty.

Media reports suggested the protests saw several government websites including those of the Bangabhaban presidential palace and the premier's office temporarily hacked.

The pages were replaced with a page that showed messages related to the quota reform along with a picture of the ongoing protest.

The protectors grew in numbers today with chanting mobs of students' blocking major roads turning buses and private cars to a standstill throughout the day in Dhaka while police in riot gears kept a vigil from distance.

Thousands of people were seen walking down miles, leaving the buses and cars in the capital.

The students in the southeastern port city of Chittagong blocked a railway track while they also caused disruptions in the major cities of Khulna, Barisal, Kushtia, Comilla and Mymensingh demanding the share of top government positions set aside for minority groups and the disabled be reduced significantly.

According to police, more than 5,000 protesters rallied at the Dhaka University campus alone while the private universities joined the public ones across the country to mount pressure on the government to abolish the system, meant for freedom fighters decedents, ethnic minority groups and women.

But the protests also drew a number of girl students demanding they be made eligible to compete for the public services on merit basis.

"They (girls) said that they will get job through (appearing) examinations . . . it's a good word and I'm very happy . . . as they don't want quota, what is the necessity of it, Hasina said.

The protests continued despite earlier government pledges to review the quota system as a section of students rejected the proposal demanding an instant government announcement.

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Protesting against attack on them in the run up to the panchayat elections in West Bengal, journalists today took out a procession here demanding justice.

The procession started from the Gandhi statue at Mayo road and terminated at Dharmatala.

Some of the journalists carried posters saying, "We want justice" while other placards read, "We are not afraid" and "Freedom is our right".

Media and Journalist's Welfare Association (India) has complained to the South 24 Paraganas District Magistrate that many scribes were attacked while covering the nomination filing process on April 9 at Alipore.

In a letter to the DM yesterday, it said that several reporters and cameramen, along with a photo journalist, came under attack when they were covering the election nomination exercise.

The Association also said that all of them sustained injuries and a few anti-socials had snatched accessories like cameras and electronic gadgets of the photo journalist, and requested the DM to take necessary action against the culprits.

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Bihar-cadre IPS officer Rajesh Ranjan today took over as the new Director General (DG) of the CISF, which guards a majority of the country's civil airports and other vital installations.

An official release said Ranjan, who was till now a Special DG in the Border Security Force here, will hold the post till November 2020.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) had yesterday issued an order appointing the 1984-batch officer to the post that had been lying vacant for over two months after O P Singh was appointed the DGP of Uttar Pradesh.

Singh's last working day in the CISf was January 22.

The new DG was given a presentation on the working profile of the force and also interacted with senior officials after taking charge, a CISF spokesperson said.

A post graduate in English, Ranjan had earlier served in the CBI and was with the Interpol in France on deputation, apart from holding posts in Bihar.

During his tenure, the CISF is expected to be deployed at more civil airports in the country, beginning with Shirdi in Maharashtra this month, and will ensure that all the 59 airports under its cover do away with the hand baggage tagging and stamping system for passengers.

The force is also expected to be inducted in a number of vital installations in the private and government domains as part of its counter-terror and anti-sabotage mandate.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), raised in 1969, works under the command of the Union Home Ministry and also secures nuclear and aerospace installations in the country, apart from securing over 70 VIPs.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today assured that people from Bihar who live and work in Mumbai have no reason to fear as long as his government is there.

Addressing a gathering of Biharis at a packed Shanmukhanand auditorium here, Fadnavis said, "Mumbai is a mini-India....People rise here by dint of courage and hard work. I want to assure you all that till I am here, you need not to worry.

"You keep doing your job peacefully and keep flourishing," said Fadnavis, who was the chief guest at a function to celebrate 'Bihar Divas', organised by Bihar Foundation, a Bihar government's organisation.

Ancient Bihar had the world's first universities and examples of city planning, he noted.

"Due to some reasons Bihar may not have advanced so much yet, but you are essentially rich (in terms of culture and history)....and I not only hope but strongly believe that under the leadership of Modi-ji (Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi), the state will witness an unprecedented development in the coming five years," he said.

Sushil Kumar Modi, who is the chairman of Bihar Foundation, was also present.

The Maharashtra government will form a committee which will work in association with Chhath Puja organisations in the city and ensure proper arrangements for Chhath Puja celebration along the Mumbai seashore, Fadnavis said.

Also, his government, in association with Bihar Foundation, will work to provide medical as well as accommodation facilities to cancer patients who come to the city for treatment, Fadnavis said.

Earlier, Sushil Kumar Modi appealed the Biharis who live here to embrace the local culture and language.

"We all are known for our hard-working and die-hard spirit. Wherever we go, we mix easily... However, I would appeal you all to learn Marathi too, which will help you in growing your business," Modi said.

Electrification of rural areas of Bihar was at full speed and every village in Bihar has now electricity, he said. Modi said.

Outlining the work of the foundation, Abhay Kumar, a key functionary, said it serves the Biharis living outside Bihar through several initiatives.

The foundation was working with different agencies and the government to set up a 100-bed branch of the Tata Memorial Center (which specialises in cancer treatment) at Muzaffarpur in Bihar, he said.

"We have an ambitious plan to set up a grand Bihar Bhavan in Mumbai and seek support from Sushil Kumar Modi in this regard," Kumar added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will observe a day-long fast here tomorrow, while top BJP leaders, including Union ministers, will fan out across the country for a similar protest to corner the opposition over the recent washout of the Budget session of Parliament.

Addressing party MPs through an audio conference call ahead of the protest, Modi said the BJP leaders and its workers will observe the fast tomorrow to "expose" those handful of people who "throttled" democracy by stalling Parliament proceedings during the budget session.

Besides Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu will observe the fast here.

As per the schedule prepared by the BJP for observing the fast across the country, Union Health Minister J P Nadda will be in Modi's constituency Varanasi, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will travel to Patna for it, party sources said.

Many other ministers will travel to various places across the country to observe the fast. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will observe the fast in Chennai, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javdekar in Benguluru, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel in Tamil Nadu and Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh.

Tourism Minister KJ Alphons will observe the fast in Kerala.

Besides ministers, all the party MPs will also sit on a fast in their respective constituencies, while BJP chief Amit Shah will hold a sit-in at Hubli in poll-bound Karnataka tomorrow.

The ruling BJP has blamed the opposition, led by the Congress party, for the washout of the budget session. The session was the worst in terms of productivity in about a decade.

Last week, while speaking at the BJP's parliamentary party meeting, Modi had accused the Opposition, particularly the Congress, of practising divisive and stalling Parliament.

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UK-based is learnt to have denied using data of Facebook users in India even as the social media giant has admitted that 5.62 lakh people in the country were potentially affected by the data breach, according to official sources.

After contradictory replies from the two companies on potential data breach of Indian users, the government now plans to seek additional clarification from them, the sources said.

The government had sought a reply from (CA) over data breach charges by April 7. The UK-based firm had sought additional time and is believed to have submitted its reply recently.

" has denied using any data of Indians from Facebook. There are discrepancies when replies of CA and Facebook were matched. Government will write to both the companies for further clarification," an official source told PTI.

CA has been accused of mining personal information of millions of Facebook users illegitimately to help political campaigns and influence polls in several countries.

The Indian government had sent notices to both the companies seeking detailed explanation on any possible misuse of profile data of Indians to influence their voting behaviour.

The US-based Facebook last week admitted that 5.62 lakh people in India were potentially affected by the global data leak, involving CA. Facebook has over 20 crore users in India.

Facebook has said it is "investigating" the specific number of people whose information was accessed, including those in India and also emphasised that the CA's use of such data did not have its consent.

Facebook had admitted that data of about 87 million people mostly in the US may have been improperly shared by research company GSR with CA.

The UK-based firm, however, has denied the allegation saying that the company licensed data for no more than 30 million people from GSR.

"Our contract with GSR stated that all data must be obtained legally, and this contract is now a matter of public record. We took legal action against GSR when we found out they had breached this contract. 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," CA said in response to Facebook's announcement.
The City of London today announced that it has become a formal programme partner for the Access India Programme (AIP) with financial technology at the heart of the tie-up.

Access India Programme was launched by the High Commission of India in London last year with the aim of facilitating investments by UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into India.

The formal partnership with the City of London Corporation, which has already been working with AIP informally, will revolve around hosting delegations, providing practical support and advocacy and regulatory inputs.

"The UK is a world leader in fintech and by some estimates home to around 1,600 fintech companies. With cash accounting for most transactions in India, and around one-fifth of the population still unbanked, I look forward to seeing how UK expertise can help accelerate the digital revolution, said Catherine McGuinness, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation.

The corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile of London, the financial heart of the city. It has a representative office in Mumbai since 2007 to enable long-term relationship building with financial sector stakeholders across India and around 10-15 Indian financial firms are based in the Square Mile, which the corporation works closely with.

Indian high commissioner to the UK, Y K Sinha, said, "The sharing of domain knowledge and expertise in financial services and fintech will greatly benefit the programme as well as facilitate UK companies in these sectors to invest in India.

"I hope that our partnership with the City of London will serve as a platform for encouraging companies in the UK to tap the opportunities available in world's fastest growing large economy."



Besides McGuinness, Lord Mayor of London Charles Bowman, and Special Advisor for Asia Sherry Madera will represent the City of London Corporation at future delegations as part of the new partnership.

The corporation's Global Exports and Investment Team, which has an India-focused Account Manager with links to a variety of key stakeholders, will also support the expansion of UK companies to India.

In the short-term, the City Corporation will be supporting the Indian High Commission on fintech an area where it perceives clear opportunities for both India and the UK.

Going forward, both sides will also look to work closely in other areas, including cooperation on issues such as bankruptcy and non-performing assets (NPAs).

Fintech is also a key topic at this year's Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF), being held in the lead up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Around 800 CEOs and board members of leading global companies, including several from India, are set to descend upon the City of London next week to attend more than 40 sessions on key economic and business themes as part of the CBF.

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Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today directed the Food and Civil Supplies Department to take up the issue of outstanding payments of commission agents or 'arhtiyas' with the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

At a meeting with a delegation of the Federation of Arhtiya Associations of Punjab led by its president Vijay Kalra, the Chief Minister assured them of his government's full support in addressing their concerns, an official release said.

The Chief Minister asked the food department to pursue the matter of their pending payments on account of loading and labour charges for the years 2015-16 and 2016-17 with FCI on urgent basis, after the delegation informed him that though they had been raising the matter with FCI for the past two years, it had not yet been resolved.

Taking stock of arrival of wheat in the mandis in the ongoing Rabi season, the Chief Minister asked the Arhtiyas to ensure fool-proof arrangements for smooth procurement and lifting.

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The Congress today dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed hunger strike over the non-functioning of parliament as a "photo-op", even as the party demanded sacking of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the Unnao rape case.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the proposed fast by the BJP MPs led by the prime minister tomorrow was a "drama", adding that time has come for the PM to take 'sanyas' (retirement).

"It is only a photo opportunity. The BJP did not allow the parliament, the country's temple of democracy, to function when they were in the opposition and neither are they allowing it to function now when they are in power.

"Prime Minister ji, it is not the time to observe fast, in view of your failures... it is time to take retirement instead. If you do not wake up now, you should understand that the time of your retirement will come in 2019 when people will vote you out," he said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi earlier today hit out at the Centre over the alleged rape of a 18-year-old woman by a BJP MLA and the custodial death of her father in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district.

"The brutality unleashed on a father seeking justice for his daughter in Uttar Pradesh has shamed humanity. I hope the prime minister will soon observe a fast over the atrocities committed on women, failure of law and order and rising anarchy under the BJP rule," he tweeted in Hindi.

Gandhi also posted a purported video in which the victim's father is seen speaking against the BJP MLA.

The video, in which the victim's father alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, went viral and was shown by several TV channels.

Surjewala said justice for women in BJP-ruled states had become a "mirage" as the "BJP's eco-system is influencing the legal process by building a false narrative".

"Exploiting the religion/caste of the rape victim, threatening her family, even killing her father is the new modus operandi of the vigilante groups mushrooming under the patronage of the BJP!



"Rampant abuse of political power to influence and subvert legal process and shield is the chief characteristic of the BJP which politically exploited the Nirbhaya rape case, and is now doing the same with rape cases in Kathua (J&K) and Unnao (UP)," he said.

Taking a dig at the BJP's popular slogans on saving the girl child, the Congress communications in-charge said, "'Beti Bachao' has now become 'Beti Ke Pita Ko Bhi Marwao' and the slogan of 'Bahut Hua Naari Par Vaar..' is now a cruel joke on the women of India".

He also hit out at the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government for withdrawing a 7-year-old rape case against former MoS Chinamayanand in the Vajpayee government.

"If 'goondas' (hooligans) are going to be protected in this fashion by UP chief minister and the BJP government, he has no right to continue as the chief minister," Surjewala alleged.

"Ever since he (Adityanath) has taken over, number of rape cases have gone up by 36 per cent in the northern state. Incidents of rape between April 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018 stand at 15,000," he said.

The Congress leader also cited the data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) stating that Uttar Pradesh topped the country in 2016 with 4,816 cases of rape. The other two states with the highest rates of crime against women were Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, both ruled by the BJP, he said.

Surjewala added that 803 incidents of rape and 729 murders were reported in the first two months of Adityanath's tenure.

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Emphasising on the importance of coordination among ministries, states and stakeholders for improving health indicators of women, children and adolescents, Union Health Minister J P Nadda today said his ministry has stepped up efforts to achieve the target of 90 per cent full immunisation in the country.

At the curtain raiser event for the 2018 Partners' Forum, he said for providing comprehensive primary care, the government has initiated universal screening of common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and hypertension, at primary health centres and sub-centres.

The 2018 Partners' Forum will be held here on December 12 and 13 and will provide a platform for learning and exchange for alliance of 1,000 organisations to align objectives, strategies and resources, and agree on interventions to improve maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.

"Convergence between ministries, states and stakeholders is critical for achieving shared goals for health of women, children and adolescents," Nadda said.

Highlighting the achievements of his ministry, he said, "We have launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI). The special drive will focus on improving immunisation to more than 90 per cent by December this year."



Earlier, the increase in full immunisation coverage was 1 per cent per year which has increased to 7 per cent annually through 'Mission Indradhanush', Nadda said.

The Union Health Minister said India is officially acknowledged as YAWS-free and has been felicitated by WHO and UNICEF for Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE).

Nadda said the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (NHPM), will be a major step towards universal health coverage as it will benefit around 50 crore people (from about 10 crore families) by providing coverage for secondary and many tertiary hospitalisations.

The government has initiated universal screening of common NCDs, such as diabetes and hypertension at primary health centres and sub-centres, he said, adding, "This will strengthen preventive and promotive health, improve patient referral and access to secondary care services."



Underscoring the importance of the 2018 Partners' Forum, Michelle Bachelet, the former President of Chile and incoming board chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, said cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships were vital to push forward for progress on improved health at every life stage.

She emphasised on the need for global sharing of best practices and technical expertise at civil society, academic, private sector and governmental levels to change public discourse and lead society into adopting innovative methods to resolve issues and improve health indicators in children, adolescents and women.

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A Delhi court today rejected a complaint against Union Minister Smriti Irani for allegedly furnishing false declarations to the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the time of filing nominations for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal dismissed the complaint noting that complainant Renu Gambhir, vice president of Socialist Party (India) Delhi Pradesh, has not appeared before the court on several dates, due to which her testimony has remained incomplete.

"The allegations are about giving some false declarations before the office of the returning officer of ECI from time to time. The complainant has stopped appearing in the case for many dates now.

"She has been partly examined as witness but her testimony was incomplete and despite court notice, she has not appeared. It seems that she is not interested in pursuing her case any further. No summoning order can be passed on the basis of the testimony of the complainant recorded so far because it is incomplete. Therefore, this complaint is dismissed," the court said.

The complainant had alleged that Irani had furnished incorrect and contradictory information with regard to her education to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

The complaint was filed by Gambhir against Irani for offences punishable under sections 125A of the Representation of People Act, 1951 and 177 (furnishing false information), 199 (false statement made in declaration which is by law receivable as evidence), 417 (cheating), 418 (cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect), 463 (forgery) and 464 (making false document) of the IPC.

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: Cyient Limited today said it entered into a joint venture with Israel-based BluBird Aero Systems to offer field-proven UAV systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security, and police forces.

The joint venture, named Cyient Solutions & Systems Private Limited, has 51 per cent and 49 per cent shareholding by Cyient and BlueBird respectively, a press release from Cyient said.

Both the companies signed theJVagreement today at DefExpo 2018 being held in Chennai.

Cyient Solutions & Systems will indigenise, manufacture, assemble, integrate, and test advanced UAV systems at its production facilities in Hyderabad by leveraging BlueBirds technology and manufacturing know-how, it said.

Cyient Solutions& Systems, supported by BlueBird, will also provide comprehensive aftermarket services, including spares, repairs, maintenance, and support to end-users across India, it added.

Cyient Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Krishna Bodanapu,said, "I am very excited about the joint venture with BlueBird Aero Systems thatcombines our design and manufacturing expertise to bring the best of UAV technology solutions to the Indian defence industry.

The joint venture also underlines the commitment of both partners to the government's "Make in India" initiative, he added.

Cyient Solutions and Systems Managing Director and CEO, NJ Joseph said, BlueBirds world-classtechnology, combined with Cyients manufacturing and aftermarket capabilities and local presence, offers exceptional value to the rapidly expanding market for UAV solutions in India.

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Cyient, a Hyderabad-based firm, today said it has entered into a joint venture with BlueBird Aero Systems to manufacture advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems.

Cyient Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Krishna Bodanapu and BlueBird Aero Systems Founder-CEO, Ronen Nadir, signed the agreement at the ongoing DefExpo, organised by the Defence ministry at Thiruvadanthai, about 40 km from here.

As per the agreement, a joint venture company named --Cyient Solutions and Systems Pvt Ltd has been floated in which Cyient would hold 51 per cent stake while the remaining 49 per cent with Israel-based BlueBird Aero Systems.

"...the joint venture would offer field-proven UAV systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security forces," Cyient, Engineering design, manufacturing, geospatial and networks provider, said.

Cyient would manufacture, assemble, integrate and test advanced UAV systems at its facility in Hyderabad by leveraging the technology know-how of BlueBird Aero Systems.

"I am very excited about the joint venture with BlueBird Aero Systems that combines our design and manufacturing expertise to bring the best of UAV technology solutions," Bodanapu said.

"The joint venture also underlines the commitment of both partners to the government's Make in India initiative," he said.

The joint venture enables indigenisation, manufacturing, training and support of UAV systems in India, BlueBird Aero Systems Founder and CEO, Ronen Nadir said.

"Bluebird is pleased to transfer its latest, technology know-how to further enhance what we see as a long term partnership with Cyient for the benefit of Indian UAV market," he said.

Under the joint venture, Cyient and BlueBird would also provide aftermarket services, including spares, repairs, maintenance and support across the country.

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The DDA has pegged its budget expenditure for the 2018-19 fiscal at over Rs 8,000 crore and plans to transform Delhi into a "world-class city" through various projects, which include the rejuvenation of the Yamuna.

The budget, along with revised estimates for 2017-18, was presented before the Authority, the DDA's highest decision-making body, during a meeting held today at Raj Niwas under the chairmanship of Lt Governor Anil Baijal.

"The budget expenditure for the year 2018-19 has been set at Rs 8,032 crore approximately, projecting a growth of 67 per cent over the revised budget estimates for 2017-18 at Rs 5,295 crore," the Delhi Development Authority said in a statement.

As part of its budgetary allocation, the housing authority plans to spend Rs 3,633 crore on houses and shops; Rs 765 crore on acquisition of land and payment of enhanced compensation; Rs 2,348 crore on development of land; and Rs 1,286 crore on establishment and miscellaneous expenditure, it said.

The Authority decided that key activities to be undertaken as part of the budget provisions, would be to work towards "transforming Delhi into a world-class city".

Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for developing vacant areas available at Dwarka (200 ha), Rohini (259 ha) and Narela (218 ha) have been floated, the statement said.

Fifteen new development schemes and 14 new housing-related development works would be introduced; a rail-overbridge would be constructed at Narela, the statement said.

"Construction of five socio-cultural centres - in Rohini, Dwarka, CBD Shahdara, Mayur Place and Netaji Subhash Place - is at a planning stage," it added.

The DDA has decided that the budget would include rejuvenation and restoration of river Yamuna; upgrading of Vasant Udyan at Vasant Kunj; and development of 25 ha (62 acre) area surrounding the Sultangarhi Tomb Conservation Complex in Vasant Kunj.

"Three pilot projects on in-situ rehabilitation are under progress at Kalkaji, Jailorwala Bagh and Kathputli Colony," the statement said.

Besides the presentation of the budget, a few other important decisions were taken during the meeting today.

It was decided that "794 LIG/one-bedroom flats - 574 in Sector-34, Rohini and 220 flats in Siraspur would be allotted to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), since the DDA has sufficient stock of LIG flats, the statement said.

The Authority also approved the revised modalities for enhanced floor-area ratio (FAR) in planned commercial centres.

"The enhancement of FAR was notified in February 2007, but the stakeholders were not coming forward to avail the enhanced FAR, may be due to the reasons that the process is very lengthy, cumbersome, time consuming.

"For ease of doing business, it was felt to make apportionment of the FAR simple, transparent and online, with minimum human intervention," the statement said.

The Authority "ratified the modifications in the Unified Building Bye-Laws 2016 for simplification of forms and proforma and omission of bond(s)/affidavit(s) to usher in smooth operations in the building permit process and contribute significantly towards ease of doing business".

"Now in addition to other simplified procedure, self-declaration undertakings will be accepted instead of attestation by notary public/metropolitan magistrate on Rs 10 non-judicial stamp papers," the statement said.

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India's mega defence exhibition -- the DefExpo -- began here today with participation of major global and domestic military firms, which are eyeing billions of dollars of contract as part of the country's military modernisation programme.

The NDA government is trying to project the 10th edition of the event as first serious attempt to transform India -- the largest importer of military platforms and weapons -- into a hub of military manufacturing.

India is expected to spend close to USD 300 billion in the next five years in procuring defence equipment and almost all major global defence firms are eyeing a slice of it.

Though the four-day-long DefExpo, on the outskirts of Chennai and close to the temple town of Mahabalipuram, began today, it will formally be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a tweet, said For the first time, India will be showcasing its defence export potential at @DefExpoIndia.

According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms, including 154 foreign manufacturers, are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware.

It is being attended by official delegations from over 47 countries, including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam.

The theme of the expo is India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub.

Major international companies, which are participating at the expo include Lockheed Martin, Boeing (US), Saab (Sweden), Airbus, Rafael (France), Rosonboron Exports, United Shipbuilding (Russia), BAE Systems (UK), Sibat (Israel), Wartsila (Finland) and Rhode and Schwarz (Germany).

India's indigenously developed land, air and naval systems are also being showcased.

The weapons and platforms being displayed include the Tejas fighter jets, advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS) designed by the DRDO Arjun Mark 2 tank and Dhanush artillery guns.

The DRDO's exhibits include the Nirbhay missile system with launcher, autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (AUGV), MBT Arjun Mk-I tank, Astra missile, low level transportable radar (LLTR) system, medium power radar (MPR) system and Varunastra -- heavy weight anti submarine electric torpedo.

The exhibition is spread over an area of 2.90 lakh square feet.

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today brushed aside the Army's concerns over severe shortage of funds to procure new equipment and weapons, asserting that there was no reason to worry as adequate financial resources are being made available to the armed forces.

The Army had told a Parliamentary Standing Committee that it was reeling under severe fund crunch and struggling to even make emergency procurements when there was a real possibility of a two-front war and both China as well as Pakistan were carrying out modernisation of their defence forces in "full swing".

The report of the committee was tabled in Parliament last month.

"The parliamentary standing committee has said lot more. I wish you had read the entire report of the committee. The standing committee report has said so many other things as well," Sitharaman said when asked about the report during a press conference at the Defence Expo here.

Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Sarath Chand had told the parliamentary panel that inadequate allocation of funds in the defence budget for 2018-19 will hit the Army's modernisation plan when Chinese military was competing to reach the level of the US.

He said 68 per cent of the Army's equipment is in the vintage category, adding fund crunch will also impact the serviceability of the existing equipment and may even affect payment of instalments for past purchases.

When asked about the Vice Chief's comments, Sitharaman did not give a direct reply but said the impression in certain quarters that the Defence Ministry was not doing anything was "wrong".

"Our focus has been to prioritise what we have. We are ensuring maximum utilisation of funds. Things are happening in defence ministry," she said.

The government allocated Rs 76,765 crore less to the Army, Navy and Air Force in the defence budget than what they had sought to purchase new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware, according to official figures placed in Parliament last month.

The three forces had demanded Rs 1.60 lakh crore as capital outlay but were granted Rs 83,434 crore for the year 2018-19.

Referring to criticism of delays in procurement of bullet proof jackets for the armed forces, Sitharaman said it is not like "over the counter buying of things" and the government was putting sincere efforts to meet demands of the armed forces.

Sitharaman also said that the armed forces had been given free hand to go for equipment of their choice -- be it Indian or imported.

The 10th edition of the Defence Expo, an exhibition of land, air and naval systems, is billed by the government as first major initiative to project India's potential as a manufacturing hub.

Sitharaman said though she would like the forces to go for domestic defence equipment, it is for them to take a call on the issue based on their requirement.

"The armed forces are free to decide what they need to deal with the country's security challenges. They are free to choose their equipment," she said.

The Defence Minister said the armed forces are using various indigenous platforms but it "may be not as much as we would want".

"It is up to them to take a call on what they need," Sitharaman said.

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US President Donald Trump said today that "missiles will be coming" in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, defying Russian warnings against a strike.

Upping the stakes in an escalating confrontation with Moscow, Trump took to Twitter in the strongest assertion yet that he plans to take military action in Syria.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote.

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.

Efforts to find a diplomatic solution at the UN Security Council yesterday failed, with Washington and Moscow opposing each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.

Russia has meanwhile taken to stronger and stronger warnings.

"We would hope that all sides will avoid steps that in reality are not provoked by anything and that could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The situation is tense," Peskov said, adding that Russia is calling for an "unprejudiced and objective investigation before making judgements" on the suspected use of chemical weapons.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also insisted that "smart rockets should be aimed at terrorists, rather than the legitimate government" of Syria.

Trump has said he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay a "big" price for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Both Trump and his defence secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans yesterday, as the USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -- moved to within striking range of Syria.

The air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has also released an alert from the European Aviation Safety Agency to flight operators in nearby airspace of "the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours."



French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response "in the coming days."



"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," he said, insisting he did "not want an escalation."As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a town in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is on the verge of falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

The OPCW said it would "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday demanded "immediate" access to the victims of the alleged chemical attack.

"We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma," said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," he added.

In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

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The seven BJP MPs from Delhi, including the party's state unit president Manoj Tiwari, will observe a fast tomorrow as part of the party's protest over the recent washout of the Budget session of Parliament.

Tiwari, however, will continue his fast as an indefinite hunger strike against the Delhi government's alleged "partiality" over developmental works.

The Delhi BJP chief had earlier alleged that funds for a Shastri park loop, a multi-exit road, and a flyover in Seelampur were not being released and had warned of going on a hunger strike from April 12.

Tiwari will be joined by Union minister Vijay Goel in the fast at the Main Chowk of Shastri Park.

"Will join the nationwide #FastWithPMModi movement tomorrow morning at Shastri Park against the divisive of Opposition especially Congress as we witnessed during the recent #ParliamentLogjam," Goel tweeted.

Tiwari and Goel are considered competitors in Delhi BJP and have avoided sharing common platforms on several occasions in the past.

The BJP MPs countrywide will observe similar protests in their constituencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also observe a fast, a Delhi BJP statement said.

Other BJP MPs in Delhi will sit on fast in their respective constituencies from 10 AM to 4 PM. They will be joined by leaders and workers of the party.

Union minister and Chandni Chowk MP Harsh Vardhan will sit on a fast at Town Hall Chowk.

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The Delhi High Court today dismissed US-based agro major Monsanto Technology's plea to enforce the patent for its BT cotton seeds in India.

A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna partially allowed the counter-claims of three Indian seed companies that Monsanto does not have a patent for its BT cotton seeds, a genetically modified variant which resists bollworms.

The court also upheld the decision of a single judge on the issue of trait fee payable to Monsanto by the three Indian companies -- Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd, Prabhat Agri Biotech Ltd and Pravardhan Seeds Private Ltd -- under the sub-licence with them.

The single judge had said that the Indian companies would pay trait fees to Monsanto according to government-set rates.

Monsanto wanted to charge a higher rate of trait fee under the sub-licence given to Indian companies to use its seed technology.

Both sides had challenged the single judge's order before the division bench.

Monsanto had challenged the single judge's decision reinstating a sub-licence between it and the three Indian seed companies, which the foreign entity had terminated.

The Indian companies in their appeal had challenged the rejection of their claim by the single judge that the US-based agro major Monsanto was incorrectly granted patent for BT cotton seeds.

After the verdict was pronounced, Monsanto sought that the decision be kept in abeyance for a few weeks so that it can file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

The high court declined to keep the operation of its decision in bench, but granted the US company a certificate of fitness to file an appeal in the apex court.

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A Pakistani man, who crossed into India two decades ago after being separated from his family and was deported to his country last month, today made an appeal to the Indian government to allow him to meet his wife and three children in Mumbai on humanitarian grounds.

Siraj Khan, 33, narrating his ordeal said that he has lost the legal battle in Mumbai and that his case should be seen on humanitarian ground as he was "neither a spy or a terrorist".

"My wife, Sajida Pathan, who is an Indian national, has used every legal recourse to get me permission to remain in India with the family. We have three children and I am dying to meet them again," he told PTI over telephone.

The Ansar Burney Welfare Trust office here has taken up his case when he approached them after losing hope following a visit to various government offices, since his return to Karachi.

Khan, a resident of Manshera in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, said that he got separated from his parents at the age of 11 in 1996, when he boarded 'Samjhauta Express' instead of a train to Karachi from Lahore.

"I landed in Amritsar. Later I spent four years at a children's shelter in Gujarat and after turning 18, I went to Mumbai," he said.

In Mumbai, Khan worked as a waiter for road side vendors, before finally becoming a chef.

He said in 2005, he got married to Sajida Pathan and in 2009, he surrendered himself before the Indian authorities to claim Indian nationality.

Khan said the moment he surrendered, he realised that perhaps he had made a mistake as authorities made it clear to him that they would not allow him to stay in India.

Urging the governments of the two countries, Khan said "they should realise that there was lot in common between the people of two countries".

"Some cases should be dealt on humanitarian grounds. I just want to unite with my family again," he said.

Ruing that no Pakistan government officials met him and heard his case, Khan said, "When Indian girl Geeta was sent back to India, their government received her with open arms. Why is our government treating me so insensitively? I just want to be with my 12-year-old daughter and twin sons, who are just seven-year-old."



Khan admitted that after spending a long time in India, he is now feeling strange after coming back to Pakistan.

"My father died years ago trying to search for me. Now it was my turn to worry about my children," he added.

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Digital transformation in the country is expected to contribute about USD 154 billion to India's GDP by 2021, tech giant Microsoft today said.

The study by Microsoft and IDC, titled Unlocking the economic impact of digital transformation in Asia Pacific", said there has been a dramatic acceleration in the pace of digital transformation across India and Asia-Pacific economies.

"In 2017, about 4 per cent of India's GDP was derived from digital products and services created directly through the use of digital technologies like mobility, cloud, internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI)," Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari told reporters here.

He added that within the next four years, it is estimated that nearly 60 per cent of India's GDP will have a strong connection to the digital transformation trends.

"India is clearly on the digital transformation fast track. Organisations are increasingly deploying emerging technologies such as AI, and that will accelerate digital transformation-led growth even further," he said.

The study conducted with 1,560 respondents from mid and large-sized organisations across 15 economies.

The report found that digital transformation efforts for organisations range between 11 per cent and 14 per cent.

"Business leaders expect to see more than 40 per cent improvements in key areas by 2020, with the biggest jump expected in productivity, customer advocacy as well as profit margin," Maheshwari said.

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The Centre today told Delhi High Court that the bar on differently-abled people from undertaking Haj was retained in the new policy for the annual pilgrimage as it was the practice for the last 30 years, since the journey is physically demanding.

The purpose is also to strictly screen the disabled due to instances of such people indulging in begging, which is prohibited in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Minority Affairs said in an affidavit filed before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar.

The other reasons for the prohibition was that the pilgrimage is physically demanding, exhausting and in case of a stampede, disabled people would be more at risk, it said.

The affidavit, which was filed in response to a PIL against the bar on differently-abled people from performing Haj pilgrimage, further said the prohibitions in the earlier policy for the years 2013-2017 were retained in the new one as it was the practice for the last 30 years.

The ministry, however, said that it was sensitive to the issue raised in the PIL by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, especially in view of the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act of 2016, and has directed the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) to look into the matter and recommend necessary corrections or amendments in the Haj policy of 2018-22.

"Haj pilgrimage is physically demanding and involves arduous journey from one place to another on feet and by various other modes of transport and is to be performed on a foreign land in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"In the new policy for HCoI pilgrims for 2018-22 there was no change with regard to eligibility criteria and the exact wordings about persons with disability used in previous policy for Haj 2013-17 was retained," the affidavit said.

"That retaining this provision also needs to be understood in the light of Consular General of India, Jeddah advice in 2012 for strict screening of disabled persons in view of instances of many such people indulging in begging which is strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia," it said.

The affidavit also said, "It is because of the difficulties involved in Haj pilgrimage that as per quranic injunction, Haj is not cast upon as a duty for everyone but only on those who have the 'lstatah' (physical and financial capacity)."



"As per prevailing practice for more than 30 years, persons suffering from physical disabilities or suffering from specified diseases have been debarred from applying for pilgrimage through HCoI," it said.

The ministry has emphasised in its response that there was no intention to disrespect or hurt the feelings of any person by incorporating the said provisions in the Haj policy to bar people suffering from certain serious diseases or those categorised as disabled.

"This provision had been there in the policy since its inception and has been continued in the new policy as such," it reiterated.

The ministry also said that since it has initiated steps to redress the issue, the plea has become infructuous and unwarranted.

The petition by Bansal alleged that some provisions of the new Haj policy violated Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution pertaining to equality and freedom to practice religion.

The new policy guidelines under the 'eligibility for Haj' mentions that any Indian citizen who is a Muslim can apply for the pilgrimage except those "who do not have the mental or physical health to perform the pilgrimage, persons whose legs are amputated, who are crippled, handicapped, lunatic or otherwise physically/mentally incapacitated".

Bansal, in his plea, has contended that these provisions "blatantly discriminate" against persons with disabilities and violate the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016.

The petition stated that those affected with polio, congestive cardiac, tuberculosis, respiratory ailment, acute coronary insufficiency, coronary thrombosis, mental disorder, infectious leprosy, AIDS or any other communicable disease or disability also cannot take undertake Haj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

The types of disabilities added in the 2016 Act include mental illness, autism, spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, speech and language disability.

Disorders such as thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities including visual and hearing impairment, acid attack and Parkinson's disease have also been included in the legislation.

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Arrogance can bring about a downfall for even the best in the business and Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell has learnt it the hard way after serving a year-long ban for violation of WADA's anti-doping whereabouts clause.

One of the most sought after T20 freelancer missed out on playing PSL and IPL last year before making a comeback for Jamaica in the 50-over tournament. He did play a few games in PSL before sustaining an injury only to get fit in time for the IPL.

"I think this one year I lost has made me a different person," Russell, who hit 11 sixes in his 36-ball-88 for KKR said after his team's five-wicket defeat against CSK.

"I have learnt how to be humble. I need to make sure that you stay on top of what you are doing as a professional and yet be humble. I just want to ensure that these things don't happen again," Russell said.

He has been in good form in the two matches so far.

"I think I am confident. My confidence level is very high. Once you have confident in whatever sport you play that's all you need, that self-belief. But I think, I am in good condition. I wouldn't say that I am 100 percent fit. I am happy that I am hitting well and bowling with pace. So I know in a few more games, I will be where I want to be," he added.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today questioned Delhi Health and Power Minister Satyendar Jain for the second time in connection with a money laundering case registered against him and others.

Officials said Jain arrived at the ED office here this morning for the second round of questioning.

He was first questioned in the case last week.

They said his statement was being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the investigating officer of the case.

The PMLA case was registered by the ED in August last year on the basis of a CBI FIR.

The ED probe will focus if the minister and other accused in the case created illegal assets by laundering the alleged tainted funds.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint had said Jain could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he was a shareholder.

It had registered a case against him, his wife and four others on charges of money laundering.

The CBI has also questioned him in the case earlier.

It had said that Rs 4.63 crore was allegedly received through Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Managalyatan Projects and Indo-Metal Impex Pvt Limited in 2015-16.

They had said Jain and his wife were allegedly holders of one-third of the shares in these companies during the period.

The CBI has alleged that Jain had control over these companies either in the form of being one of the directors and by holding one-third of shares of these companies in his name or in the names of his family members or others.

The probe agency had also claimed that these were shell firms used for parking money in the form of investments in equity shares in connivance with Kolkata-based shell companies.

"This apart, before becoming a public servant, he was allegedly involved in laundering Rs 11.78 crore during 2010-12 through these companies as well as other firms also based in New Delhi," the CBI had said.

The funds were allegedly used to purchase over 200 bighas of land in Auchandi, Bawana, Karala and Mohammed Mazvi villages in Delhi between 2010 and 2016, CBI sources had said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had refuted the CBI's allegations and said that reports of Jain's involvement in shell companies and benami land deals were "baseless".

Jain, also the minister for home, PWD, industries and urban development, is an MLA from the Shakurbasti constituency.

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Elephants used their trunks to shower floral-clad Thais with water today in a street fight celebrating the kingdom's traditional new year, a raucous festival known as Songkran that will bring revellers out for a nationwide water battle this week.

The animals, whose wrinkled hides were decorated with paint, splashed and sprayed in the streets of Thailand's former capital Ayutthaya, a tourist hotspot famed for its ancient temple ruins.

A mix of Thais and foreigners armed with water guns and buckets fired back at the elephants, who were controlled by handlers -- known as mahouts -- riding on their backs.

"Today our children (elephants) are having fun and the foreigners who come to Ayutthaya are happy to inherit the Thai tradition," Tawan Sudso, an organiser of the annual event, told AFP.

The Buddhist new year festival officially starts on April 13 and runs for three days.

Traditional celebrations include paying respect to elders and sprinkling water over Buddha figures at local temples, a ritual believed to accrue good karma. But the holiday has also become known as one of the world's biggest water fights, drawing massive crowds of Thais and tourists to soggy street parties that bring much of the country to a standstill.

Police expect some 60,000 partiers to cram into just one Bangkok neighbourhood for the watery warfare later this week.

Under military rule, Bangkok's Songkran water fights have become less raucous in recent years with alcohol sales restricted and regular appeals from authorities to avoid provocative dancing.

Similar but smaller water festivals are also held in neighbouring Buddhist countries like Myanmar and Laos.

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The US today welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks to open up his country's market, but ruled out reversing President Donald Trump's 25 per cent import tariffs worth USD 50 billion on Chinese products, saying America wants "concrete actions" from China.

In his keynote address at the Boao Forum for Asia yesterday, Xi pledged to lower auto import tariffs, protect the intellectual property of foreign companies and further open the world's second largest economy.

"China's door of opening up will not be closed and will only open wider," Xi said.

"Certainly, we are encouraged by President Xi's words, his kind words.But at the same time, we want to see concrete actions from China, and we're going to continue moving forward in the process and in the negotiations until those happen," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily conference.

The White House remarks came after Trump praised Xi for his remarks.

"Very thankful for President Xi of China's kind words on tariffs and automobile barriers...also, his enlightenment on intellectual property and technology transfers. We will make great progress together!" Trump tweeted.

The statements from both leaders follow a week of escalating tariff threats sparked by US' concern over China's trade and intellectual property policies, worrying financial markets over potential damage to global growth.

The world's top two economies had edged towards an all-out trade war after Trump administration last week published a list of about 1,300 Chinese exports worth USD 50 billion that could be hit by US tariffs because of Beijing's alleged theft of intellectual property and technology.

China in a retaliatory measure, decided to impose additional tariff of 25 per cent on 106 products under 14 categories worth USD 50 billion.

China has already slapped tariffs on 128 US products, including wine and pork, totalling to USD 3 billion in retaliation to Trump's move to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.

The US State Department also hailed Xi's remarks.

"We've been clear with the Chinese government in areas that are of concern to US workers, US companies, and the overall trade balance. We have had those conversations with them, so I think we're looking like we're in a better place," said State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert.

"What we may be seeing is China coming to terms with some of our concerns about unfair trade practices and the United States saying 'we stand by to engage with you, the government of China and President Xi on that matter'", she said.

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The Trump Administration today said it was encouraged by the remarks of Chinese President Xi Jinping but ruled out reversing its recent move to impose 25 per cent tariff on import of products from China amounting to USD 150 billion.

"Certainly, we are encouraged by President Xi's words, and his kind words.But at the same time, we want to see concrete actions from China, and we're going to continue moving forward in the process and in the negotiations until those happen," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily conference.

The White House remarks comes after President Donald Trump praised Xi for his remarks.

"Very thankful for President Xi of China's kind words on tariffs and automobile barriers...also, his enlightenment on intellectual property and technology transfers. We will make great progress together!" Trump tweeted.

The US State Department also suggested the same. "We've been clear with the Chinese government in areas that are of concern to US workers, US companies, and the overall trade balance. We have had those conversations with them, so I think we're looking like we're in a better place," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily conference.

What we may be seeing is China coming to terms with some of our concerns about unfair trade practices and the United States saying. We stand by to engage with you, the government of China and President Xi, on that matter, she said.

In his keynote address at the Boao Forum for Asia after he began his second five-year term last month with prospects of continuing in power for life, Xi said, "China's door of opening up will not be closed and will only open wider."



Without mentioning Trump's concern over the huge trade deficit, Xi said China does not seek trade surplus and have a genuine desire to increase imports and achieve greater balance of international payments under the current account.

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Facebook is committed to ensure integrity of key elections across the world, including in India, its founder Mark Zuckerberg said as he testified before the US Congress over the massive Cambridge Analytica scandal that has shaken the social media giant.

Zuckerberg's testimony came after it was revealed in March that British firm Cambridge Analytica tied to US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign improperly collected profile data of up to 87 million Facebook users.

The scandal shook confidence in Facebook, leading some people to go as far as abandoning the social media site altogether a revolt called the hashtag #DeleteFacebook.

Zuckerberg, who is also the CEO of Facebook, said data privacy and foreign interference in elections were topics that they have discussed at the Facebook board meeting.

"These are some of the biggest issues that the company has faced, and we feel a huge responsibility to get these right," Zuckerberg told lawmakers during the Congressional hearing, adding that "this is one of my top priorities in 2018".

He said Facebook was taking steps to ensure integrity of elections in countries like the United States, India, Brazil, and Pakistan.

"2018 is is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections," he said.

Zuckerberg organisation faces charges of failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica from gathering personal information of Facebook users to try to influence election.

Zuckerberg said his one of the greatest regrets was that Facebook has been slow in identifying the Russian information operations in 2016.

"We expected them to do a number of more traditional cyber attacks, which we did identify and notify the campaigns that they were trying to hack into them," he said.

The Facebook CEO said he was now more confidant as his company has set the things right . Since the 2016 election, there have been several important elections around the world where it has had a better record, he said.

There was the French presidential election. There was the German election. There was the US Senate Alabama special election last year," Zuckerberg added.

He said Facebook has deployed new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that better identify fake accounts, trying to interfere in elections or spread misinformation.

"Between those three elections, we were able to proactively remove tens of thousands of accounts before they could do significant harm," he said.

"And the nature of these attacks, though, is that there are people in Russia whose job is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems, and other systems, as well. So this is an arms race, right? I mean, they're going to keep on getting better at this, and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this, too, which is why one of things I mentioned before is we're going to have more than 20,000 people, by the end of this year, working on security and content review across the company," he said.

Zuckerberg said they had developed tools which identify people when they try to create fake accounts.

Your content has to be authentic. So we build technical tools to try to identify when people are creating fake accounts, especially large networks of fake accounts, like the Russians have in order to remove all of that content," he said.

Zuckerberg said after the US 2016 election, Facebook's top priority was to protect the integrity of other elections around the world.

"What we're going to do is to ask a valid government identity and we're going to verify the location. We are going to do that so that someone sitting in Russia, for example, couldn't say that they're in America and, therefore, able to run an election ad," he said.

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Farmer associations and industry today shared mixed views in a meeting called by the commerce and industry ministry on issues related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the tobacco sector.

The meeting was chaired Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Secretary Ramesh Abhishek here.

Currently, FDI is prohibited in 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.

Krishan Kumar Modi, Chairman, Modi Enterprises said the current FDI policy in the sector should continue without any change.

"There is no need to bring (FDI) restrictions because other countries will also put restrictions and we are a major exporter of products such as cigarettes," he said after the meeting.

Modi added that a level paying field should remain for both domestic and foreign players in the country.

"Most of the large companies of the world are already here. So, if you ban few more that is not going to change the ground reality but on the other hand it will perpetuate monopoly," he said.

He said that not much FDI has come into the sector as no new license to manufacture are being given.

Representative of Peridepi Tobacco Farmer Society Yashwanth K C said FDI should not be banned in the sector as new technologies would help in getting remunerative prices to farmers.

"We are for FDI. We invite the technologies because for farmers. Markets have stagnated for so many years. It is also occupied by limited players and they have exclusive control over commodity and the trade.

"Entry of multi national firms in the sector here would provide a level playing field. If we have multiple players, there will be more competition and farmers will get multiple choices," he told PTI.

However, Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) and Karnataka Tobacco Growers Forum (KTGF) strongly opposed FDI in the sector.

They want complete prohibition of foreign investment in the segment.

"We have modern technologies and we do not want any kind of FDI in the sector," FAIFA President B V Javare Gowda said.

Sharing similar views, KTGF President Vikramraj Urs said that the association asked the government to put restrictions on FDI.

Today's meeting assumes significance as the 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 farmers associations and companies like Godfrey Phillips.

The domestic tobacco industry is mainly dominated by ITC Ltd, which controls over 78 per cent of the segment.

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 Industry Association are also among the 24 groups participated in the meeting.

The meeting was also important as domestic firms are complaining over tobacco rules in India, saying it discriminates against cigarettes through high taxation and graphic pictorial warnings, thereby promoting smuggling.

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.

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The first 'smart fence' pilot project to plug vulnerable gaps along India's borders has been rolled out in Assam on a riverine stretch with Bangladesh, the BSF chief has said.

The project is a part of the Modi government's ambitious plan to completely seal the India-Pakistan and the India-Bangladesh borders in the next few years and is called the comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS).

Border Security Force Director General K K Sharma told PTI that the maiden testing of technical surveillance and alarm gadgetry was recently operationalised on the 55-km-long stretch in Dhubri, across the Brahmaputra.

"The rolling out of the CIBMS pilot project has been initiated recently in Assam's Dhubri area. This is a riverine border area and hence no fence could be erected here," Sharma said.

At present, BSF troops use speed boats to guard this patch, which is highly prone to illegal migration and cattle smuggling due to the changing course of the mighty river.

No permanent structure - like border posts - can be erected in this area.

The DG said a similar project will be launched this month along the India-Pakistan International Border, in two stretches of 5 km each, in Jammu.

The technology being tested in the Dhubri region is a mix of surveillance and warning systems, he said, adding, he would not want to go into details about the devices being deployed.

The BSF chief said more than "2,000 kilometre of the border" along Pakistan and Bangladesh will be brought under the ambit of the 'smart fence project' - that uses infra-red cameras and radars - out of the total of a little over 6,300 km of the two borders it is tasked to guard.

"In fact, on the Pakistan side, we may go in for CIBMS even at places where we have fencing because we would like to be doubly sure. Roughly, about 2,000-plus kilometre length on both the borders has been identified as being vulnerable or as being without fence where we need to implement the CIBMS in the days to come.

"This rolling out process for the entire distance of 2,000 km will take about 3-5 years time," he said.

When asked if the force was not able to get the "required technology" to plug these vulnerable gaps on the two frontiers, prone to infiltration and smuggling of arms and drugs, the DG said that was not the case.

"No, it is not like that. All this technology is available.

"The problem lies in integrating all these things. Integration of all these gadgets and bringing all these on the same platform and then taking a common feed to the border out post, that is the challenge," he said.

Sharma added that once a software is created which integrates all these things, then the BSF personnel sitting in the border post will have a picture which is shown on a monitor and the gadgets and technology will be "guarding the border for us and if something is amiss, an alarm will be created."



"At this juncture, my men will respond," the DG said.

Talking about the technology source for this multi-crore project aimed to fortify Indian borders, the DG said most of these are being manufactured abroad but are easily available.

"There is nothing unique or scarce about them. The technology is mostly developed abroad but India is fast catching up. There are Indian players also who are trying to develop these technologies within the country," Sharma said.

The nearly-2.5-lakh-personnel-strong BSF is the country's largest border guarding force, and the Sashastra Seema Bal (Nepal and Bhutan borders) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (China border) being the other two paramilitaries under the command of the Union home ministry.

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The Supreme Court today came to the rescue to a 26-year-old Karnataka woman, who alleged that she has been married off without her consent, asked the Centre and the Delhi Police to grant her protection.

The woman, who is currently in Delhi and is being helped by Delhi Commission for Women, has sought striking down of sections 5 and 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) to the extent that they fail "to prescribe free, fair, valid prior consent of the parties to a marriage".

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud made clear that it will treat this petition as "habeas corpus" and not deal with the constitutionality of the provisions of the Act as sought by senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing the aggrieved woman.

"We can deal this petition as habeas corpus petition only. We will not get into the constitutionality of the provisions," the bench said, adding that it can grant protection to her to ensure that she is not forced to go to a place against her will.

At the outset, Jaising said she is an engineer and seeks quashing of her marriage conducted on March 14, 2018, as it was solemnised without her free, fair and valid prior consent.

The woman, daughter of an influential politician from Karnataka, asked the bench to consider the legality of the HMA provisions as they were silent on the requirement of a girl's explicit consent to make a marriage valid.

The court said such a declaration that lack of explicit consent would render the marriage invalid can be decided through appropriate proceedings emanating from family court. It also referred to the legal position and said Section 12 (c) of the Act provides for annulment of marriage if there is forced or fraudulent consent.

The counsel for the woman said this was a reverse case of Kerala's Hadiya as here the girl does not want to go with the husband who has been foisted on her by her family.

The court agreed with the contention of Jaising that the identity of the woman and her family members, who had forced her into the marriage, should not be revealed and said the name and addresses of the parties including the woman would be given in sealed cover.

It directed the Superintendent of the Police concerned to serve notice on the respondents (family members) and fixed the matter for further hearing on May 5.

She sought a direction quashing/nullifying/annulling her forced marriage conducted on March 14, 2018, which was conducted without her free, fair and valid prior consent.

"Declare Section 5(ii) and Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act to the extent it fails to prescribe/stipulate free, fair, valid prior consent of the parties to a marriage, are unconstitutional in as much as the same are discriminatory, unreasonable, arbitrary and in violation of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution," the woman said in her plea.

She claimed that her fundamental right to choose her life partner, has been brazenly trampled by her family members, who in connivance with each other have coerced, threatened, blackmailed, harassed, pressurized, abused, compelled and tricked her into getting married to the man, against her wishes and free consent.

The woman also claimed that she had escaped from the "clutches of her abusive family in Karnataka" and reached Delhi and further sought direction to the authorities from the apex court to provide her adequate security in order to safeguard her life, liberty and limb which was under threat from her own family members who are politically active in Karnataka.

She also said her family's conduct was indicative of resulting in the ghastly act of 'honour killing' as she wanted to get married to a person outside her caste.

The woman, an engineer by profession, alleged that she was forced to discontinue her studies in January this year as her parents forced her to marry against her wishes to the man.

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French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler today said the nearly 200 years old French school here should be at the forefront of the initiatives for strengthening ties between the younger generations of the two countries.

He was declaring open the new premises of the elementary sectionattached to the 'Lycee Francais' school here.

Referring to French President Emmanuel Macron's recent visit to India, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Macron celebrated the tie-up between the two countries "which is not only a strategic partnership but also a partnership of people and from the hearts."



During the visit last month, France and India had inked two important agreements related to facilitating migration of students and professionals between France and India and mutual recognition of degrees facilitating the pursuit of higher of French students in India and Indian students in France boosting their employability, he said.

Through these agreements the two countries had shared the ambition of multiplying the number of Indian and French students hosted in the respective countries.

"The objective we set to ourselves last month for boosting people to people ties and also for building strong partnership of the people of the two countries will start in places like this French school breeding a new generation of students familiar with both cultures," he said.

The Ambassador said the relocation of the primary section to the main premises of the Lycee Francais 'is symbolic of the new dynamicin this institution.

French Consul General in Puducherry Catherine Suard and Principal of Lycee Francais Stephan Madrias were among those present.

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Infrastructure major GMR group today said it would set up an aerospace and defence manufacturing hub in Hosur, about 300 kms from here, to promote production of defence equipment in the region.

The project is a joint venture between GMR Group and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development corporation (TIDCO).

Under the project, about 600 acres of prime industrial land has been made available for immediate occupation, a company statement said.

During the DefExpo 2018, to be organised by the Ministry of Defence, a team from the GMR Group would be talking to potential investors about the salient points of the project and discuss potential opportunities, it said.

Under the 'Make in India' initiative, the Centre had recently announced setting up of a Defence Industrial Production Corridor between Hosur and Chennai, the statement said.

"The proposed defence manufacturing hub is a step towards making this vision a reality," it said.

GMR Group, Business Chairman-Transportation and Urban Infrastructure, BVN Rao said, "The hub can potentially be a game changer for the region."



"We will be providing all the necessary infrastructure facilities to attract global majors to set up their manufacturing facilities here," he said.

"GKSIR Hosur is keen to set an international benchmark. GMR Group is a world renowned infrastructure developer and we already have an excellent track record of creating mega infrastructure projects in India and abroad", he noted.

The proposed hub is an ideal location for various defence public sector undertakings like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the release added.

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A brain dead man's organs harvested at a private hospital in Goa were taken to Mumbai instead of being donated to a patient waiting for transplant at a state-run hospital, prompting the health department to order an inquiry into it.

In view of this, a senior official of the western region's organ transplant body, affiliated to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has drawn the attention of the authorities concerned on the need to set up the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) in Goa.

The brain dead man's organs were harvested at a private hospital near here on Monday and sent to a hospital at Mumbai in the neighbouring Maharashtra, instead of being given to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

The state-run GMCH, located close to the private facility where the organs was harvested, claimed that one of its patients was waiting for a kidney transplant.

Goa's health minister Vishwajit Rane yesterday ordered an inquiry into the matter and formed a team of GMCH officials to investigate why the local patient was not provided the required organ.

Meanwhile, Dr Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, the director of the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO), Western Region, Mumbai, yesterday wrote a letter to Goa's health services director Dr Sanjiv Dalvi over the need to set up the SOTTO.

In the letter, Gajiwala said since the SOTTO has not been set up, the coastal state does not have the approved list of kidney patients waiting for the transplant.

The letter, dated April 10, also said that the state does not have an emergency cross-matching facility, which is required for transplants.

Gajiwala also suggested the state to maintain a criteria-based transplant waiting list for organs and link it to ROTTO and NOTTO.

Notably, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has made it mandatory for the states to have their own panels so that the organs and tissues are collected scientifically from donors and provided to patients.

The Goa chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had earlier expressed serious concern over the delay in setting up SOTTO in the state.

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Google has filed an appeal against the Competition Commission's ruling which imposed Rs 136 crore fine on the Internet major for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search.

In February, Competition Commission of India (CCI) penalised Google for "infringing anti-trust conduct".

"We disagree with aspects of the CCI's decision. So, we have filed an appeal and sought a stay on those findings," a Google spokesperson said.

Appeals against CCI orders are filed with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

The fair trade watchdog's majority order came after a detailed probe into the complaints filed against the Internet major in 2012.

It was alleged that Google was indulging in abuse of dominant position in the market for online search through practices leading to search bias and search manipulation, among others.

"The Commission is cognisant of the fact that any intervention in technology markets has to be carefully crafted lest it stifles innovation and denies consumers the benefits that such innovation can offer.

"This can have a detrimental effect on economic welfare and economic growth, particularly in countries relying on high growth such as India," the regulator had said in its order.

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The Centre today accepted the Punjab government's proposal for setting up a government medical college in Mohali, an official statement said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh welcomed the development, saying the establishment of the medical college would help provide the best health and diagnostic services to the patients of the nearby areas, an official release said.

Health and Medical Education Minister Brahm Mohindra said all efforts would be made to ensure the timely completion of the project.

The Government of India would release Rs 113.40 crore in three installments for equipment and infrastructural development of the college, the release said.

The Punjab government has already made provisions for the project in its budget for 2018-19.

The central government had launched the scheme for establishment of new medical colleges and upgrading hospitals back in 2014.

The upcoming medical college would be established at a cost of Rs 374.86 crore, of which Rs 325.26 crore would be spent on building and infrastructure, and Rs 49.60 crore on equipment, as per the project report submitted by Punjab Health Systems Corporation.

The college with 100 MBBS seats would be developed over 20.85 acres of land, of which 9.81 acres is earmarked for civil hospital and 4.20 acres for the State Institute of Health & Family Welfare at Mohali.

Apart from this, a stretch of 6.84 acres in Jujhar Nagar village has been acquired just 1.5 km from the District Hospital, Mohali.

The spokesperson said the chief minister had directed the Health Department to acquire more land if needed for the project.

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The Congress in Gujarat would launch agitations at regular intervals to "expose" the ruling BJP and rope in NGOs and other non-political organisations for raising various issues concerning common people, especially urbanites.

As part of its preparations for the 2019 polls, the Congress would focus more on urban areas of the state which the BJP counts as its traditional strongholds.

The Congress today held a meeting of all MLAs, corporators, and party office-bearers from eight major cities at its headquarter here, said state Congress unit president Amit Chavda.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Chavda said the Congress would focus more on Ahmedabad and Surat cities.

He indicated the Congress would appoint zone-wise working presidents for these two cities along with unit presidents.

"We have undertaken an exercise to strengthen our base in cities. During today's meeting, it has been decided that the party workers would reach out to people of urban centres to understand their problems and raise issues concerning them, such as high electricity bills and corruption," Chavda told reporters.

"Our leaders would also give various agitation programmes at regular intervals to expose the ruling BJP in these cities," he said.

The Congress would rope in NGOs and other non-political organisations to raise issues of urban people at various platforms, said Chavda.

Speaking at the press conference, Gujarat Congress incharge Rajiv Satav underlined the need for reshuffling of party cadres to expand the party's urban footprint.

"The party is also mulling to impart training to elected representatives for improving their performance. To decentralise power, we will do reshuffling and give a chance to dedicated workers. We will chuck out those involved into anti-party activities or are involved in indiscipline," Satav said.

In 2017, the BJP managed to retain power for a sixth term, but with a reduced tally. While the saffron party pocketed 99 seats out of the total 182 seats, the Congress improved its performance upon 2012 polls by winning 77 seats.

The results suggest the BJP did well in urban constituencies whereas the Congress gained mostly in the rural parts.

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Bihar Governor Satya Pal Mallik and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today congratulated shooter Shreyasi Singh on winning the gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games.

In his message, Mallik called Singh "a daughter of Bihar" and showered praise on the 26-year-old for "doing her state and her country proud".

Singh's mother Putul Kumari is the sitting MP from Banka Lok Sabha constituency in the state. Her late father Digvijaya Singh represented the same seat during his lifetime, and was also a Union minister and president of the National Rifles Association.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar greeted Singh, recalling her "roots in Bihar", and extended his best wishes for her "bright future".

"Bihar's daughter has put Prime Minister's call for 'beti bachao, beti padhao' in golden letters by winning the gold medal in double trap shooting event at the Commonwealth Games," Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said in a tweet.

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The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi government, police and municipal corporation to inspect the premises of an illegal shoe factory, located in a residential area in Sultanpuri, where a fire left four people, including two minors, dead.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar, which initiated the proceedings on its own on basis of articles, issued notices to the authorities and asked them file their status reports after conducting an inspection.

It also asked the North MCD to ensure medical treatment to the injured and listed the matter for further hearing on April 24.

Four workers, including two minors, had died in the fire at the shoe-manufacturing unit in Delhi's Sultanpuri early morning on April 9.

The Delhi Fire Services had received a call around 6:30 am about the blaze in Rajapuri area of Sultanpuri and over two dozen workers were sleeping in the first and second floors of the three-storey building when the blaze started.

The court said it was concerned with the rights of labours and right to life.

At least 10 fire tenders rushed to the spot, but the narrow alleys posed a great challenge before they could reach the site, police had said.

The fire fighters had struggled for a couple of hours to douse the fire. The factory was running without permission in the residential area, they had said.

Police had taken the injured to a hospital where they were declared dead. The deceased were identified as Razi Mohammad (20), Shan Mohammad(17), Ayub (17) and Mehboob (18). They all belonged to Asmada village in Uttar Pradesh Hardoi district. Ayub and Mehboob were siblings.

The unit was run by a person named Veeresh Gupta, who lived in the same locality. The building was used for manufacturing shoes and housed around 25-30 workers, they had said, adding that a case has been registered.

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed diamantaire Nirav Modi's company, Firestar Diamond, to ask him to return to the country, dubbing him a "fugitive".

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta passed the direction after the company's lawyer said relief should not be denied to it on a technicality that Firestar International had authorised the filing of petitions by its subsidiary, Firestar Diamond.

"If we should not stress upon technicality, then ask Mr Modi to come back. Ask him to come back," the bench told advocate Vijay Aggarwal, who appeared for Firestar Diamond and Firestar International.

Expressing "serious concern" over Modi's statement that he will not submit to jurisdiction of Indian agencies or courts, it said "we are dealing with a fugitive here according to them (ED). A fugitive from justice stands on a different footing."



The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches and seizure of the company and its assets in connection with a money laundering case related to the over Rs 110 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.

The ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General Sandeep Sethi and central government standing counsel Amit Mahajan, had contended that no relief be granted to the two companies as Modi is a "fugitive from justice", was "absconding" and not joining the investigation.

The bench also said there was merit in ED's contention that while the "driving force behind the companies" (Modi) was not submitting to jurisdiction, his companies cannot be given any discretionary relief.

The observations came during the hearing on the pleas of Modi's and Mehul Choksi's firms challenging the ED proceedings against them as well as various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court listed all the matters for hearing on May 3.

It asked ED to file its response to the pleas moved by Choksi's Gitanjali Gems and Modi's Firestar International, the parent company of Firestar Diamonds which had earlier moved high court against the ED proceedings.
The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu government to clarify whether a governor under Article 161 of constitution has to consult the Centre over premature release of convicts in cases handled by central agencies.

Posing the question on an appeal filed by Rajiv Gandhi assassination case life convict Nalini, a bench comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and R Subramanian posted the matter to April 23 for further hearing.

Nalini had filed the appeal against the 2016 order of Justice M Sathyanarayanan rejecting her prayer for premature release under a 1994 state government scheme under Art 161 (powers of Governor to grant pardon).

As per the scheme, life convicts who had served 20 years of prison term were eligible for pre-mature release.

The state government had opposed Nalini's plea before the single judge citing a similar matter before the Supreme Court.

The apex court in its order on the matter in March, 2016 had made it clear that for pre-mature release pleas under CrPc section 435, concurrence by the Centre was required in cases handled by central agencies such as the CBI.

When the appeal came up for hearing, counsel for Nalini argued that her plea did not fall under Sec 435 of CrpC and it was under Art 161. Hence there was no need for consultation.

The bench directed the state government to answer the question whether the governor under article 161 has to consult the Union government.

Nalini had made a representation in February, 2014 seeking pre-mature release saying she had undergone imprisonment for more than 24 years.

She further submitted that her death sentence was commuted for life under article 161 of the Constitution on April 24, 2000.

Nalini contended that she was eligible to be released under the scheme announced by the state government on November 10, 1994.

She has been lodged in a special prison for women at Vellore for more than 26 years since her arrest in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumpudur by an LTTE suicide bomber on May 21, 1991.

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The Kerala High Court today set aside an order of a special officer for taking over of vast stretches of land belonging to plantation company Harrisons Malayalam Ltd in the state, observing that the government cannot act like Robin Hood.

A division bench of Justices K Vinod Chandran and Ashok Menon held that the findings based on which the order was given in June, 2016 were "legally unsustainable."



It said the 'welfare state' exists for the downtrodden and the marginalised, but it cannot act like Robin Hood, which would be a negation of the democratic principles and blatant flouting of rule of law.

The state government had appointed IAS officer M G Rajamanikyam as the special officer to identify and reclaim all illegal land holdings in possession of various British companies and individuals prior to independence.

He had initiated proceedings to attach land of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML), holding that they were leased out to the company during the British rule.

He passed an order for take over of the land, holding that the company was in illegal possession of the same.

Challenging this, the company moved the high court.

Considering the question of law involved in the case and the importance of the issue, the matter was referred by a single judge bench for the consideration of division bench.

The division bench observed that the findings of the team headed by Rajamanikyam were "legally unsustainable."



The officer had made the recommendations in his report on the basis of the allegations under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA), the Indian Independence Act and the 'fraud' found in his own order, it said.

The order of the officer under the Kerala Land Conservancy (KLC) Act and the allegations of fraud, forgery and collusion arrived at by him were "incompetent", the bench held.

In seeking a CBI investigation as also the involvement of the Enforcement Directorate, the officer had gone beyond the scope and ambit of the powers and authority conferred under the KLC Act, it said.

Welcoming the judgement, the company in a statement here said being in business in the country for over a century, its lands were "legitimately held."



The company does not have any unauthorised government land as alleged, it said.

"...HML has always been a responsible corporate entity and has approvals/clearances required under law for its land holdings and business," the statement added.

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A Mumbai court today stayed a bailable warrant issued against Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case, in which the government's appeal against his acquittal is pending before the Supreme Court.

"Salman had to appear before the court here to furnish surety as per the direction of the Supreme Court which has admitted the government's appeal," said special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat.

The court had last week issued a bailable warrant against him after the actor did not complete the procedure of providing surety (a guarantor for good behaviour) on the past two dates, Gharat said.

Khan's lawyer today filed an application before the sessions judge M G Deshpande, who stayed the bailable warrant after the lawyer said that the actor would complete the procedure.

"We had moved the Supreme Court seeking change in the surety, and the apex court allowed it. We have already started the process to comply with the order," said Khan's lawyer Niranjan Mundergi.

In December 2015, the Bombay High Court had acquitted Khan of all criminal charges for a lack of substantial evidence, seven months after the sessions court held him guilty.

The actor was accused of running his car over some persons sleeping on the pavement in suburban Bandra in 2002. One person had died in the mishap. The trial court awarded him a five-year jail term.

A court in Jodhpur recently sentenced the actor to five years in jail for killing a black buck in 1998.

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The BJP government in Haryana will give a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to those residents of the state who were "sufferers" and were imprisoned during the days of Emergency between June 1975 to March 1977, the state Cabinet decided here today.

The Cabinet met here this evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The Cabinet approved the Haryana State Shubhra Jyotsna Pension and Other Facilities Scheme, 2018, which will be applicable from November 1, 2017, an official release said.

"Under the scheme, a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 will be given to those residents of Haryana who had actively participated during the period of emergency, that is from June 25,1975 to March 21,1977 and had faced imprisonment under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), 1971 and Defence of India Act, 1962.

"Apart from this, those people who did not have Haryana domicile, but were arrested in Haryana and jailed in the state during Emergency would also be entitled for the pension," the release said.

Citing the cabinet decision, it said those residents of Haryana who had struggled during the period of Emergency and faced imprisonment even for one day under MISA Act or Defence of India Act, 1972 and rules framed there under shall be eligible to avail the benefit of the scheme.

It said the policy shall also be applicable to widows of such persons.

"The beneficiary shall have to produce a jail certificate for the same issued by the Jail Superintendent concerned and countersigned by District Magistrate. In case any such person is unable to produce the jail certificate due to record missing or being unavailable, he may produce certificate from two co-prisoners. Such certificate of co-prisoners must be authenticated by an MLA or MP of the concerned district," it said.

Such Emergency sufferers will have to open an Aadhaar linked saving bank account in any nationalized bank to transfer the amount of pension to their bank accounts and have to give a 'life certificate' in the month of January every year as is being followed in the case of other pensioners, it said.

"Emergency sufferers who are getting pension or honorarium of any kind from any other State Government will also be eligible. However, if an otherwise eligible Emergency sufferer is getting pension from any other State Government for the same purpose of an amount less than Rs 10,000 per month, the entitlement of pension under this scheme would be reduced by that amount," it said.

The pension shall be cancelled in case of conviction by the Court on charges of moral turpitude or for providing false information or affidavit, the release added.

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The Haryana government has decided to recover the benefit availed by people under Old Age Allowance Scheme by suppressing true information, an official said today.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of state Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today.

It was decided that the benefit given for the ineligible period would be recovered by the department by deducting 50 per cent amount from the monthly pension of the beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the government has also decided that notices issued and FIRs registered against such beneficiaries would be withdrawn.

In another decision, the Haryana Cabinet here today approved modified scheme for hiring of buses on kilometre basis by state Transport Department.

The buses will be hired by inviting tenders or applications from an individual, firm, company or a registered society or any other legal entity, an official release said giving details of the cabinet decision.

Before entering into an agreement with the Department, the owner shall get the buses registered in his or her or its name in Haryana. The driver of the bus will continue to be the employee of the owner of the bus.

The Department shall provide conductors for the operation of the bus under whose control the bus will ply from one destination to another. The owner of the bus will exercise absolutely no operational control over the bus. The buses shall be painted as per the colour scheme approved by the Department, the release said.

In another decision, the the state government today started the process to set up an International Airport/Civil Aviation Hub at Hisar as the Haryana Cabinet approved the sale of land measuring over 23 acre belonging to Municipal Corporation, Hisar to the Civil Aviation Department for its construction.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal of the Technical Education Department to rename the University of Science and Technology by amending the YMCA University of Science and Technology Act, 2009.

The change in the name of the University has been effected for its identification as a Government University.

The YMCA University of Science and Technology, Faridabad will now be known as J C Bose University of Science and Technology YMCA, Faridabad.

In another decision, the Cabinet was informed that a state-of-art Rehabilitation Centre for fitment of artificial limbs shall be set up at Nawada Tigaon in district Faridabad.

The Cabinet also gave its approval to amend the schedule of rates under the Haryana Value Added Tax Act, 2003 regarding provisions made under it for natural gas.

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Amid controversy over school students in Haryana being asked to fill a lengthy admission form giving details like if their parents are engaged in any "unclean occupation", Department of School today clarified that no new term has been introduced in the form by the present state government.

The state government's reaction came after the opposition hit out at the Khattar dispensation.

"No new term has been coined much less introduced in the form by the present Government of Haryana," an official spokesman of Department of School said here in a release.

On the use of a particular adjective, "unclean occupation", with the vocation of parents, he said, "the said adjective is and has ever since been a part of a scheme of Pre-Matric Scholarship of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, first revised on January 21, 2009 and last on July 1, 2011."



In the admission form, students above primary classes have also been asked to mention their and their parents' Aadhaar numbers, parents' occupation and educational qualification.

The form also seeks to know "whether parents of students are engaged in unclean occupation, whether they are income tax payees, their religion and caste details, genetic disorder, if any, besides students' bank details".

The spokesman said that "the school admission form is intended to ensure that every student is enabled to receive full benefit of every scheme of Government of India and Government of Haryana directly in her account in case such benefit is monetary."



"To those who are asking what will they do with the bank account details of a student, the Department would obviously send all amounts of cash grants and scholarships directly into this bank account," he said.

He also said that practically all scholarship schemes have an income ceiling.

He clarified that Aadhaar number of the student seeking admission is not mandatory.

While there was no scavenger family in Haryana, he emphasized that the benefits of annual grant and monthly scholarship were available to children, including adopted children, of parents "presently engaged in tanning and/or flaying" or of parents engaged in "manual scavenging up to 1st January, 1997" under regulations governing the centrally sponsored scheme of pre-matric scholarships to the children of those engaged in unclean occupations i.e., scavenging, tanning and flaying applicable with effect from 01.07.2011".

The spokesman said that those raising objection to yet another measure of the Haryana government to ensure that benefits of all schemes reach "to the last in the spirit of Antoyodaya is nothing but an instance of petty mindedness."



Commenting on the development, the Congress said the BJP-led state government was indulging in "racial and religious profiling".

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in a series of tweets said, "Khattar (Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar) Govt issues a 100 point Students Admission Form. It is really a Surveillance of Parents/Students Form.

"Khattar Govt does it again. Students labelled as 'untouchables' & their parents occupation as 'unclean'. Height of insanity is the kind of pvt info of parents being sought. Calling vocation of parents unclean is absurd," he said.

"Govt, taking a cue from NaMo App, issues a 100 pointer student admission form. Since when has Aadhaar become mandatory for school admission?," he said in another tweet.

Surjewala demanded that the state department withdraw the order and tender an apology to the parents.

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India has approved the technical configuration of the Kamov light weight multi-role military helicopters which will be supplied to Indian armed forces by an Indo-Russian joint venture, a senior Russian official said here today.

In October 2016, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement for the joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and two Russian defence majors. India is procuring 200 Kamov Ka-226T choppers to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.

The agreement for the Kamov choppers was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia in December 2015.

The Indian side approved the technical configuration of the light utility Ka-226T helicopter developed by Russian Helicopters Holding Company to be assembled by Joint Venture Indo-Russian Helicopters Limited in India, CEO of Russian Helicopters Andrey Boginskiy said.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Defence Expo, a biennial exhibition of weapons and military platforms.

Boginskiy said a production facility will be set up in India to assemble the helicopters.

India's Defence Ministry has already approved the payment for setting up of the JV. A site in the vicinity of Tumkur near Bangaluru has been identified.

Approval of helicopter configuration to be delivered and assembled in India means that the technical aspects of the project have been finalised. We and our Indian partners shall commence the preparation of contractual documents in the near future, he said.

Boginskiy said the Ka-226T helicopter, featuring a coaxial main rotor system, with the maximum take-off weight of 3.6 tons, is capable of transporting up to one ton of payload.

Ka-226T may be equipped with a transport cabin, which allows transporting up to 6 people, or modules fitted with special equipment. Improved flight performance of Ka-226T helicopter, environmental friendliness, cost effectiveness, state-of-the-art avionics suite and additional flight safety solutions make this helicopter one of the best in its class, he said.

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India has inked a pact with Morocco under which focus would be laid on evaluation of potential mineral resources and promoting exploration and mining through participation of both public and private sector.

"After the bilateral discussions, an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in the field of Mining and Geology for a period of 5 years was signed by both the countries," the mines ministry said in a statement.

The focus of the MoU is on the development of the geological infrastructure for Geoscience Maps and geochemical maps, strengthening geological research and evaluation of the potential of mineral resources, promoting exploration and mining through participation of both public & private sector etc.

Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development of Kingdom of Morocco held discussions with Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar here today.

Tomar also informed the Morocco Minister that the Geological Survey of India is a pioneer exploratory agency in exploration and is willing to assist Morocco in geological mapping and mineral exploration, the statement said adding that a specialized Training Institute of GSI can train the professionals of Morocco.

"Rabbah...was impressed with the profile of the Indian mining industry. He expressed that India can make huge investments in Morocco in the field of automobile, textile, aerospace, agro and electronic industries. A road map for mining sector to increase the GDP by about 30 per cent has been drawn.

He stated that joint venture and B2B between Morocco and India for minerals would be welcome to improve the economy of Morocco and neighbouring markets as well," the statement said.

It was suggested by the Indian side that first meeting under the MoU may be held within six months.

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India has jumped 13 places in the last one year to be earn 130th spot in the latest annual Index of Economic Freedom released by a top American think-tank.

In 2017, India with a score of 52.6 points was ranked at 143 among 180 countries, two spots below neighbour Pakistan, according to the Index of Economic Freedom.

China with 57.4 points was ranked 111 in the 2017 index of The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative public policy think-tank based in Washington.

As per the latest Index of Economic Freedom, China has jumped one spot and Pakistan is now at 131 position.

India's economic freedom score is 54.5, making its economy the 130th freest in the 2018 Index, the Heritage Foundation said.

"Its overall score has increased by 1.9 points, led by improvements in judicial effectiveness, business freedom, government integrity, and fiscal health. India is ranked 30th among 43 countries in the AsiaPacific region, and its overall score is below the regional and world averages," it added.

Noting that India is developing into an open-market economy, the Index said traces of its past autarkic policies still remain.

Economic liberalisation measures, including industrial deregulation, privatisation of state-owned enterprises and reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, that began in the early 1990s, accelerated growth, the report said.

More recently, the government reformed one of its more opaque operational practices to make the auctioning of rights to exploit state-owned resources more transparent.

"Corruption, underdeveloped infrastructure, a restrictive and burdensome regulatory environment, and poor financial and budget management continue to undermine overall development," the report said.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised sweeping economic reforms, the report said the reforms thus far have been modest.

"India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services," it said.

Although land titles in some urban and nearly all rural areas remain unclear, real property rights in large metropolitan areas are generally well enforced.

"The judiciary is independent, but the Indian courts are understaffed and lack the technology necessary to clear an enormous backlog. Although officials are often caught accepting bribes, a great deal of corruption goes unnoticed and unpunished," according to the Heritage Foundation.

Observing that non-tariff barriers significantly impede trade, the Heritage Foundation said the government's openness to foreign investment is below average.

"State-owned institutions dominate the financial sector, and foreign participation is limited.

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India and Zambia today signed four agreements including on double taxation avoidance and judicial cooperation as President Ram Nath Kovind held delegation-level talks with his Zambian counterpart Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

President Kovind, who arrived here yesterday on the final leg of his visit to three African countries, had "meaningful and wide-ranging discussions" with his Zambian counterpart, said a statement issued by the Indian President's Office.

"The two Presidents exchanged views on bilateral and global issues. Committing to India's long-standing developmental partnership with Zambia, President Kovind also expressed appreciation for Zambia having signed the International Solar Alliance agreement. He looked forward to early ratification of the agreement from the Zambian side," the statement said.

The two sides signed four agreements - on double taxation avoidance; on judicial cooperation; on mutual visa waivers for officials and diplomats; and on the Entrepreneurship Development Institute that India will build in Zambia.

This is the first visit to the country by an Indian president since 1989.

President Kovind also addressed the Zambia-India Business Forum.

"Zambia and India are time-tested friends. Built on this strong foundation, our bilateral trade and economic engagement has prospered," he said.

"Indian companies have invested significantly in Zambia, especially in mining, telecom, energy and manufacturing. But we can do more. There are opportunities for our businesses to explore - from social enterprises to new technology; from community projects to highways; and from 'Digital India' to 'Smart Zambia'," the President said while addressing the Forum.

Noting that the trade between the two countries has picked up significantly in the past few years, President Kovind urged all stakeholders - small and medium enterprises, Chambers of Commerce, large companies, new entrepreneurs - to diversify and expand the Zambia-India business corridor.

"Both Zambia and India are blessed with a youthful population. We need to connect our young people through start-ups, skills, technology and new ideas," he said.

As part of President Kovind's visit, India has agreed in principle to provide concessional finance and support towards the construction of the Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Lusaka. India has also gifted Zambia medicines and medical equipment worth USD 3 million as well as presented USD 100,000 for the Mahatma Gandhi School in Lusaka.

Earlier in the morning, the President visited the Embassy Park Presidential Memorial in Lusaka and paid tributes to three former Presidents of Zambia Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa and Micheal Sata.

After his arrival here yesterday, President Kovind addressed a gathering of the Indian community.

"Members of the community are our champions in a faraway land. They have made great efforts to embellish India's reputation as well as keep alive our cultural traditions. This is commendable," he told the gathering.

Tomorrow, the President will ceremonially commence work on the 93-km Lusaka Traffic Decongestion Project.

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An Indo-Vietnam pact for transfer of each other's sentenced prisoners to serve their remaining terms in their own countries has come into effect with its ratification by the two nations.

In a gazette notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the treaty between India and Vietnam on mutual transfer of sentenced prisoners has come into effect following its confirmation by the Southeast Asian nation.

The pact would grant the citizens of the countries, convicted and sentenced in the other country, an opportunity to serve their remaining terms in their own countries and facilitate their social rehabilitation in their own societies, the notification said.

Detailing various conditions of the pact for transfer of a sentenced person from one country to another, the notification said the person has to be a national of the receiving state and must not have been sentenced to death.

Among other conditions, the imprisoned person must be undergoing the term after the final judgement on his case in the transferring state and must not be facing any other criminal proceeding, requiring his continued presence in the host state.

Additionally, for a prisoner to be transferred from one country to another, he must not have been convicted for an offence under a military law, the notification said.

For his transfer from the host country to his own, a prisoner or somebody else, legally entitled to act on his behalf, may request the government of either of the two contracting states through a formal application made in prescribed manner.

The agreement on transfer of the sentenced persons was signed by India and Vietnam on November 1, 2013 and was ratified by India on January 1, 2014. Vietnam, however, ratified it only on March 10, 2017.

The gazette notification was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs last week.

India has entered into prisoner transfer treaties with many nations that allow a person convicted of a crime to be transferred to his or her home country to serve the remaining term.

The Repatriation of Prisoners Act 2003 was enacted by the government to provide for transfer of foreigners imprisoned in Indian jails or vice versa to their native countries to serve their remaining terms nearer home and families and facilitate their social rehabilitation.

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Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the killing of her daughter Sheena Bora, today said she feared threat to her life.

Mukerjea expressed the apprehension while being taken back to the Byculla prison after her discharge from J J Hospital today.

Mukerjea, who was admitted in the state-run J J Hospital for the treatment of a suspected drug overdose, was brought back to the jail, Inspector General (Prisons) Rajvardhan Sinha told PTI.

Her health condition is better, the hospital's dean Dr S D Nanandkar said.

While she was being taken back to the jail, a reporter asked her at the J J Hospital whether she feared a threat to her life.

"Yes," she replied without saying anything else, as the police rushed her out of the hospital to take her to the prison.

Mukerjea, 46, was on April 6 admitted to the hospital, where she was brought in a "semi-conscious" condition from her cell in Byculla Jail in south Mumbai.

She subsequently underwent a series of medical tests.

Her urine samples were sent for analysis at a forensic laboratory here and after receiving its report, the hospital authorities said she had an overdose of anti-depressants that were not prescribed to her.

"The reports of her urine sample showed a significant increase in the level of benzodiazepine, a class of anti-depressants," a doctor from the hospital had said, quoting from reports of the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina.

"Her health has improved and we have carried out a detailed check-up today. She can be sent back to the jail and we have informed the police and jail authorities accordingly," the hospital's superintendent Dr Sanjay Surase told reporters.

An X-ray of her lungs had earlier shown a patch, for which she was still on antibiotics. The treatment would continue for the next couple of days, Surase said.

Asked if her earlier medication of anti-depressant drugs would continue, he said, "Those medicines were prescribed by jail doctors. It is up to them to continue with the same medicines or make any changes."



The state prisons department had earlier ordered an inquiry to find out how Mukerjea fell ill in the jail.

The IG (prisons) will submit his report to the department after completing the inquiry.

Mukerjea, the co-founder of INX Media, is the prime accused in her daughter Sheena Bora's murder case.

Bora, 25, was killed and her body disposed of in a forest area in the neighbouring Raigad district in April 2012, according to the police.

Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested for their alleged roles in the crime. Rai had later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case.

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FMCG major ITC is eyeing 10 to 12 per cent market share in the packed juices and fruit beverages segment by next year as the company bets on its not from concentrate' range of juices, said a top company official.

ITC would continue to add more flavours in B Natural's portfolio and plans to add 4-5 new variants in next few months. Besides, the Kolkata-headquarted company is also looking to tap the export market.

"We believe that we should get double-digit market share of the juices by next year," ITC Divisional Chief Executive, Foods Division Hemant Malik told PTI.

According to the company, B Natural is a Rs 100-crore brand at present, and is growing 25 per cent annually. ITC has around 7 per cent share in the juices and fruit beverages market, which is estimated to be around Rs 2,500 crore.

The market is growing 13 to 14 per cent annually and is dominated by players like Pepsico's Tropicana and Dabur's Real, the company said.

As per its strategy, ITC has now shifted away from making juices from concentrates, which are mostly imported, and is now leveraging strength of its agri division to directly source fruits from farmers and convert pulps into juices.

"This will lead to sourcing of over 2.5 lakh tonnes of fresh fruits directly from Indian farmers annually instead of importing concentrates," said Malik.

Globally, the trend is moving towards not-from-concentrate based juices, and in markets as US, it is sold at 30 per cent premium, he added.

"We have 13 products and now our entire range would be made not from concentrate and fruits sourced from the domestic market," said Malik.

It is also strengthening the distribution network of B Natural and would focus on small tier III markets, which have also started consuming packed juices, besides tier I & II places.

"We are using our distribution strength to expand availability across both rural and urban markets," he said.

Besides ITC has also started exporting B Natural to Middle East targeting the Indian diaspora and is looking at markets as US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The company is also spending on branding and promotions substantially, he said, without disclosing the numbers.

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A civilian was killed and three security forces personnel injured today during an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the district's Khudwani area last night, following information about presence of militants there, the officials said.

They said a gunbattle broke out between the militants and security forces in the early hours.

Three security force personnel were injured in the initial exchange of firing, the officials said.

Local residents started pelting security personnel with stones, leading to clashes, they said, adding that some civilians were injured.

The officials said a 25-year-old man succumbed to injuries at a hospital. It was not immediately known how the deceased got injured, they said.

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Japan's foreign minister was in South Korea for a rare visit today, armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of a looming summit between North and South Korea.

The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month. Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of a third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out.

Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security concerns.

Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said "it is extremely important that Japan, the US and South Korea share information and coordinate closely" ahead of the two summits.

Foreign minister Taro Kono will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in the morning. As well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues", Kono has said he will try to ensure that "the abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit".

He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions. The North regularly excoriates Japan over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

But ties between the South and Japan have also remained sour for years due to controversy over historical issues left unresolved -- including Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II.

Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a controversial deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims.

Suga said Japan's foreign minister would seek to boost a "forward-looking" bilateral relationship despite the row. Kim is set to meet Moon on April 27 for a third-ever summit between the two neighbours, and is expected to talk with Trump in May or early June.

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Earthmoving and construction equipment company JCB today rolled 3000th machine manufactured at its plant here with 'Made in Rajasthan' tagline.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje visited the plant at Mahindra SEZ where JCB group chairman Lord Bamford briefed her about the facility.

Nearly 30 per cent of the workforce are women, the chairman informed the chief minister who also met with women engineers and staffers.

Speaking at the function to mark rolling out of 3000th machine of the plant, Raje said that the company has created opportunities for women in what is considered a male bastion, by having 25-30 per cent workforce as women.

Highlighting the efforts of the government to push investment in the state, Raje said that the efforts to accelerate economic growth and development and to invite investment have resulted in the creation of 13.50 lakh jobs in the last four years.

She said that women are proving their mettle and contributing to the growth and development of various sector that included sports, construction, health, education and economy among others.

The group chairman Lord Bamford said that the company is contributing signification in building India's infrastructure.

The opportunities for growth which India presents are significant and we are committed in making a positive difference in the lives of the people and communities whom we work closely with.

He said that three types of machines are being manufactured at the Jaipur facility and machines are exported to 51 countries besides supplying the product to the local market.

Graeme Macdonald, the group CEO, said that India is a big market for the company which contributes to nearly 39 per cent of the total global business of the company.

The Jaipur plant, which is spread over 114 acres in Mahindra Sez, was inaugurated in November 2014 and has invested Rs. 750 crore.

Bamford informed that the company would institute awards for promoting literature in regional Indian language and would associate it with Jaipur literature festival.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said electricity should be made available to 252 villages identified for 'Gaon Swaraj Campaign' between April 14 and May 5, according to an official release today.

Reviewing the department of energy at the state secretariat, Das said, "We are committed to provide the basic facility in timely manner to the people of the state. Availability of electricity and uninterrupted transmission is our most important priority."



In case of power cut, the nearest repairing persons should be available to repair, he said adding that electricity line connected with drinking water supply system should not fail.

Chief Secretary Sudhir Tripathi, Principal Secretary Energy Department Nitin Madan Kulkarni and other officials were present at the meeting.

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Mahindra Defence Systems, part of the Mahindra Group today inked a pact with ShinMaywa Industries, Japan, for manufacturing and assembling of amphibious aircraft ShinMaywa US-2 in India.

Mahindra Group (aerospace and defence) President S P Shukla formally exchanged documents with director of ShinMaywa Industries, Yasuo Kawanishi during the DefExpo at Thiruvadanthai near here.

"The partnership between two companies, familiar with aviation business is positive especially for MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) and maintenance services in the Indian defence space", Shukla said.

Mahindra Defence Systems is committed to absorb the technology for the large amphibious aircraft in India, he said.

The MoU envisages both the companies to build up a strategic partnership, Kawanishi said.

"This is a versatile aircraft ideally suited for Indian conditions. The US-2 with its unmatched capability is considered to be extremely useful for strengthening the safety and security of long range fleet support and off-shore assets," he said.

The ShinMayway US-2 is a unique aircraft and the only 'in-service' open sea-capable amphibian aircraft with state-of the-art equipment suitable for rough sea operations.

It has been deployed by Japanese Maritime Self-defence forces across their remote islands for exclusive economic zones protection, search and rescue operations, he added.

DefExpo, in its 10th edition, is being organised by the Ministry of Defence and scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here tomorrow.

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Actor Mark Strong has said he prefers to play villains in films and attributed his love for the bad characters to his English lineage.

The 54-year-old actor has played villain in films such as "Sherlock Holmes", "Kick Ass" and he is currently gearing up to play antagonist Doctor Sivana in upcoming DC film 'Shazam!'.

When asked whether playing bad guys is more fun, Strong said, "I think so. In Britain we don't shy away from villains, whereas American culture is much more geared towards the hero.

"We can go all the way back to Richard III and Macbeth. They (Americans) have John Wayne."



Strong said what he enjoys most in his career is the challenge of playing people completely different to himself.

"I always thought what made acting interesting was playing what you're not, whether it's wigs, costumes or accent," he said, according to Femalefirst.

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The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to grant protection to a Karnataka woman who alleged that she has been married off without her consent.

The woman, who is presently in Delhi and being assisted by Delhi Commission for Women, has also sought striking down of certain provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act on the grounds that the consent of the bride or the groom has not been made mandatory in the law.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said that it would treat this petition as a habeas corpus plea and would not deal with the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Act as sought by senior advocate Indira Jaising, who was representing the aggrieved woman.

The bench observed that the Section 12 C of the Act provides for annulment of marriage if there is forced or fraudulent consent.

The court agreed with the contention that the identity of the woman and her family members, who had forced her into the marriage, be not revealed.

It directed the Superintendent of the Police concerned to serve notice on the respondents and fixed the matter for further hearing on May 5.

During the hearing, Jaising said that the woman has been forced into marriage and seeks protection.

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Mayoral polls in the three BJP-controlled municipal corporations in Delhi will be held by the end of this month, senior civic officials said today.

"The elections for the posts of mayor, deputy mayor and three members of the standing committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation will be held on April 26," an SDMC official said.

The notification for elections of mayor and deputy mayor of the SDMC has been issued, the official said.

Sources said the mayoral polls in east and north Delhi municipal corporation (EDMC and NDMC) would be held on April 24 and April 27 respectively. The notifications are likely to be issued tomorrow.

The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act provides for election of mayor and deputy mayor from among the councillors of the corporations in the first meeting of the House every year.

The mayors and deputy mayors get a year-long term in the cities of Union Territories.

The erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated into North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations in 2012.

The mayoral five-year tenure sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year being reserved for women, the second open category, third for reserved category, and the remaining two also being in open category.

Last year, the polls were held in the women category.

The incumbent mayors for the three corporations are Preety Agarwal (NDMC), Kamaljeet Sehrawat (SDMC) and Neema Bhagat (EDMC).

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said that his government will soon decide on the demand to increase the upper age limit of SC/ST candidates, appearing for the Meghalaya Civil Services (MCS) examination.

The matter of increasing the upper age limit is being examined by the government, he said in the Assembly.

"A decision will be made after taking all aspects of the matter into consideration," Conrad said while replying to a resolution moved by lone Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) MLA Adelbert Nongrum.

Nongrum had demanded that the upper age limit of aspirants be increased from 32 years to 45 years as the examination is being held after a gap of 11 years.

By enhancing the maximum age limit to 45 years, a fair chance could be given to aspiring candidates and also to those who could not succeed in the preceding competitive examination, Nongrum said.

During his reply, the chief minister also said that it is important to note that the duties of an MCS officer especially a field level post is physically demanding.

A junior duty post officer is responsible for performing field works of enquiries, conducting of inquest, inspection of development works, survey of revenue matters, providing relief in the event of an outbreak of any natural calamity and maintenance of law and order, he said.

He also said that if the upper age is increased to 45 years, the person would have only about 13 years of service considering the fact that the prescribed retiring age is 58 years.

"There would also be very less time to garner experience for efficient service delivery and also very less promotion avenues," the chief minister said.

Nongrum withdrew the resolution on the basis of the chief minister's assurance that the matter will be reviewed.

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Actor Melissa McCarthy is all set to star in the action comedy "Super-Intelligence".

To be directed by Ben Falcone from a script by Steve Mallory, the film follows Carol Peters, a former corporate executive whose earnest yet unfulfilled life is turned upside down when she is selected for observation by the world's first super-intelligence - an artificial intelligence that may or may not take over the world.

The film marks the fourth collaboration between Falcone and McCarthy after "Tammy" (2014), "The Boss" (2016) and upcoming "Life of the Party", which is set to release on May 11, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Falcone and McCarthy will also produce the project through their banner On the Day.

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An 11-year-old girl returning home from her school was waylaid and raped by an unidentified youth in the Meerganj police station area near here, the police said today.

The police said the incident took place on Monday, when the minor girl returning home on a bicycle was accosted by the 20-year-old youth who waylaid her to a nearby sugarcane field.

Bareilly Superintendent of Police (Rural) Satish Kumar said, "The youth took the girl to a sugarcane field and raped her."



As the victim cried for help, the assailant fled the spot, but not before threatening her with dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anybody, Kumar said.

"The girl narrated the incident to her parents after reaching home. Her father lodged a complaint, based on which a case has been registered against an unidentified person," the SP said.

"The medical examination of the girl proves that she was raped. Efforts are on to nab the culprit," Kumar added.

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Faced with a challenge to bring to book the culprits behind the Kathua rape-cum-murder of a minor girl, police reconstructed the scene of the crime to gather vital clues.

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

The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police filed two separate charge sheets against the eight accused persons including a juvenile held in the case. According to investigators, the girl was held captive inside a 'Devisthan', gangraped, kept without food and administered sedatives.

Her cause of death was asphyxia leading to cardio-pulmonary arrest, the investigations revealed.

"In the course of investigation the Special Investigation Team (SIT) members along with Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts and naib Tehsildar (executive magistrate) again visited the scene of occurrence and tried to reconstruct the scene of crime," according to the charge sheet.

It said minute examination of these locations led to the recovery of various items including blood-stained wooden sticks and hair strand which were seized, packed and sealed by the magistrate.

The sealed packets containing the exhibits were sent to FSL for analysis and report. Besides, few hair strands recovered from 'Devisthan' and nearby forest where the body of the girl was dumped by the accused were forwarded to experts in Delhi for DNA profiling.

"On the basis of opinion furnished by the experts, one of the hair strands recovered from the Devisthan matched with the DNA profile of victim which confirmed that she was kept in captivity at Devisthan which is exclusively manned by the mastermind Sanji Ram to the exclusion of any other person of the area," the charge sheet read.

Similarly, the hair strand recovered from the place of recovery of the body matched with the DNA profile of the juvenile who raped the girl several times after abducting her, it said.

Accused police officials - Sub Inspector Anand Dutta and Head Constable Tilak Raj - failed in their efforts to destroy the evidence by washing the clothes worn by the deceased after receiving Rs 4 lakh from the mastermind, it said.

FSL Delhi with updated technology was able to confirm the presence of blood stains on the clothes of the victim which matched with her DNA profile, it further said, adding DNA profiling also established presence of victims blood on the vaginal smears.

"As per the report of medical experts, the victim was found prima facie raped before being killed," the police said.

The crime branch said the investigation also established that the victim was raped by more than one accused with common intention.

"The medical opinion also established the fact that the victim had been kept without food and administered sedatives and her cause of death was asphyxia leading to cardio-pulmonary arrest, the charge sheet said.

During investigation, call details of mobile phones used by the accused persons were obtained from quarters concerned.

The CDRs obtained have prima facie established the individual and common locations of all the accused in and around the scene of crime on crucial dates of occurrence.

The analysis of CDRs of accused Deepak Khajuria, a special police officer who raped the girl shortly before she was killed and her body dumped, revealed that he had remained in constant touch with his associate Surinder Kumar from the date of kidnapping of the victim," the charge sheet said.

"This necessitated the questioning of SPO Kumar who was summoned and questioned but he could not give any plausible and tangible explanation regarding his telephonic conversation with Khajuria and sudden spike in their frequency despite of the fact that Khajuria had disclosed that he had sent Kumar to ascertain the movement of Bakherwals in and around Devisthan on January 14 and also to inform him regarding the condition of victim who then was held in captivity in Devisthan.

"In response to which, Kumar visited the Devisthan and conveyed to him regarding the movement of Bakherwals and condition of the victim. Besides some of the witnesses examined corroborated regarding the movement and presence of Kumar in and around Devisthan," it said.

The charge sheet said Kumar was accordingly arrested and is at present in judicial custody.

"Further investigation in respect of his involvement in the case is being conducted which may include his narco-analysis for which his consent has already been obtained," it said.

In the course of investigation, it said the statements of more than 130 witnesses were recorded.

"All the witnesses examined have unequivocally corroborated the facts that emerge in the course of investigation. The statements of all these witnesses form part of the challan (charge sheet).

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Mumbai Metro has assured to purchase 50 MW power from upcoming Vikhran solar plant in Dhule district, a senior Maharashtra government official said today.

State Energy department Principal Secretary Arvind Singh said the government had signed an agreement to purchase 50 MW solar power from the plant, to be set up in Dhule district in north Maharashtra.

The government, in a bid to strengthen its footing in the renewable energy segment, is planning to set up a 500 MW solar park at Vikhran.

"The entire investment in the park will come from private parties. There are two private players who are looking to set up solar power plants in Maharashtra," said Singh, refusing to divulge names of the interested companies.

He said Mumbai Metro had given a letter to the Maharashtra State Power Generation Corporation (Mahageneco) and has assured to purchase 50 MW power from the plant.

Mumbai Metro is operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (all lines except Lines 1 & 3), Mumbai Metro One (Line 1), Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (Line 3).

Dharma Patil, a local farmer from Vikhran, had committed suicide at Mantralaya in January this year, demanding adequate compensation to his land which was acquired for a thermal plant, which was later changed to the solar park.

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The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea challenging sale of debt-ridden firm to Tata Steel by the Committee of Creditors (CoC).

The Principal bench of NCLT headed by President Justice M M Kumar reserved its order after concluding the hearing in the matter.

The CoC of has approved Rs 352 billion (Rs 35,200 crore) deal along with 12.27 per cent equity in the company offered by Tata Steel.

However, some employees had challenged the decision before the NCLT contending that Tata Steel was not eligible to bid under Section 29 (A) of the IBC Code.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Rajiv Nayar representing Tata Steel said that CoC of Bhushan Steel had found its offer compliant to the regulations of the Insolvancy & Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

He also justified Tata Steel's stand on not going with power purchase agreement (PPA) of Bhsuhan Steel with Bhushan Energy Ltd (BEL) in the resolution plan submitted before the CoC saying that it was at "exorbitant rate".

"We cannot be burdened with such contract... It has to be terminated," said Nayar adding that the agreement binds it to purchase the entire power generation of BEL, whether it is utilised or not.

On April 9, BEL, which is also going through insolvency proceedings, had approached NCLT contending that termination of PPA with Bhushan Steel and avoidance of any payment by the successful bidder would be against the contract.

However, Nayar said that such petty contracts shall not be allowed and alleged that they are operational creditors and and their contract could not stand.

As on February 1, 2018, Bhushan Steel had a total debt of Rs 571.6 billion (Rs 57,160 crore).
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) today inked a pact for its maiden international project, part of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.

India, Thailand and Myanmar are working on the about 1,400 km long highway that would boost trade, business, health, education and tourism ties among the three countries.

"NHAI has signed an agreement for upgradation of Yagyi - Kalewa section in Myanmar to Two Lane with Earthen Shoulder. The agreement was signed today by NHAI with Punj Lloyd Ltd - Varaha Infra Ltd (JV)," the NHAI said in a statement.

The development comes against the backdrop of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently saying that the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (TH) is likely to be operational by December 2019.

"The project has been funded by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and would be executed on EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) mode at a cost of Rs 1,177 crore," the statement said.

The project includes three new major bridges, repair and strengthening of four existing major bridges, two new minor bridges, reconstruction of six existing minor bridges, repair and strengthening of nine existing minor bridges, reconstruction of 226 existing culverts, 20 bus bays and passenger shelters besides one rest area.

"Next year by the end of December, we will be in a position to get connectivity...We are giving highest priority to this (India-Myanmar-Thailand TH project). This will boost trade and ties among the nations in the region," Gadkari had earlier said.

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North Korea's parliament was scheduled to convene today amid a series of diplomatic moves by leader Kim Jong Un that could have a major impact on the direction the country takes in the months and possibly years ahead.

Meetings of the full Supreme People's Assembly are usually brief, once-a-year affairs intended to approve budgets, formalize personnel changes and rubber-stamp Kim's policy priorities.

But this year's session was being watched more closely because it was to begin just two weeks before Kim is to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and as Pyongyang and Washington are working out the details of a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in late May or early June.

Kim just completed his first summit, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month. His foreign minister is currently in Moscow, reportedly exploring the possibility of a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Kim's seemingly sudden switch from launching missiles at a record pace last year to exploring dialogue has generally been welcomed. But questions remain over how willing Kim might be to make serious compromises on his nuclear weapons program in return for security guarantees and the lifting of economic sanctions that are taking a big bite out of his country's economy.

Pyongyang has been careful not to reveal its hand.

The first significant of the overtures in its official media came this week, when they reported that Kim laid out his plans for dialogue with South Korea and the United States at a pre-assembly gathering of top ruling party officials on Monday. But even those reports were cautious: Trump wasn't mentioned by name and Kim was said to have talked about the "prospect" of dialogue with Washington.

It was not immediately clear what was on the agenda for the assembly or how much of it would be made public.

State media, which only announced the date of the assembly session last month, do not generally report about the meetings until they are over. Foreign media in Pyongyang - including The Associated Press - were not allowed to cover the session independently.

North Korea's supreme assembly is a far cry from the Western democratic idea of what a parliament should be.

The assembly, which has had 686 members since the most recent elections in 2014, generally holds one and sometimes two sessions each year.

It's headed by Kim Yong Nam, the North's 90-year-old senior statesman who accompanied Kim's sister to South Korea in February to attend the opening of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. He has been the head of the assembly since 1998, and although he seems to be in good health, speculation that he may retire has been circulating for years.

The assembly is technically the highest organ of state power under the North's constitution. In practice, it serves more to formalize whatever decisions and policies that are put before it. But it is an important means of keeping the deputies updated and informed of national priorities so that they can in turn pass that information on to their districts.

When the assembly is in session, it is common to see long caravans of buses filled with deputies being taken around the capital for tours of museums and visits to historical sites - probably a rare experience for some of the representatives of the more remote or rural areas.

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Pakistan has deported five Chinese engineers and workers engaged in the construction of a 126-km portion of the Gojra-Khanewal Motorway for their involvement in a clash with security personnel in Punjab province of the country.

Those deported include the project manager Xu libing, administration officer Tian Weijun, material and equipment engineer Wang Yifan, financial affairs manager Wang Yifan and field engineer Tan Yang.

"Five Chinese engineers and workers engaged in the construction of a 126-km portion of the Gojra-Khanewal Motorway from Dinpur to Khanewal Punjab have been deported. Police brought them to Lahore from where they were deported to Beijing yesterday," says Khanewal District Police Officer Rizwan Umer Gondal.

The Chinese nationals in question on April 4 allegedly had placed heavy machines on roads linking Kabirwala to Khanewal, some 350-km from Lahore, to protest against "unnecessary restriction on their movement."



They had also clashed with the personnel of a special protection unit of the police set up for the security of Chinese working in the country. They also allegedly damaged a vehicle of the unit. A video of their altercation between the Chinese had also gone viral on social media.

The government had formed a three-member committee that probed the matter. It held the Chinese national responsible for the clash and security violation. Declaring them persona non grata, it said, "the Chinese workers should have realised the sensitivity of the situation and should not have taken the law into their own hands."



The Chinese nationals in question were reportedly unhappy with restrictions on their movement and ban on visits by outsiders at night. They also wanted removal of the special protection unit staff from their camp.

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Pakistan's parliament today unanimously passed a resolution condemning the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and demanding the UN Human Rights Commission to send a fact-finding mission to the Valley.

The resolution moved by Pakistan's Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir in the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, appealed to the international community to implement the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.

The resolution urged the government to request the Human Rights Council in Geneva to send a fact-finding mission to the Valley to investigate the alleged human rights violations, Radio Pakistan reported.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Pakistan is "strongly highlighting" the Kashmir issue at international fora including the UN, Human Rights Commission and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

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Two persons were killed in a suspected factional fight in the ruling Trinamool Congress during a victory procession in North 24 Parganas district today, police said.

The rally was organised by the party after it won the Falti Gram Panchayat in the Sasan area of the district uncontested.

Local party leader Saifar Rahman (52) was attacked with a knife when he was walking in the rally.

He was taken to a hospital in Barasat where he was declared dead on arrival.

Police sources said local people beat 40-year-old Rajab Ali, a Trinamool Congress worker, to death alleging that he killed Rahman.

Meanwhile, in continuing violence over panchayat poll nominations in the state, houses of two Congress candidates were torched in the Ratua area in Malda district, police said.

Nine more houses, reportedly of Congress supporters, were also set on fire.

A Congress candidate was killed in a road accident in Malda district on April 9 and another person was shot dead earlier this month during a clash in the same district.

Meanwhile, the scrutiny of nomination papers for three-phase panchayat polls in West Bengal was completed today, State Election Commission (SEC) sources said here.

There are 48,751 seats in 3,358 gram panchayats, 9,240 seats in 341 panchayat samities and 825 seats in 20 zilla parishads, the sources said.

The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 16.

The election would be held on May 1, 3 and 5.

The police prevented CPI(M) supporters and women Congress activists from going to the SEC office, where Section 144 of the CrPC is in force.

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Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will observe a day-long fast tomorrow along with BJP leaders, MLAs and MPs to protest "undemocratic" actions of the Congress leading to the washout of the Budget session of Parliament.

While Rupani would observe a 'symbolic fast' in Lal Darwaja area of the city from 11 AM to 5 PM, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel would join in the protest in his constituency, Mehsana, said a BJP release.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to observe a day-long fast tomorrow along with BJP MPs in Delhi, in an attempt to corner the opposition party over the washed-out Budget session of Parliament.

Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani would observe a symbolic fast with local leaders at Vadodara.

In his statement, Vaghani accused the Congress of stalling the implementation of many pro-poor programmes by not allowing the Parliament to function.

BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said Rupani will continue his routine work while on fast.

Party leaders, state ministers, MPs and MLAs would take part in similar protest at various places across the state, the BJP release said.

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Anguished over lack of cleanliness and hygiene in parts of Delhi, the high court here said today that the city will die if the situation does not improve as people may have to move out to make room for the increasing garbage.

The court warned authorities of stringent penal action if anyone dies or gets infected by vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. It said if immediate action is not taken by the Centre, the Delhi government or the civic bodies, it will be forced to take strict action against all of them.

At least 12 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi till April 7, according to a municipal report released on Monday, indicating early spread of the vector-borne disease.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar lamented that there appear to be "no sensitivity" towards health and entitlement of citizens to a clean environment.

The court said it was concerned with citizens's right to life. "No human or animal should be co-existing with garbage," it said, adding: "This is 21st Century India, you can't make people of Delhi live like this."



The bench said it was "high time that those responsible for hygiene and cleanliness are held responsible for their deficiencies".

"We see no reason as to why in event of any death caused by vector-borne diseases, persons heading the concerned departments in Union of India, Delhi government and municipal bodies be not charge with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and those who are infected and does not result into a death be charged with section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of IPC as well as other penal provisions," it said.

It also observed that every time the court calls senior officials before it, some improvement happens but thereafter, nothing happens and "we are back to square one".

The bench took judicial notice of Central government's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' launched in 2015 and said collection of garbage in Delhi is equally important in any such mission.

The bench said a copy of its order be sent to the secretaries of central government ministries, departments of Delhi government, Delhi Cantonment Board, New Delhi Municipal Council, commissioners of all the three MCDs and the DDA, and asked them to file action taken reports.

The court was today assured by the commissioners of EDMC, SDMC and North MCD, who were present during the hearing, that they will take action.

It granted them a last opportunity to take immediate steps and listed the matter for further hearing on April 24.

Advocate Monika Arora, who appeared for North MCD, said they have been unable to pay salaries of safai karamcharis for the past two months due to which the staffers were on strike, resulting in the worsening of the situation.

While the counsel for EDMC made a similar submission, SDMC's advocate said there was no strike in south Delhi area.

The court said such a state of affairs in the capital of India "cannot be tolerated".

"Be it want of salaries of staff or collection or disposal of solid waste and cleanliness of the city, it is not only a statutory duty of the authorities but their obligation," it said.

The court was hearing two PILs filed by advocates Arpit Bhargava and Gauri Grover seeking directions to the authorities to take steps to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases in the national capital.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will tomorrow inaugurate Def Expo-2018 in Tamil Nadu, besides several public infrastructure projects.

He will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai and will inaugurate a variety of infrastructure projects there, including a palliative care centre, day care centre and nurses quarter during his day-long visit, an official statement said.

Modi is observing a day-long fast tomorrow along with other BJP MPs to protest the washout of Parliament's budget session.

Sources had yesterday said that while observing the fast, he will not disturb his daily official routine.

The tag line of DefExpo this year is India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub to showcase India's capability in export of defence systems and components, the statement said.

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A special CBI court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant today against diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, one of the key accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud.

Special judge SR Tamboli allowed the plea moved by the CBI prosecutor A Limosine in this regard.

Limosine told the court that the agency had sent three summonses to Choksi on his email id, however, he has neither responded to them nor appeared before the agency.

The prosecution said there was "every reason to believe" that Choksi had fled the country and is in hiding, and that steps are being taken to secure his presence by issuance of red corner notice by the Interpol.

"...to secure his presence and to pursue the same, an open non-bailable warrant is required against Choksi," Limosine told the court.

It is alleged that the LoUs (Letter of Undertaking) and LCs (Letter of Credit) worth close to USD 2 billion were issued to the companies of accused Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi from the Brady Road branch of the PNB in Mumbai through SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messages.

These messages were allegedly not entered in the banking software of the PNB to bypass surveillance.

Several bank employees have been booked for collusion in the case.

The CBI court had last week issued a non-bailable warrant against Nirav Modi.

Both Choksi and Nirav Modi have been booked in two cases each related to the bank fraud under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The duo reportedly left the country in the first week of January this year, days before the alleged fraud came to light.

The CBI had approached the Interpol with a request for issuing a 'Diffusion Notice' which was aimed at locating an individual.

The agency has arrested 19 people so far in connection with the fraud. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also conducting an independent probe.

The Central government has claimed to have tracked Modi in Hong Kong and sought his arrest under the 'Surrender of Fugitive Offenders Agreement' with Hong Kong.
Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in England last month along with her Russian ex-spy father, has refused consular assistance from the Russian embassy, a British foreign ministry spokesman said.

"We have previously passed on the Russian embassy's offer of consular support to Yulia," the spokesman said today.

"She is free to decide on whether she wishes to pursue that. To date, we understand she has not done so," he said.

Britain blames Russia for the nerve agent attack on the two on March 4, which has sparked an international diplomatic crisis.

Russia has vehemently denied the accusation and has requested access to the Skripals, who are both Russian citizens.

The hospital that has been treating the two in the English city of Salisbury said on Tuesday that Yulia Skripal had been discharged while her father would remain for treatment.

Responding to reports that the pair may be resettled, the Russian embassy to London said: "Secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family, will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation."



Yulia Skripal was visiting her father when the attack happened. Sergei Skripal was imprisoned in Russia for selling secrets to British intelligence in the 1990s but was exchanged in a spy swap in 2010.

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Former JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar today accused political parties of using the sector as a tool to legitimise their ideology and demanded that they declare their policy during elections.

Kumar said even though is part of politics, politicians have stopped including it in their election programmes.

This, he said, has resulted in the sector "being dumped as a waste of taxpayers' money".

"Education is a political question and political parties are using it as a tool for their ideological legitimacy," he said at an event titled 'People's Tribunal on Attack on Educational Institutions in India' in New Delhi.

The 31-year-old demanded that political parties, following any ideology, should declare their education policy during elections "to save public institutions from getting destroyed".

He also held the "elite class" responsible for the poor state of public educational institutions.

"The elite class sends their children to best institutions aspiring for quality education, but what is happening in reality is public institutions are destroyed due to slumping demand."



On centralisation of education, he said issues and incidents taking place in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Jamia Millia Islamia and the Delhi University are talked about much.

"(But) look at institutions in other places - like my state Bihar - where students take up degrees just as a criteria to get a job. Professors are not popular, but goons are. Affairs in those institutions are less known," he said.

He said conferences - like the 'People's Tribunal on Attack on Educational Institutions in India' - should be organised in small towns and cities.

The three-day programme, which concludes on April 13, is discussing the impact of privatisation and globalisation on education among other topics.

Kumar said education in the country was also prone to communalisation as there was a deliberate attempt to manipulate textbook contents. "I cannot surely say if the society was secular in the past, but definitely textbooks were secular. Now manipulating it has been the primary goal," he said.

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Days after it began the process for a multi-billion dollar deal to procure 110 fighter planes, India today assured global aerospace majors that the exercise will not meet the same fate of an failed initiative earlier to buy 126 jets.

Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra said there should not be any apprehension about the government's sincerity in fructifying the fresh process to procure a fleet of 110 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force which could be one of the biggest such procurements in recent years globally.

There should not be any such apprehensions. It will not be a re-run (of the process to procure 126 jets), he told a press conference on the sidelines of the Defence Expo here on the outskirts of Chennai.

He was asked about apprehension in certain quarters on whether the government will be able to conclude the procurement or not.

India last week had kick-started the process to procure around 110 fighter jets by issuing an RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender for the deal.

It 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.

Leading military aircraft producers Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Saab, Dassault and Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG are among the competitors which are likely to vie for the mega deal.

An official said the deal could be worth over USD 15 billion.

Mitra said the procurement will be in sync with the government's strategic partnership model. Under the new policy, the government plans to rope in select private firms to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.

Following scrapping of the MMRCA deal, the NDA government, in September 2016, signed an Euro 7.87 billion (approx Rs 59,000 crore) deal with the French government for purchase of 36 Rafale twin-engine fighter jets.

According to the RFI, three-quarters of the total jets will be single seat aircraft while the rest will be twin-seat.

Aircraft manufacturers interested in the deal will have to send their proposals by July 6.

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, IAF has 31 fighter squadrons as against authorised strength of 42 squadrons.

The UPA government had floated a tender in 2007 for purchase of 126 MMRCA for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of them--Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon -- remained in the reckoning. However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime.

Last September, Swedish defence giant Saab and Indian conglomerate Adani group had announced collaboration, mainly eyeing the contract for the fighter jet deal. US aerospace major Lockheed Martin has joined hands with India's Tata Advanced Systems to build the planes in India.

All major global defence firms are participating in the Defence Expo, which began today.

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Two YSR Congress leaders, whose indefinite hunger strike here for Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh entered the sixth day, were "forcibly taken" to a hospital today, a party Rajya Sabha MP alleged.

Five YSRCP leaders had sat on the indefinite strike on April 6.

Three of them were hospitalised and discharged later. Midhun Reddy and Y S Avinash Reddy, who were continuing their agitation at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, were taken to hospital this morning.

"Police on the advise of doctors forcefully shifted the two leaders to the RML hospital. They pulled and lathi-charged the party cadres who stopped the leaders from being taken," the party Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy told PTI.

"We will hold discussions with party president and announce the future course of action," he said.

YSRCP cadres protested outside the Bhavan and tried to stop the ambulance in which the the two leaders were being taken.

The two YSR Congress leaders had yesterday urged Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs to rise above and resign from the Lok Sabha to press for the demand of special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

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A sessions court here today rejected the bail pleas of three owners of '1 Above' pub and a co-owner of the adjacent 'Mojo's Bistro' in the Kamala Mills fire case, but granted bail to two employees.

A devastating fire at the two rooftop pubs in Kamala Mills Compound in central Mumbai had claimed 14 lives on December 29 last year.

Additional Sessions Judge S V Yarlagadda refused bail to '1 Above' owners Kripesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Mankar, and Mojo's Bistro co-owner Yug Pathak.

The judge, however, granted bail to '1 Above' managers Kewin Baba and Libson Lopez.

The court had last month refused bail to Mojo's Bistro co-owner Yug Tulli.

The police had arrested 14 persons in the case, including owners of the two restaurants and officials of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), for alleged negligence.

The fire started because of charcoal embers flying from hookah, served illegally at Mojo's Bistro, and spread quickly, said a report of the MCGM's fire department.

Patrons could not escape because illegal alterations had blocked exits, it alleged.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin today called on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take any action that could further destabilise the situation in Syria, following Israeli strikes against a regime military base on Monday.

In a telephone call, Putin urged Netanyahu "to abstain from any action that could further destabilise the situation in the country, which would represent a threat to its security," the Kremlin said in a statement.

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Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her two sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav, today "returned" their state security cover, protesting withdrawal of guards from her residence here.

Reacting to this, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said they were exasperated following interrogation by the CBI in connection with a railway hotels scam.

State government officials and the ruling Janata Dal (United) defended the recall of security from Rabri Devi's house last night, saying the guards had been provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys 'Z' category security.

Accordingly, the guards were asked to return as the RJD supremo is currently in jail, they said.

"Just now at the stroke of midnight, Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of the two ex-CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby CM of the country," Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet.

"Returning the security (covers) provided to my mother Rabri Devi as ex-CM, to my brother as an MLA and to me as Leader of the Opposition. Hope Nitish Kumar gives up acting spitefully and concentrates on doing something constructive," he added.

Rabri Devi, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said the recall of house guards had left the security of her residence and family in "tatters".

"As soon as my husband went to jail on December 23, all the security personnel deployed in his security were withdrawn by the state government. Those who remained were part of the security cover provided to me and the residence allotted to me in the capacity of former chief minister," she wrote.

Rabri Devi said she did not see any point in retaining the security personnel.

"I am, therefore, returning herewith all security personnel and escort vehicles deployed at my residence. If anything untoward happens to me or my family members, the state Home Department and the minister in-charge of the same shall be responsible," she said.

The Bihar CM has kept the Home portfolio with himself.

"The safety of myself and my family would be ensured by the workers of my party and the people of Bihar. Many congratulations to you and your government for taking such a step," the RJD national vice-president said in the letter.

Talking to reporters outside her residence today, Rabri Devi alleged a conspiracy to eliminate her and her family members.

"The state government's action is a conspiracy to eliminate me and my family members, hatched at the behest of Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi," she said.

Meanwhile, a top police official said it is common to recall security personnel when the VIP, they are attached to, is physically absent.

"Those security personnel were part of Prasad's security cover and there was no point in keeping them at 10, Circular Road," he said.

Sushil Kumar Modi claimed the RJD leaders were playing the victim card by politicizing the issue of security.

"They vented their exasperation resulting from the latest interrogation of Rabri Devi by the CBI in the railway hotels for land scam and benami properties acquired by the Lalu family," he claimed.

The Deputy CM also came down heavily on the two sons of Rabri Devi and Prasad, saying "They have been using foul language against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who belongs to their father's generation and is a respected leader. They have blurred the line between criticism and impertinence."



JD(U) spokesman and MLC Sanjay Singh told reporters here that there is no provision of law under which a person serving sentence in a jail can be provided security cover by the state government.

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The rains lashed most of Punjab and parts of Haryana today, leaving farmers a worried lot over the fate of their wheat crop nearing the harvesting stage.

According to the MeT office here, Punjab had widespread rains today, covering almost the entire state, while Haryana had it in places like Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Kaithal, Jind, Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Hisar.

Chandigarh too received some rainfalls today morning.

The rains, which lashed the two states on Monday too, have increased the worries of wheat farmers as heavy showers are harmful for ripening wheat crop.

Both Punjab and Haryana are the key wheat producing states in the country.

The rains, which are unusual during this time of the year for Punjab and Haryana, were caused by western disturbances.

Farmers say the rainy conditions are detrimental for their wheat harvest.

"The rains are unusual during this time of the year. During the past three days, the weather has been either rainy or overcast, which may delay the wheat harvest," said Santokh Singh, a farmer from Jalandhar district.

Another farmer from Kurukshetra said some agriculture experts have suggested that they should not harvest their crop for a week, so that the moisture content subsides.

There were reports that the winds accompanying the rains have slightly flattened the crop at a few places in the two states.

A MeT Department official, meanwhile, told PTI that weather will be clear from tomorrow and temperatures, which have fallen around two to four notches due to rains, would start rising from Friday.

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Rich tributes were paid to social reformer Jyotiba Phule on his 191st birth anniversary by Telangana government and various parties and organisations here today.

Speaking at an event, state Animal Husbandry minister T Srinivas Yadav recalled Phule's contribution in the field of education.

State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders garlanded his statue at Amberpet here.

At an event organised at the BJP office here, state party president K Laxman hailed Phule's contribution.

The Narendra Modi government is taking steps to spread the message of great personalities like B R Ambedkar, but the opposition parties indulged in misinformation campaign against it, Laxman alleged.

Telugu Desam Party's Telangana unit leaders organised a function to mark the anniversary at the party office here.

Phule was a social reformer, writer and worked for eradication of untouchability and the caste system.

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The Punjab government has approved an amount of Rs 52 crore to give debt waiver to around 15,890 borrowers of scheduled castes and backward classes categories, a state minister said today.

Punjab Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot told reporters that those SC-BC debt-ridden people who took loans from Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCFC) and Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation (BackFinco), would get a waiver of Rs 50,000.

As many as 14,260 borrowers of SC category and 1,630 of BC category would be benefitted from the waiver.

The beneficiaries include defaulters and those who were paying installments and all remaining debt-ridden people.

He disclosed that PSCFC provide loans for shops, general stores, repairs and to start the ventures such as carpentry.

The cabinet minister stated that the Punjab government would give a debt waiver of Rs 125 crore to poor people and the waiver would be initiated on April 14 - the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh would distribute debt-relief certificates to the tune of Rs 52 crore during a state-level function at Jalandhar on April 14.

He further said that 90 percent of people availing loans from both the corporations have not paid back while those returning the loans amount to only 10 per cent that is why the state government has decided to waive the loans of these categories.

During 2017-18, PSCFC gave loans of Rs 5.61 crore to 317 SC youths and 347 BC youths took loans of Rs 5.87 crore from BackFinco, he added.

On being asked about the scholarships not been distributed, the cabinet minister said that Rs 115 crore received from the union government had been released to the colleges and the utilisation certificates have also been sent to the central government.

He said soon, the state is going to receive the pending amount of Rs 1,700 crore from the union government.

He said the delay in releasing the scholarship amount was due to ongoing audit work and those institutes whose records had been satisfactory, the whole amount was released to them.

The minister also said if the Union government delayed releasing the pending amount of the scholarships, then he would sit on a day's hunger strike in front of the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry's office.

He also said those colleges were not given the scholarship amount against whom the objections were raised.

He suspected that an embezzlement of Rs 500 crore surfaced during the audit and stern action would be taken against guilty institutions and amount would be recovered from them with 9 per cent interest.

Dharamsot said that the chief minister is leaving no stone turned to provide relief to each debt-ridden farmer in the state and tomorrow, he would hand over debt-relief certificates to the farmers in Sangrur.

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A loan of Rs 52.8 billion extended by a consortium of 31 banks led by ICICI Bank to the companies of absconding billionaire jeweller Mehul Choksi has come under the scanner of the CBI, officials said on Wednesday.

The agency questioned three officials from foreign branches of Indian banks, which had given credit facilities to the companies of absconding billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, on the basis of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by Punjab Bank's Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The $2 billion scam became public in January after the CBI registered an FIR in the matter, but by that time both the high-profile jewellers had left India with family, they said.

Two officials of Canara Bank's branch in Bahrain, including its branch manager, and an official of Bank of India's branch in Antwerp in Belgium were questioned by a CBI team in Mumbai, they said.

Meanwhile, the agency officials said that while their focus remains on the fraudulent LoUs, the loan of Rs 52.8 billion to the companies of Choksi in 2016 will come under its probe at a later stage.

They said whether a fresh FIR will be registered in the case or the ambit of an existing FIR will be expanded, will be decided before proceeding with action in the matter.

The agency in February had examined a senior ICICI Bank functionary too, they said.

It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) of $2 billion issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

The accused PNB officials did not enter the instructions for these LoUs in their internal software to avoid scrutiny.

They were sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds.

An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.

In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit-giving bank along with the accruing interest.

The PNB officials allegedly sent these messages to Indian banks - Canara Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of India, Axis Bank, Allahabad Bank - located in Antwerp, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Mauritius, Frankfurt without making entries in the banking software about the LoUs.

Upon receiving the messages from PNB under SWIFT, the banks abroad transferred these amounts into Nostro account of PNB with them.

A Nostro account is an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank to enable foreign trade by its clients.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel told the Gujarat High Court today that there was no merit in a plea challenging his election to the Rajya Sabha as MLAs are supposed to vote for their party candidates according to a Supreme Court judgement.

After the EC invalidated the votes of Congress rebels Raghavjee Patel and Bholabhai Gohel for showing their ballot papers to the BJP's polling agent in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah, Patel was declared the winner along with Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani in the Rajya Sabha polls held in August last year.

BJP leader Balwantsinh Rajput, who lost to Patel in the Rajya Sabha elections, had filed an election petition, challenging the decision of the Election Commission to invalidate two votes as demanded by the Congress.

According to him, if these two votes had been counted, he would have defeated Patel.

He had argued that a whip issued by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly asking all Congress MLAs to vote for Patel was "threatening" and amounted to exercise of "undue influence" on voters.

"As per the SC's 2006 judgement... All party members are obliged to vote for the party (in Rajya Sabha election)... So, there is no question of undue influence on MLAs," Kapil Sibal argued before Justice Bela Trivedi, appearing for Patel.

Rajput's lawyer Advocate Nirupam Nanavati told the court that there was no need to dismiss the petition -- as demanded by Patel -- only because the copy served on the respondent was not attested.

This can be corrected easily, Rajput's lawyer said, accusing Patel of adopting a "dilatory tactic".

Sibal had said the petition served on the respondent (Ahmed Patel) was not the way it should be under the law, as it was not attested as a "true copy".

Rajput's petition also alleges that Patel offered "bribe" to MLAs after taking them to resorts in Bengaluru.

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Russia and Egypt are to resume direct flights today following a more than two-year hiatus after a bomb downed a Russian charter over the Sinai peninsula in 2015.

Moscow officials stopped direct flights citing security concerns after the attack, in a major blow for the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on tourism and had been a popular destination for Russians.

Today evening an Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Cairo, in a first step towards restoring flights to holiday destinations on the Red Sea.

Tomorrow, Egyptair will restart its service between the two capitals, and the two companies will together carry out five return flights between Moscow and Cairo a week.

But the move in itself will not immediately help Egypt's troubled tourism sector, Russian officials have said.

"Tourists do not need direct flights to Cairo. The transfer from Cairo to sea resorts is long and uncomfortable, and no one will be going there in that way," Russian Tourism Industry spokeswoman Irina Tyurina told AFP.

"In practice, the situation is the same as it was before, when people would get there independently via Minsk or Istanbul -- either big fans of Egypt or Russians who live there," she said.

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Russian whistleblower Alexander Perepilichny was violently sick in a luxury Paris hotel the night before he died in 2012 in Britain in unexplained circumstances, his Ukranian mistress told a court today.

The 44-year-old businessman had been helping investment firm Hermitage Capital Management investigate a money-laundering operation when he collapsed while jogging near his home in the wealthy London commuter district of Weybridge.

British MPs have asked the government to investigate a list of 14 Britons and Russians, including Perepilichny, whose deaths on UK soil in recent years have been deemed potentially suspicious.

The cases have come under particular scrutiny following a nerve agent attack in the city of Salisbury against former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Perepilichny's inquest at a London court heard that the married businessman spent his last two nights in Paris with Elmira Medynska, a Ukranian former model who now runs her own fashion company.

Medynska, now 28, testified via videolink from the French capital that on the eve of his death they had dinner at the Buddha Bar, where Perepilichny complained about the food.

"He said he did not like the taste. He was very irritated and mad about the quality of the food," she said, adding that she thought the problem was with the tempura.

They walked back to their hotel, the five-star Le Bristol, and Perepilichny went straight to the bathroom, where she heard him vomit three times.

The next morning, she said he was "looking very nice, good mood, smiling" as they went for an early breakfast. Earlier in the trip, she said he had appeared "a little bit nervous." At lunch, he did not eat but drank a lot of red wine, some of which he spilled on himself.

The next day, Medynska said Perepilichny seemed "in another planet", distracted by his phone.

However, she said they never discussed his work.

The pair made contact through a dating website in March 2012, meeting up first in Kiev and then in Nice, France.

They kept in touch via phone call, text message and emails, for which Perepilichny used different email addresses and even an alias, she said, adding she had not realised he was married.

Perepilichny died just hours after he returned home on November 10. Two post-mortems have proved inconclusive.

Medynska said she received a phone call two days later from a British number, where someone claiming to be from a hospital told her Perepilichny had been in a "car accident".

She only discovered he had died on New Year's Eve, when a friend asked about him and she googled his name.

She said she was "scared because I know nothing about this man." Months later, she received an email from Perepilichny's email account telling her she would "die soon".

Asked if it could have been sent by Perepilichny's wife, she said: "Maybe." Perepilichny's life insurance company ordered tests on the body that it said detected a toxin in his stomach from a Chinese plant called Gelsemium, which can trigger cardiac arrest.

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South Korea and Japan today vowed to work closely together on North Korea ahead of the looming inter-Korea summit, but their foreign ministers remained divided over long-standing issues of Japan's wartime crimes and disputed islands.

Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono made a rare visit to Seoul armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of the April 27 summit between North and South Korea.

At a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in northeast Asia - the North's Kim Jong Un is due to meet with the leaders of both South Korea and the US -- Japan has largely remained on the sidelines.

Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security fears.

Kono and his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha vowed "close communication and cooperation" to disarm the North and build peace on the flashpoint peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said after their meeting in Seoul.

The Japanese envoy also met with President Moon Jae-in, who said working together on North Korea was "more important than ever" ahead of the summits, the South's Yonhap agency reported.

It was the first visit to South Korea by a Japanese foreign minister in more than two years.

But the top diplomats remained divided on two thorny historical issues still unresolved.

The hugely emotional matter of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II has soured ties between the South and Japan for years.

Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims.

South Korea and Japan have also locked horns over Seoul-controlled islets in the sea between the two countries called Dokdo in the South and Takeshima in Japan.

"Kono expressed Japan's stance on 'comfort women' and Dokdo, and Kang explained our stance over 'comfort women' and made clear that the South cannot accept any argument by Japan over Dokdo," the ministry said in a statement.

Moon said last month that Japan cannot unilaterally declare the wartime issue "over," while Japan says any attempt to modify or scrap the deal, signed by Moon's predecessor Park Geun-Hye, could hurt relations.

Kono, before the Seoul visit, also said he would try to ensure that the "abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit", as well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues".

He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions.

But a statement on the meeting from Seoul's foreign ministry did not mention the topic -- a key issue in ties between Japan and the North, which habitually spats out angry threats of attack against "Japanese reactionaries.

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The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board has been asked by the to show documents signed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim that it owns the iconic Taj Mahal.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the counsel of the board to show it documents to substantiate that Shah Jahan, who had built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, had executed a 'waqfnama' in favour of the board.

Waqfnama is a deed or a document through which a person expresses the intention to donate a property or land for charitable purposes or waqf.

"Who in India will believe that it (Taj) belongs to the waqf board," asked the bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, and added that such issues must not waste the time of the apex court.

When the waqf board counsel told the court that Shah Jahan had himself declared it a Waqf property, the bench asked the board to show it the original deed executed by the Mughal emperor.

"Show us the signature", the CJI told the counsel, who then sought more time to produce relevant documents.

The court was hearing a 2010 appeal filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over the ownership of the historic monument against the waqf board's decision to declare the Taj Mahal as its property.

The bench also asked the counsel how Shah Jahan could sign a document when he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb at the Agra Fort in 1658 after a bitter war of succession. Shah Jahan died in 1966 in the fort itself.

It told the counsel that the 17th century monument and other heritage structures, built by the Mughals, were taken over by the British after the Mughal rule. After India's independence, the monuments came under the Government of India and were being managed by the ASI.

The ASI counsel also maintained that there was no waqfnama.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on April 17.

Another bench of the apex court is also seized of a matter related to Taj Mahal in which the petitioner has sought directions to protect the structure from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area.

The top court has been monitoring the development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Supreme Court has granted bail to RTI activist Jayanta Kumar Das, who had in 2016 complained to then Chief Justice of India T S Thakur, accusing two sitting judges of the Orissa High Court of wrongdoings, leading to an in-house inquiry against them.

Das was in custody since August 8 for allegedly posting defamatory remarks against Lord Jagannath and Gajapati King Dibyasingha Deb on Facebook.

A bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta granted bail to Das on April 9 after no lawyer for the Odisha Police appeared before it despite being called twice.

"In our opinion, since there is no opposition to this petition by the State of Odisha, it would be appropriate if bail is granted to the petitioner subject to such reasonable conditions as may be imposed by the trial court," the bench said in the order uploaded today.

The top court, however, clarified that Das will participate in the investigation and will not cause any hindrance in it.

Appearing for Das, senior advocate Jayant Bhushan said he had been in custody since August 8, 2017 for an offence punishable under sections 292 and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the IPC.

The bench disposed of the appeal against the Orissa High Court order rejecting his bail.

The three-member in-house inquiry committee instituted by then CJI T S Thakur in September 2016 was headed by Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court S J Vazifdar.

The inquiry panel had earlier this year reportedly heard the versions of the two sitting judges and complainant Das from the Puri jail via video conference.

Das in his complaint had alleged that one of the judges had violated the code of conduct for judges by owning a hotel in Cuttack and constructing a five-storey building while he had sanction for three stories.

The other judge allegedly misused public funds for renovation of his official residence when he was an additional judge.

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Many journalists today took out a procession here against the alleged attack on them while covering the nomination exercise for panchayat elections in West Bengal, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denying any such attack.

The media persons alleged that a photo-journalist was stripped and assaulted by a group of anti-socials in Alipur, headquarters of South 24 Parganas district.

The Media and Journalist's Welfare Association (India) complained to the South 24 Parganas district magistrate that many scribes were attacked while covering the nomination filing process on April 9 at Alipur.

The scribes took out a procession from the Gandhi statue at Mayo Road and it terminated at Dharmatala. They carried posters saying 'We want justice', 'We are not afraid' and 'Freedom is our right'.

In a letter to the DM yesterday, the media association had stated that several reporters and cameramen along with a photo journalist, came under attack when they were covering the election nomination exercise.

The media body also claimed that all of them sustained injuries and the anti-socials snatched the cameras and electronic gadgets of the photo journalist. It requested the DM to take necessary action against the culprits.

Reacting to the journalists' procession, the chief minister said it was a propaganda of a specific media house.

"No such incident has taken place. This is being done deliberately by some quarter. A planned effort is on to influence the judiciary. It is the tactics of a particular media house," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.

Appropriate action would be taken against the media house, she said, adding that media must be impartial.

"There is no information of attack on any journalist. I stay at Alipur. If journalists are attacked, I myself enquire. Police told me they talked to the so-called victims of attack and he too did not say anything," the chief minister said.

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The Supreme Court today took umbrage to the lack of police protection to the court-appointed monitoring committee for carrying out sealing drive in Delhi and warned it would be compelled to call the Delhi Police Commissioner for explanation.

The apex court termed it a "very serious thing" and said it cannot let the members of monitoring committee being assaulted for doing their work as mandated by the court.

"Do something about it. The monitoring committee was set up by the Supreme Court," the bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.

"You please call your police commissioner," the bench orally told advocate Wasim A Qadri, who was appearing in the matter.

Later, Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni appeared before the court and said he had talked to the police commissioner on the issue and he has assured that all security arrangements would be made.

He said police protection was provided to the committee and if intimation was given to the police in advance, all proper arrangements would be put in place.

"The monitoring committee has given its report yesterday only and I had talked to the police commissioner," Nadkarni told the bench while referring to the issue raised by the panel about police protection when it was scheduled to visit Amar Colony in south Delhi for carrying out their work.

The bench, which posted the matter for hearing on April 16, had earlier ordered restoration of its 2006 monitoring committee to identify and seal such offending structures.

The monitoring committee, comprising K J Rao, former advisor to the Election Commissioner, Bhure Lal, chairman of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, and Major General (Retd) Som Jhingan, was set up on March 24, 2006, by the court.

The top court is hearing arguments on the validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 and subsequent legislations which protect unauthorised construction from being sealed.

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The Singapore Exchange today said it will list new India equity derivative products in June this year.

The announcement comes after leading stock exchanges - BSE, NSE and Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India - on February 9, decided to curb all licensing agreements and stop offering live prices to international bourses.

"SGX will list new India equity derivative products in June 2018, to provide market participants with continuity and the ability to seamlessly transition their current India risk management exposures," Singapore Exchange said in a statement.

The statement further said, "these products also add to the existing India Single Stock Futures offering, which has garnered active participation from global institutional clients since its launch, demonstrating the demand for access products".

Recently, global index provider MSCI termed the move by Indian stock exchanges to restrict derivatives trading and data feeds overseas anti-competitive, and said such a move could lead to unnecessary disruption.

The Singapore Exchange further said it is working with Indian counterpart NSE to evaluate a joint trading and clearing model in Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City.

"While implementation is not feasible before expiry of the licence agreement with NSE, SGX remains committed to engagements with NSE and other relevant stakeholders in India towards a collaboration in GIFT city," the statement noted.

Michael Syn, Head of Derivatives at SGX further noted that SGX has worked hard over the past two decades to promote the development and internationalisation of India's capital markets.

"We are still exploring a solution that would bring the liquid international market directly into GIFT City, in a way that meets our clients' regulatory requirements while growing the overall market. In the meantime, we will continue with our new India equity derivative products, which international portfolio investors need to maintain for exposure to India," Syn said.

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BJP president Amit Shah today visited Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the preparations for the upcoming legislative council polls in the state and meet the party's 'sulking' alliance partners.

The BJP national president, who took a day's off from the Karnataka assembly campaign, is understood to have taken a look at the names of probable party candidates for the legislative council polls.

The elections to the 13 seats will be held on April 26 with the ruling BJP being certain of winning at least 11 seats, going by its brute majority in the state legislative assembly.

Shah began his tour by garlanding the statue of Jyotibha Phule, sending a message that the saffron party did not want to keep the Dalits at an arms distance at a time when the Lok Sabha polls were barely a few months away.

"With party MPs Savitribai Phoole, Ashok Dohrey, Chhotelal, Yashwant Singh virtually raising a banner of revolt against Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath, Shah had a long discussion with the chief minister at the latter's 5 Kalidas Marg residence to assuage their hurt sentiments. The parliamentarians had written about their discontent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a senior party leader said.

UP deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, and state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey were also present during the discussion, he said.

The party leader said the Lok Sabha bypoll debacle of Gorakhpur and Phulpur also figured in the meeting.

The outburst of the four parliamentarians and another BJP MP Udit Raj came at a time when the country witnessed a public outcry against the Supreme Court's order on the SC/ST Act, which the Dalit leaders said was an attempt to "dilute" the law.

After facing strident criticism from the Opposition on Dalit issues, the BJP is also grappling with a rising voice of discontent among its own MPs belonging to the Scheduled Castes in Uttar Pradesh.

Lok Sabha members from Etawah and Nagina, Ashok Kumar Dohrey and Yashwant Singh respectively, are the latest to join their Dalit colleagues from the party to criticise the UP government.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dohrey had alleged that the Dalits and tribals across the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh, were being framed by the police in false cases after the protests, leading to growing insecurity among them.

Yashwant Singh, meanwhile, had reportedly said that nothing had been done for Dalits in the last four years.

Party insiders also said that the BJP's sulking ally, SBSP leader O P Rajbhar, who is also a cabinet minister, presented his case before Shah.

Rajbhar told PTI, "I raised the issue of quota within quota for the most backward classes. Apart from this, discrepancies pertaining to ration cards, housing, toilets, pensions and scholarship were also discussed.

Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) has four MLAs in the state assembly. He had threatened to boycott last month's Rajya Sabha biennial election.

Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Ashish Patel also met the BJP president.

"The meeting with the BJP chief was held in a very cordial atmosphere. We spoke for adequate representation of Dalits and backward classes at police stations and Tehsil offices, and we were told that our demands will be looked into," he said.

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Seeking to give shape to the government's concept of 'one nation, one election', a law commission internal working paper has recommended holding of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in two phases beginning 2019.

The second phase of simultaneous polls can take place in 2024, the document states.

The document has proposed amending the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to shorten or extend the terms of state legislative assemblies to effect the move.

The amendments are in line with the ones recommended by a parliamentary panel and the Niti Aayog.

The working paper will be discussed by the 'full commission' on April 17. "It is a draft document and no final decision has been taken. If members suggest, changes could be made before a final report is submitted to the law ministry," a top law panel functionary told PTI here today.

The states which are recommended to be covered under phase I are where assembly polls are due in 2021. These include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

States which will come under phase II are Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab. To hold in these states along with LS polls, the terms of the assemblies have to be extended.

Based on a suggestion made by the Election Commission, the working paper also says that a no confidence motion against the government should be followed by a confidence motion. This would ensure that if the opposition does not have numbers to form an alternative government, the regime in office cannot be removed.

Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat had a word of caution on simultaneous polls when he recently said that the legal framework required for holding of the two together will take a lot of time to get ready.

"We cannot put the cart before the horse. Logistical issues are subservient to legal framework. Unless legal framework is in place, we don't have to talk about anything else because legal framework will take a lot of time, making constitutional amendment to (changing) the law, all the process will take time, he said.

He had said once the legal framework is ready, the EC will deliver. EC is a creation of the Constitution. We have to perform willy-nilly, deliver the election, whatever way prescribed in the law, he had said.
The Punjab Police has formed a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe allegations of "sexual harassment" against the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) vice-chancellor, police said today.

Though the V-C could not be contacted for his comments despite several attempts, university officials said the allegations levelled by a woman professor were false and were made after she was removed from her post following complaints from students.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagmohan Singh said the Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, has constituted the SIT to probe the complaint filed by the female professor. The SIT will be led by DCP Jagmohan.

The SIT was formed recently after the complainant wrote to chief minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore with her allegations about two-weeks ago, he said.

In her complaint, the professor has alleged that she was being harassed by the V-C ever since he joined the office in August last year.

"The reason behind this harassment and exploitation is my refusal to satisfy sexual favours asked by him before he joined the office of VC when he was professor Dean and Director in the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar," she further alleged in her complaint lodged with police.

Responding to the development, GNDU Public Relations Officer Parveen Puri said the students were not happy with the woman professor's "arrogant" behaviour and she was creating "disturbances" in the department.

A committee was formed by the V-C to examine all the issues raised by the students and then she was removed from her post, the PRO said.

Thereafter, she made accusations of sexual harassment against the V-C, he said, adding the accusations made by the complainant were false.

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Taking their new found friendship ahead, Samajwadi Party today decided to extend support to the BSP on Legislative Council seat during upcoming polls while fielding its candidate on the other seat.

'The Samajwadi Party will field its candidate on one seat while extending support to the BSP on the other seat for the Legislative Council," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI.

The election to 13 seats of the Council will be held on April 26 and counting of votes will take place the same day.

To ensure victory, a candidate needs 29 first preference votes and arithmetically, the BJP and its allies are likely to win 11 out of 13 seats comfortably and still be left with five additional votes while the opposition parties can get two seats.

In the 100-member UP Legislative Council, the BJP has just 13 members. The Samajwadi Party has 61 members, the BSP nine, the Congress two, the RLD one and others 12.

Asked whether this decision was taken to compensate for the BSP support in the recent Lok Sabha by-polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur which the SP wrested from BJP, Chaudhary said "despite all efforts by our party, BSP could not win the Rajya Sabha election because of BJP's gimmicks ..SP wants that one candidate of the BSP reaches the legislative council."



The SP-BSP combine struck gold in the 'saffron' bastion of Gorakhpur --- associated with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Phulpur -- earlier represented by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya in the bypolls.

The tenures of 13 MLCs, including SP national president Akhilesh Yadav and two ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government -- Mahendra Kumar Singh and Mohsin Raza -- will end on May 5.

Of the 13 seats falling vacant, seven were held by the SP, two each by the BJP and the BSP, and one by the RLD. The thirteenth seat was held by former SP minister Ambika Chaudhary. His seat fell vacant when he switched over from the SP to the BSP.

Though the BJP and its allies have 324 MLAs in the 403-member state Assembly, it may not get the required strength in the Upper House to get the bills passed even after winning 11 of the 13 seats.

During the winter session of the state legislature last year, the Yogi Aditynanath government had failed to ensure the passage of the Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime (UPCOC) Bill in the Upper House.

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Swedish prosecutors today charged a 49-year-old Chinese man with espionage for allegedly gathering intelligence on Tibetan refugees in Sweden and Norway for China.

The man, identified in the charge sheet as Dorjee Gyantsan, is accused of infiltrating the Tibetan community to pass information on their personal and political activities to Chinese officials in exchange for money.

His lawyer, Mikael Soderberg, told AFP his client -- who faces up to four years in prison -- denied all charges.

Dorjee acquired resident status as a refugee in Sweden in the early 2000s, and posed as a supporter of Tibetan independence, prosecutors said.

He also attended Tibetan anti-China protests in Norway, and covered a visit of the Dalai Lama to Norway as a reporter for the pro-Tibetan Voice of Tibet, in order to collect information on Tibetan refugees.

The espionage is believed to have taken place from July 2015 to February 2017, when he was arrested.

"This is a very serious crime. The espionage has affected very vulnerable people," prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist told AFP.

"People who have fled to Sweden from totalitarian regimes must be able to feel safe and feel that they can exercise their constitutionally-protected freedom to protest against a regime without fear of persecution or attacks on themselves or their families." Some 130 Tibetans live in the Scandinavian country, according to the organisation Tibetan Community in Sweden.

Prosecutors believe Dorjee met repeatedly with a Chinese embassy secretary in Poland to pass on information, receiving thousands of dollars (euros) in exchange.

The suspect had also contacts with a person in Finland believed to be connected to the Chinese regime.

The meetings were held outside Sweden "to make it more difficult to uncover the operation", the charge sheet said.

At the time of his arrest, Dorjee had just returned from a trip to Warsaw and was carrying USD 6,000 in cash, which prosecutors believe was payment for his information.

The prosecution's evidence includes witness testimonies about his contacts with the Tibetan community, as well as the suspect's phone and travel records. Beijing says it "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1951 and considers it an inseparable part of China.

Regimes often spy on refugees to find out who has fled the country, why, and where they are now -- or to put pressure on family members who have stayed behind.

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Syria's army has evacuated key defence buildings in Damascus over fears they might be targeted by Western strikes in response to an alleged chemical attack, a monitor said Wednesday.

The United States and France have warned of a strong response after an alleged deadly chemical attack by the regime on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday.

"The buildings of the ministry of defence and the army headquarters have been empty for two days," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Regime forces have also evacuated military airports as well as the bases of the elite Fourth Division and Republican Guard outside the capital, the Observatory said.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Damascus regime.

A source with pro-regime forces told AFP: "The Syrian army has taken protective measures especially for military airports and bases." The source said they expected the Americans would inform the Russians before any strike.

US President Donald Trump said "missiles will be coming" in response to the alleged chemical attack, which rescuers say killed more than 40 people.

Last year, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the United Nations later pinned on Assad.

More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

It has since spiralled into a complex war involving world powers.

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UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed strong concern over continued violence and hostilities in Syria, saying the country is "bleeding inside and out", and called for full implementation of a UN resolution for a ceasefire in the nation where the conflict is entering its eighth year.

The UN Secretary-General said there has been no cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Though conflicts in some areas are diminishing in intensity, violence continues in Eastern Ghouta and beyond -- including in Afrin, parts of Idlib and in Damascus and its suburbs, he said.

"I am deeply saddened by the immense loss and cascading suffering of the Syrian people. And I am deeply disappointed by all those who have, year after year, by action or inaction, by design or indifference, allowed this to happen...Syria is bleeding inside and out," the UN chief told the 15-member UN Security Council.

He was briefing the Council yesterday on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2401 unanimously adopted last month.

Along with a 30-day ceasefire, the resolution calls for delivering aid, evacuating the sick and wounded, lifting sieges, accelerating humanitarian mine action, and protecting civilians and infrastructure.

According to UN data, the conflict has produced more than 5.6 million Syrian refugees and 6.1 million internally displaced people, with more than 13 million people inside the country requiring humanitarian assistance, including nearly six million children.

"Let me highlight just one stark fact on this grimmest of anniversaries: In 2017, more children were killed in Syria than during any other year since the war began," he said.

Guterres said none of the Council's directives have been implemented: the provision of humanitarian aid and services has not been safe, unimpeded or sustained; no sieges have been lifted and not one critically sick or wounded person has yet been evacuated.

"I appeal to all parties for the full implementation of resolution 2401 throughout the whole of Syrian territory. The United Nations is ready to assist in any efforts to make that happen," the UN chief said, calling on all states "with influence" to exercise it in support of the efforts of the United Nations and the implementation of the resolution.

Guterres added that all parties involved should be reminded that even efforts to combat terrorist groups identified by the Council do not supersede these humanitarian obligations.

"On Thursday, this conflict will enter its eighth year. I refuse to lose my hope to see Syria rising from the ashes," he said.

Guterres also condemned reports of new chemical weapons attack in Syria's Eastern Ghouta over the weekend and repeated his call for the Security Council to "find unity" on the issue and ensure accountability.

In a statement, he expressed his outrage at reports that civilians in the last opposition-held area of Rural Damascus have continued to be targeted by toxic agents.

The Secretary-General's call comes after Mistura told the Security Council late Monday that at least 49 people had been killed, and hundreds were injured in an alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday evening.

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Tata Sons today said it is in the process of consolidating its various businesses across aerospace and defence sectors under a single entity Tata Aerospace & Defence (Tata A&D).

The necessary statutory and regulatory approvals are in the process of being obtained, the Tata Sons said.

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, said, The formation of Tata A&D, a single unified entity, will allow us to better target emerging opportunities in Aerospace and Defence, and engage holistically with customers both in India and globally.

The company said Tata A&D proposes to leverage its full range of expertise, experience and capabilities from across the Group related to land mobility solutions, aerospace, weapon systems, sensors and command, control, communication, computers and intelligence.

Several companies proposed to be forming part of Tata A&D already have strong, established partnerships with leading aerospace and defence firms and are part of the global supply chain. In some instances, they are also a global single source provider, the company said.

It said Tata A&D will also be deeply invested in the development of indigenous platforms uniquely suited for the Indian defence forces, which is central to Tata A&D's long-term strategy.

In addition to the growing list of joint ventures and collaborations with leading global equipment manufacturers, Tata A&D proposes to bring together over 6,000 employees, and have production facilities in the states of Telangana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, the company said.

Banmali Agrawala, President, Infrastructure and Defence & Aerospace, Tata Sons, said, Tata A&D when formed, will be better equipped to execute larger and more complex projects and be more globally competitive as part of the global supply chain.

He said, We have moved beyond providing individual products to develop integrated offerings across Land mobility, airborne platforms and systems, as well as weapons systems and C4I. In India, Tata has built an industrial base in defence intentionally designed to complement and integrate with the efforts of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and Defence Public Sector Units (PSU).

The company said post the combination, the full range of integrated solutions by Tata A&D will include multi-axle combat support vehicles, light armoured vehicles, light support vehicles, mine protected vehicles, light armoured multi-role combat vehicles, wheeled armoured amphibious platforms (WHAP) and tracked amphibious platforms like the Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) and Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV).

It said the airborne platforms and systems of the company will include unmanned systems, rotary platforms, fixed wing platforms, mission systems and avionics, as well as in-house indigenous development of mini and micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and in-house development of safety-critical airborne computer systems and related applications for both manned and unmanned platforms.

Subsequent to the consolidation, Tata A&D will draw synergies from entities across the group, including Tata Motors' Defence Division, TAL Manufacturing Solutions Limited (subsidiary of Tata Motors), Tata Power's Strategic Engineering Division, Tata Advanced Materials Limited, and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the company said.

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Thailand has expressed concern over the proposed BIMSTEC Motor Vehicle Agreement that would give Indian truckers access to the country through a trilateral highway via Myanmar, saying only domestically-owned transport firms should be allowed on the route to protect interests of local players.

Thailand's concerns were conveyed during the BIMSTEC MVA meeting that took place from April 8-10, Thai envoy Chutintorn Sam Gongsakdi said.

Thailand has said that only domestically-owned transport companies of the participating countries be allowed mobility as this would protect the local players before agreeing to the Motor Vehicle Agreement, Gongsakdi said.

No delegation from the Thai side attended the meeting, but the Thai embassy here expressed its concern over the issue, he said.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.

"We have made a proposal to limit the participation for trucking companies that belong to the member countries to set a limitation of 51 per cent (stake of) Thai or Indian companies," he told PTI.

Gongsakdi cited the "liberal" provisions in India that permit 100 per cent foreign investment in the transport service sector and said Thailand is concerned that Indian transportation firms may "wipe out" the Thai industry because it has "no limit" on foreign ownership.

"We would like our concerns to be addressed. Although there was no Thai delegation from the capital (Bangkok), they provided us with positions to be conveyed by the Thai embassy at the meeting, which is to limit the participation of transportation companies to those that are domestically owned....meaning only companies that have an Indian majority stake," he said.

India, Thailand and Myanmar are working on a nearly 1,400 km-long highway that would link India with southeast Asia by land and give a boost to trade, business, health, education and tourism ties among the three countries. The BIMSTEC MVA is a crucial part of the plan.

The trilateral highway is scheduled to be completed by next year.

"Physical connectivity, which is the physical building of the road, and the other is the soft connectivity or the software, which means the system, the rules, the regulations, these can happen in parallel," the Thai envoy said.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh, India and Nepal agreed on the text of the operating procedures for passenger vehicle movement in the sub-region under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) MVA. However, Bhutan is not a party to the MVA yet.

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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today accused the BJP of engineering "proxy disruption" during the recently-concluded Budget session of Parliament.

He was speaking to reporters at the Raipur airport.

"The allegations are baseless. Congress members remained seated and never trooped into the well," Tharoor said, when asked about the BJP's accusation that the session was washed out because of disruptions by Congress members.

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's and other BJP leaders' day-long fast tomorrow over the washed-out session, he quipped, "Modi had said four years ago that'Na khaunga,na khane dunga', and it is good that he is not going to eat tomorrow."



"Earlier, BJP's ally, was disrupting the House," he said, in an apparent reference to the TDP which had raised the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh in Parliament.

"When they sat down after 10 days, the AIADMK, which survives in Chennai only because of the support of the BJP, started protesting in the House over the Cauvery issue.

"They are not opposition parties, they had never opposed the BJP so far," he said.

"I feel it was a government-sponsored disruption. The way they (government) want proxy voting (rights) for non- resident Indians, they did proxy-disruption inside Parliament," the Congress MP said.

"The BJP wanted to avoid debate on no-confidence motion. Just to avoid the country listening to a debate on the failure of the government, they did not allow the debate," Tharoor alleged.

"Naturally, the government was going to win the vote (on no-confidence motion) but they did not even want to have a discussion on the allegations being levelled against them," he said.

Tharoor, who was in Raipur to address the state unit of the All India Professionals Congress, said the organisation was created to bring professionals into

"In our country, people from different sections of society join politics, but generally professionals keep away. They do their work, pay taxes and in the evening, after coming home, they complain about politics," he said.

"Professionals think they don't have the opportunity to join We want to give them a chance, to listen to their ideas," he said, adding that the AIPC has set up 45 chapters in 20 states so far.

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Three Russian journalists were injured in Syria when their vehicle was shot at Wednesday after an assignment in the former rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, the Russian defence ministry said.

The incident happened in the early evening after the journalists had investigated the situation in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, which Syrian regime and allied forces have recently retaken.

"They were targeted by unknown assailants firing light arms," the Russian army said in a statement.

The journalists received medical attention and "their lives are not in danger," according to the statement, run by Russian agencies, which added that three men had received leg injuries.

The journalists were working for the NTV channel, owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, as well as the Rossiya-1 state television channel and Russian army channel Zvezda.

Russia is the Syrian regime's biggest international ally. Last July a journalist with the Arab service of Russian state-owned channel RT was killed in an attack by Islamic State jihadists in the western Syrian province of Homs.

The Eastern Ghouta region, hit by a devastating offensive launched in February by the Syrian regime, was the last rebel enclave near the capital Damascus before being retaken by Syrian forces in early April.

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Tamil Nadu has joined the other southern states in opposing certain terms of reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission on using the 2011 census to calculate population for allocation of union tax revenue, saying it "would greatly impact" the state which has "efficiently" implemented population control measures.

The state government has decided to make a representation to the 15th Finance Commission, seeking amendment of these terms of reference (ToR) affecting devolution of funds to the state. The MPs from the state will meet the officials of the Finance Commission, it was decided at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister K Palaniswami yesterday, an official release said today.

At a conclave of their finance ministers held yesterday, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry had opined that ToR were in contradiction to the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution and would also result in revenue loss to performing states.

The meeting of the Tamil Nadu government, attended by state Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam who holds the Finance portfolio, and senior officials, discussed the ToR affecting the state, the release said.

At the meeting, it was "considered" that the recommendation to use the 2011 census to calculate population for allocation of union tax revenue in place of 1971 census "would greatly impact" Tamil Nadu, which has "efficiently" implemented population control measures in the last 40 years.

Palaniswami has taken up the issue of ToR affecting the state with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the NITI Ayog by way of letters, the release said.

"On the directions of the chief minister, it was decided that a delegation of MPs from the state will meet (officials of) the 15th Finance Commission and seek amendment of ToR affecting Tamil Nadu," the release said.

Further, the MPs, presumably from the ruling AIADMK, will also put forth the state's stand in Parliament when the subject comes up for discussion, it added.

The ruling AIADMK has a total of 50 MPs-- 37 in the Lok Sabha and 13 in Rajya Sabha.

The DMK has no representation in Lok Sabha but has four members in the Upper House.

The BJP and the PMK have one MP each in the Lok Sabha.

Tamil Nadu and TRS-ruled Telangana had opted out of the conference of finance ministers of southern states hosted by Kerala yesterday to discuss issues of common concern with respect to the 15th Finance Commission.

The state government had not assigned any reason for it skipping the meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Some opposition parties and pro-Tamil outfits in Tamil Nadu today said they would hold black flag protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state tomorrow.

This comes a day after the main opposition party, DMK, asked people to hoist black flags atop their houses to oppose his visit.

Modi is scheduled to formally inaugurate India's mega defence exhibition - the Defexpo- at Thiruvidanthai, about 40 km from here.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko said his party would hold a black flag demonstration at Little Mount here against Modi's visit for his "betrayal" of Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue.

T Velmurugan, coordinator of Tamizhar Vazhvurimai Koottamaippu, an umbrella body of pro-Tamil outfits including 'May 17', announced a 'black balloon-cum-black flag' protest.

The balloons will be released at Meenambakkam in the airport's vicinity and "several other locations," said Velmurugan who is also the chief of Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi.

The black flag protest would be held at the Alandur Metro Rail Station, Velmurugan told reporters.

Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi chief M Thamimun Ansari said black flag demonstration would be staged at Guindy which is near the airport.

Ansari said volunteers from Tamizhar Kalai Ilakkiya Panpattu Peravai, a forum of art, literary and film personalities and Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee, would also participate.

Veteran film director Bharathiraja of the Peravai confirmed participation in the black flag demonstration.

Dravidar Kazhagam said its cadres would stage a black flag demonstration at Saidapet.

Tight security arrangements, including a multiple-layer security ring, are being put in place for Modi's visit, police said.

DMK's working president M K Stalin has appealed to people to hoist black flags and wear black badges as a mark of protest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Trump administration officials consulted with global allies today on a possible joint military response to Syria's alleged poison gas attack, as President Donald Trump cancelled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump spoke with other world leaders, and other US officials said the US, France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week. None of the three countries' leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorized to discuss military planning by name.

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the US in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syria's political and military support from Russia and Iran.

President Emmanuel Macron said France, the US and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days. He called for a "strong and joint response" to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the US-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month.

Trump suggested yesterday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

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The White House has insisted that Donald Trump has the power to fire special prosecutor Robert Mueller, stoking fears that the president may try to kill an investigation inching ever-closer to the Oval Office.

After months of denying Mueller's removal is under consideration, the change in tone came as Trump reacted furiously to an FBI raid of his private lawyer's offices on Monday.

Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favour.

Over the last year, he has increasingly dug into evidence of alleged money laundering, fraud and obstruction of justice inside Trump's inner circle.

Four Trump aides -- including his 2016 campaign chair Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Michael Flynn -- have already been indicted or pleaded guilty.

Now, Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen -- who holds secrets about many of the president's personal and financial dealings -- is in the crosshairs.

"We have been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said of the possibility to remove Mueller.

"I think that the president has been clear that he thinks that this has gone too far." Trump hunkered down at the White House, canceling a first trip to Latin America that was due to start Friday and stewing on a move that could throw America into a constitutional crisis.

At the same time, Trump faced a momentous decision about whether to carry out military strikes in Syria.

Trump has pledged to decide by the end of Tuesday how to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held suburbs of Damascus, blamed on the Syrian regime and its allies.

But while much of his national security team debated whether strikes would be effective in deterring future chemical attacks, and how to limit the risk of escalation, Trump met his lawyers Jay Sekulow and Ty Cobb to discuss the Cohen raid.

His anger showed no signs of abating.

"A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" the president blasted on Twitter amid that FBI agents had seized documents pertaining to his dealings with Cohen.

"Attorney-client privilege is dead!" In a phone call with CNN, Cohen admitted the raid was "upsetting to say the least." Asked if he was worried, Cohen said: "I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No." On Capitol Hill, Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged Trump to allow Mueller to do his work.

Democrats wanted to go one step further and pass legislation protecting the Republican former FBI director.

"If the president is thinking of using this raid to fire Special Counsel Mueller or otherwise interfere with the chain of command in the Russia probe, we Democrats have one simple message for him: don't," top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.

"The investigation is critical to the health of our democracy, and must be allowed to continue." Trump's fellow Republicans said that would not be necessary, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley stating it would be "suicide" for the president to fire Mueller.

The raid on Cohen's offices came amid allegations he paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the election to keep a tryst with Trump quiet. After months of silence, Trump last week offered a flat "no" when asked if he knew about the payment.

Another option that would allow Trump to contain Mueller would be dismissing deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, a move he is also considering, CNN reported, citing multiple sources close to discussions.

The firing would be premised on Rosenstein having overreached his remit. Some of Trump's legal advisers believe him conflicted, since he is both a potential witness in the Russia investigation and wrote the memo that justified firing former FBI Director James Comey, CNN said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Donald Trump warned Russia today about supporting Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and said US missiles "will be coming" in retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump's message comes one day after Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution at the United Nations Security Council to set up a panel to identify the perpetrators of Saturdays' alleged toxic gas attacks in Douma.

Russia has said its military specialists found no evidence of a chemical attack, and suggested that rebels staged or spread rumours of an attack to pin the blame on Damascus.

In an earlier tweet, Trump said that there was "So much Fake about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria."



Just before Trump's tweets, the Kremlin today urged restraint in Syria, saying that countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilise the war-torn country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump welcomed the Emir of Qatar to the White House, barely one year after alleging his government funded terrorism at a "high level." Drawing a line under a spat that called into question the future of a key US air base in the Gulf State, Trump hosted Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in the Oval Office.

"He's a friend of mine" Trump said effusively. "He's a great gentleman." And a readout of the meeting issued later by the White House said "the leaders discussed joint efforts to finalize new commercial deals that would create more than 50,000 American jobs" in addition to discussing Syria and "Iranian and Russian malign influence" there.

It did not elaborate on the nature of the commercial ventures.

A year ago the picture was very different. Trump had followed the lead of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in taking a hard line against Qatar, saying the country needed to scale back ties with Iran and stop funding extremism.

Qatar's neighbors had also been infuriated by its willingness to host dissidents from across the Gulf and to allow broadcasts critical of them by Doha-based Al Jazeera.

Trump had initially supported an economic blockade on Qatar, but aides -- mindful of the pivotal role that the Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha plays in US Middle East operations -- have since convinced him to take a more moderate approach.

The Emir said Trump "has been very helpful in supporting us during this blockade," and thanked the American people for being "very supportive." "We do not and we will not tolerate people who fund terrorism. We are cooperating with the United States of America to stop funding of terrorism around the region."



Trump praised Qatar's military purchases, saying they buy "a lot of equipment from us, a lot of military airplanes, missiles." The pair also "discussed obstacles to restoring unity in the Gulf Cooperation Council," the statement added, a clear reference to the diplomatic feud between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two more Rohingyas were arrested from the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district of Manipur, the police said today.

The two Rohingyas, including a woman, were arrested yesterday, Superintendent of Police, Sarangthem Ibomcha said.

They were identified as Md Shobik (26) and Arofa (24).

On April 7, a police team had arrested three Rohingyas, hailing from Rakhine state of Myanmar, from a locality of Moreh commercial town.

Manipur shares a 398 km boundary with Myanmar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today demanded the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, dubbing his government a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women, after an 18-year-old alleged she was gangraped and her father died in police custody in the state's Unnao district.

"Yogi Adityanath government is a government of Ravan, which has failed to protect women," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

"Yogi Adityanath has no right to continue as the chief minister. He should be immediately dismissed," Surjewala said.

The 18-year-old woman has alleged she was raped by Bangermau BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brothers.

The victim's father died in custody in Unnao yesterday, prompting the woman to charge that he was killed inside the district jail at the behest of the BJP legislator.

The police yesterday arrested Atul Singh, brother of the BJP legislator, in connection with the gangrape.

In a separate tweet, the Congress party said: "It is shocking that the Yogi Govt has withdrawn a rape case against a former BJP minister. This move will further embolden criminals and jeopardise women's security in a state that has witnessed a sharp rise in crimes against women."



The party attached a report with the tweet about the UP government deciding to withdraw a rape and kidnapping case against former Union minister Swami Chinmayananda.

In Lucknow, the state government spokesman Siddhartnath Singh told reporters yesterday that though the government has taken a decision to withdraw the case, the matter will finally be decided by the court.

The FIR against Chinmayananda was lodged in November 30, 2011, on the complaint of a girl who had spent several years at his ashram.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two days after the father of a woman, who alleged rape by a BJP MLA, died in custody in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, the politician's wife today demanded a narco test on her husband and the survivor.

The 18-year-old woman, who had tried to kill herself outside the Chief Minister's house here, on the other hand alleged that she had been confined to a hotel room by the district administration and her uncle was killed by the MLA's brother and henchmen, who later also killed her father.

She said, "I want justice, why are they pressuring me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?"



A purported video also surfaced today and was being run on TV channels showing the alleged rape survivor's father before his death saying that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, including with rifle butts.

The video, purportedly shot at a hospital, showed the deceased person's back with serious wounds.

Meanwhile in the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, wife of the MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting DGP OP Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.

"We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture.

"We have full sympathy with the girl, as her modesty was outraged... There are political reasons behind this and my husband has been made a pawn," Sangeeta Sengar said.

"My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. He has been in politics for the past 15 years and has been serving the society and people," she said, adding, her daughters were unable to concentrate on their studies in the wake of this incident.

She said the allegations against her brother-in-law Atul were false too.

On whether her husband should resign from the UP Assembly, she retorted, "Why should he quit even before he is declared guilty? Merely on the basis of charges, why should he resign?"



She said she wanted to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and apprise him of the facts.

Besides the MLA's wife, the alleged rape victim has also demanded a CBI probe in the entire matter.

The victim claimed that the district administration in Unnao had virtually confined her to a hotel room "without a phone or water and guards at every corner".

"I can't charge my mobile, there is no TV, no water. We are told we can't go outside," the girl told a TV channel.

"We are told we can't go outside, there are guards at every corner. When we ask them for help, they say it isn't their job. Is this justice?" the girl said.

The MLA's brother Atul was arrested yesterday from Unnao by a crime branch team.

A Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow zone) visited Makhi village of the rape victim and collected information to submit a report to the chief minister.

"The SIT team will probe on all the aspects of the case and act accordingly. Security has been provided to the victim's family," ADGP (Lucknow zone) Rajiv Krishna said.

TV channels ran the comments made purportedly by the alleged victim's father before his death in which he claimed that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother.

The Supreme Court said today it will hear next week the plea for a CBI probe into the case. The Allahabad High Court has ordered that the deceased's body should not be cremated, if already not done so.

However, the mortal remains of the deceased were consigned to the flames yesterday, hours after his custodial death.

The Congress demanded the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh chief minister, dubbing his government a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women.

"Yogi Adityanath government is a government of Ravan, which has failed to protect women," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in New Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid an outcry over the Unnao rape case, the Supreme Court today decided to hear next week a plea for a CBI probe, even as the wife of the accused BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh demanded narco tests of her husband and the 18-year-old woman, who alleged confinement by local authorities.

The Congress used the case to hit out at the BJP government with party president Rahul Gandhi wondering if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would observe a fast on the alleged rape and death of the complainant's father in custody, which he said "has shamed humanity".

Separately, the Allahabad High Court sought to know the Yogi Adityanath-led state government's stand on the incident, while posting the matter for hearing tomorrow.

The complainant, who had tried to immolate herself outside the chief minister's house just a day before her 50-year-old father died on Monday, alleged that she has been confined to a hotel room by the district administration, leaving her "without a phone or water and guards at every corner".

She also accused the MLA's brother and their henchmen of killing her elder uncle earlier. "I want justice, why are they putting pressure on me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?"



A purported video of the alleged rape survivor's father before his death also went viral and was shown by several TV channels, in which he alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, including with rifle butts. It also showed the deceased person's back with serious wounds, but its veracity could not be ascertained.

Meanwhile in the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, the wife of the accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting state police chief O P Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.

"We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture. There are political reasons behind this and my husband has been made a pawn," Sangeeta Sengar said.

"My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. He has been in politics for the past 15 years and has been serving the society and people," she said, adding that her daughters were unable to concentrate on their studies in the wake of this incident.

She said the allegations against her brother-in-law Atul, who was arrested yesterday, were false too.

The MLA's wife, as also the alleged rape survivor, have demanded a CBI probe into the entire matter.

A Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow zone) visited Makhi village of the rape victim and collected information to submit a report to the chief minister.

"The SIT team will probe on all the aspects of the case and act accordingly. Security has been provided to the victim's family," ADGP (Lucknow zone) Rajiv Krishna said.

The Congress party demanded the dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, alleging that his government was a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women.

Taking a swipe at the prime minister's proposed hunger strike over the non-functioning of Parliament, the party president separately tweeted, "The barbarism inflicted on a father seeking justice for his daughter in Uttar Pradesh has shamed humanity. Hope the prime minister will soon observe a fast over atrocities against women, failed law and order and increasing anarchy under the BJP's watch."



The Congress president also posted a purported video in which the woman's father is seen speaking against the BJP MLA.

In Supreme Court, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would hear a plea next week for a CBI probe. The plea also alleged that the woman's father was tortured and killed in police custody at the behest of the "ruling party" in the state.

The petition, filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, sought the court's direction to the CBI to probe the alleged kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in July last year "by the BJP MLA and his companion and custodial death of her father via torture" on April 9.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator "under political pressure" and that the state police would not carry out a "fair investigation under compulsion", it said the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International India's Asmita Basu said, "The reported failure of the Uttar Pradesh police to register an FIR against the accused, the harassment faced by the survivor and her family, and the death of her father in custody paint a chilling picture."



She also demanded an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into these violations and said the authorities must take all steps to ensure that the survivor and her family are protected from any further harassment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Yogi Adityanath government late tonight decide to hand over to the CBI the probe into the Unnao rape case in which a BJP MLA is among the accused, on a day when he made a dramatic appearance before the police but refused to surrender.

Facing heat and growing outrage over the alleged involvement of MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the rape of an 18-year-old girl, the state government also decided to register an FIR against the legislator and the other accused.

"An FIR be lodged under appropriate sections considering the allegations of rape levied on MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and others and the investigation be handed over to CBI," the Principal Secretary (Information) said in an statement.

The government has also recommended a CBI probe into the death of the victim's father.

"Investigation in to cross cases pertaining to incidents leading to the death of the victim's father be also handed over to the CBI," the statement read.

The decisions were taken after the Special Investigation Team constituted under Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow zone) to look into the matter submitted its report to the government.

The development came hours after the Allahabad High Court sought the Yogi Adityanath-led state government's stand on the incident on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi detailing the case and posted the matter for hearing tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic late night development, Sengar made a surprise appearance outside the Lucknow SSP's residence, triggering speculation that he might surrender, but left the place without handing himself over to the police.

"I came here to show to the media that I am not absconding, and I am very much in Lucknow. I am here, tell me what to do," a visibly unrepentant Sengar told reporters.

He said, "I am a disciplined BJP worker. I am innocent. I am being implicated."



BJP MLA from Bairia in Ballia district Surendra Singh made a shocking remark while defending Sengar.

He said, Tell me who will rape a mother of three? He is being falsely implicated."



Earlier in the day, Sangeeta Sengar, the wife of the accused MLA demanded narco tests on her husband and also the 18-year-old victim, who alleged confinement by local authorities.

The Congress latched on to the case to hit out at the BJP government with party president Rahul Gandhi wondering if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would observe a fast on the alleged rape and death of the complainant's father in custody, which he said "has shamed humanity".

The victim, who had tried to immolate herself outside the chief minister's house just a day before her 50-year-old father died on Monday, alleged that she has been confined to a hotel room by the district administration, leaving her "without a phone or water and guards at every corner".

She also accused the MLA's brother and their henchmen of killing her elder uncle earlier. "I want justice, why are they putting pressure on me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?" she told TV channels.

A purported video of the alleged rape survivor's father before his death also went viral and was shown by several TV channels, in which he alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, including with rifle butts. It also showed the deceased person's back with serious wounds, but its veracity could not be ascertained.

In the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, the wife of the accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting state police chief O P Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.

"We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture. There are political reasons behind this and my husband has been made a pawn," Sangeeta Sengar said. The narco analysis test is a type of psychological investigation.

"My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. He has been in politics for the past 15 years and has been serving the society and people," she said, adding that her daughters were unable to concentrate on their studies in the wake of this incident.

She said the allegations against her brother-in-law Atul, who was arrested yesterday, were false too.

The MLA's wife, as also the alleged rape survivor, have demanded a CBI probe into the entire matter.

The Congress party demanded the dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, alleging that his government was a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women.

Taking a swipe at the prime minister's proposed hunger strike over the non-functioning of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi separately tweeted, "The barbarism inflicted on a father seeking justice for his daughter in Uttar Pradesh has shamed humanity. Hope the prime minister will soon observe a fast over atrocities against women, failed law and order and increasing anarchy under the BJP's watch."



The Congress president also posted a purported video in which the woman's father is seen speaking against the BJP MLA.

In the Supreme Court, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would hear a plea next week for a CBI probe. The plea also alleged that the woman's father was tortured and killed in police custody at the behest of the "ruling party" in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Uttar Pradesh governmnet today ordered registration of an FIR against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the alleged rape of an 18-year-old woman in Unnao district.

It also ordered to hand over the twin cases of rape and the custodial death of the victim's father to the CBI.

A separate inquiry report has been submitted by DIG (Prison) Love Kumar on the conduct of the Unnao jail officials during the detention of the victim's father, said an official statement issued tonight.

The district magistrate of Unnao has also submitted a report to the state government on lapses on part of the district hospital.

Based on the SIT report submitted by ADG Lucknow Zone Rajeev Krishna, the BJP-led state government has decided to suspend D K Dwivedi, CMS and Prashant Upadhyay, EMO.

"Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against three doctors namely Manoj Kumar (orthosurgeon), G P Sachan (surgeon) and Gaurav Agrawal (EMO) for laxity in giving proper medical care to the victim's father, both prior to judicial custody and on referral from jail to the district hospital while in judicial custody," said the statement.

"Circle Officer Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh has been suspended for negligence in handling the repeated complaints given by the victim," it said.

The state government has also ordered to provide adequate security to the victim and her family.

An 18-year-old woman had created flutters after she accused the BJP MLA of raping her. She tried to immolate herself in front of the CM's residence, seeking justice. Her father was arrested and later died in custody.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As a political storm and public outcry over the Unnao rape case raged, the wife of the accused BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh today demanded narco tests on her husband and also the 18-year-old victim, who alleged confinement by local authorities.

The judiciary also stepped in with the Allahabad High Court seeking the Yogi Adityanath-led state government's stand on the incident on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi detailing the incident and posted the matter for hearing tomorrow. The Supreme Court also decided to hear next week a plea by an advocate for a CBI probe into the rape case.

A Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow zone) visited Makhi village from where the rape victim hailed and collected information to submit a report to the chief minister.

"The SIT team will probe on all the aspects of the case and act accordingly. Security has been provided to the victim's family," ADGP (Lucknow zone) Rajiv Krishna said.

The Congress latched on to the case to hit out at the BJP government with party president Rahul Gandhi wondering if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would observe a fast on the alleged rape and death of the complainant's father in custody, which he said "has shamed humanity".

The victim, who had tried to immolate herself outside the chief minister's house just a day before her 50-year-old father died on Monday, alleged that she has been confined to a hotel room by the district administration, leaving her "without a phone or water and guards at every corner".

She also accused the MLA's brother and their henchmen of killing her elder uncle earlier. "I want justice, why are they putting pressure on me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?" she told TV channels.

A purported video of the alleged rape survivor's father before his death also went viral and was shown by several TV channels, in which he alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, including with rifle butts. It also showed the deceased person's back with serious wounds, but its veracity could not be ascertained.

In the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, the wife of the accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting state police chief O P Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.

"We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture. There are political reasons behind this and my husband has been made a pawn," Sangeeta Sengar said. The narco analysis test is a type of psychological investigation.

"My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. He has been in politics for the past 15 years and has been serving the society and people," she said, adding that her daughters were unable to concentrate on their studies in the wake of this incident.

She said the allegations against her brother-in-law Atul, who was arrested yesterday, were false too.

The MLA's wife, as also the alleged rape survivor, have demanded a CBI probe into the entire matter.

The Congress party demanded the dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, alleging that his government was a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women.

Taking a swipe at the prime minister's proposed hunger strike over the non-functioning of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi separately tweeted, "The barbarism inflicted on a father seeking justice for his daughter in Uttar Pradesh has shamed humanity. Hope the prime minister will soon observe a fast over atrocities against women, failed law and order and increasing anarchy under the BJP's watch."



The Congress president also posted a purported video in which the woman's father is seen speaking against the BJP MLA.

In the Supreme Court, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would hear a plea next week for a CBI probe. The plea also alleged that the woman's father was tortured and killed in police custody at the behest of the "ruling party" in the state.

The petition, filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, sought the court's direction to the CBI to probe the alleged kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in July last year "by the BJP MLA and his companion and custodial death of her father via torture" on April 9.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator "under political pressure" and that the state police would not carry out a "fair investigation under compulsion", it said the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International India's Asmita Basu said, "The reported failure of the Uttar Pradesh police to register an FIR against the accused, the harassment faced by the survivor and her family, and the death of her father in custody paint a chilling picture.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union minister Upendra Kushwaha today said that those who had stopped his cavalcade in Vaisali district during the 'Bharat Bandh' yesterday were a section of the upper class people opposed to reservation.

However, most of the people supported social harmony and vowed to go ahead with his party's programme to press for the demand for adequate representation of all sections of society in the judiciary, he said.

Kushwaha, president of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), said on April 9 that the party would launch a country-wide programme, 'Halla Bol Darwaza Khol' to press for the demand for adequate representation of all sections of the society in the judiciary.

"Some sections of the savarna samaj (upper class people) have vitiated the atmosphere. Fortunately, the elements who stopped my vehicle and hurled abuses at me do not represent a major section of it, which is by and large in favour of social harmony," Kushwaha told reporters here.

The incident in Vaisali district had taken place while the Union minister was on his way to attend a function of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in East Champaran district. Kushwaha could not reach the venue because of roadblocks at various points by supporters of the "Bharat Bandh" called in protest against caste-based reservations.

"Many recent court judgements have affected interests of SC, ST and OBC people. The situation cannot be changed until these sections have an adequate representation in the judiciary," Kushwaha said today.

A commission should be set up for appointment to judicial services with provisions for ensuring adequate representation of the weaker sections, he said.

"It is with this objective in mind that our party has decided to launch the halla bol darwaza khol campaign, as part of which discussions and demonstrations will be held across the country, including the national capital," the RLSP chief said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The top Republican in the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has decided to retire when his term ends, paving the way for a new Republican leadership in the Congress next year.

Citing family reasons for his decision, Ryan clarified that he is not resigning and that he would serve the rest of the term till early January next year.

"I am announcing that this year will be my last one as a member of the House," Ryan told reporters at a conference.

"I will be retiring in January, leaving this majority in good hands with what I believe is a very bright future," said the Speaker who in 2015 had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his highly successful joint address to the US Congress.

President Donald Trump paid tribute to Ryan as "a truly good man."



"Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!" Trump said in a tweet.

Vice President Mike Pence said Ryan will continue to be a great representative for the people of Wisconsin through the rest of his term and will continue to work every day with him to keep our promises to the American people.

Ruyan cited family reasons for his decision.

"It's almost hard to believe, but I have been a member of Congress for almost two decades. This is my 20th year in Congress. My kids weren't even born when I was first elected. Our oldest was 13 years old when I became speaker, " Ryan said.

"Now all three of our kids are teenagers. And one thing I've learned about teenagers is their idea of an ideal weekend is not necessarily to spend all of the time with their parents," he said.

"What I realize is, if I'm here for one more term, my kids will only have ever known me as a weekend dad. I just can't let that happen. So I will be setting new priorities in my life, but I'll also be leaving incredibly proud of what we have accomplished," Ryan said.

The opposition Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez said Ryan's retirement is an indictment of Republican leadership that has failed to provide meaningful results for the American people.

"Since Donald Trump took office, 46 Republicans have resigned or made retirement plans, and Democrats have flipped another 39 state legislative seats from red to blue across the country," Perez said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US' relationship with Russia is worse than the Cold War era, President Donald Trump said today and blamed special investigator Robert Mueller's "fake and corrupt" investigations into the Russian meddling in 2016 election for the "bad blood" between the two countries.

In a series of tweets, Trump also called for an end to the arms race between the two countries.

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?" Trump said.

Attacking Mueller, he tweeted, "Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!



Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favour.

Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration over the mainstream media and the opposition Democratic leaders over the probe.

The US president also accused The New York Times of writing a "phony story" over a report that Mueller's office is looking into a payment that a Ukrainian steel magnate made to Trump's charitable foundation in exchange for a video appearance.

"The Failing New York Times wrote another phony story. It was political pundit Doug Schoen, not a Ukrainian businessman, who asked me to do a short speech by phone (Skype), hosted by Doug, in Ukraine. I was very positive about Ukraine-another negative to the Fake Russia C story! he said.

So much Fake about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria. Feels great to have Bolton & Larry K on board, he said referring to the two new members of his national security team.

Trump suggested that the FBI raid at the offices of his private lawyer Michael D Cohen in New York was the result of the special counsel investigation that he said has found no collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

I (we) are doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus. No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD! Trump said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court today warned the Delhi government of attaching its bank accounts if it did not release funds for payment of salaries of MCD school teachers in east and north Delhi, observing it was "intolerable" not to pay the teachers who served selflessly.

The court asked the Delhi Government to show some bona fide by paying salaries of teachers in municipal schools and said the state should treat all teachers -- of MCD schools and Delhi government -- at par.

Anguished over non-payment of salaries of municipal school teachers, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said this was "intolerable", "completely improper" and an "inefficient system".

"We will attach your (Delhi government) bank accounts. We will stop you from paying salaries to your teachers. Let all the teachers be treated at par. How can you even claim you are interested in education," the bench said.

It also observed that the "teachers are the only persons in this world who give selflessly without any expectation. They do not even expect a 'thank you' from their students. We are absolutely appalled. Show some bona fide."



The bench said if the Delhi government wanted to do any good for the students, who are the sufferers, it should release funds for their salaries.

It asked the AAP government to pay salaries from its funds, as of now, and said it will later decide whether it is the responsibility of the Centre or the state to pay the municipal teachers, who got their last salary for January.

The court said this when Delhi government counsel Satyakam submitted that nothing was being given to them by the Centre due to which they were unable to release funds to the municipal authorities.

"Don't use this to whip the central government in an endeavour to take out money from the Union of India. Show some bona fide," it said.

When the court asked what was the Delhi government doing by withholding the salaries, Delhi government counsel said it was not holding back even a penny.

The court said there must be several teachers who are sole bread earners in their families and if they are not paid, how will they run their house and then they are compelled to take tuition to earn money.

"We will say all teachers be treated equally. We are saying it for the last time, do it for the sake of education," the court said, adding that it was a violation of right to under the Constitution.

The court listed the matter for April 16, asking the Delhi government counsel to take instructions how it will release funds for municipal teachers salary.

The court had earlier too rapped the authorities for the treatment they meted out to teachers, doctors, nurses and sanitation workers who were not payed for over four months.

The bench was hearing an NGO's plea seeking contempt action against the two Municipal Corporations for alleged violation of the high court's January 5 direction to clear all arrears of the teachers within a month.

NGO Social Jurist, represented by advocate Ashok Agarwal, has contended that the salaries have not been paid to EDMC and North Delhi Municipal Corporation school teachers from December last year.

Agarwal had also told the court that an 80-year-old retired teacher had written a letter to the Prime Minister saying she has not been paid pension and asking how will she survive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg today promised to do more to tackle hate speech in Myanmar, as he was grilled during a US Congressional hearing about his organisation's alleged role in spreading hate content against Rohingya Muslims.

What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more..., he told the US lawmakers when Senator Patrick Leahy asked him about Facebook's role as a breeding ground for hate speech against Rohingyas.

Zuckerberg was testifying before the US Congress amid a firestorm over the alleged hijacking of data of millions of Facebook users by British firm Cambridge Analytica.

"Recently, UN investigators blamed Facebook for playing a role in inciting possible genocide in Myanmar, Leahy said, as he cited the tragic death of a Muslim journalist.

"You say you use (AI) Artificial Intelligence to find this. This is the type of content I'm referring to. It calls for the death of a Muslim journalist. Now, that threat went straight through your detection systems, it spread very quickly, and then it took attempt after attempt after attempt, and the involvement of civil society groups, to get you to remove it," the Senator said.

Zuckerberg replied that Facebook was working on it, citing various steps in vogue to tackle hate speech in Myanmar.

"One is we're hiring dozens of more Burmese-language content reviewers, because hate speech is very language-specific. It's hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically.

"Second we're working with civil society in Myanmar to identify specific hate figures so we can take down their accounts, rather than specific pieces of content. Third we're standing up a product team to do specific product changes in Myanmar and other countries that may have similar issues in the future to prevent this from happening," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facing flak over "deteriorating" law and order situation in Maharashtra in the wake of killing of two Shiv Sena leaders in Ahmednagar last week, the state government is mulling to launch an operation against "mafia elements".

Minister of state for Home (Rural) Deepak Kesarkar today said the government has taken ransacking of the office of Ahmednagar superintendent of police last week seriously.

The office was vandalised after detention of NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap, an accused in the double murder case.

Police on Monday arrested BJP MLA from Rahuri constituency, Shivaji Kardile, father-in-law of Jagtap, in connection with the vandalism incident which occurred last Saturday.

Kesarkar, however, said the law and order situation in Maharashtra is comparatively better than other states.

"In Ahmednagar, two political activists were gunned down in broad daylight. The office of the superintendent of police was vandalised. This is a serious matter. Whether the murders were due to a personal enmity or were the fallout of a political rivalry is a different matter.

"It is the fact that two persons were killed and such a situation is not good for Maharashtra," Kesarkar told PTI.

Two motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Thube (40) in Shahunagar area of Kedgaon in Ahmednagar on April 7, hours after the result of a civic bypoll in the area was announced. The bypoll was won by a Congress candidate.

The minister said he would visit Ahmednagar next week to take stock of the situation and discuss with police the ways to clamp down on the mafia elements.

"We will undertake a clean up operation to come down heavily on the mafia elements," said Kesarkar.

Police have also arrested Sangram Jagtap (33) and three others, including a suspected shooter, in connection with the murder case, which is being probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Sangram Jagtap's father and NCP MLC, Arun Jagtap, who was also booked on charge of a conspiracy, is on the run.

Kardile was booked with others by the Ahmednagar Police on charge of hatching a criminal conspiracy to kill the two Sena leaders.

The Sena has demanded that Kardile be sacked from the BJP while the NCP has defended Sangram Jagtap saying he was being framed with an intention to defame the Sharad Pawar-led party.

The Sena, an alliance partner of the ruling BJP, has alleged that law and order situation in Maharashtra has worsened under the watch of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads Home department.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A woman today committed suicide by jumping off the Wazirabad flyover onto the road below in north Delhi, a police official said.

The middle-aged woman was wearing a lower and a T-shirt. A bus ticket from Hari Nagar to Nehru Vihar in Timarpur area was recovered from her, the official said.

Efforts were on to establish her identity. No suicide note was found.

Earlier today, the police received a call around 10.30am that a woman had jumped from the Wazirabad flyover. A police team was rushed to the spot and it took the woman to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 50-year-old college professor was found dead at her flat in suburban Andheri today, police said.

The deceased, identified as Manisha Bhave, was a divorcee and was staying alone for the past 12 years, an official said.

Bhave used to teach at a suburban college.

The incident came to light after Bhave's neighbours called up the police complaining about a foul smell emanating from her flat, he said.

A police team that reached the spot found the door of the flat locked form inside, following which they broke open the door, the official said, adding that the woman was found lying dead inside the house.

The body has been sent for postmortem.

Prima facie it appears that Bhave died of a heart attack, said Andheri police station senior inspector Pandit Thorat.

Police have registered a case of accidental death and are awaiting the postmortem report, Thorat added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg today defended certain kind of censorship to remove terrorist propaganda after a US lawmaker expressed concern over the social media giant's "pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship."



Top Republican Senator Ted Cruz cited the 2016 controversy over how Facebook editors handled conservative-leaning political in the trending topics feature.

"I think that you would probably agree that we should remove terrorist propaganda from the service. So that, I agree, I think it is clearly bad activity that we want to get down. And were generally proud of how well we do with that," Zuckerberg told the US lawmakers during a US Congressional hearing.

Zuckerberg was testifying before the US Congress amid a firestorm over the Cambridge Analytica data leak.

In March, it was found that British firm Cambridge Analytica tied to US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign improperly collected profile data of up to 87 million Facebook users.

He said he was "very committed" to ensure that Facebook was a platform for all ideas.

"That is a very important founding principle of what we do. We're proud of the discourse and the different ideas that people can share on the service, and that is something that, as long as I'm running the company, I'm going to be committed to making sure is the case," he asserted.

To a great many Americans that appears to be a pervasive pattern of political bias. Do you agree with that assessment? Cruz asked.

Zuckerberg said, I understand where that concern is coming from, because Facebook in the tech industry are located in Silicon Valley, which is an extremely left-leaning place, and this is actually a concern that I have and that I try to root out in the company, is making sure that we do not have any bias in the work that we do, and I think it is a fair concern that people would at least wonder about.

Facebook, he said, do not generally ask people about their political orientation when they're joining the company.

"Mr. Zuckerberg, do you feel its your responsibility to assess users, whether they are good and positive connections or ones that those 15 to 20,000 people deem unacceptable or deplorable? Cruz asked.

Senator, I think that there are a number of things that we would all agree are clearly bad. Foreign interference in our elections, terrorism, self-harm, Zuckerberg said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CEO Mark Zuckerberg today said his organisation was committed to ensure integrity of elections across the world, including India, as he testified before the US Congress amid a firestorm over the alleged hijacking of data of millions of users by British firm Cambridge Analytica.

He said data privacy and foreign interference in elections were topics that they have discussed at the board meeting.

"These are some of the biggest issues that the company has faced, and we feel a huge responsibility to get these right," Zuckerberg told the US the lawmakers during the Congressional hearing, adding that "this is one of my top priorities in 2018".

He said Facebook was taking steps to ensure integrity of elections in countries like the United States, India, Brazil, and Pakistan.

"2018 is is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections," the Facebook founder and CEO said.

Zuckerberg began his two-day hearing as his organisation faces charges of failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica, the data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trump's presidential campaign, from gathering personal information from over 80 million users to try to influence election.

Zuckerberg said his one of the greatest regrets was that Facebook has been slow in identifying the Russian information operations in 2016.

"We expected them to do a number of more traditional cyber attacks, which we did identify and notify the campaigns that they were trying to hack into them," he said.

The Facebook CEO said he was now more confidant as his company has set the things right . Since the 2016 election, there have been several important elections around the world where it has had a better record, he said.

There was the French presidential election. There was the German election. There was the US Senate Alabama special election last year," Zuckerberg added.

He said Facebook has deployed new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that better identify fake accounts, trying to interfere in elections or spread misinformation.

"Between those three elections, we were able to proactively remove tens of thousands of accounts before they could do significant harm," he said.

"And the nature of these attacks, though, is that there are people in Russia whose job is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems, and other systems, as well. So this is an arms race, right? I mean, they're going to keep on getting better at this, and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this, too, which is why one of things I mentioned before is we're going to have more than 20,000 people, by the end of this year, working on security and content review across the company," he said.

Zuckerberg said they have developed tools which identify people when they try to create fake accounts.

Your content has to be authentic. So we build technical tools to try to identify when people are creating fake accounts, especially large networks of fake accounts, like the Russians have in order to remove all of that content," he said.

The Facebok CEO said after the US 2016 election, Facebook's top priority was to protect the integrity of other elections around the world.

"What we're going to do is to ask a valid government identity and we're going to verify the location. We are going to do that so that someone sitting in Russia, for example, couldn't say that they're in America and, therefore, able to run an election ad," he said.
Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg returns to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for more questioning by lawmakers who have a rare chance to air grievances about the company directly to the head of the world's largest social media network. The internet magnate is scheduled to testify at 10 am EDT (1400 GMT) before the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, a day after he appeared for nearly five hours before a US Senate hearing. Zuckerberg, wearing a dark suit instead of his usual grey T-shirt, navigated through the first hearing on Tuesday without making ...
By Eric OnstadLONDON (Reuters) - International financial groups took action on Wednesday to distance themselves from the shares, bonds and metal of Russian aluminium giant Rusal after the United States imposed sanctions on the company.In Moscow, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said his government should look at U.S. goods or goods produced in Russia by U.S. companies when considering a possible response to the sanctions.Shares of United Company Rusal, one of the world's biggest aluminium producers, will be deleted from global equity and debt indexes while its metal will not be allowed ...
By Rod NickelKABUL (Reuters) - Sales of Afghanistan's ancient carpet-weaving industry have dropped by half in the past year as war with Taliban militants heats up and neighbouring Pakistan clamps down on border traffic.Prized by buyers as much for their artistry as utility, carpets are still a chief export of the impoverished nation, but their share has shrunk to six percent from 27 percent within less than a decade.War, poverty and the transport constraints of a landlocked country have shredded sales for an industry that experts say dates back at least 2,500 years. Legend holds that ...
By Alex Lawler and Nidhi VermaNEW DELHI (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers and their partners are trying to work out a structure for their proposed long-term agreement on oil supplies, the energy minister for the United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday.Suhail al-Mazroui also told Reuters on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum in India that the agreement may not include a provision on cutting or increasing oil output.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and several other non-OPEC producers began to cut supply in January 2017 in an effort to erase a global glut ...
In time, when most smartphone makers are adopting iPhone X-inspired notch screen, Nokia seems to be catching up on yesteryears trend by launching the Nokia 7 Plus  the first smartphone with the modern 18:9 screen from the stable of HMD Global, the Finnish company behind the Nokia-branded phones.

While there is no dearth of ultra-wide aspect ratio screen devices, the Nokia 7 Plus seems to be the most polished version, at least in the Nokia portfolio. In terms of look and feel, the device's build quality seems solid, thanks to the aluminium back, copper-layered ...
LOGAN  Thursday, May 3rd has been declared Prayer Day by members of the Cache County Council. The proclamation came at Tuesdays council meeting where Pastor Ron Plessner made the request. Plessner also asked the council to pray for the nation on the day that has been designated Prayer Day since 1775.

Theres a lot of diversity in our country now and its a powerful thing, he said. If we get working together we can live in unity together and my prayer for Cache County, as well as Utah and for the nation, is that unity would prevail and the violence and the corruption and all the things that we dont want to see in the news everyday would continue to dissipate by the power of the Lord Jesus.

Plessner talked about his own faith and how it helped when he was involved in a serious automobile accident earlier this year.
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| BY Ricki Green |

Director Celeste Geer has joined Revolvers roster.

From the moment Geer won her first Gold Lion last year for ANZs Pocket Money campaign, it was clear that her career was going to expand from documentaries and into brands looking to find their own truths.

Just before joining Revolver, Geer directed the Australian incarnation of the very famous This Girl Can, a project that Vic Health licensed from The UK, to get otherwise reluctant women genuinely engaged in exercise.

Beyond her recent commercials Geer is a Walkley and AACTA award winning filmmaker, and the challenge for Revolver executive producers, Pip Smart and Michael Ritchie is to ensure that she remains clear and pure on what makes her great already and to simply really nurture that.
| BY Ricki Green |

Tourism and Events Queensland has launched a major new campaign to coincide with the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, building on the States most famous tourism tagline, Beautiful one day, perfect the next.

The campaign, created by independent agency Rumble Creative & Media evolves its meaning from simply being about the weather to being about life in Queensland, encouraging travellers to find their perfect next holiday, event or experience amongst the diverse wonders of the state.

SaysMichael Branagh, group executive, global marketing, TEQ: The equity of that line was impossible to ignore, but its the authenticity of the execution that really captures the feeling of Queensland.

Says Nancy Hartley and James Burchill, creative partners, Rumble Creative: Queensland is incredibly beautiful, but the attitude to life is unique too. Thats where we knew we could create our own space, that couldnt belong to any other destination.

Popular Queensland musicians Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou lead the cast, directed by Jonathan Nyquist via Taxi Films.

Says Branagh: The guys are what you see. Locals who love Queensland, and love sharing everything thats special about it. The rapport you see between them and the kids is the real deal.

The TEQ digital team also worked closely with Rumbles sibling agency ROMEO to create immersive digital and social extensions of the campaign.

The campaign, which includes a 60 second brand, five 30 second experience tvcs, print, outdoor and digital executions, is in market now.

Client: Tourism and Events Queensland

Group Executive, Global Marketing: Michael Branagh

Director, Global Brand: Jill Holloway

Marketing Manager, Global Brand: Alison Bendall

Director, Experience Engagement and Digital Channels: Chris Chambers

Digital Marketing Manager: Kate Duffy

Agency: RUMBLE Creative & Media

Founders/Creative Partners: Nancy Hartley, James Burchill

Founding Partner: Remy Brassac

Group Account Director: Edwina Gilmour

Senior Account Manager: Nikita Baynes

Agency Producer: Katrine Bowman

Production Company: Taxi Film

Director: Jonathan Nyquist

DOP: Earle Dresner

Producer: Mark Bish Bishop

Post Production: Cutting Edge

Editor: Kerry Farrell

Assistant Editor: Felicity Kranz

Producer: Kristie Godden

Flame Artist: Steve Leacey

Colourists: Ben Eagleton, Danny Scotting

Sound Engineer: Mike Lange

Music: Blue Road by Busby Marou

Busby Marou Sound Engineer: Nathan Davis

Casting: Ben Parkinson Casting

ROMEO:

Head of Business: Amanda Shultz

Creative Director: Marco Eychenne

Account Manager: Caitlin Lilley

Technical Director: Joel Garvey

UX Designer: Jade Stephens
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The ACT's Chief Magistrate said on Tuesday that the addition of an eighth full time magistrate to the court will not be enough to improve timely access to justice. Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker said the modelling that had been done suggested the court needed more than eight and at least nine magistrates if it wanted a "slight increase" in efficiency. The ACT government announced on Monday ahead of its 2018 budget that it would give the court $3.1 million over the next four years for an extra magistrate. Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said that the new magistrate would increase access to justice and timeliness in the courts system. But Ms Walker said that because she was already using two special magistrates "probably significantly in excess of a whole magistrate", the addition of an eighth magistrate would maintain the "status quo". She said that situation was not ideal because special magistrates were not tenured and were instead appointed only for certain lengths of time at the discretion of the government. Ms Walker said that when the justice system was understaffed, one of the biggest problems, particularly given the fullness of Canberra's prison, was that people spend more time in custody on remand. Delays in the justice system also meant people waited unreasonably long times for a hearing. She said not only is a person entitled to have their matter dealt with quickly, but sometimes when those on remand in Canberra are eventually dealt with, they spend no further time in custody, having either served the jail term or are not sentenced to full time imprisonment. Ms Walker said she understood the allocation of government resources was a balancing act. "I'm not going to advocate for extra judicial resources over extra psychiatric units, for example, because obviously that need is huge. But what I would say is, have a look at what the delays in justice are costing, and it's not just about people feeling good and feeling happy," she said. She said she would like to see more research done on the known costs associated with people being kept in custody, and whether that was influenced by the lack of judicial resources. Ms Walker said the court had made changes to improve efficiency, including sitting for longer hours and "overlisting" matters, to account for matters that do not proceed, but even with those changes, "we still haven't been able to significantly reduce those times to hearing, and also for sentence too". With the addition of an eighth magistrate, one option the chief magistrate was considering was to dedicate one of the judicial staff to coronial work part-time. The ACT Coroner's Court - staffed by magistrates who are also coroners but often forced to prioritise their work as the former - has long struggled with delays. But Ms Walker said it would still be difficult with a dedicated coroner to meet the demand for that work as well as the work of a magistrate and the appointment of an eighth magistrate was unlikely to relieve the burden on the coronial system. Ms Walker said she appreciated the government's early announcement, which meant the new magistrate could be appointed as soon as the money became available. "That's where perhaps I feel a little ungrateful," Ms Walker said. "I appreciate this is an important commitment, I'm just saying that realistically, it's not quite enough."

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Jakarta: An Australian woman has been detained by Cambodian police in the tourist city of Siem Reap and could face charges for possessing marijuana. The Brisbane woman, Rachel Prins, is said to be the owner of the Soul Train Reggae Bar, which she runs with her Cambodian boyfriend. Ms Prins was one of 11 people, including several other Australians, brought in for questioning by Cambodian police after being detained at the bar on Monday night. An online expats' forum first named Ms Prins and posted some details of the police raid, while also suggesting it was linked to marijuana being freely available at the bar. Early on Wednesday morning, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing assistance to several Australians detained in Cambodia, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter. Due to our privacy obligations, we are unable to release further information." It later clarified that it was now providing consular assistance to only one Australian who was still being detained by Cambodian police. Fairfax Media has learned that Ms Prins is likely to have to appear in court on drug possession charges and that the other people who had been detained have now been let go. A report on the local SR Post News website published on Wednesday evening carried a photo of Ms Prins and four other suspects in front of a table apparently laden with drugs that had been seized. The report listed dried marijuana, 25 marijuana joints, several bags and marijuana soaked in 10 bottles of wine as among the items seized and suggested the five would appear in court on Wednesday. Ms Prins' family, including her daughter and grandson, live in Brisbane. The family declined to comment when contacted by Fairfax Media. According to the expats' forum, between 20 and 30 police officers visited the bar for about three hours on Monday evening and questioned patrons before taking some of them away for further questioning. In a discussion on the forum about the arrests, it is suggested that Ms Prins may have drawn attention to herself  and occurred the wrath of Cambodian authorities  by making comments reported in the Phnom Penh Post that were mildly critical of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. "[Prime Minister] Hun Sen is shaking hands with the Chinese, saying America, we dont need you, but businesses here need Westerners," the Post quoted her as saying. Cambodia is ruled with an iron fist by the former military strongman, who has in the past 12 months arrested senior members of the main opposition parties ahead of July elections. The Soul Train Reggae Bars Facebook page features photos of several people smoking what appears to be marijuana. There are also multiple pictures on the bar's Facebook page of a woman who looks identical to Ms Prins but who is tagged under the name "Pixie Rose". A separate video posted on Facebook by a Cambodian police officer appears to show police descending on the bar and conducting the raid on Monday evening. It stated that police were on the scene to crack down on the use of addictive drugs and that the officials in attendance included the deputy police commissioner in charge of fighting crime in Siem Reap, the director of the provincial immigration office, the director of the anti-drug office and a deputy prosecutor. In the video, the deputy police commissioner can be heard saying in Khmer we dont know who is who yet but that the police had some evidence of drugs on site already. Fairfax Media has tried to contact Ms Prins but has been unsuccessful. Siem Reap is a popular destination for backpackers travelling to Cambodia, with a lively bar and restaurant scene. It also serves as the gateway to the historic temples at Angkor Wat. In February, a Cambodian court kicked seven Westerners out of the country, weeks after they were accused of "singing and dancing pornographically" at a Siem Reap party. Cambodia does not enforce the death penalty for illegal drug use but it still has strict drug laws, even for so-called soft drugs such as marijuana.

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Jakarta: An Australian man in Bali has been found guilty on drug charges, but will serve time in a rehab centre, rather than in jail. Isaac Emmanuel Roberts was found guilty of the illegal use of category 1 narcotics for personal consumption and the possession of psychotropic drugs. But the Bali court sentenced Roberts, a self-described drug addict who had pleaded for mercy last week, to undergo one year and three months of treatment at the Anargya rehabilitation centre. Roberts has already served about five months in the centre, which means he will be free early next year. Head judge I Gusti Putra Atmaja said the defendant's actions were contrary to the Indonesian government's drugs eradication program. But the mitigating factors taken into account in handing down the sentence included that "the defendant regretted his actions and promised not to repeat it again. The defendant was proven not as a dealer," the judge said. "During trial, the defendant admitted he got the drugs when he was in Bangkok for his personal consumption. The amphetamine was used by the defendant to be able to sleep due to suffering heavy depression." Both Roberts' lawyer Edward Pangkahila and prosecutor Suhadi said they would consider the sentence. They have seven days to appeal. Outside the court, Roberts said that he was still clean and was not happy but, rather, depressed at the sentence. "I'm thankful to the government for the chance to recover from my illness," he added, describing it as a "hell of a problem". Officials at Denpasar airport allegedly found 20.54 grams of the drug ice and 14 ecstasy tablets in Roberts' luggage on December 4 last year. At one stage it had appeared that Roberts could be charged with the far more serious offence of importing drugs. Under article 113 of Indonesia's strict drug laws the maximum punishment for importing more than five grams of illegal narcotics into the country is the death penalty. But prosecutors chose to pursue a conviction on the lesser charge of illegal use of a category 1 narcotic for personal consumption. Assessments by Indonesian and Australian doctors had confirmed that Roberts was an addict and that he had been a user of multiple narcotics including ice, methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana since the year 2000.

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It was unanimous, and emotional: TPI-FMB is moving forward to its second hearing with support from council.

In a 5-0 vote Tuesday following a two-day meeting, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council moved the TPI-FMB rezoning request to its second hearing.

After 14 hours over two days of discussion and deliberation, council came mostly to a consensus over the requests of the developments requested deviations and proffered public benefits.

How lucky we have been to be here right now, Vice Mayor Joanne Shamp said, before making the motion to move the project to its second hearing.

Now, the projects team, town staff and attorneys will go back to finalize the language and conditions of the rezoning request for second and final hearing at the Town Councils second May meeting, currently scheduled for Monday, May 21.

It was very emotional for me today. Its a lot, but I really wanted to give you a 5-0 because I appreciate that you brought in the community, Mayor Tracey Gore said.

After applause, and handshakes around, TPI developer Tom Torgerson had a smile on his face  but said his brain was dead after two days of intense talks.

Im happy for the whole community, he said. Its the right outcome, the right decision. Its a healing thing.

The unanimous vote didnt come without some significant changes to the TPI-FMB proposal, several of which Torgerson offered up himself.

Im relieved. There were a lot of concession  the original design is scaled back, Gore said. Not everyone will be happy, but at the end we all compromised and came together.

During Mondays arduous council meeting, which lasted nearly nine hours, Torgerson sweetened the deal with some perks that piqued councils attention.

Torgerson showed a scaled down version of his current plan, that cut the overall height to 50 feet at the roof, reduced the room count to 254, scrapped the business center plan for the parcel next to Lighthouse Resort, and also eliminated the use of the Ocean Jewel property.

This changed the original proposal of 290 rooms.

In addition, Torgerson revealed he is under contract to purchase 15 acres of property at the corner of San Carlos Boulevard and Pine Ridge Road, at 17365 San Carlos Blvd. He thinks 370 parking spaces proffered at the resort sufficiently contain his projects needs, but offered to turn part of that property into a temporary off-island parking lot as a backstop to mitigate concerns about the discrepancies in parking numbers in the applicant, town staff and consultant Bill Spikowskis report. The latest numbers, as of Monday: Community Development Director Jason Green says 604 including the park once discount but not the employee parking; Spikowski says 371 including the discount and employee parking; and TPI-FMB says 370, because of the more than 100 bike rental racks its proposing grant it a one-space discount.

Shamp said shed like TPI to give Ocean Jewel to the town  and, Torgerson indicated it was a deal that could be struck if TPI could be allowed to keep the rerouted Canal Street parking lot, which its also giving to the town, in the design it had planned. Green had suggested TPI should have to widen the parking lot to 70 feet.

We never intended to give you that property, but we can put that on the table, Torgerson said.

While TPI may not have planned to give Ocean Jewel to the town, trading it for something has always been a tactic: when TPI first attempted to apply for the rezoning, it had hoped to trade Ocean Jewel for part of Lee Countys Seafarers property with the reasoning that Ocean Jewel poses a critical point in future transportation needs. In those beginning stages of whats now TPI-FMB, the developer preferred Ocean Jewel to be transferred into public ownership. That talk died down when the county declined to negotiate  but it looks like Torgerson might have offered a deal the Town Council cant pass up.

Council Member Anita Cereceda said she had been ready to approve the project as it was, the 290 rooms and all, because of the valuable trade-off of removing development rights from TPIs Gulfside property, a public benefit TPI offered when it applied.

But Shamp said shed come prepared to only allow about 163 rooms  until TPI showed its bottom line alternatives.

They just threw in some more value, she said.

By cutting out the business center, and the Ocean Jewel building that currently houses the Chamber of Commerce, the developer offered up another view corridor  without those buildings, a pedestrian could see almost straight to the Gulf at the base of the bridge.

Shamp also asked if itd be possible for TPI to architecturally stagger its Crescent Street frontage. Crescent Street is still home to several residential properties, and Primo Drive is also nearby.

The wall of development was a primary concern to Spikowski, town consultant and author of the comprehensive plan, a stance hed made clear when he reviewed the plan in August. TPI had offered up a vegetative lattice type buffer between the floor-level parking and what it considers attractive variation in the building facade.

I really think there is a problem with the low buildings, but we know from the record they support it, Spikowski said.

The surrounding Crescent Street property owners  businesses and resident  have all told council either by public comment, letter or email that they supported the project as proposed. Even Doris Grant, a long-time Crescent Street resident who would be across the street from TPIs entrance, said she supports the project.

Cereceda pointed out that if residential redevelopment continued along the same track that can be seen throughout the rest of the island, TPIs height on Crescent Street would be compatible with its neighbors.

Any new home built has to be built above flood level, and therefore the living space is elevated. She said the new homes at the Gulf end of Jefferson Street, where she lives, are nearly 50 feet tall to the top of the roof architectural features  which are not, by code, counted in total height.

Crescent Street will redevelop like that, she said  and reminded her council that shes been trying to get its members to think about that kind of redevelopment thats changing the island.

In reality, it will be alarming and thats to code, Shamp said.

The staggering was not brought up again Tuesday, and consensus was reached to approve a maximum height of 52 feet with three stories over flood elevation.

Gore said she wanted to help TPI out, but didnt know how to, by code, get from 84 rooms by right to the requested 254, a concern Shamp had also expressed during parts of the meeting but had resolved by the end. Cereceda tasked her to think of the value proffered by the Gulf development rights being given up  a public benefit that Spikowski also reiterated was unlikely to happen elsewhere.

Not building on the beach is a significant thing, he said. I cant imagine anyone else considering that.

He added that the code allowed for deviations in trade for something that valuable, that if the developer would give up something that significant, its fair to give them slack on something else. He also said that the language of the rezoning could so narrowly condition TPI-FMB as to make it an exception, not a precedent-setter.

Shamp agreed the trade was valuable, and agreed it was fair once Ocean Jewel was tossed in.

Its not just the view, it meets a lot of our goals of diminishing density on the beach front. Its an exceptional circumstance thats not likely to be replicated, she said. Other resorts own property on both sides (of Estero). I cannot imagine many of them to move off the beach front.

Tuesday, Shamp said she preferred not to grant a deviation to density using the multiplier method, but shed rather award extra density based on the public benefits the development was proffering to the town, a method three of five agreed to support.

Gore asked to have the beach access moved from between the public restaurant and the beach club to between the restaurant at the Salty Crab, as she felt the beach access would be easier for the public to use in that location.

TPI-FMB had agreed to increase the parking lot its donating to the town at the southern end of its property to a width of 67 feet, rather than the original 61 feet. That increase was going to cut into the beach club  so moving the other beach access north actually allowed Torgerson make up that loss.

This near-consensus came around 6 p.m. Monday, following lengthy discussion and more than two hours of public commentary. The Chamber of Commerce provided lunch for all the meeting attendees during a midday break. Tuesday, the council spent several hours hashing out the exact details of different concerns so it could send the proposal to its second hearing with a general agreement among council and the applicant.

More than 40 people spoke during public comment to put in their two cents; the majority, about 25 people made up of residents and property owners, spoke out in overwhelming support of the project. Of the dissenters, there were about three residents, one resident both a hotelier and Voice of FMB member, and several other Voice of FMB members. The Voice also brought two outside consultants and an attorney to speak against the project.

Some residents continued to be concerned with traffic impacts. Bob Boykin, one of the Pink Shell owners, says he already has guests threatening to not come back because they dont want to deal with the traffic.

For Dawn Ferguson, season traffic is a signal of an economically-healthy island.

Ferguson, a south-end resident, said shes noticed businesses are down this year. Restaurants where shed normally not get into seem empty. She expects to hit traffic on Estero Boulevard headed north during the latter part of the day  and is concerned if she doesnt.

I get worried for the businesses and the people who live here, she said.

She and several other residents expressed concern with the negative path they saw the town going: shuttered businesses and increased crime activity in Times Square.

TPI has worked diligently. It fulfills a vision to create a thriving environment, said island resident Megan Zelenak Every person has a stake in this project. Were unlikely to see another development team who will work with the community.

Ray Murphy, one of the members of the first Town Council, urged the council to approve the project.

Fort Myers Beach measures its time in hurricanes, and by his estimation, the Helmrich Plaza area was blighted before Charley. When the new bridge was installed, Old San Carlos became blighted because the new main street didnt go down it anymore. The town put a plan together to revitalize it. The council also closed Times Square into a pedestrian plaza during that time.

All these things were done for the greater good, Murphy said.

He estimated during his time in town government, hed heard more than 150 rezoning cases in six years, and TPI was a good one.

I have never heard a development come in like this. Never, he said. You have the best plan youre ever going to see. Its your legacy. Do it.
ORLEANS  The return of summer visitors  both people and white sharks  is only a few months away, and local researchers and public safety officials are thinking about a potential surge in shark ecotourism this season. A number of local businesses are already operating boat excursions for shark-watching and cage diving, and others are advertising plans to do so.

Meeting in Orleans last week, members of the regional white shark working group said they wanted to make sure that these businesses are regulated to ensure that they don't threaten public safety or conservation efforts.

The sample regulations were drafted by Michelle Wcisel, program director with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, based on her experience as a researcher and ecotourism worker in South Africa.

Thats an incredibly huge industry centered around white sharks and access to white sharks, she told the group. Would-be shark tour providers there are required to complete a very lengthy application with a high application fee, and then commit to rules that make them partners in the white shark conservation effort. The key, Wcisel said, is to consider implementing rules before the burgeoning industry takes off.

I really feel, having experience in what kind of circus it can be down there, here theres a huge opportunity to put something in place now, she said. Doing so is not only better for the sharks, but is less disruptive to people seeking to start new shark ecotourism businesses, Wcisel added.

The draft rules, designed to be a starting point for discussion, propose limiting white shark ecotourism businesses in Massachusetts to three, and identifying zones like swimming areas where cage diving and shark tours cannot operate. The regulations might require that shark charter boats reserve a seat for a qualified observer, like those on commercial fishing boats to ensure compliance with complex fishing rules. They could also mandate a licensing fee that supports conservation efforts, or the monitoring and enforcement of the rules themselves.

There are signs that shark ecotourism is about to increase dramatically on the Cape, with a number of companies advertising expeditions in the 2018 summer season. Wcisel predicted that, once the ongoing white shark population study generates numbers of sharks in the area (see related story), even more businesses will join the effort.

White shark business is huge business. Massive, she said. Multi, multi-milliondollar business in South Africa.

Some at the meeting suggested regulating shark charters the way whale watch tours are regulated, with businesses required to obtain a government permit and agree to a code of conduct. Unlike whales and seals, white sharks are not covered by the Marine Mammal Protection Act; any permitting would need to be done at the state, not the federal, level.

A number of websites are advertising shark tours, and some specify that they will be using spotter aircraft to guide boats to sharks, just as researchers find white sharks during tagging expeditions. Different regulations put in place in 2015 already regulate the practice of chumming, or adding fish gurry to the water, in a bid to attract white sharks. Those rules also originated from the regional white shark working group.

In Chatham, the website for the Chatham Gables Inn is already advertising a package that involves lodging and an expedition with Cape Cod Shark Adventures. Bryce Rohrer, who runs the expeditions, said he believes his industry needs regulation.

You dont want to have people with little shark diving experience or shark awareness in multiple aspects running shark dives, he wrote in an email to The Chronicle. Charter operators need to know the animals, the risks they can pose and their role in the environment, Rohrer said. Without permits, the wrong crews could run a shark dive the wrong way and that would be detrimental to both sharks and people.

Regulators would also need to consider how to award the three permits, should there be more than three qualified applicants. It might be done by a lottery, or it might be conducted like a state contract that requires companies to submit bids.

Rohrer said he has been shark diving professionally for 15 years, and running shark dives around the Cape every summer since 2010 without any safety problems. He said his business is the only full-time shark diving operation on the Cape.

I would hope we would have first dibs if such a permit became law, he said.

The proposal to regulate shark ecotourism operations raises a number of key questions, including whether charter fishing boats would fall under the rules if they happen to bring their customers to areas where sharks are known to be present. It would also be difficult to regulate private boaters who follow permitted shark tour boats in the hopes of catching a glimpse on their own. Whale watch operators commonly report being followed by small private boats, experts say.

Other private boaters could simply watch the shark spotting aircraft and wait for them to circle over a suspected shark before traveling to the area to make their own search. Those recreational boaters, with GoPros on broom handles probably wouldnt be captured by the regulations, Orleans Natural Resources Director Nate Sears said.

Or theyve launched a drone, Cape Cod National Seashore Chief Ranger Leslie Reynolds said.

While drafting the regulations could be complex, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has the authority to implement them, state shark biologist Greg Skomal told the group. If the rules originate from the regional working group, theyll probably embrace it as something they should do something with. He said rules could theoretically be put in place in less than a year, or much faster if done on an emergency basis.
Photo: CTV Marijuana plants grow at the Northwest Patient Resource Center medical marijuana dispensary in Seattle, Wash., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012. (AP / Ted S. Warren)

The RCMP has finally said why they seized two shipments of marijuana at Kelowna International Airport last week.

According to Sgt. Duncan Pound of the RCMP Criminal Operations Federal Policing, the pot was seized because it did not match what was authorized to be transferred.

The statement posted on the RCMP website goes on to say it contravened Section 264 of the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, but no other details were given.

The RCMP supports efforts to ensure persons permitted by law to have access to marijuana for medical purposes do have that access. The RCMP understands the parameters companies licensed by Health Canada need to follow to produce and ship marijuana for medical purposes under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations.

If activities are undertaken outside of the parameters of these licenses, the RCMP's role is to enforce the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), which is what was done.

It had previously been learned that Tweed Marijuana Inc. and Mettrum Limited were the two companies that lost product in the seizure. According to The Huffington Post, Tweed has abandoned its shipment, but maintains the company did nothing wrong.

The seizure took place on March 31, the final day Health Canada allowed companies to purchase plants and seeds from patient growers.
Photo: Contributed

A proposed condo development on Cawston Avenue near Gordon Drive in Kelowna raises red flags for one city councillor.

Coun. Luke Stack wonders if the single-family neighbourhood is ready for a five-storey building.

"When you go up and down the block at the moment, it is very, very low-structured housing. Typically one, maybe two storeys," said Stack.

"It would be a very dramatic change. It's a huge jump in height and the intensity of the housing.

"I'm a little uncomfortable moving forward ... until we really have a sense of, is this where this whole neighbourhood is going?"

Stack said he'd prefer to look at the neighbourhood as a whole "rather than taking one piece here and one piece there and doing small OCP amendments to accommodate it."

Stack did support the 30-unit condo development going to a public hearing, and looked forward to hearing from neighbours.

"Maybe the public will come back and say this is great, we need this type of housing. But, I sense we may hear push back, saying this is a dramatic change to our neighbourhood with what we had and where we're going."

The proposed development will be situated on three properties which have been consolidated for the project.

An OCP amendment was required for one of the three properties to allow the increase in height.
Photo: BC Gov't

A task force has been appointed to scrutinize British Columbia's rental housing regulations and come up with solutions to address affordability.

Premier John Horgan says there are roughly 1.5 million renters across the province and the supply of rental housing has not kept up with demand.

The task force will be led by New Democrat member of the legislature Spencer Chandra Herbert, who will also serve as the premier's advisor on residential tenancy, and includes New Democrat Ronna-Rae Leonard and Green MLA Adam Olsen.

Chandra Herbert says supply and affordability in the real estate market gets plenty of public attention, but the same crisis exists for renters and their voices need to be heard.

He says both renters and landlords have not received the support they need when facing problems and disputes, and regulations can be improved to offer more security to all parties.

Horgan says the task force will consult with renters, landlords and municipalities before making recommendations to modernize tenancy regulations this fall.

"Everything is on the table," Horgan said. "This is a deliberate and direct attempt to try to find security of tenure for those who are wanting to stay in their homes and also to provide a level of comfort to those who are putting their assets into the rental market, that they're not going to be left behind as well."
Photo: Westcoast Fisherman

A man has died after being rescued from a fishing vessel off B.C.'s North Coast.

Susan Williams of the Canadian Coast Guard says the fishing vessel Western Commander issued a mayday call Monday, saying it was taking on water.

She says three coast guard vessels and the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue from Prince Rupert responded to the call.

All three crew members were rescued from the vessel, but a 70-year-old man needed medical attention and the coroner's service says he has since died.

The 22-metre ship has sunk.

Williams says a coast guard environmental response crew is monitoring for potential pollution from the sunken vessel.
UPDATE: 4:50 p.m.

Kelowna police were tipped off that a man wanted on numerous outstanding warrants was living in Rutland.

Police staked out the Parkview-Springfield area and waited for him to pull into the Columbus Place housing complex.

Cpl. Kent Hall said when officers saw him pull in, they tried to arrest him.

"We attempted to make an arrest as he was sitting in the passenger seat of the car. As soon as he saw that the police were coming, he decided he was going to try and get in the driver's seat of the car and flee," said Hall.

The man jumped and managed to put the vehicle in drive, but "ended up colliding with one of our police vehicles and ultimately the vehicle stopped when it hit a tree," said Hall.

A police officer who was trying to arrest the man sustained minor injuries in the incident.

The male suspect was taken into custody, also with minor injuries.

Police on scene would not say what warrants the man is facing.

ORIGINAL: 4:40 p.m.

Numerous police have responded to a developing scene near Parkview Crescent and Springfield Road in Kelowna.

Castanet reporter Nich Johansen is on scene and says it's not clear exactly what occurred, but a vehicle has crashed into a tree and a man has been arrested.

The incident occurred inside the Columbus Place complex.

At least seven police vehicles and 10 officers were observed at the scene.

A man was placed into a police cruiser, and an ambulance is also on scene.
Photo: Danielle Nye

Staff and patients at a hospital in Port Hardy got a little closer to nature than they might have wanted.

A cougar nestled up to the ledge below a large window, peering in at employees.

The big cat eventually made its way into the forest behind the hospital.

"He was actually there for a good 10 minutes I'd say, maybe longer," Danielle Nye told CTV. "Just looking at us, just peering in, not afraid at all, hardly. He even just sauntered away casually."

Police and conservation officers were called, but were unable to track down the cat.

Conservation officer John Paquin said the cougar appeared to be used to humans, which is always a concern.

"There's some concerning behaviours, just it being out during the day in an urban area next to a busy public facility like that," he said.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: File photo Premier John Horgan

Premier John Horgan says he's concerned and surprised that Alberta's latest move in an escalating pipeline feud is legislation that could drive up British Columbia's already sky-high gas prices.

Alberta's New Democrat government served notice Tuesday of plans to introduce legislation that Premier Rachel Notley has said will give the province the power to reduce oil flows and likely prompt a spike in gas prices in B.C.

Motorists in Metro Vancouver currently pay more than $1.50 a litre for gas.

The pipeline dispute between B.C., Alberta and the federal government heated up last weekend when Kinder Morgan Canada announced it was suspending work on the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion because of opposition and delays in B.C.

The project, which would triple capacity between Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C., received Ottawa's approval in 2016, but court challenges and permit delays in B.C. have held up construction.

The B.C. government announced in February that it will ask the court to decide if it has the right to restrict diluted bitumen in the Trans Mountain pipeline. The decision to refer the matter to the courts prompted Alberta to suspend a ban on wine imports from B.C.

Horgan said Tuesday that he's concerned about any new legislation in Alberta that may have adverse consequences in his province, including increased gas prices.

"I'm always concerned when a jurisdiction to our east decides that they are going to take provocative action because of our attempt to talk to British Columbians about how we protect our environment," he said.

"I don't believe legislation that would put an adverse impact on the people of B.C. is in anyone's interest and I'm surprised the government of Alberta is bringing it forward."

Debate around Trans Mountain has turned to fear-mongering rather than facts and evidence, B.C. Green Leader Andrew Weaver said in a statement Tuesday.

"In Alberta, Ms. Notley is engaging in her own fear-mongering by alleging this amounts to a 'constitutional crisis,' " he said. "It is irresponsible to be throwing such inflammatory terms around when B.C. is simply trying to consult with British Columbians and to seek scientific evidence about a substance that poses a significant risk to our communities and to our economy."

Alberta's proposed legislation is expected to be debated next week.

Notley said Tuesday that the province is prepared to buy the pipeline in order to get its oil products to the ports on the West Coast.

Kinder Morgan has set May 31 as the deadline for various stakeholders to reach agreement that could allow the project to proceed
Photo: CTV/Chopper 9

A huge barn fire in Port Coquitlam has killed 14,000 chicks at a chicken farm.

The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at Burns Road and Dominion Avenue.

The barn collapsed in the blaze and was extinguished by about 5 p.m.

An excavator was pulling the roof apart so firefighters could reach hotspots in the debris.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV

Removal of Victoria's "Old Blue" bridge will begin on Monday.

The Johnson Street Bridge will lead to traffic closures on its new replacement, which recently opened to the public.

A full bridge closure from 5:30 to 7 a.m. Monday will allow a crane barge to move into position.

The barge will then be used to disassemble the old bridge.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the new bridge will be open only during morning and afternoon rush hours.

The removal should be complete by Thursday of next week, weather allowing.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: CTV View from Metro Vancouver's MetroTower III

Ten-dollar massages, at-cost meals and swanky new digs at Metro Vancouver's new government offices on the 29th floor of the MetroTower III on Kingsway are being defended by the organization.

The cushy perks have been raising eyebrows since they were uncovered by Vancouver Province columnist Mike Smyth.

The region's bureaucrats, engineers, support staff and politicians moved into the space late last year.

The regional body has already been under fire for pay raises and retroactive severance packages, Smyth noted.

"This is a board that's in charge of garbage collection, sewers and water  those are their basic functions. Why do you have to travel to Paris, New York, Australia, Korea, South America. Are you kidding me?" Smyth told CTV.

But board chair Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore bristled at the criticism.

"By you calling them perks you're already pre-judging what they are. Perks would mean something we're subsidizing, which we're not, he said. We're trying to create the best employment opportunity for our employees.... We, much like everyone in the private sector, are in a competitive marketplace for good employees," he said.

Frankly, if this was a private sector company like a technology company where they provided meals at costs and they provided massage services at cost, we'd be celebrating them for being innovative.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation isnt buying it.

"These are public servants, as they like to call themselves. These are bureaucrats. They should have your average run of-the-mill office building where most of us work every day," B.C. director Kris Sims told CTV.

"This is the sort of thing that really makes people jaded about politicians and bureaucrats."

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Contributed

The province of B.C. has announced a new wine award.

The Office of the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, with support from the Government House Foundation and The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society, is pleased to announce a new partnership to recognize the best of British Columbia wines by creating the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards.

The new honour will replace the Lieutenant-Governor's Awards for Excellence in B.C. Wine and the B.C. Wine Awards.

The competition is open to all licensed wineries in British Columbia, including fruit wines and mead. The competition will take place mid-September in Penticton.

12 respected judges from across Canada and the United States will spend three days judging an estimated 600 wines. Bronze, silver and gold medals will be awarded. The top 1 per cent will receive the Lieutenant-Governor's platinum medal, with one wine receiving the Lieutenant-Governor's Award for Best Wine in British Columbia.

"Government House has always promoted the best of British Columbia, and the purpose of the Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in B.C. Wine, established in 2003, was to highlight the excellent wines being produced in our province," says the Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. "Today, the British Columbia wine industry is known throughout the world, and I am pleased we are able to grow our efforts in promoting B.C. wines in partnership with The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society. Government House is delighted to work with the society to continue the tradition of a professional wine judging competition that recognizes our best wines with integrity and impartiality."

The British Columbia Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards will be run by The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society, and will recognize wine making excellence in all wines made from 100 per cent B.C. grown grapes or fruit.

"We are honoured to be entrusted to plan and manage the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards," says Lindsay Kelm, chair of The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society. "We are proud to work with the office of the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia to continue our role to raise awareness and increase profitability for the wineries of British Columbia."

The new wine competition will announce the judging line up by the start of May and registration will open for entries in early July.
Photo: The Canadian Press Amy Schumer

A Langley father is calling on theatres to ensure that family-friendly movies are not spoiled before they start after an uncomfortable outing with his daughter prompted Cineplex to pull a trailer from certain screenings.

Mike Mitchell said he and his wife took their nine-year-old daughter to a Cineplex theatre last weekend to see "The Miracle Season," a Vancouver-shot drama about a girls' volleyball team that bands together in the face of adversity.

But before the feel-good flick could get underway, a preview for an upcoming film starring Amy Schumer left the parents feeling horrified, said Mitchell.

His jaw dropped as his daughter watched an unclothed Schumer seducing a potential beau in the trailer for "I Feel Pretty." The comedy is about an insecure woman, who after suffering a head injury, believes she has been transformed into a would-be model.

The trailer also shows Schumer shimmying on stage as she partakes in a wet T-shirt contest.

Mitchell said he felt the preview was too explicit for the girl-powered volleyball movie's young target audience. He was equally troubled by what he perceived to be the "I Feel Pretty" trailer's subtext  that a woman's self-worth is determined by her body image and sex appeal.

"Anxiety, body awareness  these are very, very tender and current issues among teenage and tween-age girls exposed to this," he said.

"What I saw, through a child's mind, is, 'If I get naked, I get accepted.'"

Cineplex responded to Mitchell's concerns by removing the "I Feel Pretty" trailer from the lineup for the G-rated "The Miracle Season" at the seven B.C. theatres screening the movie.

"We're in the business of entertaining our guests, and if they found it made them uncomfortable, then we wanted to respect that feedback in that one particular market," Cineplex spokesperson Sarah Van Lange said. "If others are upset or had concerns with it, we're happy to listen to that feedback."

Mitchell insists that he is not a "prude." It's not just nudity and sexual innuendo he's concerned about, but how his daughter is processing these subjects he feels are beyond her years.

"I took my child to a children's film, and was shown an adult trailer," he said. "I want to be given the choice."
Photo: Contributed

Vancouver's Celebration of Light has announced participating countries this year will be South Africa, Sweden and South Korea

Now in its 28th year, the fireworks festival is set to take place July 28, Aug. 1 and 4.

The event "truly lights up Vancouver by bringing people together with those they love to enjoy a festival of music, food and culture throughout the day leading up to the breathtaking fireworks each night, said Paul Tilbury and Heather Owen, co-chairs of the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society.

Fireworks for Africa, representing South Africa, is first up, followed by Unique Pyrotechnic of Sweden, and Daehan Fireworks Co. of South Korea.

Fireworks are at 10 p.m. each night, rain or shine, at English Bay.

A free family-friendly festival site at Second Beach will also feature live music, food trucks, activities and more. The Red Bull Air Show will put on a pre-show performance each day.

For VIP tickets go to www.hondacelebrationoflight.com.



The annual event attracts up to 500,000 spectators along the shores of English Bay each night.
Ongoing Rise is collecting donations of backpacks and school supplies for local students of all ages from elementary school to high school that will be handed out before the new school year begins. Students can come in to the Rise Thrift...




Governor Bill Haslam today announced that more than 10,000 adults have applied for Tennessee Reconnect, the states program for adult learners to earn an associate degree or technical certificate tuition-free.The application for Tennessee Reconnect opened on Feb. 15 and 10,497 applications had been submitted as of April 10. The Tennessee Reconnect program covers tuition and mandatory fees at a Tennessee community or technical college for eligible adults that do not yet have a college degree.The immense interest in Tennessee Reconnect demonstrates that Tennesseans understand the value of a postsecondary credential and that a quality education can help create better lives for them and their families, Governor Haslam said.Tennessee is leading the nation in making college accessible and affordable to anyone who wants to earn a degree. By investing in our workforce through education, we are creating a solid foundation for our states economic future.Among those who have applied for the scholarship, more than two-thirds have previously enrolled in college and just more than half of all applicants have attended college in the past five years. The average age of applicants is 34 years old and nearly 90 percent of those who applied plan to work while enrolled through Reconnect.Tennessee Reconnect was proposed by Haslam and passed by the General Assembly in 2017. The application launched in February in conjunction with a statewide outreach campaign. The campaign included statewide television, radio, online and social media advertisements, as well as coordinated outreach from Tennessees community and technical colleges.The Tennessee Reconnect application will remain open year-round; adults hoping to enroll in community or technical college in fall 2018 are encouraged to apply by April 15 to ensure time to complete all enrollment steps. The application for Reconnect requires four simple steps:Complete the application at TNReconnect.gov;Apply to a local community college or eligible Tennessee Reconnect institution;File the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at FAFSA.ed.gov; andEnroll in a degree or certificate program at least part-time.Tennessee Reconnect is part of the Drive to 55, the governors initiative to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or certificate to 55 percent by 2025. Tennessee is the first state in the nation to offer all citizens  both high school graduates and adults  the chance to earn a postsecondary degree or certificate tuition-free.
To be in with a chance of winning a signed Willian shirt, all you need to do is watch the video above and register your vote.

This months nominations are as follows:

A: Eden Hazard against West Ham United

B: NGolo Kante v Manchester United

C: Callum Hudson-Odoi v West Ham United Under-18s

D: Willian v Stoke City

The winning goal each month is the strike which receives the highest number of votes from supporters.

Click here to register your vote and be in with a chance of winning a signed Willian shirt.
Chesterfield now offering Pfizer booster shots The Chesterfield Health District is now offering booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those 65 and older and those 18-64 with underlying medical conditions. The booster shot, administered...

Vaccine policy stirs tension between county, commissioner of the revenue In early June, Chesterfields commissioner of the revenue, Jenefer Hughes, found herself swimming against the current. With COVID-19 cases plummeting and vaccination events inoculating thousands in Chesterfield and across the...
The former Ohio congressman has been appointed to the board of advisers of Acreage Holdings, invoking the need for veterans to access the drug legally to explain his change of heart, Boehner said in a statement Wednesday. The company grows and sells legal weed and operates in 11 states.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed the executive order Tuesday to mark Equal Pay Day, which symbolizes how far into the year women must work, on average, to earn as much as men did the previous year. The order comes as Illinois lawmakers consider two competing pieces of legislation that aim to close the wage gap by prohibiting employers from asking job candidates what they've earned in the past, resurrecting the issue after Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed such a bill last year.
Little Company of Mary had been running in the red and began looking to join a larger system in 2016. President and CEO Dennis Reilly said in October that the system had been facing many of the same challenges as hospitals across the country, including changes in the way health care providers are reimbursed and rising information technology costs. He said the hospital had also been having trouble attracting and retaining doctors.
"We are in the midst of a newsroom reorganization that is designed to put us in the best position to fulfill our mission and thrive in an intensely competitive media environment," Dold said in the memo. "We are committed to investing in our newsroom. We are committed to serving this community and to remaining the largest and most impactful news organization in the Midwest."
O'Donnell owned the house from 2011 until 2012, while she was taping the short-lived "The Rosie Show" at the Near West Side studio that formerly had housed "The Oprah Winfrey Show." When O'Donnell's show was canceled after just five months on the air, she returned quickly to her East Coast home base.
My response: We often forget about those of you who served  and unfortunately sacrificed  for our county, and we must continue to be understanding and thankful. I received a number of similar emails; if my recent column suggested that service dogs are limited to assist the blind and the deaf, I apologize. A service dog is trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. That includes the blind and the deaf, but also includes people like the reader above. Other situations in which a service dog may be used: pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting someone who is having a seizure and even retrieving medications for someone with a mental illness.
Mason is trying to prevent the boy being dragged off for interrogation by Mossad agents when the party is scattered by gunfire: The elusive brother has turned up to nab his sibling before the Israelis do. An ensuing skirmish has tragic consequences for Mason, whom we next see 10 years later working as a labor-dispute mediator in Boston, completely cut off from his high-flying past. But that past surfaces unexpectedly when a distant acquaintance finds him drinking (as usual) in a bar. He's offered thousands to immediately get on a flight to Beirut  the place he never wanted to see again  ostensibly in order to lecture at a university. He only consents because it's clear the real reason is some matter of pressing importance, and "the Agency" won't take no for an answer.
Officials did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday but the lawyer who represents both Harvey's police and fire unions said 18 rank-and-file firefighters and 13 patrolmen are believed to have been let go. Another nine police department employees who are not sworn officers  including five booking officers and traffic and records clerks  also had their positions cut, said Dominique Randle-El, the president of AFSCME Council 31 Local 2404.
Out to Melrose Park for my first prime rib  or, more accurately, my first attempt at prime rib. Because, after fighting commuter traffic for what seemed like an eternity (OK, an hour), I found myself at a nice, comfy table, glass of wine in hand, at Tom's, which has been dishing out steaks and prime rib since 1952. And a smiling waitress came up to me and spoke these dreaded words: "We have everything except prime rib." Yes, on weekdays at Tom's, the kitchen routinely runs out of prime rib before 7:30 p.m., because seemingly everybody orders the stuff. I scanned the dining room: Prime rib, prime rib, prime rib, two prime ribs. "I just sold the last two orders to that table," my waitress said, apologetically. I briefly considered offering to buy one of the orders from that table but decided that would be too weird. And that it probably wouldn't work.
Healthy people infected with listeriosis  the infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes  might experience flu-like symptoms, but pregnant women could suffer miscarriages or stillbirths. The elderly and those with weakened immune systems might not be able to fight off the illness at all. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1,600 people contact the infection each year, and about 260 die.
"It got to the point where I could only put a piece of popcorn in my mouth every 10 minutes whenever the sound would get high enough," said Vendivel, who lives in Los Angeles. "Even then, I would have to hold the popcorn in my mouth until it was soft enough to chew without making any noise."
Groups with annual budgets under $500,000 are eligible for grants from the MacArthur Funds at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. The next application deadline is May 1 and will be restricted to organizations with annual budgets between $150,000 and $500,000; $12.5 million will be distributed.
In a widely shared essay published in The New Yorker on Monday, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author went public for the first time with his rape at age 8 by a trusted adult and the consequences that dogged him for decades. His account of his assault and its aftermath, including trouble with intimacy, intrusive memories and depression, echoes the stories shared in the largely female #MeToo movement, in which women have spoken openly about their pain and healing after sexual assault.
Lo Manthang (Upper Mustang) is a rugged region of north-central Nepal  an area of isolated villages and medieval forts that was once closed to tourists. For those looking for a physical challenge and exposure to the local culture, Myths and Mountains is offering an Aug. 8-26 expedition that includes three days at the Yartung Horse Festival, where colorfully decorated horses race and the locals celebrate. The tour starts with explorations of Kathmandu before flying into the interior and the trek that will lead to the horse festival. This isn't a walk-in-the-park brand of trekking. As it develops, the trek will often be above 12,000 feet on sometimes rugged trails with camping in tents. But the rewards are many, from striking views of the Himalayas to ancient forts and villages, isolated tea houses and Buddhist monasteries. In addition to the horse festival, among the attractions of the town of Lo Manthang are the many gompas  religious structures  dating from the 14th century. The trip is priced from $6,995 per person, double occupancy, based on seven-10 people. That includes lodging, most meals, camping equipment and English-speaking guides. Internal air adds an additional $289, and horses for those who don't want to hike are an additional $477. Info: http://tinyurl.com/y9xykx9s
She wrote about the challenges her family endured early on in her life, and became visibly emotional while detailing the aftermath of an attack that nearly ended her life. In 2004, the helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. Duckworth, who was serving in the Illinois National Guard, lost both of her legs and some use of her right arm.
They know many of these things at Facebook because I have told them. In other cases, they figured it out through my interactions. Chances are they have the same amount of data on you. You can go to Settings on your Facebook page and click on "Ads" to find some of it.
And that would give him time to drink and time to go to seed, time to become the liberal lion of the Senate, loved by Democrats and revered by the media, as his liberal politics were and are the media's liberal politics.
"It's been a tremendous honor to serve as the leader of Medill, one of the best schools in the world," Hamm said in a statement. "We are blessed with incredible alumni, talented faculty and staff, and outstanding students. Together with this team, I believe we have made Medill stronger than at any time in its 97-year history."
"This feels personal," Julio Dones, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement Wednesday. "It's about identity. I gave years in service to the City and that's being taken away from me and denied. I did everything that was asked and expected of me. But because of one incident that didn't even involve me, 290 officers like me are losing the most valuable things we have: our reputations and experience."
Mohammad's brother, Yahya Farooq Mohammad, was sentenced in November to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to supporting terrorism and trying to arrange the killing of a federal judge overseeing his case.



Brothers Asif Ahmed Salim and Sultane Roome Salim, who are both U.S. citizens, are scheduled for change-of-plea hearings on Thursday. Salim lived in the Chicago-area from 2006-12 until moving to the Columbus area.
"Fundamentally, people need to feel safe," said Lightfoot, who is mulling a challenge to Emanuel. "Kids don't feel safe. They don't feel like they can come out of their houses and go to school safely. They don't feel like they can go to the parks. And that reality is something that we have to all start keep thinking about and focused on so that we get to a different place."
But as they were landing, passengers smelled smoke in the cabin, causing 64 passengers and four crew members to deplane onto the taxiway, Scott said. From there they were bused to the terminal.
In a speech Tuesday to the City Club of Chicago, Johnson credited the data centers with helping to reduce homicides and shootings in the city over the last year. He said Chicago has seen 13 consecutive months of reductions in gun violence since his department began using the technology in February 2017 in two of the city's highest crime districts: Englewood on the South Side and Harrison on the West Side.
"This is going to take time for all of us to process," Larson said. "This is not the end of the story. It's not the end of Bill's story. It's not the end of Willow's story, and it's certainly not the end of God's story."
The accident happened around 6:25 p.m. Monday in the 9400 block of South Stony Island Avenue in the Calumet Heights neighborhood, police said. The male driver has been issued citations alleging failure to reduce speed and operating an uninsured motor vehicle, according to police. Police Major Accidents detectives were still investigating to see if more serious charges might be brought.
"I think there has to be full-on discussion about where the revenue is going to come from," he said. "I've not heard any leadership on the part of Gov. Rauner. I think he's failed over the last three and a half years to even approach trying to get a capital bill because he's failed at so many other things. So I'm doubtful that he'll lead, but it would be great if the Republican leader or the Democratic leader in the House would lead on the subject of getting a capital bill."
It's an exodus not seen since Watergate, and it's being driven by Republicans serving in otherwise safe seats. Of the 39 Republicans leaving D.C., just six represent districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won over Trump in 2016, making them targets for potential pickups. Ryan represents a southern Wisconsin district that Trump carried by 10 percentage points, turf that runs from Rust Belt towns such as Janesville and Beloit on the west to suburban Milwaukee on the east.
"There needs to be punishment," one student said. "Not only to show the students that are here that they are with us and for us, but for the students who are to come - 10 years, five years from now, that are going to change the culture on this campus."
But expectations of a great surge in voting by America's youth have been dashed in the past. Turnout in presidential election years is always higher and even former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama -- two candidates who had a strong appeal to young voters -- were only able to draw just more than half of this age group to vote in their first elections. In years when the White House is in play, it's typical for 7 in 10 senior citizens to vote.
In nine states and the District of Columbia, pot users now enjoy the same protection. Recreational marijuana is allowed and subject to government regulation and the discipline of the market  ensuring purity through accountability. But in most places, Americans who want to get high have to take their chances with unsanctioned dealers who may be sorely lacking in moral scruples.
Lincoln believed that emergency measures were necessary to arrest the saboteurs. His impulse was to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, which allowed those arrested to immediately challenge their detention before a federal court. Suspension would normally have required congressional action, but Congress was in recess and would not reconvene for months. And Lincoln was unsure of his constitutional authority to suspend the writ on his own.
We know, of course, that the liberal Deep State that lurks within our government is and always has been hellbent on destroying President Trump and preventing him from making America great again. And we know for certain that Deep State weasels fabricated the whole Russia HOAX and, quite likely, rigged the election so Hillary Clinton would lose, allowing Trump to win and be mercilessly persecuted by  you guessed it!  the Deep State. (It all tracks, believe me.)
Sanchez was convicted of gunning down Rafael Orozco, 23, an innocent bystander who was talking to neighbors May 1, 2013, at the Wine Tree apartment complex in Wheeling when he was shot, prosecutors said at the time. The intended target was a gang member who Sanchez had been fighting with earlier in the day, prosecutors have said.
"Films translated to stage musicals usually are translated scene for scene, but a distinguishing thing about 'Once' is that they turned it into a piece of theater in its own right," said Corti, referring to how the set does not change, but chairs and tables are shifted to become a bedroom, a music store, a bank, or a recording studio. "These are not literal locations. That makes it more theatrical and interesting."
Scott Pritchett, architect for the project, said the developers have made several changes since the original plan. The new proposal has the car wash facing east to west instead of north to south. He also removed the four apartment buildings that were on the original documents in the "future development" area. He said, while the facility will have diesel fuel, it will not be a stop for large trucks. He said most of the over-the-road trucks get their fuel before the get back to Illinois or at their home stops. "People don't come to a convenience store it it's not convenient," Pritchett said in response to concerns about vapors.
It's also vital that victims get appropriate counseling as quickly as possible so they don't turn to drugs or alcohol as they get older to deal with unresolved issues, McMahon said. Many land in the court system if they don't get help, he said.
The woman went to Linn Court to pick up a 32-year-old Aurora man, of the 600 block of North Edgelawn, police said. She was backing out of a parking space when at least one male walked up to the passenger side of the car, where the Aurora man was sitting, and shot at it, Buziecki said. The woman sped off, police said.
"The historical marker would point out for the Illinois Bicentennial that the state line for Illinois could have been as far south as Yorkville which would have excluded all of those other towns above," Furry said.
The consensus, he says, seems to be that residents were happy with the way the mail room system had been operating. Mesiacos stressed he and Kifowit want to "be available to help" residents as much as possible, but "answers are going to have to come from the HOA, the post office or Bigelow."
5 Briar Lane, Glencoe: $5,400,000 | Listed: Aug. 13, 2021



This nine-bedroom home has eight full bathrooms, two half baths and an original hand-carved wooden staircase. The dining room, living room and office open off of the foyer, which features original woodwork and stained glass. The kitchen, which offers views and access to the pool, has terra-cotta flooring, a butlers pantry and space for an eating table. The family room has wooden beams, a stone fireplace and multiple lounging spaces. Eight of the bedrooms are on the second floor, and a primary bedroom suite with original stained glass windows is on the first floor. An attached coach house offers two additional bedrooms, a kitchen and two bathrooms. The backyard is equipped with a patio, a pool and spa and a tennis court.



Agent: Carol Gooze, @properties, 847-909-5585; Linda Rosenbloom, @properties, 847-564-0433



*Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options.



To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos to ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com.



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"From a legal perspective, this law is a very important clarification to Section 230 of the (Communications Decency Act), making it very clear that victims and survivors (of sex trafficking) can maintain a cause of action against websites like Backpage.com," said Gina DeBoni, an attorney for Robinson's family. "They can no longer hide like they once had tried to do."
"This is just one of our regular meetings," she said. "We recently had one on marijuana. You know, with the Cook County referendum, so people could be more informed."
Protect your privacy: I use to laugh every time I see or get handed one of these privacy law packages when all these people get on Facebook and get on social media and give out their personal information. Then they wonder why they are victims of identity theft and how things get hacked. Privacy means you keep it to yourself. If you want to get on Facebook, why would you put your information out there? I wouldn't put anything on social media that I would publish in the local newspaper. These privacy laws are a joke when all of these companies like Facebook disseminate your information. The best way to stop it is taking everything off of Facebook.
If the case had gone to trial and Rogers was convicted, he could have faced up to 14 years in prison on the aggravated DUI charge and up to five years if convicted of reckless homicide.
When asked about the source of the findings by an audience member, Rutter said it could be an otter that moved down from Wisconsin. But he added it also could be from Illinois, because the animal has seen such a rebound over the last 80 years when Illinois, Indiana and Iowa all started re-introducing otters from Louisiana after Colorado became the first state to do so in 1976.
Montgomery's goal is to raise $185,000, which represents four pennies for each step he takes on the four-month hike. The goal was chosen because four pennies of every federal dollar available for cancer research is allocated towards pediatric cancer research.
Elrod listed eight options Northbrook has to enact an assault weapons ban, which includes waiting for the outcome of the state bill or adopting an assault weapons ban with a delayed effective date if the state bill becomes a law. The village could also consider adopting an assault weapons ban under the amendment of the Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, but there is a possibility the option is not available to Northbrook as a matter of law, he said.
The family said that note, detailing an alleged incident that took place in 2015, had not been put in the child's file until after the geography bee allegations were made in 2016. The Julkas say it was intended to stop them from speaking out against the district, in violation of their First Amendment rights. The judge said there was evidence to support the allegation.
The district, which was taken over by the state last year, has more than 30 vacant school buildings. Many have been vandalized by scrappers and are neighborhood eyesores. Soon, there will be a vacant high school as the Wirt-Emerson School of Visual and Performing Arts closes in June.
Early voting is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through May 4 at the main site at the Lake County Board of Elections in the Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main St., Room A-205. Voting at the site is also available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 28 and May 5 and from 8:30 a.m. to noon May 7.
Some residents of the 6300 block of Vermont Street, where the boarding house has been operating in an area zoned for single-family residential without the necessary town approval, raised objections to having the private facility there at a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting last month, citing the frequent ambulance calls.
Matonovich said his department already has taken dozens of cases to the lab from last year, and they continue to work on the rest. He has personally driven kits to the lab, and if a person comes forward and wants their kit tested, "we'll gladly do it," he said.
As far as the strength of the state's economy, Crouch said that locally, Valparaiso would soon see the opening of a Meijer superstore, which will employee 300 people, is receiving millions of dollars in funding for a transit district, and is seeing the multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the former St. Paul School property into housing.
Actor Bruce Dern plays Kennedy patriarch Joe Kennedy, who was alive at age 80 at the time of the scandal, but wheelchair-bound following a series of debilitating strokes. In the film, he urges his son to create an alibi to paint a more favorable picture of the events that unfolded. Oddly, mother Rose Kennedy is not featured in the film and only referenced one time. It was Rose's black 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 which Ted was driving in the bridge accident, although the film shows puzzled police officers at the scene the next morning tracing the car's plates revealing the vehicle belonging to "Edward Kennedy." All of the film scenes featuring Joe Kennedy have him pushed in a wheelchair by his niece Ann Gargan as his primary caregiver, as played by Beth Petrou.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is not seeking re-election. He says he wants to spend more time with his family. The reality is the difficulty of House Republicans to win anything in the next election. I'm sure that he will pick up a cushy job as a lobbyist.
Cleland Place supporters, many of whom wore stickers prominently displaying "YIMBY" for "yes in my back yard," said the project would bring needed diversity to Wilmette housing stock, and would allow people such as preschool teachers, pharmacy technicians, waiters, retail salespeople and childcare workers to live in the town in which they worked.
"This festival is a space where we can have conversations to demystify the idea of who immigrants and undocumented people are," Reyes said. "In the exhibit that I'm curating it's more showcasing the fact that undocumented condition has become politicized, but it's more important to strip it away from that and really showcase the fact that these are people just trying to live their lives with no agenda of trying to persuade you of who to vote for or what policies to promote," he said.
Pueblo remains in large, rural CO-3 in final redistricting map

The final Colorado redistricting map keeps Pueblo County in a rural 3rd Congressional District and could be approved by the Colorado Supreme Court by Nov. 1.
By Hazel Wang

Editor: I-Ting Shelly Lin

On November 24, 2017, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS) invalidated a number of guidelines for employers in China.

Among them, the Measures on Severance Payment for Breaking or Terminating Labor Contracts (Lao Bu Fa [1994] No. 481) (referred to as Circular No. 481). Circular No. 481 had been in effect for over 20 years, serving human resource (HR) practitioners as the legal basis for severance payments and recuperation-period medical subsidies.

How did the abolition of Circular No. 481 impact employers?

The impact has been mixed, and some of the legal implications remain unclear. While the guidelines set in the Labor Contract Law should generally take precedence over the abolished Circular No. 481, facets of Circular No. 481 may still be enforced in practice for labor contracts that predate the Labor Contract Law.

This means employers and their HR teams need to review internal procedures. This is particularly the case because there remain some ambiguities about the treatment of labor contracts that pre-date 2008 and the provision of medical subsidies.

Employers that fail to bring their practice into compliance increase the potential for labor disputes or worse. Accordingly, employers and their HR teams should review the differences in severance payments and medical subsidies under the old Circular No. 481 and the current Labor Contract Law, and ensure that their practices are compliant, ideally with experienced advisors.

RELATED: Handling Mass Layoffs in Chinas Manufacturing Sector

Calculating the severance payment

After the Labor Contract Law, which took effect in 2008, changed the method for calculating severance payment, which were previously stipulated in Circular No. 481.

Calculation period for severance payment

Circular No. 481 and the Labor Contract Law treat the period of employment used to calculate severance payments differently. The biggest difference in the calculation period is for employees that have served less than six months.

According to the current Labor Contract Law, employers still provide an employee with a severance payment equivalent to one-month of their salary for each full year of employment.

Further, employers should calculate a severance payment for employees that have served less than a year, but over six months, as a full year service.

Employers should now calculate a severance payment for employees that have served less than a year at half of the employees monthly salary.

Before, any period of employment that was less than a full year was considered a full year for the purposes of calculating severance payment. Severance payment was calculated as one months salary for each employed year.

Calculation base and severance payment bounds

Under the old Circular No. 481, the standard calculation base was largely based on the employees average monthly wage in the 12 months before the labor contract was terminated, and partly impacted by the reason for the employees termination. While this principle largely holds under the Labor Contract Law, the Labor Contract Law has provided upper limit to the payment, and limited the effect of the reason for the employees termination.

Under the current Labor Contract Law, the calculation base is the employees average salary in the 12 months before the labor contract was terminated. When an employee worked for less than 12 months, the average monthly salary should be calculated according to the actual amount of months worked.

If the employees average monthly salary is lower than the local minimum wage, such as if the employee takes unpaid leave, the local minimum wage should be used as the base to calculate the severance payment. For employees that have an average salary three times higher than the local average monthly wage for the preceding year, the severance payment calculation base should be capped at three times the employees average monthly salary, and the calculation period should be capped at 12 years.

In the case that a labor contract was signed before the 2008 implementation of the Labor Contract Law, employers need to follow the prevailing provisions at that time. There is, however, some disagreement over whether employers should follow Circular No.481 guidelines for labor contracts executed prior to 2008 as it has now been abolished.

RELATED: Common Labor Issues Encountered During the Reduction of Business Operations

Some analysts believe the abolishment of Circular No.481 means it is no longer applicable; however, other analysts maintain that while Circular No.481 is no longer in effect starting from the day it was abolished, its still relevant for contracts that pre-date the Labor Contract Law.

At this time, its difficult to ascertain which view will prevail in law. HR managers that need to manage a severance payment for a labor contract executed before 2008 need to engage professional advisors to determine how to calculate the standard base of the severance payment.

For ease of reference, the standard calculation base stated in Circular No. 481 was an employees average monthly wage in the 12 months before the labor contract was terminated. When an employee was terminated due to the employees illness or injury not caused by work, significant changes of the employers circumstances, or layoffs, the calculation base should be the employees average monthly wage or the enterprises average monthly wage, whichever is larger.

Circular No. 481 also maintained that severance payment should not be provided for over 12 months of the employees average monthly salary if the employer put the termination forward and the employer and employee subsequently terminated the contract through mutual agreement, or due to an employees work performance.

Additional severance payment

Before Circular No.481 was abolished, employers were often confronted with a dilemma over whether an additional severance payment should be applied. This was because the terms for an additional severance payment were different under Circular No.481 and the Labor Contract Law. Following the abolition of Circular No.481, the Labor Contract Law is now paramount in determining whether an employer needs to make an additional severance payment.

According to the Labor Contract Law, an employer needs to pay a 50 to 100 percent additional severance payment to an employee under the following conditions: failure to pay wages in full, a payment of wages lower than the local minimum wage, or failure to pay the employees overtime work (inclusive of extended work hours as well as work on weekends and public holiday).

Notably, employers also need to make the additional severance payment if they did not make the original severance payment according to relevant regulations. This underscores the importance of reviewing the Labor Contract Law and calculating the severance payment correctly.

International Payroll & HR Solutions from Dezan Shira & Associates

Medical subsidy

In contrast to Circular No. 481, the Labor Contract Law doesnt specify how medical subsidy should be paid when an employee is terminated after a recuperation period. Analysts are therefore split over whether employers should continue providing medical subsidies after Circular No. 481 was abolished.

Are employers now exempted from the medical subsidy obligations?

Dezan Shira & Associates believes Circular No.481 will no longer serve as a reference for medical subsidy, but medical subsidy guidance can still be found in other existing legal documents, such as Lao Bu Fa [1996] No.354. Employers should therefore not assume that there is no need to pay medical subsidy at all; HR managers should closely observe the local practices and consult with professional advisors.

As reference, we note that Circular No. 481 said the amount of medical subsidy should not be less than six months of an employees total wage. Circular No. 481 further mandated that seriously ill employees were due an additional proportion, not less than 50 percent of the medical subsidy. Similarly, employees with a fatal disease were due a subsidy not less than 100 percent of the medical subsidy.








Indie film "The Taste of Rice Flower" held its Chinese premiere in Beijing on Saturday, highlighting the plight of the country's rural "left-behind" children with a narrative that is somehow relaxed, playful and humorous.



The latest from director Pengfei (full name Song Pengfei), the movie was screened as one of the events in the run-up to the 8th Beijing International Film Festival, scheduled for April 15  22. The film tells the story of an ethnic Dai mother (Ying Ze) who quits her job in a developed urban area and returns to her rural hometown near the Sino-Myanmar border in Yunnan province to take care of her troublesome young daughter.

At the premiere, Pengfei said it was fate that brought him to beautiful Cangyuan county in Yunnan province. "During the filming process, my life was full of joy and laughter. I want to present my real experience here to the audience," he said.

But the film is not about how to cook "rice flower, " a traditional snack of the Dai ethnic group. Pengfei hopes to use the food to symbolize the separation and reunion of family, and also hopes that the movie, like the taste of the snack, will leave audiences with a light but distinctive taste.

The surprisingly amusing film addresses the weighty issue of rural "left-behind" children, the millions of young people in China whose parents went to urban areas for work, as well as local religion, poverty and the survival of minority traditions in modern China.

"I felt that a serious style was not what I needed. So I made a film in a different style that other directors have not tried. The relaxed and playful style is also closely related to my experience in Yunnan. There are many conflicts among people there, but they soon smile and laugh, and forget about the conflicts the next day," he said.

Due to different cultural backgrounds, the film crew decided to live for months in Yunnan to experience life in the area and gain the local people's trust.

A theatrical poster for "The Taste of Rice Flower." [Photo courtesy of Shanghai Uniglobe Film & Culture, Mishka Productions]





"For a long time, I was not accepted by the elderly people in the village," Pengfei recalled. "For example, I went to Taipei to participate in a film festival and brought back gifts for the children. They did not touch them. I asked why, they said, 'Grandma said you're a human trafficker.' And of course the crew were all my 'accomplices.'"

Pengfei thought of many ways to get to know the people. "I think the most effective thing is drinking. The local people are very good at drinking. Fortunately, I had 'sober-up' medicine along with me, and some village officials didn't get the best of me in drinking," he laughed.

To truly shape her character, actress Ying Ze revealed that she traveled to Yunnan four months in advance to learn the Dai dialect as well as a series of skills such as tea picking, pig raising and folk dancing.

When he was studying in France, Pengfei worked with Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang on the latter's "Stray Dogs." He made his own directorial debut in 2015 with "Underground Fragrance," which screened at the Chicago International Film Festival later that year.

The film's creative team had also previously worked with Tsai, as well as with renowned directors such as Edward Yang and Takeshi Kitano on other award-winning films.

Prior to the Chinese premiere, "The Taste of Rice Flower" had been screened at several film festivals abroad, including at the Venice Film Festival's Venice Days sidebar section, and won several accolades.

At the Pingyao International Film Festival last year, the director stated in an interview that he hoped the film would help more people understand the contradictions existing in the remote frontier areas of ethnic minority regions in the context of the country's economic development. He suggested that the use of his visual style in the film is one of the most powerful ways of seeing reality. The humorous script also contains an "anti-realistic" aesthetic, overturning norms for movies about rural China by including flashes of bright colors and optimism alongside the serious social issues.

"When I was participating in foreign film festivals and expos, international filmmakers often asked me if there were other genres of film in China besides commercial films and heavy-hearted art house films," Pengfei said at Saturday's premiere. "Their questions have had a great impact on me. I also constantly encourage and remind myself: starting from the heart and not following the trends, make different films in new ways for the audience. "

The film will hit Chinese theaters on April 20.




People from Taiwan business circles should firmly uphold the 1992 Consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence", said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Xi made the remark while meeting with Vincent Siew, honorary chairman of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, on the sidelines of the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province on Tuesday.

Xi welcomed Siew and other Taiwan businesspeople to visit Boao and make joint efforts to draw the blueprint for cooperation and development in Asia.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy, and socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, Xi said.

He said that the Taiwan question is related to the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and he called on businesspeople from Taiwan to push for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

People across the Straits are like family members, and the mainland would like to share development opportunities with Taiwan people, Xi said.

Xi called for joint efforts from those across the Straits to deepen economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, which will benefit the people and enterprises from Taiwan.

He said that he hoped compatriots across the Straits would shoulder their responsibilities, push the peaceful unification process and fulfill the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.




There's a lot which is understandable to the Israeli reaction of an arms buildup and having a siege mentality. A nation born through the scourges of the second world war, in a hostile surrounding preferably wants to keep the balance of power in its favor. One might not agree with Israel's policies but there's a certain logic to it. Israel has always kept its own national interests first.

From deporting migrants, to extra-judicial assassinations, to covert bombing campaigns, Israeli intelligence doesn't care what other great powers think of it and maintains an independent deterrence regardless of how much American support it receives.

A complex system of signaling is going on through the Saudi Arabian charm offensive with the Saudi prince signaling greater support for Israel including a right for Jewish people to their own homeland. That's a remarkable shift in tone and would have far reaching consequences. That also means that the Saudi offensive in Syria against Iran would increase, as the Saudis are aligning themselves against Iran and wish to have Israel on their side.

This will also have a splintering effect as we have recently seen in Gaza with Israel shooting dead several protesters, a lot of them claimed to be terrorists by the Israeli army. Hezbollah who are Iranian proxies, would want to test Israeli patience and that would result in provocations and bloodshed as well as further complications in the region. That's why Israeli actions in Syria, risks an overreach, and might lead to a broader war. Israel might not want it, but it will stumble onto something which it cannot control.

On a recent raid in Syria, against an alleged Iranian weapons system and Hezbollah locations, Israel faced heavy withering fire, which led to an Israeli air force F16 crash. The pilots ejected but were seriously injured, according to Israeli reports. This proves two things. That due to decades of air superiority against minimal opposition, the Israeli air force grew complacent, and didn't expect a withering counter attack from a determined opposition. The loss of an Israeli F16 proves that the IAF isn't invincible.

Usually a civil war escalates in two stages. In the beginning, when either side isn't sure of the other's full intention, they try to escalate as much as they can. Or else, during the dying days, when one side is almost winning. In a multi-prong proxy war, it is even more complicated.

That is precisely where Israel stands now. This is the first time Israel lost a war plane in combat since a helicopter was shot down during the 2006 war killing all five on board. Israel then took punitive measures and raids inside Syria. "Syrians are playing with fire when they allow Iranians to attack Israel," Israeli spokesperson was quoted by the BBC adding that Israel was willing to take retributive measures but without looking to escalate the situation.

But what will happen when Iran is pushed too far by the Saudis and Israelis? Israeli raids in Syria have been intermittent so far, and sporadic, and Syrians or Iranians were otherwise compelled to reply. But as the axis powers now see victory in sight, they cannot just take such raids without retaliating.

The legitimacy of a sovereign power is dependent on its retribution capabilities, and the Syrian or Iranian credibility is dependent on showing that they are capable of standing up to Israel. Similarly, Israeli raids which were based on the faulty premise that preventive strikes are acceptable against Hezbollah. But with Assad's depleted forces, it is likely that Syrian defenses are manned by Iranians and Russians.

So, consider this eventuality. At this point in time, American and Turkish forces are facing each other near Afrin, and Russian and Iranian forces are manning Assad's air defenses. In this instance Israel continues to bomb Assad, and in retaliation loses a plane. Added to that Hezbollah and Hamas take this opportunity and attack Israel, prompting a regional wide war.

That's a recipe for disaster.

Sumantra Maitra is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:





http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.




Xi Jinping's address at this year's Boao Forum for Asia presented another step on the path in which China's presidential speeches shape the international agenda, following on the clear precedent set at last year's World Economic Forum at Davos.

This time, the international focus of the speech was shaped by two unique circumstances. The first is the current unilateral threat to the global economy by the U.S. administration's choice to go outside World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations and impose tariffs on steel, aluminium, and US$50 billion of Chinese exports. The second is the venue  the Boao Forum is becoming "Asia's Davos," not only drawing major representatives from the continent, but also serving as the stage where China unveils major policy initiatives. The impact of Xi's speech was therefore seen through both the comments of analysts and through the immediate reaction by global financial markets.

In outlining a positive agenda, President Xi chose not to express open differences with other state leaders. But beyond analyzing individual measures presented in the speech, it is crucial to see the overall framework, which clearly shows China has become a pillar of globalization against protectionist trends.

Xi Jinping's defence of globalization was indeed unequivocal: "Over the last four decades, the Chinese people have embraced the world with open arms and actively contributed our share to the world." He added, "For any country or nation to achieve rejuvenation, they must follow the logic of history and the trend of the times in their pursuit of progress and development."

He went on to highlight China's national policy as falling in line with international trends: "China's reform and opening-up meets its people's aspiration for development, innovation and a better life. It also meets the global trend toward development, cooperation and peace."

"We must dispel the clouds to see the sun, as we say in Chinese, so as to have a keen grasp of the law of history and the trend of the world," said Xi.

This thread follows from Xi's speech at Davos last year, in which he stressed that "economic globalization is a result of growing social productivity, and a natural outcome of scientific and technological progress."

In short, China's national line of advance falls firmly in line with globalization, and with the principles that China's national interests are complimentary to other countries' interests, and that national self-interest is the firmest guarantee that a course will be pursued.

In underlining this point, Xi explained that China's fundamental interest in globalization is to participate in international division of labor and efficiency so as to improve people's living standards and national well-being. It is not in pursuit of trade imbalances, as he declared firmly: "China does not seek trade surplus."

Due to its efficiency and price competitivity, particularly in medium technology sectors, China does have a trade surplus at present  though not a very large one in proportion to its GDP. As former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers stated in the Financial Times, "Today China's global surpluses are far below past U.S. negotiating targets of a few years ago." However, to continue to benefit from globalization, China aims to even further reduce this surplus by increasing imports. As Xi said, "We have a genuine desire to increase imports and achieve greater balance of international payments under the current account."

To help achieve this balance, China plans to hold its first International Import Expo in Shanghai in November. Xi said countries from around the world are welcome to participate in the Expo: "It is not just another expo in an ordinary sense, but a major policy initiative and commitment taken of our own accord to open up the Chinese market." As China is the world's second largest economy, the world's largest goods-trading nation, and the largest contributor to global growth, it would be in the interest of other countries to enhance their position in China's market.

Xi also announced additional immediate steps rising from this fundamental strategic framework of support for globalization and opening up:

 China will significantly lower import tariffs on vehicles and reduce import tariffs on some additional products this year.

 China will seek faster progress toward joining the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

 China will strengthen protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) as it is a requirement of both foreign enterprises and Chinese companies.

 China will complete the revision of its "negative list" on foreign investment in the first half of the year, meaning foreign investment will be permitted in any sector which is not specifically and explicitly protected.

 China will accelerate the international opening-up of the insurance industry, ease restrictions on the establishment of foreign financial institutions in China to expand their business scope, and open up more areas of cooperation between Chinese and foreign financial markets.

 In manufacturing, China has already basically opened up this sector with a small number of exceptions on automobiles, ships and aircraft, and will now ease the 50 percent foreign ownership limit on automotive joint ventures.

The announcements attracted the attention of both media and specific companies who may be affected by the measures.

While Xi did not specifically highlight the contrast between China's specific measures and the U.S.'s recent protectionist steps, the different implications for other countries were clear. Globalization, by nature, is multilateral  trade and international investment necessarily involve more than one country. By adopting a path of unilateralism that is acting outside the agreed international framework of the WTO, the U.S. may threaten China and other targeted countries now, but it potentially threatens all countries by extension. Furthermore, instead of attempting to expand trade, the U.S. is seeking to restrict it via tariffs.

The Trump administration's unilateral imposition of tariffs would, under any circumstances, present a serious threat to the health of the global economy. But it is even more dire in the present situation, when the global economy is at last enjoying its most sustained synchronized recovery since the international financial crisis of 2008. U.S. tariffs threaten now to disrupt this.

In this context, the Boao Forum, backed by the weight of China and reinforced by Xi Jinping's speech, is of particular importance as a pillar of globalization  an issue that will continue to be of the greatest significance not only to China but to all economies which are seeking a way forward in national development.

John Ross, Senior Fellow, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/johnross.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for elevating the ties between China and the Philippines while meeting with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

Xi said that the leaders of both countries should maintain close communication, and strengthen strategic steering and top-level design for the bilateral relations.

From a rapid turnaround to a consolidated relationship, China and the Philippines have taken "two steps upward" in their bilateral ties over the past two years, Xi said.

"The task of this year shall be upgrading the relationship," he said.

According to Xi, both sides shall dovetail their development strategies and advance cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and in all areas for mutual benefits.

The two countries shall also strengthen security cooperation, and China supports the Philippines in fighting against terrorism and drugs, Xi said.

"A new chapter has opened in the bilateral ties since President Duterte took office," he said.

China is willing to work with the Philippines to stick to the direction of good-neighborly friendship, set the goal of common development and properly manage differences, so that the bilateral ties will keep to the right direction and stay healthy and stable, he said.

Xi also said that China is resolute in developing good-neighborly friendship with the Philippines and sincere in supporting the Philippines' development.

"China supports the Philippine government in exploring a development path in line with its own conditions," Xi said.

"We should continue to properly handle South China Sea issue, and discuss joint exploration, development and cooperation at an appropriate time, thus making the waters a sea of cooperation and friendship," he said.

China has always taken the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership and also the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation, while the Philippines will be the coordinator of China-ASEAN ties.

Xi said China is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with the Philippines to promote China-ASEAN ties and regional cooperation in East Asia, Xi said.

Noting that the bilateral relations have maintained a sound momentum, Duterte expressed his thanks to China for its assistance and support in boosting the Philippines' socioeconomic development, and improving its capabilities in fighting terrorism and maintaining stability.

The Philippines is willing to participate in the building of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and maintain close cooperation with China in sectors including economy and trade, fishing, tourism, education and infrastructure, Duterte said.

The Philippines will also work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea through bilateral communication and consultation, and boost cooperation in this regard, he said.

The Philippines is willing to help deepen the ASEAN-China cooperation, he added.

After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents.
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China-Pakistan relations should be a pillar for regional peace and stability, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday when meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.



The ties between the two countries should become a model for good-neighborly relationship and international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi said.

"The China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has made outstanding progress since I visited Pakistan in 2015," Xi said.

The international and regional situation is undergoing profound and complex changes, which makes it more important for the two countries to consolidate the all-weather friendship and deepen strategic cooperation, the president said.

China is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to push bilateral ties to a higher level and build a more closely-knitted community with a shared future between the two countries, Xi said.

Xi called for efforts from both sides to advance the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and ensure the sound planning and implementation of cooperation projects involving infrastructure construction, such as the Gwadar Port, as well as energy and industrial parks.

What China most wants to see is stable development and prosperity in Pakistan, Xi said.

China firmly supports Pakistan in its efforts to safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity, and legitimate rights and interests. China opposes interference from any country in Pakistan's internal affairs, and firmly supports Pakistan in maintaining its national unity and the fight against terrorism, the president said.

For his part, Abbasi said China and Pakistan are "iron friends" who always support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns.

Hailing CPEC's important role in the development of both countries and the region, he expressed Pakistan's willingness to promote bilateral cooperation in finance, energy, agriculture, infrastructure and human resources.

After their meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents.




 Flash

The UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a Russian-drafted resolution on an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria.



Five countries -- Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Russia -- voted in favor, failing to pass the threshold of nine. Four council members -- Britain, France, the United States and Poland -- voted against it and six others abstained.

Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia expressed disappointment at the outcome, arguing that the Russian text was a "repetition" of a Swedish document that was circulated on Monday among council members.

Nebenzia blamed some council members for voting against the text, as he claimed, simply because it was a Russian draft.

Right before the vote on the Russian text, Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog requested a suspension of the Security Council meeting for extra consultations.

"We are at a very fragile phase of council deliberations now and we need to reflect carefully on the way forward to ensure that we don't jump into further paralysis (that is) difficult to defend or repair," said Skoog.

The result of the vote shows that the closed-door consultations did not help to bring about consensus.

The Russian text was amended on the basis of Swedish draft elements circulated on Monday in order to find common ground in the Security Council for an outcome in support of an investigation by the OPCW into the alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday.

Russia substantially amended those elements and presented them as a Russian-drafted resolution on Tuesday. Russia requested the draft to be voted on alongside two competing draft resolutions on a broader investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria.

The two competing drafts, prepared by the United States and Russia respectively, failed to be adopted by the council.

The U.S. draft received 13 votes in favor, but Russia blocked it, using its veto power. Bolivia also voted against the U.S. text.

The Russian-drafted resolution got only six votes in favor, short of the nine voted needed. Besides, veto-wielding Britain, France and the United States all voted against it.
 Flash

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who won a third consecutive term at the general elections held on April 8, on Tuesday said he would set up a new government structure.



"We will not simply continue governance, but instead a new government will be created," he said. "We are not going to prolong the last cycle, but rather we shall create a new cycle," he told journalists.

Orban said significant changes and modifications are expected, meaning new ministers in a new structure.

He said that his party Fidesz has started negotiations with junior coalition partner KDNP (Christian Democrats) and that the formation of the new government could take as long as three to four weeks.

Evaluating the election, Orban noted: "Hungarians have highlighted the most important issues, such as immigration and national sovereignty, and decided that they were the only ones to select who they would like to live with in Hungary."

He made an allusion to the rejection of migrant relocation quotas of the EU, a strong point of his electoral campaign.

He argued that the government wanted a nation of Europe and not the "European United States".

"Our support is a clear, a strong mandate, even one of the strongest -- if not the strongest -- of the past 30 years," he said about the outcome of the elections.

Orban's Fidesz-KDNP coalition consolidated its power by winning 133 or 134 seats of the 199-seat Hungarian parliament according to official but partial results. The final result is to be published on Saturday.

This result translates into a qualified or so-called two-thirds majority, which allows Orban to make profound changes in Hungarian public administration, including the modification of the constitution.
 Flash

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it has sent UN an invitation for a fact-finding mission to investigate the allegations of chemical weapons use in Damascus' eastern district of Douma, state news agency SANA reported.

The Syrian government confirmed in a statement its willingness to provide help to the mission in the investigation, with the appeal being sent to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The statement also expressed hope for the mission to do its work with "full transparency and to rely on tangible and credible evidence."

The ministry said Syria is keen to cooperate with the OPCW "to reveal the truth behind the allegations, which are prompted by some Western powers to justify their aggressive intentions to serve their political goals," the ministry said.

It added that the invitation is the Syrian government's response to the "campaign of fabrications" made by Western countries about the allegations of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army in Douma last Saturday.

The statement comes against the backdrop of the warmongering rhetoric of the United States and its European allies, who are threatening military action on Syria on the pretext of chemical weapons use by the Syrian army.

On Saturday, activists said the Syrian side used chlorine gas while bombing Douma, the last rebel-held area in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus.

The Syrian government rejected the claims, denying being in possession of such weapons.

The United States has been warning retaliation against what it called chemical attacks by the Syrian army on the rebels, including in Eastern Ghouta, where the Syrian army was steadily advancing.

The UN Security Council held emergency meetings Monday on Syria, which sees tensions between the representatives of the United States and Russia.

Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia said the chemical incident in Douma was staged, warning that a possible retaliatory U.S. military action could have "grave repercussions."

The Russian envoy said the photos of the chemical attack in Douma were fabricated, urging for sending an investigation team to Douma to examine the claims.

For her part, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley directly accused Russia, saying Russia's hands are smeared with the "blood of Syrian children."

During the session on Monday, Haley said that "either way, the United States will respond" to the alleged chemical attack whether the UN Security Council acted or not.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump also struck a warmongering tone when he said on Monday that "major decisions" on Syria will be made within the next 48 hours, with U.S. officials not shunning aside the military action.
 Flash

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that he has accepted an invitation to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"Comrade minister invited me to pay a return visit to Pyongyang. We accepted this invitation," Lavrov said at a news briefing following talks with his DPRK counterpart Ri Yong Ho who is visiting Moscow.

Lavrov said so far no decisions have been made concerning a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the top DPRK leader, Kim Jong Un.

Commenting on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Lavrov hailed the efforts to ease tensions. He noted that the development in the region was proceeding in accordance with the road map on the settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue proposed by China and Russia.

Lavrov said he hoped that this process would result in resuming the six-party talks comprised of the DPRK, the Republic of Korea (ROK), China, Japan, Russia and the United States. The talks are aimed at denuclearizing the peninsula.
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U.S. President Donald Trump will skip his first Latin America trip to stay in the United States to "oversee the American response to Syria," the White House said on Tuesday.

Trump was scheduled to pay a visit to Peru and Colombia this week, during which he would attend the Summit of the Americas in the Peruvian capital city of Lima.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will travel to the region instead, according to a White House statement.

Trump has been mulling response to the alleged "chemical attack" that occurred in Syria on Saturday, with the possibility of U.S. military actions against Syria looming large.

On Monday evening, Trump said that the United States is "going to make a decision tonight or shortly thereafter" on the Syria incident.

"It (the attack) will be met forcefully," he added.

Activists, local rescuers and rebels in Syria claimed that the Syrian government forces used chlorine gas on Saturday in an attack in Douma, a rebel-held area near the Syrian capital Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry denied the accusations, saying the rebels' claims were "premeditated pretexts," according to the country's state-run news agency SANA.
By Alexander Cornwell, Reuters | Apr. 11, 2018

Qatar Airways signed a preliminary agreement on Tuesday to buy 5 Boeing 777 Freighters worth US$1.7 billion, the airline said.

The letter of intent was signed at a ceremony attended by Qatar's Minister of Finance Ali Sharif al-Emadi, who is also the airline's chairman, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Kevin McAllister, the airline said in a statement.

The order will be posted on Boeing's orders and deliveries website once the purchase is finalised, the statement said.

The airline did not say when it expected to complete the deal.

"This transaction will be a reinforcement of our confidence in Boeing to continue to deliver an outstanding product that meets our exacting standards," Baker said. "We expect no less than perfection, and we are confident that Boeing will continue to deliver that."

Qatar Airways, one of the Middle East's largest airlines, operates a fleet of 23 cargo planes and 191 passengers jets, according to its website.

The order comes 10 months into a regional crisis that Qatar Airways has said made it no longer profitable after it was forced to cut routes and operate longer flight paths.

Qatar Airways said that the 777 Freighters' long range and payload capabilities would help it reduce costs by requiring less stops and shortening delivery times.

The 777 Freighter can fly 4,900 nautical miles (9,070 kilometres) with a payload of 112 U.S. tons (102 metric tonnes), the statement said.
"This means an opportunity to reduce poverty. That's what matters to us the most as Peruvians and as a country," he added.

Benavides pointed out the current circumstances the Inca nation is going through make this event especially important, since it will project itself as a democracy that has overcome a difficult moment
14:51 | Lima, Apr. 11.

He noted the Inca nation has hosted high-level events such as APEC , which evidences the country's ability to host senior-level meetings and its professional diplomacy.
A total of 800 buses started their engines in Hefei, Anhui province, on Tuesday morning, readying for export to Saudi Arabia.

Produced by Anhui Ankai Automobile Co, an automaker headquartered in Hefei's Baohe district, the deal was concluded at a combined contract value of about 400 million yuan ($63.6 million).

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp, or JAC, a State-owned automaker also headquartered in Hefei, holds the largest stake in Ankai.
Henan province is attracting high-quality overseas educational resources and making progress in Sino-foreign cooperative educational programs, according to local officials.

To cultivate professionals with an international perspective, the province is encouraging universities and colleges to cooperate with high-level universities worldwide. Officials said that Henan will integrate with high-level international education institutions to provide communication platforms, and to build research centers and international laboratories.

Last March, Henan University of Chinese Medicine worked with Malaysia's Hai-O Group and Linton University College to set up Zhongjing College, the first foreign branch campus to be located in Henan. The college has launched two undergraduate majors since 2017: Chinese Medicine and Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine.

According to official statistics, there are now 240 Sino-foreign educational institutions and programs in Henan. The partners include some of the world's top 500 universities, such as the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, Miami University in the United States, the University of Wollongong in Australia and Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

In March 2015, Zhengzhou Middle School's Victoria Academy was officially established in Canada's Ontario province, promoting Henan's educational links with the country.

In 2016, Zhengzhou University was enlisted in the Internationalization Model Institute Promotion Project Pilot Unit by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. The university later became a member of a number of international university alliances, such as the Sino-Russian Language and Culture University Alliance, the Sino-Russian Medicine University Alliance and the Sino-Russian Journalism Education University Alliance.

North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power was selected as a representative to cooperate with other BRICS countries in the treatment of water resources, as well as the pollution and energy sectors.

The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The French Alliance, which promotes French language and culture globally, came to Henan last April, establishing its first cooperation base at Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics.

Henan is also promoting Chinese language and culture worldwide, raising awareness of its central plain culture globally. Universities and middle schools in Henan are working together with other countries to build Confucius Institutes. Current plans cover institutes in three cities and classes in four cities worldwide. In the last five years, Confucius Institutes and classes have helped more than 20,000 trainees to study Chinese language and expand Chinese cultural influence in many regions, according to officials.

A cultural program integrating martial arts, folk music and dance has been to 19 cities in seven countries, including New Zealand, the UK, Sweden and Italy over the course of five years.

A total of 30,000 audience members were treated to performances organized by Henan.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/11/2018 page24)
Henan province is striding forward in the field of international cultural exchanges, aiming to enhance Chinese cultural influence, according to local officials.

Located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, Henan is the birthplace of the Chinese nation and civilization, and abounds in cultural heritage.

Over the past year, the province's work in cultural fields has achieved great results, said Song Liping, head of the Cultural Department of Henan province.

The province has kept in step with nationwide policies and diplomatic efforts, positively carrying out cultural exchanges with foreign countries, she said.

In 2017, Henan cooperated with the China Cultural Center in Fiji to launch Chinese Culture Year. During the event, the Henan cultural delegation traveled to Fiji to hold several activities, including a photography art exhibition with works featuring the Yellow River and a children's painting exhibition focusing on the Central Plains, according to Song.

In addition, Henan has organized many exhibitions of cultural relics in museums worldwide, with the cooperation of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

These exhibitions, such as those covering the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BCAD 220) dynasties and the 3,000-year history of Chinese characters, were showed in the United States, Japan and many other countries and regions. Many Yuju Opera performances, a Chinese traditional opera style originating from Henan, have been staged in Russia and Belgium, featuring stories such as The Breeze Pavilion and the character Nie Xiaoqian.

"Chinese opera must be deeply rooted in traditional culture in its journey around the world," Li Shujian, dean of the Henan Yuju Opera Theater told local paper Henan Daily.

In addition to cultural exchanges with other countries, the province has also conducted exchanges with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Last year, Henan's cultural delegation traveled to Hong Kong to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the region's return to China.

Henan has also launched several activities involving Taiwan, including student exchanges.

A local official said that as a cultural communicator and to demonstrate friendship, Henan must show China to the world in a new light and fully reflect the influence of Chinese culture through exchange initiatives.

liangkaiyan@chinadaily.com.cn

Primary school students from Henan perform Peking Opera, presenting traditional Chinese culture. Hao Guang / For China Daily

(China Daily 04/11/2018 page24)
WASHINGTON - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg placed the blame for privacy and security lapses at the world's largest social network squarely on himself as he girded for appearances this week on Capitol Hill before angry lawmakers.

In prepared remarks released by a congressional panel, Zuckerberg admitted he was too idealistic and failed to grasp how the platform - used by 2 billion people - could be abused and manipulated.

The 33-yea r-old is to testify before senators on Tuesday and House lawmakers on Wednesday a mid a firestorm over the hijac king of data on millions of Facebook users by the British firm Cambridge Analytica, which worked with US President Donald Trump's campaign.

On Monday, Zuckerberg ditched his trademark T-shirt for a suit and tie as he made the rounds on Capitol Hill with his assistant Andrea Besmehn for private meetings with lawmakers ahead of the hearings - a key test for the Facebook founder.

"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said in his written testimony released by the House commerce committee.

"I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

As well as questions around the data-sharing scandal, Zuckerberg will also likely face questions about ads and posts placed by Russian operatives, in what US authorities believe was an attempt to influence the 2016 election.

If Zuckerberg does not provide satisfactory answers this week, Congress is more likely to push new laws to strictly regulate Facebook. Anticipating such a move, the company has already said it favors new legislation that would make social networks disclose who is behind political ads, much as TV and radio stations must already do.

Zuckerberg traversed Capitol Hill on Monday surrounded by police and trailed by packs of reporters ahead of his scheduled appearance before the congressional committees. On Monday, he was pictured in one photo showing his mobile device to Senator Bill Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee. He did not respond to questions from reporters as he entered and left the building.

While wearing a suit won't fix Facebook, it will serve as an outward sign that Zuckerberg is treating his testimony seriously. The CEO had rankled Wall Street back in 2012 when he paraded around in a hoodie when meeting with investors about the company's initial public stock offering.

Since then, though, he's often donned a suit when meeting with world leaders such as China's President Xi Jinping or former US president Barack Obama.

But he's not unique among Silicon Valley titans in wearing the same thing every day. Late Apple CEO Steve Jobs wore jeans and a black turtleneck. Both had their shirts specially designed and made for them, though it is possible to purchase copycats online.

Asked in a 2014 "town hall" with Facebook users why he wears what he wears, Zuckerberg said it's so he has to make "as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community".

Afp - Reuters

(China Daily 04/11/2018 page11)
GENEVA - Melons contaminated with deadly listeriosis bacteria were exported to at least nine countries and regions from Australia, where an outbreak has killed seven people and caused one miscarriage, the World Health Organization has said.

The rock melons, or cantaloupes, were sent to China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Japan, Kuwait, Ma laysia, Oman, Qatar, Singap ore, the United Arab Emirat es and Bahrain, and may also have gone to the Seychelles, W HO said in a statement on Monday.

Between Ja n 17 and April 6, Australia re ported 19 confirmed and one probable case of listeriosis, a ll of whom were hospitalized. Seven died.

The Listeria monocytogenes bacterium has a potentially long incubation period, usually one or two weeks but possibly up to 90 days, so more cases may be reported, the WHO said.

"Cases in the affected countries may still be identified," it said.

The Australian melon producer, which the WHO did not name, recalled the fruit on Feb 27.

On March 2, Australian authorities discovered the company's melons had been exported, and they sent detailed notifications through the International Food Safety Authorities Network to those countries and regions concerned.

"It is believed that the cause of the outbreak was a combination of environmental conditions and weather contaminating the surface of the fruit, with low levels of the bacteria persisting after the washing process," the WHO said.

"The grower continues to work closely with the relevant authorities and has returned to supply rock melons (during the week starting on April 2) after testing cleared the property."

Listeriosis can come in a mild form that causes diarrhea and fever in healthy people within a few days.

But it also has a severe form that can cause septicemia and meningitis among more high-risk people, such as pregnant women, infants, old people, and people having treatment for cancer, AIDS or organ transplants.

The severe form has a 20-30 percent mortality rate.

As well as unwashed fruit, high risk foods include dairy products made of unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses, deli meat products, ice creams, raw seafood, crustaceans and shellfish.

A separate listeriosis outbreak in South Africa killed at least 180 people earlier this year, sparking a class-action lawsuit against South African food producer Tiger Brands.

Reuters

(China Daily 04/11/2018 page11)
MEXICO CITY - Mexico is carrying out a sweeping review of its cooperation with the neighboring United States because of "blatant" tension with Donald Trump's administration, the country's foreign minister said on Monday.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has ordered all departments of the federal government to reevaluate bilateral cooperation, his office said - a review Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said was a direct response to recent tension.

Trump has stoked anger in Mexico by ordering thousands of National Guard troops to the border and attacking the Mexican government on Twitter over its supposed failure to stop an influx of drugs and undocumented migrants into the US.

Mexico denounced these measures as an "aggression", with the Mexican Senate asking the government to end bilateral cooperation on migration and organized crime until "Trump behaves with the civility and respect the people of Mexico deserve".

Videgaray said the areas under review would include the vital issues of trade and the two countries' extensive cooperation on security, which includes the joint fight against international drug trafficking.

"Given the current climate and the very public and blatant differences we currently have with the government of the United States, President Enrique Pena Nieto will be taking decisions," Videgaray said.

He said the president had not yet taken any decision to suspend or reduce cooperation in any area.

A visibly offended Pena Nieto gave a national address on Thursday after Trump announced his decision to deploy the National Guard to the border, warning Trump that "threatening attitudes and a lack of respect" were out of line. The latest rise in US-Mexican tension began with days of angry tweets from Trump over a caravan of more than 1,000 Central American migrants crossing Mexico toward the US.

Trump called on the Mexican government to stop them, threatening to ax what he called Mexico's "cash cow", the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The US last year triggered a renegotiation of that deal, which also includes Canada, after Trump called it a "disaster". Those negotiations continue.

The migrant caravan, however, has now begun breaking up. Organizers said last week they would no longer seek to bring the group all the way to the US border. It will end its activities this week with a series of rallies in Mexico City.

Relations have been tense since Trump won election in 2016 with a campaign heavy on anti-Mexican rhetoric and promises to build a border wall.

Pena Nieto has twice canceled plans to visit the US over Trump's ongoing insistence that Mexico pay for the wall.

AP - Xinhua

(China Daily 04/11/2018 page11)
Dubious foreign-controlled groups need watching Updated: 2018-04-11 07:45 (HK Edition)

It is unthinkable that a Chinese person living in an overseas country such as the United States or United Kingdom as a foreigner would dare to tell the host country's government how it should conduct its business simply because he or she believes such actions are inappropriate, reckless and unconscionable. Yet Simon Henderson from Justice Centre Hong Kong and his peers from Hong Kong Watch, a London-based organization, see it fit to tell the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China how it should administer its internal affairs. Do the likes of Henderson still see Hong Kong as a humble colony two decades after it returned to China?

In a report - spearheaded by Henderson and submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 29 - the Hong Kong Universal Periodic Review coalition, an umbrella organization led by some China-bashing groups including Civil Human Rights Front and Hong Kong Watch, demanded that the proposed national security legislation according to Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law should only be put forward after universal suffrage has been implemented in Hong Kong, claiming such legislation "will be used to suppress human rights and democratic development".

This is nothing short of a deliberate and pernicious distortion of the facts. The proposed legislation has nothing to do with either human rights or democratic development. It is intended to ban any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion or theft of State secrets - acts that threaten national security. How does anyone justify any such act with "human rights" or "democratic development" in any country? Isn't it true that most if not all countries in the world have their own versions of national security laws?

The report also said Hong Kong "should take immediate actions to ensure the safety of Gui Minhai and call for his unconditional release". But it is beyond the imagination as to what Hong Kong authorities can actually do in the case of Gui - a Swedish national in custody on the mainland for breaking the law.

The report is intended to mislead the UN Human Rights Council into believing the rule of law and human rights situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated. But the cases it cited have exposed the group's political convictions and agenda instead. Their maneuvers - featuring collusion between foreign and local anti-China groups - have highlighted the great need for Hong Kong to introduce a local version of the national security law. Before this happens, Hong Kong authorities should seriously look into the dubious operations of those foreign-controlled organizations under the guise of civil groups. After all, Hong Kong has long been known as "Casablanca in the East" - a synonym for an international espionage center.

(HK Edition 04/11/2018 page7)
China's Silicon Valley advances exchanges between China and Israel

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2018-04-10

It was recently announced that the Sino-Israeli Technology and Culture Exchange Platform will become a tenant of the Hongfu National Incubator Park, which is located at Zhongguancun Science Park, well-known as China's Silicon Valley.

The step comes as a strategic cooperation agreement between Hongfu Group, Sino-Jewish Changlong Technology Company, and the Israeli Chamber of Commerce in China (IsCham) was reached on April 3.

Hongfu Group and the Israeli Chamber of Commerce in China sign a cooperation agreement on the Sino-Israeli Technology and Culture Exchange Platform on April 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The platform is designed to be a project pool, which will bring Israeli technological projects and products as well as innovative ideas into the Chinese market, and help Chinese companies to match with the projects.

It will then set up the Israel Science and Technology Exhibition Hall and organize the Jewish Wisdom Lecture for Israeli experts and companies to regularly introduce Israeli cultural innovation concepts and technology to the Chinese government and entrepreneurs.

A Sino-Israel Science and Technology Matchmaking Conference is expected to be held in Beijing in September.

Ariel Briskin, general manager of IsCham, gives a speech at the signing ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zheng Baolin, co-founder of Hongfu National Incubator, said, "Hongfu will provide steady and strong supports for the platform's development and the company can also access more high-quality international resources."

Ariel Briskin, general manager of IsCham, said that his organization is designated by the Israeli Embassy in China to give full support to the exchange platform.

IsCham was launched in August 2008, during the Beijing Olympics, by former Israeli president Shimon Peres. It is among the biggest commercial business communities in China, and has many links with Chinese and Israeli companies.
There are so many intriguing careers out there that are out of the box paths for a woman to take, but unfortunately, its very difficult to get your hands on the stories of the women who work in those fields.

From radio personalities to medical examiners and everything in between (including a war correspondent too) we found women with these career stories.

Regardless of whether you would pick a career like this for yourself, these women are seriously inspirational and can teach you things that can apply to any aspect of your life.

Reading their stories can also help inspire you to take chances and head down the road less traveled. Read on for 11 books you should read written by inspirational women with out of the box careers.

Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughtya twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabretook a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her lifes work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased.

Her eye-opening, candid, and often hilarious story is like going on a journey with your bravest friend to the cemetery at midnight. She demystifies death, leading us behind the black curtain of her unique profession. And she answers questions you didnt know you had: Can you catch a disease from a corpse? How many dead bodies can you fit in a Dodge van? What exactly does a flaming skull look like? Honest and heartfelt, self-deprecating and ironic, Caitlins engaging style makes this otherwise taboo topic both approachable and engrossing. Now a licensed mortician with an alternative funeral practice, Caitlin argues that our fear of dying warps our culture and society, and she calls for better ways of dealing with death (and our dead).

Amazon
Bill Hybels has stepped down as senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, the Chicago-area megachurch he founded over 40 years ago, citing the controversy over recent allegations against him.

Many in the wider Christian community have been confused by those allegations, he said, and the controversy has distracted his churchs leaders from their mission and has hurt the churchs ministries. They cant flourish to their fullest potential when the valuable time of our leaders is divided.

Hybels, who previously planned to retire in October, revealed the news Tuesday evening at a family meeting where about 1,000 Willow Creek members gathered at the multisite churchs flagship South Barrington, Illinois, campus.

The crowd listened in silence as their longtime pastor began to read a 12-minute-long prepared statement, then groaned in disappointment when he confirmed what so many of them had feared. Several voices shouted, No! ...

1
There was no good reason for the black inadequacy that shrouded me that warm autumn afternoon in Tennessee. I had been with 11 other pastors for the better part of two days talking ministry. I loved every minute. But during the free hours that afternoon, I succumbed to dark depression. It might have been my insomnia, or the tensions back at church, or just a diabolical attack, but it was terribly heavy.

That evening I was scheduled for a 15-minute time of listening prayer with two men from our host church. Id never done anything like it, but I welcomed the prospect of anyone praying for me. When we met, they explained that they would be silent and wait for God to impress on them the things they should say to me or pray for me. They told me to be sure to test anything they said against Scripture and with the Holy Spirit.

We sat quietly and then the first man said, Lee, I saw these words in my heart: Well done, good and faithful servant. Youve been faithful. ...

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Our home is a magnet for single men. It probably has something to do with the near certainty of a meal or a hug and the absolute certainty of our love for them. When they come over, we almost always end up talking about single women.

My husband and I value marriage and singleness, so sometimes we end up encouraging our brothers toward a life of undistracted devotion for as long as theyre able and for the good of the kingdom. But we also at times nudge one of our friends toward asking a girl out, help them process a break-up, or encourage one of them to more seriously consider the possibility of marriage with a mere friend. From the guys considering a relationship, we often hear refrains of hesitance: Will we be good ministry partners? or Will she make a good pastors wife? or Will we be stronger as a couple than we are apart?

For them and many other Christian young men, delayed marriage is common. The reasons are complicated and include unrealistic expectations, lack of confidence, a desire for financial security, aversion to commitment, general immaturity, or more simply, the inability to find or keep a compatible partner. Recent studies indicate that fewer and fewer men are sitting in evangelical churches on Sunday and the men who stay are often marrying later. Anecdotally, at least, Ive seen this trend in play, and so have my single female friends.

To the single men who are considering marriage and feeling hesitant, I issue this invitation from Elisabeth Elliots Let Me Be a Woman: You do not marry a ministry partner; you marry a person. You do not marry someone like another mans wife; you marry your wife. You do not marry someone like you; you marry a unique woman. And you do not marry someone perfect, you marry a sinner.

The same goes for women in their search for a husband. After marriage, you are not committed to your call more than youre committed to the person, husband, man, and sinner before you. Nowhere in Scripture is pastors wife the attribute of a godly, good wife, nor is deep theologian the attribute for a husband. The only four qualities we need to understand in our search for a spouse are littered throughout the Scriptures and true of every married person on earth.

You marry a sinner.

Every person sins more naturally than any other thing they do. By the grace of God, we are being sanctified day by day and are full of the Holy Spirit, who helps us on the journey. But sinners we are still. We may think were prepared for the sinfulness of our future spouse. But sin is far more pervasive than simply something that we do, and if were not aware of that, well be taken by surprise when it is not necessarily our own sin or the sin in our marriage that wreaks the most havoc, but also the larger sin of a broken world. Because of general human sin, our own specific sin, and the sin of the person we marry, we must be prepared to be sinned against by others, by our spouse, and by ourselves.

In The Meaning of Marriage, Tim and Kathy Keller argue that what keeps the marriage going is your commitment to your spouses holiness. Instead of valuing a person for who they might be for you, ask instead how you might be sanctified as sinners together.

You marry a human.

Even if the right wife stands before you on your wedding day, there is no guarantee that her rightness for the job will continue or that yours will. You do not marry the perfect combination of preference, attraction, and giftedness. Rather, you marry a particular person. Both women and men are complex people made in the image of an unendingly complex God. We are bodies in need of food, water, and shelter and in want of health, happiness, and sex. We are minds and hearts and histories, hurts and joys and more.

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When we marry, we do so understanding that our spouses fittedness for a particular task will be challenged by sickness, poverty, confusion, depression, childbirth, unemployment, sadness, passion, fear, and more. Pauls words to the church at Ephesus say, in essence, that as much as we care for our own bodies, we must be willing to care also for the body of our spouse. We cannot disassociate their humanness from marriage. Instead, we are called to value their whole personhood, flaws and all.

You marry a man/woman.

We often hear jokes and stereotypes about male-female differencesthe big shoe collection or all the emotions, the toilet seat left up or the doubled grocery budgetbut the larger point is relevant: Men and women are distinct. We do not marry someone with our own gender inclinations. We marry the Other, with different proclivities, different drives, different ways of processing, and different appetites. Judging a potential spouse based on our own way of doing things is recipe for disaster. Instead, were called by God to embrace the distinctiveness of the Other, the complementarity of marriage, and the difficulties that come with that complementarity.

You marry a husband/wife.

We marry someone who has covenanted with us through sickness, health, wealth, poverty, and more, until death do us part. Their fittedness for marriagewhich we imagine on our wedding daywill morph every day for the rest of our lives. Their passions will wax and wane, their fears will ebb and flow, their attractiveness will rise and fall, and their abilities will come and go. When sin arises (and it will), when the body fails (and it will), and when their maleness or femaleness is on full display, we are still married to this spouse, this husband or this wife. As the Kellers write,

Over the years you will go through seasons in which you have to learn to love a person who you didnt marry, who is something of a stranger. You will have to make changes that you dont want to make, and so will your spouse. The journey may eventually take you into a strong, tender, joyful marriage. But it is not because you married the perfectly compatible person. That person doesnt exist.

During my single years, I made a list of the kind of person I wanted to marry. I had preferences, and I dont think they were wrong. Some were attributes like humility, gentleness, and a strong intellect. Others were less important qualitieslike a beard, an appreciation for history and literature, and a propensity toward hospitality. In Gods generosity (and only by his grace), he gave me a husband with all those qualities and more. But in the long wait for a husband, what ended up being most helpful for me was not the specificity of my ask or the answer. It was instead a simple truth that I issue now to my young, unmarried male friends:

Our God is a good Father, and he knows far better what you need than you do. Its possible that you think youre asking for bread when youre actually asking for a stone, and he is still waiting to give you the best bread money cant buy. If you marry, you will marry a sinner, a human, a woman, and a wife. Nothing more, no one less.



Lore Ferguson Wilbert is a writer, thinker, and learner. She blogs at sayable.net and lives in Flower Mound, Texas, with her husband, Nathan. Follow her on Twitter.
American Pastors Network Invites Church Leaders to Important Conference Call on Church Security

Contact: Deborah Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies, 610-584-1096, ext 102, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com; Emily Brunner, 610-584-1096, ext 100



PHILADELPHIA, April 10, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) is inviting pastors, church leaders, members of the media and other ministry organizations to an important nationwide conference call titled "Top Reasons Why Church Security Should be a Priority."

WHO: American Pastors Network



WHAT: Church security conference call



WHERE: Free conference call line



WHEN: 9 a.m. ET Thursday, April 12



WHY: To equip church leaders to address important matters of church security



HOW: Click here to register

Our culture is in desperate need of Christ, and what better place to learn of Him than in the church? But it comes with many questions and concerns for those who have been affected by or heard about violence and shootings in churches. Even pastors are asking:

Why do churches need security?



Must I turn my church into an armed fortress?



How can we reach out to people and dispel their fear when they sit in my church?



What should a church security plan look like?



Who should a church security plan involve?



How do I organize a church security plan?

Church security consultants who have assisted churches in setting up a security plan and pastors whose churches have a security plan in place will be featured on the call, which will cover the entire range of church security. Opportunity will also be given for participants to ask their own questions.



The APN radio ministry, "Stand in the Gap Today," which airs on 425 stations nationwide, can be heard live online from noon to 1 p.m. EST at American Pastors Network.com at the orange "Listen Live" button on the right-hand side of the webpage; find a station here.



View the media page for APN here, which also details information about "Stand in the Gap." For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net, its Facebook page or follow APN's Twitter feed, @AmericanPastors. To form a state chapter of APN, contact amy@americanpastors.net.



To interview an American Pastors Network representative, contact Deborah Hamilton, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, 610.584.1096, ext. 102, or Emily Brunner, ext. 100.


North Texas Author Pens Book About Addiction What would you do if your estranged, homeless, alcoholic father suddenly showed up at your door?



Contact: Kimberly Dewberry, kimberly@kimberlydewberry.com



GREENVILLE, Texas, April 11, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- What if you knew in three weeks you would be saying good-bye to him forever? One daughter knows deep down that her only choice, for his sake and hers, is to forgivebut how? Greenville author, Kimberly Dewberry struggled for 25 years to cope with the pain, hurt, guilt, regret, unworthiness, and shame brought on by her father's addictions. As her life devolved into a predictable pattern of poor choices caused by the dysfunctional thinking of an alcoholic household, Kimberly's image of God was skewed by an inner turmoil only he could heal. Because of the loving grace of Jesus Christ, she has broken free from the shackles of rebellion and anger, and made it her life's mission to share her journey through courageous prose. Her heart's desire is to help other adult children of alcoholics identify and overcome unhealthy cycles of destructive living that the specter of alcoholism leaves behind. Kimberly often testifies at recovery meetings about the serenity and peace of God's redemption, which are keys to personal wholeness. She also shares biblical insights to everyday problems through her devotional blog, Transforming Normal.



In her latest book, Three Weeks to Forgiveness: God's Redemption in the Dark Places of Addiction, Dewberry describes life growing up in an alcoholic household, the patterns she repeated as a result, and how God doesn't waste one moment of our lives. Three Weeks to Forgiveness is a gripping story of parental love, turmoil, forgiveness, and God's redemption of her past.



Adult children of alcoholics and addicts live lives caged in guilt, shame, depression, and other self-destructive thought patterns. In Three Weeks to Forgiveness: God's Redemption in the Dark Places of Addiction, author Kimberly Dewberry calls on her life as an adult child of an addict to address distinctive ways to receive forgiveness and create a healthy life through Jesus Christ. With real and raw reflection to empower those dealing with addicted parents, the author encourages readers to overcome the familial cycle of substance abuse and its devastating effects.



Author, Kimberly Dewberry has found that exact freedom from her past through the grace and mercy of her loving Father, Jesus Christ. It's time for others to find that same freedom. Three Weeks to Forgiveness helps guide others to find it.



Kimberly and her husband Patrick are the parents of 6 grown children between them and live in the Greenville area with their two super cute Boston terriers, Delilah and Daphne. In her spare time, Kimberly enjoys writing, reading, Bible art journaling, participating in Bible studies, and dating her husband.



Three Weeks to Forgiveness: God's Redemption in the Dark Places of Addiction is available at the following retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and eLectio Publishing.



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Children Desiring God Becomes Truth78 Contact: Steve Watters, Truth78, 502-689-1626



LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 11, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- At an inauguration event on April 10, Children Desiring God re-introduced itself as Truth78, an independent 501(c)3 organization structured to more strategically fulfill its mission to equip the next generations to know, honor and treasure God.



The event at Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. featured a charge by Bruce A. Ware, professor of theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a video message from John Piper, founder of Desiring God. Also speaking were Ryan Fullerton, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church; Mark Vroegop, pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis, and David Michael, Truth78 founder and chairman of the board.



In his charge, Ware said it was of utmost importance to teach the next generations a high view of God. "May God help us to be tools in his hands in the life of the next generation," Ware said. "To see them grow up with a high view of God. To know him rightly and to enter into the joy and the truth of the Christian faith, that they might in turn pass that on to the next generation following."



John Piper shared in his video message the impetus for Children Desiring God launching out as Truth78. He explained how over the past 20 years Children Desiring God grew as a developer of curriculum, the Fighter Verses Scripture memory tools, family discipleship resources and vision-casting and training, while Desiring God increasingly focused its emphasis on spreading a passion for the supremacy of God through resources on the website of DesiringGod.org. He added that those growth trajectories resulted in distinctive needs for infrastructure, technology, fundraising mechanisms and artistic and editorial methods.



"We saw pretty clearly after a while that we were holding each other back from the maximum flourishing of both by trying to constrain this under one organizational structure," said Piper. "Hence the new name and new organizational structure." Reflecting on the transition process, Piper added, "If you put your ear to the sound of this transition, what you'll hear is mutual cheering on both sides for the joy and hope of what's going to come of these two ministries."



"Twenty years ago as Children Desiring God was being launched," David Michael said in his message, "we were stunned by the interest and growth we were seeing as our resources made their way into homes, churches and schools throughout North America and then...into Europe and into South America. As we look ahead to the next decades as Truth 78 we wonder with excitement what God might do with opportunities for reaching the nations."



Michael then reported on current translation projects in progress for 13 different language groups including Korean, Haitian Creole, Indonesian, Burmese, Dutch, Chinese, Romanian, Russian and French. "With much of our material already available in Spanish," he added, "there is exciting work happening in various parts of Latin America, including El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and there have been recent conversations about needs in Honduras, Mexico, and Cuba." Michael reported that a current project will translate a 5-day Truth78 curricula into eight languages in India that will be taught to 360,000 children in the next three months.



Michael said that the passion to advance the vision for equipping the next generations is stronger than ever and that his desire is for the next decades as Truth78 to be even more effective and more fruitful than the first two.



"Awaken the church in our neighborhoods and in our cities and across America and throughout the world," Michael said in a closing prayer, "to her God-given calling to faithfully and intentionally impart the whole counsel of your Word to the next generation."



Attendees received copies of a new book from Truth78, Indestructible Joy for the Next Generation, an anthology featuring chapters by John Piper, Albert Mohler, Russell Moore, Bruce Ware and more.



In addition to Indestructible Joy for the Next Generations, Truth78 introduced two other resources for equipping churches and parents: Glorious God, Glorious Gospel, an interactive devotional for families and When I Am Afraid, a children's book.



www.truth78.org



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The Urgent Need to Address Rising Religious Persecution in China Contact: 202-675-1761



WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Rising religious persecution is one of many symptoms of Chinese President Xi Jinping's consolidation of power. The suspicious death of Li Baiguang in February 2018 was a stark reminder that persons of faith are far from safe in China. Chinese Christians, Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners have long experienced persecution, but restrictions on religious freedom in China are on the rise. The Heritage Foundation is hosting a discussion on the state of religious freedom in China to consider how the U.S. can respond to alleviate the plight of religious communities living under these dire conditions. Featuring

Kristina Arriaga

Vice Chairwoman, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom



Li Aijie

Chinese dissident, wife of Zhang Haitao, detained Uighur rights activist



Douglas Robison

EXL Petroleum and Chairman of Board of Directors of China Aid



Moderated by

Olivia Enos

Policy Analyst, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation



Friday, April 13, 2018  9:30 to 11:00 a.m.



The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium



RSVP online at heritage.org/Events/ | or call (202) 675-1752

Terms and conditions of attendance are posted at heritage.org/Events/terms.cfm

All events may be viewed live at heritage.org

News media inquiries, call (202) 675-1761



214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE - Washington, DC 20002 - (202) 546-4400



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Judicial Watch Sues Justice and State Departments for Uranium One Records Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch , 202-646-5188 WASHINGTON, April 10, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State for all records of communications relating to Uranium One ( Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:18-cv-00722)). The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on March 29. Judicial Watch sued the agencies after they failed to respond to two December 22, 2017, FOIA requests. Judicial Watch asked the Justice Department for: All records regarding, the company Uranium One (otherwise known as Uranium One, Inc. or SXR Uranium One, Inc.), including records of communication sent to and from officials in the offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, and the National Security Division from January 20, 2009 through December 31, 2013. Read more...



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Alliance Life Receives Coveted Award



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 11, 2018 /



Among the judge's comments:



"Deep, thoughtful, engaging. AL is not afraid to allow into print the hard parts of being disciples . . . Writers seem free to mention their doubts, making the articles more compelling."



"The personal stories, along with denominational news, engage the reader. The message is: '[The] C&MA is where I can grow.'"



"A feast!!!"



The Alliance magazine was first published in 1882 under the title The Word, The Work, and The World by Alliance founder A. B. Simpson. In 1950, A. W. Tozer took the reigns as editor of the magazine, then called The Alliance Weekly. He remained in that role until shortly before his passing in 1963.



Alliance Life currently reaches 50,000 households, encouraging its readers to celebrate the joyous life that can be found in Jesus Christ and reporting the forward momentum of His Church through the worldwide ministries of The Alliance.



The Evangelical Press Association is the world's largest professional organization for the evangelical periodical publishing industry. It provides members with opportunities to build relationships and strengthen professionalism within the evangelical community. Its first convention was held April 4-6, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois.



CONTACT:

Martha Renaud

Managing Editor, Alliance Life

The Christian and Missionary Alliance

Phone: (719) 265-2014

E-mail:



Share Tweet Contact: Martha Renaud, Managing Editor, Alliance Life, The Christian and Missionary Alliance , 719-265-2014, renaudm@cmalliance.org COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 11, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- At its annual convention April 4-6, 2018, in Orlando, Florida, the Evangelical Press Association presented Alliance Life, the official magazine of The Christian and Missionary Alliance (the C&MA, The Alliance), with its Award of Excellence in the category of Denominational Print Magazine. Present to receive the award was Martha Renaud, the magazine's managing editor.Among the judge's comments:"Deep, thoughtful, engaging. AL is not afraid to allow into print the hard parts of being disciples . . . Writers seem free to mention their doubts, making the articles more compelling.""The personal stories, along with denominational news, engage the reader. The message is: '[The] C&MA is where I can grow.'""A feast!!!"The Alliance magazine was first published in 1882 under the title The Word, The Work, and The World by Alliance founder A. B. Simpson. In 1950, A. W. Tozer took the reigns as editor of the magazine, then called The Alliance Weekly. He remained in that role until shortly before his passing in 1963.Alliance Life currently reaches 50,000 households, encouraging its readers to celebrate the joyous life that can be found in Jesus Christ and reporting the forward momentum of His Church through the worldwide ministries of The Alliance.The Evangelical Press Association is the world's largest professional organization for the evangelical periodical publishing industry. It provides members with opportunities to build relationships and strengthen professionalism within the evangelical community. Its first convention was held April 4-6, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois.CONTACT:Martha RenaudManaging Editor, Alliance LifeThe Christian and Missionary AlliancePhone: (719) 265-2014E-mail: renaudm@cmalliance.org
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AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Beacon Journal has been purchased by Gatehouse Media for $16 million, according to its parent company, New York-based New Media Investment Group.

The sale was announced on Wednesday to the newspaper staff. Gatehouse has more than 140 daily newspapers nationwide. The Beacon Journal will be Gatehouse's tenth daily paper in Ohio. The company also owns the Record-Courier in Kent, The Repository in Canton and The Daily Record in Wooster. It's largest daily newspaper in Ohio is the Columbus Dispatch.

New Media President and Chief Executive Officer Michael E. Reed called the Beacon Journal a "great addition to our large Ohio footprint of properties."

"In addition to being a long-standing dominant source of award-winning journalism, its proximity to our properties in Wooster, Canton and Columbus is very exciting as we see many opportunities for growth," he said in a press release.

Bradley M. Harmon, president of GateHouse Media Central U.S. Publishing Operations, told the Beacon Journal that the newspaper's digital components, including its website ohio.com, made it an attractive acquisition.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan also issued a statement on the sale.

"The Akron Beacon Journal is more than Akron's only daily print newspaper - it is a major employer that occupies a landmark downtown building," said Horrigan. "In a time of immense change, with significant positive momentum, Akron's people and institutions deserve media coverage that accurately and fully tells our story to the region and the world. We will expect nothing less from the Beacon, as the institution enters the next chapter of its long history in the Akron community."

The Beacon was purchased in 2006 for $165 million by Black Press Group, a Canadian publisher. Black owns more than 100 newspapers across the U.S. and Canada, including the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and The San Francisco Examiner.

Black sold the 68,000-circulation Akron newspaper because it could not create a "cluster" of newspapers in the immediate region, strengthening operational efficiencies, said Black Press President and CEO Rick O'Connor, according to Ohio.com.

As part of the Beacon sale, GateHouse Media agreed, in a separate transaction, to sell Black Press several newspapers in Alaska.

The Beacon Journal in downtown Akron has served the Akron community since 1839 when it launched as the Summit Beacon. It was the flagship newspaper for the Knight Newspaper Co., which later became Knight Ridder.

In addition to its daily papers, Gatehouse also owns 36 community weekly newspapers in the state, including publications in Aurora, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Stow, Tallmadge and Twinsburg.



GateHouse is one of the nation's largest media companies. As of December 2017, the company owned 142 daily newspapers and 455 community publications in 38 states.



The company has expanded aggressively in recent years, buying up daily and weekly publications despite the challenging, digital-age economics of the newspaper industry.



In March, Gatehouse bought the Austin American-Statesman for a reported $47.5 million. The company purchased the Dispatch in 2015.

A list of the company's Ohio properties, listed on the Gatehouse website is below:
During the Summit, the United States will promote priorities of mutual interest to the region, including supporting democracy; addressing the political and humanitarian crisis and restoring democracy in Venezuela; stemming corruption and transnational crime; and promoting economic prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.

While in Lima, Acting Secretary Sullivan will meet separately with leaders from Peru , Brazil, Haiti, and Mexico. He will also meet with representatives of the governments of the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia, as well as with leaders from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
AKRON, Ohio - In preparation for the first North Akron Market, the Exchange House is seeking prepared food producers, farmers, crafters and artisans to fill the vendors slots.

The first market is set for Saturday, May 5 from 2-7 p.m. at the Exchange house, 760 Elma St. in North Hill neighborhood.

With a community center for refugees and immigrants downstairs and an international hostel upstairs, the Exchange House is a project of the Knight Foundation and the Dallas-based Better Block Foundation. It was created through a $155,000 2015 Knight Cities Challenge grant.

North Hill has long been Akron's international neighborhood. The Exchange House was created to serve as a central location for foreign-born residents to gather for programming, health clinics and group meetings.

Akron's immigrant population has helped strengthen the economy and housing market. According to the "New American Economy, Welcome to Akron" study by the Knight Foundation, between 2000 and 2013, foreign-born residents settling in Summit County increased the overall housing value by $207 million. Collectively, Akron's Immigrants and refugees hold $137 million in annual spending power and contribute $17 million in state and local taxes each year.

The North Akron Market, which will take place every Saturday through September 29, is a collaboration between the Exchange House, the North Akron Community Development Corp. , Shanti Community Farms and the Irish Restoration Assoc.

"We're planning on using the May market to work out the kinks in our system and a grand opening will be held at the market in June," said John Ughrin, executive director of the North Akron CDC.

Organizers are now accepting vendor applications, which can be downloaded here or filled out online.The markets will accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, payments.

Seating, a stage and places to congregate are being installed around the Exchange House property. Live music will be available during the first market of each month and the house will be open to tour.

To encourage entrepreneurism in the immigrant population, monthly workshops are also planned. The first workshop is set for Friday, April 13 at 9 a.m., and will focus on the prepared-food business.

The workshop will cover food-sales licenses, including how to fill out the forms and the details on temporary versus permanent licenses. The workshops will cover a different topic each month and American-born entrepreneurs are welcome to attend.

"Some of these things can be daunting for people," Ughrin said. "The help is available for everybody."

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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Citing public input as a vital component to the charter review process, a community meeting will be held April 19 to discuss forms of government.

The meeting runs from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Heights Community Center at 1 Monticello Boulevard. Although it will be taped, officials would like a good turnout for people to take part in the individual table discussions, facilitated by Katie Solender and fellow CRC members.

There will be two main questions put forth:

-- What type of government do you prefer for Cleveland Heights and why?

-- What other elements should be added to or changed in the city charter to improve local government?

At this point, the majority of the 15-member Charter Review Commission remains unconvinced that a change from the current "city manager-council" form of government should be considered, or for that matter, voted on by residents.

With the exception of some possible "housekeeping" measures to clean up language in the current city charter, it does not appear likely that any substantial changes to the "local constitution" will be proposed in time for the November general election.

During its last meeting on March 29, the commission heard from two local businessmen affiliated with Special Improvement Districts: Cedar-Lee SID Board President John Zagara and Steve Presser with the Coventry SID.

Like other guest speakers who have already appeared before the commission, Zagara and Presser both favor a "hybrid" form of local government similar to the one in Shaker Heights that would keep the city manager but expand the role of the mayor.

Until fairly recently, "I always thought the mayor was elected -- I didn't realize that council sort of appointed the mayor," said Zagara, who runs the family-owned grocery market in Cleveland Heights but lives in Shaker.

City Council's president ("mayor") and vice president ("vice mayor") are chosen among the seven at-large council members to serve two-year terms.

Zagara would like to see a popularly-elected mayor to "push the envelope" more on projects like the recently-completed Lee Road streetscape and the installation of security cameras.

"Without somebody leading the charge, who's been elected to push through the work and is responsible to constituents, it slows things down," Zagara said, adding, "that is not a criticism of city staff -- that is my issue with how we are structured."

When asked about the 18-month absence of an economic development director, Zagara said the Cedar-Lee SID worked around that, as well as the prior turnover in that position, with Assistant City Manager Susanna Niermann O'Neil sitting on the SID board.

Zagara also feels that City Manager Tanisha Briley already has enough on her plate running day-to-day technical operations without taking on an additional "visionary" role for the city.

Presser, the owner of the much-loved Big Fun toy store that is closing after 27 years in Coventry, although plans are in the works to open a joint venture in Orange's Pinecrest developement with the equally venerated B.A. Sweetie Candy Co.

The proposed new enterprise is tentatively being called "Sweetie's Big Fun," located near the movie theaters and a Graeter's ice cream shop off of I-271 and Harvard.

At the March 29 CRC meeting, Presser echoed Zagara's thoughts, favoring a dual hybrid form of government where the city manager continues to "lead from within" while the popularly-elected mayor takes a "more active, vocal" role.

"It makes sense for a stronger vision and a more proactive approach with quicker implementation," Presser said, adding that he also likes the idea of four ward council seats and three "at-large" council members.

The commission also heard from Bud Hilf, a member of the charter review counterpart in Euclid.

Unlike the Cleveland Heights Charter Review Commission, which is considered periodically but hasn't convened in roughly 35 years, Euclid conducts a review every eight years.

Forming at the end of 2014, the Euclid Charter Review Commission met for a little less than the two-year term, and recommended by a 6-3 vote to consider switching from a strong mayor to a city manager form of government.

"But City Council still hasn't done anything with it since then," Hilf noted, saying he voted against the recommendation at the time.

Back in 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice had sued Euclid over its all "at-large" council representation, saying the system violated the Voting Rights Act because it diluted the city's African American vote.

Today, in addition to the mayor, there are eight council wards in Euclid, along with an at-large council president and the elected mayor.

Meanwhile, back in Cleveland Heights, prior to the community meeting on April 19, the Charter Review Commission will hear at 5:30 p.m. from International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Executive Director Marc Ott, at the request of the city administration.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish quickly acknowledged the challenges his administration faces during his State of the County address Wednesday, but said he is optimistic despite the obstacles.

Budish began his 50-minute speech, presented by the City Club of Cleveland at the Huntington Convention Center, by vowing to "prevent, and if necessary to punish, breaches of the public trust.

"As most of you know, several members of my administration are under investigation," Budish told the crowd of about 700. "This is upsetting for all of us who lived through previous scandals."

He was referring to the public corruption investigation involving the county's chief technology officer, Scot Rourke, and Emily McNeeley, the county IT department's general counsel and director of special initiatives.

Budish placed the pair on unpaid leave April 2 in response to investigators naming the two in subpoenas. Among other things, investigators sought emails exchanged by Rourke and McNeeley and documents related to work with Hyland Software, where McNeeley's spouse works.

Budish said the county is cooperating completely and it will not tolerate "any bad behavior on the part of anyone in my administration."

He said his other goal is to put the county in a strong position to compete for jobs and prosperity in a global economy. He cited a low unemployment rate, an increase in per capita income and multiple development projects.

Budish, who is seeking a second four-year term as executive, cited three major challenges:

Creating, attracting and increasing jobs and educating and training residents.

Improving communities to make them more livable, safe and welcoming.

Improving the health and welfare of all residents, especially those who are most vulnerable.

Here's what Budish said the county has done:

Created a sustainable job-creation fund.

Provided economic development loans for new businesses and expansions.

Improved the viability of the Global Center for Health Innovation.

Developed a project to place 35,000 solar panels on a Brooklyn landfill.

Doubled the number of children in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs.

Worked with businesses to provide skills-training to employees.

Worked with Cuyahoga Community College to provide in-demand job training.

Transformed the summer employment program for youth into an internship program.

Invested millions in the demolition of blighted buildings and homes.

Provided funds for storefront renovations, road and bridge improvements and community improvements.

Partnered with the Cleveland and Cuyahoga public libraries to offer services including skills education and access to assistance with medical care, food or child care.

Efforts still in the works include:

Increasing funds for Open Table, which pairs youth who have aged out of foster care with a "table" of volunteer mentors from the community.

Working to create a regional jail system and improve the fairness of the criminal justice system.

Working with the public libraries to promote voter registration and planning to hold a a youth-voting summit.

Budish addressed another challenge at the end of his speech, when he spoke about the foster-care system and the death of four-year-old Aniya Day-Garrett.

Budish appointed an independent panel to review the actions of the Department of Children and Family Services in March, after Aniya died of a stroke triggered by what investigators say was blunt force trauma to the girl's head while she was in the care of her mother, Sierra Day, and her boyfriend, Deonte Lewis. The county department had investigated three reports alleging abuse against Aniya in 2017, but the agency did not find cause to remove her from Day's home.

"The recent tragedy of with Aniya Day-Garrett, who ended up dying rather than being taken in, it's heartbreaking," he said. It is truly heartbreaking. No child in danger should fall through the cracks."

Budish summed up his fourth State of the County address with these words:

"I love serving as your county executive - most of the time," he said. "But I have to say it is a tough job."

Budish's speech and videos shown during the event are posted on the county website.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County is offering a series of programs April 23-27 as part of Reentry Awareness Week to improve the acceptance of those who have been released after serving jail or prison time.

"In Cuyahoga County, well over 4,000 restored citizens return home every year from local jails, state and federal prisons," Crystal Bryant, director of the the county's Office of Reentry, said in a press release. "Many individuals who have had an encounter with the criminal justice system, have paid their debt to society but are consistently faced with obstacles stemming from their incarceration such as; inability to obtain a career, stable housing, adequate health care, quality education, and even the right to vote."

Reentry week partners include Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Edwins Leadership Institute, American Civil Liberties Union, Reach Success, Housing Research & Advocacy Research Center, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, Towards Employment, Cleveland Leadership Center, Stokes Fellowship and The North Star Reentry Resource Center.

Events are free, but some require registration.

Monday, April 23: Public Safety Dialogue - 6 to 8 p.m., Jerry Sue Thornton Center, 2500 East 22nd Street, Cleveland.

The Stokes Civic Leadership Institute Fellows and Cuyahoga Community College will hold a panel discussion about a proposed constitutional amendment, dubbed the Ohio Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment, and Rehabilitation Amendment.

Panelists include Bryant, director of the county's Reentry Office; DaMareo Cooper, director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley.

The proposed constitutional amendment is meant to reduce the number of people incarcerated in state prisons for low-level drug possession crimes or non-criminal probation violations. It will redirect resulting savings toward increased community-based addiction treatment and support programs for youth and adults.

Free but registration required at reentry.cuyahogacounty.us/.

Tuesday, April 24: Cash Mob Bus Tour - 1:45 to 6 p.m. (15 minutes per stop), Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry 4515 Superior Avenue, Cleveland

The Office of Reentry in partnership with Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute hosts a CASH MOB! Cash mob participants will help support local businesses owned and operated by people who have served time in prison or jail. Guests will be given discounts. Bus participants who patronize each location will be entered in a drawing to win a gift card from Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute.

Wednesday, April 25: "Opening Doors, Rebuilding Community" - 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. NewBridge Cleveland Center, 3634 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland.

The Office of Reentry in partnership with ACLU of Ohio, Housing Research & Advocacy Center, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Enterprise Community Partners, and Reentry's Housing Committee, will host a forum on reentry.

For those recently released from prison, housing can be difficult to obtain. "Opening Doors, Rebuilding Community" is a convening of interested parties to discuss ways to alleviate barriers and rebuild community.

The event is free and includes lunch. Parking is available. Registration required at reentry.cuyahogacounty.us/

Thursday, April 26th: "Not Just Returning, but Advancing" - 8:30 to 11 a.m., Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation 1201 East 55th Street, Cleveland.

The Office of Reentry hosts its 6th annual public meeting focused on the theme of "Not just returning, but advancing for citizens with criminal backgrounds." Registration is closed.

Friday, April 27: Resource FairTime, 4 to 6 p.m, North Star Neighborhood Resource Center 1834 East 55 Street, Cleveland.

The Office of Reentry, North Star Reentry Resource Center, and William Horning & Shawnee Leftwich will host a resource collaboration day with panelists discussing methods to navigate support systems. The focus will be on community resources in education, personal development, government support and employment.

Free, no registration required.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - In 2000, Tracy Crane Thompson was a high school teacher going through what she describes as one of the hardest times in her life. That's when her students decided to do something incredible. A local radio station was having a contest to meet Bon Jovi, and the kids were determined to make sure that winner was their teacher, a lifelong superfan.

"They said, 'She needs this. We need to do this for her," Thompson recalls.

Thompson, who was born in Concord and lives there currently, fell in love with the 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee when she was just 11. To date, she's seen the band 33 times.

So her students asked her to bring in all the Bon Jovi merch she collected over the years. They covered the walls with all her posters. They put on her T-shirts from all the tours. They made window decals to decorate the classroom. And then they videotaped themselves singing Bon Jovi's single, "It's My Life."

Thompson won, and she had the chance to get onstage at Detroit's Palace of Auburn Hills as the band performed on their world "Crush" tour. And when Jon Bon Jovi came over to where she was standing, he took one look at her and said, "I remember that jacket."

That may be because more than two decades earlier, Thompson spent the summer of her junior year of high school sequinning a Superman jean jacket to look exactly like the one Jon Bon Jovi wore in the "Lay Your Hands On Me" music video. In 1995, when she saw them play the single at Blossom Music Center, she tossed the bedazzled jacket on stage - and Bon Jovi wore it for the rest of the song.

Thompson's fandom has led her to shows throughout the country. But her obsession all began the first time she and her brother heard the track "Runaway," from the band's 1984 self-titled debut album, on MTV.

"I thought, 'Oh my god, that's just the coolest thing I've ever heard," she recalls. "From their first album, I was caught; hook, line and sinker."

Her ticket to her first Bon Jovi show, the 1987 "Slippery When Wet" tour at the Richfield Coliseum, cost $15. It was also the first concert her parents let her go to alone.

In true Northeast Ohio form, she left the venue still buzzing from the sight of Bon Jovi swinging over the audience on a trapeze-like platform during the ballad "Silent Night" ... and walked right into a snow storm. In true Bon Jovi concert form, it turned into one big party.

"We got out to the parking lot and we all had to dig our cars out," she says. "But everyone had their windows down and was blasting Bon Jovi and climbing on top of their car and singing Bon Jovi songs and having snowball fights."

It set her on a path of chasing the band on every tour. During the "Keep The Faith" tour, Thompson and a college friend were lucky enough to catch the band on Jon Bon Jovi's birthday. They created a huge sign - made from a bed sheet, naturally - reading "Jon, we didn't miss your birthday, baby ... we wish we could see you blow these candles out ... Happy 31st," stealing a line from "I'll Be There for You."

For Thompson, Bon Jovi shows are also a family affair - quite literally. "I have five kids, and with every single pregnancy, I've been to a Bon Jovi show," she says.

In fact, she was eight months pregnant when she saw Bon Jovi at Gund Arena in 2003. She had to stand in the aisle because her belly made it impossible to stand in her seat. Bon Jovi took notice.

"Jon came over and stood right in front of the aisle when he started singing 'Born to Be My Baby' and pointed at my belly," Thompson says. "I still tell my daughter, 'Jon Bon Jovi sang to you before you were even born!'"

The pinnacle of the fan experience, however, may have been seeing them play in the summer of 2013 at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, where the band formed.

"It was their home turf, and you could tell because everybody in the entire stadium knew every lyric to every single song," she says. "It was surreal."

Each album, and each subsequent tour, comes with its own highlights for Thompson. But throughout her many years of following the band, no song can top "Livin' On A Prayer." And it holds a particularly special meaning for Thompson: It was also her mother's favorite song.

"We lost her five years ago, and our pastor read the entirety of the lyrics at her mass," Thompson says. "She had cancer, and when you listen to the lyrics in that context, it's amazing how it can translate to that kind of a fight."

For more than three decades, Bon Jovi has been a constant in Thompson's life through the highs and lows. So it's no surprise that when it was announced that the band was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she was ecstatic.

It wasn't just Thompson that was excited, of course - in the Rock Hall's official fan vote, an online poll open to the public that accounts for one ballot, Bon Jovi won by a landslide. Thompson will tell you she was at her computer, voting once a day.

"I was broken-hearted that it took them so long to be inducted, but let's just say that morning when my boyfriend and I both saw the news, we were just screaming and jumping up and down," Thompson says. "Finally. All I have to say is, finally. I'm so, so happy for the band. They so deserve this. And the fans deserve this."
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Howard Stern took to the airwaves Monday morning to give an honest take on his preparation for Saturday's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Hall.

Stern will present longtime friend Jon Bon Jovi and his band for induction, and the mega-popular radio host is stressed out about it.

It's been well documented that Stern doesn't like to travel anywhere. So he admitted the trip to Cleveland is stressing him out. Though, Stern said, he "Couldn't say no" to Bon Jovi.

"I met them when they were first starting out," said Stern. "I just always had a great feeling for all of them and always was rooting for them."

Stern's relationship with Bon Jovi has been a rollercoaster ride. Yet, he said knowing how much the induction means to Jon Bon Jovi is weighing on him.

In fact, Stern spent all day Friday working on his speech, recording it and listening to it back. This should make for interesting viewing when Stern takes the stage at Public Hall on Saturday.

Stern also admitted he's afraid he might get sick of ahead of the ceremony, which he chalked up to his fear of public speaking and getting "neurotic."
FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- There's good news and slightly better news regarding Mastick Road repaving and the Mastick Road Bridge replacement projects coming to the city.

Mayor Eileen Patton said Fairview Park initially worked diligently with Cuyahoga County to first get the $1.7 million road project funded for 2020. Now the city has successfully moved the project up a year, for a start date next summer.

"This is great news for our residents and the thousands of people that use Mastick Road each day," Patton said. "The city is responsible for a 20 percent match that we currently estimate to be $340,000. We'll incorporate this into the 2019 budget proposal."

As for the $5 million Mastick Road Bridge replacement, Fairview Park Director of Public Service & Development Shawn Leininger said that project, once slated for next year, will take place in 2020.

"The county was trying to time the road with the bridge project, but unfortunately, they didn't get approved for some of the funding they applied for," Leininger said. "So they're going to reapply and hope to get it for use in 2020."

In terms of need, the Mastick Road Bridge, which was built in 1975, has a deck that's in poor condition. Traffic is expected to be closed during construction.

The Mastick Road Bridge replacement, which the county is paying for, is considered the first phase toward a pathway connection between the city sidewalks and the Cleveland Metroparks. Leininger said the next step will be to get the 10-foot pathway from Eaton Road to the bridge, as well as another pathway from where the bridge ends to Valley Parkway.

As for 1.6-mile-long Mastick Road, Leininger said records show the road hasn't been repaved in at least 30 years.

"It's in pretty bad shape," Leininger said. "It'll be up to the county how they design it, but most likely the project will be a mill and fill, with base repairs as needed. We're grateful for the county considering our request and approving it."
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Several members of City Council peppered Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams with questions for nearly three hours Wednesday over frustrations with crime in their neighborhoods and police response.

Williams appeared before council's Safety Committee to discuss how police are deployed across the city and plans for hiring more officers.

Members of council said they were concerned that crime seems out of control in some neighborhoods and quizzed the chief about just how police can address it.

"I could go right down St. Clair and hear one horror story after another," Councilman Mike Polensek said. "Citizens should not have to carry firearms. Businesses should not have to close up."

Residents complain that they don't ever see police patrolling, Polensek said.

"It only emphasizes to me that we have to do a better job of deployment," Polensek said.

What is the approach to deployment?

Williams said Cleveland's deployment strategy is based on three key components to policing:

Reducing violent crime

Engaging with the community

Complying with the consent decree - the policing agreement between the city and the Department of Justice.

Deciding where to deploy officers involves a series of analyses.

Population is a factor. But things like the numbers for reported and actual crimes in an area and the number of calls for service are considered, Williams said. How many cases were solved? What was their complexity?

"We have to factor in all that to come up with a number [of officers] to assign to homicide, to sex crimes, to the actual detective bureaus in the district," Williams said.

What are the manpower numbers?

Cleveland wants to hire 310 or more officers this year, hoping for a net gain of about 250 on the police force.

There are 1,521 officers on the force now, Williams said. That includes 1,174 patrol officers.

The 2018 budget calls for 1,610 officers as the department continues to try to build up to 1,700.

City Council members have criticized Mayor Frank Jackson's administration for not moving more quickly in 2017 to add officers with new revenue available from a voter-approved increase the income tax.

"The position we find ourselves in today is that we don't have enough people working on the street," Polensek said.

To add officers - enough to counter an estimated 80 who leave each year and still bolster the force - the city plans to hold five cadet classes this year at the department's police academy, through Cuyahoga Community College and at the Ohio State Highway Patrol academy.

"Our minimum class that we anticipate putting in is 50 [cadets]," Williams said.

Councilman Matt Zone, who chairs the Safety Committee, said the department needs to stick with that approach next year too if it intends to push toward 1,700.

"We need to stay on pace for 19 and probably need to have four or five more classes," he said.

What is the perception?

Those manpower numbers play a role in perceptions of crime on Cleveland's streets.

The criticisms that Jackson and his administration have not moved quickly enough to hire resurfaced lately as council members complained that the police districts, particularly the 4th District on the East Side, the city's largest, are understaffed.

And they were sharply critical of any diversions of officers from the five police districts to other duty, such as downtown work for special events - something Williams said the department tries to avoid.

"I think it is extremely important that we are able to express an urgency that our residents feel," Councilman Basheer Jones said. "When you have a grandmother, who says that she's afraid, she's afraid to be there at 90 years old, it's troubling."

Polensek argues that the city should get help from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Cuyahoga County sheriff's office.

"We're going to need outside help and we're going to have to acknowledge that," he said.

Williams noted that the highway patrol has had a presence running traffic patrol in the city for 10 years.

What's the reality?

While acknowledging the frustrations and the fears, Williams urged council members not to get swept up in hyperbole.

Crime stats for the city paint a different picture, he said.

Statistics show calls for robbery and burglary are down more than 20 percent citywide, compared to the same time last year, Williams said. Felonious assault complaints are down 5 percent.

In the 4th District, which covers several wards on the East Side, aggravated robbery complaints are down 72 percent from last year, Williams said.

Felonious assault calls are down 55 percent.

Jones, though, wondered if the numbers really reflected a decline in crime.

"Are these numbers dropping because we are doing a better job or are they dropping because people have lost hope," he asked.

Councilman Blaine Griffin cautioned against taking too bleak a view.

"I don't paint an American horror story for the city of Cleveland," he said. I'm not going to paint a picture to scare the heck out of everyone in this city."

Yes, there are pockets of crime in Cleveland, but there also are areas with low crime, Griffin said.

What about mini stations?

Earlier this week 12 members of council signed a letter asking Williams to consider restoring mini stations in each of the 17 wards to help bolster community policing.

The stations, which were created under former Mayor Michael R. White in the 1990s, were eliminated in 2005 by Mayor Jane Campell, White's successor, after federal funding that helped support the stations dried up.

The mini stations allowed two officers per ward to be available to address quality-of-life calls - nuisance complaints such as loud music, illegal parking and the dumping of trash and tires.

"We're the ones on the front lines. We are the ones getting these calls that don't rise to 911," Councilwoman Dona Brady said. "These are just low-level crimes or low-level problems. Nuisances."

Brady argues that having police with whom residents are familiar with can help make residents feel better about remaining in Cleveland.

Early in Wednesday's meeting, Zone announced that a panel of council members would study the mini station issue. That blunted the expected discussion.

Zone, though, noted that two officers per ward were tied to the mini stations. Today, that would mean 34 officers would be taken out of the patrol rotations.

Williams said he looks forward to the discussions, noting that a strategy needs to be developed that gives officers a sense of familiarity with the neighborhoods they patrol and with the residents.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger steps down next month, he'll give up a six-figure salary and the power that comes with holding one of the top three positions in state government.

Rosenberger, 36, announced Tuesday night that he will resign May 1 amid an FBI inquiry into his travel and relationships with lobbyists.

Last week, Rosenberger said he had hired a personal defense attorney after hearing the FBI was asking questions about him. Investigators are reportedly interested in a trip to London Rosenberger took last August with GOPAC Education Fund's Institute for Leadership Development.

Rosenberger said in a statement Tuesday he believes all his actions as speaker have been "ethical and lawful," but the FBI attention could linger for months or years and distract from the legislature's work on important issues.

The speaker is generally well-liked in the General Assembly. But some House Republicans have groused privately about Rosenberger's out-of-state travel at the expense of the GOP caucus campaign account and outside groups. And reports of Rosenberger's rental arrangement with big GOP donor Ginni Ragan for a luxury Columbus condo raised eyebrows around Cap Square.

The House speaker decides whether legislation gets a vote, chooses who serves on what committees and shapes policy affecting more than 11.6 million Ohioans.

Rosenberger was elected to the House in 2010 and first elected House speaker by his fellow Republicans for the 2015-16 session. Rosenberger was the first Asian-American to become speaker and believed to be the youngest in Ohio history. He led one of the largest Republican majorities in state history, with Republicans holding 66 of the House's 99 seats.

Rosenberger shepherded policy changes including income tax cuts, medical marijuana, charter school reform, changes to the redistricting process and efforts to fight the opioid addiction crisis.

He hails from Clarksville, population 548, on the western edge of Clinton County in Southwest Ohio. He's not married, but dotes on his beagle named "W."

His mother is South Korean; his father is a U.S. Army veteran who met his mother while stationed in South Korea.

The Rosenbergers weren't rich. They couldn't afford to send Rosenberger to Wright State University, according to a 2013 report in the university magazine.

So after graduating from Clinton Massie High School, Rosenberger enlisted in the Air National Guard. He was stationed with the 178th Fighter Wing in Springfield, but transferred to the 113th Fighter Wing of the District of Columbia in 2007.

Rosenberger got his first taste of politics as an intern and later staff assistant in George W. Bush's White House in 2007, earning $30,000 a year. He later directed political events for Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign and worked as a special assistant to U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.

He graduated from Wright State in December 2012 with a degree in public administration and urban affairs.

Rosenberger's short political resume made him an unlikely candidate for speaker, especially following in the footsteps of William G. Batchelder, who had more than 30 years of experience before taking the speaker's gavel.

Rosenberger and his rival for the post, then-Finance Chairman Rep. Ron Amstutz, a veteran lawmaker from Wooster, jockeyed for front-runner status in the 2014 speaker's race. They struck a deal where Rosenberger, who had more supporters, would be speaker and Amstutz would be speaker pro-tempore.

Rosenberger also had the support of GOP donors including Ragan and defeated Dayton-area Rep. Jim Butler.

Rosenberger retained his small-town humility after becoming speaker. He often deferred to lawmakers directly working on a bill or issue in question.

Rosenberger is term limited at the end of the year. He's been grooming the current House Finance Committee chairman, Bidwell Rep. Ryan Smith, to take his place.

But former Speaker Larry Householder, now back in the House, is vying to retake the spot. Householder left office in 2004 amid an FBI investigation into an alleged kickback scheme. No charges were filed.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The father of one of the Parkland shooting victims joined Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday to urge quick passage of "commonsense" gun legislation Kasich proposed after the February attack.

Fred Guttenberg said gun safety measures such as those in a recently passed Florida law would have prevented the death of his 14-year-old daughter Jaime. Guttenberg said the Florida law, which allows guns to be seized through extreme risk protection orders, would make it harder for bad people who want to do bad things to obtain guns.

"My daughter had rights. Her rights have been terminated," Guttenberg said after a Statehouse meeting with Kasich and the Republican sponsors of Kasich's proposed legislation. "What they're looking to do here is not to take away anyone's right. It's to make sure no other citizen of this state has their rights terminated because of an assault weapon."

Kasich proposed six gun policy changes in March. Four of the six would mirror federal laws, one would tighten Ohio's existing background check database and one would establish a "red flag" law allowing courts to authorize gun seizures for individuals considered dangerous to themselves or others.

"If somebody is emotionally unstable and poses a risk both to themselves and to others, it only stands to reason that through an approach to a court that the person would lose their guns," Kasich said. "That's not a violation of anybody's Second Amendment. Not doing it would be a violation of people having clear thinking."

Democrats have introduced bills for each of the proposals, but none have gained traction at the GOP-controlled Statehouse. Last week, Republican Rep. Michael Henne of Clayton and Sens. John Eklund of Munson Township and Stephanie Kunze of Hilliard introduced companion bills in the House and Senate that packaged the proposed reforms.

House Bill 585 was to have its first hearing later Tuesday afternoon.

The bills would:

ban armor-piercing ammunition and bump stocks, a device that was used in last year's Las Vegas shooting to increase firing speed, once they're banned on the federal level.

mirror federal law prohibiting individuals convicted of domestic violence or subject to a protection order from buying or possessing guns.

mirror federal law prohibiting "straw man" purchases where someone buys a gun on behalf of someone else.

allow law enforcement or family members to obtain extreme risk protection orders to remove guns from someone who presents a significant risk of specified danger to himself or others. A court hearing would be held no later than three days after weapons are seized to determine whether they should be returned or kept for more time.

Also on Tuesday, lawmakers added $10 million in school safety grants to a bill defining qualifications and responsibilities for school resource officers. The money will be awarded through a grant program and can be used to help pay for school resource officer, safety equipment and to identify students with mental health issues.

Capitol Letter reporter Laura Hancock contributed to this report.
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (ECDI) has awarded a public contract to a consortium of the Estonian Defence and Security Industry Innovation Cluster to launch a project entitled Automated systems on the battlefield, managed by the Centre for Applied Studies at the Estonian National Defence College (ENDC).



The Milrem THeMIS UGV equipped with the Threod Systems KX-4 LE Titan UAV an example of innovative technology made in Estonia (Credit: Business Wire)

The aim of the project is to assess how unmanned and automated systems could contribute to our combat power and how we can measure the impact of these new systems on combat power. To achieve this, we will run a number of field experiments and tests in collaboration with the 2nd Infantry Brigade units, said Lt. Col. Sten Allik, Chief of the Centre for Applied Studies at the ENDC.

In collaboration with the Estonian Defence and Security Industry Innovation Cluster consortium, the project will test various unmanned ground and aerial platforms and the risks related to the exchanges of data, and will also seek solutions to make different systems interoperable.

Robotic solutions and smart battlefield systems are changing warfare across the world; their effective use gives a significant advantage over conventional weapons systems, explained Kuldar Vaarsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.

According to Vaarsi, Estonia has a number of strong technology companies that offer solutions in a wide range of different sectors, such as cyber defence, electronic warfare, and unmanned ground and aerial vehicles.

We want to be a reliable partner in the development of Estonias defence capabilities and comprehensive smart battlefield systems, added Vaarsi.

This is the first R&D procurement by the Estonian Defence Forces aimed at field experiments. The procurement procedure for the lease of unmanned ground and areal vehicles and for data collection was carried out by the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (ECDI).

The consortium is based on the Estonian Defence and Security Industry Innovation Cluster and includes the following members: Milrem AS, the leading partner, develops and manufactures robotic ground systems; Marduk Technologies OU is a developer of drone detection and anti-drone solutions; AS Telegrupp provides various communication solutions; Smart Defence Systems OU develops battlefield awareness and information management systems; OU ELI develops and manufactures UAV-s and training systems; GuardTime AS is the worlds largest industrial blockchain technology provider; OU Rantelons main area of business is the design and production of electronic warfare solutions; and Threod Systems OU specialises in developing, producing and operating unmanned aircraft systems and their subsystems.

The Estonian Defence and Security Industry Innovation Cluster is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Enterprise Estonia (Project EU49327). The aim of the cluster is to become a centre of competence in research and development and export in the defence industry sector. The vision of the cluster is to create synergy through co-operation between national and international capital in order to strengthen the Estonian defence industry and its exports.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man was arrested Tuesday after police investigated a report of a pipe-bomb threat.

The threat came in about 10 a.m. Tuesday to an apartment building on Detroit Avenue at West 80th Street, according to police.

About six police cruisers responded the building, along with a bomb-sniffing dog. Officers blocked residents from going inside the building while they investigated, but the building was not evacuated.

Investigators searched the building, but police officials have not yet said if a pipe bomb or any other device was found.

Officers took the man in custody about noon and led him from the building into a police cruiser.

To comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page.
MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -The Centers for Families and Children, a Cleveland-based anti-poverty agency, will open an early learning center April 16 in the Maple Heights Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

The Debra Ann November Early Learning Campus will offer free story times and art classes to promote literacy for more than 30 children and their families. It is funded by Early Head Start, Head Start, and Universal Pre-Kindergarten.

To enroll in the early learning program, call (216) 325-9678.

Research shows that language and literacy skills begin to develop within the first 2,000 days of a child's life.

The Centers for Families and Children operates a total of seven early learning centers. It also offers a home-based program, which focuses on preparing children to be successful in school, while teaching parents and caregivers to be advocates for their children.

The organization also provides healthcare, addiction services, HIV prevention and treatment, as well as workforce development services.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Parma Heights man was sentenced Wednesday in a double stabbing that left his ex-girlfriend and her mother with serious injuries.

Joshua Harvey, 18, was sentenced to 32 years in the prison by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Hollie Gallagher, according to county court records.

Harvey pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated munder, attempted murder, kidnapping, felonious assault and aggravated burglary for the stabbing of his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend and her 56-year-old mother in November outside a home on Moore Drive near Dell Haven Drive in Parma, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

The girl and her mother suffered severe face and neck injuries, police have said.

Investigators said Harvey also beat his ex-girlfriend and was found standing in the driveway of the home with a cut on his hand.

To comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page.
EUCLID, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services determined that a second daycare center where Aniya Day-Garrett attended failed to report suspected abuse to local authorities.

Aniya Day-Garrett

Get Ready Set Grow Preschool failed to immediately notify Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services of suspected neglect or abuse of Aniya, ODJFS inspectors wrote in an inspection report.

An action plan was due Monday, the report said. ODJFS spokesman Bret Crow said daycare officials submitted the action plan to correct the issues found by investigators during their inspection.

"We are reviewing it and working with the program to submit any corrections or clarifications where needed before it's finalized," Crow said in an email to cleveland.com.

The report does not say if daycare staff ever reported any form of abuse to county officials. Neither Crow nor the report gave details about the suspected abuse.

The daycare could not be immediately reached Wednesday afternoon.

Aniya died March 11 after she suffered a stroke caused by blunt impacts to the head, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office said. She had scald marks on her feet and legs, a large bruise near her left eye and a cut on her face when she died, according to a police report.

Aniya's mother, Sierra R. Day, and her boyfriend, Deonte L. Lewis, are charged with aggravated murder in connection with the girl's death. They remain in custody on $1 million bond. They were indicted on aggravated murder, child endangering and other charges Monday.

State officials found Aniya's daycare, Harbor Crest Child Care, failed to report her injuries to authorities in a March 23 report.

Harbor Crest did contact the Euclid Police Department to report a series of suspicious injuries on the girl, and they called paramedics to take Aniya to the hospital for medical treatment in one instance. But state workers determined the daycare did not report all of her injuries directly to Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services when they occurred, the report found.

Daycare officials disagreed with the state's findings but said they would retrain its employees.

Aniya's relatives said last month that they notified CCCFS to report bruises on the girl's body. The county agency investigated three reports about her in 2017, but officials did not find cause to remove her from her mother's home, a Cuyahoga County spokeswoman said.

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish appointed an independent panel to review the agency's handling of Aniya's case. Budish also asked the panel for recommendations to prevent similar deaths from happening in the future.

To comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page.
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Police are investigating after a male teen was found dead Tuesday night on the campus of a private school, according to reports.

Police responded to the campus of Seven Hills School in the city's Madisonville neighborhood just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, cincinnati.com reports. The teen was found unresponsive in a car, according to WCPO Channel 9.

WLWT Channel 5 reports that police have released few details on the incident. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office has responded to the scene.

School officials have declined to comment, cincinnati.com reports.

Seven Hills School is a private school with two campuses, according to cincinnati.com, with about 1,000 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thousands of law enforcement officers are expected to descend on Washington, D.C., next month for Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week. The annual mid-May observation pays tribute to America's fallen and wounded police officers. Similar tributes will be held in Cleveland and scores of other cities across the nation.

The celebrations will ricochet between the somber and the festive. Police Week is the closest America comes to publicly recognizing the dystopian tasks we routinely demand of the women, men, and canine-officers charged with public safety.

This past week, I couldn't help but reflect on the approaching ceremonies when I heard two stories that pointedly highlighted the challenges of policing. The first involved a general death threat issued against police officers by the son of Tara Samples, who is Dennis Kucinich's running mate in the Ohio gubernatorial race.

Brian Newell wrote on Facebook over the weekend that he was feeling "fed up" and continued the post with the following statement: "I bet I kill a cop today." Substitute the word cop with any term of ethnic, racial, religious or sexual orientation distinction, and the post would undoubtedly be subject to federal hate speech laws.

After Newell's identity as the son of Samples became known, the Kucinich-Samples campaign raced to issue a statement describing Newell, 24, as someone who has long battled mental illness and opioid addiction. Newell was reportedly placed in protective custody shortly after the Facebook threat became known. And Samples, who currently serves on Akron City Council, emailed Akron Police Chief Ken Ball what seemed to be a heartfelt apology.

"I have always been supportive and advocated for the Akron Police officers, even before I became an Akron city councilwoman. In my time as a bailiff, I had a very good working relationship with the Akron Police Department, and in no way do I condone or support my son's distressing social media post," Sample wrote in an email titled "my sincere apology."

"In no way do I think it is appropriate for anyone to threaten anyone else, especially those who serve and protect," she continued.

What else could the candidate and mother say or do?

Her nightmarish social media dilemma highlighted the prevalence of mental illness in our society. No family, regardless of status or public profile, is immune from mental health or addiction issues. The reality that the cyber death threat against police came from a family member of a politician is concerning. However, what must not be lost on the public is the reality that we consistently ask police to deal with the mentally ill and the medical and physical challenges they present.

The other story highlighting the inordinate workload placed on the shoulders of police officers came courtesy of Jeff Folmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association. Folmer offered up what can only be described as a plea for help.

In talking about the heavy workload assumed by officers in Cleveland's dangerous 4th District, Follmer said officers are burned out from being forced to constantly work 15- to 16-hour days. He speculated that it would take an additional 25 to 40 officers to properly serve the district, which includes parts of the East and Southeast sides of Cleveland.

It was in the shadows of the busy 4th District that Alianna DeFreeze, 14, was kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered, after she exited an RTA bus in January 2017. The hard-pressed neighborhood that claimed Alianna remains a far cry from safe. Meanwhile, the extraordinary demands placed on officers continue to exact a heavy toll on both the city and its public safety guardians.

The city of Cleveland reportedly plans to hire 250 additional officers, from four police academy classes scheduled for this year. That's encouraging. It is also far from certain that effort will be enough to restore law and order in parts of the city that teeter on lawlessness.

Police officers knowingly sign up for dangerous work when they take the oath of service. That is why much of a grateful nation will take a moment to affirm, reflect, and celebrate their service next month. However, words only go so far. In these unpredictable times, we best wish our officers continued safety and success by giving them the resources and training they need to make it to the end of their shifts.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - The focus of Tuesday night's Democratic debate was supposed to be the primary candidates.

The race between former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and former federal consumer watchdog Richard Cordray has tightened in recent weeks, leading the two to exchange blows. State Sen. Joe Schiavoni and former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill needed a Hail Mary to keep their gubernatorial hopes alive.

It was the last debate of the primary, and it was supposed to be electric.

But it wasn't.

Instead, Tuesday's debate at Miami University's regional Middletown campus, was completely overshadowed by the news that came in the final moments - Republican Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger announced his resignation, effective May 1.

"That is not a normal reaction to not doing anything wrong - to resign," Schiavoni said in an interview following the debate.

The FBI probe into Rosenberger - which reports have said include questions about his extravagant travel and lifestyle - was absent from the hour-long contest. Not a single mention.

But once asked about the news following the debate, Kucinich, Cordray and Schiavoni were largely stunned at the revelation. O'Neill could not be reached for comment.

From left, Richard Cordray, former federal consumer protection chief; William O'Neill, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice; Ohio state Sen. Joe Schiavoni; and former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio stand at the start of the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio.

All three suggested there may be a deeper problem.

"I'm not going to say that he did something wrong because I don't have the facts in front of me, but most times I've seen legislators resign, they've done something inappropriate, they've done something illegal, they've done something incorrect, they've done something that is wrong. I guess we'll see as the investigation unfolds," Schiavoni said.

Cordray said the quick turnaround time from the public revelation that Rosenberger had hired an attorney to Rosenberger's resignation suggested that the problem ran deeper.

"He didn't even stay and fight the investigation, which is unusual," Cordray said. "Usually people will try to make their case if they think they have a case to make. He apparently knows he has no case."

Kucinich recently adopted a campaign plank of rooting out government corruption - which he spoke of broadly during the debate. Rosenberger's decision to resign was proof Columbus needed new leadership.

"This is corruption in state government, and I'm going to clean it out," Kucinich said. "This is a whole system - some of it's illegal and some of its legal. It's a system of influence with lobbyists and certain big law firms that are driving up the cost of government."

Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper recognized Rosenberger's resignation as a talking point for Democrats. Already, the party has campaigned on what it calls the failure of one-party rule. Republicans have controlled all branches of state government since 2011 after massive losses in the 2010 election.

Pepper criticized Republican gubernatorial frontrunner and Attorney General Mike DeWine for calling Rosenberger to suggest the speaker resign.

"That phone call, beyond Rosenberger himself, speaks to the deeper issue here, which is an entire culture in Columbus that is completely broken," Pepper said. "I mean every week or month, someone is resigning over something. Some scandal of some sort - pay-to-play, personal, you name it. For the last six months it's been one after the next."

Cordray also invoked DeWine, saying DeWine's motives were questionable.

"It was an unusual phone call," Cordray said. "It's symptomatic of an attempt to try to hush this up so that it won't affect the votes in November. I think that's the concern that the Republicans have at this point."

DeWine campaign spokesman Ryan Stubenrauch said DeWine wasn't thinking politically when he called Rosenberger.

"Some actions are taken because leadership, not politics, requires they be done," he said. "I am not surprised that Mr. Pepper and Mr. Cordray find that concept unusual."

The Democratic candidates could almost smell the new opportunity to attack Republicans in their already-favorable election climate.

"The whole system in Columbus is rotten, and only somebody who is politically independent within the party is able to clean it up," Kucinich said. "So I'm ready. I'm so ready."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Republican and Democratic candidates for Ohio governor visited cleveland.com offices last week to screen for possible endorsements. In the process, they also had some of the most heated -- and revealing -- exchanges of this election cycle.

Democrats

Richard Cordray and Dennis Kucinich, the front-runners in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, weren't shy about trading attacks, and came prepared to do so.

Cordray emphasized his executive experience running the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a post he resigned in November to run for governor, as well as his past tenure as Ohio's state treasurer and attorney general.

"In my case, I've been an executive official now for the last 15 years," Cordray said. "None of these others can say that. The only one who's been an executive official is Dennis when he was mayor of Cleveland 40 years ago, and we know how that was."

Cordray was referring to the tumultuous tenure of Kucinich, which famously saw the city go into default over Kucinich's refusal to sell Muny Light, the municipal electric system, to a local bank.

Kucinich defended himself by saying he took a stand against to save Muny Light from being gobbled up by special interests.

"Now with respect to the observation of Mr. Cordray, based on your record, sir, I don't know if you would be the one to defend the electric system," Kucinich said. "Because the fact of the matter is you deserted your post in the consumer financial protection board."

The debate progressed to payday loans and returned to Kucinich's defense of Muny Light, which Cordray said came at the expense of the city's financial security.

Republicans

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor came prepared for what might have been the only direct exchange between her and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine of the election cycle. DeWine holds a comfortable lead in the race, and is following the tried-and-true political strategy of avoiding debating your opponent when you're well ahead. Taylor meanwhile has tried to exploit DeWine's sometimes moderate record as a U.S. senator and run to his political right.

One revealing exchange began when DeWine was asked whether he'd support "red flag" legislation, which would allow a judge to order the seizure of firearms from someone deemed a potential danger to themselves or others.

"I would support that, provided that there is due process involved, so I can't give any kind of blanket, say 'Yes I would,' but if there's due process, the answer's yes," DeWine said.

DeWine went on to lay out elements of his school safety plan, which would include requiring a mental-health specialist in every Ohio school.

Taylor responded: "What he's proposing is a big-government decision. Putting counselors in high schools to make decisions about the mental capacity of children," Taylor said. "That is a decision that belongs to the parents, not to government. And so I would absolutely oppose what Mike DeWine has proposed with regard to this."

"Oh come on," DeWine said. "You want to take nurses out too, Mary? Jeez."

Another happened when the two were asked about whether they'd support a statewide assault-weapons ban.

DeWine simply said no, citing the Second Amendment.

Taylor responded by bringing up DeWine's 2006 support as a U.S. senator for a federal assault weapons ban that was also sponsored by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer.

"Now his position has flip-flopped because he's running for governor," she said. "I am an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, I stand very clearly and firmly in my position."
Compensating the wrongfully imprisoned isn't a novelty in Ohio. Ohio's spending on such settlements has averaged about $2.73 million a year over the last eight years, according to Legislative Service Commission data.

It's an important corrective to prosecutorial misconduct, forensic errors or simple human mistakes that can land the wrong person in prison -- sometimes for years. But Ohio's current system has sprung loopholes.

That's why the Ohio House should pass a bipartisan bill aimed at making sure that those wrongfully imprisoned are justly compensated.

Last month, a House committee voted 10-1 to approve House Bill 411, co-sponsored by state Reps. Bill Seitz, a conservative Republican from suburban Cincinnati, and Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat. That sets up a possible floor vote.

The Seitz-Sykes bill is opposed by a number of prosecutors on the grounds it may grant compensation for prosecutorial errors even when guilt remains possible. It "would broaden and expand Ohio's wrongful imprisonment statute's eligibility requirements to make it the most liberal and all-encompassing in the United States," Brian Gutkoski, an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor, testified in February, opposing the bill on behalf of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley and Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates.

But Seitz doesn't see things that way: "I shake my head at the idea that, 'Oh, well, this is money for criminals.'" Seitz told cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt. "They're only criminals because the government failed its constitutional duty."

Seitz is correct. HB 411 is a matter of justice. It deserves House passage - now.

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SEVEN HILLS, Ohio -- Mayor Richard Dell'Aquila has requested that City Council repeal the city's infrastructure, capital improvement and rainy day reserve funds, which combined receive roughly $500,000 in contributions annually.

The mayor said all three funds are unnecessary, create confusion in the city's funds-accounting system, distort the general fund balance and are unable to be implemented as written.

"We have three notices from the state auditor that just came in telling us these funds are improperly created and they're denying the authority to establish them," Dell'Aquila said.

"As far as its effect, what's happening in the last couple of years (is that) a half-million dollars annually has been cordoned off within the general fund. Since these have been in effect for two years, the total amount is roughly $1 million that's been set off to the side," he said.

The funds were created by the previous City Council, earmarking a percentage of annual income tax for infrastructure repairs (5 percent), capital improvements (1 percent) and rainy day reserves (2 percent).

Most recently, the mayor noted that the three funds caused problems in crafting the 2018 budget. Also, he said the funds add to the impression that the city is spending more than it actually is because of the way money has to be encumbered.

Artificially reducing the general fund balance is in violation of state law, he said.

"The best way to put it is, the money has been earmarked for certain purposes and none other," Dell'Aquila said. "So it makes it appear that the budget is incurring a larger deficit of about a half-million dollars a year than it actually does. And, it cordons off the money in ways we can't use it for city operations. That's the practical effect."

Council President Anthony D. Biasiotta said he is currently researching the issue. He intends to schedule a meeting with a representative from the state auditor's office.

The state auditor limits the type and number of reserve balance accounts a city can create for purposes of budget stabilization, a self-insurance plan and a retrospective ratings plan.

Dell'Aquila said he was against the approval of the three ordinances two years ago. Also, he noted that ordinance language confused the use of the words "account" and "fund," which created internal inconsistencies in the legislation, making implementation problematic under existing law.

Another issue pertaining to both the rainy day and capital improvement funds is that the city isn't allowed to create a fund within a fund, which is what happened with both.

"The legal problem is the funds aren't established correctly," Dell'Aquila said. "It causes all kinds of budgeting problems. It doesn't add anything to the benefit of the city. And it just tends to create funds that already exist in one form or another in different ways that is redundant.

"I don't even know what a rainy day fund means? That's kind of what the general fund already is. This has to be addressed. You can't run the city this way, it's just not right," Dell'Aquila said.
The massacre of the inhabitants of the village of Maragha of the Artsakh Republics Martakert region, committed by the Azerbaijani army on April 10, 1992, is one of the most tragic episodes of Azerbaijan's military aggression against Artsakh, press service of the Artsakh Foreign Ministry commented on Maragha massacre.

April 10, 2018, 18:50 Maragha massacre is one of the most tragic episodes of Azerbaijani's aggression against Artsakh  Artsakh MFA

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 10, ARTSAKHPRESS:After intensive artillery shelling, the Azerbaijani troops invaded the village of Maragha, where 118 people remained, mostly the elderly, disabled, women, and children. As a result of the war crime committed with unprecedented cruelty by the Azerbaijani armed forces, over 50 people were killed and the rest, including 9 children and 29 women, were taken hostage. Some of them were later returned, but the fate of 19 hostages remains unknown to this day.

The village was liberated by the armed forces of Artsakh, however two weeks later, it was again attacked, and those who had returned to bury their relatives became victims of the new atrocities of the Azerbaijani army.

The attack on the village was not conditioned by a military necessity, but was was primarily aimed at exterminating its peaceful civilian population. The crime in Maragha became the continuation of the series of pogroms and deportations of Armenians in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad and other settlements of Azerbaijan, as well as in the villages of Northern Artsakh in 1988-1991 These were intended to strangle at its birth the national-liberation struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh and deprive them of the homeland through ethnic cleansing and terror against Artsakh and the Armenian population of Azerbaijan.

The impunity of the organizers and perpetrators of these crimes created a fertile ground in Azerbaijan for enrooting the cult of hatred towards Armenians as a state policy and unbridled a propaganda of xenophobia, intolerance, and militarism. Azerbaijans aggression against Artsakh in April 2016, which was accompanied by war crimes against civilians and soldiers of the Artsakh Defense Army, demonstrated that the methods and approaches of the Azerbaijani side remained unchanged.
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- The city will consider replacing the signalized intersection of Howe and Shurmer roads with a three-way roundabout, which would send traffic around a circle without a traffic light.

City Engineer Ken Mikula proposed the idea to City Council during a special Tuesday afternoon meeting in Mayor Thomas Perciak's conference room.

Council, which seemed receptive to the proposal, may introduce an ordinance that would authorize an engineering study of a possible Howe-Shurmer roundabout -- and an improved signalized intersection as a second option -- at its next meeting Monday night.

Mikula said the study would cost between $75,000 and $100,000.

"I do think roundabouts work, and they work great," said Councilman Matt Schonhut. He and other council members said they've had positive experiences driving through roundabouts in other parts of the state and country.

Perciak said the city in the future might look at roundabouts at additional intersections, including Albion and Prospect roads.

"We have to focus on this (Howe-Shurmer) project first," Perciak said.

Schonhut said city officials have viewed Howe-Shurmer, which is just southeast of SouthPark Mall, as a problem for several years. Howe runs north to south, alongside and past SouthPark, and connects the southern part of the city to Ohio 82 and Interstate 71 to the north.

Both Howe and Shurmer, which dead-ends into Howe west to east, are two-lane residential streets, although Howe widens near Ohio 82. Residents living in the Howe-Shurmer area have complained about traffic through their neighborhoods.

Mikula said residents have expressed concerns about drivers "flying down" Howe. Northbound cars turning left onto Shurmer hold up Ohio 82-bound traffic, and sometimes accidents occur as pressured drivers make hurried turns.

"There's a lot of traffic on Howe and we have to look at doing something there," Mikula said.

Mikula said the city has done several Howe-Shurmer traffic studies since 2012. In 2016, plans for a $7.7 million "slip ramp" -- which would have allowed drivers to bypass heavy southbound traffic at I-71 and Ohio 82 and travel directly to Howe-Shurmer -- were dropped after residents objected.

One option, which the city has studied in the past, would involve widening Howe at Shurmer, adding a left-turn lane from Shurmer to Howe, and upgrading the traffic signals. Mikula said the estimated cost for that would be $1.7 million.

In comparison, a single-lane roundabout would cost about $1 million to build, Mikula said.

Perciak said the city would seek grant money for the project, but would have to be prepared to pay the entire cost, possibly by borrowing.

Mikula showed a Federal Highway Administration video touting roundabouts as safer than signalized intersections or intersections with stop signs. Roundabouts slow traffic, but keep it moving. Drivers decide when to enter the circle's traffic flow, and pavement markers direct them, according to the video.

Also, roundabouts eliminate left turns into opposing traffic lanes, which reduces accidents. Communities don't have to worry about maintaining and replacing traffic signals, and landscaping in the middle of roundabouts is visually appealing, the video said.

Mikula added that a roundabout would mean no more stopped cars idling and emitting fumes, another complaint of residents.

Some council members worried about how residents would react to news about the proposed roundabout. They expect pushback, at least initially.

Mikula said engineers the city hires to perform the roundabout study would schedule community meetings where they would explain the concept to the public.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon is taking a firm stance on legalizing marijuana in New York.

Nixon released a video Wednesday announcing her support for legalizing and regulating the recreational use of marijuana. The primary reason for her position is criminal justice reform. While usage rates among whites and people of color are nearly identical, most individuals arrested for marijuana possession are black or Latino.

She also believes regulating marijuana would generate "hundreds of millions of dollars" in tax revenue for New York and boost the state's agricultural sector.

"In 2018, in a blue state like New York, marijuana shouldn't even be an issue," Nixon said. "If there was more political courage coming out of Albany, we would have done this already."

Nixon, who is challenging incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination, is the second gubernatorial candidate to support marijuana legalization. Joel Giambra, who was seeking the Republican nod but is now running as an independent candidate, supports legalizing marijuana.

Nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. New York permits medical marijuana for certain conditions through a program regulated by the state Department of Health.
After leaving Congress, Gibson has been a visiting lecturer at Williams College and he wrote a book, "Rally Point: Five Tasks to Unite the Country and Revitalize the American Dream." In the book, Gibson reflected on his career in the military and in Congress. He also commented on current events and issues, including Donald Trump's presidency.

Before he launched his campaign, Molinaro released a video that contained a photo of him and Gibson seated next to each other at an event. Molinaro also revealed he cast a write-in vote for Gibson instead of voting for Trump or any other candidate in the 2016 presidential race.

Molinaro is one of three candidates seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination. State Sen. John DeFrancisco and attorney Joe Holland are the others.

As of Wednesday, Molinaro has been endorsed by 36 GOP county chairs representing more than 55 percent of the weighted vote at the convention. The GOP convention will be held in May.

"Marc Molinaro is the right person to clear the cloud of corruption that has descended over the governor's office and restore New Yorker's faith in the future of our state  I'm honored to serve as chairman of his campaign," Gibson said in a statement.

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"He said, 'I'm fine, but these two have been been crying over I-don't-know-what,'" Jaime recalled with a laugh.

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Jaime and Ryan exploded into belly laughs, she said. It was in that moment that she realized Caden had the right attitude to see his condition through and "it would be fine," she said.

The moment Caden was diagnosed, Jaime said, any worries that weren't related to her son's illness were suddenly pushed aside. Even though his treatment ended a couple years ago, she still gets gripped by anxiety in the days before each MRI. It is only once he is declared disease-free following the test that she can breath again, she said.

Jaime said she keeps expecting that process to get easier, but it never does. Further, Jaime gets concerned whenever Caden gets any sickness, afraid it could be something more serious. She worries about other possibilities that could stem from his health issues, like diabetes or getting a thyroid removed.

"It sucks because yes, they don't have cancer, but you have no idea what might come down the road," Jaime said.

But Caden has handled himself remarkably well under the circumstances, his mother said.
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But for a peek into pure officialese, we can't forget the 2007 runescape gold wonderful discussion forum, or BBS. You have to love Virtual China for the ubiquitous BBS. It's hard to tell who exactly is contributing to the Ningbo City Management website BBS, but there you find posts with commentary on anti corruption regulations, or city events.

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Was an avid environmentalist, a humanitarian, a comical jokester, a creative force and ultimately the proverbial heart of the Hart family, read a post on Smith Facebook account. Bless you Smith. We all love you. Dean Oakman Hunt. 7. Rowan Perry. Just got done with spurring one, and he pumped up. Out swinging It doesn pay to hold back You didn come here to win second. That was the last words I heard before my ride.

Reached last week, Rutherford noted that Watson is officially a part of the lawsuit and remarked that his criminal record, of which Rutherford had not been aware, affect the validity of the argument. Said: hoping this boils down to a purely legal argument, and [Watson past] really has no effect on that. He not one of my clients.

If you build waterfalls into New York's East River would you put rocks and ferns around them? No! You'd make them out of scaffolding, the most common structure in our town. I was thinking about the viewpoint of them as I was biking between the two of the ones in Dumbo and comparing them to Olafur Eliason's other works I'm familiar with. The Weather Project created a sunlit day inside the Tate Museum.

Whisk together eggs, water, salt and pepper until blended. Melt butter in a medium, non stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into frying pan. Balls found him today. But he made some great catches. It was good to see him look like that same guy that was giving guys problems last year.

This original report, as Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer explained, was erroneously released on Sept. 8 on the commission's website; it was replaced by a version with a great many blacked out passages. Hydro and the commission sought to withhold about the contract for civil engineering works at Site C covering excavation of the two river banks, and construction of diversion tunnels, coffer dams and the giant earthworks dam itself..

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Market Overview

Titanium Ore occurs mainly in igneous rocks of which, the Ilmenite and rutile are the most commonly used ore. Two processes namely chloride-based and sulfate-based are used to convert ilmenite into synthetic rutile. Ilmenite is mainly used to produce titanium metal through the chlorination process. Increasing use of ilmenite in various applications such as welding electrodes, coating, and lining for blast furnace hearth is expected to augment the market growth during the assessment period. Pigments emerged as the leading application owing to surging demand for Titanium Dioxide pigments from paints, paper and packaging industry across the globe. Titanium Metal is another growing application due to extensive use in building airframes, engines, and other defense equipment. It is the most preferred metal in various industries namely aerospace, construction, defense owing to high tensile strength, low density, and high corrosion resistance. Rapid industrialization in the emerging economies such as India and China is likely to fuel the demand for the product in Asia Pacific region. V.V Mineral is the leading player in beach mining in India and has also obtained environment clearance from the Government of India. Booming automotive industry across the countries in this region is expected to propel the market growth.

Competitive Analysis

Some of the key players in the Titanium Ore Market are V.V Minerals (India), Chemours (U.S.), Iluka Resource Limited Royalty Minerals (India), Shanghai Yuejiang Titanium Chemical Manufacturer Co., Ltd (China), Yucheng Jinhe Industrial Co., Ltd (China), Hatch Ltd (Canada), Iluka Resource Limited (Australia), Tronox Limited (U.S.), Trimex Sands PVT Ltd (India), Stork Group (India), Cosmos Electrodes PVT Ltd (India).

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Market Segmentation

The global market for Titanium Ore has been segmented on the basis of Product Type, Application, End Use Industry, and Region.

On the Basis of the Product Type, the market is segmented into rutile, ilmenite, and others. Ilmenite is used widely to produce titanium and Titanium Dioxide pigment by converting into synthetic rutile

Based on the Application, this market is bifurcated into titanium metal, pigments, coatings and lining, welding electrode, and others.

By the End-Use Industry, this market is divided into aerospace, healthcare, automotive, and others.

Regional Analysis

The Global Titanium Hours Market is geographically divided into five key regions, which are Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The Asia Pacific is leading the global market owing to the increasing demand from the aerospace industry in this region. Countries such as India, China, and Japan are the major markets in this region owing to the surging demand from the aerospace and marine industries. For instance, according to CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), Indian Air Force (IAF) will be spending about the USD 150 billion on aircraft and engine in the next 15 years and is expected to grow by 10% -15% every year . Rising disposable income and changing lifestyle in developing economies such as India and China are expected to drive the automotive industry. Additionally, beach mining in India is likely to boost the market growth. North America is the second most significant region in this market. The US and Canada are the leading markets of the vast presence of ilmenite deposits. Well-established aerospace and automotive industries are also expected to drive the market growth in North America. Europe is another substantial region owing to rising demand for pigments by packaging and automotive sector.

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MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimal quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Applications, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enabling our clients to see more important questions.

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IFF/Lucas Meyer will present three novel solutions during in-cosmetics global to reverse greying in hair, reduce sebum on skin and wrap skin solutions in luxurious texture.

Greyverse (INCI: Glycerin (and) Water (aqua) (and) Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide 20) is a biomimetic peptide that stimulates melanin synthesis, favoring melanin transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes. It improves catalase activity and reduces excess hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), resulting in hair re-pigmentation and the reversal of grey hair. According to the company, at levels of 0.5-2.0%, the ingredient demonstrated efficacy in vitro, ex vivo and clinically.

OiLess'City (INCI: Glycerin (and) Backhousia citriodora leaf extract) is a multi-ethnic sebum regulator derived from the Australian Backhousia citriodora leaf. This product protects squalene against oxidation caused by urban skin aggressors. For example, it reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines, decreases sebocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation, and rebalances oily skin content; ultimately, rebalancing the skin to reduce the appearance of shine. Editor's note: Watch for the feature article on this ingredient and its mechanisms in the May 2018 edition of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

Finally, Biophilic H (INCI: Hydrogenated Lecithin (and) C12-16 Alcohols (and) Palmitic Acid) is a biomimetic emulsifier with a cashmere touch. This phospholipid-based o/w lamellar emulsifier is designed to create elegant and comfortable formulas. Its lamellar structure has a particular affinity to skin, resulting in a second skin effect for maximum biocompatibility and tolerance.

Biophilic H can emulsify up to 30% oil alone, and is compatible with various oils, chemicals and physical UV filters and pigments, while also providing shine and consistency to formulas. According to the company, it imparts an ultra-cocooning sensation and acts to perfect skin's complexion, keep the skin moisturized and enhance the bioavailability and penetration of actives.

Recent consumer research from the company found that 83% of volunteers claimed smoother skin after application of a Biophilic H formulation, while 72% claimed their skin felt moisturized the entire day. The company also tested its ability to increase bioability of actives; when added at a 5% concentration, Biophilic H influenced caffiene and hexapeptide to be 11.4 times and 15.9 times more bioavailable in the stratum corneum, respectively.

IFF/Lucas Meyer will exhibit at stand E20.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will hold a public meeting for feedback on topics related to the regulation of cosmetics.

Information gathered from the meeting will help the FDA prepare for the International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation-12 (ICCR-12) meeting to be held July 10-12, 2018, in Tokyo, Japan. The ICCR is a voluntary group of cosmetics regulatory authorities from Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States, who collaborate on decisions that will be compatible with the laws, policies, rules, regulations and directives of their respective governments. The group meets annually to discuss common issues on cosmetics safety and regulation, and to enter constructive dialogues with cosmetics trade associations.

During the meeting, members of the public will be allowed to present proposals for future ICCR agenda items, as well as data, information or views on pending issues.

The meeting will be held June 7, 2018, from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm at the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building in College Park, MD. The last day to register for attendance, or to request to make an oral presentation, will be May 24, 2018. Registration information can be found in the Federal Register Notice.
Spring signifies many new beginnings: blooming flowers, chirping birds, warming temperatures and the resurrection of our Lord. Spring is also a time for parents of young children to search for a school. The Auburn community is blessed to have many educational options. As a mother and educator, I feel that it is important to learn about each option and evaluate what is best for your family. Over the years, I have come to realize how crucial it is to make this investment during the early years. We are so busy worrying about the future that we dont focus on the present. So I asked our parents, teachers and volunteers why they chose St. John Paul II Academy.

1. Education is stellar: A private charter school has the luxury of designing a classical curriculum that is unique to our school. We treat each child as an individual and teach him/her at his/her ability level, rather than at a grade level. This provides a nonthreatening environment to build skills, confidence and self-esteem. A mother of a fifth-grade son who drives in from Savannah said there is no Common Core, so I can actually help him with his homework. Homework is minimal because we value family time. JPIIs classroom fosters communication between younger and older students, providing a lifetime skill. Daily recess provides an opportunity to recharge.
 A Genoa man was restored to probation Tuesday after one of New York state's highest courts vacated his prison sentence.

In October 2016, Claude Zirbel, of 9569 Creeks Road, was resentenced to 2 1/3 to seven years in prison for his second violation of probation in Cayuga County.

Zirbel was previously sentenced in 2011 to 1 1/3 to four years in prison and five years probation for felony driving while intoxicated. Then, after serving the full four years in prison, Zirbel violated his probation on two occasions  first in 2015 when he was caught in possession of alcohol and again in 2016 when he was arrested and charged with his sixth drunk driving offense.

After pleading guilty to felony DWI in Cortland County, Zirbel reappeared before Judge Leone, who revoked his probation and resentenced him to prison. But last month, the state Supreme Court's Appellate Division vacated that sentence on appeal, stating that the court could not impose additional prison time for the violation.

The case was sent back to Cayuga County Court where Leone restored Zirbel to his probation. While Leone said he respected the Appellate Division's decision, he said he was uncomfortable restoring Zirbel to community supervision given the defendant's history. His probation term is set to expire next year.

Staff writer Megan Blarr can be reached at (315) 282-2282 or megan.blarr@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @CitizenBlarr.

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AUBURN  The Cayuga County Highway Department has released its list of roads that will be surface treated this upcoming season, following a road rating study that shows 47 percent of county roads are deficient.

County legislators got a first glance at the department's upcoming projects at a Public Works Committee meeting Tuesday night. Bill Dashnaw, retired St. Lawrence County highway superintendent, has been assisting Acting Cayuga County Highway Superintendent Dan Bowen with the study and managing the department.

Dashnaw said the county was in an interesting position with its road ratings, because about 15 percent of the deficient roads "are right at that breaking point of being deficient and not deficient." Dashnaw said a seal coat would address that poor rating, giving the roads approximately five more years before they'd be considered deficient again. That would bring the county's rating down into the 30 percent range, which he said is better than the state's approximately 42 percent deficiency rate.

Dashnaw is expected to give a presentation to legislators within the coming weeks that will include pictures of some of the worst roads, and what can be done to fix them.
In Manwaring's case, the probation department asked the court to revoke the defendant's probation as Manwaring made it clear he would not comply with the terms. However, Judge Mark Fandrich said he was inclined to restore Manwaring to keep the ignition interlock device on his vehicle. Driving a vehicle without an interlock device is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.

"Probation feels it is a waste of their valuable and limited time to even supervise these people ... since the court cannot even put them in jail (for a violation)," Adsit said. "Other than personal integrity, there is no reason such DWI defendants who already served jail or prison time to comply with probation. That becomes a personal safety issue for probation officers and a public safety issue for everyone."

Budelmann said his office has reached out to the state district attorney's association and Mother's Against Drunk Driving to push for changes in the law. At this point, he said, the Legislature has two options: to get rid of post-release supervision and ignition interlock devices  which would be a "horrible idea"  or to make it so courts can impose incarceration for those who violate their conditions.

"They've made this good, groundbreaking law (Leandra's Law) ... and if they don't fix it, it's as if it never happened," Budelmann said.
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP)  A military plane carrying soldiers and their families crashed soon after takeoff in a farm field in northern Algeria on Wednesday, killing 257 people in what appeared to be the worst plane crash in the North African nation's history.

Algeria's Defense Ministry said that those killed included 247 passengers and 10 crew members.

The cause of the crash was unclear, and an investigation has been opened, the ministry said.

The ministry said that most of the victims were soldiers and their relatives and that the victims' bodies were transported to the Algerian army's central hospital in the town of Ain Naadja for identification.

Local media reported that the plane crashed just after taking off. Emergency services converged on the area near the Boufarik military base after the crash. Footage from the scene showed thick black smoke coming off the field, as well as ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles arriving at the site.

It was the first crash of an Algerian military plane since February 2014, when a U.S.-built C-130 Hercules turboprop slammed into a mountain, killing at least 76 people and leaving just one survivor.
With its sleek Dutch design, silver fastenings and colourways like 'graphite' and 'caviar', it's the envy of every blogger on Instagram.

But the latest must-have accessory sweeping social media this season isn't a handbag or even a pair of shoes - it's a 400 designer pushchair.

The Nuna MIXX stroller has been spotted on the arm of the most stylish influencers around - and even stars such as Beyonce and Serena Williams are fans of the Dutch brand.

New mum Kylie Jenner was pictured carrying newborn daughter Stormi in one of their travel cots just last week, while A-listers such as Olivia Wilde and Jessica Alba have also been spotted with them.

Scroll down for video

Kylie Jenner appears to be a fan of Nuna baby products after taking her youngster, Stormi, for a walk in one of their car seats earlier this month

The star and boyfriend, rapper Travis Scott, welcomed baby Stormi on February 1st. The Nuna Demi Grow stroller has been spotted on the arm of the most stylish bloggers around

Now, influential bloggers such as Sylvie in the Sky and Crystalin Da Silva have also been proudly parading their Nuna strollers in achingly cool Instagram snaps.

The global brand, launched in Amsterdam, began with a high chair in 2007 and has since branched into sellout travel cots, loungers, rockers and nappy bags for style-conscious parents.

Its popularity lies in its versatility, with models such as the Demi-Grow doubling up as carry cot, storage system or even a twin stroller.

While prices vary across different stockists, three-in-one DEMI grow buggy will set parents back between 400 and 625.

Blogger Crystalin Marie poses with her Nuna buggy. Even stars including Beyonce and Serena Williams are fans of the Dutch brand

The Dutch brand is sweeping social media. New mum Kylie Jenner was pictured carrying newborn daughter Stormi in one of their travel cots just last week

Just one of the many influencers who has been spotted carrying a Nuna product, with countless bloggers proudly parading their strollers in achingly cool Instagram snaps

Mummy cool: The global brand, launched in Amsterdam, began with a high chair in 2007 and has since branched into sellout travel cots, loungers, rockers and nappy bags for style-conscious parents

More for your money: Nuna's popularity lies in its versatility, with models such as the Demi-Grow doubling up as carry cot, storage system or even a twin stroller

Blogger Life By Sylvie has been spotted out and about with her Nuna stroller in San Francisco. While prices vary across different stockists, a 'standard' three-in-one buggy will set parents back around 400

The MIXX includes four riding modes, a sleeper seat, and can be folded two different ways.

Others boast unique design features such as 'silent' retractable hoods to avoid waking your baby from their nap.

Meanwhile its PIPA car seat, which Kylie Jenner has been toting in recent weeks, is described as 'ultra luxx', features a 'stringent' side impact security system and can be installed in just five seconds.
Over the past few months, social media feeds have been flooded with posts about the most affordable global destinations and advice for how to save money on flights.

But what about tricks for travellers who have already arrived at their destination?

Skyscanner Australia recently revealed some of the 'tricks of the trade' of the hotel world in a bid to help tourists enjoy free goodies, upgrades and a little extra luxury during their stay.

Skyscanner Australia recently revealed some of the 'tricks of the trade' of the hotel world in a bid to help tourists enjoy free goodies, upgrades and a little extra luxury during their stay

1. THE CONCIERGE IS 'KING'

According to the all-in-one travel app, the concierge can be like a guest's own 'personal magician' so it is worth befriending them straight away.

'Some savvy concierges make sure they have tickets to hit shows available for their guests, and it is definitely worth asking, especially if want to get tickets to Hamilton in the next 865 years,' they wrote.

'The same goes for some popular restaurants, or fancy hairdressers, or even sourcing a last minute babysitter.'

According to the all-in-one travel app, the concierge can be like a guest's own 'personal magician' so it is worth befriending them straight away

2. YOU CAN BORROW/ASK FOR MORE THAN YOU THINK

Hotels the world over have an enormous treasure trove of all kinds of weird and wonderful goodies on standby for guests who may need them.

According to the site, these caches include things like umbrellas, hair straighteners, tweezers, lint rollers, razors, bowties, yoga mats, cufflinks, adapters and phone chargers.

Even things like tampons, nail files and ear plugs are available on request.

3. USE THE SPA POOL AFTER CHECK OUT

If guests have a 10am checkout but don't fly until 10pm, most hotel spas will allow them to use the spa pool and facilities for the day.

'Often, you'll find that you can wile away a few hours waiting for a flight in the pool at your hotel's spa, as long as you let the front desk and the spa staff know, you should be good to go,' they wrote.

If guests have a 10am checkout but don't fly until 10pm, most hotel spas will allow them to use the spa pool and facilities for the day

4. TELL THEM ABOUT A SPECIAL OCCASION

If guests give the hotel the heads up about a special occasion, they will usually go above and beyond to make the stay special.

Often, front desk staff will organise upgrades, free Champagne, flowers or chocolate, with the site saying front desk staff are 'notoriously kind when it comes to helping you celebrate an occasion'.

'Ask and ye shall receive. Just don't say it is your birthday if it's not, as many hotels need your passport for check-in and that could be awkward,' they wrote.

If guests give the hotel the heads up about a special occasion, they will usually go above and beyond to make the stay special

5. ASK FOR A CORNER ROOM

These rooms, in most cases, are the nicest rooms on the floor.

According to Skyscanner they are 'almost always larger, with better views, and usually a bigger bathroom'.

'Best of all, they're not usually considered an upgrade, so you should be able to get a better room free of charge.'

6. BE LOYAL

While many don't take the time to sign up to a loyalty program, they will often save guests a lot of money and offer access to in-room perks.

Benefits of programs like Hilton Honours and Fairmont's President's Club can see guests enjoying complimentary drinks, faster check-in lines, free WiFi and free breakfast.

While many don't take the time to sign up to a loyalty program, they will often save guests a lot of money and offer access to in-room perks

7. TAKE THE SHAMPOOS

Many travellers feel as though they need to 'thieve' the toiletries, but what many don't know is that hotel staff expect guests to take them - they are there for you.

'You can also take the slippers, and swan around your house with your kingdom of tiny toiletries and cosy feet without worrying about the full force of the law descending on you,' they wrote.

'Just dont take the towels, bathrobes, or television set.'

Many travellers feel as though they need to 'thieve' the toiletries, but what many don't know is that hotel staff expect guests to take them - they are there for you

8. ASK FOR FREE TRANSPORT

Thousands of hotels offer free transport to and from the airport but simply don't widely advertise it.

According to the site, this is especially true at seaside resorts.

The best thing to do is ask staff if transport is available and more often than not, guests will save themselves an expensive cab fare.
A mother of seven children under 14 refuses to impose any rules on her 'perfect family' has defended her parenting approach on TV.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Gemma Rawnsley, 35 - who doesn't believe in enforcing bedtimes or boundaries on her brood, aged between one and 14 - took part in a debate about whether parents should be friends with their children.

She clashed with former headteacher Martin Stephen, who said there was a risk of parents 'confusing friendship with love', and insisted children need boundaries in order to 'feel safe'.

Gemma, whose children are home-schooled, claimed her offspring are the most 'well-behaved kids you could ever meet', but dubious viewers took to social media to say 'your kids are not your mates'.

As the mother, from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, recalled letting her nine-year-old stay up to play on his X-Box all night because he'd asked if he could, viewers watching at home appeared to agree with Mr Stephen, pointing out that parents should not try to be their children's friends.

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Gemma Rawnsley, 35, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire doesn't enforce rules on her seven children

Gemma's is mum to Skye, 14, Finlay, 12, Phoenix, nine, Pearl, eight, Hunter, five, Zephyr, three, and one-year-old Woolf with her husband Lewis.

Some of her children have tattoos and she has previously talked of allowing them to play with pick axes.

Gemma believes the secret to a happy parenting is not imposing rules like bedtimes, and her children are allowed to go to bed when they please.

Gemma explained: 'We don't have bed times so we let them decide when they feel tired when they want to go to bed I can say this, whether people choose to believe me or not is up to them, we have the perfect family, it is perfect.

'We are so happy, we love each other so much. They are the best behaved kids you could ever meet. It's because we have such a loving relationship with each other. Because we don't have these strict boundaries.'

She is mum to Skye, 14, Finlay, 12, Phoenix, nine, Pearl, eight, Hunter, five, Zephyr, three, and one-year-old Woolf with her husband Lewis

Viewers slammed her for not imposing bedtimes, saying 'discipline makes children feel safe and secure'

She said Martin's parenting style was 'authoritarian', which she believes won't work for her children.

He didn't agree that he was being too strict on his children, arguing that firm boundaries are key in making them feel safe.

Martin explained: 'I think there's a real danger of confusing love and friendship. We all give totally unconditional love to our children that's what it's about parenting, but that doesn't mean to say you can't give them guidelines and direction.

'In my experience children love the security of knowing what's demanded of them.'

Viewers were firmly on Martin's side of the debate, and took to Twitter to hit out at Gemma's claims.

One tweeted: 'Supermum Gemma. Your kids are gonna have a nasty shock in the real world, strangers aren't gonna have your patience when they're acting out of line. Your kids aren't your mates. Moron [sic].'

Others doubted her argument that her children were the 'best behaved kids you could ever meet'

Former head teacher Martin Stephen, argued that children need boundaries to feel safe

'Boundaries, Rules and Discipline make children feel safe and secure,' another posted.

A third said: 'You can't be your child's best friend. Children need to learn how to respect authority.'

The family previously appeared on Channel 4's Feral Families, where it was revealed that none of the brood are in mainstream education.

Skye and Finlay were pulled out of school when they were seven and six, but are taught reading and writing by their parents. Education inspectors check in each year.

Hunter is allowed to play with a spirit burner and wield an axe, while Woolf swears and their older siblings decide what they want to do for the day.

Despite the controversy her parenting has attracted, Gemma stood her ground on the show today, arguing that giving children freedom to make and learn from their own choices is a healthy way of parenting.

None of Gemma's children go to school, some have tattoos and even play with pick axes

Martin said the mum was in 'real danger of confusing love and friendship' with her children

Phoenix did not want to learn to read, but eventually decided to because he wanted to send messages to his friends on XBox.

The children do not take exams or follow the national curriculum and are falling behind their peers.

She explained: 'If you're saying to a child do this but you're not explaining why to them how are they going to grow up to be well adjusted adults they're developing their own moral guidelines and gaining their perspective on the world.'

'Phoenix said to me one time 'I'd love to stay up all night playing on my X box. I said ''Do it then,'' he stayed up all night.

'The next day he said he felt sick, he felt grumpy, he hated it and said ''I'm not doing that again, that was awful.'''
Alexandra Shulman has said she may not have taken on the editorship of British Vogue if she hadn't been the main 'breadwinner'.

The journalist, who edited the fashion bible for 25 years, admitted that the need to for her family contributed to her decision to continue as editor of the magazine for so long rather than working as a writer.

Explaining her decision to take on the major role - despite not being a 'natural leader' - she said: 'I was well paid to edit a magazine and run a team, in a way that I might not have been as a writer.

'I had always been the breadwinner, and everything that I had depended on me earning that money.'

Shulman, 60, had son Sam with former husband Paul Spike three years before joining British Vogue, and also looked after Spike's stepchildren Matthew and Emma.

Speaking this week, Alexandra Shulman admitted that providing for her family was a 'motivating factor' in her decision to edit Vogue - despite her not being a 'natural leader'

Shulman with her son Sam aged eight months. The journalist divorced Spike when Sam was three years old, and met her current partner David Jenkins around seven years later

Speaking on Fearne Cotton's podcast Happy Place this week, she revealed: 'That was a hugely motivating factor. I think there were times if somebody else had been able to pay the mortgage it could have been a different story.'

The journalist divorced Spike when their son was three years old, and met her current partner David Jenkins around seven years later.

She also admitted that stepping down after 25 years as editor of British Vogue was 'liberating' during her chat with Fearne.

The sense of liberation [since leaving] trumps fear by  I cant even quantify it  so much, she said.

I dont feel fearful. But I have to say, at the same time my body came out in God knows what.

All round my eyes, I looked like a very, very old, 190-year-old woman. My skin had gone all, kind of, flaky and red around my eyes.

Alexandra Shulman (pictured in February this year) has admitted that stepping down as editor of British Vogue made her look 'very, very old'

So although I was feeling this wonderful sense of liberation, obviously something terrible was happening in my body. I was shedding a skin.

Miss Shulman, who was awarded a CBE last month for services to fashion journalism, said on the Happy Place podcast: I do probably feel more relaxed [since leaving Vogue].

'There were many, many days at work where I was like, Must remember to breathe, literallyI think I feel happier.

I have more time to actually do things that Im doing, rather than overseeing what other people do.

Shulman, who was at the helm of fashion bible Vogue for 25 years, announced last year she would be stepping down to be replaced by Edward Enninful amid a huge shake-up at the Conde Nast offices in London.

In her statement, Alexandra admitted it was 'hard to find a rational reason to leave' but she 'wanted to experience a different life.'

Alexandra (pictured here at the age of 49 in 2008) says that she suffered from flaky skin and redness as soon as she left her post

Edward Enninful took over Alexandra's role at the helm of Vogue in August last year

In August she signed off her final issue, writing on Instagram: 'So excited to receive my final issue of Vogue as Editor-in-chief.

'Filled with fashion and memories and the women who made a difference in the past quarter of a century.'

The tenure of Shulman - who lives in London with her son Sam, 22, and her partner, writer David Jenkins - at British Vogue has been marked with various iconic issues of the magazine.

Nicholas Coleridge, former managing director of Conde Nast, the magazine's publisher said earlier this week: 'Alex has been the longest-serving and most successful editor of Vogue in its 100 year history.'

One of her most famous coups was having the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, pose for the June 2016 cover - after revealing that Kate had initially turned down the request to be a Vogue cover star.
Princess Sofia of Sweden and her sister-in-law Crown Princess Victoria put on a stylish display this afternoon as they carried out a rare joint engagement together.

Former model Sofia, 33, who gave birth to her second son Gabriel in August last year looked svelte in a white satin top and wide-legged trousers.

The wife of Prince Carl Philip, 38, allowed her brunette locks to fall loosely around her shoulders, while a slick of black eyeliner made her green eyes pop.

Her sister-in-law Crown Princess Victoria, 40, put on a colourful display in a pink suit, teamed with a dark purple top.

Showing off her fashion credentials, the mother-of-two paired the ensemble with clashing red heels and carried a smart grey handbag.

The pair were attending the Global Child Forum in Stockholm's Royal Palace - a cause that is no doubt close to their hearts.

Former model Sofia, 33, who gave birth to her second son Gabriel in August last year looked svelte in a white satin top and wide-legged trousers

Crown Princess Victoria, 40, looked vibrant in a pink jacket and trousers, teamed with dark red shoes

Also in attendance were Queen Silvia, and Victoria's husband Crown Prince Daniel.

The event brings together leaders in business, civil society, academia and politics from around the world to fast-track projects that will make guarantee equality and prosperity for children.

King Carl XVI Gustaf opened the event this morning and it will be formally closed by Crown Princess Victoria.

Topics up for discussion include tackling child labour and investment in education.

A slick of black eyeliner made Sofia's blue-green eyes pop, while her brunette locks fell loosely around her shoulders

Also in attendance, was Princess Victoria's husband Prince Daniel who looked smart in a dark blue suit

The ladies were joined by Sweden's Queen Silvia who was resplendent in royal blue

It was a rare public outing for Sofia who has been keeping something of a low profile while she bonds with her second son Gabriel, who was born last August.

She and Carl Philip already have one-year-old son Prince Alexander, who was born in April 2016.

Victoria is also a mother-of-two, sharing Princess Estelle, six, and Prince Oscar, two, with her husband Prince Daniel.

Victoria married former personal trainer Daniel Westerling in 2010 after a long-term relationship.

The former model made a rare joint appearance with her sister-in-law

Last year Victoria opened up about the eating disorder she suffered as a 20-year-old model in 1997.

Speaking to People, in a milestone interview ahead of her 40th birthday last July, she said: 'I wanted all the time to do and be so much more than I realistically could do, or could be,' she said.

'I needed time to sort things out and get my balance back again.

'I needed to get to know myself, discover where my limits were, not constantly push myself too much.'
Ivanka Trump was feeling cheerful as she stepped out of her Washington, D.C. home in a spring-inspired look on Wednesday morning.

The 36-year-old first daughter flashed a bright smile and waved to the cameras while making her way to the SUV parked outside as she headed to work at 8:25 a.m.

Ivanka donned a light blue blouse featuring a sparkling collar, which she tucked into a $1,100 silk floral pencil skirt from Calvin Klein.

Cheerful: Ivanka Trump flashed a smile as she stepped out of her Washington, D.C. home on Wednesday morning

Feeling the blues: The 36-year-old donned a blue blouse tucked into a $1,100 floral-patterned skirt from Calvin Klein

Added touches: Ivanka topped off the look with a pair of navy blue suede pumps

Looking glam: The first daughter wore her long blonde hair loose around her shoulders

The mother-of-three wore her long blonde hair loose around her shoulders and sported natural-looking make-up. She topped off the look with a pair of navy blue suede pumps.

Ivanka forewent jewelry  save for a pair of diamond studs in her ears  but she was seen sporting a red string tied around her left wrist.

Although she hasn't spoken about the purpose of the string, which she has been wearing since last summer, it does bear a resemblance to the type of red string that Kabbalah practitioners wear to ward off the 'evil eye.'

The former model was sans handbag, but it is possible that it was placed in the SUV before she left the house that morning.

Instead, she opted to carry her sunglasses in her hand while she made her way to work.

After arriving at the White House, Ivanka attended a bill signing in the Oval Office, where she was once again pictured with a beaming smile on her face.

And the source of Ivanka's happy mood was perhaps revealed later in the day, when it was announced that she and her husband Jared Kushner will travel to Peru in order to launch a 'women's economic empowerment' initiative at a CEO summit.

Ivanka and Jared will join Vice President Mike Pence at the event in Lima, which the President himself had been due to attend, before he cancelled his South America trip altogether, allegedly so that he could focus all of his attentions on the situation in Syria.

All she needs: Ivanka was sans handbag and opted to carry her sunglasses in her hand

Minimal bling: Ivanka forewent jewelry  save for a pair of diamond studs in her ears  but she was seen sporting a red string tied around her left wrist

Saying hi: The mother-of-three gave a wave as she made her way to the SUV parked in front of her home

Helping hand: A Secret Service agent held the door open for her as she stepped inside the backseat of the SUV

Happy as can be: Ivanka, who is set to travel to Peru with her husband on Thursday, later attended a bill signing at the White House

'I'm extremely excited for my visit and look forward to highlighting the important work that the U.S. government and this administration are doing to empower women economically in the region and elsewhere around the globe,' the first daughter told reporters about her trip.

'Womens economic empowerment has been a core mission of mine and an ongoing priority for the administration. This work is critical,' she added. 'When women are empowered economically, it contributes to increased economic growth, peace, and global stability.'

The day before the news of Ivanka's trip was revealed, her older brother Donald Trump Jr., 40, celebrated National Siblings Day by posting a series of throwback photos of himself posed with her and their other brothers and sisters.

'Happy #nationalsiblingday everyone. I couldnt be more blessed to have @ivankatrump and @erictrump as my siblings along with @tiffanytrump and Barron,' he captioned the images.

'The looks have changed a bit but the fun together will always be the same. #brothers #sisters #siblings.'

The first photo, which appears to have been taken in the late '80s, shows Don Jr. posed between Ivanka and their younger brother Eric, now 34.

The boys are sporting long blonde bowl cuts, while Ivanka's light brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. Young Ivanka is the spitting image of her six-year-old daughter, Arabella, who has the same brown hair and eyes.

Throwbacks: Ivanka's brother Donald Trump Jr., 40, celebrated National Siblings Day with a series of old photos (Eric, Don Jr., and Ivanka pictured from left to right in the late '80s)

Trump clan: Don Jr. also posted a snapshot featuring their half siblings, Tiffany and Barron

Man in charge: In one shot, Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric are posed with their father

Adventure: Another snapshot shows Don Jr. and Eric dirt bike racing

Eldest Trumps: The last photo in the series is a picture of Don Jr. posed with Ivanka

Don Jr. went on to post a snapshot of all the Trump children, which features his half-sister Tiffany Trump and his half-brother Barron Trump.

Tiffany, 24, is President Trump's only child with his second ex-wife Marla Maples, while Barron, 12, is his son with Melania, the first lady.

The final photos in the series include a snapshot of Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric posed with their father, a picture of Don Jr. dirt bike racing with Eric, and an image of the eldest Trump son with Ivanka, the eldest Trump daughter.

While Don Jr. was reminiscing, Tiffany spent the night making jewelry.

The law student, who is finishing up her second semester at Georgetown University, took to Instagram Stories at 4:40 a.m. on Wednesday to share a video of her jewelry-making tools and her plastic containers filled with charms and beads.

'Time to be creative'; While Don Jr. was reminiscing, Tiffany, 24, took to Instagram Stories at 4:40 a.m. on Wednesday to show that she was making jewelry

First daughter duties: Tiffany (pictured) attended the White House Easter Egg Roll last Monday with all of her siblings except Ivanka

Snap: Tiffany posed with her father and First Lady Melania Trump as the family attended Easter services at the at Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach

Away: Ivanka, Jared Kushner, and their children Arabella, six, Joseph, four, and Theodore, two (pictured in a file photo) spent the week in Saratoga, Wyoming, with the Kushner family

'Time to be creative,' she captioned the clip.

With the exception of Ivanka, Tiffany reunited with all of her siblings at her father's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, over Easter weekend. They all returned to Washington, D.C. for the White House Easter Egg Roll that Monday.

Ivanka, who missed both events, was in Saratoga, Wyoming, with her husband Jared Kushner, 37, their three children, Arabella, six, Joseph, four, and Theodore, two, and around two dozen members of the Kushner family.

The Kushner family vacation was thought to coincide with Passover.

Jared was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, and Ivanka converted to Judaism before marring her husband in 2009. The two are raising their children to be Orthodox Jews as well.

Bright look: Ivanka opted for a bright frock as she headed back to work on Monday following her trip to Wyoming with her husband Jared and their three children

Off to work: The first daughter stepped out of her Washington, D.C. home at 7:30 a.m. on Monday wearing a three-quarter sleeve dress, which she paired with ladylike slingbacks

Outfit of the day: The form-fitting frock was cinched at the waist with a matching belt, and Ivanka's long blonde hair was worn loose around her shoulders

The couple returned to work this Monday, with Ivanka kicking off the week in a bright frock after skipping her family's Easter celebrations.

The 36-year-old first daughter stepped out of her Washington, D.C. at 7:30 a.m. wearing a three-quarter sleeve dress that was belted at the waist and flared out at the hem.

Ivanka, who started her week at a cabinet meeting at the White House, topped off the look with thick gold hoop earrings and a pair of ladylike slingbacks for her first day back on the job since her trip.

Although she was all decked out for work, she wore minimal make-up and her long blonde hair appeared to be air dried.

Happy to be back? Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner was seen with a large smile on his face as he left their home shortly before 7 a.m. - while his wife left just half an hour later

Back at it: The pair both attended a cabinet meeting at the White House on Monday morning

Focus: Ivanka and Jared looked incredibly somber during the meeting, which saw the president address the shocking chemical attack in Syria

The mother-of-three was seen walking out of the front gate of her Kalorama home before making her way to the SUV waiting at the curb for her.

Ivanka left the house just a half hour before her husband Jared, who headed to work short before 7 a.m.

The 37-year-old senior adviser to President Trump donned a slate gray suit and a pale blue tie as he stepped out the door of their home with file folders in his hand.

While Ivanka failed to raise a smile, Jared flashed a grin as he made his way down the front stairs of their home.

Both were later seen attending a cabinet meeting with the president, during which he addressed the shocking chemical attack in Syria.
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Diana, Princess of Wales's landmines outfit is to go on display at Kensington Palace for the first time.

The Halo Trust branded protective vest worn by the princess on her high profile visit to Angola in 1997 will form part of the Diana: Her Fashion Story exhibition at her former home.

A simple sleeveless blue denim shirt and the Armani chinos also worn by Diana during the trip will also be on show.

These are some of the eight new looks to feature in the exhibit, including three that are on loan from her sons Princes William and Harry.

The Halo Trust vest worn by Princess Diana during her iconic walk across the Angolan minefield is to go on display at Kensington Palace for the first time

Diana famously walked through a cleared landmine area in the African country to highlight the problem with the military munitions.

The visit took place just months before she died in a car crash in Paris.

Other new items on loan from William and Harry include a glamorous, purple Versace gown worn by the princess to a Chicago fundraising gala in aid of cancer charities, and the pink Bellville Sassoon suit she wore to board the train on her way to her honeymoon in 1981.

A simple sleeveless blue denim shirt and the Armani chinos also worn by Diana during the trip will also be on show

The outfits will be added to the exhibition Diana: Her Fashion Story on show at Kensington Palace. Pictured: Visitors on the exhibition opening in February last year

Five other new outfits are being added to Diana: Her Fashion Story at the west London palace from April 26.

They include a sumptuous green satin Victor Edelstein evening gown worn for an official portrait by Terence Donovan in 1986; a striking floor length gown by Yuki, designed for the Prince and Princess of Wales's visit to Japan; and a tartan day dress by Caroline Charles, worn to the 1982 Braemar Games in the Scottish Highlands.

There will also be a light blue silk Catherine Walker day dress worn on an official tour of New Zealand in April 1983, and a striking Catherine Walker black and red evening gown worn to a Pavarotti concert at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Red Cross 125th Birthday Appeal in 1995.

Eleri Lynn, exhibition curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said: 'Diana, Princess of Wales was one of the most photographed women in the world, and it's no coincidence that so many of her outfits are now among the most easily recognisable in fashion history.

Other new items on loan from William and Harry include a glamorous, purple Versace gown worn by the princess to a Chicago fundraising gala

The pink Bellville Sassoon suit worn to board the train on her honeymoon in 1981 (left) will also be shown along with a floor length blue gown designed by Yuki (right) worn in Japan

Another piece going on display is the stunning Catherine Walker black and red evening gown Diana wore to a Pavarotti concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1995

The tartan day dress by Caroline Charles that Diana wore to the Braemar Games in the Scottish Highlands in 1982 will also be on display

A Catherine Walker day dress worn by Diana on an official tour of New Zealand in April 1983 will go on show at Kensington Palace

Prince William and Prince Harry (pictured here with Diana in 1995) have loaned more clothes belonging to their mother to the exhibition

'Through Diana: Her Fashion Story we explore the evolution of a young woman who had to first learn the rules of royal and diplomatic dressing, then master the art of creating her own signature style.'

The special exhibition first opened in 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary of Diana's death but is continuing throughout 2018.

The outfits currently on display in the exhibition includea Bill Pashley brown tweed suit that Diana famously wore on her honeymoon in Balmoral in 1981 where she and husband Prince Charles were photographed together.

Another piece is an Emanuel pale pink chiffon blouse with satin neck-ribbon worn during Diana's first official portrait in 1981 captured by the late Lord Snowdon.

Among her evening wear currently on display is a 1992 Catherine Walker green silk velvet evening dress with velvet and diamante buttons worn for Diana's Vanity Fair photo shoot with Mario Testino in 1997.
A military plane carrying soldiers and their families crashed soon after takeoff in a farm field in northern Algeria on Wednesday, killing 257 people in what appeared to be the worst plane crash in the North African nation's history.
Queen Maxima is no stranger to receiving gifts during royal engagements, but the Dutch royal appeared especially delighted with a floral tribute today.

The Queen of the Netherlands was presented with an elegant spring posy by a well-wisher upon her arrival at a conference in Zandvoort on Wednesday.

The 46-year-old was seen thanking her royal fan who was awaiting her arrival at the MS International Federation (MSIF) conference.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked delighted upon receiving a spring bouquet during a visit to a conference in Zandvoort on Wednesday

After thanking the man, who suffers from the neurological condition MS, she was seen keeping hold of it as she entered the conference building.

The Argentinian-born royal looked her elegant best in an all-grey ensemble for her engagement on Wednesday.

She paired a draped grey blouse with a skirt of a matching colour and even kept her accessories to the same tone carrying a grey Chanel handbag and wearing a pair of suede courts in the same colour.

During the conference Maxima spent time meeting patients who suffer with MS, learning about the progression of treataments available.

The 46-year-old was seen thanking her royal fan who was awaiting her arrival at the MS International Federation (MSIF) conference

The Argentinian royal was dressed head-to-toe in grey for her engagement on Wednesday

Earlier on Wednesday Maxima and her husband King Willem-Alexander hosted a lunch for 26 guests at Hague Noordeinde Palace.

The guests consisted of award winners in various fields like art, culture, journalism, science and sports.

On Tuesday Maxima stepped out in a vibrant all-red ensemble as she paid a visit to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

Maxima is patron of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, which was founded in 1888.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands stepped out in a vibrant all-red ensemble as she paid a visit to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam on Tuesday

Maxima, who is patron of the orchestra, got up close to musicians as they rehearsed

During her visit to the venue, Maxima, the mother-of-three watched musicians in rehearsal and was given a tour of the auditorium.

An international financier by training, Maxima was born in Argentina and married into the Dutch royal family in 2002, three years after meeting her husband-to-be in Seville, Spain.

Despite reportedly having no inkling that Willem-Alexander was heir to the throne when the pair first met, she eventually became Queen consort when her husband ascended to the throne.

Willem-Alexander became king after his mother, Beatrix, abdicated in April 2013 after 33 years as reigning monarch.

The couple are parents to Princess Amalia, Alexia and Ariane - affectionately dubbed 'the A team' by their doting father.
Actresses Gwyneth Paltrow (pictured) and Julia Roberts were big advocates of the trend back in the 90s, often wearing them to Hollywood events

Shiny shell suits, knee-high socks and puffball skirts... there are some fashions we are only too happy to shove to the back of the wardrobe.

But one retro trend is firmly back in style  the strappy top.

Thats according to Vogue magazine, which says the mid-1990s staple is back thanks to a new generation of flat-tummied It Girls.

Social media star Kim Kardashian is often spotted in a tiny top with precariously thin spaghetti straps.

And American supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid are also fans.

Actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Roberts were big advocates of the trend back in the 90s, often wearing them to Hollywood events.

Vogue lauded the tops as simply chic and an easy, breezy throw-on.

Its the answer to feeling sexy for flat-chested girls, Vogues market editor, Anny Choi, said. If you dont have cleavage, this is the best way to show a bit of yourself.

Among the magazines money-is-no-object suggestions for the perfect strappy top are a 560 cotton-blend camisole by Dolce & Gabbana and a 360 striped vest by Missoni.

But for those on a more realistic budget, Vogue also suggests a 5 jersey design from H&M.

And American supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid are also fans of the the mid-1990s staple

Despite Vogues stamp of approval strappy tops are not for everybody.

The straps can dig into even a hint of fat, creating unsightly bulges around the armpit and shoulders.

Wearing a bra underneath leaves straps on show which is a style no-no  along with invisible clear straps that everyone can see a mile off.

The only option is a strapless bra or going without  really only an option for the very young.

Wearing a bra underneath leaves straps on show which is a style no-no  along with invisible clear straps that everyone can see a mile off. Pictured: Gigi Hadid

But, with caution, according to style experts, they can work.

Strappy tops look best when worn tucked into wide-leg trousers.

The straps are too fine to support a heavy maxi dress so it is best to stick to shorter styles in floaty fabrics.

If thats still too daring, those aiming to cover up more wear strappy tops or dresses with a T-shirt underneath for a casual look.
She judged them on everything from the cut to stitching and durability

When Victoria Beckham wore a plain white T-shirt from her own fashion range to visit a Nairobi slum for Sport Relief, it caused outrage.

For the wardrobe staple she chose for her charity trip to the deprived area of the Kenyan capital had a far-from-basic price tag  90.

However often youd wear it, can a plain T-shirt ever be worth that amount of money? And with supermarket versions costing less than 5, can you find one thats just as good in the High Street?

Looking at everything from the cut and sleeve length to stitching, fabric quality and durability in a wash, LORRAINE FISHER asked Ruth Farrell, fashion consultant at the Textile Centre of Excellence in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, to judge six designs, starting at just 2.

VICTORIA BECKHAM, 90

The style: You can see Victoria Beckham has really thought about this. Although its a boyfriend fit  looser and squarer than a typical womans top  the high neckline makes it more flattering. It is suitable for any body shape and you can dress it down with jeans, or up with a pencil skirt or blazer.

Fabric quality: The bodys 100 per cent cotton, pure optic white and theres a lot of fabric  hence the higher price. Ditto the fact its made in Portugal rather than the Far East, where manufacturing is cheaper. But the label at the back of the neck is scratchy and could irritate you.

Victoria Beckham's white T-shirt costs 90, and is 100 per cent made of cotton

Is it well made? Yes, but not 90-worth of well made  some stitching around the neck is puckering already. Its nicely hemmed and seamed, though, and while the material creases quickly, it smooths out easily. But it cant be tumble-dried, which would stop me buying it.

How did it wash? The neckline, which contains 5 per cent elastane to help it retain its shape, no longer lays flat against the skin and the whole thing now needs a good iron.

Verdict: For this price you should get an amazing T-shirt, but there are too many problems for it to pass muster. Id be disappointed if I bought it. 4/10

PRIMARK, 2

The style: This has a lovely fitted silhouette with a scoop neckline, which is flattering for most figures. It works well  any higher and the neckline could make the wearer look busty. However, the short cap sleeves would make a bigger arm look like a ham hock.

Fabric quality: I really like the feel of the soft fabric, even though its one of the cheapest, at 65 per cent polyester and 35 per cent cotton. Rather than being optic white, its almost speckled, which makes it quite attractive. However, its very fine, so rather see-through.

Primark's white T-shirt costs just 2, and has a lovely fitted silhouette with a scoop neckline

Is it well made? The band at the neckline is better than the Victoria Beckham version. The rest is also nicely made  nothing will come undone. That said, this has nothing to make it retain its shape and will most likely become baggy and start twisting over time. But at 2, who would care?

How did it wash? Really well. It hasnt lost any shape and doesnt need ironing.

Verdict: For the price its astonishingly well-made, but I am sceptical about what corners may have been cut. 7.5/10

M&S, 6.50

The style: With its half-length sleeves, fitted body and boat neck, this will suit most women. Its longer-than-normal sleeves will be loved by someone with bingo wings, but the whole tee will actually feel more comfortable on a slim figure because its very fitted.

Its a great piece for layering and would look stylish with skinny jeans, cropped trousers or underneath a pinafore.

Fabric quality: This is 100 per cent cotton, made in India and feels good to the touch. The fabric is very nice  made using a more expensive process called a combed interlock that fluffs up material to make it softer.

Its a tiny bit see-through  most white T-shirts are  and its a little yellow when put next to a true white.

Marks and Spencer's white T-shirt costs 6.50, and has a good cut and a nice finish

Is it well made? Yes. It has a good cut and a nice finish. None of the seams is giving way and they appear to be really secure and properly sewn. The neck trim stretches gently, which prevents puckering. However, the T-shirts body does crease easily.

How did it wash? It looks smaller than when it went in, but quite easily stretches back to normal size. It also needs an iron.

Verdict: This is a great value product. Not only is it really well made, but the half-length sleeves are a plus for older women who are not confident about revealing their upper arms. 7/10

BODEN, 25

The style: This is a trapeze top  it hangs from the bust like an A-line skirt does from the hips. Unfortunately, this accentuates the chest and only serves to make the wearer look pregnant, no matter how slim. Otherwise its a nice white shade and the material feels good against the skin.

Fabric quality: Its good, made up of 55 per cent modal (a type of rayon) and 45 per cent cotton.

Modal is a really nice yarn that gives a T-shirt a soft, luxurious feel, therefore its more expensive. This tee has a slight gloss to it, which adds to the higher-quality look, but again it is slightly see-through.

Boden's white T-shirt costs 25, and has a soft, luxurious feel, along with a slight gloss to it

Is it well made? Definitely. All the seams and hems are neatly executed, the neckline is flattering and clean and it has tape inside the back of the neck so it wont stretch out of shape. But the modal means you cant tumble-dry this one.

How did it wash? Threads have come loose from the neck, which could lead to the garment coming apart in the future. It also needs a light iron.

Verdict: I like how its made and the fabric, but I just cant understand why theyve gone for the trapeze silhouette. 5.5/10

JIGSAW, 35

The style: This is a fashionable boyfriend shape with sleeves that extend from the main body of the T-shirt rather than being separate pieces sewn on  so it will hang in an off-the-shoulder, slouchy way. Its mid-length, so perfect for layering or tucking in.

Fabric quality: Lovely and soft  the best fabric of them all. Its 100 per cent cotton, not transparent and true optic white.

Jigsaw's white T-shirt costs 35, and is a fashionable boyfriend shape with sleeves that extend from the main body of the top

Is it well made? Its not great. The hems messy with a very narrow cover seam  a type which is generally cheaper and has the potential to unravel. But what really lets this down is the neck trim  its a poor colour match to the body and feels scratchy.

How did it wash? Its now slightly puckered around the neck and needs an iron.

Verdict: This one is so chic, would suit all figures and is made in an amazing fabric. But its been severely let down by the neck trim. 6.5/10

OASIS, 14

The style: When you think of a white T-shirt, its this one youre picturing. Simply fitted with a scoop neck, it would suit any occasion. But the sleeves are severely capped, which means someone with bigger arms probably would be put off.

Fabric quality: Its 96 per cent viscose and 4 per cent elastane. The viscose makes it nice and soft, while the elastane will help it retain its shape.

Oasis's white T-shirt costs 14, and would suit any occasion thanks to its scoop neck

However, the viscose means you cant tumble-dry this garment. Other than that, its a good white hue with a lovely weighty drape and wont show your bra.

Is it well made? Yes, all the hems are neat with no jagged edges and the seams are well-executed.

How did it wash? Well  and barely needs ironing.

Verdict: This is a classic shape so wont go out of fashion. It will suit most figures and can be styled in a multitude of ways  and its excellent value for money, too. 8/10
A mother is risking jail by importing an illegal drug she believes will give her terminally-ill daughter a hope of surviving.

Sandra Munford, 53, from Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, spends 1,300 a month shipping cannabis oil from overseas to treat Kate, 21, who has been given just three months to live.

Kate was diagnosed with a grade three astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer, in March 2016 and has endured four major operations, as well as gruelling chemo and radiotherapy sessions. Doctors say they have done all they can.

When her daughter became unable to walk or talk, Ms Munford took the drastic decision to break the law for the first time in her life by importing cannabis capsules from Canada, where they are legally produced for medical use.

Within five weeks of taking just one marijuana capsule a day, Kate regained movement in the right side of her body and her drooping mouth improved.

Ms Munford is speaking out to encourage a change in the law that makes cannabis products for medical purposes more easily available.

The nutritional supplement cannabidiol is derived from cannabis and is legal in the UK, however, Kate's treatment also contains THC, which is what makes users 'high' and is not permitted.

Cannabis is a class-B drug that carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison if users are caught in possession.

Sandra Munford, 53, from Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, spends 1,300 a month shipping cannabis oil from overseas to treat Kate, 21, who has been given just three months to live

WHAT IS CBD OIL AND IS IT LEGAL IN THE UK? Government advisers made it legal to buy CBD supplements in 2016 CBD oil is a legal cannabinoid that can be sold in the UK. CBD contains less than 0.2 per cent of the psychoactive substance THC. Although the oil has been thought to have some medicinal properties, including relieving inflammation, pain and anxiety, there is no conclusive science. Suppliers in England and Wales have to obtain a licence to sell CBD as a medicine. Manufacturers are able to avoid the strict regulation by selling it as a food supplement - ignoring the lengthy process of gaining a medicinal licence. CBD products comes in many forms, the most popular being an oil - which users spray under their tongue - or gel tablets which melt slowly in the mouth. Government advisers at the MHRA found that CBD has a restoring, correcting or modifying effect on humans. Cannabis oil, which is different to CBD oil because it contains THC - the compound that gives users a 'high' - is illegal under UK laws. Billy Caldwell, from Castlederg, Northern Ireland, made headlines last April when he became the first Briton to be prescribed it on the NHS. Cannabis oil, which reportedly has no side effects, influences the release and uptake of feel good chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. Advertisement

'This is our last hope'

Ms Munford, who is also mother to Beth, 19, told the Daily Record: 'I'm willing to do whatever it takes to ease Kate's pain, even if it means going to prison.

'My daughter is dying and I'm in a desperate situation.'

'We've tried every other treatment available and nothing has worked  this is our last hope.'

Caring for Kate, whose father Brian died of a heart attack aged 41 in 2010, has left Ms Munford unable to work and, having used most of her life savings importing the cannabis oil, she may have to sell their family home.

Ms Munford insists any mother in her position would do the same, particularly after seeing the benefits just one capsule a day is having on her daughter's condition.

Kate (thought to be pictured before her condition became terminal) has an advanced brain tumour and has endured four surgeries, as well as gruelling chemo and radiotherapy sessions

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THC AND CBD Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are both derived from the cannabis plant. Together, they are part of the cannabinoid group of compounds found in hashish, hash oil, and most strains of marijuana. THC is the psychoactive compound responsible for the euphoric, 'high' feeling often associated with marijuana. THC interacts with CB1 receptors in the central nervous system and brain and creates the sensations of euphoria and anxiety. CBD does not fit these receptors well, and actually decreases the effects of THC, and is not psychoactive. CBD is thought to help reduce anxiety and inflammation. Advertisement

Cannabis oil has clear anti-cancer properties

Kate's symptoms began when she started experiencing double vision and headaches.

After being diagnosed with a brain tumour, surgeons removed 80 per cent of the growth, along with four litres of fluid.

Yet, within months, the mass grew back, with Kate taking a turn for the worst last November.

With Kate's family doubting whether she would pull through and conventional treatment failing to ease her condition, they turned to medical cannabis.

Keen to see a change in the law, Ms Munford argues cannabis oil is safer than many other drugs that can be found in the average person's bathroom cabinet.

Brain injury expert Professor Mike Barnes, from Newcastle University, supports medical cannabis for pain relief, adding it has also shown clear anti-cancer properties in animal studies.

Although human research is limited due to the drug being illegal, anecdotal evidence shows cannabis slows tumour growth, he adds.

The nutritional supplement cannabidiol is derived from cannabis and is legal in the UK, however, Kate's treatment also contains THC, which is not permitted

A spokesman for the campaign group End Our Pain adds denying people medicine that could benefit them is 'cruel' and being driven to illegally import treatments does not make patients 'criminals'.

WHAT ARE ASTROCYTOMAS? Astrocytomas are one of the most common forms of brain tumours, making up around a third of UK cases. They grow from cells called astrocytes, which protect nerves and are vital for processing information. There is nothing that people can do to prevent astrocytomas. Their cause is unknown but may be genetic. Astrocytomas are graded from 1-4 depending on how quickly they grow and how they respond to treatment. Treatment depends on the grade, with 1-2 often involving surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible. Radio or chemotherapy may be given to kill any remaining cancerous cells. Grades 3-4 generally always require surgery, and radio and chemotherapy. Around 40 per cent of people with a grade 2 astrocytoma live more than 10 years. Approximately 27 per cent with grades three or above live five years or more. Source: The Brain Tumour Charity Advertisement

'People are dying and chemotherapy isn't curing them'

This comes after a woman claimed last month that cannabis oil 'cured' her terminal cancer.

Joy Smith, 52, from Coventry, was given just six weeks to live after being diagnosed with inoperable stomach and bowel cancer in August 2016.

Desperate for a solution, Ms Smith reluctantly took cannabis-based tablets, alongside chemotherapy, after reading about a cancer patient in the US who went into remission after producing her own marijuana oil.

Nearly two years on, doctors, who described Ms Smith as 'the luckiest woman in the world', are baffled as her scans show just a small amount of the disease is left in her stomach, which she is confident will disappear with continued cannabis use.

As well as approaching a miracle remission, Ms Smith has also recently won 84,000 after entering a TV competition while 'under the influence' of cannabis oil.

She is speaking out to encourage cannabis' legislation for medical use, saying: 'I'm a walking miracle. The doctors call me Wonder Woman.

'Cannabis oil should be legalised for medical purposes - people are dying and chemotherapy isn't curing them.'

She is believed to buy the oil illegally online.
Fascinating images show a tiny nail growing on top of another nail on a Pakistani man's middle finger.

The 28-year-old, whose name is unknown, complained of pain from the strange growth and sought medical advice.

Doctors were baffled at first, but eventually found the bizarre lump was made of keratin - the tough protein in nails.

The 28-year-old, whose name is unknown, complained of pain from the strange growth and sought medical advice

The team in Bahawalpur, in the east of the Asian country, were astounded by the case and published it in medical literature.

Writing in the International Journal of Surgery Open, they described the double fingernail as an 'extremely rare entity'.

They added that double nail of the toes - which they said were more common - have 'only described four times before in literature'.

'Most cases are incidentally detected and only few patients seek help because they have discomfort and pain or cosmetic reasons,' they wrote.

Doctors were baffled at first, but eventually found the bizarre lump was made of keratin - the tough protein in nails

Dr Muhammad Afzal Randhawa, from Bahawal Victoria Hospital - 410 miles (660km) south of the capital Islamabad, treated the patient.

They explained how he complained of pain when he was working - but it is unsure what his job was. He also showed 'cosmetic concerns'.

However, there was no history of any trauma or infection, which doctors suggested could have signalled another cause of the growth.

The patient explained how his GP was unable to make a diagnosis, which led to him seeking help from specialists at the hospital.

Dr Randhawa and colleagues confirmed it was an accessory nails after tests showed it was made of keratin and was inseparable from the nail bed.

Surgeons then removed the nail, which was shown to measure less than 1cm, under local anaesthetic, which numbed his hand.

It was sent for laboratory tests, which proved the growth was made a nail. Doctors asked the patient to publish his story in medical literature.

The case, however, comes after a study in December, which suggested cases of double nails are more common than thought.

Researchers at the University of Bern found double toenails have been reported across several countries - despite only four reports in literature.
A Pakistani man with an enormous tumour that covers half his face is set to undergo life-changing surgery.

Ghulam Hyder has neurofibromatosis - the umbrella term for a group of genetic conditions that cause lumps to grow along nerves.

Cruel children complained they were scared of him because of the unsightly growth, causing him to drop out of school when he was just eight.

The massive tumour, while benign, has become so severe that it eclipses the right hand side of his face, including his eye.

But a kind-hearted social worker, who saw his plight online, has stepped in to try and raise funds for Hyder to have the tumour removed.

Hyder, 32, told local reporters: 'I can't see with my right eye because the mass has grown this huge and covers half of my face.'

Ghulam Hyder has neurofibromatosis - the umbrella term for a group of genetic conditions that cause lumps to grow along nerves

Hyder, from Nawabshah in Pakistan's Sindh province, added: 'I also face great difficulty in eating and drinking and in speaking as well.'

According to local journalists, Hyder was born without the tumour and it started growing at the age of two.

His parents, whom he lost at a very young age, could not take him to any bigger hospitals due to financial constraints.

He was forced to quit school aged eight because other cruel students complained they were scared of him.

Hyder said: 'I was forced to quit my studies even before I could complete my primary education as other students were scared of me.

'For years, I remained confined to my home and hardly used to go out as neighbours used to look at me differently.'

Cruel children complained they were scared of him because of the unsightly growth, causing him to drop out of school when he was just eight

The massive tumour, while benign, has become so severe that it eclipses the right hand side of his face, including his eye

He and his younger brother, Muhammad Ali, started living with their late grandfather, Ghulam Ali, when their parents died.

Muhammad told local journalists that their grandfather's last wish, before he died three years ago, was to see Hyder getting married.

He said: 'He sent Hyder's marriage proposal to over a dozen girls and some widows as well but no one accepted to marry him.

'After so many rejections he finally decided to stop searching for a bride for him.'

Hyder began begging on the streets after his grandfather's death as he struggled to make ends meet.

His neighbour, Shabbir Hussain, took his photographs earlier this month and put them on social media, seeking help for treatment.

A social worker, Syed Hussain Shah, from Hyderabad - 78 miles (126km) away, saw the pictures and was moved by Hyder's condition.

Hyder, 32, told local reporters: 'I can't see with my right eye because the mass has grown this huge and covers half of my face'

According to local journalists, Hyder was born without the tumour and it started growing at the age of two. His parents, whom he lost at a very young age, could not take him to any bigger hospitals due to financial constraints

Shah said: 'I showed the pictures to several doctors who told me that the tumour can be removed through a surgery.'

But for surgery, Hyder had to travel to Karachi, 160 miles (257km) south from his hometown.

Shah arranged train tickets for him and his brother and also accompanied them to surgeon, Dr Syed Abdul Ihsan's private clinic as well.

Shah said: 'The doctor told us that the treatment will cost 3,000. We have arranged over 300 in two days which are enough for his initial tests.

'I'm hopeful that we can gather the required funds for the surgery.'

Dr Ihsan is hopeful that after surgery the poor man could live a normal life. He said: 'The patient is suffering from neurofibromatosis.

'We will see the depth of the tumour once we receive the MRI and X-Ray reports and then treatment can be planned.

'His treatment is possible and I am hopeful that he can live a normal life after surgery.'

Hyder said: 'I was forced to quit my studies even before I could complete my primary education as other students were scared of me'
Millions of peanut allergy patients could soon be able to start snacking on the nut without fearing for their lives.

For scientists have created a vaccine that has the potential to dampen their immune system's response to peanuts, which can be fatal.

Trials on mice have proven that it works - as researchers found the rodents given it were protected from an allergic reaction.

The study saw mice given three monthly doses of a nasal spray - the same way as children in the UK receive a flu vaccine each winter.

The experiment, led by researchers at the University of Michigan, could lead to investigations conducted on humans with peanut allergies.

Millions of peanut allergy patients could soon be able to start snacking on the nut without fearing for their lives

Figures suggest around one in 100 people in the UK and US have a peanut allergy, which can lead to a deadly anaphylactic shock.

Patients who get severe reactions to the nut are advised to carry an EpiPen device that gives them a dose of adrenaline to stop the reaction.

Recommended treatment currently revolves around avoiding peanuts, as scientists battle to find an effective way to tackle allergies.

But the new study, led by Dr Jessica O'Konek, may one day lead to them no longer needing to live in fear of being around peanuts.

WHAT IS A PEANUT ALLERGY? Around one in 100 people in the UK and US has a peanut allergy. Their immune system mistakenly treats three types of peanut protein (Ara h1, Ara h2 and Ara h3) as a threat, when it comes into contact with them. Their body then releases chemicals to destroy what it perceives as a dangerous invader. One of the main chemicals is immunoglobulin E, an antibody pumped out in large volumes to repel the suspected attack. This rush of chemicals triggers symptoms of an allergic reaction, often within seconds. These range from an itchy mouth to anaphylactic shock, where the airways narrow, blood pressure plummets and organs start to shut down. Sufferers who have had severe reactions usually carry an EpiPen device to give themselves a shot of adrenaline if another reaction occurs. This opens up the airways and dilates blood vessels to force blood pressure back up. Advertisement

Dr O'Konek, from the university's Food Allergy Center, said: 'We're changing the way the immune cells respond upon exposure to allergens.

'Importantly, we can do this after allergy is established, which provides for potential therapy of allergies in humans.

'By re-directing the immune responses, our vaccine not only suppresses the response but prevents the activation of cells that would initiate allergic reactions.'

Before being given the vaccine, the mice exposed to peanuts developed itchy skin and breathing issues - similar to humans.

The vaccine's effectiveness was assessed by monitoring the reactions of mice two weeks after they were given the final dose.

It was shown to redirect how immune cells responded to peanuts and prevented the activation of cells that trigger the release of an antibody that leads to symptoms of an allergic reaction.

The scientists are hopeful that the vaccine could protect for longer than two weeks - but said that more trials are needed.

The new study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, comes amid soaring rates of food allergies, mainly peanuts.

Peanut allergies have surged by 445 per cent in the last 10 years, according to an analysis of private health insurance claims by FAIRHealth.

It comes after The Daily Mail reported in January that a powder sprinkled on food every day could banish severe peanut allergies.

The powder, involved in an going trial in the US and Europe, has tiny traces of the proteins in peanuts that can trigger potentially fatal reactions.

By gradually increasing the amount of these proteins consumed over time, doctors believe they can help patients immune systems become tolerant to them.

This would eventually eradicating the risk of life-threatening reactions, according to the results, which are awaiting publication.

This type of treatment is already used by a handful of specialist allergy clinics in the UK - but allergy specialists warn it can be ineffective.
Brain scans could predict how a patient will respond to depression treatment, a groundbreaking new study claims.

Researchers from Harvard and Boston's McLean Hospital monitored the brain activity of 300 patients before and during their antidepressant treatment, while tracking their reactions to the medication.

They found that people with strong activity in the brain region called ACC, which controls other areas of the brain, could expect successful results from a course of Zoloft, a commonly-prescribed antidepressant.

Those with a 'weaker' response fared better with a combination of drugs and psychotherapy.

The finding, published today, comes days after a report revealed tens of millions of Americans are addicted to antidepressants, and many may have been erroneously prescribed treatment that wasn't appropriate for their specific case.

Researchers from Harvard and McLean Hospital monitored the brain activity of 300 patients before and during their antidepressant treatment, while tracking their reactions to the drugs

This is not the first research into the relationship between depression and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), but it is the first demonstrate its 'predictive validity'.

Diego A Pizzagalli, director of the McLean Imaging Center and the hospital's Center For Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, said the aim is to reach a point where clinicians could compare specific brain activity to drugs' properties to decide, almost unequivocally, what treatment is best.

'Our work shows that we could predict a patient's response to an antidepressant by looking at the activation level of the ACC region of the brain by using a non-invasive monitoring system to test brain activity called an electroencephalogram - also known as an EEG,' Pizzagalli said.

For this study, the team built upon Pizzagalli's previous work showing that EEG recordings of rostral ACC activity could predict the eventual response.

'In that prior study, we saw that the higher the activity before the start of the treatment, the better the clinical response months later,' Pizzagalli, also a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said.

For the new study, more than 300 patients were tested at four sites in the United States, using sertraline (sold in the US as Zoloft) for the treatment group.

'We showed that the rostral ACC marker predicted clinical response eight weeks later, even when statistically controlling for demographics and clinical variables previously linked to treatment response,' said Pizzagalli.

'For those with the marker of good response, a clinician could tell patients that they have a high chance of benefiting from the intervention, and they should stay engaged in treatment,' he explained.

On the other hand, he said, for patients with the marker of low response, 'clinicians could decide to start with more aggressive treatment at the outset, such as a combination of pharmacology and psychotherapy, and importantly, monitor these patients more closely.'

Next on the agenda, Pizzagalli and his team plan to trial this method on patients at McLean Hospital.

'Our vision is to determine if an optimal combination of markers - including brain-based but also clinical and demographic characteristics - might allow us to predict response to drug A but not drug B or psychotherapy, for example,' Webb explained.

If an ACC marker predicts better response, researchers might develop cognitive training that specifically targets this region, which could increase brain activation to accelerate or boost response to more traditional intervention.
The NHS should scrap all non-emergency surgery for two months over winter to prevent another crisis, according to senior medics.

Procedures such as hip replacements should not be planned during January and February to free up beds and avoid cancellations, the Society of Acute Medicine said.

It comes after NHS officials ordered hospitals to cancel tens of thousands of operations and outpatient appointments earlier this year due to winter pressures.

Dr Nick Scriven, president of the society which represents hospital doctors and nurses in acute medicine, said a routine ban on elective surgery at NHS trusts during the busiest months may be one way to ease pressure.

It comes after NHS officials ordered hospitals to cancel tens of thousands of operations and outpatient appointments earlier this year due to winter pressures (stock)

The ban should not apply to urgent cases and cancer care, he added.

This winter hospitals were forced to open previously-closed 'mothball' wards and turn investigations areas into makeshift wards.

Dr Scriven said that he had even heard of one hospital which had closed a birthing unit for a few days to make space for medical patients in need of inpatient beds.

He said that the NHS had 'just coped' over winter but this was based on the goodwill of staff.

What did Dr Scriven say?

In an interview with the Press Association, Dr Scriven added: 'People in power have to sit up and take notice that this isn't going to get better and unless something radical is done it is going to get worse.

IS THE NHS STILL UNDER PRESSURE? Over-stretched hospitals are still buckling under the unprecedented pressure this winter, shock new NHS figures revealed last month. A&E waiting times have spiraled to record lows and last week bed occupancy rates soared to the joint highest levels so far this winter. Concerned medics have repeatedly warned 'there is no more to give' and the cash-strapped NHS is working at the limits of its capacity'. Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt has already been pushed to admit that the NHS is battling it's 'worst ever winter' this year. A series of official performance figures released last month by health chiefs from across every trust in England backed-up his claims. Just 85 per cent of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival in casualty units across England in February. It topped the 85.1 per cent recorded in December and January 2018, when the Red Cross were drafted in to help combat the 'humanitarian crisis' in hospitals. Advertisement

'There are the things that people always talk about, like this year the NHS suggested that people should suspend elective activity for a month, should that be a routine thing?

'To free up the extra ward in every hospital in January and February. That would be one radical thing.' Meanwhile, no more acute beds should be closed, he added.

Three times as many patients were hospitalised this year following the worst flu season in seven years.

The spike in flu cases meant hospitals in England were told that they could defer non-urgent operations throughout January to ease pressure.

Highlighting significant pressures

The comments come after a document published on the House of Commons Library highlighted the significant pressures on the health service in England over winter.

Hospitals almost full to capacity, long waits for patients and ambulance delays were recurring themes.

Last month, the Public Accounts Committee warned that the NHS was stuck in survival mode, using short term solutions to 'paper over the cracks' but did little to achieve lasting improvement.

It called for fresh thinking to address the increasing demand within the budget constraints.

Controversial move to cancel 55,000 operations

Health officials made the unprecedented step to postpone 55,000 operations in January as the NHS struggled to cope with the relentless pressure.

Prime Minister Theresa May denied the NHS is in a crisis - despite the controversial decision. Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised for the move.

Procedures such as hip replacements on the NHS should not be planned during January and February to free up beds and avoid cancellations, senior medics claim

A&E staff took to social media to condemn the situation, claiming to be 'ashamed' over the 'substandard care' the NHS was offering during the 'worst winter ever'.

And consultants were assigned to casualty units to assess patients on arrival. Anyone not judged to be seriously ill faced being turned away.

Firefighters with just six days of first aid training were also being sent to thousands of medical emergencies.
Prospects for the survival of Sir Martin Sorrell as chief executive of WPP are not looking bright.

American law firm WilmerHale is under instruction from chairman Roberto Quarta and senior non-executive director Nicole Seligman to conduct the probe as swiftly as possible.

The probe relates to claims of personal misconduct and possible misuse of assets and could be completed next week. Sorrell rejects the allegations.

Speed is seen as the essence by the board. There is concern uncertainty at the very top, in a company dominated by Sorrell for three decades, could damage confidence in the advertising world.

American law firm WilmerHale is under instruction to conduct the probe into Sir Martin Sorrell as swiftly as possible

Sorrell is the glue that holds WPP together and spends a great deal of time schmoozing global clients.

In spite of the impasse there was a small victory for WPP offshoot MediaCom when Sky said that it would be renewing its 425million media buying contract.

The current atmosphere at WPP is described as that of a war room. WilmerHale, representing the company, is making regular demands on Sorrell and his team for information relating to the inquiry.

Sorrell has engaged co-managing partners Sue Prevezer QC and Richard East of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to work alongside employment specialist firm Lewis Silkin, to advise on responses.

In the past Sorrell has been able to count on a compliant board, which among other things signed off on big pay packets.

Under pressure from investors governance has been strengthened and the chief executive is no longer assured of support.

Indeed, there are suggestions that at least one non-executive has been singing like a canary and may be responsible for the leak of the inquiry to the Wall Street Journal.

Friends of Sorrell insist he has been scrupulous in keeping his personal and company expenses separate. Nevertheless, the probe has brought to a head concerns about what happens at WPP when Sorrell, 73, finally steps down.

WPP expanded through a dizzying number of deals as Sorrell, who predicted the migration of advertising online, sought to keep pace with Silicon Valley.

But with the share price under pressure critics are raring to dislodge him and believe that the time has come to simplify the group by selling its data management arm, valued at 3.5billion.

It now looks highly unlikely that Sorrell will be around to reshape the creative champion he so carefully assembled.

French sweetener

Brent Cross owner Hammerson is standing firm in the face of the onslaught from French shopping centre group Klepierre, which is seeking to gatecrash a sweetheart deal with Intu.

Hammerson is unimpressed by the 3 per cent uplift in the offer price to 635p per share which is 20 per cent below the current net asset value of the company of 790p in March.

That is the cash which could be released if properties were sold off piecemeal.

It contrasts the value of the French offer with the full asset price being paid for Westfield by another European shopping centre owner Unibail-Rodamco.

Hammerson looks vulnerable because investors are unsure of the value in Intu, owner of the Trafford Centre and other emporiums across Britain and in Spain.

Nervousness about the deal stems from concerns about online shopping and fears Brexit will hit consumer confidence.

Hammerson chief executive David Atkins needs to come out fighting and explain in detail how his know-how on broadening the social appeal of shopping can transform Intu.

More than that, it needs to offer an immediate benefit to investors in the shape of a special dividend, share buyback or some other device.

If the Melrose tussle for GKN demonstrated anything, it is how supposedly long investment funds, such as Legal & General and Aviva Investors, value the sugar rush of returns above all else.

True blue

Fears that would-be blue passport printer De La Rue might be the next victim of Melrose-style asset-strippers appear to be greatly exaggerated.

Investor Crystal Amber bought a stake after spotting an established and reliable British company with a modest valuation of 500million, which delivers 72million of profits.

Pity the civil servants who opted for European rival Gemalto failed to show the same confidence. Heigh-ho.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Xpeng Motors will build up more than 1,000 supercharging stations across China. What's more, it will set up 10,000 Xpeng-exclusive charging piles and connect selected more than 10000 third-party charging piles. In addition, Xpeng Motor's supercharging stations will boast a charging capability of 300kW, enabling vehicles to be 80% charged in 20 minutes.

In 2018, Xpeng Motors will build up Xpeng-exclusive charging piles in several first- and second-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen successively. Besides, it targets to set up 150 supercharging stations nationwide. Xpeng's charging piles are highlighted by beautiful appearance, short charging time and exclusive lots. Its self-developed supercharging piles also boast convenient usage.

A few days before, Xpeng Motors exposed its plan to raise RMB 10 billion ($1.6 billion) this year as the world's largest EV market were crowded with competitive rivals. The company also plans to start pre-sales of its first model, the G3 crossover, by the end of this month, He Xiaopeng, founder of Xpeng, disclosed in an interview at the Boao Forum. However, he did not elaborate on specific details on Xiaopeng's fundraising plan. Previously, Xpeng showed off its new G3 SUV at this year's CES in Las Vegas.
Hammerson has rejected a revised 5.04billion takeover bid from French group Klepierre, with the former's boss claiming the offer 'continues very significantly to undervalue the company.'

While Hammerson rebuffed Klepierre's revised bid of 635p per share, the board confirmed it was willing to discuss an offer that met its valuation.

Last week, Hammerson revealed it was putting the brakes on efforts to finalise a 3.4billion tie-up with Intu while it awaited clarity on Klepierre's position.

Bid: Hammerson has rejected a revised 5.04billion takeover bid from French group Klepierre

Hammerson made a 3.4billion all-share offer for rival Intu last December. A deal between Intu, which owns the Trafford Centre in Manchester, and Hammerson would create the UK's biggest property group.

The Intu deal would result in Hammerson shareholders owning 55 per cent of the combined firm and Intu investors the remainder.

In March, Hammerson, which owns the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham, rejected a bid of 615p per share from Klepierre, branding the bid 'wholly inadequate' and 'entirely opportunistic.'

Although two of its bids have already been rejected, Klepierre still has until 16 April to table a formal offer.

David Tyler, Hammerson's chairman, said: 'The board has considered the revised proposal from Klepierre carefully.

'At 635p, it is only a 3% increase on the previous proposal and continues very significantly to undervalue the company.'

FTSE 250 listed Hammerson's share price is up 0.36 per cent or 1.90p to 526.90p.

Earlier this month, Hammerson posted a 2 per cent drop in first quarter sales, blaming sluggish consumer confidence.

But, one of its sites, the Bicester Village shopping complex, delivered double-digit growth over the period.

The group also flagged a 3.5million hit to net rental income from the wave of retail restructurings and administrations that have afflicted the sector, including Toys R Us and New Look.

Halted: Talks between Trafford owner Intu and Hammerson have been halted

Hammerson owns 37 UK shopping centres and retail parks across the UK, Ireland and France including Brent Cross in north London, Cabot Circus in Bristol, Victoria Gate in Leeds and Westquay in Southampton.
RECORD HIT Passengers travelling through Gatwick Airport increased by 2.5 per cent in March compared with a year earlier as long haul flights soared in popularity  up 23.2 per cent.

The busiest March on record saw 3.5m customers pass through.

ROCK RISE Indoor climbing centre Rock Up is opening new sites at Intus Watford, and Rushden Lakes shopping centre in Northampton.

Sales grew 87 per cent last year. It hopes to reach 2.5million in sales this year.

CHINA RANGE Troubled department store House of Fraser is to sell upmarket Chinese brands previously unavailable in the UK.

SUN PROJECT Car maker Bentley Motors has started construction of a solar-powered car port with 10,000 solar panels over its workers car park at its HQ in Crewe.

The project will take around six months to complete and could help cover 24 per cent of Bentleys electricity needs.

ACCOUNTANT SUED A disgruntled business is suing accountant Grant Thornton over a tax avoidance scheme.

R&M Electrical used a programme developed by the bean-counter to offer its staff a low-tax award scheme that was later attacked by the tax inspectors HMRC.

R&M was landed with a 692,364 tax bill as a result and blames the debacle on Grant Thorntons negligence.

START-UP SLOWDOWN Investment in ambitious start-ups by venture capital firms slowed sharply in the first three months of 2018.

They pumped around 770million into fast-growing companies in the quarter, according to accountant KPMG, down from 2billion in the previous three months.

BANK BACKING UK trading tech firm Access Fintech has won a multi-million pound investment from Wall Street bank JP Morgan.

SCANDANAVIA SWITCH Producers of bitcoin are moving to Norway and Sweden to take advantage of the cheap hydroelectric power and low temperatures, which will mean that they will spend less on cooling their computers.

MIRROR PROBE The UKs competition watchdog is investigating Trinity Mirrors 126.7million deal to buy a string of titles from Richard Desmonds media empire.

The Competition and Markets Authority will weigh up whether Trinitys purchase of the brands, such as the Daily Express and the Daily Star, will hit competition in the UK media industry.
The deployment of National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border at President Donald Trump's request was underway Tuesday with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration.

The Trump administration also announced that Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will visit this week a stretch of new border wall breaking ground in New Mexico, putting additional focus on what Trump has called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime.

The construction and commitment of at least 1,600 Guard members from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas provoked fresh condemnation from immigrant activists and praise from border-state Republican governors, who will retain command-and-control of their state's Guard during a mission that for now has no firm end date.

The only holdout border state was California, led by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not announced whether troops from his state's National Guard will participate and has repeatedly clashed with Trump over immigration policy. The state was still reviewing Tuesday whether it join the effort, said Lt. Tom Keegan, a spokesman for the California National Guard.

National Guard troops guarded the border in Roma, Texas, on Tuesday; a deployment of Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border was already underway at President Donald Trump's request

Trump has called for a gradual ramp-up of troops to help curb the flow of illegal immigration, and Democrat-led California is the sole border-state holdout to refuse its guard troops

This section of the border wall that was recently built near the Mexican town of Anapra shows the new type of 'bollard' wall that will be built near Santa Teresa, New Mexico

A boy rides his bike along the International border in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico on Tuesday; Trump says there is a crisis of illegal immigrant crossings and crime there

Arizona's Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, front right, met with Arizona National Guard soldiers prior to their deployment to the Mexico border at the Papago Park Military Reservation on Monday

In Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to put more than 1,000 Guard members into action, military officials said Tuesday that 300 troops would report to armories this week for preparation and training. Texas has previously kept about 100 Guard members stationed on the border for years as part of its own border security efforts.

'What is different now it is happening in a different context and a different narrative,' said Fernando Garcia, director of the Border Network for Human Rights, an immigrant advocacy group.

Speaking from the Rio Grande Valley where immigrant crossings are the highest along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, Garcia said, 'When you hear the narrative of the president, it seems to him the enemy is the immigrant family.'

Abbott said in a statement Tuesday that the Guard has 'proven to have a meaningful impact' in reducing immigration and crime.

In the Texas border town of Roma, about a half-dozen uniformed Guard members were seen Tuesday near an international bridge along the Rio Grande. Children played just across the river in Mexico, and it wasn't clear whether the Guard members were new or part of Texas' earlier observe-and-report missions.

Children from Anapra, Mexico, climbed a section of the new border wall recently built near Santa Teresa, New Mexico on Monday

The International border cuts through Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, right, and Nogales, Ariz.

One guard member was armed with an M4 rifle and used binoculars to peer across the river. Pickup trucks with guard members inside circled the town square along with border patrol vehicles. Mexican children who had attended school on the U.S. side of the border showed their passports and paid a toll to cross a bridge over the river and walk home to the Mexican community of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.

Trump said last week he wants to send 2,000 to 4,000 National Guard members to the border, issuing a proclamation citing 'the lawlessness that continues at our southern border.'

Trump administration officials have said that rising numbers of people being caught at the southern border, while in line with seasonal trends in recent years, require an immediate response.

Monthly border arrests surpassed 50,000 in March for the first time since December 2016. The Border Patrol, which polices between but not at official crossings, made more than 37,000 of those arrests, including more than 14,000 in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, nearly 6,000 in its Tucson, Arizona, sector and more than 4,000 in San Diego.

Aaron Hull, chief patrol agent of the U. S. Customs and Border Protection's El Paso Sector, spoke Monday where construction of a new segment of the border wall will be built

A Customs and Border Patrol agent is seen patrolling a sliver of the vast international border on Tuesday

Inspectors at official crossings made nearly 13,000 arrests in March, led by the Laredo, Texas, field office with more than 4,800 and the San Diego field office with about 3,800.

Apprehensions are still well below their historical trends during the terms of former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, both of whom also deployed the Guard to the border.

Some Guard members will be armed if they are placed in potential danger, Abbott said, adding he wanted to downplay speculation that 'our National Guard is showing up with military bayonets trying to take on anybody that's coming across the border, because that is not their role.'

There is no end date for the deployment, Abbott said: 'We may be in this for the long haul.'

Trump has said he wants to use the military at the border until progress is made on his proposed border wall, which has mostly stalled in Congress. Defense Secretary James Mattis last Friday approved paying for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel from the Pentagon budget through the end of September.

Mexico's foreign relations secretary said his government is evaluating its cooperation with the United States.
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Donald Trump used Twitter on Wednesday to warn that a missile attack on Syria is imminent, hours after the Kremlin vowed to shoot down any rockets fired at the Assad regime in retaliation for last week's poison gas atrocity in the Damascus suburb of Douma.

The president tweeted: 'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'

Trump followed up with a second Twitter blast, claiming America's rapport with Moscow has never been worse.

'Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War,' he tweeted. 'There is no reason for this.'

'Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?'

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, said the U.S. military was ready to provide Trump with military options but asked if he had seen enough evidence to blame Assad, Mattis said: 'We're still working on this.'

Interfax reported in the late morning that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov scoffed at Trump's online brushback pitch.

'We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy,' Peskov said. 'We support serious approaches. We continue to believe that it is important not to take steps that could harm an already fragile situation.'

The Russian military had just announced a deployment of troops to Douma. Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces said military police would be there by Thursday to ensure 'security' of the town.

Poznikhir said 41,213 people, including 3,354 rebels and 8,642 members of their families, have left Douma with his military's assistance.

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer  armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  underway in the eastern Mediterranean

Twitter war: Trump, who signed an anti-sex trafficking bill in the Oval Office Wednesday, launched a fusillade against Russia and Syria earlier in the morning

Donald Trump today used Twitter to warn that a missile attack on Syria is imminent  hours after the Kremlin vowed to shoot down any rockets fired at the Assad regime in retaliation for last week's gas atrocity

The president declared Wednesday that the U.S.-Russia relationship has never been worse  not even during the Cold War

Trump, who had just threatened Moscow with a missile attack, blamed Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his election 'collusion' probe for 'bad blood' between the U.S. and the Kremlin

On station: The U.S. Navy released photographs of the USS Donald Cook departing Larnaca in Cyprus on Monday as it steamed towards missile range of Syria. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer has at least 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles embarked

The U.S. has maintained its threat of rocket attacks in response to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's sickening chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday

Conspiracy theories: Russia has claimed their military experts have found no evidence of poisonous substances at the site of Assad's latest chemical attacks - and insist the atrocity was faked by rescue volunteers. Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Syrian President Bashar Assad(right) were both threatened by Trump on Twitter

The Russian military claimed Wednesday that samples taken from the site of the chemical attack in Douma did not contain any poisonous substances.

Russian ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said the attack was a 'staged event' faked by provocateurs working with the White Helmets, a rescue and aid first-responder group whose work was chronicled in an Oscar-winning documentary film.

Separately, Trump suggested Wednesday that Moscow doesn't want to be wrapped up in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, which has been scouring Washington and New York for evidence that the president's 2016 campaign colluded with the Kremlin to help him win.

'Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama,' Trump wrote, adding that there is 'No Collusion, so they go crazy!'

His threats came hours after Moscow's ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, said any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down by Russia and the launch sites targeted. In response to Trump's tweet, Russia's foreign ministry said 'smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government.'

The Russian foreign ministry also claimed U.S. missiles would destroy 'all evidence' of a suspected chemical weapons attack.

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added: 'Or is it the original idea to use the smart missiles to sweep the traces of the provocation under the rug?' so inspectors would have nothing to inspect.

Both the Syrian government and Russia deny the attack ever took place. The top adviser to Iran's supreme leader said on Wednesday that Tehran would support Damascus against any foreign aggression.

The Syrian air defense system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system (pictured), which has been in place in Syria for more than a year

Military might: Russia has demonstrated the power of its S-400 defence systems in videos showing rockets being fired off

Donald Trump flexed his military muscle Tuesday by tweeting an Oval Office image of 19 of his most senior military commanders. The group is pictured above left to right, Army General Curtis Scaparrotti (1), Army General Mark Milley (2), Marine Corps General Robert Neller (3), U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft (4), Navy Admiral Kurt W. Tidd (5), Army General Raymond A Thomas (6), Marine Corps General Thomas D. Waldhauser (7), Air Force General Paul Selva (8), Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford (9), Defense Secretary James Mattis (10), President Donald Trump (11), Vice President Mike Pence (12), Navy Admiral Michael Rodgers (13), Navy Admiral John Richardson (14), Army General Joseph Votel (15), Air Force General David Goldfein (16), Air Force General John E Hyten (17), Air Force General Joseph L. Lengyel (18), Air Force General Lori Robinson (19), Patrick M. Shanahan (20), Navy Admiral Harry Harris (21), Air Force General Darren W McDew (22), U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Karl Schultz (23)

Russia's government claims the 'White Helmets' first-responder group faked the chemical weapons attack; one of their volunteers is pictured here yelling toward ambulances during a search for survivors of an explosion in the Syrian city of Idleb on Tuesda

In strike range: The USS Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer is now close to Syrian waters, and in missile range of Bashar Assad's regime

Syria's foreign ministry claimed Wednesday that Trump's government is using 'lies and fabrication' as an excuse to launch an attack.

According to SANA, the state news agency, a ministry official said: 'We are not surprised by such a thoughtless escalation by a regime like the United States regime, which sponsored terrorism in Syria and still does.'

Trump's apparent decision to telegraph his military moves flies in the face of a pledge he made last year at Fort Myer, near Washington, D.C.

'America's enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out. I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will,' he said August 21.

That mirrored complaints he tweeted more than five years ago when President Barack Obama was openly contemplating military action in Syria: 'For all of those fools that want to attack Syria, the U.S.has lost the vital element of surprise-so stupid-could be a disaster!'

'In war, the elememt [sic] of surprise is sooooo important,' Trump added then. 'What the hell is Obama doing.'

Defense Secretary James Mattis, too, has expressed a strong preference for surprise attacks over advance warnings, writing in the 2018 National Defense Strategy document that America's military should 'be strategically predictable, but operationally unpredictable.'

Wednesday morning saw a dramatic ratcheting of tensions in the Middle East where Russian forces are propping up dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and American forces are backing some of his opponents.

Britain, France and the U.S. continued to discuss possible strikes to punish Assad for the chemical attack on Saturday, in which 43 were killed and others left gasping for air and foaming at the mouth.

The U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order Wednesday morning with a Navy destroyer  armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  en route in the eastern Mediterranean.

Amid rising tensions, Moscow's United Nations envoy Vasily Nebenzia had earlier pleaded with America not to strike and warned the U.S. it will 'bear responsibility' for any 'illegal military adventure' it carries out.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged restraint this morning, saying countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilize the war-torn country.

On Wednesday the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria. It said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within the next three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

'Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area,' it said, referring to the designated airspace.

Aviation regulators in countries including the US, UK, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace leading most carriers to avoid the area.

The only commercial flights above Syria as of 9:15 p.m. Tuesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

This morning, the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria. It said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within the next three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment. Flight path monitoring websites showed that few if any aircraft were flying over the country this morning

Five hundred people poisoned in Syrian gas attack, WHO reveals Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas outrage that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed. WHO demanded 'immediate' access to the victims in rebel-held Douma as it revealed the total number of people who reported to hospital showing 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'. The atrocity, blamed on Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad's forces, has sparked a global outcry with the US and its allies considering taking military action in response. Volunteers give aid to children at a hospital following the chemical attack in Douma While the WHO statement did not confirm outright that a chemical weapons attack had taken place, it said more than 70 people sheltering in basements have died with 43 of those deaths related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals. 'We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma' where Saturday's attack took place, said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response. 'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' he added. Citing information previously released by local health organizations, WHO said that 'an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'. Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas attack that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed 'There were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed,' the statement added. The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and UN-backed war crimes investigators. WHO has delivered medicine capable of treating certain types of chemical agents to clinics through a series of humanitarian convoys deployed across the country in recent years. UN officials have also accused Assad's troops of at times removing those treatments from humanitarian vehicles. Advertisement

Trump blasted his predecessor Barack Obama in 2003 for telegraphing his military moves in the Middle East  the same thing he appears to be doing this week.

The Eurocontrol statement included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus.

The Nicosia flight information region named in the Eurocontrol statement on Tuesday covers the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters, according to a map on the agency's website. The same map did not designate any specific territory as being the 'Eastern Mediterranean' region.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, getting underway in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday after completing a port call in Cyprus.

The guided missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria following an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians.

Also, the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe.

The U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning and the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe

France, under Emmanuel Macron (left), warned it would retaliate against the Syrian regime if evidence emerged that the 'red line' of chemical weapons had been crossed in rebel-held Douma. Prime Minister Theresa May (right) described the attack as 'barbaric'

The Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier (file picture) and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe

Trump has warned there would be a 'big price to pay,' and Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley made it clear that the failure to secure a Security Council vote would not hold America and its allies back. Pictured: Sailors prepare F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets for take off during a routine training aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the South China sea on Tuesday

The strike group will be accompanied by a German frigate FGS Hessen, a state-of-the-art vessel specialising in air defense which officials say is the only type of warship in the Western world with three kinds of surface-to-air missiles.

Its radar has a detection range of more than 200 nautical miles for air targets.

In the face of intense world outrage, the United Nations Security Council failed to agree a global response to the chemical attack on Tuesday, after Washington and Moscow opposed each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into poison gas use in the seven-year-old conflict.

Trump has made it clear he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

But Russia has warned against action and this morning defense committee lawmaker Andrei Krasov said the Kremlin would treat a U.S. airstrike on Syria 'not just as an act of aggression but a war crime of the Western coalition.'

His comments followed those of senior Russian lawmaker and retired general Vladimir Shamanov, who said on Tuesday that a U.S. strike could hurt Russian servicemen and trigger Russian retaliation.

He said that Russia has 'the necessary means for that and the Americans and their allies know that quite well.'

Shamanov emphasized that a retaliatory Russian strike could target U.S. navy ships and aircraft. He added that the use of nuclear weapons is 'unlikely.'

According to rescue workers, on Saturday more than 40 people died in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma in an alleged chemical attack, which left victims struggling to breathe, foaming at the mouth and with discolored skin.

How Russia could use its fearsome S-400 defence system to shoot down missiles aimed at Syria A Russian ambassador has warned that Russia would shoot down incoming missiles and attack their launching platforms in the event of a strike on Syria. A similar warning has been issued in the past by the chief of staff of Russia's armed forces. The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system, which has been in place in Syria for more than a year. This poses a lethal threat to modern jets. Sources said it is likely any attack by the US, Britain and France would be carried out from a safe enough distance to avoid planes being shot down. The most advanced of Russia's terrifying S-400 systems is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives, according to Russian media. The most advanced of Russia's terrifying S-400 systems is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives, according to Russian media. In 2015, pictures emerged of the state-of-the-art missile systems' arrival to the battlefields of Syria The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system (pictured), which has been in place in Syria for more than a year It can engage targets at a distance of 250 miles and at an altitude of up to 19 miles. In January, it was reported that contracts for S-400 deliveries were inked with China and Turkey and that negotiations were also underway to sell the system to Saudi Arabia. Dmitri Trenin, the head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and a former Soviet military officer, raised the terrifying prospect of a military clash between world superpowers. He said: 'The U.S. and Russia are now closer to a direct collision between their military forces than at any time since the cold war. 'The only question on my mind: will Russia hit back at the U.S. when it launches strikes against Damascus?' In recent weeks the Russian military has reportedly began jamming some smaller U.S. military drones operating in the skies over Syria. According to four U.S. officials speaking to NBC news, this has affected American military operations. The officials said the Russian military was concerned the U.S. military would retaliate for the attacks and began jamming the GPS systems of drones operating in the area. Last year Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike (pictured) against the Syrian regime's al-Shayrat airbase following a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of civilians The drones impacted so far were smaller surveillance aircraft, as opposed to the larger Predators and Reapers that often operate in combat environments and can be armed. Last year Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike against the Syrian regime's al-Shayrat airbase following a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of civilians. Russian forces did not shoot down the missile using its air defence systems stationed in the region. At that time the U.S. gave Russia advance warning of that attack through a de-confliction notice. But Russian military brass have signaled that their response could be different. In March, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, said: 'In the case of a threat to the lives of our servicemen, the Russian military armed forces will take response measures against both the rockets, and the platforms from which they're fired.' By MailOnline reporter and Larisa Brown, Defence and Security Editor for the Daily Mail Advertisement

The WHO also condemned the suspected chemical weapons attack, in which it said an estimated 500 patients went to health facilities with 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals.'

'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' Peter Salama, WHO deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement issued in Geneva.

U.N. aid agencies do not have access to most of the enclave of eastern Ghouta, including Douma, where the alleged attack occurred. The Syrian government has denied responsibility.

But the United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Trump has warned there would be a 'big price to pay,' and Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley made it clear that the failure to secure a Security Council vote would not hold America and its allies back.

'Russia has trashed the credibility of the council,' she said. 'Whenever we propose anything meaningful on Syria, Russia vetoes it. It is a travesty.'

Haley dismissed the Russian draft as 'all about protecting the Assad regime' because of provisions that would have required the Security Council to endorse its findings -- in other words, giving Russia a veto over any attempt to apportion blame.

Volunteers spray a man with water at a makeshift hospital in Douma on April 7. International tensions are mounting over possible airstrikes in the wake of the sickening chemical attack

Russia, in turn, vetoed the US-backed motion, which would have re-established an international Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to probe chemical strikes in Syria and to identify culprits.

Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Haley of seeking a vote to provide cover for a Western military strike on Assad, which now seems all the more likely.

'If you took the decision to carry out an illegal military adventure, and we do hope that you will come to your senses, well then you will have to bear responsibility for it,' he said.

Both Trump and his defense secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook  a guided-missile destroyer  moved to within striking range of Syria.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response 'in the coming days.'

'Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities,' he said, insisting he did 'not want an escalation.'

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a settlement in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

The OPCW said it would 'shortly' deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but U.S. officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

Damascus also mobilized overnight Tuesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said the army had 'put all military positions on alert, including airports and all bases, for a period of 72 hours.'

A source from a pro-regime unit told AFP Tuesday there were 'precautionary measures being taken by the Syrian army, especially the airports and military bases.'

Residents in the capital were also bracing for a potential response.

'I have lived through seven American presidents, but Trump is the craziest and his administration is unbalanced,' said Abu Fadi, 70.

'I think his threats are to be feared, and we should take them seriously.'

In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

Douma has been heavily bombed by the regime and Russia making it extremely difficult for media, including AFP, to independently verify the claims.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the OPCW should be granted unfettered access to investigate.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for attacks, and the joint OPCW-UN taskforce that once did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed the Syria regime.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

Trump has threatened to respond 'forcefully' to the most recent allegations, saying the U.S. had 'a lot of options militarily' and would decide in the coming days.

The White House said that, in a telephone call, Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May 'agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.'
A former spy who claims he was threatened with execution for trying to help a Dubai princess flee to America in a daring sea rescue has opened up for the first time about his terrifying ordeal.

Jean-Pierre Herve Jaubert, 62, said he was beaten, blindfolded and interrogated for hours under the threat of death after being seized by soldiers acting on the orders of the billionaire ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

He had allegedly ordered his forces to swoop on Jauberts yacht after discovering the ex-counter intelligence officer had helped Princess Latifa Maktoum, 33, flee Dubai and seek political asylum.

Scroll down for video

Jean-Pierre Herve Jaubert, 62, said he was beaten, blindfolded and interrogated for hours

Jauvert, right, mounted the rescue bid with Tiina Jauhiainen, a Finnish martial artist, left

He said he had been trying to help Sheikha Latifa  daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the UAE  to escape and seek political asylum in the United States

The Nostromo sailing yacht aboard which the failed escape attempt took place

Jaubert, who mounted the bold rescue operation, posing at the wheel of the Nostromo

Jaubert, a dual French-American national, claimed he was repeatedly told he would never see his family again in a UAE prison. He was held with Princess Latifas best friend Tiina Jauhiainen, 41, a glamorous Finnish martial artist who was also involved in the failed escape.

The pair said they spent days being interrogated for up to 20 hours without food and water.

They were released without charge after MailOnline broke the story of Princess Latifas bid to start a new life and the authorities in Dubai knew they could not keep their capture and imprisonment secret, they said.

In a video exclusively obtained by MailOnline, Princess Latifa had described how she was kept as a virtual prisoner in her own home and was desperate to lead a normal life away from her allegedly controlling father.

She funded the trip for her escape and enlist the help of Jaubert and Jauhiainen.

Jaubert told MailOnline: 'From the moment we were captured, I was told I would be executed. They said I would never see my family again and I believed them. It was terrifying. I had already been beaten when they boarded my yacht.

No one knew where we were and all the time we were in Dubai we were being held in prison. They could do what they wanted.

Jauhiainen was convinced that she would die. I have never been so scared in my life, she said. The interrogation would go on for hours and whatever they said the men kept on saying I was lying. It was awful. They just kept on asking all the same questions and I tried to tell them I was telling the truth.

The pairs ordeal began after they sailed in international waters off the coast of Goa on Jauberts US-registered yacht Nostromo.

Princess Latifa and Jauhiainen had managed to leave Dubai by car and drive to the Oman coast where Jaubert was waiting to pick them up and sail to India.

The pair posing in London after their exclusive interview with MailOnline today

Jaubert on the beach before the attempted rescue of the Dubai princess that failed

Former French spy Jean-Pierre Herve Jaubert who says he helped a 'runaway princess' escape from Dubai in a luxury yacht claims they were 'blindfolded, handcuffed and beaten' by soldiers before being sent back to the UAE

Mr Jaubert said he was arrested along with Latifa and Finnish woman Tina Jauhiainen (above) on the yacht Nostromo in a raid, according to the campaign group Detained In Dubai

The Princess  who claimed she had previously been jailed by her father for three years as a teenager for trying to leave the country  had financed the escape bid.

She already had a lawyer in Florida ready to apply for political asylum and had told Jaubert she was so desperate to leave she would rather flip burgers that stay in her own country.

The Princess had first contacted Jaubert at his home in the Philippines after reading how he had fled from Dubai in 2008 amid accusations of corruption by dressing up in a burka to fool immigration agents.

Jaubert agreed to help and after months of secret communication with the Princess he was in place off the Oman coast by the end of February.

Jauhiainen and the Princess were picked up by Jaubert from a secluded beach on a jet ski and taken to the yacht.

After a week at sea, Jaubert claims they were being tracked by reconnaissance planes and 50miles off Goa they were boarded by the Indian coastguard.

Jaubert said: They threw stun grenades on the deck and I was beaten to the ground. Blood was coming from my head but they continued to kick and punch me. They were brutal and held a gun to my head all the time.

Jauhiainen and Princess Latifa hid below in a cabin along with three Filipino crew members, but were dragged at gunpoint up to the deck.

When I came up, they had the red laser sights from their guns on my body. It was terrifying,' she said.

I was dragged to the side of the yacht and they held my head over the side and asked if I wanted to die. They said I could make it easier if I just jumped in the sea and drowned.'

Jauhiainen said they saw Princess Latifa being dragged off the boat. She was screaming for the men to shoot her, saying she would rather die than be taken back to Dubai,' she said. 'They would not listen to her. She was saying she wanted political asylum.

In an extraordinary audio statement released through DID, Mr Jaubert claimed the raid was carried out by 'five warships, two planes and a helicopter'

It was the last time Jaubert and Jauhiainen would see the princess. They do not even know if she is still alive as the Dubai authorities have refused to make any comment about her.

With the Princess spirited away, Jaubert and Jauhiainen were taken back to Dubai on a warship. Their interrogators accused them of kidnapping her and spent hours quizzing them at the notorious Al Razeen prison.

I thought I was a dead man. They were going to kill me, said Jaubert. One of the interrogators said I would not have a quick death but a slow death and they were going to tear my flesh off piece by piece.

While the ex-French Navy officer was able to fall back on his military training, Jauhiainen was left traumatised by her ordeal.

She said: We were in a room and there were several men sitting behind a table. They always had one woman in the room while the interrogation went on.

The questions would be the same and whatever I told them they would shout back "tell us the truth".'

Jaubert said he was told he had broken Islamic Law which states that women are the custody of their father, husband or brother.

The aggressive tone of questioning suddenly softened on March 9th after MailOnline published the story of Princess Latifas escape bid.

We revealed how she wanted to start a new life in America free from the oppression of the Arab state. In an emotional video, Latifa described how she was forced to stick to a curfew, not allowed to drive and had her passport taken away.

She also claimed she had been jailed for three years, drugged and kept in hospital after attempting to flee when she was 18 years old.

Latifa, one of 30 children the Dubai ruler has with six wives, made the video as she feared her escape bid would fail and she would be imprisoned for the rest of her life.

Jaubert said: 'After the MailOnline story was published the whole tone of the interrogators changed. They knew what had happened was no longer a secret and we could not be hushed up.

The interrogators started asking me if I would change my story and say that Latifa came back to Dubai of her own free will.

Jaubert was taken back to his yacht and Jauhiainen was put on an Emirates flight to London.

She said: 'I cannot describe the relief I felt when the plane landed at Heathrow. I knew then I was finally free and just wanted to be back with my family in Finland.

Jaubert was not allowed to make contact with his family for six days as he sailed to Sri Lanka. As a dual French-American national, he has filed a complaint with the FBI over his kidnapping.

He said the Indian authorities, who were acting on the orders of the Dubai ruler, have to be held to account. Meanwhile, campaign group Detained In Dubai, which is fighting to free the princess, plans to use every legal avenue to force the Dubai authorities to reveal what has happened to her.

Founder Radha Stirling called on the international community to demand answers from Dubai over her fate.

The Frenchman said he was eventually released but that he believed Latifa was still being held. Latifa - who sent MailOnline a copy of her passport - is trying to seek political asylum in the US

Latifa sent a photo of her UAE identity card (pictured). She claims she was jailed for three years in Dubai and drugged in hospital by doctors to stop her rebelling and causing trouble

It is immoral and criminal that a country can act in this way, said Stirling. We are doing everything we can to find out what has happened to Latifa. They have tried to silence Herve and Tiina and that has failed.

Before her capture Latifa made other videos that contain very damaging allegations against Sheikh Maktoum.

The nonprofit has been boosted in their campaign by support from internet entrepreneur Kim Dot Com. In a series of Tweets, he pledged his support to find out what has happened to the Princess.

Spread the word about the bravery of Princess Latifa. A victory for her is a victory for all oppressed women in the Middle East. Your time has come,' he said in a tweet.

The United Arab Emirates Embassy refused to comment.




A sailor who died during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor will be honored after his remains are brought home this summer.

Glenn Tipton was killed aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma nearly 77 years ago.

The boat capsized in the attack by the Japanese aircraft, killing more than 400 of the men on board, the Jonesboro Sun reported.

Tipton, who was from Arkansas, was identified after his remains were matched to DNA his family submitted five years ago to the US Navy as part of its efforts to distinguish the remains of sailors.

Glenn Tipton, who was from Arkansas, was identified after his remains were matched to DNA his family submitted five years ago to the US Navy as part of its efforts to distinguish the remains of sailors. Pictured is the USS Oklahoma, which he was a crew member on

Tipton was killed aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma (pictured after the attack) nearly 77 years ago. The boat capsized in the attack by the Japanese aircraft, killing more than 400 of the men on board

A funeral ceremony will be held in honor of the Purple Heart recipient at the Wings of Honor museum in Walnut Ridge once his remains have been returned to Lawrence County.

Harold Johnson, who runs the museum, says he and his staff are extremely honored by the family's choice to use their facility for the funeral.

During his service Tipton was one of about 1,500 crew members aboard the USS Oklahoma, which launched in 1914.

It wasn't decommissioned until late into the Second World War, but saw no combat after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

A funeral ceremony will be held in honor of the Purple Heart recipient at the Wings of Honor museum in Walnut Ridge once his remains have been returned to Lawrence County. The USS Oklahoma floats capsized after the attack
A home security alarm in Melbourne rang non-stop for an entire week, forcing sleepless and infuriated neighbours to wear earmuffs and earplugs as the owner of the house was allegedly oblivious and overseas.

The alarm began ringing at 5am last Wednesday and continued to ring incessantly until it was deactivated an entire seven days later, despite regular calls to authorities.

Exasperated neighbours were told the alarm at the residential property in the leafy outer Melbourne suburb of Eltham could only be cut if the owner or police granted permission to enter the property, a spokesman for Nillumbik Shire Council said.

A home security alarm in Melbourne's north-east (pictured) rang non-stop for an entire week, forcing sleepless and infuriated neighbours to wear earmuffs and earplugs

The alarm began ringing at 5am last Wednesday and continued to ring incessantly until it was deactivated an entire seven days later, despite regular calls to authorities

One neighbour said he resorted to wearing earmuffs and earplugs just to escape the noise, the ABC reported.

'I sleep with the ear plugs on and I'm putting the fan on at night time so I can try and block the sound, which is much louder at night time,' Rod said.

'We're all getting very jittery because we can't go outside without listening to this,' another neighbour Angie said.

The alarm could even be heard from further afield with one man saying he heard it loud and clear from his house 1.5km away.

'It started seven days ago and it's been going continuously day and night since then. Last night my wife was in tears,' Charles said (stock image)

'It started seven days ago and it's been going continuously day and night since then. Last night my wife was in tears,' Charles said.

The neighbours repeatedly called police, their local council, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the security firm monitoring the alarm.

Although the EPA is responsible for the legislation governing residential noise, it is the local council and police who are the responding authorities.

Eltham police were aware of alarm and made enquiries to abate the noise, a Victoria Police spokesperson told the ABC.

After seven days of unrelenting noise, neighbours can finally sleep in peace after the alarm was deactivated by a contractor from the insurance agency.

The EPA is currently conducting a review of residential noise regulations.

It is understood that the owner of the house is currently overseas.

A spokesman for Nillumbik Shire Council said it was willing to pay for an electrician to cut the alarm but only if the owner or police granted permission to enter the property




For someone who just got raided by the FBI, Michael Cohen doesn't seem too stressed.

Donald Trump's longtime lawyer was all smiles as he left a swanky French bistro in Manhattan on Tuesday night.

Cohen seemed to be in high spirits as he was spotted leaving La Goulue in the Upper East Side, which is on the same block as his hotel.

Donald Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen was all smiles as he left a swanky French bistro in Manhattan on Tuesday night, a day after his office and home was raided by the FBI

Cohen seemed to be in high spirits as he was spotted leaving La Goulue in the Upper East Side

The sighting comes just hours after Cohen hailed the FBI agents for being 'professional, courteous, and respectful'

The sighting comes just hours after Cohen hailed the FBI agents for being 'professional, courteous, and respectful'.

Agents seized tax documents and business records as they raided the Loews Regency hotel on Park Avenue where Cohen had been staying, and his office in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, just above NBC's studios, on Monday.

Cohen gave the compliment in an interview to cable host Don Lemon, who in the past has come in for ridicule by Trump on CNN, a network Trump regularly trashes.

Trump last year tweeted Lemon was the 'dumbest man on television!' and said he 'never' watches him.

'I am unhappy to have my personal residence and office raided,' Cohen admitted in his call to Lemon on CNN.

Cohen did tell Lemon that he was unhappy to have his 'personal residence and office raided'

But Cohen said he also thanked the FBI investigators 'at the conclusion' of the raid on Monday

Cohen said he is loyal to Trump but would now rethink the payments to Daniels, who he gave $130,000 as part of a non-disclosure agreement

Cohen is pictured here returning to the Loews Regency hotel on Park Avenue on Tuesday

'But I will tell you that members of the FBI that conducted the search and seizure were all extremely professional, courteous and respectful. And I thanked them at the conclusion.'

Cohen, whose lawyer said documents related to Stormy Daniels were being sought, did allow that the raid was 'upsetting to say the least,' and mentioned the strain it put on his family.

'I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No,' Cohen told Lemon.

Cohen said he is loyal to Trump but said he would now rethink the payments to Daniels, who he gave $130,000 through an LLC he set up as part of a non-disclosure agreement between him and the porn star.

Trump didn't sign it, though there was a line for a Trump pseudonym that remained blank.

Cohen didn't comment further on the raid  following reports it related to Daniels and former Playboy cover model Karen McDougal, who also claimed to have an affair with Trump

Trump last year tweeted Lemon was the 'dumbest man on television!' and said he 'never' watches him

He didn't comment further on the substance of the raid  following reports it related to Daniels, former Playboy cover model Karen McDougal who claims she had an affair with Trump, Cohen's taxi medallion holdings, and potential alleged bank fraud.

Trump on Monday called the raid 'an attack on our country and what we all stand for.'

He said agents 'broke into' Cohen's Manhattan office, although the FBI acted under legally authorized search warrants.

'This is the most biased group of people. These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I've ever seen. Democrats all, just about all,' Trump said, although Mueller himself is a Republican.

Michael Cohen, a personal attorney for President Trump, had his hotel room and office both raided by the FBI acting on the instructions of the attorney general

Cohen had been living at the Loews Regency on Park Avenue, close to Trump Tower, and had FBI agents raid his room there on Monday morning

'COURTEOUS': Cohen's offices are in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which is also home to many of NBC's most high-profile shows including The Today Show, Nightly News and Saturday Night Live

Trump also went after Attorney General Jeff Sessions  whose decision to recuse himself set in motion events that led to the appointment of Mueller by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein (right) who is revealed to have okayed the raid after hearing from Mueller

Trump also went after Attorney General Jeff Sessions  whose decision to recuse himself set in motion events that led to the appointment of Mueller by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who is revealed to have permitted the raid after hearing from Mueller.

'He should have certainly let us know if he was going to recuse himself and we would have put a different attorney general in,' said Trump, revising a longtime anger at the situation.

Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has said Cohen is being a 'scapegoat' who would take the fall for Trump.

A campaign watchdog has argued Cohen's payment to Daniels constitutes a campaign violation by Cohen  unless Trump were to say the payment were made on his behalf, which might be legal but politically damaging for the president.

Avenatti told MSNBC he 'feels sorry' for Cohen.

'Well, part of me does just because of the seriousness of this matter,' Avenatti said, the Hill reported.

'This guy, I think, has been put in a position where he is going to be  he is going to be expected to be the fall guy, the scapegoat. I don't think he is going to hold up,' he said.
Workers renovating the old Dayton's department store in downtown Minneapolis have discovered the mummified remains of a monkey on site.

Crews found the carcass last week in an air duct on the seventh floor of the century-old building.

Cailin Rogers is a spokeswoman for the Dayton's Project, an office, retail and restaurant complex going into the building. She says developers don't know where the monkey came from or how it ended up in the air duct.

A historic site called Old Minneapolis posted a photo of the monkey on its Facebook page and solicited answers.

Rumours abounded that the monkey came from a pet store on the seventh floor of the old building

Dayton's department store was undergoing crucial restoration work when the monkey was found

Alan Freed is one of the site's co-administrators. He says one likely answer came from someone who posted on the page saying a longtime Dayton's employee told him a monkey escaped from an eighth-floor pet store into the air conditioning ductwork in the 1960s.

The Old Minneapolis Facebook post read: 'Old Minneapolitan Adam Peterson is working on the rehab and shared this amazing photo with us showing the perished primate - which revealed itself in a ceiling during the renovation.

'Does anyone know how a monkey would have ended up in the rafters of an urban department store and remain there undisturbed for probably decades?

'We have some theories, but they are nothing more than speculation.'

The Old Minneapolis Facebook feed was soon buzzing with theories - with commentators suggesting it may have come from an old pet store.

John Burke said: 'Wen I was young we went to Dayton's Department Store for a circus on the top floor. There were many animals including an elephant. If memory serves there were also monkeys.

The old building is well known by locals and has been a landmark in Minneapolis for over a centrury

'I wonder if one of the monkeys got lost in the rafters and died there to be found so many years later.

While Thomas Cornell agreed: 'Daytons used to have a pet store on the 8th floor near the toy section.'

But Liz Martin suggested: 'It didn't crawl up into the ceiling and die. It was already dead and someone put it up there.'

And Yvon Lynch commented: 'This is very sad....what a tragic ending for an innocent animal.'
Four bosses at the City predator trying to buy engineering firm GKN were paid nearly 170million last year.

The executives who run turnaround specialist Melrose scooped more than 42million each in 2017, according to company accounts filed last night.

They are now chasing an even bigger payday through the planned 8billion takeover of GKN. Capturing the historic British firm could net them a further windfall of around 285million.

Four bosses at the City predator trying to buy engineering firm GKN were paid nearly 170million last year

As pressure mounted on Business Secretary Greg Clark to block the GKN deal, campaigners branded the pay deals the 'unacceptable face of capitalism'.

Melrose chief executive Simon Peckham, 55, took home 42.7million, chairman Christopher Miller, 66, was paid 42.3million, David Roper, 67, earned 42.3million, and finance chief Geoffrey Martin was handed 42.5million.

'These are extraordinary sums of money, ten times higher than the average for a FTSE-100 chief executive, let alone an ordinary worker,' said Luke Hildyard, director of the High Pay Centre campaign group. 'Melrose are involved in a highly controversial takeover, supported by hedge funds and opposed by workers' representatives.

'To see a group of executives rewarded so extravagantly, by a committee of other wealthy business leaders and financiers at the same time, makes it very difficult to argue that the UK's economic model is working functionally or fairly.

'It makes Melrose look like the unacceptable face of capitalism.'

Sir Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats and former business secretary, said: 'This is an absolutely scandalous amount of money. You have a British engineering company being taken over and the only people benefiting are the directors of Melrose and the market speculators.

MI5 to have its say over takeover Security services will be given a say on the 8billion takeover of engineering giant GKN. The Mail understands MI5 and MI6 will be able to raise any concerns during a wide-ranging government probe into whether the deal should be blocked on national security concerns. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has already raised concerns about the takeover of the engineering giant, which makes parts for fighter jets, bombers and military cargo planes. Pressure is also mounting on Business Secretary Greg Clark to block the proposed takeover by Melrose. The firm is seeking approval from security authorities in the US, France and Germany for its bid, which is due to be finalised next Friday. Labour MP Jack Dromey, who has been campaigning against the buyout, said: If British security sources are concerned over the Melrose bid that makes it all the more important that Greg Clark should call in the takeover. There can be no question of Melrose doing anything without the defence and security implications being seriously examined. Mr Clark has indicated that he has no objection to the deal in principle, saying that no British firm was immune from takeover and shareholders had decided they wanted new management. Advertisement

'It is a terrible way to treat British industry. I hope Melrose shareholders exercise some kind of discipline because this sets a terrible example in business.'

Melrose launched its takeover battle for GKN in early January. It narrowly won the bid less than two weeks ago, with 52 per cent of the vote of shareholders.

Its success came despite stiff opposition from politicians, unions, and some GKN customers and shareholders, who fear that Melrose's model of selling firms on at a profit within three to five years will harm GKN and the UK.

Opponents criticised the fact that speculators bought up GKN's shares during the bid process and made a killing when the takeover succeeded.

The four Melrose bosses' huge pay packets last year came in the form of shares awarded under long-term incentive plans based on the company's performance over the previous five years.

Each earned shares under a long-term incentive plan worth 41.7million, in addition to a basic salary of 475,000 for Mr Miller, Mr Roper and Mr Peckham, and 380,000 for Mr Martin.

Melrose bosses are now in line for a potential 285million payday based on another incentive plan, which pays out in line with the company's increase in value.

A Melrose spokesman said last night: 'Melrose is a company which has tremendous support from long-term institutions, pension funds and investors who entrust us to look after their interests for the long term. We invest hundreds of millions in the businesses we own and that's why they enjoy the success they do.'
A French citizen has been charged with raping a teenage British backpacker at a popular resort in Thailand.

The alleged attack took place on Koh Tao, an island that draws divers from all over the world.

The 18-year-old backpacker, whose name has been withheld, claims she was drugged before being raped.

Thai police identified the suspect as 26-year-old French national, Yohan Michael Tunka Buaga. He was arrested on Saturday and charged with rape on Monday.

Yohan Michael Tunka Buaga allegedly raped the girl on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand

Police are holding him on the nearby island of Koh Samui. 'The suspect has admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim, but he said that it was consensual and not rape,' said Piyapong Boonkaew, a spokesman for the police force on Koh Tao.

The lieutenant colonel added: 'We are now investigating the case and waiting for forensic examination.'

The offence is said to have taken place last Wednesday.

Koh Tao made headlines in 2014 when the bodies of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found on one of the island's beaches having been bludgeoned to death.

Koh Tao became known as 'death island' after a spate of tourist deaths in recent years

Two Myanmar migrant workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun, were found guilty in 2015 of killing the pair.

Thailand remains a popular destination for travellers on a budget and tourism is a vital part of the economy.

But a spate of crimes against visitors in recent years has raised questions about tourist safety in the country.

Lawyers for both the suspect and the alleged victim could not be reached for comment.
A Reddit user who posted a pornographic video purporting to feature Hillary Clinton has reportedly been traced to a notorious Russia-based 'troll farm'.

The account, Rubinjer, was the Russia-linked agency's most popular account on Reddit and received almost 100,000 upvotes in its lifecycle before it was shut down by the site,nbcnews.com reported.

One of Rubinjer's posts on Reddit's largest pro-Trump community, r/The_Donald, titled 'This is How Hillary gets black votes', links to an animated gif of the fake porn video that is still available on the platform.

The sex tape falsely showing Hillary Clinton was posted five times to PornHub under the name 'Leaked Hillary Clinton's Hotel Sex Tape with Black Guy' and also the porn site SpankBang

A view of a Buisness center, believed to be the location of the new 'troll factory' in St.Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018

Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, serves food to Vladimir Putin during dinner at Prigozhin's restaurant outside Moscow, Russia in 2011. Progozhin, known as 'Putin's chef', has been charged by the U.S. government of playing a part in vast and wide-ranging efforts to sway political opinion during the 2016 U.S. presidential election

The same sex tape was posted five times to PornHub under the name 'Leaked Hillary Clinton's Hotel Sex Tape with Black Guy,' and also the porn site SpankBang.

The video was viewed more than 250,000 times on Pornhub.

A whistleblower from the Internet Research Agency, former employee Alan Baskaev, told Russia's TV Rain last October that the troll farm had created a fake Hillary Clinton porn video, NBC reported.

The video itself was not linked to a troll farm account until Reddit released usernames tied to the Russia-linked agency Tuesday, NBC said.

The graphic video shows a blonde woman and a black man having sex through a mock hidden camera in what appears to be a hotel room.

Rubinjer was the only user to post the video, and the account pushed the content on several platforms, both as animated GIFs and full videos, before the 2016 election.

Reddit is the fourth-most-visited website in the United States, according to the web analytics company Alexa.

How the Russians meddled in the 2016 election A 37-page indictment released Feb. 16, 2018 by the U.S. Department of Justice accuses 13 Russians and 3 Russian companies of conspiring to compromise the most recent U.S. elections by running online campaigns disguised to look like home-grown activity. A federal grand jury charged that they: posed as both real and nonexistent Americans to operate social media pages and groups supporting Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders

worked to undermine support for Hillary Clinton and at leas two of Trump's Republican rivals

conducted 'information warfare' by stealing identities and buying ads on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter

created niche groups on Facebook to attract hundreds of thousands of Muslims, evangelical Christians, people associated with Black Lives Matter, and Americans from specific regions of the country

organized real-life political rallies to support Trump and oppose Clinton

created Twitter accounts with names meant to appear linked to the Republican Party (one had more than 100,000 followers)

used foreign bank accounts to route more than $1.25 million per month to the project from companies owned by a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin

never reported the spending to the Federal Election Commission as campaign expenses

never registered as foreign agents with the Justice Department

bought space on computer servers based in America so all their Internet traffic would appear to be domestic Advertisement

It is home to one of the largest and most popular Donald Trump fan communities on the web, r/The_Donald, where Trump once gave a Q-and-A during his presidential campaign.

In a separate development Reddit announced on Tuesday that it had taken down nearly 1,000 accounts suspected of links to Russia's Internet Research Agency.

The company said 316 posts from the Russian accounts were made on the popular pro-Trump page, The_Donald, which reflected intense support for the New York businessman during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Internet Research Agency, based in St. Petersburg, Russia, employs hundreds of people to push pro-Kremlin content under phony social media accounts, according to U.S. lawmakers and researchers.

The office of U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russians and three Russian companies, including the Internet Research Agency, with engaging in a criminal and espionage conspiracy to tamper with the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign to support Donald Trump and disparage Hillary Clinton.

A court document released in February said those accused 'had a strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election'.

Moscow denies any meddling in the 2016 elections to help Republican Trump win.

U.S. Senator Mark Warner said in a statement following the Reddit announcement that 'as the 2018 elections approach, I will continue pressing the nation's intelligence leaders and social media companies to be far more aggressive and proactive in responding to this threat'.




New information has surfaced on the disappearance of 28-year-old Allecha Suzette Boyd, who went missing in August last year, which police believe may help locate her body.

Police are conducting a large scale search of a state forest near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, this morning, despite earlier searches around the area being unsuccessful.

Ms Boyd was last seen travelling as a passenger in a green Subaru between Wagga Wagga and Coolamon in the NSW Riverina region on August 10.

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New information has surfaced on the disappearance of 28-year-old Allecha Suzette Boyd, who went missing in August last year

Based on the information police are conducting a large scale search of a state forest near Wagga Wagga as of Wednesday morning

Police began the search of Lester State Forrest, about three hours west of Canberra, at first light on Wednesday

A $100,000 reward for information was offered by the family last year and police, who believe Ms Boyd was murdered, established Strike Force Amias to investigate.

In November last year detectives charged Anthony Shane Hagan with murder, possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm, possessing ammunition without a permit, not keeping a prohibited firearm safe and breach of bail.

A second man Samuel John Shephard, 37, was arrested and both men are before the courts charged over the alleged murder.

Ms Boyd, who had been described as a bright and bubbly young woman, had been working as a chef at the Farmers Home Hotel and was living with a friend in nearby Lake Albert before her disappearance.

Police began the search of Lester State Forrest, about three hours west of Canberra, at first light on Wednesday morning for Ms Boyd's remains.

Ms Boyd, who had been described as a bright and bubbly young woman, had been working as a chef at the Farmers Home Hotel

Ms Boyd was last seen travelling as a passenger in a green Subaru between Wagga Wagga and Coolamon in the NSW Riverina region on August 10
The loneliest people in Britain are not the elderly but people in their late teens and early twenties, official research suggested yesterday.

Two million  a third  of the generation who built their lives around social media admit suffering loneliness some or all of the time.

Nearly ten per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds said they were often or always lonely, three times the figure for over-65s which was 3 per cent.

Nearly ten per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds, who build their lives around social media, said they were often or always lonely

And 23 per cent of young adults said they were lonely some of the time, a figure that fell to 18 per cent for the 25-34 age group and to 17 per cent among over-75s.

Loneliness has been perceived to be chiefly a problem among the elderly, but the findings mean students are more likely than over-75s to be socially isolated.

The figures, from the Office for National Statistics, are based on its Community Life Survey which questioned more than 10,000 people in England in 2016 and 2017.

The ONS report said: Younger adults aged 16 to 24 reported feeling lonely more often than those in older age groups.

The research is likely to bring demands for more investigation of the effects on the young of spending hours alone communicating with others mainly through social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The ONS analysis is the first official inquiry into who suffers from loneliness and followed a call from the Prime Minister for ways to measure the issue.

Tracey Crouch, whom Theresa May appointed as minister for loneliness in January

Theresa May appointed Tracey Crouch as minister for loneliness in January, and said then that isolation was a sad reality of modern life.

Mrs May added: I want to confront this challenge and for all of us to take action to address the loneliness endured by the elderly, by carers, by those who have lost loved ones, people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with.

The ONS report said loneliness is most common among those who rent their home, single people, the disabled, the unemployed, or those who lack trust in others or have no sense of belonging to their neighbourhood.

Women were most likely to say they were lonely, but the ONS said men may just be less willing to report it.

Marriage, or a civil partnership, protects against loneliness. Only around one in seven married people said they were lonely all or some of the time.

Last month ONS research said heavy internet use has been rising fast among under-15s, and young people under 25 typically spend 14 hours a week online.

Social media appears to be linked to some positive changes in young peoples lives  teenage pregnancies as well as drug and alcohol use among the young are all dramatically down since 2008.

But the rise in isolation is likely to fuel concerns about the role of social media in cyber-bullying and the spread of fake news and extremism.

Cal Strode of the Mental Health Foundation said loneliness was not necessarily down to a lack of people.

He added: This is particularly true of the digital world, where teens can have thousands of friends online and yet feel unsupported and isolated.
A lucky baby brushtail possum has been rescued after she fell from a roof and was found stuck wedged behind a drainpipe in an impossibly tight spot during heavy rains.

Adorable footage showed the moment the lucky little marsupial was rescued from a home in Melbourne on Wednesday as she was carefully wrapped in a towel and manoeuvred from behind the drainpipe.

The possum hissed a few times in fright but after being reassured and comforted the three-month-old baby female appeared to smile after she was freed.

A lucky baby brushtail possum (pictured) was rescued after it was found stuck wedged behind a drainpipe in an impossibly tight spot during heavy rains

The possum hissed a few times in fright but after being reassured and comforted the three-month-old baby female (pictured) appeared to smile after she was freed

The tiny 500g possum was thought to have fallen from the roof, becoming trapped in a tiny narrow gap between the drainpipe and the wall as it attempted to climb back up.

'What must have happened was the baby fell off the roof and lost its mum,' rescuer Lisa Radford, 43, said.

'When it tried to climb back up it got stuck halfway, and that's where the homeowner spotted it.

'It was lucky we got there before it was picked off by birds or feral cats. We always make sure to get there as soon as possible.'

Animal rescuers attended the residence in The Basin, in Melbourne's east, and were able to free the stuck animal before bundling the uninjured possum up in a towel to take it out of harm's way.

The lucky little marsupial was rescued from a home in Melbourne on Wednesday as she was carefully wrapped in a towel and manoeuvred from behind the drainpipe (pictured)

Possums seek shelter, warmth and safety inside household roofs, which is where it was likely the three-month-old female marsupial was heading when it fell.

The 43-year-old and her colleagues from Melbourne animal rescue Warriors 4 Wildlife now plan to release the baby animal back into the wild so it can be reunited with its mother.

'Luckily the babies like to be helped. He gave me a few hisses, but he was happy to be bundled up in a pouch,' Lisa said.

'We took him into care with some other babies, at their age they are still drinking milk. And we're planning to release him tonight.'
Rod Liddle, who offended Welsh readers by describing the Second Severn Crossing as linking their rain-sodden valleys with the First World

A police and crime commissioner was yesterday told to stick to the day job after revealing his force had investigated a columnist for mocking the Welsh.

Arfon Jones, the elected 70,000-a-year commissioner for North Wales, said he had been inundated by complaints about Rod Liddles description of the Second Severn Crossing as linking their rain-sodden valleys with the First World.

Mr Jones used a PR company to publicly reveal that North Wales Police had assessed whether Mr Liddles piece in The Sunday Times represented a criminal offence, calling into question whether he was heeding rules about respecting the forces operational independence.

Former police officer Mr Jones, who has previously called for cannabis to be sold from off-licences, also complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation  despite the bridge being 100 miles from the area he represents.

After it emerged both complaints were likely to be rejected, he even suggested new laws were needed to make insulting the Welsh illegal.

Last night Mr Jones, a Welsh nationalist, was accused of interfering with policing priorities and told to concentrate on cutting crime in North Wales.

David Davis, Conservative MP for Monmouth, said: Just dont read Rod Liddles columns if youre easily offended, and dont waste the polices time on it.
The Ministry of Justice is reportedly looking at ways to dramatically increase the use of chemical castration on sex offenders and paedophiles.

Justice Minister Philip Lee, who is also a GP, is said to be interested in the idea as a means of safely releasing certain offenders from prison and back into society.

Dr Lee is keen to find an 'evidence-based approach' to returning prisoners to normal life and is aware that international studies have shown chemical castration is effective.

Dr Lee is keen to find an 'evidence-based approach' to returning prisoners to normal life and is aware that international studies have shown chemical castration is effective

A source within the MoJ told the Daily Express: 'Dr Lee knows this is controversial but the medication is voluntary although it can be linked to an increased chance of getting parole.

'There is a debate over the effectiveness of the courses but very little doubt that chemical castration works.

'Essentially, libido suppressing medications in tandem with psychological therapies are more effective than what is generally being attempted currently.'

The source added that the treatment is especially important for paedophiles because paedophilia is 'like a disease and destroys lives'.

It comes after the scandal surrounding convicted rapist John Worboys, who was due for release by a parole board until the High Court overturned their decision.

It comes after the scandal surrounding convicted rapist John Worboys (pictured), who was due for release by a parole board until the High Court overturned their decision

Worboys was on an indeterminate sentence, a status that applies to over a thousand other inmates who will soon be due for parole.

But there are fears that, should these prisoners be denied release, there will not be enough space in jails to hold them.

Chemical castration, therefore, is being considered as a way to safely release the offenders while decreasing the chance of them reoffending.

About 120 sex offenders have volunteered for the treatment but that number is believed to be ten times smaller than it could be.

There are thought to be around 70,000 registered sex offenders in the UK.

Sweden, Denmark, the USA, Australia, Canada, Poland and South Korea are among the countries around the world to practise chemical castration of sex offenders.
Ex-chief executive of Save the Children, Justin Forsyth

Regulators launched an inquiry last night into the Save the Children Fund over fears it covered up sex claims against senior members of staff.

The Charity Commission said the probe was in response to concerns over the charitys handling and reporting of claims against ex-chief executive Justin Forsyth and former policy chief Brendan Cox.

It will look into whether Save the Children adequately reported the full extent and nature of allegations to the Commission.

Two months ago Mr Forsyth admitted to personal mistakes over claims he sent young women a barrage of text messages.

The former aide to Tony Blair, who went on to become deputy executive director at UNICEF, said he had engaged in unsuitable and thoughtless conversations which he accepts caused offence and hurt.

He faced three complaints between 2011 and 2015, the year he left the organisation.

Mr Forsyth also faced questions over whether he had protected Mr Cox, the widower of murdered MP Jo Cox, after he was accused of inappropriate behaviour towards women.

Mr Cox subsequently resigned from the board of the Jo Cox Foundation, admitting he had made mistakes and behaved in a way that caused women hurt and offence.

The revelations came after the Oxfam scandal, when it emerged the charitys staff had used prostitutes in earthquake-hit Haiti.

In 2016 alone, Save the Children investigated more than 200 complaints of misconduct.

Brendan Cox, who resigned from the board of the Jo Cox Foundation, admitting he had made mistakes and behaved in a way that caused women hurt and offence

Michelle Russell, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at the Charity Commission, said: This inquiry centres specifically on how the charity handled complaints in 2012 and 2015 about senior members of staff, and how the charity responded to and managed public and media scrutiny of those events in 2018.

Opening a formal investigation does not necessarily mean that we have concluded that there has been wrongdoing by the trustees of The Save the Children Fund.

However, we do have questions that must be answered, and we need to hold the charity formally accountable for providing them in a clear and timely manner.

The Commission said it had been in regulatory engagement with The Save the Children Fund in 2015/16, after the charity reported a serious incident relating to allegations of misconduct and harassment against a senior staff member.

The regulator also received an anonymous complaint about the charitys response to further allegations against senior staff members.

Mr Forsyth was a former aide to Tony Blair (pictured) and went on to become deputy executive director at UNICEF

At that time, the Commission met with the Chair and instructed the charity to provide it with the findings of its independent review.

It received direct assurance from trustees that all of these recommendations had been accepted and were being urgently acted upon.

In February of this year, after the Oxfam scandal broke, the Commission re-engaged with the charity when they were responding to further public scrutiny about the 2015 issues.

At this time, Save the Children announced a new review into workplace culture at the charity, which amongst other things will assess whether recommendations from a previous review have been fully and effectively implemented.

As a result of that more recent engagement with the charity, alongside new information from other sources that has recently come into the regulators possession, the Commission said it had a series of concerns.

These included whether the charity adequately reported the full extent and nature of allegations to the Commission in 2015/16, and how it handled various complaints in 2012 and 2015.

The problem will consider the extent of any reviews conducted at the time by the trustees into the charitys response to the allegations, and the charitys decision making since February 2018 on its public position regarding these allegations.

As a result, the Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity on April 4.

The new investigation will examine, among other matters, whether trustees have adequately discharged their duties in handling the allegations at the time, and in fulfilling their duty of care towards their employees.

It will look at whether the charity has implemented measures about operating to appropriate standards of work place conduct and staff safeguarding - including testing staffing misconduct allegations, complaints or incidents received by the charity since January 1 2016.

Whistleblower and former Save the Children worker Alexia Pepper de Caires

It will examine whether decisions around public handling and reputation management on the historic allegations appropriately disclosed fully, frankly and accurately, serious incidents relating to staffing matters to the Commission.

The inquiry is confined to the issues of safeguarding in the context of misconduct and harassment of the charitys staff.

It is not examining safeguarding in the context of The Save the Children Funds programme delivery for beneficiaries.

Last night Save the Children promised to co-operate fully with the Charity Commission and act swiftly on any lessons that emerge.

Peter Bennett-Jones, the chair of Save the Children UKs Board of Trustees, said: It is critical that Save the Children works with the Charity Commission to examine whether mistakes were made in the past.

If mistakes were made they will be fully acknowledged and properly addressed.

'We are committed to working with the Charity Commission to establish a truthful and accurate account of events and the charitys response.

We are unequivocally committed to building a workplace culture based on mutual respect - a culture in which all our staff feel protected, supported and listened to.

In February 2018 we established an independent review led by Dr Suzanne Shale, an expert in organisational ethics, aimed at strengthening our workplace culture.

With a new leadership team in place we have strengthened staff protection systems through mandatory training and other measures.

'Save the Children UK has a policy of zero tolerance towards any form of bullying or harassment.

Our teams are working every day with children who face hunger, poverty and violence.

'Our ambition is to make a difference for these children by working with partners, donors and the UK public.

'In working towards that ambition we strive to meet the highest organisational standards.
Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and admit you got things wrong.

Mark Zuckerberg has been doing a lot of this lately as he faces tough questioning over Facebook's data breach scandal.

But while there's no doubt Zuckerberg and his team of super-rich nerds are chiefly to blame for harvesting the personal details of almost 90 million users worldwide, the truth is that many of us also bear a degree of responsibility for what happened.

Me, personally, I have been a spectacular idiot. Without a moment's thought, I gave Facebook access not only to my network of friends and acquaintances, private messages and pictures, political likes and dislikes  in fact, pretty much everything there is to know about me right down to my shoe size (42, since you ask).

Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) faces tough questioning over Facebook's data breach scandal

I also unwittingly handed over some potentially sensitive personal information which, in the wrong hands, might have caused serious trouble, mainly in the form of contact details which, when I last checked, were still logged in Facebook's bottomless memory bank.

If someone had broken into my home and stolen all this stuff, I would have been incandescent with rage.

But they didn't need to. I offered it up willingly, if not entirely knowledgeably, through my lack of understanding about the way the internet  and companies that make their fortunes via it  work.

And that is not only incredibly naive of me, it's also a dereliction of duty. Sure, Zuckerberg may have duped me; but let's face it, I was rather asking for it.

I might as well have left the front door wide open and the family silver set out on the kitchen table for all the consideration I gave to the implications of sharing my life online when I joined Facebook in 2007. I just did it because everyone else was doing it  and besides, it seemed like a fun way to stay in touch with friends and family.

Of course, that was exactly what Facebook wanted us to think. And the reason most of us failed to spot the sleight of hand was because very few of us had the technical knowledge  or the nous  to see social media for what it has become: the ultimate Orwellian nightmare, Big Brother dressed up as a heart emoji and all the more sinister for it.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts to a question in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee

My generation, with one foot in the analogue past, the other in the digital future, could not possibly have envisioned the far-reaching consequences of the internet.

We were much as I imagine the poor tribes of South America must have been when they first encountered the Spanish Conquistadors: at once awestruck and amazed, blissfully  fatally  unaware of the potential for danger.

This is why we never predicted the rise of online porn or the scourge of cyberbullying, or the dissemination of extremist ideology  these things simply did not exist on such a scale in our universe. So why would it have ever occurred to us that geeky Zuckerberg would turn out not only to have facilitated one of the greatest heists of the 21st century, but also to have got us, the victims, to do all the work for him and leave the loot on his digital doorstep?

This is, as my husband is overly fond of saying, a 'teachable moment'. Because tempting as it would be to point the finger of blame at one man and his organisation, we must all accept our naivety in this scandal. Unless we do, we will never learn.

And people like Zuckerberg will always get the better of us.

Now we finally know the answer to the burning question of whether George Clooney intends to run for U.S. president. Amal is on the cover of May's American Vogue. The campaign starts here.

Truly a hands-on mum!

I take my hat off to film star Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Not only has she managed to produce a very beautiful child, despite being married to a rather prune-like husband, she has also achieved something that I, no matter how hard I try, simply cannot. Namely, getting my 14-year-old daughter to occupy the same room as me, let alone stand next to me long enough for a photo to be taken.

That said, judging by her vice-like grip on her offspring's waist, perhaps it isn't all quite as effortless as it looks . . .

Catherine Zeta-Jones and her daughter Carys (pictured) attended a Dolce & Gabbana together

When it comes to London's tragic spate of murders, blame police numbers, blame cuts to youth services, blame social deprivation, blame welfare, blame lack of opportunity, blame unemployment.

But whatever you do, don't blame the parents. Because God forbid the horrific spectacle of young people slaughtering each other on the streets should have anything to do with parental responsibility.

Bambi's adorable... to eat!

Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are raving about goat as the new fashionable meat. But if you want something infinitely more delicious, try muntjac.

A native of South-East Asia, the muntjac was first introduced to Britain in 1900 by the Duke of Bedfordshire as a curiosity; but numbers soon spiralled out of control.

By 2010 this adorable-looking creature had been nicknamed 'Asbo Bambi' because of its voracious appetite for devouring woodland plants, destroying vital bird habitats and breeding like rabbits.

Thus I have no hesitation in recommending their meat  a cross between lamb and venison, sweeter and more tender than the latter but not as fatty as the former. Plentiful, free-range, organic, cruelty-free and wholly unfashionable: what more could you want?

Celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver (pictured) are raving about goat as the new fashionable meat

If the stars at the Olivier awards had not been so busy admiring each other's virtue-signalling badges (50:50, Time's up, #MeToo  soon they're going to run out of lapels), they might have remembered Sir Peter Hall, who died last September aged 86, in their In Memoriam section.

The fact that they managed to overlook the founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company in their teary tribute to the dead speaks volumes about the state of theatre in Britain today.

If only the old dear had been female, trans or non-white, he would have been guaranteed a standing ovation.

Looking at pictures of poor Prince Charles sweating buckets and dressed as a chicken in Australia, you do have to wonder who else would do that job with such good nature and patience. Certainly not Camilla. She scarpered off back to Britain as soon as she could. And who can blame her?

I'm delighted and amazed that the rap musical Hamilton did so well at Sunday night's Olivier awards. Delighted because I've seen it twice, and it really does live up to the hype. Amazed because I never imagined that a musical about a democratic nation's revolt against an unelected, spoilt, profligate and out-of-touch elite would strike such a chord with the nation's Brexit-loathing luvvies.

Hamilton did so well at Sunday's nights Olivier awards (pictured)

Fonda failed me

Yesterday, the Mail asked the question 'Are celebrity fitness DVDs a big fat lie'  to which, of course, the answer is a big fat yes.

And the culprits aren't just today's reality TV stars, keen to make a quick buck before their fame fades.

I remember buying Jane Fonda's workout video back in the Eighties, confident that a few minutes a day in leg warmers in front of the TV would transform me into Sheena Easton.

Of course it didn't. As anyone who has ever lost a significant amount of weight will testify, the reality is not nearly as exciting as the hype.

In fact, were I to make my own weight- loss DVD (having recently shed a load), it would mostly consist of me staring wistfully at the children's fish fingers, gazing sorrowfully at the crisps aisle of Sainsbury's and sipping tap water while everyone else knocks back rose.

The truth? Losing weight is boring. Keeping it off is more boring still.

As a snapshot of the parlous moral state of the nation, there can be no more eloquent  or depressing  image than the flower shrine to the burglar stabbed to death by a pensioner in self-defence. What kind of people are these?

People wonder why Jeremy Corbyn finds himself a magnet for anti-Semitic sentiment in this country. It's quite simple.

Britain's Jewish community loves Britain and its traditions, runs successful enterprises, supports our monarchy and believes in personal responsibility.

Since JC deplores all of the above, it follows that he is no friend of Britain's Jews.
Theresa May is resisting a rush to bomb Syria without seeing more evidence President Bashar Al Assad is to blame for a 'barbaric' chemical attack on civilians.

The Prime Minister told Donald Trump last night she backed an international response to the attack and would work with allies to find out what happened.

But the Downing Street account of the call with the US President said an attack should only go ahead of Syrian culpability is 'confirmed'. A White House report of the call did not make the same point.

In an incendiary Tweet today Mr Trump warned Russia to 'get ready' because American cruise missiles 'will be coming'.

Alarmed British MPs were critical of Mr Trump's tone but advocates of striking back at Assad over the gas attack said it proved the value of British involvement.

Mrs May is under growing pressure to call a Commons vote before joining any military alliance against Syria, in line with conventions established since the Iraq War.

MailOnline understands MPs have not yet received calls from whips to find out if they could return to Westminster before Monday's next scheduled sitting.

Theresa May was last night warned not to press ahead with a strike on Bashar Al Assad's troops without a Commons vote. MPs said it would be a 'huge mistake' for the PM to bow to pressure from the US and intervene in the Syrian conflict without their backing

The PM held talks with Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump on the phone yesterday amid growing speculation that a Western coalition is being put together to strike back at Assad for the chemical attack

In an incendiary Tweet today Mr Trump warned Russia to 'get ready' because cruise missiles 'will be coming'

Mrs May, Mr Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron agreed yesterday that there would be a retaliation to the attack that has provoked international fury and condemnation.

The US President promised a 'forceful' response to the Douma attack and has spoke about options for military intervention.

He has appeared to move forward with plans to hit Syrian regime forces, moving resources towards the Middle East  and putting pressure on Britain to join possible action.

In his tweet today, Mr Trump said: 'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.

'Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ''smart!'' You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'.

Tory MP Johnny Mercer replied: 'This is the reason why we must build, influence, and yes, lead coalitions.

'To make a calm but very robust stand for what we believe in, whilst tempering unhelpful rhetoric so we don't repeat the mistakes of the past. There is a balance; and therein lies Britain's role in this.'

Michael Fabricant said: 'It is not diplomatic. But the final sentence is certainly true!'

Tory MP Johnny Mercer replied: 'This is the reason why we must build, influence, and yes, lead coalition' x

Michael Fabricant said: 'It is not diplomatic. But the final sentence is certainly true!'

However, Mrs May indicated she needed proof the Syrian dictator was behind the attack before ordering a strike.

Does May need to call a Commons vote on striking Syria? Theresa May was constitutionally entitled to order British forces into action in Syria without a Commons vote. The Prime Minister has the power to deploy troops under the Royal Prerogative. There are no hard and fast rules obliging the government to involve rank-and-file MPs in the decision. But a vote on prolonged deployment of UK forces would be almost impossible to avoid. Commons divisions have been held on almost all military action by British forces since the Iraq War in 2003, establishing what many see as a firm convention. Advertisement

She said the attack was 'another example of the Assad regime's brutality' but added the caveat 'if confirmed'.

She said President Assad and Russia would be 'held to account . . . if they are found to be responsible' for the attack which left at least 40 people, including children, dead.

MPs have approved air strikes on Islamic State in Syria but not on Russian-backed regime forces.

In 2013, the Commons voted against bombing Assad over chemical weapon strikes by a majority of 13.

A repeat of the defeat in the Commons lobby would be humiliating for Mrs May but she may be advised it is politically impossible to ignore the 2013 vote either.

Since the Iraq War a precedent has been set that all military action abroad is first approved by Parliament - but it has not always been followed.

If they are not recalled early, MPs are due to be back in Westminster following the Easter recess on Monday afternoon.

Despite many MPs and ministers backing the PM to act without a vote, others warned doing so could trigger a row.

Mrs May indicated she needed proof the Syrian dictator was behind the attack before ordering a strike. She said the attack was 'another example of the Assad regime's brutality' but added the caveat 'if confirmed'

Britain has a variety of military options it could bring to any action against President Assad's regime in Syria

But it appears Mrs May might be resigned to taking responsibility along with her cabinet, rather than waiting for MPs to return from the Easter recess.

Ex-Army chief says attack on Syria must be 'at scale General Sir Richard Barrons, Commander Joint Forces Command from April 2013 until April 2016 today warned any strikes on Syria needed to be 'at scale, with allies and if necessary repeated until conditions change'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Well I think the likely outcome is that action will be taken because it must be taken. 'I hope but I can't be sure of course that this extends beyond the tokenism of previous attempts which have been an act of event management and limited by scale and by time.' Asked if any joint action could take out Syria's chemical weapons capability, General Sir Richard said: 'The capability exists, given enough time and effort to identify where the chemical weapons stocks are and the delivery means, which are mostly aircraft, and then over time to begin to strike at them from range and that I guess is what's under consideration ... and you're not going to do that completely but you are going to make a difference over time.' Asked if this could be done in a way that would avoid hitting Russian aircraft in Syrian air bases, he replied: 'In terms of the technology of precision targeting, yes, that can be done, but the chances of, if you like, collateral damage are very high.' A former head of the Army said diplomatic efforts must continue alongside any action over the suspected chemical weapon attack in Syria. "It's got to be within the overall context of a bigger diplomatic effort to get the parties around the table to end the Syria civil war," Lord Dannatt told ITV's Good Morning Britain. "A strike on its own would just be a strike and potentially nothing else." Advertisement

As decisions on deploying armed forces come under a Royal perogative, she does not technically have to seek parliament's permission before ordering airstrikes.

While there is a precedent to gain the support of the fellow MPs before taking such drastic action, the move spectacularly backfired on David Cameron in 2013.

It comes as the Daily Telegraph reports Boris Johnson is among those influential MPs to believe Mrs May can act without her MPs to support the backing of Trump and Macron in attacking Assad's forces.

Commons defence committee chairman Julian Lewis, who did not back action against Assad in 2013, told MailOnline: 'When we are contemplating military intervention in other people's conflicts, Parliament ought to be consulted.'

And his fellow Tory MP John Baron said any 'substantial military commitment' should be approved by Parliament.

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: 'There is a strong case for military action in Syria.

'We cannot continue to shrug our shoulders as Assad commits despicable crimes against the innocent. But Theresa May would be making a huge mistake if she decides to follow Donald Trump and commit our country to action without consulting our sovereign Parliament first.'

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who sits on the Commons' foreign affairs committee, said it would be 'bizarre' to go ahead with strikes without MPs' backing, 'especially since the last two times we looked at this it proved to be highly contentious across all parties'.

Kay Hutchison, US permanent representative to Nato, told Sky News yesterday that Assad ally Russia should 'do something to stop this kind of genocide'.

Though Mr Trump said on Monday that 'major decisions' would be made in the following 24 to 48 hours, Mr Macron said yesterday that France would take the coming days to decide with the US and Britain how to respond.

Other MPs said there did not need to be a vote for what would be a limited 'one-off' strike in response to a chemical attack.

Despite many MPs and ministers backing the PM to act without a vote, others warned doing so could trigger a row. But it appears Mrs May might be resigned to taking responsibility along with her cabinet, rather than waiting for MPs to return from the Easter recess

Former aid minister Priti Patel said: 'Inaction has become a stain on our collective humanity. We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done.'

Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the foreign affairs committee, said that UN and Geneva protocols gave the Government the authority to act without a vote.

Aid minister Penny Mordaunt said discussions were ongoing over a possible military response by Britain and its allies that would prevent 'repeats'.

Yesterday the Mail revealed military chiefs had been instructed to draw up options for a UK strike on Assad's forces.

The PM chaired a National Security Council meeting, attended by the head of the military, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, during which the Syria crisis was discussed. However, no decision has yet been made on what the British response should be.

The international chemical weapons watchdog said its team was preparing to send a team on a fact-finding mission to Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus.

Meanwhile, Mikhail Gorbachev expressed 'great concern' over the mounting tensions in Syria. The ex-Soviet president warned Russia and the US were on the verge of a confrontation.

It came as Russia vetoed a United Nations resolution to create an expert body to determine responsibility for the Syria chemical weapons attacks.
Parents who want to home-school their children could be forced to register with the authorities or face prosecution as part of a crackdown on extremism.

The move  mentioned in a Government document released yesterday  would be aimed at stopping hardline Muslims and other fundamentalists sending children to secret madrassas where they are at risk of radicalisation.

Anyone taking their child out of mainstream schooling would have to say why and show they were providing an adequate education at home.

Parents who want to home-school their children could be forced to register with the authorities or face prosecution as part of a crackdown on extremism (file photo)

It comes after Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman warned that Islamic hardliners are running underground schools across the country which preach extreme doctrines. Parents are able to enrol children by exploiting home-schooling rules.

The Government will seek views over the next 12 weeks on how to toughen up these rules. The document suggests sanctions could be imposed on those who do not register  including prosecution.

Lord Agnew, minister for school systems, said the plans would help identify the rare instances where a suitable and safe education is not provided.

However, it also emerged yesterday that ministers have abandoned a proposal to regulate religious out-of-school clubs  meaning madrassas could be inspected  after Christian Sunday schools complained.
Amber Rudd will today launch a blitz on cyber criminals who try to hide their 'horrifying' illegal activity on the so-called 'dark web'.

The Home Secretary will announce a multi-million-pound crackdown on offenders who exploit the internet underworld to trade in drugs, guns and child abuse images or plot terror attacks.

The anonymity of the 'dark web', which mirrors the normal internet but allows users to hide their identity, has attracted criminals seeking to avoid detection by the law enforcement agencies.

The online currency Bitcoin provides a means of payment which makes transactions untraceable - meaning it is difficult for law enforcement agencies to track them down.

Amber Rudd (pictured) will announce a multi-million-pound crackdown on offenders who exploit the internet underworld

Speaking at the Cyber UK security conference in Manchester, Miss Rudd will also unveil new measures to help police forces tackle the growing threat of cyber crime, including fraud and hacking.

She will say: 'The world of cyber is fast-developing and we need a fast-developing response to match. One that recognises that it is the responsibility of everyone in the UK to fight the evolving threat.

'The dark web [is] a dark and dangerous place where anonymity emboldens people to break the law in the most horrifying of ways.

'A platform of dangerous crimes and horrific abuse. A sickening shopping list of services and products are available.'

A 9million boost will be given to the National Crime Agency - dubbed Britain's FBI - and specialist regional police squads to help catch and prosecute gangsters, terrorists and paedophiles lurking on the 'dark web'.

Precise details of the measures planned as part of the cash injection are not being released for operational reasons but they will include upgraded intelligence capabilities, new technology and more training.

In addition, 5million has been earmarked for dedicated cyber-crime units so online offenders can be pursued at a regional and local level.

According to the Home Office, only 30 per cent of local police forces currently have a cyber capability that reaches the minimum standard.

Speaking at the Cyber UK security conference in Manchester, Miss Rudd will also unveil new measures to help police forces tackle the growing threat of cyber crime

The funding is part of 50million allocated to ensure the criminal justice system is equipped to investigate and prosecute illegal activity carried out in cyberspace.

Miss Rudd will say: 'This will mean that cyber crimes are investigated thoroughly and police can support local businesses and local victims, providing the advice and care they need.

'Whilst criminals plot and hide behind their screens, their actions have real-life consequences for their victims. My own father was the victim of fraud and I know from personal experience the importance of supporting those who have been victimised through no fault of their own.

'Now that it's happening online, it's happening to even more people.'

There were 4.7million incidents of fraud and computer misuse in the year to September, according to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales.

Earlier this year, Cambridge graduate Matthew Falder was jailed for 32 years yesterday over his evil double life as one of Britain's worst online paedophiles after he was caught by the authorities on the 'dark web'.

The 29-year-old was also a 'warped and sadistic' voyeur who blackmailed at least 47 victims into sending humiliating pictures of themselves performing depraved acts, before sharing them on secret abuse forums.
A naked man was spotted by shocked motorists out for a casual jog during chilly Monday morning in Maryland.

The unidentified nudist, if he identifies as such, took to the streets of Baltimore slowly trotting up Saint Paul Street during the morning rush hour at 8.30am and passing Mercy Medical Center near the courthouse, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The news of the streaking jogger was the talk of the town including among the hospital valet staff and at a nearby public defender's office.

An unidentified naked man was out for a jog Monday morning in Baltimore, casually prancing along during the morning rush hour

Even stranger was the man's steadfast determination on his jaunt, as he did not appear confused or lost. He was just simply exercising.

People who passed him, on the streets or in their cars, pulled out their cellphones to take photos of him.

Attorney Nicholas Panteleakis, who was stopped at a light during his commute says he looked over and saw the nude man.

'He literally was 5 to 10 feet from me,' Panteleakis said, 'buck naked.'

A naked jogger turned heads Monday in downtown Baltimore. https://t.co/PzotAlcUUc pic.twitter.com/9Vvj99BbGI  The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) April 9, 2018

While 911 calls came into police, by the time the officers arrived in the area, the man without clothes seemed to have disappeared.

Detective Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman told the Sun he could have been charged with indecent exposure.

'Is he going to do it again tomorrow? I don't know,' Monroe said. 'If he does, we'll be out there.'
Justine Greening (pictured) has urged ministers to rescue the Open University just as Margaret Thatcher did more than four decades ago in a bid to help societys poorest

Justine Greening has urged ministers to rescue the Open University just as Margaret Thatcher did more than four decades ago in a bid to help societys poorest.

The former education secretary pointed out that Lady Thatcher had saved the newly opened OU from closure when leading the education department in the early 1970s.

She said the former prime minister had championed the institution because she knew Britains biggest asset is our people  and called on the Government to do the same.

The Tory MP added that the OU should be instrumental in making the UK more meritocratic and a place where there is equality of opportunity for the first time.

Miss Greening was joined yesterday by one of her Labour predecessors, Lord Blunkett, who said the OU was a lifeline and must be saved.

A Daily Mail campaign launched at the weekend highlighted how OU student numbers have dropped by 28 per cent in the last five years.

This coincided with fees trebling to make up for funding cuts from the Government  with experts saying the higher cost is putting mature part-time students off.

Miss Greening, the daughter of a steel worker from Rotherham, said she had battled against the odds to get a degree herself.

The Southampton University graduate said: As the Daily Mails campaign shows, getting a degree from the Open University has transformed many peoples futures for the better over the years  something I understand from personal experience as the first person in my own family to be able to go to university.

The institution was founded in 1969 as a Labour project, and when Lady Thatcher was made education secretary in 1970 she was urged by party colleagues to scrap it over cost issues. But she stood firm, saying she could not defend its closing and insisted it remain open.

The former education secretary pointed out that Lady Thatcher had saved the newly opened OU from closure when leading the education department in the early 1970s

Miss Greening added: Margaret Thatcher championed the Open University because she understood that Britains biggest asset is our people. Talent is spread evenly around our country, but opportunity is not.

That needs to change and I hope the Governments review of higher education can have improving social mobility at its centre.

The Open University should be part of how we make Britain a place where there is equality of opportunity for the first time.

Prime Minister Theresa May and universities minister Sam Gyimah pledged yesterday to examine the case as part of this years higher education review.
Lord Gilbert of Panteg, chairman of the communications committeem warned the digital advertising market had become 'notoriously murky'

YouTube and other web giants should vet their content to avoid adverts appearing alongside extremist propaganda or videos of gang violence, a Lords committee report has said.

The arrangement of the adverts is putting the reputation of British brands at risk, the House of Lords communications committee warned.

The Mail yesterday found videos of gangs promoting stabbing on Google-owned YouTube, alongside adverts for BT and Netflix.

A rap song accompanied by a BT advert contained the lyrics: 'My gang don't play fair  armed and dangerous... You'll squirt [blood], red shirt.'

MP Stephen Doughty, who sits on the home affairs select committee, said: 'It is clear that the Wild West of online content is urgently in need of tougher regulation and standards.'

Lord Gilbert of Panteg, chairman of the communications committee, yesterday warned that the digital advertising market had become 'notoriously murky'.

He said: 'Businesses which buy advertising services don't know how their money is being spent, whether their advertising is being displayed next to content which is obscene or which supports terrorism.'

A YouTube spokesman said: 'We do not allow videos that incite violence, and we'll remove any such content.

'Music videos of different genres are allowed on YouTube and able to run ads where they don't breach our policies.'
A new red light speed camera placed in a notorious Queensland hot spot is predicted to become the state's highest earner, stinging commuters with thousands of dollars in fines.

Gold Coast motorists could be fined up to $19,000 in total an hour after the camera was installed on the corner of Bermuda and Rudd Streets in Broadbeach Waters.

The average speeding fine in Queensland is $194 but running a red light can cost the perpetrator as much as $378, The Gold Coast Bulletin has reported.

A new red light speeding camera on Bermuda and Rudd Streets in Broadbeach Waters on the Gold Coast could become Queensland's highest earner

This means even at the lowest fines, motorists could be handing over about $19,000 an hour based on a prediction done by the newspaper.

Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating said the busy intersection had been chosen because it was notorious for traffic accidents and speeding tickets in the area.

He is confident the new camera will reduce the level of speeding and accidents at the intersection.

'We want all road users to be compliant with traffic light signals and also travel at the speed limit through intersections,' Mr Keating said.

'These cameras will assist in reducing travel speeds at high-risk intersections by operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.'

The camera could net $19,000 an hour. Queensland's top speed camera currently nets $16,760 for every hour it is in operation (pictured is a mobile speed camera on Brisbane's M1)

If the camera makes the predicted $19,000 for every hour it is in operation it will become the most profitable in the state.

A single mobile speed camera located on Hale Street in the inner city Brisbane suburb of Petrie was the highest earner year netting the government $3million in fines.

The camera handed out more than 18,000 tickets and made $16,760 for every hour it was in operation.

Queensland's biggest earners:



1. Hale Street, Petrie Terrace - $3,369,330 2. Logan Motorway, Drewvale - $887,460 3. Eumundi-Noose Road, Doonan - $518,190 4. Cunningham Highway, Willowvale - $586,240 5. Warrego Highway, Brassall - $565,820

6. Pacific Highway, Mudgeeraba - $503,000 7. Warrego Highway, Withcott - $493,080 8. Western Freeway, Toowong - $424,700 9. Milton Road, Auchenflower - $409,240 10. Kessels Road, Nathan - $405,880 Advertisement

Driving less than 13 km/h over the speed limit in Queensland will cost the perpetrator $168.

Speeding infringements go as high as $1,177 for driving more than 40km/h over the speed limit.

There are two other speed cameras along Bermuda Street. One is at the intersection with Christine Avenue and Burleigh Waters and the other at the intersection with Cottesloe Drive and Mermaid Waters.

The camera will be in operation 24/7.
Tony Blair was yesterday accused of using the Syria crisis to justify his disastrous invasion of Iraq. He said that inaction had led to dictator Bashar al-Assad and his backers being emboldened to act

Tony Blair was yesterday accused of using the Syria crisis to justify his disastrous invasion of Iraq.

In a 20-minute slot on the Today programme, the former Labour leader said that although military intervention was difficult, not intervening also had consequences  as Syria proved.

He said that inaction had led to dictator Bashar al-Assad and his backers being emboldened to act.

Mr Blair said Britain should back US air strikes on Assads forces, adding: If the US are taking action we should be prepared to be alongside them.

He also said he did not think it was necessary for the Prime Minister to ask MPs to vote on the issue because ground troops would not be deployed.

He said: They [Assads troops] are winning but they are winning because their outside backers are prepared to intervene and to commit and, frankly, we have not been able to.

Mr Blair, who was the Middle East peace envoy until 2015, said that this was because of the difficulties of intervention.

He said: I know that its extremely difficult but the problem is non-intervention is also a policy with consequences. Iraq shows you that intervening is extremely difficult but non-intervention  as we see from Syria  is also extremely difficult.

The problem in the Middle East is that you do have actors that are prepared to intervene and if you look at the commitment that Russia and Iran have made in Syria it is enormous.

He added: Im simply saying that where you intervene, as weve seen in Iraq and Afghanistan, its extremely difficult but where you dont intervene, as weve seen in Syria, its also difficult.

Britain should back US air strikes on Assads forces, adding: If the US are taking action we should be prepared to be alongside them. He said he did not think it was necessary for the Prime Minister to ask MPs to vote on the issue because ground troops would not be deployed

It is important to realise that if we allow it to go unchecked and unanswered then obviously the Assad regime and backers will be emboldened to act.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said Mr Blair was using Syria to justify his failed intervention in Iraq.

Referring to the Blair governments alleged attempts to spin intelligence reports to overstate the case for war in Iraq, he said: I think he is attempting to rewrite history and thinks the British people dont remember the dodgy dossier that got us into the situation in the first place.

It is a bit much for him trying to get us into another war justified by his illegal intervention in the Iraq War.

He was the Middle East peace envoy for a long time and that wasnt successful because during that time [the region] was the most volatile that it has ever been.
Anti-abortion campaigners will be banned from protesting outside a pregnancy termination clinic for the first time in the UK following a landmark vote.

Ealing Council in West London last night unanimously agreed introduce a 'safe zone' around a Marie Stopes abortion clinic to protect women from harassment and intimidation by pro-life groups.

A Public Service Protection Order (PSPO) will be imposed on a designated area outside the clinic, allowing the council to ban protests and vigils.

Breaching the terms of the order is a criminal offence and could result in a fine of up to 1,000.

Pro-choice demonstrators gathering outside the Marie Stopes clinic on Mattock Lane

This is the first time a PSPO, typically used to tackle anti-social behaviour and street drinking, has been used to stop a public protest.

Opponents said it is a 'draconian ban that criminalises ordinary citizens' and could set a precedent that limit campaigners' freedom to protest.

But councillors said anti-abortion protestors were causing 'distress and alarm' to residents on a daily basis and that women must be able to access services 'without any hindrance, distress or harassment'.

It came after a public consultation on the safe zone found almost 85 per cent of Ealing residents supported the ban.

Evidence submitted to the consultation revealed how protestors held up images of dismembered foetuses and told women leaving the clinic they will be 'haunted by their dead baby' and 'go to hell'.

The motion was brought by Labour Councillor Binda Rai, who said: 'The people of Ealing have told us they will no longer tolerate the harassment of vulnerable pregnant woman.

'This is just the start of a next phase of a national campaign. I would call on the Home Secretary to find a national solution to end the harassment of women outside all clinics in the country.'

Nine other local authorities are currently considering imposing similar PSPOs amid growing calls from MPs for a national law to introduce safe zones around family planning clinics.

The council launched the consultation last year after local pro-choice group Sister Supporter submitted a petition with 3,600 signatures demanding action be taken against the 'sustained intimidation' of patients.

Anna Veglio-White, founder of Sister Supporter, said: 'There has been a sustained and persistent campaign of intimidation and harassment outside the Marie Stopes clinic for the past 23 years.

'This PSPO is a great step but we need a national solution. Amber Rudd and other councils have all said they are looking to see what Ealing does and we hope this has a domino effect.'

Miss Veglio-White was among a group of 100 Sister Supporter members who gathered outside Ealing Town Hall last night and celebrated after the decision was announced.

A rival group of pro-life protestors was led by Elizabeth Howard, from group Be Here For Me, which holds vigils outside clinics.

Mrs Howard said: 'This PSPO is a draconian ban that will criminalise ordinary citizens who just want to offer help to vulnerable young women outside abortion clinics.

'After 20 years of peaceful vigils and prayers outside clinics we are being shouted down by a well-organised ideological campaign.'

The Good Counsel Network, a Roman Catholic group which holds vigils outside the Ealing clinic previously pledged to carry on protesting further down the road if the PSPO is introduced.

The call to ban protestors was backed by Labour Ealing MP Rupa Huq, who said women should be able to have abortions 'free from intimidation'.

Anti-abortion demonstrators outside the Marie Stopes clinic in west London

Speaking ahead of the vote, Dr Huq said: 'I sincerely hope that the cabinet at Ealing Council follows its original recommendation to introduce a buffer zone around this facility so women can go about their lawful business and avail themselves of this NHS procedure in anonymity and free from intimidation.

'Of course there is a time and place for protest but intervention at this point at the clinic gate is not the time or place.'

Josie Appleton, director of Manifesto Club, which has been campaigning against the over-use of PSPOs for the past four years, said the vote was a 'travesty for public freedoms'.

She said: 'If protesters are harassing or obstructing women, they should be prosecuted under the existing criminal law.

'It should not be a crime for them to pray silently or offer women a leaflet as they enter the clinic. We visited the site for several hours and could see no evidence of harassment or public nuisance.'

Last night's vote comes amid a national increase in US-style demonstrations outside abortion clinics, with protestors pictured holding placards with slogans such as 'Stop child abuse, stop abortion' and 'Abortion kills babies'.

In January, Amber Rudd launched a consultation seek the views of 'all interested parties' on whether protests should be banned outside abortion clinics.

She said: 'An abortion is an incredibly personal decision for anyone to take, and so it is completely unacceptable for women to face harassment or intimidation for exercising their legal right to healthcare advice and treatment.'

In March, a court banned an activist from staging an anti-abortion vigil outside a hospital after the group he belongs to was accused of intimidating women.

Nottingham City Council secured an injunction against John Edwards, from the group 40 Days for Life, to stop him protesting outside the Queen's Medical Centre. However, a judge has since lifted the ban and rejected an attempt to extend it to other group members.



The group, which originates in the US, stages vigils outside abortion clinics throughout Lent in 12 UK cities, including Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham.
Disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has been found guilty of being part of a 2012 electoral fraud plot that put him on the city council.

The controversial Sydney businessman is expected to be back behind bars following the conviction, just days after he was last released.

In Central Local Court on Wednesday, Magistrate Beverley Schurr found him guilty of multiple charges relating to plotting with his younger sister, Fatima Mehajer.

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Disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has been found guilty of being part of a 2012 electoral fraud plot that put him on the city council

Fatima Mehajer (pictured, right, in 2017), who has previously pleaded guilty to 77 charges, has had her sentencing delayed until after her brother's trial

The controversial Sydney businessman is expected to be back behind bars following the conviction, just days after he was last released

Fatima Mehajer, who has previously pleaded guilty to 77 charges, has had her sentencing delayed until after her brother's trial.

The magistrate is reading out her lengthy decision, but at the start said she was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mehager, 31, was part of the joint criminal enterprise relating to false documents and information.

Salim Mehajer was accused of submitting enrolment forms that gave false addresses in the Auburn area.

His 28-year-old sister has admitted 77 charges of giving false or misleading information.

Salim Mehajer's 28-year-old sister Fatima (pictured, right) has admitted 77 charges of giving false or misleading information

Salim Mehajer (pictured) was accused of submitting enrolment forms that gave false addresses in the Auburn area

Salim, who was recently declared bankrupt, is on a good behaviour bond in relation to assault charges.

He was released from jail last week after being granted bail on a charge of perverting the course of justice.

The charges related to the alleged staging of a car accident on his way to face court last year on assault charges.

His bail conditions for the pervert the course of justice charge include reporting to police twice daily and a $200,000 surety.

Salim (pictured), who was recently declared bankrupt, is on a good behaviour bond in relation to assault charges

More to come
Up to 60 heavily armed police offices in combat gear swarmed a rural property after a man broke into a shed and began firing shots from a loaded gun on Wednesday.

A large-scale police operation unfolded shortly after 8am in Bonnie Brook, in Melbourne's outer west, after a man allegedly drove a stolen vehicle onto the property.

Police were told the 27-year-old man stole 'large guns' from the shed before opening fire at the Beattys Road private address.

Dozens of police were called to Bonnie Brook Wednesday morning after a man broke into a shed and fired shots from a loaded gun (police in combat gear pictured)

The man was arrested at the scene just before 9.30am and taken into custody.

There were no injuries sustained during the ordeal.

Dozens of officers arrived at the property in full force, armed with shields and large guns.

A large black police rescue vehicle was also spotted at the rural farmhouse.
A man who fatally stabbed his neighbour, claiming it was a 'dreadful, unfortunate accident' after a year-long feud has been found guilty of murder.

Michael Miller, 37, killed his neighbour Danny Coombs during a street brawl in Barmera in regional South Australia

Miller admitted calling Mr Coombs, 41, both a 'paedophile' and a 'boneyard maggot' during their final encounter in February last year, when he gave evidence in his defence last week, Adelaide Now reported.

Michael Miller, 37, (pictured) was found guilty of fatally stabbing his neighbour Danny Coombs during a street brawl in Barmera in regional South Australia after a year-long feud

Miller admitted calling Mr Coombs, 41, (pictured) both a 'paedophile' and a 'boneyard maggot, when he gave evidence in his defence last week, Adelaide Now reported

Miller claimed he feared Mr Coombs intended to kill him after he ran at Miller with a pole  and so armed himself with a large, black-handled knife.

'There was a lot of stumbling around ... I put the knife up in front of me and tried to correct my balance by stepping forward ... I wanted to keep him away from me,' Miller said.

'I made contact accidentally'.

However, prosecutors alleged Miller spent 14 minutes goading and provoking Mr Coombs into a confrontation before stabbing him through his ribs and piercing his heart with a single stab of a large knife.

Prosecutors further claimed that Miller said his victim was 'the neighbour from hell', and Miller conceded that he and Mr Coombs had argued prior to the incident, often over Mr Coombs' treatment of his fiancee, Jessica Bridgland.

Prosecutors alleged Miller spent 14 minutes goading Mr Coombs (pictured with his fiancee, left) into a confrontation before stabbing him through his ribs and piercing his heart

Police were called to Nookamka Terrace in Barmera following reports that two men were fighting in the street. They found Mr Coombs lying on the ground with a stab wound to his abdomen (pictured)

Giving evidence, Miller said Mr Coombs had spent time in jail in 2016 after threatening him 'with a steak knife and a shiv'.

However, when the prosecution questioned Miller during in cross-examination about whether he was 'making it up' to minimise his guilt  Miller said that was not the case.

When prosecutor Ryan Williams further questioned Miller over his account, asking: 'Am I correct that you are saying this was all just an unfortunate accident  a dreadful, unfortunate accident?' Miller replied: 'Yes.'

A Supreme Court jury delivered a guilty verdict on Monday night and Justice David Peek revoked Miller's bail, placing him in custody.

A date for submissions and sentence is yet to be set.
The county's oldest candy company might be going out of business - and the news has sent sweet lovers in the Northeast into a panic.

Necco, makers of candies such as Necco Wafers and Sweethearts, announced last month it might shut down its plant in Revere, Massachusetts.

The Company's CEO Michael McGee said on March 6 the doors will shut in the next month if it can't find a buyer.

The New England based candy company has been in business for 171 years, and makes a variety of candies that have an abnormally long shelf life.

Necco, makers of candies such as Necco Wafers and Sweethearts, announced last month it might shut down its plant in Revere, Massachusetts

After the potential closing was announced on March 6 people started to hoard Necco Wafers, and even looked at wholesale websites to find out how to buy them in bulk while they still can

And of all the candies that might be lost, the Wall Street Journal reports those that will be the most missed are Necco Wafers.

The chalky candy is ideal for hoarding due to how long it stays 'fresh.'

The President of CandyFavorites.com, an online whole-seller of candy in the United States, said he has received hundreds of inquiries about where to buy the candies ahead of the potential closing.

'They're shocked and scared,' Jon H. Prince told the Journal about Necco's fans.

'They're not happy about it.'

And the sale increase on anther wholesale website, CandyStore.com, truly tells how panicked consumers have become.

The Company's CEO Michael McGee said on March 6 the doors will shut in the next month if it can't find a buyer. The New England based candy company has been in business for 171 years, and makes a variety of candies that have an abnormally long shelf life

The website reported its sales of Necco Wafers have increased 63 per cent in recent days.

CandyStore.com also said it received calls from people who wanted to buy its entire supply of Necco Wafers the day after McGee announced he might be shutting the company's doors.

EBay is now selling the candies for more than $30 a box, and someone on the website even offered up their car in exchange for some of the candies, the website said.

McGee first spoke to the mayor of Revere, Brian Arrgio, about the company's potential shutdown in March, saying that layoffs could begin as soon as early May, according to the Boston Globe.

The company employed about 500 people in the town in 2011.

The Necco Wafer has been the company's biggest product since 1847, and has been enjoyed by Americans since the Civil War.

But not everyone likes them, the Journal said.

One person told the Journal that when they gave out the candies on Halloween they were met with angry trick-or-treaters returning armed with eggs and toilet paper.
A government employee has been charged over alleged indecent acts against children in a remote community in the Northern Territory.

The charges relate to the man, 58, allegedly offering cigarettes to girls under the age of 16 in return for sexual favours, according to Sky News.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet confirmed the allegations on Wednesday and said the employee had been stood down pending court processes.

'The Australian Public Service has a zero tolerance for any abuse, particularly abuse of children,' the department said in a statement.

A government employee has been charged over alleged indecent acts against children in a remote community in the Northern Territory (stock image)

'These allegations are extremely disturbing and we are cooperating fully with the Northern Territory Police.

'We remain committed to ensuring appropriate work practices in dealing with all vulnerable people.'

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has two officers in central Australia, one in Alice Springs and one in Tennant Creek.

The man appeared in Alice Springs local court on Monday, charged with seven counts of indecent dealings with a child under 16, according to the ABC.

He was remanded in custody and will appear in court next month.
A New Zealand mother has pleaded guilty to leaving her screaming baby in a car full of syringes while she was on a drug-fuelled gambling and stealing spree.

The woman, whose name has been suppressed to protect the identity of her daughter, pleaded guilty to neglecting her child, three charges of burglary and two of theft in Palmerston North District Court on Tuesday.

Judge Jim Large said drug use was the major reason behind the mother's shocking crimes, Stuff reported.

On September 13 last year the woman visited the Cloverlea Tavern in Palmerston North (pictured), the court heard

The woman pleaded guilty to neglecting her child, three charges of burglary and two of theft in Palmerston North District Court (pictured) on Tuesday

On September 13 last year the woman visited the Cloverlea Tavern in Palmerston North, the court heard.

She left her 15-month old daughter alone in a baby seat in the front of the car, only checking on her briefly.

The pub manager became aware of the screaming child and asked the mother to leave the gambling lounge.

The woman stayed another three minutes before leaving, after which the manager called the police.

She later went to a nearby kindergarten to ask about enrolments and when no one was around took a camera and mobile phone from the staff room.

At 6.20pm a passerby found the baby locked in the front of the car near the kindergarten and called emergency services.

A New Zealand mother has pleaded guilty to leaving her screaming baby in a car full of syringes while she was on a drug-fuelled gambling and stealing spree (stock image)

The baby was freed from the car and taken into care. The woman returned to her car about 7.45pm and drove off without making an attempt to find her daughter.

Police later stopped her in the rural town of Bunnythorpe.

The woman said she did not remember much from the day expect taking a drug she thinks was ecstasy, the court heard.

The judge said in the six months since her arrest, reports showed a 'major change' in the woman's behaviour.

She was sentenced to seven months home detention and ordered to pay $3200 reparation between three victims.
Daniel St Hubert, 31, was convicted of murder and attempted murder on Tuesday in the 2014 attack that left Prince 'PJ' Avitto dead

A homeless Brooklyn man has been found guilty of fatally stabbing a six-year-old boy and wounding his seven-year-old best friend in an elevator attack.

Daniel St Hubert, 31, was convicted of murder and attempted murder on Tuesday in the 2014 attack that left Prince Joshua 'PJ' Avitto dead.

St Hubert stabbed PJ with a 8-inch knife 11 times and stabbed his friend Mikayla Capers 16 times, leaving her fighting for her life for more than a week.

The two children had been at a local playground when St Hubert followed them into an elevator in PJ's building in June 2014, according to the New York Times.

They were on their way to get Icees upstairs when St Hubert told them to shut up, Mikayla, now 11, told the courtroom.

When they continued to talk, St Hubert pulled out his knife and began to brutally stab the children. He left the knife behind before fleeing in front of eyewitnesses.

Mikayla suffered a collapsed lung and spent nine days recovering in the hospital as she mourned her young friend.

St Hubert stabbed PJ (pictured) with a 8-inch knife 11 times and stabbed his friend Mikayla Capers 16 times, leaving her fighting for her life, in June 2014

Mikayla (pictured) suffered a collapsed lung and spent nine days recovering in the hospital as she mourned her young friend

St Hubert was arrested four days later after police matched a DNA sample on the knife to his own DNA from a state criminal database.

After he was arrested, St Hubert told police: 'Satan has powers and controls things'.

He was only found fit to stand trial this January.

Mikayla took the witness stand during St Hubert's trial, and was called a 'pathological liar' and 'delusional' by his attorney Howard Greenberg.

Greenberg claimed that St Hubert was being framed and said the DNA evidence was 'junk science'.

St Hubert (pictured in June 2014) was arrested four days later after police matched a DNA sample on the knife to his own DNA from a state criminal database

St Hubert faces 50 years to life in prison for PJ's death. He will be sentenced on May 15

But Mikayala was elated by the news that St Hubert was found guilty, her family told the New York Post.

'Now the bad man can never hurt anybody else,' she said. 'I'm going to let PJ know so he can rest in peace.'

St Hubert faces 50 years to life in prison. He will be sentenced on May 15. Greenberg said he plans to appeal the verdict.

Aricka McClinton, PJ's mom, cried out 'my baby can rest in peace now' as she left the courtroom.

McClinton said she has not yet been able to forgive St Hubert for what he did.

'One day in my heart I will find that forgiveness,' she said. 'But it won't be today.'

'Today is not the day. Today is Prince and Mikayla's day.'
South Africans living in Australia have pleaded with Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge to allow them to sponsor their farmer relatives so they can escape 'rape and murder'.

A man known only as Dion told a packed Tuesday night forum at Mandurah, south of Perth, he would help his loved ones and spare taxpayers the cost.

'We will look after them we will feed them we will pay their medical bills  please let us get them here,' The Australian reported.

South Africans living in Australia have pleaded with Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge to allow them to sponsor their farmer relatives so they can escape widespread rape and violence

Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge told a full school hall at Mandurah Baptist College Australia could rescue white South African farmers after giving refugee status to people fleeing violence in Iraq, Syria and Myanmar.

'We have been generous to many, many other people around the world and I like to think we can be equally generous to South Africans who have been persecuted,' he said.

The minister heard from scores of people whose relatives are stuck in South Africa after black lawmakers voted to seize their land without compensation.

White farmers have been subjected to brutal assaults, with one elderly woman in the Vaal region last year tortured by having her foot mutilated with a power drill.

A man, who identified himself as Dion, told a packed Tuesday night forum at Mandurah, south of Perth, he would help his loved ones and spare taxpayers the cost

The local federal Liberal member for Canning Andrew Hastie (left) said the stories told at the forum highlighted how bad the situation was in South African for white farmers

One woman told the forum 'every single day a farmer is farming on his land' increased the odds of them being raped or murdered the longer they remained in South Africa.

A farmer called John, who is still living in South Africa with his wife, told the ABC he hoped to immigrate to Perth to join his daughter.

He rejected a suggestion the murders of white South African farmers were simply reflective of the nation's high crime rate.

'When you torture people, you rape women and children, and you do it in front of their husbands after they've been incapacitated that's not crime,' he said.

The local federal Liberal member for Canning Andrew Hastie said the stories told at the forum highlighted how bad the situation was in South African for white farmers.

'We need to take some sort of action,' he told the ABC's AM radio program.
The post went viral with many people offering to give the 10-year-old an Eeyore

His mom posted about the lost stuffed animal on Facebook saying William is attached to it because it has been with him every time he's in the hospital

A 10-year-old boy from Minnesota who suffers from a rare genetic condition was traveling on Spring Break with his family when he accidentally misplaced his 'buddy' Eeyore.

His mother announced the sad news in a Facebook post saying that William Ihle, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called tuberous sclerosis complex, was really attached to the stuffed animal because it always accompanied him during his visits to the hospital.

In fact, Eeyore was the only 'friend' allowed in the operating room when William had brain surgery at four-and-a-half years old.

William Ihle, 10, lost his favorite Eeyore which his mother said he always brought to the hospital with him

William lost the doll as he was traveling from Minnesota to Arizona to Texas with his family for Spring Break

His mother Kari posted about the lost stuffed animal on Facebook saying he may have lost it at MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

William suffers from tuberous sclerosis complex, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in many different organs

'Mr William lost his beloved Eeyore somewhere in his spring break travels. We are doing claims with all of the airlines/airports possible but posting this hoping people will share and maybe we will find him. This Eeyore has been Williams best friend and partner through countless MRIs, PET scan, drs appointments, hospital stays, ER visits and was even with him in the operating room during his brain surgery,' his mother, Karli Ihle, wrote on April 4.

Ihle and her husband Justin spent Spring Break traveling from their home in Minnesota to Arizona and then to Texas with their children William, Peyton and Grace.

William has been suffering from the condition since he was an infant, his mother said

'He is more than a stuffed animal to William, he is comfort for every scary crappy thing he has fought since he was 18 months old.'

According to tuberous sclerosis alliance, the disorder is a genetic condition that causes tumors to form in many different organs, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs.

Many people who have the condition also suffer from seizures, developmental delays, intellectual disability and autism.

Ihle said she thinks her son may have lost Eeyore at the MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The Facebook post quickly went viral and many people reached out to the family offering to donate their Eeyore to William.

'Not the one you lost, but you can have if you would like,' Facebook user Katy Bauman Vaala posted. 'Let me know how to get it to you.'

'Kari, I have a long love for Eeyore and have a large collection. I'd love to send your little guy a new friend while waiting for his Eeyore to make his way home,' user Jean Fura D'Ambrosio commented. 'If you would like one please send me shipping information. I wish your son all the best and hope Eeyore finds his way home soon.'

Kari said the Eeyore was the only 'friend' William was allowed to bring in the operation room with him when he underwent brain surgery at four-and-a-half years old

Martha Durant, who has been on the news after finding an Eeyore doll during the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, offered to give the doll to William

The family plans to take the dolls they are sent and give them to children at the hospital William underwent surgery

Martha Durant, from Alabama, also offered to send William an Eeyore doll. Durant said she found the stuffed animal in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and has been trying to find its owner but offered to temporarily send it to William.

She has appeared on TV several times trying to locate the doll's owner and even created the Facebook page Finding Eeyore's Way Home in hopes of tracking down the doll's owner.

'Kari! I am in Mobile, AL. In September when everyone was returning home to Florida after a hurricane I found Eeyore on the entrance ramp to I-10. I've been trying to help him find his home (which he misses, badly),' she posted.

'Tonight (after we saw this story) he told me, he would be so happy to keep young William company, if only for a while.'

Ihle told the blog All The Moms that she was overwhelmed by all the support and the family decided they will take the dolls people send and pass them out to children at the hospital William had his surgery,

'It's so sweet,' she said. 'William's not your typical kid. He doesn't have a ton of friends. This is going to be amazing for him to see.'
Two American tourists have died in a freak horse-drawn carriage accident in Ireland.

Rosalyn Joy Few and partner Normand Larose were riding down the Gap of Dunloe mountain pass on Monday when the carriage overturned. Both were in their 60s.

They were in a convoy of three carriages with other family members, returning from the scenic Gap of Dunloe in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland, when their pony bolted.

Rosalyn Joy Few and partner Normand Larose were riding down the Gap of Dunloe mountain pass on Monday. Both were in their 60s

The couple were in a convoy of three carriages with other family members, who did not see the freak accident. Included was Few's daughter, son-in-law and two grand kids

Included was Few's daughter, son-in-law and two grand kids who did not witness the freak accident.

'They are absolutely distraught, as you can imagine,' a source told the Herald.

It took approximately an hour to retrieve the bodies, according to Gerry Christie, part of the Kerry Mountain Rescue.

'Were used to watching happy tourists. This casts a huge cloud over things,' he told the Irish Times.

The carriage hit a bridge, flipping and sending the occupants flying down about 30 feet onto rocks in a stream below.

The carriage hit a bridge, flipping and sending the occupants flying down about 30 feet onto rocks in a stream below

The victims were a grandmother, believed to be in her late 50s, and her partner, who was in his 60s. Pictured: The scene yesterday

As well as her partner, the American woman was on holiday from the US with her daughter, her son-in-law and their two teenage children. Pictured: A hearse at the scene yesterday

They were in a convoy of three carriages with other family members, returning from the scenic Gap of Dunloe in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland, when their pony bolted

The Irish Times reports they suffered serious head injuries, but the driver - thought to be in his 20s - was left barely hurt, though shaken and in shock.

All four members of the family - who are from Phoenix, Arizona - came upon the tragedy as it unfolded.

As well as her partner, the American woman was on holiday from the US with her daughter, her son-in-law and their two teenage children.

The pony was injured in yesterday's incident and was later put down.

The incident yesterday is not the first involving tourists being thrown from their carts at the landmark.

Just last May, at the very same beauty spot, three tourists came very close to losing their lives when they were hurled from a carriage that hung dangerously over a cliff close to the Gap of Dunloe.

The carriage then hit a bridge, flipped and sent the occupants flying down about 30 feet onto rocks in a stream below

Just like in yesterday's accident, on that occasion the horse became startled and threw the tourists off the carriage.

The three visitors were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

But yesterday's accident sadly ended in tragedy, and sent shockwaves through the tightly knit Kerry tourism community.

During the trek at the Gap of Dunloe yesterday, the pony is said to have galloped straight through a part of the road which has two sharp bends at what is known at The Turnpike Rock.

The small trap it was pulling was repeatedly tossed about as the driver at the reins, who was relatively unscathed in the incident, fought desperately to control the animal.

It happened at a steep part of the breathtaking route leading over a bridge and down to Kate Kearney's Cottage Bar and Craft Shop, where carriage drivers often collect tourists.

The accident happened just ahead of an old stone bridge, known as the Wishing Bridge, about 1.8 miles from the bar.

The family had been due to get a bus from there back to their hotel in Killarney before travelling to Dublin to continue their holiday.

The party of six Americans are said to have travelled from Killarney to Ross Castle on the edge of Lough Leane before boarding a boat past Muckross Lake and into Killarney National Park through Upper Lake below the renowned Lady's View site.

The couple then made their way to an old 19th-century hunting lodge known as Lord Brandon's Cottage before setting off down the 11km winding road through the Gap of Dunloe to Kate Kearney's Cottage.

It was on the edge of Lough Leane that three American tourists were almost killed last May when their horse bolted.

Other incidents have also raised questions about the safety of the pony-and-cart treks. In July 2004, a German woman in her 60s suffered serious head injuries in an accident involving a pony and trap in what is one of the country's prime tourist spots.

And just months prior, the entire future of pony-and-trap men was in doubt. This was because in 2003, insurance companies had refused to indemnify ponymen, or jarveys as they are also known.

So serious was the situation that their trips through the Gap of Dunloe were even removed from tourist brochures for 2004. According to reports at the time, Killarney solicitor Terence Casey revealed that the size of the payouts on claims against drivers exceeded the premiums they were paying.

Indeed, one such claim made in 2003 was estimated at 500,000. This was in connection with an accident involving four people.

The Wishing Bride in Dunloe, near the scene of yesterday's horrific accident (file photo)

The Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Niall Kelleher, extended his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. 'This tragic incident has caused great shock and upset throughout the entire community,' he said. Pictured: The Gap of Dunloe

A local source said last night: 'Now is not the time to worry about the future of the ponymen. But this incident could spell the end of an industry that has been going since at least the Victorian era.'

Although uninjured in the accident at 1.45pm yesterday, the driver, from nearby Killorglin, was left deeply upset. 'He is in a very bad way about what happened,' an associate told the Irish Daily Mail last night.

Another local resident said: 'If the ponies sense they are nearing home, they can just bolt for home as they know they are about to be fed. But this incident happened some way away from where they were heading to and we believe something startled the pony.'

Kerry Mountain Rescue was called in to assist in the recovery of the bodies of the couple, who were later taken by hearse to University Hospital Kerry for post-mortem examination.

Killarney Garda Superintendent Flor Murphy, who attended the scene, said: 'This is a very sad and tragic accident and it will be investigated to establish the full circumstances.'

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce expressed its sympathy to the family at the centre of the Gap of Dunloe tragedy. Chamber president Paul O'Neill said the tragedy had stunned the entire Kerry community. 'We are all shocked and saddened by this most tragic accident,' he said.

'The Gap of Dunloe is one of Ireland's most popular tourist destinations, a place that brings joy to tourists the world over, and we are devastated that a visit to it by this couple would end in such tragic circumstances.'

He added: 'The people of Killarney extend our heartfelt sympathies to all affected by this tragedy and will do whatever we can to support the family during this very sad time.'

The Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Niall Kelleher, extended his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. 'This tragic incident has caused great shock and upset throughout the entire community,' he said.

'The Gap of Dunloe is one of the most naturally beautiful places in the entire country, but there is a very dark cloud overhead this evening as everybody tries to come to terms with what has happened.'

The incident is believed to be the first in living memory where a fatality has occurred among those using pony and traps on the Gap of Dunloe.

However, because it is not the first time there has been a serious accident, there are concerns locally that this incident could have a profound effect on the decades-old pony-and-trap industry there.

Junior tourism minister Brendan Griffin said: 'It is deeply upsetting to hear the news of the tragic accident that has claimed the lives of two tourists on holiday in Kerry. Everyone in Kerry is truly shocked and saddened.

'I want to offer my sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims.'
He may have been the one in the hot seat, but Mark Zuckerberg was ready to hit at Tim Cook if Apple was mentioned during his Senate hearing on Tuesday.

A picture from Zuckerberg's binder reveals the Facebook CEO had notes prepared on how to respond if Cook's comments about the social media site were mentioned.

When Cook was asked what he would do if he was Zuckerberg following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the Apple CEO replied: 'I wouldn't be in this situation.'

He may have been the one in the hot seat, but Mark Zuckerberg was ready to hit at Tim Cook if Apple was mentioned during his Senate hearing on Tuesday

A picture from Zuckerberg's binder reveals the Facebook CEO had notes prepared on how to respond if Cook's comments about the social media site were mentioned

Zuckerberg's notes referenced that there were 'lots of stories about apps misusing Apple data'

Zuckerberg's notes referenced that there were 'lots of stories about apps misusing Apple data'.

The Facebook CEO also noted that he had 'never seen Apple notify people' about any misuse of customer data.

One bullet point reads: 'Important you hold everyone to same standard'.

Zuckerberg was prepared to compare Facebook and Apple, writing: 'When you install an app on your iPhone you give it access to some information just like when you login with FB.'

Other topics included in Zuckerberg's notes touched on diversity, competition, compensation, accountability, and data safety.

When Cook (pictured) was asked what he would do if he was Zuckerberg following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the Apple CEO replied: 'I wouldn't be in this situation'

The Facebook CEO also noted that he had 'never seen Apple notify people' about any misuse of customer data

Zuckerberg noted why he would not be firing anyone after the data breach, writing: 'It was about how we designed the platform.'

'That was my responsibility,' he added. 'I'm not going to throw people under the bus.'

The CEO also planned for questions about a resignation, emphasizing that he 'founded Facebook'.

'I made mistakes,' his notes read. 'Big challenge, but we've solved problems before. Going to solve this one. Already taking action.'

Zuckerberg also noted that he uses Facebook 'every day' and so does his family and he invests 'a lot in security'.

He even touched on diversity, writing that 'Silicon Valley has a problem and Facebook is part of the problem'.

Zuckerberg noted why he would not be firing anyone after the data breach, writing: 'It was about how we designed the platform'

'Personally care about making progress, long way to go,' he added.

Zuckerberg got a televised grilling from lawmakers on Tuesday in his first ever appearance before Congress, and immediately took heat for the role his social media site played in the elections.

The CEO tried to reassure lawmakers, saying Facebook would investigate 'every single app that had access to a large amount of information' on the site.

'We believe that we're going to be investigating many apps  tens of thousands of apps,' he told Congress.

'And if we find any suspicious activity we're going to conduct a full audit of those apps to understand how they're using their data and if they're doing anything improper.

WHAT HAS MARK ZUCKERBERG DISCUSSED WITH CONGRESS IN THE WAKE OF DATA CRISIS? Mark Zuckerberg has appeared before Congress to address mounting concerns raised in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. A number of topics were discussed, from the firm's business model, user privacy and targeted ads to extremist content and hate speech. Day One During testimony before a joint hearing with the Senate judiciary and commerce committees, Zuckerberg was grilled on a range of subjects. This included: Robert Mueller Zuckerberg confirmed Facebook is 'working with' special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators as lawmakers demand answers on how Cambridge Analytica got access to 87 million users's data. He also at first revealed that Facebook had received subpoenas from Mueller's investigators - only to walk back the account under questioning, over fears he could reveal information confidential to the inquiry. Data security Lawmakers went after Facebook for recent security breakdowns, saying 'there was clearly a breach of consumer trust and a likely improper transfer of consumer data.' Zuckerberg tried to reassure Congress, saying Facebook would investigate 'every single app that had access to a large amount of information' on the site. Senators pushed the point by asking Zuckerberg where he had stayed the previous night and who had messaged during the past week, which he refused to answer. Russian exploitation Zuckerberg was asked what Facebook is doing to prevent foreign actors from interfering in US elections. The 33-year-old said Facebook was in a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere. He responded that this was one of his top priorities for 2018. Political bias Senator Ted Cruz of Texas accused Facebook of bias shutting out conservative voices, saying the firm had 'blocked' Trump-loving performers Diamond & Silk from its site. Last year Facebook limited distribution of their content, but did not shut down their page, the Wall Street Journal reported. Business model The Facebook CEO confirmed that the social network isn't planning on charging its users for the service just yet. Rumours were sparked by COO Sheryl Sandberg's comments last week, made during an interview withToday, that an ad-free Facebook 'would be a paid product.' According to Zuckerberg, Facebook will always be free  or at least, some version of it will. Hate speech Facebook will have AI tools to automatically flag and remove hate speech before it appears within five to ten years, Zuckerberg says. The company has already developed intelligent software tools to root out terrorist propaganda and will continue to develop them for hate speech, he told Congress. The company hopes to have 20,000 employees working to review security and content issues by the end of 2018, he added. Day Two Zuckerburg's data The Facebook CEO revealed that his own personal data had been included when 87 million or so Facebook users had their information improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Shadow profiles Zuckerberg said he had never heard of the term 'shadow profiles,' but admitted that Facebook collected information on non-users. Members of Congress took issue with the practice because non-users currently had to sign up for Facebook if they wanted to see what data of theirs the social network collected. Anti-conservative bias Republican lawmakers continued to grumble over Facebook's treatment of Trump-supporting sisters Diamond and Silk. Zuckerberg was asked 'What is unsafe about two black women supporting President Donald J. Trump?'. Facebook acknowledged sending a message to the sisters, prominent conservative video bloggers, deeming their content 'unsafe,' but the social network said the contents of the message were 'inaccurate.' Regulation Zuckerberg told lawmakers that regulation of his company is 'inevitable,' but that he came to Capitol Hill prepared to defend against proposals he thought went too far. New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the panel and a 30-year veteran of the House, said at the beginning of the hearing that he plans to work on legislation but is pessimistic that Congress will pass anything. Advertisement

Zuckerberg got a grilling from lawmakers on Tuesday in his first ever appearance before Congress, and immediately took heat for the role his social media site played in the elections

Before he could answer a single question, lawmakers went after Facebook for recent security breakdowns.

'There was clearly a breach of consumer trust and a likely improper transfer of consumer data,' said Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley of Iowa at the start of the hearing.

Grassley said his panel would hold another hearing on the Cambridge Analytica consulting firm and Internet privacy.

'We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company,' Zuckerberg admitted.

'It's pretty much impossible I believe to start a company in your dorm room and then grow it to be at the scale that you're at now without making some mistakes,' he said,
An Irish and English hard-partying duo face a lengthy jail sentence after they were caught supplying large amounts of cocaine and ecstasy to the Darwin party scene in a sophisticated drug syndicate.

Irishman Stephen Donnelly, 37, and UK national Tommy Ransley, 31, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to supplying a commercial quantity of drugs.

The men paid a French model and a Darwin local to drive to Mt Isa to pick up a package of 5,000 ecstasy tablets and almost $700,000 worth of cocaine hidden in noodle containers, police said.

UK national Tommy Ransley, 31, (pictured) traded the high life for a jail term after he was caught supplying large amounts of cocaine and ecstasy to the Darwin party scene in a sophisticated drug syndicate

The pair then travelled back to Darwin, dropping the package at a storage shed where Ransley collected soon after, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Stringer told NT News.

I totally accept I am an absolute idiot Drug trafficker Tommy Ransley after pleading guilty in court

Ransley's fingerprint was also found on a set of scales during a related drug raid which led to a major phone tapping operation and his eventual arrest, the Supreme Court was told.

Police said the syndicate transported MDMA and cocaine from the United Kingdom to Darwin and were involved in multiple importations over the past 12 months that 'contributed significantly to the Darwin cocaine and MDMA market,' NT News reported.

'Nearly everyone of these guys that we've caught recently, they've cried like babies when they've been caught,' Senior Sergeant Mark Stringer said.

5,000 ecstasy tablets (left) and almost $700,000 worth of cocaine hidden in noodle containers (right) were found in a Darwin storage shed, police have said

Prominent Darwin lawyer Matt Hubber claimed Donnelly started selling drugs to feed his own habit and would suffer more than many other inmates behind bars.

'Mr Ransley has literally lost everything because of his offending,' Ransley's lawyer Julie Franz said.

'Well, they've had the time of their life up until they've been caught, haven't they?' Justice Stephen Southwood said.

In a response to an attack allegedly made on Ransley whilst in jail, Justice Southwood said that 'most people get hit at least once when they go in there.'

'I totally accept I am an absolute idiot,' Donnelly said whilst giving evidence.

Ransley said: 'I've monumentally screwed up but I am deeply remorseful for what I've done.'

Donnelly and Ransley will return to court on 29 May.
A new supervised injecting room where any drug of dependence, including ice, will be able to be injected is about to open in Melbourne.

In an attempt to curb Victoria's rising drug-related deaths the State Government will commence the centre trial in June.

The announcement highlights a back flip from the government after last year saying ice and amphetamines would be kept out of the new North Richmond facility.

North Richmond's medically supervised safe injecting room will commence trials in June

The state government has back flipped on it's previous position where they said ice would be kept out of the centre

Mental Health Minister Martin Foley said the government was following expert advice.

'The government is following the advice of the expert panel, which includes Victoria Police. This trial will save lives and that's why we're doing it,' he said in a statement.

The regulations are in line with Sydney's King Cross safe injecting room which has not had a death since opening over 15 years ago.

'Even the Opposition spokesperson in her contribution to the parliamentary debate said that by making it only a heroin injecting room, it would miss many other Victorians who are multi-drug users,' Mr Foley said.

The centre will implement strict guidelines around the amount and types of drugs.

Clients must disclose what drugs they intend to use so staff can are ready for any potential overdose.

Mental Health Minister Martin Foley said the government was following expert advice

Any client possessing a traffickable amount of drugs on their person will not be permitted inside the service room.

People with a criminal history will be banned from working there, while people on parole, bail, or subjected to any other court or tribunal order would be banned from using drugs in the room.

The centre has caused controversy due to the planned location being near a primary school.

There were 34 drug-related deaths in the North Richmond area in 2017

'What type of idiotic irresponsible out of touch government allows ice addicts to congregate next door to a primary school?' Opposition leader Mathew Guy told reporters on Wednesday.

However the government has been under pressure from community groups to do something to stop the drug-related deaths in the area, which is known as Melbourne's 'heroin home'.

There were 34 drug-related deaths in the North Richmond area in 2017.

'With the high numbers of Victorians losing their lives to heroin related overdoses, the medically supervised injecting room is a safety-first, medical approach focused on harm reduction,' the state government said in a statement last year.
More than 100 people died from drinking toxic bootleg alcohol in Indonesia in just the past few months, compared to just 32 last year.

Police in response vowed a 'scorched earth' crackdown on the makers and distributors of black-market liquor to stem the escalating body count.

Lines of gurneys bearing dead bodies in hospital hallways and distraught relatives mourning the dead frequently appeared on local TV news.

Indonesian police escort a suspect involved the making of toxic bootleg alcohol, which has killed 100 people this year so far

Police in response vowed a 'scorched earth' crackdown on the makers and distributors of black-market liquor to stem the escalating body count (confiscated alcohol pictured)

There were 31 deaths in Jakarta and satellite cities at the beginning of the month followed by a dramatic surge in deaths in West Java.

Dozens more in several cities were hospitalised with nausea, blurry vision and loss of consciousness.

Deputy National Police Chief Muhammad Syafruddin said deaths have been concentrated in populous West Java and the capital Jakarta but there were also cases in South Kalimantan and other regions.

'This is a crazy phenomenon. If we let it continue, it will harm the nation,' Syafruddin said as he stood in front of seven handcuffed suspects at a press conference.

Lines of gurneys bearing dead bodies in hospital hallways and distraught relatives mourning the dead frequently appeared on local TV news

Indonesian police display huge quantities of suspect confiscated alcohol during a press conference in Jakarta

'I have ordered all the police chiefs in Indonesia to make these cases stop, zero victims, meaning to reveal the roots ranging from the producers, distributors, sellers to those who have the idea of mixing alcohol with fatal chemicals.'

Police displayed huge quantities of confiscated alcohol at their news conference to claim success in the crackdown so far.

Some of it was in small clear plastic bags sold for about 25,000 rupiah (1.23) as well as professionally labeled bottles purporting to be whiskey or wine.

Syafruddin said production of illegal alcohol must be eradicated completely with a scorched earth campaign and called for the cooperation of cabinet and government agencies.

Some of it was in small clear plastic bags sold for about 25,000 rupiah ($1.80) as well as professionally labeled bottles purporting to be whiskey or wine

'This is a crazy phenomenon. If we let it continue, it will harm the nation,' Deputy National Police Chief Muhammad Syafruddin said as he stood in front of seven handcuffed suspects at a press conference

It's unclear how effective the crackdown will be. Curbs on sales of legal alcohol in Muslim-majority Indonesia, including a ban implemented in 2015 on sales from tens of thousands of convenience stores, created a significant black market for bootleg liquor among the country's poor.

'If what is needed is limited in the legal market because of (government) policies then the need would be fulfilled by those who want to make a profit' from the black market, Sugianto Tandra, a researcher at the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies, said.

'The current incidence of rampant bootleg alcohol is because there is a need to drink but the product is not available in the legal market.'

Potentially lethal methanol can be a byproduct of bootleg distilling and the tainted alcohol is also sometimes mixed with soft drinks.

In the recent spate of deaths, police said pure alcohol was sometimes combined with ingredients such as cough mixture and insect repellant.

Syafruddin said laboratory testing of black-market alcohol sized by police in several raids in Jakarta showed it contained methanol.

Indonesian police officers unload barels of home-made alcohol to show off to a press conference about their crackdown

Indonesian Deputy National Police Chief Muhammad Syafruddin, center, checks huge quantities of suspect confiscated alcohol

Deaths from toxic alcohol are common in Indonesia and foreigners are occasionally among the victims.

Some governments warn travelers to the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok to be cautious about consuming local spirits and alcoholic beverages.

The latest cluster of fatalities is extreme, leading to speculation that a single large distributor was responsible.

However, West Java police, who arrested seven people suspected of mixing or selling tainted alcohol, said they have not found evidence to support that.

The Kompas newspaper said there were 32 deaths last year from drinking bootleg liquor.
New fears have emerged in the suspected murder of 28-year-old Allecha Boyd, who disappeared in mysterious circumstances eight months ago.

Police began a wide-scale search for her body in the Lester State Forest, north west of Wagga Wagga, early Wednesday morning, but thick bushland made the search for her buried body difficult.

Cadava dogs and 60 specialist officers were deployed at 6am to a 150-metre by 600-metre area in the forest, following new information being released about where her body could be buried.

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Dense bushland has made Strike Force investigations into suspected murder victim Allecha Boyd (pictured) difficult for the third time

The search was the police force's third effort to find traces of Ms Boyd, having thoroughly combed through the dense forest twice beforehand.

'We have police that are lining shoulder to shoulder probing the ground and trying to create a pathway for those pathogens to rise to the surface to give the (cadaver) dogs the best advantage,' Detective Inspector Darren Cloak told reporters.

'Today is a continuance of Strike Force Amias  the investigation into the murder of Allecha Boyd who we believe was murdered on August 10, 2017,' he said.

'We're here today (and) we have about six specific areas that are of interest. The main body of search patterns will be in that 150mx600m square block.'

'We have police that are lining shoulder to shoulder probing the ground and trying to create a pathway for those pathogens to rise to the surface to give the (cadaver) dogs the best advantage.'

Police began a large scale search for traces of human remains in the Lester State Forest early Wednesday morning

Inspector Cloak revealed one piece of evidence was all police needed to get closer to solving the case.

'A body of any nature will help us determine the cause of death, identify that person to the satisfaction of the coroner and hopefully secure a conviction before the courts.

'The expectation will be that police will continue searching until Allecha is discovered and we can bring her back to her family.

Ms Boyd was last seen travelling as a passenger in a green Subaru between Wagga Wagga and Coolamon in the NSW Riverina region on August 10.

A $100,000 reward for information was offered by the family last year and police, who believe Ms Boyd was murdered, established Strike Force Amias to investigate.

Ms Boyd was last seen travelling as a passenger in a green Subaru between Wagga Wagga and Coolamon in the NSW Riverina region on August 10

New information surfaced on the disappearance of Allecha Suzette Boyd (pictured), who went missing in August last year

Police began the search of Lester State Forrest, about three hours west of Canberra, at first light on Wednesday

In November last year detectives charged Anthony Shane Hagan with murder, possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm, possessing ammunition without a permit, not keeping a prohibited firearm safe and breach of bail.

A second man Samuel John Shephard, 37, was arrested and both men are before the courts charged over the alleged murder.

Ms Boyd, who had been described as a bright and bubbly young woman, had been working as a chef at the Farmers Home Hotel and was living with a friend in nearby Lake Albert before her disappearance.

Police began the search of Lester State Forrest, about three hours west of Canberra, at first light on Wednesday morning for Ms Boyd's remains.
Handwritten notes from Dana Boente appear to back up James Comey's testimony regarding a phone conversation with Donald Trump about Russia.

Boente was the acting attorney general on March 30, 2017, when Comey called him to report a strange conversation he had with Trump.

His notes from the conversation, which were obtained by MSNBC, match how Comey would later describe the conversation to Congress in sworn testimony.

Because Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself from all matters pertaining to Russia, Boente - who was appointed by Trump himself less than two months prior - was in charge of the FBI investigation.

Handwritten notes from Dana Boente appear to back up James Comey's testimony regarding a phone conversation with Donald Trump about Russia

Boente (pictured) was the acting attorney general on March 30, 2017, when Comey called him to report a strange conversation he had with Trump

That's why Comey, who was still director of the FBI at the time, called Boente on the morning of March 30.

Comey later told Congress that he took notes on this interaction with Trump and briefed other senior law enforcement officials because he was 'honestly concerned he might light about the nature of our meeting'.

'I thought it important to document,' Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee in testimony in June 2017.

Trump later denounced Comey as a liar and said the accounts were not true.

But Boente's handwritten and dated notes appear to indicate otherwise.

In his first note, Boente writes that Comey described Trump as saying there was a 'cloud as a result of Russia business, this makes running the country difficult'.

Comey, who was still director of the FBI, called Boente on the morning of March 30, 2017 to discuss the concerning conversation

In his first note, Boente writes that Comey described Trump as saying there was a 'cloud as a result of Russia business, this makes running the country difficult'

'What can I do to relieve the cloud', 'kept coming back to it, makes it hard to do business for the country', another of Boente's notes reads.

In his written testimony to Congress, Comey told Congress that Trump called him and the FBI.

'He described the Russia investigation as a "cloud" that was impairing his ability to act on behalf of the country,' the testimony reads.

'He said he had nothing to do with Russia, had not been involved with hookers in Russia, and had always assumed he was being recorded when in Russia.'

'He asked what we could do to "lift the cloud"'.

According to Boente's notes, Comey then reminded Trump 'we are not investigating you', to which the president responded: 'that would be great to get out'.

In his written testimony to Congress, Comey said Trump 'described the Russia investigation as a "cloud" that was impairing his ability to act on behalf of the country,' the testimony reads

According to Boente's notes, Comey then reminded Trump 'we are not investigating you', to which the president responded: 'that would be great to get out'

Another of Boente's notes reads that Comey told Trump 'we will do the work well'.

In his testimony, Comey said he told Trump that 'we were investigating the matter as quickly as we could and that there would be great benefit, if we didn't find anything, to our having done the work well'.

'He agreed, but then re-emphasized the problems this was causing him.'

Comey also later testified before Congress that it appeared Trump was asking him 'to get it out that I the president am not personally under investigation', which also matches how the former FBI director explained the conversation to Boente.

The former FBI director's testimony also matches Boente's notes about a conversation he had with Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein.

Boente's notes read: 'Told AG before his recusal, I cannot be speaking with the president alone'.

Comey later testified before Congress that it appeared Trump was asking him 'to get it out that I the president am not personally under investigation', which also matches how the former FBI director explained the conversation to Boente

A cover letter to the notes also explains that a 'Top Secret' stamp on the notes had been affixed in error and that the notes were not classified

Comey told Congress: 'I spoke to the attorney general and the new attorney general about my serious concern about the way in which the president is interacting, especially with the FBI'.

'I told the attorney general it can't happen that you get kicked out of the room and the president talks to me.'

Rachel Maddow also noted on her show that Boente's handwritten notes were initialed by the head of the counterintelligence division at the FBI.

A cover letter to the notes also explains that a 'Top Secret' stamp on the notes had been affixed in error and that the notes were not classified.

Comey was fired in May 2017, less than two months after the phone conversation with Trump.

Just yesterday, Trump said he did 'the right thing' by firing Comey as he ranted about the FBI raid of his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen's home and office.

'Well, I turned out to do the right thing, because if you look at all of the things that he's done and the lies...turned out I did the right thing.'
Residents have been warned to take immediate action to prevent a deadly outbreak of dengue fever after a man was struck down with the mosquito-born disease in North Queensland.

The Mackay Public Health Unit launched a response to the suspected case last Friday and laboratory tests have confirmed the man, from Bowen, has type 2 dengue fever.

He is believed to have contracted the disease while overseas, but an imported case could be spread by local dengue mosquitoes.

Residents have been warned to take immediate action to prevent a deadly outbreak of dengue fever after a man was struck down with the disease in North Queensland (stock)

Locals have been urged to check their yards once a week for mosquito breeding

'All residents should take immediate action to reduce the risk of a dengue outbreak,' Public Health Medical Officer Dr Steven Donohue said.

Authorities have door-knocked all residences within 50 metres of the man's house, spraying homes and doing yard inspections for breeding sites.

Dengue fever, which can kill in just days, is one of the world's most serious mosquito-born viral disease and has no cure or effective treatment.

'Dengue is a horrible illness, and serious complications can occur so it's important Bowen people take immediate steps to protect themselves and the community,' Dr Donohue said.

Dengue fever, which can kill in just days, is one of the world's most serious mosquito-born viral diseases and has no cure or effective treatment (stock)

WHAT IS DENGUE FEVER? Dengue fever is a viral disease spread only by certain mosquitoes  mostly Aedes aegypti or 'dengue mosquitoes', which are common in tropical areas around the world. Towns in north Queensland that have Aedes aegypti are prone to outbreaks of dengue when the virus is brought in by travellers. While some towns in central and south Queensland also have dengue mosquitoes, they have had no dengue outbreaks in recent years. Between outbreaks, Australia is free of dengue fever, but continuous efforts to control the mosquitoes are needed to keep it that way. Local Aedes aegypti are not normally infected with the virus, unless they have bitten a person sick with dengue. There are four types of dengue virus, numbered 1 to 4. After infection, a person is immune only to that particular type. Further infections with a different type have a higher chance of severe or complicated dengue. Source: Queensland Health Advertisement

The dengue mosquitoes only breed around homes and in urban areas, not in swamps or creeks.

'I urge all residents, particularly those in Bowen, to take immediate action to prevent dengue cases,' he said.

Locals have been urged to check their yards once a week for mosquito breeding.

They are advised to tip out, flush out, throw away or dry-store any containers holding water in which mosquitoes can breed use indoor surface spray, mozzie zappers and coils around the house to discourage dengue mosquitoes and avoid being bitten.

Common dengue-mosquito breeding sites include tyres, buckets, toys and pot-plant bases.

Residents are also urged to ensure roof gutters are not blocked and breeding mosquitoes.

Dengue symptoms include sudden fever and extreme tiredness, intense headache, muscle and joint pain, loss of appetite vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

Sufferers may also have a metallic taste in the mouth, red or macular rashes and minor bleeding from nose and gums.
Friends and relatives are pleading for information after a family-of-four went missing last week during a Spring Break road trip in the same Californian county where a lesbian couple died with their six adopted children after plunging off a cliff.

Sandeep Thottapilly, 42, of Southern California, took his wife Soumya Thottapilly, 38, and their two young children, 12-year-old Siddhant and nine-year-old Saachi, on a road trip to Portland, Oregon but they never returned home from their vacation.

The family left for their trip on March 30 and was supposed to make a stop at a relative's house in San Jose on April 6 before returning to their Valencia home, but disappeared in Mendocino County.

A family-of-four from California has been missing since last week after traveling to Portland, Oregon for a road trip

Family members said Sandeep Thottapilly took his wife and two children to Portland for Spring Break. They were supposed to stop at a relative's house in San Jose on April 6 but never showed up

Sandeep's father posted a message on Twitter to India's minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj asking her to step in and help

Swaraj tweeted that she was 'in constant touch' with the Consulate in San Francisco and would help find out what happened

Farther south on the Mendocino County coast, officials continue to look for members of the Hart family after their SUV made a deadly and possibly intentional plunge off an ocean bluff.

Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 39, were killed along with their six adopted children when their 2003 GMC Yukon XL crashed off the scenic Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California last week.

The Thottapilly family were reported missing by a relative on April 8 when they failed to show up.

Sandeep's father has posted several messages on social media pleading for help in locating his family.

In a post on Twitter, Babu Subramaniam Thottapilly asked India's minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj to step in and help.

'Respected Sushma Swaraj ji, I am a senior citizen and resident of Surat, Gujarat. My son Sandeep Thottapilly is residing in California, USA. He and his family are reported missing since last Thursday. Would request your good office to take up this matter with concerned authorities in USA and help find my son and his family as soon as possible,' he wrote.

Swaraj tweeted that she was 'in constant touch' with the Consulate in San Francisco.

'They are coordinating with the police. Rest assured. We will spare no effort,' she wrote.

The worried father also posted a Facebook message asking Sandeep's employer, Union Bank, to assist in finding the family. Babu said his son is the vice president of the bank.

According to a missing persons flyer posted by Babu the family's last known location was near the Klamath-Redwood National Park. Q13 Fox reports that the park is an unincorporated area in Del Norte County, north of Redwood National and State Parks in northwest California.

The Thottapillys disappeared in Mendocino County, where Jennifer and Sarah Hart, 39, died with their six children after driving off a cliff. From left to right: Hannah, Abigail, Sierra, Jeremiah, Jennifer, Devonte, Markis and Sarah Hart

The family was said to be traveling in a 2016 Maroon Honda Pilot with a California license plate of 7MMX13B

The family was said to be traveling in a 2016 Maroon Honda Pilot with a California license plate of 7MMX13B.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Joana Warren told Q13 they are working to obtain search warrants for cell phone carriers to see where the family's phone last pinged and are checking to see if the vehicle had a locating system.

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station tweeted Thursday that it was working with the San Jose Police Department, who is handling the case, to find the family. The department said it would provide updates as they come in.

Anyone with information was asked to contact their local authorities or dial 813-616-3091.
Prisoners should be hired by companies which are suffering from severe staff shortages, the new Justice Secretary has suggested. Dominic Raab (top) said that some of the record one million job vacancies across the UK could be filled by offenders who are allowed out on day release or have just finished their jail sentences. He claimed that the radical move could help society as well as the economy  and aid the new employees in turning their backs on a life of crime. Officials are set to contact firms desperate for fruit-pickers or food factory workers (bottom left) to convince them to hire more offenders. Mr Raab also said he backed the idea of asylum-seekers being allowed to work while their claims were being processed. Latest figures show that more than 33,000 would-be refugees waited more than a year to find out if they could stay in the UK, but current laws ban them from taking paid work during that time. Pictured bottom right: An advert for fruit picking jobs.
The scientist, who created Dolly the sheep in a bid to tackle Parkinson's disease, has been diagnosed with the condition she offered hope of finding a cure for.

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, from Edinburgh, hit the headlines in 1997 when he unveiled the first ever mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.

He proved that specialised cells could be used to create an exact copy of the animal they came from.

Dolly's birth in 1996 led the way for other scientists to work on a new research initiative into diseases including Parkinson's.

Sir Ian has now revealed that he was diagnosed with the disease himself just before Christmas.

The scientist, who created Dolly the sheep (pictured in 1997) in a bid to tackle Parkinson's disease, has been diagnosed with the condition she offered hope of finding a cure for

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut (pictured in 2015), from Edinburgh, hit the headlines in 1997 when he unveiled the first ever mammal to be cloned from an adult cell

He told the BBC: 'There was a sense of clarity, well at least now we know and we can start doing things about it. As well as obviously the disappointment that it will possibly shorten my life slightly, and more particularly it will alter the quality of life.

'I've never been a Munro bagger but we live in the Borders and I like to walk. I asked my consultant last week, if I recovered my strength would you think it reasonable to aim on walking four or five miles a day, for several days.

'He was rather discouraging, as it is something I would miss if he proves to be right.'

To mark World Parkinson's Day, Sir Ian said he has high hopes for a new research programme involving Edinburgh and Dundee universities.

He added: 'I think I see it slightly differently that I couldn't see a reason not to.

'I didn't want to go around with a veil of secrecy around something, I'm not like that. If it's useful in any way to mention it, and in this research context it is, then I'm very happy to mention it.'

He was diagnosed with Parkinson's before Christmas. He talks about how it affects his walking.

Speaking on the eve of Dolly's 20th anniversary in 2016, Sir Ian said widespread use of stem cell treatments was still likely to be 'decades away'.

He admitted that in the early days, scientists including himself had been carried away by the prospect of revolutionary stem cell therapies.

Controversially, he added that he did not believe there should be a 'red line' ban on ethical grounds to modifying inherited DNA in human eggs and sperm.

Ian Wilmut, the British creator of the cloned sheep Dolly

It was his personal view that such 'germ line' research either to defeat disease or provide broadly approved 'enhancements' could be justified.

Dolly, who was born at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, on July 5 1996, made history by being the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

Sir Ian said he had never hidden the fact that Dolly's creation was largely a stroke of luck.

She was the only surviving lamb from 277 cloning attempts and was created from an udder cell taken from a six-year-old Finn Dorset sheep.

The pioneering technique the Roslin team used involved transferring the nucleus of an adult cell into an unfertilised egg cell whose own nucleus had been removed.

An electric shock stimulated the hybrid cell to begin dividing and generate an embryo which was then implanted into the womb of a surrogate mother. The result was a newborn animal that was a genetic copy of the original cell donor.

Dolly died on February 14 2003. She had suffered from arthritis and a virus-induced lung disease, and is thought to have aged prematurely due to being cloned from a sheep that was already six years old.

Despite sensational speculation about human cloning at the time of her birth, Dolly's most important legacy was a massive boost to stem cell research.

The same cell reprogramming technique used to create Dolly was adopted by other scientists to generate 'induced pluripotent stem cells' (iPS cells) from adult human skin cells.

Doctors Ron James (left) and Keith Cambell (centre) of PPL Therapeutics pose with Dr Ian Wilmut of the Roslin Institute - and the first ever cloned sheep Dolly and Polly in 1999

Like stem cells plucked from early stage embryos, iPS cells have the potential to transform into any kind of tissue in the body, raising the possibility of ethically-approved stem cell therapies tailored to suit individual patients.

Sir Ian said: 'The odds are that somebody would have come upon iPS cells through a different route, but that process, which is key to a lot of things, would have been delayed by an unknown number of years. It might have taken 20 years.'

He acknowledged that he and others in his field had been over enthusiastic and optimistic about developing radical stem cell treatments that can repair diseased organs and tissues.

In reality, the obstacles to overcome were so great that it might still be decades before stem cell therapies become routine.

'If you're in research work you're an optimist, you have to be,' said Sir Ian.

'Sometimes natural optimism makes us be too hopeful about what can be achieved. I think perhaps we are slowly learning to be more realistic and not make the same mistake again.'

Questioned by journalists at a special Dolly briefing in London, he was asked if patients should not get their hopes up. He replied: 'I'm afraid so - it must be terrible.'

Dolly, who was born at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, on July 5 1996, made history by being the first mammal cloned from an adult cell

The idea of producing personally tailored treatments based on iPS cells created from cells donated by individual patients was unrealistic, he said.

But new research pioneered by Cambridge University scientists had raised the prospect of a 'library' of cell types compatible with the immune systems of most members of the population.

Scientists had calculated that 150 cell lines could theoretically produce a match for 90 per cent of people in the UK.

'In a few decades there might be a cell line that's suitable for every person in the world,' said Sir Ian.

He had a controversially liberal view of modifying human DNA, even inherited 'germ line' DNA in eggs and sperm.

Sir Ian said: 'I think as a principle there shouldn't be a simple red line that says 'no we don't'. The question is what's the benefit, what's the risk of mishap, and does the one thing justify the other.

'If there's a procedure that would enable you to either correct a disease or enhance somebody in some way, and approved within a broad context, then I would be in favour of it.'

He thought scientists would have to be 'very careful' not to overstep the mark and go down the route of altering human characteristics such as physical appearance or intelligence.

'I can't imagine a time when that would be an appropriate thing to do,' said Sir Ian.
Tony Blair and his son Euan have today been linked to the new political party said to have raised 50million to 'break the Westminster mould'.

Simon Franks, the millionaire founder of LoveFilm, is believed to have spent a year secretly working on a new 'centrist' movement for Britain.

Tony Blair's son Euan is rumoured to be on the board of Project One and sources claimed his father had been 'helpful' in finding potential donors.

Tony Blair (pictured yesterday) and his son Euan (right) have been linked to the new centrist political party being planned by a former Labour donor

Simon Franks, pictured at the 2005 Venice Film Festival with George Clooney and film producer Shebnem Askin, is said to have been working on a new 'centrist' political party for a year

One person also asked to join Project One told the Guardian last night that he had been told Euan Blair was involved.

Euan, 34, is a property developer and also runs a tech startup for apprentices, called WhiteHat.

But others have said that people at Project One Movement had 'overstated' involvement by the Blairs and Tony has denied claims he has backed the project.

His spokesman said last night: 'Mr Blair has no involvement with this. Period'.

Yesterday Mr Blair hiumself said it was 'completely wrong' to suggest the Tony Blair Institute For Global Change was preparing the infrastructure for a new political party, adding it was putting together a policy platform.

He said: 'It's not a manifesto because it's not for a political party.'

His institute was 'trying to create the sort of centrist policies that I think can rekindle optimism about the future, since I think that these lurches to the right and to the left are basically the politics of pessimism'.

He said: 'If you leave this ground, if there are people who feel unrepresented in politics, especially when those people are people of energy and determination and commitment, at some point in time and this is what the two main parties should think about, at some point in time they are going to find an outlet for their energy.

'All I am saying is I'm not organising and I'm not the right person to do that.'

He said starting a new political party was 'incredibly difficult' but the 'battle is not over', adding the leadership of a strong progressive centre 'is just not there, it's lacking'.

He added: 'The result of it is you have right-wing politics going into anti-immigration nationalism, left-wing politics going into anti-business old form of statism and neither are the answer to the problems of the future.'

Mr Blair said he was still in the Labour Party, adding: 'Yes, I'm going to stay in it. I've been in the Labour Party for over 40 years and I'm not going to give up on it.'

Former investment banker Simon Franks, 46, has gone to ground since the 50million political plan emerged and he was not at his 3.5million London mansion.

But former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Nick Clegg, who along with Tony Blair believes Brexit can still be stopped, has refused to rule out joining the new party himself.

He admitted it was now 'highly likely' a new centrist party could break off to fill a 'gaping hole' in politics.

And he said disaffected Tories, Labour supporters and Lib Dems should be 'open to doing what they think is right and consistent with their values' rather than stick to 'tribalism'.

Nick Clegg, who lost his seat in 2017 but is still campaigning to stop Brexit, has not ruled out joining a new party and urged fellow liberals to put aside tribal links to their parties

He said: 'I am relatively un-tribal. But I personally have always felt that liberal values are more important than which particular vehicle is carrying them at any particular time.'

'I think other people - whether it's liberals or liberal Conservatives should always be open to doing what they think is right and consistent with their values rather than being high bound by whatever political tribe they are in.'

Simon Franks is said to be frustrated with political division in light of the Brexit vote and the lurch left of the Labour party

Sir Nick denied claims he is being lined up as a possible leader.

Other mooted as a figurehead have included David Miliband.

His brother Ed is close to Mr Franks, who acted as his business adviser when he was Labour leader.

Simon Franks was not at home to discuss plans for a new centrist political party.

He is yet to give any interviews and has not used social media to discuss the plans.

At their 3.8million mansion in Hampstead, north London, his wife Carolyn refused to talk about her husband's new venture.

She said: 'Simon is not here, I know nothing about it and I am not prepared to comment sorry.'

Mr Franks and his wife live in a huge property behind black gates. The mansion is set back from the road by a long driveway.

The former banker, who worked for JP Morgan and Paribas, quit and set up the Redbus film distribution business in his bedroom.

In 2005 he sold the company, which distributed Bend it Like Beckham, to US distributor Lions Gate for 19.9million.

He also helped set up a DVD rental company called Video Island, which would later become LoveFilm. This would then be sold on to Amazon for 200million before being shut down last year.

Describing his journey Mr Franks said previously: 'I got a job in banking which was fascinating and terrible and I saw lots of great people get trapped in the system of just being addicted to the money.

'When David Bowie ran out of money and securitised his music rights I thought wow what a great idea, I'm going to do that for film rights'.

Mr Franks was not at his North London home and is yet to speak out about the 'centrist' party claims in the Observer

Up to 50million has been pumped into the project with a former Labour benefactor at the helm hoping to 'break the Westminster mould'.

He has had full-time staff on the project for about year after starting initial discussion in 2016.

His company - Project One Movement for the UK - is said to be a probable vehicle for the scheme.

But there is reportedly consensus that candidates will run in the 2022 General Election if the movement decides the current system is defunct.

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.'

Others named online as possible backers include Richard Reed, founder of Innocent Smoothies.

Mr Reed, who was one of three Cambridge University graduates who founded Innocent at the age of 26 in 1999 before selling it to Coca-Cola for 320million, donated to the Lib Dems in 2015. He is also a friend of Nick Clegg's.

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

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

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.

However the plans for a centrist challenger party were dismissed by the shadow chancellor and two of his frontbench colleagues.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell tweeted: 'That's a novel idea. A party of the rich, by the rich, for the rich. A party for the few not the many.'

Shadow health and social care secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: 'For goodness sake, what a daft waste of time. Anyone putting money into this nonsense would be better off investing in our campaign to restore and rebuild our NHS.'

Jon Trickett, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, tweeted: 'A new political party with 50m in the kitty, no members, no rule book, no ideology. Perhaps with support from sections of the British Establishment. A plaything for the rich?

'Let's focus on the task in hand: building a social movement which will change our country for good.'

Their sentiments were echoed by Colne Valley MP Thelma Walker, who said it was 'just what our country doesn't need', while Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell tweeted: 'Sounds like a bad idea, over-hyped.'
Thermomix is offering free mixers to its customers after being fined $4.6 million for knowingly selling devices that could potentially leave people with horrific burns.

A Federal Court judge in Melbourne on Wednesday found the company had, since July 2014, made false and misleading claims about the safety of its TM31 appliance, and told consumers refunds would not be available to them.

In an act of damage control, the Australian distributor of the kitchen appliance has offered to give customers replacement mixers, arguing this gesture demonstrated it was 'committed to doing the right thing and putting this matter to rest'.

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Thermomix is offering free mixers to its customers after being fined $4.6 million to knowingly selling devices that could potentially leave people with horrific burns (pictured)

The Federal Court on Wednesday found the company had, since July 2014, made false and misleading claims about the safety of its TM31 appliance (burns victim pictured)

Thermomix Australia founder and managing director Grace Mazur said the offer of a new TM5 was a 'big undertaking'.

'It is clear we should have done better in how we managed complex issues over the past few years,' she said in a statement on Wednesday.

'We regret this very much, we are sorry and apologise to those who were affected.'

Thermomix's controversial TM31 model was recalled in 2014 following 14 reported cases of users being burned by hot liquids due to a faulty seal.

The German-owned company has offered to give customers replacement mixers arguing this gesture demonstrated it was 'committed to doing the right thing'

The ACCC announced in June it had instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Thermomix (pictured: injury sustained by Thermomix)

Lawyers for the appliance company and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) appeared before the Federal Court in Melbourne on Wednesday for a penalty hearing after Thermomix admitted four contraventions of consumer laws.

Justice Bernard Murphy said senior management at the company knew there were issues months before it recalled the product in October 2014.

ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court slammed Thermomix for making it difficult for customers to get refunds.

'Businesses cannot place conditions on that right to a refund or replacement and customers certainly shouldnt have to sign non-disclosure agreements,' she said.

The company sent an email to its German manufacturers, Vorwerk, on July 7, 2014 containing videos of issues with the TM31.

'In my view it knew, or should have known, earlier than that,' Justice Murphy said.

Thermomix Australia founder and managing director Grace Mazur said the offer of a new TM5 was a 'big undertaking'

The judge said Thermomix was aware the TM31 mixing bowl lid could move during use, and knew there was a potential for hot liquid to burn and scald users.

The company's 'deliberate' contravening conduct allowed them to generate sales, Justice Murphy said.

In the three months between Thermomix's email to German manufacturers and its voluntary product recall in 2014, the company sold 9,443 of its TM31 appliances.

Thermomix has also admitted making false and misleading statements in 2016 about TM31's recall.

In a media release distributed on March 4, 2016, the company stated the TM31 had 'never been the subject of a product recall', the appliance was 'absolutely safe', and implied there was no safety issue with the lid's seal.

But at the time Thermomix actually knew about at least 35 cases where users had been seriously injured while using their TM31 models.

The company also admits it breached consumer laws by refusing to refund customers who paid more than $2000 for their Thermomix. In some cases only a conditional refund was provided.

The company told one customer she could only receive a refund if she signed a confidentiality agreement preventing her from commenting negatively about Thermomix.

Thermomix told customers they were not entitled to refunds under Australian consumer law, even though they were.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said Thermoix had failed to 'act swiftly and alert consumers about the potential safety hazard with the TM31 appliance'.

The company has agreed to pay the $4.6 million penalty in instalments, as well as $230,000 in legal costs incurred by the consumer watchdog.
A car thief who broke into a shed and stole a gun before shooting it aimlessly into a paddock has been described as a mentally unstable wannabe 'Ned Kelly'.

Emin Fikret was at home with his wife and daughter at their Plumton property, in Melbourne's outer west, Wednesday morning when the 'zombie-like' character intruded.

The 60-year-old homeowner recalled locking himself inside his home and forcing himself to stay calm, despite the burglar telling him he was going to shoot.

Dozens of police were called to a Plumpton farm Wednesday morning after a man broke into a shed and fired shots from a loaded gun (police in combat gear pictured)

Police arrested the man and seized the car and caravan he used to enter the property (pictured)

'I said ... what are you doing mate?,' Mr Fikret told Herald Sun.

'I said to him, keep shooting, mate, and just walked out of there.'

Up to 60 heavily armed police offices in combat gear swarmed the property shortly after 8am following reports a man had broken in and opened fire.

'He was acting like Ned Kelly, with a gun in each hand,' Mr Fikret said.

The farmer thought the man likely coaxed open his gun cabinet with a crow bar, gaining access to his large collection of dangerous weapons.

Mr Fikret said he had several shot guns, as well as a .22 rifle locked away in the safe.

The large-scale police operation unfolded shortly after 8am, with it eventuating in a 27-year-old being arrested and taken into custody

Up to 60 heavily armed police offices in combat gear swarmed the property shortly after 8am following reports a man had broken in and opened fire

He hid upstairs in his home and kept an eye on the man below while speaking with police on the phone.

Police were told the 27-year-old man stole 'large guns' from the shed before opening fire at the Beattys Road private address.

The man was arrested at the scene just before 9.30am and taken into custody.

There were no injuries sustained during the ordeal.

Police believed the car and caravan the man used to enter the property had been stolen in unrelated incidents in recent days.

They were also looking into the tools found in the tray of the Nissan Nivara 4WD and whether they too were stolen items.
Tesco has today seen its profits surge by 28 per cent to 1.6billion - up 145million from the year before.

Britain's biggest supermarket has also seen its sales climb for the ninth quarter in a row.

The profits boost came after a tumultuous period in its history after an accounting scandal, a huge pensions deficit and increased pressure from cut-price rivals Lidl and Aldi.

It has hailed a year of 'strong progress' after more than two straight years of rising sales and the completion of its 3.7 billion Booker deal.

Tesco has today seen its profits surge by 28 per cent to 1.6billion - up 145million from the year before

Revenues lifted 1.3 per cent to 57.5 billion, while UK like-for-like sales were 2.2 per cent higher thanks to 'consistent strength in fresh food'.

The group, which sealed its 3.7 billion takeover of wholesaler Booker last month, said it was on track to seal 200 million of pre-tax savings as a result of the deal. It will include 60 million in the first year.

Chief executive Dave Lewis said: 'This has been another year of strong progress, with the ninth consecutive quarter of growth.

'More people are choosing to shop at Tesco and our brand is stronger as customers recognise improvements in both quality and value.

'We have further improved profitability, with group operating margin reaching 3% in the second half.

'We are generating significant levels of cash and net debt is down by almost 6 billion over the last three years.

'All of this puts us firmly on track to deliver our medium-term ambitions and create long-term value for every stakeholder in Tesco.

'I am delighted to have completed our merger with Booker, and we are moving quickly to deliver synergies and access new growth, making the most of the complementary skills in our combined business.'
Yulia Skripal, 33, has now been released from hospital after being targeted in a poison plot

The poisoned daughter of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal was quizzed by officials with the protection of an armed guard.

Yulia Skripal, 33, was discharged from Salisbury District Hospital yesterday - five weeks after she and her father, 66, were targeted by a nerve agent attack in the city.

She has been taken to a 'safe house' where she was by security officials about the incident.

And it emerged that Miss Skripal refused Russia's offer of consular help despite Moscow's claim that she has been abducted.

Russia insisted attempts by Britain to secretly resettle the Skripals would be treated as 'abduction'.

Ex-double agent Sergei, 66, was yesterday still in hospital but 'making good progress' after the Novichok chemical attack.

A source close to Miss Skripal told The Sun: 'She is in hospital on a military base for her own protection and to monitor her health.

'The effects of this nerve gas are unknown and could resurrect themselves at any point.'

Officials hope Miss Skripal will be able to provide clues to identify her would-be killer.

But a friend of the family told the newspaper: 'They will never catch the killer, he's probably back in Moscow drinking vodka.'

Yesterday, Russia claimed any plan to resettle its former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia abroad with new identities would be 'an abduction'.

The Russian Embassy in London said it would be 'another gross violation of international law' if the Skripals were sent abroad with new identities.

Speaking about reports of the Skripals being relocated by the UK, the embassy said: 'With a secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skirpal all opportunities to hear their version of the events of March 4 will highly likely be lost forever.

'The world, while having no opportunity to interact with them, will have every reason to see this as an abduction of the two Russian nationals or at least as their isolation.'

The Russian Embassy in London said it would be 'another gross violation of international law' if the Skripals were sent abroad with new identities

Russia congratulated Miss Skripal on her recovery but demanded proof that her treatment was 'on her own free will'.

The pair had spent a month in critical condition in Salisbury District Hospital but have since made recoveries.

Medical director Dr Christine Blanshard confirmed Yulia had been discharged and she has been taken to a secure location.

Dr Blanshard said: 'This is not the end of her treatment but marks a significant milestone.'

The doctor said Mr Skripal's health had also improved. During a short address to reporters outside the hospital, she said: 'Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course.'

Dr Blanshard paid tribute to hospital staff who worked during the 'enormously testing' recent weeks.

'McMafia' laws are used to catch Putin cronies Dirty money linked to Putin's cronies is at the centre of an unprecedented crackdown by British authorities using 'McMafia' laws. Investigators are dealing with up to 100 cases and could potentially seize cash, property and other assets from wealthy individuals. They have already frozen more than 700million as they target people so rich they are harbouring 'unspendable' amounts of cash. And they are preparing five new Unexplained Wealth Orders, cutting-edge legal moves dubbed 'McMafia laws' after the BBC TV drama, which force targets to explain their riches. Cases of money laundering, fraud and corruption  including one involving Russian assets  are being considered by prosecutors. Officials said Russian wealth forms a 'significant' part of their work to target international public figures who abused their positions to benefit themselves. Individuals linked to corrupt regimes across Central Asia, the Caribbean and Africa are also under scrutiny. Donald Toon, of the National Crime Agency (NCA), said a team of more than 50 experts were targeting 'illicit finances linked to corrupt elites'. Stressing that 'it's not a crime to be Russian, it's not a crime to be rich', he added that proving money was obtained illegally can be extremely difficult. His colleagues face complex High Court challenges that attempt to block their work. In one case a suspect attempted to sue the NCA for 250million, more than half its annual budget. Losing could have bankrupted the agency. Mr Toon said: 'Generally we're talking about people who have either been in political or other public office... or the very top of private sector or nationalised industry, and who have been able to abuse their position for personal gain.' Advertisement

Dr Christine Blanshard (right), medical director of Salisbury District Hospital and Lorna Wilkinson, director of nursing, speaking to the media yesterday

Dr Blanshard paid tribute to hospital staff who worked during the 'enormously testing' recent weeks

Russian Embassy statement in full 'We are genuinely happy for Yulia and wish her a further recovery and rehabilitation. The Embassy wants to pay tribute to the professionalism of the medical staff at the hospital in Salisbury. 'At the same time, media reports that Yulia has left hospital for a 'secure location' cause concern as they mean that British authorities are continuing their policy of isolating her from the public, concealing important evidence and blocking an impartial and independent investigation. We are convinced that details of the incident that Yulia could share would become a valuable contribution to the progress of the investigation. 'Meanwhile, British authorities continue to refuse to provide any independently verifiable information about Yulia's health and wishes. The Embassy doesn't know anything about her condition, whether she speaks for herself or whether British authorities speak instead of her, abusing her rights. 'We confirm our request and intention to meet her and see by ourselves if she is well. And at the very least, we demand an urgent proof that all actions in relation to Yulia are being taken in strict observance of her free will. 'The Embassy has sent another Note Verbale to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that demands a meeting between Yulia and the Embassy's consular staff in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the bilateral Consular Convention, which the British authorities continue to violate.' Advertisement

'They have pulled together, not just to deliver outstanding care to the individuals caught up in these terrible events, but to all our patients as they do day in, day out.'

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also exposed to the nerve agent, was discharged from the hospital on March 22.

In a statement following Ms Skripal's release from Salisbury District Hospital, the Russian Embassy in London said: 'We congratulate Yulia on her recovery.

'Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will.'

They were both contaminated by Novichok, which is believed to have been smeared on the handle of Mr Skripal's front door at his Salisbury home.

Yulia's cousin, Viktoria, yesterday said she is 'feeling pleased' that the 33-year-old is 'well enough to be released from hospital' and expects her to claim political asylum.

On Monday, Viktoria told a Russian talk show that an application to seek protection outside of Russia is about to be lodged.

'I know that Yulia Skripal's statement about political asylum is coming already,' RIA news agency claimed.

It comes after her relatives said they 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.

Meanwhile, RAF spooks intercepted a message to Moscow saying 'the package has been delivered' shortly after Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia were poisoned, it has been reported.

It is understood the information was central to the intelligence package shared with Britain's allies before more than 100 Russian diplomats were expelled from countries across the world.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the use of chemical weapons on Sergei and Yulia Skripal (pictured) in Salisbury

The British Government has repeatedly said it is 'highly likely' Russia was behind the attacks in Salisbury despite scientists at military research site Porton Down being unable to confirm that the Novichok nerve agent came from Moscow.

According to the Sunday Express, intelligence 'insiders' revealed two messages sent from Syria to Moscow were intercepted at an RAF listening post in Cyprus on March 3 and 4.

The message on March 4, the day of the poisoning, included the phrase 'the package has been delivered' and that two people have 'made a successful egress'.

A Flight Lieutenant then flagged the message intercepted the previous day following the attack on the Skripals, although its contents have not been revealed.

Spies at the Governments intelligence headquarters the GCHQ in Cheltenham were then given the information as they put together a dossier on the poisoning.

It comes as the Mail on Sunday revealed the agent used to poison former Russian agent Mr Skripal and his daughter was specially designed to take 'four hours to kill them' so their assassins could flee Britain.

Yulia Skripal: A timeline of the spy daughter's poisoning case Yulia had lived and worked in Britain after her father went to Britain in an exchange with glamour spy Anna Chapman in 2010 March 3, 2018 - Yulia Skripal arrives at Heathrow Airport from Russia to visit her father in England. March 4, 2.20 pm to 3.35pm - Sergei and Yulia Skripal have lunch at the Zizzi restaurant. March 4, 4.15pm - Emergency services are called by a passer-by concerned about a man and a woman in Salisbury city centre. Officers find the Skripals unconscious on a bench. They are taken to Salisbury District Hospital, where they remain in critical condition. March 7 - Police announce that the Skripals were likely poisoned with a nerve agent in a targeted murder attempt. They disclose that a police officer who responded to the incident is in serious condition in a hospital. March 12, morning- Prime Minister Theresa May tells the House of Commons that the Skripals were poisoned with Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. March 29 - Doctors say Yulia Skripal is 'improving rapidly' in hospital. April 5, morning - Yulia Skripal's cousin Viktoria says she has received a call from Yulia saying she plans to leave hospital soon. April 5, afternoon - A statement on behalf of Yulia is released by Metropolitan Police, in which she says her strength is 'growing daily' and that 'daddy is fine'. April 9: Yulia Skripal is discharged from Salisbury District Hospital and is taken to a secure location. Medical director Dr Christine Blanshard said: 'This is not the end of her treatment but marks a significant milestone.' Advertisement

Pictured: Dr Christine Blanshard (black jacket), Medical Director, and Lorna Wilkinson, Director of Nursing, give a statement outside Salisbury District Hospital this morning

The message is said to have been central to the intelligence dossier shared with Britain's allies about the attack in Salisbury, pictured

Security sources said the Russians developed a less powerful 'boutique' Novichok that could be absorbed through the skin to help their agents avoid capture.

Novichok is normally administered in gas form and kills its victims within minutes.

This adjustment to the nerve agent, made after exhaustive scientific tests conducted at a secret Russian scientific establishment, proved a crucial flaw in the double murder bid.

While it allowed the would-be murderers to escape, it also gave doctors and scientists time to identify the Novichok and treat the patients with antidotes.

Yesterday, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, said he had no doubts Russia was to blame for the attack.

He told Sky News: 'It's pretty obvious from all the assembled evidence. I think from the UK authorities have looked at it very closely and the American authorities have looked at it very closely - and others too.

'I don't think there would be this degree of international action unless there was a fair degree of consensus as to what's happened.'
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted her South Pacific nation was 'undeniably' racist but said she was proud of efforts to stamp out the problem.

The centre-left leader was responding to comments from Kiwi film-maker Taika Waititi that his homeland is 'racist as f***'.

Thor Ragnarok director Waititi, who is Maori, outlined the prejudice he had experienced in an interview with British magazine Dazed & Confused last week.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted her South Pacific nation was 'undeniably' racist but said she is proud of efforts to stamp out the problem

'It's racist as f***. I mean, I think New Zealand is the best place on the planet, but its a racist place,' he said.

'People just flat-out refuse to pronounce Maori names properly. Theres still profiling when it comes to Polynesians.'

He said he had been asked during his youth whether he was a glue sniffer, simply because of his Maori background.

The remarks prompted fierce debate in New Zealand, with many backing him and others saying he was overstating a problem that was much worse in other countries.

Asked for her view on Waititi's assessment, Ardern joked: 'I don't know where F sits on the quantum!'

'I think probably you'd be hard-pressed to find a country that didnt have racism in it,' she told TV3 on Tuesday.

Thor Ragnarok director Waititi, who is Maori, outlined the prejudice he had experienced in an interview with British magazine Dazed & Confused last week

'Is New Zealand one of them? Undeniably. Is there racism in most countries? Undeniably. Can we do better? Yes.

'I'm really proud of the efforts we make daily to do better.'

Waititi, who last year fronted a Human Rights Commission anti-racism campaign, waded back into the issue Wednesday in response to complaints that white New Zealanders were not the only people who displayed racism.

'YES there are racist Maori,' he tweeted. 'Many in my family too. It's everywhere. That's the damn point.'
Shocking revelations have emerged alleging drug dealers have been entering a public hospital and administering drugs to its patients.

The horrifying claims came to light Wednesday and involved Sydney's busy St Vincent's Hospital, a public institution in the inner eastern suburb of Darlinghurst.

In information revealed to 2GB radio host, Ben Fordham, it was accused members of the public entered the facility to deliver and inject illicit substances to people in care.

Shocking revelations have emerged alleging drug dealers have been entering public hospitals and administering drugs to patients across Sydney (stock image)

In information revealed to 2GB radio host, Ben Fordham, it was accused members of the public entered the facility to deliver and inject illicit substances to people in care (stock image)

One incident involved a man walking around the popular hospital before injecting heroin into a patient's arm and quickly leaving before security arrived.

'At that point the dealer was finishing up the injection, standing there literally injecting drugs into the arm of the patient,' Mr Fordham said.

'When the drug dealer was caught mid act, (he) immediately ran off.'

A source confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they also witnessed hospital patients buying and using drugs on the premises late last year.

The source revealed a middle-aged woman was laying in her hospital bed as she spoke to a drug dealer over the phone, begging for drugs.

The woman, who was in a different public Sydney hospital for five days, was heard convincing the dealer to bring drugs, believed to be heroin, into the hospital the following day.

'She made a call to get it delivered downstairs so she could pick it up,' the source told Daily Mail Australia.

'She was in hospital for two days when she first started talked about getting her fix.'

The woman, who had one hand plastered, invited another hospital patient - who appeared to be a friend - to the room's bathroom to inject the drug which was hidden in a paper bag.

A source confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they also witnessed hospital patients buying and using drugs in the bathrooms and behind curtains on the premises late last year (stock image)

'But she couldn't get it in with one hand and her friend only had one eye to see out of,' the source said.

Mr Fordham went on to explain the hospital staff felt they had a duty of care to the patient and do not report the incidents to police.

'If police get involved it may upset the patient who is already in a degree of pain and it might stop them from coming back ... next time they need help,' he said.

A St Vincent's Hospital spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the hospital has 'zero tolerance' for dealing or purchasing illegal substances on hospital grounds.

'Any illegal activity on our grounds is immediately reported to Hospital Security as well as NSW Police,' a statement read.

The hospital told 2GB drug dealing and purchasing incidents do happen at St Vincent's Hospital but they were 'isolated'.
A doctor thrown off a flight after complaining about mosquitoes has angrily accused Indian airline officials of branding him a terrorist.

Cardiac surgeon Dr Saurabh Rai had just boarded the IndiGo plane flight from Lucknow, northern India, to Bengaluru when he challenged flight staff over the insects in a cabin.

But as the row escalated, Dr Rai was ordered off the plane and made to walk back from the tarmac to the departure lounge at Lucknow airport, according to reports.

This is the dramatic moment a cardiac surgeon was thrown off an aircraft in India for complaining about mosquitoes on the crowded jet

Passengers were forced to swat the mosquitoes with the aircraft's safety cards

Cardiac surgeon Dr Saurabh Rai, pictured, has threatened to sue the airline over his treatment

In an angry selfie video filmed in the packed airport Dr Rai claimed he had been 'manhandled' by the crew.

He said: 'The staff termed me as a terrorist. They threatened me with dire consequences and pressurised me to write an apology letter, which I refused as I had done no wrong.'

Dr Rai went on: 'They mistreated me. I had to arrange my next ticket for Bengaluru after a lot of hardship.'

But IndiGo - India's biggest airline - denied the claims saying Dr Rai had been ejected because of his 'unruly behaviour.'

After angrily challenging cabin crew over mosquitoes, they claim, he started making threats before they could do anything.

They even accused him of trying to enlist other passengers in the row and of using the word 'hijack.'

An airline spokesman said: 'Such actions are absolutely unacceptable, and there is zero tolerance for such threatening language on board an aircraft.'

They added: 'Hence, keeping in mind applicable safety protocols, the crew apprised the pilot-in-command, who decided to offload Rai from the flight.

'Customer satisfaction is core to our business. However, the safety and security of our passengers as well as colleagues are of primary concern.

'Therefore, any untoward conduct of this nature is of serious concern to us, and as responsible corporate citizens we will take all necessary action to address this violation.

'Further, we would like to mention here that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has prohibited disinfectant fumigation in aircraft while passengers are on board.

'This order is currently being challenged by IndiGo before the NGT and the same is pending for adjudication.'

A similar row emerged on another airline - Jet Airways - when passengers on a plane at Lucknow airport were filmed swatting mosquitoes.

And just months ago IndiGo had to apologise to a passenger who had been hauled off a plane by staff at New Delhi airport in the Indian capital.

Mosquitoes carry the deadly malaria parasite which some experts believe kills 24,000 people a year across India.
Two Spanish politicians are facing calls to resign over claims they obtained their master's degrees fraudulently.

Cristina Cifuentes, head of the Madrid region and a member of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party (PP), is suspected of obtaining the qualification from the public King Juan Carlos University in Madrid by forging the grades for two units, local media reported.

Pablo Casado, an MP and the party's deputy communications chief, is also accused of faking a degree from the university.

Cristina Cifuentes, head of the Madrid region and a member of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party (PP), is suspected of faking her master's degree

He told a press conference on Monday that he wasn't expected to attend classes or sit exams for his degree.

The opposition Socialists demanded Cifuentes' resignation after she defended herself in front of regional lawmakers last week.

Prosecutors are probing the case after the university rector himself admitted the document attesting she had passed it was a 're-construction' of the original.

According to Eldiario.es, Cifuentes wasn't the kind of student who regularly attended classes, took exams or did the work for her degree in regional law.

But she passed some subjects by forging the signatures of false professors.

After the website broke the story last month, she denied the allegations and threatened to sue the publication.

Pablo Casado (pictured), an MP and the Popular Party's deputy communications chief, is also accused of faking a degree from the university

She produced a certificate, but two of the three people whose names was on that document said their signatures were forged.

Meanwhile, the university said it can't find Cifuentes' dissertation.

When pressed to provide her master's thesis as proof, she claimed to have lost it while moving house.

Laura Nuno, the deputy director of the Institute of Public Law, where Cifuentes claims to have studied, resigned on Tuesday, according to the Guardian.

She said she found out her signature had been forged on documents claiming Cifuentes took the course in 2012.

A spokesman for the prosecutor's office confirmed a probe was underway into the alleged forgery of an official document, which is a criminal offence in Spain, on Thursday.

'After the appearance of information that suggests a crime may have been committed, the university decided to transfer it to the ministry to investigate,' the university said in a statement.

Both are facing calls to resign after being suspected of obtaining the qualification from the public King Juan Carlos University (pictured, file photo) in Madrid fraudulently

The Cifuentes affair could further damage the PP ahead of local elections next year, after her predecessor Esperanza Aguirre, was embroiled in a scandal over alleged misuse of public funds.

At the weekend, the PP held a convention meant to kick off its campaign for municipal and regional elections in May 2019.

In so doing, the party also hoped to close ranks and address the rise of Ciudadanos, Catalonia's drawn-out separatist crisis and the 2018 budget which Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's minority government is not managing to get approved for lack of parliamentary support.

To outsiders, however, the gathering was overshadowed by the Cifuentes scandal.

But at the convention, she was given a standing ovation of over a minute and Rajoy stayed quiet on the case.
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has warned of an 'arms race' against Russian disinformation during a high-stakes hearing with U.S. lawmakers.

The 33-year-old CEO spoke of a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the U.S. and elsewhere.

'There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems,' he said.

'So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too.'

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a US Senate hearing on data misuse by the social network

Facebook's tentacles stretch worldwide with two billion users

Cardboard cutouts of Zuckerberg stand outside the US Capitol, placed by advocacy group Avaaz to call attention to what it says are fake accounts still spreading disinformation on Facebook

Zuckerberg also accepted personal responsibility Tuesday for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users.

The Facebook founder and chief executive in his first formal congressional appearance answered questions for nearly five hours as he sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses.

The conduct of the social media giant that has angered lawmakers and the network's two billion users.

Under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by a British political consultant, Zuckerberg reiterated his apology for the historic breach, before being grilled over how Facebook collects and protects people's personal information.

'It was my mistake, and I'm sorry,' Zuckerberg said about the improper sharing of 87 million people's information by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

'I started Facebook, I run it and I'm responsible for what happens here.'

When pressed on what the business model would be in an entirely ad-free scenario, though, the Facebook CEO confirmed that this would mean users have to pay for that experience

Facebook isn't planning to become a subscription-based service just yet. On Tuesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat down before Congress to discuss a range of issues, from user privacy to targeted ads

He added that Facebook fell short in protecting the platform, noting: 'That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy.'

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last U.S. presidential race.

The Senate hearing, ahead of another appearance in the House on Wednesday, featured several tense and some friendly exchanges on Facebook's security, hate speech and other topics.

Of the hundreds of questions he faced, none appeared to flummox him more than Senator Dick Durbin's pointed query about where he slept the previous evening.

'Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?' Durbin asked.

Zuckerberg paused for a full eight seconds, chuckled, grimaced and ultimately demurred.

'Um, uh, no,' he said.

And 'if you've messaged anybody this week, would you share with us the names of the people you've messaged?' the Illinois Democrat persisted.

Again, the question elicited a similar unwillingness to answer.

Perhaps more than any other senator during five hours of questioning, Durbin's everyman tactic put a finger on the crux of the issue surrounding Facebook's handling of its users' private data.

Zuckerberg said he was open to regulation, but cautioned against complex rules that might impact emerging social media firms.

Zuckerberg sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social network

'I think the internet is becoming increasingly important in people's lives and I think we need to have a full conversation about what is the right regulation,' he told the hearing.

'You need to be careful (a new regulatory policy) doesn't cement in the current companies that are winning.'

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook is cooperating with the US special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

'Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential,' he said.

Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data.

'I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them,' he said.

Swapping his customary T-shirt for a business suit and tie, the Facebook chief appeared somber as he fielded tough questions over Cambridge Analytica's massive data breach.

'We've been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again,' he said in his prepared remarks.

But the show of contrition fell short for several lawmakers.

'We've seen the apology tours before,' Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told Zuckerberg.

'And so, my reservation about your testimony today is that I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are specific rules of the road.'

WHAT IS THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL? Communications firm Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York, Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia. The company boasts it can 'find your voters and move them to action' through data-driven campaigns and a team that includes data scientists and behavioural psychologists. 'Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in winning presidential races as well as congressional and state elections,' with data on more than 230 million American voters, Cambridge Analytica claims on its website. The company profited from a feature that meant apps could ask for permission to access your own data as well as the data of all your Facebook friends. The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix (pictured), after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump This meant the company was able to mine the information of 87 million Facebook users even though just 270,000 people gave them permission to do so. This was designed to help them create software that can predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box. The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump. This information is said to have been used to help the Brexit campaign in the UK. Advertisement

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Congress before the hearing wearing Zuckerberg masks and #DeleteFacebook T-shirts.

Inside the jammed hearing room, activists from the Code Pink group wore oversized glasses with the words 'STOP SPYING' written on the lenses, and waved signs that read 'Stop corporate lying.'

Testifying was a new step for Zuckerberg, who started Facebook as a Harvard dropout in 2004, and built it into the world's largest social media company worth more than $450 billion.

During questioning, Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

'The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people, ranging from texting apps to e-mail,' he said.

Zuckerberg also said the company believed in an ad-supported business model, but appeared to leave open the possibility of a paid version.

'There will always be a version of Facebook that is free,' Zuckerberg told the hearing.

The facebook CEO said on Tuesday that the platform will have AI tools to automatically flag and remove hate speech before it appears within five to ten years.

Latest estimates suggest more than 87 million users may have had their data mined by the Trump affiliated consultancy firm through the 'This Is Your Digital Life' quiz.
Lost: Billionaire Karl-Erivan Haub, 58, has been missing in the Swiss Alps since Saturday

One of the richest men in Germany has gone missing during a ski trip in the Swiss Alps, sparking a massive search in the mountain range.

Karl-Erivan Haub, 58, the head of to the Tengelmann retail empire, failed to return from a ski excursion near the border with Italy on Saturday.

Haub had been staying at a ski lodge near Switzerland's famous Matterhorn peak, but failed to show for a meeting at a hotel in nearby ski resort town of Zermatt.

His family immediately alerted police and mountain rescue and have financed helicopters taking part in the search.

A spokeswoman for Tengelmann said Wednesday that there was no news yet on the fate of the 58-year-old.

Haub, whose personal wealth is estimated at over three billion pounds, is a keen Alpinist who regularly vacations in the mountains.

He was in Switzerland to train for the Patrouille des Glaciers ski race, an international long distance event organised by the Swiss army in which both military personnel and civilians compete.

The race is scheduled to take place next Tuesday, April 17.

His brother Christian Haub wrote to the Handelsblatt business daily that Karl-Erivan was 'a very experienced alpinist and skier' and hoped he would be found safe.

Lost: Haub was reported missing after he failed to turn up at a meeting in Zermatt, a plush ski resort near the Italian border

But he added that the worst case scenario cannot be ruled out; 'Of course our family is prepared for such a situation. The business will continue to run smoothly and orderly.'

Karl-Erivan and Christian Haub took charge of Tengelmann in 2000, when their father Erivan Haub died unexpectedly at his ranch in Wyoming, USA.

The family run company began life in the time of the Kaisers in 1867, importing tea and coffee and other commodities.

Tengelmann's main businesses are the hardware store Obi and clothing retailer KiK. It also has large stakes in the Netto supermarket chain and online retailer Zalando.

Its current 73 holdings employ 215,000 people and generate close to 30 billion pounds in revenues each year.
A man described by police as unhinged has been arrested for launching an unprovoked assault of ABC Eyewitness News reporter Tim Fleischer.

The local TV reporter was hit in the face in the Rockaways, Queens, area of New York on Tuesday by Efram Lacroix, police said.

The 32-year-old assailant fled, only to be arrested a few blocks away on Shore Parkway near Beach 57th St. and Rockaway Beach Blvd.

Eyewitness News reporter Tim Fleischer is expected to make a full recovery after the unprovoked attack but it is unclear when he will return to work

Police arrested 32-year-old Efram LaCroix shortly after the incident in Queens.He is charged with assault and harassment

Fleischer, 54, was filming a segment at the corner of Beach Channel Drive and Beach 56th St. in Far Rockaway about 12:30 p.m. when the incident happened.

The reporter was interviewing a Queens resident at a public housing complex where Mayor Bill de Blasio was simultaneously holding a press event, authorities said.

'The perp walked up to him and said, 'Are you guys doing a story?' and then proceeded to punch him in the jaw,' a police source told The New York Post.

Fleischer's cameraman, Rob Cantwell, chased down the 32-year-old attacker and held him for police near Beach 59th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard.

Charges against the 32-year-old man are pending for the unprovoked attack, police said.

Fleischer was seen clutching his bloodied cheek and walking into an ambulance. He was taken to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, an FDNY spokesman said.

He is expected to make a full recovery but it is unclear when he will return to work.

Efram Lacroix has been charged with assault and harassment. Police sources said he is known to have mental problems.
The ABC's flagship TV interviewer Leigh Sales has been trolled with sexist abuse and accused of metaphorically performing sex acts on Liberal Party politicians.

The 44-year-old Sydney-based 7.30 host shared with her Twitter followers a particularly vile accusation about her perceived bias.

'Any interviewer is supposed to be impartial but Leigh Sales virtually goes down on her knees to give any Lib an on-camera blow job,' it said.

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The ABC's flagship TV interviewer Leigh Sales has been trolled with sexist abuse and accused of metaphorically performing sex acts on Liberal Party politicians

The 44-year-old Sydney-based 7.30 host shared with her Twitter followers a particularly vile accusation about her perceived bias

'She gives them such an easy time.'

Sales, who was previously the ABC's Washington correspondent, said the trolling highlighted the abuse women in the media face.

'Another morning, another bit of casual misogyny and abuse - basically a daily occurrence for high-profile women on social media,' she said on Wednesday.

This week, Sales caught Labor leader Bill Shorten off guard when she asked him how he would perform as a potential prime minister after Malcolm Turnbull had lost his 30th consecutive Newspoll.

This week, Sales caught Labor leader Bill Shorten off guard when she asked him how he would perform as a PM after Malcolm Turnbull had lost his 30th consecutive Newspoll

The Opposition Leader appeared to be more interested in talking about why the Turnbull Government's policies were wrong, rather than why his were better.

Shorten stumbled multiple times as he ignored questions about his own policies and went on to slam the government for theirs.

Eventually, Ms Sales snapped demanded he answers her questions.

'As we said at the start of this, you could be the Prime Minister in a few months time,' she said,

'I am trying to get to what you want to do and not critique what they want to do.'

Sales has regularly copped abuse on social media, including an incident in August 2017 after she had separated from her husband Phil Willis, who is also the father of her two children.

A troll used last year's gay marriage postal vote survey to take a dig at her personal circumstances.

'Since Leigh Sales couldn't hold her own marriage together, she's busy campaigning to destroy every one else's,' the vicious message said.
Left-wing film-maker Ken Loach has demanded that Labour MPs who demonstrated against anti-Semitism are kicked out of the party

Left-wing film-maker Ken Loach has demanded that Labour MPs who demonstrated against anti-Semitism are kicked out of the party.

The Corbyn ally, who made Labour's campaign broadcasts before last year's election, said their support for a protest by Jewish leaders outside Parliament were 'dirty tricks'.

It came as Israel's Labour Party suspended relations with its British counterpart.

Mr Loach told a Labour event near Bristol that MPs on the 1,500-strong rally organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews last month should be deselected.

He said Labour would not be able to govern 'if you've got two-thirds of Labour MPs undermining Jeremy Corbyn when he is prime minister', adding: 'Unless we get Labour MPs who believe in that manifesto last year we won't get in power.

'If they've been going to the demonstration against him outside Westminster... those are the ones we need to kick out.'

He added: 'You cannot work with people who have come to undermine the biggest challenge we've had - we've never had a leader like Corbyn before in the whole history of the Labour Party.and that's why the dirty tricks are going to come out.'

Mr Loach went on to accuse the Israeli government of 'infiltrating and undermining the Labour left'.

He was speaking at a screening of his film 'I, Daniel Blake' organised by the Kingswood Constituency Labour Party.

His remarks come after Thangam Debbonaire, the MP for nearby Bristol West, was heckled at a meeting of her local constituency last Friday for attending the anti-Semitism demonstration.

Several Labour MPs attended the protest in Parliament Square last week (including Luciana Berger, pictured at the event) to say 'enough is enough'

The extraordinary protest saw several of Britain's largest Jewish groups unite to demand action from Jeremy Corbyn on Labour anti-Semitism

She faced criticism even after Mr Corbyn defended her earlier the week, saying: 'I have no problem with anyone attending demonstrations.' At least a dozen other Labour MPs had joined the rally.

Mr Loach and his production company made three of Labour's five broadcasts during last year's election campaign. Mr Corbyn has previously at Prime Minister's Questions called on Theresa May to watch 'I, Daniel Blake', a depiction of poverty in modern Britain.

Last night Mr Loach said he did not want MPs to be deselected based on one event and his earlier quotes 'do not reflect my position'.

He said: 'Re-selecting an MP should not be based on individual incidents but reflect the MP's principles, actions and behaviour over a long period. Being an MP is not a job for life.

'My view is that candidates should be selected for every election and party members should be able to make a democratic choice.'

Loacj is an ally of Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in Westminster yesterday) and made Labour's campaign broadcasts before last year's election

Israel's Labour party yesterday suspended relations with Mr Corbyn in the row over anti-Semitism. In a letter to the Labour leader, chairman Avi Gabbay said it was his responsibility to acknowledge the 'hostility' Mr Corbyn had shown to the Jewish community.

The two parties have long-standing ties and Mr Gabbay pointed to 'warm relations' with Labour former prime ministers Harold Wilson, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

He added: 'It is my responsibility to acknowledge the hostility that you have shown to the Jewish community and the anti-Semitic statements and actions you have allowed as leader of the Labour Party UK.

'This is in addition to your very public hatred of the politics of the Government of the State of Israel, many of which regard the security of our citizens and actions of our soldiers - policies where the opposition and coalition in Israel are aligned.'

During a visit in north London, Mr Corbyn said the Israeli party should read Baroness Chakrabarti's report into tackling racism and anti-Semitism.

He told reporters: 'I wish they would read Shami Chakrabarti's report. I wish they would understand that we are utterly determined in every way to drive out anti-Semitism from our society. And, where it exists in any party, to drive it out, including my own.

'I would be very happy to have that discussion with them. I think they should have done me the courtesy of asking me first.'
A high school business teacher in Brooklyn has been indicted for sexually assaulting and paying a teenage student after each encounter.

In October, Mervyn Affoon was arrested for having sex with a 16-year-old boy inside of the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Erasmus High School in Flatbush, The New York Daily News reported.

Affoon's charges were upgraded by the grand jury. He is now expected to be arraigned on a 35-count indictment on Wednesday, court records show.

The alleged sexual encounters took place between February and October last year at the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Erasmus High School in Flatbush

'The Department of Education must do a better job at screening and monitoring the interaction between educators and students so as to avoid such horrendous acts from occurring to other children,' said Scott Rynecki, the teen's attorney.

The teen's family filed an $11 million notice of claim against the city for failing to protect their son.

The encounters allegedly started in February 2017 and ended the following October - they allegedly happened inside Affoon's East Flatbush apartment, where the teen was given money for food  a total of $400.

The 53-year-old posted $20,000 bail and was removed from the classroom after his arrest.

Affoon's defense lawyer meanwhile has argued that his client is the victim of an extortion plot.

'The complaining witness in this case was asking for money repeatedly for his little brother, for dance classes,' defense attorney Andrew Stoll told Judge Lorna McAllister at Affoon's criminal court arraignment Tuesday night.

'A fellow student suggested that he could make a lot of money through a lawsuit, and that's when these allegations were made.'

Affoon faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the top charge of promoting a sexual performance by a child.
Those wanting to escape the upcoming winter blues and relax in tropical paradise will be able to without breaking the bank.

Malindo Air, the airline which flew Schapelle Corby back to Australia, has launched the cheapest flights to Bali in the country.

People can fly from Melbourne Tullamarine to Depasar from $589 return, making it currently the cheapest direct flight in June to the tourist hot spot.

Those wanting to escape the upcoming winter blues and relax in tropical paradise will be able to without breaking the bank (stock image of Bali)

People can fly from Melbourne Tullamarine to Depasar from $589 return with Malindo airline

The airline (pictured) will currently have the cheapest direct flights in June to tourist hot spot

Malindo Air will launch their new route in two months time, making it the cheapest from Victoria to Bali, according to SkyScanner.

Competitors Garuda, Jetstar and Qantas are all offering the same flight from $624 to $735, 9 News reported.

'Per year we've got about half a million Victorians travelling to this popular destination in Bali,' Chief of Aviation at Melbourne Airport Simon Gandy said.

The Malaysian based airline will allow southern Jetsetters to fly at budget costs, adding to its already existing route from Brisbane.

More than 1.18 million Aussie holiday makers were attracted to the nation's affordable neighbour.

Australians reportedly made up more than 23 per cent of visitors to the tropical country two years ago with demand to fly to Bali continuing to increase.
Donald Tusk has claimed he is 'furious' about Brexit and branded it 'one of the saddest moments' of the 21st Century.

The EU chief revealed his anger at the UK vote in a speech in Dublin, warning it could smash the bloc.

Mr Tusk said dealing with the Brexit negotiations was monopolising most of his time and complained it threatened how the EU works.

The President of the European Council is in charge of coordinating EU leaders and will be a key player if Britain is to get a deal from the negotiations.

He has made repeated trips to Ireland to express solidarity with premier Leo Varadkar, handing Dublin an effective veto on the whole deal over the Irish border.

Donald Tusk (pictured left in Dublin last night) has claimed he is 'furious' about Brexit and branded it 'one of the saddest moments' of the 21st Century

The EU chief pictured at the UCD Law Society revealed his anger at the UK vote in a speech in Dublin, warning it could smash the bloc

In his speech, Mr Tusk said: 'I don't like Brexit.

'Actually, I believe Brexit is one of the saddest moments in twenty first-century European history.

'In fact, sometimes I am even furious about it.'

Last month Mr Tusk said EU leaders wanted to see positive momentum in the negotiations to finalise a solution avoiding a hard Irish border.

The leaders agreed to proceed to the next stage of Brexit talks surrounding a transitional deal between the UK and EU.

Mr Tusk added: 'This year will be about Brexit, mainly, unfortunately. Instead of integration, I will be dealing with disintegration, in fact, some kind of damage control process, and my main focus will be to eliminate or at least reduce negative side effects of Brexit, with the Irish question, of course, in the centre of my attention.'

European and British negotiators are seeking a solution to Northern Ireland's border with the Republic after Brexit.

Mr Tusk said dealing with the Brexit negotiations was monopolising most of his time and complained it threatened how the EU works

Visiting Ireland on the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland, Mr Tusk warned of the potential for conflict in Europe.

'Today it is not enough to call for unity and to protest against multiple speeds.

'It is much more important that we all respect our common rules such as human rights and civil liberties, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, checks and balances, and the rule of law.

'This is the true foundation of our unity.'

In other developments, Mr Varadkar branded Brexit Secretary David Davis 'strange' for claiming Sinn Fein was directing his government's tactics.

In other developments, Irish premier Leo Varadkar branded Brexit Secretary David Davis 'strange' for claiming Sinn Fein was directing his government's tactics

Mr Davis (file image) claimed yesterday the Irish government had toughened its Brexit line since Mr Varadkar had taken over in Dublin

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said his government is 'certainly not taking directions' from Sinn Fein chief Mary Lou McDonald 'any more than Theresa May is from Alec Salmond or First Minister Nicola Sturgeon'.

He said: 'I think the comments were a bit strange and inaccurate, and I probably shouldn't say any more about them than that.

'Except that when it comes to Brexit, the only interests that the Irish Government is defending are those of Ireland, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

'That means avoiding a hard border and holding the British Government to its commitment that there will be no hard border, because that's what farms and business people and citizens on both sides of the border want and need.'
More than 250 people died in a plane crash near a military airbase in Algeria, officials confirmed.

An Algerian civil protection agency spokesman said the 'provisional' death toll from the crash on Wednesday is 257, but some survivors were rescued.

The military plane went down soon after taking off from the air base in Boufarik, some 20 miles from the capital Algiers on Wednesday morning.

State media reported the Soviet-designed Ilyushin Il-76 plane was headed for Bechar in southwest Algeria, and the cause of the crash remained unclear.

Rescuers are seen around the wreckage of an Algerian army plane which crashed near the Boufarik airbase from where the plane had taken off

More than 300 emergency workers were at the crash site in Algeria dragging bodies out of the wreckage and looking for survivors

State media reported the Soviet-designed Ilyushin Il-76 plane was headed for Bechar in southwest Algeria, and the cause of the crash remained unclear

Television footage showed black smoke billowing near a motorway and a crowd of security officials and others standing in a field next to the crash site.

The tail fin of a plane could be seen above olive trees, with smoke and flames rising from the wreckage.

'There are more than 100 deaths. We can't say exact how many at this point,' said Mohammed Achour, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency, adding that the plane was carrying soldiers.

Mr Achour added that some passengers were 'extracted with deep burns caused by the fuselage catching fire.'

Bodybags are pictured at the scene. The military plane went down soon after taking off from the air base in Boufarik, some 20 miles from the capital Algiers on Wednesday morning

Firefighters and civil security officers work at the scene of a fatal military plane crash

Images from social media shows smoke coming from the crash site near Algiers

More than 250 people died in a plane crash near a military airbase in Algeria, officials confirmed

An Algerian civil protection agency spokesman said the 'provisional' death toll from the crash on Wednesday is 257, but some survivors were rescued

More than 300 emergency workers were at the crash site dragging bodies out of the wreckage and looking for survivors.

A member of Algeria's ruling FLN party told the private Ennahar TV station the dead included 26 members of Algerian-backed militant group Polisario.

The group is fighting for the independence of neighbouring Western Sahara, a territory also claimed by Morocco in a long-running dispute.

The Algerian Defence Ministry has launched an investigation into the incident, and has expressed condolences to the victims' families.

The Ilyushin Il-76 is 153ft long - compared to a Boeing 737 which is just over 110ft - and is designed to carry military cargo.

It can carry between 125 and 140 passengers, depending on equipment, with a crew of seven, but due to the high casualty figures, the plane would have had to carry people in the cargo area.

Plane down: An Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft of the Belarusian air force leading L-39 Albatrosses of the Belaya Rus Jet Team in Minsk, Belarus in 2017

Big flight: An Ilyushin-76 is seen during a demonstrating flight at Moscow's International airshow, Moscow, Russia in 2001

This is the third airplane accident with high number of casualties in Algeria in recent years.

In February 2014, 77 people died when a military plane carrying army personnel and family members crashed between Tamanrasset in southern Algeria and the eastern city of Constantine.

The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft came down in the mountainous Oum El Bouaghi region.

In July 2014 an Air Algerie passenger plane flying from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed in northern Mali, killing all 116 people on board including 54 French nationals.
Drunken air passengers could be hit with on-the-spot fines at airports in a bid to crackdown on air rage.

Ministers are said to be considering the measure after alcohol was found to be the biggest cause of trouble on flights.

More than one in six people who have flown in the past three years have witnessed aggressive or drunken behaviour on board, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

A government report has set out a range of proposals to curb excessive drinking before and during flights as part of its Aviation Strategy.

More than one in six people who have flown in the past three years have witnessed aggressive or drunken behaviour (

Among the suggestions are selling duty-free booze in sealed bags to reduced the likelihood of passengers drinking it on flights.

Other measures could include introducing tougher penalties for those drunk on flights and overhauling licensing laws for airside premises in England and Wales, which are not covered by the Licensing Act.

Ministers are also looking into fixed penalties that can be levied by police officers in the airport without having to go through the courts, according to The Times.

Existing laws prohibit a person being drunk on an aircraft, with a maximum punishment of two years in prison and an unlimited fine.

Some 420 incidents of aggressive or drunken behaviour on-board were reported to the regulator last year  but there could be far more as many go unrecorded.

Some 420 incidents of aggressive or drunken behaviour on-board were reported to the regulator last year  but there could be far more as many go unrecorded. Pictured: Footage from last month shows the moment a man was escorted off a plane by police at Manchester airport after he allegedly threatened to stab a passenger in a drunken rant

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that a 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk on an aircraft

Last month, an easyJet flight from Manchester to Paphos in Cyprus was diverted to offload four women after a group were drinking, swearing and threatening passengers.

A disturbance on a Ryanair flight last year led the carrier to call for a two-drink limit per passenger at airports.

There is no legal ban on passengers consuming their own alcohol while they fly, although airlines seek to impose their own bans.

Sealed bags are currently used only for duty-free alcohol purchases bought at the airport by passengers taking multiple flights so they can pass through additional security checks.

A spokesman for Airlines UK, the industry association representing carriers, said its members were doing everything they can to tackle the problem of disruptive passengers, including supporting a voluntary code of conduct.

He described the introduction of sealed bags as a really interesting idea and welcomed the decision to consider closing the licensing loophole.
A Scot who disappeared during a stag party in Germany two months ago may be living homeless in Hamburg after losing his memory, his family have said.

Liam Colgan, 29, vanished in Hamburg after leaving a bar alone in the Reeperbahn red light district in the early hours of February 10.

The postman, from Inverness, had been there for his brother Eamonns stag party.

His family and German police failed to find any trace of him despite a huge search.

Liam Colgan, 29, who disappeared from his brother's stag do in the Red Light District of Hamburg on February 10

But yesterday it emerged new sightings were reported last week, prompting his 33-year-old brother to return to Germany.

An update on the Find Liam Colgan Facebook page read: On Thursday last week our hope for a positive outcome was renewed due to two credible sightings being reported in Altona and at the Reeperbahn.

On the strength of these, Liams brother Eamonn and his partner Susan will return to Hamburg this week to give fresh impetus to the search.

His brother Eamonn (pictured left), 33 who has postponed his wedding next week to fiancee Susan Dolan (right), flew back to Hamburg after his brother's disappearance and has spoken to potential witnesses and put up posters

One of the sightings provided us with a photograph which was the decisive factor for Liams family to make this trip.

While we are not overly optimistic regarding the photo we feel there are similar characteristics between the male in the photo and Liam that need to be investigated.

We must also consider that Liam has been missing two months now and his appearance will have changed.

Our assumption is still that Liam may have suffered a head injury and is unaware of who he is.

We ask that anyone who thinks they have spotted Liam to try to speak to him, take a photo if safe to do so and report your sighting to Hamburg Police and our Facebook page so that we can follow it up.

Liam (pictured) was seen stumbling down stairs on CCTV cameras after he disappeared from a bar on his brother's stag do

Eamonn Colgans wedding, which was due to take place last month, was postponed.

He said: We were getting to a stage where things had gone quite quiet, which was worrying.

However, in the last few days we had a sighting reported to us which had happened on the Thursday in the Altona area.

A male was presented as homeless. He was in an area where homeless people could get something to eat for their lunch.

The following day we had another sighting. He was again a homeless man. Again, this gives us something to deal with.

Liam, who was wearing a leather jacket, grey hoodie and straw hat, was described by police as being heavily intoxicated when he left the bar.

He was later captured on CCTV in the Baumwall area of the city, where he stumbled down a flight of stairs outside an office building.

Last month, a witness reported seeing him in Harsefeld, around 30 miles from Hamburg, but police were unable to find him there.
Prince Harry arrives for the Walk Of America launch in London's Knightsbridge today

Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle will be 'another symbol of the special relationship between the UK and US', the American ambassador to Britain said today.

Robert Wood 'Woody' Johnson also wished Harry and Meghan 'the happiest of lives together' as he met the prince at the launch of an expedition for wounded servicemen and women.

Harry, 33, was launching the Walk of America - the latest expedition for charity Walking With The Wounded, which helps wounded soldiers overcome physical and mental injuries through physical challenges.

After the event at the Mandarin Oriental in London's Knightsbridge, Mr Johnson said of the upcoming wedding: 'It's going to be big. It's going to be unbelievable.'

He said about the relationship between the US and the UK: 'It's about as close as you can get, it's like family. You can have squabbles here and there but at the end of the day you are family, so you agree on the important things. So this marriage is going to be another symbol of that.'

Harry today launched the latest adventure by armed forces charity Walking With The Wounded

Harry (left) and Woody Johnson, United States Ambassador to the UK (right), both spoke today

Harry meets participants of the Walk Of America at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge

In a speech he also said about Harry: 'He will be embarking on his own special relationship.

'On behalf of the American people, I want to wish Prince Harry and Meghan the happiest of lives together.'

Harry, who is patron of the trek but will not be taking part, as he has done with previous challenges, said: 'While not all of those who serve will face personal challenges, it is our duty to be there for those who do.

'This walk will not just highlight the issues that some service personnel and their families face, it's also a celebration of everyone who serves in uniform  and all they do for our countries and their own communities. This walk will act as a reminder of that.'

Harry has become patron of the trek which will see a team of six veterans walk 1,000 miles

The UK and US veterans will walk from America's west to east coast in 14 weeks this summer

The team will start in Los Angeles on June 2 this year and finish in New York on September 6

Ambassador predicts 'unbelievable' wedding for Harry and Meghan Robert Wood 'Woody' Johnson spoke about Prince Harry and Meghan Meghan today at the Walk of America launch. He said: On the royal wedding: 'It's going to be big. It's going to be unbelievable.' On the special relationship: 'It's about as close as you can get, it's like family. You can have squabbles here and there but at the end of the day you are family, so you agree on the important things. So this marriage is going to be another symbol of that.' On Harry: 'He will be embarking on his own special relationship. On behalf of the American people, I want to wish Prince Harry and Meghan the happiest of lives together.' Advertisement

The prince also quipped 'we're all insane' as he heard about the hidden mental injuries that many people who serve suffer from.

He added: 'I have always felt that the experiences we share in conflict provide a stronger support system in recovery - this is especially true of our trans-Atlantic partnership.

'There is much more that we can learn from one another, and in doing so we hope to improve support now and into the future.

'The expedition we are launching today, Walking With The Wounded's 2018 Walk of America, reinforces that bond.

'This connection between these remarkable men and women, who, despite injury, continue to look to the future, and those who have resolutely supported them, is so very different.'

Starting in Los Angeles - Meghan Markle 's home city - on June 2 and finishing in New York on September 6, the team will walk by some of America's most famous cities and landmarks.

Co-founder of Walking With The Wounded, Ed Parker, said: 'We want people to come out to meet the team, to cheer them, to hear what they represent.'

In 2013, Harry (front right) took part in a gruelling trek to the South Pole in aid of the Walking With The Wounded charity, joining a team of injured British servicemen and women

Expectations will be raised that Harry and his American bride-to-be will choose the US as the destination for their first joint official overseas tour.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry at Windsor Castle in Berkshire on May 19

Kensington Palace said: 'The Walk of America will create a platform to tell the stories of wounded veterans and their individual journeys from injury to the present day, as well as encourage a wider conversation around veteran mental health.

'The expedition will also raise vital funds for veterans both sides of the Atlantic.'

In 2013, Harry took part in a gruelling trek to the South Pole in aid of the Walking With The Wounded charity, joining a team of injured British servicemen and women in the race against groups from the US and the Commonwealth.

In 2015, he joined a group of wounded Afghanistan veterans for part of an epic 1,000-mile journey across Britain. Harry is not expected to take part in the Walk Of America.
The devastated mother of a student nurse who killed herself believes she was driven to suicide because of the pressures of trying to get a job in the NHS.

Lucy de Oliveira, 22, died at her student accommodation at Liverpool John Moores University last year just a week after splitting from her long term boyfriend.

Her mother Liz, 60, said she knew that her daughter, who was training to be a nurse, was worried about landing an NHS job after her studies finished.

An inquest into her death in July heard that Miss de Oliveira died of asphyxiation but she had also taken a fatal overdose of painkillers.

Alongside studying for her degree, the student was also trying to hold down two jobs, whilst working unpaid placement shifts as a student nurse to aid her degree.

Lucy de Oliveira, 22, (left and right) died at her student accommodation in Liverpool in February last year from asphyxiation

Lucy with her mum Liz, left, who believes she was driven to suicide because of the pressures of trying to get a job in the NHS

Just days before her death, Lucy had told her mother that she would go and give university 'one more chance' as the stress had previously lead her to consider returning to her home in Kidderminster, West Midlands, to finish her studies.

Her mother is now speaking out about Lucy's death after finding a suicide note she had left six months before taking her own life, to break down the stigma behind mental health.

Liz, a former barrister, said: 'There was a lot of competition to get a job as a nurse after she finished her degree.

'She was doing full time shifts as part of her placement which were unpaid and yet she had a lot of responsibility her shoulders even so.

'I'm sure that she felt, given the profession she was training for, that if there was any question over her mental health that she may not be allowed to pursue her career or it would be more difficult for her to get a post.

Liz, holding a picture of Lucy, says she is speaking out to break down the stigma behind mental health

'It's ridiculous really - it's because they're kind sensitive caring people that makes them good at the job and probably more prone to depression etc.

'If I had known she was feeling this low, there's no way I would have let her go back to university.

'I tried to help her as much as I could, but she was very proud and wanted to show everyone she could do it for herself, but it all got too much.

'I feel as though she didn't speak out about her mental health because of the impact she thought it could have on her job - it's likely she was scared to say that as a future nurse, that she was struggling herself, and she didn't want a reason to not be given a job.'

Lucy, a promising nursing student, met the Queen in 2016

While studying to be a nurse at Liverpool John Moores University, Lucy was also holding down a job as a waitress, a care-home worker, training shifts at the hospital and studying full-time.

Liz believes that the pressures and competition toward her dream job, alongside her lack of funding at university, were both great contributors in her death.

She said: 'She was doing full time shifts as part of her placement at a hospital which were unpaid and yet she had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders even so.

'Studying full time, and then the pressure of working her hospital shifts, and trying to gain experience in the real world obviously got too much for her.

Lucy, pictured with her brother Alex, was also trying to hold down two jobs, whilst working unpaid placement shifts as a student nurse to aid her degree

'We were always very proud of her, she was destined for a first class degree, and it's sad that the pressure got too much for her and ruined it all.

'Perhaps if there was less pressure on student nurses, and students in general, she would have got the help she needed and been helping someone in her position by now.'

Despite Lucy passing away over one year ago, recently Liz and her family found a suicide note that she left them over six months before her death.

Liz added: 'Her brother, Alex, found a suicide note that she had left six months prior to her death and it broke my heart.

Lucy, (left and right) had told her mother that she would go and give university 'one more chance' as the stress had previously lead her to consider returning home

'She was thanking us all for being her family, and wrote that she was sorry that she didn't think the earth was a place for her.

'It was very emotional to read and it showed us that she really must have been struggling for some time beforehand.

'She wrote it when she made a previous suicidal attempt, which we didn't know anything about until her death.

'But despite now knowing she had tried to take her own life before, there were still no signs alluding to this being how she felt.

'That just proven to me that people still don't feel comfortable enough to speak about mental health.'

Following the death of her daughter, Liz is now campaigning to rid of the stigma behind mental health issues.

Firmly believing that the lack of mental health awareness and acceptance was behind her daughter's death, Liz wants to prove why people should be talking about this.

She said: 'Although it kills me that my Lucy is gone, I want to share her message to make sure this doesn't happen to someone else and to encourage people to speak out about mental health.

'I know that Lucy would have been scared to speak out because of how she would be accepted as a nurse.

'The nurses are always the ones who are looking after people, so it's likely she thought that she couldn't feel like this.

'If people were more accepting, and if mental health was reacted to in the same way as physical health, maybe Lucy would still be here today.

'And that's something that I'm going to strive to achieve until the day I die - because I don't want anyone else to go through this feeling.'

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. Click here for details.
The mother of slain model Reeva Steenkamp said she is 'finished' with Olympian and convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius  once and for all.

'I am not interested in Oscar Pistorius, I am finished with that!' June Steenkamp, 71, said in reaction to the former world champ exhausting all legal attempts to reducing his 15-year sentence for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva on Valentine's Day five years ago.

'It's up to the justice system now  I have no interest whatsoever in him. He is not important to me anymore. It has been five years and I have had enough now,' she told the South African media.

Steenkamp added that both she and Barry are not 'vengeful or vindictive' people and were not concerned over his legal bids to reduce his sentence.

'I've forgiven Oscar for killing my daughter,' she said.

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June Steenkamp (right, with her husband), the mother of slain model Reeva Steenkamp (left, with Oscar Pistorius) said she is 'finished' with the Olympian and convicted murderer

'I'm a Christian. God expects me to forgive. But He doesn't expect the person not to be punished. He's got to be punished. A lot of people don't understand that but it's true. For me it's true.'

Steenkamp confirmed she hadn't personally told Pistorius that he had been forgiven.

'I haven't had contact with him. What must I say to man who has killed my daughter?' she said.

'There's nothing to say. If he murdered your daughter would you want to talk to him?

'Would you want to personally talk to him? I don't think so. Talking to him is not possible. It's not for me. I'm over it now.'

She is also over those Oscar fans who still blame her for the Olympian's demise.

June Steenkamp says she has never recovered from her daughter's death. Pictured, the mother wrote her daughter's name in the sand

Pistorius (pictured in 2016) has exhausted all legal attempts to reducing his 13-year sentence for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva on Valentine's Day five years ago

'I don't take it personally anymore. It doesn't hurt anymore,' she said.

'One of my friends once said, June you were nothing and nobody until your daughter died. I was horrified. But I never reacted.

'I just take that sort of person out of my life. She's now an ex friend. If I didn't walk away I'd be in an institution by now.'

Pistorius' last ditch legal recourse failed in the highest South African court after the Constitutional Court ruled it did not have the jurisdiction to grant him leave to appeal

Pistorius' last ditch legal recourse failed in the highest South African court this week after the Constitutional Court ruled it did not have the jurisdiction to grant him leave to appeal.

Pistorius has constantly maintained he thought there was an intruder behind the door when he fired the fateful shots.

Steenkamp says she has never recovered from her daughter's death.

'It's frozen in my mind. The pain of losing her is in my thoughts every day. It will always be there for me,' she said.

'In certain ways her death destroyed part of my life. It's the worst thing that could have ever happened to me.

'When Reeva was about four or five, one of my friends said to me, June don't love things too much, they get taken away from you. That's something I'll never forget.

'She could see how much I loved my child. That stuck in my mind. And Reeva's death cemented it.'

The loss of a child, she noted, had no timetable.

'One would imagine that after five years it would be easier. But it's actually not. Some days are still very hard,' she said.

'She was such an inspiring person and devoted to Barry and I. We miss her. She was a shiny light in our lives. She loved us and doted on us. So it's difficult living without that person. I think I will go to my death with this with me.'

She admits the only thing that keeps her going is the Reeva Steenkamp Foundation, the non-profit organisation she launched in 2015 to educate children about violence, bullying and abuse.

'I thought straight away of a foundation to protect women, for awareness for them to realise what they were involved in,' says Steenkamp.

'Violence against women is escalating daily now. Reeva was already working against abuse, now I'm taking the baton and going forward with it.'

Describing herself as 'obsessed' with the foundation, Steenkamp says seeing it making a difference would give her 'great pleasure' and 'make Reeva incredibly proud of me.

'I'm sure she knows what I'm doing,' she added.
Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas outrage that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation revealed.

WHO demanded 'immediate' access to the victims in rebel-held Douma as it revealed the total number of people who reported to hospital showing 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'.

The atrocity, blamed on Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad's forces, has sparked a global outcry with the U.S. and its allies considering taking military action in response.

Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas attack that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed

WHO demanded 'immediate' access to the victims in rebel-held Douma as it revealed the total number of people who reported to hospital showing 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'.

Though the WHO statement did not confirm outright that a chemical weapons attack had taken place, it said more than 70 people sheltering in basements died with 43 of those deaths related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals.

'We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma' where Saturday's attack took place, Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response, said.

'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response.'

The others died from shelters collapsing on top of them, suffocating them to death.

Citing information previously released by local health organisations, WHO said 'an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'.

Though the WHO statement did not confirm outright that a chemical weapons attack had taken place, it said more than 70 people sheltering in basements died with 43 of those deaths related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals

Volunteers give aid to children at a hospital following the chemical attack in Douma, Syria

'There were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed.'

The 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 U.S., Britain and France argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Mr Trump promised a 'big price to pay' for chemical attack as he lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin for his role in propping up Assad.

Volunteers spray a man with water at a makeshift hospital in Douma on April 7. International tensions are mounting over possible airstrikes in the wake of the sickening chemical attack

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

'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.'

'Open area immediately for medical help and verification,' he ordered. 'Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!' he wrote.

He later told reporters: 'It will be met, and it will be met forcefully, and when I will not say, because I don't like talking about timing.

'We can't let atrocities like we all witnessed, and you can see that and it's horrible.'

Video has emerged (pictured) on Twitter apparently showing missiles flying over Lebanon heading in the direction of Syria

Missile strikes on a Syrian air base have left 14 dead hours after Donald Trump warned 'animal' dictator Bashar al-Assad there would be a 'big price to pay' for a horrifying chemical attack that killed dozens of children

Israel on Monday responded to the attack by firing eight missiles at a Syrian military base, three of which hit and killed 14 people.

U.S. officials confirmed the White House were informed of Israel's attack ahead of time.

Russia later vowed to shoot down any smart missiles the U.S. and its allies might fire into Syria, and even attack the warships that fired them.

President Trump doubled down on his threat, sent well-armed ships and submarines to the eastern Mediterranean, and told Russia to 'get ready'.

'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!' he tweeted.

On Sunday President Trump (left) tweeted his condemnation of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad (right) calling him an animal

'Everybody's gonna pay a price,' Trump said Monday, including Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. 'He will, everybody will'

Trump followed up with a second Twitter blast, claiming America's rapport with Moscow has never been worse.

'Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War,' he tweeted. 'There is no reason for this.'

'Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?'

Syria repeatedly denied being behind the chemical attacks, calling the accusation an American lie that was a pretense to attack.

Foreign Minister Walid Mohi Edine al Muallem told state-run TV Mr Trump was using 'fabrications and lies' as an excuse to target his country, but that he was 'not surprised' by the 'escalation' in the President's latest tweets.

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order on Wednesdaywith a Navy destroyer  armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  underway in the eastern Mediterranean

Russian Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov also claimed the attack could have been faked as their experts visited the site in Douma and found no traces of chlorine.

Assad was blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and UN-backed war crimes investigators.

WHO delivered medicine capable of treating certain types of chemical agents to clinics through a series of humanitarian convoys deployed across the country in recent years.

UN officials also accused Assad's troops of at times removing those treatments from humanitarian vehicles.
A man accused of shooting his former friend told police he couldn't speak with them just hours later because he was at the movies, a Queensland court heard on Wednesday.

Tyson James Scott Boulden, 22, allegedly shot Matt Pascoe, 28, in the leg during a drive-by shooting in Nerang about midday on Monday, The Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

When Boulden was called by police just two hours later, he allegedly declined to tell officers where he was, but said he was at the movies and could not come in until 3.30.

The 22-year-old did not attend the police station until 11am on Tuesday, Southport Magistrate's Court heard.

Tyson James Scott Boulden (left), 22, is accused of shooting former friend Matt Pascoe (right), 28, in the leg during a drive-by shooting in a quiet street in Nerang on Monday

Mr Pascoe (pictured) and Boulden were childhood friends but parted ways when the 28-year-old began to turn his life around

Boulden and Mr Pascoe were childhood friends, but parted ways when the 28-year-old began to turn his life around.

Mr Pascoe was allegedly riding his skateboard down quiet Mortensen Road in Nerang when Boulton allegedly pulled over in a grey Audi and pointed it at the man's head.

He allegedly then lowered the gun and fired it at his leg.

When police contacted Boulden to attend the station and speak with them, he told them he couldn't because he was at the movies

Mr Pascoe was taken to Gold Coast University hospital in a serious condition with non life-threatening injuries.

He has since been released with a multitude of wounds in his calf and a compound fracture.

Boulten did not apply for bail during his brief appearance in court on Wednesday, but is expected to when he reappears on May 11.

Boulden allegedly shot his former friend in the leg from the inside of a grey Audi, the court heard
Warder Abigail Matthews, 27, pictured outside court, developed a 'strong sexual attraction' for inmate Mark Rhodes, 32, when he was transferred to HMP Usk in Wales

A female prison officer was sacked and found herself in court after engaging in a year-long illicit relationship with a career burglar who was being held at her jail.

Warder Abigail Matthews, 27, developed a 'strong sexual attraction' for inmate Mark Rhodes, 32, when he was transferred to open prison HMP Usk, in Monmouthshire.

A court heard she fantasised about running away with Rhodes and the pair regularly met up behind bars to exchange love letters in which they discussed having sex.

But she was sacked when her obsession was uncovered - along with a fellow prison officer who agreed to help her to cover up their affair.

Prosecutor Sam Shepherd said between 30 and 40 handwritten letters were exchanged between the pair, in which they talked about moving to London and having sex.

Mr Shepherd told the court: 'Shortly after arriving at the prison Matthews handed Rhodes a letter. He was chuffed and surprised and started writing letters back.

'They met up at the safer custody unit at the prison to chat about things. They talked about their home lives and, when he was released, moving to London.

'She began applying for jobs with the Home Office in the London area to carry on their relationship. There was talk of physical actions - not ones that happened but ones that Matthews wanted to happen.'

Matthews began a year-long relationship with the prisoner after being assigned as his 'personal officer' when he was transferred from HMP Birmingham to HMP Usk in south Wales.

A court heard she fantasised about running away with Mark Rhodes (pictured) and the pair regularly met up behind bars to exchange love letters in which they discussed having sex

The court heard Matthews developed a 'strong sexual attraction' to Rhodes - who was serving a 'lengthy sentence' for burglary - and the pair began meeting up inside and passing each other steamy love letters.

Mr Shepherd said the content of some of the letters discussed sneaking chocolate and even a mobile phone into the prison. One saw Matthews telling Rhodes about another female prison officer being jailed for conducting an affair with a prisoner.

She wrote: 'I just read an article about a girl my age who is an officer who's just been sentenced to eight months for a relationship with a prisoner.'

She said she had considered the consequences of Rhodes revealing their relationship to staff, but said: 'I know you wouldn't do that to me.'

Matthews revealed the relationship to Rhodes' brother, Chris Rhodes, after drunkenly contacting him on Facebook while she was holidaying in Italy.

When the inmate's brother reported the affair to prison bosses Matthews (right) convinced her colleague Sam Flowers, 33, (left, outside court) to help 'rectify' the situation

When the brother reported the affair to prison bosses Matthews convinced her male colleague Sam Flowers, 33, to help 'rectify' the situation.

Flowers gave Rhodes access to a secure prison phone, which cannot be listened into or recorded, to plead with his brother retract his statement.

But he refused and both Matthews and Rhodes were suspended from duty before being sacked. They both later pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office.

Matthews and Rhodes were suspended from duty before being sacked. They both later pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office

Hillary Roberts, defending Matthews, described her as 'isolated' and 'vulnerable and naive' and said she was manipulated by Rhodes.

Mr Roberts said: 'She felt isolated from other prison officers because her idealistic notions of rehabilitation for offenders was scoffed at by others. She was pushed into a corner and found some friendship.'

Christopher Rees, defending Flowers, said the experienced prison worker of 11 years had acted out of 'loyalty' to friend Matthews.

Judge Christopher Vosper QC said to Matthews: 'It is plain from the letters you sent to Rhodes you [had a] strong sexual attraction to him, and the letters spoke about a desire to be with him and engage in sexual activities with him.

'You plainly thought to some extent he was capable of being rehabilitated and you could assist him.'

The judge said he would suspend both prison officer's jail sentences because there was no evidence that the relationship was physical, nor was there evidence any mobile phones had been sneaked into the jail.

Matthews, of Pontypool, Gwent, was sentenced to eight months suspended for two years.

Flowers, also of Pontypool, was also given the same sentence. They were both ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement.
An Alice Springs man accused of the manslaughter and sexual assault of a five-month-old baby has been granted bail.

Judge Greg Borchers let the man walk free on Wednesday on strict conditions to ensure he didn't flee the country.

His conditions included that his passport was surrendered, he stayed in Alice Springs, he was fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet and paid a $5000 surety, the NT News reported.

The man accused of the manslaughter and sexual assault of a baby was granted bail

Michael Smedley (pictured) died in Alice Springs on July 26, 2012, aged five months old

The charges had been laid last week following a coronial inquest on December 12, 2016 in relation to the death of by Michael Smedley in Alice Springs on July 26, 2012.

In January 2017, Michael's death was referred back to detectives after Coroner Greg Cavanagh stated the tot's death was likely the result of a criminal offence.

Michael died of serious brain injuries at just five months old while being looked after by a family friend.

After Michael was found non-responsive inside his cot, he tragically died after being taken off life support that same afternoon.
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of a Second World War RAF veteran who died with no living relatives after an online appeal went viral.

Crowds poured into the service held yesterday for Leonard John King who died aged 94 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Members of the Royal British Legion standard bearers escorted the hearse into the crematorium and his Union Jack-draped coffin was carried in by pall bearers.

Crowds poured into the service held for Leonard John King who died aged 94. Mr King served in the RAF's No 23 Squadron and flew a de Havilland Mosquito during the war (left)

Members of the Royal British Legion standard bearers escorted the hearse into the crematorium and his Union Jack-draped coffin was carried in by pall bearers

A bugler also attended, along with locals, bikers and other uniformed mourners.

Mr King served in the RAF's No 23 Squadron and flew a de Havilland Mosquito during the war.

After the conflict he never married or had children, setting up an electronics company with a fellow RAF serviceman, where he invented a device that allowed deep sea divers to communicate.

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, asked people if they could attend the funeral after an appeal by his carer was posted online.

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Second World War RAF veteran Mr King, who died with no living relatives after an online appeal went viral

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, asked people if they could attend the funeral after an appeal by his carer was posted online

Michele Turner-Everett, the divisional secretary of Southend and Rochford SSAFA, said: 'It is incredibly sad when a veteran dies with no friends or family to celebrate their life and service to our country.

Mr King was given a fitting send off

'After hearing about the funeral for RAF veteran Leonard John King, SSAFA Southend arranged for a bugler and flag bearer to attend to ensure our respects were paid to this brave man.

'We were honoured to be able to help ensure Mr King had a fitting celebration of his life.'

Speaking before yesterday's service in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, his carer Karen Tuck, said: 'This brave man lived in his house alone until four weeks before his death.

'He had no family or real friends to speak of. I was his carer for many years and have put together a funeral for him.

'I'm trying to get as many people to come show our respects to this great man as possible.'

She added: 'If anyone could attend his final farewell it would be lovely. He was a very special man.'
An air stewardess was slashed to death by her actor husband - famous for playing the role of policemen - using a wooden club with protruding sharp nails, a court ruled.

Natalia Kordo-Sysoeva, 35, who worked for Russian state airline Aeroflot, suffered 69 gashes totally disfiguring her face and much of her body in the murderous attack.

Her massacred corpse was dumped in a river in Leningrad region near St Petersburg.

Some of the wounds were inflicted by Konstantin Kordo-Sysoev after she had been killed with the repeated blows, according to forensic experts.

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Konstantin Kordo-Sysoev (pictured with his wife Natalia) has been jailed for slashing her to death with a wooden club covered in nails

She was recognised by valuable jewellery which remained on her body and bright pink boots decorated with butterflies.

Police found the scene of the murder - close to a tree stump which was covered in the victim's blood and human flesh, and the weapon.

The court heard she had two lovers and planned to divorce her 47-year-old actor husband.

She was killed soon after an intimate meeting with one of them - who was never found - in a country house, according to testimony at her trial.

The court ruled that despite no forensic evidence linking him to the murder, her husband was guilty of killing her in a fit of jealousy.

Natalia Kordo-Sysoeva (pictured) worked as a stewardess for the Russian state airline Aeroflot

She suffered 69 gashes totally disfiguring her face and much of her body in the attack

The actor (pictured) listened from an iron cage in a Russian court as a judge announced he would serve 11 years in jail

The actor - well known in Russian movies and soap operas - listened from an iron cage in a Russian court as a judge announced he would serve 11 years in jail.

Before he was detained, her killer had been nicknamed 'The Butcher' by police because of the brutality of the murder.

'The most shocking aspect in this case was horrible cruelty of the killer,' said one report.

'The court decided the husband was the murderer rather than a lover or vicious serial killer.'

Kordo-Sysoev (pictured with Natalia) - held in detention for two years before his conviction - has always insisted he was innocent

He claimed he came to look for Natalia (pictured) the day after she was killed because she didn't answer her phone

Kordo-Sysoev - held in detention for two years before his conviction - has always insisted he was innocent.

He claimed he came to look for her the day after she was killed because she didn't answer her phone.

His supporters claim his wife's mystery second lover - who she was said to have met on the day she died - may have been the killer.

His supporters claim his wife's mystery second lover - who she was said to have met on the day she died - may have been the killer

Natalia's massacred corpse was dumped in a river in Leningrad region near St Petersburg

The husband had been married four times, and is a father of two. He had around 20 parts in Russian movies as well as roles in soap operas.

His mother Lidiya Kordo-Sysoeva insisted: 'My son is not guilty.'

She claimed there was a 'travesty of justice' in her son's conviction.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is calling for reform of the criminal justice system after visiting rapper Meek Mill in a Pennsylvania prison.

Kraft and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin visited the Philadelphia-born rapper on Tuesday.

After the visit, Kraft said Mill's incarceration makes it clear that 'we have to do something with criminal justice reform.' Rubin said he believes 'the right thing will happen' and Mill will be released soon.

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New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft and rapper Meek Mill attend the Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Ballroom at Bayou Place on February 4, 2017 in Houston, Texas

Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, is fighting for release while appealing a two- to four-year sentence for a probation violation.

A judge said his drug use, arrests and other issues while under supervision merited the jail time. Mill's lawyers have accused her of turning the case into a 'personal vendetta.'

'He's an amazing young man,' Kraft said outside the State Correctional Institution-Chester, in a video posted by NBC10 in Philadelphia. 'I know how I'd feel if I were in the situation he is. He's very intelligent.

'I've had the pleasure, through Michael, [of] getting to know him over the last two to three years - maybe even longer,' he continued. 'Every time I see him, I just come away more impressed. It makes it clear to me we have to do something with criminal justice reform.'

(Left) Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons holds up a 'Stand With Meek Mill' shirt. (Right) and Nicki Minaj attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden

Mill is facing between two and four years at the State Correctional Institution in Chester

Robert Kraft On #MeekMill Visit: 'This Guy Is A Great Guy And Shouldn't Be Here' https://t.co/lLSjQjHR1G pic.twitter.com/PPAUrtKDDM  CBS Philly (@CBSPhilly) April 10, 2018

NFL owners have been looking for a way to work with players in an effort to address racial inequality within their respective communities.

Starting with now-former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the 2016 NFL preseason, players have been protesting inequality and police brutality against minorities by sitting, kneeling, or raising a fist during the national anthem.

Record producer, actor and former Meek Mill manager, Charlie Mack, at the Free Meek Mill Rally at the Criminal Justice Center

The protests have sparked controversy, even drawing significant criticism from President Donald Trump, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has not implemented any new rule compelling players to stand.

Instead Goodell and the league owners announced their intention to work with players to address these issues nationally and locally.

'It's really bad,' Kraft said. I know some of our players in the NFL have talked about this. I see it firsthand. It's just wrong. We have to find a way to correct it and also help the community help themselves. It's just sad. This guy is a great guy. Shouldn't be here. And then think of all the taxpayers here paying for people like this to be in jail and not out being productive.'

On April 2, Judge Genece Brinkley turned down Mill's bid for release on bail in a ruling late Thursday while he appeals the 2- to 4-year sentence she issued for what she said was his fifth probation violation.

The judge also defended herself against attacks by Mill's legal and public relations team, which continued after her latest decision.

'This court has impartially and without prejudice presided over numerous proceedings in this matter since 2008, long before his current counsel became involved one week before the violation of probation hearing,' Brinkley wrote. 'None of the allegations by [the] defendant constitute evidence that this court is unable to act impartially and without personal bias or prejudice with respect to this matter.'

Judge Genece Brinkley turned down Mill's bid for release on bail in a ruling late Thursday while he appeals the 2- to 4-year sentence she issued for his fifth probation violation

Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves wears a Free Meek Mill Philadelphia Eagles Jersey on the field during the first quarter of Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018

Philadelphia 76ers owner Michael Rubin, who visited Mill on Monday with Kraft, and Lil Uzi Vert attend Reform: Bringing Injustice To Light at Irvine Auditorium on March 13, 2018

NFL owners like Robert Kraft (pictured) have been looking for a way to work with players in an effort to address racial inequality within their respective communities

She said Mill has raised 'unmeritorious claims of impropriety in an attempt to unfairly judge shop.'

An attorney for Mill, Joe Tacopina, said in a statement Monday that the latest ruling 'reaffirms the fact she has turned Meek Mill's case into a personal vendetta.'

He pointed to a statement two weeks ago by city prosecutors, who said they are not opposed to having Mill released on bail because of what they said was a likelihood the original conviction may be partly or completely reversed. The arresting officer in Mill's case was among the police officers the prosecutor's office has sought to keep off the stand because of credibility questions.

The DA's office also said it has a policy of generally not requesting more than six to 12 months for technical violations of probation and parole.

Brinkley said in a lengthy opinion that jail time was warranted because during probation, Mill, 30, tested positive for opiates, got arrested in St. Louis and New York and made travel or performance plans without getting the required approval.

Mill's lawyers have asked the state Supreme Court to let him out on bail and to replace Brinkley as the presiding judge in the case.

Mill was charged in March 2017 with assault for an alleged fight in the St. Louis airport, charges the judge said were later reduced to summary offenses. He was then charged in August with felony reckless endangerment for allegedly driving an all-terrain vehicle in New York City, a matter resolved by 'a negotiated resolution' through a diversionary program that required him to perform community service.
Thai police have filed new charges against a self-described Russian sex guru and a woman who claims to have evidence of Russian ties to President Donald Trump's election campaign.

Anastasia Vashukevich, 21, and Alexander Kirillov are imprisoned in Thailand after they were arrested in February for running a sex workshop for tourists in the resort town of Pattaya.

Vashukevich, who is also known as Nastya Rybka, has attracted widespread attention for claiming to have recordings of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a crony of President Vladimir Putin, discussing interference in the US election.

Anastasia Vashukevich, 21, and Alexander Kirillov are imprisoned in Thailand after they were arrested in February for running a sex workshop for tourists in the resort town of Pattaya

She is being held in an immigration detention center and has said she fears for her life and pleaded not to be expelled to Russia.

Police in Pattaya confirmed on Wednesday that additional arrest warrants had been issued for soliciting, with a maximum prison term of 10 years, and conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years.

Vashukevich and Kirillov were arrested with eight others for working illegally by holding a sex training course, police superintendent Apichai Krobpetch said.

The original charge on which all 10 were held was working without a permit, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Three of the 10 have already received a suspended jail sentence of six months and been ordered to leave the country.

The others will have to appear in court on April 17 to hear the new charges.

Anastasia Vashukevich is being held in an immigration detention center and has said she fears for her life and pleaded not to be expelled to Russia

Vashukevich (above) has attracted widespread attention for claiming to have recordings of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska discussing interference in the US election

Vashukevich claims she is the former mistress of billionaire Oleg Deripaska. Video emerged of them on Deripaska's yacht in 2016 (above) when Vashukevich claims she was having an affair with him and allegedly recorded him talking about Russian interference in US politics

The group was arrested on February 25 in a hotel meeting room in Pattaya, a seaside resort city noted for its sex industry and popularity with Russian visitors.

The lessons were attended by about 40 Russian tourists, many wearing T-shirts saying 'Sex animator' in English with an arrow pointing to the wearer's crotch.

The course was led by Kirillov, also known as Alex Lesley, who was Vashukevich's mentor.

Vashukevich, who carries a passport from Belarus, became the center of a public scandal in early February when Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny published an investigation drawing on her social media posts suggesting corrupt links between billionaire Deripaska and a top Kremlin official, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko.

Alexander Kirillov (left) and Anastasia Vashukevich (right) arrive at the immigration detention center in February after they were arrested for running a sex workshop for tourists in the resort town of Pattaya

Police in Pattaya confirmed on Wednesday that additional arrest warrants had been issued for soliciting and conspiracy

The report featured video from Deripaska's yacht in 2016, when Vashukevich claims she was having an affair with him and allegedly recorded him talking about Russian interference in US politics.

Deripaska has been linked to Paul Manafort - the former Trump campaign manager who has been indicted on money laundering charges in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.

Deripaska is one of 24 Russian officials and tycoons faced with new sanctions imposed by the United States last month as Washington stepped up its condemnation of Russia's actions in recent years, including its 2014 annexation of Crimea, support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, hacking attacks and meddling in Western elections.

The metals tycoon controls a business empire with assets in aluminum, energy and construction and is worth $5.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
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Germany's head of domestic intelligence Hans-Georg Maassen (pictured) said there was a 'high likelihood' that the Russian government was behind a cyber attack on German computer networks

Germany's head of domestic intelligence said on Wednesday there was a 'high likelihood' that the Russian government was behind a cyber attack on German computer networks.

Hans-Georg Maassen told reporters that German authorities carefully monitored the attack after it was discovered in December, and it had not caused any damage.

He said there was no evidence to link it to APT28, the Russian hacking group blamed for a May 2015 attack on the German lower house of parliament and the U.S. Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 U.S. election.

However, Maassen said the attack was considered an 'advanced persistent threat (APT)', a phrase used by experts to describe a cyber attack so sophisticated and complex that it can only be carried out by a government entity.

'We perceived it as a cyber attack with a Russian origin,' Maassen said.

'A 100-percent attribution ... that the perpetrator is in Moscow and that it's a government agency is not possible, but we can talk about a high likelihood.'

He said German authorities carefully monitored the attack after it was discovered in December, and it had not caused any damage. File photo

He said a so-called 'false flag' operation, aimed at intentionally misleading authorities about which country was to blame, could not be completely excluded.

But he added: 'We assume it had a Russian origin.'

Germany's federal prosecutor's office is also investigating the incident as a possible case of espionage.

The Russian government has dismissed the suggestion that Russian hackers were behind the cyber attack. Pictured, Russian president Vladimir Putin

Sources briefed on the incident said it was first detected in December but may have begun as much as a year earlier.

The Russian government has dismissed the suggestion that Russian hackers were behind the cyber attack.

A German Interior Ministry spokesman last month said the affected IVBB computer network was used to exchange documents labelled 'for government use only,' but did not carry highly classified documents.
The fashion designer was recently rumored to have known about his conduct

Ms Chapman announced she was leaving the Hollywood mogul back in October

Weinstein sold the Manhattan townhouse recently to an anonymous buyer

Georgia Chapman has been pictured leaving the townhouse of her disgraced husband Harvey Weinstein - amid claims she knew about his misconduct.

The fashion designer, 41, was snapped leaving her former home on Tuesday after it was revealed Weinstein had recently sold the building for $25.6 million.

Ms Chapman looked calm and collected in a leopard-print jacket as she stepped out of the house in New York's West Village - despite explosive claims from Bethenny Frankel about her knowledge of his affairs.

The star of sitcom The Real Housewives of New York City, claimed on Wednesday that Ms. Chapman was 'definitely not surprised' by the news of his sexual misconduct as it was 'well known throughout Hollywood'.

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The fashion designer, 41, was snapped leaving her husband's former home on Tuesday

Ms Chapman announced she would be leaving the producer back in October last year after the revelations

'I've met Harvey Weinstein, I was at his home for a charity event. I've seen him a couple of times,' Ms Frankel told hit105.

'He ran the show, he was a very intimidating character that was kind of sleazy.

'His wife is definitely not surprised, nor was anyone that he worked with... he was Hollywood royalty.'

Ms Chapman announced she was leaving the movie mogul back in October after the revelations about his sexual misconduct.

The producer has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 60 women since the New York Times and the New Yorker documented cases involving a number of women in detailed articles in October.

Since then Weinstein's business empire has been crumbling as he has watched his company, the Weinstein Company, decline into bankruptcy five days ago.

Weinstein was fired as the chief executive in October and his wife filed for divorce.

The disgraced movie mogul has sold five properties since October, including a seven-bedroom house in the Hamptons for $10 million and another Westport home for $16.5million.

The producer bought the Manhattan home in 2006 for $14.5 million, according to New York City's real estate records.
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Dozens of bodies used in a gruesome exhibit may have come from Chinese political prisoners who were tortured and murdered.

Real Bodies: The Exhibition shows 20 cadavers and 200 body parts preserved though plastination and is renowned across the world.

The exhibition shows human bodies striped of skin with their muscles, tendons, organs, and bones exposed to give an insight into how they function.

Dozens of bodies used in a gruesome exhibit may have come from Chinese political prisoners who were tortured and murdered

Real Bodies: The Exhibition shows 20 cadavers and 200 body parts preserved though plastination and is renowned across the world

However, doctors hold 'grave concerns that the bodies were not freely and willingly donated' before they were harvested in China.

Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting said they were most likely members of banned religious sect Falun Gong, which is relentlessly persecuted.

'The origins of these bodies have been questioned and believed to come from China  either death row prisoners, or as suspected by independent investigators, tortured prisoners of conscience,' it told News Corp.

Cadavers were provided by Dalian Medical University Biology Plantation in China, whose Professor of Anatomy, Hong Jin Sui claimed were sourced them legally.

'[They were] originally received from the city morgue and then transferred to medical universities in China and ultimately were legally donated to the Dalian Hoffen Bio-technique Laboratory preservation, dissection and exhibition,' he said.

'Dalian Hoffen Bio-technique only accepts specimens that have been legally donated, are free of infectious disease and certified to have died of natural causes.'

The exhibition shows human bodies striped of skin with their muscles, tendons, organs, and bones exposed to give an insight into how they function

However, doctors hold 'grave concerns that the bodies were not freely and willingly donated' before they were harvested in China.

Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting said they were most likely members of banned religious sect Falun Gong, which is relentlessly persecuted

Imagine Exhibitions chief executive Tom Zaller said claims the bodies were from executed prisoners were 'unfounded' and 'offensive'.

'They're inspected by health departments in countless countries. There's no foul play,' he said.

However, he admitted there was 'no documentation' to prove their identities or that they agreed to donate their bodies after death.

Other research claimed there were many more bodies from China given to science or sold around the world than actual bodies donated.

'Trafficking in human cadavers has become a business. Plastinated specimens are publicly priced and traded,' 2016 report Bloody Harvest / The Slaughter read.

'The Government of China calls for bids on such trades.'

The researchers said 'not a word 'of what was claimed about the bodies in the Real Bodies exhibit was believable.

Cadavers were provided by Dalian Medical University Biology Plantation in China, whose Professor of Anatomy, Hong Jin Sui claimed were sourced them legally

The exhibit admitted there was 'no documentation' to prove their identities or that they agreed to donate their bodies after death

One of the bodies on display reveals its muscles, tendons, and organs once the skin is stripped away

This body shows off the respiratory and circulation of human bodies in a cadaver about to throw a ball

A Chinese student at one of the big harvesters of human bodies also doubted all the bodies were obtained above board.

'Our tiny, amateurish medical college in Changchun somehow has more bodies and organ specimens than Waseda University in Tokyo,' the student wrote in a blog post.

'How is it possible that we have accumulated so many corpses and organ specimens in recent years after the Cultural Revolution?

'I asked the teacher whether these bodies were donated, but the teacher told me not to ask. Later I discovered that in the suburb and district of Changchun there is a corpse processing plant.

'Today in China, do we really have so many cadavers from voluntary donors, so many that we need corpse plants?'

A heart preserved and displayed as part of the exhibition alongside many other organs

The bronchial and pulmonary veins that extend into the lungs, extracted from a dead human

Two hearts coloured to show their different parts are stuck in jars and put on display

In 2017 four doctors and four not-for-profit organisations in the Czech Republic attempted to get the exhibition banned from showing in Prauge.

'Based on numerous reports of human rights violations in the PRC, there is a reasonable suspicion that the bodies were not obtained by legal means,' they said.

They called on the organisers of the exhibition to produce const documents given by the donors of the bodies.

'Documents containing informed donors' body approvals that verify the existence of these consents and the fact that donors were informed about the use of their bodies for commercial purposes and the conditions in which they will be exhibited,' it read.

'We believe that the exhibition does not meet ethical or moral requirements to be part of the culture of the Czech Republic.'

The local police rejected the suggestion to ban the exhibition.

A cadaver with its bones showing under muscle is posed as an orchestra conductor

One of 50 million people who has seen the exhibition looks at some of the bodies on display

Other research claimed there were many more bodies from China given to science or sold around the world than actual bodies donated

A similar exhibit called Bodies: The Exhibition run by Premier Exhibitions has been dogged by controversy over the providence of its cadavers since it opened in 2005.

A 2006 U.S. news report sparked a Congressional inquiry and an investigation by then-New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

As a result, Premier's chief executive resigned and in 2008 the company was ordered to print a disclaimer on the exhibit's website.

The disclaimer said it 'relies solely on the representations of its Chinese partners' and 'cannot independently verify' that the bodies do not belong to executed prisoners.

Real Bodies: The Exhibition opens at Byron Kennedy Hall in Sydney on April 14.
Racist messages with the word's 'it's ok to be white' written on them have been left in boxes of diapers bought from Target.

The laminated, index-size cards containing the racist message have turned up in Pampers and Up & Up brand diapers in Washington, DC, Florida and Tennessee.

The back of the cards included links to various white supremacist and neo-Nazi websites including the Right Stuff, the Daily Stormer and the Traditionalist Worker Party, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which first reported the incidents.

One of the incidents reported to the Anti-Defamation League in which a laminated card was found in a box of diapers

One of those who found the cards, was Tad Russell who discovered one inside a big box of Pampers he bought for his three-week-old daughter from a Target in Hixson, Tennessee.

'Picked up a case of diapers, because you don't want to get the small package, you want to get the big package. So I picked up a box of newborns,' he told WRCB.

'Diapers come in these two big plastic sleeves. You pull those out, and I noticed something drop and fall. And I know that sometimes companies will put coupons in boxes.'

But a white, laminated note fell out and what was typed on it, which Russell said was shocking.

'It said 'It's okay to be white,' and I looked on the back and it was just five or six websites that I recognized the language that was used from the Charlottsville incident late last year,' he added.

Russell said he was unsure of note was slipped in during packing or if someone put it through one of the handles.

According to the ADL, it has received three reports about the cards. Target said it has fired an employee over them

'It's really hard to understand why someone would hold these views that it's okay to be one thing but not something else,' Russell said.

Russell said he's willing to sit down and have a conversation with the person responsible.

'I really hope that they can know that there are good people out there that will care enough to talk with you,' he said.

He alerted Target and Pampers through Twitter of what he found and store replied to apologize and say an investigation is underway.

Target say they have now identified who put the messages in the diaper boxes and that person has been fired.

'We have identified the source, and given this is a violation of our policies and our commitment to inclusivity, terminated the team member,' Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman, said in a statement.

Last month, the Anti-Defamation League said it received at least two complaints from individuals who discovered white supremacist propaganda inside diaper boxes they ordered from Target.

The ADL said it has reached out to local and federal law enforcement, as well as Target about the incidents.

Federal law makes it illegal to tamper with a consumer product that is sold in interstate commerce by knowingly placing or inserting any writing in the product, or in the container for the product.
A new rental system that allows tenants to avoid paying huge bonds has been rolled out in Australia.

Trustbond is a surety bond certificate that replaces the traditional cash rental bond.

Tenants can buy it for as little as $190 from one of Australia's largest insurers, AAI Limited.

A new rental system that allows tenants to avoid paying huge bonds has been rolled out in Australia (stock image)

They can choose to provide as much personal information as they like, including their Uber rating and social media data, in order to prove they are trustworthy.

The insurer may then offer lower prices to tenants who are deemed more reliable while guaranteeing to compensate the landlord if anything goes wrong.

Australia Country Manager William Soutar (pictured) said: 'We believe there should be a better way to create trust between people, without locking their money up'

The system protects landlords from any damage or unpaid rent without forcing tenants to hand over thousands to secure a house.

So far, it is only available in South Australia and some European countries but will expand.

One of Trustbond's first customers, Jaquie Lamont, said the system worked perfectly for her as she couldn't afford to pay a bond.

'It worked well for me so I didn't miss out on a property,' she told Domain.

'Quite often people might want to move somewhere but the thought of trying to get six to eight weeks' bond money can be quite daunting.'

Australia Country Manager William Soutar said: 'We believe there should be a better way to create trust between people, without locking their money up.

'That's why we have partnered with some of the best insurance companies in the world to fulfill our mission of creating a better world where we can trust one another.'

Suncorp - the AAI's parent company - said there is a possibility of the system working for mortgages in the future.

A spokesman said: 'There's an opportunity to say later that we can extend that out.

'If it came to a mortgage we'd take a blend of traditional credit ratings and digital reputation.'
Health bosses have slammed an 'appalling' Russian television reporter for 'trespassing' at the Salisbury hospital where former double agent Sergei Skripal is recovering from exposure to Novichok and 'harassing staff'.

The reporter, working for Ren TV, appears to have 'sneaked inside' the building and roamed the corridors for 15 minutes before being stopped by security.

In the footage he is seen questioning medics and nurses about Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, since released to a secure location.

He even makes it to the department where Mr Skripal is being treated only to fail to get through the 'securely closed' door.

The report repeatedly mocks the security at the hospital and disputes the UK's claims that Novichok was used, falling in line with Moscow's position on the attack.

But a spokesman for Salisbury District Hospital condemned the journalists for turning up 'with no warning and without asking for permission'.

A Russian television journalist, pictured, for Ren TV has revealed he was able to roam around Salisbury District Hospital where former double agent Sergei Skripal is being treated for 15 minutes before he was asked to leave by security

The reporter is seen roaming the corridors and asking medics about Mr Skripal's condition

He even approaches the area where Mr Skripal is being kept for his treatment for Novichok exposure but cannot get inside because the door is 'securely closed'

The spokesman said: 'This footage shows appalling behaviour on the part of these Russian journalists - approaching staff in the middle of the night with no warning and without asking for any permission.

'Our staff, who have been rightly lauded for their recent efforts, working tirelessly to give all of our patients high quality care, deserved better.

'We would like to reiterate that any attempt to harass, intimidate or cause distress to any of our staff or patients is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

'We understand the worldwide interest in this story and we have been very open and accommodating to members of the press from around the world.

'Yesterday, for example, we allowed journalists on site for over six hours, yet these individuals made late night attempts to trespass and harass NHS staff.

'We are a busy hospital and make no apology for putting the needs of our patients first.'

At one point he approaches a pair of nurses, asking them for information on the Skripals only to be told they 'don't know anything'.

Later he is seen quizzing police offices by an exit to the building and again is given the brush off.

The reporter was eventually stopped by security guards who asked him to stop filming and leave the premises.

He later claims he was ordered by police outside to delete the footage, although said he was later able to recover it from his camera.

During the broadcast the reporter casts doubts on the security of the hospital given the seriousness of the attack.

He said: 'Apparently the Central Hospital of Salisbury is not guarded at all. At least there is not any person at the entrance, only a single police car at a distance.

'Nothing is cordoned by tapes and local residents continue to get treatment here.'

The journalist is seen attempting to interview police officers only to be given the brush off

Eventually he is told to leave by security and claims police made him delete the footage, although he says he was able to 'recover it'

A bizarre moment occurred at the section of the hospital where Mr Skripal is staying, with the reporter claiming a 'slippery surface' sign is the 'only protection' against the substance 'England claims is Novichok'.

Ren TV is owned by National Media Group, which is chaired by former Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva.

Ms Kabaeva enjoys a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been romantically linked to the politician, although the Kremlin has always denied rumours their relationship is more than platonic.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: 'Wiltshire Police were called by security staff at Salisbury District Hospital shortly after 5am this morning (April 11 2018).

'Officers attended and spoke to two men in the reception area, who were believed to be news reporters. They were asked to leave the hospital and did so.

'No arrests were made.'

Ren TV is owned by National Media Group, run by former Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva, pictured, who is known for her support of Vladimir Putin

Miss Kabaeva and the Russian President, pictured in 2004, have a close relationship, although the Kremlin has always denied it is romantic

The Met Police, which is in charge of police operations around the hospital, said the matter was being dealt with by the Wiltshire force.

Yulia Skripal, 33, was discharged from Salisbury District Hospital yesterday - five weeks after she and her father, 66, were targeted by a nerve agent attack in the city.

She has been taken to a 'safe house' where she was by security officials about the incident.

And it emerged that Miss Skripal refused Russia's offer of consular help despite Moscow's claim that she has been abducted.

Russia insisted attempts by Britain to secretly resettle the Skripals would be treated as 'abduction'.

Ex-double agent Sergei, 66, was yesterday still in hospital but 'making good progress' after the Novichok chemical attack.
Britain will send hundreds of civil servants to Brussels to hammer out a trade deal by October after David Davis won a battle inside Whitehall.

The Brexit Secretary has been wrestling with civil servant Olly Robbins, Theresa May's chief Brexit adviser, over what can be achieved in trade talks.

Mr Robbins had agreed with the EU's position that the best Britain can hope for this year is a broad statement of principles that can be turned into a trade deal later.

The dispute centred on whether sending hundreds of officials to fight for a more ambitious conclusion would endanger the chances of getting a deal at all.

Britain will send hundreds of civil servants to Brussels to hammer out a trade deal by October after David Davis (pictured left last month with Michel Barnier) won a battle inside Whitehall

The Brexit Secretary has been wrestling with civil servant Olly Robbins (left), Theresa May's chief Brexit adviser, over what can be achieved in trade talks

But Mr Davis has won the case that Britain and the EU can get 'pretty substantively close' to an overall deal, The Times revealed today.

Securing the main parts of a trade deal would allow the Prime Minister to meet her promise the controversial transition period will not be used for detailed Brexit talks.

It will also give businesses most of the nearly two year transition to plan for how the final status will look in January 2021.

The Whitehall dispute was resolved after being aired with Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington in a series of meetings and in writing.

But it is not clear whether Brussels will agree to hold detailed talks with the hundreds of officials Mr Davis wants to send.

Sam Lowe, from the Centre for European Reform, said Mr Davis's plan may well fail. 'The fact David Davis thinks we can substantively negotiate on the future relationship is slightly odd, as the EU vision and UK's still seem a long way apart,' he told The Times.

The Whitehall dispute was resolved after being aired with Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington (file image) in a series of meetings and in writing

'The commission isn't able to substantively negotiate the future relationship until it receives a mandate from the council. Olly Robbins is almost certainly right that Brussels wouldn't engage with hundreds of British officials turning up in weeks.'

A source close to the Brexit secretary said: 'David Davis wants to set demanding targets, to be achieved before the withdrawal agreement is signed off.'

A spokeswoman for the Department for Exiting the EU said: 'The prime minister has been consistently clear that the government is focused on delivering a comprehensive deal by the time we leave the EU.

'That work is already underway, with talks continuing in Brussels on issues related to the Northern Ireland and Ireland border.

'All parts of government continue to work closely and effectively to ensure we deliver on the will of the British people and leave the European Union.'
The broadcasting watchdog has launched a probe after politics presenter Andrew Neil claimed one in five Scottish school children are 'illiterate'.

Regulator Ofcom last week launched a formal investigation into an interview with former First Minister Alex Salmond on the Sunday Politics show in April last year where Neil attacked the SNP's record on education.

Neil asked Salmond why, after a decade of SNP government, one in five Scots pupils leave primary school 'functionally illiterate'.

The broadcasting watchdog has launched a probe after politics presenter Andrew Neil, pictured, claimed one in five Scottish school children are 'illiterate'

The BBC conducted their own review into the interview after a viewer complained there was no basis for the claim. Following a probe the BBC upheld the complaint and said Neil had taken the figure from a quote from a Tory spokesman.

However they could face a sanction after Ofcom announced it was conducting its own investigation into the broadcast.

An Ofcom spokeswoman said: 'We are investigating whether this programme broke our rules by being materially misleading.'

During the heated interview, Salmond admitted that there are 'challenges' facing schools but denied that his party had a 'record of decline and failure'.

Salmond insisted Scottish councils were doing 'incomparably better' than English councils, after being questioned about cuts to local authorities averaging 2.6 per cent.

Neil then asked: 'If they have been so well funded and if services have been so well protected, why, after a decade of SNP rule, do one in five Scottish pupils leave primary school functionally illiterate?'

Salmond replied: 'Well there are challenges in education, but you've got to take these things in the round and Nicola Sturgeon has made it a top priority to address these challenges.'

The BBC's executive complaints department published its findings into the programme in November.

They said: 'Interviewing Alex Salmond, Andrew Neil put to him the claim that one Scottish child in five leaves primary school 'functionally illiterate'. A viewer complained that there was no basis for this claim.

'The figure had originally been put forward by a spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives, as being based on the 2009 Scottish Survey for Literacy and Numeracy.

'That survey, however, contained no reference to 'functional illiteracy', and no data which would have justified the claim in question.

'The Sunday Politics team has been reminded of the need to establish the evidential basis of claims that are quoted in its questions.'

Neil, 68, originally from Paisley, Renfrewshire, has since quit as host of Sunday Politics and been replaced by fellow Scot Sarah Smith.

He still presents the Daily Politics and This Week on the BBC.
His daughter will become a member of the royal family in less than six weeks.

But Thomas Markle has been doing some shopping for a 'throne' of his own as he bought a new toilet from a DIY store near his home in Rosarito, Mexico.

Meghan Markle's father went shopping at the Home Depot before picking up some potatoes, milk, bread and some paper plates at a neighbouring Walmart.

Thomas Markle does some shopping at Home Depot store near his home in Rosarito, Mexico

Retired Hollywood lighting director Mr Markle went shopping for a toilet at the DIY store

He would have been pleased to have got the toilet for a knockdown price of 1,125 pesos (43)

The 72-year-old pays for the toilet at the Home Depot store after it was reduced by about 5

And the 72-year-old would have been pleased to have got the toilet for a knockdown price of 1,125 pesos (43 or $61) after it was reduced by about 5.

A friend told the Daily Mirror that his years in Hollywood left him skilled at DIY, saying: 'Even though Tom doesn't own his place, he treats it like his own palace.

'There is not a lot he cannot turn his hand to. He potters around all day tinkering. His latest project was renovating the bathroom.'

The Emmy award-winning retired lighting director was seen doing the late night shopping wearing a jacket with 'The Oscars' emblazoned on the chest.

Mr Markle, who retired to Mexico after being made bankrupt, loaded his new toilet into the back of his old Ford Escape vehicle before returning home.

A friend of Mr Markle said his years as a lighting director in Hollywood left him skilled at DIY

Mr Markle was doing some shopping for a 'throne' of his own at the Home Depot store

The toilet was on sale at the store for 1,125 pesos (43 or $61) after it was reduced by about 5

Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether reclusive Mr Markle will give his daughter away at next month's wedding on May 19 at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.

But a friend said last month that Mr Markle had struck up a close friendship with Prince Harry and claimed he spoke to him regularly to discuss the couple's wedding.

Lori Davis, a young mother who has befriended Mr Markle, said: 'He thinks Harry's a great guy - he couldn't have wished for a better son-in-law.

'They've had many conversations. Friendly conversations. He's delighted for them. Tom misses his daughter terribly. He and Meghan have always been really close.'

Last week he was spotted in his hometown of Rosarito carrying an AA-published book called Images of Britain: A Pictorial Journey Through History.

Mr Markle's father also went shopping for groceries at a neighbouring Walmart in Rosarito

He bought some potatoes, milk, bread and some paper plates at the Walmart store

He was wearing a jacket with 'The Oscars' emblazoned on the chest while out shopping

Mr Markle's guidebook, first published in August 1990 - when Harry was just five, is packed full of the most beautiful landscapes and buildings Britain has to offer.

Shortly after Christmas, Harry was said to have left Mr Markle 'extremely hurt' when he told the BBC his family were 'the family' his fiancee 'never had'.

Miss Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, 51, of Grants Pass, Oregon, told MailOnline that the actress's family had 'smothered her with love'.

The US actress has thrown herself into preparing for her new role as Harry's wife, learning about royal protocol, curtseying and studying the history of the monarchy.
The dismembered body parts that were found dumped in a Brooklyn park this week belong to a 26-year-old woman who has been missing for a few months, officials said Wednesday.

The victim has been identified as Brandy Odom, who lived in a housing project a few blocks from Canarsie Park, where her dismembered torso was discovered at the side of a bike path by a person walking their dog on Monday.

On Tuesday, investigators found Odom's leg and a bag full of other body parts in the park as well.

One of Odom's family members helped identify her remains by the 'Chocolate' tattoo she has on her left breast.

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Brandy Odom has been identified as the woman whose remains were found dumped in Brooklyn's Canarsie Park on Monday and Tuesday

Police investigate a crime scene on April 9, 2018 in Canarsie Park in Brooklyn where the torso of a woman was found

Odom lived in a housing project just a few blocks away from Canarsie Park. She was reported missing a few months ago, authorities said

The park has been closed to the public since Monday; on Tuesday, investigators found Odom's leg and a bag full of other body parts in the park as well

While it's unclear when exactly the body parts were dumped, authorities believe it was recently due since they had not decomposed much yet. So it's unclear where Odom was for the months she had been missing. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage to determine the exact cause of death.

Odom's body showed signs of trauma, including her face which was swollen from bruising. The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death.

Robert Clouden, 53, told the New York Daily News he saw the woman's naked torso when he was walking his Maltese, Maxwell, at around 6pm on Monday.

A person walking their dog discovered the woman's dismembered torso just off the bike path Monday night

The following day, the woman's leg and a bag containing more dismembered body parts were found in the park

The nude woman still had her head attached to her torso, and her arms and legs had also been chopped off.

He said he spotted the gruesome remains about 15 feet off the pedestrian path he was on.

Clouden initially had reservations about calling 911 as he didn't think it was real.

'It was a path I don't normally take with him,' Clouden said.

'I looked over to my left and I thought what I saw was a doll. It didn't have any clothing.

'All I saw was a torso. I didn't see legs or anything. It was a petite body. It wasn't that big. That's what made me think it was a doll.'

Robert Clouden, 53, found the woman's naked torso in the park while walking his dogs on Monday

Authorities believe the body parts were dumped recently due to the lack of decomposition

The torso was said to be face down and partially covered with leaves but not buried.

Later that evening he took his dog for a walk again and saw that the area had been barricaded off by police, which is only when he realized it was an actual human body.

'This is a shock. It's a very quiet neighborhood. The park in the summertime is very well-used,' he said.

Tony Herbert, who considers himself a community activist, told NBC he thinks the body must have been dumped recently because it's a 'very active park.'

'This body couldn't have been there that long,' he explained.
Moses Mahgoub, 34, appeared on several episodes of the medical drama series but had been diagnosed with depression.

A depressed Holby City actor blindfolded himself before leaping to his death from the window of his fifth floor flat.

Moses Mahgoub, 34, plunged from the towering building of luxurious apartments in London's Westminster after suffering with depression, an inquest heard.

The star had appeared in several episodes of the BBC One medical drama but behind closed doors battled with mental health problems.

He had previously tried to take his own life by jumping to his death but succeeded only in fracturing his pelvis.

A coroner's court heard how Mr Mahgoub had taken an overdose of paracetamol before his final fatal leap in the early hours of Friday, February 2.

His brother, who suffers from learning difficulties, was in the apartment in central London and had no idea what had happened.

Westminster Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said the actor was found outside his home in Westminster with a traumatic head injury.

He appears to be lying on the ground with quite a significant head injury, the coroner said.

'He was fully clothed but surrounded by quite a lot of bleeding from the head.

Coroners officer Tracey Hull said Mr Mahgoub was born on the 6 November 1983 in Khartoum, Sudan.

He was a freelance actor who lived in Westminster, she added.

He had a medical history of chronic depression since 2010. On 2 February at approximately 4.30am he was found on the ground outside his house.

Police were called to the scene at 4.38am and arrived within five minutes. Officers attempted CPR before paramedics arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Mahgoub had previously had a fall from a height that resulted in major injuries to his ribs and pelvis, it was said.

Castmate and comedienne Chizzy Akudolu, who has also appeared on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, paid tribute to Mr Mahgoub saying he had the sweetest heart

In a statement read to the court Mr Mahgoubs GP, Dr Carol Tang, confirmed he suffered from depression.

PC Colin Moore from Belgravia police station told the inquest that officers and paramedics first on the scene found Mr Mahgoub had a piece of grey material tied around his eyes.

The only other evidence that would indicate suicide was that according to the officers and paramedics who were first on the scene there seemed to be some grey material over his eyes, like a blindfold.

He seemed to have tied something over his eyes.

PC Moore said there was no sign of disturbance in the flat and the death had been ruled as unsuspicious.

Paracetamol packets were found on the bed and Mr Mahgoub had a toxic level of the painkiller in his system as well as a small amount of alcohol.

Mr Mahgoubs brother, who is believed to have learning difficulties, was in the flat at the time but did not know he had fallen from the window.

Mr Mahgoubs father is also understood to live at the address.

Castmate and comedienne Chizzy Akudolu, who has also appeared on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, paid tribute to Mr Mahgoub saying he had the sweetest heart.

Reading from a GP report from Dr Carol Tang, assistant coroner Dr Radcliffe said: Theres a history of suicidal intent related to concerns of his sexual orientation.

It appears his fall in 2010 was coded as accidental but he admitted to his GP he had suicidal intent.

Dr Radcliffe said: I think the evidence of the previous jump and the presence of paracetamol toxicity in his system and the evidence of PC Moore of the blindfold found when he was initially discovered have given sufficient evidence evidence of a conclusion of suicide.

I will conclude that this death is due to the fact that he killed himself.

The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide with a cause of death as multiple injuries, including bruising and a fracture to the skull.

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. Click here for details
When a Queensland father found an unwelcome house guest hiding in his daughter's bed, he called in professional snake wrangler Andrew Smedley to assist with its removal.

Mr Smedley was quick to discover the deadly serpent coiled up at the bottom of the cot, concealed beneath a pile of teddy bears and plush dolls.

'We have ourselves a red belly', he announces as he paws around among the toys. 'A very healthy looking snake.'

Scroll down for video.

Snake wrangler Andrew Smeadley was called out to a Queensland property on Tuesday by a man who'd just spotted a snake in his young daughter's bed

Mr Smedley, a five-year wrangler, was called out to the property in Peak Crossing, near Ipswich, Queensland on Tuesday afternoon.

The father reportedly spotted the snake just seconds before it disappeared into a pile of his young daughter's playthings.

'(The dad's) noticed it (the snake) up on the window sill and its dropped down into the toy area,' Mr Smedley told Nine news.

'I think he (the dad) moved a couple of toys out of there and then stopped.'

That snake turned out to be an agitated red-bellied black snake - one bite from which can kill

In a video uploaded to his Facebook page, Mr Smeadley can be seen extracting the deadly reptile as it attempts to slither away

Mr Smedley filmed the extraction and uploaded the footage to his Facebook page.

The video shows him reaching for the snake as it swiftly slithers into the corner of the cot - while the father watches on in the background.

'He's a bit agitated,' Mr Smedley observes as he calmly grabs the poisonous reptile by the tail and pulls it out of the bed.

He later clarified that the daughter wasn't home at the time, and said it was lucky the father noticed the creature when he did.

'Definitely don't want the kids puttin' their hands in there touchin' him' says Mr Smeadley, and rightly so - red-bellied black snakes are considered Australia's tenth deadliest snake

Red-bellied black snakes are considered the tenth deadliest snake in Australia, and a single bite from the venomous vermin can prove fatal.

'Definitely don't want the kids puttin' their hands in there touchin' him' Mr Smedley points out towards the end of the video, as the snake continues to writhe about on the bedroom floor.

'Especially with that attitude,' adds the father.
A travel boss's ex wife handed nearly 10million in the divorce has lost a bid to boost the payment her 175,000 yearly maintenance payment by 23,000.

Top judges at London's Appeal Court dismissed Kim Waggott's claims for more money and ruled the annual payments should stop in 2021.

Multimillionaire accountant William Waggott, 54, was ordered to give Kim Waggott, 49,of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, the huge sum in cash and assets after they split in 2012.

After a hearing in 2014 the finance director at TUI travel was also ordered to pay the mammoth personal maintenance payment for their rest of the lives.

She claimed the maintenance package was not generous enough, and her lawyers argued that the payments should be increased by 23,000 a year.

Kim Waggott (left) lost her bid for more cash and had her maintenance payments stopped after losing a court battle with her ex William Waggott (right)

But Mr Waggott protested that the original ruling was wrong and meant that his former wife had no 'financial incentive' to get back to work.

Now Lord Justice Moylan, at London's Appeal Court, dismissed her claim for more cash, and ordered the maintenance payments to stop in three years' time, granting him a 'clean break' from his ex.

He said that Mrs Waggott will not suffer 'undue hardship' and can get a job is she needs more money.

The Court of Appeal's landmark decision could mean that wealthy bread winners will not have to share their post-divorce earnings with their poorer ex-spouses.

Lord Justice Moylan, sitting with Sir James Munby and Mr Justice MacDonald, heard that the couple were married for 21 years and had one daughter before splitting in 2012.

Mr Waggott now lives in this 1.9m farm near St Albans with his new partner

They lived in a 'very substantial' 4.3m property near Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire.

Post-split, Mrs Waggott, 49, former finance controller of UCI cinemas, used her 9.76m share of the 'fruits' of the marriage to buy a 2m home near Chester and a holiday home in Majorca.

Mr Waggott moved into a 1.9m farm near St Albans 'with another lady,' the Court of Appeal was told by Mrs Waggott's lawyers.

Nigel Dyer QC, for the husband, argued that the maintenance order should be ended in two years' time and that Mrs Waggott should get back to work and start supporting herself.

'How long should an order based on sharing last for? When does the meter stop ticking?' he asked the judges.

'It is unfair to expect the husband to continue working long hours in demanding employment and not expect the wife to realise her earning potential as soon as is reasonably practicable,' he added.

Mrs Waggott however claimed the maintenance package was not generous enough and her barrister, James Turner QC, asked for her payments to be increased by 23,000 a year.

Allowing the husband's appeal today, Lord Justice Moylan said: 'The expression 'meal ticket for life' can be used as an unfair trope.

'I, of course, acknowledge that long-term maintenance can be required as part of a fair outcome (in a divorce.)

'But it is plain to me that the wife would be able to adjust without undue hardship to the termination of maintenance,' added the judge.

What does the judgement mean for wealthy divorcing couples? The Court of Appeal's landmark decision could mean that wealthy bread winners will not have to share their post-divorce earnings with their poorer ex-spouses. Kim Waggott's barrister, James Turner QC, argued her ex-husband's earning capacity had been built up during the marriage and represented a matrimonial asset to which the equal sharing principle applied. He claimed that, on top of her 9.76 million payout, she should get a 35% share of Mr Waggott's work bonuses for five years after the divorce and that her 175,000 annual maintenance should be increased to 190,000. But, in a decision that is bound to affect many other divorce case, Lord Justice Moylan ruled that Mr Waggott's future earning capacity is not capable of being a matrimonial asset and he is not obliged to share it. Advertisement

Lord Justice Moylan said that the wife would be able to make up the 'shortfall' created by the loss of the maintenance payments by investing 950,000 - roughly 10% - of her massive payout and living off the interest.

Her lawyers had argued that she ought not to have to invest any part of her payout to create an income for herself.

But the judge said that, if the money produced by the investment was not enough to meet her financial needs, 'the wife would be able to obtain employment' from next year.

'I appreciate that the husband may well have continued to generate a very substantial income and that his financial position will have been enhanced as a result,' he added, but went on to allow his appeal and order that the maintenance payments stop in March 2021.

Throwing out the wife's bid for more cash, the judge added: 'It will be clear from what I have said above that the wife's appeal from the judge's decision not to award her more of the husband's post-separation income by application of the sharing principle fails.

'Any extension of the sharing principle to post separation earnings would fundamentally undermine the court's ability to effect a clean break,' he said.

'I reject Mr Turner's more extreme argument that the wife's capital, apart from her housing needs, should be preserved and should not be used in any way to meet her income needs.

'This again would conflict with the clean break principle,' he concluded.

As well as losing her financial support from her ex, Mrs Waggott will also now face a massive legal costs bill, bound to run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
A former Ukrainian model whose married Russian whistleblower lover died in mysterious circumstances told an inquest she received death threats from his email address three months after his body was found.

Elmira Medynska also told the hearing Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, was sick after they ate in a Parisian restaurant the night before he died.

Mr Perepilichnyy was shaking and drinking a lot and seemed 'somewhere else', throughout the evening, the 28-year-old said.

After arriving back home the next day on November 10, 2012, Mr Perepilichnyy collapsed and died near his mansion in Weybridge, Surrey.

The Old Bailey heard his death came a month after winning a legal claim in Russia made by a firm linked to the alleged killer of Alexander Litvinkenko, Dmitry Kovtun.

Mr Perepilichnyy's life insurance firm Legal and General (L&G) have suggested he may have been spiked with a deadly vegetable planted in his sorrel soup on the day he collapsed.

Alexander Perepilichnyy, left, seemed 'stressed and nervous' on the day before his death in Novemeber 2012, according to Ukrainian model Elmira Medynska, right, who was with him in Paris

The 28-year-old fashion designer gave evidence at his Old Bailey inquest today via videolink, pictured

Buzzfeed also reported claims that the multi-millionaire businessman was likely assassinated on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But staff who discovered Mr Perepilichnyy's body in his high-security estate saw nothing suspicious about his death, and paramedics said it looked like a 'textbook cardiac arrest'.

Giving evidence by videolink from Paris, Ukrainian fashion designer Miss Medynska, 28, said she met Mr Perepilichnyy through a dating agency and he paid for flights, smart hotels in Kiev, Nice and Paris, and meals together over eight months.

The inquest heard he changed hotels and used a false name, keeping the relationship 'secret'.

Miss Medynska, who has lived in Paris for three years, said their final tryst came on November 8, 2012 in the Hotel Bristol in the French capital.

She told the inquest she was then informed he had died 'in a car accident' and emailed him to see if it was true.

Miss Medynska said: 'Three months after I received a message saying I was going to die soon from his mail box.'

Miss Medynska said she had written 'I received a phone call from the hospital that you are in the hospital and that you were in a car accident'.

She told the inquest: 'I said is it true. I said I am very worried about you, and can you reply please.

'But I didn't receive response for three months.'

During their Paris trip, they went shopping and he bought her a Prada bag and Louis Vuitton shoes.

Miss Medynska, 28, said they returned to their hotel where he ate two apples, and later went for dinner at the Buddha Bar.

He chose a seat where he could 'see more of the people in the restaurant', the inquest heard.

Peter Skelton QC, counsel to the inquest, asked: 'Did you get the impression he wanted to see what was going on in the restaurant, and look around at the people there? Or did you think he was just being a bit selfish?'

She said: 'He was looking for people around us.'

Mr Skelton went on: 'Do you think he was worried about people in the restaurant?'

She replied: 'I think he was a little bit stressed.

'I didn't understand the reason why he was stressed, because it was nearly all French people in the restaurants, very old people.

'I was feeling very relaxed at this time. I didn't understand why he was so stressed.'

Mr Perepilichnyy ordered tempura prawns or vegetables, but sent the food back after complaining about it, the inquest heard.

Miss Medynska, left and right, added Mr Perepilichnyy was shaking while they had lunch

She said: 'He said that he didn't like the taste. He was very irritated and mad about the quality of the food.'

The model claimed she did not see anything unusual about the other diners because they were sat behind her.

They returned to the hotel and Mr Perepilichnyy went straight to the bathroom, where she heard him vomit three times.

Describing when he came out, she said: 'He was clean and a little bit red.

'I was trying to speak with him to ask how he felt. He said that he felt better.'

But she did not ask him why he was sick because she did not want to make him feel 'uncomfortable'.

He had 'red eyes, red face', and said he was 'disappointed with the food in this restaurant', the inquest was told.

The next day he felt better, and they had breakfast where he 'looked very nice' and was in a 'good mood'.

Asked why he had seemed nervous during their Paris trip, she said: 'I can only guess that maybe he had stress with his kind of business.'

She did not see any Russian guests in the hotel, she added.

After returning from Paris, she was told Mr Perepilichnyy was in a car accident, the inquest heard.

Her friends asked her 'how is your boyfriend', and she later searched for his name on Google and discovered he had died.

Miss Medynska said: 'I was very scared because I understand the last person who saw him in person was me.'

The Russian whistleblower, left, collapsed and died near his Surrey mansion amid claims his soup was spiked with a deadly vegetable, a day after he left Ms Medynska in Paris

She said she had told two friends she was in a relationship with him.

The witness added: 'Many things started to scare me, because i didn't know that he was married, he had children, that he had business in Switzerland.

'Like it was presented on the internet, so I was really scared about this person who I knew. And the fact I knew nothing about his life.

'In 2013 I was contacted by British police to give information about his death.'

On his conduct during their dinner, Miss Medynska said: 'He was smiling he was calm, he was relaxing. When we went for lunchtime he was a little bit nervous.

'I think that he was nervous about his work or business. I didn't ask him a question about if something had happened. He was very stressed when I met him.'

Asked if he drank a lot, she said: 'Yes. I think we drank a lot for lunchtime.

'He was more tired. He would drink more, more than usually.'

On if it was to do with his stress, she said: 'In Paris it was my third meeting so I don't know this person so well. Maybe he was.

'He was a little bit more stressed.'

Ms Medynska told the inquest her lover seemed 'on another planet' the day before he died

He did not take any phone calls during lunch, and spilt wine on himself, she said.

Describing how he was, Miss Medynska said: 'A little bit shaking. His hands, yes.

'I asked him, 'Alexander do you feel good? Maybe you want to go to the hotel?' He said 'No, I want to continue, stay here with you'.'

They went back to the hotel where he felt better and 'more relaxed', and later went for dinner, the inquest heard.

Asked if he was stressed the next day, November 9, she said: 'Sometimes I had the feeling he was somewhere else.

'Because he wasn't very communicative me, and my mood wasn't so well.

'We went for dinner in a very noisy restaurant so I didn't have time to speak to him. His mood wasn't very nice.

'He was on another planet. He didn't want to communicate so much to me and I was upset.'

She said they went shoe shopping but he sat looking at his telephone, adding: 'So I was upset because he didn't give enough attention.

'I did want to ask him why he wasn't happy.'

Miss Medynska said they first met in May 2012 in Kiev in a hotel when he flew out to see her.

She said: 'He had a very good impression for me, as a nice educated man.'

Peter Skelton QC, counsel to the inquest, asked: 'Did he seen nervous or stressed?'

She answered: 'No, he was in a very good mood. And good shape.

'I had dinner with him and he didn't do much talk to me about his business, where he worked, what kind of business.'

He told her he previously worked in Moscow, but now lived in London.

She added: 'He never told me any details or names of the company where he worked.'

But he never talked to her about his business problems, the inquest heard.

She went on: 'He said that he moved because it was a more easy life for him in London.'

On what he meant by that, she said: 'I didn't ask him any extra questions like that because I know that for the moment a lot of Russians live in London so it was normal.'

He did not mention why he left Russia, she added.

Mr Perepilichinyy spent two days in Kiev and stayed in two hotels because he wanted to try a different one, but she did not get the impression he was moving 'so that people might not know where he was'.

Miss Medynska, pictured, told an inquest she met Mr Perepilichnyy in May 2012 on a dating site and they had several meetings in Paris

They kept in touch and he used different names, but he did not express concerns about work or his safety, the inquest heard.

On the names, she said: 'It was secret for me too. I think that he wanted to have some privacy from me, and I didn't ask him so much questions about that.'

They later spent a 'relaxing' three days in Nice, France in July or August 2012, where he seemed in a 'quite good mood'.

He would go off and make phone calls during lunch and dinner, and during one call he seemed 'very loud like he was screaming', she said.

Miss Medynska added: 'He was very nervous when he spoke on the telephone.

'When he came back I said 'Alexander, everything is fine?' He said 'yes, it's just work.''

He never mentioned visiting Switzerland to talk to the Swiss authorities, she added, although he said he wanted to take her there in December.

In September he said he went to hospital but did not explain why, the inquest heard.

The fashion designer slammed media reports of the whistleblower's death which she claimed scuppered a lucrative deal with high end fashion house Jimmy Choo after a senior partner broke things off amid fears she was linked to the Russian Mafia.

Ms Medynska confirmed she 'did not notice any physical or psychological changes' in Perepilichnyy between the Paris trips and their earlier trysts.

'So you didn't see, for example, that he had lost a significant amount of weight?' asked Henrietta Hill QC on behalf of Hermitage.

'No,' replied Ms Medynska.

The inquest heard Perepilichnyy booked three other restaurants on the night he took the businesswoman to the Buddha Bar.

But Ms Medynska said they never went to any of the other places, adding that Perepilichnyy 'already told' her where they would be going in advance.

The barrister quizzed her about a statement she made to French police in which she told investigators 'he was watching the stairs a lot, taking great interest in what was going on around him and he was not looking after me very much'.

Ms Medynska added that Perepilichnyy always had 'at least two telephones with him'.

He also communicated with her for the first six months of their relationship under the name 'Sergei', the court heard.

During an interview with Buzzfeed last June, she told a reporter the whistleblower appeared 'very stressed' during the meal and 'kept going outside to take mysterious phone calls that seemed to spook him'.

Ms Medynska confirmed the observation but added that she never personally heard what was said in any of the chats and never inquired into his businesses.

But she told the inquest she had been 'lied to' by the journalist who she 'honestly thought' was an officer connected to the investigation.

He was found dead not far from his mansion, pictured, in Weybridge, Surrey, on November 10, 2012

'All these things I said to her in interview, it was what I read on the internet,' she said.

'All these articles was very damageable to my business. It wasn't my words, it was words I read about him in the press.'

She told the inquest the articles cost her business a lucrative deal with luxury shoe designers Jimmy Choo after a British partner feared she was mixed with the Russian Mafia.

'On 31 December 2012 I was reading articles about Alexander and his death on the internet and his name was linked to some other Russian guys that died in Great Britain and I was very scared of what I was reading, I was afraid,' Ms Medynska explained.

She added that she was 'afraid somebody could control me' and was alarmed at 'receiving this mail that I could die soon'.

'I was in a good relationship with one British guy who is one of the main managers of Jimmy Choo and he was very interested in doing business with me as a partner but after this article he was afraid,' the fashion designer said.

'One of his friends said this guy really doesn't like people from the Mafia and he thinks I am from the Mafia.'

Alluding repeatedly to 'irresponsible reporting' of the death, John Beggs QC for Perepilichnyy's widow asked about Ms Medynska's claim to Parisian police that there was not 'the slightest anxiety expressed by Mr Perepilichnyy over those three separate meetings in three different venues'.

'No, I never noticed that he was worried about anything,' she confirmed.

'In general he was always in a good mood.

'I never really thought about it during my relationship with him because I was busy with work too.

'The only thing he told me was that he had left Russia because he didn't feel good there but I do not know more about it.'

She added that she had no recollection of any particular threats levelled at him.

The inquest continues.
A fertility doctor in Canada allegedly used his own sperm to father at least 11 children with his patients without their consent or knowledge, according to a class-action lawsuit.

Dr Norman Barwin, who has since retired, was running Broadview Fertility Clinic in Ottawa when at least 11 families allegedly approached him for insemination treatment.

The lawsuit, filed by Ottawa law firm Nelligan O'Brien Payne, initially claimed in 2016 that Barwin had inseminated two women, but nine other alleged victims have since come forward to join the class action.

DNA investigations have revealed that Barwin is the biological father of the 11 people, according to the suit.

Dr Norman Barwin is accused of using his own sperm to father at least 11 children with his patients when he was running Broadview Fertility Clinic in Ottawa

The suit alleges that in some cases, the intention was for Barwin to use the sperm of the male of the couple. In others, a specific anonymous sperm donor had been selected.

'Instead, it turns out that Dr Barwin himself is the biological father,' a statement from the law firm said.

In addition to the 11 people who are Barwin's biological children, about 50 other people are also included in the class action because their DNA doesn't match with their father or their intended sperm donor.

The allegations stretch back to the 1970s when Barwin practiced out of a fertility clinic at the Ottawa General Hospital.

Barwin's biological children, who range from their 20s to 40s, have since made contact with each other.

Kat Palmer, 25, (right) and Rebecca Dixon, 26, (left) were the first two to realize their DNA matched that of fertility doctor Norman Barwin

Kat Palmer, 25, initially blew open the secret after having her DNA tested through an ancestry website and found that she was related to a distant family member of Barwin's.

Barwin, who has since retired, was running Broadview Fertility Clinic in Ottawa when at least 11 families allegedly approached him for insemination treatment

Palmer asked Barwin for a paternity test in 2015. He emailed her the results and confirmed that he was her biological father.

The fertility doctor had claimed that the mix-up was completely unintentional and said it must have happened when he was using his own sperm to test out a 'sperm counter'.

It led to confirmation that Palmer had a half-sister named Rebecca Dixon, 26, who was also Barwin's biological child.

Both women were conceived at the Broadview Fertility Clinic and were the first two involved in the class-action lawsuit.

Barwin's attorney's have not yet commented on the lawsuit.

He resigned in 2014 after being suspended from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for two months the year before after admitting to inseminating four women with the wrong sperm.
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Russia has claimed its own military experts have found no evidence of poisonous substances at the site of Assad's latest chemical attack - and insist the atrocity was faked by rescue volunteers.

The Kremlin's military said today it had drawn the conclusion after taking samples from rebel-held Douma where 43 were killed by toxic gas on Saturday.

Moscow denies Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime carried out the horrifying attack, which has sparked global fury and prompted US President Donald Trump to consider launching missile strikes in retaliation.

This afternoon, the Russian army accused the White Helmets civil defence organisation of staging the chemical outrage.

'Acting purely as a terrorist organisation, the odious "White Helmets" once again staged for the cameras a "chemical attack" on the civilians of Douma,' Lieutenant-General Viktor Poznikhir said at a briefing in Moscow.

He said doctors at a local hospital told Russian officers they had not treated any victims of purported attacks.

Earlier, the Kremlin's Foreign Ministry suggested the US plan to strike Syria could be a pretext to destroy evidence of an alleged chemical weapons attack, which Russia has said was a staged 'provocation' to justify Western intervention.

Conspiracy theories: Russia has claimed their military experts have found no evidence of poisonous substances at the site of Assad's latest chemical attacks - and insist the atrocity was faked by rescue volunteers. Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Syrian President Bashar Assad(right) are pictured today at the Kremlin

The Kremlin's military said today it had drawn the conclusion after taking samples from rebel-held Douma where 43 were killed by toxic gas on Saturday (pictured).

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer - armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles - underway in the eastern Mediterranean

The Russian military says it will now deploy troops to Douma to ensure security of the town. Poznikhir said that 41,213 people, including 3,354 rebels and 8,642 members of their families have left Douma with the Russian military's assistance.

Earlier, Moscow vowed to shoot down any US missiles aimed at Syria using its lethal anti-aircraft system amid mounting tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime is protected by fearsome S-400 defence missiles in a 'ring of steel' around the country provided by the Kremlin.

This morning, Moscow's ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, said any US rockets fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

US President Donald Trump responded with an incendiary tweet warning that a strike on Syria was imminent and telling Moscow it 'shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'

Earlier Donald Trump had tweeted: 'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'

In response to Trump's tweet, Russia's foreign ministry said 'smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government'.

Syria's Foreign Ministry has also responded to Trump's threats, calling it a 'reckless escalation', according to state news agency SANA said.

An official was quoted as saying: 'We are not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria.'

Despite President Trump's threatening social media post, the Pentagon has said it would not comment on potential future military operations, adding in a statement that they leave it tothe White House 'to characterize the president's tweet'.

Ring of steel: The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system (pictured), which has been in place in Syria for more than a year

Military might: Russia has demonstrated the power of its S-400 defence systems in videos showing rockets being fired off

Some of Syria's military units are protected by Russian S-300 and S-400 air missile defence systems. Russia has displayed the terrifying systems' power in a video

Donald Trump today used Twitter to warn that a missile attack on Syria is imminent - hours after the Kremlin vowed to shoot down any rockets fired at the Assad regime in retaliation for last week's gas atrocity

The last few hours have seen a dramatic ratcheting of tensions in the Middle East where Russian forces are propping up dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and American forces are backing some of his opponents.

Britain, France and the US are continuing to discuss possible strikes to punish Assad for the chemical attack on Saturday, in which 43 were killed and others left gasping for air and foaming at the mouth.

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer - armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles - underway in the eastern Mediterranean.

Amid rising tensions today, Moscow's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia had earlier pleaded with America not to strike and warned the US it will 'bear responsibility' for any 'illegal military adventure' it carries out. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged restraint this morning, saying countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilise the war-torn country.

This morning, the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria. It said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within the next three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

Donald Trump flexed his military muscle Tuesday by tweeting an Oval Office image of 19 of his most senior military commanders. The group is pictured above left to right, Army General Curtis Scaparrotti (1), Army General Mark Milley (2), Marine Corps General Robert Neller (3), U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft (4), Navy Admiral Kurt W. Tidd (5), Army General Raymond A Thomas (6), Marine Corps General Thomas D. Waldhauser (7), Air Force General Paul Selva (8), Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford (9), Defense Secretary James Mattis (10), President Donald Trump (11), Vice President Mike Pence (12), Navy Admiral Michael Rodgers (13), Navy Admiral John Richardson (14), Army General Joseph Votel (15), Air Force General David Goldfein (16), Air Force General John E Hyten (17), Air Force General Joseph L. Lengyel (18), Air Force General Lori Robinson (19), Patrick M. Shanahan (20), Navy Admiral Harry Harris (21), Air Force General Darren W McDew (22), U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Karl Schultz (23)

This morning, the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria. It said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within the next three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment. Flight path monitoring websites showed that few if any aircraft were flying over the country this morning

How Russia could use its fearsome S-400 defence system to shoot down missiles aimed at Syria A Russian ambassador has warned that Russia would shoot down incoming missiles and attack their launching platforms in the event of a strike on Syria. A similar warning has been issued in the past by the chief of staff of Russia's armed forces. The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system, which has been in place in Syria for more than a year. This poses a lethal threat to modern jets. Sources said it is likely any attack by the US, Britain and France would be carried out from a safe enough distance to avoid planes being shot down. The most advanced of Russia's terrifying S-400 systems is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives, according to Russian media. The most advanced of Russia's terrifying S-400 systems is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives, according to Russian media. In 2015, pictures emerged of the state-of-the-art missile systems' arrival to the battlefields of Syria The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system (pictured), which has been in place in Syria for more than a year It can engage targets at a distance of 250 miles and at an altitude of up to 19 miles. In January, it was reported that contracts for S-400 deliveries were inked with China and Turkey and that negotiations were also underway to sell the system to Saudi Arabia. Dmitri Trenin, the head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and a former Soviet military officer, raised the terrifying prospect of a military clash between world superpowers. He said: 'The US and Russia are now closer to a direct collision between their military forces than at any time since the cold war. 'The only question on my mind: will Russia hit back at the US when it launches strikes against Damascus?' In recent weeks the Russian military has reportedly began jamming some smaller US military drones operating in the skies over Syria. According to four US officials speaking to NBC news, this has affected American military operations. The officials said the Russian military was concerned the US military would retaliate for the attacks and began jamming the GPS systems of drones operating in the area. Last year Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike (pictured) against the Syrian regime's al-Shayrat airbase following a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of civilians The drones impacted so far were smaller surveillance aircraft, as opposed to the larger Predators and Reapers that often operate in combat environments and can be armed. Last year Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike against the Syrian regime's al-Shayrat airbase following a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of civilians. Russian forces did not shoot down the missile using its air defence systems stationed in the region. At that time the US gave Russia advance warning of that attack through a deconfliction notice. But Russian military brass have signalled that their response could be different. In March, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, said: 'In the case of a threat to the lives of our servicemen, the Russian military armed forces will take response measures against both the rockets, and the platforms from which they're fired.' By MailOnline reporter and Larisa Brown, Defence and Security Editor for the Daily Mail Advertisement

'Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area,' it said, referring to the designated airspace.

Aviation regulators in countries including the US, UK, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace leading most carriers to avoid the area.

The only commercial flights above Syria as of 1:15 am GMT on Wednesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The Eurocontrol statement included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus.

The Nicosia flight information region named in the Eurocontrol statement on Tuesday covers the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters, according to a map on the agency's website. The same map did not designate any specific territory as being the 'Eastern Mediterranean' region.

Meanwhile, the US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, getting underway in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday after completing a port call in Cyprus.

The guided missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria following an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians.

Also, the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe.

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning and the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe

France, under Emmanuel Macron (left), warned it would retaliate against the Syrian regime if evidence emerged that the 'red line' of chemical weapons had been crossed in rebel-held Douma. Prime Minister Theresa May (right) described the attack as 'barbaric'

Trump has warned there would be a 'big price to pay', and Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley made it clear that the failure to secure a Security Council vote would not hold America and its allies back. Pictured: Sailors prepare FA-18 Hornet fighter jets for take off during a routine training aboard the US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the South China sea on Tuesday

The strike group will be accompanied by a German frigate FGS Hessen, a state-of-the-art vessel specialising in air defense which officials say is the only type of warship in the Western world with three kinds of surface-to-air missiles.

Its radar has a detection range of more than 200 nautical miles for air targets.

In the face of intense world outrage, the United Nations Security Council failed to agree a global response to the chemical attack on Tuesday, after Washington and Moscow opposed each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into poison gas use in the seven-year-old conflict.

US President Donald Trump has made it clear he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

But Russia has warned against action and this morning defence committee lawmaker Andrei Krasov said the Kremlin would treat a US airstrike on Syria 'not just as an act of aggression but a war crime of the Western coalition.'

According to rescue workers, on Saturday more than 40 people died in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma in an alleged chemical attack, which left victims struggling to breathe, foaming at the mouth and with discoloured skin.

The World Health Organisation today condemned the suspected chemical weapons attack, in which it said an estimated 500 patients went to health facilities with 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'.

'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' Peter Salama, WHO deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement issued in Geneva.

U.N. aid agencies do not have access to most of the enclave of eastern Ghouta, including Douma, where the alleged attack occurred. The Syrian government has denied responsibility.

But the United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Trump has warned there would be a 'big price to pay', and Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley made it clear that the failure to secure a Security Council vote would not hold America and its allies back.

'Russia has trashed the credibility of the council,' she said. 'Whenever we propose anything meaningful on Syria, Russia vetoes it. It is a travesty.'

Haley dismissed the Russian draft as 'all about protecting the Assad regime' because of provisions that would have required the Security Council to endorse its findings -- in other words, giving Russia a veto over any attempt to apportion blame.

Russia, in turn, vetoed the US-backed motion, which would have re-established an international Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to probe chemical strikes in Syria and to identify culprits.

Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Haley of seeking a vote to provide cover for a Western military strike on Assad, which now seems all the more likely.

'If you took the decision to carry out an illegal military adventure, and we do hope that you will come to your senses, well then you will have to bear responsibility for it,' he said.

Both Trump and his defense secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook - a guided-missile destroyer - moved to within striking range of Syria.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response 'in the coming days.'

'Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities,' he said, insisting he did 'not want an escalation.'

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a settlement in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

The OPCW said it would 'shortly' deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

TRUMP PARADES HIS GENERALS IN THE OVAL OFFICE 1. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2. Army General Mark Milley, U.S. Army Chief of Staff 3. Marine Corps General Robert Neller, Commandant of the Marine Corps 4. U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard 5. Navy Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, Commander, U.S. Southern Command 6. Army General Raymond A Thomas, Commander, US Special Operations Command 7. Marine Corps General Thomas D. Waldhauser, Commander, U.S. Africa Command 8. Air Force General Paul Selva, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 9. Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 10. Defense Secretary James Mattis 11. President Donald Trump 12. Vice President Mike Pence 13. Navy Admiral Michael Rodgers, Director of the National Security Agency 14. Navy Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations 15. Army General Joseph Votel, Commander, U.S. Central Command 16. Air Force General David Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff 17. Air Force General John E Hyten, Commander, US Strategic Command 18. Air Force General Joseph L. Lengyel, Chief of the National Guard Bureau 19. Air Force General Lori Robinson, Commander, Northern Command and NORAD 20. Patrick M. Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense 21. Navy Admiral Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command 22. Air Force General Darren W McDew, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command 23. U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Karl Schultz, Commander, Atlantic Area Advertisement

Damascus also mobilized overnight Tuesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said the army had 'put all military positions on alert, including airports and all bases, for a period of 72 hours.'

A source from a pro-regime unit told AFP Tuesday there were 'precautionary measures being taken by the Syrian army, especially the airports and military bases.'

Residents in the capital were also bracing for a potential response.

'I have lived through seven American presidents, but Trump is the craziest and his administration is unbalanced,' said Abu Fadi, 70.

'I think his threats are to be feared, and we should take them seriously.'

In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

Douma has been heavily bombed by the regime and Russia making it extremely difficult for media, including AFP, to independently verify the claims.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the OPCW should be granted unfettered access to investigate.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for attacks, and the joint OPCW-UN taskforce that once did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed the Syria regime.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

Trump has threatened to respond 'forcefully' to the most recent allegations, saying the US had 'a lot of options militarily' and would decide in the coming days.

The White House said that, in a telephone call, Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May 'agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.'
House Speaker Paul Ryan will leave Congress at the end of his current term, he announced today, setting up a vigorous contest among his deputies to replace him.

Ryan will conclude his service in January, he said, after 20 years in the House of Representatives.

'If I am here for one more term, my kids will only have ever known me as a weekend dad,' the GOP leader whose own father passed away at the age of 16 said. 'I just can't let that happen.'

A statement on his retirement in no way mentioned the president with whom Ryan has a notoriously rocky relationship, and the Republican rep said at a press conference that Donald Trump's election had nothing to do with his decision to quit Congress.

In a tweet this morning Trump downplayed the division, as well, calling Ryan a 'good man' who will leave behind a 'legacy of achievement that nobody can question.'

In an interview later in the day, Ryan ruled out a challenge to Trump and a future presidential bid of any kind, telling CNN, 'I'm not going to run for president. That is not my plan. I'm not going to do that.'

He similarly told Politico, 'I'm done seeking elected office.'

House Speaker Paul Ryan will leave Congress at the end of his current term, he announced today

Ryan has a notoriously rocky relationship with the Republican president who he completely distanced himself from in 2016 after a vulgar video of Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault came out. He's seen here celebrating with Trump in December on the one policy priority in which they agreed: tax reform

In a tweet after the announcement, Trump downplayed the division, calling Ryan a 'good man' who will leave behind a 'legacy of achievement that nobody can question'

WHO WILL REPLACE RYAN AS SPEAKER? Two of Paul Ryan's deputies are now tee'd up to face off for his GOP leadership position. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who tried and failed to win the position last time around is certainto run. Also a certainty is and Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who took a bullet during a baseball practice shooting last year, are both expected to seek it. A group of conservative lawmakers known as the House Freedom Caucus tanked McCarthy's last bid. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said Wednesday that the McCarthy had made strides in the right direction since then - suggesting he would edge ahead. Scalise previously said he would not run against McCarthy because he was focused on the 2018 elections - which does not rule out a 209 run. But in reality a Republican defeat would mean the Democrats will elect the next speaker. So Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, would be in top spot after the new Congress sits. However she faces her own internal challenge and could be voted out of the party's top spot. Possible replacements include her deputy, Steny Hoyer and the number three Democrat, James Clyburn. Both are in their late 70s, however, and younger challengers could include Joseph Crowley, and Tim Ryan, who previously tried to depose Pelosi. Advertisement

Ryan completely distanced himself from Donald Trump in 2016 after a vulgar video of the 'Apprentice' star bragging about sexual assault surfaced.

He subsequently refused to defend or campaign with Trump, then the GOP nominee for president, in the general election.

The two men had been working better together since Trump took office, particularly after the GOP-run Congress scored big with tax reform.

Still, the election of Trump signaled a shift in Republican politics that was a departure from Ryan's own, and the high-ranking GOP lawmaker frequently found himself at odds ideologically and rhetorically with the sitting president.

'We're very different people. I'm from the Upper Midwest. I'm not from New York. We're from a different generation. So we definitely have different styles,' he acknowledged to CNN.

Reflecting on their interactions prior to the election, Ryan admitted, 'We had a lot of friction in our relationship.

'What we learned is, we have a common agenda that we agree on, and we want to get it done, and we know it's going to make a big difference in people's lives,' he said of their relationship now. 'I think it is our job on behalf of the people we represent, the people of this nation, to focus on their problems, get things done, make a big difference. And that is what we're doing.'

But Ryan also told Politico on Wednesday that he wished that Trump would share his grievances, of which he's had several with Ryan, with him and not tweet them.

'It works better to have private conversations than public disputes,' Ryan said.

FAMILY MAN: Ryan said he wanted to retire before his children only knew him as a 'weekend dad'

WE HAVE A QUORUM: The family of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., is recognized before he was sworn in on the House floor as the 62nd Speaker of the House, October 29, 2015. From left, are sons Sam, Charlie, daughter Liza, and wife Janna. Mitt Romney also appears in the second row

Putting aside their personal differences, Ryan and Trump did not always see eye-to-eye on the GOP's agenda. Ryan notably disagreed with Trump's approach to trade.

The GOP lawmaker had helped to shepherd through a 12-nation Pacific Rim pact that was championed by the last administration only for Trump to scuttle it. The accord took effect last month without the United States' participation.

Trump's new steel and aluminum tariffs have also been the butt of vociferous opposition from Ryan. He warned the administration in March that the sweeping action could have 'unintended consequences' on the economy and American workers.

The former head of the Way and Means Committee in the House, the panel that oversees tax law, had wanted to make welfare reform his next big project but found his vision overshadowed by the larger-than-life president. Trump is pushing Congress to make infrastructure its next initiative.

With the mid-term elections on the horizon, neither was likely to happen this legislative session. And the prospects for GOP victories at the congressional level will get even worse if Republicans don't hold the line in the U.S. Senate, where they already have the slimmest of majorities.

Ryan, a self-proclaimed policy wonk with an affinity for life-size charts, will certainly leave behind unfinished business. He had been increasingly frustrated, though, that his chamber would pass legislation only to have it stall in the gridlocked Senate.

'The speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father,' Brendan Buck, a top aide to Ryan, asserted.

The news website Axios said this morning that Ryan has been telling friends he will not run for reelection this year. He planned to break the news to his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill this morning, Politico reported.

In a statement issued part-way through the meeting, Ryan's office said that the speaker 'shared with his colleagues that this will be his last year as a member of the House.'

'He will serve out his full term, run through the tape, and then retire in January,' Buck said. 'While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him.'

Ryan was pushed into the role of speaker after John Boehner abruptly resigned in 2015. He did not want the job, and did not run for it the first time around. He stepped up only after his Republican colleagues begged him to take on the responsibility.

In spite of the way he fell into, Ryan said Wednesday that being House speaker had been one of the two great honors of his life, with the other being his position as a dad.

'I have given this job everything I have,' he said. 'And I have no regrets whatsoever.'

His exit from Congress will set up a competitive race to replace him as speaker, assuming the GOP keeps its majority in November. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and GOP Whip Steve Scalise will be top contenders. Trump has strong relationships with both.

Ryan, a prolific GOP fundraiser and founder of the Young Guns recruitment program, faced a June 1 filing deadline in his home state of Wisconsin, prompting his Wednesday announcement.

An early exit from the race was necessary for his state's Republican Party to find and recruit another candidate to run in Wisconsin's first congressional district who has the ability to win in November.

Two Democrats are vying for the seat that Ryan has held since 1999. They are Randy 'Ironstache' Bryce, a union organizer, and Cathy Myers, a veteran educator.

Ryan's announcement that he would not seek the seat had political prognosticators pulling back on their predictions that his district would remain red.

Cook Political Report moved Wisconsin's 1st from Solid Republican to Lean Republican.

At his news conference on Capitol Hill, Ryan said he could have ran for reelection and then stepped down but that would have went against his 'conscience' and he 'could not handle going out that way.'
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These historic images of the Far East captured by Scottish photographer John Thomson will be exhibited in London for the first time this month.

The incredible negatives were taken during 1862 and 1872 when Thomson set off to Asia for the first time. Throughout his 10-year expedition, he recorded daily lives of east Asian people, as well as the royals and became the first photographer who documented Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument found.

The Scottish photographer and writer was able to capture the individuality and humanity of the diverse people of Asia, whether royalty or street vendor.

Scottish photographer John Thomson travelled to east Asia in 1862 and started capturing the wonders in various countries. He moved from Singapore to Siam (now Thailand) and captured this wonderful view of Chao Phraya River, pictured, in 1865. Thomson carried heavy glass plates and a portable dark room to print the images on the negatives.

Thomson was lucky to photograph King Mongkut (left), the fourth monarch of Siam and followed him to attend royal ceremonies. Thomson, then 29 years old, was the first photographer to document Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world (right). His pictures of the Far East gave viewers unique historical values.

In 1862, Thomson travelled to Singapore where he opened his first photographic studio and became a professional photographer.

He used the method of wet collodion process, where an exposure was made onto a glass negative with highly flammable liquids. This had to be done in complete darkness, on location, in a portable darkroom tent.

It took sheer perseverance and energy, through difficult terrain, to document regions where previously unseen by westerners. It is particularly remarkable that Thomson was able to make photographs of such beauty and sensitivity.

Fascinated by the Asian culture and its people, Thomson set off to Siam where he was able to photograph King Mongkut, Rama IV, and his royal family together with royal ceremonies in 1865. He also captured the panoramic views of the Chao Phraya River, temples and monks.

The professional photographer also walked in the city of Siam to capture local people's lives. The stunning images of a Siamese young boy (left) and a boatman (right) reflected the local culture and living standard of the country. Most of these images were previously unseen by westerners.

John Thomson was seen as an important figure in nineteenth century travel and documentary photography. He was fascinated by Asia and its people and spent 10 years documenting in the Far East. He travelled to China by the end of 1867 and documented a large variety of subjects, from landscapes to people.

He went to China via Hong Kong and visited Macau, Chaozhou, Santou before he went north to Fuzhou and the River Min. He carried the heavy gear as well as flammable liquids and fragile glass plates throughout the journey. The landscape of houses built with tile roofs, pictured, was one of the many images that Thomson had captured.

The 180-year-old pictures added unique values to the history when the 29-year-old Thomson travelled to Cambodia and became the first photographer to visit Angkor Wat, what is now, one of the most important sites of ancient architecture in the world.

In 1867, Thomson settled in Hong Kong and documented another set of images capturing local Cantonese people.

From then on, he started an expedition in different provinces of China, including Macau, Chaozhou, Shanghai as well as the imperial capital, Beijing.

In China, Thomson captured a wide variety of subjects from landscapes to people, architecture, domestic and street scenes.

Dr Michael Pritchard, Chief Executive of The Royal Photographic Society and photo-historian commented: 'John Thomson is a key figure in nineteenth-century travel and documentary photography and this exhibition, which is long overdue, finally gives proper recognition to his career and stunning imagery'

It was not easy for a foreigner to photograph females in Asian countries but Thomson managed to take portraits of an old Cantonese woman (left) and a boatwoman (right) when he was in Hong Kong. The pictures were believed to be taken in his photography studio in 1868. Most of his images presented a faithful account of the people of Asia.

The aesthetic quality of John Thomsons vision mark him out as one of the most important travel photographers. This body of work established him as a pioneer of photojournalism and one of the most influential photographers of his time. He took the images using the method of wet collodion process, where an exposure was made onto a glass negative with highly flammable liquids.

Most of Thomson's photos showcased his journeys from one of the most extensive records of ny region taken in the ninteenth century. Thomson travelled East as a professional photographer only two decades after the invention of photography.The panoramic view of Hong Kong harbour where a ship was seen is a unique historical treasure.

As a foreigner, Thomsons ability to gain access to photograph women was particularly remarkable. Whether photographing the rich and famous or people in the streets going about their business, Thomsons desire was to present a faithful account of the people of Asia.

This body of work established him as a pioneer of photojournalism and one of the most influential photographers of his time.

Photographs from these journeys form one of the most extensive records of any region taken in the nineteenth century. The range, depth and aesthetic quality of John Thomsons vision mark him out as one of the most important travel photographers.

His collection of 700 glass plates travelled back with Thomson to Britain in 1872 and since 1921 has been housed and expertly preserved at the Wellcome Library, London.

Thomson's archive will be shown from 13 April to 23 June this year at the Brunei Gallery at SOAS, University of London.

Between 1868 and 1872, Thomson made extensive trips to Beijing, Fujian and Guangdong travelling down both the Yangtse and the Min Rivers. In China, Thomson captured a wide variety of subjects from landscapes to people, architecture, domestic and street scenes. The Scottish photographer travelled to different provinces in China where he met some Buddhist monks (left) and a Manchu bride (right)
A pregnant woman fatally stabbed her colleague to death on Tuesday in the kitchen of a restaurant in Westchester County.

Police say 27-year-old Rosa Ramirez grabbed a butcher knife around 11.30am at the River City Grille in Irvington and stabbed Bonifacio Rodriguez, 39, repeatedly.

According to the New York Daily News, a witness told police sources: 'She didn't say word, she just grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the chest.'

Rosa Ramirez, 27 (left), fatally stabbed her co-worker, Bonifacio Rodriguez, 39 (right), on Tuesday at the River City Grille in Irvington around 11.30am

Rodriguez, of Yonkers, was rushed to Westchester Medical Center where he was declared dead at 12.19pm.

No motive has been established in the case. While police revealed that some altercation occurred between the two before the stabbing, they did not elaborate on the details.

Ramirez had been hired by the eatery two weeks ago as a dishwasher whereas Rodriguez had been working at the restaurant for years, reported News 12 Westchester.

'He was like a quiet guy, a really sweet guy. He's been there 20 years and this girl was brand new,' Harley Falasca, of Irvington, told the news station.

Reports say Ramirez had been hired by the eatery (pictured) two weeks ago as a dishwasher whereas Rodriguez had been working at the restaurant for years

No motive has been established in the case. While police revealed that some altercation occurred between the two before the stabbing, they did not elaborate on the details

According to Irvington Police Chief Michael Cerone, this is the village's first murder since 1974 - more than 40 years, reported The Journal News.

Ramirez, of Manhattan, was arrested and arraigned on a felony charge of second-degree murder. She is currently being held without bail at the Westchester County Jail.

The four-month pregnant woman was arrested twice in 2017 on assault and weapons possession charges. She currently has two criminal cases pending against her in Brooklyn, according to court records.

Ramirez is scheduled to appear in court again on April 16.

Rodriguez leaves behind a wife and two young daughters. A GoFundMe account has been started by the River City Grille help support his family. So far, more than $2,450 has been raised out of a $25,000 goal.
A shocking but 'good-hearted' show has broken television records in Belgium. Pictured, the show's presenter Philippe Guebels

A shocking but 'good-hearted' show called 'Taboo' has broken television records in Belgium by telling jokes about paraplegics, amputees and minorities.

And it could be soon coming to a screen near you after wowing TV executives from across the globe at the MIPTV market in Cannes, France.

'This is the show that laughs with people who you should not really be laughing at,' says its presenter, comedian Philippe Geubels at the start of each Sunday night episode on the Flemish public broadcaster Een.

The line-up of 'victims/guests' on the first series included obese and poor people, dwarves, those with terminal and mental illness, gays, blind people and people of colour.

Geubels first invites them to spend a few days in the country with him where they tell their story to him and a documentary filmmaker.

A few months later the comedian invites them to a packed theatre filled with people like them to watch him do a hugely politically incorrect comedy routine based on them or their afflictions.

'There are lots of advantages about having a child without arms,' he tells an audience amid gales of laughter. 'It won't pick its nose or put its elbows on the table...'

The show has been watched live or on replay by more than a quarter of the country's Flemish-speaking population, according to Een, and praised for helping to take on embarrassment and prejudice.

'No matter how bad your situation is, you still have to be able to laugh. Not to laugh at people but to laugh at the little everyday things,' Geubels told a theatre full of people with terminal illnesses and their families in one show.

The show's producers Panenka said it had already been bought to be shown or adapted in the US, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Israel, Finland, Denmark and Norway, even though the first series has only just ended.

'We had lots of letters congratulating us for what we did, with lots of new ideas,' said producer Kato Maes, who is already planning the next season.

'We choose the taboos for their potential humour. For the first series we didn't dare to take on transsexuals or Jews,' she told AFP.

'But it's something to explore. We are never brutal, we always do it with respect.'
A man has been arrested for the 2015 murder of a woman who was found slain in her Arizona home.

Scottsdale police said 42-year-old Ian Mitcham was taken into custody on Tuesday in Phoenix on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Authorities said DNA evidence linked him to the case of Allison Feldman, whose lifeless body was found nude and lying in a pool of blood in February 2015 inside her home.

Ian Mitcham (left), 42, has been arrested in the 2015 murder of, Allison Feldman (right), 31, who was found slain in her Arizona home. Authorities said DNA evidence linked him to the case

Scottsdale police said Mitcham (during his arrest) was taken into custody on Tuesday in Phoenix on suspicion of first-degree murder

Feldman, 31, who was originally from Minnesota, died of head trauma and court documents show that her body smelled of bleach.

There was no sign of forced entry into her home, but police believe Feldman's attacker suffered hand cuts.

Investigators were able to link Mitcham last week using familial testing, which takes DNA evidence and compares it to genetically-similar samples.

The investigation has been ongoing for three years, and authorities said in a press conference on Tuesday that it was 'forensic evidence' that led to Mitcham's arrest.

'From the start, we have stated that this investigation is and has been driven by forensic science and evidence. A DNA profile was developed from evidence at the scene, but unfortunately no match was found in the current databases,' a press release from the Scottsdale Police Department Public Information Office stated.

In 2017, police first suspected Mitcham through the use of familial DNA testing

'The process widens the search parameters of the offender data base to identify people that may be close relatives of the person who committed the crime,' the press release said.

'Using this process, we were able to develop a match, which ultimately led to Mitcham's arrest today.'

In 2017, police first suspected Mitcham (right) through the use of familial DNA testing. Police have not yet determined the link between Mitcham and Feldman (left)

Court documents revealed that Feldman, a saleswoman for a medical-device company, her boyfriend found her nude in her home (pictured) with a cloth wrapped around her head. He then went outside and called 911

Police have not yet determined the link between Mitcham and Feldman

Court documents revealed that Feldman, a saleswoman for a medical-device company, her boyfriend found her nude with a cloth wrapped around her head.

He then went outside and called 911.

First responders found Feldman had 'cranial trauma' and pronounced her dead.

They also discovered a white substance around her body and smelled a bleach-like odor, the documents said.

Records showed that a surveillance camera from a nearby home confirmed the boyfriend's account of his arrival at the residence.

Feldman's father, Harley Feldman, said in 2015 that he had no idea who would want to hurt her.

He said when he last talked to his daughter, she was looking forward to a business trip and had just bought a new dress.
Police in Los Angeles shot and killed a man armed with a knife inside a local shopping mall.

The officer-involved shooting took place at around 5.40pm on Tuesday at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in South Los Angeles.

According to the LAPD, the unnamed man was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured.

Police officers in Los Angeles on Tuesday shot and killed a man wielding a knife and acting erratically inside a mall (pictured moments after shooting)

Cellphone video recorded at the scene by a witness shows LAPD officers handling the body of the unnamed man after shooting him on the second floor of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in South Los Angeles

Eyewitness Tim Williams, a former police officer, told the station KABC-TV that the suspect had a long knife or machete and appeared to be moving toward people with the weapon.

According to Williams, responding officers patiently and repeatedly told the man to put down the blade but for several minutes he kept gesturing with the knife and inching toward officers, then back.

Williams said police finally opened fire when the man took off toward some people.

Juan Zepeda, who was also present at the scene, offered a conflicting version of events, telling KTLA that the man was running away when he was shot in the back.

A long knife is pictured next to the suspect's lifeless body sprawled outside the TJ Maxx store

Bloody aftermath: One witness said police opened fire after the man ignored commands to put down the blade and appeared to be moving toward people with the weapon

The gunshots sent terrified shoppers running toward the exit doors.

Others witnesses reported that security guards at the mall had been trying to get the man to leave the premises for nearly an hour before police were called in. It appeared the man was on drugs, but that has not been confirmed.

The man collapsed dead on the second floor next to the TJ Maxx store at the shopping center, which remained closed for hours as police gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses. A knife was recovered at the scene.

The man was the sixth person to be fatally shot by on-duty LAPD officers this year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The 2018 Women in the World Summit will welcome the likes of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Oscar Award-winning actress Viola Davis and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to the event which will be set against the backdrop of #MeToo, antigun violence activism and the equal pay debate.

Donald Trumps campaign trail grab them by the p**** comment to Billy Bush, the White House endorsement of Roy Moore for senator of Alabama and praise of former aide and alleged wife beater Rob Porter were all catalysts in the organisation of the summit for founder Tina Brown CBE.

Women in the World Summit will welcome Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will moderate a panel

We saw it begin with the Womens March and its just grown. Were going to see surges of activism in other areas. Women are powering a lot of the antigun violence activism. We have these women who dont just talk and vent, they go out and do.

Our summit this year is about persistence, resistance and insistence. You have to be someone who persists. The antigun activists are going to find out how hard it is, Tina Brown said. Women in the World will have a long list of speakers, but when is the 2018 summit and who will be speaking?

What is the Women in the World Summit?

Women in the World was launched by Tina Brown in 2010, the author of the Princess Diana biography The Diana Chronicles and the former Editor in Chief of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Talk, Newsweek and The Daily Beast.

The three-day event aims to bring together powerful new female role models who are able to make valid comments on current affairs. This could mean welcoming CEOs, world leaders, peacemakers, artists and firebrand dissidents.

At the event, women leaders and active change makers get together to share stories and offer solutions to ensure that women and girls around the world are provided with a better life. The inaugural summit saw the likes of Katie Couric, Meryl Streep, Madeleine K. Albright and Hillary Clinton take to the stage.

Over the next few years, Angelina Jolie, Sheryl Sandberg, Condoleezza Rice, Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks were some of the many that spoke at the annual Women in the World Summit. In 2012, the event partnered with Toyota for the Mothers of Invention series, which honoured philanthropic women.

As I look to the future, my hopes for my daughter when she stands on this stage some 20, 30 years from now are that she be as proud to call herself her mother's daughter as her father's daughter. @Leila_Hoteit, BCG Partner and Managing Director joining the #WITW Summit Friday. pic.twitter.com/2tzCJ3r250  Women in the World (@WomenintheWorld) April 11, 2018

When is the Women in the World Summit 2018?

The Women in the World Summit 2018 will be held from Thursday, April 12 to Saturday, April 14 2018 at the David H. Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center in New York City, ironically in a building named after an industrialist who with his brother Charles, runs a network of Republican donors.

When asked about this, Tina Brown replied with: We just say its being held at Lincoln Center. The event was first held at the Hudson Theater before moving to its new location.

Women in the World Summit speakers

Founder and CEO of Women in the World Tina Brown will be kicking off the event before Nobel Peace Prize winner and Liberian activist, Leymah Gbowee will be revealing what other activists need to do to make a movement into a revolution.

Ronan Farrow, contributing writer for The New Yorker, will then interview the Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first to publicly charge Harvey Weinstein with assault and the Italian model, Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, who also tackled Weinstein and Berlusconi.

They will discuss #MeToo from a European perspective with the former President, Chamber of Deputies of Italy and current MP Laura Boldrini. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will discuss treatment of female employees and NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof will speak to Dr. Fozia Alvi about her experience of the Rohingya massacre in Myanmar.

In 2017, the technology company Adobe says it achieved gender pay parity for its employees. Heres how they did it:https://t.co/UWHPRPUPfv #EqualPayDay pic.twitter.com/HWGkm6OfO0  Women in the World (@WomenintheWorld) April 11, 2018

Viola Davis will talk about her own journey in Hollywood at the end of the first day and the second day will start off with a discussion of equal pay and later, a talk on female financial management. Sally Yates, the first person to stand up to President Trump, will also be interviewed.

Margaret Atwood will be interviewed about the adaptation of her book The Handmaids Tale and how it could become a reality and later, Hillary Clinton will be moderating a discussion with four international journalists who have experienced trolling and perhaps even exile.

Highlights of the third day include a conversation with Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Check out the full agenda here.
A threat of a school shooting written in a girl's bathroom stall has shut down an Oregon school district for a day.

All public schools in North Bend, Oregon are closed on Wednesday, as police investigate the threatening graffiti found in a North Bend Middle School bathroom on Tuesday afternoon.

'School shooting tomorrowBE READY!!!' read the graffiti, which a student discovered in the sixth-grade girl's bathroom and reported to a substitute teacher, North Bend Police said.

Threatening graffiti was found in a North Bend Middle School (above) bathroom on Tuesday

The school's resource officer was notified of the threat at 3.45pm and additional cops rushed to the school to provide added security and investigate.

'Multiple witnesses have been interviewed, but none witnessed the writing of the threat,' police said in a statement.

Cops also investigated hours of hallway surveillance footage to determine who entered and exited the bathroom before the graffiti was found, but so far have not identified a suspect.

At 10pm on Tuesday, North Bend Police Chief Robert Kappelman said that with the investigation ongoing, the town's school district had decided to cancel all classes on Wednesday.

'Our childrens safety is our top priority,' Kappelman said in a statement.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the North Bend Police Department at 541-756-3161.
A Massachusetts mother and her boyfriend have been charged in the death of their six-year-old daughter, who was found unresponsive with bruises all over her body.

Shana Pedroso, 37, was charged with two counts of assault and battery and two counts of reckless endangerment of a child at Fitchburg District Court on Wednesday.

Marvin Brito, 38, was charged with two charges of permitting substantial injury to a child and reckless endangerment.

Parents jailed: Shana Pedroso (left), 37, and Marvin Brito (right), 38, have been charged in connection to the death of their six-year-old daughter on Tuesday

The child was found unresponsive and covered in bruises in various stages of healing at her family's home in Fitchburg, Massachusetts (pictured)

Both pleaded not guilty and were ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on April 18.

District Attorney Joseph Early said that police responding to a 911 call at the family's home in the 100 block of Stoneybrook Road in Fitchburg just before noon on Tuesday found an injured nine-year-old boy and an unresponsive six-year-old girl.

Early said the children were taken to UMass HealthAlliance Hospital, where the girl was pronounced dead.

The district attorney says the boy's injuries are believed to be non-life threatening. He is currently in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

According to court documents released Wednesday, police who responded to the family's home observed that the boy had serious injuries and bruises on his face.

His sister had bruises all over her body in various stages of healing, according to MassLive.com.

The nine-year-old told police he and his younger sister were out for a walk with their parents and two other unnamed children the day before when Pedroso and Brito left the children alone, and they were attacked by bullies.

DIY first aid: Pedroso's surviving child, a nine-year-old boy, told police she had allegedly closed a wound on his neck using superglue

Brito was charged with two charges of permitting substantial injury to a child and reckless endangerment

According to the child, his injured sister could not drink water the morning after the beating, which made Pedroso mad. Their parents refused to call 911 for help and the mother-of-two allegedly used super glue to close a wound on her son's neck.

When police officers searched Pedroso after her arrest, they discovered a handwritten note dated April 9, which reportedly read that her children 'were bad and beaten.'

DCF officials said they had had no interactions with the family until Tuesday.

Fitchburg Public Schools told Boston 25 News both of Pedroso and Brito's children were listed as home schooled in the fall of 2017.

Fitchburg Police Chief Earnest Martineau said it was not a 'random act' and there is no danger to the public.
Former FBI Director James Comey compares President Trump, who fired him, to a mob boss in an interview with ABC News that the network is touting as a bombshell.

Comey sat down with host George Stephanopoulos in his first interview to promote his forthcoming book, 'A Higher Loyalty,' set to come out Tuesday.

The promo shows the 'This Week' host pinging Comey with questions, and features dramatic movement and close-up's of Comey's reactions  but no words from the longtime lawman Trump sacked after expressing disappointment with the Russia investigation.

'How strange is it for you to sit here and compare the president to a mob boss,' Stephanopoulos asks,' with a backing soundrack of tense violin music.

Scroll down for video

READY TO TALK: Former FBI Director James Comey, who testified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee, sits down with ABC to promote his new book

'Are there things you know, but haven't said, that could damage President Trump,' he asks  before a close-up of Comey looking up and considering his answer.

The interview airs Sunday.

He also asks about the decision not to bring Hillary Clinton  the wife of the host's former boss  before a grand jury.

ABC calls it the 'interview everyone will be talking about.

The interview  with it's apparent mob analogy  will air just days after FBI agents raided the New York office and hotel room of Trump attorney Michael Cohen.

WISEGUY? Comey apparently compared the president to a 'mob boss,' according to an ABC preview, which did not feature his actual words

COFFEE TALK: Comey sat down with Stephanopoulos to promote his new book

Comey sat down with host George Stephanopoulos in his first interview to promote his forthcoming book, 'A Higher Loyalty,' set to come out Tuesday

Agents reportedly were seeking raids connected to alleged bank fraud, taxi medallions, and pay-offs to two women who claim they had affairs with Trump.

Since the Monday raid, President Trump has been privately considering firing deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein and publicly speculating about firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Longtime Trump consigliere Steve Bannon also used mob language  but to describe the nature of the Mueller probe, in statements featured in Vanity Fair.

'Its like no one took down the Gambino family,' Bannon said. 'Muellers doing a roll-up just like he did with the Gambinos. [Former campaign chair Paul] Manaforts the

23rd March 1970: Mob boss Carlo Gambino smiles while standing in handcuffs after being arrested by the FBI. Former FBI Director James Comey compares the president to a mob boss in a new interview

TEFLON DON: Mafia Boss John Gotti, aka "The Dapper Don," stands on street corner January 20, 1987 in New York City. Doctors at the Federal Prison Hospital in Springfield, MO

right? And [deputy Rick] Gates is a made man! [Former Trump campaign aide George] Papadopoulos is equivalent to a wise-guy out in a social club in Brooklyn,' Bannons said.

Bannon reportedly added: 'This is like a Wagner opera. In the overture you get all the strands of the music youre going to hear for three hours. Well, Mueller opened with a bang. He totally caught these guys by surprise. So if youre not going to fight, youre going to get rolled over.

The interview will '"certainly add more meat to the charges swirling around Trump,' a source told Axios.

The source said it left people in the room 'stunned.'

In an unexplained comment, the outlet reported: 'If anyone wonders if Comey will go there, he goes there.'
An Australian accountant was sentenced to 15 months of rehabilitation for drug offenses on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali.

The court in Denpasar said Isaac Emmanuel Roberts' sentence, which includes time already served in prison, will be carried out at the Anargya Foundation, which specializes in drug and alcohol rehabilitation therapy.

The 35-year-old was arrested at the island's Ngurah Rai airport on December 4 after arriving from Bangkok with 14.3 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 14 ecstasy tablets.

Australian accountant Isaac Emmanuel Roberts (pictured) was sentenced to 15 months rehab for drug offenses

Roberts' sentence will be carried out at the Anargya Foundation

Indonesia has very strict drug laws and convicted traffickers can be executed by firing squad.

'I'm thankful to the government for giving the opportunity to recover from the illness. I'm depressed,' Roberts told reporters after the sentencing.

Presiding Judge Gusti Ngurah Putra Atmaja said the panel of judges lightened Roberts' possible sentence because he regretted his acts, promised to reform and was proven not to be a dealer or trafficker.

The 35-year-old was arrested at the island's Ngurah Rai airport on December 4

He arrived from Bangkok with 14.3 grams of crystal meth and 14 ecstasy tablets

During the trial, the court was told that Roberts used meth and other drugs to counter severe depression.

'The defendant needs medical rehabilitation due to his dependence on those drugs,' Atmaja said.

More than 150 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug crimes, and about a third of them are foreigners.

Eighteen people convicted of drug-related offenses have been executed under current President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, who took office in October 2014.
Theresa May today warned the use of chemical weapons 'cannot go unchallenged' but still has not said whether Britain will launch strikes alongside allies.

Donald Trump today told Russia to 'get ready' for its ally Syria to be hit with 'nice and new and smart' cruise missiles in an unprecedented Tweet. US strikes could begin in hours.

Hours later, the Prime Minister said she would continue to work with allies to establish how those responsible for a 'barbaric' chemical attack on Saturday can 'be held to account'.

In a significant hardening of her language, Mrs May today said 'all indications' are the Syrian regime was responsible for the attack.

But she swerved questions about whether she would recall MPs to consult them on launching British strikes.

Asked if she was alarmed by Mr Trump's Tweet, Mrs May would only say Britain was working to establish what happened in Douma, where at least 40 people including children died.

Jeremy Corbyn today demanded a Commons vote is held before any military action is launched. He said the UN route should be pursued - despite Russia vetoing all proposals tabled by Britain, America and France - to find a political solution.

If Mrs May orders UK strikes, the Royal Air Force has squadrons of Typhoon and Tornado jets in Cyprus already flying sorties over Syria against ISIS.

Britain could also deploy Royal Navy submarines and destroyers if it were to join a cruise missile bombardment.

Theresa May (pictured today in Birmingham) has warned the use of chemical weapons 'cannot go unchallenged' but still has not said whether Britain will launch strikes alongside allies.

Donald Trump was branded 'scary' by Theresa May's ex-chief of staff today after he warned Russia the 'missiles are coming'

Trump's incendiary Tweet warned Russia to 'get ready' and slammed the Kremlin for being partners with a 'gas killing animal'

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer  armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  underway in the eastern Mediterranean

If Mrs May does order a Commons vote, she faces a tough battle to get a motion agreed by MPs.

Mr Corbyn is likely to order his MPs to oppose it - but could face a rebellion by many of his MPs.

But Mrs May could also lose MPs to the other side. More than 20 current Tory MPs - including Brexit Secretary David Davis - voted No when asked about attacking Assad over chemical weapons in 2013.

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom was thought a leading supporter of launching military action today.

As expectations of strikes grow, airspace chiefs warned planes to be careful when flying close to Syria.

In a notice on Eurocontrol's website, the European Aviation Safety Agency said: 'Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours ... consideration needs to be taken.'

In her latest update on Britain's response to the attack, Mrs May said: 'We are working with our allies, we have been working to get an understanding of what happened on the ground.

Ex-Army chief says attack on Syria must be 'at scale' General Sir Richard Barrons, Commander Joint Forces Command from April 2013 until April 2016 today warned any strikes on Syria needed to be 'at scale, with allies and if necessary repeated until conditions change'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Well I think the likely outcome is that action will be taken because it must be taken. 'I hope but I can't be sure of course that this extends beyond the tokenism of previous attempts which have been an act of event management and limited by scale and by time.' Asked if any joint action could take out Syria's chemical weapons capability, General Sir Richard said: 'The capability exists, given enough time and effort to identify where the chemical weapons stocks are and the delivery means, which are mostly aircraft, and then over time to begin to strike at them from range and that I guess is what's under consideration ... and you're not going to do that completely but you are going to make a difference over time.' Asked if this could be done in a way that would avoid hitting Russian aircraft in Syrian air bases, he replied: 'In terms of the technology of precision targeting, yes, that can be done, but the chances of, if you like, collateral damage are very high.' A former head of the Army said diplomatic efforts must continue alongside any action over the suspected chemical weapon attack in Syria. 'It's got to be within the overall context of a bigger diplomatic effort to get the parties around the table to end the Syria civil war,' Lord Dannatt told ITV's Good Morning Britain. 'A strike on its own would just be a strike and potentially nothing else.' Advertisement

'We are rapidly reaching that understanding.

'All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible and we will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account and how we can prevent and deter the humanitarian catastrophe that comes from the use of chemical weapons in the future.

'The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.'

Mrs May sidestepped a question on whether she would recall Parliament, and said Britain will work with its 'closest allies to see how those responsible can be held to account'.

The PM said she was 'appalled' but 'not surprised' by Russia's decision to veto a draft resolution at the United Nations on Tuesday which sought to create a new body to determine responsibility for the attack.

'There can be no role now for investigations by the United Nations,' Mrs May said.

The Prime Minister told the President last night she supports a response to the gas attack in Douma on Saturday but has so far stopped short of committing British forces.

Labour leader Mr Corbyn said today: 'Parliament should always be given a say on military action.

'That's a case that I've made going back many, many years in parliament.

'Obviously the situation is very serious, obviously there has to be, now, a demand for a political process to end the war in Syria.

'We cannot risk an escalation even further than it's gone already.'

He added: 'What we don't want is bombardment which leads to escalation and leads to a hot war between Russia and America over the skies of Syria.'

Mr Corbyn said Britain should persevere with the UN route and seek a political solution to the war, adding: 'We cannot go on with hundreds of thousands dying and millions going into refugee status.'

Britain has a variety of military options it could bring to any action against President Assad's regime in Syria

In full: May's warning to Syria Prime Minister Theresa May today gave an update on Britain's response to the gas attack in Syria. She said: 'We are working with our allies, we have been working to get an understanding of what happened on the ground. 'We are rapidly reaching that understanding. 'All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible and we will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account and how we can prevent and deter the humanitarian catastrophe that comes from the use of chemical weapons in the future. 'The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.' Mrs May sidestepped a question on whether she would recall Parliament, and said Britain will work with its 'closest allies to see how those responsible can be held to account'. The PM said she was 'appalled' but 'not surprised' by Russia's decision to veto a draft resolution at the United Nations on Tuesday which sought to create a new body to determine responsibility for the attack. 'There can be no role now for investigations by the United Nations,' Advertisement

In his tweet today, Mr Trump said: 'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.

'Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ''smart!'' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'.

Mrs May is under growing pressure to call a Commons vote before joining any military alliance against Syria, in line with conventions established since the Iraq War.

MailOnline understands MPs have not yet received calls from whips to find out if they could return to Westminster before Monday's next scheduled sitting.

Nick Timothy, Theresa May's ex-chief of staff, said: 'This kind of thing is just scary.

'For Trump, all the world's a playground.'

Tory MP Johnny Mercer replied: 'This is the reason why we must build, influence, and yes, lead coalitions.

'To make a calm but very robust stand for what we believe in, whilst tempering unhelpful rhetoric so we don't repeat the mistakes of the past. There is a balance; and therein lies Britain's role in this.'

Michael Fabricant said: 'It is not diplomatic. But the final sentence is certainly true!'

Labour's Wes Streeting, who has also advocated military action in response to the gas attack, said: 'Unlikely the President put any thought at all into historic precedents before hitting send on such a dangerous and depressing Tweet.'

Nick Timothy said the incendiary blast on Twitter showed that to the President 'all the world is a playground'.

Labour's Wes Streeting, who has also advocated military action in response to the gas attack, said it was a 'dangerous and depressing tweet'

Tory MP Johnny Mercer replied: 'This is the reason why we must build, influence, and yes, lead coalitions'

Mrs May has so far resisted a rush to bomb Syria without seeing more evidence President Bashar Al Assad is to blame for a 'barbaric' chemical attack on civilians.

Does May need to call a Commons vote on striking Syria? Theresa May was constitutionally entitled to order British forces into action in Syria without a Commons vote. The Prime Minister has the power to deploy troops under the Royal Prerogative. There are no hard and fast rules obliging the government to involve rank-and-file MPs in the decision. But a vote on prolonged deployment of UK forces would be almost impossible to avoid. Commons divisions have been held on almost all military action by British forces since the Iraq War in 2003, establishing what many see as a firm convention. Advertisement

The Prime Minister told Donald Trump last night she backed an international response to the attack and would work with allies to find out what happened.

But the Downing Street account of the call with the US President said an attack should only go ahead of Syrian culpability is 'confirmed'. A White House report of the call did not make the same point.

Mr Trump's blast was a direct response to Russia's ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin who told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV: 'If there is a strike by the Americans then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired.'

Amid the row, but before Mr Trump hit back, General Sir Richard Barrons, who led UK Joint Forces Command from 2013 to 2016, warned: 'I hope the ambassador has chosen his words very carefully.

'What he is actually saying is if the US and allies decide to strike against Syrian chemical weapons and delivery aircraft, not only are they going to try to shoot down the missiles, which they are capable of doing but won't be with total success, but by saying 'launch platforms', he's saying they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky  that's war.'

Theresa May will likely face questions about the President's Tweet on a visit to Birmingham later

Mrs May indicated she needed proof the Syrian dictator was behind the attack before ordering a strike. She said the attack was 'another example of the Assad regime's brutality' but added the caveat 'if confirmed'

In other developments today, a former head of the Army said diplomatic efforts must continue alongside any action over the suspected chemical weapon attack in Syria.

'It's got to be within the overall context of a bigger diplomatic effort to get the parties around the table to end the Syria civil war,' Lord Dannatt told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

'A strike on its own would just be a strike and potentially nothing else.'

If Mrs May decides to commit British forces to any coalition action against Assad, she must also decide whether to follow recent convention and ask MPs for permission.

A similar motion proposed by David Cameron in 2013 was defeated - ending Western hopes of striking back at Assad the first time he used chemical weapons.

The Premier holds power to order forces into action without a vote but would face an inevitable backlash. Labour is demanding a vote be held.

In a potential boost for Mrs May, Sarah Wollaston, who opposed the motion in 2013, today endorsed strikes

Tory defence committee chairman Julian Lewis yesterday told MailOnline a vote 'ought' to be held on planned action.

He told Newsnight the nation faced a difficult choice: 'What we've got here in Syria is a choice between monsters on the one hand and maniacs on the other, and it is absolutely untrue to say that apart from the Kurdish-led forces, the Salafists and the Jihadists are not in control of the opposition groups.

'They are and we will be helping al Qaida if we help them to do a sustained military campaign against the brutal Assad regime.'

But in a potential boost for Mrs May, a senior MP who opposed the motion in 2013 today endorsed strikes.

Sarah Wollaston said: 'I did not support military action in the past but chemical weapons are now being used with impunity, including here in UK. It is time to act to stop the use of these horrific weapons.

'The history of military action in the region means that @theresa_may is right to be cautious but that history also demonstrates that inaction has consequences too.'
William George Davis, 34 (pictured), was booked on Tuesday on a murder charge into the Smith County Jail and is being held on a $2million bond

A former nurse who was fired last month from a Texas hospital is being held on a murder charge after one patient died and two others slipped into vegetative states.

The Texas Board of Nursing suspended William George Davis's license in March after determining he entered three patients' rooms at Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital in Tyler and 'performed an intervention' that either killed or critically harmed them.

Records show that Davis, 34, was booked into the Smith County Jail on Tuesday on a murder charge. Bond has been set at $2million. The records don't indicate if he is being represented by an attorney.

A Tyler police spokeswoman would not confirm on Wednesday that the murder charge relates to the death of a patient in August.

Davis entered the patients' rooms with unauthorized access in August, November and January.

The nursing board said he then proceeded to perform 'unnecessary or inappropriate interventions' on each patient.

In August, Davis's intervention caused a patient to whom he was not assigned to suffer a stroke and die after the nurse tampered with the IV and did not communicate what he was doing to the patient's assigned nurse.

According to the nursing board, Davis performed the same action in November 2017, causing another patient to suffer from a stroke five minutes later. Court documents say the patient was left in a vegetative state.

David (pictured) entered three patients' rooms starting in August 2017 and 'performed an intervention', killing one patient after inducing a stroke and leaving two others in vegetative states

Davis was fired from CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital on February 15 and had his nursing license suspended in March by the Texas Board of Nursing

Davis once more entered a patient's room in January 2018, leaving this patient in a vegetative state as well.

According to the Tyler Paper, Davis later admitted to management that he reset a beeping IV, flushed the arterial line - a thin catheter inserted into an artery - a few times and pumped up the pressure bag, according to the charges.

Davis was fired from CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital on February 15 due to 'related to his falsification of care events' and his 'unethical practice related to failure to disclose interventions provided that may have impacted the outcome of (a) patient', according to the temporary suspension order.

Davis started a GoFundMe account more than two weeks ago and wrote on the page that his license was temporarily suspended 'for misunderstandings'. The fund was to pay for attorneys' fees. So far, $6,675 had been raised out of a $10,000 goal.
Huge crowds flocked to watch a religious leader in India appear to pull a car - with his penis.

The 'monk'  who is known only as Penis Baba - can be seen fiddling under his robes while he apparently attaches a rope to his private parts.

After the white rope is tied to the car, he staggers backwards, apparently pulling the heavy vehicle around 100ft.

The 'monk' can be seen fiddling under his robes while he apparently attaches a rope to his private parts

Hundreds of people are seen gathering around to watch him in the village of Harpur in the Munger district of Bihar, India.

'The villagers said that Baba had gone away to practice penance and knowledge in his childhood and he has returned after years,' one local said.

Penis Baba said his performance shows the 'power of devotion.'

'It is not art. It is the power of God - the power of devotion,' he said.

Hundreds of people are seen gathering around to watch Penis Baba in the village in India

After the white rope is tied to the car, he staggers backwards, apparently pulling the heavy vehicle around 100ft

'Any person can go to any extent by doing devotion to God.'

But he's not the only one who can boast such pulling power.

A sadhu - a holy man following the Hindu or Jainist tradition - was photographed performing a similar feat of strength in January.

He was spotted pulling a truck using only his penis in Allahabad, in northern India, where hundreds of thousands of Hindus gathered for the annual Magh Mela festival.

Penis Baba said his performance is not art, but the 'power of God' and the 'power of devotion'

A sadhu - a holy man following the Hindu or Jainist tradition - was photographed performing a similar feat of strength in January
After Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had nearly completed 10 hours of testimony before Congress, Rep. Debbie Dingell scolded the 33-year-old for the amount of information he didn't know.

'As CEO you didn't know some key facts,' the Michigan Democrat said, pointing out that Zuckerberg was unsure how many Facebook 'like' buttons there are on the internet, and didn't know what a 'shadow profile' is. 'It doesn't matter if you have a Facebook account, Facebook is able to collect information from all of us,' Dingell said.

While Zuckerberg said he had never heard of the term 'shadow profiles,' he did admit to Rep. Ben Ray Lujan that Facebook collected information on non-users.

'In general we collect data on people who are not signed up for Facebook for security purposes,' Zuckerberg said, explaining that the practice is supposed to prevent malicious actors from collecting the public-facing aspects of users' Facebook profiles, such as their names.

'We need to know when somebody is trying to repeatedly access our services,' Zuckerberg said.

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted to now knowing what 'shadow profiles' are, but did confirm that Facebook collected data on non-users

Near the end of the second day of Congressional hearings, Rep. Debbie Dingell (left) pointed out how many things Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (right) didn't seem to know about his own website

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan told Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg that he didn't like how non-users would have to sign up for a Facebook page in order to see what the social network had scooped up about them

Lujan took issue with the practice because non-users currently had to sign up for Facebook if they wanted to see what data of theirs the social network collected.

'You've said everyone controls their data, by you're collecting data on people that are not even Facebook users who have never signed a consent, a privacy agreement,' Lujan said, encouraging Zuckerberg to fix the problem.

During the five-hour hearing, the Facebook CEO revealed that his own personal data had been included when 87 million or so Facebook users had their data improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

'Yes,' he answered when asked by Rep. Anna Eshoo, a California Democrat, whether his data was included in the data sold to malicious third parties. 'Your personal data?' Eshoo clarified.

But he pushed back on suggestions from the members of the House of Representatives that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook in the wake of the privacy scandal at the world's largest social media network.

'Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there,' he said.

'Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there,' the 33-year-old internet magnate told the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Push back: 'Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there,' Zuckerberg said to the House Energy and Commerce Committee

Facebook CEO is swarmed by photographers as he arrives to testify before House members on Wednesday

No boost for Zuck: The Facebook CEO was back in a regular chair after he got an extra cushion on Tuesday when he appeared in front of the Senate joint committee

The way he was: How Zuckerberg got a boost as he testified to the Senate joint committee on Tuesday

In one of the odder moments of the day, Rep. Michael Burgess made a point to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (left) using a Dilbert cartoon about 'terms and conditions'

Rep. Michael Burgess also shared the cartoon on Twitter explaining that 'consumers should have the tools and resources they need to understand how to protect their own data'

Once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual gray T-shirt, the hearing was Zuckerberg's second in two days.

CONGRESSMAN BRINGS DILBERT CARTOON TO FACEBOOK HEARING

Beyond Cambridge Analytica, lawmakers asked questions Wednesday about Facebook's terms of use, and if the social network censored certain types of political speech.

Rep. Michael Burgess, a Texas Republican, brought along with him a vintage Dilbert cartoon to make a point about Facebook's 'terms and conditions.'

'I consulted my technology consultant Scott Adams, in the form of Dilbert,' Burgess said.

The cartoon strip shows Dilbert telling Dogbert, 'I didn't read all of my shrink-wrap license agreement on my new software until after I opened it. Apparently I agreed to spend the rest as a towel boy in Bill Gates' new mansion.'

'Call your lawyer,' recommends the small white cartoon dog.

'Too late, he opened software yesterday. Now he's Bill's laundry boy,' Dilbert responded, referencing Microsoft's CEO.

Burgess' broader point, which he articulated in a tweet, is that too few Americans read the 'terms and conditions,' adding that 'consumers should have the tools and resources they need to understand how to protect their own data.'

ZUCKERBERG ASKED ABOUT FACEBOOK PREDECESSOR 'FACEMASH'

Rep. Billy Long, a Republican from Missouri, deployed an interesting line of questioning, asking Zuckerberg about the origins of 'Facemash' and if it was still up and running.

'No, congressman. Facemash was a prank website that I launched in college, in my dorm room, before I started Facebook,' Zuckerberg replied.

'There was a movie about this, it says it was about this, of unclear truth, and the claim that Facemash was somehow connected to the development of Facebook, it isn't, it wasn't,' the CEO continued, referencing the 2010 movie, 'The Social Network.'

Zuckerberg explained that he created that website in 2003. 'It actually has nothing do to with Facebook,' he said.

'And you put up pictures of women and decide which one was the better, the more attractive of the two, is that right?' Long asked.

Zuckerberg said that was right.

'Congressman, that is an accurate description of the prank website that I made when I was sophomore in college,' the CEO said, as Long made comments about the website's beginnings.

After asking about Mark Zuckerberg's 'Facemash' website, Rep. Billy Long, a Missouri Republican, brought up perceived bias against Trump-supporting sisters, Diamond and Silk

Rep. Billy Long even went as far as to have an aide hold up a picture of the two women and asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg who they were. 'I believe that, is that Diamond and Silk?' the 33-year-old CEO answered

LAWMAKERS FIXATE ON DIAMOND AND SILK CONTROVERSY

Long then asked staff to hold up a large photograph and asked Zuckerberg to describe who was pictured.

'I believe that, is that Diamond and Silk?' Zuckerberg asked.

Long said it was. 'That is Diamond and Silk, two biological sisters from North Carolina, I might point out they're African-American, and their content was deemed by your folks to be "unsafe,"' Long said.

'Diamond and Silk have a question for you. And that question is, "What is unsafe about two black women supporting President Donald J. Trump?"' he continued.

A number of Republican lawmakers asked Zuckerberg questions about the Trump-supporting sisters over his two days of testimony on Capitol Hill.

'Well Congressman, nothing is unsafe about that,' Zuckerberg answered.

Facebook acknowledged sending a message to the sisters, prominent conservative video bloggers, deeming their content 'unsafe,' but the social network said the contents of the message were 'inaccurate.'

'We have communicated directly with Diamond And Silk about this issue. The message they received last week was inaccurate and not reflective of the way we communicate with our community and the people who run Pages on our platform,' Facebook's spokeswoman Sarah Pollack said.

In front of lawmakers, Zuckerberg was caught flat-footed, as the Diamond and Silk situation had developed over the past several days.

'The specifics of this situation I am not as up to speed on as I would be,' Zuckerberg told Long.

Other Republicans brought up the Diamond and Silk incident to ask the Facebook co-founder questions about political bias.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, deployed that line of questioning on Tuesday.

'There are a great many Americans who I think are deeply concerned that Facebook and other tech companies are engaged in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship,' Cruz said. 'There have been numerous instances with Facebook.'

Rep. Joe Barton, another Texas Republican, held up his phone and told Zuckerberg he was going to ask him a question that someone had submitted to the congressman's Facebook account.

'First question: Please ask Mr. Zuckerberg, why is Facebook censoring conservative bloggers such as Diamond and Silk? Facebook called them "unsafe" to the community. That is absurd. They hold conservative views. That isn't unsafe,' Barton said reading the question, and adding his own, 'What's your response?'

Zuckerberg explained that his team had made 'an enforcement error.'

'And we've already gotten in touch with them to reverse it,' he said, referring to Diamond and Silk.

Later on in the hearing Wednesday, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican running for Senate, asked whether free speech is being censored by the site.

Zuckerberg used the example of terrorism, as the types of posts that would be pulled from Facebook.

'Let me tell you right now, Diamond and Silk is not terrorism,' Blackburn scoffed.

WALL STREET INVESTORS LOVE ZUCK

On Tuesday, Zuckerberg took questions for nearly five hours in a Senate hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance.

Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 percent. They were down 0.7 percent in early trading on Wednesday.

On Wednesday Zuckerberg's testimony further bolstered investors' views of the company, with the CEO's performance leading them to believe that the company would weather the storm surrounding Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users' personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted President Trump's election campaign among its clients.

Zuckerberg faced broad concerns from members of Congress about how Facebook shares user data.

A number of lawmakers have complained over Facebook's treatment of Diamond and Silk, prominent Trump supporters, which the company has said it's remedying

Back in the hot seat: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was questioned Wednesday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee after a joint committee of the Senate had questioned him on Tuesday

'How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?' asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce committee.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway U.S. politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday's hearing expressing confidence in the social network.

'I don't want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will,' Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. 'A lot of that depends on you.'

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation.

Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Sen. Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people's permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

'In principle, I think that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out,' Zuckerberg said.

But those qualms didn't rattle Wall Street as Zuckerberg testified that despite the #DeleteFacebook movement, the number of uses of the website hasn't gone down significantly.
A London Underground worker was pushed onto the tracks at one of the networks busiest stations.

British Transport Police released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident at Victoria station.

A customer service assistant (CSA) was pushed from a District line platform onto the tracks shortly after 10am on Tuesday.

This is the person police wish to speak with after a London Underground worker was pushed onto the tracks at Victoria station

The victim did not sustain any injuries but was left 'understandably shaken', according to BTP.

London Underground managing director Mark Wild said: 'This was an appalling and dangerous attack on a member of our staff.

'Everyone has the right to go about their day without fear or intimidation and we do not tolerate any form of physical or verbal assault on our staff or customers.

'We are working closely with British Transport Police to bring the perpetrator to justice.'

CSAs work inside Tube stations to help manage the flow of passengers on and off trains, oversee ticket barriers and provide help at ticket machines.

Inspector Paula Jones from BTP said: 'This was a very serious incident and we have a number of urgent inquiries under way to find the person responsible.

'I would like to hear from anyone who was at Victoria station at the time of the incident and saw what happened.

A Tube worker was pushed onto the tracks on the District line network of London's Underground system (file picture)

'Thankfully, incidents such as this are very rare and I am grateful the victim was not injured.

'We police a CCTV-rich environment which helps us identify offenders and bring them before the courts.'

Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP on 0800 405040 or text 61016 quoting reference 146 of April 10. Alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Salim Mehajer has again become a prolific social media user since walking out of Silverwater prison last week.

Since his release on bail for perverting the course of justice, the disgraced former deputy mayor of Auburn has been seen signing documents, drinking his first coffee, eating his first steak, and of course checking in with Bankstown Police twice a day.

But over the past few days, he appears to have reunited with model girlfriend Melissa 'Missy' Tysoe, who has become more prominent in his Snapchat and Instagram posts.

On Wednesday, Mehajer shared an intimate moment with his lady-love. The pair were seen lying in bed, as Missy asked him: 'What's worse, jail or heartbreak?'.

The property developer put his head on the bed sheet to think.

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Salim Mehajer spent Wednesday night trying to answer some of life's tough questions with girlfriend Melissa 'Missy' Tysoe

Hours earlier, Mehajer (pictured) was found guilty of submitting enrollment forms that gave false addresses in the Auburn area in his quest to become Deputy Mayor in 2012

'Honestly?' he asked, with a sad look in his eyes. 'Heartbreak'.

Missy began to comfort him, saying: 'Oh bubby' before Mehajer quickly cut her off. 'Nah nah, not from you,' he told her.

Looking bemused, she responded: 'Not yet'.

Salim was jailed after being refused bail in January for allegedly staging a car crash in Lidcombe in October last year to delay his appearance in court for an assault charge.

He was released last Wednesday, after his fourth attempt at bail, with a friend of his father's reportedly putting up a $200,000 surety.

In addition, the disgraced politician must report to Bankstown police twice daily.

'What's worse, jail or heartbreak?' Missy asked. After taking as moment to think, Salim put on a sad face as he told her: 'Heartbreak'

Magistrate Beverley Schurr said on Wednesday she was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mehajer, 31, was part of the joint criminal enterprise relating to false documents and information in the property developer's quest to become Deputy Mayor in 2012

Mehajer had been refused bail after being charged in January with perverting the course of justice. He was behind bars until last Wednesday, when he was seen leaving Silverwater Correctional centre with his father (left), lawyer Zali Burrows (centre) and a friend

During his time behind bars, Mehajer was whacked with further charges of possessing and supplying prohibited drugs, and with a secondary charge of perverting the course of justice in regard to documents provided during a bail application.

Ms Tysoe pictured outside Mehajer's Vaucluse home, which he was ordered to vacate just weeks after being refused bail on charges of perverting the course of justice

He was also declared bankrupt, and has been put on a good behaviour bond in regards to assault charges.

Just weeks after he was jailed, Mehajer was also forced out of his luxury home in Vaucluse for failing to pay rent on time. A judge ordered him to vacate within 21 days and to pay the landlord $18,000.

Missy was seen on the day family and friends gathered at the home, sitting tearfully with her belongings out the front.

Afterwards, the model and university student took off on a trip to Europe.

On Wednesday, Mehajer was found guilty of 77 offences relating to electoral fraud.

Magistrate Beverley Schurr said she was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mehajer, 31, was part of the joint criminal enterprise relating to false documents and information.

Salim Mehajer was accused of plotting with his sister, Fatima Mehajer, to submit enrolment forms that gave false addresses in the Auburn area in his quest to become Deputy Mayor in 2012.

Fatima, 28, who has previously pleaded guilty to 77 charges of giving false or misleading information, has had her sentencing delayed until after her brother's trial.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Mehajer and Ms Tysoe have shared pictures of themselves to social media since Mehajer's release from prison, and appear to have picked up their relationship where it left off
A protester was electrocuted and burned alive as he climbed on to a train in India and touched a power line.

Ranjith Kumar suffered burns to 70 per cent of his body as he and two others ran across the train ignoring the high-tension wires above them.

The 32-year-old was part of a protest organised by a political party, Paattali Makkall Katchi, in Viluppuram in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Ranjith Kumar suffered burns to 70 per cent of his body as he and two others ran across the train ignoring the high-tension wires above them

Most protesters sat on top of the engine, but Mr Kumar got on top of the carriage and started moving towards the others at the front.

Other protesters on the ground cheered them on as the train was brought to a standstill.

Suddenly he came into contact with the overhead electric line and suffered an electric shock, then bursting into flames.

Suddenly he came into contact with the overhead electric line and suffered an electric shock, then bursting into flames

Other protesters rushed to his aid as he was engulfed in a fireball, before being rushed was immediately rushed to the hospital

Other protesters rushed to his aid as he was engulfed in a fireball, before being rushed was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Mr Kumar was undergoing treatment for his horrific injuries at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research.

Railway stations are often targeted by protesters who block trains and sit or lie on the railway tracks, as well as climbing on top of trains, to wave party flags.
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These stunning images give the world a glimpse of life in an experimental utopian town hidden away in the jungle of southern India.

German photojournalist David Klammer first visited Auroville for an assignment for GEO magazine 15 years ago.

Mr Klammer, from Cologne, said something about the town  where more than 3,000 people from 50 countries co-exist peacefully without a mayor or police  stuck with him.

He's now visited three times  and seen the town change as more people come to live there.

'There is a special atmosphere in Auroville, very energetic,' he said.

German photojournalist David Klammer's incredible photographs give a glimpse into the lives of Auroville's residents

More than 3,000 people from 50 countries co-exist peacefully without a mayor or police in the town, hidden in the South Indian jungle

'The people living there come from over 50 countries. Plus loads of travellers and tourists in wintertime.

'Everybody has a reason to be there. It is a place like no other on earth.'

Mr Klammer notes that those who chose to move there don't often do the same jobs they did before.

'They come from all different backgrounds,' he said. 'One thing that's common with most Aurovilians is, that they've changed their profession.

'Doctors became masters of waste management, dropouts work in town-planning. People do something for a time and then something else.'

Auroville was founded in 1968 by the spiritual leader Mirra Alfassa, also known as The Mother, as a place of 'peace and progressive harmony for all mankind.'

Its mission statement declared: 'Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.

Some of the town's residents - who have come from 50 different countries from all over the world - live in small, unique homes

But over the years, apartment complexes have been built to accommodate the town's growing population

Matrimandir Inner Chamber (pictured) is a place for Auroville's residents and visitors to go for 'individual silent concentration'

'The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity.'

She envisaged Auroville as a city for 50,000 people from around the world.

Although the idea came to her as early as the 1930s, it was put before the government of India in the 1960s.

The General Assembly of UNESCO backed it as a project of importance for the future of humanity in 1966 and an inauguration ceremony was held two years later on February 28, 1968.

Some 5,000 people gathered near the banyan tree at the centre of the township, in Tamil Nadu, for the ceremony.

David Klammer has been documenting people from the utopian town of Auroville over the course of three visits

As well as residents from more than 50 countries, Auroville is also popular with tourists and backpackers

Attendees included representatives from more than 100 nations, who brought with them soil from their native lands that were mixed in a lotus-shaped urn that is now a focal point of the town's amphitheatre.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the town, whose citizens apply the ideas of the Auroville Charter into their daily lives.

Mr Klammer adds that over the years, the town is becoming 'more ordinary.'

'There are still those nice and unique houses, but more and more apartment complexes are built,' he said.

An Auroville resident is seen meditating at the Matrimandir Viewing Point, where people go for periods to concentrate

Mr Klammer compiled his photographs of Auroville into a book  called 'Good Morning Auroville' - that will also include stories from some of the town's residents.

'Auroville receives more citizens, but has no place to grow, as land is too costly to buy. So now, new Aurovilians have to live in small flats, with much less romance as before.'

Their day-to-day lives revolve around 'work yoga'  as advised by the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo.

'It means yoga through work. They always do something,' Mr Klammer explained.

'Teach yoga lessons in the morning, work at a horse farm in the afternoon and learn tango in the night.

'It's somehow a bohemian life. It's not for money, it's for learning. Most people in Auroville are poor in our terms but they are rich in their actions.'

Auroville is an experimental community made up of people from all over the world and was founded in 1968 by the spiritual leader Mirra Alfassa, also known as The Mother

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the town, whose citizens apply the ideas of the Auroville Charter into their daily lives

But he added that Auroville is not a religious sect.

'Everybody can speak openly, and people do,' he said. 'A lot of discussion, arguments and fights. It is an anarchistic structure. Everybody can express his or her opinion - that makes changes very difficult.'

He's compiled his photographs of Auroville into a book  called 'Good Morning Auroville' - that will also include stories from some of the town's residents.

Mr Klammer is now crowdfunding on Indiegogo to help the book be published.

'I'm not trying to explain or justify Auroville,' he said.

'The book should more be like a puzzle, which has to be put together by the reader and show a place that is magic on one side, but also has its problems.'

'One thing that's common with most Aurovilians is, that they've changed their profession,' the German photographer said
The boss of Germany's national bank today admitted London will remain Europe's biggest financial hub after Brexit.

Bundesbank leader Andreas Dombret said there is widespread 'reluctance' among bankers living in the capital to move abroad.

And he said the Square Mile will remain the continent's 'eminent financial centre' after Britain quits the bloc.

His words come as political leaders across Europe compete to try to lure London's lucrative financial services away.

Bundesbank leader Andreas Dombret said there is widespread 'reluctance' among bankers living in the capital to move abroad (file pic)

French President Emmanuel Macron has launched a glittering offensive - dubbed Operation Le Seduction - to move bankers to Paris.

While Frankfurt, Dublin and Amsterdam are all also in the race to convince bankers to decamp from the UK.

But speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme this morning, Mr Dombret said: 'I'm sure other cities are seeing CEOs too, it's not only Frankfurt.

'We are just talking to those CEOs planning to move should they want to but we don't advertise the financial centre.

'I believe London will continue to stay an eminent financial centre of this region.

'I hear that there is quite some reluctance in the City of London  of people working there, of bankers working there  to move.

The French President (pictured at the 'choose France' summit) spoke in English as he schmoozed with bosses from firms including JP Morgan, Google and Facebook at the famous chateau. Emmanuel Macron wants to lure business away from Britain to France after Brexit

'We got this, whether they moved to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dublin or Paris.

'There is a big willingness to stay in London and some of those who have been asked to go would rather take a cheque and stay than move.'

His words are a boost to Theresa May who has said that London is so strong as a financial capital it will be able to fully weather whatever uncertainty Brexit may bring.

Former chancellor George Osborne had campaigned for Remain in the EU referendum by warning that Brexit would harm the economy.

But his warnings - dubbed Project fear by critics - have failed to materialise as the UK's economy has defied critics to remain strong.
Porn star Stormy Daniels is cooperating with federal investigators looking into the $130,000 payment she received from Donald Trump's personal attorney to stop her from going public about her alleged affair with the President.

Her cooperation is part of a wider FBI probe into attorney Michael Cohen whose New York home and office space were raided by federal investigators on Monday.

Investigators are examining a nondisclosure agreement and the payment Trump's personal lawyer made to the porn star days before the election in 2016.

Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump in 2006, is suing the President to have the nondisclosure deal preventing her from discussing her relationship with him overturned.

Porn star Stormy Daniels is cooperating with federal investigators looking into the $130,000 payment she received from Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen in 2016

The porn star's attorney, Michael Avenatti, tweeted about his client's cooperation with the FBI on Tuesday after Trump's lawyer apparently became the focus of a criminal investigation.

Daniels - whose real name is Stephanie Clifford - and her lawyer had planned to publish on Tuesday an artist impression of the man she claimed had threatened her to remain silent about the affair with Trump. She first made the claims in an interview with 60 Minutes.

But Avenatti, who had promised to offer a reward for information about the man's identity, reversed the decision after the raids involving Cohen.

'Due to the FBI raids of Mr Cohen's office/home and a subsequent request we received this morning to delay the release of the forensic sketch of the thug that threatened Ms Clifford to 'leave Trump alone', we will not be releasing the sketch or reward details today. Timing TBD,' he tweeted.

A CNN source described the investigation into Cohen as extensive and aggressive.

The raid on Cohen's home and office resulted in investigators seizing records on various topics, including the payment to the porn actress.

Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, tweeted about his client's cooperation with the FBI on Tuesday after Trump's lawyer apparently became the focus of a criminal investigation

Her cooperation is part of a wider FBI probe into attorney Michael Cohen whose New York home and office space were raided by federal investigators on Monday. Cohen is pictured above leaving a New York restaurant on Tuesday night

Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump in 2006, is suing the President to have the nondisclosure deal preventing her from discussing her relationship with him overturned

Trump was so incensed by the FBI's raid that he privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly mused about ousting special counsel Robert Mueller.

Sources said it left Trump more angry than advisers had seen him in weeks.

Trump took a shot at Rosenstein on Twitter on Wednesday as he complained about what he calls the 'Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation.'

Trump said the probe was 'headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!'

Trump also said: 'No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!' And he insisted the White House was 'Very calm and calculated.'

The President had earlier tweeted about the raids on his lawyer and lashed out at his own Justice Department: 'Attorneyclient privilege is dead! A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!'

Nervous White House aides expressed new fears about the President's unpredictability in the face of the Cohen raid, which he viewed as an assault on a longtime defender and a sign that Mueller's probe into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was 'going too far.' .

Stormy revealed in an interview with 60 Minutes (pictured above) that a man threatened her to remain silent about the affair with Trump

Avenatti (above) had planned to publish on Tuesday an artist impression of the man Daniels claimed threatened her to remain silent about the affair with Trump. He later reversed the decision after the raids involving Cohen

Michael Avenatti tweeted this photo on Sunday of Daniels working with forensic artist Lois Gibson to compose a sketch of the man who allegedly threatened her

Trump also expressed confidence in the loyalty displayed by Cohen, his longtime personal and professional fixer, who ascended to one of the most powerful roles at the Trump Organization not filled by a family member.

Cohen has steadfastly denied wrongdoing in his $130,000 payment to Daniels and has publicly defended Trump, but he has confided in associates that he is fearful of being a fall guy, according sources.

Cohen has said he took out a personal line of credit on his home to pay Daniels days before the 2016 election and without Trump's knowledge.

Trump answered questions about Daniels for the first time last week, saying he had no knowledge of the payment made by Cohen.

He also said he didn't know why his longtime lawyer had made the payment and didn't know where Cohen had gotten the money.

The raid of Cohen's office was overseen by the US attorney's office in Manhattan and based in part on a referral from Mueller.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear that White House officials have explored Trump's authority to fire Mueller.

'He certainly believes that he has the power to do so,' she said at Tuesday's press briefing.

Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.
Five members of a Romany family have been found guilty of trafficking homeless people from eastern Europe into Britain to work as slaves.

The group, based in Newcastle, bought and sold their victims for as little as 200, and forced them to live in cellars and sleep in cramped rooms.

The Rafael family picked them up off the streets of central Europe and then used them to claim benefits by arranging National Insurance numbers for them, but pocketed the cash themselves, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Headed by Roman Rafael, the gang, from Slovakia, were convicted of charges including forced labour, money laundering and conspiracy to traffic with a view to exploitation.

Roman Rafael, said to be the ringleader of the group, poses with fellow gang member Angelika Chec

Roman Rafael seen here with Angelina Chec. The couple were part of the gang that were convicted at Teesside Crown Court of trafficking homeless people from eastern Europe into Britain to work as slaves

Victims were picked up from Slovakia and the Czech Republic and offered flights to the UK and work, but were then enslaved and sent to work in food packaging factories, the court heard.

Their lack of English and any documentation, as well as little access to money, effectively left them trapped.

They were confined to a house in Newcastle's West End and told they could go no further than its back yard as there were "men with machetes" in the streets.

The jury were told they were sent to clean houses and pull springs from old mattresses for the scrap metal between 2010 and last year.

Other gang members included Ruzena Rafaelova Jnr (left) and Ruzena Rafaelova Snr (right)

The victims were confined to a terraced house in Newcastle's West End and forced to live and sleep in cramped conditions

Jurors were told the victims included a homeless Slovakian father and his son who has learning difficulties.

Prosecutor John Elvidge said: "The defendants were running a family business and the business was slavery."

The Rafael family are from a Romany community in Slovakia which has its own dialect.

The defendants, spanning three generations, were prosecuted for offences against eight victims.

Juraj Rafael, (left) who was also convicted, and Marian Rafael, (right) who pleaded guilty to the offences

Diane Spence from the CPS said: This family systematically targeted desperate and destitute people with the false promise of good work, fair wages and accommodation.

The victims thought they would be able to earn money to send home to their families. Instead, the Rafaels enslaved them and treated them as nothing more than property to be passed around for financial gain.

This was a challenging and lengthy trial and it is thanks to the brave testimony of the victims that the defendants have been brought to justice.

Angelica Chec, 30, Ruzena Rafaelova 37, Juraj Rafael 38, all from Newcastle, and a 17-year-old who cannot be identified, were all convicted of conspiracy to commit slavery, conspiracy to traffic persons with a view to their exploitation and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The victims were picked up from the streets of Bratislava in Slovakia (pictured)

Ruzena Rafaelova, 58, also from Newcastle, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit slavery and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Roman Rafael, 33, and Marian Rafael, 39, had earlier pleaded guilty. They both admitted two counts of conspiracy to commit slavery, servitude or compulsory labour, two counts of conspiracy to traffic persons with a view to their exploitation and two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Stefan Rafael, 62, of Newcastle, was cleared of all charges against him.

Detective Inspector Sally MacDonald of Northumbria Police, said: "Those responsible lead a life of luxury, enjoying holidays abroad and parties, financed by the money stolen from their victims.

"It is thanks to the bravery of the victims and work with partners that we have been able to secure these convictions."

The gang will be sentenced on April 27.
Major airlines are re-routing flights after air traffic controllers warned rocket strikes could be fired into Syria 'in the next 72 hours'.

Europe's main air traffic control agency, Eurocontrol, warned aircraft flying in the eastern Mediterranean to exercise caution due to possible action against Syria.

It said in air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used over the following three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption to radio navigation equipment.

Kuwait Airways said that it is cancelling all flights to and from Beirut on Thursday after receiving a serious security warning from Cypriot authorities about flying near Lebanese airspace.

US President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Syria's President Bashar Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that had long held out against government forces.

Major airlines are re-routing flights today after air traffic controllers warned rocket strikes could be fired into Syria 'in the next 72 hours'. Online flight monitors showed few if any flights were operating across the country this morning

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer  armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  underway in the eastern Mediterranean

U.S. President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action to punish Syria's President Bashar Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that had long held out against government forces

A spokeswoman for Air France said the airline had changed some flights paths following the warning, including for Beirut and Tel Aviv flights, while budget airline easyJet said it would also re-route flights from Tel Aviv.

Aviation regulators have been stepping up monitoring of conflict zones since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

Recent warnings have tended to be after military action has started, and so Eurocontrol's pre-emptive notice suggests a heightening of regulatory scrutiny.

Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said.

Trump on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

The Eurocontrol warning on its website did not specify the origin of any potential missile threat.

In strike range: The USS Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer is now close to Syrian waters, and in missile range of Bashar Assad's regime

Russia has threatened to shoot down any US missiles launched into Syria. Moscow has stationed its feared S-400 defence system in the country (file picture)

'Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area,' it said, referring to the designated airspace.

Aviation regulators in countries including the United States, Britain, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace, leading most carriers to avoid the area.

Warning to pilots flying from Britain to Cyprus Airline pilots flying from the UK to Cyprus have been given a safety warning over military action in Syria. Around 50 flights are due to depart for Cyprus from airports across the UK on Wednesday, including services by easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines to Larnaca and Paphos. Most carriers already avoid Syrian airspace due to previous warnings from aviation regulators in the UK and other countries, but the Easa alert could affect flights in neighbouring regions. In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew. An international investigation found the missile used was taken into Ukraine from Russia, but the latter denied any involvement. Advertisement

The only commercial flights above Syria as of 0115 GMT on Wednesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. At other periods later in the day, there were no flights using the airspace.

Eurocontrol included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus in its statement.

A spokesman for Germany's Lufthansa said on Wednesday its airlines were aware of the Eurocontrol warning and were in close contact with authorities.

'As a proactive precaution, Lufthansa Group airlines have already avoided the airspace in the eastern Mediterranean for some time now,' he said.

Ryanair and British Airways representatives said flights were operating normally at their respective airlines, but the situation was being monitored closely.

A spokesman for Etihad Airways said the Gulf carrier continued to maintain high levels of surveillance across its network, but services to all destinations were 'operating normally.'

EgyptAir is not currently planning changes to flight paths following the warning, a source close to the matter said.

Israel's flag carrier El Al declined to comment. EgyptAir and several other major airlines that fly in the area did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

The Nicosia flight information region named in the Eurocontrol statement covers the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters, according to a map on the agency's website.

The U.S. has maintained its threat of rocket attacks in response to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's sickening chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday

The same map did not designate any specific territory as being the 'Eastern Mediterranean' region.

Last year, North Korea tested missiles without warning, leading some airlines to re-route flights to avoid portions of the Sea of Japan.

Eurocontrol's warning cited a document from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Europe's safety regulator.

EASA warned of a danger to aircraft flying over Iran, Iraq, and the Caspian sea in October 2015 after Russia fired cruise missiles at Syrian targets from the Caspian Sea.

An EASA spokesman said it had informed member states and Eurocontrol of its cautionary message on Tuesday.
House Speaker Paul Ryan invoked the 'rule of law' when asked about the threat President Trump will fire special counsel Robert Mueller, whose Russia probe has brought in a number of the president's confidantes.

'We have a rule of law in this country and it's a principle we all uphold,' Trump said, asked about the matter during a press conference where he announced his retirement next year.

His statement follows revelations Trump is considering firing of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein  and that he made moves to fire special counsel Robert Mueller late last year following reports of a subpoena of his financial records.

'My thoughts haven't changed' on the issue said Ryan.

'I think they should be allowed to do their jobs. We have a rule of law in this country and it's a principle we all uphold,' Ryan said.

'I think they should be allowed to do their jobs. We have a rule of law in this country and it's a principle we all uphold,' said Speaker Paul Ryan, asked about reports Trump might fire Robert Mueller or Rod Rosenstein

Then Ryan added: 'I have no reason to believe that's going to happen,' in reference to a firing. 'I have assurances that it's not.'

Asked why he felt that way, Ryan responded: 'Because I have been talking to people in the White House about it.'

A range of other Republican lawmakers have said they don't believe Trump will fire Mueller, despite constant reports of his rage about the Russia probe.

North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, a Trump ally, said Wednesday he didn't think that would happen.

Ryan got asked about Mueller as he announced his own retirement

Ryan has spent the last year of his speakership contending with constant questions about Trump and his statements. He said he no longer wants to be a 'weekend father' to his kids

Ryan's confident response came just two hours after Trump branded the Russia probe headed by Mueller 'Fake & Corrupt,' called Mueller ' conflicted,' and bashed Rosenstein for signing a FISA warrant to surveil one of his advisors and signing a letter recommending the firing of former FBI director James Comey.

Trump tweeted: 'Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!'

The president lashed out privately about Rosenstein, who he blames for approving the warrant application that allowed FBI officials to raid longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's office, home and hotel room on Monday.

Behind closed doors, President Trump (left) is fuming over Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's (right) decision to sign off on a warrant of Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen's office, home and hotel room

Michael Cohen, a personal attorney for President Trump, had his hotel room and office both raided by the FBI acting on the instructions of the deputy attorney general. He was exclusively photographed by DailyMail.com entering the Loews Hotel on Park Avenue in Manhattan where his room was raided

CNN reported Trump is considering firing Rosenstein, who oversees the Mueller probe thanks to Attorney General Jeff Sessions's recusal. The report called Rosenstein Trump's most likely target, although firing Sessions is also a possibility. It cited people familiar with the discussions.

Advisors believe Rosenstein crossed a 'red line' by signing off on the Cohen raid  an action that reportedly included targeting documents relating to a porn star and a former Playboy model who each got payoffs and have claim they had affairs with Trump and signed nondisclosure agreements.

At two different periods Trump was prepared to make moves against Mueller, the New York Times reported.

Over the summer, White House counsel Don McGahn threatened to quit over the issue, ultimately putting down an earlier attempt to fire Mueller.
Chilling CCTV footage shows a gunman prowling the streets with what appears to be a sawn-off shotgun slung over his shoulder moments before he was shot dead by police.

The video, taken from a camera on a plumbers merchants in Collier Row, Romford, east London was captured 10 minutes before he was gunned down on a petrol station forecourt.

Firearms officers opened fire on the 41-year-old man in the early hours of Monday after he phoned police from a nearby address, claiming to have a weapon.

When officers arrived, witnesses told them he had left the property and he was tracked down to a nearby Esso garage.

The man was seen on CCTV walking while holding what appears to be a weapon, ten minutes before police shot him

Residents near to the petrol station described hearing two shots during the tense stand-off.

The incident comes amid a spate of shootings and stabbings that have rocked the capital in recent weeks, as police struggle to contain the surge in violence.

Resident Tracy Green, 39, who lives near the garage, said: 'I heard the gun shots - it was at about 4.45am.

Yesterday afternoon a body was removed from the petrol station forecourt on a stretcher

The body was then loaded into the back of a private ambulance at just after 2pm yesterday

'I just heard 'bang bang' and thought that sounded like gun shots - it was really close to here so it woke me up.

'I woke up then I saw all of it taped off here.

'That's when I read about what happened.'

Darren Buckley, 50, added: 'I was here at 5am because I thought it was a crash.

Officers in blue overalls were at the scene of the shooting on the petrol station forecourt

One image posted on Twitter showed the petrol station concourse yesterday morning where the man was shot dead

Officers erect a forensics tent at the Esso garage yesterday morning

A female police officer collects evidence on the station forecourt (left) and another takes notes at the scene

'I spoke to a copper but he was not giving anything away.

'There were armed response vehicles so it was obvious someone had been shot.

'There were four, they were in the garage and out here.

'It was all done, I was here about ten minutes after it happened so I didn't hear the shots.

'I just heard all the sirens. There was an ambulance parked here too.'

Scotland Yard said they were called to Collier Row, Romford at 3.50am to reports of a man with a gun

Roads around the petrol station were cordoned off as forensic teams worked at the scene of the shooting

Forensic officers at the scene of the shooting yesterday morning as the Metropolitan Police launched their investigation

The petrol station forecourt can be seen here taped off and under police guard

Forensic detectives could be seen sweeping the garage forecourt for clues on Monday morning.

A body was removed from the station forecourt at 2pm on Monday afternoon following the shooting.

The Metropolitan Police have now launched 56 murder investigations this year.

Figures revealed last week that London's murder rate had overtaken New York's for the first time ever.

At least 35 of those killed were stabbed to death in an epidemic of violent street crime which has led to a rise in the use of police stop and search powers.

A police cordon remains in place around the scene yesterday morning

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has come under pressure to act and the Met Police chief Cressida Dick promised 'Al Capone' style tactics to crack down on the violence.

Yesterday a leaked Home Office paper revealed cuts to police numbers have 'likely contributed' to a rise in serious violent crime.

Police and crime figures in numbers 121,929 - The number of police officers in England and Wales as of September 30 last year, the lowest number since comparable records began more than two decades ago in 1996. 4.1% - The amount of police officers in the West Midlands fell by 4.1% between September 2016 and 2017. This is the force that saw the greatest fall. 43 - The number of police forces in England and Wales. 35 - The number of fatal stabbings that have occurred in London in 2018. 55 - Scotland Yard said it is currently investigating 55 suspected murders since the start of 2018, including the deaths of two children whose bodies were found in Sussex. 22 - The number of murder investigations launched by the Metropolitan Police in March this year, an all-time monthly high. Data shows two previous peaks in the past eight years - April 2010 when there were 16 murders, and June 2017 when there were 19. 6 - The number of suspected murders since the start of 2018 Scotland Yard is investigating in Hackney, more than in any other borough. 20,982 - The number of offences of possession of a knife or offensive weapon which led to a conviction or caution in England or Wales in 2017, the highest total for a calendar year since 2010. Advertisement

Road closures remain in place around the scene in Collier Row, and the Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed, the Met Police said in a statement.

A police spokesman added: 'At approximately 03:50hrs on Monday, 9 April police were called by a man making threats and claiming he was in possession of a firearm at an address in Collier Row.

'Firearms officers attended the location and were informed the man had left the address, armed with a firearm.

'At approximately 04:45hrs a man - believed to be aged in his 40s - was shot by police in the vicinity of Collier Row Road and Lodge Lane. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 05:17hrs.'

The incident has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

One onlooker wrote on Twitter: 'Body in concourse Collier Row petrol station.'

One resident said: 'We are waiting to hear what happened, it's at the top of my road and too close to home.'

Romford's Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell tweeted: 'Shocking incident in Collier Row today, just relieved that no member of the public has been harmed. Thank you to the Police for protecting our community.

'Crime in Havering is rising- Mayor Khan, you have a duty to allocate more resources to our borough!'

A spokesman for Independent Office for Police Conduct, said: 'We are investigating a fatal police shooting in Romford this morning.

'We were notified of the incident in Collier Row Road, Romford, by the MPS earlier this morning.

'We have deployed investigators to the scene and to police post-incident procedure to begin inquiries.'
Dr Pflieger has been practicing since 1994 and has not faced disciplinary action before

A doctor has been suspended following erratic behavior that included throwing a child over his shoulder, slapping a co-worker's buttocks and shouting 'Satan' during an appointment.

Pediatrician Dr. Kurt Loring Pflieger was suspended by the Texas Medical Board after staff at two clinics he works at reported that the physician had been acting erratically for much of the year.

They reported inappropriate behavior including Pflieger slapping an employee on the buttocks and kissing another employee's face, as well as making sexual remarks, Dallas News reported.

While roughhousing with a two-year-old boy Pflieger threw the child over his shoulder, resulting in the boy landing on his back and hitting his head on the floor

The next day, the order says, the 62-year-old Pflieger was reportedly in a manic state and yelled 'Satan!' during an appointment with two patients at the Rockwall clinic.

Pflieger, who has been practicing since 1994, often seemed distracted and lost focus during appointments, his colleagues said.

He would issue prescriptions or 'obsessively' share personal information with patients and colleagues.

In October, he was ordered to enroll in continuing medical education courses after he prescribed an uncommon - but recognized - bronchitis treatment without documenting an explanation.

During one incident, the doctor told his staff that that he hadn't been sleeping and he was experiencing 'a full-blown manic episode,' according to the state medical board.

Staff at two clinics, including his primary practice (pictured) became increasingly concerned by his behavior

He also told staff he was seeing a mental health professional.

He sometimes had slurred speech, and on three straight days in March, he wore the same red shirt and sweatpants and had mussed-up hair, according to the medical board's order.

A disciplinary panel of the board issued the temporary suspension of Dr Pflieger's license Friday and the day before the hearing he arrived at work in his pajamas, crying and was helped by colleagues.

The board determined that his continued practice of medicine 'would constitute a continuing threat to the public welfare.'

Pflieger's, who has not faced any previous disciplinary action, will remain suspended until the medical board takes further action.
The parents of a University of Pennsylvania student who committed suicide have filed a lawsuit against the school alleging that officials ignored the junior's repeated cries for help.

Ao 'Olivia' Kong, 21, was killed after she was a hit by a SEPTA train when she climbed onto the tracks at the 40th Street Station.

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, claims that Kong repeatedly told campus professionals that her schoolwork at the Wharton School was leaving her feeling stressed and that she had thoughts of suicide but that nothing was done.

The parents of University of Pennsylvania student Ao 'Olivia' Kong (pictured), who committed suicide, have filed a lawsuit against the school alleging that officials ignored the junior's repeated cries for help

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, claims that Kong (pictured, right, with her parents) repeatedly told campus professionals that her schoolwork at the Wharton School was leaving her feeling stressed and that she had thoughts of suicide but that nothing was done

Between April 7 and April 9, Kong (left and right) spoke nine times with professionals at the University of Pennsylvania during which she discussed that she was having suicidal thoughts

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that during the 2016 spring semester, Kong fell ill twice, according to the complaint filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.

She allegedly tried to drop one of her six classes so she could perform 'up to par' at the Wharton School but she was unable to.

Between April 7 and April 9, Kong spoke nine times with professionals at the University of Pennsylvania during which she discussed that she was having suicidal thoughts.

Her parents, Xianguo Kong and Zhao Lin, were never informed of these calls.

Around 6.50am on April 11, two days after her last call, Kong walked to the SEPTA Station at 40th Street

Surveillance footage from the station shows Kong, dressed in her coat, pajamas and slippers, pacing back and forth on the platform

Kong then climbed onto the tracks and walked into the dark tunnel. She sustained fatal injuries after she lay down on the tracks in front of an oncoming train

Attorney Carol Nelson Shepherd, who is representing Kong's parents, said Kong even met with on-call psychiatrist that and told her that no one was listening to her and that she planned to kill herself 'on Sunday', reported PennLive.

Shepherd says the psychiatrist did not call King's parents, meet with her in person or get her into treatment.

Then, around 6.50am on April 11, Kong walked to the SEPTA Station at 40th Street.

Surveillance footage from the station shows Kong, dressed in her coat, pajamas and slippers, pacing back and forth on the platform before climbing onto the tracks and walking into the dark tunnel.

She sustained fatal injuries after she lay down on the tracks in front of an oncoming train.

The lawsuit alleges negligence, wanton and willful misconduct and reckless disregard, and wrongful death against the school, and Kong's parents are seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

Kong was born in China and moved to Philadelphia with her family when she was nine years old.

The lawsuit alleges negligence, wanton and willful misconduct and reckless disregard, and wrongful death against the school, and Kong's parents are seeking more than $50,000 in damages (Pictured, Kong)

University officials declined to comment on the allegations in the lawsuit or about the mental health procedures set in place to help students (Pictured, the Wharton School of Business)

According to UPenn's student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian, at the time of her death, Kong was the twelfth student who died by suicide since 2013. Since then, two other students have also killed themselves.

Officials at the school have declined to comment on the lawsuit's allegations or about the mental health procedures set in place to help students.

'We typically cannot comment on pending litigation,' Ron Ozio, a university spokesman, told PennLive.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-273-8255
Travellers should remember to be careful when travelling overseas, with a figures showing an Australian dies or is hospitalised every 2.5 hours.

Despite being home to luxurious beaches, flavoursome food and friendly people, south-east Asia has the highest number of Australian deaths.

More than 1,600 Australians died while visiting Asian countries in 2017, while thousands more were seriously injured, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

One Australia dies every 17 hours in popular tourist destinations including Thailand where Ben French (pictured) died earlier this week after a fatal scooter accident

The Fremantle man (pictured) died earlier this week after the fatal accident in Koh Samui

More than 1,600 Australians died while visiting Asian countries last year while thousands more were seriously injured (stock image)

More than 1,600 jetsetters died while visiting Asian countries last year (stock image)

Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam had the highest numbers of Australians die - with 523 deaths happening in the tropical countries last year.

On average, one Australian dies every 17 hours in those popular tourist destinations with Thailand home to the highest number of fatalities.

Just yesterday it was reported a tourist died after a serious scooter crash in Thailand where he broke his spine, ribs, punctured both lungs and was left with serious brain injuries.

The 36-year-old Fremantle man, Ben French, died earlier this week after the fatal accident in Koh Samui in late March.

Another young tourist was also involved in a scooter accident in Thailand, which has the highest number of deaths for Australians, after celebrating her 30th birthday late last year.

Stacey Liddle, from Brisbane, was forced to get her leg amputated after the violent crash near Phuket, leaving her leg with a number of fractures.

Stacey Liddle (pictured), from Brisbane, was forced to get her leg amputated after the violent crash near Phuket, leaving her leg with a number of fractures

CCTV footage revealed a bus smashed into her scooter, knocking her into the chaotic traffic as she was dragged under the bus (Thailand scene pictured)

CCTV footage revealed a bus smashed into her scooter, knocking her into the chaotic traffic as she was dragged under the bus.

'An Australian dies or is hospitalised in Thailand every day, making it one of the most problematic destinations for Australian travellers,' finder.com.au Travel Insurance Expert Bessie Hassan told News Corp.

A young couple became involved in a terrible jet-ski accident in Thailand, leaving a woman dead and her surviving boyfriend taking the blame for fatal incident.

Thomas Keating, then 22, and Emily Collie, 20, were riding jet-skis at Kata Beach when they collided at the Phuket tourist destination.

The young woman (pictured with Mr Keating) was dragged from the water and treated by lifeguards but was pronounced dead at hospital

Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam had the highest numbers of Australians die - with 523 deaths happening in the tropical countries last year (stock image)

Liam Rudd (pictured) was involved in a serious accident when he crashed his motorbike into a tree in Indonesia

The young woman was dragged from the water and treated by lifeguards but was pronounced dead at hospital.

Australian tourists also find themselves in trouble in the country's neighbour, Bali.

Liam Rudd was involved in a serious accident when he crashed his motorbike into a tree in Indonesia about three years ago.

The then 24-year-old suffered swelling on the brain, a fractured skill and leg injuries where he required emergency surgery to save his life.

While motor accidents are common in the South East Asian countries, for one young woman it was an ice cube which severely ill.

Sophia Brockman drank an iced coffee full of contaminated ice cubes during her trip to Vietnam.

Experts advise jetsetters to make sure they have travel insurance for any overseas trips and to stay across travel warnings.
Donald Trump's latest Twitter spat with The New York Times left Washington insiders scratching their heads on Wednesday when the president tried to correct a 'phony story' that was already correct.

The Times reported Tuesday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office was investigating a $150,000 donation that a Ukrainian billionaire made to Trump's family charity three years ago.

Victor Pinchuk made the sizable donation in exchange for a 20-minute appearance Trump made via video during a conference for the oligarch's foundation in Kiev.

'The Failing New York Times wrote another phony story. It was political pundit Doug Schoen, not a Ukrainian businessman, who asked me to do a short speech by phone (Skype), hosted by Doug, in Ukraine. I was very positive about Ukraine-another negative to the Fake Russia C[ollusion] story!' Trump tweeted Wednesday, in an attempt to pick the story apart.

The Times had reported that the long-distance speech 'was set up by Doug Schoen, a veteran political consultant and pollster who works with Mr. Pinchuk.'

Citing 'a person familiar with how the speech was arranged,' the paper's reporters wrote that 'Mr. Schoen, a frequent Fox News guest, has known Mr. Trump for years and contacted him personally to set it up.'

President Donald Trump got into a bizarre Twitter war with The New York Times on Wednesday

Trump claimed the Times falsely reported that Ukrainian oligarch Victor Pinchuk had asked him to speak via video link to a 2015 Ukraine conference

The Times and one of the story's reporters pointed out that the piece was already spot-on correct

Michael Schmidt, the principal Times reporter on the story, said Wednesday on 'Morning Joe' that the president 'inaccurately describe[d]' it.

'The story does acknowledge that Schoen was the one who set up the meeting,' Schmidt said. 'The question isn't necessarily who set up the meeting, but why did the money come in?'

Pundit and pollster Doug Schoen set up the 2015 appearance for Trump, something the Times reported accurately but Trump later insisted was written in a different fashion

'The money came from a Ukrainian steel magnate who had given millions and millions of dollars over the years to the Clinton Foundation,' he added, 'and was making donations to Trump for a very short speech.'

Tax returns for 2015 released by the Trump Foundation show Pinchuk's UK foundation office made the donation. It was the largest contribution made to Trump's charity by anyone that year other than Trump himself.

Maggie Haberman, the second reporter on the Times story, tweeted Wednesday: 'Political pundit Doug Schoen, who works for that Ukrainian businessman, arranged the speech ...as our story says.'

The newspaper's PR department issued a shorter statement: Our story is accurate. Here's a link to it.'

A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for an explanation.

Trump's 2015 talk at the YES Annual Meeting (pictured) promised a stronger line on Russian intervention in Ukraine

Pinchuk made a $150,000 contribution to Trump's family charity in exchange for the 20-minute 'appearance' the future president made via video to a conference in Kiev

The donation was solicited by longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen (pictured), whose offices were raided by the FBI on Monday

It's possible the president was attempting to plant confusion about the nature of the $150,000 honorarium, which Cohen solicited from Pinchuk before Trump's speech.

The event ... was set up by Doug Schoen, a veteran political consultant and pollster who works with Mr. Pinchuk, according to a person familiar with how the speech was arranged. Mr. Schoen, a frequent Fox News guest, has known Mr. Trump for years and contacted him personally to set it up at the end of August 2015 ... THE NEW YORK TIMES STORY

FBI agents raided Cohen's offices on Monday, seizing a trove of documents related to the porn star Stormy Daniels' hush-money case and communications between the attorney and the president.

Marcus Owens, a former heard of the IRS division overseeing tax-exempt organizations, said the donation was an 'unusual amount of money for such a short speech.'

'[It] is curious because it comes during a campaign and is from a foreigner and looks like an effort to buy influence,' he told the Times.

Pinchuk founded the Foundation and Yalta European Strategy (YES), a nonprofit that organizes an annual event in Ukraine.

YES's stated aim is 'to develop strategies for Ukraine and Wider Europe and promote Ukraines European integration.'

It is pro-Western and opposes Vladimir Putin's expansionist attitude towards former Soviet states.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenaed Trump's charity this year for records dealing with business from foreign nationals

Trump's 2015 talk to the group's annual meeting promised a harder line on Russian intervention in Ukraine.

'The United States has been supportive [toward Ukraine] but more verbally than anything else,' Trump said to applause from the audience.

'Our president is not strong and he is not doing what he should be doing for the Ukraine,' he continued, referring to Barack Obama.

'So far we have all lip service and in this country we call it just that - it's lip service and nothing else.'

'Part of the problem that Ukraine has with the United States is that Putin does not respect our president whatsoever,' he added.

Pinchuk runs the EastOne investment advisory company and is one of Ukraine's richest men, with $1.52 billion to his name.
An evangelical megachurch founder who advised Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal has abruptly resigned in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

The Rev. Bill Hybels, 66, stepped down on Tuesday night as leader of Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, one of the largest churches in the US with over 26,000 regular attendees.

The resignation, six moths ahead of Hybels' planned retirement in October, follows published reports of church investigations into the pastor's alleged sexual misconduct. Those investigations cleared Hybels of wrongdoing and he spoke out to deny the claims.

The alleged behavior included suggestive comments, extended hugs, an unwanted kiss and invitations to hotel rooms, according to the Chicago Tribune report. It also included an allegation of a prolonged consensual affair with a married woman who later said her claim about the affair was not true.

'As Lynne and I have watched this, it has been extremely painful for us to see this controversy continue to be a distraction that is hindering our Elders and church staff,' Hybels said in a statement announcing his retirement, referring to his wife of 43 years.

Willow Creek Community Church Senior Pastor Bill Hybels announces his resignation on Tuesday night in South Barrington, Illinois

Hybels, sixth from left, and other church leaders pray before the congregation on Tuesday in a 'Family Meeting' where Hybels resigned amid a cloud of misconduct allegations

Hybels leaves the stage after announcing his early retirement effective immediately

The church, seen in a file photo, is one of the largest in the US with over 26,000 weekly attendees. The community has been rocked by published reports of harassment claims

'While some of the stories that have been told about me are misleading and others are entirely false, and while investigations have found no evidence of misconduct, I have been sobered by these accusations,' Hybels said.

The pastor also apologized for reacting to the allegations with anger, and for any past interactions that may have unintentionally offended others.

'I too often placed myself in situations that would have been far wiser to avoid. I was, at times, naive about the dynamics those situations created. I'm sorry for the lack of wisdom on my part,' he said.

The resignation came days after two women spoke out, saying that the church's representation of its investigation to the public was misleading.

Vonda Dyer, a former leader within the church, on Sunday expanded on her claims in the Tribune report by writing a lengthy personal blog post.

In a hotel room in Sweden in 1998, Hybels 'put his hands on my waist, moved one hand to caress my stomach and kissed me on the lips,' before she stopped him and left, Dyer claims.

Hybels founded the church in 1975. He has previously spoken out to deny the allegations and did so again despite his abrupt resignation on Tuesday night

Betty Schmidt, an elder at Willow Creek for over 30 years, also issued a statement saying that her testimony supporting Dyer's claims had been misconstrued by Willow Creek leaders in public statements.

'It has been very disturbing to hear my words from the meeting with the WC elders become twisted, added to and extrapolated from,' Schmidt wrote.

Hybels founded Willow Creek in 1975, first meeting in a rented theater in Palatine, Illinois.

The church grew over the years to one of the largest in the US, and Hybels became a spiritual advisor to presidents, including Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Hybels (left) is seen praying with then-President Bill Clinton in a picture taken June, 6 1995 at the White House. He would go on to serve as Clinton's spiritual advisor through impeachment

Congregants in the church for Tuesday evening's 'Family Meeting' seemed stunned at Hybels' announcement.

One of them, Jim Tofilon told the Tribune that he believes Hybels was a victim of the #MeToo bandwagon.

'It's very destructive,' said Tofilon, who has attended the church since 1991. 'It worked. It destroyed an old man's life. Nothing good came out of it. I hope people making the accusations feel satisfied.'

Heather Larson, the church's executive pastor, will take over as chief executive of the megachurch while Steve Carter will become the lead teaching pastor, effective immediately.
Three women were found dead Saturday evening after an 'accidental overdose' during a birthday gathering inside an Ohio home.

Tara Williams and Ashtyn Andrade, who were engaged and lived in the home, and Courtney Collier, all aged 20, may have overdosed on a drug combined with fentanyl.

They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Tara Williams (left, during graduation), 20, and Ashtyn Andrade (left, in white), 20, who were engaged and lived in the home, and Courtney Collier (right), 20, may have overdosed on a drug combined with fentanyl

The women had gathered to celebrate Andrade's (right) 20th birthday on Friday, but after Collier didn't show up for work the next day, police found them dead. Tara Williams is also pictured

The women had gathered to celebrate Andrade's 20th birthday on Friday, but after Collier didn't show up for work the next day, police found them dead during a welfare check, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

Authorities said that when Collier didn't show up for work Saturday, her boyfriend and then her mother, Kellie Collier, called police.

Collier and Williams reportedly worked together at the McDonald's at East Waterloo Road and South Arlington Street in Akron.

Akron police said they were checking on the residence around 7.40pm Saturday evening and got no response to door knocks.

They then looked through windows and spotted a woman on a floor. Police said they forced their way in and found the other two women also on the floor.

Authorities said the three had apparently overdosed sometime Friday or early Saturday in a home on Sycamore Street in Akron's Firestone Park, according to the Journal.

Collier's (left and right) sister, Kaytryne Collier, 21, said her sister was taking computer classes and had talked about a possible career in IT. 'Courtney was the type of person to give everything she had to someone, even if it meant she was left with nothing'

Authorities said the three had apparently overdosed sometime Friday or early Saturday in a home on Sycamore Street in Akron's Firestone Park. The cause and manner of the deaths are pending toxicology testing, which could take several weeks

Police found powder residue, two straws and a dollar bill on a kitchen counter, according to the medical examiner's report.

Andrade's mother, Joanna Andrade, claimed that officers told her the women may have overdosed on a drug combined with fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more powerful than heroin.

According to Joanna Andrade, her daughter (left) and Williams (right) were high-school sweethearts who had plans of getting married when they both turned 21

'People are starting to lace things with fentanyl,' Joanna told the Journal. 'If your kid doesn't know and they smoke pot or God forbid [something else], they need to be aware that could kill them. Even just a little bit.'

According to Joanna, her daughter and Williams were high-school sweethearts who had plans of getting married when they both turned 21.

'I know Ashtyn and she loved Tara more than anything in the world,' Joanna told the Journal.

Collier's sister, Kaytryne Collier, 21, said her sister was taking computer classes and had talked about a possible career in IT.

'Courtney was the type of person to give everything she had to someone, even if it meant she was left with nothing,' Kaytryne told the Journal.

'She brought out the best in every single person she came into contact with.

'She will be remembered as the girl who had the biggest brightest smile on her face, and the loudest most contagious laugh,' she added.

The cause and manner of the deaths are pending toxicology testing, which could take several weeks.
A worker at a state injury claims scheme who was fired after complaining about his boss while pocket-dialing him is now suing his former employer for listening in on a private conversation.

James Stephens was grumbling to his wife, Gina, about Georgia Subsequent Injury Trust Fund Director Mike Coan, after the pair had finished a phone conversation in January 2016.

But although he had hung up on the original call he accidentally called his boss back after putting the phone back in his pocket.

When he arrived at work the next day to be told by a furious Coan he could either resign from his six-figure job or be fired.

James Stephens (left, appearing on CBS This Morning on Wednesday) was grumbling to his wife, Gina, about Georgia Subsequent Injury Trust Fund Director Mike Coan, (right, in the George House of Representatives on November 8, 2004) when he was listening

Stephens and his wife have now filed a lawsuit, arguing that Coan knew he had been inadvertently pocket-dialed but continued to listen to the conversation, violating their privacy.

Their civil claim says Coan should have put down the phone when he realised he was listening to a private conversation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

'Rather than simply hang up, [Coan] proceeded to violate Georgia law by intentionally acting in a clandestine manner and listening in to a private conversation between Mr. Stephens and his wife Gina inside the Stephens' private residence,' the claim said.

It is not clear exactly what Stephens was complaining about during the conversation, but it could have been the timing of the call.

'He had a tendency to call me after hours quite a bit,' he told CBS News' Mark Strassmann.

Coan, a former Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives, says he is immune from eavesdropping laws because he was acting as a state employee.

Stephens and his wife (pictured on CBS This Morning on Wednesday) have now filed a lawsuit, arguing that Coan knew he had been inadvertently pocket-dialed but continued to listen to the conversation, violating their privacy

The Georgia Subsequent Injury Trust Fund is run by the state and allows workers with disabilities to make claims against their employers if they believe work conditions have aggravated their condition.

Coan's lawyer, state Attorney General Chris Carr, said: 'When Mr. Coan heard statements made by Plaintiff James Stephens criticizing Mr. Coan's job performance as administrator of the Georgia Subsequent Injury Trust Fund, he did so as an officer or employee of the (fund) acting with the scope of his official duties and employment.'

The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled on a similar case in Kentucky in 2015.

The court ruled that someone who pocket dials another person cannot have a reasonable expectation of privacy because they placed the call in the first place.
An aviation security officer fired after forcibly dragging a passenger from a plane last year has filed a lawsuit against United Airlines and the city of Chicago.

James Long was one of the officers called to a plane in April 2017 after Dr. David Dao refused to give up his seat.

Video taken by other passengers show Long dragging a bloodied Dao from the plane.

Long was fired in August.

Long filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court against the Chicago Department of Aviation and United.

The suit alleges Long didn't receive proper training to respond to the situation and that United should have known security officers would use physical force.

James Long (standing on the right) was one of the officers called to a plane in April 2017 after Dr. David Dao refused to give up his seat on an overbooked United flight from Chicago to Louisville

Long is seen above forcibly dragging Dao out of his seat after he refused the airline's request to get off the plane

It was Long who dragged Dao along the floor and out of the plane (left). Dao is seen right after suffering injuries as a result of the incident

Spokesmen for United and the city say they haven't yet received the lawsuit and declined to comment. United and Dao reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount

Spokesmen for United and the city say they haven't yet received the lawsuit and declined to comment.

United and Dao reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount.

Long, Mauricio Rodriguez Jr, Steven Smith, and John Moore were the four security agents suspended after the April 9, 2017 incident went viral on social media.

According to the police report, Rodriguez was the first officer to board the plane and approach Dao.

Rodriguez said that a United employee complained that Dao was yelling about 'leaving the airport.'

The officer then boarded the plane with the United supervisor and 'tried to persuade Mr. Dao to leave in a calm manner.'

'Im not leaving this flight that I paid money for,' Dao told Rodriguez.

'I dont care if I get arrested.'

Long is also suing Ginger Evans, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, for defamation

Rodriguez said in his report that he pleaded with Dao for several minutes to leave the plane, but the doctor refused.

According to Rodriguez, Smith then boarded and also tried to convince Dao to leave.

Smith was followed by Long, who was the officer who used physical force to extricate Dao from his seat.

Long has claimed that Dao was verbally and physically abusive.

The officer said the Kentucky physician was flailing his arms before he lost his balance and struck his mouth on an armrest.

Long said he approached Dao to ask the 69-year-old physician to get off the plane.

Long said Dao refused and 'folded his arms tightly.'

Long said he reached out to 'hold' Dao and was able to pull him away from his window seat on the aircraft and move toward the aisle.

'But suddenly the subject started flailing and fighting,' Long wrote in his report.

Dao then knocked Longs hand off his arm, causing the struggling Dao to fall and strike his mouth on an armrest on the other side of the aisle, according to the report.

Long said he then dragged Dao because Dao refused to stand up.

After the incident, Evans tweeted on April 11, 2017 that the officers involved were no longer part of law enforcement

Long alleges in the lawsuit that Evans' tweets contained 'deliberate and intentionally misleading omissions with the direct intention to harm' him

Evans tweeted that the aviation officers weren't armed 'for good reasons'

Long said he wrote the report and gave his version of events only because he faced losing his job.

In his lawsuit, Long claims he was defamed by his former bosses.

One of the defendants named in the suit is Ginger Evans, the commissioner of the Department of Aviation.

After the incident, Evans tweeted on April 11, 2017 that the officers involved were no longer part of law enforcement.

Evans had also tweeted that the officers' actions 'were completely inappropriate.'

Long alleges in the lawsuit that Evans' tweets contained 'deliberate and intentionally misleading omissions with the direct intention to harm' him.
Two Colorado Department of Corrections employees have been accused of engaging in improper behavior in a vehicle minutes before they were due at work.

The pair, identified as Mary Torrez, 37, and Sarah Ippolito, 26, were each cited for public indecency, 9news.com reported.

They were wearing CDOC uniforms at the time, and told officers they work at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility.

It was not until another officer arrived and illuminated the Kia with the lights on his patrol car that the two started putting their clothes back on

The alleged incident took place before the two were due to go on duty, according to the information provided in the report.

According to the police report, a clerk spotted the two women in the backseat of a silver Kia just before 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

He flagged down an officer who was in the area.

When the officer shined a flashlight into the car, 'neither [party] stopped what they were doing', the police report said.

It was not until another officer arrived and illuminated the Kia with the lights on his patrol car that the two started putting their clothes back on, according to the report.

Police say they ultimately decided to issue a citation because 'the act was in a public place, that was well lit and visible with multiple surveillance cameras', according to the report.

The women's boss later told police they were supposed to start their shifts at 6 a.m., the police report said.

Torrez and Ippolito are both due to appear in court in May.

The Colorado Department of Corrections declined to comment on the incident saying they don't talk about disciplinary issues.
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Nicky Jones, 44, was jailed for eight months and barred from seeing his ex-wife after he was found guilty of forging her signature on divorce papers

A husband who forged his seriously-ill wife's signature on divorce papers while she was in hospital receiving life-saving cancer treatment has been jailed.

Nicky Jones, 44, formally applied for the divorce without the knowledge of his wife of 18 years, Lucy McDonnell-Jones, 41, who was in hospital for nine months.

She had moved out of the family home and was being treated for stage 3 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in her groin, pelvis, back and stomach, which was diagnosed in 2015.

Jones had previously arrived at Lucy's workplace at a dental surgery and presented her with divorce paperwork, which she refused to sign as she had not had time to read it.

Lucy only discovered his fresh plans when she visited the family home and found the paperwork in 2016 after being discharged.

She believes it was an attempt to 'get everything' - including their two houses, and joint savings.

She went to their 250,000 house in Primrose Bank, Neath, South Wales, to collect some possessions and discovered the letter from the family court in Port Talbot amongst some opened mail addressed to her, which Jones had denied had arrived.

Lucy called the court to find out what was going on, and was stunned to be told that her husband had petitioned her for divorce and that she had agreed to it by signing a document.

Jones filled out the paperwork while Lucy was in hospital receiving treatment for stage 3 cancer. The couple met in a nightclub when Lucy was 18 and married on a beach in the Dominican Republic three years later in 1998

She rushed to a solicitor, who halted the divorce proceedings while police were brought in.

The signature on the documents looked nothing like her handwriting, and she realised Jones had tried to get a divorce without her knowledge while she was in hospital.

It was just six weeks away from a decree absolute, where the divorce would have been finalised, Swansea Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Helen Randall said: 'The forgery caused Mrs Jones a lot of distress when she was receiving cancer treatment.

'She believes he had forged her signature to try and gain from her financially at a time when she was ill.'

Jones admitted making a false instrument with intent that it be accepted as genuine - contrary to the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

Defending, Andrew Evans said Jones was 'adamant that part of his motivation was to speed up the progress.'

He denied it was an attempt to take advantage of his wife's illness.

Mr Evans said: 'If he had simply waited until his wife was well enough, maybe six or eight months after, she herself would have realised the marriage was over.

'They had been separated for nearly two years and the divorce would have been uncontested.'

Lucy only discovered his plans when she returned to the family home in South Wales and found the paperwork in 2016 after being discharged from hospital

The couple had been estranged after Lucy left Jones, a carpenter, in 2014.

They divorced in October 2017.

Judge Peter Heywood sentenced Jones to eight months imprisonment, of which half will be served in custody.

He was also given a two-year restraining order banning him from contacting Lucy.

After her ex was jailed, Lucy said: 'I was thinking I was going to get on with my life, then being told I had cancer turned everything upside down.

'I was told I had three months to live, and at that point I was having chemotherapy for 12 hours a day.

'When that didn't work they did it for 20 hours a day, and straight into my spine.

'When I had got all that going on, I didn't care about the divorce, I didn't think I was going to make it.

'When I went back to the house to pick up some stuff, I saw a letter with the name of the court, and my name, and didn't have a clue.

'When I called them, they said it was about a divorce.

'I said I hadn't even applied for a divorce and they advised me to go to a solicitor.'

The signature on the documents looked nothing like Lucy's handwriting, and she realised Jones had tried to get a divorce without her knowledge while she was in hospital

The couple had been estranged after Lucy left Jones in 2014. She was heartbroken to have to leave her sausage dog, Layla, 14, behind, she now hopes she may be able to get her dog back

The couple met in a nightclub when Lucy was 18 and married on a beach in the Dominican Republic three years later, in 1998.

But in recent years they were sleeping in separate beds, and Lucy was heartbroken to have to leave her sausage dog, Layla, 14, behind when she left Jones.

She hopes that now he is in jail she may be able to get her little dog back.

Lucy added: 'It is nice to be able to move on now. At least I have managed to get through it.

'I asked the police, what would have happen to the case if I die, and they said it would die with me.

'I knew I would keep going.

'I think to myself, the person I married, I didn't really know.'
Pictured: Ifitkhar Ahmed outside Cambridge Magistrates' Court on Tuesday

A former shopkeeper punched a pensioner in the face while screaming, 'this is private', after the elderly man parked outside his home for three minutes.

The 89-year-old victim, who has asked not to be named, was collecting his jacket outside Rose's tailors' shop in Cambridge when Ifitkhar Ahmed was waiting outside for him.

Ahmed, 56, of Cambridge, then saw red and chased the victim to his car while shouting at him.

He then pulled open the pensioner's car door and punched him in the face with a blow so forceful, it sent the elderly victim flying into the passenger's side of the car.

Speaking after Ahmed appeared at Cambridge Magistrates' Court yesterday, the 89-year-old victim said he face was left a 'mess' by the attack.

Not wanting to cause a fuss, the brave man ended up driving himself home before he was treated to by hospital staff.

The victim said: 'It was terrifying. He looks young and I am 89 I think that made it worse. I could clearly see he wasn't happy about me parking there and so I just thought to get into my car and get out.

'There was no altercation between us at all, I just thought I just needed to drive off.'

He said: 'It wasn't as though I was obstructing his car or anything, it is just a space which was reasonable to assume belonged to the tailor.'

Pictured: The tailors in Cambridge where the victim had been collecting clothes before he was punched by Ahmed

Ahmed appeared at Cambridge Magistrates' Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to assault by beating

Ahmed claimed the 89-year-old victim had sworn at him but the man said this was untrue.

The victim said: 'When I headed out of the shop the man was there shouting at me. I just said, "It's OK, I am heading off now." But he started waving his hands in front of the car so I couldn't drive.

'He came to my car door and said, "You just swore at me" and I said "no I didn't swear at you" and then he just gave me one punch and I fell on to the passenger seat.

Ahmed was sentenced to 50 hours community service, and ordered to pay a total of 920 in costs

'I didn't see what was coming at all, all I know there was just one bang and I didn't know where I was.'

The victim then tried to shut his car door and reverse, but realised he was in no fit state to drive back home.

He then went back into the tailors' shop to try and to calm himself down as he was so shaken up.

He added: 'I was feeling very rough but I didn't want to be made a fuss of or for anyone in the tailors to call the police, I just wanted to get home.

'The owner of the tailors said he is a nasty man, he is nothing to do with me.

'I just waited in the tailors for five or ten minutes because I was just in a poor state.

'I drove home after, which I really shouldn't have, but I was just glad to get home and out of the way, I was quite shaky.

He said: 'I was really not capable of driving but in those circumstances you just want to get somewhere where you feel safe and I wasn't really thinking to.'

The victim's wife added: 'My husband was quite ill after that, and it hit him mentally.

'It took him some time to get over it. It wasn't very nice and it is incredible that somebody should do that, for no reason.

'I said to my husband you should have phone the police straight away but he doesn't like making a fuss.

'It's more of a shock when you have never had anything like that happen to you before as well.

'It was a stupid indecent that was quite unnecessary and has caused all this trouble.'

Ahmed appeared at Cambridge Magistrates' Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to assault by beating.

He was sentenced to 50 hours community service, and ordered to pay a total of 920 in costs and compensation, including 750 to the victim.

Ahmed lives in Cambridge with his wife of 32 years, and two children.
A prominent Alabama youth minister who falsely claimed to be a Fox News contributor has been charged with sexually abusing a young boy.

Paul Edward Acton Bowen, 37, was taken into custody in Pelham on Tuesday and charged with second-degree sodomy, second-degree sexual abuse and enticing a child to enter a vehicle or house for immoral purposes.

The Hoover Police Department has not revealed the childs exact age, only saying he was older than 12 and younger than 16.

Pastor charged: Alabama youth minister Paul Edward Acton Bowen, 37, has been arrested on child sex abuse charges involving a young boy. Bowen is pictured left in his first booking photo and right in his second mugshot taken at Jefferson County Jail

The arrest came at the conclusion of a three-week investigation by Hoover PD's Special Victims Unit. The Jefferson County Destrict Attorney's Office issued a warrant for Bowen's arrest on Monday.

Mr. Bowen is in a highly-respected position of influence and he is trusted by many, Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector told Al.com. We believe he betrayed that trust in the worst kind of way.

Rector described the victim as a young family acquaintance of Bowens and said he was now safe and doing well. No further details will be made public regarding the case, given the sexual nature of the alleged crimes and the age of the victim.

Bowen is a well-known evangelist and the founder of the Acton Bowen Outreach - a youth ministry based out of Gadsden. On his official website, which has been taken offline, the 37-year-old pastor was described as a speaker, best-selling author and 'visionary.'

The website said Bowen was a cohost of Top3 on the JuceTV Network - a youth-oriented Christian television network in New York City.

Bowen is the founder of the Acton Bowen Outreach in Alabama who also claimed to be a religion correspondent for Fox News

Wedded bliss: Social media posts indicate that he married his fiancee (right) in 2015 in Hawaii

Juce TVs website does not list Bowen as a cohost of Top 3, which is now known as The Crew.

Bowen also claimed in his online biography to have served as a Fox News correspondent covering faith and religion, but a spokesperson for the network said he never worked at the network, or appeared on air as a contributor or correspondent.

For a dozen years, Bowen led a citywide student Bible study in Gadsden, and in 2012 he travelled to the UK to serve as a chaplain in the London Summer Olympics.

His 2017 book, Escape the Noise: A 30-Day Devotional Journey for Students, made it onto the New York Times Best Sellers List and the Amazon Top 100 list.

Social media posts indicate that he married his fiancee in 2015 in Hawaii. On his Twitter account Bowen described himself as a believer and a husband, but it's unclear if he is still married.

Bowen was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail early Wednesday morning and was released just before 5am after posting $90,300 bond.
A man was left with burns to his body following a suspected acid attack at his home address in a sleepy village, say police.

Attackers reportedly knocked on the victims front door then smashed a glass panel before reaching in and spraying him with what is believed to be a 'corrosive' substance.

The victim was treated at the scene by firefighters before being rushed to a specialist burns unit at Whiston Hospital in Merseyside.

Attackers reportedly knocked on the victims front door then smashed a glass panel before reaching in and spraying him

The victim was treated at the scene by firefighters before being rushed to a specialist burns unit at Whiston Hospital in Merseyside

He suffered burns to his face, chest, back, and arm but the severity of his injuries are not known at this stage.

Crime scene investigators remained at the scene today as they attempted to establish the exact nature of the liquid that was used.

Officers stress they believe the attack was a one-off incident after emergency services were called to the address in Coppull, Lancashire, just before 10.30pm on Tuesday, April 10.

Residents spoke of their shock at the attack which happened in what they described as a 'family' orientated street.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I have lived in this street for 40 years and I have several relatives who live here.

'Weve never had anything like this happen around here before - people dont even break into cars.

The man suffered burns to his face, chest, back, and arm but the severity of his injuries are not known at this stage

'Lots of people were woken up by what happened and they were told to keep their windows and doors shut.

'Its just shocking - everyone looks out for each other here. A lot of the older residents are very worried.

'Nobody knows who lives in the house, theyve only been there about a year.'

Tony Whittaker, who lives in the area, added: 'My brother has lived on this road for 30 years. Hes never had any trouble and its a very quiet road. Its very unusual.'

Officers in the area are now reassuring members of the public by increasing patrols and are stressing that they believe this is a one-off incident.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: 'Unknown offenders banged on the door of the address, but before the occupiers had time to answer, they smashed the glass panel, reached in and sprayed what is believed to be a corrosive substance, before running off.

'Officers, paramedics and the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service attended and a man who had suffered burn injuries to his face, arm, chest and back was taken to hospital where he is receiving treatment.

'We are treating this as an isolated incident at this time and patrols have been increased in the area.'

A leading charity has condemned the attack and said that impact on victims can be devastating.

Alex Mayes, spokesperson for independent charity Victim Support said: 'Chemical attacks can have a devastating and often long-term impact on victims, not only physically but also psychologically.

'Victim Support provides specialist practical and emotional support to victims of all crimes, including chemical attacks, whether or not the incident has been reported to the police.'

Figures released by Acid Survivors Trust International reveal that the UK has one of the highest rates of recorded acid attacks in the world per capita.

The majority of the attacks are reported in London where in 2016 alone, corrosive substances were used in 454 crimes.
Republican lawmakers continued to grumble over Facebook's treatment of Trump-supporting sisters Diamond and Silk to the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg, during his second day of Capitol Hill testimony.

Rep. Bill Long, a Missouri Republican, hauled out a picture of the two women and asked Zuckerberg to identify them.

'I believe that, is that Diamond and Silk?' Zuckerberg asked.

Long said it was. 'That is Diamond and Silk, two biological sisters from North Carolina, I might point out they're African-American, and their content was deemed by your folks to be "unsafe,"' Long said.

'Diamond and Silk have a question for you. And that question is, "What is unsafe about two black women supporting President Donald J. Trump?"' he continued.

A number of Republican lawmakers asked Zuckerberg questions about the Trump-supporting sisters over his two days of testimony on Capitol Hill.

'Well Congressman, nothing is unsafe about that,' Zuckerberg answered.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sits on Capitol Hill for day No. 2 of testimony, this time before members of the House of Representatives. He was asked by multiple Republican members about the treatment of conservative video bloggers Diamond and Silk

Rep. Billy Long, a Missouri Republican, brought up perceived bias against Trump-supporting sisters, Diamond and Silk

Rep. Billy Long even went as far as to have an aide hold up a picture of the two women and asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg who they were. 'I believe that, is that Diamond and Silk?' the 33-year-old CEO answered

Rep. Joe Barton asked a constituent question to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: 'Why is Facebook censoring conservative bloggers such as Diamond and Silk?'

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the warning given to Diamond and Silk was 'an enforcement error'

A number of lawmakers have complained over Facebook's treatment of Diamond and Silk, which the company has said it's remedying

Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, held up his phone and told Zuckerberg he was going to ask him a question that someone had submitted to the congressman's Facebook account.

'First question: Please ask Mr. Zuckerberg, why is Facebook censoring conservative bloggers such as Diamond and Silk? Facebook called them "unsafe" to the community. That is absurd. They hold conservative views. That isn't unsafe,' Barton said reading the question, and adding his own, 'What's your response?'

Zuckerberg explained that his team had made 'an enforcement error.'

'And we've already gotten in touch with them to reverse it,' he said, referring to Diamond and Silk.

Another Congressman, Rep. Fred Upton, a Republican from Michigan referred to the video bloggers as 'Silk and Diamond' and then asked about an incident involving a GOP political candidate from his state who expressed pro-life views, and whose message was deemed a 'threat' by Facebook.

'I'm not sure what the threat was when I read the post,' Upton said.

Zuckerberg said he was unfamiliar with that particular case.

'Unfortunately, we don't always get these things right,' the CEO told the lawmakers, adding that Facebook has 20,000 people to review content posted.

Later on in the hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican running for Senate, asked whether free speech is being censored by the site.

Zuckerberg brought up terrorism as an example of content that would be banned.

'Let me tell you right now, Diamond and Silk is not terrorism,' Blackburn muttered at the end of her time.

Yesterday it was Sen. Ted Cruz who slammed Zuckerberg, accusing the social media platform of being politically biased.

'There are a great many Americans who I think are deeply concerned that Facebook and other tech companies are engaged in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship,' Cruz said. 'There have been numerous instances with Facebook.'

Cruz, a former GOP presidential candidate, then brought up Diamond and Silk.

Sen. Ted Cruz slammed Facebook for its perceived political bias against conservatives and asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about it on Tuesday

Sen. Ted Cruz pointed out several instances to Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) in which he believed Facebook had displayed overt political bias

Diamond and Silk, who campaigned alongside Trump in 2016, claimed that Facebook slowed down the reach of their popular videos in which the women push pro-Trump messages.

'The policy team has come to the conclusion that your content and your brand has been determined unsafe to the community,' an email from Facebook read, according to the Washington Post. 'This decision is final and it is non appeal-able in any way.'

Facebook has since acknowledged sending the message, but said its contents were 'inaccurate.'

'We have communicated directly with Diamond And Silk about this issue. The message they received last week was inaccurate and not reflective of the way we communicate with our community and the people who run Pages on our platform,' Facebook's spokeswoman Sarah Pollack said. 'We have provided them with more information about our policies and the tools that are applicable to their Page and look forward to the opportunity to speak with them.'

Cruz's criticism went beyond this recent incident, as he cited a Gizmodo article that said that Facebook had routinely suppressed conservative stories from its trending news section, including articles on the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mitt Romney, the Lois Lerner scandal and Glenn Beck.

Facebook, Cruz charged, 'initially shut down the Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day page,' as well as a post from a Fox News reporter, along with some Catholic pages.

'To a great many Americans that appears to be a pervasive pattern of political bias,' Cruz said. 'Do you agree with that assessment?'

Zuckerberg responded by acknowledging that Silicon Valley, located in bright blue California, is an 'extremely left-leaning place.'

However, adding to the list of things he wanted to improve, the Facebook CEO told the senator that one of his priorities was making sure 'we don't have any bias in the work that we do.'

ZUCKERBERG ADMITS THAT FACEBOOK COLLECTS NON-USERS DATA

Throughout his nearly 10 hours of testimony, Zuckerberg was peppered with questions about all sorts of aspects of the social media site.

Rep. Debbie Dingell, one of the final lawmakers to go, was miffed at some of what Zuckerberg couldn't answer, mentioning how he didn't know how many Facebook 'like' buttons were on the internet, and also didn't know what lawmakers meant when they referred to Facebook 'shadow profiles,' a term used in the media to describe the social network's now confirmed practice of collecting data on non-users.

While Zuckerberg said he had never heard of the term 'shadow profiles,' he did admit to Rep. Ben Ray Lujan that Facebook collected information on non-users.

'In general we collect data on people who are not signed up for Facebook for security purposes,' Zuckerberg said, explaining that the practice is supposed to prevent malicious actors from collecting the public-facing aspects of users' Facebook profiles, such as their names.

'We need to know when somebody is trying to repeatedly access our services,' Zuckerberg said.

Lujan took issue with the practice because non-users currently had to sign up for Facebook if they wanted to see what data of theirs the social network collected.

'You've said everyone controls their data, by you're collecting data on people that are not even Facebook users who have never signed a consent, a privacy agreement,' Lujan said, encouraging Zuckerberg to fix the problem.

ZUCKERBERG SAYS HIS OWN PERSONAL DATA WAS IMPROPERLY SHARED

During the five-hour hearing, the Facebook CEO revealed that his own personal data had been included when 87 million or so Facebook users had their data improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

'Yes,' he answered when asked by Rep. Anna Eshoo, a California Democrat, whether his data was included in the data sold to malicious third parties. 'Your personal data?' Eshoo clarified.

Throughout the hearings, Zuckerberg pushed back on the insinuation that Facebook users didn't have control of their data.

'Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there,' Zuckerberg argued. 'Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there.'

Rep. Michael Burgess also shared the cartoon on Twitter explaining that 'consumers should have the tools and resources they need to understand how to protect their own data'

In one of the odder moments of the day, Rep. Michael Burgess made a point to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (left) using a Dilbert cartoon about 'terms and conditions'

Beyond the chatter about Diamond and Silk, the hearing produced another odd moment, when a member of Congress shared a Dilbert cartoon to make a point.

CONGRESSMAN BRINGS DILBERT CARTOON TO FACEBOOK HEARING

Rep. Michael Burgess, a Texas Republican, brought the vintage cartoon along with him to make a point about Facebook's 'terms and conditions.'

'I consulted my technology consultant Scott Adams, in the form of Dilbert,' Burgess said.

The cartoon strip shows Dilbert telling Dogbert, 'I didn't read all of my shrink-wrap license agreement on my new software until after I opened it. Apparently I agreed to spend the rest as a towel boy in Bill Gates' new mansion.'

'Call your lawyer,' recommends the small white cartoon dog.

'Too late, he opened software yesterday. Now he's Bill's laundry boy,' Dilbert responded, referencing Microsoft's CEO.

Burgess' broader point, which he articulated in a tweet, is that too few Americans read the 'terms and conditions,' adding that 'consumers should have the tools and resources they need to understand how to protect their own data.'

ZUCKERBERG ASKED ABOUT FACEBOOK PREDECESSOR 'FACEMASH'

Long, who had also brought the enlarged photo of Diamond and Silk, provided another colorful moment at the hearing when he brought up Zuckerberg's earlier creation 'Facemash.'

Long wanted to know if 'Facemash' was still up and running.

'No, congressman. Facemash was a prank website that I launched in college, in my dorm room, before I started Facebook,' Zuckerberg replied.

'There was a movie about this, it says it was about this, of unclear truth, and the claim that Facemash was somehow connected to the development of Facebook, it isn't, it wasn't,' the CEO continued, referencing the 2010 movie, 'The Social Network.'

Zuckerberg explained that he created that website in 2003. 'It actually has nothing do to with Facebook,' he said.

'And you put up pictures of women and decide which one was the better, the more attractive of the two, is that right?' Long asked.

Zuckerberg said that was right.

'Congressman, that is an accurate description of the prank website that I made when I was sophomore in college,' the CEO said, as Long made comments about the website's beginnings.
A school groundskeeper accused of raping a 16-year-old girl has now been charged with murdering her while free on a $100,000 cash bond to prevent her from testifying at his trial.

Quinn James, 42, of Wyoming, is suspected of kidnapping Mujey Dumbuya, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, while she was on her way to school before strangling her and dumping the body in woodland.

The habitual criminal was charged on Wednesday with first-degree murder while his alleged accomplice, Gerald Bennett, 58, faces a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

Quinn James, 42, of Wyoming, (pictured right in an undated mug shot) is suspected of kidnapping Mujey Dumbuya, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, (pictured left, updated) while she was on her way to school before strangling her and dumping the body in woodland

James' alleged accomplice, Gerald Bennett, 58, (pictured at Kent County Courthouse on March 28) faces a charge of conspiracy to commit murder

James was accused of raping the then 15-year-old in a school parking lot last summer while a groundskeeper for East Kentwood Public Schools, where she was a student.

Dumbuya, who was due to testify at James' trial in April, went missing on January 24 after she failed to catch the school bus.

Her partially clothed body was found four days later in Kalamazoo woods, about 50 miles from where she lived in Grand Rapids, and the cause of death listed as 'asphyxia, including strangulation'.

Police said James contacted Bennett through someone in Detroit after asking for help to kill Dumbuya and dump her body.

The men plotted the murder together and Bennett received a vehicle as payment, according to investigators, who released few specific details about the killing.

Kentwood District Judge William Kelly had wide discretion to set the amount of James' bond over the third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge for the attack on Dumbuya.

Dumbuya's mother, Fatmata Corneh, left, is comforted by Mujey's aunt, Jainya Sannoh, as they listen to testimony during a hearing for Quinn James at Kentwood District Court on March 21

Dumbuya, who was due to testify at James' trial in April, went missing on January 24 after she failed to catch the school bus. She is pictured in an undated handout photo (left) and an image from Facebook

James, left, sits with his defense attorney Jonathan Schildgen, right, during a hearing in Kentwood on March 21

Authorities picked him up on February 1 on an unrelated 2014 sexual assault charge and the bond in the case involving Dumbuya was increased to $250,000 after she died.

'When I set the $100,000 bond, Dumbuya was alive,' Kelly said last month.

Becker said on Wednesday that the bond appeared appropriate to him at the time, given the charge.

'$100,000 is not an insignificant amount - it was a substantial cash bond that Kelly put out,' Becker said. 'He posted bond - it happens.'

James is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, rape and other crimes.

His attorney, Jonathan Schildgen, say his client didn't kill Mujey or sexually assault her.

Both James and Bennett are in jail waiting arraignments.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, left, announces Quinn James , right, has been charged over Dumbuya's death in January

James was employed by East Kentwood Public Schools in 2011 despite an extensive criminal career that included convictions for armed robbery and possession of a weapon as a prisoner.

The school insisted they did not have access his criminal record as a juvenile.

Another man, Daren Eckford, 50, of Detroit, was charged with perjury after lying to police about his communication with James and Bennett.

Bennet was arrested in March and charged with perjury over the case, as was James' fiancee Tiara Burnett, who has since been released on a $50,000 bond.
Here is a full list of the homicide investigations carried out by the Metropolitan Police this year. The spelling of victims' names have been taken from a police database so may differ to those released on social media.

JANUARY - 11 deaths

31 December, Kyall Parnell, 17: Stabbed to death in Lambeth (but death recorded by police on 1 January)

1 January, Steve Frank Narvaez-Arias, 20: Stabbed in the chest on New Year's Day at a flat party in a council estate off Old Street in Islington, north London. After moving to the UK from Ecuador, the 20-year-old was reading physics and aerospace at Hertfordshire University and hoped to become a pilot

3 January, Elizabeta Lacatusu, 44: Found bleeding to death on Norfolk Road, in Ilford, after she had her throat slashed. She worked at a restaurant in the east London town and was returning home when she was stabbed to death

6 January, Vijay Patel, 49: Mr Patel was beaten to death in Barnet

8 January, Daniel Frederick, 34: Daniel was killed metres from his home in Hackney after attending a hospital appointment for his pregnant partner

9 January, Dami Odeyingbo, 18: Stabbed in Bromley

11 January, Harry Uzoka, 25: Harry, who was on the books of Premier Model Management and had modelled for brands including Mercedes and Zara - was stabbed in Shepherd's Bush. Neighbours reported a shout of 'hand it over' in the melee which involved several men

24 January, Seyed Azim Khan, age unknown: Died from a head injury in Redbridge

28 January, Yaya Mbye, 26: Stabbed in Hackney

31 January, Lily-Mai Saint George, one: One-year-old Lily-Mai was found dead in Haringey. The Met Police say her cause of death remains unknown

31 January, Khader Saleh, 25: The 25-year-old was stabbed in the Hammersmith and Fulham area

Police launched their first murder investigation of the year after Kyall Parnell, 17, (left) was stabbed to death in Lambeth on December 31. Right, Steve Frank Narvaez-Arias, 20, was stabbed in the chest on New Year's Day at a flat party in a council estate off Old Street in Islington, north London. After moving to the UK from Ecuador, the 20-year-old was reading physics and aerospace at Hertfordshire University and hoped to become a pilot

Harry Uzoka, 25, was on the books of Premier Model Management and had modelled for brands including Mercedes and Zara. He was stabbed in Shepherd's Bush. Neighbours reported a shout of 'hand it over' in the melee which involved several men

Yaya Mbye, 26, was stabbed in Hackney on January 28 (left). Right, Daniel Frederick, 34, was killed metres from his home in Hackney after attending a hospital appointment for his pregnant partner on January 8

On the 6th of January, 49-year-old Vijay Patel was beaten to death in Barnet

Khader Saleh, 25, (left) was stabbed in the Hammersmith and Fulham area on January 31. Right, Dami Odeyingbo, 18, was stabbed in Bromley on January 9

Elizabeta Lacatusu, 44, was found bleeding to death on Norfolk Road, in Ilford, after she had her throat slashed on January 3

FEBRUARY - 16 deaths

3 February, Kwabena Nelson, 22: Ambushed in Tottenham in the early hours where he was fatally stabbed

3 February, Hasan Ozkan, 19: Stabbed to death in Abbey Road, Barking

5 February, Juan Olmos Saca: Died in hospital after being stabbed in Peckham

8 February, Hannah Leonard, 55: Fatally stabbed in Brays Tower, Primrose Hill

11 February, Sabri Chibani, 19: Stabbed in Streatham Common

12 February, Bulent Kabala, 41: The taxi driver was shot dead in a 'targeted hit' on a roundabout in Barnet

13 February, Saeeda Hussain, 54: Found with critical injuries at an address in Ilford and pronounced dead at the scene

14 February, Promise Nkenda, 17: Fatally stabbed in Newham, east London

15 February, Mark Smith, 48: Mr Smith was found injured in Chingford, and died shortly afterwards

17 February, Lewis Blackman, 19: Lewis, who grew up on the Peckwater estate in Kentish Town, was killed in Kensington. Witnesses told how a gang of about eight youths, some armed with sticks, shouted 'let's chase him down', before he was stabbed

17 February, Josef Boci, 30: Jozef was beaten up in the street in Greenwich and died in hospital

19 February, Rotimi Oshibanjo, 26: Rotimi was fatally stabbed inside a property in the Halliday Square housing estate

20 February, Sadiq Mohamed, 20: The aspiring accountant was found with serious stab wounds in Malden Road, in Belsize Park

20 February, Abdikarim Hassan, 17: Abdikarim died in the street after being attacked in Camden

20 February, name unknown, 24: Shot in Westminster

25 February, Michael Boyle, 44: Stabbed in Southwark. Mr Boyle, from Galashiels, Scotland died of multiple organ failure after being stabbed at a property in Southwark. He was found on February 25 but died on March 10

Seyed Khan, 49, who was found dead in London at the beginning of the month - on February 1

Youth worker Kwabena Nelson (left), 22, who was stabbed to death in Tottenham and Hasan Ozcan who was fatally knifed - both on February 3

Hannah Leonard, who was 55, was found dead on February 9 in a flat in Camden, North London

Italian teenager Sabri Chibani, 19, was stabbed to death in south London on February 11, just weeks after moving to the capital to find work

Murder victim Bulent Kabala (left) was shot dead in targeted hit in Barnet on February 12, while Lewis Blackman (right), 19, was stabbed to death after a party in Kensington, west London, on February 18

Promise Nkenda, pictured here, was stabbed to death on Valentine's Day, February 14

Rotimi Oshibanjo, 26, pictured left, was killed on February 19 after he was knifed, and Adbikarim Hassan, 17, pictured right, was stabbed to death a day later on February 20

Sadiq Mohamed, 20, pictured here, was stabbed to death on February 20 in a spate of deadly crimes in the capital

Jozef Boci, 30, was assaulted on February 23, making him the final murder victim of the month

MARCH - 22 deaths

1 March, Christopher Beaumont, 42: Stabbed in Hammersmith and Fulham

5 March, Kelva Smith, 20: Found stabbed in South Norwood, Croydon and pronounced dead at the scene

5 March, Laura Cecilia Navarrete De Figueira, 47: Police launched a murder investigation after Laura Cecilia Navarrete De Figueira was found with stab wounds at her home in Twickenham. An hour earlier the body of her husband Figueira de Faria and the bodies of Claudio, 10, and Joaquin, seven, were discovered at Birling Gap, in Eastbourne, East Sussex. (Scotland Yard is investigating all the deaths, so included the two children in its London total)

8 March, Kelvin Odunuyi, 19: Shot in Haringey

12 March, Julian Joseph, 36: Murdered in Lewisham, cause of death as yet unknown

13 March, Nikolay Glushkov, 68: Russian businessman was found dead in his home in New Malden. He died from compression to the neck

14 March, Lyndon Davis, 18: The youngest to have been killed in March, was found suffering from a single stab wound in Chadwell Heath, east London

14 March, Joseph Williams-Torres, 20: Killed as he sat in a stationary car in Essex Close, Walthamstow

16 March, Naomi Hersi, 36: Stabbed in Hounslow. Hersi, who lived as a trans woman called Naomi, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found with knife injuries in Hounslow

17 March, Russell Jones, 23: Ambushed outside shops near Ponders End station, in Enfield and stabbed and shot to death

18 March, Tyrone Silcott, 42: The father-of-two died from knife wounds after a St Patrick's Day party. It is alleged the car mechanic got into a row over two girls at a party in Homerton and was attacked

19 March, Balbir Johal, 48: Died after being stabbed in Southall

19 March, Jermaine Johnson, 41: Found with stab injuries and pronounced dead at the scene in Walthamstow

20 March, Beniamin Pieknyi, 20: Believed to have jumped in to the fight in a bid to save his friend during the altercation at the Stratford Centre in east London. The 20-year-old, who only arrived in Britain two months ago from Romania, died in his best friend's arms after being chased and stabbed by a gang in the busy shopping centre

25 March, Abraham Badru, 26: Gunned down in Hackney. The university graduate, who was murdered in Dalston, east London, was awarded the National Police Bravery Award in July 2009

25 March, awaiting formal ID, 59: Person found dead in Barking & Dagenham

26 March, David Potter, 50: Found stabbed to death in a property on Tooting High Street

29 March, Reece Tshoma, 23: Reece, from Barking in east London, was stabbed in the neck in Greenwich before being rushed to hospital by his friend where he died

30 March, Leyla Mtumwa, 36: Leyla was found dead with stab wounds to the neck and chest at an address in Haringey

31 March: awaiting formal ID, 80: A woman dies in hospital after an incident in Camden. Harry Goodwin-Sims, 29, was charged with manslaughter.

Reece Tshoma, 23, from Barking in east London, was stabbed in the neck in Greenwich before being rushed to hospital by his friend where he died. Right, Nikolay Glushkov, 68, was found dead in his home in New Malden. He died from compression to the neck

Balbir Johal, 48: Died after being stabbed in Southall on March 19

Left, Leyla Mtumwa, 36, was found dead with stab wounds to the neck and chest at an address in Haringey. Right, Kelva Smith, 20, stabbed in South Norwood, Croydon and pronounced dead at the scene

Julian Joseph, 36, was murdered in Lewisham on the 12th of March. His cause of death is as yet unknown. Right, Kelvin Odunuyi, 19, was shot in Haringey

Left, Jermaine Johnson, 41, was found with stab injuries and pronounced dead at the scene in Walthamstow. Right, Tyrone Silcott, 42, died from knife wounds after a St Patrick's Day party

Lyndon Davis (left), 18, the youngest to have been named in March, was found suffering from a single stab wound in Chadwell Heath, east London on March 14. Joseph Williams-Torres (right), 20, was killed the same evening as he sat in a stationary car in Essex Close, Walthamstow

Abraham Badru, 26: Gunned down in Hackney. The university graduate, who was murdered in Dalston, east London, on Sunday, was awarded the National Police Bravery Award in July 2009

Hersi Hersi (left), who lived as a trans woman called Naomi, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found with knife injuries at Heathrow Palace in Hounslow. Russell Jones, 23, became the eighth person in a week to be killed in London when he was ambushed outside shops near Ponders End station, Enfield

Romanian Beniamin Pieknyi, 20, (pictured) is believed to have jumped in to the fight in a bid to save his friend during the altercation at the Stratford Centre in east London

APRIL - Six deaths

April 1, Devoy Stapleton: Stabbed at as he made his way home from a night out in Wandsworth. Police found him in a pool of his own blood after being called to the middle-class suburb of Earlsfield, south west London

April 2: Tanesha Melbourne, 17: Tanesha was gunned down near her home in Tottenham, north London in front of horrified friends and family. It is thought she was caught in the crossfire of a ruthless gang war

April 2: Amaan Shakoor, 16: The teenager was shot in the face in Walthamstow, north London, and police have now confirmed he died from his injuries in hospital

4 April, unnamed victim, 38: Police called by a homeowner to reports of a burglary in progress at an address in Lewisham. The 78-year-old resident found two males inside the address. A struggle ensued between one of the males and the homeowner. The man, aged 38, sustained a stab wound to the upper body and died in hospital three hours later

4 April, A victim in his 20s: Killed after being stabbed in Hackney, east London

4 April, A man in his 50s: Died following a fight outside a bookmakers in Clapton. Officers were called at 4.27pm to the Betfred store after receiving reports of a man who was unconscious in the street. He was involved in an 'altercation' with another man who left the scene

Devoy Stapleton was stabbed at 1am on Sunday as he made his way home from a night out in Wandsworth, becoming London's twelfth murder victim in three weeks

Tanesha was gunned down near her home in Tottenham, north London in front of horrified friends and family
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China's massive new fully-automated port terminal in Shanghai has opened and will soon ship up to 136 million tonnes around the world every year.

Stage four of the Yangshan Deep Water Port began trial operations on Sunday after years of construction and development, and 1.37 billion, aimed at increasing China's trade dominance.

Once fully operational the new terminal will be able to move 6.3 million standard 20-foot shipping containers a year, with the whole 8.5 billion port handling more than 40 million a year - most in the world.

China's massive new fully-automated port terminal in Shanghai has opened and will soon ship up to 136 million tonnes around the world every year

Stage four of the Yangshan Deep Water Port began trial operations on Sunday after years of construction and development, and 1.37 billion, aimed at increasing China's trade dominance.

The giant new addition covers 2.23 million square metres and has a 2,350-metre shoreline south of Donghai Bridge, which was built to service the port.

Automation of nearly all the terminal's functions slashes labor cost by 70 percent and boosts handling efficiency by 50 percent.

Instead of an army of workers, the job will be done by 26 bridge cranes, 130 auto-guided vehicles, and 120 rail-mounted gantry cranes controlled for afar.

'The automated terminal not only increases the port's handling efficiency, but also reduces carbon emissions by up to 10 per cent,' Chen Wuyuan, president of Shanghai International Port Group, told Chinese state media.

Port worker Huang Hua, 36, drove cranes for 13 years but now sits in a control room monitoring operations, which he says is far better.

The giant new addition covers 2.23 million square metres and has a 2,350-metre shoreline south of Donghai Bridge, which was built to service the port

Automation of nearly all the terminal's functions slashes labor cost by 70 percent and boosted handling efficiency by 50 percent

Photos of the port terminal as it geared up to begin operations show a sea of containers every colour of rainbow stretching as far as the eye can see

Numerous red cranes towered over them ready to grab and swing each load on to ships bound for every corner of the planet

'At a conventional port, I would work with a hand shank all day, repeating the same motion 12 hours a day, four days a week. I used to have lots of neck problems,' he said in a Chinese government release.

'Now the task is less physically challenging, but also much more complex.'

Photos of the port terminal as it geared up to begin operations show a sea of containers every colour of rainbow stretching as far as the eye can see.

Numerous red cranes towered over them ready to grab and swing each load on to ships bound for every corner of the planet.

Giant ports like Shanghai helped China pass the U.S. as the world's biggest trader in 2012, as the total value of it imports and exports hit 2.45 trillion  edging past the 2.44 trillion trade registered by the U.S.
Yulia Skripal, 33, was found critically ill on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on March 4

The daughter of a former Russian spy poisoned in Britain deleted online family photos 'so no other loved ones could be tracked down', a friend has revealed.

Yulia Skripal, 33, the daughter of ex-spy Sergei Skripal, 66, has only just been released from hospital after being found critically ill alongside him on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on March 4.

Her best friend Irina Petrova said she was surprised to hear Miss Skripal was in England without telling her, because she usually told her when she went abroad.

She added that Miss Skripal, her best friend of 27 years, did not tell her when her mother or brother died in a series of family tragedies.

Miss Skripal's mother Liudmila died in 2012 aged 60, one year after she and Mr Skripal had bought a semi-detached home in Salisbury.

Then four years later her brother Alexander, 43, also died in St Petersburg  but there have been conflicting reports over the circumstances of their deaths.

Ms Petrova told Grazia magazine: 'Year after year, everybody was dead. It was so quick. I found out from my mother, who bumped into Yulia in the street in Moscow.

Her best friend Irina Petrova (pictured in Grazia) said she was surprised to hear Miss Skripal was in England without telling her, because she usually told her when she went abroad

'I asked what happened and she told me it was cancer. After the mysterious death of her brother, I was shocked. He was a big, healthy guy.

'After that she deleted all photos with relatives from her social media  maybe so no other loved ones could be tracked down. She used to post a lot of photos of her brother and her father.'

She added that Miss Skripal might have deliberately held off having children, saying: 'She loved kids, but it's a difficult life. If you look at what's happened, she couldn't predict anything.'

Ms Petrova also told how her best friend was often home alone in Moscow because her boyfriend worked night shifts in what she describes as 'a special government organisation'.

She said she did not know him and he does not have a social media presence, adding: 'Because of his job he isn't allowed to travel abroad.'

Miss Skripal, the daughter of ex-spy Sergei Skripal (pictured together) has only just been released from hospital after being found critically ill alongside him in Salisbury last month

Miss Skripal's mysterious fiance was named for the first time last week as Stepan Vikeev, 30, but he has had no contact with her or her family since the attack.

The friend also said that when she first heard about the Salisbury attack, she thought: 'This can't be Yulia. I didn't even know she was in England.'

Asked whether Miss Skripal would usually tell her when she made a trip abroad, she added: 'Yes, of course. She told me when she went to England for New Year in 2017. But I suppose she doesn't have to tell me about her every step.'

Miss Skripal hadn't worked at PepsiCo, the company she told her best friend she worked, at for more than a year. Ms Petrova said this was 'pretty strange', but admitted that her friend had been 'private' and 'an introvert'.

And speaking about her cousin Viktoria, who wants to take Miss Skripal home to Russia now, she said she found it strange, adding: 'Viktoria wasn't too close to Yulia.'

Police stand outside the home of former Russian spy Mr Skripal in Salisbury last month

Miss Skripal has told British authorities she does not wish to speak to Russian officials as she continues to recover from a nerve agent attack.

A diplomatic battle has been raging between the two nations over whether the Russian embassy should be allowed access to her.

Ms Skripal, found critically ill alongside her 66-year-old father on a bench last month, was discharged from a hospital in Salisbury this week.

It is believed that British authorities immediately took her away to a secure location.

The embassy reacted angrily to the news, suggesting in a series of tweets that the Russian national had been taken against her will.

However, it is understood that the offer of consular support from Russia was presented to Ms Skripal - and rejected.

Miss Skripal has told British authorities she does not wish to speak to Russian officials as she continues to recover from a nerve agent attack that was also carried out on her father

She is believed to have expressed no interest in talking to consular officials. Russia remains the prime suspect for carrying out the attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: 'We have previously passed on the Russian embassy's offer of consular support to Yulia.

'She is free to decide on whether she wishes to pursue that. To date, we understand she has not done so.'

The embassy remains perturbed by a refusal from UK authorities to grant Ms Skripal's cousin Viktoria a visa to visit her family.

It escalated the war of words on Tuesday, saying in a series of statements posted on social media: 'Secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation.'

Ms Skripal's release from hospital was met with a similar broadside from the embassy, which has repeatedly criticised the handling of the investigation into the attack.

Police stand next to a cordon in Salisbury following the poison plot in the city last month

In a statement, a spokesman said: 'We congratulate Yulia on her recovery. Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will.'

Continuing the onslaught of scepticism yesterday morning, it suggested reports Ms Skripal had turned down consular assistance actually revealed she is being 'held hostage by the same people who destroy evidence and fail to come up with a single official account of the crime'.

The full interview with Irina Petrova appears in this weeks Grazia, which is on sale now

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov previously said it was 'outrageous' that Britain had failed to provide consular access to Ms Skripal as news of her improving condition was announced earlier this month.

Her release from hospital was announced by Salisbury District Hospital medical director Dr Christine Blanshard yesterday.

She said: 'Both patients have responded exceptionally well to the treatment we've been providing. But, equally, both patients are at different stages in their recovery.

'I want to take this opportunity to wish Yulia well. This is not the end of her treatment but marks a significant milestone.'

She added: 'Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course.'

The former double agent was jailed in Russia for selling secrets to MI6 but was released as part of a spy swap deal in 2010 and settled in the UK.

It is hoped he will soon be fit for release from hospital, despite grave fears that the exposure to military-grade nerve agent Novichok on March 4 would prove fatal.

Britain has said that Russian state involvement is the only plausible explanation for the attack and has led a worldwide reaction involving the expulsion of more than 100 diplomats.

The full interview with Irina Petrova appears in this weeks Grazia, on sale now
A baby sitter has been charged after her brother's pitball dog attacked and killed a 13-month-old girl in her care at her southeast Missouri home.

Erica Jordan, 33, of Cape Girardeau, was charged last week with second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the death of Loxli Chavez.

She's free on bond. Court records don't list an attorney to speak on behalf of the 33-year-old and she doesn't have a listed phone number.

Erica Jordan, 33, of Cape Girardeau, was charged last week with second-degree involuntary manslaughter

The Southeast Missourian reports that a pit bull-mix belonging to Jordan's brother attacked Loxli March 9. Loxli died at a hospital.

Police Sgt. Darren Estes wrote in a probable cause statement that Jordan said the dog had also bitten her son but that she thought he had calmed down after being neutered.

Police say the dog has been impounded and will be euthanized.

Prosecutors allege that Jordan was criminally negligent in the incident that caused the babys death.

Second degree involuntary manslaughter is a class E felony, which police say carries a maximum sentence of four years. If convicted, Jordan would be eligible for probation or parole, wpsdlocal6.com reported.

Police say Jordan was arrested and later posted the $5,000 surety bond set by Judge Benjamin Lewis.

As a condition of her bond, she cannot have any children in her care or home other than her biological children.
Hospital staff took the unprecedented decision to marry a man and woman just an hour before the birth of their baby.

Alex and Jakob Cockriel got hitched at the Providence St. Peter Hospital in Washington after their earlier plans for a wedding were interrupted.

The couple had planned to get married in a civil ceremony at the Thurston County Courthouse on March 20 - as they knew their baby was due a week later.

Alex and Jakob Cockriel were married just one hour before their baby was born at the Providence St. Peter Hospital in Washington

Previously, the couple had planned their marriage in a civil ceremony, but they decided to get married in very different circumstances when Alex's waters suddenly broke

But their plans changed rapidly when Alex's waters suddenly broke, King 5 reported.

After the pair were rushed to hospital they were told by one of the nurses they could marry there instead.

'One of the nurses came in and said 'I just got ordained online. I can marry you guys,' said Alex.

Newly-ordained delivery nurse Saisha Rebelez remembered her mother getting ordained online to officiate a wedding.

Nurse Saisha Rebelez married the couple in hospital, and said: 'To marry someone is extra special'

The nurses were able to offer the ceremony after one of their number got ordained online

'We Googled some vows online and performed a marriage,' said Rebelez, 'A birthday party is always a good day but to marry someone is extra special.'

'Nothing we have ever done in our relationship has been traditional,' said Alex Cockriel.

'Next thing I know they come in with a veil and flowers, and somebody brought cake,' said Alex. 'There was a whole room full of people, they're like 'Hey, let's go!'

The new mom doesnt mind sharing her anniversary with his birthday. She says the wedding was much more memorable than originally planned.

'I would so much rather do that over again than get married at the courthouse,' she said.
A Russian sex guru and his escort girlfriend who claims to have proof of Russian meddling in the election of Donald Trump have been hit with further charges over their Thai sex workshop operation.

Thai police have charged Anastasia Vashukevich, 21, and her boyfriend Alexander Kirillov with soliciting and conspiracy, which combined carry a prison sentence of 17 years.

They are already in jail after their arrests in February for illegally holding sex workshops for tourists in the Thai resort of Pattaya.

Desperate to be freed, they believe their 'proof' of Russian involvement in Trump's election campaign could be their ticket out of jail.

Vashukevich, who also goes by the name of Nastya Rybka, has attracted widespread attention after claiming to have recordings of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska discussing the country's interference in the US election.

She had an affair with Vladimir Putin's crony and spent time on his luxury yacht in 2016 where she claims she heard him having incriminating discussions with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko.

Thai police have charged Anastasia Vashukevich, 21, and her boyfriend Alexander Kirillov (pictured) with soliciting and conspiracy, which combined carry a prison sentence of 17 years

The couple (pictured) are already in jail after their arrests in February for illegally holding sex workshops for tourists in the Thai resort of Pattaya

Russian Billionaire Oleg Deripaska (pictured in blue) and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko (wearing dark green) were reportedly filmed by Rybka (pictured left) on Deripaska's private yacht in 2016

The 21-year-old is currently being held at an immigration detention centre in Thailand and has said she fears for her life and is desperate not to be expelled to Russia.

The couple were arrested with eight others for carrying out sex work without a permit, which is punishable by 10 years in prison under Thai law.

They were caught by police on February 25 in a hotel meeting room in the seaside resort city of Pattaya, which is notorious for its sex industry.

The workshops they organised were attended by about 40 Russian tourists, several of which were wearing T-shirts saying 'Sex animator' in English on them with an arrow pointing to the crotch.

Kirillov, also known as Alex Lesley, is believed to have run the workshops and was Vashukevich's mentor as well her boyfriend.

Three of the 10 arrested earlier this year have already received a suspended jail sentence of six months and been ordered to leave the country.

Desperate to be freed, the Belarusian pair (pictured) believe their 'proof' of Russian involvement in Trump's election campaign could be their ticket out of jail

Anastasia Vashukevich is pictured arriving at a Thai immigration detention centre

Vashukevich (pictured with Thai prison guard), who also goes by the name of Nastya Rybka, has attracted widespread attention after claiming to have recordings of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska discussing interference in the US election

The others will have to appear in court on April 17 to hear the new charges.

Vashukevich, a Belarusian, became the centre of a scandal in early February when Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny published an investigation drawing on her social media posts suggesting corrupt links between billionaire Deripaska and a top Kremlin official, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko.

The report featured video from Deripaska's yacht in 2016, when Vashukevich claims she was having an affair with him and allegedly recorded him talking about Russian interference in US politics.

Deripaska has been linked to Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager has been indicted on money laundering charges in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.

Deripaska is one of 24 Russian officials and tycoons faced with new sanctions imposed by the United States last month as Washington stepped up its condemnation of Russia's actions in recent years, including its 2014 annexation of Crimea, support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, hacking attacks and meddling in Western elections.

The metals tycoon controls a business empire with assets in aluminum, energy and construction and is worth $5.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
A man who killed his friend and mother this weekend before committing suicide allegedly sent his brother a mysterious electronic payment of $250 just before the murder spree - saying it was for 'damages'.

The bodies of Vi Lawhorn and Avery Gaines were found early Sunday morning at the home Vi shared with her 26-year-old son Casey in East Ridge, Tennessee.

Soon after the double murder, Casey took to Facebook and said that he planned to kill himself. His body was found the next day, about 300 miles away in Mississippi, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Casey Lawhorn, left, sent his brother Chad, right, $250 on Venmo before killing their mom, a friend and them himself. He said the payment was for 'damages'

Chad, right, said he knew something was up, so rushed to the home that his brother shared with their mom, center. When he got there, his mother was dead and Casey was on the run

In an interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday, Casey's brother Chad revealed how he received a strange Venmo payment from his younger brother just before the double-murder suicide.

Chad said he was up making food at his home in Nashville around 3am when he got the $250 payment from his brother, with a description that said it was for 'damages'.

Chad says he feared that his brother was trying to kill himself, since he had tried before.

So he got in his car and sped to East Ridge where his brother and mom shared a house. Along the way, he kept calling both of their phones but neither picked up.

When he arrived at the home about two hours later, he found it surrounded by cops, who told him that his mother's body and that of one of Casey's friends were found shot to death inside.

Casey, left, was found dead the next day in Mississippi from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Chad, right, says his brother had tried to commit suicide twice before

They said Casey called 911 soon after to tell them what he had done and that he planned to commit suicide.

Casey went on the run after the first two murders, but then killed himself when his car broke down 300 miles away in Vossburg, Mississippi. It was from the side of the road that Casey wrote his Facebook screed. His car was found there Sunday night, and investigators found his body about 100 yards away the following morning.

'I think I'm still in shock. People keep asking me how I'm feeling. . . . In my head, I don't know what I feel. I don't know how to feel. I don't know what I need to do, and I don't know what I need other people to do for me. . . . I feel myself drifting off,' his brother told the Washington Post.

Chad said that his brother struggled with severe depression, and had previously stayed in a mental health facility.

Before killing himself, Casey wrote this long Facebook screed about why he killed his mom and friend

Casey's vehicle was found abandoned on the side of the road in Vossburg, Mississippi Sunday evening. His body was found the next day about 100 yards from the vehicle

He said Casey tired to commit suicide twice before. Once in college, by taking Percocet pills and alcohol, and last year, by injecting himself with heroin.

Between both attempts, Chad said his brother wondered if the reason he was still alive was because he didn't have a gun. Chad said he imagines his brother got a gun because he didn't want to fail to kill himself again.

Chad, who works as an independent political consultant, says he believes in gun control, and that his brother shared his beliefs.

'No one ever said he was a harm to anybody else. No mental-health professional ever indicated any of that,' he said.

Casey killed his mom Vi, left, and friend Avery Gaines, right, early Sunday morning

After his first suicide attempt, Casey dropped out of Middle Tennessee State University, which the two brothers both attended, and moved in with their mom.

He started working various jobs but grew bitter at the outcome of his life, his brother said.

'I know he'd been frustrated lately. He'd been unemployed. There's some tension with that. My mom was pushing him to get a job,' Chad Lawhorn said. 'She was always super worried about him after the last two attempts. She couldn't process the prospect of losing her baby.'

Chad said he tried to distract his brother by going to see Marvel and Star Wars movies together, and taking regular trips.

In his Facebook post, Casey apologized to his brother for the impact the murder suicide would have on his life.

'I'm sorry to him more than anyone,' he said.

Chad said he doesn't recognize the person who wrote the message.

'That was not who I grew up with and who I talked to on a daily basis,' he said. 'He took my mom and my brother from me.'

The home where the duo where shot dead is seen above, sealed off on the left
Qiong Ba the giraffe was enjoying a luxurious pamper given by the carers from a zoo in east China

Mobile phone footage captured Qiong Ba having her food served while zookeepers trimmed its overgrown hooves.

A giraffe's trimming session could take up to half an hour, according to the zoo manager.

Carers are giving Qiong Ba the giraffe a pedicure treatment to trim the overgrown hooves (left). Qiong Ba is an adult giraffe staying in Shanghai Zoo of east China (right)

Video taken at Shanghai Zoo shows one worker feeding the adult giraffe honeysuckle while another man using a giant 'nail' file to work on her hooves.

Mr Sha, manager of Shanghai Zoo, told Pear Video that Qiong Ba's grooves grew fast because of lack of activity.

'Qiong Ba is quite old, she is like a middle-aged woman now. We are giving Qiong Ba her favourite honeysuckle to distract her while we are trimming her hooves,' said Mr Sha.

Mr Sha added that overgrown hooves could affect a giraffe's movement in the enclosure.

Qiong Ba was trained to stand still when the workers gave her a 'pedicure' treatment.

Workers were trained to trim the giraffe's hooves to a certain length (left), as well as to learn how to protect themselves from being attacked by the animal (right)

One worker can be seen feeding honeysuckle to the giraffe as a distraction (left). Another worker uses a giant 'nail' file to remove the overgrown hooves (right)

'When she gets used to standing, she would not get scared easily,' explained Mr Sha.

The giraffe had her hooves trimmed every four to five months and it could take up to half an hour to trim all hooves.

The manager said all workers received proper training on trimming animals' hooves, including the length of the trim and worker's self-protection.

'If the worker over-trimmed the hooves, the giraffe could be bleeding in the feet,' Mr Sha said.
Culture Secretary Matt Hancock today hauled in Facebook executives to warn them the social network is 'not above law'

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock today hauled in Facebook executives to warn them the social network is 'not above law'.

Mr Hancock told US-based Vice President of Global Policy Management Monika Bickert, and Global Deputy Chief Privacy Officer Stephen Deadman he would hold 'their feet to the fire' over the privacy of British users.

The Whitehall summit comes in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal and coincided with Mark Zuckerberg's second day of evidence to the US Congress.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said pressed Facebook on accountability, transparency, micro-targeting and data protection.

He also sought assurances that UK citizens data was no longer at risk and that Facebook would be giving citizens more control over their data going forward.

Mr Hancock has outlined new laws that will allow social media users to transfer their data wholesale to a new platform.

Following the talks, Mr Hancock said: 'Social media companies are not above the law and will not be allowed to shirk their responsibilities to our citizens.

'We will do what is needed to ensure that people's data is protected and don't rule anything out - that includes further regulation in the future.'

Facebook stocks rose 4.5 per cent yesterday following Mr Zuckerberg's testimony in Washington.

The Whitehall summit comes in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal and coincided with Mark Zuckerberg's second day of evidence to the US Congress (pictured)

Speaking to the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, the tech entrepreneur apologised that Facebook had not taken a 'broad enough view' of its responsibility for people's public information.

'It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here,' he said, in words from a prepared statement.

Mr Zuckerberg said its audit of third-party apps would highlight any misuse of personal information, and said the company would alert users instantly if it 'found anything suspicious'.

When asked why the company did not immediately alert the 87 million users whose data may have been accessed by Cambridge Analytica (CA) when first told about the 'improper' usage in 2015, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook considered it a 'closed case' after CA said it had deleted it.

'In retrospect it was clearly a mistake to believe them,' he said.

CA insists it deleted the data harvested by Professor Aleksandr Kogan's personality quiz app as soon as it was informed it breached Facebook's terms of use.
Twitter has mercilessly mocked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the senior senators who have grilled him for a second day on Capitol Hill over the data harvesting scandal.

Several of the memes took aim at Zuckerberg's decision to sit on a thick black cushion boost as he answered numerous questions about the 87 million Facebook users whose data was improperly shared with political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.

Twitter users also took aim at the senators, who were questioning Zuckerberg, with some pretty unbelievable questions.

'Mr. Zuckerberg, I have just one question about Facebook: Where do I find my Hotmail?' one user tweeted with a photo of Zuckerberg and Sen Chuck Grassley.

Twitter has mercilessly mocked Mark Zuckerberg as the Facebook CEO continues to be grilled by lawmakers for a second day on Capitol Hill over data harvesting scandal. Twitter users also took aim at the senators, who were questioning Zuckerberg, with some unbelievable questions

The tweets were mocking the numerous face-palm moments that included Senator Lindsey Graham asking Zuckerberg if Facebook had a monopoly followed by: 'Is Twitter the same as what you do?'

Probably the best moment of them all happened when Sen Grassley (left) asked if a floppy disk magazine giveaway was 'the same as Facebook'

Late Show host Stephen Colbert also chimed in on the Zuckerberg testimony. 'Almost feel bad for Zuckerberg. Theres no way he left that room full of old people without having to set up their wifi,' Colbert tweeted

Another tweeted: 'Mr. Zuckerberg, can you change Snapchat back? My granddaughter won't stop complaining about it. Also, what is a Snapchat?'

That tweet also featured a photo of Zuckerberg and Grassley.

The tweets were mocking the numerous face-palm moments that included Senator Lindsey Graham asking Zuckerberg if Facebook had a monopoly followed by: 'Is Twitter the same as what you do?'

Not to mention Senator Roger Wicker revealing he had no understanding of 'cookies' and probably the best one of them all happened when Sen Grassley asked if a floppy disk magazine giveaway was 'the same as Facebook'.

On Wednesday, Zuckerberg told lawmakers that his own personal data was included in the data that was sold to Cambridge Analytica.

'Yes,' he answered when asked by Rep Anna Eshoo, a California Democrat, whether his data was included in the data sold to malicious third parties. 'Your personal data?' Eshoo clarified.

Some users likened Zuckerberg's responses to those of a robot

Several of the memes took aim at Zuckerberg's decision to sit on a thick black cushion-y boost as he answered numerous questions about the 87 million or so Facebook users whose data was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica

But he pushed back on suggestions from the members of the House of Representatives that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook in the wake of the privacy scandal at the world's largest social media network.

'Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there,' he said.

'Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there,' the 33-year-old internet magnate told the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

On Tuesday, he took questions for nearly five hours in a US Senate hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance.

Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 per cent. They were down 0.7 per cent in early trading on Wednesday.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users' personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US President Donald Trump's election campaign among its clients.

Zuckerberg faced broad concerns from members of Congress about how Facebook shares user data.

A few users even tweeted memes that featured the face of Data, from Star Trek, photoshopped over Zuckerberg's

'How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?' asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce committee.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway US politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday's hearing expressing confidence in the social network.

'I don't want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will,' Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. 'A lot of that depends on you.'

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people's permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

'In principle, I think that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out,' Zuckerberg said.

No boost for Zuck: The Facebook CEO was back in a regular chair after he got an extra cushion on Tuesday when he appeared in front of the Senate joint committee
Four men could be charged with a hate crime after being accused of shouting anti-gay slurs while brutally beating a same-sex couple following Miami Beachs gay pride parade this weekend.

The suspects surrendered to police through their attorney on Tuesday afternoon, after surveillance video was released by the Miami Beach Police Department showing them punching Dmitry Logunov and his boyfriend, Rene Chalacra, in the face and knocking them to the ground.

The beating left the victims with multiple facial injuries, including cuts and bruises. Chalacra was briefly knocked out, an arrest report said.

Caught: These four men on Tuesday surrendered to police in connection to a Sunday attack on a gay couple in Miami Beach that followed the city's pride parade

Pablo Romo-Figueroa, 21 (left) and Adonis Diaz, 21 (right) are two of the suspects charged with aggravated battery

Luis Alonso-Piovet, 20 (left) and Juan Lopez, 21 (right) could be looking at additional hate crime charges, along with their alleged accomplices

The victims told investigators they were holding hands after leaving a public bathroom located at Ocean Drive and 6 Lummus Street North just before 7.50pm on Sunday when the men approached, calling them an anti-gay slur in Spanish and attacking them physically.

'They were calling us f*****,' said Logunov told CBS Miami.

Speaking to Local 10, Logunov added: 'I fell on the ground and somebody started beating me up. I didn't even see the faces. It was that quick. He [Chalacra] tried to protect me.'

A good Samaritan who tried to come to the victims' defense also was attacked and sustained a head injury, Miami Beach police said.

Helmut Muller Estrada tried to help the victims, according to the Miami Herald.

He told police he chased after the attackers and told them to wait for police to arrive, but they surrounded him and knocked him down before fleeing.

Vicious beating: The Miami Beach Police Department has released this CCTV video showing two gay men being beaten on Ocean Drive on Sunday

The victims said the four strangers attacked them after calling them an anti-gay slur in Spanish

Both men seen being pummeled in this screenshot suffered facial injuries, cuts and bruises

The incident took place after the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade on April 8 (pictured)

He was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center for treatment, which included getting four staples to close a wound on the back of his head.

Charged in the attack are Juan Carlos Lopez, 21; Luis M. Alonso Piovet, 20; Adonis Diaz, 21; and Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa.

They are charged with aggravated battery, but the charges could be enhanced under state law if they are classified as hate crimes. All four were released on Wednesday after posting bond.

On Tuesday evening, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle tweeted that the agencys 'Hate Crimes Unit will evaluate this incident thoroughly.' She said investigators are working with Miami Beach police.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said the attack 'was despicable to see and hear about, especially during a week when we celebrate our diversity.'

Dmitry Logunov (left) and his boyfriend, Rene Chalacra (right) say they were holding hands when they were attacked by the suspects on April 8
The getaway car used in the brazen assassination of former Comancheros boss Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi was stolen nine months earlier.

Detectives believe the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake was stashed in a storage unit or underground car park and sold for the hit.

Hawi, 37, was shot a dozen times in the head on February 15 in broad daylight as he sat in his car outside a Fitness First gym in Rockdale, Sydney.

The getaway car used in the brazen assassination of former Comancheros boss Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi (pictured) was stolen nine months earlier

Hawi was shot a dozen times in the head on February 15 in broad daylight as he sat in his car outside a Fitness First gym in Rockdale, Sydney (murder pictured)

Organised crime gangs pay car thieves a few thousand dollars to steal high-end cars, then sell them to hitmen or armed robbers for $20,000 to $30,000.

'High-performance vehicles are often stolen for immediate use by criminal groups, but they can also be stored for sale at a later date,' Detective Chief Inspector Steve Patton said.

'The vehicle was not sighted or involved in any other incidents between the time it was stolen and the day of the shooting.'

Chief Inspector Paton said the thief may have information that could help with convicting Hawi's killer and appealed for help finding him.

'It is likely the vehicle would have changed hands  possibly multiple times  so we'd like to hear from anyone who may have seen the vehicle during that time, whether in a carpark, secure building, or even at a storage facility.'

NSW Police revealed details of the terrifying carjacking about 2.45pm on on May 19, 2017, where the owner was threatened with a knife (right)

NSW Police revealed details of the terrifying carjacking about 2.45pm on on May 19, 2017, where the owner was threatened with a knife.

He was approached by a Middle Eastern man aged about 25 and 170 to 175cm tall in a car park in the western Sydney suburb of Fairfield East.

The thief brandished a knife and took the keys before driving off, the car never to be seen again until it was spotted outside the Fitness First gym where Hawi was shot.

It was found set alight on a nearby street a short time after a man wearing a balaclava was seen getting into it seconds after the murder.

Hawi rose to the top of the Comanchero aged just 22, and shot to prominence for his role in the infamous 2009 Sydney airport bikie brawl which left one man dead

Mourners carry Hawi's coffin aloft at his funeral at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney on February 22

A procession mourners, the lead one holding a photo of Hawi, walk the streets of Western Sydney at his funeral

Police believe the gunman lay in wait outside the gym in Rockdale before shooting Hawi a dozen times in the head as he sat in his own car.

CCTV captured the hitman, dressed all in black, firing at point blank range while leaning inside the car's window before sprinting to a getaway car.

Police arrested a 29-year-old man trying to leave the country less than 24 hours after Hawi's assassination.

A search of the man's home found a semi-automatic Desert Eagle handgun, but it was not the gun used to kill the ex-bikie boss.

Police believe the gunman lay in wait outside the gym in Rockdale before shooting Hawi, 37, a dozen times in the head as he sat in his own car

The car was found set alight on fire on a nearby street a short time after a man wearing a balaclava was seen getting into it seconds after the murder.

Masked men were seen running away from the car as it burned, moments after the hit several streets away

Police were still none the wiser as to why Hawi was killed. Theories include that he was caught up in in-fighting after refusing to re-join the Comanchero gang or that he was targeted by a rival group.

Hawi rose to the top of the Comanchero aged just 22, and shot to prominence for his role in the infamous 2009 Sydney airport bikie brawl which left one man dead.

His murder conviction over the death of Anthony Zervas in the brawl was sensationally overturned in 2014.

Hawi was released in 2015 after serving a three and a half year sentence for the downgraded charge of manslaughter.
Former House Speaker John Boehner says he has had a change of heart on marijuana and will promote its nationwide legalization.

Known as an avid cigarette smoker, the Ohio Republican has joined the advisory board of Acreage Holdings, a multistate cannabis company.

'Im joining the board of Acreage Holdings because my thinking on cannabis has evolved,' Boehner wrote in a Wednesday tweet. 'I'm convinced de-scheduling the drug is needed so we can do research, help our veterans, and reverse the opioid epidemic ravaging out communities.'

Former House Speaker John Boehner has joined the advisory board of Acreage Holdings, a multistate cannabis company

The company also announced that former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld has joined its advisory board.

'While we come at this issue from different perspectives and track records, we both believe the time has come for serious consideration of a shift in federal marijuana policy,' Weld and Boehner said in a joint statement.

The two ex-politicos noted how states have been able to experiment with marijuana laws under the protection of the 10th Amendment.

'During that period, those rights have lived somewhat in a state of conflict with federal policy,' the two former politicians pointed out.

Boehner and Weld noted how public perception of the drug has shifted, citing that 94 per cent of Americans currently favor some sort of access, especially due to its perceived medical benefits.

They also pointed out that among the 20 million U.S. veterans, 20 per cent reportedly use canabis 'to self-treat PTSD, chronic pain and other ailments,' according to a 2017 American Legion survey.

'Yet the VA does not allow its doctors to recommend its usage,' Boehner and Weld said.

In fact, the two former politicians said, cannabis products could be used in place of the 'harmful opioids that are ravishing out country,' pointing to veterans as a group that could again be helped.

Boehner's announcement was amplified by the fact that it came the same day as another big announcement from a House speaker, that House Speaker Paul Ryan had decided he wouldn't run for re-election, citing wanting to be better than a 'weekend dad.'

Boehner chimed in on that too, speaking to the Columbus Dispatch.

'He accepted the fact that he had to do this job and I think he did it well, but tax reform was always his baby and he got his job done,' Boehner said.

Speculating who would take Ryan's place, Boehner guessed his No. 2, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who played the same role for Ryan, would likely be the next speaker if the Republicans retain the House.

'I think Kevin McCarthy did a good job as majority leader for me and he's done a good job for Paul and clearly I think he's in the No. 1 spot,' Boehner said.
Dramatic footage of a helicopter airlifting a sick British tourist from a P&O cruise ship 130 miles from the Spanish coast has been released by local authorities.

The Maritime Safety and Rescue Society of Spain (Sasemar) dispatched the Helimer 401 helicopter after receiving notice that a cruise ship tourist had taken ill during the night 209 kilometres (130 miles) from the Galician city of A Coruna in north-west Spain.

The unnamed man, a British and Irish national, landed at the A Coruna Airport and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Dramatic footage shows the emergency action taken to remove an ill passenger off a cruise ship to get him to hospital

The airlift evacuation was advised by the cruise ship's doctor and wind conditions were suitable for a helicopter to be sent to the man's location.

According to local authorities, the doctor's call was made around 1.45am and the Helimer 401 was dispatched, reaching the Britannia cruise ship at around 3.30am. They arrived at the airport at 5.05am where he was then taken to hospital.

No further information on the man's condition and current state has been released at this time.

The Maritime Safety and Rescue Society of Spain (Sasemar) dispatched the Helimer 401 helicopter after receiving notice that a cruise ship tourist had taken ill during the night

The unnamed man, a British and Irish national, landed at the A Coruna Airport and was rushed to a nearby hospital

The Britannia is a cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet and is the largest of seven ships currently in service with the British and American company. It is also the P&O fleet's flagship.

Britannia has four pools including the Oasis Spa and a dedicated pool for teenagers.

The ship has a total of 1,837 cabins, 27 of those are single cabins and 64 are designated as suites.

P&O were approached for comment by MailOnline.
US President Donald Trump has warned Russia to 'get ready' for an attack on its ally Syria.

It comes after a gas attack in the war-torn country last Saturday was blamed on the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

President Trump tweeted: 'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'

Read the full story here.

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A Bulgarian man, 29-year-old Zhelyaz Andreev, has been charged in the US with exporting aircraft parts to Syria in violation of a US embargo, the Justice Department has said.

Kuwait Airways has stopped all flights to and from Beirut as of Thursday, citing a serious security warning from Cypriot authorities about flying near Lebanese airspace

Fars News agency in Iran has reported that an unknown number of 'British military men' have been captured in Syria after infiltrating 'in collaboration with terrorists and NATO forces'

Reuters reports that Prime Minister Theresa May has called an unscheduled cabinet meeting for tomorrow so she can update members on a 'fast-moving week' amid the Syria crisis

British submarines have been ordered to move within missile range of Syria in readiness for strikes against the Assad regime, The Daily Telegraph is reporting

British submarines have been ordered to move within missile range of Syria in readiness for strikes against the Assad regime. Pictured: HMS Astute leaving Barrow-in-Furness in 2009

The White House has said President Trump has not laid out a timetable on military action against Syria, but is considering a range of options - not all of which are military

The White House has said President Trump (pictured in the Oval Office today) has not laid out a timetable on military action against Syria, but is considering a range of options - not all of which are military

The UN Security Council will meet over the Syrian crisis tomorrow after Bolivia, a non-permanent member, requested talks

British Prime Minister Theresa May is ready to approve military action in Syria without seeking Parliament's approval, the BBC has reported

Russian ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said the attack was a 'staged event' faked by provocateurs working with the White Helmets, a rescue and aid first-responder group

The Syrian military has repositioned some of its air force to avoid damage caused by the promised American missiles, the US military explains

President Vladimir Putin urges Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to take no action that could destablise Syria

President Trump warns on Twitter that US-Russian relations are 'worse now' than they have 'ever been', including during the Cold War

Donald Trump today used Twitter to warn that a missile attack on Syria is imminent  hours after the Kremlin vowed to shoot down any rockets fired at the Assad regime in retaliation for last week's gas atrocity

Tuesday: Rival US and Russian resolutions to determine responsibility for the attack in Syria suffer defeats at the United Nations

Saturday: About 500 people - mostly women and children - are treated in hospital after a reported gas attack in Douma, a rebel-held suburb of Damascus
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Russia has vowed to shoot down any US missiles aimed at Syria using its lethal anti-aircraft system amid mounting tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime is protected by fearsome S-400 defence missiles in a 'ring of steel' around the country provided by the Kremlin.

The most advanced of Russia's terrifying S-400 systems is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives, according to Russia.

The S-400 was first deployed to Syria in 2015, and with its 248 mile range it is capable of providing an air cover umbrella across the majority of Syria. It is capable of shooting down up to 80 targets simultaneously and is said to be able to travel more than 10,000mph.

Russia is also hoping to sell the system to Iran and Turkey, and a successful demonstration against American hardware would only help sell the $400m per unit system.

Ring of steel: The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system (pictured), which has been in place in Syria for more than a year

Firepower: The S-400 is capable of shooting down up to 80 targets simultaneously and is said to be able to travel more than 10,000mph; Russia is also hoping to sell the system to Iran and Turkey, and a successful demonstration against American hardware would only help sell the $400m per unit system

THE RUSSIAN S-400 ANTI AIRCRAFT MISSILE: ITS VITAL STATISTICS Cost: $400m per launcher group (Eight launchers, 112 missiles, and a command unit) Missile Range: 248 miles Missile Speed: 11,000mph Simultaneously tracking: 80 targets Advertisement

Russia initially deployed the S-400s to its base in Syria to deter Turkey when the two nations were on the verge of conflict after a Turkish jet downed a Russian bomber on the Syrian border in November 2015.

Sources say it is likely any attack by the US, Britain and France on Syria would be carried out from a safe enough distance to avoid planes being shot down.

The S-400 is also deployed widely in Russia. When it was deployed a Kremlin spokesman said: 'The main task of the anti-aircraft missile troops of the Russian Aerospace Forces is air defense and protecting vital state, military, industry and energy facilities, as well as the Armed Forces troops and transport communications, from aerospace attacks.

Fears about the S-400 are rising after Moscow's ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, this morning said any US rockets fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

US President Donald Trump responded with an incendiary tweet warning that a strike on Syria was imminent and telling Moscow it 'shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'

He was referring to a horrifying poison gas attack blamed on Assad's forces that left 43 dead and hundreds of others injured in rebel-held Douma over the weekend.

Military might: Russia has demonstrated the power of its S-400 defence systems in videos showing rockets being fired off. The S-400 has been described as one of the most formidable air defence systems in the world today and is capable of shooting down fighter jets and missiles

Russia has claimed its own military experts have found no evidence of poisonous substances at the site of Assad's latest chemical attack - and insist the atrocity was faked by rescue volunteers.

The Kremlin's military said it had drawn the conclusion after taking samples from rebel-held Douma where 43 were killed by toxic gas on Saturday.

This afternoon, the Russian army accused the White Helmets civil defence organisation of staging the chemical outrage.

'Acting purely as a terrorist organisation, the odious "White Helmets" once again staged for the cameras a "chemical attack" on the civilians of Douma,' Lieutenant-General Viktor Poznikhir said at a briefing in Moscow.

He said doctors at a local hospital told Russian officers they had not treated any victims of purported attacks.

Earlier, the Kremlin's Foreign Ministry suggested the US plan to strike Syria could be a pretext to destroy evidence of an alleged chemical weapons attack, which Russia has said was a staged 'provocation' to justify Western intervention.

President Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning: 'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'

In response to Trump's tweet, Russia's foreign ministry said 'smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government'.

The last few hours have seen a dramatic ratcheting of tensions in the Middle East where Russian forces are propping up dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and American forces are backing some of his opponents.

Britain, France and the US are continuing to discuss possible strikes to punish Assad for the chemical attack on Saturday, in which 43 were killed and others left gasping for air and foaming at the mouth.

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer - armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles - underway in the eastern Mediterranean.

Amid rising tensions today, Moscow's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia had earlier pleaded with America not to strike and warned the US it will 'bear responsibility' for any 'illegal military adventure' it carries out. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged restraint this morning, saying countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilise the war-torn country.

This morning, the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria. It said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within the next three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

'Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area,' it said, referring to the designated airspace.

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer - armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles - underway in the eastern Mediterranean

Aviation regulators in countries including the US, UK, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace leading most carriers to avoid the area.

The only commercial flights above Syria as of 1:15 am GMT on Wednesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The Eurocontrol statement included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus.

The Nicosia flight information region named in the Eurocontrol statement on Tuesday covers the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters, according to a map on the agency's website. The same map did not designate any specific territory as being the 'Eastern Mediterranean' region.

Meanwhile, the US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, getting underway in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday after completing a port call in Cyprus.

The guided missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria following an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians.

Also, the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe.

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning and the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe

The Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier (file picture) and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe

The strike group will be accompanied by a German frigate FGS Hessen, a state-of-the-art vessel specialising in air defense which officials say is the only type of warship in the Western world with three kinds of surface-to-air missiles.

Its radar has a detection range of more than 200 nautical miles for air targets.

In the face of intense world outrage, the United Nations Security Council failed to agree a global response to the chemical attack on Tuesday, after Washington and Moscow opposed each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into poison gas use in the seven-year-old conflict.

President Trump has made it clear he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

But Russia has warned against action and this morning defence committee lawmaker Andrei Krasov said the Kremlin would treat a US airstrike on Syria 'not just as an act of aggression but a war crime of the Western coalition.'

In recent weeks the Russian military has reportedly began jamming some smaller US military drones operating in the skies over Syria. According to four US officials speaking to NBC news, this has affected American military operations.

The officials said the Russian military was concerned the US military would retaliate for the attacks and began jamming the GPS systems of drones operating in the area.

The drones impacted so far were smaller surveillance aircraft, as opposed to the larger Predators and Reapers that often operate in combat environments and can be armed.

Last year Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike against the Syrian regimes al-Shayrat airbase following a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of civilians.

Russian forces did not shoot down the missile using its air defence systems stationed in the region.

At that time the US gave Russia advance warning of that attack through a deconfliction notice. But Russian military brass have signalled that their response could be different.

In March, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, said: In the case of a threat to the lives of our servicemen, the Russian military armed forces will take response measures against both the rockets, and the platforms from which theyre fired.'

Dmitri Trenin, the head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and a former Soviet military officer, raised the terrifying prospect of a military clash between world superpowers.

He said: The US and Russia are now closer to a direct collision between their military forces than at any time since the cold war.

The only question on my mind: will Russia hit back at the US when it launches strikes against Damascus?

According to rescue workers, on Saturday more than 40 people died in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma in an alleged chemical attack, which left victims struggling to breathe, foaming at the mouth and with discoloured skin.

The World Health Organisation today condemned the suspected chemical weapons attack, in which it said an estimated 500 patients went to health facilities with 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'.

'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' Peter Salama, WHO deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement issued in Geneva.

Five hundred people poisoned in Syrian gas attack, WHO reveals Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas outrage that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed. WHO demanded 'immediate' access to the victims in rebel-held Douma as it revealed the total number of people who reported to hospital showing 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'. The atrocity, blamed on Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad's forces, has sparked a global outcry with the US and its allies considering taking military action in response. Volunteers give aid to children at a hospital following the chemical attack in Douma While the WHO statement did not confirm outright that a chemical weapons attack had taken place, it said more than 70 people sheltering in basements have died with 43 of those deaths related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals. 'We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma' where Saturday's attack took place, said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response. 'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' he added. Citing information previously released by local health organizations, WHO said that 'an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'. Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas attack that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed 'There were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed,' the statement added. The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and UN-backed war crimes investigators. WHO has delivered medicine capable of treating certain types of chemical agents to clinics through a series of humanitarian convoys deployed across the country in recent years. UN officials have also accused Assad's troops of at times removing those treatments from humanitarian vehicles. Advertisement

U.N. aid agencies do not have access to most of the enclave of eastern Ghouta, including Douma, where the alleged attack occurred. The Syrian government has denied responsibility.

But the United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Trump has warned there would be a 'big price to pay', and Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley made it clear that the failure to secure a Security Council vote would not hold America and its allies back.

'Russia has trashed the credibility of the council,' she said. 'Whenever we propose anything meaningful on Syria, Russia vetoes it. It is a travesty.'

Haley dismissed the Russian draft as 'all about protecting the Assad regime' because of provisions that would have required the Security Council to endorse its findings -- in other words, giving Russia a veto over any attempt to apportion blame.

Russia, in turn, vetoed the US-backed motion, which would have re-established an international Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to probe chemical strikes in Syria and to identify culprits.

Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Haley of seeking a vote to provide cover for a Western military strike on Assad, which now seems all the more likely.

'If you took the decision to carry out an illegal military adventure, and we do hope that you will come to your senses, well then you will have to bear responsibility for it,' he said.

Both Trump and his defense secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook - a guided-missile destroyer - moved to within striking range of Syria.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response 'in the coming days.'

'Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities,' he said, insisting he did 'not want an escalation.'

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a settlement in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

The OPCW said it would 'shortly' deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

TRUMP PARADES HIS GENERALS IN THE OVAL OFFICE 1. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2. Army General Mark Milley, U.S. Army Chief of Staff 3. Marine Corps General Robert Neller, Commandant of the Marine Corps 4. U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard 5. Navy Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, Commander, U.S. Southern Command 6. Army General Raymond A Thomas, Commander, US Special Operations Command 7. Marine Corps General Thomas D. Waldhauser, Commander, U.S. Africa Command 8. Air Force General Paul Selva, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 9. Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 10. Defense Secretary James Mattis 11. President Donald Trump 12. Vice President Mike Pence 13. Navy Admiral Michael Rodgers, Director of the National Security Agency 14. Navy Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations 15. Army General Joseph Votel, Commander, U.S. Central Command 16. Air Force General David Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff 17. Air Force General John E Hyten, Commander, US Strategic Command 18. Air Force General Joseph L. Lengyel, Chief of the National Guard Bureau 19. Air Force General Lori Robinson, Commander, Northern Command and NORAD 20. Patrick M. Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense 21. Navy Admiral Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command 22. Air Force General Darren W McDew, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command 23. U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Karl Schultz, Commander, Atlantic Area Advertisement

Damascus also mobilized overnight Tuesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said the army had 'put all military positions on alert, including airports and all bases, for a period of 72 hours.'

A source from a pro-regime unit told AFP Tuesday there were 'precautionary measures being taken by the Syrian army, especially the airports and military bases.'

Residents in the capital were also bracing for a potential response.

'I have lived through seven American presidents, but Trump is the craziest and his administration is unbalanced,' said Abu Fadi, 70.

'I think his threats are to be feared, and we should take them seriously.'

In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

Douma has been heavily bombed by the regime and Russia is making it extremely difficult for media to independently verify the claims.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the OPCW should be granted unfettered access to investigate.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for attacks, and the joint OPCW-UN taskforce that once did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed the Syria regime.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

Trump has threatened to respond 'forcefully' to the most recent allegations, saying the US had 'a lot of options militarily' and would decide in the coming days.

The White House said that, in a telephone call, Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May 'agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.'
Josef Huwiler, 28, was killed when he was struck by a train travelling at 90mph at Iver railway station in Buckinghamshire

A young entrepreneur killed himself on New Year's Day by jumping in front of a train after failing to cope with being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, an inquest heard.

Josef Huwiler suffered multiple injuries when he was hit by the passenger express on January 1.

The 28-year-old, who was born in Hari, Zimbabwe, completed a mechanical engineering degree at Imperial College in London in 2012 but returned to Zimbabwe soon after, where he was described as being an entrepreneur.

However, a coroner heard today that he returned to London in December 2017, just a month before his death, to live with his sister at her flat.

Josef was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017 but was not taking any of his medication as he struggled to come to terms with the condition, the hearing at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, was told.

Shortly before his death, he sent a text message to his mother saying his head 'felt like a bag of sand' and he had previously asked for forgiveness from family and friends for 'any ill-doings' caused by his condition.

Claire Tilly, of British Transport Police, told the inquest: 'In general he was in good health.

'He had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017 and he wasn't really comfortable with that diagnoses.

'He was resistant to taking medication, which was causing him problems.'

The coroner heard that when officers searched his flat after finding him dead at Iver railway station in Buckinghamshire, they discovered a large supply of Lamotrigine and Olanzapine which were prescribed to treat him for his bipolar illness.

The coroner's court in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire (pictured), heard that Mr Huwiler was 'resistant to taking medication, which was causing him problems'

Ms Tilly said there was no evidence that he was drunk at the time of his death.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, assistant coroner Alison McCormick said: 'There was no note found on Mr Huwiler or at his accommodation.

'I don't have any medical records but I understand from social media and family that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder for which he was prescribed medication.'

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details.
Ivanka Trump will announce an initiative 'to propel womens economic empowerment' in Latin America during a visit to Peru tomorrow.

'I'm extremely excited for my visit and look forward to highlighting the important work that the U.S. government and this administration are doing to empower women economically in the region and elsewhere around the globe,' she told reporters on Wednesday.

The president's daughter will be representing the administration at a CEO summit that is taking place in Lima. She'll be joined on the trip by her husband Jared Kushner and Vice President Mike Pence.

Ivanka Trump will announce an initiative 'to propel womens economic empowerment' in Latin America during a visit to Peru tomorrow. She seen in the Oval Office today at a bill signing

President Donald Trump was originally scheduled to be in Lima for the U.S.-founded Summit of the Americas this weekend and in Colombia. He nixed his visit to South America at the last minute and ordered Pence to Peru instead, allegedly so he could focus on the situation in Syria.

Ivanka Trump is traveling down unilaterally with her own program of events that are separate from the vice president's

His daughter was always among the senior administration officials traveling to Peru, and she said Wednesday on a call that she would make an appearance at a companion summit for CEOs at the invitation of the Inter-American Development Bank.

She is traveling down unilaterally with her own program of events that are separate from Pence's.

The White House did not say how the president's daughter was getting to and from Peru, although she traveled commercially on her last foreign trip, a solo visit to India for a State Department-run tech conference.

Trump has spearheaded women's outreach and issues in her father's administration, where she's been credited with pushing through an increase in the child tax credit and a sex trafficking bill her father signed today.

Her portfolio has helped her to secure plum spots on her father's oversees trips to the Middle East, Italy, Germany and Japan.

The first daughter said she'd promote women's economic empowerment through public-private partnership on a panel in Lima this week with Overseas Private Investment Corporation President and CEO Ray Washburne.

'Womens economic empowerment has been a core mission of mine and an ongoing priority for the administration. This work is critical,' she said. 'When women are empowered economically, it contributes to increased economic growth, peace, and global stability.'

Trump has spearheaded women's outreach and issues in her father's administration, where she's been credited with pushing through an increase in the child tax credit and a sex trafficking bill her father signed today

The president's daughter said she was channeling her energy into Latin America because the rate of business formations by women is especially low there.

'For those women who do start businesses, they face unique barriers to accessing capital, including a significant credit gap,' she said.

Trump did not provide further details on the initiative she'd be unveiling or the price tag that's associated with it, other than to say it would be a joint collaboration between the U.S. and Peru in both the public and private sectors.

During her visit, Trump said she'd also be making stops at the Lima Stock Exchange, where she will meet with female entrepreneurs and corporate leaders, and EcoInca, a Peruvian business that makes organic products. EcoInca is owned and operated by women.
A mother-of-two was beaten black and blue in a vicious road rage attack after a minor fender-bender in a Perth street.

The victim, who only gave her first name of Sonja, claimed the female other driver ripped open her door and punched her repeatedly in the face.

The alleged attacked then sped away from the roundabout in the northern Perth suburb of Ellenbrook in a white Hyundai van about 5pm on Monday.

Sonja was beaten black and blue in a vicious road rage attack after a minor fender-bender in a Perth street

The minor accident happened at the intersection of Broadway and Elmbridge Parkway

The 58-year-old was left with serious bruising around her eyes and nose and may have broken bones in her face, according to Seven News.

Sonja will see doctors on Thursday to assess the extent of her injuries in the sudden attack.

The minor accident happened at the intersection of Broadway and Elmbridge Parkway. Police are hunting driver of the van.

The alleged attacked then sped away from the roundabout in the northern Perth suburb of Ellenbrook in a white Hyundai van about 5pm on Monday
A memo used to initially justify EPA administrator Scott Pruitt's $3 million in security costs listed several questionable threats, among them a person who wrote that he was 'considering' dumping old paint outside Pruitt's office.

An EPA official who approved a report that subsequently undermined the need for a multi-million 24-hour security detail has been fired, it was revealed.

Mario Caraballo, who worked in the agency's Homeland Security Office, oversaw a report that questioned Pruitt's need for a security detail that grew to 20 people.

The detail, as well as Pruitt's need to fly first class, were justified in part on threats to his physical security.

According to a letter by two Democratic senators, one such 'threat' consisted of a person who sent an email stating: 'I am considering dumping the old paint I just scraped off of my home outside your office door on Tuesday.'

It wasn't immediately known who the person that sent the email was, or if the paint contained lead.

Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), speaks during an infrastructure initiative meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump

One such threat included a postcard that said: 'CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL!!! We are watching you,' according to a letter by Sens. Tom Carper of Delaware and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Politico reported.

It was a postcard that continued: 'For the sake of our planet, our children & our grandchildren will you be a reasonable man?

Another was from a prisoner, who presumably had a limited ability to carry out any threats. It did not included 'over threatening language,' according to the senators.

Another was a threat by protesters to disrupt a speech.

One was from an individual who 'stated he is not happy with some of the Administrator's policies and wanted to express his displeasure.'

Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware and ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, is seeking a hearing on the report and Pruitt's security

Democratic Sens. Tom Carper and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote Sen. John Barrasso about purported security threats against EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt

PAINT IT BLACK: Democratic Sens. Tom Carper and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote Sen. John Barrasso about purported security threats against EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. One involved a threat to dump paint shavings outside his office door

Democratic Sens. Tom Carper and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote Sen. John Barrasso about purported security threats against EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt

But the memo claimed 16 threats - a 400 per cent increase from the last administrator, Gina McCarthy. None of the contacts had to do with air travel, though they were used to justify upgrades to first class seats.

Politico reported in February that Pruitt's flight to first class was based partly on him facing angry criticism at airports.

'He was approached in the airport numerous times, to the point of profanities being yelled at him and so forth,' said Henry Barnet, director of EPA's Office of Criminal Enforcement.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. joined with Carper in seeking a hearing on the report and Pruitt's security

One included a passenger yelling at him: 'You're f---ing up the environment.'

EPA's report found that an earlier work product failed to justify the security expenses with threats.

'It is hard to reconcile the public statements of EPA, and the President, with these internal and external assessments,' the two senators wrote.

A source told Politico the agency claimed Caraballo got fired due to a personnel issue from a military job a decade ago. Said the source: 'They're trying to find out where these leaks are coming from ... They're in full panic mode right now.'

Pruitt has a powerful ally in President Trump, who tweeted on Saturday that he is 'doing a great job' while saying his security spending was 'somewhat more' than his predecessor, and saying he got death threats 'because of his bold actions at EPA.'

INVITED: Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt listens as U.S. President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2018

'While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA,' wrote Trump.

He is the subject of multiple investigations, including over his $50-a-night room rental at the home of an energy lobbyist, his reported $3 million in travel expenses, and his 20-member security team.

Pruitt's security chief sought $70,000 to replace two desks, including installing a bulletproof model for security reasons. After an aide objected that bulletproof desk didn't get bought.

Committee Chair John Barrasso of Wyoming blasted their letter, saying he was 'deeply troubled that members of the committee would publicly release law enforcement sensitive information regarding the safety and security of a cabinet member and his family.'
President Donald Trump lashed out at the special counsel again this morning, this time for the 'bad blood' he says the U.S. has with Russia.

Trump directed his ire right at Robert Mueller, the DOJ-appointed attorney leading the task force, claiming he's the 'most conflicted of all' the senior leaders in the law enforcement division, aside from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

In a tweet Trump cast the probe as a the 'Fake & Corrupt Russia investigation' and claimed that it was headed up by 'Democratic loyalists' and people who were hired by Barack Obama.

President Donald Trump lashed out at the special counsel again this morning, this time for the 'bad blood' he says the U.S. has with Russia

Trump directed his ire right at Robert Mueller, the DOJ-appointed attorney leading the task force, claiming he's the 'most conflicted of all' the senior leaders in the law enforcement division, aside from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein

Trump's claim today that Mueller has overwhelming conflicts of interest hinges on his alleged friendship with former FBI Director James Comey

Trump's anger at Mueller comes after FBI raided the president's personal attorney's Rockefeller Center office and a hotel he was staying in.

Michael Cohen paid a porn actress who says she had an affair with his client $130,000 not tell her story in the press prior to the election. He says he was not repaid by the president, and Trump told reporters last week he didn't know about the payoff until it was reported in the press.

At a meeting on Monday with military leaders, Trump unloaded on the Department of Justice, special counsel investigators and everyone he felt had treated him unfairly as he commented for the first time on the raid on Cohen.

The president said it was an 'absolute disgrace' and a 'sad situation' after he was asked why he doesn't just fire Mueller if he's unhappy with him.

'Many people have said, 'You should fire him.' Again, they found nothing. And in finding nothing, that's a big statement,' he said, referring to allegations that his campaign colluded with the Russians.

Trump also ripped into Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general he not only appointed but who advice he relied on to fire former FBI Director James Comey.

Rosenstein signed a FISA warrant to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page -- an act that the president says was an abuse of power.

'I think it's disgraceful, and so does a lot of other people,' Trump said. 'This is a pure and simple witch hunt.'

At the White House press briefing on Wednesday Sarah Sanders said that the special counsel investigation and the 'constant focus' that's been on the president's campaign has hurt the United States's relationship with Russia.

She acknowledged that election meddling and other bad actions by Russia had also been unhelpful while backing up the president's claim that Mueller's probe had also played a big part in it.

'This investigation started off as Russia collusion, of which there was none. It has been very clear that nothing has come up over the last year, and the President has spoken at length on this topic,' she at one point said.

The probe actually began because of an intelligence community claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Allegations of a conspiracy between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign came later.

Trump is angry at Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general he not only appointed but who advice he relied on to fire former FBI Director James Comey, because he approved a FISA warrant to spy on his one-time adviser Carter Page

Trump's claim today that Mueller has overwhelming conflicts of interest hinges on his alleged friendship with Comey.

Mueller was the head of the FBI when Comey was the deputy attorney general under Republican President George W. Bush.

'He's one of the finest people I've ever met,' Comey once said in Senate testimony of Mueller.

Trump's dripping disdain for Comey, who he fired last year in May amid charges that he botched the Hillary Clinton email investigation, have carried over to Mueller.

The president claimed last month that Mueller's investigators consisted of '13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans.'

Politifact rated his claim half-true after it determined that 12 of the 17 people on Mueller's staffer were registered Democrats and another one had claimed to be in a 2012 interview.

Mueller himself was registered at the time as a Republican in Washington, D.C.
The Pope has admitted he made 'grave errors' in the Chile sex abuse scandal and begged for forgiveness as he invited victims to Rome.

In an extraordinary letter, Francis also summoned Chile's bishops to the Vatican for an emergency meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the scandal, which has badly tarnished his reputation and that of the Chilean church.

Francis blamed a lack of 'true and balanced information' in his missteps in judging Bishop Juan Barros, a protege of Chile's most notorious predator priest.

He strongly defended Barros despite accusations by victims that the Chilean priest witnessed and ignored their abuse.

The Pope has admitted he made 'grave errors' in the Chile sex abuse scandal and begged for forgiveness as he invited victims to Rome

Francis blamed a lack of 'true and balanced information' in his missteps in judging Bishop Juan Barros (pictured), a protege of Chile's most notorious predator priest

Francis sent Scicluna to investigate allegations of sex abuse cover-up by Bishop Juan Barros, a protege of the Rev Fernando Karadima (pictured)

Francis sent the Vatican's most respected sex abuse investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, to investigate the scandal.

While the pope's letter does not reveal Mr Scicluna's conclusions, Francis made clear the bishops needed to 'repair the scandal where possible and re-establish justice'.

The Catholic Church in the South American country had been bracing for revelations in the letter.

Francis sent Scicluna to investigate allegations of sex abuse cover-up by Bishop Juan Barros, a protege of the Rev Fernando Karadima.

Karadima was a charismatic preacher who was removed from ministry by the Vatican for sexually abusing minors and sentenced in 2011 to a lifetime of penance and prayer.

Karadima had long been a darling of the Catholic hierarchy, and his victims have accused church leaders of covering up his crimes to protect the church's reputation.

Scicluna and his colleague, the Rev. Jordi Bertomeu, spent nearly two weeks in Chile and New York earlier this year interviewing Karadima's victims, who for years have denounced Barros' silence and were stunned by Francis' strong defense of him during his January visit to Chile.

Many of Chile's bishops, and members of Francis' own sex abuse advisory board, had questioned Barros' suitability to lead a diocese given claims by Karadima's victims that Barros stood by and did nothing while Karadima groped them.

Francis overrode their concerns and appointed Barros bishop of the southern Chilean diocese of Osorno in 2015, saying the church had investigated the claims against him and found them to be baseless.

Pope Francis waves during a weekly general audience at St Peter's Square in Rome earlier today

Francis called the victims' accusations against Barros 'calumny' and twice refused his resignation.

But following an outcry in Chile during his January trip and suggestions that Francis didn't have all the information, Francis dispatched Scicluna to get the bottom of the scandal.

Scicluna, long a hero to sex abuse victims and a thorn in the side of church leaders who oppose his tough line against pedophiles, briefed Francis on his interviews last month.

Expectations in Chile were high following Scicluna's visit, which prolonged by his emergency gall bladder surgery there.

That extra time enabled Scicluna and Bertomeu, an official in the Vatican office that handles abuse cases, to hear from the victims of other sexual predators.

The implication was that the problem that has devastated the Catholic Church's credibility in Chile wasn't just about Barros or Karadima.

Victims say the Barros affair is merely emblematic of a culture in the Chilean church that covers up for abusers, gives them minimal sanctions or moves them around rather than adopt the 'one-strike-and-you're-out' policy adopted by US bishops.

There are currently five Chilean dioceses that need new bishops, including Santiago, where the archbishop, Cardinal Riccardo Ezzati, 76, is due to retire.

That sets the stage for a possible new course in Chile if Francis chooses to take it.
Fourteen people were murdered in just 36 hours in the Mexican city of Cancun last week.

All are considered to have been cartel-related but they were dangerously close to popular tourist hotspots. On April 4 alone, nine people were killed and one person was shot.

Five of them were killed in a home where neighbors said the occupants were drug dealers. Another three were killed standing outside a tamale stand next to a clothing store.

On Thursday April 5, another five were murdered in separate incidents in the city, Noticaribe reports.

Cancun is a tourist hotspot on Mexico's Caribbean coast (file image from a separate shooting last year)

Fourteen people were murdered in just 36 hours in the Mexican city of Cancun

The spate of violence is the worst in the city since 2004 and occurred as thousands of tourists partied in the town's notorious hotels, bars and clubs for Spring Break.

According to the office of Civil Protection, 112,000 people flocked to Cancun for the holiday.

On April 11, in a separate incident, a woman's body was found in the street with a 'message' left on it.

She had been shot several times in the face. Since the start of the year, more than 100 people have been shot in the party town.

The closest murders last week were around eight miles from the hotel zone which tourists flock to.

Earlier this year, locals told SBS the extent of the problem across the country.

'It's not nice to walk in the street and find someone's head. It's very sad to know that your friends have been executed.

'Medics, taxi drivers, doctors, business people - no social class is exempt,' Laura Cabellero, a businesswoman from Acapulco, said.

Acapulco is on the other side of the country where gang violence was mostly contained.

A police officer in Cancun stands guard at a crime scene where a truck containing the bodies of six men was found on March 6, 2018. Since the start of the year, more than 100 people have been murdered in the town

A soldier of the Mexican Army patrols Acapulco on the other side of the country where violence is also rife

In the last year, the number of murders in Cancun have doubled.

It is enough to prompt warnings from the British foreign office about travelling to the popular holiday destination.

In March, the US State Department issued a warning about the resort of Playa Del Carmen which sits in between Cancun and the celebrity-magnet resort Tulum.

The warning was directed towards ferries between Playa Del Carmen and the snorkelling-hub Cozumel after a boat exploded mid-journey.

Authorities later found explosives on another boat. It is not clear if they were planted.

The advisory was lifted afterwards and there are no warnings in place regarding Cancun or the recent gun violence.
A South Korean man killed and cooked his neighbour's Welsh Corgi before inviting the animal's owner around to eat it.

Police said the 62-year-old man admitted carrying out the gruesome crime, adding that he had become irritated by the dog's constant barking.

He told police that he threw a stone at the two-year-old Corgi which caused it to lose consciousness.

'Only after the dog passed out, he claims, he strangled the animal and cooked it,' a detective in the southern city of Pyeongtaek said.

A South Korean farmer has confessed to inviting an unsuspecting neighbour eat his own dog. File photo

'The man then invited his neighbours to share the meal, including the father of the dog-owning family,' he said.

Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine.

But consumption has declined as South Koreans increasingly embrace the idea of dogs as pets instead of livestock, with eating them now something of a taboo among younger generations.

The case came to light when a daughter of the family this week published an online plea calling for public support to ensure that the offender be punished sternly. A petition has so far gained almost 15,000 signatures.

Uncertain fate: Puppies are sold for as little as $9.20 or 6.50. The sellers acknowledge that they could become food - despite claims the market in dog meat was being shut down. Dailymail.com investigated a South Korean market in Seongnam in February

Korea's dog meat trade at Moran market in Seongnan, South of Seoul. Pictures show the inside of the dog abattoir, positioned in the heart of the Moran Market. The dogs are kept in darkened cages, waiting to be slaughtered

Dog meat consumption has declined as South Koreans increasingly embrace the idea of dogs as pets instead of livestock, with eating them now something of a taboo among younger generations

'We had been all around the town, handing out leaflets containing the dog's picture, phone number and rewards of one million won ($940), in order to find the missing dog,' the daughter said by phone, asking for her family's name to be kept anonymous.

'When I reached the man's house, which is just three doors down from ours, he expressed sympathy, promising to let us know if he found the dog.'

At that time, however, the farmer was hiding the dog, either alive or dead, in his barn, she said.

The following day, the suspect visited her father, drank with him and consoled him over the missing dog.

DailyMail.com witnessed these frightened animals taking their last breaths as they wait for the butcher's knife in Seongnam

'He even invited neighbors to come share the dog meat, including my father who did not accept the invitation as he is a non-dog meat eater,' she said.

As many as one million dogs are still consumed in South Korea each year, with the greasy red meat  which is invariably boiled for tenderness  believed to increase energy.

Activists have stepped up campaigns to ban dog consumption. Under a newly strengthened law, animal abusers face up to two years in prison or 20 million won ($18,700) in fines.
FBI agents who stormed in on Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's office and hotel were searching for more than just information on payments to porn star Stormy Daniels  they also wanted information on the infamous 'p****' tape.

Trump famously got caught on tape with former 'Access Hollywood' host Billy Bush bragging about being able to use celebrity to grab women 'by the p****'  only to weather the political damage and capture the presidency.

Now, it has been revealed that federal agents who searched his office also wanted any and all documents related to the tape.

According to the New York Times, a warrant sought information on whether Cohen, Trump's political fixer, tried to suppress information during the 2016 presidential campaign.

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WANTED BY THE FBI: In this 2005 frame from video, Donald Trump prepares for an appearance on 'Days of Our Lives' with actress Arianne Zucker (center). He is accompanied to the set by Access Hollywood host Billy Bush. Federal agents sought documents related to the tape in a search on Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's office and hotel

Investigators sought communications about the tape that Cohen had with Donald Trump and with campaign aides, the Washington Post reported.

It also sought communications between Cohen and Trump surrogates about potential sources of negative publicity.

Within an hour of the first publication of the tape, WikiLeaks posted the first batch of stolen emails from Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta.

On Monday, when the raid occurred, Cohen's lawyer revealed that among documents agents were seeking were those related to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump.

It emerged Tuesday that documents related to former Playboy model Karen McDougal also were being sought. McDougal also claims she had an affair with Trump.

Both received 'hush' payments connected to non-disclosure agreements.

Cohen, a longtime fixer for the president, has already said publicly that he paid $130,000 in hush money to Daniels in exchange for her signature on a non-disclosure agreement just weeks shy of the 2016 presidential election.

Donald Trump (center)prepares for an appearance on 'Days of Our Lives' with actress Arianne Zucker (right). He is accompanied to the set by Access Hollywood host Billy Bush (left)

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she had a one-night stand with Trump in 2006, while McDougal alleged that she and the then-businessman had a year-long affair.

The raids on Cohen's office, home and hotel room have rocked Washington and infuriated President Trump, who has lashed out at a number of top officials, including the special counsel, federal investigators and his own attorney general.

Trump attorney Michael Cohen, pictured in Manhattan on Wednesday

FBI agents swooped in on the offices of Cohen on Monday  seizing a trove of documents  and whisked off the lawyer's phone, personal computer and bank records.

Before it apparently featured in a federal investigation, the 'Access Hollywood' tape was known mainly for the vulgar and potentially damaging caught-on-tape quotes from Trump.

'I moved on her, actually. You know, she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her, and I failed. Ill admit it,' Trump can be heard joking.

'I did try and f*** her. She was married,' Trump can be heard saying.

'I moved on her like a bitch. But I couldnt get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, shes now got the big phony tits and everything. Shes totally changed her look,' Trump added.

'You know, Im automatically attracted to beautiful  I just start kissing them. Its like a magnet. Just kiss. I dont even wait. And when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,' Trump says.

'Whatever you want,' says host Billy Bush, who lost his job after the tape emerged.

'Grab em by the p***. You can do anything,' Trump responds.

Cohen lawyer Stephen Ryan blasted the raid as 'completely inappropriate and unnecessary' and said it included privileged lawyer-client communications.
Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen dined out with ad exec and MSNBC regular Donny Deutsch on Wednesday, just two days after his office and hotel room were raided by the FBI, and told the ad exec turned pundit, 'I'd rather jump out of a building than turn on Donald Trump.'

Cohen and the Morning Joe contributor dined at Freds, the restaurant on the ninth floor in Barneys on Madison Avenue, which is just blocks away from the Loews Regency on Park Avenue, where his room was raided on Monday.

The pair made no secret of their lunch date, leaving the department store together when the meal was over - just hours after Donny spoke to Cohen through the TV screen on Morning Joe saying his friend Cohen could either choose to do the right thing and bring down the presidency or go to jail for Trump.

Michael Cohen, right, had lunch on Wednesday with Donny Deutsch

Deutsch is contributor to MSNBC's Morning Joe, which has been critical of the president. On Wednesday morning Donny seemed to have made a plea to his friend Cohen through the TV, saying he could 'be on the right side of history'

Just after 7:30 on Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough, talking to Donny, said, 'You know Michael. He has children. He has a wife. He has a family. The man has to be awfully isolated by now. And I just can't imagine that he's willing to sacrifice the well being of his children for the well being of Trump's children.'

Donny agreed. 'Those words I used exactly. I also, I think Michael has a chance to be on the right side of history, frankly... Michael can have one of two legacies. Michael can have a legacy of spending time in jail and being one of all the president's men, the man.

'Or he can have a legacy in the history books that maybe changes the course of history and brings down this presidency. That's obviously very heavy on Michael's shoulders and decisions he has to make.'

Donny also defended Cohen, calling him a 'good guy'.

'There is something actually very likable about him. Very likable... He seems like a good guy.'

Even vocal Trump critic and sometimes target Mika Brzezinski agreed, saying Cohen is 'very gentle' when she's 'seen him a couple of times.'

ALSO WEDNESDAY: Deutsch, a regular on Morning Joe, was asked by the host how much Cohen, with whom Donny has spent lots of time, would sacrifice for Trump given that Cohen has a wife and a children

Hours before these photos were taken Deutsch said on TV of Cohen, 'Michael can have one of two legacies. Michael can have a legacy of spending time in jail and being one of all the president's men, the man. Or he can have a legacy in the history books that maybe changes the course of history and brings down this presidency'

In January Donny was romantically linked to Trump's second ex-wife Marla Maples

As the pair were leaving, Deustch was overheard asking how Cohen's wife was doing. Cohen responded, according to the NY Post, 'Not good, she didn't sign up for this.'

Hours later Donny appeared on MSNBC again, this time with Nicolle Wallace.

It seemed Cohen wasn't listening to what Deutsch was trying to sell on Morning Joe and is staying loyal to Trump.

At lunch Cohen told Donny, according to Donny, 'I'd rather jump out of a building than turn on Donald Trump.'

Donny, also predicted Trump would fire Mueller and is desperate to hide his business and personal secrets.

'Donald Trump cannot let have happen what's happening, which is the rock being turned over. He knows what's there. He will do everything, even if it means getting impeached. He cannot let this process go forward, I don't care what anybody says.'

Asked by Wallace what's under the rock, Deutsch replied, 'Twenty years of Donald Trump being Donald Trump. We can go from a business point of view, personal point of view. He raided his personal lawyer's office.'

The lunch also comes just three months after Deutsch, who is divorced and has three daughters, was romantically linked to Trump's second ex-wife Marla Maples.

Cohen hasn't been hiding since the raid.

He spent Wednesday walking around the neighborhood, also stopping in at a bank. On Tuesday night he dined out at the French restaurant La Goulue.

Deutsch, who made a fortune when he sold the family ad company for $265million in 2000, is a self-proclaimed Democrat.

Lunch comes just two days after Cohen was raided at his office and the hotel where he's been staying during a renovation, here at the Loews Regency, where agents seized records related to $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels

He also ran errands Wednesday, stopped by a TD Bank near his hotel

Agents also seized records related to a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump the same year as Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Cohen has said he paid Daniels out of his own pocket shortly before the 2016 presidential election, but has not explained why.

Cohen has said neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was involved in the transaction with Daniels and he was not reimbursed for the payment. Trump has said he didn't know about the payment. The White House has consistently said Trump denies the affair.

In his first public comments since the raid, Cohen told CNN on Tuesday that he is rethinking how he handled the payment to Daniels because of what it has done to his family.

Not staying in: On Tuesday night he dined at La Goulue, a French restaurant also near his hotel. He had admitted earlier in the day to being worried

Asked if he was worried, Cohen said: 'I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No.'

Cohen has been involved in the New York City yellow cab industry since the 1990s, going into business with his Ukraine-born father-in-law.

Some of his companies that owned medallions were given names such as NY Funky Taxi Corp, Mad Dog Cab Corp and Sir Michael Hacking Corp.

Although he has said publicly that he got out of the business in the mid-2000s, city, state and court records show he and his wife own as many as 30 medallions.

Tax records show some of his companies currently owe thousands of dollars in mandatory per-ride state transportation taxes.

In recent years, his taxis were managed by Gene Freidman, the so-called Taxi King of New York and a close friend. Freidman was charged last year by state prosecutors with pocketing $5 million in state transportation taxes. He's pleaded not guilty.
Shocking video shows the moment an unoccupied car caught on fire at a gas station in Texas Thursday night.

The video was taken outside the Consilina Pizzeria, which sits next to the Chevron gas station in Bastrop, Texas.

Raymond Keyrouz, who owns the pizzeria, said: 'After noticing smoke coming from the car, my father went out and tried with one other guy to extinguish the fire.'

Shocking video shows the moment a car caught on fire at a gas station in Texas Thursday night. The video was taken outside the Consilina Pizzeria, which sits next to the Chevron gas station in Bastrop, Texas

Raymond Keyrouz, who owns the pizzeria, said: 'After noticing smoke coming from the car, my father went out and tried with one other guy to extinguish the fire'. A firefighter prepares to extinguish the fire

In the video, firefighters arrive to the scene and immediately began putting out the fire

'The fire spread quickly from the engine and engulfed the car. There was nothing that could be done to stop it,' he added.

In the video, firefighters arrive to the scene and immediately began putting out the fire.

At one point, a small explosion occurs as the firefighters put out the blaze.

The fire was put out in under five minutes. The quick response of emergency crews prevented a huge disaster at the gas station.

A first responder said it just so happened all the volunteer firefighters were at the Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 2 station for a meeting on the night of the fire.

'We were on our monthly meeting, and it just happened to go out at the right time,' said Bryan Gibson, a cadet with the station, told KXAN.

'It was, I don't know, maybe a mile away, so it cut down our response time very well.'

No injuries were reported. The owner of the car has not been identified. It's also unclear what caused the car fire.
Uber is being sued by a 23-year-old man who lost his legs while helping a driver from the ride-hailing service push his out-of-gas car onto a freeway shoulder in Orange County, California last month.

Brendan Brock filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday alleging that Uber, driver Gregory Raymond Lopez, and the driver of the car that struck Lopezs vehicle were negligent.

Brock is seeking unspecified damages, though the attorney he hired hopes that his client will receive between $25million and $50million, according to Fox 11 TV.

Uber is being sued by a 23-year-old man, Brendan Brock (above), who lost his legs while helping a driver from the ride-hailing service push his out-of-gas car onto a freeway shoulder in Orange County last month

On March 7, Brock was a passenger in a Jeep Compass as it was driving along the 5 Freeway in Orange County

As they tried to get the car to the shoulder, a car driven by Jonathan Aukusotino Tavita lost control and rear-ended Lopezs Jeep, hitting Brock in the process

On March 7, Brock was a passenger in a Jeep Compass as it was driving along the 5 Freeway in Orange County.

At around 1:00am, Lopezs SUV ran out of gas while in one of the freeway lanes.

Lopez and Brock then got out of the car and started to push the Jeep toward the right-hand shoulder.

As they tried to get the car to the shoulder, a car driven by Jonathan Aukusotino Tavita lost control and rear-ended Lopezs Jeep, hitting Brock in the process.

Both of plaintiff's legs required amputation due to the severity of the crushing injuries, according to the lawsuit.

Last month, a GoFundMe campaign was started to raise money for medical expenses and home modifications needed to accommodate Brock in light of his condition. So far, the crowdfunding campaign has raised over $106,000  beating its original goal of $100,000

Brock is seen above with his parents in a hospital room after the accident. According to his Facebook page, he was living in California though he is originally from New Jersey

Brock claims Uber bears responsibility for the crash since its drivers are technically employees of the company.

But the San Francisco-based tech giant disagrees, saying that drivers are independent contractors.

Uber says its responsibility is limited to a $1million insurance policy for anyone who suffers bodily injury during its rides, but the Brock family is aiming to get more.

In June 2015, the California Labor Commissioners Office ruled that drivers for Uber should be classified as employees.

Last month, a GoFundMe campaign was started to raise money for medical expenses and home modifications needed to accommodate Brock in light of his condition.

So far, the crowdfunding campaign has raised over $106,000  beating its original goal of $100,000.

The GoFundMe page includes a YouTube video showing Brock in his bedroom working out by doing arm exercises.
Despite just shelling out for a $15million apartment with girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, A-Rod is apparently trying to reduce his monthly child support bills.

On Wednesday, The New York Daily News reported that the retired Yankee's ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis complained to her brother recently about Rodriguez threatening to lower his monthly payments for their two daughters - Natasha, 13, and Ella, who turns 10 next week.

This is according to text messages between Scurtis and her brother viewed by the outlet.

A-Rod's ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis (pictured together right in 2007) has allegedly claimed that he is trying to lower his monthly child support to their two daughters (A-Rod pictured with his daughters Natasha, 13, and Ella, 9, in 2016, left)

The couple broke up in 2008 after six years of marriage. A-Rod is pictured above with his ex and their two daughters in 2012

News of the child support conflict comes just after it was announced that A-Rod and his girlfriend J. Lo (left at the Met Gala in 2017) had bought a $15million New York City apartment in the 432 Park building (right)

'Im just trying to defend my child support situation ... and its terrible,' Cynthia said in one of the texts. 'I have an email from (Rodriguez) telling me that hes basically making me pay for not stopping you and telling you that I hate you.'

The tension Cynthia is referring to is the four-year legal battle between her ex and brother.

Constantine Scurtis sued his ex brother-in-law in 2014, claiming he was pushed out of the real estate company they founded together when his sister's marriage began to fail.

The lawsuit accuses Rodriguez of mortgage and insurance fraud, among otherthings.

'Hes totally out of control,' Cynthia says in another text, 'but I share 2 kids with him so I try to keep e (sic) everything good for them.'

'I hope it all ends soon. Its revolting,' Cynthia adds.

A-Rod and his ex divorced in 2008 after six years of marriage. They met at a gym in Miami.

In February 2017, A-Rod started dating Jennifer Lopez, and the two have been inseparable ever since.

The couple often post pictures of their blended family. From left to right: Emme, J. Lo, Max, Natasha, A-Rod and Ella

Last month, news broke that the couple had bought a $15million apartment in the exclusive 432 Park building - the tallest high-rise in the city just blocks off Central Park.

He also made $21million last year working for the Yankees, without having to play a minute. A-Rod spent the last year of his 10-year, $275million, contract with the team working as adviser to owner Hal Steinbrenner.

J.Lo has two children of her own with ex Marc Anthony - 10-year-old twins Max and Emme.

The couple often post pictures to social media of their blended family, including a photo last month of J. Lo taking the four kids to school.
Diamond and Silk are making headlines again and this time it has nothing to do with Donald Trump  not directly, anyway.

The duo, who gained notoriety for their over-the-top support of the president during the 2016 election, were mentioned during Mark Zuckerberg's congressional hearing.

Diamond and Silk, a pair of right-wing YouTube celebrities, claim their Facebook page was censored due to left-wing bias.

Diamond and Silk are getting more attention after several questions were asked about them during Mark Zuckerberg's congressional hearing

The Facebook CEO was asked on April 10, 2018 why the social media platform, which he created in his Harvard dorm room, deemed Diamond and Silk's content 'unsafe'. The 33-year-old billionaire has been asked about it several more times throughout the two-day hearing.

Zuckerberg told Ted Cruz bias was a major concern of his as the CEO and chairman at Facebook and something he's been focused on keeping at bay.

'This is actually a concern that I have...making sure that we don't have any bias in the work that we do,' he explained. 'I think it is a fair concern.'

When asked about blocking content from Diamond and Silk's Facebook profile, Zuckerberg remained adamant that it was a mistake that he and the team behind the site were working to fix.

'In that specific case, our team made an enforcement error and we have already gotten in touch with them to reverse it,' he said when questions by Rep. Joe Barton on the matter.

He went into more detail when asked by Rep. Marsha Blackburn about the situation: 'There are types of content like terrorism that I think we all agree we do not want to have on our service.

Billy Long has brought out a poster of Diamond and Silk and is reading a question they sent to him to ask Zuckerberg! pic.twitter.com/svEDtWbVkT  Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) April 11, 2018

'So we build systems that can identify those and can remove that content and we're very proud of that work.'

Although Zuckerberg did not distinctly link Diamond and Silk's Facebook comment to terrorism, Rep. Blackburn seized the opportunity to jump on him about his comment.

'Let me tell you something right now,' she responded. 'Diamond and Silk is not terrorism.'

This line of questioning continued as Rep. Billy Long got his turn to speak with the Facebook creator. Sitting before a large poster of Diamond and Silk, Rep. Long asked: 'What is unsafe about two black women supporting President Donald J. Trump?'

The question was sent to him directly from Diamond and Silk themselves.

So what do you need to know about Diamond and Silk?

Who are Diamond and Silk?

Diamond and Silk, real names Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, are a pair of sisters from North Carolina. They have created a presence on social media, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers, which they use to discuss conservative politics, viewpoints and ideas.

Formerly Democrats, Diamond and Silk became truly famous for their unabashed support of Donald Trump during the 2016 election.

They have appeared at events with Donald Trump and members of his family on more than one occasion.

Rep. Blackburn: "Do you subjectively manipulate your algorithms to prioritize or censor speech?"#Zuckerberg: "There are types of content like terrorism that I think we all agree we don't want to have on our service."



Blackburn: "Diamond and Silk is not terrorism." pic.twitter.com/2wRL3K3JHH  Ryan Saavedra  (@RealSaavedra) April 11, 2018

Diamond and Silk Unsafe

Diamond and Silk have received even more attention after alleging that they're the victims of censorship on Facebook for daring to express non-Liberal viewpoints on the platform.

Although Mark Zuckerberg claims it was an error in enforcing specific policies that led to Diamond and Silk being censored, the duo aren't buying it.

'We are not unsafe!' they said in an interview on Fox & Friends.

'If he was concerned about his platform being a place for all ideas, then why would he put algorithms in place to censor some ideas?' Diamond questioned. 'And why is he turning Facebook into a political playground for Democrats?'

Diamond and Silk testify

Social media stars Diamond and Silk testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, alleging that Facebook censored their posts because they support Donald Trump.

'Subtly and slowly Facebook used one mechanism at the time to diminish reach by restricting our page so that our 1.2 million followers would not see our content, thus silencing our conservative voices,' Diamond and Silk said during the hearing.

'When we reached out to Facebook for an explanation, they gave us the run around.'

Now, the pair are accused of providing inaccurate testimony under oath.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries confronts Diamond and Silk with the FEC record showing the duo were paid $1,274.94 for field consulting work despite them repeatedly telling a congressional committee that theyve never been paid by the Trump campaign. (via ABC)pic.twitter.com/HBQVYYu38o  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 26, 2018

CBS News reported that during the hearing, Diamond claimed she and her sister have 'never been paid by the Trump campaign'.

Federal Election Commission records prove that that's a lie. In November 2016, Diamond and Silk were paid more than $1,200 (862) for 'field consulting,' according to a receipt.

Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries pointed out the FEC filing during the hearing, to which Diamond and Silk responded by calling it 'fake news'.

Silk claimed the Trump campaign may have mistakenly recorded the payment. She also said that Lara Trump, Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, reimbursed she and her sister when they traveled for a Trump campaign tour.

Why is Mark Zuckerberg testifying?

Mark Zuckerberg was testifying before Congress because of a privacy breach involving Facebook and a company called Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg set out to prove that Facebook has been doing its best to protect the privacy of its users.

Let us be clear; @facebook has NOT communicated directly with @DiamondandSilk. We haven't spoken to Mark Zuckerberg or any representative from Facebook. pic.twitter.com/GthvutECRa  Diamond and Silk (@DiamondandSilk) April 10, 2018

Facebook data scandal

Facebook is in the spotlight after it became public that Cambridge Analytica obtained data about millions of Facebook users without their knowledge. Roughly 87 million Facebook users were affected.

Facebook rolled out a tool that allowed users to see whether they'd been affected by the breach, however it's been a slow roll out.
In recent days, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been in the hot seat in Washington, D.C., testifying before the United States Congress about the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal, in which some 87 million Facebook users data was harvested by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and subsequently used for political purposes in violation of Facebooks user agreement.

During the testimony, a little-known website called FaceMash was also brought up by Congressmen questioning the multibillionaire CEO. Despite the widespread global popularity of Facebook, much of the general public has long been in the dark as to what FaceMash was  much less the fact that it nearly got Zuckerberg expelled from Harvard University.

Heres a look at what FaceMash is and who Mark Zuckerberg himself is.

FaceMash, created by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2003, generated much controversy

What is FaceMash?

FaceMash, created by Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg and three of his college classmates, was the predecessor to Zuckerbergs later social media titan Facebook. The site was launched on October 28, 2003.

Zuckerberg, a student at Harvard University at the time, created the site FaceMash with three of his college friends  Chris Hughes, Dustin Moskovitz and Andrew McCollum. Zuckerberg wrote the code for the website and created the site as a hot or not type of game for Harvard University students. The site allowed visitors to compare the pictures of Harvard students side-by-side and determine which one they considered more physically attractive.

To obtain the photographs for the website, Zuckerberg reportedly hacked into the colleges security system and copied student ID images used to access dormitories to the FaceMash page. The site quickly proved to be popular among the local student body, generating 22,000 photo views in just four hours.

.@USRepLong: "What was FaceMash and is it still up and running?"



Mark Zuckerberg: No Congressman, FaceMash was a prank website that I launched in college, in my dorm room, before I started Facebook." pic.twitter.com/W1KK99ljrF  Dan Linden (@DanLinden) April 11, 2018

The website was discovered by Harvard University administrators and shut down within a matter of days of its launch. Zuckerberg was soon charged by the university with violating copyright laws, breaching campus security and violating the privacy of his fellow students, which could ultimately have led to his expulsion from the prestigious school. Ultimately the charges against him were dropped and he was allowed to continue his education at the school.

Zuckerberg faced pointed questions about the origins of FaceMash and what its relation with Facebook was.

'One question Id like to ask before I go into my questioning is what was Facemash, and is it still up and running?' asked Congressman Billy Long of Missouri.

Zuckerberg, however, dismissed FaceMash as 'a prank website... launched in college' that had nothing to do with Facebook itself. He also continued that: 'The claim that Facemash was somehow connected to the development of Facebook, it isnt. It wasnt.'

Rep Long then asked: 'You put up pictures of two women and decide which one is the better, more attractive of the two?', to which Zuckerberg replied: 'Congressmen, that is an accurate description of the prank website that I made when I was a sophomore.'

Who is Mark Zuckerberg?

Mark Zuckerberg is an Internet entrepreneur who founded the social media giant Facebook while attending Harvard University. Hes widely seen as one of the worlds most influential entrepreneurs and wealthiest people, boasting a net worth of approximately $66 billion (46.5 billion).

Zuckerberg was born on May 14, 1984 in White Plains, New York, just outside of New York City.

He excelled in math, science and other fields academically and enrolled in Harvard University after completing high school. While studying at Harvard, he generated controversy after creating an online website called FaceMash, which allowed students to compare pictures of their fellow students to determine if they were attractive or not.

The website, while very popular among the student body, was quickly discovered and shut down by the schools administrative offices. Zuckerberg faced expulsion for violating privacy laws and breaching the schools digital infrastructure in order to obtain pictures for the website, but was ultimately allowed to stay.

He soon launched Facebook, originally known as Thefacebook, in February 2004 as a way to connect university students to each other. The website quickly proved to be exceptionally popular among the Harvard University Student body, with 4,000 people signing up for it in less than a week.

The popular social network soon expanded to all colleges and then the general public, skyrocketing in membership from 120 million users in 2008 to 500 million in 2010 and later one billion in 2012. It later reached a staggering two billion users in 2017, allowing Zuckerberg to become one of the worlds wealthiest and most influential people in the process.

The success of Zuckerberg and Facebook have not been without controversy. He recently testified before the United States Congress regarding the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal, in which some 87 million Facebook users had their personal data collected by the UK political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and subsequently used for political purposes, something in violation of Facebooks terms of service.

Zuckerberg has since apologized for the data breach and vowed to immediately take steps to ensure that similar data breaches dont occur in the future.
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A burned-out house in California's Silicon Valley has astounded home buyers by hitting the market for $799,000.

Images of the fire-ravaged home were shared on Facebook by real estate agent Holly Barr of Sereno Group on Tuesday. By Wednesday afternoon, the post had been shared 855 times.

Although Barr says the home's price is based on local housing prices in the Willow Glen neighborhood, many say it is an example of the lack of affordable housing in one of the hottest markets in the US.

A burned-out house in California's Silicon Valley has astounded home buyers by hitting the market for $799,000

Images of the fire-ravaged home were shared on Facebook by real estate agent Holly Barr of Sereno Group on Tuesday

Barr says that since posting on Facebook, 10 people have reached out to her who are interested in buying

'Houses nearby have sold for $1.6million,' Barr told SFGate. 'This is land value at half of that.'

Social media commenters posted about how indignant they were at the expense of homes in Silicon Valley.

'What has this area come to when a family earning good money cannot even afford to buy even a burnt out wreak [sic],' one user wrote.

'Sad that prices have jumped that high. Ill never be able to buy a home in the wonderful neighborhood I grew up in...and I make a "good" living,' wrote another

According to Barr, there are many benefits that come with buying the dilapidated house, which burned down two years ago.

The lot is 5,800 square feet and is near a commercial strip brimming with restaurants, stores and cafes.

And the value is showing. Barr says that since posting on Facebook, 10 people have reached out to her who are interested in buying.

Many who have seen the listing criticized the fact that the building will likely have to be torn down, but Barr said there is a better way to go about things to save money.

Many who have seen the listing criticized the fact that the building will likely have to be torn down, but Barr said it is cheaper to simply remodel

According to a recent report released by Zillow, a typical homeowner in San Jose gains $99.81 of equity on their home every working-hour with homes valued at approximately $1.078million

The house looked much different in May 2015 (above). It burned down two years ago

'[The previous owners] did leave it standing so you can remodel it versus tearing it down, so you save a lot of money when you can leave a wall up and do a remodel versus a complete tear down,' Barr told KTVU.

Doug Goss, vice president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, told SFGate that there has been an increase in people buying homes in Willow Glen following the news that Google will be building a new campus in nearby downtown San Jose.

'It's like what happened in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara when Apple was anticipating putting in the new headquarters, and prices around there skyrocketed,' he said.

According to a recent report released by Zillow, a typical homeowner in San Jose gains $99.81 of equity on their home every working-hour with homes valued at approximately $1.078million.
Cynthia Nixon wants to legalize marijuana because she says it is time to stop putting black people and others of color in jail for something that is 'effectively legal' for white New Yorkers.

The gubernatorial candidate revealed her position on Twitter on Wednesday and explained it in a string of posts as well as in a campaign video.

Nixon said that while there are 'a lot of good reasons' to make recreational use of the drug legal, stamping out the racial disparity between the number of marijuana-related arrests which currently exists is her biggest motivator.

'We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity.

Cynthia Nixon said on Wednesday that she wanted to legalize marijuana because while it was 'effectively legal for white people', people of color are still being jailed for it

'The simple truth is for white people, the use of marijuana has effectively been legal for a long time.

'Isn't it time we legalize it for everybody else?' she said.

Nixon cited research released earlier this year which found that 80 percent of the people arrested in New York City for marijuana-related offenses were black or latino despite the fact that white people used the drug recreationally at roughly the same rate.

The NYPD was widely criticized for the statistics.

In the state of New York, it is illegal to possess marijuana unless you have a medical recommendation for it however police tend not to punish anyone found with small amounts.

Nixon, 51, carried on her crusade on Twitter after posting her video and launched an online petition

If a person is caught with under 25 grams of it on their person, they are subject to fines of up to $250 for the first two offenses and will be jailed on a third time for 15 days.

Different view: Incumbent New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has previously described marijuana as a 'gateway drug'

It is completely legal to be smoking or burning the drug in public and if a person possesses more than 25 grams, it is a misdemeanor crime.

A person has to be in possession of more than 8oz of the drug for it to become a felony, which is then punishable with four years jail time.

Between one and 10lbs will land someone in jail for seven years and more than 10lbs incurs a 15-year sentence.

All crimes related with drug-selling and trafficking are illegal.

Alongside reducing the number of incarcerations among people in color, Nixon said legalizing the drug would raise 'hundreds of millions' of dollars for the city in taxes and provide work for farmers upstate.

'In 2018, in a blue state like New York, marijuana shouldn't even be an issue.

'If there was more political courage coming out of Albany, we would have done this already,' she said.

To bolster her campaign, she linked to an online petition and asked followers to share their support.

Not on board: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, one of Nixon's political allies and friends, said he is 'not quite there' yet with legalizing marijuana entirely. Nixon is pictured (left) on Monday night

Nixon's position differs to incumbent governor Andrew Cuomo who previously described marijuana as a 'gateway drug'.

He commissioned research on how legalizing the drug would affect the state earlier this year.

Her position also puts her at odds with Mayor Bill de Blasio, a longtime friend and political ally.

Despite lobbying the NYPD to reduce arrests for possession of small amounts of the drug, de Blasio has never gone quite as far to say he wants to completely legalize recreational use of it.

Just last week, he said he was 'not quite there yet' on the topic but was open to learning more about it.
An elderly woman bravely fought off two armed burglars with a crutch when they broke into her home while she and her husband were watching TV.

Maisie Potts, 88, was sat watching Neighbours with her disabled husband Len, 98, when two men burst into their living room with metal poles shouting 'Where is the money?'.

The pensioner said the terrifying raid in Basildon, Essex was worse than what she experienced during the Second World War.

But rather than giving into to Joe Haide, 30 and Victor Oladipo, 18, she showed the Blitz spirit she remembered from her childhood, grabbing her war veteran husband's crutch to fight them off with.

Mrs Potts crawled along the floor to swipe the legs of the invaders, before slipping out the front door to escape.

Maisie Potts (pictured left), 88, was sat watching Neighbours at home in Essex with her disabled husband Len (right), 98, when two men burst into their living room with metal poles shouting 'Where is the money?'

She managed to flag down a passing ambulance and raise the alarm forcing them to flee, but they still got away with thousands of pounds worth of jewellery.

Speaking after the masked raiders pleaded guilty to burglary at Basildon Crown Court she said: 'There was this terrible smash of glass and they got in.

'When the bloke went for me and I could see he meant business I could see he had this weapon in front of my face.

'I came around the corner and fell on the couch and found my phone.

'I threw the phone to Len and he was trying to call the police, but they knocked it out of his hands.

'I slid off the couch and managed to get out of his way whilst he was fighting Len and I thought the only thing to do was to knock his legs from under him.

'I dragged my bum across the floor to get to him and I grabbed the crutch and tried to knock his legs.

'I was trying to get his feet from under him, so he wouldn't hurt my husband.

'He just kept shouting 'Where's your money, where's your money'.

'I managed to get out the door to knock on the neighbour's door to get help.

'As I got out there was an ambulance just going passed and I started calling out help, I couldn't fight them off and Len couldn't.

'It was God's gift to us that the ambulance was there at that particular time.

'They pulled over the road and stopped and all the police came.'

But rather than giving into to Joe Haide (pictured), 30 and Victor Oladipo, 18, she showed the Blitz spirit she remembered from her childhood, grabbing her war veteran husband's crutch to fight them off with

The retired secretary, of Basildon, Essex added: 'We went through the war and we didn't go through anything like that.

'We didn't expect it, it's something we have never experienced it before.'

'The youngsters are so lucky compared to what we had in the war, they just broke in here to get money. Why don't they get a job, it doesn't make sense.'

She had also revealed she thought she 'was going to die' in the fracas.

The pair, both of Basildon, were expected to stand trial but entered guilty pleas to the raid and were sentenced today.

Haide received seven years and two months for burglary and Oladipo, 18, was sentenced to four years for burglary.

Haide was also given three year sentences, to run concurrently, for a burglary in Norfolk in 2016 and a burglary in Lewes last year.

Investigating officer Dc Nicholas May, of Basildon CID, said: 'An elderly couple were put through a horrific ordeal when Haide and Oladipo, armed with weapons, forced entry to their home.

'They then searched through the couple's bedroom before leaving with jewellery.

'I want to thank both the victims for their courage and bravery throughout our investigation and through the court process, which has resulted in Haide and Oladipo serving lengthy sentences in prison.'
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Two of Donald Trump's highest-level strategic advisers were at the White House on Wednesday as he weighed whether, when and how hard to strike at Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime following his deadly chemical weapons attack on anti-government rebels and civilians.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen were all at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for what one official described as an 'all hands' meeting with the president's top-shelf national security advisers.

The group also included National Security Advisor John Bolton and Vice President Mike Pence, who White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said chaired the meeting.

The meeting raised questions over whether Trump's early-morning twitter threat to Russia and Syria that he would use missiles which they could not shoot down was made before he had full military advice.

Trump had used Twitter earlier in the day to says: 'Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!".

'You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!'

But Sanders seemed to turn down the heat with a vague statement that bordered on murky. A military attack is 'certainly one option,' she told reporters during a briefing, 'but it's certainly not the only option  or the only thing that the president may or may not do.'

'All options are on the table,' said Sanders, 'and a final decision hasn't been made.'

The U.S.'s key allies, the UK and France, have also still to decide what, if any, action to take.

In Britain, prime minister Theresa May is holding a cabinet meeting on Thursday to canvas support from ministers for backing any U.S. action. She is said to have ordered British missiles armed with Tomahawk missiles into range of Damascus.

And in France, president Emmanuel Macron said he would decide on a response 'in the coming days.' 'Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities,' he said, insisting he did 'not want an escalation.'

President Donald Trump's top advisers descended on the White House on Wednesday as he weighed the pros and cons of launching military strikes in Syria following the Bashar al-Assad regime's poison-gas attack Saturday on anti-government rebels in a Damascus suburb

Gen. Joseph Dunford (center), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen (right), were photographed at the White House after a tense meeting held to decide whether or not the U.S. would make good on Trump's morning threat that missile attacks 'will be coming'

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats (center) left the White House in a hurry after the 'all-hands' meeting

The US military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer  armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  underway in the eastern Mediterranean

But British involvement is by no means a certainty, with prime minister May facing calls from her own party to seek approval from parliament for strikes.

One of her most senior ministers previously voted against military action against the Assad regime in 2013, suggesting she could face opposition inside her own government.

Asked whether she was concerned by Trumps tweet, May said: 'We are working with our allies, we have been working to get an understanding of what happened on the ground. We are rapidly reaching that understanding. All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible.'

Trump's apparent decision to telegraph his military moves Wednesday morning flies in the face of a pledge he made last year at Fort Myer, near Washington, D.C.

'America's enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out. I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will,' he said August 21.

That mirrored complaints he tweeted more than five years ago when President Barack Obama was openly contemplating military action in Syria: 'For all of those fools that want to attack Syria, the U.S.has lost the vital element of surprise-so stupid-could be a disaster!'

'In war, the elememt [sic] of surprise is sooooo important,' Trump added then. 'What the hell is Obama doing.'

Mattis, too, has expressed a strong preference for surprise attacks over advance warnings, writing in the2018 National Defense Strategy document that America's military should 'be strategically predictable, but operationally unpredictable.'

Both the Syrian government and its Russian ally deny Saturday's attack ever took place.

The Russian military claims samples taken from the site of the attack in Douma did not contain any poisonous substances.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders stayed mum on questions of whether Trump is preparing to retaliate against the Syrian dictatorship for its use of chemical weapons, saying only that 'all options are on the table'

Newly minted National Security Advisor John Bolton (right, pictured Monday) was also at the table as the president's military options were debated

Trump used Twitter to warn that a missile attack on Syria was imminent  hours after the Kremlin vowed to shoot down any rockets fired at the Assad regime in retaliation for last week's gas atrocity

The president declared Wednesday that the U.S.-Russia relationship has never been worse  not even during the Cold War

Trump, who had just threatened Moscow with a missile attack, blamed Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his election 'collusion' probe for 'bad blood' between the U.S. and the Kremlin

Russian ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said it had all been a 'staged event' faked by provocateurs working with the White Helmets, a rescue and aid first-responder group whose work was chronicled in an Oscar-winning documentary film.

At the White House, Sanders said U.S. intelligence 'certainly paints a different picture, and the president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack.'

Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Wednesday that the Pentagon is standing by, awaiting an order for military action.

'We stand ready to provide military options if they are appropriate, as the president determines,' he said.

Asked if he had seen enough evidence to blame Assad for the chemical carnage, Mattis said: 'We're still working on this.'

Trump issued a second Twitter blast as well during the morning hours, claiming America's rapport with Moscow has never been worse.

'Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War,' he tweeted. 'There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?'

Interfax reported in the late morning that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov scoffed at Trump's online brushback pitch.

'We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy,' Peskov said. 'We support serious approaches. We continue to believe that it is important not to take steps that could harm an already fragile situation.'

The Russian military had just announced a deployment of troops to Douma. Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces said military police would be there by Thursday to ensure 'security' of the town.

Poznikhir said 41,213 people, including 3,354 rebels and 8,642 members of their families, have left Douma with his military's assistance.

On station: The U.S. Navy released photographs of the USS Donald Cook departing Larnaca in Cyprus on Monday as it steamed towards missile range of Syria. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer has at least 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles embarked

The U.S. has maintained its threat of rocket attacks in response to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's sickening chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday

Conspiracy theories: Russia has claimed their military experts have found no evidence of poisonous substances at the site of Assad's latest chemical attacks - and insist the atrocity was faked by rescue volunteers. Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Syrian President Bashar Assad(right) were both threatened by Trump on Twitter

The Syrian air defense system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system (pictured), which has been in place in Syria for more than a year

Military might: Russia has demonstrated the power of its S-400 defence systems in videos showing rockets being fired off

Separately, Trump suggested Wednesday that Moscow doesn't want to be wrapped up in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, which has been scouring Washington and New York for evidence that the president's 2016 campaign colluded with the Kremlin to help him win.

'Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama,' Trump wrote, adding that there is 'No Collusion, so they go crazy!'

His threats came hours after Moscow's ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, said any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down by Russia and the launch sites targeted. In response to Trump's tweet, Russia's foreign ministry said 'smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government.'

The Russian foreign ministry also claimed U.S. missiles would destroy 'all evidence' of a suspected chemical weapons attack.

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added: 'Or is it the original idea to use the smart missiles to sweep the traces of the provocation under the rug?' so inspectors would have nothing to inspect.

Donald Trump flexed his military muscle Tuesday by tweeting an Oval Office image of 19 of his most senior military commanders. The group is pictured above left to right, Army General Curtis Scaparrotti (1), Army General Mark Milley (2), Marine Corps General Robert Neller (3), U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft (4), Navy Admiral Kurt W. Tidd (5), Army General Raymond A Thomas (6), Marine Corps General Thomas D. Waldhauser (7), Air Force General Paul Selva (8), Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford (9), Defense Secretary James Mattis (10), President Donald Trump (11), Vice President Mike Pence (12), Navy Admiral Michael Rodgers (13), Navy Admiral John Richardson (14), Army General Joseph Votel (15), Air Force General David Goldfein (16), Air Force General John E Hyten (17), Air Force General Joseph L. Lengyel (18), Air Force General Lori Robinson (19), Patrick M. Shanahan (20), Navy Admiral Harry Harris (21), Air Force General Darren W McDew (22), U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Karl Schultz (23)

Russia's government claimed the 'White Helmets' first-responder group faked the chemical weapons attack; their volunteers are pictured here yelling toward ambulances during a search for survivors of an explosion in the Syrian city of Idleb on Tuesday

Syria's foreign ministry claimed Wednesday that Trump's government is using 'lies and fabrication' as an excuse to launch an attack.

According to SANA, the state news agency, a ministry official said: 'We are not surprised by such a thoughtless escalation by a regime like the United States regime, which sponsored terrorism in Syria and still does.'

Wednesday morning saw a dramatic ratcheting of tensions in the Middle East where Russian forces are propping up dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and American forces are backing some of his opponents.

Britain, France and the U.S. continued to discuss possible strikes to punish Assad for the chemical attack on Saturday, in which 43 were killed and others left gasping for air and foaming at the mouth.

The U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order Wednesday morning with a Navy destroyer  armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  en route in the eastern Mediterranean.

Amid rising tensions, Moscow's United Nations envoy Vasily Nebenzia had earlier pleaded with America not to strike and warned the U.S. it will 'bear responsibility' for any 'illegal military adventure' it carries out. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged restraint this morning, saying countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilize the war-torn country.

On Wednesday the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria. It said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within the next three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

'Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area,' it said, referring to the designated airspace.

Aviation regulators in countries including the U.S., UK, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace leading most carriers to avoid the area.

The only commercial flights above Syria as of 9:15 p.m. Tuesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

This morning, the pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria. It said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within the next three days and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment. Flight path monitoring websites showed that few if any aircraft were flying over the country this morning

Five hundred people poisoned in Syrian gas attack, WHO reveals Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas outrage that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed. WHO demanded 'immediate' access to the victims in rebel-held Douma as it revealed the total number of people who reported to hospital showing 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'. The atrocity, blamed on Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad's forces, has sparked a global outcry with the US and its allies considering taking military action in response. Volunteers give aid to children at a hospital following the chemical attack in Douma While the WHO statement did not confirm outright that a chemical weapons attack had taken place, it said more than 70 people sheltering in basements have died with 43 of those deaths related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals. 'We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma' where Saturday's attack took place, said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response. 'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' he added. Citing information previously released by local health organizations, WHO said that 'an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'. Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas attack that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed 'There were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed,' the statement added. The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and UN-backed war crimes investigators. WHO has delivered medicine capable of treating certain types of chemical agents to clinics through a series of humanitarian convoys deployed across the country in recent years. UN officials have also accused Assad's troops of at times removing those treatments from humanitarian vehicles. Advertisement

Trump blasted his predecessor Barack Obama in 2003 for telegraphing his military moves in the Middle East  the same thing he appears to be doing this week.

The Eurocontrol statement included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus.

The Nicosia flight information region named in the Eurocontrol statement on Tuesday covers the island of Cyprus and surrounding waters, according to a map on the agency's website. The same map did not designate any specific territory as being the 'Eastern Mediterranean' region.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning with a Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, getting underway in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday after completing a port call in Cyprus.

The guided missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria following an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians.

Also, the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe.

The U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order this morning and the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe

France, under Emmanuel Macron (left), warned it would retaliate against the Syrian regime if evidence emerged that the 'red line' of chemical weapons had been crossed in rebel-held Douma. Prime Minister Theresa May (right) described the attack as 'barbaric'

The Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier (file picture) and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe

Trump has warned there would be a 'big price to pay,' and Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley made it clear that the failure to secure a Security Council vote would not hold America and its allies back. Pictured: Sailors prepare F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets for take off during a routine training aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the South China sea on Tuesday

The strike group will be accompanied by a German frigate FGS Hessen, a state-of-the-art vessel specialising in air defense which officials say is the only type of warship in the Western world with three kinds of surface-to-air missiles.

Its radar has a detection range of more than 200 nautical miles for air targets.

In the face of intense world outrage, the United Nations Security Council failed to agree a global response to the chemical attack on Tuesday, after Washington and Moscow opposed each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into poison gas use in the seven-year-old conflict.

Trump has made it clear he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

But Russia has warned against action and this morning defense committee lawmaker Andrei Krasov said the Kremlin would treat a U.S. airstrike on Syria 'not just as an act of aggression but a war crime of the Western coalition.'

His comments followed those of senior Russian lawmaker and retired general Vladimir Shamanov, who said on Tuesday that a U.S. strike could hurt Russian servicemen and trigger Russian retaliation.

He said that Russia has 'the necessary means for that and the Americans and their allies know that quite well.'

Shamanov emphasized that a retaliatory Russian strike could target U.S. navy ships and aircraft. He added that the use of nuclear weapons is 'unlikely.'

According to rescue workers, on Saturday more than 40 people died in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma in an alleged chemical attack, which left victims struggling to breathe, foaming at the mouth and with discolored skin.

How Russia could use its fearsome S-400 defence system to shoot down missiles aimed at Syria A Russian ambassador has warned that Russia would shoot down incoming missiles and attack their launching platforms in the event of a strike on Syria. A similar warning has been issued in the past by the chief of staff of Russia's armed forces. The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system, which has been in place in Syria for more than a year. This poses a lethal threat to modern jets. Sources said it is likely any attack by the US, Britain and France would be carried out from a safe enough distance to avoid planes being shot down. The most advanced of Russia's terrifying S-400 systems is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives, according to Russian media. The Syrian air defence system is understood to have been heavily damaged but Russia has a formidable S-400 system (pictured), which has been in place in Syria for more than a year It can engage targets at a distance of 250 miles and at an altitude of up to 19 miles. In January, it was reported that contracts for S-400 deliveries were inked with China and Turkey and that negotiations were also underway to sell the system to Saudi Arabia. Dmitri Trenin, the head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and a former Soviet military officer, raised the terrifying prospect of a military clash between world superpowers. He said: 'The U.S. and Russia are now closer to a direct collision between their military forces than at any time since the cold war. 'The only question on my mind: will Russia hit back at the U.S. when it launches strikes against Damascus?' In recent weeks the Russian military has reportedly began jamming some smaller U.S. military drones operating in the skies over Syria. According to four U.S. officials speaking to NBC news, this has affected American military operations. The officials said the Russian military was concerned the U.S. military would retaliate for the attacks and began jamming the GPS systems of drones operating in the area. Last year Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike (pictured) against the Syrian regime's al-Shayrat airbase following a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of civilians The drones impacted so far were smaller surveillance aircraft, as opposed to the larger Predators and Reapers that often operate in combat environments and can be armed. Last year Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike against the Syrian regime's al-Shayrat airbase following a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens of civilians. Russian forces did not shoot down the missile using its air defence systems stationed in the region. At that time the U.S. gave Russia advance warning of that attack through a de-confliction notice. But Russian military brass have signaled that their response could be different. In March, Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, said: 'In the case of a threat to the lives of our servicemen, the Russian military armed forces will take response measures against both the rockets, and the platforms from which they're fired.' By MailOnline reporter and Larisa Brown, Defence and Security Editor for the Daily Mail Advertisement

The WHO also condemned the suspected chemical weapons attack, in which it said an estimated 500 patients went to health facilities with 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals.'

'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' Peter Salama, WHO deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement issued in Geneva.

U.N. aid agencies do not have access to most of the enclave of eastern Ghouta, including Douma, where the alleged attack occurred. The Syrian government has denied responsibility.

But the United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Trump has warned there would be a 'big price to pay,' and Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley made it clear that the failure to secure a Security Council vote would not hold America and its allies back.

'Russia has trashed the credibility of the council,' she said. 'Whenever we propose anything meaningful on Syria, Russia vetoes it. It is a travesty.'

Haley dismissed the Russian draft as 'all about protecting the Assad regime' because of provisions that would have required the Security Council to endorse its findings -- in other words, giving Russia a veto over any attempt to apportion blame.

Volunteers spray a man with water at a makeshift hospital in Douma on April 7. International tensions are mounting over possible airstrikes in the wake of the sickening chemical attack

Russia, in turn, vetoed the US-backed motion, which would have re-established an international Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to probe chemical strikes in Syria and to identify culprits.

Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Haley of seeking a vote to provide cover for a Western military strike on Assad, which now seems all the more likely.

'If you took the decision to carry out an illegal military adventure, and we do hope that you will come to your senses, well then you will have to bear responsibility for it,' he said.

Both Trump and his defense secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook  a guided-missile destroyer  moved to within striking range of Syria.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response 'in the coming days.'

'Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities,' he said, insisting he did 'not want an escalation.'

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a settlement in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

The OPCW said it would 'shortly' deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but U.S. officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

Damascus also mobilized overnight Tuesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said the army had 'put all military positions on alert, including airports and all bases, for a period of 72 hours.'

A source from a pro-regime unit told AFP Tuesday there were 'precautionary measures being taken by the Syrian army, especially the airports and military bases.'

Residents in the capital were also bracing for a potential response.

'I have lived through seven American presidents, but Trump is the craziest and his administration is unbalanced,' said Abu Fadi, 70.

'I think his threats are to be feared, and we should take them seriously.'

In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Russia's ally Assad, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

Douma has been heavily bombed by the regime and Russia making it extremely difficult for media, including AFP, to independently verify the claims.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the OPCW should be granted unfettered access to investigate.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for attacks, and the joint OPCW-UN taskforce that once did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed the Syria regime.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

Trump has threatened to respond 'forcefully' to the most recent allegations, saying the U.S. had 'a lot of options militarily' and would decide in the coming days.

The White House said that, in a telephone call, Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May 'agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.'
Scotland Yard said detectives have nothing left to pursue unless handed fresh information about the 1993 case of the murder of Stephen Lawrence (pictured)

The investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence will now be shelved unless new leads are found, police confirmed last night.

Scotland Yard said detectives have nothing left to pursue unless handed fresh information about the 1993 case.

They said every possible line of inquiry has been run down and without advances in forensic techniques its work will be placed on hold.

But Chris Le Pere, who leads the inquiry, said he remains hopeful that publicity around the 25th anniversary could yet throw up clues.

A three-part documentary, Stephen: The Murder That Changed A Nation, examining the murder, the botched first investigation and the repercussions for British policing, will be broadcast on BBC1 next week.

Last night Mr Le Pere said: 'We understand that 25 years is a poignant anniversary of the tragedy of the murder of Stephen, and our thoughts remain very much with those who loved him, and feel his loss.

'With the approaching anniversary and airing of a documentary, there is still the opportunity for someone who knows what happened that night to have a conscience and come forward. I would say to you, it is never too late to do the right thing.'

Last week the Daily Mail revealed Stephen's mother Doreen (pictured) had suggested the inquiry had run its course

Last week the Daily Mail revealed Stephen's mother Doreen had suggested the inquiry had run its course.

Baroness Lawrence said police should shelve the investigation if they have no more significant leads.

She urged officers to be 'honest' about the probe, saying she was conscious it was funded by taxpayers.

Steven's father Neville said he still hoped someone would come forward. 'The threat of anything happening to them now isn't as great as it was in the early days.

'I'm pleased that they [the police] tried all different options and are still trying after all these years.'

Stephen was stabbed by white thugs at a bus stop in Eltham, South-East London, on April 22, 1993. He was 18. Two of the student's killers were jailed in 2012, but three others have dodged justice.

Stephen was stabbed by white thugs at a bus stop in Eltham, South-East London (pictured), on April 22, 1993. He was 18

Gary Dobson, now 42, and David Norris, 41, were convicted and jailed for life in 2012 when DNA and fibre evidence linked them to the murder.

The third suspect, 42-year-old Neil Acourt, is behind bars for masterminding a 4million cannabis smuggling ring.

His brother Jamie, 41, who is wanted for his links to drugs crime, is believed be on the run in Spain. The only suspect on British streets is 41-year-old Luke Knight.

In February 1997, after an inquest delivered a verdict of unlawful killing, this newspaper named the five men on its front page with the headline: 'Murderers.'

Two years later, an inquiry led by Sir William Macpherson accused the Metropolitan Police of institutional racism, professional incompetence and bad leadership.

Pictured: The front page of the Daily Mail on February 14 1997 that accused the five suspects in Stephen Lawrence's case of killing him

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed the force is 'reviewing the status' of the investigation into Stephen's killers.

He said: 'Despite previous public appeals, rigorous pursuit of all remaining lines of inquiry, numerous reviews and every possible advance in forensic techniques, the Met investigation team is now at a stage where without new information the investigation is unlikely to progress further, and this was explained to the family earlier this year.'

The decision is sensitive for Met Commissioner Cressida Dick who has vowed to fight to bring Stephen's killers to justice 'as long as I am alive'.

In previous roles she spent 13 years as the most senior detective responsible for the murder investigation.

A timeline of the Stephen Lawrence murder case April 22, 1993: Stephen is stabbed to death in an unprovoked racist attack in Eltham, South-East London. Within days Neil and Jamie Acourt, Gary Dobson, Luke Knight and David Norris are identified as prime suspects. July 1993: Prosecutors drop a case against Neil Acourt and Luke Knight. Months later an inquest is halted amid claims of 'dramatic' new evidence. April 1996: An Old Bailey private prosecution brought by the Lawrence family against Neil Acourt, Knight and Dobson collapses. February 1997: An inquest jury finds Stephen was 'unlawfully killed by five white youths'. The next day this newspaper accuses all five men under the front page headline 'Murderers'. February 1999: The Macpherson report finds police guilty of an appalling catalogue of mistakes and 'institutional racism'. April 2005: The double jeopardy principle, preventing suspects being tried twice for the same crime, is scrapped for certain offences when there is compelling new evidence. November 2007: Scotland Yard confirms it is investigating new forensic evidence. May 2011: The Court of Appeal agrees Dobson's 1996 acquittal for the murder can be quashed and he can be put on trial again. January 2012: Dobson and Norris are found guilty of Stephen's murder. September 2016: Police announce they have received 'significant information' after a fresh appeal to identify a woman whose DNA was found on a bag strap left at the murder scene. April 2018: Scotland Yard admits it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephen's murder and is preparing to shelve it. Advertisement

The blunders made 25 years ago and how Yard fought to put them right

Scotland Yard spent years battling to right the wrongs committed in the first months of the inquiry into Stephen Lawrence's murder.

More than 50million was spent as seven investigations and countless reviews poured over every possible lead, clue and piece of evidence.

Meanwhile, a landmark public inquiry led to changes in 'double jeopardy' laws which barred suspects being tried for the same crime twice.

In the 1993 murder inquiry detectives failed to act quickly on tip-offs made within days identifying the key five suspects. Four days after the stabbing surveillance officers stood by as a young man left the Acourts' family home carrying clothing covered in a black bin liner.

Over the next six years, police faced a private prosecution, inquest and public inquiry into their failure to bring the men to justice.

Pictured: Murdered London teenager Stephen Lawrence

Two further murder inquiries were launched, however in 2004 prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to put anyone in the dock.

A bold decision two years later to submit every exhibit for a full forensic review by a private firm led to a breakthrough.

In 2007 experts at LGC Forensics began working through 30 items of clothing seized from the homes of the suspects.

The discovery of tiny flakes of Stephen's blood and fibres from his clothes ultimately led to Gary Dobson and David Norris being arrested in 2011 and charged with his murder. On January 3, 2012, they were found guilty and jailed for life.

Police vowed to continue fighting to bring the remaining three suspects to justice. In 2016 police released CCTV of a man seen close to the murder scene and appealed for help identifying a woman whose bag strap was found nearby.

It led to 30 calls from the public but despite extensive inquiries any new leads came to nothing.
Bruce McArthur, 66, was charged with a seventh murder on Wednesday in Toronto

An accused Canadian serial killer has been charged with a seventh count of murder.

Bruce McArthur, 66, appeared in a Toronto courtroom by video link on Wednesday to be charged with first-degree murder in the death of Abdulbasir Faizi, who disappeared in 2010.

It is the latest charge against McArthur since his arrest in January. Police say he trolled bars in Toronto's 'Gay Village' and gay dating apps for victims, predominantly targeting Muslim men from South Asia or the Middle East.

An assistant machine operator at a printing company, 44-year-old Afghanistan native Faizi went missing on December 29, 2010.

Trying to determine why, his Muslim family accessed his computer and was shocked to discover he had been secretly going to bathhouses in the Gay Village and was on gay dating apps for older and large men.

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Abdulbasir Faizi, an Afghan immigrant who worked as a machine operator, went missing on December 29, 2010. Alleged serial killer McArthur has now been charged with his murder

In this artist's sketch, McArthur makes an appearance via video in a Toronto courtroom on Wednesday. He spoke only to say his name and acknowledge that he understood the charges

Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga speaks to the media regarding updates to the Bruce McArthur case during a press conference at the Toronto Police Headquarters on Wednesday

When Faizi's family went to police, officers suggested he had probably just left, a relative said. His car was found a short distance from the house McArthur used as storage.

Faizi's wife divorced him, thinking he abandoned her and their two young daughters.

'She didn't know. He wasn't out. As far as she knows they were married and they were happy and he abandoned her and the daughters,' said a female relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to a lack of permission from the family to speak publicly.

'For me at least there's a sense of relief because he didn't abandon anyone. He didn't run away,' she said of the charges filed on Wednesday.

Though cameras were barred from the courtroom, a sketch artist captured McArthur wearing an orange jail jumpsuit. He spoke in court only to say his name and acknowledge that he understood the charges against him.

McArthur has been held since January 18, when he was arrested and initially charged with the murders of Andrew Kinsman, 49, and Selim Esen, 44

Victims (left to right): Skandaraj 'Skanda' Navaratnam, 40; Majeed Kayhan, 58; and Soroush Marmudi, 50 all disappeared between 2010 and 2015

Victims (left to right): Dean Lisowick, 43; Selim Esen, 44; and Andrew Kinsman, 49, all disappeared between April 2016 and June 2017

The dismembered remains of all the named victims except for Kayhan were found in flower planters in this residential backyard, where McArthur stored landscaping equipment

At a press conference on Wednesday that was broadcast online, Homicide Detective Sergeant Hank Idsinga revealed other new developments in the case.

Three additional positive identifications have been made on the seven sets of human remains recovered in large planters at a home where McArther, a self-employed landscaper, stored work materials.

The newly identified remains were those of Faizi, Essen and Dean Lisowick, a 43-year-old homeless man whose murder McArther has already been charged with.

Forensic specialists had previously identified three sets of remains from the planters: Kinsman; Soroush Mahmudi, 50; and Skandaraj 'Skanda' Navaratnam, 40.

A seventh victim, 58-year-old Majeed Kayhan, was not linked to the remains from the planters, but McArthur has also been charged with his murder. Police have not publicly revealed if or whether Kayhan's remains were found.

Idsinga said there was 'at least' one more set of remains from the planters that had yet to be identified.

Last month, cops released a forensic sketch of that unidentified victim, who would now be the eighth. An improved version of the sketch was released Wednesday.

Police are seeking the identity of this victim, releasing an updated forensic sketch Wednesday

McArthur has been held since his arrest on January 18. Cops are preparing to search some 75 properties where he worked as a landscaper when the ground thaws in early May

After three months, forensic technicians are still searching McArthur's apartment (pictured). 'We've quite frankly never seen anything like it,' Idsinga said of the evidence inside

The detective sergeant said that hundreds of callers had generated about 70 possible identities for the unidentified victim, 22 of which had yet to be excluded.

He went on to say that the homicide squad was reviewing 15 cold cases for potential links to McArthur, spanning from 1975 to 1997.

Idsinga went on to reveal that forensic officers are still working in McArthur's apartment, and hinted at chilling discoveries inside.

'We've quite frankly never seen anything like it,' he said of the evidence recovered from the apartment. 'It's easily set the record for forensic investigation of an apartment.'

Forensic techs are still combing over the apartment 'inch by inch' including the 'floors, ceiling, walls, furniture, inside furniture, dresser drawers'.

'We have quite a few exhibits coming out of it,' he said, declining to offer further details and saying the evidence would be revealed at trial.

As spring breaks in Toronto and the ground thaws, police expect to visit some 75 properties where McArthur worked as a landscaper to search for additional remains. The searches are set to begin in early May.
A man and woman have been arrested and charged with the death of a six-year-old boy who was beaten to death.

Bobbie Bishop and Walter Wynhoff, 40 and 44 respectively, face felony charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of malicious punishment, CBS Minnesota reported.

Bishop apparently carried the unresponsive boy, who was not breathing, to a hospital in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, on Monday.

Immediately hospital staff attempted to resuscitate the boy, but he was eventually declared dead, the criminal complaint said.

Bobbie Bishop (left) and Walter Wynhoff (right), 40 and 44 respectively, face felony charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of malicious punishment, CBS Minnesota reported

Bishop apparently carried the unresponsive boy, who was not breathing, to a hospital in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, on Monday. Immediately hospital staff attempted to resuscitate the boy, but he was eventually declared dead, the criminal complaint said

The boy's appearance when he was brought to the hospital was said to be 'disturbing,' according to a detective who responded to the case.

He had infected wounds and multiple signs of trauma consistent with different types of injuries that had been inflicted upon him, including strap marks, suggesting he had been beaten, CBS reported.

Bishop and Wynhoff apparently admitted to failing to bring the boy to the hospital and to disciplining him with spankings, belts and to restraining him with duct tape, the criminal complaint says.

Bishop and Wynhoff apparently admitted to failing to bring the boy to the hospital and to disciplining him with spankings, belts and to restraining him with duct tape, the criminal complaint says. They are pictured in photos from Facebook

These brutal forms of discipline apparently escalated for a month leading up to the boy's death.

The child and his sibling were living with Bishop and Wynhoff, according to the complaint.

Their legal guardian is said to live in Montana.

They were living with the couple for less than a year and were not rolled in school.

If they are convicted Bishop and Wynhoff each face up to 40 years in prison on just the murder charge, and an additional 15 years on the charges of first-degree murder.


The Federal Government is set to pour $5billion into new Melbourne airport train line, ending decades of inaction.

The pledge will be accompanied by a suggestion the Victorian government gets on board with a 50-50 funding split.

Approved funding could see construction start as early as 2020, with four route options due to be unveiled during the official announcement.

The pledge will be accompanied by a suggestion the Victorian government gets on board with a 50-50 funding split (pictured is a Melbourne train)

The Federal Government is set to pour $5billion into new Melbourne airport train line, ending decades of inaction (pictured is Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull)

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will announce the funding pledge on Thursday, The Herald Sun reported.

'The time for talk is over,' Mr Turnbull said.

'There have been countless reviews, reports and recommendations, but Melbourne is still waiting for a service almost all of the world's great cities take for granted.

'With our commitment of up to $5billion ... we are guaranteeing the Melbourne airport rail link will be built.'

Approved funding could see construction start as early as 2020, with four route options due to be unveiled during the official announcement (pictured are Melbourne trains)

Mr Turnbull has written to Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) suggesting the two governments put in equal funding for the project

Mr Turnbull has written to Premier Daniel Andrews suggesting the two governments put in equal funding for the project.

Victoria's share could possibly use $2billion they will get from selling its share of the Snowy Hydro Scheme.

Mr Andrews said in 2016 airport rail wasn't a top priority, but in the last budget the state government funded the current business case.

The new rail link is expected to include express services, and routes stopping at new or existing stations.

A new underground station at Melbourne airport - predicted to serve 60million passengers by 2030 - will provide rail access to the rest of the city (pictured is Melbourne Airport)

FOUR AIRPORT ROUTE OPTIONS Flemington Route - The second most direct route with the second longest tunnel - Goes along the existing Flemington Line, goes through Kensington - Three new stations proposed at Maribyrnong, Highpoint and Milleara Road Albion East Route - Slower and longer than the routes passing through Maribyrnong - Travels west from the CBD on Sunbury Line to Sunshine - Then goes north on a new line to Tullarmarine Craigieburn Route - Travels along the Craigieburn Line - Includes 13 stops between the airport and the central business district - Would be cheaper to build as it uses existing alignments Direct Tunnel Route - Contains the longest tunnel option - from Footscray to Maribyrnong - The quickest and most direct route, but also the most expensive - Includes three new stations at at Maribyrnong, Highpoint and Milleara Road Advertisement

A new underground station at Melbourne airport - predicted to serve 60million passengers by 2030 - will provide rail access to the rest of the city.

Poll Which of the four proposed Melbourne airport rail link routes do you prefer? Flemington Route Albion East Route Craigieburn Route Direct Tunnel Route Which of the four proposed Melbourne airport rail link routes do you prefer? Flemington Route 24 votes

Albion East Route 13 votes

Craigieburn Route 13 votes

Direct Tunnel Route 59 votes Now share your opinion





The exact route will be chosen in September, and three of the possible four options would see the train running around the city loop.

Options include the Flemington Route, Albion East Route, Craigieburn Route and the Direct Tunnel Route.

The State Government is believed to prefer the East Albion route, while the Federal Government is understood to be backing the Flemington and Direct Tunnel routes.

The latter two plans would see the train provide access to a new suburb planned for a former Australian Defence Force site in Maribyrnong.

The Albion East route could prove cheaper, as it would use existing tracks and not require tunnelling.
Heavily-armed tactical and riot squad police have raided five homes in Sydney's west and arrested four men as part of major police drug bust.

Streets were shut down in Auburn on Thursday morning as the New South Wales Police Force ramped up its investigation into a major drug supply chain, deploying armoured vehicles.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that local police, Tactical Operations cops and the Public Order and Riot Squad were 'executing search warrants on five homes in Auburn'.

Heavily-armed tactical and riot squad police have raided five homes in Sydney's west and arrested four men as part of major police drug investigation

It is part of the Strike Force Oil Well investigation into the supply of illicit drugs.

Nine News, which had cameras on the scene, reported that four men were arrested.

More to come.

Streets were shut down in Auburn on Thursday morning as the New South Wales Police Force ramped up its investigation into a major drug supply chain
During an emotional day of testimony, a court was shown Morgan Freeman's granddaughter's boyfriend high on PCP just hours before he stabbed her to death in 2015.

The courtroom was shown the disturbing footage of Lamar Davenport, now 30, high on PCP at a table with friends, while Freeman's granddaughter E'Dena Hines, 33, appears to be filming the disarray in her home, while unknowingly documenting her final hours.

An angry Davenport tells Hines to turn the light off, as she appears to be filming. He tells her 'turn the light off' several times, and then angrily says to her 'Am I to walk toward it and die!?' This is killing me stop it! He then adds 'E'Dena turn off that f***ing light!'

The video offers insight into the last hours of Hines' life, as she dealt with her volatile and drugged up boyfriend. Davenport has said he was given a 'bad batch' of PCP, which led him to stabbing her in a violent, drug induced haze.

In the video shown in court on Wednesday, a high on PCP, Lamar Davenport (pictured) becomes angry at Morgan Freeman's granddaughter E'Dena Hines, who appears to be filming her final hours

Drug fueled murder: Davenport's attorney's are arguing he is not guilty by reason of insanity as he was on PCP when he stabbed Hines 25 times in August of 2015

Incoherent thoughts: During the video incoherent thoughts are shared around the table

E'Dena Hines, the granddaughter of actor Morgan Freeman (together), was stabbed to death in August 2015. Tuesday, her boyfriend, who is her accused killer, appeared in court in Manhattan to face trial for her murder. She is pictured with her grandfather at the 2005 Golden Globes

According to the New York Post the video shows Davenport high on PCP with pal Raymond Rosario.

PCP, which is an abbreviation for the powerful, dissociative sedative drug phencyclidine, produces visual and auditory distortions, as well as perceptual changes.

PCP's dissociative effects can result in an individual feeling detached from themselves or the world around them.

While under the influence of PCP, someone might feel temporarily divorced from reality, or that their body is not their own.

Davenport's attorneys argue he is not guilty by reason of insanity because he was in the throes of a PCP-induced psychosis at the time of the attack.

Also on Wednesday, the grieving mother of Hines testified through tears as she told a court of their final hours together before she was stabbed to death by her boyfriend.

Deena Adair, 55, during her testimony in Manhattan Supreme Court, said she had spent the entire day with Hines, before Davenport stabbed her 25 times to death at 2.50am on August 16, 2015.

'We drove to Jamaica, Queens to go look at the house that was my grandparents' house,' said Adair, who was adopted by Freeman when he married Adair's mother, Jeannette Adair Bradshaw.

Deena Adair, 55, is pictured with her daughter E'Dena Hines, 33, just hours before the beautiful granddaughter of Morgan Freeman was stabbed to death by her boyfriend in a drug induced haze (evidence photo from court Wednesday)

Adair tearfully took the stand in her daughter's murder trial on Wednesday and told a court how she had spent the day with Hines before she was stabbed to death by her boyfriend

Lamar Davenport, who allegedly murdered Morgan Freeman's granddaughter in violent rage, is pictured in court on trial for her murder

The assistant district attorney pressed: 'Why did you go see that house that day?,' according to the New York Daily News.

'Just to reminisce  just to go and walk around and just talk about our experiences,' she replied.

Adair explained that she had given birth to Hines when she was 19-years-old and did not raise her herself, and that they had reconnected when her daughter was an adult.

Hines was raised by Freeman's second wife, Myrna Colley-Lee.

Adair said she and Hines had plans to meet up the following day and that the plans were made over drinks with Hines' friends from grad school, Davenport and his friend.

Hines and her friends had a fun-filled day before she was stabbed to death in the early morning hours of August 16, 2015

Davenport, Adair and Hines pictured far right at the table in evidence photos taken hours before she was stabbed to death

Deena Adair, mother of E'Dena Hines, center, who was stabbed 25 times by her boyfriend Lamar, are pictured in court Wednesday

'(Hines) said to me they would probably stay out a little longer, but not to worry she would call me for lunch or dinner the next day,' Adair recalled of their goodbye.

'I just jumped in a taxi and said I'm tired,' she said, through tears.

Adair, struggling to continue whispered, 'Why? Why? Why?'

Hours later, Hines was stabbed 25 times in the chest, back and arm on W. 162nd St. in front of the brownstone where she and Davenport had been living for about 10 months.

On Tuesday, a witness told how she saw him straddling Hines on the street and stopped her from getting to her feet.

'They were arguing. She was on the floor, and he was on top of her, restraining her, stopping her from getting loose from his grip.

'He was trying to keep her down I proceeded to call the cops,' nursing student Cristina Aviles said, according to The New York Post which attended Tuesday's hearing.

'He was yelling things about releasing the devil out of her. And then he pulled out a knife, and then he proceeded to stab her multiple times,' she added.

Aviles said she watched 'in shock' as Davenport pulled out a knife.

'I don't know where it came from,' she said.

She described in harrowing detail how Hines tried to escape and 'flipped' from her back to her stomach as she was repeatedly wounded.

'There was multiple stabs. The back, and then on the front of her chest and her neck.

'She was on her stomach, and then she somehow flipped over, and he stabbed her on the chest.

'She was trying to get away from him by pushing him and kicking him,' she said.

She said Hines continued to move but not intentionally and that it looked like her body was 'jerking' in shock.

Crime scene Detective Philip Matthew was another witness. He is pictured leaving the court on Tuesday

When Hines died, Freeman released an emotional statement saying the world would 'never know her talent'

Davenport stopped plunging the knife into her, she said, once Hines was lying still.

The witness was the person who called 911. During that call, which was played by prosecutors, she screamed: 'Oh my God! Oh no! She's on the floor!

'I can't believe I'm watching this! This f***ing guy is stabbing her. This guy is crazy!'

Hines was the daughter of Freeman's first wife, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, and was not related to the actor by blood.

He adopted her mother when he married Jeanette, however, and considered himself her father.

Davenport was a drug-addicted rapper at the time who had been unfaithful to her throughout their nine-year relationship

They had a close relationship and Hines went with him and her grandmother to several high profile film awards ceremonies.

She and Davenport had been living together in a $780,000 apartment that Freeman had bought for Hines.

During their nine-year relationship, Davenport fathered children with other women and abused drugs.

Davenport denies the killing. He was taken to a psychiatric facility immediately after her death but has been in custody ever since.
Private conversations you had on Facebook Messenger may be among the data harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a disclosure buried in a new tool on the social network has revealed.

Facebook slipped the previously unknown information into the fine print of a 'Protecting Your Information' app created to address concerns over the scandal.

It checks whether you or your friends logged into the 'This Is Your Digital Life' quiz responsible for the data grab.

Some of the social network's 2.2 billion users have already begun to receive automatic notifications on their newsfeed as part of a gradual global rollout.

Privacy concerned Facebook fans who have yet to receive the message can also access this information manually from a new section of its Help Centre site.

Cambridge Analytica has denied the claims that it accessed private message data.

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Messenger communications may be among the data harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a disclosure buried in a new 'Protecting Your Information' (pictured) tool on the social network has revealed

Facebook slipped the previously unknown information into the fine print (highlighted in red) of the app created to address concerns over the scandal. MailOnline reporter Joe Pinkstone is among those to have had personal information shared with Cambridge Analytica

'This Is Your Digital Life' was designed by Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan's Global Science Research in 2014 to collect data on Americans.

Users who gave permission for the quiz to run also granted it permission to mine their profile for additional information, including their page 'likes', their birthday and the city they live in.

Thanks to a quirk in the way Facebook worked at the time, the app was also able to harvest similar data on a user's friends.

This was then passed on to Cambridge Analytica through its parent firm Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL).

Small print in the new 'Protecting Your Information' and related Help Centre page, which went largely unnoticed upon release, hinted at the inclusion of data from private messages in this process.

Writing in it, a Facebook spokesman said: 'A small number of people who logged into "This Is Your Digital Life" also shared their own News Feed, timeline, posts and messages which may have included posts and messages from you.'

Menlo Park firm Facebook has now confirmed to Wired that the quiz requested access to user's Messenger inboxes through a read_mailbox permission contained in its coding.

Friends that used the app 'This Is Your Digital Life' before it was removed in 2015 could have jeopardised the information of their friends to Cambridge Analytica. Many users have taken to social media in recent days after receiving automatic notifications

The ability for apps to collect information on a user's friends was phased out in April 2015, unless both people had the same app installed.

However, the read_mailbox permission didn't go out of operation until that October.

Facebook estimates that a total of 1,500 people granted This Is Your Digital Life this permission in that time.

Anyone who messaged those people or received messages from them on Facebook may be caught up in the leak, so the true number could be far higher.

However, Cambridge Analytica denies having accessed this data.

A spokesman added: 'GSR did not share the content of any private messages with Cambridge Analytica or SCL Elections.

'Neither company has ever handled such data.'

Affected users are now being automatically presented with a notice that says: 'We have banned the website 'This Is Your Digital Life,' which one of your friends used Facebook to log into.

HOW TO CHECK IF YOUR DATA WAS SHARED WITH CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA All 2.2 billion Facebook users began to receive a notification automatically at the top their newsfeed after it was launched on Tuesday, April 10, a day later than expected. Titled 'Protecting Your Information,' it contains a link to let you see what apps you use and what information you have shared with them. Affected users are automatically presented with a notice that says: 'We have banned the website "This Is Your Digital Life," which one of your friends used Facebook to log into. 'We did this because the website may have misused some of your Facebook information by sharing it with a company called Cambridge Analytica.' Users can then click on a 'See how you're affected' button to find out more as well as to remove permission for apps and websites you've logged into via Facebook to have access to your profile. For those not affected by the Cambridge Analytica incident the message reads: 'You can go to the Apps and Websites section of your settings anytime to see the apps and websites you've used Facebook to log into.' The 'Go to apps and websites' button will provide quick access to review and amend these permissions. A separate 'How can I tell if my info was shared with Cambridge Analytica?' tool will also resolve the question for you. To manually access this tool, click the link here. Users not believed to be affected will see the message 'Based on our available records, neither you nor your friends logged into "This Is Your Digital Life." 'As a result, it doesn't appear your Facebook information was shared with Cambridge Analytica by "This Is Your Digital Life".' Affected users will see a different message and they will be asked to to change their app settings, available here. This is something that is still advisable for the security conscious, removing permissions for apps you no longer need or don't recognise. Facebook is not notifying individual users of the identify of friends who may have used the 'This Is Your Digital Life' app. Advertisement

'We did this because the website may have misused some of your Facebook information by sharing it with a company called Cambridge Analytica.'

For those not affected by the Cambridge Analytica incident the message reads: 'You can go to the Apps and Websites section of your settings anytime to see the apps and websites you've used Facebook to log into.'

A separate webpage, 'How can I tell if my info was shared with Cambridge Analytica?', will also resolve the question for you.

To manually access this site, click the link here.

Users not believed to be affected will see the message 'Based on our available records, neither you nor your friends logged into "This Is Your Digital Life".

Journalist Andrew Nathanson was not impressed by the revelation that Cambridge Analytica may have his personal infromation. He said his data was shared 'because a friend used a trash app'

'As a result, it doesn't appear your Facebook information was shared with Cambridge Analytica by "This Is Your Digital Life".'

Affected users will see a different message and they will be asked to to change their app settings, available here.

This is something that is still advisable for the security conscious, removing permissions for apps you no longer need or don't recognise.

Facebook is not notifying individual users of the identify of friends who may have used the 'This Is Your Digital Life' app.

Facebook is still reeling from its worst privacy crisis in history, which saw Trump -affiliated company Cambridge Analytica use the data mined to try and influence the US presidential election.

A separate 'How can I tell if my info was shared with Cambridge Analytica?' webpage will also resolve the question for you. Affected users will see a different message to the one displayed and they will be asked to to change their app settings

Latest estimates suggest more than 87 million users may have had their data mined by the firm through 'This Is Your Digital Life'.

However, the whistleblower behind the revelations about the consultancy firm says the true number affected by the scandal could be far higher.

The new tools came a day later than expected, with many criticising Facebook for a lack of communication.

In a written statement yesterday, Mike Schroepfer, chief technology officer at Facebook said: 'Starting on Monday, April 9, we'll show people a link at the top of their News Feed so they can see what apps they use  and the information they have shared with those apps.

'People will also be able to remove apps that they no longer want. As part of this process we will also tell people if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

'Overall, we believe these changes will better protect people's information while still enabling developers to create useful experiences. We know we have more work to do  and we'll keep you updated as we make more changes.'

Experts say the revelations may trigger a wave of lawsuits.

A class action lawsuit filed against the firm yesterday is now seeking compensation for the roughly 70 million US users who were affected as 'Facebook stood idly by' while Cambridge Analytica 'sucked down' their data.

Facebook says most of the users caught up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal are in the US, with more than a million each in the Philippines, Indonesia and the UK.

After finding out personal information was shared without their consent, some users blamed certain types of friends

US law firm Hagens Berman filed the class-action suit with the US District Court for the Northern District of California on April 9 to represent the millions of Americans whose data were shared improperly.

Damages in this case include both the dissemination of personal information and the loss of its sales value.

It's not yet clear how much money the affected users could be compensated, though lawyers in the UK have estimated it could be upwards of 10,000-12,500 ($14,000-17,000) for some.

The amounts, however, will ultimately be determined at trial, Hagens Berman says.

Last month, three users of the Facebook Messenger app sued Facebook, saying the social network violated their privacy by collecting logs of their phone calls and text messages, in the latest legal challenge facing the company.

The US lawsuit filed in federal court in the Northern District of California seeks status as a class action on behalf of all affected users and asks for unspecified damages.

It's not clear yet if Facebook users in the US could claim similar compensation for having their data compromised as part of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

However, yesterday, dispute resolution lawyer Jonathan Compton said those affected in the UK could complain to the Information Commissioner's Office or make a claim through the civil courts on the grounds that losing their data had been 'distressing'.

WHAT IS THE LEGAL IMPACT OF THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL? News that Trump-affiliated company Cambridge Analytica used data mined from Facebook user's to try and influence the US presidential election may trigger a wave of lawsuits, according to experts. Vanessa Barnett, a commercial lawyer and data protection expert at Keystone Law, believes it's 'very likely' we will see a slew of legal cases against the firms in the wake of the scandal. Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'In the UK, users can take direct action for damages caused to them by a data breach  and that includes damages for distress. 'How that translates into a "pounds, shillings, pence" type number for each person would depend on the nature of the damage.' 'We have case law where the Home Office revealed personal data of asylum seekers, including potentially where they lived. Some of those individuals were awarded 12,500 ($14,000) in damages. 'It remains to be seen if the damage caused by the Cambridge Analytica scandal is comparable.' Ms Barnett says that a number of consumer rights focused groups are looking at the possibility of a class action lawsuit, a more regular feature of the US legal system than in the UK. A class action lawsuit filed against the firm in America is now seeking compensation for the roughly 70 million US users who were affected. Ms Barnett added: 'Years ago we just had Max Schrems vs Facebook, and he didnt do too bad, but now its much more in the public consciousness. 'If the mechanics to participate in a class action are easy, I can see many users joining in.' Advertisement

Mr Compton, a partner at DMH Stallard, said: 'The start point for any award might be between 10,000 and 12,500. This will vary of course if the personal information is comparatively trivial or very serious and damaging.'

Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie last month revealed that the political firm had improperly collected the data of millions of Facebook users without their consent.

He previously estimated that more than 50 million people were compromised by a personality quiz that collected their data and that of their friends.

Mr Schroepfer last week upped this to around 87 million users.

And in an interview aired Sunday on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' Mr Wylie revised this number saying that it could actually be larger than 87 million.

'I think that it could be higher, absolutely,' he said.

Wylie revealed last month that Cambridge Analytical had improperly collected the data of millions of Facebook users without their consent. In an interview aired Sunday, he revised this number saying that it could be larger than 87 million

WHO ARE THE DATA VAMPIRES MINING FOR INFO ON FACEBOOK? Facebooks latest scandal involving communications firm Cambridge Analytica has served as a startling wake-up call for many users on the countless companies mining our social data. Through a feature that meant apps could ask for permission not only to your data, but that of your Facebook friends as well, the firm was able to mine the information of million of users. And, only 270,000 had given them permission to do so. In 2014, Facebook changed its rules so that apps could no longer obtain data about a persons friends unless those users had also authorized the app. Still, Cambridge Analytica is far from the only firm to have access to Facebook users data. By connecting your Facebook profile to a third-party app, youre typically also granting that app permission to access your data. You can check which apps your Facebook account is sharing data with by clicking here. To view the apps you've given permission to (as shown above), go to Settings > Apps That includes your name, profile picture, cover photo, gender, networks, username and user ID. These apps can also access your friends list, and any other public data. Once the outside parties have access to your data, they can then use it to track different types of activity. Many popular apps such as Instagram, Spotify, Airbnb, and Tinder can be connected to your Facebook account. Just weeks ago, for example, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe bragged that the company stores 'an enormous amount of information' about users, and even tracks where they go after the movies. MoviePass is also among the many apps that can be connected to your Facebook. And, it doesnt stop there. Facebook users are waking up to just how much of their private information they have accidentally handed over to third-party apps. Social media users are sharing their shock at discovering thousands of software plugins have been gathering their data Taking Facebook quizzes from third-party services, or doing image generators (such as the ever-popular What Would Your Baby Look Like, or What Would You Look Like As The Opposite Sex), also often gives outside firms access to your data. While these are usually preceded by a pop-up asking permission to access certain parts of your profile, many users have taken to clicking through without thoroughly reading what theyve just agreed to. Some users are now expressing their horror upon realizing theyve granted permission to hundreds of third-party apps. Other apps that have experienced viral popularity over the last few years, such as Facetune and Meitu, can access your Facebook data as well. Advertisement

The initial conservative estimate, Mr Wylie explained, was made based on evidence in his possession at the time, adding that The Guardian, who broke the story, published only what could be verified at the time.

Cambridge Analytica, run by former White House senior adviser Steve Bannon and billionaire campaign benefactor Robert Mercer, was hired by the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.

Facebook is in full damage-control mode, with Mark Zuckerberg acknowledging he's made a 'huge mistake' in failing to take a broad enough view of what Facebook's responsibility is in the world.

Zuckerberg testified before Congress yesterday and is due to appear today in two-high profile public hearings.

A number of topics were discussed, from the firm's business model, user privacy and targeted ads to extremist content and hate speech.

Around 87 million users who may have had their information shared with Cambridge Analytica will get a more detailed message explaining this, according to Facebook. According to the firm, most of the affected users were in the United States, as shown in the graph abov

WHAT HAS MARK ZUCKERBERG DISCUSSED WITH CONGRESS IN THE WAKE OF DATA CRISIS? Mark Zuckerberg has appeared before Congress to address mounting concerns raised in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. A number of topics were discussed, from the firm's business model, user privacy and targeted ads to extremist content and hate speech. Day One During testimony before a joint hearing with the Senate judiciary and commerce committees, Zuckerberg was grilled on a range of subjects. This included: Robert Mueller Zuckerberg confirmed Facebook is 'working with' special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators as lawmakers demand answers on how Cambridge Analytica got access to 87 million users's data. He also at first revealed that Facebook had received subpoenas from Mueller's investigators - only to walk back the account under questioning, over fears he could reveal information confidential to the inquiry. Data security Lawmakers went after Facebook for recent security breakdowns, saying 'there was clearly a breach of consumer trust and a likely improper transfer of consumer data.' Zuckerberg tried to reassure Congress, saying Facebook would investigate 'every single app that had access to a large amount of information' on the site. Senators pushed the point by asking Zuckerberg where he had stayed the previous night and who had messaged during the past week, which he refused to answer. Russian exploitation Zuckerberg was asked what Facebook is doing to prevent foreign actors from interfering in US elections. The 33-year-old said Facebook was in a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere. He responded that this was one of his top priorities for 2018. Political bias Senator Ted Cruz of Texas accused Facebook of bias shutting out conservative voices, saying the firm had 'blocked' Trump-loving performers Diamond & Silk from its site. Last year Facebook limited distribution of their content, but did not shut down their page, the Wall Street Journal reported. Business model The Facebook CEO confirmed that the social network isn't planning on charging its users for the service just yet. Rumours were sparked by COO Sheryl Sandberg's comments last week, made during an interview withToday, that an ad-free Facebook 'would be a paid product.' According to Zuckerberg, Facebook will always be free  or at least, some version of it will. Hate speech Facebook will have AI tools to automatically flag and remove hate speech before it appears within five to ten years, Zuckerberg says. The company has already developed intelligent software tools to root out terrorist propaganda and will continue to develop them for hate speech, he told Congress. The company hopes to have 20,000 employees working to review security and content issues by the end of 2018, he added. Day Two Zuckerburg's data The Facebook CEO revealed that his own personal data had been included when 87 million or so Facebook users had their information improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Shadow profiles Zuckerberg said he had never heard of the term 'shadow profiles,' but admitted that Facebook collected information on non-users. Members of Congress took issue with the practice because non-users currently had to sign up for Facebook if they wanted to see what data of theirs the social network collected. Anti-conservative bias Republican lawmakers continued to grumble over Facebook's treatment of Trump-supporting sisters Diamond and Silk. Zuckerberg was asked 'What is unsafe about two black women supporting President Donald J. Trump?'. Facebook acknowledged sending a message to the sisters, prominent conservative video bloggers, deeming their content 'unsafe,' but the social network said the contents of the message were 'inaccurate.' Regulation Zuckerberg told lawmakers that regulation of his company is 'inevitable,' but that he came to Capitol Hill prepared to defend against proposals he thought went too far. New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the panel and a 30-year veteran of the House, said at the beginning of the hearing that he plans to work on legislation but is pessimistic that Congress will pass anything. Advertisement

During testimony before a joint hearing with the Senate judiciary and commerce committees, Zuckerberg was grilled on a range of subjects.

This included special counsel Robert Mueller's investigations, data privacy , Russian exploitation , political bias, the firm's business model and hate speech on the social network.

Zuckerberg has said Facebook came up with the 87 million figure by calculating the maximum number of friends that users could have had while Kogan's app was collecting data.

The company doesn't have logs going back that far, he said, so it can't know exactly how many people may have been affected.

HOW DOES FACEBOOK'S NEW BULK APP REMOVAL TOOL WORK? Facebook has added a new way to remove third-party apps from your profile in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The tool helps users to delete unwanted apps that may be storing their information. To access the feature, go to the Apps section in your Facebook settings. This is found by clicking on the downward-facing arrow in the upper right of the main desktop on a computer, or or on mobile by tapping on the three horizontal lines on the navigation bar and scrolling to the bottom. From here, you can view all third-party apps with access to information stored on your profile under the 'Logged in with Facebook' section. Tick the box next to any apps you'd rather delete and then select 'remove'. Confirm your choice by tapping 'remove' again in the resulting popup box. Within this box, Facebook gives you the option to also delete all posts, photos and videos on the platform posted for you by that app. Advertisement

Cambridge Analytica previously said in a statement that it had data for only 30 million people.

Zuckerberg took out full-page adverts in nine major US and British newspapers in late March to apologise for the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

In the ads, the Facebook founder vowed to clamp down on allowing third parties access to data which can be sold on.

The ads, done in simple black text against a plain white background, were headlined: 'We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can't, we don't deserve it.'

'You may have heard about a quiz app built by a university researcher that leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014,' the apology begins.

Facebook, based in Mountain View California, is in full damage-control mode, with Mark Zuckerberg acknowledging he's made a 'huge mistake' in failing to take a broad enough view of what Facebook's responsibility is in the world

'This was a breach of trust, and I'm sorry we didn't do more at the time. We're now taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again.'

'We've already stopped apps like this from getting so much information. Now we're limiting the data apps get when you sign in using Facebook.'

'We're also investigating every single app that had access to large amounts of data before we fixed this. We expect there are others. And when we find them, we will ban them and tell everyone affected.

'Finally, we'll remind you which apps you've given access to your information - so you can shut off the ones you don't want anymore.'

'Thank you for believing in this community. I promise to do better for you.'

The apology was formally signed off by the Facebook chief.

WHAT HAS FACEBOOK DONE TO ADDRESS PRIVACY CONCERNS? Facebook is giving its privacy tools a makeover as it reels from criticisms over its data practices and faces tighter European regulations in the coming months. The changes won't affect Facebook's privacy policies or the types of data it gathers about its users. But the company hopes its 2.2 billion users will have an easier time navigating its complex and often confusing privacy and security settings. Facebook is giving its privacy tools a makeover as it reels from criticisms over its data practices and faces tighter European regulations in the coming months. This image shows how the settings will appear before (left) and after (right) the redesign Facebook says it's trying to make the controls easier to find and to give users a simpler way to access and download the data it collects on them. The announcement follows revelations that Trump-affiliated consulting firm got data on millions of unsuspecting Facebook users. Facebook is also facing criticism for collecting years of data on call and text histories from Android users. In a written statement, Erin Egan, vice president and chief privacy officer, policy, and Ashlie Beringer, vice president and deputy general counsel, said: 'Last week showed how much more work we need to do to enforce our policies and help people understand how Facebook works and the choices they have over their data. This image shows a redesign of Facebook's privacy tools. The changes won't affect Facebook's privacy policies or the types of data it gathers on users, but the company hopes users will have an easier time navigating its complex settings menus Among the changes, Facebook is making data settings and tools easier to find, is introducing a new privacy shortcuts menu, and is adding tools to find, download and delete your Facebook data 'Weve heard loud and clear that privacy settings and other important tools are too hard to find and that we must do more to keep people informed. 'Were taking additional steps in the coming weeks to put people more in control of their privacy. 'Most of these updates have been in the works for some time, but the events of the past several days underscore their importance.' Among the changes, Facebook is making data settings and tools easier to find, is introducing a new privacy shortcuts menu, and is adding tools to find, download and delete your Facebook data. Advertisement

The Facebook data scandal deepened after users found the social network had harvested information including call logs and text messages.

Some users discovered the firm had been storing complete logs of incoming and outgoing calls and text messages.

Others reported that data such as contacts in their address books, social events in their calendars and even friends' birthdays had been stored.

The company says an opt-out for uploading contacts is available and users can delete all uploaded contacts by turning off the continuous uploading setting in Facebook's Messenger app.

All previously uploaded contacts are deleted when a user permanently removes their profile. Contacts will also no longer continue to be uploaded.
Earth's magnetic field has been mapped from space in stunning new detail.

A new movie shows thousands of tiny fluctuations in Earth's magnetic signals created by ocean tides and our planet's rigid outer layer, known as its 'lithosphere'.

The European Space Agency used three satellites to build the map, which it says is the most detailed ever rendering of magnetic fluctuations across Earth's crust.

The magnetic field is a layer of charge that surrounds our planet and deflects charged particles fired from the sun known as 'solar wind'.

Without this protective layer, these particles would likely strip away the Ozone layer, our only line of defence against harmful UV radiation.

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The map, which is being used to understand more about Earth's geological history, is thanks to four years of measurements from the agency's Swarm satellites.

Imagery from the spacecraft was combined with historical data from a previous German spacecraft called Champ and observations from ships and aircraft.

Project scientist Dr Erwan Thebault from the University of Nantes in France said: 'This is the highest resolution model of the lithospheric magnetic field ever produced.

'With a scale of 250 kilometres [155 miles], we can see structures in the crust like never before.

'And, we have gained even finer detail in some parts of the crust, such as beneath Australia, where measurements from aircraft have mapped at resolution of 50 km [30 miles].

'This combined use of satellite and near-surface measurements gives us a new understanding of the crust beneath our feet, and will be of enormous value to science.'

Earth's magnetic field has been mapped from space in stunning new detail. Red and pink lines represent strong magnetic fluctuations, while blue and yellow lines reveal weaker changes

A new movie shows thousands of tiny fluctuations in Earth's magnetic signals created by ocean tides and our planet's rigid outer layer, known as its 'lithosphere' The European Space Agency used three satellites to build the map (pictured)

WHAT ARE THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY'S SWARM SATELLITES? The European Space Agency uses its trio of 'Swarm' satellites to study Earth's magnetic field. Although invisible, the magnetic field and electric currents in and around Earth generate complex forces that have a huge impact on everyday life. The field can be thought of as a huge bubble, protecting us from cosmic radiation and charged particles that bombard Earth in solar winds. The European Space Agency uses its trio of 'Swarm' satellites to study Earth's magnetic field (artist's impression) However, it is in a permanent state of flux. Magnetic north wanders, and every few hundred thousand years the polarity flips so that a compass would point south instead of north. Moreover, the strength of the magnetic field is constantly changing  and is currently showing signs of significant weakening. Launched in November 2013, Swarm measures the magnetic signals that stem from Earths core, mantle, crust and oceans. Each of the three identical satellites is loaded with sensors that constantly measure the magnetic field's strength, magnitude and direction. Advertisement

The mapping project is a remarkable achievement because the fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field captured are incredibly small.

'It's a really tiny magnetic field. It's about 2-2.5 nanotesla at satellite altitude, which is about 20,000 times weaker than the Earth's global magnetic field,' Professor Nils Olsen, from the Technical University of Denmark, told BBC News.

Professor Olsen was speaking at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU) in Vienna, Austria, where a batch of new Swarm results have been released.

Imagery from the spacecraft was combined with historical data from a previous German spacecraft called Champ and observations from ships and aircraft

WHAT IS EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD AND HOW DOES IT PROTECT US? Earth's magnetic field is a layer of electrical charge that surrounds our planet. The field protects life on our planet because it deflects charged particles fired from the sun known as 'solar wind'. Without this protective layer, these particles would likely strip away the Ozone layer, our only line of defence against harmful UV radiation. Earth's magnetic field (blue) is a layer of electrical charge that surrounds our planet. The field protects life on our planet because it deflects charged particles fired from the sun (orange) known as 'solar wind' (artist's impression) Scientists believe the Earth's core is responsible for creating its magnetic field. As molten iron in the Earth's outer core escapes it creates convection currents. These currents generate electric currents which create the magnetic field in a natural process known as a geodynamo. Advertisement

The trio of orbiting probes was launched in 2013 with the goal of understanding more about Earth's magnetic behaviour.

Each of the three identical satellites is loaded with sensors that constantly measure the magnetic field's strength, magnitude and direction.

Most of Earth's magnetic field is generated deep within the outer core by an ocean of superheated molten iron.

But other components also contribute to the overall signal, such as that coming from the oceans.

As well as a map of signals generated by Earth's crust, Esa also built a visual of Earth's tidal magnetic changes (pictured). The map, which is being used to understand more about Earth's geological history, is thanks to measurements from the agency's Swarm satellites

A small fraction of the magnetic field comes from magnetised rocks in the upper lithosphere, which includes Earth's rigid crust and upper mantle.

This lithospheric magnetic field is very weak and therefore difficult to detect from space.

As new ocean crust is created through erupting underwater volcanoes, iron-rich minerals are fired out in the upwelling magma.

These minerals are oriented to magnetic north at the time of eruption and solidified as the magma cools.

The mapping project is a remarkable achievement because the fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field captured are incredibly small. Each of Swarm's three satellites is loaded with sensors that constantly measure the magnetic field's strength, magnitude and direction

Since magnetic poles flip back and forth over time, this solidified magma forms alternating 'stripes' on the seafloor, providing a record of Earth's magnetic history.

These magnetic imprints on the ocean floor can be used as a sort of time machine, allowing past field changes to be reconstructed and showing the movement of tectonic plates from hundreds of million years ago until the present day.

'Magnetic fields are one of the keys to understand the sub-surface of the planet, in combination with other pieces of information such as gravity and seismic measurements,' said Dr Rune Floberghagen, Esa's Swarm mission manager.

'In the end this will allow us to determine the best ever model of the upper layers of the planet. This is the very clear, sworn ambition of the Swarm mission.'
Robots are getting ever closer to outperforming humans in all aspects of life - even when it comes to learning about how the world works.

Researchers at Toyota are using artificial intelligence to speed up the discovery of the ideal chemical makeup for electric car batteries.

AI-powered robot arms engineered by the team place precise drops of chemical reagents in test tubes under the guise of human supervisors.

Over the next few months, the machine intelligence behind the system will take over the planning of experiments as well, according to Toyota.

Researchers said the 'robot graduate student' will decide how to modify the concentrations of the ingredients it's testing without the need for human assistance.

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AI-powered robot arms engineered by Toytoa place precise drops of chemical reagents in test tubes under the guise of human supervisors. Over the next few months, the machine intelligence behind the system will take over the planning of experiments as well (stock image)

'It's automating not only the manual part of doing the experiment but also the planning part,' Brian Storey, the Toyota Research Institute scientist leading the project, told Bloomberg.

Dr Barnabas Poczos, a machine learning researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who is also working on the project, added: 'I can easily imagine cases in which AI would recommend experiments to try to synthesise a chemical molecule that you wouldn't think possible, but the AI will be able to do it.'

Automakers have been investing heavily in developing new batteries and fuel cells to increase the range of electric vehicles.

Mr Storey said Toyota's AI is helping to identify new materials for batteries and fuel and run computer tests to narrow down the field for simulation tests by researchers.

The research is in-part pursuing a replacement for platinum as a fuel-cell catalyst.

'We don't have a ton of platinum on this planet and it costs a lot money,' he told Reuters in 2017.

Researchers at Toyota are using artificial intelligence to speed up the discovery of the ideal chemical makeup for electric car batteries (stock image)

'Platinum is a great catalyst, but is there another compound out there that uses little platinum or no platinum at all?'

Toyota is investing around 25 million ($35 million) in its North American research arm, the Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

The Institute is collaborating with a number of US academic institutions including the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and British material sciences company Ilika.

A number of other projects around the world are using artificial intelligence to drive research efforts, Bloomberg reports.

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCES LEARN USING NEURAL NETWORKS AI systems rely on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which try to simulate the way the brain works in order to learn. ANNs can be trained to recognise patterns in information - including speech, text data, or visual images - and are the basis for a large number of the developments in AI over recent years. Conventional AI uses input to 'teach' an algorithm about a particular subject by feeding it massive amounts of information. AI systems rely on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which try to simulate the way the brain works in order to learn. ANNs can be trained to recognise patterns in information - including speech, text data, or visual images Practical applications include Google's language translation services, Facebook's facial recognition software and Snapchat's image altering live filters. The process of inputting this data can be extremely time consuming, and is limited to one type of knowledge. A new breed of ANNs called Adversarial Neural Networks pits the wits of two AI bots against each other, which allows them to learn from each other. This approach is designed to speed up the process of learning, as well as refining the output created by AI systems. Advertisement

AI designed to identify and categorise patterns has been deployed to identify wild dolphin calls from hydrophone recordings.

Similar software has been used by astronomers to detect the dull glow of planets in telescopic images of distant galaxies.

The discovery of the Higgs boson, the so-called God particle, in 2012 utilised an algorithm that searched through billions of particle tracks produced within Switzerland's Large Hadron Collider.

According to Mr Storey, AI could one day help scientists boil down the fundamental principles of physics to reveal the secrets of the universe.

He told Bloomberg: 'People have wondered if you could have the computer automatically figure out the principles underlying physics.

'I don't think we're going that far out now.'
AI that could thwart illegal activity by identifying criminals before they act is set to be rolled out in India.

The aim of the Minority Report-style CCTV surveillance system is to prevent offences such as sexual assault by looking at the body language of people to predict what they are about to do.

An Israeli security and AI research company will soon use AI to analyse the terabytes of data streamed from CCTV cameras in public areas in India.

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Crime-predicting AI that could thwart illegal activity by identifying it before it happens is rolling out in India. Pictured is a display showing a facial recognition system for law enforcement

The partnership has been formed between Tel Aviv-based company Cortica Best Group in India, according to Digital Trends.

The company will analyse 'behavioural anomalies' to spot when someone might be about to commit a crime.

This kind of citizen-monitoring technology is already in use in 40 local governments in China.

The technology will monitor individuals by looking for small twitches that might mean they are about to do something illegal.

Co-founder and COO of Cortica, Karina Odinaev, said the technology could identify movements often overlooked by security teams, potentially making cities safer.

She said 'unsupervised learning' is required for the software to learn what to spot, which is why they want to train it on security cameras.

Like humans, this technology needs to see something multiple times before it learns to recognise key warning signs.

If the system makes a mistake, programmers can find out which file was responsible for the dodgy call and re-teach it.

The technology could be used for different types of surveillance and could also monitor passenger behaviour using footage obtained from drones and satellites.

For example in self-driving taxis the system could detect if someone might be about to assault another person.

With crowds, it could also monitor when a situation might be about to turn potentially dangerous.

Based on a novel by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise (pictured) is a thriller set in 2054 when police use psychic technology to arrest and convict people before they commit crimes

Law enforcement in large cities like London and New York already use video surveillance for facial recognition and to analyse license plates.

The New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu has proposed a crime-fighting surveillance plan using municipal cameras and webcams belonging to businesses.

However, immigrant workers have raised concern the system could be used to hunt down undocumented workers.

China is already using similar facial recognition CCTV technology.

SenseTime, which works in partnership with Honda on automated vehicle research, is in use across the country.

The technology, based in Hong Kong, can accurately identify an individual recorded on surveillance cameras for crime and policing.

It monitors individuals on government blacklists, particularly during festivals and other public events as well as in airports.

WHAT ARE PREDICTIVE POLICING SYSTEMS? Predictive policing systems can forecast when and where crimes occur using based on prior crime reports and other data. Palantir Technologies has licensed its predictive policing software with local and international governments. Most ingest vast amounts of data, including geography, criminal records, the weather and social media records. From that, it makes predictions about individuals or places that are likely to be involved in a crime, according to the Verge. There are other predictive policing systems out there that are being utilized, many of them are different. The Los Angeles Police Department, New York Police Department, Chicago Police Department and, now, the New Orleans Police Department use predictive policing. File photo Chicago's police department uses a notorious 'heat list,' which is an algorithm-generated list that singles out people who are most likely to be involved in a shooting. However, many experts have identified issues with Chicago's heat list. The government-funded RAND Corporation published a report saying that the heat list wasn't nearly as effective as a standard wanted list. It could also encourage a new form of profiling that draws unnecessary police attention to people. Another academic study found that the heat list can have a 'disparate impact' on poor communities of color. A California startup called PredPol also built predictive policing software that's been utilized by law enforcement officials, including the LAPD. In 2016, researchers conducted a study where they reverse engineered PredPol's algorithm and discovered that it replicated systemic bias against communities of color that were over policed. It also found that historic data isn't a good indicator of future criminal activity. The NYPD also had an agreement with Palantir Technologies to use its predictive policing systems. Advertisement

SenseTime raised a record $600 million (420 m) in the latest funding round, hot on the heels of a government push to make China an international leader in AI by 2025.

The company did not disclose its total valuation, but said it is now the world's most valuable AI platform. It also said it set a world record for the amount raised in a single funding round by an AI firm.

It is now more valuable than London-based competitor DeepMind, which was bought by Google for an estimated $565 million (400m) in 2014.

Alibaba executive vice chairman Joe Tsai said in the statement: 'We are especially impressed by their R&D capabilities in deep learning and visual computing.

'Our business at Alibaba is already seeing tangible benefits from our investments in AI and we are committed to further investment.'
Massive volcanic eruptions that could wipe out millions of people may be another consequence of global warming.

At least, that's according to a French scientist who claims that the retreat of glaciers will trigger more frequent eruptions all over the world.

Gioachino Roberti, a PhD Student at the Universite Clermont Auvergne in France has looked at how the weight of large ice sheets compresses the crust and mantle below.

Removing that pressure can open up channels within the rock through which magma travels towards the surface, causing deadly volcanic eruptions.

The retreat of glaciers can also cause landslides, further destabilising volcanoes and helping trigger eruptions.

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Glaciers and volcanoes exist in a delicate state of balance that is being rapidly changed by a warming planet. Researchers have found a correlation between melting glaciers and pressure on the magma chambers of volcanoes

Speaking to the press at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly held in Vienna today, Mr Roberti explained how volcanoes deform under their own weight.

At the conference titled 'Hazards in the wake of climate change', he said: 'Ice melting from the mountain removes the ice from the slope and this can cause collapse.'

'The ice acts like some sort of protective layer and when the ice melts away the mountain is free to collapse.

'If the mountain is also a volcano, you have another problem.

'Volcanoes are a pressurised system and if you remove pressure via melting ice and landslides then you can have an eruption.'

Using mathematical modelling to understand the geological processes, his research team discovered that decompression would go deep enough to affect the magmatic system.

Research has found that at Mt Meager (pictured) the landslide that occurred in 2010 was as a result of retreating glaciers caused by global warming. These landslides then put pressure on the volcanic system beneath the mountain, making eruptions more likely

'Landslides can actually trigger volcanic eruptions,' Mr Roberti said.

'We can say that glacial retreat and landslides have an effect on the deep magmatic system.

'This allows magma to reach the surface due to the significant decompression.

Mr Robert looked at the Mt Meager volcano in Canada in an attempt to understand how melting glaciers impacts volcanic activity.

The volcano last erupted 2,430 years ago and is constantly measured by experts.

'Mt Meager, north of Vancouver, is a glaciated volcano and in 2010 the largest landslide in Canadian history occurred here,' he said.

'We documented slope deformation and glacial retreat prior to the failure.

'The glacial part of the bottom of the mountain retreated and during the hottest part of the summer the slope catastrophically failed.

'We found a correlation between high temperature, ice melting and landslides.'

This graphic depicts the simplified theory of the interaction between glacial retreat, landslides and the tendency for volcanic eruptions. Retreating glacial ice exposes the mountainside and increases the likelihood of landslides and also the likelihood of a volcanic eruption

Mr Roberti also revealed that there are further signs of deformation around Mt Meager and that glaciers are melting inseveral locations.

'The equilibrium over the mountain is changing,' Mr Roberti said.

It is this changing dynamic that makes landslides and volcanic eruptions ever more likely.

David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University, said: 'This new research nicely demonstrates that if you change the load on a volcanic mountain - for example by removing some ice - the likelihood of a mechanical collapse and possible ensuing eruption will be slightly increased.

'Eruptions are triggered by a complex array of factors. I suspect that many eruptions caused by glacial melting might happen eventually anyway, given enough time - but this research shows that warming could increase the chances of those eruptions happening sooner rather than later.'

The weight of large ice sheets compresses the crust and mantle below. Removing that pressure can open up channels within the rock through which magma travels towards the surface, causing deadly volcanic eruptions

WHAT IS EARTH'S 'RING OF FIRE'? Earth's so-called 'Ring of Fire' is a horseshoe-shaped geological disaster zone that is a hot bed for tectonic and volcanic activity. Roughly 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur in the belt, which is also home to more than 450 volcanoes. The seismic region stretches along the Pacific Ocean coastlines, where the Pacific Plate grinds against other plates that form the Earth's crust. It loops from New Zealand to Chile, passing through the coasts of Asia and the Americas on the way. In total, the loop makes up a 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometre) -long zone prone to frequent earthquakes and eruptions. The region is susceptible to disasters because it is home to a vast number of 'subduction zones', areas where tectonic plates overlap. Earthquakes are triggered when these plates scrape or slide underneath one another, and when that happens at sea it can spawn tsunamis. Advertisement

In response to questions, Mr Roberti said that although the research is concentrated on Mt Meager, the theory could apply to mountains around the world.

'Similar systems all around the Pacific ring of fire could be affected, including: British Colombia, Alaska and Kamchatka in Russia.

'There are glaciers in Peru and Chile in the Andes and you also have Iceland, but there is a different relationship between glacier and volcano there.'

With regards to the pressing concern of environmentalists about the melting ice in Antarctica, Mr Roberti mused over the different systems but did

'The Antarctic is a different scale issue as it is different types of glacier. In that case the deeper compression of ice means you wouldn't have partial melting.

'If you melt kilometres of ice you might have deeper decompression and partial melting at a deeper level.'

While it is still just speculation, if there is magmatic activity beneath the Antarctic ice shelf, decompression could put excess strain on the system.

But not everyone is convinced by the research.

Alison Graettinger, Assistant Professor of Geosciences at the University of Missouri, said: 'The abstract proposes that a landslide at Mt Meager has the potential to trigger a volcanic eruption, not just melting glacial ice.

'The abstract doesn't have the room to provide more information on how the melting of glacial ice has weakened part of the volcano, leading to an increased potential for a landslide.

'In order for a volcanic eruption to be triggered by a decrease in load (weight of ice or mass of rock) the magma chamber also needs to be ready to erupt.

'This means that decreasing ice volumes due to climate change will not cause volcanoes to erupt that were not close to eruption anyway. Ice on your classic stratovolcano is thinner than ice in ice caps, such as in Iceland, and the melting alone will have less impact on the volcanic system than in areas where ice is thicker.

'Because of the conditions that need to be met for this scenario to work it means that even if a few volcanoes were to be pushed towards eruption from ice melting, or landslides related to melting of ice, it would not be all ice clad volcanoes, nor even all volcanoes under thick ice.

'The study proposes that Mt. Meager may be one such volcano, but the study merely points out the potential, and not that all the conditions mentioned above have been met.'
Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has joined the chorus of people calling for greater regulation of AI and social media.

In a recent interview, Musk said social media has gone unchecked, despite its impact on 'the public good'.

His comments come as another Silicon Valley titan, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has appeared in a pair of high-stakes hearings on Capitol Hill this week surrounding the firm's ongoing privacy scandal.

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Tesla boss Elon Musk called for greater regulation of artificial intelligence and social media during an interview with CBS This Morning on Wednesday.

Musk said he believes that big tech should be subject to more government oversight.

'I think whenever there's something that affects the public good, then there does need to be some form of public oversight,' Musk said in an interview with CBS This Morning on Wednesday.

'I do think there should be regulations on AI. I think there some should be some regulations on social media, to the degree that it negatively affects the public good,' he added.

He went on to explain that more needs to be done to curb the spread of fake news.

'We can't have willy nilly proliferation of fake news. That's crazy,' Musk explained.

'We can't have more clicks on fake news than real news'

'That's allowing public deception to go unchecked,' he said.

In recent weeks, Musk has been increasingly vocal about his views on social media platforms like Facebook.

Musk in March abruptly deleted Tesla and SpaceX's Facebook accounts after a Twitter user urged him to do so. Both pages had roughly 2.6 billion 'likes'.

He admitted that he didn't realize SpaceX or Tesla had a Facebook page, saying he has 'literally never seen it even once'.

Musk also said that neither SpaceX or Tesla paid to advertise on Facebook.

The hashtag #deletefacebook started picking up steam on Twitter in the wake of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal, which led to 87 million users' data being harvested without their knowledge.

However, Musk said in a recent tweet that deleting SpaceX and Tesla's Facebook pages wasn't a 'political statement'; rather, Facebook just 'gives me the willies'.

Elon Musk deleted the Facebook pages for SpaceX and Tesla after a Twitter user prompted him to do so. He said it wasn't a 'political statement' but that Facebook gives him 'the willies'

He's also taken to Twitter to express distrust in the ways that Facebook handles consumer data.

In response to a story about how Facebook scraped call logs and text messages from Android phones, Musk curtly tweeted 'Shocker'.

Legislators spoke at length about the need for regulation as Zuckerberg testified in front of US senators on Tuesday.

During his testimony, Zuckerberg appeared to backtrack on a pledge to voluntarily increase privacy safeguards for American users.

It comes as the European Union prepares to implement strict new protection laws limiting what firms such as Facebook can do with personal data.

Asked if US users could expect increased protection in line with the impending EU laws, Zuckerberg said Americans 'have different sensibilities' to Europeans.

The comment suggests something of a U-turn for Facebook and its figurehead on the EU laws, which take effect on May 25.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) appeared in front of US senators on Tuesday to answer questions about the company's privacy scandal, which affected 87 million users

WHAT HAS MARK ZUCKERBERG DISCUSSED WITH CONGRESS IN THE WAKE OF DATA CRISIS? Mark Zuckerberg has appeared before Congress to address mounting concerns raised in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. A number of topics were discussed, from the firm's business model, user privacy and targeted ads to extremist content and hate speech. Day One During testimony before a joint hearing with the Senate judiciary and commerce committees, Zuckerberg was grilled on a range of subjects. This included: Robert Mueller Zuckerberg confirmed Facebook is 'working with' special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators as lawmakers demand answers on how Cambridge Analytica got access to 87 million users's data. He also at first revealed that Facebook had received subpoenas from Mueller's investigators - only to walk back the account under questioning, over fears he could reveal information confidential to the inquiry. Data security Lawmakers went after Facebook for recent security breakdowns, saying 'there was clearly a breach of consumer trust and a likely improper transfer of consumer data.' Zuckerberg tried to reassure Congress, saying Facebook would investigate 'every single app that had access to a large amount of information' on the site. Senators pushed the point by asking Zuckerberg where he had stayed the previous night and who had messaged during the past week, which he refused to answer. Russian exploitation Zuckerberg was asked what Facebook is doing to prevent foreign actors from interfering in US elections. The 33-year-old said Facebook was in a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere. He responded that this was one of his top priorities for 2018. Political bias Senator Ted Cruz of Texas accused Facebook of bias shutting out conservative voices, saying the firm had 'blocked' Trump-loving performers Diamond & Silk from its site. Last year Facebook limited distribution of their content, but did not shut down their page, the Wall Street Journal reported. Business model The Facebook CEO confirmed that the social network isn't planning on charging its users for the service just yet. Rumours were sparked by COO Sheryl Sandberg's comments last week, made during an interview withToday, that an ad-free Facebook 'would be a paid product.' According to Zuckerberg, Facebook will always be free  or at least, some version of it will. Hate speech Facebook will have AI tools to automatically flag and remove hate speech before it appears within five to ten years, Zuckerberg says. The company has already developed intelligent software tools to root out terrorist propaganda and will continue to develop them for hate speech, he told Congress. The company hopes to have 20,000 employees working to review security and content issues by the end of 2018, he added. Day Two Zuckerburg's data The Facebook CEO revealed that his own personal data had been included when 87 million or so Facebook users had their information improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Shadow profiles Zuckerberg said he had never heard of the term 'shadow profiles,' but admitted that Facebook collected information on non-users. Members of Congress took issue with the practice because non-users currently had to sign up for Facebook if they wanted to see what data of theirs the social network collected. Anti-conservative bias Republican lawmakers continued to grumble over Facebook's treatment of Trump-supporting sisters Diamond and Silk. Zuckerberg was asked 'What is unsafe about two black women supporting President Donald J. Trump?'. Facebook acknowledged sending a message to the sisters, prominent conservative video bloggers, deeming their content 'unsafe,' but the social network said the contents of the message were 'inaccurate.' Regulation Zuckerberg told lawmakers that regulation of his company is 'inevitable,' but that he came to Capitol Hill prepared to defend against proposals he thought went too far. New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the panel and a 30-year veteran of the House, said at the beginning of the hearing that he plans to work on legislation but is pessimistic that Congress will pass anything. Advertisement

Meanwhile, Musk said in the interview with CBS that his electric car company takes numerous steps to protect its customer data.

He gave few details beyond that, however.

Musk has also warned about the dangers of artificial intelligence on several occasions.

In the new documentary 'Do You Trust This Computer?', Musk said AI is 'going to affect our lives in ways we can't even imagine right now'.

He went on to say that AI could lead to the creation of immortal robot leaders from which humanity can never escape.

Musk in April said there should be greater regulation of AI because it's a 'fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization'.

The billionaire said regulations will stop humanity from being outsmarted by computers, or 'deep intelligence in the network', that can start wars by manipulating information.

Elon Musk said that when it comes to making AI safe, there is 'maybe a five to 10 per cent chance of success.' Pictured is a scene from Terminator, in which robots threaten to take over Earth

Governments must have a better understanding of artificial intelligence technology's rapid evolution in order to fully comprehend the risks, he said.

'Once there is awareness, people will be extremely afraid, as they should be...By the time we are reactive in AI regulation, it'll be too late,' he added.

'Normally the way regulations are set up is when a bunch of bad things happen, there's a public outcry, and after many years a regulatory agency is set up to regulate that industry,' said Musk.

'It takes forever. That, in the past, has been bad but not something which represented a fundamental risk to the existence of civilization.'

Musk has also warned that AI poses more of a threat to humanity than North Korea.

'If you're not concerned about AI safety, you should be. Vastly more risk than North Korea,' the 46-year-old wrote on Twitter.
Direct flights between Russia and Egypt are set to resume today - more than two years after they were axed when a bomb downed a Russian charter jet over the Sinai peninsula killing 224 people.

Officials in Moscow halted services to the north African country citing security concerns after the 2015 attack by ISIS, which killed mostly Russian tourists who had been visiting the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

It was a major blow for the Egyptian economy because it relies heavily on tourism and the resort was very popular.

Officials examine the wreckage of a Russian charter jet that exploded over the Sinai peninsula en-route to St Petersburg, killing 224 people

Today, an Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport en-route to Cairo, in a first step towards restoring flights to holiday destinations on the Red Sea.

On Thursday, Egyptair will restart its service between the two capitals, and the two companies will together carry out five return flights between Moscow and Cairo a week.

But the move in itself will not immediately help Egypt's troubled tourism sector, Russian officials have said.

Russian Tourism Industry spokeswoman Irina Tyurina told AFP: 'Tourists do not need direct flights to Cairo.

'The transfer from Cairo to sea resorts is long and uncomfortable, and no one will be going there in that way.

'In practice, the situation is the same as it was before, when people would get there independently via Minsk or Istanbul - either big fans of Egypt or Russians who live there.

Today, an Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport en-route to Cairo, in a first step towards restoring flights to holiday destinations on the Red Sea. On Thursday, Egyptair will restart its service between the two capitals

'Egypt is not yet back as a tourist destination for the Russian market.'

Flights were suspended at the end of 2015 after a bomb downed the charter flight carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort to St Petersburg.

The number of foreign tourists in Egypt went from 14.7 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2016, on the back of the suspension of flights and the turmoil following the uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.

In 2017 that number recovered to 8.3 million visitors, according to official figures.

Revenues from tourism at the same time dropped by two thirds, from $11.6 billion in 2010 to $3.8 billion in 2016, according to the Egyptian Central Bank.

The Egyptair arrivals area at Cairo Airport in Egypt. From today, it will welcome travellers direct from Russia

Moscow and Cairo are to decide on a date to discuss the resumption of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations once flights between the two capitals have resumed, the Egyptian ambassador to Russia Ihab Nasr has said.

Russian officials have meanwhile not hidden their concerns about direct flights being restarted.

Aleksandr Neradko, head of the Russian Federal Air Navigation Authority, said last week in comments reported by Russian agencies: 'The resumption of direct flights to Egypt, in particular to resort areas, is a great worry for us.'

Eight Russian experts will be sent to Cairo airport to check security measures are being enforced on flights towards Moscow, according to the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram.
The travel reporter recently announced her split from Today's weatherman Steve Jacobs after taking out an ex parte AVO against her husband earlier this year which is no longer in place.

And atop Rosie Jacobs' secret messy marriage breakdown in Vanuatu, details have now emerged that she was also struggling with alleged 'an addiction to alcohol' last year.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday that the mother-of-two was dealing with a private year-long battle of having a developed what she felt was a 'strong dependency on drinking'.

'Never felt better, healthier or happier!' Steve Jacobs' estranged wife Rosie reveals her past struggle with alcohol dependency before finding love after messy marriage breakdown with ex-husband in Vanuatu (PICTURED)

The publication disclosed the details from a leaked letter, reportedly written by Rosie to a group she addressed as 'a handful of people who I love and trust'.

The letter appeared to be a way to seek help and support as she struggled to detox within Vanuatu's boozy expat community.

'I want to share with you that I believe I have an addiction to alcohol and I have reached a stage where I recognise I need to do something about it,' she began.

'I believe I have an addiction to alcohol... I recognise I need to do something about it': The allegedly leaked letter to a 'trusted' group of friends appeared to be a way for Rosie to seek help and support as she struggled to detox within Vanuatu's boozy expat community

'I know I am not alone in having a strong dependency on drinking': It was claimed Rosie noted she knew plenty of other mothers in Vanuatu and Sydney that were also dependent on alcohol

'I know I am not alone in having a strong dependency on drinking  it is pretty damned standard practice actually... I believe alcohol has become a damaging element in my life and I am choosing to put a stop to it,' Rosie said, noting she knew plenty of other mothers in Vanuatu and Sydney that were also dependent on alcohol.

The alleged friend told the publication that Rosie has since taken control of her alcohol consumption following successful detox which saw her give up drinking completely.

They went on to say claim Rosie had expressed she's 'never felt better, healthier or happier' since leaving her former husband and ending her toxic relationship with alcohol.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Rosie Jacobs for comment.

'Alcohol has become a damaging element in my life and I am choosing to put a stop to it': The alleged friend told the publication that Rosie has since taken control of her alcohol consumption following successful detox which saw her give up drinking completely (Pictured: Rosie with her two daughters)

All over: The couple had moved to Vanuatu in 2016 in what friends described as a 'last-ditch attempt to save their marriage', and now the unknown insider claims she's 'never felt better' with her current lifestyle

Meanwhile, the former home of Today Show weatherman Steve and his wife Rosie sold for a whopping $4.6million last Wednesday, as the couple begin to split assets following a marriage breakdown.

Steve and Rosie, who lived in Coogee before moving overseas, split late last year - though their separation only became public information last month.

The pair had moved to Vanuatu in late 2016 for what friends say was a 'last-ditch attempt' to mend their eight-year marriage, but it was too late.

'I think there were a few people who sensed something was up when they moved to Vanuatu,' a friend said.

'The sea change was basically a last ditch attempt to make things work, but it wasn't to be unfortunately.'

Family life: Steve and Rosie (pictured with their two young daughters) split late last year, but their separation only became public last month

Splitting their assets: Today Show weatherman Steve and estranged wife Rosie sold their luxury home in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs on Wednesday for $4.6million

In January, months after the pair separated, Rosie applied for a 'restraining ex parte temporary domestic protection order' at Port Vila Magistrates Court. It was granted immediately but no longer remains in place.

New details of the relationship between the Today show weatherman and wife Rosie have continued to emerge since the couple's split became public.

Friends of the pair told Woman's Day Steve and Rosie's relationship had been toxic for years.

Courts: Months after the pair separated, Rosie applied for a 'restraining ex parte temporary domestic protection order' at Port Vila Magistrates Court. It was granted immediately but no longer remains in place

A close friend of the couple told the magazine Steve and Rosie had faced troubles in their marriage long before Ms Jacobs called it quits in late-2017.

'These issues have been going on for the past two years,' a friend claimed to the magazine.

Daily Mail Australia revealed last month that Channel Seven presenter Rosie, 39, has since begun dating Canadian soldier Dylan Nash, who she met through friends in Vanuatu.

Rosie and Mr Nash are understood to have met in Port Vila, where he was working up until last year. The pair were pictured posing next to each other in a recent photo.

A Port Vila resident, where the Jacobs' moved in 2016, said Rosie had 'become friendly with Mr Nash in the months since she split from Steve'.

Long time coming? Friends have said the couple were struggling in their marriage long before they finally split for good

New beau: Rosie is now dating Canadian soldier Dylan Nash (pictured), a fellow resident of Port Vila who she met through friends in Vanuatu

Steve reportedly confronted Mr Nash in a crowded gym at Port Vila for 'moving in on his wife'

'Rosie and Dylan were introduced through mutual friends towards the end of the year and struck up a friendship,' the friend said.

'They've been dating for a few months now and he has been rock solid support for her ever since the split.

'He's an exceptional human being and they're understandably taking things slow, but Rosie is over the moon.'

In February, Steve reportedly confronted Mr Nash about 'moving in on his wife' at a gym in Port Vila.

Though his estranged wife no longer features in any of the presenter's social media posts, Steve has recently shared pictures of he and Rosie's two young daughters sailing out into crystal blue seas in Port Vila, and celebrating Easter with Halloween costumes.
She celebrated her baby shower with close friends and family over the weekend.

But on Tuesday, Ali Fedotowsky was ready for spring as she stopped by the set of Hallmark's Home & Family at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The pregnant star, who is expecting her son in May, was glowing as she dressed her growing baby bump in a floor-length colorful floral dress.

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Ready for baby: Ali Fedotowsky dressed her growing baby bump in a maxi floral dress as she stopped by Hallmarks' Home & Family in Universal Studios Hollywood on Tuesday

Behind-the-scenes: The former Bachelorette shared a video from the set on her Instagram account

The former Bachelorette swept her blonde tresses back up into a loose bun and donned a simple gold bracelet and rings.

She topped her girly look off with hoop earrings and dabbed pink lip gloss onto her pout that made her look fresh-faced.

The television personality was joined by 7th Heaven star, Beverley Mitchell, at Home & Family, as seen in her social media posts.

'I'm super pregnant': The television personality is expecting her son in May and gave her fans a glimpse of her belly

'We're going to make some yummy food': She was joined by 7th Heaven star, Beverley Mitchell, for the fun morning of cooking

The soon-to-be mother-of-two shared with her Instagram followers a behind-the-scenes look of her day.

'We're at Home & Family. I'm super pregnant,' said Ali in the video, as she gave a glimpse of her growing belly.

'We're going to make some yummy food,' she continued, as she posed in front of a kitchen set with what appeared to be steak and a variety of sauces behind her.

In another snap, shared by the show's producer, Ali swapped her springtime dress for a more comfortable look.

Comfort is key: The show's producer shared a snap with Ali who was sporting a more casual look, wearing a denim jacket and leggings

The former reality star donned a pink shirt, black leggings and a denim jacket as she posed alongside two other friends.

Ali already shares her one-year-old daughter, Molly, with her husband Kevin Manno.

Fedotowsky and Manno started dating in 2013, two years after she split from her Bachelorette choice Roberto Martinez.

They welcomed their daughter in July 2016 and they tied the knot in March 2017.

And on Sunday, the couple celebrated at a beach baby shower ahead of their May due date.

Surrounded by pals including Kaley Cuoco, 33-year-old Ali beamed as she posed on a sun-dappled beach in Malibu within sight of the pier.

Baby shower: On Sunday, the soon-to-be mother-of-two celebrated a beach baby shower with her husband, Kevin Manno, and close family and friends

Ali shared an Insta Story selfie video from the car as she headed to the beach for her party.

Inasmuch as she is expecting a baby boy, she was decked out in blue - a splashy cold-shoulder print dress, plus an azure pair of aviators.

Kevin, who was also dressed all in blue, was in the driver's seat, and Ali captioned the post: 'One our way to baby boy Manno's Sprinkle!'

Ali was flanked by friends like Kaley, Kaley's sister Briana, makeup artist Emma Willis, Med 4 Our World co-founder Valishia Chapman, actress Kimberly J. Brown, interior designer Willa Ford, Melanie De Krassel, Jenna Nicole Dorman, stylist Brittney Escoto, actress Orly Shani, actress Amy Davidson and actress Ashley Jones.
She split with Channel Seven newsreader Ryan Phelan in January after a whirlwind romance of just three months.

And newly-single Samantha X has now given her expert advice on how men can make themselves more appealing to women.

The former high-class escort, 44, said that smelling nice, being well presented and working out can help attract a girlfriend.

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'There's no point being attractive if you are lacking in personality': In a new blog post, former escort Samantha X offered her tips on how single men can make themselves more appealing

Samantha took to her official website earlier this month after a 19-year-old male fan asked her for her help.

Samantha assured the teenager that he's still only young, and that 'personality' is just as important as looks.

'There is no point being attractive if you are lacking in the personality department,' Samantha wrote.

'Simple (changes) make a huge difference': Samantha took to her official website earlier this month after a 19-year-old male fan asked her for her help

'But looking good is important too. You say you don't want a makeover but simple things make a huge difference.'

Samantha continued: 'You're only 19, so don't put too much pressure on yourself, but make sure you always smell nice, trim unruly hairs, eat well and work out, and most importantly  take the pressure off.'

She recommended that the unlucky-in-love teenager should play it cool when looking for a girlfriend because he's got plenty of time to sort out his love life.

'Stop focusing on whether women find you attractive. Like men, women can smell desperation a mile off,' wrote the former journalist.

Tips: 'Make sure you always smell nice, trim unruly hairs, eat well and work out,' Samantha said

Samantha (whose real name is Amanda Goff) is currently single following her sudden split Ryan Phelan in January.

She told Daily Mail Australia at the time: 'The love was very deep between us, but sometimes love isn't enough.'

Samantha and Ryan had only announced their romance last November.
Cindy Crawford played the part of co-host at Sarah Flint's spring shoe event on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

The brand investor gave off major Greek goddess vibes in a flowing navy dress and lace-up sandals by the host brand.

She was joined by her celebrity friends Lisa Rinna and Maria Menounos.

Shop til you drop: Cindy Crawford co-hosted Sarah Flint's spring shoe event on Tuesday in LA

Shoe goals: The brand investor gave off major Greek goddess vibes in a flowing navy dress and lace-up sandals

Both Crawford and Rinna went makeup free for the afternoon outing.

The RHOBH star donned an all white ensemble while Menounos was a ray of sunshine in her yellow floral jumpsuit from Few Moda.

Sarah Flint herself was dressed in a crochet white top and stylish pair of her own pink slingbacks.

Strike a pose: Cindy mingled with Sarah Flint and friend Lisa Rinna at the event

Spring has sprung: Maria Menounos was a ray of sunshine in her yellow floral jumpsuit

Cindy became an investor of Sarah Flint back in November 2017.

'First, I fell in love with the shoes, and then I met Sarah,' she told WWD. 'She felt like a great woman to champion. She's young, she's innovative, and I just believed in what she was doing.'

Having earned herself a host of celebrity fans like Crawford, Sarah now sells her Italian-made creations entirely online, even lowering her prices to just 50 per cent of the traditional retail value.

All smiles: Both Crawford and Rinna went makeup free for the afternoon outing

New venutre: Cindy became an investor of Sarah Flint back in November 2017. She now serves as a mentor and advisor to the shoe creator

And she has a lengthy list of celebrity clientele including Meghan Markle, Scarlett Johansson and Amal Clooney.

Flint travels all around the country to offer the VIP treatment to her top clients.

'It's almost like a trunk show in somebody's home, but it's a very curated experience where we bring in sketches and hors d'oeurves and I attend,' she told the magazine about her private shoes events.

'That's something we've done since day one of the brand. What's so incredible about that is that I get that direct customer one-on-one feedback and it's an incredible grassroots marketing experience as well'
Georgina Chapman left her husband Harvey Weinstein last October after multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault were made against the movie mogul.

But Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel has claimed the revelations about Harvey couldn't have been much of a shock to the Marchesa fashion designer.

Speaking to hit105's Stav, Abby and Matt on Wednesday, Bethenny alleged that Georgina was 'definitely not surprised' because Harvey's behaviour was well-known in Hollywood.

Chapman has not commented on the allegations made about her husband save for a statement back in October, in which she said: 'My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions.'

'His wife is definitely not surprised': Bethenny Frankel has claimed Georgina Chapman KNEW about Harvey Weinstein's behaviour as it was common knowledge in Hollywood

'I've met Harvey Weinstein, I was at his home for a charity event. I've seen him a couple of times,' Bethenny told the Brisbane breakfast radio show.

'He ran the show, he was a very intimidating character that was kind of sleazy.

'His wife is definitely not surprised, nor was anyone that he worked with... he was Hollywood royalty.'

A source close to Chapman claims this is not the case however, telling DailyMail.com that she was unaware of her husband's sexual misconduct.

'He was Hollywood royalty': Bethenny claimed in an Australian radio interview this week that the revelations about Harvey couldn't have been much of a shock to the UK fashion designer

'He ran the show, he was a very intimidating character that was kind of sleazy': The Real Housewives of New York City star recalled how she had once gone to Harvey's home

Bethenny said she had also met Jeremy Piven, Brett Ratner and Russell Simmons, who have all also since been accused of sexual misconduct but denied the allegations against them.

The reality TV star first met Brett, a high profile director and producer, when she was just 16 years old.

'That world is a small world and they were all larger-than-life, powerful people who got whatever they wanted,' she explained.

'That's the whole entire problem, but I - in all my experiences with all of them - they have never tried anything on me.

'If anything got uncomfortable, I would absolutely walk away.'

'They have never tried anything on me': While Bethenny admitted to knowing about the alleged behaviour of Harvey and other accused film industry figures, she insisted none of them ever made improper advances towards her

Georgina and Harvey married in 2007. However, she left the film producer after more than 30 women made allegations of sexual abuse against him.

In January, the New York Daily News reported that the former couple had reached a financial settlement.

Georgina will reportedly receive between $19.3million to $25.75 million (US$15million - US$20million), the publication claimed.

Bethenny is in Australia to promote the new season of The Real Housewives of New York City, on hayu and Foxtel.
When it comes to her style, the words 'effortlessy cool' come to mind.

And Jessica Hart had yet another hit on her hands as she attended a Dolce & Gabbana Party at New York hot spot the Boom Boom Room at The Standard on Tuesday night.

The stunning Australian model rocked a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, which she teamed with an equally on-trend pair of leather trousers.

It's Rock And Roll! Makeup free Jessica Hart looks flawless as she rocks a Led Zeppelin T-shirt and leather trousers at Dolce & Gabbana party in New York on Tuesday evening

The ensemble was tied together with black patent combat boots and a long line jacket to keep her warm.

The former Victoria's Secret catwalk model wore very minimal makeup on her flawless visage, and pulled her golden locks up into a low-key bun on her head.

Jessica's outing in New York comes after her recent getaway to RAAS Devigarh, India, for the festival of Holi.

The festival is celebrated around the world with people gathering around bonfires and having water fights in the streets.

Holi, also known as the Festival of Colour, celebrates the triumph of good over evil as well as the power of love and fertility and colour.

No makeup, makeup look: The blonde beauty wore very minimal makeup on her flawless visage

The two-day religious event, which marks the start of spring, is most recognised for throwing coloured powder or gulal.

Jess has mended her heartache following the break-up with billionaire heir Stavros Niarchos III, who also dated 'it' girl and socialite Paris Hilton.

The former flames went their separate ways for good after seven years together as lovers.
Laurina Fleure was floored when her love interest Blake Colman mistakenly called her 'Lenora' during one of the rose ceremonies on Bachelor In Paradise.

But the 34-year-old has revealed that all is now well between herself and the Perth-based entrepreneur.

Speaking to Now To Love, she admitted that she thought it was funny that Blake got her name wrong.

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'There are no hard feelings!' Bachelor In Paradise's Laurina Fleure reveals she has forgiven Blake Colman for mistakenly calling her 'Lenora' during the rose ceremony

'The next day he felt so bad and I said, "Babe don't worry about it! It was so rude it was hot!" I made a joke of it,' she explained.

'There are no hard feelings! He's pretty sweet  other than getting my name wrong which was an accident  I know that he liked me.'

However, the model revealed that at that point of the competition she had already lost interest and was waiting for a new man to join Paradise.

During an intense rose ceremony, the pressure and humidity of the situation clearly got the better of Blake.

As he looked towards Laurina, he accidentally called her 'Lenora', causing the entire cast to break out in laughter.

'The next day he felt so bad': During an intense rose ceremony, the pressure and humidity of the situation clearly got the better of Blake

Meanwhile, on Tuesday's episode of Bachelor In Paradise, Laurina was brought to tears and refused to go on a date, resulting in her shock departure from the show.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, the brunette beauty explained that she had been struggling to come to grips with the recent death of her older brother Michael.

'The truth is, I'd actually lost my brother not long before going in to Paradise - he passed away,' Laurina said.

Leaving: Meanwhile, on Tuesday's episode of Bachelor In Paradise, Laurina was brought to tears and refused to go on a date, resulting in her shock departure from the show

Heartbreak: Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, the brunette beauty explained that she had been struggling to come to grips with the recent death of her older brother Michael

'I hadn't had a chance to grieve properly so that anxiety was actually a lot of emotional stuff going on under the surface because of that.'

The brunette beauty divulged that she thought taking part in the Fiji-based reality show would help her heal, but the emotional turmoil became too much to handle.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit: www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or at www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support
She's shed eight pounds following her court ordered stint in rehab.

And Luann de Lesseps was proud to show off her slimmer figure as she posted a sassy bikini video to Instagram on Tuesday.

The 52-year-old Real Housewife Of New York flaunted her fabulous physique in a skimpy white two-piece during a hotel room photo op.

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Showing off: Luann de Lesseps posted a sassy bikini video to Instagram on Tuesday

'Suite Breakfast @thelondonweho gunna be hard to leave this sunny 80 degree beautiful weather...it aint a la francaise,' she captioned the boomerang video.

The natural stunner shimmied as she rocked a pair of retro shades standing behind a room service cart with two plates of breakfast.

The mother-of-two recently revealed she lost the weight during her rehabilitation after a December arrest.

LuAnn was charged with a felony count of resisting an officer along with misdemeanor trespassing and disorderly intoxication charges in January after a drunken Christmas Eve incident in Palm Beach, Florida, where she is said to have attacked a cop.

Sassy: The 52-year-old Real Housewife Of New York flaunted her fabulous physique in a skimpy white two-piece during a hotel room photo op

She spent 21 days in rehab afterwards and is due to appear before a judge again in April.

'I would start with a martini and maybe have two martinis, and then get into the wine at dinner. Then I'd have a little bit of vodka soda going out,' Luann recalled in the new People.

'It didn't feel good. Alcohol just stopped working for me...Not drinking works for me right now. Will I drink again? I don't know. I miss good red wine. Not to say that I'll never have good red wine again.'

Breakfast of champions: 'Suite Breakfast @thelondonweho gunna be hard to leave this sunny 80 degree beautiful weather...it aint a la francaise,' she captioned the boomerang video

'Let me tell you not drinking is exhausting. I get up every morning at like 6, I go to my meetings.

'I go to yoga. I film the housewives. So by 10 o'clock I'm like wiped out,' she added.

The TV personality has two children - son Noel, 21; and daughter Victoria, 23 - from her first marriage to Count Alexandre DeLesseps, which ended in 2009.
Temperatures are rising now that it's springtime in Los Angeles, and Caitlyn Jenner kept her cool as she enjoyed dinner at Nobu with her friend Sophia Hutchins.

The 68-year-old stepped out on Monday showed off some leg in a pair of blue jean shorts.

The father-of-six wore strappy, coral-colored sandals and carried a large brown leather bag to the fancy Japanese restaurant in Malibu as she grabbed dinner with Sophia, 22, and another friend.

Out on the town: Caitlyn Jenner was at Nobu on Monday night with Sophia Hutchins and another friend

Strutting through the restaurant's driveway, Caitlyn's tawny locks cascaded down her statuesque frame.

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians patriarch's nose looked to be completely healed, and Sophia seemed to be full of energy during the trio's trip to dinner.

Rocking a short beige skirt, the undergraduate added a sleeveless white top with a plunging neckline to create a summery vibe.

Besties: Dressed in a long white sweater and a pair of blue jean shorts, the 68-year-old has frequently been seen with the 22-year-old Pepperdine student

Last October, rumors swirled that the two were locked in a romantic relationship when the women traveled to Cabo together

Jenner's reps told Us Weekly, however, that the women are not in a romantic relationship.

Hutchins, who is also transgender, began her transition from male to female when she started school at Pepperdine University in Malibu.

She is one year older than Jenner's daughter Kylie.

Back in season: Rocking a short beige skirt, the undergraduate added a sleeveless white top with a plunging neckline to create a summery vibe

Back in March, Caitlyn had a cancerous basal cell carcinoma removed from her nose.

She posted a photo of a large, bleeding scab on her nose to Instagram as she wrote in her caption, 'I recently had to get some sun damage removed from my nose. PSA- always wear your sunblock!'

She has kept fans updated on her nose's recovery and it now it looks good as new.
It's no secret Vicky Pattison and her former Geordie Shore co-star Charlotte Crosby are no longer close and Charlotte claimed recently that they don't even talk.

And during an Australia radio interview on Wednesday, Vicky revealed the reason why their once-close friendship has cooled.

The 30-year-old told KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show she is settled down in her relationship and they don't 'move in the same circles anymore'.

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'I just don't move in the same circles anymore': Vicky Pattison (second from right) has revealed why she is no longer friends with former Geordie Shore co-star Charlotte Crosby (second from left)

'I've moved all around since leaving Geordie Shore and settled essentially in London for the majority of it,' Vicky explained.

'I'm now back North (the North of England) with John,' she added, referring to her fiance John Noble.

Vicky joked that she and John have a 'boring couple life', but she 'loves it'.

Drifting apart: Vicky told The Kyle and Jackie O Show she is settled down in her relationship with fiance John Noble and that she and Charlotte don't 'move in the same circles anymore'

Moving on: However, Vicky insisted there were no hard feelings between herself and the Geordie Shore cast. Pictured: Geordie Shore season one cast in July 2011

Addressing her friendship with Charlotte, Vicky said: 'I just don't move in the same circles anymore.'

However, she insisted there were no hard feelings between herself and the Geordie Shore cast.

'I wish them all well,' she said. 'And although I don't see them, I do know what they are up to and I think they're all doing great.'

'Weddings are about the people you're closest to': Last year, Vicky told OK! that she wouldn't be inviting any of her former castmates to her wedding

Last year, Vicky told OK! magazine that she wouldn't be inviting any of her former castmates to her wedding.

'I don't really see any of them any more and your wedding day is about the people you're closest to,' she revealed.

Last year, Charlotte admitted she and Vicky had drifted apart.

Charlotte told Heat: 'We never had an argument or anything, but something weird happened and we just never spoke again. It's best not to have any grudges.'
Mackane Reid was left shattered when he realised that Leah Costa had put him in the friend zone.

And after Leah Costa was played by US intruder Grant Kemp in order to pursue Ali Oetjen, the 36-year-old revealed to Yahoo7 Be that what goes around comes around.

'It was karma,' the Perth native told the publication.

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'It's karma': Bachelor In Paradise star Mackane Reid, 36, told Yahoo7 Be that Leah Costa, 25, got what she deserved after the blonde was played by US intruder Grant Kemp

'I know she was pretty cut up about it,' Mack said of Leah being brutally played by Grant, 29.

Leah was left devastated after Grant moved on with co-star Ali, despite the hunk describing their time together as the 'best date ever'.

However Mack went on to say that despite Leah getting what she deserved, he 'felt sorry for her.'

Sympathy: Despite saying Leah got what she deserved, Mackane did admit to feeling 'sorry for her'

Leah and Mack's potential romance took a turn for the worse earlier this month, when the former topless waitress admitted she wanted to keep her options open.

As the pair flirted up a storm, Mack suggested taking Leah on a date if the opportunity presented itself, but was left shattered when she confessed she had her eye on Michael Turnbull.

'Here's where I'm at. I'm not opposed to you getting to know other people as well. 'Cause I think if a date card came, I would take Michael,' Leah told him.

Mack was visibly shattered at the admission, noting that he was close with Michael, given they were roommates.

Ouch: Leah was left shattered after US intruder Grant Kemp [pictured] played her, despite the hunk describing their time together as the 'best date ever'

Leah insisted she just wanted to 'test the waters' with other people in Paradise and not get locked down too soon.

'Testing the waters? What the f**k is going on there?' Mack exclaimed. 'Why don't you and I just test the waters with us first?'

Speaking to camera, Mack - who previously had his heart broken by Sophie Monk on The Bachelorette - expressed just how confused and upset he was by Leah's apparent rejection.

'Oh, my goodness! I'm bamboozled by the whole situation, and it seems to me at the moment, "OK, maybe Leah doesn't like me".'
It's just over a year since I disclosed that Jeremy Paxman had abandoned Elizabeth Clough, 65, mother of his three children, to live with Jillian Taylor, a divorcee 30 years his junior.

Clearly Paxo, 67, isn't taking his new relationship for granted. For the University Challenge host has been spotted emerging from Michael Van Clarke's hair salon in London's Marylebone, whose motto is 'Live well, live beautiful'.

To whom did he entrust his silver tresses? Michael charges 275, but perhaps Paxman opted for 'Style Director' Violeta  a snip at 105.

Jeremy Paxman spotted emerging from Michael Van Clarke's hair salon in London's Marylebone, whose motto is 'Live well, live beautiful'

Dame Helen cosies up to leading man

A regular on the red carpet, Dame Helen Mirren does not often pose with her husband, Taylor Hackford  the 72-year-old U.S. film director prefers to stay behind the camera.

This week, however, he was spotted having an intimate lunch with the Oscar winner in LA, who looked fashionable in a white blouse, printed trousers and stiletto boots. She has been with Hackford for more than 30 years but she did not become his third wife until 1997.

'We got married for legal reasons more than anything else,' she has admitted. 'I always said I have nothing against marriage, it just wasn't to my taste  like turnips.'

Dame Helen Mirren does not often pose with her husband, Taylor Hackford  the 72-year-old U.S. film director prefers to stay behind the camera

He was spotted having an intimate lunch with the Oscar winner in LA, who looked fashionable in a white blouse, printed trousers and stiletto boots

Prince Charles's pal, saucy novelist Kathy Lette says she has failed to win a place on the guest list for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.

'My invitation must have been written in invisible ink,' Lette jokes. 'What else could explain this glaring oversight? Coo-ee Meghan! Have tiara, will party!' Incidentally, Kensington Palace confirmed yesterday my story from January that Barack Obama would not be at the wedding, despite being friendly with the couple.

Leonardo DiCaprio, 43, is holidaying in Japan with his latest squeeze, 20-year-old model Camila Morrone. She and her mother, Lucila Sola, 41, have posted pictures of the trip on the internet. Oddly, DiCaprio does not appear in the snaps. Perhaps he was afraid of looking like her mother's boyfriend?

Is Stanley Kubrick to blame for Simon Cowell's TV career? The young mogul sought work on the Elstree Studios lot where the director was preparing his 1980 chiller, The Shining. 'I was going to be a runner on Kubrick's film, but he doesn't employ runners. So I ended up in the music business,' Cowell says. His half-brother Tony revealed that the future talent-spotter got as far as polishing the bloody axe wielded by Jack Nicholson in the film, between takes.
She just returned back to Los Angeles after a holiday with her sister Kim Kardashian to Turks And Caicos.

And on Tuesday, Kourtney Kardashian was spotted stepping out in Los Angeles while rocking a crop top and Adidas sweat bottoms.

The 38-year-old reality star's outing comes hours after her boyfriend Younes Bendjima was seen hanging out with Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend Camila Morrone during a night out in West Hollywood.

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flawless: Kourtney Kardashian was spotted stepping out in Los Angeles while rocking a crop top and Adidas sweat bottoms

For her Tuesday outing, Kourtney flaunted her flat stomach in a pair of burgundy and white pair of track bottoms with a loose-fitting neutral crop top.

The stunning mother of three layered a tan colored duster coat on top as she hit the pavement in white sneakers.

Kourtney styled her brunette tresses loose in waves while rocking small framed sunglasses; she opted to go minimal on her makeup.

The beauty carried a large salad and a hot drink as she left a studio in Los Angeles.

Wow factor: The 38-year-old reality star's outing comes hours after her boyfriend Younes Bendjima was seen hanging out with Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend Camila Morrone during a night out in West Hollywood

Looking good: Kourtney flaunted her flat stomach in a pair of burgundy and white pair of track bottoms with a loose-fitting neutral crop top

Flawless: Kourtney styled her brunette tresses loose in waves while rocking small framed sunglasses; she opted to go minimal on her makeup

Younes was seen spending time Camila, 20, during an evening out in West Hollywood on Monday night; Younes, 24, chatted with the pal before giving her a hug goodbye.

According to a source, Camila and Younes are just friends.

The handsome former boxer kept it simple in a black cover up over a white top for his Monday evening outing, adding coordinating bottoms.

Camila bundled up in a black coat with a large handbag, adding gold earrings and loose tresses.

Younes Bendjima was seen spending time with a mystery women during an evening out in West Hollywood

Close: The model, 24, chatted with the pal before giving her a hug good night

Good times: The handsome former boxer kept it simple in a black cover up over a white top, adding coordinating bottoms

Focused: He was on holiday with Kourtney just days earlier

Shimmering: The brunette beauty is currently in a relationship with Leo, 43; her mother Lucila Sola is in a relationship with Leo's pal Al Pacino; pictured on Sunday at The Daily Front Row Fashion Awards in Beverly Hills

Younes, who is from Algeria, and the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star have been dating since December 2016.

Kourtney has three children with her ex partner Scott Disick: Mason, eight, Penelope, five, and Reign, three.

Kourtney just returned back to Los Angeles following a tropical getaway with her sister Kim Kardashian, 37.

The beauties have been sharing bikini snaps from her beach getaway to their Instagram accounts.

Beautiful duo: Kourtney just returned back to Los Angeles following a tropical getaway with her sister Kim Kardashian, 37

What a figure: The beauty has been sharing bikini snaps from her beach getaway to her Instagram account

In one post, Kourtney flaunted her figure in a tiny string bikini while walking in the sand.

She also posed on a surfboard in the barely there look.

Younes was in Turks & Caicos with Kourtney during the start of her trip but appears to have left soon after.

They enjoyed a bike ride together on the island on Saturday, as seen on Instagram stories.

Relaxation on the island: Younes was in Turks & Caicos with Kourtney during the start of her trip but appears to have left soon after

Views: They enjoyed a bike ride together on the island on Saturday

Younes and Kourtney enjoyed a loved up road trip to San Francisco just one week ago.

The lovebirds were seen on each other's social media as the made their way from Los Angeles to Northern California late last month.

During their trip, Kourtney shared a sizzling Instagram picture while sitting on top of her man, dressed in jeans and her Calvin Klein undergarments.

Incredible: The 38-year-old has been sharing bikini snaps from her beach getaway to her Instagram account

Sultry: Younes and Kourtney enjoyed a loved up road trip to San Francisco just one week ago

Good looking duo: Younes and the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star have been dating since December 2016; the duo pictured March 10 at bash in LA

Interesting: On Tuesday, Kourtney shared a quote to her Instagram story by Anthony Jones
She is expected to welcome her first child in June.

And a very pregnant Eva Longoria showed off her baby bump on Tuesday as she headed to her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE.

The 43-year-old donned a white and grey stripped maternity dress that she teamed with a pair of flip-flops.

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About to pop! The very pregnant Eva Longoria showed off her baby bump on Tuesday as she headed to her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE

The Desperate Housewives alum is currently doing a press run for her new movie Overboard.

The comedic film features Anna Faris whose character takes revenge on her wealthy employer after he falls off the side of his massive yacht and experiences a bout of amnesia.

Longoria plays Faris' best friend who is the mastermind behind the revenge plot.

Due in June: The 43-year-old donned a white and grey stripped maternity dress that she teamed with a pair of flip-flops

Happy mom-to-be: The Desperate Housewives alum is currently doing a press run for her new movie Overboard

Plot line: The comedic film features Anna Faris whose character takes revenge on her wealthy employer after he falls off the side of his massive yacht and experiences a bout of amnesia. Longoria plays Faris' best friend who is the mastermind behind the revenge plot

Eva visited The Ellen Show Tuesday morning to promote the movie as well as update the host on her pregnancy.

'I haven't done anything yet,' she admitted. 'I'm in between homes so I haven't had a chance to get a nursery ready or a name.'

But she does having a baby shower planned for Cinco de Mayo.

'It was accidental,' she said. 'It was the only weekend I had available.'

Press day: Eva visited The Ellen Show Tuesday morning to promote the movie as well as update the host on her pregnancy. 'I haven't done anything yet,' she admitted. 'I'm in between homes so I haven't had a chance to get a nursery ready or a name'

This is Longoria's first child, but her husband Jose Baston's fourth.

He shares daughter Natalia, 22, and 14-year-old twins Mariana and Jose with ex-wife Natalia Esperon.

And despite being seven-months pregnant, Longoria is still hard at work in the director's chair.

She has been working rigorously in Miami to produce ABC's Grand Hotel set to air during pilot season.
One is the metrosexual breakout star of this year's Married At First Sight, the other a well-known Sydney nightlife identity.

And in a surprising twist it appears Nasser Sultan and John Ibrahim are friends, the reality TV star sharing a snap of the pair together to his Instagram Story on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old skincare enthusiast beamed from ear-to-ear as he posed for a photo with Kings Cross nightclub owner John, 47.

Who knew they were friends? Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan hangs out with Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim

'Me and John go back a long way,' Nasser told Daily Mail Australia of his friendship with the nightclub identity.

The MAFS star revealed the pair had caught up in the VIP section Crane Bar and Nasser 'was discussing some of my beauty regime and he loved it'.

John counts several showbusiness identities among his friendship circle, most notably radio host Kyle Sandilands and his girlfriend Imogen Anthony.

It is not known how John and Nasser came to be acquainted and Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nasser for comment.

Celebrity connection: John counts several showbusiness identities among his friendship circle, most notably radio host Kyle Sandilands and his girlfriend Imogen Anthony

How did they meet? It is not known how John and Nasser came to be acquainted and Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nasser for comment

Nasser's latest Instagram Story post comes after NW Magazine pictured him with a mystery 'flamboyant' man in Surry Hills last week.

Nasser has previously dismissed speculation about his sexuality, telling the Kyle and Jackie O Show: 'I am 110 per cent not gay.'

'They definitely looked like more than friends... Nasser couldn't keep his hands off him!' an unnamed source told the publication.

'They definitely looked like more than friends': Nasser's latest Instagram Story post comes after NW Magazine this week pictured him with a mystery 'flamboyant' man in Surry Hills last week

'At one point Nasser was holding the guy's hand and seemed to kiss him on the cheek while whispering in his ear': The magazine published photos of the pair's lunch

'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.'

During his time on Married At First Sight Nasser was married to Gabrielle Bartlett, however, the two split after failing to sustain a sexual spark between them.
She's in Israel on a promotional tour ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal next month.

And Jessica Mauboy already appears to be in a celebratory mood, taking to the streets this week with other contestants ahead of the talent competition.

SBS footage shows the 28-year-old clapping and doing the limbo as she danced.

Already celebrating? Jessica Mauboy dances on the street with Eurovision competitors during tour of Israel

Grinning from ear to ear, Jessica danced enthusiastically alongside other contestants and fans as music played in the background.

The former Australian Idol contestant was dressed casually in a blue button-down shirt and high-waisted trousers.

Jessica's Eurovision song We Got Love has been met by a wave of praise on Twitter and is even tipped for victory.

She's excited! Grinning from ear to ear, Jessica danced enthusiastically alongside other contestants and fans as music was played

Keeping things simple: The former Australian Idol contestant was dressed casually in a blue button-down shirt and highwaisted pants

Jessica was confirmed late last year as Australia's 2018 entry for the talent show.

She had previously performed as Eurovision's interval act in 2014 and has high hopes to win the top prize.

'I'm going to bring it home,' she told The Project last December.

'I'm ready to compete and I've just got this fire in my gut! There's unfinished business to be honest!'

Representing the country: Jessica was confirmed late last year as Australia's 2018 entry for the Europe talent quest

Coming runner-up to Damien Leith in the 2006 season of Australian Idol, Jessica's career has gone from strength to strength ever since.

She has released three albums, including the hit songs Running Back, Fallin' and Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up).

Jessica is also an accomplished actress, appearing in films The Sapphires and Bran Nue Dae and Channel Seven's The Secret Daughter.
Kendall Jenner and Scott Disick are flying high...together.

The model and her sister's ex boyfriend traveled to Perry, California on Tuesday to jump out of a plane 12,500 feet up in the air.

Kendall, 22, shared a photo alongside Scott, 34, in their blue skydiving gear after returning to solid ground.

'Did it,' Jenner captioned the image of her giving the camera two thumbs up.

For the thrill: Kendall Jenner and Scott Disick traveled to Perry, California on Tuesday to jump out of a plane 12,500 feet up in the air

Two thumbs up: The adventurous pair posed in their blue skydiving gear after returning to solid ground

Disick recently returned from his trip to Cabo with girlfriend Sofia Richie, 19.

It's public knowledge that Kendall isn't a fan of Scott's latest relationship.

Back in January, the supermodel threw major shade at the couple when a photo of Scott, Sofia, and his kids emerged online.

'Aww Scott and his kids,' she commented alongside a laughing emoji.

Going strong: Disick recently returned from his trip to Cabo with girlfriend Sofia Richie, 19

Kendall and Richie were ironically good friends growing up.

And according to Hollywood Life, the remark came as a stab in the back to Richie.

'Sofia was really hurt by Kendall's comment,' a source told the media outlet. 'They used to be close friends which makes it all the more upsetting.

'It's also hypocritical because Kendall's own sister, Kourtney Kardashian, is dating someone 14 years younger than her.'

It's public knowledge that Kendall isn't a fan of Scott's latest relationship. Back in January, the supermodel threw major shade at the couple when a photo of Scott, Sofia, and his kids emerged online. 'Aww Scott and his kids,' she commented alongside a laughing emoji

Kourtney, 38, is still going strong with boyfriend Younes Bendjima, 24.

The couple recently returned from Turks and Caicos where they were joined by Kim Kardashian West.

Kourtney and Scott share three kidsMason, eight, Penelope, five, and Reign, age three.
Abby Lee Miller has been sent to the emergency room, according to a new report.

The reality star was sent to a hospital in Los Angeles on Tuesday after medics responded to an 'unspecified medical complaint' at the Residential Reentry Center, the halfway house where Abby is serving the rest of her sentence, TMZ reported.

Abby, 51, was reportedly able to walk on her own out of the facility and into the ambulance.

Medical attention: Abby Lee Miller has been sent to the emergency room, according to a new report (pictured March 29, 2018)

It's uncertain why Abby was sent to the hospital.

Just last month, Abby transferred from a prison in Victorville, California to the halfway house.

The star has been in prison since July 2017 - after she was sentenced to 366 days for hiding $775,500 worth of income and bringing $120,000 in Australian currency to the US without reporting it.

She had filed for bankruptcy after defaulting on a Florida condominium mortgage and a mortgage on her Abby Lee Dance Company studio in Penn Hills, a Pittsburgh suburb.

Transferred: Just last month, Abby transferred from a prison in Victorville, California to the halfway house (Miller pictured at her halfway house in March 2018)

According to Entertainment Tonight, the star underwent gastric bypass surgery in April before her prison term; she lost 100 since her incarceration.

The website reports that she plans on going forward with excess skin removal surgery, a breast lift and a tummy tuck.

Abby is set to complete her the rest of her sentence at the halfway house in Southern California; TMZ reported that she will be released May 25.
Blac Chyna's boyfriend, rapper YBN Almighty Jay, posed her with a heavy question on Instagram on Tuesday evening.

'Will You Marry Me?' the 18-year-old rap artist wrote in a caption along a shot of the 29-year-old reality star, whose real name is Angela Renee White. The Texas-based performer, whose real name is Jay Bradley, has been linked with the Lashed owner since February.

YBN Almighty Jay established himself as an emerging talent with a single called Chopsticks that's racked up more than 10 million YouTube views. It's also garnered him media recognition from outlets including Complex, XXL and Hot New Hip Hop.

Bold: The boyfriend of 29-year-old Blac Chyna, rapper YBN Almighty Jay, 18, proposed to her via Instagram on Tuesday evening

In his early going, he's already rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, such as Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne.

He was at her side earlier this month after she clashed with a park-goer at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.

He held her back as she charged at a woman who she said tried to touch her one-year-old daughter Dream (with Rob Kardashian) in an incident that was caught on camera.

The Washington D.C. native has been romantically-linked to a number of famous faces in recent years. She has a five-year-old son named King Cairo with rapper Tyga, who went onto a high-profile relationship with Kylie Jenner after they parted ways in 2014.

Lovey dovey: The couple embraced in matching outfits in a shot snapped last month

Out and about: The couple, which has more than a 10-year-age difference, was snapped in Beverly Hills last month

Headed for the altar? The duo seen here in LA before the rap artist used social media to pop the question

In 2015, she was in a brief romance with a boxer named J'Leon Love before, like Tyga, she began dating a member of the Kardashian-Jenner dynasty in sock designer Rob Kardashian.

The couple had a fast romance beginning in January of 2016, announcing their engagement after three months, and welcoming baby girl Dream in November of 2016.

They had an E! series called Rob & Chyna, but things quickly went south by year's end, with public bickering over social media and a few fruitless shots to revive the relationship.

Last summer, Rob found himself in hot legal water after taking to Instagram in July with a storm of social media posts about Chyna which included nude shots, inflammatory statements about her truthfulness and parenting ability, and a bold claim she cheated on him with '8 dudes in less than a month.'
Bachelor In Paradise star Laurina Fleure has revealed she's been in contact with her late brother Michael Shaun Fitzgerald via a medium.

After abruptly quitting the show, the 34-year-old explained she'd left due to grief over her older sibling's passing the month before filming began.

Speaking to Studio 10's Ita Buttrose on Wednesday, Laurina discussed her encounter with the medium.

'She brought me two pages of messages from him': Bachelor In Paradise's Laurina Fleure is 'speaking to her brother through a medium'... after he tragically took his own life

'One of my brother's friends spoke to a medium and she brought me two pages of messages from my brother that were like my inner most thoughts and feelings, and fears,' she explained.

'Things that... I didn't even know my brother knew them! And to have that presented on two pieces of paper, was really nice and comforting to me.'

The Studio 10 co-hosts expressed their condolences for the difficult time she has been going through since her brother became the victim of suicide last year.

'What was that like, being on an island so far away from your family at such a difficult time for you all?' Sarah Harris asked.

Grief: After abruptly quitting the show, the 34-year-old explained she'd left due to grief over her older sibling's passing the month before filming began

Laurina replied: 'To be honest, it was wonderful. I really, really took the best out of that situation.'

'It was nice being out of reality and on a tropical island where you're surrounded by love and laughter.'

Despite criticising producers during her meltdown on Tuesday's episode, Laurina praised them for being 'gentle' and 'letting her do her own thing.'

Letters: 'One of my brother's friends spoke to a medium and she brought me two pages of messages from my brother that were like my inner most thoughts and feelings, and fears' Laurina told the Studio 10 panel

'I wasn't drinking either,' she revealed, 'I think it's really important to stay sober when you're healing.'

'I couldn't keep up with the others drinking all day, so I would come out in a little bursts and have a play and go back and take time for myself.'

In a candid interview with Mamamia this week, Laurina divulged that her brother Michael, 36, had been battling depression and anxiety for several years before taking his own life in 2017.

'I just needed to go home and grieve. I lost my brother to suicide a month before going on the show and at that point, I realised I really just needed to go,' she said.

Comforting: She continued: 'Things that... I didn't even know my brother knew them! And to have that presented on two pieces of paper, was really nice and comforting to me'

'I initially thought going on the show would be a good form of escapism; if I fell in love there, then maybe I wouldnt feel all the pain that I was suppressing.'

Laurina was unable to overcome her grief, resulting in a meltdown after discovering she'd have to go on a date at late notice on Tuesday's episode.

After speaking to producers for some time, she eventually decided to leave.

If you or someone you know needs help or someone to talk to, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Vicky Pattison recently spent time slumming it in the jungle on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

But the 30-year-old reality star was back to her glamorous best on Wednesday morning.

The Geordie Shore favourite cut a stylish figure leaving KIIS FM's radio studios in Sydney, after she gave an interview revealing the real reason why she no longer speaks to co-star Charlotte Crosby.

Pretty in pink! Vicky Pattison cut a stylish figure as she leaft KIIS FM's Sydney studios on Wednesday morning after an interview with the Kyle and Jackie O Show

For her trip to the radio station, Vicky opted for a stylish pale pink pantsuit.

She added a Cher concert t-shirt beneath her cotton candy coloured blazer, giving her outfit a retro 1980s feel.

The bubbly Brit completed the look with a pair of simple white heels as she made her way out of the offices and into an awaiting car.

Beyond the pale: The bubbly Brit added a Cher concert t-shirt beneath her cotton candy coloured blazer, giving her outfit a retro 1980s feel

The Newcastle, England native was also made up to perfection, with dark eye make up and a frosty pink lip.

Her glossy dark hair was left free flowing and styled into loose curls.

During her chat with KIIS FM'S Kyle and Jackie O Show, Vicky revealed the reason why her once-close friendship with former co-star Charlotte Crosby has cooled.

Glamour: The Newcastle, England native was also made up to perfection, with dark eye make up and a frosty pink lip

She explained she is now settled down in her relationship and the two don't 'move in the same circles anymore'.

'I've moved all around since leaving Geordie Shore... I'm now back North (of England) with John,' she said, referring to her fiance John Noble.

Vicky claimed that she's not bothered by the fact that she doesn't keep up with Charlotte and her other Geordie Shore co-stars.

Drifting apart: Vicky told The Kyle and Jackie O Show she is settled down in her relationship with fiance John Noble and that she and Charlotte don't 'move in the same circles anymore'

'It suits me down to the ground,' she stated.

However, she insisted there were no hard feelings between herself and the Geordie Shore cast.

'I wish them all well,' she said. 'And although I don't see them, I do know what they are up to and I think they're all doing great.'
Simone Ormesher doesn't have a twin sister.

So lovesick Bachelor fans matching with a 22-year-old named 'Maddy' on Tinder, who bears a striking resemblance to the former topless waitress, can now safely lower their expectations.

On Wednesday, Simone revealed that a fake, 'catfish' Tinder account had been using her photos to try and trick people into forming a fake relationship.

'What the actual hell!' Bachelor In Paradise's Simone Ormesher discovers her photos are being used by a catfish Tinder account

Taking to her Instagram story, the busty Mancunian shared an image of the fake profile, which displayed one of her own Instagram images.

'What the actual hell? Sweet Maddy!' Simone wrote in the caption.

The bio read: 'Maddy, 22. I love the gym & looking for a beautiful future.'

Unfortunately, for any potential suitors, a beautiful future doesn't exist - at least not with Maddy.

Not real! On Wednesday, Simone revealed that a fake, 'catfish' Tinder account had been using her photos to try and trick people into forming a fake relationship

'Catfishing' is an odd scheme that involves stealing someone's identity in an attempt to establish a relationship with a person under false pretenses.

Amazingly, there's several reported cases of the trick working, with the assailant often going to great lengths to avoid ever meeting face-to-face.

Casey Donovan famously admitted to being Catfished by her former manager over the course of six years.

'Beautiful future': The bio read: 'Maddy, 22. I love the gym & looking for a beautiful future.' Unfortunately, for any potential suitors, a beautiful future doesn't exist

The Australian Idol winner believed she was in a relationship with a man named Campbell, whom she'd never met, until discovering the bitter truth.

Simone is fresh from filming her second reality show, Bachelor In Paradise, which is currently airing on Channel 10.

On Wednesday night's episode, she's set to have a steamy date with beloved Sophie Monk reject, Jarrod Woodgate.
MTV star Charlotte Crosby broke down in tears during the first episode of her self titled reality show.

And now the 27-year-old has explained to Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson why she broke down in tears after seeing ex boyfriend Gaz Beadle's Instagram post of his son Chester's birth.

Jackie sensitively asked the brunette beauty what was the most upsetting part of seeing Gaz and his girlfriend Emma McVey's life-changing news.

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'It's never nice seeing an ex move on': Charlotte Crosby explains why she broke down in tears when she saw ex Gaz Beadle's baby announcement

'Well it's never nice seeing an ex-boyfriend who you have such a history with moving on to that big stage of their life. That's never nice,' Charlotte replied.

'Never mind throwing in the fact that, obviously, I went through an ectopic pregnancy with him.

'It just kind of brought back memories of all them awful feelings I had and experienced around that time.

'It was just a big mixture of things really,' she added.

Emotional: 'Well it's never nice seeing an ex boyfriend who you have such a history with moving on to that big stage of their life. That's never nice,' Charlotte told Australian radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson

In the episode Charlotte was completely shocked to learn of Gaz' news via Instagram.

She was seen crying 'Oh my god, oh my god' while staring at the announcement.

Her mother Letitia then said: 'I didn't know she was due', before an awkward silence fell on the group.

An upset Charlotte read out the baby announcement. before whispering 'I feel a bit upset about it.'

Shock: In the episode Charlotte was completely shocked to learn of Gaz' news via Instagram

Happy family: Gary welcomed his first child in January with girlfriend Emma McVey, 26

Letitia said 'Don't cry', prompting Charlotte to break down on her mother's shoulder.

Gary welcomed his first child in January with girlfriend Emma McVey, 26.

Meanwhile, Charlotte has moved with new flame Love Island's Joshua Ritchie following her failed relationship with Stephen Bear.
Natalie Roser has thrilled her fans by sharing yet another outtake of one of her sizzling bikini shoots.

This time the blonde bombshell uploaded a sexy snap of herself wearing a colourful g-string two-piece.

The skimpy off-the-shoulder suit showed off the 27-year-old's pert derriere and incredibly bronzed complexion as she posed in the sea.

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Booty-ful! Natalie Roser shows off her pert derriere in a G-string bikini during another bikini shoot

The photograph was taken during her recent trip to Fiji and the blonde beauty simply captioned it with a wave emoji.

Natalie recently returned to Australia in time for Easter after her getaway in the UK with her boyfriend Harley Breen.

Before that she enjoyed a sun-drenched holiday to Fiji where she worked on several bikini modelling shoots.

Wish you were here! The photograph was taken during her recent trip to Fiji

However, Natalie took to social media to warn her fans about getting sunburnt when she posed up a storm in Fiji

She wrote: 'All tanned and bronzed in Fiji and now Im peeling like a reptile... dont forget your sunscreen kids.'

The bombshell currently lives in Melbourne with her Neighbours actor beau and the couple have been going strong since they started dating in early 2017.

She previously lived in Sydney when she was engaged to personal trainer Dan Adair until late 2016.
Ali Oetjen's arrival on Bachelor In Paradise incited lusty responses from the show's male stars.

And it wasn't hard to see why on Wednesday, with the 31-year-old year old taking to Instagram to share a sizzling swimsuit photo.

In the racy image, the reality star showed off her incredible body in a high-cut blue swimsuit.

No wonder the guys are smitten! On Wednesday, Bachelor In Paradise star Ali Oetjen showed off her INCREDIBLE body in a high-cut swimsuit on Instagram

'Beach, please!' Ali humorously captioned the snap, which saw her reclining on a hammock with a seductive smirk upon her face.

The beauty's one-piece was cut low at the bust, revealing a generous glimpse of cleavage.

She added nothing more than a sassy pair of sunglasses as she sat back on the swinging canvas bed.

Wow! The Adelaide-based blonde was lustily described as 'so hot' by several of the male contestants on Bachelor In Paradise, as they clambered over her for a date

The Adelaide-based blonde was lustily described as 'so hot' by several of the male contestants on Bachelor In Paradise, as they clambered over her for a date.

Mackane Reed and Jarrod Woodgate professed they were attracted to Ali, she is currently enjoying a burgeoning romance with American intruder, Grant Kemp.

The pair even enjoyed a several steamy kisses on this week's episodes of the show.

Blossoming romance: Ali is currently getting flirty with American intruder Grant Kemp

And it hasn't just been Ali's co-stars that have had their jaws dropped by her incredibly fit physique.

Wednesday's raunchy upload saw many a male take to the comments section to post their appreciation.

'Proper hot', one man wrote.

'She's my number 1' added another, before tagging his mate.
The former Bigger Loser host is a strong advocate for positive body image.

And on Wednesday, Fiona Falkiner flaunted her incredible curves in a sexy white lingerie set.

Putting on a sizzling display, the 35-year-old posed with confidence in the intimate lace apparel, raising her hand behind her head seductively.

Wonderful in white! The Biggest Loser star Fiona Falkiner displays her busty assets and incredible curves in lacy lingerie for sexy photo shoot

The former reality star pouted as she bared her body to the camera.

The delicate bustier hugged her busty frame and provided a glimpse of her ample assets.

Fiona captioned the photo, 'New agent means new digis...its been a while!', referring to getting new digital headshots after signing with Vivien's Model Management.

'You are such an inspiration!!! Just beautiful': Fans quickly took to the photo's comment section to praise the star with compliments

Her makeup was flawlessly applied, while her blonde locks were left out in styled, tussled waves.

Fans quickly took to the photo's comment section to praise the star, writing compliments such as: 'Hot!', 'Absolute stunner!!!' and 'gorgeous gal.'

Others also wrote: 'You are such an inspiration!!! Just beautiful' and 'dream bod.'

Fighting fit! Fiona is known for documenting her health and wellness journey on social media, with the model and TV presenter recently returning to training after undergoing foot surgery last year

Fiona is known for documenting her health and wellness journey on social media.

The model and TV presenter recently returned to training after undergoing foot surgery last year.

She rose to fame as a contestant on The Biggest Loser weight-loss show's inaugural season in 2006 and returned nine years later as its host in 2015.

TV fame: She rose to fame as a contestant on The Biggest Loser weight-loss show's inaugural season in 2006 and returned nine years later as its host in 2015




He was rumoured to have become engaged to former Hollyoaks actress Samantha Rowley after a whirlwind romance.

But she was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday night when billionaire James Stunt, 36, headed out to C London restaurant in Mayfair with a mystery blonde on his arm.

While their relationship status is unknown, it's rumoured that James ended his rumoured engagement to Samantha, 30, two weeks ago.

Moving on? James Stunt paraded a 'new blonde girlfriend' on a night out at C London restaurant amid claims he has 'ended whirlwind engagement to Samantha Rowley'

Looks familiar: James' new blonde female companion (left) was a dead ringer for his rumoured ex, Samantha (right)

The pair appeared rather close to one another as they headed towards the eatery, where James notably handed over a wad over 20 notes to a doorman there.

James' new lady friend sported a close resemblance to both his ex-wife Petra Stunt and Samantha.

She looked leggy in a short black mini dress which had a lace bib section and a pair of white Dior kitten heels.

One step ahead: James walked a little in front of his new rumoured flame as they left the upmarket eatery

Nothing to see here: He kept his head down as she walked along nonchalantly

Making an entrance: The lady was pictured stepping into the venue earlier on, with her white kitten heel Diors visible

Her blonde locks were styled in curls which hung down past her shoulders and she wore a slick of red lipstick.

When they later left the venue, the unidentified female walked a little behind James as a minder kept a watchful eye over them.

Clearly impressed with his dinner, he handed the doorman a huge wad of 20 notes as he left the swanky eatery.

Something to smile about? James appeared rather giddy as he sat in the back of his Rolls Royce

Meanwhile, Samantha is currently in Miami where she was pictured at her friend Laura Zilli's wedding, cut a casual figure in denim jeans and a black leather jacket.

The ex-husband of Petra Ecclestone layered the jacket atop of a black jumper and crisp white shirt.

The businessman, who is estimated to be worth around 4billion, attempted to go incognito as he handed over the generous amount of cash to the porter.

Generous: The 36-year-old billionaire handed the doorman a huge wad of 20 notes as he left the swanky eatery

Charitable: His hefty tip comes after he was spotted showering homeless people with cash on a night out last month

Casually-clad: His rumoured ex, Samantha is currently in Miami for her friend Laura Zilli's wedding

His outing comes after Samantha had hit back at critics of her relationship with James stating she's 'no gold digger.'

The stunning blonde said James' 'heart is as big as his bank balance' - saying: 'James has a big bank account. But he also has a big personality and a big heart.

'I'm no gold digger. The term is derogatory to women and sadly often comes from other women.'

Low-key: The businessman, who is estimated to be worth around 4billion attempted to go incognito as he handed over the generous amount of cash to the porter

In it for love: His outing comes after Samantha hit back at critics of her relationship with James, 36, who is worth 4 billion stating she's 'no gold digger'

Billionaire: The stunning blonde said James' 'heart is as big as his bank balance'

She was first photographed on James' arm just days after the final court hearing in his divorce from Petra in February, wearing a 1.5 million engagement ring.

The high-flying couple are rumoured to have been dating for several months, after being first spotted together in January.

James and Petra tied the knot in at lavish 12 million wedding at a castle in Rome, Italy, in 2011.

The couple enjoyed an extraordinary life together, splashing out 100 million on a Chelsea mansion and 158 million on a 123-room home in Los Angeles, and went on to have three children.

Maid of Honour: James' rumoured girlfriend Samantha (L) is currently in Miami for her friend Laura Zilli's (R) wedding

But the marriage ended in a bitter 5.5 billion divorce battle at London's High Court last year.

MailOnline revealed that Samantha has a five-year-old son with a wealthy property developer whose father is a 200m Greek shipping magnate.

Samantha dated Alexander Kollakis, 37 - the son of tycoon Pantelis Kollakis - before she met gold dealer James.

Their son, who MailOnline has chosen not to name, was born in December 2012 and attends a prep school costing 6,000-a-term.

Their young son is a potential heir to his grandfather Pantelis Kollakis' 200 million shipping fortune.

Alex's father Pantelis, 69, was placed 397th in Britain's richest 1,000 a decade ago, after amassing his wealth when he took over his father's shipping firm Kappa Maritime, based in Redhill, Surrey, and in Thessaloniki, Greece.
He has been happily married to actress Jennifer Connolly since 2003.

But Paul Bettany has revealed it took two attempts at popping the question before his wife finally said yes.

The 46-year-old actor recalled the funny tale during an interview on Wednesday's Lorraine, as he also admitted diary clashes stopped him from playing Prince Phillip in Netflix period drama The Crown.

Yes but not yet: Actor Paul Bettany, 42, has revealed he had to propose twice before wife Jennifer Connolly finally said yes

Loved-up: Following a bumpy proposal the couple have been happily married for 15 years and have two children

Speaking about wife Jennifer, 47, Paul admitted the Oscar-winner held back for a face-to-face proposal before agreeing to tie the knot.

Chatting to stand-in host Christine Lampard he said: 'I proposed to Jennifer twice  it happened over the phone and then it happened in Los Angeles.'

Paul had previously said he took the plunge and proposed to 'childhood crush' Jennifer in 2001 despite not knowing her very well, telling Larry King in 2015 he declared his love two days after the September 11 attacks.

But despite a bumpy proposal, the couple have now been married for 15 years and have two children.

Candid: The London-born actor appeared on Wednesday's Lorraine, where he divulged the reason why he didn't land the role of Prince Phillip in The Crown

Missing out: Paul also revealed his busy schedule prevent him from from taking over the role of Prince Phillip from Matt Smith (above)

Paul also divulged the reason why he missed out on playing older Prince Phillip in The Crown, with the role instead going to Game Of Thrones star Tobias Menzies.

Revealing why he did not take over the role from Matt Smith, the London-born actor said: 'It was discussed, we just couldnt come to terms with dates.'

Paul was appearing on the show with Avengers co-star Elizabeth Olsen, who also gushed how much she loved the acclaimed series, saying: 'I loved it so much, Claire Foy was amazing.'

Chatty: Paul chatted to stand-in host Christine Lampard along with his Avengers co-star Elizabeth Olsen

Hilarious: Paul appeared on Lorraine with Avengers co-star Elizabeth Olsen, as they chatted about the much-anticipated Infinity War

Staying mum: The stars admitted writers gave them fake scripts with missing sections for filming to avoid spoilers being leaked

Pals: Paul and Elizabeth both starred in the previous Avengers film Age of Ultron, as well as Captain America: Civil War in 2016

The duo also revealed some hilarious anecdotes from filming for the much-anticipated Infinity War.

Playing the all-powerful Vision, Paul admits getting into character is no easy feat, as it takes two-and-a-half hours in the makeup chair to recreate the android.

Admitting the sweltering Atlanta temperatures were a challenge during filming, Elizabeth added: 'If its a really hot day in Atlanta you can squeeze right here and the sweat just pours out.'

Star-crossed: Elizabeth and Paul play budding love interests Scarlet Witch and Vision in the film

Screen star: Actress Elizabeth plays the brainwashing sorceress Scarlett Witch in the film, after joining the Avengers in 2015's Age Of Ultron

The outcome of the epic superhero film has been kept a closely guarded secret, with Elizabeth admitting that the show's writers gave them fake scripts with missing sections to prevent spoilers from being leaked.

She said: 'I still dont know what it is, I didnt see half the script, they gave us pages that just pertained to our characters, even then we have fake lies and endings.

'It's something I know Joss Whedon wanted to happen. Its the greatest character Ive been given yet.'
She recently celebrated her first wedding anniversary to husband Thomas Sadoski.

Despite revelling in wedded bliss Amanda Seyfried opted to swap her other half for an adorable dog on Tuesday night, as she stepped out for the Best Friends Animal Society's Third Annual Gala Save Them All at Guastavino's in New York City.

The 32-year-old actress looked effortlessly stylish in a striking black midi dress with sheer organza frill along the hem at event where she was honoured with the Save Them All Spotlight Award.

Far from ruff! Amanda Seyfried stepped out for the Best Friends Animal Society's Third Annual Gala Save Them All at Guastavino's in New York City on Tuesday night

Her choice of red carpet attire highlighted her svelte figure with ease while she posed up a storm with the tiny puppy.

Flashing her slender pins, Amanda, who welcomed her daughter in March 2017, added inches to her diminutive height in a pair of strappy black heels.

The Mean Girls star worked her long golden locks into a sleek style which cascaded down her shoulder and complemented her feline flick eye make-up.

Cute: The 32-year-old actress cuddled up to the cute canine

All in the details: The American beauty looked effortlessly stylish in a striking black midi dress with sheer organza frill along the hem

Her appearance comes after she celebrated her first wedding anniversary and her daughter's first birthday in March.

Amanda and Thomas have agreed to keep their daughter's name private, with only family and friends let in on the secret.

'Im a parent now and I appreciate things in a way I never have,' Amanda said during an interview on Dr Berlin's Informed pregnancy podcast last July.

'I wouldnt want you to ask me what her name is, because I wouldnt tell you. Its about us as a family.

Adorable: Flashing her slender pins, Amanda, who welcomed her daughter in March 2017, added inches to her diminutive height in a pair of strappy black heels

'Our friends [know] and you know what that caused? A lot of embroidery. A lot of embroidered towels.'

Meanwhile, Amanda is gearing up to star in the eagerly-anticipated Mamma Mia 2, which will hit the big screen on July 20.

She previously told EW that the musical sequel is going to be 'better than the original.'

She said: 'I actually had a better time than I did shooting the first movie. Everybodys back together and its been 10 years. Theres so much love and so much family that its infused 100 times in this movie.'
She's the fitness enthusiast who has been in doting mother mode since welcoming baby Arnold into the world in September last year.

And Tiffiny Hall took some much-needed 'me time' on Wednesday when she spent the day in Melbourne without her adorable bub.

Taking to Instagram, Tiffiny shared a photo that showed her looking rather chuffed with herself standing on the Princes Bridge on the Yarra River.

Child free! Grasping a cup of coffee, Tiffiny Hall (pictured looked chic in an emerald green jacket under a simple, black thigh-length dress as she spent time away from her seven-month old son Arnold in Melbourne on Wednesday

Grasping a cup of coffee, Tiffiny looked chic in an emerald green jacket under a simple, black thigh-length dress.

Holding her dark sunglasses above her eyes, Tiffiny could not contain her joy at getting a brief respite from childcare, smiling widely as she looked to the footpath.

Captioning the image, Tiffiny revealed that she wasn't alone on her child-free sojourn, having been joined by funnyman husband Ed Kavalee.

Respite: Tiffiny Hall took some much-needed 'me time' on Wednesday

'Having some "me minutes", except this time Ed's invited and we're having pretty lovely "together minutes,' she wrote.

Her fans were quick to gush over the chic pic, with one praising Tiffiny for promoting positive messages on social media.

'Love how you promote self care. Such an inspiration,'the fan wrote.

Coupling: Captioning the image, Tiffiny revealed that she wasn't alone on her child-free sojourn, having been joined by funnyman husband Ed Kavalee

Tiffiny was forced to defend her decision to post photos of her body on Instagram, six months after giving birth.

After being criticised for sharing a photo of her abs last month, the former Biggest Loser trainer hit back, saying she was 'proud of my achievements' when it came to getting back into shape.

After a follower said her fitness forward snaps could make people feel worse about their own bodies, Tiffiny explained, in a long-winded rebuttal that was never her intention.

'I am now 6 months post partum so have worked slow and steady taking advice from physios and my team of tiffxo experts,' she said.

'I am still breastfeeding so very mindful of maintaining my supply and Arnie comes first ... I really have enjoyed returning to fitness with no deprivation or punishment and want to show women there is no pressure and they can take their time.

Mental health day: 'Having some "me minutes", except this time Ed's invited and we're having pretty lovely "together minutes,' she wrote




She famously had to apologise after admitting to falsifying quarantine documents for her Yorkshire Terriers.

Yet Amber Heard mocked the international dog smuggling incident as she pretended to sneak a pooch into a Syrian refugee camp on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old actress took to Instagram to share snaps of herself with a puppy wrapped up in her coat, which she captioned: 'What dog?'

Cheeky: Amber Heard mocked her infamous international dog smuggling incident as she pretended to sneak a pooch into a Syrian refugee camp on Tuesday

In another shot she held the bundle under her arm as she quipped: 'I guess some old habits die hard'.

Amber was no doubt referring to the incident in 2015 when she smuggled her pet dogs into Australia after flying in on a private jet with her husband at the time, Johnny Depp.

Amber was let off with a good behaviour bond after she pleaded guilty to falsifying travel documents to sneak their two Yorkshire Terriers, Pistol and Boo, into the country when Johnny was filming the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film.

Apology: Amber was no doubt referring to the incident in 2015 when she smuggled her pet dogs into Australia after flying in on a private jet with her husband at the time, Johnny Depp

As part of the plea deal, the couple made an apology to Australia in a short video that was meant to highlight the importance of quarantine to protecting Australia.

It was widely mocked for its dead-pan tone and the actors' odd manner, with many likening it to a North Korean or ISIS hostage video.

Amber was then cleared of charges of illegally importing animals for not putting the dogs through proper quarantine procedures.

Dog days aren't over! The 31-year-old actress took to Instagram to share snaps of herself with a puppy wrapped up in her coat, quipping: 'I guess some old habits die hard'

In the initial furor, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce had threatened to have the pups euthanised if they were not immediately removed from Australia.

'It's time Pistol and Boo b***ered off to the US,' he said. 'Mr Depp has to take his dogs back or we're going to have to euthanise them.'

Amber has been in Jordan helping Syrian refugees on a medical mission.

Caught out: Amber was let off with a good behaviour bond after she pleaded guilty to falsifying travel documents to sneak their two Yorkshire Terriers, Pistol and Boo, into the country

Charitable Amber has also quietly contributed millions to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, fulfilling her 2016 promise to give a large sum of her divorce settlement to two charities dear to her heart.

Amber and Johnny married in February 2015 with the actress filing for divorce in May 2016 and obtaining a restraining order against Depp after accusing him of domestic violence.

The Rum Diary star finalized her in January 2017, months after the pair came to a settlement - when she agreed to give money to the children's hospital as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.
They famously dated on and off for six years, but things went sour between Lydia Bright and James Argent when he cheated on her.

He even slept with both her and current love, Gemma Collins on the same day while in Marbella, when they were patching things up.

So it's hardly surprising that Lydia, 28, laid into ex James, 30, during an episode on The Chris Ramsey Show on Comedy Central UK, set to be aired on Wednesday night.

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Savage: Lydia Bright has slammed her ex James Argent, telling the Chris Ramsey Show he has a small manhood and her current boyfriend is much better in bed

Onwards and upwards: The pair dated on and off for six years but broke it off almost three years ago now

During a drinking game with Ollie Locke, 30, on the show, Lydia was given a series of difficult questions to answer, or she had to drink a questionable looking beverage.

Chris asked her: 'Who is better in bed? Your current boyfriend [Lee Cronin] or Arg?'

Without a second's thought, she replied: 'My current boyfriend.'

He then asked her how long she thought James and his current girlfriend Gemma Collins, 37, would be together for and she replied: 'Forever, I hope.'

Confident: Chris asked her: 'Who is better in bed? Your current boyfriend [Lee Cronin] or Arg?' Without a second's thought, she replied: 'My current boyfriend'

Cheeky: Chris, perhaps not taking into account Arg's feelings, asked her if he was a show-er or a grower and she jibed: 'NEITHER!'

Playful: The host then asked Ollie who his worst ever celebrity lover was and he joked: 'Arg,' to which Lydia chimed: 'Mine, too'

Chris, perhaps not taking into account Arg's feelings, asked her if he was a show-er or a grower and she jibed: 'NEITHER!'

The host then asked Ollie who his worst ever celebrity lover was and he joked: 'Arg,' to which Lydia chimed: 'Mine, too.'

While she did criticise Arg's manhood, Lydia did, during another part of the show, commend him for stripping naked for The Full Monty in support of cancer.

Moving on: Lydia said she has been secretly dating Lee since June last year - they have just returned from a holiday in Marrakesh last week

His lady: Arg is now dating Gemma Collins and Lydia said she hopes they stay 'together forever'

She said: 'I missed it because I was away but he had balls to strip off on TV and it was great that he did it for charity.

'His grandad had prostate cancer so I know it was a matter very close to his heart. He is body conscious so it is a massive deal for him.'

Lydia's jibes are a little bit hypocritical given that in an early episode of TOWIE, she laid into Arg for discussing their sex life with best friend Mark Wright as it was disrespectful and noting that her family would be watching the show.

Not ideal: Arg famously slept with Lydia (pictured) and Gemma on the same day while they were in Marbella filming a TOWIE special

Nice words: However, Lydia did also say that she wishes Gemma and Arg well, saying they always got together whenever they split up and got on really well

However, Lydia did also say that she really wishes Gemma and Arg well.

She said: 'Arg and I broke up three years ago now and I always get asked about him. So much has happened in life since then.

'He and Gemma were always together in between me and him and they always got on so well. I love Gemma and I want to see him happy. I really do.'

Lydia also revealed that when he was dating Arg, she had to confiscate his jaffa cakes and hide his other food.

She said: 'Mine is a healthy home and he would always sneak things in, like hiding Jaffa cakes in the muesli box - and I would always throw them out.'

Proud: While she did criticise Arg's manhood, Lydia did, during another part of the show, commend him for stripping naked for The Full Monty in support of cancer

'Mine is a healthy home': Lydia also revealed that when he was dating Arg, she had to confiscate his jaffa cakes and hide his other food

End of an era: Power TOWIE couple Lydia and Arg parted ways after he admitted to being unfaithful

The reality star also gave Chris an insight into her romance with Lee, who she was dating last year.

But while her fans believed they had split in October, she said: 'We met in June, but I kept it secret for a while.'

The pair have just returned from a holiday to Marrakesh, where she posted a picture of the pair on Instagram, saying her heart would always belong to him.

She revealed: 'I completely messed up when I met his mother. I was nervous and I got verbal diarrhea.

'I ended up telling her that I went to the Ping-Pong show in Thailand. She didn't know what it was, so I had to explain. I said they gave me a bat and when the ball came out I had to hit it.

'Then I also said that all of a sudden, a hamster came out of the same place and then went back inside again.'

The Chris Ramsey Show airs on Wednesdays at 10pm on Comedy Central UK

Head-to-head: Another part of the show saw Lydia and Ollie go head to head in a drinks game

Horrid: The blonde grimaced as she tried a number of homemade delicacies
She previously battled with Lydia Bright for James 'Arg' Argent's affections, but always fell short.

But now that Gemma Collins has finally got her man, she's spending as much time as possible with the TOWIE star - while Lydia has taken the opportunity to mock her ex's manhood.

The bubbly blonde was spotted leaving her Essex flat on Tuesday alongside the long-haired reality TV veteran, looking like the cat who has got the cream.

Beaming: Gemma Collins looked thrilled as she stepped out in Essex on Tuesday - as James 'Arg' Argent's ex Lydia Bright has mocked his manhood

Gemma was spotted hiding behind a Louis Vuitton suitcase as she left her flat and hopped into a flashy BMW.

The boutique owner didn't seem too bothered by Lydia's comments, flashing a beaming smile.

Fresh from filming for the ITVBe show, the star was casually clad in a red blazer and a pair of skinny jeans.

Heading off: While Gemma was seen leaving in a car, Arg hopped on a white motorbike and zoomed off

Travelling in style: Gemma was spotted hiding behind a Louis Vuitton suitcase as she left her flat and hopped into a flashy BMW

Eye-catching: Fresh from filming for the ITVBe show, the star was casually clad in a red blazer and a pair of skinny jeans

While Gemma was seen leaving in a car, Arg hopped on a motorbike and zoomed off.

Lydia and Arg famously dated on and off for six years, but things went sour when he cheated on her again.

He even slept with both her Gemma on the same day while in Marbella when they were trying to patch things up.

So it's hardly surprising that Lydia, 28, laid into Arg, 30, during an episode on The Chris Ramsey Show on Comedy Central UK, set to be aired on Wednesday night.

Savage: Lydia Bright has slammed her ex Arg, telling the Chris Ramsey Show he has a small manhood and her current boyfriend is much better in bed

Onwards and upwards: The pair dated on and off for six years but broke it off almost three years ago now

During a drinking game with Ollie Locke, 30, on the show, Lydia was given a series of difficult questions to answer, or she had to drink a questionable looking beverage.

Chris asked her: 'Who is better in bed? Your current boyfriend [Lee Cronin] or Arg?'

Without a second's thought, she replied: 'My current boyfriend.'

He then asked her how long she thought James and his current girlfriend Gemma Collins, 37, would be together for and she replied: 'Forever, I hope.'

Confident: Chris asked her: 'Who is better in bed? Your current boyfriend [Lee Cronin] or Arg?' Without a second's thought, she replied: 'My current boyfriend'

Cheeky: Chris, perhaps not taking into account Arg's feelings, asked her if he was a show-er or a grower and she jibed: 'NEITHER!'

Playful: The host then asked Ollie who his worst ever celebrity lover was and he joked: 'Arg,' to which Lydia chimed: 'Mine, too'

Chris, perhaps not taking into account Arg's feelings, asked her if he was a show-er or a grower and she jibed: 'NEITHER!'

The host then asked Ollie who his worst ever celebrity lover was and he joked: 'Arg,' to which Lydia chimed: 'Mine, too.'

While she did criticise Arg's manhood, Lydia did, during another part of the show, commend him for stripping naked for The Full Monty in support of cancer.

Moving on: Lydia said she has been secretly dating Lee since June last year - they have just returned from a holiday in Marrakesh last week

His lady: Arg is now dating Gemma Collins and Lydia said she hopes they stay 'together forever'

She said: 'I missed it because I was away but he had balls to strip off on TV and it was great that he did it for charity.

'His grandad had prostate cancer so I know it was a matter very close to his heart. He is body conscious so it is a massive deal for him.'

Lydia's jibes are a little bit hypocritical given that in an early episode of TOWIE, she laid into Arg for discussing their sex life with best friend Mark Wright as it was disrespectful and noting that her family would be watching the show.

Not ideal: Arg famously slept with Lydia (pictured) and Gemma on the same day while they were in Marbella filming a TOWIE special

Nice words: However, Lydia did also say that she wishes Gemma and Arg well, saying they always got together whenever they split up and got on really well

However, Lydia did also say that she really wishes Gemma and Arg well.

She said: 'Arg and I broke up three years ago now and I always get asked about him. So much has happened in life since then.

'He and Gemma were always together in between me and him and they always got on so well. I love Gemma and I want to see him happy. I really do.'

Lydia also revealed that when he was dating Arg, she had to confiscate his jaffa cakes and hide his other food.

She said: 'Mine is a healthy home and he would always sneak things in, like hiding Jaffa cakes in the muesli box - and I would always throw them out.'

Proud: While she did criticise Arg's manhood, Lydia did, during another part of the show, commend him for stripping naked for The Full Monty in support of cancer

'Mine is a healthy home': Lydia also revealed that when he was dating Arg, she had to confiscate his jaffa cakes and hide his other food

End of an era: Power TOWIE couple Lydia and Arg parted ways after he admitted to being unfaithful

The reality star also gave Chris an insight into her romance with Lee, who she was dating last year.

But while her fans believed they had split in October, she said: 'We met in June, but I kept it secret for a while.'

The pair have just returned from a holiday to Marrakesh, where she posted a picture of the pair on Instagram, saying her heart would always belong to him.

She revealed: 'I completely messed up when I met his mother. I was nervous and I got verbal diarrhea.

'I ended up telling her that I went to the Ping-Pong show in Thailand. She didn't know what it was, so I had to explain. I said they gave me a bat and when the ball came out I had to hit it.

'Then I also said that all of a sudden, a hamster came out of the same place and then went back inside again.'

The Chris Ramsey Show airs on Wednesdays at 10pm on Comedy Central UK

Head-to-head: Another part of the show saw Lydia and Ollie go head to head in a drinks game

Horrid: The blonde grimaced as she tried a number of homemade delicacies
They are getting ready to spend some quality time together on their sunny getaway.

And Charlotte Crosby, 27, left the London hotel with her beau Josh Ritchie with all of their luggage as they made their way to the airport together on Tuesday.

The reality star couple looked very together, with Charlotte hot on the heels of her casually-clad boyfriend when they pushed their suitcases out of the venue.

Milestones together: Charlotte Crosby and Josh Ritchie put on a cosy display as they left for couple's holiday in Maldives on Tuesday

Between the two of them, Charlotte toted two huge suitcases while Josh carried one suitcase and a designer over-the-shoulder bag.

The Geordie Shore stunner flashed a glimpse of her stomach in her burgundy tie-front top, which she wore with her skintight leggings to flatter her shapely figure.

Curvy Charlotte showcased her shapely assets when she headed out into the British capital without a bra on.

Going strong: The reality star couple looked very together, with Charlotte hot on the heels of her casually-clad boyfriend when they pushed their suitcases out of the venue

Diva: Between the two of them, Charlotte toted two huge suitcases while Josh carried one suitcase and a designer over-the-shoulder bag

Charlotte and Josh looked delighted to be in each other's company ahead of their first couple's holiday together.

With her passport to hand, fresh-faced Charlotte was ready to make her journey to the airport for her well-deserved break.

'After a long hard three months of what felt like working every hour of the day, I'm on my way to absolute paradise,' she penned on her Instagram stories ahead of her trip.

So exciting: Charlotte and Josh looked delighted to be in each other's company ahead of their first couple's holiday together

What a gent! The hunk toted two suitcases and a designer carry on bag while they made their exit from the hotel

Josh wrote in a similar fashion on Twitter: 'Ready for are holiday tomorrow.' (sic)

In late March, the former party girl revealed Maldives is her favourite place to go on holiday because its much more 'chilled' and she doesn't like 'party resorts'.

She told The Sun: 'I dont like party resorts, I need to be more chilled because of the hectic life I lead. I sunbathe as much as I possibly can. But I also go to the gym a lot when Im on holiday. I go twice a day  more than I do at home.'

Raring to go: With her passport to hand, fresh-faced Charlotte was ready to make her journey to the airport for her well-deserved break

Feeling cold? The Geordie Shore star pulled on a fleece lined jacket to keep the chill of the capital off of her curvy body

Raring to go: She toted two huge suitcases as well as a good sized handbag to ensure she wasn't short of clothes while she was away

Fabulous fun: The former party girl confessed the Maldives is her favourite holiday destination

Charlotte is in the throes of her passionate relationship with Josh as she mends her heartache from her split with Stephen Bear.

The Charlotte Show star's 11-month love affair with Stephen came to a dramatic end amid cheating claims in October last year.

Recently, the Geordie Shore TV star reflected on her failed romance with former co-star Gaz Beadle and how his exciting baby news left her devastated. The MTV personality explained: 'It's never nice seeing an ex move on.'

Now the reality star has shed some light on her romance with her hunky boyfriend Josh as she claims she is the 'man in the relationship'.

Keeping it casual: Charlotte flashed a glimpse of her stomach in her burgundy tie-front top, which she wore with her skintight leggings to flatter her shapely figure

Moving on: Charlotte is in the throes of her passionate relationship with Josh as she mends her heartache from her split with Stephen Bear

Charlotte added: 'Im obsessed! I dont go out much anymore, so me and boyfriend Josh will get a Chinese takeaway and watch a scary movie. We saw one recently and he fell off the chair and screamed like a baby! Im the man in the relationship.'

The Charlotte and Josh love story goes back to when they locked lips at reality star pal Aaron Chalmers' MMA win in December last year.

Reality star worlds collided when they made their romance official in February as they shared a cosy Instagram together with the date '9.2.2018'. (sic)

Strength to strength: The Charlotte and Josh love story goes back to when they locked lips at reality star pal Aaron Chalmers' MMA win in December last year
She welcomed her second child with her businessman husband Adi Ezra back in October.

And Bar Refaeli proved to have bounced back to her pre-baby body on Tuesday night, as she attended Akillis' 10th anniversary bash in Paris.

The Israeli model, 32, slipped her enviably slender frame into a slinky black slip dress as she posed fiercely for cameras at the Palais de Chaillot, with the Eiffel Tower as her backdrop.

Leading lady: Bar Refaeli proved to have bounced back to her pre-baby body on Tuesday night, as she attended Akillis' 10th anniversary bash in Paris

The blonde beauty commanded attention at the jeweller's event in the stunning silk gown, which skimmed her statuesque frame all the way down.

While it extended to her ankle in length, the dress did cut into a deep scoop neckline, to give a saucy flash of her cleavage underneath in a subtly sexy touch.

Keeping the look sophisticated with a loose kimono jacket on top, she then tied her ensemble together with quirky plastic mules, secured by a black string bow.

Slinky: The blonde beauty, 32, commanded attention at the jeweller's event in the stunning silk gown, which skimmed her statuesque frame all the way down

Tres sexy: While it extended to her ankle in length, the dress did cut into a deep scoop neckline, to give a saucy flash of her cleavage underneath in a subtly sexy touch

She accessorised with dazzling diamond drop earrings and left her hair and make-up natural, to draw attention to her striking natural beauty as she beamed for cameras upon arrival.

First posing on the red carpet in front of the city's famous landmark, the model then headed inside to mingle with guests.

Bar has resumed her modelling duties in recent weeks, following the birth of her second child Elle in October.

Finishing touches: Keeping the look sophisticated with a loose kimono jacket on top, she then tied her ensemble together with quirky plastic mules, secured by a black string bow

Say cheese! She accessorised with dazzling diamond drop earrings and left her hair and make-up natural, to draw attention to her striking natural beauty as she beamed for cameras

The model welcomed the tot with husband Adi Ezra, with whom she also shares 18-month-old daughter Liv.

Despite her successful modelling career, Bar has previously revealed that family is her number one priority in life, and she's planning to have a large brood.

She told Hello! Fashion Monthly in 2015: 'I think this will be a decade of family... I come from a family of four children.

Catching up: First posing in front of the city's famous landmark, the model then headed inside to mingle with guests - including Caroline Gaspard (L) and Alice Taglioni (R)

Busy bee: Bar has resumed her modelling duties in recent weeks, following the birth of her second child Elle in October

'A lot of mums could read this and think, "Yeah, try having one first". Hopefully, Ill have a big family, but I'll take it one by one.'

Her marriage to the Israeli businessman followed her relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio, which shot her to higher prominence.

The model started dating the actor, 43, in 2005, but they parted ways on friendly terms in 2011.
She has just signed with Select Model Management.

And Montana Brown proved why she had caught her hunky new beau Elliott Reeder's eye, as the pair sizzled for a scantily clad sun-drenched snap from their Dubai getaway on Tuesday.

The Love Island star, 22 - who broke up with her fellow ITV2 co-star Alex Beattie soon after the show ended - flaunted her peachy posterior in a skimpy bikini as she cosied up to the chiselled shirtless model.

Sizzling: Montana Brown, 22, flaunted her peachy posterior in a skimpy bikini as she cosied up to hunky new model beau Elliott Reeder

Exhibiting his muscular torso in a pair of barely-there black swimshorts, Alex looked smitten as he glanced up at his stunning other half.

Sexily placing one leg over the hunk, Montana showcased her pert derriere in her tiny monochrome two-piece as she smiled back at Elliott.

'When people think you're whispering sweet nothings but he is really getting told off..... Thanks @dubaikey for sorting us,' the stunner captioned the snap.

However, Elliott offered a completely different insight into the situation as he shared a very similar image.

Racy: Sexily placing one leg over the hunk, Montana showcased her pert derriere in her tiny monochrome two-piece as the pair sizzled for the snap

'When someone shouts 'get a room' mid kiss,' he titled the image with heavily hinted they were locking lips.

Ten months after her appearing on Love Island, Montana has seemingly found love with Elliott with whom she is said to share a love of fitness and travelling.

Insiders told The Sun that the couple met at Christmas yet made things official in recent weeks - after the stunning star 'fell hard' for the hunk, who previously shared a saucy picture of the pair with his 10,900 followers.

New romance: Ten months after her appearing on Love Island, Montana has seemingly found love with Elliott with whom she is said to share a love of fitness and travelling

The insider revealed: 'Montana and Elliott met before Christmas, but they've only been officially seeing each other for the last few weeks.

'It's early days but they've got loads in common - they're both really into fitness and travelling. They want to keep things quiet but it's all going really well. He seems smitten!'

Proving his model prowess, Elliott is on the books at W Model Management, which also boasts Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brother Toby as a signing.

Montana is also foraying a career into high fashion modelling, having just signed with Select Model Management.

Hot: The couple reportedly met at Christmas yet made things official in recent weeks - after the star 'fell hard' for the hunk, who previously shared a saucy picture of the pair with his followers

Proving his model prowess: Elliott is on the books at W Model Management, which also boasts Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brother Toby as a signing

The star is said to have wowed the agency, which kick-started the careers of Agyness Deyn and Sienna Miller, with her PrettyLittleThing campaign last year.

Montana has been making waves in the fashion world ever since she appeared on the ITVBe series - having been named the UK ambassador for the online fashion retailer and releasing her own collection soon after.

However, it seems all is not running smoothly in Montana's career, as it has also been reported that she has been axed from MTV.

The beauty bagged a presenting role on the channel after becoming a fan favourite on Love Island - but has allegedly failed to impress producers since.

Photogenic: Montana is foraying a career into high fashion modelling, having just signed with Select Model Management

An insider told The Sun: 'Bosses felt that her performance in front of the camera was wooden and that it was best her six month contract wasn't renewed.

'The team at MTV News wish her the best of luck with her projects in the future and are sure she will be a success.'

While a source close to Montana added: 'It was only ever a six month contract and she now has plans for more telly work this summer.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives of Montana and MTV for further comment.
Amal Clooney, wife of actor George, has become famous in her own right as a barrister in international human rights law and as a fashion icon.

And once again, the 40-year-old legal eagle pulled it out of the sartorial bag on Wednesday as she emerged in New York while continuing her stint as a visiting Professor of Law at the city's Columbia University.

Looking a vision, she made the most of the looming Spring weather as she sported a short-sleeved black shirt with a stunning floral pencil skirt while she boosted a two-tone court shoe with a complimentary black handbag.

Stunner: Amal Clooney, wife of actor George, has become famous in her own right as a barrister in international human rights law and as a fashion icon - which she illustrated on Wednesday

Amal looked as stunning as ever as she strutted her stuff down the street in the elegant pencil skirt with a floral pattern worked through.

To ensure the skirt stole the show, she paired the look with a plain black T-shirt which added to the black accents throughout the ensemble.

Shortly before her outing, Amal gave a first insight into her life with her Hollywood star husband, as she candidly revealed how they first got together and discussing life as a mother to twins.

In a rare interview, she told Vogue how her romance with George, 56, came about after she attended a party at his house on Lake Como, Italy.

Floral fancy: And once again, the 40-year-old legal eagle pulled it out of the sartorial bag on Wednesday as she emerged in New York while continuing her stint as a visiting Professor of Law at the city's Columbia University

Hold me close: George had previously said that they went on a safari with friends and he took a photo of some giraffes that had come up to a smiling Amal - and in that moment, he had an epiphany that he should propose

Elegant display: Amal headed into the car with her lithe and muscular legs on show

After, the pair exchanged emails, (Amal is a fan of emailing,) with George taking on the guise of his dog Einstein, pretending he was in need of legal rescue.

Amal, who got engaged to George in 2014, admitted she already 'really liked him' before their first date at a top London restaurant, and said she had almost given up on the idea of love and motherhood because she wasn't prepared to settle.

She said: 'I was 35 when I met him. It wasnt obvious that it was going to happen for me. And I wasnt willing or excited about the idea of getting married or having a family in the absence of that.

Stunning: Looking a vision, she made the most of the looming Spring weather as she sported a short-sleeved black shirt with a stunning floral pencil skirt while she boosted a two-tone court shoe with a complimentary black handbag

Strutting her stuff: Amal looked sensational in the look which perfectly combined spring/summer trends

George had previously said that they went on a safari with friends and he took a photo of some giraffes that had come up to a smiling Amal - and in that moment, he had an epiphany that he should propose.

Amal also told Vogue that their 10-month-old twins Ella and Alexander have already said their first words and climb in bed with the couple both between six and 8am. (Amal won't take calls before then).

She said coyly: 'Weve had some "Mamas" and "Dadas." George was very careful to ensure that "Mama" was the first word.'
Alarming new statistics show knife crime has risen dramatically in the UK, particularly on the streets of London.

And Linda Robson broke down in tears as she lamented the pointless loss of life among young people - a decade after her son's schoolfriend Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in north London.

The TV personality, 60, was overcome with emotion as she passionately advocated for a stronger police presence on the streets and better youth education on Wednesday's Loose Women.

Emotional: Linda Robson broke down in tears on Wednesday's edition of Loose Women as she lamented the pointless loss of life among young people - a decade after her son's school friend Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in north London

Star pupil and promising artist Ben was stabbed 11 times in a street after a night out celebrating the end of his GCSEs - and Linda's son Louis, then 16, held him in his arms as he bled to death.

Jade Braithwaite, Michael Alleyne and Juress Kika are currently serving life sentences for his killing.

Recalling the emotional time of Ben's death, Linda said: 'There was a bit of an argument with a couple of boys earlier that night, nothing to do with our kids at all.

Tragic: Star pupil and promising artist Ben was stabbed 11 times in a street after a night out celebrating the end of his GCSEs

Passionate: The TV personality, 60, was overcome with emotion as she advocated for a stronger police presence on the streets and better youth education

'And as Ben left that night, he was walking along the street and three youths attacked him very violently  they stabbed him 11 times.

'Louis heard that Ben was calling and he went back and held Ben. He took his jumper off'

'My husband [Mark] arrived and he was on the floor holding Ben. An ambulance came and took Ben away, and Louis was taken to the police station with Mark.'

Calling for better prevention techniques, she said: 'It's a death sentence for all of us'

Wiping back tears, Linda was comforted by her fellow Loose Women panellists.

Calling for better prevention techniques, she said: 'It's a death sentence for all of us.

'When it's something so pointless, kids are picking up their car keys, their phones and then knives.

'I'd like to see more police on the streets, show the kids the consequences of ruining your lives, their families' lives, whole communities...'

Linda added: 'There's no police walking the streets anymore. There's no resources'

Coleen Nolan and Janet Street Porter were in agreement with her points, revealing they couldn't believe how senseless the sheer number of lives lost is.

Coleen lamented: 'I don't understand life sentences when people come out after 20 years.

'I didnt grow up in an affluent area, far from it, but I would have have gone out with a knife. There's no consequences for kids these days.'

Linda added: 'There's no police walking the streets anymore. There's no resources.'
Hugh Jackman proudly gushed about his wife Deborra-Lee Furness on Wednesday as he took to Instagram to share a celebratory post on their 22nd wedding anniversary.

The 49-year-old Hollywood superstar shared a beach-side selfie of him and Deborra, 62, on the special day, as he declared he loved her a 'gazillion times around the world.'

Hugh and Deborra were inundated with congratulatory messages from the star's 17m followers, with the snap showing the couple have barely aged a day since tying the knot in 1996.

United: Hugh Jackman wrote a gushing tribute to wife Deborra-Lee Furness on Wednesday as they celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary with an ageless throwback snap

In the caption, Hugh declared that his love for Deborra has only gotten stronger over the years, admitting it was love at first sight when they first met on-set of the ABC drama Correlli in 1995.

He wrote: 'I believe in life we need to see and truly be seen by the most important people in our lives.

'Deb, from day one, we had that. 22 years later it only gets deeper. You and the kids are the greatest gift I will ever receive. I love you a gazillion times around the world.'

Since marrying 22 years ago, the couple went onto adopt two children, son Oscar and daughter Ava.

Happy pair: In the post the Greatest Showman star admitted he loves his wife 'a gazillion times around the world', after tying the knot 22 years ago (above in 1998)

Hugh recently divulged that it has been something very simple that kept him and Deborra in wedded bliss for more than two decades, telling Closer Weekly: 'You've got to find the right person. It's powerful, but simple.

'When you're dating, you put on the best version of yourself. On the dance floor, you're like, I'm pulling out my best moves, I've got my best clothes on,' he told the publication.

Since finding international fame through his roles in the X-Men and Wolverine blockbuster franchises, Hugh has long spoken about the positive effect his wife has had on his career.

'My family and Deb have sacrificed for me. I'm ambitious,' he told Who is January.

United: Hugh and Deborra met on the set of the ABC TV series Correlli in 1995, marrying a year later. The couple went onto adopt two children, son Oscar and daughter Ava

Last year he again made his love declarations public, telling the Ellen Degeneres Show about his wife saying: 'She's the greatest thing that ever happened to me and it gets better and better.'

Hugh's wedded bliss comes following the astounding success of his circus-based musical The Greatest Showman, which proved to be a sleeper hit in the US and overseas eventually grossing $420 million worldwide.

The Aussie actor's next role will be as the disgraced US politician Gary Hart, who's presidential campaign was derailed by the uncovering of his scandalous love affair in 1988.

The Front Runner will be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jason Reitman, co-starring Vera Farmiga and J.K. Simmons.
Kevin Connolly has a new woman in his life.

The 44-year-old Entourage star is reportedly dating British actress and producer Francesca Dutton, 31.

The couple met in Los Angeles and have been dating since July, Us Weekly reports.

New romance: Entourage star Kevin Connolly, 44, is reportedly dating actress Francesca Dutton, 31

'They are keeping it very quiet and have been trying to be private about it' a source revealed.

The site reports that the duo are active on social media, frequently liking each other's photos.

They also spent Fourth of July at Nobu, in Malibu last summer.

Francesca splits her time between London and Los Angeles and on her Twitter page describes herself as 'Producer, philanthropist, and animal lover'.

Connolly was last romantically linked to actress Sabina Gadecki, 34, who he dated for more than a year.

Golden girl: Francesca is a London based producer and philanthropist

Jet setter: The blonde beauty splits her time between London and Los Angeles

The duo split in 2016 with sources revealing 'They were better off as friends. They tried to make it more and it just didnt work'

Connolly also previously dated actress Lydia Hearst but they split in May 2014.

The actor is best known for playing E on HBO's Entourage from 2004-2011 and also starred on the follow-up movie in 2015.

Jumping behind the camera, the New York born actor recently directed the Gotti biopic starring John Travolta which is out in June.
They've delighted fans with The Mummy Diaries week on week.

And it seems Sam and Billie Faiers have become such an asset to ITVBe that they're set to become the channel's highest-paid stars.

The sisters - who found fame on TOWIE - will receive a generous paypacket as their series has been commissioned for season four, insiders have told MailOnline.

Ones to watch: They've delighted fans with The Mummy Diaries. And Sam and Billie Faiers have become such an asset to ITVBe that they're set to be the channel's highest-paid stars

A TV source told MailOnline: 'The next series will follow the girls as Billie plans her wedding and Sam heads back to LA to focus on growing her businesses Stateside. Filming will start later this year.

'The girls will become the highest paid stars on the channel with Sam set to net herself a 350k payday.'

Representatives for Sam declined to comment. MailOnline has contacted Billie's rep for comment.

Payday: The sisters - who found fame on TOWIE - will receive a generous paypacket as their series has been commissioned for season four, insiders have told MailOnline

Cute couple: The series began as The Baby Diaries, which first aired in February 2016 and followed Sam's pregnancy as she prepared to welcome her first child with Paul Knightly

The Mummy Diaries returned for season three last month and for the first time saw Sam share the screen with sister Billie and her siblings side of the family.

A record number of viewers tuned in for the series premiere, with the show pulling in over 265,000 viewers, helping ITVBe score its highest Wednesday prime time share since May of last year.

The series began as The Baby Diaries, which first aired in February 2016 and followed Sam's pregnancy as she prepared to welcome her first child with partner Paul Knightly.

Series two of The Mummy Diaries followed Sam as she debated to move to LA with her family, which now included baby Paul, and featured cameos from Billie, her partner Greg Shepherd and their daughter Nelly as the star welcomed son Arthur.

The current season has seen Sam welcome her daughter Rosie and continues to follow the family with split time between the Faiers sisters.

New role: The Mummy Diaries returned for season three last month and for the first time saw Sam share the screen with sister Billie and her siblings side of the family

Meanwhile, as Sam looks set to make big money with her TV deal, she is also enjoying success in another arena, as her fashion brand, All Bits London, is set to turnover 1.8million this year.

The brand has also hired other reality stars such as Chloe Lewis and Megan McKenna to promote its clothing on through social media, posing up a storm in a variety of eye-catching ensembles on their Instagram pages.

A source told MailOnline: 'Sam is no stranger to making money and she knew that instead of being paid by other fashion brands to promote their clothing, she could create her own business to capitalise on her following.

'Sam is heavily involved in the day to day running of the business and has personally designed a number of the brands collections herself.'
Amy Schumer appeared on Today Wednesday morning to promote her new movie I Feel Pretty.

Speaking with co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, the 36-year-old comedienne talked about when she knew her husband was the one.

The Trainwreck star also talked about the empowering new film, and its already infamous bathing suit scene.

Feature presentation: Amy Schumer appeared on Today Wednesday morning to promote her new movie I Feel Pretty

Together: The couple began dating in September, and then after a whirlwind six months they tied the knot in February at an intimate ceremony in Malibu, California

Savannah dug straight into Amy's new marriage, and asked, 'When did you know he was the one?'

The Manhattan-born star responded, 'I think like a month in,' and added that it was not so much love at first sight, as they'd 'been friends for like six months before.'

Hoda questioned, 'When was the first kiss then? Was it when you were friends or was it...'

'No no no, we knew we were going to kiss. This is early show, I mean this is PG-13, but we got down to business real quick,' she replied with a smile on her face.

Dressed in a blue pantsuit with a black square scarf tied around her neck, the Trainwreck actress appeared to be all business with her blond locks pulled back into a tight bun.

But she had the Today show hosts cracking up from the beginning, remarking, 'I feel hashtag pretty,' right off the bat.

In the new comedy, Amy plays a woman with low self-esteem who becomes unusually confident after a freak accident during spin class.

'I think people will see it and laugh and feel better,' she told Today about the film.

New role: Speaking with co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, the 36-year-old comedian opened up about getting married and when she knew her husband was the one

Hilarious: She also talked about the empowering new flick, and its already infamous bathing suit scene

When asked about the flick's already infamous bathing suit scene, which features Amy performing in a wet t-shirt contest, the actress explained, 'They wrote it for me just to be standing there posing in a bikini, and I was like, 'no we're going to do a whole crazy...'

'That's the flash dance what scene there,' Hoda blurted out while cracking up.

'Right, I always knew I would re-create that scene,' Amy deftly replied.

The movie also stars Busy Philipps and Aidy Bryant with surprise roles from Michelle Williams and Naomi Campbell.

I Feel Pretty hits theaters April 20.

Explain: In the new comedy, Amy plays a woman with low self-esteem who becomes unusually confident after a freak accident during spin class

Beauty: 'I think people will see it and laugh and feel better,' she told Today about the film

On the screen: The movie hits theaters April 20, and also stars Busy Philipps and Aidy Bryant with surprise roles from Michelle Williams and Naomi Campbell.

Flash dance: When asked about the flick's already infamous bathing suit scene, which features Amy performing in a wet t-shirt contest, the actress explained, 'They wrote it for me just to be standing there posing in a bikini, and I was like, 'no'

Can't hold it in: 'That's the flash dance what scene there,' Hoda blurted out while cracking up

'Right, I always knew I would recreate that scene,' Amy deftly replied

'I was never really interested in getting married,' Amy previously spilled to Stellar Magazine.

'But then we met [in May] and I wanted to be partnered with this guy.'

The couple began dating in September, and then after a whirlwind six months they tied the knot in February at an intimate ceremony in Malibu, California.

What changed: 'I was never really interested in getting married,' Amy previously spilled to Stellar Magazine
There is a rash of rumors that Brad Pitt is dating Neri Oxman, a professor at the renowned Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

And on Wednesday there was even more dish as Us Weekly claimed that Neri, 42, has given Brad, 54, a key to her Cambridge, Massachusetts residence.

'Brad has been spotted going into her apartment building on multiple occasions late at night and emerging the next morning after she leaves to teach,' the source said.

New love?: There is a rash of rumors that Brad Pitt (left) is dating Neri Oxman (right), a professor at the renowned Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

The insider gossiped: 'Neri doesnt cook. They have been ordering food in from her favorite restaurants, and Brad has been doing a lot of cooking.'

According to the source, 'Brad and Neri have traveled together internationally' - including to see Haifa-born Neri give a presentation at Cape Town, South Africa's Design Indaba conference in February.

This same source insisted: 'They are very much a couple,' disputing the claim of another insider who maintained that 'this is solely a professional relationship, theres nothing more to it as of now.'

Bombshell: 'Brad has been spotted going into her apartment building on multiple occasions late at night and emerging the next morning after she leaves to teach,' the source said

A source has previously told Us that 'They got romantically involved almost right away' when her work - specifically 3D-printed chaise lounges - caught his eye.

'Hes been going to great length to make sure hes not spotted by prying eyes,' said the insider, who effused: 'Brads absolutely smitten by her. Their chemistry is off the charts.'

Page Six broke news of the relationship, which appears to be the first Brad has had since his estranged wife Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016.

On the go: According to the source, 'Brad and Neri have traveled together internationally' - including to see Haifa-born Neri give a presentation in Cape Town this February

In 2005, Brad left his first wife Jennifer Aniston for Angelina, but Brangelina declined to marry until 2014.

The celebrity power couple, who share three biological offspring and as many adopted children, tied the knot at their Chateau Miraval in the South of France.

When she filed to end her marriage to Brad, Angelina enlisted the services of the formidable divorce-lawyer-to-the-stars Laura Wasser, whose previous work includes fighting Johnny Depp's corner during his split from Amber Heard.
He caused a stir when he accidentally flashed his bottom during a Snapchat video of his Maldives holiday.

And Phillip Schofield was left red-faced when he was quizzed by onlookers about his social media faux pas upon his return to the UK on Wednesday.

The This Morning presenter, 55, chuckled to himself as he arrived at Heathrow airport alongside his family, only to be asked how it feels to be making headlines for baring his bottom.

Cheeky question! Phillip Schofield was left red-faced when he was quizzed by onlookers about his social media faux pas upon his return to the UK on Wednesday

Still in the holiday spirit, Phillip was clad in a jazzy shirt and a pair of blue jeans for his travels.

He was joined by his wife and their daughters - all looking rather bronzed from their trip.

Phillip has been heavily documenting his idyllic holiday to the Maldives for followers so far.

However, he suffered an epic social media blunder on Sunday when he accidentally flashed his bottom in his latest Snapchat video.

Relaxed: Still in the holiday spirit, the This Morning presenter was clad in a jazzy shirt and a pair of blue jeans for his travels

Family outing: He was joined by his wife and their daughters - all looking rather bronzed from their trip

The 55-year-old was giving fans a tour of his stunning island accommodation when he panned the camera to the shower - and gave a glimpse of his nude frame in the reflection.

Filming the cubicle and its view of the crystal blue sea for followers, he appeared delighted with his accommodation as he captioned the clip: 'Love the outside shower, snorkellers look down not up right?!!'

However, turning the camera to the shower's glass door, the reflection appeared to show Phil completely naked - leaving fans in stitches.

Whoops! Phillip suffered an epic social media blunder on Sunday, as he accidentally flashed his bottom in his latest Snapchat video

Cheeky! The 55-year-old was giving fans a tour of his stunning island accommodation when he panned the camera to the shower - and gave a glimpse of his nude frame in the reflection

Gorgeous: Filming the cubicle and its view of the crystal blue sea for followers, he appeared delighted with his accommodation as he captioned the clip: 'Love the outside shower

Perhaps preparing for a coastal shower himself, the This Morning host seemed completely unaware of his hilarious blunder as he continued the room tour for fans.

Phil has been giving fans plenty of insight into the family's luxury getaway by sharing a number of snaps to his social media pages over the last week.

Along with his daughters Ruby and Molly and wife Stephanie, the Schofields have been turning their followers green with envy on the trip.

Relaxed: Phil has been giving fans plenty of insight into the family's luxury getaway by sharing a number of snaps to his social media pages over the last week

Easter holi-yay! Along with his daughters Ruby and Molly and wife Stephanie, the Schofields have been turning their followers green with envy on the trip

Taking once again to Snapchat, Phil revealed on Friday that the only mishap so far has been coming from using new suncream.

He posted: 'Some new posh aftersun... doesn't say 'don't put it on your face' ... stings like hell!!'

Meanwhile, Phillip's eldest daughter Molly, 24, also shared scenes from the trip, flaunting her incredible figure in a bikini as she posed with younger sister Ruby, 22, on the trip.

'Only thing I love more than the heat is this little one @rubyschofe', she sweetly captioned the shot.

Beach babe: Phillip's eldest daughter Molly, 24, shared scenes from the trip, relaxing in an infinity pool whilst overlooking the crystal blue ocean

Roll on the holidays! Molly proved she was still getting some exercise in, however, with a snap of herself riding a bicycle across the dock

Beach babe: Molly shared a snap chilling out on the beach beneath some palm trees

Another serene snap showed the Assistant Talent Manager relaxing in an infinity pool whilst overlooking the crystal blue ocean.

Molly proved she was still getting some exercise in, however, with a snap of herself riding a bicycle across the dock.

Ruby also shared snaps from the holiday, snapping selfies with her sister and showing off the idyllic beach.

Sister act: Ruby also shared snaps from the holiday, snapping selfies with her sister and showing off the idyllic beach

Sitting pretty: Ruby was a vision of beauty as she chilled out after the sunset

Whilst Phillip's weekdays are usually spent filming This Morning with Holly Willoughby, the star has no doubt enjoyed some quality time with his wife of 24 years Stephanie.

Despite his hectic work schedule, Phillip is a family man at heart and lives in Henley-on-Thames with Stephanie, who he wed in March 1993, and their daughters.

Speaking about his wife, the star previously said on Lorraine: 'She worked in television years ago, that was how we met, so she can do it [television], she just doesn't want to these days.

Rolling on: Ruby Schofield shared pictures before she went cycling down the dock

Private dinner: The group revealed they were dining on a beach in private

Idyllic: Ruby shared snaps of the incredible location and private beaches

Stephanie met Phil when she worked as a BBC production Assistant and he was working for the BBC Childrens television.

He said at the time: 'You'd have thought someone wouldn't be attracted to a man with a puppet and dodgy jumpers!'

Last year the pair teamed up to film Schofields South African Adventure, and the presenter said he was so pleased she joined him for filming.

The duo recently reached the milestone of 25 years of marriage, with Stephanie joining Phil on set of This Morning to celebrate - and viewers flooding the couple with messages of congratulation on Twitter.
They're already social media sensations, boasting a combined 131,300 followers.

And Roxy Jacenko's children Pixie and Hunter Curtis met the occupants of Isla Nublar on Wednesday, as they donned mini lab coats to visit Australia's version of Jurassic World.

Roxy, 37, took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps from the outing, with Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, beaming with excitement as they took part in an array of activities.

Adorable: Roxy Jacenko's children Pixie, six and Hunter, three, became mini-scientists for the day on Wednesday, as they visited Jurassic World in cute matching lab coats

Proud: Businesswoman Roxy, 31, took to Instagram to share an array of snaps on hers, Pixie's and Hunter's accounts

One snap showed Pixie and Hunter posing at the entrance of the activity park in their matching lab coats, beaming with excitement as they enjoyed the after-school adventure.

Roxy shared the snap on her trio of Instagram accounts, captioning the post: 'First visitors to @jurassicworld after school today - laboratory coats and safety goggles essential.'

Another one of the snaps posted on Pixie's Instagram showed her and brother Hunter painting little dinosaur sculptures, with the caption reading: 'First in Australia to explore the fun of Jurassic World with @huntercurtis14!'

Exciting: Pixie and Hunter took part in an array of activities on the after-school adventure, including painting little dinosaur models

Fun times: Little Pixie sported a lab coat as she coloured in a little dinosaur character

Roxy's kids visited the brand new park set up to ahead the release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which will hit the Australian shores on June 21.

Hunter looked in his element as he posed for a snap close to Lego replicas of some of the most famous dinosaurs from the hit film series, grinning with glee as he touched models of every creature from a Veliciraptor to a T-Rex.

Another picture showed Pixie with her hair in cute little pigtails as she coloured in some dinosaur drawings, while one snap saw the siblings going to look at an apatosaurus.

So happy: Hunter was in his element as he got up close and personal with a Lego-modelled dinosaur

A great day: Roxy posted an array of snaps from the outing on social media, as the kids got to meet models of some of the most popular dinosaurs from the film series

Roxy's posts come after the busy mother opened up about her decision not to tell Pixie of her father Oliver Curtis' 12 month incarceration.

Waiting for a month after his release to break the news, the blonde beauty revealed to KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O earlier in the week that she did what was best for her family.

'And, you know what, only you know what is right and when the time is right,' she said regarding her decision.

'If I had listened to everyone else, I probably would have told them on the day. And I'm glad I didn't, I'm glad I told Pixie when I told her.'

Oliver spent a year in Cooma Correctional Centre in regional New South Wales after being convicted of insider trading in June 2016.

Happy family: Hunter and Pixie are the children of Roxy and her husband Oliver Curtis

Let me touch it! Hunter took part in the collection of activities at the park - set up ahead of the release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in Australia on June 21
She swapped Spain for the bright lights of Hollywood and has since found global fame.

And Penelope Cruz returned to her hometown of Madrid, as she was seen at the ceremony of delivery the 'Adoptive Son' on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old actress cut an effortlessly chic figure in an embellished top, which she teamed with stylish all-black essentials.

Oh so chic! Penelope Cruz, 43, returned to her hometown of Madrid, as she was seen at the ceremony of delivery the 'Adoptive Son' on Wednesday

Penelope looked every the fashionista in the trendy top, which added a pop of colour to her look and was neatly tucked into her high-waisted black trousers.

She shielded herself from the slight chill with a structured black blazer and strutted along in style in a pair of towering black boots.

Toting her belongings in a black handbag, Penelope looked a vision with a striking coat of bronzed make-up enhancing her features.

Her brunette locks blew effortlessly in the wind as she was joined by the likes of Elena Anaya, Alaska, Mario Vaquerizo and Leonor.

Fashionista: The actress cut an effortlessly chic figure in an embellished top, which she teamed with stylish all-black essentials

Stylish: Penelope looked every the fashionista in the trendy top, which added a pop of colour to her look and was neatly tucked into her high-waisted black trousers

Sensational: She shielded herself from the slight chill with a structured black blazer and strutted along in style in a pair of towering black boots

Stunning: Penelope looked a vision with a striking coat of bronzed make-up enhancing her features

Penelope was recently seen in the flick Loving Pablo alongside her husband Javier Bardem, who she married since 2010.

Penelope previously spoke out about working with her husband in the film, admitting they had to 'protect one another' from their unpredictable characters off-screen in a candid interview with Porter Edit.

She said: 'The characters were very difficult, and they had lots of dark, uncomfortable scenes where this woman is having emotional and psychological terror inflicted on her by her partner.

'I never like to bring my characters home with me, but it was especially important in this case for us to protect one another.'

Mane attraction: Her brunette locks blew effortlessly in the wind

Arriving: Alaska, Mario Vaquerizo and Leonor made an appearance

Trendy: Elena Anaya cut a casual figure in a button down blue shirt which she tucked into denims

Stars: Manuel Martos and Amelia Bono also put on a stylish display for the event

Loving Pablo tells the controversial true romance of married drug lord Pablo Escobar (Javier) and journalist Virginia Vallejo (Penelope).

As for their own romance story, the couple fell madly in love with each other when they starred in the Woody Allen-directed Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008.

Penelope scooped an Academy Award for playing Javier's emotionally unstable love interest in the movie.

The married lovers tied the knot during the summer of 2010 in a private ceremony at a friend's home in the Bahamas.

They are the proud parents to daughter Luna, four, and son Leo, seven.
They have been officially divorced since January.

But Tarek El Moussa and Christina El Moussa are still co-stars on the home renovating program Flip Or Flop, and were snapped working together Tuesday.

Christina, 34, slipped on a navy and white striped blouse with a bow at the neckline, tucking part of it in and folding the sleeves up over her forearms.

Making it work: Tarek El Moussa and Christina El Moussa are still co-stars on the home renovating program Flip Or Flop, and were snapped working together Tuesday

She played up her svelte legs in a skintight pair of torn charcoal jeans, popping on open-toed camel-colored boots and cat-eye sunglasses.

Slinging on a black Louis Vuitton purse, she was spotted carrying a bottle of kombucha and an open floral blouse on a hanger.

Meanwhile, her 36-year-old ex-husband, who was glimpsed adjusting a sign in front of a property, opted for a sky blue short-sleeved button-down shirt.

Christina recently signed with Christies International Real Estate's offshoot First Team, the Orange County Register reported in February.

Tres chic, darling: Christina, 34, slipped on a navy and white striped blouse with a bow at the neckline, tucking part of it in and folding the sleeves up over her forearms

The platinum blonde is now selling the luxurious home the couple lived in together in Yorba Linda, which is in California's Orange County.

She asked $2.995 million for the five-bedroom 6,366-square-foot house, according to a report in People magazine.

According to Realtor.com, she and Tarek paid $2 million for the place in 2013 and spent a further $1.5 million renovating the nine-bathroom house.

An offer has been made on the property, the Los Angeles Times reported this Monday citing the Multiple Listing Service.

Only the best: Slinging on a black Louis Vuitton purse, she was spotted carrying a bottle of kombucha and an open floral blouse on a hanger

Christina, however, is reputedly still open to backup offers.

Citing a police report from Yorba Linda, People reported that in May 2016, Christina called the police on Tarek, fearing he was going to kill himself.

He had taken a gun and set off from their home, and police ultimately discovered him in Chino Hills State Park. At that point, Christina resolved to separate from him.

Tarek insisted on the Today show that the gun was merely for self-defense from animals, and that he'd had no suicidal plans but was just going for a hike.

The way they were: She and Tarek had tied the knot in 2009, and they share two children - seven-year-old daughter Taylor and two-year-old son Brayden

Their split went public that December and in January of 2017, People reported that Tarek had filed for divorce.

She and Tarek had tied the knot in 2009, and they share two children - seven-year-old daughter Taylor and two-year-old son Brayden.

Christina is now dating the bombshell For The Love Of Cars co-host Ant Anstead, who separated from his own wife of 12 years Louise last July.

Tarek recently appeared on The Dr. Drew Podcast and discussed having had cancer twice, as well as the testosterone injections he received, which he feels fed into his marital problems by altering his hormone levels.
She is an acclaimed actress with a career spanning more than two decades.

And Naomie Harris looked every inch the superstar as she joined Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at the star-studded UK premiere of Rampage in London on Wednesday.

The James Bond actress, 41, flaunted her braless cleavage in a plunging, bow-adorned black velvet blazer, studded with crystals as she posed up a storm on the red carpet.

Glittering: Naomie Harris looked every inch the superstar as she joined Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at the star-studded UK premiere of Rampage in London on Wednesday

Vibrant: The James Bond actress, 41, flaunted her braless cleavage in a plunging, bow-adorned black velvet blazer, studded with crystals as she posed up a storm on the red carpet

The elegant blazer was adorned with a fuschia silk bow, with the star pairing it with a pair of vibrant tonic blue trousers.

The Moonlight star added height to her look with a pair of black strappy stiletto sandals.

Her ombre bob was styled sleek and straight, parted in the middle, while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky shadow, fluttery lashes and a slick of berry lipstick.

Naomie plays Dr. Kate Caldwell in the film, a discredited genetic engineer who teams up with Dwayne's primatologist character Davis Okoye.

Glamour: The James Bond actress, 41, flaunted her braless cleavage in a plunging, bow-adorned black velvet blazer, studded with crystals as she posed up a storm on the red carpet

Chic: Her ombre bob was styled sleek and straight, parted in the middle, while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky shadow, fluttery lashes and a slick of berry lipstick

Leading lights: Naomie plays Dr. Kate Caldwell in the film, a discredited genetic engineer who teams up with Dwayne's primatologist character Davis Okoye

Leggy: The elegant blazer was adorned with a fuschia silk bow, with the star pairing it with a pair of vibrant tonic blue trousers

Daring; The brunette beauty oozed confidence as she posed on the red carpet

Former WWE wrestler Dwayne, 45, showed off his strapping frame in a dapper silver checked suit paired with a fitted white shirt.

The co-stars looked in great spirits as they took to the red carpet, arm-in-arm, laughing out loud during the photocall.

Malin Akerman, 39, who plays Claire Wyden in the film, flashed the flesh on arrival in daring semi-sheer striped gown, which flashed her strapless bra and underwear as she arrived.

Dance it up: Naomie burst out laughing as she danced her way down the red carpet

Sheer: Malin Akerman, 39, who plays Claire Wyden in the film, flashed the flesh on arrival in daring semi-sheer striped gown, which flashed her strapless bra and underwear as she arrived

Laugh out loud; The 45-year-old couldn't contain his amusement as he posed

Work it: The plunging gown revealed a hint of her cleavage before flowing into an elegant skirt

Cast: The blonde beauty joined Naomie and Dwayne on the red carpet

Chatty: The showbiz pals made quite the entrance at the star-studded premiere

Wow factor: Malin, Dwayne, and Naomie joined co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the red carpet

The plunging gown revealed a hint of her cleavage before flowing into an elegant skirt.

Her blonde tresses were styled in corkscrew curls while her pretty features were enhanced with a rich palette of make-up.

Former EastEnders' actress Jacqueline Jossa, who is six months pregnant, also rocked the red carpet with her handsome husband and ex TOWIE star Dan Osborne, 27.

Lucky man: Dwayne looked delighted as he posed with leading ladies Malin and Naomie

Handsome: The hunk looked focused as he prepared to watch his film

Growing brood: The 25-year-old, showed off her blooming bump in a bodycon navy blue off-the-shouder gown which she paired with gold and nude stiletto sandals

Devoted mum: Jacqueline, who already has daughter Ella, three with Dan, lovingly cradled her bump

Cute couple: Her hunky beau and dad-of-two Dan, who is now a tattoo artist, donned a navy blue shirt, paired with a ivory suit and tan shoes for his appearance

Racy: Love Island star Olivia Buckland, 24, put on a racy display in a semi-sheer lace minidress which revealed her ample cleavage, toned legs and underwear she struck a series of sultry poses

Work it: The gown was adorned with flowing blush chiffon panels which the reality star whipped in the wind for dramatic effect

The 25-year-old, showed off her blooming bump in a bodycon navy blue off-the-shoulder gown which she paired with gold and nude stiletto sandals.

Her caramel flecked brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight, parted in the middle while her pretty features were enhanced with fluttery lashes, feline flicks of liner and a slick of rose lipstick.

Her hunky beau and dad-of-two Dan, who is now a tattoo artist, donned a navy blue shirt, paired with a ivory suit and tan shoes for his appearance.

Glamour; She slipped on a pair of two-tone grey peeptoe stilettos to add height to her look

Floral finesse: Aspiring singer Tallia Storm, 19, showed off her toned legs in a ruffled floral number

Leggy display: The blonde beauty appeared at risk of a wardrobe malfunction in the perilously short dress

Reunited; Love Island finalists Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville put on a cosy display following her working trip to Japan

Sweet display: The couple held hands as they smiled sweetly on the red carpet

Flawless: Gabby worked a natural, glowing make-up look featuring candied pink gloss and metallic blush eyeshadow

Love Island star Olivia Buckland, 24, put on a racy display in a semi-sheer lace minidress which revealed her ample cleavage, toned legs and underwear she struck a series of sultry poses.

The gown was adorned with flowing blush chiffon panels which the reality star whipped in the wind for dramatic effect.

She slipped on a pair of two-tone grey peeptoe stilettos to add height to her look.

Busty: Former Made In Chelsea star Tiffany Watson, 24, flaunted her very ample assets in a lace bralet paired with a bubblegum pink trouser suit

Jaw-dropping: The star oozed confidence as she flashed her bust in the daring number

Toned; TOWIE star Lauren Pope, 35, showed off her ample cleavage and toned legs in a lavender off-the-shoulder dress

Work it: The blonde beauty was close to flashing her underwear thanks to the daring split

Chic: Smoky eye make-up and a glossy coral lip completed her look

Her ombre tresses were styled in loose waves and parted on the side while she opted for a smouldering palette of make-up.

Aspiring singer Tallia Storm, 19, put on a leggy display in an off-the-shoulder floral minidress which revealed her toned pins in all their glory.

She slipped on a pair of black stilettos and carried an envy-inducing pink Dolce and Gabbana bag.

Wow factor: Love Island star Georgia Harrison, 23, showed off her endless legs in a flirty miniskirt

Flirty: The star wore a white shirt and patterned floral blouse to complete her look

Vintage: MIC star Nicola Hughes, 28, donned a silk pinstripe short suit and white crop-top

Leggy: Nicola wore her platinum tresses in a bouncy blowdry and accentuated her pretty features with a rich palette of make-up

Elegance: Jorgie Porter, 30, showed off a crisp, platinum bob on the red carpet

Sultry: The star showed off her toned figure in a black lace jumpsuit

Her blonde tresses were styled in loose waves while her pretty features were enhanced with lashings of smoky eye make-up.

Rampage tells the story of primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne) who shares a deep connection with the intelligent gorilla George.

The once gentle creature begins to cause chaos in North America after a genetic experiment goes wrong and Davis takes it upon himself to save the monkey he loves.

Coming soon: Rampage tells the story of primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne) who shares a deep connection with the intelligent gorilla George
One things for certain, Mila Kunis is devoted to her kids Wyatt and Dimitri, however, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Ted actress revealed that she and her husband Ashton Kutcher are quite different.

My boys like a sloth. Hes wonderful, and I love him - cause one day hell probably watch this and be like, Why did you say that? - but the truth is, women are smarter than men. And I have evidence from my two different humans that I created.

Girls are just like, on it and boys are like, dum dum dum. Theyre just a little more like little linebackers going through life and like Neanderthal-ish, Mila continued.

Mila Kunis is known for starring in That '70s Show earning $100,000 (70,500) per episode

Ashton and Milas marriage has also caught the attention of many after the celebrity splits of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan and Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux, with those on social media fearing the That 70s Show couple could have a similar demise.

But what is Mila Kunis' net worth?

Who is Mila Kunis?

Born Milena Markovna Kunis on August 14, 1983 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in the Soviet Union, Milas family left the USSR in 1991 and resided in Los Angeles, California from then on, with just $250 in their pocket.

Mila was enrolled in school despite not knowing a word of English, but later used an on-set tutor during her time on That 70s Show. From the age of nine, she attended acting classes and went on to appear in commercials for Barbie and Lisa Frank.

She went on to star in Days of Our Lives, Baywatch and 7th Heaven before she was cast in That 70s Show. Mila, when auditioning for the role, told the producers that she would be 18, but did not specify when and landed the role at the age of 14.

After appearing in eight seasons of the show, she went on to replace Lacey Chabert as Meg Griffin on Family Guy in 1999 at the age of 15.

Mila Kunis movies

From the early 2000s, Mila began her transition from television to film and she appeared in Get Over It, American Psycho 2, Tony n Tinas Wedding, Moving McAllister, After Sex and Boot Camp.

One of her most widely recognised roles was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall in 2008, which she starred in after not landing Knocked Up and was nominated for a Teen Choice Award.

Later, she starred in Extract, The Book of Eli and Date Night before she appeared in her breakthrough role in Black Swan, for which she won her first Golden Globe.

A family affair A post shared by Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) on Jun 6, 2017 at 12:24pm PDT

As well as being nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, it grossed over $329 million (232m) worldwide and sent Mila into the heights of fame.

She went on act alongside Justin Timberlake in Friends With Benefits and co-starred with Mark Wahlberg in Ted, her most successful film to date.

Other notable film appearances include Oz the Great and Powerful, Third Person, Blood Ties, Jupiter Ascending, Bad Moms and A Bad Moms Christmas.

What is Mila Kuniss height?

Mila is approximately 5ft 4 (163cm), according to Celeb Heights and revealed: 'My friends call me hobbit. I come across shorter than I am.

'People will say, Youre not five foot four. And Ill say, People, I know my height. Im constantly winning bets - hundreds of dollars.'

Who is Mila Kuniss husband?

Mila Kunis started dating Macaulay Culkin in 2002 and despite rumours that the couple were getting married, which they denied, they split after eight years together.

She began dating her former co-star Ashton Kutcher in April 2012 and were engaged less than two years later. Mila and Ashton married in July 2015 in Oak Glen, California.

They have two kids together, Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher, born in October 2014 and Dimitri Portwood Kutcher, born in November 2016.

Night out with the wife A post shared by Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) on Mar 4, 2018 at 8:20pm PST

What is Mila Kuniss net worth?

Mila Kuniss net worth has accumulated to approximately $55 million (39m), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Most of this value is derived from her acting roles and the production company, Orchard Farm Production, which she launched with partners in October 2014.

How did Mila Kunis make her money?

According to The Richest, she earned $100,000 (70,500) per episode for starring in That 70s Show between 1998 and 2006 and $15,000 (10,600) for each Family Guy episode.

In 2012, Mila became the face of Christian Diors Spring fashion campaign and a year later, named the luxury gem producer Gemfields global brand ambassador.

She also appeared in the Forbes list of 100 powerful celebrities at number 89 after earning $11 million (7.8m) in 2013. The next year, Mila appeared in adverts for Jim Beam bourbon.

Ashton Kutchers net worth is slightly higher at $200 million (141m) and at one point, was the highest paid actor on television, earning $18 million a year after replacing Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.
She proved she is embracing single life, after her Sam Thompson split, when she was recently spotted enjoying a steamy smooch with a mystery man in Miami.

And Tiffany Watson, 24, made sure all eyes were on her as she put on a busty display in a black lace bralette during the star-studded UK premiere of Rampage in London on Wednesday evening.

The Made In Chelsea star showed off her washboard abs in a revealing pink satin coordinating suit.

Stunning: Tiffany Watson, 24, made sure all eyes were on her as she put on a busty display at the star-studded UK premiere of Rampage in London on Wednesday evening

She left little to the imagination in a daring and busty black lace bralette for the film event.

Tiffany accessorised the glamorous look with black heeled sandals and a matching handbag, as well as a silver pendant necklace.

The reality star added a slick of make-up for her red carpet debut, which included bronzer, metallic eyeshadow and a pink lipstick.

Revealing: The Made In Chelsea star showed off her curves and washboard abs in a revealing pink satin coordinating suit as well as a black lace bralette

Glamour: Tiffany accessorised the glamorous look with black heeled sandals and a matching handbag, as well as a silver pendant necklace

Tiffany styled her blonde locks into a textured and curly hair do.

The fitness babe knew exactly how to work her best angles as she posed up a storm on the red carpet and laughed with photographers.

Tiffany joined the likes of the film's stars such as Naomie Harris, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Malin Akerman.

Strike a pose: The reality star added a slick of make-up for her red carpet debut, which included bronzer, metallic eyeshadow and a pink lipstick

Natural: The fitness babe knew exactly how to work her best angles as she posed up a storm on the red carpet and laughed with photographers

While she also appeared alongside the likes of Jacqueline Jossa, Gabby Allen and Lauren Pope as part of the star-studded guestlist.

The outing comes after Tiffany has been making the most out of her single life since splitting up with fellow MIC alum Sam Thompson.

The blonde beauty, who recently jetted to Thailand with pal Frankie Gaff, put on a sizzling display in a two-piece and enjoyed a smooch from a mystery man while soaking up the sun.

Tiffany has been making the most of her newfound freedom since bowing out of Made In Chelsea earlier this year.

Star-studded: Tiffany joined the likes of the film's stars such as Naomie Harris, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Malin Akerman

VIP: While she also appeared alongside the likes of Jacqueline Jossa, Gabby Allen and Lauren Pope as part of the star-studded guestlist

In 2018 alone, she has already enjoyed trips to Australia, Mexico, Hong Kong and Thailand, before jetting off to Miami.

Rampage is a sci-fi film that sees a silverback gorilla called George, as well as a wolf and crocodile, get infected and turn into monstrous beasts after a mysterious experiment goes very wrong.

Dwayne, who plays the lead Davis Okoye, has cared for George since birth and must stop the animals from destroying America while he tries to find out who mutated them.
It seems she is trying to keep her life as normal as possible following her shock split from husband Channing Tatum.

On Tuesday, Jenna Dewan was back at work on her new Fox TV musical drama Mixtape.

And on Wednesday, the 37-year-old was spotted out without her ring as she showed off her dancer's body leaving a yoga class in Los Angeles.

Soothing session: Jenna Dewan, who has split from husband Channing Tatum, was spotted out without her wedding ring after a yoga class in Los Angeles on Wednesday

The actress donned a black sweater over purple skin-tight leggings as she made her way back to her car.

She clutched her yoga mat to her chest and held her cell phone to her ear as she walked.

The beautiful brunette's long tresses cascaded over her shoulders and down her back

Lovely pins: The 37-year-old actress donned a black sweater that she wore over purple skin-tight leggings as she made her way back to her car

Jenna and Channing, 37, announced they had 'lovingly chosen to separate as a couple' in a statement released on both their Instagram accounts on April 2.

The pair have been married for nearly nine years after meeting on the set of their 2006 movie. Step Up.

They tied the knot in 2009 on July 11, 2009, at Church Estates Vineyards in Malibu, and they share daughter Everly, who turns five on May 31.

Stuck on her phone: The beautiful brunette was glued to her cell the entire time

Stepping out: The celebrity quickly made her way back to her car

Their statement continued: 'We are still a family and will always be loving dedicated parents to Everly.'

Neither Jenna or the Magic Mike star has posted anything on social media since then.

Meanwhile, aside from Mixtape, Jenna is also starring in one of the 10 romantic stories in film anthology, Berlin, I Love You, which has yet to set a release date.
She was sent to the emergency room on Tuesday for an 'unspecified medical complaint.'

And less than 24 hours later, Abby Lee Miller was seen on the verge of tears as she left the halfway house in Los Angeles.

The reality star, 51, is allegedly heading back to the hospital for further treatment, according to a new report by TMZ.

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Stepping out: Abby Lee Miller was seen in tears as she left the halfway house in Los Angeles; pictured on Wednesday afternoon

Abby left the day before in an ambulance to the hospital for either a back or thyroid issue, the website revealed.

In a video on TMZ, the star did not comment on the reason for her hospital visit but looked visibly upset as she got into a car picking her up from the facility.

The star kept it simple in black bottoms with a shirt from her own Dance Company.

According to TMZ, medics responded to the Tuesday call from the Residential Reentry Center, where Abby is serving the rest of her prison sentence.

Drama: The reality star, 51, is allegedly heading back to the hospital for further treatment, according to a new report by TMZ

Holding it together: She was sent to the emergency room on Tuesday for an 'unspecified medical complaint'

She was reportedly able to walk out of the facility and into the ambulance on her own.

The Dance Moms star was released early from prison in Victorville, California late last month, where she served time for money laundering.

Abby is scheduled to be released from her halfway house on May 25.

Emotional: The star was visibly upset as she left the halfway house

Upset: Abby held tight to her smartphone while holding back tears

According to Entertainment Tonight, the star underwent gastric bypass surgery in April before her prison term; she lost 100 since her incarceration.

The star has been in prison since July 2017 - after she was sentenced to 366 days for hiding $775,500 worth of income and bringing $120,000 in Australian currency to the US without reporting it.

She had filed for bankruptcy after defaulting on a Florida condominium mortgage and a mortgage on her Abby Lee Dance Company studio in Penn Hills, a Pittsburgh suburb.

Courageous: According to TMZ, medics responded to the call from the Residential Reentry Center on Tuesday, where Abby is serving the rest of her prison sentence
The ex-husband of Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans has been arrested and jailed on drug charges.

Courtland Keith Rogers was taken into custody in North Carolina on Tuesday after being indicted last month.

TMZ reports the 32-year-old is facing two drug-related charges for 'selling and delivering schedule III substances, and possession with intent to sell and distribute schedule III substances'.

Jenelle Evans' ex husband Courtland Keith Rogers was arrested in North Carolina on Tuesday on two drug-related charges

The website reports the charges relate to a prior drug possession-related arrest.

In November he was caught with Buprenorphine-Naloxone, which is usually used to treat opioid addiction.

Courtland was also reportedly hit with a habitual felon charge after being convicted of his third felony in the state in 2013.

He was released from Brunswick County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

Responding to his arrest Jenelle told E! News: 'Not surprising, that's all I have to say.'

TMZ reports the 32-year-old is facing two drug-related charges - selling and delivering schedule III substances, and possession with intent to sell and distribute schedule III substances

Mugshots: Courtland is seen in his booking photo from February (left) and March (right) on drug and parole related charges

On Tuesday night Courtland was posting pictures of his newborn baby on Twitter.

He welcomed son Camryn with wife Lindsey on March 30.

Jenelle and Courtland were married from 2012 to 2014 but don't share any kids together.

Their relationship was plagued with serious issues including an incident in January 2013 where Jenelle filed four counts of assault on a female and two counts of battery of unborn child against Courtland.

Soon afterward Jenelle's attorney revealed: 'Courtland Rogers pleaded guilty to one count of assault on a female and one count of battery on an unborn child and received 24 months' supervised probation,'

Jenelle and Courtland were married from 2012 to 2014 but don't share any kids together

She has a type: The latest arrest comes after Jenelle's ex Kieffer Delp - who she dated from 2011 to 2013 - was arrested back in January for operating a meth lab

The latest arrest comes after Jenelle's ex Kieffer Delp was arrested back in January for operating a meth lab in McKees Rocks, Pa.

Jenelle and Kieffer famously dated on the show from 2011-2013, which also documented his multiple run-ins with the law.

Jenelle is now married to David Eason who she tied the knot with in a backyard ceremony at their North Carolina home in September 2017.

They have a daughter, Ensley, one, together.

She also has three-year-old son Kaiser with ex-fiance Nathan Griffith.

Andrew Lewis is the father of Evans' oldest son, Jace, eight, who's childhood has been documented on the show since January 2011.

Jenelle is now married to David Eason who she tied the knot with in a backyard ceremony at their North Carolina home in September 2017
Seven Year Switch star Michelle Bingley has sensationally revealed she has divorced former husband George and claimed he kicked her and their young son out of the family home, in an explosive new interview.

Viewers saw Michelle's ex George announce he would be filing for divorce on Tuesday night's episode of the show, after a two-week make-or-break trip to Thailand, where the pair lived with different partners, failed to repair their ailing romance.

Michelle told The Sun that the relationship had been 'hell' and that the couple 'hated each other' at the end of their union.

Over: Seven Year Switch star Michelle Bingley has sensationally revealed she has divorced former husband George and claimed he kicked her and their young son out of the family home, in an explosive new interview

Splitsville: Viewers saw Michelle's ex George announce he would be filing for divorce on Tuesday night's episode of the show, after a two-week make-or-break trip to Thailand, where the pair lived with different partners, failed to repair their ailing romance

She said: 'Now, as in this present moment, George and I are finally quite civilised, but before that it was hell.'

The reality star also claimed that her ex had booted her and their son Leo out of the house.

'It was quite a brutal split in the end. He kicked me and Leo out. I moved into my brother's for a while until I found a new place' she said.

She also claimed she had to sell her business to George after his uncle, who was her landlord, informed her she wasn't welcome in the shop anymore.

Explosive: Michelle told The Sun that the relationship had been 'hell' and that the couple 'hated each other' at the end of their union

Michelle also said George had wild mood swings after their split, and the only time they came together was for their son.

Last April the former couple took Leo to CBeebies Land for his birthday.

She said: 'We could not stand each other, but Leo wanted to go to CBeebies Land so we both went and took him and he had a lovely day he was none the wiser about his parents hating each other.'

The pair's rocky romance had already endured one split before they were scouted for the show.

'Hell': She said: 'Now, as in this present moment, George and I are finally quite civilised, but before that it was hell'

Michelle said, despite George's assurances that he would change after living with Tom's partner Rachel, she did not see any difference.

She said their relationship hit a further roadblock when George was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) days after arriving back in England.

He was hospitalised for a week and allegedly accused Michelle of not paying him enough attention.

She also accused him of screaming at her for 'not looking after your child' and blaming for everything that went wrong.

Claim: The reality star also claimed that her ex had booted her and their son Leo out of the house, saying: 'It was quite a brutal split in the end. He kicked me and Leo out. I moved into my brother's for a while until I found a new place'

Michelle said the final straw was George kicking off when she brought some food home got him and he complained it was cold.

She said she didn't believe her ex-beau was capable of change because he wasn't willing to give it his all.

Michelle had previously spoken of her fury at the show's makers, who she said left her feeling 'violated' for showing George photos of her in the pool in which she appeared naked.

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Michelle said: 'They've completely disrespected myself, my relationship and my show partner Tom's relationship by portraying me as naked. I was there to save my marriage.'

Fiery; Michelle also said George had wild mood swings after their split, and the only time they came together was for their son

She says the producers abused her trust in showing George the photos of her in the pool and that she had hoped the programme might provide a band-aid for her ailing relationship.

She says the images made it look like she wasn't wearing any clothes but says she 'definitely wasn't naked'.

Viewers watching last night's episode saw George see red after Rebecca comments on the pool images, saying: 'Michelle looks like she's got no clothes on'.

George is then seen storming out of the accommodation, slamming the door behind him before telling the show's camera crew that the sight of Michelle appearing to be naked with another man sent him 'over the edge'.

Oh dear: Tom and Rachel were seen surprising viewers on the show as he proposed with Rachel saying yes. However, their happy ending wasn't to be as the pair have since split up

After realising her husband had seen the images, Michelle says she confronted the show's producers and they reassured her that it was part of the wife-swap 'journey'.

Tom and Rachel were seen surprising viewers on the show as he proposed with Rachel saying yes.

However, their happy ending wasn't to be as the pair have since split up.

Michelle said Tom deserves to be happy and that the pair are still friends and speak 'nearly' every day.

She said she felt relieved that her marriage had ended, and admitted she had done a 'little' dating.
He enjoyed a night out on Monday with pal and Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend Camila Morrone in West Hollywood.

And one day later, Kourtney Kardashian's boyfriend Younes Bendjima spent time with two mystery ladies in Beverly Hills.

The 24-year-old model was seen hugging one of his pals goodbye after the trio enjoyed a sushi dinner at Matsuhisa together on Tuesday night.

Having fun: Kourtney Kardashian's boyfriend Younes Bendjima spent time with two mystery ladies in Beverly Hills on Tuesday night

Younes, who is a former boxer from Algeria, kept it casual in a black sweater with matching colored jeans, adding a white shirt.

The bearded Instagram star was seen hugging of of the women goodbye before heading their separate ways.

One of the women sported patent bottoms with an off-the-shoulder top, adding a Chanel handbag.

The second pal flaunted a legs in a cream dress with a puffy cropped jacket; she carried a Louis Vuitton backpack while hitting the pavement in white sneakers.

Who's that? The 24-year-old model was seen hugging one of his pals goodbye after the trio enjoyed a sushi dinner at Matsuhisa together on Tuesday night

Relaxing on a Tuesday: Younes, who is a former boxer from Algeria, kept it casual in a black sweater with matching colored jeans, adding a white shirt

Stylish: The second pal flaunted a legs in a cream dress with a puffy cropped jacket; she carried a Louis Vuitton backpack while hitting the pavement in white sneakers

Hours before, the handsome star enjoyed a pool session by himself; he was filmed as he jumped into the pool.

Younes posted a selfie to his Instagram story while drying off.

On Wednesday, the good looking model shared his training session to his social media followers.

One Monday, Younes was seen hugging Leonardo's 20-year-old girlfriend Camila Morrone goodbye.

So fun: Hours before, the handsome star enjoyed a pool session by himself; he was filmed as he jumped into the pool

Close up: Younes posted a selfie to his Instagram story while drying off

Wow: On Wednesday, the good looking model shared his training session to his social media followers

According to a source, the duo are just friends.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend Kourtney is reportedly heading to Cleveland, Ohio to be by pregnant Khloe Kardashian's side after the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal came to light.

According to TMZ, Khloe is having early contractions, hours after the videos of her beau Tristan kissing other women were published.

Kourtney just returned back to the states following a holiday with Kim Kardashian to Turks And Caicos.

Strike a pose: Kourtney just returned back to the states following a holiday with Kim Kardashian to Turks And Caicos

Younes was in Turks & Caicos with Kourtney during the start of her trip but appears to have left soon after.

They enjoyed a bike ride together on the island on Saturday.

Younes and Kourtney enjoyed a loved up road trip to San Francisco just one week ago.

The lovebirds were seen on each other's social media as the made their way from Los Angeles to Northern California late last month.

During their trip, Kourtney shared a sizzling Instagram picture while sitting on top of her man, dressed in jeans and her Calvin Klein undergarments.

Kourtney is mom to three kids with her ex partner Scott Disick: Mason, eight, Penelope, five, and Reign, three.

Good looking couple: During their trip, Kourtney shared a sizzling Instagram picture while sitting on top of her man, dressed in jeans and her Calvin Klein undergarments

Happy day: Younes was in Turks & Caicos with Kourtney during the start of her trip but appears to have left soon after
She announced her split from Dennis Shields in May last year, after one year of dating.

And while Bethenny Frankel, 47, hasnt given up on love, the Real Housewives of New York star admits her dating life has hit a dry spell.

The SkinnyGirl mogul told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday: 'I'm not in any relationship whatsoever, I cannot even remember the last time I had sex!'

I cant even remember the last time I had sex! Bethenny Frankel, 47, admits her love life has hit a dry spell months after her split from Dennis Shields

When asked about rumors that she is open to dating Hollywood actor Russell Crowe, she joked: 'He would have to ask me to find out. I really dont know anything about him.'

Bethenny split from New York banker Dennis in May last year and despite rekindling their romance a few months later in August, by January this year - they had again parted ways.

'My single life is just that: utterly single... But I have a date tomorrow, so I'm working on it!' she previously told Us magazine.

Over: Bethenny split from New York banker Dennis in May last year and despite rekindling their romance a few months later in August, by January this year - they had again parted ways

In February, the Naturally Thin author was pictured enjoying a luxury vacation with Dennis and her seven-year-old daughter Bryn in Miami.

But a source told Daily Mail at the time, they are just friendly exes. 'They are not 'dating.' Bethenny and Bryn love Dennis and his family and they have been a support system during her negative divorce and a positive influence in Bryn's life,' the insider explained.

'They had a 27 year friendship before they dated so they picked that up where they left off once they realized they didn't work as a couple.

The way they were: Bethenny and Dennis are seen out and about in Tribeca back in December 2016

The source added: 'Her daughter adores him and his family and she comes first above all. Bethenny is SINGLE and dating other people.

The Bravo TV star was previously married to pharmaceutical sales rep Jason Hoppy, however they divorced in 2016.

Bethenny is currently in Australia promoting season 10 of The Real Housewives of New York, which airs on Hayu and Foxtel.
Credit: Frank MaddocksSerj Tankian will guest on the upcoming 11th season of Parts Unknown, CNN's food and travel show hosted by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

During his episode, which airs May 20, the System of a Down frontman, who's of Armenian descent, guides Bourdain through the history and culture of the country.

"Breaking bread with Tankian at the restaurant Dolmama in Yerevan, during dinners with locals, [Bourdain] explores the native and diaspora Armenian populations' survival and achievements against the odds," reads the episode's description.

Tankian and System of a Down will embark on a U.S. tour this fall starting October 13 in San Bernardino, California.

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She's known for her stunning curves, earning her the title of the 'Tahitian Goddess'.

And now Bachelor In Paradise star Elora Murger has revealed she has dropped two dress sizes since appearing on Matty J's season of The Bachelor.

Speaking to OK! magazine, the exotic beauty detailed her impressive weight loss.

'I was a size 12 and now I'm an 8 in jeans': Bachelor In Paradise star Elora Murger reveals her incredible weight loss... dropping two sizes since appearing on Matty J's season of The Bachelor. She is pictured on the left in September 2017, left and this week, right

'I was a size 12 and now I am an 8 in jeans,' she explained to the publication.

The brunette works as a trainer at F45 Training in Sydney's CBD, and her clients often praise the stunner for their incredible results.

Elora is currently starring on the Channel 10 spin-off Bachelor In Paradise.

On the show, the 28-year-old recently asked Jake Ellis to join her on a one-on-one date, to which he declined due to having a strong interest in bisexual contestant Megan Marx.

Hot, hot, hot! Elora posted this bikini snap of herself and co-stars Megan Marx and Ali Oetjen earlier this month

Jake let Elora down gently, saying: 'Well, like, I'm flattered... but, yeah, like, it is pretty strong at the moment with Megan.'

He told the cameras: 'I very politely declined the date. Elora's a gorgeous girl. She's definitely got sex appeal, so it was a very tough decision.'

Letting love interest Megan know he declined the offer, the blonde perked up to say: 'That makes me so happy!'

Goddess indeed: Elora's long been known for her stunning curves, earning her the title of the 'Tahitian Goddess'

Megan continued: 'I think this is a massive turning point in our relationship. He's turned down someone else. He's made a statement to me that he's interested in me, and not other people that are walking in.'

Meanwhile, Megan was slightly jealous of Elora's approach.

'Elora did pull Jake aside. I am a bit disappointed... I was hoping a little bit that it would be me,' she said.

When Elora came to chat privately to Megan, her mood changed as she suggested to producers: 'Hell yeah! Elora wants to take ME on a date!'

However, she was disappointed when Elora only wanted to get Megan's blessing to ask Jake on a date.

Trainer: The brunette works as a trainer at F45 Training in Sydney's CBD, and her clients often praise the stunner for their incredible results

Meanwhile, Elora recently gushed that she had formed a strong bond with the former Bachelor beauty, calling Megan one-of-a-kind.

'She's one of those. One you know you'll have the rest of your life,' Elora said with love-heart emojis.

It comes after Megan spoke about meeting Elora for the first time last week to TV Week.

She called the curvy brunette 'hot' and said the curvy brunette is 'my type of girl.'
Earlier this week, My Kitchen Rules judges Manu Feildel and Pete Evans issued a formal statement about their decision to 'ban' Sonya and Hadil from the competition.

And now, fellow MKR contestants have broken their silence on the scandal that reportedly involved an 'unprecedented attack' during a dinner party.

Anna, who is competing with her brother Henry, told Who magazine on Thursday: 'Things were quite intense and uncomfortable at the table.'

'Intense and uncomfortable': My Kitchen Rules contestants have broken their silence on the scandal that reportedly involved an 'unprecedented attack' and a team being sent home

'I think the right decision was made,' she said, referencing Sonya and Hadil's rumoured axing following a confrontation with Jess and Emma.

Henry, nicknamed the 'Hot Truffle Farmer', said that MKR contestants who got along with both teams avoided taking sides during the dispute.

'It's petty stuff and it's not worthy of fuelling the fire with more rubbish,' he added.

Eyewitness account: Anna said, 'Things were quite intense and uncomfortable at the table'

Henry and Anna's comments come after Manu and Pete addressed the scandal for the first time in a sombre promotional trailer.

'We would like to take a moment to talk about the events that led to one team being removed from my kitchen rules,' Manu said.

Pete added: 'Over the history of the show, we've never had to deal with anything like this, the removal of a team from the competition.'

'We've never had to deal with anything like this': Henry and Anna's comments come after Manu Feildel and Pete Evans addressed the scandal for the first time in a sombre promotional trailer

Although it has not yet taken place on the show, Sonya and Hadil are widely expected to be the team that gets kicked off in the coming weeks.

During an argument with Jess and Emma, Sonya and Hadil reportedly launch an 'unprecedented attack' that prompts the judges to send them home.

My Kitchen Rules returns to Channel Seven on Sunday at 7pm
A report on ageing and dementia has uncovered a lack of awareness around the risk factors and widespread apathy among Australians to do anything to secure their brain health in old age.

Published by the Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing, the report brings together the most recent research on cognitive ageing, including known risk factors.

It also identifies policy and research gaps.

Professor Kaarin Anstey, lead author of A Rapidly Ageing Australia: Cognitive Ageing And Decline Trends, said the research shows few people intend to change their behaviour to reduce their risk of dementia.

"We did a national survey and we found there are people who might believe in the benefit of risk factors but they don't intend to change their lifestyle," said Professor Anstey, CEPAR Chief Investigator and NHMRC Principal Research Fellow at NeuRA.

The report also addresses the issue of 'financial frailty'.

Professor Anstey said people's cognitive function declines in ageing at a time when they're having to make very complex financial decisions regarding superannuation and housing.

She said those with cognitive impairment are more susceptible to poor financial decision-making.

"At the moment there is no policy framework or anything in place to assist them through that," she said

"We need to think about developing more decision support for people and be able to assess whether people have the capacity to manage complex financial arrangements," said Professor Anstey.

There is also a gap in knowledge about the risk factors for the age-related brain disease, according to the report released at NSW Parliament House on Wednesday.

"People know about keeping your mind active, that's fairly widely known but there is very little awareness about the cardiovascular risk factors for dementia," said Professor Anstey.

Dementia is the leading cause of disability among Australians over 65 and the second leading cause of death in Australia.

The research shows the prevalence of dementia doubles every five years between the ages of 70 and 84.

Despite the possibility of dementia seeming so far into future at the age of 40, it really is something younger Australians need to start addressing now, said Professor Anstey.

The Seven Modifiable Lifestyle Factors Linked to Dementia Risk

* Midlife hypertension

* Diabetes

* Low education

* Smoking

* Physical inactivity

* Mid-life obesity

* Depression
Just 53 out of the 310,000 Australian Facebook users who may have had their data breached used a personality data mining app linked to the Cambridge Analytica personal data scandal that has affected thousands of people around the globe.

The social media giant confirmed the number on Wednesday, saying those 53 people had downloaded the app 'thisisyourdigitallife', which mined the profiles of users and their friends before licensing the information to the British political consultancy agency Cambridge Analytica.

It means all but one in every 5871 Australians notified this week about their data being "improperly" shared, weren't users of the app created by University of Cambridge psychology researcher Aleksandr Kogan.

Facebook estimates 270,000 people downloaded the program, billed as "a research app used by psychologists".

The Mark Zuckerberg-led social media giant said it had known since 2015 that Dr Kogan's app had passed data to Cambridge Analytica and asked the British firm to delete the data

Mr Zuckerberg told a US Congress committee hearing on Wednesday "it was clearly a mistake" to believe Cambridge Analytica had done so.

Privacy commissioners in Australia, the UK and Canada have all opened separate investigations into Facebook over the scandal.

By multiplying the maximum number of friends these users had about the time of the app's use, Facebook estimates data from profiles of more than 87 million people could have been accessed.
Controversial Sydney businessman Salim Mehajer has been found guilty of being part of a 2012 electoral fraud plot that put him on Auburn City Council.

In Central Local Court on Wednesday, Magistrate Beverley Schurr found him guilty of multiple charges relating to plotting with his younger sister, Fatima Mehajer, who has previously pleaded guilty to 77 charges.

Mehajer was released from jail last week after being granted bail on a charge of perverting the course of justice for the alleged staging of a car accident on his way to face court last year on assault charges.
Bill Shorten could switch seats at the next federal election after the electoral commission proposed to cut his seat in half.

The federal Labor leader said he is interested in making sure his party gets more votes "everywhere" after reports he was considering moving out of Maribyrnong to a safer seat to ensure he could campaign in marginal seats.

"The electoral commission cut my seat in half. I like the voters on both sides of my seat. We'll wait and see what the final maps look like," Mr Shorten told 6PR radio in Perth on Wednesday.
The communications minister doesn't believe the ABC competes with News Corp because the public broadcaster doesn't chase advertising dollars.

The Turnbull government has launched a "competitive neutrality" review to look at whether the ABC and SBS operate on a level playing field with commercial media companies.

The inquiry was part of a deal it did with One Nation to pass media ownership reforms through parliament.

Minister Mitch Fifield told a Senate committee on Wednesday several commercial media organisations thought the review was timely and appropriate.

Asked whether the ABC competed with News Corp, the minister said: "The ABC is not a competitor to News Corp in that the ABC doesn't take advertising."

He thought competition for advertising dollars was a key measure of whether media organisations were rivals.

Labor senator Kristina Keneally commented the two organisations were presumably competing for viewers or readers.

"I guess obviously they both present themselves as offerings to the consumer so they provide consumer choice," the minister responded.

He also rejected Labor senators' suggestions funding cuts and criticisms from himself and other government MPs amounted to a sustained attack on the ABC.

Senator Fifield said he and other members of parliament felt comfortable "offering feedback about ABC activities from time to time, some of it positive, some of it also taking issue" because the broadcaster enjoyed legislated independence from government.

"It would be passing strange if there was a view that every member of the community and every member of parliament was entitled to offer a view on particular activities of the ABC apart from the minister concerned," he said.
Thermomix has agreed to pay a $4.6 million penalty after it misled consumers about the safety of of its appliances, which were recalled in Australia after a number of users were burned by hot liquids due to a faulty part.

Lawyers for the appliance company and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) appeared before the Federal Court in Melbourne on Wednesday for a penalty hearing after Thermomix admitted four contraventions of consumer laws.

"I'm inclined to agree that a penalty of $4.6 million is appropriate. The conduct is particularly serious," Justice Bernard Murphy said.
West Australian police say they did all that was required in the case of a man who went on to sexually abuse two 12-year-old boys after being convicted in Canada and deported for raping his stepson.

The father of one victim says he found out about the abuse in February last year when the 55-year-old pedophile communicated with his son through social media.

That led to the man's regional house being raided and the discovery of thousands of child exploitation images and videos.

The man was sentenced in Busselton District Court on Monday to 11 years in jail.

The victim's father said it was "abominable, disgusting" the man will be eligible for parole after serving nine years.

"He has not been monitored. If somebody would have bothered to do intrusive calls on him, walk in his house, look at his computers, look at his phones, it's all over," the father told 6PR radio on Wednesday.

But Deputy Commissioner for specialist services and reform Stephen Brown said there were 3500 sex offenders registered in WA and the reality of police resourcing was they couldn't all be tracked every day.

"While I haven't been able to talk about this or any other specific case, I'm satisfied at this point in time on all the advice that all that was required by the WA Police was done," he said.
An unseasonal string of sweltering hot April days is coming for NSW, raising the potential of bushfires in the state, while many farmers pray for rain.

The mercury is set to hit 31C in Sydney on both Thursday and Friday and 30C on Saturday, while the state's southwest will sizzle in the mid to high 30s for the next three days, according to Bureau of Meteorology.

Meteorologist Craig Ryan said those temperatures were "well above average" for this time of the year.

Riverina towns including Griffith, Hay, Ivanhoe and Narrandera are set to cop the most heat until temperatures drop on Saturday, Mr Ryan said.

Already on Tuesday, Hay residents experienced the hottest April day in more than 30 years with 38.1C, exceeding the 37.3C reached on April 3, 1986.

"There's a chance that will get broken again today," Mr Ryan told AAP on Wednesday.

The heat, which is keeping rural firefighters on alert, is being driven by a slow-moving high-pressure system that's pushing cold fronts to the state's south.

"The state remains very, very dry," NSW RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd told AAP on Wednesday.

"We've been fortunate enough to have some shower activity, particularly in coastal areas, but inland parts of the state remain far drier than they would normally be at this time of the year."

A severe fire warning was issued for the Southern Slopes and Southern Ranges on Wednesday, with much the state facing a high fire danger.

Fire authorities are trying to balance caution over the hot conditions with the need for hazard reduction burns, more than 50 per cent of which occur during autumn in NSW.

"Already this week there have been some large burns postponed, particularly ones up in the Blue Mountains," Mr Shepherd said.

Saturday's cool change could bring some much-need rain but BoM is still determining exactly how much.

With a third of NSW in drought, any rainfall would be greatly welcomed by farmers who are desperate for some wet weather to help keep their stock and crops alive.
Economists expect Treasurer Scott Morrison can present a positive picture in next month's budget, despite fears of an escalating trade war between China and the US.

The stoush between the US and China has rattled financial markets and dented local confidence.

But in its quarterly economic outlook, KPMG Economics is forecasting growth of 2.9 per cent for this financial year, a marked pick-up from the modest two per cent expansion in the 2016/17 year.

This could see the jobless rate ease to as low as 5.2 per cent compared with 5.6 per cent in February.

The outlook is also stronger than the disappointing 2.4 per cent economic growth rate over the 2017 calendar year which was the result of a downturn in exports towards the end of the year.

But KPMG Australia chief economist Brendan Rynne expects exports to strengthen, supported by "healthy global industrial growth and demand for commodities".

"Global economic conditions remained strong in the first quarter of 2018 and this momentum is expected to continue through the year," Mr Rynne said, releasing the outlook on Wednesday.

A separate analysis by Deloitte Access Economics for the Minerals Council of Australia found the mining sector is enjoying its most profitable period in years, driven by stronger commodity prices and reversing the fall between 2012 and 2015.

This has resulted in Australian mining companies paying $12.1 billion tax in 2016/17, almost four times as much as the previous financial year and the highest since the mining investment boom in 2011/12.

"This means that mining companies are estimated to have paid one-in-every-five dollars of Australia's company tax take," the council's interim chief executive David Byers said in a statement.

KPMG says while the threat of a trade war "lurks darkly in the corner", the good news is the global economy is still pushing strongly ahead, predicting a 3.8 per cent expansion both this year and next.

US shares were almost two per cent higher on Tuesday as concerns about rising trade tensions between the US and China eased after President Xi Jinping said China will cut tariffs and widen market access for foreign investors.

However, such positivity failed to flow through to the Australian market where shares eased slightly.

Share market volatility over potential tariff wars and declining house prices since the start of the year has made consumers more nervous about the outlook, Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said.

The monthly Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer confidence index eased 0.6 per cent in April.

While optimists still outnumbered pessimists for a fifth consecutive month, the index is below a level typically associated with robust consumer spending, Mr Evans said.
Small businesses would be able to get government grants to help them set up online stores if a group of politicians examining internet-based competition gets its way.

The committee has spent more than six months looking at the effect of global internet competition on Australian businesses.

In its report released on Wednesday, the committee recommended the federal government set up a digital grants program for small businesses to help them take advantage of opportunities such as online retail.

Under its plan, businesses would have to match the government funding.

"Online shopping is only going to continue to grow and disrupt trade in traditional bricks and mortar shops around the country," innovation committee chair Barnaby Joyce said in a statement.

"It is vital that we support Australian businesses to invest in the digital technologies - while demonstrating advantages of the virtual marketplace based in regional areas where infrastructure like the NBN is available and overheads such as rent can be much cheaper - that will enable them to take advantage of internet retail opportunities."

The committee also recommended the government take a look at competition law to ensure it deals with anti-competitive ways in which big companies collect and monetise data about online sales.

It also wants money for a "digital retraining fund" and for more information to be made available to small businesses about emerging technologies and how they can use online platforms.
Four men have been involved in a vicious road rage brawl that has disrupted peak hour traffic in western Sydney.

Dashcam footage shows the moment a shirtless man sprints up to a four-wheel drive that had stopped on Horsley Drive in Fairfield about 5pm on Tuesday.

The man then punches the driver through the open window.

Two other men wearing hi-vis shirts are seen running to help the driver as a brawl erupts on the busy road.

The trio manages to subdue the shirtless man before he storms off.

The driver of the 4WD eventually climbs back into his vehicle and drives off.

NSW Police have been contacted for comment.
A commercial diving boat has discovered the body of a 65-year-old rock fisherman in Sydney Harbour.

The vessel was off Middle Head on Wednesday morning when the body was seen floating face down 150 metres from the shore.

Police were called and found fishing equipment on the rocks nearby, a spokesman said in a statement.

The man, who was not wearing a life jacket, has since been identified as a 65-year-old from Wahroonga on the city's upper north shore.

A NSW Police spokesman told AAP a post-mortem examination would determine whether the man drowned or if he possibly suffered a medical episode before entering the water.

Authorities are urging all rock anglers to wear a life jacket and head protection, never fish alone, let someone know your whereabouts and to always carry a mobile phone.
Greens MPs have thrown their support behind a push for grassroots members to vote directly on who should be the federal party leader.

NSW Greens MPs Jenny Leong and Mehreen Faruqi on Wednesday tweeted their support for the "Greens for democratic leadership" petition, which calls for the new voting system to be put in place after the next federal election.

"The leader (or co-leaders) of the Australian Greens party room should be democratically elected by the members using a one member, one vote system," the petition said.

"The Australian Greens national council should put this reform in place before November 2018, and it should come into effect immediately after the next federal election."

The petition says voting members will be "natural persons who are members of the Greens".

"Progress towards reforming the way we elect our parliamentary leader has been far too slow," the petition's site says.

"A few people within the party hierarchy have been holding back reform."

Greens leader Richard Di Natale welcomed the debate and wants members to have a say on the future of the party.

"I called for a debate on the direct election of the parliamentary leader back in 2016 and the process of investigating how this could happen within our party structure is already under way," he said in a statement to AAP.

"The party is currently considering a number of models that could be used to elect our leader and I look forward to continuing to have a constructive conversation with our members about this issue."

Labor members have a 50 per cent say in the vote for federal parliamentary leader, with the other 50 per cent of the vote held by MPs.
WA's corrective services minister responded unreasonably when he refused to provide information to parliament about cost savings from converting and privatising a prison, the auditor general says.

Fran Logan was asked in September to outline the total savings from converting Wandoo Reintegration Facility for young male offenders into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre for women, and returning its operation to the public service.

Mr Logan said he would not provide the information because it was commercially confidential, given Serco had a six month contract extension at the time.

The Office of the Auditor General has deemed the minister's reply not reasonable, but acknowledged assessing whether information was protected was often complex, and guidance was limited and sometimes conflicting.

But the ministers could have requested additional time to answer the questions.
Tony Abbott has attacked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's credibility over his denials that a proposal to cut immigration was taken to cabinet.

It was reported that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton talked to "cabinet colleagues" about a proposal to cut immigration by 20,000 people a year, but Mr Turnbull said the story was false.

"I thought, look, they're being very clever with words here," Mr Abbott told 2GB radio on Wednesday.

"He's tried to speak very emphatically in denying something which he knows is substantially true."

Mr Abbott said Mr Turnbull had "made the government look tricky" and he suspected the "clever barrister" has come out.

He said the proposal might not have been submitted to cabinet, but it was discussed between cabinet ministers.

Mr Turnbull was asked on Tuesday if Mr Dutton had raised the issue of cutting immigration and he rejected it.

"The story on the front page of The Australian today about migration and the cabinet is completely untrue," Mr Turnbull told reporters.

"It's false and the journalist concerned should consider the reliability of his sources."

Mr Dutton said he agreed with the prime minister's comments, but wouldn't say if he took his proposal to cabinet or just discussed it with other ministers.

"Of course there are discussions that take place around what the figures should be, the benefits of different aspects of migration," Mr Dutton told reporters on Wednesday, adding such discussions took place annually.

"I'm not going into the detail of what was said at what meeting on what date. I've seen the comments of the prime minister yesterday and I fully endorse those."
A man is in a standoff with police at a home west of Brisbane.

A 100 metre exclusion zone has been set up around the property at White Rock.

Police went to the property around 1.45pm on Wednesday after being called to a domestic violence incident.

An exclusion zone was made at 2.30pm with police negotiators trying to make contact with the man since then.

It's understood a woman is also in the house with the man.

Police have closed Kimba Close in both directions and are asking people to avoid the area if possible.
Two men have been arrested for hunting illegally in a Victorian forest near the NSW border and had guns and drugs seized.

Police were called to Guys Forest in the Towong Shire on Wednesday morning to reports of illegal firearms activity and seized firearms, ammunition and cannabis during a search of a camp.

A 69-year-old Deer Park man will be charged on summons with firearms offences and a Meadow Heights man, 44, will be charged on summons with firearms and drug offences.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is not concerned the competition watchdog is investigating whether his government has done a deal that could prevent the expansion of Newcastle's port.

The ACCC is concerned arrangements may "limit or prevent" the development of a container terminal at the Port of Newcastle.

In a letter to industry figures, seen by AAP, the ACCC states it's investigating whether any competition issues arise under the Competition and Consumer Act.

The cited "arrangements" could refer to the controversial sale of the Port Botany and Port Kembla leases and "secret deals" between the government and the private operator, according to the state opposition.

The deal reportedly means the Port of Newcastle, if it were to expand, would have to pay a fee to NSW Ports as compensation for their loss of container shipping business.

The treasurer's office in a statement on Wednesday said it wasn't concerned about the ACCC's investigation and the government would assist the watchdog "in whatever way they require".

A spokesman told AAP that Treasury stood by the controversial decision to privatise the ports.

"Funds from the (Newcastle) lease have been used to help the government invest in its once-in-a-generation infrastructure program," he said.

Asked if the government would welcome an expansion of Newcastle the spokesman said: "Any decision to expand the container capacity ... is a matter for the operator of the Port of Newcastle."

The ACCC has told AAP it is investigating contractual restrictions which could prevent the expansion of container throughput at "certain ports".

"Specifically, we'd like to understand whether these restrictions may limit competition in a way that means customers exporting commodities, such as cotton and grain producers, are faced with less competitive prices and fewer options for doing so," an ACCC spokesman said in a statement.

Opposition Leader Luke Foley earlier this week said the reported deal was "clearly anti-competitive and designed to entrench a private monopoly".

NSW Ports - which operates Port Botany and Port Kembla - has been contacted for comment.
A second man has been charged over an attack on a police officer who tried to stop a street fight in Sydney's west.

The acting inspector was left with a large cut on his head from the assault just after midnight on Sunday.

It's alleged he was attempting to intervene in a fight between two men at Emerton, near Mount Druitt, when a third man hit him.

A 21-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with affray.

He's expected to appear before Mount Druitt Local Court on Thursday.

Thomas Magann, 26, faced the same court on Monday and was refused bail during his first mention. He's due to face court on April 18.
A Brisbane man charged for allegedly assaulting and torturing his girlfriend in an hours-long breakup dispute has been granted bail.

Police allege the 20-year-old choked, punched and forced the woman into the shower of his Woolloongabba home, where he sprayed her with hot water.

The woman then fled to a neighbour's house but later returned to speak to police with the man accused of assaulting her.

The man, who has no criminal history, faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday for offences including choking, assault and deprivation of liberty.

He was granted conditional bail and is due to reappear on May 14.
A north Queensland family is being investigated by police after a toddler was admitted to hospital for "shocking" burns suffered when he was placed on a hot stove.

AAP has been told the boy's mother was carrying the child and went to put him down on the kitchen bench, but accidentally placed him on the hot surface.

It is understood the mother-of-eight immediately took the child to Townsville Hospital following the March 27 incident.

The toddler was discharged on Wednesday, but Queensland police say it is still investigating the matter.

The family is known to the state's Child Safety Department.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said the incident raised questions of broader problems within the child safety system.

"We are concerned that this may be a case of another child slipping through the cracks," he said on Wednesday.

"It is reasonable to ask questions about how those injuries came about."

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer said the boy had sustained shocking injuries.

"Any injury suffered by a child is distressing," Ms Farmer said in a statement.

Ms Farmer said she had asked the department for a full briefing about the circumstances.

"The safety and wellbeing of all children known to the department is our top priority," she said.
Malcolm Turnbull will visit Victoria's coal mining region on Thursday as he continues his push to get AGL to sell a coal plant in NSW.

The prime minister is set to visit the Latrobe Valley, where AGL has its Loy Yang coal plant, and the site of Engie's recently-closed Hazelwood power station.

AGL Energy boss Andy Vesey has continued to resist pressure from the government to sell the Liddell power station in a bid to keep it open past 2022.

He said the decision to keep the ageing plant was based on a rigorous process.

"Second guessing is not part of that because when we make that decision we have alignment, we have the underlining work to prove it and that is the only way you can deal with these things," Mr Vesey told the Inspiring Leadership Summit in Sydney on Wednesday.

"I think it was a big step for the company and we still all agree that it was the right step."

Treasurer Scott Morrison on Tuesday urged AGL to consider an offer from Alinta Energy to buy the Liddell power station, which is expected to close in 2022.

Mr Turnbull also wants Liddell to stay open until 2025, when Snowy Hydro 2.0 is online, to ensure there is no gap in power availability.

But in a blog posted on AGL's website on Thursday, the company argueed it would cost $920 million just to keep the plant open for five more years.

"We can't cut corners on maintenance or refurbishment because workers' safety comes first," AGL said.

The company also plans to refurbish the site after 2022 with gas, solar and wind alternatives as well as battery storage.

But Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said AGL was yet to provide a financial commitment to all three stages.

"So you're asking the government to wait for a board decision down the track before we actually secure supply," he said.

"That is not something the government will do."
The national energy guarantee risks locking in a low ambition emissions reduction target for the electricity sector, a new report says.

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg told the National Press Club on Wednesday the guarantee would lock in Australia's Paris Agreement target of a 26 to 28 per cent reduction on 2005 emissions levels by 2030.

But a report prepared for the ACT government suggests that's a risk.

"Low ambition gives little confidence that the scheme will remain intact in the medium to long term," the report by consultancy group Ecoperspectives says.

"It locks in emissions in a critical sector of the economy and thereby requires much stronger and costlier action in other sectors of the economy.

"A potential solution to this may be to avoid locking in ambition and making it easy to tighten ambition going forward."

Labor vowed to increase the target to 45 per cent overall by 2030 if it forms government after the next election, based on a recommendation from the Climate Change Authority.

Currently, individual sectors are each working toward a 26 to 28 per cent reduction.

ACT Greens leader and Climate Change Minister Shane Rattenbury said that is a concern.

"We don't think that Australia can meet its Paris targets under this proposal because it doesn't extract enough emissions reductions from the energy sector," he told AAP on Wednesday.

"We know that it's a cheaper place to do it than say the agriculture sector or the transport sector, so that's certainly an issue."

The Ecoperspectives report also warned the NEG could "put upward pressure on power prices and may even fail to improve reliability".

But Mr Frydenberg said on Wednesday independent modelling had forecast a 23 per cent drop in wholesale prices between 2020 and 2030 while retailers would have reliability obligations to meet.

Australia's energy ministers will meet next Friday to consider the framework, which is yet to be released.

It requires unanimous support from states and territories and Mr Frydenberg is hopeful that will happen by August so legislation can go through federal parliament by the end of the year.
The sacking of a deputy principal from Melbourne's Trinity Grammar for cutting a student's hair on photo day was "not justified" and he's been offered his job back.

Trinity Grammar on Wednesday offered Rohan Brown a return to the school from Monday, April 16 after more than a month of angry protests from the school's community.

The school launched an independent review, which found the dismissal was "not justified".

"We hope Rohan accepts the offer to return to Trinity Grammar as Deputy Headmaster, working with Headmaster Michael Davies as he leads our fine school into the future," Trinity school council chairman Robert Utter said in a statement.

"The attention Trinity Grammar has attracted in recent weeks has been regrettable and we hope our school community can come together to move forward with care and respect."

The review found while Mr Brown breached the school's code of conduct, and this may have justified dismissal, Mr Davies chose not to end Mr Brown's contract, but weeks later when the school council dismissed the deputy principal, it did not actually have the authority to do so.

Mr Brown was sacked from Trinity Grammar School on March 8 after a video surfaced of him cutting a teenager's hair to meet requirements on the day of school photos.

Students current and former, along with parents, loudly protested the dismissal, including pupils wearing casual dress.
A hunt is underway for a crazed motorist who wielded a chainsaw during a terrifying road rage incident in western Sydney, with police condemning the behaviour as unacceptable.

The shirtless man was filmed throwing punches at the driver of a four-wheel drive after it stopped on Horsley Drive in Fairfield on Tuesday afternoon.

Two tradesmen rushed to the driver's aid and the man was subdued before he stormed back to his own vehicle, retrieving the chainsaw.

The 4WD moves on, but the man starts up the saw and revs it as onlookers scream.

He was filmed on a mobile phone swearing and demanding the person behind the camera stop recording.

NSW Police on Wednesday evening said local detectives were investigating.

"This type of behaviour is not acceptable in our community under any circumstances," a spokeswoman said in a statement.
Victoria will stick to its guns and refuse to sign on to any national agreement which undermines the state's climate change policies, Environment and Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio says.

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg expects the states and territories to sign off on the National Energy Guarantee by August, so legislation can be put in place by the end of the year.

But Ms D'Ambrosio, who will speak at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia event in Melbourne on Thursday on the NEG and Victoria's renewable energy target, says the state won't commit to a "political fix for Malcolm Turnbull."

"We want a detailed policy backed by consultation - something we are yet to see from Josh Frydenberg and the federal government," Ms D'Ambrosio told AAP in a statement ahead of her speech.

"We won't be signing up to anything that undermines Victoria's nation-leading renewable energy and climate change policies.

"Otherwise the only guarantee is that we won't support it."

Victoria is committed to its own renewable energy target of 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025, which the government expects will drive a 16 per cent reduction in the state's electricity sector greenhouse gas emissions between 2019/20 and 2034/35.

Australia's energy ministers will be expected to give their first indication on whether they'll support the NEG next week, but so far none of them have seen the framework.

Mr Frydenberg says it will be released by the Energy Security Board "relatively soon".
The federal government is set to promise $5 billion for a Melbourne airport train line and is suggesting the Victorian government gets on board with a 50-50 funding split.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will announce the funding pledge on Thursday, News Corp Australia reports.

The funding could mean construction starts as early as 2020, with a route selected from a business case already underway.

Mr Turnbull has written to Premier Daniel Andrews suggesting the two governments put in equal funding for the project, possibly using $2 billion Victoria will get from selling it's share of the Snowy Hydro Scheme.

Mr Andrews said in 2016 airport rail wasn't a top priority.

But in the last budget the state government funded the current business case.
A baby found on an inner Sydney street late Wednesday night is the subject of a police and social welfare investigation.

Surrey Hills residents found the baby sitting on a drain pipe about 11.30pm and called police, who sent the child to hospital for a health check, Nine Network reported on Thursday.

A woman, believed to be the mother of the child, says the baby was not abandoned but police are continuing their investigation along with the NSW Department of Community & Family Services.
The national doctor's association is urging Labor to agree to an across the board rise in the Medicare levy to fund the national disability insurance scheme.

Releasing a position paper on the NDIS, the Australian Medical Association argues "governments must commit to fund the NDIS to ensure its viability", as president Michael Gannon criticised the opposition's refusal to back a levy rise across all tax brackets.

"It (Mr Shorten's position) is disappointing because we want to see this scheme, which should be celebrated by both sides of politics, we want to see it implemented," Dr Gannon told The Australian on Thursday.
A $1 million research grant is being offered to experts wanting to move into dementia research in Australia.

The funding was announced on Thursday by the Dementia Australia Research Foundation and The Yulgilbar Foundation.

Dementia Australia chair Professor Graeme Samuel says it's an opportunity for researchers, especially those outside the field of traditional dementia research, to offer new approaches.

The foundations hope the grant will lead to discoveries that will prevent, delay the onset, slow the progress and ultimately, cure dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
This handout picture released by the Mexican Interior Ministry on January 19, 2017 shows Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "El Chapo" Guzman (C) escorted in Ciudad Juarez by the Mexican police as he is extradited to the United States

When Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman learned in 2006 his men had captured two suspected members of the rival Las Zetas cartel, he first wanted to have lunch.

Next the now jailed El Chapo -- then one of the world's most powerful drug traffickers -- ordered the men beaten and killed with bullets to the head, before their bodies were thrown in a hole and ignited.

The chilling incident is among the violent crimes allegedly carried out by Guzman included in a more than 90-page long memo filed Tuesday in a Brooklyn federal court, where he is slated to go on trial September 5.

The government filing laid out brutal crimes El Chapo is accused of committing that were not detailed in the indictment, evidence of which prosecutors are requesting permission to present at the trial.

The memo additionally alleges Guzman was behind an infamous gun battle at a disco in Puerto Vallarta that left six dead.

"Starting in the 1980s, the defendant systematically kidnapped, assaulted, tortured and murdered individuals who threatened the success of his drug tracking activity," the memo said.

The document also cites a 1993 seizure of 7.3 tons of cocaine stashed in cans of jalapeno chili peppers destined stateside.

The prosecution -- which claims to have some 300,000 pages of documents and hundreds of satellite photos, emails, videos and intercepted calls proving El Chapo's guilt -- requested some witnesses be allowed to testify under a pseudonym for security reasons.

Guzman's lawyer, Eduardo Balarezo, did not immediately respond to AFP request for comment.

El Chapo, 60, was one of the world's most powerful drug traffickers.

But his reign was cut short in January 2017 when he was extradited to the United States following his capture after a brash escape from a Mexican prison, his second jailbreak.

Accused of running the Sinaloa Cartel, a powerful criminal syndicate, Guzman is facing 17 charges. If convicted he is likely to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security US prison.
Japan's foreign minister Taro Kono is in South Korea for his first visit in more than two years

South Korea and Japan on Wednesday vowed to work closely together on North Korea ahead of the looming inter-Korea summit, but their foreign ministers remained divided over long-standing issues of Japan's wartime crimes and disputed islands.

Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono made a rare visit to Seoul armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of the April 27 summit between North and South Korea.

At a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in northeast Asia -- the North's Kim Jong Un is due to meet with the leaders of both South Korea and the US -- Japan has largely remained on the sidelines.

Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security fears.

Kono and his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha vowed "close communication and cooperation" to disarm the North and build peace on the flashpoint peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said after their meeting in Seoul.

The Japanese envoy also met with President Moon Jae-in, who said working together on North Korea was "more important than ever" ahead of the summits, the South's Yonhap agency reported.

It was the first visit to South Korea by a Japanese foreign minister in more than two years.

But the top diplomats remained divided on two thorny historical issues still unresolved.

The hugely emotional matter of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II has soured ties between the South and Japan for years.

Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims.

South Korea and Japan have also locked horns over Seoul-controlled islets in the sea between the two countries called Dokdo in the South and Takeshima in Japan.

"Kono expressed Japan's stance on 'comfort women' and Dokdo, and Kang explained our stance over 'comfort women' and made clear that the South cannot accept any argument by Japan over Dokdo," the ministry said in a statement.

Moon said last month that Japan cannot unilaterally declare the wartime issue "over," while Japan says any attempt to modify or scrap the deal, signed by Moon's predecessor Park Geun-Hye, could hurt relations.

Kono, before the Seoul visit, also said he would try to ensure that the "abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit", as well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues".

He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions.

But a statement on the meeting from Seoul's foreign ministry did not mention the topic -- a key issue in ties between Japan and the North, which habitually spats out angry threats of attack against "Japanese reactionaries."
Computer programmers are in high demand in Silicon Valley

Computer engineers are in high demand, with companies shelling out huge salaries for the best talent -- especially in California's Silicon Valley.

- Talent shortage -

According to nonprofit organization code.org, which works to increase representation in computer science, there are more than 520,000 vacancies in the field -- about 10 times more than the annual number of qualified graduates.

Meanwhile, labor market analysis firm Burningglass calculated that out of 26 million jobs posted online in 2015, seven million asked for some form of programming skills -- without necessarily requiring higher education or a computer science qualification.

A shortage of qualified candidates makes competition for talent fierce -- pushing up salaries.

As a result, it's in the interests of tech companies to back efforts to promote computer science education for younger children.

Companies also often recruit from abroad -- from Asia in particular -- to fill positions putting them at odds with the anti-immigration politics of the Trump administration.

- Sky-high salaries -

On average, a computer science graduate earns at least $90,000 to $100,000 a year in the United States.

Code.org says that's an average of 40 percent more than peers with degrees in other fields.

Even roles calling for simple programming skills are paid on average 35 percent more than jobs that don't, according to Burningglass.

- Training courses -

Aspiring software engineers have plenty of training options to choose from -- both in the classroom and online.

University studies generally entail four years and stratospheric tuition fees -- $10,000 to $20,000 a year for a public school, or $50,000 a year for a private institution such as Stanford in California.

Factor in housing, meals and books, and the bill shoots up to $70,000 a year, according to the California Institute of Technology (CalTech's) estimates for the 2018-19 academic year.

If students aren't able to secure scholarships, many in the United States are forced to rely on loans to fund their studies.

On the other hand, "bootcamp" programming courses tend to last a few weeks, targeting beginners or people who want to update their skills.

Increasingly popular over the past five years, some are tailored to particular groups such as women, children or minorities.

The Flatiron School, which has locations in New York, Washington and London, offers 15 weeks for $15,000.

- Diversity problem -

According to official US statistics cited by the Center for American Progress, among Silicon Valley computer programmers in 2015, just 2.2 percent were black and 4.7 percent Hispanic.

A 2016 study by Accenture for the organization Girls Who Code showed that 24 percent of IT jobs were filled by women -- and women made up just 18 percent of computer science students.

At Google, the company says 69 percent of its global employees are men -- a figure that rises to 80 percent when taking only tech roles into account.

And in the US generally, 53 percent of tech workers identify as white, compared to 39 percent Asian, one percent black and three percent Hispanic.
Song Tao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's international department, will lead the mission to North Korea

China will send a Communist Party official with an art troupe to North Korea for a festival celebrating the country's founder, state media said Wednesday, as the neighbours seek to heal battered relations.

The delegation will leave on Friday to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival at the invitation of North Korea's Workers' Party, China's official Xinhua news agency said in a brief report.

Song Tao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's international department, will lead the mission.

Song had visited Pyongyang late last year to brief officials about the party's October congress.

The festival is held in Pyongyang as part of the commemorations for the anniversary of the birth of the North's founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, 1912.

Both North Korean and foreign artists take part, and this year's week-long event includes concerts, dance performances and acrobatics.

China has sent art troupes to every festival since 1986, except in 2016.

Beijing is North Korea's sole major ally, an alliance dating back to the 1950-1953 Korean War, but relations deteriorated after China backed United Nations sanctions to punish Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons programme.

Both sides have since sought to improve ties, with North Korea's Kim Jong Un meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping last month in Beijing -- the young leader's first known official trip abroad.

Kim's visit was seen as an attempt by both leaders to shore up a key alliance ahead of the North Korean leader's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in this month and US President Donald Trump in the following weeks.

Song's trip "is an important cultural exchange activity to follow through on the consensus reached by the two heads of state," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.

"I think this will play a positive role in the deepening the cultural exchanges between China and the DPRK," Geng said, using the North's acronym.

Baik Tae-hyun, a spokesman for South Korea's unification ministry, said Seoul believes the Chinese delegation's trip is "part of the efforts to strengthen friendly cultural exchanges between North Korea and China following their summit".

Seoul, Baik added, "will watch with interest whether it will lead to a performance in China by North Korean artists that was cancelled in December 2015".
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has waded into the racism row sparked by acclaimed filmmaker Taika Waititi

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted her South Pacific nation was "undeniably" racist but said she is proud of efforts to stamp out the problem.

The centre-left leader was responding to comments from Kiwi film-maker Taika Waititi that his homeland is "racist as fuck".

Thor Ragnarok director Waititi, who is Maori, outlined the prejudice he had experienced in an interview with British magazine Dazed & Confused last week.

"It's racist as fuck. I mean, I think New Zealand is the best place on the planet, but its a racist place," he said.

"People just flat-out refuse to pronounce Maori names properly. Theres still profiling when it comes to Polynesians."

He said he had been asked during his youth whether he was a glue sniffer, simply because of his Maori background.

The remarks prompted fierce debate in New Zealand, with many backing him and others saying he was overstating a problem that was much worse in other countries.

Asked for her view on Waititi's assessment, Ardern joked: "I don't know where F sits on the quantum!"

"I think probably you'd be hard-pressed to find a country that didnt have racism in it," she told TV3 on Tuesday.

"Is New Zealand one of them? Undeniably. Is there racism in most countries? Undeniably. Can we do better? Yes.

"I'm really proud of the efforts we make daily to do better."

Waititi, who last year fronted a Human Rights Commission anti-racism campaign, waded back into the issue Wednesday in response to complaints that white New Zealanders were not the only people who displayed racism.

"YES there are racist Maori," he tweeted. "Many in my family too. It's everywhere. That's the damn point."
Myanmar journalists Kyaw Soe Oo (C) and Wa Lone (R), were arrested while investigating an army-led massacre of Rohingya Muslims

A Myanmar court on Wednesday rejected a motion to drop a case against two Reuters journalists arrested while investigating a massacre of Rohingya Muslims, even as seven soldiers were given lengthy sentences for their role in the killings.

Reporters Wa Lone, 32 and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 were detained in December and accused of violating the country's Official Secrets Act for possessing material relating to security operations in conflict-hit Rakhine state.

Myanmar has faced global condemnation and accusations of extrajudicial killings, ethnic cleansing and genocide as some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh following a military crackdown on insurgents.

The government rejects the allegations and says it was defending itself against attacks from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which occurred on August 25.

The two reporters have been held in Yangon's Insein prison since their arrest while facing hearings to determine whether the case will go to trial, with 17 out of 25 witnesses having given testimony.

Their lawyers asked the court last week to dismiss the case, citing in part troubling discrepancies in witness statements, but the motion was swiftly rejected in a Yangon courtroom packed with supporters, family and media.

"The court decided that the proposal from the defendants' lawyer to release the defendants before all the witnesses were cross-examined has been rejected," judge Ye Lwin said.

The pair had been investigating a massacre of 10 Rohingya men on September 2 in the Rakhine village of Inn Din that was carried out by security forces and local villagers.

The military admitted that the atrocity took place and Reuters later published the story while the reporters were in prison.

- Soldiers jailed -

In a rare punishment in a country where the military has long operated with impunity, seven soldiers were sentenced to jail with hard labour for their part in the killings, according to a Facebook post by the army chief late Tuesday.

The army has claimed the Rohingya men were "terrorists" but has not presented any evidence to back up the claim.

Wa Lone referred to the sentencing of the soldiers as he was being directed back into the police van following the hearing.

Wa Lone (C), who turned 32 on Wednesday, said he remained optimistic that they would be released one day

"Those who killed people in the mass killing were given a sentence of 10 years. We were simply trying to find out the news and report this and we are facing a trial that could result in us going to prison for 14 years," he said.

One of his lawyers Than Zaw Aung also compared the cases.

"My question is why are the journalists still in detention in prison if their report is true?"

The US embassy in Yangon said that while the verdict handed down in the Inn Din massacre case was an encouraging sign, "it merely underscores that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who sought to expose that crime, should be free".

The prosecution of the journalists has proceeded despite international calls for their release. Last month Reuters announced that prominent rights attorney Amal Clooney had joined the legal team.

Reuters president Stephen J. Adler said in a statement that the company is "deeply disappointed" with the court's decision.

"We believe that there are solid grounds for the court to dismiss this matter and to release our journalists. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were reporting on issues in Myanmar in an independent and impartial way," he said.

"They have not violated any laws in the course of their newsgathering and were simply doing their jobs."

James Gomez, Amnesty International's regional director, called the court development "appalling" and pointed to an "alarming erosion" in media freedom in Myanmar.

"The decision to press forward with this case sends a clear message to journalists operating in the country that certain topics remain off-limits, with dire consequences for those who dare address them, however peacefully," he said.

Family members of the reporters were in tears after the ruling.

But Wa Lone, who turned 32 on Wednesday and was brought cake by his friends, still expressed optimism.

"I believe in democracy. I also believe that one day we will be released because of freedom of expression," he said.
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Dying for a cup of coffee? Then you will feel right at home at Bangkok's new 'death awareness' cafe, where customers are urged to confront their own mortality with skeleton-shaped snacks and morbidly-named drinks.

The Kid Mai Death Cafe even features a resident skeleton who is on display and visitors are encouraged to get into a coffin for a few minutes to contemplate their final moments.

If they dare to get into the casket with the lid shut, they will secure a discount on a drink, with concoctions such as 'death' and 'painful' to choose from.

Customers at the Kid Mai Death Cafe in Bangkok are encouraged to lay down for a few minutes to contemplate their final moments - and secure a discount on a drink

A range of skull-shaped confectionery for sale at the quirky eatery, which was launched to educate the public about death

'I feel like I am in a funeral,' 28-year-old Duanghatai Boonmoh said with a laugh as she sipped a chocolate 'death smoothie' on a recent Saturday afternoon.

She and other curious customers took turns climbing into the wooden box as friends sealed the lid.

'The first thing that came to my mind was, what if no one opens it?' Duanghatai said after emerging from the coffin.

'How you going to tell everyone that 'I'm here, I'm still alive,'? I think that's probably the feeling you have when you know you're going to die soon,' she added.

There is a resident skeleton at the cafe, with its bones perched on the furniture

A man seen lying inside a traditional Thai coffin in a bid to get a discount on his drink

The cafe's owner says his restaurant is more than just a gimmick. Above, the lid slowly closes on a patron

The cafe's owner says his restaurant is more than just a gimmick or dark take on the cute and cuddly coffee shops common in the Thai capital, which boasts everything from cat, husky and meerkat cafes to unicorn and mermaid-themed eateries.

A professor and social researcher, Veeranut Rojanaprapa launched the cafe as a way to teach Thai people - some 90 per cent of whom identify as Buddhist - about the benefits of 'death awareness'.

'We found that having an awareness of death decreases greed and anger,' explained Veeranut, whose giggly demeanour belies his fascination with more morbid matters.

He believes the Buddhist concept, rooted in ideas of impermanence and selflessness, is the key to ridding Thai society of chronic problems like violence and corruption.

'When one is aware of their own death, they will do good. This is what our Lord Buddha teaches,' he explained.

The casket experience is also a way to nudge the country's technology-addicted youth to step back and reassess their personal lives.

A professor and social researcher, Veeranut Rojanaprapa launched the cafe as a way to teach Thai people - some 90 per cent of whom identify as Buddhist - about the benefits of 'death awareness'

Veeranut believes the Buddhist concept, rooted in ideas of impermanence and selflessness, is the key to ridding Thai society of chronic problems like violence and corruption

The cafe has also spread out to a public walkway, which is now posted with signs asking questions like: 'What is the purpose of your life?'

Explaining why he set up the cafe experience, Veeranut said: 'When one is aware of their own death, they will do good. This is what our Lord Buddha teaches'

'When teenagers go down to the coffin and our staff close the coffin, because of the darkness, because of the small space, they will be aware of themselves... they will recall the things that they still haven't done,' said Veeranut, adding that he makes a point of considering his own demise nightly.

The professor is not the first to offer a resurrection experience in Thailand, where a temple outside Bangkok is famous for hosting symbolic funerals for devotees looking to clear their souls of bad karma.

But his cafe and coffin sit squarely in the middle of a local community centre in northern Bangkok, offering a public - and morbid - reminder of mortality that not everybody in the neighbourhood is happy about.

The cafe has also spread out to a public walkway, which is now posted with signs asking questions like: 'What is the purpose of your life?'

'This is so disturbing. I feel really strange walking there and might avoid this shortcut,' one person wrote on a neighbourhood Facebook page.

Yet Veeranut says he welcomes any controversy as a sign of success.

'I love all of the complaints. Because if they are complaining it means they are thinking about death, they are aware of death.'

The professor is not the first to offer a resurrection experience in Thailand, where a temple outside Bangkok is famous for hosting symbolic funerals for devotees looking to clear their souls of bad karma

Some neighbours have complained about the concept but Veeranut says he welcomes any controversy as a sign of success

The cafe and coffin sit squarely in the middle of a local community centre in northern Bangkok
China has said it will allow greater foreign access to its stock markets

China said on Wednesday it would allow foreign investors greater access to its stock markets and promised that other previously announced financial reforms would come into effect within months in its latest conciliatory signals amid US trade tensions.

China's securities regulator said foreign investors would be allowed to trade a greater volume of shares on Chinese stock markets through existing programmes linking Hong Kong's bourse with mainland exchanges, and also will "strive" to establish a similar link between Shanghai and London this year.

Central Bank Governor Yi Gang also said China would move ahead with plans to remove limits on foreign shareholdings in Chinese financial institutions.

Foreign firms will be allowed to own as much as 51 percent of joint ventures in the securities, funds and futures industries, up from the current 49 percent, Yi told the Boao Forum for Asia in southern China.

All limits are to be removed in three years, the government had said previously.

Foreign ownership restrictions in Chinese banks and financial asset management firms also will be removed.

The foreign-ownership reforms were first announced in November during a state visit by US President Donald Trump, but the latest announcements appeared to set a firmer timetable for implementation, with Yi quoted saying they would commence "in the coming months".

The latest promises came a day after President Xi Jinping pledged at the same forum that China would lower car tariffs this year and take other steps to open the world's number two economy "wider and wider".

His comments addressed major US complaints in a simmering trade row that has seen both sides threaten retaliatory measures.

Both Yi and the China Securities Regulatory Commission said the allowable daily two-way trading volume between Hong Kong and mainland China's two exchanges would each be increased fourfold to 94 billion yuan ($15 billion), effective May 1.

A Hong Kong-Shanghai trading connection was established in 2014, and a similar one between Hong Kong and China's second exchange in Shenzhen two years later, giving foreigners greater access to Chinese stocks via Hong Kong, and vice versa.

A proposed London-Shanghai link was first disclosed in 2015 but no firm timetable had been set.

The US and European Union have long complained about market access in a host of industries, with foreign firms unable to take controlling stakes in Chinese firms.

In the tightly controlled banking sector, for example, overseas companies currently cannot hold more than 25 percent of a lender's capital, making it difficult for them to play a major role in the domestic market.

Analysts have previously downplayed such reform promises, saying they are being made now that Chinese enterprises have a firm hold on domestic markets.

Trump, however, on Tuesday praised Xi's "kind words" on reform and pledged to cooperate with China toward "great progress" in resolving trade differences.

Yi also said China would not devalue its currency as a weapon in a trade war, state television said.
The inquiry will investigate allegations New Zealand SAS forces killed civilians in Afghanistan, charges the military denies

New Zealand ordered a top-level inquiry Wednesday into allegations its special forces killed six civilians, including a three-year-old child, during a botched 2010 raid on an Afghan village.

The New Zealand military vehemently denies the accusations, which were first made in a book "Hit and Run" published last year.

The book alleged an elite SAS squad staged the raid as a "revenge attack" after a New Zealand soldier was killed, but faulty intelligence meant it targeted villagers rather than insurgents.

It also claimed the military covered up the raid's failure, falsely saying nine insurgents had died when it knew otherwise.

The centre-left Labour Party called for an independent inquiry while in opposition and Attorney-General David Parker reviewed the case following last year's election win.

Parker on Wednesday appointed former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer and Supreme Court judge Terence Arnold to head the probe.

"Bearing in mind the need for the public to have confidence in the NZDF, I have decided in the public interest that an inquiry is warranted," he said.

Parker said he had seen video of the raid suggesting there were "armed individuals" in the village but the footage was not conclusive, hence the need for the inquiry.

It will examine the conduct of troops during the raid, whether those killed were insurgents or civilians and the accuracy of military briefings given to the public and the government.

It is expected to take up to a year.

The New Zealand Defence Force chief, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, said he stood by earlier statements about the raid.

"At all times throughout this operation our NZSAS acted professionally and conducted themselves to the high standards expected of our special forces," he said.

New Zealand sent a reconstruction team and a small special forces contingent to join the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan in 2003.

In early August 2010, Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell became the first of New Zealand's 10 military deaths in Afghanistan when his patrol was hit by a roadside bomb.

The SAS raid in the northern province of Baghlan, carried out with US helicopter support, took place about two weeks later on August 22.

In the following days Mohammad Ismail, a district chief for Tala Wa Barfak, where the incident occurred, told AFP that eight people died in the raid, all civilians.

The New Zealand military initially kept silent about its involvement, then said nine insurgents were killed and no civilians harmed.
"Rare earths" are found in several high tech products including mobile phones

Japanese researchers have mapped vast reserves of rare earth elements in deep-sea mud, enough to feed global demand on a "semi-infinite basis," according to a fresh study.

The deposit, found within Japan's exclusive economic waters, contains more than 16 million tons of the elements needed to build high-tech products from mobile phones to electric vehicles, according to the study, released Tuesday in the journal "Scientific Reports."

The team, comprised of several universities, businesses and government institutions, surveyed the western Pacific Ocean near Minamitorishima Island, Japan.

In a sample area of the mineral-rich region, the team's survey estimated 1.2 million tons of "rare earth oxide" deposited there, said the study, conducted jointly by Yutaro Takaya, researcher with Waseda University and Yasuhiro Kato of the University of Tokyo, among others.

The finding extrapolates that a 2,500-square kilometre region off the southern Japanese island should contain 16 million tons of the valuable elements, and "has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world," the study said.

The area reserves offer "great potential as ore deposits for some of the most critically important elements in modern society," it said.

The report said there were hundreds of years of reserves of most of the rare earths in the area surveyed.

The team has also developed an efficient method to separate valuable elements from others in the mud.

The world relies heavily on China for rare earths, with Beijing producing most of the elements currently available on the market.

But Beijing has severely restricted exports of these products at times of diplomatic tension.

In 2010, for example, Japanese manufacturers faced serious supply shortages as China limited the valuable exports.

That came after Japan arrested the captain of a Chinese trawler that was involved in a run-in with Japanese coastguards near the disputed Senkaku Islands, claimed by China as the Diaoyus.

The Japanese study stressed the importance of the efforts to develop efficient and economic methods to collect the deep-sea mud.

"The enormous resource amount and the effectiveness of the mineral processing are strong indicators that this new (rare-earth rich mud) resource could be exploited in the near future," the study said.
Kim Ji-eun (R on television) has accused former presidential contender Ahn Hee-jung of raping her

A former South Korean presidential contender was indicted Wednesday on charges of raping his aide multiple times in the highest-profile case of the country's growing #MeToo movement.

Ahn Hee-jung -- who was widely seen as a strong contender to replace President Moon Jae-in when his term ends in 2022 -- was formally charged with rape and sexual harassment by abuse of power, a spokesman at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office said.

The spokesman said Ahn's first hearing is expected next month.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into Ahn after his aide said in a television interview that he had raped her four times since she was hired last June.

Fighting back tears, Kim Ji-eun, who was Ahn's personal assistant before becoming an aide in civil affairs, said last month that she had been unable to reject her boss in the rigid hierarchy of her office.

The 54-year-old politician has since stepped down from his post as the governor of South Chungcheong province and issued a formal apology but has claimed the sex was "consensual".

But detailed accounts from the victim as well as testimonies from witnesses provided evidence of Ahn's crimes, an official at the prosecutors' office told Yonhap news agency.

A second woman had come forward shortly after Kim's interview but prosecutors said her case will be excluded due to lack of evidence.

Ahn will not be physically detained as the court has denied the prosecutors' demand for an arrest warrant.

It has been an astonishing fall from grace for Ahn, who enjoyed huge popularity among young, liberal voters thanks to his wholesome image and good looks.

Ahn came second to Moon in the contest for the ruling Democratic Party's presidential nomination last year and was seen as a favourite for the next elections.

Ahn threw his support behind the #MeToo campaign against abuse of women in a public speech made just hours before Kim appeared on live TV to talk about the sex abuse she allegedly suffered at his hands.

Victims of sex abuse in patriarchal South Korea are reluctant to come forward due to fears of public shaming.

But Seo Ji-Hyeon, a prosecutor, in January made the rare move of appearing on live TV to talk about sex abuse by her superior.

Her interview opened a floodgate of similar revelations by women who accused figures including politicians, actors and film directors.
A member of Hamas's armed wing stands guard during a funeral in the Gaza Strip on March 22, 2018

The Israeli army said it fired at unspecified Hamas "military targets" in Gaza on Wednesday after a Palestinian bomb attack on an army engineering unit working inside the Hamas-ruled territory.

No Israelis were reported injured in the explosion, which the army's radio station said appeared to have targeted a mechanical digger.

It was not clear what the engineering unit was working on, though Israel routinely carries out maintenance work on or near the border fence in an area it considers a buffer zone.

The army said the bomb was planted under cover of mass protests along the Gaza-Israel border since March 30.

"During routine activity in northern Gaza, an explosive device that was placed under the guise of the riots was detonated against an (army) engineering vehicle on the western side of the security fence," a military statement said.

"In response, the Israel Defence Forces struck a number of Hamas military targets," it added.

The statement did not give the location of the targets or the type of military fire used. Israel has used both tank fire and air strikes against Hamas targets in the past.

A Gazan security source said the strikes had targeted a base for Hamas's armed wing east of Gaza City, causing damage but no injuries.

Separately, two Palestinians were moderately injured east of Gaza City in clashes on Wednesday morning, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

The mass rallies, under the name "the Great March of Return," call for Palestinian refugees to be allowed back to their former homes now inside Israel.

They have led to clashes in which Israeli forces have killed 31 Palestinians. No Israelis have been hurt.
China's communist leaders want to expunge the web of anything that contravenes "core socialist values"

One of China's most popular news apps issued an abject apology Wednesday and pledged to increase its internal censorship staff to 10,000 after it and three other apps were temporarily banned by the government in a widening content crackdown.

Chinese media reports earlier this week said the four apps, led by news and content aggregator Jinri Toutiao, had been ordered removed from app stores for up to three weeks.

They are the latest victims in a tightening wave of censorship by the ruling Communist Party aimed at expunging anything deemed in conflict with "core socialist values".

Zhang Yiming, the founder and CEO of Toutiao, said in an apology issued Wednesday on one of its social media feeds that he was "consumed by guilt and remorse, and have not slept all night" over the ban.

Toutiao is owned by Beijing-based technology group Bytedance, which boasts more than 200 million users and is one of the world's largest internet startups with a valuation over $20 billion, according to Bloomberg News.

The ban was triggered by a service Toutiao offered through which users shared ribald jokes and videos, which Zhang said had now been permanently shut down.

"Over the years, authorities have given us lots of guidance and support but I did not truly understand or recognise this in my heart," Zhang said.

Saying the company had prioritised growth over social responsibility, Zhang pledged to reassess the company's vision and offer more "positive" fare in these "great times" brought by the Communist Party.

Zhang said the number of Toutiao staff charged with eliminating banned content would be raised to 10,000, up from 6,000, and that it would create a blacklist of banned users and deploy new censorship technologies.

China tightly monitors the internet for sensitive or unapproved content, and has wielded an increasingly heavy hand as President Xi Jinping has strengthened his own grip on the country with calls for a return to socialist purity under the dominance of the party.

It wasn't clear what specific content triggered the moves against the three apps, which also included apps by Tencent, NetEase and Phoenix News.

Toutiao was banned from downloads for three weeks, while the others received lesser shutdowns.
Students fighting against a controversial policy that sets aside government jobs for special groups have united in mass protests rarely seen on such a scale in Bangladesh

Tens of thousands of university students marched in cities across Bangladesh on Wednesday in one of the biggest protests faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power.

Students fighting against a controversial policy that sets aside government jobs for special groups have united in mass protests rarely seen on such a scale in Bangladesh.

In Dhaka chanting mobs of students blockaded major roads and swarmed Dhaka University, bringing traffic to a standstill in the congested capital of 15 million.

Police were deployed to the university where clashes in recent days left more than 100 students injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.

"There are more than 5,000 protesters at the DU," a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer told AFP, referring to Bangladesh's most prestigious university.

Police in Savar, northwest of Dhaka, said an estimated 7,000 students had descended on a major highway linking traffic to the capital, causing chaos.

"They completely blockaded the road," police inspector Abdul Awal told AFP.

In Chittagong, the second-largest city, some 4,000 students blocked a railway track and roads, police said.

Protesters also caused disruptions in the major cities of Khulna, Barisal, Kushtia, Comilla, Mymensingh and Gopalganj.

The prime minister told parliament she had instructed her cabinet secretary to review the quota system and try to resolve the situation.

"Why should the people suffer? she said in a speech to parliament as reported by private broadcaster Ntv.

She condemned the violence and said in the past three civil service tests, more than 70 percent of the posts were recruited on merit.

Protests intensified Wednesday after allegations circulated widely on social media of a violent confrontation between a ruling party activist and a student protest leader.

Demonstrators want the share of top government positions set aside for minority groups and the disabled significantly reduced.

Demonstrators are irate that 30 percent of government positions are reserved for descendents of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war

They are also particularly irate that 30 percent of government positions are reserved for descendents of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war.

The government has promised to review the quota system but that caused a rift among demonstrators, with some accepting the assurance and others rejecting it.

A pro-government faction of the student movement had postponed its protest action but left-leaning groups pledged to keep up the fight.

"These job quotas are discriminatory. We want equal opportunities for all," said protestor Nur Mohammad, who said he missed out on a coveted government job because of the allocation system.

Hasina -- whose father was the architect of the Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan -- has in the past rejected demands to slash the quotas.
A South Korean farmer has confessed to inviting an unsuspecting neighbour eat his own dog

A South Korean farmer killed and cooked a neighbour's barking dog before inviting its unsuspecting owner to join him for a dog-meat dinner, police said Wednesday, in a case that has sparked online outrage.

The 62-year-old unnamed man confessed to the crime after another neighbour tipped off the pet owner's family.

He claimed he was so irritated by the dog's constant barking that he threw a stone at the two-year-old Welsh Corgi, resulting in the animal losing consciousness.

"Only after the dog passed out, he claims, he strangled the animal and cooked it," a detective in the southern city of Pyeongtaek told AFP.

"The man then invited his neighbours to share the meal, including the father of the dog-owning family", he said.

Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine. But consumption has declined as South Koreans increasingly embrace the idea of dogs as pets instead of livestock, with eating them now something of a taboo among younger generations.

The case came to light when a daughter of the family this week published an online plea calling for public support to ensure that the offender be punished sternly. A petition has so far gained almost 15,000 signatures.

"We had been all around the town, handing out leaflets containing the dog's picture, phone number and rewards of one million won ($940), in order to find the missing dog", the daughter told AFP by phone, asking for her family's name to be kept anonymous.

"When I reached the man's house, which is just three doors down from ours, he expressed sympathy, promising to let us know if he found the dog".

At that time, however, the farmer was hiding the dog, either alive or dead, in his barn, she said.

The following day, the suspect visited her father, drank with him and consoled him over the missing dog.

"He even invited neighbours to come share the dog meat, including my father who did not accept the invitation as he is a non-dog meat eater", she said.

As many as one million dogs are still consumed in South Korea each year, with the greasy red meat -- which is invariably boiled for tenderness -- believed to increase energy.

Activists have stepped up campaigns to ban dog consumption. Under a newly strengthened law, animal abusers face up to two years in prison or 20 million won ($18,700) in fines.
Inhabitants of the PK5 neighbourhood left bodies killed in clashes outside the UN base in Bangui

Seventeen people were killed in a flashpoint Muslim enclave of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), where a UN soldier also reportedly died, an AFP reporter saw Wednesday.

Residents of the PK5 district laid out the bodies of 17 men in front of the headquarters of the United Nations mission (MINUSCA) in Bangui, saying they had been killed in clashes on Tuesday between local armed groups and UN peacekeepers.

"Yesterday they killed lots of people. Here are the dead, which we have brought here," one man told AFP, as the bodies, draped in white, were laid before the closed door of the mission.

Several UN armoured vehicles were stationed around the MINUSCA base.

A security source late Tuesday said a UN soldier was killed and eight others wounded in the violence, which came when their patrol was ambushed on the outskirts of the neighbourhood.

"A Rwandan patrol supported by Central African forces was shot at and then pursued the attackers into PK5," the source had told AFP.

The violence marks a fresh escalation between MINUSCA and militia groups that control most of the CAR's territory.

The CAR spiralled into bloodshed after longtime leader Francois Bozize was overthrown in 2013 by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance.

France intervened militarily to push out the Seleka alliance, but the country -- one of the poorest in the world -- remains plagued by violence between ex-rebels and vigilante militias.

A large crowd gathered outside the entrance to the base and the UN deployed armoured vehicles nearby

Many armed groups are nominally organised along religious lines, but often fight for control of revenue from extortion, roadblocks or mineral resources.

The PK5 was once a Muslim rebel bastion, but is now home to several criminal groups that have taken advantage of the weakness of the state.

The UN recently threatened to dismantle all the armed groups' bases in the area unless they hand over their weapons, according to sources.

A series of clashes began on April 1, when UN peacekeepers on patrol in PK5 came under attack and returned fire. A security sweep began in the area on Sunday, which was followed by Tuesday's bloodshed.
A Russian soldier standing guard in a central street in Deir Ezzor is one of a rumoured 4,000 or 5,000 Russian military servicement stationed in Syria

As the threat of Western military action against the Syrian regime looms, Russia has already deployed thousands of troops in the war-torn country to back President Bashar al-Assad.

President Vladimir Putin first launched a military intervention in Syria in 2015, turning the tables in the multi-front civil war in favour of ally Assad.

The regime and its Iranian and Russian allies increasingly appear to be on the path to victory in Syria's brutal seven-year civil war, while the West has been reluctant to engage militarily.

Here is what you need to know about the Russian army's presence in Syria.

- How many troops? -

The precise number of Russian troops fighting in Syria is not known.

Putin said in December that some 48,000 Russian servicemen have taken part in the campaign.

He has ruled out dispatching ground troops in Syria, making the air force the mainstay of Moscow's Syria campaign.

Officials have acknowledged the presence of Russian advisors and military police in Syria, however.

Independent Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer estimated late last year that "up to a thousand" military police and special forces are fighting alongside regime troops.

In March, the defence ministry said a total of 2,954 Russian troops in Syria had voted in presidential polls, giving an idea of current numbers.

In December Putin made a surprise visit to Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Latakia, Syria where he ordered a partial pullout of the country's troops, saying their task had been largely completed.

Russia said the airbase, set up in 2015, would remain in operation permanently, while its naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus would be expanded.

Three battalions of military police and officers of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation would remain in Syria, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Putin first said in March 2016 that the country's military campaign in Syria was coming to an end.

Today few believe Russia is leaving the war-torn country any time soon.

- Mercenaries -

Officials and observers also point out the presence of a "shadow army" of Russian mercenaries in Syria, including those working for a private military company called Wagner.

Military expert Felgenhauer last year estimated the number of mercenaries at 2,000 to 3,000.

Moscow in March acknowledged five Russian nationals were killed and "dozens" wounded in US strikes on an area where no official troops were present, saying they all were in Syria "on their own initiative."

Various media reports in Russia and the United States said Wagner was being funded by one of Putin's allies Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Saint Petersburg businessman who previously carried out catering contracts for Russia's military and the Kremlin.

He has been charged by a US court and hit by Washington sanctions over setting up an internet "troll factory" that is accused of attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. He has denied involvement.

- How many casualties? -

Russia has officially acknowledged 84 military losses in the Syrian war, including 39 killed in a plane crash at Hmeimim in March that was not caused by military action.

- Fighter planes, bombers -

Russia rules the skies in Syria and the role of its air force there has been celebrated at home.

Bomber planes such as the Tu-22 and Tu-160 have also flown from Russia to hit targets in Syria.

- Navy, aircraft carriers -

Russian warships and submarines have also played a prominent role backing up the bombing campaign in Syria, firing missiles at Islamic State group targets from the Mediterranean.

The Hmeimim airbase on the western coast and the naval facility in Tartus have been protected by S-300 and S-400 air missile defence systems.

Russian ships, such as Moscow's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, have also completed missions in Syria. The Kuznetsov is now out of action for repairs set to last 2 to 3 years.

Russian ships are passing back and forth through the Bosphorus every couple of days.

The Russian defence ministry has previously said it will fire at any US craft that strikes government areas of Damascus, where Russian officials are also based.
In a tweet, President Donald Trump warned Russia that US missiles "will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'"

President Donald Trump warned Russia Wednesday about supporting Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and said US missiles "will be coming" in retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump's message comes one day after Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution at the United Nations Security Council to set up a panel to identify the perpetrators of Saturdays' alleged toxic gas attacks in Douma.

Russia has said its military specialists found no evidence of a chemical attack, and suggested that rebels staged or spread rumors of an attack to pin the blame on Damascus.

In an earlier Wednesday tweet, Trump said that there was "So much Fake News about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria."

Just before Trump's tweets, the Kremlin on Wednesday urged restraint in Syria, saying that countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilize the war-torn country.
Li Wenzu (centre) was trying to march from Beijing to Tianjin to highlight the disappearance of her husband into police custody

The wife of a detained Chinese human rights lawyer who had nearly completed a 100-kilometre (60-mile) march to highlight her husband's plight said she had been placed under house arrest on Wednesday.

"On April 11, 2018, trapped at home by forty or fifty people. A friend who came to visit was stopped and beaten. I can only climb out the window to shout," Li Wenzu wrote on her Twitter page on Wednesday afternoon.

The post included a video of Li sitting on a window ledge shouting and angrily gesturing to a crowd below.

In the video she described the plight of her husband Wang Quanzhang, an attorney who represented political activists and disappeared in a 2015 police sweep.

"He went to court for ordinary people. Now he's been arrested for a thousand days without [us] knowing if he is alive or dead. I went to find my husband," she said, referencing her march.

A close friend of Li's confirmed to AFP that she was "being controlled" by state security officers.

"She still can't leave her house," the friend said Wednesday evening, requesting anonymity.

Li's husband Wang has been charged with "subversion of state power" but authorities have blocked family-appointed lawyers from visiting him.

As well as representing activists he also acted for victims of land seizures.

His wife and a small group of supporters set off last Wednesday on a march from Beijing to the "No. 2 Detention Centre" in the northeastern city of Tianjin, where officials last said Wang was being held.

On Monday, shortly after reaching Tianjin, police officers detained at least two members of the group for several hours and forced Li and her friends to return to Beijing.

"They tried to make me give up on this march to Tianjin... I did not agree. I said that I have the freedom to go where I want," Li told AFP on Monday.

AFP was unable to reach Li on Wednesday, and state security officials do not have any publicly listed contact details.

- 'Legal limbo' -

China's ruling Communist party has repeatedly pledged to implement the "rule of law", but analysts say cases like Wang's highlight the stark limits of those promises.

"This sort of display of thuggery undermines the credibility of the Chinese criminal justice system," Amnesty International China researcher William Nee, said.

The country's courts are tightly controlled by the party, with forced confessions often used as evidence and guilty verdicts delivered in more than 99.9 percent of criminal cases.

Wang was one of more than 200 Chinese human rights lawyers and activists who were detained or questioned in the summer of 2015, the largest clampdown on the legal profession in recent history.

While the majority were released on bail, a handful -- including prominent lawyers Xie Yang and Li Heping -- were convicted of various crimes and sentenced to up to seven years in prison.

Wang's case is unusual because no trial date has even been announced. He is the last person in the so-called "709 crackdown" to remain in legal limbo.

Li has spent years trying in vain to obtain information on what has happened to her husband. Instead of answers, she has been put under constant police surveillance.

Li told AFP their five-year-old son is afraid of the state security officers who have permanently moved into an apartment below their home.
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with senior military leaders at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 9, 2018

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "missiles will be coming" in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, defying Russian warnings against a strike.

Upping the stakes in an escalating confrontation with Moscow, Trump took to Twitter in the strongest assertion yet that he plans to take military action in Syria.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote.

Damascus, which has long accused Washington of supporting "terrorists" opposed to the regime, hit back at Trump's threats.

"We are not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria," state news agency SANA quoted an official source at the foreign ministry as saying.

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.

Efforts to find a diplomatic solution at the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed, with Washington and Moscow opposing each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.

Trump in another tweet said US-Russian relations are "worse now" than ever, "and that includes the Cold War".

Russia has meanwhile taken to stronger and stronger warnings.

Syria chemical weapons attacks

"We would hope that all sides will avoid steps that in reality are not provoked by anything and that could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The situation is tense," Peskov said, adding that Russia is calling for an "unprejudiced and objective investigation before making judgements" on the suspected use of chemical weapons.

- Air traffic control alert -

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also insisted that "smart rockets should be aimed at terrorists, rather than the legitimate government" of Syria.

Trump has said he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay a "big" price for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Both Trump and his defence secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -- moved to within striking range of Syria.

An image grab from a video released by the Syrian Civil Defence shows hospital volunteers giving aid to children after an alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday

The air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has also released an alert from the European Aviation Safety Agency to flight operators in nearby airspace of "the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours."

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response "in the coming days."

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," he said, insisting he did "not want an escalation."

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a town in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is on the verge of falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.

- WHO demands access -

The OPCW said it would "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday demanded "immediate" access to the victims of the alleged chemical attack.

"We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma," said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," he added.

Unidentified volunteers spray a man with water at a makeshift hospital on April 7, 2018

In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad.

Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.

Douma has been heavily bombed by the regime and Russia making it extremely difficult for media, including AFP, to independently verify the claims.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the OPCW should be granted unfettered access to investigate.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for attacks, and the joint OPCW-UN taskforce that once did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed the Syria regime.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

burs-mm/dr
Inhabitants of the PK5 neighbourhood left bodies killed in clashes outside the UN base in Bangui

The Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest and most unstable countries, was rocked on Wednesday after 19 people, including a UN soldier, were killed and more than 100 wounded in clashes between peacekeepers and militias in a flashpoint Muslim enclave of the capital.

Bangui's bloodiest flareup in two years brought hundreds of angry residents of the PK5 district to the base of the United Nations mission, MINUSCA.

There they laid out the corpses of 17 men who they said had been killed by UN troops on Tuesday -- violence that according to MINUSCA had begun with an ambush of peacekeepers after they had launched a security sweep.

Several bodies bore bullet wounds, an AFP reporter saw.

"Yesterday they killed lots of people. Here are the dead, which we have brought here," one man told AFP, as the bodies, draped in white, were laid before the closed door of the mission.

Reacting to the clashes, President Faustin-Archange Touadera said later Wednesday that criminal groups were holding people in the troubled district to ransom.

"Bandits have taken the population hostage," Touadera said as he left a meeting of UN and African Union representatives, according to a video released by the UN.

"This operation has as its sole objective the apprehension of the leaders (of the armed militias). It is not against one community or against the population" of the area, he added.

A security source late Tuesday said a UN soldier was killed and eight were wounded in the violence, which came when their patrol was ambushed on the outskirts of the neighbourhood.

Fifty-six wounded people were brought to the Bangui public hospital, one of whom subsequently died, according to staff there. Separately, the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it treated 44 wounded.

"A Rwandan patrol supported by Central African forces was shot at and then pursued the attackers into PK5," the security source told AFP.

The clashes marked the bloodiest incident in Bangui since President Faustin-Archange Touadera was elected in 2016 -- an event showcased as a turning-point in one of the world's most chronically unstable countries.

"When President Touadera was on the campaign trail, he promised us that he would not touch a hair on a Muslim's head if we voted for him, which we did. Now you can see the results," said one of the demonstrators, who gave his name as Riyad.

The former French colony of 4.5 million people spiralled into bloodshed after longtime leader Francois Bozize was overthrown in 2013 by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance.

France intervened militarily to push out the Seleka alliance, but the country -- one of the poorest in the world -- remains plagued by violence between ex-rebels and vigilante militias.

A large crowd gathered outside the entrance to the base and the UN deployed armoured vehicles nearby

Many armed groups are nominally organised along Christian or Muslim affiliations.

They both typically gain their revenue from extortion, roadblocks or mineral resources.

The PK5 district was once a Muslim rebel bastion, but it is now home to several criminal groups who have taken advantage of the weakness of the state.

Touadera's government can claim to control just a fifth of the country, with the rest in the hands of militias.

The UN recently threatened to dismantle all the armed groups' bases in PK5 unless they hand over their weapons, according to sources.

A series of clashes began on April 1, when UN peacekeepers on patrol in PK5 came under attack and returned fire.

Protestors carried bodies of men killed in Tuesday's clashes and set them down in front of the UN peacekeeping mission

A security sweep that began in the area on Sunday led to the deaths of two people, with 60 others injured, and was followed by Tuesday's bloodshed.

The UN's under-secretary general for peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the African Union's commissioner for peace and security, Smail Chergui, issued a joint statement on Wednesday appealing for calm.

The two arrived in Bangui on Tuesday on a visit aimed at promoting peace in the troubled country.

The AU last July agreed to launch an "African peace initiative" for CAR, consisting of a round table gathering armed groups and the government.

It had finished off a round of exploratory talks with militia groups on April 1.

In Paris, the French foreign ministry said it condemned "with the greatest firmness the attacks and violence" against MINUSCA and CAR forces.

Their joint operation consisted of "disarming and arresting criminal groups" in PK5, it said.
Bio's office said Senegal had provided an airplane for the visit and that the new Sierra Leonean leader had limited his delegation to eight people "to curtail government wastage"

Sierra Leone's new President Julius Maada Bio has met with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall in Dakar on his first foreign trip since taking office last week, officials said Wednesday.

Bio said after their talks late Tuesday that the pair had discussed economic affairs and matters of governance, and "how Senegal can help Sierra Leone move forward," Sall's office said.

Choosing Senegal for his first foreign trip "shows his interest in developing a special relationship, built on friendship and mutual interests," Sall said.

In a statement, Bio's office said Sall had provided an airplane for the visit and that the new Sierra Leonean leader had limited his delegation to eight people "to curtail government wastage".

At a rally in the Sierra Leone capital Freetown after his victory, Bio, a former putschist who relinquished power to a democratically elected president in 1996, stressed the need for "discipline" and rigour in the management of public funds.

One of the world's poorest nations despite huge mineral and diamond deposits, Sierra Leone is recovering only gradually from war and disease. The West African nation's economy remains fragile, with corruption widespread in the former British colony.
Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi (R) arrives to attend a session of the UN conference on climate change in Bonn, Germany on November 15, 2017

Yemen's president holds court with top diplomats, dispatches letters of condolence or congratulations, and presides over periodic meetings with aides. He sometimes grants television interviews.

But after three years of gilded exile in Riyadh, whose military coalition has yet to roll back his Huthi rebel rivals, President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi is increasingly seen as a marginal figure -- and even by some as an obstacle to peace.

The Saudi-led alliance was launched in March 2015 with the goal of pushing back the Iran-allied Huthis, who seized control of much of the country including the capital Sanaa, and restoring the internationally recognised government to power.

The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead and tens of thousands wounded, creating what the United Nations says is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Now entering its fourth year, the coalition has shown signs of internal division, with some questioning the utility of Hadi to their cause.

- Embodiment of government -

Hadi is the embodiment of Yemen's internationally recognised government.

He was appointed president in 2012 as part of a political deal that saw his predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh cede power after months of street protests.

When the Shiite Huthis overran Sanaa in late 2014, Hadi was forced to flee the capital, going first to the southern city of Aden -- then into exile in Riyadh.

While the United Nations has since recognised Hadi as Yemen's president, that has not fazed the Huthis or even coalition member the United Arab Emirates, which in recent months torpedoed Hadi's authority in the southern port city of Aden.

In January, southern separatists backed by Abu Dhabi attacked pro-Hadi forces in Aden, overrunning the city. The government was forced to hunker down until Saudi and Emirati envoys arrived, in a visit publicised in UAE state media, to quell the infighting.

That showdown was the manifestation of the UAE's exasperation with Hadi, viewed as incompetent and too close to the Muslim Brotherhood, analysts say.

The Emirates and Britain, which backs the coalition both diplomatically and with arms, are in favour of a shuffle in the government camp, according to regional sources close to the process.

While aware of their Yemeni ally's shortcomings, the Saudis have made restoration of the government their mission. The United States, which provide weapons, intelligence and aerial refueling to the Saudi-led coalition, also sees Hadi as key to an eventual accord.

"At the end of the day Hadi, for all of his failings, represents something very important if we want to reach a political solution in Yemen," a senior US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The way the Emiratis are acting in the south is complicating the task of reaching a political solution. It's only perpetuating the problem of Yemen which is the militias, and armed groups," said the official.

The tensions with the southern separatists, and ever-present threats from Al-Qaeda and Islamic State group jihadists, mean Hadi's ministers cannot govern from the city they once declared their temporary capital.

- Plan B -

The spokesman of the Hadi government, Rajeh Badi, told AFP "the majority of ministers are spending the bulk of their time in Aden".

But most of those ministers are from Yemen's formerly independent south. Ministers who hail from northern Yemen work mainly from Riyadh.

They include Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al-Mikhlafi, who makes periodic visits to the government stronghold of Marib in central Yemen, as well as Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar who has difficult relations with the separatists.

Yemenis hold portraits of Saudi-backed Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi as they demonstrate on November 02, 2016 in the southern port city of Aden

Hadi has not stepped foot in Yemen for about a year, while two of his ministers quit in March accusing Saudi Arabia of controlling his movements.

In a September 2017 interview with Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Hadi said a military solution was "the most likely" to force an end to conflict.

But Yemeni political circles are increasingly looking for a way out -- floating a Plan B -- aimed at fostering a political process in the war-torn country.

Hadi would keep his "ceremonial" role as the head of state, but in effect be replaced by a political figure from the north -- an executive vice-president capable of negotiating an accord with the northern Huthi rebels.

"Hadi will inevitably remain a key figure in the process solely by virtue of his position as Yemen's internationally recognised president and head of Yemen's internationally precognized government," said Adam Baron, a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
The violence sparked protests in Indian Kashmir, including at the largest university in Srinagar

At least seven people, including three civilians, were killed in fighting in Indian Kashmir on Wednesday that sparked angry retaliatory protests and violent street clashes across the restive Himalayan region.

Kashmir -- divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in its entirety by both -- has witnessed a surge in violence with more than 100 people killed since the start of the year.

In the latest shootout, Indian forces killed three gunmen and a civilian allegedly being used as a human shield in Kulgam district in southern Kashmir, police said.

Hundreds of civilians marched on the village, chanting anti-India slogans and throwing stones at government forces who responded with live rounds, pellets and tear gas.

"Two civilians died when they came close to the encounter site," local police chief Shesh Paul Vaid told AFP.

A soldier who was wounded during the fighting died later in a military hospital, Vaid said.

The violence comes shortly after 20 people -- including four civilians -- were killed on a single day earlier this month.

Separatist rebels in Indian Kashmir have been fighting security forces for decades for independence or for a merger with Pakistan. Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died.

On Wednesday, students protested against Indian rule at Srinagar's largest university, while shops were closed in the city.

Tensions were particularly high before Wednesday's violence: two police officers were implicated this week in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl whose body was found in January.

Last year was the deadliest of this decade in the region, with more than 200 alleged militants killed in a counter-insurgency offensive dubbed "Operation All Out".
New Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopian history to come from the country's largest ethnicity the Oromo

Ethiopia's new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed paid a visit to a hotbed of anti-government protests Wednesday, asking residents for patience as he works to bring change to the country.

Abiy is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopian history to come from the country's largest ethnicity the Oromo, which took to the streets in late 2015 protesting the country's one-party government.

Those protests continued for months, leading to hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests in an unprecedented challenge to the 27-year rule of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

Just over a week after his inauguration, Abiy addressed a crowd of thousands gathered in a stadium in Ambo, a town in the Oromo federal region Oromia that is a hotbed of protests and strikes.

"We are now on the path of change and love," Abiy told a mostly Oromo crowd that police struggled to keep from the bandstand where he was speaking.

Addressing the rally in Ambo, west of Addis Ababa, Abiy referred to young Oromo men who led the at-times violent protests and enforced strikes in Oromia, as the "shield of the Oromo people"

"We want to work hand-in-hand with you. What we say and what we do must match," he added.

Abiy was chosen to succeed Hailemariam Desalegn announced in February that he would step down in a surprise move that analysts believe was partially driven by his inability to quell the anti-government sentiment.

A 10-month state of emergency imposed in October 2016 halted the worst of the protests, which were joined by the Amhara ethnic group, but unrest still broke out sporadically.

Ethiopia is once again under a state of emergency declared after Hailemariam's resignation, but many people are hopeful Abiy, a 42-year-old former minister of science and technology, can move the EPRDF away from its authoritarian past.

In his speech, Abiy referred to the Qeerroo, young Oromo men who led the at-times violent protests and enforced strikes in Oromia, as the "shield of the Oromo people".

"I ask you to give us time ... to take organised action," he said.
The new refinery will help meet India's fast growing demand for energy

Saudi Aramco on Wednesday announced a $44-billion deal to build a giant refinery complex in India with three Indian firms that will become a crucial new outlet for the world's biggest supplier.

The refinery at Ratnagiri on the west coast will be able to process up to 1.2 million barrels of crude a day, the Saudi company said after signing a memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation.

Ratnagiri will be among the world's largest "refining and petrochemicals projects and will be designed to meet India's fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand. The project cost is estimated at around $44 billion," said a statement.

"Saudi Aramco is the only company that can undertake (a) project of this scale," company president Amin Nasser said in Delhi.

The Indian accord is just the latest in a string of deals -- with French, US and Asian companies -- announced by Aramco as it seeks secure markets for its oil and to move away from being just a producer.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top three oil producers with Russia and the United States, while Aramco is the biggest company putting oil on the world market currently awash with product.

It will provide half of the oil to be processed at the new refinery, Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters.

Iraq has in the past year overtaken Saudi Arabia as India's main oil supplier so the refinery would be a major boost.

- India is 'key' -

"Investing in India is a key part of our company's global downstream strategy, and another milestone in our growing relationship with India," said Aramco president Nasser.

"Participating in this mega project will allow Saudi Aramco to go beyond our crude oil supplier role to a fully integrated position that may help usher in other areas of collaboration, such as refining, marketing, and petrochemicals for India's future energy demands," he added.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have set up a joint venture for the deal with Aramco, called Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd.

Aramco said it may "seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the mega refinery".

The Saudi giant and French firm Total this week announced a $5-billion deal to build a refinery at Jubail in Saudi Arabia.

Last month, Aramco awarded more than $8 billion worth of contracts to American firms to boost its US refinery operations.

Aramco has also pledged billions of dollars for deals in Malaysia and Indonesia in the past year.

In each case, supply deals have been a condition of refinery investment. Aramco is also carefully planning a huge stock market listing, ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, amid the turbulence of the world oil market.

The hotly-awaited stock market debut will happen in 2018 or 2019, depending on the market, the kingdom's finance minister told AFP on Tuesday.

"If the market is ready in 2018, we will go in 2018. If not, we will wait until 2019," Mohammed al-Jadaan said of the giant initial public offering.

"We are not desperate for listing. We will only list when the market is right," he said.

Jadaan said the government had not yet decided whether to list Aramco on the Saudi exchange alone, on a stock market abroad or seek a dual listing.

Saudi authorities plan an initial listing of five percent of Aramco, that would bring in more than $100 billion and would value the company overall at $2 trillion.
The US carrier group was en route to Manila, having returned to the Pacific after its warplanes launched more than 1,000 sorties last year, both against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and also in Afghanistan

More than two dozen F/A-18 Hornets roared off the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in an ear-splitting display of US military might as the aircraft carrier sailed through the South China Sea.

The training exercise Tuesday came ahead of a port call in the Philippines, which along with several other nations is embroiled in disputes with Beijing over its claim to the strategic waters.

The demonstration, during a visit by Philippine generals and journalists, was held just days after Beijing flexed its own military muscle with a huge naval drill involving its sole aircraft carrier and dozens of other vessels several hundred kilometres to the north.

"We have seen Chinese ships around us," carrier strike group commander Rear Admiral Steve Koehler said.

"They're one of the navies that operate in the South China Sea but I would tell you that we've seen nothing but professional work from the ships that we've encountered," he said.

Koehler acknowledged "there's a lot of disputes" over the area but insisted the carrier group was transiting through international waters.

Rear Admiral Steve Khoeler (L, with visiting Philippine army chief Lieutenant General Rolando Bautista) acknowledges 'there's a lot of disputes' over the South China Sea

The US, a long-time ally of the Philippines, is not party to any of the disputes but says it wants to keep the crucial waterway open to shipping.

"If all the navies are operating in accordance with the international norms and law, which is what we're doing and what we've seen all the navies that are operating in and around the South China Sea (do), that's the whole point," Koehler said.

"We have not seen any dangers in our actions."

Beijing has been building artificial islands to reinforce its claim over most of the resource-rich South China Sea.

Its neighbours, particularly some of those involved in maritime disputes over the waters, have expressed fears China could eventually restrict freedom of navigation and overflight.

Koehler said his strike group's presence in the area was planned well in advance and it was "probably by happenstance" that its mission coincided with the Chinese drill.

"Certainly in the last few years China has increased their naval capacity. We certainly see that," he said.

The Roosevelt's captain, Carlos Sardiello, said it was "in the vicinity" of Reed Bank, a supposedly gas-rich undersea formation claimed by Manila and Beijing, and about 270 nautical miles from Manila.

US warships regularly conduct 'freedom of navigation' operations near islands controlled by Beijing

Beijing has previously protested over similar US Navy manoeuvres in the South China Sea.

US warships regularly conduct "freedom of navigation" operations near islands controlled by Beijing.

The carrier group was en route to Manila, having returned to the Pacific after its warplanes launched more than 1,000 sorties last year, both against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and also in Afghanistan.

Compared with the 11 active carriers in the US Navy, China currently has just one.

But it has made no secret of its desire to build up its naval forces and last month announced an 8.1 percent increase in military spending to 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion).
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan says he won't run for re-election in the November midterms and will retire when his term ends in January

The most powerful Republican in the US Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan, says he will not seek re-election in November, in a blow to President Donald Trump's party as it braces for a battle to keep its congressional majority.

Ryan, who is second in line to the presidency, said he would serve as speaker through the November elections and into early January, the end of his term.

"This is a job that does not last forever," Ryan said, after he told the rank and file of his party that this year will be his last as a House member.

The 48-year-old Wisconsin Republican only assumed the House speakership in 2015. He took the role as an internal peacemaker after a conservative revolt ousted his predecessor John Boehner, and he never fully embraced Trump.

"You all know that I did not seek this job," Ryan told reporters.

"I took it reluctantly, but I have given this job everything that I have, and I have no regrets whatsoever for having accepted this responsibility."

He said his decision to retire was driven by a desire to spend more time with his family and not by the turmoil in the White House.

"What I realize is if I am here for one more term my kids will only have a weekend dad. I just can't let that happen," he said.

Tributes poured in from fellow Republicans including Trump, who called him "a truly good man."

"While he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!" the president tweeted.

Ryan, a fiscal conservative who ran for vice president in 2012 on Mitt Romney's ticket, gave no hint of his future political ambitions.

- Rumors for months -

His most important legislative achievement as speaker was passage in December of a major tax overhaul that included steep cuts in corporate taxes.

But he has come up short in his years-long effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, the health care reforms passed into law under president Barack Obama.

Rumors about Ryan's departure have swirled for months in Washington, where earlier this year the talk of his retirement grew so loud that the speaker publicly knocked down the reports.

But at the time he also said that, after 20 years in Congress, he would sit down with his wife this year to map out their future.

For his part Ryan insisted he was confident he was "leaving this majority in good hands with what I believe is a very bright future."

But his departure, at a time of upheaval in the administration, only highlights the disarray within the Republican Party as it faces a crucial election test in just over six months.

The party, deeply fractured between conservatives and moderates, has been described as ungovernable. And Trump's presidency has raised questions about the role of traditional conservatism in the Republican world.

Ryan's announcement is certain to set off a major succession battle, but he insisted he did not think his departure would make it harder for other Republicans to hold their seats.

But it no doubt could have a deflating effect on Republican efforts to maintain their control of Congress.

Democrats are fighting to flip the House, a difficult prospect in any election year, but one which experts have described as increasingly possible.

The number two Republican, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, is a frontrunner for the speaker's job should the party maintain its majority, but on Wednesday he divulged little about his plans.

- 'Break free' -

With the caucus deeply fractured -- and conservatives certain to play a major role in deciding the next Republican leader -- an intense competition will play out over who will become the party's policy chief in the age of Trump.

Number three Republican Steve Scalise, a Louisiana conservative, has also reportedly signaled he has his eye on the speakership.

Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the US Senate, praised Ryan as "a good man who is always true to his word."

He expressed hope that in his remaining time in Congress, Ryan would "break free from the hard-right factions of his caucus that have kept Congress from getting real things done," and reach across the aisle to work with Democrats.

But there was also sniping from the Democratic side.

"With his retirement announcement, Speaker Paul Ryan becomes the first casualty of the 2018 midterm election," tweeted House Democrat Gerry Connolly.
New Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is the first prime minister in modern Ethiopian history to come from the country's largest ethnic group, the Oromo

Ethiopia's new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed paid a visit to a hotbed of anti-government protests Wednesday, asking residents for patience as he works to bring change to the Horn of Africa country.

Abiy is the first prime minister to come from Ethiopia's largest ethnic group the Oromo, who spearheaded more than two years of unprecedented protests against the country's one-party government that left hundreds dead.

In the university town of Ambo -- a flashpoint for the protest movement -- Abiy was welcomed by dozens of horsemen adorned in traditional Oromo attire and cheering crowds, composed of the same young people who made up the ranks of the protesters.

Speaking just over a week after his inauguration to a surging crowd of thousands that police struggled to restrain, Abiy hailed the protesters, known as Qeerroo, as the "shield of the Oromo people".

"We are now on the path of change and love," Abiy said, appealing for patience from the residents of Ambo, 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of the capital Addis Ababa.

"I ask you to give us time ... to take organised action," he said.

Addressing the rally in Ambo, west of Addis Ababa, Abiy referred to young Oromo men who led the at-times violent protests and enforced strikes in Oromia as the "shield of the Oromo people"

"We want to work hand-in-hand with you. What we say and what we do must match."

- Breaking tradition -

The direct appeal to protesters stood in stark contrast to the situation in Ambo a year ago, when protesting students so feared voicing their opinions in public that they would only meet with journalists in an empty field outside of town.

"This is the first time the most powerful person in Ethiopia visited Ambo. The other leaders didn't like to visit because they were afraid. He broke that tradition," said Ambo resident Almaz Bulcha.

A 42-year-old former minister of science and technology, Abiy rose to prominence as part of a group of Oromo politicians within the all-powerful Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), who reached out to the protesters.

He was chosen to lead the party, which has been in power for 27 years, after former prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced in February that he would step down, a surprise move that analysts believe was partially driven by his inability to quell the anti-government sentiment.

Under Hailemariam, the government imposed a 10-month state of emergency to halt the violence in Oromia and the neighbouring Amhara region.

But anti-government sentiment remained strong among both ethnic groups, which together comprise 60 percent of Ethiopia's population and resent what they see as the over-representation of the Tigrayan minority within the ruling regime.

It is unclear how much of a factor Abiy's entreaties to the protesters and his Oromo ethnicity played in his appointment as prime minister.

- High hopes -

Since Abiy's inauguration, 11 high-profile dissidents arrested last month have been released from jail and internet service has been restored in the countryside after a months-long shutdown.

Last week, he paid a fence-mending visit to the southeastern Somali region, which saw clashes last year between Oromos and Somalis along their shared regional border that killed hundreds and displaced a million people.

However a state of emergency imposed after Hailemariam's resignation has yet to be lifted and all eyes are on the new premier's next moves.

"As a young man, I've never heard of an Oromo being leader of Ethiopia," said university student Dejenu Taye. "Being a leader is not enough. I'm now looking forward to him keeping his promises."
Momberg appeared at Randburg Magistrate's Court to file her appeal against convictions for racist insults

The first South African to be jailed for racist slurs went to court on Wednesday in a bid to appeal her conviction and three-year jail sentence.

Former realtor Vicki Momberg, 49, was last month sentenced to three years with one year suspended after being found guilty of four counts of crimen injuria -- wilfully hurting someone's dignity -- for repeatedly hurling the word "kaffir" at a black policeman.

Her case turned the spotlight on racial divisions in South Africa a generation after the end of apartheid rule.

Momberg had been caught on video verbally abusing a black police officer who had been trying to assist her following a break-in of her car in 2016.

She used the word "kaffir" -- a deeply offensive term in the racially-sensitive country -- 48 times.

She is the first person in South Africa to be sent to prison for crimen injuria. Previous convictions typically resulted in fines.

In 2016, another white real estate agent Penny Sparrow was fined $10,000 for comparing black beachgoers to monkeys in a Facebook post.

The state prosecution Yusuf Baba on Wednesday opposed Momberg's application describing it as "vague" and "fatally defective".

"The grounds of appeal are bad," said Baba.

The appeal hearing continues next Wednesday.

Momberg's sentence was largely welcomed by the government, civil society groups and many South Africans.

But campaign group AfriForum, which advocates for its largely white membership, many of whom speak Afrikaans, criticised the sentence saying it exposed the application of double standards in matters concerning race.
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis answers a question at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 11, 2018

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday the Pentagon is ready to provide options for a Syria strike in response to a suspected chemical attack, but noted the US and its allies are still gathering information.

"We are still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies, we are still working on this," Mattis told reporters when asked if he had seen enough evidence to blame President Bashar al-Assad's regime for the alleged chemical attack in Douma.

"We stand ready to provide military options, if they're appropriate, as the president determined."

President Donald Trump vowed on Twitter that missiles would be launched at Syria following Saturday's alleged chemical attack, all but guaranteeing a military strike against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Russian army has accused the White Helmets civil defense organization in Syria of staging a chemical weapons attack in Douma that has led to calls for further Western intervention.

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the attack bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been blamed for previous attacks.

Last year, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the United Nations later pinned on Assad.
Movement for the Salvation of Azawad militants patrol along the Mali-Niger border on February 3, 2018

France will lead a push at the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on parties in Mali blocking efforts to turn a three-year-old peace agreement into reality on the ground, the French ambassador said Wednesday.

Britain and the United States said they backed targeted sanctions as violence continues to engulf the West African country and signatories of a 2015 peace deal fail to deliver on their promises.

"We cannot wait any longer," French Ambassador Francois Delattre told a council meeting on Mali.

"France will together with its partners, in the coming weeks... begin work to identify those who obstruct the implementation of the peace agreement."

Last year, the council set up a sanctions regime for Mali that would allow the blacklisting of individuals and entities, which would be hit by a global travel ban and an assets freeze.

The list to be agreed by the council would be the first targeted sanctions imposed on Mali.

Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups in June 2015 to end the fighting, but insurgents remain active, including in central Mali.

UN envoy Mahamat Saleh Annadif told the council that the security situation was worsening as the country heads toward a presidential election in July and August.

Seven UN peacekeepers have been killed in attacks in Mali this year alone, serving in a mission that has been described as the UN's most dangerous.

The United Nations has deployed 13,000 troops and police in Mali, many of whom are deployed in the lawless north of the country.

Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

A UN panel of experts warned in a report to the council last month that insecurity "continues to rage" in Mali despite diplomatic efforts.

Human, drug and arms trafficking remain rife, and despite the 2015 deal, "the humanitarian situation in the north and center of the country remains volatile, unstable and a marked deterioration persists," said the report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

The ongoing crisis in Mali led to the creation of the multinational G5-Sahel force to respond to what the report described as "intensified terrorist threats of the ISGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) and Ansar al-Islam."
The week-long event is the 31st of its kind

Eleven tiny unicyclists circled in front of a Pyongyang theatre Wednesday to celebrate North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung.

The five- and six-year-olds -- boys in red caps and leotards, with white shirts and tights, and girls in sequinned yellow dresses -- confidently rode their cycles round and round, waving the emblem of the April Spring Friendship Art Festival.

The event features concerts, dance performances and acrobatics

The week-long event, the 31st of its kind, is part of the annual commemorations of the anniversary of the birth of the North's founder Kim Il Sung, who remains the country's Eternal President despite dying in 1994.

It features concerts, dance performances and acrobatics, and is one of the rituals with which North Korean authorities inculcate and reinforce loyalty to the ruling dynasty.

By far the biggest contingent of foreign artists at the festival came from the North's longstanding backer Russia

Small girls in colourful dresses spun and danced, youths waved flags, acrobats leapt and an all-female marching band played as more than 200 foreign performers -- mostly from former Soviet bloc states -- walked into the venue.

The 106th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth on April 15 is "the most auspicious holiday of Korean people and the world's progressive people", culture minister Pak Chun Nam told the opening ceremony.

Korea's people were "advancing towards a brighter future", he added, "under the wise leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Un".

Pyongyang remains isolated despite a recent and rapid diplomatic rapprochement on the peninsula

The third member of the family to rule the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the country is officially known, Kim Jong Un has overseen rapid strides in the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The UN Security Council has imposed multiple sets of sanctions as a result.

The 106th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth is on April 15

Pyongyang remains isolated despite a recent and rapid diplomatic rapprochement on the peninsula -- a summit between North and South will be held later this month, ahead of planned talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump, and Kim visited Beijing two weeks ago to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

By far the biggest contingent of foreign artists at the festival came from the North's longstanding backer Russia, followed by Belarus, but there were also a smattering of westerners from France, Spain and Portugal.

A concert by a North Korean orchestra opened with The Song of General Kim Il Sung

A concert by a North Korean orchestra opened with The Song of General Kim Il Sung, with English and Russian subtitles displayed on either side of the stage:

"Who is the partisan whose deeds are unsurpassed / Who is the patriot whose fame shall ever last / So dear to all our hearts is our General's glorious name / Our own beloved Kim Il Sung of undying fame."

As his portrait was projected on the backdrop, the audience erupted into applause.
Most international airlines no longer fly to Damascus since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war more than seven years ago

International airlines said Wednesday they were modifying their flight plans after a warning from Europe's air safety watchdog about potential military strikes on Syria in the coming days.

The European Aviation Safety Agency alerted airlines on Tuesday of the possible launch of "air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours", urging them to take precautionary measures.

"Air France has taken the EASA information into account and modified its flight plans for affected destinations, mainly Beirut and Tel Aviv," the airline said, adding that it was monitoring the situation.

Lebanon's Middle East Airlines will also be changing flight paths for planes heading to Beirut, an official at the city's airport told AFP.

"The decision includes all arriving and departing flights starting from tomorrow morning (Thursday) following the warning from the European Aviation Safety Agency," the official said.

Flights from the Gulf will be affected more than others, with expected delays of 30 to 40 minutes, because instead of flying over northern Syria they will travel over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and then on to the Gulf.

The EASA cited a risk of "intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment" for commercial flights in the region in case of military action.

Most international airlines no longer fly to Damascus since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war more than seven years ago.

The heightened tensions follow reports of a new chemical attack in the rebel-held city of Douma, not far from Damascus, which has prompted a global outcry against the heavy civilian casualties from the Syrian regime's bombing campaign in the area.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "missiles will be coming" in response to the alleged chemical attack.
President Donald Trump is stepping up his attacks on special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election

As US President Donald Trump steps up his attacks on the Russia probe, denouncing it as "corrupt," legal experts are divided over whether he has the authority to fire Robert Mueller, the former FBI chief heading the investigation.

Most constitutional scholars argue that only the deputy US attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, has the power to dismiss the special counsel.

But the White House -- and an increasingly frustrated Trump -- clearly disagree.

"We've been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday.

"I know a number of individuals in the legal community, and including at the Department of Justice, (believe) that he has the power to do so."

Not so, said Peter M. Shane, a law professor at The Ohio State University.

"Mr. Mueller may be fired only by the acting attorney general and only for 'good cause,'" Shane said.

"The idea that the president may fire Mr. Mueller directly is based on an incorrect understanding of the scope of the chief executive's constitutional authority," Shane told AFP.

Trump has repeatedly and vehemently denounced as a "witch hunt" the Mueller probe into whether his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to get him elected.

Trump's anger reached new heights this week following a raid on his lawyer's office in New York by FBI agents looking into alleged hush money payments made to a porn star and a Playboy model during the campaign.

- Saturday Night Massacre -

As members of Congress on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan bill that would protect the special counsel, Trump further ratcheted up his attacks on the Mueller probe.

"Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russian Investigation, headed up by all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama," Trump tweeted. "Mueller is most conflicted of all... No Collusion, so they go crazy!"

Most legal experts believe that Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, is the only one with the authority to fire him since Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the affair.

"Trump cannot directly fire Mueller," said Andrew Kent, a professor at Fordham Law School. "Current Department of Justice regulations forbid that.

"Trump can order Rosenstein to fire Mueller," Kent said. "Rosenstein could comply or refuse. If he refused, Trump would likely fire Rosenstein.

"Trump could keep firing people down the chain of command until he found someone willing to fire Mueller," Kent said.

Such a scenario evokes the 1973 "Saturday Night Massacre," when president Richard Nixon ordered the firing of special counsel Archibald Cox, who was looking into the break-in at Democratic headquarters at the Watergate.

The move backfired and triggered impeachment moves against Nixon by the House of Representatives and eventually led to his resignation.

Alan Dershowitz, a leading constitutional law scholar, dined with Trump at the White House on Tuesday night and said it would be a "mistake" for the president to attempt to get rid of Mueller.

"I think that it would be perceived as political and I think a lot of Republicans would be concerned about that," Dershowitz told Slate.com. "I think it would be a political mistake to do that.

"I think his much better course is to proceed with the investigation, and tell the truth," Dershowitz said.

Several top Republicans said they do not believe Trump will try to fire Mueller, whose probe has led to charges against members of the president's inner circle that include money laundering and lying under oath, but -- so far -- no direct charges of collusion with Russia.

It would be "suicide" for the president to fire Mueller, said Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, who announced Wednesday that he will not run for re-election in November, said he has received "assurances" from the White House that Trump will not move against Mueller or Rosenstein.

"I think they should be allowed to do their jobs," Ryan said. "We have a rule of law in this country and that's a principle we all uphold."
US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin defends proposed cuts to US support for multilateral aid agencies and programs

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday defended budget proposals that would sharply cut or eliminate American support for multilateral aid agencies and programs.

The remarks in congressional testimony come a week before the World Bank and International Monetary Fund hold their Spring Meetings in Washington.

The Treasury Department in October rejected a World Bank request for a capital increase, calling instead for greater efficiency.

The department's budget request for the 2019 fiscal year, which begins in October, calls for cutting US contributions to a World Bank arm and other programs and organizations by nearly $400 million from 2017 levels.

The proposal, which has no bearing on budget ultimately approved by Congress, is nevertheless a strong signal of the current administration's political priorities.

"Our budget envisions United States contribution levels that are more appropriate relative to those of our partner countries," Mnuchin told a subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations.

"We seek to balance priorities and direct government resources to programs that support the national interest and national security," he added.

"Treasury also encourages international financial institutions to operate more efficiently and has been a driver of shareholder support for reforms."

The budget proposal would reduce US support for the World Bank's International Development Association, its fund for the world's poorest, by eight percent to just over $1 billion.

It would also impose a 20 percent cut on the African Development Fund, while cutting in half US contributions to the Global Environment Facility, or GEF, and the Asian Development Fund.

The budget would also completely eliminate all support for two major agricultural and food security programs.

Republican and Democrat lawmakers on the panel expressed concern over the apparent US retreat from the global arena, warning that reduced support for development could foment regional instability and create strategic opportunities for China.

But Mnuchin told the panel many of the funding objectives had either already been met or were addressed elsewhere in the federal budget.

"There are a lot of facilities that focus on environmental issues. This is just one of them," Mnuchin said of the GEF, a grant-making fund established ahead of the 1992 Rio Summit.

"The reason why we're comfortable cutting this facility or asking for a cut in half is because this facility has defined obligations. A significant amount of them have already been impacted."
Amadou -- nicknamed "the Phoenix" for his political comebacks -- challenged the incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou in Niger's 2016 presidential election

Niger opposition leader and former premier Hama Amadou on Wednesday lost an appeal against a one-year jail term for baby smuggling, legal sources said.

The case has becoming a long-running political saga in the Sahel country, with Amadou's lawyers saying the prosecution is aimed at sidelining President Mahamadou Issoufou's biggest rival.

As Amadou lives in France, he was tried and convicted in absentia, and would have to return to Niger in order to serve his sentence.

He is among a group of around 20 people, including one of his wives, who in March 2017 received one-year terms for allegedly smugging babies from Nigeria via Benin to wealthy couples in Niger.

Amadou -- nicknamed "the Phoenix" for his political comebacks -- challenged Issoufou in Niger's presidential elections in 2016.

He was arrested on November 14, 2015, on his return from exile, and was forced to campaign for the presidency from behind bars.

He was released on medical grounds on March 16, 2016, four days before the second round of the voting, and flew to France.

Issoufou went on to win with 92 percent of the run-off ballot. With the opposition boycotting the election, Amadou only got seven percent of the vote.

Constitutional lawyer Amadou Boubacar confirmed that under Nigerien law, Amadou was now barred from elective office.

"His appeal has been rejected, which means that his conviction is definitive," Boubacar told AFP. "Unless and until he is declared innocent, he will not be entitled to vote or run for office."
The guided missile destroyer USS Porter launches a Tomahawk missile toward Iraq during the initial stages of US-led invasion in 2003

US President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday that missiles would be launched at Syria following a suspected chemical attack, virtually ensuring a military strike against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The question now becomes what the United States, probably with France and Britain, will hit in war-torn Syria, and what are the risks of escalation and miscalculation with Assad allies Russia and Iran.

- What will it target? -

The United States and its allies France and Britain want to send a clear and definitive message to Assad that the future use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

One way to ensure Assad cannot use such weapons is to conduct strikes on his chemical infrastructure, including by targeting factories and weapons holding areas.

However, such an action carries risks, including the possibility of unintentionally unleashing a cloud of toxic gas into the environment.

The strike could also target what is left of Assad's air force and air defenses, though the delay between Saturday's attack and an eventual retaliatory strike means he likely will have moved his warplanes to safety.

Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst for the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, told AFP that one potential target would be Dumayr military airport northeast of Damascus, from where regime aircraft used in Saturday's attack may have launched.

Moscow has two air bases on the Syrian coast, Tartus and Hmeimim, protected by S-300 and S-400 air missile defense systems.

- How big will the strike be? -

Trump last year ordered a strike against Assad following a deadly sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.

The US Navy launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, targeting Shayrat air base, its aircraft, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radars.

But the strike was limited and designed to not draw America into the chaos of Syria's bloody civil war.

Since then, the regime is alleged to have repeatedly used chlorine and other chemicals, forcing Pentagon planners to consider broader action.

Cafarella said the United States must decide how far it wants to go in terms of hitting Iranian proxy forces near US positions in eastern Syria, or even targeting Russian-supported facilities.

"The president has publicly stated that he intends to hold not just Assad but his backers accountable as well," she noted.

- How will it be launched? -

A strike against Syria will likely come in the form of missiles, as was the case last year.

The United States would not want to risk putting manned fighters over Syrian air defenses -- a shoot-down would send the conflict spiraling in unforeseeable new directions.

The USS Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, is within easy striking range of Syria, as is a French frigate with its own cruise missiles.

These two ships, possibly aided by a US submarine, are likely to play a role in a strike.

The US also has B-2 bombers at its disposal. These stealth planes were used in 2017 against the Islamic State group in Libya, having flown all the way from America on a 34-hour round trip.

- What are the risks? -

The reaction from Assad backer Moscow is unpredictable and Russia has threatened retaliatory action against the United States if missiles are fired at Syria.

The Russian army on Wednesday accused the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging a chemical weapons attack in Douma, where observers say more than 40 people died in a gas attack.

NBC News reported Tuesday that Russia has learned how to use GPS jammers to limit the capabilities of US drones operating over Syria.

"The US has to be very careful not to accidentally strike Russian targets or kill Russian advisors," Ben Connable, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, told AFP.

"That significantly limits the number of options available to the United States, because the Russians are embedded in many cases with the Syrians."

Connable warned that if the US accidentally or purposefully kills uniformed Russian soldiers, there would potentially be a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear powers.
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A convoy of 3,800 people evacuated from Eastern Ghouta, including fighters from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, was allowed to enter the northern Syrian town of Al-Bab on Wednesday after being stalled by pro-Turkey rebels, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the group was being let in "after the order was given by Turkish authorities" to rebels controlling the region.

Dozens of people demonstrated earlier in Al-Bab to demand rebels allow the Islamist fighters to enter, an AFP correspondent reported.

The evacuees in buses -- including 1,300 Jaish al-Islam fighters -- had been stranded for several hours between the last regime checkpoint in the village of Abu Zindein and the area controlled by rebels, the Britain-based Syria Observatory for Human Rights said.

It said a similar convoy from Eastern Ghouta had been held up on Tuesday before the local rebels confiscated the light arms of more than 1,100 Jaish al-Islam fighters.

Jaish al-Islam is the group that controlled Douma, the main city in Eastern Ghouta and the last area in the one-time rebel enclave that regime and allied forces have not fully retaken.

Rebels from other groups have already been evacuated as part of deals brokered by Russia following a weeks-long air and ground offensive that killed more than 1,600 civilians.

Talks with Jaish al-Islam were more complicated, notably because the group has had strained relations with rival, Turkish-backed factions.

More than 7,000 people have already been evacuated from the Douma area in recent days, around a third of them fighters.

Russia and Syria resumed bombardment of the Douma area when talks for Jaish al-Islam's evacuation sputtered last week, culminating in an alleged chemical strike on Saturday.

Russia claimed Wednesday that the attack was staged, and accused the United States of fabricating evidence to justify punitive missile strikes.

It also said Eastern Ghouta had been completely stabilised and that units of Russian military police would be deployed across Douma on Thursday.
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg defends his company's business model to the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg emerged largely unscathed Wednesday from two days of high-stakes hearings that saw US lawmakers grill the billionaire over how the online giant feeds users' data to advertisers and chide him over privacy rights.

The marathon 10 hours of questioning was one of the biggest spectacles in Congress in recent memory, followed blow by blow on social media under the hashtags #ZuckerBowl and #ZuckUnderOath.

Channeling public anger over data privacy lapses -- including most spectacularly the leak of personal information from 87 million Facebook users to a political consultant -- lawmakers in both House and Senate raised the specter of regulations to bring online firms to heel.

The 33-year-old CEO conceded that some regulation of social media companies is "inevitable," while offering a laundry list of reform pledges at Facebook and vowing to improve privacy and security.

But he stiffly defended Facebook's business model -- specifically the way it uses data and postings from the 2.2 billion users of its free platform -- calling it necessary to attract ad revenue the $480 billion company depends on.

In the wake of the massive leak of user information to Cambridge Analytica, which worked for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, Zuckerberg reiterated that the company had shut down the pipeline that allowed data -- including his own -- to slip without consent into the hands of third parties.

A day earlier Zuckerberg took personal responsibility for the data breach.

Yet in his testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he was also steadfast in arguing that Facebook's users themselves are choosing to make their data available, and that the company's "opt-in" provisions offered them sufficient control.

"Every time that a person chooses to share something on Facebook, they're proactively going to the service and choosing that they want to share a photo, write a message to someone."

"Every time there is a control right there," Zuckerberg said.

- 'Real trust gap' -

Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg (L) receives a copy of the US Constitution from Rep. Jeff Duncan after a hearing on social media

Zuckerberg faced tougher questions from House lawmakers over Facebook's stance than during Tuesday's five-hour session in the Senate, where his defense of data sharing was weakly challenged.

"It strikes me that there's a real trust gap here. Why should we trust you?" asked Democratic Representative Mike Doyle.

"The only way we're going to close this trust gap is through legislation that creates and empowers a sufficiently resourced expert oversight agency, with rulemaking authority to protect the digital privacy and ensure that companies protect our users' data."

- A path forward -

FFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (C) faced tough questions about trustworthiness over the company's handling of users' personal data

Some analysts said Zuckerberg's appearance suggests a new path forward for social media under closer scrutiny.

"Zuckerberg's testimony demonstrated that the company has matured over the last decade, in particular in his acknowledgement that Facebook is responsible for the content shared on its platform," said University of Delaware communications professor Dannagal Young.

"Acknowledging responsibility for the content shared on the platform changes how Facebook ought to engage in gatekeeping and fact-checking, and how the government might go about regulating the industry."

Syracuse University professor Jennifer Grygiel called the hearings "an important milestone."

"This is a first step in the process of writing much needed regulation," she said.

"It is clear from congressional testimony that self-regulation alone is not working and that regulatory oversight is needed in the United States in order to ensure safe social media."

- 'Glaring gaps' in understanding -

Facebook worldwide

Noting that a European data protection standard due to come into effect on May 25 was more stringent than what was currently in place at Facebook, Zuckerberg suggested it could serve as a rough model for US rules in the future.

Facebook is implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standard for European users next month, and some of its rules will be extended to US and other users later, he confirmed.

"The GDPR requires us to do a few more things and we are going to extend that to the world," he said.

By one measure, Zuckerberg succeeded in his Washington appearance. Facebook shares rose five percent on Tuesday and added another 0.78 percent Wednesday in what was seen as a sign of confidence in the company after steep losses in recent weeks.

"To me, he came across as very conciliatory, especially when he took full responsibility for the mistakes of his company," said Jessica Vitak, head of the University of Maryland's Privacy and Education Research Lab.

"This seems to be a relatively new approach for the company and I believe at least in part responding to critique of Facebook's slow and somewhat tone-deaf response to prior breaches that have led to user outrage."

Others noted however that lawmakers had demonstrated little knowledge of how Facebook works -- potentially complicating any regulatory effort.

"Perhaps the most important revelation of Zuckerberg's testimony are the glaring gaps in our lawmakers' understanding of the internal logic and business model of Facebook," Young said.

"No one is going to be able to sufficiently regulate' Facebook until lawmakers are adequately educated about how it works."
Prince Mohammed is scheduled to meet with Spain's King Felipe VI, who acceded to the throne in 2014, before holding talks with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy

Saudi Arabia's crown prince arrived in Madrid on Wednesday on the last stop of his global diplomatic charm offensive in a bid to project a new liberal image of his conservative kingdom.

Spain's defence minister, Maria Dolores Cospedal greeted Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who serves as defence minister and also controls economic policy for the world's top oil exporter, at a military air base at Torrejon de Ardoz near Madrid, according to an AFPTV reporter at the scene.

Cospedal was representing Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis who is accompanying Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on an official visit to Argentina.

Prince Mohammed is scheduled to meet with Spain's King Felipe VI, who acceded to the throne in 2014, on Thursday morning before holding talks later in the day with Rajoy.

During his short visit Spain and Saudi Arabia are expected to sign five memorandums of understanding in the areas of culture, science, employment, air transport and defence, a Spanish foreign ministry source said.

Top-selling daily newspaper El Pais reported earlier this week that Spain would likely make progress during his visit on a deal to sell five warships to Saudi Arabia for around two billion euros.

A coalition of NGOs including Amnesty International and Greenpeace urged Spain not to go ahead with the sale of the five corvettes because they could be used in Saudi Arabia's military campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, where thousands of civilians have been killed.

The Saudi prince's trip to Spain comes hot on the heels of a three-day official visit to France and after a tour lasting several weeks of the United States, Britain and Egypt, where the self-styled moderniser signed multimillion-dollar deals.

Spain and Saudi Arabia's royal families are very close as King Felipe VI's father Juan Carlos was a close friend of the kingdom's late King Fahd, who reigned from 1982 to 2005, and is close to his brother King Salman.
US Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, says he will retire at the end of his term in January, setting up a mad dash to replace him, and raising questions about Ryan's own political future

Paul Ryan entered Congress as a wonkish, budget-slashing young conservative and will leave 20 years later atop the Republican heap, an outgoing speaker of the House with possibly grander political ambitions ahead.

Thirty months into a thankless job he never truly wanted, the Wisconsin native announced Wednesday he will not seek re-election in November, as he wanted to spend more time with his family, including three teenage children.

Ryan told rank-and-file members of his party that he will retire at the end of his term in early January, setting up a frenzied leadership scramble.

"You realize that you hold the office for just a small part of our history, so you better make the most of it," he said. "It's fleeting, and that inspires you to do big things."

Ryan led the fractious House through the end of the Barack Obama administration and into a political maelstrom: the 2016 campaign and the unlikely presidency of Donald Trump.

It is the most important job in Congress and one that has placed him second in line to the presidency, after the vice president, should the commander-in-chief be impeached or otherwise vacate the Oval Office.

Ryan's ambition from the start was to slash spending and eliminate the deficit, repeal the health care reforms known as Obamacare, and address his longterm goals of privatizing the Social Security pension system and Medicare public health service for seniors -- both American sacred cows for more than half a century.

In the end, his signature accomplishment will be the massive tax cut bill that he and Trump managed to push through Congress.

Elevated in 2015 as a GOP peacemaker who might somehow reconcile the moderate and conservative wings of the party, Ryan's efforts at maintaining an even keel under a roiling surface has proved exhausting.

"I can imagine after herding those cats that long, you get tired," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

- 'Individualism vs collectivism' -

Ryan's meteoric rise took him from House staffer to one of the "young gun" lawmakers in the late 1990s, to the 2012 vice presidential nomination, and ultimately speaker of the House.

Bookish and occasionally cocky, he is an ideologue influenced by neoclassical thinkers and repelled by what he sees as the excesses of modern federal government.

"The fight we are in here -- make no mistake about it -- is a fight of individualism versus collectivism," Ryan said in a 2005 speech to devotees of laissez-faire capitalist philosopher Ayn Rand, according to The New Yorker.

But over his two decades in Congress, Ryan has gradually earned a reputation of "Mr. Budget" among his Republican colleagues -- or "Mr. Austerity," according to Democrats.

Paul Ryan's national profile rose dramatically in 2012, when Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) picked him as his running mate

He was the lawmaker with sufficient potential for Mitt Romney to choose him to be his running mate in the 2012 White House race, stressing at the time that "with energy and vision, Paul Ryan has become an intellectual leader of the Republican Party."

- Home boy -

Paul Davis Ryan was born on January 29, 1970 in the small town of Janesville, in the midwestern state of Wisconsin, where his Irish-Catholic family has lived for five generations.

He still lives in the neighborhood where he grew up and returns from Washington every weekend to his wife Janna and their three children.

In high school he became president of his class, winning his first-ever election.

In 1988 he headed to Miami University of Ohio, where he nurtured his passion for economic theory and politics. When he volunteered for a congressional campaign as a student, it was ironically for Ohio's John Boehner -- the man he replaced as House speaker.

From 1992 to 1997, Ryan worked for a Republican senator in Washington and for Empower America, the organization founded by the influential conservative Jack Kemp, who took him under his wing.

Ryan returned to Wisconsin, where he easily won election to the US House in 1998 at the ripe age of 28.

He quickly earned a reputation in conservative circles, and rose to become chair of the powerful House Budget Committee.

Ryan was thrust into the national spotlight when Romney put him on the ticket in 2012.

His biggest challenge after becoming speaker was helming the tumultuous Republicans through the November 2016 election and beyond.

But he had difficulty aligning with Trump when the billionaire New York businessman won the nomination, and pointedly declined to campaign with him after a tape surfaced on which Trump could be heard boasting about groping women.

Ultimately the two men made peace, although Ryan bristled over Trump threats of a trade war with China, and has opposed the president's efforts to oust Robert Mueller as a special counsel investigating Russian interference in the US election.

Prior to Trump's victory, Ryan was seen as a likely frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2020.

Leaving Congress might free him to plot his political future.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the state ceremony to mark Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day on April 11, 2018

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Iran not to test Israel's resolve, in a speech marking the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Speaking at a ceremony at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, the Israeli premier spoke of the murderous Nazi aggression that was not sufficiently challenged by Western powers.

"Today, too, there's an extremist regime that's threatening us, threatening the peace of the entire world," Netanyahu said of Iran. "That regime explicitly declares that it intends on destroying us, the Jewish state."

"I have a message to the rulers of Iran -- don't test Israel's resolve," Netanyahu said.

Russia, Syria and Iran accused Israel of an air strike Monday that hit a regime base in Syria, killing 14 Syrian and Iranian personnel.

Israel has refused to comment on the strike.

Israel has acknowledged carrying out dozens of air strikes in Syria since 2013 to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group fighting alongside Damascus.

Israel has also repeatedly warned it will not accept its arch-foe Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

"We nip the aggression in its bud," Netanyahu said without specifying. "These aren't empty words, we back them up with action."

The Israeli leader also reiterated his stance on the shortcomings of the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, which he believes must be changed.

"Signing the agreement with Iran not only didn't curb their aggression, it increased it," he said.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to walk away from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions by May 12 unless tough new restrictions are imposed on Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.

Netanyahu also spoke of the duty to stand up to "evil and aggression" throughout generations, citing recent violent protests on the border with Gaza and the alleged chemical attack carried out by the Syrian regime.
A new voting machine to be used during the Democratic Republic of the Congo's elections

Congolese opposition groups rounded Wednesday on the country's electoral commission and its insistence that a long-awaited presidential vote in the vast African nation must be conducted using electronic voting machines.

"Democratic Republic of Congo's political opposition expresses its profound concern over the casual attitude of the national electoral commission (CENI) in managing the election process," representatives of five parties said in a rare joint statement from Kinshasa.

DR Congo's long-delayed elections are slated for December 23 but there are fears of mounting unrest and organisers have already encountered a slew of logistical problems -- including "millions" of duplicate names on voting registers -- organising the vote in the vast, mineral-rich nation.

Opposition groups reiterated their rejection of the use of South Korean-made electronic voting machines in the election, which CENI insists are necessary for proper monitoring of ballots.

However, authorities in Seoul on Tuesday distanced themselves from the machine manufacturers, saying there was "no guarantee" that the system would be effective.

President Joseph Kabila was due to stand down from office when his second term ended in December 2016. But he has controversially stayed on under laws enabling him to retain power until a successor is elected.

In addition to a deepening political crisis, the DR Congo is struggling with armed conflict in its vast, lawless east, which is under the sway of multiple rebel groups.

The country's United Nations envoy Wednesday called for urgent reconciliation among ethnic groups in the northeastern Ituri region, the scene of several mass killings since the start of the year.

"I remind everyone that they are all Congolese. We need to be able to identify individual criminals and assailants without associating them with their tribes," said Leila Zerrougui during a visit to the area.

At least 120 people have been murdered in Ituri since February, according to an AFP tally, and humanitarian groups say around 300,000 more have been forced from their homes due to violence.
Bank of America will stop providing services to semi-automatic weapon manufacturers

Bank of America will stop providing services to semi-automatic weapon manufacturers, a move that follows similar steps by other companies in recent weeks.

"We want to contribute in any way we can to reduce these mass shootings," the bank's vice chair Anne Finucane told Bloomberg Television on Tuesday, referring to the perennial scourge that is a hot-button issue in American life and politics.

"It is our intention not to finance these military-style firearms for civilian use."

Weapons control groups hailed the move.

"When the second-largest bank in the US takes concrete steps to prevent gun violence, it sends a clear message to the entire industry," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.

"It's time for every financial institution to do their part. We applaud Bank of America for walking the walk on gun safety."

In the days that followed a shooting at a Florida high school that saw a former student armed with a military-style rifle kill 14 students and three staff members, several major companies took measures to distance themselves from assault weapons manufacturers, or to increase the minimum age limit to purchase the firearms.

Citigroup has banned its clients from selling firearms to people under the age of 21.
Canada has told the United Nations it is willing to join the peacekeeping mission in Mali, and will send peacekeepers backed by helicopters

The United Nations is in talks with Canada on speeding up the deployment of six helicopters to shore up its peacekeeping force in Mali, a UN envoy said Wednesday.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif said Canada will send the helicopters in August but that the mission needs them in June, when Germany pulls out of the mission with its fleet.

After two years of talks with the United Nations, Canada announced in March that it will send two Chinook transport helicopters and four Griffon attack helicopters to the MINUSMA mission in Mali.

Annadif, who is the UN's envoy to Mali, said talks were ongoing with Canada and Germany to avoid a vacuum.

"We want them in June," he told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.

The United Nations has 13,000 troops and police in Mali, many of whom are deployed in the country's lawless north.

Seven UN peacekeepers have been killed in attacks in Mali this year alone, serving in a mission that has been described as the UN's most dangerous.

Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

Insurgents remain active, linked to drug, arms and migrant trafficking in the vast Sahel region.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders slapped aside Russian suggestions that Saturday's attack in Douma could have been faked and said President Donald Trump was still weighing military options in response

US President Donald Trump holds Russia and Syria responsible for a suspected chemical attack that killed more than 40 people, the White House said Wednesday, refusing to rule out direct military engagement with Russia.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders slapped aside Russian suggestions that Saturday's attack in Douma could have been faked and said Trump was still weighing military options in response.

"The intelligence provided certainly paints a different picture," she said of the Kremlin's theory. "The president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack"

Trump is believed to be considering standoff missile strikes against facilities related to the production and delivery of chlorine and sarin or sarin-like agents.

But many of Syria's most sensitive military facilities are protected by Russian missile defense systems or are located at bases where Russian, Iranian and Syrian personnel cohabit.

Sanders pointedly refused to rule out the possibility of direct military engagement with Russia -- not shying away from the specter of clashes between two nuclear superpowers.

"Once again, all options are on the table," she said.

Still, despite Trump's tweets early Wednesday that promised "nice and new and 'smart!'" missiles were headed for Syria, Sanders said no "final decisions have not been made on that front."

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis as well as CIA director Mike Pompeo huddled at the White House on Wednesday to discuss options and game out the situation.

"The president's national security Team met today. That meeting was chaired by the Vice President to discuss a number of options," Sanders said.

- 'Can't be allowed' -

Since the attack in Douma on Saturday, Trump showed a visceral reaction to graphic images of pallid children struggling for breath and frantically being doused with water by first responders.

"As bad as the news is around the world, you just don't see those images," Trump said Monday, in one of a series of tweets and public remarks that appeared to telegraph the strikes.

"This is about humanity. We're talking about humanity. And it can't be allowed to happen," he said, surrounded by generals.

In April last year Trump ordered limited missile strikes on the Shayrat Airbase in response to a similar chemical weapons attack on rebel-held Khan Sheikhun.

Official said at the time he was moved by images brought to him by his daughter Ivanka and other White House officials.

But the pinpoint strike did not deter Assad. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have since reported around 10 suspected chemical attacks of varying scale and certainty.

The same officials say Syria has continued to produce or procure chlorine, which is also has industrial and agricultural uses.

This latest chemical attack in Douma came days after Trump indicated a quick US withdrawal from Syria after defeating the Islamic State group.

Assad "likely calculated that the US would not respond if they escalated now," said Jennifer Cafarella of the Institute for the Study of War, "after President Donald Trump signaled his ultimate desire to withdraw from Syria."

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama had brokered a deal with Syria's ally Russia to remove chemical stockpiles from the country, a strategy that also failed.

Ned Price, a former CIA and National Security Council official during Obama's tenure told AFP the agreement led to the destruction of 1,300 tons of chemical weapons, but, he admitted, it was not enough.

"Even though the deal improved the situation considerably, we suspected the Syrians had failed to declare elements of their stockpile," he said.

"We worked assiduously through the final days of the administration to galvanize our allies and other international partners to help us address these omissions."
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent some 10 hours over two days testifying before congressional panels on data abuses at the social network

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg testified for nearly 10 hours over two days on Facebook's privacy and data protection issues before committees of the Senate and House on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are key points:

- Protecting the platform -

"It's clear now we didn't do enough," Zuckerberg said on the protection of private user data and to prevent the hijacking of data on millions by Cambridge Analytica.

Zuckerberg said Facebook was built as "an idealistic and optimistic company" to help people connect but failed "to prevent these tools from being used for harm... that goes for fake news, for foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

He said that by the end of the year Facebook would have 20,000 people working on security and content review and would also step up use of artificial intelligence to weed out fake accounts and inappropriate content.

- Regulation -

Zuckerberg said regulation of social media companies is inevitable, but warned that rules could also hamper the industry's growth.

"The internet is growing in importance around the world in people's lives, and I think that it is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation," he told lawmakers.

"But I think you have to be careful about putting regulation in place. A lot of times regulations put in place rules that a company that is larger, that has resources like ours, can easily comply with, but that might be more difficult for a smaller startup company."

Zuckerberg said the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to come into effect on May 25 was more stringent than what was currently in place at Facebook and suggested it could serve as a rough model for US rules in the future.

Facebook is implementing the GDPR standards for European users next month, and some of its rules will be extended to US and other users later, he confirmed.

"The GDPR requires us to do a few more things and we are going to extend that to the world," he said.

- Facebook model -

Zuckerberg maintained that Facebook users deserve protection of private data but appeared to argue that its controls make it possible to determine how information is shared.

He claimed that "there's a very common misperception... that we sell data to advertisers," adding that "we do not sell data to advertisers. We don't sell data to anyone."

But he maintained that advertising enables Facebook to offer a free service and that targeted ads based on user categories were more acceptable to users, even if they could opt out.

Zuckerberg also said the company believed in an ad-supported business model, but appeared to leave open the possibility of a paid version.

"There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," Zuckerberg told the hearing.

- Russian manipulation -

The 33-year-old CEO said Facebook was in a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well," he said.

"So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last US presidential race.

"One of my greatest regrets in running the company is that we were slow in identifying the Russian information operations in 2016," he said.

"We expected them to do a number of more traditional cyber attacks, which we did identify and notify the campaigns that they were trying to hack into them. But we were slow at identifying the type of -- of new information operations."

He added that Facebook is cooperating with the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said.
Moscow has said the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta had been "totally stabilized"

The United Nations warned world powers against letting the crisis over an alleged chemical attack against civilians in Syria from "spiraling out of control" after US President Donald Trump said "missiles will be coming."

As tensions mounted over a face-off with Damascus-ally Russia, opponents of unilateral US action called an emergency closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council for Thursday. Britain also scheduled an emergency cabinet meeting.

With punitive US military action seemingly imminent, Russia scrambled to deflect blame from Syria's Bashar al-Assad and, according to a monitor group, regime forces evacuated key defense buildings in Damascus.

Trump's bellicose tweets came in response to a warning from Russia's ambassador to Beirut, who took to a television network run by the armed group Hezbollah to declare that any US missiles would be shot down "as well as the sources they were fired from."

If the US action follows the pattern of a previous punitive strike on Syria last year, it will begin with a salvo of cruise missiles fired from US warships in the Mediterranean, as Trump implied when he tweeted they would be "nice, new and 'smart.'"

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as well as CIA director Mike Pompeo met at the White House on Wednesday to discuss options, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

With the UN Security Council failing thus far to find a diplomatic solution, Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that time was running out.

"Today, I called the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council to reiterate my deep concern about the risks of the current impasse and stressed the need to avoid the situation spiraling out of control," he said, referring to the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.

- 'Gas Killing Animal' -

Moscow and Washington have so far vetoed each other's motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.

An image grab from a video released by the Syrian Civil Defence shows hospital volunteers giving aid to children after an alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday

Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry said the Syrian regime flag was flying in Douma -- the target of Saturday's attack -- which it said indicated government forces have taken full control over the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta.

"The raising of a regime flag over a building in the town of Douma signified control over this town and consequently over Eastern Ghouta as a whole," Major General Yury Yevtushenko was quoted as saying Thursday by the Interfax news agency.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the remaining rebels in Eastern Ghouta surrendered their heavy weapons to Russian military police and their leader left the enclave for the north.

The Russian army has continued to deny their side's latest victory came after Assad launched a chemical attack on the last rebel-held pocket of the enclave in the Damascus suburbs, instead accusing the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging the supposed gas assault.

Trump's spokeswoman dismissed this idea, and pointedly refused to say that concern about the risks of a direct confrontation with Russia would hold the US military back.

"The intelligence provided certainly paints a different picture," Sanders said. "The president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack."

President Donald Trump gathered senior military leaders at the White House on April 9 to weigh the US response to a suspected chemical attack in Syria

But while the Russian president's lieutenants continued to up the ante with threats and allegations, Vladimir Putin himself adopted a more statesmanlike tone, in remarks to new ambassadors presenting their credentials at the Kremlin.

"The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic but all the same we hope that common sense will finally prevail and international relations will take a constructive path," he said.

Trump's tweets were more belligerent. He told Russia: "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" He declared that US relations with Russia have plunged to a historic low.

But Trump notably also said there was "no reason for this," reiterated his hope for talks with Putin to halt a new arms race, and blamed his domestic political opponents for poisoning ties.

Assad's Damascus regime, which has long accused Washington of supporting its armed opponents in the country's bloody seven-year-old civil war, hit back at Trump's "reckless escalation."

- OPCW to deploy -

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people.

Syria chemical weapons attacks

British Prime Minister Theresa May has called an emergency cabinet meeting for Thursday, while French President Emmanuel Macron is to decide on a response in the coming days, having insisted he does "not want an escalation" and that any response would focus on Syria's chemical capabilities, not on allies of the regime.

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which has blamed the regime for previous attacks, to visit the site.

The OPCW said it would "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

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Environmental groups have welcomed the news that New Zealand is halting all new offshore oil and gas exploration as part of its efforts to deal with climate change

New Zealand is halting all new offshore oil and gas exploration to become a global leader in the fight against climate change, the centre-left government said Thursday, but opponents accused it of "economic vandalism".

"(We are) taking an important step to address climate change and create a clean, green and sustainable future for New Zealand," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

The oil and gas industry in New Zealand generates about NZ$2.5 billion a year ($1.8 billion), including NZ$1.5 billion in exports, and employs about 11,000 people.

Ardern said existing drilling and exploration permits would not be affected, meaning no existing jobs would be lost.

She said there would also be limited new on-shore permits around the North Island's Taranaki region, where most of New Zealand industry is concentrated.

"We're striking the right balance for New Zealand -- we're protecting existing industry and protecting future generations from climate change," she said.

The move by New Zealand comes two weeks after the Netherlands announced plans to rapidly cut production at -- and eventually close -- Europe's biggest gas field as it too seeks to its slash fossil fuel use.

Ardern campaigned heavily on environmental issues when she won a general election last year and is in a three-way coalition government that includes the Greens.

New Zealand's government has 22 active offshore oil and gas exploration permits

She said she saw the impact of climate change first-hand last month when she visited the cyclone-ravaged Pacific island nations of Samoa and Tonga.

This, she said, underscored the fact that climate change was real and New Zealand needed to be at the forefront of efforts to address it.

"Weve been a world leader on critical issues... by being nuclear free, the first to support women to vote," she said.

"Now we could be a world leader in becoming carbon neutral. We owe this to future generations."

The government said there were currently 31 oil and gas exploration permits, with 22 of them offshore.

Environmental groups welcomed the move, with Greenpeace declaring "the tide has turned irreversibly against Big Oil in New Zealand".

"This is a huge step forward for New Zealand and a landmark moment in the transition to a clean-energy economy," WWF New Zealand chief Livia Esterhazy said.

- 'Kick in the guts' -

But the conservative opposition National Party accused Ardern of "economic vandalism" that could put thousands of jobs at risk.

Opposition energy spokesman Jonathan Young said gas helped ensure New Zealand's electricity supply and when existing reserves ran out in 10 years it would be forced to import emissions-heavy alternatives such as coal.

"This decision is devoid of any rationale. It certainly has nothing to do with climate change," he said.

"These changes will simply shift production elsewhere in the world, not reduce emissions."

Jacinda Ardern said her recent visits to Samoa and Tonga underscored the need to address climate change

New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom said the decision was "a kick in the guts" for the Taranaki region.

"Nobody's going to be losing their jobs overnight but in terms of the long-term outlook for those industries... people are going 'my career doesn't actually have a future'," he told Radio New Zealand.

Industry group Petroleum Exploration and Production NZ (PEPANZ) said it had been blindsided by the announcement and had not been consulted by the government.

Chief executive Cameron Madgwick said a well-managed trading scheme was the way to reduce New Zealand's emissions, not "arbitrarily banning" certain fuel types.

"We now join the elite club of Belize, Costa Rica and France that have banned exploration. I don't think that's really the way the world's going," he told TV3.

Ardern said industry had been given plenty of time to adjust to changes in the sector that were a long-term necessity.

"Transitions have to start somewhere and unless we make decisions today that will essentially take place in thirty years time, we risk abrupt shocks," she said.
Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, considered one of the pre-eminent actors of his generation, has disappeared from public life after a wave of sexual allegations surfaced against him late last year

Los Angeles prosecutors are reviewing a sex crimes case against Kevin Spacey, whose acting career came to a grinding halt last year following a wave of allegations of misconduct.

"I can confirm our office received a case" involving Spacey, said Greg Risling, a spokesman for Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey told AFP.

But according to celebrity news site TMZ, the case will likely be rejected because it involves an allegation from the 1990s and is outside the statute of limitations.

The 58-year-old is also being investigated over similar allegations in London and Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts.

Two-time Oscar winner Spacey has disappeared from public life. Considered one of the pre-eminent actors of his generation, he was dropped from Ridley Scott's "All The Money In The World" and expunged from the Netflix hit show "House of Cards."

Case files on Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer whose downfall sparked the #MeToo movement against powerful male harassers, and martial arts star Steven Seagal "remain under review," said Risling.
PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on teacher protests over pay and funding of education (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says he won't meet with teachers who are threatening to strike over low pay because he believes they are politicizing the issue.

Arizona teachers shout in protest their low pay and school funding in front of a local radio station waiting for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to show up for a live broadcast Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Phoenix. Arizona teachers are threatening a statewide walkout, following the lead of educators in other states. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The Republican said on KTAR radio Tuesday evening that he is concerned about talk of a possible statewide teacher strike over low school funding. But he says the teachers he's heard from don't want to strike and blames "the people who are playing politics" for talking about a strike.

Leaders of a group called Arizona Educators United say they could soon announce a teacher walkout and hundreds gathered outside the radio station as Ducey spoke. The group has grown to about 40,000 members since it was organized following a strike in West Virginia in early March.

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3:10 p.m.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has signed legislation that repeals a proposed lodging tax that was part of a package of tax hikes for public education.

Fallin signed the bill Tuesday as well as two other measures to generate new revenue to help pay for teacher pay raises and public classroom needs.

The proposed $5-per-night tax on hotel and motel rooms was part of the original education package and would have raised about $45 million, but it was heavily opposed by the hospitality industry.

Fallin signed a measure allowing tribal casinos to offer roulette and dice games, which will raise about $20 million. The governor also signed a bill to raise about $20.5 million requiring third-party online retailers to collect and remit sales tax back to state coffers.

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11:30 a.m.

Oklahoma's largest school districts will remain closed Wednesday for an eighth consecutive day amid ongoing teacher protests for more classroom funding.

Oklahoma City and Tulsa schools announced class cancellations Tuesday as teachers continue to march at the state Capitol.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation last month granting teacher pay hikes of about $6,100 and providing tens of millions of new dollars for public schools, but many educators say classrooms still need more money.

Educators have not said when their walkout will end.

The political push in Oklahoma is part of a wave of teacher rebellions in states led by conservative leaders. Arizona teachers are organizing a statewide walkout, following demonstrations in West Virginia and Kentucky.

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9:54 a.m.

Arizona teachers who have organized to push for big raises and a restoration of school funding to pre-recession levels are preparing to set a date for a statewide walkout.

The developments Tuesday come after the demands from the group with about 40,000 members have been ignored by Gov. Doug Ducey and Republican lawmakers who control the Legislature.

Leaders of the Arizona Educators United say they could announce a date for action at any time. Organizer Noah Karvelis told The Associated Press that Ducey and GOP legislative leaders have not responded to their requests for negotiations, so they see no choice but to move to walkouts.

Ducey is sticking with his plan to slowly boost school funding, promising a 1 percent teacher raise and $100 million in extra funding this year.

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7:31 a.m.

Classes remain canceled in Oklahoma's biggest school districts Tuesday as teachers walk out for a seventh day.

Leaders of Oklahoma's largest teacher's union have demanded a repeal of a capital gains tax exemption and for the governor to veto a repeal of a proposed lodging tax as they push for more education funding in massive demonstrations at the state Capitol.

Republican Gov. Mary Fallin approved teacher pay raises of about $6,100, but many educators say their classrooms need more money.

Oklahoma teachers have joined a revolt that started in West Virginia and has spread to other Republican-led states including Kentucky and Arizona.

Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister on Monday extended the time period for students to take standardized tests in hopes of preventing the loss of federal money.

A parent talks to a teacher as he arrives to show support of Arizona teachers as they protest their low pay and school funding in front of a local radio station waiting for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to show up for a live broadcast Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Phoenix. Arizona teachers are threatening a statewide walkout, following the lead of educators in other states. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Marchers cheer as they cross the finish line at the state Capitol after marching 110 miles from Tulsa, Okla., as protests continue over school funding, in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, April 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Benita Boone, right, an educator joining on the 110 mile trip from Tulsa to the state Capitol, shouts as the walkers rally with other teachers as protests continue over school funding, in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Boone is a speech pathologist with the Tulsa school district, serving three schools and 61 students. She said that gives her about 20 minutes with each of her students each week. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Teachers and supporters continue their walk circling the state Capitol as protests continue over school funding, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Oklahoma City. Leaders of Oklahoma's largest teacher's union have demanded a repeal of a capital gains tax exemption and for the governor to veto a repeal of a proposed lodging tax as they push for more education funding in massive demonstrations at the state Capitol. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Libby Shaw, left, 10, of Norman, Okla., and Hope Jordan, right, 5, of Midwest City, Okla., chalk a message in support of the teacher walkout at the state Capitol as protests continue over school funding, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Oklahoma City. Leaders of Oklahoma's largest teacher's union have demanded a repeal of a capital gains tax exemption and for the governor to veto a repeal of a proposed lodging tax as they push for more education funding in massive demonstrations at the state Capitol. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Teachers and supporters continue their walk circling the state Capitol as protests continue over school funding, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Oklahoma City. Leaders of Oklahoma's largest teacher's union have demanded a repeal of a capital gains tax exemption and for the governor to veto a repeal of a proposed lodging tax as they push for more education funding in massive demonstrations at the state Capitol. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Arizona teachers march in protest of their low pay and school funding in front of a local radio station waiting for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to show up for a live broadcast Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Phoenix. Arizona teachers are threatening a statewide walkout, following the lead of educators in other states. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona teachers protest their low pay and school funding in front of a local radio station waiting for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to show up for a live broadcast Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Phoenix. Arizona teachers are threatening a statewide walkout, following the lead of educators in other states. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona teachers march in protest of their low pay and school funding in front of a local radio station waiting for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to show up for a live broadcast Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Phoenix. Arizona teachers are threatening a statewide walkout, following the lead of educators in other states. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) - A jail guard union has released a 12-year-old video of Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood saying it's cheaper to kill than cripple jail inmates.

Youngblood acknowledged making the remark but said it was being used out of context and he wasn't urging anyone to kill inmates.

In the one-minute clip released Monday by the Kern County Detention Officers Association, Youngblood says deputies handling detention duties are better trained than ever.

"There's a good reason for that: millions and millions of dollars," Youngblood says, referring to the costs of lawsuits stemming from deputy misconduct.

Regarding inmates, Youngblood asks the audience: "Which way do you think is better financially? To cripple them or kill them, for the county?"

"Kill them," someone responds.

"Absolutely," Youngblood says. "Because if we cripple them we get to take care of them for life, and that cost goes way up."

The detention officers association is backing Justin Fleeman over Youngblood in the June primary election for sheriff.

The video was shot during a 2006 meeting with Youngblood during his successful first campaign. The association endorsed Youngblood in that campaign.

Youngblood told the Bakersfield Californian that the comments revolved around the 2005 beating death of James Moore in custody, which led to criminal convictions of several deputies.

Youngblood said he was explaining the costs that occur when a deputy engages in bad activity.

"I've never inferred that we should shoot to kill," Youngblood said.

"Do I wish I would have said it differently? I certainly do," he added. Detention deputies "weren't offended back then. Still, they are my words and I own them."

Youngblood's rival condemned the remarks.

"People are not trash. They're human beings," Fleeman said, adding that he worried about the video's impact on the department's reputation.

In 2016, the state attorney general's office opened a civil rights investigation of the Kern County Sheriff's Office and the Bakersfield Police Department after a series of deadly shootings - including the death of a 73-year-old man.

Kern County stretches from the southern San Joaquin Valley east into the Mojave Desert. Bakersfield is the county seat.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (AP) - Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich cited his tough stance on gun control to appeal to young voters, while former federal consumer protection chief Richard Cordray said he had taken on powerful financial institutions, as Democratic hopefuls in the race for governor emphasized their differences Tuesday night ahead of the May 8 primary.

The four leading Democratic candidates squared off at Miami University's Middletown regional campus in their last scheduled debate.

"I was an aggressive consumer watchdog," said Cordray, emphasizing that he stood up to powerful interests. He also pointed to his support from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The Massachusetts Democrat will campaign with Cordray on Friday in Cincinnati and Columbus, where they will speak to Ohio State University students.

From left, Richard Cordray, former federal consumer protection chief; William O'Neill, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice; Ohio state Sen. Joe Schiavoni; and former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio stand at the start of the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Kucinich staked his claim to young voters, saying he has taken the lead for creating a safer state for them with his push for a statewide ban on assault-style weapons.

"Young people of Ohio, I'm with you; I hear your concerns," said Kucinich. The issue of guns has received more attention since the deadly school shooting in Florida as students have called for stricter gun laws.

State Sen. Joe Schiavoni, at 38 the youngest of the four candidates, said he would be a fighter with fresh approaches.

"We need somebody different to lead this state," Schiavoni said.

Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice William O'Neill called for legalizing marijuana and building more state mental health hospitals, both moves that he said would help with the state's opioid crisis.

"We need more hospitals and less prisons," O'Neill said.

Kucinich in his opening statement pledged to go after "a cesspool of corruption" in Columbus. During the debate, news surfaced that Republican Cliff Rosenberger would resign as Ohio's House speaker amid talk of an FBI investigation into his activities. Rosenberger said he believed he had been ethical and lawful as speaker, but that Ohioans deserved their leaders' "full and undivided attention."

After the debate, Kucinich called the Rosenberger matter "just the tip of the iceberg of a much broader problem in Columbus."

Schiavoni said it was another example of "the disconnect between the people at home and the people in the Statehouse." He said there needs to be "a thorough investigation" of Rosenberger.

On the Republican side, Attorney General Mike DeWine is seeking the party's nomination against Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor. Second-term Republican Gov. John Kasich is term-limited.

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Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

Ohio state Sen. Joe Schiavoni speaks during the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

William O'Neill, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice, speaks during the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ohio state Sen. Joe Schiavoni speaks during the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

William O'Neill, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice, waves to the audience during the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio speaks during the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Richard Cordray, former federal consumer protection chief, speaks during the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio speaks during the Ohio Democratic Party's fifth debate in the primary race for governor, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Miami (OH) University's Middletown campus in Middletown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
PANAMA CITY (AP) - Panama on Tuesday prohibited Venezuelan companies from operating flights to Panama, in retaliation for Venezuela's diplomatic and trade bans announced last week.

The office of President Juan Carlos Varela said the cargo and passenger flights would be banned for 90 days starting April 25. The measure affects 10 Venezuelan companies.

Last week, Venezuela banned key Panamanian businesses from operating on its territory after Panama's government put Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on a list of Venezuelan officials deemed at "high risk" for laundering money.

Customers lineup outside of Copa Airlines sales offices after their flights was cancelled, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 6, 2018. The Venezuelan government suspended temporarily all diplomatic and economic relations with Panama in an ongoing diplomatic rift. Affecting among others the Panamanian airline COPA, one of the few that still flies to Venezuela. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Venezuela's ban included businesses of Varela and Copa, one of the few airlines still operating within Venezuela.

Panama pulled its ambassador from Venezuela and asked Venezuela to recall its emissary. Panama is keeping its embassy in Caracas open with a skeleton staff.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump insisted that all was "very calm and calculated" at the White House, even as he vented Wednesday about the Russia probe, complained about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and served noticed that "nice and new and 'smart'" missiles will be coming down on Syria.

Trump, who was so incensed by the FBI's raid of his personal attorney's office and hotel room that he's privately pondered firing Rosenstein, let loose on Twitter Wednesday against the deputy attorney general and special counsel Robert Mueller. He said the Russia probe was "headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!"

Trump also tweeted: "No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!" And he insisted the White House was "Very calm and calculated."

President Donald Trump listens as he meets with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The raid, in which agents seized attorney Michael Cohen's records on topics including a $130,000 payment to a porn actress who alleges she had sex with Trump, left the president more angry than advisers had seen him in weeks, according to five people familiar with the president's views but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Nervous White House aides expressed new fears about the president's unpredictability in the face of the Cohen raid, which he viewed as an assault on a longtime defender and a sign that Mueller's probe into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was "going too far."

House Speaker Paul Ryan, for his part, tried to douse speculation Trump might fire Rosenstein or Mueller, saying: "I have no reason to believe that that's going to happen. I have assurances that it's not." He added that he had been "talking to people in the White House about it."

Trump has canceled plans to attend the Summit of the Americas over the weekend as well as an overnight visit to Colombia, citing the need to monitor the situation in Syria.

But the president had been telling confidants for weeks that he was not eager to make the three-day trip, according to two people who have discussed it with him in recent weeks but were not authorized to disclose the private conversations. And privately, Trump said he didn't want to be away from the White House amid developments in the China trade dispute and in the Mueller investigation.

Trump also expressed confidence in the loyalty displayed by Cohen, his longtime personal and professional fixer, who ascended to one of the most powerful roles at the Trump Organization not filled by a family member. Cohen has steadfastly denied wrongdoing in his $130,000 payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and has publicly defended Trump, but he has confided in associates that he is fearful of being a fall guy, according to a person familiar with his thinking but not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions.

Cohen has said he took out a personal line of credit on his home to pay Daniels days before the 2016 election and without Trump's knowledge. The raid of his office was overseen by the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan and based in part on a referral from Mueller.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear that White House officials have explored Trump's authority to fire Mueller.

"He certainly believes that he has the power to do so," she said at Tuesday's press briefing.

Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

On Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of four senators moved to protect Mueller's job.

Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing, according to two people familiar with the legislation. They were not authorized to discuss the bill ahead of its release and requested anonymity.

Trump spent Monday evening calling associates to vent and gauge their reaction to the news. He bitterly complained that the raids were meant to ruin Cohen's life and expressed frustration that it was another front from which to attack his presidency, according to a person familiar with the conversations but not permitted to discuss them publicly.

Trump also revived his broadsides on Rosenstein as well as Rosenstein's boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he belittled to confidants for recusing himself from the investigation and, in turn, delivering him to Mueller.

The White House insisted Trump was focused on the response to Syria following the country's apparent use of chemical weapons on civilians over the weekend, killing more than 40 people. A military strike would mark Trump's second retaliatory strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad's government at a time when Trump is seeking to reduce the U.S. footprint in Syria.

The discussions come as Trump's newest national security adviser, John Bolton, stepped into the job this week. He encouraged Trump to skip the trip to South America to manage the Syria strategy.

Bolton, a seasoned bureaucratic operator, has been expected to put his stamp on the National Security Council staff. NSC spokesman Michael Anton resigned over the weekend, with two people familiar with the situation saying Anton resigned after learning he would be fired. Trump's homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, exited Tuesday. Bossert had overseen the administration's response to the 2017 hurricane season and was credited by his colleagues for leading the administration's efforts to bolster cybersecurity resiliency across government and private industry.

There is growing concern in Trump's orbit that the turmoil will only continue following the release next week of former FBI director James Comey's book, which promises to reveal new details about his conversations with the president and the Russia probe. An administration official said the White House would largely defer to outside surrogates to push back on Comey, but there was concern as to how the director's interviews could rile up the president.

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Lemire reported from New York City. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
BEIJING (AP) - China said Wednesday that a high-ranking diplomat plans to travel to Pyongyang later this week amid a flurry of diplomacy following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's surprise visit to Beijing.

Song Tao, who heads the ruling Communist Party's International Department, will lead an art troupe to Pyongyang on Friday to attend an arts festival, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a regularly scheduled briefing.

Following Kim's visit to Beijing, the trip "serves as an important cultural exchange activity to implement the significant consensuses reached by the top leaders," Geng said.

"We believe this visit will help improve friendly relations and deepen cultural exchanges between the two countries," he said.

Geng said Song had been invited by the International Department of North Korea's ruling Worker's Party. He gave no details about any officials Song would meet.

Kim made an unannounced trip to Beijing last month ahead of potentially breakthrough meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The trip, during which he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, was Kim's first since taking power six years ago, and was considered an attempt to repair traditionally warm ties with China that have deteriorated over the North's development of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons technology and China's enforcement of United Nations economic sanctions.

China is the North's most important trading partner, although trade has fallen drastically under the sanctions, taking a major toll on the country's ailing economy.

Kim's diplomatic moves could have a major impact on the direction the country takes in the months and possibly years ahead. Following his summit with Xi, Kim dispatched his foreign minister to Moscow, reportedly exploring the possibility of a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

China has long advocated a return to six-nation talks it hosted on the nuclear issue and appears anxious not to be sidelined by the North's new outreach to other players in that long-stalled process.

Song visited Pyongyang in November, becoming the last high-level Chinese official to do so.
NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP) - A Roman Catholic archbishop on Wednesday denied under oath in an Australian court that two former altar boys ever told him that they had been sexually abused by a priest.

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson is the most senior cleric in the world to be charged with covering up for pedophile priest.

The 67-year-old was tried in the Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday after Magistrate Robert Stone rejected his application to have the case thrown out. Wilson has pleaded not guilty and faces a potential two-year prison sentence if convicted.

Wilson, who has been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, said he had known one of the former altar boys, Peter Creigh, and his family when he was an assistant priest in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney in the mid-1970s.

But the archbishop said he had no memory of Creigh telling him in 1976 he had been sexually abused by priest James Fletcher five years earlier when he was 10.

Wilson told the court the alleged conversation was unlikely to have occurred because Creigh, when giving evidence in December, alleged he went into graphic detail about what Fletcher had done to him.

"I don't think I would have forgotten that," Wilson told the court.

Asked by his lawyer Stephen Odgers what he would have done if Creigh had told him about the abuse, Wilson said his first priority would have been to provide pastoral care to the then 15-year-old boy and his family.

The archbishop said he would also have reported the allegations to his superiors.

Fletcher was found guilty in December 2004 of nine counts of child sexual abuse and died in jail of a stroke in 2006, while serving an almost eight-year sentence.

Wilson told the court he had not been aware that Fletcher had abused boys.

Asked by Odgers if he had had any suspicions about Fletcher, Wilson replied: "No, I had none."

Creigh alleged he trusted Wilson would take action against the pedophile priest after revealing the abuse, but Wilson did nothing.

The second former altar boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleged he was about 11 in 1976 when he went into the confessional box to tell Wilson that Fletcher had abused him.

The witness alleged Wilson told him he was telling lies because Fletcher "was a good bloke." The witness said Wilson had ordered him out of the confessional and told to recite 10 Hail Mary prayers as an act of contrition.

Wilson said he had no memory of seeing the second altar boy at all in 1976 and he would never accuse anyone in the confessional of telling lies.

Questioned about his health, Wilson said the prescribed medication he was taking to treat his Alzheimer's had helped improve his memory, "although it's not perfect."

The archbishop has attempted four times to have the charge thrown out of court.

The trial is expected to continue until Friday.
BEIRUT (AP) - With a mix of fear and defiance, Syrians braced on Wednesday for a possible U.S. attack in retaliation to an alleged chemical assault that killed dozens over the weekend. Some stocked up on food and prepared underground shelters while others taunted the U.S. president to go through with his threats.

Activists reported that government forces vacated strategic potential targets, including air bases around the country in apparent preparation for incoming strikes.

The Foreign Ministry in Damascus denounced President Donald Trump's threat to attack the country as "reckless" and a danger to international peace and security.

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian President Bashar Assad, second right, greeting a delegation of Muslim clerics from around the world, who took part in a two-day conference called, "Unity of the Muslim World," in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (SANA via AP)

The statement was the latest in a war of words raging between Washington and Moscow since Saturday's suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town Douma, just outside Damascus, which killed more than 40 people according to activists and first responders.

The World Health Organization said about 500 patients showed signs of exposure to toxic chemicals following the Douma attack.

Syria and its ally Russia deny such an attack happened.

Social media pages were flush with defiant comments, mostly from government supporters, some lamenting Syria's perpetual conflict while others taunted Trump to go through with his threats.

"They have threatened us a thousand times. Let them go through with it or shut up," said a participant in an online poll asking if Syrians were afraid of a U.S. attack.

"We have become accustomed to such threats that aim to frighten the Syrian people," said Marwan Ghata, 66, an engineer. "We will not leave our houses and our army is ready to retaliate."

But away from social media, many expressed concern.

One woman who refused to be identified because of fear for her security described herself as "trembling" and said she stocked up on food and is considering not sending her kids to school. Others said they have readied underground basements for cover.

"People say Trump is insane and he would like to carry out his threats," the woman said.

The Syrian pound lost nearly 10 percent of its value on prospects of an American attack, going from about 430 Syrian pounds to the dollar last week to 469 Wednesday.

Amid the unprecedented tension between the two former Cold War adversaries, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian government evacuated forces from a number of air bases around the country.

There was no immediate comment from Syrian officials. But Damascus allies had confirmed that precautionary measures were being taken throughout Syria.

Trump's threat of retaliatory military action prompted a slew of Russian comments warning that U.S. strikes could trigger a direct military clash between them. Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday, vowing that "smart" missiles "will be coming."

France said it would consider a response with the United States and Britain. Saudi Arabia said it would support a military operation in Syria.

A similar chemical attack last year that killed more than 80 people in northern Syria prompted a limited U.S. retaliation that targeted an air base from which aircraft involved in the strike likely deployed from.

In its statement, the Foreign Ministry, repeated its line that Washington's allegations were "unsubstantiated" and that the alleged chemical attack is being used as a pretext to target Syria.

"We are not surprised by this reckless escalation from a regime like the one in the United States, which has and continues to sponsor terrorism in Syria," the ministry said, adding that statements from Washington lack "wisdom and logic" and endanger international peace and security.

By inviting the international chemical weapons watchdog to send a fact-finding mission to Syria, the government claimed it proved it was innocent of the allegations of using chemical weapons.

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and the source of the missiles targeted," Zasypkin told Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV station.

Europe's airspace authorities warned aircraft to be careful when flying close to Syria because of possible military action.

The Eurocontrol airspace organization said that the European Aviation Safety Agency had sent a "Rapid Alert Notification" that flight operators needed to consider the possibility of air or missile strikes on Syria within the next 72 hours.

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Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.
BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the Syria conflict (all times local):

2:45 a.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is stressing the need to prevent the situation in Syria from "spiraling out of control."

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya talks with Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Ja'afari, during a Security Council meeting, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

The U.N. chief expressed regret Wednesday that the U.N. Security Council has been unable to reach agreement on the issue of chemical weapons in Syria.

Guterres says he called the ambassadors of the five veto-wielding permanent council nations - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - "to reiterate my deep concern about the risks of the current impasse."

He also renewed his "outrage" at reports of continued chemical weapons use in Syria.

On Tuesday, the council rejected rival U.S. and Russian resolutions for a new body to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. It also rejected another Russian resolution welcoming an investigation of a suspected weekend chemical attack in the suburbs of Syria's capital that made no mention of assessing blame.

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9:20 p.m.

Bolivia has asked for emergency consultations of the U.N. Security Council on "the threats of unilateral military action" against Syria.

Bolivia's U.N. Ambassador Sacha Llorentty Soliz, who has supported Russia on Syria in council votes, said he requested a briefing from a senior U.N. official during closed consultations for Thursday morning.

Llorentty Soliz told reporters on Wednesday at U.N. headquarters that Bolivia asked for the meeting not based just on President Donald Trump's latest tweets that the United States will launch missiles at Syrian targets in response to the suspected chemical attack in a rebel-held suburb of Damascus.

He also cited escalating rhetoric and said "there's a consistency in his threats."

Llorentty Soliz said Bolivia is concerned because any unilateral action would violate the U.N. Charter's principles and purposes.

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9:10 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Israel's leader that Syria's sovereignty must be respected - remarks that come in the wake of an airstrike this week on Syria that Russia and others have blamed on Israel.

The Kremlin says Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone on Wednesday.

The statement says Putin "underscored the principal importance of observing the sovereignty of Syria and called for holding back from any actions that would further destabilize the situation in this country and present threats to its security."

A Syrian air base was struck by missiles before dawn on Monday, a little more than 24 hours after an alleged chemical attack near Damascus that the West has blamed on Syrian government forces.

Syria and Russia have blamed the airstrike on Israel. Israel does not typically comment on its operations in Syria.

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7:50 p.m.

Russia's Defense Ministry says three Russian journalists have been wounded in Syria when their bus came under fire.

All three suffered light leg wounds and their lives are not in danger, the ministry said Wednesday.

The journalists were aboard a bus that was returning from the Eastern Ghouta area when unidentified assailants with small arms opened fire, the ministry said.

The wounded journalists work for the Defense Ministry's TV channel Zvezda, state TV channel Rossiya-1 and NTV, which is owned by state-controlled natural gas monopoly Gazprom.

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7:20 p.m.

Sweden's U.N. ambassador says he has no immediate plans to try again to get the U.N. Security Council to agree on a resolution Syria's chemical weapons that would establish responsibility for attacks.

Olof Skoog, who led unsuccessful efforts to forge a compromise at Tuesday's council meeting, said he was "very disappointed" that some council members "were not ready to engage on it for political reasons that have nothing to do with substance."

The Security Council rejected three resolutions - rival U.S. and Russian calls for a new body to assess blame for Syrian chemical weapons attacks, and another Russian proposal for an investigation of the suspected attack last weekend in the Damascus suburb of Douma, which didn't address responsibility for chemical attacks.

Skoog told reporters on Wednesday he insists "that what Syrian people want and need is peace and justice, not further military escalations or impunity."

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6:20 p.m.

A senior Russian lawmaker says Russia will engage its warships in the Mediterranean Sea to protect Russian assets in Syria from a possible U.S. strike.

Alexei Kondratyev, a deputy head of the upper house's defense committee, said on Wednesday that in addition to ground-based air defense systems that Russia has in Syria. the Russian navy in the eastern Mediterranean will also be involved in fending off a potential attack.

The top Russian military officer, General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov, warned last month that Russian military officers are present at Syrian facilities and that Russia will strike back "against both missiles and their carriers."

Other Russian officials have reaffirmed the warning as United States and its allies ponder a possible attack on the Syrian government over a purported chemical attack.

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6:10 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says "all the indications" are that Syrian forces were behind a chemical attack in the town of Douma, and insists that the "continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged."

May said on Wednesday that Britain is working with close allies "on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account and how we can prevent and deter the humanitarian catastrophe that comes from the use of chemical weapons in the future."

The United States, France and Britain have been consulting about launching a military strike, but May has not confirmed whether U.K. forces will participate directly.

Britain's Parliament is in recess until Monday. While May does not legally require Parliament's backing for military action, it is conventional for lawmakers to be given a vote.

In 2013, Parliament defeated a call by then-Prime Minister David Cameron for air strikes in response to an earlier chemical attack in Syria.

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6 p.m.

Russia is reiterating that its officers who inspected the town of Douma outside the Syrian capital have found no evidence to support claims that a chemical attack happened there.

Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir of the Russian military's General Staff says ground samples from Douma showed no trace of chemical agents. He says doctors at a local hospital told the Russians they haven't treated any victims of purported attacks.

He also noted that local residents told Russian officers they were unaware of any burials of victims of a purported chemical attack.

Poznikhir also repeated Moscow's earlier allegations that claims of the attack were "fake" and said the Russian military is ready to ensure security for experts from the international chemical weapons watchdog who are to visit Douma to investigate.

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5:35 p.m.

The Russian military says it will deploy troops to the Syrian town of Douma that was the site of a purported chemical weapons attack over the weekend.

Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces said on Wednesday that Russian military police will deploy to Douma on Thursday to ensure security of the town.

Poznikhir said that 41,213 people, including 3,354 rebels and 8,642 members of their families have left Douma with the Russian military's assistance.

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4:25 p.m.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is calling on the United States and Russia to work toward "healing wounds" in Syria, comparing their threats and exchanges of words to a street fight between "bullies."

Addressing an economic conference, Yildirim said Wednesday: "They are fighting like street bullies. ... The time is not one for competing. It is time to heal the wounds of the region."

Yildirim's comments came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. will be launching missiles at targets in Syria in response to the suspected chemical attack in a rebel-held area that killed at least 40 people.

Russia's Foreign Ministry responded by suggesting that the U.S. missiles would destroy evidence of a suspected chemical weapons attack.

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3:40 p.m.

The Syrian government says U.S. threats to attack it are "reckless" and endanger international peace and security.

The Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Washington is using an alleged chemical attack near the capital to target Syria, and that the threats are hindering the government's efforts to fight "terrorism."

Syria and its ally Russia have rejected allegations by activists and rescuers that a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma over the weekend killed more than 40 people.

U.S. President Donald Trump blamed the suspected attack on Syrian government forces and has threatened to respond militarily, tweeting on Wednesday that missiles "will be coming."

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2:50 p.m.

Russia's Foreign Ministry says the "smart" missiles that U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to send to Syria will destroy evidence of a suspected chemical weapons attack.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday that the U.S. will be launching missiles at targets in Syria in response to the suspected chemical attack in a rebel-held area that killed at least 40 people.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, in a Facebook post later on Wednesday wondered if the chemical weapons watchdog investigating the reports has been warned that the missiles will destroy "all evidence" of the attack.

She adds: "Or is it the original idea to use the smart missiles to sweep the traces of the provocation under the rug?"

Both the Syrian government and Russia deny the attack ever took place.

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2:30 p.m.

Russian state news agencies are reporting that a high-level Russian delegation has arrived in Syria where it is going to meet with President Bashar Assad.

The visit that RIA Novosti and Tass reported on Wednesday comes amid growing expectation of U.S. retaliation against Syria for a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town.

The two state news agencies reported said the Russian delegation includes the governor of an oil-rich Siberian region and several lawmakers arrived earlier on Wednesday.

Tass in a news story out of the northern Syria city of Homs quoted lawmaker Dmitry Sablin refuting reports that Assad may have fled Syria. Sablin said Assad is in Damascus and is going to meet the Russian delegation.

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12:45 p.m.

The U.N. health agency says reports from its partners indicate some 500 patients showed signs of exposure to toxic chemicals following shelling on the Syrian town of Douma over the weekend.

The World Health Organization says patients at health facilities showed "signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed."

A WHO statement Wednesday did not confirm outright that a chemical weapons attack had taken place.

WHO also cited reports about the deaths of more than 70 people who sheltered in basements, saying 43 of those people who died had shown "symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals."

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Tuesday it would send "shortly" a fact-finding mission to Douma.

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11 a.m.

A senior Russian lawmaker has warned the United States that Russia would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened military action after last weekend's suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus, which activists and rescuers say killed at least 40 people. The Syrian government and its ally Russia have denied that such an attack ever happened.

State news agency RIA Novosti on Wednesday quoted Andrei Krasov, deputy chairman of the State Duma's defense committee, as saying that Russia will treat a U.S. airstrike on Syria "not just as an act of aggression but a war crime of the Western coalition."

Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, providing air cover for his offensive against the Islamic State group and Syrian rebels. Russian military advisers are deployed at many Syrian government facilities.

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10:45 a.m.

European airspace authorities are warning aircraft to be careful over the next days when flying close to Syria because of possible military action against President Bashar Assad's forces.

The Eurocontrol airspace organization said that the European Aviation Safety Agency had sent a "Rapid Alert Notification" that flight operations needed to consider the possibility of air or missile strikes into Syria.

U.S. officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syria's alleged poison gas attack on a rebel-held town.

In a notice posted to Eurocontrol's website, EASA said: "Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken."
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A German warship will join a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group that's getting underway to Europe and the Middle East.

The Virginian-Pilot reported that the USS Harry S. Truman and its support ships will leave Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on Wednesday.

Among the strike group's ships will be the German frigate FGS Hessen. The state-of-the-art vessel specializes in air defense.

U.S. Navy officials said the Hessen is the only type of ship in the Western world with three kinds of surface-to-air missiles. Its radar has a detection range of more than 200 nautical miles for air targets.

The U.S. military often trains and deploys with NATO allies and other partner nations.

The Hessen also will accompany the strike group for the first part of its deployment.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Serbia's defense ministry says a military jet has crashed in the north of the country, killing one of two pilots who ejected from the plane.

The crash of the Yugoslav made Galeb G-4 training jet occurred at 9:30 a.m. local some 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Belgrade.

The ministry says the injured pilot has been hospitalized.

The crash is being investigated.

The Serbian Air Force, depleted during the NATO bombing of the country in 1999, is currently undergoing modernization with used Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - An Afghan official says Pakistan has fired nearly 200 rockets across the border into the northeastern Kunar province, killing one person and forcing nearly 300 residents to flee.

Provincial government spokesman Abdul Ghani Musamim reported the attack late Tuesday. Pakistani officials were not immediately available for comment.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have long accused each other of failing to crack down on militants operating along the porous border.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked two security posts in the central Ghazni province, killing four policemen. Provincial government spokesman Arif Noori says three other police were wounded in the attacks late Tuesday.

The Taliban control or have a presence in large swathes of the province.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Israeli authorities are investigating how Dublin Mayor Micheal Mac Donncha arrived in the country despite instructions to bar his entry.

Interior Minister Arieh Deri ordered an inquiry Wednesday after Mac Donncha announced he was in the West Bank city of Ramallah for a conference after landing at Israel's Ben-Gurion airport. Israel had aimed to block his entry because of his support for the BDS movement that advocates boycotts against it.

Israel says the campaign, with its call for a return of Palestinian refugees to land inside Israel, goes beyond opposition to the West Bank occupation and masks a deeper aim of destroying the country.

Deri says upon his departure Mac Donncha will be notified that he won't be allowed back. Mac Donncha says he knows of no ban on him.
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Latest on the Bill Cosby sexual-assault retrial (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

A third accuser has taken the witness stand at Bill Cosby's sexual-assault retrial in suburban Philadelphia.

Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Janice Baker-Kinney was a 24-year-old bartender in 1982, when she says Cosby gave her two pills that made her lose consciousness. She testified Wednesday she woke up naked in bed with the comedian, believing they'd had sex.

Baker-Kinney says she believes Cosby gave her Quaaludes, a now-banned sedative. She says she still blames herself for getting knocked out, telling jurors, "I don't want to have that guilt and shame."

Cosby is charged with drugging and assaulting a woman at his home in 2004. He says it was consensual.

Prosecutors are calling other accusers to the stand to make the case Cosby is a serial predator.

Cosby's lawyers have said Baker-Kinney "voluntarily" took the drug and apologized to him for passing out.

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3:45 p.m.

Bill Cosby's lawyers are scrutinizing the 2014 police statement of a woman who reported he drugged and molested her as a 17-year-old decades ago.

The police report filed by Chelan Lasha (shuh-LAWN' LASH'-uh) lacked many of the details she testified about Wednesday at Cosby's sexual assault retrial.

Lasha is one of five additional accusers expected to testify.

Lasha says Los Angeles police told her to make her account "as brief as possible," adding she got the impression officers didn't believe her.

She told jurors she was immobilized and unable to speak after Cosby gave her a blue pill and two shots of amaretto. She says the comedian then assaulted her.

Cosby's lawyers are expected to ask Lasha about her 2007 guilty plea for making a false report to Arizona law enforcement.

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1 p.m.

A tearful accuser has confronted Bill Cosby in court over allegations he knocked her out and molested her more than 30 years ago.

One of Cosby's lawyers asked for a mistrial Wednesday after Chelan Lasha said, "You remember, don't you Mr. Cosby?"

The judge denied the request.

Lasha is the second of five additional accusers expected to testify at Cosby's sexual assault retrial in suburban Philadelphia. The 80-year-old comedian is charged with drugging and molesting a woman in 2004. He says the encounter was consensual.

Lasha says she was immobilized and unable to speak after Cosby gave her a little blue pill and two shots of amaretto. She says Cosby then assaulted her.

Cosby's lawyers have said her memories are tainted at best.

The Associated Press doesn't typically identify people who say they're victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Lasha has done.

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12:10 p.m.

Jurors will be able to hear about the criminal past of one of the accusers in Bill Cosby's sex-assault retrial.

Cosby lawyer Jaya Gupta told a judge Wednesday that Chelan Lasha's 2007 guilty plea for making a false report to Arizona law enforcement "bears on her veracity."

The judge says that Cosby's lawyers can bring it up.

The former model and aspiring actress is one of five additional accusers who are being allowed to testify in the retrial. Her lawyer, Gloria Allred, says the defense is trying to smear Lasha.

Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting a woman at his home in 2004. He says it was consensual.

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11:55 a.m.

The first accuser testifying at Bill Cosby's retrial is telling jurors she wants to "see a serial rapist convicted."

Heidi Thomas stunned Cosby's lawyers and the courtroom with her answer during cross-examination Wednesday, fending off the insinuation that she'd do anything to help the comedian's chief accuser.

Thomas says she came forward with her allegations in early 2015 to support other women who have accused Cosby, not for the attention his lawyers say it brought her.

Thomas is rejecting a defense lawyer's suggestion she was seeking a share of the spotlight and trying to profit off her experiences.

She's the first in a parade of women whom prosecutors are calling as they try to show Cosby was a serial predator.

The 80-year-old comedian is charged with drugging and molesting another woman in 2004.

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9:30 a.m.

Bill Cosby's lawyers are arguing in court at his sexual assault retrial that jurors should hear about an accuser's criminal past so they can fully assess her credibility.

Cosby lawyer Jaya Gupta told a judge Wednesday that Chelan Lasha's 2007 guilty plea for making a false report to Arizona law enforcement "bears on her veracity."

State law bars talk of witness convictions more than a decade old, but Gupta argued Lasha's conviction should be an exception since her allegations against Cosby date to 1986.

Assistant District Attorney Stewart Ryan argued the defense will get a chance to test Lasha's credibility when she's cross-examined.

The judge has yet to rule.

Lasha is one of five additional accusers who are being allowed to testify in the retrial.

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8:45 a.m.

Comedian Bill Cosby has arrived for the third day of his sexual assault retrial.

Cosby walked into the suburban Philadelphia courthouse on Wednesday morning.

Spokesman Andrew Wyatt cited Cosby's defense attorney's opening statement Tuesday blasting his accuser. He says that the truth will be shown in court and Cosby will be vindicated.

The first of five additional accusers against Cosby is continuing her testimony in court Wednesday.

Heidi Thomas told jurors on Tuesday that Cosby knocked her out with wine and forced her to perform oral sex in Reno, Nevada, in 1984.

The Associated Press doesn't typically identify people who say they're victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Thomas has done.

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12:10 a.m.

Prosecutors are rallying from a blistering defense attack on Bill Cosby's chief accuser with a parade of women who say the comedian drugged and attacked them long before he allegedly assaulted Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

The first of the five women, Heidi Thomas, returns to the witness stand on Wednesday. She told jurors on Tuesday that Cosby knocked her out with wine and forced her to perform oral sex in Reno, Nevada, in 1984.

The women could help prosecutors insulate Constand from the defense's contention that she's a "con artist."

Defense lawyer Tom Mesereau said in an opening statement that Constand framed him to score a big payday.

The Associated Press doesn't typically identify people who say they're victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand and Thomas have done.

Bill Cosby, right, listens to a statement by his spokesman Andrew Wyatt as he arrives for his sexual assault trial, Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Heidi Thomas arrives to testify against actor and comedian Bill Cosby during the retrial of Cosby's sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Judge Steven O'Neill steps out of the courtroom in the sexual assault retrial of actor Bill Cosby at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Boxes of documents are wheeled into the courtroom during the retrial of comedian Bill sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby climbs out of his vehicle as he arrives during the retrial of his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Attorney Gloria Allred arrives for actor and comedian Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Attorney Lisa Bloom speaks to the media during a break in Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial, Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Kathleen Bliss, lawyer for actor and comedian Bill Cosby, leaves the courtroom on lunch recess during Cosby's sexual assault retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Tom Mesereau, lawyer for actor and comedian Bill Cosby, leaves the courtroom on lunch recess during Cosby's sexual assault retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Chelan Lasha weeps as she returns to the courtroom after recess to testify against Bill Cosby during Cosby's sexual assault retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Prosecutor Kevin Steele walks from the courtroom for lunch recess during Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby returns to the courtroom after lunch recess during the third day of the retrial of his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The first accuser to testify at Bill Cosby's retrial described the comedian Wednesday as "a serial rapist" as she parried with his lawyers, while a second accuser tearfully confronted the comedian over a 32-year-old assault allegation: "You remember, don't you, Mr. Cosby?" (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

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9:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump listens as he meets with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump is attacking Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Twitter, as he complains about what he calls the "Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation."

Trump wrote on Twitter Wednesday: "Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama." He wrote that special counsel Robert Mueller "is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!"

In recent days, Trump has privately pondered firing Rosenstein and publicly criticized Mueller and his Russia probe. He was incensed this week by the FBI's raid of his personal attorney's office and hotel room.

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7:31 a.m.

President Donald Trump is raging against what he calls the "corrupt Russia Investigation," saying that there is "No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back)."

Trump says on Twitter Wednesday that the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling in the 2016 election "takes tremendous time and focus." He also complained about the Monday FBI raid of the office of his personal attorney, saying "they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!"

The president also pushed back against reports of tumult within his administration, which has seen a flood of high-level exits and is plagued by reports of internal conflict. He says it is "Very calm and calculated."

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1:01 a.m.

President Donald was so incensed by the FBI's raid of his personal attorney's office and hotel room that he's privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly mused about ousting special counsel Robert Mueller.

Five people familiar with the president's views say the raid of attorney Michael Cohen's records left the president more angry than advisers had seen him in weeks. Trump himself tweeted that "Attorney-client privilege is dead!"

Nervous White House aides have expressed new fears about the president's unpredictability in the face of the Cohen raid, which he viewed as an assault on a longtime defender and a sign that Mueller's probe into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was "going too far."
Biathlon's governing body was raided by Austrian police on Wednesday in an operation that officials said was linked to a doping investigation.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said the raid of the International Biathlon Union's headquarters in Salzburg was part of a wider investigation into the IBU by law enforcement in Austria and Norway. WADA told The Associated Press in an e-mailed statement that "the issue is linked to doping."

The IBU said the raid was focused on Anders Besseberg, who has been the governing body's president since it was founded in 1993, and secretary general Nicole Resch, who handles much of the day-to-day running of the sport.

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 file photo, Anders Besseberg, president of International Biathlon Union, or IBU, right, during a press conference of the IBU Biathlon World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The International Biathlon Union says its headquarters have been raided on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 by Austrian police investigating the body's president and secretary general. The IBU says secretary general Nicole Resch "has requested a leave of absence" because of the investigation. There is no word on president Anders Besseberg, who has led the IBU since it was founded in 1993. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man, file)

The IBU said Resch "has requested a leave of absence" because of the investigation, but didn't comment on Besseberg's future. Austria's federal prosecutor's office for financial crimes and corruption was responsible for the case, police said. The prosecutor did not immediately comment on the investigation.

Biathlon, which combines skiing and shooting, is one of the most popular winter sports in Europe, but it has been shaken by doping scandals involving the Russian team. Some of the sport's key names have called for the IBU to take stronger action against Russia, while nations including the United States and Canada boycotted a World Cup round in Russia last month.

The investigation into the IBU was related to testimony given by Russian doping whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, Besseberg's wife Wenche Besseberg told the AP. Anders Besseberg was not immediately available for comment.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK published an interview with Rodchenkov on Wednesday in which he said the IBU had colluded with Russian anti-doping authorities to cover up suspicious blood tests by the country's athletes in previous years.

"Dr. Rodchenkov has been cooperating with the investigation of the International Biathlon Union, and with other investigations. We are hopeful that all doping fraud and corruption in international sports is fully exposed, and we will continue to work diligently to make that a reality," Rodchenkov's lawyer Jim Walden said in a statement.

Several Russian athletes have been sanctioned for doping in recent years, including Olympic medalists from the 2014 Sochi Games, where Russia has been accused of operating a doping scheme and cover-up.

The IBU and Resch did not respond to questions Wednesday about Rodchenkov's allegations.

The IBU said its executive board "is taking the matter (of the raid) extremely seriously and continues to be committed to operating under the highest standards of good governance and transparency."

Austrian authorities have tried to tackle doping in biathlon before.

Police raided the lodgings of the Kazakhstan team ahead of last year's world championships after a box containing medical equipment and team documents was left by the roadside. The raid didn't result in any criminal charges and the team passed drug tests, though a team doctor was provisionally suspended by the IBU.

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Associated Press writers Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Facebook's privacy scandal and Mark Zuckerberg's congressional testimony (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says users whose personal information was obtained by data-mining firm tied to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign are being informed, starting this week.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Zuckerberg told a lawmaker during his appearance Wednesday he believes the notices about Cambridge Analytica's possession of their information began going out Monday.

It's unclear how many of the 87 million affected users have received their notices. Zuckerberg didn't elaborate because he was being pressed to keep his answers as brief as possible by Rep. Anna Eshoo, the Democrat from Silicon Valley who was questioning him.

Facebook has set up a page where any Facebook user can check to see if Cambridge Analytica vacuumed up any of their information. Zuckerberg told Congress that the firm got some of his information.

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11:03 a.m.

Mark Zuckerberg says his Facebook data was included in the personal information sold to malicious third parties, a reference to the Cambridge Analytica scandal that has rocked his company over the past several weeks.

Facing his second day of questioning from members of Congress on Wednesday, Zuckerberg was answering a question from Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from California.

Facebook has said that 87 million people's personal data was scooped up when some 270,000 users took a personality quiz and had not just their data, but the data of their friends to be accessed by an outside app. Cambridge Analytica then obtained this data and is said to have used it to try to influence elections around the world.

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10:55

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he believes it is "inevitable" that there will be regulation of his industry.

Lawmakers in both parties have floated possible regulation of Facebook and other social media companies amid privacy scandals and Russian intervention on the platform. It's not clear what that regulation would look like.

Zuckerberg said at a House hearing Wednesday that it is "inevitable that there will be some sort of regulation." But he warned that lawmakers should be careful in what they propose. He noted that larger companies like Facebook have more resources to comply with regulations than small startups.

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9:56 a.m.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is back on Capitol Hill.

A house hearing examining the company's privacy policies and the role Facebook played as Russians intervened in the 2016 election has begun. Zuckerberg testified for around five hours in a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

In that hearing, Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures and disclosed that his company was "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference. He also said Facebook was working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private data by a data-mining company affiliated with Donald Trump's campaign.

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12:18 a.m.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures as he underwent some five hours of questioning by the Senate.

The 33-year-old founder of the world's best-known social media giant is set for another Capitol Hill grilling on Wednesday before members of the House.

Lawmakers were at times aggressive Tuesday as they accused Zuckerberg of failing to protect the personal information of millions of Americans from Russians intent on upsetting the U.S. election.

Zuckerberg disclosed that his company is "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference. He says it's working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private data by a data-mining company affiliated with President Donald Trump's campaign.

Facebook has been reeling from its worst-ever privacy failure.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Life-sized cutouts depicting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wearing "Fix Fakebook" T-shirts are displayed by advocacy group, Avaaz, on the South East Lawn of the Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, ahead of Zuckerberg's appearance before a Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees joint hearing. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo, Alex Brandon)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

An aide to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg closes a binder of notes left on the table as Zuckerberg takes a short break from testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pauses while testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg smiles while testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
ISLAMABAD (AP) - Students from Pakistan's religious seminaries have held a commemoration rally to pray for victims of an airstrike earlier this month in neighboring Afghanistan.

About 400 students gathered for the demonstration in Islamabad on Wednesday. They said they decided to hold the prayer service after seeing reports that madrassa students were among those killed in the April 2 strike.

Afghan officials say they targeted a Taliban training camp in the Dashti Archi district in northern Kunduz province. At least five civilians and 30 insurgents were reported killed. The Taliban claimed the strike hit a madrassa, or a religious school, during a graduation ceremony, killing dozens of civilians.

Pakistani religious students affiliated with various Islamic seminaries read Quran and pray for the victims of a deadly April 2, 2018 airstrike in the Afghan province of Kunduz, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. An Afghan official said the airstrike was on a Taliban training camp in northern Afghanistan and killed at least 35 insurgents and wounded many more, while the Taliban said the airstrike hit a religious school during a graduation ceremony, killing dozens of civilians. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

The students at the Islamabad gathering said they had no direct knowledge of the Kunduz strike and only learned about it from media reports.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas officials want to put the brakes on out-of-state gubernatorial candidates after 10 people living outside the state's borders took initial steps to run.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced Tuesday that he's filed a lawsuit as part of an effort to keep non-residents out of the race, The Kansas City Star reports. He said in a statement that it appears lawmakers always intended candidates for Kansas governor to reside in the state and is asking the court to interpret Kansas law, which makes no express statement about candidates' age or residency.

News coverage about the lack of requirements has led to a slew of teenagers and non-Kansans forming campaign committees for a gubernatorial run. A man even tried, and failed, to get his dog on the ballot.

Among the out-of-state candidates is Ilan Cohen, a 17-year-old high school student from Bethesda, Maryland, who would see his candidacy in trouble if Schmidt's lawsuit prevails.

"I think it's an unnecessary thing to be doing," he said. "I already trust the people of Kansas to make the right decision."

The lawsuit lists Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the state's top election official and a Republican running for governor this year, as the defendant. Schmidt also is a Republican. Would-be governors have until June 1 to make their candidacies official by paying a $2,207 filing fee or submitting a nominating petition containing several thousand signatures and $670.

Kobach says none of the out-of-state candidates have taken either of those steps so far. "At that point, if it occurs, the question of ballot access will need to be answered," Kobach said.

Schmidt's office said the Kansas teenagers running for governor wouldn't be affected by the lawsuit, although pending legislation would keep them out of the race.

The Kansas House passed a bill earlier this year that would keep minor teenagers from becoming governor, saying that candidates had to at least be 18 and a Kansas resident. An amended version of the legislation passed by the Senate also says that candidates must be a qualified Kansas elector and also raised the age limit to 30. A finalized bill has yet to make it to Gov. Jeff Colyer's desk.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Through years of political upheaval and economic turmoil, Ukraine's capital city, Kiev, has remained a vibrant, engaging place to visit. For travelers, its food and culture rival the best of Europe at a fraction of the price.

Here's more on why this often overlooked destination should top your getaway list.

LANDMARKS

This Sept. 21, 2017 photo shows Saint Andrew's Church in Kiev, Ukraine. The 18th century Baroque stunner is by Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

Maidan: This square was the site of deadly protests in 2014 that ushered in the country's pro-European revolution. It's now a bustling tourist hotspot surrounded by shops, restaurants, an evening fountain show, the towering Independence Monument and the Instagram-ready I Love Kyiv sign.

Saint Andrew's Church: This 18th century Baroque stunner by Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli is worth a visit, http://andriyivska-tserkva.kiev.ua/ . Afterward, head to the nearby Landscape Alley, a whimsical sculpture park and kids play area. I dare you not to snap a selfie with one of the massive mosaic creatures.

St. Sophia's Cathedral: The gold- and green-domed UNESCO World Heritage Site offers an impressive collection of original 11th century mosaics and frescoes, http://n.sophiakievska.org/en/home/ .

The Motherland Monument: This tremendous 500-ton, 335-foot (102-meter) stainless steel structure on the bank of the Dnieper River keeps a watchful eye over Kiev. The grand statue, a woman raising a shield in one hand a sword in the other, commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of the Nazis during World War II. A Ukrainian war museum is located at its base, http://www.warmuseum.kiev.ua/ .

KIEV COOKING: BORSCHT OR BUST

Puzata Hata: Get your fill of borscht, a hearty soup often made with beets or cabbage, and other Ukrainian dishes at this popular and cheap fast food chain. Don't skip the dessert line at this cafeteria-style gem. Sugar-sprinkled, cherry pierogies, anyone? www.puzatahata.com.ua/eng

Yaroslava: If looking to refuel between sites, stop by this historic Ukrainian restaurant and bakery for traditional treats including their famed cinnamon rolls. The cranberry cake is also worth a mention. Three yummy pastries and two fresh juices cost $3 (U.S.). It's located at Yaroslaviv Val St., 13.

Chicken Kyiv: Where better to sample the famous dish (not actually from Kiev!) than its namesake restaurant located near Maidan? You'll be transported to Soviet high society of 1970s in the retro eatery, serving dozens of chicken dishes, inducing the famous Kiev with its breaded outside and herbed butter center. Dive into a lavish three courses for two for under $30, http://borisov.com.ua/en/chicken-kyiv .

FASHION FORWARD FINDS

Corner Concept Store: Try on some wearable art by Ukrainian designers in this sparse, ultra-chic boutique, https://www.facebook.com/Cornerconceptstore .

Nadezdina: Local designer Natella Nadezhdina's shop is lined with funky prints and feminine styles for a range of shapes and sizes, https://www.facebook.com/nadezdinanatella/ .

Lesnaya market: If thrifting is your thing, head to Lesnaya flea market and journey between mountains of secondhand clothes and stalls of flowers, produce and knockoffs. The market is located outside Lisova metro station, the last stop on the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line.

Atelier 1: If you can find the back-alley entrance of this industrial, underground concept store you'll be treated to an artsy mix of local and high-end brands like Comme des Garcons, http://a-a-ah.com/atelier1 .

CHERNOBYL

Yes, you can visit the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, the Chernobyl disaster, which led to the evacuation of about 115,000 people. Armed with dosimeters, you'll traipse through abandoned towns, schools and an amusement park and check out the site of 1986 explosion that sent a radioactive cloud over Europe. Pripyat, a hastily evacuated Soviet city, was ravaged by looters and left as a modern-day ghost town.

Rest assured, though: The amount of radiation you'll receive on a Chernobyl tour - a day trip from Kiev - is less than your last dental X-ray.

The story of the massive (you must see it to believe it) Soviet missile detection system, Duga-1, is also a worthy stop on any Chernobyl trip, https://chernobyl-tour.com/english/ .

MEZHYHIRYA

Marvel at the sprawling, opulent estate of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych located on Dnieper river, 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Kiev. Many consider the impressive 350-acre (142-hectare), once-secret, walled complex a sobering symbol of excess and corruption by the Russia-friendly Ukrainian leader driven out during the 2014 protests.

You could lose an entire day wandering Mezhyhirya's manicured gardens, golf course and impressive classic car collection. Better to navigate the grounds with a hired golf cart ($5 per person.)

Colorful tours of Yanukovych's massive lodge-style home, complete with spa, tennis courts, bowling alley and salt room, are led by the home's lively caretaker, Petro Oliynyk. For English translation, you'll need to hire a guide in advance or pick one up onsite. Transport plus a three-hour tour with Argotour cost $77, http://argotourua.com/tours/mezhigorie-yanukovychs-countryside-residence/ . Entrance to the home is an extra $10 per person.

GETTING AROUND

You can hail a taxi, but be prepared to negotiate the rate. Ordering a cab by phone or online from an established company will ensure a better price.

Uber is cheap, but can include long wait times and it's surprisingly difficult to connect with drivers.

Your best bet is the subway, which roars through Kiev's metro system with impressive efficiency. You can pick up single-ride tokens for around 15 cents U.S. or buy multi-day passes, https://www.visitkievukraine.com/transport/metro/map/ .

This Sept. 21, 2017 photo taken in Kiev, Ukraine, shows Maidan, the site of deadly protests in 2014 that ushered in the country's pro-European revolution. The square is now a bustling tourist hotspot and home to the towering Independence Monument. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 21, 2017 photo shows Landscape Alley, a whimsical sculpture park and kids play area in Kiev, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

In this Sept. 21, 2017 photo shoppers sift through thrift store finds at Lesnaya market in Kiev, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 20, 2017 photo shows what remains of a home in Kopachi village, Ukraine. The area was evacuated after the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 20, 2017 photo shows a bumper car ride in an abandoned amusement park in Pripyat, Ukraine. The area was evacuated after the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. Visitors can explore the ghost town with a tour guide. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 21, 2017 photo shows the 500-ton Motherland Monument which sits on the bank of the Dnieper River in Kiev, Ukraine. The grand statue commemorates the Soviet's defeat of the Nazis during World War II. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 22, 2017 photo shows a seating area in the Mezhyhirya Residence located in the village of Novi Petrivtsi, north of Kiev, Ukraine. The massive estate was the home of former President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country during the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. It's now open to tourists wanting a glimpse of Yanukovych's opulent lifestyle. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 22, 2017 photo shows the Mezhyhirya Residence in the village of Novi Petrivtsi, north of Kiev, Ukraine. The massive estate was the home of former President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country during the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. It's now open to tourists wanting a glimpse of Yanukovych's opulent lifestyle. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 22, 2017 photo shows St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine. The cathedral is a gold-and green-domed UNESCO World Heritage Site offering an impressive collection of original 11th century mosaics and frescoes. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)

This Sept. 20, 2017 photo shows what remains of a kindergarten in Kopachi village, Ukraine. The area was evacuated after the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. (AP Photo/Nicole Evatt)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ivanka Trump plans to promote women's economic empowerment and female-owned businesses during a Latin American summit this week.

President Donald Trump's daughter and senior adviser will be part of the U.S. delegation to the Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, led by Vice President Mike Pence.

The president has pulled out of the event so he can oversee the U.S. response to an apparent chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria.

Ivanka Trump says she plans to announce an initiative "to propel women's economic empowerment in the region" and will stop at Lima's stock exchange to meet with female corporate leaders and entrepreneurs.

She also plans to highlight the participation of women in the economy at a female-owned business that makes organic products.
For the second time in five months, an infant has been left in a baby box at a northwestern Indiana volunteer fire station.

Indiana's Safe Haven Law allows babies under 30-days-old to be dropped off to any police department, fire station or hospital without any criminal charges.

So-called 'baby boxes' popping up in fire stations are intended to make the difficult decision easier for mothers.

First installed about two years ago, the padded, climate-controlled box allows a mother to relinquish her newborn anonymously.

After a pager alerted Lt. Chuck Kohler, of the Coolspring Township Volunteer Fire Department, near Michigan City, to the presence of a baby in the box on Sunday night - the fireman was on the scene in less than a minute.

Lt. Chuck Kohler shows how a mother can relinquish her newborn using the Safe Haven Baby Box

The girl, named Grace by the firemen, appeared healthy and was taken to a hospital for care.

She will then be placed in the custody of the Indiana Department of Child Services.

The system certainly seems to be having the desired result after another baby girl was safely rescued having been left in the box on November 7.

'There are some mums that will go to the hospital,' Monica Kelsey, the founder and president of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, told KTXS.

'There are some mums that will walk into this fire station and hand that child over.

'But we also know that there are some mums that don't want their faces seen and this box is the reason why it's working.'

Monica Kelsey, founder of the not-for-profit organization Safe Haven Baby Boxes, plans to roll out the scheme to several towns and cities
MIAMI (AP) - The U.S. Coast Guard says it stopped a dangerously overloaded boat filled with migrants from Haiti, and got assistance from Cuban authorities.

A Coast Guard cutter spotted the migrants' open sailboat 20 miles northeast of Cuba. Chief Petty Officer Crystalynn Kneen says the crew of the cutter sent a smaller boat to assist the migrants because their vessel was taking on water.

The Coast Guard said in a statement Wednesday that 50 migrants were taken on board the cutter Reliance but another 77 on the small sailboat refused to board or accept life jackets. Their boat drifted into Cuban waters where the Cuban Border Guard took custody of them.

The Coast Guard says the 50 detained by the U.S. were turned over to Haitian authorities Tuesday.
ATLANTA (AP) - A judge has tossed out two of the seven charges against an Atlanta lawyer who fatally shot his business executive wife.

Claud "Tex" McIver still faces murder and aggravated assault charges in the September 2016 death of Diane McIver. His lawyers say the shooting was accidental.

The prosecution rested its case Tuesday after more than three weeks of testimony. Local media report that Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Robert McBurney on Wednesday dismissed two counts of influencing witnesses.

A third count of influencing witnesses remains.

One dismissed count had to do with McIver allegedly asking his former public relations consultant to retract a statement made to the media. The other involved a voicemail McIver left for the husband of his wife's best friend, the lone witness to the shooting.
CHICAGO (AP) - An aviation security officer who was fired after forcibly dragging a passenger from a plane last year is suing United Airlines and the city of Chicago, claiming he wasn't properly trained to deal with such a situation and he was defamed in the aftermath.

James Long was one of the officers called to a plane in April 2017 after Dr. David Dao refused to give up his seat to a United employee traveling from O'Hare International Airport to Louisville. Video taken by other passengers show Long dragging a bloodied Dao from the plane.

Long was fired in August. Another officer involved was also fired, while a third resigned.

Long filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court against the Chicago Department of Aviation, its commissioner, Ginger Evans, and United. He's seeking more than $150,000 in damages.

According to Long, the department didn't provide him with the proper training to respond to the Dao situation.

"But for the CDA's negligence and failure to train (Long) how to respond to an escalating situation with an airline passenger, (he) would not have acted in the manner he did, which resulted in his termination," the lawsuit states.

It alleges that Evans defamed Long in social media posts and statements to news outlets in which she labeled the officers' actions as "completely inappropriate." Evans' statements had "deliberate and intentionally misleading omissions with the direct intention to harm" Long, the lawsuit asserts.

Meanwhile, United should have known that security officers would use physical force, the lawsuit argues.

Spokesmen for United and the city declined to comment Wednesday, saying they hadn't received the lawsuit.
ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) - A Paraguayan court has sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for the 2015 murder of a teenage U.S. citizen, whose death originally was ruled a suicide.

In a case closely followed by the U.S. government, Rene Hofstetter, 21, was sentenced late Tuesday in the killing of his friend Alejandro Villamayor, a 16-year-old native of Rockville, Maryland, who moved to Paraguay at age 6.

Villamayor was found dead June 27, 2015, with a bullet in his temple during a trip with friends to a ranch about 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of the capital, Asuncion.

In this April 8, 2018 photo, Puning Luk, center, the mother of slain teenager Alejandro Villamayor, is embraced by a friend during a vigil to demand justice for her son in Asuncion, Paraguay. Rene Hofstetter was sentenced on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 to 12 years in prison for the murder of Villamayor, who found dead at a friend's house in June 2015 with a gunshot to the head. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Hofstetter's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon and his father owned the ranch where Villamayor was killed. A separate court sentenced ranch worker Mathias Wilbs to two years and 10 months in jail for his role in covering up the crime to make it look like a suicide.

"We've followed the case of the youngster Alex Villamayor," U.S. Ambassador Lee McClenny said on his Twitter account. "And it's gratifying that after a long period, the case has reached closure that in some way can comfort and strengthen the Villamayor family."

His family and friends remember "Alex," as he was known to his loved ones, as a happy teen who enjoyed training at a local gym and excelled at school.

The U.S. government had expressed its concern over the initial investigation's lack of results and the case became a test of Paraguay's endemically corrupt justice system.

Villamayor's body was found with a gun in its hand and defense lawyers and prosecutors at first said his death was a suicide. But Villamayor's family always believed it was murder.

Paraguay's public ministry was forced to reclassify the case as a homicide and change the investigating team after forensic tests contradicted the prosecutors' initial suicide conclusion.

Investigators found Villamayor was holding the gun in his left hand although he was right-handed, and the weapon was not the same one that fired the bullet that killed him.

Wilbs, the ranch worker, later confessed to helping cover up the crime and placing the weapon in the teenager's hand on the orders of Hofstetter's father.

In addition, blood stains on the body indicated Villamayor's body had been turned around, and he had been dressed in clothes that did not belong to him.

A medical examiner discovered injuries on his body. Three forensic doctors said during the trial that he had suffered these injuries just a few minutes before his death.

Hofstetter traveled to Germany and only returned to Paraguay when the newly appointed prosecutors demanded an international arrest order.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on the legal fight over President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to cut funding from states and cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump's comments about sanctuary cities are being scrutinized at a federal appeals court hearing about the legality of his executive order threatening to cut funding to states and cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.

Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Sidney Thomas asked at the hearing on Wednesday in San Francisco what the court should make of statements by Trump and his administration.

U.S. Department of Justice attorney Chad Readler said the court should focus on the executive order and not public comments.

The DOJ is appealing a judge's ruling that permanently blocked the executive order nationwide. The ruling came in lawsuits filed by two California counties - San Francisco and Santa Clara.

The Trump administration says the order applies to a relatively small pot of money that already requires compliance with immigration law and does not threaten other federal funding.

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11 p.m.

The Trump administration will try to convince a federal appeals court that the president's executive order threatening to cut funding from states and cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities was narrow and legal.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the administration's arguments on Wednesday in its appeal of a judge's ruling permanently blocking the order nationwide.

U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick said in November that the order threatened all federal funding, and the president did not have the authority to attach new conditions to spending that was approved by Congress.

The ruling came in lawsuits filed by two California counties - San Francisco and Santa Clara.

The Trump administration says the order applies to a relatively small pot of money that already requires compliance with immigration law.
MOSCOW (AP) - When the U.S. fired Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airfield a year ago after a chemical weapons attack, the Pentagon gave Moscow advance warning to get its personnel out of harm's way.

Since then, U.S.-Russian relations have soured, and the two nuclear powers have raised the ante, getting dangerously close to a potential military clash in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump has taunted Moscow to "get ready" for "nice and new and 'smart'" missiles coming to punish Syria for a purported chemical attack on Saturday that killed at least 40 people. The tweet followed Russia's warning that it will strike at incoming U.S. missiles and their launch platforms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses newly-arrived foreign ambassadors as he received their credentials during a ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The defiant posture leaves both the White House and the Kremlin with fewer options to respond without losing face.

A stern statement last month by Russia's top military officer effectively drew a red line on any U.S. strike. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian military's General Staff, said Russian military officers are at Syrian facilities throughout the country and warned that "if a threat to our servicemen emerges, the Russian armed forces will take retaliatory measures against both missiles and their carriers."

Some say the U.S. could launch a limited strike like it did in April 2017, when it hit Syria's Shayrat airfield with cruise missiles after warning Russia. Such a scenario would allow Washington to claim it made good on its promise to punish Syrian President Bashar Assad without triggering a clash with Russia.

A pinpoint U.S. strike on Syrian targets that does not harm Russian personnel "will allow Trump to say that the Assad regime has paid a heavy price ... and Russia in its turn will be able to limit itself to ringing statements," said Fyodor Lukyanov, the head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policies, an association of top Russian political and security experts.

He added, however, that the U.S. would be unlikely to warn Russia of the coming strike this time.

"The context of the relations has changed radically in the past year: We're in a state of a real and tangible Cold War," Lukyanov said.

Moscow's hopes of warmer ties with Washington under Trump have been shattered by the ongoing U.S. investigations of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and its potential ties with the Trump campaign. The Trump administration has ramped up sanctions against Russia and expelled dozens of diplomats. Tensions between the two countries have escalated on a broad range of issues - from the crisis in Ukraine to the war in Syria to the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain, which triggered the massive diplomatic war.

President Vladimir Putin's top adviser, Vladislav Surkov said in an article released earlier this week that Russia has abandoned its centuries-long aspirations of integrating into the West and is bracing for a new era of "geopolitical loneliness." Surkov warned that "it's going to be tough," but added cryptically that "it'll be fun."

Opinions vary about what may happen in Syria.

"The situation is pretty bad, but it shouldn't be overdramatized," Alexei Malashenko, a leading Russian expert on Syria said in televised remarks. "I don't believe that a clash between Russia and the U.S. is possible."

Washington and Moscow both have said that a hotline established in 2015 to prevent incidents between their militaries in Syria has worked well, but the rising stakes make the situation more unstable than ever during the Syrian conflict.

Under one possible scenario, Russia may try to use its sophisticated electronic warfare systems deployed in Syria to make U.S. missiles veer off course without shooting them down. If that softer option doesn't work, the Russian military could use an array of its state-of-the-art air defense assets in Syria to target the U.S. cruise missiles or drones.

Vyacheslav Nikonov, a senior lawmaker in the Kremlin-controlled lower house of parliament, said in televised remarks that the Russian military was getting its electronic countermeasures and air defense assets ready for action. He added on a combative note that the situation offers a "good chance to test them in conditions of real combat."

An even more threatening situation may evolve if the U.S. and its allies use manned aircraft, and the Russian strike results in casualties.

Such a scenario could trigger a quick escalation, leaving Russia and the U.S. on the brink of a full-scale conflict - a situation unseen even during the darkest moments of the Cold War.

Retired Lt. Gen. Yevgeny Buzhinsky, the former chief of the Russian Defense Ministry's international department, warned that Russia has thousands of military advisers in Syria "practically in every battalion," and a strike on any Syrian facility could jeopardize their lives. He warned that Russia and the U.S. will quickly find themselves in a major conflict if they allow a collision in Syria to happen.

"I have an impression that Americans' survival instincts have grown numb, if not vanished completely," Buzhinsky said. "They seem not to really believe that Russia will give a tough military response and expect some sort of a local brawl, exchanging some minor blows. It's a miscalculation. Any clash between Russian and U.S. militaries will expand beyond a local conflict and an escalation will be inevitable."

Andrei Klimov, the head of an upper house committee that investigates foreign meddling in Russian affairs, proudly said on the top talk show on Russian state TV that his relative, a Soviet pilot, won a medal for combat duty in Vietnam. Klimov pointed to heavy U.S. losses from Soviet missiles and jets in Vietnam, adding that Russia stands ready to counter any possible U.S. strike.

Unlike the Vietnam War, where Soviet advisers helping North Vietnam supposedly weren't directly engaged in combat, the potential clash in Syria would pit Russia directly against the U.S.

Fears of war swept Russian newspaper headlines and TV news, with commentators discussing the darkest possible outcomes, including a nuclear war.

"What if the war starts tomorrow?" the front page of Moskovsky Komsomolets clamored on Wednesday. Russia's best-selling newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda wondered: "Is macho Trump going to start World War III?"

Even former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev weighed in. The 88-year-old former president compared the tensions to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and said he feels "great concern."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov prepare to toast at a ceremony of receiving credentials from foreign ambassadors in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool Photo via AP)

FILE - This file Dec. 12, 2017 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the troops at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria. With the Middle East on edge and many fearing inadvertent triggering of regional war, it is easy to forget that two weeks ago Trump shocked advisers in declaring an intention to withdraw troops from Syria. Now, apparently angered by a suspected chemical attack, Trump is threatening imminent military strikes against the Syrian government forces he blames and rattling a saber at Syria's patron Russia. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony of receiving credentials from foreign ambassadors in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

FILE - This file photo provided March 15, 2016, by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, a lineup of Russian troops is held before withdrawal at Hemeimeem air base in Syria. With the Middle East on edge and many fearing inadvertent triggering of regional war, it is easy to forget that two weeks ago Trump shocked advisers in declaring an intention to withdraw troops from Syria. Now, apparently angered by a suspected chemical attack, Trump is threatening imminent military strikes against the Syrian government forces he blames and rattling a saber at Syria's patron Russia. (Vadim Grishankin/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

FILE - EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - This Sunday, April. 8, 2018 file image released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, shows victims of an alleged chemical weapons attack collapsed on the floor of a building in the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. With the Middle East on edge and many fearing inadvertent triggering of regional war, it is easy to forget that two weeks ago Trump shocked advisers in declaring an intention to withdraw troops from Syria. Now, apparently angered by a suspected chemical attack, Trump is threatening imminent military strikes against the Syrian government forces he blames and rattling a saber at Syria's patron Russia. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP, File)

FILE - This Sunday, April 8, 2018 file image made from video released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, shows medical workers treating toddlers following an alleged poison gas attack in the opposition-held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. With the Middle East on edge and many fearing inadvertent triggering of regional war, it is easy to forget that two weeks ago Trump shocked advisers in declaring an intention to withdraw troops from Syria. Now, apparently angered by a suspected chemical attack, Trump is threatening imminent military strikes against the Syrian government forces he blames and rattling a saber at Syria's patron Russia. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP, File)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Mitt Romney has a guaranteed spot in Utah's Republican primary for U.S. Senate, even if he does not secure the party's support at an upcoming convention.

A Utah Elections Office spokesman said Wednesday the former presidential nominee has secured more than the 28,000 signatures necessary to appear on the June 26 primary ballot.

Gathering signatures is one of two ways to appear on the ballot.

Romney and 11 other GOP contenders will also seek the support of several thousand delegates at a party convention April 21.

Any candidate who wins at least 60 percent of the delegate votes is declared winner and advances to the primary. If no one reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters advance.

Lee says none of Romney's opponents have yet submitted the necessary signatures.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration is considering a plan that would allow states to require certain food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing, handing a win to conservatives who've long sought ways to curb the safety net program.

The proposal under review would be narrowly targeted, applying mostly to people who are able-bodied, without dependents and applying for some specialized jobs, according to an administration official briefed on the plan. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said roughly 5 percent of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could be affected.

The drug testing proposal is another step in the Trump administration's push to allow states more flexibility in how they implement federal programs that serve the poor, unemployed or uninsured. It also wants to allow states to tighten work requirements for food stamp recipients and has found support among GOP governors who argue greater state control saves money and reduces dependency.

FILE - In this Jan. 30, 2018, file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks in Madison, Wis. The Trump administration is considering a plan that would allow states to require certain food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing, handing a win to conservatives who've long sought ways to curb safety net program. Walker sued the USDA in 2015 for blocking the state from drug testing adults applying for food stamps. A federal judge tossed the suit in 2016, but Walker renewed his request for permission later that year, after Donald Trump had won the presidency but before he took office.(AP Photo/Scott Bauer, File)

Internal emails obtained by The Associated Press indicated that Agriculture Department officials in February were awaiting word from the White House about the timing of a possible drug testing announcement.

"I think we just have to be ready because my guess is we may get an hour's notice instead of a day's notice," wrote Jessica Shahin, associate administrator of SNAP.

Conservative policymakers have pushed for years to tie food assistance programs to drug testing.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, sued the USDA in 2015 for blocking the state from drug testing adults applying for food stamps.

A federal judge tossed the suit in 2016, but Walker renewed his request for permission later that year, after Donald Trump had won the presidency but before he took office.

"We turned that down," said former USDA Food and Nutrition Service Undersecretary Kevin Concannon, who served in the position under the Obama administration from 2009 until January of last year. "It's costly and cumbersome."

The proposal is not expected to be included in a GOP-written farm bill expected to be released as soon as early this week, a GOP aide said.

Federal law bars states from imposing their own conditions on food stamp eligibility.

Still, some states have tried to implement some form of drug testing for the food assistance program, so far with little success.

Judges have blocked similar efforts in other states. In Florida in 2014, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court's ruling that drug testing SNAP recipients is unconstitutional.

But at least 20 states have introduced legislation to screen safety net program participants in some capacity, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In December, Walker began moving ahead with a workaround, drug testing participants in the state's Employment and Training Program who also received food stamps.

USDA under Trump has not taken a public position on drug testing. But Secretary Sonny Perdue has promised to provide states with "greater control over SNAP."

"As a former governor, I know first-hand how important it is for states to be given flexibility to achieve the desired goal of self-sufficiency for people," he said. "We want to provide the nutrition people need, but we also want to help them transition from government programs, back to work, and into lives of independence."

The emails obtained by the AP suggest that a plan could be forthcoming.

The plan would apply to able-bodied people who do not have dependents and are applying for certain jobs, such as operating heavy machinery, the official said.

In a February 15 email to USDA officials, Maggie Lyons, chief of staff to an acting official at the Food and Nutrition Service, said, "We need to have a conversation about timing given budget and when the (White House) wants us to release drug testing."

If the administration moves forward, it would not be the first time drug testing was used in a safety net program.

At least 15 states have passed laws allowing them to drug-test recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as welfare.

The discussion of the future of SNAP and potential changes to the program are set against the backdrop of the 2018 farm bill, slated for release as soon as this week. The bulk of the bill's spending goes toward funding SNAP, which often proves the most contentious part of negotiations; late last month, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., issued a statement on behalf of Democrats denouncing "extreme, partisan policies being advocated by the majority."

Ed Bolen, senior policy analyst at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities think tank, said requiring drug testing for food benefits will have consequences for already vulnerable populations. What's more, he said, implementing drug testing for SNAP recipients is legally murky.

"Are people losing their food assistance if they don't take the test, and in that case, is that a condition of eligibility, which the states aren't allowed to impose?" he said. "And does drug testing fall into what's allowable under a state training and employment program, which typically lists things like job search or education or on-the-job experience? This is kind of a different bucket."

The emails also show that USDA is weighing the possibility of scaling back a policy currently enacted in 42 states that automatically grants food stamp eligibility to households that qualify for non-cash assistance, like job training and childcare. The proposed change, which would impose income limits, could potentially affect millions.

Republicans tried to make similar changes when Congress passed the 2014 farm bill, but the cuts were rejected by Democrats and did not end up in the final bill.

Concannon, the former USDA undersecretary, said the Trump administration "is keen on weakening the programs developed to strengthen the health or fairness or access to programs and imposing populist requirements that aren't evidence based, but often stigmatize people."

The USDA in recent months has been under fire for its controversial plan to replace a portion of millions of food stamp recipients' benefits with a pre-assembled package of shelf-stable goods dubbed "America's Harvest Box." The food box plan was tucked into the Trump administration's proposed 2019 budget, which included cutting the SNAP program by $213 billion over the next 10 years. SNAP provides food assistance to roughly 42 million Americans
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Developers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline want to extend the project from Virginia into North Carolina.

A news release Wednesday announced plans for an extension of the natural gas pipeline, which begins in West Virginia, called MVP Southgate.

The new segment would receive gas from the Mountain Valley Pipeline mainline in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and extend approximately 70 miles south to new delivery points in Rockingham and Alamance counties in North Carolina.

The news release says MVP Southgate would provide natural gas to PSNC Energy, and additional customers will have the chance to subscribe.

The main Mountain Valley Pipeline has drawn strong opposition from environmental groups, and the new addition is likely to do the same.

MVP Southgate has a targeted in-service date of late 2020.
FITCHBURG, Mass. (AP) - The Latest on a 6-year-old girl's death and the charges against her parents (all times local):

5 p.m.

Authorities say a 9-year-boy found injured at his Massachusetts home told police bullies attacked him and his 6-year-old sister when their parents left them unattended.

Police said Wednesday the girl had "extensive bruising" and the boy had bruising and a neck wound. Police found the girl dead Tuesday after responding to a 911 call to the Fitchburg home.

Parents Shana Pedroso and Marvin Brito were arrested.

The couple was charged with reckless endangerment. Pedroso was also charged with assault and battery. Both have pleaded not guilty. Attorneys for either have not been reached for comment.

The boy told police he had gotten his injuries Monday when bullies attacked him and his sister when they were left alone during a walk outside. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

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3:10 p.m.

Police say the mother of a 6-year-old Massachusetts girl found dead told her 9-year-old son not to call 911 and used super glue to close a wound on his neck.

Thirty-seven-year-old Shana Pedroso and 38-year-old Marvin Brito were charged with reckless endangerment of a child at Fitchburg District Court on Wednesday. Pedroso was also charged with assault and battery, while Brito was charged with permitting substantial injury to a child.

Both have pleaded not guilty.

Police responded to a call at the Fitchburg home Tuesday and found the boy injured and the girl unresponsive. The girl was pronounced dead at a hospital. The boy's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Pedroso and Brito, the children's father, are being held without bail. A hearing is scheduled for April 18.

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9:10 a.m.

Prosecutors say two people are facing charges in the death of a 6-year-old Massachusetts girl.

The Worcester district attorney's office in a statement Wednesday announced the arrests of a man and a woman, but did not provide names, the charges they face or their relationship to the child. They face arraignment Wednesday.

District Attorney Joseph Early told reporters that police responding to a 911 call at a Fitchburg home Tuesday found an injured 9-year-old boy and a non-responsive 6-year-old girl.

Early says the children were taken to the hospital, where the girl was pronounced dead. The district attorney says the boy's injuries are believed to be non-life threatening.

Fitchburg Police Chief Earnest Martineau says it was not a "random act" and there is no danger to the public.

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This story has been corrected to show that arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, not Tuesday.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's effort to send up to 4,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is postponing her trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The International border, composed of barbed wire and "X" barriers, cuts through Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, right, and Nogales, Ariz., as seen Tuesday, April 10, 2018 near Nogales, Ariz. The Republican governors of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico on Monday committed 1,600 Guard members to the border, giving President Donald Trump many of the troops he requested to fight what he's called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime. (AP Photo/Matt York)

She had planned to get a firsthand look Thursday at the work being done to replace existing vehicle barriers with what is being billed as part of President Donald Trump's border wall.

Nielsen was scheduled to get a briefing on construction near the Santa Teresa border crossing but her office said in a statement that the trip has been postponed.

Instead, she's expected to remain in Washington, D.C., for meetings.

It was not immediately clear when her trip would be rescheduled.

The $73 million project in southern New Mexico involves replacing vehicle barriers along a 20-mile stretch with taller, more robust fencing. Authorities have said the new barrier would help curb illegal crossings and drug trafficking in one of the busiest sectors along the border.

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3:35 p.m.

The adjutant general of the Arizona National Guard says 60 troops will be sent on Friday to the border town of Nogales to take part in President Donald Trump's military deployment plan to fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire said Wednesday that that they will perform ground-based missions but did not provide more details.

He says another 112 of the 338 troops that Arizona has committed to Trump's operation will provide border air support, such as flying helicopters, from a base in the town of Marana near Tucson.

McGuire says other troops who are deployed will have tasks in engineering, transportation, surveillance and communications.

He says none of the troops who are being deployed are required to carry guns but that they can do so if they feel the need to protect themselves.

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1:45 p.m.

The spokeswoman for President Donald Trump has welcomed the decision by California's Democrat governor to deploy 400 National Guard troops for a presidential request aimed at fighting illegal immigration and drug trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the Trump administration is "glad to see California Gov. Jerry Brown work with the administration and send members of the national guard to help secure the southern border."

Brown did not say how many of the California troops might actually head to the border.

He says they will not "round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life."

Trump wants up to 4,000 troops sent to the border.

He has already won commitments for about 1,600 from the Republican governors of the other states that border Mexico- Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

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1:10 p.m.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has agreed to deploy 400 National Guard troops at President Donald Trump's request, but not all will head to the U.S.-Mexico border as Trump wants and none will enforce federal immigration enforcement.

Instead, the Democrat Brown said Wednesday the troops would join an existing program to combat transnational drug crime, firearms smuggling and human trafficking. They would join 250 existing California National Guard troops, including 55 who are at the border.

Trump wants up to 4,000 troops sent to the border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking and has already won commitments for about 1,600 from the Republican governors of the other states that border Mexico - Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

The California Guard members may be deployed at the border, the coast and elsewhere statewide, Brown said.

The federal government must agree to the terms before the troops would be deployed.

California deployed troops to the border under former Presidents George W. Bush in 2006 and Barack Obama in 2010.

The International border cuts through Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, right, and Nogales, Ariz., as seen Tuesday, April 10, 2018 from Nogales, Ariz. The Republican governors of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico on Monday committed 1,600 Guard members to the border, giving President Donald Trump many of the troops he requested to fight what he's called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime. (AP Photo/Matt York)

In this April 10, 2018 frame from video, a National Guard troop watches over Rio Grande River on the border in Roma, Texas. The deployment of National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border at President Donald Trump's request was underway Tuesday with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration. (AP Photo/John Mone)

In this April 10, 2018 frame from video, a National Guard troop watches over Rio Grande River on the border in Roma, Texas. The deployment of National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border at President Donald Trump's request was underway Tuesday with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration. (AP Photo/John Mone)

A Customs and Border Patrol agent monitors where the fence ends along the international border Tuesday, April 10, 2018 near Nogales, Ariz. The Republican governors of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico on Monday committed 1,600 Guard members to the border, giving President Donald Trump many of the troops he requested to fight what he's called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The International border cuts through Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, rear, as seen Tuesday, April 10, 2018 from Nogales, Ariz. The Republican governors of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico on Monday committed 1,600 Guard members to the border, giving President Donald Trump many of the troops he requested to fight what he's called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime. (AP Photo/Matt York)
An 80-year-old Missouri businessman who lost a nearly $6million lawsuit to a Kansas City attorney has been charged with murdering the lawyer after inadvertently confessing.

David Jungerman is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 39-year-old Tom Pickert.

The personal injury attorney and married father-of-two was found dead on the front porch of his family's Brookside home on the morning of October 25, 2017, a day after Jungerman was served with property liens to pay the seven-figure judgment.

Scroll down for criminal complaint

Case closed: David Jungerman, 80 (left), has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 39-year-old lawyer Tom Pickert (right)

Pickers was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head outside him family's home in Brookside, Missouri, a day after Jungerman was served with property liens

A probable cause affidavit reviewed by DailyMail.com alleges that Jungerman accidentally recorded himself saying he killed Pickert. Investigators allege he failed to turn off a recorder he was using during a court hearing in Vernon County.

Pickert, who worked for Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger LLC, had represented a homeless man who was shot by Jungerman 2012, after Jungerman encountered men in a building associated with his baby-furniture business. Jungerman said the men were stealing copper and that he acted in self-defense.

He wasn't criminally charged in those shootings, but he was later sued in civil court. A jury in August 2017 sided with the homeless man, who lost part of his leg in the shooting, awarding $5.75million. Jungerman had said he planned to appeal.

According to the court documents, Pickert told two people that after the verdict, Jungerman came up to him in an aggressive manner and told him, 'None of this matters. I have 186 guns. I did it once before. I will do it again. You can't touch me.'

Pickert was shot two months later, after returning home from walking his two sons to school.

Investigators allege Jungerman, who also is a farmer, shot Pickert with a .17-caliber firearm typically used by farmers and ranchers to kill pests, according to court documents.

Witnesses said the shooter, described as an elderly man with grey hair, sped away from the scene in a white 1997 Chevrolet van registered to Jungerman. Police interviewed the elderly man but initially cleared him as a suspect in the killing.

'We are grieving,' said Pickert's widow, palliative care doctor Emily Riegel. 'We are desperately trying to find our way forward."

Jungerman, who lives in Raytown, was in custody at the Jackson County jail in connection to an unrelated shooting when the charges were announced.

Pickert (left), a personal injury attorney and father-of-two, had successfully sued Jungerman on behalf of a homeless man who was shot by Jungerman in 2012

Emily Riegel (right) was the one who found her husband dead on the front porch of their home after hearing a gunshot

He was being held without bond in a March 8 shooting incident in which he is accused of a shooting at a man he suspected of stealing 780lbs of iron pipe from his building.

A witness told police that he had a conversation with Jungerman in March, during which the suspect allegedly stated he had killed a lawyer with a gun and gotten away with it. He did it because the lawyer stole his money.

When the murder charge was announced, Jungerman was already in jail in connection to a March 8 shooting incident in which he is accused of a shooting at a suspect thief

Police recently executed search warrants at the defendants home and business. At his business, they found a printout from the Jackson County property tax database. It showed the victims home address. Another document indicated that Jungerman had more than $33million in assets.

An Olympus audio recorder with a recording was also recovered. The first part of the audio captured a court hearing that the defendant attended in November 2017. But after the hearing, the recorder continued to run. Later, the defendant talked to his employee about a .17 caliber rifle and about killing the victim.

People, uh, know that I murdered that son of a b*****, he is heard saying on the tape.

Later in the conversation he say: the thing that sort of bothers me about me about is, when I think about it, I grin the mother****er has caused me a lot of problems, you know.
ATLANTA (AP) - Expressing pride in his own record of peace, former President Jimmy Carter warned that President Donald Trump should steer clear of any military action involving Syria or other world hot spots and avoid a nuclear attack at all costs.

"I pray that he would keep our country at peace and not exaggerate or exacerbate the challenges that come up with North Korea, in Russia or in Syria," Carter said in an interview Wednesday. "I hope he realizes very profoundly as I did, and as other presidents have done, that any nuclear exchange could involve catastrophe for all human beings."

The 93-year-old former president added that even a lesser military attack "is a dangerous thing" than can spiral out of control.

Former President Jimmy Carter, 93, sits for an interview about his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" which will debut at no. 7 on the New York Times best sellers list, pictured before a book signing Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

His remarks come after Trump said he's considering military action against Syria in response to a suspected chemical attack on civilians. Russia has countered that such a move would have "grave repercussions."

Trump has previously had threatening exchanges with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but now says he's in talks about having a summit with Kim. Carter has for decades advocated that the U.S. deal more directly with the insular communist dictatorship.

Carter made his comments as he touted a new book - "Faith: A Journey for All" - in an interview that touched on issues from Trump and the economy to factional disputes within American Christianity. An outspoken Baptist, Carter argues that Americans are experiencing the long erosion not just of spiritual faith but of confidence in the nation's public institutions.

"A lot of folks have lost faith in the superiority of democracy," Carter told The Associated Press, noting widening wealth disparities, more open discrimination against minorities and immigrants, a political process controlled by money and an endless cycle of wars and international entanglements.

A lifelong Democrat, Carter has been critical of Trump, a Republican, on a number of fronts, and he said "a lot of people" have "realized they made a mistake" supporting Trump. Yet Carter made clear that his critique is not about the current occupant of the Oval Office.

In fact, he said, Trump's election was a product of many ills Carter identifies, not their cause.

"A lot of average Americans and working people in our country didn't feel that we were getting a fair shake from government ... and they wanted to see something new," Carter said.

The problems that fueled Trump's rise, Carter said, are of graver concern than anything surrounding the administration, including whatever results from a widespread inquiry by special counsel Robert Mueller.

"I pray that he will promote human rights, equality among all people, and that he will value the truth," Carter said, though he added that the long-term survival of democracy will turn on "the resilience of the American public" and "our constitutional foundation."

Long a critic of U.S. policy toward North Korea, Carter actually aligns well with Trump's latest moves toward Pyongyang.

No sitting U.S. president has been to North Korea, but Carter has gone at least three times as a former president, most recently in 2011, when he tried to help spur North Koreans to engage in multilateral talks about dismantling their nuclear weapons program.

Carter said he still believes world powers can "find a way to live in harmony and peace with people who are our enemies and with whom we have strong differences of opinion.

"That's going back to the basic principles of Christianity: love your neighbor and ... even love your enemies," he said. "We haven't reached that point yet, but we have the potential to do it."

Carter is accustomed to flouting conventional wisdom on international affairs.

As president, Carter established official diplomatic relations with China in 1978 - six years after President Richard Nixon made a landmark trip to Beijing. The same year, he drove peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt in the Camp David Accords, though he couldn't replicate the feat between Israel and the Palestinians.

"I took a position of wanting to see balance between Israel and the Palestinians," he said, recalling that stance as an underappreciated factor in many American evangelicals shifting their allegiances to the Republican Party.

"Evangelicals are naturally inclined from a religious point of view to be loyal to Israel," he said, because of their more literal interpretations of the Bible. Those Christians also hold "that the Jews should also all become Christians - that's not often mentioned," Carter added.

Aided also by Democratic Party positions on everything from legalized abortion to women's rights, Carter said Republicans corralled most white evangelicals long before that voting bloc helped propel Trump into the White House.

In his tenth decade of life, Carter said he remains confident that U.S. Christians and the wider electorate can navigate a factional era - the church by emphasizing its core doctrinal principle of faith in Jesus Christ, the nation by recommitting to a belief in fairness and equal opportunity.

"There are reasons to have concern for the future," Carter said, "but the moral principles and ethical principles that have been guiding lights are still there."

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Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP .

Former President Jimmy Carter signs copies of his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. The book will debut at no. 7 on the New York Times best sellers list. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Former President Jimmy Carter signs copies of his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Patrons wait in line holding copies of a new book by former President Jimmy Carter as they wait for him to sign them Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. The book titled "Faith: A Journey For All" will debut at no. 7 on the New York Times best sellers list. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Trump administration officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syrias alleged poison gas attack, as President Donald Trump cancelled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian president Bashar Assad.

Mr Trump spoke with other world leaders, and other US officials said the US, France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week.

None of the three countries leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials.

Donald Trump has spoken with other world leaders about a possible joint military response to the attack in Syria (Evan Vucci/AP)

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the US in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syrias political and military support from Russia and Iran.

President Emmanuel Macron said France, the US and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days.

He called for a strong and joint response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the US-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month.

.@POTUS Trump condemns the heinous attack on innocent Syrians with banned chemical weapons. #Syria pic.twitter.com/qiEahlL3Ah  Department of State (@StateDept) April 9, 2018

Mr Trump suggested on Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence.

Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which US intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Mr Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the US, France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April.

That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Assad from further use of chemical agents. So the three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

Asked whether France would take military action, Mr Macron said his country will continue discussing technical and strategic information with US and British allies and in the coming days we will announce our decision.

He said any action would target chemical weapons stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

"Russias credibility as a member of the Council is now in question.



We will not stand idly by & watch Russia continue to undermine the global norms which have ensured all our security including Russias for decades."



 Amb. @KarenPierceUN speaks to #UNSC after vote #Syria pic.twitter.com/VNvcW4Zz7s  UK at the UN  (@UKUN_NewYork) April 10, 2018

Mr Trump spoke by phone with Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was utterly reprehensible and that the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

Mr Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Mr Trump see eye to eye on the Syria problem.

We cannot tolerate with a war criminal, the emir said, adding, This matter should end immediately. Qatar hosts the United States main air operations centre for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it will send shortly a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit would delay or avert U.S. or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Mr Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, or travel to Bogota, Colombia, as planned. She said he will stay home to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the riots that began in 1968 after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The riotssometimes referred to as the Holy Week Uprising or King assassination riotsspread through 110 cities across the United States. As historian Peter B. Levy notes,

Fifty-four cities suffered at least $100,000 in property damage, with the nations capital and Baltimore topping the list at approximately $15 million and $12 million, respectively. Thousands of small shopkeepers saw their life savings go up in smoke. Combined, 43 men and women were killed, approximately 3,500 were injured, and 27,000 were arrested. Not until over 58,000 National Guardsmen and army troops joined local state and police forces did the uprisings cease.10 Put somewhat differently, during Holy Week 1968, the United States experienced its greatest wave of social unrest since the Civil War.

From 1964 to 1971, as many as 700 riots erupted in cities across America. The large numbers of injuries, deaths, property damage that occurred in predominantly black neighborhoods caused considerable short-term damage on the communities. But the impact over the long run (from 1960 to 1980) was even more severe.

In 2004, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published two papers that examined the effect of the riots in the 1960s and early 1970s. According to the NBER,

Until 1975, the racial gap in average earnings among full-time male workers in the United States narrowed. There were periods of sharp convergence, as in the 1940s, alternating with periods of relative stasis, as in the 1950s and early 1960s. After 1970, racial convergence in earnings slowed markedly, in part because many low-wage black males were no longer engaged in full-time work, the authors note. The proportion of blacks living in high-poverty urban neighborhoods increased as well, and residential segregation led to increasingly poor socioeconomic outcomes among young blacks.

The research found a relative decline in median black family income of approximately nine percent in cities that experienced severe riots relative to those that did not, controlling for several other relevant city characteristics. Between 1960 and 1980, severe riot cities had relative declines in male employment rates of four to seven percentage points. Individual-level data for the 1970s suggests that this decline was especially large for men under the age of 30.

A second paper investigated the influence of riots on central city residential property values, especially black-owned properties:

They find that the riots significantly depressed the median value of black-owned property between 1960 and 1970, with little or no rebound in the 1970s. The baseline estimates for severe-riot cities relative to small-or-no-riot cities range from approximately 14 to 20 percent for black-owned properties, and from 6 to 10 percent for all central-city residential properties. Household-level data for the 1970s indicate that the racial gap in property values widened substantially in riot-afflicted cities relative to others.

There is no clear causal mechanism that explains these dispiriting effects. But the authors of the study list some of the possible factors involved:

Property risk might seem higher in central city neighborhoods than before the riots, causing insurance premiums to rise; taxes for income redistribution or more police and fire protection might increase, and municipal bonds may be more difficult to place; retail outlets might close; businesses and employment opportunities might relocate; middle and higher income households might move away; burned out buildings might be an eyesore; and so on.

Whatever the initial causes, the effect of the riots was economic harm that has lasted fifty years. However justified they might have seemed at the time, the riots serve as a reminder that the unintended consequences of our actions can have a destructive impact on our children for generations to come.
Facebook will investigate tens of thousands of apps to discover if any other companies have accessed data in a similar way to Cambridge Analytica (CA), Mark Zuckerberg has told US politicians.

The social network says it is in the process of letting up to 87 million users know that their information may have been accessed by CA, and in a packed room on Capitol Hill, Mr Zuckerberg repeated his admission that the company didnt do enough to stop its tools being used for harm.

He also said the company was in an arms race with Russia, warning there were people in the country tasked with finding ways to breach Facebooks systems.

After a torrid few weeks for the companys share price investors rewarded Mr Zuckerberg for appearing on the Hill.

Facebook stocks rose 4.5% on Tuesday, which is said to have swelled the entrepreneurs fortune by several billion dollars.

Speaking to the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, the tech entrepreneur apologised that Facebook had not taken a broad enough view of its responsibility for peoples public information.

It was my mistake, and Im sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here, he said, in words from a prepared statement.

Mr Zuckerberg said its audit of third-party apps would highlight any misuse of personal information, and said the company would alert users instantly if it found anything suspicious.

When asked why the company did not immediately alert the 87 million users whose data may have been accessed by Cambridge Analytica (CA) when first told about the improper usage in 2015, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook considered it a closed case after CA said it had deleted it.

In retrospect it was clearly a mistake to believe them, he said.

CA insists it deleted the data harvested by Professor Aleksandr Kogans personality quiz app as soon as it was informed it breached Facebooks terms of use.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock will meet Facebook representatives in London on Wednesday.

Facebook and Cambridge Analytica face multiple lawsuits over alleged misuse of personal information with at least five law firms in the UK and US investigating claims for compensation.

On the subject of fake news, Mr Zuckerberg said one of my greatest regrets in running the company was its slowness at uncovering and acting against disinformation campaigns by Russian trolls during the US election.

He said the Russian campaign of disinformation had been discovered right around the time of the US presidential election, and said the company had developed new AI tools to identify fake accounts responsible.

You know there are people in Russia whose job is to exploit our systems so this is an arms race, he said.

They are going to keep getting better at this and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this too.
Mark Hamill has paid tribute to his Star Wars co-star Daisy Ridley, saying she is a delight to work with.

The Luke Skywalker actor shared a collage of pictures of himself with Ridley, and Ridley in character as Rey in the sci-fi franchise.

He wrote on Instagram: SHOUT OUT to #DaisyRidley for no particular reason other than she is a brilliantly natural, instinctive actor, a delight to work with & the best piggy-back ride in the business!

Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill (Matt Crossick/PA)

Luke should be so lucky to have had such a lovely daughter. #DarlingDaisy.

Hamill, 66, and Ridley, 26, have appeared together in the two most recent Star Wars films  The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Fans have shared their own theories that heroine Rey is the daughter of Luke, as it has so far been revealed in the series that her parents were nobodies.

British actress Ridley has won a number of industry accolades since appearing as scavenger Rey in the Star Wars movies, including two Empire Awards and an MTV Movie Award.
Amal Clooney has revealed the first words of her baby twins with husband George.

The 40-year-old lawyer and human rights activist and the actor welcomed twins Alexander and Ella in June last year.

Speaking to American Vogue, Amal said: Weve had some Mamas and Dadas.

Amal Clooney on life with George and their twins first words (Lauren Hurley/PA)

George was very careful to ensure that Mama was the first word.

The twins are the first children of both George, 56, and Amal, who were married in a lavish Venice wedding in September 2014.

In the interview, it was revealed that George cutely refers to the twins as knuckleheads.

Amal, who appears as the cover star of the fashion magazine, also spoke of the early days in her relationship with George five years ago.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world, she said, of meeting the actor for dates after they exchanged emails for some time.

Before that experience, I always hoped there could be love that was overwhelming and didnt require any weighing or decision-making.

Its the one thing in life that I think is the biggest determinant of happiness, and its the thing you have the least control over.

She said she was surprised to fall in love at the age of 35.

Are you going to meet this person? I was 35 when I met him, Amal said.

It wasnt obvious that it was going to happen for me.

And I wasnt willing or excited about the idea of getting married or having a family in the absence of that.
TV presenter Will Millard has spoken of the tourist economy he observed when embarking on his latest documentary about a tribe in Papua New Guinea, which saw members putting on a performance for the benefit of rich tourists.

Last week the BBC issued a statement about a 2011 episode from the series Human Planet which it says breached editorial standards by inaccurately portraying an element of life of the same tribe Millard has re-visited, the Korowai.

Programme Name: My Year with the Tribe - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 2) - Picture Shows: In the past decade, the modern Korowai have moved into settled villages, leaving the old tree houses to be reclaimed by the jungle. - (C) KEO Films - Photographer: Gavin Searle

In the forthcoming BBC Two series My Year With The Tribe, during a trip to a treehouse, tribe members tell Millard the raised constructions are not our home and that they were commissioned for filming.

Talking on BBC Breakfast about the programme, he said: We wanted to try and do something different with this series, so that was why I spent so much time, you know, this wasnt just going to be a snapshot of their life.

Brilliant time on the @BBCBreakfast couch! Cheers Charlie and @louiseminchin lovely to meet you both - tune in @BBCTwo this Sunday at 9pm #MyYearWithTheTribe pic.twitter.com/EQ9WnhVLHq  Will Millard (@MillardWill) April 11, 2018

What I found when we got to Korowai territory was that, actually, in the more contacted, accessible places, there was something of a Korowai tourist economy going on, where they were putting on a performance for the benefit of rich tourists.

He continued: As soon as I got there, I was like This doesnt feel lived in, theres something not right. I speak the language and pretty quickly it became apparent that actually it was something that (had) been  they look spectacular, but it wasnt real.

*BIG ANNOUNCEMENT*



New Series 'My Year with The Tribe'

Starts Sun 15th April, 9pm, @BBCTwo



1 year visiting 1 Tribe: the Korowai of West Papua.



No fixers, no plans, no recce...just me, them, and the cameras, following their story.@KEOfilms @okta_shinta Director Gavin Searle pic.twitter.com/IvP3WTBG3X  Will Millard (@MillardWill) April 8, 2018

The BBC statement referenced the eight-part documentary series of Human Planet which aired seven years ago and was narrated by actor John Hurt.

They said: The BBC has been alerted to a breach of editorial standards in an episode of Human Planet from 2011 which concerns the Korowai people of Papua New Guinea.

During the making of BBC Twos upcoming documentary series, My Year With The Tribe, a member of the tribe discusses how they have built very high treehouses for the benefit of overseas programme-makers.

The BBC has reviewed a sequence in Human Planet depicting this and found that the portrayal of the tribe moving into the treehouse as a real home is not accurate.

Since this programme was broadcast in 2011, we have strengthened our mandatory training for all staff in editorial guidelines, standards and values.

My Year With The Tribe will air on BBC Two on April 15.
Online retailer Shop Direct is closing three of its sites in Greater Manchester, impacting close to 2,000 jobs.

The firm, which owns Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com, will close its sites in Shaw, Little Hulton and Raven from mid-2020 onwards as part of plans to move operations to a new automated warehouse in the East Midlands.

The move has put the jobs of 1,177 Shop Direct employees and 815 agency workers in doubt.

Shop Direct specialises in online retail (Tim Goode/PA)

Development of the new site in the East Midlands will start in May, and is expected to be operational in 2021.

The site will be fully automated, which Shop Direct said would allow it to respond more quickly to changing consumer demand.

Around 500 new jobs will be created at the new site, and during peak periods Shop Direct expects to employ between 200 and 300 agency workers.

This is a tough day for the business and we know how difficult this news will be to hear for our teams in Shaw, Little Hulton and Raven, said Derek Harding, interim group chief executive of Shop Direct.

However, these proposals are necessary for our future and to enable us to continue to grow and meet rising customer expectations.

All of the affected Shop Direct employees are now consulting with the group about the changes, with the Usdaw union supporting staff.

The retailer is owned by the billionaire Barclay brothers, David and Frederick, who also own the Daily Telegraph newspaper titles.

For Shop Direct to continue to meet customer demand, the business now needs a new, purpose-built and automated facility in a central, well-connected location, that can accommodate all one-man fulfilment and returns operations on one site, and that provides room for continued expansion, the company added.

Today weve announced proposals to upgrade our fulfilment capabilities by creating a new, automated distribution and returns centre in the East Midlands https://t.co/jh83RGzRCb pic.twitter.com/1nXlbIFPp3  The Very Group (@TheVeryGroup) April 11, 2018

Shop Direct is investing 200 million to build the new site. The factorys automated technology, and its central location, will allow Shop Direct to make next-day deliveries on orders made until midnight. Currently, customers can only receive products on the next day if they order before 7pm.

Harding said: The fact that it is in a different place means that we do not anticipate people to move.

One of the important things for us is that we are giving them this information now.
Airline pilots flying from the UK to Cyprus have been given a safety warning over military action in Syria.

The rapid alert was issued by European aviation authorities, telling pilots that due consideration needs to be taken of possible air-to-ground strikes or cruise missiles into Syria within the next 72 hours.

The notification from the European Aviation Security Agency (Easa) covers the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia flight information region, which includes airspace over Cyprus.

Flights to Cyprus are due to operate from airports across the UK (Steve Parsons/PA)

The alert, published by air traffic control group Eurocontrol, also warns of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

EASA has issued a notification for airlines on the risk of possible

military action in the eastern Mediterranean. We have published the notification

on the NOP in accordance with normal procedures for disseminating this kind of

information. https://t.co/UBV3TVTPRs  EUROCONTROL (@eurocontrol) April 11, 2018

Around 50 flights are due to depart for Cyprus from airports across the UK on Wednesday, including services by easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines to Larnaca and Paphos.

Most carriers already avoid Syrian airspace due to previous warnings from aviation regulators in the UK and other countries, but the Easa alert could affect flights in neighbouring regions.

In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew.

An international investigation found the missile used was taken into Ukraine from Russia, but the latter denied any involvement.
Court of Appeal judges say a man who was earlier found to have sexually interfered with his teenage daughter is owed an apology.

They say findings of fact by a High Court judge must be disregarded.

Social services staff have been told to treat the man and the teenagers mother as parents against whom no allegations have been made.

A man accused of abusing his daughter is owed an apology, High Court judges have ruled

Lord Justice McFarlane, Lord Justice David Richards and Lord Justice Peter Jackson have overturned decisions made by Mrs Justice Parker.

They said the family justice system had manifestly failed to provide a sound

resolution to the case.

The three appeal court judges outlined their thoughts in a ruling on Wednesday following a Court of Appeal hearing in London in March.

Mrs Justice Parker, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, had analysed the case in 2016 after the girl told a medic my dad sexually abuses me.

The girls father denied behaving in any inappropriate way.

Her mother said she did not believe the allegations.

But Mrs Justice Parker decided that the girl, who was removed from the family home by social services staff with her parents agreement after making the allegations, had been sexually interfered with by her father.

The girls parents appealed and the three appeal judges have upheld their challenge.

Appeal judges said there had been a failure to produce an adequate and supportable determinations of the allegations made by the girl.

Judges have not identified any of the people involved.

But they indicated that Northamptonshire County Council social workers had welfare responsibilities for the teenager.

The family justice system has manifestly failed to provide a sound resolution of the serious factual allegations, said Lord Justice McFarlane in the appeal court ruling.

A formal apology is owed to all who have been affected by the failure of the family justice system to produce an adequate and supportable determination of the important factual allegations in this case.

He said determinations reached by Mrs Justice Parker must be set aside and disregarded and added: The parents are to be treated by all agencies and professionals who have dealings with them  as parents against whom no allegations have been made.

Lord Justice Richards and Lord Justice Jackson said they agreed.
Donald Trump has warned military action is imminent in Syria, declaring missiles will be coming.

The US president has been in talks with Britain and France to secure a joint response to the suspected chemical weapons attack in the rebel- held town of Douma.

Russia has warned against military action and said it will shoot down rockets fired at its ally.

President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Russia (Evan Vucci/AP)

In a tweet responding to the threat, President Trump said: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

He added: Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

Russias ambassador Alexander Zasypkin to Lebanon had warned that the federations military will shoot down US rockets and even the sources that launched the missiles.
Jack Laugher completed the first part of a possible hat-trick with mens one-metre springboard gold on day one of the Commonwealth Games diving programme.

The 23-year-old Harrogate diver dominated on Wednesday to successfully defend the title he won at Glasgow 2014. The 3m springboard takes place on Thursday, when Laugher will bid to upgrade the silver he won four years ago.

Laugher is the Olympic champion in the 3m synchronised springboard event with Chris Mears, with the pair slated to compete on Friday at the Gold Coast Aquatics Centre.

Jack Laugher now has three Commonwealth gold medals (Mike Egerton/PA Images)

The Commonwealth Games mean a lot to me, Ive watched them since I was a kid and theyve always been a huge highlight in my four-year cycle, said Laugher, who won two gold medals four years ago.

It was difficult to come out here as defending champion but I trusted myself and felt strong and confident.

Ive really high hopes, training has been going great.

Laugher, the leading qualifier, led throughout the six-round competition and triumphed with a score of 438.00 to take gold ahead of Australias James Connor (412.45).

James Heatly became Scotlands first Commonwealth Games diving medallist since his grandfather in 1958 (Mike Egerton/PA Images)

Sir Peter Heatly won three gold medals in the 1950s and was Scotlands only diving medallist  until now. His grandson, 20-year-old James Heatly scored 399.25 to take bronze.

Heatly was emotional afterwards, thinking about his grandfather, who died in 2015 after watching his grandson compete at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh at the last Commonwealth Games.

It means everything, because my Grandpa was a diver and to bring another medal back and to be the first Scottish diver to do it since him is incredible, Heatly said.

Leeds-based Jamaican Yona Knight-Wisdom, who pushes the board into the water before propelling into the air, was fourth.

Englands Alicia Blagg, right, and Katherine Torrance finished with 3m synchronised springboard silver (Mike Egerton/PA Images)

Earlier, Englands Alicia Blagg and Katherine Torrance finished with silver in the womens synchronised three-metres springboard event.

Blagg won gold in the event four years ago with the now retired Rebecca Gallantree and finished on the podium once more as Esther Qin and Georgia Sheehan of Australia took gold.

Blagg was content with silver, but there was a tinge of disappointment despite only being partnered with Torrance since their arrival in Australia two weeks ago.

The Miami-based 21-year-old Wakefield diver said: Im pleased, but I know I personally couldve dived a lot better. My fourth dive I dropped. Katherine, from what I saw, dived incredibly and held her own. Im really proud of her.

Torrance added: Weve only trained together for the time weve been here, which is about two weeks, so we thought well just wing it and it went pretty well. Im crazy pleased.
US House Speaker Paul Ryan will not run for re-election, his office has announced, injecting another layer of uncertainty as Republicans face worries over losing their majority in the autumn.

Republican Mr Ryans plans have been the source of much speculation and will set off a scramble among his lieutenants to take the helm.

A self-styled budget guru, Mr Ryan had made tax cuts a centrepiece of his legislative agenda and a personal cause, and Congress delivered on that late last year.

Paul Ryan was former presidential nominee Mitt Romneys running mate in 2012 (J Scott Applewhite/AP)

Mr Ryan, 48, announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Wednesday morning.

After nearly 20 years in the House, the Speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father, Ryan adviser Brendan Buck said in a statement.

While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as Speaker has been the professional honour of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him.

Mr Ryan will serve out his term and retire in January, Mr Buck said.

Mr Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998.

Along with Representatives Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy, he branded himself a rising young gun in an ageing party.

He became Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romneys running mate in 2012.

Mr Ryan was pulled into the leadership job by the abrupt retirement of House Speaker John Boehner in 2015.

Mr Boehner had struggled to wrangle the chambers restless conservative wing and failed to seal big-picture deals on fiscal policy he sought.

Mr Ryan had more trust with the hardliners in the House, but had no more success in brokering fundamental reform of entitlement he sought.

He ultimately had to wrestle with another unexpected challenge: President Donald Trump, a president with little of Mr Ryans interest in policy detail or ideological purity. The two have had not had a close working relationship.

House Majority Leader McCarthy, a Republican from California known to be closer to Mr Trump, is expected to seek the Speaker post.

He will probably compete with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, for the job.

Both men spoke at the closed-door meeting on Wednesday, delivering tributes to Mr Ryan.

In Wisconsin, the most likely Republican candidate is state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, multiple Republicans in the state said.

Another Republican mentioned as a potential candidate is longtime Ryan family friend and Ryan backer Bryan Steil, a lawyer and member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

Democrat Randy Bryce, a colourful ironworker who has cultivated an IronStache moniker, had been Mr Ryans best-known challenger, drawing liberal support from around the country.

He had nearly 2.3 million dollars in the bank at the end of the first quarter.

Janesville teacher Cathy Myers was also running on the Democratic side.

The only declared Republican was Paul Nehlen, who was banned from Twitter for a series of posts criticised as racist or anti-Semitic.
Music that soon will be performed by church choirs across the nation will be performed first by the Alabama School of the Arts at University of Mobile during an annual conference for music ministers April 19-20 in Mobile.

More than 300 worship pastors will attend "The Retreat," a conference presented by the Fisher-Brewer Worship Institute, PRISM Music Publishing, and hosted by the Alabama School of the Arts.

The conference includes two free concerts open to the public.

A highlight is the release of "Rising on the Wind," a book of music for choir, praise teams, church orchestra and worship from PRISM Music Publishing in Nashville, a leading publisher of Christian church music. The concert premiere begins Friday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Dauphin Way Baptist Church. Admission is free.

The premiere will feature choir, orchestra and soloists from the university's Roger Breland Center for Performing Arts in the Alabama School of the Arts. Composer and arranger Bradley Knight, worship leader at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, will direct the 200-member choir and 65-piece orchestra.

The public is also invited to a worship event Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. at Dauphin Way Baptist. University of Mobile students and ensembles Voices of Mobile and RamCorps will present a unique worship experience. The evening will include a special presentation honoring the co-founders of the Fisher-Brewer Worship Institute, Joyce Fisher and Curtis Brewer.

Dr. Roger Breland, dean emeritus for the Roger Breland Center for Performing Arts, said the school's music program was selected by PRISM Music to make the live concert CDs that will accompany the book. Those recordings will be made during the Friday night concert, with additional recordings made on the university's campus in the Fisher-Brewer Recording Studio.

Conference workshops will take place on the University of Mobile campus and feature sessions on presenting the Gospel through production, taking the Gospel outside the walls, and the horizontal dynamic of vertical worship, among other topics.

For information about the Alabama School of the Arts at University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

About University of Mobile

University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's and master's degree programs in over 40 areas of study. Founded in 1961, University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Police are searching for an Italian man living in Glasgow who has not been seen for almost three months.

Cristiano Rimicci, 45, was last seen on January 19 by a friend he was staying with in Turiff Street, Gorbals.

But he was not reported missing until April 5 when his family in Italy got in touch with another friend to say they had not heard from him since January.

Mr Rimicci has lived in Scotland for 12 years, often staying with different friends for weeks at a time.

His family said it is unusual for him not to have been in touch for such a length of time.

Cristiano Rimicci has not been since since January (Police Scotland/PA)

He is 5ft 6in with black hair, a beard, brown eyes and sallow skin.

Inspector James Mann said: Cristiano often stays with different friends for several weeks at a time however his family in Italy say that it is out of character for him to be out of contact with them for such a long period of time.

If anyone has seen anyone matching his description, or knows where he is would would urge you to come forward and contact us.

Id also like to appeal to Cristiano to either contact his family or Police Scotland to let us know that he is safe and well.
Scotland Yard has admitted it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephen Lawrences murder.

The force said on Wednesday that unless detectives receive new information the investigation is unlikely to progress further.

Last week, Stephens mother Doreen told the Daily Mail that the investigation should end.

Stephens father Neville Lawrence said he remains hopeful that with the publicity around the 25th anniversary of Stephens death and the BBC documentary that someone will come forward.

He told the Press Association: Im hoping that somebody, somewhere that may have some information might just come forward. Im hopeful.

The threat of anything happening to them now isnt as great as it was in the early days. Im pleased that they (the police) tried all different options and are still trying after all these years.

Dr Lawrence went on: We have said over the years that we have had some justice. It would be nice if we could have absolutely full justice.

Even when the police decide that they have gone as far as they can go and theyre more or less saying that theyre giving up I will never give up.

I hope that even after how many years, somebody, who may be on their deathbed, may give some kind of information and get the others who were involved and give us total justice.

Baroness Lawrence said: They say theyre carrying on the investigation, but carrying on doing what?

If theyve come to the end they should be honest, say theyve come to an end and stop.

Baroness Lawrence, mother of Stephen Lawrence (Chris Ison/PA)

In a statement the Met said that after numerous reviews and every possible advance in forensic techniques, the Met investigation team is now at a stage where without new information the investigation is unlikely to progress further, and this was explained to the family earlier this year.

Chris Le Pere, the senior investigator, said: We understand that 25 years is a poignant anniversary of the tragedy of the murder of Stephen, and our thoughts remain very much with those who loved him, and feel his loss.

With the approaching anniversary and airing of a documentary, Stephen: The Murder That Changed A Nation, there is still the opportunity for someone who knows what happened that night, to have a conscience and come forward. I would say to you, it is never too late to do the right thing.

We continue to speak to Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Dr Neville Lawrence to update them on the current Met position.

As it approaches 25 years since the tragic night that Stephen Lawrence was murdered, the Met is reviewing the status of the investigation



https://t.co/rXlQVEAbwl pic.twitter.com/BCQ6iW5lte  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 11, 2018

Stephen was murdered by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22 1993.

Of his five or six attackers, two are serving life sentences for his murder  Gary Dobson and David Norris  who were jailed in 2012 after an Old Bailey trial that hinged on tiny traces of forensic evidence.

His parents took a private prosecution against three men  Dobson, Luke Knight, and Neil Acourt in 1996, but the case collapsed.
Gillian Ayres, one of Britains pioneering abstract artists, has died aged 88.

The Turner Prize-nominated artist died at a hospital in north Devon on Wednesday, her representative, the Alan Cristea Gallery, confirmed.

A spokeswoman for the gallery told the Press Association that Ayres was a pioneering, great, wonderful woman and revealed she had been battling ill health for the past six months.

Artist Gillian Ayres with her CBE (Lewis Whyld/PA)

Gillian Ayres (1930  2018)



It is with great sadness that we report the death earlier today of Gillian Ayres peacefully in hospital in North Devon. Our thoughts are with Gillian's family and friends.



(Photo: Kevin Cummings, 2007) pic.twitter.com/SWcJJnOUkx  Cristea Roberts Gallery (@CristeaRoberts) April 11, 2018

Mr Cristea, who worked with Ayres for more than 20 years, paid tribute to the artist who he said always pursued her own creative path.

Ayres studied at Londons Camberwell School of Art in the post-war period and as a young artist in the 1950s was friends with leading British abstract artists including Roger Hilton.

She was attracted to Tachism  a French style of abstract expressionism  creating a large body of work that made her a leading light in the UK.

In the following decades, her style changed as she tapped into prevailing national moods or the work of other artists, but she remained committed to abstraction.

In October 2011 she received a CBE for her services to art.

Mr Cristea added: As a female abstract artist working in the UK, Gillian Ayres was way ahead of her time and the vast majority of her male counterparts but of course, for her, gender was an irrelevance.

She was an artist, pure and simple, and resisted all attempts to be classified as some kind of feminist, artistic beacon for younger generations.

Certainly, there were comparisons to be made early on with American abstract art but she always pursued her own creative path.

He revealed they had staged seven exhibitions of her work and said every one was a life-enhancing experience since her exuberance and her strength imbued all of us at the gallery.

He added: I will treasure the memories of these exhibitions and of our frequent visits to her house and studio on the Devon/Cornwall border where we were always treated to lavish meals, large doses of champagne and riveting anecdotes delivered through clouds of cigarette smoke.

She was a joy. I loved her to bits and will miss her enormously.
Dwayne Johnson has ruled out running for the US presidency in 2020.

There had been speculation the actor would throw his hat into the ring in two years time but he has now decided against putting himself forward.

Speaking at the premiere of his new film, Rampage, he told the Press Association: I think right now I am just learning as much as I can. I respect our political process.

I also do not have any delusions that its easy. And I have a tremendous respect, so 2020 is not going to happen.

Maybe 2024, maybe 2028, I dont know.

I think the best thing I can do now is to go to work and learn. Thats where were at.

Johnson, 45, boasts a massive social media following, with 12.8 million followers on Twitter and 58 million likes on Facebook.

Dwayne Johnson speaks to fans (Ian West/PA)

But he said the current privacy scandal engulfing Facebook, which saw millions of users details leaked to a private company, has not made him more wary of his own online presence.

And he jumped to the defence of the social media giants CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saying he had earnest intentions.

He said: I know Zuckerberg, he is a buddy of mine, and I truly believe that the intentions are earnest so we will see where all this goes.

Johnson is starring alongside British actress Naomie Harris in Rampage, in which a gorilla explodes in size after being exposed to a rogue genetic experiment.

Rampage stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Naomie Harris, Dwayne Johnson and Malin Akerman (Ian West/PA)

Johnson, who was known as The Rock when he wrestled in the WWE, praised his co-stars.

He said: Its got to the point now where I really have the pick of the litter, where I am able to pick and choose who I work with. And I do have a rule that I dont work with assholes.

And James Bond star Harris, who plays a discredited genetic engineer in Rampage, was similarly effusive in her praise for Johnson.

She said: I loved working with Dwayne, he was so generous, he is such a kind-hearted person and really, really giving. Lots of the moments that were finally on the big screen were not actually in the script and it was Dwayne who put them in for my character, which is really generous of him.

 Rampage is out in UK cinemas now.
Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned alongside her father in Salisbury last month, said she has found herself in a totally different life as she continues to recover from the nerve agent attack.

A diplomatic battle has been raging between the UK and Moscow about whether the Russian embassy should be allowed access to the 33-year-old daughter of ex-spy Sergei Skripal.

Ms Skripal, found critically ill alongside her 66-year-old father Sergei Skripal on a bench last month, was discharged from a hospital in Salisbury, Wiltshire, this week, and said she does not wish to avail herself of the Russian embassys services.

The forensic tent at the scene in The Maltings, Salisbury, where the investigation into the suspected nerve agent attack on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia continues.

Statement issued on behalf of Yulia Skripal who continues to receive police support following her release from hospital https://t.co/uIhxQPUbSw pic.twitter.com/0rIyWkPRgI  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 11, 2018

In a statement, issued by Scotland Yard, Ms Skripal said: I have specially trained officers available to me, who are helping to take care of me and to explain the investigative processes that are being undertaken.

I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can.

At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them.

Most importantly, I am safe and feeling better as time goes by, but I am not yet strong enough to give a full interview to the media, as I one day hope to do.

Until that time, I want to stress that no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves.

I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being.

Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my fathers.

Ms Skripal said she was treated with such kindness at Salisbury District Hospital, and is missing the staff there.

I have left my father in their care, and he is still seriously ill. I too am still suffering with the effects of the nerve agent used against us.

I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago, and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects, whilst also recovering from this attack on me, she said.

It is believed that British authorities immediately spirited Ms Skripal away to a secure location when she was discharged from hospital.

Embassy Press Officer's comment on interaction with the @foreignoffice on the investigation of the Salisbury incident: urge UK authorities to act in a transparent way and try fixing the damage they have caused to the international image of their country.https://t.co/B4Q17IGl7x pic.twitter.com/7oPIhtyALl  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) April 10, 2018

The Russian embassy reacted angrily, suggesting in a series of tweets that the Russian national had been taken against her will.

Russia remains the prime suspect for carrying out the attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter.

The embassy is perturbed by a refusal from UK authorities to grant Ms Skripals cousin Viktoria a visa to visit her family.

It escalated the war of words on Tuesday, saying in a series of statements posted on social media: Secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation.

Ms Skripals release from hospital was met with a similar broadside from the embassy, which has repeatedly criticised the handling of the investigation into the attack.

In a statement, a spokesman said: We congratulate Yulia on her recovery.

Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will.

On Wednesday morning, it suggested reports Ms Skripal had turned down consular assistance actually revealed she is being held hostage by the same people who destroy evidence and fail to come up with a single official account of the crime.

Former double agent Mr Skripal was jailed in Russia for selling secrets to MI6 but was released as part of a spy swap deal in 2010 and settled in the UK.

It is hoped he will soon be fit for release from hospital, despite grave fears that the exposure to military-grade nerve agent Novichok on March 4 would prove fatal.

Britain has said Russian state involvement is the only plausible explanation for the attack and has led a worldwide reaction involving the expulsion of more than 100 diplomats.

The international chemical weapons watchdog is to publish its report into the Salisbury nerve agent attack on Thursday, the Foreign Office has said.

A spokesman said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has now completed its investigation, which it carried out at the invitation of the UK Government.

The spokesman said that as the requesting state, Britain had asked them to release an executive summary of its findings at midday on Thursday.

This transparent and open approach, which we have pursued from the outset, is in sharp contrast to the Russian states ongoing tactics of obfuscation and distraction, the spokesman said.
Boy George has compared Culture Clubs cycle of breaking up and reforming to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burtons on-off relationship.

The hit Eighties group announced a UK tour this week and are working on their first album in almost two decades.

Frontman Boy George, who formed the fourpiece in 1981, revealed he and guitarist Roy Hay continue to push each others buttons.

Boy George (Ian West/PA)

Were coming back home for a UK Tour! George will be announcing the dates live on air on BBC Radio2 on Wednesday, but to get first access to the full info and the presale then sign up here - https://t.co/qbpsWY7ft5 pic.twitter.com/2gcyjbetIc  Culture Club (@RealCultureClub) April 6, 2018

He said they had been in the studio this week with Hay winding him up by asking him to sing more soulfully like Mick Hucknall.

Boy George told the One Show: I do love Mick Hucknall but  we know how to wind each other up, we really do.

We broke up so many times, were like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

We definitely know how to push each others buttons, he said, adding: You have to let people be who they are. People dont change, you have to change the way you react to them. Thats true in every relationship.

He said the upcoming album was definitely the best thing weve ever done but that he was in training to ensure he was in good shape for the tour.

Its a lot of work, were doing America and the UK and the UK tour will be extended hopefully.

At 19 you can stay up all night  I cant get away with that, Im just not made of all that stuff anymore and I have to sleep.

After originally breaking up in 1986 and later reforming, the band have only performed a handful of gigs in recent years.

On Wednesday the group announced a raft of arena shows for November.
A sexual assault case against Kevin Spacey is being considered by prosecutors in Los Angeles, in the first known investigation outside the UK.

The police investigation in California, which emerged on Wednesday, adds to three already active against the two-time Oscar-winning actor in London.

Los Angeles District Attorneys Office spokesman Greg Risling said: A case was presented (on) April 5 by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department involving Kevin Spacey. It is under review.

The House Of Cards star faced allegations in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal (Anthony Devlin/PA)

It went to our task force that is handling sex assault cases.

Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida also confirmed the development, but was unable to immediately provide more information.

Scotland Yard has been investigating allegations of sexual assault on three men in London, spanning from 2005 to 2008.

As movie mogul Harvey Weinsteins downfall spread throughout Hollywood, Spacey was one of the first to face public allegations.

Actor Anthony Rapp was the first to make an allegation, claiming he was 14 when a 26-year-old Spacey made a sexual advance to him in 1986.

Spacey, now 58, said he did not remember the encounter but apologised for any inappropriate drunken behaviour.

Rapps allegation proved to be a watershed moment with Londons Old Vic theatre, where Spacey was artistic director from 2004 to 2015, found 20 people said they had been subjected to inappropriate behaviour from the Spacey.

The US actor was sacked by Netflixs House Of Cards and Sir Ridley Scott scrubbed Spacey from completed film All The Money In The World in re-shoots costing millions.

A spokeswoman for Spaceys legal team declined to comment on the latest investigation.
Theresa May is to chair an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the latest crisis in Syria amid signs she is preparing to join US-led air strikes against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

The Prime Minister summoned ministers to No 10 after saying all the indications were that the regime was responsible for an alleged chemical attack on its own people last weekend.

The Ministry of Defence refused to comment on a report in The Daily Telegraph that Royal Navy submarines had been ordered into range to launch Tomahawk cruise missile strikes as early as Thursday night.

Theresa May is to chair an emergency cabinet meeting on Syria (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

We dont comment on submarine movements, a spokesman said.

Separately, Downing Street would not be drawn on claims Mrs May was preparing to authorise UK forces to strike against Assad with first seeking vote in Parliament.

In a development on Thursday morning, Russian media reported Syrian government forces had seized control of the city at the centre of the escalating tensions, Douma, where the attack is said to have taken place.

Kremlin-backed news agency Tass reported a Moscow official saying that Russian military police will be deployed to the city to maintain law and order.

The Organisation for for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had said it intends to send investigators to Douma to look for any evidence of a chemical attack.

Today saw a landmark event in Syrias history. A state flag hoisted on the Douma building heralded control over this settlement and, hence, over entire eastern Ghouta, Yuri Yevtushenko, chief of Russias centre for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria, told Tass.

Mrs May has faced calls to wait for unequivocal proof of a chemical attack by the Assad regime before committing British forces to retaliatory action.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined other opposition parties  as well as some Conservative backbenchers  in insisting MPs must be have a say on any British involvement in military action.

However Mrs May faces growing impatience from Washington, where President Donald Trump tweeted the missiles will be coming.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later insisted no final decisions had been taken and that all options are on the table.

She made clear however that Mr Trump held Assad and his principal backer, Russia, responsible for what happened in the rebel-held town of Douma.

The president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack, she said.

The threat of sparking a wider conflict between the West and Russia led Mr Corbyn to demand Parliament should give its consent before UK forces joined US-led strike.

Parliament should always be given a say on any military action, he told the BBC.

What we dont want is bombardment which leads to escalation and leads to a hot war between Russia and America over the skies of Syria.

His call for Parliament to be given a say on military action was echoed by both the SNP and the Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said that while the use of chemical weapons was a clear red line the Government needed to present its evidence of regime responsibility to Parliament.

There must be a debate and vote in the House of Commons ahead of any military action, he said.

Speaking during a visit to Birmingham on Wednesday, Mrs May sidestepped questions as to whether she was prepared to give MPs a vote.

She said that she would continue to work with Britains closest allies  the US and France  to ensure that those responsible for the barbaric attack were held to account.

We have been working to get an understanding of what happened on the ground. We are rapidly reaching that understanding, she said.

All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible and we will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account.

The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.

Her comments came as both Washington and Moscow ratcheted up the growing war of words between the two sides.

Russias ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkinhad, warned they would shoot down US rockets and even the sources that launched the missiles  suggesting they could hit American aircraft or warships.

That prompted Mr Trump to tweet: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.

Get ready, Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

The attack in Douma happened 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.

It came almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That assault prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.
Britains cyber security agencies have launched a major overhaul of how they grade online attacks.

Incidents can now be classified in six categories, up from three under the previous arrangements.

The system has been designed to bring greater clarity and consistency to the response triggered when UK networks are targeted by hackers, online fraudsters or hostile states.

The National Cyber Security Centre announced a new system for categorising incidents (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Drawn up by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the new cyber incident framework spans the full range of threats from national crises to attacks against individuals.

Officials described the new approach as a step change in how intelligence experts align with law enforcement to thwart hackers.

They said information processed by the new mechanism will ultimately be used to generate the most comprehensive national picture to date of the cyber threat landscape.

Paul Chichester, director of operations at the NCSC, said: This new joint approach, developed in partnership with UK law enforcement, will strengthen the UKs ability to respond to the significant, growing and diverse cyber threats we face.

The new system will offer an improved framework for dealing with incidents.

Individual judgments will of course still be applied to respond to incidents as necessary.

The NCSC, which is part of intelligence agency GCHQ, has responded to more than 800 significant incidents since it was established in October 2016.

Among the most high-profile episodes was the global ransomware outbreak which affected dozens of NHS trusts in May last year.

Cyber incidents in all sectors of the economy, including central and local government, industry, charities, universities, schools, small businesses and individuals are covered by the new framework.

Its incident category definitions give increased clarity on response mechanisms identifying what factors would happen to activate a specific classification, which organisation responds and what actions they would take, the NCSC said.

A category one incident is a national cyber emergency which causes sustained disruption to essential services or affects national security, leading to severe economic or social consequences, or loss of life.

A highly significant incident which has a serious impact on central government or a large proportion of the population would be classified in category two.

Category three covers significant attacks, such as those that have a serious impact on a large organisation or local government.

Substantial, moderate and localised incidents are logged in categories four, five and six respectively.

These would include attacks on medium sized or small organisations, or individuals.

Derbyshire Chief Constable Peter Goodman, the national policing lead for cyber crime, said: Sharing a common lexicon enables a collaborative understanding of risk and severity that will ensure that we provide an effective, joined-up response.

This is good news for the safety of our communities, business and individuals.

Ollie Gower, deputy director at the National Crime Agency, said: This new framework will ensure we are using the same language to describe and prioritise cyber threats, helping us deliver an even more joined up response.

I hope businesses and industry will be encouraged to report any cyber attacks they suffer, which in turn will increase our understanding of the cyber threat facing the UK.

The new categorisation scheme will be announced at the CYBERUK conference in Manchester.
The star of Netflixs re-imagined version of 1960s sci-fi classic, Lost In Space, has praised the new iteration for portraying modern families realistically.

Molly Parker, known for playing House Majority Whip Jackie Sharp in House Of Cards, stars as Maureen Robinson, whose family is forced to fight for survival when their spaceship crash lands on an alien world.

The Canadian had never appeared in a science fiction role before but said she was attracted to the series by the chance to play a re-invented Robinson.

Molly Parker starring in Netflixs new series Lost in Space (Netflix/PA)

She told the Press Association: In the original, Maureen Robinson spent a lot of time asking everybody if she could make them a sandwich.

The thing I was really thrilled about in this version is the creators wanted her to be the hero of the show.

Shes a highly capable scientist who has been doing it on her own because her husband has been away for years at war.

I just loved that I was going to get to do things I had never done in my career. I had never done sci-fi, and I was going to be an action hero, which if you know me, is a complete laugh.

Parker  who confessed she was never a science fiction fan  had not seen the original series of Lost In Space before she began filming for the re-imagining.

Lost in Space

But after sitting down to watch the 1960s version, she believes the modern interpretation  due to arrive on April 13 as a 10-episode run  has kept some of the properties that made its predecessor so popular.

She said: I was aware of it, about the robots and special effects, but did not really know much about it.

To be honest, at first I did not think it was something for me. But the script for the first episode was really engaging and nuanced. When we were actually shooting I watched the first season with my boy, who is 11, and it was really cool to see it with him.

Audiences these days  even children  are so sophisticated when it comes to their expectations in special effects and even in story.

Netlfixs re-imagining of the 1960s sci-fi series Lost in Space

He could see  we both sort of laughed  that the alien was obviously a guy in a furry suit. But it still worked.

He was scared but interested in the story. That is what has been brought forward in our re-imagining of it. That and the fun.

The new series producers have made several changes to the original, including switching a characters gender from male to female, as well as completely re-imagining the character of Robinson.

And this approach will attract a modern audience, according to Parker.

She said: Overall, these characters are really flawed and they are not perfect. Many shows in the 60s presented an idealised version of the nuclear family.

In our show, nobody is perfect. What I really appreciate about it is its grounded in a reality of modern families.

The parents are estranged, practically divorced. Audiences will care about these characters.

They are exceptional people but flawed, trying to be better.

Lost In Space is on Netflix from April 13.
The sixteen SLFP ministers who voted for the no-confidence motion against the prime minister decided to resign from their posts tonight and sit in the opposition when Parliament meets after the New Year celebrations.

Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the Daily Mirror that President Maithripala Sirisena had accepted their letters of resignation.

He said these 16 members would function as an SLFP group in the opposition.

Asked whether they would team up with the joint opposition, he said that question would not arise at the moment. "We will work as a separate group in Parliament," he said.

Meanwhile, State Minister of Public Enterprise Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said that it was not ethical for them to stay in the government anymore after voting against the Prime Minister. As public representatives elected by the people, we feel that we should leave the unity government in which we hold ministerial portfolios, the minister said.

SLFP Ministers Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, S. B. Dissanayake, Lakshman Wasantha Perera, Chandima Weerakodi, Dilan Perera, Susil Premajayantha, Sumedha G. Jayasena, Susantha Punchinilame, Thilanga Sumathipala, Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Dayasiri Jayasekera, W. D. J Seneviratne, Anuradha Jayaratne, T. B. Ekanayake and Tharanath Basnayake are the 16 who voted in favour of the no-confidence-motion. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)

Video by Damith
What is the worst thing this Government has done? Well, one could make a long list and shake it up many times. One could do a compare-and-contrast exercise with the first three years of previous regimes going back to Independence and play that familiar game of suppressing the bad, inflating the good and so on. It would be hard to deny however, that however long the list is and whatever it may contain, among the worst things this Government has done is to turn Good Governance into a cuss word.

How Yahapalanaya became a bad word would be an excellent thesis topic for an political science undergraduate in any university. That unwritten thesis is known. The results of the recently concluded local government election proves it. The verdict was clear: not only are you people not serious about good governance, you are also utterly incompetent. It was a vote of no confidence if ever there was one.

Short-sighted legislators (of all parties, including those in the JO) gave us a constitutional bind that prevents the correction of the anomaly that the Feb.10 election revealed

The incompetence, nepotism, corruption, abuse of state resources and buttressing of the system of political patronage is all too evident. It has come to a point where it is utterly hilarious when die-hard loyalists defend the regime.

Some talk about the dark days of the previous regime, as though they dont know that many in this government were part of that regime or that some were part of regimes as bad or worse. It is also funny when some of those who take issue with the way things were before January 2015 were quite supportive of Velupillai Prabhakaran and even wanted to let him and his bunch of terrorists to rule one third of the Island and control two thirds of the coastline.

It is funny when they take umbrage at certain ministers supporting the vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister and invoke the notion of collective responsibility when the entire cabinet by omission or commission is guilty of criminal irresponsibility on multiple counts.

They could put it all down to political culture and the lack of human resources, but they would be hard pressed to deny that it was deliberate, irresponsible and pernicious to script a clause into the 19th Amendment to get around the limit to cabinet size promised in manifesto and preambled in the amendment itself. All illusions about good governance from this lot died that day. Some however are in denial, naturally.

Lets consider the business of the Opposition Leader. Business not in the sense of his/her responsibilities but the post itself.

It was strange when Nimal Siripala De Silva was made Opposition Leader because he was a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which was officially part of the Government. It was less strange when R Sampanthan was made Opposition Leader because the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had the most number of MPs outside of the parties that made the Government. It is strange that he remained the Leader of the Opposition after some 50 SLFP MPs decided and made it known to the Speaker that they are not part of the Government and would function as a separate group in the Opposition. Sampanthans position looks even more politically grotesque considering that he has sided with the Government on a key no-confidence motion. That the Speaker, in all his wisdom, appears to be absolutely ignorant about parliamentary arithmetic and political realities, especially considering the fact that parliamentary composition is at odds with general voter sentiment, is itself strange.

If any proof was necessary that this Government has no clue about good governance or democracy and probably never really cared about either, we need look no further than the recent response of Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne to a question posed to him regarding the post of Opposition Leader. This was the question: If the UNP forms a government on its own, shouldnt the post of Opposition Leader go to the SLFP?

Some talk about the dark days of the previous regime, as though they dont know that many in this government were part of that regime or were part of regimes as bad or worse

First of all, whether or not the UNP can form a government on its own is a moot point, given that the President is not from that party but would be a part of the Government and thereby fulfill the National Government Escape Clause to Inflate the Cabinet. Senaratne did not mention any of that. He ignored completely basic arithmetic. One might say he dodged the question.

He simply said that its good to have a Tamil as Opposition Leader. He then compared apples with oranges, talking about J.R. Jayewardene removing

A. Amirthalingam as the Leader of the Opposition. J.R. Jayewardene did a lot of cunning things. He orchestrated the removal of Amirthalingam through the 6th Amendment to the Constitution (J.R. Jayewardene was a UNPer, by the way, a fact that Senaratne might have forgotten). J.R. Jayewardene was not, however, arithmetically challenged the way Senaratne obviously is.

Senaratne went on to say as a result Prabhakaran became the Leader of the Opposition. Clever twist, but still dodgy, for Prabhakaran was not a product of a single piece of political manipulation.

In any event, short-sighted legislators (of all parties, including those in the joint opposition) gave us a constitutional bind that prevents the correction of the representational anomaly that the February 10th election revealed. That said, theres nothing to prevent the correction of the obvious travesty of the group that has the most numbers among the parties in the Opposition from having the right to select the Opposition Leader.

It is convenient for Senaratne and others to dodge the issue and talk political nonsense. In fact one might even say that Senaratne, in this, is the ideal spokesperson for this cabinet. However, those who swore and swear on good governance and democracy need to rethink or shut up, for silence on this is telling.

Malinda Seneviratne is a freelance writer. malindasenevi@gmail.com. www.malindawords.blogspot.com
Targets better Ease of Doing Business ranking

Service first to cover Colombo city; other regions in 2 years

Registration to take only 5 days with one or two processes

Ultimate objective is to set up single online interface



By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

Aiming for quick wins to move up the 2019 Ease of Doing Business rankings of the World Bank, the Sri Lankan government will be introducing online property search and registration services for the city of Colombo, while other regions would be left waiting for another two years.



The World Bank evaluation usually starts from March each year and ends in June, and whatever we do to improve the situation, we will have to do it visibly in this time to get marks. Not only to get marks I mean, but in the broader concept to improve the situation related to land, Surveyor General P.M.P Udayakantha said.

He was speaking at a media briefing held in Colombo this week to give an update on the progress of the land registration task force, which is one of the eight task forces established by the government to move up to the top 70 ranks by the 2020 Ease of Doing Business edition compared to the 111th position held in the 2018 rankings.



He said that the task force has by now managed to cut down the time taken to browse through deeds and register a property by adhering to the existing 9 processes from 51 days to 26 days, and after the digitization comes into effect, properties could be registered within 5 days by following one or two processes.



The ultimate objective is to set up a single online interface, which could link together all services related to registering a property, including payment options and local governments, according to Udayakantha, which would hopefully improve Sri Lankas last registration ranking from 157th out of 190 countries.



However, he admitted that since the World Bank evaluates each countrys largest commercial city for the rankings, the new services for searching the status of properties online and registering them will only be provided in Colombo at the start.



Since Colombo is used for evaluation purposes we are focusing on Colombo, he said.



Those wanting to grab the opportunities outside Colombo; near the Chinese-owned Hambantota Port, the many planned investment zones, or the numerous tourism hotspots, would have to wait until 2020 to enjoy the benefits, even if the World Bank ranks the country better over the next two evaluation cycles.

Following Colombo, were hoping to digitize the services for the Western Province by 2019 and for the other provinces by 2020, Udayakantha said.



The initial optimization to rise up the rankings is based on the World Banks hypothetical scenario of registering a warehouse complex situated in a 40-perch property in Colombo, according to Udayakantha.



He said that the actions of the land registration task force are being taken with World Bank support.



The World Bank has been helping us on this activity, and always encouraging us and advising us, Udayakantha said.



The World Bank was recently engulfed in a scandal related to how it evaluates countries for Doing Business rankings.



The then Chief Economist of the World Bank, Paul Romer, accused the organization of manipulating Doing Business rankings for political purposes, before he recanted his views and resigned.



The current Sri Lankan government has been viewed as pro-West, and even the World Banks sister organization, the International Monetary Fund, was overly positive during the latest evaluation of the Sri Lankan economy, choosing to ignore risks and reform action not taken by the government, after it lost the local polls to Mahinda Rajapaksa loyalists, who are anti-West.



Meanwhile, Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Ministry Secretary Wasantha Deshapriya praised the Registrar General, the Colombo Municipal Council, the Surveyor Department the Valuation Department, the Western Provincial Council Valuation Department, the ICT Agency and the Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry for the work done on digital property registry.



While hailing it as a win for e-governance, he advised the stakeholders to embrace the initial system cautiously.



Those systems will need time to mature, time to get the systems refined, and definitely there would be early hiccups, he said.



Proving his point, our sister paper, the Sunday Times this week reported that the Finance Ministry has to spend over Rs. 4 billion to upgrade or replace its online tax system, since the current system, installed in 2015 at a cost of Rs. 6 billion, is breaking down.
Kotagala Plantations PLC has divested the majority ownership in fully owned tea exporting subsidiary Union Commodities (Private) Limited for over Rs.1 billion to related parties, according to a filing at the Colombo Stock Exchange.

Under a financial restructuring plan, Kotagala Plantations sold a 70 percent stake in Union Commodities to its largest shareholder Consolidated Tea Plantations Limited for Rs. 850 million, and another 15 percent stake to Agarapatana Plantations Limited for Rs. 182 million.



Kotagala Plantations made a net loss of Rs. 61.3 million during the 3rd quarter of 2018, falling from a Rs. 11.4 million net loss year-on-year despite a 10 percent uptick in revenue, due to a fall in other income.



Colombo Fort Land & Building PLC, the ultimate parent, has majority ownership in Kotagala Plantations through the Lankem Group.
The National New Year is being observed this week-end in the aftermath of the biggest political crisis since the historic presidential election of January 8, 2015. The no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe -- submitted by the joint opposition and supported by 16 SLFP members including ministers, deputy and state ministers -- brought the shaky national unity government to breaking point. Fortunately the turn of events last Wednesday restored trust and stability to a large extent with the Prime Minister now in an unassailable position and the Unity Government likely to continue till the end of its term.

When Maithripala Sirisena was elected President in January 2015, the all-party rainbow-coalition pledged to uphold the rule of law and judicial independence, to take legal action against the former regimes corrupt politicians and take comprehensive steps to restore reconciliation between the Sinhala and Tamil people.

We hope the Unity Government will work urgently and efficiently to achieve these targets and that it will also work with honesty and integrity, selflessly, sincerely and with commitment for the well-being of the people. The ministers and MPs need to remember they are the servants of the people and it is a grave political crime to indulge in large-scale bribery and corruption, frauds or other ways in which the peoples money is plundered.

After going round in circles, President Maithripala Sirisena finds himself in the position he was during the January 2015 presidential election where only three SLFP MPs supported him though former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge -- who played a key role in the dramatic crossover that changed Sri Lankas history -- claimed that 30 to 40 SLFP MPs would support Mr. Sirisena. So at the January 8 presidential election all but three of the SLFP and UPFA MPs supported former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Even at the August 2015 general election, though Mr. Sirisena was the President of the SLFP, most members wanted Mr. Rajapaksa to lead the campaign. The President did not take part in the campaign, but most analysts say he issued a key statement which may have had a significant effect on the election. The President said even if the SLFP-led UPFA won the election, he would not appoint Mr. Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. Analysts believe this paved the way for the UNP-led United National Front comprising several minority parties to win the general election.

In a New Year gift to the Tamil people of the North, the Army announced it was releasing another 650 acres of land to the original owners and the military together with Northern and Eastern Province officials is also expected to grant more concessions to the Tamil people in a meaningful effort to bring about reconciliation. Fertilizer subsidies, water supply and other facilities are also to be given to thousands of northern families to restore their dignity as human beings.

To address key issues, Sri Lanka needs religious and ethnic unity in diversity, just as in the world all religions and races are coming together to find solutions to three priority issues -- poverty alleviation, climate change and the campaign to ban nuclear weapons.

We hope this National New Year season will go beyond the sharing of meals and festivities and we will see policies and plans to build a new Sri Lanka where there is a peaceful, just and all-inclusive society.
Democratic People's Front (DPF) leader and Minister Mano Ganesan said today they had requested Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold the upcoming provincial council election under the preferential voting system.

He said they had made this request at a meeting parties representing the minority communities such as the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Democratic People's Front (DPF), the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) and Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) had with the Prime Minister at Temple Trees yesterday.

The ward-based system has created uncertainty in the country and now we have a situation where we have been unable to set up an administration in certain local government bodies because of the complexities existing in the new electoral system, he said.

The minister said the government had good intentions in mind when they brought in the new electoral system, but it had some shortcomings adding that certain amendments should be brought in to improve the implementation of the system.

He said Minister Faiszer Musthapha, who participated in the discussion, had stressed the need to hold the forthcoming election under the new system with amendments and added that most of the party leaders had objected to it saying that the PC elections should not be postponed until the amendments were made but held under the previous system.

He said they had agreed to finalize the matter on April 19 when they are due to meet again. (Ajith Siriwardana and Indika Sri Aravinda)
I just thought of briefly inscribing a few lines on taking account of ones own life. In other words, take time to reflect upon yourself inwardly and wisely scrutinize on your own deeds, words, thoughts and feelings.

Life as a human being is very significant. Numerous capabilities and abilities are endowed and gifted. The most distinguished factor is the mind. The ordinary human being is capable and able to cultivate and develop numerous wholesome inner qualities. The nature of the ordinary human mind is subject to grasps and accumulates innumerable mental toxics and impurities. The mind becomes very impure. An impure and defiled mind is very obscure. Such a mind easily associates with anger, jealousy, hatred and some other cruel thoughts. Unknowingly it leads to psychopathic characters in people. Some people have become psychologically extremely sick. Those who do not take medication for their psychopathic changes are the worst individuals. They are not capable of controlling and managing their anger.

An impure and defiled mind is very obscure. Such a mind easily associates with anger, jealousy, hatred and some other cruel thoughts. Unknowingly it leads to psychopathic characters in people. Some people have become psychologically extremely sick

They always act and talk as perfect beings. They do not accept and do not take responsibility for their mistakes. They pass them to others. They always seek others faults but not their own. Psychopaths always thinks they are supreme and let others down. They never see the positive or good side of others.

But wise and intelligent human beings concentrate on their own behaviour. They wisely operate and exercise their verbal, physical and mental activities. They do not hurt and harm others. Wise people concentrate on consequences of their action before they act. They are deeply mindful of their own actions before they perform and commit them.

Once the Buddha, the Blessed one, asked Venerable Rahula thus: What is the purpose of a mirror? Then, he said: for the purpose of reflection.

Then the Blessed One advised thus: an action with body should be done after repeated reflection, an action by speech should be done after repeated reflection, and an action by mind should be done after repeated reflection if that action leads to ones own affliction or to the affliction of others or to the affliction of both, our Master kindly has advised us to not commit such an action.

Ones own introspection is the profound examination and analysis. If someone honestly excogitate on ones own inner behaviour with a great deal of changing the manner which mostly discloses in words and deeds, will encourage correcting and rectifying in a righteous way that leads to true peace and happiness.

Presently, most members in our human family celebrate annual celebrations according to their own credences and ideologies. We all must respect and appreciate the way they still continue with unchanging attitude and traditions. In fact, there are hidden treasures in some practices which pave the way to cultivate kindness, compassion and respect but most of them blindly follow it. Unfortunately some of them destructively criticize without any knowledge and understanding.

Born Buddhists and Hindus celebrate their New Year in the middle of April. In Sri Lanka, it is a tremendous and extraordinary celebration. They spend an enormous amount of their own income that is hard earned, on clothes, food, alcohol and gifts. Unfortunately most Sinhalese cannot celebrate anything without alcohol. Even though they foolishly boast about Buddhism or their superior culture what they practice is contrary to what they preach.

They observe and promise themselves not to violate precepts and rules in front of their own children and parents. Some matured people, along with their parents and children absurdly and imprudently violate them, showing their own disgraceful act, contrary to what they articulate and advise others. Unfortunately, pragmatically some people are very inefficient and incapable to practice what they promise for themselves.

A ludicrous and ridiculous fact is that they verbally observe precepts and on the contrary, they violate the precepts numerous times in day-to-day life. Most demonstrative and show off people pretend that they are committed. They assume and simulate that they are the most knowledgeable and live according to rules and regulations what religious Masters defined, but in reality they ruin themselves. They are the worst enemies who spoil and destroy our future generation.

Now the time has arrived to look inward for every one of their own acts, mentality, thoughts, feelings, how they treat others, what refined language they speak with others, how they address others, how polite you are, do you verbally hurt or physically harm others, are you jealous of others, are you happy about others achievements and accomplishments, are you strong enough to tolerate others mistakes, do you discriminate others, do you tolerate others beliefs, faiths and culture, and so on.

This is the time for you to take into consideration your own behaviour and conduct. You may be young, educated, healthy and wealthy but unpredictable contingencies and unavoidable circumstances will inform you that your life is expired.

Wholesome mental energy is the vital factor that we all must accumulate by cleansing and purifying ones own mind. If your own deep rooted wholesome consciousness attests that you are virtuous and righteous, you will be led to a happy and secured destination hereafter.

You are completely responsible for yourself. One is utterly accountable for oneself. Therefore, ones every single verbal, mental and physical action should be purely and exclusively virtuous and righteous. Whatever the action you carry out, both physical and verbal are your own. You are utterly accountable and answerable for your deeds.

Wise and intelligent human beings concentrate on their own behaviour. They wisely operate and exercise their verbal, physical and mental activities. They do not hurt and harm others. Wise people concentrate on consequences of their action before they act. They are deeply mindful of their own actions before they perform and commit them

Human rights and equal rights are the most crucial and exigent issues in our global society today. Individually, multitudes of people hold discussions and criticize as they wish according to their political partiality and personal propensity. But people are rarely concerned about their own individual vicinities and nuclear families, such as home, office, school, working place and so on. This is a very pivotal and significant fact which most people have forgotten.

Numerous shocking stories and disgusting reports disclose that many individuals agonise their own partners and children in our human society. They may avoid the state punishment but the karma definitely will never allow them to take a by-pass. Karma will certainly and categorically prescribe and provide the same dose.

Be kind and wise to concentrate on your own duties and responsibilities on your own.

Reflection must be thoroughly focused on ones own family. Not materially but emotionally.

Then you will be happy to say that I am kind and generous. I am virtuous and righteous.

Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts, suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

(Dhammapada.)

How people treat you is their Karma, how you react is yours
Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam spoke about the future of the Unity Government, the UNP thats shrouded with controversies and the resignation of Minister Kabir Hashim from the post of General Secretary of the Green Party among many hot topics in an interview with our sister paperDeshaya.

Excerpts:

Q After having defeated the no confidence motion what is the next imminent threat?

Certainly it was not a threat. The no confidence motion against the Prime Minister was not actually a threat. From the beginning we were confident that it could be easily defeated. Those who brought the motion in parliament are viewing the rising sun every morning. The sun has not stopped rising with the defeating of the motion going by what they boasted through the media. All of our parliamentarians voted against it. We were able to obtain the support of the other parties too.

Q But it was not so easy to defeat the no confidence motion as you say. Some UNP ministers and MPs supported the Prime Minister on the promise of restructuring the UNP. Dont you think that keeping to this promise has brought about another threat?

According to what we have agreed to the party reorganisation activities are now in progress.

Q Is the resignation of Minister Kabir Hashim as UNP General Secretary a step towards the intended reform?

It might be. But I am not certain about that.

The Premier has already made arrangements to recover the possible loss from those responsible for it. As for the appointment an individual with the maximum qualification was appointed for the post regarding this matter

Q Is it a preliminary step towards reorganising the party where your are to be appointed as the General Secretary?

It is one of the changes proposed. However the party would decide on these things.

Q Your reply indicates the possibility of you becoming the Secretary General of the UNP.Your comments?

Some MPs want to make this proposal, but it is left to the party to decide.

Q There is opposition to your nomination as General Secretary. Do you think you would be able to function in this capacity amidst these differences in view?

Certainly, I am confident. I am already the Deputy General Secretary of the party and have held several posts within the party. Even now I am performing a very responsible task as the Minister of Education.

Q SLFP MPs were shrouded in a controversy when the no confidence motion in parliament was taken for vote. Do you think the Government can move forward despite these controversies?

We will solve these problems through negotiations. The Prime minister will meet the President and we would be able to reach a settlement.

Q On the day the motion was debated 23 MPs submitted a letter requesting the removal of 16 government ministers who voted in favour of the NCM. Your comments?

It is not ethical for the ministers to remain in the government after voting in favour of the motion which was against the prime minister. The collective responsibility among Cabinet ministers is very important. If they remain in the Cabinet it is only for the privileges.

Q That may be your opinion. But the Prime Minister says that he will have a discussion with the President on how to continue with the unity government. Your comments?

Continuing with the Unity Government is not a problem. In the discussion held with the Premier, the ministers opposed to keep these SLFP members in the Cabinet. Minister Rajitha Senaratne even expressed his displeasure to sit in the Cabinet with the opposing SLFP Ministers.

Q Are you preparing for a protest in the cabinet?

Not necessarily. Given that most of the ministers are from the United National Front, the Prime Minister will discuss the matter with the President.

Continuing with the Unity Government is not a problem. In the discussion held with the Premier, the ministers opposed to keep these SLFP members in the Cabinet

Q When there is a strong opposition against the presence of the defying SLFP ministers in Cabinet what is the Prime Ministers response?

His views are also the same that these SLFP ministers cant be part of the Government. However he also wants to see the Unity Government continue. There are many SLFP ministers who refrained from voting during the no confidence motion. The majority of our ministers have expressed their willingness to continue working with these SLFP ministers and MPs. The Prime minister also agrees with this point of view.

Q The SLFP ministers who voted in favour of the motion have maintained that they do not intend to resign from their ministerial posts.Your comments?

19 amendments to the Constitution specify the powers given to the President and the Prime Minister. The powers of the President are now different when compared with the previous Constitution. Time will bring a solution to the problem.

Q The SLFP was divided during the vote taken on the motion. In what manner did the President help you during this motion?

He remained independent regarding the motion and did not ask members to vote for or against. We consider the motion as a decision of the SLFP. The President made a request to leave him out of the matter.

Q Are you saying that there is no dispute between the President and the Prime Minister?

Certainly not.

Q Some say that bags full of money were on offer to win over those who were to vote in favour of the motion. Is it true?

Utter lies. It is they who robbed and gave Rs.500,000 for each candidate during the last Provincial Council Elections.

Q Leave aside the bags full of money. You have agreed to some of the demands made by the TNA to obtain their votes against the motion. Your comments?

The TNA is a political party responsible for its people. There were some practical problems that they were facing. We are obliged to solve these problems. Members of the TNA cannot be bought over for money.

Q Thirteen charges out of fourteen presented during the motion are related to Central Bank Bond issue. Why cant the Government solve this problem?

We have taken every necessary step regarding this matter. Even the Bond Commission had not found anything against the Prime Minister. The Premier has already made arrangements to recover the possible loss from those responsible for it. As for the appointment an individual with the maximum qualification was appointed for the post regarding this matter. Now the legal process is continuing.

However, there is an acute bond issue which has surfaced since 2008 and amounts to Rs.4,000 billion. There is nobody to talk about these matters nor are there commissions to investigate this issue.

Q However it is your responsibility to investigate into these matters. Negligence on your part has led to these losses.Your comments?

There are reasons affecting the delay. Some officials appointed by the Rajapaksa Government still hold the same positions. Soon we would rectify the problems associated with these positions.We agree that there are some matters we have left unattended.

Q But your excuse of palming all the problems on Rajapaksa is not acceptable. Isnt this your Government?

We cant work arbitrarily. We have to comply with legal procedures. There are doubts regarding some matters.

Q Minister Rajitha Senaratne has spoken about a new Cabinet to be appointed immediately. Your response?

The President and Prime Minister will decide on a new Cabinet.

Q The Joint Opposition says that it has deprived the Government of enjoying a two-thirds majority. Would it be possible for you to get bills passed in the future.

We still retain a two-thirds majority. Some were absent during the vote of no confidence which was their way of supporting us. We are confident of having the support of 150 members in the Parliament.

Q Do you mean that the Government has the continuous support of the TNA?

They (TNA) will offer their support for the good bills.They also supported the president so that he could come to power.

Q Minister Susil Premajayantha has made a strong charge against the Government. It is so serious.What is your response?

There are also allegations against him. Some MPs have asked him to discuss this matter internally in the Cabinet before speaking to the public.

There are many SLFP ministers who refrained from voting during the no confidence motion. The majority of our ministers have expressed their willingness to continue working with these SLFP ministers and MPs

Q However the Local Government Election has left the Government wobbling, like never before. Your comments?

The reason for the defeat is the SLFP. They distorted the campaign. Amid these problems we were able to secure the January 8 mandate. Rajapaksas were not able to get 45% of the votes. We are determined to form our own Government in future.

Q Unlike in the past there is confusion within the Government. Your comments?

There were problems within and the Prime Minister introduced many development projects. However they could not be implemented due to obstructions by members of the SLFP.

Q Did the Government prevent frauds from taking place?

That is what we understand. We also have come to understand that some of them have been protected.

(Pic by Sumudu Hewapathirana)
At least 247 people have died after a military plane crashed in Algeria, media reports say.

Twenty-six members of Polisario Front, supported by Algeria and seeking independence from Morocco for Western Sahara, are said to be among the dead.

The incident happened shortly after the plane took off from Boufarik military airport near the capital Algiers, but reasons for the crash remain unclear.

No official toll has been released.

Footage from the scene showed smoke coming off wreckage in a field.

TV news reports said 14 ambulances were at the scene and injured people were being transferred to hospital.

The head of the army has ordered an investigation into the crash and will visit the scene, according to a statement from the defence ministry.
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Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election to his seat in Congress this fall, will leave behind at least two notable education achievements: He ensured passage of a new federal education law in 2015, and gave a boost to parents seeking resources for school choice through a tax-reform bill approved in 2017.

Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, was first elected in 1998 and took over as speaker in October 2015 , replacing Ohio Republican Rep. John Boehner. He backed key tenets of conservative education policy, including a lighter federal footprint on schools as well as choice.

Less than two months after assuming the speakers job, he oversaw House passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the first overhaul of the main federal K-12 law since the No Child Left Behind Act was signed in 2002. Ryan was a fan of ESSA because it was drafted through regular congressional procedure and had bipartisan support. The legislation also provided states and districts more policy flexibility in several key areas such as teacher evaluation and school improvement.

In addition, ESSA may have been helped by Ryans strong relationship with Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., who was chairman of the House education committee and one of ESSAs primary authors (Kline subsequently retired from Congress).



Before ESSA passed, Ryan expressed his dislike for the way the Obama administration used waivers to get states to embrace its policy priorities, such as using test scores in teacher evaluation, in exchange for being allowed to skip certain provisions of No Child Left Behind. Those waivers may have helped hasten the end of NCLB and the start of the ESSA era.

Ryan championed tax legislation that was signed by President Donald Trump last year, and included in that law was a change that allowed money in 529 college savings plans to be spent on K-12, including private school tuition. Ryan has backed school choice since he came to Congress in 1999. During a speech in 2012, when he was the GOPs nominee for vice president, Ryan told an audience that choice should be available to every parent in our country, wherever they live.

The House education committee also approved a revamp of the Higher Education Act late last year on Ryans watch, but momentum for HEA reauthorization appears to have stalled in this Congress. Before he became speaker, Ryan championed tighter restrictions on Pell Grant eligibility.

In 2013, when he was chairman of the House budget committee, Ryan worked out a deal with then-Senate budget committee chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., to put off automatc cuts to federal spending known as sequestration. But Ryan was criticial of the U.S. Department of Educations budget during the Obama administration: In a 2014 budget blueprint, for example, he sought to consolidate several federal programs.

And in 2012, then-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Ryans budget vision would lead to billions in cuts for Title I and federal special education grants .

Ryan will serve out the remainder of his term in the House.

Photo: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., meets with reporters following a closed-door Republican strategy session on Capitol Hill last month. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP-File)

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Many rural counties would be without any child-care centers were it not for Head Start, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress , which details the role the federal early-childhood education program plays in rural areas across the country.

Rural families in poverty face their own particular challenges that may be different than those in metro areas or even in the suburbs, said Rasheed Malik , a CAP senior policy analyst and the co-author of the report, released Tuesday. What Head Start is able to do thats really unique is that it brings a lot of services to them in a centralized hub.

While Head Start serves poor families throughout the country, the need is particularly acute in rural areas where poverty is generally greater. The report notes that more than 29 percent of rural children under the age of 5 live in poverty, compared with only 23 percent of young children in metropolitan areas.

In addition to early-childhood education, Head Start also provides benefits such as health and developmental screenings, dental care, and job training.

In rural areas, services like these, including early-childhood education, tend to be harder to find and in many cases harder to access.

Prior CAP research found that small towns and rural areas with below-average median family incomes faced critical child-care shortages. Researchers found that 3 out of 5 rural Americans live in what are known as child-care deserts, and in these communities a third of the child-care centers are funded by Head Start.

Without Head Start, rural families would have a lot less access to center-based child care as well as the great social services and family services that it provides, said Malik.

The need for these services in rural areas is great, as this population tends to have less access to medical care. The report notes that young children in rural areas are less likely to be up-to-date on immunizations than their peers in metropolitan areas.

The report also notes that Head Start serves children in some of the counties most affected by the opioid addiction crisis, which is predominately a problem in rural areas. The authors cite a 2017 statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed drug overdose deaths in rural areas surpassing those in metropolitan areas.

Head Start, because its been out there for so long, really has this built-in infrastructure for service delivery and can adapt very well to the needs of the community, said Malik. In places that have really been hit hard by the opioid epidemic, theres a real responsiveness from Head Start.

Malik says the program helps connect parents with substance abuse treatment or prevention services, and this is happening more in rural areas than metropolitan areas.

Rural Head Start Challenges

Despite all of the work Head Start does in rural areas, the program does face special challenges in communities outside of large, urban centers. The report lists finding staff and providing transportation as two of the biggest issues Head Start directors face in these communities.

Malik says transportation is an essential component for centers serving rural counties. He cited Head Start centers in states with wide-open spaces such as Alaska, Montana, and Nebraska where directors stress the need for it.

Often, families may be sharing one car for two parents, said Malik. Theres just not the ability to drive and drop off their child at the center. They told us if they dont have transportation services theyre just not going to have a program.

And buses dont come cheap. Malik says it can cost $50-60,000 dollars a program year just to operate, and then the center is required to hire a driver and a monitor for the bus.

Due to the odd hours required it can be hard to find people to fill these positions. Malik says finding staff for rural-based Head Start programs is a problem in general.

These are low-density areas where theres maybe not a big pool of folks with the specific credentials and qualifications that a Head Start center in a city or metro area will be able to draw from, said Malik.

He says these centers often rely on former Head Start parents and help them get the necessary credentials.

The report also notes that programs in remote areas often have added expenses due to where theyre located. Things like bringing in health services and having to fly in staff and supplies can really add up.

Still, Malik says hes encouraged by Congress plan to spend more on Head Start . Last months ominbus spending bill raises Head Start funding by $610 million.

We think of that as just a start, as [a] kind of down payment on what will eventually be needed because Head Start is really only reaching about 50 percent of the eligible child population, said Malik. Theres this wonderful infrastructure out there, and the more that we can provide them with the resources that they need the more that theyll be able to do.

The authors compiled this report with data from 10 states with a substantial number of rural counties, including Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, and Texas. They also conducted telephone interviews with Head Start officials in Alasksa, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, and Nebraska.

Photo: Students eat lunch in a pre-K classroom at the Helen Sears Family Development Center in Owensboro, Ky., in 2013. -- Philip Scott Andrews for Education Week-File
Washington, D.C.

Americas large urban districts have been improving faster than the nation as a whole, and mostly held onto those gains during the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading and mathematics.

We know we need to accelerate the pace of reform and improvement in our urban schools, and we know our achievement gaps are still too wide, said Michael Casserly, the executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools at a symposium on the NAEP district results here Tuesday afternoon, but these NAEP data give us the tools we need to ask hard questions about our instructional practices and where we need to improve.

The Trial Urban District Assessment, a close snapshot of more than two dozen of the countrys largest school districts, is part of the NAEP, whose results were released Tuesday.

This year, the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers the NAEP, also reported a separate measure of progress for all large city school districts with more than 250,000 students. Students in large city districts still trail the national average, but seem to be closing some of the gaps:



For example, on average, public school 8th graders have only improved in math by 2 scale points in the last decade, to 282 out of 500. Urban 8th graders, meanwhile, improved by 5 scale points, to 274.

At 4th grade, national math scores were flat at 239, while urban students scores rose 2 points, to 232.

Nationwide, 4th grade reading scores have inched up 1 point in the last decade, to 221, while urban students scores rose by 5 points, to 213.

At 8th grade reading, national scores rose by 4 points since 2007, to 265, while urban students scores rose a whopping 8 points, to 258.

Those gains are a mixed blessing: Urban 4th graders scored on average at the basic level in math and reading. Urban 8th graders scored on average at the basic level in reading and below basic in math. Yet, 27 percent of urban 8th graders scored at or above the proficient level in reading in 2017, up 8 percentage points since 2007. Thats faster than the 5 percentage-point reading growth for students overall.

Were not where we want to be, but there has been some tremendous progress there, said Peggy Carr, NCES associate commissioner for assessment.

Trial Districts Expand

The 2017 NAEP added five new districts to its Trial Urban District Assessment: Clark County, Nev.; Denver; Fort Worth, Texas; Guilford County, N.C.; and Shelby County, Tenn. Taken together, the 27 urban districts in the study represent more than half of all U.S. 4th and 8th graders.

We say we want our students to be competitive in a global society, so we need to know how they are measuring up with their peers across the nation, said LaTanya McDade, the chief education officer of Chicago Public Schools, one of the longest-running TUDA participants, which had flat scores in both grades and subjects in 2017. We want to be able to take a critical look at ourselves, ... and to have integrity.

In math, the Duval County and Miami-Dade districts helped push Floridas overall 4th grade gains. Californias Fresno school district likewise improved in math in 4th grade, while San Diego was the only district to improve in both reading and math at 4th grade. Albuquerque and Boston also improved in 8th grade reading compared to their 2015 test results. A new NAEPsite provides more detail on the results in math and reading .

Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said his district has focused on improving preschool and early learning, as well as encouraging more disadvantaged students to participate in challenging coursework. Cindy Marten, the San Diego schools superintendent, seconded the need to allign improvement across grades pre-K-12.

Really, what you see in 8th grade starts in early literacy. Third grade reading has been a major goal for our district, because it tees us up for important achievement in 8th grade, Marten said. You cant wait until middle school to make this happen.

The San Diego district brings teachers from multiple grades together to create common formative assessments to provide early warnings of students who begin to struggle during the elementary to middle grades.

We also have to focus on literacy throughout all the years, Marten said. What does it mean to be literate im middle school, and are all of our middle school teachers competent at understanding reading practices and behaviors. ... What does it mean to be able to read, write, compute, and engage in multiple forms of literacy at the middle level?

Each TUDA district was chosen both for its overall size and for having large enough populations of students in traditionally disadvantaged groupsincluding black or Hispanic students and students in povertyto provide valid results.

Todays results are a reminder that the path to meaningfully improving student achievement runs through the daily work happening in classrooms between teachers and students, said Michael Cohen,the president of the school reform group Achieve. Teachers and administrators need robust support to implement higher standards; there must be a substantial, ongoing effort to continuously improve the quality of curriculum and the capacity of schoolsparticularly those serving the most disadvantaged studentsto ensure that kids can meet the higher standards that states have set and that the real world demands.

Graphic: Twenty-seven large school districts participate in the NAEPs Trial Urban District Assessment, or TUDA. Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. it is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.
A civilian was killed and three security forces personnel injured today during an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the district's Khudwani area last night, following information about presence of militants there, the officials said.

They said a gunbattle broke out between the militants and security forces in the early hours.

Three security force personnel were injured in the initial exchange of firing, the officials said.

Local residents started pelting security personnel with stones, leading to clashes, they said, adding that some civilians were injured.

The officials said a 25-year-old man succumbed to injuries at a hospital. It was not immediately known how the deceased got injured, they said.
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday ordered that the body of the Unnao gang-rape victim's father should not be cremated if already not done so.

He had died on Monday in custody after his 18-year-old daughter had accused a BJP MLA, his brother and aides of raping her.

A bench of Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar passed the order taking cognizance of the gang-rape case in Uttar Pradesh on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi detailing the incident.

"If the body has not been cremated, then it shall not be cremated," the court said.

Chaturvedi also demanded a fair investigation into the heinous crime and on the death of the victim's father.

The bench also sought the state government's stand on the case while slating the matter for next hearing on April 12.

It also asked the advocate general or one of the additional advocate generals to remain present during the course of the hearing to apprise the court about the case and action being taken.

There is no clarity as to whether the body of the deceased has already been cremated.

The police had on Tuesday arrested Atul Singh, brother of BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, in this connection.

The Supreme Court will hear a plea for a CBI probe into the Unnao gang rape case next week.
The number of people believed to have died in an Algerian military plane crash on Wednesday has risen to 257, according to state TV.

The cause of the crash was unclear, and an investigation has been opened, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

Emergency services converged on the area near the Boufarik military base after the crash.

"There are more than 100 deaths. We can't say exactly how many at this point," Mohammed Achour, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency, told The Associated Press.

He said the plane was carrying soldiers. The Defense Ministry did not provide a death toll but expressed condolences to the victims' families.

The flight had just taken off from Boufarik, about 30 kilometres southwest of the capital Algiers, for a military base in Bechar in southwest Algeria, Achour said.

It was scheduled to make a layover in Tindouf in southern Algeria, home to many refugees from neighbouring Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco.

The Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane crashed in an agricultural zone with no residents, Achour said.
GMR group, India's leading infrastructure company, is setting up an 'Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Hub' at its Special Investment Region (GKSIR), Hosur, Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu.

The group is setting it up with an aim to encourage indigenous production of defence equipment in the country.

The proposed hub is in an ideal location for defence-related manufacturing.

Major defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Defence Research and Development Organisation are only 50-60 km away.

The hub also benefits from the established industrial ecosystem in Hosur, 700+ MSMEs engaged in precision engineering in the region.

Proximity to Bangalore ensures ready access to skilled manpower, according to a press statement.

Commenting on the setting up of the hub, B V N Rao, business chairman (transportation & urban infrastructure), GMR Group said, "This defence manufacturing hub can potentially be a game changer for the region. We will be providing all the necessary infrastructure facilities to attract global majors to set up their manufacturing facilities here.



GKSIR (GMR Krishnagiri Special Investment Region) is keen to set an international benchmark. GMR group is a world-renowned infrastructure developer and we already have an excellent track record of creating mega infrastructure projects in India and abroad".

Under the 'Make in India' initiative, the government had recently announced the setting up of a Defence Industrial Production Corridor (DIPC) in Tamil Nadu.

The corridor will connect Hosur and Chennai- with Kattupalli port, Chennai, Tiruchi, Coimbatore and Hosur as its key nodes - and aims to provide impetus to the defence production industry in the country and in the region in particular.

The proposed defence manufacturing hub at GKSIR, Hosur is a step in making this vision a reality, the statement said.
The Congress on Wednesday demanded the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, dubbing his government a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women after an 18-year-old alleged she was gang-raped and her father died in police custody in the state's Unnao district.

"Yogi Adityanath government is a government of Ravan, which has failed to protect women," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

"Yogi Adityanath has no right to continue as the chief minister. He should be immediately dismissed," Surjewala said.

The 18-year-old woman has alleged she was raped by Bangermau BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brothers.

The victim's father died in custody in Unnao yesterday, prompting the woman to charge that he was killed inside the district jail at the behest of the BJP legislator.

The police yesterday arrested Atul Singh, brother of the BJP legislator, in connection with the gangrape.

In a separate tweet, the Congress party said: "It is shocking that the Yogi Govt has withdrawn a rape case against a former BJP minister. This move will further embolden criminals and jeopardise women's security in a state that has witnessed a sharp rise in crimes against women."

The party attached a news report with the tweet about the Uttar Pradesh government deciding to withdraw a rape and kidnapping case against former Union minister Swami Chinmayananda.

In Lucknow, the state government spokesman Siddhartnath Singh told reporters yesterday that though the government has taken a decision to withdraw the case, the matter will finally be decided by the court.

The FIR against Chinmayananda was lodged on November 30, 2011, on the complaint of a girl who had spent several years at his ashram.
Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her two sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav, on Wednesday "returned" their state security cover, protesting withdrawal of guards from her residence.

State government officials and the ruling Janata Dal (United) defended the recall of security from Rabri Devi's house last night, saying the house guards had been provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys 'Z' category security.

Accordingly, the guards were asked to return as the RJD supremo is currently in jail, they said.

"Just now at the stroke of midnight, Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of the two ex-CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish Ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby CM of the country," Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet.

"Returning the security (covers) provided to my mother Rabri Devi as ex-CM, to my brother as an MLA and to me as Leader of the Opposition. Hope Nitish Kumar gives up acting spitefully and concentrates on doing something constructive," he added.

Rabri Devi, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said the recall of house guards has left the security of her residence and family in "tatters".

"As soon as my husband went to jail on December 23, all the security personnel deployed in his security were withdrawn by the state government. Those who remained were part of the security cover provided to me and the residence allotted to me in the capacity of a former chief minister," she wrote.

Rabri Devi said she did not see any point in retaining the security personnel as an "eyewash".

"I am therefore returning herewith all security personnel and escort vehicles deployed at my residence. If anything untoward happens to me or my family members, the state Home Department and the minister in-charge of the same shall be responsible," she said.

The Bihar CM has kept the Home portfolio with himself.

"The safety of myself and my family would be ensured by the workers of my party and the people of Bihar. Many congratulations to you and your government for taking such a step," the RJD national vice-president said in the letter.

Talking to reporters outside her residence today, Rabri Devi alleged a conspiracy to eliminate her and her family members.

"The state government's action is a conspiracy to eliminate me and my family members, hatched at the behest of Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi," she said.

Meanwhile, a top police official said it is common to recall security personnel when the VIP, they are attached to, is physically absent.

"That security personnel were part of Prasad's security cover and there was no point in keeping them at 10, Circular Road," he said.

JD(U) spokesman and MLC Sanjay Singh told reporters here that there is no provision of law under which a person serving sentence in a jail can be provided security cover by the state government.

"The RJD leaders are trying to garner public sympathy by playing the victim card," Singh said.

Strongly criticizing the move, RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary said, "I wonder whether Nitish Kumar has lost his sense of discretion. Only yesterday Bihar witnessed so much of violence by those opposed to reservation for Dalits and backwards. Leaders like Lalu and his family members face a heightened threat in such an environment."
The eight-year-old girl allegedly raped by six men, who had held her in captivity in a small village temple in Kathua district for a week in January, was kept sedated and sexually assaulted once again before she was bludgeoned to death, reveals the charge sheet in the case.

The abduction, rape and killing of the Bakherwal girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area, reveals the 15-page charge sheet filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch in the chief judicial magistrate's court here Monday.

It lists the caretaker of the Devisthan, a small temple, in Rassana village in Kathua, about 90 km from here, as the main conspirator behind the abduction, rape and killing.

Sanji Ram was allegedly joined by special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu, Ram's nephew, a juvenile, and his son Vishal Jangotra alias "Shamma".

The charge sheet also names investigating officers head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence.

A separate charge sheet was filed on Tuesday on the role of the juvenile, who cannot be publicly named according to the law.

All eight are under arrest. Lawyers in Jammu today struck work in support of the accused.

On January 11, six days before the child's body was recovered from the Rassana forest on January 17, the juvenile phoned his cousin Jangotra and asked him to return from Meerut where he was studying if he wanted to "satisfy his lust", the charge sheet stated.

The document lays bare the larger conspiracy to instil fear in the Bakerwal community and explains in chilling detail how it was carried out.

The eight-year-old had gone missing on January 10 while grazing horses in the forest. Investigators said the accused abducted the girl on the pretext of helping her find her horses.

The day after their daughter went missing, the parents went to the Devisthan and asked Ram about her whereabouts. He said she may have gone to a relative's house.

According to the charge sheet, the accused gave the girl sedatives to make her unconscious while holding her in captivity at the Devisthan'.

The juvenile, a school dropout, turned out to be the main player in the abduction and murder, raping the child repeatedly along with Jangotra and Khajuria.

The medical examination of the juvenile show he is an adult but the court is yet to take cognizance of the report, said an official.

"Khajuria lured the juvenile to kidnap the girl on the assurance that he will help him in passing the board examination (through cheating). Subsequently, he shared the plan, worked out by Ram and Khajuria, with Parvesh Kumar alias 'Mannu', his close friend and asked for his help in executing the plan," the charge sheet stated.

Jangotra reached Rassana from Meerut after his cousin's call and raped the sedated girl along with the juvenile and Mannu. Ram and his nephew performed the usual rituals to avoid suspicion.

It was on Ram's direction that the child was removed from the temple and taken to a culvert in the nearby forest by Mannu, Jangotra and the juvenile with the intention of eliminating her.

According to the investigation, Khajuria also reached the spot and told them to wait as "he wanted to rape her before she is killed". The charge sheet said the girl was once again gang-raped and later killed by the juvenile.

"The juvenile hit the girl twice with a stone on her head and later dumped her body in the forest after their plan to throw the body in a canal could not materialize due to failure to arrange a vehicle," it said.

On January 23, about a week after the body was discovered, the government handed over the case to the Crime Branch, which formed a Special Investigation Team.

in the course of investigation, it transpired that somewhere in the first week of January, accused Sanji Ram decided to put a plan to dislodge the Bakherwal community from Rassana area which had been brewing in his mind for quite sometime, into operation and in pursuance to that he made accused Deepak Khajuria, a special police officer, and his nephew (juvenile) as part of the conspiracy and assigned them tasks separately and individually, the charge sheet said.

Ram surrendered on March 20 after his son was arrested from Uttar Pradesh a day earlier.

Investigations revealed that Ram gave Rs 4 lakh to the police officers investigating the case in three instalments.

After the body was recovered, head constable Raj, who knew about the conspiracy, met Ram at his home and requested him to hand over one of the accused as things had gone out of control due to the agitation by the Bakerwals.

However, Ram paid Raj Rs 1 lakh to be passed on to sub-inspector Dutta.

The investigation explained in detail how the accused police officials destroyed crucial evidence by washing the clothes of the victim before sending them to the forensic laboratory and created false evidence at the scene.

"In the course of the investigation, it transpired that Ram was against the settlement of Bakherwals in Rassana, Kootah and Dhamyal area and always kept on motivating members of his community not to provide land for grazing or any other kind of assistance to them," the investigation said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and his wife Seema over investments in their family companies that witnessed a sharp rise in earnings over a 10-year period.



"Mitron, 'Shirdi ke chamatkaron ki koi 'seema' nahi (Friends, the miracles of Shirdi knows no boundaries)," Gandhi said on Twitter and appended reports of Goyal's investments of Rs 1 lakh turning into earnings of Rs 30 crore over a 10-year period.

The BJP rejected the allegations levelled by the Congress as "blatant falsehoods" and an attempt to divert attention from the huge scams the party and its leaders were facing.

The Congress had demanded a judicial investigation by a sitting Supreme Court judge on the Goyal family's investments, which have not been made public by him despite holding a public office.

The Congress said Goyal's wife Seema owned a company that started with Rs 1 lakh capital and has made profits to the tune of Rs 30 crore in 10 years, which they said was "similar to the Jay Shah model of investment", where the company's turnover grew multiple times during the Modi government.

In a statement, the BJP said that Goyal was a "pre-eminent" chartered accountant and financial advisor before becoming Union minister in May 2014.

It said that Goyal provided consultancy services through Intercon Advisors Private Limited.

"From its founding in 2005-06 to 2013-2014, Intercon earned professional income on services rendered and accumulated reserves of around Rs 30 crore with income tax payment of around Rs 15 crore and service tax of around Rs 6.6 crore," the BJP statement said.

It added that a consultancy company does not require much capital and the reserves were accumulated profit over the years.
The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board has been asked by the Supreme Court to show documents signed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim that it owns the iconic Taj Mahal.



A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the counsel of the board to show it documents to substantiate that Shah Jahan, who had built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, had executed a 'waqfnama' in favour of the board.

Waqfnama is a deed or a document through which a person expresses an intention to donate a property or land for charitable purposes or waqf.

"Who in India will believe that it (Taj) belongs to the waqf board," asked the bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, and added that such issues must not waste the time of the apex court.

When the waqf board counsel told the court that Shah Jahan had himself declared it a Waqf property, the bench asked the board to show it the original deed executed by the Mughal emperor.

"Show us the signature", the CJI told the counsel, who then sought more time to produce relevant documents.

The court was hearing a 2010 appeal filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over the ownership of the historic monument against the waqf board's decision to declare the Taj Mahal as its property.

The bench also asked the counsel how Shah Jahan could sign a document when he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb at the Agra Fort in 1658 after a bitter war of succession. Shah Jahan died in 1666 in the fort itself.

It told the counsel that the 17th-century monument and other heritage structures, built by the Mughals, were taken over by the British after the Mughal rule. After India's independence, the monuments came under the Government of India and were being managed by the ASI.

The ASI counsel also maintained that there was no waqfnama.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on April 17.

Another bench of the apex court is also seized of a matter related to Taj Mahal in which the petitioner has sought directions to protect the structure from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area.

The top court has been monitoring the development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked states to warm up to the "progressive idea" of open jails, providing video chat facility for prisoners and make officials undergo attitudinal change training to sensitively deal with women inmates.



The suggestions from the MHA in the form of a letter to the states comes after a report of the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women on 'Women in Detention and Access to Justice' flagged concerns about the overall situation in Indian prisons.

As the jails in the country were making headlines for the wrong reasons, such as overcrowding and inhuman treatment of inmates, including women, the MHA has asked states to immediately collate prison-wise information on the inflow and outflow of inmates and prison capacity.

It has also asked states to develop time-bound strategies for each prison to tackle overcrowding.

The states were asked to set up open jails and go for e-prisons projects.

In a February meeting, the issue of providing the facility of video chat to prisoners were also discussed along with the concept of open jails, the letter said.

One of the main points in the MHA missive was to provide "suitable intelligence training and specific attitudinal change training for developing a positive attitude towards women prisoners" to meet their specific needs.

This suggestion came after the "perturbed" parliamentary panel pointed out that women prisoners undergo emotional and psychological trauma more compared to their male counterparts but jail staff sometimes indulge in "irresponsible behaviour" creating "serious compromise upon the rights of women inmates and their access to justice".

It had also highlighted that jails still do not have enough psychologists or psychiatrists to help them.

The lack of staff also has found due attention with the letter suggesting to the states to make an assessment of staff shortage and conduct special recruitment drives to fill up vacancies.

Keeping in mind the psychological impact a jail term can have on inmates, especially women, it also sought the immediate recruitment of psychiatrists and psychologists as well as doctors.

Ensuring security in jails, the MHA also wants states to formulate a policy to determine where CCTVs should be installed, keeping in mind the privacy and safety of prisoners.

The MHA also wanted the states to make foreign prisoners avail the facilities given while undergoing sentence in their country.

It wanted prison officials to be sensitised about the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement and the administration should provide a list of countries where such pacts exist.

On the concerns raised on the skill development of women prisoners, the recommendation from the Centre is to set up a placement cell in prison headquarters for facilitating post-release employment of inmates.
Indrani Mukerjea on Wednesday said she feared threat to her life.



Mukerjea expressed the apprehension while being taken back to the Byculla prison after her discharge from the J J Hospital on Wedensday.

Mukerjea, who was admitted in the state-run J J Hospital for the treatment of a suspected drug overdose, was brought back to the jail, Rajvardhan Sinha, Inspector General (Prisons), told PTI.

Her health condition is better, the hospital's dean Dr S D Nanandkar said.

While she was being taken back to the jail, a reporter asked her at the J J Hospital whether she feared a threat to her life.

"Yes," she replied without saying anything else, as the police rushed her out of the hospital to take her to the prison.

Mukerjea, 46, was on April 6 admitted to the hospital, where she was brought in a "semi-conscious" condition from her cell in Byculla Jail in south Mumbai.

She subsequently underwent a series of medical tests.

Her urine samples were sent for analysis at a forensic laboratory here and after receiving its report, the hospital authorities said she had an overdose of anti-depressants that were not prescribed to her.

"The reports of her urine sample showed a significant increase in the level of benzodiazepine, a class of anti-depressants," a doctor from the hospital had said, quoting from reports of the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina.

"Her health has improved and we have carried out a detailed check-up today (Wednesday). She can be sent back to the jail and we have informed the police and jail authorities accordingly," the hospital's superintendent Dr Sanjay Surase told reporters.

An X-ray of her lungs had earlier shown a patch, for which she was still on antibiotics. The treatment would continue for the next couple of days, Surase said.

Asked if her earlier medication of anti-depressant drugs would continue, he said, "Those medicines were prescribed by jail doctors. It is up to them to continue with the same medicines or make any changes."

The state prisons department had earlier ordered an inquiry to find out how Mukerjea fell ill in the jail.

The IG (prisons) will submit his report to the department after completing the inquiry.

Mukerjea, the co-founder of INX Media, is the prime accused in her daughter Sheena Bora's murder case.

Bora, 25, was killed and her body disposed of in a forest area in the neighbouring Raigad district in April 2012, according to the police.

Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested for their reported roles in the crime. Rai had later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case.
A court here has issued summons to The Wire news portal on a criminal defamation petition filed by the Adani Group for an article published by it last December.



Summonses were issued yesterday to seven respondents in the case, including the author of the article as well as five editors and the not-for-profit organisation that publishes The Wire.

They have been asked by metropolitan magistrate S K Gadhavi to respond to the summonses on April 27, when the court will next hear the case.

In its petition, filed under sections 499 and 500 of the IPC, alleging criminal defamation, the Adani Group said that the article in question was published on December 11, 2017 "with the sole intention of harming the reputation of the complainant (Adani Power Maharashtra Limited)".

The article is intended to create "cheap publicity", smacks of "distaste, prejudice and malice against the complainant", and is a result of a "well-thought-out conspiracy" to tarnish the image.
Two days after the father of a woman who was purportedly raped by a BJP MLA died in custody in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, the politician's wife on Wednesday demanded a narco test on her husband and the survivor.

The 18-year-old woman, who had tried to kill herself outside the chief minister's house here, on the other hand said that she had been confined to a hotel room by the district administration and her uncle was killed by the MLA's brother and henchmen, who later also killed her father.

She said, "I want justice, why are they pressuring me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?"

A video also surfaced on Wednesday and was being run on TV channels showing the rape survivor's father before his death saying that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, including with rifle butts.

The video, purportedly shot at a hospital, showed the deceased person's back with serious wounds.

Meanwhile in the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, wife of the MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting DGP OP Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.

"We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture.

"We have full sympathy with the girl, as her modesty was outraged... There are political reasons behind this and my husband has been made a pawn," Sangeeta Sengar said.

"My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. He has been in politics for the past 15 years and has been serving the society and people," she said, adding, her daughters were unable to concentrate on their studies in the wake of this incident.

She said the allegations against her brother-in-law Atul were false too.

On whether her husband should resign from the UP Assembly, she retorted, "Why should he quit even before he is declared guilty? Merely on the basis of charges, why should he resign?"

She said she wanted to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and apprise him of the facts.

Besides the MLA's wife, the purported rape victim has also demanded a CBI probe in the entire matter.
Bengaluru: BJP State president B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday expressed confidence that 68 of the 72 candidates, who are on the party's first list, will emerge victorious in the polls.



Speaking at a day-long workshop, where party's poll plans were introduced to its election management committee members at the Palace Grounds here, Yeddyurappa said the list was prepared considering the winnability factor.

He said the candidates for the remaining 152 seats are likely to be announced on April 14 by the central election committee. "At least 80 candidates, who are on the first list, will win. In all, we will win 150 seats and form the government."

Yeddyurappa said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will face defeat, if he contests from Chamundeshwari. "He has completely lost his base there."

The BJP leader called upon party functionaries to put in extra efforts for the next one month, while campaigning for the party. "We can not come to power without the support of Dalits, OBCs and women. Make special efforts to woo them." he said.

The party election management committee has 38 sub-committees, both at the state and district level to handle different issues related to elections, such as poll expenditure, campaign, publishing of publicity material and campaign literature. These committees also held meetings on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa held an interaction with students, who were winners of a series of competitions organised by the party's IT wing, on issues plaguing Bengaluru.

DH News Service
While the national parties - the BJP and the Congress - go before the people, seeking support in the coming Assembly election on the back of development works taken up by the NDA government at the Centre and the state government respectively, the JD(S) is banking on the shortcomings of the ruling dispensation.

In an interaction with media persons, leaders of the political parties, including Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), here, spelt out the strategies of their parties to win the elections.

Congress city president R Murthy, BJP leader B P Manjunath, JD(S) city president K T Cheluvegowda and SDPI candidate from NR Assembly segment Abdul Majeed took part in the interaction. Four Assembly segments Narasimharaja, Krishnaraja, Chamaraja and parts of Chamundeshwari - fall under Mysuru city.

Murthy said, the people of Mysuru know about the contributions of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government for the development of the city. "The Congress government has made remarkable contributions for the development of the city. We will go before the people, highlighting our works," he said.

Manjunath said, the people have rejected the Congress at the Centre and in many states and the 133-year-old party will meet the same fate in Karnataka too, this time.

"People are aware of the failures of the state government, led by Siddaramaiah. The government has failed to protect senior officers like Rashmi Mahesh and C Shikha, who are subjected to harassment by a section of the elected representatives and the officials. The Congress came to power in 2013 due to the infighting within the BJP. This time, people will support the BJP," he said.

K T Cheluvegowda said, the JD(S) will encash on the lapses of the national parties. "Both the national parties have indulged in divisive politics. They polarise votes on caste and communal basis. While the Congress is trying to divide the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, the BJP is known for its anti-Muslim and anti-Dalit stance," he alleged.

Questioning Siddaramaiah's contribution to Mysuru, Cheluvegowda said, though Devaraja Market and Lansdowne building collapsed, the government failed to rebuild them.

Majeed of SDPI said, Tanveer Sait has been representing the NR Assembly segment from the last 17 years, but, he has neglected the constituency, which has a population of 3.10 lakh people.

"Out of them, 80,000 are labourers and are deprived of basic facilities. Sait has failed to ensure the welfare of the people. He is a leader with no vision. However, the SDPI will support Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari segment," he said.

Tipu Jayanti

When reporters asked Manjunath about the BJP's stand on Tipu Jayanti celebration, he said, "I will celebrate Tipu Jayanti along with other Jayanti."

To a query on Union Minister for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde's statement on changing the Constitution, Manjunath said, "It's his (Hegde's) personal view and he did not say changing the Constitution. All he said was amending a few portions of the Constitution.
Mangaluru Mogaveera Elu Pattana Samyukta Sabha has warned of boycotting the upcoming assembly elections and has also planned to stage a protest against the stand of political parties.

In a press release, association president Lakshman Amin Kodikal stated that though the fishermen community is strong in the Dakshina Kannada district, they are not considered properly by the political parties for the last 60 years and therefore, there is almost zero representation of the community in the government.

The representatives from the community must be provided tickets to contest in the elections from Mangaluru south, Mangaluru north or Moodbidri constituencies, the press release said.

If this does not happen, the members of Mangaluru Mogavira Elu Pattana Samyukta Sabha will boycott the elections. A protest will be staged in front of the DC's office on April 13.
Film actor and director Huccha Venkat said that he will contest the upcoming Assembly elections from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru as an independent candidate.

Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, Venkat said that he selected Rajarajeshwari Nagar as it is the place where he was born and brought up. His father and grandfather worked here and thus he is particular about making his contribution to the constituency, he said.

Venkat said that he would rather prefer losing than winning by unethical means. He said he is quite sure about what needs to be done for the good of the constituency.

'Can become PM'

Venkat said that if he does not succeed in the Assembly elections, he will try his hand in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. If however, he succeeds in the general elections in 2019, he could also make it to the post of Prime Minister, he said.

Venkat criticised the mentality of politicians who turn to rural areas for votes but neglect the villagers completely after coming to power. "Political leaders have been emotionally blackmailing people. None of the assurances of politicians has benefitted the villagers in a real way. People should not 'sell' their votes," he said.

He clarified that though he was keen on forming 'Huccha Venkat' political party, he could not do the same due to his busy schedule. "I will be sure of my election symbol shortly but will not become a member of any other political party," he said.
Former Mangaluru mayor and corporator Mahabala Marla and DCC spokesperson A C Vinay Raj took an exception to a postcard campaign initiated by Horata Samithi under the aegis of a national party inviting poor siteless people to a meeting at Don Bosco Hall in Mangaluru on April 15.

Briefing reporters on Wednesday, Marla said that by inviting poor siteless people for a meeting, the national party is sending a wrong message to the community.

When dialled, the number mentioned in the postcard was answered by a person who said that the office is situated near Nehru Maidan, Marla said.

He said that there is a need to check false publicity by political parties during the election.

If the national party leaders attend the said convention of the poor siteless people then the Congress will file a complaint to the Election Commission on the violation of the model code of conduct, he added.

Ashraya scheme

Further, he said that under the Ashraya yojana, Mangaluru South Assembly constituency had received 4,034 applications till February 10, of which, 930 homeless families, who will be given houses in the G+3 apartments to be built at Shaktinagar in the city.

The foundation for the same has already been laid and the work has been stopped for the time being owing to the model code of conduct.

The authorities have already identified land at Kannagudde and Rajeevnagara to be given to the homeless in Mangaluru South constituency.

A proposal has already been submitted to the state government for approval.

In Mangaluru North constituency, the Ashraya Samithi had received 2,892 applications, of which letters for houses has been given to 600 beneficiaries.

In spite of it, a national party is engaged in false allegations, which is condemnable, he said.

Further, Marla said that after 2002, administration of the Council of Mangaluru City Corporation has changed several times.

In spite of this, many families had not received title deeds.

The process of issuing title deeds started only in 2017, he said.
JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday said that the state would not have faced such a situation in the Cauvery River water sharing issue, if the MPs from Karnataka were as committed as their Tamil Nadu counterparts.

Speaking at a JD(S)-BSP meeting, here, Gowda pointed out that Lok Sabha members from Tamil Nadu had not allowed the conduct of the Parliament session for 18 days over the Cauvery issue. "If only our MPs had extended their support to me, I would not have allowed any injustice to Karnataka. I will still fight for the Cauvery issue," he said.

"While Tamil Nadu film actors staged a dharna and satyagraha, supporting farmers' demand for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, there is no such agitation here. The elections have become more important in Karnataka, than farmers' interests," he said.

Gowda flays CM

"There was my photograph at Vidhana Soudha, as a mark of respect to a former prime minister. No former chief minister tried to remove it. But, the present CM has removed my picture. What if he removes it from Vidhana Soudha. I am in the heart of the people of Karnataka as son of the soil," Gowda said.

He took a dig at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for releasing Rs 20,000 crore in just two months for various development works. "There are possibilities of the money being misused by the party in power. If the people give us the mandate, I will protect the land and water and will not allow any injustice to the state," he said.

MLA H D Revanna explained the efforts of Deve Gowda in having 18 trains on the Hassan-Mysuru route and the four-lane road between Hassan and Bengaluru. People understand the contributions of Gowda to the Old Mysuru region, he said.

He criticised the Congress party for dividing the Lingayat-Veerashaiva communities for votes. The people should select the right candidate, he added.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday rapped the Karnataka government over its action plan on Bengaluru's Bellandur lake, asking it if the Army was to be called out to seek compliance of its directions.



The panel formed its own committee to inspect the lakes in the city.

A bench headed by NGT acting chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim said the report submitted by the state government was "incorrect and misleading" and was bereft of the actual action taken on the ground.

"This is not what we expected from the state authorities. The action plan submitted by the state contains incorrect and misleading information. The report submitted by the state does not convince us. There has been default in compliance of the order of the tribunal," the bench said.

"We are not here just to read files and close them. Compliance of the order has to be done," the bench observed.

The panel questioned the state government over the recent fire incidents.

The green panel, which stopped short of imposing a fine on the state and its instrumentalities, formed a committee comprising senior advocate Raj Panjwani, a professor from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, a senior scientist from Central Pollution Control Board, the commissioner of BBMP, the secretary of Bangalore Development Authority and a lawyer to be chosen by the senior advocate.

The committee would inspect Agara, Bellandur and Varthur lakes in Bengaluru on April 14 and 15.

The committee has been directed to submit a detailed report after conducting inspection of the lakes and inform the tribunal about the quantum of municipal solid waste generated by the apartments and other agencies in the vicinity of the water body.

"The committee shall inform the tribunal about the extent of hydrophytes in the lakes along with the incidents of fire which have taken place till April 10, 2018, condition of treatment plants around the lake, if any, and whether the apartments have obtained the occupancy certificates from authority," the bench said.

Hydrophytes are aquatic plants that grow in or near water and provides cover for fish and other aquatic organisms.

The tribunal had earlier rapped the state for not removing weeds and macrophytes from the Bellandur lake at regular intervals despite specific orders and directed it to submit monthly compliance reports.

The tribunal had directed the state government to produce sufficient material proof of the action taken in this regard and posted the matter for hearing on April 11, 2018.

Earlier, the green panel had come down heavily on the Karnataka government for not taking active measures to prevent recurring incidents of fire at the severely polluted Bellandur lake.
In a bid to improve sales and help the Hopcoms outlets, its management has decided to bring in private players to revamp the stores.

There has been no change in the Hopcoms (Horticultural Producers' Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society) outlets' design for the last 10 years. "It has been over 10 years since Hopcoms was changed or new staff was recruited. There are no youth employment opportunities in Hopcoms. But now we have decided to change it," said Hopcoms managing director, M Vishwanath.

There are 325 Hopcoms outlets in Bengaluru urban, rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Ramanagara. Of these, Bengaluru urban and rural have 270 outlets. In Bengaluru city alone, there are 100 outlets that are suffering losses.

"Of the 100 loss-making outlets, the management has decided to redo 40 in the first phase. This decision has been taken after holding a detailed meeting with farmers associations and their representatives," he said.

The management has also decided to help youth to open outlets. Applications have been invited from interested individuals and organisations. The management has received 50 applications so far.

According to the management, those who are keen to open an outlet will have to deposit Rs 1 lakh with Hopcoms. The applicant will also have to ensure that items worth Rs 1 lakh are purchased on monthly basis. Only those items can be sold in the outlet which are listed by Hopcoms and 80% of the items on sale must be fruits and vegetables.

Contracts of those who will show promising financial returns will be signed for a duration of three years and of others, it will be limited to one year. Weights and billing machines worth up to Rs 80,000 will be provided by Hopcoms, Vishwanath said.
The residents of HSR Layout will hold a silent protest in a bid to preserve the serene atmosphere of the residential locality.

The protest to be held by April last week-is directed against mushrooming pubs and bars in the area, particularly an upcoming establishment in Sector 4 which the residents claim is 'illegal'.

Residents claim that 'Bottleon' a rooftop pub on the 17th cross, which is under construction, has violated the BBMP's building plan by constructing more than five floors measuring 120 feet high. The pub is also violating fire safety norms set by Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services, according to them.

"We have submitted a letter to the fire department and the BBMP authorities to look into the violations and they have assured us that they will inspect it," said G S Krishna Murthy, former president of Federation of Resident Welfare Association, HSR Layout.

He also said that the rooftop bar is being constructed very close to a place of worship, which is against the excise law. "This restaurant is situated right opposite the Kukke Subramanya Mutt, which is just 55 meters from the temple and also close to the Jnana Srishti School," said Murthy.

However, when asked about the complaints against the bar, a Bottleon staffer said,"The rooftop pub in the locality is still under construction and we will approach all the concerned agencies to obtain licenses."

The residents want the establishment to consider that there is another school- Samarthan School for the Blind- nearby, where more than 1,000 students study.

Murli B N, a resident said that the rooftop pub is set to have separate areas for live music, smoking zone, dance floor, karaoke and cocktail. The residents feel the sections planned in the pub show what kind of an establishment it will be when completed and that it is not suitable to be situated close to a place of worship.

The residents also said that they will hold a silent protest by holding placards to oppose against this rooftop pub.
British Armys SA80 Rifle Gets an Upgrade



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The Del Mar Union School District (DMUSD) needs to act soon on its option to build a new school in Pacific Highlands Ranch to meet increasing enrollment demands.

The district has a school facilities mitigation agreement with Pardee Homes to purchase a 10-acre lot on Solterra Vista Parkway once the number of permits issued reaches 1,565 units. DMUSD Superintendent Holly McClurg said that threshold is fast approaching and the district will need to make a decision in the next four months on whether or not to buy the propertythe price tag will be based on highest and best use for the land and is estimated at $9.7 million.

Neighboring Solana Beach School District has its own mitigation agreement with Pardee to purchase a 10-acre school property on Golden Cypress Placetheir agreement is expected to be triggered in the third quarter of 2019.

Recently McClurg announced the latest development in their school facilities planning, which involves a proposal to combine the two Del Mar schools west of Interstate 5 and build the districts eighth school in Pacific Highlands Ranch.

As these new facilities opportunities have rolled out, McClurg has been making the rounds holding face-to-face meetings at every district school in order to share information and gain input on their plans for reconfiguration and a new school. McClurg said during an April 6 meeting at Ashley Falls School that, as the district does not have funding to make the needed facilities improvements, they will consider going for a November 2018 bond.

The speed with which Pardee Homes is pulling permits and selling homes in Pacific Highlands Ranch is driving the quick timeline, McClurg said. Another press to the timeline are the major facilities needs at aging Del Mar Heights and Del Mar Hills Schoolsthe latest master plan revision showed it would take $80 million to refresh the two Del Mar campuses.

We dont think it makes sense to have two new schools with low enrollment and not have a new school where hundreds of homes are being built, McClurg said, stating the districts intention to place new schools where students actually reside.

Currently students living in Pacific Highlands Ranch are in the boundaries for Ashley Falls and Sycamore Ridge Schools but as those campuses have reached capacity, students are being sent to the two Del Mar campuses where there is room. Only about 560 students live west of the I-5 in Del Mar and about 250 students are coming in from the east.

The next face-to-face meeting with the superintendent will be held on Thursday, April 19 from 6-7 p.m. at Sycamore Ridge and McClurg said they value hearing what parents and the community is thinking about their plans.

We do want to make the best decisions and do whats right for the community and the district, McClurg said.

McClurg said as the district has considered whether or not to build that Pacific Highlands Ranch School, residents have weighed in and strongly expressed a desire for a school in their neighborhood. Pardee has placed a sign for a Proposed Del Mar Elementary School on the lot and many at the April 6 meeting said that school was the reason they moved to the community; one resident even said a school was promised to him as a homebuyer and he would be very upset if one wasnt built.

The school would be about 10 acres with a neighboring five-acre joint-use city park.

Traffic in Pacific Highlands Ranch is a major concern, as some residents living in DMUSDs eastern-most boundary can spend up to 40 minutes to go the 3.5 miles to school on the jammed Carmel Valley Road.

School buses are not an optionThere is no funding for it, McClurg said.

Neighboring San Dieguito Union High School District is dealing with the costs of maintaining its aging bus fleet, low ridership and a bus driver shortage that is industry-wide.

Parents were also concerned about Ashley Falls enrollment staying healthy, so it does not dip to low levels when students are no longer coming from PHR.

Keeping Ashley Falls a thriving school is a top priority, McClurg said, noting the intention is for the school to maintain a boundary of 400 to 500 students.

At Ashley Falls, there were some questions regarding the districts Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts, the money that is raised through special property taxes on homeowners to fund schools and infrastructure. Residents have wondered if the district needs a bond and if Pacific Highlands Ranchs Mello-Roos fees could fund the new school.

Mello-Roos was never meant to fund an entire school, said McClurg.

In prior years, there was matching state funding for school districts for the purchase of land and the cost of construction. McClurg said Governor Jerry Brown has made it clear that school facilities funding needs to be addressed locally, which is why more districts look to place bond measures on the ballot.

Pacific Highlands Ranch Mello-Roos would only generate 50 percent of what is needed to purchase the land from Pardee Homes and for the actual construction of the school, McClurg said.

DMUSDs potential bond would take care of all the facilities needs at all schools, McClurg said. The master plan estimates $198 million for all eight schools improvements, but that number would change if district moves forward with the reconfiguration and new PHR school as certain items wouldnt be needed such as an extra classroom building at Ashley Falls.

McClurg said there is no proposed bond amount yet and no decisions have been made but there is a tax rate limit of $30 per $100,000 in assessed value for school district bonds. As an example, based on a tax rate of $25 per $100,000, a million dollar home in the district would have an annual tax bill of $250.

Without funding, McClurg said the district would need to go into its general fund to address its significant facilities needs. As 88 percent of the budget is personnel there is little room to cut and McClurg said they would be forced to increase class sizes.

Without bond funding, McClurg said they would likely use Pacific Highlands Ranchs Mello-Roos funding to purchase portables to add to the blacktops and play space at Ashley Falls and Sycamore Ridge campuses to meet the enrollment needs.

I just want to reiterate the importance of passing a bond, said a Del Mar Heights parent. If a bond doesnt pass theyre going to have to go into the general education fund and class sizes district-wide will increase because the needs are so intense on the west side. The community will be less desirable and property values will go downIf it doesnt pass, it will affect every district school.

The districts last attempt at a general obligation bond in 2012 was for $76.8 million. It received 53.7 percent of the vote, short of the 55 percent approval rate required.
Oregon ocean salmon fishing looking up for 2018 with opportunities coastwide Tweet April 11, 2018 Julie with a Chinook she took in Coos Bay in August 2014. Photo by Steve W. SALEM, Ore.Ocean salmon anglers can look forward to more opportunity this year based on recommendations made yesterday for federal waters (outside three miles) during a Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Portland. Sport salmon fishing in the ocean off the Columbia River will open June 23 and is expected to run through Labor Day, Sept. 3, unless salmon quotas are reached earlier. The area from Cape Falcon south to Humbug Mt opened for Chinook on March 15 and will remain open until Oct. 31. The forecast for Coho is down this year for both the Oregon coast and Columbia River, largely due to poor ocean conditions. Sport fishing for hatchery Coho will be open from Cape Falcon south to Humbug Mt. from June 30-Sept. 3 or until the quota of 35,000 fish is met. A small season for wild and hatchery Coho in this area is also scheduled for Sept. 7-8 and each Friday and Saturday after until Sept. 29 or the quota of 3,500 Coho is met, which may happen quickly. Unlike the full closure to salmon fishing last year, the area south of Humbug Mt to the OR/CA border will be open to sport fishing for Chinook from May 19-Aug. 29. The strong forecast for Rogue River fall Chinook is a bright spot for the coast this year. Commercial troll fishing for Chinook will be open intermittently along the whole Oregon coast from May through the summer. In 2017, all commercial salmon trolling was closed south of Florence. While this wont be a banner year for ocean salmon fishing, overall its an improvement from 2017. This is particularly true for communities on the Southern Oregon coast, which were hit hard by 2017s salmon closures, said Chris Kern, ODFW Deputy Fish Division Administrator. I want to thank the many advisors, tribal members, agency staff, and members of the general public, who all worked hard to ensure that conservation goals for salmon stocks are met while providing fishing opportunities for communities up and down the west coast, added Kern. The PFMC recommendations will be forwarded to NOAA Fisheries for approval and implementation. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will be asked to adopt matching rules for State waters (inside 3 mi) at their April 20 meeting in Astoria. ### Contact: Michelle Dennehy, Michelle.N.Dennehy@state.or.us, (503) 947-6022
Posted 4/10/18

Dallas County R-1 Parents as Teachers will host its Health and Safety Connection from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 13, at D.A. Mallory Elementary School in the FEMA room. The event will feature 
AMD new embedded processors widen smart applications and explore advanced user experience

The booming GPU market, propelled by new implementations ranging from deep learning, virtual currency mining, computer vision and versatile smart manufacturing applications, is boosting the market values of chipmakers. In 2018, this momentum will continue for GPU and CPU vendors with growing demands for edge computing and upcoming fifth generation communication (5G) solutions, which involves participating in distributed cloud networks and requires more processing power and data IO bandwidth.

Key vendors such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) have benefitted from the increased demand for these solutions. Observers noted that AMD gains in the market are significant and return to competitive footing in x86 processor solutions since the company's multiple successful launches of its 'Zen' architecture CPUs and 'Vega' cored GPUs in the second half of 2017. From the desktop to notebooks and data center servers, AMD processors offer compelling alternatives versus key competitors and have received a resoundingly positive market reception for successful introduction to big datacenter customers.

In February 2018, AMD announced the EPYC Embedded 3000 and Ryzen Embedded V1000 series processors based on the "Zen" core and tailored to the growing embedded system market. The new families of processors are designed for core networking and storage applications to edge computing usage models in a wide variety of markets such as military and aerospace, casino and gaming, retail, healthcare and industrial solutions and applications. With this announcement, AMD is bringing the "Zen" architecture to many more applications beyond just PCs and Servers. Especially the rapid developments in hardware, software, and communication technologies that allow emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) devices can manage things and make life much easier for human beings.

Machine learning for IoT data analysis boosting technological evolution

In his keynote speech during the Embedded Technology Forum hosted by Digitimes, Steve Longoria, Corporate Vice President Sales, Datacenter and Embedded Solutions Business Group, AMD, explained IoT as billions of connections through LTE and 5G. The real meaning of IoT is enabling smart applications through machine learning algorithms that encompass every aspect of our lives, Longoria added.

Intelligent processing and analysis of massive amounts of data is the key to developing smart IoT applications. Modern examples range from the car-sharing economy, high speed rail systems, airport visual security systems and aviation safety technologies. As more and more data has been collected by the internet, remote sensing networks, mobile devices and the Internet of Things, these varieties of applications require massive IO connectivity and bandwidth to analyze tens of terabytes in size in airport hubs or train stations. Data analytics and relevant technologies make up a 20 billion dollar opportunity, and AMD is proactively embracing the data-rich era with the launch of its new embedded processors.

The highly scalable AMD embedded processor families deliver powerful performance, space savings and energy efficiency in edge computing systems. As edge infrastructure is distributed across wide regions, spanning gateway devices and cloud providers, it is very important to provide cybersecurity features to help protect data at the hardware level with an on-chip secure processor. Notable features of AMD product offerings are more advanced security features with Secure Memory Encryption, Secure Encrypted Virtualization, and Secure Boot technologies on system. And the most significant value, the application software could benefit from these features without changing source code.

Ecosystem partners boost market shares with near-term product deployments

Versatile smart solutions and use cases are driving success for AMD's new embedded processors, said Stephen Turnbull, Director, Product Marketing, Datacenter and Embedded Solutions Business Group, AMD. In examining 2018 market trends, he finds smart healthcare and smart manufacturing as two major areas expected to maintain strong growth.

For example, AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 customer Esaote, based in Italy, announced the MyLab 9 eXP ultrasound system for medical imaging, women's healthcare and cardiovascular diagnostics. The AMD processors use an artificial intelligence algorithm to execute sophisticated Noise Cancellation features. With these unique visualization tools, Esaote can display ultrasound image results with clarity and sensitivity to help doctors make more informed clinical decisions. Furthermore, the small footprint and low power consumption of Esaote's medical system enables medical organizations and healthcare centers to increase productivity and explore more portable medical system options.

With more than 20 years providing processors for the embedded market, AMD has a strong presence in digital signage, thin client, casino and arcade gaming, networking, smart healthcare and smart manufacturing markets. Several Taiwan ecosystem partners are deploying 23 various AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 and AMD EPYC Embedded 3000 solutions. With near-term product deployments and highly integrated solutions, AMD is ushering in a new age for embedded processors and looking to increase market share and business opportunities.

Steve Longoria (left), CVP Sales, and Stephen Turnbull (right), Director of Product Marketing, AMD Datacenter and Embedded Solutions Business Group

DIGITIMES' editorial team was not involved in the creation or production of this content. Companies looking to contribute commercial news or press releases are welcome to contact us.
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$51M contract will close I-5 lanes on 2 weekends







Washington State Department of Transportation is warning motorists that it will close some or all northbound Interstate 5 lanes through Seattle over several weekends this spring and summer.

The work is part of a $51.2 million project to build 13 miles of new concrete and asphalt lanes on the freeway from MLK Way in the south end to Northeast Ravenna in the north end. Included are 37 new expansion joints.

Guy F. Atkinson Construction was awarded a $38.6 million design-build contract for the work about a year ago, according to DJC records.

The entire northbound freeway will be closed on two weekends: May 18-21 and June 1-4. Lane reductions are scheduled for these weekends: April 20-23, April 27-30, May 11-14 and July 13-16.

WSDOT also plans to close the northbound I-5 ramp to West Seattle Bridge/Columbian Way on April 13-16.

Much of this work can only be done during dry weather so the schedule may change.

A WSDOT spokesman said about 250,000 cars use the northbound lanes daily. He said 30 to 50 percent of them will have to find alternative routes or modes of transportation to keep traffic manageable. He added that motorists should expect heavier traffic on those alternative routes.

The project should be finished by early fall, but weather could change that.




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SEATTLE  The Davenport Apartments, at 420 Vine St., sold for almost $11.1 million, according to King County records.

The sellers were an LP and an LLC associated with local investor and developer Ron Danz, which acquired the property in 1993 for $1.6 million.





. . .
Posted 4/11/18

Watch out for the Buffalo Stampede  its going to be here this Saturday, April 14. For the first time, three major Dallas County events will take place on the same day.The ninth annual Dallas 
I met with the head of innovation at a large manufacturing company last week. She had requested a meeting to get some help with her companys innovation program. I began by asking the innovation head about her companys current approach.

She excitedly told me about how her team had recently put in place an online suggestion box, which allowed all employees to submit ideas. The communications team got involved and put up colourful posters around head office to encourage staff to put forward their innovation gems.

Within weeks of launching the program, the innovation team was inundated with over 200 ideas. Everyone became very excited about this vanity metric (because lets face it, it sounds good, but is pretty meaningless).

I asked the innovation head, What were the ideas like?

Her mood shifted. Well, they werent fantastic

It turns out, these 200 ideas were not game changers for the organisation. Instead, they consisted of suggestions such as having 3ply rather than 2ply toilet paper in the bathrooms, having free chocolate in the company kitchen, and firing certain managers within the organisation.

And then, to make matters worse, the team realised they would need to provide feedback to every single idea submitter to ensure engagement in the program didnt take a nose dive. Two months post-program, the team are still trying to work through the 200 idea submitters to provide meaningful feedback.

And so, after a lack lustre first attempt at garnering innovative ideas, the innovation head had requested a meeting.

While this scenario sounds quite unappealing, it is surprisingly common. Many people mistakenly believe that innovation starts with ideas. However, there are two major problems with this approach:

If you dont set a clear challenge to solve, you risk receiving ideas that are completely off strategy (unless improving the bathroom experience in your office happens to be an important strategy).

You almost guarantee receiving ideas that have no connection to what actually matters to your customers.

After determining the broad areas of focus for your innovation efforts, innovation has to start with the customer. And the biggest clue for innovation opportunities are looking for customer frustrations.

To uncover customer frustrations, spend time observing your customer use your product or service. Look for annoyed facial expressions. Keep an eye out for workarounds. Listen out for when they curse.

In addition to watching customers, ask them questions around what frustrates them about your product or service, competitors offerings, and the industry in general. Make sure you dont lead the witness and keep your questions open and exploratory.

Once you have identified frustrations, prioritise the ones that are the most frustrating, the most important for the customer to solve, and the ones that happen most frequently. And from there, start to craft challenges for your team or organisation to solve.

A great example of a company solving a customer frustration is Filld. Filld set out to solve the frustration of filling up your car with fuel. Its a frustration that many of us take for granted, yet I know when my fuel gauge is heading towards empty, finding a spare five minutes to fill up the tank feels like the biggest inconvenience.

Filld works by drivers requesting a fuel top up via the Filld mobile app. A Filld driver then comes direct to your car and fills up your tank. Payment is made via the app.

More recently, car manufacturer Bentley teamed up with Filled, and has set up a system to automate fuel tank fill up. When the car dips below a quarter of the tank, a signal is automatically sent to a Filld driver who comes to refill the tank.

So rather than waiting to be struck by inspiration for an idea, or worse yet, putting out a call for ideas in your organisation, start by understanding what matters to your customer, and move forward from there.

About the author
Homegrown, US-based property tech startup HappyCo has completed a US$10.8 million Series A round led by Sydneys Alium Capital Management.

Australian VC firms Tempus Partners and PieLab Venture Partners also participated in the round along with HappyCos existing investors Larsen Ventures and Sandalphon Capital.

Founded in Adelaide in 2011, before relocating to San Francisco the following year, HappyCo is cloud-based platform for inspecting, managing and monitoring residential properties and commercial facilities in real-time via a mobile app. Boasting customers such as Airbnb, Softbank/Fortress and Vicinity Centres, the company is currently involved in the management of more than 1.2 million units globally.

According to co-founder and CEO, Jindou Lee, HappyCo will use the Series A funding to invest in R&D operations, both in Australia and the US, and to sustain the growth of its Asia-Pacific customer base through new hires.

HappyCos latest capital raise is the result of our growing customer base in a global real estate market worth $7 trillion, he told Dynamic Business. Its also a reflection of the massive problems were solving. Specifically, our customers manage geographically dispersed properties, and we give them real-time visibility across their real estate portfolio to monitor and manage their assets efficiently and effectively.

Heading into our Series A round, we proved the value our product generates  our customers are seeing massive ROI across their business and, in turn, this has led to our rapid growth.

Commenting on the value HappyCos Series A investors will generate for his company, Lee said he and his team were very selective about who they brought o board. He explained, Its important to work with people that share our core values regardless of their background or investing power. The investors weve added will strengthen the depth and breadth of our leadership, help us to further grow the business.

Lee said the decision to relocate San Francisco early arose from a desire to be closer to their core customer base so they could better solve their challenges  however, he acknowledged the companys vision goes beyond the US.

There are over 100 million rental units across the globe, he said. Its a massive industry, and there are so many problems that technology can help improve or solve. We want to keep focused on leveraging our expertise in using technology to help this industry and ultimately, make our customers happy!
Calvin's Canadian Cave Of Cool Manifesto

I forever stand vigilant to protect this planet from the myriad of forces that are always against us. Be it the octopus, zombies, aliens or the robots my team of human agents, and our feline allies, circle the globe in a never ending struggle for human freedom.



I learn all I can on every subject that interests me. I especially enjoy ancient history because in the past there are valuable lessons to be found. Also, if I ever get my time machine to work properly, it would be good to know a bit about possible destinations and what to expect when I get there.



I greatly appreciate beautiful design. Be it manufactured or found naturally I am fascinated by the process of invention. I am attracted to the unique, the strange, the haunted. I like to share what I find on this blog.



And not let us forget the 'Cephalopod Menace' who, if allowed to, would wrap their tentacles around all that is good and pure in this life and crush it until it remained no more. They are creatures of pure spite. Hate is all they know. Death is all they do. They are our most ruthless and determined enemy.



So we fight. Selena has the celebrity contacts, the cat is ruthless and without pity, Roosevelt's ghost has the experience and I do the wetwork.



Fighting for the future of the planet doesn't have to be a chore, however. We can take the time to appreciate all that is cool in this world even as we cut the octopus into bite sized chunks.



This is the reason there has always been and must forever be, a Cave of Cool. Be sure to wipe your feet before you enter.


John 3:16-21

Author: Father Steven Reilly, LC | Source: Catholic.Net

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you know my needs better than I do. I turn to your Spirit to teach me what to ask for in this prayer. I want to fulfill your holy will over my life. I love you, Lord, and I place all my hope in you.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith in the power of the Resurrection.

1. God Loves the World: The tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean countries in 2004 and the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 provoked many people to question Gods goodness. How could he, if he is good, have permitted such a catastrophe? But what does our faith teach us? That God loves the world, so much that he sent his only Son. Evil in the world is real and present, and such massive casualties show that nature herself cooperates with the power of death. But that power is being broken. The first decisive blow to the chain that binds the world was Christs death on the cross. The execution of Our Lord was the greatest act of moral evil history can ever see, but through Gods power, it has become the source of eternal life for us all, as we now celebrate in this Easter season. Through the power of the Resurrection, we are journeying towards the ultimate defeat of suffering and death.

2. Sin Is the Worst Evil: The physical evil brought by a natural disaster is terrible. But sin is worse. This Gospel reading reminds us of souls who consciously choose evil. The irony is that people make this choice pursuing some form of self-fulfillment. Instead of fulfillment, they encounter the emptiness of a life that carries with it the burden of self-imposed condemnation. They live in darkness as opposed to the light. If we knew someone who freely chose to live in a darkened cave, we would think that person nothing short of insane. But where are the dark patches in our own lives?

3. Christ Leads Us Towards the Light: Christs body had been physically destroyed through the evil decisions and cruelty of men. When the risen Lord appeared to the apostles in the Upper Room, his new life of glory pointed in a new direction, and they were flooded with the vision of where we are heading. Through our life in the Church, we are heading to a renewal of all things in Christ, in which death will be no more, and where every tear will be wiped away. The physical evil of natural disasters and the moral evil of sin may try to challenge our faith. But they are the last gasps of a defeated enemy. Let us take heart! We are headed to the light, where Christ is King and Lord of all.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I long to live in the light. Banish from my soul all darkness of sin or disbelief. At times I struggle to see the pattern of your divine plan. But through my faith, I know that you are love and mercy and you are guiding us towards the light that will never end.

Resolution: I will renew my spiritual vision of the world, by frequently lifting my mind up to God during the day.
First we had this:

Then we had this:

And throughout it all we had food service employees having sex with inmates, rotten, rodent-chewed food being served to prison inmates, and drugs being smuggled into prisons by prison employees. Since 2014, I have written roughly 30 posts about the privatization of prison food services in Michigan and they all tell the same story:

Privatizing essential state services is a terrible, terrible idea.

Finally, after four long years of the obviousness of this concept staring us in the face, the state of Michigan is finally abandoning this failed experiment in handing over our prison kitchens and mess halls to private, for-profit corporations to get rich on. The experiment was supposed to prove that the state could save $16 million a year while improving services. What it really showed (which was not only predictable but actually PREDICTED) is that these for-profit corporations would cut corners and try to deliver services on the cheap so they could put more tax dollars in their pockets. And the people who paid the price for this failure are people with the least amount of political capital in the country: prisoners. Sadly, even good liberals often find it hard to feel sorry for prisoners. And when one prisoner sued after being served food unfit for consumption, the judge dismissed his complaint saying, the food need not be tasty or aesthetically pleasing, so long as it suffices to allow the prisoner to maintain normal health.

But thats in our sad history now, part of Republican governor Rick Snyders embarrassing legacy:

A state House budget panel Tuesday unanimously approved Gov. Rick Snyders plan to end controversial privatized food service in Michigan prisons, meaning the proposal to rehire state workers for kitchen jobs cleared an early hurdle. [] Michigans Republican-led Legislature voted to privatize prison food service in 2012, a move that was projected to save the state $16 million a year as contract workers replaced more than 370 state employees. Snyder announced plans to end the outsourcing in February after two vendor contracts were marred by food quality complaints, instances of maggot infestation and inappropriate contact between kitchen employees and prisoners, including sexual activity. We havent experienced the overall costs savings that we desired, said Rep. Dave Pagel, R-Berrien Springs, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections. Its something we gave a fair shot to. We tried, and it just hasnt seemed to work.

Just hasnt seemed to work is comical understatement. Here are some of the headlines Ive written since the summer of 2014:

Yeah, that just hasnt seemed to work, alright.

Let this be a lesson to us on the folly of privatizing government services. It wont be, but it should.
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Major/Minor:

Psychology

Classification:

Senior

Hometown:

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Hobbies/Interests:

Visiting our local SPCA, on-line shopping and spending time with family and friends.

Dream Job:

Veterinarian

Campus Events You Enjoyed Participating In and The Reason(s):

For me it would certainly be my Coronation for Miss Elizabeth City State University. Also, any campus event that involved student participation was enjoyment for me. I am a people person so I really enjoy being around my peers. And yes, lets not forget our Spades Tournaments and Chicken Wednesday!

Plans After Graduating From ECSU:

Take a semester off before heading to graduate school.

Plans For the Future:

Become an elementary school guidance counselor.

Your words to live by:

Be careful how you treat people because you never know who you will need in life.

Favorite place on campus:

Student Center.

Professors who have influenced you:

Mrs. Dana Poole in the Division of General Studies. She is just an amazing person inside and out. She is always there for her students whether it is school related or with personal issues. She has been my sounding board through the good and bad times and no matter how busy her schedule was she always made time for me. I will never forget her for being so instrumental during my enrollment at Elizabeth City State University.

Advice for younger students:



Just because your parents are not always around you continue to be on your best behavior because - someone is always watching you.




Brazil's Marfrig to acquire US-based National Beef



Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods said that it would buy control of US-based National Beef Packing Co for $969 million, in a deal that would make it the world's number two beef processor, Reuters reported.



Marfrig also said it is seeking to sell an existing US unit, Keystone Food LLC. The proceeds will be used to repay $1 billion in loans it is taking out to finance the acquisition, which involves Marfrig obtaining 51% of National Beef, the US' fourth-largest beef processor.



The deal helped propel Marfrig shares as much as 19% higher on April 9. Analysts said the resulting company would be less indebted and better positioned to profit in the global market for beef products.



However, US agriculture anti-trust group, the Organization for Competitive Markets, lamented the increasing involvement of non-US companies in the country's beef trade.



"These foreign corporate giants will dominate the US beef market, putting US farmers and ranchers at their mercy," it said in a statement.



The transaction will also give Marfrig broader access to the US market almost a year after the US banned imports of fresh Brazilian beef over safety concerns.



"It's more of the same trend of these companies consolidating and the appetite for Brazil to diversify into the United States," said Altin Kalo, a livestock analyst at Steiner Consulting Group.



"Brazil has faced barriers to sell beef into the US and this is just one way to get exports to the US If you can't sell beef here, come in and buy a US company."



Marfrig's chief executive Martin Secco told a news conference in Sao Paulo that he hopes the US will lift the ban by the middle of this year. Currently, Marfrig supplies the US market with fresh beef it produces in Uruguay, he said.



Uruguay has a quota to export 20,000 tonnes of fresh beef to the US without any tariffs, and Marfrig accounts for 25% of that, Secco said.



Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual said in a research note that the deal would make Marfrig "a more focused and less leveraged protein operator, with a highly diversified beef footprint in South America and the United States."



Chief financial officer Eduardo Miron said Marfrig does not see antitrust concerns arising from its proposed acquisition of National Beef due to Marfrig's small presence in the US market.



The company said it expects to complete the sale of Keystone, a processor of poultry and fish as well as beef, in the second quarter.



- Reuters
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.


By FreeBeacon , April 09 2018





Iranian leaders are threatening to restart the country's contested nuclear enrichment program in just a matter of days as the Trump administration and European allies scramble to address a range of flaws in the landmark nuclear accord ahead of a May deadline that could see the United States walk away from the accord, according to regional reports and administration insiders.

Read More:



Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com

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Dear @IlhanMN,



I hear you plan to go on a fact-finding tour of Israel. In fact, Israel is doing pretty well. Its, Somalia, your native country, that could truly use your formidable skills. Maybe you could use your frequent flyer miles and swing by.
Here are upcoming street closings:



Friday-Saturday:



The Chattanooga Cruise In: Main Street between Reggie White Boulevard and Broad Street, Reggie White Boulevard between W 19th Street and Main Street, W 13th Street between Fort Street and Chestnut Street, Chestnut Street between W 17th St and W 13 Street, Fort Street between W 13th Street and Main Street, and W 14th Street between Carter Street and Chestnut Street will be closed from 12 p.m. on Friday until 8 p.m. on Saturday . Visit The Chattanooga Cruise In for event details and join the fun on Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.







Sunday:



JDRF One Walk: the right eastbound lane of Frazier will be closed from Market Street to the Walnut Street bridge, and an officer will be stopping traffic for walkers to cross Market Street at 1st Street from 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Find out more at JDRF One Walk.







ONGOING CLOSURES

Southside Social Chestnut Street Weekend closures: Chestnut Street will be closed between West 17th Street and West 19th Street from 7 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

West Village Street Festival: West 8th Street will be closed from Pine Street to Chestnut Street, as well as Pine Street in front of the Westin Hotel, from 8 a.m. to midnight for this celebration in the streets. Visit www.westvillagechattanoo ga.com for more information.



View CDOT's map of event and road closures for full details of these activities and other projects underway.
Rapper Cardi B has officially announced her pregnancy but it seems, a family member has inadvertently revealed the baby's gender already.

Giving The Game Away

The "Bodak Yellow" hitmaker revealed her pregnancy on Saturday Night Live, midway through performing live on the show. The moment came during her second song of the night, "Be Careful," which began with only her upper body on show for those tuning in at home.

The camera eventually pulled back to reveal Cardi B's white evening dress in full, which was designed by Christian Siriano for the occasion. Her considerable pregnant belly was very much showing and undeniable.

A Baby Girl

Now, it seems that Cardi's sister may have unintentionally revealed the baby's gender. Social media star Hennessy Carolina took to Instagram on Sunday to share her excitement over the big news.

"A baby is truly a blessing from god I know how much you always wanted to be a mom! You always been Like a second mom to me so I know u gonna be the best mommy everrrr. you took care of me like i was ur own daughter I know how much you LOVE babies," she wrote alongside a pic of the two women.

She continued on gushing about how good her sister was growing up, and how she can't wait to pass on her own love as an aunt. She also revealed something else in the process.

"I'm going to be able to hold ur baby and give the baby all the kisses and hugs! your pregnancy is mines we pregnant can't believe we're having a baby!" she added.

The trouble is the caption originally stated "her" instead of "the baby," which would obviously be much more general. Hennessy might have changed it after realizing her mistake.

Mounting Evidence

Another clue came courtesy of Jimmy Fallon. The Tonight Show host gifted Cardi with a basket full of goodies, all of which seem to be for a baby girl.

Fallon gave the expectant mother a leopard print coat, diamond-encrusted baby bottle, and a light purple blanket.

"Okay, this is the first baby gift I have gotten from Jimmy Fallon so let's see what it is," Cardi B said in a video shared on Instagram.

She was co-hosting Monday's episode of The Tonight Show when Fallon gifted her the basket. The rapper has yet to confirm if she's expecting a boy or a girl, but it seems pretty clear a little Cardi is on the way.

This is the first child for her and fiance Offset of Migos. He has three kids from previous relationships and tweeted that he is looking forward to the next chapter with Cardi B.

They hid the pregnancy for months amid increasing speculation, with the mother-to-be proclaiming that she'd be free once SNL goes live and they no longer have to hide it from the fans.
Disgraced Hollywood writer-director James Toback is no longer under investigation for sex crimes. The L.A. District Attorney's Office has confirmed he will not be prosecuted.

Narrowly Avoiding A Prosecution

The D.A's Hollywood sex crimes task force reviewed five sexual harassment and battery cases against Toback, dated back as far as 1978. It has found that these cases fall outside the statute of limitations.Two of them were investigated by the LAPD and the rest by the Beverly Hills PD.

Three of the cases alleged that Toback had rubbed his private organ against the complainants and masturbated. One woman confessed that out of fear, she had agreed to masturbate in front of Toback at his request.

She had gone to a private home with him in 2008, ostensibly for a film screening. He then walked over to her and rubbed his groin against her leg until he ejaculated.

"The suspect ... instructed the victim to sit in the chair. The suspect knelt down in front of her, placed his hands the armrests and rubbed his penis on her bare legs until he ejaculated," the report stated.

According to the D.A's office, Toback may have committed sexual battery, but the statute of limitations, which lasts just one year, had expired.

Another case reported that a woman met Toback at the Beverly Hills Hotel and, after refusing to have sex with him, he again rubbed himself against her leg until he ejaculated. He also ejaculated while rubbing against her socked foot.

Prosecutors determined that Toback may have committed sexual battery again. However, the statute of limitations had run out since the alleged incident took place in 1993.

A third woman reported a similar incident, which allegedly took place in 2008. However, she stopped cooperating with the detectives and refused an interview with the prosecutors. The statute of limitations has likely run out here, too, but there may be a room for reconsideration if the victim would agree to an interview.

The two cases investigated by the LAPD were much older, taking place in 1978 and 1980. The first woman alleged Toback exposed himself to her after she refused to have sex with him.

The other case alleged that Toback groped the woman while trying to coerce her into having sex with him. Both cases also fall outside the statute of limitations.

Hundreds Of Reported Cases

To date, over 300 women have come forward to report Toback's behavior. Most of the incidents occurred as a result of young actresses trying to get work.

He would often meet with women under the pretext of business meetings and then ask them explicit questions about their sexual history. Toback would often ask the women to undress in front of him as well.

He has furiously denied all allegations against him, claiming he couldn't biologically have done what the women were saying.

Although the D.A.'s office cannot prosecute Toback, the reports thus far paint a disturbing picture of a pattern of alleged sexual abuse that went unchecked for years. The WGA East is even considering expelling Toback, while the DGA already kicked him out a while back for not paying his dues.

Toback's most recent screen credit was for the movie The Private Life of a Modern Woman, which was released just last year. High-profile actresses including Julianne Moore, Selma Blair, and Rachel McAdams have all spoken out against Toback.

The accusations against Toback were revealed in an explosive L.A. Times piece and surfaced in the wake of similar allegations against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.
Sister love! In honor of National Siblings Day, Kim Kardashian posted a sultry photo of herself and her eldest sibling, Kourtney Kardashian.

Sister Slaycation

Fans of the KKW Beauty founder know that she has four other siblings, Khloe and Rob Kardashian and Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

The photo appears to have been taken while the duo was vacationing together in Turks and Caicos earlier this week. Along with Kourtney's 24-year-old beau, Younes Bendjima, and her 5-year-old daughter, Penelope Disick, whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend, Scott Disick.

In the new shot, the sisters are wearing black bikini's with matching orange and black visor hats.

"#NationalSiblingDay," the makeup mogul labeled the photo.

#NationalSiblingDay A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Apr 10, 2018 at 1:32pm PDT

Those who follow the reality stars know that they shared several moments from their lavish trip on their social media accounts.

On Monday, April 9, Kim posted videos of herself as she caught some waves and paddle boarded across the crystal-blue waters in neon bikini.

Kourtney also shared a snapshot of herself on a paddle board as she wore a metallic orange bikini.

The 38-year-old mother of three simply captioned the photo with a sunglasses emoji.

A post shared by Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) on Apr 9, 2018 at 1:46pm PDT

Along with her various bikini selfies, Kourtney posted a photo of Penelope as she chilled on a beach chair with a book and some fruit.

The Kardashians Take Tokyo

Kourtney and Kim's trip to Turks and Caicos isn't the first time the sisters vacationed this year. In February, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star traveled to Tokyo, Japan with one of their younger sisters, Khloe Kardashian.

The trip was the last adventure for Khloe before she gears up to welcome her first child with her boyfriend, Cleveland Cavaliers player, Tristan Thompson.

As always the trio showcased several moments from their trip as they traveled throughout the city and enjoyed the culture in Tokyo.
Former Silicon Valley star T.J. Miller has been charged for calling in a false bomb threat on a train on its way to Connecticut.

Miller, 36, was arrested on Monday, April 9 at the LaGuardia Airport in New York, according to an official release from the attorney's office of Connecticut. He appeared before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer before getting released on a bail of $100,000.

The False Bomb Threat

According to the criminal complaint, the Deadpool actor, whose real name is Todd J. Miller, allegedly called a 911 dispatcher to report a female with a bomb in her bag, is on his Amtrak Train 2256 going from Washington D.C. to Penn Station in New York.

Amtrack investigators, who determined Miller was actually on the 2258 not the 2256, halted the Amtrack Train 2258 at the Green's Farms Station in Westport, Connecticut. Passengers had to step out of the train while the bomb squad searched for explosives. None were found inside the public transport.

An investigator reportedly called Miller who described a red-haired woman with a red scarf and a black carry on suitcase that she kept checking. According to Miller, the woman repeatedly asked about the next stop, seemingly planning to get off and leave the bag on the train.

The investigator, who detected Miller slurring his words, asked if the actor consumed alcohol on that day. Miller supposedly had a glass of red wine.

"Absolutely not," Miller responded, after getting asked if he had mental health problems. "This is the first time I've ever made a call like this before. I am worried for everyone on that train. Someone has to check that lady out."

When the Amtrack officers interviewed one of the train attendants, the attendant revealed that the actor appeared intoxicated upon boarding. He also had multiple drinks of alcohol on the train ride, before being removed for intoxication in New York.

Furthermore, the attendant stated that Miller and a female passenger exchanged hostile words in the First Class car. Investigators, who interviewed and searched the woman, determined that she was not carrying explosives. She also would not have been out of Miller's sight unless he goes out of his way to observe her.

The Federal Criminal Charge

The federal criminal complaint against Miller is for intentionally giving law enforcement false information.

However, John H. Durham, U.S. attorney for the district of Connecticut, stresses that a complaint does not necessarily equal guilt. He points out that charges are merely allegations.

If proven guilty, the charge has a maximum term of five years imprisonment.

T.J. Miller's Struggles

The actor has not spoken up about the charges against him, but since his arrest, he has went on Twitter to promote a comedy show in Philadelphia.

It has been a rough year for the funnyman Miller. His exit from HBO comedy Silicon Valley have been wrought with tales of his heavy drinking and penchant for delaying the show's production.

In December 2017, allegations of sexual assault also sprung up against Miller.

Miller stars in the Steven Spielgberg dystopian film Ready Player One, which is currently in theaters. He is also set to appear in the Deadpool sequel.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding is nearing and the guest list is slowly filling up, but it won't include U.S. President Donald Trump or Barack Obama.

It seemed that the royal wedding is steer clearing from politics as Kensington Palace announced that political leaders are "not required" in the May 19 event. In a sidestep move, it just meant that politicos aren't invited to the special day of Prince Harry and Markle.

"It has been decided that an official list of political leaders  both U.K. and international  is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle's wedding," the statement read.

That said, British Prime Minister Theresa May will not be able to grace the event at Windsor Castle as well. This announcement came amid the public and the media's quest of who will get to witness the union of the royal and the Hollywood actress.

Speculations

There are speculations that the Obamas, Barack and Michelle, will get an invite for the upcoming wedding, though they weren't invited in the exchange of vows of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The 2011 royal wedding had 260 government officials invited, so it is safe to say that the nearing big day will have a smaller crowd.

The American power couple is a close friend of Prince Harry, as seen by the public in last year's Invictus Games. But in the light of the event, the long-running question has been put to rest. In December, Prince Harry played it safe when he said he still didn't know if the former president would be invited.

Playing Safe

It was also the time when sources said the soon-to-be husband and wife were in great pressure of inviting Trump, though Markle is a known critic of the 45th United States president. The decision to leave out politicians, according to reports, is to play safe.

Inviting the Obamas and not the Trumps may rub people the wrong way. Others speculate that Prince Harry and Markle's wedding venue, St. George's Castle, is comparably smaller than Westminister Abbey, where Middleton and Prince William tied the knot, so the list is reserved for relatives.

On the other hand, there are also rumors that Markle's Suits family will be invited. However, a source said those invited, such as the legal drama series's executive producer Aaron Korsh, were asked to be discreet.

With the recent news about the Prince Harry and Markle's wedding, it seemed that the couple are opting for a low-key, more intimate, less grand ceremony, which is not usual for the royalty.
Stan Lee, who gave life to most of the beloved and iconic Marvel superheroes, is now the center of a nasty controversy that he was abused by his daughter.

At 95, Lee's supposed-to-be glamorous life off-cam has been given light in a report by The Hollywood Reporter, and plain as day, it was far from that. The outfit obtained the comics legend's Feb. 13 declaration he signed with his lawyer Tom Lallas's presence. The statement accused three men, Jerardo Olivarez, Kirk Schenck, and Keya Morgan of taking advantage of her daughter, J.C., to get his properties, among many others.

After Lee made and had the declaration notarized, Lallas and trusty household staff were kicked out of the old man's life. They were quickly replaced by some with connections with the abovementioned persons. Morgan then released a video showing comic-book writer denouncing his very own claims on the statement.

Abused By Daughter

However, what's more harrowing about the in-depth report is how Lee, who made cameos in most of Marvel films, is treated by her troubled daughter, whom the genius behind Doctor Strange and Black Panther described as the total opposite of a wise-spender. It was revealed in the document that he oftentimes gets into arguments with his daughter, who becomes hysterical and insulting if he didn't yield to her demands.

Bradley J. Herman, who used to work for one of the pillars of the Marvel world, narrated a 2014 altercation where J.C. vented out her anger to her parents verbally before escalating physically. The incident was about a Jaguar rented by Lee, and when she knew about that, she called her mom and dad "fucking stupid."

J.C. then grabbed her mom's arm and pushed her to a window before the latter fell on the floor. Upon seeing this, Lee tried to stop the madness and told his daughter he would cut her credit cards. This seemed to have worsen the situation as J.C. slammed her dad's head. As a result, both of the victims suffered injuries.

Matriarch's Death

It was believed that the turmoil on Lee's family began after the demise of his beloved wife, Joan, called Joanie by many, last year. After her death, the patriarch was left to look after the rest of the family. The chaos that abounded his family had already been predicted because of many reasons.

First, Lee is a people-pleaser, which means he tends to say things people want to hear. Then there's his lack of wise judgement in terms of financial matters, and last, his lack of trust in banks, which was why he kept his plenty cold cash in his house.
Before she was a mom, a wife, or even an actress, Jennifer Garner was a middle sister to Melissa and Susannah.

The Love, Simon actress marks National Siblings Day on Instagram by posting a sweet tribute dedicated to her two siblings.

The Garner Sisters

The film and television actress is her family's middle child and shared a collage of her and her two sisters, including photos from their childhood.

"First and foremost, always and forever, I am the middle Garner Girl," she wrote on the caption of the photo. "How lucky am I to have such sisters."

The actress included a few hashtags in the post that placed her sisters, Melissa 49, and Susannah, 43, in the spotlight.

It's not the first time Garner has gushed about her sisters to the public. In 2009, the mother of three talked about how a healthy dose of sibling rivalry inspired her to get to the top of the Hollywood game.

"If I'm totally honest, I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the fact that I have this bigger-than-life, incredible older sister," Garner tells The Independent. "She's beautiful, and she was valedictorian, got a 1600 on her SATs [the top score on the US high school exams] and was the head majorette. I was just the middle kid, kind of looking for attention. So that's what drove me, I think, to do things she wasn't doing."

Despite the rivalry, Garner explains how much she values being part of a strong sisterhood with Melissa and Susannah.

"Being the middle sister of these three girls is the relationship that defines me more than anything else," the actress says resolutely.

Despite leading very different lives  "I have one daughter who has an MBA, one who is a CPA, and one who is an actress," their mother Patricia quips  the trio always keep in touch through the phone.

What's In Garner's Bag?

Alcohol and social media don't usually mix well, but Garner was delightful when tipsy as she happily shares the contents of her bag to her followers after having a little wine.

Just like anyone else, Garner has some clutter in her purse including a stray dollar bill, a datebook, and some stickers for her children.

However, other items she pulled out were quite perplexing, such as a honey dipper, a geode, and a faux light switch. There are few instances one would need these on a movie or television set, but Garner didn't explain why she carries them around.

Garner is set to be part of upcoming HBO series Camping.
Brad Pitt might have already found love after his split with Angelina Jolie. The actor is reportedly dating Neri Oxman, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Brad Pitt Is Getting Serious With His New Woman

Pitt and Oxman, who is a Media Arts and Sciences associate professor at MITs Media Lab, reportedly started dating last fall. He is said to have been taken by her line of 3D-printed chaise lounges that were on display at the school.

Brads absolutely smitten by her, said an insider. Their chemistry is off the charts.

The insider added that Pitt and Oxman started dating immediately after they were introduced. Still, Pitt has done all he can to keep their growing relationship out of the public.

Brad and Neri have traveled together internationally on several occasions, said the insider.

One of their international travels included attending the Design Indaba conference in South African earlier this year. Pitt is said to have supported Oxman, who was a speaker at the event.

Still, while one source said Pitt and Oxman are simply business friends, the initial source made it clear that they are very much a couple.

Interestingly enough, photos of the two together taken last fall made headlines earlier this week. Pitt was one of Oxmans students after Thanksgiving. His fellow classmates didnt waste time in posting snapshots of him in the class, including pictures of him and Oxman standing next to each other.

What About Angelina Jolie And Jennifer Aniston?

While Pitt said Oxman is genius and gorgeous, they have yet to confirm their relationship status. Pitt is still wrapping up the specifics of his divorce from Jolie and they are reportedly trying to keep their split as peaceful as possible.

Meanwhile, rumors of a possible reunion with his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston, is also making the rounds on the internet. Pitt and Aniston purportedly had a secret meeting together earlier this year. Its not clear what was discussed or why they decided to meet, but Pitts mother, Jane Pitt, was reportedly ecstatic that the communicated with one another again.

Brads mom has always had a soft spot for Jennifer, even after the divorce they kept in touch for years, said an insider last month.

Jane was reportedly disappointed at Jennifer and Brad's very public and ugly breakup in 2005, so she was happy they decided to bury the drama and met with one another.

As for Aniston, she has separated from Justin Theroux recently after she allegedly kept special notes from Brad.

Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest news and updates on your favorite celebrities.
The internet is closely following the latest cheating scandal involving Khloe Kardashian's boyfriend, Tristan Thompson, who was caught allegedly cheating with another woman.

While the world awaits to see what comes about this latest epidemic, the Kardashian-Jenner clan seems to be doing what they can to draw the attention away from the pregnant Keeping Up with the Kardashians star.

Kardashian's youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, shared a new Instagram photo that not only is turning heads but is also showing off her post-baby body.

Kylie's Getting Her Groove Back

The youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner siblings shared her new photo on her social media page in honor of "Hump Day." The beauty mogul is pictured looking serene under the clear, sunny sky and shows off her curvaceous figure.

hump day A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Apr 11, 2018 at 12:09pm PDT

The 20-year-old then posted another picture of herself, wearing one of her new lip colors from her makeup line and a one-piece brown jumpsuit.

The reality star spent majority of the day promoting her makeup line that features new lip colors with unique names such as "Boss," "Say No More," And "Bare."

Kylie recently welcomed her first child, Stormi Webster, in February 2018.

Khloe's Dilemma

Kardashian's family seems to be unnhappy about the drama surrounding her relationship with Thompson. They reportedly had a "hard time" trusting Thompson and are now "devastated" that he appears to have betrayed her.

"They didn't realize how deceptive Tristan could really be," a source stated.

Kardashian is currently in Cleveland, Ohio, where she will give birth to her daughter. The expectant mom planned to raise her baby in Cleveland, where Thompson is staying since he plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and also in Los Angeles.

The couple began dating in the beginning of 2017 and announced Kardashian's pregnancy in December 2017 via Instagram. Their relationship faced backlash in the past due to allegations that Thompson left his then pregnant ex-girlfriend, Jordan Craig, for Kardashian.
The European Commission is satisfied with the way trade talks with the United States are progressing. European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, however, complained about deteriorating business climate in China. In a separate but related development, the White House has recently extended its tariffs on Chinese goods in response to Beijings technology and IT practices. China has been hit hard by Donald Trumps latest trade moves.

If Washington and Beijing are to unleash a major trade dispute over steel and technology, it is likely going to impact Europe as well. The EU is negotiating with the White House to find a way to avoid the recently imposed tariffs on aluminum and steel imports. At the same time, Brussels is also seeking to use this momentum with China and make a progress on an investment agreement to protect European companies in the Chinese market.

Commissioner Katainen, who covers jobs, growth and investment, said that the negotiations with the US are progressing well. We have very good discussions, he said. The situation is calmer now that it was two weeks ago, he commented. The progress in the talks doesnt, however, mean that the Commission is sure that the EU will be granted a permanent exemption from the US tariffs.

Donald Trump offered a temporary waiver to European firms while both sides of the Atlantic are discussing issues of common concern in the field of trade. Yet, US President set a deadline for 1 May to sort out all outstanding trade disputes. Meanwhile, Brussels discussions with China to better the conditions that European companies face in the market have been stalled. The Commission said that European firms complain all the time about the business environment in China, which has been deteriorating.
The European Union is supporting a new program to promote decentralization of politics in Ukraine. After centuries of reliance on a central authority, Ukraines villages are beginning to feel the benefits of self-governance thanks to an EU-supported program called the Ukraine Local Empowerment and Development Program (U-LEAD). The program has now tripled its resources to support its initiatives in rural Ukraine.

Ukraine decided after the Maidan Revolution to engage in a large-scale decentralization reform which leads to transferring more funds and also more responsibility to the local level, U-LEAD director Bastian Veigel explained. This has led to the need to train many, many people in the roughly 700 newly reformed municipalities. The major task for U-LEAD is to support capacity building in local communities. This is the first major decentralization program by Ukraine following centuries of some kind of central control. U-LEAD does not directly distribute money but instead focuses on developing local governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population.

U-LEAD is one of the many programs that the EU has launched to support the country. The core activities of the EU in Ukraine are managed by the so-called Support Group, established in 2014, to facilitate Kievs implementation of the Association Agreement with the bloc. Naturally, the biggest focus of the EU Commission is on Ukraines macroeconomic situation, which has been challenged since the outbreak of the crisis in early 2014. Since then, the EU has disbursed a total of EUR 2.8 billion in macro-financial assistance through three programs of low-interest loans, which represents the highest amount ever made available by the EU to a third partner.
Written by ACM





*Strasbourg/ECHR/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking to "Eurofora", International Human Rights' Foundation "Rene Cassin"'s Chairman, former Long-Time ECHR President, Professor Jean-Paul Costa, appeared Adamant :



- "We did Not Judge the Content of this Case. If we had done that, the Outcome would, most probably, be quite Different !", he ensured us.



He was Replying to "Eurofora"s Questions about the UnExpected Award of the Prestigious, Annual "Rene Cassin" Contest's Prize for 2018, Not to the Team which pleaded for a persecuted and oppressed WhistleBlower sacrificing her career in order to Reveal a Big Scandal of Government-ordered Murders, But, on the Contrary, Surprisingly, to an Opposite Team of Young Jurists, who had seeked Justifications for such an awful Regime...



- In Fact, President Costa was pointing at the Same Direction with Strasbourg University's Professor Florence Rohmer-Benoit, who had just stressed, Earlier, to "Eurofora", that the Jury's Decision to give the "Rene Cassin" Award for 2018 to the Team which Defended that Controversial "Government", in the present Mock-Hearings at the ECHR, had mainly "Focused on their Way to Deal with the Legal Proceedings" in such kind of cases, in general, and Not on the Substance of the Particular (Imaginary) Affair, which had simply given a technical pretext for this Annual Competition.



+ And, "indeed, there was an Overwhelming Majority, almost a quasi-unanimity on the Choice that we made" in Awarding the (2018) Prize to the Defenders, (i.e. the Team which represented the State whose Government had reportedly ordered targetted killings, and put Heavy Sanctions on the WhistleBlower who tried to Reveal that Scandal), said to "Eurofora" Harry Roselmack, a well known Black French Martinican TV Journalist himself too, (Radios, TF1, Euronews, etc), who had been Exceptionaly Chosen to Chair the ECHR Mock-Legal Hearing, (playing even the prestigious Role of ECHR's President !)..





- So that, in Response to "Eurofora"s 2nd Question : - "But, aren't YOU Afraid to be Criticized by Most Collegue Journalists for Letting Down a Whistle-Blower, (who acted in the name of Freedom of Expression, in a case where a Journalist was Killed in suspicious circumstances) ?", (as we asked, Half Joking, Half Seriously), Roselmack (who has just Won a Prize in UK's "Chelsea Film Festival" for his 2017 new film "Fractures", around the Hard Issue of Deadly Islamist Terrorism's pernicious propaganda), reacted with very Calm Smile, pointing anew at what he presented as a "Widespread, General Feeling", among Most Members of the jury.



(The 1st Black President of ECHR looks Friendly - Rene Cassin aiding...)





However, it's also a Fact that, at least at First Sight, a Strong Impression results by simply Reading the main Contents of the (Imaginary) Case chosen for 2018's Mock-Legal Proceedings inside the ECHR's great Chamber in Strasbourg, that the "Good" Guys, Obviously, couldn't Stand but Only in Favour of the Complaint lodged by the Whistle-Blower (a Young Woman Civil Servant at a Ministry, Fired, even Striped from her Nationality, and Prosecuted for Treason, etc), against the Government of a State seriously accused to have Ordered Targetted Killings of several Individuals, that some had Tried to timely Denounce in Public, through a Journalist (another Lady), who had, finally, been found Dead, Later-on, in non-elucidated circumstances...



A fortiori when that Complaint (mainly for Violations of the Human Rights to Freedom of Expression, Fair Trial, etc), had been quite Efficiently Presented, by a Team of Young Students of Law from the Angers University, who (by another Striking Coincidence) were All Young Ladies : i.e. with more than 5 Women for a Total of 5 Persons on the "Good" Side of Supporters of the Truth... (Which, by the way, is also Feminine, as Word, in the Original French Language in which the "Rene Cassin" Annual Competition traditionally takes place, with the Participation of several Dozens of Universities almost from all over Europe and beyond, including this time, f.ex., in addition to Paris, Strasbourg, Grenoble, etc, also Switzerland, Bruges' "College of Europe", Romania, Armenia, the Netherlands/Maastricht, Brussels, Moscow, etc, among the Finalists).







- But, as also the Experienced, former Long-Time CoE's Director-General on Legal and Human Rights issues, Philippe Boillat from Switzerland, (a Member of Today's "Court" in ECHR's main Room), agreed with "Eurofora", it's precisely this rare Overload so Many "Good" Arguments and Noble Values to support, from the Side of that WhistleBlower's Legal Complaint on Basic Human Rights grounds, that might have Incited its Team to Rely, perhaps, too much, on the intrinseque Value of the Content of its Cause, that it looked a little-bit ...Too Calm and almost Sure to Win.



- While, on the Contrary, the obviously too "Hard" job of the Adverse Team : that of the Defenders of the above-mentioned State's Government, who were Obliged to represent, apparently, the "Bad" Guy, (i.e. a Government seriously accused to Order Targetted Killings, and harshly persecutes the WhistleBlower who dares Reveal that Scandal in the Public : Comp. Supra), seems to have kind of ...Stimulated the Other 2 Young Students of Law, (them : All Young Men !), Obliging them to Make much More and Hard Efforts, Struggling with even more Fighting Spirit, etc., in order to Try to Face the Huge Challenge that they were Facing in such a thorny affair...



+ Moreover, they (as Real Human Persons), were ... "Innocent" themselves, since their assigned Role as Legal Defenders of that State, had Not been Freely Chosen, But, on the Contrary, it had been Imposed upon them, "by Drawing Lots", as the Chairwoman of this 2018 "Rene Cassin" International Competition, Professor in Law, Peggy Ducoulombier, said to "Eurofora".



>>> And, Indeed, one main Line that they adopted in Defense, was, apparently, Inspired by the Substance of Ducoulombier's own PhD Thesis, which she had dedicated to the analysis of "Contradictions Between Human Rights" ! (here at the ECHR, for Strasbourg's University, where she returned after Working also in Scotland/Aberdeen, UK, with American/USA Universitarians, as well as the CoE itself, etc)...



=> Thus, f.ex., to the Freedom of Expression, they Opposed the Protection of Private/Family Life and of Personal Data, (f.ex. even of the State Agents supposed to have been Ordered to facilitate of commit Targetted Killings, but Risked to see their own Family Home Address, Mobile Phone, etc. thrown to the Public, etc), as well as, (Most of all), that State's Duty to "Protect its Citizens from the Dangers of Violent (and often Deadly) Terrorism", as they repeatedly Claimed.



+ In Addition, the overall Method that had been Chosen by the Organizers this Time (for the 2018 Competition), by Exceptionaly Giving to All the Members of the "Court" to Raise and Ask Questions at Both Sides (Complaint and Defense) at Any Moment they wanted, During this Hearing's Plaidoyeries, (Something which is normaly Excluded at a Real ECHR Hearing, where Euro-Judhes can Ask Questions Only AFTER the End of the Oral Presentations initially Made by the Parties), indeed, considerablly Contributed into Making this Hearing much more "Sharp" than usual, almost Constantly requiring from Both Teams of Young Students of Law to remain at the "Cutting Edge", Ready to React Fast, Right, and Strong...



>>> A Culminating point was, at the very End of that Debate, the Replies given to a Key Question, of General Interest, about IF, and How, that WhistleBlower might, eventually, have some Other Means, Less Controversial, to Reveal to the Public those reportedly Planned Killings, in a Timely and Efficient Way ?

- From the Side of the Legal Complaint (i.e. speaking for that WhistleBlower), the Obvious Answer was "NO" : F.ex., in such a case, the Defence Minister (accused to Order the Killings) was Out of Question, his Chief of Staff had No real Independence, the Minister of Justice could Not be Trusted to act as he should, and even the Attorney General wasn't really 100% Independent nor fully reliable, (etc). So, it was Just the Press (the Journalist who curiously Died, Shortly Afterwards) that had the Practical Capacity, Independence and Will to Help reveal the Truth to the People.



- But, from the Side of the Legal Defense (i.e. speaking for the respondent State), they were, obviously, Obliged to Strongly Fight Back : It was their Last Chance... Among Many and Various Other Arguments, (more or less unconvincing to "Eurofora"s view), what Singlet out was, particularly, the Reply given as far as it concerned the Possibility to Alert the Attorney General : - Indeed, he would be, in Principle, more Independent than Others, (Comp. Supra), from a fully Hierarchical Subordination, he even had a Legal Duty to act for the General Interest, and, Moreover, he (as a fully-fledged Jurist) would have Certainly taken, at least, the elementary Precaution to Distinguish and CHOOSE, among All those Numerous Data contained in the Papers that the WhistleBlower simply Photo-Copied as such, and Gave to the Press, Only those really Needed in order to Prove the Scandal of those Ordered Killings, while, on the Contrary, Ommitting to make public, i.e. Protecting Any Other Data of Private, Personal or Professional Nature, concerning several Individual Agents of the State, simply Ordered to do this or that, by their Superior (Comp. Supra), as well as any Other Delicate Secret of State, which might, eventually, be Necessary for the National Defense and/or National Security, as well as its Citizens Protection from Terrorism.



+ But, when "Eurofora", shortly Afterwards, discreetly Questioned Both Teams on what they thought about the Real Independence of an Attorney General in such kind of cases, the Reply from the Legal Complaint's side (for the WhistleBlower) Simply was that "it Depends on the National Legislation of Each Country", and that from the Legal Defense (for the respondent State) merely was, in substance : - "But, at least, he is a Magistrate !" I.e., something which, honestly, more or less Deceived us, apparently still Leaving that Question Open to Necessary Debate...

=> What a Surprize, then, when, Shortlty Afterwards, we shaw our Main Interlocutor from the Side of the Winners of this 2018 Contest, i.e. the "Defending" Team, (that of "Jean Monnet" University from Saint-Etienne), a Young Student in Law mysteriously named "Yannis Berthelier" (naturally looks like Franco-Greek, but he Laughed several Times, playing with "No !", when we asked, until a Young Lady who knew him told us that it's rather True..), who Finally Received, Personally, the Greatest Honor, (Officially attributed by the President of the "Rene Cassin" International Foundation for Human Rights, f. ECHR President, Professor Jean-Paul Costa himself), that of the 2018 Prize "for the Best (Legal) Eloquence"...



The Event (including the Official Distribution of All Other relevant Awards to the recipients : i.e. Winners, Finalists, Team, Participation, etc, including a Weekly Training Invitation at the prestigious French "Conseil d' Etat" in Paris, etc), took place (as it's traditionally used) at the Superbe, Brand New main Room of the "Great East" Region, (Alsace+Lorraine+Champagne+Ardennes), which links, since 2015, Five core European Countries Together, through joint Borders at the historic "Heart" of Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium, timely Facilitating Links between UNO's PanEuropean Headquarters at Geneva, Strasbourg's European Institutions, Luxembourg's EU Court, and Brussels), located Nearby.







+ There, all Participants were warmly Welcomed by the vice-President of that New and Big "Great East" Region, the young Elsa Schalck, Jurist herself, who Linked the European Project with Peace, mainly through Human Rights and Democracy, urged the Young Students in Law to Remember Well what they learned and/or will learn about these Values, when they shall be Called to Use them as Lawyers throughout the Courts, later on, and Concluded with a Balanced Call to Never Forget the Fact that "Human Rights canNot Exist withOut Rule of Law", as she significantly said.



- Elsa Schalck, speaking afterwards to "Eurofora", indeed, Stressed that, as a Lawyer herself, Based in front of the Historic Franco-German Borders near Strasbourg, she Strongly Believed that the appropriate development of a Human Rights/Rule of Law joint Culture and practice, at EU's and uroArea's Core, including through Training Young Students in Law, i.e. mostly Future Lawyers, etc., has become, Nowadays, really a "must" for all involved in Europe's foreseable Future.



By the way, the Fact that the Annual International "Rene Cassin" Human Rights Competition traditionally takes place, each Year, on a New, but purely "Imaginary" Case, Faithfully and Accurately immitating ECHR's normal Legal Proceedings, (But, naturally, often, "Inspired" by the Actural Reality in Nowadays Society), did Not Hinder, the Experienced former Long-Time Director-General on Legal and Human Rights issues, Philippe Boillat from Switzerland, while Speaking with "Eurofora" and Top Winner Yannis Berthelier (Comp. Supra), etc. to Sincerely Raise a, obviously Capital Question, which was, indeed, always kept in our mind :



- "But, Curiously, Nobody did Not Raise yet the Issue of the Fate of that Journalist (in this Year's Mock-Case) who was found Dead (Comp. Supra) !"



Both "Eurofora" and Yannis Berthelier, surprized, but inevitably Moved, raised their eyes, thougtfully...



=> After all, as they use to say, in such "Rene Cassin" International Human Rights Annual Contests : - "It May Happen, Tomorrow, Really to You !"

(../..)





--------------------------





***





("DraftNews", as already Send to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap).

***
Hi



I am retiring in September and my wife and I hope to move to the languedoc-roussillon area preferably near Castelnaudary. The plan is to try to find a long term let for at least a year to make sure we like it.



Dont suppose anyone has a property they are planning on letting out at the back end of the year. Just the wife and two well behaved Persian cats.



Just a thought but I am also a former builder so could perhaps negotiate a deal if you needed work done.



Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.



Regards Gregor
Beginning this week, Southern Champion Tray team members will present to 14 local elementary schools the TICCIT (pronounced TICKET) program  Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees.



Southern Champion Tray is a producer of paperboard packaging products and a member of the Paperboard Packaging Council. Each year in April and May, PPC members participate in this program to honor Earth Day. The program highlights renewability and sustainability of paper and paperboard packaging.

In the TICCIT program, member companies partner with local schools where they present fun learning material about the benefits of using paperboard packaging over alternative material. The companies also donate tree seeds or native saplings and teach students how to plant them in a paper-based carton. The students are then instructed to plant these "carton-and-tree units" in the ground. The cartons provide protection and a natural water funnel for the new trees. As the trees grow, the cartons biodegrade, completing the "trees into cartons, cartons into trees" cycle.



Southern Champion Tray will visit 14 local elementary schools on the following dates:

Whitwell Elementary April 13 Grace Academy May 3

Normal Park April 18 East Lake Elementary May 3

Harrison Elementary April 19 Thrasher Elementary May 4

Jasper Elementary April 20 McConnell May 10

Chattanooga Christian April 25 Nolan Elementary May 11

Signal Mountain Christian April 26 Lookout Elementary May 16

Fairyland Elementary April 27 Red Bank Elementary May 17

Beginning this year, Southern Champion Tray sales team members in several other cities across the US will present the TICCIT program in their areas as an effort to expand the SCT program nation-wide.
Hey dadman, welcome to this site. Not sure about the States but I applied and got a 12 month multiple entry visa online in Oz some 5 or 6 years ago after working there for 6 months, (found my better half) cost was 140 aussie dollars, never went to the consulate, mailed my passport, application and prescribed fee. From memory took about 3 weeks.

Now saying this I would never bother to do this again as I had to leave the country every 3 months which I never did and subsequently paid to extend my visa every 59 days, got my ACR1 card etc.

Things have changed now and I am sure others will give more up to date info. I now simply rock up in PH. and get an automatic 30 day tourist visa, extendable at the airport to 59 days for about PHP 2,400.

How long is your visit? Is it your first time to visit PH?

Not sure of your circumstances but as said you can just rock up as you are from a first world country and providing there are no legal eagle cases pending or on record then no probs.

If just going for a month or two book your flights and enjoy.



Cheers, Steve.
The dairy industry is the fastest growing segment of Idahos agricultural economy. Thats why the University of Idaho continues to move forward with a proposal for a 2,000-cow research dairy in the Magic Valley area. The Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE) will lead research in sustainable agricultural production and practices; profitability in production and processing; and rural community resiliency.

Livestock production accounts for more than 60 percent of Idahos agricultural cash receipts, and Idaho tied for third in milk production in the country in 2017. Most of that dairy production happens in the Magic Valley. Idaho CAFE will be the largest research dairy in the nation.

The University of Idahos land-grant mission provides the basis for our research footprint across the state. Our excellence in agricultural education, research and outreach continues to provide our ag industries with cutting-edge technology, a trained workforce and partnerships that benefit the statewide economy, said U of I President Chuck Staben.

The $45 million project is supported by Gov. C.L. Butch Otter and the Legislature, which earmarked $10 million for the project during the 2017 legislative session. U of I continues to fundraise and develop industry partnerships in support of the facility. Preliminary designs show the vision for a dairy of representative size to be relevant to Idahos existing dairies, with robotic milking systems. By supporting 2,000 cows, the facility will allow researchers to do replicated studies as well as research on water treatment systems, nutrient management, anaerobic digesters and other tests that need to be done at a larger scale to best support Idahos dairy industry.

Research possibilities expand beyond agriculture. Engineering, natural resources, education and more will have the opportunity to make CAFE a truly interdisciplinary endeavor.

U of I is forming educational partnerships with Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-Idaho) and the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) to provide opportunities for students from around the state to learn at the facility. CSI plans to deliver technical training for its students, helping build a trained workforce to support Idahos dairies and the growing food-processing sector. BYU-Idaho, known for its strong agricultural programs, will also use the facility for student training and research. CAFE will serve as a nexus of educational collaboration as the Idaho State Board of Education continues to encourage Idahos higher education institutions to work together.

U of I has the academic expertise to lead this impactful project, but success will require unprecedented collaboration across the university, Legislature, educational partners, stakeholders and the community. We are working on all fronts to make this a truly transformational facility, said Michael P. Parrella, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Farmland will also be incorporated into CAFEs mission, with research on animal feed, sustainable crop growth practices and water use.

Idaho has fast become a contender in dairy processing with the establishment of large cheese and yogurt processing companies. As the appetite for dairy products in the state continues to grow, CAFE is poised to work with industry to increase productivity and supply a talented workforce.
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.
The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
Job Title: Investigator & Senior Investigators

Employer: The Global Fund

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Description: We are seeking skilled and experienced investigators to join a diverse and dedicated team investigating fraud, corruption and abuse of grant funds. Were looking for people with strong technical skills who are culturally sensitive and can work collaboratively with our Global Fund colleagues in Geneva and hundreds of in-country implementing organizations. . . . . Continue Reading
The Australian Senate on March 28 released its long-awaited report on foreign bribery. The report supports recent government proposals to introduce Deferred Prosecution Agreements and a corporate failure to prevent corruption offense, while also strengthening whistleblower protections.

However, it challenges existing government policy on one crucial issue: it calls for the abolition of the exception under Australias anti-bribery law for facilitation payments.

Section 70.4 of the Australian Criminal Code currently excludes facilitation payments from the foreign bribery offence. Echoing the FCPA, it defines these as payments for the sole or dominant purpose of expediting or securing the performance of a routine government action of a minor nature.

The Senate report argues that this approach is unacceptable. It calls for a transition period to enable companies and individuals to adjust their business practices and procedures. Thereafter, foreign facilitation payments should, for legal purposes, be treated as bribes.

Depending on the governments response, it will take time to draft new legislation. Nevertheless, the report sends a clear message to Australian companies. To the extent that they still make facilitation payments in their international business transactions, they need to get ready for change.

The report was issued by the Senate Economics References Committee. The committee began its inquiry in May 2015, and after federal elections in July 2016, was reconstituted in October 2016. It received written and oral testimony from a wide variety of government, business and civil society representatives.

In its analysis, the committee noted that the OECD had highlighted the corrosive impact of facilitation payments and, since 2009, had called on member states to review their policies in order to combat the phenomenon. The U.S. and New Zealand retain their own facilitation payments exceptions. However, other comparative countries  notably the UK and Canada  do not. Moreover, many businesses and regulators struggle to determine whether specific transactions meet the Australian Criminal Codes definition of facilitation payments. Australian law firm King & Wood Mallesons stated that this was one of the more conceptually complex [issues] arising from Australias anti-bribery legislation. Such questions of definition have never been tested in an Australian court.

Despite these problems, the committee heard from a number of witnesses who want to keep the exception. For example the AustraliaAfrica Mining Industry Group (AAMIG) argued that smaller companies operating in high risk markets do not have the political capital to influence host-country Government officials to carry out their duties. On a similar note, the Export Council of Australia argued that small and medium enterprises are at a specific disadvantage when faced with such demands, and abolishing the facilitation payment defense would have a disproportionately adverse effect on them.

However, the majority of witnesses called for the repeal of the defense. The International Bar Association cited an address by Justice Terence Cole which stated: The laws which permit such payments and make them tax deductible blur the bright line between permissible and impermissible conduct. Robert Wyld of the law firm Johnson Winter & Slattery argued that facilitation payments should be banned with no exceptions.

Representing the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP), Shane Kirne quite correctly explained that few companies kept records of facilitation payments to a standard that would meet the Criminal Codes strict reporting requirements. In more colourful language, he added that companies were not likely to put bribe to a foreign official in the expenses account.

Many business representatives concurred with such views. BHP Billiton pointed out that by the international nature of its business, it was already subject to UK and other laws barring facilitation payments. Woodside Petroleum said that a policy of permitting such payments helps to maintain an environment in which bribery can take root and flourish. Our view, which was conveyed to the committee during the inquiry, is that facilitation payments are bribes and should be treated accordingly. To do otherwise sends a mixed message to business and the community.

The committees overall conclusions are clear. It accepts the view that facilitation payments are not materially different from small bribes. It is deeply concerned and disappointed that the government has yet to take legislative action in this area. Now this needs to change.

________

Mark Pulvirenti, above left, is a Control Risks Partner based in Sydney, and testified to the Senate Economic References Committee. Mark leads Control Risks Compliance, Forensics and Intelligence practice for the Australia Pacific region.

John Bray, right, is a Director at Control Risks Singapore office
Guest Commentary Audio Article This is a short history of the Morgan family farm before the possible development of the remaining 49 acres east of Chesterton. Jesse and Jane Morgan arrived in Northwest Indiana in 1833 after traveling through Ohio, northern Indiana, stopping off in LaPorte County for a...

Echoes of the Past Audio Article 10 Years Ago Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011  Bethlehem Lutheran Church will host a wellness screening event. . . CHS girls soccer team beats LaPorte 5-0 and clinches a share of the DAC title. Scoring goals are Rosie Biehl (2), Hannah Kollar (2), and Sam...

Voice of the People I can drive on the left lane of Ind. 49 and not have to deal with the truck traffic any more. I dont think I know you Jim Ton but apparently youre the one that made this happen. My life is a little better now....

Guest Commentary Fair maps for our children, for our Hispanic communities, for our futures My son will vote for the first time next year. And for his first time, the state of Indiana will have brand new legislative and congressional districts. It should feel like a clean...
Maggie Andrews introduces us to some familiar and unknown suffragettes, upon the release of her new book written with Janis Lomas.

101 Things You Need To Know About Suffragettes

Professor Maggie Andrews  University of Worcester [email protected]

Leonora Cohen choose to protest in her own way, by breaking the glass case surrounding the Crown Jewels with an iron bar in February 1913. Nicknamed the Tower Suffragette she was acquitted by a sympathetic jury, and later earned an OBE for her service as a Justice of the Peace.

Charlotte Despard was president of the Womens Freedom League (WFL), committed to peace and working with the Labour Party she wore distinctive black clothing and sandals. Her interests included writing romantic novels, theosophy, support for Sinn Fein and vegetarianism.

Aubrey Dowson was a Warwickshire housewife who edited the very popular Suffrage Cookery Book, containing recipes sent in by suffrage supporters. There were sections on cakes, vegetarian recipes, menus for busy suffrage workers and Millicent Fawcetts recipe for raspberry jam.

Clemence Houseman was the chief banner  maker for the suffrage campaigns and on the Committee of the Womens Tax Resistance League. She spent a week in Holloway for her refusal to pay inhabited house duty (Council tax) and refused to comply with the 1911 census.

Constance Markievicz was an Irish feminist, socialist and artist who took part in the Easter Rising. She was imprisoned in Holloway when elected the first women MP in 1918. As a Sinn Fein supporter she never sat in the House of Commons but visited to see her name over a peg in the cloakroom.

Chrystal Macmillan was one of five Edinburgh University women graduates who unsuccessfully petitioned for the right to vote for their University MP on the basis of their intellect. Chystal rejected the violent tactics of suffragettes and was a dedicated peace campaigner throughout her life.

Millicent Garrett Fawcett led the National Union of Womens Suffrage Society (NUWSS), the largest womens suffrage organization, formed in 1897 it used only legal tactics: marches, petitions, pilgrimages and lobbying and persuasion. She lived to see women achieve the vote, but believed each generation must deal with the grievances of their own time.

Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters formed the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1906. Under her charismatic leadership the WSPU carried out publicity-grabbing protests including: chalking pavements, slashing painting, breaking windows, cutting telegraph and telephone wires, arson attacks and applying for gun licenses. Emmelines campaigning was interspersed with frequent imprisonment and hunger striking and a staring role in the film What 80 Million Want (1913). Her supporters adored her, and rumors surround her relationship with Dame Ethel Smyth who wrote the March of Women anthem.

Lady Isabella Somerset combined her dedication to womens suffrage and the temperance movement. She was president of the Worlds Womans Christian Temperance Association and ran a Farm Colony for Inebriate Women. Readers of the London Evening News voted her the women they would most like to be Britains first female prime minister in 1913.

Dora Thewlis was worked in the weaving sheds in Huddesfield factories before she became known as Baby Suffragette after she was imprisoned for her part in a March on Parliament in 1907 at only sixteen.
Once a year I get within touching distance of the Queen, and sometimes even Prince Harry

The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay

I live in Ascot, which for most of the year is a sleepy little racecourse town in Berkshire; just fifteen minutes from Windsor and around an hour from London. However, in June, Ascot holds a special week of races called Royal Ascot, attended by The Queen, who has had an interest in horses since childhood. It is Britain's most popular race meeting, welcoming around 300,000 visitors over five days, all dressed up in their finest clothes and hats. Every day the Queen and different members of the royal family, get in open top carriages and travel up the racecourse in them. Us local folk know just where to stand and get the best view of this royal procession before it reaches the course. I often get literally within touching distance of them all. Its such an amazing sight of tradition and fun.

I was once a contestant on Supermarket Sweep

*Hides head behind hands. My sister had always wanted to go on Supermarket Sweep; a hilarious quiz show hosted by Dale Winton and somehow managed to convince me it was a great idea. Well, I was so nervous, that as soon as filming started, I literally didnt have any saliva in my mouth. Amazingly, we managed to answer all the questions and get the coveted pink sweatshirts to wear in the final round. However, in said final round, my sister swerved so wildly with her trolley, she took out the whole of the drinks aisle and we ended up last. Mind you we did get to keep the sweatshirts, plus get given our petrol money home!

My rescue cat Stan was christened Barnaby

I confess to being a bit of a mad cat lady. Before I got my Stan, I did have another lovely black and white moggy, called Patrick and when it was his time to go I vowed to not get another cat again as I was so heartbroken. However, within days my sisters could see how much I was missing him and started sending me links to other rescue kittens. Well, I saw young Stan and it was love at first sight. I went to check him out at the RSPCA Centre in Chobham and he literally ran into my arms. The staff their had christened him Barnaby, but the name just didnt seem to suit him. So, after a bit of brainstorm on cat names, Stanley was reborn!

My books are my babies

I have cried quite a lot since 2011 to be honest. I had IVF twice, I got pregnant twice. I lost my first baby at 6 weeks, then my beloved twins at 16 weeks. One of them had even danced and waved at me during the scan, but sadly it was not to be. And, sadly, it is never to be naturally, as I had to have a hysterectomy soon after.

However, rather than scream and shout why me?, I decided to put my experiences and grief to good use and The SW19 Club was born.

Writing nine books isnt all thats happened to me in the past seven years I have had IVF twice, got pregnant twice. Lost my first little soul at 6 weeks, then my beloved twins at 16 weeks. Sadly, being a mother is something I will never be, as I had to have a hysterectomy soon after. However, rather than scream and shout why me?, I decided to put my experiences and grief to good use to write The SW19 Club. A heartfelt novel that deals with very real and poignant issues around child loss and infertility.

Now my books are my babies. They cause me frustration at times, but ultimately the pleasure they give me outweighs that  without a dirty nappy in sight! I have cried quite a lot since 2011 to be honest. I had IVF twice, I got pregnant twice. I lost my first baby at 6 weeks, then my beloved twins at 16 weeks. One of them had even danced and waved at me during the scan, but sadly it was not to be. And, sadly, it is never to be naturally, as I had to have a hysterectomy soon after.

However, rather than scream and shout why me?, I decided to put my experiences and grief to good use and The SW19 Club was born.

I do all my writing in bed

I prefer to write at home, under my duvet, in my bed. Which does nothing for my writers back but does everything for my concentration. If Im under those covers, I dont feel obliged to get up and do any chores. Sometimes if the words are flowing, I forgot to eat and drink for hours. Luckily Stan comes in, now and then to voice his catering requirements; which means at least then I get up and fuel myself too.

I am obsessed with SAS type programmes

I have just finished watching the TV programme, SAS Who Dares Wins - the format being where civilians from all walks of life do a version of the SAS training. It is hard both mentally and physically, but the whole thing is just so inspirational and sometimes tear jerking; especially when you hear the back stories of some of the competitors. I will also add that Ant Middleton, who runs the show, is rather easy on the eye too!

Horse racing is a passion of mine

As I mentioned before, I was born in Ascot; with the racecourse on my doorstep. My family have always loved the sport and have passed their passion down to me. There is just something fantastic about the buzz of the day. And without fail, every time I go, I am in awe of what a beautiful and magnificent creature the horse really is. For me, it is a social time, to catch up with friends, have a few drinks and attempt to win a few pounds by having a small flutter on each race.

My favourite food is burger and chips

There is just something about biting into a great, big fat juicy burger, with all the trimmings that does it for me. I cant go a blue cheese, just plain old cheddar and no bacon or salsa. I must have a side order of onion rings and a big plop of ketchup. Chunky chips finish off the plate nicely. I also have to confess I do also love a Big Mac (other burger outlets are available) and when I have one of those, my drink order is always milk!

My favourite place to go on holiday is Devon

Im one of four children and as kids we always used to go to either Cornwall or Devon on holiday so it holds many magical memories for me. There are many things I love about the south west; the quaint fishing villages, and those beaches! So many of them outstanding areas of natural beauty. I particularly love a village called Dittisham, which is on the Dart Estuary, just down from Dartmouth. I had the steep streets of this village in mind when I wrote The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay.

My dream is

I am really hoping that The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay will be successful enough to allow me to at last write full time. My ultimate dream is to buy a little cottage and cafe down in Devon where I have a room overlooking the sea to write in, plus where I can run writing workshops and host book launches.

About the author:

Nicola May lives in the UK, five miles from the Queens castle in Windsor, with her black-and-white rescue cat, Stan. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks  and, naturally, enjoying a flutter on the horses.

She won Best Author Read at the Festival of Romance for The School Gates and Christmas Evie, in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

She classes her novels as chicklit with a kick, writing about love, life and friendships in a real, not fluffy kind of way. She likes burgers, mince pies, clocks, birds, bubble baths and facials - but is not so keen on aubergines. Nicolas website is www.nicolamay.com. She is on Twitter @nicolamay1, Instagram as author_nicola and has a Facebook page (just google Book Page of Nicola May).

Details of The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay  Published on April 9 can be found here:
Anna Faris has revealed her son was rejected from a private school after she over-shared during a parent's meeting.

Anna Faris

The 41-year-old actress has five-year-old son Jack with her estranged husband Chris Pratt and is currently in the process of finding the tot a good school ready for the start of the school year.

But the star has revealed that one school she visited ended up rejecting her after she decided to share her inner thoughts when she was asked to "talk about the weather".

She said: "He's almost in school, and we went through the process of applying for schools. Which is very new to me, I grew up in Washington state with public schools. The whole LA school process has been terrifying.

"I went to this private school where they had all the parents sit around in a circle - and I don't know anybody - and there's a bunch of toys in the middle of the circle. We were supposed to pick a toy out and talk about the weather. That was the only instruction. So I thought this must be ... this is like a group therapy session, I guess."

The 'Overboard' star revealed she then began to unload her fears about sending Jack to school for the first time, before realising she had said too much.

She continued: "I started to go on this monologue about how nervous I was about this whole process, and I'm nervous about like, what if we get rejected? What if my kid doesn't wear the right thing? What if I have to do my kid's homework? And I'm realising as I am saying this like I am putting my foot in my mouth."

When Anna was finished, she passed her toy onto the next parent, who simply spoke about the weather like they had been instructed, and the 'Mom' star realised she had "no idea" what she was doing.

Speaking during an appearance on 'The Ellen Degeneres Show' on Wednesday (11.04.18), she said: "In general, I have no idea what I'm doing, but it has been confirmed in this moment right now. Anyway, we got rejected."
Ultimo has gone bust.

Michelle Mone

The lingerie brand was founded in 1996 by entrepreneur Michelle Mone and has decided to close after difficult sales in the market which saw the business's - which was once an extremely affluent company before selling a 100 per cent stake to a Sri-Lankan firm called MAS Holdings in 2014 - losses rocket from 1.8 million to 3.9 million in 2016.

A spokesman for Ultimo said: "The last few years have been extremely challenging for Ultimo, driven by increasing competition in the market and more cautious consumer spending due to uncertainty surrounding the UK economy over the last 18 months."

Ultimo Brands is based in East Kilbride, Scotland as homage to Michele's Glasgow roots, and the brand's closure will reportedly see 11 workers lose their jobs.

Michelle founded the brand with husband Michael Mone after she struggled to find a cleavage enhancing brassiere which was also comfortable, but Michael stepped down from the company after the pair divorced in 2013.

She was awarded an OBE in 2010 by the British Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and in 2016, Michelle became Tory Prime Minister David Cameron's business tsar and a Conservative peer before she stepped down from the position of director at the company but maintained her 200 shares in the business.

Despite its closing, fans of the brand will still be able to buy Ultimo products online until April 15 whilst stocks last and it's UK operations will halted by the end of June after the company fulfil their financial commitments with suppliers and partners.
Boy George and Culture Club have announced a UK arena tour.

Boy George

The 80s pop legend and his 'Do You Really Want to Hurt' me bandmates - Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss - will kick off their 11-date run at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on November 9, including a stop at London's The SSE Arena, Wembley on November 14, before concluding at Leeds' First Direct Arena on November 23.

They'll be joined by fellow 80s stars Belinda Carlisle and Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey on what they've dubbed 'The Life Tour: starring Boy George & Culture Club'.

George said: "We put together an amazing show that is going to be filled with hits and fabulous memories, we know it will be hands down this summer's best night out."

The musician recently announced he's signing with Sony BMG - home to the likes of Beyonce, Britney Spears and Celine Dion - and promised fans he's working on new music.

He said: "I'm about to sign with BMG which is the most bonkers thing. I never thought I'd sign a deal again, I haven't had one since 1995. When this was presented to me I thought it's bonkers I have to do it."

The 'Karma Chameleon' hitmaker was previously signed to Virgin Records in 1995, when he released solo record 'Cheapness and Beauty', which only made it to number 44 in the charts.

And on his new music, he said: "I am about to make my own record and then I also have a Culture Club record in the pipeline, which we have kind of half written and half recorded.

"We have this strange kind of alchemy when we are together. "It's a funny thing about bands."

The iconic 80s pop band, lead by the flamboyant frontman , have racked up seven straight top 10 hits in the UK and nine top 10 singles in the US. The band also won multiple awards, including the 1984 Brit Award for Best British Group.

Tickets are on sale now.

Boy George & Culture Club's 2018 UK tour dates are as follows:

November 9, Nottingham Motorpoint Arena

November 10, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

November 11, Bournemouth International Centre

November 13, Brighton Centre

November 14, London SSE Arena Wembley

November 16, Birmingham Arena

November 17, Newcastle Metro Arena

November 18, Manchester Arena

November 20, Hull Venue

November 22, Glasgow SSE Hydro

November 23, Leeds First Direct Arena
Declan Donnelly is set to present the 'Britain's Got Talent' live finals by himself.

Declan Donnelly

The 42-year-old television host is best known for his work as part of the presenting double act Ant and Dec alongside Anthony McPartlin, and the duo have presented the ITV talent competition together since its conception in 2007.

However, after Ant was arrested on suspicion drink driving last month, the star has stepped down from his television commitments in order to deal with his problems, leaving Dec to present the programme by himself.

A statement from ITV said: "Dec will be hosting the live shows which for the first time ever are coming from the Hammersmith Apollo while Ant steps down from his TV commitments for now. We send Ant all our love. And we know that Dec will do a brilliant job."

Dec will only be presenting the live portion of the programme by himself, as the auditions were recorded back in January, before Ant was charged with his drink-driving offence.

The news comes after Dec was recently left to host the final two episodes of 'Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway' by himself.

Dec was visibly upset during the series finale, which was filmed in Orlando, Florida, and admitted the show felt "tinged with sadness".

After the show finished, he told the live audience members: "Thanks for all the love and support, it's been a series tinged with... well..."

As he struggled to finish the sentence, one audience member shouted: "We miss Ant!"

Dec replied: "Yes, we do, we do. It's tinged with sadness. Can you all give a one round of applause for Ant who is at home."

The audience began to clap, and the clearly-moved star said: "Thank you so much, I know he will appreciate that a great, great deal."
Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec have been forced to cancel their latest dance show performance because of a fire.

Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec

The 'Strictly Come Dancing' professional dancers - were left "extremely sad" after axing their Fred Astaire tribute show, 'Remembering Fred', which was due to take place at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow today (11.04.18), because a blaze destroyed a nearby building.

The 34-year-old beauty wrote on Instagram: "Glasgow, we are deeply sorry that due to a fire occurring in the building next door to our venue, @RememberingTour company are unable to perform for you tonight! We are extremely sad as Glasgow is always one of our best crowds. Hope to see you next year! #SoSorry #WishWeCould#NextTime (sic)"

Aljaz, 28, admitted he was "gutted" about having to call off the performance.

He said: "We are very sorry that tonight's performance in Glasgow has been cancelled due to a fire next to the venue.The whole @RememberingTour is gutted because the Glasgow crowds are always one of the loudest! (sic)"

The blaze started on March 22 and destroyed a nightclub next to the 114-year-old Pavilion Theatre, but the surrounding buildings have been deemed unsafe for public use following the fire damage.

Theatre bosses said in a statement at the time: "After waiting to hear all day, we have just been advised by Glasgow City Council Building Control that we will be denied access to the theatre for around two months.

"After which, we will then be allowed in to ascertain the damage caused by the fire.

"Only then will we be able to carry out any works required."

The Pavilion wasn't burned by the fire but is said to have suffered massive smoke damage and ash infiltration.

Speaking this week, theatre manager Iain Gordon told the Herald Scotland newspaper: "I've been told I won't be able to gain entry for three months.

"And at the moment, the real fear is the massive repairs that will have to be carried out. All the seats are likely to need replacing, as the ash from the smoke will have seeped into the foam."
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao, Hainan Province, on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed China's commitment to opening-up, while at the same time, pledging new steps to broaden market access and reduce tariffs for various products, including automobiles.

President Xi Jinping has issued the new list of promises on tariff reductions as part of his keynote speech to the Boao Forum for Asia.

This year's gathering coincides with the 40th anniversary of the launch of Reform and Opening Up, which he says has contributed the most to the country's economic success.

Xi Jinping notes that over the past 40 years, China's GDP has averaged an annual growth rate of around 9.5 percent, with foreign trade seeing annual growth of around 14.5 percent.

In recent years, China has contributed over 30-percent to global growth.

While vowing to make the country further open up, Xi Jinping says authorities have already pinpointed a number of key areas.

"China will accelerate the opening-up of the insurance industry, ease restrictions on the establishment of foreign financial institutions in China and expand their business scope, and open up more areas of cooperation between Chinese and foreign financial markets. In manufacturing, China has basically opened up this sector with a small number of exceptions on automobiles, ships and aircraft. These industries are now in a position to open up. Going forward, we will reduce as soon as possible limits on foreign investment in these industries, automobiles in particular."

At the same time, China's President has also promised to increase imports, which he says will include tariff reductions.

"This year, we will significantly lower the import tariffs for automobiles and reduce import tariffs for other products. We will import more products that are competitive and needed by our people. We will seek faster progress toward joining the WTO Government Procurement Agreement."

Xi Jinping also says the government hopes to achieve a greater balance of international payments.

To that end, he's also called on developed countries to lift restrictions on high-tech exports to China, as well as lift export controls for Chinese products.

The Chinese leader also mentioned better protection of intellectual property rights.

"China is re-instituting the State Intellectual Property Office this year to step up law enforcement, significantly raise the cost for offenders and fully unlock the deterrent effect of relevant laws. We encourage normal technological exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises, and protect the lawful IPR owned by foreign enterprises in China"

Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping has also told the Boao Forum that China doesn't want to threaten anyone or create so-called spheres of influence.

He's also suggested the cold-war and zero-sum mentality should be abandoned.
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BUENOS AIRES (dpa-AFX) - Mercosur and the European Union (EU) are close to an agreement, according to the president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, and the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy. The comment was made during a joint press conference after a meeting aimed at deepening and analyzing the bilateral ties of both countries and blocs. 'We were never so close to an agreement, and this time we have to make it a reality,' said Macri. Earlier, Macri stressed that 'we are doing everything on our part' so that Mercosur and the EU reach a trade agreement 'to facilitate and generate a whole bunch of investments and future ties.' Macri and Rajoy were at the opening of the Spain-Argentina Business Meeting that took place in Buenos Aires. Rajoy arrived in the South American country on an official visit accompanied by 70 businesspeople. 'There is a very important trust in the Argentinean government and the country,' Rajoy said. He also stated that 'Macri achieved a substantial change' and that Spanish companies 'are committed and have a vocation for permanence.' The situation in Venezuela was also a subject debated between the two presidents, who had a negative view of the political and economic crisis in the country. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
New China-Austria route will be launched in October

HAIKOU, China, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- During the annual meeting of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia in 2018, Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd. ("Hainan Airlines") held a press conference in Bo'ao, Hainan Province, China on the evening of April 10th, at which the company announced the launch of a nonstop service to commence in October 2018 between Shenzhen, the world capital of electronics, and Vienna, the city that holds the same reputation in the world of music. Following the roll-out of the Shenzhen-Brussels and Shenzhen-Madrid services, this is Hainan Airlines' third direct flight service from Shenzhen to Europe announced this year. The Shenzhen-Vienna route will be serviced by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner twice a week.

Guests included Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Karin Kneissl, Hainan Provincial CPPCC Committee chairman Mao Wanchun, Shenzhen Municipal People's Government deputy secretary-general Xu Songming, HNA Group chairman Chen Feng, HNA Aviation & Tourism Group Deputy Chairman Mou WeiGang. Hainan Airlines chairman Bao Qifa, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport Julian Jagerand Shenzhen Airport general manager Chen Jinzu, as well as many journalists, were present at the press conference.

As a key partner of the Chinese government's Belt and Road Initiative, Austria has great expectations in terms of future cooperation where both parties plan to work together at all levels, from idea-sharing to implementation, execution and completion of projects under the initiative. "Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Austria and China have reached cooperation in various fields such as tourism, economy, trade, and culture, which have achieved considerable progress. The launch of the Shenzhen-Vienna service is an effective step jointly taken by China and Austria to enhance the connections between the two countries, attract more Chinese tourists to Austria and promote in-depth cultural, economic and artistic exchanges among Chinese and Austrian visitors," President Van der Bellen said at the press conference.

On April 8, Hainan Airlines signed a letter of intent with Vienna International Airport in Beijing, laying a foundation for companies and organisations, both in China and Austria, to deepen and expand their cooperation. Julian Jager, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport said, "The launch of the new route with Hainan Airlines, a flagship airline of HNA Group, is an important step for the two countries to deepen their cooperation and will create new market opportunities for Vienna Airport. This partnership strengthens both regions as well as Vienna Airport's role as the gateway to Central and Eastern Europe. "

The 2018 Bo'ao Forum for Asia Annual Conference is the first major diplomatic event being held in China following the Chinese Communist Party's 19th National Congress. Hainan Airlines, the designated carrier of the conference, has made contributions to the event via its outstanding airline services in addition to the rolling out the new route between Shenzhen and Vienna, in a move to help achieve the vision of promoting exchanges and building economic relations between Asia and the rest of the world through collaborations with its partners.

"The launch of the new service between Shenzhen and Vienna, coupled with the other international nonstop routes originating from Shenzhen - to Brussels, Madrid and Sihanoukville - that we have rolled out lately this year, is expected to further the economic development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," stated Mr. Bao, the Hainan Airlines chairman. "This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Hainan Special Economic Zone. As a pioneer in the Chinese civil aviation industry, Hainan Airlines has continued expanding its international airline network based on its concept of establishing a global airline network according to Chinese passengers' needs. The new service will further complement the airline's international network and contribute to the building of an air bridge as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

With the launch of the new service, Hainan Airlines has increased the number of its international and regional routes originating from Shenzhen to 15, speeding up the city's interconnection with Europe, the US, Australia and Southeast Asia. Also this will further boost the economic development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a region which includes nine mainland Chinese cities, the largest of which are Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao.

Hainan Airlines has made great progress in implementing its international expansion strategy over the past few years, as part of its efforts to engage with the Belt and Road Initiative. To date, the airline has launched over 110 air routes to countries targeted by the initiative, including several new services launched during the first half of the year, among them, Haikou-Sydney, Shenzhen-Brussels, Beijing-Tijuana-Mexico City, Shenzhen-Madrid and London-Changsha.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/665114/Austrian_President.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/665116/Hainan_Airlines_Ceremony.jpg
A Chinese art troupe will leave for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival.

A Chinese art troupe performs dances in Panama to celebrate the traditional Chinese Spring Festival on February 19, 2018. [Photo: VCG]

The troupe will be led by Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The visit is at the invitation of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI) said that it appointed James Mock as senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective May 1, 2018. Andy Wilson, PerkinElmer's current senior vice president and chief financial officer, who previously announced his retirement from PerkinElmer, will remain with the Company as an advisor for an interim period of time to ensure a smooth transition and integration for Mr. Mock. Mr. Mock joins PerkinElmer after serving for nearly 20 years in a wide range of financial oversight capacities within General Electric Company (GE). He was most recently vice president, Corporate Audit Staff, where he worked globally across GE's businesses on controllership reviews and operational excellence projects. Prior to that, he served in a number of progressively responsible leadership roles in multifaceted global businesses based in the United States and overseas. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2018) - Greenbriar Capital's RealBlock (TSXV: GRB), the first publicly traded real estate blockchain enterprise, is pleased to announce that Landmark Title Assurance Corp. of Phoenix has agreed to integrate RealBlock's blockchain technology into it's day to day operation. This announcement comes just weeks after Title Security of Arizona announced it will be using RealBlock's disruptive technology. RealBlock is a wholly owned subsidiary of Greenbriar Capital Corporation (TSXV: GRB).

In 2017, Title Security and Landmark Title Assurance were responsible for nearly 20,000 separate real estate transactions and underwrote title insurance in excess of $3 USD billion. The proprietary blockchain software will greatly reduce fraud, and decrease the costs associated with real estate transactions, from offer acceptance to closing. RealBlock's technical effort is being headed up by Professor Todd Taylor, the founder of the Blockchain Lab at Arizona State University.

According to Title Security's CEO, Tommy Sullivan, "The addition of Landmark Title means that the risk-removing, and time-saving attributes of RealBlock will now be used in over 25 offices in Maricopa and Pima County, (Greater Phoenix and Tucson) the state's two largest counties. Based on the feedback I've received from other escrow and title agencieswe expect many more to sign on with RealBlock."

The Company will be granting 150,000 stock options at a price of $1.10 per share to a Consultant of the Company, with an expiry date of five (5) years from the date of Toronto Venture Exchange approval.

About Greenbriar Capital Corp:

Greenbriar Capital Corp. is a leading developer of renewable energy, sustainable real estate and smart energy products. With long-term, high impact, contracted sales agreements in key project locations and led by a successful industry-recognized operating and development team, Greenbriar targets deep valued assets directed at accretive shareholder value.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

/s/ Jeffrey J. Ciachurski

Jeffrey J. Ciachurski

Chief Executive Officer and Director

westernwind@shaw.ca

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance.
Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-3215-5259 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

TOKYO, Apr 11, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced the Japan launch of Fujitsu Healthcare Solution Heart Explorer, a software for medical and nursing schools, including university medical hospitals. This software is based on the results of a heart simulator(1) that reproduces heart behavior in exquisite detail so that the heart can be modeled in 3D for observation and analysis. The software goes on sale in Japan from today.Heart Explorer utilizes data output from a heart simulator created through R&D using the K computer(2) and other computing resources, enabling students to observe and analyze the movements of the myocardium, the flow of blood, excitation propagation(3), and electrocardiograms, which were all previously very difficult to represent. This software enables learning through experience, including structural analysis functionality that visualizes physical values, such as the pressure exerted by heart muscles, in graphs, as well as the ability for students to freely adjust their viewpoints for the 3D model and the configuration of cross sections. More than just a view to healthy hearts, this teaching material also offers contents that cover an array of cases that enable the study of heart disease, such as myocardial infarction.In addition, the software has been designed to improve understanding through 360-degree, three-dimensional observation of such factors as the three-dimensional structure of the heart, the internal structure, and the heartbeat, which have been difficult to visualize, using virtual reality (VR) technology(4) in the form of the zSpace 200 (sold separately)(5), which is a 3D stereoscopic display.With this software, Fujitsu is contributing to the improvement of medical technology and understanding by enabling more efficient study of the heart and of heart disease(6).Heart disease is currently one of the leading causes of death in advanced nations around the world (the second-leading cause in Japan, and the leading cause in the US), and research and development on a variety of treatment methods and devices is ongoing. In addition to treatment methods, effort is also being put into educating medical and nursing students about the heart.The heart has one of the more complex structures in the body, and it is difficult to learn about topics like the complex movement of heart muscles or the flow of blood from text. Previously, students learned about the structure and basic functionality of the heart through methods such as hands-on dissection, models created using 3D printers and other means, computer graphics made by designers, and textbooks, but there was a need for teaching materials that could be used to study a beating heart.In order to resolve this issue, Fujitsu developed Heart Explorer, incorporating the results of joint research with the University of Tokyo on a heart simulator. Using data output from the heart simulator created using the K computer and other computing resources, the software reproduces the pulsation of the heart in exquisite detail. (7) Heart Explorer enables students to learn efficiently with a complex heart reproduction and a number of visualization and analysis tools.Features of Heart Explorer1. Highly effective learning with a detailed 3D modelLearners can freely set the point of view and cross sections of the model, enabling them to study the three-dimensional structure, the internal structure, the beating of the heart, and the flow of blood with a 3D model, which is difficult to study with a physical model. Using the visualization and analysis capabilities, students can also use graphs to visualize the force exerted by the heart muscles, the movement of blood flow, and the excitation propagation.2. Study multiple related topics simultaneouslyIt is said that in education using textbooks or physical models, it is difficult to understand the relationship between the waveforms of the heart's electrocardiogram and the process of excitation propagation. In Heart Explorer, users can place electrodes on the surface of the body recreated from the simulator and then alter the voltage to display the waveforms on the electrocardiogram while simultaneously visualizing the excitation propagating through the torso, which enables students to understand the relationship between the two.3. Incredibly realistic recreations of the heart using VR technologyThe heart is considered an organ with a three-dimensional structure and blood flow that are difficult to grasp, but with VR technology using the zSpace 200, it is possible to gain a three-dimensional awareness of the complex configuration of the heart. Moreover, by connecting this system to a 4K projector, it can be used in a lecture(8) in a large classroom at a university.Sales Target140 licenses by the end of fiscal 2020 (Fujitsu's fiscal year ends March 31).(1) Heart simulator A simulator capable of simulating the heart's behavior with high accuracy, created through joint research between Fujitsu Limited and the University of Tokyo.(2) K computer A supercomputer with computational speeds in excess of 10 petaflops, developed jointly by Fujitsu and the Riken Center for Computational Science as the core system of the program to build revolutionary high performance computing infrastructure (HPCI) promoted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The system began joint operation in September 2012.(3) Excitation propagation A phenomenon in which electrical stimulus from pacemaker cells (cells that regulate the frequency of heartbeats) propagate across the entire heart.(4) Virtual reality technology Technology that can display three-dimensional data in three dimensions, thereby creating an environment in which digital objects seem to exist, and can be experienced as though they were real.(5) zSpace 200 (sold separately) A VR display sold by zSpace, Inc.(6) Fujitsu is contributing to the improvement of medical technology and understanding by enabling more efficient study of the heart and of heart disease. Because this product is intended for educational applications, it cannot be used for medical or diagnostic purposes.(7) The software reproduces the pulsation of the heart in exquisite detail. This research was conducted under the supervision of Seiryo Sugiura, former professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo.(8) Used in a lecture Fujitsu VR Heart Simulator Viewer to Be Utilized in University of Tokyo Lecture (press release, September 12, 2017)About Fujitsu LtdFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.* Please see this press release, with images, at:http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/Source: Fujitsu LtdContact:Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Gemalto Breach Level Index highlights improperly secured databases in the cloud and internal threats were the fastest growing security risks for companies

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today released the latest findings of the Breach Level Index, revealing that 2.6 billion records were stolen, lost or exposed worldwide in 2017, an 88% increase from 2016. While data breach incidents decreased by 11%, 2017 was the first year publicly disclosed breaches surpassed more than two billion compromised data records since the Breach Level Index began tracking data breaches in 2013.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180410006200/en/

Chart of Number of Breach Incidents by Type and Source (Photo: Gemalto)

To learn more about the 2017 statistics and trends, register for the upcoming webinar "New Data Breach Findings: The Year of Internal Threats and Misplaced data"

Over the past five years, nearly 10 billion records have been lost, stolen or exposed, with an average of five million records compromised every day. Of the 1,765 data breach incidents in 2017, identity theft represented the leading type of data breach, accounting for 69% of all data breaches. Malicious outsiders remained the number one cybersecurity threat last year at 72% of all breach incidents. Companies in the healthcare, financial services and retail sectors were the primary targets for breaches last year. However, government and educational institutions were not immune to cyber risks in 2017, making up 22% of all breaches.

The Breach Level Index* serves as a global database that tracks and analyzes data breaches, the type of data compromised and how it was accessed, lost or stolen. Based on data breach reports collected in the Breach Level Index, the major 2017 highlights include:

Human error a major risk management and security issue: Accidental loss, consisting of improper disposal of records, misconfigured databases and other unintended security issues, caused 1.9 billion records to be exposed. A dramatic 580% increase in the number of compromised records from 2016.

Accidental loss, consisting of improper disposal of records, misconfigured databases and other unintended security issues, caused 1.9 billion records to be exposed. A dramatic 580% increase in the number of compromised records from 2016. Identity theft is still the number one type of data breach: Identity theft was 69% of all data breach incidents. Over 600 million records were impacted resulting in a 73% increase from 2016.

Identity theft was 69% of all data breach incidents. Over 600 million records were impacted resulting in a 73% increase from 2016. Internal threats are increasing: The number of malicious insider incidents decreased slightly. However, the amount of records stolen increased to 30 million, a 117% increase from 2016.

The number of malicious insider incidents decreased slightly. However, the amount of records stolen increased to 30 million, a 117% increase from 2016. What a nuisance: The number of records breached in nuisance type attacks increased by 560% from 2016. The Breach Level Index defines a data breach as a nuisance when the compromised data includes basic information such as name, address and/or phone number. The larger ramification of this type of breach is often unknown, as hackers use this data to orchestrate other attacks.

"The manipulation of data or data integrity attacks pose an arguably more unknown threat for organizations to combat than simple data theft, as it can allow hackers to alter anything from sales numbers to intellectual property. By nature, data integrity breaches are often difficult to identify and in many cases, where this type of attack has occurred, we have yet to see the real impact," said Jason Hart, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Data Protection at Gemalto. In the event that the confidentiality, or privacy, of the data is breached, an organization must have controls, such as encryption, key management and user access management, in place to ensure that integrity of the data isn't tampered with and it can still be trusted. Regardless of any concerns around manipulation, these controls would protect the data in situ and render it useless the moment it's stolen."

Data Breaches by Type

Identity theft was the leading type of data breach, accounting for 69% of all incidents constituting 26% of breached data in 2017. The second most prevalent type of breach was access to financial data (16%). The number of lost, stolen or compromised records increased the most for nuisance type of data breaches (560%) which constituted 61% of all compromised data. Account access and existential type breaches decreased both in incidents and records from 2016.

Data Breaches by Industry

In 2017, the industries that experienced the largest number of data breach incidents were healthcare (27%), financial services (12%), education (11%) and government (11%). In terms of the amount of records lost, stolen or compromised, the most targeted sectors were government (18%), financial services (9.1%) and technology (16%).

Data Breaches by Source

Malicious outsiders were the leading source of data breaches, accounting for 72% of breaches, however making up only 23% of all compromised data. While accidental loss was the cause of 18% of data breaches, it accounted for 76% of all compromised records, an increase of 580% from 2016. Malicious insider breaches were 9% of the total number of incidents, however this breach source experienced a dramatic increase (117%) in the number of compromised or stolen records from 2016.

"Companies can mitigate the risks surrounding a breach through a 'security by design' approach, building in security protocols and architecture at the beginning," said Jason Hart, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Data Protection at Gemalto. "This will be especially important, considering in 2018 new government regulations like Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Australian Privacy Act (APA) go into effect. These regulations require companies to adapt a new mindset towards security, protecting not only their sensitive data but the privacy of the customer data they store or manage

*The Breach Level Index is a global database that tracks data breaches and measures their severity based on multiple dimensions, including the number of records compromised, the type of data, the source of the breach, how the data was used, and whether or not the data was encrypted. By assigning a severity score to each breach, the Breach Level Index provides a comparative list of breaches, distinguishing data breaches that are a not serious versus those that are truly impactful (scores run 1-10).

Breach Level Index Resources:

For a full summary of data breach incidents by industry, source, type and geographic region, download the 2017 Breach Le vel Index Re port

Download the infographic

Visit the BLI website here

Register for the webinar- New Data Breach Findings: The Year of Internal Threats and Misplaced data

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the global leader in digital security, with 2017 annual revenues of 3 billion and customers in over 180 countries. We bring trust to an increasingly connected world.

From secure software to biometrics and encryption, our technologies and services enable businesses and governments to authenticate identities and protect data so they stay safe and enable services in personal devices, connected objects, the cloud and in between.

Gemalto's solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. We authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software enabling our clients to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things.

Our 15,000 employees operate out of 114 offices, 40 personalization and data centers, and 35 research and software development centers located in 47 countries.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180410006200/en/

Contacts:

Gemalto media contacts:

Tauri Cox

North America

+1 512 257 3916

tauri.cox@gemalto.com

or

Sophie Dombres

Europe Middle East Africa

+33 4 42 36 57 38

sophie.dombres@gemalto.com

or

Jaslin Huang

Asia Pacific

+65 6317 3005

jaslin.huang@gemalto.com

or

Enriqueta Sedano

Latin America

+52 5521221422

enriqueta.sedano@gemalto.com
ZURICH-SCHLIEREN, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2018 / Molecular Partners AG (SWX: MOLN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of drugs, known as DARPin therapies*, announced today that Molecular Partners and AstraZeneca (LON: AZN) will collaborate on Molecular Partners' ongoing phase 1b/2 clinical study of MP0250 with osimertinib (Tagrisso) for the treatment of patients with EGFR-mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) pre-treated with osimertinib. Under the collaboration, AstraZeneca will supply osimertinib (Tagrisso) required for the clinical study. The clinical study is planned to enroll approx. 40 patients and is taking place in the United States.

"We are delighted to welcome AstraZeneca as collaboration partner for our second phase 2 study of MP0250. This underlines the growing interest in MP0250 and nicely documents the potential value of MP0250 in EGFR-mutated NSCLC," said Dr. Andreas Harstrick, Chief Medical Officer at

Molecular Partners.

MP0250 offers the possibility of targeting two main tumor escape pathways by blocking both hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) simultaneously while continued treatment with osimertinib suppresses EGFR-mutated NSCLC tumor cells.

Osimertinib is a third generation, irreversible EGFR-TKI designed to inhibit both EGFR-sensitising and EGFR T790M-resistance mutations, with clinical activity against CNS metastases, which demonstrated significant benefit in untreated EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients in a global phase 3 trial last year. Osimertinib is currently marketed globally, as Tagrisso, for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic EGFR T790M NSCLC.

The clinical study consists of two parts: the dose-escalation phase (Part A), to establish a safe recommended dose for MP0250 in combination with osimertinib. In the subsequent treatment expansion phase (Part B), patients will be further evaluated for efficacy and safety.

Financial Calendar

April 18, 2018 - Annual General Meeting

April 26, 2018 - Q1 2018 Management Statement

August 30, 2018 - Publication of 2018 Half-year Results

November 01, 2018 - Q3 2018 Management Statement

http://investors.molecularpartners.com/financial-calendar-and-events/

About the DARPin Difference

DARPin therapeutics are a new class of protein therapeutics opening an extra dimension of multi-specificity and multi-functionality. DARPin candidates are potent, specific, safe and very versatile. They can engage more than five targets at once, offering potential benefits over those offered by conventional monoclonal antibodies or other currently available protein therapeutics.

The DARPin technology is a fast and cost-effective drug discovery engine, producing drug candidates with ideal properties for development and very high production yields.

With their good safety profile, low immunogenicity and long half-life in the bloodstream and the eye, DARPin therapies have the potential to advance modern medicine and significantly improve the treatment of serious diseases, including cancer and sight-threatening disorders. Molecular Partners is partnering with Allergan to advance clinical programs in ophthalmology and is advancing a proprietary pipeline of DARPin drug candidates in oncology. The most advanced global product candidate is abicipar, a molecule currently in phase 3, in partnership with Allergan. Several DARPin molecules for various ophthalmic indications are also in development. The most advanced systemic DARPin molecule, MP0250, is in phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of solid tumors and hematological tumors. MP0274, the second-most advanced DARPin drug candidate in oncology, has broad anti-HER activity; it inhibits HER1, HER2, and HER3-mediated downstream signaling via Her2, leading to induction of apoptosis. MP0274 is currently in phase 1. Molecular Partners is also advancing a growing preclinical pipeline that features several immuno-oncological development programs. DARPin is a registered trademark owned by Molecular Partners AG.

About Molecular Partners AG

Molecular Partners AG is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of therapies known as DARPin therapies. With a management team that includes many of the founding scientists, the company continues to attract talented individuals who share the passion to develop breakthrough medicines for serious diseases. Molecular Partners has compounds in various stages of clinical and preclinical development and several more in the research stage, with a current focus on ophthalmology and oncology. The company establishes research and development partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies and is backed by established biotech investors.

For more information regarding Molecular Partners AG, go to www.molecularpartners.com.

For further details, please contact:

Dr. Patrick Amstutz, CEO

patrick.amstutz@molecularpartners.com

Tel: +41 (0) 44 755 77 00

Andreas.Emmenegger, CFO

andreas.emmenegger@molecularpartners.com

Tel: +41 (0) 44 755 77 00

Rolf Schlapfer

Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors

rolf.schlaepfer@konsulenten.ch

Tel: +41 (0) 43 344 42 42

Susan A. Noonan

S.A. Noonan Communications, LLC

susan@sanoonan.com

Tel: +1 212 966 3650

* DARPin is a registered trademark owned by Molecular Partners AG

Disclaimer

This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Molecular Partners AG. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements and assessments or intentions concerning the company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, assessments or intentions.

SOURCE: Molecular Partners AG
ADC Therapeutics (ADCT), an oncology drug discovery and development company that specializes in the development of proprietary Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) targeting major cancers, today announced its presence at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) taking place April 14-18, 2018 in Chicago, USA. Two poster presentations will highlight strong preclinical data for its two new investigational programs ADCT-601 targeting AXL and ADCT-701 targeting DLK-1. In addition, Dr. Jaewoong Lee, of The Beckman Institute of the City of Hope will make an oral presentation on novel preclinical data for ADCT-301 targeting CD25.

"Our two new investigational programs show compelling efficacy and safety in preclinical studies," said Dr. Jay Feingold, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at ADCT. "These results provide an important step to advance ADCT-601 and ADCT-701 into the clinic and enlarge our pipeline of PBD-based ADCs in multiple ongoing clinical trials for the treatment of both solid and hematological cancers."

Poster titles and highlights of the data that will be presented are available on the AACR conference website at www.aacr.org and include the following:

ADCT-701, a novel pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer-based antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting DLK1-expressing tumors Abstract #744, April 15, 1:00 pm 5:00 pm CT

ADCT-701 is an ADC composed of a humanized IgG1 antibody against human DLK1, site-specifically conjugated using GlycoConnectTM technology to PL1601, which contains a valine-alanine cleavable linker and the PBD dimer cytotoxin SG3199.

ADCT-701 demonstrated potent and specific in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity in DLK1-expressing cancer-derived models and it was stable and well tolerated in rats.

Preclinical activity of ADCT-601, a novel pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer-based antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting AXL-expressing tumors Abstract #2792A, April 16, 1:00 pm 5:00 pm CT

ADCT-601 is an ADC composed of a humanized IgG1 antibody against human AXL, site-specifically conjugated using GlycoConnectTM technology to PL1601, which contains a valine-alanine cleavable linker and the PBD dimer cytotoxin SG3199.

ADCT-601 demonstrated potent and specific in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity in various cancer-derived models with different levels of membranous AXL, and it was stable and well tolerated in rats.

CD25 enables oncogenic BCR- and TCR-signaling and represents a therapeutic target in lymphoblastic malignancies Abstract #2983, April 16, 2018, 4:05 PM 4:20 PM

Novel data identifies CD25 as a previously unrecognized feedback regulator of oncogenic B/TCR-signaling supporting CD25 as a therapeutic target in refractory lymphoid malignancies.

ADCT-301 demonstrated durable remissions in patient-derived Ph+ ALL cells PDX models

About ADC Therapeutics

ADC Therapeutics SA (ADCT) is an oncology drug discovery and development company that specializes in the development of proprietary antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting major hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The Company's ADCs are highly targeted biopharmaceutical drugs that combine monoclonal antibodies specific to surface antigens present on particular tumor cells with a novel class of highly potent pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) based warheads via a chemical linker. The Company has multiple PBD-based antibody drug conjugates in ongoing clinical trials in the USA and Europe, and a deep pipeline of other preclinical ADCs in development. ADCT enjoys strong relationships with world class partners, including AstraZeneca and its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune. The Company is based in Lausanne (Biopole), Switzerland and has operations in London, San Francisco and New Jersey. www.adctherapeutics.com).

Additional features:

Document: http://n.eqs.com/c/fncls.ssp?u=GMUTCBHXTK

Document title: ADCT_PR_AACR_20180410

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180410006792/en/

Contacts:

Dr. Chris Martin, +41 (0) 21 653 0200

Chief Executive Officer

chris.martin@adctherapeutics.com

or

Dynamics Group

Alexandre Muller, +41 (0) 43 268 3231

amu@dynamicsgroup.ch
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Hammerson Plc. (HMSO.L) said that it rejected revised buyout proposal of 635 pence per Hammerson share from Klepierre saying that the proposal is significantly undervalue the company. The proposal comprised of 50% in new Klepierre shares and 50% in cash. Hammerson noted that the revised Proposal represents only a marginal increase to Klepierre's unsolicited proposal of 615 pence made on 8 March 2018, which Hammerson's Board unanimously rejected on the basis that it very significantly undervalued Hammerson, its track record of delivery, the quality of its portfolio, its market positions, and the opportunities it has for future value creation. Accordingly, the Board of Hammerson believes it is not at a price that justifies further engagement with Klepierre and has unanimously rejected it. The Board remains open to discuss any proposal from Klepierre which properly reflects the value of the Company. Shareholders are strongly advised to take no action. David Tyler, Chairman of Hammerson, said, 'The Board has considered the revised proposal from Klepierre carefully. At 635p, it is only a 3% increase on the previous proposal and continues very significantly to undervalue the company.' As per the U.K. rule, Klepierre is required, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on 16 April 2018, to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Hammerson or announce that it does not intend to make an offer. This deadline can be extended with the consent of the Panel. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BRUSSELS, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

New initiative seeks to reward innovation and boost smart development of tourism in the European Cities

On the initiative of the European Parliament, today the European Commission launches the European Capital of Smart Tourism to recognise outstanding achievements in smart, innovative, sustainable and inclusive tourism by European cities.

The initiative aims to promote the smart tourism offer and showcase innovative, inclusive, culturally diverse and sustainable practices to tourism development by European cities.

Tourism is the EU's third largest socio-economic activity - it represents almost 10% of EU GDP and supports 25 million jobs. By rewarding exemplary practices of smart tourism, the European Union seeks to encourage innovation at the level of tourism destinations, culturally diverse and inclusive tourism offers and highlight the multi-faceted contribution of tourism to sustainable development.

Two European cities that demonstrate innovation, creativity and excellence in four categories - accessibility, sustainability, digitalisation, cultural heritage and creativity - will be awarded the title of European Capital of Smart Tourism 2019.

Winners of the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2019 will receive expert communication and branding support for a year, a marketing video, a purpose-built sculpture for their city centre, and tailor-made promotional actions.

In addition, four European cities will receive thematic European Smart Tourism Awards for their outstanding achievements in the categories listed above.

The awarded achievements will be presented in a special exhibition on the occasion of a prestigious Award Ceremony in Brussels on 7 November 2018, organised on the European Tourism Day.

Notes to Editors

Smart tourism responds to new challenges and demands in a fast-changing sector, including the expectation of digital information, products and services; equal opportunities and access for all visitors; sustainable development of the local area; and support to creative industries and local talent. The competition opens on 11 April 2018 . Details on how to apply and terms and conditions can be found at http://www.SmartTourismCapital.eu. The deadline for applications is 30 June 2018 at 16:00 CET . Finalists will be announced mid-August 2018 and winners in the second half of September. The competition is open to cities in the EU with a population of over 100,000. In countries where no city has more than 100,000 inhabitants, the largest city is eligible to apply. Please refer to the Guide for Applicants for more information. Eligible applications will be evaluated against a set of established assessment criteria by a panel of independent experts. The panel will shortlist up to 10 cities which will be invited to Brussels to present their candidature for the Capital title in front of a European Jury during September 2018 . The Jury will select two European Capitals of Smart Tourism 2019.



Press Contact:

Sandra Bumbar-Malchow

info@SmartTourismCapital.eu

+49(0)30-700-186-707


AMSTERDAM, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Responsible Mining Index 2018, covering companies that produce 25% of all mined commodities globally, is launched in Geneva, Switzerland today.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664985/RMI_Analytical_Framework.jpg )

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664986/RMI_World_Map.jpg )

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664987/RMI_Scope_of_Companies.jpg )

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664988/RMI_Overall_Results.jpg )



Among the key findings are:

The vast majority of the assessed mining companies show responsible policies or practices on several economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) issues. However, very few companies show systematic action across a range of key issues. Little or no action is found even on some issues on which companies would be expected to act, such as monitoring the impacts of mining on children, tracking whether community grievances are being dealt with appropriately, or checking that workers' wages meet or exceed living wage standards. Too often, companies have not put into practice some of their own policy commitments on responsible mining, such as on the management of human rights issues.

Importantly, few companies keep track of how effectively they are managing EESG issues and fewer still can demonstrate that they are working to improve their performance. At the same time however, companies are collectively demonstrating responsible mining across many issues and strong cases of leading practice are evident, providing valuable models for other companies.

More widespread adoption of existing practices could see the mining industry go some way to meeting society's expectations.

The Responsible Mining Index 2018 aims to encourage continuous improvement in responsible mining and support leading practice and learning. The Index, which is independent of the industry, covers 30 large-scale mining companies that together represent a quarter of the global production of mined commodities and operate over 700 mines in more than 40 countries.

The Responsible Mining Index 2018 is the first of a multi-year initiative by the Responsible Mining Foundation. The Index assesses and compares company policies and practices across six different EESG areas: economic development, business conduct, lifecycle management, community wellbeing, working conditions and environmental responsibility. As an evidence-based assessment, the Index measures the extent to which companies can demonstrate, rather than simply claim, that they have established responsible policies and practices. In order to support transparency and open data principles, the RMI results, and the information sources used in the assessment, are provided free as a public good.

The Index results show that responsible mining is a realistic goal - it can be done. If a single company were to achieve the highest score recorded for each indicator, it would reach more than 70% of the maximum achievable score. The results also reveal a wide range of companies demonstrating responsible practice on particular issues. Indeed, some 19 of the 30 companies rank among the ten strongest performers for at least one thematic area of the Index. And leading practices are found even on issues for which performances are generally, weak, such as addressing the needs of vulnerable groups in mining-affected communities. These results all point to the strong potential for continuous improvement based on existing practices already demonstrated by a number of different companies.

On the other hand, the results show some marked limitations in current practice. Companies tend to put in place policy commitments without always backing these up with systematic, effective company-wide action. This is seen even for topics where commitments are common and commonly expected, such as human rights and occupational health and safety. Further, the scale and persistence of severe adverse impacts is at odds with the widespread existence of such commitments. For example, worker fatalities and violations of human rights are among the most frequent adverse impacts found in the RMI analysis. In the face of such evidence, strong company commitments are sometimes not matched by company actions, which clearly need to be more effective.

Companies typically show a lack of systematic attention to monitoring their performance on EESG issues and reporting their performance to other stakeholders, including mining-affected communities. This lack of 'knowing and showing' their own performance is most evident at the mine-site level. The vast majority of the 127 sites assessed provide little or no data on key issues of direct interest to local communities, workers and other stakeholders. This includes information on how a site is managing local employment, local procurement, grievance, water use and biodiversity impacts. Without open sharing of such data, it is very difficult for companies to build trust with local communities. Nonetheless a few companies and a few sites are showing the way by putting into practice open data principles to ensure the information reported is easily accessed, understood and used by local communities.

A lack of public reporting is most likely one of the main factors limiting company scores in the Index. Performances might be considerably higher if companies were more transparent about their management of EESG issues. Greater openness would also enable more learning and sharing of good practices.

Helene Piaget, Chief Executive Officer of the Responsible Mining Foundation said: "With the launch of the Responsible Mining Index 2018, we aimed to create a strong knowledge base that is open to all, and encourages leading practice and learning across the mining industry. We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to support responsible mining, and encourage constructive dialogue between companies and stakeholders - whether they be communities that neighbour mining operations or large institutional investors."

For more information, please visit: www.responsibleminingindex.org

THE RESPONSIBLE MINING FOUNDATION

The Responsible Mining Foundation supports the principle that mining should benefit the economies, improve the lives of peoples, and respect the environments of producing countries, particularly in some of the world's poorest regions, while also benefitting mining companies in a fair and viable way.

RMF defines responsible mining as mining that demonstrably respects and protects the interests of peoples and the environment, and contributes discernibly and fairly to broad economic development of the producing country.

The goal of the Responsible Mining Foundation is to encourage continuous improvement in responsible mining by large-scale minerals and metals mining companies (LSM) across a range of economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) issues. In support of this goal, the Foundation focuses on research, stakeholder engagement, and the transparent publication of methodologies, results and related data, based on open data principles.

The Foundation approaches its work and research from the perspective of what society at large can reasonably expect from mining companies on economic, environmental, social and governance matters.

THE RMI 2018 REPORT

The RMI 2018 report, which is attached to the covering email, is a high-level summary of the research and findings. More detailed results on the assessed companies and mine sites, together with a library of some 2000 documents used in the assessment, can be viewed and downloaded on the RMI website from the launch day (April 11, 2018).

ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

A graphic showing the analytical framework is attached to the covering email.

The six thematic areas comprise 73 individual indicators, distributed among three measurement areas:

Commitment indicators assess the extent to which companies have: (i) formalised their commitments on particular issues; (ii) assigned responsibilities and accountabilities for the implementation of these commitments; and (iii) provided resources and staffing to operationalise the commitments;

indicators assess the extent to which companies have: (i) formalised their commitments on particular issues; (ii) assigned responsibilities and accountabilities for the implementation of these commitments; and (iii) provided resources and staffing to operationalise the commitments; Action indicators assess the extent to which companies have developed systematic approaches to address particular issues and disclose key aspects of their activities;

indicators assess the extent to which companies have developed systematic approaches to address particular issues and disclose key aspects of their activities; Effectiveness indicators assess the extent to which companies track, and report on, their performance in managing particular issues and demonstrate continuous improvement on these issues.

In addition, six mine-site level indicators were used to assess the selected 127 mine sites on local procurement, local employment, community grievance mechanisms, workers' grievance mechanisms, water quality and quantity management, and biodiversity management.

SCORING

Company results are presented in relation to: (1) the maximum achievable score (of 6); and (2) the current best practice by all assessed companies, taken together. The value of the current best practice benchmark is the sum of the best scores achieved for all indicators, taking into account all companies' results.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF RMI

When reviewing the RMI results, it is important to bear in mind that:

The RMI assessment is evidence-based. This means that companies need to be able to demonstrate that they have policies and practices in place to address the topics covered by the Index. For companies showing weak results across the thematic scope of the Index, very little evidence has been found. For this reason, low scores may be a reflection of the level of public reporting of a company's policies and practices.

The RMI results provide a snapshot, showing the status of relevant policies and practices at the time of the assessment (mid-2017), based on the most up-to-date information available at the time.

The RMI assessment criteria are largely qualitative. This means that very small differences in company scores should not be viewed as significant, given the potential for some margin of error, notwithstanding the careful development of assessment criteria during the analysis of results.

LIMITATIONS OF RMI
EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Allan-Robb Campus is designed to house Quotient's manufacturing, research & development and management

Quotient today announced the official opening of its state-of-the-art Allan-Robb Campus within the Scottish Enterprise Biocampus just outside of Edinburgh.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/665275/Quotient_Allan_Robb_Campus.jpg )



Franz Walt, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Quotient, said, "Along with research & development and management, the Allan-Robb Campus will house our reagent manufacturing operations and will provide further capacity to supply the reagent requirements for our MosaiQ' system."

Paul Cowan, Founder of Quotient, added, "The inauguration of the Allan-Robb Campus testifies to Quotient's long-term commitment to the global transfusion diagnostics market, both through the on-going supply of liquid reagents and through its transformational MosaiQ' transfusion diagnostics system that provides a comprehensive automated testing solution, thereby increasing laboratory efficiencies and improving patient outcomes."

The Allan-Robb Campus

Today's inauguration marks the completion of the construction phase of the GBP 29-million manufacturing facility that started in 2016. The Allan-Robb Campus is named after John Allan and Gordon Robb, two senior executives who have been key in building Quotient into a global company from its roots as a unit of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service supplying immunohematology reagents to the Scottish NHS. The new facility comprises 85,000 square feet of space, compared with its previous 22,000 square feet at a close-by location.

The Allan-Robb Campus brings together onto one site Quotient's Edinburgh team that had previously been spread over four locations. The new facility now also houses Quotient's scientific research team working on developing Quotient's products and accessing new markets. In 2017, the team secured 17 new product licence approvals from the FDA for sale in the USA. In addition, the Allan-Robb Campus will provide laboratory and office space for a team of about 50 scientists working with other group companies on the development of the MosaiQ' system.

About Quotient

Established in 2007, Quotient is a commercial-stage diagnostics company committed to reducing healthcare costs and improving patient care through the provision of innovative tests for blood grouping and serological disease screening, commonly known as transfusion diagnostics. Quotient achieved revenues of 15.2 million for the year ending 31 March 2017. With some 400 employees, Quotient today operates in: Edinburgh, Scotland; Eysins, Switzerland; and Newtown (PA) and Chapel Hill (NC), United States.

About the MosaiQ Transfusion Diagnostic System

Built on Quotient's proprietary next-generation technology platform, the MosaiQ system has been designed to deliver fast, comprehensive antigen typing, antibody detection and disease screening results. It uses a single low-volume sample on a high-throughput automated platform. The MosaiQ system, which is not yet available on the market, represents a transformative and highly disruptive unified testing platform for transfusion diagnostics.

Once the MosaiQ system has been launched, Quotient expects to deliver substantial value to donor-testing laboratories worldwide by providing affordable, routine comprehensive characterisation and screening of blood products, on a single automated instrument platform designed to increase lab efficiencies and to improve patient outcomes. Once launched, MosaiQ is expected to extend Quotient's product range significantly and lead to the company's further growth in 2018 and beyond.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with incumbent and incoming members of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), who gathered in Boao, Hainan Province, for the BFA annual conference.





Xi hailed the important role played by BFA in building consensus, encouraging cooperation and building a community with a shared future in Asia since the BFA's inception 17 years ago.

Established after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the BFA reflects the consensus of Asian countries to make joint efforts to cope with challenges, and accords with the need for integrated development of the regional economy, Xi told the members.

Attendees at the conference recognized the necessity of following the trend of our times and promoting reform and innovation as the world undergoes a new round of development and profound readjustment, according to the president.

In the face of challenges posed by a lack of impetus in economic growth and trade protectionism, attendees believe the principles of opening up, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation should be upheld, and concerted efforts should be made to create a better future for both Asia and the world.

Politicians of all countries should make plans for their future generations and the long-term development, Xi said.

The BFA conference runs from April 8 to 11 in Boao, a town in south China's island province of Hainan, and is themed "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."
WARSAW, Poland, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Innovative eHealth system for fighting breast cancer to be available in the Netherlands from April 2018.

Offering an eHealth solution that helps women and their families prevent the devastating effects of breast cancer, MedTech company Braster is set to go on sale in the Netherlands. Women can examine their breasts at home, then wait whilst Artificial Intelligence algorithms do their job and send back the results. Doctors say that this is a complementary examination to regular mammography or breast ultrasound scans.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660610/Braster_System.jpg )



With an estimated 1.7 million new cases diagnosed every year, breast cancer is the single most frequent cancer among women and The World Health Organization predicts the number may double by 2035.

The key to successfully treating the disease is the early diagnosis. If breast cancer is caught at its first stage (no metastasis), the chances of recovery are close to 100%. Unfortunately, despite free screening programs and educational campaigns, breast cancer is far too often detected only in a developed stage. This is where Braster sees itself playing a vital role: providing women with an easy, safe, painless and reliable method of performing monthly breast self-examinations.

Braster's solution consists of a high-tech consumer device, a user-friendly mobile application (for iPhone or Android powered phones) and AI algorithms to analyse the examinations. Those are backed by a telemedical centre with medical experts.

Doctors see Braster as a useful adjunct to standard diagnostic methods currently used in clinical practice. Because it can be used at home, women can monitor their breasts from month to month and consult a doctor as soon as the system detects a suspicious change. The doctor then decides on whether further diagnostic procedures are required.

Observational studies on 1500 women bear out the method's effectiveness. Braster has the European Conformity (CE) mark and is in the process of attaining FDA clearance.

The Braster device was designed by Pezy Group, a Dutch company that creates design solutions for global brands such as Philips and Unilever. It won the Inspiration & Innovation Award 2017at the High Tech Platform Year Congress in Eindhoven.

Braster's telemedical solution is available in Netherlands and Poland. The company plans to introduce it to the USA, the UK and other Western Europe countries, GCC, China, India and Japan.

Name: Marcin Halicki

Telephone: +48-601-250-987

E-mail address: m.halicki@braster.eu

Name: Konrad Kowalczuk

Telephone: +48-602-787-275

E-mail address: k.kowalczuk@braster.eu
LONDON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Fierce. Feminist. Fabulous

Independent publisher Panoma Press has marked the first day of London Book Fair with the unveiling of its exciting new female-only imprint 'Lioness', promising to help empower more female writers from all walks of life.

Lioness has one clear mission, to make a change through the ideas and words of its female authors. Filling the world with their passions, authors will explore some of the most vibrant and urgent issues on the planet, including social justice, sexual abuse (MeToo), gender and racial equality, spirituality, sexuality, climate change, politics, and much more. This inspiring collection of books will include practical guides, memoirs, and new ways of thinking about the issues that are most important to women of the world. It is a collection from women who ROAR!

Mindy Gibbins-Klein is the owner of independent publishing company Panoma Press, which launched back in 2007 and has been publishing books every year since, many of which have become category bestsellers. Panoma Press is proud to announce Lioness and are delighted to welcome Elana Sztokman to run this new venture. The list will comprise a collection of books written for and by women and will be managed by Elana Sztokman, an award-winning author, and leading Jewish feminist, thinker, educator and activist.

Having authored or co-authored eight books and over one hundred articles, Mindy is acutely aware of the opportunity that publishing provides for women to stand up, express their views, share their experience and be heard. Whilst she has always ensured that Panoma Press provided the perfect outlet for women to publish their books, she felt the time was right to create a specialist imprint with a sole focus on female empowerment.

"We have always believed that everyone should have the opportunity to create a legacy through a book, because it is the most personal, private and thoughtful gift anyone can give to the world. Lioness has been created to help channel even more energy into female writers, who are still in the minority. We plan to share the work of some of the most inspiring, innovative and thought-provoking females on the planet, who have some really amazing stories to tell," explains Mindy and Elana.

Lioness is preparing to unveil its first book release tomorrow on 11th April 2018 Masala Mamas: Recipes and stories from Indian women changing their communities through food and love, a full colour vegetarian and kosher cookbook by 16 women who live in the Kalwa slum in Mumbai, India. More details will be released tomorrow.

For more information, visit http://www.panomapress.com/lioness

For press enquiries, interviews or images please contact the Panoma Press PR Team on +44(0)845-094-9658 or email media@panomapress.com
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks pulled back on Wednesday as the rising risk of a real war in Syria kept investors nervous. Russia has threatened to shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at neighboring Syria if the U.S. decides to strike Syrian bases in response to a chemical attack. The benchmark DAX was down 37 points or 0.30 percent at 12,360 in opening deals after rallying 1.1 percent the previous day. Volkswagen rose half a percent. Media reports suggest that the automaker's supervisory board will likely vote on Friday to replace Chief Executive Matthias Muller with VW brand chief and former BMW AG executive Herbert Diess. Evotec jumped over 2 percent after it announced a strategic collaboration with Petra Pharma Corp. Deutsche Telekom soared 4 percent after reports that Sprint and T-Mobile have decided to restart talks to merge. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Capella Sanya opens in the last quarter of 2018

SINGAPORE, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Capella Hotel Group together with leading Chinese developer China Gezhouba Group Real Estate, announce the opening of Capella Sanya in the last quarter of 2018.Located along the coastline of Blessed Bay on Hainan Island, Capella Sanya is the new luxury landmark offering 190 elegantly appointed rooms, suites and villas across 13.8 hectares of tropical paradise.

Offering panoramic views of the South China Sea, Capella Sanya is a collaborative art piece by two of the world's most celebrated designers:Jean-Michel Gathy and Bill Bensley.With their combined creative genius, Capella Sanya is a showcase of spectacular luxurious hospitality, landscape design and recreational facilities.Inspired by a Chinese trader's adventures along The Silk Road, Capella Sanya encapsulates the rich culture and heritage of ethnic communities along this historic trade route.

The legend of Blessed Bay dates back to about 600 years ago, when a group of Persian traders arrived in China.On their way home, they were pounded by typhoon at sea.The survivors floated to an unknown bay, where they rallied their way home and made a good fortune eventually.In honor of their experience and blessings, they named the bay "Blessed Bay" (Tufu Bay in Chinese).

"We are grateful for the opportunity to introduce the Capella Experience to China's leading resort destination.Capella Sanya will exemplify the winning attributes of the world's fifth best hotel brand, as voted by readers of Travel + Leisure," said Mr. Nicholas M. Clayton, Chief Executive Officer of Capella Hotel Group.

"Capella Sanya will be the new benchmark for China's luxury beach resorts.Our pursuit of excellence in real estate development is complemented by Capella Hotel Group's expertise in creating exceptional guest experiences," said Mr. He Jingang, Chairman of China Gezhouba Real Estate.

Capella Sanya features 190 of the island's most luxurious rooms, suites and villas.Elegantly appointed accommodation choices include executive suites, 2- to 4-bedroom villas and a Presidential Suite within the Manor House, as well as five low-rise Mansions for an elevated sense of residential experience.

Careful consideration was given to the needs of diverse clientele like honeymooners, extended families and incentive group travelers.To cater to their discerning palates, six distinctive dining concepts differentiate the culinary experience including a signature restaurant, authentic Chinese, a stylish Noodle Bar and Lobby Lounge.A wellness sanctuary offering unique and innovative treatments like the Moroccan Hammam and "Snow Cabin" complete the Capella Sanya experience.

For more information on Capella Sanya, please visit www.capellasanya.com

About Capella Hotel Group

Capella Hotel Group, headquartered in Singapore with offices in China, Europe and USA, offers global hospitality management services through two distinct brands.Capella Hotels and Resorts is an ultra-luxury hotel, resort, and residential concept designed for the most discerning travelers and offering personalized attention with locations in Dusseldorf, Saint Lucia, Shanghai and Singapore as well as hotels planned for Ubud, Bangkok, Maldives and Sydney.Solis Hotels and Resorts, is an exclusive collection of resorts, hotels and residences designed for travelers and meeting planners who seek an environment with a global palette of cosmopolitan comfort, inspiring cuisine, world-class spas with locations in Donegal, Ireland; Nanjing, China and Atlanta, USA along with hotels planned for Bali and Guangzhou.Learn more at www.capellahotelgroup.com

About China Gezhouba Group Real Estate Development Co., Ltd

China Gezhouba Group Real Estate is under the China Gezhouba Group Co. Ltd. It is the pioneer in real estate developments and is one of the first State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) identified 16 real estate companies. It is a large state-owned firm with assets in hydro-power generation, infrastructure and real estate. The company is active in both domestic and overseas markets.Learn more at http://en.gzbfdc.com/

For media enquiries, please contact:

Joleena Seah

Director, Marketing & Communications

Capella Hotel Group

Telephone: +65-6887-9835

Email: joleena.seah@capellahotelgroup.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/663536/CAPELLA_Sanya_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/663537/Capella_Sanya_Arrival_experience_at_the_Lobby.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/663538/Capella_Sanya_The_Romance_Lawn.jpg
HAMBURG, Germany, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Colorectal cancer patients in Germany insured by BARMER are now covered for the OncoBEAM RAS CRC IVD Test, an innovative liquid biopsy diagnostic that delivers a comprehensive evaluation of RAS mutations from a single tube of blood. This reimbursement option marks an important milestone in the modernization of oncology care, granting patients access to critical information for timely selection of the most appropriate therapy.

Diagnostic options for cancer therapy

Until recently, therapy selection for cancer patients was based exclusively on standard-of-care tissue analysis. However, various shortcomings exist for this practice, most critically the inability of a single tissue biopsy obtained from a single location to capture the full picture of a dynamic, heterogeneous disease that affects multiple sites. To overcome these limitations, OncoBEAM RAS CRC testing uses state-of-the-art liquid biopsy technology to determine current mutational status for advanced colorectal cancer patients. By analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) present in the blood stream, the OncoBEAM RAS CRC test provides more complete genetic information while reducing the need for traditional invasive biopsy procedures.

Precision therapy through liquid biopsy

Establishment of clinical evidence has increasingly supported the use of ctDNA analysis for important medical decision-making, such as selection of targeted therapies. In addition to providing a more complete genomic picture while avoiding the inherent surgical risks of tissue biopsy, Sysmex Inostics' OncoBEAM' RAS CRC IVD test exhibits high sensitivity for the accurate detection of resistance mutations which emerge over the course of treatment. The test is currently being explored in clinical investigations to determine utility for patient monitoring.

Innovative cancer diagnostics take center stage

In 2017, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) awarded Dr. Bert Vogelstein of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, as well as Professor Hartmut Juhl, M.D., CEO of Indivumed GmbH in Hamburg, Germany, the AACR Team Science Award for the translation of research discoveries into the oncology clinic. The principle of liquid biopsy, which established the foundation for OncoBEAM technology, originated from scientific collaboration between Vogelstein and Juhl.

"The first global reimbursement for innovative diagnostics for colon cancer patients demonstrates that Germany can be a front-runner in terms of granting access to innovative diagnostic processes," says Juhl. Professor Jan Kramer, M.D., Clinical Manger of the LADR central laboratory, which is certified as an OncoBEAM Center of Excellence, adds, "In the context of routine care, we are delighted to be able to contribute to a significant innovation in patient care through the national logistical availability with our partner company, Intermed, and our accredited laboratory."

Dr. Mani Rafii, Board Member at BARMER, says: "For the use of the new BEAMing technology, it's important to us that the method delivers the highest sensitivity and reliability and is used by specialists with significant experience using it." Frank Liedtke, national CEO of BARMER in Hamburg, further emphasizes the role of insurers in today's healthcare system: "As a health insurer, it is crucial to us that, especially in such a serious condition such as colon cancer, we facilitate personalized therapy with the latest methods and use the innovations from cancer research as soon as possible for the benefit of our patients."

About OncoBEAM'

Sysmex Inostics' highly sensitive OncoBEAM' assays allow for molecular genetic analysis of cell-free tumor DNA from blood or plasma, delivering an individualized approach to complement treatment decision-making in oncology. Based on the highly sensitivity BEAMing technology developed at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, OncoBEAM' testing is able to provide multiplex hotspot mutation analysis for the accurate and reliable detection of rare mutant molecules of tumor DNA from blood samples of patients with cancer. Due to its minimal-invasive nature, OncoBEAM' delivers new possibilities for cancer management while minimizing costs and risks inherent with tissue biopsies. The OncoBEAM' assays target a wide variety of clinically actionable genetic mutations in various cancers like melanoma, colorectal, breast and lung cancer, delivering information in real-time to support therapy selection, detection of emergent mutations and assessment of drug response. In the US, OncoBEAM' tests are available as GCP and CLIA services. OncoBEAM' RAS CRC CE IVD kit is available in EU.

About Sysmex Inostics

Sysmex Inostics, a subsidiary of Sysmex Corporation, is a molecular diagnostic company whose core competency is mutation detection utilizing highly sensitive technologies such as BEAMing and a proprietary Plasma-Sequencing approach. Sysmex Inostics is a trusted partner to leading pharmaceutical companies, advancing their efforts to bring the most effective personalized cancer therapies to global markets.

With BEAMing being one of the most sensitive technologies available today for the detection of tumor specific somatic mutations in blood samples, Sysmex Inostics' OncoBEAM' services are readily available to support clinical trials and research in oncology. Furthermore, Sysmex companion diagnostics (CDx) team offers services for the development of non-invasive cell-free DNA-based IVD tests supported by a growing network of partners to cover the entire IVD development process. In addition, OncoBEAM' tests are available through a CLIA certified laboratory for routine clinical analysis.

Sysmex Inostics' headquarters and GCP Service Laboratory are located in Hamburg Germany; Sysmex Inostics' CLIA certified and GCP Clinical Laboratory is located in Baltimore, Maryland; Sysmex Inostics' Commercial Offices are located in Mundelein, IL. For more information on OncoBEAM' blood testing and the BEAMing technology refer to www.sysmex-inostics.com or email info@sysmex-inostics.com

Contact:

Sysmex Inostics

Press Release

Phone: +49-(0)-40-3259070

Mail: info@sysmex-Inostics.com
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. shares were marginally lower on Wednesday, with concerns over rising tensions in Syria and weak industrial output data weighing on markets. Russia has threatened to shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at neighboring Syria if the U.S. decides to strike Syrian bases in response to a chemical attack The benchmark FTSE 100 was down about 0.1 percent at 7,261 in late opening deals after rallying 1 percent in the previous session. easyJet shares declined half a percent. The low-cost airline said that it had submitted a revised expression of interest for a restructured Alitalia, together as part of a consortium, consistent with its existing strategy for Italy. Grocer Tesco jumped almost 6 percent after its operating profits in the last three months of its financial year rose 28 percent. On the data front, U.K. industrial production grew at a slower pace on weak mining and manufacturing output in February, the Office for National Statistics said. Industrial output edged up 0.1 percent month-on-month in February, compared to January's 1.3 percent increase. Production was expected to climb 0.4 percent. Another report showed that the U.K. trade deficit narrowed more-than-expected to -0.97bn in February. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
FELTON, California, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global Armored Vehicle Market is projected to reach USD 26.79 billion by 2022, Armored vehicles are protected by very strong armor and generally armed with robust weapons which combine defensive, tactical offensive and operation mobility capabilities which can be tracked easily. The key drivers for global armor vehicle market are rapid demand of armored vehicles in developing nation, viable conflicts in global scenario, preeminent importance given to homeland securities and growing conflicts within several nations. This market was at its peak during 2007-2012 when US government was battling terrorism against Iraq and Afghanistan. The top-notch priority at this point of time is given to the soldiers guarding our country and to protect them from the severe mine attacks, special kind of vehicles were introduced such as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs). Till 2012, over 42000 vehicles were produced.

Defense sector is contributing towards the major market share in this industry. Two regions i.e. Europe and US contributes majorly towards the armored vehicle market as they are developed nations. The key players in the global armored vehicle market are Oshkosh Defense, BAE Systems, Rheinmetall and Navistar, and most of them are from Europe and US. The major challenge for this industry is that it is majorly dependent on the defense sector. The demand for armored vehicle is increasing in Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East region due to the continuous tension with their neighboring countries, recent economic booms and internal threat from rebels in this region. In April 2015, BAE Systems enforced Active Damping system upgrade to CV90 combat automobile which expanded its agility by condensing the automobile's pitch acceleration by approximately 40.0 %. In December 2014, the company also declared that U.S. army has awarded armored multi-purpose vehicle contract of worth up to USD 1.2 billion.

The armor vehicle from post-world war till date are tanks, flame tank, infantry tank, cruiser tank, armored car, aerosani, scout car, reconnaissance vehicle, mortrar carrier, multiple rocket launcher, internal security vehicle, improvised fighting vehicle, troop carriers, armored personnel carrier, infantry fighting vehicle, infantry mobility vehicle, main battle tank, tankette, super-heavy tank, air defense vehicles, self-propelled artillery, amphibious vehicle, armoured engineering vehicle, assault breacher vehicle, assault gun, tank destroyer and armoured train.

The key product for this market is expected to be Main Battle Tanks (MBT) which is accounting for over 25% of the overall revenue share in 2014. Ascending concern to safeguard military personnel is foreseen to drive unmanned ground military carrier demand over the forecast period.

Browse 100 page research report with TOC on "Global Armored Vehicle Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/armored-vehicle-market

The global armored vehicle market is expected to increase continuously as it is not only concentrated towards the defense sector but also in the commercial sector. The MRAP market has reached saturation in U.S. region, but there is a substantial amount of growth in demand in the Asia Pacific and Middle East region, as the investment in defense in these regions increased significantly in the recent times. Furthermore, these countries are taking precautionary measures to hinder various threats from cross border terrorists, civilian unrest due to contrast in ideas and rebellious groups.

North America armored vehicle market is expected to show stagnant growth over the forecast period owing to finite defense budget. The U.S. is expected to hold over 80% of the overall North American revenue share in 2014. Armored vehicle market of Asia Pacific is expected to show momentous growth owing to government initiative to enhance its military power to counter internal or external terrorism and this region accounted for over 25% of the global share in 2014. MEA is expected to witness boost in demand owing to terrorism activity and rising dissension in Iraq.

The acquisition of armored vehicle for homeland security is also expected to increase in future. "The Beast" is the armored vehicle used by the president of America weighs over 10,000 lbs due to the thickness of the material used in it can withstand a missile attack and even has the capability to protect the occupants against any chemical weapons.

Growing need to protect the military personnel's from mine attacks is expected to drive mine-resistant ambush protected automobile requirement over the next seven years. Tactical military carriers are constructed primarily for use by the military personnel's in the field in direct contact with combat. Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) are initially used for safer deployment of infantry to battle fields or high threat range and it can be distinguished from Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) based on the weapons it bears.

From the modernization programs, ample amount of investment is expected in the armored vehicle market. Although there is a significant reduction in the investment in defense sector by the US government and the western countries, countries like China has drastically increased its expenditure in defense sector which has caused relentless turbulence among Asian countries.

Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights:

Automotive Coatings Market

Smart Transportation Market

Aircraft Seating Material Market

Electric Vehicle Plastics Market

Armored Vehicle Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 Armored Personnel Carriers (APC)

 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)

 Light Protected Vehicle (LPV)

 Main Battle Tanks (MBT)

 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)

 Tactical Trucks

 Others

Armored Vehicle Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 Defense

 Homeland Security

 Commercial

Armored Vehicle Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 North America

 Europe

 Asia Pacific

 Latin America

 MEA

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The founder and CEO of the social media behemoth gave testimony on Tuesday to Congress in the US, where he took full responsibility for the theft of millions of Facebook users' data. He also vowed to strengthen privacy settings and continue to fight against hate speech and fake news. Zuckerberg admitted that since he is in charge of the online platform, it was his mistake that users' data was misused. "My main priority has always been to connect people, our social mission, to create a community ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") is pleased to announce initial results from its current drill program on its La Cigarra silver project in Chihuahua, Mexico has successfully extended silver mineralization for 1000 meters to the northwest beyond the current 2.4-kilometer-long NI- 43-101 Resource envelope, along what is known as the La Borracha Zone. A total of seven broadly spaced holes were drilled across the La Borracha Zone with all seven holes hitting the mineralized structure, with the two highest grading holes being the two holes furthest from the resource. Six of the seven holes are reported herein with the seventh awaiting assay results.

Kootenay President and CEO James McDonald states, "We are very excited that drilling has extended silver mineralization for a full 1000 meters northwest of the La Cigarra resource. We are particularly enthused with holes 42 and 43, which are situated furthest from the resource boundary and carry the best grades indicating excellent potential for further resource expansion on strike. Moreover, the mineralization is shallow and projects to surface indicating potential for these intercepts to fall within an open pit shell. We look forward to providing further results from the current drill program as assays are received and compiled."

Highlights include:

Hole CC-18-42

437.08 gpt silver over 10.0 meters within 267.07 gpt silver over 17.0 meters; includes samples of 947 gpt silver over 0.67 meters, 1755 gpt silver over 0.87 meters, 519 gpt silver over 1.0 meter and 1145 gpt silver over 1.0 meter.

Hole CC-18-43

144.05 gpt silver over 10.0 meters within 112.00 gpt silver over 16.0 meters and 61.8 gpt silver over 34.50 meters

Hole CC-18-38

102.80 gpt silver over 3.55 meters within 40.17 gpt silver over 22.0 meters

The mineralized structure is open along strike to the northwest as well as down dip. The results indicate the mineralized structure is continuous with the resource for an additional 1000 meters of strike to the northwest, it varies in width from about 15 to 45 meters and has been tested from surface down dip from between 50 meters and 150 meters. Full results are in the following table below.Click here to view a plan map.

La Borracha Zone Drill Results:

From To Interval Silver Gold Pb Zn Hole ID (meters) (meters) (meters)[(1)] (gpt) (gpt) (%) (%) CC-17-37[(2)] 78 93 15 42.06 0.04 0.238 0.205 Including 84 93 9 52 0.041 0.213 0.257 CC-17-37 107 138 31 45.75 0.041 0.256 0.189 Including 111 119 8 107.12 0.0445 0.587 0.296 CC-17-37 132 138 6 27.16 0.056 0.047 0.112 CC-18-38 123 145 22 40.17 0.035 0.328 0.394 Including 134 145 11 55.63 0.04 0.439 0.488 Including 139.45 143 3.55 102.83 0.033 0.946 0.914 CC-18-39 56 63 7 17.04 0.033 0.097 0.342 CC-18-40 45 58 13 20.92 0.023 0.099 0.181 CC-18-41 42 56 14 31.5 0.03764 0.176 0.092 Including 42 44 2 89.5 0.034 0.183 0.095 Including 48 50 2 91 0.037 0.692 0.404 CC-18-41 105 106.92 1.92 278 0.064 0.045 0.031 CC-18-42 61 78 17 267.07 0.01829 0.242 0.338 Including 63 76 13 345.56 0.022 0.296 0.382 Including 63 73 10 437.08 0.027 0.339 0.359 CC-18-43 100.5 135 34.5 61.81 0.01223 0.119 0.337 Including 113 129 16 112.05 0.01 0.199 0.521 Including 115 125.22 10.22 144.05 0.011 0.252 0.616 (1) True widths cannot be accurately determined from the information available at this time therefore core lengths are reported. (2) Previously released. See news release dated January 23, 2018.

Drilling has now started on the exciting newly discovered Nogalera Gold Zone where multi-gram gold has been found within a mineralized structure for at least one kilometer and remains open along strike.The first drill holes at Nogalera will test the southern 400 meters of the structure where previous sampling returned numerous multi-gram gold grades of up to 12.35 gpt gold and 179 gpt silver.See news release dated February 7 for more information.

Sampling and QA/QC

All technical information for the La Cigarra exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program. Samples are taken from core cut in half with a diamond saw under the direction of qualified geologists. Samples are then labeled placed in plastic bags, sealed and with interval and sample numbers recorded. Samples are delivered by the Company via courier to ALS Minerals ("ALS") in Chihuahua. The samples are dried, crushed and pulverized with the pulps being sent airfreight for analysis by ALS in Vancouver, B.C. Systematic assaying of standards, blanks and duplicates is performed for precision and accuracy. Analysis for silver, zinc, lead and copper and related trace elements was done by ICP four acid digestion, with gold analysis by 30-gram fire assay with an AA finish. All drilling will be with HQ or NQ core and has been contracted to BD Drilling from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Qualified Persons

The Kootenay technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and reviewed on behalf Kootenay by James McDonald, P.Geo, President, CEO & Director for Kootenay, a Qualified Person.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Kootenay Silver Inc.

Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada. Supported by one of the largest portfolios of silver assets in Mexico, Kootenay continues to provide its shareholders with significant leverage to silver prices. The Company remains focused on the expansion of its current silver resources, new discoveries and the near-term economic development of two of its priority silver projects located in prolific mining districts in Sonora, State and Chihuahua, State, Mexico, respectively.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

The information in this news release has been prepared as at April 10, 2018. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Cautionary Note to US Investors:This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which we have no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable.

James McDonald

CEO and President

+403-880-6016



Ken Berry

Chairman

+604-601-5652; +1-888-601-5650



Visit: http://www.kootenaysilver.com
RDx is the only solution capable of informing application production decisions by pinpointing key dependencies and change impact, enabling customers to foresee defects and resolve risk more quickly

Panaya, the leader in SaaS-based application delivery and testing, today announced it is hitting the road and will be attending the Salesforce World Tour in Amsterdam, Toronto, London and Paris and later Dreamforce in San Francisco to showcase Release Dynamix (RDx), a cloud-based Enterprise Agile Delivery Platform. From initial business change request through to testing and production, Panaya RDx for SFDC removes the calculated guesswork and state of uncertainty associated with implementing Salesforce.com changes. Panaya will demonstrate how RDx for Salesforce.com specifically designed to support SFDC change delivery offers an innovative approach to risk mitigation and QA to enable Salesforce change projects with speed and quality.

According to Forrester Research, the average Salesforce project rollout has increased from nine months to 19 months since 2010, and half of all new customers now deploying three or more modules are increasingly hindered by long, expensive impact-analysis and regression testing projects. This is due to every single application change which risks breaking integration links, third-party add-ons and the hundreds of data and process customizations deployed.

In response to the growing complexity of change delivery in SFDC environments, Panaya focused on creating a simple solution for Salesforce application leaders to gain the visibility they need to make informed decisions before heading into production. To resolve potential change delivery risks and ensure quality ahead of time, RDx for SFDC provides:

A detailed summary of entities impacted by daily modifications, scheduled releases or major projects.

A list of development and customization tasks, derived from project scope and assigned to team members.

Test plan scoping according to impacted entry points.

Continuous risk assessment and multidimensional views of potential risks.

With the real time insights into risk and quality and automatic corrective actions prior to code development, SFDC leaders ensure a fast and safe release to production.

"Salesforce.com has quickly become the epicenter of many business organizations. And while it's a relatively new and agile technology, the ALM methodology and release processes behind it have been somewhat stagnant to date," said Rafi Kretchmer, VP of Marketing. "Since the launch of RDx, we've had an incredible level of interest, validating the growing need for a reliable agile Salesforce change delivery solution. RDx was designed with both business users and IT in mind, enabling greater collaboration, while ensuring greater release certainty and immediate results at the click of the button. It is our goal to change the way organizations are delivering changes to SFDC."

Panaya has a proven record of successfully enabling thousands of projects for nearly 2,000 customers, including one-third of Fortune 500 companies. Stop by and see Panaya for a demonstration of RDx for Salesforce.com at Salesforce World Tours and Dreamforce:

Amsterdam April 12, 2018

Toronto May 3, 2018

London May 17, 2017

Paris June 6, 2018

San Francisco September 25, 2018.

About Panaya

Panaya, an Infosys company, enables organizations to accelerate application change and continuously deliver innovation with its Enterprise Agile Delivery Platform. Panaya provides cloud-based application delivery, and testing solutions that ensure collaboration between Business and IT. Enabling enterprise agility with faster release velocity and uncompromising quality, Panaya delivers an optimized user experience with end-to-end visibility of the application lifecycle. Since 2008, 2,000 companies in 62 countries, including a third of the Fortune 500, have been using Panaya to deliver quick quality change to enterprise applications. For more information, visit us at www.panaya.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005518/en/

Contacts:

OneChocolate for Panaya

Jaime Tero, +1 415-989-9803

panaya@onechocolatecomms.com
CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Boeing Co. (BA) Wednesday said it finalized global fleet care agreement for Singapore Airlines and Scoot's fleet. The previously signed integrated agreements for Singapore Airlines' 27 777-300ERs and Scoot's 20 787 Dreamliners were transferred to Boeing Asia Pacific Aviation Services Pte. Ltd. or BAPAS, a joint venture between the Boeing and SIA Engineering Co. As per the agreement, BAPAS is anticipated to support more than 70 Boeing aircraft within the Singapore Airlines Group. The JV expected to create more efficient and customer-focused service solutions, said Stan Deal, president and CEO, Boeing Global Services. Under the integrated Global Fleet Care agreements, BAPAS will provide engineering services, maintenance planning and scheduling, and operation control center services, along with materials demand planning and spares support for the airlines. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
PRINCETON, New Jersey, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --People of all ages are invited to celebrate April as English Language Month by voting for the "TOEFLWord of the Year." Please visit www.toeflgoanywhere.org/english-language-month to cast your vote.

English Language Month, established this year in partnership with ETS's TOEFLProgram, is a celebration of the uniqueness of the English language and learners who are working hard to master it. In a world of over 7 billion people, English has become a uniting force, bringing people from different backgrounds together through education, work, business, everyday communication and pop culture. Students strive to learn English in part because it is the language of instruction at many top universities around the world.

Inspiration for the month came from English Language Day (April 23), which the United Nations established in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity,according to the U.N. site.

"All languages have words that, simply by hearing or reading them, inspire us to be more than we are today, to strive to improve ourselves," said Jennifer Brown, Executive Director of ETS's TOEFL Program. "Voting for TOEFL Word of the Year is intended to be a fun way to express which English word you think is most beautiful, meaningful or powerful."

Candidates can vote for one of seven words that have been preselected by a team of international reviewers who work in the English-language space. The seven word finalists were chosen because they possess one or more of the following characteristics: they have multiple meanings; are used in multiple contexts; or can function as more than one part of speech. "Integrity" and "empower" are two of the word finalists.

The TOEFLFamily of Assessments helps individuals and educators evaluate the English-language proficiency of students from age 8 through adulthood. The cornerstone assessment is the TOEFL iBTtest, the most widely respected English-language assessment worldwide, recognized by more than 10,000 institutions in more than 130 countries - including in popular study-abroad destinations, such as Australia, Canada, China, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. For more information and to vote for the "TOEFL Word of the Year," visit www.toeflgoanywhere.org/english-language-month.
- Largest-ever randomized trial to evaluate superiority of light-based, three-dimensional imaging (optical coherence tomography (OCT)) versus X-ray-based angiography in patients with complex coronary artery disease who receive a stent

- Trial will assess if stent procedures guided by high-resolution imaging result in larger vessel diameters and improved patient clinical outcomes versus stent procedures that use standard-of-care imaging

- Use of OCT imaging may help doctors be more precise in stent implantation

ABBOTT PARK, Illinois, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Abbott (NYSE: ABT)today announced the initiation of a clinical trial evaluating long-term outcomes of patients who undergo stent implantation guided by high-resolution light-based imaging technology-called optical coherence tomography (OCT)-compared to a common X-ray-guided technique called angiography. The trial (ILUMIEN IV) is the first large-scale randomized global study using Abbott's OCT imaging in patients with high-risk, complex coronary artery disease. Patients in the study will be randomized to either OCT-guided or traditional angiography to guide placement of one or more XIENCE everolimus-eluting coronary stents.

The first patient was enrolled by Franco Fabbiocchi, M.D., director of Invasive Cardiology Unit IV at IRCCS Centro Cardiologico Monzino in Milan, Italy.

During stent implantation guided by one of Abbott's OCT platforms, physicians use high-resolution images taken directly inside the patient's vessels to accurately measure dimension and choose a stent that best fits the vessel. OCT is also used to help physicians ensure the stent is fully expanded and is flush against a vessel wall, which are both important factors in reducing stent failure.1,2

The ILUMIEN IV trial will enroll up to 3,650 patients with high-risk, complex disease at 125 centers in North America, Europe and Asia to determine if OCT-guided stent procedures result in larger vessel diameters - thus, allowing increased blood flow - and whether this will improve clinical outcomes for patients compared to stent procedures guided by angiography. Patients with complex disease may have multiple, or totally blocked arteries, or other diseases such as diabetes; and these patients account for an increasing number of cases.

"Today, most of the world uses angiography for stent implantation using a two-dimensional view of the coronary artery to assess a complex three-dimensional structure. Physicians need new technology to help optimize percutaneous coronary intervention, and OCT provides just that, the ability to look at the artery from the outside-in and the inside-out," said Ziad A. Ali, M.D., director of Intravascular Imaging and Physiology at Columbia University Medical Center's Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy and co-principal investigator of the study. "I'm confident this technology will have a positive impact on clinical practice around the world and we hope to provide evidence for leading medical organizations to update clinical guidelines for stent implantation based on the results of this study."

"Abbott is committed to providing doctors and patients with life-changing technology, and there is a growing body of evidence that OCT-guided stent implantation may result in better outcomes for patients," said Charles Simonton, M.D., chief medical officer and divisional vice president of Medical Affairs for Abbott's vascular business. "We're excited to initiate this trial to generate the groundbreaking data that would support use of OCT over angiography to achieve better outcomes for patients with high-risk disease."

The ILUMIEN IV trial's focus on high-risk patients will build on findings from the previous ILUMIEN series of trials which showed stent procedures using OCT imaging resulted in superior stent expansion and greater rates of procedural success compared to angiography, and non-inferiority to intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in post-procedure minimal stent area (MSA).3 Those trials also showed that use of the OCT high-resolution imaging enabled physicians to better detect damage to artery walls, called dissection, which sometimes happens during the placement of a stent compared to IVUS or angiography, which could then be repaired as necessary.4

About the Study:

ILUMIEN IV is a prospective, single-blind, multi-center, randomized study that will evaluate OCT-guided vs. angiography-guided coronary stent procedures in complex and high-risk patients. The primary endpoints are superiority of OCT-guided vs. angiography-guided stent implantation in achieving a larger vessel opening (post procedural lumen dimension) and improved clinical cardiovascular outcomes out to two years, defined by target vessel failure (a composite endpoint of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization).

About Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging:

OCT is an intravascular imaging platform that uses light-based technology to help doctors see and measure arteries from inside the vessel with high precision. Physicians can assess and understand the degree of disease and take necessary steps to treat it. With automated, highly accurate measurements, OCT guides stent selection, placement and deployment.

For U.S. Important Safety Information, visit: https://www.vascular.abbott/content/dam/bss/divisionalsites/av/products/optis-integrated-and-mobile-software-isi.pdf.

About XIENCE:

XIENCE first received CE Mark in 2006 and FDA approval in 2008. Its safety profile is unprecedented with consistent low rates of stent thrombosis, even in complex cases. A special coating on XIENCE interacts with proteins in the blood to reduce the risk for blood clots in the stent. For more information about XIENCE, visit www.XienceStent.com/US.

For U.S. Important Safety Information, visit: https://vascular.abbott.com/Xience-Stent-Safety.htmlisi

About Abbott:

At Abbott, we're committed to helping people live their best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we've brought new products and technologies to the world -- in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals -- that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 99,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

_______________________________

1 Mintz GS, Weissman NJ. Intravascular ultrasound in the drug-eluting stent era. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006 Aug 1; 48(3):421-9.

2 Cook S, et al. Incomplete stent apposition and very late stent thrombosis after drug-eluting stent implantation. Circulation. 2007 May 8; 115(18):2426-34.

3 Decision Resources Group, July 2017. Data on file at Abbott.

4 Ali, Z. (2016, October). Optical Coherence Tomography Compared to Intravascular Ultrasound and Angiography to Guide Coronary Stent Implantation. The ILUMIEN III: OPTIMIZE PCI trial. Presented at TCT 2016, Washington D.C.

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ALBANY, New York, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global endoscopic ultrasound needles market was valued at around US$ 272.7 Mn in 2016 is anticipated to expand at a stable CAGR of over 4.5% during forecast period of 2017 to 2025, according to a new report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled 'Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017-2025.' Expansion of the global endoscopic ultrasound needles market is expected to be driven by technological advancements and increasing use of single-use endoscopic ultrasound needles during the forecast period. The endoscopic ultrasound needles market in Asia Pacific is likely to expand at a CAGR of above 5.0% due to high prevalence of diseases, development in the health care sector, and increased focus on research and developmental activities.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664869/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )



Rise in Geriatric Population and Increasing Incidence of Diseases that Require Endoscopic Ultrasound Procedures to Drive Market Expansion

The global population is aging rapidly, especially in some developed economies such as the U.S., most of Western Europe, and Japan. Developed economies witness high rates of aging as compared to developing economic countries. This is attributed to improved health care infrastructure, reimbursement policies, and advancement in health care facilities in these countries. Moreover, easy access to various diagnostic and treatment services has improved in the recent past, especially in developed economies. This, in turn, has increased the life expectancy of the population. The geriatric population is the major end-user of bariatric surgeries, knee-hip implants, colonoscopy, and gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasound procedures for the improvement in the quality of their life. Increase in number of elderly people leads to high rate of ailments, which, in turn, is likely to propel demand and consumption of endoscopic ultrasound needles.

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High Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Related Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death, and in 2015, it was responsible for 8.8 million deaths worldwide. Helicobacter pylori infection is the best known carcinogen for gastric cancer. Most of the gastric cancer cases in the Western countries are diagnosed at late stages when the treatment remains less effective. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer associated with pancreas and stomach have increased the demand for diagnostic methods to detect cancer at early stages. The progress of gastrointestinal tract related cancers depends upon their stage, and most advanced developments in diagnostic ultrasound endoscopy have therefore focused on early detection. These factors are expected to increase demand for endoscopy ultrasound needles in the future to identify cancers at an early stage.

Rising Patient Preference for Minimally Invasive Surgeries is Likely to Increase Demand for Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles

Presently, doctors have great assistance due to advanced robotic devices that provide higher control and vision during surgeries, allowing them to perform safe, less invasive, and precise surgical procedures. Non-robotic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery also known as endoscopic surgery that can be categorized into laparoscopic surgery and/or thoracoscopic surgery. Minimally invasive procedures use advanced technology to reach internal organs through small incisions that causes decreased pain, small incisions, low risk of infection, shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery time, less scarring, and reduced blood loss compared to traditional surgeries. These factors are likely to drive the endoscopy ultrasound needles market in the near future.

Request a Custom Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=36161

In terms of product, the market can be divided into aspiration needles (EUS-FNA) and biopsy needles (EUS-FNB). The aspiration needles segment is likely to account for a leading share of the global EUS needles market during the forecast period, owing to wide usage of these needles in pulmonology and gastroenterology. Technological developments in EUS biopsy needles are estimated to result in significant expansion of the biopsy needles segment during the forecast period. Based on application, the endoscopic ultrasound needles market can be segmented into bronchial EUS needles and enteral EUS needles. Increasing adoption of EUS needles in gastroenterology is likely to fuel the enteral EUS needles segment in the next few years.

Rise in Patient Preference for Minimally Invasive Surgeries at Hospitals Drive Expansion of Hospitals End-user Segment

Based on end-user, the market can be segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and specialty clinics. The ambulatory surgical centers segment is estimated to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period, owing to increasing number of these centers and rising number of endoscopic ultrasound procedures performed in these centers.

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Increasing Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Related Cancers in Asia Pacific Region to Create More Opportunities for Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles Market

In terms of geography, the global endoscopic ultrasound needles market can be divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to constitute a leading share of the global market during the forecast period, owing to high adoption of EUS needles and high health care expenditure in the region. Europe is anticipated to account for a significant share of the global market between 2017 and 2025. Increase in the incidence of cancer and chronic hepatobiliary diseases in Europe is projected to fuel the market in the region during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period, due to increasing health care expenditure in the region. The endoscopic ultrasound needles market in Latin America is at a pivotal point today. It was valued around US$ 22.0 Mn in 2016 and anticipated to expand at a significant pace. Increasing focus of key players on expansion in Asia Pacific with its large untapped population and rising awareness about health care are expected to propel the endoscopic ultrasound needles market in Asia Pacific.

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Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus Corporation, and Medtronic Were the Market Leaders in the Endoscopic Ultrasound Needles Market in 2016

Key players covered in this report are Olympus Corporation, Medtronic, Cook Medical, CONMED Corporation, Medi-globe, ACE Medical Devices Pvt. Ltd., and Boston Scientific Corporation. Companies operating in the global market for endoscopic ultrasound needles are focusing on strategic collaborations for developing new products in the emerging regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America.

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Endoscopic Balloon Dilators Market:

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At the U.S. Embassy in London, the Conclusion to an Event Series Will Tie Together Cyber-Risk Quantification with Advanced Insurance Options

Secure Systems Innovation Corporation (SSIC), a cyber risk management firm and the creator of X-Analytics, the world's first end-to-end cyber-risk quantification model, will host a captivating panel discussion on the use of financial risk metrics to identify, measure, and manage cyber risk across the risk management ecosystem.

In a previous session, industry experts tackled how to manage cyber risk to determine risk-mitigation and risk-transfer options. The final session in this series evolves the conversation, focusing on the challenges facing the insurance and risk management industries in quantifying both affirmative and non-affirmative (silent) cyber risk exposure across portfolios and policies.

WHO: AIG: Mark Camillo, Head of Cyber and Professional Indemnity, EMEA Capsicum Re: Ian Newman, Partner Internet Security Alliance: Larry Clinton, President SSIC: John Frazzini, CEO and President Unisys: Jonathan Goldberger, Vice President, Security Solutions WHAT: Accelerating Cyber-Risk Quantification for Risk Management and Insurance Industries BACKGROUND: As global risk management, cyber insurance, and cyber reinsurance organizations struggle with the significant challenge of managing cyber risk as a business risk, learn how innovative leaders in the space are embracing advanced cyber-risk models to quantify cyber risk across their portfolios and policies. WHEN: April 11, 2018 from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM GMT WHERE: U.S. Embassy 33 Nine Elms Lane London, UK SW11 7US MEDIA CONTACT: Brianna Carroll Boyle +1-301-502-9012 bboyle@securesystemscorp.com

About SSIC

Based in the Washington, D.C. area, Secure Systems Innovation Corporation (SSIC) is a cyber risk management firm that informs strategic decision making. Its innovative, patented method for measuring and modeling cyber risk, X-Analytics, objectively expresses the economics of cyber risk. SSIC is changing how executives and boards understand and manage cyber risk. For more information, please visit https://www.securesystemscorp.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005155/en/

Contacts:

Secure Systems Innovation Corporation

Brianna Carroll Boyle, +1-301-502-9012

bboyle@securesystemscorp.com
AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - Dutch supermarkets and eCommerce company Ahold Delhaize N.V. (ADRND.PK, AHODF.PK) said that it expects to generate almost 5 billion euros in online sales in 2020. By 2020, the company intends to have 50% of its own-brand sales coming from healthier products. It is also making existing own brands healthier. At the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, Ahold Delhaize Chief Executive Officer Dick Boer said, 'We are in great shape: The integration of the company is largely complete. Our Better Together strategy is bearing fruit. We are posting outstanding financial results. Boer said that the company' popular online platforms are still growing fast - in 2017 sales increased by over 20% to 2.8 billion euros, of which 1.2 billion euros came from online food sales. Dick Boer said, 'our brands sent out no less than 2.5 billion personal offers worldwide. Meanwhile, we continue to invest in personalizing the shopping experience even further. In extra capacity for online platforms like Peapod, bol.com and ah.nl. In the click and collect service of Stop & Shop supported by Peapod, and the new pick-up points for Hannaford To Go.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2018) - MJ Opportunity Corp. (TSXV: MJC.P) (the "Corporation" or "MJO") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") dated April 6, 2018 with Lift Co. Ltd. ("Lift", and together with MJO, the "Parties") wherein MJO will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Lift (the "Acquisition").

The Corporation is a Capital Pool Company as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), and intends for the Acquisition to constitute its Qualifying Transaction (as such term is defined in the policies of the Exchange).

About Lift Co. Ltd.

Lift is a privately held company that was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and subsequently continued and currently existing pursuant to the Business Corporation Act (Ontario). Lift brings media and data together to empower cannabis businesses and consumers with unique knowledge and insights to make better-informed decisions. For consumers, Lift operates Canada's largest cannabis product-comparison platform, an unrivalled loyalty program and North America's largest consumer cannabis tradeshows. For businesses, Lift provides unique market, product and consumer insights while connecting businesses and consumers through Canada's most-adopted consumer channels.

Based on the draft unaudited interim financial statements of Lift for the nine month period ended December 31, 2017, Lift had revenues of $1,233,088 and incurred a net loss of $2,047,095 as the company increased headcount to support future growth. In addition, as at December 31, 2017, Lift had total assets of $1,642,467, total liabilities of $1,253,577 and shareholders' equity of $388,890.

The Qualifying Transaction

It is currently anticipated that the Acquisition will be completed by way of a three corner amalgamation or other similar form of acquisition transaction as agreed to by the Parties, which will result in each Lift share being exchanged for one post-consolidation Resulting Issuer (as such term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) share (the "Resulting Issuer Shares"). Each outstanding option, warrant and convertible security of Lift will remain outstanding and be adjusted in accordance with their terms or be exchanged for options, warrants or convertible securities of the Resulting Issuer, as applicable, on substantially the same economic terms and conditions as the existing options, warrants and convertible securities of Lift.

As at the date hereof, MJO has 4,521,000 common shares issued and outstanding, as well as 452,100 options and 352,100 broker options outstanding, each exercisable to acquire one MJO common share at an exercise price of $0.20 (on a pre-consolidation basis). As at the date hereof, Lift has 39,555,692 common shares and 14,336,616 preferred shares issued and outstanding, as well as 4,351,502 options, each exercisable to acquire one Lift common share at exercise prices ranging from $0.00007143 to $0.60, and 9,840,684 warrants, each exercisable to acquire one Lift common share at exercise prices ranging from $0.20 to $0.30. Further details regarding the post-consolidation Resulting Issuer Shares and other securities to be issued in connection with the Acquisition and the anticipated pro forma capital structure of the Resulting Issuer following completion of the Offering and the Acquisition will be provided in a subsequent press release once that information is determinable.

The Resulting Issuer is expected to continue Lift's current operations.

The LOI contemplates the negotiation and execution of a binding definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement"), which will be subject to a number of conditions precedent, including:

Lift having completed the Offering (as defined below);

MJO having completed a consolidation of its outstanding common shares prior to completion of the Acquisition based on a ratio of the Issue Price of the Offering divided by a deemed price of the MJO common shares of $0.25, such consolidation ratio to be adjusted as necessary based on the final terms of the Offering and as agreed to between the Parties;

MJO having a cash balance of not less than $500,000 on the closing date of the Acquisition;

MJO having changed its name to "Lift Co. Ltd.", or such other name as agreed between the Parties;

Completion of mutual satisfactory due diligence investigations of Lift and MJO, including receipt and satisfaction by MJO with the interim financial statements of Lift as at and for the nine month period ended December 31, 2017 and the audited annual financial statements of Lift as at and for the year ended March 31, 2017;

Approval of the Acquisition of Lift by the boards of directors of each of Lift and MJO; and

Receipt of all required consents, waivers and approvals from the Exchange, any securities regulatory authority and any other necessary third parties.

It is expected that the Acquisition will be completed on a date to be agreed upon by the Parties, but which shall be no later than 10 business days following receipt of all required consents, waivers and approvals from the Exchange and any other securities regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Parties.

Private Placement

In conjunction with, or prior to the closing of the Acquisition, pursuant to the terms of an engagement letter dated March 16, 2018 between Lift and GMP Securities L.P. (the "Lead Agent"), Lift will undertake a brokered private placement of subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") to raise aggregate gross proceeds of up to $15,000,000 (the "Offering"). There is no minimum amount required to be raised pursuant to the Offering. The issue price per Subscription Receipt shall be determined in the context of the market at the time of the Offering, based on a pre-Offering valuation attributable to the outstanding common shares and preferred shares of Lift of not less than $60,000,000 (the "Issue Price").

The Offering will be led by the Lead Agent, on its own behalf and on behalf of a syndicate of agents to be formed by the Lead Agent (collectively, the "Agents"). The Company has granted the Agents an option, exercisable in whole or in part at any time up until 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering, to purchase at the Issue Price up to such number of additional subscription receipts of Lift as is equal to 15% of the initial Subscription Receipts sold under the Offering (together with the Subscription Receipts, the "Offered Receipts").

Upon closing of the Offering, the aggregate subscription proceeds of the Offering less: (i) fifty percent (50%) of the Cash Commission (as defined below); and (ii) the costs and expenses of or incurred by the Agents which have not been paid to the Agents as of the closing date of the Offering (the "Escrowed Funds"), shall be placed in escrow with a Canadian trust company (the "Subscription Receipt Agent") mutually acceptable to the Lead Agent and Lift.

Upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions (as defined below) and prior to the Release Deadline (as defined below), the Subscription Receipt Agent will release the Escrowed Funds to Lift, less the escrowed portion of the Cash Commission, which will be released to the Lead Agent (on behalf of the Agents).

Each Offered Receipt issued in connection with the Offering shall be deemed to be automatically exercised, without further action on the part of the holder thereof, for one common share of Lift upon the satisfaction of certain conditions (the "Escrow Release Conditions"), including but not limited to:

Written confirmation from each of MJO and Lift that all conditions to the completion of the Acquisition have been satisfied or waived, other than the release of the Escrowed Funds and the closing of the Acquisition;

The receipt of all shareholder and regulatory approvals required for the Acquisition;

The Resulting Issuer Shares being conditionally approved for listing on the Exchange and the completion, satisfaction or waiver of all conditions precedent to such listing, other than the release of the Escrowed Funds; and

Lift and the Lead Agent, on behalf of the Agents, delivering a release notice to the Subscription Receipt Agent confirming that the Escrow Release Conditions have been satisfied (the "Release Notice").

Following conversion of the Offered Receipts into common shares of Lift, such common shares shall be immediately exchanged for Resulting Issuer Shares in connection with completion of the Acquisition.

In the event that the Subscription Receipt Agent does not receive the Release Notice prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the date that is 120 days after the closing date of the Offering (the "Release Deadline"), or if prior to such time, Lift advises the Agents or announces to the public that it does not intend to or will be unable to satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions or that the Acquisition has been terminated or abandoned, the Subscription Receipt Agent will return to holders of the Offered Receipts, within two business days of the Release Deadline or such earlier date, an amount equal to the aggregate Issue Price of the Offered Receipts held by them and their pro rata portion of any interest earned thereon (including any interest that would have been earned on 50% of the Cash Commission and the costs and expenses of the Agents paid on the Closing Date were such amounts included in the Escrowed Funds), net of any applicable withholding tax. Lift will be responsible and liable to the holders of Offered Receipts for any shortfall between the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offering (including any applicable interest payable) and the Escrowed Funds.

In connection with the Offering, Lift will pay to the Agents a cash commission equal to 6.0% (the "Cash Commission") of the gross proceeds of the Offering (provided that the Cash Commission shall be reduced to 3.0% of the gross proceeds from sales of Offered Receipts to subscribers on the President's List). Fifty percent (50%) of the Cash Commission shall be paid to the Agents on the closing date of the Offering. The remaining fifty percent (50%) of the Cash Commission shall be deposited into escrow with the Subscription Receipt Agent on the closing date of the Offering and released upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions and the release of the Escrowed Funds pursuant to the Release Notice and the terms of the subscription receipt agreement to be entered into in connection with the Offering, together with any interest earned thereon.

As additional consideration, the Agents will be granted on the closing of the Offering compensation options ("Compensation Options") equal to 4.0% of the number of Offered Receipts issued under the Offering (provided that the number of Compensation Options shall be reduced to 2.0% of the number of Offered Receipts sold to subscribers on the President's List). Each Compensation Option will be exercisable for one common share of Lift or one Resulting Issuer Share (subject to any necessary adjustments), as applicable, at the Issue Price for a period of 24 months following the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions.

The closing of the Offering is expected to occur in May, 2018, or as otherwise mutually agreed by Lift and the Lead Agent.

The net proceeds from the Offering are expected to be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Arm's Length Transaction and Shareholder Approval

The proposed Qualifying Transaction will be an arm's length transaction under the policies of the Exchange, as a result of which MJO will not be required to obtain shareholder approval for the Acquisition.

Control Persons

Tyler Sookochoff, founder and a director of Lift and a resident of the Province of Ontario, currently owns 20,793,333 common shares of Lift, representing approximately 38.6% of the combined issued and outstanding common shares and preferred shares of Lift (calculated on an undiluted basis) as at the date hereof.

Sponsorship

MJO intends to make an application to the Exchange for an exemption from the sponsorship requirements, but there is no assurance that such an exemption will be granted.

Filing Statement

In connection with the Acquisition and pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange, MJO will file a filing statement on its issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), which will contain details regarding the Acquisition, the Offering, MJO, Lift and the Resulting Issuer.

Directors and Management of the Resulting Issuer

The board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will be nominated by Lift prior to the completion of the Qualifying Transaction, at least two of whom will be independent board members. The board of directors of the Resulting Issuer is anticipated to include Tyler Sookochoff (Chairman), Matei Olaru, Daniel Finkelstein, and two independent directors who will be announced prior to completion of the Qualifying Transaction.

Management of the Resulting Issuer will include Matei Olaru as Chief Executive Officer, Craig Hudson as Chief Financial Officer, Kerri-Lynn McAllister as Chief Marketing Officer, and Josh Kerbel as Chief Technology Officer.

Matei Olaru, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Matei Olaru is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lift. A corporate lawyer and consultant by trade, Matei has been the CEO of Lift since 2016. Under his leadership, Lift has raised $4-million in private funding, tripled to more than forty employees and launched several key products, all in one year's time. Previously, Matei helped advise international governments on business and investment policy as a consultant with the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and practiced law on Bay Street with a focus on cannabis and corporate work. Matei is a sought-after thought leader, speaking at numerous domestic and international cannabis conferences and appearing regularly on BNN, CBC, in Forbes, the Financial Post, the Toronto Star, and Maclean's. Matei holds a law degree from the University of Western Ontario, and a commerce degree from the Smith School of Business at Queen's University.

Craig Hudson, Chief Financial Officer

Craig Hudson is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Lift. A Chartered Accountant (CA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Craig joined Lift in August 2017, bringing over 17 years of finance and operations experience, most recently as Vice President of Digital Operations at Indigo (TSX: IDG), Canada's largest book, gift, and specialty retailer. At Indigo, Craig led multiple initiatives to increase efficiencies, support growth, and drive profitability, including as Head of Indigo's Business Intelligence teams. Previously, Craig worked for 10 years with global accounting firm KPMG, leading audits in Vancouver and London (UK), and managing over 40 financial due diligence engagements for a range of clients and industries. Craig has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia. He is also a strategic advisor for an eCommerce start-up, and has been a Board Chair and Treasurer for not-for-profits in the Toronto Arts scene.

Kerri-Lynn McAllister, Chief Marketing Officer

Kerri-Lynn McAllister is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Lift. Previously, Kerri-Lynn was a member of the founding team at Ratehub.ca, Canada's leading financial product comparison platform, serving more than five million users annually. During her tenure, Ratehub.ca secured $12-million in series A financing. Kerri-Lynn is also an early-stage investor in Zoocasa, and remains an advisor to this and other and other notable real estate tech companies. A graduate of the Smith School of Business at Queen's University, Kerri-Lynn regularly shares her insights into digital marketing and technology at conferences and meetups including the Richard Ivey School of Business, OneEleven, and Elevate Toronto.

Josh Kerbel, Chief Technology Officer

Josh Kerbel is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Lift. Josh brings over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience in technology and product management. Josh has worked across a range of sectors and technology domains with previous roles at Extreme Innovations, r/ally, Waygoz, and other companies with focus on machine learning, mobile applications, and Internet-of-things. Josh has managed multiple multinational teams, raised capital for early-stage start-ups, and implemented numerous ROI-driven development processes. Josh has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario. Josh was recently a Mentor at The Entrepreneurship Hatchery at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Technology.

Mariana Fonar, Corporate Secretary

Mariana Fonar is the Legal Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Lift. Prior to joining Lift, Mariana worked as Senior Legal Counsel at SkyPower Global, one of the world's largest solar-energy companies, where she was involved in international M&A deals and provided legal expertise to manage corporate, commercial, employment, and governance matters. Mariana was also an Associate at Dale & Lessmann LLP in the Corporate/Commercial and Employment Law Groups, and has previously worked at the Bank of Montreal and in Product Planning at Mercedes-Benz Canada. Mariana is currently the President of Young Women in Law, a not-for-profit corporation aimed at encouraging and promoting the welfare, interests and retention of young female lawyers. Mariana was called to the Ontario Bar after obtaining her Juris Doctor from the University of Western Ontario. She has an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and an Honors Bachelor of Administrative Studies (Marketing) at York University.

Tyler Sookochoff, Director (Chairman)

Tyler Sookochoff is an advisor and Chair of the Board of Directors of Lift. Tyler has worked in cannabis start-up environments for over a decade. In 2008, Tyler joined Keirton, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial-cannabis harvesting equipment. Tyler was employee number one with Keirton, and helped grow the company to over $10-million in revenue as its Director of Marketing. In January 2014, Tyler founded Lift Co. Ltd. and served as its CEO until November, 2016.

Daniel Finkelstein, Director

Daniel Finkelstein is on the Board of Directors of Lift. Daniel is the Principal and Chief Product Officer at Gotham Green Partners ("GGP"), a New York-based private equity firm focused on deploying capital into cannabis and cannabis-related enterprises. Prior to launching GGP, Daniel was the Founder and CEO of Timber Ridge Capital, Founder and CEO of Henry Scott Ventures, and a Consultant for Finkelstein Timberger East Real Estate. An early investor in the cannabis space, Daniel has a Bachelor of Science in Management from the A.B. Freeman School of Business as Tulane University.

For more information, please contact David Mitchell, the Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, and a director of the Corporation.

David Mitchell, CEO

dmitchell@stillbridge.com

(416) 574-4818

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange Requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. Any securities referred to herein have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. Person absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and applicable state securities laws.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the structure, terms, conditions and proposed timing for completion of the Acquisition and the Offering; the ability of Lift and MJO to complete the Acquisition and the Offering; the intended use of the net proceeds of the Offering; the consolidation of the common shares of MJO and the anticipated exchange ratio in connection with the Acquisition; Lift, MJO and the Resulting Issuer's future business operations; the receipt of all necessary shareholder, Exchange, securities regulatory authority and other third party consents and approvals; the receipt by MJO of an exemption from the sponsorship requirements of the Exchange; and the anticipated composition of the board of directors and management of the Resulting Issuer. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive shareholder or regulatory approvals; and the results of continued development, marketing and sales. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.MJO disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES
BCA Marketplace motored to the top of the FTSE 250 risers on Wednesday as the Webuyanycar.com owner said full year trading was ahead of expectations with "strong profit growth and with a net debt position lower than market forecasts". The second-hand car dealer said the positive outlook reported at the half year in November had continued during the second half of the financial year. Vedanta Resources shares were also in favour as the company reported record annual production from its Zinc India ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Students at Beirut Arab University (BAU) will now be able to gain prestigious Cambridge English certificates, thanks to a new agreement. BAU will be formally recognizing Cambridge English Qualifications, in addition to working with Cambridge English on several research and leadership programs.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005846/en/

Dr. Ghada Hanin, AUT president signing the agreement with Mr. Ramiz Haddadin, Regional Commercial Head, Cambridge Assessment English (Photo: AETOSWire)

Students will be encouraged to prepare for Cambridge English's B2 First exam, a high level qualification which is recognized by universities, employers and government bodies in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking countries. The qualifications are valid for life and will help students, who wish to immigrate, further their studies or enhance their employability globally.

Ramiz Haddadin from Cambridge Assessment English explains that "successfully passing the B2 first exam indicates that the student has achieved high standards in English for listening, speaking, reading and writing and can use the English language in different contexts and are prepared to take the C1 Advanced qualification."

Haddadin added: "Reliable English language exams are more important than ever to individuals and institutions. Cambridge English Qualifications don't just show how much English you know they prove that you can use the language to communicate in the real world. This can have huge benefits for individuals looking to further their studies and careers, as well as institutions wanting to ensure they are attracting candidates with the right levels of English language skills."

Cambridge Assessment English is a department of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge English exams are taken by more than 5.5 million people a year, in over 170 countries. They are recognised by over 24,000 universities, employers, and governments around the world, a number which is rapidly increasing.

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005846/en/

Contacts:

Cambridge Assessment English

Omar Al-Sharif, +97144378077

mea@cambridgeenglish.org
PUNE, India, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Equipment Market by Product (Receiver, Transmitter/Transponder, Transceiver, Antenna, Modem/Router), Technology (VSAT, SATCOM on the Move, SATCOM on the Pause), End-Use, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets', the SATCOM equipment market is estimated to be USD 20.20 Billion in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 30.32 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 8.46% during the forecast period. The growth of this market is driven by the high demand for advanced, energy-efficient, and uninterrupted communication systems with enhanced lifespan, increased reliability, and varied functionalities.

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The SATCOM transceiver product segment is expected to lead the SATCOM equipment market during the forecast period.

By product, the SATCOM transceiver segment is estimated to hold the largest share of the SATCOM equipment market in 2017 and is also expected to be the largest segment throughout the forecast period. This segment's expected high growth is due to the increasing use of satellites for navigational purposes as well as for surveillance by defense authorities worldwide. There has been an increase in research and development activities for SATCOM equipment in the US as well as in emerging economies, such as India and China, over the past few years, which has, in turn, increased the demand for SATCOM transceivers worldwide.

The land mobile SATCOM equipment end-use segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.

SATCOM equipment is now a vital part of the global ecosystem and plays a major role in the daily lives of people across the world. SATCOM systems are used in a wide array of applications, such as telecommunications, weather monitoring, military, and navigation. Based on end-use, the land mobile SATCOM equipment segment of the SATCOM equipment market is estimated to grow at the highest rate from 2017 to 2022. Land mobile SATCOM equipment is widely used to obtain real-time information during warfare. Object detecting, tracking, and reporting functions are performed by satellite antennas. Land mobile SATCOM systems can also effectively locate unexploded ordinance and tunnels and trace movements near exterior walls as well as critical infrastructures and buildings. They are used, along with airborne, naval, and space satellites for target integration.

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North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the SATCOM equipment market in 2017.

The major driver for the SATCOM equipment market in North America is technological advancements, which have led to improvements in transmission capacity and in minimizing the cost of launching satellites for commercial and military applications. The latest technological developments, such as propulsion technology and spacecraft design, and advancements in Earth observation services have also contributed to the growth of the SATCOM equipment market in North America. Additionally, the high demand for SATCOM equipment from NASA, the US Department of Defense, and the private sector, along with the rising demand for uninterrupted communication in the defense sector fuel the SATCOM equipment market in North America.

General Dynamics Corporation (US), L3 Technologies, Inc. (US), Cobham Plc (UK), Harris Corporation (US), Viasat, Inc. (US), Gilat Satellite Networks (Israel), Campbell Scientific, Inc. (US), Hughes Network Systems LLC (US), and Aselsan A.. (Turkey) are some of the leading players in the SATCOM equipment market.

Know more about the Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Equipment Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/satellite-communication-satcom-equipment-market-159285646.html

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets' are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets' now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets' is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2018) - Lucky Minerals Inc. (TSXV: LJ) (OTCQB: LKMNF) (FSE: 8LM) ("Lucky" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to the Company's news release dated as of February 20, 2018, it is on track to acquire 100% of Goldmindex S.A. ("Goldmindex"), a private Ecuadorian company, by way of a share exchange between Lucky and Monterra Resources S.A. ("Monterra"). Lucky will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Goldmindex from Monterra and one individual (collectively the "Vendors"), in exchange for common shares of the Company to be issued to the Vendors (the "Transaction"). Robert Rosner, Lucky Minerals' CEO, commented, "Although the Transaction has taken longer than originally expected mainly due to administrative delays in Ecuador and due diligence proceedings, I can confirm that the acquisition process is on track to be completed during the month of April, the whole being subject to regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange's approval on the Transaction."

As part of the due diligence process, Lucky has received positive reports from geological site inspections, which support the Company's view that this acquisition is set to provide the Company with several development opportunities in the heart of a prolific Ecuadorian mineral belt.

Lucky is gaining Goldmindex's 100% interest in a 54,985 hectare (550 km2) contiguous property position comprising 12 individual mineral concessions located 50km south of Cuenca, the capital of Azuay province in Ecuador (the "Fortuna Property"). As previously described, the Fortuna Property is a prospective land package located in the heart of a prolific Ecuadorian mineral belt near a number of significant gold and copper discoveries made during the last 20 years.

Due Diligence

Following signing of the binding letter of intent between Lucky and Monterra on February 8, 2018 (the "LOI"), Lucky and its representatives undertook a due diligence review of Goldmindex, Monterra, and the Fortuna Property, with the intention of signing a definitive agreement following(more)

To View The Full News Release Please Follow The Link Here:

http://www.luckyminerals.com/lucky-minerals-provides-progress-report/

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Robert Rosner"

Chief Executive Officer

Contact Information: For more information please contact Robert Rosner at (866) 924-6484 or info@luckyminerals.com.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE, NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) and the European Cockpit Association (ECA), welcome the recent publication by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of a preliminary report and interim statement regarding the accident of Flight "Rescue 116", a Sikorsky S-92A helicopter that was taking part in a Search and Rescue (SAR) mission near Black Rock, Co. Mayo on 14 March 2017.

This publication is fully in line with ICAO Annex 13 Standards, which call for the State conducting the investigation to make an interim statement publicly available on each anniversary of the occurrence, detailing the progress of the investigation and any safety issues raised.

IFALPA and ECA support the safety recommendations published by the AAIU so far, and encourages all regulators, operators, government agencies and equipment manufacturers to implement these recommendations without delay.

To further improve the safety of SAR operations, and indeed all Irish aviation, IFALPA and ECA urge the Irish Minister for Transport to conduct an independent review into the oversight of such operations. Effective safety oversight is crucial to identify safety risk and prevent such tragedies from happening again.

IFALPA and ECA also recommend that the scope of this review be applied to the wider aviation sector in Ireland. Furthermore, any review should give consideration to the relationship, within all responsible State Bodies, between commercial aspects and safety regulation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411005977/en/

Contacts:

International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations

Emily Bitting, IFALPA Communications Marketing Coordinator

+1 514 419 1191 ext. 228

emilybitting@ifalpa.org

www.ifalpa.org

or

European Cockpit Association

+32 2 705 32 93

eca@eurocockpit.be

www.eurocockpit.be
Regulatory News:

Eurotunnel (Paris:GET) welcomes the introduction of a new cross-Channel service at the start of the year.

Operated by operators such as GB Railfreight or Transfesa, on behalf of CMA CGM Logistics, the new intermodal service which transports containers between the United Kingdom and Germany (with onward connections to Poland and China) left London Gateway, heading for Duisburg, for the first time yesterday. The CMA CGM Logistics train reached the Channel Tunnel at 01:27 (local time). Initially the service will operate with one return trip per week, with the potential to reach 6 returns per week in the future.

The introduction of this service and its connection to the new Silk Road (One Belt, One Road) is further proof of Eurotunnel's determination to relaunch rail freight, as already demonstrated with the construction of the whole-train scanner in Frethun, the introduction of the ETICA scheme, which supports the launch of new services, and the restructuring implemented to add efficiency to border formalities at the Frethun yard with Europorte Channel.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411006045/en/

Contacts:

For UK media enquiriescontact

John Keefe on 44 (0) 1303 284491

press@eurotunnel.com

or

For other media enquiries contact

Anne-Laure Descleves on +33(0)1 4098 0467

or

For investor enquiries contact

Jean-Baptiste Roussille on +33 (0)1 40 98 04 81

jean-baptiste.roussille@getlinkgroup.com

or

Michael Schuller on +44 (0) 1303 288749

Michael.schuller@getlinkgroup.com
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss stock market pulled back Wednesday as geopolitical concerns impacted investor sentiment. The conflict in Syria has put investors on edge, as tensions have flared between the U.S. and Russia. Russia has threatened to shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at neighboring Syria if the U.S. decides to strike Syrian bases in response to a chemical attack over the weekend. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Russia to 'get ready' for missiles being launched at Syria. The Swiss Market Index decreased by 0.54 percent Wednesday and finished at 8,708.44. The Swiss Leader Index dropped 0.59 percent and the Swiss Performance Index lost 0.54 percent. Cyclical stocks were under pressure Wednesday. Lonza weakened by 2.1 percent, Sika surrendered 2.0 percent and Adecco lost 1.6 percent. The index heavyweights all finished in the red. Novartis weakened by 1.1 percent, Nestle fell 0.3 percent and Roche slipped 0.1 percent. UBS decreased 0.5 percent and Credit Suisse declined 1.0 percent. LafargeHolcim forfeited 0.6 percent, despite an 'Overweight' rating from Morgan Stanley. Zurich Insurance climbed 1.1 percent, Givaudan rose 0.2 percent and Clariant added 0.4 percent. In the broad market, chocolate maker Barry Callebaut tumbled 8.4 percent after its Q2 profit missed forecasts. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2018 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Aflac Incorporated ("Aflac" or the "Company") (NYSE: AFL) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investors who purchased the Company's shares between February 27, 2013 and January 11, 2018, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before April 16, 2018, the lead plaintiff motion deadline.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss during the Class Period, click here to participate.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall or Sherin Mahdavian of The Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at schallfirm.com or by email at brian@schallfirm.com.

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the lawsuit, the company failed to disclose that: (1) Aflac hired its sales associates under false promises of high compensation packages and work-life balance; (2) Aflac misclassified its employees as independent contractors to reduce costs associated with unemployment insurance taxes and employment benefits; (3) Aflac manipulated its average weekly producer equivalent metric to fabricate growth; (4) consequently, Aflac violated its Code of Conduct and corporate social responsibility standards; and (5) as a result, Aflac's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the truth was revealed to the investing public, shares of the Company dropped causing investors harm.

The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

CONTACT:

The Schall Law Firm

Brian Schall, Esq.

Sherin Mahdavian, Esq.

Schallfirm.com

The Schall Law Firm
MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The White House says the President has the power to dismiss special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is probing The Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 presidential election. The statement by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders comes at a time the investigation is moving closer to the Oval Office. The White House has long been denying Trump is considering Mueller's removal. The change in tone came as Trump reacted furiously to a raid of his private lawyer's offices on Monday. During a routine news conference Tuesday, Sanders admitted that the President has voiced his frustrations over the FBI raid of the Rockefeller Center office and Park Avenue hotel room of Michael Cohen. Business records, emails and documents related to several topics, including a payment to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, were reportedly seized. As Trump's longtime lawyer, Cohen holds secrets about many of the president's personal and financial dealings. Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favour. Over the last year, he has increasingly dug into evidence of alleged money laundering, fraud and obstruction of justice inside Trump's inner circle. Four Trump aides -- including his 2016 campaign chair Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Michael Flynn -- have already been indicted or pleaded guilty. CNN had reported Trump is considering firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, to contain Mueller. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
OYSTER BAY, New York, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Blockchain is a singular foundational technology that can accelerate the Industry 4.0 movement. Both are leveraging key technologies: automation, connectivity, and digitization, enabling greater intelligence through analytics and data rationalization for smarter operations. The rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the expanded use of cyber-physical systems will underpin the functioning of modern manufacturing and supply chain logistics and can greatly benefit from blockchain support.

The transition to Industry 4.0 won't be easy, but blockchain tools such as smart contracts and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) can help resolve some of the teething issues. These findings are highlighted in a new whitepaper titled "How Blockchain is Impacting Industrial Manufacturing and Supply Chain Logistics" by Michela Menting, Research Director of the Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology service at ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies.

"Industrial progress is not without its range of issues. Contract manufacturing, for example, is increasingly popular with many new players crowding the supply chain. This makes logistics more complex, and there is much less visibility end-to-end for the players involved," said Menting. "The use of decentralized ledger technologies such as blockchain can provide transparency on product movement, automate numerous logistical tasks, optimize workflows, and reduce friction throughout the value chain," added Menting.

This whitepaper provides background information on how blockchain can achieve efficiencies in Industry 4.0; defines blockchain, smart contracts and DAOs; as well as highlights the industrial drivers, current and upcoming industrial issues; and the barriers and challenges to blockchain adoption. Several blockchain use cases in industrial manufacturing and supply chain logistics are also detailed.

To download a PDF of the whitepaper, click here or visit https://www.abiresearch.com/pages/how-blockchain-impacting-manufacturing.

Menting, along with five ABI Research analysts will be available on-site at Hannover Messe 2018 in Hannover, Germany, between April 23-27, 2018 (Monday-Friday) for press interviews and one-to-one business meetings. To schedule an analyst briefing,click hereor visit https://www.abiresearch.com/pages/schedule-hannover-messe-briefing/.

Resources:

Learn more: Listen to Michela Menting's webinar replay: Leveraging Blockchain for Industrial Manufacturing & Supply Chain Logistics

Discover "The Top Questions & Answers for Industrial Innovators: Six 1-Minute Transformative Technology Reads".

About ABI Research

ABI Research provides strategic guidance for visionaries needing market foresight on the most compelling transformative technologies, which reshape workforces, identify holes in a market, create new business models and drive new revenue streams. ABI's own research visionaries take stances early on those technologies, publishing groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms. ABI analysts deliver their conclusions and recommendations in easily and quickly absorbed formats to ensure proper context. Our analysts strategically guide visionaries to take action now and inspire their business to realize a bigger picture. For more information about ABI Research's forecasting, consulting and teardown services, visionaries can contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific or visit www.abiresearch.com.

Contact Info:

Global

Deborah Petrara Christopher Leary Tel: +1.516.624.2558 Tel: +1.516.624.2544 pr@abiresearch.com pr@abiresearch.com

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How to Buy Canada StocksTwo factors are making American investors look north of the border to Canada. The first is that, in January 2018, the Donald Trump administration made its intentions clear by frowning on marijuana legalization. The second is that, in the summer of 2018, Canada will be officially throwing its doors open to all things marijuana.While Canadian marijuana stocks are a big draw-and the main reason for the sudden northbound shift of focus for American investors-there are also other types of Canadian stocks worth looking into.First, let's get the big question out of the way: Can a U.S. citizen buy Canadian stocks? Yes.The thing is, most.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
EU Commission's Collective Redress Framework Contradicts Some of Its Own Recommended Safeguards

Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), issued the following statement today about the European Commission's proposal to rescind and replace the EU's "Injunctions Directive." The proposal would create a new European Union-wide framework for collective redress (class action lawsuits):

"While well-intentioned to provide consumer redress, this proposal nonetheless could make the EU a major global hub for abusive litigation. The proposal lacks critical safeguards and may result in a system that is as bad or worse than in the U.S.

"If adopted, the proposal will allow lawsuits to be filed on behalf of undefined groups of consumers. Unlike the U.S. system, this new European system will mean consumers are represented in lawsuits even where they don't want to be represented. Furthermore, in many class actions, lawyers will be paid large fees, litigation financiers will get a cut, and the rest of the money will go to third party groups. The alleged injured consumers, however, will get little or no money.

"Further, the proposal would permit many redundant lawsuits to be filed on behalf of the same groups for the same alleged injury. It would also foster 'forum shopping'-suing in the country with the most permissive laws.

"The European Commission contradicted some its own previously recommended safeguards against abusive litigation, and will now prohibit-instead of require-'opt-in' collective actions.

"The Commission also ignored the fact that nearly 70 percent of Europeans support strong safeguards on collective actions."

In 2017, ILR released a six-nation survey of European Union consumers saying that 69 percent said that they would only support advancement of new collective action lawsuits with safeguards in place.

ILR seeks to promote civil justice reform through legislative, political, judicial, and educational activities at the global, national, state, and local levels.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

www.InstituteforLegalReform.com @LegalReform www.freeenterprise.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411006344/en/

Contacts:

U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

Christiaan Weiland, +44 7919 136395

or

Justin Hakes, +1 202-463-3156
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2018 / A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas takes a look into the growing state of Texas and the role migration and population retention plays in positioning the area for continued growth.

Detailing a strong connection into the record breaking population increases sustained in Texas in recent years to domestic and international migration to the state, the report identifies the distinct factors attracting such transplants to the area and how they're enticing residents to stay.

Released earlier this month, the report notes the domestic population increases that are relocating to Texas from other US areas at a rate that is double the national average since 2000. In addition to domestic transplants, the state also attracts its fair share of international residents helping the area distinguish itself and maintain its spot as a top 10 most successful economy in the nation.

"With an average cost of living lower than that of the nation's other top states and a rapidly growing job market; the state's allure has continued to gain external domestic and international interest," shares leading Texas property developer Marcus Hiles, CEO and owner of DFW-based Western Rim Properties.



Marcus Hiles, CEO and owner of Western Rim Properties

This influx in new residents is attributed to the state's economic growth which the Dallas Federal Bank's report notes has been the key factor attracting people to Texas throughout the last four decades.

Just as these new residents are looking for opportunities in the state, the success of Texas has also relied heavily on this large scale migration to populate its expansive landmass and power its economy.

According to the report, out-of-state transplants make up nearly half of the Texas workforce.

Texas entrepreneur Mr. Hiles goes on to share, "With its appeal through maintaining nationally low taxes and regulations, the overall accommodating business climate of the state also continues to entice new residents - and businesses - to stay" a point also backed by the Dallas Federal Bank's report.

Taking a look at the other side of the population who were born in Texas, the report details over 82% of these residents remain in the state it dubs as one of the "stickiest" in the nation.

And as the area plans to maintain its spot as a leader in the US economy, this retention of new and existing populations will play a critical role. With a trajectory that puts Texas in line with the overall US population to, by 2050 have 20% of its residents at the ages of 65 and older, this leveled out population age range holds importance when determining the growth of the state's workforce and thus the speed of its economy.

Providing a full rounded look at the forces driving growth in Texas, the report shares evidence that the state's success will come down to its ability to retain the residents it attracts as well as the factors that brought them there.

Learn more about the growing Texas economy and how it's distinguishing itself as a leading place to reside on marcushiles.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcus_hiles

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-hiles

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/marcus-hiles

Media Contact:

Marcus Hiles

media@marcushiles.net

SOURCE: Marcus Hiles
NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --J.F. Lehman & Company, a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Caroline R. Bibb to its Operating Executive Board ("OEB"). The OEB is a group of seasoned industry and government executives who have significant experience in the firm's target industries. Through key relationships and sector-specific knowledge, OEB members contribute to sourcing and evaluating transactions, advising on portfolio company strategy and recruiting senior level portfolio company management.

Carol joins the OEB after completing five years of service with J.F. Lehman & Company as Managing Director, Operations. In that capacity, she was responsible for leveraging the firm's extensive operational resources and empowering portfolio company executive teams to drive growth and value creation. As part of her transition to the OEB, Ms. Bibb will remain a director of several current portfolio companies including National Response Corporation, Ravn Air Group, Sprint Energy Services and API Technologies.

Beforejoining J.F. Lehman & Company in 2013, Ms. Bibb ran her own consulting business after spending 30 years with Honeywell, where she last served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell's Catalyst, Adsorbents and Specialties business. Prior to that role, Ms. Bibb served as President of Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, a business in the Honeywell Defense platform. Ms. Bibb has been involved in a variety of businesses and has specific experience in general management including manufacturing operations, marketing, regulatory affairs, strategic planning, international business, joint ventures and talent management.

A native of Tennessee, Ms. Bibb holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and an M.B.A. from The College of William & Mary. She is also Six Sigma Black Belt certified.

"Over the last five years, Carol has established outstanding relationships with our portfolio company executive teams and supported numerous value creation initiatives," stated Louis N. Mintz, Partner. "We expect to continue to leverage her deep skill set with her appointment to the OEB."

About J.F. Lehman & Company, Inc.

J.F. Lehman & Company is a leading middle-market private equity firm focused exclusively on the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental sectors. The firm has offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

For more information about J.F. Lehman & Company, please visit www.jflpartners.com.

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2018) - Coro Mining Corp. (TSX: COP) ("Coro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointments of Mr. Armando Veliz as CFO, and Mr. Nicholas Bias as VP Corporate Development. These appointments will strengthen the Company's management team with new finance and capital markets skills.

CFO Appointment

Mr. Armando Veliz brings to Coro over two decades of accounting and financial experience, largely in South America and the mining sector. He has held a variety of senior accounting, finance and commercial positions at Nyrstar, Latin American Invest Chile and Xstrata. He is an Argentinian certified public accountant in addition to holding a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. Mr. Veliz will be based in Santiago, Chile and starts on April 16, 2018.

Mr. Damian Towns, who is based in Vancouver and has served as the CFO since the Company's inception, will assist in transitioning his role to Mr. Veliz over the coming months.

VP Corporate Development Appointment

Mr. Bias started his career as an equity analyst at Citibank in London, after which he moved into industry, where he managed investor relations for high-growth mining companies including LionOre Mining, and later, led investor relations for the IPO of Glencore, the largest IPO in the metals and mining sector at the time. He brings to Coro global experience of capital markets. Mr. Bias holds a Bachelor's Degree in Law and an MBA with a specialisation in commodity trading, shipping and finance. Mr. Bias will be based in London, effective immediately. In addition to corporate development, Mr. Bias will manage corporate communications for Coro, a role previously led by Ms. Naomi Nemeth.

Commenting on the management changes, Mr. Luis Tondo, President and Chief Executive Officer said: "First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Towns and Ms. Nemeth for their hard work and dedication to the Company, helping Coro to reach our current stage of development. I believe that Coro has an exciting period ahead as we unveil our new corporate strategy to develop and optimize the value of our asset portfolio. This requires a new management structure, and I am confident that we have attracted the right people at the right time that will fit well with our needs going forward. I am delighted to count on such high calibre professionals as Mr. Veliz and Mr. Bias and look forward to working with them. In the coming weeks, this will unfold as we release an updated strategy and feasibility study for the Marimaca claim."

For further information please visit www.coromining.com or contact:

Nicholas Bias, VP Corporate Development & Investor Relations

(604) 682 5546 x 202 or +44 (0)7771 450 679 | nbias@coromining.com

Note: Coro Mining Corp has entered a services agreement for the appointment of Mr. Nicholas Bias.

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information, include but are not limited to timing of delivery of a feasibility study for the Marimaca claim and the announcement and successful implementation of a new corporate strategy. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are beyond Coro's ability to predict or control and may cause Coro's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any of its future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the completion of assays and drill rig availability, occurrence of unexpected financial obligations, fluctuations in the price of commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and employee relations. . Such forward-looking statements are also based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the securities regulators in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Coro undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
Jedox, a Freiburg, Germany-based enterprise performance management company, received 20m in funding.

Backers included Iris Capital, eCAPITAL and Wecken & Cie.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate global expansion and product development.

Founded in 2002 and led by Kay-Ingo Greve, CEO, Jedox provides a cloud-based self-service software Corporate Performance Management (CPM) platform for budgeting, planning and forecasting in combination with intuitive analyses and business intelligence dashboards.

Today, the company employs over 160 people to support customers out of 8 offices in Germany (Freiburg, Frankfurt, and Dusseldorf), the USA (Boston), France (Paris), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne) and Asia (Singapore).

Clients add up to 2,300 companies, including some of the worlds largest firms based in 140 countries.

FinSMEs

10/04/2018
All Catholic Women Invited to the 98th Annual Convention of the National Council of Catholic Women



WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 /



Held at the Wyndham Grand Downtown Pittsburgh Hotel, where Pittsburgh's famed three rivers meet soaring skyscrapers in the heart of the historic city, the 2018 Convention will welcome more than 600 Council women from across the country to join in prayer and fellowship; become empowered through workshops on spirituality, leadership, and service; hear inspiring speakers; celebrate moving liturgies; and visit a jam-packed exhibit hall.



"Our Annual Convention is an occasion to experience the scope and breadth of Council across our country; to feel the solidarity and friendship of women who share our faith though we are from different communities and cultures, to learn and pray together -and to have fun together. In short, a wonderful opportunity to see how Catholic women truly do unite in voice and presence to Reflect God's Joy!" said NCCW President Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski.



Speakers for the 2018 National Convention include: the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, the fifth bishop of Bridgeport, a noted catechist who has delivered WYD talks in Sydney, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Krakow and received a standing ovation after his exploration of just what comprises a missionary disciple at Convocation in Orlando; Holly Joy McIlwain, a youth ministry speaker, a mother and cancer survivor; Gina Loehr, a popular author, inspirational speaker, and a frequent guest on Catholic radio and television; and Bob Rice, an associate professor of catechetics and the director of the Masters of Arts program in Catechetics and Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition, attendees will learn about exciting, new NCCW programs such as an anti human trafficking project in conjunction with the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, a Holy Land project that unites Catholic school students in the U.S. with their counterparts in the Holy Land, new NCCW formation study resources, and outreach to younger women and youth.



Founded at the direction of the US Catholic bishops in 1920, NCCWs mission is to act through its members to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. Its programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world. To request an interview with NCCW President Maribeth Stewart please contact



Share Tweet Contact: Laraine Bennett, National Council of Catholic Women , 703-224-0990, lbennett@nccw.org WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- All women are invited to the 98th Annual Convention of the National Council of Catholic Women to be held in Pittsburgh, PA from August 29-September 1, 2018 with the theme, NCCW Reflecting God's Joy: Missionary Disciples  Mission Possible!Held at the Wyndham Grand Downtown Pittsburgh Hotel, where Pittsburgh's famed three rivers meet soaring skyscrapers in the heart of the historic city, the 2018 Convention will welcome more than 600 Council women from across the country to join in prayer and fellowship; become empowered through workshops on spirituality, leadership, and service; hear inspiring speakers; celebrate moving liturgies; and visit a jam-packed exhibit hall."Our Annual Convention is an occasion to experience the scope and breadth of Council across our country; to feel the solidarity and friendship of women who share our faith though we are from different communities and cultures, to learn and pray together -and to have fun together. In short, a wonderful opportunity to see how Catholic women truly do unite in voice and presence to Reflect God's Joy!" said NCCW President Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski.Speakers for the 2018 National Convention include: the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, the fifth bishop of Bridgeport, a noted catechist who has delivered WYD talks in Sydney, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Krakow and received a standing ovation after his exploration of just what comprises a missionary disciple at Convocation in Orlando; Holly Joy McIlwain, a youth ministry speaker, a mother and cancer survivor; Gina Loehr, a popular author, inspirational speaker, and a frequent guest on Catholic radio and television; and Bob Rice, an associate professor of catechetics and the director of the Masters of Arts program in Catechetics and Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition, attendees will learn about exciting, new NCCW programs such as an anti human trafficking project in conjunction with the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, a Holy Land project that unites Catholic school students in the U.S. with their counterparts in the Holy Land, new NCCW formation study resources, and outreach to younger women and youth.Founded at the direction of the US Catholic bishops in 1920, NCCWs mission is to act through its members to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. Its programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world. To request an interview with NCCW President Maribeth Stewart please contact lbennett@nccw.org or call 703-224-0990. Visit nccw.org for more information on the National Council of Catholic Women and for all Convention registration materials.
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  Talking in Bisaya with a smirk on his face, President Duterte said, during a speech before former communist rebels, that soldiers in Mindanao should shoot female rebels in the vagina so the women become useless.

This remark became the jump off point of the artist Nikki Lunas recent work at 1335Mabini: a white aluminium panel dotted with M4 bullet holes that depict a concept of a womans vagina  one of her many works that address and respond to womens issues.

Its also not new to those who follow her work and advocacies that she conducts art therapy workshops in disenfranchised communities across the Philippines. During the Marawi crisis, for instance, Luna went to the city during and after the siege to lead these art programs for evacuees, particularly for women and children.

That's something that I've been doing for years. And I'm always faced with that dilemma when I'm asked, How else can you help? she says. Kasi I have to be present eh. That's true, I always have to be there.

She felt she needed to do a project that could be passed on, one that could easily have a ripple effect in communities affected by human rights abuses the most. She planned on starting a women-centered group that would host community meets, but as the #MeToo and the Womens March movement grew, a number of forum-based groups also launched, so she thought it would be more productive to think of another platform.

Early last year, the Asian Cultural Council awarded her a research grant in New York, where she was able to have more in-depth studies on feminist artists and movements. While there, she thought of an idea. I liked hanging out in the park in Washington Square, lying down on the grass, and thinking, she recalls. And that's where I would think about writing a book.

I wrote it thinking that maybe some of them don't know how to read or they try or it's hard, Nikki Luna says. So it has to be read easily. That even their parents can read it, who have a hard time reading. Photo by KENNETH ABALLA

Luna then wrote three childrens books: the first one talks about owning ones body, the second about value of ones self not based on beauty, and the third on how boys can be part of the conversation about girls and womens rights and issues.

All throughout this process, Luna repeatedly highlights that she wouldnt have been able to produce the books without the help of various women: filmmaker Jaja Arumpac, Gantala Press Faye Cura, artist Lara De Los Reyes, and UN Womens Chang Jordan. They formed Power In Her Story (PIHS), a publishing house that aims to educate and inform readers on the issues that inherently plague patriarchal societies.

The publishing group's book series is illustrated by Julienne Dadivas, and Luna says the only directive she told Dadivas was to come up with illustrations that would not alienate either a child who speaks English or a child who speaks Tagalog or Bisaya or any other language. These illustrations, she says, complemented well with the simplicity of the message. In the first book, I Love My Body, the message is clear and simple: your body is yours and yours alone.

I wrote it thinking that maybe some of them don't know how to read or they try or it's hard, she explains. So it has to be read easily. That even their parents can read it, who have a hard time reading.

Luna says that it was important that they start on the ownership of ones body because sexual assault has been one of the most prevalent cases of abuse perpetrated on women in the Philippines. A report by the Center of Womens Resources revealed that one person is raped per hour in the country. The Philippine Statistics Authority also reported in 2016 that there have been 4,605 cases of rape, acts of lasciviousness, and attempted and incestuous rape.

Now, the more popular is cyber sex or pornography. And they feel like they're not doing anything to their children when they let it happen because it's on the screen lang naman. Isn't that frustrating? Luna says. She explains that the PIHS group has seen a lack in gender sensitivity programs and sexual education or any kind of material that would simply inform girls and boys the right to their own bodies.

The first book series is illustrated by Julienne Dadivas, and Luna says the only directive she told Dadivas was to come up with illustrations that would not alienate either a child who speaks English or a child who speaks Tagalog or Bisaya or any other language. These illustrations, she says, complemented well with the simplicity of the message. In the first book, I love my body, the message is clear and simple: your body is yours and yours alone. Photo courtesy of NIKKI LUNA

She and Chang Jordan, both students of UPs Women and Development Studies, have always done work on the ground and the stories they have heard presented a clear problem on the way children are raised, what they are exposed to, and how their issues are dealt with.

If you can just instill in them what is theirs and that even if the closest people in their lives cannot have a say with it, I want them to get that chance, she says. It might be a simple book but I want them to have that chance.

PIHS employs a buy-one-give-one model, so for every book in English that is sold, a book translated in Tagalog by Gantala Press Faye Cura will be given to marginalized communities. Having beneficiaries in rural and urban poor areas is paramount to the group because even when sexual abuse knows no class or social standing, poor women dont necessarily have the access to get out of their circumstances. A lot of us go through sexual abuse in many layers and forms, so I think I wanted it to connect to everyone, Luna explains.

The presence of womens initiatives like PIHS is part of a global reckoning against sexual harassment and abuse. However, the alarming and increasing number of cases that afflict Filipinos, especially Filipino girls, is a testament to how the fight to protect and defend womens rights may be a Sisyphean nightmare.

But, it is also necessary to recognize that while people in power or influence may be spewing out words that demean and diminish the female experience, there is considerable strength in a group of women banding together to listen to girls stories.

When they share their own stories of brutalities, of abuse, the first thing that happens is you doubt the person, Luna says. You doubt just because she's a girl, when you should find the power in her voice and start listening.

***

I Love My Body will be available on April 18 through the Power In Her Story website.
.                2:1     "F"   .      " "      .  ,         " ". "     " ".       .  ...
Editors note: Caloy Libosada is a tourism and ecotourism consultant. He was a research officer for the Department of Tourism for seven years and taught tourism at the University of the Philippines Asian Institute of Tourism for 15 years.

Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  When a surfing incident in Siargao involving an unqualified instructor and broadcast journalist Karen Davilas son made the news, it put the spotlight on an industry that has been bogged down with a question thats been begging to be answered: when is a destination ready for tourism?

Gone are the days when the travel industry was just a marginal sector in governance. One that was often regarded as a non-essential component in development. Tourism was, for many, an exclusive domain for foreign travelers and a few moneyed Filipinos.

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, domestic tourism was virtually unheard of for most parts of the Philippines, and the only compelling reason to leave ones community to go to far-away places was to visit friends and relatives. Only the likes of resorts in Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, the Ilocos provinces, and the highlands of Baguio had experiences of domestic tourism. And even then, the Department of Tourism (DOT) only had token programs for that market, with 90 percent of the marketing resources poured into attracting foreign tourists. You can blame a weak economy and security concerns as the main factors for that negligible domestic situation.

In those early days, I was a backpacker and tourism researcher going up the mountains and exploring caves. I always had to contend with the question of whether I was a communist rebel or a government spy. Very few would risk their lives in far-off rural places and be labeled as a target of both parties with guns.

Fast forward to the present and you will be astounded by the numbers: more than 50 million domestic movements last year (only including at least one night stay in a destination). In most destinations, domestic tourists occupy 70 to 90 percent of the space for visitor numbers. In terms of economic gains, foreign tourists provided about 250 billion receipts, while the domestic market distributed more than one trillion pesos.

From being a minor economic player that was just figuring out how to develop a few decades ago, the Philippines travel industry now contributes 8.6 percent to the GDP.

The proof of validity is now all over the country, and local government units that gained success for buying into tourism early on are clear proofs. Today, virtually every governor, mayor, and barangay captain wants to get a slice of the tourism windfall. For some, its the only way out of poverty for their constituents. For the majority, its a clear winnable investment. There is no need to spend anything, and its a good excuse to get development projects such as airports and tourism roads.

Unfortunately, our government is not designed to integrate tourism requirements into governance on all levels. It would have to take a visionary local government official who has the the grit to literally fight for a well-defined and managed tourism industry.

If sites start developing their tourism industry, they must recognize this fact. They must be ready to provide the needed facilities and services to the transients. They must go beyond the usual institutional excuse that they cannot satisfy the needed bureaucratic requirements.

The main mandate of the DOT is to attract tourists and manage some select sites such as Intramuros, Rizal Park, and so-called tourism economic zones. Tourism trainings are also provided and are slowly being modified to cater to various needs, such as first aid and specific guiding techniques (e.g. mountain guiding). But the magnitude of the industry growth already puts tremendous pressure on these training programs. Colorum guides easily multiply where visitor demands are high, and DOT-trained individuals are few and far between.

DOT, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and an increasing number of provinces and municipalities are formulating tourism plans to guide destination stakeholders to more effectively develop their tourism industry. But therein lies the weakness of most plans  they are focused on tourism.

Tourism is a fragmented industry, and yet it requires the cooperation or input of every social and institutional organization. Fragmented means that if somebody develops a facility, another group is responsible for attracting the tourists, and another for providing services. Meanwhile, government agencies are tasked to develop the roads, ports, and ticket gates.

There is a chance for municipalities to move up through the help of tourism. But the system itself makes this difficult. Towns have to reach certain local population and demand requirements to be allocated funding for schools, clinics, and hospitals, yet transient individuals, aka tourists, are not included in these counts.

Accidents can happen in any place, and tourists are the most vulnerable members of a society. They often do not have their support system with them, and their resources are highly limited. If sites start developing their tourism industry, they must recognize this fact. They must be ready to provide the needed facilities and services to the transients. They must go beyond the usual institutional excuse that they cannot satisfy the needed bureaucratic requirements.

The mere fact that their people have jobs and businesses and are paying taxes, and that outsiders are bringing in money to the local economy should be enough motivation for them to push for the establishment of basic social services.

I often say to local stakeholders to make tourism an excuse for the development of their communities. Make tourism an excuse for roads to be built leading to attractions. Roads that will be used by the locals as their farm-to-market routes. Make tourism an excuse to ask for cell sites, a port, or even an airport. And perhaps now, they can make tourists as an excuse for them to finally have necessary social services such as hospitals and even schools that will be used by visitors and locals.
A new Android TV with Google logo and manufactured by the Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co., Ltd. has passed through the FCC. It comes with 4K ATV Stick naming and pictures showing off HDMI dongle, with Google Logo running the latest version of Android TV and with a Google Assistant enabled voice remote.

For any Google product, the Google branding looks way too obvious and the poorly written manual makes one question the legitimacy of the product in question. However, the dongle is extremely reminiscent of Chromecast dongles. According to the manual, it has an HDMI (2.0A) output, power (5V/2A) input, powered by the Amilogic S905X processor with 2GB of RAM and has 8GB of eMMC storage onboard.

On the flip side, the dongles power brick has no sign of an ethernet connection like the Chromecast Ultra, but it does dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.1 as well. Going by the user manual, the setup process seems pretty straightforward, one can use the voice-enabled Android TV remote above, and an Android device. Surprisingly, the pictures show the Oreo updated version of Android TV.

Google doesnt have any known previous manufacturing relationship with Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co. which doesnt necessarily mean this could be unreal since the company has a number of Android TV devices already in production. With Googles I/O event coming up in few weeks, we should know more details about the device in detail.

Source | Via
The return of the Lumia Pro Camera mode in the Nokia Camera app took center stage next to the Android One support announcement at the MWC 2018. This Pro camera mode is currently available in the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8 Sirocco out of the box, but it is unclear at the moment if this would be rolled out to other Nokia branded phones or not.

However, HMD Globals Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, said that the Nokia Cameras Pro Camera mode would roll out to all devices with ZEISS optics. Now we have some sorts of official confirmation that HMD Global might release this feature for other Nokia phones as the APK of the latest camera app from a leaked Nokia 7 OTA update has been released online.

XDA Senior Member Hikari_Calyx, has pulled the leaked OTA which is an unreleased build for the Chinese variant of the Nokia 7 which also includes Pro camera mode with version 8.0260.50. The app is working perfectly on the Nokia 7 since it does have the Zeiss optics. The XDA member has also released the APK for other Nokia 7 users.

Technically, the app should work on any Nokia-branded device with Zeiss optics as HMD Global claimed it, but for now, it is now being tested on the Nokia 7, but should also work on Nokia 8. You can download the APK from here and try if it works on your phone.

Source
In 1996, the WinnDixie closed its doors and took down its signs at 2545 Estero Boulvard.

Photos of the closing were published in the July 3, 1996 issue of the Observer, calling the stores closure the end of an era.

Fort Myers Beach has reached the end of another grocery era: Topps Supermarket, will close after 22 years of operation in the old WinnDixie site.

As the only grocery store on the north end of the island, Topps was utilized by vacationers and locals alike. Many bicyclists can be seen going home with the signature yellow grocery bags hanging from their handlebars.

But its been more than a store: its been a 22-year era of high schoolers first employment, family owned business and post-hurricane relief.

The locals supported us from day one, David Carney, the owner, said.

David grew up in the grocery business, starting out as a 14-year-old cleaning up in the meat department in Hamburg, New York, to owning his first store in Punta Gorda.

While he was in Punta Gorda, he said a man came to his store and told David he needed to see the former WinnDixie site in Fort Myers Beach.

Everyone comes to you with brilliant ideas, but I came down to see it, he said. And I had to do it.

David said at the time, Florida was a little behind the times in the grocery business. WinnDixie was focused on building monster stores, instead of focusing on smaller locations that could be successful.

It wasnt an easy road for the Carney family. David described himself as starving at the time, and not in a financial position to acquire a new store.

I didnt have nothing. It took $500,000 in credit cards, at 18 percent interest, Carney said.

He was convinced he and his wife Deborah would have to file for bankruptcy multiple times, but they survived.

David learned the art of the deal in the grocery business. There were times where he had to negotiate with everyone to stay afloat.

The deals started even at the beginning: while WinnDixie typically would remove the store equipment, he convinced the corporation to sell it to him instead for $150,000. That sounds like a lot, but it was significantly less than the cost of buying everything new. They had to open quick  just two week later  so they could make some money to live on, he said.

Weve been through a lot of wars, business-wise, he said. Im very good at surviving.

Even the name of the store was a tactic to save money. Carney had grown up working for Tops Friendly Markets, an entirely separate chain in the northeastern area of the county. He figured, it was successful at the time  and they couldnt sue him if he added an extra a p.

I wanted a short name because, honest, I couldnt afford a longer one, he said. All those letters cost money.

Topps was able to succeed because of its prime location, and its niche market.

The Carneys raised their two sons, Jay and David, in the store. Jay still works there full time.

Customers watched me grow up. Its one big family, thats how we treat it, Jay said.

He started working at the store when he was 18, starting with helping to train new employees. Hes seen the 14-year-olds he trained come back in with their own kids now, he said.

Darcy Olbrich and her two older brothers, Todd and Dustin, all worked at the store as teenagers. Darcy said she started when she was 14, and now shes 29. When she started, Todd would sometimes make her breakfast from the deli in the mornings, where he worked. She said the stores closing is really heartbreaking.

It was a very family-oriented store, she said. The store was always a big part in my family. We could always walk in and know everyone there.

She recently went back to the store to say a heartfelt goodbye to some of the employees who still work there.

A few weeks ago, some of the employees organized a get together, too.

The store manager, Joe Minehan, and multiple other employees have been with the Carneys since they opened Topps. Thats part of what makes closing so hard, David (senior) said.

I kept it for the kids and the employees, he said.

Topps isnt closing by choice; the store had a lease with the property owners with the option to renew. The owner is an agent for the Kaul Trust, which is related to the Kaul Company, an apartment developer. No one with this company could be reached in time for publication.

The site owner took away the option to renew, thus ending Topps lease for the building. Carney said he wanted to buy the property, but said the Kaul Company has bigger plans.

Originally the Carneys planned to shut down May 1, but David thinks it could be as early as next week. All this week is a 50 percent off sale (except beer and cigarettes).

Helping others out has always been part of Topps business plan  and closing is no exception. Whatever might be left over will be donated to local charities, David said.

After hurricanes, Topps always tried to open its doors as soon as possible, usually giving out water for free, and helping care for those hit on the island.

And if someone was hungry, they could come in for a sandwich.

Thats what we always said, dont steal from us. Well give you a sandwich, David said. We tried to take care of anybody.

The Fort Myers Beach Little League always benefited from Topps generosity, umpire and former president Charlie Whitehead said. The San Carlos Island resident has been a loyal Topps customer since it opened.

Im gonna miss Topps, Whitehead said. I prefer to give my money to mom and pops stores.

Any time the Little League needed supplies, the store was always good to Little League. Its the kind of easy generosity unattainable from a corporate store that has to call in for permission.

The store got an outcry of dismay, and support, when it announced its closure.

Its sad, Jay Carney said. Ill miss the customers who treat me like family.

He said he, and his family, always wanted to be sure people who came in werent treated like a number, and really be the beach store.

Jays not sure whats next for him. He lives out in Alva near David and Deborah, with his wife Jessica and children Gracie and Jackson. David Jr. teaches full time, but often worked at the store, and is married to Nicole with children David and Savannah.

Although David Sr. hoped to keep the beach store for his kids and grandkids, hes not too worried about his boys: theyre good people and theyll land on their feet, he said. At one time, David owned four stores in Florida. He sold the last one off and has the money for his kids.

As for himself, at 65, hes not sure hes done yet. He said Deborahs ready to retire, but he cant sit at home for one day.

I say, dont count me out yet, he said. I dont think Im ready to go to the wasteland yet.

He lives out in Alva on some acreage and with some dogs; hell have to find something to keep his mind busy, he said.

As for the beach, the Carneys are thankful for the support the local community has given their business.

The future holds a lot for the beach. It needs it, David said. But they cant let the locals disappear.
Connecticut Street residents are tired of the town barging in.

Traffic speeds down Connecticut to Shell Mound to bypass Estero Boulevard. Vacation renters or other street dwellers walk down the middle of the street with their dogs.

But Connecticut residents arent keen on getting a free sidewalk.

In 2011, the town applied for federal funding to get a sidewalk on Connecticut Street, asking for money from the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Lee County. Once an application for a project is deemed worthy of federal dollars, it takes about five years to get it funded and there was an additional time delay for this one.

The MPO is poised to give Fort Myers Beach $350,000, which includes design cost, for a 6-foot sidewalk down the residential street, but at a meeting Wednesday, residents were staunchly against what they considered an intrusion onto their property.

The town owns the street, and has a 50-foot right of way for the road way. The street itself is not 50 feet wide, however the town has the right to build a sidewalk within its right of way.

The right of way spans 25 feet to each side from the middle of the road  which means, what some residents thought of as their front yard is part of town property.

Bill Grady watches the people who walk up and down the street at all hours, some with beach chairs and gear, others on their bikes.

We dont want to bring that closer to our home, he said. Do you have any alternatives??Another resident wanted the sidewalk to be smaller, maybe 3 feet instead of 6 feet. However Roxann Lake, a representative from Florida Department of Transportation, said the sidewalk had to be compliant with the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She wasnt sure how narrow it could be allowed to be.

One resident, who declined to be named, said the sidewalk was needed as a safety issue as its a trafficked road and people have no where to walk.

Lets not forget, its the towns right of way, he said. A majority of homes are vacation rentals. This is a safety thing.?Other residents proposed the sidewalk should run from Estero Boulevard to Shell Mound Road on the south side of Connecticut Street. The only people who drive or walk past Shell Mound are residents or Mound House visitors, they said.

There are approximately 24 residents on Connecticut Street; about 10 attended the Wednesday meeting. Residents share the street with the Mound House at the end and Beach Baptist Church at the beginning.

Its not the first time Connecticut residents have spoken out against ideas they dont like for their street. In 2014 the town pursued purchasing an open lot at 216 Connecticut to provide overflow parking for the Mound House. Residents decried the project as commercial intrusion, but the lot was bought and converted into a passive park with room for extra Mound House cars.

Chelsea OReilly, Public Works Manager, said shed take back the residents comments and concerns to council and then see if the project could be adjusted to fit the desires of the residents. Lake said as long as the project was just reduced, and not changed into something else entirely, the town could still get the MPO funding.

Construction on the sidewalk is not slated to begin until Oct. 2019.
One of the most iconic photos of Fort Myers Beach is the one taken at the peak of the sky bridge  overlooking the mooring field.

The Anchorage Advisory Committee and Matanzas on the Bay co-hosted the 11th annual Cruisers Appreciation Day as a thank-you to the loyal patrons who tie up to the towns municipal anchorage.

Matanzas Inn also is the upland service provider, which helps check in mooring field boats and provides shower facilities.

More than 40 boaters and members of the public attended the cook out at Matanzas on the Bay.

Its to thank people who are mooring with us and raise awareness to the public, said Committee Chair, Kathy Light.

Curt Taylor has been living at the anchorage for more than a year. He said he was impressed that the anchorage committee members and Vice Mayor Joanne Shamp attended the event.

It makes me think they care, and Im sure they do, he said.

He used to live in Chicago, and hes been enjoying the change of temperament in Fort Myers Beach.

People stop to let cars in, let people cross the street, he said. Its more laid back here.

Anchorage patrons Ken and JoAnn Earle travel down from Minnesota to fish in the Gulf. The couple are prolific fishers, and seek out red drum, snapper and sheepshead in their dingy, Chum. When theyre not fishing, theyre sailing in their boat, Otro Viaje.

The friendly atmosphere also keeps sailors Dick and Kathy de Grasse coming back year after year.

The couple have been sailing together for more than 55 years. Dick says its been 59, but Kathy says its been at least 60.

Hes the captain, Im the admiral, Kathy said.

Dick is concerned with the closing of Topps Supermarket, however: theres a public dingy dock behind the family-owned store, which made it the easiest access for mooring field patrons to do their shopping.

The couple has been coming to Fort Myers Beach since before the anchorage existed, but Dick said it changed everything for them once the mooring field was built.

The two have traversed the Atlantic several times, but they love to come back to Fort Myers Beach with their Tarton sloop, Endeavour.

We love Fort Myers Beach. Its one of the finest mooring fields in all of Florida, Dick said. People are friendly, its secure, places are upbeat.
To the Editor:

I am writing this letter to the editor to voice my frustration with the Lee County Local Planning Agencys recent decision to recommend approval of the Lee Comprehensive Plan Amendment  Changing the Bay Harbour Marina Villages Land Use Designation. As a local resident who has lived on San Carlos Island for more than 50 years, and business owner who has multiple businesses which operate on this island, I was very disappointed that the LPA made a recommendation for approval when it is clear most of the islands residents, property owners and business owners are not in favor of this change or the project itself.

On Feb. 10, a Lee County Public Workshop was held at the AMI Kids School where over 80 San Carlos residents, property owners and business owners attended the meeting, giving feedback from the communitys perspective. The overwhelming majority of the attendees were not in favor of the project, sharing their concerns that because of the size of this project that it would negatively impact the community and the character of the island would not be maintained. There was a large contingency of county staff who participated in the discussion and filled out the questionnaires, which I feel was inappropriate as the county staff has no stake in this situation, and their personal opinion of what San Carlos Island should be is irrelevant.

On March 6, Joanne Semmer met with Sharon Jenkins-Owens, the Principal Planner at the Lee County Community Development office. Joanne presented the letters and documents for public input into the LPA file, but the County Staff refused to accept them. Joanne was told that the documentation could be accepted and entered into the file at the LPA Hearing on the 26th of March, if she provided 10 copies of each document. Within days two emails followed confirming this conservation and the events which transpired. Both letters from the Community Development Office staff also cited the Administrative Codes specific provision providing for the procedure for the Publics Participation, which allowed for the submission of written comments before the date of a public hearing and may also be submitted at any public hearing provided that at least 10 copies of such comments be provided for distribution. It is disappointing that protocol as provided by the Code was not followed by the Lee County Development Office.

During the hearing the numerous documents had been refused acceptance on March 6 and 230 letters against the project were submitted. No opportunity or break was given to review anything presented at the hearing. The LPA Board did not look at them or spend any time reviewing them before making their decision to recommend the Land Use Designation basing their decision solely on the Staff report not taking any of the documents into consideration that the we had submitted at the hearing.

My question is what role does the communities voice play in this process? The county and its agencies claim they are interested in the input of the community, but it doesnt seem that the efforts of the community from appearances at workshops and hearings, where most of opinions are voiced in the negative or even 230 letters requesting the plan be denied has any sort of impact but are rather an exercise in futility.

William J. Semmer

San Carlos Island
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11)  Embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday warned the judiciary against the dangers a quo warranto petition may bring.

"When the administration changes, then every sitting justice who lacks a documentary requirement that the JBC (Judicial and Bar Council) has in its discretion waived knowingly can nevertheless be removed if the Supreme Court grants the quo warranto petition against me," Sereno said in a speech at a forum of the Philippine Bar Association, a lawyers' group.

"That is how deadly, how malevolent this petition is. It is unparalleled in the evil that it will bring upon the country," she added.

The quo warranto, a legal proceeding where an individual's right to hold office is challenged, was filed by the government's top lawyer, Solicitor General Jose Calida. He wants the Supreme Court to void Sereno's appointment as chief justice over her alleged failure to file Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth for 10 years, before she applied for the Chief Justice post in 2012.

Sereno on Tuesday faced the Supreme Court on her ouster petition. She clarified issues on her SALN before her colleagues, and said these were not required under the JBC rules of integrity.

She said any private practitioner going against the government will be at a disadvantage, because the Solicitor General could file a quo warranto petition against the judge for which they are both appearing.

"You cannot persevere with all zeal your client's cause, because that is already prejudiced by the fact that your adversary will always have a sword of Damocles over the entire judiciary," she said, citing a looming threat over the judiciary.

The Chief Justice then called on the judiciary to "stand with courage" amid proceedings in the executive and legislative departments.

"We must stand for the constitutional rights of the people. We must stand for the Constitution, even at great peril to ourselves, but we will be rendered inutile if the Solicitor General at any time, even the last year before we retire, can oust us," Sereno said.

Sereno's camp has repeatedly said the Chief Justice can only be removed from office through impeachment.

President Rodrigo Duterte has also declared Sereno his enemy, after her remarks questioning the President's role in the ouster petition.
Ex-FBI Director James Comey compared President Trump to a "mob boss" in a yet-to-be aired interview with George Stephanopoulos, likely signalling that bashing the man who fired him to a fawning press is Comey's strategy for selling his new book.

Not too long ago, Comey was loathed by people on both sides of the political aisle. Republicans blamed him for flubbing the probe into Hillary Clinton's illegal email server, and Democrats faulted him for reopening it just days before the 2016 presidential election.

However, the fired FBI chief has since found himself back in the good graces of liberals -- due largely to his combative relationship with Trump.

Comey's first stop on the tour promoting his upcoming book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies & Leadership," was at the reliably liberal ABC News, where he spent five hours with former Clinton aide Stephanopoulos, according to Politico.

Axios published an excerpt from the sitdown with Stephanopoulos in which Comey compared Trump to a mob boss. The source told Axios that Comeys comments stunned people in the room because he answered every question and goes there.

The question will be how to fit it all into a one-hour show, Axios wrote.

Comeys book is already marked as a best seller on Amazon. The description of Higher Loyalty makes sure to appeal to both sides of the aisle, noting that he has been involved in some of the most consequential cases and policies of recent history including Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Stephanopoulos became a source of unease for ABC during the presidential campaign when it was revealed he gave money to the Clinton Foundation and had to recuse himself from hosting any presidential debates. President Trump has denounced Stephanopoulos for liberal bias, deriding him as little George. It will be interesting to see if ABC News discloses Stephanopoulos ties to Clinton during the Comey special interview.

If there's anything besides Trump-bashing in the interview, I could see the possibility of Stephanopoulos hitting Comey from the left on his October 2016 letter to Congress [which reopened the probe], Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Houck told Fox News when the interview was announced last month.

An ABC News spokesperson provided the following statement: The interview will speak for itself - we expect it [to be] revealing, tough and fair.

CNN recently announced that it will allow Comey to spend an hour promoting the book in what is being billed as a town hall event moderated by Anderson Cooper. Comey will then sit down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier following appearances on ABC, CNN and MSNBC.

Political watchdogs will surely take note to whether or not Comey drops the anti-Trump shtick when speaking to a non-partisan anchor.
Emily Ratajkowski shocked the world when she revealed her surprise marriage to actor/producer Sebastian Bear-McClard at New York Citys City Hall six weeks ago with little explanation on social media.

But the model and Blurred Lines star finally got candid about her wedding when she appeared on Jimmy Fallons show Monday night.

He proposed to me at [New York City upscale restaurant] Minetta Tavern and he didnt have a ring, so I was like, Mmm, nah, recalled the 26-year-old. And then he took the paper clip that the bill was paid with and made me a ring, which I actually thought was really romantic.

But the paper clip ring didnt last for long. Ratajkowski and her beau had other things in mind.

So were both interesting little humans is what I would say and you do need 24 hours before you have to go down to City Hall and get your license because they dont want you to do the Vegas thing, she explained. Like, you have to think about it for 24 hours. I think thats why. So then we walked into Chinatown and bought a little piece of, like an ounce of gold, and he was like, Well melt down the gold and make the rings.

 So I was like, I just dont see us melting down gold, like that just seems kind of difficult, but then he ended up going to some store in midtown and met this nice man  this is the night before our wedding, by the way  and this very nice Israeli man was like, I know how to do that.'"

Soon Ratajkowski and McClard found themselves in a studio after hours to transform their ounce of gold into a wedding band.

 We actually hammered them out, the whole thing, used a little blow torch, she explained. And they were supposed to be temporary rings, but now Im very attached and I really dont want to get rid of it. I just feel like making it yourself, like could you be more personal, really?
The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office is reviewing a sexual assault case against disgraced Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, Fox News has learned Wednesday.

"The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Victims Bureau began an investigation into allegations of a sexual assault involving Mr. Kevin Spacey on December 11, 2017," the sheriff's office told Fox News. "The events were reported to have taken place in October of 1992 in West Hollywood involving a male adult."

The sheriff's office added, "The investigation was completed and presented to the District Attorney's Office Entertainment Industry Sex Crimes Task Force on April 5, 2018, for review and filing consideration."

The fallen star of Netflixs House of Cards was accused of sexual assault late last year by several men both in the U.S. and U.K. Officials in both countries opened criminal investigations to further explore the claims.

The 58-year-old actor has since been fired from the popular series. He also was replaced by Christopher Plummer in the Oscar-nominated crime thriller All the Money in the World.

Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp last year accused Spacey of sexual misconduct. He claimed the star, then 26, made sexual advances toward him in 1986 when Rapp was just 14.

Spacey took to social media saying he was horrified by the allegations and claimed not to remember the shocking incident. Spacey wrote he owed the now-46-year-old the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.

Spacey added that despite having relationships over the years with both men and women, I choose now to live as a gay man. The statement quickly stirred outrage online.

Spacey has since disappeared from the limelight.
A federal judge in Chicago has thrown out a lawsuit targeting McDonalds and its arguably confusing Extra Value Meals.

The class-action suit, which was filed by Kelly Killeen, alleged that a single McDonalds Extra Value Meal costs more than simply buying its components separately, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reported. Killen cited a sausage burrito breakfast Extra Value Meal she purchased in Chicago for $5.08, whereas the same food  two sausage burritos, hash browns and coffee  total just $4.97 when rung up individually.

EMBARRASSED MOM GOES VIRAL AFTER SON GOES TO SCHOOL IN LEWD 'MCDONALD'S' PARODY T-SHIRT

Judge Elaine Bucklo, however, rejected the notion that McDonalds is violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, writing that prices for both options  the Extra Value Meal and the individual components of the meal  are readily visible on the McDonalds menu.

Here, a straightforward, price-to-price comparison based on information available at the point of purchase would unequivocally dispel any misleading inference that could be drawn from the name Extra Value Meal, wrote Bucklo, according to court documents obtained by Eater.

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McDonalds was sued over a similar issue in 2016 by a man in suburban Chicago who alleged that the two-cheeseburger Value Meals sold at local Illinois restaurants actually cost 41 cents more than if the components were purchased individually.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Illinois health authorities are warning against a synthetic marijuana thats left at least three people dead and over 100 others bleeding from the eyes, ears, gums and nose. While the state has taken measures to alert the public about the potential dangers of using the synthetic drug, commonly referred to as K2, Spice and fake weed, at least 107 cases of severe bleeding have been recorded since March.

This is the first time weve seen anything of this size, Melaney Arnold, communications manager at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), told Fox News.

GLITTER SUNSCREEN MAKES WAVES: DERMATOLOGISTS DISCUSS SPARKLY NEW TREND

Arnold said that the majority of cases in the state involve severe bleeding from the gums, nose, blood in urine and coughing up blood, but at least one involved a patient bleeding from the eyes.

State officials said Monday that several of the patients tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used in rat poison. Human exposure to brodifacoum affects the bodys ability to use vitamin K, which aids in the blood-clotting process.

While illnesses have been linked to fake marijuana before, including a 2017 outbreak in Pennsylvania that caused more than 60 overdoses in a single weekend, this is the first spike involving rat poison contamination, said the CDC's Renee Funk.

"This is an unusual outbreak," Funk said Tuesday, adding that it is unclear how the contamination occurred.

The outbreak has reached other states, with cases also recorded in Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin and Maryland, bringing the total to 116 nationwide. Arnold said the state is working both with the CDC and nearby states to identify the potential source.

RUN-INS WITH CARFENTANIL: THE OPIOID 5,000 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN HEROIN

Each day weve seen the number of cases rise, Nirav D. Shah, M.D., director of Illinois Department of Public Health, said in a news release. Synthetic cannabinoids are unsafe. They are not regulated and people dont know what chemicals may be in them, like rat poison. While efforts are underway to get the contaminated drugs out of circulation, its possible they could re-emerge. We urge people not to use cannabinoids now or ever.

On the ground, the IDPH has continued to update the public through social media and local health departments.
Emergency rooms in Illinois are noticing a spike in synthetic pot users suffering from "severe bleeding," and state health officials are warning the public to remain vigilant.

The Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) issued a statement on in March announcing that at least six people in northeastern Illinois had been hospitalized after using the man-made substance -- also known as "fake weed," "K2" or "spice." On Wednesday, the number of cases climbed to 118, including three deaths, the health department reported.

"All cases have required hospitalization for symptoms such as coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, and/or bleeding gums," the IDPH said. "Numerous have tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used in rat poison."

There are now cases in at least 12 Illinois communities including Chicago, Cook County, Dupage County, Fulton County, Kane County, Kankakee County, Mason County, McLean County, Peoria County, Tazewell County, Will County and Woodford county. But officials believe that number will grow, as it's possible contaminated products have been sold across the state.

This bleeding is not expected, at least in such a significant population so quickly."  Dr. Melissa Millewich

Despite the perception that synthetic cannabinoids are safe and a legal alternative to marijuana, many are illegal and can cause severe illness, IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah said in a statement on March 27. The recent cases of severe bleeding are evidence of the harm synthetic cannabinoids can cause.

Synthetic pot is made up of hundreds of different chemicals -- and their effect on the human body is unpredictable.

"These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they act on the same brain cell receptors as the main active ingredient in marijuana," IDPH explained, warning that the drug's impact can be life-threatening. "Synthetic cannabinoid products are unsafe. It is difficult to know whats in them or what your reaction to them will be."

Users have reported a wide range of symptoms, from bleeding gums and bloody noses to blood in the urine. Women who are menstruating have also experienced a higher than average flow. Bleeding from the eyes and ears is also possible after use, IDPH said.

The bleeding that doctors have seen in recent days has been severe.

This bleeding is not expected, at least in such a significant population so quickly, Dr. Melissa Millewich, an emergency room physician at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, told the Chicago Tribune.

Health officials urge those who have purchased synthetic cannabinoid products within the past month -- whether it was from a convenience store or a dealer -- to not use the product. IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold told the Chicago newspaper that the product is banned for sale across the state, but some manufacturers alter the "molecular makeup of the products" to get around the law.

Anyone who starts experiencing symptoms, including severe bleeding or bruising, should be taken to the hospital immediately, the IDPH said.
A 6-year-old Indiana boy who is battling cancer for the third time got his wish Tuesday when he was sworn in as an honorary sheriffs deputy.

Brantley Taber was bestowed the honor at Tri-Elementary School in Indiana, as his classmates watched dozens of Henry County police officers welcome their newest recruit, FOX59 reported.

Brantley was first diagnosed with cancer at age 3 when his parents noticed a lump on his back. According to the family's GoFundMe page, his only treatment option is trial medicine because he maxed out his lifetime doses of chemotherapy.

Henry County Sheriffs Deputy Derek Bertrand had heard about Brantleys battle with cancer and found out the youngster wanted to be a law enforcement officer when he grew up. He then hatched a plan to help fulfill Brantley's dream to join the force.

"Its such a great cause and such a great thing for him to have just one amazing day and to know he has so many people that support him and are backing him is just a great thing," Bertrand told FOX59.

Brantleys mother, Kira, said she became emotional when she saw the police officers waiting at the school to welcome their newest recruit. The boy was even able to participate in a mock arrest.

"I was not expecting this," the boy's mother said. "Im fighting back tears walking up and seeing the 50 some police officers that are here and all the police cars outside, it's overwhelming."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11)  China has the "natural right" to station troops and deploy defense facilities in the Spratly Islands, their defense ministry said Wednesday, amid critics' allegations that Beijing is militarizing contested features in the South China Sea.

In a statement posted on the Ministry of Defense's website, Ministry Spokesperson Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang said the Nansha Islands  the Chinese name for the Spratly group of islands  are part of Chinese territory.

"The Nansha Islands are China's territory," Ren's statement read. "It is the natural right of a sovereign state for China to station troops and deploy necessary territory defense facilities on the relevant islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands."

The comment comes after a show of force by a Chinese aircraft carrier and other sea vessels in the South China Sea, and reports from the Wall Street Journal that China has installed military jammers on the islands.

The Defense Ministry spokesperson said China will pursue a national defense policy that is "defensive in nature" and a military strategy of "active defense."

"It is conducive to safeguarding the state's sovereignty and security, ensuring the freedom and security of navigation channels in the South China Sea, and maintaining regional peace and stability," Ren said.

"It is not directed against any country," he added.

Malacanang earlier said the presence of Chinese vessels in the disputed waters is not a cause for concern.

Critics have called out the construction of Chinese air and naval base structures on the Spratly's Islands,saying it is China's way of militarizing the contested waters.

READ: Vertical structures built on reefs in S. China Sea - Inquirer reporter

The eastern giant has asserted ownership of majority of the South China Sea, with other claimant countries  including the Philippines  disputing China's territorial claims. But the Duterte administration has since seen warmer ties with China, with President Rodrigo Duterte himself repeatedly saying the Philippines cannot afford to go to war with China over the maritime row.
When Samantha Snipes found out she was pregnant at the age of 24, she was convinced her allegedly abusive boyfriend would change his ways. She prayed the pregnancy would bring them closer together and things would slowly get better  but she said it never did.

One day, when things once again got physical, Snipes decided it was time to leave.

"I was scared. I was three months pregnant with this mans child and feared him," Snipes explained in a post published on the popular blogging site Love What Matters. "I left that night and never looked back."

Snipes flew to her mother's home in Arkansas to heal and learn "how to love [herself] again." She then weighed her options, briefly considering abortion before deciding on adoption. She started researching adoption agencies in the area.

"I was discouraged and depressed," she explained. "I was trying to imagine a place where my child was going to be nurtured and grow."

She found comfort online, chatting with a man from North Carolina over a game called "League of Legends." The pair grew close, and though she was eight months pregnant at the time, he told her he wanted to meet. So, she packed a bag and headed to the airport.

"We only had an hour together, but I felt as if we had been friends for years."  Samantha Snipes

"I ended up missing my [connecting] flight; little did I know it was for good reason. There is always a plan, a grand plan, even if we dont exactly understand it at the time," Snipes said. "This is where the light starts to radiate."

Her "boyfriend" made some calls and found her another flight on standby. She took the first available seat on the next flight. She ended up sitting next to a cheerful woman named Temple Phipps, who befriended her instantly.

"Nervous as I was about the flight, I found comfort in getting to know her. We only had an hour together, but I felt as if we had been friends for years," Snipes recalled.

On the short flight, Snipes discussed her heart-wrenching decision to put her child up for adoption and Phipps revealed she had always wanted children, but the opportunity just never presented itself. When the plane landed in North Carolina, the pair exchanged phone numbers.

"She knew I didnt know anyone else in the area and before we parted ways, she gave me her number," Snipes explained. "She told me to call should I ever find myself in trouble, in need of anything or if I wanted to talk more about adoption."

Three days later, Snipes went into labor. After 12 minutes of pushing, she gave birth to a beautiful, 6-pound baby boy.

"She was in disbelief that I even asked her, a stranger, but a stranger that felt more like family to me than anyone."  Samantha Snipes

"He was healthy, and that is all that a mother could ever want," Snipes wrote. "Yet, I still didnt feel like a mother to the point that I should."

The next day, Snipes decided to give Phipps a call.

"I told her I had the baby and needed someone to talk to," Snipes said. "She agreed to come see me and keep me company."

Phipps met Snipes in her hospital room, gushing over the newborn baby, later named Vaughn. She took Snipes up on her offer to feed the boy  and as she rocked the baby and a bottle in hand, Snipes saw a "light at the end of the tunnel."

"We talked while she was there visiting and during our conversation I asked Temple if she would like to adopt my son as her own," Snipes said. "She was caught so off guard. She was in disbelief that I even asked her, a stranger, but a stranger that felt more like family to me than anyone."

With tears in her eyes, Phipps agreed.

Now, nearly two years later, Snipes is happier than ever. She moved to North Carolina to be with her boyfriend and to visit Phipps and her son, Vaughn. The women live just an hour apart and talk daily.

She said she wanted to share her story to give other struggling women out there hope.

"I want everyone to know that even though the walls may feel as if they are closing in on you, if you just trust your heart and have faith, it will get better," she advised. "I have met a love, as well as meeting a once in a lifetime friend. I couldnt be happier!"
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Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress Tuesday that he will make big changes to Facebook to prevent user data from being improperly used in the future  but his testimony also raised an ominous threat for conservatives seeking to exercise their free speech rights.

The threat was raised by Zuckerbergs pledge to battle fake news and hate speech  terms that have long been used by the left to silence conservatives and supporters of free speech. Thats because hate speech to some on the left is another term for conservative speech.

Facebook is an idealistic and optimistic company, Zuckerberg told the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees. For most of our existence, we focused on all the good that connecting people can bring.  But its clear now that we didnt do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well. That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy.

Zuckerberg told the committees that his team will root out people who are using Facebook to spread misinformation and to ensure Facebooks tools are used for good  including the March for Our Lives anti-gun movement.

Its not enough to just connect people, we have to make sure those connections are positive, Zuckerberg said. Its not enough to just give people a voice, we have to make sure people arent using it to hurt people or spread misinformation. Across the board, we have a responsibility to not just build tools, but to make sure those tools are used for good.

Zuckerbergs promise to end hate speech and his longstanding support for left-wing candidates doesnt offer much comfort to those of us who support individual liberty and are regularly accused of being racist, sexist and homophobic.

Zuckerbergs promise to silence hate speech and those who spread misinformation  as well as to avoid hurting people  sounds like a mission that all Americans, including conservatives, can get behind. After all, everyone agrees Facebook ought to have the right to prevent white supremacists, neo-Nazis, violent users and Islamic terrorists from using its platform to promote evil.

But what about Diamond and Silk  two pro-President Trump political commentators with millions of social media followers? They were recently informed by Facebook that their videos  which regularly appear on popular conservative media outlets, including the Fox News Channel  are unsafe to the community. Thats a patently absurd position Facebook now says its reconsidering after receiving immense media backlash.

Or consider Facebooks treatment of Austin Peterson, a Republican Senate candidate in Missouri. He was banned from Facebook for 30 days in September for promoting his campaigns AR-15 gun giveaway.

When questioned by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ben Sasse of Nebraska about the possibility of Facebook silencing free speech, Zuckerberg initially assured the senators that his goal is to allow users to have open political discourse.

But when pressed by Sasse to explain the definition of hate speech  which Zuckerberg says his company bans and will do more to ban in the future  the Facebook CEO timidly responded: I think this is a really hard question, and I think its one of the reasons why we struggle with it.

Zuckerbergs promise to end hate speech and his longstanding support for left-wing candidates doesnt offer much comfort to those of us who support individual liberty and are regularly accused of being racist, sexist and homophobic.

Facebook, Twitter and other social media powerhouses are private companies, which means they dont have to abide by the First Amendment the way a government entity must. These giants are becoming the gatekeepers of public discourse, and theres little interest in Silicon Valley in protecting conservatives rights.

The Senate hearing where Zuckerberg testified was predominantly about how Facebook plans to protect user data and prevent foreign nations from using the platform to interfere in elections. On those questions, Zuckerberg outlined several important, reasonable steps the company is taking to protect its users. These include verifying the identities of all those who publish political ads on Facebook and making it easier for users to opt out of Facebooks various data agreements.

However, a decade into the future, I doubt anyone will remember this weeks hearings as a milestone for social media users privacy rights.

But we may look back at this moment as the beginning of the end of conservative speech on major social media platforms, when one of the most influential people in the world announced his commitment to stop users from hurting people and making the community feel unsafe.

Whatever that means  and after hours of testimony, we still dont know  its very likely to spell censorship for conservatives. The ultimate result may be a loss of the ability of conservatives to speak freely about their views in what has become an enormous global public square, where 2.2 billion Facebook users look for news and opinion and are entitled to a free flow of ideas.
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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a confirmation hearing Thursday on President Trumps nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo to become secretary of state. If confirmed as Americas next chief diplomat, Pompeo will immediately face a world of growing crises that demand U.S. diplomatic leadership and a renewal and strengthening of all of the tools of American power.

A West Point graduate, Pompeo says he intends to restore the State Departments central role in national security. Thats a good signal.

But Pompeo is in the hot seat, because the State Department he hopes to lead is a shadow of its former self, as a recent letter signed by over 200 former diplomats attests.

Even the best soldier depends on a battalion, and the best sailor credits crew and fleet for success. To succeed where Secretary of State Rex Tillerson fell short, Pompeo must first end the proposals to gut our diplomacy and development budget.

Pompeo needs to stop the hollowing out of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. He must put civilian power back on the battlefield of American foreign policy to keep our nation safe and prosperous.

Between the two of us, we have spent a combined 72 years wearing the uniform in service to our country. We know the United States must have a military second to none, but we also know that wise warriors support and rely on their forward-deployed civilian partners to help get the job done and keep it done.

Thats how you keep wars won and prevent the next one  whether in Syria or elsewhere around the world. Theres no territory our military cant secure  but theres no battlefield gain that is sustainable for the long-term without the right diplomats and development tools.

Weve argued against the danger of sequestration to the American military. We also led a letter signed by over 150 retired flag and general officers calling on Congress to reject proposals to slash Americas civilian power in these dangerous times.

We are equally opposed to new rescission proposals that dangerously cut resources for U.S. foreign assistance after Congress has exercised its power of the purse and urge lawmakers to reject any cuts that they have called a doctrine of retreat.

Weve seen this movie before. We were in uniform when the Cold War ended and some predicted America could cut defense and diplomacy. Those cuts came back to haunt us.

Just as the Pentagon procures aircraft carriers many years before they ever deploy, the human capital of the State Department takes years to develop. One conservative senator calls the foreign policy investment national security insurance; you pay a little now so its there when you need it.

Were deeply concerned because today a weakened State Department looks like a battalion in retreat. The Department has lost half of its most senior career leadership  diplomacys equivalent of three- and four-star generals.

Only two of the seven undersecretaries of state  and only 14 of the 22 assistant secretaries of state  have been nominated or confirmed. More than 30 ambassador posts remain open, including places with significant strategic interests like South Korea, Turkey and Jordan. The number of Americans applying to take the Foreign Service exam has fallen by 30 percent.

Our retreat has consequences for Americas security and our prosperity. Our absence is being exploited as our adversaries increasingly fill the void.

While America considers going backwards, a rising China has doubled its diplomacy budget over the last five years, and has granted development loans more than five times the size of the World Banks combined initiatives.

Meanwhile at home, the State Department budget is still just 1 percent of the federal budget. And the number of development officers working on foreign aid projects worldwide is less than a third the number of soldiers in a single Army division.

Resources matter, and personnel is policy  including their absence. We hurt our security and hamstring our influence when we shortchange the insurance we buy with investments in foreign aid. In a competitive world, we should be doing more, not less.

When we were combatant commanders, it was an article of faith that deploying development officers and diplomats today costs less in blood and treasure than deploying troops tomorrow. Foreign aid is not a reward for good behavior. It is a critical tool to advance American interests around the world and address the drivers of conflict and instability.

We hope that the warning about State Department cuts by the current U.S. European Command commander and NATO Chief Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti will be heeded. The Army general said that diplomacy leads  a reduction of their abilities would not be positive.

We hope policymakers will listen to Defense Secretary James Mattis conviction that America has two fundamental powers  the power of intimidation and the power of inspiration  and we need both to win in todays world.

The next secretary of state will have to deal with a difficult and dangerous world. Its time to stop the hemorrhaging of our top civilian talent and the proposals to slash the State Department budget by a third. To lead the State Department in a way that advances our national security interests, he must first save it.

Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis is the former NATO supreme allied commander for Europe and is currently dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Together with retired Gen. Anthony Zinni they chair the U.S. Global Leadership Coalitions National Security Advisory Council, made up of over 200 retired generals and admirals.
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Have you ever tried calling Facebooks customer service department when you have a problem? The company doesnt have one! Thats because Facebook users have never been the customer.

Mark Zuckerberg started Facemash (later to become Facebook) while a student at Harvard in 2003, as a way to rate the looks of students based on their photos. The students were not the customer. They were the product. Nothing has changed.

Free social media platforms are there solely to understand everything about you so they can sell advertising to savvy marketing companies. The only thing shocking about this reality is that it shocks some people.

With the revelation that Republicans  not just Democrats  may actually have benefited from the use of Facebook user data in an election, Congress has suddenly developed an interest in data privacy.

This discussion is an important one - regardless of the partisan spark that set it off.

The vaunted data mining operation of President Obamas first presidential campaign set off few alarm bells at the time. But from the very start, Americans have been the product of social media platforms, not the customer.

Once again, its time to bring in the nerds. Back in 2011, I made a similar demand when not-so-Internet-savvy members of Congress were trying ineffectively to address online piracy. Now the issue is online privacy, but the remedy is the same.

If we truly want to know how vulnerable our privacy is, then Congress should have gotten not only Mark Zuckerberg, but experts on the front lines of technology development on the record to testify.

These experts must answer questions regarding serious concerns about facial recognition technology, access to our private email accounts and text messages, audio monitoring capabilities, profiling algorithms, data collection from minors, and all things related to personal privacy.

How advanced is facial recognition software and how is it being used? What are they actually doing with all of those photos? Will ads target me based on the stores I visit?

What is it about this technology that worries Google employees enough that last week 3,000 of them said they didnt want their artificial intelligence technology to be used for war?

Technology companies are clearly working on facial recognition programs, but theyve given us very little information about how those programs work or how theyll be marketed.

In his testimony before Congress this week, Zuckerberg was asked about his platforms access to text messages  a feature he said users must opt in to receive.

But how does Facebook use this information? How does Google use the content of our emails to sell us advertising? Can these platforms track the cookies on our web browsers to compile data about our Internet surfing habits? Zuckerberg seemed to confirm that they can. How is that information being used?

Clearly, technology companies have exhibited signs of a political bias. How does that play out? Do favored groups receive special treatment?

How influential are social media platforms in censoring information, pushing out narratives, and shaping electoral results? Shouldnt we demand answers to those questions from the very people designing the technology?

What about the use of these platforms by minors? How can a minor enter into a user agreement with Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and the like?

Nowhere in the law is a 12-year-old allowed to enter into a contract. Yet Facebook takes the childs information, packages it, and sells it  with the assumption that the child can legally give permission to become a product. These are questions that have not been satisfactorily addressed.

Unfortunately, not much came out of this weeks Senate and House hearings with Facebooks Zuckerberg other than apologies and promises to do better.

What Congress should be doing is digging deeper to get answers. Call in the nerds. Find people who arent used to testifying, but actually know how the algorithms of these high-tech companies work.

The American people need more than a legalistic document listing terms of an agreement. Congress should lead the way.
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For nearly a year, U.S. efforts to fight terrorism and isolate Iran have been distracted by a family feud in the Middle East. Now there are encouraging signs that the family feud may be nearing an end, with the help of President Trump.

Last June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut land, air and sea links to the tiny Persian Gulf state Qatar, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism and upset by its Al-Jazeera news network, which they view as a disruptive force.

The embargo came only three weeks after President Trump met the leaders of the countries involved, in hopes of forging a united front against Iran.

The sudden blockade of Qatar has instead distracted everyone in the region. Both sides have spent millions of dollars in lobbying efforts, with the Qatar government winning support within the U.S. State Department for its denials of the terrorism allegations and pledges to improve efforts against suspected money laundering.

But the Saudis exercised their new influence inside the White House, prompting President Trump to denounce Qatar a funder of terrorism in a tweet.

Now the divided U.S. reaction to the Qatar distraction may be ending, and that could mean a path towards ending the dispute. President Trump hosted the emir of Qatar at the White House Tuesday and declared the emir a partner in the fight against terrorism.

Those countries are stopping the funding of terrorism, and that includes UAE, and it includes Saudi Arabia, it includes Qatar and others, the president said. A lot of countries were funding terrorism and were stopping it.

President Trump then told the emir: Youve now become a very big advocate, and we appreciate that.

The emir didnt accept the implication that Qatar was late to the table in opposing the funding of terrorism, saying: We've been cooperating with the United States of America to stop funding terrorism around the region.

But otherwise, the Qatar government will take President Trumps words and run with them in its efforts to end the blockade of the country.

There is good reason for the U.S. to nudge or even push the players in the Qatar dispute toward a resolution. Qatar is of major strategic importance, having hosted the largest American air base outside the U.S. since 2003.

U.S. military officials tell me that keeping the base and maintaining good relations with Qatar are essential in keeping Iran at bay. The base has been invaluable in counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

The Qataris also point out that they serve as a useful conduit for sensitive negotiations involving the U.S. It was the State Department that urged Qatar to allow the Taliban to open an office in the capital of Doha, so as to better facilitate negotiations over ending the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan.

Qatar also helped in liberating a U.S. hostage held by Al Qaedas Syrian affiliate, along with a Canadian hostage held by the Taliban.

In addition, Pentagon officials say the Qatari military is deeply involved in plans on how to combat extremist groups in the Middle East.

As for Iran, Qatar officials tell me it would be folly not to have good relations with a regional superpower only 170 miles away across the Persian Gulf, especially now that post-blockade much of Qatars fresh fruit, vegetables and consumer goods come from Iran.

Joshua Getzler, the senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council until 2017, noted in The Atlantic magazine last year that: None of this is intended to suggest that Qatar is a perfect counterterrorism partner. But few counterterrorism partners are perfect. To the contrary, many partners tolerate certain extremist groups even as they help the United States address the threats posed by others.

Heres hoping that the new thaw between the U.S. and Qatar will convince all the players in the region to end the blockade dispute. Then perhaps they could back to Square One  the point a year ago when President Trump was trying to knit together an effective coalition to block Irans ambitions.
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Washington seems to be in the grip of hyperpartisan gridlock these days. Important bills are passed on party-line votes (when they are passed at all) and the investigative committees of Congress appear to be sideshows, unable to agree on basic facts.

Many Americans despair that Republicans and Democrats seem incapable of coming together to do anything important.

Take heart - the two parties just did do something big together. On Wednesday, President Trump will sign into law the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, a bill designed to crack down on websites that knowingly facilitate the online sex trafficking of vulnerable persons, including underage boys and girls. And the FBI, informed by evidence collected during a nearly two-year bipartisan investigation by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, just seized the website Backpage.com - which the Center for Missing and Exploited Children says is responsible for 73 percent of the 10,000 child sex trafficking reports in receives each year - and arrested seven of its top executives.

You might think cracking down on child sex traffickers would be a legislative layup. You'd be wrong. The bill - authored by Republican Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio), John McCain (Ariz.), and John Cornyn (Tex.) and Democrats Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) - was hard to pass. (Full disclosure: My wife works for Portman).

The act faced a wall of opposition from Silicon Valley because it amended Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gave blanket immunity to online entities that publish third-party content from civil and criminal prosecution. Big Tech wanted to preserve that blanket immunity, even if it gave legal cover to websites that were using it to sell children for sex. When child sex trafficking survivors tried to sue Backpage, and state attorneys general tried to prosecute the owners, federal courts ruled against them, specifically citing Section 230. This did not move Big Tech. Chief among the culprits was Google, which apparently forgot its old corporate motto of"Don't Be Evil" and lobbied fiercely against the bill.

How did the senators overcome Big Tech's lobbying campaign? First Portman and McCaskill, the chairman and ranking member of the permanent subcommittee on investigations, used their subpoena power to gather corporate files, bank records, and other evidence that Backpage knowingly facilitated criminal sex trafficking of vulnerable women and children, and then covered up that evidence. They fought Backpage all the way to the Supreme Court to enforce their subpoenas. The subcommittee then published a voluminous report detailing its findings of their 20-month investigation, including evidence that Backpage knew it was facilitating child sex trafficking and that it was not simply a passive publisher of third-party content. Instead the company was automatically editing users' child sex ads to strip them of words that might arouse suspicion (such as "lolita," "teenage," "rape," "young,"

"amber alert," "little girl," "fresh," "innocent" and "school girl") before publishing them and advised users on how to create "clean" postings.

Then Portman, McCaskill and their co-authors used the result of their investigation to craft a narrow legislative fix that would allow bad actors such as Backpage to be held accountable. The bill they produced allows sex trafficking victims to sue the websites that facilitated the crimes against them and allows state law enforcement officials, not just the Justice Department, to prosecute websites that violate federal sex trafficking laws. The committee also turned over all its raw documents to the Justice Department last summer, urging them to undertake a criminal review, which Justice did.

Despite all the Silicon Valley money against them, thesenators never wavered. Through the sheer power of the testimony of trafficking survivors, Mary Mazzio's documentary "I am Jane Doe," the evidence of crimes committed by Backpage, and the support of law enforcement, anti-trafficking advocates, 50 state attorneys general, the civil rights community and faith-based groups

- as well as carefully negotiated language - they wore down most of Big Tech's opposition. Last November, Facebook finally came on board. But Google shamefully never relented in its opposition. Despite this, the act overwhelmingly passed both chambers of Congress.

Thanks to this bipartisan effort, the world's largest online child sex bazaar is shuttered, many of its executives are under indictment and sex trafficking victims can finally get justice in court. These senators have given hope not just to the survivors but also to millions of Americans who had lost faith that their elected leaders could put aside partisanship and resist the power of money in politics for the good of the country.
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Robert Mueller sure knows how to steal the show. Just as President Trump was deciding how to respond to the horrific chemical attack in Syria and is confronting both Russia and China at the same time, the special counsel pulled off his most surprising attack yet.

The extremely aggressive decision to raid the offices and homes of Michael Cohen, the presidents personal lawyer, was shocking. All the more so because Cohen has been cooperating with Mueller.

Yet Mueller referred a tip or evidence to federal prosecutors in New York, and with the approval of Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who appointed Mueller, the raids were carried out. Leaks  what else?  say the aim was to find documents on payments Cohen made to two women to keep them quiet about affairs with Trump.

Sexual hush money is a sordid business, but in light of what Trump is up against on the world stage, the raids are the tail wagging the dog. Im starting to believe Mueller likes it that way.

To continue reading Michael Goodwin's column from the New York Post, click here.
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The regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad used chemical weapons against his own nations population over the weekend, killing at least 48 people  the overwhelming majority of them civilians.

President Trump wisely established a red line a year ago and, unlike his predecessor, followed through by launching 59 tomahawk cruise missiles at Assads regime last year after Assads use of Sarin nerve agents.

Assad has made frequent use of chlorine in the intervening period. It is unclear exactly what substance he used this time to kill innocents. Nonetheless, it is clear that the scale of this atrocity warrants a response from the United States.

The images of children suffocating that have been seen in the media present a compelling moral case for action. The U.S. should raise the price for war crimes.

Syria is not just a moral issue, however. There are important strategic interests at stake. The international norm against poison gas goes back a century and must be upheld.

Syria is also the central theatre in the competition for regional power between U.S. allies in the Middle East and the radical regime in Iran. The vacuum in Syria has also provided a dangerous and destabilizing foothold for Russia in the Middle East.

The Kremlin and its surrogates have already begun spreading threats about Moscows response if the U.S. takes punitive military action against Assad. We have been here before.

In the 1990s, when some of us proposed military action to stop an ongoing genocide by Russias Serbian client, opponents argued that it risked a Great Power war. For three years Bosnias turmoil continued until the terrible massacre at Srebrenica.

Then the U.S. began a series of airstrikes that Moscow was powerless to prevent, and three weeks later a peace conference began that brought the conflict to a close.

In Syria, the Russian alibi for inaction  which was accepted by the Obama administration  is even more self-evidently hollow. Russia had no response to the U.S. cruise missile strikes on the Shayrat airbase last April, nor the killing of 200 Russians who attacked a U.S. position in eastern Syria in February.

Israel has attacked shipments of advanced Iranian weapons and regime installations, even in the heart of Damascus, more than 100 times before a single jet was brought down by Assad regime fire two months ago. Jerusalem responded immediately by obliterating as much as half of the Assad air defenses. Russia did not even attempt to defend Assad and Iran.

There is no doubt President Trump is making policy in a highly disadvantageous situation after the previous administrations pull-out from Iraq in 2011 and the pursuit of a nuclear deal with Iran that was paid for in regional concessions.

The effective ceding of Syria to Iran and Russia has left the U.S. few allies to work with in the country. The symbiotic sectarianism of Iran, ISIS and Al Qaeda has resulted in a wave of extremism and chaos that has spread to Europe, opening space for Russia to weaken the transatlantic alliance.

An earlier intervention would have allowed the U.S. to shape events more effectively. The manner in which the U.S. finally did intervene, attempting to wage war on ISIS without getting involved in the underlying conflict, has made the task of creating a regional order that is compatible with U.S. interests more difficult.

For example, Americas partner force in Syria, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces or SDF  which currently holds a quarter of the country from which ISIS was cleared  is opposed by Turkey. However, the Kurds are our allies in this conflict and we should support them.

But managing these contradictions is much less damaging to U.S. national security than doing nothing. In January, the administrations long-awaited strategy was announced. It involved the U.S. staying in Syria, mainly to guard against Iranian expansionism.

Less than two weeks ago, President Trump appeared to reverse course, saying that with ISISs territorial caliphate nearly wiped out, the U.S. would pull out of Syria very soon. The statement was soon walked back by the White House. This is welcome because such a policy would be misguided for the United States, and the end of any hope of containing and rolling back Iran.

A precipitate U.S. withdrawal would see the SDF  with all the training, money, and weapons supplied by the U.S. and its allies  seek protection by cutting a deal with Russia and/or Assad, whose regime is wholly dependent on Iran and its terrorist apparatus, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Iran has imported tens of thousands of Shia Islamist fighters from around the region into Syria, and they are already encroaching toward the borders of Jordan and Israel.

If Iran gains unfettered access to the areas controlled by the SDF in eastern Syria, the land bridge stretching from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon would be complete, and the Tehran regime would have an even greater ability to threaten key U.S. allies.

Defeating ISIS to make Iran the master of the Middle East is a solution worse than the problem.

Any meaningful counter-Iran policy must start in Syria. Despite the difficulty of the situation, the United States does have options.

The first and easiest thing the United States can do is to ensure that no territory controlled by its partner forces is handed over to the pro-Assad coalition.

As well as providing a geographic break in Irans arc of control  as new National Security Adviser John Bolton has called it  the U.S.-underwritten zone in eastern Syria contains important resources. These include oil that would allow Iran to stabilize its presence in the country and perhaps even make a profit from it. This must be prevented.

The U.S. has political and legal tools it can easily employ. Individuals associated with the systematic torture, rape and murder of prisoners can be named and sanctioned. The IRGCs Quds Force should be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

Since The Quds Force permeates Assads security sector, designating it as a terrorist organization would allow for the wide-scale application of sanctions on individuals and institutions that collaborate with it. This would make Assad regime-held Syria a pariah  North Korea on the Levant.

Over the long-term these and similar measures can weaken Assad and by extension Iran, but the situation is more urgent than that.

The U.S.s response to the gassing in the Syrian city of Douma on Saturday should aim to damage Assads war machine in lasting ways. The Iran-Assad forces have been readying an offensive against areas near the Israeli border held by rebels that are among the most moderate and Western-friendly remaining on the battlefield. The U.S. has the power to stop that offensive.

To exact a serious price, all known Syrian chemical weapons sites must be destroyed, as well as key nodes of Assads conventional arsenal. The destruction of Assads air force would provide crucial relief to civilians and severely impair the offensive capabilities of pro-Assad forces. Missile infrastructure, Iranian militia bases, elite military units and the secret police should all be targeted as well.

All this would constitute the strong beginning of a policy that would help the Syrian people, and hurt Assad and his Iranian and Russian patrons and puppeteers.
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President Trump made clear in a tweet Wednesday morning that America is about to attack Syria very soon  the right course of action after dictator Bashar Assad used bombs filled with toxic chemicals to attack his own citizens Saturday. Assads action killed more than 40 people and possibly close to 100, according to anti-Assad forces.

As Fox News reported, the presidents tweet followed reports that Russia's ambassador to Lebanon told a TV station there that Russia will shoot down any American missiles fired at Syrian government targets.

President Trump tweeted Wednesday: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

A U.S. attack on Syria will send a loud and clear message to the Assad regime and to other nations: America will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons or any other weapon of mass destruction on either armed combatants or civilians.

Sending such a message is enormously important because it will give pause to any other nation that wants to follow in Syrias path  and hopefully will act as a deterrent.

If Syria suffers no consequences for using deadly chemical weapons banned under international agreements, chances are that other nations will inevitably do the same under desperate circumstances.

If Syria suffers no consequences for using deadly chemical weapons banned under international agreements, chances are that other nations will inevitably do the same under desperate circumstances.

And the more chemical weapons are used by some nations, the greater pressure there would be on other nations to use them as well. This is a truly nightmarish scenario that could claim many lives in conflicts around the world.

I support a U.S. attack on Syria because of its deterrent effect against the use of chemical weapons and also because our strikes against Syria will almost certainly be limited in scope and duration  but will most likely greatly limit Assads ability to kill his own people with chemical weapons.

Back in the summer of 2013, I was one of many conservatives who opposed a U.S. attack on Syria in response to Assads slaughter of innocent men, women and children with chemical weapons.

I did not take my stand lightly. At the time, I thought a U.S. attack would drag us into a war where America had no clear national interest and only pull Washington into another regime- change disaster.

I feared the U.S. would once again shoulder the heavy burden of rebuilding a society we knew nothing about that had been destroyed by years of war  with a price tag in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

But I was wrong. Very wrong.

Indeed, in the years since Assads last mass attack in 2013, using Sarin gas to kill over 1,400 people, events in Syria and around the globe prove why President Trump is right to make a stand against Syrias use of chemical weapons.

Despite claims that the Assad regime gave up its chemical weapons in a process brokered by Russia during the Obama administration, Assad has clearly reconstituted his chemical weapons capabilities, thanks to help from North Korea.

And its uncertain now how many chemical weapons Assad actually ever destroyed under Russian back agreement. Relying on Russia to monitor chemical weapons destruction by its close ally Syria isnt exactly a foolproof way to guarantee that the destruction took place.

The Syrian regime has launched numerous attacks using chlorine-based weapons that many times get very little media attention. The scale the most recent attack by Assads forces  a clear crime against humanity  only proves that the promise of Assad to abandon chemical weapons was worthless.

It doesnt take much of an imagination to envision other rogue regimes following Syrias example in turning to chemical weapons.

North Korea, for example  in what should be considered a terror attack  has already used the highly lethal chemical VX in the targeted assassination of dictator Kim Jong Uns half-brother.

Sadly, the international community, already reeling from Pyongyangs other provocative actions of 2017  specifically, testing missiles and nuclear weapon  did very little in responding to this brazen violation of international law, further eroding what should be a clear norm that such weapons should never be used.

And then there are Russias most recent actions, using chemical weapons on British soil, in an attempt to assassinate dissidents in what could be considered an act of war. While Moscow offers the most brazen of denials, it seems clear that the regime of President Vladimir Putin  seeing other nations usage of chemical weapons bringing no punishment  thought it would get away with such an act.

Yet some Americans argue passionately and with conviction that we must avoid attacking the Assad regime at all costs. They say a U.S. attack on Syria would show we are determined to launch a long and costly war of regime change  possibly putting America in a direct conflict with Russia and further destabilizing the already unstable Middle East.

I would respectfully disagree. Precision American missile strikes, with the clear goal of eliminating Assads chemical weapons capabilities  targeting his air force, artillery and anything else that can launch chemical weapons  does not constitute regime change.

While I have no love for the Syrian government and would be happy to see its demise, history tells us that forcing Assad out of power would only make the collective problems of the Syrian people and the wider Middle East far worse.

Also, removing Assad cant be accomplished by missiles and bombs from the air alone, but only by U.S. troops  perhaps as many as hundreds of thousands of them.

Such an action wouldnt be just a strike against Syria  it would be a total war. And as history clearly proves, such a war would risk creating a zone of instability from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf  as happened when we forced regime change in Iraq.

A U.S. war against Syria would also guarantee deaths and injuries to U.S. forces and could tie us down in Syria for years, at the cost of many billions of dollars.

But I believe we can and will learn from our mistakes at that a limited strike will not turn into a long war in Syria.

As for a potential clash with Russia if we hit Syria, we must state clearly to Moscow our intent and that we have no desire for armed conflict with Russia. We should remind the Putin government that the current crisis with Syria is largely a product of its own doing.

It was Russia that decided to intervene, en masse, in the current crisis in Syria back in 2015. And Russia has done nothing to restrain or eliminate Assads rebuilt or hidden chemical weapons capability  something it claimed it was trying to eliminate.

Despite Russias clear fueling of a civil war in Syria that has claimed roughly 400,000 lives, the Trump administration should make it clear it will do all it can to avoid Moscows forces in region. And when possible  even if it means giving up the element of surprise  we should warn the Putin government if its forces are near potential U.S. targets.

Clearly, no one, including President Trump, wants to see another conflict widen in the Middle East. In fact, if anything, the presidents determination to leave Syria makes it clear he will not embroil America in another war for regime change in that part of the world.

However, President Trump  through what will most likely be a targeted mission to stop Assad from slaughtering his own people with chemical weapons  has now placed a clear line in the sand that the use of such weapons of mass destruction constitutes a crime against humanity.

Thats the right thing to do and America needs to support our president for his courageous action.
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President Trump tweeted Wednesday to complain about the Monday FBI raids on the office, home and hotel room of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen. The president said of the FBI:  they do the Unthinkable and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD! Bad indeed.

These were raids not just against Michael Cohen. They were raids against the U.S. Constitution and the rights of all Americans to be able to communicate with their lawyers without fear of government seizure of such attorney-client communications, which have until now been protected from government snooping.

With stunning speed and shocking impunity, the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution  part of the Bill of Rights that safeguards our basic freedoms as Americans  is now at risk. Every American should sit up and pay attention. This is getting serious.

The FBI raids against Cohen, based on a search warrant, allowed FBI agents to apparently seize his documents, computers and cell phone. Cohens communications with the president were undoubtedly among the material seized.

The Fourth Amendment is crystal clear in its protections of our rights. It states: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The well-established meaning of this constitutional right, built on more than two centuries of precedent and sober caution against politically inspired home or office raids, makes the raids against Cohen uniquely chilling.

While a narrow ambit of facts might, under extreme circumstances, justify such an overt, egregious, untamed and seemingly political invasion of a persons living quarters and office, known facts do not support such a bold invasion here.

To speak plainly, while no citizen is above the law, no citizen in America can be summarily stripped of his or her constitutional protections, even by a zealous prosecutor chasing the devil himself.

That is not the way constitutional protections work  for anyone. Boldly reverting to extra-judicial methods for chasing, securing or finding something a prosecutor wants to know does not authorize any prosecutor to leap the constitutions fence.

The outrage here is layers deep. Cohen was by every public account responding thoughtfully to requests for documents and his deposition under oath, by the Special Counsel Robert Muellers office.

Cohen complied with these requests and appears to have continued complying, even while his possible links to putative Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential campaign were a mystery.

Cohen is a practicing lawyer, which triggers an inviolable attorney-client privilege surrounding communications with his clients. This is a matter of law, with scant exceptions.

Like the doctor-patient privilege, the attorney-client privilege is held by the lawyer, owed to the client. Absent respect by prosecutors for that common-law right, there would be no justice, because there would be no way to protect any persons defense against injustice.

If a lawyer owes clients protection of their communications to him or her, the lawyer also owes them protection of his or her advice to them. In one fell swoop, gone is this lawyers entire profession and stock in trade  the ability to keep client confidences.

But it is worse. The chilling effect of these raids on a long-established presumption of attorney-client privilege ricochets widely. If that privilege can be tossed by a zealous special counsel, whether or not politically motivated, it effectively no longer exists.

The next prosecutor will be feared all the more; truthful dialogue between attorney and client will be impaired. The attorney-client privilege is derailed, since it only exists if all prosecutors honor it.

The offense is deeper, again. Not only is the raided person a cooperating party and lawyer, he is the lawyer for a prominent political figure  President Trump.

Surely, that sensitivity  raiding the home and office of a lawyer representing a politician from the party opposite many of his prosecutors  cannot have escaped the raiding party.

The obvious inference as to the motivation of this raid would be political, which should be profoundly disturbing for every American.

These raids did not need to happen. They show the extraordinary lengths to which an aggressive team of gotta-get-him prosecutors is apparently willing to go.

The problem is, while prosecutors are expected to be zealous, they are not expected to trash the U.S. Constitution for any purpose  even one they believe to be justified legally or politically.

We do not, in America, trash someones home and office lightly, ruin a career, upend a life, and walk away  hoping the next invasion warrants the last one.

That is not how special counsels are meant to operate, and certainly not what the Founders had in mind  Russian meddling or not.

Ironically, we appear to be swiftly slipping toward the very society  with brash disrespect for individual rights and a willingness to distort law for politics  that the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller was intended to protect our society against.

Thirty-five years ago, as a student, I spent time talking with dissidents behind the Iron Curtain, in places like the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and Czechoslovakia.

That experience educated me as no law book could, to love America and our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.

More than once, I sat in a private home that had been previously raided, or was after I left. The idea of political power so brutally used, under pretense of law, was chilling. My heart sank.

Today, as I reflect on what seems an increasingly open-ended, disturbingly unaccountable investigative process, I sense that somehow we are at an inflection point as a society.

I do not believe that President Trump should remove the Special Counsel Mueller, since that would only create more political tumult. I think the answer lies elsewhere.

Whats needed is a directive from the Justice Department that Mueller return to the limited scope of his investigation and finish his job at long last. Or a Supreme Court ruling on the metastasizing controversy to say what the law is.

Or maybe we just need a team of investigators who see the value of returning to the limited scope of the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election  instead of what seems like a never-ending fishing expedition going off in all sorts of directions having nothing to do with that topic. Reading about this weeks raid, my heart again sank.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11)  Former President Benigno Aquino III, ex-Health Secretary Janette Garin, and other officials are "criminally liable" for the Dengvaxia mess, the Senate committee draft report found.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Richard Gordon on Wednesday released his panel's report, which has yet to be signed by his fellow senators when session resumes in May.

He said that based on the committee's investigation, Aquino, Garin, and former Budget Secretary Butch Abad were "primary conspirators" in the controversial procurement of P3.5 billion-worth of the dengue vaccine.

Gordon said the purchase of Dengvaxia was done with "undue haste."

"He ordered to buy it even if it was not in the 2015 budget," Gordon said, referring to Aquino.

The Budget Department, then headed by Abad, issued a 3.5-billion Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) to Garin's office to purchase the vaccines in December 2015.

Gordon said the Dengvaxia purchase was railroaded in time for the 2016 national elections, which makes it highly irregular.

"Garin et. al could not possibly have been able to release money and notice of cash allocation without the participation and approval of President Aquino and Secretary Abad, who realigned the savings from the miscellaneous personal benefits fund and committed technical malversation for programming funding to an activity that was not appropriated a budget by Congress," the senator said.

Gordon said graft cases should be filed against the involved government officials. The report also recommends the filing of cases of anti-graft and corrupt practices act, code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials, perjury and false testimony against other Health officials, including Dr. Julius Lecciones, head of the Philippines Children's Medical Center (PCMC).

PCMC was chosen to be the lead in the mass vaccination program despite its lack of absorptive capacity to utilize the P3.5 billion budget.

Gordon, meanwhile, did not find any violation committed by Garin's successor, former Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial despite her expanding the immunization program to Cebu.

He said Aquino favored Dengvaxia maker Sanofi Pasteur despite the vaccine maker's "sordid" reputation.

"Hindi pa tapos ang test binibili na nila. (Research was not yet done but they were already in the process of buying). A discerning leader would have exercised greater caution. He wasted money," he said.

Gordon also wants Sanofi Pasteur to be charged with violation of selling a defective product, and endangering, hurting, and possibly killing children who were injected with Dengvaxia. He said criminal cases should also be considered against Sanofi officials.

We were prejudged

Garin spoke up following Gordon's allegations on who should take the flak for the Dengvaxia mess.

Speaking to CNN Philippines Wednesday, Garin said the report is based on "inaccuracies and half-truths."

She said Gordon prejudged everyone even before the investigation began.

Garin welcomed the report's transmittal to the court.

For his part, Abad said, "I haven't seen the report, but the recommendation for graft charges have absolutely no basis."

Kids at risk

Gordon said Aquino committed "grave human rights abuse" when he put the health of over 800,000 vaccinated children at risk by using an "experimental drug" in a mass vaccination program.

"The greatest sin and transgression of Aquino was to put the lives of Filipino children... Nilagay niya sa peligro ang maraming bata na tumanggap nito. He simply did not care. Siya ay manhid at walang malasakit. Maraming magulang ang nag aalala, balisa, at hindi makatulog," he said.

[Translation: The greatest sin and transgression of Aquino was to put the lives of Filipino children. He placed the vaccinated children's life at risk. He simply did not care. Parents are worried.]

He said parents who were not informed about the risks of Dengvaxia should band together and exact accountability from Sanofi and government officials responsible for the mess.

The report also recommended to pass a legislation on the creation of an independent disease control and surveillance agency within the Health Department that can arbitrate against political decisions that are not based on evidence.

Aquino, Garin ready to face raps

Aquino's spokesperson Abi Valte said the former president is ready to face charges.

"Former President Aquino has always demonstrated his readiness to answer questions about his decisions as president... He will continue to face whatever additional complaints are filed in connection with this matter," Valte said in a message.

Meanwhile, Garin, said the report Gordon were based on his personal opinions, which was not even vetted by the entire Senate.

"I believe that the narrative is full of inaccuracies and half-truths which reflect only the long perceived pre-judgment of the issue by Senator Gordon. The presentation is one-sided and replete with innuendos of expedited government action," she said in a text message.

The draft committee report was based on the seven hearings conducted by joint Senate committees.
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House Speaker Paul Ryan's decision not to seek re-election in November, which he announced Wednesday, makes a lot of sense and is a logical move.

Ryan, R-Wis., has never been part of President Trumps inner circle. And the inability of Ryan and the president to pass key legislation and mobilize a solid working majority in the House has in many ways limited the Trump administration's legislative agenda. For these reasons, it's not hard to understand Ryans decision.

It is also notable that Ryans retirement comes at a time when he has two competitive Republican primary challengers, as well as two Democratic contenders for his seat. These include Wisconsin ironworker Randy Bryce, whose constituency would make for a closer than expected race in light of the recent Pennsylvania special election for a House seat won in an upset by Democrat Conor Lamb.

To be sure, Ryan would be regarded as a favorite in a re-election race  but not by a large margin. However, it would be a long, bruising fight that would consume a great deal of time, energy and money, while distracting Ryan from his central mission of developing government policy as a certified policy wonk.

If one considers the emerging national survey data, it is increasingly likely that the Democrats will win the House in November. The last thing Paul Ryan would want to do is stay on as House minority leader, or perhaps even lose that position if the GOP lost control of the chamber.

Further, if one considers the emerging national survey data, it is increasingly likely that the Democrats will win the House in November. The last thing Paul Ryan would want to do is stay on as House minority leader, or perhaps even lose that position if the GOP lost control of the chamber.

It isn't entirely clear that, even if Republicans were to retain the House, it would be fruitful for Ryan to remain speaker in light of the current political constellation. It seems that Ryan has recognized that as a speaker of the House and a former vice presidential candidate, he has reached his apogee.

In retrospect, this is a clear and obvious choice that makes sense for Ryan at this moment in time. It would not be the first time that a member of the House Republican leadership was faced with making the transition back to private life.

I think back to a recent trip I took from Israel to the United States, where I saw a relaxed and rested former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in first class, telling a passenger that while he would "never say never," he had no plans, interest or intentions to ever run for office again.

Cantor, of course, did not voluntarily retire, but appeared completely at peace with the fact that he lost a Republican primary that he was expected to win. He seemed to be saying, by his words and actions, that it was the best thing that could have happened to him.

My sense is that, in a couple of years (if not right away), this will be Paul Ryan's position. Ryan is respected for his policy initiatives and commitment to service, and thus it seems likely that he will return to this line of work.

After 20 years in Congress, Ryan will likely turn to think tank and interest group work. Most of all, he will likely strategize with corporate consulting or lobbying firms  of course, with deference to the House rules on lobbying  and make a salary probably at least 10 times more than his current income, without anywhere near the level of stress.

Ryan made the decision that is right for him at a time when Washington remains dysfunctional, sclerotic and increasingly unproductive.
The Justice Department raid on the home of top Trump lawyer Michael Cohen on Monday is, one expert says, likely a telltale sign that Special Counsel Robert Mueller may have found significant evidence regarding a payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

This is an extremely important development. This is Watergate-level stuff, Ken White, a former federal prosecutor, said to Fox News. Searching an attorneys office  at least by the feds  is a rather extreme move that you usually only see with lawyers in the thick of criminal enterprises. Its quite unusual.

The raid creates a new legal headache for President Donald Trump as he and his attorneys weigh whether to consent to an interview with Mueller's team. Besides investigating potential ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign, that team is looking at whether the president's actions constitute obstruction of justice.

This is an extremely important development. This is Watergate-level stuff.  Ken White, Former federal prosecutor

The law enforcement action will almost certainly amplify the public scrutiny on the payment to Daniels, who says she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump told reporters last week that he didn't know about the payment, made just days before the 2016 presidential election.

Search warrants are a fairly standard, though aggressive, law enforcement tool and are often sought in cases where authorities are concerned someone may be hiding or withholding evidence. To obtain one, agents must convince a judge they have probable cause of criminal activity and believe they'll find evidence of wrongdoing in a search. A warrant requires high-level approval within the Justice Department, and agency guidelines impose additional hurdles when the search target is an attorney.

Authorities working with Mueller chose a similar tactic last summer when they raided the home of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was subsequently indicted on an array of financial, conspiracy and other charges.

In this case, Mueller opted to refer the matter to federal prosecutors in Manhattan. Beyond Cohen's office, agents searched a hotel room where he's been staying while his home is under renovation.

White says it may be too soon to tell, but Cohen will likely be under two independent investigations.

I expect this investigation in the [U.S. Federal Courts] Southern District of New York will proceed independently of Muellers investigation, White says to Fox News. Federal investigations are slow  Muellers is much faster than typical -- so I wouldnt necessarily expect anything soon unless Cohen flips.

Cohen has more recently attracted attention for his acknowledgment that he paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket shortly before the 2016 election. Cohen has said neither the Trump Organization nor the campaign was a party to the transaction with Daniels and he was not reimbursed.

Several former officials at the Federal Election Commission (FEC) have said the payment appears to be a violation of campaign finance laws, and multiple Washington-based groups have filed complaints with the FEC urging it to investigate.

There have been few signs that Mueller was interested in investigating the payment, though. One Mueller witness, former Trump aide Sam Nunberg, recently connected the special counsel with the payment, saying in an interview on MSNBC last month that prosecutors had asked him about payments to women.

White said Mueller likely saw something in the evidence, which led him to pass it on to other authorities.

Its speculative at this point but it appears that Special Counsel Mueller reviewed evidence about payments to Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, determined they might possibly be a federal crime, determined they werent part of his brief and handed it to the U.S. attorneys, he said, adding that Mondays raid could have negative effects.

If a judge determines that investigators and prosecutors reviewed attorney-client communications and no exception applies, that will be extremely damaging to both Muellers investigation and SDNYs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg vowed Tuesday on Capitol Hill that his social-networking company is already doing a better job of protecting the personal information of its billions of users in the wake of a massive data grab. But his plans might not be enough for lawmakers, who warned regulations or mandatory changes might be the only answer.

Weve seen the apology tour before, Sen. Richard Blumenthal told Zuckerberg on his first day of congressional testimony.

The Connecticut Democrat pushed the Facebook co-founder and chief executive to agree to an opt-in bill that would require online companies like Google and social media groups such as Facebook to ask users whether their personal information could be sold and to alert them about data breaches.

Zuckerberg, a tech genius who in 2004 started Facebook from his Harvard dorm, is on Capitol Hill for two days of testimony, largely to answer questions about how Cambridge Analytica, a political data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, got its hands on the personal data of an estimated 87 million users, then used it to try to influence the White House race.

The 33-year-old Zuckerberg on Tuesday faced a bipartisan call for regulations amid a string of Facebook issues -- including fake news and hate-speech posts -- before a joint hearing of the Senates Judiciary and Commerce committees.

If were counting on Facebook to regulate itself, were going to fail, said South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Im a Republican, I dont like regulating things unless you have to.

Graham lauded Facebook for helping its 2.2 billion monthly users keep in touch with family or make new friends. But he also raised concerns about the dark side of social media that could influence elections deceptively and banish users for their political views.

I dont think the industry itself is going to address that dark side, said Graham, one of about two dozen senators to grill Zuckerberg during Tuesdays joint session. I think youre going to have to get the government involved.

Zuckerberg pushed back on the idea of a privacy law for young Facebook users, drawing a sharp response from Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey.

I couldnt disagree with you more, the senator shot back.

Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy warned that Congress would propose a whole lot of bills over problems with Facebook and other social media sites. But its up to Zuckerberg to decide whether they get passed, based on what he does next, he said.

I think your user agreement sucks, Kennedy also said, in urging Zuckerberg to make it more helpful to users than to Facebook.

Zuckerberg told senators that the company reviewed every single app that might have had access to users data and has locked down the platform to stop developers from selling user information to companies like Cambridge Analytica.

We dont sell data at all, Zuckerberg said during the hearing that lasted for nearly five hours. Thats a wide misconception.

He told the senators that Facebook has done a better job of flagging misinformation since the 2016 elections, when Russians bought roughly $100,000 worth of ads on Facebook, pointing to recent elections in India, Brazil and Pakistan.

But its an arms race, Zuckerberg said. He also said the company was developing artificial intelligence to detect hate speech and that Facebook would have 20,000 employees by the end of the year working on security and content review, doubling that staff.

Zuckerberg, a billionaire, apologized for the company's mistakes.

I started Facebook. I run it. Im responsible for what happens here, he said.

Zuckerberg faced repeated questions about why he didnt immediately inform the millions of Facebook users that their data had been compromised when he learned in 2015 about the developer selling the information to Cambridge Analytica.

We thought the case was closed, Zuckerberg said. In retrospect, we made a mistake.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, started the meeting by saying: We're here because of what you described, Mr. Zuckerberg, as a breach of trust.

This is not likely to be an isolated incident. We want to hear more, without further delay, about what Facebook and other companies plan to do. We are listening. America is listening. Quite possibly, the world is listening.

Zuckerberg acknowledged during his long-awaited testimony that some of his employees have been interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller in his Russia collusion probe but that he has not been interviewed.

He also said he was not aware of a subpoena related to the Mueller probe but acknowledged having heard about one.

Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department last year to look into accusations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The hearing Tuesday was standing room only, with visitors waiting in line for hours to get a seat in the room. Protesters holding up placards reading, "Stop Corporate Spying," were allowed to remain in the room, but police quickly confiscated their signs.

Zuckerberg spent Monday on Capitol Hill talking privately with key senators and apologizing behind the scenes.

Looking back, it's clear we were too slow identifying election interference in 2016, and we need to do better in future elections, he said in an open letter posted on Facebook, minutes before meeting privately with the senators.

The House later posted Zuckerbergs prepared testimony, in which he said: We didnt take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and Im sorry.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, the top Democrat on the Commerce committee said after talking one-on-one with Zuckerberg that he found him forthright and willing to turn things around where mistakes have been made.

But Nelson also sounded skeptical about whether Facebook was capable of fixing its own problems and protecting users. He said Zuckerberg was serious about the pressing issues because he understands that regulations are right around the corner.

Nelson said Zuckerberg told him: We were lied to (by Cambridge Analytica). And we should have caught that.

The hearings marked the first time that Zuckerberg has testified before Congress, after declining a request last fall.

His appearances before the committees also followed days of preparation with some of Washingtons most experienced hands at congressional testimony.

While the freewheeling tech industry is largely opposed to burdensome government regulations, Zuckerberg already had appeared open to at least some changes.

We know some members of Congress are exploring ways to increase transparency around political or issue advertising, and were happy to keep working with Congress on that, he said in his prepared House testimony. But we arent waiting for legislation to act.

Zuckerberg has been in full damage-control mode since the reports surfaced several weeks ago about Cambridge Analytica.

In his Facebook post on Monday, Zuckerberg also announced plans for new artificial intelligence tools that would take down thousands of fake accounts and verify every political advertiser, and for an independent election research commission. And he said preventing interference and misinformation in the 2018 midterm elections was among his top priorities.
California's largest water agency voted Tuesday to bear most of an $11 billion project to modernize the states aging infrastructure that delivers water from its largest river.

The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted in favor of taking the lead on California WaterFix, a plan for building two 35-mile-long tunnels to divert part of the Sacramento River to supply water to the San Francisco Bay Area, the agricultural San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.

"This is a historic decision that is good for California  our people, our farms and our natural environment," Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement.

Brown, a Democrat who has supported the project for years, nearly saw it fall apart with less than a year left in his administration after some water districts balked at the original $17 billion total cost.

The MWD vote, which secures about $10.8 billion, does not guarantee the tunnels will be built, however. The project still requires multiple permits and faces litigation opponents who consider it too expensive and dangerous.

Opponents who fear negative effects on the environment are pushing for more sustainable developments, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Meanwhile, an MWD analysis showed that two tunnels wouldn't bring more water to Southern California than one tunnel, so critics from the Los Angeles and San Diego County Water Authority argued against the plan, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"We don't sit here today to tax our members for the entire state of California," Los Angeles delegate Lorraine Paskett said, according to the Times. "I can't support a vote that will put our ratepayers at risk."

"We don't sit here today to tax our members for the entire state of California. I can't support a vote that will put our ratepayers at risk."  Lorraine Paskett, delegate, Los Angeles and San Diego County Water Authority

But supporters say the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's delivery system is outdated and vulnerable to earthquakes, flooding, saltwater intrusion, sea level rise and environmental degradation.

"We need to move forward now to make sure we don't have a natural disaster that impacts our water supply," MWD board Chairman Randy Record said.

MWD officials said the agency's increased investment in the project is expected to cost the average Southern California household up to $4.80 per month in increased water bills. Critics have estimated a much higher impact, suggesting monthly bills for Los Angeles residents could jump by as much as $16 per month.

The WMD provides water to 19 million residents in Southern California  the most populous and concentrated region in the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
White House deputy national security adviser for strategy Nadia Schadlow has resigned amid newly-installed John Bolton's ongoing shake-up of the National Security Council.

Sources told Fox News that Schadlow submitted her letter of resignation on Tuesday and discussed her transition with Bolton, who started this week as President Trump's new national security adviser. Her last day at the White House will be April 27.

Schadlow was hired by former national security adviser H.R. McMaster to lead the drafting of the National Security Strategy report, which was completed and released in December.

I was proud to work with LTG H.R. McMcaster and the National Security Council team. Together, we captured your vision for a strong and confident America and developed your America First National Security Strategywhich turned that vision into a strategic direction for your Administration, Schadlow wrote in her resignation letter to the president. And I am particularly proud that you were able to submit your NSS to Congress earlier than any previous administration on time and under budget!

Schadlow added: As Ambassador Bolton starts as National Security Advisor and he names his own leadership team, I am happy to help with the transition.

White House officials told Fox News Schadlow discussed her resignation with Bolton to allow him to build his own leadership team at the NSC.

The Administration thanks Dr. Schadlow for her service and leadership in crafting the Presidents America First National Security Strategy. The strategy has set a strong foundation going forward for protecting the homeland, promoting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength and advancing American influence, White House spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement. We wish Nadia and her family the best.

Schadlows resignation comes just one day after White House Homeland Security Adviser Thomas Bossert announced he would leave his post.

The resignations come during Boltons first week at the White House.

A White House source told Fox News on Tuesday that Bosserts resignation was part of Boltons cleaning house at the NSC.

A national security source also told Fox News that Bolton is considering a merger of the NSC and Homeland Security Council (HSC) within the White House. Right now, the NSC and HSC function as separate bodies, with their own meetings and policy issues, but share a staff.

Under the George W. Bush administration, the HSC and NSC worked as separate staffs. During the early years of the Obama administration, HSC and NSC merged, but later split.

The NSC primarily focuses on U.S. foreign policy and nuclear proliferation, while the HSC focuses on national defense-related issues like terrorism and border security.

If Bolton does merge the HSC and NSC, the bodies would hold joint meetings on mutually-agreed upon issues, and provide joint policy recommendations to the president, a national security source told Fox News.

President Trump appointed Bolton to replace National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster just last month. Bolton officially began at the White House on Monday.

Bolton has previously served in the administrations of presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, and served as a Bush lawyer during the 2000 Florida recount. Bolton served as U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security from 2001 to 2005.

The position of White House national security adviser does not require Senate confirmation.

Bolton is now Trumps third national security adviserreplacing McMaster, who replaced Michael Flynn.

Fox News' John Roberts and Gillian Turner contributed to this report.
A woman who had an affair with Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens in 2015 told lawmakers that he spanked, slapped, grabbed and shoved her during a series of sexual encounters -- some of which were nonconsensual, according to an official report released Wednesday.

After the report went public, the state's Republican House Speaker Todd Richardson said a House investigatory committee would expand its investigation into Greitens and would make recommendations as early as May about whether to pursue impeachment.

WARNING: GRAPHIC DETAILS BELOW

The woman, known only as "K.S.", told the committee Greitens, a Republican, took a partially nude photo of her after tying her to exercise equipment and ripping off clothes that he had made her change into for what she initially thought would be a "sexy workout." She then claimed Greitens told her that "everyone will know what a little wh--- you are" if she told anyone about the encounter.

The woman's claims contradicted Greitens' contention that "there was no violence" and "no threat of violence" in what the governor has described as a consensual extramarital affair.

In its report, the committee -- made up of five Republicans and two Democrats -- described the woman as an "overall credible witness" and noted that Greitens so far has declined to testify or provide documents to the panel.

Shortly before the report was released, Greitens gave a brief statement to reporters describing the investigation as "a political witch hunt... exactly like what's happening with the witch hunts in Washington, D.C." He went on to call the report "one-sided tabloid, trash gossip that was produced in a secret room."

Hours later, Greitens issued a new statement, insisting that the affair "was an entirely consensual relationship, and any allegation of violence or sexual assault is false."

The House investigation began shortly after Greitens was indicted in February on a felony invasion-of-privacy charge for allegedly taking the photo of the woman and transmitting it in a way that could be accessed by a computer. The report said lawmakers did not possess any physical or electronic evidence of the photo.

"The accusations published in the House Committee's report will be directly contradicted by the facts that emerge in court," said Greitens, whose trial is due to begin May 14. "In just 33 days, a court of law and a jury of my peers will let every person in Missouri know the truth and prove my innocence.



"This was an unfortunate process, in which good people, including some on the committee, were left to try and do the right thing and sort through lies and falsehoods without access to the full facts," Greitens added. "In the court of law, everyone will have the facts, and these allegations will be proven false."



Greitens' attorneys had tried to persuade the Legislature to delay its report until after his criminal trial, arguing that it could include some information that isn't fully accurate and could taint the jury pool.

According to the report, the woman testified that she met Greitens in 2013 as a customer of her hair salon. She said she had a crush on Greitens but was shocked when he ran his hand up her leg and touched her crotch without her consent during a March 2015 hair appointment. She added that he later invited her to his St. Louis home while his wife was out of town.

After she arrived through the back door, the woman testified, Greitens searched her purse and "patted her down from head-to-toe." He then allegedly asked if she had exercised and had her change into a white T-shirt with a slit on the top and pajama pants.

"I thought, oh, this is going to be some sort of sexy workout," the woman testified.

But once in his basement, Greitens taped her hands to pull-up rings, blindfolded her, started kissing her, ripped open the shirt and pulled down her pants, the woman testified. She didn't give consent to be disrobed or kissed, the report said. The woman testified that she then heard a click, like of a cellphone picture, and saw a flash.

The woman testified that Greitens told her: "Don't even mention my name to anybody at all, because if you do, I'm going to take these pictures, and I'm going to put them everywhere I can. They are going to be everywhere, and then everyone will know what a little wh--- you are."

When she remained silent, the woman said Greitens "spanked me and said, 'Are you going to mention my name?' And I said, I just gritted through my teeth, and I said, 'No.' And he's like, 'Good, now that's a good girl.'"

"I was definitely fearful," the woman testified to the legislative committee.

After telling Greitens, "I don't want this," the woman testified that Greitens unbound her hands. She said she started "uncontrollably crying." She said Greitens then grabbed her in a hug and laid her down. She said he put his penis near her face and she gave him oral sex. Asked by the committee whether the oral sex was coerced, she responded: "Coerced, maybe. I felt as though that would allow me to leave."

The woman testified she returned to Greitens' house later that day because she had forgotten her keys. She said she confronted him about taking a photo and he responded: "You have to understand, I'm running for office, and people will get me, and I have to have some sort of thing to protect myself." Then she said Greitens added: "I felt bad, so I erased it."

The woman testified that she had several additional sexual encounters with Greitens, including one in June 2015 when "he slapped me across my face" after she acknowledged having slept with her husband. She said she didn't think Greitens was trying to hurt her, but rather, "I felt like he was trying to claim me."

She testified that in another sexual encounter, Greitens "out of nowhere just, like kind of smacked me and grabbed me and shoved me down on the ground, and I instantly just started bawling."

It "actually hurt, and I know that I actually was really scared and sad when that happened," she said.

The report prompted Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley to call for Greitens to resign, saying it contains "shocking, substantial, and corroborated evidence of wrongdoing by Governor Greitens."



The state's House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty, a Democrat, said: "For the good of the state, Eric Greitens must immediately resign" or else the House must "restore integrity" to the office.

Late Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, whose seat Hawley is seeking in November's midterm election, tweeted that Greitens "should resign."

Greitens, a Rhodes Scholar and former Navy SEAL officer, was considered a rising GOP star. He went so far as to reserve the web address ericgreitensforpresident.com years ago. Initially a Democrat, he switched parties in 2015.

Greitens first acknowledged having an extramarital affair on Jan. 10, when St. Louis TV station KMOV ran a story revealing that the woman's ex-husband had released a secret audio recording of a 2015 conversation in which she told him about the photo Greitens took at his home.

Greitens' attorneys have asserted that prosecutors have failed to produce evidence that a photo exists. Prosecutors previously acknowledged that they didn't have the photo, though they could be trying to obtain it.

Hawley is also investigating The Mission Continues, the veterans charity founded by Greitens, as it related to the state's consumer protection and charitable registration and reporting laws. That probe followed media reports that Greitens' campaign had obtained and used a charity donor list in 2015 as it ramped up fundraising for his gubernatorial bid.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The legal fund of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired March 16, attracted donations from a long list of Democratic operatives, mega-donors and the FBI, Fox News has learned.

The donors include an anti-Trump ex-FBI top official who defended James Comey, a congressional hopeful who received money from McCabes wife, an associate of former President Barack Obama and several Democratic mega-donors.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe last month -- just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime government pension. McCabe was fired for committing three violations of the bureau's ethics code, an investigative source told Fox News.

McCabe said his ouster was part of the Trump administrations "ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the special counsel investigation" into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.

Republicans have long criticized McCabe over his alleged ties to the Democratic Party and his opposition to Trump.

Republicans point to allies of the Clinton family who made sizable donations to his wifes political campaign. His name was also mentioned in the infamous insurance policy text message between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who worked on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe before being removed.

REPUBLICANS TURN FOCUS TO FBIS MCCABE OVER TEXTS ON INSURANCE AGAINST TRUMP

McCabe set up an online fundraiser following his firing to cover potential legal costs, and it attracted more than $550,000 in contributions. Last week, he announced that he would stop accepting donations.

A closer look at the donors list reveals McCabe received an outpouring of financial support from the establishment of both the FBI and the Democratic Party.

FBI establishment

Michael Mason, a retired FBI executive assistant director and current chief security officer at Verizon, donated $500 to McCabes legal fund.

He told Fox News that although he met McCabe just briefly, he believes the situation warrants a further inquiry into all the circumstances regarding his firing.

Mason is well known among the FBI and the Democratic establishment. He donated $1,000 to Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, and his name was floated to succeed then-FBI Director Mueller in 2013.

The FBI Agents Association, representing more than 12,000 current and former FBI agents, endorsed Mason for the top position, but Obama ultimately picked Comey to head the bureau.

Waking up each day and turning on the news for five minutes to see the latest absurdity coming out of the White House is already getting tiresome.  Michael Mason

Since then, Mason has penned numerous articles supporting the now-fired Comey as well as Clinton.

In 2016, he said that the calls to prosecute Clinton over her inappropriate use of email were driven by strong dislike of Mrs. Clinton, and that he believed her actions were more likely careless rather than traitorous.

All I know is that I trust FBI Director Jim Comey. I believe in his integrity and his honesty, Mason added in the article, defending the former FBI director for not recommending charges against Clinton.

In another article, Mason expressed concerns after Comey was fired by Trump.

I believe the firing of James Comey is something that should concern all Americans, Mason wrote in 2017. The justifications for the firing of the director that have been put forth by the White House lack credibility. Can anyone legitimately claim that the timing of this act is not, at the very least, suspicious?

He added, Waking up each day and turning on the news for five minutes to see the latest absurdity coming out of the White House is already getting tiresome.

Democratic operatives

McCabe's legal fund also attracted hefty contributions from Democratic Party operatives.

LuAnn Bennett, a real estate executive who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2016 in Virginia, donated $500.

In an email to Fox News, she confirmed the donation but declined to be interviewed, saying the donation should tell you all you need to know about my position vis-a-vis his firing.

The former candidate is well connected to the McCabe family. Jill McCabe, wife of the fired FBI deputy, who herself ran for a seat in Congress, donated $1,250 to Bennetts campaign in 2016.

Jill McCabe was criticized after The Wall Street Journal revealed that an influential Democrat with ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton donated nearly $500,000 to her campaign while her husband later helped to oversee the probe into Hillary Clintons email use.

Larry Grisolano is another name found among the donors to McCabes legal fund.

Grisolano is CEO of a political consulting company founded by Obamas former senior adviser, David Axelrod.

The consulting firm worked closely with Obama in 2008 and 2012 and Grisolano served as director of paid media and opinion research of the both election campaigns. Many of the firms top stars ended up working in the Obama administration.

Grisolano, who made a $500 donation to McCabe under his full legal name, John Lawrence Grisolano, confirmed the contribution to Fox News. He said McCabe's firing was political and is part of a larger assault against civil servants and U.S. institutions by the Trump White House.

In recent elections, he also opened his wallet to multiple Democratic candidates and causes, including Clinton and Sen. Kamala Harris of California, whom many consider a possible contender for the party's 2020 presidential nomination.

Democratic mega-donors

Ted Dintersmith, a philanthropist and a former venture capitalist, contributed $5,000 to McCabe. He is a known Democratic mega-donor who contributed $50,000 to Clintons failed 2016 presidential run.

The Center for Responsive Politics lists Dintersmith among so-called bundlers." The center identifies a bundler as an individual who uses connections to solicit donations for the candidate he or she supports after maxing out personal contribution limits. Dintersmith was considered an Obama bundler in 2012.

He delivered the donation checks to the campaign worth between $50,000 and $100,000.

Another Democratic mega-donor who donated $500 to McCabes legal fund is Jeremy Mindich, a managing partner of Scopia Capital.

Mindich has been donating to Democrats since 2004, and in the last presidential election he contributed nearly $1 million to Democratic groups -- including $300,000 to the progressive MoveOn.org political action committee (PAC).

Both Dintersmith and Mindich declined to comment but did not dispute making the donations to McCabe.
The dramatic FBI raid on Michael Cohen's office and hotel room was a grandstanding move, no question about it.

The president's personal lawyer was cooperating with the Mueller investigation and had turned over thousands of pages of documents. Unless the feds have secret evidence that Cohen was about to flee the country with suitcases full of papers and cash, there was no need for that kind of public humiliation.

But unlike President Trump, I don't question the right of federal investigators to obtain the material. This was not a "break-in," as Trump charged during that arms-crossed photo op where he complained about a witch hunt. It was the execution of a search warrant approved by a judge.

And the stunt can't be blamed on Mueller, who handed off that part of the case to the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan (run by Trump appointee Geoffrey Berman, who recused himself).

Still, such in-your-face public theater is part of the New York culture. When Rudy Giuliani was U.S. attorney, he sometimes had Wall Street defendants surrender in perp-walk fashion just to make a statement.

At least part of the raid is based on Cohen's role in paying Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money shortly before the election. Cohen, whose attorney called the raid "completely inappropriate and unnecessary," has told me he made the payment to spare his friend and client the embarrassment of her allegations, whether they are true or not, not to influence the campaign. The president told reporters last week he was unaware of the payment.

Those who say the media shouldn't cover the tabloid saga of Stormywho just sold an interview and nude photo shoot to Penthousesay most Americans don't care if she and Trump had one sexual encounter in 2006. Thats probably true, but as we found with Ken Starr's investigation of Whitewater, investigations can lead to unexpected places. The New York Times and Washington Post say Cohen is under investigation for possible bank fraud.

Politically, the raid was a bombshell that has drawn wall-to-wall cable coverage. Even the Trump-friendly Drudge Report ran a banner headline: "PRESIDENCY UNDER SIEGE."

Trump fueled this perception with his tirade before a meeting with military advisers on whether to strike Syria over the regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people. And he invoked Syria in canceling his visit to a summit in Peru.

Trump called the raid against his lawyer an "attack on our country in a true sense." Needless to say, he is conflating his own political fortunes with the country's fate, since his own Justice Department named the special counsel who is conducting a lawful investigation.

Trump got to that too, reprising his complaint that Jeff Sessions should never have recused himself from the Russia probe and criticizing the attorney general's deputy, Rod Rosenstein, the man who appointed Mueller.



The press is awash in reports about the president's anger, which was quite evident on Monday. Axios quoted an unnamed source as saying: "This is the first crisis post-Hope Hicks. ... This was different: I've never seen him like this before. ... This is the president you're going to see more of from here on out: unvarnished, untethered."

I think it's fine for Trump to criticize the conduct of the investigation, and there are troubling questions raised by agents seizing lawyer-client records about his communication with Cohen.

But what has many Republicans worried is that Trump openly mused about people advising him to fire Mueller.

That would escalate a crisis that would require even more dramatic Drudge headlines.

We don't know what Mueller has on Michael Cohen. But after a year that has produced little in the way of Russian collusion, the saga of the president's lawyer and a porn star still feels like more of a sideshowone that didn't warrant such a flashy display of force.
House members took turns Wednesday grilling Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the social networking sites failure to protect the personal information of 87 million users  calling on the billionaire to explain the alarming reports about data security issues and urging him to help fix the industrys problems.

We are calling you here today ... to examine these alarming reports, said GOP Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. While Facebook has certainly grown, I fear it hasnt matured. We hope you can help us and the American people.

Statements from representatives facing re-election this year ranged from complaints of anti-conservative bias to questions about whether Facebook could improve broadband speeds in their state.

Zuckerberg testified before the committee on his final day on Capitol Hill  after five hours on Tuesday before a joint hearing of the Senates commerce and judiciary committees.

The internet is growing in importance around the world in peoples lives and I think that it is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation, Zuckerberg said during testimony before the House commerce committee. So my position is not that there should be no regulation, but I also think that you have to be careful about regulation you put in place.

Facebook shares rose more than 1 percent after climbing 4.5 percent on Tuesday. Rather than putting a dent in his well-prepared armor, two days of unfocused questioning helped Zuckerberg restore more than $25 billion in market value that the company has lost since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke in mid-March.

Facebooks stock remains 10 percent below where it stood before the scandal, a decline that has wiped out about $50 billion in shareholder wealth.

The 33-year-old tech tycoon came to Washington this week to explain a series of recent problems for the social media behemoth  foremost how political data company Cambridge Analytica, associated with Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, got its hands on the personal information of the 87 million Facebook users.

Zuckerberg, who in 2004 co-founded Facebook from his Harvard dorm, began his week by meeting privately Monday with senators and making behind-the scenes apologies.

Looking back, its clear we were too slow identifying election interference in 2016, and we need to do better in future elections, he said in an open letter posted on Facebook, minutes before meeting privately with the senators.

His apologies and promises to fix Facebooks issues  including fake news and hate-speech posts  come as federal lawmakers make moves to regulate Facebook and other Internet and social media giants like Google and Snapchat, arguing that users must have a choice about whether such sites can collect and profit off their personal data.

Zuckerberg testified Tuesday that Facebook is reviewing every single app that might have had access to users data and has locked down the platform to stop developers from selling such data to companies like Cambridge Analytica.

I started Facebook. I run it. Im responsible for what happens here, he told the packed hearing room.

Zuckerberg also said the company is developing artificial intelligence that can detect hate speech and already has done a better job of flagging misinformation since the 2016 elections, when Russians bought roughly $100,000 worth of ads of Facebook.

But its an arms race, he said about online attempts to disrupt elections worldwide. Theyre going to keep getting better at this, and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this, too.

He also said the company is developing artificial intelligence to detect hate speech, and that Facebook will have 20,000 employees by the end of the year working on security and content review, doubling that staff.

Still, lawmakers seemed unconvinced.

If were counting on Facebook to regulate itself, were going to fail, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said at Tuesdays hearing. Im a Republican  I dont like regulating things unless you have to.

Graham lauded Facebook for helping its 2.2 billion monthly users keep in touch with family and make new friends. But he also raised concerns about the dark side of social media that deceptively can influence elections and perhaps ban users for their political stances.

I dont think the industry itself is going to address that dark side, said Graham, one of about two dozen senators to grill Zuckerberg during the joint session. I think youre going to have to get the government involved.

Zuckerberg pushed back on the idea of a privacy law for young Facebook users, drawing a sharp response from Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey.

I couldnt disagree with you more, the senator shot back.

Zuckerberg was asked repeatedly Tuesday why he didnt immediately inform the millions of users that their data had been compromised when he learned in 2015 about the developer selling the information to Cambridge Analytica.

We thought the case was closed, Zuckerberg said. In retrospect, we made a mistake.

He also attempted to make clear that Facebook doesnt sell data, saying: Thats a wide misconception.

Zuckerberg also acknowledged during his long-awaited testimony that some of his employees have been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his Russia collusion probe, but said he has not been interviewed personally.

He also said he was not aware of a subpoena related to the Mueller probe, but acknowledged having heard about one.

Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department last year to look into accusations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The hearings mark the first time in Zuckerbergs career that he has gone before Congress, after declining a request last fall.

His appearances before the committees also followed days of preparation with some of Washingtons most experienced hands at testifying before Congress.

While the freewheeling tech industry largely is opposed to burdensome government regulations, Zuckerberg already had appeared open to at least some changes.

We know some members of Congress are exploring ways to increase transparency around political or issue advertising, and were happy to keep working with Congress on that, he said in his prepared House testimony. But we arent waiting for legislation to act.

Zuckerberg has been in full damage-control mode since the reports surfaced several weeks ago about Cambridge Analytica.

In his Facebook post on Monday, Zuckerberg also announced plans for new artificial intelligence tools that will take down thousands of fake accounts and verify every political advertiser, and for an independent election research commission.

And he said that preventing interference and misinformation in the 2018 midterm elections is among his top priorities.

Fox News' Frank MIles and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election  and any involvement from the Trump campaign  forges ahead, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein found himself on the receiving end of some Republicans ire.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is spearheading the Russia probe, but Rosenstein, 53, still oversees the federal investigation as deputy attorney general. But Rosenstein plans to leave his post in the coming weeks as a new attorney general is confirmed, sources told Fox News.

Read on for a look at how Rosenstein is connected to the Russia investigation.

What was Rosensteins job?

Rosenstein was confirmed by the Senate as deputy attorney general in April 2017.

As deputy attorney general, he is responsible for day-to-day operations of the Justice Department and oversees its agencies, including the FBI.

How is he involved in the Russia investigation?

Rosenstein appointed Mueller as the special counsel to oversee the investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 election in May 2017. The appointment came after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the probe, and Rosenstein stepped in to oversee the investigation. At the time, Rosenstein said his decision to appoint a special counsel was not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted.

TRUMP'S RUSSIA REAL ESTATE PROJECT: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THE ABANDONED MOSCOW DEAL

The appointment came after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the probe, and Rosenstein stepped in to oversee the investigation. At the time, Rosenstein said his decision to appoint a special counsel was not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted.

Under Justice Department regulations, Mueller must consult with Rosenstein when his investigators uncover new evidence that may fall outside his original mandate. Rosenstein then determines whether to allow Mueller to proceed or to assign the matter to another U.S. attorney or part of Justice.

According to a memo from Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, Rosenstein signed at least one FISA surveillance application that targeted Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser on Trumps campaign.

Did he have something to do with Comeys firing?

Democrats were critical of Rosenstein after the White House used a memo he'd crafted as a reason to fire FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. Rosenstein reportedly drafted the memo after Trump had expressed his desire to fire Comey.

Rosenstein later told lawmakers he stood by his memo. He said it was not a finding of official misconduct or a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination.

TRUMP'S LAWYERS HANDLING THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION, FROM RUDY GIULIANI TO JAY SEKULOW

"Notwithstanding my personal affection for Director Comey, I thought it was appropriate to seek a new leader, Rosenstein said.

What has the White House said about him?

As he has continued to deny any wrongdoing, Trump has been critical of the Russia investigation, particularly of Muellers handling of it.

In an April tweet, Trump accused Mueller of being conflicted  and Rosenstein even more so.

Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain, Gregg Re, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11)  President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the creation of an inter-agency committee to oversee the entry of a third telecommunications player.

Duterte signed Administrative Order No. 11 on April 6, a copy of which was released to the media on Wednesday.

His order forms an Oversight Committee composed of representatives from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as chairperson, Department of Finance as vice chairperson, and from the offices of the Executive Secretary and National Security Adviser.

Duterte said the entry of a new telecom company "is a matter of paramount national interest" that needs to be undertaken "in an integrated and transparent manner."

He tasked the Oversight Committee to assist the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), an attached agency of the DICT, in crafting the terms of reference for the selection and assignment of radio frequencies to the new telecommunications company.

The memorandum circular which contains the terms of reference is still being finalized. The third stakeholders' consultation, initially set for March 14, was postponed and the new schedule has yet to be announced.

Duterte also ordered the committee to ensure the "timely implementation" of the plans established by the DICT.

"All concerned government agencies are hereby directed to provide the necessary support and assistance to the NTC and the Oversight Committee by, among others, streamlining and expediting their respective procedures for the issuance of pemits, licenses, and/or certificates necessary for the rolling out of the plans, facilities and other infrastructure that may be required for the operation of the new major player," Duterte said.

The Oversight Committee's mandate expires 30 days from the assignment of frequencies to the selected telecommunications company.

Malacanang has said it is no longer imposing a deadline for the entry of the third player, after Duterte's March target was not met.

The President wants a third player to break the duopoly of PLDT and Globe Telecom, saying the only way to improve internet speed is to introduce competition.

READ: Report: PH among lowest ranked countries in internet speed, availability

During Duterte's bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Manila in November 2017, he offered China a chance to supply the country's newest telecom provider. Malacanang later clarified any company should still undergo bidding.
Just hours after President Trump reacted angrily Monday to news that federal agents had raided the office and home of his personal attorney, a bipartisan group of four senators is planning to announce legislation Wednesday to protect special counsel Robert Muellers job.

Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Chris Coons will be joined in the longshot effort by Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and Lindsey Graham, the AP reported, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the legislation.

The group will reportedly announce legislation that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing. The bill faces long odds in the House.

Graham, who said last year that there would be "holy hell to pay" if Trump ever fired Mueller, has repeatedly sparred with Trump since he announced his candidacy for the presidency.

Trump has called the FBI's raid "disgraceful" and lambasted Mueller's investigation as "an attack on our country." He openly flirted with firing Mueller earlier this week.

DERSHOWITZ: MUELLER 'LAUNDERING INFORMATION' TO NEW YORK PROSECUTORS

"Why don't I just fire Mueller?" asked Trump, repeating a reporter's question to him Monday night. "Well, I think it's a disgrace what's going on. We'll see what happens, but I think it's really a sad situation when you look at what happened.

"And many people have said, 'You should fire him.'" Trump added. "... So we'll see what happens ... this is a pure and simple witch hunt."

Many legal experts believe Trump cannot directly fire Mueller. On that theory, any dismissal, for cause, would have to be carried out by Rosenstein, who appointed the counsel in May 2017 and has repeatedly expressed support for him.

In addition to investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, Mueller is also examining whether the presidents actions constitute obstruction of justice.

It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller."  Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley

As the investigation has worn on, Trump has repeatedly called it a witch hunt.

After introducing similar bills in August, when Trump first began criticizing the Mueller probe, both Tillis and Graham had been quiet for months on whether the legislation was still needed as Democrats continued to push for a bill.

HANNITY: 'ROGUE' MUELLER HAS 'DECLARED WAR AGAINST TRUMP' WITH RAID ON ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

Both Republicans said they didnt think Trump would really move to fire Mueller, but they fast-tracked the new bill after Trump's harsh words for Mueller on Monday.

Under the legislation, the expedited review would determine whether the special counsel was fired for good cause. The bill would also ensure that any staff, documents and other investigation materials were preserved as the matter was pending.

But many Republicans in the Senate still expressed confidence Tuesday that Trump would not fire the special counsel.

I dont think hes going to be removed, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. I think hell be allowed to finish his job.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday on Fox Business News: It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller. The less the president said on this whole thing, the better off he would be, the stronger his presidency would be.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Documents related to the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape featuring President Trumps vulgar comments about women were being sought during the FBI raid of the office and hotel room of Trumps personal attorney earlier this week, Fox News confirmed on Wednesday.

The search Monday was aimed at obtaining evidence that Michael Cohen attempted to suppress harmful material about Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election, multiple people briefed on the warrant reportedly claimed.

The effort to obtain records related to the tape appears to be an attempt to connect the dots between the recording and subsequent efforts to potentially silence others ahead of the election. That could cast the $130,000 payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in a new light. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

According to reports of the raid, agents obtained documents related to several issues, including Cohen's payments to Clifford as part of a nondisclosure agreement she has since sought to invalidate.

Cohen's Midtown Manhattan office and a Park Avenue hotel room were both searched after prosecutors reportedly received a referral from FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller -- who is investigating alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 election.

News of the Access Hollywood documents being sought was first reported by The New York Times.

In addition, prosecutors reportedly are looking at whether Cohen committed bank fraud, along with possible improper campaign donations to the president.

Trump slammed the operation on Twitter on Tuesday by proclaiming that "attorneyclient privilege is dead!" He expounded on the raid on Wednesday morning, arguing that accomplishments by the Trump administration were ongoing despite "fake news."

"I (we) are doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus," the president tweeted. "No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!

Fox News John Roberts and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Since 1999, Paul Ryan has represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives.

I have given this job everything I had, and I have no regrets whatsoever for having accepted this responsibility, said Ryan, as he announced he would not seek re-election on April 11. This has been one of the two greatest honors of my life.

Ryan, 48, plans to continue to serve out his full term and retire in January, Brendan Buck, counselor to the speaker, said in a statement to Fox News.

After nearly 20 years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father, Buck said.

Heres a look at Ryans nearly 20-year career in Congress.

Speaker of the House

Ryan was elected the 54th House speaker in October 2015 after then-House Speaker John Boehner abruptly retired.

While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as a speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him, Buck said.

Vice presidential candidate

In 2012, Ryan was the vice presidential nominee, running alongside Mitt Romney. At the time, he said he was humbled to be chosen by Romney, calling it the biggest honor Ive ever been given in my life.

President Trump seemed to blame Romneys loss on Ryan during his own campaign in 2016.

That was the end of that campaign, by the way, when they chose Ryan, Trump said. And I like him. He's a nice person, but that was the end of the campaign.

Wisconsin congressman

When Ryan was first elected in 1998, he was only 28 years old.

A self-styled budget guru, Ryan had made tax cuts a centerpiece of his legislative agenda -- and a personal cause -- which Congress delivered on that late last year.

During his tenure, he served as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee as well as the House Budget Committee, according to his congressional biography.

Ryan became known for sleeping in his Capitol Hill office, even after he became House speaker. He also commutes home to Wisconsin every week, according to The New York Times.

In 2011, he gave the Republican response to then-President Barack Obamas State of the Union address.

Trump and Ryan have not had a close working relationship.

The president has called Ryan a very weak and ineffective leader and criticized the Speaker for his zero support in the election.

And since Trump took office, Ryan has criticized some of Trumps policies, including his tariff plan and his unhelpful comments about other nations.

But after Ryans announcement that he would retire from Congress, Trump called Ryan a truly good man who will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question on social media.

Before Congress

Ryan moved to Washington, D.C. in 1992 and would work for former Sen. Bob Kasten of Wisconsin, former Rep. Jack Kemp of New York and former Rep. Sam Brownback of Kansas, according to his speaker biography.

He also worked for a think tank called Empower America, which has since evolved into FreedomWorks.

In the early 1990s, Ryan worked as a waiter at Tortilla Coast, a Tex-Mex restaurant on Capitol Hill.

Ryan holds degrees in economics and political science from Miami University in Ohio.

Fox News Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The news that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., isn't planning to run for re-election came as a surprise to some of his colleagues, while others commented that the departure was inevitable.

Ryan's future has been the source of speculation over the past year, as Republicans are concerned about maintaining their majority in the House of Representatives.

The 48-year-old has held the position of speaker since the retirement of former House Speaker John Boehner in 2015. He plans to serve out the rest of his term before retiring in January.

"While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him," Ryan aide Brendan Buck said in a statement.

Ryan has had an impressive 20-year career in Congress, which included campaigning as former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012. According to Buck, Ryan is now ready to spend some time focusing on family.

"After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father," Buck added.

Some supported Ryan's decision, though they admitted it's a loss for Congress -- and the Republican party.

"Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!" President Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

"Paul Ryan is a person of true integrity who I have had the great fortune to know over the last eight years," Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., added. "He has served Janesville, southeastern Wisconsin and our nation honorably. We should all be grateful for his sacrifice and understand his desire to be a full time Dad."

"@SpeakerRyan is a dear friend who has served with distinction. He's a man of the utmost character and integrity," Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said. "It has been an honor to work by his side for the last three years. I wish Paul, Jana, and the kids all the best in this next stage of their lives."

Others, however, claimed Ryan's decision is a sign of "disarray" within Congress. Ryan has had a rocky relationship with President Trump, and condemned Trump's more controversial moves on a number of occasions during the campaign.

"With his retirement announcement Speaker Paul Ryan becomes the first casualty of the 2018 midterm election," Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said.

"@SpeakerRyan's retirement is another sign of the disarray that @realDonaldTrumps corruption & incompetence is causing for @HouseGOP. When the House elects its next Speaker, I fully expect it will be someone who stands up to Trump & fights for #ABetterDeal for working families," Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., tweeted, though she added that though she disagreed with many of his policies, she personally found Ryan to be a "good man with a kind heart."

Here's a look at how some other politicians reacted to the news.

Fox News' Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is moving to subpoena 35 witnesses to testify in the case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Fox News has learned.

Muellers team made its request to the clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District in Virginia on April 6.

It is respectfully requested that the Clerk of said Court issue subpoenas as indicated below for appearance before said Court at Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States District Court at 10:00 oclock a.m., on the 10th day of July, 2018, then and there to testify on behalf of the United States, the request, obtained and reviewed by Fox News, read.

The subpoenas, at this time, are blank, meaning Mueller and the special counsel team could have the opportunity to call 35 witnesses to testify against Manafort in his trial. It is unclear at this point who the special counsel will subpoena to testify on behalf of the United States.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III will hear Manaforts case. Last month, Ellis noted, in an order made public, that Manafort poses a substantial flight risk because of his financial means and international connections to flee and remain at large.

Specifically given the nature of the charges against the defendant and the apparent weight of the evidence against him, defendant faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison, Ellis wrote in the court order.

Manafort was indicted both in October 2017 and in February 2018 in Muellers special counsel investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 presidential election. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The first indictment was brought in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., heard by Judge Amy Berman Jackson. The superseding indictment was brought in Alexandria, Va. before Judge Ellis, including 18 counts of tax evasion and bank fraud.

Manafort, a well-known political operative with a long history of work in Republican circles, has been ordered to wear two GPS monitoring anklets, or braceletsone from each court house, and is confined to his house, with exceptions of medical emergencies, doctor appointments, court dates, meetings with legal representation or religious worship.

Manafort lives in Alexandria, but also owns properties in Florida and New York.

Manaforts ex-associate Rick Gates, who also worked on the Trump campaign, pleaded guilty in February to his October indictment, after initially pleading not guilty. That indictment, brought against Manafort as well, included conspiracy against the U.S., conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) statements, false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign banks and financial accounts.

Mueller also brought the superseding indictment against Gates, but after his guilty plea, motioned to dismiss the additional charges. Gates has intimate knowledge of Manaforts political consulting work in Ukraine, as well as other events that have sparked the interest of federal investigators.

Muellers move to drop the superseding charges against Gates signals his cooperation with the special counsel team as it pursues charges against Manafort.

Manaforts legal team, though, filed a motion to dismiss the second round of charges brought by Mueller in Virginia.

His lawyers asserted that Mueller exceeded the scope of the investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion, and claimed that Mueller wasnt even investigating Manafort for any possible collusion.

Manaforts attorney Kevin Downing filed a motion in court to dismiss the indictment, and noted that the charges against Mr. Manafort do not arise directly from the special counsels investigation.

The conduct alleged here was not discovered because of the special counsels investigation into alleged coordination; nor was it demonstrably related to that investigation, the filing states, citing examples of alleged tax violations that occurred well before the start of the Trump campaign or Mr. Manaforts brief involvement with that campaign, or the alleged failures to disclose foreign assets.

The DOJ well knew about both of those supposed crimes because it had already investigated Mr. Manafort about them, it said. The special counsel thus cannot credibly claim that he discovered them because of his original investigation.

Manaforts attorneys added: Indeed, the special counsel has never suggested that Mr. Manafort had anything to do with alleged 'coordination [with] the Russian government,' or even that he is investigating Mr. Manafort on that subject.
Two romantically involved FBI officials who were removed from special counsel Robert Mueller's team over a series of anti-Trump text messages still have Top Secret security clearances, Sen. Rand Paul revealed Wednesday.

Paul tweeted a letter he had sent the FBI in January asking whether Strzok and Page still had security clearances and whether they are able to "search FISA data or other classified databases".

In late March, the FBI responded to the Kentucky Republican.

"All FBI employees must maintain a Top Secret security clearance," wrote Gregory Brower, then assistant director of the FBI Office of Congressional Affairs. "Because of security concerns and law enforcement sensitivities, the FBI does not reveal the specific accesses granted to particular employees."

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported last week that Brower resigned his position last month to start a new job at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a Washington-based lobbying and law firm.

"So if [Strzok and Page are] still FBI agents, which apparently they are," Paul told Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime," "the [FBI's] non-answer specifically really is an answer, and [it] says they can search our databases."

Strzok, a former deputy to the assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, was removed from the Mueller probe over the summer after the texts between him and Page during the 2016 presidential campaign came to light. In one exchange, Strzok referred to then-candidate Trump as "an idiot." In another, Page described Trump as "a loathsome human."

In all, the pair exchanged some 50,000 text messages throughout the campaign and first year of the Trump administration, many of them with anti-Trump sentiments.

Last month, GOP congressional investigators told Fox News some messages between Strzok and Page suggest coordination between high-ranking officials at the Obama White House, CIA, FBI, Justice Department and former Senate Democratic leadership in the early stages of the bureau's investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Paul told Fox News Wednesday that Strzok and Page "need to be fired. At the very least, they need to be suspended from any privileges to look at these databases until it's determined whether or not they can still remain at the FBI."
President Trump railed against the fake and corrupt Russia meddling investigation in a Wednesday tweetstorm, taking a rare shot at Special Counsel Robert Mueller while arguing the probe is causing bad blood with Russia.

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama, Trump tweeted.

While Trump often lashes out at the special counsels investigation into possible ties between his campaign and Russia, the president rarely mentions Mueller by name. On Wednesday, he took aim at Mueller himself, as well as Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter), the president said.

TRUMP WANTS KREMLIN ABOUT COUNTERING A US STRIKE IN SYRIA

Trumps attack on Rosenstein is in reference to how the deputy attorney general signed the FISA surveillance warrant for former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The president has repeatedly decried the DOJ and FBIs efforts to obtain that surveillance warrant.

No Collusion, so they go crazy! Trump tweeted.

In another tweet, the president argued his administration is doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus.

The latest frustration comes in the wake of the FBIs raid of Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohens office on Monday.

No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD! the president tweeted.

FBIs COHEN RAID PUTS JEFF SESSIONS, ROD ROSENSTEIN BACK IN TRUMPS CROSSHAIRS

The president, in another tweet, lamented the state of the United States relationship with Russia.

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War, he said. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

In earlier tweets Wednesday, the president warned the Kremlin not to retaliate against any U.S. strike on Syria in the aftermath of a deadly chemical weapons attack.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, Trump wrote. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!
President Trump warned the Kremlin on Wednesday not to retaliate against any U.S. strike on Syria in the aftermath of a deadly chemical weapons attack orchestrated by the Assad regime.

In a morning tweet, Trump referred to Syrian President Bashar Assad as a "Gas Killing Animal" and rebuked Russia for being "partners" with the Middle East strongman.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, Trump wrote. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Trumps comments follow remarks from Russia's ambassador to Lebanon, who reportedly said told a Hezbollah television station Tuesday that Russia would shoot down American missiles fired at Syrian government targets.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then...the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar television station.

Trump is scrapping plans to travel this week to a summit in South America due to the situation in Syria, the White House said Tuesday.

Trump on Monday called the weekend chemical attack in Syria atrocious and said the U.S. will make major decisions about its response soon.

On Monday, the president said he isnt ruling out military action.

Nothing is off the table, Trump said.

Saturday's suspected poison gas 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 the attack in Douma killed at least 40 people, with families found suffocated in their houses and shelters.

In a series of other tweets Wednesday, the president lamented the state of the U.S. relationship with Russia and blasted Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation as corrupt.

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War, Trump said. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

In another tweet, Trump argued his administration is doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus.

No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD! Trump tweeted.

Fox News Cody Derespina and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump is known for giving his political opponents and critics nicknames, especially on social media.

Read on for a list of Trump's most iconic nicknames.

Wacky Omarosa

Omarosa Manigault-Newman lasted one year in the White House, and her departure has been anything from cordial.

In particular, Manigault-Newman has been under fire from the Trump administration for secretly recording the chief of staff John Kelly in the Situation Room, raising national security concerns. She's since released some of the tapes.

Trump, in a series of tweets, called Manigault-Newman "wacky" and a "lowlife."

"Wacky Omarosa, who got fired 3 times on the Apprentice, now got fired for the last time. She never made it, never will. She begged me for a job, tears in her eyes, I said OK," Trump said. "People in the White House hated her. She was vicious, but not smart. I would rarely see her but heard really bad things."

"Nasty to people & would constantly miss meetings & work. When Gen. Kelly came on board he told me she was a loser & nothing but problems. I told him to try working it out, if possible, because she only said great things about me - until she got fired!" Trump said.

"While I know it's 'not presidential' to take on a lowlife like Omarosa, and while I would rather not be doing so, this is a modern day form of communication and I know the Fake News Media will be working overtime to make even Wacky Omarosa look legitimate as possible. Sorry!" he continued.

Slippery James Comey

Trump dubbed former FBI Director James Comey the "worst" in history while blasting his new tell-all book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership." In a series of tweets, Trump also nicknamed the former FBI chief "Slippery James Comey."

Slippery James Comey, a man who always ends up badly and out of whack (he is not smart!), will go down as the WORST FBI Director in history, by far! Trump tweeted.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017, citing the ex-director's handling of the FBIs investigation into Hillary Clintons email practices.

Trump also called Comey a slimeball and suggested the former FBI director deserved jail time for mishandling the Clinton email probe.

Animal Assad

In the aftermath of a suspected chemical attack in Syria, Trump blasted Syrian President Bashar Assad and warned that those responsible would pay a big price. Trump also nicknamed the Syrian president 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 alleged in a tweet. 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 also blamed former President Barack Obamas foreign policy decisions for Animal Assad.

And in a later tweet, Trump warned Russia against shooting down any missiles the U.S. would fire at Syria in retaliation for the purported attack, saying the country shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Little Rocket Man

Trump has never really had kind things to say about North Korea leader Kim Jong Un  referring to him on Twitter as a maniac a whack job" and "rocket man"  which is a President Trump original," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News.

Trump tried out the "rocket man" nickname at the 2017 United Nations General Assembly.

He's also tried out the moniker on Twitter.

"The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch," he tweeted.

In addition, Trump has called the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."

Lamb the Sham

Ahead of a tight special House election in Pennsylvania, Trump visited the Keystone state to stump for Republican Rick Saccone  and hit Democrat Conor Lamb.

Trump accused Lamb of saying nice things in order to get elected in Trump country, but promised those at a rally that the Democrat is not going to vote for us if elected. And the president dubbed the 33-year-old Marine Lamb the Sham.

Lamb the Sham. Lamb the Sham. He is trying to act like a Republican. He won't give me one vote, Trump said.

Trump also said he is better looking than Lamb.

Sloppy Steve

Steve Bannon used to be in the presidents good graces, but the pair has had a very public falling out. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and ex-Breitbart executive, was quoted in a blistering tell-all book, painting the presidents son in a negative light.

Trump heavily rebuked Bannon in a public statement, saying Bannon lost his mind after he was fired from the White House.

Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books, Trump said.

Ahead of the release of the controversial book by Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Trump slammed both the author and Bannon on social media  giving Bannon his nickname.

Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve, Trump warned.

Trump reiterated the Sloppy Steve nickname in other tweets, including one which he praised the Mercer family  wealthy conservative mega-donors  for having dropped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon.

Pocahontas

The president reused one of his favorite nicknames for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., while he honored Navajo code talkers at the White House in November. At the event  held to honor the Native Americans who used their native language during World Wars I and II to help the U.S.  Trump mocked Warren as Pocahontas.

Trump has often criticized Warren, specifically over her claim to be of Native American heritage.

Shes got about as much Indian blood as I have. Her whole life was based on a fraud, Trump told The New York Times in May 2016.

Warrens potential Native American heritage was first questioned during her 2012 Senate run.

Trump also calls Warren goofy.

Dicky Durbin

Trump made waves when he referred to Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as Dicky Durbin online.

Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our military, said Trump in a tweet.

Durbin was part of a group of lawmakers who visited Trump at the White House in January to discuss immigration reform. After reports surfaced that Trump referred to certain nations as s---hole countries at the bilateral meeting, Durbin accused the president of saying things that were hate-filled, vile and racist.

Trump has admitted to using tough language at the meeting but denied certain remarks attributed to him.

Sneaky Dianne Feinstein

A transcript of a Fusion GPS official's August interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee was unilaterally released by the committees ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

The release of the bombshell interview drew ire from some Republicans, including the president and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

In a tweet following the release, Trump blasted the 84-year-old senator and called her Sneaky Dianne Feinstein.

The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace, Trump tweeted. Must have tough Primary!

Jeff Flakey

Like Trump and Sen. Bob Corker, Trump and Republican Sen. Jeff Flake have been feuding for quite some time. In announcing his retirement from the Senate, Flake slammed both the Republican Party and Trump.

Flake was also caught on a hot mic saying if the GOP becomes the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, were toast. That comment gave Trump the opportunity to dub the Arizona senator Jeff Flakey.

Sen. Jeff Flake(y), who is unelectable in the Great State of Arizona (quit race, anemic polls) was caught (purposely) on mike saying bad things about your favorite President. Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast, Trump tweeted.

Al 'Frankenstien'

After Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., was accused of kissing and groping Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden during a USO tour in 2006, Trump blasted the lawmaker on Twitter.

"The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?" Trump wrote, including an apparent misspelling of "Frankenstein." "And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?"

Liddle' Bob Corker

The feud between Trump and Sen. Bob Corker has been going on for some time, but the Tennessee senator finally got a nickname.

The Failing [New York Times] set Liddle Bob Corker up by recording his conversation. Was made to sound a fool, and thats what I am dealing with! Trump tweeted on Oct. 10.

Corker slammed Trump in an interview with the newspaper and said the president is so reckless that he might be on the path to World War III. A transcript from the interview revealed that Corker acknowledged the conversation was on the record.

Wacky Congresswoman Wilson

Trump and Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., became locked in a public feud involving a Gold Star family  earning the Florida congresswoman her nickname.

The Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson (D), who was SECRETELY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content! Trump tweeted.

Wilson accused Trump of making insensitive remarks to the pregnant widow of one of the four American soldiers killed during an attack in Niger. The White House, including chief of staff John Kelly, has ardently defended the presidents comments.

Jerry Moonbeam Brown

Trump hasn't seen eye-to-eye with California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, throughout much of his time in office  but the president was especially critical after Brown pardoned 56 convicted felons, including five ex-convicts facing deportation.

Trump blasted the pardoning on Twitter, calling the governor Jerry Moonbeam Brown.

Is this really what the great people of California want? Trump said.

Trump cant take full credit for Browns nickname. The Moonbeam moniker was given to the governor first in the 1970s by a columnist who said Brown was garnering the "moonbeam vote," or the younger, more idealistic voters in his gubernatorial campaign, according to The New York Times. The nickname continued as Brown pressed for California's space programs.

Crazy Joe Biden

It all started when former Vice President Joe Biden addressed an anti-sexual assault rally in Florida and cited lewd comments Trump made about women in the infamous Access Hollywood tape more than a decade ago.

Biden, who has crusaded against sexual assault and harassment, said, If we were in high school, Id take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.

A few days later, Trump lashed out on Twitter, nicknaming the former senator Crazy Joe Biden.

Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault, Trump said on March 22. He doesnt know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Dont threaten people Joe!

In the past, Trump has referred to Biden on social media as our not very bright vice president.

Little Adam Schiff

Trump accused Rep. Adam Schiff of leaking confidential information from closed committee hearings and called for him to be stopped. The president also referred to the Democrat from California as Little Adam Schiff.

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, Trump said in a tweet, comparing him to former FBI Director James Comey, former National Intelligence Director James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan. Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

Schiff is the ranking minority member on the House Intelligence Committee which released a controversial memo that detailed alleged improper surveillance techniques used in the Russia investigation. Schiff was critical of the memos public release  supported by Republicans  calling it misleading and undermining of the probe.

Crooked Hillary

Throughout the presidential campaign, Trump would often hit his opponent, Hillary Clinton, with criticisms on social media. Trump gave her the nickname Crooked Hillary, usually when he mentioned her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

The first time Trump tweeted about Crooked Hillary was in April 2016.

Sometimes Trump switched it up and would call the former first lady Lyin Hillary.

Wild Bill Clinton

While criticizing former FBI Director James Comey's memoir, Trump referenced the now-infamous meeting between former President Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch on a Phoenix airport tarmac in June 2016. The meeting was questioned because the then-attorney general was leading the investigation into Hillary Clintons email scandal.

Comey throws AG Lynch under the bus! Why cant we all find out what happened on the tarmac in the back of the plane with Wild Bill and Lynch? Trump said. Was she promised a Supreme Court seat, or AG, in order to lay off Hillary. No golf and grandkids talk (give us all a break)!

Lynch has said she and Clinton discussed only innocuous things on the tarmac but acknowledged that her speaking to the former president raised concerns in peoples minds about whether or not there was going to be any impact on the email investigation.

Cheatin Obama

Trump praised his own approval ratings on social media  while taking a jab at former President Barack Obama.

The president said the honest polling of Rasmussen shows his approval rating at 50 percent, which is higher than Cheatin Obama at the same time in his Administration.

The April 2 Rasmussen poll showed 50 percent of likely U.S. voters approved of Trump. However, 49 percent disapproved.

Little Marco

The rhetoric among the Republican presidential contenders hit a different kind of low as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio went after Trump for having small hands and Trump started to call the senator Little Marco. The two also discussed the size of Trumps hands  and other things  during a GOP debate in March 2016.

Trump first tweeted the Little Marco nickname in February 2016.

Lyin Ted

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump didnt start out as enemies during the 2016 campaign, but the two Republican contenders were soon at each others throats. Trump dubbed Cruz Lyin Ted when he went after him for his immigration policies in a campaign ad in March 2016.

Low Energy Jeb

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also got a Trump nickname when he was a 2016 Republican presidential contender  Low energy Jeb Bush.

Despite the exclamation point in Bushs campaign logo, Trump started to use the nickname to criticize his opponent during the campaign. Trump told Business Insider that there wasnt a backstory to the nickname, he just seemed like a low energy person to Trump.

1 for 38

When Ohio Gov. John Kasich attempted to team up with Cruz during the Republican primary to deny Trump the partys nomination, Trump took to Twitter to dole out a new nickname. And Kasich became 1 for 38.

Trump assigned Kasich the name because he won only one state in the primary and lost the others, Trump said in a statement in August 2016. Eventually Kasich would also be referred to as 1 for 42 by the eventual president.



Crazy Bernie

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the white-haired Independent socialist who became a progressive icon during the 2016 election, earned himself the nickname Crazy Bernie from Trump.

Trump first tweeted about Crazy Bernie in May 2016 when he criticized Crooked Hillary for looking very bad against Sanders.

Crying Chuck

After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., criticized Trump for firing F.B.I. Director James Comey, Trump hit him right back  with an original nickname.

Cryin Chuck Schumer stated recently, I do not have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer. Then acts so indignant, he tweeted on May 9, 2017.

Schumer shed some tears when he discussed Trumps immigration ban earlier in 2017.

But Schumer wasnt crying after Trump agreed to the Democrats short-term debt-limit increase and Hurricane Harvey aid.

Crazy Jim Acosta

Trump had a surprising tweet of gratitude Tuesday morning for CNNs White House correspondent, Jim Acosta  while also bestowing a nickname on his media adversary.

Even Crazy Jim Acosta of Fake News CNN agrees: Trump World and WH sources dancing in end zone: Trump wins againSchumer and Dems cavedgambled and lost. Thank you for your honesty Jim! Trump tweeted.

Trumps tweet referenced Acostas earlier social media post.

The president and his administration has often slammed Acosta and CNN for coverage they deem unfair  or fake news. Trump has also kicked Acosta out of the Oval Office.

Sleepy Eyes

Trump has thought NBC reporter Chuck Todd has looked sleepy long before the election or campaign. He first dubbed Todd sleepy in a 2001 tweet, but upgraded his nickname to Sleepy Eyes by 2012.

And in 2018, at a campaign rally for a Republican congressional candidate, Trump slammed the NBC anchor as a son of a b-----.

Trump mentioned a 1999 "Meet the Press" appearance when he discussed North Korea.

Its 1999, Im on 'Meet the Press,' a show now headed by sleepy-eyes Chuck Todd, Trump said. Hes a sleeping son of a b----, Ill tell you.

Dumb as a Rock Mika

From writer Toure to National Review, Trump has called many things dumb as a rock. But Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBCs Morning Joe earned the nickname in July after she and Joe Scarborough criticized the president.

Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses, he tweeted. Too bad!

His attack on the news anchor continued, as he called her low I.Q. Crazy Mika and said she was bleeding badly from a face-lift when she came to Mar-a-Lago around New Years Eve.

Psycho Joe

In a Twitter rant about his dislike of MSNBCs Morning Joe program, Trump dubbed host Joe Scarborough Psycho Joe.

Crazy Megyn

Trumps comments about then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly were often criticized and deemed misogynistic by critics. During their feud, Trump took to calling Kelly Crazy Megyn.

Little Jeff Zucker

Trump criticized CNN in an April tweet  and called its president Little Jeff Zucker.

Check out the fact that you cant get a job at ratings challenged [CNN] unless you state that you are totally anti-Trump, the president alleged on social media. Little Jeff Zucker, whose job is in jeopardy, is not having much fun lately. They should clean up and strengthen CNN and get back to honest reporting.

Fox News' Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The White House said Wednesday that all options are on the table in regard to the U.S. response to the deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria, noting that President Trump held both Russia and Syria responsible.

During a press briefing on Wednesday -- following the presidents early-morning tweets warning Russia not to intercept any potential U.S. missiles fired at Syria -- Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the Trump administration had yet to make an official decision.

Russia has denied it was involved in Saturdays suspected poison-gas attack, which unfolded 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 the attack in Douma killed at least 40 people, with families found suffocated in homes and shelters.

The intelligence provided certainly paints a different picture, Sanders said, regarding a Kremlin spokesman saying the claims of a chemical attack were fabricated. The president holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack, Sanders added.

Earlier in the day Wednesday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the U.S. military was still assessing intelligence on who was responsible for the attack.

But, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted, reports from contacts on the ground in #Douma are credible, and would be investigated.

Sanders added that the administration was maintaining that we have a number of options on the table, but noted, final decisions havent been made yet on that front.

The president has a lot of options at his disposal, Sanders said. All options are on the table.

Early Wednesday, Trump tweeted: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

By Gas Killing Animal, Trump was referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Sanders stressed that despite the presidents tweets Wednesday morning, he has not yet laid out his plan, or final decision.

But Sanders did place an extra layer of blame on Russia, saying the Kremlin had proven to be a bad actor.

Russia has proven themselves to be responsible in part for this, Sanders said, noting that Russia has helped enable Syria by vetoing six United Nations resolutions to protect Assad.

Sanders said that Russia needed to make some changes to their behavior.

When asked whether Trump still indended to have an in-person summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sanders said she had no announcements to make in that regard.

Sanders told reporters the White House National Security team met Wednesday to discuss the U.S. response to Syria, and said the administration was confident in the part of the process where they were.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11)  The supposed liaison of Macau-based gaming tycoon Jack Lam in a P50-million bribery scandal involving former Immigration officials surrendered to the police on Wednesday.

Former Senior Superintendent Wally Sombero turned himself in to authorities and was presented in a press briefing at Camp Crame Wednesday morning.

He is facing plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan, which issued an arrest warrant against him on Tuesday.

Sombero is accused of facilitating the deal where Lam supposedly paid off former Immigration deputy commissioners Michael Robles and Al Argosino with 50 million. The amount was supposedly in exchange for the release of more than 1,300 illegal Chinese workers who were arrested from Lam's casino in Clark, Pampanga in November 2016.

Robles and Argosino were arrested on Tuesday and detained at the Quezon City jail annex in Camp Bagong Diwa. Lam's whereabouts are not immediately known.

Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said retired police officers talked to him on Tuesday about Sombero's surrender.

Albayalde said Sombero was supposed to surrender to Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald dela Rosa, but he was out of town. Albayalde is incoming PNP Chief.

Sombero wants to stay at Camp Crame

After booking procedures at Camp Crame, Sombero asked the Sandiganbayan to detain him at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, where high-profile suspects are detained. He cited health and security reasons in his request.

During the press briefing, Sombero said he feels "safe" and "comfortable" in the custody of the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, where he was formerly assigned as a police officer.

When asked if he surrendered for fear of his life, Sombero said he had faced threats as a police officer, and even after he retired.

"Alam naman ng mga dati kong kasamahan na lahat kami laging may threat dahil sa trabaho namin, lalo ako, before my retirement and after my retirement," he said.

[Translation: My former colleagues know that we all have threats to our life because of our job as police officers. My life has been under threat before and after retirement."]

Argosino and Robles in Senate hearings admitted to receiving money from Sombero, but they said they only took the money as evidence in an investigation they were conducting on Lam.

Sombero, meanwhile, denied bribing the then Immigration officials and instead accused them of extorting money from Lam.

CNN Philippines' Eimor Santos and AC Nicholls contributed to this report.
The Trump administration is considering adopting a plan that would allow states to require mandatory drug testing for some food stamp recipients, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The proposal is another step in the White House's push to allow states more flexibility in implementing federal programs for the poor. It also wants to allow states to tighten work requirements for food stamp recipients.

Federal law currently prohibits states from imposing their own conditions on food stamp eligibility. However, at least 20 states have introduced legislation to screen safety net program participants in some capacity, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

OPINION: NEBRASKA REFORMS HAVE MORE PEOPLE WORKING, FEWER ON WELFARE AND FOOD STAMPS

An administration official told The AP the drug testing plan would mostly apply to people who are able-bodied, without dependents and seeking some specialized jobs. The official estimated that roughly five percent of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could be affected.

Internal emails obtained by The AP indicated that Agriculture Department officials in February were awaiting word from the White House about the timing of a possible announcement.

"I think we just have to be ready because my guess is we may get an hour's notice instead of a day's notice," wrote Jessica Shahin, associate administrator of SNAP.

Conservative policymakers have pushed for years to tie food assistance programs to drug testing.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sued the USDA in 2015 for blocking the state from drug testing adults applying for food stamps.

A federal judge tossed the suit in 2016, but Walker renewed his request for permission later that year, after Donald Trump had won the presidency but before he took office.

"We turned that down," said former USDA Food and Nutrition Service Undersecretary Kevin Concannon, who served in the position under the Obama administration from 2009 until January of last year. "It's costly and cumbersome."

Still, some states have tried to implement some form of drug testing for the food assistance program, so far with little success.

Judges have blocked similar efforts in other states. In Florida in 2014, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court's ruling that drug testing SNAP recipients is unconstitutional.

WEST VIRGINIA BILL REQUIRES FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS TO WORK FOR BENEFITS

In December, Walker began moving ahead with a workaround, drug testing participants in the state's Employment and Training Program who also received food stamps.

USDA under Trump has not taken a public position on drug testing. But Secretary Sonny Perdue has promised to provide states with "greater control over SNAP."

"As a former governor, I know first-hand how important it is for states to be given flexibility to achieve the desired goal of self-sufficiency for people," he said. "We want to provide the nutrition people need, but we also want to help them transition from government programs, back to work, and into lives of independence."

In a February 15 email to USDA officials, Maggie Lyons, chief of staff to an acting official at the Food and Nutrition Service, said, "We need to have a conversation about timing given budget and when the (White House) wants us to release drug testing."

If the administration moves forward, it would not be the first time drug testing was used in a safety net program.

At least 15 states have passed laws allowing them to drug-test recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as welfare.

The discussion of the future of SNAP and potential changes to the program are set against the backdrop of the 2018 farm bill, slated for release as soon as this week. The bulk of the bill's spending goes toward funding SNAP, which often proves the most contentious part of negotiations; late last month, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., issued a statement on behalf of Democrats denouncing "extreme, partisan policies being advocated by the majority."

Ed Bolen, senior policy analyst at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities think tank, said requiring drug testing for food benefits will have consequences for already vulnerable populations. What's more, he said, implementing drug testing for SNAP recipients is legally murky.

"Are people losing their food assistance if they don't take the test, and in that case, is that a condition of eligibility, which the states aren't allowed to impose?" he said. "And does drug testing fall into what's allowable under a state training and employment program, which typically lists things like job search or education or on-the-job experience? This is kind of a different bucket."

The emails also show that USDA is weighing the possibility of scaling back a policy currently enacted in 42 states that automatically grants food stamp eligibility to households that qualify for non-cash assistance, like job training and childcare. The proposed change, which would impose income limits, could potentially affect millions.

Republicans tried to make similar changes when Congress passed the 2014 farm bill, but the cuts were rejected by Democrats and did not end up in the final bill.

Concannon, the former USDA undersecretary, said the Trump administration "is keen on weakening the programs developed to strengthen the health or fairness or access to programs and imposing populist requirements that aren't evidence based, but often stigmatize people."

The USDA in recent months has been under fire for its controversial plan to replace a portion of millions of food stamp recipients' benefits with a pre-assembled package of shelf-stable goods dubbed "America's Harvest Box." The food box plan was tucked into the Trump administration's proposed 2019 budget, which included cutting the SNAP program by $213 billion over the next 10 years. SNAP provides food assistance to roughly 42 million Americans

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
House Speaker Paul Ryans announced retirement on Wednesday exposes what appears to be an already-behind-the-scenes match between his top lieutenants to replace the chamber leader.

Ryan and his staff had for weeks denied rumors that the Wisconsin Republican planned to leave office, as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise appeared to be increasing their respective national profiles and positioning for the job.

But as signs of the shadow campaigns emerge, the Democratic party could play spoiler. If the Democrats retake the House in November, current Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi could be in an ideal position to retake power. The California congresswoman served as House Speaker from 2007-2011.

McCarthy, a California Republican, dined privately with President Donald Trump over Congress spring break and worked with the White House economic team on cutting some spending in the recently enacted $1.3 trillion budget bill -- as fiscal conservatives pummeled Washington Republicans over the deficit-busting bill and Ryan was overseas on official business and with family.

Scalise also has moved increasingly into the spotlight, particularly in the aftermath of the mass shooting in February at the Parkland, Fla., high school in which 17 people were killed.

The 52-year-old Louisiana Republican, himself a mass-shooting survivor, participated in Trumps subsequent, televised White House roundtable on gun violence and met privately on Capitol Hill with some Parkland students.

We talked about our shared experience, said Scalise, who is still recovering from the gunshot wounds he suffered in the June 2017 mass shooting while practicing with colleagues for a charity softball game.

While Trump appears partial to McCarthy, he has also praised Scalise for his courage and example.

With us tonight is one of the toughest people ever to serve in this House, the president said at his State of the Union address in February, a guy who took a bullet, almost died and was back to work three and a half months later: the legend from Louisiana, Congressman Steve Scalise.

Still, while Trump seems more closely aligned with McCarthy, 53, he will not be the only deciding factor in who will next lead the House Republican Caucus -- regardless of whether Democrats become the chambers majority party after the 2018 midterms.

Pelosi would face hurdles as well. Democrat Conor Lamb, who won Pennsylvanias 18th District special election in March, said repeatedly during his campaign that he would not support Pelosi retaking the speaker's gavel. Others in the party have suggested it's time for a new leader.

However, no other Democrats have built serious momentum to take on Pelosi as of yet.

While McCarthy and Scalise appear to be frontrunners in the GOP, each has made political missteps that have set back their respective careers.

In 2015, McCarthy suggested on cable TV that Republican leaders of the GOP-controlled House established the Benghazi, Libya, special committee to effectively damage Democrat Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, then promptly ended his bid to replace House Speaker John Boehner, despite what appeared to be the support of the majority of his caucus.

Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right?, he told Fox News Sean Hannity in Fall 2015. "What are her numbers today?

Scalise was elected to Congress in 2008 and won a close internal race in June 2014 to become the majority whip, the caucus No. 3 post.

However, six months later, Scalise, pressed by Washington Democrats and other critics, acknowledged that roughly 12 years earlier he might have spoken at a white supremacist conference led by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

I didnt know who all of these groups were and I detest any kind of hate group, he said at the time.

Scalise and McCarthy, the No. 2 House Republican, denied interest in the speakership as speculation mounted in recent weeks about Ryan leaving Congress after roughly two decades.

But on Wednesday, within hours of Ryan saying he wont seek re-election in November and will retire in January, each faced renewed questions.

Ive been interested in moving up, Scalise told Fox News. However, he was mum on whether hes being encouraged to compete for the speakership, saying, People are still processing what happened with Ryan.

Said McCarthy, The only focus I have is on the work I have to get done.

Other names mentioned in recent weeks regarding who would replace Ryan include North Carolina GOP Reps. Mark Meadows and Patrick McHenry.

Meadows is the leader of the House Freedom Caucus, the chambers most influential conservative wing with roughly 35 members, and McHenry, Scalises deputy whip.

A leader of the Tea Party movement last week played down notions that somebody from the chambers conservative wing, which didnt support McCarthys earlier bid, could lead, after working under the more establishment Boehner, then Ryan, saying the outcome of this years elections will be a major, deciding factor.

Fox News Mike Arroyo, Anne Ball and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
The housing market in California's tech mecca Silicon Valley is notoriously tight and unaffordable, but a recent listing featuring a burned-out home has sparked outrage online.

A property in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood was recently listed for $800,000, which realtor Holly Barr told KTVU is reasonable given the market and location of the home. Barr added that she was specifically selling the 5,800 square foot lot, not the dilapidated house that sits on it.

BEN AFFLECK BUYS $19 MILLION HOUSE HALF A MILE FROM JENNIFER GARNER

[The previous owners] did leave it standing so you can remodel it versus tearing it down, so you save a lot of money when you can leave a wall up and do a remodel versus a complete teardown, Barr said.

The home sustained a fire that left a large hole in the roof, and has been completely boarded up with charred marks on the outside in addition to an overgrown backyard. It's located in an area described as a "quaint neighborhood just south of downtown San Jose with tree-lined streets, a 'Main Street'-style downtown, and eclectic historic architecture."

Barr posted the home on the Willow Glen Charm Facebook page, which caused many to share their frustrations with the housing market.

"800k for that.... What has this area come to when a family earning good money cannot even afford to buy even a burnt out wreck," Cally Jayne wrote. "Greed, pure greed from all concerned right here."

"Meanwhile, 10 blocks in any other direction there are homeless encampments every which way you turn!!! I live down the road from this houses property and the land is not bloody worth it! Just goes to show where the Bay Area is now," Adrian Huang said.

Another person wrote that it's just a sign "where the Bay Area is now."

CALIFORNIA HOUSING CRISIS AFFECTING MIDDLE CLASS THE MOST: IT'S 'A BROKEN SYSTEM'

The realtor said that in less than 24 hours since posting the property on Facebook, 10 potential buyers have contacted her, and she expects it to sell in a few days.

In 2018, the median price for a single family home in Santa Clara County is $1,400,000, according to KTVU.

"If you are in the market  you know that this is what it's worth and the buyers set the price, Barr said.

Rick Smith, of the Santa Clara County Realtors Association, said that buying the burned home for its asking price and rebuilding would be cheaper than buying a brand new house in Willow Glen. Since the property is located near high-tech offices  such as the proposed Google Village by San Jose's Diridon Station, in the city's downtown  location is the main selling point.

I ran some numbers in that area. There have been many sales within a quarter mile just in the last month or three that have been a million five, a million six," he told KTVU.

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But for locals who spent their entire lives in the area, the prospect of spending that kind of money on a damaged home makes no sense.

Growing up here, I think it's crazy, Julie McCarthy said. It was orchards here when I grew up, not Silicon Valley.
Humanity needs to step up its asteroid-hunting game.

To date, astronomers have spotted more than 8,000 near-Earth asteroids that are at least 460 feet (140 meters) wide  big enough to wipe out an entire state if they were to line up our planet in their crosshairs. That sounds like good progress, until you consider that it's only about one-third of the 25,000 such space rocks that are thought to zoom around in Earth's neighborhood.

"There's still two-thirds of this population out there to be found," Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., said during a presentation last week with the agency's Future In-Space Operations working group. "So, we have a ways to go." [In Pictures: Potentially Dangerous Asteroids]

A near-Earth object (NEO) is anything that comes within about 30 million miles (50 million kilometers) of our planet's orbit. The overall NEO population is almost incomprehensibly large; there are likely tens of millions of such space rocks between 33 feet and 65 feet (10 to 20 meters) in diameter, Johnson said.

Asteroids of this relatively small size can cause damage on a local scale. For example, the object that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in February 2013, smashing thousands of windows and wounding more than 1,200 people, measured about 62 feet (19 m) across, scientists have said.

But the really worrisome asteroids are the big ones. So, in the 1990s, Congress directed NASA to find 90 percent of the NEOs that are at least 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) in diameter  a mandate the space agency fulfilled in 2010. Currently, 887 of these mountain-size space rocks are known, and perhaps just 50 or so are left to be discovered, Johnson said. (None of the cataloged behemoths pose a threat to Earth for the foreseeable future.)

In 2005, NASA got some further instructions from lawmakers: Spot 90 percent of all NEOs 460 feet and larger by the end of 2020. It's clear at this point that the agency will not meet that ambitious deadline. And getting such a detailed handle on the NEO population will require the launch of a dedicated asteroid-hunting space mission, according to a& NASA-commissioned study that was published in September 2017.

The space telescope for such a mission would ideally set up shop at the sun-Earth Lagrange point 1, a gravitationally stable spot about 930,000 miles (1.5 million km) from our planet, and scan the heavens in infrared light using a telescope at least 1.6 feet (0.5 m) wide, the study found. Such a mission's observations, combined with the contributions of ground-based telescopes, could probably bag the required number of 460-footers in a decade, Johnson said.

NASA is already working on such a space project  a concept mission called the Near-Earth Object Camera (NEOCam). NEOCam was one of five finalists for the next launch opportunity in NASA's Discovery Program, which funds relatively low-cost and highly focused missions. NEOCam ended up missing out on that slot  NASA picked two other asteroid-studying missions, called Lucy and Psyche  but it did get another year's worth of funding.

There's still hope that NEOCam will fly someday, Johnson said.

"We have taken it over into the Planetary Defense Program," he said. "All we are [lacking is] the entire budget to be able to put a mission like this  a space-based survey capability, which is highly recommended and very necessary for our future capabilities  into development." [Photos: Asteroids in Deep Space]

A viable planetary-defense plan requires more than just asteroid detection, of course; humanity also needs to be able to deflect any dangerous space rocks that are headed our way.

NASA and its partners around the world are working on potential solutions to this problem as well. For example, NASA aims to launch a mission called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in 2020. If all goes according to plan, in October 2022, DART will slam into the 500-foot-wide (150 m) moon of the asteroid (65803) Didymos, which itself measures about 2,600 feet (800 m) across. This impact will change the orbit of "Didymoon" in ways that Earth-based telescopes should be able to detect, NASA officials have said.

DART will be a demonstration of the "kinetic impactor" deflection strategy. NASA had also planned to test the "gravity tractor" technique  using a fly-along probe to gradually nudge an asteroid off course via gravitational forces  in the coming years as a part of the agency's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). But the White House zeroed out funding for ARM in last year's federal budget request, and that mission is no more.

There's one more possible way to knock out an incoming asteroid, and it was made famous by the 1998 movie "Armageddon." Blasting a space rock apart with a nukewouldn't be the first choice of most scientists or policymakers, but such an extreme measure may be the only way to deal with a big space rock detected with little lead time. (And this would be a robotic mission, by the way; you wouldn't need a space cowboy like Bruce Willis to get the job done.)

Such preparatory work shouldn't unduly alarm the public, Johnson stressed; the odds that a big asteroid will strike Earth are very low on a day-to-day basis.

"These are very rare events," he said. "But they're also an event that, if we don't find this population, can happen any day on us."

Originally published on Space.com.
An ice-covered pond didnt stop a bald eagle in Waconia, Minnesota from catching its next meal.

Emily Brown was standing at her mothers bedroom window when she spotted the eagle pulling the fish through a hole in the frozen pond.

I couldnt believe it, Brown, 22, told Fox News on Wednesday. She immediately picked up her phone and started recording.

Brown took the video on Snapchat. She wouldve continued to record, but she wanted to get the video saved before something happened to it, she said.

When she stopped recording, the eagle ate the entire fish right there. She said the fish was still alive as the eagle downed its catch.

I was pretty shocked, said Brown.

Brown said her video was shared by several news outlets in the area, garnering thousands of views on Facebook. The response has been "crazy," Brown said.

"I definitely wasn't expecting it to get too many views and shares," she added.
As Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg testified on Capitol Hill for the first time, an unnerving sight greeted visitors outside: an army of 100 life-sized cutouts of the CEO.

The display was meant to protest disinformation ahead of the tech giants congressional hearing. The campaign organized by Avaaz, a global activist group, featured 100 cutouts of Zuckerberg wearing a t-shirt that said fix Fakebook.

According to a press release, the goal was to get the CEO to ban all bots, alert the public any and every time users see fake or disinformation, fund fact checkers around the world, and submit to an independent audit to review the scale and scope of fake news.

Avaaz has set up a fake army of Mark Zuckerbergs to flood the U.S. capital just as fake news and fake profiles have flooded our democracies, Nell Greenberg, campaign director at Avaaz, said.

Zuckerberg testified Tuesday before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees weeks after news surfaced that user information was used unknowingly during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Facebook could potentially owe up to nearly $18,000 in compensation to every British victim affected by the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, a U.K. lawyer says.

Millions of Facebook users reportedly have had their social media information harvested after completing a personality survey created by Cambridge University academic Aleksander Kogan, who later sold the data to Cambridge Analytica.

The social media giant began informing earlier this week around 87 million people worldwide  including more than 1 million in the U.K.  whose personal information was used by the political consulting company.

Dispute resolution lawyer Jonathan Compton told MailOnline that those in Britain could challenge Facebook by making a complaint to Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or make a claim through civil courts, arguing that losing their data was distressing.

The start point for any award might be between 10,000 and 12,500 ($14,191 to $17,743). This will vary of course if the personal information is comparatively trivial or very serious and damaging, he said.

The ICO announced last week that it will conduct an investigation into 30 organizations, including Facebook, over the use of personal data. Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said the investigation could result in enforcement action.

American and British lawyers have also launched a joint class action against Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and two other firms for allegedly exploiting the personal data of users, the Guardian reported.

The suit was filed in the state of Delaware and brought under the Stored Communications Act. According to the lawyers, the act allows a minimum penalty of $1,000 for every violation found by the court. If Facebook were found guilty of the violations regarding the millions of users whose data was harvested, the company would face penalties totaling more than $70 billion.

ZUCKERBERG SAYS HES UNAWARE OF FACEBOOK PUSHBACK FOR LIBERAL GROUPS AFTER CONSERVATIVE TARGETTING

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced intense grilling Tuesday on Capitol Hill with lawmakers asking questions about the steps taken to protect users private data and censorship on the platform.

In his opening statement, Zuckerberg apologized for the scandal, saying We didnt take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. And it was my mistake, and Im sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here.

Zuckerberg is expected to have another showdown Wednesday.
Its well known that Facebook collects a voluminous amount of data on its 2.2 billion users  but CEO Mark Zuckerberg could not confirm exactly how much the social network collects.

Facing a second day of scrutiny for its shoddy handling of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, this time before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the 33-year-old tech executive was asked a series of seemingly basic questions by New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Lujan.

When Lujan, a Democrat, asked how many data points the company has for an average user, Zuckerberg could not confirm a precise number.

MARK ZUCKERBERG'S NOTES PHOTOGRAPHED, SHOW HE WAS READY TO PUNCH AT APPLE IF CONGRESS PUSHED HIM

I do not know off the top of my head, said Zuckerberg.

The tech firm has a list of 29,000 categories that it provides to advertisers, according to a 2016 ProPublica investigation. Facebook targets households based on income levels, a range of things that users have liked, groups theyve joined and so on.

Zuckerbergs company also lists the six data providers it works with in the U.S. here.

During the same exchange with Lujan, Facebooks CEO admitted he also did not know how many data points are collected on users who do not even have a Facebook account.

Zuckerberg has taken questions on a range of issues, from fake news and terrorist content to Russian propaganda and data privacy, as U.S. lawmakers consider possible regulatory remedies.
A picture taken by a quick-thinking photographer of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's binder shows he was prepared to go after Apple and specifically its CEO Tim Cook after Cook said "I wouldn't be in this situation," referring to the Facebook data leak.

Taken by The Associated Press, the picture shows Zuckerberg's binder is full of information, including a prepared retort in case he was asked about the comments Cook recently made. The notes reference a mantra from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who has said there are "[c]ompanies that work hard to charge you more and companies that work hard to charge you less." Zuckerberg would follow that up by saying, "At Facebook, we try hard to charge you less. In fact, we're free."

He also may have mentioned that when someone installs an app on an iPhone, you give the iPhone accesss to some information, "just like when you login with Facebook."

ZUCKERBERG TOUTS PLAN TO PROTECT FACEBOOK USERS, BUT CONGRESS APPEARS SKEPTICAL

In the notes, there is also a mention that there are "lots of stories about apps misuing Apple data, never seen Apple notify people" and it is "important you hold everyone to the same standard."

There are also references made to the way Facebook distributes content, how it handles the diversity problem in Silicon Valley, its competitors (Zuckerberg said during the questioning that Apple was one of its competitors), its business model and more.

The notes are not the first time Zuckerberg has referenced Cook's comments.

In an April 3 interview with Vox, Zuckerberg said Cook's comments were "extremely glib and not at all aligned with the truth."

He also took a jab at Apples pricey products, warning customers to be wary of Stockholm syndrome.

"I think it's important that we don't all get Stockholm syndrome and let the companies that work hard to charge you more convince you that they actually care more about you. Because that sounds ridiculous to me," Zuckerberg said.

Privacy concerns cause abashed feeling in Silicon Valley

Zuckerberg's potential retort comes after Apple's Cook made comments at the end of March in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes.

When asked what Cook would do if he were dealing with the problems Facebook and Zuckerberg are currently dealing with, Cook succinctly replied: "I wouldn't be in this situation."

During the same interview, he also said that Apple could "make a ton of money if customers were our product. We have elected not to do that."

HOW TO CHECK IF FACEBOOK SHARED YOUR DATA WITH CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA

A few days later, speaking at the annual China Development Forum in Beijing, which he co-hosted, Cook called for well-crafted regulations to prevent the information of users being put together and then utilized in ways that they did not know about or approve of.

Cooks statement will add to the mounting scandal hitting Facebook, which has pushed its stock price down 14 percent, and the growing pressure on co-founder Mark Zuckerberg to overhaul its privacy protocol with app developers following revelations that his company allowed a firm paid by the Trump campaign, Cambridge Analytica, to amass personal data on 70 million users.

I think that this certain situation is so dire and has become so large that probably some well-crafted regulation is necessary, Cook said after being asked if the use of data should be restricted in light of the Facebook incident.

He continued: "The ability of anyone to know what youve been browsing about for years, who your contacts are, who their contacts are, things you like and dislike and every intimate detail of your lifefrom my own point of view it shouldnt exist.

Cook said Apple had long worried that users were giving up access to information without realizing the ramifications of how the data could be used.

Fox News' Chris Carbone and Benjamin Brown contributed to this story. Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
The Vice Chief of Naval Operations told the force there needs to be an intense and concentrated effort to speed up weapons and technology acquisition for the specific purpose of countering massive military gains by both Russia and China.

We need to scale up in a wildly unpredictable environment, as we see the reemergence of true existential threats. We face a new era of great power competition, Vice Adm. Bill Moran, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, told an audience at the annual Navy League Sea Air Space Symposium.

Moran emphasized that although threats like Iran and North Korea are still quite relevant, major power competition  with rivals such as China and Russia - needs to take center stage as the Navy seeks to both expand in size and sustain a technological advantage.

We need to act with a sense of urgency, Moran stressed.

In the context of talking about urgency, Moran specified fleet growth and agile acquisition; he said the service was on a good vector to reach its goal of 355 ships.

Click on Warrior Maven for more.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 10)  Transport network company (TNC) Grab admitted to charging 2 per minute on its rides  but it maintained this fee was not illegal.

"Per minute charges remain part and parcel to Grab's fare structure today and we have continuously been transparent about this truth," Grab said in a statement on Wednesday.

It cited Department Order 2015-011, which provides that TNCs are allowed to set their own fares, subject to the oversight of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board "in cases of abnormal disruptions of the market."

PBA Party-list Representative Jericho Nograles on Tuesday accused the company of amassing over a billion in these fees, unbeknownst to its customers.

"Grab is not allowed to charge P2 per minute... I have calculated that in the past five months, they owe a refund of 1.8 billion to the riding public," Nograles told CNN Philippines' The Source.

Nograles projected the 1.8 billion amount by multiplying 2 per minute with an average trip length of 30 minutes. This was multiplied to a reported 1.5 million trips per week for 20 weeks, which was when he first got wind of the issue.

The congressman showed a breakdown of his own ride in a Grab vehicle provided by one of the company's staff. It was dated February 2 and showed a charge of 2 for 27.5 minutes.

He also showed a previous screen cap of Grab's fare table, which showed a claim that Grab did not charge per minute. The table can no longer be found on the Grab website.

Grab said it first deployed the 2 per minute fee upon review of its pricing structure in June 2017. It also said it consulted the LTFRB the following month.

"We corresponded with the LTFRB to present these changes and [were] given the opportunity to present in full our business model, supply and demand models and pricing structure during one of the Technical Working Group meetings in late July 2017," said Grab.

The company also insisted it has always been transparent about the amount.

"In fact, during times when questions were raised about fares in certain trips, we would always back compute and provide the basic formula... including the per minute charges," it said.

The transport network giant has just bought another company, Uber, prompting Nograles to raise concerns at how the allegedly unauthorized fees will grow as drivers and riders from the latter migrate to Grab. He pegged Uber's ridership at 1.3 million trips per week.

"To give you the repercussion of this... How will this balloon if it remains unmitigated? Uber will be absorbed by Grab," he said.

Grab's statement comes right after LTFRB had the company lower its fare surge.

LTFRB accountable?

Nograles also pointed a finger at the LTFRB, which he said was in charge of authorizing this fee and making sure the public was informed.

"Itong 2 per minute... alam ba iyan ng LTFRB o hindi? Kung hindi nila alam... then they are complacent. Kung alam nila, that's graft," said Nograles.

[Translation: This 2 per minute (charge)... does the LTFRB know about it, or not? If they don't... then they are complacent. If they do, that's graft.]

Grab maintains LTFRB was aware of the raise, but Nograles recounted transport officials were surprised when he mentioned it.

He said he raised his concern with the agency during Holy Week, but it was shrugged off.

"I did get to ask the LTFRB, and the LTFRB was saying, 'Really? Maybe you should talk to Grab.' I said I don't want to talk to Grab about this-I'm talking to the LTFRB," he said.

CNN Philippines also reached out to the LTFRB, but they have yet to respond.

Watch the full interview with Nograles here.
A Canadian woman was allegedly denied boarding on a WOW Air flight because her boarding pass did not have her middle name printed and therefore did not match her passport.

Ashley Collins of Mississauga, Ontario said she arrived at Pearson International Airport Sunday with her friend to fly to Iceland, City News reported. However, when Collins went to the airline counter, she claims she was told she would not be able to fly.

Once we got to the front, the lady said to her supervisor, Its another one. Collins said to City News. She handed me my passport and said I was missing the middle name on the ticket so I was denied boarding the flight.

WOMAN CLAIMS SHE WAS KICKED OFF FLIGHT FOR MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

Collins said she was given a customer service number to call, but a WOW airlines agent told her they could not change her name on the ticket less than four hours prior to the flight.

We were really looking forward to this trip, she told City News. We had no options at that point.

Collins ended up having to pay for a new flight to Iceland for the next day, which she told City News cost more than the round-trip tickets she had initially purchased. She was also charged $23 to change her name on her return ticket.

Collins was far from the only one affected by the middle name rule. She said an airport employee told her the same thing happened to 11 WOW customers the day before.

I just advise everyone to make sure you put your middle name (on your ticket) whether the airlines require it or not because you dont want to run into a situation like I did, she said to City News.

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Not all airlines require middle names  its most common for international flights. However, Gabor Forgacs from Ryerson Universitys Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism management explained to City News that airlines are strict about names because improper identification can be extremely costly.

Airlines learnt to be very careful because they can be in a lot of trouble for not complying with the regulations that require the names of the passenger to match the names of the travel documentation, Forgacs said.
A 9-year-old aspiring pilot was upgraded to business class after writing a note to Jetstar Airways, news.com.au reported.

TODDLER ON AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT HIT IN HEAD WITH OXYGEN CANISTER

Jasper Francis from Australia was excited for his upcoming trip to Bangkok, but was concerned about his seating arrangement, so he wrote a hopeful letter to Jetstar.

My name is Jasper Francis and I am 9 years old and live an hour outside of Melbourne, Francis wrote. I was just wondering whether kids are allowed to fly business class by themself [sic]?

The youngster said in the letter that he had been saving for the upgrade, but wasnt sure how much it cost.

I am saving my pocket money to get an upgrade on our flight: MEL-BKK on your Boeing 787 Dreamliner, he wrote. So far I have saved $85, how much more do I need to save?

His adorable letter made it to Jetstar staffers, who took it upon themselves to help Francis fulfill his dreams.

Since Francis was way off his goal, 20 airline employees pooled their $50 Christmas vouchers and added them to his $85 to get the boy the upgrade, news.com.au reported.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The child was ecstatic upon learning he would be making the nine-and-a-half-hour flight in the luxury seats.

This is my dream come true, he said to news.com.au.
An air stewardess from Russia was brutally murdered by her actor husband, who was sentenced to 11 years in jail for the horrific crime.

Natalia Kordo-Sysoeva, 35, worked for Russias largest airline, Aeroflot. The young woman was attacked with a wooden club with sharp nails, which left 69 gashes over her face and body, before being dumped in a river near Leningrad, according to Daily Mail.

JUDGE DISMISSES CASE AGAINST MCDONALD'S EXTRA VALUE MEALS, SAYS NAME ISN'T 'MISLEADING'

Kordo-Sysoeva reportedly had two lovers and planned to divorce her 47-year-old husband Konstantin Kordo-Sysoev, whos well known in Russia for appearing in movies and soap operas. The court found the husband guilty for his wifes death, citing jealousy as his motive, despite a lack of forensic evidence linking him to the crime, Daily Mail reports.

Many believe Konstantin to be innocent, instead accusing one of her lovers for the brutal murder. Kordo-Sysoeva was said to have met with one of the two men she was seeing the day she died.

Her husband told the court he went looking for her a day later because she wasnt answering her phone. Prior to his conviction, he was held in jail for two years and has maintained his innocence, the Daily Mail reported.

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Konstantins mother claims her son is not guilty, calling his conviction a travesty of justice.
Better hang on tight to those potato chips  the Transportation Security Administration is being accused of ramping up security when it comes to screening snack foods.

In recent weeks, people traveling through Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Newark, N.J. airports have been sporadically asked by TSA officials to remove food from carry-on bags in airport security checkpoint lines, USA Today is reporting. One passenger even told the outlet that a TSA officer told him the snack check was part of a new policy to debut nationwide in May.

WOMAN KEPT OFF WOW FLIGHT FOR NOT HAVING MIDDLE NAME ON BOARDING PASS

in one March 26 incident, a passenger named Sree Sreenivasan said he was flying from Newark Liberty International Airport to Toronto, and had lined up at a checkpoint next to travelers speaking limited English, who were all heading for a 15-hour flight to India. Sreenivasan said he helped translate between TSA staffers and the group, but that the travelers were taken aback by the request to place their foil-wrapped food in bins to pass through X-ray machines.

Sreenivasan said the TSA officials were unfailingly polite through the encounter, but later mused on Twitter that the confusing ruling could prove problematic in the future.

Are they going to search every roti, every rice? Thats crazy, Sreenivasan said, as quoted by USA Today.

Some of Sreenivasan's fellow travelers also questioned whether TSA staffers would change their gloves after touching each travelers food in the future, he claimed.

However, a TSA spokesperson told Fox News that there is no new policy regarding food screening at airport security, despite reports to the contrary.

"There is no policy that requires travelers to remove food from their carry-on bags, and there are no changes to what food items can be brought through an airport security checkpoint," stated the TSA representative. "TSA officers may request that food and other items be removed to facilitate the screening process by helping to declutter carry-on bags. This enables TSA officers to obtain clearer x-ray images of the bag."

MAN'S HANDMADE KNIT SWEATERS OF FAMOUS LANDMARKS ARE WINNING OVER THE INTERNET

Concerns over exposure to allergens is a growing issue among the air travel community, as young boys aboard American Airlines and Southwest flights have recently made headlines for suffering near-fatal allergic reactions to nuts on board.

Though checking food is certainly a valid safety precaution and the TSAs website clearly details what items are not permitted on board, air travelers are feeling frustrated that the food inspection policies are not uniform across domestic airports. Many have taken to Twitter to voice their dissent  and confusion  with whats going on.

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President Donald Trumps wall is officially on its way.

The U.S. Border Patrols El Paso, Texas, sector announced Monday that 20 miles of 18-foot fence would be built along the border in New Mexico over the next year. This is in addition to two miles in Calexico, Calif., and 14 miles in San Diego.

But as politicians, lobbyists, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and just about anyone with an opinion argues about whether the wall is good or bad, Fox News found that people who live with it every day are mainly supportive.

I dont think everyone should have the wall because they dont live as close to the border as we do. But for me, Im for it, said Mannys Rodriguez, president of the Chihuahuita Neighborhood Association.

Chihuahuita is one of El Pasos smallest and oldest neighborhoods. Homes there have been passed down from generation to generation. It has been built right up to the border.

Rodriguez lives in the same house her parents owned, and the backyard ends at the fence. She remembers when a small chain-link fence was first installed with barbed wire, and then the 18-foot border fencing they have today.

At first, you know we didnt like it. But then we got used to it because we could see that most people wouldnt cross as easily as they used to. Or we didnt see any bundles, said Rodriguez. To us, right now, the fence is something secure for us.

But while they enjoy the added safety it brings to their neighborhoods, residents do admit its a very costly and obtrusive solution to a problem that wont go away.

I have to learn to live with it. Theyre not going to tear it down because of me, said Martin Silver, Rodriguezs brother.

Silver is frustrated because he said regardless of his feelings about the wall, his opinion on whether it should be built doesnt matter.

Others are against extending a wall altogether.

Illegal border crossing has been down for the last 10, 15 years? I mean I see it here. Theres not that many illegal people who cross through here, said Manny Lara, who works in nearby Sunland Park, N.M. He said fencing is too expensive and unnecessary.

But walk around Chihuahuita in the late afternoon and children will be happily walking home from school or playing in the park that sits in the shadow of the fence. It may be constantly looming above, but a ride on the swings without a worry seems worth it for many who live there.

Thats my backyard. And you know its safer for me, said Rodriguez.
Three bald eagles were fatally shot in Oregon last month and authorities are seeking the public's help in obtaining information about their deaths.

A trooper with the Fish and Wildlife Division of the state police responded to a complaint on March 16 about three dead bald eagles that were in Tangent, roughly 75 miles south of Portland, a news release stated.

The officer found each eagle sustained a gunshot wound, and a veterinarian found evidence of dense metal inside each of the birds through X-rays.

Authorities believe the birds were killed just before March 16.

BALD EAGLE LANDS ON SEATTLE MARINERS PITCHER JAMES PAXTON PRIOR TO START OF NATIONAL ANTHEM

A spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Division told KATU last month that the fact that someone would kill a bald eagle made him physically ill.

"It defies my imagination why somebody would do something that stupid and it sort of makes me sick," Rick Swart said. "An eagle, like other raptors, is considered a non-game protected species so it's against the law to hunt them."

MARYLAND POLICE OFFICER RESCUES BALD EAGLE ON CHRISTMAS EVE

Bald eagles, the national bird of the U.S., are federally protected.

Oregon State Police asked that anyone with information contact their tip hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or send an email to tip@state.or.us.
Federal government employees are being intimidated, bullied and threatened with physical violence as they try to blow the whistle on wrongdoing in their agencies  particularly within the Department of Veterans Affairs. And as some whistleblowers realize that disclosing things through the proper channels doesnt always suffice, they are increasingly turning to outside groups for help and support, especially when they start encountering threats on their lives, and those of their loved ones.

In 2017, the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) was created for employees to report wrongdoing within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). During remarks at the signing of the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act in June that same year, President Donald Trump said that for many years, the government failed to keep its promises to our veterans, and he called a litany of VA scandals (overlong waitlists, over-prescribing, poor treatment) a national disgrace.

The bill, Trump said, "protects whistleblowers who do the right thing. We want to reward, cherish, and promote the many dedicated employees at the VA."

Former VA Secretary David Shulkin had been touting the accomplishments of the OAWP weeks before his departure earlier this month, listing the number of employees terminated as a result of the offices work in intricate detail. There was no mention of the number of people who brought the apparently extensive wrongdoing to light, or how they were supported throughout that process. And despite all of those firings, whistleblowers within the VA seem to be turning to outside resources for help more than any other type of federal employee.

"My numbers are going up with new reports every day," says Jackie Garrick, founder of Whistleblowers of America (WoA). Garrick created WoA earlier this year after discovering firsthand how difficult the process of reporting wrongdoing can be, and the personal toll it can take on the people blowing the whistle. By offering up the help and insight of former government insiders and whistleblowers like herself, Garrick is hoping to not only encourage more people to come forward, but also to simply support them once they do so.

That, she says, is something that is not offered by any federal resource.

"People [who are reporting wrongdoing] think, I'm going crazy, I'm paranoid, they're out to get me," Garrick says, "and they really do need someone to say to them, Yeah, they are out to get you."

"People [who are reporting wrongdoing] think I'm going crazy, I'm paranoid, they're out to get me, and they really do need someone to say to them yeah, they are out to get you."  Jacqueline Garrick, founder of Whistleblowers of America

In just a few months, Garrick and her group have amassed nearly 100 active cases from across the federal government, most connected to the VA. These are not nefarious leakers running to the press, Garrick says, but rather dedicated public servants who see problems and raise their concerns internally -- hoping for fixes, not fame. For their efforts, some face threats on their lives and their families, all because of their attempts to get veterans the care they deserve and have earned.

That they are also, potentially, helping the government avoid being defrauded is what some might call an added bonus.

According to the whistleblowers Garrick is working with, reporting wrongdoing through official VA channels like the OAWP can become a monthslong process, and it often results in complaints coming right back to their superiors at work  even when anonymity is supposedly guaranteed. And thats just one of the potential downsides of being the squeaky wheel in a government agency.

"One woman told me that people were saying things to her kid, and then their kid was afraid for her to go to work, saying, Youre going to get hurt if you go to work, Mommy, someone is going to kill you, Garrick says. Other clients she is working with have reported being stalked, getting threatening notes and phone calls, being cyberbullied and havng suicidal thoughts as a result of being ostracized and punished for coming forward.

This retaliation has become almost commonplace, Garrick says, despite the fact that America has a long history of encouraging its citizens to blow the whistle on government fraud and waste. When all the scallywags were bilking the government [during the Civil War] by selling them blankets and ammunition, but delivering crates of sawdust, contaminated food and filthy, dirty blankets... President Lincoln created a law saying, Hey, if you report this, you can get a reward," she says. "So they knew even then, during the Civil War, that they had to incentivize this relating of the wrongdoing."

Lincoln himself once said, The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them.

Garrick is no stranger to the world of the VA, or to whistleblowing, having worked in both the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, as well as the House Veterans Affairs Committee. She once ran the DoD's suicide prevention program, and says she experienced the kinds of retaliation that many whistleblowers go through after reporting wrongdoing in their workplace.

However, Garricks group isnt the only place whistleblowers are turning to when the proper channels dont suffice. The Office of Special Counsel OSC), a government agency that protects federal employees from prohibited practices (like whistleblower retaliation), suggested in its most recent budget presentation to Congress that the office has "received more cases from VA employees than from any other agency, and we expect this trend to continue." In the 2017 fiscal year, the OSC dealt with 1,824 cases from the VA alone  the most of any federal agency. According to OAWP, whistleblowers reported being retaliated against as often as they reported actual violations (20 percent of the time).

Its not just low-level employees who are having trouble reporting inefficiencies through the proper channels. Dr. Stewart Levenson was the chief of medicine at the Manchester VA Medical Center in New Hampshire when he tried sounding the alarm on problems ranging from a fly-infested operating room  to thousands of patients waiting indefinitely for specialist care, according to The Boston Globe.

Dr. Levenson eventually went to the press with his story in 2017 when administrators failed to act, and suggested in an interview with Fox News that his cries were allegedly being ignored by the VA secretary himself. "When the VA in Manchester was imploding, I was trying to reach Secretary Shulkin and I later found out that he was at Wimbledon," says Dr. Levenson, who is now running for Congress.

Garrick is now hoping to encourage more whistleblowers, from the top of the chain like Dr. Levenson on down, to come forward from all corners of the government. And she believes the risk of people being scared into silence comes with serious consequences.

"I think, where lives are at stake or the welfare of the public, I think as civil servants there is this obligation to act," Garrick tells Fox News. "And I think that what is the true corruption is what I call the conspiracy of silence, which becomes part of the go-along-get-along that just facilitates more wrongdoing and it becomes this institutional culture of dysfunction and corruption."
Just weeks after the Hart family perished in a fatal plunge from an ocean overlook along the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California, rescuers are searching for another family feared to have driven into water in the same county.

Authorities said that a vehicle, which witnesses identified as possibly a Honda Pilot SUV, vanished after falling into the rain-swollen Eel River in Mendocino County around 1 p.m. Friday.

That's the same area where a family of four that vanished during a road trip from Portland, Ore., to their home in Santa Clarita, Calif., is last known to have been, the San Jose Police Department told the Associated Press.

A relative of the Thottapilly family who had been expecting them in San Jose on Friday reported them missing Sunday. Police identified their vehicle as a maroon or burgundy 2016 Honda Pilot with license plates 7MMX138.

Mendocino County sheriff's Lt. Shannon Barney told the Press-Democrat of Santa Rosa that officials will launch a search of the south fork of the Eel River once water levels drop and the flow slows.

The lost vehicle was reportedly southbound on Highway 101, pulled into a turnout and went over the side and into the river.

EARLIER THIS MONTH: SUV CARRYING FAMILY ACCELERATED OFF CLIFF, POLICE SAY

A "missing" poster shared by friends and family on Facebook identified the Thottapilly family members as 42-year-old Sandeep, 38-year-old Soumya, 12-year-old Siddhanty and 9-year-old Saachi.

The poster said their last known location was the "Klamath-Redwood National Park area."

The Klamath River and a string of state and federal redwood parks lie along Highway 101 to the north of where the vehicle was seeing falling into the Eel River. A powerful storm late last week dropped 2 to 5 inches of rain in the region.

Farther south along the Mendocino County coast, authorities continue to look for members of the Hart family, missing since an SUV made a deadly and possibly intentional plunge off a towering ocean bluff along the Pacific Coast Highway last month.

Sarah and Jennifer Hart and their six adopted children were believed to be in the SUV at the time. 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 along the shoreline.

A body was pulled out of the surf Saturday but was not immediately identified.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Before the school day begins, Arizona teachers plan to be outside in red shirts to show solidarity and demand higher salaries.

Called walk-ins, the demonstrations are to raise awareness of educational issues and to demonstrate unity among the educational professionals and community while allowing for education to continue, according to Arizona Educators United, the group behind the event.

While the #RedForEd April 11 event is set to take place before the school day starts, Arizona Educators United told its members to prepare for a possible walk-out in the near future that could close schools if the legislature doesnt act on their demands.

Heres a look at what supporters are demanding and what Arizona lawmakers have already said about it.

What are Arizona teachers demanding?

Those involved with Arizona Educators United are asking the state for a 20 percent pay increase, a freeze on corporate tax cuts until per-pupil spending reaches the national average, a permanent raise structure and increased pay for support professionals.

The national average starting teacher salary for the 2016 school year was $38,617, according to the National Education Association. In comparison, the average starting salary for teachers in Arizona was $34,068 that same year.

Noah Karvelis, a co-founder of the group, said aside from teacher raises, the Arizona Educators United is also asking for better resources for students.

Our teachers are part of it, but were having kids learning in abysmal situations  no paper towels in the classrooms, no textbooks in the classroom, no chairs or not enough chairs for kids, Karvelis told The Associated Press. Were essentially throwing away a whole generation of Arizonans and their futures, and thats unacceptable.

Karvelis is a music teacher at Tres Rios Service Academy in Tolleson, Arizona, according to the Arizona Republic.

The demands also include reducing class sizes to 23 students per teacher.

Why a walk-in?

While organizers havent left out the possibility of a strike in the future, teachers told the Arizona Republic that this form of demonstration is more positive as opposed to missing time with students.

As educators and people who love children, we would much rather walk in than walk out, Shannon Moxley, a sixth-grade teacher at Tarwater Elementary, told the newspaper. We'd rather be in our classrooms teaching.

What has the governor said?

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey told KPHO-TV that while he is supporting the teachers, he is also staying out of the political theater.

Ducey has stuck by his proposal for a 1 percent increase this year, while pledging that other fund hikes will come later. He has also said he refuses to meet with the #RedForEd organizers.

As the Arizona Capitol Times reported, when Ducey took office, the states per student funding was already low at $4,154; it is now $4,720. During the 2011-2012 school year, before he took office, it sank to as low as $3,814, according to the Capitol Times.

Is this just in Arizona?

Teachers nationwide have staged walk-outs and protests in recent months to demand higher salaries and other resources.

Educators in West Virginia went on strike for two weeks earlier this year, while those in Kentucky and Oklahoma protested at state capitols  some for days on end.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jake Garza, a 5-year-old boy with an infectious personality, was once a relatively quiet child. But that all changed after he learned how to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Last month, Jake was spending time with family in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, when "all of a sudden, he started reciting the pledge, Jakes father, Eric, told Fox News on Wednesday.



It hit me right in the heart, said Eric, whos an active duty member of the U.S. Coast Guard. The moment brought the 32-year-old father to tears.

This was a particular accomplishment for Jake, who was born prematurely and has faced many health obstacles throughout his lifetime, including cerebral palsy -- a neurological disorder that primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination, according to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

Eric said he had no idea his son was able to recite the pledge, especially because he was showing some [speech] progress but could only say words like yes and no."

Jake first learned the pledge at Sexton Elementary School, where he attends Pre-K, Eric said, adding that he is grateful to both the teachers and Jakes personal aide at the school who help his son daily.

The moment was special for Taylor Garza -- Erics wife and Jakes stepmother -- as well.

"It is all just extremely emotional for me -- it just caught us both so off guard," Taylor told Fox News.

She said the family was playing music and singing songs when Jake started "saying something that sounded all too familiar. I looked at my husband and said, 'Hurry, get your camera and record this.'"

"To see your kid hit such a big milestone and get out the whole pledge was amazing and brought tears of joy," she added.

Hes been through a lot since he was born. His mother passed away from cancer, Eric said, adding that Taylor has been so supportive in helping me raise him.

Jake, whose nickname is Mr. Handsome, now recites the pledge on cue. It has also helped the 5-year-old with other areas of speech, his father said, who added that his son is now speaking full sentences.

Hes the happiest, smiley little kid youd ever meet. That kid is the future -- hes gonna do big things, said Eric. Hes amazing.
This story was updated to include a quote from PCC Commissioner Quimbo.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Grab is now barred from charging twice the normal fare like it has been doing before, according to transport regulators.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)ordered the ride-hailing service to lower its fare surge limit from "times two" to "times 1.5."

Fare surges usually happen during peak hours or when the supply of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers is low.

LTFRB board member Aileen Lizada said the surge limit would take effect immediately and would stay in place until new Transport Network Companies begin operating.

Lizada said the board came up with the decision after receiving complaints from passengers who raised concerns over Grab's spiking fares in recent weeks, following its acquisition of Uber.

Grab said it welcomed the new regulation.

"Of course we respect the board's decision to further lower the cap of the surge. And we understand their justification for it. This is in fact a critical time and we believe that as soon as new players come in the board will perhaps study again the cap," Grab's spokesperson and policy head Leo Gonzales said.

Earlier, Grab Philippines Country Head Brian Cu said fears of unfair price surges were "unfounded" as the company has not changed its pricing policy in the past year.

The LTFRB previously set the "times two" surge limit in December 2016.

Uber halted

Transport regulators also ordered Uber to stop its operations as a ride-hailing company on April 16.

Uber has a pending petition to continue its operations filed before LTFRB last year.

During the hearing on Uber's petition, its lawyers told transport regulators they were supposed to cancel their petition because of the merger.

LTFRB's order to stop Uber's operations poses conflict with the Philippine Competition Commission's (PCC) ongoing review of the merger.

PCC Commissioner Stella Quimbo said they respected the decision made by the LTFRB.

"At this point the more important thing is the review. That we are able to actually finish this the soonest possible time. And that is not going to be affected," she said.

She added the agency will have a meeting Thursday to discuss the matter thoroughly and they would issue a statement after.

The PCC previously ordered Uber to extend its operations pending the agency's review of the buyout for the next six months.

The Commission is yet to issue a reaction on this.
An arrest has been made following a road rage incident where a car rammed into a motorcyclist, pushing him off the road in Sarasota, deputies announced.

Sarasota County deputies said they arrested 30-year-old Magdiel Medrano-Bonilla on Tuesday. The incident occurred on Sunday evening near Beneva Road and Riviera Drive.

Video captured Sunday shows a man on a motorcycle, Darin Hendrickson yelling for the driver of a car to pull over.

Hendrickson said the driver threw a metal object at him and, instead of pulling over, the driver slams into him and takes off.

Hendrickson knows he's lucky to be alive.

"He just willingly knew what exactly he was doing," he said. "He tried to kill me and there is nothing that is going to change that."

SUCKER PUNCH IN VEGAS BAR FIGHT LEADS TO MURDER SENTENCING

Two days later, tips from the public led deputies to the car's driver - Magdiel Medrano-Bonilla.

"Complete relief, I didn't have to look, I didn't have to take matters in my own hands and this is just teaching me patience," said Hendrickson.

Deputies found the car parked behind the home of Medrano-Bonilla's friend. It had been stripped of its doors, windows, and tag.

Deputies said Medrano-Bonilla was driving without a license. Deputies arrested him for aggravated battery and driving without a license.

"There's a reason why he didn't have a license, there's a reason why he didn't own a car and there's a reason why he ran," said Hendrickson.

That reason, said Sarasota Sheriff Tom Knight, is because Medrano-Bonilla is here illegally. He came to the U.S from El Salvador in 2014.

Read more from Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
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Developing now, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologizes on Capitol Hill for his company's mishandling of users' private data, concedes he cannot recall removal of liberal groups' content because of anti-conservative bias

President Trump, angered by the FBI's raid on attorney Michael Cohen, reportedly mulled firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein

The FBI's raid on Cohens office and hotel room may have stemmed from evidence of significant payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, an analyst told Fox News

Syria's alleged poison gas attack has the U.S. and its allies considering a response, while President Trump canceled plans to attend a summit in South America

THE LEAD STORY - 'WE'VE MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES': Under fire for a privacy scandal that has rocked his company, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly apologized for his company's failures in protecting users' data in five hours of questioning before the Senate on Tuesday ... Zuckerberg testified before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees amid an ongoing controversy over the gathering of user data by Cambridge Analytica, a firm affiliated with Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The Facebook co-founder also told lawmakers he was "not specifically aware" of any instance where the social network had removed content posted by liberal groups amid concerns that the platform is biased against conservatives. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Zuckerberg that "a great many Americans" are "deeply concerned that Facebook and other tech companies are engaged in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship." Zuckerberg returns to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

ROSENSTEIN ON BORROWED TIME?: President Trump was so furious about the FBI's raid on the office and home of his personal attorney Michael Cohen that he reportedly has considered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ... Sources told the Associated Press that the raid left Trump more angry than advisers has seen him in weeks. Trump believes Russia Special Counsel Robert Mueller went too far with the raid on Cohen, and Monday's action was designed only to bring down his presidency and ruin his attorney's life, sources said. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said during the daily briefing with reporters that President Trump 'certainly believes' he has the power to fire Mueller. However, she said, he is not acting to do so. Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of four senators moved to protect Mueller's job. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey reportedly planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing, two people familiar with the legislation told the Associated Press.

POSSIBLE STORMFRONT IN MUELLER PROBE: The Justice Department raid on the office and hotel room of top Trump lawyer Michael Cohen on Monday is, one expert says, likely a telltale sign that Special Counsel Robert Mueller may have found significant evidence regarding a payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ... This is an extremely important development. This is Watergate-level stuff, Ken White, a former federal prosecutor, said to Fox News. Searching an attorneys office  at least by the feds  is a rather extreme move that you usually only see with lawyers in the thick of criminal enterprises. Its quite unusual. The raid creates a new legal headache for President Donald Trump as he and his attorneys weigh whether to consent to an interview with Mueller's team.

Feds request documents from Trump Organization related to Cohen's payment to Daniels

WEIGHING OPTIONS ON SYRIA: Trump administration officials consulted with global allies Tuesday on a possible joint military response to Syria's alleged poison gas attack, as President Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad ... Trump spoke with other world leaders, and other U.S. officials said the U.S., France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week. None of the three countries' leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorized to discuss military planning by name.

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

BEWARE OF 'SWAMP' CREATURES: "Every time he [President Trump] listens to card-carrying member of the [Washington, D.C.] swamp, disaster follows."  Laura Ingraham, in her opening monologue on "The Ingraham Angle," urging President Trump to follow his instincts and ignore advice from the Washington's political establishment. WATCH

HINDSIGHT ON JEFF SESSIONS: "[Sessions] should never have accepted the appointment because the Russia investigation started in October of 2016. He knew he was going to be a witness."  Judge Andrew Napolitano, on "Fox & Friends," sounding off on President Trump's repeated criticism of Attorney General Sessions's decision to recuse himself from the Russia collusion investigation. WATCH

TRENDING

Rare Titanic love letter up for auction offers insight into life on the doomed ocean liner.

Pregnant Khloe Kardashian's boyfriend seen cheating in new video.

UFC's Paige VanZant reveals she was gang-raped in high school.

MAINSTREAM MEDIA MADNESS

Sarah Sanders slams April Ryan for 'absolutely ridiculous' question about Trump stepping down.

CNN's Brian Stelter accused of 'dishonesty' and 'hypocrisy' in attacks on Sinclair Broadcasting.

Medias narrative of Russian bots pushing conservative issues called 'inherently inaccurate.'

THE SWAMP

Obama assailed media's disrespect over first lady 'fat butt' story, ex-aide says in tell-all.

White House removes African nation of Chad from travel ban list.

Missouri Gov. Greitens accused of 'smear campaign' against ex-lover.

ACROSS THE NATION

School board votes against participation in program allowing armed district employees | Pa. district arms teachers with bats

Trump honors Alabama football team at White House after Saban reportedly warns no protests.

Three bald eagles killed in Oregon, cops hunt for suspect.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Dow surges 429 points as China signals lower tariffs on U.S. products.

Bank of America to stop lending to some makers of military-style firearms: report.

Sprint, T-Mobile revive merger talks again: report.

FOX NEWS OPINION

John Stossel: The left's war on science.

Michael Levin: On Holocaust Remembrance Day, I'll think of my great-uncle and his incredible story of survival.

Why the left hates John Bolton - and why they're wrong.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

Cosby's lawyer slams accuser Andrea Constand as a 'con artist': 'And we'll prove it.'

'Roseanne' revival pays tribute to departed cast member in episode 4.

JFK Jr.'s wedding is the subject of a TLC special boasting never-before-seen footage of the private ceremony.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

Los Angeles painting city streets white in bid to combat climate change.

PHOTO: Retired Army general catches 877-pound bluefin tuna, breaks state record.

More than 50 dead geese fall from Idaho sky in 'freak accident.'

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Rep. Steve Scalise on Mark Zuckerberg's anticipated testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Diamond and Silk react to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Capitol Hill testimony. What role will millennials play in the 2018 midterms? We'll check in with Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren. University of Tennessee-Chattanooga student Brenna Spencer explains why she posed for a graduation picture with a pistol in her waistband.

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Guests include: Hamza Khan, Democratic strategist; Randy Zelin, criminal defense attorney; Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis, senior fellow and military expert for Defense Priorities; Rep. Ted Poe; Rep. Jeb Hensarling.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Rep. Adam Kinzinger; Brandon Judd, Border Patrol Union president.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Rep. Dave Brat.

The Intelligence Report, 2 p.m. ET: Art Laffer, economic adviser under President Reagan.

Lou Dobbs Tonight, 7 p.m. ET: Reps. Matt Gaetz and Sean Duffy.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before a joint Senate Committee about data sharing procedures on the social media network. Fox News' Jared Halpern in Washington recaps the public hearing. President Trump is furious after the FBI raided the offices and residence of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, on Monday, declaring that attorney-client privilege is dead!" Judge Andrew Napolitano weighs in. Plus, a commentary by Fox News Radio talk host Tom Shillue.

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: Former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Mueller's raid on Michael Cohen; "Media Buzz" host Howard Kurtz sizes up Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony on Capitol Hill; Kennedy and Bill Hemmer sound off on the Mueller investigation and the potential impact of Zuckerberg's testimony on Facebook's future.

#OnThisDay

1968: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which includes the Fair Housing Act, a week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

1945: During World War II, American soldiers liberate the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald in Germany.

1921: Iowa becomes the first state to impose a cigarette tax, at 2 cents a package.

Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday morning.
A Scottish hypnotherapist was busted in Florida for having sex with a 14-year-old boy who paid her $480 for a hotel tryst, police and a report said.

The Orlando teen said he was searching Quora.com and found Sophia Belle  later identified as Sarah Louise McGill by her UK passport, according to her arrest report.

Orange County police said the teen and McGill, 28, began to text and met in person at a Marriott hotel, where he paid her $480 for sex, in a mix of $50 and $20 bills.

After speaking with the boy and his father, cops went to the same fourth-floor hotel room Saturday and found McGill there with another man, they said.

The rooms safe was allegedly filled with cash, condoms and used condom wrappers, according to the arrest report.

Click for more from the New York Post.
For the second time in five months, an infant has been left in a baby box at a northwestern Indiana volunteer fire station.

Lt. Chuck Kohler says he was on scene tending to the baby girl less than a minute after receiving a page Sunday night.

The page alerted him that alarms had been triggered on the Safe Haven Baby Box at the Coolspring Township Volunteer Fire Department, near Michigan City. Kohler says everything worked as planned.

The girl appeared healthy and was taken to a hospital for care. The Indiana Department of Child Services said Wednesday the baby "is now in safe hands."

The padded, climate-controlled box was installed about two years ago. The program allows a mother to relinquish her newborn anonymously, without fear of prosecution.

Another baby girl was safely rescued after being left in the box on Nov. 7.
A Kentucky man who died last summer willed a local animal shelter just over $190,000, according to local reports.

Joseph Tony Bennett left Madison County Animal Shelter in Berea $190,897.27, LEX 18 reported.

Michael Fore, Bennetts attorney, presented a check to Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor during the countys fiscal court meeting on Tuesday morning, according to WKYT.

The money will be used to start the Bennett Saves Initiative, which will partner with local veterinarians to spay and neuter animals that come into the shelter, according to WKYT.

We will be able to account for 100 percent of all of our animals that are adopted through our shelter, which averages about 650 to 700 animals per year," Scott Tussey, director of the animal shelter, told the news station.

Before the donation, the shelter did not have the means to spay and neuter all of its animals. Instead, new pet owners would receive a $75 voucher to offset the cost of the surgery.

Now, however, with the funds from Bennett's estate, the shelter plans to have all animals fixed before they are adopted out, Tussey told Fox News on Thursday.

"Hopefully it will generate others to donate like this," he added.



"Obviously we were ecstatic, Taylor said of the donation, according to LEX18. "Through his gift in the county, we're going to try and increase our spay and neuter program with these funds," he added.

Bill Grise, Bennetts former neighbor, described the man as "very nice, very quiet, very humble." He added that he was shocked when he heard about the donation.
Police shot and killed a suspect who was wielding a knife at a South Los Angeles shopping mall Tuesday evening, authorities said.

Footage from the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, around 7.5 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles, indicates at least four shots were fired.

The mall was locked down for several hours after police responded to the scene, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. Witnesses told the station the suspect had been threatening shoppers with the knife, and one witness said the suspect did not comply when officers told him to drop the weapon.

Officers first responded to the scene around 5:40 p.m., a Los Angeles Police Department official told KTLA-TV.

Police fired at the suspect shortly after arriving at the scene, the report said. His body reportedly remained inside the plaza late Tuesday night.

Witness Juan Zepedathe told KTLA the suspect was trying to run away when he was shot.

They shot toward his back, yeah, he said. I saw the smoke coming out of the guns and everything.

One video that appeared online showed the suspect lying on his back inside the mall, with blood staining his shirt in the chest area.

Paula Reed, who works at the mall, told KTLA she heard seven shots, which created a panic as patrons and employees ran for cover.

Everybody was scared, running in," Reed said. "I ran to the door to lock our door up.

Another witness, Tim Williams, told KABC-TV that the suspect appeared to be moving toward people with a "long knife or machete."

Williams said police "patiently and repeatedly" told the man to put down the blade, but for several minutes, he kept gesturing with the weapon and moving towards officers, then back.

He said police finally opened fire when the man "took off" toward some people.

LAPD reportedly confirmed that a knife was recovered from the scene.

The name of the suspect and further details were not immediately available.

The suspect was the eighth person shot by on-duty LAPD police this year, and sixth to be killed, the Los Angeles Times reported.

No officers were injured Tuesday, the Times reported.

Numerous patrol vehicles were reportedly stationed outside several entrances, and an ambulance was seen outside the Sears store.

Officers taped off the malls entrances, portions of the parking lot, and two benches outside the entrance near the T.J. Maxx store, KTLA reported.

Police evacuated mall patrons still inside, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported, as the mall was on lock down for several hours.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Michigan man called authorities to report fake crimes -- including a school shooting -- in order to divert cops while he robbed a bank, the FBI said.

William Francis Minore, 70, is accused of robbing the Huntington Bank in Empire, Mich., in September 2016 and Honor State Bank in April 2015 and December 2015, MLive reported.

FBI special agent Larry Stewart said the bank robber used a .38-caliber revolver during the thefts and the same gun was registered to Minore.

RIGHT TO CARRY GUNS IN SCHOOLS CASE HEADED TO MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT

During the Huntington bank hold-up, Minore allegedly called 911 to report a school shooting, saying a man entered a school and shot his daughter, is shooting other people before ending the call, Stewart said.

Minore also allegedly used a similar scheme to rob Honor State Bank -- twice.

Like the Huntington Bank robbery, the Honor State Bank robberies involved a man wearing a ski mask who took over the entire bank, neutralized personnel, and accessed monies, which were held in the vault or safe, Stewart said.

LAWSUIT ACCUSES 3 MICHIGAN STATE BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF RAPE

Minore allegedly threatened the bank employees with a World War II-era grenade. A grenade was also found in Minores abandoned camper by police, officials said.

Police were able to nail Minore for the crimes after a chorus of people familiar including his sister and daughter" recognized his voice on the 911 calls. Signs that appeared to be written by Minore also appeared to match his handwriting. The suspect allegedly forced bank tellers to put a closed sign in the window during the robbery. The signs letters seemed to match a letter Minore allegedly sent to a television reporter.

Minore denied the allegations and said he was set up.

Minore faces three counts of bank robbery and three counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a bank robbery.
A New Jersey man who tugged on donors' heartstrings to raise thousands of dollars for his beloved injured dog was actually the cause of the canine's pain, beating the German Shepherd regularly until it died, officials said.

Reid Herjo, 24, was caught by police in the cruel lie after he was pulled over for speeding in late January, police said in a Facebook post. Herjo told the officers he was rushing his 14-week-old German Shepherd, named Atlas, to the veterinarian because the dog had been run over by an ATV while Herjo was walking it.

Five days later, however, police received information that Herjo was the one behind Atlas injuries. By then, Herjo had set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Atlas medical bills. He said the pup suffered from injuries caused by a hit-and-run crash, and reeled in 693 donors, who contributed a total of $14,065. The donations were made during a 28-day period.

Police said they eventually discovered Herjo abused the dog on at least two other occasions within six weeks. Herjo, however, said the dog fell down the stairs and down a hill in two separate incidents.

The dog suffered hemorrhaging and several fractures that required surgery and died on Feb. 3. The death was considered suspicious and evidence allegedly showed the dog suffered additional trauma.

Herjo was arrested March 28 and charged with third degree animal cruelty and third degree theft by deception. His Burlington County Superior Court hearing is pending.

In a statement provided to Fox News, a spokesperson for GoFundMe said, "This user has violated GoFundMe's terms of service, and all donors will receive a refund. Additionally, this user has been banned from our platform."

"It's important to remember that our platform is backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means that in the rare cases that GoFundMe, law enforcement or a user finds campaigns are misused, donors are fully protected and will get their money back," the statement continued. "Additionally, we are working with law enforcement on their investigation."
The bell rings, class is over, and you can hear the footsteps scampering to the playground -- every child hoping to be first on the monkey bars or call dibs on the swing set.

This is what most kids look forward to in the school day  recess  and in Arizona, theyll soon be seeing more of it. A new law requires every public and charter elementary school in the state to have two recess periods for students each school day.

The law defines recesss as a period time during the regular school day, including time before or after a scheduled lunch period, during which a pupil is able to engage in physical activity or social interaction with other pupils.

According to a 2016 Shape of the Nation report, Arizona is just one of two states in the U.S. that have a similar law requiring two forms of physical activity in a school day; only eight states require elementary schools to provide daily recess at all.

Republican State Sen. Sylvia Allen, of Arizonas 6th Congressional District, sponsored the bill, which had bipartisan support. It passed the House 57-1, and the Senate 27-3.

There (was) about, maybe a third of our schools in Arizona that were not doing recess, Senator Allen said. A recess coalition of very concerned citizens  Christine Davis and Scott Turner -- are two individuals that came to see me. They had been trying to work with school districts that were not providing recess and they werent getting anywhere. As I thought about it, I thought, 'Well goodness, these kids need a break.' 

Allen said the bill doesnt mention how long the recess should be or when to do it in the school day, wanting to leave that up to each charter and public school district.

Were very careful here not to try to mandate a lot of different things but this is a no-brainer, Allen said. After all, adults get breaks at work, right? Its because theyve learned that people need a break to get up, move around, to be able to come back and they do better. So, same with children.

Research backs this. According to the 2016 Shape of the Nation report:

Recess has been associated with better student classroom behavior, better focus and less fidgeting.  A growing body of evidence suggests a relationship between physical activity and the structure and functioning of the brain. Time spent in physical activity is related to enriched cognitive development and lifelong brain health. In the school setting, active and fit children consistently outperform more inactive, unfit counterparts academically in both the short and the long term. Children who are more active demonstrate higher scholastic achievement, better classroom behavior, greater ability to focus, and less absenteeism compared to their unfit peers.

Hans Van Der Mars is an Arizona State University physical education professor who has conducted research on physical education teaching and learning in different kinds of settings. He thinks getting this bill passed is a positive step for school districts and said evidence shows increased physical activity doesnt impede academic performance -- in some cases, it may enhance academic achievement.

In approximately 2012, there was a summary report done that showed that across the globe there (has) been over 150 studies that (has) looked at the relationship between physical education, physical activity and academic performance, he said. Thats a pretty sizable number of studies. While they differ in rigor, content, and designthe consistent message is that increasing physical activity does not take away from academic performance and it can make a small contribution to academic performance.

On the other hand, Mark Joraanstad, Arizona School Administrators executive director, is against this new law. While not necessarily disagreeing with the concept of having more recess and the benefit it could potentially provide for students, he is adamantly against having the state mandate this.

We feel that our local districts are the ones best able to make strategic decisions as to how to appropriate the time in the school day to best enhance student success, Joraanstad said. He went on to say, I think were best to stay away from the state level making curriculum decisions, making instructional day decisions that one-size-fits-all. For example, Globe Unified has different needs than Chandler Unified. They have different needs than Kingman Unified. They have different needs than the basis charter school. So, to lump all the schools together and say one-size-fits-all, we feel is not an appropriate way to govern schools.

Jen Wirt, a parent and teacher whos a part of Arizonas #RedforEd movement, thinks the state government should be focusing on other issues, such as funding.

I think recess is beneficial, Wirt said. I dont know about more recess, I dont know you need an excess of that. I think kids need to have mental health breaks. I think they need to have a break in their day to help their brains restart. I dont know that adding a requirement on teachers, an additional requirement on top of all the other requirements we have to meet, is going to be the most beneficial to our students and to our schools.

Other parents are all for the new law.

I actually think that more recess would probably be more beneficial sotheyre not stressed out in school, Amanda Clinton, a parent of a child in Glendales school district, said. Clinton said even though more recess will take time from children focusing in the class at the same time were also expecting them to be in the school from x amount of time to x amount of time, which I think can sometimes be a bit much for a child, especially in the lower grades.

"To lump all the schools together and say one-size-fits-all, we feel is not an appropriate way to govern schools  Mark Joraanstad, Arizona School Administrators executive director, who is against this new law

Professor Van Der Mars said the U.S. is seeing elementary-aged students are showing signs of Type 2 diabetes, calling it very alarming.

Anything we can do to create environments where kids can be physically active, and of course have good nutrition, that can only benefit them currently, in the here and now, and also later on," he said. "Schools are a perfect venue for this."

The professor said that in Finland, recess is provided every 45 minutes for 15 minutes. They see free play as a critically important component of the education of the whole child.

The new recess law in Arizona will apply to kindergarten through third grade this year, and fourth through fifth grade starting in 2019.
A New York assistant school superintendent was busted for sneakily voting twice -- once in New York and again in Florida -- in the 2016 presidential election.

Spiro Colaitis, 57, of Manhasset, N.Y., an assistant superintendent for district operations for Malverne School District, located in Long Island, voted in Nassau County on Election Day and sent a mail-in-ballot to Escambia County, Florida, the State Attorneys office in Pensacola said.

Colaitis lived in Pensacola until 2005 and sold his property in 2010, the office said. However, the man requested, voted and returned an Escambia County vote-by-mail ballot that was processed on Oct. 25, 2016, the arrest affidavit stated.

NEW FLORIDA GUN LAW LEADS TO FIRST SEIZURE: AR-15 ARMY VET CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER

The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections contacted the Nassau County Board of Elections regarding Colaitis voting information. The Board of Elections was not told that Colaitis was under investigation.

This is a Florida prosecution and as such we are unfamiliar with the charges, Miriam Sholder, the Nassau County District Attorneys Office spokeswoman said. We will speak to Florida authorities about the matter.

A Florida State Attorney Office investigator claimed he contacted Colaitis regarding the mail-in-ballot but he never responded.

NEW HIGH-SPEED FLORIDA TRAIN KILLS 4TH PERSONSINCE LAUNCHING SERVICE

Colaitis turned himself in to the Escambia County Sheriffs Office on Thursday where he was charged with casting more than one ballot in an election, a felony, Newsday reported. He posted the $2,500 bail the same day, records showed. He is slated to be arraigned on April 26.

The Malverne School District declined to comment on the charge.

Colaitis, a retired Naval officer, is also a commander of the New York Naval Militia. The Division of Military of Naval Affairs confirmed he has taken a leave of absence following the charges.
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
An Oregon school district announced late Tuesday that it is cancelling classes on Wednesday after graffiti was found in a middle school restroom that warned of a school shooting.

The graffiti read: school shooting tomorrow  BE READY!!!

The warning was found inside the North Bend Middle School's sixth grade girls' barthroom. The student who found the graffiti reported it to a substitute teacher, who then reported it to school administration.

School administrators in turn notified the NBPDs school resource officer.

Every identifiable lead is being pursued, the press release read. But the writer has not yet been identified.

The city of North Bend, with a population of nearly 10,000 people, is around a 4-hour drive southwest of Portland.
Police say a portable heater is believed to have caused a fire that engulfed a car in a Walmart parking lot in Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday, killing a 5-year-old girl and leaving two others hospitalized.

The child hasn't been identified as the Ada County coroner was awaiting further DNA analysis, the Idaho Statesman reported.

The injured were a woman and a toddler, both of whom were treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to a police report. They were reportedly asleep in the car when the fire broke out just after 3:30 a.m.

When first responders arrived, the vehicle was fully engulfed and members of the Boise Fire Department put out the fire, Boise police said.

The four-door passenger car was charred and almost completely blackened, KTVB-TV reported. Store employees told the station that the parking lot was popular among the homeless or travelers to park overnight and sleep.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was assisting police in the investigation.

Meanwhile, the coroner's officer was processing the scorched car.

This is a tragic situation and one that pains all of us to respond to and even hear about, said Capt. Ron Winegar. Our hearts go out to the family who lost a child today.
On a snowy morning last month in New Hampshire, an officer with the Manchester Police Department advised workers in a hotel lobby on what to do if they find opioids in guests' rooms.



Of particular concern was Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid that's 5,000 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more potent than its derivative, fentanyl, which is lethal on its own and accounts for a surge in fatal overdoses nationwide.

Carfentanil -- it's used to tranquilize elephants -- is deadly to humans at 0.02 milligrams, an amount akin to a speck of dust. Therein lies the added danger: the substance is difficult to see, sometimes resulting in accidental exposure that could be harmful to anyone who runs across it.

"Carfentanil is extremely lethal," said Rusty Payne, a spokesman with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). "It was never approved for human use."

"If it comes in contact with your skin, it could be deadly."  Rusty Payne, DEA, discussing Carfentanil

As Payne explained, Carfentanil is a danger "to first responders and police officers, because its so powerful that if you whiff any part of it you can go down," Payne told Fox News. "If it comes in contact with your skin, it could be deadly."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided detailed guidelines for emergency workers who come into contact with fentanyl and related compounds -- Carfentanil among them.

New Hampshire has the highest number of overdose deaths per capita from fentanyl, which can be fatal at 2 milligrams and is often found mixed with heroin. It takes just a tiny amount of fentanyl or its derivatives, which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin or mucus membranes, to result in an overdose.

Carfentanil is being produced in underground labs in China and sold illegally to traffickers via the internet, according to federal officials interviewed by Fox News. Many of these sites -- but not all -- are inaccessible through search engines like Google. The substance typically comes in powder form, but can also be pressed into pills.

"These pills are crazy dangerous because the user has no idea how lethal they are; theres no quality control here," said Payne. "It's nothing more than Russian roulette."

U.S. authorities succeeded last year in taking down AlphaBay, the biggest black market on the so-called "dark web." The site -- which reportedly rang up between $600,000 and $800,000 in sales per day -- was connecting drug vendors with people seeking opioids like fentanyl and heroin.

"The web presents a myriad of challenges," Payne pointed out. "Many of these online sales are made through peer-to-peer networking software."

While China is a major culprit in the illicit production of synthetic opioids, substances like Carfentanil can also be made with ease domestically.

Federal agents raided a home in Stamford, Conn., last week and seized the largest cache of Carfentanil to date in the New England area, according to local news reports. The home had a functioning pill lab equipped with respirators and other hazardous-materials gear.

In Manchester, N.H., firefighters routinely carry Narcan -- a life-saving anti-overdose drug which also goes by the generic name naloxone -- when responding to the scene of an overdose.

"We lost 11 people in about two weeks last year from Carfentanil," Manchester Fire Chief Daniel Goonan told Fox News. "We carry Narcan to treat overdose victims, and also our firefighters, in case we come into that type of situation."

"We don't have a heroin problem in New Hampshire. We have a fentanyl problem. It's almost all fentanyl," Goonan said about the wave of lethal opioid overdoses in his state.

"What we're dealing with is something that I never thought I'd see in the fire service. It's a tragedy. We're doing our very best to combat it."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions doubled down on his zero-tolerance policy on Tuesday when he told a crowd of law enforcement officers near the border that the Department of Justice would be stepping up its efforts to achieve zero-tolerance, zero releases and 100 percent prosecution.

Speaking at the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition Annual Spring Meeting with the Southwestern Border Sheriffs' Coalition, Sessions addressed 31 departments from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, all of which are responsible for patrolling areas within 25 miles of the U.S.Mexico border.

Officers on the border are facing ... the most significant challenges still," he said. "You have limited resources, you have manpower needs, bed space needs, equipment needs and you face a particularly violent threat every day. We have a crisis here. We know it, the president knows it and were determined to do something about it.

Sessions' visit comes after the Justice Department announced it would be implementing a zero-tolerance policy on illegal border crossings.

Sessions slammed Congress on Friday for failing to pass effective legislation that serves the national interest, emphasizing such things as a lack of proper funding to build the wall along the southern border.

He said that "the failure of Congress to move on the wall and other necessary steps is sending a message I am afraid that we are not resolute and it encourages more people to make the trip."

Sessions added, Were going to step up our efforts to achieve zero-tolerance, zero releases and 100 percent prosecution.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY ON ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS

Illegal border crossing in March increased by 37 percent, resulting in more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States, which was triple the number of reported illegal border crossings in the same period last year.

Sessions spoke of a four-part plan to take criminals off the street by restoring the rule of law which he says will ultimately help to fix the immigration system.

The first measure includes the presidents order to send the National Guard to the border. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation last week asking the National Guard to send 2,000-4,000 troops to the border.

The second measure will include processing a backlog of cases in the immigration courts, a take Sessions calls a challenge.

We are bringing in as much as 100 immigration judges to the border areas so that we can process these cases more effectively, the attorney general said. This includes judges who can use video conferencing to hear more cases. He is asking that judges complete at least 700 cases a year.

TRUMPS NATIONAL GUARD REQUEST FOR US-MEXICO BORDER DRAWS RESPONSE FROM SURROUNDING STATES

The third policy will involve a border security coordinator in each U.S. attorneys office, whose job will be to restore law in the immigration system in every state.

The final measure looks to completely end the catch and release policy.

We are strong, prosperous and an orderly nation, and such a nation must have a lawful system of immigration, Sessions said.

Sessions also took a shot at so-called sanctuary cities, saying that their extreme open borders policy is blocking us from the ability to identify those who enter their communities with drugs or the intent to commit other crimes.

City-states and counties that knowingly, willfully and purposefully release criminal aliens back into their communities are sacrificing the lives and safety of American citizens, law enforcement officers in pursuit of an extreme open borders policy, he said.

Fox News Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Texas Board of Education has given preliminary approval to creating statewide academic standards for a Mexican-American studies high school course  but only after changing the name to "ethnic studies," which conservatives argued is less divisive.

The Republican-controlled board listened Wednesday to hours of often emotional testimony from students, teachers, parents, academic experts and activists who urged a consistent framework for school districts already offering Mexican-American studies courses.

It then voted 14-1 to approve standards for a course called "Ethnic Studies: An Overview of Americans of Mexican Descent."

In 2014, the same board refused to approve a full, statewide Mexican-American course. School districts can instead create their own, and supporters argued that cementing consistent curriculums would make existing programs easier to teach.

Texas public schools are now majority Hispanic.
Walmart parking lots have been known for playing host to both passing travelers who need a night's rest and the homeless who live out of their cars, according to reports.

Most recently, a Walmart lot in Boise, Idaho, was the scene this week of a car fire in which a 5-year-old girl was killed and a woman and toddler were injured.

The fire was likely started by a portable heater in the vehicle, where the three slept overnight Tuesday, police said. Store employees told KTVB-TV that the parking lot was popular among the homeless or travelers to park overnight and sleep.

Investigators didn't say whether the individuals in the car were homeless.

In November, a report in the New York Times painted Walmart lots as a refuge for the weary, where an informal culture emerges before and after dark.

A lot of travelers stay in their R.V.s and dont interact with other people in the parking lot, the Times said. They pass the hours by eating, watching television, spending time with their pets or sleeping.

The Times listed standards of etiquette for overnight residents: Dont sit in lawn chairs and buy something from the store since it was free to stay.

In January, the Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore., reported that some Walmart stores in Oregons Willamette Valley would no longer allow people to stay overnight in RVs, vans or cars. There had been reports of people being beaten, theft and drug trafficking occurring in the parking lots.

"It creates a target population for that behavior," director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency Jimmy Jones told the paper.

Photographer Nolan Conway told Fast Company in 2014 after documenting the nomadic culture of Walmart lots that people were so vulnerable in the car  its kind of a scary situation.

Depending on where you are, there could be homeless (and carless) people going around begging, he said.

Walmart spokeswoman Tara Aston told the Statesman Journal she couldnt comment on why some stores in Oregon stopped allowing the free overnight parking. She said the retailer leaves parking decisions to store managers or landlords if the company doesnt own the property.

"But one of our top priorities is maintaining a safe and secure environment at our stores," Aston said, "and this is a way to assist in that."
A man who dumped his girlfriend's body and drowned her cats has been sentenced to a decade in prison.

How 38-year-old Edme Merle-Perez died remains a mystery. Twenty-three-year-old Dayshaun Keith Kent says the mother of five overdosed on Benadryl.

The Roanoke Times reports that Kent admitted he buried her body in the woods in Virginia sometime last spring. He also stuffed her two cats in a backpack and tossed them into a creek. Then he lived in her home and used her credit cards.

Police found the cats last April and found the woman's body three months later. Prosecutors accepted Kent's guilty pleas to improper disposal of a body and felony animal cruelty. He was sentenced Tuesday to five years for the woman's death and two-and-a-half years for killing each cat.

___

Information from: The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com
As President Donald Trump on Monday warned he soon would be making major decisions to respond forcefully to murderous suspected chemical attacks against civilians in the rebel-held Syrian town of Douma, the stakes for the United Nations in the made-in-Syria crisis were just as high.

Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., passionately outlined the challenge for the world organization at an emergency meeting of the Security Council, called to debate what to do next about the April 7 chemical assault by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The attack is believed to have killed more than 40 people, including numerous women and children, and left perhaps 100 more injured.

We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done, Haley warned. There can be no more rationalizations for our failure to act.

History will record this, she declared, as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria.

Either way, Haley summarized, the U.S. will respond.

What that U.S. action will be, and when it will occur, Trump promised to reveal shortly, though after the fact, as he told journalists.

But the U.N.s haplessness in confronting chemical assaults and numerous other war crimes by Assads forces, backed by Russian warplanes and Iranian-supported militias, has reached its own high-water mark, culminating in the emergency Council session and anything that occurs after it.

As a result of that cynical war of attrition behind diplomatic cover, the U.N. is worse than meaningless, Frederick Kagan, resident scholar and director of the Critical Threats project at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News days in advance of the latest chemical attack. It is allowing itself to be manipulated as cover for atrocities and war crimes.

Kagan called diplomats foolishly naive for accepting previous resolutions that endorsed a tattered ceasefire and virtually non-existent de-escalation zones that Assad and his backers had repeatedly violated at will.

The Russians always intended to violate them, he said.

Yesterday at the Security Council, Haley essentially agreed. Charging that the hands of Putins regime were all covered in the blood of Syrian civilians, she declared. Russia could stop this senseless slaughter if it wanted. But it stands with the Assad regime and supports [it] without any hesitation.

CLICK HERE FOR HALEYS FULL REMARKS.

For his part, Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vassiley Nebenzia denied outright that anything at all had happened.

Our military radiological, biological chemical unit was on site of the alleged chemical accident, he told the Council. It confirmed there was no chemical substances found  no bodies, no poisoned people in hospitals, doctors in Douma denied that anyone was coming to hospital.

Some diplomats took the statement to mean that the area already had been scrubbed of chemical residues.

The tenuous, Security Council-endorsed 30-day ceasefire that ultimately was shredded by Assads air raids and military attacks in the rebellious suburban region of eastern Ghouta, in which Douma also is located, already has known countless violations of humanitarian law.

The assaults have including numerous alleged chlorine gas attacks as well as bombing raids on civilian hospitals and other vulnerable areas, which have been a signature tactic of Assads forces, and those of his allies, for years. In recent weeks the pounding in eastern Ghouta left hundreds dead and unknown numbers injured.

Russia had joined in a unanimous endorsement of the ceasefire at the Security Council, but as Haley observed, immediately began violating it.

Russian officials are on the ground helping direct the regimes starve and surrender campaign, she declared, and Iranian allied forces do much of the dirty work. When the Syrian military pummels civilians, they rely on the military hardware given by Russia.

Diplomatic obstruction by Russian president Vladimir Putin whittled the ceasefire down to meaningless five-hour pauses in the Assad attacks until population centers in East Ghouta began to surrender. Their submission was followed by mass deportations of civilian residents, reports of summary executions, and a continuation of near-starvation conditions among survivors.

Then, after a brief pause, the assault started again on Douma, culminating in the latest chemical massacre.

What Haley and the U.S. were asking the U.N. Security Council to provide today is, in part, something the U.N. already had done less than a year ago  establish a truly professional and impartial mechanism to investigate chemical weapons attacks in Syria as well as demand unrestricted humanitarian access to Douma, which has been under siege by the regime of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad since April 2013.

A U.S. draft resolution also voiced the Councils outrage that individuals continue to be killed and injured by chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, and expresses its determination that those responsible must be held accountable.

For his part, Russias U.N. ambassador declared the U.S. draft contained unacceptable elements, and eventually vetoed the proposed measure. A much weaker Russian counter-proposal, which would not provide for assigning responsibility for the attack, failed for lack of a Council majority, without a U.S. veto.

Yet another Russian and Swedish-sponsored compromise resolution also failed.

By contrast, a strong Security Council-approved impartial mechanism, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, or JIM, formally reported last June, that deadly sarin gas, a banned chemical weapon, had been used in an attack on the Syrian town of Khan Shaykhun, leaving at least 74 dead and more than 550 injured. The report made clear that the only real suspects were Assads air forces, which were backed up over Khan Shaykhuns skies by Russian warplanes.

Jointly-sponsored both by the U.N. and the OPCW, the JIM by its nature immediately put the weight of the international community behind its findings.

Two days after the chemical attack, and long before the JIM report appeared, the Trump Administration fired some 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air force base where he said the sarin attack was launched. It was, he said, in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread of deadly chemical weapons.

The main outcome: in October, 2017, Russia vetoed a resolution that would have extended the JIMs mandate for another year. The mechanism ceased to exist in November  and in January, February and March, 2018, at least five chlorine gas attacks were reported to have taken place in or around Douma.

In fact, Haley asserted in the Security Council: Since the Assad regime used chemical weapons at Khan Shaykhun one year ago, chemical weapons have been reportedly used dozens of times. And this Council does nothing.

Throughout the months of growing crisis over Assads continued assaults, the U.N.s pronouncements have mainly revolved around hopes for a peace process orchestrated by Russia and Iran, in tandem with Turkey, that have done little more than freeze facts on the ground between rounds of Russian-backed regime attacks. The U.N. has also made largely ineffectual appeals to get humanitarian aid to starving, rebel-held besieged areas in East Ghouta and elsewhere.

As recently as March 29, after a meeting with Russian Federation defense minister Sergey Shoigu, the U.N.s special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, announced that this is the fourth time we are having a useful, and in my opinion, very constructive discussion with Minister Shoigu  about humanitarian access to eastern Ghouta and Douma, and the way to ensure the protection of civilians. None of those conversations had led to much.

For his part, Secretary General Guterres has mainly issued carefully modulated statements of concern. When the April 7 chemical attack occurred, Guterres was on his way to a visit with Chinese president Xi Jinping. After he arrived in Beijing, his spokesperson issued a statement declaring the Secretary General was deeply concerned about renewed and intensive violence in Douma, and particularly alarmed by allegations that chemical weapons have been used against civilian populations in Douma.

The spokesperson said that Guterres was particularly alarmed by the allegations of chemical weapons use, but added carefully that 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.

Due to the Russian intransigence, however, any investigation would not be carried out by a fact-finding mechanism used in the past, but only by the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a multilateral but non-U.N. body that operates under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention  and which partnered with the U.N. in the ill-fated JIM.

Guterres spokesperson emphasized that right now its in the hands of the OPCW  although if the U.N. in Syria can be helpful in any way, we will do so.

The OPCWs director-general, Ahmet Uzumcu, has expressed his grave concern regarding the April 7 Douma attack, and said the organizations Fact-Finding Mission would report its findings  he did not say when  to the states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Critics have long argued the U.N. in Syria has been tacitly supportive of the Assad regime, by funneling much of its humanitarian aid through regime-dominated organizations and acquiescing in the removal of medical and other critical supplies from a handful of relief convoys that managed to get Assads permission to reach long-besieged areas such as eastern Ghouta.

The U.N. has failed miserably multiple times, observes Zaher Sahloul, president and co-founder of MedGlobal, a non-government organization that has trained medical personnel in Syria as well as elsewhere. Most U.N. assistance is channeled into regime-controlled areas. The regime uses its own budget to buy weapons.

Even on symbolic levels, the sprawling and uncoordinated U.N. array of organizations has been unable to distance itself from the Syrian regime.

This week, the Geneva-based gadfly organization U.N. Watch tried to raise a fuss about the fact that Syrias representative is slated to take over in May the monthly rotating presidency of the Conference on Disarmament, a 65-member U.N. body that debates practically all multilateral arms control and disarmament problems, according to its website.

The Conference boasts that it originally negotiated the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction  which is now governed by another U.N.-supported organization in which Syria is also a member.

U.N. Watch has called for the U.S., the European Union and U.N. Secretary General Guterres to protest the Syrian presidential rotation and boycott proceedings during the Syrian tenure. But stopping Syria from taking the disarmament post is pretty much impossible. The rules of the Conference on Disarmament provide that the presidency rotates on a strictly alphabetical basis among its member states, unless the selected member state chooses otherwise.

In fact, Syria held the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament once before, in 2007. As it happens, that was the year in which Israel successfully bombed a clandestine nuclear reactor Syria was building with the aid of the worlds most dangerous nuclear proliferator, North Korea.

North Korea, in turn, assumed the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament in 2011.

That artificial equal status among U.N. member states was further underlined in March by a panel of experts who monitor U.N. sanctions against North Korea.

In a lengthy report largely focused on sanctions evasion, the experts took note of the surprising behavior of the U.N.s Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Association, which had facilitated an international patent by North Korea for the industrial production of sodium cyanide  which can be used in the production of the nerve gas Tabun.

WIPO had not felt it necessary to advise the sanctions experts about the patent, even though sodium cyanide was explicitly named on U.N. sanctions lists as a banned chemical. At the time, a WIPO spokesperson told Fox News that: We communicate with the relevant U.N. oversight committees as necessary.

The sanctions panel, however, found WIPOs judgment to be in error. Moreover, the experts noted that when they asked WIPO to provide information on the patent inventors and their North Korean affiliations, WIPO said the information was not required in their patent application form.

The panel noted dryly that this makes it impossible to determine whether the inventors from [North Korea] were affiliated with any organizations or individuals on U.N. sanctions lists.

The panel of experts recommended that WIPO do better in the future.

In the gruesome aftermath of Syrias most recent chemical weapons atrocities, the stakes  for the U.N. and for the world  are much, much higher.

Fox News Ben Evansky contributed to this report.
Two tourists from Arizona were killed while in Ireland on Monday after the horse-drawn carriage they were riding in reportedly crashed, sending them over an edge and roughly 20 feet below.

The accident occurred when Rosalyn Few and Normand Larose, who were both in their 60s, were traveling in the Gap of Dunloe in County Kerry when their carriage overturned, the Irish Examiner reported. The pair reportedly died after hitting the rocks.

NIRELAND MARKS 20 YEARS OF PEACE DEAL AS BREXIT CASTS SHADOW

It wasnt immediately clear why the incident happened, the outlet said, but the horse stumbled and the group went off the road.

It is very, very sad. It is very, very tragic, Superintendent Flor Murphy of the Killarney Gardai told the Examiner. We just dont know why the horse and cart went off the road at that point.

6 DEAD WHEN ARIZONA PLANE CRASHES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF

The driver was reportedly able to get out of the cab and survived. The horse was put to sleep, the outlet said.

The deceased were accompanied by Fews daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, who were in separate carriages, the outlet said.
(CNN)  Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia would view "with great concern" any foreign military bases being built in the South Pacific, following reports Beijing was in talks with Vanuatu to host Chinese forces.

Turnbull said in a press conference Tuesday the High Commissioner of Vanuatu had assured the Australian government no Chinese requests for a military presence had been made.

"The maintenance of peace and stability in the Pacific is of utmost importance to us," he told reporters.

The small island nation of about 282,000 people sits in the South Pacific, close to Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Any Chinese military presence could see warships based less than 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) from Australia's coast.

It has long been a large recipient of Australian government aid, but in recent years has received hundreds of millions of dollars in loans and grants from the Chinese government.

The suggestion that China was looking to establish a base in the South Pacific nation, as first reported by Fairfax Media Tuesday, was met with denials from both Vanuatu and Australian government officials.

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also tried to quell fears of an increased Chinese military presence in a region which has traditionally been under Canberra's sphere of influence.

"I remain confident that Australia is Vanuatu's strategic partner of choice," Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday.

But Australian broadcaster, Nine News, separately quoted a senior defense official on Tuesday claiming the Chinese government had "certainly expressed its interest" in a greater military presence in Vanuatu.

The Vanuatu government denied the reports on Tuesday, slamming suggestions there were any talks between the two countries along those lines.

"We are a non-aligned country. We are not interested in militarization, we are just not interested in any sort of military base in our country," Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu told ABC.

When asked at his daily press briefing, China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the reports were "fake news."

CNN tried to contact both the Australian Defense Ministry and the Vanuatu Foreign Ministry, but did not get an immediate response.

Reacting to the report Tuesday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was ultimately a matter for Vanuatu and China to decide on, according to Radio New Zealand.

"But I'm very openly expressing now, and would do either privately or publicly, that we take a strong position in the Pacific against militarization," she said.

Militarization of Vanuatu could worry U.S.

Any moves towards a military presence on Vanuatu would have strategic implications of not only Australia and New Zealand, but also the United States, Euan Graham, director of the International Security Program at Sydney's Lowy Institute, said.

"People who look across the Pacific will look from a geostrategic point of view and obviously take notice of this very bold statement of ambition, if it is true, that the Chinese navy is now seeking to acquire some sort of presence," he said.

Graham said while he found suggestions of Vanuatu agreeing to a permanent military base unlikely, a dual-use civilian military facility which could give occasional access to People's Liberation Army vessels could be possible.

China has diplomatic relations with several Pacific nations and is a major sponsor of development and aid projects in Vanuatu, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Between 2000 and 2012, China offered about 30 major projects to Pacific island countries, including the construction of government official buildings and infrastructure such as highways, bridges and hydropower stations, according to a paper by Professor Yu Chang Sen, of the National Center of Oceania Studies, at Guangzhou's Sun Yat-sen University.

In Vanuatu specifically, China has provided $243 million dollars in loans and grants from 2006 to June 2016, according to figures from Sydney's Lowy Institute, a figure that while large, lags behind Australia which provided $400 million during the same ten year period.

Chinese financial aid in Vanuatu has so far focused on key infrastructure development, including Luganville International Wharf, on the island of Espiritu Santo, a large 300-meter docking facility that can accommodate two mid-sized freighters, or a single large cruise ship at any one time.

The wharf, constructed by the Shanghai Construction Group, was described by China's Ambassador to Vanuatu as "a new milestone of China-Vanuatu cooperation in the field of infrastructure development."

China's military ambitions

In recent years Beijing has been stretching its maritime muscles outside of East Asia.

China formally established its first international military base in Djibouti in July last year, in the strategically important Horn of Africa, this was followed several months later by the country's controversial acquisition of the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.

Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Sydney, described the Hambantota deal  which saw Sri Lanka grant China a 99-year lease on the port to service some of the billions in debt it owes to Beijing  as part of a "bigger picture."

"The more you invest in the Belt and Road initiative, the more the Chinese are in a position to force your country to align politically in terms of policy," Davis told CNN last year, referring to China's ambitious One Belt One Road (OBOR) international development strategy.

"So you become dependent on their investment and their largesse, and you're less likely to be critical of them and you're more likely to accommodate their interests strategically."

Under President Xi Jinping those strategic interests have shifted, with the Chinese navy in particular undergoing a significant transformation, in line with China's own rise as a global superpower.

Whereas previously China's navy was largely defensive and confined to the country's immediate coastal waters, today it boasts significant "blue-water" capabilities, meaning it could operate anywhere in defense of China's interests.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Australian PM dismisses reports of Chinese military base talks with Vanuatu."
The United Nations says a Rwandan peacekeeper has been killed in Central African Republic and eight others have been wounded.

A statement by the spokesman for the secretary-general condemns the killing that occurred Tuesday during "an exchange of fire with armed elements" in the capital, Bangui.

The U.N. says the attack occurred two days after the U.N. peacekeeping mission and local security forces launched a joint operation in the largely Muslim neighborhood of PK5 to arrest armed criminal groups.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix is currently visiting the deeply impoverished Central African Republic, which has faced deadly interreligious and intercommunal fighting since 2013.
An American student was stabbed in Italy overnight after allegedly getting into a fight with another man who he accused of molesting his girlfriend, Italian media reported Wednesday.

The 21-year-old New York man, who was not immediately identified, was stabbed in central Florence outside a club and is said to be badly wounded, though the injuries are not believed to be life threatening, sources told Ansa.

The man is in Florence studying abroad and was rushed to Careggi Hospital for an emergency operation, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported.

The man was reportedly stabbed after getting into an argument with another person, who was not immediately identified, outside a nightclub called Bamboo.

The American reportedly accused the man of groping his girlfriend.

Police are reviewing images from cameras in the area in an effort to identify the suspect.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
A man accused of killing a gay man in Spain and afterward using the victim's blood to scrawl a twisted pro-Hitler message on the wall was captured in Colombia after an 18-year pursuit, police said Tuesday.

The Mossos dEsquadra said the incident dates back to March 2000 when the suspect  who they did not identify  and the 45-year-old victim met for drinks after connecting through a sex ad in the local press.

After a night of drinking, the duo went back to the Montgat, Barcelona apartment of an elderly man in the victims care, according to El Pais newspaper.

AT LEAST 257 DEAD IN ALGERIAN PLANE CRASH AS WITNESS REPORTS VICTIMS JUMPING OUT OF AIRCRAFT

Hours later, the elderly mans son found the victim, naked and stabbed to death, lying in a pool of blood with a plastic yellow flower carefully wrapped around his ear. On the wall, authorities found Hitler was right and K.K.K, referring to the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan group, written in the victims blood.

El Pais identified the victim as Vitervo A. V., who was Ecuadoran.

Authorities said the suspect, who they described as a homophobic ex-militant, cleaned up his footprints and any DNA evidence he may have left behind before fleeing the apartment.

The investigation stalled until three years later, when someone called the victims cousin and made her listen to a recording, Mossos reported.

She told authorities she heard what seemed to be her cousins voice pleading to someone not to kill him. Additionally, she told police she found flowers on her cousins grave that neither she nor any other relative had deposited.

UK'S MAY SAYS SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS CAN'T GO UNCHALLENGED

Inquiries into the phone call uncovered apparent connections to drug trafficking but no clear indication to the murder. The trail ran cold.

In 2016, a judge ordered the case reopened and the Civil Guard focused its investigation on several people who were connected with drug trafficking and pinning them to the victims cellphone records.

During the course of the investigation, agents began to focus on a man with a history of sexual aggression accusations and who had left Spain to move to his native Colombia in 2009.

Officials said the suspect's MO in the other cases was similar to the murder in Montgat  going out for drinks and threatening victims with a knife. One accuser, a woman, said she pleaded for her life during the attack.

Additionally, police said someone using a phone in the elderly mans apartment called a number of a sex ad in the local paper just four days before the murder. That number led them to a home in Vilafranca de Penedes, about 43 miles away from the scene of the crime.

ALLEGED 'POTTED-PLANT SERIAL KILLER' HIT WITH SEVENTH MURDER CHARGE

Police said the suspect, who was married to a woman at the time, was among several people who had lived in that home.

Speaking to people close to the alleged suspect, Mossos learned the man had been a soldier in Colombia and even enlisted in the Spanish army for a year. Witnesses told authorities the suspect believed in Nazi ideology and reportedly boasted about killing a homosexual in Barcelona.

A judge ordered Mossos to work with Colombian authorities, and, on Sept. 2, the suspect was arrested. He is still awaiting extradition to Spain.
Some of the 257 people killed Wednesday in an Algerian military plane crash tried to jump off the jet before it went down in flames, a witness says, as authorities hunt for the cause of one of the African nations worst-ever air disasters.

Several witnesses told Algerian TV network Ennahar they saw flames coming out of one of the planes' engines just before it took off. One farmer said some passengers jumped out of the aircraft before the crash, according to the Associated Press.

"The plane started to rise before falling," an unidentified man, laying on what seemed to be a hospital bed, told Ennahar TV. "The plane crashed on its wing first and caught fire."

Other broadcasters showed images of body bags lined up in a field with mangled plane parts visible in the background.

The large Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane crashed in a farm field just outside the Boufarik military base, located about 20 miles southwest of the capital Algiers. It was destined for another military base in Bechar.

Algeria's defense ministry said in a statement that 247 passengers and 10 crew members were killed, with most of the victims being soldiers and their relatives. It added the victims' bodies have been transported to the Algerian army's central hospital in the town of Ain Naadja for identification.

Some passengers were "extracted with deep burns caused by the fuselage catching fire," Civil protection agency spokesman Farouk Achour told the Associated Press.

The Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara from Morocco, also told the Associated Press that 30 refugees who had been treated in Algerian hospitals were among those killed.

Algeria President Abdelaziz Bouteflika declared three days of national mourning and prayers for the dead on Friday.

The U.S. Embassy in Algiers also expressed its "deepest condolences" to "our partners and colleagues in the Algerian military," and their families.

More than 300 emergency workers were reported to be the scene and the cause of the crash remains unclear.

The plane that went down has been in production since 1970s and has an overall good safety record, according to the Associated Press. It is widely used for both commercial freight and military transport. The Algerian military operates several of the planes.

It was the first crash of an Algerian military plane since February 2014, when a U.S.-built C-130 Hercules turboprop slammed into a mountain, killing at least 76 people and leaving just one survivor.

In 2003, 10 people died when an Algerian Air Force C-130 crashed after an engine caught fire shortly after it took off from the air base near Boufarik, according to the Aviation Safety Network's database.

The previous deadliest crash on Algerian soil occurred in 2003, when 102 people were killed after a civilian airliner crashed at the end of the runway in Tamanrasset. There was a single survivor in that crash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Cambodia has deported nearly 100 Chinese citizens accused of defrauding people in China in an internet scam.

A senior Interior Ministry official, Gen. Ouk Haiseila, said Wednesday the 89 suspects, including 15 women, were flown out of the Cambodian capital on two planes sent by the Chinese government. He said members of the group contacted women in China over social media and tricked them into sending nude or erotic photos, then extorted money by threatening to spread the images online.

Ouk Haiseila said their deportation Tuesday came after their arrest last month.

Online scams by Chinese gangs that operate from foreign countries and target mainland Chinese are common throughout Southeast Asia. Since 2012, Cambodia has sent at least 1,000 Chinese and Taiwanese residents involved in such schemes to China.
The daughter of poisoned former spy Sergei Skripal said Wednesday that she doesn't want help from the Russian Embassy as she recovers from the nerve agent attack that left her and her father in critical condition and created an international furor.

Yulia Skripal, 33, said in a statement that she finds herself with a "totally different life" than the one she had before the March 4 poisoning in southwest England. She was released from the hospital this week, while Sergei Skripal remains hospitalized.

"I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance," Skripal, a Russian citizen who was visiting her father in the cathedral city of Salisbury, said in the statement. "At the moment, I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but if I change my mind I know how to contact them."

Britain has blamed the attack on Russia, triggering the expulsion of more than 150 Russian diplomats from western countries. Russia vehemently denies any involvement and has responded by expelling the same number of diplomats.

Yulia Skripal's statement, which was distributed by London's Metropolitan Police, is important because the Russian Embassy in London has criticized the British government for not allowing diplomatic staff to visit the Skripals since they were stricken. Britain has said it is up to the father and daughter to decide whether they want to meet with embassy officials.

Earlier, the embassy protested that its requests for consular access had been "left without a substantial reaction on part of the British authorities."

"We would like to know what exactly the British side did to comply with its international obligation under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the bilateral Consular Convention, and what were the reasons for such a unfounded conclusion," the embassy said.

Yulia Skripal's statement also addressed a controversy over her cousin, Viktoria. British officials alleged that the cousin was a pawn of the Russian government after she gave interviews with Russian media outlets.

Skripal thanked Viktoria for her concern and asked her to "not visit me or try to contact me for the time being."

"Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my father's," Yulia Skripal said.
Europe's corruption watchdog has urged Romania to abandon a judicial overhaul that critics say will undermine the fight against corruption.

The Group of States Against Corruption on Wednesday criticized Romania's efforts to decriminalize some graft offenses and called for more safeguards in the appointment of senior prosecutors.

Under the proposed new laws, elected officials wouldn't be probed for bribery or influence peddling.

Moves by the leftist government to overhaul the justice system have led to protests, with critics saying the proposals will make it harder to prosecute high-level sleaze.

Among the changes is a special department to probe wrongdoing by magistrates. The watchdog group urged Romania to scrap it, saying it "could easily be misused to ... interfere in sensitive high-profile cases."

There was no immediate reaction from the government.
Yemens armed Houthi movement launched a drone strike on a Saudi owned oil facility in Southern Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing al-Masirah, the Houthi-founded TV station.

The facility reportedly belonged to the oil giant Saudi Aramco. Saudi officials have not yet commented on the report.

The air force announced the execution of air strikes with the Qasif 1 aircraft on Aramco in Jizan (province), al-Masirah said on its official Twitter account, according to Reuters.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, now in its third year, began in March 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened on behalf of its southern neighbor to support the fragile government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The Houthis, who have been leading an insurgency against the Yemini government since 2004, took over the capital Sanaa in 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of funding and arming the rebel movement, a charge Iran has denied.

According to a U.N. report, more than 9,245 people have been killed in Yemen since March 2015, more than half of which were civilians.
The Latest on the crash of a military plane in Algeria (all times local):

10 a.m.

Algerian state radio says that more than 100 people were killed in a military plane crash southwest of the capital.

The radio report said the cause of the crash Wednesday near an air base in Boufarik remains unclear.

Algerian state news agency said the Soviet-designed Il-76 plane was headed for Bechar in southwest Algeria.

Emergency services have been dispatched to the site of the crash.

Boufarik is located in northern Algeria some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the capital, Algiers.

____

9:40 a.m.

Algeria's state news agency says that a military plane has crashed near the military base of Boufarik in Algeria.

The Algerie Presse service agency said the Iliouchine-type plane was headed for Bechar in southwest Algeria.

Emergency services have been dispatched to the site of the crash. No death toll was immediately available.

Boufarik is located in northern Algeria, near the Mediterranean sea, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the capital, Algiers.
(CNN)  An army of 100 life-sized cutouts of Mark Zuckerbergs took over the U.S. Capitol lawn ahead of the Facebook founder's Senate appearance Tuesday.

The stunt is the work of global activist group Avaaz, which wants Zuckerberg, Internet CEOs and government regulators to fight disinformation campaigns across Facebook and other social platforms.

"We know Facebook is doing things to address the fake news problem, but they are doing it in a way to that is too small and too secretive," Avaaz campaign director Nell Greenberg told CNN.

The Avaaz campaign also includes an open letter in response to Zuckerberg's apology, which more than 850,000 people across the world have signed. Zuckerberg took out full-page ads in several British and American newspapers to apologize for a "breach of trust" in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The letter addresses four key elements the organization wants Facebook and other internet sites to address: tell the truth, ban the bots, alert the public and fund the fact-checkers.

"We want Facebook to tell the truth regarding the work that is being done to stop this and the scale of the fake news and fake post problem. We just want to know the transparency of the problem and what is being done to tackle it," Greenberg said.

The group says the cutouts represents the hundreds of millions of fake accounts still spreading disinformation on Facebook.

Each is wearing a shirt that reads "Fix Fakebook."

This is the first time Zuckerberg will personally sit for questions from Congress. His testimony marks a pivotal moment for Facebook, as Zuckerberg will spend two days answering lawmakers' questions about what the company is doing to protect users' privacy.

This story was first published on "A sea of Mark Zuckerberg cutouts has taken over the Capitol lawn"
The Latest on the sentencing of Serb ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

Serbia's ultranationalist leader Vojislav Seselj has shown no remorse after U.N. appeals judges overturned his acquittal for crimes against humanity during the 1990s' Yugoslav war.

Seselj was initially acquitted in 2016. Judges on Wednesday sentenced him to 10 years in prison, which he had already served while in custody.

Seselj on Wednesday described the ruling in a phone statement to The Associated Press as "illegal." He insists the court in The Hague, Netherlands, should have ordered a retrial instead.

He adds he is "proud of all the war crimes and crimes against humanity that were attributed to me, and I am ready to repeat them in the future."

Seselj says judges "lied that there were systematic attacks" on Croats in Serbia in the 1990s. Judges have said a speech by Seselj in May 1992 incited crimes against the Croat minority.

___

4:40 p.m.

Amnesty International has welcomed a United Nations court's verdict against Serbian far-right leader Vojislav Sesel, saying his conviction delivers long overdue justice to the victims of the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s.

The rights group's Europe Director Gauri van Gulik says that "despite the fact that the Appeals Chamber cleared Vojislav Seselj of other war crimes, it is significant that it found there was indeed a 'widespread or systematic attack against the non-Serbian civilian population in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.'"

A UN court in The Hague, Netherlands, on Wednesday partly overturned a 2016 acquittal of Seselj on war crimes charges and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment. But because he had already been in prison for almost a dozen years, the sentencing will have no practical impact on him.

Amnesty International says "it is now vital that the national courts step up their efforts to bring remaining perpetrators to justice."

___

3 p.m.

A United Nations court has partly overturned the acquittal of Serbian ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj on war crimes and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment.

Seselj, accused of persecution, murder and torture during the former Yugoslavia's bloody conflict in the 1990s, was acquitted in 2016 of nine war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.

But because he had already been in prison for almost a dozen years before returning to Belgrade in 2014, Wednesday's sentencing will have no practical impact on him.

Seselj told the Associated Press on just prior to the reading of the verdict in The Hague, the Netherlands that "I don't care about the ruling. Now I'll go and have a siesta."

The prosecution had said that acquitting Seselj would have damaged the war crimes tribunal's legacy.
An abandoned Toys 'R' Us store was transformed into the site of a massive rave -- but was shut down by London police before the party had a chance to take off.

The Hounslow Police of West London tweeted they shut down the enormous party on March 31 and arrested five people. The department poked fun at the Toys 'R' Us logo and captioned a picture of the store as Raves R Us.

Police said they seized a sound system at the scene of the unlicensed music event on Bulls Bridge Industrial Estate. Police tweeted later not to travel to the area as all attendees and ticket holders are being turned away.

The once-popular toy retailer announced last month it would shutter or sell most of its stores in the U.S and United Kingdom. The retailer declared bankruptcy in September.
Mexican soldiers and police in the troubled southern state of Guerrero have escorted a convoy of 92 people terrorized by drug cartels out of their mountain hamlet.

Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez says the convoy of mostly the elderly, women and children left Laguna de Huayanalco in the township of Totolapan because they fear the drug gangs that operate in the area.

Alvarez said in a statement Wednesday that the residents loaded into 11 private vehicles and were escorted out of town.

Last month, 13 people were evacuated from Totolapan because they feared for their safety.

Alvarez says Wednesday's convoy went to the town of Atoyac, across the state near the Pacific coast. It was not immediately clear why that destination was chosen.
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A Myanmar court has refused to dismiss a case against two Reuters journalists after the reporters' lawyers insisted last week that the evidence doesn't support the charges.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo face possible charges under the Official Secrets Act, a law dating from British colonial times. If convicted, they could get up to 14 years in prison.

They were arrested Dec. 12, with police accusing them of violating the law by acquiring "important secret papers" handed to them by two policemen who worked in troubled Rakhine state. Security forces in Rakhine have been accused of serious human rights violations against ethnic Rohingya Muslims.

A lawyer said the judge refused to dismiss the charges Wednesday. The next hearing is set for April 20.
Serbia's defense ministry says a military jet has crashed in the north of the country, killing one of two pilots who ejected from the plane.

The crash of the Yugoslav made Galeb G-4 training jet occurred at 9:30 a.m. local some 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Belgrade.

The ministry says the injured pilot has been hospitalized.

The crash is being investigated.

The Serbian Air Force, depleted during the NATO bombing of the country in 1999, is currently undergoing modernization with used Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets.
Romanian rescue officials say they have recovered the bodies of three Romanian hikers who got into trouble while climbing mountains in central Romania.

Local authorities said they had located the last of three bodies on Wednesday on the Fagaras mountain range following a helicopter search. The men aged 64, 62 and 18 had been missing since early April.

Local government spokesman Adrian Gabor said rescue efforts which intensified Tuesday were impeded due to the difficulty in navigating the mountains. Bad weather and avalanches also hampered search efforts.

Gabor said the bodies would be taken to a nearby town to establish the cause of death.

A local monk alerted authorities to their possible disappearance after he noticed their car parked in the same place for several days.
As President Donald Trump tweets intentions to strike in Syria following Saturday's suspected chemical weapons attack, supporters of the Syrian opposition are waiting with baited breath, enthusiastically circulating pro-Trump memes in a bid to whip up support for U.S. action.

Syrians holed up in rebel-held areas and in the larger diaspora on Wednesday circulated a new meme on social media featuring Trumps face - overlaying an American flag - with the words We love you, in Arabic and English.

We are all with Trump, we will never forget that he stands with us and save us from the hell of Russia, Iran and Assad, Tarek Muharam 40, a leader in the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) told Fox News. Finally, someone smelled the smell of chemical weapons and decide to stop these massacres.

Others supporting the Syrian opposition who spoke to Fox News conveyed similar hopes the U.S. would soon intervene.

"I hope that the strikes will be much bigger this time to target all the military and security units of regime so the Syrian people can get their stolen freedom, said 30-year-old Amer Alfaj, who works with the Qatar Red Crescent in northern Syria.

The United States, backed by Britain and France, has said it is ready to take military action in Syria - with or without support from the United Nations Security Council.

The U.S. must take the responsibility to lift the injustice on Syrian people, said Yousef Obeid, 22, a medical aid worker in Al-Atareb.

Muhammad Basher, 27, a civil activist west of Aleppo, concurred. If you want to end the Qaida and ISIS in Syria, you must overthrow Assad regime and the terror groups will be gone."

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump - who promised a fast response with how the U.S. would retaliate - went on a twitter flurry aimed particularly against Russia, who had warned the U.S. on Tuesday that any military action in Syria would not be tolerated.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was quick to respond on her verified Facebook page Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Russia should be ready to shoot missiles issued in Syria, read the post. Smart missiles must fly towards terrorists, not a legitimate government that has been fighting international terrorism in its territory for several years.

The possibility of U.S. action against the Syrian dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad, which has denied carrying out chemical attacks despite evidence to the contrary - has prompted cause for concern inside and outside Damascus.

Assad left his presidential office and has moved to an unknown position, according to reports on Wednesday. Meanwhile, militia factions supporting the Syrian regime, including the Lebanese Hezbollah, are said to have evacuated their headquarters.
After another suspected chemical attack in Syria, President Trump promised the U.S. would respond forcefully but so far has not given specifics.

We're making a decision as to what we do with respect to the horrible attack that was made near Damascus, and it will be met and it will be met forcefully, Trump said as he met with top military leaders at the White House, adding that we have a lot of options militarily.

He later warned that missiles "will be coming" at Syria, cautioning the Kremlin on social media against shooting them down. But he also added to speculation about an attack and its timing in a tweet, saying, "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!"

The president canceled a planned trip to South America this week, instead choosing to stay in the U.S. to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world, according to press secretary Sarah Sanders.

The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad has denied responsibility for the alleged attack.

Heres a look at some options Trump has in responding to the reported attack  and what experts say are the consequences of those actions.

Airstrikes  again

Trump ordered airstrikes in Syria in 2017 to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons, the president said at the time.

Luke Coffey, director of the Allison Center for Foreign Policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said a quick response thats very punitive in nature is the best route for the Trump administration to take after the latest purported chemical attack  opposed to working for a regime change.

Theres no doubt that we have very smart people with high tech equipment who can figure out how the attack was carried out and who was in charge, Coffey told Fox News. Theres a whole chain that they could construct for targeting, and I think that needs to be done.

Speaking to Fox News, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Assad and his inner circle should be considered war criminals and legitimate military targets.

If you have the opportunity to take him out, you should. You should ground his air force, you should destroy his air force, Graham said.

But Trevor Thrall, a senior fellow at the more libertarian-leaning Cato Institutes Defense and Foreign Policy Department, said there arent any good options when it comes to responding to Syria, calling the use of chemical weapons a distraction.

Trump already sent bombs away for this once before, Thrall, also an associate professor at George Mason Universitys Schar School of Policy and Government, told Fox News. A few cruise missiles isnt going to do anything to change the course of the war in Syria or stop Assad.

The problem Trump has, now that hes punished Assad once for this, I think he might feel like he has to do something again to save face, Thrall continued, adding that he expects the administration to use "harsh, but not too serious of airstrikes again.

The problem with airstrikes, according to Thrall, include the possibility of accidentally causing causalities among innocent civilians and creating a future problem for the U.S.

The more the United States engages in Syria, the angrier certain Syrians are going to be at the United States, he said. To me, it seems like borrowing trouble.

Another issue is the congressional authorization of strikes, according to to Hina Shamsi, the director of the American Civil Liberties Unions National Security Project, who harshly criticized the Trump administration for lacking congressional approval in the 2017 air strikes.

No one disputes that Bashar al-Assads use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians is illegal, immoral, and unacceptable, Shamsi wrote. But Assads illegality does not excuse illegality in response.

Finding partners

A U.S. official told The Associated Press that the U.S. was discussing whether they would participate in a retaliatory strike. If Trump decides to proceed quickly, the most likely partner would be France, rather than Britain, because of concerns about obtaining permission from Parliament, said the official.

Coffey said its important for the international community to participate in a strike this time around, adding that it would fit into Trumps message of burden-sharing on the international stage.

It cant be the U.S. alone firing off 50 cruise missiles, Coffey said. Other countries who have similar capabilities should also participate.

He also added that a Middle Eastern country  such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates  could also join the coalition.

I think it would be worth the diplomatic legwork that it would require. It would send a very strong message if Arab countries participated, Coffey said.

When it comes to airstrikes, Thrall questioned why its the sole responsibility of the U.S. to retaliate to the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Why is it magically, uniquely [the United States job]? We dont live next to Syria, we didnt start the war, we are not Assads keeper, he said. Why, without any vote at the United Nations Security Council or without deliberation with allies, why should we take it on ourselves?

The U.S. had called on the Security Council to vote on a resolution that would condemn the continuing use of chemical weapons in Syria in the strongest terms and establish a new body to determine responsibility for the chemical attacks.

Targeting Assad backers

Trump also said Monday that everybody involved in the alleged attack "is going to pay a price," including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

If its Russia, if its Syria, if its Iran, if its all of them together, well figure it, out and well know the answers quite soon, Trump told reporters ahead of a Cabinet meeting.

Rep. Michael McCaul, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Iran and Russia must not be left off the hook as both nations have blood on their hands as they have been partners in carrying out these atrocities in Syria.

Both countries need to be subject to additional economic and diplomatic penalties for propping up Assad, sponsoring terror, and supporting other destabilizing actions in the Middle East, McCaul, a Republican, wrote in an opinion column for Fox News.

Coffey said the U.S. could target Iranian enablers of Assad but doubted that Russia would be a target.

I dont think the U.S. wants to go to World War III over Syria, he said.

Thrall, too, expressed concern about the U.S. possibly going after other nations.

My deep concern is every time you do something that you think is limited inside a conflict zone like Syria, you end up getting more deeply engaged, he warned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The United Arab Emirates is condemning what it calls an "illegal" move by Somalia to seize $9.6 million from an aircraft at the Mogadishu airport.

The UAE's state news agency, WAM, says 47 Emirati Armed Forces personnel were on board the plane and some were held at gunpoint and assaulted by Somali security forces. WAM reports that the money was allocated to support the Somali army and trainees.

"The UAE deplores this violation of international law and norms at a time when the UAE has provided all kinds of political, economic, military and humanitarian support in the darkest conditions to establish security and stability in the Somali Federal Republic," the statement from the foreign ministry carried on WAM said.

Somalia's government has dismissed such reports and has not responded publicly to the UAE's condemnation. It announced the seizure Sunday, saying security forces boarded the plane and discovered three unmarked bags of cash during routine checks. A security ministry statement said the bags were full of U.S. dollars and an investigation was under way to determine why they had been smuggled into the country.

Relations between Somalia and the UAE have been strained since the oil-rich Gulf country's Dubai-owned DP World port operator began operating a major port in Somalia's breakaway territory of Somaliland last year. The UAE also has invited Somaliland officials for state visits and is building a military base there, suggesting that the country is moving toward recognizing Somaliland's independence.

___

Associated Press writer Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed.
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This time Whats in your Shed sees Devon farmer Richard Cross pick out the best and worst of his machinery fleet.

Oliver Mark asks the questions about favourite kit, oldest machines, whats on the wish list, and more.

See also: Take a trip around the UK with our Whats in Your Shed? map

Farm Facts: Huntsham Barton, Huntsham, Tiverton, Devon Farmed area: 345ha

Cropping: 270ha grass, 36ha oats, 36ha barley

Livestock: 120 suckler cows, 70 ewes

Staff: Richard full-time, son Robbie part-time

How did you get started?

My father took on the 121ha dairy farm in 1967. Once I finished college I bought some machinery and started contracting and we gradually grew the home farm to the 345ha it is today. Were unlikely to get much bigger, though  weve got enough to do already.

How brand-loyal are you?

I dont really stick to any particular brand  its more important that I dont have to travel too far for spare parts.

We ran Fords in the early years, swung to Deeres during the 40- and 50-series phase, and have also dabbled with Masseys more recently.

I had a Claas Arion on demo last year, but ended up buying the Massey 6470 instead  I quite like the MF tractors because theyve got a smaller door and rear quarter windows that open to save fogging up during the winter.

Favourite dealer?

All the main tractor dealers are helpful and, more importantly, within half-an-hours drive from the farm.

For the combine spares I use Rodney Cowle who is west of here, Coles Combines at Shaftesbury or Combine Fabrications in Newark for reconditioned sieves.

In the shed Tractors: MF 6470 with Chilton loader, 6465 and 35, Ford 8340, 7740, 7600 and 4600

Combines: MF 31 XP, New Holland 8050

Sprayers and spreaders: GEM trailed with 21m booms, Blaney 3m weed wiper, Lely Superbowl fertiliser spreader

Grassland: Lely 280MC mower conditioner, Lely 6-star tedder, Lely Rotund, Claas Variant 365 baler, Major 8ft topper

Drills: Amazone RPA-D 3m combi, home-made 3m drill

Cultivation equipment: Overum 4F Plough, Opico Varidisc, Eddlington 6m rolls

Digger: JCB 8050

Favourite piece of kit?

Ill happily work with most machines, provided theyre reliable. I always used to enjoy foraging with our Mengele SH25, but the Deere 3050 we ran in front of it was too powerful.

Wed tweaked it up to 125hp (originally closer to 90hp), which meant we had the power, but the header and feed rollers would block up at the first sign of a lump.

Least favourite?

It has to be the plough  its slow, tedious and the finished product is a bumpy field. Ive always thought its such a laborious way to get a crop sown.

We havent ploughed regularly since the 1990s when we invested in a set of Opico Vari-Discs. Almost immediately the ground was much firmer for getting on the fields to spray herbicides in the autumn and fertiliser in the spring, and smoother to collect bales at harvest.

Weve still got a four-furrow Overum, but it only gets a run out once a season  usually after muckspreading.

Oldest working machine?

We rely on a few old-timers, including an old Massey 35X that runs the log splitter. My father bought it new when he was working at a Somerset farm back in 1966 and, when that farm came to sell it 12 years ago, we bought it for 1,000. It still runs, but could do with a proper refurbishment.

Weve also got an old 8ft MF chisel plough from the 1970s, which is out every spring to rip up the stubbles.

How long do you keep them?

It depends on how reliable they are. The only thing I consistently change is the mower because it gets a lot of use.

Im pretty relaxed about the tractors and some of them I probably keep longer than I should. The main tractor clocks up 800 hours/year and needs to be reasonably new as I rely on it for feeding.

Whats next on your wish list?

A gravel trailer for backfilling after drainage work. At the minute, I use a 5t JCB digger, but filling the trough is a slow old job.

New models cost about 8,000, but I might go halves on a second-hander with my neighbour. Ive also thought about making one out of an old feeder wagon, as its already got the conveyor and hopper, and would be a lot cheaper than buying a ready-made one.

Most embarrassing mistake?

My father sent me off to pick up a 6t T&F silage trailer that hed just bought (it was quite big at the time). As I was flogging it up the hill to the farm I caught a low tree and bent the back-end out of shape.

I managed to straighten it out and weld it up while my father went for a drive to cool down, but it was never quite the same.

My son Robbie has had his fair share of prangs too, including throwing a fencing stake through the tractor window and smashing the combine windscreen a couple of years ago.

Most expensive repair bill?

One of our old Ford 8340s had a major problem with its Synchro Shift gearbox. The clutch packs failed big time and it also broke some of the gears.

We sent it off to the local New Holland dealer who fixed it. I paid the 3,500 bill, drove it home and put it on a set of discs, but no more than 10 hours later it lost drive.

The same thing had happened again and, because Id told the dealer to use a couple of second-hand parts to keep the cost down, there was no warranty or protection.

In the end, we had to flog it in non-working condition to a buyer in South Africa for 6,000 when it was worth at least 10,000.

I dont learn, though  every 8340 Ive had has suffered gearbox gremlins, but I still quite like them.

Best invention?

Ive knocked up a few machines that have saved me a load of time, including a cow catcher with hydraulic gates that fits to the loader tractor.

But Id say my best invention is the one-pass, strip-till drill I built last winter, which is based on an old 3m-wide Taskers Tillage Train with an Accord seeding unit mounted on top.

Id had a Claydon drill on demo, but we found it blocked up a lot in fairly trash-free fields and came to the conclusion that its better off running in fields with chopped straw. So I went about making my own version, with similarly wide points to disturb strips of soil and a metering system run off a fold-down land wheel.

It was far cheaper than buying anything off-the-shelf  the old drill and tillage rig cost 1,000 and the rest of the bits were another 2,500. At some point I need to add an auger to feed the hopper so that its easier to fill  its a bit high for the tractor loader at the minute.

Best workshop tool?

Like most people, Id come to a halt pretty quickly without cutting and welding equipment. Next on the list is a decent pillar drill or a mag drill.

Favourite/least favourite job?

I enjoy all the jobs I do, except ploughing.

Everyday transport?

It depends how far Im travelling. Ive got a 2001 VW Passat for nipping around locally, but it leaks a lot of oil. We also have two 51-plate Ford Rangers for farm use  one is road-worthy and the other is kitted up for carrying around fencing materials.

Best tractor?

John Deeres 3050  it just never went wrong. We first had a 3040 in 1985 and replaced it with the 50-series, which we kept until 1997 when it was traded in for a Ford 8340.

It had no real stand-out features, but was reliable, comfortable and quiet. I wish Id kept it and would quite like to buy it back if its still in good nick.

Worst tractor?

The Ford 6610 was a gutless machine, especially without the turbo. I ran one from 1990 to 1995 and it was all right to drive, but simply couldnt hack hard work.

Biggest machinery bargain?

Probably my 12m Allman sprayer. I bought it for 500 from a contractor in 1992 and only relegated it to back-up a couple of years ago when I picked up a 21m trailed Gem off ebay.

The other bargain has to be our 8t Richard Western silage trailer. I paid 3,500 for it new in 1995 and its still worth the same now.

Least favourite machine?

I just cant get along with Amazone fertiliser spreaders. We got a brand new model in the 1990s, as the local dealer was doing a good deal on them, but all the farmers around here that bought one disliked it.

In the end, I replaced it with a more upmarket second-hand version, which was also a nightmare. The crops were stripy and I found changing the discs for border spreading a faff.

Since then weve had Lely Superbowls  theyve always dished out an even spread and just tilt for border control spreading.

Any classics?

Most of the old Fords are pretty desirable now. The 7600 is quite rare these days  I paid 4,000 for it, but its probably worth 5,500 now.
Trustees approve facilities study in preparation for new building program New middle school, elementary school, I2 expansion possible

After a significant cost reduction, the Cherokee County School District will move forward with a new school facility study that could pave the way for another building program referendum. School...

2% H-tax to go into effect Jan. 1 Diners in unincorporated parts of Cherokee County will ring in the new year by paying a little more when they go out for dinner. Cherokee County Council has passed final...

POLICE REPORTS Two accused of dining, dashing and stealing waitress cellphone

Two unknown subjects dined and dashed Aug. 24 at a Floyd Baker Boulevard restaurant. According to a police report on file, a male and female subject skipped out on paying...

Sheriffs Benefit Ride to be held Saturday Motorcycle riders are invited to help kick cancer to the curb by participating Saturday, Oct. 2 in the 16th annual Sheriffs Benefit Ride. Riders will depart at 10 a.m. from...
News

EPA, companies reach $115M Superfund settlement

COURTESY An aerial view of the San Jacinto Superfund Site.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it had reached an agreement with two companies held responsible for a toxic waste Superfund site near Galveston Bay, marking the beginning of a $115 million remediation project.

The agreement was hailed by local environmental groups and booed by some local business interests, that arent in favor of all the terms of the agreement and are counting on the ouster of Scott Pruitt, the beleaguered administrator of the EPA, which could lead to a different outcome.

The next step is for the Trump administration to begin negotiations with International Paper Company and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp.  the two responsible parties  to start excavating and removing the toxic waste on about 30 acres along the San Jacinto River on the northern edge of Galveston Bay, officials said.

As part of the settlement, the companies will lead the removal of the material at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits with Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality oversight. Its expected to take more than two years to complete the work, officials said.

The agency and responsible parties had been negotiating costs. The companies will pay for the $115 million remediation, agency officials said.

EPA will ensure that the remedial design removes all the contamination as quickly and safely as possible and permanently protects the health and safety of the surrounding communities and the San Jacinto River, Pruitt said.

The Superfund site, an agency designation for highly-contaminated sites, has been a source of worry for locals and others who have feared what might happen if a storm or other event compromises the temporary cap that keeps the waste contained.

Plans for disposal of waste at the site have been in the works for years and at times had driven wedges between some environmental and business groups, with groups arguing for different disposal methods.

The waste pits presence along the bay date back to an era of lax environmental regulations and standards. The pits were a dumping ground for a nearby paper mill in the 1960s and hold deposits of toxic wastes, including dioxin, a chemical used in the Vietnam War era defoliant Agent Orange.

The Environmental Protection Agency added the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site to its list of national priorities in 2008 after testing revealed contamination from dioxins outside of the pits, according to the agency. That set off years of litigation and debate over how to clean them up.

International Paper Co. and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp. in 2011 installed a temporary cap over the pits meant to contain the sludge. But the cap frequently needs repairs and is known to have a hole in it. Inspections of that cap will continue during the excavation and removal, environmental agency officials said Monday.

The debate over how to best deal with the waste essentially came down to two options: excavating it in sections and hauling it to a permanent landfill site away from the waterways or leaving it where it is and building a permanent cap over it.

As the administration narrowed in on disposal plans over the past year and a half, some local groups waded into the debate.

The Galveston Maritime Business Association and the Galveston Restaurant Association had advocated keeping the waste in the pit and putting a permanent cap over it. That method is cheaper, and preferred by at least one of the responsible parties.

The business association is continuing to advocate for the permanent cap, Executive Director J.T. Edwards said Tuesday. Recent controversies over Pruitt, the agencys administrator, could force changes at the agency and put the settlement back on the table, he said.

Pruitt has been under scrutiny for taxpayer expenses, including his unprecedented 24/7 security detail, and a rent arrangement he had with a lobbyist for his Washington, D.C., apartment.

If the leadership changes up, theres a possibility new leadership brings a different perspective, Edwards said. As Washington goes, so goes the settlement.

In October, the EPA made a final decision to have the most toxic material dug up and moved to a safe place. That remedy provided greater protections for public health and the environment, the agency said. The decision was hailed by groups such as the Galveston Bay Foundation.

The plan is to move about 212,000 cubic yards of highly-toxic dioxin-contaminated material from the San Jacinto Waste Pits, agency officials said.
Just The Facts

 College of the Mainland began construction on a $16.25 million renovation project in March, the first capital improvement undertaking since the school opened in 1967, officials said.

 A cost for the November bond has not been set.

 College of the Mainland's enrollment in fall 2008 consisted of 3,561 students.

 By fall 2017, enrollment at the college had grown to 4,328 students.

 The school's contract with PBK is around $1.5 million.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm in the morning, then some lingering showers still possible in the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Rain showers in the evening with numerous thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 78F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.




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.
German Week : Aldi puts out its version of German food in the USA

Washington, DC German discount grocery chain Aldi is celebrating German Week in the USA. American customers seem pleased but parts of the assortment are a bit perplexing.

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Bratwurst, sauerkraut, a pretzel and a nice glass of beer - this is the typical German meal as viewed from abroad, right? Still, its a little puzzling what the supermarket giant Aldi is offering to American customers as typical German food. In the current assortment for German Week, there are cornichons, small pickles which are found under that name mainly in France - and Snfrisk - a Norwegian cream cheese, whose packaging even shows the national flag of the Scandinavians. It seems Aldi does not really take geography too seriously.

But this does not detract from the onslaught at German Week. American customers are thrilled about the other products such as egg spaetzle, German style sauerkraut or Oktoberfest snack mix.

A short video Aldi is using to promote the campaign on Facebook, has been clicked more than 140,000 times - and in the comments, the supermarket chain receives lots of encouragement. One reader suggested that the products from "German Week" be included in the standard assortment. Another woman writes that she had fallen in love with the entire German range of products and bought everything in the assortment. But one reader is disappointed by what is missing - the German Brotchen or bread roll, which is a "must have" for anyone who likes German cuisine.

What is clear from the comments: Americans like Aldi. Last summer, the German discount chain announced it would invest five billion US dollars (4.7 billion euros) and increase the number of stores in the US from the current 1,600 to around 2,500 by the end of 2022. The discounter says this would make it the third largest supermarket chain in the US when it comes to numbers of stores.
Fitness fair in Cologne this weekend : "Slow Jogging" is the new trend

Trade fair exhibitors offer fitness equipment - but its up to the user to do the training. Foto: dpa

COLOGNE With more than a thousand exhibitors from 44 countries, the fitness trade fair Fibo shows the latest trends in the fitness branch. Organizers are expecting around 150,000 visitors to the trade fair in Cologne.

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If everything goes according to plan, Suzanna Randall will be the first German woman to fly into space. And she must be physically fit for the journey. Im doing everything across the board, but above all a lot of yoga, says the astrophysicist at a press conference in the run-up to the Fibo fitness trade fair. Randall is one of two candidates for the "Female Astronaut" initiative, which wants to get girls and women interested in space, science and technology. By 2020, either Randall or Insa Thiele-Eich will be chosen to fly to the International Space Station ISS.

"Gravity is already training us here on earth," says Randall. "When we go to the subway, pick things up, or just stand, we use our muscles." In space, things look different. One of the consequences of living with weightlessness is that the muscles start to dwindle. To prevent this, there is fitness equipment on the ISS. "They have a bike where the feet are strapped in place or a treadmill, with shoulders strapped in place," says Randall. She was at the press conference to promote Fibo.

"Slow jogging" is in

For those who are rather interested in fitness equipment that trains people here on planet earth, then the trade fair is the right place. Visitors can find out about new trends in the world of fitness. "These include functional training or slow jogging," says the new Fibo boss Silke Frank, who took over the post in the past year. During functional training, certain movement sequences use several muscle groups at the same time. With slow jogging, joggers deliberately go slowly, taking many small steps and not touching the ground with their heels.

In Germany, the fitness industry has grown steadily in recent years - also in the last year. In 2017, according to an employer association, 10.61 million people were members of a gym. In 2016, it was 10.08 million. The number of gyms or health clubs also rose from 8,684 to 8,988 during this period. So-called micro-studio facilities with an area of less than 200 square meters, registered a particularly strong increase. Their offers are especially geared towards individual training, often with a personal trainer. The total revenue of the German fitness industry last year was 5.2 billion euros (2016: 5.05 billion).

60 percent of exhibitors are from abroad

These trends are also reflected at Fibo with the number of exhibitors having grown again this year. 1,133 exhibitors from 44 countries are at the trade fair this time around. Last year, it was 1,019. "60 percent of our exhibitors come from abroad," says Erbel. "Most of them are from China and the US." In China, Reed Exibitions already organizes a Fibo. In winter, a Fibo trade fair will be held in the US for the first time. It will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando from December 6 - 8. As in the previous year, Erbel expects about 150,000 visitors to the exhibition in Cologne.

Fibo is open for visitors from the trade industry only from Thursday, April 12th to Sunday April 15th. But the trade fair is open to everyone this weekend on April 14 and 15. For more information, you can check out their website English version: https://www.fibo.com/en/
A 23-year-old Melbourne woman who faked cancer to fund her party lifestyle has been jailed.

Hanna Dickenson had raised NZ$43,976 since she was 19 by convincing friends and family she had a rare cancer called soft tissue sarcoma.

Dickenson asked for financial help for "cancer treatment" - but actually put the money she raised towards overseas trips, drugs and alcohol.

After managing to convince her parents she was terminally ill, they rallied together to raise money for her, 7 News reports.

One victim of the scam gave her four payments of $5200, while one victim, who was actually a cancer patient himself, gave her $10,500.

7 News reports that Dickenson arrived at court with her mother, who is one of the people she scammed - and pleaded guilty to seven charges of obtaining property by deception.

Although Dickenson had paid back NZ$15,000 prior to appearing in court this week, she was sentenced to three months in jail, with a 12-month community corrections order.

The case has been likened to that of disgraced beauty and wellness blogger Belle Gibson, who built a successful business by claiming natural treatments helped her survive cancer.

Gibson chronicled her battle with cancer on a blog, The Whole Pantry, which spawned an app and recipe book. But doubts about her claims surfaced after she failed to deliver a promised $300,000 donation to charity, and in 2015 it was revealed she had made it up.

The Australian Federal Court ordered Gibson to pay a total of NZ$432,000.

Newshub.
Next Edition Of BBnaija Must Hold In Nigeria  Censors Board Declares

bohlah at 11-04-2018 07:09 AM (3 years ago) (m)

The Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board, Mr Adedayo Thomas, says the next edition of Big Brother Nigeria reality show (BBNaija) must be hold within the shores of Nigeria.

The Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board, Mr Adedayo Thomas, says the next edition of Big Brother Nigeria reality show (BBNaija) must be hold within the shores of Nigeria.

According to Mr Thomas who aired his displeasure in the organizers of the television show, stated that the idea of hosting the show outside the country is preposterous.



Speaking emphatically during an interview he granted with News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, he said;



If it is Big Brother Africa, they can host that anywhere; but the one for Nigeria should be hosted in Nigeria.



Nigeria has what it takes to host the show; after all, there are many multinational/telecommunication companies hitherto operating hitch-free in the country.



If the organizers are talking about lack of available infrastructure as an excuse, then how is MTN operating successfully 24/7 in this same country?



If MTN, a similar South African company, has been surviving in this country, then I dont think anybody has an excuse for not hosting BBNaija in Nigeria.



They are making a lot of money from Nigerians here, so, we want them to host it here.



While speaking on the moral implication considering the Nigerian culture, He said;

a couple of the scenes are adult content and that is where parental guidance comes in.



Parents can always block the watching of some scenes within a particular period or in totality.



It is not governments responsibility to assume the parental roles of moral upbringing of children in their homes, According to Mr Thomas who aired his displeasure in the organizers of the television show, stated that the idea of hosting the show outside the country is preposterous.Speaking emphatically during an interview he granted with News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, he said;While speaking on the moral implication considering the Nigerian culture, He said;

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 11-04-2018 07:09 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero

fineboy77 at 11-04-2018 07:43 AM (3 years ago)

(m) spoiler alert!!!!!! What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 11-04-2018 07:43 AM (3 years ago) | Hero spoiler alert!!!!!! Reply

fineboy77 at 11-04-2018 07:46 AM (3 years ago)

(m) though i like your answer on the moral implications. it is an adult program with many adult scenes,and no one is responsible for your morals,if you are so holy,dont watch and dont discuss it. No one can impose their lifestyles on the whole world,you are you,i am me. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 11-04-2018 07:46 AM (3 years ago) | Hero though i like your answer on the moral implications. it is an adult program with many adult scenes,and no one is responsible for your morals,if you are so holy,dont watch and dont discuss it. No one can impose their lifestyles on the whole world,you are you,i am me. Reply

EDDYPRINCE at 11-04-2018 08:46 AM (3 years ago)

(m) Wetin this idiot they talk, instead of you to blame ur failed country and the govt, u are talking about MTN surviving, u want make MTN tell u their stories and challenges. Let's only talk about just one problem light cos they need a stable 24/7 light to run that program, can you guarantee it in Naija? Naija when them take light for international airport when even president want land, a them nor go phyukup BBNaija show.... Abeg let's handle our problems and corruption before we start complaining. ordinary light we can't guarantee our citizens and we are here complaining of taking program somewhere else. abeg just shut up there. Posted: at 11-04-2018 08:46 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero Wetin this idiot they talk, instead of you to blame ur failed country and the govt, u are talking about MTN surviving, u want make MTN tell u their stories and challenges. Let's only talk about just one problem light cos they need a stable 24/7 light to run that program, can you guarantee it in Naija? Naija when them take light for international airport when even president want land, a them nor go phyukup BBNaija show.... Abeg let's handle our problems and corruption before we start complaining. ordinary light we can't guarantee our citizens and we are here complaining of taking program somewhere else. abeg just shut up there. Reply

ruthie at 11-04-2018 08:51 AM (3 years ago)

(f) THEY ARE A BUNCH OF REASON WHY IT CANNOT HAPPEN HERE FOR NOW....KIDNAPPING ETC Posted: at 11-04-2018 08:51 AM (3 years ago) | Hero THEY ARE A BUNCH OF REASON WHY IT CANNOT HAPPEN HERE FOR NOW....KIDNAPPING ETC Reply

Mashbol at 11-04-2018 08:58 AM (3 years ago)

(m) Never a fan, so I don't care Posted: at 11-04-2018 08:58 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac Never a fan, so I don't care Reply

fineboy77 at 11-04-2018 09:37 AM (3 years ago)

(m) Quote from: ruthie on 11-04-2018 08:51 AM THEY ARE A BUNCH OF REASON WHY IT CANNOT HAPPEN HERE FOR NOW....KIDNAPPING ETC

There are a bunch of reasons.........,hope you get it. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 11-04-2018 09:37 AM (3 years ago) | Hero There are a bunch of reasons.........,hope you get it. Reply

fineboy77 at 11-04-2018 09:39 AM (3 years ago)

(m) Quote from: EDDYPRINCE on 11-04-2018 08:46 AM Wetin this idiot they talk, instead of you to blame ur failed country and the govt, u are talking about MTN surviving, u want make MTN tell u their stories and challenges. Let's only talk about just one problem light cos they need a stable 24/7 light to run that program, can you guarantee it in Naija? Naija when them take light for international airport when even president want land, a them nor go phyukup BBNaija show.... Abeg let's handle our problems and corruption before we start complaining. ordinary light we can't guarantee our citizens and we are here complaining of taking program somewhere else. abeg just shut up there.

These people in power seems to be unable to stop making us sad,and throwing their inadequacies in our faces everyday. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 11-04-2018 09:39 AM (3 years ago) | Hero These people in power seems to be unable to stop making us sad,and throwing their inadequacies in our faces everyday. Reply

ruthie at 11-04-2018 09:46 AM (3 years ago)

(f) DUDE GET A LIFE...GISTMANIA AINT ONE OK....

Quote from: fineboy77 on 11-04-2018 09:37 AM There are a bunch of reasons.........,hope you get it.

Posted: at 11-04-2018 09:46 AM (3 years ago) | Hero DUDE GET A LIFE...GISTMANIA AINT ONE OK.... Reply

nature7888 at 11-04-2018 10:06 AM (3 years ago)

(m) Not my show, I don't think I care. Posted: at 11-04-2018 10:06 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac Not my show, I don't think I care. Reply

blowout at 11-04-2018 11:26 AM (3 years ago)

(m) Quote from: EDDYPRINCE on 11-04-2018 08:46 AM Wetin this idiot they talk, instead of you to blame ur failed country and the govt, u are talking about MTN surviving, u want make MTN tell u their stories and challenges. Let's only talk about just one problem light cos they need a stable 24/7 light to run that program, can you guarantee it in Naija? Naija when them take light for international airport when even president want land, a them nor go phyukup BBNaija show.... Abeg let's handle our problems and corruption before we start complaining. ordinary light we can't guarantee our citizens and we are here complaining of taking program somewhere else. abeg just shut up there.

leave the man. he just feels like pissing in the wind Posted: at 11-04-2018 11:26 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac leave the man. he just feels like pissing in the wind Reply

fineboy77 at 11-04-2018 11:29 AM (3 years ago)

(m) Quote from: ruthie on 11-04-2018 09:46 AM DUDE GET A LIFE...GISTMANIA AINT ONE OK....

Your written English is good 99% of the time,but you can do well to take a simple correction,maybe it was just a little mistake from your side,but take the correction and thank me. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 11-04-2018 11:29 AM (3 years ago) | Hero Your written English is good 99% of the time,but you can do well to take a simple correction,maybe it was just a little mistake from your side,but take the correction and thank me. Reply

ruthie at 11-04-2018 12:41 PM (3 years ago)

(f) NWA TEACHER....I THANK YOU O. CONTINUE

Quote from: fineboy77 on 11-04-2018 11:29 AM Your written English is good 99% of the time,but you can do well to take a simple correction,maybe it was just a little mistake from your side,but take the correction and thank me.

Posted: at 11-04-2018 12:41 PM (3 years ago) | Hero NWA TEACHER....I THANK YOU O. CONTINUE Reply

gogoman at 11-04-2018 02:10 PM (3 years ago)

(m) na una sabi, make NEPA no just carry light Posted: at 11-04-2018 02:10 PM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero na una sabi, make NEPA no just carry light Reply
Gilbert Mogan is one of seven candidates chasing the Valley County Commissioner seat being vacated by Bruce Peterson this fall. Mogan sat down with the Courier to discuss his background, experience and motivations for obtaining the job.

With a few exceptions, Mogan has called Valley County home nearly all his life. Graduating from Hinsdale High School in 1971, he went on to work for the family farm. During that same time, he enlisted in the Montana Army National Guard and served in maintenance for eight years. At age 35, he left the farm and went in to agri-business working for elevators in Hinsdale and Saco before running the Agronomy Center for Farmers Elevator in 1995.

Mogan then managed the fertilizer plant for Farmers Elevator in Glasgow, before moving to Hobson, Mont. in 2001. There, Mogan worked as an agronomist for Joe Eve until 2005, when Eve sold his company and Mogan returned to Glasgow to work for Farmers Elevator Agronomy Center. Mogan has managed the center ever since.

Asked why he was running for Valley County Commissioner Mogan replied, "I'm retiring, and my dad, who is 92, said you need something to do in retirement." Mogan said he had spent a lot of time out in the public helping, and that he thinks he could continue to serve Valley County as a Commissioner. Mogan emphasized that while managing the Agronomy Center he operated a multi-million dollar agricultural business that he feels will aide him in a county reliant on agriculture.

Mogan stressed his adaptablity and work record stating that he had never had an accident or Occupational Health and Safety Administration complaint while running the center. "We were always trying to stay one step ahead of them," said Mogan, while discussing the county's need to adhere to regulations and manage county employees.

Like many in the race this year, Mogan stressed that he could learn the job, and adapt quickly. "If I don't know an answer, I'm not afraid to call somebody to find out what it is." Mogan also added that he had experience as a member of the Hinsdale School Board with managing tax payer funding, which he believes would contribute to his readiness for the role.

Mogan also talked about what he wanted to accomplish stressing, "I don't have an axe to grind. When I was running for school board my dad, who is my mentor, said don't do it if you have an axe to grind, because you will just mess the board up." Mogan stressed that he wanted to serve the county in the best way he could and that changes would come as they need to stating, "I don't know of anything that's broke."
Hi-Line Home Programs, Inc. is an organization designed to serve individual and family development in communities across Montana. The program serves people primarily with developmental disabilities through education, support services, adult living support and a key part of those services are assisting with federally funded waivers from Medicaid to pay for care.

Called the Childrens Autism Waiver Services, the program works to fund interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). That waiver program was affected by recent legislative cuts and the elimination of the Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule Assessment Site in Miles City, which was hosted by the Developmental Education Assistance Program.

According to Denise Herman of Hi-Line Home Programs, the waiver provides Medicaid funding to help pay for a three-year intensive early intervention program for preschool-aged children with ASD. The catch is that these children must go through an intensive evaluation and diagnosis assessment and be certified by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) before they can receive the waiver from Medicaid. With the closure of the assessment site, now each specialist must be visited individually for completion of the assessment, adding time and money to the process.

According to Herman, the diagnosis system has fallen apart in Montana, due to budget cuts and a sense of over-regulation on the part of the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). In the past, if a child was referred to Hi-Line Home for a developmental disability they were sent to an Evaluation and Diagnosis Clinic in Miles City.

There the child would be screened by a series of medical doctors, occupational therapists, speech therapists and a psychologist or counselor to determine the full spectrum of behaviors. In that screening, the specialists would evaluate for any type of disability from autism to muscular dystrophy. This allowed the team to refer the child to the proper care program. Some could end up working with Hi-Line Home and some could go to Shriners or Shodair Hospitals for other treatments if a different diagnosis was determined.

According to Herman, that program came under scrutiny by CMS and was found to be out of compliance and was put into a remediation program while the State developed a plan to become compliant. Jon Ebelt, a spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), responded to an email from the Courier confirming the closure of the clinics by the 2017 legislative session. DPHHS said the closures were the result of, significant budget cuts to DPHHS, including DDP [Developmental Disabilities Program] from the regular 2017

legislative session and special session.

Since the clinics were labeled out of compliance, two independent companies out of Great Falls had submitted to take over the evaluations, but after three years of negotiating with CMS, both companies withdrew their applications citing CMSs overbearing procedures involving providers who diagnose ASD benefiting from the treatment of those same patients, according to Herman.

DPHHS did not directly respond to questions about the failed plans to take over centralized diagnosis clinics but did address CMS concerns of providers in eastern Montana being involved in both the diagnosis and treatment of patients, which CMS believes is a conflict of interest.

DPHHS responded to questions about the companys contract withdrawal stating, The Departments requirements, including the requirement for multi-disciplinary evaluation team members to be independent from the delivery of approved services, were clearly stated in the RFP. The responders to the RFP attested to their ability to meet this requirement upon submission of their proposals. Hi-Line Home Programs in Glasgow, however, felt the restrictions were unreasonable due to the lack of providers in the region. According to Herman, the idea that the sole provider in the area could make a diagnosis and then not be involved in the ongoing treatment was an unrealistic requirement in small, rural eastern Montana communities.

Following the consult of the evaluation and diagnosis clinic, a child referred for ASD would then be certified by a BCBA to receive the Medicaid waiver. Adding to the program's accessibility problems, in the last regular legislative session lawmakers sided with the Montana Department of Labor in enacting new licensing requirements for BCBAs that adds a level of state certifications on top of the already-existing federal requirements. According to Herman, this means that those professionals are currently unable to work with the Medicaid waiver recipients. Many are in regulatory limbo due to the new law, further hindering the treatment of those using the Medicaid waiver.

Without the Clinics and BCBAs, a diagnosis requires independent evaluations from the same specialties as before, but this time working independently and with little collaboration or training in ASD. In some cases, this can delay diagnosis by several months to years and ultimately impede early intervention. A diagnosis will get them the other therapies they need, explained Elissa Erickson, who also works at Hi-Line Home Programs, and who believes early intervention can have major impacts on the development of a child with ASD.

According to Herman and Erickson, 67 percent of children who receive any early intervention will not require special education services in school. That can save the school district up to $20,000 a year per child throughout their school career according to Hi-Line Home Programs, although Bob Connors, the superintendent of Glasgow Schools, said it was difficult to determine a dollar figure for special education costs due to fluctuating costs per district. In the case of the three-year intensive Autism Program, cost is roughly $30,000 a year, meaning the program could more than pays for itself.

In their email response, DPHHS acknowledged the value of early childhood intervention, and downplayed the lack of access stating: [C]hildren seeking Autism intervention can have their physician or other practitioner request services through the Medicaid EPSDT [Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Services] Prior Authorization & Certificate of Medical Necessity form.

According to Herman and Erickson, that is not always as easy as it sounds. Many times, providers will look to delay diagnosis to avoid the perception of a hasty diagnosis or a stigma, which may follow a child for life. The unintended side effect, however, is that a child with ASD may not receive the intervention they require in a timely manner, which according to Herman, could have lasting impacts and costly consequences.

The other obstacle to diagnosis in eastern Montana stems from a lack of providers. Because a diagnosis requires occupational therapists, speech therapists, and primary care providers, as well as a BCBA, to all agree in concert the process can easily run into a road block, which could derail the diagnosis at any point. The other delay comes in the form of simply getting an appointment with each locally. In some cases providers are as far away as Billings, meaning the process can take a significant amount of time and money. That time, according to Herman and Erickson, can again delay intervention, and currently no real solution exists for northeast Montana.

DPHHS did say that children with ASD in eastern Montana qualify for early intervention under Part C, and that those services are administered by a contractor known as Developmental Education Assistance Program (DEAP), which covers the 17 most eastern counties in Montana. Hi-Line Home Programs also covers Part C services for developmental disabilities in toddlers, but they say that the Childrens Autism Waiver going away has impacted many of their young children who are in the Part C services.

DPHHS did add, The Autism SPA [State Plan Amendment] is available for children up to age 21. Children with an ASD diagnosis may qualify for other services administered by the Departments Health Resources Division, Childrens Mental Health Bureau or Developmental Disabilities Program.
Barbara "Bobbi" Ann Olson, 68, passed away Monday, April 2, 2018, in Billings, Mont.

She was born Nov. 28, 1949, in Albert Lea, Minn., to Clifford and Jessie (Helland) Olson. She had two brothers, Charles (Chuck), Donald (Donnie), and a sister, Darlene (Toots).

Many knew her as Bobbi, but friends called her Barbara Ann, much to her dismay. She always had a smile on her face and was willing to help anyone who needed her. Her favorite thing to do was go on a drive in the hills and take pictures. She was a wonderful photographer and always looked to capture the unusual.

She had a passion for quilting. She created beautiful quilts but always seemed to give them away to someone who admired them. She would also give bright quilts to the police department to give to any child that was in an accident to comfort and cheer them up. Many quilts were made for the babies born into our family.

She was an adventurous person and always knew when God would tell her it was time to move on. She even moved to Alaska and lived there for 12 years. She wasn't afraid to travel there by herself.

In 2006, she moved to Bridger, Mont. She loved Bridger and the people there. She volunteered at the library, which was such a joy to her. She was always taking in stray cats or feeding them. Her joy was her cat, Satchel, who went with her on her travels.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers.

She is survived by one sister, Darlene (Toots), who is married to Walt Murch of Nashua; and many nieces and nephews.

She truly will be missed by all who knew her but now she is living with Jesus, her Savior, who she loved so very much.
This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which is held during the second week of April to recognize telecommunications personnel in the public safety community for their service and dedication to the profession.

The Valley County Sheriffs Office and the Glasgow Police Department would like to thank and extend our appreciation to the the dedicated women and men of the Valley County 911 Dispatch Center, as you are the behind-the-scenes-heroes.

The Valley County 911 Dispatch Center operates 24/7, 365 days a year. They are more than just a calm and reassuring voice at the other end of the phone. They are knowledgeable, highly trained individuals who work closely with multiple law enforcement agencies, Fire Departments, and EMS.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the work that you do for all of us and for the communities you serve.

The above is a message from the Valley County Sheriff's Office and the Glasgow Police Department thanking the dispatchers of Valley County in honor of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. It was provided here for as a courtesy for printing in the Courier.
First off this week, I need to tell everyone the plans right now are for me to have laproscopic surgery in Billings on Friday, April 13, to remove a large kidney stone in my left kidney. I had a kidney infection for over three months because of the stone.

Secondly, since I am due for surgery, I wont be having a column for a few weeks. Please know I deeply appreciate all of the prayers said for me and concern shown. I live in an incredible area, I wouldnt trade for anything.

Every day I hear a train whistle many times over. Of course, that whistle belongs mostly to freight trains. Trains hauling wheat, oil, coal and a plethora of consumer goods.

But to me hearing that whistle brings so many other things to mind - faraway places, places I want to visit but most likely never will. Places Ive read about. Places wherein the history not only of our nation but our world lies.

Its been almost 12 years since I had the opportunity to spend three weeks in England. Every day I was there I was able to see so much of what Id read about all my life. I was able to stand on the steps of Buckingham Palace and watch the changing of the guard. One day was spent touring Hampton Court Palace and seeing where Henry VIII lived with Anne Boleyn.

I walked through the grounds of the Tower of London and saw all the crown jewels. Stood in a chamber of a tower where a machine called the rack was used to torture prisoners. In several of the cells I observed writings that were hundreds of years old prisoners had etched into the walls, and sampled foods Id only read about. Foods such as clotted cream, mushy peas, a full English breakfast and authentic Irish stew.

The year 2006 also brought with it the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream -- going to Nashville, Tenn., and attending the Grand Ole Opry. How thrilled I was when the stage curtain went up, revealing Porter Wagoner and his band. The entire trip is etched in my memory and still brings me smiles.

For years Id seen movies and television shows that showed Las Vegas. The chance came for me to spend five days with a group of friends whose homes ranged from California to Texas to Florida and even overseas to England, Austria and Australia. What a trip that was! Seeing all the glitz, glamour, and brightly-colored lights, attending a night show complete with women in stunning costumes and walking along Front Street watching a fantastic light show.

And on each trip, I traveled for the most part by train. Not once did I tire of the scenery rips along the way. And to top it all off, I visited with so many interesting people.

One thing Ive learned with the trips Ive taken. They were all trips Id wanted to take for years. But, as its often been said, life is what happens when you are making plans. Holding down a full-time job and taking care of my invalid mother, then marrying, moving over 1,000 miles from my family to start and raise my own took precedence.

It wasnt until children had all left home that I was able to do some traveling. So when you have the time, or make the time, listen to that train whistle and follow its call. Dont let time pass you by and you find yourself wishing you had done things youd always dreamed about, no matter if its to take a trip or learned to do something youve always wanted to.
Invested more than $300 Million in Sustainability-Related Projects in 2017



Committed to 20 percent GHG Emission Intensity Reduction; 10 percent Water-Use Intensity Reduction; 12 percent Electricity-Use Intensity Reduction; and 20 percent Natural Gas-Use Intensity Reduction across North America by 2020

Further targets set in the areas of team member health and safety, supply chain management, and animal welfare

GREELEY, Colo., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JBS USA, the worlds second largest branded food company in terms of revenue and the worldwide leader in meat and poultry-based food solutions, today announced the release of its 2017 Sustainability Report and 2020 Sustainability Targets.

For more than a decade, JBS USA has hand-crafted the heart of the family meal and provided opportunities for our team members, customers and shareholders to sustainably thrive and grow, said Andre Nogueira, President and CEO of JBS USA. The JBS USA team is honored to have the opportunity to place great-tasting, sustainable food at the center of the plate for millions of families around the world each and every day.

The 2017 report details JBS USAs environmental, social and economic achievements in 2017, while establishing a clear path for future sustainable progress through its 2020 Sustainability Targets.

In 2017, JBS USA reduced the intensity of its water use by 6.2 percent, natural gas by 6.3 percent, electricity by 5.2 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 7.6 percent, compared to 2016. In addition, the company outperformed industry averages in team member health and safety metrics, and scored 90 percent or greater on all external animal welfare audits. JBS USA also continued its active contributions to local communities, highlighted by a $12.5 million investment in Colorado State University to establish the JBS Global Food Innovation Center in Fort Collins, Colo.

JBS USA also announced ambitious 2020 sustainability improvement targets, further demonstrating the companys commitment to doing things the right way. The company committed to reducing the intensity of its water use by 10 percent, natural gas use by 20 percent, electricity use by 12 percent, and greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. In addition, the company committed to improving team member health and safety by reducing severe incidents by 10 percent year over year, achieving annual scores of 90 percent or better on the companys Animal Health and Welfare Scorecard and ensuring 100 percent compliance from suppliers with its Supplier Code of Business Ethics and Conduct by 2020.

Our 2020 commitments for sustainable improvement continue our legacy of responsibly providing a diverse portfolio of well-recognized customer and consumer-facing brands that meet the needs of families today, while helping make the world a better place for future generations, Nogueira added.

The 2017 JBS USA Sustainability Report is available online at https://sustainability.jbssa.com/.

JBS USA welcomes your comments and feedback at sustainability@jbssa.com.

ABOUT JBS USA

JBS USA is a leading processor of beef, pork and prepared foods products in the U.S., beef in Canada and beef, pork, lamb and prepared foods products in Australia. JBS USA processes, prepares, packages and delivers fresh, further-processed and value-added beef, pork and lamb products for sale to customers in more than 100 countries on six continents. JBS USA is also a majority shareholder of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, the largest poultry company in North America and owner of Moy Park, a leading poultry and prepared foods company in Europe. For more information, visit www.jbssa.com.

Media Contact:

Cameron Bruett, JBS USA Corporate Affairs

Cameron.Bruett@jbssa.com

970.506.7801

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/73d06225-26da-498a-82b4-33784404419d

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/638ff7fe-13ae-42b3-aa66-65fae66d4ac7
Several states are undertaking what amounts to a significant social experiment, one that leaders and policymakers in other states will want to watch closely.Concerned about private-sector employees' lack of retirement savings and the potential impact on poverty levels, and subsequently on state budgets, legislators in nine states -- California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington-have enacted programs designed to remedy both problems.They have good reason. Unlike most government employees, more than 30 million of the nation's private-sector workers -- about a third of the workforce -- lack access to a retirement savings plan through their jobs. While some of these employees may have other savings vehicles, such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs), research by The Pew Charitable Trusts has shown that only 28 percent of those without access to an employer-provided plan have any retirement savings at all.More recent research illustrates the concern and cost that inadequate retirement savings pose for states. In January, the Pennsylvania Treasury released an independent study that quantified the fiscal and economic costs to the state of insufficient savings: Public-assistance costs due to inadequate retirement savings reached an estimated $702 million in 2015, while tax revenue shrank by about $70 million. The study projects that Pennsylvania's net assistance costs will grow to $1.1 billion by 2030, by which point the cumulative 15-year cost could top $14 billion.The fiscal issues Pennsylvania faces from inadequate retirement savings are by no means unique. In 2016, lawmakers in more than half of the states introduced legislation to create state-sponsored retirement savings plans for employees who lack access to one at work. Today, 80 percent of the states -- including Pennsylvania -- are considering or have considered legislation to address gaps in retirement-plan access. But the major development in the past year is that nine states have already moved to implement these programs.Their approaches vary. California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland and Oregon are launching automatic-enrollment IRAs, state-facilitated programs administered by private financial firms with plan participants bearing the program cost. New Jersey and Washington state, meanwhile, have created online marketplaces: state-managed websites listing plans administered by private firms that meet minimum standards. Massachusetts and Vermont have opted for a multiple-employer plan, which is a state-developed group 401(k) available to eligible employers (the Massachusetts plan is limited to small nonprofits).Coverage of privately employed workers could eventually be extensive. California's Secure Choice auto-IRA program, CalSavers , aims to have a pilot in place by year's end and ultimately to cover 285,000 employers with more than 6 million employees. Speaking at a Pew-hosted forum in Sacramento in late 2016, State Controller Betty Yee underscored the program's potential impact, calling it "an ambitious step that is part of a growing national movement" and adding that it could help keep millions from retiring in poverty.Oregon, the first state to launch a state-sponsored auto-IRA program for the private sector, completed its first wave of enrollments in late 2017. OregonSaves is focusing initially on large employers, with smaller companies joining during the next two years. Once the program is fully implemented, the state hopes to provide retirement-plan access to nearly 800,000 workers at more than 64,000 businesses.The plans do have some possible risks: How would a statewide program affect small employers? Would savings in a state plan be offset by increases in credit-card and other debt among low- to moderate-income households? And how these state-sponsored plans relate to federal pension law remains somewhat unclear.Pew's research shows that the biggest hurdles for businesses when it comes to offering retirement savings plans are the financial costs and organizational resources needed to launch them. The findings suggest that if states could minimize administrative and financial burdens on employers, the business community would react positively, especially employers who do not offer savings plans now.Meanwhile, the workers themselves have cited their lack of knowledge about retirement plans as a roadblock to saving. Many workers also are unsure about how much they need to be able to retire comfortably; less than a third who responded to a Pew survey had tried in the past two years to determine how much they would need.It's clear, however, that plan participation can make a difference in financial behavior beyond the mere act of saving. In addition to adding to their nest eggs, research shows, employees saving through a workplace plan are more likely to engage in formalized retirement planning and to seek out online tools and calculators rather than simply "guesstimating" their retirement needs.The implementation process for this experiment will continue, as will close scrutiny by states that are considering programs of their own. Much is at stake -- both in terms of states' budgets and their residents' financial well-being in retirement.
Most government chief financial officers will tell you the most difficult -- and essential -- part of their job is not balancing the books or preparing financial statements. Its building trust with legislators, taxpayers and their fellow government employees. Fortunately, todays CFOs have an unlikely ally for trust-building: the chief information officer.This may strike you as surprising since finance and information technology have had a topsy-turvy relationship in local government. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s most finance folks saw IT as an expensive black hole. It was a strange new subculture, one in which its projects invariably ran over budget. Naturally, CFOs became naysayers, and even worse, they were often handed the blame when IT systems failed. In the parlance of tech, well call this era CFO-CIO Version 1.0.Then came the aughts, and CFO-CIO fates intertwined. Like money, technology became ubiquitous and essential to every aspect of local government operations. The Government Finance Officers Association formed a technology resource group to develop best practices for finance-IT integration. CFO-CIO 2.0 had arrived.But by the late 2000s, the group disbanded. Many localities realized they needed specialized IT capacity far beyond what the finance shop could support. For example, when Oakland County, Mich., implemented its enterprise resource planning system a few years ago, it had to integrate 500 shadow systems. Permitting, asset management, business licensing and many other departments maintained miniature IT systems to serve their unique needs. With that sort of specialized challenge, many CFOs and CIOs went their separate ways. CFO-CIO 3.0 was here.But today theres a new chapter emerging. It all starts with the cloud. Back in the day, IT hardware such as servers, wiring and computers were part of the capital budget. Cities would buy now and pay later. But when IT moves to the cloud, the hardware mostly goes away and IT systems become an operating expense. Operating money is much harder to come by in todays era of tight budgets.In smaller jurisdictions that has meant reintegrating finance and IT. Many of todays big cloud-based technology innovations are designed to streamline back-office functions like payroll and HR. But their most immediate effects are often on core financial processes, such as budget development, procurement and financial reporting. In fact, with the right IT support many smaller cities have launched aggressive new financial transparency initiatives like open checkbooks that were once available only to larger jurisdictions. Of course, these new systems are also expensive and need close scrutiny from the finance shop. So in many smaller places the CFO and CIO are kindred spirits once again.For larger jurisdictions, this CFO-CIO 4.0 means separate but symbiotic. Like many IT departments, Oakland County CIO and Deputy County Executive Phil Bertolini notes, his staff bills other county departments for its services. Local governments often see this billing process as a painful compliance exercise. Bertolini, who believes personal relationships grow out of trusted business relationships, sees it as an opportunity to build trust. His shop maintains a state-of-the-art project management system that allows IT staff to track and bill for their time in 15-minute intervals. Gone are the days of the IT black hole. Oakland County is a good example of IT demonstrating precisely the sort of financial transparency that makes the CFOs trust-building task that much easier.The CFO can also help bring the CIOs IT security concerns to life. Most line staff are not focused on malware, Russian hackers and other threats that keep CIOs up at night. The CFO can educate line staff on what they can do to prevent those threats, mostly by showing what it will cost the organization if they dont. Mike Bailey, technology director for Redmond, Wash., says IT security concerns offer the CFO an opportunity to move beyond their traditional role as leader of the rescue squad, where trust-building is an afterthought.Well see what version 5.0 might hold. But for now, the CIO and CFO are partners in trust-building.
Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation.
Trump signed an executive order Monday directing federal agencies to promote employment for those on public assistance.The president called for enforcing work requirements that are already in the law and reviewing all waivers and exemptions to such mandates. Also, the executive order asked agencies to consider adding work requirements to government aid programs that lack them."The federal government should do everything within its authority to empower individuals by providing opportunities for work, including by investing in federal programs that are effective at moving people into the workforce and out of poverty," the order read.The agencies have 90 days to submit a list of recommended policy and regulatory changes.The move is the latest step in the administration's effort to require low-income Americans to work for their federal benefits. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services earlier this year began allowing states to mandate that certain Medicaid enrollees must work for the first time in the program's history, while the Department of Housing and Urban Development is looking into the issue for those in subsidized housing.The Department of Agriculture also wants to strengthen the work requirements in the food stamp program. Currently, adults without minor children can only receive benefits for three months out of every 36-month period unless they are working or participating in training programs 20 hours a week. However, states can waive that requirement for areas where unemployment is at least 10% or there is an insufficient number of jobs, as defined by the Department of Labor.
With a controversial pension reform bill now signed into law and Gov. Matt Bevin's veto of bills covering the state budget and tax overhaul, public educators are again gearing up to make their voices heard in the state Capitol.Fayette County's public schools are joining the school districts of Garrard, Bullitt, Scott, Christian and Trimble counties in closing Friday, which is when state legislators return to Frankfort to begin the final two days of their 2018 session. Educators hope to implore them to override the Bevin vetos.Fayette Superintenent Manny Caulk said he would ask school board members to forgive the day off so students would not have to make it up, still leaving the final day of the 2017-18 school year as May 31."I believe in public schools," Caulk said. "I am a living testament to the difference a great teacher can make in the life of a child and I want that same positive experience for all of our FCPS students. It's discouraging that our current political climate has made supporting public education a divisive issue.""Our teachers and support staff have answered the call to advocate for students by encouraging our lawmakers to fully fund education and invest in school safety and mental health services. I have heard from many of them who want to continue that effort by going to Frankfort on Friday," Caulk said.Meanwhile, Fayette County Education Association President Jessica Hiler is calling for a second round of walk-in protests by teachers at schools in Lexington on Thursday. She said the protests could either be before or after school as the walk-ins were in March."We want to send the message to our legislators to override the governor's veto of House Bill 200 and House Bill 366, the budget and revenue bills," Hiler said.In Scott County, school employees "plan to answer a statewide call to action in Frankfort on Friday," the district announced on Facebook. Scott's last day of school will remain May 25.Garrard County School officials in a Wednesday post said educators were not heading to Frankfort "for selfish reasons.""We are to advocate for our children and for public education," said the post.Bullitt County School Superintendent Keith Davis announced Wednesday on the district's Facebook page that it was closing Friday "due to a lack of sufficient substitute teachers."On Christian County Public Schools' website, officials said the district was closing Friday "in order" for all voices to be heard.Monday night, Trimble County announced it was canceling classes and will not require a make-up day.Schools in Bell, Floyd, Letcher, Lincoln, Mercer, Owen and Pike counties will also be closed on Friday, according to WKYT, the Herald-Leader's reporting partner. Middlesboro Independent and Pineville Independent were also listed as being closed Friday.Meanwhile, the advocacy group Pike County Strong has asked teachers to call in sick Thursday night so that schools will close on Friday.The Jefferson County Teachers Association took to Facebook on Tuesday and urged its members to call their legislators, asking them to override the governor's vetoes on the budget and tax reform legislation."Neither bill is perfect, but together they add hundreds of millions of dollars to public education, allowing pensions to be fully funded, education cuts to be restored, and health insurance to be funded. So having both is essential at this point," the association said on Facebook.On April 2, educators in many districts called in sick, forcing schools without enough staff to close. Other districts were closed for spring break. The teachers attended a massive rally in Frankfort in protest of a bill that made changes to the state's cash-strapped public pension systems.Fayette County's Caulk said students and families who rely on food backpack programs will receive those services on Thursday. He said parents would receive information from schools regarding afternoon and evening student activities for Friday such as concerts, plays and dances. District honors band will continue as scheduled.Caulk said if the school board agrees that students don't have to make up Friday, graduation would continue as scheduled on May 31 and June 1.
When Gavin Newsom campaigns on his support for a California single-payer healthcare system, he's talking about more than the virtues of universal care. He's trying to sell himself as a bold visionary.When Antonio Villariagosa warns of the financial calamity that awaits if the state adopts single payer, he's trying to send a different message -- that he's a fiscally responsible realist who won't make promises he can't keep.The debate over single payer in California's race for governor reaches beyond how best to cure the inadequacies of healthcare in the state. It's a political marker for the top Democratic candidates trying to woo different factions of their divided party, and has emerged as the biggest policy flashpoint in the campaign."Single-payer healthcare has become a clear litmus test. If you support it, you're a pure progressive. If you're opposed to it, you're a pragmatist," UC San Diego political scientist Thad Kousser said. "It's more of a declaration than a policy promise because this is never going to happen, certainly during the Trump presidency."But Newsom has promised to pursue a state-supported single-payer healthcare system if he's elected in November. And fellow Democratic candidate Delaine Eastin, a former state superintendent of public instruction, also declared herself all-in on the concept. Both say California should lead the way, but have been criticized by their rivals for failing to provide a concrete plan to fund such a program or overcome the many obstacles it would face.Depending on who becomes the next governor, every Californian's well being and bank account could potentially undergo a revolutionary change. With the June 5 primary just two months away, Newsom remains the clear front-runner."My opponents call it 'snake oil,'" Newsom said at the California Democratic Party convention in February, a reference to Villaraigosa's oft-used criticism of the lieutenant governor's support for the plan. "I call it single payer. It's about access. It's about affordability. And it's about time. If these can't-do Democrats were in charge, we wouldn't have had Social Security or Medicare."Villaraigosa dismisses Newsom's campaign promise as a hollow attempt to entice the left. He said the system Newsom supports would require all Californians on Medicare to give it up in favor of a new, unproven state healthcare system -- a declaration meant to rile up the 5.6 million residents covered by the popular federal program."Newsom calls any attempt to demand details of his $200-billion tax increase and plan to force seniors off of Medicare as 'defeatist,'" Villaraigosa said recently. "I call refusing to say how you will successfully persuade Californians to more than double their taxes while taking away their Medicare simply deceptive."State Treasurer John Chiang, the other major Democrat in the running, has also urged caution. Instead of transforming healthcare in California in one fell swoop, the state should implement single payer bit-by-bit to ensure that it's affordable and effective, he said."I support single payer, but we have to be truthful here," Chaing said during a fall Democratic debate in San Francisco. "How many of you want to pay an additional 90% in taxes? ... Let's scale up, see what revenues we have, because we can't cover everything."In Washington, former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is leading a push for a plan that would in essence expand Medicare to provide healthcare to all Americans., For now, it's little more than a political mirage -- the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have been trying to repeal, not expand, government healthcare coverage provided under the Affordable Care Act.With federal action unlikely, the California Legislature debated in 2017 whether to implement a state-sponsored single-payer system. The legislation, Senate Bill 562, was shelved in the Assembly over concerns about the cost and the lack of a comprehensive plan of how to pay for and implement such a massive new government program. A legislative analysis estimated the cost to be $400 billion per year. Half of the money for the system would come from existing state funds currently spent on healthcare, with the other half from new revenues such as a payroll tax, according to the analysis.Newsom's support of SB 562 has been nuanced. When he spoke at a convention of the California Nurses Assn., which endorsed Newsom and is the most vocal backer of the bill, he told the enthusiastic crowd, "It's time to move 562." But later, when talking with reporters, Newsom said he was referring to moving the bill through the legislative process, and acknowledged some "open-ended" issues still needed work.When a coalition of labor unions, community health organizations and immigrant-rights groups tried to steer the healthcare debate away from SB 562 in March, proposing a series of measures to make healthcare in California more affordable and accessible, Newsom praised it as a "step in the right direction." He said it had the potential to move California closer to universal coverage.Villaraigosa and Chiang have accused Newsom of shifting his message on SB 562 to appease different audiences.But Newsom has taken shots at them for playing both sides as well. Villaraigosa and Chiang say they support the concept of single payer -- ideally at the national level -- yet call Newsom fiscally reckless for supporting a California program. Newsom has insinuated that they lack political courage to make it happen.He also said the hand-wringing over the cost of single payer is a "specious argument." Most of the money needed to support a single-payer system already is being spent on the plans that it would replace, he said: government-run exchanges and private healthcare plans."I think we can achieve it. Let me tell you why: We're already spending $367 billion a year on health insurance in the state of California," Newsom said at a San Diego debate in February. "In every developed nation in the world that has a single-payer financing system, one thing is absolutely true: It costs less money than multi-payer."The $367-billion figure Newsom used comes from a 2016 study done in part by Gerald Kominski, a professor of health policy at UCLA. Kominski agrees that, in theory, additional revenue might not be necessary if all of that money spent on healthcare in California can be funneled to a single state healthcare agency. Still, that would require permission from the Trump administration and Republican-led Congress -- both hostile to Democratic leaders in California -- to take control of Medicare and Medi-Cal funding Washington sends to the state, as well as convincing all Californians to switch to state-run healthcare coverage."There are still some significant barriers," Kominski said.Micah Weinberg, president of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, said Newsom fails to account for the increased costs of the comprehensive coverage being promised under a state single-payer system. Those costs include covering an estimated 1.8 million immigrant adults in California who are in the U.S. without authorization and covering long-term care not covered by Medicare, as well as eliminating all deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses for Californians, he said."We're being misled into believing that if you provide free universal care, it's going to cost less," Weinberg said.Eastin, the only candidate of the four to throw her unequivocal support behind SB 562, has said implementing single payer is essential because "people are dying" for lack of proper healthcare. She has also acknowledged that it won't be simple."What we have to do is have a conversation, an adult conversation, with real leaders at the table talking about how were going to close the gap and get additional money," Eastin said at one of the Democratic debates, adding that she's open to exploring different revenue sources, including a gross receipts tax.The two top Republicans in the race, Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox and Huntington Beach Assemblyman Travis Allen, have both ripped single payer as a government boondoggle.Cox mockingly suggested that the state could also provide "single-payer food and single-payer housing" for everyone. Allen said it would be as efficient and customer-friendly as the DMV and bankrupt the state.A 2017 poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 65% of adults in California favored the creation of a state single-payer healthcare program, but that support dropped to 42% when asked about paying higher taxes to fund it."You have to wonder, over time, whether this an issue that candidates want to own," PPIC President Mark Baldassare said.
The mayor of North Miami Beach on Tuesday agreed to resign from office and accept house arrest as part of a plea deal for violating state-campaign finance laws.George Vallejo accepted the deal, which was negotiated in advance of being charged with two first-degree misdemeanors. He pleaded guilty to filing a false report by a political action committee and authorized an illegal expenditure by that committee. He accepted the deal during a hearing Tuesday morning in Miami-Dade County court.He won't have a criminal record because County Judge Samuel Slom withheld the adjudication.Prosecutors believe Vallejo and his wife used straw companies to divert thousands of dollars in campaign and political committee donations money to pay their personal bills in 2015. His wife was not charged, as part of his plea deal.As part of the deal, the 51-year-old Vallejo will spend three months confined to his home and 18 months in all on probation. He will also be barred from running for any office during that time, and must complete 500 community-service hours and issue an apology letter."It has been an honor to serve the residents of North Miami Beach as your Mayor since 2011. As proud as I am of our achievements, I am equally sorry for the events that bring me to court today," he wrote in a letter issued by his defense attorney Jeffrey Sloman."I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the citizens of North Miami Beach and look forward to putting this matter behind me."The investigation into Vallejo was no secret -- on Twitter and Facebook, he acknowledged the existence of the probe in August 2016."Anytime we can get someone who breached the public trust, that's a good outcome," said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.Vallejo was first elected as mayor in 2011 and won reelection to another four-year term automatically in 2015 when he faced no challengers.Despite his fall, Vallejo led a city that strove to reduce crime, generate greater commercial development and boost the property tax base to be more like North Miami Beach's affluent high-rise neighboring cities, Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach. During his tenure, North Miami Beach also privatized garbage pick-ups and retained a private contractor to oversee its substantial water utility, a proposal that drew protests from union members.
Facing an FBI investigation into his overseas travel and a nasty leadership fight to succeed him that is ripping at his caucus, House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger said Tuesday he is resigning from office."I believe my actions as speaker have been both ethical and lawful; however, I understand the nature of this inquiry has the potential to be very demanding and intensive, and it could take months or even years," Rosenberger told The Dispatch."There are many important issues that face the state of Ohio. Ohioans deserve elected leaders who are able to devote their full and undivided attention to those matters."Rosenberger, who is in the final year of his term, told his Republican caucus Tuesday night that he will resign from the House effective May 1. Rep. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, the current No. 2 leader, will take over as speaker until the House votes for a new leader to serve until the end of the year.Rosenberger said no one asked him to resign but that a few colleagues tried to talk him out of it. He stressed that he does not think he did anything wrong, despite FBI inquiries."I'm not going to put my members and my staff through having to keep having microphones put in their faces, having to go through any issues I'm going through," he said. "I want to make sure good stuff can still get going."Rosenberger, now two weeks shy of his 37th birthday, was one of Ohio's youngest speakers and the first Asian-American to hold the position. He used a mix of charm and a gregarious personality to win over members who picked him to lead the House at the start of 2015.The resignation announcement came days after Rosenberger said he had hired an attorney because the FBI was asking questions about situations that involved him. Sources have said those inquiries are related largely to at least one overseas trip he took to England late last summer.Rosenberger said he has not been personally approached by the FBI nor subpoenaed. But, he said, he doesn't want a cloud hanging over the House."My purpose for doing this is not one of guilt, but one, quite frankly, proof that the Ohio House of Representatives is more than one person."A battle has raged between Reps. Ryan Smith, R-Bidwell, and Larry Householder, R-Glenford, to become speaker in 2019, when Rosenberger would have had to depart because of term limits. Rosenberger is close with Smith, and the two of them have been getting beat up online for months, particularly on a Householder-friendly website, Third Rail Politics."I think there are people leaking this and making stories worse than they are, and doing things to compound this based on the speaker's race," Rosenberger said.Rosenberger has taken several trips across the country and overseas, with the costs often picked up by campaign funds or outside groups such as GOPAC or the National Conference of State Legislatures. They have included trips to England, France, Italy and Israel.He also rents a luxury Downtown condo from Ginni Ragan, an advocate for the elderly and top House GOP contributor.The FBI reportedly is looking at whether Rosenberger took too much advantage of the perks of the job. That includes a four-day trip in late August paid for by the GOPAC Education Fund's Institute for Leadership Development, where Rosenberger met British officials and toured Parliament.Reportedly, there are questions about whether the payday-lending industry actually funded the trip. A title-lender lobbyist in Ohio, Steve Dimon, was on the trip.On his recent financial-disclosure statement, Manning lists GOPAC as a creditor that he owes at least $1,000.In late September, Rosenberger and Manning attended an NCSL-sponsored trip to France that, according to the speaker's schedule, also extended to Italy. The France conference had five sponsors, including Ragan and national payday lender Advance America.Rosenberger said he will cooperate with the FBI and is confident he will be vindicated."I have a problem when my honor and integrity gets questioned. I'm going to defend my honor and integrity," he said.Rosenberger said he made the decision to resign Tuesday and has no immediate plan on what he will do next.As acting speaker and dean of the House GOP caucus, Schuring will decide when to call for the election of a new speaker. Lawmakers are expected to leave for a summer break by the end of May and could be gone through the November election.Gov. John Kasich called Rosenberger a friend and valued partner."I am sorry to hear this news but respect him for making a decision that he believes is right for our state and the people and institutions for which he cares deeply," he said.Kasich's lieutenant governor, Mary Taylor, who is running for governor, said, "This is what the Swamp looks like. And this is what I am going to erase in state government."On the other side, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said: "Generally, innocent people don't resign within days of a revelation of a federal investigation." He, like Taylor, also questioned Attorney General Mike DeWine's call to Rosenberger on Friday night, when DeWine -- also a GOP candidate for governor -- said he told Rosenberger to bow out if he was guilty of anything. Pepper said that "raises questions about whether it was appropriate for a law enforcement official to contact someone under federal investigation."
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican, has joined her GOP counterparts from two other states in supporting the Trump administrations controversial plans to reinstate a question about citizenship on the 2020 census.The goal of the census is to produce as accurate a picture as possible of the makeup of our vast and diverse country so that all people that live within our borders can be appropriately represented, Coffman said in a written statement Monday. Colorados next redistricting and reapportionment will be based on its 2020 census data. We need the most complete information possible to assure fair political representation of the entire state.She added: In fact, it is so important to be able to obtain this information that federal law provides strong privacy protections for the information that is collected, which should help overcome any reluctance to participate.Coffman is also a Republican candidate for governor of Colorado, and her stance on the census citizenship question is just the latest move that aligns her with conservatives pushing back against sanctuary cities  places that are seen as having policies beneficial to or protecting people living in the U.S. illegally.Coffman sent out a news release alongside GOP attorneys general Mike Hunter of Oklahoma and Jeff Landry of Louisiana in backing the U.S. Department of Commerces intentions to have a citizenship question on the next census.
The High Point, N.C., Police Department is nationally known as a leader in innovative policing, particularly on issues of domestic violence. Over the past decade, High Point's dedicated strategy of "focused deterrence" has led to a three-fold drop in domestic abuser homicides. Predictive policing, or as High Point would say, intelligence-led policing, has been part of the strategy to reduce domestic crimes.Now, the department has been expanding that approach, applying it to efforts to reduce crimes committed by street gangs. But as policing has gone high tech, questions continue to arise about the boundaries between good policing and violations of people's constitutional right to privacy.In 2017, High Point experienced an uptick in gang violence. One street gang would attack, often with firearms, prompting the rival gang to retaliate.But by utilizing a new database system, the police department was able to identify connections between victims, their gang allies and potential targets of violence. Then, officers were able to intervene in gang disputes before the violence escalated.We know its likely that the group on the receiving end is [then] going to be on the giving end," says High Point Police Chief Kenneth Shultz. "So our strategy is to go out there and deliver a message: We know you guys are going to retaliate. If you do, here is what is going to happen.Once a group or individual has been identified as likely to commit a future crime, High Point police make contact with them, either in a formal meeting or an informal discussion, apprising them of the consequences of future actions. The idea is to convince them that the risk is not worth taking.We need to drive up their risk assessment so they are deterred, Shultz says.High Point officials believe the strategy has worked.Officers in the field have told Schultz the data has allowed them to intervene in conflicts before retaliatory violence occurs. But there is no data as of yet measuring the impact of intelligence-led policing on gang violence in High Point.The idea of predictive policing is not new. Veteran law enforcement officers have always been able to predict some crimes to a certain extent.What's changed in recent years is the technology that enables police departments to take those observations from the field -- those patrol officers' hunches -- and turn them into data and, eventually, into actionable strategy.In an era where police departments have been deploying fewer officers , this kind of smart policing has become critical, says Simon Angove, the CEO of Superion, the technology company that produces the ONESolution database software used by High Point police.One of the challenges police forces around the country face are staff shortages. With a much smaller police force, we need to be smart about how we deploy those resources, he says.Superion doesnt tout ONESolution as a predictive policing software, instead calling it "intelligence-led policing." Predictive policing focuses on the where and when of crime. It weighs historic crime patterns, weather and personal information on suspects and attempts to predict general times and locations that crime will occur.Intelligence-led policing, meanwhile, focuses on people -- who is likely to be the victim and who is likely to be the suspect.Similar predictive technologies have been implemented by police departments in places across the country, from New Orleans to Chicago to Los Angeles. But as the technology gains popularity, civil liberties groups and researchers have raised concerns about whether the technology breaches a person's right to privacy, and whether predictive policing is even effective.The Los Angeles Police Departments PredPol technology was twice as effective as predicting where crime was going to occur than the departments crime analyst, but still only reduced crime by 7 percent, according to a 2016 study published in the. (No additional research has been done to support those findings.) Rand Corporation study of location-based predictive policing found the software employed in Shreveport, La, had no significant impact on property crime.There are also widespread privacy concerns.The technical capabilities of big data have reached a level of sophistication and pervasiveness that demands consideration of how best to balance the opportunities afforded by big data against the social and ethical questions these technologies raise, the White House wrote in a 2014 report.For example, a Chicago man was placed on "heat list," a tool used by Chicago police to identify the 400 people likely to commit crime in violent sections of the city, despite the 22-year-old never having committed a violent crime. Civil liberties group contend the technology in Chicago has become a tool to monitor whomever police want to surveil, and that many of those tagged by the technology are only guilty of living in a high crime neighborhood.In 2016, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a harsh critique of predictive policing technologies, condemning the technology for relying on previous police contacts and reports to predict outcomes, which the ACLU said reinforced biases historically present in policing.Decades of criminology research have shown that crime reports and other statistics gathered by the police primarily document law enforcementsto the reports they receive and situations they encounter, rather than providing a consistent or complete record of all the crimes that occur. Vendors who sell and departments who embrace these new tools are failing to account for these realities, or to evaluate whether the data is so flawed that it cannot be relied upon at all. As a result, current systems reinforce bias and sanitize injustice, the organization said in a statement in August 2016.The ACLU went on to say that the use of the technology infringes on the rights of citizens by prompting police to make unlawful stops based not on reasonable suspicion, but on computer-drive hunches.Predictive policing must not be allowed to erode rights of due process and equal protection. Systems that manufacture unexplained threat assessments have no valid place in constitutional policing, the ACLU said.
The Sacramento Police Department has ordered officers to keep their body cameras and microphones on after community members criticized the muting of footage minutes after the Stephon Clark shooting, according to a department email obtained by The Sacramento Bee.The department sent the memo to rank-and-file officers on Wednesday saying officers "shall not deactivate or mute their BWCs (body worn cameras) until the investigative or enforcement activity involving a member of the public has concluded." The memo states that cameras may be turned off when officers are discussing issues with a doctor or nurse, when victims refuse to give a statement while being recorded or when the incident involves "sensitive circumstances" such as sexual assault.Officers must say on camera why they are turning off the cameras before doing so, according to the memo. Police supervisors can also give approval for cameras to be turned off or muted."We will continue to work through the development, review and vetting of an updated BWC policy and hope to have that completed soon," the memo reads. "However, the current policy requires some immediate clarification and additions that cannot wait until the review process is complete."Based on police footage, officers muted their body cams about six minutes after shooting Clark on March 18 as they began to discuss with other cops what transpired. That contributed to distrust among African Americans and activists after the incident."They all just muted their mics. ... It was a moment of, what are they doing? What are they saying?" said Les Simmons, a pastor and social activist in Sacramento, after viewing the footage with two of Clark's family members last month.Deputy Chief Ken Bernard told the city police review commission on Monday that the department's leadership ranks are exploring their policies on body cameras and microphones. Police commission member Mario Guerrero said he is "hoping we really take a look at that policy."Bernard said the department's previous policy had allowed officers to turn their microphones off.Councilman Allen Warren said last week he wants the City Council to consider an ordinance that would bring disciplinary action against officers who turn off microphones on their body cameras.Bernard's comments came during a commission hearing on the police department's use of force and pursuit policies. Commission members expressed support for re-examining those policies. "I hope it happens really swiftly here because I think it needs to happen," said commission member Kiran Savage-Sangwan.The meeting was a precursor to Tuesday's City Council session in which Police Chief Daniel Hahn will begin answering a series of questions from Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council about the police department's policies on use of force and pursuing suspects."It's an opportunity for the council and the community to ask all the questions that need to be asked and for us, with the chief, to define a reasonable time frame going forward (to make changes to department policies)," the mayor said Monday. "This is an opportunity for real change and we want to do it right."The mayor said the police commission would "play a very, very important role in the weeks and months ahead" as the city and the police department explore policy changes."We want them to be out in the community, to be listening and to be receiving a lot of input," the mayor said. "We want them to be the first level of review with suggested changes to protocol and policies, the first place the changes should be reviewed."
Recent Rollbacks

A History of Poor Enforcement

A New Era of Undoing

Fifty years after passage of the Fair Housing Act -- a law intended to end housing discrimination and increase homeownership among minorities -- key enforcement provisions of it are being dismantled by the federal government.Efforts to enforce the landmark law, which was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968, have ebbed and flowed over the past five decades. Democratic presidents have tended to direct more resources toward enforcing it and have put greater emphasis on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's role in desegregating cities. Republican administrations, meanwhile, have routinely scaled back those efforts.But as the Fair Housing Act turns 50, many experts say HUD's recent actions, under the direction of Secretary Ben Carson, represent a new level of attempts to undo the legislation.Under Carson and President Donald Trump, HUD has decisively pared back its role as the primary legal advocate for the Fair Housing Act. Carson instructed HUD officials to delete the words inclusive and free from discrimination from the agencys website. HUD recently settled a case in Houston under terms that at least one former official says does nothing to end residential discrimination in the city. And the agency terminated an investigation into Facebook for alleged discriminatory housing advertising practices. Carson has also delayed a requirement, established under the Obama administration, that local governments must create detailed plans to integrate racially divided neighborhoods. And HUD has put an indefinite hold on secretary-initiated housing cases, which historically have been seen as a critical tool in fighting systemic housing discrimination.Advocates see the moves as a rollback of progress that had been made, particularly under the Obama administration.We had these important fair housing advances that were years in the making -- carefully constructed rules on fair housing that were suspended with a memo from the administration, says Philip Tegeler, president of the Poverty and Race Research Action Council.By law, HUD must still investigate housing discrimination complaints that are filed with the agency by civil rights groups or individuals. But it has stopped initiating any investigations or legal actions on its own. HUD-initiated cases have historically tackled systemic housing segregation and lending discrimination.HUD spokesman Jereon Brown toldthat the agency is not backing away from its duty to pursue the Fair Housing Act or the laws aim to reverse discriminatory housing practices. The department, according to Brown, is turning its attention to the bulk of its discrimination cases, which he said were not race-based.There is no mission shift. We are, in fact, putting more emphasis in sexual harassment complaints, Brown told theIn addition, 60 percent of the fair housing complaints we receive are disability related, and the majority of those have to do with service animals.The changes at HUD have left what housing advocates say is an uneven legal landscape that varies greatly from state to state.In some places, like Louisiana and Texas, landlords cannot be forced to accept federal housing vouchers. Elsewhere, many cities have utilized exclusionary zoning practices to keep affordable housing out of more affluent neighborhoods, say housing advocates.Without the federal government acting as an enforcer, the task of ensuring that fair housing standards are met falls to local civil rights organizations. That's a problem, says one former HUD official.You are never going to compare what local civil rights groups can do with what the federal government is going to do," says Gustavo Velasquez, director of the Urban Institutes Washington-Area Research Initiative and a former assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity at HUD under Obama. "Just on fair housing, the federal government has 600 people across the country working on these cases. The combined staff of local groups working on housing across the country cant match the resources available from the federal government.The settlement last month of a Fair Housing Act lawsuit in Houston is evidence, housing advocates say, that HUD under Carson is not committed to using court actions to address housing segregation.That case, filed under the Obama administration, focused on the fact that Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was blocking the construction of low- to moderate-income housing in an affluent section of the city. Furthermore, according to the results of an investigation HUD released in early January 2017, Houston's application process for affordable housing discriminated against minorities.Turner had defended his decision to block the housing project by arguing that black residents in low-income neighborhoods didn't want to be uprooted and dispersed to wealthier white neighborhoods. Instead, he said, more needed to be done to attract additional investment in existing black neighborhoods.Our underprivileged families should have the right to choose where they want to live, said Turner in 2016, and that choice should also include the right to stay in the neighborhood where they have grown up.  I categorically reject the notion that in order for poor children to participate in the American dream that I have to move them from where they are and place them somewhere else. The answer is to invest in the communities where they are.Under Obama, HUD disagreed, all but accusing Turner of being a segregationist But in what critics say is an about-face by the agency, HUD last reached a settlement with Houston that doesnt require the city to construct affordable housing in affluent neighborhoods -- but does allow the city to encourage landlords in low-income neighborhoods to rent apartments to families that are using federal housing vouchers. (Texas state law allows landlords to refuse to rent to voucher users.) The city will also invest $2 million in housing for families left homeless after Hurricane Harvey.What the agreement doesnt do, according to Velasquez, is compel Houston to do something about segregation in the city.The settlement has triggered a lawsuit by a Texas fair housing group, Texas Housers, who say Houston was clearly maintaining residential segregation in the city.But with the federal government backing away from the case, Kate Scott, deputy director of the Equal Rights Center in Washington, D.C., says any battle to force local government to comply with fair housing laws is neutered. Scott was part of a federal action in 2012 against St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana, which federal investigators and the courts found were discriminating against black residents looking for housing after Hurricane Katrina. She says housing lawsuits in more conservative state courts are almost pointless.In Louisiana, it wasnt an option to go into state court and sue over fair housing because we would always lose, Scott says. We are going to see the same pattern playing out over the country.In a somewhat similar move, HUD last year abruptly dropped an investigation into whether Facebook had allowed housing advertisers to target white users and exclude other users from seeing the ads if their social media activity suggested they were black, Hispanic or Asian-American.HUD had launched that query in 2016. A lawsuit has been filed in federal court alleging that the social media giant continues to discriminate against women, veterans and single mothers in housing ads. By law, HUD will have to investigate the allegations.The Fair Housing Act was the last major civil rights achievement of President Johnsons administration. It came in the wake of a series of riots in Detroit, Los Angeles and Newark, N.J., and after the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. It also followed the famed Kerner Commission report on race, which detailed the disparity in homeownership between African-Americans and white Americans and blamed racism as the main culprit behind the riots . The Fair Housing Act aimed to reverse the pattern of residential segregation and do so through enforcement actions when necessary.Support for the basic principles of the Fair Housing Act has historically been bipartisan, according to Teleger, the president of the Poverty and Race Research Action Council. Enforcement has been another matter.The principle that you shouldnt discriminate in housing, thats a pretty widely held belief, and its widely supported that we shouldnt have policies that we segregate families by race, Teleger says. However, to effectuate those goals requires substantial changes to the status quo. There are issues like local exclusionary zoning that have a lot of local support.To some degree, federal resources for enforcing the act have tended to shift with political winds.President Richard Nixon's HUD secretary, George Romney, had challenged local zoning laws as governor of Michigan. Once he joined Nixon's administration, Romney drafted recommendations to better integrate housing. Nixon blocked them and drove Romney from his cabinet in 1972.In the 1990s, Bill Clinton tapped former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros to overhaul HUD and double the department's efforts to enforce the Fair Housing Act and address racial segregation. Cisneros did make some strides in that effort. For example, he sent in federal marshals after a town in Texas had refused to allow black residents into an all-white public housing development -- the first time in history that HUD had taken over a local housing authority for civil rights violations. But Cisneros' efforts were clipped after Congress slashed the agency's budget following the 1994 GOP takeover.Former President Barack Obama called for increasing HUD funding by 19 percent over his predecessor, George W. Bush.In many ways, then, the efforts to step back Fair Housing enforcement under President Trump are par for the course under a Republican administration. Still, the vacillating approaches to the law have made it hard to make inroads in integrating housing, advocates say.When you go back and forth every eight years about whether you are going to enforce the law or how you are going to fund HUD, of course you are not going to make any progress, says Scott at the Equal Rights Center.That's borne out in the data, which suggest that not much has changed in the past 50 years in terms of housing segregation.The Kerner Commission report was updated this year to mark its 50th anniversary. Despite efforts to better include minorities and especially black Americans in the broader housing market, one metric has remained stubbornly low: homeownership.In 1968, only 41.1 percent of black Americans owned homes compared to 65.9 percent of whites. In 2018, almost the same exact percentage of black Americans, 41.2 percent, own homes. White homeownership has ticked up 5.2 percent in the same period.Although the Trump administration isn't the first to change HUD priorities, housing experts say the agency's current posture represents a new era.From the time of Trumps inauguration in January to October 2017 (the most recent data available), HUD took legal action in five discrimination cases, and all but one had been initiated before Trump took office. In contrast, HUD under Obama took legal action in 26 discrimination cases in his first year in office, and HUD under George W. Bush processed an average of 25 cases per year in his second term. (Data were not available prior to 2004.)In the waning years of the Obama administration, HUD adopted what it called an Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which forced agencies receiving HUD-funded community block grants to complete a federal fair housing assessment in order to receive funding. Cities and counties were required to examine residential racial segregation and concentration of poverty.But under Trump and Carson, HUD has delayed implementing that requirement until at least 2020. Carson has referred to the plans laid during the Obama administration as social engineering and questioned how inclusionary housing would impact an existing community.The rule would fundamentally change the nature of some communities from primarily single-family to largely apartment-based areas by encouraging municipalities to strike down housing ordinances that have no overtly (or even intended) discriminatory purpose -- including race-neutral zoning restrictions on lot sizes and limits on multi-unit dwellings, all in the name of promoting diversity, Carson wrote in The Washington Times shortly after the rules adoption.Carsons op-ed in 2015 seems to have presaged his actions as HUD secretary.Few in the housing community have been surprised by HUD's actions over the past 15 months, but they nonetheless have registered their disappointment at what they see as a large-scale unwinding of policies related to the 50-year-old Fair Housing Act.Delaying the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, says Teleger at the Poverty and Race Research Action Council, is something of a slap in the face.To be suspending that near the anniversary year of the law," he says, "speaks to how politics is trumping policy here."
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GIS 11 April, 2018: The French Ambassador to Mauritius, Mr Emmanuel Cohet, accompanied by a delegation of representatives of Groupe ADP, formerly Aeroports de Paris, met the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, today at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis. The French Ambassador to Mauritius, Mr Emmanuel Cohet, accompanied by a delegation of representatives of Groupe ADP, formerly Aeroports de Paris, met the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, today at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

In a statement after the meeting a representative of Groupe ADP underlined that the meeting with Prime Minister Jugnauth focused on the forthcoming projects related to SSR International Airport concerning the expansion of the existing runway and infrastructure.

He highlighted that the number of passengers have increased in a very significant manner over the last years reaching four million passengers in 2017 and as such Mauritius should be ready to have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate up to 10 million passenger over the coming years.

The development and expansion of the airport of Rodrigues was also at the fore of discussions.

It is to be recalled that Prime Minister Jugnauth has announced that the Airport Master Plan is being reviewed to accommodate the construction of a second passenger terminal which is another major infrastructure project in view to modernise the sector. The construction is expected to start in 2019 and should be completed by 2020.
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GIS  11 April, 2018: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion are central to the development of the economy, environment, and society of Mauritius. So it follows that gender statistics - as the basis for making well-informed decisions and tracking progress towards gender equality - are central to our development.

This statement was made by the Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus, this morning at the launching of a Validation Workshop on the review of the annual publication Statistics in Mauritius: A Gender Approach, at the Palms Hotel, in Quatre-Bornes.

On that occasion, certificates were handed over to some 20 participants in the context of a training of trainers programme for capacity-building on gender statistics (held on 5 and 6 April 2018). The capacity-building programme was facilitated by Statistical Consultant, Mrs Jessica Gardner, whose services have been made available by the European Union (EU) under the 11th EDF for the review exercise as well as the training.

In her address at the launching, Minister Jadoo-Jaunbocus pointed out that data and statistics on priority issues, including domestic violence, child development, health of the ageing population, and women's representation in leadership and political life, are already available but it is important to ask whether they are being used to maximum effect.

According to the Minister, it is important to take advantage of emerging technologies and methods, such as infographics, online tools, and social media, to transform the information into formats that are easy to understand and use so that it reaches the people who need it.

Moreover, Mrs Jadoo-Jaunbocus emphasised that strengthening the system of gender statistics requires sustained investment from across government to review and adjust the way records are kept and administrative data compiled so that it is gender-sensitive and consistent with international standards and classifications. It also requires partnering with NGOs who can provide the contextual information needed to understand and interpret the numbers as well as involves working together with universities and research institutes to identify areas for in-depth research and carrying out those studies, she indicated.

For her part, Minister Counsellor, the European Union (EU) Delegation to the Republic of Mauritius and the Seychelles, Mrs Carla Osorio said that equality between women and men is a founding value of the EU as well as a fundamental right. Gender statistics are the main tool available to identify inequalities between women and men and these statistics are key to develop gender policies but also and more importantly to implement these policies, she highlighted.

The Minister Counsellor also called to mind that the EU and the Government of Mauritius have embarked on a policy dialogue on gender in 2018 with the hosting of the first technical committee. One of the proposals of the policy dialogue was the use of smart indicators to monitor the situation on gender equality in Mauritius derived from the EU gender action plan which was well received, she stated. This is a testimony to the high level of commitment of the Government of Mauritius in tackling gender inequalities at all levels in Mauritius, she added.

Validation Workshop and expected outcomes

It is organised by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare in collaboration with the EU Delegation to the Republic of Mauritius and the Seychelles. Mauritius is thus benefitting from EU technical assistance regarding the review of the various existing sources of statistics on gender. Focus is also on the need to improve the current situation for cases on violence against women and children.

One of the expected results following the technical assistance is the elaboration of a new system to improve data collection and reporting using general analysis including gender-based violence and violence against children. This new system is being presented at the Validation Workshop.

The Validation Workshop is focusing on suggested revisions to the annual publication Statistics in Mauritius: A Gender Approach along with: a framework for continually improving gender statistics; identification of short, medium and long term priorities; and, recommendations for developing a national strategy for gender statistics.
Description

GIS - 11 April, 2018: The development of a national strategy is of high importance if we, as African countries, aspire to revamp the leather sector and access targeted niche markets, highlighted the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah.

He was speaking this morning at the launch of a two-day workshop on Leather Strategy for Mauritius at La Canelle, Domaine Les Pailles, in the presence of three consultants from the COMESA, and the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI).

Minister Bholah underlined that the leather industry is set to become a major pillar of the Mauritian economy by unleashing its unexplored potentials and formulating new strategies. The African continent needs to consolidate its natural assets ensuring the procurement of raw materials and the maximum use of technology so as to become an international player in the leather sector, he emphasised.

He recalled that three delegates from the ALLPI were in Mauritius last year to undertake situational analysis of the leather sector and evaluate market dynamics in local, regional and global trade. On this score, he pointed out that the countrys competitiveness in the sector should be identified adding that SMEs can play a key role in leather processing of footwear and garments, amongst others.

The Minister expressed his gratitude to ALLPI for its continued support in the formulation of strategy for the leather sector that will serve as a roadmap for enhanced value addition, increased productivity, quality improvement and market access. He called for the collaboration of all stakeholders and added that their efforts are paramount for the revitalisation of the sector.

The workshop

The workshop, being attended by some forty local stakeholders of the leather sector, aims to create synergies between key stakeholders of the leather value chain and identify their positions with regards to the development of the leather strategy. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their views on the current status of the leather sector in Mauritius and address the different constraints and challenges .
its first store in 2001, the companys attention to design and customer satisfaction permeated the whole experience. The interior was adorned in slick wood and wrapped in glass to lure in potential shoppers; the laptops, desktops, iPads and iPhones were not just on display but available for trying out; visitors got free tutorials on how to operate their new Macs; and the customer service desk was dubbed the Genius Bar.The payoff was a windfall for the worlds largest tech company. It still is. At a time when brick-and-mortar retail companies are struggling to survive and redefine themselves, Apple generates more money per square foot than any retailer in the United States.Ariel Kennan worked for Apple in those early retail years, and she became a convert to what the company called service design. Apple Stores are incredibly designed experiences, she says, the look, the feel and how people interact with customers. Apple thought through all of this.Now Kennan is putting her Apple experience to work in a dramatically different context. She is in New York City, running the new Service Design Studio at the Mayors Office for Economic Opportunity. She is convinced that what worked to sell computers can work to make municipal government better at responding to fundamental human needs. Service design, Kennan says, is the holistic view on how a service is delivered. Its a human-centered research approach to figure out how all the people and all the services fit together.More simply put, the service design concept reimagines customer relations for both business and government. Its not a quest for efficiency, or for constant repetition of time-honored practices. Its focused on the end user, and on enticing customers who have varying degrees of knowledge and experience to interact with a service and stay long enough to fully engage. And heres the secret: The customer is not really supposed to notice.Service design makes use of emerging concepts in social science, especially data points and analytics, to come up with user-based service solutions. But it applies a healthy skepticism toward social science in its traditional form. Social scientists research the way people interact with a thing, Kennan says, but dont say how to improve the interactions between humans and those things.The service design effort in New York and elsewhere is getting major assistance from Citi, the financial giant, which is interested in finding the commonalities between delivering services in business and doing it in government. When it comes to the way services are created and delivered, says Marshall Sitten, vice president for communications and service design at Citi Community Development, they may have been created in a collaborative way, but over time, services became less adaptable and produced less value for the people who need them. Sitten is convinced that problem is solvable in a public as well as in a private realm. In his spare time, he teaches a service design graduate course at the School of Visual Arts.At the moment, bringing service design to government is mostly a New York City experiment. But that may not be true for long.Oakland, Calif., launched an official service design program this past January. Its seven-person team, also assisted by Citi Community Development, has upgraded a website that allows renters to challenge rent increases they consider unlawful. It is working on programs to better connect young people with summer job opportunities and is partnering with Citi on a program of financial empowerment for low- to moderate-income mothers and their families, especially women and families of color. The need to address the problems our residents are facing is mounting constantly, and the resources we have to deal with these problems are shrinking, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says, adding that government was not designed to take risks and move quickly. She thinks service design might be a way to break out of that public culture of excessive caution and delay.Back in New York City, Kennan is thinking along the same lines. She came to the service design project in New York from Code for America, the nonprofit that pairs software developers in the private sector with municipalities that need their skills in solving a problem. She helped launch open data projects in both Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan.In 2014, Kennan joined the administration of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as director of design and product for the citys newly launched Office of Economic Opportunity. The creation of a formal service design lab was still three years away. But Kennan and her colleagues set out to use service design ideas to reengineer a few very specific city initiatives. For starters, they wanted to help low-income residents with tax preparation, and especially to make sure they received the earned income tax credits they were entitled to. The team also initiated an open data project for the citys health and human services agency, and started Growing Up NYC, an online resource for parents seeking assistance in monitoring their childrens health.Another early task was working to improve Access NYC, the existing portal that was meant to connect city residents to social services. Access NYC had some of the same goals that service design advocates sought, but the system was clumsy and those seeking services often gave up before they got connected to the assistance they wanted. Access NYC needed an overhaul, Kennan says. The site was hard to use, saw drop-off in usage and had material that users didnt understand.In 2017, with the help of service design concepts, Access NYC relaunched. The directions on the site were made easier to interpret, content was presented in seven languages, the new website was made responsive for mobile users and a location finder was added to help residents connect to services close to their homes.relied heavily on data analytics, the service design groups next challenge required shoe leather. The citys homeless population was growing. New York, one of the few U.S. cities required by court order to house the homeless, was sheltering more than 60,000 people. Still, despite its vast network of shelters, the city had several thousand homeless men, women and children living on the street. The issue was connecting them to services.De Blasio dispatched Kennan and members of her team to figure out and then fix the problem. They rode subway lines to the far reaches of the city to contact homeless men and women. They conducted interviews and tracked each homeless clients progress through the system.From the interviews and the data collected, the service design team created a journey map, which tracked the experiences of those contacted by field workers. To the novice, a journey map is a series of dots and arrows. In this case, dots for the homeless clients, arrows for the social workers. The arrows indicate movement from one portion of the system to the next. Where two dots meet there is an interaction. Service designers look at those journey maps and try to find the best way to move clients through the system as efficiently as possible. You start from the angle of problem identification and as you do your discovery, Sitten says, you start identifying weak signals, patterns and then you have to synthesize that with the people you are working with.The process can seem mechanical, but its far from smooth. Running a service design project in public policy space usually means overcoming old civic and political habits. The clients frequently dont interact in the way all the modeling suggests. As Sitten puts it, People are messy. They do irrational things.The Service Design Teams rubric for measuring user experience is labeled as the 5 Es: Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit and Extend. The first E, Entice, measures how people come to learn about the service and what gets them interested. Enter examines the experience upon first entering a place -- in the case of homeless services, that might mean a conversation, but in other cases it could be a website or an app. Engage looks at the steps necessary to interact with the service and asks designers to think about how to keep users engaged. Exit measures how users feel when they leave the experience and whether it is clear to them that they are finished. And Extend probes ways the user might talk about the experience to others afterward.The team found that the crucial problem in delivering homeless services wasnt the one most observers expected. The outreach workers were blamed for the homelessness issues in New York, Kennan says, but they were not the issue. There were just not enough of them.When the analysis was done, Kennans group offered recommendations that the city has adopted. It more than doubled the number of outreach workers; shortened the time clients needed to be on the street before they qualified for assistance; stationed homeless outreach services inside libraries and hospitals; and intensified canvassing efforts across the city.In late 2016, the service design team next tackled a project aimed at delivering wireless internet service to the nations largest public housing complex. Queensbridge Houses is home to nearly 7,000 residents in 26 buildings spread over 50 acres near the East River in Queens. The low- to moderate-income residents in Queensbridge were paying exorbitant internet bills, in some cases more than $200 per month for bare bones access. Many relied on their cellphones to connect to the internet, or werent online at all. But installing Wi-Fi would only be the first obstacle. Teaching digital literacy to the scores of residents who were computer neophytes would be a bigger challenge.The service design team started with classes in digital literacy and quickly realized there was a unique opportunity before them. The digital newcomers were going to be logging on to the web for the first time, and that initial experience could shape their view of how useful the tool might be. Kennan reached out to the Queensbridge Tenants Association and worked with its members to create Queensbridge Connected, a web portal dedicated to news and information about life in the housing project.The design process was decidedly low tech. Residents were given blank pieces of paper and asked to illustrate what the website might look like, where the photos would go and how the navigation would work. A few weeks later, the design team came back with a touch screen display of a mocked-up website based on what the community had suggested and asked for feedback. There is a difference, Sitten says, when you invite a group into a room and there is the notion of participation and involvement and engagement.After a few changes, Queensbridge Connected was launched. The website lists events, connects residents with job training and classes at the local library, and provides mundane but important information about parking restrictions on a given day.By 2017, with several successful projects under its belt, it was time for service design to grow. The practice had shown to many in city government that it had the potential to transform service delivery across a metropolis of more than 8 million residents.But to do that, service design needed scale, which meant it needed money.Thats where Citi came in. Its Community Development unit backs projects that promote financial inclusion and economic empowerment. Last October, with funding from the group and support from the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City, the Service Design Studio officially came into existence.So far, the design team is small and its office simply decorated. Five people occupy a conference room in Brooklyn. One table and a 10-foot-tall cork board constitute the furnishings. But the goals are ambitious: to persuade the city to think more broadly about how to design a wide array of services it must provide. The Service Design Studio website is a public-facing toolkit that offers every city employee and any interested resident some of the keys to service design -- reviewing evidence, talking to the people most impacted by a given service, connecting the dots between whats needed and whats working, followed by experimentation and then more discussion.When you apply service design with great intention, says Sitten, you get a service that not only reflects the needs of the people who are using the services. You change the culture.
(TNS) - The Federal Communications Commission said future ballistic missile warning tests in Hawaii should not include words that hark back to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor  specifically, This is not a drill.The FCC recommendation is one of many on a lengthy list in the agencys full report on the Jan. 13 Hawaii false missile alert. The report, based on the findings of two FCC field investigators who were here Jan. 18 to 26, blamed the event on a combination of human error and inadequate safeguards.The false alert occurred when a state warning officer, who worked for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), responded to a drill as if it were an actual event. The U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), which has responsibility for notifying the state about a real missile threat, quickly verified that the Jan. 13 threat was false, but it took HI-EMA an agonizing 38 minutes to issue an all-clear.The FCC has issued broad recommendations for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency management agencies, including:>> Conduct regular internal tests in a controlled and closed environment.>> Require more than one credentialed person to validate the message prior to transmission.>> Direct alert origination software providers to separate live alerts from test environments and include a confirmation prompt.>> Limit employee permissions to create or modify any internal drill message.>> Develop protocols, governing tests, uses and corrections to alerts.>> Require supervisor approval and supervision of internal tests and proficiency training exercises.>> Develop standard operating procedures for responding to false alerts.>> Plan to use social media as a complementary means of communications.>> Consult with State Emergency Communications Committees on a regular basis  at least annually  to ensure that Emergency Alert System (EAS) procedures, including initiation and cancellation of actual alerts and tests, are mutually understood, agreed upon and documented in the State EAS Plan.The main finding by FCC investigators was that neither the false alert nor the 38-minute delay to correct the false alert would have occurred had Hawaii implemented reasonable safeguards and protocols.Their report said confusion over the phrase This is not a drill, which deviated from language used in HI-EMAs standard operating procedure, was part of the reason the now fired HI-EMA warning officer transmitted a false ballistic missile alert.The man told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an interview in the aftermath of the botched missile alert test that he was 100 percent sure that the threat was real and had acted as he was trained to do. The Star-Advertiser agreed not to reveal his identity because of reported death threats for his role in the incident.The FCC report said no other warning officers mistook the drill for a real-word event. However, it noted that This is not a drill has regrettable resonance in Hawaii, due to its historic use on Dec. 7, 1941, as part of a warning message about the attack on Pearl Harbor.The FCC credited HI-EMA with making several improvements to prevent recurrence and issued broad recommendations to help prevent emergency management agencies across the country from making similar mistakes.The FCC has pledged to continue to work with Hawaii, as well as with other federal, state, local, Tribal and territorial officials, to promote awareness of these best practices and to help ensure our nations alerting systems are reliable and effective.HI-EMA spokesman Lt. Col. Charles Anthony said the FCCs report closely mirrors an earlier internal report made by Brig. Gen. Bruce Oliveira and a state action plan from Brig. Gen. Kenneth Hara. Anthony said HI-EMA is already taking steps as outlined in the Oliveira and Hara reports.U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said in an email that the report echoed discussions from a hearing on the false missile alert held last week at the East-West Center. There all four members of Hawaiis congressional delegation urged the U.S. military to take responsibility for alerting the public about any future ballistic missile attacks.We have more work to do, Schatz said. Thanks to the FCCs work here, we have an even stronger game plan for how to fix the alert system and restore the publics trust.U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said in an email that the state needs to demonstrate a sense of urgency in evaluating, responding to, and implementing the reports recommendations.U.S. Rep Tulsi Gabbard said in an email that the FCCs report provides direction on the actions necessary to close the gaps in our notification system that were exposed by Hawaiis false missile alert.However, Gabbard said that further investigation and answers are still needed in certain areas, including why some wireless phones in both urban and rural areas across our islands did not receive the phone alert and how we can ensure complete wireless emergency alert coverage across the state.U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa said, We are still left with the primary question, Is Hi-EMA the right entity to do the ballistic missile alert or should that be something that is taken over nationally?Our major problem now is that people dont have any confidence in the system. If the PACOM sends the missile alert, people would believe it, Hanabusa said.Final Report and Recommendations: Hawaii Emergency Management Agency by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd2018 The Honolulu Star-AdvertiserVisit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) - The federal government will give North Carolina another $168 million to help with recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Matthew and to try to reduce damages from future storms.The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday that it would provide the funds through its Community Development Block Grant  Disaster Recover Program, which helps rebuild seriously damaged housing, businesses and critical infrastructure. The additional funds will bring the states total receipt of HUD funds for Hurricane Matthew recovery to $404 million.Its clear that a number of states and local communities are still struggling to recover from a variety of natural disasters that occurred in the past three years, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in a release from the agency. These grants will help rebuild communities impacted by past disasters and will also protect them from major disasters in the future.Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina in October 2016. It was blamed for 26 deaths in the state and caused billions of dollars in damages, most of those the result of massive flooding in inland counties. Many property owners who suffered losses were un- or under-insured against flooding, some of which hit areas that had been inundated by Hurricane Floyd in 1999, and some of which had never seen significant flooding before.Joseph J. Phillips, a HUD spokesman, said the next step will be for the state to present a plan for using the the funds.Mike Sprayberry, director of N.C. Emergency Management, said the state likely would use the money for hazard mitigation and infrastructure projects.North Carolina has become a national leader in hazard mitigation, which involves identifying flood-prone areas and getting residents to move out of them. Coordinating with municipal or county governments that contribute part of the cost, the state uses federal funds to purchase homes that are subject to frequent flooding so the owners can relocate. The homes must be torn down and the land left undeveloped.In some cases, program funds can be used to elevate homes so theyre above 100-year flood levels.Hurricane Matthew damaged or destroyed as many as 98,000 homes in Eastern North Carolina and nearly 20,000 businesses. It also damaged roads and water supply and waste treatment systems.Since the storm, nearly 4,000 homeowners applied for hazard mitigation grants. About 2,700 were found eligible to participate, but the state had funds to help only 788. Most were in the four counties hardest hit by the flooding: Robeson, Wayne, Edgecombe and Cumberland, leaving some counties with no money at all to help flooded-out families.In the 18 months since, affected families have been in limbo, unable to live in their damaged homes but reluctant to borrow money to repair them in case the government might eventually buy them out.Sprayberry said that with the data the state has collected so far, We could move quickly, to identify projects to fund with the new grant money.2018 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)Visit The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) at www.newsobserver.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A long time coming

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(TNS)  The Maine communities of Calais and Baileyville are putting their own money into getting faster internet speeds than most of the state. It will be a dramatic turnaround, allowing the average user to download a 45-minute high-definition television show in roughly one-and-a-half minutes.They are following the lead of other Maine cities and towns, but one things different in Calais and Baileyville, which last year came together to form the nonprofit Downeast Broadband Utility When the utility starts negotiating to put 87 miles of fiber-optic cable on area utility poles, theyll have unprecedented leverage, thanks to new rules that give them a right to attach to those poles.Its a big deal for a small network. For Downeast Broadband, attaching their cables to utility poles is the biggest cost of the roughly $2.5 million project. The rules help make those costs and project timelines more predictable, and that stands to give rural parts of the state clearer paths to funding their own networks.Pole attachments, as wonky as they are, were a major regulatory hurdle for small [internet service providers] and communities to figure out and deal with, said Peggy Schaffer, co-chair of the Maine Broadband Coalition. It became an unpredictable, expensive process to attach to poles.Most of the poles in Maine are owned by electric utilities or Consolidated Communications, which acquired FairPoint Communications last year . The company owns most of the poles in Calais and Baileyville, and the others are owned by Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative.In the case of Consolidated, which provides its own broadband and data services, attachment requests from other networks can amount to competition.As Calais and Baileyville are the first to operate under the rules that give them a leg up in dealing with pole owners such as Consolidated, they have the attention of people who see a potential economic lifeline for fledgling communities where its harder for private internet providers to make a profit.From 2010 to 2016, populations in both towns declined by roughly 5 percent, according to census estimates.We hope that having this infrastructure will make us more attractive to telecommuters, seasonal residents, businesses that are looking to expand or relocate, said Julie Jordan, director of the Downeast Broadband Utility.Fiber-optic cables are designed to transmit data and can send it faster than copper wire networks originally built to transmit telephone signals and cable television.The project aims to make direct fiber connections to 97 percent of area homes and businesses, helping address repeated concerns from the countys single largest employer, Woodland Pulp and St. Croix Tissue. Dan Sullivan, the mills information technology manager, has made regular pleas in Augusta for new state investment in high-speed internet connections.Sullivan told lawmakers last year that faster internet speeds in the community were critical to the mills bottom line and, therefore, its more than 400 employees. But he criticized public investment in upgrades using outdated technology, pointing to a DSL line built near his home in Cooper using federal broadband funds.[The DSL] project is a good example of using public dollars to build networks that are slow, outdated and unable to handle present day internet needs, let alone future ones, he wrote.Jordan said the utility expects its network to serve customers for about 30 years, which was part of justifying the millions both towns will borrow to build it.Once the project starts construction, it will take about two years to complete, but Jordan said the network could light up different sections in phases, providing service sooner for some customers. Jordan expects construction to begin this year.Getting access to utility poles wasnt impossible before for municipal broadband networks, but it was more difficult. In Islesboro, leaders of a four-year effort to build their own municipal fiber network said they were forced to accept whatever terms a pole owner offered.Still seeing it worth the cost, they accepted and this month are firing up a $3.8 million fiber-optic network thats delivering some of the top speeds in the country.Roger Heinen, a member of the committee that led the Islesboro effort, said that kind of local push will be required to get broadband to some of the states most remote corners.This was always about a realization that the incumbent cable and phone companies cant invest in a place like Islesboro, Heinen said.Consolidated, the states largest incumbent internet service provider, had sought to limit the reach of the new pole attachment rules, arguing unsuccessfully that regulators should step in only to resolve disputes, not to make rules for every application.Regulators sided with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and groups such as the Islesboro broadband committee, which told regulators that access to funds and an abundance of obstacles for attaching to poles were among the top hurdles to expanding broadband to all corners of Maine.The rules were a long time coming, Heinen said.Maine regulators create rules governing utility pole attachment, but most states defer to federal rules. Before the new rules took effect in January, Maine last changed its pole attachment rules in 1993, the same year that internet provider AOL began mailing CDs to homes.The new rules, which bring Maine in line with much of the country, require pole owners to respond to requests from municipal utility districts who want to string up their own fiber, denying them only in specific circumstances, such as when there are safety concerns. Eventually, the rules will include specific guidelines about how pole owners should set rates.Previously, pole owners only had to respond to municipalities seeking to put up new emergency communications lines or streetlights.With the new broadband rules, municipalities cant go it alone, however. They need private companies as partners to actually operate the network, or to light the fiber. The Downeast Broadband Utility eventually will solicit bids for a company to operate the network.With the Downeast utility leading the way, Schaffer said the new rules are promising.The Downeast Utility District was the first one to test that process out. And it worked, she said. It was simple and quick.It still requires communities to make significant investments in areas too sparsely populated for private internet service providers to justify costly upgrades in their own networks.But it gives those communities a clearer sense of how much and how long it will take to get a network up and running, clarifying questions about those painstaking pole-by-pole negotiations that make up their single largest startup expense.We dont know [the cost] until we go and visit every pole with the pole owner, Jordan, with the Downeast Broadband Utility, said.Municipally funded networks are one solution to the problem that officials statewide agree needs some kind of outside support, according to the Maine Municipal Association.In recent years, it has become clear that without state and federal assistance, expanding infrastructure into Maines unserved and underserved regions will not become a near-term reality, the association wrote in a 2018 paper on federal issues.The association did not take a position on the new pole attachment regulations, but it wrote there is now widespread recognition by local officials that internet access is unreliable, unaffordable, slow, or a combination thereof in their individual communities. This is an issue from the smallest plantations and islands to the largest cities, impacting schools, hospitals, farmers, and small businesses.Increasingly, though, localities are faced with taking matters into their own hands, according to Heinen, of Islesboro.It would be better to have a statewide vision and some leadership at the state level, but honestly towns are taking matters into their own hands, and, to the extent that theyre able, there are a lot of ways to do that, he said.In Washington County, the problem is particularly acute, based on the demand for internet connections at area libraries, which are tied in to a fiber-optic data network thats much faster than most home connections.In 2015, roughly one in three library visits in the county involved logging onto a library computer. In Cumberland and Sagadahoc counties, it was roughly one in eight, according to survey data from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.So, as other parts of the state, too, stare down the challenge of dwindling or aging populations, Calais and Baileyville hope their effort may serve as a case study for public investment in data networks.Jordan, with the Downeast Broadband Utility, said the nonprofit utility is in discussions with an outside organization that wants to track the projects impact.The areas economic need compelled the communities to collectively authorize borrowing roughly $2.5 million to fund construction of the network, designed by Pioneer Broadband, a Houlton-based company that last year installed a fiber network in that city.Jordan said Downeast Broadband expects the project will not raise local tax rates, as it will generate revenue by leasing the network to internet service providers. Jordan said they expect that revenue will pay down the loan and interest.A separate company will operate the network itself, taking a different approach than Islesboro, which decided to contract with one provider, GWI, to operate its fiber network. Downeast will contract with an operator that will allow other providers to join onto the network and offer service to customers with plans that, ideally, will compete on price.Its still uncertain what service will cost on the Calais and Baileyville network. It will depend on the companies offering service over the lines, though Jordan said a market survey found 97 percent of customers would be willing to pay $55 a month for speeds of 50 megabits per second for both downloads and uploads.Thats five times faster than the base state standard set in 2015 , which roughly 80 percent of Maine customers did not have at the time.
(TNS)  ANNAPOLIS, Md.  With the close of the legislative session on Monday, all eyes are turning to the 2018 elections  and election security.On the final day of the legislative session, lawmakers passed House Bill 1331 , which requires the state administrator of elections to report security breaches and significant attempted violations within a week of their discovery to the State Board of Elections, governor, legislative leaders and attorney general.Delegate Alonzo T. Washington (D-Prince Georges County) sponsored the legislation after it came to light that Russian hackers tried to penetrate Marylands online voter registration system in August 2016.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that voter registration databases or election agency public websites in 21 states were probed by Russian hackers during the 2016 election.At a hearing on Washingtons bill last week, Nikki Charlson, Marylands deputy elections administrator, said the states registration system was probed, but not breached.Charlson described the unsuccessful attempt to gain access to the system using the analogy of a would-be burglar. They jiggled the doorknob, it was locked and they left, she said.The State Board of Elections provided a four-page explanation of what happened in August 2016 in a letter to Delegate Carol Krimm (D-District 3A) last week.Theres no evidence that Marylands election systems or voter data were breached or compromised, Elections Administrator Linda H. Lamone wrote. In early August 2016, we identified some unusual activity on the online registration and ballot request system and immediately blocked the IP address associated with the activity.Krimm said she asked detailed questions about the states election security because I want to be able to tell people that when they go to vote, their vote is going to count.The letter to Krimm notes safeguards that are already in place, including that the states certified voting system is never connected to the internet, and the Department of Homeland Security scans the states website each week for vulnerabilities.The Department of Homeland Security also performed a risk and vulnerability assessment on many of the states systems, and the state has resolved all issues that were identified, Lamone wrote. Representatives of the Department of Homeland Security are also assessing local election offices and warehouses to improve the physical security of buildings.The state and local election offices also have disaster recovery plans in place if systems or data are compromised.Democratic members of Marylands congressional delegation sent a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Monday, urging him to take the necessary steps to access more than $7 million in federal funding available to the state to enhance election technology and improve election security.In the federal budget passed last month, Congress appropriated an additional $380 million in Election Security Grants. To access these funds, Maryland is obligated to allocate a 5 percent match, or $353,185.Federal officials have made clear they expect continued assaults on our election infrastructure in 2018 and beyond. In response, we in Congress have acted swiftly to better understand the threat and to appropriate the resources needed to harden our election systems, the delegation members wrote.Hogan addressed the issue at a press conference on Monday.The state is very interested in the security of our elections. Ive been talking about that for years. Were glad we finally got some federal help, and of course were going to do everything we can, Hogan said.  Were going to make sure theyre funded.
Tiny West Hollywood could become a leader in smart city technologies. The two-square-mile city in Los Angeles County, nestled at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains and home to more than 34,000 residents is, perhaps by design, the perfect size for trying out smart city ideas.Were kind of like an ideal test bed for a lot of these smart city technologies, because of our size, because of our density, said Francisco Contreras, innovation manager for West Hollywood.Because we have the mobility challenges that the entire L.A. region has, you could really test out some of these smart city technologies in West Hollywood, and then be able to scale it maybe across L.A. County or the L.A. region, he said. We deal with a lot of the same issues as, say, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, which are neighboring cities.West Hollywood recently adopted the West Hollywood Smart City Strategic Plan to guide its development of projects in five core areas: sustainability, mobility, access to government, resiliency and transparency.So its, how can we use data to improve our service delivery and customer satisfaction in these five realms? said Contreras.The new strategic plan is not West Hollywoods first foray into smart city innovation. Several years ago, city officials began exploring opportunities for improving internal efficiencies and capacities through innovation.We started internal programs to train staff on lean processes, and just different ways to approach problem-solving in the government sector, Contreras explained. We kind of got to a good point where staff is now familiar with those processes and those concepts; theyre comfortable with innovation.Already, the city has launched several pilots like the smart city public safety project, which uses video cameras and other devices to gather data from four locations related to possible criminal incidents, but also to offer a look into traffic and pedestrian flows and how residents interact with public spaces.The idea is we want to do more than your typical, say, surveillance. We want to see if the cameras can provide insights into how people interact in an urban environment; things such as pedestrian movements, vehicular miles-per-hour, etc., said Contreras.Aside from being just a public safety project, its also a community development project, he added, noting the potential to grow collaboration among different city departments.The idea of testing out smart city pilots on small test sites is not new. Las Vegas has its Innovation District  a small area of downtown dedicated to testing smart technologies in areas like traffic, public safety and autonomous vehicles. Atlanta has its Living Lab and North Avenue Smart Corridor Project , where officials can try out traffic and other smart technologies. Dallas has its own Smart Cities Living Lab , a four-block corridor of downtown where numerous projects are in the testing and development phase.West Hollywood differs in that the whole city, possibly the densest municipality in southern California, can function as a test bed.Really, whats driving us is taking a look at how can we solve some of our urban challenges with the use of new technologies and data, said Contreras.And luckily, we have the support from our council, our mayor, and our city manager, he added.West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman, in a statement, said, in employing these new technologies, we will be able to more effectively measure our efficiencies and better analyze everything from energy use to traffic flow in order to make more informed decisions about city priorities, which will benefit everyone in the community.
(TNS)  State officials say a plan to modernize Alaska's archaic 911 system could have prevented tragedies like the death of a Bethel man who went missing in November but never returned.Among the flaws in the statewide system, emergency calls from cellphones don't track caller locations throughout most of the state, as they do in a handful of urban areas such as Anchorage or in much of the Lower 48, officials said.The problems extend to rural hub cities such as Bethel or even Nome, a community that was an early pioneer of the nation's 911 system.Gov. Bill Walker has called for $9.5 million in state spending to centralize the call system. But at least one lawmaker has concerns because most of the money would be diverted from a plan to help pay for a seismic study in the potentially oil-rich Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, considered by many Alaskans as vital to the state's long-term economy.The 911 situation was tragic for 25-year-old Robert Nick of Bethel, said Walt Monegan, Alaska's public safety commissioner, on Friday.Nick was found dead Nov. 28 after becoming lost, apparently trying to walk to a village 7 miles from Bethel, the largest city in Western Alaska with 6,400 residents.Nick had called Bethel police from a cellphone 10 days earlier, to say he had lost his way. With no location information, searchers couldn't quickly find him.Upgrading the system so emergency responders can find anyone with an operating cellphone is a key motive as the Walker administration seeks funding from the Legislature, Monegan said.The plan aims to unify the Alaska State Troopers' emergency dispatch system, which currently relies on four regional hubs that use different computer systems."That's a goal for us," Monegan said. "A lot will be depending on how far an individual travels from a cell tower. If you got too far to even have cell service it's not going to help."Some 80 percent of 911 calls come from cellphones, so the lack of location information for calls outside large, urban areas such as Anchorage or Fairbanks is a major problem, he said.He said Alaska's statewide system is about 30 years behind other states.The inadequacies in Alaska exist 50 years after the Western Alaska city of Nome, population 3,800, helped introduce the nationally recognized crisis number, officials said.Nome appears to be the second community to create a 911 system, six days after the first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama, said Dan Henry, director of government affairs for Virginia-based National Emergency Number Association, which strives to improve 911 systems.But as in many other Alaska communities, Nome's 911 system now lags behind those in other states, state officials said.Sen. Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks, said Sunday that he's always a supporter of efforts to improve safety.But Bishop said he wants to be assured the governor's change of funding plans doesn't slow efforts for seismic research in 19-million-acre ANWR. Development in the refuge's coastal plain has been off limits for decades until Republicans in Congress and President Donald Trump agreed to open it in December."It's the chance of a lifetime and you've got to strike while the iron's hot," Bishop said.Walker's office said in an email that he fully supports development in the coastal plain, but added that it's necessary to prioritize scant state resources to address life-and-death issues. "Everyone deserves to reliably know someone is on the other end of the line if they call for help in an emergency situation," the statement said.The improvements can't come soon enough, said Jody Potts, who coordinates village public safety officers in 42 Interior villages for the Tanana Chiefs Conference.She said the vast majority of those villages rely on landline phones and must dial 1-800 numbers to reach trooper posts, instead of 911.The 11 digits are easily forgotten in a crisis, Potts said, so she distributes magnets showing the four 800 emergency numbers in her region, including 800-656-1203 for one cluster of villages and 800-675-4398 for another."If you're experiencing violence and there's a crisis, you won't remember an 800 number, especially if you're a kid," she said. "Everyone in the country knows 911, but that doesn't exist in (parts of) this state."The lack of a simple reporting system means crimes can go unreported  and unpunished, she said."It allows crimes to perpetuate if no one is held accountable," she said.Pat Pitney, state budget director, said about 180,000 Alaskans lack access to a modern 911 system, according to an April 2 letter to lawmakers.Emergency calls made across 92 percent of Alaska  not counting urban areas of Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough  lead to a series of transferred calls. Any location data is lost, reducing chances a caller will reach a dispatcher who can quickly help, Pitney said.Alaska is one of three states without a unified 911 system, she said.Also, emergency calls made in most of the state lack data describing the caller's number or even the fact that they're making an emergency call, according to paperwork provided by the Department of Public Safety.The caller must stay on the line to describe their location and what they're calling about, and provide a call-back number.But even then, the system is flawed. Emergency calls from rural areas don't always reach someone, said John Rockwell, statewide 911 coordinator with the Department of Public Safety. In some cases, people get an answering machine or a busy signal.Rockwell said he's worked with phone companies to allow 911 or 800 numbers to be called from cellphones. That allows people familiar with 911, including visitors to rural communities, to make an emergency call where cellphones work.Joel Jackson, president of the tribal government in Kake, said emergency calls in the Southeast community of 600 are sometimes transferred to different law enforcement posts. The callers must give the same information to multiple call takers."It's frustrating to people that are in a crisis," Jackson said. "Your family member is ill or something bad is happening, and there you are talking to people who should be getting ahold of the proper people here."
(TNS)  A years-long effort to find sustainable funding for ongoing improvements to Flathead Countys consolidated 911 dispatch center is still chugging along, with a target date for the next ballot measure likely still a year or more away.At some point there will be a ballot issue, but not this year, said Flathead County Commissioner Phil Mitchell, who serves on the 911 board. Behind the scenes were working through it, but were taking the time to get correct numbers.Its been a decade since taxpayers approved a $6.8 million bond that consolidated the countys 911 services. The measure didnt provide a funding mechanism for long-term capital improvement funding, however, and attempts to nail down a method of raising money have failed.In 2014 a ballot measure to create a special district to raise about $1.8 million annually fell just 10 votes short after a recount.A year later the commissioners proposed a special E-911 tax district that would have enabled the county to bring in $1.9 million per year. The proposal required residential property owners to pay a flat fee of $25 for 911 services and businesses would have paid anywhere from $50 to $1,000 annually, depending on size. That plan was scrapped after the commissioners received overwhelming opposition from mail-in protest forms from taxpayers.The capital improvement fund pays for computer upgrades, radio equipment and other technology needed to connect emergency responders with callers.The 911 centers operating budget is funded by a property tax levy of about 6 mills that generates roughly $1.5 million annually. The countys three incorporated cities chip in money based on population, and a small tax on county residents phone bills brings in the rest of the operating money.The 911 centers current fiscal-year budget is $3.1 million, down about $100,000 from the previous year. Some money has been transferred from the centers operating budget to the capital improvement fund, but this fiscal year the county opted to begin transferring $158,000 annually into the capital improvement fund, county Finance Director Amy Dexter said. That level of transfer will continue for the next four years.The centers capital improvement fund currently has $606,259, with an expected fiscal year ending valance of $467,205, Dexter said.The original bond issue included an $800,000 set-aside for minimal capital improvements, but at one point a few years ago that fund had dwindled to $100,000 with needed tech upgrades bearing down on the dispatch center.Another lingering issue is the fact that residents of the countys three incorporated cities are billed twice for emergency services, once by the city and once by the county. Yet county residents contribute only to the countys portion of funding. The funding mechanism, which many city officials have called unfair, has been an ongoing debate about how to pay for the 911 center.A subcommittee of the 911 board, chaired by Whitefish City Council member Katie Williams, has been meeting regularly and is methodically researching options for the best way to generate money for the capital improvement fund.Were looking at finding a more sustainable funding mechanism in longevity, Williams said. Its still in the planning phase. Were researching different ways to assess property owners.Williams said one option thats been floated is to pattern a 911 fee after the Solid Waste Districts annual landfill assessment.Were trying to figure out all the logistics, she said. Were taking out time, vetting it  there will be a ballot issue down the road, but not this year.
(TNS)  SAN DIEGO, Calif.  Drones have been used for a lot more than making videos and delivering pizzas.They have dropped drugs into prison yards, scouted out illegal border crossings, and grounded lifesaving aerial firefighting efforts by accidentally wandering into the flight path.The sky may be the limit for drones, but local law enforcement agencies are looking for a way to bring them back to earth.A new electronic device called a drone killer could be the answer.The Oceanside Police Department recently acquired San Diego Countys first drone killer, an electronic device that can disable a drone in the sky and force it back to the ground.Other area law enforcement agencies also are considering the technology as a way to rein in unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs.The purpose is primarily for emergency situations, Oceanside police Lt. Aaron Doyle said. It wont be used when someone complains about a neighbor flying a drone. Its pretty much for a life-or-death situation, to save lives.The need arose in December during North Countys Lilac fire, which destroyed more than 150 structures and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes in the path of the flames. During the blaze, someone sent up a drone that forced aerial firefighting operations to cease for more than an hour to avoid a possible collision.Shutting down the operations for an hour can be critical to saving lives, Doyle said. We started looking for options in case it happened again.The search led officers to IXI Technology in Yorba Linda, a company that has been supplying high-tech electronic equipment to the U.S. military for 35 years, and a new device it released in 2017. The company agreed to donate one of the drone killers, worth about $30,000, and made a formal presentation to the Police Department at the Oceanside City Council meeting on March 28.We are the first law enforcement agency in San Diego County to have this device, Police Chief Frank McCoy said at the meeting.The San Diego County Sheriffs Department also has looked at anti-drone technology and acknowledges a need for the devices, sheriffs Lt. Karen Stubkjaer said in an email.We currently are not using this type of equipment, but have not ruled it out for future use, she said. Terrorist organizations are utilizing drones as well as organized narcotic groups. This type of technology may be important in the future to safeguard the county jails, courthouses and communities.The device, which looks like a gun, can be aimed like a rifle or a shotgun at a drone in the air. The 30-degree field of its beam and its range of almost a half-mile make the target hard to miss.In short, it breaks the command and control between the drone and the operator, said Andy Morabe of IXI Technology.The airborne drone, depending on how it is programmed, will do one of three things. It will either return to its home, which is the place it was launched, hover in place or go straight to the ground and land.The companys anti-drone device was first used by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department to protect the 2017 Rose Parade, Morabe said. Since then, it has been used at a number of large public events around Los Angeles.The device can stop almost any of the hundreds of models of remotely controlled aircraft that are available, Morabe said.When a new drone is encountered that the device cant defeat, the anti-drone software will be rewritten to include the new model and an update will be issued within days, he said. Operators can download the update from the internet, just like any new or updated app for a phone or computer.Advancing technology and lower prices have led to a proliferation of drones in recent years, from the small ones with cameras sold online and in department stores to large ones used by the military to carry weapons. Drones have been used by criminals to drop contraband into prison yards, and by drug cartels to monitor the U.S. Mexico border, Morabe said.U.S penitentiaries, the Border Patrol, and the military are all interested in the anti-drone technology, he said. Marines at Camp Pendleton trained with the device just last month, according to a story by Reuters news service.Law enforcement agencies across the United States are rapidly adopting the use of drones.The San Diego County Sheriffs Department became the first law enforcement agency in the county to use drones for surveillance in 2016. The eyes in the sky have assisted in dozens of homicide investigations, SWAT incidents and search-and-rescue missions.The Chula Vista Police Department bought its first two drones this year, and police in Carlsbad and Escondido have said they are interested.The Oceanside Police Department acquired its first drone a few months ago, Doyle said.Its a great tool to use to find people who are missing, he said, whether its an Alzheimers patient who just walked away from home, or a criminal fleeing a crime. The drone has a heat-sensitive infrared camera to help locate people at night.Right now, we can only fly it during the day, he said. The program is still in its infancy.Officers are working to become certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and to establish local policies for when drones and the anti-drone device can or should be used.Oceansides location next to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, where training frequently causes brush fires, increases the need for a way to control drones during emergencies, Doyle said.The Oceanside City Council gave its initial approval to a drone ordinance Nov. 1 and is still awaiting a final version. That ordinance, when finished later this year, is expected to prohibit drones over occupied schools and some other public places and may require a permit to operate drones in some situations.Police often hear complaints about drones invading peoples privacy and in some cases creating a safety hazard. Last year, a drone hit an unsuspecting beachgoer, causing a minor injury, near the Oceanside pier.Several cities already have adopted policies for the use of drones.Poway approved an ordinance in 2015 that restricts the use of drones over much of the city, but officials said it will only be enforced in emergencies, such as to protect aircraft fighting wildfires.The county Board of Supervisors last year prohibited the use of amateur drones within three miles of a fire or any other area declared off-limits for an emergency.
Chief Remy Vira and representatives from Waluebue Community, North West Ambae, receiving cheque of 100,000 from Clifford Siro Ngwele and Henry Vira from the Port Vila Ambae Disaster Committe
I recently traveled across Washingtons Fourth Congressional District to speak with farmers from each county and to hear their concerns about an upcoming Farm Bill. One of the largest concerns expressed by farmers had little to do with congressional action, however: Central Washington farmers expressed their anxiety about the impact of a potentially escalating trade war with global trading partners.

President Trump recently announced new tariffs worth billions of dollars on products manufactured by China. The reasons he cited for tariffs are certainly valid: Some countries have not been playing by the rules, and China is one of the worst offenders. Everyone should recognize that for global trade to take place, there must be a level playing field. U.S. companies can compete with any country  if there is a level playing field.

The U.S. response to trade cheating should be tactical and measured because American exporters have a lot to lose if tensions are ratcheted up too high. China is an enormous market where many U.S. companies want to engage in business, but China is not satisfied with merely competing. The worlds most populous nation also wants to control markets. U.S. trade policy must be shrewdly calculated to ensure that China, or any other country, is not bending the rules in their own favor.

Currently, Washington-based businesses are effective competitors in the global market in aerospace manufacturing, software development, agriculture, and more. Forty percent of jobs in our state are tied to trade. Much of the agricultural bounty of our state is grown right in Central Washington, and many customers who purchase Washington-grown products are overseas and, yes, in China. As recently as 2016, Washington produced and exported $7 billion worth of food and agricultural products. According to the Washington Grain Commission, 90 percent of Washington wheat is exported each year, contributing in a positive way to the U.S. trade balance.

When the prospect of the Administration imposing tariffs on Chinese aluminum and steel imports became imminent at the beginning of March, I joined more than a hundred Republican colleagues to remind the Administration that tariffs are effectively taxes that are passed on to American businesses and consumers. The result is higher prices. In addition to higher prices, China has promised retaliation to hurt American businesses. As we have seen of products listed for retaliation, Chinas response would have a disproportionate impact on Washington and other farm-state exports.

I will continue to meet with Administration officials and request that the Administration respond to threats to Washington agriculture that result from the back-and-forth of tariffs. I want to work with the Administration to enforce accountability for bad actors on trade while protecting U.S. businesses and jobs from negative unintended consequences of overbroad tariffs.

When it comes to a trade war that exposes agriculture producers in Central Washington and elsewhere, farmers need a quick solution.
Honda says it has started a "different story" in formula one.

After three woeful seasons together, McLaren dumped Honda at the end of 2017.

The Japanese manufacturer went off to Toro Rosso, which could have been the start of a deeper collaboration with Red Bull Racing for 2019 and beyond.

And in Bahrain last weekend, the chances of that happening increased, as Pierre Gasly qualified sixth and finished fourth -- Honda's best result since returning to F1 in 2015.

Spain's El Confidencial quotes a reporter as asking new Honda technical director Toyoharu Tanabe if it is a relief to no longer be subject to Fernando Alonso and McLaren's complaints.

"This year the story is different," the Japanese smiled as he answered.

So while McLaren's fans wonder if the timing of the Honda split was right, Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost is in no doubt about his team's move.

"This result shows that being with Honda was the right decision," said Tost.

However, Honda's Tanabe said he wants more.

"I cannot afford to be satisfied with this result, because there were three retirements and a minute of difference to the first three," he said.

"We do not want to say great things now, as there is no choice but to keep climbing steps. Because we aspire to win and be number 1."

(GMM)
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BP Wind Energy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Rolling Thunder I Power Partners LLC, has signed a purchase agreement to install a high-storage battery at its Titan 1 Wind Farm in South Dakota. The project is the first of its kind in BPs US-operated wind business and a potential step forward in the performance and reliability of wind energy.

The 212 kW / 840 kWh battery, supplied by Tesla, will be integrated with the wind farm and configured to help manage internal electricity demands of turbines when wind isnt blowing. By doing so, it will enable the wind farm to store electricity when the site is generating it, and then have that electricity available to be consumed whenever needed.

Situated on 7,500 acres in Hand County, Titan 1 Wind Farm is wholly owned and operated by BP Wind Energy. The farm has 10 turbines with the capacity to generate 25 MW of wind energyenough to power about 6,700 average homes annually.

The battery storage project is expected to launch at the site during the second half of 2018. Lessons from the project will enable BP to make better informed decisions when evaluating and developing battery applications in the future.

The project also supports BPs broader strategy to invest half a billion dollars annually into low-carbon technologies, including projects within its established renewables portfolio as well as in new low-carbon businesses. Specifically, BP will focus on five areas: advanced mobility; bio and low-carbon products; carbon management; power and storage; and digital.

Renewables are the fastest growing form of energy and account for around 4% of global energy demand today. BP estimates that by 2035 the share of renewables could grow to more than 10%a rate of growth not seen in recent history.

BP is a global producer of oil and gas with operations in 70 countries. BP has a larger economic footprint in the US than in any other nation, and it has invested more than $100 billion in the US since 2005.

BP also has one of the largest operated renewable energy businesses of any major international oil and gas company. In the United States, BP directly operates 13 wind farmsin Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Texaswhile holding an interest in a separate wind facility in Hawaii.

The companys US wind farms have a gross generating capacity of 2,259 MWenough electricity to power all the homes in a city the size of Philadelphia.
Researchers at North Carolina State University are proposing the creation of a public, open-source network that uses blockchainsthe technology behind cryptocurrenciesto share verifiable manufacturing data. The system could be used as a peer-to-peer network that allows companies to find small- and medium-sized manufacturers that are capable of producing specific components on a reliable basis.

Small- and medium-scale manufacturers often lack the resources and network reach necessary to make all of their potential clients aware of their manufacturing capabilities. A public network like the one were proposing would help potential clients find manufacturers with relevant expertise and equipment in an efficient way. Binil Starly, corresponding author of a paper on the work and head of NC States Data Intensive Manufacturing Environment Lab

Our approach, called FabRec, would allow companies to automatically report about their manufacturing activities: which machines are being used, what materials they are working with, raw material inventory levels, whether the work is being completed on time, and so on. Because these updates are automated, users can be fairly certain that the information is accurate. And because its being done through the blockchain, which allows event logs to be traced to their source, there is accountability. So clients can find the right manufacturers, and manufacturers can find new clients, without relying solely on claims made in marketing materials. Atin Angrish, a Ph.D. student at NC State and first author

To demonstrate the viability of the concept, the researchers created FabReca publicly-accessible, prototype network that currently accepts input from a handful of machines.



FabRec Overview. A sample snapshot of manufacturers, designers, asset builders and regulators participating on a decentralized network. This network enables controlled information sharing across trust boundaries (dotted circles). Angrish et al. Click to enlarge.

Our network shows that the concept is viable, but the next step would be to establish agreed-upon protocols with participating manufacturers. That would allow the creation of code that permits users to reportand search forany given set of parameters, such as type of product, production time, cost, and so on. Binil Starly

Future steps also include developing software that would allow the authentication of sources entering data into the system, as well as identifying any unreliable sources, Angrish said.

The researchers are looking for manufacturers and IT sector partners to help build up the network and establish it as a reliable, publicly accessible resource for supply chain professionals.

The paper, A Case Study for Blockchain in Manufacturing: FabRec: A Prototype for Peer-to-Peer Network of Manufacturing Nodes, will be presented at the SME North American Manufacturing Research Conference, being held in Texas this June. The paper was co-authored by Benjamin Craver, an undergraduate at NC State; and Mahmud Hasan, a Ph.D. student at NC State. The research was done with support from the National Science Foundation, under grant number 1547105.
A team of Japanese researchers from multiple institutions has calculated that an area of deep-sea mud in the western North Pacific Ocean near Minami-Torishima Island, Japan, contains more than 16 million tons of rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY). In an open-access paper published in Scientific Reports, they estimate that this research area could supply yttrium (Y), europium (Eu), terbium (Tb), and dysprosium (Dy) for 780, 620, 420, and 730 years, respectively, and has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world.

In 2013, Professor Yasuhiro Kato from the University of Tokyo and his research team conducted a research cruise to collect deep-sea mud in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Minami-Torishima, 1,900 km southeast of Tokyo, in collaboration with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). They obtained seven deep-sea mud core samples from the seafloor of 5,600 to 5,800 meters below sea level, and carried out chemical analysis of the mud to investigate the distribution of REY near the seafloor.



Locality and bathymetric maps of the research area. Star symbols show the piston coring sites, and the color-coding corresponds to each research cruise as noted in the legend. The white rectangle shown in the detailed map is the target area where the resource amount estimation was conducted. Takaya et al. Click to enlarge.

They found highly to extremely REY-rich mud (deep-sea sediments containing 2,000 ppm to more than 5,000 ppm REY) located only a few meters below the seafloor. Moreover, they found that critical information on depth distribution and thickness of REY-rich mud can be easily obtained by sub-bottom profiler (SBP) on shipboard.

REY-rich mud has several advantages, such as high rare earth element content (especially the heavy rare-earth elements [HREE], from Eu to Lu), huge amounts, a paucity of radioactive elements (U and Th), and easy extraction and recovery. Therefore, the mud is expected to be viewed as a highly promising new mineral resource. Because of the extremely high grade of the REY-rich mud found within the Japanese Minamitorishima EEZ, research on a development system and economic evaluations are ongoing through collaborations among members of industry, academia, and the government of Japan. Takaya et al. (2018)

In the new study, also led by Professor Kato, the team estimated the resource potential of REY-rich mud in detail using Geographical Information System (GIS) software. The team also proposed new dep-sea mineral processing techniques (e.g., the use of a hydrocyclone separator) that could enhance the economic value.

Additional research cruises revealed the detailed distribution of highly to extremely REY-rich mud in the southern part of the Minamitorishima EEZ, and confirmed REY-rich mud having a maximum of almost 8,000 ppm of total REY content (REY).

The researchers divided the area in 24 grid squares and calculated the REY values and resource potential of each grid.



Concentration maps of average REY of mud from the seafloor to 10 mbsf and of each 1-m depth interval. The target area is divided into 24 areas (A1D6). The maps were generated by ArcGIS and are shown with 2,400 grids (60  40). Coring sites are shown as white circles. Takaya et al. (2018) Click to enlarge.

The researchers found a more than 400 km 2 (154 square mile) area high in REY in the northwest part of the target area; that richer concentration continues loosely to the southeast.

The grid square with the highest REY potential (B1) holds an estimated resource amount of 1.2 Mt-REOwhich would account for 62, 47, 32, and 56 years of annual global demand for Y, Eu, Tb, and Dy, respectively.

 our results demonstrate the enormous resource amount of REY-rich in the western North Pacific Ocean. In addition, a hydrocyclone separator can greatly enhance the economic value of REY-rich mud by taking the advantage of mineralogical features of the mud, which could stimulate future exploitation of this new deep-sea mineral resource. Given the huge resource amount, its high grade (notably Y and HREEs), and the effectiveness of simple grain-size separation with a hydrocyclone, we believe that the REY-rich mud has great potential as ore deposits for some of the most critically important elements in the modern society. Takaya et al.

Resources
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, hanger on of academia, parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
In a report on Monday, former congressman Ron Paul presented his analysis via the Ron Paul Liberty Report, on which he alleged that this most recent chemical attack had all the telltale signs of a false flag attack.



An incident will occur and somebody will get blamed and its usually a false flag, said Paul.



Right now, recently, its all been in Syria, Assad did it! Assad did it!' explained the former congressman. No proof at all.





Illustrating the premeditated nature of the deep states march to war with Syria, within only hours of the alleged attack, Israel launched a strike as the US military began prepping for deploymentwith zero proof of Assad carrying out an attack.



On Tuesday, Trump announced that he has cancelled further appointments to plan the response to the chemical attack which has yet to even be investigated. It was also announced that a US destroyer was in route to the western Mediterranean to engage Syria.



People are going to dieincluding many innocent woman and childrenand all of it will be based on what many are referring to as a false flag. However, the neocons do not seem to care.



While there is a tiny chance that Assad did actually release chemical weapons on his own people in order to drive out the remaining insurgents from Douma, it goes against all logic as it would provoke the actions which are now taking placeensuring the rest of the country is invaded and turned to rubble by US-made missiles.



The way the people that perpetuate these false flags [sic] say that Assad is gassing his own people, at the same time, hes winning the war and the people are flocking back in to go to the territories that he has returned to the government of Syria, explained Paul. But, nevertheless, hes out there gassing his own people, which makes no sense whatsoever and fewer and fewer people are believing this.





Sadly, however, as Paul points out, it doesnt matter if We the People do not believe them as the people who control the bombs will use this lie to their advantage to launch another war.



This time, however, it will involve straining the already tense relationship with Russia and Iran and could kick off World War III.
The restaurant opened to acclaim in 2010. Photo: Melissa Hom

Bad news out of Nolita: Balaboosta, the much-loved Middle Eastern restaurant from husband-and-wife team Einat Admony and Stefan Nafziger, will shutter next month. According to a statement from the restaurant, via Eater, the evolution of the neighborhood over the last eight years and rising operating costs are the causes for the closing.

When Balaboosta opened in 2010, it quickly garnered acclaim from New York and other news outlets for its fresh approach to Middle Eastern food. And it helped put staples of the cuisine such as harissa, labne, and tahini on the mainstream dining map of Manhattan. The good news is that Admony and Nafziger say theyll reopen Balaboosta in another location, but there are no concrete plans just yet.

In an interview with the Times, Admony partially blamed the influx of Israeli restaurants that have flooded Nolita in recent years, making it more difficult for Balaboosta to stand out. Im tired, Admony told the paper. I need some time off to recalculate everything.

Its unlikely shell get much of a break. Admonys falafel restaurant, Taim, is still going strong, with plans for a three-location expansion in the works, while May will also see the opening of her highly anticipated couscous-centric restaurant, Kish-Kash. Meanwhile, the vibe-y Bar Bolonat has found its footing, too.
One of the Cincinnati locations, before and after. Photo: Google

Hard times in the grocery biz  Amazon barging in, the industrywide price wars, etc.  have forced Kroger into a corner: In order to keep prices low in its penny profit business, the company says its had to make some tough decisions lately, one of which was closing stores. Kroger reportedly studied its 2,800 locations and ultimately identified 41 that were the most underperforming, but a group of protesters led by Jesse Jackson claim that theyve detected a more insidious pattern  pretty much all of them were in minority communities.

For the last week or so, swarms of picketers have been holding rallies outside of Krogers in the Memphis and Cincinnati areas, Georgia, and the Northwest. Kroger has pledged $3 billion to refurbish physical stores, but Jackson is angry because he argues that its mostly been used to spruce up suburban outlets with wine and services. Meanwhile, the plug keeps being pulled on inner-city locations. Thats created a food desert, he told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Monday, employing the term for an urban area where its hard to shop for fresh groceries.

What first caught Jacksons attention were three shuttered Memphis stores. After visiting one last week, he informed the local news, Its boycott time. Hes confident that someone could make these [stores] profitable, if Kroger would just try.

Kroger claims that it closed those locations because they were losing money. For instance, it says the kaput Cincinnati store that Jackson rallied at a few days ago was open for 34 years, yet failed to make a profit for more than 20 of them. It also adds that the Memphis-area stores lost nearly $5 million in their final three years. Jacksons response has been that he doesnt necessarily believe Kroger  he notes 2017s $1.9 billion worth of profits and $123 billion in sales, and says there are people  who eat and buy groceries in these minority neighborhoods.

Outside of the boycott, Jackson hasnt called for any other specific actions to be taken against Kroger. Likewise, probably to shorten the news cycle of this mess, Krogers executives have said little to the press beyond being open to further conversation and dialogue. Both sides reportedly met yesterday at Krogers Cincinnati headquarters, but it seems theyre still at an impasse.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson speaking in @Kroger HQ w/ Krystal Howard, head of corporate communications (both seated)... @Enquirer pic.twitter.com/P2UDMpLDdB  Alex Coolidge (@alexcoolidge) April 10, 2018

Unfortunately, this controversy over why it closed which stores comes at an inconvenient time for Kroger  just yesterday, news broke that the company is in the process of hiring 11,000 more workers as a way of overhauling existing stores, instead of building as many new ones as in past years.
Head to the aptly named Porter House Bar and Grill. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine

What makes a steakhouse great? The definition of this sacred New York dining institution has changed over the years, but most of the places on our list share certain time-honored qualities. The rooms should exude a familiar steakhouse verisimilitude; the side dishes should be numerous, familiar, and generally extremely rich; and the reason to visit the restaurant shouldnt be the quality of the chicken, or the fish, or even the vegetables, but that of the judiciously aged haunches of American beef. (The bistro classic, steak-frites, has its own set of slightly different criteria.) Here, the absolute best steakhouses and places to eat beefsteak in New York.

The Absolute Best 1. Porter House Bar and Grill

10 Columbus Cir., 4th fl.; 212-823-9500 There are more atmospheric steakhouses in this beef-eating city, and certain kitchens arguably produce better specific cuts of cow. But all things considered  first-class service, opulent side dishes, grand wines, and traditional and trendy cuts of beef  Michael Lomonacos Columbus Circle restaurant remains the gold standard for the postmillennial, chef-driven, fat-cat New York steakhouse. Lomonaco is accomplished at producing all sorts of things besides beef; but if you have the resources, fight for one of the tables by the window, and call for a towering stack of those buttermilk onion rings and the double-cut cote de boeuf, which is hoisted to the table on a silver salver, with a pot of red-wine sauce mingled with fatty bits of bone marrow on the side.

2. Sparks Steak House

210 E. 46th St., nr. Third Ave.; 212-687-4855

In our humble, highly subjective opinion, the signature $55 prime sirloin at this venerable midtown joint is the best single cut of beef in the city. Order it at the bar before the dinner rush, while watching the first pitches of the Yankees game, with a goblet of inky red wine from the restaurants impressive cellar, and youll feel the rumbling, beefeater ghosts of the city  from Paulie Castellano down to the great Diamond Jim Brady himself  rising up all around you.

3. Bowery Meat Company

9 E. 1st St., nr. Bowery; 212-460-5255

In the hectic tradition of many next-generation steak joints, Josh Capons downtown establishment offers something for everyone, including strips of zucchini carpaccio for vegetarians, an excellent duck lasagna, and one of the citys best cheeseburgers for the legions of burger loons. But the specialties of the house remain the expertly prepared steaks, which  in variety, quality, and, yes, even price  are hard to beat.

4. Keens Steakhouse

72 W. 36th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-947-3636

No chophouse in the city (and therefore the country) has a stronger pedigree, and none exudes a more pleasingly funky sense of old-fashioned charm. With apologies to mutton-chop lovers everywhere, the dish to get is the imposing Kings Cut rib chop, preferably on a snowy winters afternoon, in the pub room, by the gently guttering fire.

5. Cote

16 W. 22nd St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 212-401-7986

Photo: Melissa Hom

Theres some debate among traditionalists as to whether Simon Kims hit Korean barbecue-fusion hybrid is a real New York steakhouse at all. But with top-drawer cuts of meat stored in a carefully calibrated meat locker downstairs, and a roster of trophy wines to rival any midtown steakhouse, it has to be on a list like this. For maximum beefeater pleasure, order the reasonably priced Butchers Feast, which combines the opulent joys of prime-quality, corn-fed American beef with the communal pleasures of a classic Korean barbecue feast.

6. St. Anselm

355 Metropolitan Ave., nr. Havemeyer St., Williamsburg; 718-384-5054

Grass fed is not a phrase you often hear echoing through the dining halls of ye olde steak joints around town, but the fine grass-fed strip at this next-wave Williamsburg restaurant stands on its own. Pay attention to the side dishes (the carrots, the fennel, the iceberg lettuce and blue cheese).

7. The Grill

99 E. 52nd St., nr. Park Ave.; 212-375-9003

Like several other beefeater joints on this list, the Major Food Groups glamorous midtown destination isnt a steakhouse in the strictest sense. But the prime aged steak on the menu is impeccably procured and presented, the steakhouse-style trimmings (ask for the cottage fries) are world-class, and theres no better venue in midtown than Philip Johnsons fabled cathedral space to cut into an opulent, high-roller chunk of beef.

8. Minetta Tavern

113 Macdougal St., nr. Minetta Ln.; 212-475-3850

Beefsteak (the cote de boeuf, the bone-in strip) and the increasingly pricey burger are still the things to get at this seminal postmillennial, non-steakhouse steak destination, although the quality of the kitchen seems to have gone slightly downhill since the departure of the two founding cooks, Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr.

9. Beatrice Inn

285 W. 12th St., nr. 4th St.; 212-675-2808

Angie Mars celebrated remake of this old West Village saloon isnt a steakhouse in the strictest cattle-eating sense of the word, but it certainly is a carnivores paradise. Were not big fans of deeply aged hamburgers, but the braised oxtail is a thing of beauty, and if you have the fortitude and the necessary resources, its possible to subsist for a good few months on Mars elaborate, extravagantly aged cuts, like the cote de boeuf (60 days), the tomahawk rib eye (160 days), and the $375 porterhouse, which is aged for three months, and brought to the table smothered in escargots and gouts of truffle butter.

10. M. Wells Steakhouse

43-15 Crescent St., Long Island City; 718-786-9060

You can get servings of pigs head at Hugue Dufours entertaining, slightly cockeyed, nose-to-tail establishment in Long Island City, as well as a Caesar salad touched with herring, and saddles of lamb rubbed with coffee. The dry-aged porterhouse costs a small fortune, its true, but it also comes with enough elaborate trimmings to feed a family of five for a week.

11. 4 Charles Prime Rib

4 Charles St., nr. Greenwich Ave.; 212-561-5992

This diminutive Chicago import isnt a classic steakhouse, per se, but the few cuts on the menu (the rib eye, several varieties of that Chicago specialty, prime rib) are worthy additions to the citys great red-meat pantheon, and the burger is one of the best in town.

12. Peter Luger

178 Broadway, nr. Driggs Ave., Williamsburg; 718-387-7400

We arent fond of the indifferent service, the unruly mob atmosphere, or the tyranny of cash only or the Luger Card option. But during the quieter lunchtime hours, Lugers can still be Lugers, especially if you order the burger, or luck into a properly aged, fat-spattering porterhouse.

13. Strip House

11 E. 12th St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 212-838-9197

Weve long been partial to this gilded downtown beef destination, thanks to the ornate European-style sides, the quality of the New York strip, and also because we happen to live directly across the street. But the chain has been purchased by the same sprawling restaurant conglomerate that runs Bubba Gump Shrimp, which bumps it a few apprehensive notches down the list.

This post has been republished with updated rankings and new information.
Parkland, Florida, school district rejects funds to arm teachers

The Florida school district that includes the Parkland high school where a gunman massacred 17 teens and teachers rejected its share of new state funding intended to arm educators to help them fight off attackers, county officials said Wednesday.

Source: ReutersAPRIL 11, 2018 / 11:32 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGOGina Cherelus(Reuters) -The Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School ramped up a long-running U.S. debate on gun rights and sparked a youth movement led by survivors of the attack, many of whom have been critical of the idea of arming teachers.The Broward County School Board, which oversees schools including Stoneman, said in a statement Wednesday it had voted unanimously against accepting money from a $67 million statewide program, signed into law last month by Governor Rick Scott as part of a package of gun-control and school safety measures.Board members said, instead, that they want Scott, a Republican who earlier this week launched a run for the U.S. Senate, to allow them to allocate the money in other ways, such as providing additional funding for armed school resource officers.We should definitely launch a campaign to persuade the governor  for those districts who dont want to arm their employees, that they give us the money to keep our children safe in other ways, school board member Robin Bartleman said at the meeting, according to the Miami Herald.Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guns-florida/parkland-florida-school-district-rejects-funds-to-arm-teachers-idUSKBN1HI2FL




Haiti - Economy : Haitian agriculture is in decline dixit Senator Lambert





The 8th International Finance Summit organized by the Group Croissance from 9 to 13 April at the Karibe Convention Center focused on agro-industrial financing and the strengthening of the agricultural sector.



According to economist Kesner Pharel, President of the Group Croissance, organizer of the event, Haiti currently imports products worth an estimated $5 billion a year, including nearly $1 billion in food products that can be produced locally. He also stressed that it is time to think in a viable way to support financing in the agricultural sector and to modernize it in order to reduce imports.



Senator Joseph Lambert, Senate President pointed out that agribusiness is agonizing saying "Haitian agriculture is in decline, despite its importance in GDP," while stressing the need to find synergy between producers and local authorities.



For his part, Senator Francenet Denius, President of the Commission "Interior and Local Authorities" suggested to local authorities to take into account agricultural and savings cooperatives as sources of fair financing for operators and processors as well as other legal and financial means.



Similarly, it proposes to make decisions on mining explotation to make it a source of financing for development in general and agriculture in particular and finally set up an insurance system and a guarantee fund for farmer.



Note that on the sidelines of this Summit is held the 3rd Edition of the Conference on Microfinance and "FinTech Haiti 2018 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24062-icihaiti-technology-fintech-summit-2018-and-hackathon.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24059-haiti-economy-8th-international-finance-summit.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Tourism : Towards the valorization of the Aquatic and Underwater Heritage of Haiti





Colombe Emilie Jessy Menos the Minister of Tourism accompanied by her advisers held a working session at the beginning of the week with a delegation of the organization "Haiti Ocean Project" represented by Mrs. Jamie Aquino who was accompanied by Jean Daniel Lafontant of the "Haitian Cultural Foundation" and youth from the commune of Petite Riviere de Nippes, members of this organization.



"Haiti Ocean Project" is a specialized organization, observing and promoting endemic species such as whales, dolphins and sea turtles living in Haitian waters. This organization also works in the training and awareness of the young people, fishermen and residents of the commune of Petite Riviere de Nippes on the tourism potential of the marine ecosystem and the employment opportunities that this sector can generate.



It was agreed that the Ministry of Tourism, "Haiti Ocean Project" and the Ministry of the Environment will work to establish a sanctuary that presupposes the delimitation of a maritime area starting from the Gulf of Gonave up to to Jeremie via Grand Goave and Petite Riviere de Nippes.



"This public-private partnership should include fishermen and professionals working in the tourism sector," Minister Menos said. She pointed out that trades such as "Marine Biologists, Underwater Photographers and Archaeologists, Rescue Diver, Tourist Guide with Specialization in Marine Ecosystem are all disciplines that are not taught in the country but that according to the Minister should be part of the partnership so that young Haitians can better know the wealth of their heritage and promote and safeguard it.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















In the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against former Cadets executive director George Hopkins, parent organization YEAs entire current board of directors has resigned.

PRESS RELEASE

ALLENTOWN, Penn. (April 11, 2018)  Youth Education in the Arts (YEA!) announces that its current board of directors tendered its resignation and a new board and officers has taken over operations of the organization effective immediately.

The new board of directors will serve with two specific objectives: first and foremost, to ensure the safety of the members, volunteers, staff, and participants of YEA!; and to provide oversight and governance of the organization.

Doug Rutherford is now Chairman of the Board. Doug is the Vice President of Global Client Success at Tangoe, a provider of IT Expense Management software and services. Doug, a member of the Cadets from 1984-1988, and drum major from 1987-1988, will represent the many thousand alumni of the Cadets programs in the organizations 84-year history.

Doug stated vehemently, The recent allegations that have come to light are very disturbing and shocking. We are committed to an environment free from all forms of coercion and harassment. YEA! views sexual harassment, assault or aggression in any form as unacceptable; these behaviors will not be tolerated. Our mission is to support the development of young people through their participation in the performing arts while ensuring an environment that is safe, creative, and empowering for everyone involved.

YEA! is working with RAINN, The nations largest anti-sexual violence organization to develop long term policies, procedures, training and best practices for the organization as well as support services for any individual impacted in any way. If you are a victim of sexual abuse and need someone to speak with, the National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 800.656.HOPE or via the web at online.rainn.org.

Mr. Rutherford has been joined on the board by the following individuals:

Jane Lemmon of Malvern, Pennsylvania has extensive experience as an organizational development human resources executive, previously serving for 23 years as the Vice President of Human Resources Operation at Ikon Office Solutions. Her responsibilities included being named Chief Diversity Officer, managing employee relations and leadership training. She will serve in the role of developing and implementing human resources policies and procedures for the YEA! staff and programs.

Vicki Ferrence Ray of Wexford, Pennsylvania is the Chief National Programs Officer for Hugh OBrian Youth Leadership (HOBY), the nations premiere youth leadership development organization that provides programs to motivate and empower individuals to make a positive difference within our global society through understanding and action based on effective and compassionate leadership. She is an alumna of the 1992 Cadets and has over 20 years of youth program development and non-profit experience. She will work to ensure organizational and youth program excellence at all levels.

Ben Regalado of Severna Park, Maryland is an Ambulatory Practice Manager at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and is a parent of a current member of The Cadets. He has served in positions of executive board leadership or as a volunteer with four drum corps and two scholastic band booster groups over 25 years. He will serve as an advocate for students and parents to create and implement new policies, procedures and practices for the organization and to establish clear avenues for grievances.

Larry Mills is Co-President of Phoenix, Arizona-based Tresona Multimedia, one of the leading music rights licensing companies in the nation. Tresona works with thousands of schools and their performance ensembles, which include marching bands, show choirs, orchestras, winter guards and dance/cheer teams. He will provide helpful guidance to the many corporate partners that work each year with YEA!

Providing additional support and resources will be Dan Acheson, CEO of Drum Corps International of Indianapolis, Indiana, who is now serving as a monitor of the work of the new YEA! board to help it make sure it is in full compliance with all rules and regulations of DCI. Dan will help ensure that YEA! develops policies and procedures that represent best practices in the care of members, staff and individuals involved with the organization.

Drum Corps International (DCI) recognizes member organizations, and as a condition of continued membership, sets expectations for members and their participants conduct. DCI has stepped in to help guide YEA! through this transition, and to ensure that YEA! develops policies governing sexual harassment that are in total alignment with DCI.

Further appointments to the board, task forces, and sub-committees will be forthcoming, and YEA! will update everyone of this progress and actions going forward on the YEA! website.
Casillero del Diablo unveils premium tier

By Lisa Riley

Casillero del Diablo has added a premium tier to its wine range to champion less well known Chilean regions.

Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon from Cauquenes region is the first to market in the UK. Rolling out into 600 Tesco stores from next week, the tipple comes with a 10 price tag.

The aim of the launch was to champion regions in Chile which people perhaps dont know so well, said winemaker Marcelo Papa, who has overseen the Chilean wine brand for more than 15 years.

I have been working in Cauquenes for some time and am convinced it is one of Chiles best areas for Cabernet Sauvignon, he said.

The newcomer joins Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon on shelf, which brand owner Concha y Toro claims to be the best selling Cabernet Sauvignon in the UK.

The latest launch would help drive value in the wine category and give shoppers the reassurance they want when theyre looking to spend a little more, said brand manager, Natashe Erlandson,adding with Casillero Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon well-established as the UKs top Cabernet, now was the perfect time to launch another world-beating wine.

In the past year, sales of Casillero del Diablo were up 10% in value with sales of over 2 million x 9 ltr cases, according to Nielsen (52 w/e to 24 February, 2018).
LOCAL TECH AND MANUFACTURING COMPANIES CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN $1 BILLION TO HAWAIIS ECONOMY, HTDC ANNUAL SURVEY FINDS

State gained $48.69 million in taxes in 2017

News Release from Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, April 9, 2018

HONOLULULocal small businesses boosted the states economy with an estimated total economic impact of $1.05 billion in 2017, according to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) Annual Economic Impact Report of companies benefiting from HTDC programs. The economic benefit calculation is based on a multiplier that includes direct revenue, spending by the company, and employees spending. The state received $48.69 million in taxes generated.

Approximately 71 percent of the 211 companies completed the survey. The 149 companies that responded  which included all active Manoa Innovation Center/Maui Research & Technology Center tenants, virtual & graduate incubator companies, Neighbor Island Innovation Initiative (NI3) clients and Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research (HSBIR) & Manufacturing Assistance Program (MAP) grant awardees  had an estimated $588.62 million in total revenue, generated $282.1 million in income and provided 3,736 local jobs. The annual survey measures HTDCs progress toward its 80/80 Initiative, which aims to create 80,000 new jobs paying $80,000 or more by 2030. (3,736 / 80,000 = 4.7% with 12 years to go--and of course many of these jobs existed before the taxpayer money was given away in this scheme)

The HSBIR grant program provides matching grants, up to 50 percent of funding, to help companies advance innovative products from research to market.

Twenty-nine companies receiving HSBIR funds reported the following economic data points:

Total economic impact: $117.11 million Total revenue: $61.27 million State taxes generated: $8.19 million Local jobs: 379

(That's pathetic, but HTDC is giving money away to real companies too. Here are the numbers from the State's anemic manufacturing sector:)

The MAP program supports Hawaiis manufacturers by providing reimbursements for qualified expenses, including equipment purchases, employee training, and costs related to improving facilities and processes.

Sixty-nine companies receiving MAP funds reported the following economic data points:

Total economic impact: $876.29 million Total revenue: $493.88 million State taxes generated: $38.02 million Local jobs: 3,018

[DO THE MATH: $61.27 / ($493.88 + $61.27) = 11%]

The return on investment for the state grant programs is (allegedly) $14 in state taxes for every $1 awarded in grants.

The NI3 program provides mentorship support for innovative companies on Kauai and Hawaii Island. Twenty-five companies reported a total economic impact of $50.5 million, total revenue of $28.71 million, and 304 local jobs.

The results above represent only the respondents, therefore, the figures should be viewed as conservative indicators of the overall contribution of companies benefiting from HTDC programs. The Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (Research & Analysis Division) performed the impact analysis of the survey results.

# # #

PBN: Tech, manufacturing jobs contributed $1B to Hawaii economy, HTDC says

REALITY:

Audit: State Gave Away $1B Act 221 Tax Credits Without Verification of Eligibility
Hawaii occupational licensing laws 'headed in wrong direction'

Grassroot Institute president urges removal of barriers to economic mobility

News Release from Grassroot Institute, April 11, 2018

HONOLULU (April 11, 2018) >> The breadth and burden of Hawaiis occupational licensing laws have expanded over the past five years, according to a new study released by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Kelii Akina, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, said the increase in licensing laws in the state is a step in the wrong direction.

Hawaiis licensure laws limit competition and create a barrier for citizens looking for meaningful employment, Akina said. This study shows Hawaii is headed in the wrong direction by adding more regulatory burdens. Lawmakers instead should examine ways to lift barriers to employment so Hawaiis workers can move up the economic ladder.

The Mercatus Center study, Changes in Occupational Licensing Burdens across States, showed a 9 percent increase in the breadth and burden of licensure in Hawaii between 2012 and 2017.

The breadth and burden measure takes into account the stringency of requirements and the number of licensed occupations in the state, according to the study, which used a dataset of 46 occupations compiled by the Institute for Justice.

Hawaii has the most burdensome occupational licensing laws in the country, and these regulations disproportionately hurt lower-income workers in the state, Akina said.

The Institute for Justice ranks Hawaii as having the most burdensome occupational licensing laws in the nation. On average, the requirements to enter scores of occupations in the state include $438 in license fees, 988 days of education or experience, and around two exams.

The Mercatus Center study noted that Hawaii was among 41 states and the District of Columbia to increase licensure laws between 2012 and 2017; only 10 states decreased their licensing burdens during that period.

In the next five years, we should hope to see a decrease in the regulatory burdens brought on by licensing laws, which would help Hawaiis economy thrive and allow our residents to gain more economic mobility and freedom, Akina said.
Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced much sooner than initially planned to mitigate climate change, he stated in a press release on Tuesday.

Kimmo Tiilikainen (Centre), the Minister of the Environment, has revealed that the government has decided to prohibit the use of coal in energy production ahead of schedule in 2029 and encourage energy companies to abandon the fossil fuel already in 2025.

The Finnish government has committed in its national climate and energy strategy to drafting a bill by the end of the electoral term that specifies a transition period for abandoning the use of coal in energy production by 2030. It recently commissioned an assessment that, as a secondary option, also weighed up the impacts of discontinuing the energy use of coal as early as in 2025.

Tiilikainen said the government is also drafting a subsidy package worth 90 million euros for energy companies that abandon coal by 2025 with a view of promoting investments in renewable energy production. Half of the subsidies, he added, will be targeted at the renewable co-generation of heat and power, and the other half at other technology alternatives to coal.

Supporting the renewable co-generation of heat and power is a way to guarantee the sufficiency of the electricity production capacity in peak load circumstances, he argued.

The announcement, as expected, was received unenthusiastically by the energy industry.

Jukka Leskela, the managing director of Finnish Energy, warned in a press release that accelerating the phase-down coal use will be costly for the government and ineffective as a climate measure.

Resolute EU policy is the best way to mitigate climate change, he stated, referring to the blocs decision earlier this year to expand its emissions trading scheme. Punishing Finnish power plants, which are superior when it comes to energy efficiency, will lead to considerable unnecessary investments.

Leskela also commended the government for recognising the need for a subsidy to support the transition of energy companies.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Jenni Blomgren and Annamari Tuulio-Henriksson, researchers at the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), reveal in a recent blog post that most of the growth is attributable to an increase in depression and anxiety disorders, which was observed in all age groups and particularly in the female population.

The number of sick leaves caused by mental health disorders increased by 16 per cent year-on-year in Finland in 2017.

Mental health-based sickness allowance periods have become more common especially among women. They have increased also among men, but the increase has not been as sharp as that among women, write Blomgren and Tuulio-Henriksson. Depression and anxiety disorders were the cause of most of the mental health-based sickness allowance periods that began during the monitoring period. Such periods were over two times more common among women than men.

Sickness leaves caused by eating and sleeping disorders have similarly become more common especially among women, add Blomgren and Tuulio-Henriksson.

The relatively sharp increase in sick leaves caused by depression, anxiety and sleeping disorders should be taken seriously, they write, pointing out that also the duration of sick leaves caused by sleeping disorders has grown.

It is possible that the various changes and growing challenges in the working life, the numerous structural changes affecting our society and the ongoing discussion surrounding them, and the growing global uncertainty is reflected in peoples ability to manage in the working life, they analyse.

The researchers estimate that the phenomenon may also be attributable to the economic upswing and, more specifically, its impact on the employment situation: It is possible that the adverse effects of previous unemployment periods on mental health are now manifested in sick leaves.

Kelas data on sick leaves encompass leaves granted at the recommendation of a doctor for a minimum of 12 days.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Sami Halinen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
A NEW community care service has been officially launched at the Sue Ryder hospice in Nettlebed.

The charity, which is planning to sell the building, is trialling a new arrangement in which more of its specialist nurses will visit patients at home.

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RELATED STORY: Patient launches petition to halt hospice closure

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It went live on Monday with the opening of a new phone line to nurses who will provide specialist advice or rapid response care. If a patient being cared for at home wishes to spend their final day or two at the hospice, they can arrange transport.

Henley MP John Howell attended the launch and was given a tour of the hospice before he discussed the new system with senior staff. This offers a single point of access to care for end-of-life patients in conjunction with the 111 urgent care service provided by a Sue Ryder team.

It was devised last year in partnership with the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

The service will initially cover the south-east of the count, including Henley, Sonning Common, Wallingford and Thame but could be rolled out to Faringdon, Wantage, Didcot and Abingdon at a later date.

Sue Ryder says the arrangement will better meet patients needs as demand for inpatient care has fallen by 12 per cent since 2014 while demand for nurses to visit patients at home has almost trebled in the same period.

It also says Joyce Grove, a former private residence which the charity has occupied since 1979, is costly to maintain and is increasingly out of step with modern expectations around issues such as accessibility and fire safety.

The outreach service is likely to move to a community hub although beds would still be made available in partnership with one or more external providers.

The charity says it wouldnt want to buy alternative premises but moving to a less remote location would make the service more accessible to more people.

Mr Howell said: Sue Ryder will hear no argument from me about this sort of model. I fully support it and believe the charity is doing the right thing as the medical profession is moving towards models that integrate social care and medical provision more closely.

This model, developed with the help of the Royal College of Physicians, will let people live out the rest of their lives at home and ultimately die there if that is their wish. Choice is an important element in so many aspects of medical care so it would be strange if we were to deny this to people nearing the end of their lives.
Here it comes again bay bay!! Fool me once, shame on you, fool me again ...oh never mind. The last street hustle Janesville residents fell for, the $3M w...

2 weeks ago
Fan of horses and history

I read with interest the article in the September 2008 issue about the statue of Roderick, Nathan B. Forrests horse, and the award instituted by the people of Thompsons Station. I am a Civil War cavalry reenactor, so horses are close to my heart. I participated in the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, so I am very familiar with the area, and the story.

I enclosed a copy of a poem titled The Generals Mount written about Roderick that was published in the Nashville Banner in 1934. Perhaps you already know about it, but if you dont I thought you would find it an interesting follow-up to the article about the statue. Anyone who can read that poem without getting a tear in their eye needs to check their pulse to see if they are still alive.

I also enclosed a photo of me at Gettysburg (Im the flag bearer). Please note the headstall on my horse; its modeled after the headstall of the horse of General John B. Gordon, as shown in the painting by Don Troiani of the surrender at Appomattox. General Gordon is a personal hero of mine, and I was delighted to see an article on him in your magazine.

Hope this might be of interest to you; keep up the good work, and informative articles.

Jim Chapman

Fredericksburg, Texas

Editors note: Read the full text of the poem The Generals Mount on historynet.com.

Heads or tails

Id like to relate an interesting story about the Lincoln-Johnson coin/token that appears on your table of contents in the November 2008 issue.

I am an antique and collectibles dealer here in Old Town Clovis, Calif., and I am always looking out for items, mostly military, that I can put in my spaces at two different antique stores in town. One weekend back in 2002, I came across a yard sale in a neighborhood close to where I live. I asked the gentleman there if he might have any old military items hed be willing to part with and his answer was no. But then, he did say he had an old coin that he thought might be from the Civil War but never had time to research it. He quickly ran into his house and returned with a coin/token and gave it to me.

After looking at the coin, I asked him if he was willing to sell it and he said yes. How much, I asked, and he said $10. I paid him and immediately went home and started doing some research on my computer. Lo and behold, I found the coin on the Internet and it had just been sold at an auction for over $1,200. The last thing the gentleman said to me before I left his yard sale was dont come back in a couple of weeks and tell me that coin is worth $600.Of course, I never went back.

Well, needless to say, I put the coin on eBay and sold it for more than $950. I had a good month that day.

Hope you find this little coin story interesting. Regards from a long time subscriber,

Darrel Crow

Old Town Clovis, Calif.

Georgia Military Institute

The November 2008 article I Saw a Column of Black Smoke by Noah Trudeau is of special interest as the article mentions the Georgia Military Institute Cadets who helped defend the Oconee River Railroad bridge in November 1864 during Shermans March to the Sea. Captain James S. Austin, professor of English literature, and commandant of cadets, led the boys at this battle.

The cadets were part of the reserve called up the previous May. The bridge was held 36 hours. They would be the last organized unit of the Confederacy to surrender east of the Mississippi River while on provost duty under Union command at Augusta during extensive civil disturbances. They stood guard in the streets while President Jefferson Davis passed in chains on his way to prison in Virginia. On May 20, 1865, enough Union force arrived to relieve them and they surrendered. They were later paroled and sent home.

Austin had previously been a captain in South Carolinas Hampton Legion Infantry, as he was orginally from Greenville, S. C. He was sent to Santa Rosa, Calif., after the war to served as president of a Methodist college and then remained an educator here. He died in 1917 and was buried in the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. His grave has been an attraction on my Civil War tour for 10 years.

Charles Christian

Docent and Civil War Specialist

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery

Santa Rosa, Calif.

Vive lUnion! Vive la Confederacie!

Hello, I am a Frenchie and truly passionate about the history of the United States, especially the American Civil War.

Ive been a subscriber of Americas Civil

War magazine since September 2006.I love your magazine, and each month I look forward to the next issuereading it helps improve my English. I am also a reenactor, but in France there are two routes: the mainstream, which can be described as not taking the hobby seriously, and the hardcore, like myself. Perhaps we take it too seriously.

When I started reenacting my choice was immediately the Old Brigade and the 6th Regiment of Vermont Volunteers. When will an article on this elite brigade appear in your magazine? Can you direct me to any related articles in past issues? Thank you and sincere congratulations on the quality of your articles.

Gerard Dudot

Saint Quentin, France

Editors note: Americas Civil War has not published an article on the 6thVermont; thank you for the suggestion. Meanwhile, check out Vermont in the Civil War on the Internet at vermontcivilwar.org, and A War of the People: Vermont Civil War Letters, a book by Jeffrey D. Marshall.

Secesh female

I read with pleasure and interest I Saw a Column of Black Smoke in the November issue. Do you have any additional information on Ellen R. House?

Id like to know who she married, what she did in life and where and when she died, etc.

Im a new subscriber to Americas Civil War and enjoy it very much. Thanks for any help.

Norman Lemons

Gibsonville, N.C.

Editors note: Ellen Renshaw House was born in Savannah, Ga., in 1843. She moved with her parents to Knoxville shortly after the war began. While the Union Army occupied Knoxville, House wrote in her diary that she could have seen every Yankee murdered here and not shuddered.

For more information read A Very Violent Rebel: The Civil War Diary of Ellen Renshaw House, edited by Daniel E. Sutherland.

Our bad

I am hoping that you can help me. We received the November 2008 issue of Americas Civil War and are missing text on P. 29 (the article actually started on P.28).In the article titled Hawks vs. DovesSound familiar? the last sentence is as follows: Had the fortunes of battle not turned as; can you please tell me what we are missing after that? I greatly appreciate all your help in this matter.

Deborah Gutekunst

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Editors note: During the production cycle for the November issue, one line was inadvertently bumped off the page you cite. The last sentence should read: Had the fortunes of battle not turned as they were leaving Chicago, they might very well have. We apologize for the error. Thank you for your patience.

Originally published in the January 2009 issue of Americas Civil War. To subscribe, click here.
A veteran photo editor and critic delves into the storiesand the menbehind the greatest photographs from the war.

Guerrilla war in Vietnam was frustrating. The fighting was every- where and nowhereand it was photographed like no war before or since. There was no censorship as the military willingly took photographers to battles in progress. For more than a decade, daring photographers exposed millions to the reality of the war, and to this day many of their images remain fixed in our memories. Of dozens of great photographers who braved the battlefields of Vietnam, six won the ultimate recognition of the best in journalism, the Pulitzer Prize, more than from any other conflict ever.

Great picture taking combines instinct, insight, anticipation, technical proficiency, visual awareness and the ability to express the mood or an understanding of the subjectall finely honed by experience. Each of the award-winning photographers brought those qualities to their subjects in Vietnam.

Vietnams Pulitzer photographers shot for the Associated Press and United Press International, wire services that competed intensely for space in newspapers and magazines worldwide. But fierce battlefield competition was leavened by the shared bond of those who face ultimate dangers each day. Of the six Pulitzer winners, Kyoichi Sawada was killed and Horst Faas and Nick Ut seriously wounded. Three of the Pulitzer winnersDavid Kennerly, Faas and Ut remain active in picture journalism. Toshio Sakai and Eddie Adams had brilliant careers after Vietnam. Sakai died in 1999, Adams in 2002.

The reasons they sought to practice their craft in the midst of brutal war are as varied as the men themselves. Civil War photographer Mathew Brady explained the attraction of war to photographers as well as anyone: A spirit in my feet said go, and I went. And so, with cameras in hand, went photographers to Vietnam.

In this issue, we present the Vietnam Pulitzer pictures together for the first time as a single portfolio. Along with their backstories, we describe how the photos were made and their impact on those who saw them.

All of the Vietnam Pulitzers are in black and white. The legendary Eddie Adams put his preference this way: I believe all war should be shot in black and white. Its more primitive. Color tends to make things look too nice. It makes the jungle in Vietnam look lush, which it was. But it wasnt nice.

DAVID HUME KENNERLY 1972 United Press International

David Kennerly was a young but seasoned wire service photographer when he was assigned to the Washington bureau in 1971 to cover politics and the chaotic antiwar movement. Vietnamization was in full swing but hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops remained in Vietnam.

Kennerly sought an assignment to Vietnam but was first blocked because he was a member of the Army Reserves. Once his reserve status was altered so he could go to war, UPI brass told him that all the Vietnamese pictures had been taken. They werent far from wrong; 10 years of war had delivered thousands of compelling photographs, and four Pulitzers. Finally, UPI gave the go ahead and Kennerly was off to Vietnam to try to make the best pictures yet of the war.

Quick to get the hang of war coverage, Kennerly was soon jumping on choppers taking supplies in or wounded out of outposts under attack to get close to the action.

But, Kennerly recalled, I wanted to show the periphery of the war and depict the people who lived there. Kennerlys portfolio that won the Pulitzerpictures made in his first year in Vietnamconsisted mostly of the feature side of the warchildren caught in the crossfire, refugees, the wounded seeking alms in the street. Nevertheless, the picture from his prize-winning collection that caught the greatest attention was made on a remote hillside near a site called Firebase Gladiator. It showed a U.S. soldier carefully moving through a shattered landscape that resembled a devastated field of World War II Europe rather than the jungles of Vietnam.

In 1972 Kennerly joined Life, then worked for Time. When Gerald Ford became president after the 1974 Nixon resignation, Kennerly was hired as his personal photographer. His intimate pictures brought a new insight into the workings of the White House.

NICK UT 1973 Associated Press

Things were tough for 14-year-old Huynh Cong Nick Uts family in 1966. The boys brother, AP staff photographer Huynh Thanh My, had been slain months earlier while covering a Viet Cong assault. So Nicks mother took him to the AP bureau and told them the boy needed a job.

Ut was put to work in the photo lab and soon learned how to make prints. Within a year, he was shooting pictures in Saigon, but photo boss Horst Faas was reluctant to send him to a war zone for fear he, too, would be killed. Ut showed his stuff during Tet in 1968, and by 1972 he was a staff photographer. Faas fears were well founded, however; Ut was seriously wounded three times.

Vietnam was hot on June 8, 1972. Ut relished the relief in the air-conditioned AP van as he drove toward Trangbang 25 miles south of Saigon on Highway 1. The South Vietnamese army and the Viet Cong had fought for days around the village.

Ut and several other photographers positioned themselves on the highway in sight of the village as South Vietnamese air force planes swooped over the battle scene. Ut saw the napalm canisters drop and could feel the heat of their fiery explosions.

In minutes, screaming civilians ran away from the napalm fires toward the photographers. The attack hit the villagers instead of the Viet Cong. Among them was a young naked girl, her back seriously burned from the jellied, fiery substance. In that instant Ut made the picture that became a lasting image of the horror of war.

Ut knew the child, Kim Phuc, needed serious medical care immediately and stopped taking pictures, got the girl into his van and raced to the nearest hospital, demanding that doctors treat her. Ut then rushed to the AP bureau, and within hours his picture was flashed around the world.

Uts photo compels an almost instant visceral reaction and is often credited with contributing to the conclusion of the war. So powerful was the image in the supercharged atmosphere, there were serious attempts to discredit it. In a recorded Oval Office meeting, President Nixon even asked aide H.R. Haldeman, Im wondering if this was fixed. Haldeman replied, Could have been.

Kim Phuc slowly healed but her story continued. The North Vietnamese used her fame as the Napalm Girl for propaganda purposes. Long after the war, she defected to Canada, where she is a peace activist today. Uts photo remains one of picture journalisms all-time icons.

HORST FAAS 1965 Associated Press

The first photo Pulitzer from Vietnam was awarded to Horst Faas, who joined AP in Germany and sharpened his skills in the Congo and Algeria in the late 1950s. With conflict in South Vietnam growing, AP sent him there in 1962 when it was still primarily a war between the government and the Viet Cong.

Faas accompanied South Vietnamese troops to wherever the mounting conflict erupted in serious battle. His fearlessness coupled with precision camera work often produced a kind of picture seldom seen from any war. He captured angry individuals in violent, face-to-face encounters, the toll on civilians caught in fiery exchanges between government troops and the Viet Cong. This January 1964 photo shows the terrifying interrogation of a suspected VC being threatened by a South Vietnamese ranger with death by knife.

Faas wrote of his uncensored access, Photographers could crawl to the forward trenches of a besieged outpost, wait beside riflemen in night ambushes, witness brutal interrogations and executions and merciless street fighting, while the enemythe Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese operated in secrecy. American and allied troops and government civilians performed almost always under the probing eyes and lenses of newsmen.

We worked hard to be truthful. We avoided pictures of the bizarre and atypical. But when torture became commonplace in the field, we photographed it and distributed the photos.

Faas prize-winning portfolio showed the many aspects of the conflict, from countryside battles to the city streets of Buddhist demonstrations and terror bombings.

Faas suffered a serious wound that nearly cost him a leg, and, by the time he left in 1972, had seen more action than most soldiers with two or three tours. After Vietnam, he went on to head AP photo operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. His second Pulitzer Prize, in 1972, was shared with Michel Laurent, for their pictures of a public execution and torture in Dacca.

TOSHIO SAKAI 1968 United Press International

Toshio Sakai arrived on the scene just as American combat troops entered Vietnam in force in 1965. Sakai, and Kyoichi Sawada, the 1966 Pulitzer winner, were close colleagues who joined UPI one year apart. Sakai was awarded the very first Pulitzer Prize for feature photography, a category established in 1968.

In June 1967, Sakai flew to Phuc Vinh, an important base on the edge of Vietnams Central Highlands, the site of an airport and sizable contingent of the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division. The base had been under attack off and on for weeks.

When Sakai arrived the weather was heavy, hot and muggymonsoon weather. There was a commotion in the forest, Sakai recalled, birds stopped chirping, and insects quieted. My heart was beating fast. A tense atmosphere filled the air.

Everyone knew something more than insects and mist was in the air, and their instincts were confirmed when an unexpected gunshot unleashed total chaos. Shells exploded overhead. AK-47 gunfire added to deafening sound. Mortar shells crashed all around.

The Americans responded with fierce firepower. The exhausting exchange raged on for several hours until, suddenly, the heavens opened and a heavy monsoon downpour drenched the area. Shooting stopped and only the storms gentle sounds swept across the camp. The rain fell steadily for hours. The battle drifted away in the deluge. Weary GIs hunkered down.

Sakai eyed one soldier who had wrapped himself up in a poncho to protect him from both wet and red ants. He was curled up atop a pillbox bunker falling fast asleep in the pouring rain. Meanwhile, in the background, another GI with his rifle at the ready watched for possible attacks. But, for that day, there would be no more fighting.

The sleeping soldier must have dreamed of better times, Sakai mused later, and I clicked the shutter. Sakais picture struck an unusual chorda surreal, quiet moment in counterpoint to a cacophonous, violent war that was all too real.

KYOICHI SAWADA 1966 United Press International

It was a big step for Kyoichi Sawada when he left his job as a camera clerk in a U.S. military post exchange to join UPI in 1961. While covering typical assignments in the Tokyo bureau as a picture editor and photographer, he saw the stream of war photos flow through the bureau and yearned for assignment to Vietnam, but his requests were repeatedly denied.

Undaunted, Sawada flew to Vietnam on his vacation time and at his own expense, obtained press credentials and began shooting the war. When he returned to Japan with his pictures, they so impressed bureau managers that they granted Sawada his wish and assigned him to cover the war as a staff photographer in 1965.

Sawada soon earned a reputation as a daredevil photographeron one occasion dashing into a field salted with enemy mines so he could be in front to photograph advancing American troops.

In September 1965, he accompanied U.S. Marines attacking a known Viet Cong village. As American aircraft softened up the village with bombing, the villagers, knowing the Marines were nearby and would soon attack, fled across a river. Sawada photographed two mothers guiding their children through the rivers swirling waters, a photo that became the centerpiece of his Pulitzer portfolio.

The picture generated worldwide sympathy for Vietnamese civilians, caught as they were between the Viet Cong and combined forces of the South Vietnamese government and American firepower. After Sawada made his evocative picture, he put down his camera and helped the civilians onto the riverbank. About a year later, he tracked down the families and divided his Pulitzer Prize money with them, keeping none for himself.

In 1969 Sawada was reassigned to Hong Kong to manage UPIs Southeast Asian operation. He did his job but he desperately missed being a photographer and soon returned to the Vietnam battlefront.

In October 1970, then 34 years old, Sawada drove into Cambodia with a newly arrived UPI correspondent, visiting Phnom Penh and then driving south. There was alarm when they failed to contact the Saigon bureau that night, and a search the next day by UPI staffers found their vehicle. Their bodies were then soon discovered in a wooded area nearby. Each had been shot several times in the chest; their press credentials scattered about in the dust.

Close friend and fellow Pulitzer-winner Toshio Sakai returned Sawadas ashes to his wife. Sawada was the only Vietnam Pulitzer photo winner killed in Vietnam.

EDDIE ADAMS 1969 Associated Press

Vietnam frustrated Eddie Adams. He made good pictures, but his obsession was to make the all-telling picture that captured the essence of the war in perfect composition and content. It was an elusive ambition.

A Marine Corps photographer in Korea, Adams was on the beaches when the first Marines went ashore in Vietnam near Danang in 1965. But he returned to New York in late 1966 and from there watched the war unfold in pictures coming across the wire. That, too, frustrated him. He went back to Vietnam in early 1968, just before the Tet Offensive erupted.

On the second day of Tet, Adams and an NBC TV crew were looking for action in Saigons Cholon section, an area rife with Viet Cong infiltrators. They saw only sporadic fighting and were preparing to leave just as Vietnamese troops emerged from a building with a handcuffed man wearing a checkered shirt.

It was a perp walk, Adams recalled. They walked the man down the street and I followed them. Clickclickclickseveral pictures of the guards and the prisoner walking. Then they stopped about five feet from Adams.

A man walked into my frame from the left and held a pistol to the head of the prisoner, Adams said. It was a frequent method of intimidating prisoners during interrogation. I raised my camera and made a photo, and the same time the man pulled the trigger and sent a bullet into the head of the Viet Cong. He fell to the street dead.

The Vietnamese shooterwe later learned he was Colonel Ngoc Loan, head of the metropolitan policewalked up to me and said, He killed many of my people, and your people, and he walked away.

The photo was a sensation, an instant icon, hitting newspaper front pagesand protester placardsaround the globe.

But pictures can lie, Adams would say. Because the picture didnt tell the whole story of Loans aide killed alongside his wife and children earlier by the same Viet Congit haunted Adams, who would ask, What would you do under those circumstances?

Among the 20th centurys most recognized images, it was said to have helped end the war a war that ground on for seven more years.

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
Through his political illustrations, Thomas Nast became a powerful spin doctor who influenced public opinion and made presidents.

When Ulysses S. Grant was asked to name the one American civilian who had the most impact on the course of the Civil War, he replied: I think, Thomas Nast. He did as much as any one to preserve the Union and bring the war to an end.

That quote, which appears in a 1904 biography of Nast by Albert Bigelow Paine, may be apocryphal. Nevertheless, it starkly illustrates the often-overlooked role that the nations pioneering political cartoonist had during the Civil War, when he produced scores of passionately pro-Union illustrations for Harpers Weekly.

Nast, well-known for his role in bringing down corrupt New York City Democratic kingpin William Boss Tweed in the early 1870s, made his mark in American journalism during the Civil War as a rabid Republican partisan. He solidified his reputation during Reconstruction when his political cartoons relentlessly agitated for full rights for freed slaves and skewered Democrats North and Southincluding the ardent opponent of Freedmens rights, President Andrew Johnson.

Grant also gave the German-born artist a good deal of the credit for his presidential election victory over his Democratic opponent, New York Governor Horatio Seymour, in 1868.

How did an illustrator and cartoonist come to have so much power during the Civil War and Reconstruction? Part of the answer has to do with the fact that Nasts message was conveyed through a brand-new medium, the mass circulated illustrated news weekly magazine. He published more than 2,200 illustrations, cartoons and caricatures for Harpers from 1862 to 1886. His cartoons and sketches attracted the attention of the entire country, Nasts New York Times obituary noted.

The Civil War occurred when the United States had the worlds largest per capita newspaper circulation. New York City alone had dozens of newspapers and illustrated news weeklies, most prominent among them Nasts employer, Harpers, along with Frank Leslies Illustrated Newspaper and New York Illustrated News. The Confederacy also had a good number of newspapers and news weeklies, including the widely circulated Southern Illustrated News.

At a time when photography and photographic reproduction were in their infancyand cameras were too cumbersome to capture battle scenesa group of accomplished artists produced thousands of sketches that provided war images for civilians.

That group included famed artist Winslow Homer and the great sketch artist Alfred Waud. But Thomas Nast was by far its foremost practitioner. Nast, who came to this country in 1846 at age 6, went to work for Harpers Weekly in the summer of 1862 at the age of 22. He began by sending sketches from the battlefields and later branched out to produce illustrations with a message.

Nasts work conveyed both the pathos and the meaning of the war to a large middle-class Northern audience and struck a chord with them that wordsother than those of Abraham Lincolnwere not better able to do, said Morton Keller, author of The Art and Politics of Thomas Nast.

Thomas Nast was very good at drawing from life and bringing alive the action and images of battle and the aftermath of battle, added Christine Jochem, who heads the North Jersey History Center in Morristown, N.J., where Nast lived.

One of Nasts most passionate causes, freeing the slaves, was the subject of many of his wartime illustrationsmost notably Emancipation, a two-page woodcut engraving that appeared in Harpers January 24, 1863, issue in the wake of Lincolns January 1 Emancipation Proclamation (above).

Nast often expressed his rabid Radical Republicanism, never more powerfully than in Compromise With the South, another two-page centerfold illustration, which appeared in the September 3, 1864, Harpers (P. 56). Nast drew it in reaction to the Peace at Any Price platform adopted at that summers Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which nominated former Union General George McClellan as the partys presidential candidate.

Nast drew the illustration which brought him widespread fame and soon became one of his most widely seen worksat a time when Lincolns popularity was at its nadir and war weariness in the North was at its height. The supporters of the war and the Lincoln Administration bought all the copies of the paper they could obtain, The New York Times noted, and even went so far as to purchase the plate, from which were struck thousands of copies. The good the cartoon accomplished was held to be incalculable.

Part of that good was giving a powerful and much-needed boost to Lincolns sagging political fortunes, as well as to the stagnant Union war effort.

Thomas Nast has been our best recruiting sergeant, J. Henry Harper later quoted Lincoln as saying. His emblematic cartoons have never failed to arouse enthusiasm and patriotism, and have always seemed to come just when these articles were getting scarce.

Nasts powerful political voice continued after the war. His causes included civil rights for African Americans in the South, vitriolic opposition to Andrew Johnson and Southerners who worked against Reconstruction, and unwavering support for Grant.

It was during this time that Nast developed his pioneering political cartoon style, in which he distorted and exaggerated the physical traits of his subjects sometimes even depicting them as animals. In doing so, Nast all but invented the political cartoon.

Along the way, he created three images that remain part of the national culture into the 21st century: the symbol of the Democratic Party, the donkey, which he first drew in the cartoon Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion published in the January 15, 1870, issue of Harpers Weekly; the Republican Party symbol, the elephant, which he put in the cartoon The Third Term Panic in Harpers on November 7,1874;and the later-to-be-finger-pointing symbol of the USA, Uncle Sam.

Uncle Sams Thanksgiving Dinner, which appeared in the November 20, 1869, Harpers Weekly, encapsulated Nasts hopes for Reconstruction. The illustration depicts a virtual rainbow coalition of guestsAfrican Americans, Asians, Native Americans and various Europeanssitting around a large table while an Uncle Sam figure (not the Stars and Stripes-attired version that came later) carves a turkey. Portraits of Lincoln, Jefferson and Grant grace the dining room.

Uncle Sams Thanksgiving Dinner showed Nast at his kindest and gentlest. But this also was the era in which he created his sharpest-edged cartoonscartoons that exhibited his single-minded devotion to exposing what he saw as the evils of American society, including the machinations of Boss Tweed and his Democratic Party cronies in New York City.

In 1868 Nast started his cartoon campaign against Boss Tweed and his corrupt Tammany Hall political machine, which had been bilking New York City of tens of millions of dollars since 1865.The first salvo was A Respectable Screen Covers a Multitude of Thieves, a small cartoon that appeared on the back page of the October 10 Harpers Weekly. It showed New York Mayor John T. Hoffman with a self-satisfied look on his face, standing in front of a screen. Behind the screen, a group of men grab fistfuls of money from a box Nast labeled City Treasury. A sign hanging over their heads reads, Thou shall steal as much as thou canst. The Ring.

For the next three years Nast hammered at Tweed in his Harpers cartoons, depicting him as an obese, scowling, heavy-bearded thug, sometimes with a moneybag in place of his head, sometimes wearing a striped prisoners uniform. In The Tammany Tiger Looms: What Are You Going to Do About It? in the November 11, 1871, Harpers, Nast used a rapacious tiger representing the Tweed crowd killing three toga-clad women on the floor of a Roman Coliseumlike stadium.

The New York Times and New York State Assemblyman (and future governor and Democratic presidential candidate) Samuel J. Tilden joined in the anti-Tweed campaign. But Nasts cartoons proved to be the most effective weapon. Tweed, who unsuccessfully tried to bribe Nast, reportedly once ordered his men to Stop them damn pictures. I dont care what the papers write about me. My constituents cant read. But, damn it, they can see the pictures. In November 1871, Tweed and his minions were voted out of office. In 1873 he was tried and convicted of forgery and larceny. He eventually died in debtors prison.

Thomas Nasts crucial role in bringing down Boss Tweed marked a watershed in political cartooning in the United States.

Following the fall of Tweed, Nasts artistic career waxed and waned for the next 30 years. He spat out a series of vicious cartoons in 1872 that attacked Democratic and Liberal Republican presidential nominee Horace Greeley, whom Grant soundly defeated. Nast supplemented his Harpers work by producing scores of illustrations for books. In 1873 Nast went on a popular seven-month illustrated lecture tour in which he billed himself as The Prince of Caricaturists and the Destroyer of Tammany Hall.

He left Harpers after a disagreement with management in 1886, and later started his own short-lived weekly newspaper, Nasts Weekly, which went out of business in 1893. Thomas Nast turned to painting historical subjects for the next several years.

In 1902 Secretary of State John Hay, who had been Lincolns personal secretary, learned that Nast was in dire financial straits. Hay arranged for Nast to become U.S. Consul General in Ecuador. Thomas Nast died of yellow fever on December 7, 1902, five months after his arrival in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

We may not be conscious of it, but all editorial cartoonists are his children, said Scott Stantis, cartoonist for the Birmingham News and USA Today. Added Signe Wilkinson, the Pulitzer Prize winning Philadelphia Daily News editorial cartoonist, I didnt get into the profession because of Thomas Nast, but the profession is here because of Thomas Nast.

Marc Leepson has previously contributed an article on Confederate General John B. Gordon to Americas Civil War. He writes from Loudoun County, Va.

Originally published in the January 2009 issue of Americas Civil War. To subscribe, click here.
In 1861, Erins sons and daughters embraced the Union war effort; but by 1863 their disgust with the draft and emancipation caused them to riot in New York.

New York attorney George Templeton Strong remembered the morning of July 13, 1863, as deadly muggy with a muddy sky and lifeless air. Through this heat he observed a growing crowd of gaunt-looking savage men and women and even little children armed with brickbats, stones, pokers, shovels and tongs, coal scuttles, and even tin pans and bits of iron.

As members of New Yorks impoverished wards marched into more affluent neighborhoods, some citizens thought they were witnessing the beginning of a parade, or, as one woman mused, an immigrant festival. July was the common marching season for Irish Protestants and Catholics, as their religious animosities flared on the anniversary of the Protestants victory at the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. Such tension had led to violence before the Civil War, and would again. But this July was different, as were the motives of the marchers. For one horrifying week, these New York laborers, dominated by unskilled Irish-Catholic workers, would terrify the city during one of the worst riots in American history.

The New York City draft riots are usually recalled as a violent clash between rich and poor, and as a demonstration of the tensions between African Americans and their impoverished white neighborsparticularly Irish-Catholic immigrants. This is partially accurate, but overlooks a key to the rage that fueled the riots.

In the second year of the war, the North had few victories to celebrate. Irish-Catholic New Yorkers paid close attention to units that represented their traditions, including Thomas Francis Meaghers Irish Brigade in the Army of the Potomac, and there had been little to cheer. This was starkly different from the previous fallwhile they shared their part of the Union defeat at Bull Run, Irishmen took pride in how well the 69th New York State Militia fought under its colonel, Michael Corcoran. They boasted as well of how quickly Meagher stepped forward to replace the captured Corcoran and recruited an entire brigade of Irish-Catholics.

Well, almost all Irish-Catholic. A regiment of Protestants slipped in when the 29th Massachusetts joined the 63rd, 69th, and 88th New York, but the men joked about their old animosities amid the patriotic fervor of 1861. These sentiments echoed in Boston, where Harvard University conferred an honorary doctorate of divinity on Archbishop John Fitzpatrick. In nearby Connecticut, a native-born ladies society in New Haven sewed an Irish harp to the state flag they presented to the Irish 9th Connecticut, which the local paper insisted was led by a colonel of superior accomplishments and genius and supported by a major who was also a profound scholar, a polished gentleman, and distinguished lawyer. Such accolades from native-born Protestants had been unheard of amid the outspoken anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic nativism of the previous decade.

This camraderie continued into 1862, but was fading rapidly by fall. In September, Confederate General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia clashed with General George B. McClellans Army of the Potomac in the rolling fields and woods outside Sharpsburg, Md. Meagher watched in horror as Confederate fire literally cut lanes through our approaching line as the Irishmen closed on the Sunken Road during the Battle of Antietam. By the time their advance faltered and the men fell back, the brigade had suffered horriblyespecially the 63rd and 69th New York, with 60 percent casualties each.

McClellan called the battle a great victory and insisted the Irish Brigade sustained its well-earned reputation that day, but the lists of killed, wounded and missing that appeared in the papers revealed the cost. Five days later another shock ran through Irish communities when President Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation.

The proclamation provoked an outcry throughout the North, but Irish Catholics were particularly enraged. The New York Weekly Day Book, a strongly anti-Lincoln, anti-African American press, insisted emancipation degraded Irish laborers to a level with Negroes, playing on historic prejudices in the Irish community. The New York Irish-American similarly accused the Lincoln administration of suffering from Negrophilism and reminded Irish Catholics of the irredeemable malignity of the Abolition hatred of [the Irish] race. The Catholic leader of New York, Irish-born Archbishop John Hughes, warned that we Catholics, and a vast majority of our brave troops in the field, have not the slightest idea of carrying on a war that costs so much blood and treasure just to gratify a clique of Abolitionists.

President Lincoln compounded this fury when he relieved George McClellan of his command. From a historical perspective, it was a wise decision. For Irishmen and many other Union troops, however, it was an outrage. To them, McClellan was a general who refused to waste lives with unnecessary attacks and who addressed the needs of his men. Several Irish Brigade officers resigned in protest, but Meagher refused to accept their resignations. He did, however, write a letter for publication in the New York World insisting, Ah! If the gentlemen of the White House could have seen what I saw this morningcould have heard the cheers from those 100,000 soldiers which rent the air and deadened the artillery itself as the parting salute was firedthey would have felt that a mistake or crime has been committed by them, which the Army of the Union will never forgive.

Irish New Yorkers, and Democrats across the North, registered their frustration in the congressional elections that fall. Democrats ousted Republicans from 35 seats, installed new governors in New York and New Jersey and enjoyed victories in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Democratic leaders declared the results evidence the nation had rejected emancipation, arbitrary arrest, and military incompetency.

Amid these broiling tensions came news of a disastrous Federal defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg, fought December 13 in Virginia. Major John Dwyer of the 63rd New York observed that the dead were piled in heaps all over Maryes Heights, while Father William Corby, the chaplain of the 88th New York, reported the place into which Meaghers brigade was sent was simply a slaughter-pen.

In New York, this news dominated Irish papers. Two days after Christmas, the Irish-American published a letter Captain William J. Nagle of the 88th New York wrote to his father the day after the battle. Irish blood and Irish bone cover that terrible field to-day, Nagle wrote. The whole-souled enthusiasm with which General McClellan inspired his army is wantinghis great scientific engineering skill is missing his humane care for the lives of his men is disregarded. We are slaughtered like sheep, and no result but defeat.

This bitter mood swept Irish New Yorkers into 1863 and seemed to hover. In January, St. Patricks Cathedral held a high mass for the dead of the Irish Brigade. The sorrow echoed in camp as an Irish soldier lamented, All is dark, and lonesome, and sorrow hangs as a shroud over us all.

Compounding this gloom was the Conscription Act of 1863. It was an unpopular bill throughout the North, where Irish Catholics had not been alone in their loss of beloved soldiers nor in their disappointment with the government. But few other groups in the Union would sustain the frustration that permeated Irish-Catholic neighborhoods by the early spring of 1863. While most Irish Catholics stood firm in their faith to Union, they never endorsed emancipation nor demonstrated a renewed faith in their president in 1864, when most of their northern neighbors and fellow soldiers re-elected Lincoln in a landslide. Conscription proved another point on which Irish support for the war would wane.

Drafts had already left a bad taste in Northern mouths. Congress passed the Militia Act in 1862, allowing states to institute a draft if they failed to meet recruiting quotas with volunteers. It resulted in everything from committee appeals to full-fledged riots as citizens and immigrants resisted.

But while native-born Americans opposed the law, they resented the idea that immigrants would protest, too. Nativist suspicions resurfaced as citizens interpreted immigrant protest as selfish ingratitude. In Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Daily News insisted that immigrants are so absorbed in the contemplation of the duties now to be performed that they have forgotten the rights they have for so many years enjoyed. It was in Wisconsin that some of the earliest draft riots occurredparticularly among the German-American populationsthe previous fall; but general resistance to Union military service was also building in the mining regions of eastern Pennsylvania, which included significant Irish-Catholic communities, and in towns across the Midwest as well as larger cities like Boston and New York.

The Pilot, the archdiocesan newspaper in Boston, had reminded Catholic immigrants that unnaturalized citizens could not be drafted. But the editors encouraged military-age males of their moral obligation to enlist in the army of the Union or find some way to support the cause. Similarly, New York Irish Catholics heard the instructions of Archbishop Hughes, who saw state drafts and the looming federal draft as a way to ensure that every man, rich and poor, will have to take his share of the fight.

But these sentiments were from the previous summer, before Antietam and the loss of McClellan, before Fredericksburg, and most significantly, before emancipation. As Congress prepared to pass the Enrollment Act in the spring of 1863, Irishmen learned that any immigrant who had declared his intent to become a citizen could now be drafted unless he left the country within 65 days. The Pilot complained that most immigrants cannot get away in that time and reminded its readers that many of them are here, too, under the advice of Secretary [of State William] Seward, who had promised the British government the United States was not encouraging immigration to fill its armies. Seward had pledged that none but citizens are liable to military duty in [the United States]. It had all been, declared the Pilot, a miserable Yankee trick to entice over here food for powder.

Just as Irish-Catholic suspicions of the government seemed at their highest, scandalous rumors surfaced in their communities about the Lincoln administrations treatment of Meagher and the Irish Brigade. Meagher had spent much of January and February in New York attempting unsuccessfully to recruit replacements for his dwindling command, and the editors of the Irish-American warned Meagher that his efforts would work only if men can yet be found to volunteer in a warthe conduct of which reflects anything but credit on those who have undertaken its management.

But then Meagher publicly chastised the Lincoln administrations treatment of his brigade. He complained that the government unfairly denied his appeals for leave for his New Yorkers. Meagher was certain that having the men in the city would bolster his recruiting efforts, and the soldiers families desperately wanted the men home.

What the general public did not realize was that military policy had changed. The Army was denying requests in all theaters, especially on the eve of the campaign season of 1863. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton and General-in-Chief of the Armies Henry W. Halleck had agreed that their previous practice, which resulted in as many as a third of the Northern armies being away from their commands at one time, had to stop. The trouble was they never clearly explained this to Meagher, which proved a dangerous decision. This was Meagher of the Sword, the Irish nationalist orator who had always been a far better speaker and recruiter than field commander, and he wielded his talents that spring.

The Irish-American picked up the story, complaining of favoritism and unjust discrimination against the brigade, while Meagher claimed he was requesting no more than that which has been conceded to other commands, exhibiting equal labors, equal sacrifices, and equal decimination.

These actions did not improve Meaghers reputation with the Lincoln administration, where frustration with the general mounted. Several times that spring, Meagher had knowingly violated the dates of his leave from the Army and his averageeven poorperformance on the battlefield, combined with his active encouragement of protest in Irish communities, did not endear him to Stanton or Halleck. Then in mid-February, Meagher breached the chain of command, taking his complaints straight to the president.

Halleck had already warned Stanton against accepting applications for leave supported by pressing solicitations of high officers of the Government. Halleck was weary of political generals whose commands had little to do with skill and more with their influence of voters. It seems but little better than murder to give important commands to such men, Halleck insisted. Lincoln agreed, complaining to Halleck that for every politically influenced promotion, he had to remove a fighting general who could win the war. While the administration had a reasonable case, it did not appear so in the Irish-Catholic neighborhoods of New York.

On May 8, Meagher wrote to John Hancock, an assistant adjutant general in the War Department. Meagher reminded him of the brigades losses at Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. The depression caused by this ungenerous and inconsiderate treatment of a gallant remnant of the Brigade that had never once failed to do its duty most liberally and heroically, almost unfitted me to remain in command, Meagher argued. Still, he insisted, he preferred to remain in the companionship and charge of such men despite the fact that he knew it was to a sacrifice rather than to a victory we were going.

But to do so any longer would be to perpetuate a public deception, in which the hard-won honors of good soldiers, and in them the military reputation of a brave old race would inevitably be involved and compromised.

The War Departments response was brief: Your resignation has been accepted by the President of the United States, to take effect this day.

New York Irish were outraged. Support for Meaghers recruiting efforts had faded, but their sense that he and their fellow Irishmen were cast aside by the Lincoln administration was too much.The Irish-American had already been complaining that If the Brigade were not so markedly and distinctively Irish, they would not have been treated with the positive injustice and neglect to which they have been exposed.

Now the paper published another letter from Captain William Nagle of the 88th New York, which captured perfectly the mood in both the camp and among the Irish-Americans readers at home. Am I not right in saying, Nagle asked, that in any other country the brigade which had fought and suffered as this has would be gratefully and proudly cherished, its ranks kept full, its deeds of heroism acknowledged and rewarded? We asked neither reward nor favor, only what was rightjust to the government, and for the advancement and good of the cause in which we had staked life and reputation. It was denied us, and the Irish Brigade is blotted out of the army of the Union.

In Boston, the editors of the Pilot raged, We are an emigrant race; we did not cause this war; vast numbers of our people have perished in it.[T]he Irish spirit for the war is dead! Absolutely dead!Then just weeks before the draft they warned, The Irish will never forgive this extreme want of decorum. It will remain in their memory with national bitterness as the deaths of their warriors will with national regret. Such sentiments will have their effect.

Six weeks later, New York erupted in a storm of violence. Irish-Catholic laborers rage was definitely fueled by racism and socioeconomic insecurities. But it was also the result of tensions that rippled back from the battlefields and from Washington. The overwhelming cost of the war combined with the popular sense among Irishmen that they had volunteered to fight for Union, not emancipation.

As the drum turned in the New York draft office on Saturday, July 11, an uneasy stillness hung over the city. By Monday the storm rolled in as workers and their families marched out of their neighborhoods to strike down any symbol of Lincoln and Republicanism. They targeted African Americans, abolitionists, and anyone they might hold responsible for their perceived injustices. While it included large numbers of Irish Catholics, the mob also contained Germans and other immigrants as well as skilled laborers.

But there were Irish Catholics on both sides of this fight. The Irish Brigades own Colonel Robert Nugent, home recovering from a wound received at Fredericksburg, was in charge of the draft in the city. Nugent saw the draft as law and the war as necessary, and he had little patience for rioters, who destroyed his home and would likely have killed Nugent had they captured him. They nearly killed police Superintendent John A. Kennedy.

The mobs looted and burned large sections of New York, including the Colored Orphans Asylum, whose residents barely escaped. Fires swept across the city, in part because Irish-Catholic fire crews participated in the violence. African Americans and any symbol of affluence, which included abolitionists and Republicans, caught the rioters rage. By Tuesday, most of the skilled laborers and fire companies had returned to work, but unskilled workers, dominated by Irish Catholics, continued their resistance for two more days.

There were exceptions. On Tuesday morning Colonel Henry OBrien ordered his 11th New York Volunteers to support the police by firing into the raging crowds. Reports raced through neighborhoods that afternoon that OBriens order had resulted in the deaths of at least one woman and child, if not more. Rioters found his home and destroyed it, and then captured OBrien when he returned to assess the damage. Over the next six hours, the mob beat the Union officer with fists and clubs, while women took turns pounding his face beyond recognition. They offered similar abuse to anyoneincluding fellow Irish Catholics like OBrien who appeared to support the Lincoln administration, its policies and anyone enforcing them.

By Thursday, Federal troops arrived to help crush the violence, and a smoldering, troubled peace surfaced by Friday. At the front, some Irish Brigade soldiers were horrified by the violenceincluding Sergeant Peter Welsh of the 28th Massachusetts, who insisted the draft was the only way to fairly share the burden of fighting. He suggested using canister and grape against the skulking blowers at home who resist their duty. God help the Irish, he prayed. They are to[o] easily led into such snares which give their enemys [sic] an opportunity to malighn [sic] and abuse them.

But sentiments at home, at least within the Irish-Catholic community, revealed regret for the violence but an insistence that they were not to blame. The New York Irish-American claimed the Lincoln administration knew the danger they were risking, and the outbreak of popular resentment and opposition which the obnoxious character of the law would be certain to provoke.They had heeded neither advice nor warning; and the deplorable resultsare all that their disregard of the plainest dictates of common sense has produced. Archbishop Hughes agreed. While he faulted the rioters for their violence, he attacked those who blamed the Irish-Catholic community. He challenged abolitionist and New York Tribune editor Horace Greeleys claim that all those arrested were Irish and that their community certainly must be blamed. Hughes insisted that if only Irishmen were arrested, it was further proof they were innocuous victims of our municipal laws and the favorite targets of nativists.

To native-born New Yorkers, the rioters confirmed all their prejudices about Irishmen. Resistance to the draft was the flimsiest of veils to cover the wholesale plundering which characterized the operations of the day, the Times declared, reminding readers how much the poor could benefit by earning the $300 bounty for volunteering. To Irishmen, however, that impossible sum revealed lasting prejudices.

Disgusted by the violence and what they saw as the cause of it, the editors of the Irish-American insisted, It was supposed that the outbreak of the rebellion, and the patriotism evinced on all sides by Irish-Americans, would put an end to the invidious attacks of [the New York Tribune and the Chicago Tribune], which, like Harpers Weekly, were ever ready to denounce us as nuisances. But such moderation could not long endure. The moment the Abolition faction began to take breath after the first shock of the secession movement had passed, and the struggle for political preeminence recommenced, the old spirit soon displayed itself and at every check the Radicals experienced, the Irish came in for unsparing denunciation for their faithful adherence to the old Democratic faith and traditions of the nation, to which none have been truer than they.

In five days of rioting, men and womenmost of them Irish Catholicslooted and burned an African-American orphanage, destroyed millions of dollars worth of property and contributed to the deaths, directly or indirectly, of well over 100 people.

Eventually the Irish-American community stopped trying to defend what happened. If something positive came from that week of horror, it was the realization that reasonable complaints had to be made in a far more reasoned manner. Over the next two years, New York Democrats raised enough money to buy the exemption of nearly every drafted man who did not wish to serve. They also clarified that the brutality of the July riots could notwould notdefine their communities. The New York Irish became increasingly skilled at launching their protests with ballots rather than fists. And they would insist that if Americans chose to remember their horrific behavior in that hot July of 1863, they must also remember the sacrifices of thousands of loyal Irish-Catholic soldiers to the preservation of the Union.

Susannah Ural Bruce, Ph.D., is associate professor of history at Sam Houston State University. This article is based on her book, The Harp and the Eagle: Irish-American Volunteers in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (NYU Press, 2006).

Originally published in the March 2009 issue of Americas Civil War. To subscribe, click here.
Nathan B. Forrest took matters into his own hands at Ft. Donelsonand a legend was born.

As his generals argued for surrender, Nathan Bedford Forrest fumed. To that point the neophyte cavalry commander had been the good soldier, obeying every order as the Confederates fought desperately to hold onto Fort Donelson in February 1862. With the panache of a grizzled veteran, he had led several attacks that had bloodied the Union forces as they converged on the Cumberland River bastion. At one pointfighting for several hours in an exposed position well beyond the Rebel trenches surrounding the forthe had battled the Federals to a standstill. Later in the struggle, when his plea to charge the enemy was rejected, he complied, even though his instincts told him he would crush his foe if he could just keep going.

But when the Confederate hierarchy at Donelson decided it could hold the fort no longer, Forrest had had enough. If Fort Donelson fell, it would open the gates of the Tennessee capital of Nashvilleand two-thirds of the stateto the Federals. Nine days earlier, nearby Fort Henry had succumbed in only two hours, giving the Union control of the important Tennessee River. Overcoming all that plus the loss of Donelson and a sizable Rebel army would be all but impossible.

Forrest was just a lieutenant colonel, but he bluntly dressed-down his superiors as they weighed raising the white flag on the morning of February 16. He had not come to Donelson to surrender, Forrest told the three brigadier generals in the room: John Floyd, Gideon Pillow and Simon Bolivar Buckner. He had promised the parents of his young troopers that he would protect them for as long as possible, and he would not see them marched off and consigned to the hardships of a Yankee prison. Turning to Pillow, the only general he had known before the battle, Forrest asked for counsel, but he already knew what he wanted to hear. Cut your way out, Pillow advised. Forrest said he would do exactly that, and would take all who would go with him, even if the escape saved only one life and cost him his own.

The Confederate surrender of Fort Donelson was the beginning of Nathan Bedford Forrests military epiphany. Although born into poverty, the eldest son of a hard-working blacksmith in Chapel Hill, Tenn., he had enjoyed plenty of success in his first 40 years. Forrest was 15 when his father died, but he rose to the challenge as the new head of his family. Scrambling with a store, a brickyard and a stage line, he worked his way to wealth as a slave-trader and plantation owner. He even was elected a city alderman in Memphis.

When the Civil War began, Forrest, as a planter, would have been exempt from fighting. But though he was one of the richest men in the entire Southclaiming a net worth of $1.5 millionhe didnt hesitate to join the Confederate Army, even as a lowly private. It wouldnt matter that Forrest had no formal military training; his martial genius and remarkable grasp of battle tactics were quickly apparent. He remained a private less than a month before Tennessee Governor Isham G. Harris named him a lieutenant colonel and asked him to recruit and lead a battalion of Confederate Mounted Rangers.

Self-reliance and stony individuality had been the key aspects of Forrests personality in private and public matters before the war, but for his first nine months in uniform he remained a respectful, dutiful soldier. He seemed willing to let the generals, the men who had trained their entire careers for this, call the shots.

Forrest was in Kentucky, scouting for the western Confederate armys Bowling Green headquarters, when Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman surrendered Fort Henry to Ulysses S. Grant on February 6. Henry and Donelson, just 12 miles apart by land, were critical to the defense of central and west Tennessee, but Tilghman could hardly be blamed for surrendering Henry when Grant came calling with four ironclads, three so-called timberclads and 15,000 infantrymen. Before the soldiers arrived and the boats opened fire, Tilghman ordered all but a handful of his 2,600-man garrison to evacuate by land toward Donelson, then held on for two hours to buy them time.

Had he been there, Forrest certainly would not have tolerated the cavalrys behavior during the escape from Henry. Assigned to guard the rear, the horsemen instead galloped through the infantrymen in terror, helping turn the retreat into a stampede.

The mood at Fort Donelson was tense as Forrest and his 500 cavalrymen reached the bank of the Cumberland River on the afternoon of February 10. Early the next day, he finished ferrying his men across the river into the trench lines at the fort and the adjacent steamboat landing at Dover, Tenn.

Pillow, a lawyer and politician in Tennessee before the war, had arrived at Donelson the same day and became the forts commander, taking over for Brig. Gen. Bushrod Johnson. Acquainted with Forrest when the colonel was a Memphis alderman, Pillow named him chief of Fort Donelsons cavalry, for good reason.

Forrest was the most senior lieutenant colonel of the cavalry present, outranking the lackluster leader of the Henry horsemen, Lt. Col. George W. Gantt. Little did Pillow or Forrest know that the forts new cavalry leader would soon begin suffering a crisis of confidence in the aristocratic Confederate command structure that Pillow represented.

Forrest had barely found a campsite near the fort before Pillow ordered him to scout the twin roads connecting Henry and Donelson. Three miles out he surprised a Federal scouting partywhich he proceeded to presshard back toward where it came from. Then, four miles from Fort Henry, he encountered a line of Federal troops. The chilly, rainy weather that had deluged the region the previous week was finally clearing, and Grants men were preparing to head onto the roads for an early start to Donelson the next day. Forrest returned to Donelson and reported what he had discovered.

His news apparently made little impression on Pillow, who did not order ambushes or obstacles to be set up along the roads from Henry. Pillow, in fact, left Donelson altogether early on February 12, taking a steamboat upriver to Cumberland City to browbeat his immediate superior, General Floyd, into letting him keep Buckners crack Kentucky division with him at the fort. Buckner had been headed to join Floyd at Cumberland City when Pillow diverted the Kentuckians to Donelson.

Blood between Pillow and Buckner had been bad since 1857, when Buckner had written newspaper articles ridiculing Pillows exaggerated claims of glory in the Mexican War. As he headed to meet Floyd, Pillow left Buckner in command at Donelson, but specified that in no event was anybody to bring on a battle in his absence. Buckner later wrote that Pillow left me with the impression that he did not expect an immediate advance of the enemy.

Before leaving, Pillow also ordered Forrest out on another patrol. About 9 a.m., two miles down the lower Henry road, Forrest again ran into Grants armyand again quickly displayed his soon-to-be-trademark military aptitude. Spreading his men, he dismounted his two best-armed companies on a wooded ridge overlooking a clearing, and opened fire when Federal cavalry entered the kill zone.

His 1,000 or so horsemen delayed one of the two columns of Grants 15,000-man army for hours. The Confederate troopers were so well positioned that Federal officers reported being faced with cavalry strongly supported by infantry. To oppose what he clearly felt was a major attack, Union 1st Division commander Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand brought up three infantry brigades. The general then moved right to bypass Forrest, only to be repeatedly attacked both in front and on his flank. The Federals finally dispersed their attackers by bringing up artillery.

Forrest fought the Federals outside the trenches for five hours, repeatedly sending Buckner appeals for reinforcements. Buckner, however, had been given his orders. He eventually ordered Forrest back inside the Confederate lines.

Floyd arrived at Donelson that night, joining Pillow, Buckner and Johnson to form what was likely the most dysfunctional quartet of Confederate generals ever fielded. The rancor between Pillow and Buckner was bad enough, but Floyd had his own concerns. As U.S. secretary of war on the brink of secession, he had arranged to move Federal arms into Southern arsenals that would soon be seized by secessionists, and now he expected to hang if captured.

The fourth general, Johnson, had aided fugitive slaves in his native Ohio and, after graduating from West Point, had been quietly cashiered from the Army for inviting a superior to become part of a smuggling scheme. Johnson later landed two college professorships in the slavery-based South, and perhaps because of his secret antebellum history his demeanor as a Confederate general had become carefully unassertive.

Forrest did little in the February 13 fighting, mainly supplying couriers for Confederates battling the Federal attackers during a pair of uncoordinated, bloody and fruitless assaults on the forts trench lines. The next dayafter temperatures fell overnight from near-spring conditions to 12 degrees and men of both sides began suffering unspeakably the Confederates discovered the arrival of the four Union ironclads that had smashed Fort Henry the week before. The black, ugly river monsters had reached Donelson during the night, escorting steamboats loaded with Union reinforcements. Floyd made it clear he wanted out, and he and his generals began plotting an escape.

At noon on the 14th Forrest and his men formed up the lead and left flank of the intended breakout. The plan, according to Buckner, was to leave a skeleton force in the fort and the trenches in front while Buckners division sidled left to the Confederate center, and Pillows division shifted farther left. Pillow was to then burst from his end of the Confederate line and assail the Federal right as Buckners men attacked from the center. Together they would steamroll the Union line and open up the Forge Road, a highway to Nashville. Buckners men would hold the road open, and they all would simply march out and head straight for the capital.

But only a few hundred yards outside the trenches, a private in the 14th Mississippi was killed by a Federal sharpshooter. Alarmed that their plan had apparently been uncovered, Pillow promptly aborted the breakout, which infuriated Floyd. The troops were barely back inside the lines before the menacing Union ironclads rounded a bend in the Cumberland and steamed straight for the fort. As the gunboats opened fire, Forrest turned to his second-in-command, an antebellum minister, and shouted, Parson, for Gods sake, pray! Nothing but God almighty can save that fort!

Donelson, however, was situated 100 feet above the river bank, making it more difficult to hit than the riverside walls at Fort Henry had been. The ironclads guns continually had to be elevated as they neared their targets, and they ultimately did little harm to the Confederate cannoneers. The forts guns, however, laid down a devastating fire on the boats. After nearly two hours, the current swept the wrecked Union vessels back downriver, producing a prolonged roar from the troops in the trenches.

Old men wept, Forrest reported. The army was in the best possible spirits, feeling that, relieved of their greatest terror, they would whip any land force brought against them.

Floyds anguish continued, however. Estimating Grants reinforcements at two-and-a-half to three times their actual size, the jittery commander called another meeting and reactivated the plan Pillow had canceled that afternoon.

Forrests men were again to lead the breakout, and were mounted at 4 a.m. February 15, only to sit in blowing snow for nearly two hours waiting for all of Pillows units to get in place. When the assault on the Federal right began, McClernands surprised and outnumbered men fought back as though they were on the brink of hell. Two hours passed before Colonel John McArthurs brigade, and then Colonel Richard Oglesbys, began running out of ammunition and had to slowly withdraw.

Forrest, on marshy ground near the flooding Cumberland, could do little in the early going except make threatening feints to aid the infantry. Bushrod Johnson praised the colonels work guarding his flank, but Forrest wanted to fight. He pressed toward harder turf and hotter fire, and as Oglesbys brigade started to withdraw and some men raised white flags, Forrest urged Johnson to let him charge and turn the Union fallback into a rout. Johnson said no, lamely suggesting that the Federals might be setting a trap.

The Wizard of the Saddle, as Forrest would soon be labeled, did not beg permission to fight from that point forward. By pulling back, McArthur and Oglesby had opened a portion of the Forge Road, and on one of its byways Forrest charged, capturing three cannons of Battery E,2nd Illinois Light Artillery. He then continued to the right to savage the flank of the 11th Illinois at a salient holding the last stand on the Union right. His men killed or captured large numbers of Illinoisans.

Pillow happened to see the prisoners and the captured battery being marched to the rear. Apparently impressed, he clattered off toward where the breakout plan called for Buckner to attack from the center of the Confederate trenches. Pillow already had sent Buckner an urgent 9 a.m. message to begin his assault when Buckners attack still had not been launched three hours into the engagement. Buckner then sent three regimentsjust half his divisionagainst an oversized and dug-in emplacement of the guns of Battery D, 1st Illinois Light Artillery. The half-strength assault failed, and the three regimentsthe 3rd and 18thTennessee and the 14th Mississippi had returned to the trenches when Pillow rode up and ordered them to the right in an effort to flank the Illinois guns. Pillow must have then remembered seeing Forrests captures. He sent for the cavalryman and asked if he could take these guns. I can try, Forrest replied.

Forrest made two unsuccessful charges and was readying a third when he noticed the 2nd Kentucky Infantry sitting in the trenches to his right. He asked for help, and Colonel Roger Hanson complied. Ordering his men to fix bayonets, Hanson charged head-on while Forrest struck again from the flank. The Illinois battery, having fired all morning, suddenly ran out of ammunition, and the supporting 45th Illinois Infantry fled. Forrest and Hanson quickly captured the guns.

A footnote in a postwar biography authorized by Forrest reports that after five days at Donelson his overcoat bore 15 bullet marksa revealing symbol of his daring and courage, and his incredibly good luck. But his finest hour there may have come a few hours after the final fighting, when the generals decided to surrender.

Pillow had made a gross error during the afternoons fighting. Assuming the six-hour assault had won the Rebels a complete victory, he pulled his troops and Buckners back into the trenches, forsaking two miles of ground that had been bloodily won.

Grant, absent from the field all morning, raced back and took swift advantage of Pillows folly. He ordered an all-out charge that recovered most of his lost ground and penetrated Buckners trenches on the Confederate right. That night Buckner informed the other generals that he could not hold his fallback position for more than a half-hour once dawn came. He said the generals owed it to their exhausted army to surrender.

Pillow protested, but Floyd agreed with Buckner. Floyd, however, interjected that he could not do the surrendering, saying his position with the Federals forbade it. Pillow, claiming equal importance, also refused the job. They passed command of the fort to Buckner.

Forrests anger at this turn of events did not dissuade Floyd and Pillow. Both quickly fled the fort, Floyd with some of his Virginia brigade and Pillow with only a couple of aides. Jefferson Davis and a shocked Southern citizenry roundly condemned both for deserting their posts. Harvey Mathes, an early Forrest biographer, wrote that some of the upper crust included Forrest in their censure.

But Forrests conduct differed vastly from his commanders. Floyd and Pillow had simply skedaddled; Forrest meant to fight his way out if necessary. He was sure he wouldnt have to, however. He maintained throughout the surrender discussions that, despite the generals fears, Donelson was not completely surrounded.

Forrest claimed later that when his men headed down the River Road to ford a stretch of flooded creek, he rode over to see whether the Federals had indeed recovered and closed the Forge Road, as scouts had repeatedly reported they were doing. He claimed the road was open and that the whole army could have escaped down it.

The contrast between Forrests initial subordination at Fort Donelson and the bridling and even rebellious conduct that marked his military career soon afterward shows that Donelsons misbegotten collection of generals had taught him a profound lesson. Seven weeks later, that lesson would be underlined at the Battle of Shiloh, where several Confederate commanders ignored Forrests urgent warnings late on April 6 that reinforcements from Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buells Army of the Ohio were crossing the Tennessee River to join Grant at Pittsburg Landing. The result was a devastating loss at Shiloh the following day that ultimately wrecked Confederate prospects in the western half of vital Tennessee.

At Donelson, Nathan Bedford Forrest discovered firsthand that his own brains and bravery, however rustic, were infinitely superior to those of his blue-blooded Confederate commanders. Obeying the orders of such men, he conceded, had assured a single, abhorrent result: disaster.

Jack Hurst is the author of Men of Fire: Grant, Forrest, and the Campaign That Decided the Civil War (Basic Books, August 2007) and Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography (Knopf, 1993, still in print as a Vintage paperback).

Originally published in the January 2009 issue of Americas Civil War. To subscribe, click here.
Cronkite, McNamara, truth and integrity

Two 20th-century giants left the stage this past July less than two weeks apart. Born just five months apart in 1916, their long lives tracked the exact same history, buffeted by the same events. Robert McNamara and Walter Cronkite each had enormous impact on America, especially during the 1960s and especially on the Vietnam War. One man, his hands on the levers of power, crafted and executed policies that literally decided life and death for tens of thousands of young Americans called to carry out those policies, as well as hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Southeast Asia. Robert McNamara, as secretary of defense, was entrusted by two presidents with designing a winning strategy for America in Vietnam. By his own admission, years later, the architect of the American war believed the military goals of his own policy to be unachievable, yet never tried to enlighten his bosses to this belief. Like McNamara, who served in World War II and brought innovation to the automobile industry, Walter Cronkite earned his chops reporting on the war in Europe and matured and thrived in a nascent industry, becoming a leader as television news broadcasting evolved from a novelty into its vital and agenda-setting role. By all accounts, the CBS News anchorman fundamentally supported the U.S. war policy in Vietnam, until February 1968. After his own on-the-ground reporting following the Tet Offensive, Cronkite concluded that the American people were being misled about the possibility of a U.S. military victory. Believing this awareness to be vital to the American public, he stepped out of his customary role as reporter of fact to make a rare and risky personal commentary on policy direction. Cronkite the observer only realized in 1968 what McNamara the policy maker had long known. Cronkite took the only action he could, speak truth to power. McNamara, who had the knowledge and the power, had long before chosen a different path. The starkly different remembrances of these two men upon their passing is just tribute to their integrity and legacies.

In this issue, writer, historian and Vietnam veteran Marc Leepson contributes an essay on his own illuminating encounter with Robert McNamara. And veteran Associated Press photo editor, critic and author Hal Buell offers expert commentary and insight on the Pulitzer Prizewinning pictures from the Vietnam War and the photographers who took them. Our cover story takes you along with a team of Air Force Pararescue Jumpers on a rescue of an F-105 pilot downed deep in enemy territoryone of the most daring rescue missions of the Vietnam War.

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
Adams Yes, Arnett No

You tainted an otherwise nice piece on the work of Eddie Adams in the August issue by including Peter Arnetts comments. Arnett has an anti-America agenda. Your pages are filled with people and stories of honor, why diminish them?

Cherokee Paul McDonald

U.S. Army, II Corps, 1968

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

UH-34D Dog: A Marines Best Friend

In the article High Tech vs. Low Tech in the October issue, a huge piece of Marine aviation was omitted. The article mentions the Marines flying the CH-34 Choctaw, but they actually flew the UH-34D Seahorse. The most obvious difference is the Choctaw exhaust stacks exit below the airframe and the Seahorse stacks stick out the port side. The Sikorsky UH-34D (Dog) was a major contributor to Marine helicopter operations from 1962 until 1969.

Concerning reliability of the UH-34D, the article mentions the single, front-mounted engine, the high cockpit and the aircraft being made of magnesium. Yes, it had one engine, but it had nine cylinders and sometimes you didnt need them all. This was the same engine as in the B-17 Flying Fortress. The high cockpit was a problem but when you have pilots with brass ones, it works. The magnesium airframe was illustrated by the large, gray piles of ash marked with rotor blades scattered around I Corps. Sometimes they burn.

There are many stories of those old workhorses getting home on a blade and a prayer, which explains why their former crews look back on them with such reverence.

Wayne Stafford

USMC, 1966-70

Monroe, Wash.

How The Wall Moves

I read with deep interest the interview with Duery Felton (October 2009). I have been to The Wall quite often and have seen many of the offerings that have been left there by friends and loved ones of those whose names are chiseled in the black granite. I have been to the Smithsonian American History Museums exhibit that displays many of the offerings that were left at the memorial. I also own a wonderful book, Offerings from The Wall, that catalogs a large number of the very emotionally charged items and stories.

I did not know that there was one person who actually is a curator of this remarkable and deeply meaningful collection. My eyes misted over several times as I read his words and some of his stories. God bless Duery Felton!

John Wear

3rd Marine Div., 1968-69

New Hope, Pa.

Ive been a subscriber to Vietnam magazine for several years now, and numerous articles have been written about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I have visited The Wall several times during the Memorial Day weekend, first while stationed at Fort Eustis, Va., and then after my retirement, going there by motorcycle with the Run For The Wall group, from my home in Nebraska. One of the most memorable visits came prior to my retirement in 2001 when I decided to visit the memorial on Christmas Eve. I was not ready for the flood of emotions that nearly overpowered me.

As I walked into the depression that The Wall occupies, I felt an overwhelming eerie feeling come over me. On that overcast, cold winter afternoon, it was as if voices were coming from the black stone. I stopped to listen, and only heard a faint, low moan. It was either the wind, or the combined voices telling me, also a Vietnam veteran, that everything was OK, because they never gave up their vigil, either.

Roger Kopf

Nebraska

As a long-time subscriber, the October 2009 issue of Vietnam magazine was one of the best ever. The interview with Duery Felton, curator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection, and the memoir Duty and Honor were moving. I like the new Homefront section, too.

Roy Arian

Hominy, Okla.

Leave No POW Behind

I read the review of Until the Last Man Comes Home in the October issue, and I have a real issue with the book and its stance on POWs in general. While the book gives a small history of the prisoner of war issue, it does not give the complete facts. Im tired of the government covering this up. I think the only way we will know for sure is to go back covertly and see for ourselves.

I sure would like some answersand not about searching dig sites. What ever happened to We leave no man behind?

Jim Gales

Glendale, Wis.

Westmorelands Mission Impossible

I had to read Why Westmoreland Was Right (April 2009) about three times to try and figure out what the author was trying to conveywhat General William Westmoreland had right in planning and fighting the Vietnam War. Actually Im still not sure what the author thinks Westmoreland was right about.

In my opinion, General Westmoreland was handed a mission impossible. He was expected to hold off the enemy until the South Vietnamese forces could be trained and equipped to fight the war themselves. His strategy was to establish a system of fortified bases all across South Vietnam to allow the infantry to conduct patrols to find, fix and destroy the enemy. The problem was, his war was confined to South Vietnam and the enemy was not, plus Westmoreland never transitioned the army of South Vietnam into the conflict.

The lesson of the Vietnam War was that if you are going to fight a war and put American lives and prestige on the line, then pull out all the stops and fight to win. Is that simple or what? Have we learned that lesson? Evidently we have not because we are allowing the same thing to happen in Afghanistan. Go all out or get out. The military machine is good, it can do the job but it doesnt need its hands tied behind its back.

John J. Mackel Jr.

Cypress, Texas

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
McChrystal Calls Vietnam War Reporter

As U.S. troops strength and commitments grow in Afghanistan, so has a chorus of comparisons to the gradual U.S. slide into the Vietnam quagmire. While there is a wide range of views regarding the applicability of the Vietnam experience to Afghanistan, the current military leadership appears open to the views of old Vietnam hands. Stanley Karnow, a longtime correspondent and author of the acclaimed book, Vietnam: A History, The First Complete Account of Vietnam at War, was surprised to receive a phone call in late July from none other than General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, and Richard Holbrooke, special envoy to Afghanistan. McChrystal was slated to make public his review of Afghanistan war strategy in late August. They called Karnow to discuss similarities between the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan. In a subsequent interview with the Associated Press, Karnow said it was the first time he had been consulted by U.S. commanders to discuss the war. He said Holbrookewho he has known since the 1960s when Holbrooke was a junior U.S. diplomat and Karnow a Time-Life correspondentcalled him and passed the phone to McChrystal. The journalist wouldnt reveal specifics of his conversation, but did say: What did we learn from Vietnam? We learned that we shouldnt have been there in the first place.It now seems unthinkable that the U.S. could lose, but thats what experts thought in Vietnam in 1967. It could be that there will be no real conclusion and that it will go on for a long time until the American public grows tired of it. At its height, more than 500,000 U.S. troops were in Vietnam.

40 Years After Story Broke, Calley Says Sorry

The first news reports that U.S. troops had massacred civilians in the village of My Lai in March 1968 didnt emerge until November 1969, when reporter Seymour Hersh broke the first of his three-part story in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on November 13. On November 24, 1969, the U.S. Army announced that 2nd Lt. William L. Calley had been charged with premeditated murder in the My Lai massacre. For the first time, nearly 40 years later, Calley has publicly expressed regret. Calley spoke at a Columbus, Ga., Kiwanis Club event on August 19, where he offered his first public apology for the incident. There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai, Calley said. I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry. A friend of Calleys, Al Fleming, said in a press report that Calley told the group, I did what they say I did, but also maintained that he was following orders.

Calley was convicted on 22 counts and sentenced in 1971 to life in prison. President Richard Nixon later commuted his sentence to three years of house arrest.

Aircrews From Excavated C-130 and Huey 808 Sites Repatriated

Remains of crewmen recovered from the recently excavated Huey 808 that went missing in 1965, and the loadmaster of an Air Force C-130 that disappeared in 1968 were recently repatriated to the United States for identification and burial. In April 2009, the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) found the crash site of a Huey 808 that failed to return from a routine mission, just weeks after its crewmen had risked their lives to save others in the Battle of Ia Drang. The aircrews remains were flown to the militarys central identification lab at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, and in July they were positively identified as Specialist Chief Donald C. Grella, Chief Warrant Officer Jesse D. Phelps, Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth L. Stancil and Specialist Thomas Rice.

At an emotional meeting with Department of Defense officials in Washington, Grellas only sibling, Shirley Haase of Omaha, was given the official report on what JPAC found during the excavation, including her brothers dog tags. Isnt that incredible, after all these years? said Haase.

In 2002, JPAC excavated the crash site of an Air Force C-130 Hercules, and recently Hickams lab identified the remains of the planes loadmaster, Chief Master Sgt. John Quincy Johnny Adam. Adam and his crew were listed as MIA in 1968 when their plane, Blind Bat 01, disappeared while carrying out a regularly scheduled Night Flare mission over eastern Laos. Johnny Adams nephew, Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Blankenship, on active duty in Afghanistan, was granted permission to leave his post to bring Adams remains back home to Kansas City for burial. I received the news while deployed to Afghanistan, and it really redefined the pride that I have in serving our country, Blankenship said.

Fort Campbell Gives Vietnam Vets Rousing Welcome Home

Kentuckys Fort Campbell, home of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the Armys most-deployed contingency force, recently held a Welcome Home ceremony for Vietnam War GIs as part of its annual celebration for the 101st. More than 1,400 Vietnam veterans from across the country attended, with the Marines, Air Force, Navy and Army all represented.

Fort Campbell officials wanted Vietnam vets to experience what returning soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have come to expect when they step off the plane. Most Vietnam veterans returned home at the end of their one-year tours solo, many aboard commercial airliners, to a small homecoming greetingif any. The Fort Campbell event was meant to fix that.

On August 16, buses transported the assembled Vietnam vets to the doors of Hangar 3, where family and friends were gathered inside. The veterans stood in formation and when the hangar doors opened, they marched in to be greeted by an Army band, Fort Campbells new commanding general, John F. Campbell, and other guests. Before releasing each formation to be reunited with their loved ones, Maj. Gen. Campbell acknowledged the sacrifices made by all, including those who had not returned, and thanked the veterans for the lessons that helped set todays soldiers up for success. Todays service members and their families stand on the shoulders of your legacy and contributions each of you made while serving our nation in Vietnam, said General Campbell.

Facebook and Newspaper Articles Lead to Reunions of Long-Lost Comrades

Mario Kemp, 61, had known Dave Freeman since the 1960s, when they were boyhood friends in Italy. During the Vietnam War they both served but lost track of each other. Kemp heard from a mutual friend that Freeman had been killed in the war, and 15 years later he found his buddys name on The Wall. He looked it up at the memorial directory, which said Freeman was from Missouri. That seemed right. He even did a rubbing of his name: David F. Freeman.

This past spring, Kemps grandchildren urged him to join Facebook, where he got in touch with another mutual friend, Lolly Dorie from Italy, who was living near Washington, D.C. When Kemp, in Sioux Falls, S.D., asked Dorie to do him a favor and lay a rose at Freemans name on The Wall, she responded, Why would I do that? She told Kemp that their friend Freeman was alive and well in Michigan. She then connected the two via Facebook.

Kemp had been looking at the wrong name on The Wall. His buddy was David G. Freeman from Michigan.

In another incident of long-overdue reunions, Kenneth Thompson was reading the Long Island Life special section on the Vietnam War in Newsday in July, when a picture caught his eye. It was of a former Long Island man who had been a prisoner of war, Richard Perriconean Army buddy that Thompson had trained with and walked infantry patrols with in the Mekong Delta. Perricone is alive! he excitedly called out to his wife.

Even though it was early in the morning, Thompson phoned Perricone immediately. I was shaking and crying.My wife said its too early to call, he said, but I said Ive been wondering about this man for 42 years.

In the summer of 1967, their unit was overrun, and Perricone and five others were captured. For days, Thompson searched for his comrades, but found nothing. Perricone was finally released in a 1973 prisoner exchange with North Vietnam and returned to New York, retiring to Florida six years ago. The same day that Thompson contacted him, Perricone received several phone calls from other readers who recognized him in the newspaper, including two Long Islanders who had worn his POW bracelet to raise awareness of his captivity.

Lt. Gen. Julian J. Ewell Launched Operation Speedy Express

A veteran of WWII, Korea and the Vietnam War, retired Army Lt. Gen. Julian J. Ewell died in July at Fort Belvoir, Va., at 93. In Vietnam, he commanded the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta, from December 1968 to May 1969, and then took charge of II Field Force, the largest Army combat command in Vietnam. Graduating from West Point in 1939, Ewell became a paratrooper and jumped into Normandy with the 101st Airborne Division on D-Day, and into the Netherlands during the Arnhem campaign, earning the Distinguished Service Cross. Ewell also commanded an infantry regiment in Korea. He was military adviser to the U.S.-Vietnam delegation at the Paris peace talks.

Navy Admiral Ralph W. Cousins Led Naval Air Operation in Vietnam

A highly decorated Navy aviator during WWII, and commander of the attack carrier strike force during some of the heaviest fighting of the Vietnam War, retired Admiral Ralph W. Cousins died in Newport News, Va., in August at the age of 94. From 1967 to 1969, Cousins commanded the attack carrier strike force and led the Gulf of Tonkin naval operations that were carried out from aircraft carriers. In 1970 he was promoted to four-star admiral and became the vice chief of naval operations. A dive bomber pilot on the Lexington during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, Cousins led bombing attacks against the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho and survived the sinking of his own ship. He was awarded the Navy Cross in WWII.

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
MARINE CORPS LANCE CORPORAL, SUMMER 1968-MARCH 1970

Im a Native American, Ho Chunk Nation, from Wisconsin. Above everything I accept my own death as destiny. Its a great honor to die as a warrior on the battlegrounds. Summer of 1968, I got in-country. I was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, which was located by Quang Tri City up in the northern I Corps. My first assignment was with the H/S Company 3/9 in communication. I talked to my CO, told him, Im an American Indian. I came here to fight a war. I want to be with an infantry company. I was then transferred to I Company, 3/9.

On or about Christmastime 1968, I experienced my very first firefight  it was terrifying. Before the Dewey Canyon operation in A Shau Valley, one of my closest friends was killed while walking point; I volunteered to take over his job. Its nerve-racking and tiresome to walk alone far up in front of my platoon and my company. Walking point, life expectancy is very short; you are usually the first contact with the enemy and you were killed or wounded. I was good and became a deadly killer and hunted for the enemy and did my job well. I was never scared. The only fear I had was the fear of being captured.

One operation that I didnt walk point we got hit. The enemy was shooting at us from the top of this mountain. As we all started to run up, a sergeant from another platoon was hit! He was screaming for help. I ran up towards where he was lying. He was hit in the arm; his bone was sticking out.

I cut up his flak jacket and his jungle shirt and used the shirt and his first-aid kit to stop the bleeding. Carefully I pulled his arm bone back then tied it with the cloths that I had cut up, using the flak jacket armor to keep the bone in place to prevent further injury. I stayed and protected him until a corpsman came. I left them to find my squad; probably saved his life.

There was an Army unit in Laos; they were getting hit bad. We were not supposed to be there when we flew in. Early in the morning, it was still dark. I was on guard duty when a blue flare exploded above us. Suddenly the enemy attacked us in waves. We held our positions and fought them off until the sun came up when it was over.

We captured an enemy soldier. I wanted to kill him but I chose not to because he was not on equal terms with me. We went out on patrols to look for more. With my platoon I came upon an enemy soldier, shot a whole clip of rounds in him and killed him.

In fall 1969 they started pulling some of the 3rd Marine Division out of Vietnam  my tour had ended. I left Vietnam and flew to Okinawa. I left there and landed at Travis Air Force Base in California. March of 1970 it was cold; the snow was flying when I finally made it home to Wisconsin where my journey had all started.

I was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in September 1971. Memories still haunt me of when I was a young Ho Chunk Marine that went to war and survived through many firefights on the battlegrounds from A Shau Valley, to Laos, the DMZ, and the jungles of Vietnam.

To all my Marines who gave their ultimate sacrifice for me, thank you! To be where I am today, I have never forgotten you. Your sacrifice was not in vain but with valor and honor, Semper Fidelis.

Interview and photography by Jeffrey Wolin From Inconvenient Stories: Vietnam War Veterans

Originally published in the October 2009 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
The three Irish songwriters are in the middle of their tour with one sold-out gig in the Workmans Club. Originally from County Wicklow, the 19 year old trio are currently based in Berlin.

Their second album A Blind Arcade, which came out earlier this year, has a chilled, acoustic vibe. Speaking about the album, they said: As a band, we enjoy the entire spectrum of creating a record and it's accompaniments, not just creating the music but designing the artwork, producing the videos, anything we can get our hands on in that sense. The album artwork relates to the imagery that we identify with each song. We wanted it to fit beside the first albums artwork thematically, but also display the growth in thought and attention to detail of the second record.

All The Luck In The World will be playing The Grand Social November 17.

Tickets on sale this Friday at 9am.
The National Library of Ireland has welcomed the government investment in its Kildare Street complex, which was announced yesterday as part of the Culture and Creativity Investment Plan.

Details of the plan were unveiled by Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan TD at a special forum attended by an Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD.

The Culture and Creativity Capital Investment Plan is part of Project 2040. It includes an investment of 23 million in the National Librarys iconic buildings on Kildare Street over a 10-year period, as part of a phased programme entitled Re-imagining the National Library.

The major building redevelopment programme for the NLI is already underway, and it will ensure high quality, safe storage for the national collections, as well as universally accessible public spaces  exhibition galleries, a new lecture theatre, cafe and shop, and a public lift to all floors  in the main library building on Kildare Street.

Speaking after the announcement today, Director of the National Library of Ireland, Dr Sandra Collins said: The National Library of Irelands buildings have been at the heart of Irish cultural life since 1890.

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The commitment of 23 million is a once-in-a-hundred-year investment in our cultural heritage, which will enable us to re-imagine our storage and public spaces, and to safeguard and share the national collections with new generations of visitors and researchers.

The ten-year commitment is hugely welcome because it allows us to plan for the future. Culture and creativity are an essential part of the Irish story, and we are delighted to see the role of the National Library and all the cultural institutions recognised through their inclusion in Project 2040.
The Government should consider giving local authorities the power to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register on the register of electors to encourage younger people to be politically active.

The call comes from TD Noel Rock which brings a whole new spin on the catchphrase "rock the vote".

The Dublin North West Deputy said: I encourage the Government to grant local authorities the privilege of allowing younger potential voters to pre-register on the register of electors before they turn 18.

I wholeheartedly support voting at 16 but in the absence of that, and until a referendum changes that, I believe this is a good idea for us to adapt.

Deputy Rock continued: I believe this would be a positive first step in encouraging younger people to be politically active at a local and national level.

In California, they have started this process and their effort to get 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote has now reached 100,000 teenagers.

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I believe we could see something similar in Ireland if we encouraged a similar process.

I also believe the new Politics and Society curriculum in secondary schools, which will be examined for the first time this year, will encourage a deeper learning and understanding of the political process here and also a broader knowledge of the operations of the European Union.

This could encourage a new generation of politically active students, which would only serve to strengthen our democracy.
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Remember, just over a year ago, when Senor Trumpanzee told the media that he "could actually run my business and run government at the same time" [but that he doesn't] "like the way that looks...?What I'm going to be doing is-- my 2 sons... are going to be running the company. They are going to be running it in a very professional manner. They're not going to discuss it with me." Did anyone believe a word of that? Even for a minute? About a month ago Trumpanzee Jr. was in India as a businessmanas his crooked father's emissary. And Kushner-in-law does it all the time-- even to the point of helping the predatory Saudis and UAE's go after Qatar after Qatar refused to loan his family money. (I was just in Doha and noticed their planes can't fly over the UAE or Saudi Arabia and have to fly out of its way and go over Iran instead.) Yesterday, Ana Cerrud and Dave Fahrenthold reported for thethat Trump threatened the president of Panama with "repercussions" over a Trump Tower in Panama City! "Lawyers representing President Trumps company last month wrote directly to the president of Panama," they reported, "asking him to intervene in a legal fight over the Trump International Hotel in the nations capital-- and warning that the case could have 'repercussions' for Panamas reputation."

The law firm, Panama-based Britton and Iglesias, wrote in Spanish to President Juan Carlos Varela on March 22 to urgently request your influence in relation to a commercial dispute regarding the Trump hotel.





At the time, the majority owner of the Trump hotel-- Cypriot-born investor Orestes Fintiklis-- had kicked out the Trump Organization as the hotels manager, after a ruling from a low-level Panamanian judge. The presidents company was seeking to retake control.





The request was extraordinary: The U.S. presidents company was asking the leader of a U.S. ally to intercede on its behalf, disregarding Panamas separation of powers.





It is the first known instance of the Trump Organization asking directly for a foreign leaders help with a business dispute since Trump was elected.





In their letter, the Trump Organizations lawyers did not say explicitly how they wanted the Panamanian president to help. Varela, through a spokesman, has said he has not yet taken any action.





...On Monday, Panamas foreign secretary, Isabel de Saint Malo, told the Associated Press that her office had also received a copy.





It is a letter that urges Panamas executive branch to interfere in an issue clearly of the judicial branch, de Saint Malo said. I dont believe the executive branch has a position to take while the issue is in the judicial process.





...It opened in 2011. In the last year, it began to struggle, according to investors who owned its hotel rooms. Its troubles included an increasingly crowded hotel market in Panama. But owners also blamed the Trump Organization, saying the presidents polarizing brand was driving away customers from Latin America.





A financial bloodbath, one owner called it: Rooms that he had purchased as an investment were rented out less than 10 nights a month.





Then came Fintiklis, who bought a huge block of rooms last year and became the hotels majority owner. Within weeks, he was seeking to fire the Trump Organization as manager, saying it was attached to our property like a leech.





The Trump Organization had argued that its contract to run the hotel did not expire until 2031 and that Fintiklis had no legal cause to break it.





The dispute went to international arbitration. Then, though, Fintiklis simply showed up at the hotel in February, seeking to fire the Trump Organization in person.





After a multiday standoff, Cheng-- the Panamanian judge-- effectively handed control over to Fintiklis. Fintiklis renamed the hotel the Bahia Grand and added cheeky jabs at its past operator: At the hotel bar, there are drinks called the Stormy Jack Daniels and the Fire and Fury.





In the letter to Panamas president, the Trump Organizations attorneys said Trumps company had been treated poorly by the Panamanian courts-- so poorly, in fact, that its mistreatment violated a 1983 treaty between the United States and Panama governing investments.





In particular, the letter cites irregularities in decisions by Panamanian Judge Miriam Cheng. The lawyers say that Cheng had moved too quickly and had ignored an existing international arbitration case over the hotel.





This situation is currently before the courts, but it has repercussions for the Panamanian state, which is your responsibility, said the letter, signed by attorney Eric Britton.





Since the letter was sent, the Trump Organizations prospects of retaking the Panama hotel have only declined.





In late March, an international arbitrator rejected a request by Trump executives that they be reinstated as the operators of the hotel. The arbitrator ruled that Trumps team should not have been evicted-- but, now that it had been, he would not undo its ejection.





The facts on the ground now militate against forcibly undoing the steps that have been taken, arbitrator Joel Richler wrote, according to the AP.





The arbitration case itself is continuing, as Trumps company and Fintikliss company are still seeking damages from the other. Fintiklis declined to comment on Monday.





What kind of position does that put the Panamanian government in? said Don Fox, who was a top official at the U.S. Office of Government Ethics from 2008 to 2013. He said the letter would raise questions about whether the Trump Organizations requests were, in effect, requests by the U.S. government.





You dont know how that may affect Panamas relationship with us going forward. What might they not ask for? You cant unring this bell.
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Clint Watts spoke with students and local media at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts last week.

Q&A: Former FBI Agent Clint Watts on Social Media Manipulation

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  NBC News contributor and former FBI agent Clint Watts spoke at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' spring public policy lecture on Wednesday evening, April 4 about the attacks and implications from the Russian propaganda campaign.

Watts earned a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a master's degree from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif.

He is the author of "Messing with the Enemy: Surviving in a Social Media World of Hackers, Terrorists, Russians, and Fake News," which reveals how malefactors use social media information. He testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee last year on Russia's cyber warfare tactics.

Watts took questions from local reporters from iBerkshires.com, The Berkshire Eagle, and MCLA's The Beacon on Wednesday afternoon before meeting with students. Later on at 7 p.m., he spoke in front of community members and MCLA students on "Russian Spies, Social Media, and Fake News: An Inside Look at Russia's Cyber Warfare Campaign against American Democracy."

Below are some of the questions and Watts' answers that have been edited slightly for style and brevity.

Question: There's been a lot of debate over how much influence these Russian bots (automated replies on social media platforms) have. Do you think they are capable of pushing people to extremes?

Answer: So it's not just bots. I think that's important. In the case of Russia, the Internet Research Agency (a Russian company), they got busted again yesterday (Tuesday, April 3rd) for some accounts. It's a mix. So they use real personas that are operating the accounts and they combine bots on top of it. Social bots help you distort reality; they can make you stumble onto something at a greater frequency. The more you see something, the more you tend to believe it, or the more you tend to want to look into it. Even if people say "Well this bot only has 10 followers"... Yeah but there are 1,000 of those. So just seeing what looks like 1,000 people when it's really one can influence how you think.

Q: Why do you think it is important to inform the general public on terrorism forecasting?

A: I think the American terrorism discussion is silly and doesn't make any sense. Because it's so complicated to explain it in the news, they try and always frame it in one or two words like it's a team sport. So you'll hear people say it's Al Qaeda or it's ISIS, or if there's a terrorist attack, they'll be like who did it? Al Qaeda or ISIS?' And the answer is it could be neither. It is a religious movement. When we portray them in the American media, we talk about it like it's a team sport; because it's easier for people to understand. I feel like with terrorism forecasting, it's important to understand How does their belief system change? What's motivating people to join that belief system? And, really, where is it going to go next?', because that tells you a lot about their tactics and who's the target.

Q: What can our cyber security do to stop these kinds of attacks?

A: One thing is election security. One of the bigger ideas behind [the Russian propaganda campaign] was to make people doubt that the election was authentic. If you can do that, that at least dispels that this is all rigged. Election rigging, voter fraud; it's all likely to come back again in the future, especially if we are increasingly digital. The other thing is how do you deal with manipulated news, and that's really going to come down to the social media companies. I advocate for information consumer reports, which is independent agency outside of the government which provides to the consumer if they want to know a rating about the agency over time  how many fact versus fiction and reporting versus opinion.

Q: How do you see their tactics advancing?

A: I'm not so much worried about Russia, I'm more worried about political parties, lobbyists, and corporate groups that have way more money and more sophisticated technology. So people are excited about Cambridge Analytica (a political research firm), I think it's an example of what can come. This is going to crush those social media companies to the point where the only people there will be those that don't understand how their privacy is being violated, and how they're being manipulated  which is even worse.

Q: What's your advice for helping the individuals to suss out what's real and what's not?

A: There's not a good way. I would tell those people to just get off those platforms. If you're trying to figure out your political beliefs via Twitter, you're going to be in a weird world  you're not going to be able to make much sense of it. It's all being manipulated by someone, or pushed in one way or another. I think the biggest thing is to value physical relationships and conversations more than the virtual. I think that's a big part of the survival of democracy.
Pittsfield Police Department's K9, Jango, will be receiving a bullet and stab protective vest.

Pittsfield Police Dog to Receive Protective Vest

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Pittsfield Police Department's K9, Jango, will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s.



Jango's vest is sponsored by fundraiser hosted by Heather McKibben of HeatherFest in Norton, Mass., and will be embroidered with the sentiment "Donated by HeatherFest in memory of Bill McKibben." Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks.



Jango is a 2-year-old German shepherd who joined the Pittsfield Police Department in September 2017. He completed Patrol and Narcotic Detection schools and is currently working with his handler, Officer Sondrini, on day shift.



Vested Interest in K9s is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, Mass., whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The nonprofit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s has provided over 2,800 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of more than $2.4 million.
Tuesday's public hearing on residential zoning changes was moved from Town Hall to the elementary school to accommodate the expected large crowd.

Williamstown Planning Board Pulls All Proposed Bylaw Amendments



Planning Board members Chris Winters and Chris Kapiloff, who encouraged the crowd to stay engaged in the process as the planners take another try at residential zoning. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  In a series of unanimous votes spread over a 2 1/2-hour public hearing Tuesday, the Planning Board decided to pull all three of the zoning bylaw amendments it had planned to bring before next month's town meeting.

Faced with continued questions and  from some residents  fierce opposition to even a pared down version of the changes it proposed earlier this winter, the board decided to table all three warrant articles and schedule more public hearings throughout the year to continue to gather input from stakeholders in order to craft better bylaws for a future town meeting.

Planning Board member Chris Winters closed the board's April 3 meeting by asking attendees to think about what would be "the smallest increment of progress" they would find acceptable.

On Tuesday in the Williamstown Elementary School auditorium, he appeared to get his answer: nothing, at least, not right now.

The evening began with a motion to remove Article C, which would have changed the building lot size requirements in the town's Rural Residence 2 district, from the town meeting warrant. Planner Ann McCallum moved to strike that article before the board had any substantive discussion on its other proposals, and her colleagues quickly joined her in a 4-0 vote (board member Susan Puddester was out of town).

McCallum then pivoted the meeting toward what would consume much of the evening's discussion, the most contentious article on the warrant , labeled Article A, which sought to rezone much of the town's General Residence by creating four new subdistricts and renaming all areas within the zone as GR1, GR2, GR3, GR4 and GR5.

"The two people who were working most on this project met with [Town Planner Andrew Groff] and discussed what we should do after the last meeting," McCallum said. "This was the result. It's basically to table all the development issues and go with the rezoning of the areas because that seems like the most useful thing right now and, perhaps, the least controversial."

The discussion that followed showed that the rezoning remained very controversial in the minds of many of the residents in attendance.

Although the board already had struck all of the language around opening up opportunities for multifamily housing within the GR districts, its plan to create zoning that recognized the way different neighborhoods were developed prior to zoning continued to draw fire.

"As I read it, the developmental elements are in [Article A] because they're in the dimensional schedule," said David Langston, the first member of the public to address the board. "They change the setbacks and change the coverage of the lot.  As long as the dimensions are in there as proposed by the board, this is a very bad idea."

McCallum tried once again to explain that the proposed bylaw's intent was not to change the setbacks and lot coverage regulations in the affected areas but rather to recognize the setbacks and coverages that already exist and bring more of the town's homes into conformity with the bylaw. Many of the homes in the existing General Residence are only allowed because they were built prior to the town's adoption of zoning in the 1950s.

"The bylaw from 1955 overlaid over all our historic neighborhoods one blanket to fit all," McCallum said. "Other towns didn't do it like that. When they started zoning, they did it differently. Their zones reflected what was there.

"The [bylaw drafting] subcommittee's idea was to  make the zoning reflect our historical conditions.  It was more an idea to make more conforming lots. People with conforming lots have more rights than people with a nonconforming lot."

Groff later explained that while the draft bylaw would have allowed more lot coverage in some districts, full "build out" to the levels allowed in the dimensional table still would be restrained by provisions in the law like the town's wellhead protection district and regulations requiring off-street parking for homes.

Hugh Daley defended the idea conforming lots could be increased without jeopardizing the existing character of neighborhoods.

"Zoning creates the potential for things to happen, but it doesn't make them happen," said Daley, one of two members of the Select Board to address the hearing from the floor. "Sitting behind the zoning law are all these other restrictions, including the building code itself, which reduce the probability of the kind of development Mr. Langston is talking about from occurring.

"The dimensional schedule itself, as an idea, is a concrete advantage to landowners in the district. It confers on them rights that other landowners have because they have a conforming lot."

Stephanie Boyd of Waterman Place, who is running for Planning Board in May's town election, said she agrees with the goal of the less ambitious Article A but thought the issue needed more study to ensure that goal was met without unintended consequences.

Boyd showed the hearing slides of a buildout analysis that she began on what the proposed bylaw, called GR1, would be if the new dimensional table was adopted, demonstrating how she thought much larger buildings would be permitted than the neighborhood already has.

"The only positives [under the draft bylaw] are some of the lots will coming to conformance and some of the houses may," Boyd said. "None of this increasing the amount we can build on the properties helps with meeting the Master Plan goals, and it may have unintended consequences.  Here we have a lot of mysteries because we haven't taken the time to look at the data and see what the consequences are."

Boyd ended her remarks by asking those in the room to vote for her on May 8, a sentiment that McCallum, who is stepping down from the Planning Board, echoed later in Tuesday's hearing.

Linden Street resident Jane Nichols asked the Planning Board to consider a different fix for nonconforming structures: modeling the bylaw for Williamstown on one that has been adopted in Lenox.

Groff said that idea would require more study.

"I reached out to Lenox's town planner to find out how the functionality of that language worked, and she expressed many of the same concerns we have with our current bylaw," Groff said. "I wouldn't recommend pushing forward wholesale with what Lenox has. I would recommend the board study our own language around nonconformity."

Winters moved to remove Article A from the 2018 annual town meeting warrant.

"It's become clear to me that there's very little chance of reaching a solution to this very complex problem the town has been grappling with for 20 years between now and town meeting," he said. "I think this is great that it's energized people to talk about it. I hope they'll remain energized and lend their great brains to creating an action. We've lacked action for 20 years."

There also will be no action this year on changing the town's bylaws around major residential development.

The draft Article B received little attention in the meetings leading up to Tuesday's. The Planning Board perhaps had assumed its explanatory language was enough to satisfy any concerns. As written in the proposal, the amendments to the bylaw would have altered "the definition of affordable in the Town's inclusionary housing bylaw to conform with current state and federal standards and [modified] the Town's Major Residential Development bylaw to make it clearer to understand and implement."

Krista Birch said the bylaw amendments needed more expository language because they were confusing and appeared to be at cross purposes with the town's intentions. Select Board member Andrew Hogeland agreed with her.

"If you go forward with Article B, this needs to be spelled out more," he said.

McCallum said that the Planning Board has been discussing the existing bylaw's restrictions on major residential development for years.

"The problem is that after the major multifamily housing on Stratton Road and Hemlock Brook came about, the people on the Planning Board at the time decided they didn't like it, and they restricted it," she said. "They made it so you needed a huge amount of land and a huge amount of frontage and you can't have townhouses.

"It was so restrictive and so punitive to anyone who wanted to do anything in town.  We thought it was time to be more inclusive to allow opportunities for housing for the elderly or whoever. Right now, all you can have is [Chapter 40B development]. Anyone who wants to do market-rate housing doesn't have a chance."

Planning Board Chairman Chris Kapiloff said the board's intention with Article B was to allow for housing for generations of Williamstown residents to come. Based on the board's discussion with consultants at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership and feedback from residents that the board gathered during a yearlong analysis of housing needs, the Planning Board concluded that the "missing middle" of housing for younger generations who don't necessarily want a four-bedroom home on a one-acre lot.

"Mass Housing Partnership asked, 'What housing do you have that the next generation can afford and want to live in?' " Kapiloff said. "The answer, based on nationwide data, is almost none. Large single-family homes is not where the future of housing is at.

"I don't want to bulldoze all single-family homes in town. What we do want is to have some place to, for example, have housing for the younger professors who are coming in to replace the older professors who are retiring."

Kapiloff said he has talked to people at the college who tell him that prospective hirees express concern about the lack of small and moderate-sized homes.

"This is the reasoning the board used? I am stunned," interjected Langston from the back of the room, one of the few times all evening that an attendee broke the protocol of waiting to address the board from the podium.

"We want to look forward to the future to say, 'What is coming?' rather than have the future fall upon us and say, 'We missed the boat. What could we have done?' " Kapiloff said after explaining to Langston that he would not be recognized unless he was at the podium.

South Street resident Roger Lawrence expressed several concerns about Article B, including the fact that it would have changed language around the open space tradeoffs that developers can make in order to seek approval for major developments. Currently, the only acceptable gifts are to the town's Conservation Commission. The Planning Board recommended changing the language in the bylaw to allow grants to "a qualified land conservation organization," recognizing that there are other private and public entities experienced in protecting land with conservation restrictions.

Lawrence pressed the board to list those organizations in the bylaw. Groff, while naming several examples (Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, the commonwealth's Department of Conservation and Recreation), argued against naming the organizations in the bylaw because more agencies could come into being.

"There was a time not that long ago when we didn't have the DCR," Groff said. "It was in a different state agency."

Planning Board member Amy Jeschawitz ended the discussion of Article B by moving that it, too, be tabled, a motion that was quickly approved on a 4-0 vote.

Kapiloff ended the meeting by encouraging the large crowd to stay engaged with the process. Alluding to the fact that Planning Board meetings are generally sparsely attended before a warrant article is on the table, Kapiloff asked his fellow residents to continue to fill the seats and promised to ask the school about using the auditorium to accommodate large crowds.

"My feeling is the Planning Board is probably going to come to town meeting at some point after this next town meeting with some zoning changes," Kapiloff said. "If you leave us, then six to eight weeks before the next town meeting, you'll be joining us again. We'd all have more fun if you join us from the beginning."
Its Not Enough to Remember

The Fellowship | April 11, 2018 It's Not Enough to Remember

As we observe Yom HaShoah, Israels Holocaust Remembrance Day, The Fellowship is grateful to all of our faithful friends who help us in caring for the Holocaust survivors who remain. But our work is not done. The Jerusalem Posts Rachel Cohen looks at some of the ways The Fellowship is stepping up efforts to help these precious children of God who have already suffered through so much:

It is not enough to remember what happened in the Holocaust, we need to act to make sure that those who survived are living with dignity, Yael Eckstein, Global Vice President of the IFCJ told The Jerusalem Post.

And the IFCJ is acting by providing a wide range of life saving services to Israels most impoverished Holocaust survivors.

Our biggest message is letting them know they are not alone. Eckstein added.

As the number of Holocaust survivors in Israel rapidly declines, Eckstein urges Israelis and fellow Jews across the world to do their share to not just remember the Holocaust but act to honor the lives of the survivors.

Today, Israel has some 200,000 Holocaust survivors. One out of four are living in poverty.

The IFCJ is currently providing some 20,000 of the most destitute Israeli Holocaust survivors with food, emergency expenses, medicine and alleviation of loneliness with weekly or bi-weekly visits from the IFCJs volunteer program.

One of the beneficiaries of this aid is Sarah, a 87-year-old Holocaust survivor from Romania. A widow struggling to make ends meet, she expresses her gratitude toward the IFCJ: The Fellowship was heaven-sent  I was all alone and did not know where to turn to for help. The Fellowship helped me purchase a radiator and an oven, while sending me food baskets each month which I appreciate more than I can possibly express.

More than that, the IFCJ helped to alleviate the loneliness and isolation that typically comes with old age

This Holocaust Remembrance Day, pledge today to stand with Israel against another Holocaust.
Imperial Valley News Center

FTC sends warranty warnings

When the screen goes blue

And the car breaks down

And the smartphone keeps rebooting eternally

Consumers wont be afraid

No, they wont be afraid

Just as long as you stand by your warranty.

With apologies to R&B legend Ben E. King, when consumers buy a product with a warranty, its with the expectation that businesses will stand by what they sell. But standing by your warranty wont do customers much good if you disregard the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The FTC staff just sent warning letters to six companies, raising questions about statements the companies are making that appear to tie warranty coverage to consumers use of authorized parts or service, a practice that may violate both the Warranty Act and the FTC Act.

According to the Mag-Moss Warranty Act:

No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name.

In other words, companies cant void a consumers warranty or deny warranty coverage solely because the consumer uses a part made by someone else or gets someone not authorized by the company to perform service on the product.

There are only two exceptions: 1) if the company provides the article or service to consumers for free; or 2) if the company gets a waiver from the FTC. Under 15 U.S.C.  2302(c), the FTC may grant a waiver only if the company proves that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and the waiver is in the public interest. Companies may, however, disclaim warranty coverage for defects or damage caused by the use of unauthorized parts or service.

FTC staff recently took a closer look at companies warranties and promotional materials and saw language that raised concerns that some businesses were telling consumers that their warranty would be void if they used unauthorized parts or service. The companies used different language, but here are examples of questionable provisions.

The use of [the companys parts] is required to keep your . . . manufacturers warranties and any extended warranties intact.

This warranty shall not apply if this product . . . is used with products not sold or licensed by [company name].

This warranty does not apply if this product . . . had had the warranty seal on the [product] altered, defaced, or removed.

FTC staff suggested that the companies review the Mag-Moss Warranty Act and, if necessary, revise their practices accordingly. The letters also put the companies on notice that well be taking another look at their written warranties and promotional materials after 30 days.

What can other business glean from the warning letters?

Untie the NOT. Take a fresh look at your own warranties. Unless you meet one of Mag-Moss narrow exceptions, do not condition warranty coverage on consumers use of parts or service from you or someone you authorize.

Read your warranty through consumers eyes. Consider the literal wording of your warranties, of course. But like any other advertising representation, companies can communicate claims to consumers expressly and by implication. Subject to those two Mag-Moss exceptions, if the language you choose conveys to reasonable consumers that their warranty coverage requires them to use an article or service identified by brand, trade, or corporate name, revise your practices to avoid a warranty whoops.

Section 5s prohibition on deception applies to misleading warranty claims. A violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. But separate and apart from Mag-Moss, a claim that creates a false impression that a warranty would be void due to the use of unauthorized parts or service may be a stand-alone deceptive practice under the FTC Act. When evaluating what they say and do with regard to warranties, savvy companies approach the task by posing the same questions they ask themselves when looking at their ad claims: 1) What will consumers understand us to mean? and 2) Are we telling the truth?

The laws reach can be global. If you represent foreign companies, counsel them about compliance with the Mag-Moss Warranty Act and the FTC Act. Those laws apply when business practices of non-U.S. companies constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices that either involve material conduct in the United States or are likely to cause reasonably foreseeable injury within the U.S.
Support For President Donald J. Trumps Action To Improve Federal Infrastructure Permitting

Washington, DC - What They Are Saying: Support For President Donald J. Trumps Action To Improve Federal Infrastructure Permitting:

Elected Officials

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI): This is another important step toward rebuilding our nations infrastructure. Major projects can too easily get bogged down in bureaucracy, and these reforms will go right at that logjam. This initiative reflects tools Congress provided in the most recent highway bill to expedite critical projects. Moreover, this builds on our recent action to provide critical funding for improvements to our bridges, highways, railways, and airports. We will continue to work with the administration to advance this priority.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY): The Trump administration is taking coordinated action to speed up necessary infrastructure projects. The presidents plan sets a two-year goal of completing the permitting process. Roads, bridges, dams and water systems that take months to build shouldnt take a decade to permit. This is a commonsense idea that will help get projects done faster, better, cheaper and smarter.

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK): .@realDonaldTrump continues to keep his word. Like I said in my @WashTimes op-ed, we need to cut the red tape to build #infrastructureinAmerica and todays actions are doing just that.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA): Time is money. Reviewing and approving infrastructure projects in the most efficient way possible is critical to our Nations efforts in building a 21st century infrastructure and keeping project costs from escalating. I am pleased that the Administration is exercising the authority provided by Congress to streamline the review process for infrastructure projects. Todays announcement is a positive step forward in the fight against inefficient, bureaucratic permitting.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT): Projects designed to improve our countrys infrastructure are failing to move forward due to a tangled web of oppressive and duplicative environmental regulations. I support any effort to streamline outdated laws and bring commonsense back to our nations infrastructure.

Rep. Rob Woodall (R-GA): A 21st century #infrastructure system requires a streamlined, efficient regulatory process that no longer stands in the way of progress. Excited to see this Administration partnering with Congress to do just that. @WhiteHouse #infrastructureinamerica

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): President Trump understands how inefficient, burdensome, and costly the federal permitting process has been on industries that affect prosperous businesses and communities in Wyoming. By signing the One Federal Decision Memorandum of Understanding, the EPA, Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Energy are heralding in an important and welcome change, providing streamlining and relief from years of an overreaching federal bureaucracy.

Governor Doug Burgum (R-ND): This news from @POTUS makes it clear this administration understands that innovation, not regulation, is how we make the most of our energy and natural resources. With smart, efficient infrastructure, we can create healthy and vibrant communities.

Cabinet Members & Administration Officials

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke: As both a lead agency and a permitting agency, the Department of the Interior understands the importance of having an efficient permitting process. I am 100 percent committed to ensuring that the Department does its part to collaborate and work together with other Federal agencies to complete the necessary reviews in accordance with the permitting timetable.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue: This MOU will eliminate the potential for conflicting decisions, so that project sponsors dont get one answer from agency and another answer from another agency. In agriculture, weve gotten some of those mixed signals before, and theyre very frustrating. President Trump is making good on his promise to free our economy from needless regulations and bureaucratic delays, and One Federal Decision is another example.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson: The business-like approach established by the One Federal Decision Framework and MOU will provide greater predictability in the process for project sponsors, while ensuring HUD-assisted projects continue to meet federal, state, and local environmental standards.

Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao: The Department has been vigorously implementing the Presidents One Federal Decision policy since last August to reduce costs and unnecessary burdens that have long delayed infrastructure projects. It is essential for all Federal resource agencies to work together to cut red tape and deliver infrastructure and safety improvements more rapidly and spurring economic growth.

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry: The Presidents One Agency MOU will reduce unnecessary hurdles, provide investors with critical certainty, drive investments, and speed up projects that will allow the US to export more of our new found energy.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen: Instead of being bogged down in federal bureaucracy, the One Federal Decision MOU signed by @POTUS today will enable @DHSgov to move more quickly on projects that are critical to our national security.

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt: President Trumps leadership on this issue is the reason were making strides to improve the nations crumbling infrastructure. Todays MOU will streamline permitting processes and position EPA as a partner, not an obstacle, to making much-needed infrastructure improvements as quickly and safely as possible.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney: This agreement is another step toward fulfilling the Presidents promise to make government more effective, more efficient, and more accountable to the American taxpayer. Thanks to President Trumps leadership and vision, America will be more vibrant, prosperous, and advanced. The Office of Management and Budget will ensure that agencies maintain their responsibilities to remove red tape and streamline government bureaucracy.

Chief of Staff of the Council on Environmental Quality Mary Neumayr: The One Federal Decision framework and MOU provides an efficient approach under which Federal agencies can carry out their NEPA and permitting responsibilities in a coordinated and concurrent way. The framework and MOU also help to ensure that agencies are not duplicating analysis and are minimizing the need to revisit key decisions later in the process. Through early coordination, adequate project planning, and consideration of the relevant alternatives, the MOU ensures that timely decisions are made.

Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark T. Esper: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is committed to meeting the needs of our Nations project sponsors in the processing of its environmental reviews and permits in a timely, coordinated and concurrent way as called for in the MOU.

Policy Organizations and Labor Unions

Business Roundtable Infrastructure Committee Chair and Chairman and CEO of AECOM Mike Burke: Todays action by the Administration is a welcome change that will not only expedite review and approval of important infrastructure projects, but also help increase American competitiveness and economic growth.

Business Roundtable Smart Regulation Committee Chair and Chairman and CEO of Eastman Mark Costa: For years, onerous permitting processes and lengthy reviews have stood between American communities and infrastructure improvements they need and depend upon. This is an important move by the Administration to promote a smart, streamlined regulatory environment that will help unlock investment, leading to economic growth and job creation.

North Americas Building Trades Unions (NABTU): The steps taken today by several Executive Branch departments and agencies will hopefully lead to a more efficient permitting process without sacrificing the integrity of the underlying statutes that keep our members safe on the jobsite and protect the environment. This new commitment, building upon the presidents One Federal Decision initiative, will streamline the federal permitting process to produce timely outcomes, deliver certainty to both public and private project investors, and most importantly, deliver certainty for job opportunities for the hard working men and women of North Americas Building Trades Unions who build our nations infrastructure.

National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons: Reforming the permitting process for infrastructure projects is yet another great step from @POTUS towards fixing our nations infrastructure. This issue is critical for manufacturers. Glad to see continued WH leadership, were ready to help! #TimeToBuild

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley: We welcome the administrations commitment to One Federal Decision and applaud it as a much-needed step in the process to modernize Americas infrastructure. Were eager to see more of this kind of reform-minded progress from the administration and Congress in the weeks and months to come.
Acting Secretary Sullivan Travel to Lima, Peru To Participate in the Summit of the Americas

Washington, DC - Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan will travel to Lima, Peru from April 11-14, to accompany Vice President Mike Pence at the Eighth Summit of the Americas.

During the Summit, the United States will promote priorities of mutual interest to the region, including supporting democracy; addressing the political and humanitarian crisis and restoring democracy in Venezuela; stemming corruption and transnational crime, and promoting economic prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.

While in Lima, the Acting Secretary Sullivan will meet separately with leaders from Peru, Brazil, Haiti, and Mexico. He will also meet with representatives of the governments of the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia, as well as with leaders from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

The Acting Secretary will also engage with members of Cuban and Venezuelan independent civil society, regional business leaders, and U.S. Embassy staff.

Other senior State Department officials participating in the Summit of the Americas include U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States Carlos Trujillo, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Manisha Singh, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Francisco Palmieri, and Senior Official for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Richard Glenn.
Acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi recently attended the 8th International Theatre Olympics at his alma mater, National School of Drama in Delhi. He was seen attending the students' youth forum, Advitiya 2018, as one of the chief guests, which marked the closing ceremony of the international theatre fest.

The International Theatre Olympics which was being conducted in the capital city of New Delhi has been help across several hosting countries and was first hosted in 1993 in Delphi, Greece, on the initiative of the famous Greek director, Theodoros Terzopoulos.

It presents some of the greatest theatre practitioners from around the world, providing a platform for theatrical exchange; a gathering place for students and masters where a dialogue, despite ideological, cultural and language differences, is encouraged. The initiative is undertaken to emphasize the importance of connecting the past, the present and the future in a bid to bring the world one step closer.

The Masaan actor, with Adil Hussain , was invited to witness the marvel the students at NSD who, sticking to the theme of 'The Flag of Friendship' endeavoured to with their brilliant performances.

Pankaj, who won the Best Actor award at the Capetown International Film Market for his film Mango Dreams, will next be seen as the main antagonist in the Hrithik Roshan starrer Super 30 , marking his second collaboration with the Kaabil actor.
Actress Esha Gupta (right) along with her sister Neha Gupta seen at cafe in Bandra. Esha Gupta says she has always looked up to her elder sister. (IANS photo)
Raazi featuring Alia Bhatt is based on a true story of a young girl, who was sent to Pakistan as a bride in 1971, to source out any information she could, as war was imminent between India and Pakistan. (Dharma Productions/Twitter photo)
Karen Nazaryan: The ratification of the Armenia-EU agreement is in progress in EU countries (video)

Karen Nazaryan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, answering journalists' questions in the NA corridor, noted that the process of ratification of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced agreement was in the EU member states and soon we would get information from different steps in different capitals. Referring to the negotiations on the EU-Azerbaijan agreement, he added the following: "The agreement has a mandatory legal force for the parties, clearly stipulating the parties' commitment to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. I strongly hope that there will be no deviations from the EU." It should be noted that the parliament unanimously ratified the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and EnhancedPartnership agreement. The agreement was ratified by 95 votes. The EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced agreement will come into force on June 1.
Indian American civil rights leader Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, led a national press call April 5, examining the impacts of underfunding and a new question on citizenship to the accuracy of the 2020 Census count. The level of distrust is already high, said Gupta, adding that the citizenship question would have a severe impact on the undercounting of the Indian American community. (Angelo Merendino/Getty Images)
The Maryland Republican Party is targeting Indian American congressional candidate Aruna Miller, who currently serves in the states House of Delegates, for supporting a bill that would ban local law enforcement from questioning people about their immigration status. One of the ads is pictured here. (Twitter photo)
BJP legislator and Unnao MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar speaks with the press after meeting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow April 9. Sengar is accused of gangraping a 17-year-old girl. Citing the rape and Chief Minister Adityanaths protection of Segar and his accomplices, the Congress demanded April 11 that Adityanath resign from his post. (IANS photo)
Congress legislators stage a demonstration at Parliament in New Delhi, April 6. The second edition of the budget session ended in a washout due to the disruptions caused by opposition party protests. (IANS photo)
#MyStep day 12 (video)

Nikol Pashinyan and his team "Civil Contract" moves from Hrazdan to Liberty Square. Today is the 12th day of the strike. As a habit, today they planted a tree as well. "We will reach Liberty Square on April 13, at 18:30. Today we have walked less than ever; we have decided to take a break. Yesterday there was a sitting of the "Civil Contract", meetings were held with the initiative "Negate Serzh" and we made certain decisions. When reaching Yerevan, we will discuss and confirm all of our details so that our program is finalized. We hope that the action plan will bring serious consequences for the citizens of the Republic of Armenia," Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page today. Nikol Pashinyan also called for participation in the demonstration organized by the "Negate Serzh" initiative, which will take place today at 6:30 pm at the office of the Republican Party of Armenia.
In the small town of Maholi in the Sitapur district, people of different faiths have come together for a common cause  cleaning the polluted Kathina River. (IANS photo)
On The Threshold of War By Paul Craig Roberts Updated April 10, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - There is no longer any doubt that the criminally insane government in Washington is driving the world to the last war. https://www.rt.com/news/423634-unsc-security-threats-syria-chemical/ https://www.rt.com/news/423627-russian-military-checks-chemical-douma/ A Russian Government Press Release False information is being planted about the alleged use of chlorine and other toxic agents by the Syrian government forces. The latest fake news about a chemical attack on Douma was reported yesterday. These reports are again referenced to the notorious White Helmets, which have been proved more than once to be working hand in glove with the terrorists, as well as to other pseudo-humanitarian organisations headquartered in the UK and the US. We recently warned of the possibility of such dangerous provocations. The goal of these absolutely unsubstantiated lies is to protect the terrorists and the irreconcilable radical opposition that has rejected a political settlement, as well as to justify the possible use of force by external actors. We have to say once again that military interference in Syria, where Russian forces have been deployed at the request of the legitimate government, under contrived and false pretexts is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to very grave consequences. This is John Helmers interpretation of the warning: "When the rule of law was destroyed in Salisbury, London and the Hauge, and the rule of fraud declared in Washington, that leaves only the rule of force in the world. the Stavka [ High command of the Russian armed forces] met in Moscow on goof Friday and is ready. The foreign ministry announced on Sunday "The gravest consequences". This means one American shot at a Russian soldier, then we are at war. Not Infowar, not cyber war,not economic war, not proxy war. World war. I hope that the situation is not this severe. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter On The Threshold of War By Paul Craig Roberts The Russian view is simple: the West is ruled by a gang of thugs supported by an infinitely lying and hypocritical media while the general public in the West has been hopelessly zombified.  The Saker https://russia-insider.com/en/russia-ready-war-mood-prime-time-tv-grim/ri23019 The US generals, unlike the US politicians and media and US administration, are risk-averse if the outcome may be catastrophic.  Gilbert Doctorow https://russia-insider.com/en/were-not-going-war-not-yet-last-nights-russian-tv-analysis/ri23024 Above are two of the three most intelligent and reliable Russian experts. The third is Professor Stephen Cohen, who worries, as I do, that an arrogant Washington drowning in hubris is provoking Russia to war. The Saker has concluded that the Russians have concluded that it has been a mistake to put up with Washingtons lies, insults, and orchestrated events and have decided that if the dumbshit Americans attack Syria, Russia is going to take out the US forces involved. Doctorow has concluded that as dumbshit as Washington is, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff have more sense and will not go along with an attack on a Russian ally. I hope that Doctorow is correct. However, with that crazed demented warmonger John Bolton sitting in the White House next to Trump, who enjoys the role of tough guy, I am more scared by The Sakers reading than I am reassured by Doctorows. There are reports, the validity of which I cannot confirm at this time, that the entirety of the Russian military has been put on high alert, not merely the Russian forces in Syria. See for example: http://defence-blog.com/news/russia-suddenly-puts-troops-alert.html Nikki Haleys threats against Russia today in the UN do not support Doctorows hopes that reason will prevail in Washington. The crazed bitch said that the US will act against the monster Assad with or without the UN. Tough man Trump, sitting next to the crazed warmonger Bolton, declared that the alleged chemical attack in Syria will be met and it will be met forcefully. We cant let atrocities like we all witnessed we cant let that happen in our world, especially because of the power of the US, we are able to stop it. There was NO chemical attack by Syria. I know that for an absolute 100% fact. I would bet my life on it. Yet here is the US president declaring a total non-fact to be something we all witnessed. Little wonder that the Russians have concluded that the West is ruled by a gang of thugs supported by an infinitely lying and hypocritical media while the general public in the West has been hopelessly zombified. If Doctorow is not correct that a sane US Joint Chiefs of Staff will prevail over the crazed President and his National Security Adviser, we are headed for war. It is a war that the US will not win. Notice, dear readers, that there is no mention of this pending crisis in the Western media. Instead the media whether CNN or the BBC has as the lead news story the FBIs raid on Trumps lawyer: https://www.cnn.com http://www.bbc.com/news

Insouciant Americans is too mild, isnt it. Clueless is the correct word. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order . ===== World War 3 alert:' There WILL be a response' Russia to strike back if US hit Syria
Things just go from bad to worse every day, Jacobs, a successful New York architect who designed the Holocaust memorial at Buchenwald, tells Newsweek. Theres a real problem growing.

So much so that Jacobs thinks theres a direct parallel with Germany between the two world wars.

Perhaps more alarming than the far-right getting braver is the seep into mainstream politics of their hate, their talking points, their rhetoric. It feels like 1929 or 1930 Berlin, Jacobs speculated, ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day 2018 on Thursday.

Things that couldnt be said five years ago, four years ago, three years agocouldnt be said in publicare now normal discourse. Its totally unacceptable.

We thought our country had changed. In fact, it didnt. We were operating on a misconception. My god, we elected a black president in the United States! Look how far weve come! We havent.

In Trump, Jacobs says, the far-right sees an enabler.

Im involved with New York real estate, I know this man personally, says Jacobs, whose eponymous architecture firm celebrated its 50th birthday in 2017. Trump is an enabler. Trump has no ideas. Trump is out for himself.

Hes a sick, very disturbed individual. I couldnt say that Trump is a fascist because youve got to know what fascism is. And I dont think he has the mental power to even understand it.

Jacobs calls New York, where he lives, an island of resistance. But he says Washington will soon realize too that fascism has to be resisted.

Fascism could have been won in Spain. It couldve been stopped. But appeasement of fascism is what led to everything, Jacobs warns.

This is a man who lived what happens when fascism isnt stopped before it metastasizes.

He was born in odz, Poland, in 1939. His father, a physician, moved the family to Piotrkow, near Warsaw, shortly after the Nazi invasion of Poland in September of that year.

Piotrkow, where many Jewish refugees in Poland fled, would become the Nazis first ghetto.

Liquidated in 1942, a labor camp was established with two factories, where the family lived until their brutal separation in 1944.

The womenhis mother, three aunts and grandmotherwere taken to a camp at Ravensbruck. The menhim, his older brother and his fatherto Buchenwald.

In my case, you didnt eat in Buchenwald unless you worked. So I was given an identity card that said I was 16 years old, Jacobs says. I was five.

He worked in a shoe factory, which also got him out of roll call every day. Working made you useful to the Nazis. Those not able to work, including young children like Jacobs, were sent to their deaths.

He was told to keep his hat low and bang on a shoe if a Nazi ever entered the workshop. And, if asked his age, to lie.

Before liberation, as the Allies closed in, the situation got especially dangerous because the Nazis rushed to liquidate the camp.

One memory haunted Jacobs. His father, trying to keep him safe, entrusted him and another young boy in his care to a gentile in the camp.

That guy got scared and he abandoned us, Jacobs says. He put us in a barrack that had already been emptied. In other words, the people had already been deported.

And we spent that night in this barrack and I will never forget that. I had nightmares about that for many, many years growing up.

Somehow, in the morning, my father found usI dont know how he made the connectionand he took us and hid us in the TB ward in the hospital.

Jacobs father was an orderly at the camp hospital. Nazis and German doctors didnt enter the tuberculosis ward fearing infection, which made it a good, if risky, hiding place.

For years he wondered how his father managed to keep both him and his brother George alive. Then he realized: His father had help.

Help from the camps active underground resistance. Buchenwald was founded before the war in 1937 to intern political prisoners such as communists. Inevitably, the communist prisoners got organized.

They protected each other, arranged counterfeit paperwork, hid children from the camp guards. Some even held administrative posts in the camp. They ran the day to day.

The underground decided that they couldnt save everybody but they would save the children, Jacobs says, crediting the resistance with saving more than 1,100 children.

Jacobs recalls, faintly, the undergrounds armed uprising against camp guards, a prelude to liberation by the U.S. Third Army.

I have memories of when we were in the TB ward that they were shooting outside and we put mattresses against the windows, and they told us to get under the beds, he says. We saw people running around with weapons and red armbands.

Theres a picture of liberation where Rabbi Schacter of the U.S. Third Army is giving a religious service to Jewish camp survivors. A young Jacobs is in the foreground along with his older brother, George. Its hanging at the Buchenwald museum.

It wasnt until after liberation that Jacobs found out what happened to the rest of his family.

While in Ravensbruck, one of his aunts names appeared on a transportation list. She was going to be sent to Bergen-Belsen.

His grandmother made the decision: If one has to go, we all go.

So all the women ended up in Bergen-Belsen which is about as bad as it could get, Jacobs says.

They exchanged lists of survivors between the camps, he says, speaking of the early days after liberation.

And I remember we were given a room in SS barracks that were outside the barbed wire enclosure of the camp. I remember sitting in that room with my father, and my brother running in very excited because he found my mothers name on a survivors' list.

Somehow, the Jacobs family survived the three camps: Buchenwald, Ravensbruck and Bergen-Belsen. Even his grandmother survived to witness liberation by the British, though she died a short time later.

Another incredible moment came after liberation. Before Buchenwald, in Piotrkow, Jacobs father bribed an SS physician at the hospital in which he worked to help his family. At the wars end, that same SS doctor was captured by the Russians and put on trial, facing execution.

But my father gave an affidavit that saved his life, Jacobs says. I dont know why. Even under those circumstances, he saved his life.

The two men wrote to each other until the former SS doctor died though none of the correspondence survives.

One of the things that I really regret is my parents died in the early 1980s, and at that time, we didnt speak about this. It wasnt something that you talked about, Jacobs says. They wanted to rebuild their lives and they didnt want to focus on this.

Unfortunately my brother, who was older, doesnt remember a thing. I believe that his experience was much worse than mine because I never had a pre-war conscience. I didnt have any other framework. But he had a pre-war life.

I really believe that he suffered some very severe trauma and he doesnt remember. He just doesnt want to remember.

Jacobs returned to the camp at Buchenwald in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of liberation and the opening of a new museum. He says the camp had become a kind of cathedral for German communists because of the underground resistance.

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A narrative of self-liberation by the underground was fomented during the GDR years. But this was now the early days of German reunification. And Jacobs says he found himself caught in the middle of a German propaganda war.

The new museum pointedly referred to the camps liberation by the U.S. Third Army, showing footage of prisoners praising in English the Americans. It replaced the old exhibition that focused heavily on the story of communists in the camp.

One sides just as bad as the other, theyre both denying history, Jacobs thought as he realized what was going on around him.

The truth, he believes, lies somewhere in middle. The camp was undoubtedly liberated by the U.S. Third Army.

But there was also an uprising at the same time, contributing to liberation efforts, and its down to the communist-run underground that so many people survived Buchenwald.

By the time the Americans turned up, 21,000 inmates were still alive at the camp, though around 240,000 people had passed through its gates between 1937 and 1945.

Prisoners were starved, diseased. Beaten to death by guards. Experimented on by twisted Nazi doctors. Including liquidation transports, where prisoners were sent to be murdered elsewhere, there were around 54,000 deaths at Buchenwald.

In the years after liberation, Buchenwald was used as a prison camp by the Soviet Union to detain Nazis.

Jacobs was told he is the only Holocaust survivor to design a memorial. He was asked in the late 1990s to come up with the Buchenwald Holocaust memorial by the U.S. Commission For The Preservation of Americas Heritage Abroad.

The memorial, in the Little Camp area of Buchenwald, where Jews were mostly confined, was finished in 2002. Jacobs refused to take money for the work. To me it was, in a way, an opportunity to bring this stuff to a closure, Jacobs says.

Thinking about his memorial design, Jacobs didnt want to go for the heroic Soviet style or anything as abstract as Peter Eisenman's monument in Berlin.

All the barracks were demolished and only the foundations are visible. As you walk through the camp, theres no place to sit down, Jacobs says.

We wanted to create a place for quiet contemplation, where you could put your thoughts together. And the realization that we were doing this for future generations of German school kids. So we made sure the space was big enough to fit one bus.

They excavated down in the ruins of a barrack to create a separate space for reflection. Jacobs used stone as a primary material, symbolic of the camps quarry where many prisoners were worked to death. Stone seats allow visitors to sit and take in what happened around them, prompted by plaques.

The design also features two large triangles on the floor. The triangle is an important symbol here, Jacobs says. The triangle is the patch people wore. Every prisoner had some kind of triangle.

A yellow triangle for Jews. Red for communists. Pink for homosexuals.

Jacobs also wanted to create a subliminal Star of David. Some kids over the years have picked this up, he says.

Memorials are intended to not only honor those who died yesterday, but to warn what tomorrow brings if lessons from the past are forgotten.

And it's today's generation, facing an ascendant far-right, who need to remember.

Ive gotten phone calls sometimes late at night from German teenagers who were there and they felt they had to speak to me. They wanted to know why did I do this, why did I do that," Jacobs says.

These are Germans. Theyre not Jewish teenagers. There is a sense of gratification that, in a way, this thing works."
Syria - Any U.S. Strike Will Lead to Escalation





By Moon Of Alabama



April 10, 2018 "

Information Clearing House

"

-

Yesterday's alleged 'gas attack' in east Ghouta likely never happened. A video shows a number of presumably dead kids in a basement or dark apartment. Another video shows an undamaged yellow gas cylinder which, we are told, was dropped from some unseen helicopter and crashed through a concrete roof. We do not know when or where these videos were made.

Besides those videos of murky origin we hear claims from two 'western' paid anti-Syrian propaganda organizations, the White Helmets and SAMS, which claim hundreds were wounded in a chlorine attack.

Interestingly the MI6 outlet in Coventry, the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights (SOHR), does not confirm a 'gas' incident. In its version of events some 40 people died after their shelter collapsed:

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.

Main stream media, which have quoted SOHR for years, now ignore it and report of a 'chemical attack' as if it were a proven reality.

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All this happens at a moment when the Syrian army is victorious and Trump had just announced that he wants the U.S. to leave Syria. We noted that something similar happened exactly a year ago when similar illogical claims were made:

We are told to believe that each time the U.S. pulls back from the war on Syria the Syrian government is responding with a 'chemical attack' that pulls the U.S. back in.

Hours later the New York Times headlined: As Trump Seeks Way Out of Syria, New Attack Pulls Him Back In .

Over the last month Russia has several times warned that such fake gas attacks were being planned by the so-called 'rebels'. It also warned the U.S. that any strike it might take in 'retaliation' of such a fake attack would endanger Russian troops and installations in Syria. The Russian said they will respond to any severe U.S. attack with a strike against U.S. missile launching platform - be they jets or ships.

Israel immediately tried to further escalate the situation. Last night it hit the T4 airport in Homs with 8 cruise missiles launched from Israeli planes flying over Lebanon. The T4 airport is in the middle of Syria. Some Iranian drones are stationed there next to Syrian planes and helicopters to help in the fight against ISIS in east Syria. The damage was relatively light, but the Israeli strike requires a response. Russia had so far not commented on any Israeli strikes on Syria. This time it was first to condemn the attack. It will no longer hinder Syria or Iran should they decide to launch a counterattack on Israel or its interests.

Douma, where the alleged 'gas attack' happened, is now accessible. The terrorist of Jaish al-Islam are being evacuated to Idleb governorate. Russian military police entered and did not find any indication for the alleged chemical incident. The OPCW or some other organization could investigate the situation. This would as usual take several weeks.

Trump is under pressure from neoconservatives, military hawks ans some allies to do 'something', i.e. to attack Syria, and to do it immediately. Such an attack would likely escalate.

So far Trump sounds uncommitted:

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Trump promised a major decision over the next 24 and 48 hours and said one may come as soon as the end of the day. The U.S. president was meeting with military advisers Monday evening. Nothing is off the table, he said when asked if U.S. military action was a possibility.

Russian troops in Syria and the Syrian army will be ready to respond in kind.

This article was originally published by " Moon Of Alabama " -

=====

Heres what the DAILY MAIL published SIX years ago. pic.twitter.com/WPGWHKgA02  James Perloff (@jamesperloff) April 9, 2018

Join the Discussion
Degeneracy and Fundamentalism of Western Media Control

Dedicated to 'my' magazine, NEO

By Andre Vltchek

April 10, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - 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 doesnt 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.

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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.

*

The West knows how to slaughter millions, and it knows how to manipulate masses. Its propaganda has always been tough (and repeated a thousand times, not unlike corporate advertisements or the WWII fascist indoctrination campaigns) when it originates in the United States, or brilliantly Machiavellian and lethally effective when coming from the United Kingdom. Let us never forget: the U.K. has been murdering and enslaving hundreds of millions of innocent and much more advanced human beings, for many long centuries and all over the world. Due to its talent in brainwashing and manipulating the masses, Great Britain has been getting away with countless genocides, robberies and even managing to convince the world that it should be respected and allowed to retain both a moral mandate and the seat at the U.N. Security Council.

The Western regime knows how to lie, shamelessly but professionally, and above all, perpetually. There are thousands of lies piling up on top of each other, delivered with perfect upper-class educated accents: lies about Salisbury, about Communism, Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, South Africa, Libya, refugees. There are lies about the past, present and even about the future.

Nobody is laughing, seeing such imperialist thugs like the U.K. and France preaching, all over the world and with straight face, about both freedom and human rights. Not laughing, yet. But many are slowly getting outraged.

People in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America are beginning to realize that they have been fooled, cheated, lied to; that the so called education and information coming from the West have been nothing else other than shameless indoctrination campaigns. For years I worked on all continents, compiling stories and testimonies about the crimes of imperialism, and about the awakening of the world, summarized in my 840-page book:  Exposing Lies Of The Empire .

Millions can now see, for the first time, that media outlets such as BBC, DW, CNN, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, have been encoding them mercilessly and thoroughly, for years and decades. Reuters, AP, AFP and several other Western press agencies, have managed to create a uniformed narrative for the entire planet, with local newspapers everywhere in the world now publishing identical fabrications that originate from Washington, London, Paris and other Western capitals. Totally false pictures about such important subjects as the Soviet Union, Communism, China, but also freedom and democracy, have been engraved into billions of human brains.

The main reason for the opening of the eyes of people of the world which is still oppressed by Western imperialism, is, the relentless work of media outlets such as the Russian-based New Eastern Outlook (NEO), RT and Sputnik, as China-based CGTN, China Radio International and China Daily, Venezuela-based TeleSur, Lebanese Al-Mayadeen, and Iranian Press TV. Of course, there are many other proud and determined anti-imperialist media outlets in various parts of the world, but the above-mentioned ones are the most important vehicles of the counter-propaganda coming from the countries that fought for their freedom and simply refused to be conquered, colonized, prostituted and brainwashed by the West.

One mighty anti-imperialist coalition of truly independent states has been forming and solidifying. It is now inspiring billions of oppressed human beings everywhere on Earth, giving them hope, promising a better, optimistic and just future. Standing at the vanguard of many positive changes and expectations is the new media.

And the West is watching, horrified, desperate and increasingly vitriolic. It is willing to destroy, to kill and to crush, just in order to stop this wave of dangerous optimism and strive for true independence and freedom.

*

There are now constant attacks against the new media of the free world. In the West, RT is being threatened with expulsion, brilliant and increasingly popular New Eastern Outlook (NEO) came just recently under vicious cyber-attack from, most likely, professional Western hackers. TeleSur is periodically crippled by sanctions shamefully unleashed against Venezuela, and the same banditry is targeting Iranian Press TV.

You see, the West may be responsible for billions of ruined lives everywhere in the world, but it is still faces no sanctions, no punitive actions. While countries like Russia, Iran, China, Cuba, DPRK or Venezuela have to face consequences mainly in the form of embargos, sanctions, propaganda, direct intimidation, even military bullying, simply for refusing to accept the insane Western global dictatorship, and for choosing their own form of the government and political as well as economic system.

The West simply doesnt seem to be able to tolerate dissent. It requires full and unconditional obedience, an absolute submission. It acts as both religious fundamentalist and a global thug. And to make things worse, its citizens appear to be so programmed or so indifferent or both, that they are not capable of comprehending what their countries and their culture are doing to the rest of the world.

*

When being interviewed, I am often asked: is the world facing real danger of WWIII?

I always reply yes. It is because it appears that both North America and Europe are unable to stop forcing the world into obedience and to virtual slavery. They appear to be unwilling to accept any rational and democratic arrangement on our Planet. Would they sacrifice one, tens or hundreds of millions of human beings, just in order to retain control over the universe? Definitely they would! They already have, on several occasions, without thinking twice, with no regret and no mercy.

The gamble of the Western fundamentalists is that the rest of the world is so much more decent and much less brutal, that it could not stomach yet another war, another carnage, another bloodbath; that it rather surrenders, rather gives up all its dreams for a much better future, instead of fighting and defending itself against what increasingly appears to be an inevitable Western military attack.

*

Such calculations and hopes of the Western fanatics are false. Countries that are now being confronted and intimidated are well aware what to expect if they give up and surrender to Western insanity and imperialist designs.

People know, they remember what it is like to be enslaved.

Russia under Yeltsin, collapsed, being plundered by Western corporations, being spat at, in the face, by the European and North American governments; its life expectancy dropped to sub-Saharan African levels.

China survived unimaginable agony of humiliation period, being ransacked, plundered and divided by French, British and the U.S. invaders.

Iran robbed of its legitimate and socialist government, having to live under a sadistic maniac, the Western puppet, the Shah.

The entire Latin America, with its open veins, with ruined culture, with Western religion forced down its throat; with literally all democratically-elected socialist and Communist governments and leaders either overthrown, or directly murdered, or at least manipulated out of power by Washington and its lackeys.

North Korea, survivor of a beastly genocide against its civilians, committed by the U.S. and its allies in the so-called Korean War.

Vietnam and Laos, raped and humiliated by the French, and then bombed to the stone ages by the U.S. and its allies.

South Africa East Timor Cambodia

There are living carcasses, decomposing horrid wrecks, left after the Western deadly liberating embraces: Libya and Iraq, Afghanistan and Honduras, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to name just a few. These are serving as warnings to those who still have some illusions left about the Western good will and spirit of justice!

Syria Oh Syria! Just look what the West has done to a proud and beautiful country which refused to fall on its knees and lick Washingtons and Londons feet. But also, look how strong, how determined those who truly love their country can be. Against all odds, Syria stood up, it fought foreign-backed terrorists, and it won, surrounded and supported by the great internationalist coalition! The West thought it was triggering yet another Libyan scenario, but instead, it encountered an iron fist, nerves of steel, another Stalingrad. Fascism was identified, confronted and stopped. At an enormous cost, but stopped!

The entire Middle East is watching.

The entire world is watching.

People now see and they remember. They are beginning to remember clearly what happened to them. They are starting to understand. They are emboldened. They clearly comprehend that slavery is not the only way to live their lives.

*

The Anti-Western or more precisely, anti-imperialist coalition is now solid like steel. Because it is one great coalition of victims, of people who know what rape is and what plunder is, and what thorough destruction is. They know precisely what is administered by the self-proclaimed champions of freedom and democracy  by the Western cultural and economic fundamentalism.

This coalition of independent and proud nations is here to protect itself, to protect each other, as well as the rest of the world.

It will never surrender, never back up. Because the people have spoken and they are sending clear messages to their leaders: Never again! Do not capitulate. Do not yield to the Western intimidations. We will fight if attacked. And we will stand, proudly, on our own feet, no matter what, no matter what brutal force we have to face. Never on our knees, comrades! We will never again fall to our knees in front of those who are spreading terror!

And the media in these wonderful countries that are resisting Western imperialism and terror is spreading countless optimistic and brave messages.

And the Western establishing is watching and shaking and soiling its pants.

It knows the end of its brutal rule over the world is approaching. It knows those days of impunity are ending. It knows the world will soon judge the West, for the centuries of crimes it has been committing against humanity.

It knows that the media war will be won by us, not by them.

The battlefield is being defined. With some bright exceptions, the Westerners and their media outlets are closing ranks, sticking to their masters. Like several other writers, I had been unceremoniously kicked out from Counterpunch, one of the increasingly anti-Communist, anti-Russian, anti-Syrian and anti-Chinese U.S.-based publications. From their point of view, I was writing for several wrong publications. I am actually proud that they stopped publishing me. I am fine where I am: facing them, as I am facing other mass-circulation media outlets of the West.

The extent of Western ideological control of the world is degenerate, truly perverse. Its media and educational outlets are fully at the service of the regime.

But the world is waking up and confronting this deadly cultural and political fundamentalism.

A great ideological battle is on. These are exciting, bright times. Nothing could be worse than slavery. Chains are being broken. From now on, there will be no impunity for those who have been torturing the world for centuries.

Their lies, as well as their armor, will be confronted and stopped!

Andre Vltchek is philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. Hes a creator of Vltcheks World in Word and Images , a writer of revolutionary novel Aurora and several other books . He writes especially for the online magazine New Eastern Outlook.

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By Robert Burns, Josh Lederman & Catherine Lucey / AP

April 11, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - (WASHINGTON)  Defying Russian warnings against U.S. military strikes in Syria, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that missiles will be coming in response to Syrias suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people. Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, Trump tweeted. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump did not detail what a strike would look like, or whether these would be U.S. missiles. U.S. officials have been consulting with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syrias alleged poison gas attack. Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Syrias Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that his threats are reckless and endanger international peace and security.

Trumps tweet also drew a quick response from Russias Foreign Ministry. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Facebook that smart missiles would destroy any evidence of a chemical weapons attack.

Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

The term smart missile dates to the introduction decades ago of weapons with advanced guidance systems  for example, using GPS  to achieve greater precision in targeting. The term was meant to contrast with dumb bombs lacking such technology. Virtually all U.S. missiles now have advanced guidance systems.

Russian lawmakers have warned the United States that Moscow would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime and that it could trigger a direct military clash between the two former Cold War adversaries. Russias ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted  a stark warning of a potential major confrontation.

Shortly after warning that missiles were coming, Trump tweeted that the U.S. relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. Then, striking a more conciliatory tone, he said: There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

Trumps administration has sought to show toughness on Russia, with a series of economic and diplomatic actions, including new sanctions last week against government officials and oligarchs. Trump has largely avoided criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, though he singled him out in a tweet over the weekend for supporting Assad.

In the past, Trump has condemned others for forecasting military plans, repeatedly blistering President Barack Obama during the 2016 election campaign. During one speech, he said, We must as a nation be more unpredictable. We are totally predictable. We tell everything. Were sending troops. We tell them. Were sending something else. We have a news conference. We have to be unpredictable.

The U.S., France and Britain have been in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, U.S. officials have said. A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the U.S. in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syrias political and military support from Russia and Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron said his nation, the U.S. and Britain will decide how to respond. He called for a strong and joint response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed at least 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the U.S.-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS terror attacks have targeted France, including one last month.

Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of sarin gas. Trump responded then by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the U.S., France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April. The three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

That official was not authorized to speak publicly and commented only on condition of anonymity.

Macron, asked whether France would take military action, said his country would continue discussing technical and strategic information with U.S. and British allies and in the coming days we will announce our decision. He said any action would target chemical weapons stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

Trump spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was utterly reprehensible and the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Trump see eye to eye on Syria.

Qatar hosts the United States main air operations center for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it would shortly send a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit might affect any U.S. or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used.
A businessman, Immanuel Ibe-Anyanwu, created a sensation on Monday after calling for help on Facebook while in the toilet of a Zenith Bank branch at Ago Palace-Way, Okota, Lagos State.

Ibe-Anyanwu claimed that some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad were waiting outside the bank to extort money from him.

The 37-year-old, in the post, claimed that the policemen had seized his company documents.

While urging his friends and other readers to share the post, he said his phone battery was running low. The victim, who later spoke to PunchMetro on the telephone, said he stayed in the toilet for over two hours.

He claimed that the operatives, who waited patiently for him, later removed the number plate of his car in a desperate bid to extort money from him.

Narrating his ordeal, he said, I was coming out of the banking hall after a transaction around 2pm on Monday when a man in mufti approached me. He said he was a policeman. I asked for his ID card, which he showed me. He told me to follow him to where their vehicle was parked.

They were seven in number in a mini-bus. They were all armed, except the driver. Immediately we got there, he told his colleagues that I was trying to snatch his ID card from him. I was shocked. I wanted to explain, but they asked me to shut up.

They went through my company documents. They saw that the address of my company was at Ikoyi and asked what I was doing at Okota. I told them that I came for a banking transaction. They asked why I didnt do it at Ikoyi and I replied that I lived in Okota and that I left my house late and wanted to do the transaction before going to the office.

They asked what we do in my company and I told them. They asked what I was doing before I opened the company. They said I should open my car for a search. which they did; they didnt find anything there. They said I should enter their vehicle so that I could take them to my office at Ikoyi to confirm that I worked there. They said they know the street, but they dont know my company.

The victim said he suggested that they meet with his landlady or speak with his office workers on the telephone, but the policemen refused.

He noted that he called the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Chike Oti, who asked to speak with the operatives.

Ibe-Anyanwu said after he handed over the phone to the officials, they cut off the call and seized the phone.

He explained that a resident later mediated and asked the policemen to release him.

They said because of the man that begged for me they would release me. They called me aside and asked me to arrange some money for them. I told them that I needed my phone to arrange the money. They returned my phone.

I went into the bank and sneaked into the toilet where I wrote the Facebook post. I called the police spokesperson again to inform him that they had just released my phone and were demanding money. He told me not to give them anything. He said he had mobilised some officers and they were coming to rescue me.

I was in the toilet till 4pm and thought by then they would have left; but they stayed. Later, the bank workers asked me to leave their premises. By then, my phone battery was flat and I could not call anybody. By the time I peeped outside, I saw they had removed my cars number plate, he added.

The businessman said he had swiftly entered the car and turned on the ignition to leave the premises when the policemen surfaced and blocked his path with their vehicle.

He explained that he refused their call to wind down the glass, adding that a crowd gathered around the scene.

Ibe-Anyanwu said the policemen dropped his number plate and drove out to wait for him outside the bank.

The bank asked me to leave their premises. I was confused. I decided to risk it and speed out. That was how I escaped. Although I can recognise them, they dont have any name tag. They only had their crested guns with SARS jacket, he added.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Oti, in a statement, said the policemen had been identified.

He added that the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, had ordered their arrest and trial.
Three year old girl on her knees

These photos of three-year-old Praise, the daughter of a Kenyan Gospel Artist, Israel Ezekiel have gone viral online for obvious reasons  three year old Praise can be seen in the photos, deep in a worship session.

She goes down on her knees and shes rooted in serious worship as she tears up and is deep in the spirit, as an eye witness says she could hear her speaking in tongues.

Sharing the photos, the witness wrote:

She was filled with the Holy Spirit yesterday during a church service that was dubbed The worship experience. At 3 years she worshipped in truth and spirit. I could literally hear her speak in tongues.Indeed GOD meets us at our level.HE understands us and ever ready to listen to us,Said one christian who attended the service. Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger-Psalms 8:2

Photos below:

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A woman has set her boyfriends car on fire for Cheat!ng on her. First, she tries breaking the windows by hitting them repeatedly and at full-force with a big rock.

The windows, however, appear to be bullet-proof and thus resistant to the hits. But the woman still managed to get her revenge, as she made vehicle go up in flames and firemen arrived at the scene.

See photos:
Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount

Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York

Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency

UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers

Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland

Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden.

"The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer

Generation A 13  your chance to be the change

President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev

"uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only

For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road

Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion

Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan

UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN

Joint statement

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Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

Covid-19: 163 new cases in Armenia

Armenia: Remarks by Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi at the press point with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan

The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining

The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia

International aviation: Council greenlights signing of major agreements with four countries

With UCOMs level up tariff plans subscribers have unlimited access to Netflix, Duolingo and Zoom

Armenia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the early parliamentary elections

Armenias Parliamentary Elections PRESS STATEMENT

COVID19:77 new cases

Armenias early parliamentary elections were competitive and well run, but polarized and marred by aggressive rhetoric, international observers say

International election observers to Armenias early parliamentary elections held press conference

Drop Charges Against Rights Defender Sashik Sultanyan
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Boutique deals are more likely to work than transactions done for scale. But integrate them  dont keep them independent.
Credit: Kevin NixonYes recently announced dates for a 50th anniversary tour of the U.S. taking place in June and July, and now the other version of the prog-rock band -- Yes Featuring Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman -- has unveiled plans for its own trek to mark the milestone.

The outing, dubbed Quintessential Yes: The 50th Anniversary Tour, is expected to feature a total of 100 concerts and will visit Europe, North America, South America, Japan and the Far East before winding down next year. So far, only 10 U.S. dates have been confirmed, running from August 26 gig in West Hollywood, California, through a September 9 show in Huber Heights, Ohio. More concerts will be announced soon.

The U.S. portion of the trek will launch with a special show at the famed Sunset Strip club The Whisky a Go Go, the same venue where Yes gave its first stateside headlining performance back in June 1971. The 50th anniversary tour will kick off with a European leg beginning June 3 in Warsaw, Poland.

As the group's name suggests, Yes Featuring Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman is led by three key Yes alumni: founding frontman Jon Anderson, and longtime keyboardist Rick Wakeman and guitarist Trevor Rabin.

In conjunction with the tour, a new archival compilation called Quintessential Yes 50th Anniversary, curated by Anderson, will be released in August as a two-CD and three-LP set.

In addition, a live CD and DVD documenting a March 2017 concert by Yes Featuring Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman in Manchester, U.K., is due out in August or September. Meanwhile, the group's also working on brand-new music that's expected to be ready for release in late 2018 or early 2019.

Here are all of the band's confirmed U.S. tour dates, according to YesFeaturingARW.com:

8/26 -- West Hollywood, CA, The Whisky a Go Go

8/27 -- San Diego, CA, Humphreys By The Bay

8/29 -- Los Angeles, CA, Greek Theatre

8/31 -- Phoenix, AZ, Celebrity Theatre

9/1 -- Las Vegas, NV, Westgate Resort & Casino

9/3 -- Denver, CO, Levitt Pavilion

9/5 -- Milwaukee, WI, Riverside Theater

9/7 -- Highland Park, IL, Ravinia

9/8 -- Northfield, OH, Hard Rock Live

9/9 -- Huber Heights, OH, Rose Music Center

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
TORONTO - April 11, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Emblem Corp. (TSXV:EMC) (TSXV:EMC.WT) ("Emblem" or the "Company"), announced today that it has entered into a supplier agreement (the "Agreement") pursuant to which Emblem, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Emblem Cannabis Corp., will become a preferred cannabis supplier to Fire & Flower Inc. ("Fire & Flower").

Subject to the approval and subsequent Royal Assent of Bill C-45, the proposed Cannabis Act (Canada) and the receipt by Fire & Flower of all required licensing under the applicable provincial cannabis regimes, pursuant to the Agreement, Emblem will supply Fire & Flower with Emblem branded cannabis products for an initial period of three consecutive years. It is expected the products will be sold in-store in all provinces in which Fire & Flower operates and, if applicable, in which Emblem has received a provincial listing.

Nick Dean, CEO of Emblem, says the deal presents an incredible opportunity for Emblem to get their adult-use brands into the hands of consumers across Canada. "The retail environment will be critical to generating brand awareness, educating the consumer about products and ultimately driving market share for our adult-use brands," says Dean. "Today's deal with Fire & Flower reinforces our belief that the greatest shareholder value will be achieved in the long-run via channels that give the greatest access to consumers. As Fire & Flower is building a leading retail concept in the cannabis space, we anticipate that this arrangement will assist us in our single-minded focus on driving shareholder value."

"We are excited to enter into this agreement with Emblem. Their awareness of the importance of the retail channel in cannabis as well as their commitment to creating adult-use brands that resonate with consumers aligns well with Fire & Flower's best-in-class retail cannabis strategy," explains Trevor Fencott, CEO of Fire & Flower. "There is a lot to accomplish preparing for legalization in Canada, and having partners like Emblem that can move as quickly and decisively as us in the space is definitely an asset."

Certain directors and officers of Emblem have interests in Fire & Flower. In particular, Harvey Shapiro, a director and the Chairman of the Company, is also a director of Fire & Flower. In addition, Mr. Shapiro owns approximately 19.5% of the common shares of Fire & Flower and controls and directs approximately an additional 65% of the common shares through a voting trust. Further, Maxim Zavet, a director of the Company, owns approximately 4.2% of the common shares of Fire & Flower and Nick Dean, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company owns approximately 0.3% of the common shares of Fire & Flower.

Due to the ongoing nature of the negotiations surrounding the Agreement, there will be less than 21 days between the date on which the Company files a material change report with respect to the entering into of the Agreement. The Company considers this is reasonable and necessary in order to ensure the Company's ability to become a preferred supplier and to obtain the benefits associated with the Agreement.

About Emblem

Emblem Corp., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Emblem Cannabis Corporation, is a fully integrated licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis and cannabis derivatives in Canada under the ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations). Led by a team of cannabis experts and former health care and pharma executives, it has three distinct verticals  cannabis production, patient education centers, and pharmaceutical dosage form development. Emblem trades under the ticker symbol EMC on the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Fire & Flower

Founded by successful cannabis entrepreneurs from the legal Canadian cannabis industry, Fire & Flower is a corporately-owned retail cannabis-lifestyle brand and store concept. Fire & Flower specializes in elevating the Canadian cannabis experience through the thoughtful curation of products, experiential offerings and education-based programming. Fire & Flower is poised to serve customers across the country in Provinces where private retail is permitted.

For further information contact:

Ethan Karayannopoulos

Investor Relations

Emblem Corp.

647.748.9696

ethank@emblemcorp.com

Alex Stojanovic

Chief Financial Officer

Emblem Corp.

416.923.1331

alexs@emblemcorp.com

Chris Bolivar

Vice President, Brand & Marketing

Fire & Flower Inc.

780.903.6782

cbolivar@fireandflower.com

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (together, "forward-looking statements"), including statements regarding the Agreement, the successful fulfillment of the Agreement, the Company's ability to satisfy its obligations under the Agreement, the financial benefit of the Agreement, and the approval of the TSXV. All statements and information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual financial results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company's actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks identified in the Company's annual information form dated October 18, 2017 which has been filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and is available on www.sedar.com, risks of non-performance by Fire & Flower, the risk that the Company and/or Fire & Flower do not receive the required licenses and permits to perform the obligations under the Agreement and the risk that the proposed operations of Fire & Flower do not conform with the provincial regulatory regime. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. This news release contains information obtained by the Company from third parties and believes such information to be accurate but has not independently verified such information.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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April 11, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Responsible Mining Index 2018, covering companies that produce 25% of all mined commodities globally, is launched in Geneva, Switzerland today. Among the key findings are:

The vast majority of the assessed mining companies show responsible policies or practices on several economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) issues. However, very few companies show systematic action across a range of key issues. Little or no action is found even on some issues on which companies would be expected to act, such as monitoring the impacts of mining on children, tracking whether community grievances are being dealt with appropriately, or checking that workers' wages meet or exceed living wage standards. Too often, companies have not put into practice some of their own policy commitments on responsible mining, such as on the management of human rights issues.

Importantly, few companies keep track of how effectively they are managing EESG issues and fewer still can demonstrate that they are working to improve their performance. At the same time however, companies are collectively demonstrating responsible mining across many issues and strong cases of leading practice are evident, providing valuable models for other companies.

More widespread adoption of existing practices could see the mining industry go some way to meeting society's expectations.

The Responsible Mining Index 2018 aims to encourage continuous improvement in responsible mining and support leading practice and learning. The Index, which is independent of the industry, covers 30 large-scale mining companies that together represent a quarter of the global production of mined commodities and operate over 700 mines in more than 40 countries.

The Responsible Mining Index 2018 is the first of a multi-year initiative by the Responsible Mining Foundation. The Index assesses and compares company policies and practices across six different EESG areas: economic development, business conduct, lifecycle management, community wellbeing, working conditions and environmental responsibility. As an evidence-based assessment, the Index measures the extent to which companies can demonstrate, rather than simply claim, that they have established responsible policies and practices. In order to support transparency and open data principles, the RMI results, and the information sources used in the assessment, are provided free as a public good.

The Index results show that responsible mining is a realistic goal  it can be done. If a single company were to achieve the highest score recorded for each indicator, it would reach more than 70% of the maximum achievable score. The results also reveal a wide range of companies demonstrating responsible practice on particular issues. Indeed, some 19 of the 30 companies rank among the ten strongest performers for at least one thematic area of the Index. And leading practices are found even on issues for which performances are generally, weak, such as addressing the needs of vulnerable groups in mining-affected communities. These results all point to the strong potential for continuous improvement based on existing practices already demonstrated by a number of different companies.

On the other hand, the results show some marked limitations in current practice. Companies tend to put in place policy commitments without always backing these up with systematic, effective company-wide action. This is seen even for topics where commitments are common and commonly expected, such as human rights and occupational health and safety. Further, the scale and persistence of severe adverse impacts is at odds with the widespread existence of such commitments. For example, worker fatalities and violations of human rights are among the most frequent adverse impacts found in the RMI analysis. In the face of such evidence, strong company commitments are sometimes not matched by company actions, which clearly need to be more effective.

Companies typically show a lack of systematic attention to monitoring their performance on EESG issues and reporting their performance to other stakeholders, including mining-affected communities. This lack of knowing and showing' their own performance is most evident at the mine-site level. The vast majority of the 127 sites assessed provide little or no data on key issues of direct interest to local communities, workers and other stakeholders. This includes information on how a site is managing local employment, local procurement, grievance, water use and biodiversity impacts. Without open sharing of such data, it is very difficult for companies to build trust with local communities. Nonetheless a few companies and a few sites are showing the way by putting into practice open data principles to ensure the information reported is easily accessed, understood and used by local communities.

A lack of public reporting is most likely one of the main factors limiting company scores in the Index. Performances might be considerably higher if companies were more transparent about their management of EESG issues. Greater openness would also enable more learning and sharing of good practices.

Helene Piaget, Chief Executive Officer of the Responsible Mining Foundation said: "With the launch of the Responsible Mining Index 2018, we aimed to create a strong knowledge base that is open to all, and encourages leading practice and learning across the mining industry. We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to support responsible mining, and encourage constructive dialogue between companies and stakeholders  whether they be communities that neighbour mining operations or large institutional investors."

For more information, please visit: www.responsibleminingindex.org

Issued by:

Responsible Mining Foundation

Nyon, Switzerland

Email: media@resonsibleminingindex.org

Tel: +41 22 361 1418

For more information, please contact

Adam Roscoe, Communications, Responsible Mining Index,

adam.roscoe@responsibleminingindex.org

+41 79 177 2323

THE RESPONSIBLE MINING FOUNDATION

The Responsible Mining Foundation supports the principle that mining should benefit the economies, improve the lives of peoples, and respect the environments of producing countries, particularly in some of the world's poorest regions, while also benefitting mining companies in a fair and viable way.

RMF defines responsible mining as mining that demonstrably respects and protects the interests of peoples and the environment, and contributes discernibly and fairly to broad economic development of the producing country.

The goal of the Responsible Mining Foundation is to encourage continuous improvement in responsible mining by large-scale minerals and metals mining companies (LSM) across a range of economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) issues. In support of this goal, the Foundation focuses on research, stakeholder engagement, and the transparent publication of methodologies, results and related data, based on open data principles.

The Foundation approaches its work and research from the perspective of what society at large can reasonably expect from mining companies on economic, environmental, social and governance matters.

THE RMI 2018 REPORT

The RMI 2018 report, which is attached to the covering email, is a high-level summary of the research and findings. More detailed results on the assessed companies and mine sites, together with a library of some 2000 documents used in the assessment, can be viewed and downloaded on the RMI website from the launch day (April 11, 2018).

ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

A graphic showing the analytical framework is attached to the covering email.

The six thematic areas comprise 73 individual indicators, distributed among three measurement areas:

Commitment indicators assess the extent to which companies have: (i) formalised their commitments on particular issues; (ii) assigned responsibilities and accountabilities for the implementation of these commitments; and (iii) provided resources and staffing to operationalise the commitments;

Action indicators assess the extent to which companies have developed systematic approaches to address particular issues and disclose key aspects of their activities;

Effectiveness indicators assess the extent to which companies track, and report on, their performance in managing particular issues and demonstrate continuous improvement on these issues.

In addition, six mine-site level indicators were used to assess the selected 127 mine sites on local procurement, local employment, community grievance mechanisms, workers' grievance mechanisms, water quality and quantity management, and biodiversity management.

SCORING

Company results are presented in relation to: (1) the maximum achievable score (of 6); and (2) the current best practice by all assessed companies, taken together. The value of the current best practice benchmark is the sum of the best scores achieved for all indicators, taking into account all companies' results.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF RMI

When reviewing the RMI results, it is important to bear in mind that:

The RMI assessment is evidence-based. This means that companies need to be able to demonstrate that they have policies and practices in place to address the topics covered by the Index. For companies showing weak results across the thematic scope of the Index, very little evidence has been found. For this reason, low scores may be a reflection of the level of public reporting of a company's policies and practices.

The RMI results provide a snapshot, showing the status of relevant policies and practices at the time of the assessment (mid-2017), based on the most up-to-date information available at the time.

The RMI assessment criteria are largely qualitative. This means that very small differences in company scores should not be viewed as significant, given the potential for some margin of error, notwithstanding the careful development of assessment criteria during the analysis of results.

LIMITATIONS OF RMI
Mark Witherspoon, editorial advisor of the Iowa State Daily, led the Democalypse March around campus on Thursday. The march on First Amendment Day featured a high school class from North High School and was designed to teach students what it would be like to lose their First Amendment.
The Ames Main Street Farmers Market is a local market that has been a staple of downtown Ames for the past eight years. The market 
Trump's command on bombarding Syria expected every minute

The US military is ready to strike the territory of Syria, the Pentagon officials say, and the UK refuses to bomb Syria because it is not convinced of possible chemical attacks by the Syrian authorities. According to the popular information, on April 6, government troops in Damascus threw a chlorine-containing bomb. Head of YSU Oriental Studies Department Hayk Kocharyan thinks that during the years of the Syrian conflict there has never been such a danger that the superpowers will not use force against each other. "Before that, the West and East had agreed that only Assad's government could govern the country under war, now the US demand has changed, it again demands Assad's resignation, aggravation of the situation for us is undesirable as the existence of the Syrian-Armenian community is possible only under the rule of Assad." The Arabologist warns that terrorist groups are still in the region, which can be consolidated at any moment, and will lead to the second round of the conflict. Political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan does not expect any other scenario of events apart from aggravation. "Syria is only a point of confrontation and conflict of interest between the West and Russia, in the future the situation will deteriorate from the economic point of view, new sanctions will be imposed on Russia, and politically, there is no room for deterioration." According to the political scientist, Armenia will not suffer serious damage from superpowers. "We are not an interesting country for them, and in terms of maintaining relations with the West I can bring an example of Iran, which has been imposed sanctions on for decades, but we are successfully cooperating with the United States." According to western media reports, President Donald Trump's command is expected every minute, and air companies are already warning about possible risks during flights across Syria.
Naira Zohrabyan urges Government not to be stubborn

During the discussion of the report on the activity of the Central Electoral Commission at today's session of the National Assembly, member of the Tsarukyan alliance Naira Zohrabyan called on the Government to admit and accept their proposal. "Territorial rating system showed its absolute apolitical nature. There were elections, not for the ideas of parties, brands and projects, but a resource battle. Even the ARF (Armenian Revolutionary federation) defended our proposal on withdrawing the territorial lists and passing the proportional electoral system. " Naira Zohrabyan said they were ready to set up a working group and discuss the improvement of the Electoral Code. According to her, going to the elections with this electoral system meant once again to have distorted elections, which would not express the public opinion. "I call on the ruling party not to be stubborn, because you understand that there was no election for ideas and programmes. The formula the more money, the higher the rating worked. With this format, we cannot go to the next election. The bad thing is that we have always made a change on the threshold of any election very quickly, without having time, " concluded Naira Zohrabyan.
President stated that Tehran and Moscow are on the path of strategic relations, saying: "Bilateral, regional and international relations between Iran and Russia have been completely significant in recent years and today, there are very close, friendly relations between the two countries".



(AhlulBayt News Agency) - President stated that Tehran and Moscow are on the path of strategic relations, saying: "Bilateral, regional and international relations between Iran and Russia have been completely significant in recent years and today, there are very close, friendly relations between the two countries".



President Hassan Rouhani met with the Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, on Monday in Tehran and referred to his 12 meetings with the his counterpart Vladimir Putin in recent years, saying: "Anytime we met, we have moved one step forward in deepening ties and cooperation".



Emphasising the existing potentials for further cementing of relations, President Rouhani said: "The two countries have ample opportunities for cooperation in various fields such as peaceful energy, oil and gas and also economic and banking fields".



He also described establishment of trilateral cooperation between Iran and Russia with other countries of the region valuable and said: "Close relations and cooperation between Iran and Russia has been very effective for Syria and peace and security in the region and this cooperation must continue until full security in the region and Syria is achieved".



Tehran and Moscow are completely unanimous in many regional fields, he said, adding: "It is understandable for us that some Western countries are annoyed with Russia and are trying to make problems for this great power in the region and the world".



Dr Rouhani continued: "The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that bilateral, regional and international Tehran-Moscow relations are beneficial for the two nations and the world and the Iranian government is determined to develop and establish inclusive relations with Russia and the Islamic Consultative Assembly supports this decision".



He also emphasised the importance of deepening parliamentary relations between the two countries, saying: "The parliaments can have a very effective role in all fields of developing relations between Iran and Russia".



Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin said: "Russia's parliament legally supports the agreements and decisions made by the Presidents of the two countries for cementing relations".



He also said: "Iran and Russia are facing with common challenges in regional and international fields and we are determined to face them more united than past by drawing a roadmap".







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Focus on Lisa Netz, co-owner of The Lavish Loft

Submitted by Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick, Federation Business and Community Development Director For the Voice What was your path to South Jersey? I grew up in...

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Tell me about your connection to the South Jersey Jewish Community? I actually grew up in East Brunswick, Exit 9 off the Turnpike. But weve...

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LUCY BURDETTE : Two things I admire very much in a writer--someone who is clever enough to weave important history into fiction, and someone who can write for young adults and keep their interest. Beth Kanell does both, and I'm delighted to welcome her today to talk about the genesis of her new book...





BETH KANELL : Its funny the things that lead into writing a mystery. For THE LONG SHADOW, the most important turned out to be a newspaper ad: an old house for sale about 20 miles from here, with an Underground Railroad hiding place in the basement. Add $40,000 to the asking price for that! But I had a strong suspicion, soon confirmed, that in northeastern Vermont, any hiding places in old houses probably connected to generations of hidden boozing  and that African American in Vermont in the 1800s could live freely.





That turned out to be supported by research. But people around me who had caught the Underground Railroad romantic myth refused to give it up. What a puzzle! As a mystery writer, my reaction was: Ill paint the story in vivid detail and suspense, so you can see that the facts of what happened can be at least as exciting!





Thats how Alice Sanborn came to life in the small but thriving village of North Upton -- fifteen years old, happy, embracing her best friend Jerushah and their beloved younger sister friend Sarah, in 1850 in rural Vermont. I love to write this age, because youre confident in your views then, but there is so much happening under the surface of life that youre about to notice with newly adult eyes. Romance, of course. But for Alice, also the intense conflict of Abolition. Its not as simple as waving a magic wand and saying You all are free now. And her family is knee deep, maybe hip deep, in the complications.





Three deaths take place in THE LONG SHADOW. For a young adult tale thats not set in wartime, thats actually a lot. The most personal of them will haunt Alice all her life and shape most of her choices.





But first, of course, Alice needs to investigate her situation: spying on her own father and brother, discovering resources like the former slave Miss Farrow in a nearby larger town, and testing whether the handsome but mysterious Solomon McBride can be trusted with the lives of her closest friends.





The images here are vital to the story. First is a view of maple sugaring  the boiling of maple sap into syrup, and then further boiling the syrup to make cakes of maple sugar. The real-life village of North Danville (model for North Upton), part of Danville, Vermont, sold thousand of cakes of maple sugar in the 1800s, as people who recognized the role of enslaved people in producing cane sugar in the Caribbean protested via their grocery shopping and kitchens, using locally made maple sugar instead.









Then there are two current photos from the village: the (still standing!) inn where Jerushah and her family live (across the road from Alices family farm), and the village church where Alice realizes how tough and determined her mother can be.













Then you can see the actual horse-drawn stage schedule from 1848.

























































The cemetery stone belongs to the real Ruth Farrow, who had lived enslaved in Rhode Island, but free in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

























And last is a village green marker in Coventry, Vermont, naming the four Mero brothers  free Blacks who enlisted to fight for the Union (the stone mentions the Battle of the Wilderness).





Those last two markers illustrate what my husband calls the Law of Unintended Consequences: I wanted to show how Abolition looked in Vermont, and ended up also finding a different view of Black Vermonters than todays white-bread images of the states history usually portray. Alices teen-turning-adult adventures and narrow escapes depend on her own discovery of whos taking action, and how much she is willing to risk to do her part.





THE LONG SHADOW comes out in hardcover and ebook on April 18, from Five Star/Cengage. Let me know what you think, as you discover the people and reasons behind the crimes involved. Like Alice, your view matters!





* *





BIO: Beth Kanell lives in northeastern Vermont, with a mountain at her back and a river at her feet. She writes reviews mysteries, poems, hikes the back roads and mountains, and digs into Vermont history to frame her history-hinged adventure mysteries. Look for her earlier books The Darkness Under the Water, The Secret Room, and Cold Midnight . She shares her research and writing process at : Beth Kanell lives in northeastern Vermont, with a mountain at her back and a river at her feet. She writes reviews mysteries, poems, hikes the back roads and mountains, and digs into Vermont history to frame her history-hinged adventure mysteries. Look for her earlier booksand. She shares her research and writing process at BethKanell.blogspot.com ; her mystery reviews are at KingdomBks.blogspot.com . Shes a member of both Sisters in Crime and the National Book Critics Circle, and cant resist reading more mysteries!




The European Court of Justice (ECJ) [official website] on Tuesday ruled [judgment] that the French government may proceed with a case in which local Uber managers are facing criminal charges for running an illegal taxicab service.

In 2014, the French government passed a law [Loi No.2014-1104 text, in French] prohibiting taxi services from using unlicensed drivers when carrying fewer than 10 passengers. The law, in essence, banned Uber within the country. Uber responded by arguing that Uber is a digital service under the terms of Directive 98/34/EC [text], and thus that France was required to seek the European Commissions [offical website] approval so as to ensure that no single market in the EU is disproportionately impacted. ECJ. As France did not seek the Commissions approval, Uber argued [application] that the law and, by extension the criminal charges against Uber executives [JURIST report], were invalid. Advocate General Maciej Szpunar [official profile] has disagreed [JURIST report], declaring last July that no such notification is needed.

The ECJ found that France did not need to notify the Commission because the French law regulates service in the field of transport, not digital service, and is therefore excluded from the notification requirement. The court reasoned that because Uber has been previously classified as a transportation service [JURIST report] under EU law, they had to abide by transportation regulations. Accordingly, the criminal charges were found to be valid.
A UN report [text, PDF] published Tuesday detailed [press release] the conditions of thousands of people are being held in Libya, describing them as human rights violations.

According to the report, released by the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] about 6,500 people are being held in official prisons, but thousands are being detained in facilities controlled by armed groups. Some of these armed groups are not state-affiliated. One facility, which holds about 2,000 people, subjects detainees to torture, unlawful killing, lack of adequate medical assistance, and other poor detention conditions. Additionally, the report asserts that people are arbitrarily being detained because of their tribal or family background and perceived political affiliations.

The report further contends that government officials use armed groups to arrested suspected opponents.

Rather than reining in armed groups and integrating their members under State command and control structures, successive Libyan governments have increasingly relied on them for law enforcement, including arrests and detention; paid them salaries; and provided them with equipment and uniforms.

The UN claims that Some have been held in detention for years without any indication of a trial.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official profile] called the conditions appalling abuses and sheer horror. The UN urged officials to condemn such practices and to hold violators accountable.

Libya has been politically unstable since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi [JURIST backgrounder] and subsequent civil war. Earlier this month, the OHCHR urged [JURIST report] Libyan officials to ensure human rights are not violated in the country. In September, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kate Gilmore spoke on the deteriorating human rights situation [JURIST report] in Libya and called for accountability and reform. In February, Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] reported that numerous armed groups are preventing [JURIST report] thousands of internally displaced individuals from returning home.
The UN Security Council [official website] on Tuesday voted not to adopt [UN report] three proposed resolutions that would implement measures to investigate the use of chemical weapons, among other issues, in Syria.

Two drafts were proposed in response to recent reports that chemical weapons were used in Syria.

The US proposal [text] would establish a new investigative mechanism to replace the Organisation for Prevention of Chemical Weapons-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (OPCW) [official website], whose mandate expired [JURIST report] in November after a Russian veto. This proposal would also have the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres make recommendations about the mechanism. However, this draft was rejected by a vote of 12-2-1, including a veto by UNSC permanent member Russia, thereby blocking its adoption. In support of its veto, Russia accused [UN report] the US of attempting to recreate the Joint Investigative Mechanism and implement a mechanism that does not satisfy the standards under the Chemical Weapons Convention [text, PDF].

The other proposal, submitted by Russia, proposed to establish an independent investigative mechanism for one year but would have granted authority to the Security Council to assign accountability for chemical use in Syria. The draft would have also managed the evidence collected and considered valuable in the investigation. Seven no votes resulted in this proposal being rejected, three of which were from permanent members. The UK, opposing of the draft, referred to it as a distraction that attempted to assert that sovereign States were above international law.

Another Russian proposal, expressing support for the work of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission and condemning any use of chemical weapons in Syria, was also rejected by UNSC. This draft received four votes against with the same permanent members against it. Some members expressed that the draft was simply unsatisfactory.

The Council decided to hold [JURIST report] an emergency meeting to address the issues in Syria following reports of the use of chemical weapons in Douma, Syria.

Russia, who aligns [JURIST report] itself with the Assad regime, continues to be an obstacle to passing resolutions proposed in the Council. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres [official profile] on Tuesday urged [UN report] the Council to find unity in order to ensure those accountable for the use of chemical weapons in Syria are found. Guterres was one of the first UN officials to express concern [JURIST report] over the renewed violence and reports of chemical weapons against civilians in Douma. Guterres expressed similar concerns [press release] regarding the latest reports of chemical attacks against civilians in Eastern Ghouta.
MEDFORD, Ore.  Approximately 100 nurses held an informational picket outside Providence Medford Medical Center this morning.

Nurses, represented by the Oregon Nurses Association, were on the sidewalk from 7 am - 9 a.m., and plan to picket from 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. as well.

A press release issued yesterday by Kevin Mealy, ONA Communications Manager, indicated that local nurses are asking Providences administrators to take steps to agree on a new, fair contract agreement for nurses that will reduce staff turnover, end unpredictable scheduling, and provide appropriate backup for nurses during 12-hour shifts.

Providences Lisa Helderop, Senior Manager of Communication for Oregon, said We have been in negotiations for some time and as recently as yesterday.

Tomi Ryba, chief executive of Providence's Southern Oregon Service Area, issued the following statement this morning:

Providence is committed to ensuring that caregivers rights related to labor organizing are respected, honored and upheld. Providence has a long history of working together with unions that caregivers have chosen to represent them.

Providence supports open communication. Caregivers can always talk with each other, any core leader or an HR representative about questions or concerns. We are committed to open and honest communication and will answer questions so people can make their own informed decisions. Providence does not question caregivers about their position related to the union, and we are always mindful of our core value of respect.

Providence does not negotiate in the media. We negotiate with the union that represents our nurses  Oregon Nurses Association. The two sides have been meeting since November and agreed to bring in a federal mediator in March. We have had numerous conversations and were talking as recently as last night.

We care deeply about our caregivers and believe we will come to an agreement with the union that represents them.

According to the ONA press release, More than 600 community members have already signed a petition asking Providences administrators to reach a fair agreement with local nurses to ensure patients continue to receive safe, high-quality health care.

The post will be updated throughout the day, and well have segments in our broadcasts at 11 a.m., and 4, 5 and 6 p.m.
BEATTY, Ore.  Oregon State Police (OSP) are investigating the death of a Klamath County woman after she was found dead in a field close to her house in Beatty.

OSP says that they began an investigation related to 60-year-old Debra Dougan on Friday, April 6, when witnesses reported seeing a light-colored pickup truck careening down Highway 140.

The first calls came in around 8:00 p.m., saying that a white Toyota Tacoma was heading eastbound, weaving across the lanes of traffic near milepost 28. One witness said that the driver of the pickup nearly hit them head-on.

Just a few minutes later, witnesses say that the driver of the pickup ran off the road near milepost 36 and became stuck. A woman exited the pickup, appearing intoxicated, and walked away, according to OSP.

When police and paramedics arrived at the scene 40 minutes later, they could not find the woman. Inspection of the pickup led them to Dougan's registered address, but OSP said that no one appeared to be home. Dougan was not located.

Two days later, on Sunday, a friend of Dougan's called police to report that the woman had been missing since April 6. As OSP and the Klamath County Sheriff's Office were returning to the scene of the crashed pickup, they received another call from the friend. Dougan had been found dead in a field nearby her house.

The investigation into Dougan's death is ongoing, but OSP reports that she showed no signs of visible injuries, and there was no evidence of suspicious circumstances.
PORTLAND, Ore.  A Beaverton man has been sentenced to two years of probation after forging an official document in which he claimed to be a fictional U.S. intelligence officer and attempted to influence the Prime Minister of Iraq, according to the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ).

Authorities say that in November of 2015, 34-year-old Wathiq Al-Ibraheemi forged a letter using the official insignia of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Addressing the letter to Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, Al-Ibraheemi pretended to be an intelligence official named William J. Peterson.

In the letter, Al-Ibraheemi encouraged the Iraqi Prime Minister to replace the director of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service. "Peterson" ranked as the Middle East Section Chief of ODNI's Office of the Deputy Director for Intelligence Integration, according to the DOJ.

The Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community was able to confirm for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that the letter was a fraud.

According to the DOJ, Al-Ibraheemi was an interpreter for the U.S. military in Iraq, after which he immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Beaverton. His immigration in 2009 came as part of the Significant Public Benefit Parole Programwhich allows asylum in the U.S. for foreign citizens who give considerable help to U.S. forcesand was sponsored by a U.S. Army officer with whom he had served in Iraq.

After moving to Beaverton in 2012, Al-Ibraheemi enrolled as an engineering student at Portland State University.

Zuhair al-Gharbawithe director of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in 2015, and a holdover from the previous administrationwas replaced by Prime Minister al-Abadi in June of 2016, according to PressTV. Mustafa Kadhimi was appointed as the new director.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Craig Gabriel, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
SALEM, Ore.  Opportunities for salmon fishing in federal waters are getting better, thanks to recommendations made by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Portland on Tuesday. Federal waters encompass areas outside of three miles from Oregon's coast.

While this wont be a banner year for ocean salmon fishing, overall its an improvement from 2017. This is particularly true for communities on the Southern Oregon coast, which were hit hard by 2017s salmon closures, said Chris Kern, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) Deputy Fish Division Administrator.

- The area from Cape Falcon south to Humbug Mountain opened for Chinook fishing on March 15, and will remain open until October 31.

- For Coho fishing, poor ocean conditions have made for a dismal forecast. Sport fishing for hatchery Coho will open between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mtn. from June 30 to September 3or until the quota of 35,000 fish is met.

- A small season for wild and hatchery Coho in this area is also scheduled for September 7 - 8 and each Friday/Saturday after until September 29, or until the quota of 3,500 Coho is metwhich may happen quickly, according to ODFW.

- Between Humbug Mtn. and the Oregon border with California, sport fishing for Chinook will be open from May 19 through August 29. Last year, this area was subject to a full closure.

- Commercial troll fishing for Chinook will be open sporadically along the entire Oregon coast from May through the summer. In 2017, all commercial salmon trolling was closed south of Florence.

I want to thank the many advisors, tribal members, agency staff, and members of the general public, who all worked hard to ensure that conservation goals for salmon stocks are met while providing fishing opportunities for communities up and down the west coast, said Kern.

The PFMC recommendations will be forwarded to NOAA Fisheries for approval and implementation. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will be asked to adopt matching rules for State waters (inside 3 miles) at their April 20 meeting in Astoria.
By CATHERINE LUCEY and LISA MASCARO , Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday he will retire rather than seek another term in Congress as the steady if reluctant wingman for President Donald Trump, sending ripples through a Washington already on edge and spreading new uncertainty through a party bracing for a rough election year.

The Wisconsin Republican cast the decision to end his 20-year career as a personal one, saying he did not want his children growing up with a "weekend dad." Claiming he's accomplished "a heckuva lot," he said the party can point to strong gains as lawmakers campaign ahead of November elections. A self-styled budget expert, Ryan had made tax cuts a centerpiece of his legislative agenda, and a personal cause, and Congress delivered on that late last year.

"I have given this job everything I have," he said. "We're going to have a great record to run on."

Ryan's plans have been the source of much speculation and his action will set off a scramble among his lieutenants to take the helm. On the other hand, it will also fuel speculation that Ryan is eyeing a coming Democratic surge, fueled by opposition to Trump, that could wrest control of the House from Republicans' grip. Several GOP veterans have announced plans to retire in recent months and another, Rep. Dennis Ross of Florida, followed Ryan on Wednesday.

After talking with Trump early Wednesday, Ryan, 48, first announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans. Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina said an emotional Ryan "choked up a few times trying to get through" his remarks to colleagues and received three standing ovations.

Moments later, Ryan told reporters that if he were to stay for one more term, his children  now all teens  would only know him as a weekend dad.

"I can't let that happen," he said.

The speaker had been heading toward this decision since late last year, said a person familiar with his thinking, but as recently as February he had considered running for another term. His own father died suddenly of a heart attack when he was 16, and though Ryan is in good health, the distance from his family weighed on him. A final decision was made over the two-week congressional recess, which was partly spent on a family vacation in the Czech Republic.

Ryan called extended family and a few close friends Tuesday night and alerted a few staff. On Wednesday morning, after talking to the president, the vice president and fellow GOP lawmakers from Wisconsin, he gathered the rest of his staff before going to the conference meeting, officials.

Ryan, who has had a difficult relationship with Trump, thanked the president for giving him the chance to move the GOP ahead.

For many Republicans, Ryan has been "a steady force in contrast to the president's more mercurial tone," said Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. "That's needed."

Ryan, from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998. Along with Reps. Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy, he branded himself a rising "Young Gun" in an aging party and a new breed of hard-charging Republican ready to shrink the size of government.

He became GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012.

Ryan was pulled into the leadership job by the abrupt retirement of Speaker John Boehner in 2015. Boehner had struggled to wrangle the chamber's restless conservative wing and failed to the seal big deals on fiscal policy he sought. Ryan had more trust with the hardliners in the House.

"That's probably his greatest gift to us," said Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. "His ability to bridge the vast divide."

But Ryan ultimately had to wrestle with another unexpected challenge: Trump, a president with little of Ryan's interest in policy detail or ideological purity. The two have had not had a close working relationship.

House Majority Leader McCarthy, a Republican from California known to be tighter with Trump, is expected to again seek the top leadership post that slipped from his reach in 2015. He will likely compete with Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana. Both men spoke at the closed-door meeting Wednesday, delivering tributes to Ryan.

Another potential rival, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, demurred when asked if he'd pursue the speaker's job. "Leadership has never been on my bucket list, and it's not on my bucket list today," he said.

Ryan's announcement comes as Republicans are bracing for a potential blue wave of voter enthusiasm for Democrats, who need to flip at least 24 GOP-held seats in November to regain the majority.

As the House GOP's top fundraiser, Ryan's sudden lame duck status could send shockwave through donor circles that are relying on his leadership at the helm of the House majority. He has hauled in $54 million so far this election cycle.

"It injects some more uncertainty to be sure," said the No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas. "It's just another issue that's floating out there, and obviously there's going to be some competition for his successor."

A top GOP fundraiser, Eric Tanenblatt, expects Ryan to remain a force in a tough cycle. "Donors who are committed to making sure Republicans hold onto the majority will do whatever they have to do to make that happen," he said.

In Wisconsin, the most likely Republican candidate for Ryan's seat is state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, multiple Republicans in the state said. Vos did not immediately return telephone or text messages.

Another Republican mentioned as a potential candidate is longtime Ryan family friend and backer Bryan Steil, an attorney and member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Steil did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Democrat Randy Bryce, a colorful ironworker who has cultivated an "IronStache" moniker, had been Ryan's best-known challenger, drawing liberal support from around the country. He had nearly $2.3 million in the bank at the end of the first quarter. Janesville teacher Cathy Myers was also running on the Democratic side. The only declared Republican was Paul Nehlen, who was banned from Twitter for a series of posts criticized as racist or anti-Semitic.

In Washington, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Ryan's tenure, and the Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, said she hoped Ryan would work constructively on bipartisan goals before he leaves.

While his plans are uncertain once he steps down in January, Ryan has long said being speaker would be his last job in elected office. Others have suggested that an ideal job for the policy wonk could be running a think tank, noting the leader of the conservative American Enterprise Institute recently announced he would be stepping down.

___

AP reporters Alan Fram, Kevin Freking and Andrew Taylor contributed from Washington. Scott Bauer contributed from Madison, Wisconsin, and Steve Karnowski contributed from Minneapolis.
ALBANY, Ore.  Oregon State Police (OSP) Fish and Wildlife troopers are looking for someone that shot and killed three bald eagles near Tangent, just south of Albany.

A caller reported the dead eagles on March 16, after which an OSP trooper investigated. The trooper found that each eagle had gunshot wounds.

The eagles were taken to a veterinarian at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for examination. The vet found evidence of 'dense metal' on X-Rays.

There are currently no suspects in the case. The eagles are believed to have been killed on or just before March 16.

Anyone with information regarding this case can contact Oregon State Police Senior Trooper Jim Andrews through the TIP Hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or TIP E-Mail TIP@state.or.us. TIPS can remain anonymous.
Yao Chen, a local realtor, is seen at Bai Wei Grill Bar in Halifax on Thursday, March 29, 2018. In a corner of Halifax's historic south end, Mandarin signs have started to sprout up: They appoint dumpling and dessert restaurants, bubble tea cafes, rental housing and a barbershop. They are the early signs of a fledgling Chinatown. But for a city more accustomed to Irish pubs and fish and chips, this tiny pocket of businesses around where Barrington Street turns sharply into Inglis Street tells the story of a steady flow of newcomers to Halifax from China. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Defence lawyer Brian Gover is seen outside court in Toronto on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, after his client David Livingston was sentenced to jail for four years. Gover called the punishment handed the former top Ontario political aide for destroying emails related to the cancellation of two gas plants harsh and unwarranted. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel
Detective Sergeant Hank Idsinga speaks to media regarding an unidentified male believed to be connected to the Bruce McArthur case, during a press conference at the Toronto Police Headquarters in Toronto on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Daniel Jean, Canadian National Security Advisor, attends a news conference in Ottawa on Sunday, January 29, 2017. Justin Trudeau's national security adviser is on the verge of retirement  although insiders insist it has nothing to do with the controversy over his suggestion that factions in India's government sabotaged the prime minister's trip there in February. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
Unifor union president Jerry Dias speaks to the media at the sixth round of the North American Free Trade Agreement Tuesday, January 23, 2018 in Montreal. Talk of an impending NAFTA deal is premature, Canadian union leader Dias said in Washington while officials were negotiating there Wednesday.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney, leaves a restaurant, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in New York. FBI agents on Monday raided Cohen's home, hotel room and office, seizing records on topics including a $130,000 payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an affair she said she had with Trump in 2006. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kathleen Bliss, lawyer for actor and comedian Bill Cosby, leaves the courtroom on lunch recess during the third day of Cosby's retrial of his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The first accuser to testify at Cosby's retrial described the comedian Wednesday as "a serial rapist" as she parried with his lawyers, while a second accuser tearfully confronted the comedian over a 32-year-old assault allegation: "You remember, don't you, Mr. Cosby?" (Dominick Reuter/Pool Photo via AP)
In this image dated Wednesday, April 11, 2018, and released by Algerian TV agency Ennahar TV, shows firefighters and civil security officer at the scene of a fatal military plane crash at Boufarik military airbase, near the Algerian capital, Algiers. An Algerian military plane carrying soldiers and their families crashed soon after takeoff Wednesday into a field in northern Algeria, killing 257 people in what appeared to be the North African nation's worst-ever plane crash. (Ennahar TV via AP)
FILE - In this June 21, 2006, file photo, members of the California National Guard work next to the U.S.-Mexico border fence near the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego. California Gov. Jerry Brown agreed Wednesday, April 11, 2018, to deploy 400 National Guard troops at President Donald Trump's request, but not all will head to the U.S.-Mexico border as Trump wants and none will enforce federal immigration enforcement. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)
FILE Ai In this Feb. 11, 2016, file photo, Heidi Thomas, a Denver woman who claims she was assaulted by Bill Cosby, heads to a hearing room after a news conference at the state Capitol in Denver. Cosby's retrial took a far more combative turn Tuesday, April 10, 2018, than the first go-round, as his lawyers launched a withering attack on his accuser and prosecutors put the first of a parade of women on the stand to portray Cosby as a sexual predator. Thomas, who was a 24-year-old-aspiring actress when she met Cosby in Reno, Nevada, testified the comedian knocked her out with a potent glass of wine and forced her to perform oral sex. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2017, a woman crosses the street outside of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. President Donald Trump's comments about so-called "sanctuary cities" were scrutinized at the federal appeals court hearing on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, to determine whether the president's executive order threatening to cut funding from states and cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities is legal. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)
FILE - In this June 7, 2012 file photo, the sun sets over an old Saudi archaeological palace in Al-Diriyah city on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi forces said Wednesday, April 11, 2018 they have intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Shiite rebels, directed at the kingdom's capital, Riyadh. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
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SPRINGFIELD, ORE. -- Hamlin Middle School held a career day for eighth graders on Tuesday.

A dozen professionals from different industries, ranging from culinary arts and business to engineering and health, showed up to talk with students. The event aimed to help students learn about career opportunities before they start high school.



Cynthia Nagao, a family resource coordinator with the school, said if students know what career they might be interested in before they start high school they can better determine which classes to take.

Nagao said the event gave students exposure to different career fields to give them options and teach them how to be successful.

"Even a spark of inspiration or to open their eyes to different career options, so they can start exploring what their personal passions or dreams would be so they can have some idea perhaps what direction they want to take their career goals," Nagao said.

Some students attending the career fair said they enjoyed it and thought it could be helpful.

Chief Meteorologist Marisa Woloszyn and anchor Bob Schaper represented KEZI at the event.
MEDFORD, Ore.-- Southern Oregon now holds the title for the largest cinnamon roll in the world. The colossal cinnamon roll was baked by Wolferman's Gourmet Baked Goods, which is a part of the Harry & David family of brands.

The roll came it at 1,149.7 pounds. That beats the previous record of 609 pounds.

The cinnamon roll took about 11 hours to bake and took more than 100 people to make.

"A gentleman that runs our Wolferman's division came up with this idea that today is cinnamon roll day and he wanted to break the record to have the largest cinnamon roll made," said Steve Lightman, president of Harry & David.

Guinness World Records Adjudicator Kaitlin Vesper said, "For all of our food-related attempts part of our requirements is that the food item in its entirety must be eaten so we must ensure that none of the food is wasted or thrown out."

The record-holding roll will have to be completely consumed. Pieces will be served at the Pear Blossom Festival this Friday and Saturday.

Two dollars will get you an 8 ounce slice and all of the proceeds go to charity. You can find the roll at the corner of Bartlett and 5th at the Medford festival.
MASON CITY, Iowa  The next city administrator in Mason City will start out making $170,000 a year.

The City Council has set a special meeting for 5:30 pm on Thursday to officially hire Aaron Burnett. He will be taking over a job that has been vacant since Brent Trout resigned as city administrator in October 2017 to take a similar position in Topeka, Kansas.

In a memo sent from Mayor Bill Schickel to city council members, Burnetts salary is listed as $170,000 a year, with a raise to $175,000 on December 29, 2018 and annual cost of living increases after that. In addition, the city will cover up to $14,000 of Burnetts moving expenses.

The special City Council meeting will be held in the Mason City Public Library. Burnett is scheduled to start his new position on June 29.

For previous coverage of this issue, click here.
ALBERT LEA, Minn.  A guilty plea has been entered in the case of a stolen sound system.

Rodolfo Valdez, 20 of Albert Lea, was charged with 1st degree aggravated robbery after a November 7, 2017, incident where Authorities say Valdez met with someone about buying the sound system, then grabbed it and threatened the victim with a 3-foot long metal pipe.

On Wednesday, Valdez pleaded guilty to 2nd degree assault with a dangerous weapon. His sentencing is set for June 15.
DECORAH, Iowa  Charges for burglary and criminal mischief against a Winneshiek County man have been dismissed.

Mark Leonard Schroeder, 41 of Decorah, was accused of breaking into Randys Bluffton Store on December 31, 2017 and taking money from the cash register, breaking into four video poker machines, and trying to break open an ATM.

The Winneshiek County Attorneys Office asked for the charges to be dropped, however, because Schroeder is facing other criminal charges in Wisconsin and another suspect in the store burglary is still at large.

The judge granted the motion to dismiss the charges without prejudice, which means they could be refiled in the future.
ROCHESTER, Minn.- April 10th is equal pay day. A day that's casts a light on the wage gap between men and women. KIMIT News 3's Jeremiah Wilcox talked with several people today who say they are uncertain when if ever that gap will be closed. Brittany Tran- Maass is studying to become a nutritional psychologist and said its upsetting in 2018 this should not be an issue.

It makes me think that when i go into my career am i going to get paid the exact same or am i going to get paid lower.

We also spoke to Rochester American Association of University Women President Sara Staab. she says having pay equity helps everyone by boosting the economy.

It's that much more income to support their families and contribute to the local communities and state and national economy as well.

Senator Tina Smith is co-sponsoring the Paycheck Fairness Act that will make it difficult to defend wage discrimination claims. it would make it illegal to require an employee to sign a contract stoping employees from talking about wages. The Act is now reviewed by a committee in the United State Senate.
PRESTON, Minn. - Fillmore County is getting a new veterans home. That's after the Board of Commissioners took the issue up for a vote Tuesday.

After a 3-2 vote, the city of Preston was chosen for the future site of the new facility.

Michael Eickhoff is a veteran and owns a local sandwich shop in town with his fiance, Brenda Lloyd. He said he's glad there will be a place close by for veterans to go.

"I like the fact that we got something local around here," Eickhoff said. "I mean, instead of us having to go to the cities for services for that, have something local for the local veterans to be able to use and get something out of too."

The proposal is for a 72-bed home, which is the model size that the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is recommending for the county.

Lloyd said she thinks it will impact the community in a great way.

"I know I've had several people come in and say, 'that's where my parents are going when they need to go to the veterans home.'"
ROCHESTER, Minnesota - April 12th is Holocaust Memorial Day, but its celebration starts at sunset on April 11th.

Bnai Israel Synagogue is hosting a public service for the community to acknowledge the day.

We remember the six million Jewish victims, particularly because many have no one to remember them if whole families were wiped out, and because for many there is no particular date of the demise on which to remember them, Rabbi Michelle Werner at Bnai Israel Synagogue said.

The event will include lighting six candles to honor the six million Jewish victims and a Rochester family speaking out about how the Holocaust personally impacted their family.

44 Children who died after escaping to France will Also be honored with a reading of names and song.

Rabbi Werner said its especially important to remember this piece of history today.

Antisemitism is on the rise, hatred is on the rise, she said. Nazis were demonstrating in Charlottesville just this past year. These sentiments are unfortunately not ancient history at all.

Rabbi Werner said if there is one take away people should get from the service, its:

Never again, She said. It touches the heart of every jewish person and it touches the heart of every human being. If we don't stand up collectively and care for one another than that's the fate that awaits us.

The service is open to the public and starts at 7pm at Bnai Israel Synagogue.
BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP)  An Iowa man accused of beating his mother to death with an electric guitar plans to use an insanity defense if his case goes on trial.

Defense lawyers filed a notice Monday in Des Moines County District Court for 30-year-old Garret Selters, who is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 17 slaying of 56-year-old Linda Selters.

Authorities say the Burlington man swung the guitar into the back of her head.

Police say Linda Selters had called for help, saying her son was having an "episode." Officers found Garret Selters outside, pacing and stating that he'd killed his mother.

So far, doctors have concluded Selters is incompetent for trial but is being treated in hopes of restoring his mental competency. A hearing on the issue is set for April 23.
MARION, Iowa (AP)  Linn County authorities in eastern Iowa have arrested a school nurse who's accused of having sex with a 16-year-old student.

Cedar Rapids police say 46-year-old Angela Beik is being charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee.

A phone listed for Beik in Marion rang busy during several calls Wednesday. Court records don't list the name of an attorney who could comment for her.

Beik was the school nurse at Linn-Mar High School in Marion and also employed at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Police began an investigation of Beik last month. They'd learned that state officials were checking a report that Beik told fellow St. Luke's nurses that she'd had consensual sex with the boy. They reported the conversation to officials.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A man is pleading not guilty in an incident that caused increased security at Mercy Medical Center  North Iowa.

Alonzo Louis Hill, 49 of Steamboat Rock, is charged with 1st degree harassment. Hes accused of threatening hospital staff. Court documents say Hill claimed he was going to the hospital to shoot because of people being allowed to see his wife, who was a patient.

Heightened security measures were put in place at Mercy for two days until Hill was arrested in Hardin County.

His trial is scheduled for June 26.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  Minnesota plans to spend the first phase of its $47 million from the national Volkswagen settlement on replacing large, old diesel equipment with cleaner vehicles.

Volkswagen agreed to pay the money after it was exposed for programming diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests.

Minnesota gets $11.75 million in Phase 1. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's plan , released Wednesday, spends 20 percent on school bus replacements, 35 percent on large on-road vehicles like transit buses and big trucks, 15 percent on large off-road equipment such as ferries and tugboats, 15 percent on electric buses and airport ground-support equipment, and 15 percent on charging stations.

The grants will go to public and private organizations.

Spending in later phases will take account of changing technologies and lessons learned in the first phase.
MASON CITY, Iowa  Work on the Quiet Zone project will close another road on Thursday.

The Mason City Engineering Department says 15th Street SW will be shutdown to traffic between South Pierce Avenue and South Monroe Avenue. This closure will allow for street repairs and the installation of lane delineators near the Union Pacific Railroad crossing.

Work is expected to be finished by Monday, April 16.

The Engineering Department is encouraging drivers to use an alternate route and allow to extra travel time.
MASON CITY, Iowa - The North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corp., along with business and government leaders and other stakeholders, announced the implementation of the "Vision North Iowa" plan after a year of research and receiving public feedback.

The plan aims to attract more businesses and more opportunities to the area in a 5 year timeframe, though some objectives have been completed ahead of time.

Brad Barber is the co-founder of Clear Lake-based Cabin Coffee, and is an avid supporter of the plan.

"I think it is truly going to make a significant different in our community, in which they said the community meaning the whole Cerro Gordo County," Barber says.

Barber adds that the committee making sure the plan comes to fruition deeply cares about their community.

"They have an attractive, optimistic attitude about their community. And everyone should have that. Everyone should have that hope," Barber says.

One member of the committee is NIACC President Steve Schulz, who wants the school to help in anyway it can, especially on the entrepreneurial front.

"We take our leadership in this area pretty seriously, so it makes sense that we're at the front of the table when it comes to developing that ecosystem and strengthening it," Schulz says.

The main goals of the plan are building a regional community around a common vision, creating an environment that retains and attracts a strong talent pipeline, retain, expand and attract high-growth companies, and ensure growth by active promotion.

"We have to execute. We should have a fire in our belly for us to be able to go out there and do our part to make sure the strategic plan materializes," Barber adds.
FILLMORE COUNTY, Minn. - A woman accused of driving a car that ran a stop sign that killed a woman and injured another is facing multiple charges.

Sarah Sexton, of Stewartville, is facing the following charges in connection to a crash Oct. 17, 2017, that killed Joan Hodge and injured Duane Hodge.

According to court documents, Sexton was northbound on County Rd. 38 and went through a stop sign at 35 miles per hour and struck the vehicle driven by Duane Hodge on County Rd. 2.

Sexton has been charged with the following:

 Second-degree manslaughter, culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk

 Vehicular homicide, operate motor vehicle in grossly negligent manner

 Criminal vehicular operation, great bodily harm - gross negligence

 Criminal vehicular operation, substantial bodily harm - gross negligence

 Two counts of reckless driving

 Careless driving

 Duty to drive with due care

 Failure to stop at a stop sign

Sexton and her 13-year-old daughter were driving home from a volleyball tournament in Wykoff, Minnesota, at the time of the accident, according to court documents.

Sexton and her daughter each suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Duane Hodge suffered several injuries, including a broken foot, broken neck, broken ribs and a broken jaw.
RICE COUNTY, Minn.  A Kenyon man has been killed in a car/semi collision.

The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened around 10:15 am Tuesday at the intersection of Highway 60 and Jenkins Avenue. The State Patrol says a William Matthew Blose, 61 of Kenyon, was driving west, crossed the center line for unknown reasons and crashed into an eastbound semi driven by Allen Robert Patrin, 42 of Zumbrota.

Blose was killed in the crash. Patrin was not hurt.

The Rice County Sheriffs Office, Kenyon Fire Department, North Ambulance, and MnDOT assisted at the scene.
VETAS, Colombia (Reuters) - Jose Alberto Gamboa, whose smile flashes the gold he has spent his life digging from Colombias frosty Andean mountains, says he will do whatever it takes to protect his towns only industry: mining.

We would get guns and go to war, the grizzled 67-year-old miner said during his break at the Queen of Gold mine, near Vetas, on the steep slopes of Santander province. How else could we feed our children?

Gamboa is not alone. Vetas municipality will soon hold Colombias first-ever, and so far only, local vote aimed at enshrining the right to mine, in sharp contrast to a wave of environmentally focused anti-mining referendums over the past year that spooked investors and forced a major gold project to close.

The pro-mining referendum in Vetas may prompt more elsewhere. But pro-mining votes seem set to benefit local companies and mining in streams and on mountainsides, not multinationals including Continental Gold, EcoOro, Red Eagle and AngloGold Ashanti, which pulled out of a $360 million investment in Cajamarca after an anti-mining vote last year.

Miners have called for clarity on whether the referendums, be they pro or anti-mining, are binding. But the government has failed to legislate the issue, which is dampening foreign investment at a time when Colombia is grappling with low growth.

Just give us clear rules, said Juan Camilo Narino of AngloGold.

In all six votes held so far, locals voted against mining. Some 54 more votes are planned.

Though locals fear the fate of Cajamarca, whose economy nose-dived when AngloGold left, few municipalities have good relationships with multinationals and do not wish to back them in a vote. According to a recent survey, Colombians consider international miners arrogant and dishonest.

Its not for the gringos who want to get all the money to take it out of Colombia, said Gamboa, a father of seven.

AngloGold did not campaign against the Cajamarca vote, keen to avoid accusations of meddling in local democracy.

The Mining Ministry promised a law to regulate use of the referendums, but it has yet to materialize. May presidential elections have dimmed hopes for a prompt solution.

Mining minister German Arce has said communities are free to hold the votes, but the choice to allow mining rests with the government.

Laws are changed by Congress, Arce said at a recent industry event. This isnt a problem the state resolves alone or companies resolve alone.

The mining ministry did not respond to a request for further comment.

QUEEN OF GOLD

Locals also hope the pro-mining referendum will stymie new court rulings and environmental regulations that could close off more land, especially in places like Vetas and neighboring California, which have delicate, high-altitude wetlands.

This has already happened at Canadian miner EcoOros Angostura project in California, which was cut in half by a 2014 constitutional court ruling that expanded wetland protections. EcoOro, which has invested more than $250 million in Colombia, including Angostura, is suing for $764 million in damages and declined to comment.

Colombias government has until November to release the final wetland delimitation and residents fear a majority of the municipality will be included. A new government takes office in August and could influence the decision.

We want the national government, the courts, public opinion to see that here in Vetas we want mining and we want to decide for ourselves, said municipal official Angelica Garcia. If they restrict mining the municipality will disappear.

Mining accounts for some 90 percent of the local economy, Garcia said. The Queen of Gold, one of four local miners in the municipality, employs 60 people and is owned by a group of 12 families.

We support the (pro-mining) vote but were not interested in supporting any multinational, said partner Johanna Rangel, whose father helped start the mine.

In California municipality some still make their living panning for gold. Officials said the community has a fraught relationship with Minesa, the latest multinational to start a project there, pledging to directly employ 1,000 people.

Californias mayor Hugo Lizcano said the company, owned by the government of Abu Dhabi through its investment arm Mubadala Investment Corp [MUDEV.UL], caused friction with the community because it did not hire the number of locals it had promised.

Minesa, which is applying for the projects environmental license, plans to invest around $1 billion over the next five years, eventually producing 410,000 ounces of gold per year.

Since we arrived in the area weve been interested in having a direct and clear dialogue with the communities, the company said in an email, adding it hoped a large majority of jobs would be filled by locals.

Red Eagle and Continental Gold did not respond to requests for comment.
WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday told lawmakers that his own personal data was included in that of 87 million or so Facebook users that was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

But he pushed back on congress members suggestions that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook in the wake of the privacy scandal at the worlds largest social media network.

Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there, the 33-year-old internet magnate told the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual gray T-shirt, the hearing was Zuckerbergs second in two days. On Tuesday, he took questions for nearly five hours in a U.S. Senate hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 percent. They were down 0.7 percent in early trading on Wednesday.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted U.S. President Donald Trumps election campaign among its clients.

Zuckerberg faced broad concerns from members of Congress about how Facebook shares user data.

How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data? asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce committee.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway U.S. politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesdays hearing expressing confidence in the social network.

I dont want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will, Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. A lot of that depends on you.

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get peoples permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

In principle, I think that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out, Zuckerberg said.
Torex Gold Resources Inc. (TSX: TXG) says the company has been notified by the Federal Labor Board that the Los Mineros Union has withdrawn a challenge to be the legally constituted union for ELG Mine Complex employees in Mexico. This means there is no longer a choice between unions to be made by employees, the company says. Union-related issues had resulted in blockades during the last half year. Enough has already been said about the disruption caused by this union representation challenge and associated illegal blockade, says Fred Stanford, president and chief executive officer. With the recent end of the blockade and now the end of the union representation challenge, we can move forward with an absolute focus on value creation for shareholders and all stakeholders. The CEO later adds: We see this Los Mineros Union withdrawal from the union selection process as a tacit acknowledgement that the incumbent CTM Union has the support of the majority of union eligible employees.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

New Fekola Mine Enables B2Gold To Post Record Output, Revenue

B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO; NYSE AMERICAN: BTG; NSX: B2G) reports record production and revenue in the first quarter after the Fekola Mine hit commercial output in late November. The company lists consolidated gold output of 239,684 ounces. This is up 81%, or 106,948 ounces, over the same period last year and is also 7%, or 16,252 ounces, above budget, the company says. B2Gold lists record quarterly gold revenue of $344.3 million, which was up 135%, or $198 million, from the year-ago period. B2Gold is well on target to achieve transformational growth in 2018 and meet its annual guidance of between 910,000 and 950,000 ounces of gold production in 2018 at cash operating costs of between $505 and $550 per ounce and all-in sustaining costs of between $780 and $830 per ounce, the company says. The projected full-year output would be some 300,000 ounces higher than last year.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Pretium: Brucejack Produces 75,689 Gold Ounces As Ramp-Up Continues

Pretium Resources Inc. (TSX, NYSE:PVG) reports output of 75,689 ounces of gold during the first quarter as ramp-up continues at the new high-grade Brucejack Mine in British Columbia. The company reports a 96.8% gold recovery rate. Pretium also lists a 10.9-grams-per- tonne gold mill feed grade for March, with an average of 9.1 grams for the quarter. Gold production improved steadily through the first quarter, with 32,910 ounces produced in March. This result is attributed to the successful implementation of a number of operational improvement initiatives, says Joseph Ovsenek, president and chief executive officer. Our grade control program has now been fully integrated into our mining process and the rate of underground development has increased to provide for additional stopes in our inventory. We are focused on continuing to increase grade to the mill in Q2, and we remain on track to deliver on our H1 2018 production guidance of 150,000 to 200,000 ounces of gold.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Golden Star First-Quarter Production Steady

Golden Star Resources (NYSE American: GSS; TSX: GSC; GSE: GSR) reports that first-quarter gold production of 57,616 ounces was in line with 57,795 ounces in the same period a year ago. The company reports stronger-than-expected output from the Wassa underground mine, allowing the complex to produce 35,506 ounces despite the end of output from the main pit during January. "At the end of the first quarter of 2018, Golden Star is on track to achieve its 2018 gold production guidance, says Sam Coetzer, president and chief executive officer. Wassa's strong performance following the cessation of open-pit production continues to confirm the robustness of the underground operation, both in terms of grade and productivity. The majority of the open-pit workforce severance charges are now behind us and we believe that Wassa's performance will strengthen further as the year progresses. At Prestea Underground, we remain confident in our chosen mining method and in our ability to deliver high-grade production to plan. The mining sequence continues to improve and we expect that by the middle of the second quarter of 2018, production will have begun to ramp up.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Leagold: 1Q Gold Output In Line With Guidance

Leagold Mining Corp. (TSX: LMC) announces first-quarter gold production at the Los Filos mine in Mexico was 51,003 ounces, leaving the company in line with the full-year guidance range of between 215,000 and 240,000 ounces. The operating plan at Los Filos calls for higher output in the second half of 2018, the company says.On closing of the Brio Gold acquisition, the combined company is expected to produce gold at a rate of approximately 450,000 ounces per year from four mines in Mexico and Brazil, says chief executive Neil Woodyer.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Alio Gold 1Q Output Falls; Production Guidance Maintained

Alio Gold Inc. (TSX, NYSE AMERICAN: ALO) says preliminary results show production of 17,624 ounces in the first quarter at the San Francisco Mine in Mexico. This is down from 26,048 in the same period of 2017. However, the company maintained 2018 guidance of between 90,000 and 100,000 ounces of gold. We anticipated the first quarter to be our lowest production quarter of the year as we implemented our dual cut-off strategy at San Francisco, says chief executive Greg McCunn. Alio says the proposed merger with Rye Patch Gold has been supported by major shareholders and is on track to close May 25.
(Updates with closing prices, Glencore force majeure)

By Eric Onstad

LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - Aluminium prices extended their rally on Wednesday to a sixth straight session, hitting an 11-week peak, amid persistent worries about shortages after the United States imposed sanctions on Russias Rusal.

Several metals went into the red after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles will be coming, but recovered at the close.

Both the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the CME Group said they were taking action to restrict aluminium brands of Rusal, one of the worlds biggest producers, on their exchanges.

Theres a lot of panic and uncertainty. Buyers are scrambling to try to replace where they can, to plug the gap left by not having Russian-origin metal, said Robin Bhar, head of metals research at Societe Generale in London.

This seems to be just the start (of rallying prices). Given this is a balanced if not tight market I dont see how you can easily replace that missing Russian origin material in the short term.

Three-month aluminium on the LME surged to a peak of $2,277.50 a tonne, the highest since Jan. 24, closing 2.2 percent higher at $2,250 per tonne.

* GLENCORE: Trader Glencore, a Rusal shareholder and customer, will declare force majeure on some aluminium supply, a source familiar with the matter said.

* PREMIUMS: Physical premiums for aluminium deliveries to mainland China from Shanghai Futures Exchange bonded warehouses rose by $5 to $135 a tonne <0#BASEBW-SHMET>.

In the United States, the Comex aluminium premium jumped to 20.7 cents a pound ($456 a tonne) from 18.4 cents on Friday, the highest in three years.

* ALUMINIUM STOCKS: On-warrant LME aluminium inventories, those not earmarked for delivery, rose 6,675 tonnes MALSTX-TOTAL, but more inflows were expected, industry sources said.

LME stocks will go up because if you are a financing bank holding Rusals metal, you will be looking to cut that exposure, a source at a commodity trader told Reuters.

* ALUMINIUM SPREADS: The April LME aluminium contract rose to a premium of $12 a tonne to the three-month futures CMALJ18-3, up from $7.25 on Tuesday and compared to a discount of $15.75 on Friday.

The rising premium indicates short supply of nearby material.

* NICKEL: LME nickel added 1.2 percent to $13,865, as traders worried about a possible knock-on impact from sanctions, since Rusal owns a 28 percent stake in Norilsk Nickel .

*PRICES: LME copper ended barely changed at $6,950, zinc fell 0.1 percent to $3,239, lead added 0.7 percent to $2,409 and tin rose 0.65 percent to $21,000.
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles will be coming and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump was responding to a Russian warning on Tuesday that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over the assault on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it! Trump said, referring Moscows alliance with Assad.

In response, Russias Foreign Ministry said smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government. Damascus and Moscow refer to rebels fighting Assad as terrorists.

The Syrian government and Russia say the reports of a poison gas assault on the Syrian town of Douma are bogus.

After the attack, the rebel group holed up in Douma - Jaish al-Islam - finally agreed to withdraw from the town. That sealed a big victory for Assad, who has now crushed the rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.

Moscows threat to shoot down U.S. missiles came from the Russian ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said he was referring to a statement by President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

Zasypkin also said that any hostilities with Washington should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations.

But his remarks could raise fears of direct conflict for the first time between major powers backing opposing sides in Syrias protracted civil war.

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that 43 people had died in Saturdays attack on the town of Douma from symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals, and more than 500 in all had been treated.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything that could destabilize an already fragile situation in the Middle East, and made clear it strongly opposed any U.S. strike on its ally.

STANDOFF

Moscow and Washington stymied attempts by each other at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on talks with Western allies about possible military action to punish Assad over the suspected gas attack.

Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired, Zasypkin, the Russian ambassador, told Hezbollahs al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assads most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large areas of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations.

Earlier in the week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said there was no threat of the situation in Syria spiraling into U.S.-Russian hostilities. TASS news agency quoted him as saying he believed common sense would prevail.

MISSILE SALVO FROM MEDITERRANEAN?

Any U.S. strike is likely to involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defence systems. A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

With tensions growing, pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used within that period and there could be intermittent disruptions of radio navigation equipment.

Aviation regulators have been stepping up monitoring of conflict zones since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Recent warnings have tended to be after military action has started, and so Eurocontrols pre-emptive notice suggests a heightening of regulatory scrutiny.

Both Russia and Iran, Assads other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would not remain without response.
LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - Moodys withdrew its rating on Rusal on Wednesday as fallout from U.S. sanctions on the Russian aluminium producer continued to push it into crisis.

Moodys had held a positive outlook on Rusals non-investment grade Ba3 rating.

It said in a statement it withdrew the rating for business reasons.

Rusal, which is at the heart of sanctioned businessman Oleg Deripaskas global aluminium empire, has already warned the measures imposed by U.S. authorities could trigger technical defaults on some of its debts.

Its Hong Kong-listed shares have lost almost 60 percent of their value in recent days while its bonds have slumped to record lows.

Almost all of Rusals $7.6 billion debt is dollar-denominated, making it difficult for the company to make repayments since the sanctions effectively cut off its access to the U.S. banking system and correspondent banks and creditors.

A Moodys spokeswoman said the firm would not comment on whether it was reassessing any of its other Russian ratings.

Moodys currently has a positive outlook on its Ba1 Russian sovereign debt rating. (Reporting by Marc Jones; editing by Jason Neely)
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are once again testing the top end of their recent range as escalating geopolitical tensions grip financial global markets, according to analysts.

Gold is solidly higher Wednesday morning as markets digest the most recent comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who in a Twitter comment warned of imminent military action in Syria. June gold futures last traded at $1,356.60 an ounce, just off a two-week high and up 0.80% on the day.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

If the situation in the Middle East further deteriorates, gold is likely to remain in strong demand, said commodity analysts at Commerzbank.

George Gero, managing director with RBC Wealth Management said that he could also see gold prices moving higher in the near-term as the yellow metal is a political and economic barometer.

Bill Baruch, president of Blue Line futures, described the geopolitical tension as a wild card for the gold market as prices remain in a well-established trading range.

He added that gold needs to get above $1,370 an ounce if it is going to break out of its current range.

Jim Wyckoff, senior technical analyst at Kitco.com, said that ultimate resistance comes in at the January high of $1,375 and a move above that level is needed to trigger a breakout.

Along with higher gold prices, the risk-off sentiment can also be seen in equity markets. Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management, said that equity futues are down nearly 1% across the board ahead of the North American open.

Trumps escalating rhetoric on Syria and President Bashar Assad came after reports of a poison gas assault on the rebel-held town of Douma during the weekend. The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that 43 people had died in the attack. The gas attack came nearly one year after the U.S. launched missiles at a Syrian airport in response to a previous gas attack.
Susan Heavey, Makini Brice, Tom Perry

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles will be coming and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Trump was reacting to a warning from Russia that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over the deadly assault on a rebel enclave near Damascus would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

His comments raised fears of direct conflict over Syria for the first time between the two world powers backing opposing sides in the seven-year-old civil war, which has aggravated instability across the Middle East.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, Trump wrote on Twitter.

You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it! Trump tweeted, referring to Moscows alliance with Assad.

In response, Russias Foreign Ministry said: Smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not towards the lawful government.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any U.S. missile salvo could be an attempt to destroy evidence of the reported gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma, for which Damascus and Moscow have denied any responsibility.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, striking a cautious tone hours after Trumps threat of missile strikes, said the United States was assessing intelligence about the suspected attack.

Asked if he had seen enough evidence to blame Assad, Mattis said: Were still working on this.

He did not elaborate but added that the U.S. military stood ready to provide military options, if appropriate. It was unclear whether his remarks reflected any unease about Trumps apparent move toward military action.

In Moscow, the head of a Russian parliamentary defence committee, Vladimir Shamanov, said Russia was in direct contact with the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff about the situation.

Dozens of people in Douma died and hundreds were injured in the attack, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

After Trumps tweet, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said pro-government forces were emptying main airports and military air bases.

The Russian military said it had observed movements of U.S. Navy forces in the Gulf. Any U.S. strike would probably involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defences. A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

The Syrian foreign ministry accused the United States, which has supported some rebel groups in Syrias conflict, of using fabrications and lies as an excuse to hit its territory.

We are not surprised by such a thoughtless escalation by a regime like the United States regime, which sponsored terrorism in Syria and still does, the state news agency SANA cited an official source in the ministry as saying.

TALKING ABOUT TIMING

After the Douma attack, the insurgent group dug in there, Jaish al-Islam, finally agreed to withdraw. That clinched a huge victory for Assad, crushing a long rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near the capital Damascus.

In London, British Prime Minister Theresa May said all the indications pointed to Syrian government responsibility for the Douma attack and such a shocking and barbaric act could not go unchallenged.

Were rapidly reaching an understanding of what happened on the ground, she told reporters. Well be working with our closest allies to consider how we can ensure that those responsible are held to account.

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said however that the British parliament should be given a say on any military action.

Oil prices jumped to their highest level in more than three years on Wednesday after Trumps missile warning, and U.S. stock index futures fell sharply due to alarm about a possible Russian-U.S. conflict over Syria.

White House officials did not immediately provide more detail about Trumps remarks. The U.S. Defense Department said it did not comment on potential military actions.

HIGHLY TOXIC

The WHO said 43 people had died in Saturdays attack on Douma from symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals, and more than 500 had been treated.

The WHO cautioned that it has no formal role in forensic inquiries into the use of chemical weapons. International inspectors are seeking clearance from Damascus to visit Douma under safe conditions to determine whether globally banned munitions were used, though they will not assign blame.

Moscow and Washington blocked attempts by each other at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Moscows threat to down U.S. missiles came from its ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said it was based on previous statements by President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assads most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large areas of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations.

AIRLINES BEWARE

With tensions growing, however, European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used within that period and there could be intermittent disruptions of radio navigation equipment.

Both Russia and Iran, Assads other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would not remain without response.

Israel held top-level security consultations on Wednesday amid concern it could be targeted by Syria or Iran if the United States strikes Syrian government forces.

Syrias Russian-supplied air defences shot down an Israeli F-16 jet in February during a previous bombing run against what Israel described as Iranian-backed positions in Syria.

Last year, the United States carried out strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base after another toxic gas attack on a rebel-controlled pocket.

Additional reporting by Dahlia Nehme in Beirut, Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Andrew Osborn and Maria Kiselyova in Moscow, Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Mark Hosenball, Phil Stewart and Patricia Zengerle in Washington, Jamie Freed in Singapore, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Mark Heinrich and Angus MacSwan;
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are moderately higher and are at a two-week high in early U.S. trading Wednesday. There is anxiety in the marketplace regarding U.S. military intentions after Syria used poisonous gas on its civilians. President Trump has just tweeted and warned Russia that U.S. missiles are coming and that Russia wont be able to shoot them down. He also said Russia should not be aligning with an animal (Syrias Assad) that gasses his own people. June Comex gold futures were last up $9.80 an ounce at $1,355.70. May Comex silver was last up $0.029 at $16.625 an ounce.

World stock markets were mostly lower overnight. U.S. stock indexes are also pointed toward lower openings when the New York day session begins. U.S. stock indexes weakened further following the tweeting from Trump. Some profit taking from this weeks good gains is also featured in the stock indexes at mid-week.

The key U.S. economic highlights of the day will be consumer price index and the release of the minutes of the last Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting that took place in late March. The March CPI is forecast to come in unchanged from February and up 2.1%, year-on-year.

The key outside markets on Wednesday morning see the U.S. dollar index slightly lower and at a two-week low. The greenback is seeing a corrective pullback this week after hitting a five-week high last Friday. Meantime, Nymex crude oil prices are higher and trading above $65.00 a barrel. Brent crude oil hit a four-year high above $71.00 a barrel today. Crude has been boosted this week by the easing of U.S.-China trade tensions and by the missile strikes against Syria earlier this week.

U.S. economic data due for release Wednesday includes the weekly MBA mortgage applications survey, the FOMC minutes, real earnings, the consumer price index, the monthly Treasury budget statement and the weekly DOE liquid energy stocks report.

Technically, June gold bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage and have gained momentum at mid-week. Gold bulls' next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance at the January high of $1,375.50. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at the March low of $1,309.30. First resistance is seen at the March high of $1,362.60 and then at the February high of $1,369.60. First support is seen at todays low of $1,342.50 and then at Tuesdays low of $1,334.20. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.5

May silver futures bears have the slight overall near-term technical advantage amid recent choppy trading. Silver bulls' next upside price breakout objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $17.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $16.00. First resistance is seen at last weeks high of $16.68 and then at $16.895. Next support is seen at this weeks low of $16.295 and then at last weeks low of $16.15. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 4.5.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil hit its highest in more than three years on Wednesday after Saudi Arabia said it intercepted missiles over Riyadh and international tensions about Syria grew.

Both U.S. crude and global benchmark Brent traded at the highest levels since 2014 as concerns about airstrikes drove the market higher.

Geopolitical concerns overshadowed global crude inventories as the markets main driver.

A bearish inventory report was quickly negated on word of intercepted rockets over Riyadh, which just adds to the recent spike in geopolitical tensions, said Anthony Headrick, energy market analyst and commodities futures broker at CHS Hedging LLC.

Prices began to rally as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to fire missiles at Syria in response to a suspected chemical attack last week.

Prices climbed further as Saudi Arabias air defense forces intercepted a missile over the capital Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya said, after at least three blasts were heard in the city.

Brent crude jumped to a high above $72 a barrel, its strongest since early December 2014, after Trumps comments, while U.S. crude rose above $67 a barrel. Gold XAU= rallied for a fourth day as investors ditched risk-linked assets such as equities.

Brent LCOc1 rose $1.59 on the day to $72.63 a barrel by 11:03 a.m. EST [1703 GMT], while U.S. crude futures CLc1 rose $1.62 cents to $67.13 a barrel, a 2.5 percent gain.

Some major airlines were re-routing flights on Wednesday after Europes air traffic control agency warned aircraft flying in the eastern Mediterranean to exercise caution due to possible air strikes on Syria.

Trump has criticized Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, he wrote in a post on Twitter on Wednesday.

The United States and its allies are considering air strikes against Assads forces following a suspected poison gas attack last weekend.

Syria is not a significant oil producer, but any sign of conflict in the region tends to trigger concern about potential disruption to crude flows across the wider Middle East, home to some of the worlds biggest producers.

There are also concerns that the United States could renew sanctions against Iran.

The focus right now is definitely on a possible military strike against Syria, said Commerzbanks head of commodity research, Eugen Weinberg.

We think the fundamentals do not justify the current price, but unfortunately the market is focusing more on the politics and ignoring some of the warning signs, especially the hike in U.S. oil production.

Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Wednesday that his country would not sit by and let another supply glut surface, implying that the de-facto leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would continue to withhold supply.

Not all oil market indicators suggest the price will continue to rally strongly, analysts said.

U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.3 million barrels in the week to April 6, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, compared with analysts expectations for a decrease of 189,000 barrels. [EIA/S]
(Reuters) - As Republicans take control of the U.S. agency that enforces federal labor law, unions are bracing for decisions that could make it harder for them to solicit support and boost their ranks by limiting their ability to contact workers.

The Republican-led U.S. Senate voted along party lines on Wednesday to confirm John Ring, a management-side labor lawyer nominated by President Donald Trump, to a vacancy on the five-member National Labor Relations Board. His confirmation restores Republicans 3-2 edge on the board, which had been deadlocked since December.

The NLRB, which has oversight over all private-sector employers, presides over union elections and legal disputes between workers, unions and companies.

Unions and worker advocates said they are worried that with a Republican majority, the board will issue a series of decisions and regulations that could impede their ability to reach out to workers by restricting unions physical access to workplaces and barring employees from using company email accounts to solicit support for unions.

The NLRB could also give companies more time to counter union campaigns and limit the ways in which unions can contact workers in order to solicit their support by revoking so-called quickie election rules issued in 2015, which it has already taken the first steps toward eliminating.

It looks as though this board is going to be incredibly active, and make things harder for unions, said Catherine Ruckelshaus, a lawyer with the National Employment Law Project (NELP), a union-funded employment law and policy advocacy group. NELP is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, which represents nearly 2 million U.S. workers.

An NLRB spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Restricting unions ability to contact and organize workers could contribute to a decades-long slide in membership. Only 6.5 percent of private-sector workers are union members, down from more than one-third in the 1950s, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Many business groups and Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, say broad changes are necessary to address what they describe as radical decisions issued by the NLRB during the Obama administration. They say the Obama-era board gave unions too much access to workplaces and ignored employers rights under federal labor law.

The Obama board made it as easy as possible for unions to organize, regardless of how disruptive it would be to an employers operations, said Glenn Spencer, the senior vice president for employment policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest U.S. business lobby.

With Rings confirmation, he said, the NLRB will have a chance to take a more balanced approach.

A short-lived Republican majority at the board got off to a quick start last year, with the agency issuing several major decisions that reversed Obama-era precedent in a single week in December. That majority ended after former NLRB Chairman Philip Miscimarras term expired that month.

Those included decisions making it more difficult for unions to organize small groups of a companys workforce and that said some common workplace rules are valid even when they restrict employees rights to organize under federal labor law.

The board also overturned an Obama-era ruling making it easier to hold companies liable for labor law violations by contractors or franchisees that had been heavily criticized by business groups.

In February, however, the board wiped out the decision, citing a conflict of interest by one of the board members in the case. The move frustrated business groups, who now say the new Republican majority should make the issue its top priority.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy in the morning followed by scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High around 80F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms in the evening, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Residents of Seongnae-dong in Gangdong-gu, southeastern Seoul, protest the city's plan to build a public rental apartment for young people in their neighborhood, at a rally held at the district office last Monday. / Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon



By Yoon Ja-young



The government's plan to build more rental homes for young people is facing community resistance, mostly by elderly homeowners who fear possible fallout on their income and property value. Experts point out the low birthrate will eventually hit the housing market if the housing problems of young people are left unresolved.



Dozens of homeowners from Seongnae-dong in Gangdong-gu, southeastern Seoul, held a rally at the district office last Monday, opposing the city's plan to build a public rental apartment for young people in their neighborhood. Most of them were elderly homeowners who lease their homes.



Some residents of an apartment complex in Yeongdeungpo-gu, southwestern Seoul, also made headlines recently by starting a campaign to block a similar city plan in their area.



"The city is planning to build a 19-story apartment for poor people, in the name of rental housing for the young. When it is built, our apartments will get huge damage," they noted in a poster displayed in an apartment elevator persuading other residents to join their move. Those leading the campaign said it will pull down their apartment prices on top of causing traffic congestion. They also feared their neighborhood will become a slum.



The city planned to provide 15,000 rental homes to young people near subway stations last year, but only 8,000 were offered due to community opposition. It reflects the increasing housing conflict between the younger and older generations.



Young people excluded in real estate



The country's housing prices have soared steeply in recent years, but young people who have not saved enough money due to tough job market conditions were totally excluded in the investment payoff. According to Park Choon-sung, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Finance, only the older generations increased housing purchases during the market boom. He pointed out the ratio of those in their 30s took only 19 percent of mortgages given in 2016, which compares with 33 percent in 2008. The ratio of those in their 50s or older, meanwhile, rose to 46 percent from 37 percent during the same period.



"The income of the older age group has increased continuously, more than other age groups. They have increasingly purchased housing as assets."



As the country still lacks a social safety net, purchasing real estate and getting stable rent is one of the best options for Koreans who are nearing retirement. They thus don't welcome public rental housing.



"As the supply of rental housing increases, rent will inevitably fall. It is natural for landlords to oppose such a plan," said Lee Mi-yun, a researcher at Real Estate 114, a real estate market information provider.



"Due to a surging supply in the market, rent has already started falling. Moreover, the government is restricting homeowners who officially registered as home rental business from raising rent by more than 5 percent annually. The supply of rental housing by the government will make matters worse for them."



A real estate agent in Seongnae-dong said senior citizens who resort to income from rent will lose tenants as the rent is cheaper in public rental housing.



"Housing is all they have and some of them even have to pay mortgages. It is a matter of life or death for them," he said.



"If the government wants to support young people, it can provide them housing vouchers or use existing homes. No homeowners will be happy if the government supplies a massive amount of rental homes without community consent."



Housing problem causing low birthrate



However, this doesn't mean the housing problem can be ignored. According to the latest population and housing census, 84 percent of young people below 30 and living separately from their parents reside in rented housing. The housing conditions are especially poor for young people in Seoul, with four out of 10 either living in substandard housing, such as rooms without kitchens or bathrooms, or spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent.



It is especially serious since housing is related to the low birthrate. Young people are delaying or eschewing marriage and childbirth as they cannot afford housing. According to statistics from the Korea Labor and Society Institute, 82.5 percent of male salaried workers in their 20s or 30s and in the top 10 percent income bracket are married. The ratio of those who are married falls to 6.9 percent in the bottom 10 percent of the income bracket. If one cannot finance housing, marriage becomes an impossible mission.



Experts point out if the housing problems of young people are unresolved, it will worsen the low birthrate and eventually hit the housing market as well. They say Korea is likely to follow in the footsteps of Japan which is suffering from an increasing number of empty homes due to the low birthrate and aging of the population. According to 2015 data, 7.8 million homes in Japan, or 12.8 percent of the total, were empty, which is much higher than Korea's 6.5 percent. "As the falling population decreased housing demand, it has become difficult to sell the excess homes gained through inheritance. The problem of empty homes will be especially serious in provinces where the ratio of senior citizens is high," said Cho Dong-ae, a researcher at the Bank of Korea.



Park echoed that view. "The demographic graph shows demand in the next generation will not be big enough to substitute for the older generation," he said. The country's total population is expected to drop to 42 million in 2060 after peaking at 52 million in 2030.



While homeowners fear the negative impact of rental homes, Lee said the inflow of the younger population can help pull up value of commercial buildings. "By supplying an increasing number of potential customers, the public rental homes for young people can boost local businesses. Though they are not likely to have much purchasing power, the inflow of young people may add vitality."


Seen is ING Life Korea headquarters in downtown Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times file



By Kim Yoo-chul



Did MBK Partners get what it wanted from ING Life Korea deal?



There's no answer for this question for the time being, as MBK, one of Asia's top private equity funds (PEFs), is apparently taking tit-for-tat steps to sell its stake in ING Life Korea to Shinhan Financial Group.



MBK's perspective regarding the ING Life issue is simple. Given the nature of the business MBK is involved in, the PEF wants to sell the Korean unit of ING Life with a bigger premium from Shinhan while the latter hopes to close the acquisition deal at a lower price.





On March 27, The Korea Times was the first to report the banking group was looking to acquire ING Life for 2.5 trillion won. Weeks after, Shinhan Financial said no decisions had yet been made on the potential acquisition of ING Life Korea.



"Shinhan Financial will inform the Korea Exchange of the latest decisions, if any, regarding the acquisition of ING Life Korea," the group said in a regulatory filing with the bourse operator, Wednesday.



Given a relatively weak portfolio in non-banking businesses, an acquisition of ING Life Korea, if completed, is expected to help the banking group expand its business territory into non-banking sectors.





MBK Partners CEO Kim Byung-ju
US think tank now trying to 'keep 38 North afloat'



By Kim Jae-kyoung



The government pressured the US-Korea Institute (USKI) to fire two top-ranking officials and follow operational guidelines seeking to take control of the Washington-based private think tank, a USKI source said, Wednesday.



The source said that after the institute, well known for the website 38 North that specializes in Korean Peninsula issues, resisted the demand, the government decided to defund the institute, leading to the closure of the 12-year-old think tank next month.



The USKI is a private institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) partially funded by the Korean government through the state-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP).



In an interview with The Korea Times, a high-ranking insider at the USKI said there had been pressure from the Korean government to dismiss the institute's ranking officials who stood in the way of Seoul's attempts to control the institute.



The source rebuffed Cheong Wa Dae's claim the think tank has problems with transparency in accounting and selecting visiting scholars and interns.



"The Korean government, through KIEP, made the demand that SAIS fire USKI director Jae H. Ku and later its assistant director, and agree to a set of operational rules that would give them control over USKI management," said the insider with direct knowledge of the matter, asking not to be named.



This is in stark contrast to the government's claim that it never requested the replacement of the USKI director and assistant director



The insider explained these conditions were unacceptable both to the USKI and SAIS and so they said no, and then KIEP defunded them with one month's notice.



"Complaints about how we report budgets and now the leaked budgets that I've seen online are distractions from the issue of the Korean government trying to gain operational control over a think tank at a U.S. university."






By Kim Rahn



The planned Washington-Pyongyang summit will have historic meaning just by taking place and a good outcome for permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula is expected, as the two sides show strong will for it, President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday.



He called for thorough preparations for the inter-Korean summit, to be held before the Washington-Pyongyang summit, so the former one can lead to the success of the latter.



Moon made the remark in a meeting with the preparation committee for the inter-Korean summit, which is set for April 27. It also came while the U.S. and North Korea have confirmed their commitment to the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un which is slated for May or early June.



"The inter-Korean summit will lead in to the first ever U.S.-North Korea summit," Moon said, adding the two sides are reportedly discussing the time, venue and theme of the bilateral talks.



"Holding the Washington-Pyongyang summit itself will be significant in world history. As the two nations are preparing for it with strong will, I expect the summit will produce a good outcome in taking a big step toward the goals of denuclearizing the peninsula and achieving permanent peace through it."



Moon said to reach the goal, South Korea must prepare fully so the inter-Korean summit will serve to guide the success of the U.S.-North Korea summit. "Related organizations, including the foreign ministry and the National Security Office, will have to closely exchange information, communicate and discuss issues with the U.S.," he said.



Following Moon's order, the preparation committee will set up a taskforce to monitor the progress of each relevant ministry and organization. How to form the taskforce will be announced today.



The President said the nation is at the starting line of a long journey toward peace and prosperity.



"We are about to embark on a historic transition of complete denuclearization of the peninsula, lasting peace and sustainable development of South-North Korean relations. It is a goal everybody has dreamed of but has never achieved," Moon said.



The President called for firm determination and confidence so the nation can go beyond division and confrontation and write a new history. But he also stressed care and restraint.



"Rather than approaching this with too much ambition to resolve all problems at once, I ask you to make efforts with a goal to lay the stepping stone for restoring the long-strained inter-Korean relations and ensuring peace and prosperity on the peninsula," he said.






By Jung Min-ho, Choi Ha-young







Korea's health authorities are scrutinizing the risk of a potentially cancer-causing chemical in coffee, following a Los Angeles judge's decision to require Starbucks and other coffee sellers in California to put cancer warnings on their products.





According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Tuesday, the risk of acrylamide has come under scrutiny. The ministry is also doing research on how much of the chemical people have been exposed to in light of coffee consumption soaring in recent years.





"Our findings will be announced as early as the end of this year," a ministry official told The Korea Times.





So far, the ministry has said the level of acrylamide from coffee is not harmful to people.





Acrylamide, which can be found in cigarette smoke and some foods such as French fries and black pepper, is a byproduct of roasting coffee. It is present in high levels in brewed coffee.





The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, describes acrylamide as a human neurotoxin and a "group 2A probable carcinogen." Studies on animals have found that exposure to high levels of acrylamide causes cancer.





However, there is little evidence that the chemical poses the same risk to humans.





Choi Do-ja, a Bareun Mirae Party lawmaker who belongs to the National Assembly's health and welfare committee, said she will keep an eye on the issue and, if necessary, raise it during the next parliamentary audit.





The ruling in California came after a nonprofit organization, the Council for Education and Research on Toxics, filed a lawsuit in 2010 against 91 coffee companies, including Starbucks, for failing to warn consumers of acrylamide.





The defendants have until April 10 (local time) to file objections to the decision.


The SRT website for purchasing tickets online. The site can only be navigated in Korean and does not accept foreign card payments.



By Lee Suh-yoon



Non-Koreans are not able to purchase bullet train tickets online for the SRT because its website requires domestic credit cards and a national ID number, and does not offer an English page.



The SRT, a high-speed train connecting Suseo Station in southern Seoul with major cities such as Busan and Gwangju, has been in operation since December 2016. But still it does not offer online booking services for foreign travelers.



The SRT ticket-purchasing website is available only in Korean. The online payment process requires a Korean ID number and does not accept foreign credit cards.



Korail, the national railroad operator with a 41 percent stake in SR, opened an English-language website at the same time it opened the Korean one. The Korail site then began accepting credit cards issued overseas starting in 2004.



An SRT spokesperson admitted the website fails to meet the needs of foreign travelers.



"We are currently developing an English site with a foreign credit card payment system. We expect it to be available by the second half of this year," the spokesperson said.



Foreign travelers who want to book train tickets in advance must buy them on-site or via a travel agency at a hotel.



Seventy-five percent of all foreign visitors to Korea in 2016 came independently rather than as part of a travel agency tour group, according to the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute.



The inconveniences foreigners face when booking inter-city train tickets make it harder for the nation's foreign-based tourism to spread beyond Seoul.



"It's really frustrating even for someone like me, who has much more practice with Korean than the average foreigner," said Sophia Kim, an American exchange student currently living in Seoul.



Kim said she also had trouble with other transportation booking sites in Korea because they only accept domestic credit cards.



"I just give up trying to buy tickets and sometimes just cancel the trip," she said. "I think it definitely hinders possible tourism prospects."



The SRT mobile app launched an English version last month but it still does not accept credit cards issued outside the country.


This is an artist' concept of the Gwangwhamun Square after Seoul City Hall's 2020-2021 renovation. / Yonhap



By Oh Young-jin



Gwanghwamun Square will become nearly four times bigger than it is, while the area in front of the "old gate," three times the size of Seoul Plaza, will be designated exclusively for pedestrians.



The boulevard, currently 10 lanes wide, will be narrowed to six lanes. The six-lane road will be along the side of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, the U.S. Embassy, and the KT and Kyobo buildings.



The vehicle road along the Government Complex building, the Foreign Ministry and the Sejong Center side will be converted into a pedestrian area.



Construction will begin in January 2020 and be completed by May 2021 at a cost of 99.5 billion won. It was in 2009 when the current layout was established.



The change will mean the end of infamy for the square that has long been ridiculed for being the biggest median divide in the world.





An artist's concept about the reenactment of a Joseon-era royal parade in front of Gwangwhamun / Yonhap



These and other plans are part of Seoul City's New Gwangwhamun Square Plan that makes the center of the city "history-friendly," so as to enable people to walk around and appreciate the city's past on a seamless and uninterrupted path.



Under the plan, the square will become 3.7 times larger from 18,840 square meters to 69,300 square meters and serve as venue for all kinds of performances, where people can take a break from their grinding daily routine.



In front of the old gate "Woldae," or the Joseon-era ritual stage, will be restored with "Haetai" or stone guards to be put back in their original spots. The Woldae originally served as a place where a king would meet people during a ritual but it was damaged as the result of road construction during Japan's occupation.



The city has launched an experts' meeting to delve into the best way of dealing with Gwanghwamun Square since September 2016.





Seeking another term, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon unveiled the Gwangwhamun renovation plan Tuesday. / Yonhap




By Kim Bo-eun







The second round of talks between Seoul and Washington to renew the cost-sharing deal on hosting U.S. troops here began Wednesday on Jeju Island.







The meeting, led by South Korea's chief negotiator Chang Won-sam and his U.S. counterpart Timothy Betts, will continue through Thursday.







The bilateral deal covering the cost of 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea is referred to as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA).







It was first signed in 1991, and has been renewed nine times _ every two to five years. The last renewal covering 2014 to 2018 expires at the end of this year.







South Korea agreed to pay 960 billion won ($887.5 million) this year. This covers costs for hiring South Korean staff at U.S. military bases, as well as constructing military facilities and purchasing, managing and transporting equipment.







The first session of talks took place last month in Hawaii.







The U.S. may bring up the issue of South Korea covering costs of maintaining the THAAD battery or deploying strategic assets. U.S. President Donald Trump has called for South Korea to pay for the THAAD system.







South Korea is likely to propose a revision to the payment system. Under the status quo, the agreement fixes the total amount South Korea is to pay.







South Korea may propose the system be revised so it provides payments for expenditures that have occurred as a means to boost transparency.







The costs South Korea has been shouldering have continued to grow since 1991, when it paid 150 billion won.







Attention is growing over how much the costs will be increased under the negotiations for the upcoming renewal, as Trump has mentioned South Korea should pay more for the U.S. forces' presence here.


By Kim Jae-heun







The tail of a Korean Air passenger aircraft hit the runway while landing at Kansai International Airport in Japan, Tuesday.







The government said 91 people were on board including cabin crew and passengers, but nobody was injured.







The aircraft's nose was too high and the rear fuselage scraped the runway, so the pilot performed a go around maneuver, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.





On the second approach it landed safely.





The Japanese aviation authority sent investigators to find out what caused the accident.





The ministry said paint on the underside of the rear fuselage was scraped off.





It said it will investigate further when the airliner returns to Korea.





Korean Air said it found no major problems with the aircraft after checking the fuselage.





"While we examined the airframe, we had another plane prepared to prevent delays," an official of the airline said.




Charles Betts Huntley, center, a late American missionary who documented the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju, and his wife Martha, left, speak in this undated file photo./ Korea Times file



By Yi Whan-woo

Families of two late American missionaries who witnessed and documented the massacre of the pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju on May 18, 1980, will come to Korea next month.

The May 18 Memorial Foundation said Wednesday the families of Charles Betts Huntley and Arnold Peterson will join the commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the uprising. The Moon Jae-in government will host the ceremony in Gwangju.

"Their visit is meaningful considering we still have a lot of work to do in revealing the truth behind the uprising," the foundation said.

It added Huntley's family will bring some of his remains and bury them in Gwangju in line with his wishes before he died in the U.S. at age 81 on June 26, 2017.

The remains will be buried at a cemetery for Christian missionaries who devoted their lives to Gwangju.

The two families will attend a human rights awards ceremony, also in Gwangju, before returning home on May 20.

Huntley was serving as the chaplain at a Christian hospital in Gwangju when Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan's military junta brutally suppressed the uprising.

Huntley secretly took photos of dead and injured civilians to avoid censorship.

He later wrote for foreign media outlets about the massacre and contributed the photos with his articles.

He delivered some of the photos to Jurgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist who witnessed the Chun-led atrocities and helped expose the incident worldwide.

Chun deported Huntley four years after the suppression.

Huntley spent the rest of his life in the U.S.

He lived in Korea for 20 years. He helped American families adopt Korean orphans and worked as an auxiliary chaplain for the U.S. Air Force as well.

He is survived by wife Martha and four children.

Peterson, a former professor of history, came to Korea in 1973 as a missionary.

He witnessed the massacre in Gwangju and testified about related events, including a military helicopter firing a machine gun from the air.

A mystery remains about who gave the order to open fire in each incident to quell the protests scattered around Gwangju.

It was only revealed in 2017 that the Army Headquarters ordered the helicopter machine gun to open fire as part of an operation to help paratroopers land safely on a building and begin the crackdown.

Chun's supporters tried to taint the uprising as a riot but Peterson claimed consistently the protesters inevitably stood against the military junta and that the military was responsible for the bloodshed.

The foundation said the U.S. government sought to evacuate both Huntley and Peterson as well as their families to a nearby U.S. Air Force base during the crackdown. But they all refused and documented the massacre.
By Kim Rahn





Seong Kyoung-ryung

The Moon Jae-in administration is determined to expand cooperation with U.S. experts about Korean Peninsula issues, despite a recent controversy over the government cutting funds for the U.S.-Korea Institute (USKI), Seong Kyoung-ryung, chairman of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences (NRC), said Wednesday.



Seong, who is widely considered as Moon's economic mentor, also said he will help mend relations with the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), which has the USKI under its wing.



Seong's remark came a day after the USKI announced it would close next month due to the funding cut from the Korean government, which has provided 2.1 billion won ($1.87 million) annually through the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP).



The government said earlier this month it would stop the funding, citing problems of the USKI with transparency in accounting and selecting visiting scholars and interns. The NRC oversees state-run research institutes including the KIEP.



"If the KIEP and the USKI had discussed such problems and come up with agreements step by step, this situation (of conflict and the institute's closure) would not have happened," Seong, who was appointed in February, said in a media briefing in Seoul.



"Our intention was not to sever ties with the USKI and Korea experts in the U.S., but to maintain and improve them. For better relations, we are contemplating all possible measures, including my visiting the U.S., by listening to relevant experts and mobilizing all U.S. channels of the NRC-governed 26 state institutes," he said.



Seong expressed hopes to continue cooperation with the SAIS, adding it would be possible to expand cooperation for its Korea studies and Korean language programs.



He said the conflict stemmed from a different understanding about the funding between the two parties.



"The Korean government recognized the funding as a subsidy, while the USKI recognized it as a donation," he said.






By Kim Jae-heun, Jung Da-min



A public sector strike in Germany has spread to the country's airports causing Lufthansa, the country's largest carrier, to cancel hundreds of flights, although Korean passengers are not expected to be affected according to industry sources.



Lufthansa's Korean office said so far only one flight, from Incheon to Frankfurt, had been cancelled.



Eight-hundred flights were cancelled around Germany after the public workers union Verdi called for its 2.3 million members to walk out Tuesday (local time) demanding a 6 percent pay increase. The Berlin based union is the second largest after IG Metall.



Lufthansa's Korean office said so far only one flight, from Incheon to Frankfurt, had been cancelled.



No flights were scheduled from Incheon to Munich, and there are no direct flights to other German cities, it said.



"We don't know about Koreans traveling with us from city to city in Germany. It will take us some time to check if they are affected by the strike at Cologne and Bremen," said an official at the Korean office.



"Only one flight has been cancelled from Incheon to Frankfurt, and we have allocated another flight for those customers."



The official added that the airline was trying to minimize customer inconvenience as much as possible.



Lufthansa will cooperate with partner carriers to take its customers to their destinations on time as there is the possibility of the union holding another strike over the weekend.



Frankfurt is the most popular German city among Korean tourists.



Frankfurt Main Airport closed a number of security checkpoints due to the strike.



The Seoul office of the German Tourist Board said the strike will not affect Korean travelers very much as Germany has a well organized system to cope with such emergencies.



"Germany faces nationwide strikes from time to time, but it always offers alternative plans for tourists. It has systematic measures to help foreigners. I am sure they will be able to connect with different carriers so they can travel as they originally planned," a tourism official said.



Prior to the strike in Germany, workers at Air France went on strike last weekend, causing the cancellation of 25 percent of its flight from Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris.



The strike at the flagship French airline was to protest moves by President Emmanuel Macron to introduce labor reforms.



The union at Air France calls the reforms too "business-friendly."



In addition, the union at the nation's SNCF national railway has launched rolling strikes, which it threatens to continue for three months, also to protest Macron's reforms. Part of these include terminating the job-for-life and early retirement guarantees enjoyed by its members.



The two strikes will coincide April 18, 23 and 24.



The Korean branch of Air France has been coordinating alternatives for those who booked flights on the strike dates. However, it did not respond to requests for comments.



Many Koreans travelers have expressed concern over the strikes.




By Kim Bo-eun



Cheong Wa Dae confirmed a summit among the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China will take place, in a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, Wednesday.



"With regards to the summit of South Korea, Japan and China set to be hosted in Japan next month, President Moon Jae-in highly evaluated the efforts the Japanese government has taken to host the meeting, and pledged the government will cooperate for its success," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a written statement following the meeting.



This is Cheong Wa Dae's first confirmation of the summit. Up until now, it only said the states were pushing to hold the summit in early May.



In the meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Moon and Kono affirmed the need for the two countries to strengthen ties at a time when preparations are taking place for summits seeking to address the denuclearization of North Korea.



Moon requested Japan to "assume a constructive role" in achieving the goal of denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.



Kono expressed Tokyo's wishes for Seoul to cooperate in resolving the issue of abducted Japanese nationals who are believed to be in the North.



Moon also called for a bilateral deal to be reached soon on fishing in the two countries' Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). The failure to reach a deal for two years has endangered the livelihoods of South Korean fishermen, Moon said.



Before the meeting with President Moon, the foreign minister met with his counterpart Kang Kyung-wha and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon.



This is Kono's first visit since he was appointed last August and the first visit by a Japanese foreign minister since December 2015 when his predecessor Fumio Kishida came and concluded a controversial agreement with the Park Geun-hye government on Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women.



The visit is seen as an effort to ensure Tokyo is not sidelined in discussions on the denuclearization process. The Seoul-Pyongyang summit will be held April 27, and the one with Washington in late May or June.



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump next week is also seen to have been arranged in the same context.



Tokyo is known to have been in contact with Pyongyang seeking to arrange a summit, but no details of any exchanges have been made public.



In Kono's meetings, it was agreed that the details of the two summits with North Korea would be shared with Japan.



Kono requested that Tokyo's stance on the North's nuclear and missile issues, as well as that of the abductions of Japanese citizens, be conveyed by Moon to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their summit.



In Kono's meeting with Kang he asked about the ongoing preparations for the summit, and was briefed on the results of the high- and working-level inter-Korean meetings that have been held so far.



At the summit, the Koreas are mainly set to discuss the North's denuclearization, the achievement of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and developing inter-Korean relations.



Seoul and Tokyo remain at odds over historical and territorial issues such as the sex slave deal and ownership of South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, but have agreed to pursue "future-oriented" relations.



South Korea's foreign ministry is reviewing plans to set up a taskforce to promote cultural and personnel exchanges with Japan.






Hundreds of farmers, consumers and environmental activists gathered in front of the Government Complex in Seoul Tuesday to demand that food labeling list genetically modified organisms (GMO). About 500 protesters from across the nation criticized the central government for not changing the regulations.



They were concerned that GMOs could be harmful to health and demanded the right to know whether their purchases contained any GMO.



Cooperative group Farmer's COOP said the government imports an average of 2.28 million tons of GMO as ingredients for food products a year and each person consumes 40 kilograms. But a survey by Farmer's COOP, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice and consumer group Consumers Korea revealed that none of 438 market products containing GMOs that it searched listed the ingredients on labels.



Farmer's COOP, formerly iCOOP, said unrealistic food labeling regulations and the government exempting too many products are the main reasons behind the protest. (Video by Choi Won-suk)










By Ted Gover





Amid the myriad of issues for Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to consider for their possible summit this May  nuclear disarmament, missile programs, the U.S. military footprint in South Korea, sanctions relief, economic aid, etc.  human rights considerations must not fall by the wayside.



It is not uncommon at high-stakes summits for leaders to try to outsmart one another. Others make genuine efforts to strike a genuine deal that holds. The strategies of Trump and Kim towards their summit notwithstanding, the plight of North Korean political prisoners and others needs to be one of the causes Trump supports during the negotiations.



Human rights? Some may argue human rights amounts to small potatoes amid the very real, serious issues involving the North Korean nuclear threat.



However, this summit provides an opportunity to address some of the world's most egregious human rights abuses that Pyongyang commits on a daily basis.



North Korea is known for its extensive system of gulags where political prisoners are raped, tortured, starved and subjected to forced labor and executions. Tragically, political prisoners are often murdered by poison gas while being used as guinea pigs for the regime's chemical and biological weapons program testing, a sadistic crime the civilized world expected to end with the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.



The cruelty extends beyond the political prisoners themselves with the regime often targeting the prisoners' extended family members as well, subjecting them to imprisonment and torture.



Amid this gloomy picture, we can learn from recent history as to how human rights advocacy can be a part of these highly anticipated summits.



As secretary of state for President Ronald Reagan, Bill Shultz was involved in many arms control negotiations with the Soviets, a regime far more threatening to U.S. interests than North Korea has ever been. During these talks, it was not uncommon for Secretary Schultz to demand certain targeted human rights concessions from Moscow as part of the overall negotiations over arms control and other related discussions.



And sometimes Secretary Schultz's demands yielded human rights concessions by the Soviets, saving lives.



Trump ought to do the same with Kim.



He may start by advocating for the release of a specific number of political prisoners. He should also demand the release of all surviving Japanese citizens and other foreign nationals Pyongyang has abducted over the years.



Beyond this, Trump should call for the halt of the regime's current expansion of its gulag system.



The upcoming Trump-Kim summit brings with it hope for a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear crisis. A diplomatic breakthrough that secures peace is to be encouraged and supported. In the process, Trump and his partners must not abandon their obligations to improve human rights in North Korea.





Ted Gover (tedgover@gmail.com), Ph.D., is instructor of political science at Central Texas College, USMC Camp Pendleton.




By Park Yoon-bae





Most media outlets have argued that the punishment handed down to former President Park Geun-hye last Friday by a Seoul court was harsh. She was sentenced to 24 years in prison and fined 18 billion won ($16.8 million) on corruption and other charges.







No doubt Park deserves the sentence and the astronomical fine. Yet it is still an open question whether 24 years are long enough for the impeached president who was indicted for bribery, abuse of power and coercion.







She was also found guilty of abusing the people's mandate by allowing her confidant Choi Soon-sil, who had no official title in the Park administration, to meddle in state affairs. Simply put, she violated the Constitution by sharing her presidential power with Choi. Park conspired with Choi to extort money from family-run conglomerates, or chaebol.







Legal experts can describe the prison term for Park as relatively heavy, even though it fell short of the prosecution's demand for 30 years. They point out that the term is longer than Choi who was given 20 years in prison plus the same fine.







But one may ask a question: Why did the Seoul Central District Court fail to live up to the prosecution's request, or give a longer term or life imprisonment for Park? Considering the gravity of her misdeeds and the massive candlelit rallies against her, the court could have been tougher.







Let's look at some absurd elements of the ruling. The first thing is the fine. Reading out the ruling, which was broadcast live, Judge Kim Se-yoon said if Park fails to pay, she will be subject to three years of labor. Why only three years for such a large sum? The answer is the maximum period of labor is three years under the current law.







The daily value of her labor, therefore, is estimated at 16.5 million won. How can anyone make such a huge sum each day? It is far from realistic. However, Judge Kim took it for granted. The fine should raise the issue of fairness about the court's action, especially for politicians and businesspeople slapped with tremendous financial penalties.







This issue reminds the people of the cynical saying, "If you are rich, you are innocent. If you are poor, you are guilty." This is an outright violation of the principle of equality before the law. It also runs counter to the rule of law _ the very basis for a democracy.







The problem is nothing new. In 2014, then Daejoo Group Chairman Huh Jae-ho was fined 25.4 billion won for tax evasion and embezzlement. He preferred to be subject to prison labor as the judge allowed him to work for 50 days, setting the value of Huh's daily "work" at a record high of 500 million won.







Former Cido Shipping Chairman Kwon Hyuk came second with 300 million won per day in 2013, followed by Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee with 110 million won in 2008 and SK Telecom Honorary Chairman Son Kil-seung with 100 million won in 2005.







The judiciary leaves the estimation of daily labor value for convicted criminals at the discretion of judges. But this should be changed to put a fair and equal system in place. The cap on the period of labor should be lifted to force corrupt politicians and businesspeople to be subject to a longer period of labor unless they pay the huge fine.







Another problem with Park's ruling is the court's refusal to acknowledge Samsung Group's donation of 20.4 billion won to the Mir and K-Sports foundations, which were controlled by Park's longtime friend Choi, as bribes.







Disappointingly, the court refused to acknowledge the allegations that Samsung offered the money in return for facilitating the merger of two of its affiliates _ Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries _ and a managerial transfer from Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee to his son Lee Jae-yong.







Of course, the district court was seen as taking a tougher stance on the bribery charges than an appeals court that ruled on Lee Jae-yong's case, Feb. 5, and commuted the lower court's five-year jail sentence to a suspended 30-month term.







The high court decided that Samsung offered only 3.6 billion won in bribes to Choi, at the request of Park, to purchase three horses and pay for equestrian training for her daughter, Chung Yu-ra, in Germany. But it did not include another 3.6 billion which the lower court considered to be a bribe.







However, Judge Kim ruled that the total 7.2 billion won was a bribe, saying that Park pressured Lee and other Samsung executives to provide the money to Choi.







Despite such a decision, Judge Kim cannot avoid criticism that the court was lenient toward Lee Jae-yong and the Samsung Group, the nation's largest family-owned chaebol. It is regrettable that the judiciary is still pandering to the rich and powerful, while being relentless on the poor and weak.







Now we have to think about why critics call the country the Republic of Samsung. Korea still has a long way to go before firmly establishing the rule of law.











Park Yoon-bae ( byb@ktimes.com ) is the chief editorial writer of The Korea Times.
Time to promote fair competition in workplaces



The recent gender discrimination case revolving around employment in the financial sector is expected to ignite another type of the #MeToo campaign. KEB Hana Bank was found to have set the gender ratio of four to one in recruiting new employees to the disadvantage of women. It even manipulated test results to hire more men than women.



The bank's discrimination against women, uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), is shocking. It has triggered rage among women. It has also rekindled the issue of the "glass ceiling," something deeply entrenched in our society.



A top personnel management official at KB Kookmin Bank was arrested recently on suspicion of having recruited about 100 more men than women by manipulating the guidelines on the men-women employment ratio over the past years.



Such a recruitment scheme leads automatically to discrimination against women in wages and promotions, as seen by men's average annual income of 110 million won ($103,000) and women's 66 million won ($61,000).



The FSS has promised to conduct a rigorous investigation into gender discrimination allegations at all financial institutions. But the problem is the government has no legal means to punish them just for recruitment discrimination. It cannot be overemphasized that the regulator should have power to crack down on such a bad practice. Currently the FSS has the investigative right, but it has to refer violators to the prosecution.



It is no wonder women's rights groups are calling for related government ministries and agencies to expand their investigation into other business sectors. Gender discrimination is one of our society's grave deep-rooted evils that should be eradicated as soon as possible.



Unless the authorities take bold measures immediately, they could face a stronger and more rapidly spreading social movement than #MeToo. It is time to make sincere efforts to promote fair competition and gender equality at workplaces.




Government should respect academic freedom



It is a regret to hear that the US-Korea Institute (USKI) will close next month due to a decision by the government here to stop funding the think tank affiliated with Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).



This is all the more so as the closure comes amid South Korea and U.S. efforts to denuclearize North Korea as well as a looming trade war between Washington and Beijing. We believe the Washington, D.C.-based USKI will have more to do as a research center at this critical juncture.



However, the think tank has allegedly been thrown into a row with the liberal Moon Jae-in administration. Reports have it that the presidential office had demanded SAIS dismiss USKI Director Jae H. Ku because of his conservative inclinations. Such a demand was forwarded through the state-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP).



Cheong Wa Dae strongly denied the reports. Instead, it cited a lack of accounting transparency at the USKI as the main reason for deciding to halt the provision of a financial grant to the institute. It also raised a problem with how the USKI selects visiting scholars and interns.



But, some USKI sources told a different story. They said the reports are true, adding that the Seoul government had asked the institute to fire Ku and another official in a bid to control the think tank.



The row between the Moon government and the USKI has gone from bad to worse as conservative opposition parties and their members are accusing the presidential office of trying to replace the conservative director with a liberal figure close to the President.



If the accusation is correct, it would damage the reputation of the Moon administration. It would also undercut the President's efforts to root out the corruption and deep-rooted evils that led to the ouster of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye.



The closure of the USKI might also have a negative implication on the country's endeavor to promote Korea and its interests through public diplomacy. It should not serve as a negative factor in Seoul-Washington relations, especially before the April 27 inter-Korean summit and the summit between the U.S. and North Korea due in May or June.



The USKI was set up in 2006 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Since then the government has injected 2.1 billion won ($1.87 million) in annual funding into the institute through the KIEP. The purpose of the funding was to contribute to research activities related to Korean studies.



Korean officials and lawmakers have often expressed their discontent not only at the USKI's loose accounting but also at what they claimed was poor research results. But they have also been blamed for a lack of understanding about a U.S. think tank.



The government needs to learn a lesson from the USKI case to avoid a recurrence of the same mistake. In any case, it should respect academic freedom and independence for any research institute, be it domestic or foreign. It had better refrain from excessive interference in the operation of a think tank.


Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun, third from left, applauds for the launch of the Encino subcompact SUV in China, during a press conference at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Tuesday. The Encino is the localized model of the Kona subcompact SUV. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
Seen is Samsung headquarters in Seocho, southern Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han



Separation between industrial, financial capital remains ongoing challenge



By Jun Ji-hye



Samsung Group is stepping up efforts to resolve its densely cross-linked holding structure in response to calls from the Moon Jae-in government and its investors to improve its corporate governance and transparency.



Samsung SDI, a battery maker, announced Wednesday it sold all of its holdings in construction affiliate Samsung C&T in a block deal the previous day. Roughly 4 million shares were sold at 559.9 billion won ($525 million) to institutional investors, according to Samsung SDI.



Samsung C&T has played the role as a de facto holding company for the nation's most-powerful conglomerate.



"We will use the money from the sale for our investment resources," a Samsung SDI official said.



The decision for the sale came after the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in February ordered the battery maker to sell the shares by Aug. 26, saying Samsung SDI's possession of Samsung C&T's shares was another form of cross-shareholding that was made in the process of merging Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries in 2015.



Cross-shareholding, also known as circular shareholding, is a common practice of major Korean conglomerates, which makes it possible for the owner family to control affiliates owning small stakes. Such a practice has taken flak for not being transparent.



Samsung's latest decision, which came about four months before the deadline, removed three out of seven cross-shareholding links of the group.



Industry watchers construed the decision as Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the heir apparent of the family-controlled conglomerate, speeding up the process to resolve the cross-shareholding controversy after being released from jail in February. Lee had been in jail for a year for bribery and other charges linked to the massive political scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye.



The remaining four cross-shareholding links would be removed once Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance sell their respective 2.61 percent and 1.37 percent of Samsung C&T.



"We have yet to decide on details such as the methods and timing but we plan to resolve the remaining issues surrounding cross-shareholding soon," a Samsung Group official said.



Watchers in the financial sector are now paying keen attention to an even more difficult task facing Samsung as it has been asked to clean up the relationship between Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Electronics to separate industrial and financial capital.



Samsung Life Insurance holds about an 8 percent share of Samsung Electronics.



FTC Chairman Kim Sang-jo, a renowned civic activist for the minority shareholder movement, having been dubbed "the sniper" of conglomerates, said in a radio interview Tuesday that the link between the two companies has enabled the group to control the tech company using the money of customers of the insurance company.



"The core issue for Samsung Group is the separation between industrial and financial capital," Kim said. "This is the most difficult task to be resolved."



A possible scenario is that Samsung C&T would purchase stocks of Samsung Electronics from Samsung Life Insurance.



But from Samsung's point of view, a very cautious attitude is necessary because it would require an astronomical amount of money to pull this off, maybe tens of trillions of won.


By Jun Ji-hye



A war of nerves between telecommunication companies is unfolding after the Ministry of Science and ICT announced a set of measures to begin commercial fifth-generation (5G) wireless network services at the earliest possible date.



The measures announced Tuesday included firms jointly constructing new facilities necessary to begin services, allowing firms to install communication cables and repeaters on local government-owned locations such as streetlamps and traffic facilities, and firms providing each other with their existing facilities to jointly use them.



The ministry said it has focused on effectiveness when drawing up such measures, but the third measure appears to have become a possible cause of conflict between SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus as they have differing positions on how to calculate prices for using each other's facilities.



KT, the nation's largest fixed-line internet operator and second-largest mobile carrier, possesses the most number of facilities around the nation, meaning that it would want costs of use to be set higher considering its investment.



On the other hand, its competitors may hope for lower prices to be set.



When announcing the measures, the ministry did not present the terms of payment, saying it has tasked the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) with conducting a study of how to calculate prices for using facilities.



"Price issues will be settled before firms begin their investment in 5G facilities so companies have no difficulty in the establishment of a 5G network," a ministry official said, Wednesday.



But a war of nerves between companies is expected to continue until the decision by the ministry is announced.



A KT official said, "We will cooperate with the government and other companies to effectively establish a 5G network," but added, "Consistent attention and support is necessary to calculate optimal prices considering our investment."



An SK Telecom official said the company expects a "rational" decision to be made so that government policies can be more effective. He added that if a party who needs to borrow facilities was forced to pay high costs, it would not be in line with the goal of the policies.



An LG Uplus official said a "good environment" has been created following the government announcement, apparently welcoming the decision to let companies share their facilities.



It is one of the major government projects to begin the world's first commercial 5G services amid fierce competition in the global market, with U.S. companies such as Verizon and AT&T as well as those from Japan making full efforts for such a goal.



The ministry said the measures were designed to achieve the goal of commercialization of 5G in March 2019.



It added that joint construction of new facilities will help avoid overlapping investments of telecom firms, which might have been the case if they had constructed the necessary facilities individually.



"The new measures are meaningful as they opened a way toward the early commercialization of 5G service and ironed out the uncertainty of telecom firms' investment," said Minister Yoo Young-min .



The 5G network boasts speeds up to 100 times faster than the current LTE networks and allows data transmission speeds 40 to 50 times faster.



The key requirement for the 5G technology is it must back 1 million connected devices per square kilometer. Also the total download capacity for a single 5G mobile phone must be at least 20Gbps, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).




By Nam Hyun-woo







Steelmaker POSCO's project for aiding impoverished residential areas was selected as a "crucial model" practicing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the company said Wednesday.







During the 51st Session of the Commission on Population and Development, the United Nations approved POSCO's Steel Village project as a model case practicing the SDGs and adopted a written statement submitted by the Korean Association for Supporting the SDGs for the United Nations.







POSCO has been working on the Steel Village project since 2014. With the project, the steelmaker finds poor residential areas in the cities it works, and improves the environment and helps residents of the area by donating homes or bridges built with its quake-resistant methods.







Starting in Vietnam in 2014, the steelmaker has built 104 houses. The project being selected as one of the "best practices" for the SDGs in November for its contribution to achieving SDG 11, which is "making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable."







After the adoption, the United Nations will recommend the project as a model case to 193 member nations, with the written statement to be archived permanently in three languages _ English, French and Spanish.







POSCO is planning to expand the POSCO Steel Village project that customizes characteristics of regions and countries to secure sustainability of local communities.







"The adoption is a proud outcome of POSCO's 50-year effort to practice corporate social responsibility of linking corporate value with social value," POSCO CEO Kwon Oh-joon said. "POSCO will carry out social contribution activities, including practicing the SDGs, to help realize a better world in the best way."







The SDGs are common goals of prosperity and development for the international society to achieve by 2030. Adopted by the United Nations in 2015, there are 17 goals, including eradicating poverty, quality education, good health and well-being, human rights and climate action.










SK Innovation's corporate PR ad based on Ebru, or Turkey's marbling art.
A man passes by a TV screen showing file footage of U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, April 9. / AP-Yonhap



By Donald Kirk





US and North Korean contacts, in secret talks about the time and place of a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un, are at odds on at least one critical question.

The North Koreans, in unpublicised meetings with the Americans, are saying they want Trump to see Kim in Pyongyang. The Americans, of course, do not want Trump visiting North Korea, where Kim would be in the role of a head of state receiving the American guest as a supplicant seeking his approval.

Instead, in conversations via the CIA, the Americans are pressing for the talks to be held in the capital of a third country or in the truce village of Panmunjom on the North-South line, 60km north of Seoul. That's where South Korean President Moon Jae-in is due to meet Kim on April 27, and the Americans see no reason why Kim cannot go to Panmunjom for his summit with Trump, tentatively agreed upon to take place in May.

The Americans see the idea of Trump going to Pyongyang as another attempt on the part of Kim and his team of strategists to create obstructions to any serious attempt at negotiating an end to the North's nuclear programme. It might seem inconceivable that Trump would go to Pyongyang to meet Kim, but what if North Korea refused to budge?

Would the result be no summit  and North and South Korea both blaming the US for refusing to accommodate North Korea's demands? Or would North Korea, if sincerely interested in a summit, accept other suggestions?

One possibility that has come up lately is Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. That would be an extremely interesting setting since Mongolia has, in recent years, been adopting a carefully contrived position between its huge neighbours to the north and south  Russia and China  and also looking for close ties with other Asian nations, notably Japan, as well as the US and European Union.

The US, if there were no better choice, would accept Panmunjom even though the Joint Security Area evokes memories of a number of nasty confrontations. The worst was in 1976, in which North Korean troops beat to death two young US army officers who were leading a mission to trim a tree that obstructed their line of sight.

In China, Kim Jong-un was an astute player on his international debut












The ceremony to hand over the Vietnam-funded headquarters of the Lao military art troupe (Source:VNA)

The construction is billed as a gift from Vietnams Ministry of Defence to the Lao Peoples Army.

The event drew the participation of Senior Lieutenant General Chansamon Chanyalath, Politburo member and Lao Minister of Defence; Lieutenant General Sonethong Phomlavong, Deputy Head of the General Department of Politics under the Lao Peoples Army; Vietnam Ambassador in Laos Nguyen Ba Hung; Vietnam Military Attache in Laos Tao Van Thai; and cadres and soldiers of the Lao military art troupe.

The five-storey building covered over 3,000 square metres with a total investment of nearly USD6 million, USD5.5 million of which was provided by Vietnam and the remainder came from Laos corresponding fund.

The construction (Source: VNA)

Addressing the event, Lieutenant General Sonethong Phomlavong expressed his gratitude for the assistance of the Vietnams Ministry of National Defence, the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army and the Vietnam Military Attache in Laos.He affirmed that the construction is a vivid illustration of the solidarity between the two ministries, and it will make significant contributions to nurturing the special friendship between the two Parties, States and armies./.
Swedish Ambassador Pereric Pereric Hogberg speaking at the launch. (Photo: M.V)

It is part of the organizers efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN, Agenda 2030 and an important event to mark the upcoming Earth Day (April 22nd) themed End Plastic Pollution.

The campaign is challenging as many Vietnamese as possible to live, eat and move smart in Vietnam during seven days. It starts respectively on April 10th, 17th and 24th lasting for a week each, and aims to inspire local people to adopt a smarter way of living.

In his speech at the event, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Pereric Hogberg noted: The purpose of this challenge is to encourage awareness about lifestyle choices and

The 7 Day Challenge is a call to action inviting committed individuals around the world to practice sustainable urban lifestyles that will potentially improve their quality of life. The challenge involves seven days of practical sustainable solutions focusing on three categories: Live Smart, Move Smart and Eat Smart, that the participants communicate in their social media channels (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Zalo). They are encouraged to include #7daychallengeVN as their hashtag to highlight and share insights of the activities with their online communities, also connect with the SDGs.

their effect on the environment. To live sustainably and smart can start with you and me! It would be as simple as refraining from using plastic products if you an alternative. Please be part of the solution and the change; choose a practical change in your daily lives now.

Meanwhile UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Mr. Kamal Malhotra said that the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development requires not only high-level commitments from governments, but also strong collective efforts accompanied with meaningful actions from 7 billion people on this planet.

The SDGs sound ambitious, but if we can eat, move, and live sustainably, we are creating the change that contributes to the Goals, Mr. Malhotra added.

Everybody is encouraged to join the campaign to gain new knowledge, insights, and make new contacts, while at the same time reducing your carbon footprint: Students, entrepreneurs, change-makers, influencers, and persons interested in sustainable lifestyle, staff at an office, the UN or an Embassy.

As a Swedish concept, the 7 Day Challenge has been successfully carried out in Kenya, Brazil, India and Indonesia, with more countries to join./.
Lewis Hamilton says that he and Mercedes have to work on improving their radio communications during Grand Prix races.

Hamilton was left frustrated by the lack of information coming from the team pit wall in Bahrain. He found it hard to get clear answers from his race engineer about how hard he should be pushing in the second half of the race.

"When you're trying to catch [someone] who is 25 seconds ahead, to know exactly what to need do to not kill your tyres but make it so you can still catch him in the end, it's difficult.

It was just difficult to know how hard to lean on the tyres in the early phases, Hamilton explained.

But the pit wall didn't always have the answers Hamilton needed needed during the race. They were themselves unsure about Ferrari's strategy for Sebastian Vettel.

At one point I understood that [Ferrari] were doing two stops, and that theres no way theyre going to get to the end on the one stop.

"[In that case] Ive got to save tyres so that when were at the end and he catches me I can still fight."

Much of the problem was a technical issue with Hamilton's microphone. The pit wall was having trouble getting the information they needed from Hamilton.

The radio wasnt working properly," he confirmed. "There were some frustrating points in the race where they couldn't hear me.

They couldnt hear me. I could hear them, but they were always coming back saying 'I cant hear you'.

"In the heat of the moment its difficult to know what information you need to give," he said. "And when youre trying to give feedback out of a corner, youre taking your mind off driving the perfect line.

As a result, Hamilton grew increasingly testy as the race wore on. He had already been angered by problems during the Australian Grand Prix, where a strategic misfire meant he was overtaken by Vettel during a virtual safety car period.

Its very marginal now," he commented. "It really highlights or magnifies the importance of communications.

"These small little things that can make a difference of seven points or not," he pointed out. These races we cant afford to be losing to Ferrari.

"If you look at the last race, we should have won that race," he added. And through struggling to understand how we operate, communicate, we lost it."

Hamilton said that he and his race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington would now review what happened in the two races of 2018 so far before the next Grand Prix in China.

Were going to sit down and discuss it and try to work on the points and improve, and I have no doubt we will," he said.

Different drivers like different feedback. I dont have a ton. There are times you need more.

"I dont want them to talk to me all the time when they dont need to. Its just working out a rapport that works best."

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Honda F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe says the manufacturer is determined to keep its head down until it is winning and becomes number 1!

Honda's new relationship with Toro Rosso has brought performance and reliability back to the fore for the engine supplier after its dismal three-year partnership with McLaren.

While it's early days still for the Japanese company, and while one Honda sparrow does not a summer make, the engine supplier has made great strides over the winter, as Toro Rosso's outright speed this season and Pierre Gasly's outstanding fourth-place finish in Bahrain clearly demonstrated.

Toro Rosso's Franz Tost has underlined the great working relationship which has emerged between the Faenza-based outfit and its power unit partner since the pair started working together.

Honda's Tanabe agrees that the manufacturer's situation this year is a departure from its past state of affairs with McLaren. Tanabe wants more however, and is determined to keep Honda moving in the right direction.

"This year the story is different," the Japanese told the media last Sunday with a smile.

"I cannot afford to be satisfied with this result, because there were three retirements and a minute of difference to the first three," he added.

"We do not want to say great things now, as there is no choice but to keep climbing steps. Because we aspire to win and be number 1."

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Terni, April 11 - League leader Matteo Salvini said Wednesday that the centre right could seek to form a government on its own if it is not possible to reach an agreement with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S). Salvini had previously said that the only possible government after last month's inconclusive general election is one made up of the centre right and M5S, saying the alternative is a new election. "The road is simple. We want to dialogue with everyone, except for the (centre-left Democratic Party) PD," Salvini said as he presented the League mayor candidate in the central city of Terni. "If the others are not up for it, there are two paths - we either vote, and I think we can win alone and overtake those who are imposing vetoes and throwing tantrums, or, as a last resort, we could go it alone and take charge of the situation".
Rome, April 11 - Alitalia's three extraordinary commissioners will meet government ministers on Wednesday to assess the situation after reportedly receiving three offers for the airline on Tuesday, sources said. The bids are said to have come from Lufthansa, from EasyJet together with a consortium featuring Cerberus-Delta, and from Wizzair. Alitalia was put into extraordinary administration last year after workers voted against a restructuring plan.
Rome, April 11 - The Constitutional Court on Wednesday lifted a ban on Italian military forming trade unions. The court declared partially founded a challenge to an article in Italy's founding charter. A ban on "joining other trade unions" stands.
Rome, April 10 - Seeing League leader Matteo Salvini before government-formation talks later this week "makes no sense now" due to Salvini's refusal to ditch ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio told Il Fatto Quotidiano daily Tuesday. "If we have to see each other to say Berlusconi yes or no, it's no use," said Di Maio, who has been negotiating from afar with Salvini since the two emerged as the two victors from the March 4 general election. Di Maio also said he was "expecting the whole of the PD" to respond to his alternative overture for a government alliance, referring to the centre-left Democratic Party which got a pasting at the general election and has vowed to stay in opposition. Di Maio said "we are busy writing a government contract the League or the PD can sign up to but we will have to wait for the evolution of the internal dynamics on the centre right and in the PD". He said he wanted to be the leader of a government "to change things". Salvini said Monday that he saw a "51%" chance of the centre-right coalition striking a deal for a new government with the M5S. But M5S leader Di Maio immediately dismissed this hypothesis, saying there was "0% possibility" of the movement joining forces with the whole of the centre-right coalition, including ex-premier Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI). Anti-migrant, Euroskeptic League leader Salvini responded by telling ANSA that "Di Maio, at this moment in time, interests me less than zero". If Di Maio continues to "just so no" to the centre right's alliance proposals, Italy should go back to the polls, Salvini said. "I want to dialogue, I don't want to be premier at all costs, I'm prepared to talk about programmes but if on the other side we just get Nos, let's vote and the Italians will give their vote to those they trust more and I think that will be us," Salvini said. Salvini said the answer to Di Maio's rejection of an alliance with the centre right that includes Berlusconi "is real life: it means that if there is a team that won, I want to talk". Salvini has said the only possible government after last month's inconclusive general is based on a deal between the centre right and the M5S, which was the top single party in the general election and says it should lead the next government. Neither the M5S nor the centre right has a majority in parliament. But the M5S wants the League to drop FI. "The League promised change, but it prefers to keep close to Berlusconi and condemn itself to irrelevance," Di Maio said. The centre-left Democratic Party (PD), which was pounded in the election, has said its manifesto is incompatible with the proposals of the M5S and the centre right and intends to be in the opposition in the new parliament. Salvini has said he would not strike a deal with the main losers of the election anyway. Salvini on Monday also dismissed the notion that the next premier could be a "third" figure - neither himself nor Di Maio - in order to break the political deadlock. "A third premier? (You can have) a fourth, fifth or 12th one, but who would vote for them?," Salvini said. "Where would the votes in parliament come from? From the centre right and from the 5-Star Movement, I imagine, if they want to reason in a serious way. "I ask Di Maio if he wants to reason or if he prefers the PD, because I saw that he says he dialogues with the PD and also with (ex-premier and former party head Matteo) Renzi. Best wishes". The League leader said there were no more gatherings of centre-right leaders on the horizon after Sunday's meeting at Forza Italia (FI) leader Silvio Berlusconi's home at Arcore near Milan that also featured Brothers of Italy (FdI) chief Giorgia Meloni. "We can't have summits every day," Salvini said. "Fortunately, the telephone exists in 2018". President Sergio Mattarella is set to hold a fresh round of government-formation consultations this week after the first round last week failed to throw up a path to a new executive.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BOAO, Hainan, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to support free trade, President Xi Jinping said Tuesday when meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde during the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

China is a responsible nation, and a constructor of and contributor to the current international system, the president said.

"We will continue to safeguard the international order and rules, and support free trade and the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment," Xi said.

"The international community should abandon the cold-war mentality and advocate working together to build a community with a shared future for mankind," he said.

China wants to continue to strengthen cooperation with the IMF, Xi said.

He spoke positively of the IMF's important contribution to promoting global economic recovery and growth and maintaining financial stability, as well as its quota and governance reforms to increase the representation and say of developing and emerging market countries.

Xi also praised the IMF for caring about the development of China and Asia and for supporting the Belt and Road Initiative.

Lagarde spoke highly of the keynote speech delivered by Xi at the forum on Tuesday, particularly its positive messages on China's determined push for reform and opening up.

Xi's speech added certainty and hope to the world today, and the world needs leadership like China, she said.

Conservatism and unilateralism hurt the global economic and financial stability, Lagarde said, noting that the IMF's duty is to safeguard free trade and the multilateral system.

The IMF backs dialogue and cooperation, is committed to closer ties with China, and supports and actively participates in the Belt and Road Initiative, according to the managing director.

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
Rome, April 11 - Foreign Undersecretary Vincenzo Amendola said Wednesday "to those who, like Matteo Salvini, ask for a stance against military intervention by the West in Syria, we recall that Italy has always condemned in the firmest manner any use of chemical weapons: their use constitutes a war crime and an extremely serious violation of international law. Having said that, the Italian government is at the side of the traditional allies of our country: the United States, France and the United Kingdom. If Salvini thinks differently, let him say so clearly". Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant and Euroskeptic League, earlier called on Prekier Paolo Gentiloni to take a "clear position for Italy against all further and disastrous military intervention in Syria. "I would not like that economic motives, power demands or the alleged use, never proven, of chemical weapons never found in the past should unleash a conflict that may become extremely dangerous". He said Italy must "oppose missile raids and bombing".
Eric Elam walks from his 2006 Hyundai Sonata to Scripps Park, as he has almost every morning for the past two-and-a-half years  carrying a five-gallon jug of soapy water and two fishing rods attached by a rope.

As usual, nobody notices hes there until the first bubble forms. Its giant  about six feet long and a foot wide  and reflects the bright sunlight back with a changing rainbow color pattern. It floats across Coast Boulevard and up to the second floor of La Jolla Cove Hotel & Suites, where it pops on a balcony railing.

Within three minutes, five elementary-age kids seem to emerge from nowhere, some apparently before their parents know where they are. They scream and jump up and down, desperately attempting to defy gravity and pop the next soapy masterpiece. Within 20 minutes, their number doubles.

Eric Elam draws children seemingly out of nowhere. Corey Levitan

I love doing this, Elam, 41, says, smiling. I just love it. When I hear from the distance, BUBBLES! and I hear feet running down.

Two women approach Elam. One of them asks if she can buy bubbles like these in a store.

Elam tells her no, that his contain a secret ingredient thats classified information. When the other woman asks if he performs at birthday parties, Elam directs her to his Facebook site. (He charges $125 an hour for parties, doing about one a month.)

Elams secret



Elam is homeless. That's probably the kind of bomb you expect dropped earlier in an article like this. But Elams is not a stereotypical homeless story. For three years, he has lived mostly in his car as he tools from La Jolla to Pacific Beach, where he makes bubbles at sunset on the boardwalk, and then to the safest parking lot he can find to crash for the night. Last night, it was outside the Nite Owl in Pacific Beach.

I just push the clothes in the back over, put the seat back and grab my pillow, he explains later, while showing this reporter his car.

Homelessness does not define Elam. Hes embarrassed by it, and hopes to rectify the situation shortly.

I dont like to think about it, to be honest, he says. Its draining.

Elam earns between nothing and $185 (the most he ever received) in tips for each approximately four-hour bubble session. (This morning, the tip jar will collect only $8.)

Eric Elam uses his 2006 Hyundai Sonata as his current residence. Corey Levitan

Teresa Smith, chief executive officer of Dreams for Change, a San Diego-based homeless nonprofit, sees thousands of people like Elam on a regular basis. They are the homeless people you dont see because they dont want you to. Theyre not standing on traffic islands with cardboard signs suffering from mental illness and substance abuse. Theyre single people, moms with children, young and old, struggling. Smith estimates that close to 1,500 of them live in their cars or RVs in San Diego County.

Its a common theme, Smith says. There is a whole range of reasons people live in their cars, but the main reason we see is economic. The cost of housing is just way too high.

To Elam, making bubbles is a zen experience that takes his mind off of his housing situation.

It helps me think about life, he explains, how I can make something so beautiful and so wonderful and then its gone in a few seconds.

Elams dream

Ira Brown, a 59-year-old recording studio owner who lives in L.A., drops a quilt and plops down with his wife Shelly and daughter Rachel. Theyre visiting for the day.

I love the bubbles, man! Brown enthuses. It reminds me of that old movie, Fantastic Voyage, where they shrunk and took a submarine through the bloodstream with white corpuscles.

Elams dream is to travel up the coast and make a documentary of how watching bubbles can affect people like Brown who, later, tells this reporter that he is battling brain cancer.

Eric Elam's bubbles rise above Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Corey Levitan

Bubbles can change peoples lives, Elam says. People tell me all the time, We love you, bubble guy! Ive had so many people come up to me and tell me it just made their day, it helped them in some way.



On March 12, Elam started a GoFundMe campaign, at www.gofundme.com/58w72vs, that has raised $100 of its $20,000 goal.Look at that one! Brown screams as he points to a bubble that pops on a palm tree. Wow!

As part of its Safe Parking Program, Dreams for Change operates three San Diego parking lots of about 150 spaces each  two in Kearny Mesa and one on the outskirts of downtown  for people to safely sleep in their cars.

Most of these people are first-time homeless and theres that whole kind of pride and shame that comes with it, Smith says. If someone still has their vehicle, its usually their last asset before they hit the street. But our clients will tell you theyre not homeless. Theyre just in-between. They just havent found the right place yet.

Elam doesnt always sleep in his car anymore. Since last November, hes crashed on and off with a female friend who has an apartment in Clairemont. He says hes headed there tonight.

But she has kids, and sometimes I feel like I need to give them space, Elam says.

Elam grew up in Clairemont, where his mother moved him when he was 2 after divorcing his father. They had been living in Fontana, California, where Elams father grew up a friend of singer Sammy Hagars.

I really have no complaints about my childhood, Elam says. My mom did the best she could raising me.

In 2010, Elam was working overnights at Walmart, stocking shelves, which paid for an apartment in Clairemont. One night, he placed a box of merchandise on the floor. When he stood up, he says, a horrible pain shot through my whole back.

It was degenerative disc disease. He lived on workers comp for five years. But that has run out. Last September, he had to have back surgery.

He says its a blessing in a way that he lost his job at Walmart. Otherwise, I probably wouldnt be doing this, he says. Then again, I wouldnt be sleeping in my car, either.

Eric Elam preps his bubble solution. Corey Levitan

The next morning

Elam opens a Tupperware container of guar gum. Its a white powder. This is the secret ingredient that thickens the bubbles. Its the next morning, Monday, and Elam has enjoyed a good nights sleep, and a shower, at his friends place.

He shakes the powder into the water, then adds dish soap (Seventh Generation brand, which is biodegradable and plant-based) and stirs with the mixer attachment for a battery-operated drill.

It saves a lot of time doing this, he says. You have to mix it well, so the consistencys all the same.

Elam learned the bubble ropes from another female friend three-and-a-half years ago, after a girlfriend left him. The fishing rods are his own invention. He was shown how to do it with bamboo sticks. But fishing rods work better, since they bend more with the wind and break down to fit into his trunk.

She comes to me now and asks for pointers, he says.

Elam describes a bubble as like a sandwich. Youve got soap-water-soap, he says. The waters attracted between the dish liquid, which holds it.

The moisture helps hold the bubbles together and make them longer, he says. On a high-pressure day, 60 percent humidity or above is good. Of course, the higher it is, the more ideal.

He carries one of the jugs to Scripps Park. They weigh about 15 lbs. each but he says his doctor gave him permission to carry them one at a time.

I do one at a time, he says. My doctor knows.

Eric Elam Corey Levitan

Asking for help

Elam married in 2004. The relationship lasted 10 years and produced a son and daughter.



Shes one in a million, shes definitely awesome, he says of his ex-wife. He also characterizes his relationship with his kids as good. (He says he also has a two-year-old daughter with another woman.)

When asked whether his kids know of his housing situation, he replies: I dont really talk about it and they dont really ask. If they would ask, Id tell them. Id be straight up about it.

Elam says that his ex-wife declined to allow their children to be interviewed for this article. However, Elam put the Light in touch with his mother.

It breaks my heart that hes struggling so much, says Maura OBryan, an accountant who lives in Provo, Utah. Hes such a good person. Hes so giving. He tries to help other people and brings such joy with his bubbles and somehow, bad things keep happening to him.

OBryan says she believes her son could and should collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the federal government and doesnt know why he wont apply. (The Light asked Elam, who said he didnt think he could get it.)

I just dont know why it hasnt happened yet, OBryan says, adding that her son has an attorney who has set up doctor appointments and hes not able to get to them because he has no gas money.

OBryan says she thinks her son needs help but doesnt know how to ask for it. She adds: I try to give him some money when I can, but Im on disability, too. I cant help him as much as I want to.

OBryan says she has faith that something will happen that will help him get out of this.

Hes had so much bad luck, he has a hard time believing in himself and having that faith, she says.
As of July 1, your animal issues will no longer be San Diego Countys concern.

So who will license your pet, handle animal-abuse complaints, pick up dead animals and respond to snakes in your backyard? These responsibilities and others  including writing off-leash citations and operating animal shelters  will revert to the City. (The County has acted as the Citys contractor for somewhere between 30-40 years.)

Of course, the City is not equipped to deal with all of this. And an analysis conducted earlier this year showed that starting its own animal-services department would cost significantly more than the $10-$12 million per year it currently pays the County.

So the City is in the final stages of negotiating a five-year contract with the San Diego Humane Society (which took over animal control from the County for Oceanside and Vista in 2010 and Escondido, San Marcos and Poway in 2014).

The goal is to have this before (City) Council by the end of this month, says San Diego Humane Society chief of staff Katherine Shenar. Were keeping our fingers crossed. For us, the process thats been nerve-wracking has been getting the contract signed, because of the timing.

Last May, the County gave the City its required year advance notice. It did the same for the cities of Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Santee and Solana Beach. (By State law, the County is only required to provide animal services for the incorporated areas of San Diego County.)

According to a County employee with direct knowledge of the situation, the Countys decision, made by its board of supervisors, was economic.

The majority of the business was from the City and the City wasnt paying the majority of the bill, said the employee, who asked not to be named.

What will this mean to La Jollans? Well, for one thing, your pet license from the County will transfer automatically to the City  at least it will in a perfect world  as will records of dangerous and public-nuisance dogs. Also, all County ordinances regarding animals will no longer apply.

Thats something that will be very interesting, Lauren Joniaux, deputy director of the Countys Animal Services Department, told the Bird Rock Community Council at its April 3 meeting. It wont be the County codes anymore. It will be City codes, and thats something that the transition team through the City of San Diego will have to work with everybody on.

Lauren Joniaux, deputy director of the Countys Animal Services, pays her final visit to the Bird Rock Community Council board at its April 3 meeting. (COREY LEVITAN )

That transition is likely to be fraught with hitches.

Whoever the new contractor is will have to move animals and operate out of another facility, Joniaux said, adding that the concern, too, is July 4 is right as we move out of the building, and with fireworks and everything, were inundated with dog emergencies  hit by cars and all of that  so were hoping the new service provider will be responsive.

The unnamed County source was more blunt: I would not want to be on the team in charge of making this all work.

Is the Humane Society up to the task? The nonprofit would need to significantly expand its operations to handle animal control for the City, whose contractor must deal with 18,000 animals a year (60 percent of the Countys current workload).

Absolutely, were up to it, Shenar said. This is something weve really done our homework to evaluate  is this this something that we can do and is this something we can do well? We have worked very hard to plan, prepare and explore to work at the standards of care that we aspire to.

Shenar says the Humane Society conducted 50 focus groups with the community, with volunteers and with animal rescue workers to identify key concerns.

I feel very confident that we have anticipated as much as we can, she said, but of course, things are going to come up.
Comedy Store La Jolla owner Mitzi Shore dies

Comedy Store owner Mitzi Shore died Wednesday, after a battle with Parkinsons disease. She was 87 and had been in hospice care.

Mitzi was an extraordinary businesswoman and decades ahead of her time who cultivated and celebrated the artistry of stand-up comedy, read a statement released by the Comedy Store. She was also a loving mother, not only to her own four children, but to the myriad of comedians who adored her. She leaves behind an indelible mark and legacy and has helped change the face of comedy.

On Wednesday, Shores son, Pauly Shore, tweeted: My heart lays heavy.

The original Comedy Store  which still sands on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles  opened in 1972. Shore opened the La Jolla branch in 1977, having relocated it from Pacific Beach, where she had established the brand in San Diego a year earlier.

Over the years, the Pearl Street stage has been graced by notables including David Letterman, Garry Shandling and Roseanne Barr.

Town Council to hold dockless-bikes forum Thursday, April 13

La Jolla Town Councils April 12 meeting will include a special session on bike-sharing apps.

My purpose isnt to have them talk about their service, said Town Council president Ann Kerr Bache, who will moderate. Its for them to answer questions. The real issue is how do we fix the dockless bike problem, because everybody agrees there is a problem, and its really a problem for people who use walkers and canes.

Among the scheduled participants are representatives of the bike-sharing company ofo and the scooter company Bird San Diego.

I know its a very emotional topic, but were really trying to treat it in terms of how do we make the business model work, Bache said, but not with this craziness of letting them lean the bikes against shrubs and stuff.

La Jolla Town Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12 at the Rec Center, 615 Prospect St.

Debbie Turner gifts $1 million to LJ Music Society

La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) reports that Debbie Turner, longtime partner of Conrad Prebys, donated an additional $1 million to name the stage in The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (The Conrad) at 7600 Fay Ave. The stage of the 500-seat Baker-Baum Concert Hall will be named The Debbie Turner Stage.

Constructing a performing arts center in La Jolla was so important to Conrad, and it is important to me, too, Turner said. Music was a huge part of our life together. Very generous friends and donors have raised more than 90 percent of the funds needed and Ive decided I can do a little more for The Conrad by naming the stage.

LJMS Board Chair Katherine Chapin added: We are incredibly grateful to Debbie Turner for this remarkable gift and all of the supporters who are making The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center a reality. With the opening just a year away, construction is in high gear and our fundraising efforts continue. We ask the community to join us in supporting this extraordinary project by donating to The Conrad Capital Campaign.

Turners gift increases funds raised for The Conrad to $73 million, bringing LJMS to within $5.5 million of the $78.5 million Capital Campaign goal. The Conrad is slated to open in April 2019 and will include a 500-seat concert hall, 2,000-square-foot flexible performance space, large meeting room, central courtyard, and new offices for the Music Society. To learn more, contact LJMS Director of Development Ferdinand Gasang at (858) 459-3724, ext. 204 or FGasang@LJMS.org

La Jolla loses Maserati, gains Saffron Thai

Last weekend, La Jollans were treated to a sign at the Maserati dealership at 7477 Girard Ave. that read: WEVE MOVED. The new address provided by the sign, 4611 Mercury St., is a location in Kearny Mesa that also boasts a Ferrari dealership.

Voicemails left for Maserati San Diego were not returned by press time. But a receptionist at the Ferrari dealer across the street, at 7514 Girard Ave., said that her boss  who also owned the Maserati dealership  has no plans to relocate Ferrari out of La Jolla.

In better news, Saffron Thai of Mission Hills will open a new location in June. The space, in a former Chipotle at 1055 Torrey Pines Road, measures about 2,000 square feet.

Bird Rock Community Council update

At the Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC) meeting April 3, treasurer Barbara Dunbar reported that the City Risk Management Department has recovered damages for two traffic accidents in the Bird Rock Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) that occurred in December 2016 and March 2017.

Dunbar called the development nice, because thats hardly ever happened in the past. She said that quite a few accidents occur in the MAD  one of which, on March 5, 2018, awaits a final police report before a claim can be submitted  but that most are hit-and-run without witnesses.

In other BRCC news, Dunbar reported that an e-mail was sent from the City informing the Real Estate Brokers Association that the placement of A-frame open-house signs in Bird Rocks right-of-ways, including sidewalks and roundabouts, is illegal.

Also at the meeting, Lauren Joniaux, deputy director of County Animal Services, reported that the problem of deliberate illegal off-leash dog-walking in Calumet Park and at Kate Sessions Elementary School has not improved. She said her department has written 20 citations in the past two months  each for between $300-$400 including penalties and assessments.

Most individuals know theyre breaking the law, Joniaux said. They choose to break the law. At Kate Sessions Park, for example, theyre very savvy there. Theyll have spotters, theyll have clickers, theyll have things to alert each other to run through the bushes and be gone. We just do the best we can.

In event news, area homes are needed to showcase in the 2018 Bird Rock Tour of Homes, scheduled for January. The BRCC seeks sensational, but not necessarily large, homes that have not previously been featured on its tour (unless theyve been extensively remodeled). The entire home does not need to be shown.

 Bird Rock Community Council next meets 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 1 at Bird Rock Elementary School, 5371 La Jolla Hermosa Ave. birdrockcc.org

UCSD study: Negativity ages the brain

A new UC San Diego School of Medicine study concludes that negative life events (NLEs)  such as divorce or death of a family member  accelerates aging in the brain. Published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, the study found that a single adverse event caused the brain to appear physiologically older by approximately one-third of a year.

Having more midlife NLEs, particularly relating to divorce/separation or a family death, was associated with advanced predicted brain aging, said Sean Hatton, a postdoctoral scholar at UCSD School of Medicine and the studys first author. MRIs assessed physiological aspects of the brain, such as volume and cortical thickness  a measure of the cerebral cortex or outer layer of the brain linked to consciousness, memory, attention, thought and other key elements of cognition.

However, the study primarily studied the brains of older, predominantly white, males. It is not known whether females or other ethnicities would show similar findings.

Admiral Scott Swift to speak in La Jolla

Admiral Scott Swift, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, will speak at the annual Herb York Memorial Lecture, 5-7 p.m., Friday, April 20 in the Sanford Consortium Auditorium, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive. Swift will discuss maritime security challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific, erosion of the rules-based international system, engagement in the South China Sea, and growing great power competition in the region.

The lecture, hosted by the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, is free to the public. Call (858) 822-4959 for more details

La Jollan Auschwitz survivor wins book award

The Choice: Embrace the Possible (Scribner/Simon & Schuster) is one of 12 books that will be celebrated May 17 at the 69th annual Christopher Awards in New York. The book shares the Holocaust experience of La Jolla-based psychologist and nonagenarian Edith Eva Eger, who barely survived Auschwitz at age 16. Today, Egers patients include survivors of abuse and soldiers suffering from PTSD.

Its a wonderful honor to be given the opportunity to share with everyone how they can liberate themselves from any hurt and pain of any circumstance, Eger told the Light. The Christophers celebrate authors, illustrators, writers, producers and directors whose work affirms the highest values of the human spirit.

Mayors Challenge: Conserve water

Mayor Kevin Faulconer wants residents to take a series of online pledges about water conservation at mywaterpledge.com. The pledges are part of the seventh annual Wyland National Mayors Challenge for Water, a national community-service contest to see which leaders can best inspire their residents to conserve the most water.

Weve proven time and again that conservation is a way of life here in San Diego as residents have significantly reduced water consumption over the years, Faulconer said. This challenge is a fun and easy way to remind folks that we must use water wisely and not take our most precious natural resource for granted.

To participate, residents enter online and compete against cities with similar populations. Cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge are then entered into a drawing for hundreds of eco-friendly prizes, which include home-improvement gift cards and home irrigation equipment. The grand prize is $5,000 that winners can use toward paying home utility bills.

San Diego won this nationwide contest  which runs through April 30  in 2015.

Salk scientist switches cancer off

Scientists at the Salk Institute  together with researchers from Switzerlands University of Basel and University Hospital Basel  have discovered a protein that acts as a molecular switch to turn off the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. The tumor suppressor, called LHPP, could be useful as a biomarker to help diagnose and monitor treatment for liver and other cancers.

I think weve discovered a new control mechanism for cell proteins that, when disrupted, could be a driver for cancer, said Tony Hunter, Salks American Cancer Society Professor and an author on the paper. Its exciting because it offers the possibility of new therapeutics or new diagnostics for a cancer thats basically untreatable  liver cancer  and potentially others, as well.

The work appeared in the journal Nature on March 29.

Wheat and Water to host Brews with Bry

Following the community coffees City Council member Barbara Bry held on the campaign trail, she is stepping it up and hosting Brews with Bry, a beer-and-conversation event, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18 at Bird Rocks Wheat and Water, 5737 La Jolla Blvd. Beer and food for purchase. Questions: call Wheat and Water at (858) 291-8690 or Brys office at (619) 236-6611.

Scoping meeting set for reservoir project

A public scoping meeting will be held to collect comments for the La Jolla View Reservoir project, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19 at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. The City has decided the reservoirs demolition and construction will require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and must collect comments regarding the EIRs scope, including areas that should be included.

Those wishing to lend suggestions can attend the scoping meeting at any time and give comments orally or in writing.

Written/mail-in comments must be received by May 7, and can be sent to: Mark Brunette, Senior Environmental Planner, City of San Diego Development Services Department, 1222 First Avenue, MS 501, San Diego, California 92101, or emailed to DSDEAS@sandiego.gov

The proposed project would replace the existing Exchange Place Reservoir and La Jolla View Reservoir with a new 3.1-million-gallon reservoir within the La Jolla Natural Park. The existing reservoirs and the Exchange Place Pump Station would be demolished. The proposed new reservoir would be almost entirely buried, except for reservoir access hatches and supervisory control and data acquisition equipment. The project also includes construction of approximately 2,700 linear feet of 30-inch pipeline.
Students practise robot assembling at a primary school in Laoting County, north China's Hebei Province, April 10, 2018. Robots are introduced into the extracurricular educational programs in the school. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

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When I was a reporter then an editor at the LA Times, among the most upsetting periods in the newsroom were the occasional leaks of salary data. It always showed wide gaps in pay even among veterans and lower salaries across the board for women and people of color. The newsroom guild at the Los Angeles Times last night began sharing with the staff its new study of the salaries that the LAT has been paying, and there is fresh anguish throughout the ranks. (See some of the tweets at the bottom.)

The bottom line, says the guild, is that "Tronc has underpaid women and journalists of color by thousands of dollars a year at the Los Angeles Times." The average salary for a fulltime reporter in February was $95,232 a year, a number I'm guessing has gone down over the decade in which many senior reporters took buyouts or left the LAT for less internally tumultuous media outlets. Lowering salaries, after all, was a main intent of the many buyout waves, which often saw young reporters willing to accept less being hired to replace the higher paid veterans.

The guild found that the average salary was $96,245 for the relatively few photographers who remain, $153,087 for columnists and critics and $113,833 for editorial writers. Designers and digital job categories are broken out separately in the guild data, which looks at about 320 full-time staffers but not line editors or managers. The data analyzed was provided by Tronc as required by the process of starting up a guild bargaining unit. Tronc is in the process of being sold to Patrick Soon-Shiong, and these numbers are really describing the results of hiring and salary decisions made under Tribune ownership, before Tronc came along.

Those hires of young staffers to replace departed Times veterans, and to bring in new skills, changed the demographics of the newsroom  the staff became younger, more female and made up of more people of color. But the guild says, even adjusting for age and experience, women and people of color are paid less than white men.

 Tronc has underpaid women and journalists of color by thousands of dollars a year at the Los Angeles Times, suggesting systemic salary gaps by race and gender, according to an analysis of salary data by the L.A. Times Guild.

 Some of these gaps can be explained by The Times lopsided demographics. The more senior journalists in our bargaining unit, who make the most money, are more likely to be white and male. The younger journalists in our bargaining unit, who make the least money, are more likely to be women and people of color.  However, there are significant and persistent gaps even when comparing women and people of color to their male and white peers in the same jobs, with similar experience. A detailed analysis conducted by the L.A. Times Guild found scores of individual women and journalists of color with pay disparities. On average, they make thousands of dollars less than co-workers of similar ages and job categories. The Guild will seek feedback from our members about how best to handle this information while also protecting worker privacy.

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The guild has posted a detailed summary on its website. Of course, the data has been anonymized so no one's individual salary can be easily calculated. Among the other key findings:

 In the bargaining unit, which again excludes most editors, 42.8 percent are women. The average salary for female reporters is $87,564; the average for men $101,898. The average for reporters of color is $85,622; the average for white reporters is $100,398.

 There is a missing middle class age-wise: "The Times has a generational divide in the middle of its newsroom. We have many older journalists, and many younger journalists, and then a dearth of journalists in their late 30s and 40s. Over the past decade, the company has struggled to retain rising talent as newsroom wages have stagnated, with skilled journalists leaving for more lucrative offers from competitors."

 60 percent of the studied staff are white, 15.8 percent are Asian, 14.6 percent are Latino and 5.6 percent are black. "Of our unionized staff, 39% are people of color, compared to 73% of L.A. County residents....Much of this diversity comes from our younger ranks: the majority of staffers in their 20s and 30s are people of color."



The guild christened new offices this week and is off and running, but this data release could be just the first of several convulsive moments to follow as newsroom staffers discover more realities and face hard decisions about salary scales, job classifications and other details.

The @latimes pays people of color and women far less than our white, male peers. This is infuriating, disheartening, painful  the list goes on. Most of all, it's wrong, and should be fixed ASAP.



Full @latguild findings here: https://t.co/UsCozQJPiQ pic.twitter.com/V3E7cmBPpv  Kate Mather (@katemather) April 11, 2018

If you follow LA Times staffers on Twitter, you'll know that the staff is reeling from just released results of the @latguild pay equity study, which reveals gaps in the ways in which women and POC are compensated for their work at the company. https://t.co/2Ib0eHKPrm  Carolina A. Miranda (@cmonstah) April 11, 2018

Local @latimes leadership has let this inequality to persist, making it clear that they too undervalue women, black, Latino and Asian American journalists who take on some of the toughest assignments for less pay. 4/  Tony Barboza (@tonybarboza) April 11, 2018

This elicits both eye-bleeding rage and a strange reassurance knowing that yes, were not insane, the grotesque salary deck has been stacked against us from the beginning. And Im a white dude. Its transparently worse for everyone who isnt. @latguild https://t.co/mqGJU7TjmY  August Brown  (@AugustBrown) April 11, 2018

It's so grim to be able to mathematically quantify exactly how much my company undervalues me and dozens of my talented, hardworking coworkers.  Laura J. Nelson (@laura_nelson) April 11, 2018

Its painful to see this, and that pain is compounded by the fact that we arent just underpaid now, in this moment. We have been for years, and that makes a huge difference. Tronc could have fixed this. Now, we are working to fix it ourselves. @latguild https://t.co/zRL4xzV7pS  Sarah Parvini  () (@sarahparvini) April 11, 2018

Let's be clear, this is not a problem created by Tronc. This is the result of a culture in the newsroom that undervalues women and people of color, especially those hired through the Metpro program and then tasks those same reporters with working some of the toughest stories. 2/  Paloma Esquivel (@palomaesquivel) April 11, 2018




Germany is ready to allocate EUR 10 million for projects of the Energy Efficiency Fund and EUR 4 million for the training of energy auditors and training of the Fund's employees, Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Hennadiy Zubko has said.

"The German government is ready to sign an agreement with IFC - International Finance Corporation - on adding additional EUR 10 million to the Multi-Donor Fund for co-financing the projects of the Energy Efficiency Fund of Ukraine," Zubko wrote on his Facebook page.

He also said that the German government had agreed on the implementation of the project of technical assistance to Ukraine in the training of professional energy auditors and training of the Fund's employees in the amount of EUR10 million.

As earlier reported, the Cabinet coordinated a joint program with the EU for financing the Energy Efficiency Fund in the amount of EUR 268 million. According to the Ministry of Regional Development's press service, EU assistance in 2018 will be EUR 50 million, in 2019  EUR 54 million.

The press service also recalled that the financing of the Energy Efficiency Fund from the state budget will be UAH 1.6 billion in 2018.
The story of how Roshani Chokshi ended up writing Aru Shah and the End of Time is a bit like a modern fairy tale itself. The just-released novel launches not only a four-book series for young readers but Disney Hyperions new Rick Riordan Presents imprint, a line of mythology-inspired books curated by the mega-bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series.

Chokshi discovered the imprint was in the works from another author after attending a reading at DragonCon. When I heard about this imprint I swear to you I started to froth at the mouth, says Chokshi, 27, who cut her teeth writing Sailor Moon fan fiction infused with Indian mythology. To me, it called back all that nostalgia for the things I had desperately wanted to write, and also it was a chance to redo middle school. So I went home that day and emailed my agent immediately.

Her agent confirmed that, yes, this was a real opportunity. Chokshi wrote those first three sample chapters in a fugue state and sent them in, expecting nothing to happen. A week later, the publisher informed her they were buying the book and it would be the imprints first title.

Riordan glows with pride when he speaks about it. I knew young readers were anxious to explore other mythologies from around the world, and I knew there were a lot of great own voices writers out there who deserved the spotlight, but working with Rosh and the other authors of Rick Riordan Presents has been more rewarding than I ever imagined, he says. Its such a great feeling to see Aru Shah out in the world, and Rosh doing such a great job as a brilliant, engaging speaker.

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Aru Shah and the End of Time begins with the titular heroine getting called on one of the many lies shes told other children from her private school  only to discover its the one lie that is true. Her mother has told her never to light the Lamp of Bharata because it is cursed, and when Aru does she wakes a sleeping demon bent on the destruction of everything. Aru turns out to be one of this generations Pandava brothers (who are obviously no longer brothers) from the Hindu epic The Mahabharata who must somehow right this wrong  with the help of a timid yet brave girl, who also shares the Pandava legacy, and a sarcastic pigeon. What ensues is a rollicking journey through the world of Indian mythology.

Book jacket for Roshani Chokshis Aru Shah and the End of Time. (Disney Publishing )

Like her main character, Chokshi grew up in the Atlanta area and often felt like she didnt fit in. I also went to private school, where I certainly felt out of my depth with kids that didnt get their uniform and books from the consignment shop and all that stuff. And I certainly told many a tall tale, she says.

Chokshi just turned in the sequel to Aru Shah, and the first in a new YA series, The Gilded Wolves, is slated for winter 2019. Her bestselling young adult novel The Star-Touched Queen and its sequel both feature mythology-infused stories too. Was that part of her readerly DNA growing up? Chokshi says very much so.

My parents did an incredible job of inspiring me and my siblings to be voracious readers from the start, Chokshi says. I think a large part of that is because we didnt learn our parents native languages growing up. We only spoke English at home and so the way that we connected to parts of our heritage was oftentimes just through fairy tales and world mythology books. You couldnt really understand your own background without that.

Both her parents were immigrants to the U.S. Her father came here from India at age 8 with his mother and brother and still tells the story of having free orange juice on the airplane. It must have tasted like ambrosia to him, says Chokshi, laughing. Her mother immigrated from the Philippines at 26, arriving in Chicago on St. Patricks Day. Poor Mom was so confused. Shes just, like, is this every day in America? says Chokshi, still laughing. Those were their coming to America stories, which are always hilarious to me.

Despite growing up with Indian mythology as part of her heritage, Chokshi had to do research for Aru Shah. She teased out the core components of the stories she intended to draw on.

I did inhale this mythology growing up, but India is such a vast country that there are so many different versions of the same tale, she says.

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Then she figured out what she could bring to them from her personal background without changing them in a way that didnt fit. She added an explanation to the books glossary to make clear its not intended as a comprehensive guide to the mythology in question. Some people, she acknowledges, will still probably feel she got something wrong. But we should take out the word wrong because when it comes to mythology, especially in Hinduism, our mythology is a living thing. Its so closely tied to our religious identity. To call something wrong is to cancel out someone elses truth.

Although I caught up with Chokshi as she nursed a cold between school visits and bookstore appearances for the book, she was full of excitement. The reading shed been at when she first heard about Riordans new project was one my husband and I were doing from our own just-sold childrens series. I think youre good luck for me, she said enthusiastically.

She realizes that writing for Riordan, with his devoted readers, is a challenge and an unmissable opportunity  like something out of one of their books.

Bond is author of the Lois Lane YA series and co-author of the forthcoming The Supernormal Sleuthing Service: The Sphinxs Secret.

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Roshani Chokshi and Rick Riordan will be interviewed by Robert Graves at 12:30 p.m. on April 21 at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center.
Merger talks between Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. plunged into chaos Wednesday following a report that controlling shareholder Shari Redstone would oust CBS combative chief executive, Leslie Moonves, if he refuses to go along with a merger with Viacom.

CBS stock immediately dropped after CNBC published its report, and CBS quickly fired back.

The industry and the marketplace know Leslie Moonves record and we think it speaks for itself, CBS said in a defensive one-line statement that was issued soon after the CNBC report.

By days end, CBS and Redstone were both trying to lower the temperature to get the deal talks back on track. But the flare-up highlighted the tensions and suspicions between the two sides as Redstone pushes for a shotgun wedding of CBS and Viacom.

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Her father, Sumner Redstone, built Viacom into a powerhouse; the company now owns MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and the Paramount Pictures film studio in Los Angeles. Redstone believes Viacom and CBS would be stronger together as they compete against streaming-video titans such as Netflix and Amazon, which are grabbing viewers away from traditional television channels.

Before Wednesdays fireworks, the merger effort appeared to be losing momentum, in part because of CBS lack of enthusiasm to get a deal done. CBS, the more successful company, has not formally rejected Viacoms offer  submitted last week  nor has it proposed a new counteroffer to combine the two media companies. But talks have been ongoing between the special committees of the boards of Viacom and CBS to find ways to bridge the gap.

The two companies remain far apart on a valuation on Viacom, which has struggled over the last few years although it is encouraged by signs of a turnaround. But the main sticking point is over whether Redstone would be heavily involved in managing the combined company.

The Redstone family  through its investment vehicle, National Amusements Inc.  controls nearly 80% of the voting shares of Viacom and CBS. Shari Redstone, 63, wields that leverage now that 94-year-old Sumner Redstone is ailing and largely unable to communicate.

CBS is pushing back, demanding that Moonves be given the latitude to run the combined company as he sees fit  and that includes picking his own management team.

Thats how its done with most mergers and acquisitions, said one person who is familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. I dont think anyone believes that its going to be easy merging these two companies, so shouldnt he be allowed to have his own team to help him try?

On Wednesday, CBS appeared convinced that Shari Redstone might have planted the CNBC report to undermine CBS management, even though a person close to Redstone denied that the she was making plans to get rid of the executive who built CBS into a television juggernaut  and successful standalone company.

We are not there yet, insisted the person close to the Redstone camp.

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Redstone, through National Amusements, also tried to cast doubt on the CNBC story.

National Amusements has tremendous respect for Les Moonves and it has always been our intention that he run a combined company, National Amusements said in a statement.

Nonetheless, Redstone has the power to immediately shake up CBS board, should she opt to go that route, and a new board could fire Moonves, who has run the network since 1995 and served as chief executive of CBS Corp. since 2006. National Amusements controlling stake gives it the ability to unilaterally reconfigure CBS board with members who are more aligned with Redstones thinking.

The Redstone family used a similar tactic in 2016 when it wanted to unseat Viacoms then-CEO, Philippe Dauman: National Amusements sent a letter to Viacoms board announcing that it was replacing several longtime board members with its own handpicked slate.

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That power play proved successful, eventually leading to Daumans resignation. In a compromise, Redstone allowed Viacoms chief operating officer  Thomas Dooley  to become interim chief executive. Dooley thought he would have a chance to rebuild Viacom, but four weeks later he abruptly announced he would be stepping down.

Dooley left the company three months after being named interim chief, and his departure cleared the way for Redstones pick: Bob Bakish, who then was Viacoms international chief and now is its CEO.

Earlier this year, Redstone proposed that Bakish have a senior role in the merged company and she thought Moonves was on board with the plan, according to the person close to National Amusements. Redstone wants to see the two companies recombined after 12 years of operating separately but her earlier effort to unite the two companies in 2016 collapsed.

Management structure and a fair valuation for Viacom were the main obstacles to a deal in 2016, and those issues again loom large today.

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Viacom and CBS have agreed that Moonves, 68, should serve as chief executive of the combined company for at least two years. But CBS wants its Chief Operating Officer Joseph Ianniello to continue in his No. 2 role. Viacom and Redstone want to install Bakish as the chief operating officer and heir apparent  not Ianniello.

Two other episodes have fueled the distrust.

In August, BTIG Research analyst Richard Greenfield, who has been bullish on Viacom, appeared on the Fox Business Network and said that if Moonves didnt get on board with a CBS-Viacom merger, the CBS chief should lose his job.

Then, on Jan. 17, the Wall Street Journal reported that Redstone wanted fresh blood on the CBS board and that she was busy lining up new board candidates.

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CBS then began looking warily at the merger talks.

Greenfield said Wednesday that he still believes Moonves might be overplaying his hand.

It is scale up or die, Greenfield said, adding that CBS and Viacom are each too small to compete well, so they need the merger. For Les Moonves to be trying to slow this down doesnt serve his shareholders or Viacoms.

And if Moonves isnt supportive of the merger, then maybe he should go, Greenfield said: Why start a new company with an executive who hates half the company?

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CBS shares fell 2.1% to $51.01 on Wednesday. The stock is down more than 10% since news of the proposed merger surfaced in January. Some investors worry that Viacoms assets would be a drag on CBS. Viacom shares slipped 1.7% on Wednesday to $30.51.

Last week, Viacom asked CBS to raise its bid by about $2.8 billion in a move that would value Viacom at nearly $15 billion. The Viacom offer recommends an exchange ratio of 0.68 CBS shares for each share of Viacom class B stock. CBS had offered 0.55 of its shares for each Viacom class B share, according to the knowledgeable people  an amount lower than Viacoms current stock price.

When Viacom responds to CBS and says needs to be higher, normally wed expect CBS to say, No thanks, good luck on your own, Todd Juenger, media analyst with Bernstein & Co. wrote in a Tuesday report. But here, essentially the parent has told the two children: work it out.

meg.james@latimes.com

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@MegJamesLAT

UPDATES:

5 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from analyst Richard Greenfield.

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from people who were not authorized to speak publicly, analyst comment and additional background information.

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10 a.m.: This article was updated with more information, including a statement from National Amusements Inc.

This article was originally published at 8:15 a.m.
The years-long, drama-filled saga to replace an aging fleet of U.S. Air Force tankers continues to drag on.

In 2011, Boeing Co. won the first phase of a lucrative $35-billion total contract to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers after a contentious battle involving three bid competitions and prison terms for a former company executive and former Air Force official.

Boeings design was seen as relatively low risk  the Chicago aerospace giants tanker bid was based on a modified commercial 767 passenger jet. But delivery of the first KC-46 aircraft  last planned for August 2017  is now expected to be more than a year late, and technical issues have cropped up during development and testing. The Air Force will eventually receive 179 new tankers.

The delays have raised the ire of the Air Force. In late March, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told the House Armed Services Committee that she didnt expect the tanker to be delivered until late 2018, despite Boeing insisting that the plane would be delivered before that, in the second quarter.

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Boeing has been overly optimistic in all of their scheduled reports, she told the committee. One of our frustrations with Boeing is that theyre much more focused on their commercial activity than they are on getting this right for the Air Force.

Last year, Boeings commercial airplanes business generated revenue of $56.7 billion, according to the companys annual report.

Boeing spokesman Charles Ramey said there is no higher priority for the company than delivering tankers to the Air Force right now.

We have a great team looking to make that happen, and that team includes the Air Force as well, he said. Were working together to get through testing and delivering those first tankers.

Tankers are a crucial part of the U.S. militarys global operations. The planes are responsible for refueling a variety of aircraft in midair using either a boom  a rigid tube thats guided into the receiving aircraft by an operator lying on his or her stomach  or a hose and drogue system, in which a receiving aircraft inserts a probe into a hose stabilized by a metal basket that trails behind the tanker. The KC-46 will be able to utilize both refueling methods in the same mission.

Though Boeing built the 1950s-era KC-135 refueling tankers, the planes are still complex to build and must essentially function as flying gas stations that can also defend themselves in combat, said Scott Hamilton, founder of aviation consulting firm Leeham Co., in Bainbridge Island, Wash.

Wilson told the House committee that Air Force Undersecretary Matthew Donovan visited Boeings KC-46 production and modification facility in Everett, Wash., last month to do a deep dive with the company.

Weve asked them to put their A-team on this to get the problems fixed and get the aircraft to the Air Force, she said.

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The U.S. currently has 457 tankers in its fleet, Wilson told the House committee. Most of those are KC-135 Stratotankers. The other tankers in the fleet are 1980s-era KC-10s.

With proper maintenance, the tankers could fly for an indefinite amount of time, Hamilton said. But as the tankers age, the cost of maintenance increases dramatically. At some point, the Air Force decides to retire the oldest airplanes rather than put the money into maintaining them, he said.

The journey to replace the aging tankers dates from 2001, when Congress allowed the Air Force to consider leasing 100 modified Boeing 767 jets.

Boeing later won the contract, but it was overturned in 2004 after a contracting scandal in which a former top Air Force official admitted she passed Boeing inside information about a rival Airbus bid and favored Boeing in several major Pentagon contracts because the aerospace firm had given jobs to several family members.

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That former official, Darleen Druyun, was sentenced to nine months in prison for illegally seeking a job at Boeing while reviewing bids for the tanker deal. Former Boeing Chief Financial Officer Michael Sears was also sentenced to four months in prison for illegally offering the job during the negotiations.

A team composed of Northrop Grumman Corp. and the parent company of Airbus, then known as EADS, won the Pentagons re-launched tanker competition in 2008.

But that decision was overturned months later after the U.S. Government Accountability Office said the contract was flawed and recommended that the Air Force redefine its specifications. The ruling was cheered by Boeing, which had lobbied intensely against the contract decision.

In a surprise to many industry analysts, Boeing then won the new contract competition over EADS, which by then had lost Northrop Grumman as a partner. Though industry experts had thought EADS would win a second time, the new criteria released for the competition clearly indicated that the Air Force was looking for a tanker similar to Boeings 767 proposal, analysts said.

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It also didnt hurt that Boeings bid price was much lower than that of EADS  a strategic move designed to block EADS, based in the Netherlands, from entering the U.S. market, analysts said. EADS had said it would build the tanker in Alabama.

The KC-46 program has more than 600 suppliers in 42 states, including California, where more than 160 suppliers contribute to the planes production, according to Boeing.

Because it was viewed as a low-risk program, Boeing was awarded a fixed-price contract  meaning Boeing alone would be on the hook for cost overruns, according to a GAO report released last year.

But the program has run into difficulties. Problems with the planes wiring, fuel system component design issues and a fuel contamination event that corroded the fuel tanks of one of the developmental aircraft all led to schedule delays, according to the GAO report. They have since been fixed.

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More recently, the Air Force said there are problems with the tankers remote vision system, which involves sensors and a 3-D display to help operators guide the boom into a receiving aircraft. Boeing developed a software fix for the system that was set to be reviewed during flight tests in March, according to the Air Force.

There have also been recent occurrences in which the receiving aircraft unintentionally disconnects from the centerline drogue fueling system, an issue that the Air Force and Boeing are investigating.

This was just modifications to what they had already done, said Todd Harrison, director of the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Its kind of surprising theyve run into so many technical challenges.

Ramey of Boeing said that part of a development program is finding and resolving issues before delivery. Last week, the company said it successfully completed fuel on-load testing, which involved a refueling flight between two tankers.

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Further delays would not only be costly for Boeings bottom line  the company has already incurred $1.9 billion after taxes in program charges  but also potentially bad for its reputation, said Cai von Rumohr, managing director at Cowen & Co.

If you want to win new business, past performance is critical, he said. Youve got to perform.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga
Are you proud of your gender? Do you care what someone elses gender is? Who decided your gender?

These are just some of the questions that the arts organization L.A. Freewaves will attempt to answer in an evening of roving performances called Aint I a Womxn?

The project has been more than two years in the making but will finally come to fruition with a grant of $40,000 from the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. On Wednesday the foundation will announce L.A. Freewaves and nine other recipients of 2018 Artist Project Grants totaling $400,000.

This years grants form the largest sum the program has given out in its three-year history. The 10 recipients, all based in or near Los Angeles, are the largest grantee pool to date.

The late artist Kelley was known for an experimental art practice and a philanthropic spirit. His foundation awards grants to individuals and groups who create work that is particularly difficult to make or might otherwise fly under the radar.

Recipients for 2018 include the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Hammer Museum, the nonprofit gallery LAXART, the Underground Museum, the Craft and Folk Art Museum, the nonprofit exhibition space Joan and Self Help Graphics, all in L.A.; the Pasadena group Fulcrum Arts; and the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach.

The vast range of projects these groups will undertake, said Mike Kelley Foundation Executive Director Mary Clare Stevens, reflects the energy and diversity of the L.A. arts scene. And political themes, in which the artists frequently question institutions and social structures, add up to an overwhelming address of the times, she said.

Politics is on everyones mind these days, Stevens said. Were living with this administration, and theres been an urgency in the arts community to continue deep investigation of systems, of power structures, of race and gender. Theres a tradition of that in the arts  of questioning  especially now, with diminishing funding for the arts. The space of art is a space of freedom. And it brings this back to how crucial arts funding is right now.

In conjunction with the downtown arts space Joan, which received a grant of $45,000, artist and filmmaker Alison ODaniel will use the thumping and scritch-scratching sounds of skateboards as percussive instruments in a newly composed sound piece thats part of her series The Tuba Thieves. ODaniel is hearing impaired and will collaborate with a composer and six local skateboarders who are also hearing impaired as part of her investigation into the physical experience of sound.

Artist Cameron Rowland will present his first solo museum exhibition at MOCA, which received a grant of $40,000. The work, made in the tradition of ready-made and found-object sculptures, explores ideas of dispossession and ownership in the U.S. as well as social inequality. It also examines the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles and its development of the Bunker Hill area as well as questions of eminent domain and MOCAs own history within that neighborhood, among other ideas.

With its grant of $40,000, Self Help Graphics will set up a printmaking atelier in its Boyle Heights space for 12 master printers from around the U.S. As part of the Chicanx/Latinx Print Summit Portfolio & Atelier, the artists will create prints as well as hold free public workshops and provide intergenerational mentorships for working artists. The new print editions will be featured in a Print Summit Portfolio exhibition in June.

Self Help Graphics, co-director Betty Avila said, has been a space for creativity, innovation, political interrogation and cultural expression for artists of color since its inception in the early 1970s. The Mike Kelley grant money, she said, comes at a crucial time in our history when the Chicana/o and Latinx experience, for both immigrants and American-born Latinos, is being questioned by our nation's highest office.

L.A. Freewaves July 28 event, planned to unfurl beneath a full moon in Los Angeles State Historic Park near Chinatown, will result in an online book, DisMiss Data. Both the event and the book are meant to address gender fluidity and intersectional feminism, as well as inequalities and stereotypes in our culture.

Its extraordinary. Its making a big difference in the scale that well be able to do this, said L.A. Freewaves founding director Anne Bray. Gender is in the news every day now. And this is allowing new people  artists that are not so famous, that are of color, that are a diverse range and most are without galleries  to put new images into the public arena for consideration of how everyone feels about gender.

Her group, which brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender feminist artists of color, has been gathering images from artists and asking questions about gender at art events throughout L.A. County for more than two years. The DisMiss Data book will include the public's responses to some of the gender questions posed during the July performance, as well as artists responses to those public comments.

Now more than ever, projects like these demonstrate the importance of art as a voice of the times and as an agent for change, the Mike Kelley Foundations Stevens said. They create diverse spaces where artists and audiences can come together to reflect, interpret, and comment on both substantive issues of the day and visionary ideas"

The grant-funded projects will debut throughout 2018 and 2019.

deborah.vankin@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin

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Is Museum of Contemporary Art Director Philippe Vergne on his way out?

Thats the question swirling in the art-world air following his surprise firing of MOCAs chief curator one month ago, the sudden cancellation of the museums annual gala fundraiser and, perhaps most important, the pending expiration of Vergnes contract.



For the record: In 2012, MOCA chief curator Paul Schimmel was forced to resign by the museums board, not by then-director Jeffrey Deitch.

On all of these points, MOCA continues to respond with the same communication strategy: No comment.

Its a veil of secrecy that feels familiar, echoing how the museum has dealt with leadership changes in the past.

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Vergne has placed his $4-million Hollywood Hills mansion on the market, and on Tuesday, real estate websites showed a sale pending. Neither Vergne nor a museum spokeswoman would comment on the house, however, nor on whether the director would be staying in L.A.

On March 14, The Times reported that Vergne had fired Helen Molesworth, shocking the arts world with the dismissal of a chief curator widely respected for organizing popular and critically acclaimed exhibitions such as Kerry James Marshall: Mastry and a retrospective of Brazilian artist Anna Maria Maiolino. MOCA issued a statement that characterized Molesworths departure as a parting of ways due to creative differences. When The Times asked whether the museums board of trustees stood by Vergne, MOCA would not respond.

On Tuesday, the museum again refused to comment on whether the search for a new chief curator had started. The museum also would not say how it intends on filling a funding gap created by the cancellation of its annual gala.

This years event was canceled after artist Mark Grotjahn declined to be honored, citing concerns over of a lack of diversity in past honorees, who are all straight white men. The cancellation translates to a loss of millions of dollars; the 2017 gala, honoring Jeff Koons, raised more than $3 million for MOCA.

Helen Molesworth, MOCAs former chief curator, was fired in March. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times )

The uncertainty hovering over the museum today is reminiscent of how MOCA has faced past problems. In 2010, Jeffrey Deitch was named director and quickly became a divisive force, firing the museums longtime, esteemed chief curator, Paul Schimmel, in 2012.

That firing also came with an information vacuum, as MOCA took a day and a half to make the news public. When the museum did issue a press release, it said Schimmel had resigned  an explanation contradicted by MOCA sources who maintained that the curator had been fired.

Artists were outraged. Catherine Opie, Barbara Kruger, Ed Ruscha and John Baldessari protested by resigning from the MOCA board.

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Meanwhile, the museum had spent much of its endowment to stay afloat and was relying on a lifeline from philanthropist Eli Broad, who a few years earlier had pledged $15 million for exhibitions plus up to $15 million for the endowment.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art stepped forward, proposing to absorb MOCA. The board declined LACMAs offer, announcing a $100-million fundraising campaign.

Deitch resigned in 2013, and MOCA brought in Vergne from New Yorks Dia Art Foundation. Molesworth came later that year. Opie, Kruger and Baldessari rejoined the board. It seemed like a fresh start.

Current and past board members and other MOCA stakeholders would not speak on the record about the most recent events or did not respond to interview requests.

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To me, the lack of transparency hurts the most  because it feels almost like an act of censorship, artist Analia Saban said.

Other major arts institutions have faced sudden institutional changes or controversy more openly. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the resignation of Director Thomas P. Campbell last year, the museum issued a press release and its chairman sent a letter to the board and staff. When Dallas Museum of Art curator Gavin Delahunty suddenly resigned last year, he was quick to respond with a statement sent to staff and the media.

Youd think a museum would be a place for disagreement, in a healthy way, and discussion, Saban said. Arts institutions, academic institutions, thats what they are about. But here, were all left wondering why. And thats where the anger comes from.

But some in the art world remain hopeful.

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It is a problem, the no transparency issue, said Eva Chimento of Boyle Heights gallery Chimento Contemporary. But I know Philippe as a curator and I know how seriously he takes artists. So Im just trusting until I see otherwise. I hope in good time all these questions will have answers.

For those wondering whats next for Molesworth, one answer has emerged. Shell give the keynote address in June at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architectures 2018 commencement ceremony.

deborah.vankin@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin
Comedy Store matriarch Mitzi Shores indelible mark on the Hollywood stand-up circuit was cemented long ago. Numerous comics and stand-up titans credited the impresario, who died Wednesday at age 87, for their early breaks and spoke warmly of the den mother in the pages of this newspaper over the years.

Shore set the tone for the no-holds-barred approach that the storied venue fostered in its proteges, creating a home base for comics to try out new material.

Were like a school, or a boxers gym, Shore told The Times in 1994. Were here to help people develop their skills, and to get them seen by supportive comedy crowds, as well as by TV and movie people.

Though the store was co-founded by comedy writer Rudy De Luca and comic Sammy Shore, Mitzi Shore named the place and inherited the club during her 1970s divorce settlement with Sammy.

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After that, she was a fixture at the club, working in the back booth, setting the lineup in her office and fostering new talent, such as Garry Shandling, David Letterman, Craig T. Nelson, Jim Carrey, Jeff Altman and Richard Pryor.

From The Times archives, heres a sampling of what her students had to say over the years:

1 / 6 Mitzi Shore, the owner of the Comedy Store, is seen in 1993. Shore died Wednesday, April 11, at age 87. (Patrick Downs / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 6 From left, Mitzi Shore and comedians Jay Leno, Billy Braver and Ed Bluestone stand in front of the Comedy Store West on Westwood Boulevard in the 1970s. (The Comedy Store) 3 / 6 Mitzi Shore, owner of the Comedy Store, is surrounded by comedians Richard Pryor, from left, David Letterman and Robin Williams at the 1988 anniversary of the Comedy Store. (The Comedy Store) 4 / 6 Mitzi Shore gets some affection from sons Peter, left, and Pauly in 1986. (The Comedy Store) 5 / 6 Owner Mitzi Shore stands in front of the Comedy Store West on Westwood Boulevard. (unknown / courtesyThe Comedy Store) 6 / 6 Mitzi Shore works in the Comedy Store office in the early 1970s. (The Comedy Store)

She should get a lot of credit. If something happens on your watch, you get the credit for it I liked the fact that she had a club, that shes a woman, [and] youre in an extremely harsh business.  Jay Leno (Echo of laughter, 2003)

You were either Mitzis son, nephew or lover. Youd call in on Monday or Tuesday for spots ... If you didnt get a spot one week, or got [bad] ones, you wondered what youd done to upset Mitzi.  Bob Saget (2003)

When she first met me  Im not tooting my own horn  I was 21 years old and she said, Theres never been a comic other than Lenny Bruce whos a very handsome comic and you have that whole Travolta-Stallone look, and youre going to be a huge movie star.  Andrew Dice Clay (The Sunday Conversation, 2011)

Whether its Mitzis eye for comedy or just the wacky people who come here, I dont know. But this place has endured. Its a place you can come and try new stuff. Its comfortable.  Jeff Altman (Send in the Clowns, 1992)

I used to go up onstage with no material. Mitzi would say, I dont understand what youre doing, but go ahead. About a third of the stuff I came up with was great. The poor audience had to sit through the other two-thirds.  Jim Carrey (1992)

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If you didnt get a spot one week, or got [bad] ones, you wondered what youd done to upset Mitzi. Bob Saget, 2003

A lot of people say a lot of things about Mitzi, but if you look at the unique people whove come up in comedy, like Sam Kinison, Bobcat Goldthwait, Sandra [Bernhard], even Andrew Dice Clay, theyve come through the Store. It takes a while to find out what youre doing. You fail so much. Maybe Mitzi feels she hasnt affected things in a big way. But she affected us, and we went on to affect a lot of other people.  Judy Carter (A Room of Their Own, 1993)

"[The Comedy Stores] like a demonic home away from home for a lot of people. Its starting to unfold like a Greek tragedy, and I think the real fear of everyone is that this institution will go away [when Shore dies]  and to lose it would be a tremendous loss.  Marc Maron (Comedy Store family dispute is no laughing matter, 2009)

I owe a lot of my career to her. The Comedy Store is a magical place. When I showcased for her, she said, Im going to make you a regular. Have you ever thought about wearing the outfit  the hat, the gown. It hits me  she wants me to wear a turban and a dishdasha! ... I said, Ill gladly wear the outfit but they may come after me, they may come after the Comedy Store. The booker called and said, Forget the outfit, well see you Tuesday.  Maz Jobrani (Stand-up Maz Jobrani on the culture of comedy, 2015)

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There were people who used to sleep here. It was the complete antithesis of the Four Seasons. Back then ... it kind of ran itself, its like the comedians ran the damn place. The inmates were running the asylum.  Sebastian Maniscalco (Sebastian Maniscalco recounts his road from the Four Seasons to the Comedy Store (and beyond, 2016)

Follow me: @NardineSaad
DIY documentarian Charlie Minn styles himself as a rogue journalist, diving into the darkest elements of society, utilizing found footage, interviews and reenactments to explore violence, mayhem and murder. His latest feature, A Nightmare in Las Vegas, explores the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history, the massacre at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in October 2017.

A lone gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, killing 58 people and injuring 851,422 from gunshot wounds. Its an act of such unthinkable terror that its too much to comprehend.

Minn unfolds the events of the shooting in extreme detail, interviewing victims, witnesses and first responders. Found footage from cellphone videos taken on the scene provides the most riveting moments, and Minn deploys this material to great effect. Occasionally, Minn poses slightly provocative questions to the victims, such as Was it better to run or hide? or It took the police 12 minutes to get to the room; do you have a problem with that?

The massacre remains mysterious, with an unclear motive, very little information about the gunman and so many unanswered questions. The second half of the film takes a more conspiratorial bent, featuring interviews with lawyers, former casino investigators and journalists, as well as reenactments to position the argument that MGM, owners of Mandalay Bay, are liable to the victims and bear the burden of security and response. While this begs for investigation, this part of the film loses the sense of control it displayed when focusing on the victims.

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Although A Nightmare in Las Vegas is sometimes rough around the edges, its intensely compelling and isnt afraid to demand answers to questions that seem to have gone unasked. In many ways, its a first step in processing the enormity of this event.

-------------

A Nightmare in Las Vegas

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Playing: opens April 13th, Cinepolis Pico Rivera

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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Gucci continues its collaboration with Ignasi Monreal by launching a new limited edition collection of sweatshirts and T-shirts in collaboration with the young Spanish artist behind the brands recent advertising campaigns.

The capsule, called #GucciHallucination, will launch exclusively on Gucci.com on April 11, and includes nine sweatshirts and nine T-shirts featuring the dreamy digital artworks by Monreal for the spring 2018 campaign.

A #GucciHallucination T-shirt. WWD

The lineup comprises 200 of each T-shirt design and 100 of each sweatshirt illustration, each bearing a numbered label to be delivered to customers in special packaging featuring the artists work.

A limited edition #GucciHallucination sweatshirt. WWD

Monreal first worked with Guccis creative director Alessandro Michele on the #GucciGram project in 2015, and the artists designs of a fortune teller and a weather forecaster were printed on T-shirts for the Gucci cruise 2018 collection. Inspired by Greek and Roman mythology, Monreal created a campaign for the 2017 holiday season and gift catalogue, one of the works appearing on the Gucci Art Walls in Milan and New York for the launch of Gucci Bloom fragrance.

He recently created the artworks featuring the new collection for the spring 2018 campaign, and took part in the campaigns ironic video as the curator of a fictitious Gucci gallery. Monreal has also created the artwork that now decorates a wall just off East Londons Brick Lane, the first of its kind to debut in Great Britain.
The Delano Police Department has forwarded a report to the Kern County district attorneys office asking prosecutors to review whether federal immigration agents gave false information to police investigating a traffic crash that killed a couple who were in the country illegally.

Santos Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Profecto were killed while fleeing from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on March 13. The couple had initially stopped, but then fled before crashing into a utility pole at high speed.

According to a report, an ICE deportation officer told police that, after the initial stop, he was not in pursuit with emergency lights/sirens. But surveillance video showed the immigration officers cars traveling in the same direction as the couples vehicle with their emergency lights activated.

Based on the discrepancy the report was forwarded to the Kern County District Attorneys Office for review since they have jurisdiction, Delanos interim police chief, Raul Alvizo, said in a statement. The charges requested are according to California Vehicle Code Section 31, No person shall give, either orally or in writing, information to a peace officer while in the performance of his duties under the provision of this code when such person knows that the information is false. 

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The complaint, received Wednesday morning, is pending review, according to the district attorneys office. ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The case comes amid rising tension between local agencies and ICE in California, as officials and police have to choose whether they will cooperate more with the immigration agency or abide by the states sanctuary laws, intended to protect immigrants in the country illegally.

Last month, Los Alamitos leaders approved an ordinance that exempts their Orange County municipality from Senate Bill 54, a law that took effect Jan. 1 and prohibits state and local police agencies from notifying federal officials in many cases in which immigrants who are potentially subject to deportation are about to be released from custody.

The initiative is in addition to sanctuary city laws passed by numerous communities and other state laws that protect those without legal residency, including one that makes it a crime for business owners to voluntarily help federal agents find and detain unauthorized workers and another that creates a state inspection program for federal immigration detention centers.

The Trump administration has gone to federal court to invalidate the state laws, claiming they blatantly obstruct federal immigration law and thus violate the Constitutions supremacy clause, which gives federal law precedence over state measures. That case is pending.

Alvizo said that in referring the case to the district attorney, his department is only trying to do its due diligence.

Its not any different than say, for example, you were involved in a traffic accident and there was some issues there. Were going to send it to our D.A., Alvizo said. Because we dont want anybody to come back and say that were hiding or were trying to cover up for anybody. Were doing it the way we do it for anybody else.

All we did is investigate the traffic collision. I dont know what the big deal is or why were getting all these calls. Its an unfortunate traffic accident.

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ICE deportation officer Ramiro Sanchez told police that on the morning of the crash, he and colleagues were conducting surveillance on an apartment in order to detain Celestino Hilario-Garcia, who was targeted for removal from the country.

Sanchez stated that a colleague witnessed Santos Hilario Garcia, whom they mistook for Celestino Hilario-Garcia, enter a vehicle in front of the apartment, along with a woman and a girl.

Sanchez and another deportation officer, Dimas Benitez, followed the car in black, unmarked Jeeps as the couple dropped their daughter off at school. Shortly afterward, Sanchez activated his emergency lights to signal the car to pull over.

Santos Hilario Garcia complied, but as Sanchez got out of his car, the couples vehicle sped away, the report said.

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Three witnesses to the crash said the couples car was not being followed or chased and that no police were present, according to the police report.

But statements provided by the deportation officers contradict with the surveillance review conducted, the department stated in its report.

Delano police were dispatched to the crash scene shortly before 7 a.m. Officers found a blue Ford Explorer Sport Trac overturned with the couple inside. They died at the scene.

Per routine protocol, at the time of the incident, the facts surrounding the encounter were referred for review and that review is ongoing, ICE spokesman Richard Rocha said in a statement Monday. While this was an isolated and extremely unfortunate incident, ICE wants to encourage all individuals we encounter to fully cooperate with our law enforcement officers.

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The statement cited sanctuary policies that have pushed ICE out of jails and force our officers to conduct more enforcement in the community  which poses increased risks for law enforcement and the public.

It also increases the likelihood that ICE will encounter other illegal aliens who previously werent on our radar, Rocha said.

Santos Hilario Garcia had been convicted in 2014 of driving under the influence and was voluntarily returned to Mexico three times between 2008 and 2017. Profecto had no prior encounters with ICE.

Though Garcia matched the description of the arrest target, he was not the same individual, according to ICE.

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Delano police have dealt firsthand with escalating fears over ICE in the city, even posting a statement to Facebook on March 1 to address rumors about the department assisting the federal agency in its operations.

It was also rumored that ICE Agents are utilizing Delano Police Department police vehicles and clad in Delano police officer uniforms, the statement read. I can assure the citizens of Delano that our Department and its police officers are NOT assisting ICE in their operations. I can also assure the citizens of Delano that ICE Agents are NOT utilizing Delano police vehicles nor our police uniforms. Likewise, our police officers are NOT targeting and arresting individuals on behalf of ICE.

Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo said she would wait and see what the district attorney is going to do before saying more.

As far as to the community, I hope they understand that we honor the state of Californias sanctuary cities law, Vallejo said. We follow it and it is unjust that people are put in fear at a time when theyre trying to support their families, and in this particular situation, it created something that should not have happened and that was due to the fear of ICE and deportation.

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For more California news, follow @brittny_mejia

UPDATES:

3 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from Delano police.

This article was originally published at 12:25 p.m.
Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska hopes that the substantive negotiations with the United States will be held to remove the state from the list of countries to which duties on steel and aluminium applied.

"Our main task is to increase the level of dialogue with the U.S. government and start a substantive negotiation process with it," she said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

The government appointed Mykolska the main negotiator on this issue.

"We have already presented our position to the U.S. government: we believe that Ukraine and the United States are strategic partners, and Ukrainian metallurgical products do not pose a threat to the national security of the United States," the trade representative of Ukraine said.

She also said that the United States is a traditional market for Ukrainian metallurgy.

"Contracts have been developed there by our metallurgists for a long time, and they will not be easily compensated for. Additional U.S. duties will lead to the fact that some of the metal products from other countries that will be sanctioned will be redirected to their domestic markets and third-country markets. Consequently, competition for Ukrainian producers in the markets of third countries will increase," Mykolska said.
Like a lot of us, L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian uses the navigation app Waze to get where hes going. But all he wants from the app is general information, not a turn-by-turn escort who zigzags him through residential neighborhoods.

I use it every morning before I leave for work, said Krekorian, who lives in the San Fernando Valley and commutes to City Hall downtown. Should I take the 5 or the 101? What I dont do is find which winding streets to take through Silver Lake.

If it sounds as if Krekorian has a bit of an issue with app-diverted drivers plowing through residential neighborhoods, he does.

The use of apps to save 90 seconds of travel time not only is destroying the qualify of life in neighborhoods all over, but also endangering public safety, said Krekorian.

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On Tuesday, the councilman introduced a motion calling for the citys transportation department to explore ways to reduce the negative effects of the use of navigation apps. Krekorian introduced a similar motion three years ago, but it hit a bottleneck, so hes hoping his latest effort will have a little more velocity.

Krekorian also called for the city attorneys office to analyze whether the app companies share liability for damages in accidents caused by their users.

And he asked the City Council to request that the app companies make their representatives available to work with city officials to reduce problems associated with the apps.

When he tried this three years ago, Krekorian said, I was mocked online for being a Luddite and getting in the way of a whiz-bang new way of mapping.

Krekorian said he recognizes the apps are a fact of life but he just wants to see that along with the obvious benefits, all possible steps are taken to minimize the negative effects.

Couldnt they have a modest algorithm modification so that you dont route cars onto substandard streets unless it achieves X percentage time savings? he asked. To run cars through small streets in Elysian Park or Studio City or somewhere else, where people cant get into or out of their driveway for an hour, only to save the driver a minute seems like an unreasonable trade-off.

Krekorian reached out to me after my column last week about troubles on ridiculously steep Baxter Street in Echo Park. Neighbors there complain that traffic on the narrow road has increased dramatically in the app-navigation age. Panicked first-time visitors who cant handle the incline have crashed into walls and other cars, especially in wet weather.

Possible remedies proposed by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation include restricting rush-hour turns onto Baxter Street and making it one way. A public hearing last Wednesday was inconclusive, but Councilman Mitch OFarrells office is working with the department to schedule another.

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When I contacted Waze this week for a response to all of this, I didnt get a warm reception. By text message, I was scolded by a spokesperson for not contacting Waze earlier, and she claimed my column on Baxter was both inaccurate and unfair.

That was primarily unvarnished blather, but she made one fair point. I had quoted a Baxter Street resident who said hed written a letter to Waze asking if Baxter could be removed as a safe route during wet weather, but the response was no. The Waze spokesman insisted that did not happen.

I checked back with the resident, who clarified that rather than a letter, the communication was made via Wazes online suggestion box, and there was no reply.

Waze also beat me up for not telling readers there are ways to leave reports of traffic hazards or other concerns on the app itself, to alert drivers and Waze, which can modify the algorithm if necessary.

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Question: Are people supposed to do this while negotiating a route theyre not familiar with, as theyre late for work and trying to figure out why they just lost the audio on the Waze app and whether they just missed a turn or hit a garbage can while looking at the app?

Or right after that?

MEMO TO WAZE:

Baxter Street is steeper than a ski jump. Now that you know, can you steer cars clear of it?

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I wouldnt bet on it, based on a statement another Waze spokesperson sent me.

While Angelenos have questioned the gradient of the hill on Baxter Street, the city has placed a public road there, which means it should be considered usable within Waze to permit residents to navigate home, to assist in emergency response, and more. Should local government choose to make a change, we will of course update our maps, the statement said.

So one Waze flack spanks me for not telling readers to post safety concerns on the app while another Waze flack tells me Baxter is a public street so dont expect them to do anything about it on their own.

And by the way, a city transportation spokesman told me weve been unsuccessful in the past in trying to remove quiet residential streets from navigation app options.

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Flack No. 2 told me Waze, working with L.A. and other cities through an information-sharing program, has helped relieve congestion by as much as 20%.

Have these people been to L.A.?

Id like to see the evidence of a 20% reduction in congestion.

Waze says it has also helped reduce the number of collisions while helping cities address their toughest transportation challenges.

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The statement continued:

The company has a meaningful relationship with, and cares deeply for, Wazers and the communities it serves.

Thank God I didnt go into PR, especially in tech, where Id be no good at trying to defend masters of the universe. Like Mark Zuckerberg, for instance. But at least the Facebook chief borrowed a necktie and went before Congress to pretend hes sorry for his role in tech run amok.

Like I said, I use a navigation app and theres no question it has saved me a lot of time and frustration.

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And the real problem, obviously, isnt Waze, which is owned by Google. Its us. Too many people in too many cars going to too many places. And none of us wanting to waste another minute, let alone take the bus.

But theres also no question that navigation apps divert traffic onto once-tranquil streets that were not designed for the volume of traffic theyre getting.

I dont think Councilman Krekorian is asking for too much in calling for a study on how to better balance the costs and benefits. And Im hoping that this time around, City Hall takes the matter more seriously and drives a harder bargain.

Get more of Steve Lopezs work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez
L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma.

The Los Angeles Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses.

The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years  a small part of the districts $7.5-billion annual budget.

Beyond a base amount of funding for each student, the Los Angeles Unified School District receives about $1 billion a year in extra funding through a recent state funding formula aimed at providing more help to students who are low-income, English learners or foster youth.

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Until now, L.A. Unified has doled out additional money to schools primarily based on the number of high-need students they have. But some argued that this formula oversimplified complex issues and that factors such as community health problems and violence should also be considered.

Board President Monica Garcias resolution uses elements of the student need index, developed about four years ago by the Equity Alliance for L.A.s Kids, a coalition of community groups and civil rights organizations including the Advancement Project California, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle. Among the factors the districts index takes into account are dropout and chronic absenteeism rates, and grades that would qualify students for admission to Cal State universities.

Although the text of the resolution referenced the index and mentioned the factors that would be taken into account, it did not specify the exact formula that would be applied.

For 2018-19, the $25 million could be split between up to 228 schools, with $24,000 to $313,000 for each school, said Pedro Salcido, the districts director of finance policy.

The board specified that the superintendent must form a working group to finalize the index and formula. That group also will be asked to evaluate the effects of the funding on schools.

The resolution will take full effect in the 2019-20 budget. For the coming year, the district will apply the new index to $25 million in reallocated funding from the districts future budgets, such as unused money from programs that are scheduled to end soon, said L.A. Unified Chief Financial Officer Scott Price.

Schools are in the process of planning budgets and making hiring decisions for next year. Approving the new formula now gives school administrators the opportunity to figure in the new funding and to include parents in the process, said Interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian.

The resolution passed unanimously to cheers from students and activists in the board room, though some board members expressed initial reluctance, saying parents did not have enough time to review the changes or provide input.

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After the vote, Garcia said the discussion is one the district has been having for years, and that parents are involved in the advocacy groups that pushed for the resolution.

Resolutions like this are supposed to be introduced to the school board in one meeting, then voted on in a second one at a later time, to give the public time to get informed and respond. The initial announcement of this resolution was on the agenda for the school board meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, and the plan was to vote at a later meeting in May. But on Monday afternoon, the district posted a special meeting notice for 4:45 p.m. Tuesday  with one item on the agenda: Equity Is Justice 2.0: Moving toward a New Direction.

Advocates said they were happy that the district was shifting its thinking. Schools will be able to use the funding to combat the effects of trauma on students, with academic programs and mental health support, said Aurea Montes-Rodriguez, executive vice president of the South L.A.-based advocacy group Community Coalition.

Dozens of students rallied outside prior to the meeting, before demanding funding from the board members inside. One of those young activists was Edna Chavez of Manual Arts High School, who spoke last month during the March for Our Lives in Washington about losing her brother to gun violence.

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Arent the youth the future? So why arent we getting those resources? Is it because of our ZIP Code? Is it because of the amount of melanin in our skin? she asked the board before the vote.

After the vote, Edna was ecstatic. But she said there was more work to be done.

Were going to continue fighting, she said, for more and more and more.

Times staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this story.

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Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.

UPDATES:

April 11, 3:30 p.m.: This article was updated with a revised estimate for school allocations.

This article was originally published April 10 at 9:15 p.m.
When Sharon Green sued the city of Hesperia two years ago for discriminating against the group homes she ran for homeless felons, city officials doubled down on their efforts to shut down her program.

They levied daily fines on the houses she rented and pressured Greens landlords to evict her.

Last week, Hesperias manager and members of the City Council who had pressed the fight with Green conceded defeat when they agreed to settle her lawsuit. Under the terms of the deal, the city must refund all the money it extracted from Green and pay her legal fees, which totaled nearly half a million dollars. The city last year repealed or rewrote the housing rules at the heart of the fight after a federal judge questioned their constitutionality.

Its about time, Green, a pastor, said in an interview Tuesday. Im really encouraged it has ended and ended favorably.

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The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California filed the suit on Greens behalf.

Calls to Hesperia officials for comment were not returned.

Through her nonprofit program, the Victor Valley Family Resource Center, Green for several years has rented houses in Hesperia to provide beds, meals and other help to hundreds of low-level offenders who have nowhere to go when they are released from jail as part of the states effort to reduce its teeming prison population.

She operated without problems until 2015, when she rented a drab house and guesthouse on a dusty, residential road in the small, high desert city 80 miles outside of Los Angeles.

Routine visits by probation officers to check on the 13 men in the house drew the attention of some neighbors, who went to City Council meetings to complain.

One woman claimed inaccurately that the men living next to her were violent felons. The neighborhood-watch captain suggested the men were pedophiles targeting children on the street. Several others added to the chorus of complaints.

City code enforcers suddenly began issuing citations at the house as council members criticized Greens program, saying it was a symptom of a larger problem brought on by the states prison realignment plan and Proposition 47, a 2014 law that reduced certain drug possession and theft crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.

Mayor Russ Blewett warned at a public meeting that crime had surged throughout Hesperia  a claim not supported by crime statistics. It was, he said, a result of the state of California releasing all these deadbeats into our community.

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Mayor Pro Tem Bill Holland said the city needed to purge itself of criminal outsiders the council believed were overrunning the city the same way you would call an exterminator to kill roaches. Same difference.

To target Greens houses, the city began enforcing an ordinance that made it illegal to run a group home in which two or more people were on probation. It also adopted a draconian rental ordinance, which required landlords to start eviction proceedings within 10 days of being notified by police that a tenant was suspected of criminal activity in or around the rental property. The law did not require the tenant to be arrested for the eviction proceedings to begin, and there was no way for a person to appeal.

As daily fines continued to pile up and her landlords moved to evict her, Green sued, claiming the group home and rental ordinances were illegal.

Last year, after U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte issued a preliminary injunction that halted the evictions and barred the city from enforcing its group home and rental ordinances against Greens landlords, the City Council repealed the group-home ordinance. A few months later it rewrote its rental law to make it voluntary and protect tenants rights.

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In the settlement agreement finalized last week, the city agreed to reimburse Green nearly $14,500 in fines it had imposed. It must also pay $470,000 in legal fees to the ACLU and other attorneys who represented Green.

This case affirms that excluding people in reentry from housing just to stigmatize and banish them is unconstitutional, said Adrienna Wong, staff attorney for the ACLU of Southern California. So is forcing landlords to evict tenants by labeling them nuisances without any kind of due process.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

Follow @joelrubin on Twitter
In blue California, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood has long bucked the liberal trend.

Hes fought Californias sanctuary state movement, asked that Kern be labeled a law and order county and stood up for deputies accused of misconduct.

When the county paid $3.4 million to the family of a man who died in a confrontation with his deputies, Youngblood opposed the settlement and chastised family members, wondering aloud whether they wished their loved one hadnt been a meth addict.

Now, the sheriff faces new questions.

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He was caught on videotape telling an employees union that it is better financially to kill suspects than to cripple them.

The release of the 12-year-old recording comes as the union representing Kern Countys jailers is endorsing Youngbloods opponent in the upcoming election.

Youngblood was seeking the unions endorsement in 2006 when he posed the question: When a deputy shoots somebody, which way is better financially? To cripple them or kill them, for the county?

Kill them? can be heard out of view of the camera. Absolutely, Youngblood responds, because if you cripple them you have to take care of them for life and that cost goes way up.

The minute-long video made public Monday by the union shows Youngblood during an interview before his 2006 election sitting at a table facing an audience. The sheriff, who is out of uniform, is discussing the union giving him an endorsement when the topic turns to the loss of life involving police and the matter of dollars and cents.

The sheriff said the difference between killing and wounding a person on the street or in custody is millions and millions of dollars.

When a guy makes a bad shooting on somebody and kills them? Three million bucks and the family goes away after a long back and forth, he said. When it happens in corrections, its a totally different ballgame.

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The remarks are particularly controversial because the Guardian newspaper in 2015 found that the county had the nations highest per capita rate of killings by police officers. The state attorney general and the American Civil Liberties Union have ongoing investigations into the department.

Youngblood in an interview Tuesday said that any implication he was encouraging deputies to kill is not true. I never inferred we shoot to kill. We dont shoot to wound. We shoot to stop a threat, he said.

The sheriff said his remarks were made 12 years ago before he was elected, and he was discussing an incident that led to charges against a deputy in the jail when the conversation branched to costs. He said he was trying to get across that just because someone does not die, does not mean it costs the county less. Those are my words, and if I did it again I would do it differently, he added.

The sheriff said Kern Countys economy has meant deputies have not had a pay raise in eight or nine years, and that is creating a lot of disenchantment and seems to be the reason for the videos release by the union.

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A Vietnam War veteran, Youngblood grew up working in the potato sheds around Bakersfield and said hes happiest hiking or riding his quarter horse, Sparky.

He has raised the ire of Democrats for his willingness to involve immigration authorities in his jails. Youngblood asked the county Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution that would declare Kern a law and order county, not a sanctuary county.

The American Civil Liberties Union last year issued a report critical of the force used by the Kern County Sheriffs Department and Bakersfield Police Department, accusing both agencies of shooting and killing people at a higher rate than comparable departments.

But it is Youngbloods management style that has led to a rebellion by some deputies. The 300-member detention officers union is actively campaigning for Youngbloods opponent, Justin Fleeman, a chief deputy. Fleeman has questioned Youngbloods use of resources, oversight and decision-making.

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In 2006, the same union endorsed Youngblood after the recording. All three unions representing deputies have endorsed Youngbloods challenger in the June primary.

The detention officers union in a Facebook post said the department is in desperate need of positive changes for the betterment of all of Kern County citizens.

Your Detention Deputies know it is time to elect a new Sheriff who will bring a fresh approach and new ideas.

The union has declined to make public the entire tape.

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richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

UPDATES:

5:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

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This article was originally published at 5:30 p.m.
Enrique Marquez Jr. knew he had a problem.

Lonely and in search of belonging, Marquez had been guided as a teenager by his friend and Riverside neighbor Syed Rizwan Farook to embrace a radical extremist version of Islam. Together they plotted terror attacks targeting students at a community college and drivers on the 91 Freeway.

Marquez eventually abandoned those plans and distanced himself from Farook. But Farook kept the two rifles Marquez had bought for him while they conspired. In the summer of 2015, as Marquez chatted online with friends, he seemed to feel an urgency to get them back, writing, Hope to god I can still retrieve those items.

Four months later Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, entered a holiday gathering for county employees at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino and, using the rifles Marquez had bought and never retrieved, opened fire. Fourteen people were killed and 22 injured.

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Marquez was at work when the attack happened, and prosecutors say he was not part of it. But last year, Marquez pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists in relation to the unfulfilled plots, and to acting as a straw buyer for Farook when he bought the two rifles.

He is scheduled to be sentenced April 30, though Marquezs attorneys have asked the court to postpone that date.

In transcripts of some of Marquezs online chats before his arrest, Marquez, now 26, describes some of the details of his radicalization, his apparent desire to retrieve the guns he purchased for Farook and his continued fascination with bomb-making, even after he abandoned plotting with Farook.

The transcripts were made public this week by prosecutors as part of a 177-page sentencing memorandum.

Prosecutors said Marquez has expressed genuine remorse for his crimes and helped authorities during a crucial time in the investigation into the attack. Still, they say that he should be sentenced in a way that sends a message to others that if they choose to arm a terrorist, they will be held accountable.

They argue Marquez should be given 25 years in prison with a lifetime of supervised release and pay restitution to the victims, though they acknowledge he has few resources.

Although defendant may have decided that he personally no longer wanted to commit terrorist acts, he did nothing to alert law enforcement of Rizwans violent jihad mindset, prosecutors wrote in the memo. It was with cold indifference that he left the weapons and explosives with his co-conspirator and mass murderer.

Marquezs defense attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.

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Marquez was about 14 when his family moved to Riverside. Farook lived next door and the two quickly grew close  Farook, who was about 18, introduced Marquez to Islam and began educating defendant about religion, prosecutors said.

I was lonely back in 2005, Marquez wrote in an online chat with friends years later. They made me feel as if I belonged.

In 2007, Marquez converted to Islam and Farook began introducing him to radical ideologies, prosecutors said.

Initially, it was pretty peaceful  over time I was exposed to the more extreme material, Marquez wrote in the summer of 2015.

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By 2011, Marquez was spending most of his time with Farook, listening to extremist lectures and watching extremist content online, prosecutors said.

That year, the two of them began plotting terror attacks on Southern California.

In one plot, they would throw pipe bombs and gun down students in the cafeteria at Riverside City College, where both had been students. In another, they would use pipe bombs to stop traffic during rush hour on the 91 Freeway and then shoot at drivers and first responders.

In 2011 and 2012, Marquez bought two rifles for Farook, who reimbursed him. He also bought a container of smokeless powder that could be used to make a bomb, and gave it to Farook.

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Marquez abandoned the plots in 2012, after four Inland Empire men were arrested on suspicion of plotting to travel to Afghanistan, join Al Qaeda and kill Americans.

In the online chats cited by the government, Marquez repeatedly shared the story of the four men and said that he knew two of them  though when asked by the FBI about that claim, Marquez denied actually knowing them.

In August 2015, he talked about retrieving the weapons. I might get imprisoned as a terrorist, Marquez wrote. The next month, prosecutors say he searched online for information on bomb-making and wrote in a chat, When I create my bomb, it will be undefusable.

When prosecutors searched Marquezs electronic devices after the attack, they found materials purportedly describing how to kill or make bombs.

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As part of their sentencing memo, prosecutors included letters written by seven family members and friends of the attack victims. Many described living with unrelenting grief in the two years since the mass shooting.

I question the value and meaning of life if it can be so easily ended by someone with [a] sick, personal agenda and access to automatic weapons, wrote James Bowman, whose brother Harry Bowman was killed.

Marion Bowman, Bowmans mother, wrote that she felt that 25 years was not long enough for Marquez to serve: The defendant knew getting guns & passing them on to someone who planned destruction is against the law.  He chose not to report the possibility of terrorist actions to the authorities.

Mandy Pifer, whose boyfriend Shannon Johnson died shielding a co-worker, wrote because of your weaponry, happily ever after only lasted a very short time. You stole one of the kindest men, on earth, away from us.

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paloma.esquivel@latimes.com

Twitter: @palomaesquivel
A vigil for the victim of a fatal hit-and-run crash in South L.A. Wednesday afternoon was broken up in dramatic fashion by yet another hit and run that was captured on video.

As pedestrians and bicyclists gathered at Manchester and Normandie avenues to mourn a bicyclist who was fatally struck by a car just a day and a half earlier, a gold-colored sedan barreled through the intersection and hit a man crossing the street, sending his body flying through the air, video from KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed.

The vehicle had run a red light and did not stop after hitting the pedestrian. The collision occurred about 1 p.m.

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Police said no one had been taken into custody in connection with the crash and the injured pedestrian was taken to the hospital.

The fact that a KTLA news camera was at the intersection was not coincidental. Mourners had gathered at the location after a bicyclist was hit by an SUV there in the previous hit and run, said Officer Luis Garcia.

The vehicle in that incident was described as a white Porsche Cayenne. The driver has not been taken into custody, Garcia said. The investigation into both crashes is ongoing.

A program aimed at eliminating traffic-related deaths in Los Angeles, called Vision Zero, has been slow to bring change to the city, data show.

During the second full year of the Vision Zero initiative, aimed at eliminating traffic deaths on city streets by 2025, the number of pedestrians killed rose 17% over the previous year and was up 82% since 2015.

Overall, Los Angeles lowered traffic deaths by 3% last year. Officials had initially said the reduction was 6%, but the figure changed after state officials revised the number of deaths in 2016 to 254 from 260.

Mayor Eric Garcettis 2015 executive order that created Vision Zero called for a 20% reduction in deaths by 2017. The 3% reduction last year falls far short of that.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

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For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

Staff writer Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted Wednesday to approve two new laws meant to smooth the way for housing homeless people.

Under one of the new laws, homeless housing projects that meet a list of requirements will be able to avoid a lengthy process at City Hall that includes environmental review and can trigger a public hearing. The new ordinance will also slash parking requirements and allow permanent supportive housing projects to be built taller or denser than otherwise allowed.

The law will allow homeless housing projects to go through our planning process a lot faster and for less cost, Councilman Jose Huizar said before the Wednesday vote. Thats really what this comes down to.

Planning officials estimate that those rules will ultimately make it possible to build up to an additional 200 units of homeless housing annually with government funds. Homeless advocates say it will help bolster the city goal of building 10,000 new units for homeless residents in a decade.

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The other law approved Wednesday will make it easier for motels to be converted temporarily into housing, providing another way to get people off the streets while new buildings are under construction.

Motels are infrastructure that already exist. Theyre often underutilized. And they could hold the key to creating housing right now for people, City Atty. Mike Feuer said before the vote.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said he plans to sign both ordinances into law this week. This crisis demands that we look at using every available resource  and cut as much time as we can out of the construction timeline  for housing that we need now, Garcetti said in a statement.

Some neighborhood groups have raised concerns about the new laws. Members of the community group Venice Vision have argued that the city is eliminating crucial protections for neighbors by allowing more homeless housing projects to proceed without environmental review or public hearings.

This is an important problem we need to solve, their attorney Jamie Hall told the council Wednesday. But we need to make sure that were thoughtful about this and that were not removing all of the protections that we have embodied into our law.

People are going to be shocked when they realize what has happened, Hall said after the meeting.

The Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council also opposed the permanent supportive housing ordinance amid concerns about proposed projects in its area, saying the law lacks rules to prevent new developments from creating an unfair burden for one community.

And in the San Fernando Valley, the Sylmar Neighborhood Council opposed the ordinance that would ease the way for converting motels, arguing that before approving a motel conversion, the city needs to provide more police presence, cleanups and other services to improve the surrounding areas.

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But numerous other neighborhood groups have thrown their support behind the new laws, citing the swelling number of people who bed down on city streets, in canyons and in cars. Business and nonprofit groups also urged the city to pass the ordinances.

Tommy Newman, director of public affairs for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, said the laws had gotten through City Hall with little controversy because the silent majority wants this supportive housing now.

These two ordinances are critical to effectuating the will of the voters, Newman said.

The new laws are being ushered in as Los Angeles politicians are under pressure to address a crisis that extends from Chatsworth to San Pedro. More than a year has passed since voters approved a $1.2-billion homeless housing bond and  months later  a county tax for homeless services.

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The same morning that lawmakers passed the new ordinances, a group of activists charged that the city had lagged in building homeless housing and publicly called on city leaders to turn the shuttered Parker Center, which served as the headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department for more than five decades, into homeless housing.

The council backed a $480-million plan last year to build a new 27-story office tower for city workers on the Parker Center site.

At the time, officials said it would be more expensive to preserve the structure and build an office tower next to it than to knock it down and erect a new tower. Officials also said that the building, designed by architect Welton Becket, is seismically unsafe.

The Coalition to Preserve L.A., which has been critical of how the city handles development and planning issues, argued that Parker Center could be renovated and ultimately house more than 700 homeless people.

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Its executive director, Jill Stewart, acknowledged it would take serious work to turn the building into housing, but said that the homeless crisis had provided a new urgency for saving Parker Center from demolition.

In reaction, Garcetti spokeswoman Anna Bahr said that we too are anxious to get homeless Angelenos into housing as quickly as possible  but we are looking for places that are not filled with asbestos, can withstand an earthquake, and would not cost so much to rehabilitate that we have no funds left for other shelters or services.

Bahr added that the city is developing dozens of other city parcels for affordable and supportive housing.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

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Twitter: @AlpertReyes
The Los Angeles County district attorneys office is reviewing a case of alleged sexual abuse involving Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, officials said Wednesday.

Yes. I can confirm our office did receive a case involving Kevin Spacey, Greg Risling, a spokesman for the district attorneys office, said in an email.

The investigation was referred to prosecutors April 5 by the L.A. County Sheriffs Department.

The departments Special Victims Bureau began an investigation into allegations of a sexual assault involving Spacey on Dec 11, 2017, Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.

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The events were reported to have taken place in October of 1992 in West Hollywood involving a male adult, she said.

The investigation was completed and presented to the district attorneys office Entertainment Industry Sex Crimes Task Force for review and filing consideration.

Officials have declined to give specifics about the allegation against Spacey, but the date of the alleged incident would make it impossible to prosecute.

Any sex crime involving an adult that occurred in 1992 would fall outside Californias statute of limitations. Two years ago, California lawmakers enacted a law eliminating the previous 10-year statute of limitations for rape  the most serious of sex crimes  but that does not include offenses prior to 2016.

The case is the first police investigation naming Spacey as a suspect in Los Angeles County.

LAPD Capt. Billy Hayes said Wednesday that his department does not have any investigations into Spacey.

Spacey, 58, the former artistic director of the Old Vic theater in London, already is the subject of multiple police investigations in Massachusetts and England.

He is the subject of at least three sex crime investigations by Londons Metropolitan Police. The Old Vic said it has received 20 allegations of inappropriate behavior involving him.

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Spacey also is facing criminal investigation in the United States after an 18-year-old reported to authorities in November that Spacey grabbed his genitals in a Nantucket, Mass., bar in 2016.

The two-time Oscar winner has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 15 men; the alleged incidents span his decades in film and on the stage. In October, actor Anthony Rapp alleged that in 1986, when Rapp was 14, Spacey made sexual advances toward him in a hotel room. Since then, several men have come forward to report incidents involving the actor.

After Rapp made his allegation, Spacey issued a statement saying he did not remember the incident but apologized for deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.

As the number of alleged incidents escalated, Netflix cut Spacey from his lead role in the award-winning series House of Cards. Ridley Scott also edited out Spacey from his lead role in All the Money in the World, reshooting parts of the film with Christopher Plummer as John Paul Getty Sr.

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Amid the wave of accusations, Spacey admitted himself to a sexual treatment facility in Arizona.

richard.winton@latimes.com

hailey.branson@latimes.com

UPDATES:

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3:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Nishida.

1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about allegations about Spacey.

This article was originally published at 1:30 p.m.
Travelers leaving Los Angeles International Airport by car, van, bus, shuttle or taxi have no choice but to wait at the chaotic curbside, often for more than half an hour, as drivers fight through crawling lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

But within five years, the defining experience of traveling in and out of LAX could change, as the city moves forward on an ambitious and long-awaited transit project that will connect the airport to Los Angeles Countys growing mass transit system.

To applause from a City Hall audience, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved up to $4.9 billion to design, build, operate and maintain an elevated train that will whisk passengers in and out of LAXs central terminal area and carry them to a car rental facility, a ground transportation hub and a station on the Metro Crenshaw Line.

The sleek people mover is a major part of L.A.s efforts to improve transportation in traffic-choked Southern California before the 2028 Summer Olympics. The project will break ground this year, and service is expected to begin in March 2023.

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Los Angeles World Airports progress toward a transportation system that provides an alternative to driving comes years  in some cases, decades  after other major world airports. As flight volumes grew and traffic worsened in Southern California, travelers learned that getting in and out of LAX could be chaotic, miserable and unpredictable.

So the short answer is, Hooray, finally,  said Genevieve Giuliano, a USC transportation planning professor. Los Angeles has lacked a feasible, reasonable connection to the airport for a really long time. Thats so important for a large airport thats stuck within a major metropolitan area.

(Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times )

Currently, passengers and airport employees who take transit to the airport must disembark from the Metro Green Line at the Aviation/LAX station and transfer to shuttle buses.

Original plans for the Green Line called for a direct rail connection to LAX. But in the early 1980s, people mover technology was not widely available  at least outside of Disneyland  and officials could not decide how to build the station inside the horseshoe terminal area. The extension was ultimately killed when the price tag on the 20-mile Norwalk-to-Redondo Beach line tripled.

Still, construction crews built a rail line stub branching off the Green Line, pointing hopefully toward the airport. Those tracks have now been connected to the Crenshaw Line, the 8.5-mile light-rail route slated to begin service late next year.

A $200-million Metro station at 96th Street and Aviation Boulevard will serve as a transfer point from transit to the people mover. Reaching LAXs terminals from the rail station should take less than 10 minutes, airport officials said.

The people mover trains will be driverless and will run on smaller tracks than a light-rail vehicle. Trains will run every two minutes, 24 hours a day, and will be able to carry about 10,000 people per hour.

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The train will make three stops in the center of LAXs arrivals and departures area, where passengers will be able to connect to nearby terminals on moving walkways.

The people mover train will stop three times in the central airport, with moving walkways that will connect travelers to each terminal. (LAWA )

East of the airport, the people mover will connect to a ground transportation hub where travelers can wait to be picked up by a friend or a ride-share driver, or board shuttle buses to nearby hotels or parking lots  improvements that officials say should significantly reduce traffic near the terminals.

If theres a central place to drop people off and pick them up outside the oval, youre going to have much better circulation, Giuliano said.

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The people movers final stop, near the 405 Freeway, will be a consolidated car rental facility. The massive development on land that was once the Manchester Square neighborhood will eliminate the need for the lumbering rental car shuttles that account for 1 in 5 curbside airport boardings.

The contract to build and run the people mover is one of the largest in city history. The group of companies that won the contract is known as LAX Integrated Express Solutions, or LINXS. Member companies include rail car manufacturer Bombardier Transportation and construction giant Fluor Enterprises.

The groups bid of $4.895 billion was 4% lower than airport officials estimates and $700 million lower than other bidders, officials said. It includes a construction estimate of $1.95 billion.

The airport will make six lump-sum payments to the LINXS group between 2019 and 2022 as it meets construction benchmarks, officials said.

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That financial arrangement is common in Europe, and is designed to encourage solid construction, since the same group of companies will be paying to maintain and operate the system, Giuliano said.

Stiff penalties are built into the contract to discourage cost overruns and schedule delays, some of the most frequent issues with Southern California construction projects.

About $3.8 billion of the costs to build and run the project will come from airport revenues. The LINXS consortium will issue tax-exempt bonds to pay for the rest of the project, and the airport will pay the financing costs, leading to a total cost of up to $4.9 billion, officials said.

During the 25-year operating period, airport officials will make annual payments to cover operating and maintenance costs. When the 25 years are up, in 2048, the business group will return the people mover to LAX with at least five years of useful life left in the system, officials said.

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laura.nelson@latimes.com

For more transportation news, follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.

UPDATES:

4:50 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction and additional background.

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This article was originally published at 12:45 p.m.
Los Angeles lawmakers tentatively backed new rules Tuesday that would bar Angelenos from renting out a house or apartment to night-to-night guests if it is not their primary residence, a rule meant to prevent homes from being turned into de facto hotels.

The draft regulations would also cap such rentals at 120 days annually. But hosts could get city permission to exceed that cap if they do not have multiple or outstanding citations from city departments.

Even if they have gotten such citations, hosts would still have a chance to go through a more rigorous process and make their case to the planning department, which could hold a hearing to decide whether lifting the annual cap would help or harm the community.

City Councilman Jose Huizar said the goal was to help good, neighborly hosts and flush out the bad operators who are simply using these homes for investment properties.

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The proposed rules, which were backed Tuesday by a council committee, still must be approved by the entire council. The draft regulations will also head back to the Planning Commission, whose members are appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, for another round of review before the council can give them final approval, city officials said Tuesday.

L.A. lawmakers first proposed regulating short-term rentals nearly three years ago, seeking to regulate a practice that has boomed with the rise of online platforms such as Airbnb.

Airbnb and its hosts say such rentals provide an economic lifeline to Angelenos and pump tourist spending into new neighborhoods across the city. But housing advocates, neighborhood activists and the hotel industry argue that without enforceable regulations, such night-to-night rentals have disrupted neighborhoods and exacerbated the housing crisis for poor renters.

Housing and neighborhood activists argued that Los Angeles should impose a cap of 90 days annually to discourage housing from being turned over to tourists who can pay higher rates.

Among the hundreds of people who crowded the Tuesday hearing was Kendall Mayhew, who said she had been evicted last year and her former apartment was now being rented out on Airbnb.

Mayhew told council members that her new home costs $600 more per month, forcing her and her partner to spend half their income on rent. We have to protect peoples need to have housing before peoples need to have a business, Mayhew said.

Some critics have also challenged the idea of allowing hosts to exceed the annual cap: In a letter to lawmakers, Brentwood attorney Raymond Klein argued that the city needed to prepare an environmental impact report to look at negative effects on housing stock, noise and traffic in residential areas that could be turned into commercial zones of mini-hotels.

Airbnb representatives and hosts, in turn, argued that the city should not make it excessively complicated and costly to get city permission to exceed the annual cap. Some argued that the draft rules would force them out of their homes or throw them into financial peril.

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Peggy Sturdivant, a 64-year-old retiree who lives in the Leimert Park area, said that renting out a spare bedroom to out-of-towners coming for Rams games or USC graduations had helped her cover her mortgage. She cannot take on a tenant in that bedroom, Sturdivant said, because her elderly mother comes and stays with her from time to time.

Under the proposed rules, she would have to cut back on how often she rents out that bedroom or pay fees to get city permission to exceed the cap. City officials say those exact fees are still being determined, but at one point estimated they could exceed $1,100, or run as high as $5,660 for the more exhaustive process.

It would really hurt, Sturdivant said. This is a way to try and make it.

The proposed rules have also alarmed people who rent out something other than their primary residence  such as a vacation home  for short stays.

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Philip Minardi, director of policy communications for the vacation rental platform HomeAway, said the restrictions would be disastrous for people who rely on such rentals for income, visitors and local businesses.

Before the Tuesday hearing, planning officials had suggested allowing neighbors to weigh in on whether a rental host could exceed the 120-day cap. If neighbors balked, the city would make the hosts go through a more exhaustive process before deciding whether to let them go over the limit. Hosts had argued against that, saying neighbors might make arbitrary or discriminatory decisions.

During the meeting, Huizar moved to eliminate that requirement, saying that neighbors would simply be notified. That troubled Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who argued that neighbors should have more say in whether a host can rent out their home to travelers for most of the year.

Its too much like having no cap at all, Blumenfield said Tuesday.

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Blumenfield unsuccessfully proposed an alternative plan, in which the city would require a rental host seeking to exceed the annual cap to go through the more rigorous process if a majority of their neighbors objected to the idea. No one else on the committee backed it.

Planning officials have long said that renting out apartments or houses for fewer than 30 days at a time is illegal in many residential areas, but the city has rarely enforced those restrictions.

Last month, the city attorney lost a battle with a businessman who was accused of running an illegal hotel in Venice Beach, when a judge ruled that nothing in city codes prohibited him from renting out apartments at his building for short stays. Tenant activists argued that the decision underscored the need for the city to swiftly adopt new rules to protect housing.

Under the proposed regulations, Angelenos cannot offer an apartment for short stays if it is covered by rent stabilization rules or an affordable housing covenant.

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Hosts would be required to register with the city or face fines of at least $500 a day for advertising an illegal rental. And Airbnb and similar platforms could also be fined $1,000 daily for illegal listings or for refusing to hand over the addresses of unregistered rentals.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlpertReyes
Volker, Normandy Four diplomats to promote idea of deploying UN peacekeepers to Donbas - Yeliseyev

U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker and diplomatic representatives of the Normandy Four states will continue to work on the possible deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to the occupied territory of the Donbas, Deputy Head of Ukraine's Presidential Administration Kostiantyn Yeliseyev has said.

"It is very important that we also agree on further steps today. The next step is that experts will continue their work. These are diplomatic advisers, including with the involvement of U.S. Special Representative Kurt Volker," Yeliseyev told reporters in Berlin on Tuesday, April 10.

According to him, experts will discuss details of the deployment of a peacekeeping force.

"The finer details will be discussed at the level of experts," he added.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was on an official visit to Germany on April 10. He held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
A man has been ordered to pay nearly $6.5 million to an ex-girlfriend who accused him of spreading intimate photos of her online and soliciting sex from strangers on her behalf, a judgment her attorney says is one of the largest in a non-celebrity revenge porn case.

A federal judge issued a default judgment last week against David Elam II after he failed to respond or show up to court proceedings. The award covers $3 million in both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as $450,000 in damages for spreading copyrighted images, according to federal court records.

This was a long road and we are very, very satisfied with the result, said Seth Gold, an attorney who represented the unnamed woman, referred to in court records as Jane Doe. We believe it sends the message that this is a serious violation of a persons rights.

Elam could not be reached for comment.

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According to court records, Elam and the woman started dating in late 2012 in Los Angeles, where the woman lived while attending school. They continued their relationship when Elam moved to Virginia. During that time, the woman sent Elam sexually explicit photos and videos of herself that he agreed to keep private, the woman alleged in court records.

After their breakup in May 2013, Elam called the woman and threatened to ruin her life, she alleged in her complaint. He then used suggestive photographs of her to create a profile on online dating site OkCupid, distributing her phone number and address while encouraging users to send sexual images of themselves, the complaint said.

The woman received about 30 messages from strangers, some of whom sent explicit images. One man said he was on his way to her home.

Photos and an explicit video of her were also posted on several pornography websites and another dating website. By July 2013, when the material was posted to a revenge porn website, shed had most of it copyrighted.

The woman sued Elam in federal court in 2014, about a year after Californias revenge porn law took effect. That law makes it a crime to distribute intimate photos or videos of someone without their consent, knowing it will cause emotional distress.

Revenge porn is a very serious violation of a persons rights and can lead to grave injuries, Gold said. We pursued this case in an effort to right a wrong that our client suffered.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek
A lawyer for the U.S. government asked a federal appeals court in San Francisco on Wednesday to overturn a nationwide injunction blocking enforcement of President Trumps executive order against so-called sanctuary cities.

The executive order, which Trump issued five days after taking office, said local governments that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities were not eligible for federal grants.

During a hearing on the order, Acting Assisstant Atty. Gen. Chad A. Readler told the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the directive imperiled only three grants, not massive funding, and that the injunction was premature and overly broad.

Readler pointed to the wording of Trumps order, which directed it to be enforced consistent with law.

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That could hardly be a direct threat to take away all of your federal dollars, Readler said.

A three-judge 9th Circuit panel of two Democratic appointees and one Republican are viewing the injunction issued last year by U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick III, an President Obama appointee based in San Francisco.

Orrick decided in April 2017 that the sanctuary order was unconstitutional and could not be enforced nationwide.

Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas, a President Clinton appointee, appeared skeptical of the Trump administrations position.

He noted during the hearing that Trump made a lot of statements showing he wanted to strip sanctuary jurisdictions of federal funding.

I think the district court was really relying on those statements, Thomas said.

The case was brought by San Francisco and Santa Clara County, which feared they could lose massive amounts of money unless they refused to follow policies adopted by their local lawmakers.

They argued that Trumps order violated the 10th Amendments protection of states from federal interference.

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After they sued the Trump administration, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum specifying only three different law enforcement grants that sanctuary cities and counties risked losing.

Lawyers for San Francisco and Santa Clara County told the 9th Circuit that the memorandum did not bind the Department of Homeland Security and conflicted with what the president said he intended in issuing his order.

The point of this order is to use federal dollars as a weapon to defund sanctuary cities that dont comply with the policy the president prefers, said Deputy San Francisco City Atty. Christine Van Aken.

Even though cooler heads in the Justice Department later said only three grants were at risk, we shouldnt be required to simply trust the federal government on this, Van Aken said.

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Judge Ronald M. Gould, another Clinton appointee, asked why the injunction should be nationwide.

The harm from his executive order is nationwide, Van Aken replied. At the least it should be aimed at the entire state of California because some federal funds flow through the state to cities, she said.

Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez, the third member of the panel and an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, did not ask any questions.

The panel did not indicate when it would rule.

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Earlier this year, the Trump administration sued California over three state laws designed to protect immigrants. Legal analysts said at least two of the laws might be legally vulnerable.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan
The water in the Silver Lake Reservoir is looking a little green these days.

And, like Kermit the Frog says, its not easy being green. The waters new hue has some residents talking, of late. Some have speculated on social media that the change was caused by chemicals. Or urine. Or that its just different lighting when photos are posted.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power says its fine.

Natural lakes and raw water reservoirs can typically change color, such as green to green blue in the spring and summer months, the department said in a statement. This can affect water color but has no effect on the water quality.

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LADWP says it is monitoring the reservoir and that data collected from water-quality testing did not indicate unfavorable water quality such as an algae bloom. The current levels of algae, the department said, are not uncommon and would not be expected to have any adverse effects on wildlife or the ecosystem and that algae growth naturally increases and decreases in cycles.

The reservoir  the scenic centerpiece of the hilly neighborhood named after it  no longer holds potable water. After more than a century of service, it was disconnected in December 2013 from the citys drinking-water system as part of a federal mandate to phase out open-air drinking-water reservoirs. The lost drinking-water storage has been replaced by an underground reservoir near Griffith Park.

Aerial view of Silver Lake Reservoir with the smaller Ivanhoe Reservoir in the foreground and downtown Los Angeles in the distance on May 29, 2012. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times )

Silver Lake Reservoir was drained in 2015 so LADWP could build a new water pipeline beneath it. The reservoir became an unsightly concrete basin, with construction trucks, equipment and sprawling weeds.

It was refilled last year, slightly ahead of schedule, city officials said, because of an influx of water flowing through the citys aqueduct system following the wettest winter in nearly a century.

Amid the spring greening, LADWP says it will continue to monitor the quality of the water and will treat it for algae control if needed.

As long as everyones being really transparent about it, unlike the water, we should be fine, one man told Fox 11.

I mean, I could smell it more than I used to be able to smell it, so I know that, you know, the water is settling, he said. There was grass growing underneath. We watched it grow, and what happens to plant life when its sitting kind of still in the water?

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The long-term plan for the reservoir, according to LADWP, includes the installation of aeration and recirculation systems that will help slow the growth of algae in the water. The systems currently are under design, and construction is expected by fall of 2020.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson
Mike Pompeo faces his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday to become secretary of State as the Trump administration grapples with a mounting series of international crises and challenges, including probable U.S. air raids in Syria, a likely withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and a possible summit with North Korea.

If confirmed, the CIA director and Republican former member of Congress will take over a State Department that has been badly depleted by senior staff departures and a shrinking budget under President Trump.

Pompeos confirmation isnt assured. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has a one-vote Republican majority  and one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, already has announced his opposition.

If Pompeo does not gain any Democrats votes, the committee likely will pass his nomination without recommendation to the full Senate for a vote. That would prove embarrassing but not necessarily fatal since Pompeo has allies in Congress.

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In many ways, the confirmation battle is shaping up as a congressional referendum on Trumps mercurial foreign policy, rather than on Pompeos diplomatic skills. Pompeos odds werent helped when Trump chose John Bolton, an arch-conservative, as his national security advisor. Bolton took office Monday.

Pompeo has courted committee Democrats and other senators in closed-door meetings. At least in public, most senators remained noncommittal.

This was a valuable opportunity to hear his views on the diplomatic challenges facing our country around the globe, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), a member of the committee. I look forward to asking him more questions during his confirmation hearing.

Pompeo also reached out to former secretaries of State, including Hillary Clinton and John F. Kerry, whom he railed against when they served under President Obama.

Pompeo, a member of Congress from Kansas for six years until January 2017, when Trump tapped him for the CIA, is seen as more hawkish on international issues than his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, whom Trump fired last month.

While in Congress, he strongly opposed the 2015 deal to limit Irans nuclear weapons capability, and he is expected to back Trumps vows to withdraw from the international accord as soon as next month.

Pompeo struck a more diplomatic position on Capitol Hill, however.

Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the committee, said Pompeo told him he preferred to fix not nix the agreement, but was prepared to withdraw from it.

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Cardin voted against Pompeo as CIA director last year. But even some Democrats who backed Pompeo then appeared reluctant this time.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), another committee member, voted for Pompeo last year, for example, but said he now has concerns that Pompeo would resort to military action over diplomatic negotiation.

I just want to understand his temperament, Kaine said.

Sen. Paul, the only Republican to vote against Pompeo for CIA director, said he will oppose him again because of Pompeos defense, while in Congress, of the CIAs use of harsh interrogation methods that critics called torture.

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Pompeo, 54, was born in Orange, Calif., and graduated from the West Point. He served as an Army officer before he moved to Wichita, Kan., and began working in the defense industry business  and then politics.

Unlike many in the Cabinet, Pompeo has stayed in Trumps good graces. When the president nominated Pompeo, he emphasized the bonds they share, saying they were always on the same wave length.

If confirmed, Pompeo will need to remain in Trumps favor while also building a constituency at the State Department, where foreign policy veterans have quit or retired in droves rather than carry out Trumps policies.

The Senate committee is likely to grill Pompeo about past comments that activists regard as offensive to Muslims and gay people. They include Pompeos comments to an evangelical church group in 2014 when he called the fight against terrorism a holy war in which Christianity is truly the only solution for our world.

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The Anti-Defamation League has documented Pompeos association with anti-Muslim organizations and has criticized his opposition to same-sex marriage. He called the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality a shocking abuse of power that he would not cease to fight against.

The ADL, in a letter, urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to give intense scrutiny to Pompeos views and rigorously question his ability to represent the highest American human rights values abroad.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations and several liberal groups, including the pro-Israel J Street lobbyists, called for senators to oppose Pompeo. Theyve staged petitions drives and other demonstrations to push the point.

If he is confirmed, Pompeo will have a full agenda. Trump is expected to authorize a military attack on Syria in coming days. He has vowed to withdraw from the Iran deal on May 12 unless it is revised. And he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jung Un in late May or early June to discuss the nuclear impasse with Pyongyang.

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Pompeo has gotten briefings at the State Department. But there, too, he is working at a disadvantage.

As of March 23, only two of seven under-secretary of State positions and 14 of 22 assistant secretary of State posts had been nominated or confirmed, according to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a foreign-policy advocacy group that tracks administration appointments.

In addition, 37 ambassador posts remain open without nominations, including hot spots such as South Korea, Turkey and Jordan.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

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For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter
President Trump meets with military leaders and national security staff Monday ahead of a decision on Syria. (Jim Lo Salzo / EPA/Shutterstock )

As Pentagon planners ready a possible military response to a suspected poison gas attack in Syria, one danger has sparked special concern  whether U.S. airstrikes may inadvertently kill Russian soldiers in Syria and escalate the regional war into a confrontation between Washington and Moscow.

For the record: An earlier version of this article misspelled former senior Pentagon official Derek Chollets last name as Chollett.

The chances of a potential clash would increase if President Trump opts for a heavy bombardment, employing not only Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from Navy ships offshore  as he did last year after a previous chemical attack  but also manned bombers and other warplanes to strike multiple targets in Syria, current and former officials say.

Although Trump said Monday that he would make a major decision in 24 to 48 hours, the timing of a U.S.-led strike could be delayed by Syrias announcement Tuesday that it will allow international chemical weapons inspectors into the country to investigate Saturdays attack, which left about 50 people dead in the rebel-held town of Duma, as well as by the need for the Pentagon and U.S. allies to get sufficient military forces in place.

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Trump canceled his planned trip to Colombia and Peru, which was scheduled to start Friday, so he could focus on the crisis. He spoke Tuesday with British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron and the White House said they agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue, suggesting a joint operation is being planned.

Trump also met Tuesday with the emir of Qatar, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, whose country hosts a major U.S. air base likely to be involved if Trump sends manned warplanes against Syria.

Qatar and the U.S. see eye to eye, the emir said, adding we cant tolerate a war criminal, someone who killed 500,000 of his own people.

Clearly neither Moscow nor Washington wants a direct conflict in Syria. The U.S. has about 2,000 troops deployed chiefly in the countrys north, where they support Kurdish troops fighting Islamic State. The Pentagon uses a so-called deconfliction hotline from its air base in Qatar to make sure U.S. and Russian aircraft avoid each other in Syrian airspace.

The Russian military contingent in Syria is slightly smaller  estimated at fewer than 2,000 troops and fewer than 100 warplanes. So the U.S. and its allies could carry out targeted reprisals on Syrian military targets with limited risk of causing Russian casualties, especially if the U.S. warns Moscow ahead of the strikes, U.S. officials say.

But Trump has raised the possibility that Moscow could face some sort of retaliation as well, warning Tuesday that Russia or any other nation found to share responsibility with Syria for the suspected gas attack would pay a price.

Pentagon officials are probably urging Trump to target factories where Syrian President Bashar Assads forces are preparing chlorine and other chemical agents used against rebels and civilians, assuming those are known.

They also probably would target the Syrian security units that carried out last weekends attack, reportedly using helicopters to drop barrel bombs, and the governments command and control facilities, said Derek Chollet, a former senior Pentagon official who worked on Syria in the Obama administration.

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Most likely what the U.S. will do is warn the Russians in advance and then use missile strikes to target Assad regime facilities of some sort instead of a wider bombing campaign, said Ilan Goldenberg, a Syria expert at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington policy analysis organization.

If Trump approves a more punishing campaign, U.S. commanders are likely to insist on taking out Syrias air defense systems, which reportedly include sophisticated Russian-supplied S-400 ground-to-air missile batteries.

Pentagon officials would be wary about telling Russia the timing or targets of an air raid, fearing Moscow would pass the intelligence to Assads forces and help them shoot down allied jets.

The U.S. also could use radar jamming and low-level aircraft to defeat the Syria defenses. U.S. warplanes have flown over Syria for four years to find and destroy Islamic State forces, said Chollet. None have been shot down.

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Theres a lot we know about Assads air defenses, said Chollet. So were much more capable of managing the risk to our planes.

To reduce the risk, U.S. warplanes could launch so-called long-range standoff air-to-ground missiles, which are capable of striking Syrian targets without the pilot entering the nations airspace.

Israel has used those missiles repeatedly in recent years to strike Syria, most recently on Monday when missiles slammed into an air base in central Syria. Israel has not confirmed launching the attack, which reportedly killed 14 people, including seven Iranians.

The Navy has a destroyer armed with cruise missiles in the eastern Mediterranean, and U.S. warplanes based around the region could be used for a major air campaign, Pentagon officials said.

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An aircraft carrier strike group, including the carrier Harry Truman as well as a guided-missile cruiser and four guided-missile destroyers, is due to leave Norfolk, Va., on Wednesday for the Middle East. But it wont be in position to launch attacks on Syria for at least a week, officials said.

Syrian government forces and their allies were on alert Tuesday and taking precautionary measures at military bases and posts in government-held areas amid fears of a U.S. strike, war monitors said.

Hundreds of Russian contractors and mercenaries are reported to be working in Syria. On Feb. 7, U.S. airstrikes hit a Syrian-backed militia as it approached a valuable oil and gas field held by U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria. Russia later acknowledged that five of the dead were Russian citizens, but the incident drew little attention and Moscow did not publicly complain, in part because the deconfliction line was used to try to warn the column away.

If any Russians are killed in U.S. reprisals for Saturdays attack, Moscow could step up harassment of U.S. warplanes and outposts in the region, former officials say.

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Both Syria and Russia insist the chemical attack did not happen and that graphic photographs of the victims were staged. Russian officials have also threatened unspecified repercussions if the U.S. and its allies carry out their plans to attack Syria.

The United States is convinced some sort of chemical weapon was used, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday, adding that the chemical agent is still undetermined.

We know a substance was used but we dont right now know exactly what, she said. Only certain players have these weapons ... and delivery systems.

david.cloud@latimes.com

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Twitter: @davidcloudLAT

Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson contributed to this report.
Sinclair Broadcast Group has once again mobilized its local television stations to criticize media competitors, accusing CNN on Tuesday of dishonesty and hypocrisy.

Sinclair, which owns 193 television stations and often broadcasts must-run conservative commentary, has been in the news since a video compilation went viral showing Sinclair news anchors reading a corporate script condemning one-sided news stories and bias  echoing President Trumps attacks on journalists.

In the backlash, CNN media reporter Brian Stelter came down hard on the network for the mandated messaging. Many Sinclair journalists werent happy with their corporate leaders either.

Sinclair Chief Executive Chris Ripley tried to reassure employees in an internal memo Tuesday, writing that local journalists had borne the brunt of the politically motivated backlash.

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It is important that we do not let extremists on any side of the political fence bully us because they do not like what they hear or see, he added.

Then later in the day, banners went up atop the homepages of Sinclairs television news stations. That space is usually reserved for news. This time, it was for another corporate message.

CNNs hypocritical attack on Sinclair, it said. A link led to a YouTube video, created by Sinclair, accusing Stelter of dishonesty and hypocrisy.

The video, which did not run on Sinclairs television broadcasts, showed clips of Stelter warning audiences of the dangers of fake news.

Does CNN really think a warning about fake news is Trumps rhetoric? the narrator in the Sinclair video asks.

For CNN to politicize Sinclairs journalistic commitment promos is hypocritical and shameful, Ronn Torossian, the president of 5W Public Relations, an outside firm hired by Sinclair Broadcasting, said in a statement. The video we produced which highlights this dishonestly is on all of our websites.

Stelter fired back on Twitter: Theres a huge difference between my coverage and Sinclairs mandatory promos. No one tells me what to say. But these anchors were told exactly what to say.

These promos became a story because Sinclair staffers spoke up and said they were uncomfortable, he wrote. They said theyd never seen anything like this before.

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Several Sinclair journalists interviewed by The Times on Tuesday  speaking on the condition of anonymity, for fear of being fired or sued by the company  were dismayed by the companys use of local TV news sites as a corporate attack platform.

Never have they done something like this, a producer said in a text message. Im mortified. Like on the verge of tears.

Oh my god. This is ridiculous. Its so duplicitous, a reporter wrote in a direct message on Twitter.

He accused the company of not being forthright about its intentions to criticize other media outlets. Its like, Oh, that ad? No, that ad was about fake news on Facebook. But then were STILL using our local news sites to attack CNN. People arent stupid. People know whats going on here.

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Theyre using their local stations as attack pawns, a Sinclair anchor said in a direct message on Twitter. Theyre stealing the credibility our news organization has built up in this community over the years.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

Matt Pearce is a national reporter for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @mattdpearce.

More national headlines
U.S. prosecutors say their evidence against notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman includes killings, torture, kidnappings, prison breaks and even an attempt to smuggle seven tons of cocaine in cans of jalapenos.

A government memo filed Tuesday also says theres evidence that Guzman was involved in a 1992 drug-gang shootout at a Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, nightclub that left six people dead.

Guzmans lawyer, Eduardo Balarezo, said he was reviewing the memo and would respond in due course.

Guzmans trial is set to begin September in Brooklyn.

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On Monday, the defense requested the criminal histories of drug lords, couriers, enforcers and accountants that prosecutors may put on the stand.

The list includes about 40 witnesses, including some who might be allowed to testify under aliases.

Prosecutors said they also had satellite photos of Guzman and his operation, drug ledgers, dozens of videos, thousands of intercepted phone calls and emails, and more than 300,000 pages of documents.

The government also has asked the judge to exclude some topics, including charitable works that Guzman performed in Mexico; his recent announcement through a lawyer that he was planning to run from his New York jail cell for the Mexican Senate; and a January 2016 Rolling Stone article by actor Sean Penn, which said Guzman had built an almost mythic, multifaceted reputation, including that of a Robin Hood-like figure.
Federal prosecutors investigating President Trumps personal attorney, Michael Cohen, are seeking records related to two women who received payments in 2016 after alleging affairs with Trump years ago  porn actress Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The interest in both Daniels and McDougal indicates that federal investigators are trying to determine whether there was a broader pattern or strategy among Trump associates to buy the silence of women whose accounts could harm the presidents electoral chances and whether any crimes were committed in doing so, the person said.

The high stakes of the case were underscored by the involvement of Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who personally approved the move to seek a search warrant for Cohens records, which included raids Monday on his home and office, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation.

Rosensteins role has infuriated Trump, who was left stunned and livid by the aggressive move by prosecutors Monday, according to an outside advisor in frequent touch with the White House.

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Cohen, Trumps longtime attorney, is under federal investigation for possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations, the Washington Post reported Monday.

The New York Times first reported prosecutors interest in McDougal.

The former Playmate has said she had a 10-month relationship with Trump beginning in 2006 and then sold her story to American Media Inc., which publishes the National Enquirer, for $150,000 about three months before the 2016 election.

David Pecker, chief executive of AMI, is a personal friend of Trump. No story about McDougal ever appeared in the publication, a tabloid practice sometimes referred to as catch and kill.

AMI spokesman Jon Hammond did not respond to questions about whether the company had been contacted by federal investigators.

American Media Inc. has, and will continue to, comply with any and all requests that do not jeopardize or violate its protected sources or materials pursuant to our 1st Amendment rights, Hammond said.

McDougals attorney, Peter Stris, declined to comment on the Cohen investigation.

The search warrants served Monday on Cohens Rockefeller Center office and home sought his personal financial information and client communications, including records related to Daniels, who was paid $130,000 by the Trump lawyer just days before the 2016 election in what she described as an effort to buy her silence.

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The raids, which also swept up communications between Cohen and Trump, left the White House scrambling to contain yet another crisis in an administration rife with them.

Some White House allies think that this one, like many of the administrations pockets of turbulence, was brought on by Trump himself  specifically, by comments he made last week aboard Air Force One, when he claimed he had no knowledge of the payment Cohen made to Daniels, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

As news of the raid on his personal attorney unfolded, Trump followed cable news reports, and privately griped about Rosenstein, who also oversees the special counsel investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 campaign. Many in the presidents orbit think Rosensteins position is currently the most endangered if the president decides to take action to try to halt the probe, according to people familiar with the situation.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Wednesday, April 11, and heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism Tuesday from senators in a Capitol Hill hearing that has amounted to a reckoning on how technology companies obtain and profit from personal data. Clad in a dark suit and bright blue tie rather than his signature gray T-shirt, Zuckerberg offered contrition for his companys mishandling of personal information from up to 87 million unsuspecting Facebook users that landed in the hands of Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that worked on the Trump campaign. But the session also highlighted how unprepared Congress is to impose game-changing rules on the worlds biggest social network. Los Angeles Times

 Heres how political campaigns target you online. Los Angeles Times

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 Investors are probably happy, for now. Wall Street Journal

 Zuckerbergs Im sorry suit, a fashion review. New York Times

Quite the water bill

Southern Californias biggest water agency voted Tuesday to shoulder most of the cost of replumbing the troubled center of the states vast waterworks, committing nearly $11 billion to the construction of two massive water tunnels. The approval pushes ahead a controversial infrastructure project that has dominated discussions of how to halt the steep ecological decline of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta  a decline that has threatened water deliveries to the states most populous region. Los Angeles Times

 Is Californias focus on the tunnels missing the larger problems with water and the environment? Sacramento Bee

 Another bullet train in the making? Orange County Register

 The lesson from Chinatown isnt what you might expect. GV Wire

Theres trouble in Inglewood

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When the California Department of Education stepped in to save Inglewoods schools after decades of mismanagement, it had a mandate to bring financial stability. Instead, the district has cycled through three leaders  not including interim appointees  chosen by State Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. None has stayed long. The chaos of constant turnover has contributed to uncertainty over whether the school system can still be saved. Los Angeles Times

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L.A. STORIES

The waiting game: A sexual-assault prosecution of Harvey Weinstein would be, according to legal experts, the case of the century. So the stakes are high for the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. Los Angeles Times

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Crash update: Delano police say immigration agents gave statements that conflicted with surveillance footage after a crash in which two immigrants in the country illegally died while fleeing. Los Angeles Times

Big changes: For the first time since the early 1990s, Metro is gearing up to totally restructure its sprawling bus network. Curbed LA

Batter up: The Dodgers will host the 2020 All-Star Game, the first time since 1980 that the team has hosted the mid-summer event. Los Angeles Times

Awww: Three puppies were found at a San Gabriel Valley park and police are looking for their owners, but for now the dogs are getting a lot of love. San Gabriel Valley Tribune

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IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

South of the border: The widespread killings of candidates have cast a shadow over Mexican elections. Los Angeles Times

A pricey way in: The surest path to a green card may be an investor visa  at least for anybody with $500,000 to spare. Los Angeles Times

But wait, theres more: A ruling by a San Diego federal judge allowing construction of President Trumps border wall to go ahead will be appealed by two entities opposed to the wall, including Californias attorney general. San Diego Union-Tribune

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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

On the campaign trail: Delaine Eastin is one of the lesser-known gubernatorial candidates and the only female one. So she is barnstorming the state, appearing in all of Californias 58 counties. Los Angeles Times

Plus: Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday endorsed Sen. Dianne Feinsteins reelection bid. Los Angeles Times

On the horizon: Ahead of its first legislative committee hearing scheduled for next week, a Bay Area lawmaker has narrowed his bill aimed at building more housing near transit across California. Los Angeles Times

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CRIME AND COURTS

Major impact: Sacramento police have issued their first written policy on when officers may turn off body cameras after two officers muted their microphones following the fatal shooting of an unarmed man in his grandparents backyard. Los Angeles Times

Following up: Ten months after a man who had a toy gun was shot by Los Angeles police, then run over by an uncontrolled patrol car, police commissioners determined that the officers were justified in using deadly force. Los Angeles Times

San Bernardino update: The U.S. Attorneys Office will recommend 25 years in prison for Enrique Marquez Jr., the Riverside man who bought the two semi-automatic rifles and explosive powder used by two terrorists in the Dec. 2, 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino that killed 14 and wounded 22. Press-Enterprise

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Remember the Turpins? California lawmakers are considering how to regulate home schools after the couple were arrested on suspicion of keeping their 17-year-old daughter and her dozen siblings in squalid conditions where they were tortured and shackled to beds. NPR

On video: Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, who is running for reelection, once said it was better financially to kill suspects than to cripple them. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Rocky road: Roseanne Barrs roller coaster Hollywood ride. Los Angeles Times

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How democracy dies: Democracy cannot succeed without a healthy, free press. So the owners of the press must be committed to its vital role, even if it reduces their profit, writes Mercury News editor Neil Chase  of his papers owner. Mercury News

Sign of the times: Even before President Trump threatened a barrage of tariffs on Chinese goods, foreign direct investment by China into the U.S. dropped more than a third  to $29 billion in 2017 from $46 billion the previous year. Los Angeles Times

Plus: How will this trend affect California? San Francisco Chronicle

Marvel mayhem: Read the wild story of how Marvel founder Stan Lees daughter may be taking advantage of her wealthy father. The Hollywood Reporter

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$$$$: Two of the United States richest ZIP Codes are in Silicon Valley. Los Angeles 90067 comes in as the seventh-richest. Bloomberg

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: sunny, 75, Wednesday; sunny, 70, Thursday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 67, Wednesday; sunny, 65, Thursday; San Francisco area: showers, 57, Wednesday; cloudy, 57, Thursday. Sacramento: rainy, 62, Wednesday; partly cloudy, 61, Thursday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

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Todays California memory comes from Marceline Mendoza Clausen:

I remember in the late 1940s and early 50s going into downtown San Diego with my mother. We walked three long blocks from our house to the streetcar line on University Avenue. Mom always wore a dress, a hat, gloves, nylons and high-heel shoes. I was in a starched dress with a big bow in my hair. The streetcar stopped in Balboa Park, and I recall that it was elevated at that point with a view of the merry-go-round. When we got off at 5th and Broadway, mom immediately met several ladies she knew who were also in town to shop. I also recall the wave of military, mostly sailors, that strolled the downtown streets in those days.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
Five years after President William McKinley was assassinated at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y., farmer George Zehnder presented the Northern California city of Arcata with a 8.5-foot-tall statue of the 25th president. Just a few months before the assassination, Zehnder had met McKinley at an appearance in San Jose, which affirmed his belief that McKinley was the nations first modern president and should be honored. Arcata gladly accepted the statue, which was placed in the citys main square.

Over the last 15 years, though, some folks in and around Arcata  home to Humboldt State University  have come to a different conclusion about McKinley, and today, a debate rages over whether the statue should remain standing or, like so many Confederate statues around the country, be taken down and put in storage. Ultimately, thats a decision for the people of Arcata, but they ought to think deeply about what criteria they follow in deciding that a statue of a former president is akin to a statue of a Confederate general.

Few American presidents were all good or all bad; few didnt have failings or make bad choices or even lethal ones.

Statues and monuments in public spaces signal official recognition  and, in most cases, approval  of the memorialized person or event. There are certainly situations in which it is inappropriate to keep them up. Most of the Confederate monuments that have recently been challenged and removed, for instance, glorified a past in which the likes of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee sought to rip the nation apart in defense of slavery. That was traitorous behavior. Whats more, many of the memorials were erected years after the Civil War as a deliberate effort to paint a romanticized Old South veneer over the brutal system of slavery, and as hostile signals to African Americans living under Jim Crow laws.

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Theres also a movement underway  understandably  to remove blatantly offensive statues and monuments depicting Native Americans, such as the one San Francisco is taking down of a vanquished Native American at the feet of a vaquero and a Spanish missionary. Such statues should be taken down.

But the statue of McKinley, in our view, raises a somewhat more complicated set of questions. McKinley was the last U.S. president to have served in the Union Army. A former Ohio governor, he won the White House in 1896 while the nation was in the throes of a depression, and rode the recovery to reelection in 1900. He led the nation into the Spanish-American War, and its first full steps onto the international stage and into modern imperialism with the takeover of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.

Whats causing concern now is that McKinley also oversaw federal policies that undercut Native American tribal authority and reduced reservation lands by as much as 90 million acres. Those and related actions led the Tribal Council of the Wiyot Tribe in Northern California to join the campaign to have the statue of McKinley (who had no personal ties to the city) removed. Arcata was built on land seized from the Wiyot Tribe.

This is where the move to un-do historical markers veers into dangerous waters. Were McKinley only known or even best known for objectionable and inhumane policies, there might be a strong argument against the statue. But McKinley stood for much more than that, and a decision on whether to topple his statue ought to embrace the wholeness of his history and impact. Abraham Lincoln, for all that he is revered today, had his own problematic past. Though he claimed to always have opposed slavery, he embraced many of the white supremacist beliefs that predominated in America in his time. He also personally signed off on the hanging of 38 Dakota Indian men convicted of being involved in an uprising in Minnesota. Should we topple statues of Lincoln because of that?

As we have noted, it is ultimately up to the people of Arcata whether McKinley stands or falls. But in our view, a memorial to Robert E. Lee is a symbol of approval for the acts for which he is best known: his efforts to tear the nation apart in an effort to defend the institution of slavery.

Its not so straightforward with McKinley. Few American presidents were all good or all bad; few didnt have failings or make bad choices or even lethal ones. McKinley should be viewed in his totality. Except in egregious cases, it makes more sense to educate Americans about their complex, muddled and often unadmirable history than it does to erase or rewrite it.

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Russia's hybrid military forces have mounted 64 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with four Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), the press center for the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations in Donbas has reported.

"Over the past day, the Russian-occupation troops continued to ignore the regime of a complete cease-fire. The aggressor made 64 shelling attacks on the positions of Ukrainian defenders while using weapons prohibited by Minsk agreements (...) As a result of enemy fire, four Ukrainian soldiers were injured and one soldier received a battle trauma. They were promptly taken to the hospital and provided with the necessary medical care," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

In the Donetsk sector, the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka, Butovka coal mine and the villages of Berdianske, Lebedynske, Shyrokyne, Vodiane, Pisky and Kamianka came under fire from proscribed 120mm mortars. Militant tanks attacked positions near Vodiane, Pisky and Kamianka, while 82mm mortars were used to shell Butovka mine, and the villages of Pisky, Talakivka and Lebedynske. In addition, the invaders used grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns and small arms against the defenders of the towns of Avdiyivka, Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, Butovka mine, and the villages of Lebedynske, Starohnativka, Talakivka, Kamianka, Hnutove, Vodiane, Novotroyitske and Pavlopil. Moreover, the aggressor fired cannons of infantry fighting vehicles at the defenders of Pisky, Hnutove and Krasnohorivka, while an anti-tank missile system was used near Shyrokyne.

In the Luhansk sector, the aggressor fired 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Novo-Oleksandrivka, while infantry fighting vehicles were used near the village of Luhanske.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan is leaving Congress before the harsh light of reality can reveal how little hes accomplished. And, sadly, hes leaving the office of speaker in the same hobbled place it was when he took the job 2 years ago.

Ryan (R-Wis.) fashioned himself as an ideas-driven conservative, eager to apply small-government solutions to Washingtons biggest fiscal problems. He was one of the self-described Young Guns, a new, more youthful crop of leaders that was supposedly taking the Republican Party to new heights  intellectually and politically. And he proved adept at winning support from his House GOP colleagues, even when his ideas were politically toxic  such as transforming Medicare into a program of insurance subsidies that wouldnt keep pace with rising medical costs.

When Ryan was tapped by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012 to be his running mate, it was a Triumph of the Wonks moment  the elevation of someone known not for political skills so much as his policy chops.

But when it came to translating ideas into law, many of Ryans ambitious proposals never made it past the roadmap stage. Thats particularly true of his signature issue, entitlement reform. Members of Congress who were ready and willing to vote for nonbinding, conceptual 10-year plans to wind down the federal deficit by slashing tens of billions of dollars from Medicare and safety-net programs werent quite so eager to take up the legislation necessary to put such changes into law.

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Instead of driving the legislative agenda for GOP-controlled Washington, Ryans House has gotten embroiled in one Trump-directed sideshow after another.

It takes political courage and determination to change entrenched programs, even one with the fiscal challenges that Medicare faces. And Ryan had a golden opportunity to be part of such an effort in 2012, when he was an influential member of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (better known as Simpson-Bowles). The group developed a credible, bipartisan plan to bring down the deficit and improve federal finances. But Ryan wanted to go further on entitlements, and his opposition helped sink the deal.

Granted, were not shedding any tears over Ryans failure to turn his personal vision of government into reality. Too often his proposals reeked of Ayn Rand-style ideology rather than Rand Corp.-caliber scholarship. He seemed far more interested in cutting the cost of federal safety-net programs than in reducing the need for them.

But at least he was swinging for the fences for a while. That stopped when he took over as speaker late in 2015  reluctantly, in light of the factionalism that had made House Republicans painfully difficult to lead. Since then, he has managed to keep his unruly majority from shutting down the government or defaulting on the federal debt, as some of its members have frequently threatened to do. But he hasnt found a way to keep a disaffected and stubborn cadre of archconservative members, collectively known as the Freedom Caucus, from defining the agenda. Like erstwhile Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), Ryan coddles the Freedom Caucus by rarely bringing up bills that arent supported by a vast majority of Republicans, regardless of how broadly they are backed in the full House.

The consequence is that big problems have gone unaddressed, even when mainstream solutions are available and have wide support in both parties. Providing permanent relief for Dreamers is an example, as are improving border security, reducing health insurance costs and prescription drug prices, and drawing clearer rules for the use of military force against terrorist groups in the Middle East and Africa.

Instead, Ryans main accomplishments as speaker  slashing tax rates and busting open the budget caps he helped negotiate in 2011  are the legislative equivalent of skipping dinner and going straight to dessert. Such costly acts of largesse are a piece of cake in comparison to the tough work of overhauling immigration laws or reining in healthcare costs.

Even had Ryan accomplished nothing as speaker, he could still have been a successful leader had he taken a principled stance against the barrage of lies, distortions and attacks coming from President Trump. Unfortunately, he has chosen the easier path on that as well.

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Ryan has not only muted the infrequent critiques hes offered of Trumps outrageous behavior, hes given his committee chairmen free rein to pursue conspiracy theories involving the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton (The Deep State! Illegal surveillance! Violations of privacy!) rather than doing any real oversight of the current administrations blatant conflicts of interest, disregard of the law and abuses of taxpayer funds. Instead of driving the legislative agenda for GOP-controlled Washington, Ryans House has gotten embroiled in one Trump-directed sideshow after another.

The House has all but punted on any significant legislative action for the remainder of Ryans tenure. Its probably too much to ask of Ryan to defend his institution more vigorously against Trumps bullying and to reduce the factionalism and partisan vitriol that are diminishing the Houses standing. Instead, that work will await the speaker the House elects next.

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Americans have become accustomed, if not resigned, to the spectacle of the president of the United States attacking his own attorney general and denouncing the investigation into possible collusion by his campaign with Russia as a witch hunt. But this week, after the FBI executed a search warrant on the office and hotel room of Michael Cohen, his longtime personal lawyer, Donald Trump became even more unhinged, to the point of publicly speculating about firing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

On Monday, before a meeting with military leaders at the White House, Trump made the outrageous assertion that the FBI broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys  a good man. And its a disgraceful situation. He denounced a search authorized by a federal magistrate judge as an attack on our country. In response to a question about firing Mueller, Trump responded: Well, I think its a disgrace whats going on. Well see what happens. But I think its really a sad situation when you look at what happened. And many people have said, You should fire him.

It isnt enough for Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell to offer anodyne statements of support for Muellers right to do his job.

Trumps public musing about firing Mueller, even in response to a question and even as part of a tantrum inspired by the search of his longtime lawyers files, represents an alarming escalation of his attacks on the special counsel. Although Trump was reported to have sought Muellers dismissal twice last year, in public he has called that story fake news. Now he is giving it credibility.

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An ominous sign that Mondays meltdown might not have been a passing phenomenon came Tuesday, when White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told a news briefing that the president certainly believes he has the power to fire Mueller  a view, she said, thats supported by a number of individuals in the legal community  including at the Department of Justice.

Sanders answer suggests that Trump believes he could fire Mueller directly, rather than go through the arduous process of replacing Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein or Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions with a pliable acting attorney general willing to dump the special counsel. Nevertheless, CNN reported Tuesday that Trump was thinking of firing Rosenstein.

It would be bizarre if the search of Cohens files led Trump to try to fire Mueller. The investigation of Cohen is being led not by Muellers office but by the U.S. attorney in Manhattan (although Mueller referred information to that office, apparently instigating the probe). But such distinctions mean little to Trump. Nor do proprieties such as the Justice Department ethics guidelines, which required Sessions to recuse himself from the investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia because Sessions had been active in the campaign. Trump continues to complain bitterly about Sessions recusal because it set the stage for Rosenstein to appoint Mueller after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey. On Monday, Trump called Sessions recusal a very terrible mistake for the country.

Whatever the trigger, any move by Trump to fire Mueller or Rosenstein or otherwise undercut the special counsels investigations  for example, by the exercise of Trumps pardon power  would amount to obstruction of justice.

Much has been written about the recent departure from the White House of staffers who restrained some of the presidents worst impulses, but perhaps there remain a critical mass of advisors who could convince the president that he would be destroying his presidency if he fired Mueller. But members of Congress, particularly its somnolent Republican leaders, also have a role to play.

It isnt enough for Speaker of the House Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to offer anodyne statements of support for Muellers right to do his job. They need to strenuously condemn Trumps attacks on the special counsels investigation, vigorously support legislation to allow special counsels to appeal their dismissals in court and, last and most important, make it clear that firing Mueller will lead immediately to impeachment proceedings. If the price of such a principled stand is to alienate Trumps base, so be it.

Ideally Trump would stop ranting about Mueller and the witch hunt and turn his attention to his duties. But even if he continues to complain, he needs to know that acting to abort or obstruct the investigation will have grievous consequences for his presidency.

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It seems a little churlish to prod Jerry Brown on carbon issues. Hes done as much as any leader in the world to move forward on the climate and energy crises that are the defining challenges of our time.

But the truth is Browns not done anywhere near what he could, nor what the situation demands. As a coalition of nearly 800 groups from across the state, the country and the planet make clear in a letter to Brown released Wednesday, hes addressed no more than half the crisis: All of Californias environmental measures have been aimed at reducing the demand for energy, and none at slowing down the production of fossil fuel. Supply and demand are two equal halves of this fight; if we dont recognize that fact we simply will not solve the climate conundrum.

With his time in elective office winding down, Brown has the rare chance to set an example that truly will never be forgotten: He has it in his power to begin the strategic phase-out of the oil and gas industry. He could simply stop granting new state permits for oil and gas extraction and fossil fuel infrastructure, and instead start setting up a transition to sustainable fuels that would protect the workers, communities and economies that now depend on the industry. As the Trump administration tries to push us back to the 1950s, those steps would be a ringing endorsement of the future  and the future has always been Gov. Browns strong suit.

All of Californias environmental measures have been aimed at reducing the demand for energy, and none at slowing down the production of fossil fuel.

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But lets also look at the past for a second, because it tells us a lot about the present. As early as 1856, men with pickaxes were cutting channels to drain oil from seeps at LaBrea Ranch; the states first refinery (and one of the worlds earliest) dates from 1866 in Kern County. In the early decades of the 20th century, California was Americas leading oil producer. Because the oil industry was here early on, the state accommodated itself to its demands; nowhere else in the world are there derricks, storage yards and refineries so tightly packed into dense cities. By 2018, the resulting respiratory illnesses, cancer risks and accidental injuries seem an awfully high price to pay  especially for the poor and the people of color who bear most of that cost.

There have always been two arguments standing in the way of action.

The first is that California uses a lot of oil, and indeed it does: The capital of car culture helped teach the rest of the world this particular habit. But that argument no longer need apply. Californias engineers and entrepreneurs  busy pioneering electric cars and giant batteries  have proved we can move beyond oil, and just in time. The state recognizes the need: Browns team has declared its intention to protect Californias unique right to demand cleaner cars, a right now threatened by the Trump administration.

The second argument is that if California cuts back its oil production, some other place will simply produce more. That sounds right, but when the Stockholm Environmental Institute ran the economic models, its researchers concluded that if Sacramento began to turn down permits for new wells, much of that capacity would not be duplicated elsewhere  indeed, they found that such a step would be just as effective in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions as the demand-side steps that California has taken over the years.

Economists in Britain and Australia make the same point: Policies that restrict the supply of fossil fuels squarely belong in the climate policy toolkit, as one team put it. Otherwise, youre only cutting with one arm of the scissors.

President Obama agreed. When he nixed the Keystone XL pipeline  the first fossil fuel infrastructure ever turned down on climate grounds  he said: If were going to prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, were going to have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground.

Because California was one of the very first places in the U.S. to drill for oil, it make sense it should be one of the very first to stop.

Because a portion of Californias drilling takes place close to schools and homes in poor communities, the phase-out should start there. Because Californias residents have experienced so brutally what climate change will bring  drought, fire, flood and mudslide  it should start quickly. Because Californias future economy depends far more on green technology than on oil drilling, it should start confidently.

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And because Californias green-minded governor never plans to run for office again, Brown can make it all happen without worry about the political clout of the oil industry.

Brown has summoned the world to the Bay Area in September for a global climate summit. If, in the months beforehand, he signals his willingness to take real steps to address the supply side of the fossil fuel equation, that gathering will be a moment of dramatic new hope for progress on global warming, a hope that the Trump-addled world badly needs. If he doesnt, the longtime student of Zen will leave the stage to the sound of one hand clapping.

Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, teaches at Middlebury College.

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Gavin Newsom releases ad that highlights his push to allow same-sex couples to marry By Phil Willon A new ad from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom features Phyllis Lyon, who with her partner, Del Martin, received the first marriage license after Newsom vowed to allow same-sex couples to marry when he was mayor of San Francisco in 2004. The current lieutenant governors push for marriage equality thrust him into the national spotlight and he has emphasized that effort to portray himself as a bold, progressive leader. Facebook

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Failed California housing bill was not a bad idea, Gov. Jerry Brown says By Liam Dillon Gov. Jerry Brown (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Earlier this month, high-profile housing legislation that would have allowed for four- to five-story apartments and condominiums near transit stops failed to advance in the state Legislature. But had it reached his desk, would Gov. Jerry Brown have signed it? Maybe. I think that was not a bad idea, Brown said of Senate Bill 827 at a meeting with business leaders from the Bay Area Council on Monday afternoon. The bill, written by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), attracted national attention and a maelstrom of opposition in part because it would have eliminated single-family zoning near transit stops in favor of apartments or condominiums. Brown said that a relative of his who lives in West Portal, a low-density neighborhood in San Francisco, told the governor he was horrified by the bill. Brown also lamented dramatically rising housing costs. He said he bought his first house in Los Angeles in 1973 for $75,000 at a time when his salary as secretary of state was $35,000. Now, he said, buying a house for a little over twice ones annual salary is virtually impossible anywhere in the state. FOR THE RECORD

May 1, 9:32 a.m.: This post originally misstated the year Brown purchased his house as 1970. It was 1973. Facebook

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John Cox begins California barnstorm with the delivery of gas tax repeal signatures By Javier Panzar Gubernatorial candidate John Cox, left, and Assembly candidate Bill Essayli load boxes of signatures for the gas tax repeal initiative. (Francine Orr) GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox strolled up to the stack of 12 boxes in front of the Los Angeles County registrar-recorders offices in Norwalk on Monday and placed his hands on top of his partys hope for success in 2018. The boxes, stacked four across and three high, contained 211,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees. Cox says the effort has gathered more than 940,000 signatures from registered voters to put the measure on the ballot  far more than the 585,407 signatures that are required. The aim: to bring out the partys base to the polls this November and help candidates in tough congressional and legislative races down the ticket. A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll in November found 54.2% of registered voters surveyed said they would repeal the tax and fee hike, but a survey a month earlier by another group said a majority would vote to keep the higher taxes. Cox was flanked by Bill Essayli, a former federal prosecutor who is challenging Democratic Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes of Riverside in the June primary. Cervantes voted for the gas tax and Essayli plans to use that vote against her. He even launched his campaign at a 76 gas station in Norco. This is a central issue in my campaign, he said. Cox also submitted signatures in San Diego on Monday and is headed to Bakersfield, Fresno and Sacramento, as well as Shasta and Butte counties in coming days. We are going all across the state, Cox said. The whole state is paying this tax and the whole state wants it gone. Facebook

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All Californians would be able to serve on state boards  even people in the U.S. illegally  under new bill By Jazmine Ulloa Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State lawmakers on Monday introduced legislation that would allow all Californians to serve on state boards and commissions regardless of immigration status. Senate Bill 174, by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), comes as the state is locked in a broader legal battle with the Trump administration over state immigration laws and his call for mass deportations. Lawmakers point to what they say is the states own discriminatory history as their basis for introducing the legislation. The proposal would amend an 1872 provision that was first adopted to exclude Chinese immigrants and other transient aliens from holding appointed civil positions. At the time, antipathy toward the Chinese had been building in California, though, Chinese immigrants opened hundreds of businesses across the state and would play a critical role in building the transcontinental railroad. The Senate bill would delete the phrase transient aliens from the government code and make clear that any person, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, can hold an appointed civil office if they are at least 18 years old and a resident of the state. That would allow any Californian to serve on hundreds of boards and commissions that advice in an array of policy areas, including farm labor, history and employment development. Californias two million undocumented immigrants are a source of energy for our state, Lara said in a statement. It is shocking to read the words of fear and exclusion that are still in California law but belong in historys trash can. Facebook

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Tony Mendozas fundraising dries up after resignation amid harassment inquiry By Patrick McGreevy Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). (Steve Yeater / Associated Press) Political contributions to Tony Mendoza, who resigned from the state Senate under pressure amid sexual harassment allegations, have nearly dried up. New documents he filed with the state in his bid to reclaim the seat he once held show that his support has eroded. As a result, five other candidates for the 32nd District senate seat in the June 5 election have raised more than Mendoza so far this year. With the June 5 election approaching, Mendoza has reported raising just $7,750 in cash from six supporters during the nearly four-month period from Jan. 1 to April 21. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, went on a leave of absence from the Senate Jan. 3 and resigned a month later under the threat of expulsion from colleagues. An investigation ordered by the Senate found a pattern of unwanted flirtatious or sexually suggestive behavior based on testimony from six women. Mendoza has denied wrongdoing. Last year, Mendozas reelection campaign raised $412,600, or an average of about $34,000 per month, from more than 350 supporters. Most of Mendozas 2018 total was contributed by the political arm of the Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 on Jan. 22, a month before Mendoza resigned. Mendoza also reported that his campaign loaned $125,000 this year to his legal defense fund. That left him with $446,600 in his campaign account at the end of April. Mendoza is running against eight Democrats and two Republicans. Democrat Bob J. Archuleta, a Pico Rivera city councilman, raised the most, $210,000, during the period. On Monday, Mendoza suffered another setback when the State Legislative Womens Caucus endorsed Democrat Vicky Santana, a member of the Rio Hondo College Board. Facebook

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Newsom and Villaraigosa affairs coming to TV ads in California By Phil Willon An independent political committee backing Republican John Cox for governor released an ad blasting both Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for their past sexual affairs. The California Deserves Better ad, which was first reported by Politico, criticizes Newsom for having an affair with a woman on his staff in 2005 while he served as mayor of San Francisco. It also goes after Villaraigosa for having an extramarital affair with a television reporter in 2007 while he was mayor of Los Angeles. The ad, which begins airing on Fox stations in the states top media markets Monday, links Newsom and Villaraigosa to the men accused of sexual impropriety in the #MeToo movement, including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and disgraced Today show veteran Matt Lauer. Powerful men are finally being held to account, punished for inappropriate sexual conduct with women over whom they exercise power, the ad begins. Newsom and Villaraigosa think the rules shouldnt apply to them. The independent campaign committee, called Restore Our Values, already has raised more than $100,000, said Leigh Teece of Emeryville in Northern California, co-founder of the group. Teece, the CEO of a nonprofit that helps line up students with professional mentors, said the campaign will actively support Cox. She called him a true conservative and noted that he supports cutting taxes and opposes Californias sanctuary state policy. John is a business person who has demonstrated integrity, Teece said. Facebook

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Was that Cisneros in the voicemail? Dispute is latest espisode of Democratic infighting in crowded primary races By Christine Mai-Duc Gil Cisneros speaks during a forum at Fullerton College in January. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) With less than five weeks to go before Californias primary, insults and accusations are flying with abandon in the most crowded races Democrats hope to ultimately win. The latest example of this is in the 39th Congressional District, where a half dozen Democrats are vying for a chance to replace Rep. Ed Royce, whos retiring. Its one of several California contests where Democratic leaders are already worried that divisions could ultimately split votes and shut Democrats out of key pickup opportunities. In that race, millionaires Gil Cisneros and Andy Thorburn are going negative  about going negative. Cisneros was recently elevated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees Red to Blue program in hopes it would serve as a signal to Democratic activists and donors that his campaign was the most viable. But both Cisneros and Thorburn have poured millions into the race, which promises to be a knock down, drag out fight through June 5. At the center of the latest controversy is a voicemail, allegedly left by Cisneros on Thorburns home answering machine earlier this month. The recording, which the Thorburn campaign turned over to media outlet The Intercept, lasts less than 10 seconds. Hi Andy, its Gil Cisneros. Im gonna go negative on you, a mans voice is heard saying. Cisneros campaign manager Orrin Evans denied the candidate made the call, posting a cease and desist letter to The Intercept on Twitter. The letter, sent by a Cisneros campaign attorney, called the voicemail fabricated and demanded that the story be taken down, calling it defamatory. It gave the publication until 3 p.m. Friday to take down the story before they pursue all legal rights and remedies. An attorney for The Intercept, in a letter to Cisneros, said the publication confirmed with multiple sources familiar with Mr. Cisneros that his voice was on the recording, and that it stands by its reporting. Thorburns camp says it flatly rejects Cisneros denial, and that the timing of a negative website filled with unflattering background on Thorburn, released three days later, suggests it was him. Track the California races that could flip the House According to The Intercepts report, Cisneros campaign manager did not respond to initial inquiries about the voicemail, calling its questions ridiculous. In a follow-up statement Friday, Evans said called the episode a dirty, desperate trick by the Thorburn campaign and said they are readying to pursue legal action for defamation and false light against both him and the publication. It sounded like him to me! said Thorburns wife, Karen, in a statement released by the campaign. She was the one who first heard the voicemail, they said. Thorburn campaign manager Nancy Leeds called Cisneros threats Trump-like tactics and accused the candidate of trying to harass and intimidate anyone who stands in his way. Its not the first time candidates from the same party have clashed in the lead-up to the June 5 primary, and its all but certain to not be the last. Cisneros sued two of his opponents, Thorburn and Sam Jammal, over their ballot descriptions until they had to change them. Earlier this month, Democrat Bryan Caforio asked his opponent, Katie Hill, to sign a pledge rejecting the use of independent expenditure committees, entities that neither of them can legally coordinate with, in the race to unseat Rep. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster). Hill refused and called the attempt hollow and likened it to political theater, while Caforio accused her of empty campaign promises. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: The money raised in the race for governor hints at a race thats now red hot By John Myers With less than six weeks before election day, the cash raised in the California governors race mirrors the overall dynamics: one major front-runner and a heated race for second place. This weeks podcast episode offers a glimpse into those cash reports and how the Republican field seems more settled in a new statewide poll than the battle between Democrats. We also examine the reasons why a nationally talked-about housing bill in Sacramento was killed by the Democratic authors own allies. Im joined by Times staff writers Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher. Facebook

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L.A. County politician sexually assaulted woman when she was 16, lawsuit claims By Dakota Smith A woman sued an unnamed politician in Los Angeles County on Friday, alleging the man sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager after he gave her an unusual-tasting drink. The politician, identified as John Doe, was in his early 40s and a public figure at the time of the 2007 assault, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The man is an elected official today and lives in Los Angeles, said attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing the woman identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe. Bloom declined to say what branch of government the man represents. Read More Facebook

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Villaraigosa touts his working-class upbringing, accomplishments as mayor in first TV ad By Phil Willon Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa released his first TV ad in the governors race Friday, touting his record and accomplishments as mayor of Los Angeles when up against the economic downturn during the recession. The 30-second television spot opens with a sweeping shot of Los Angeles and cuts to Villaraigosa sitting on a bus. In kindergarten, my sister and I took three buses to get to school. As mayor, I remembered that, Villaraigosa says into the camera. And despite the recession, we built more new schools and rail lines than any city in America, added 200,000 living wage jobs, built 20,000 units of affordable housing and nearly doubled graduation rates. Campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino said the ad will air statewide over the next week at a cost of approximately $1 million. The commercial will being airing Saturday. Two Democratic rivals in Californias race for governor, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang, also launched ads this week, signaling the biggest ramp-up of the campaign as the June 5 primary approaches. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican John Cox. One recent poll has Villaraigosa trailing both Cox and Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach. Chiang has been stuck in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. Last week, an independent expenditure group called Families and Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor, funded largely by a trio of wealthy charter school backers, launched a spot in support of the former mayor of Los Angeles. That ad campaign is focused on increasing Villaraigosas chances of coming in second in the June 5 primary and moving on to the general election. Villaraigosas ad, titled Three Buses, emphasizes the struggles he faced growing up in East Los Angeles and addresses one of his central campaign themes  that hes the candidate best suited to help working-class Californians. I know how far a bus can take you, Villaraigosa says in the ad. Facebook

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein wont participate in pre-primary debate By Sarah D. Wire (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call) California Sen. Dianne Feinstein will not participate in a proposed pre-primary debate because there are too many candidates in the race, her campaign spokesman said Thursday. Political activists with the group Indivisible Los Angeles said they had a venue and date  May 5  reserved for a debate with four of the Senate candidates. But they said if Feinstein does not participate, it will be canceled. Feinstein faces 31 primary opponents in her bid for a fifth full term representing California in the Senate. Feinstein staffers initially said she had a prior commitment on May 5 in San Francisco. When organizers offered to let her campaign pick another date, her campaign said it wasnt fair for the group to invite only some of the candidates when there is such a big field, said Tudor Popescu, volunteer community organizer with Indivisible Los Angeles. The invited candidates, all Democrats, were Feinstein, state Sen. Kevin de Leon, political action committee director Alison Hartson and lawyer Pat Harris. They were selected based on fundraising and poll numbers. There are 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, nine independents and 2 third-party candidates running for Senate on the June ballot. Indivisible Los Angeles is still hoping Feinstein will pick another date, Popescu said. Feinstein spokesman Jeff Millman pointed to a San Francisco Chronicle endorsement of Feinstein, which indicates that she told the editorial board she would be willing to have a debate ahead of Novembers general election. Senator Feinstein looks forward to debating her opponent in the general election, Millman said in an email. Feinstein holds a substantial lead in both fundraising and in the polls. Front-runners in statewide races have routinely declined to debate their challengers, knowing that its free publicity for candidates who dont have the cash to increase their name recognition on their own. De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the state senator has done candidate forums before, but planned to attend the May 5 debate only if Feinstein did. We basically said well clear his calendar 100%, well clear his calendar if Feinstein shows up, Underland said. Wed love to make it happen, but we want her to be there. Facebook

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NRA, Olympic shooter sue California over its restrictions on ammunition sales By Patrick McGreevy Olympian Kim Rhode is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the NRA and its state affiliate against California. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The National Rifle Assn. and its state affiliate have filed a fourth lawsuit against California over its gun control laws, this time challenging new restrictions on the sale and transfer of ammunition. The NRA and the California Rifle and Pistol Assn. filed a challenge in federal court to a requirement that ammunition sales and transfers be conducted face to face with California firearms dealers or licensed vendors, ending purchases made directly from out-of-state sellers on the internet. The lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California also challenged a requirement starting next year for background checks for people buying ammunition. The lawsuit was filed in the name of Kim Rhode, a six-time Olympic medal-winning shooter, and others. It challenges Californias new ammunition sales restrictions as a violation of the 2nd Amendment and the commerce clause of the United States Constitution. Restrictions on ammunition purchases were included in Proposition 63, approved by voters in 2016, and in bills approved by the Legislature. As a result of these laws, millions of constitutionally protected ammunition transfers are banned in California, Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. Californias law-abiding gun owners are sick of being treated like criminals and the NRA is proud to assist in this fight. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is running for governor, defended his initiative and vowed to fight the NRA lawsuit. We wrote Proposition 63 on solid legal ground and principle: If youre a felon banned from possessing guns in California, then you should not be able to purchase the ammunition that makes a firearm deadly, Newsom said in a statement. California voters said loudly and clearly that guns and ammunition do not belong in the hands of dangerous individuals  but once again, the NRA has prioritized gun industry profits over the lives of law-abiding Californians. Facebook

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Republicans hope to ride a gas-tax repeal to victory By Patrick McGreevy In a Central Valley barn decked out in red, white and blue, dairyman and state Senate candidate Johnny Tacherra drew cheers from a crowd of fellow farmers when he said he opposes the California Legislatures hike on gas taxes and vehicle fees. I would not have voted for that. It is not the time to be voting on (raising) the gas tax, said Tacherra, a Republican running against Democratic Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who voted for the tax increase last year. Three hundred miles away the same week, a campaign mailer arrived at homes in Orange County from an Assembly candidate with a message blaring from the cover in bold type: Republican Greg Haskin  tough enough to stand up to Jerry Brown and repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook

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Treasurer John Chiang launches ad in governors race touting his record as a fiscal steward By Seema Mehta In his first television ad in the governors race, state Treasurer John Chiang touts his record on fiscal issues as California faced the recession. Some thought we were done, Chiang says in a voiceover in the 30-second spot he released Thursday, with images of him standing seriously at a lectern and complimentary headlines about his work as controller and treasurer. But I knew better. I made the tough calls. And brought California back from the brink of financial disaster because you trusted me to manage our economy. Chiangs campaign is spending about $500,000 to air the ad in Los Angeles and San Diego in coming days. That buy is dwarfed by seven-figure purchases for ads supporting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican businessman John Cox. Chiang has been mired in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. His ad, called Quiet Storm, tries to portray Chiang as a progressive who is effective and can move policy in Sacramento. Chiang points to his work challenging Wells Fargo before arguing that he could accomplish what doubters say is impossible to improve the states healthcare, housing and schools. I say, we got this, Chiang concludes. Facebook

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Been ignoring the race for California governor? Thats OK, in some ways its just starting By Mark Z. Barabak On a recent trip to Iowa, Eric Garcetti  the mayor of Los Angeles and a possible 2020 White House contestant  raised eyebrows with a bit of exuberant outreach. Los Angeles and Iowa, Garcetti insisted, have a ton in common, and he didnt simply mean both are inhabited by carbon-based life forms needing oxygen to survive. Urban or rural, farmer or fashion plate, all of us harbor the same hopes and dreams, the mayor suggested, and if it wasnt a terribly original thought it also wasnt the most egregious sort of political pandering  like, say, ordering that every home in Los Angeles be powered by Iowa-produced ethanol. Read More Facebook

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California voters should expect to decide on an $8.9-billion water bond in November By Liam Dillon (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A proposal to borrow $8.9 billion for improvements to Californias water quality systems and watersheds and protection of natural habitats is eligible for the statewide ballot in November, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced in a press release Wednesday. Padilla said the measure, which is backed by agricultural interests, had exceeded the 365,800 valid signatures it needed to qualify for the general election ballot. The bond measure will appear on the ballot unless proponents withdraw it by June 28, the release said. The bond is one of many voters could decide on in 2018. A $4-billion bond for parks and water infrastructure improvements will appear on the June 5 ballot. State lawmakers approved it last year. Facebook

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They came for Darrell Issa. They stayed with their inflatable chicken, blue wall and signs for political therapy By Christine Mai-Duc (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) A mother of two turned ringleader of the resistance and more than a hundred of her faithful followers gathered on Tuesday morning outside Rep. Darrell Issas office in a northern San Diego County suburb. Across the street was her foil, a wedding DJ in a red Make American Great Again cap, setting up hefty speakers for an upcoming war of words. For about 65 weeks the deep divide in America played out along this 100-yard stretch of road in Vista. Here, at 10 a.m. every Tuesday, passersby found signs, chants, songs and, if they were lucky, sometimes a 20-foot-tall inflatable chicken with a Trump-esque coif. Theyd also glimpse the state of the body politic in 2018, a time when shock has turned to anger and post-2016 calls for reconciliation have morphed into grudging acceptance that each side might be better off in their respective corners. Or in this case, their sides of the street. On Tuesday, the anti-Issa, anti-Trump contingent fought this particular battle for the last time, declaring it their final protest at the congressmans office. They said they planned to use their energy to knock on doors and get out the vote, with an occasional protest on the side. Their pro-Trump rivals vowed to show up wherever they do. Read More Facebook

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Efforts to regulate bail companies have some unlikely allies: bail agents By Jazmine Ulloa Jane Un, chief executive and founder of Abba Bail Bonds, works with a client. ( Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) In recent years, the seriousness and number of official complaints related to the bail industry in California have significantly increased while bail agents and bounty hunters face limited oversight, putting vulnerable communities at risk of fraud, embezzlement and other forms of victimization. This year, as Gov. Jerry Brown has pledged to work with lawmakers in a push to overhaul how courts assign defendants bail and to better regulate bail agencies, even some who profit from the court practice admit its time for regulation. These bail and bail-recovery agents could become unlikely allies, saying they advocate for change because theyve seen the system abuse the poor. Read More Facebook

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California voters: Get ready for an onslaught of television ads By Seema Mehta After a sleepy campaign, California voters are now being bombarded with television advertisements in the governors race, an onslaught that is expected to ramp up in coming weeks. The ads most frequently seen on television are those promoting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the front-runner in the race, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is trying to secure the second spot in the June primary. Newsoms campaign and an outside group backing Villaraigosa are spending seven figures weekly on these efforts, according to filings with the California secretary of states office and a media buyer who asked not to be identified in order to freely discuss the ads. Other gubernatorial candidates are expected to hit the airwaves soon, the media buyer said. State Treasurer John Chiang has reserved a half-million dollars in the coming days in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, and Villaraigosas campaign has requested availability in at least five of the states biggest TV markets. The GOP candidates in the race, who will be seeking the state Republican Partys endorsement at its convention next weekend, have been much less active. Businessman John Cox in recent weeks has been spending about $90,000 per week, but doubled that this week in Los Angeles and added small buys on KFI-AM radio and cable in markets including Fresno, Bakersfield and Salinas. State Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach, who has been scooping up Republican Party endorsements across the state, has yet to make a notable television or radio buy, though he and Cox have received some attention as commentators on Fox News. Facebook

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Republicans ready to turn in signatures for ballot measure to repeal California gas-tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices last year. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Republican activists said Tuesday that they have collected at least 830,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees, more than enough to qualify the measure for the November ballot. The activists need 585,407 signatures of registered voters to qualify the ballot measure. Because signatures are still being processed and counted by the campaign, backers hope to have 900,000 by the time they begin turning them in to the counties on Friday, according to Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Council member and organizer of the drive. The breadth and depth of voter anger over the car and gas tax hikes is just amazing, said DeMaio, who hosts a radio talk show. We are seeing Democrats, independents and Republicans sign the petition and volunteering to carry the petition, people from all walks of life. The initiative targets a law approved in April 2017 by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown that is expected to raise $5.4 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and improvements to mass transit. The money comes from a recent 12-cents-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, a 20-cent increase in the diesel fuel excise tax and a new annual vehicle fee ranging from $25 for cars valued at under $5,000, to $175 for cars worth $60,000 or more. The petition drive raised more than $2 million with significant contributions from the California Republican Party and Republican members of Congress from California, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and Reps. Ken Calvert of Corona and Mimi Walters of Irvine. Republicans hope the issue will help their candidates for office in this years election and hurt Democrats who support the higher taxes. I think this is going to put Democrats in real bad spot, DeMaio said. A spokesman for Brown declined to comment until the signatures are filed. DeMaio said there were approximately 20,000 volunteer petition circulators who brought in more than 250,000 signatures, with the rest collected by paid circulators who received $1 to $2.50 per signature. Its a pretty comfortable margin [of signatures] that we have been able to hit here, DeMaio said. Opposition will grow, he said, as more Californians get their annual vehicle registration notice. The repeal campaign hopes to raise $5 million for the campaign to pass the constitutional amendment, which would not only repeal the increase in the gas tax and vehicle fees but require future increases to be submitted to voters. We know that Gov. Brown and his cohorts are going to spend an amazing amount of money to mislead voters, DeMaio said. But I feel pretty confident that we will repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook

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Rep. Duncan Hunter sets up trust to raise money for legal expenses amid ongoing criminal investigation By Morgan Cook Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has filed paperwork to establish a legal expense fund amid an ongoing federal criminal investigation into misused campaign cash. Hunter filed the required paperwork March 27, seeking a rarely granted Legal Expense Fund through which members of Congress under investigation or being sued in connection with doing their jobs or running for office can raise money for their legal expenses. Such funds are administered by an independent trustee and allow donors to give above the maximum amount they can contribute a candidates campaign. Hunter has spent more than $600,000 of campaign money on lawyers. Read More Facebook

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Kamala Harris says she wont take corporate donations anymore By Sarah D. Wire (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) California Sen. Kamala Harris says she will no longer accept money from corporate political action committees. In an interview with WWPM-FMs The Breakfast Club, in New York that aired Monday, the senator said she wasnt expecting a question at a town hall this month about whether she would accept money for corporations or corporate lobbyists. At the time, Harris said it depends, but she said on Monday that she had reflected on the matter and changed her mind. Money has had such an outside influence on politics, and especially with the Supreme Court determining Citizens United, which basically means that big corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money influencing a campaign, right? Harris said. Were all supposed to have an equal vote, but money has now really tipped the balance between an individual having equal power in an election to a corporation. So Ive actually made a decision since I had that conversation that Im not going to accept corporate PAC checks. I just  Im not. You can watch the video of the interview here. (Harris corporate money comments come about 30 minutes in.) Harris wouldnt be on the ballot for a second Senate term until 2022, though its widely believed that she is planning a presidential bid in 2020. Other potential 2020 presidential candidates, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), have also ruled out taking corporate PAC money. Soon after Mondays show aired, Harris campaign sent out a fundraising request noting her new stance. As corporate PACs continue to corrupt our politics and twist Congress priorities at your expense, were going to focus on raising money from small-dollar, individual donors like you, the email says. Facebook

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With money tied up in court, California lawmakers try again with new plan to spend $2 billion on homeless housing By Liam Dillon A man sleeps on the sidewalk in front of the Union Rescue Mission in the skid row neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) A measure to spend $2 billion on housing homeless Californians could be on the November statewide ballot. State Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) is pushing the idea to deal with what he said was a burgeoning humanitarian crisis whose epicenter is here in California. De Leons new measure is a do-over for a 2016 plan passed by the Legislature to redirect $2 billion toward building homeless housing from a voter-approved 1% income tax surcharge on millionaires that funds mental health services. A Sacramento attorney sued over that decision, arguing that the move violated constitutional rules on approving loans without a public vote and that lawmakers shouldnt take money away from mental health treatment. The case remains active in Sacramento Superior Court and its unclear when, or if, the state will be able to spend the $2 billion. De Leons Senate Bill 1206 would put the $2-billion loan on the ballot in November, freeing up the money if voters approve the measure. De Leon said had he been able to predict the 2016 plan would end up in court, he would have sought a ballot measure at the time. We thought this was like apple pie and baseball and puppies, De Leon said. Who would oppose the idea of repurposing the dollars to build immediate housing as a permanent solution for homelessness? Obviously with a crystal ball, had I anticipated the litigation, I would have worked to place it on the ballot. De Leon noted that the 2016 plan had bipartisan supermajority support in the Legislature, something his new bill also will need to get on the ballot. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) is a coauthor of the plan. SB 1206 is scheduled for its first hearing in the Legislature on Wednesday. Should De Leons measure be approved, it will join a crowded list of housing issues before voters in November. Californians will decide on a separate $4-billion bond to help finance new low-income housing and home loans for veterans. De Leon said hes not worried those two measures will compete against each other because voters are aware of the scale of the states housing problems and the proposed homeless housing bond redirects existing dollars instead of raising taxes. Once [voters] know that the impact on their pocketbook is not existent, Im confident that theyll join me and my colleague John Moorlach in support of this measure, De Leon said. Facebook

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California lawmakers say too many former felons are being denied professional licenses By John Myers Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) along with supporters of bills to allow more former felons to receive professional licenses. (John Myers/Los Angeles Times) A trio of California Assembly members urged colleagues on Monday to pass legislation that would prohibit state commissions and agencies from rejecting a professional license for those who were once convicted of less serious crimes. We cant say we want to rehabilitate people, and then block them from getting the jobs that they need when theyre released, said Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco). That leads to more recidivism and to more crime. The bills, scheduled to be heard in Assembly committees Tuesday, would ban the use of arrest or conviction records as the reason for denying a professional license. The bill would not apply to Californians who served time for any of the offenses on the states list of violent crimes. The authors, all Democrats, said that a government-issued professional license is required for some 30% of all jobs in the state. Their bills would change the licensing process at the California departments of Consumer Affairs and Social Services and agencies that certify emergency medical technicians. The bills would block prior convictions from leading to the delay or denial of a license unless that crime is directly related to the profession the person intends to pursue. Two of the bills also specifically say convictions less than 5 years old could continue to play a role in licensing decisions. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that keeps private sector employers from inquiring about a job applicants conviction history prior to an offer of employment. Advocates joined the lawmakers at a press conference in Sacramento to point out that limits on awarding licenses should focus only on those whose prior criminal activity could pose a threat to consumers. Continuing to hold people back for crimes that are 6, 7, 8, 10, 20 years old does not actually make sense if youre looking at public safety, said Jael Myrick of the East Bay Community Law Center. One of the proposals, Assembly Bill 2293, seeks to make it easier for ex-felons to get a license allowing a job with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection  the same agency that often uses prison inmates to battle blazes around the state. If a person is good enough to risk their life fighting fires for the state of California as an inmate, said Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace), their previous actions should not prevent from having a job utilizing the skill set that they learned. Facebook

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Assembly speaker rebukes building trades union after it targets Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia By John Myers ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) The decision by a politically powerful labor group to openly campaign against an embattled Los Angeles-area lawmaker drew a sharp rebuke on Friday from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. The Lakewood Democrat lashed out hours after the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California filed paperwork for a political action committee to defeat Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). Garcia, whos seeking her fourth term, took an unpaid leave of absence in February following allegations of sexual misconduct. She has denied the reports and an Assembly investigation remains underway. Rendon didnt criticize the labor group by name, insisting instead that the decision was driven by oil and gas industry interests. This is a thinly veiled attempt by Big Oil and polluters to intimidate me and my members. It is an affront to my speakership, Rendon said in a statement. We are proud of the work that the Assembly has done to increase jobs and wages while defending our environment. We will vigorously defend the members of our caucus from any ill-advised political attack. A statement from the labor group, which sparred with Garcia last year on her effort to link new climate change policies with a crackdown on air pollution, said it had decided to reverse past support for her. The Trades have thousands of hard working members in Garcias district, and we look forward to lifting up another Democrat in the 58th Assembly to better represent them and their families, said the statement. The political action committees campaign finance filing on Friday listed nonmonetary in kind contributions from Erin Lehane, a public affairs consultant aligned with the building labor group. Lehane said she had begun researching Garcia in November. In January, a former legislative staffer accused her of groping him in 2014. Lehane, who identified herself as a spokesperson for the labor groups political action committee, said on Friday that she believed Garcias hypocrisy threatened a movement that will dictate how much harassment and abuse my daughter will face in her work life. Garcia, who has been an outspoken advocate for women in the #MeToo movement, has complained that her political opponents helped fan the flames of the accusations. Through a campaign consultant, she declined to comment on Friday. Rendons critique came on the heels of a full-page ad in The Times on Friday, partly paid for by the Trades Council, that criticized well-funded ivory tower elites who push proposals that hurt the oil and gas industry. We are the real jobs that fuel the real California economy, read the advertisement. Facebook

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Legal tiff breaks out over independent committees ad backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor By Phil Willon An attorney representing Gavin Newsoms campaign for governor is demanding that California television stations cease airing an ad by an independent political committee supporting his Democratic rival Antonio Villaraigosa. Attorney Thomas A. Willis, in a letter to the stations, said the ad is false and misleading and violates California law because it uses snippets of video footage from Villaraigosas own campaign ads. Willis called that illegal coordination between the campaign and PAC. Under California law, advertisements made by entities other than a candidate are presumed to be coordinated  and thus not independent expenditures  when the advertisement replicates, reproduces or disseminates substantial parts of a communication, including video footage, created and paid for by the candidate, the letter states. A representative for the independent expenditure committee  Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor  fired back. Attorney Brian T. Hildreth says those allegations have no merit and accused the Newsom campaign of being misleading. Hildreth sent a letter to the television stations in response, urging them to ignore the Newsom campaigns accusations. He said the Newsom camp appears to intentionally misrepresent the law and that the video use was permissible. He said only six seconds of video from Villaraigosas campaign ads was used, which is well within the legal limits. The independent committee is sponsored by the group California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The ad is airing on broadcast and cable stations statewide. The committees ad is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and as mayor of Los Angeles when there was a drop in crime. Facebook

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Governors race snapshot: Californians are generally upbeat but not focused on the campaign By Mark Z. Barabak Armand Werden, a 29-year-old community college student who works the taps at Dust Bowl Brewery in Turlock, said the state is on the upswing. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) As California chooses a new governor  one of just a handful in the last 40 years not named Jerry Brown  the state seems to be enjoying something unusual in these tumultuous political times: a feeling of relative contentment. Not to say things are perfect. Still, more than 100 random interviews conducted over the length and breadth of the state  from Redding in the north to Santee in the south, from the Pacific coastline to the edge of the Sierra Nevada  found most saying things are looking up, at least so far as Californias direction is concerned. Read More Facebook

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Sierra Club backs Gavin Newsom for California governor By Phil Willon Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with members of the public following a debate at USC in January. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The Sierra Club endorsed Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in the race for California governor, with officials in the established environmental group praising the Democrats record on climate change and clean energy. He has a proven record for leading on environmental protection, public health and clean energy, Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, said in a statement released by the Newsom campaign. He understands that we are feeling the effects of climate change and that California must reduce carbon emissions and reach 100% renewable energy to achieve our climate goals. Phillips said the Sierra Clubs extensive network of volunteers will campaign for Newsom as the June 5 primary approaches. Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune also praised the Democrat, saying he will protect California from Donald Trumps attacks on our clean air and water. The Sierra Club joins a series of other influential groups in California that have backed Newsom. The California Medical Assn., the powerful state doctors lobby, announced its endorsement of Newsom on Thursday. The California Nurses Assn. and the Service Employees International Union, one of the most powerful labor unions in the state, also support Newsom. Newsom is the races front-runner in polls and fundraising. A poll released earlier this month by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 26% of likely voters backed Newsom. John Cox, a Republican from Rancho Santa Fe, was favored by 15% of likely voters and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, by 13%. Facebook

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Californias GOP House members are taking their challengers more seriously and the numbers show it By Christine Mai-Duc For much of last year, consultants and campaign managers for some of Californias most vulnerable Republican incumbents maintained a bullish tone on the prospect that the GOP would hold the House in this years midterms. The National Republican Congressional Committee insisted that longtime Republican incumbents in California had built up reputations as effective champions of local issues that would help them weather a flood of Democratic enthusiasm. Since then Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) have decided not to seek reelection and the NRCC has opened a West Coast headquarters in Orange County. Read More Facebook

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California officials say Pentagon has confirmed National Guard funding despite Trump threat By John Myers (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The awkward dance between Gov. Jerry Brown and the federal government over the National Guard jerked back toward discord on Thursday, when Trump said he would refuse to pay for a new deployment of troops  just hours after his administration said otherwise. And a few hours later, California officials said they had received written confirmation from the Pentagon that the mission would indeed be funded. Trump had earlier called Browns decision to approve 400 troops for a mission focused on combating transnational crime and drug smuggling a charade in a tweet. We need border security and action, not words! the president wrote. Governor Jerry Brown announced he will deploy up to 400 National Guard Troops to do nothing. The crime rate in California is high enough, and the Federal Government will not be paying for Governor Browns charade. We need border security and action, not words!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2018 A spokesman for Brown pointed to a tweet written Wednesday night by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, thanking the California governor for his efforts. Trump was meeting on Thursday with Nielsen at his Mar-a-Lago estate not long after his tweet was posted. A tweet later posted by the California National Guard said that almost three hours after Trumps comment, the state received written confirmation from the Pentagon to fund the mission as outlined by Brown the day before. In short, nothing has changed today, said a subsequent Guard tweet. Just spoke w @JerryBrownGov about deploying the @USNationalGuard in California. Final details are being worked out but we are looking forward to the support. Thank you Gov Brown!  Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 19, 2018 Brown was the last of the nations border governors to respond to Trumps insistence earlier this month that National Guard troops were needed to assist with immigration-related duties at the U.S.-Mexico border. And he has consistently refused to allow California troops to engage in any mission related to federal immigration law. This will not be a mission to build a new wall, Brown wrote last week to Nielsen and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. Exactly what the California operations will cost remains unclear, as state officials have said it will depend on decisions made once the mission begins. The funds would not be transferred to the state, but instead would be paid directly by the Department of Defense. Trump has critiqued California several times over the past few days, often writing tweets that embrace the actions by some cities and counties to join his administrations lawsuit against the states sanctuary immigration law. He made similar comments to reporters on Thursday afternoon. If you look at whats happening in California with sanctuary cities  people are really going the opposite way, Trump said. They dont want sanctuary cities. Theres a little bit of a revolution going on in California. 2:26 p.m.:This article was updated with additional information from the California National Guard and with remarks from Trump. This article was originally published at 9:51 a.m. Facebook

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Gay conversion therapy services would be banned under measure advancing in California By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The California Assembly voted Thursday to add gay conversion therapy to the states list of deceptive business practices, following a debate that focused on the personal experiences of several lawmakers and hinted at potential lawsuits to come. It is harmful and it is unnecessary, Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), the bills author and one of the Legislatures most vocal LGBTQ members, said of the practice. Low, who told Assembly members that he explored conversion therapy as a teenager and suffered depression over his sexual orientation, insisted that the bill would be limited to efforts that involve the exchange of money. Theres nothing wrong with me, he said in an emotional speech on the Assembly floor. Theres nothing that needs to be changed. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, has become the focal point of intense debate on social media. Some religious groups have said that such a law would be a violation of their constitutional rights, while advocates insist the provisions are narrow and theres no credible evidence that the services work. One key part of the debate centers on whether Assembly Bill 2943 would stretch beyond businesses that charge for these programs and extend to printed documents, even Bibles. An analysis by the Assembly Judiciary Committee says the bill would apply only to services that purport to change a persons sexual orientation and offered on a commercial basis, as well as the advertising and offering of such services. Lawmakers who spoke in support of AB 2943 also made clear that they believe those kinds of services have been discredited. This is fraudulent, it should not be occurring, said Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton). But you can still try to pray the gay away, if you like. Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), who said the bill addresses a difficult issue, nonetheless said that its important to ensure laws dont tamper with religious freedom. We have to think about the legitimate experience of people who have gone through conversion therapy and said this was a good thing for them, Gallagher told his colleagues. California law already bans the use of conversion therapy by mental health professionals on those under age 18. Lows bill would expand the states efforts beyond minors. It would join a list of commercial activities deemed unfair or deceptive acts or practices and therefore banned under state law. Facebook

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Gavin Newsom gets backing from doctors group, despite differences over single-payer healthcare By Melanie Mason Gavin Newsom speaks at the California Democrats State Convention in San Diego on Feb. 24. (Kent Nishimura) Californias doctors are siding with Gavin Newsom in the governors race, even though they dont see eye-to-eye on a defining issue of the campaign: single-payer healthcare. The California Medical Assn., the state doctors lobby and a political heavyweight, announced its endorsement of the lieutenant governor on Thursday. Gavin is a lifelong champion for health care in California, and we know he will continue to fight for pragmatic solutions to our most crucial health care challenges, including working to achieve universal access and tackling our states physician shortage, CMA President Theodore M. Mazer said in a statement. Newsom has made his support for state-financed healthcare a centerpiece of his campaign, and he earned the early backing of the most ardent single-payer supporters, the state nurses union. The doctors, meanwhile, oppose the nurses bill, SB 562, which emerged as a flashpoint in the healthcare debate last year. The CMA said the bill would dismantle the healthcare marketplace and destabilize Californias economy. Newsom has said SB 562 should advance in the Legislature, but also said it has open-ended issues that still need to be addressed. The doctors group is also battling with another prominent Newsom endorser, the Service Employees International Union, over a new measure that would impose price caps on an array of medical services paid for by commercial health insurers in the state. The SEIU is a leading sponsor of the proposal; the doctors fiercely oppose it. Newsom and the physicians group have a history of political alignment. Newsom was the first statewide official to support Proposition 56, a 2016 tobacco tax pushed by the CMA that raised revenue in part to increase money for doctors who saw Medi-Cal patients. That year, the association also endorsed two initiatives championed by Newsom: Proposition 63, which imposed new gun control measures, and Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana. Facebook

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Independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor hits the airwaves with first ad By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at the 2018 California Democratic Party Convention in San Diego in February.. (Denis Poroy / Associated Press) A well-financed independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosas bid to be Californias next governor released its first television ad Thursday, praising his record for working with Republicans and as a candidate for all of California. The ad, which is to air statewide on broadcast and cable stations, is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and mayor of Los Angeles, including on education and a drop in crime while he was at City Hall. To move California forward, we need to help more Californians get ahead, the ad says. Thats why Antonio Villaraigosa brought both parties together to balance the state budget with record investments in public schools and new career training programs. The independent expenditure committee behind the ad campaign, Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018, is sponsored by the California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The committee is spending seven figures per week on the ad buy, said Josh Pulliam, a political consultant for the committee. As mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa clashed with teachers unions, starting with his failed attempt to take political control of the Los Angeles Unified School District. His fight with those unions continued after he left office in 2013. Money has poured into the committee this month from wealthy charter schools supporters: Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, donated $7 million, and Los Angeles billionaire and philanthropist Eli Broad donated $1.5 million. On Wednesday, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan donated $1 million. The independent expenditure committee is expected to provide a boost to Villaraigosas campaign. Democratic front-runner Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has a major advantage in fundraising over all other candidates in the race and has received the backing of the California Teachers Assn. and other education unions. A recent Public Policy Institute of California poll also showed Villaraigosa lagging in third place in the race, trailing Newsom and Republican businessman John Cox. The candidates who finish in the top two in the June 5 primary will advance to the November general election, regardless of their party affiliation. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown says Trump administration will fund his National Guard mission  without immigration duties By John Myers (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown formally mobilized 400 California National Guard members Wednesday for transnational crime-fighting duties, thus preventing any effort by President Trump to have the troops focus on immigration enforcement on the Mexican border. The governor announced that federal officials have agreed to fund the plan he announced last week  a mission to combat criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers in locations around California, including near the border. The order Brown signed makes clear that the troops will not be allowed to perform a broader set of duties as envisioned by Trumps recent comments. California National Guard service members shall not engage in any direct law enforcement role nor enforce immigration laws, arrest people for immigration law violations, guard people taken into custody for alleged immigration violations, or support immigration law enforcement activities, the order read. The cost of the mission, a spokesman for Brown said, will be paid directly by the federal government. No initial estimate has been made, as the exact amount will depend on exactly how the troops will be used. Though the duties of California Guard members were outlined last week, the state had been waiting for an agreement by federal officials to pay for the operations. Since that time, the president has taken Brown and the state to task over its decision to avoid any immigration-related duties at the border. On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted, Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW! There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018 Looks like Jerry Brown and California are not looking for safety and security along their very porous Border. He cannot come to terms for the National Guard to patrol and protect the Border, Trump tweeted Tuesday. There was no immediate reaction from the White House to Browns announcement. On Tuesday, Brown told reporters in Washington that his plan was consistent with a safer border. That sounds to me like fighting crime, the governor said. Trying to catch some desperate mothers and children, or unaccompanied minors coming from Central America, that sounds like something else. The order Brown issued Wednesday after returning from a brief trip to talk climate change in Toronto and to speak to a national trade union and visit with reporters in Washington is set to expire at the end of September. It specifically says no Guard service member may participate in a mission that would exceed the mission scope and limitations related to transnational crime activity. It also says troops cannot help build any new border barrier. 5:27 p.m.: This article was updated with information related to the cost of the Guard mission and Browns trip to Washington. This article was originally published at 5:13 p.m. Facebook

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California bill aims to end practice that keeps workplace misconduct cases out of court By Melanie Mason A California bill would prohibit employers from requiring workers to use private arbitration to settle disputes, a practice that critics say shields improper workplace conduct from public view. The bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) would bar businesses from making employees, when they are hired, waive their future rights to take any harassment, discrimination or other claims to court. Arbitration can be a highly effective dispute resolution method when both parties can choose it freely, when both parties are equal, Gonzalez Fletcher said at a news conference on Wednesday. It is far less successful when the more powerful party forces the other to accept those terms, especially as a condition of employment. Forced arbitration has come under increasing scrutiny since the #MeToo movement, with high-profile figures such as former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson pointing to the practice as shielding workplace abusers from public disclosure because arbitration resolutions often include nondisclosure agreements. Last year, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to end mandatory arbitration in employment agreements. Gonzalez Fletcher said she was pursuing an unusual tool to draw attention to the issue  a subpoena issued by the Legislature to compel testimony from a worker bound by a nondisclosure agreement as a result of arbitration. The Legislature has subpoena power but it is rarely used. The bills sponsors believe lawmakers last issued a subpoena in 2001 while investigating price manipulation by Enron. Gonzalez Fletcher said she has requested Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) to issue the subpoena to require Tara Zoumer, who sued the company WeWork in 2016 for overtime pay, to testify before the Assembly Judiciary Committee next week. Zoumers suit was moved to arbitration and resolved. She is now subject to a nondisclosure agreement and could face a financial penalty for speaking publicly about her case. A spokesman for Rendon said the subpoena request is under consideration. Business groups oppose the bill, AB 3080. The California Chamber of Commerce has dubbed it a job biller, claiming it would dramatically increase legal costs for businesses. Banning such agreements benefits the trial attorneys, not the employer or employee, the group said. The bill must first advance from the Assembly Labor Committee on Wednesday. Facebook

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At least 240 House lawmakers want a vote on immigration. California supporters say they arent ready to force one By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), flanked by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) and Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) speak about DACA legislation (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Rep. Jeff Denham says at least 240 of the 430 current House members have signed onto his resolution to hold votes on four immigration bills, and he hopes House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and President Trump are paying attention to the show of support. But, the Republican from Turlock and his allies said Wednesday that they are not yet willing to commit to forcing Ryans hand through a little-used procedural move called a discharge petition; they acknowledged theres no guarantee that all of 47 Republicans and 193 Democrats House co-signers will back them up if they try to force the issue. Im sure that it is something that will be discussed in the coming weeks. You should not need a discharge petition. When you can show the overwhelming majority of the House, the support of it, you should not need a discharge petition, but it is something we would talk about in the future, Denham said. It is far too early to talk about next steps. Ryan said last week that he opposes Denhams effort, saying its a waste of time for the House to vote on bills the president might veto. Denhams resolution would prompt debate and votes on four very different immigration bills: one favored by the Trump administration, one preferred by Democrats, one bipartisan proposal and another immigration bill of Ryans choice. Whichever got the most votes would move forward to the Senate. All four bills would help Dreamers to differing degrees and include varying levels of border security or immigration enforcement. For example, the Trump-backed bill would also dramatically reduce legal immigration, while the Democrats would only deal with legal status for Dreamers. Democrats say they dont expect the show of support will sway Ryan. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said Tuesday night she expects Ryan will have to be forced into allowing a vote. It doesnt matter how many signatures we get. We could have every signature, technically, except his, on the floor of the House and... if he doesnt want to, it doesnt happen, Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands), who gathered the Democratic co-sponsors for Denham, also wouldnt give a deadline for House leaders to act, but said the co-sponsors are only willing to wait weeks not months. We do want to give them an opportunity to bring up the rule and to use whatever process they want, Aguilar said. They do have options, but I think they need to understand that we have options too. Facebook

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Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer endorses Kevin de Leon in his insurgent bid against Sen. Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta Tom Steyer, left, and California state Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). (Getty Images; Los Angeles Times) Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer is endorsing state Sen. Kevin de Leon in his insurgent challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and did not rule out funding an outside effort to boost De Leons chances. I think hes the kind of young progressive that reflects California and would be a very strong advocate for our state nationally, Steyer said in an interview on Tuesday, pointing to De Leons efforts on issues such as immigration, climate change and gun control while he was the state Senate leader. I know him well and hes a friend. We share a lot of values. Steyer, who flirted with running for the Senate seat, did not criticize Feinstein as he has in the past. Sen. Feinstein has been an outstanding public servant who has dedicated the bulk of her adult life to the service of our state and the country, he said. These are two strong, very good Democrats. I just believe Kevin is the true progressive and he reflects something we need representing California going forward. I have nothing bad to say about Dianne Feinstein. I have a lot of good to say about Kevin de Leon. De Leon faces enormous odds as he tries to oust Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, is well known to the states voters and has daunting leads in polls and fundraising. But De Leon has gained notable endorsements, most recently from the 2.1-million-member California Labor Federation last week. Campaign finance reports released this week show that Feinstein has more than $10 million in the bank, while De Leon has just more than $670,000. Feinstein, a multimillionaire and one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, has already lent her campaign $5 million and could easily write another check. But Steyer, a billionaire former hedge fund manager, could write a larger one. He is among the largest Democratic donors in the nation and has already committed more than $50 million to push for the impeachment of President Trump and to register young voters. He was noncommittal when asked if he would fund an independent expenditure group on behalf of De Leon. I dont have any concrete plans for that, he said. Read More Facebook

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Californias largest pension fund sends next years invoice to state government: $6.3 billion By John Myers The California Public Employees Retirement System building (Max Whittaker / Getty Images) As part of a shift toward less optimistic expectations for investment returns to pay for government worker pensions, board members of the California Public Employees Retirement System voted Tuesday to require an almost $6.3-billion payment from the state budget in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The action, which could receive final approval on Wednesday, reflects a gradually higher annual contribution to public employee pensions by the state and from local governments across California. In 2016, CalPERS approved a half-percentage point decrease in its official estimate of the long-term investment return on its $353.3-billion portfolio. That shift was designed to happen over several years, in hopes it would lessen the financial shock of shifting more of the costs onto government employers. The highest costs are also, in part, a reflection of increases in the size of the states payroll. The states CalPERS payment will be about $450 million more than the total paid in the current fiscal year and more than double what it was only a decade ago. CalPERS board members voted on Tuesdays staff proposal with little discussion, save for a question about the increase in contributions also required from workers hired after a pension overhaul that took effect in June. It seems like it will be a ding on peoples salaries, said Theresa Taylor, the chairwoman of CalPERS finance committee and a member of SEIU Local 1000, the union that represents some 96,000 state employees. The $6.299-billion payment required from Californias state government must now be factored into the budget crafted by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in late June. Brown had already assumed a similarly sized payment in his budget proposal unveiled in January. In February, a coalition representing city governments warned about the effects of rising pension costs under the expectations of less money from Wall Street investments. The report issued by the League of California Cities projected an average increase of more than 50% in annual pension payments made by the states largest cities over the next seven years. A CalPERS staff report notes that the net return on all of the funds investments for the fiscal year that ended in July was 11.2%. But expectations on profits over the next 30 years remain significantly more modest, and theres long been a robust debate about how to properly set those future expectations. The lower the rate of projected investment return, the larger the share of pension costs that must be covered by taxpayers and some employees. Overall, CalPERS officials believe the system has assets to cover 71% of its long-term obligations. Facebook

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California warns legal pot sellers not to participate in unlicensed 4/20 events By Patrick McGreevy Marijuana on display at a dispensary in Los Angeles. ( (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images)) The state issued a warning Tuesday that businesses holding licenses to sell marijuana could face penalties if they participate in unlicensed temporary events away from their stores, including on Friday, April 20, which has become an annual celebration for counterculture groups. The warning was issued ahead of 4/20 by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control. Since Jan. 1, the bureau has issued more than 700 state licenses to sell marijuana for medical or recreational use. The bureau has issued 47 temporary event licenses to groups that are limited to holding the marijuana celebrations on county fairgrounds that have authorized such events with city approval. Any bureau licensee participating in an unlicensed cannabis event may be subject to disciplinary action, the warning said, adding that lawful participation by bureau licensees in any temporary cannabis event that allows sales and/or consumption is dependent upon issuance of the appropriate licenses from the bureau. While many Californians have been issued medical approval to sell or use marijuana, the law does not allow them to participate in unlicensed events, also referred to as Proposition 215 events after the ballot measure that legalized medical pot two decades ago in the state. Participation in such events may lead to civil penalties for unlicensed commercial cannabis activity, the warning said. Meanwhile, a survey of some 1,000 marijuana users that was released Tuesday by the firm LendEDU found that the average 4/20 participant plans to spend $71 on marijuana to celebrate the unofficial holiday, and about 35% of respondents are planning to take off work Friday. Facebook

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California police groups shift position on officer discipline records, now consider support for making some of them public By Liam Dillon Los Angeles Police Department recruits at a graduation ceremony in April (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Some major law enforcement groups signaled Tuesday they are willing to support making part of police officer disciplinary records public, a dramatic departure from their past positions. Local and national attention on police shootings and misconduct has led law enforcement organizations to reconsider their blanket opposition to proposals that would give public access to some internal disciplinary investigations of officers. Were going to be open to supporting efforts that would allow for some records to be released, said Ryan Sherman, a lobbyist with the Riverside Sheriffs Assn. Debate over secrecy provisions in officer disciplinary files came during a legislative hearing on Senate Bill 1421 from Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Skinners bill, which advanced out of the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, would require public disclosure of all internal officer shooting investigations and confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. Currently, all police discipline information is confidential outside of a courtroom in California, which has some of the nations strictest standards against public disclosure. Unfortunately, the fact that we have such strict restrictions on any access to public records has affected certain communities trust towards our law enforcement, Skinner said during the hearing. Prior to Skinners effort, other have tried to loosen these rules, some of which date back 40 years. Most recently in 2016, a bid by then-Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) failed in a Senate committee. In debate two years ago, no major law enforcement groups indicated they would accept changes to state laws that would make individual internal investigations public, saying they were essential to protect officer privacy and safety. But Tuesday, Sherman and other lobbyists including those representing the states largest police labor organization, signaled they might be willing to entertain changes. They said they were negotiating with Skinner on the bills details. Law enforcement groups still have major concerns about SB 1421 as written. Ed Fishman, an attorney for the Police Officers Research Assn., told legislators that the bill would wrongfully expose police officers who acted within departmental policy to invasions of their privacy. It has unintended consequences that are extreme and will hurt the public, Fishman said. Tuesdays hearing featured testimony from many who have had relatives killed by police officers in recent years advocating for the bill. Senators on the Public Safety Committee also gave public rebukes to law enforcement lobbyists, criticizing them for a lack of diversity and insensitivity to concerns raised by communities of color. I think that you are completely and utterly out of touch with the realities of how those you are representing are perceived by major segments of California, said Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). You are not going to be able to continue to lobby your way out of it. The bill faces at least one more committee hearing in the Senate before reaching the floor. It will have to pass both houses of the Legislature by the end of August. Facebook

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Newest member of the California Assembly arrives ready to work on criminal justice issues By John Myers Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove prepares for the oath of office from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon with her husband, Austin Dove. (California Assembly Democrats) Two weeks after winning a Los Angeles special election, the newest member of the California Assembly says she hopes to focus on reforms to the states criminal justice system during her time in Sacramento. Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) took the oath of office on Monday, filling one of three vacant seats representing Los Angeles County in the lower house. The Democrat, a former community college trustee and legislative staffer, thanked her mentors in remarks from the Assembly rostrum. So many women, and in my life so many black women, have paid in giving me the kind of morals and integrity and grit that is required to fight on behalf of people that you know, and people that you dont know, she said. Kamlager-Dove won handily on April 3, receiving 70% of the votes cast in the 54th Assembly District which encompasses communities west of downtown Los Angeles, from Crenshaw to Culver City and as far north as Westwood. She will serve the remaining eight months of the term of former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who resigned last year citing health concerns. She has said she hopes to focus her attention on poverty issues and on reform of the states criminal justice system. I think we have an opportunity to really push the needle in terms of how we look at rehabilitation, how we look at incarceration, and how we look at changing the lives oftentimes of poor men and women of color, Kamalager-Dove said on Monday in a video released by Assembly Democrats. Facebook

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Survivors of violent crime raise their voices in California to call for a new approach to criminal justice By Jazmine Ulloa Aaliyah Smith marches with her cousins. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Her father, uncle, a cousin and two older brothers. Those are some of the family members 16-year-old Aaliyah Smith has lost to gun violence. Then there are her friends. Jermaine Jackson Jr., 27, was shot and killed in 2016 while he painted over graffiti in San Francisco. Toriano Tito Adger, 18, was shot there a year later at a bus stop. He called Smith, who was nearby, and warned her to run. She made it inside a library moments before the crack of gunfire. Last week, Smith was among hundreds who gathered in Sacramento for annual National Crime Victims Rights Week events, where calls were issued for a new approach to criminal justice and public safety in California, one that puts survivors at the center of policy. But a debate is brewing over what that entails. Read More Facebook

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California expects $14 billion in tax payments this month By John Myers State workers handle income tax returns at the California Franchise Tax Board offices. (Laura Morton / For The Times) Gov. Jerry Browns proposed state budget is built on what taxpayers might find an audacious assumption: almost $14 billion in tax payments in the month of April, an average of $83 million collected per hour on every business day of the month. Most of that money will come from the taxes Californians pay in advance of Tuesday nights filing deadline for income tax returns. If history is any guide, the rate of payment could quadruple by weeks end. While tax rules have shifted some of the payment schedules to other months, April remains a vitally important month to the fiscal health of state government. The state controllers office reports more than 15% of all personal income tax revenues in 2017 were collected in April. In the recession years of a decade ago, tax revenue predictions were frequently off the mark by hundreds of millions of dollars. The last two state budgets have seen significant windfalls of personal income tax revenue, thanks in part both to an improving economy and to the continuation of a temporary surcharge on the wealthiest taxpayers  extended by voters in 2016. In the budget plan he sent to lawmakers in January, Brown projected a $6.1-billion windfall and proposed using a sizable amount to top off Californias rainy-day fund ahead of schedule. The independent Legislative Analysts Office reports that through the end of last week, the months income tax tally stood at $3 billion, slightly ahead of projections. By the end of the current week, a single days total could be almost that large. Lawmakers began reviewing the governors $190.3-billion spending plan during the winter, but few decisions are made until they get a look at Aprils tax revenues. The governor will release a revised plan based on the new data next month; lawmakers are required to send him a completed budget no later than June 15. Facebook

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Feinstein war chest tops $10 million while Kevin de Leon struggles to keep pace By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Dianne Feinstein widened her already-massive fundraising advantage in the run-up to Junes primary, raising twice as much in the first quarter than her strongest Senate challenger has sitting in the bank. Feinstein raised $1.3 million between January and March, bringing her war chest to just over $10 million as Californias U.S. Senate race begins in earnest, according Federal Election Commission reports. Former state Senate leader Kevin De Leon, the best known of the more than 30 people who will appear with Feinstein on the June primary ballot, raised just $575,991 in that same period, bringing his cash on hand to $672,331, according to his quarterly FEC report. Read More Facebook

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Trump has met his match, says Gov. Jerry Brown in promoting climate action on a quick trip to Canada By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown told a Canadian audience Monday that he believes President Trumps efforts to reverse course on climate change policy are a momentary deviation as others in the United States seek limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Thats very temporary, I can assure you, Brown said at a joint event in Toronto with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. The governors quick international trip, announced only late last week, comes as Wynnes Liberal Party faces a stiff challenge in Junes election from the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and its leader, Doug Ford. Critics of Wynnes party have called for Ontario to pull out of the Western Climate Initiative, a cooperative agreement between three Canadian provinces and California on efforts to limit greenhouse gases. Brown sought to link the efforts of Canadian conservatives with Republicans in the United States who oppose existing climate change programs. In contrast, he told the audience, several GOP lawmakers voted last summer to renew Californias cap-and-trade program. I would say to the conservatives of Canada, wake up and see what your friends in California are doing, he said. The Democrat took particular notice of Trumps efforts to shift away from climate change policies from the administration of former President Obama, as well as a push by the Environmental Protection Agency to cancel Californias strict limits on automobile emissions. If Trump tries to change that, well have litigation well beyond his term in office, Brown said while also noting Chinese government efforts to produce more low-emissions vehicles. Between California and China, Trump has met his match. What hes saying is not going to happen. Many of the governors remarks, though, were aimed at the tough political situation in which Wynne finds herself with seven weeks to go before Ontarios parliamentary elections. Dangers abound, but success is right in our hands, Brown said. So dont blow it! Facebook

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California voters are getting to know the states attorney general through his aggressive stance challenging Trump By Patrick McGreevy Less than two months from his first statewide election, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra has become adept not only at challenging President Trump but at using the bully pulpit of his office to raise his profile with voters. The aggressive effort may help boost the former Los Angeles congressmans chances at winning a full term in office this fall, almost two years after he was appointed to replace Sen. Kamala Harris in 2017. Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown, Becerra took office as attorney general four days after Trumps inauguration. Thats afforded him an opportunity to get in front of Californians  and potential voters  on an array of issues including immigration, healthcare and the environment. Read More Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown forms commission for 2020 census outreach By Melanie Mason In an effort to make sure California has a strong showing in the next national census, Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday established a state commission to prepare outreach for the decennial count. It is vitally important for California to do everything it can to ensure that every Californian is counted in the upcoming census, Brown said in a prepared statement. The commissions formation comes on the heels of a Trump administration plan to ask about citizenship status as a part of the census. State officials fear that such a question, which has not been asked in a census since 1950, could chill participation among California residents. That could result in the state losing billions of dollars in federal funds and a seat in Congress. The 23-member panel, appointed largely by Brown as well as picks by legislative leaders, comes from private- and public-sector backgrounds, including civil rights groups, religious institutions and educational institutions. Facebook

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Garcetti kicks off Iowa visit with 2020 on his mind and a hardhat on his head LA Mayor - and 2020 prospect - Eric Garcetti makes his Iowa debut at the Carpenters Union Training Center. Fearlessly flaunts the never be photographed in head gear/safety glasses rule. pic.twitter.com/14bUOPXMvF  Mark Z. Barabak (@markzbarabak) April 13, 2018 Facebook

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Asm. Rocky Chavez takes the lead in race to replace Issa, while Doug Applegate slips By Joshua Stewart A new poll shows that Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez has taken a clear lead over 15 other candidates running to replace Rep. Darrell Issa in Congress and has overtaken Democrat Doug Applegate, the previous frontrunner. In a SurveyUSA poll by 10News and The San Diego Union-Tribune, Chavez, R-Oceanside, has support of 16 percent of likely voters, putting him ahead of Applegate, a lawyer, who was favored by 12 percent of voters and is in second place. The top two vote-getters in June, regardless of party, will proceed to a November runoff election. Competing with Applegate for the No. 2 spot is Democrat Mike Levin, also a lawyer, with support of 9 percent of voters. Several other candidates were right at his heels. Democratic Businessman Paul Kerr and Board of Equalization Member Diane Harkey, R-Dana Point, were tied for fourth at 8 percent each. Read More Facebook

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Pro-Kevin de Leon group launches ad castigating Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta A group that is supporting Kevin de Leons bid for the U.S. Senate launched a blistering ad against Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday, questioning her progressive principles and tying her to President Trump. The ad buy from A Progressive California is minuscule  $10,000 to air it in Los Angeles for one day on CNN and MSNBC during programming such as The Rachel Maddow Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews and Anderson Cooper 360. The minute-long ad features news clips about Feinstein not getting the California Democratic Party endorsement earlier this year, as well as footage of Feinstein saying that Trump can be a good president and appearing to share a laugh with Trump. That moment actually came during a White House meeting in the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting when the president suggested an assault weapons ban should be included in a bipartisan bill to expand gun background checks. It also features extensive clips of de Leons speech at the state partys convention. De Leon, who just ended his final term as leader of the state Senate, announced last year he would run against fellow Democrat Feinstein as she seeks her fifth full term. Feinsteins longtime political advisor dismissed the ad, noting the size of the buy. Its not really a buy, said Bill Carrick. Ten thousand dollars in cable in L.A. Poof, its gone. Still, he said he planned to have the campaigns lawyers review the ad to see if it violates campaign law that limits what outside groups like A Progressive California can do. Such groups cannot coordinate with campaigns or candidates, and are limited in how much their messages can support a candidate. Ann Ravel, the former chair of the Federal Election Commission and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said if the ad was in a state race, she is certain that the state commission would open an investigation into potential coordination with de Leons campaign because of the messaging and the types of footage in the ad. But the bipartisan federal commission cant agree on how to enforce the federal regulations, she said. The problem is [outside groups] understand that given the lack of very strong enforcement at the federal level, theres the ability to stretch the law, she said. A spokeswoman for the FEC declined to comment. Dave Jacobson, a spokesman for A Progressive California, disputed the suggestion that the ad violated campaign law. This frivolous allegation shows that Sen. Feinstein is afraid of the public seeing an ad which showcases her own words, that Donald Trump can be a good president, he said. Facebook

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Dispute over money emerges in campaign to repeal Californias gas tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) A proposed initiative to repeal hikes to Californias gas tax has been caught in the middle of a dispute involving Republican rivals in the governors race. Assemblyman Travis Allen, a Republican candidate for governor, decided in January to drop plans for his own initiative and said he would urge supporters to sign a separate petition being supported by several Republican members of Congress. Then last week, the committee Allen formed to finance his ballot measure reported a $300,000 contribution from PISF Inc., a Novato, Calif., real estate firm. Now, an organizer of the still active Give Voters a Voice committee is urging the Allen committee to immediately donate their funds in support of the ongoing signature gathering efforts. There is only one gas tax repeal measure currently in circulation and that is the measure sponsored by the Give Voters a Voice Committee, said Dave Gilliard, a consultant to the group. PISF Inc., he said, gave to repeal taxes a
The attorney-client privilege is not written into the U.S. Constitution or federal law, but it is one of the oldest recognized privileges for confidential communications, then-Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote 20 years ago.

The privilege is intended to encourage full and frank communication between attorneys and their clients and thereby promote broader public interests in the observance of law and the administration of justice.

But it is not an absolute or unlimited protection for privacy, he added, saying it should be interpreted in the light of reason and experience.

Rehnquist spoke for the Supreme Court in 1998 when it upheld a privilege claim by a Washington lawyer who had taken notes when a deeply troubled White House deputy counsel, Vincent Foster, came to see him. Less than two weeks later, Foster committed suicide and independent counsel Kenneth Starr went to court years later demanding to see the notes. By a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court refused, saying that the shield of confidentiality did not die with the client.

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But at other times in that era, the justices sided with the independent counsel and decided President Clintons White House lawyers could not invoke the attorney-client privilege to shield their conversations or notes.

The issue arose again this week as the FBI raided the New York offices of President Trumps personal attorney, Michael Cohen. Investigators reportedly were looking for information about payments made by Cohen to women alleged to have had affairs with Trump, including adult-film actress Stormy Daniels.

Attorney-client privilege is dead! a furious Trump tweeted Tuesday.

Heres a primer about the legal protection and how it may affect the current federal inquiries:

So what is the purpose of the attorney-client privilege?

It allows clients who have a legal problem to talk candidly with a lawyer. Under ordinary rules, any person who has witnessed or heard about a crime can be required to testify about it. But if that ordinary rule applied in law offices, no one would feel comfortable speaking to a lawyer because it could result in confessing to a crime.

While the privilege is seen as necessary for legal practice, there has always been some anxiety about the privilege, legal scholar and ethics expert Geoffrey Hazard once wrote. It is not only a principle of privacy, but also a device for coverups.

What are the limits to the privilege?

The most commonly cited limit is the crime-fraud exception. Generally, a lawyer and his client cannot be compelled to talk about past crimes. But if the lawyer is working with the client to carry out a continuing or future crime  for example, by preparing a false document or to pay off a witness  their dealings are probably not shielded.

Legal experts also say the privacy privilege covers only specific legal matters and advice, and not all of the possible discussions between a lawyer and a client.

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Why is this relevant? Because President Trump has said quite publicly that he did not know what Cohen was doing with respect to the alleged payments to the actress known as Stormy Daniels, payments that appear to be at the core of [New York] investigation, wrote Washington lawyer Paul Rosenzweig on the Lawfare blog. He has said he was unaware of the payments and did not know why they were made (and suggested that the press had to ask Michael about them). If this is true, then it seems that Trump could not have an attorney-client relationship with Cohen regarding the Daniels payment.

Do investigators often seek to search an attorneys office if they see evidence of a crime?

No. It is extremely rare to get a search warrant for a law office. Nothing so high profile occurs to me, said New York University law professor Stephen Gillers, a recognized authority on legal ethics. Prosecutors instead use subpoenas or simple requests. So here there must have been fear that items would be destroyed.

The U.S. Attorneys Manual authorizes searches of law offices but sets special rules and procedures. Investigators are urged to first consider a subpoena, which is a request for information. Before seeking a search warrant from a judge, investigators must also obtain authorization by a U.S. attorney (in this instance, in New York) or Assistant Attorney General in Washington, according to the manual. During such a search, the government may encounter material protected by a legitimate claim of privilege. It is important that close control be exercised over this type of search, it says.

Who decides whether material seized is protected by privilege or is evidence of a crime?

The Justice Departments manual says it will have others take the first look. To protect the attorney-client privilege,  a privilege team should be designated, consisting of agents and lawyers not involved in the underlying investigation. Their task is to protect privileged material or defense strategy from being disclosed to the agents or prosecutors.

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If investigators find evidence of other possible crimes, can they use it or turn it over to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III?

Most legal experts say the answer is yes, but only after judges rule on objections.

The judge would have identified what could be seized, Gillers said. Other items can be seized if without having looked for them, the search uncovers other items that show criminality. The safest course then would be to seize them and go back to the judge for authority to inspect them.

In Cohens case, his defense lawyers will almost surely take the fight to court and argue that items that go beyond the terms of the search warrant should be shielded and returned to him.

The latest from Washington 

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More stories from David G. Savage 

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: @DavidGSavage
When President Trump was sworn into office last year, Michael Cohen basked in the moment of glory he long had insisted would come.

For more than a decade, Cohen had served as Trumps go-to private lawyer in New York, a bare-knuckle brawler and fix-it man who could be relied on to threaten Trumps critics with lawsuits, silence Trumps supposed paramours, represent him in a Moscow development deal and serve as spokesman in the crucible of the 2016 campaign.

People dont even know the name of Barack Obamas personal attorney, Cohen was overheard telling a companion in downtown Washington. But everybody knows my name.

With coordinated FBI raids on his Manhattan apartment, law office and hotel room Monday, Cohens name has joined a marquee list of other Trump associates in the crosshairs of a federal investigation. The presidents former national security advisor has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, his former campaign chairman faces criminal charges in two jurisdictions and both his son and son-in-law have faced scrutiny.

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But Cohens longtime friendship and legal representation of Trump make his case different. Cohen has frequently pledged to do anything to protect Trump and his family. He now will have his deep loyalty put to the test.

On Tuesday  a day after Trump condemned the FBI raids as a disgrace or disgraceful nine separate times at the White House in an outpouring of anger  he took to Twitter to call the investigation a total witch hunt! in capital letters.

He also tweeted, Attorney-client privilege is dead!, although that privilege is not sacrosanct in cases where a lawyer participates in a crime with a client.

Cohen struck a more measured tone than the president in an interview with CNN.

I am unhappy to have my personal residence and office raided, he said. But I will tell you that members of the FBI that conducted the search and seizure were all extremely professional, courteous and respectful. And I thanked them at the conclusion.

The raids began after special counsel Robert S. Mueller III referred evidence to the U.S. attorney in Manhattan with approval of Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. A federal judge reviewed the evidence and approved the search warrants that the FBI used to haul away business records, emails and other material.

The search warrants reportedly focused, in part, on payments to two women, the adult-film actress known as Stormy Daniels and former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal. Both received money during the 2016 campaign in deals to keep them silent about their alleged sexual relationships with Trump.

Daniels was paid $130,000 by Cohen. McDougal received $150,000 by selling the exclusive rights to her story to the National Enquirer, which never published any details. The Enquirers publisher is a Trump ally.

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Cohen has said he paid Daniels with money from a home equity loan and wasnt reimbursed by Trumps businesses or the campaign, raising questions about whether he violated banking or campaign finance laws.

The controversy has created the spectacle of the presidents longtime lawyer feuding with a porn star. Cohen has sued Daniels for allegedly breaching a nondisclosure agreement, and Daniels has sued him for defamation.

The son of a nurse and a surgeon who survived the Nazi camps, Cohens admiration for Trump began in high school, when, he has said, he read Trumps ghostwritten Art of the Deal  twice.

Cohen worked as a personal injury lawyer, became a partner in a law firm and invested in New York City taxi cab medallions, which are required to drive a cab in New York. He and his family members still own shares of more than a dozen cab companies, records show.

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Cohen also invested in Trump properties, buying a condo at Trump World Tower  a residential skyscraper that overlooks the United Nations complex in Manhattan  after it opened in 2001. The tower has 72 floors but famously lists 90 floors in the elevators to make it appear higher.

Cohens parents and in-laws later purchased condos in the same building, and Cohen and his wife now own a condo at Trump Park Avenue, a former hotel that Trump converted into luxury residences.

For Trump, that meant Cohen knew what he was doing.

He has invested in my buildings because he likes to make money  and he does, Trump told the New York Post in 2007, a year after Cohen went to work for the Trump Organization as an attorney. In short, hes a very smart person.

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Cohen soon became intertwined with the sprawling Trump empire. He sat on the boards of the Eric Trump Foundation, the Miss Universe Organization and Trump Productions, which worked on Trumps blockbuster NBC reality show The Apprentice.

Cohen helped spearhead Trumps bid to do a development deal in Russia, working on a proposal to build a Trump Tower complex in Moscow with Felix Sater, a Russian-born businessman in New York. The deal was never finalized.

But Cohen also played the heavy. When a Miss USA contestant publicly questioned the results of the Trump-run pageant in 2012, Cohen sued her and won a $5-million judgment. The case ended with a settlement in 2014.

When a Daily Beast reporter asked Cohen about allegations of rape that came out in Trumps divorce from his first wife, Ivana, Cohen warned: I will make sure that you and I meet one day while were in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still dont have. And I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know.

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Barbara Res, who was an executive vice president for the Trump company from 1980 to 1992, said Trumps favorite employees shared the same traits: unquestioning loyalty and a willingness to do whatever it took to beat Trumps opponents into submission.

He likes tough people, he likes mean people, she said. He thinks thats the right approach. More than anything, with an employee, he wants loyalty.

Cohen served as a political advisor when Trump flirted with running for president. He then became a frequent and combative presence on cable talk shows during the campaign.

In one infamous appearance on CNN, he refused to admit the campaign was in disarray and slipping in the polls against Hillary Clinton. Says who? he kept repeating. Hes going to end up winning the election.

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Cohens fierce loyalty was rewarded when Trump pulled off a victory. The following spring, the Republican National Committee named Cohen as the national deputy chairman of its fundraising team.

Appearing on the Sean Hannity show on Fox News in January 2017, Cohen said he didnt mind taking heat for the president.

Im OK with it personally, because it benefits Mr. Trump, and Ill do anything to protect Mr. Trump, Cohen said. He said Trump was lucky to have a circle of people who had his back.

I like to keep myself in that little circle of extremely loyal people, he said. We will do whats necessary to protect him and the office of the presidency.

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joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Twitter: @jtanfani
With news that House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) wont seek another term in 2018, Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy gets another chance  maybe his last  at the leadership post he has long coveted.

McCarthy and his chief rival for the speakership, Republican House Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), have each quietly shored up support behind the scenes for months in case Ryan stepped down.

Now their expected scramble to succeed Ryan as speaker  if Republicans hold their House majority after the midterm elections  is certain to influence the chambers business in the coming months, as well as reignite long-standing internal fights over who should lead the GOP caucus.

After Ryans announcement, neither man formally threw his hat in the ring.

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In a statement, McCarthy didnt mention his future plans, saying, There is more work to do this year, and we will do it together as a team.

Scalise told reporters that I dont think now is the time to talk about what titles people want.

Republicans on Wednesday sought to downplay fears that Ryans departure will hurt their partys chances of holding the House in 2018, especially amid rising Democratic enthusiasm.

But GOP veterans acknowledged that the race has already begun over who will replace him.

Ryans retirement will liberate McCarthy and Scalise to go out and campaign like crazy to keep the majority, and thatll be a significant factor in which of them gets picked to replace him, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Wednesday.

Ryan hinted that he plans to endorse a successor, but said he plans to remain in his post until January.

I think this is probably not the right time to get into that, Ryan said of the race. Ill share those thoughts later. That election is in November, so its not something we have to sweat right now.

Some on Capitol Hill are saying that making the announcement now frees Ryan to act on contentious issues, but it also makes him a lame duck and chances were already low for substantive legislation for the remainder of the election year. And waiting until November to hold the speakers election could cause problems of its own.

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A seven-month shadow speakers fight, and the accompanying bickering among GOP factions, will likely distract Republicans as they campaign in the midterms, and every move McCarthy and Scalise make will be closely scrutinized. In the end, Democrats may very well hold the speakers gavel again.

If McCarthy and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) continue to hold top spots in their respective party leaderships next year, it could be the first time in history  no matter which party triumphs in November  that the House speaker and House minority leader would represent the same state.

Elected to replace his mentor Bill Thomas in Congress in 2006, McCarthy ascended the ranks quickly and has been majority leader since 2014.

When restive Republicans drove Ohio Rep. John Boehner to step down as House speaker in October 2015, it was widely assumed that the Californian known for his well-honed political skills and pleasant nature would step into the role.

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But members of the highly conservative House Freedom Caucus threatened to withhold their support unless McCarthy, who is considered more a part of the Republican establishment, embraced their pick for a new majority leader and made other concessions.

Then McCarthy made a widely publicized gaffe on Fox News that seemed to confirm Democrats allegations that the hearings over the State Departments handling of the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, were chiefly intended to hurt Hillary Clintons 2016 bid for president.

Everybody thought that Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? McCarthy said. But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she is untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought and made that happen.

He shocked colleagues by abruptly dropping out of the speakers race just hours before Republicans were expected to nominate him to succeed Boehner.

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After much prompting, Ryan took the gavel instead.

But 2018 is a very different year for McCarthy. And its clear that he never lost interest in becoming speaker.

Hes one of the most prolific fundraisers for the national Republican Party and GOP candidates  raising $8.75 million so far this year  and hes worked over the past three years to build relationships with some of the same conservatives who kept him from getting the speakership in 2015, by raising cash and making campaign appearances.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina told reporters Wednesday that although he has a preference in the speakers race, he will absolutely not share who that is yet.

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Much will depend on the outcome of the midterms. Momentum appears to be on Democrats side headed into the 2018 election, and the GOP districts they are targeting include those represented by more moderate members who would prefer McCarthy over Scalise, Claremont McKenna College politics professor John J. Pitney said.

Im sure hes already in the process of making calls and getting commitments, hes very good at that, Pitney said. The question is: How many of those folks will be around after the election?

Pitney said the Benghazi gaffe wont be a factor. The incident that led to his withdrawal last time is down the memory hole, Pitney said.

Although President Trump, then a candidate, praised McCarthys 2015 decision not to run for speaker, the lawmaker has developed a particularly close relationship with the president, who calls the congressman My Kevin and who could want to back a new leader he likes and respects. Earlier this year, McCarthy was tasked with explaining to Trump why the midterms could be bad for Republicans. The two men also speak and meet frequently.

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But Trump has also embraced Scalise, who is still recovering after being shot at a baseball practice in June.

Trumps input will play an extremely powerful role as House Republicans weigh the next speaker, Meadows said.

I think the president will certainly weigh in on who the next speaker should be and I think that that input will be significant, he said.

Staff writer Noah Bierman in Washington contributed to this report.

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The latest from Washington 

More stories from Sarah D. Wire 

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

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Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation

UPDATES:

12:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional analysis and reaction.

10:05 a.m.: This article was updated with comment from Ryan and Pitney.

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8:10 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from McCarthy, Meadows and Gingrich.

This article was originally published at 7:10 a.m.
President Trumps anger over what he called the fake and corrupt Russia investigation flared anew on Wednesday, fueling a bipartisan push in the Senate for a new proposal to prevent the president from firing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

The revised legislation, which merges two ideas introduced last year, would write into law current regulations saying the special counsel can only be removed for good cause by Justice Department leaders. It would also allow the special counsel to appeal the firing in court.

This is a time when all of us  Republicans and Democrats  need to stand up and make it clear that we are committed to the rule of law in this country, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a Democratic sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

A Republican sponsor, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said in his statement, The integrity and independence of special counsel investigations are vital to reaffirming the American peoples confidence in our nations rule of law.

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The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to consider the legislation next week.

Trump has struggled for months to stifle his irritation at the investigation into Russias election interference, possible Trump campaign complicity and whether the president sought to obstruct justice. Last month he singled out Mueller by name for the first time. But his rage exploded on Monday after federal agents raided the New York home, office and hotel room of Michael Cohen, Trumps longtime personal lawyer.

Although the agents were reportedly looking for evidence involving hush money payments to two women who said they had affairs to Trump years ago, the raids were based at least in part on information provided by Mueller to the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan.

Michael Cohen, President Trumps personal attorney, leaves a restaurant on Tuesday in New York. On Monday, federal agents raided Cohens New York home, office and hotel room. (Frank Franklin II / Associated Press )

Venting on Twitter on Wednesday morning, Trump blamed the investigation into Moscows political interference for much of the bad blood with Russia. He accused the special counsels office of being staffed by Democrat loyalists and described Mueller as conflicted.

Mueller, and Justice Department leaders, are Republicans. Trump did not say why he thinks Mueller has a conflict of interest, a charge that could lay the groundwork for removing him. Hes previously complained that Mueller should not lead the probe because, among other reasons, Trump interviewed him as a potential FBI director after firing James B. Comey in May.

Mueller, who previously was FBI director under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, was appointed special counsel by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein soon after that interview.

So much Fake News about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria. Feels great to have Bolton & Larry K on board. I (we) are  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

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....doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus. No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

The push for a law protecting the special counsel received another boost this week after White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggested on Tuesday that the president has the authority to directly fire Mueller.

Her statement raised eyebrows because the White House has previously denied that firing Mueller was under consideration. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to say whether the department provided a legal opinion on the topic.

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Its been broadly assumed that Trump would need to order Justice leaders to remove Mueller, rather than doing it himself.

Thats how President Richard Nixon ousted Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal, in 1973. When the attorney general and his deputy refused Nixons order to fire Cox, they were pushed aside. The solicitor general, Robert Bork, who was next in the chain of command, carried out the decision. That so-called Saturday Night Massacre created a fierce backlash and led to the appointment of a second special prosecutor.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wisc.), who announced on Wednesday that he wouldnt run for reelection, said people at the White House  he did not specify who  assured him that Trump would not fire Mueller.

"I have no reason to believe thats going to happen, Ryan said.

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) similarly has cited White House reassurances to oppose legislation to protect Mueller. Its unclear whether such assurance will hold. Trump reportedly ordered the firing of Mueller last June, backing down only when his White House counsel threatened to quit rather than help carry out the order. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that Trump also wanted to shut down Muellers investigation in December.

Although Republican leaders in the House and Senate have not advanced the legislation to protect Mueller, theyve repeatedly and publicly urged Trump not to interfere with the special counsel.

Its still my view that Mueller should be allowed to finish his job, McConnell told reporters on Tuesday.

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John Yoo, a UC Berkeley law professor who worked in the Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration, said the president will find a way to fire Mueller if he chooses.

If Trump wants to fire Mueller, he will fire him  its only a question of how many minutes it will take, Yoo wrote in an email.

Right now Justice Department rules say that the special counsel may be disciplined or removed from office only by the personal action of the attorney general. In Muellers case, that would be Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, because Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation last year.

Yoo said Trump could argue that the Justice Department regulation cannot constrain his constitutional authority  long recognized by Congress and the Supreme Court  to remove the attorney general and other subordinate appointees within the Justice Department.

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Ken Gormley, president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and the author of a book about Archibald Cox, said it would be inappropriate for a president to reach down the chain of command to remove law enforcement officials.

You could effectively nullify any criminal investigation, he said. You must not be allowed to run roughshod over the rule of law.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

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UPDATES:

5:00 p.m.: The story was updated to reflect the revised schedule for the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider legislation involving the special counsel.

The story was originally published at 1:40 p.m.
The police have opened a criminal investigation into the militants' artillery attack from heavy armament on apartment buildings in the town of Avdiyivka in Donetsk region under the article "terrorist act."

"Tonight, militants again fired on dwellings in the old part of the town resorting to heavy weapons. The police now received information about two damaged households. Law enforcement officers are working on the site," the National Police Department in Donetsk region reported on Facebook.

According to the police, the artillery attack, which was conducted on the part of the occupied Donetsk, began at 20:00 on Tuesday, April 10, and did not cease until 5:00 on Wednesday, April 11.

"Households, located along Lermontova Street, suffered damage from shells. Windows, doors, fences, roofs of houses were damaged. The windows were broke out by the blast. Fortunately, the residents of the house weren't hurt," the message reads.

The investigative-operative group of the Avdiyivska police station is now in the affected area. It is examining the territory, collecting information about other injuries and assisting civilians.

This fact is qualified under Part 2 of Article 258 "terrorist act" of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
When Gavin Newsom campaigns on his support for a California single-payer healthcare system, hes talking about more than the virtues of universal care. Hes trying to sell himself as a bold visionary.

When Antonio Villariagosa warns of the financial calamity that awaits if the state adopts single payer, hes trying to send a different message  that hes a fiscally responsible realist who wont make promises he cant keep.

The debate over single payer in Californias race for governor reaches beyond how best to cure the inadequacies of healthcare in the state. Its a political marker for the top Democratic candidates trying to woo different factions of their divided party, and has emerged as the biggest policy flashpoint in the campaign.

Single-payer healthcare has become a clear litmus test. If you support it, youre a pure progressive. If youre opposed to it, youre a pragmatist, UC San Diego political scientist Thad Kousser said. Its more of a declaration than a policy promise because this is never going to happen, certainly during the Trump presidency.

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But Newsom has promised to pursue a state-supported single-payer healthcare system if hes elected in November. And fellow Democratic candidate Delaine Eastin, a former state superintendent of public instruction, also declared herself all-in on the concept. Both say California should lead the way, but have been criticized by their rivals for failing to provide a concrete plan to fund such a program or overcome the many obstacles it would face.

Depending on who becomes the next governor, every Californians well being and bank account could potentially undergo a revolutionary change. With the June 5 primary just two months away, Newsom remains the clear front-runner.

Coverage of California politics 

My opponents call it snake oil, Newsom said at the California Democratic Party convention in February, a reference to Villaraigosas oft-used criticism of the lieutenant governors support for the plan. I call it single payer. Its about access. Its about affordability. And its about time. If these cant-do Democrats were in charge, we wouldnt have had Social Security or Medicare.

Villaraigosa dismisses Newsoms campaign promise as a hollow attempt to entice the left. He said the system Newsom supports would require all Californians on Medicare to give it up in favor of a new, unproven state healthcare system  a declaration meant to rile up the 5.6 million residents covered by the popular federal program.

Newsom calls any attempt to demand details of his $200-billion tax increase and plan to force seniors off of Medicare as defeatist, Villaraigosa said recently. I call refusing to say how you will successfully persuade Californians to more than double their taxes while taking away their Medicare simply deceptive.

California gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at a conference on March 8. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press )

State Treasurer John Chiang, the other major Democrat in the running, has also urged caution. Instead of transforming healthcare in California in one fell swoop, the state should implement single payer bit-by-bit to ensure that its affordable and effective, he said.

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I support single payer, but we have to be truthful here, Chaing said during a fall Democratic debate in San Francisco. How many of you want to pay an additional 90% in taxes?  Lets scale up, see what revenues we have, because we cant cover everything.

In Washington, former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is leading a push for a plan that would in essence expand Medicare to provide healthcare to all Americans., For now, its little more than a political mirage  the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have been trying to repeal, not expand, government healthcare coverage provided under the Affordable Care Act.

With federal action unlikely, the California Legislature debated in 2017 whether to implement a state-sponsored single-payer system. The legislation, Senate Bill 562, was shelved in the Assembly over concerns about the cost and the lack of a comprehensive plan of how to pay for and implement such a massive new government program. A legislative analysis estimated the cost to be $400 billion per year. Half of the money for the system would come from existing state funds currently spent on healthcare, with the other half from new revenues such as a payroll tax, according to the analysis.

Newsoms support of SB 562 has been nuanced. When he spoke at a convention of the California Nurses Assn., which endorsed Newsom and is the most vocal backer of the bill, he told the enthusiastic crowd, Its time to move 562. But later, when talking with reporters, Newsom said he was referring to moving the bill through the legislative process, and acknowledged some open-ended issues still needed work.

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When a coalition of labor unions, community health organizations and immigrant-rights groups tried to steer the healthcare debate away from SB 562 in March, proposing a series of measures to make healthcare in California more affordable and accessible, Newsom praised it as a step in the right direction. He said it had the potential to move California closer to universal coverage.

Villaraigosa and Chiang have accused Newsom of shifting his message on SB 562 to appease different audiences.

But Newsom has taken shots at them for playing both sides as well. Villaraigosa and Chiang say they support the concept of single payer  ideally at the national level  yet call Newsom fiscally reckless for supporting a California program. Newsom has insinuated that they lack political courage to make it happen.

He also said the hand-wringing over the cost of single payer is a specious argument. Most of the money needed to support a single-payer system already is being spent on the plans that it would replace, he said: government-run exchanges and private healthcare plans.

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I think we can achieve it. Let me tell you why: Were already spending $367 billion a year on health insurance in the state of California, Newsom said at a San Diego debate in February. In every developed nation in the world that has a single-payer financing system, one thing is absolutely true: It costs less money than multi-payer.

Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to a gathering at the El Gallo Cultural Plaza in East Los Angeles April 5. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )

U.S. healthcare tab to keep rising, led by higher costs for drugs and services, government report says 

The $367-billion figure Newsom used comes from a 2016 study done in part by Gerald Kominski, a professor of health policy at UCLA. Kominski agrees that, in theory, additional revenue might not be necessary if all of that money spent on healthcare in California can be funneled to a single state healthcare agency. Still, that would require permission from the Trump administration and Republican-led Congress  both hostile to Democratic leaders in California  to take control of Medicare and Medi-Cal funding Washington sends to the state, as well as convincing all Californians to switch to state-run healthcare coverage.

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There are still some significant barriers, Kominski said.

Micah Weinberg, president of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, said Newsom fails to account for the increased costs of the comprehensive coverage being promised under a state single-payer system. Those costs include covering an estimated 1.8 million immigrant adults in California who are in the U.S. without authorization and covering long-term care not covered by Medicare, as well as eliminating all deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses for Californians, he said.

Were being misled into believing that if you provide free universal care, its going to cost less, Weinberg said.

Eastin, the only candidate of the four to throw her unequivocal support behind SB 562, has said implementing single payer is essential because people are dying for lack of proper healthcare. She has also acknowledged that it wont be simple.

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What we have to do is have a conversation, an adult conversation, with real leaders at the table talking about how were going to close the gap and get additional money, Eastin said at one of the Democratic debates, adding that shes open to exploring different revenue sources, including a gross receipts tax.

The two top Republicans in the race, Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox and Huntington Beach Assemblyman Travis Allen, have both ripped single payer as a government boondoggle.

Cox mockingly suggested that the state could also provide single-payer food and single-payer housing for everyone. Allen said it would be as efficient and customer-friendly as the DMV and bankrupt the state.

A 2017 poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 65% of adults in California favored the creation of a state single-payer healthcare program, but that support dropped to 42% when asked about paying higher taxes to fund it.

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You have to wonder, over time, whether this an issue that candidates want to own, PPIC President Mark Baldassare said.

phil.willon@latimes.com

Twitter: @philwillon

Updates on California politics
This is shaping up to be the second straight split-screen day in American politics, the continuation of two amazing storylines: a public reckoning for a Silicon Valley titan and the high-stakes investigation of a trusted confidant of President Trump.

For Mark Zuckerberg, the impresario of Facebook, theres probably relief this weeks spotlight isnt only being shined on him.

Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter 

FACEBOOKS CEO DOESNT GET A LIKE FROM LAWMAKERS

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If Zuckerberg thought hed get the benefit of the doubt on Capitol Hill after saying hes sorry, he was wrong.

For several hours, Democratic and Republican senators alike grilled the tech leader over Facebooks actions in the 2016 election season and its overall approach to the privacy of user data.

Let me just cut to the chase, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said to Zuckerberg on Tuesday. If you and other social media companies do not get your act in order, none of us are going to have any privacy anymore.

Zuckerbergs appearance had the markings of old guard versus new guard, especially with some questions from senators who didnt seem to have a lot of personal experience with Facebook.

Were tracking his testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee this morning on our Essential Washington news feed.

THE LAWYER, THE INVESTIGATION, THE GOP BLOWBACK

The other side of the political split screen may squeeze the Facebook discussion out of the picture by weeks end. With federal prosecutors raiding the office of Trumps personal attorney Michael Cohen and more angst via Twitter from the president, the nations Republican leadership is in a pickle.

As Cathleen Decker writes, congressional Republicans are facing tough questions about whether they should embrace protection of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian activity in the presidential election.

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Meanwhile, theres the attorney in the crosshairs. Cohen became close to Trump because of his die-hard loyalty and his willingness to do just about anything to protect the developer-turned-presidents reputation. That loyalty is now being put to the test.

NATIONAL POLITICS LIGHTNING ROUND

-- Tensions, too, are mounting over what the Trump administration will do over reports of the recent deadly chemical attack in Syria. Russian hands, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Monday, are all covered in the blood of Syrian children. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted that missiles to Syria will be coming.

-- As Pentagon planners scramble to prepare for a possible U.S. retaliatory military response in Syria, one danger has sparked special concern  whether airstrikes could inadvertently kill Russian soldiers in Syria and escalate the regional war. The situation has left Syrian troops on high alert.

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-- All of it was enough to convince Trump to skip this weeks visit to Peru and Colombia, which was to be highlighted by the Summit of the Americas gathering of international leaders in Peru.

-- This week would have been an especially raw time for President Trump to visit Latin America. But canceling the trip could leave the region even angrier.

-- A day after Trump called aspects of the U.S.-China trade relationship stupid, his Chinese counterpart tried a different strategy. President Xi Jinping promised to slash auto tariffs and further open the countrys markets to imports.

-- Mick Mulvaneys overhaul of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is so extensive it now could include revising the agencys name.

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-- Trump devoted his weekly address over the weekend to an attack on Californias sanctuary laws, arguing without evidence that the state had made itself a border-free zone where thousands of criminal aliens can roam free.

-- The surest path to a green card may be an investor visa  at least for anybody with $500,000 to spare.

-- The federal governments top ethics officer is calling for the EPA to take action to address questionable actions by Administrator Scott Pruitt.

-- CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a former Kansas congressman and solid conservative, will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday for his first round of questioning as Trumps pick to be the next secretary of State.

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-- Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth has given birth to a baby girl, making her the first serving U.S. senator to give birth.

BUILD THE WATER TUNNELS, SAYS KEY REGIONAL AGENCY

Southern Californias biggest water agency has voted to shoulder most of the cost of a sweeping plan to rebuild the intersection of the states vast waterworks, committing nearly $11 billion to the project.

Tuesdays vote was a major victory for Gov. Jerry Brown, who lobbied the Metropolitan Water District to back his plans for twin water tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta.

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BECERRA SUES OVER ANTI-POLLUTION RULE

California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration to challenge the repeal of a policy that requires major sources of air pollutants, including oil refineries, to reduce their emissions.

Becerras action, on behalf of the state Air Resources Board, targets a policy change by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would no longer require major polluters to install and operate equipment to permanently minimize the release of hazardous substances.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

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-- Becerra is appealing a San Diego federal judges ruling allowing construction of Trumps border wall.

-- California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said Tuesday that state courts should disclose the names of judges who entered into settlements to resolve complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination.

-- The most prominent woman in the race for governor, former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, is fighting to keep pace in the contest, despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics.

-- Even after intervention from Californias schools chief, the chaos of constant turnover for Inglewoods schools has contributed to uncertainty over whether the system still can be saved.

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-- Sen. Dianne Feinstein has long been friends with the man whos governor of California. On Tuesday, Brown endorsed Feinstein for reelection.

-- A major housing bill that would raise building heights near transit stations across the state has been narrowed in advance of its first committee hearing in Sacramento next week.

-- With all the attention on Zuckerberg and Cambridge Analytica, few people may realize how ubiquitous targeted ads have become in political campaigns. Heres a video explainer on how its done.

-- State lawmakers retreated from establishing a zero tolerance policy for young motorists in California who use pot.

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-- Sacramentos district attorney addressed crime victims at the state Capitol on Monday amid chants of Stephon Clark from protesters.

LOGISTICS

Essential Politics is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

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A reading of a vintage radio play called The Battle of the Warsaw Ghetto will be presented next Thursday in Burbank on the 75th anniversary of the days when Jewish residents in the Polish city took up arms against Nazi occupiers who sought to deport them to concentration camps during World War II.

The armed resistance lasted from April 19 to May 16, 1943. It inspired other revolts in concentration camps and ghettos throughout German-occupied Eastern Europe, according to historians.

The radio play was originally broadcast by NBC in December 1943.

The local reading is sponsored, in part, by the Burbank Human Relations Council.

In addition to being about the physical fighting, its also about the spiritual battles, said Rabbi Mark Sobel, who is directing the reading. It talks about classes and what people did to save each others lives.

Fourteen volunteers, a mixture of amateur and professional actors, will read multiple roles at the event, according to Sobel.

Konstantine Anthony, who will play a Jewish underground member and a Nazi commander, called the radio plays message very prescient for a modern audience.

The ideas of oppression and racism still hold true. We still learn about it and read about it, he said. [The uprising] is an important landmark to revisit, especially in the current political climate.

During the reading, a documentary about the uprising will be shown behind the actors. Sobel said the film, titled 912 Days of the Warsaw Ghetto, will give the audience a closer connection to the material by seeing actual footage of the city during the uprising.

The characters will come out from the anonymous people of the documentary, Sobel said. It brings them out into it, so the words will have a physical shape and form.

The reading will be presented at 7 p.m. next Thursday in Room 104 of the Burbank Community Services Building, 150 N. Third St. The event will also feature a question-and-answer session.

For more information, contact the Burbank Human Relations Council at (818) 860-2472 or TheBHRC@gmail.com.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Out of more than 1,300 submissions from local public and private schools, a little more than 200 entries were selected to be part of the Youth Art Expo on display now at the Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center in Burbank.

Virginia Causton-Keene, the centers director, said the art exhibit has been a dream of hers.

When I first started here last May, this is what I wanted to promote, was for kids to come in and see the gallery art so that they would be inspired to paint or create art, she said.

So, this is a venue now, this occasion for them to actually show their own work, which I think is fabulous, she added.

She said the artwork by the young people is awe inspiring.

It makes me feel like to I want to go home and paint because its so good, Causton-Keene said. And I was shocked, including the kindergartners and first-graders.

The Best in Show honor went to Angela Garcia, a senior at John Burroughs High School.

Her untitled painting depicts a colorful image of herself wearing a set of headphones.

However, instead of her regular skin, she depicts her face in various vibrant colors.

I decided on a bright-color theme, she said.

Garcia takes an Advanced Placement art class at Burroughs High as well as classes at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena.

The winner of the competition for students in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade was Kaylee Mason, a first-grader at Providencia Elementary.

Causton-Keene said shes proud of what the expo is about.

Its amazing to think that art is carrying on in public schools as well as private schools, and I know budgets are cut in a lot of places, but this really shows that its thriving, she said. Weve got a great future of artists... Even though, they may become accountants, they have this passion.

Other award winners whose works are part of the Youth Art Expo are:

Michael Nersisyan, Jayden Hylton, Sara Boghoussian, Ryan Essavi, Celine Najarian, Michael Levonyan, Neala Smith, Charlotte Huss, Giada Villafuerte, Michelle Ceron, Kiele Torrance, Riksy Brenes, Anolani Kanamu, Ruby Egloff, Madison Nagashiki, Camila Salas and Catalina Sutter.

For more information about the exhibit, visit https://bit.ly/2HVoJ3Q.

mark.kellam@latimes.com

Twitter: @LAMarkKellam
I feel fortunate to have been able to live in Newport Beach for the last 40-plus years and particularly enjoy the small community of Newport Heights that I call home.

When I retired I was able to devote more time to helping my fellow residents maintain the quality of life we enjoy in Newport Beach at large and, in my neighborhood specifically, that reflects the charm of a historical beach community.

Recently my neighbors in the Heights and Cliffhaven have formed the Coalition to Preserve Mariners Mile in order to give residents and surrounding businesses a say in what happens to this last vestige of space around our small boat bay.

A developer has bought up a significant piece of Mariners Mile and has proposed his own plan for the area, even though we were told a year ago that no new plan would be processed until residents and the city had the opportunity to work together on a new General Plan.

Additionally, we learned most recently that the new General Plan will be postponed until we work on trying to make Newport a designated port city, a concept no one seems to understand and one that would remove the city out from under the yoke of the California Coastal Commission, which acts as a protector for residents and the public.

And to complicate matters even more for residents who want to maintain the beauty and unique style of Newport Beach, another developer has proposed his concept of a Koll Center high-rise residence plan for the airport area. This development is in conflict with the expectations of inhabitants of the airport area, who also have been waiting for a new General Plan to fulfill the promises made regarding that area in 2006.

It is clear to me, after my involvement in community affairs, that the only way to maintain the quality of life in Newport Beach, which we can no longer take for granted, is for residents and small business owners to work together to prevent unbridled developers and their allies, some of which are elected officials, from over-developing our city.

LYNN LORENZ lives in Newport Heights.
Three Glendale organizations that deal with the development of youth in the area have teamed up to create a new program that will provide training and paid job placement for students with disabilities.

The collaborative program will serve about 60 students with disabilities from the Glendale and Burbank unified school districts as well as Glendale Community College this summer through classes on job exploration, up to 40 hours of workplace-readiness skills training and up to 225 hours of workplace learning experience.

The city of Glendales Verdugo Workforce Development Board, the Professional Development Center at Glendale Community College in Montrose and the Glendale Youth Alliance were together awarded $300,000 last week for the program.

The funding is coming from the Department of Rehabilitation, State of California Employment Training Panel and California Labor and Workforce Development Agency for a Summer Training and Employment Program for Students, or STEPS, grant.

The Verdugo Workforce develops workforce policies and oversees state and federal funding for Burbank, Glendale and La Canada Flintridge.

According to Judith Velasco, executive director of the Verdugo Workforce Development Board, student referrals will come from the Department of Rehabilitations local office as well as other local agencies.

This [grant] allows us to provide specific targeted services for students with disabilities and equips them to make really informed choices on their careers, she said.

The Professional Development Center has long worked with the city of Glendale to provide customized employment training for more than 36,000 professionals during the past three decades and will provide targeted courses for the programs students.

The courses will cover basic soft and interpersonal skills such as punctuality, workplace appearance, communication skills and teamwork as well as workplace culture, policy and safety, according to Ani Keshishian, the development centers assistant director.

This is such a great big thing  the collaborative effort between the three organizations  its sometimes difficult to come together, Keshishian said. We really worked hard on this, and we are so proud this is coming together for students.

Students who complete the training at the center and want work experience or are on track for career exposure will participate in a field trip to Glendale Community College and be placed by the Glendale Youth Alliance with paid work experience.

Velasco said program officials hope to match students with partners according to interest and aptitude. Students will also receive ongoing supportive services, such as clothing for interviews, as needed.

Alliance officials will coordinate with students at different work sites, and all of the students will be assigned career counselors as well as points of contact with the alliance and development board.

Marketing and outreach for the program should begin later this month with student job placement targeted for July, Velasco said.

jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda
Hawaiian Airlines has joined the campaign to educate tourists about the dangers of using sunscreen products that harm marine life while on vacation in Hawaii.

Throughout April, flight attendants will be handing out samples of Raw Elements, a chemical-free, non-GMO product that does not hurt marine life, including coral.

The airline also is showing Reefs at Risk, an 11-minute documentary about the problem, on its flights.

In 2015, the National Ocean Service reported that a team of international scientists had found that oxybenzone is highly toxic to juvenile corals and other marine life. Most skin-care products  nearly 3,500 worldwide, according to a U.S. government report  contain oxybenzone, a chemical also known as BP-3.

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Through the end of April, Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants will be offering passengers free samples of an American-made sunscreen that doesnt harm marine life. (Hawaiian Airlines )

The study found that swimmers using the common but dangerous sunscreens were contributing to problems such as DNA damage and deformities in baby coral.

Oxybenzone can cause an adverse effect in coral at 62 parts per trillion. That is equivalent to one drop of water in six-and-a-half Olympic-size swimming pools, Dr. Craig Downs of Haereticus Environmental Lab said in the documentary. You dont need a lot to cause a lot of damage.

The film points out that even sunbathers who never enter the water also pose a risk. Sunscreen residue left in the sand can make its way into the ocean.

Raw Elements, a marine-safe sunscreen, is sold on Hawaiian Airlines flights at a discounted price. (Hawaiian Airlines )

The airlines website explains that while coral may look like a rock, the coral reef is built by a tiny, clear, flowerlike animal hiding inside a calcium cup that it secretes around itself. When you are snorkeling, in many places everything beneath you is alive  and fragile  which is why the only good place to stand in the ocean is on sand.

In addition to providing Raw Elements samples during April, Hawaiian will be selling full-size bottles at discounted prices on flights through the end of June.

A number of hotels in Hawaii also provide samples of, and sell, the environmentally friendly sunscreen.

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Info: Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiis Coral Reefs and Reef Preservation

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Boarding an airplane is such a pain in the neck. Can the process be fixed?

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Americas first pop-up Pac-Man cafe opens in Honolulu. Hurry, it wont last long

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In early January, Abdul Raziq, the powerful police chief of Kandahar, issued a direct challenge to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Speaking to reporters, Raziq said Ghanis government cannot fire me.

It was a typical show of strength by Raziq, a onetime favorite of U.S.-led coalition forces who rose to prominence because of his zeal in fighting Taliban insurgents. A survivor of multiple assassination attempts, he brought relative calm to his volatile southern province while dismissing accusations of torture and other human rights abuses.

But Raziqs statement also highlighted the fault lines that have weakened Ghanis Western-backed government.

Until recently, Ghani was locked in a months-long dispute with an influential northern governor who refused to step down after Ghani fired him in December. The ousted governor, Atta Mohammad Noor of Balkh province, finally agreed to hand over power to a close ally in March.

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Ghani has also refused to allow his vice president, Abdul Rashid Dostum, to return to Afghanistan from Turkey, where he fled amid charges that he and his aides kidnapped and sexually assaulted a rival. Both Noor and Dostum belong to a political coalition that accuses Ghani of favoring his own ethnicity, the Pashtuns, over minorities.

Raziq, a Pashtun, expressed support for Noor shortly before the former governor resigned. In an interview in March, Raziq tried to play down a rift with Ghani but again signaled that he would not accept dismissal by the president.

I just said that if Kandahar people decide I will stay, I will stay, Raziq said. And if they decide I will go, I will go.

But Ali Mohammad Sabawoon, a researcher at the Kabul-based Afghanistan Analysts Network, said there are unconfirmed reports that Ghani has already signed Raziqs resignation letter.

The police chief spoke inside his heavily guarded compound in the center of Kandahar, capital of the eponymous province that was the birthplace of the Taliban. The compound once belonged to the Talibans late, one-eyed leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. Visitors were searched several times, with a photographers microphone given particularly thorough scrutiny  recently, a suicide bomber posing as a journalist was stopped trying to enter one of Raziqs news conferences with a bomb hidden inside a microphone.

Raziqs statements in January came after Noor indicated that the police chief could be next on the list of strongmen targeted in Ghanis effort to clean up the government and remove controversial figures from top posts. Raziqs human rights record has long made him a liability for Ghani and his U.S. backers, but experts say that removing him could prove counterproductive, at least in the short term.

The security situation would worsen, Sabawoon said. Generally speaking, he has maintained very good security.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 11, 2017. (New China News Agency / TNS )

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Raziq sharply criticized Ghanis handling of security, echoing concerns expressed by Noors Jamiat-i-Islami party, which has emerged as the presidents greatest rival.

The U.S.-trained Afghan army and police force have struggled to keep the Taliban at bay. According to a recent Pentagon inspector generals report, only 64% of the Afghan population lived in areas controlled by the Afghan government, down from 80% in September 2013, the year before Ghani took office.

The situation is worsening day by day, Raziq said. You can judge the situation. People are [distancing themselves from] the government, they dont have any unity, and there is no understanding among the government [officials].

Raziq said Noor was one of the few leaders who have succeeded against the insurgency, and credited him with securing Balkhs provincial capital, Mazar-i-Sharif.

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Its not a good situation to remove him from that place, Raziq said. The youthful looking Raziq, who is believed to be in his late 30s, was a close ally of former President Hamid Karzai, whose ethnic Pashtun roots are in southern Afghanistan, in contrast to Ghani, whose tribal roots are in the Pashtun east. Karzai, who still holds more sway in the south than Ghani, ensured Raziq stayed in power despite Western efforts to have him investigated in the torture and deaths of prisoners.

United Nations investigators found credible allegations that under Raziqs watch, Afghan detainees in Kandahar were suffocated, administered electric shocks and had their stomachs pumped with water. Many of the prisoners died in custody. Human Rights Watch has called Raziq Kandahars torturer-in-chief.

When Ghani made his first official visit to Kandahar in 2015, Raziq left town and did not meet him.

I was very familiar with [Karzai], Raziq said. Its a different kind of a relationship with them both.

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But Raziq said he doesnt believe he is making political statements and doesnt belong to any party. He said he is only interested in security  which is one reason, he went on, that he has engaged in informal discussions with local Taliban leaders for the last two years.

The talks, which he said focus on maintaining peace in the area, take place via video link from Raziqs living quarters, he said. Scared of the fate of former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was in charge of the governments peace efforts until he was killed by a bomb hidden inside a Taliban envoys turban in 2011, Raziq said he never meets with Taliban members face to face.

He was skeptical of Ghanis recent offer of amnesty to the Taliban, in exchange for the militants laying down their weapons and recognizing the Afghan government, saying it carried too many conditions for militants to accept. He also said the High Peace Council, the government body tasked with negotiating with insurgents, did not have adequate representation from southern Afghanistan.

Ninety to 95% of the Taliban belong to the south  their leadership and their manpower, he said. But if you see the peace council, there isnt a single person from the south. The present and previous governments are just proceeding with the same policy.

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He said it would be better if Afghanistans Western backers  which the Trump administration said strongly support the path to peace laid out by Ghani  bypassed the peace council and communicated directly with political leaders in the south.

Then they can get a positive result, he said. If we fight 50 years more, we will need peace then also. We need peace right now.

ALSO

Even if born and raised in Pakistan, Afghan refugees are deported to Afghanistan, a land theyve never known

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An increase in bombings spreads fear in Afghanistan. It could also be a message to President Trump

Afghanistan offers amnesty to the Taliban in a bid to end 16-year war

Liuhto is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Shashank Bengali contributed to this report from Mumbai, India.
Pope Francis has admitted he made serious errors of judgment in his handling of a sex abuse case in Chile, telling Chilean bishops that he feels both pain and shame for victims and will beg their forgiveness in person.

Francis letter marks a dramatic reversal in his handling of accusations that Chilean Bishop Juan Barros witnessed and covered up the sexual abuse of minors by Chilean prelate Fernando Karadima, who was removed from the ministry in 2011 and sentenced to a lifetime of penance by the Vatican.

Francis promoted Barros to bishop in 2015 and described his accusers as lefties, stirring outrage among Chilean Catholics who staged noisy protests when the pope visited the country in January. Several churches were firebombed during the visit.

After hugging Barros publicly during the visit, Francis called the accusations slander and said I cant condemn [Barros] because I dont have evidence, adding, But Im also convinced that hes innocent.

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On his return from Chile however, he appeared to have doubts, sending archbishop Charles Scicluna, an experienced Vatican abuse investigator, to interview 64 witnesses. Last month, Scicluna handed the pope a 2,300-page report.

Francis said that when he read the report he felt pain and shame and decided he should meet the victims to apologize to all those I have offended.

Scicluna and a second investigator, Father Jordi Bertomeu, were overwhelmed by the pain of so many victims, the pope wrote.

This is a remarkable admission by a pope that he got it wrong, said Austen Ivereigh, a papal biographer. Meeting victims one by one and asking forgiveness for his mistakes is an unprecedented mea culpa.

Francis also invited Chiles 32 bishops to a meeting at the Vatican, which he said would serve as a fraternal moment, without prejudice or preconceived ideas, with the sole objective of making the truth shine in our lives.

He did not mention whether he would remove Barros from the ministry, but said the meeting would be a chance to reestablish the trust in the Church, broken by our mistakes and sins, and to heal wounds that havent stopped bleeding in Chilean society.

The planned meeting could be an extraordinary gathering and would be larger than the summit when Pope John Paul summoned 12 U.S. cardinals to discuss sexual abuse in America, Ivereigh said.

Francis told the bishops that his mishandling of the situation was due to a lack of truthful and balanced information about the abuse, although Karadimas victims have been pointing the finger at Barros publicly for years.

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One victim, Juan Carlos Cruz, even wrote personally to Francis in 2015 to say that Barros had known about his abuse.

Vatican watchers have said that the pope may have been persuaded by Chilean Cardinal Francisco Errazuriz, a member of his advisory Council of Cardinals, not to take the allegations seriously.

Kington is a special correspondent.
President Trump signaled Wednesday that he was on the verge of ordering a barrage of nice and new and smart!  missiles against the Syrian military for its suspected use of poison gas against civilians, dismissing a threat that Russian forces would shoot down U.S. missiles in flight.

The warning came as U.S. and French warships armed with cruise missiles are in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coast, and activists said that Syrian forces had begun evacuating air bases and other military facilities in anticipation of a U.S.-led air raid aimed at punishing the government in Damascus and crippling its chemical weapons capabilities.

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and other national security aides huddled at the White House as leaders in Britain, France and Saudi Arabia pledged support for a strong response to the suspected poison gas attack Saturday that killed more than 40 people, including children, in a rebel-held town outside Damascus.

Mattis suggested that Trump had not yet decided to launch the Tomahawks. Were assessing the intelligence  ourselves and our allies, he told reporters. Were ready to provide military options if they are appropriate, as the president determines.

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Any air assault is expected to be more extensive and more damaging than Trumps decision last April to fire 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles against a single Syrian airfield in response to a nerve gas attack that month. The airfield was back in operation soon after.

The crisis in Syria has sparked a new level of tension between Washington and Moscow, raising concern that the dispute over a suspected chemical attack could spiral into a deadly conflict between the former Cold War enemies. Both countries have several thousand troops deployed in Syria.

Trump fanned those fears early Wednesday with tweets aimed at the Kremlin and Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom Russia supports in the countrys 7-year-old civil war.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!  Trump tweeted. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Trump tweeted after a mid-level Russian diplomat defiantly claimed that Russian forces in Syria would shoot down U.S. missiles in midair, and suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin had issued the order. The Kremlin did not confirm that Putin had done so.

Russia will execute the statement of its president related to any U.S. aggression against Syria, knocking down American missiles and striking at the sources of fire, Alexander Zasypkin, Russias ambassador to Lebanon, told the Lebanese television channel Al Manar.

Trumps tweet was striking given his reluctance over the last year to criticize Putin. He has largely remained silent even as his administration has imposed sanctions on more than 100 Russians, including some in Putins inner circle, and expelled scores of accused Russian spies, in retaliation for Russian meddling in the 2016 election, its cyberattacks and other malicious activities.

Though none of his tweets Wednesday mentioned Putin by name, Trump declared that our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War.

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Citing U.S. intelligence, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack.

Asked for evidence of Russias role, she said Moscow holds some responsibility because it guaranteed that Syria wouldnt use chemical weapons again as part of a 2013 agreement. She did not say whether Russia had played a direct role in Saturdays attack, which reportedly involved Syrian helicopters dropping barrel bombs on the rebel-held town of Duma.

She declined to label Russia an enemy when asked, choosing instead to say we certainly think theyve proven to be a bad actor.

In a later tweet, Trump blamed much of the bad blood with Russia on the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama.

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Trumps mixing of a tense global crisis with his domestic frustrations marked another unprecedented moment in a presidency that seems headed for its largest military reprisal to date.

A national security analyst said Trumps bellicose tweets could be a complicating factor for the Pentagon because commanders must ensure the size of the strike matches the rhetoric.

The analyst, who spoke anonymously to avoid burning bridges at the White House, said he believed Trump dropped his public deference to Putin after the Russian leader forged a nominal alliance in Syria with Turkey and Iran, leaving the United States on the sidelines as the civil war moves into its final stages.

There was an opportunity for a major power, almost summit-style Syria endgame, and I think thats what Trump was playing for, the analyst said.

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As tensions escalated, the Kremlin said it would not participate in Twitter diplomacy.

We are supporting serious approaches, said Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian news agencies reported. He said claims that chemical weapons were used are far-fetched and cannot excuse any use of force in response.

Peskov said Russian officials want an unbiased investigation into accusations of a chemical attack, so that we do not take guidance from rumors and empty reports in the media.

Russian lawmakers on the parliaments defense committee said Moscow would have an immediate response to any U.S. attack on its military in Syria. Russia has ground-based air defense systems in Syria and a naval base on the eastern Mediterranean.

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Trump planned to meet late Wednesday with Republican congressional leaders, who have shown little desire to weigh in on military strikes or to get more deeply involved in Syria. Only a handful of lawmakers have demanded a vote to authorize military action.

Before President Trump conducts military operations, he must come to Congress for authorization, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), said in a statement that called Trumps tweet the height of irresponsibility.

In August 2013, President Obama sought authorization from a deeply skeptical Congress to launch airstrikes against Syria to punish it for a poison gas attack after he failed to win support from Britain, a usually reliable international partner. Congressional leaders refused to call a vote, however, and the attack was canceled.

Trumps tweets suggesting an imminent attack ran counter to his public boasts that he does not telegraph military operations because it ruins the element of surprise.

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Military experts say the strategic value of a surprise attack is often outweighed in modern warfare by the need to protect civilians and allied groups that may be near opposition targets.

U.S. officials are still trying to determine whether Syria used a banned nerve agent, such as sarin, in the attack on Duma, as well as a toxic gas, such as chlorine, which is deadly but not barred by international agreement.

Local medics and rescue workers said some of the victims smelled of chlorine. Others showed symptoms of exposure to an organophosphate, including constriction of the pupils and convulsions, leading to speculation that sarin was used as well.

Syria is not supposed to have sarin at all, said Andrew Tabler, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a nonpartisan think tank. And if they find it, the U.S. may feel compelled to carry out more punishing attacks.

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Syrian government troops evacuated airports and primary military air bases in government-held areas across the country, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition group based in England that relies on activists in Syria.

The Syrian government also warned paramilitary groups aligned with the Syrian army  including troops from Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan  to leave their bases, the Syrian Observatory group said.

Russia reportedly sent troops into Duma, where the suspected gas attack took place. The Damascus suburb was the last area to succumb to a Russian-backed offensive aimed at smashing the rebels grip on east Ghouta.

A planned evacuation from the town was postponed. Qais Hassan, an opposition activist in Duma, said no buses entered for several days to evacuate thousands of people intent on leaving the former rebel enclave.

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Writing on social media, Syrians reported an uptick in warplanes in Syrias skies, while others tweeted about civilian flights being diverted in advance of a U.S. assault.

On the streets of Damascus, a number of residents insisted it was business as usual, however.

Its the usual traffic jam here in, and there have been no visible movements by the military, Nicholas Zahr, a Damascus resident, wrote on Facebook.

Times staff writers Bierman and Cloud reported from Washington and special correspondent Bulos from Beirut. Times staff writer Alexandra Zavis in Beirut and special correspondent Sabra Ayres in Moscow contributed to this report.

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Ukrainian parliamentary member Nadiia Savchenko, who is under arrest in a detention facility, does not need hospital treatment, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Savchenko is in the SBU detention facility. Her current health means that she does not require treatment in hospital," the SBU press center said on Wednesday.

Savchenko is still on a hunger strike, which she started on March 23 at a court hearing when the decision was made on her arrest.

On Wednesday morning, Nadiia Savchenko's sister and mother came to the building of the SBU detention facility, hoping to see their relative. The sister, Vera Savchenko, told reporters they were waiting for the facility where Nadiia Savchenko is kept to open. She said Nadiia Savchenko may be hospitalized on Wednesday. "I want to see her [Nadiia Savchenko] and talk to her about what [is happening] and in what hospital [she will be hospitalized]," Vera Savchenko said.

Vera Savchenko also said that the materials of lab tests had been taken from Nadiia Savchenko last week, but their results are unknown.

On March 22, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada granted the prosecutor general's motion and gave its consent to prosecute, detain, and arrest Savchenko. Law enforcement officials notified Savchenko that she was being treated as a suspect at parliament the same day, after which they escorted her to the Ukrainian Security Service department for Kyiv and the Kyiv region.

The motion to deprive Savchenko of immunity from prosecution had been made as part of criminal proceedings opened on counts of preparations for violently changing or dismantling the constitutional system or seizing power by a group of individuals acting in concert, preparations for assassinating a statesperson or a public figure by a group of individuals acting in concert, preparations for a terrorist attack by a group of people acting in concert, the establishment of a terrorist group and illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosives by a group of people acting together.

Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky District Court ruled on March 23 to place Savchenko under arrest pending trial for 59 days, until May 20, 2018.
Japan is one of the major investor countries in India and the commercial relationship between India and Japan are fast increasing, hence it is important to understand the fundamentals of Arbitration in Japan. In Japan, arbitration is not a preferred method of dispute resolution and companies from Japan prefer court proceedings than going for an Arbitration. One of the main reasons for this mindset is that the Courts in Japan are very fast in disposing of the cases. An average time taken by Japanese courts for passing a final order in a commercial court is about 9 months and hence court proceedings may take lesser time than an arbitration proceeding. Moreover Court litigation in Japan is cheaper than the arbitration proceedings and hence parties prefer court proceedings. But, Japanese Companies incorporate Arbitration clauses in their contract with Foreign Companies. The most popular international arbitral institutions are Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Japan also has a well-established International Arbitration Centre, The Japan Arbitration Association (JCAA) which has its own offices in Tokyo and Osaka.

The Procedural law of Japan is Arbitration Act (Act.No.138 of August 1, 2003. The Act empowers the District Court having Jurisdiction over the seat of Arbitration, with supervising powers. The said law is a complete arbitration law, based on the main provisions of UNCITRAL Model Law. The said Act provides the same grounds which are provided in UNCITRAL Model law, as the grounds for challenging an Arbitration award in Japan. Interestingly the said Act also provides for penal provisions, providing criminal punishments extending to a maximum of 5 years. The said punishment is for the offenses of corruption by Arbitrators or parties in an arbitration proceeding. Jurisdiction related questions are first decided by the Arbitration tribunal and if parties are aggrieved by the decision of the arbitration tribunal, they have an option to approach the court for final decision. Such an approach to a court of law by the parties in Japan never delays the arbitration process since the court does not grant any stay of the arbitral process.

Japan is a signatory to New York Convention on Enforcement of International Arbitration awards and hence an arbitration award passed in India are enforceable in Japan. The International Arbitration awards passed in Japan are also enforceable in India and in many New York Convention Countries. It is important to note that the foreign lawyers practicing in foreign countries can represent parties in an International Arbitration case conducted in Japan. Japan provides for full confidentiality to arbitration proceedings and hence no unconnected person will be allowed in the proceedings. Moreover, the disclosure of arbitration case related information by the Arbitrators, staff and JCAA officers are totally prohibited. The Limitation period for commercial matters, which are covered under the commercial code is 5 years and civil matters covered under Civil Code are 10 years. Since most of the arbitration disputes come under commercial code, the limitation is 5 years. The appeals to arbitration awards can be filed in Japan only if the arbitration was seated in Japan.

The Japan Arbitration Association is a very old Arbitral Institution having a standing of about 53 years. The latest JCAA Commercial Arbitration Rules, came into force on 10th December 2015. The said Rules are Globally competitive giving a lot of importance to party autonomy. For example, many Arbitration Institutions provide for a default language of Arbitration in case, parties fail to choose the language of Arbitration at the time of the signing of the contract. JCAA rules empower the Arbitration tribunal to determine the language of Arbitration, keeping the language of the contract in mind while determining the language of arbitration.

The said Rules, have incorporated all global modern requirements including Emergency Arbitrator, Expedited procedure etc., The arbitration cases with a value of 20 Million Japanese Yen or less, are tried through the expedited arbitration process. The said Rules also provides for a party-appointed Expert witness, if required, in addition to the liberty to parties to examine party-appointed experts to prove their case. It is very interesting to know that JCAA Rules also provides for Administration of International Arbitration cases under UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.

It is very important to note that unlike India, parties from Japan show a lot of interest in an amicable settlement of the matter and hence many litigations and arbitrations get aborted in halfway due to the settlement between parties. In the last 5 years, out of the 97 requests received for Arbitration under JCAA Rules, 32 cases were withdrawn by the parties before reaching the final stage. Hence parties signing contracts with business houses in Japan can evaluate all the above-said options available to them and incorporate an appropriate dispute resolution clause.

Tags : Corporate Law
Without mincing any words and coming straight to the heart of the matter, let me say this from the bottom of my heart that I fully support the burgeoning demand for making marital rape an offence. A rape is a rape. A husband who is supposed to protect his wife and take care of her in all possible respects if himself starts raping his wife must be awarded the strictest punishment and our laws must be suitably amended to make the laws more stricter and most importantly must make marital rape an offence immediately so that it can be checked!

It is noteworthy that the Gujarat High Court on April 2, 2018 gave relief to a man accused of raping his wife on the grounds that there was no law on marital rape. On 6 November 2017 also Justice JB Pardiwala of the Gujarat High Court in the landmark case of Nimeshbhai Bharatbhai Desai v State of Gujarat held that, 'Marital rape is in existence in India, a disgraceful offence that has scarred the trust and confidence in the institution of marriage. A large population of women has faced the brunt of the non-criminalization of the practice.' It also held that, 'Marital rape refers to 'unwanted intercourse by a man with his wife obtained by force, threat of force, or physical violence, or when she is unable to give consent'. It is a non-consensual act of violent perversion by a husband against his wife where she is abused physically and sexually.'

It would be pertinent to note that the Gujarat High Court observed that following three kinds of marital rape were prevalent in the society:-

1. Battering rape: In this type of marital rape, women experience both physical and sexual violence in the relationship in many ways. Some instances are those where the wife is battered during the sexual violence, or the rape may follow a physical violent episode where the husband wants to make up and coerce his wife to have sex against her will. In most cases, the victims fall under this stated category.

2. Force only rape: In this type of marital rape, husbands use only that amount of force, as it is necessary to coerce their wives. In such cases, battering may not be a characteristic and women who refuse sexual intercourse usually face such assaults.

3. Obsessive rape: In obsessive rape, assaults involve brutal torture and/or perverse sexual acts and are most commonly violent in form. This type has also been labelled as sadistic rape.

Truth be told, the Gujarat High Court, however, strongly advocated that marital rape should be made an offence punishable under law. The court said that, 'The total statutory abolition of the marital rape exemption is the first necessary step in teaching societies that dehumanized treatment of women will not be tolerated and that the marital rape is not a husband's privilege, but rather a violent act and an injustice that must be criminalized.'

Going forward, the Gujarat High Court observed that non-consensual intercourse by a husband cannot be dubbed as rape. However, it also stated that subjecting his married partner to have oral or unnatural sex was akin to cruelty. The court made these observations in a case pertaining to a lady doctor's complaint of rape and physical harassment against her husband, who too happens to be a medical professional.

Needless to say, the complainant said her husband forced her to have sexual intercourse with him against her wishes and that he would also subject her to have oral sex and indulge in unnatural sexual activities, other than torturing her for dowry. Seeking rejection of her wife's complaint against him, the husband moved the Gujarat High Court. Quoting and citing previous judgments, Justice JB Pardiwala of the Gujarat High Court observed that though a husband had the right to have sex with his legally wedded wife, she was not his property and it should not be without her consent.

The figure of marital rape exceeds all our wildest imagination but never come in the limelight because very few cases are reported and out of them also less than a handful are registered and here too wife is finally cajoled or compelled by her own family members to relent and move ahead to save the so called institution of marriage from being destroyed which our politicians keep citing as a pretext to not making marital rape an offence! This is utterly reprehensible!

Just because a man has married a woman that by itself does not confer the legitimate right or unbridled license to man to have sex with woman against her wish by forcing her in anyway. By marriage woman becomes equal partner with men and not an object or property of man whom a man can ravish as and when he likes and in the manner he likes caring a damn for woman's wishes and safety! Highlighting the sheer hypocrisy of the political establishment in this, Supreme Court advocate Karuna Nundy reacted on Twitter that if a 17-year-old's husband rapes her, it is legal, but if a 17-year-old makes loves to her boyfriend, it is rape and then he goes to adult jail!

If a husband can be prosecuted for murdering his wife, why can't he be charged with raping her? A crime after all is a crime and under no circumstances should it ever be condoned! By not punishing marital rape, are we not reminded of a 'stone age' mentality? In some states ruled by BJP, you can go to jail for eating beef but you face no punishment at all for raping your wife as you have the legal license! No marriage can confer right on husband to rape her wife without her consent!

I am ashamed to note that in our Indian society it is considered the right of a husband to rape her wife as many times as he likes and that too against her wishes as people feel that marriage confers the right on husband to do so! I had myself heard a senior lawyer saying on the 9 o' clock news on television that, 'When you sign up for marriage, you sign up for sex'. Nothing on earth can be more atrocious!

When a woman signs for marriage, she signs up for equal partnership and not surrenders her body rights to her husband as is very absurdly assumed even by some of learned lawyers and eminent academicians in India and in many other countries of the world! Infact, I very strongly feel that a husband who breaks the sacred sanctity of marriage and dares to forcibly rape her wife must be awarded the strictest punishment and such abominable and heinous offence deserve no mercy of any kind!

It is most unfortunate that in India a woman is regarded as personal property of man who has been vested with the marital right to rape her whenever he likes and as many times as he want. Nothing on earth can be more unfortunate than this! Worse still, a woman has no remedy and if she dares to go to police station, she is laughed at by policemen who say that, 'Why did you marry him if you don't want to have sex with him?' Even government feels that the introduction of a law against marital rape will destroy marriage! This is most ridiculous and absurd, to say the least!

This male dominated patriarchal medieval mindset must change if our nation is to progress! Our laws must be suitably amended and marital rape must be made a criminal offence which must contain more punishment than even rape because here a husband betrays the sacred trust created by the marriage and so must be punished most harshly! There can be no exception and zero tolerance has to be demonstrated towards not only rape but also marital rape!

According to the United Nations Population Fund, one-third of men out of a sample size of 9,205 admitted to have forced a sexual act on their wife. The study was conducted in eight states in India. The report also came out with the fact that 75% of married women were subjected to marital rape. What is most despicable is that inspite of all this, the government refuses to act in favour of making marital rape an offence and our Parliamentarians brazenly declare that the concept of marital rape in India does not apply to India leaving woman rights of protection against marital rape in the lurch!

It is in this context that we have to see and appreciate what a trial court in Delhi while emphasizing the need for a law to recognize marital rape as a crime said that lakhs of women are made to suffer by their husbands. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Kamini Lau observed that absence of a provision to deal with marital rape as an offence exposes 'double standards and hypocrisy in law' which has failed to recognize such incidents actionable offences. Lau was at great pains to note that, 'It is unfortunate that we are yet to recognize woman's right to control marital intercourse as a core component of equality. The shortfall in law was gross violation of the acknowledgement of a women's right of self-determination i.e. control on all matters relating to her body and criminalization of marital rape.'

The court made the observations while rejecting the bail application of a Delhi resident, Praveen Arora who was accused of sodomising his wife. The wife alleged that her husband used to rape and commit unnatural sex with her. She further said that the man showed her adult videos and bit her. Denying bail to the man, the court said, 'There appears to be something seriously wrong with the accused and our society with sexual perversity pervading the system where lakhs of women suffer this kind of sexual violence and perversity in silence.'

The court also cited United Nations Report - 'All Forms of Violence against Women' - which said 52 states have explicitly outlawed marital rape. The ASJ Kamini Lau made a scathing attack on this marital rape not being punishable in India by saying that, 'Non-recognition of marital rape in our nation set upon the bedrock of equality is gross double standard and hypocrisy in law which is central to the subordination and subjugation of womenit is rape when a man forces himself sexually upon a woman whether he has a license by marriage law to do it or not. It is the need of hour to seriously recognize and address this problem.' There can be no denying what ASJ Lau has said rather I would say that it is high time and now marital rape must be made an offence, to say the least.

Throwing out Praveen Arora's bail application, court said it could not allow him to get away with such 'perverse actions', which had caused 'physical and psychological damage to the young girl who was married for only eight months on account of his abusive relationship. Activists and lawyers agree with Lau. Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, who is best known as the lawyer who propelled forward the ground breaking Vishaka guidelines in the Supreme Court minced no words in stating that, 'A lot of violence exists in marriages, mostly in the form of spousal rape. We need to criminalise this so that the victims have a name for what they go through, so they have somewhere to turn to when they've been wronged.'

In March 2014, Parliament rejected the Verma Committee's proposal to criminalise marital rape . A panel of lawmakers said the proposed marital rape law 'has the potential of destroying the institution of marriage'. Women's rights activist Kalpana Vishwanath believes the decision could be attributed to 'patriarchal anxiety that stops people from taking it up as a serious issue.'

If a woman is destroyed by raping her, what purpose does the institution of marriage serve? What institution are we talking about? That institution which confers unbridled license to a husband to rape her wife? Utter nonsense and load of rubbish this is! It only encourages husband to take her wife for granted and care a damn for her feelings and crave only for his own enjoyment and pleasure thus reducing her wife to a mere object to be exploited at her husband's own sweet will!

While craving for my esteemed readers exclusive indulgence, let me tell them that the Verma Committee Report headed by former CJI late Justice JS Verma recommended strongly that the exception for marital law be removed. It also recommended that -

1. The law ought to specify that -

(a) A marital or other relationship between the perpetrator or victim is not a valid defence against the crimes of rape or sexual violation;

(b) The relationship between the accused and the complainant is not relevant to the inquiry into whether the complainant consented to the sexual activity;

(c) The fact that the accused and victim are married or in another intimate relationship may not be regarded as a mitigating factor justifying lower sentences for rape.

Eminent jurist Leila Seth, who was herself part of the three member panel constituting the Justice JS Verma Committee found the Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary comments in Parliament that, 'It was not possible to amend the Indian Penal Code to remove marital rape from the definition of rape because of the cultural and religious values in India and society's belief that marriage is sacred' absolutely strange. She rightly pointed out that, 'Today, you will deny woman the right to consent for sex after marriage ; tomorrow you could even deny her the right to life under the pretext of defending culture.' She further said that, 'Unfortunately, as a Committee, they could only make recommendations and implementing it was in the hands of the State. Parliament can and must change the law as per the Committee's recommendations.'

Most recently, the Pam Rajput Committee that recently submitted its report to the women and child development ministry, has recommended that as a pro-woman measure, marital rape should be considered an offence irrespective of the age of the wife and the relationship between the perpetrator and survivor. The recommendations will be discussed in an inter-ministerial consultation scheduled later. There is no reason why this landmark recommendation should be not accepted immediately and in its totality.

Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi too had voiced her support of the view that marital rape was a form of violence against women and was 'unacceptable'. She had stated categorically that, 'My opinion is that violence against women shouldn't be limited to violence by strangers. Very often a marital rape is not always about a man's need for sex ; it is only about his need for power and subjugation. In such case, it should be treated with seriousness'.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, marital rape is the most common form of violence against women in India. Two-thirds of married Indian women surveyed by the UN, aged 15 to 49, allege to have been beaten and said their husbands had forced them to have sex on numerous occasions . In 2011, the International Men and Gender Equality Survey has revealed that one in five has forced their wives or partner to have sex. This must end now ! To make this happen, those husbands who unabashedly rape their wife must be made to face the strictest punishment and should not be allowed to go away lightly or scot free without facing any punishment as most unfortunately we are seeing right now!

There are 104 countries that have outlawed marital rape. Why are we among the few nations like Yemen, Iran, Libya and Sudan where marital rape is no offence and woman has no option but to submit to rape? The present legal system in India does not recognize rape as crime except when a man rapes his wife who is below 15 years of age! This is most outrageous and deserves to be discarded right now !

Poland was the first country to explicitly make marital rape a criminal offence in 1932. Australia was the first common law country to pass reforms in 1976 that made marital rape a criminal offence. Marital rape became a crime in every state in USA by 1993. Most states of USA penalize marital rape like any other crime with fines that could exceed $ 50,000 and prison terms varying between several years and life in prison without parole. In the US between 1970s and 1993, all 50 states made marital rape a crime. The Court of Appeals of New York struck down the marital exemption from their codes in 1984. Marital rape was made a crime in Britain in 1991. The 2003 Sexual Offences Act clarified the law, giving consent a legal definition in England and Wales. Under the law, the accused would face punishment of five years in prison.

Many other countries like Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, former Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Israel, Turkey, Malaysia and, this year, Bolivia too have all criminalized marital rape. In Bhutan, marital rape is considered an offence but not a serious one. It is punishable with a minimum prison term of one year and a maximum term of three years! In 1986, the European Parliament's Resolution on Violence against Women called for criminalization of spousal rape which was done soon after by several nations including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In 1991, the House of Lords in the UK struck down its common law principle that a marriage contract implied a woman's consent to all sexual activity.

Be it noted, in 2002, Nepal got rid of the marital rape exception after its Supreme Court held that it went against the constitutional right of equal protection and the right to privacy. It said, 'The classification of the law that an act committed against an unmarried girl to become an offence and the same act committed against a married woman not to become an offence is not a reasonable classification.' According to the UN Women's 2011 report, out of 179 countries for which data was available, 52 had amended their legislation to explicitly make marital rape a criminal offence. The remaining countries include those that make an exception for marital rape in their rape laws, as well as those where no such exception exist and where, therefore, the spouse can be prosecuted under the general rape laws.

It must be asked: Why are we splitting hairs on making marital rape a punishable offence? Why can't we go headlong with the proposal to make marital rape an offence? Domestic violence in any form is most reprehensible and completely unacceptable! I earnestly call upon Centre and our lawmakers to immediately implement the proposals of Justice Verma Committee report and make marital rape punishable in same manner as rape with no ifs and buts whatsoever! What an irony that when a man has sex with a married woman with her consent, he is punishable for adultery under Section 497 of the IPC for imprisonment that may extend to five years but if a husband commits marital rape and breaks the blind trust that his wife poses on him, he is not at all punishable! This is utterly disgusting and can never under any circumstances be ever justified!

Simply put, every man has the birth right to do what he wants to do with his own body except obviously the right to commit suicide and here too Centre has now decided to decriminalize it so that committing suicide also becomes the birth right of not only man but also every person including woman! But no man including husband has the right to rape a woman against her will and even marriage confers no such right. It is only with her consent that he has the right to have physical relationship with her and not without her consent! It is the duty of husband to protect her wife and indulge in sex only with her consent!

On a concluding note, marriage is no licence to have forced sex with wife even though this is the wrong general misconception among the people who argue that what else is marriage meant for! This has been reiterated by the Gujarat High Court just recently on April 2, 2018. Those who fear that disgruntled wives would misuse this provision like they say has been the case with Section 498A must remember that just because a law can be misused is no ground for not making a law!

If this is made a basis then all laws would have to be abolished because all of them are pliable to misuse to some extent! I do, however, agree that some safety clauses must also be inserted like if the complaint is found to be false or malafide, woman can be fined or jailed or both! This would go a long way in checking false complaints and also in saving the precious time of courts and unnecessary harassment of innocent husbands! Let us hope earnestly that the landmark ruling by the Gujarat High Court would compel the Parliament to sit and take notice and then start the process of making marital rape an offence with the strictest punishment so that a loud and message goes out that sex with even wife can take place only by her consent and not without her consent at any cost and those men who dare to do so without the permission of their wives then they would have to spend many years in jail for doing so!



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Trump warns Russia about intention to strike Syria with 'smart' missiles, urges it to get ready

U.S. President Donald Trump has advised Russia to get prepared for a U.S. missile strike upon Syria.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" Trump said on Twitter on Wednesday.

He also criticized Moscow for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump said.
Ukrainian Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vadym Chernysh and Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis have visited an outpatient clinic in Avdiyivka (Donetsk region), the press service of the Ministry for IDPs has reported.

"Minister Chernysh, Lithuanian Prime Minister Skvernelis and the Lithuanian delegation visited an ambulance station in Avdiyivka, Donetsk region, which was repaired by the government of Lithuania. Some UAH 40,000 was allocated for the reconstruction work," the ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday.

As reported, Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis will arrive to the east of Ukraine on Wednesday, April 11, to get acquainted with the consequences of military operations in Donbas, meet with the leaders of the civil-military administration of Donetsk region. It was announced that Skvernelis would visit an outpatient clinic, renovated with funds from Lithuania, and open a children's playground equipped with the help of the funds raised by Lithuanian volunteers.

The Lithuanian PM will also meet with local residents, give the military help provided by the Lithuanian government and the Blue/Yellow organization in food, optics, medical supplies, the message says.

Then Skvernelis will go to Kyiv, where he will meet with Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groisman, will open the Kyiv Security Forum and take part in the session of the PMs titled "Regional Cooperation: United by Common Goals."
Lehigh Acres firefighters battled two major fires in the month of March.

One involved three boys who were playing with matches.

The resulting brush fire started in a wooded area just off Carlson Avenue.

The second fire burned 20 acres in the Briarcliff neighborhood of south Fort Myers.

It quickly raged through the community, eventually cutting off electricity to nearby homes. The fire claimed one mans home and his pet, plus three cars.

Lehigh Acres Fire District sent backup crews to assist in the Briarcliff fire, said Fire Chief Robert DiLallo

After fighting for hours against windy and dry conditions, firefighters were finally able to bring the blaze under control. The South Trail Fire Rescue reported the cause of the fire to be a downed power line due to a fallen branch.

Fire officials warn residents to take the proper precautions to avoid starting brush fires during the dry season.

Some of the most frequent causes of fires we are seeing here in Lehigh revolve around people pulling over on the side of the roads with low mufflers that spark fires, as well as ATV mufflers and people throwing their hot coals out after cooking on the grill, DiLallo said.

Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District also recommends that residents follow recommendations made by the Florida Forestry Services in regards to creating a defensible space around their homes.

Firewise landscaping is something very important in Lehigh. Creating that space around your house can save your home in case of a nearby brushfire, said DiLallo.

Florida Forestry Services has a section on its website dedicated to firewise landscaping, which allows homeowners to create and maintain a safety zone around their home. This defensible space increases the chances of a home surviving a wildfire even in the absence of firefighters.

Defensible space recommendations include:

 Defensible space should extend outward from the home from a minimum of 30 feet to 100  200 feet if the home borders heavy wildlands. This area can include shrubs and trees, but should be landscaped with plants known to be less-flammable, which are separated by walkways and grassed areas.

 A defensible space breaks up the continuity of vegetation that might otherwise lead an adjacent wildland fire to the structure.

 Gives firefighters room to safely work to defend a structure.

 Helps prevent a structure fire from spreading to adjacent wildland areas.

For more tips on firewise landscaping, visit the Florida Forestry Services website at www.freshfromflorida.com. They also give guidelines on how to create a defensible space and provide a list of less-flammable trees and shrubs.
A person of interest in a homicide earlier this month in Williams Township is in jail in Bucks County, court records show.

Willie Sam Wallace, 31, of Allentown. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Willie Sam Wallace, 31, of Allentown, was arraigned Tuesday night before District Judge Lisa Gaier on charges of aggravated assault and related offenses in a Jan. 27 domestic incident in Quakertown, authorities said.

Wallace is accused of running over his then-girlfriend's ankle as he was taking her car, following an argument between the couple.

Police said Wallace drove back to pick up the woman, and reportedly told her "don't do this to me." Wallace then allegedly ran away when other people came to the woman's aid.

He was sent to Bucks County jail in lieu of 10 percent of $1 million bail, records show.

Wallace was arrested Tuesday afternoon on Klein Street in Allentown by Pennsylvania State Police on the warrant related to the Quakertown assault case, said Lt. Joseph Sokolofski.

Authorities had information Wallace was in Allentown, and since his arrest he has been cooperative and authorities are "still working with him and making some progress," Sokolofski said.

In the homicide April 2 just outside Easton, Wallace was believed to have been in a 2005 Land Rover before and after 42-year-old Shyheem Smith, of Easton, was shot by a man wearing a ski mask and black gloves in the 1100 block of Centre Street in Williams Township, Pennsylvania State Police said.

Smith died the next morning at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township.

The Land Rover was found in the 1100 block of Northampton Street in Easton, and a ski mask was recovered next to it, police said.

Neither Wallace nor anyone else has been charged in the Williams Township killing. No one else is in custody related to Smith's killing, Sokolofski said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Stock Market News

Europe close: Stocks dragged lower by geopolitical tensions 11-04-2018 19:53



Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk
Stock Market News

FTSE 100 movers: Tesco rallies on results, Centrica hit by downgrade 11-04-2018 13:08



Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk
The event, runs until April 13, and has drawn the participation of regional and international experts in wireless communications from APT members and leading businesses such as Vietnam Post and Telecommunications, Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, GSMA, Ericsson, Huawei, and Samsung, among others.

Vietnams hosting of the AWG meetings has served to affirm the countrys increasing position in frequency management and wireless communication.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai said the demand for mobile communications can be seen through the continuing development of the telecommunication and mobile internet infrastructure.

Wireless applications and technologies such as ITS, wireless power transmission, railway radio communication system, and unmanned aircraft are rapidly emerging areas as well. It all requires policy makers to draft the relevant policies, and allocate additional spectrum resources and operators to prepare for this development.

Deputy Minister Hai spoke of his appreciation for the key contribution of AWG to the growth of radio communications by developing the best practices and recommendations for the use of the broadcast spectrum and harmonizing mobile broadband and emerging technologies.

He expressed his hope that the AWG-23 will offer solutions to current challenges and create optimal conditions for the effective implementation of wireless systems.

Results delivered at the AWG meetings over the past years had been widely used not just in the local region, but on a global platform as well. For example, APTs plan for the 700 MHz band, which was used for television technology, was then applied to broadband radio in European and African countries.

The AWG meetings are expected to contribute to the growth of radio communications by developing the best practices and recommendations for the use of the broadcast spectrum and harmonizing mobile broadband and emerging technologies, he said.

Also on the agenda are the many significant issues on frequency management, including the utilisation of shared broadband and research on the application of wireless technologies.
Stock Market News

FTSE 250 movers: BCA Marketplace motors on; Hammerson bid rejection fails to please 11-04-2018 13:24



Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk
Stock Market News

House Speaker Paul Ryan not seeking re-election 11-04-2018 14:17



Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk
Stock Market News

Trump warns Russia to "get ready" for Syria strike 11-04-2018 12:44



Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk
Rambutan is the third fruit of Vietnam to be exported to this market, after mango and dragon fruit.

Director of the MARDs Plant Protection Department Hoang Trung said to export rambutans to New Zealand, Vietnam needs to meet import requirements such as making dossiers to register rambutans farms, which will be granted code numbers on cultivation method, control of harmful pests, production as regulated and right use of plant production medicine.

In addition, packaging units must register and be certified by the department to meet New Zealands requirements for packaging and labeling, according to Trung.

Irradiation facilities to treat the fruit must be certified by the department as being qualified to ensure the treatment of rambutan for export meeting New Zealands requirements.

All batches of rambutans will be checked and granted quarantine certificates by the department, to ensure the fruits are free of infection with harmful bacteria.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said the announcement event marked a milestone in the agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand, especially trade of agricultural products.

It also confirms the advantage of the Vietnamese fruit and proves its quality has been improved because New Zealand strictly controls quality and quarantine of plants, he added.

Furthermore, the entry of rambutans in New Zealand also means opportunities to export to other countries with equally tough restrictions, he noted.

The deputy minister added that his ministry will focus on directing the research and application of advanced science and technology in farming, preservation and processing. It will also reorganise production, especially the value chain of farm produce, so that Vietnam has enough high quality and safe agricultural products that meet the increasing standards of importing countries.

Dam Quang Thang, General Director of Agricare which exports rambutans to New Zealand, said his company will seek more New Zealand partners to expand export to this market.
The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

Vote

View Results
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam said that the contributions made by the business community in general, and members of the VBCSD in particular, have helped society to become aware of the benefits of and responsibility for developing in a sustainable manner.

Highlighting the opportunities and challenges of the fourth industrial revolution, the Deputy PM said that there must be concrete action to ensure the business community and society as a whole are fully cognisant of the concept at hand.

The Deputy PM also stressed the need to raise enterprises awareness of the importance, benefits, and advantages of sustainable development.

It is also necessary to outline policies which will encourage businesses to make sustainable development reports, with special attention given to legal procedures to facilitate the process, he noted.
Motoring

Lovely salon of the 33m classic Klaassen sloop Shamoun, available via central agent YPI in Raja Ampat and other SE Asian waters

Apr 11, 2018 | By Yacht Style

Columnist: Follow Trade Winds For Cuban Charters

Before heading down west, I decided to take a trip to Marina Hemingway on a classic 1957 Chevrolet.  Liz To

Despite the fact that I spend most of my time at Yachting Partners International (YPI) helping yacht owners and charterers explore the best of Asia and beyond, I rarely plan an itinerary when it comes to my own travel plans.

But as I am constantly looking for new ways to enhance the yachting experience of our Clients at YPI, whenever I do travel to a new country, I always learn as much about the superyacht options there as I can.

In February, following the northeasterly trade winds scented with tobacco leaf, I headed to Cuba, arriving just before Chinese New Year. Though within easy reach of the Caribbean, Cuba is currently seen as an off-the-beaten track destination, luring the more adventurous charterers to its paradise shores.

While there is a conception that chartering in Cuba is complicated and difficult, there are in fact plenty of agents there who are very experienced with potential superyacht issues and can work with the captains to take care of administration, visas, authorisations

Indeed, as a large island with poor-quality roads and lack of luxury service, Cuba is best experienced by superyacht. A yacht charter here enables guests to enjoy the countrys best elements  its old towns, nature and live music with no compromise to lifestyle.

As superyacht owners are increasingly focusing on experiences and adventures, we may see more facilities becoming established here as the island develops as a superyacht destination.

Marina Hemingway and the new Varadero resort marina are capable of accommodating superyachts. For now, there are plenty of places to drop anchor, with the islands north side highly protected and the south side offering fantastic diving opportunities. A good charter option is to cruise the picturesque south coast of the island and take a helicopter to Havana for a visit.

My first stop was Cienfuegos, located on the islands south-central Caribbean coast, and of southern-central, and recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage site. A stunning historical town with a lively French flair, its marina, Club Cienfuegos, is located in Punta Gorda, set in majestic Spanish colonial architecture with an emerald green roof.

On a Saturday just before sunset, the yacht clubs patio was packed with locals and visiting yachties welcomed by a Cuban live band. For arriving yachts, this really sets the scene.

In Havana, a night in the Cabaret Tropicana is a bucket list experience, but my favourite was the flamenco show at Gran Teatro de la Habana. The theatre itself is also one of the nicest in Old Havana and looks particularly magnificent at night when the exterior is illuminated.

Secret bars and speakeasies are popping up everywhere: walk into a red English telephone booth and find yourself in the basement bar La Zorra y el Cuervo (the Fox & Crow), a smoky, dark bar thats full of atmosphere and worlds away from the traditional Jazz Cafes.

Before heading down west, I decided to take a trip to Marina Hemingway on a classic 1957 Chevrolet. Composed of four canal-shaped basins, the marina is known for its Ernest Hemingway International Billfish tournament, one of the oldest big-game saltwater tournaments in the world.

For four days, fishermen battle with large ocean fish just as Ernest Hemingway, legendary both as a writer and a fisherman, once did. For yacht guests keen on fishing, this is a fantastic calling point on a Cuba itinerary.

People often complain about the food in Cuba, but as well as fresh seafood prepared by the yacht chef, I will be recommending clients to discover the culinary scene of Old Havana.

San Juan de Dios Street is an oasis of good Cuban and International Cuisine. Restaurant 5 Sentidos serves snapper ceviche, octopus salad and grilled lobster, with a lively atmosphere and excellent service, surrounded by the Spanish Colonial architecture that characterises Old Havana.

The YPI Charter team and I can advise on charters in Cuba and any surrounding waters. The best months for cruising here are November to April, the dry period, offering calmer waters to cruise and more hours of sunshine to enjoy. Months to avoid are September and October, peak hurricane season.

For more details on the YPI and charter rates, please visit www.ypiyachts.com.

***This article is republished from Issue 43 of Yacht Style.
Motoring

Exploring the beauty of Phukets surrounding waters, diving Southeast Asian hotspots, or just enjoying spectacular island scenery, the owners of Amels latest 55m Lili are currently enjoying new destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Apr 11, 2018 | By Yacht Style

Yacht Review: Charters In Asia-Pacific Waters

After her delivery from the Amels yard in the Netherlands in June 2017, Lili has already racked up some serious mileage  touring stunning off-the-beaten-track locations such as Norway, the Seychelles islands and the Maldives.

She is available for charter with Imperial, which also represented the owner during the completion of the build at Amels. Perhaps the most highly customised Amels 180 to date, Lili perfectly captures the continuous evolution and ongoing success of the Amels Limited Editions range.

Were confident in saying that the Amels 180 is the most successful 55-metre superyacht design ever, with more than 20 deliveries since 2007, comments Rose Damen, Amels Commercial Director. Lilis owner brought many fresh new ideas to her creation, including an extended huge sun deck with a custom-made pool  plenty of outdoor spaces for everyone on board.

Were able to create a personal style that complements Tim Heywoods original Amels 180 design very successfully.

Together with the Amels design team, Tim Heywood extended Lilis sun deck by three metres to 28 metres in length  creating a huge outdoor luxury space of almost 175 square metres. The bridge deck has also been extended, offering both sun both sun and shade.

Lilis folding balcony from the VIP suite on the principal deck provides a private spot to enjoy sea breezes in the morning. Further aft on this deck, additional folding balconies port and starboard offer uninterrupted views for fresh al fresco indoor dining for all 12 guests on board. These balconies create an unobstructed majestic view to the sea, and let sea breezes inside for a gentle, more informal and al fresco dining feeling.

The Amels paint team did a remarkable job. The application of Castle Tan gloss on the hull makes Lili very distinctive, while the unforgiving Jet Black on the superstructure  which is extremely challenging to perfect  makes a stunning contrast. The engineering required to turn these curves into reality is considerable, and any blemish would show up in the paintwork. Such is the attention to detail and quality of finish at Amels that Lili looks very much the jewel that Tim Heywood intended.

Lili has such an unusual paint scheme, and jet black gloss across challenging curves and stairwells  any tiny fault would stand out, Rose Damen explains. We are well known for the high quality of our paintwork, so it was very important to us that we got it absolutely right. It is a remarkably successful look, and exactly what the owner wanted.

Shes a very personal yacht, but also one that is widely admired and has already proven a popular charter choice. It has been very humbling to see how enthusiastically owners have responded to Tim Heywoods design over the years.

Outdoor furnishings have warm tones, which reflect the teak wood and the hulls Castle Tan  all artfully highlighted with blue marine colours of the sea. Working together with the owner, interior designer Laura Sessa and her team developed a luxurious finish with a very rich use of soft furnishings in velvet and silk.

The masterpiece is without any doubt the owners stateroom on the bridge deck which opens out over a huge aft deck. It was a challenge, in rooms full of light, to create a bold design language that both complements the views outside without forgetting the interior character. The full beam staterooms windows offer breath-taking views  glass on three sides with a 180-degree panorama  while the extended aft deck is in effect a private, shaded terrace  an owners deck.

With a view to offering Lili for charter, the owner also created a second stunning 77 square-metre master suite on the principal deck. The suite has a spacious stateroom, office, and private lounge with an exclusive folding balcony to bring in the cool ocean breezes and enjoy the relaxing sound of the sea.

By adding an indoor gym and four lower deck suites (a total of six spacious suites for 12 guests), Lili is thus perfect for charter clients who want their own spaces to retreat to  as well as the shared lounge spaces and shared sun deck and beach club.

In stairwells and corridors, very light and high-gloss sycamore is structured with strong geometric black recesses. High contrast dark woods including ebony Macassar make frames in structural elements as well as cabinets, tables, chairs and even bed covers. The bespoke dining room chairs feature a cut-out square that appears to frame the rich ebony table.

The artworks on board are displayed in bold, dark frames, too. These are also echoed in the dark frames around the large windows  with dark shutters connecting with the exteriors jet black superstructure. This clever design has framed the ever-changing views themselves as pieces of artwork. Soothing whites and light toned walls and carpets provide further contrasts, accentuating the bright sunshine that pours over the surfaces.

Interior design is very visible in the connection between bespoke furniture and interior materials. For example in the owners suite, the custom button-tufted ottoman is mirrored in the same tufting style created on the wall behind the bed. Each space in Laura Sessas creation is like a Haute Couture collection, sharing a theme that complements the yachts form while providing new points of interest and different impressions.

The premier salon emphasises relaxation with an over-sized sofa facing an over-sized huge 105-inch curved 4K television screen. The careful use of mirrored surfaces in the bathrooms  including the shower door  increases the feeling of space.

Splashes of colour in the lower deck guest suites provide individuality. Everywhere, the disciplined, geometric design requires the highest level of precision craftsmanship and carpentry. Very crisp and sharp joinery, insets and fittings are in perfect alignment and symmetry. Over the years since we introduced the Amels Limited Editions concept, Rose Damen continues, our Amels design and engineering teams have fed back thousands of hours of custom engineering into the design.

The platform has changed enormously since the first Limited Editions yacht in this segment, Deniki, was delivered in 2007. That includes major changes such as helipad, full-beam bridge deck lounge with larger windows facing aft, plus the extended decks, lengthened beach club and a newly enlarged galley on the principal deck.

Perhaps even more importantly, the lengthened Amels 180 platform contains thousands of small details that weve developed  many representing the changing market and technology innovations, but also weve listened to feedback from clients, captains and from the teams here at the yard. The boat has got better, better and better again. In terms of reliability, its virtually the perfect yacht platform.

Aside from Tim Heywoods timeless exterior lines, about the only thing Amels hasnt changed is the yachts hull shape. That gives clients a lot of confidence  knowing the proven pedigree of their yachts underwater body and its performance in all kinds of weather and sea state. The Amels platform is famous in the superyacht world for its seakindliness and manoeuvrability  captains and crews are very enthusiastic about the difference.

The yacht has a slender hull with a narrow forefoot, giving her a fine entry and good seakindly qualities  even in a big swell. The low superstructure (low metacentric height) and heavily-built, stiff full displacement hull makes her very solid and smooth in the water with comfortable periods of roll. This is a hull shape that has successfully circumnavigated the globe, cruised in the Arctic Circle and explored remote Melanesian islands without any modification.

The longevity of that naval architecture is the result of upfront investment in research and development, collaborating with parent company Damen Shipyards Group and their extensive analytical resources. Having that experience with the platform gives Amels absolute control of the production process and allows the yard to achieve the very highest quality.

Lili represents what can be achieved in engineering and design when a yacht builder is willing to be versatile and flexible, listening to owners and willing to make things possible. Her fast delivery in just over a year from signing, impeccable high quality and substantial owner customisation make Lili a perfect example of owners making the most of the Amels Limited Editions approach, a yard spokesman concluded.

Words by Ross Wolfe | Images courtesy of Jeff Brown

*** This article is republished from issue 43 of Yacht Style.
These days, LG Display Vietnam is boosting recruitment for its US$1.5 billion plant in the northern city of Haiphong, producing OLED products for mobile phones, smart watches, TVs, and tablets. The firm is in need of thousands more employees, such as engineers, security men, mechanics, accountants, interpreters, and technicians.



LG Display is one of the few enterprises to have contributed the most to the economy in this years first three months and beyond. Specifically, in just the first two months of 2018, LG Displays increased production and exports generated revenues of VND49.3 trillion (US$2.24 billion), which is 2.2 times higher than that of the same period last year. The firm earned an average of US$1.12 billion each month, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).



Though the official March figures remain undisclosed, if LG Displays performance continues as it did in January and February, the figure may rise to US$3.36 billion for the whole quarter.



In another case, Samsung Display Vietnam has been boosting production, with a two-month revenue of VND49.3 trillion (US$2.24 billion) which is 2.2 times higher than that of 2017s first two months.



According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), LG and Samsung have made remarkable contributions to Vietnams trade deficit over the first three months of the year and this situation is expected to continue in the coming months.



GSO reported that in this years first quarter, Vietnam suffered from a US$7.6 billion trade deficit from RoK, up from the US$6.3 billion deficit recorded over the same period last year.



Of this figure, Vietnams imports of electronics products from RoK witnessed the strongest rise. Notably, over the first quarter of 2018, Vietnams import turnover of electronics, laptops, and related spare parts skyrocketed 52.8% year-on-year  far higher than the 16.1% increase in last years corresponding period, and the import turnover of mobile phones and their spare parts climbed 13.6% year-on-year, lower than the 20.9% expansion in last years first quarter.



Last year, Vietnam saw a trade deficit of about US$31.8 billion with RoK, up 53.4% from the US$20.8 billion deficit of 2016. In 2015, the figure stood at US$18.7 billion.



However, according to the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnams (KorCham), the trade deficit presents a grey area for Vietnam, as many RoK firms have been boosting their investment and exports to Vietnam, while increasing imports of machinery, equipment, and materials to serve their production in the country.



Many are worried about the strong rise in Vietnams trade deficit with RoK. However, they shouldnt be, and should understand that Vietnams imports from RoK are largely conducted by RoK firms in Vietnam  mostly Samsung and LG. They largely import machinery, equipment, and materials for production, and then export products from Vietnam to foreign markets, KorChams vice chairman Hong Sun explained.



Samsungs export turnover sat at about US$51 billion last year, accounting for more than 25% of Vietnams total export turnover of US$214 billion. Samsung also holds 95% of the total export turnover of RoK firms in Vietnam.



Meanwhile, Vietnams exports to RoK, mostly end-products and consumer goods, have increased rapidly by more than 31% in 2017, against last years 28% rise, Sun said. Thus I would affirm that firms from both countries are doing well to take advantage of the Korea-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (KVFTA) and other trade pacts between RoK and ASEAN.



These pacts include a goods trade agreement which took effect in 2007, a service and commercial deal which came into force in 2009, and an investment co-operation agreement made valid in 2009. These pacts have created the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Area (AKFTA).



According to KorCham, the most important thing now is for the two countries to boost their exports to each others markets. Thus during the Korea-Vietnam Summit on November 11, 2017 in the central city of Da Nang on the sidelines of the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders Week, RoK President Moon Jae-in and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang vowed to boost the countries bilateral trade to more than US$100 billion in 2020, from the former target of US$70 billion as set by the two countries in 2013.



According to Vietnams Ministry of Finance, by 2018, 86% of the import tariff lines under AKFTA will be reduced to 0%, from their current average of 50%.



Under KVFTAs commitments, Vietnam will completely remove its import duties on 89.9% of all products from RoK over a 15-year period.



For example, Vietnam will remove its 30 and 20 per cent tariffs imposed on RoK air conditioners and rice cookers, respectively, over the next 10 years. The average tariffs for foodstuffs and consumer goods will be gradually reduced from the existing 16-17% to 0% over the next five years.



The Korea International Trade Association recently issued a survey on 1,015 RoK small and mid-size export firms. The results showed that more than 33% of respondents said they plan to expand their facilities in Vietnam, followed by China (19%), ASEAN member nations (10.7%), and India (8.3%).
Holding a reception for Danish Minister of Health Ellen Trane Norby in Hanoi on April 10, PM Phuc hoped to receive further support from Denmark in the prevention of non-infectious diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular and high blood pressure as well as in medical personnel training.

Lauding the northern European countrys achievements in managing and providing comprehensive public health care as well as mobilising the involvement of private sector, the leader hoped that Denmark will share its experience with Vietnam and endorse Vietnam in information technology application in the medical sector.

Ellen Trane Norby, for her part, affirmed that Denmark is willing to help Vietnam in health care and food safety research.

Denmark holds strengths in cancer prevention, control of diabetes and many other non-infectious diseases, she said, hoping that both sides will have deeper cooperation in the fields.
During a reception for the RoK diplomat in Hanoi on April 10, Deputy PM Minh affirmed that Vietnam is willing to work with the RoK to effectively implement the common perceptions reached by the two countries high-ranking leaders.

The two nations will ceaselessly expand and deepen cooperation across fields including economy, trade, investment, tourism, labour, sci-technology, culture, education and people-to-people exchange, towards lifting the bilateral relations to a new height.

He expressed his belief that with his experience and deep understanding of Vietnam, Lee will continue to effectively contribute to reinforcing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

In reply, Lee thanked the Vietnamese Foreign Minister and his ministry for supporting and creating all possible conditions for him to fulfill his duties in Vietnam.

He affirmed the RoK always treasures its relations with Vietnam, promising that in his new position, he will continue efforts to elevate the Vietnam-RoK strategic cooperative partnership in the future.
Details Red Workers' Front 06 May 2020

The Red Workers Front organised an online May Day rally in which workers from all parts of the country expressed their views and condemned government policies, which are leading to more hunger and death for the workers...
GREENFIELD -- Saying Baystate Health's latest offer is not an adequate solution to persistent staffing shortages at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, the hospital's 200-member nurses union picketed Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association was locked out of the job at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The two-day lockout was management's response to the union's one-day strike Wednesday. All told, the work stoppage will last until Friday night.

About 100 nurses and their supporters marched on High Street Wednesday as passing motorists honked horns in support.

The MNA bargaining unit at he 90-bed hospital has been without a contract since January of 2017. There was a one-day strike and a two-day lockout in June 2017 that didn't result in an agreement.

"It's not OK that we are not inside taking care of our patients," said Donna Stern, senior co-chairwoman of the union's bargaining committee. "There are problems inside this hospital."

Stern was physically blocked Tuesday night by four Greenfield police officers on a security detail when she attempted to enter the hospital for the 7 p.m. start of the lockout. She said she wanted to be there as her fellow union members were forced to hand over their patients to temporary nurses hired by Baystate.

She said having police stop her was an intimidation tactic.

"They are bullies," she said of hospital management at the rally.

Ron Bryant, interim president of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, said it is the union that is being divisive.

"We remain focused on providing quality care and will not be distracted by the disruptive and divisive tactics orchestrated by union leadership," Bryant wrote. "The experienced temporary nurses are at the hospital now, providing the seamless quality care our patients deserve."

Stern said a major sticking point is a lack of nurses to work all the required shifts. She said nurses are routinely asked to work past the end of their scheduled shift in order to fill gaps in the schedule -- sometimes for as long as 15 or 16 hours total. The longest scheduled shifts are 12 hours.

Baystate has agreed to promise in the contract that it will not diminish staffing. Management will also put 5 percent of the nursing workforce into a float pool. Those float pool nurses would come to work without an assignment and then be available to fill in when nurses call out sick or there is a surge of patients.

But Stern said the only solution is to hire more registered nurses -- there are about 20 openings now -- to fill the shifts. And the union wants a guarantee in the contact that those jobs will be filled and not cut.

The union also wants charge nurses to never have a patient care assignment, freeing them up to supervise and help nurses under them.

Baystate also is committed to having charge nurses who at the beginning of the shift wouldn't have a patient assignment but would be available to supervise, the hospital has said.

"What we don't want happen is five minutes, 20 minutes into the shift that charge nurse to get a patient," Stern said.

Baystate said it is also offering nurses a 4.9 percent raise over the three-year life of the contract. A mid-career, full-time (36 hours a week) registered nurse would see a base salary increase from $75,610 to $79,372. The most senior nurses would increase from $94,423 to $99,122.

Stern said those raises amount to just more than 1 percent a year and wouldn't be retroactive to the end of the last contract. Also, the salary examples are unrealistic because few nurses work 36 hours a week. They tend to work long shifts but few shifts a week, she said.

Baystate Franklin nurses are the lowest-paid nurses in central or Western Massachusetts, Stern said.

As the lockout continues, the MNA plans a "community day," cleaning up parks and streets around the hospital starting at 10 a.m. Thursday. On Friday, the union plans demonstrations at Baystate Health's headquarters in Springfield.

Although the hospital remains open, Baystate Franklin closed its intensive care unit, cardiac rehab unit, preadmission clinic and tuberculosis clinic for the duration of the three-day work stoppage.

ICU patents were transfered to Baystate Medical Center. Transfering ICU patients to the bigger Springfield hospital is a faily common prcatice even without a work stoppage, hospital officials said.
WILBRAHAM -- The owners of Iron Duke Brewing Co. have completed the purchase of a new home for for their brewing equipment, tasting room and dining operation.

Stockhouse 122 Reality, owned by Iron Duke partners Michael Marcoux and Nicholas Morin, bought 18-20 Cottage Ave., Wilbraham, for $900,000 from Steven Cormier of Palmer on April 4, according to papers on file at the Hampden Registry of Deeds.

Morin has said the new location likely will not be open until summer 2019.

The 6,000-square-foot building is about twice the size of Iron Duke's existing space in the Ludlow Mills complex. It will allow Iron Duke to triple its production, if demand warrants it. Iron Duke made 1,200 barrels, or 37,200 gallons, of beer last year.

Morin and Marcoux started Iron Duke in 2014, renting an old storehouse at the Ludlow Mills. The brewery's relationship with Ludlow Mills' owner, Westmass Area Development Corp., went sour amid complaints that Iron Duke customers were taking up too much parking and that the the brewery was drawing large crowds to the site, which is being redeveloped for business and housing use.

The dispute ended up in the courts. In June, Hampden Superior Court Judge Edward J. McDonough cited an ambiguously worded lease, more than two years of incident-free operation and Iron Duke's support from the community in an 11-page ruling. That ruling kept Iron Duke in the space, but the partners started looking for a new location.

Their lease at Ludlow Mills runs until the year 2020.

Westmass Area Development Corp. is a regional, private, not-for-profit industrial and business development corporation.
During his meeting with AC President Teruhiko Kawato in Tokyo on April 10, Phoc said the SAV wants to receive cooperation from the AC, stressing that this will help elevate the SAVs development to a new height as well as ensure its functions and missions as assigned by the National Assembly and the State.

Vietnam and Japan have enjoyed a fruitful strategic partnership in the past time and the East Asian nation is currently the largest provider of ODA for Vietnam with JPY2.6 trillion (some US$24.3 billion), Phoc noted, adding that as the SAV is entrusted with auditing ODA funds in Vietnam, collaboration between the two audit bodies will be tightened in the future.

On the occasion, he thanked the AC for giving support to Vietnam in the past years, hoping that the two agencies, both being members of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), will fortify solidarity and bilateral cooperation to develop INTOSAI and ASOSAI.

Teruhiko, for his part, said that the two audit agencies have seen sound cooperation, not only through the INTOSAI and the ASOSAI but also through the exchanges between the two countries.

With meticulous preparations, the SAV will successfully organise the 14th Assembly of the ASOSAI in September 2018 and as an ASOSAI member, Japan pledged to make every effort to contribute to the assemblys success, he stressed.

Regarding the cooperation programme, Teruhiko said that together with applying IT in data analysis to improve audit efficiency, the AC is developing an audit information system to strengthen audit security.

Japanese tax system as well as auditor training programmes and plans were presented at the meeting. Teruhiko hoped that Japanese experience will be worthwhile for the SAV.
(Courtesy Boston Fire Department)

By Kristin LaFratta

At least one Boston firefighter was injured overnight on Wednesday while battling a fire in Roxbury.

Authorities were called to 41 Walnut Street near 2 a.m. for reports of a fire. Boston firefighters said the building was an unoccupied, 2.5-story carriage house.

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(Courtesy Boston Fire Department)

Heavy fire spilled out of the second floor, according to the fire department. At least two alarms were sounded.

The department reported in a tweet that one firefighter had been transported by Emergency Medical Services with a non-life-threatening injury.

Investigators were on the scene early Wednesday morning to determine the cause of the fire. Boston Fire Department estimated the fire caused $450,000 in damages.

The department's Twitter page, @BostonFire, shared photos of firefighters battling the overnight blaze:

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(Courtesy Boston Fire Department)

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(Courtesy Boston Fire Department)

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(Courtesy Boston Fire Department)

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(Courtesy Boston Fire Department)

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(Courtesy Boston Fire Department)
A new wave of Boston Police officers were inducted into the department Tuesday night, and one officer had an extra-special evening when he surprised his girlfriend with an engagement proposal.

Boston Police shared a photo of the special moment on Twitter, when new police officer James Sullivan-Venezia surprised his girlfriend Keneshia Estime when he got down on one knee. Police say Estime said yes and accepted the diamond ring.

"And, we say, 'Congrats to the newly engaged couple,'" Boston Police wrote on Twitter.

The department welcomed 97 new officers from Recruit Class 57-17 during a graduation and pinning ceremony at Boston University Tuesday night. Boston Police Commissioner William Evans and Mayor Marty Walsh welcomed the new officers.

"Being a police officer is one of the most honorable professions in the world," Evans told the new police officers, as reported by BPD.

"I look forward to watching the men and women of Recruit Class 57-17 grow and develop into some of the best police officers in the country."
Amazon hasn't approached Boston officials about incentives for its planned second headquarters, Mayor Marty Walsh said this week, as other regions and cities on the list of finalists keep engaging in a nationwide bidding war for the online retail giant.

The governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, proposed a reported $5 billion package earlier this year.

"You can't give away 5 billion dollars," Walsh said during an appearance on Bloomberg's Baystate Business radio show, referring to the Maryland proposal. "You just can't. I mean, that's a lot of money."

Maryland's lawmakers recently increased that figure to up to $8.5 billion, according to the Baltimore Sun. Montgomery County is on the list of finalists.

Amazon has said its second headquarters would bring 50,000 well-paid employees and $5 billion in construction.

Some of the Boston area's built-in incentives are its location on the East Coast, its educated workforce and its Greater Boston higher education sector, Walsh added.

If talk of incentives were to also include infrastructure upgrades, that's a "different conversation," Walsh said, noting that in the city's initial bid for "HQ2," as the second headquarters search is known, the MBTA's Blue Line and local roadways would see improvements.

The Walsh administration has promoted the Suffolk Downs site, next to the Blue Line and straddling Boston and part of Revere, as the top location for Amazon's second headquarters.

Amazon already has a presence in the Boston area, and plans to expand into the city's Seaport neighborhood, separate from the search for a second headquarters. The company could hire up to 4,000 people and collect up to $10 million in tax incentives.
Several elite colleges are under investigation by federal authorities for alleged antitrust violations connected to early decision admissions.

The Justice Department sent letters to colleges and universities last week mandating all communication between colleges regarding admission records with identifying details of accepted students be preserved as part of an ongoing federal investigation.

The letter states that the investigation focuses on "a potential agreement between colleges relating to their early decision practices," the New York Times, which obtained a copy of the letter, reports.

Those colleges include Amherst College, Grinnell College, Middlebury College, Pomona College, Wellesley College, Wesleyan University and Williams College, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The schools admit a high number of students during the early decision process. As an early decision applicant, a student commits to attending the school if they're accepted. This differs from early action, which offers prospective students the opportunity to receive an early response about admission without the mandated commitment.

Early decisions plans have been called into question by education advocates as colleges have less incentive to offer financial aid to students who have already committed to the school.

For the 2018-2019 school year, tuition, room and board will cost more than $70,000 for Amherst College students. The cost of attending Wellesley College is comparable with tuition set at $50,840 for the 2018-2019 school year, $8,468 to live in the dorms, $8,000 for a meal plan and $324 as a student activity fee.

The colleges have expressed a commitment to welcoming students from all income levels.

"No matter where in the world you live, Amherst will make your admission decision without considering whether you apply for aid or to what degree you have financial need," Amherst College states on its financial aid page. The college first created a need-blind policy for domestic students, extending it to international applicants a decade ago.

During the 2016-2017 school year, the majority of Amherst students received financial aid, with an average aid amount of $51,775.

The Western Massachusetts institution received 9,285 applicants to the Class of 2021, enrolling 471 students.

Of this class of students, 37 percent applied early decision.

A dean of admissions for a liberal arts college in New England told the Wall Street Journal that their school shares applicant information - including their name, home state and application-identification number - with 20 other schools that offer early decision.

When an applicant applies to more than one school early decision, one of the schools will withdraw the student's application, the dean told the Wall Street Journal.
CHICOPEE - Children in the fifth grade at Litwin School have made new friends more than 3,300 miles away and in the process are learning about a new culture.

"They go home for lunch and their lunch is an hour instead of our lunch which is a half hour," Ewan LaFond, 11, said.

Children usually walk or ride their bikes to school instead of taking the bus, he added.

"They have 90 kids in their school and we have a lot more," Kadin Ocasio, 11, said. In comparison Litwin School has an enrollment more four times that size with 418 children.

"They call their principal a headmaster," Alexandra Sawicki, 10, said.

The pen pal program started about eight years ago when a staff member at Sgt. Robert Litwin School mentioned she had a relative in Switzerland who was a teacher in the village of Winterthur and wanted to find pen pals for her students, Tina Crane, a fifth-grader teacher, said.

Children could learn so much from the process so Crane contacted the European teacher and the two have had their students exchange letters ever since.

"They are learning about different cultures," Crane said. "We still have to use the writing process and they are learning to write a friendly letter."

Children are now used to the instant response they get from email and texting. Since it takes some time for letters to be mailed overseas and more time to receive a response, they are learning how to be patient and they get excited when the letters arrive, she said.

Because the classes in the Trullikon School are about nine students and those at Litwin School have more than 20 children, local children typically write their letters in pairs. They are matched up with one child who corresponds with them about four times a year, she said.

Children typically tell their pen pals a little about themselves and their school in the first letter. They then take information they learn and tell them how their school is the same or different. They also ask and answer a variety of questions, she said.

The letters are all addressed and then placed in a large envelope and mailed together, Crane said.

This year the staff member from Litwin who initially set up the letter-writing campaign offered to deliver a packet of items to the pen pals in Switzerland and in turn the students there responded with their own packet.

Annalese Lawson, 10, said her pen pal sent her a packet of seeds for a Swiss poppy.

"Their flower is red and in the middle it has a white cross in it like their flag," she said. "We are going to plant them in the classroom."

The Swiss students also sent their pen pans some chocolate, a candle holder with the Swiss flag on it, a bandana decorated with the edelweiss flower and other things.

In turn the children sent them erasers in different shapes, American chocolate, Silly Putty and other things they thought were typical to this country.

The children have also mailed photographs of their schools. Alexandra pointed out some pictures of the Swiss school that showed multiple bicycles parked in front that children ride to class and a couple of wooded structures decorated as alligators and lizards.

"We don't know what they are. They may be benches or something else," she said.

Students said they think the program should continue for other children.

"I think the other kids in the fourth grade will enjoy it as much as we do," Alexandra said.

Comparing the different schools and lifestyles Annalese said she feels fortunate to know how much she has living in the United States.
Three more men who say they were beaten by off-duty Springfield police officers following a barroom argument three years ago have filed a federal lawsuit, accusing local authorities of civl rights violations and conducting a deliberately flawed investigation.

Jackie Ligon, his brother Jozelle Ligon and Michael Cintron filed sued in U.S. District Court on Monday, naming as defendants the City of Springfield, its police department, Police Commissioner John Barbieri, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office and over a dozen individual Springfield police officers.

"It's either negligence or it's a conspiracy," said Joe Smith III, the plaintiffs' attorney. "I tend to think it's more so a conspiracy."

The lawsuit is the fourth filed over the alleged assault and its aftermath, which took place in the early morning hours of April 8, 2015. The Ligon brothers, their cousin Paul Cumby and their friend Michael Cintron were allegedly beaten by a group of men in parking lot near Nathan Bill's Bar and Grill after arguing in the bar with a group of off-duty Springfield cops.

Cumby filed three separate suits on Friday, accusing the police department, the bar and the emergency services company American Medical Response of violating his rights and covering up the attack.

The Springfield Police Department and Hampden County District Attorney's Office have declined to comment on the pending lawsuits. The Springfield patrolman's union did not return a request for comment on Friday.

The Ligon brothers and Cintron's suit described a similar series of events as Cumby's complaint. Both allege that an off-duty officer, Daniel Billingsley, began arguing with Jozelle, and that uniformed officers responded to the verbal argument. The group left the bar peacefully after Billingsley made it clear they were not welcome, the lawsuit claims.

The Ligons and Cintron waited in the parking lot of Murphy's Pop Stop as Cumby, who had driven his truck to the bar, took a walk and spoke to his girlfriend on the phone, according to the lawsuits and interviews with the men. Cumby reunited with his cousins as a group of men, led by Billingsley, allegedly bore down on them and instigated a fight, according to the suit.

The fight prompted a 911 call, but did not immediately prompt an extensive investigation. The initial police report, filed by Officer Darren Nguyen, did not mention the alleged role of off-duty officers in the fight, described the victims as "uncooperative" and understated the extent of Cumby's injuries.

After Cumby filed a citizen's complaint in May of 2015, the police department's Major Crimes Unit launched a criminal investigation. The Hampden District Attorney's Office announced it would not file charges in February of 2016, saying that while the Ligons, Cumby and Cintron were victims, their identifications of their attackers were not clear enough to stand up in court.

While both Cumby's and the Ligon brothers' lawsuits include a broad set of claims, including civil rights violations, assault and battery and allegations that the department failed to properly supervise its officers, one claim is unique to this week's suit -- and centers on that decisive lack of positive identification.

The suit, filed by attorney Joe Smith III, alleges that the Hampden County DA's Office and the police department's Major Crimes Unit conspired to undermine the investigation by showing the victims a photo array consisting of thousands of images.

"At differing times this unit and the aforementioned defendants interviewed and showed photographs to Mr. Cumby, Jozelle Ligon and Jackie Ligon," the suit claims. "In all three instances the defendants used identification procedures that deviated from normal police procedure in a deliberate effort to assist in the cover up of the constitutional violations."

In one interview, Major Crimes Unit investigators showed Cumby 1,985 images of white man ages 21-30, before showing hundreds of images of Springfield police officers. Jozelle Ligon was shown 5,220 photos in addition to pictures of Springfield officers, according to the DA's report.

The Hampden DA's office would not comment on pending litigation. In previous interviews and in its report on the decision not to bring charges, the DA's Office said that while Billingsley was identified as one the attackers during Jackie Ligon's interview with internal investigators, the victims gave contradictory or unclear identifications over the course of multiple interviews.

It was "undeniable" that the men were victims, the DA's office said in its report, while also arguing that criminal prosecution would not succeed and would be unethical.

"However, it is also undeniable that the victims' admitted lack of recollection of the events and the assailants, inconsistent versions of the incident, their admitted alcohol consumption, and ultimately and most significantly, their lack of legally sound and positive identifications of those who committed a criminal offense, hamstrings the Commonwealth from initiating a criminal complaint or indictment," the report said.

The suit attributes those inconsistencies to Major Crimes' identification procedure, which saw investigators show the victims thousands of photographs of men fitting the broad descriptions of their attackers.

A police source, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation, defended the photo array procedure to MassLive, saying it followed standard protocols. In cases where the name of a suspect is not known, it is common to generate large photo arrays, the source said.

And while uniformed officers identified several specific off-duty officers as being present at the bar before the fight, investigators did not have that information when they first interviewed the victims, according to the source. By the time investigators took statements from the responding officers the array had already been shown to the victims, and running a second array could have legally tainted the identification and made it unusable in court, the source said.

The source acknowledged that a more refined photo array may have been possible if investigators had acquired more information before showing photos to the victims, and said Major Crimes was already working to improve its procedures in such cases at the time of the Nathan Bill's investigation.

The lawsuit also alleged that a group of officers accused of participating in the fight conspired to cover up their actions by destroying, withholding or concealing evidence. All the off-duty officers interviewed by investigators asserted their Fifth Amendment rights not to testify.
GREENFIELD - At the trial of one of the two suspects accused in the 2016 murders of an elderly Orange couple, prosecutors played an audio confession that Joshua Hart gave to police following his arrest in Virginia, according to reports.

The Greenfield Recorder reported the confession was played Tuesday, the third day of Hart's trial, during open court for the 14-member jury and Judge John Agostini.

Hart, 25 of Athol, in the audio described in detail stabbing Thomas Harty, 95, multiple times and killing him, and then stabbing Joanna Fisher, 77, and leaving her for dead. Fisher, who was in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke, died of her injuries a month later.

He said he and co-defendant Brittany Smith, 29, also of Athol, planned on the evening of Oct. 5, 2016, to rob Harty and Fisher in their home and steal their car. It apparently went wrong when Harty stood up to confront Hart, and Hart got intimidated at the elderly man's size and fitness.

According to the Recorder, Hart was heard on the tape saying "(Harty) started coming toward men. As you can see I'm a small guy. ... I didn't know what I was thinking at the time."

The confession was recorded by officials with the Rockbridge County, Virginia Sheriff's Department after Hart and Smith were apprehended at a Wal-Mart in Virginia, two days after the attack in Orange. Members of the Rockbridge County Sheriff's Department testified that Hart voluntarily gave his statement during questioning.

Hart and Smith will be tried separately. Her trial is expected to begin immediately after his concludes.

A grand jury has indicted them on the following charges:
SPRINGFIELD - A child using matches caused the Belmont Avenue fire that killed a man and his two young children last month.

Authorities, including state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, announced the cause of the March 18 blaze during a press conference Wednesday afternoon at Springfield Fire Department headquarters on Worthington Street.

"Every fire starts small and every fire has the ability to take a life, which is why adults need to take every use of fire by children and youth seriously," said Ostroskey. "Children do not have the ability to understand how dangerous fire is or that they cannot control it."

The fire, which also injured at least four people and displaced about 80, broke out at 49 Belmont Ave. at about 7:20 a.m. Officials say many of the displaced are recent immigrants to the United States.

It took the lives of Aden Abdakadr; his 2-year-old son, Ahmed Ahmed; and 1-year-old daughter, Fatumo Ahmed. The fire began in the second floor apartment where the victims lived.

Springfield Fire Commissioner Bernard J. Calvi said investigators believe, based on where his body was found, that Abdakadr died trying to fight the fire.

Calvi said his department is working with the Springfield School Department "to ensure the child involved gets appropriate counseling."

The battery operated smoke alarm inside the apartment did not work and residents were notified of the danger by the smoke alarms in the common hallways, according to officials.

"The fire department is working with the elders and leaders of the Somali and other refugee communities to provide fire safety education in order to prevent another tragedy," Calvi said. "It's important for adults to make sure homes have working smoke alarms, develop and practice a home escape plan, and keep matches and lighters out of sight and out of reach of young children. Explain that these are tools for grown-ups."

"We are looking to work together to get the word out to be proactive on education," said Mayor Domenic Sarno. "As we move forward we want to make sure this does not happen again."

Witnesses described the fire scene as chaotic, with people jumping out second and third story windows of the burning building as firefighters arrived and numerous children and others running outside.

The investigation, which took several weeks, was conducted by the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad and state troopers attached to the state Fire Marshal's office.

Calvi said residents of the Leyfred Terrace side of the building, which was untouched by the fire, have since returned to their homes. The Belmont Avenue portion, which was extensively damaged, remains closed.

Jewish Family Service has been designated to accept all donations to help families in the time of need.

Checks can be made out to JFSWM or Jewish Family Service of Western Ma. with "fire" written in the memo line. They can be mailed to the organization at 15 Lenox St., Springfield, Ma. 01108 or to Brian Bedore at TD Bank, 561 Sumner Ave., Springfield Ma. 01108. The bank has a special account set up for the victims.
Massachusetts higher education officials are demanding information from Mount Ida College as the small Newton institution abruptly moves to close, lay off faculty and staff, and allow the University of Massachusetts to take over its 74 acres.

They are also voicing "serious concerns" about the closure's impact on students who were admitted to Mount Ida for the fall 2018 semester and could be left without options for continuing their education.

While the boards of both UMass and Mount Ida signed off on the deal last week, the state Board of Higher Education has oversight of mergers and closures.

"We are disappointed by the lack of appropriate and timely communications with our office regarding the closure of Mt. Ida, and with the accelerated timeline that is now in place," Patricia Marshall, deputy state commissioner for academic affairs and student success at the state department of higher education, wrote in a letter sent this week to Mount Ida College President Barry Brown.

The deal was formally announced Friday afternoon after the UMass board of trustees met in Amherst.

Marshall noted that she had reminded Brown earlier this year about the state regulations surrounding closures and mergers when Mount Ida was considering a merger with Lasell College. Those talks eventually fell through.

Under the deal outlined by Mount Ida and UMass, Mount Ida students have been granted automatic admission to UMass Dartmouth, a campus about an hour away from Newton.

"Ensuring that appropriate arrangements are in place for Mt. Ida students who cannot transfer to UMass, or who do not wish to do so, is a Department priority for this closure at this time," Marshall wrote.

"Second, the Department also has serious concerns about the impact of this closure on students admitted to Mt. Ida for the fall 2018 semester," she added.

"It is our understanding that these students will not be eligible to enroll at UMass; with many admissions periods closed and the May 1 deadline for students to accept offers of admission at institutions of higher education fast approaching, it is likely that many of those admitted to Mt. Ida will be left without an option for continuing their education in the fall," her letter said.

Along with documents on the plan to close the campus, state officials are also seeking a meeting with Mount Ida representatives to discuss the closure on Thursday, April 19.

The Marshall letter was sent to Mount Ida officials Tuesday evening. Later that evening, Mount Ida submitted their notice of intent to close, days after publicly announcing the deal with UMass.

The full letter is available below.

This post has been updated with additional information from the state department of higher education.
The deal between the University of Massachusetts and Mount Ida College, a struggling private institution in Newton, Mass., is drawing scrutiny from state senators.

Senators on Wednesday approved an order to hold an oversight hearing on the pending deal, which calls for UMass Amherst to acquire Mount Ida's 74-acre campus and close the school. The deal calls for Mount Ida students, which number at about 1,500, to receive automatic admission to UMass Dartmouth, though they can attempt to transfer to other UMass campuses.

"We in the Massachusetts Senate feel as though we do not have enough information on this hasty acquisition," Senate President Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, said in a statement. "I hope that more information is soon to come so that we can better analyze the diverse impacts of such an acquisition."

Parents and students of students attending Mount Ida or set to attend the school in the fall have angrily criticized the deal, while students and some faculty at the UMass Boston campus, which has seen budget cutbacks, are upset at the juxtaposition between their financial problems and UMass Amherst acquiring a new campus.

But UMass officials say the deal gives a "pathway" for Mount Ida College students to graduate while giving UMass Amherst, in its acquisition of the Newton campus, access to internships and co-ops in an area known for its tech companies.

Sen. Mark Montigny, a Democrat whose district includes UMass Dartmouth, and Sen. Michael Rodrigues, a Westport Democrat, filed the order for a hearing of the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight.

MassLive broke the news that UMass and Mount Ida were in talks on April 4, and the deal was announced on April 6 after a closed-door meeting of UMass trustees in Amherst.

"This is a public institution that cut a deal and most of us read about it in the newspaper," Montigny said. "It's just completely wrong. So you have aggrieved students and their parents, and they should be, at Mount Ida, and you have folks at UMass Boston who should be apoplectic."

Montigny added the deal should also be viewed in the context of rising tuition and fees in the higher education sector, which is an "ongoing concern."

UMass Dartmouth may end up benefiting from the deal, Montigny said, "but I don't want it done in the dark of night."

"I want to know what the details are, why the deal makes sense," he said.

The board of Mount Ida and trustees from UMass signed off on the deal last week, though Massachusetts higher education officials want more information and say they have approval authority over some portions of the deal.

On Wednesday, state senators joined them in asking for more information.

"The pending acquisition of Mount Ida College by UMass came as a surprise to my colleagues and I. There are a lot of unanswered questions about how this will affect the well-being of students and educators, and impact the UMass system as campuses struggle to minimize costs," Rodrigues said in a statement. "Protecting our students is, and must continue to be, our number one priority as we seek to learn more about the impacts of the acquisition on our public higher-ed institutions."

Gov. Charlie Baker has lashed Mount Ida leaders, saying the "grown-ups" on campus let down the students and it's now clear that a deficit "has gotten worse and worse."

If UMass can find a way for students to continue their education, "that's a good thing," the governor added.

This post was updated with statements from Sens. Chandler and Rodrigues.
During a reception for visiting Vice President of IFC for Asia and Pacific Snezana Stoiljkovic in Hanoi on April 11, PM Phuc suggested IFC and other international organisations invest in renewable energy that Vietnam has great potential.

He hoped IFC would cooperate with some Vietnamese financial institutions, and support Vietnam in improving its financial management capacity.

For her part, Stoiljkovic congratulated the Vietnamese Government on its effective economic management in recent times, which contributed to the stable economic growth. This is an important basis for IFC to continue cooperating with Vietnam in the coming time.

She said 2017 is a successful year for IFCs activities in Vietnam, especially in supporting the private economic sector.

IFC wants to work with and assist Vietnam in developing new fields, thus helping the country attract foreign direct investment in those, including the development of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), agriculture, and renewable energy, she stated.

Stoiljkovic said IFC is cooperating effectively with many Vietnamese enterprises and banks, adding that it wants to support young Vietnamese entrepreneurs in promoting startups via IFCs partners in Vietnam.

Agreeing with Stoiljkovics opinion on the importance of the private economic area, PM Phuc said Vietnam always attaches importance to the potential of the area, and target to have 1 million enterprises by 2020.

He stressed that Vietnam appreciates IFCs support for the country in recent times, and hopes the agency will continue to accompany the country on its path of development in the future.


NORTHAMPTON - Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey will co-host the grand opening of a new satellite office of the state's Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) in Northampton Thursday.

MOVA, an independent state agency, assists victims of crimes through advocacy, education, and various other forms of assistance. The new Northampton office represents the first time in its 34 years as an agency that MOVA has expanded beyond its Boston location.

Healey, who is the chair of the Victim Witness Assistance Board (VWAB) that governs MOVA, will announce over $9 million in grant funding for programs in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties that serve crime victims.

The funding will be allocated to enhance services in 25 different programs that provide counseling and assistance to a variety of victims, including victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, homicide, child abuse, drunk driving, and other crimes.

A number of other officials will speak at Thursday's ceremony, including Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, District Attorney David Sullivan, District Attorney Paul Caccaviello, District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, Survivor Board Member Josh Moulton, and MOVA Executive Director Liam Lowney.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 12. Its location is 403 Pleasant Street.
SPRINGFIELD -- Fire investigators are seeking a suspect who they say threw a Molotov cocktail at a window of a building at 196 Nursery St. Tuesday evening.

Dennis Leger, aide to Springfield Fire Commissioner Bernard Calvi, said the incendiary device was thrown at a second-story window at about 6:30 p.m., but failed to break the glass.

No injuries were reported.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad at 787-6370.
SPRINGFIELD -- Holding signs and chanting, more than 100 members of the Springfield police officers union and supporters gathered downtown Wednesday to voice their displeasure at stalled contract negotiations and to direct the blame at Mayor Domenic Sarno.

"Hey Hey, Ho Ho! We want to talk to Sarno!" the group chanted over and over. Several dozen cars and trucks passing the scene blared their horns in support.

The patrol officer's union, Local 364 of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, charges Sarno with walking away from contract negotiations with the union. As a result, the union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the state Labor Relations Board.

"We're down here right now to let the mayor know we would like him back at the bargaining table," said Local 364 President Joseph Gentile. "We've been 20 months without a contract and we feel what he's doing right now is unjust."

Gentile has said Sarno walked away from the table over an "outside issue" that has was separate from what was being negotiated. On Wednesday afternoon, he said the union was not told what that outside issue is.

"He hasn't indicated to us specifically what caused him to walk away from the table," Gentile said.

Sarno on Tuesday evening issued a brief statement that alludes to having issues with matters of "unprofessional conduct" before the Community Police Hearing Board.

The statement in its entirety said: "Public safety has always been a number one priority of my administration. The vast majority of our officers do a wonderful job protecting our citizens, many a times, at personal risk. However, unprofessional behavior before our Community Police Hearing Board is unacceptable and must be resolved. Once resolved, we'd be pleased to go back to the negotiation table. We believe we have a very generous offer on the table."

Sarno and his office on Wednesday declined to expand on his statement or to offer any clarification.

Gentile said regardless of what problem is, the way Sarno is handling it represents an unfair labor practice that may require the state Labor Relations Board to resolve, unless Sarno changes his mind.

"Whatever outside issue caused him to walk away from the table, it's an unfair labor proactice," he said. "It's unfair to members of IBPO local 364 and I hope he'll come back to the table to negotiate."

The demonstration was called an informational picket, intended only to get the union's message out to the public. They are not walking off their jobs or striking. Federal law prohibits police officers from going on strike.

Three of the four corners at State and Main were occupied by police union members and their supporters for more than two and a half hours. The fourth corner was occupied by on-duty police supervisors, who were there presumably there to make sure nothing got out of hand.

A bus was used to shuttle a number of the union members to police headquarters in time for the start of the 4-to-midnight shift.

City Councilor Adam Gomez walked along the demonstrators offering, he said, his solidatity and support.

"We depend on these gentlement to keep our city safe and I just want to show there are people who support them," he said.

The council is not empowered to be involved in any collective bargaining with any union. That is the domain of the mayor's Office. The council does have to vote to enact any agreement between unions and the city, but that does not occur until an agreement is in place.

"Essentially what we can do is stand in solidarity with what they are doing," Gomez said. "Hopefully, Mayor Sarno will go back to the table and the collective bargaining process will be over."

Smoking a cigarette in front of his shop, C2Z Convenience on Main Street, Shafquat Hussain said was enjoying the excitment a few feet from his doorway. He said he is in full support of the police union.

"Day and night, the police risk their lives," he said. "The city has a duty to take care of them."
Footage found on a hidden camera inside an employee bathroom at a Massachusetts hospital helped investigators find the man who put it there, authorities say.

The first two videos recorded by a pen camera hidden in a unisex employee bathroom at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington showed Michael McDermott, 21, of Tewksbury concealing the device on March 29, the Lowell Sun reported. The camera was hidden inside a toilet paper roll, and McDermott's hospital ID was visible in the footage.

The newspaper, citing a police report, identified McDermott as a UMass Lowell nursing student who had been shadowing a nurse at the hospital. McDermott first denied knowing anything about the camera, but later admitted to hospital security that he had hidden the camera in the bathroom earlier the same morning.

He was charged with three counts of photographing an unsuspecting nude person and a single count of possession of a wiretap device.

McDermott was arraigned in Woburn District Court on Tuesday. He was ordered to wear the electronic GPS bracelet as he seeks mental health treatment.

Police found 24 videos on the pen camera - four of which showed female employees using the bathroom, according to The Sun. Two of the videos showed the same employee.

A hospital spokesman told the Boston Globe that McDermott was immediately fired when security identified him as the person who hid the camera. The spokesman said no patients or visitors were filmed.

McDermott is due back in court May 23.
A property manager for the building that houses the office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Springfield declined to accept more than 1,100 letters written in support of Lucio Perez, a Springfield man facing deportation.

Perez, a father of four who fled to the United States in 1999, has been living in Amherst's First Congregational Church since October, when he immigration authorities ordered him deported back to his native Guatemala.

More than 50 people, including many religious leaders, stood in support of Perez and his family on Wednesday. They read from some of the more than 1,100 letters written by community members praising Perez, his family, and sympathizing with his situation.

"Immediately I was struck by Lucio's decency, his devotion to family, and his thorough kindness," said Margaret Sawyer, the group's lead organizer, who has been assisting with his case. "In conversations about how to pursue his case he has always given the highest consideration to the health and unity of his family. He has always expressed a desire to live with in the law not outside of it."

She added, "He has no other option to remain close to his family."

During the speaking program, prayer, and songs, Perez's wife Dora stood quietly, hugging the thick stack of letters to her chest. At one point she looked at the sky and, passing the letters to Rev. Vilma Hernandes, clasped her hands in prayer.

She addressed the crowd, speaking through an interpreter, and thanked everyone for their support. She said life has been challenging since her husband, who was the primary breadwinner in their household, has been held up. Her son is struggling in school. Her children cry at night and ask for their father, but she can't help them, she said. She has trouble sleeping.

"Our children are fueling our reason to keep on fighting," she told reporters.

Wednesday's demonstration outside the Springfield ICE office is part of a larger movement to stand in solidarity with the immigrant community in the face of President Donald Trump's administration. The Pioneer Valley Workers Center has established the Interfaith Sanctuary and Solidarity Network, an organizing committee that helps more than 20 congregations.

The "Jericho Walk for Immigrant Justice" is part of the committee's work, said Sawyer.

On Wednesday the protesters circled the building at 1550 Main Street, singing "you do not walk alone." They wore yellow "I'm with Lucio" stickers and carried signs.

When they were finished, the religious leaders blessed the letters. The protesters formed two lines, making a sort of runway for Hernandes who carried the bundle into the building. Each protestor laid a hand on the stack of letters as Hernandes walked toward the glass doors.

Hernandes, Sawyer, and other religious leaders were immediately stopped inside the building by Bill Woodson, the property manager. He told the group that the Department of Homeland Security had asked him to tell the them they would not be allowed into their offices.

Sawyer asked Woodson if he could deliver the letters. He said no, adding: "We are not a mailing facility." Woodson said it could be a security risk.

Sawyer had already mailed the letters to the building, but thought it was important to deliver the messages in person. Before leaving the 1550 Main St., Sawyer and others joined in prayer as several security guards looked on.

They left with the letters in hand, which were gifted to Dora who smiled as she accepted the package.

She said she felt happy.

"When you ask for support you can do anything," she said.

Perez's case is ongoing. Another walk is planned for May, Sawyer said.

Perez has no criminal record and had flown under the radar of immigration authorities until he was briefly detained by police in West Hartford in 2009. He and his wife had left their children in the car while they were inside a coffee shop. Child abandonment charges were dropped, but police notified ICE of the arrest.

He was issued a series of stays, allowing him to continue to live in the United States if he regularly checked in with authorities. That changed this summer -- when his stay was denied and he was ordered to appear before the Department of Homeland Security with a plane ticket to Guatemala in hand in September.

Amherst's First Congregational Church has taken him in and will allow him to live in the church until his immigration appeal is resolved, the Rev. Vicki Kemper explained at the protest Wednesday.
SPRINGFIELD -- Van Dorsey Jr., accused of the May 12, 2015, fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, will get a new lawyer and have his trial delayed because of that.

Dorsey, who has denied a murder charge in the death of Monique Van Zandt, was slated to plead guilty in the case last week.

Instead he asked Hampden Superior Court Judge David Ricciardone to dismiss defense attorney Andrew Klyman and to appoint him a new lawyer. Ricciardone agreed to do that. A court date of April 18 was set to clarify who Dorsey's new lawyer will be.

Van Zandt, 25, of 329 Franklin St., Springfield, died after being stabbed multiple times at her apartment in what police called a domestic dispute.

Dorsey, 28, whose address when he was arrested was 27 Franklin St., has also denied charges of resisting arrest, possession of a Class B substance (subsequent offense) and distribution of marijuana (subsequent offense).

Van Zandt wanted a career in health care and had enrolled in the Branford Hall Career Institute. Fellow students attended one of Dorsey's initial court appearances in 2015.

A court psychologist testified that year that Dorsey was a regular user of the hallucinogenic drug PCP and was using it the night of the killing.
SPRINGFIELD -- The plans for a new consolidated school in the North End moved a significant step forward this week with approval from the Massachusetts School Building Authority to proceed with schematic design, which will be aided by state funds.

The MSBA also approved major repairs at various schools across the state including a $1.7 million project to replace windows and doors at the South End Middle School in Springfield.

A third local project -- building a new consolidated school in the Mason Square area -- was authorized by the MSBA to proceed with a feasibility study, a step that occurs in advance of design.

The state reimburses up to 80 percent of eligible costs for each approved stage, officials said.

"We're excited about all three projects," Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick said Wednesday. "They are all great projects for the city of Springfield."

Regarding the North End project, the MSBA gave the green light for design of an estimated $70.2 million school. The new school is proposed on Plainfield Street on a 10.2-acre open field adjacent to the Chestnut Accelerated Middle School.

As proposed, the new school would replace the Brightwood and Liberty elementary schools, by consolidating them at a single complex. The schools would have separate entrances and identities but would share a gymnasium, cafeteria and library, officials said.

Brightwood School on Plainfield Street was built in 1898, and the Lincoln School on Chestnut Street was built in 1910. Both are antiquated and lack proper cafeterias and gymnasiums, officials said.

State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, chairwoman of the MSBA, praised the North End project.

"Thanks to our collaborative work with local officials, we are working to build a 21st century educational facility that will provide Springfield students with a top-notch learning environment," Goldberg said.

Peter Garvey, the city's director of capital asset construction, praised the project and location and said the city and School Department will continue to confer with the neighborhood.

The new building would serve children from an expanded pre-kindergarten program through Grade 5, officials said.

The new building is proposed to be 150,000 square feet. Each of the consolidated schools would have about 400 students.

Regarding the Mason Square project, the city and School Department are considering a proposal to consolidate the Homer Street School and William N. DeBerry School.

The study will evaluate three strategies: building new separate schools; renovation-additions to the existing schools; or building a new consolidated school in a single, multi-wing complex.

At a meeting Tuesday, the MSBA also authorized Easthampton to proceed with design of a new Maple Street Elementary School. The construction cost is estimated at $90.2 million.

The MSBA also approved accelerated repairs for 12 schools across the state, totaling $24.6 million in state assistance grants.

The projects include new windows and doors at two Holyoke schools -- Marcella R. Kelly Community School and Lt. Clayre Sullivan School -- and a partial window/door project at Wiliam G. Morgan Elementary School in Holyoke.

The MSBA also provided funding for new boilers at four Boston schools: Charles Sumner, East Boston High School, Hugh R. O'Donnell school and Maurice J. Tobin School; and a roof at William E. Russell School in Boston.

State assistance was also provided for:
NORTHAMPTON -- Irida Kakhtiranova, a Russian immigrant facing deportation, says no matter what her legal status is, she considers herself an American.

"I came to this country 15 years ago and I've worked very hard to provide for my family ever since," said Kakhtiranova, who went into sanctuary Friday night at the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence church. "I feel very much a part of the community where I live and very much an American despite my resident status."

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence officials discussed their decision to provide sanctuary for Kakhtiranova, who talked about her situation.

Laurie Loisel, president of the congregation, said the decision to become a sanctuary was reached through a process of community dialogue within the church and with other local organizations.

"We feel honored to be part of an effort that, in words that are a rallying cry of social justice at our UU Association of congregations, is siding with love," Loisel said.

Kakhtiranova, who is from Russia's Ural Mountains region, entered the U.S. in 2003 and has lived in Western Massachusetts with her three U.S.-born children and husband, an American citizen, for nine years.

The threat of deportation caused Kakhtiranova to seek refuge in the local church. The congregation, with assistance from the Pioneer Valley Worker Center, will provide her with a safe space to call home as she fights her immigration court battle.

"I would like to thank the Unitarian Society for taking me in and giving me the opportunity to work on a strategy to fight my case from a place of safety," Kakhtirnova said in a prepared statement. "This congregation is comprised of some of the most genuinely kind people I've ever met. My first night here I slept better than I have in a long while, feeling that I was finally safe from daily fear of deportation."

Kakhtiranova said that since she came to America she has worked constantly -- often in the food service industry -- to provide for her family and build a new life for herself.

Returning to Russia is not a viable option for her and her family, Kakhtiranova said. "I've built a life here with the help of my husband and his family in a country I've come to love and feel is my only true home. I cannot picture it otherwise," she said.

Kakhtiranova made it clear that taking sanctuary has been a harrowing experience. "It's just been a rough week, and when I did get in here, the first two days I pretty much just slept and rested, and I finally stopped looking at the door and the window in fear," she said.

The threat of deportation has put a considerable strain on her family, she said.

"My son is old enough to understand," Kakhtiranova said, tearing up. "He has been my rock, the same as my husband. They have been supporting me in everything I did. And they think that this is the best decision that I could have made. They've been nothing but supportive."

The church's minister, Janet Bush, described how the church's decision to take in Kakhtiranova was one aligned with its most basic principles.

"In the 20th century, Unitarian Universalists were at the forefront in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s, in protesting the Vietnam War, and in championing LGBT civil rights and marriage equality," Bush said. "Ours is a faith tradition that requires us to side with justice, equality and compassion in human relations."

Mayor David Narkewicz, who could not attend the event, released a statement.

"I respect and support the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence (USNF) decision to take an undocumented immigrant into sanctuary and pledge that my administration will not interfere with the congregation's principled act of conscience," the mayor's statement read.

Narkewicz called Kakhtiranova a "hardworking and loving mother" and said it was a "truly sad day for America" to see her "forced to hide in a church basement."

Narkewicz also derided President Donald Trump in his comments, calling on him to "end his hateful and divisive immigration policies that run counter to our proud history as a nation founded and built by immigrants."
As Worcester continues to move on an upward trajectory, one local nonprofit wants to make sure that city's development isn't focused only on those who can afford to grow with it.

With new construction cropping up downtown and the restaurant scene improving by leaps and bounds, Worcester is in the midst of a renaissance - a period of growth and transformation that New England's second largest city hasn't seen in nearly half a century.

At Action! Worcester, Executive Director Joshua Croke is working to promote inclusive development. The Worcester Polytechnic Institute grad helped found the nonprofit three years ago with the goal of empowering all stakeholders in the community.

He said the organization tries to translate residents' every day experiences into initiatives that can be discussed on a top-down scale.

"We're really middle-out organization," he said. "We want to be able to translate the human experience of people that are living throughout the city and be able to sit down at a table with city councilors and state and federal leaders and say, 'This is what we're hearing from people throughout the community.'"

That work culminates during Action! Worcester's annual think tank event - ThinkWoo - scheduled for Thursday evening.

Croke said that based on Worcester's proximity to Boston and the fact that Boston can't expand further east, Worcester is going to continue to see companies move to the city. Right now, he said the city is in the perfect position to manage the speed of its growth and the effects that growth is having on residents.

"We're in no means saying that these companies shouldn't be able to flourish, but one of the things we want to be able to push on is how do we really help empower the communities that live here already to grow," Croke said. "I think we're still at a very, very crucial moment right before the wave fully crashes on the growth being too fast for us to manage."

Action! Worcester strives to keep itself rooted in the community through an annual think tank series. The event - ThinkWoo - brings together a diverse group of residents to discuss the challenges Worcester is facing and potential solutions.

This year's Fourth Annual ThinkWoo will be held Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Worcester CleanTech Incubator on the fourth floor of 44 Portland St.

Croke said that many people who attend the event live in the city, but aren't the type of residents that attend standard networking events or City Council meetings.

"The City Council platform is challenging for some because you get your two minutes to voice your concerns, and it's not really a dialogue," Croke said. "Our think tank event allows people to come with those concerns, discuss those experiences, hear if people have had similar or different experiences to them and actually talk about ways they can make a difference and ways that changes can be made."

He said ThinkWoo also creates a level of ownership and a sense of responsibility among attendees by asking them to come up with solutions to the problems they've identified.

"If you create a platform where people are only allowed to complain, that's all they're going to do," he said. (ThinkWoo) is as much providing a platform to be listened to as well as putting the onus back on them to say, 'What are you going to do about this?'"

Attendees will break into topic-specific focus groups during the think tank to discuss key influencers in community growth and economic development including city branding, public health, education, transportation, neighborhood stability and more.

Action! Worcester then uses information collected during the event to prioritize challenges in the city, create programs and initiatives that address those challenges and get residents involved in the implementation of those ideas.

"The model that we've developed is getting people involved and showing them that their voices do matter," Croke said.
Cambridge Analytica, the data firm at the center of a high-profile privacy scandal, hit back against allegations that it broke any laws or misused information Tuesday, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the U.S. Senate.

The company, in a series of tweets, continued to deny claims that it used improperly obtained Facebook user data in its 2016 political work.

Stressing that it's "primarily a data science consultancy and marketing agency focused on commercial clients," Cambridge Analytica noted that its politics division works with campaigns "on the center-left and center-right."

Cambridge Analytica is primarily a data science consultancy and marketing agency focused on commercial clients. Our politics division works globally with campaigns on the center-left and center-right.  Cambridge Analytica (@CamAnalytica) April 10, 2018

The data firm, which was reportedly tied to President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, further stressed that it "did not hack Facebook or break any laws."

"SCL Elections licensed data from a research company called GSR which obtained the data via a tool provided by Facebook, a common practice at the time," it tweeted, adding that it licensed the records of 30 million US citizens.

We did not hack Facebook or break any laws  SCL Elections licensed data from a research company called GSR which obtained the data via a tool provided by Facebook, a common practice at the time.  Cambridge Analytica (@CamAnalytica) April 10, 2018

Cambridge Analytica added that "once Facebook told us that their terms of services had been broken, we deleted all the GSR data and its derivatives, and certified this to Facebook" -- noting that an independent audit is taking place to confirm that the information was deleted.

SCL Elections licensed 30M records on US citizens from GSR. Once Facebook told us that their terms of services had been broken, we deleted all the GSR data and its derivatives, and certified this to Facebook. An independent audit is being conducted to verify this  Cambridge Analytica (@CamAnalytica) April 10, 2018

The company further stressed that it "used neither the GSR data nor any of its derivatives on the Trump campaign."

"We used data from the RNC, public sources such as the voter registry, commercial data brokers and polling we collected under a clear statement of consent," it tweeted.

We used neither the GSR data nor any of its derivatives on the Trump campaign. We used data from the RNC, public sources such as the voter registry, commercial data brokers and polling we collected under a clear statement of consent https://t.co/hoaElZqeTx  Cambridge Analytica (@CamAnalytica) April 10, 2018

Zuckerberg told members of the Senate's Judiciary and Commerce, Science and Transportation Committees Tuesday that Facebook learned in 2015 that an app developer improperly shared data with Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook, in response to the finding, took action to remove the app and demand that the information be deleted -- which Zuckerberg said he believed had been done.

"Last month, we learned from The Guardian, The New York Times and Channel 4 that Cambridge Analytica may not have deleted the data as they had certified," he said. "We immediately banned them from using any of our services. Cambridge Analytica claims they have already deleted the data and has agreed to a forensic audit by a firm we hired to investigate this. We're also working with the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office, which has jurisdiction over Cambridge Analytica, as it completes its investigation into what happened."

Zuckerberg, when pressed by lawmakers on Facebook's initial response, said "in retrospect, it was a mistake to believe" that such information was deleted without additional follow up.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Svay Rieng provincial Governor Men Vibol spoke of his great appreciation for the projects contributions to improving the cultural and spiritual life of local residents, and disseminating policies and laws among the people.

Vietnamese ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh described the project as a clear symbol of the effective cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

He also appreciated the efforts made by the project team in completing its construction, which will facilitate peoples access to information while aiding the provinces socio-economic development.

The broadcast station, constructed by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), is equipped with modern facilities which will allow increased broadcast coverage and transmission quality, while also improving Cambodias capacity to produce radio and TV programmes.

A total of 19 Vietnam-funded radio stations and 2 broadcasting stations have been established in cities and provinces throughout Cambodia since 2008. Three more broadcasting stations are scheduled to be put into operation in 2018.
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election and leave Washington at the end of 2018.

The speaker confirmed reports of his expected departure during a morning news conference, telling reporters that he decided to retire from Congress after having accomplished many of his legislative priorities.

Ryan added that his desire to spend more time with his family, particularly his children, influenced his decision to leave Capitol Hill at the end of the year.

"That is why today, I'm announcing that this year will be my last one as a member of the House," he said. "To be clear, I am not resigning, I intend to serve my full term as I was elected to do. But, I will be retiring in January, leaving this majority in good hands with, what I believe, is a very bright future."

Reflecting on his nearly two decades in Congress, Ryan said he's "incredibly proud" of what he's accomplished on Capitol Hill, including passing tax overhaul legislation and working to rebuild the U.S. military.

The Wisconsin Republican told reporters that while he was reluctant to take the job as speaker in 2015, he has no regrets about accepting the high-profile position and is "honored" to have led the House chamber.

"When I took this job, one of my conditions was that we aim high, that we do big things. That we fashion an agenda, that we run on that agenda, that we win an election and then we execute that agenda," he said. "I am so proud that is exactly what we have done and what we are doing right now. We've accomplished so much since then."

Ryan said while he sees the speakership as one of the greatest honors of his life, he believes it's now time to set new priorities and focus on his other greatest honor: being a husband and father.

"I have accomplished much of what I came here to do and my kids aren't getting any younger," he said. "If I stay, they're only going to know me we a weekend dad and that's something, I, in good conscience, can't do."

President Donald Trump praised Ryan's work in Congress, calling him a "truly good man" who will leave a "legacy of achievement."

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel called the outgoing speaker "a champion for his constituents and a respected leader among his peers."

"He has left an indelible mark on Congress as an institution, most notably helping to secure the largest tax cut for the American people in a generation," she said in a statement. "We are grateful for his service to our country and his leadership in our party."

Ryan took over as U.S. House speaker after former Ohio Rep. John Boehner left Congress amid mounting pressure from right-wing GOP members in October 2015.

Speculation over Ryan's future on Capitol Hill has been swirling since Politico reported in December that the speaker saw his "wild Washington journey coming to an end."

Friends of the 48-year-old speaker told Axios that Ryan was ready to leave his role on Capitol Hill -- which became "endlessly frustrating," partially due to Trump -- after passing his high-priority tax overhaul legislation.

Ryan, who was the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, could make a White House run in the future, those close to the speaker told the news outlet.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Under fire for the worst privacy debacle in his company's history, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg batted away often-aggressive questioning Tuesday from lawmakers who accused him of failing to protect the personal information of millions of Americans from Russians intent on upsetting the U.S. election.

During some five hours of Senate questioning, Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures, disclosed that his company was "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference and said it was working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private data by a data-mining company affiliated with Donald Trump's campaign.

Seemingly unimpressed, Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said Zuckerberg's company had a 14-year history of apologizing for "ill-advised decisions" related to user privacy. "How is today's apology different?" Thune asked.

"We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company," Zuckerberg conceded, and Facebook must work harder at ensuring the tools it creates are used in "good and healthy" ways.

The controversy has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the company's stock value plunging, but Zuckerberg seemed to achieve a measure of success in countering that: Facebook shares surged 4.5 percent for the day, the biggest gain in two years.

In all, he skated largely unharmed through his first day of congressional testimony. He'll face House questioners Wednesday.

The 33-year-old founder of the world's best-known social media giant appeared in a suit and tie, a departure from the T-shirt he's famous for wearing in public as well as in private. Even so, his youth cast a sharp contrast with his often-elderly, gray-haired Senate inquisitors. And the enormous complexity of the social network he created at times defeated the attempts of legislators to hammer him on Facebook's specific failures and how to fix them.

The stakes are high for both Zuckerberg and his company. Facebook has been reeling from its worst-ever privacy failure following revelations last month that the political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica, which was affiliated with Trump's 2016 campaign, improperly scooped up data on some 87 million users. Zuckerberg has been on an apology tour for most of the past two weeks, culminating in his congressional appearance Tuesday.

Although shaky at times, Zuckerberg seemed to gain confidence as the day progressed. An iconic figure as a billionaire entrepreneur who changed the way people around the world relate to each other, he made a point of repeatedly referring back to the Harvard dorm room where he said Facebook was brought to life.

At times, he showed plenty of steel. After a round of aggressive questioning about Facebook's alleged political bias from Sen. Ted Cruz, for instance, Zuckerberg grinned and almost chuckled. "That was pretty good," he said of the exchange with Cruz.

For the most part, his careful but generally straightforward answers, steeped in the sometimes arcane details of Facebook's underlying functions, often deflected aggressive questioning. When the going got tough, Zuckerberg was able to fall back on: "Our team should follow up with you on that, Senator."

As a result, he found it relatively easy to return to familiar talking points: Facebook made mistakes, he and his executives are very sorry, and they're working very hard to correct the problems and safeguard the users' data.

As for the federal Russia probe that has occupied much of Washington's attention for months, he said he had not been interviewed by special counsel Mueller's team, but "I know we're working with them." He offered no details, citing a concern about confidentiality rules of the investigation.

Earlier this year Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a social media propaganda effort that included online ad purchases using U.S. aliases and politicking on U.S. soil. A number of the Russian ads were on Facebook.

Much of the effort was aimed at denigrating Democrat Hillary Clinton and thereby helping Republican Trump, or simply encouraging divisiveness and undercutting faith in the U.S. system.

Zuckerberg said Facebook had been led to believe Cambridge Analytica had deleted the user data it had harvested and that had been "clearly a mistake." He said Facebook had considered the data collection "a closed case" and had not alerted the Federal Trade Commission. He assured senators the company would handle the situation differently today.

Separately, the company began alerting some of its users that their data was gathered by Cambridge Analytica. A notification that appeared on Facebook for some users Tuesday told them that "one of your friends" used Facebook to log into a now-banned personality quiz app called "This Is Your Digital Life." The notice says the app misused the information, including public profiles, page likes, birthdays and current cities, by sharing it with Cambridge Analytica.

In the hearings, Zuckerberg is trying to both restore public trust in his company and stave off federal regulations that some lawmakers have floated.

Democrat Bill Nelson of Florida said he believes Zuckerberg was taking the congressional hearings seriously "because he knows there is going to be a hard look at regulation."

Republicans have yet to get behind any legislation, but that could change.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Zuckerberg if he would be willing to work with lawmakers to examine what "regulations you think are necessary in your industry."

Absolutely, Zuckerberg responded, saying later in an exchange with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, that "I'm not the type of person who thinks that all regulation is bad."

Ahead of the hearing, John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said, "This is a serious matter, and I think people expect us to take action."

At the hearing, Zuckerberg said: "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He outlined steps the company has taken to restrict outsiders' access to people's personal information. He also said the company is investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014 -- actions that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.

--By Mary Clare Jalonick, Barbara Ortutay and David Hamilton, Associated Press. Associated Press writers Richard Lardner and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Although members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation lauded U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan's commitment to the GOP and tenure on Capitol Hill Wednesday, they also pointed to his announced retirement as a sign of momentum for their own party.

Massachusetts lawmakers offered mixed reaction to the news that the Wisconsin Republican leader will not seek re-election and leave Washington at the end of 2018 to spend more time with his family.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, wished Ryan and his family the best, noting that while they have not always agreed on policy, he believes the 48-year-old speaker "has been a forceful advocate for his ideas and for the Republican Party throughout his twenty years serving in the House of Representatives."

"His rise to one of the most powerful positions in government has made the people of Wisconsin proud. I wish him and his family the best as they begin this new chapter," the congressman said in a statement.

McGovern, the ranking member of the House Rules Committee, added that he hopes Ryan's upcoming retirement will allow the chamber to return to a more open legislative process where members from both parties can better debate issues and more easily offer amendments on the floor.

"Now that he is no longer encumbered by another campaign, Speaker Ryan has a unique opportunity to break away from partisanship and strengthen this institution," he said. "That means opening up the legislative process, holding regular hearings and mark-ups, and having real debates on the House Floor. ... Let's open up the process and give the American people the debates they deserve on the urgent issues facing our nation."

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat who long worked beside Ryan as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said he was not surprised to see speaker exit Congress.

"The rumor mill has, for months, said he would not seek re-election, and generally you don't pay much attention to rumors, but in this particular instance it seemed to be accurate," he said in an interview.

Neal pointed to the pushback Ryan faced from the right-wing Freedom Caucus -- a group of lawmakers which played a role in former House Speaker John Boehner leaving Congress.

"He's now the second Republican speaker in three years to voluntarily depart the institution," the congressman said.

Congressman Seth Moulton, D-Salem, meanwhile, pointed to Ryan's departure as a sign of growing momentum for Democrats heading into the 2018 mid-term elections.

"The blue wave is real, and it just swept away Paul Ryan," he tweeted.

The blue wave is real, and it just swept away Paul Ryan. #November6  Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) April 11, 2018

Moulton further used Ryan's departure to call on supporters to help "fight back" against Republicans by donating to Democrats running in 2018.

"Paul Ryan is retiring from Congress -- and it's our perfect chance to take back the House in November," he said in a campaign fundraising email. "Ryan will have more time than ever to fundraise for Republicans all over the country, so we need to fight back."

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, slammed Ryan for advancing policies that she argued "have hurt working families and seniors, demonized immigrants and protected corporate interests."

"A void of leadership within the GOP is nothing new," she said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston, said he respects Ryan's decision to not run for re-election, as he does for the 27 other congressional Republicans who have recently made similar announcements.

Lynch, who attributed the recent string of announced GOP departures to "deep-seated discomfort - perhaps shame - in the Republicans' complicity in President (Donald)Trump's personal conduct and the policies of his administration," however, urged his colleagues across the aisle to fight back -- not leave Capitol Hill.

"I think the better course of action for them would be to take a stand and fight against what is so clearly wrong with this administration and to defend the highest ideals of our nation," he said in a statement.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez contended that nearly 50 Republicans have resigned or announced retirement plans, while Democrats have flipped several other seats, since Trump took office.

"As Paul Ryan heads for the exit, Democrats are fighting to make sure that his Republican colleagues join him in retirement come November," he said in a statement.

This will be updated as reactions from other Massachusetts lawmakers come in.
The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday released a $40.983 billion Massachusetts state budget proposal for fiscal 2019, an increase in spending of 3.1 percent over the current year.

The House proposal is $78 million higher than the budget proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker in January.

"The budget puts great emphasis on supporting the most vulnerable residents that we have in our commonwealth, making key investments but making sure we stay within the fiscal realities that we find ourselves in here in the commonwealth and the nation," said House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop.

House Ways and Means Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Boston, said, "This budget is all about people, and meeting people where they're at in their own lives and figuring out with them how they can be successful in the commonwealth and participate in this booming state economy."

The House budget has a particular focus on education. Advocates for schools and students had complained that Baker's budget proposal was inadequate in funding K-12 education. Baker proposed increasing local education aid by 2.5 percent to a total of $4.865 billion.

The House budget adds another $21 million to the funding available for K-12 education. That figure increases to $54 million after accounting for increases in charter school reimbursements, special education money, funding for homeless students and Puerto Rican evacuees and other education-related line items.

The House budget would also increase funding for early education, setting aside money to increase salaries, provide more poor children with subsidized care, and create of a new initiative to offer professional development to early education teachers. An additional $66 million would be spent to increase payment rates for providers of early education and care.

The House budget would put $32.6 million, a $3.3 million increase, toward adult basic education. This would create 1,000 additional slots to alleviate a waiting list for English language learners.

Sanchez said English classes he has visited include immigrants from all over the world, often working in the hospitality industry when they used to be scientists, psychologists or teachers. "We need figure out how to engage the brain trust to make sure people are moving forward at the best of their abilities," Sanchez said.

The House committee rejected Baker's plan to move 140,000 adults off Medicaid and into similar Health Connector plans.

With a cost of $16.21 billion to cover 1.91 million people, according to the House budget, MassHealth is the biggest single expenditure in the state budget.

Baker proposed moving 140,000 non-disabled adults off MassHealth to make the state eligible for an additional $120 million in federal reimbursements. But advocates worried this could hurt poor people by making coverage more expensive.

"The governor's proposal didn't guarantee protection of benefits and affordability, and we had concerns with ensuring continuity of care," Sanchez said.

In other areas:

The budget allocates $3.5 million for five new recovery centers for people struggling with substance use disorder. The locations and exact services provided will be determined by the Office of Health and Human Services.

There would be increases in several line items for programs that address housing and homelessness, such as by providing rental vouchers, financial assistance and shelter placement to families, individuals and youth.

The Legislature recently passed a major criminal justice reform bill, which is awaiting Baker's signature.

The House budget would providing funding for new programs to move forward with the reforms -- including putting $2.5 million toward expanding specialty courts, adding $8 million for diversion programs for people with drug addiction or mental health problems, and providing $4 million for programs like job training or counseling to help prisoners reenter society.

"We invest in the entire criminal justice system, front to back," Sanchez said.

The bill would also increase the salaries for assistant district attorneys and public defenders, whose low salaries have led to high rates of turnover. Under the proposal, starting salaries for assistant district attorneys would be at least $46,000 a year.

The House would allocate $2.2 million to protect and prepare for the effects of climate change.

The University of Massachusetts would get a 1 percent budget increase.

Like Baker's budget, the House would increase the earned income tax credit, which benefits low and middle income working families, from 23 percent to 30 percent of the federal tax credit. That means families could be eligible for credits of around $2,000 a year, up from around $1,500 today.

Like Baker's budget, the proposal counts on $63 million in marijuana revenues for fiscal 2019. It counts on approximately $60 million in new revenue from casino gambling, as MGM Springfield prepares to open.

The budget does not count on any money from taxing short-term rentals, like rooms rented through Airbnb. Although lawmakers are considering bills to tax short-term rentals, the final version is still being worked out by the House and Senate.

The budget contains no new broad-based taxes.

The budget now goes to the full House for amendments and a vote. It will then go to the Senate. The budget must be signed by Baker before the July 1, 2018 start of the next fiscal year.

One potential wrench that could get thrown into the budget is the November ballot. A proposed constitutional amendment would raise the tax rate on income over $1 million, which advocates say could bring in an additional $2 billion in tax revenue. A proposed ballot question would lower the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 5 percent, which businesses say could lower state tax revenue by $1 billion.

The income tax hike is currently before the Supreme Judicial Court. Lawmakers are talking to advocates for the sales tax and other ballot questions to see if they can reach a compromise to keep those off the ballot.

The budget is based on the current tax structure, and would need to be adjusted if the state either gets or loses new revenue through the ballot questions.
The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday regulating student loan servicers, which, if it becomes law, will likely set up a clash between Massachusetts and the federal government.

"If the Trump administration tries to stop us, so be it. Let them try to stop us," said Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, who sponsored the bill. "I'm confident the courts will side with us."

The bill, S.2380, would set up a licensing scheme for student loan servicers. Currently, the organizations that collect and administer student loans for the federal government are not regulated by the states.

The bill would create an ombudsman to handle student loan complaints, paid for by a licensing fee levied on student loan servicers. It would let state officials investigate and take action against student loan servicers who violate the terms of their license or consumer protection laws.

"As public officials, it is our duty to ensure fair and appropriate lending - especially in the student loan industry," said Senate President Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, in a statement. "This legislation ensures that Massachusetts residents receive robust consumer protections and that the student loan industry is given the proper level of oversight."

Advocates for the bill say it is necessary because student loan servicers have done things like making menacing phone calls to borrowers late at night and processing payments in ways that ensures students owe more money. They say servicers avoid telling borrowers about repayment plans that might help them.

"It's been the wild west with loan servicers over last several years, and the state had very limited ability and limited teeth to be able to step in and protect borrowers," Lesser said.

Attorney General Maura Healey, who has sued and reached settlements with student loan servicers, supports the bill.

Representatives of the student loan industry have said they believe that only the federal government, not the states, should be allowed to regulate the industry.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in March sided with the industry and wrote an interpretation of federal law declaring that states cannot regulate student loan servicers.

Several states, led by Connecticut in 2015, already have laws regulating student loan servicers. A related lawsuit in Connecticut is pending, and other legal challenges could result from the clash between federal and state interpretations of state authority.

Lesser's bill is still far from becoming law. It must still pass the House, which is expected to take time to review and tweak the legislation.

Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-Leominster, who sponsored the bill in the House, said she is hopeful that lawmakers will pass it. "Massachusetts borrowers can't wait for this," Higgins said.

If it does become law, Higgins acknowledged that it will "probably" end up in court. But she believes Massachusetts is right to try to regulate the industry.

"We have the right in Massachusetts to protect our consumers," Higgins said. "Student loan borrowers need to be protected."

PHENOM, the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, an advocacy group for higher education that Higgins used to lead, has voiced support for the bill. So have several teachers' unions, consumer groups and student groups.

"If we, as a Commonwealth, are asking our students and families to go into debt in order to get an education, we must be willing to protect them from predatory practices," PHENOM and other organizations wrote in a letter to senators. "With higher education facing serious threats from President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, it is up to Massachusetts to stand up for basic consumer protections for student borrowers."
BOSTON -- The Massachusetts House released its state budget proposal Wednesday at a time when budget writers face significant uncertainty.

The biggest wild card is voters in November, when the ballot may contain two proposals that could vastly affect state revenues.

"Certainly, if there's a reduction in the amount of tax revenue that the commonwealth receives, that would be destabilizing to the entire budget," said Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

A proposed constitutional amendment would raise the tax rate on income over $1 million, which advocates say could bring in an additional $2 billion in tax revenue. The amendment has strong popular support, based on polling, but whether it gets to the ballot will be decided by the Supreme Judicial Court.

Another proposed ballot question would lower the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 5 percent, which is expected to lower state tax revenue by approximately $600 million the first year and $1.2 billion after that. Discussions are ongoing in the Legislature regarding whether a compromise can be reached on the sales tax and other ballot questions to keep them off the ballot.

The total state budget is around $40 billion.

Beckwith said communities worry that if the state loses money from the sales tax reduction, cuts could hurt cities and towns.

"We're really hopeful that this fall the revenues that Massachusetts receives will be solidified, will stay strong and not be eroded, because that would create midyear budget challenges for the communities and the state," Beckwith said.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Boston, whose committee released its budget proposal Wednesday, said budget writers do not have a contingency plan if the state loses the sales tax money. But he said it would not be the first time lawmakers had to adjust the budget midyear due to changing revenue.

"If there's ever a change in revenue, we can come back, and we have come back to it. ... If we have to have those difficult discussions, we will have them," he said.

In crafting the budget, Sanchez said, "I'm going based off of what we have right now."

House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, said crafting a budget given the uncertainty is challenging.

"Devising a spending plan of this scope and magnitude is never an easy task, but this year's budget process will be particularly challenging, given the uncertainties over revenues and the unresolved status of several pending ballot questions which could significantly impact state revenues midway through the next fiscal year," Jones said in a statement.

Noah Berger, president of the liberal-leaning Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, said if the ballot question reducing the sales tax were to pass without the increase in the income tax, "It would dramatically change both the ability of any progress in this budget to become real and would probably roll back significantly funding in important areas."

"It's hard to sustain a $600 million hit in the first year and $1.2 billion in future years without having a direct effect on education, on health care and on local aid," Berger said.

The business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation has said lawmakers should establish a contingency plan in case the income tax question is not passed and the sales tax question passes. The foundation said one important step would be to commit a large amount of money to the state's rainy day fund and put any surplus money from this year into the rainy day fund. That way the fund could be used to patch any major budget shortfalls.

The rainy day fund currently contains a little under $1.4 billion. The House would add $88 million, compared with $96 million in Gov. Charlie Baker's budget proposal.

Baker's budget proposal, like the House's, also does not include a contingency plan related to the ballot questions.
Leaders in the Massachusetts House are proposing a new audit unit within the state police and a new commission to review state police hiring and promotion practices.

"These will monitor the agency, help develop best practices and prevent issues from occurring in the future," said House Ways and Means Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Boston.

The proposal, included in the House Ways and Means budget released Wednesday, comes on the heels of multiple scandals involving the state police.

The state police were sued and investigated for changing the arrest report of a judge's daughter, a scandal that led to the resignation of the head of the state police. The police recently announced that they are investigating 21 troopers who reported working overtime shifts that they never actually worked. Another trooper was suspended for inappropriate social media posts.

The police have also faced criticism for a lack of racial and ethnic diversity.

The House proposal would create a special audit unit internal to the state police but directed by the inspector general's office, to ensure it operates independently. A full-time inspector would be hired to monitor the integrity of state police operations and prevent the abuse of public money, Sanchez said.

Additionally, under the House proposal, a special legislative commission would be set up to review the hiring and promotion policies and practices of the state police.

Sanchez said the commission will examine things like the relevance of testing requirements and preferential treatment on competitive exams to make sure the police "reflect the people they serve." Women, minorities, veterans, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the state police would all be involved with the commission. It would be led by the House and Senate co-chairs of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Service. Today, that is Sen. Paul Feeney, D-Foxboro, and Rep. Jerald Parisella, D-Beverly.

"The commission will take a public service approach to reforming the Massachusetts State Police," Sanchez said.

In addition, the House budget would pay the Collins Center for Public Management at UMass Boston to review and make recommendations on the overall management structure of the state police by Dec. 31, 2018.
President Donald Trump praised U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan Wednesday following reports that the Wisconsin Republican will leave Congress at the end of the year.

Trump called Ryan "a truly good man" in a tweet posted just before the speaker was scheduled to address reporters.

The president added that while the House GOP leader "will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question."

"We are with you Paul!" he wrote.

Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Various news outlets reported Wednesday that Ryan plans to retire from Congress at the end of 2018.

Speculation over Ryan's future on Capitol Hill has been swirling since Politico reported in December that the speaker saw his "wild Washington journey coming to an end."

Friends of the 48-year-old speaker told Axios that Ryan was ready to leave his role on Capitol Hill -- which became "endlessly frustrating," partially due to Trump -- after passing his high-priority tax overhaul legislation.

Ryan, who was the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, could make a White House run in the future, those close to the speaker told the news outlet.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is expected to announce that he will not seek re-election and retire from Congress at the end of 2018, various news outlets reported Wednesday.

Ryan will reportedly tell House GOP colleagues Wednesday morning about his plan to leave Congress at the end of the year, sources with knowledge of the speaker's plans told Politico. The House Republican leader does not plan on leaving Congress early.

Speculation over Ryan's future on Capitol Hill has been swirling since Politico reported in December that the speaker saw his "wild Washington journey coming to an end."

Friends of the 48-year-old speaker told Axios that Ryan was ready to leave his role on Capitol Hill -- which became "endlessly frustrating," partially due to President Donald Trump -- after passing his high-priority tax overhaul legislation.

Ryan, who was the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, could make a White House run in the future, those close to the speaker told the news outlet.

The Wisconsin Republican took over as U.S. House speaker after former Ohio Rep. John Boehner left Congress amid mounting pressure from right-wing GOP members in October 2015.

Ryan, who reluctantly sought the speakership in wake of Boehner's departure, was initially elected to the position after receiving 236 votes on the chamber floor.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
Special counsel Robert Mueller's team is examining a series of previously unreported meetings that took place in 2017 in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, as part of its broader investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to two sources briefed on the investigation.

The sources said several of those meetings took place around the same time as another meeting in the Seychelles between Erik Prince, founder of the security company Blackwater, Kirill Dmitriev, the director of one of Russia's sovereign wealth funds, and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the effective ruler of the United Arab Emirates (also known as "MBZ"). Details of that earlier meeting were first reported by the Washington Post last year.

The sources requested to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

The inquiry into the meetings in the Seychelles suggests there is growing interest on the Mueller team in whether foreign financing, specifically from Gulf states, has influenced President Trump and his administration.

The New York Times reported in March that Mueller's team questioned George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who helped broker the Seychelles meeting, about whether the Emiratis attempted to buy political influence in the White House.

Documents obtained by this reporter, and interviews with those familiar with the probe, suggest Mueller is also looking at other foreign influencers, including individuals from Russia and from Saudi Arabia.

The meetings in the Seychelles are a key component of Mueller's investigation, sources familiar with the investigation said. The meetings connect powerful players from Russia, the U.S., the UAE and Saudi Arabia across the political, financial and defense worlds. The details of what was discussed in the meetings in January and in the following months, however, are scarce.

Flight records and financial documents obtained by this reporter over twelve months, as well as interviews with parliamentary and aviation officials in the Seychelles, paint a scene out of a Hollywood thriller.

Wealthy and politically-connected individuals from across the globe -- from Russia, France, Saudi Arabia and South Africa -- land in the Seychelles for meetings that take place as a part of a larger gathering hosted by MBZ, according to an individual briefed on the matter, who also requested anonymity. Many of them fly in on private jets and several do not clear customs. Some check into the Four Seasons Hotel while others arrive and stay on their yachts.

Individuals connected to the Saudi financial system, including the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency and the Arab National Bank, flew into the island the second week of January 2017, as did an aircraft purportedly owned by the former deputy minister of defense, Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, fight records show. Other individuals on those aircraft held passports from Egypt and Singapore.

Dmitriev flew into the Seychelles Jan. 11, 2017 with his wife Natalia Popova and another woman with the last name Boldovskaia. Six other Russian individuals flew to the island just a few days after Dmitriev. The aircraft's ownership is unclear but it flew between Russia, Geneva and Cyprus in 2017.

Others on the island included Alexander Mashkevitch, an alleged financier of Bayrock, an investment vehicle linked to Trump, and Sheikh Abdulrahman Khalid BinMahfouz, according to flight records. BinMahfouz's father, before his death, was a billionaire and the former chairman of Saudi Arabia's first private bank.

Nader travelled to Seychelles Jan. 7, 2017 and again on March 24 on an aircraft with the tail number VP-CZA, flight records show. The aircraft is registered to Gryphon Asset Management, an aviation consulting company based out of Dubai.

Nader is a well-known advisor to the UAE with links to Dmitriev and members of the Saudi Royal family. He has attended meetings at the White House with Stephen Bannon and Jared Kushner in the past, according to the Times, and has also been linked to Trump fundraiser and deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee Elliot Broidy.

The Associated Press reported last month Nader sent Broidy $2.5 million through a Canadian company. Broidy then began giving donations to members of Congress who were actively supporting legislation critical of Qatar, the AP reported.

The previously reported meeting in the Seychelles between Prince, Dmitriev and MBZ was described as an attempt by the U.S. to set up a backchannel with Russia. The Post reported that Blackwater founder Erik Prince, an informal adviser to the Trump team, acted as a representative of the administration in the meeting with an unnamed Russian individual.

Later, this reporter broke the news in The Intercept that Prince had met with Dmitriev -- the head of the sovereign wealth fund with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prince admitted in a congressional testimony earlier this year that he had met Dmitriev on the island, but said it was a chance meeting.

Mueller's team has received evidence challenging Prince's testimony, according to an ABC News report.
Mohd Hashim bin Abdullah, chairman of Election Commission, at the press conference also announced the nomination date, which falls on April 28. After nomination day, candidates will have 11 days for their campaign.

The polling date was decided at a previous special meeting chaired by Hashim. He noted that the date was to avoid a clash with major cultural and religious events. Ramadan, a major festive period for the Muslim-majority country, begins on May 15.

Hashim said military and police forces as well as voters outside Malaysia could begin early voting on May 5.

According to data from the Election Commission, a total of 14.9 million voters are eligible for voting. Candidates will contest 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats, including all states except the eastern Borneo state of Sarawak, which conducted its state election in 2017.

A simple majority of 112 parliamentary seats will deliver a victory to Najib, who is leading the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition against the challenge of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

In the last general election held in 2013, BN managed to win 133 out of the 222 seats, though it obtained less than half of the popular votes.

Both BN and the opposition alliance led by Mahathir, called Pakatan Harapan, have released their campaign manifestos, in which generous benefits were promised to the voters.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is holding a Wednesday morning news conference amid reports that he will retire from Congress at the end of 2018.

It is unclear whether the Wisconsin Republican will discuss his future in politics at the 10 a.m. event, which his being billed as the House GOP leadership's weekly press briefing.

Watch the House speaker's remarks here:
Picture this: A developer owns a plot of land in a gentrifying neighborhood. Under current zoning codes, and with current market incentives, the best bang they could get for their buck is to build high-rise luxury apartments. But this neighborhood doesnt need luxury apartments. It needs a supermarket, and affordable housing for current, low-income residents. The existing zoning code isnt designed to consider those needs. It just states that this plot is zoned residential.

Now, a group of researchers are working on a vision for a new type of zoning and a different incentive system that might be able to respond more dynamically to communities needs  using machine-learning algorithms, big data, and blockchain, the same technology underlying Bitcoin.

By Jen Kinney

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/how-blockchain-technology-could-make-zoning-work-for-people
The Mauritius Institute of Directors is delighted to announce the appointment of three new Independent Non- Executive Directors. Our newest board members will bring critical knowledge, experience and perspectives that will enrich our organization and help us advance our mission in providing a professional forum for directors and improving corporate governance practices in Mauritius.

The new board members bring decades of leadership in key areas, such as corporate finance and strategic consultancy, financial services and management which are vital to our future operations and strategy while ensuring that we deliver maximum impact for our valuable members and stakeholders.

Joining the Board of the MIoD are Mohamed Baboo, Kevin Teeroovengadum and Kevin Ramkaloan. All three of our newest Board members embody the spirit of Institute and bring talent, expertise and energy to the table. With the addition of these highly respected new members of our Board, we are committed to continuing the rewarding work of promoting corporate governance across boards in Mauritius. We are delighted to welcome them and look forward to working with them, Christine Sauzier, Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

Mahomed Baboo is the owner and Director of Mabco Consulting Ltd, a professional firm of business development consultants providing Corporate and Business Consulting Services to companies in various sectors of the economy. He is a Fellow of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK), Member of The Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants and a Licensed Auditor with nearly 40 years of experience in Accounting, Finance and Management Consultancy. Adding value and development of human capital are his guiding principles in his professional life. Mamed is a Past District Governor of Rotary International who also served as Regional Coordinator for Africa and is now a Member of Leadership Development and Training Committee of Rotary International.

Kevin Teeroovengadum has a BSc in Economics, MBA and MSc in Finance from Leicester University, UK. He worked for KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst & Young in corporate finance and strategic consultancy before moving to Loita Capital Partners Group based in South Africa. He joined Actis in 2007, the leading Emerging Market Private Equity Firm, as a Director as part of their Africa real estate team where he led a number of transactions and exits. He was the co-founder and CEO of AttAfrica in 2013 which became the premier investor of shopping malls in Africa. He is a frequent writer and speaker at conferences globally and currently serves on numerous boards of companies in Mauritius and also advises a number of companies in Africa leveraging his 20 years of experience in Africa in financial services, real estate/hospitality sector. He is also the co-founder of ProptechAfrica.

Kevin Ramkaloan is the CEO of Business Mauritius, the apex organization of the business community on publicprivate sector dialogue and industrial relations. He was the former Director of the MTPA, the national tourism promotion agency of Mauritius and Director of New Business Development at the Board of Investment, the national investment promotion agency. Kevin has over 20 years of executive experience in Mauritius and internationally, spanning diverse sectors including public policy, business consulting, hospitality,financial services and the ocean economy among others. Awarded both the State Scholarship of Mauritius and a US Fulbright, he holds post-graduate degrees in economics and policy from Cambridge University, UK and University of Maine, US respectively.

Furthermore, Roshan Ramoly, Jozef Tournel and Sanjiv Bhasin have resigned from the board to focus on other professional commitments. They have been on the board of the MIoD for several years and have contributed significantly to the advancement of the Institute. The board would like to thank them for their valuable contribution,  Christine Sauzier, Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

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Trump had been scheduled to travel to Lima, Peru, on April 13 to attend the Summit of the Americas and then travel on to Bogota, Colombia.

Every Summit of the Americas, a gathering of heads of state organized by the Organization of American States (OAS), has been attended by a US president since the first gathering in 1994.

Trump has been mulling response to the alleged "chemical attack" that occurred in Syria on April 7, with the possibility of US military actions against Syria looming large.

US Vice President Mike Pence will travel to the region instead, according to a White House statement.

"At the presidents request, the vice president will travel in his stead. The president will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

This will be the second trip to the region for Vice President Mike Pence, who met with leaders in Colombia, Argentina and Panama in August.
HOUSTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Border Patrol agents on Monday announced the beginning of a section of barrier construction on the southern border with Mexico.

The existing fence on the border with Mexico in El Paso, Texas, will be replaced by a new barrier, said Agent Aaron A. Hull, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol's El Paso sector at the groundbreaking ceremony.

"This is the beginning, in this sector, of the president's border wall," he said, adding that the project will include 32 km-long wall up to 9.1 meters tall, extending west from Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

Hull said the new construction was mandated by U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration in January 2017, which will take about a year to complete and cost more than 73 million U.S. dollars from 2017 Department of Homeland Security funding.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration has told U.S. Congress that it wants 18 billion U.S. dollars over the next decade for the initial phase of a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Half of the around 3,300-km border between the two nations would have a border wall or other fences by 2027 if the work was completed.

Last month, Trump signed a 1.3 trillion spending bill unveiled by the Congress and passed by the House, but the bill only provides 1.6 billion dollars -- far short of what the Trump administration has sought -- for border security measures, including construction of a border wall with Mexico.
There is only one world where all countries live in. All the countries are closely intertwined with each other as the globe is increasingly becoming a community with shared future. In face of complicated world economy and global issues, no country can manage alone.

Against such backdrop, Chinese President Xi Jinpings proposal to build a community with shared future for mankind aims to seek happiness for people around the globe.

The Belt and Road Initiative, for instance, is a concrete action to realize win-win and shared development through enhanced cooperation. In line with the principle of wide consultation, joint construction and shared benefits, the initiative will benefit all the participating countries and even the world at large, and improve peoples well-being.

In this sense, the amazing Belt and Road Initiative is of epoch-making significance. Japan, as a neighbor of China, should join this great initiative and work together with China to bring benefits to people of all countries.

Xis proposals of building a community with shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative and the new type of international relations are closely related, forming an organic system. With the continuous development of China, I had been expecting clear views on international relations from Xi. To my pleasure, he did raise the theory on a new type of international relations.

The theory, featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice and win-win cooperation, shares the same core with the concept of building a community with shared future for mankind. Its ultimate goal is to achieve lasting peace and common prosperity. I couldnt agree more with him on this point.

Nowadays, Chinas rapid progress in many fields has narrowed its gap with the US, and as a result put pressure on the latter. It is exactly what Japan had experienced before.

Japan had a large trade surplus with the US in 1980s, but a fast appreciation of Japanese yen came after the US forced it to sign the Plaza Accord. The dramatic change brought huge negative impacts on Japans market, industries and economy. China should learn from this painful experience and stay vigilant and prudent.

The US is not the only country with which China has trade surplus. It indicates that China has done a good job in globalization and its enterprises have taken the essence of the trend.

Globalization aims to produce the best quality products at the lowest costs. Any countries that are capable of producing such products will naturally see trade surpluses, as such products are welcomed everywhere.

What the US should do is to reflect on its own manufacturing model since such trade deficits partially came from the popularity of such China-made products among American consumers.

Given the all-recognized importance of free trade, the world is amid the worries over the rising tide of trade protectionism.

China and the US have already become inseparable partners. Many industries in the US depend on the imports from China, and the US agriculture and some other industries rely heavily on the Chinese market.

The trade protectionism of the Trump administration, which aims to achieve quick results, may reduce the US trade deficit in a short term, but the problem cannot be solved radically if no change takes place on the countrys industrial structure.

Its believed that there will be more voices from the US that urge the Trump administration to stop the current trade protectionism policy, and the US government should make adjustment in time.

Chinas continuous growth has brought many opportunities to the world. However, the rise of China has triggered concerns of some countries over where the country would go with its enhanced strength.

Xis proposal to build a community with shared future for mankind and a new type of international relations, which came rightly at this critical moment, tells the world Chinas determination to insist on a road of peaceful development, never seek hegemony or engage in expansion. His diplomacy bears a huge significance to ease the concerns of the international community.

Last October, Xi, also the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), depicted Chinas future development and contributed Chinese solutions to global issues in his wonderful speech at the 19th CPC National Congress.

The international community hopes to hear more views and proposals from China, and the 2018 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) remains a very important chance. I believe that countries around the world can know more about China through the objective and accurate media coverage.

(The author is chairman of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia and former Japanese Prime Minister.)
The trade protectionist move unilaterally taken by the US will severely undermine free trade and global economy, Chinese and foreign experts warned amid the rising global attention to the USs so-called Section 301 investigation into Chinese products.

The USs resort to domestic laws in dealing with international trade frictions is against international rules, they pointed out.

The investigation, initiated, surveyed, arbitrated and implemented by the US, is extremely unilateral, said Bai Ming, deputy director of the International Market Research Institute under Chinas Ministry of Commerce, adding that the investigation has been opposed by the world since it was announced.

Chad P. Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, compared the US in the Section 301 investigation to police who judges whether a foreign government is right or wrong, a prosecutor who files a lawsuit, a jury that identifies evidence and a judge who decides whether to take retaliatory actions.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the US frequently launched Section 301 investigation against its trade partners including Japan, the EU, Canada and Brazil. But after the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995, the outdated investigation was rarely adopted.

Industry insiders pointed out that many investigations recently launched by the US, including the Section 301 one, though distinct in the content, are mostly of strong unilateralism and related to the trade law of the US enacted in the Cold War. They were barely used after the establishment of the WTO.

The USs move to handle economic and trade issues by activating these investigations and using the outdated legal tools have aroused wide concerns, according to the insiders.

The US can appeal to the WTO for arbitration, but it cannot unilaterally announce sanctions. If the country skips the WTO, then it violates the principles of the organization, said Tu Xinquan, a professor with the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

The US was one of the major makers of international trade rules, but it has become an obvious breaker by its recent practices, said Zhu Min, chairman of the National Institute of Financial Research, Tsinghua University.

Undoubtedly, the USs behavior will harm both Chinas and its own interests, and more severely, it will damage the global value chain, Zhu added.

According to the WTO ruling and the commitments of the US, the US should not decide whether the other WTO members are against rules or not based on the Section 301 investigation. Instead, it must resort to WTO rules and the Dispute Settlement Body in handling issues involving WTO agreements, said Zhang Xiangchen, Chinese ambassador to the WTO.

The US has violated its "explicitly, officially, repeatedly and unconditionally confirmed" commitments in DS152, a dispute related to Section 301 lodged by the European Communities, Zhang added.

Global coordination and common prosperity have become a shared consensus and a common goal for the world. Under this backdrop, the USs unilateralism, which is disrespectful of common rules, is very incompatible with the times.

The USs unilateral move has not only harmed the interests of China and other WTO members, but also severely damaged multilateral trade mechanism, Zhang pointed out.

Unilateralism completely goes against the WTO, Zhang said, adding that concerted efforts are needed to stop the revival of the Section 301 and keep it within the framework of WTO rules.
LHASA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Newly discovered cliff carvings in eastern Tibet may offer a glimpse into Buddhist art and local history from 1,200 years ago.

According to the regional cultural relics protection research institute, the discoveries dating back to the Tibetan Tubo Kingdom were found in Acur township in Chagyab County of Qamdo City.

The relics of the Buddha figure carvings were first found by construction workers who were mining for stones in a valley. The carvings are inscribed on cliffs that stretch some 10 meters in total.

Experts believe that the carvings were created in the 9th century, based on their style.

Experts said the relics are located at a transportation junction between the north and the south. The discoveries will not only contribute to the study of art and culture, but also ancient transportation.

Construction on the section has been halted and the relics are under the protection of authorities.
MANILA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen inmates at a police jail in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines escaped before dawn on Tuesday, local police said.

Police Senior Superintendent Vincent Neri Ignacio of the Zamboanga City said 12 of the 17 inmates were recaptured a few hours after the jailbreak. Five escapists are being hunted down.

Ignacio said the inmates, who are facing drug charges, destroyed the detention padlock using a handsaw.

He said only one jail officer was manning the detention cell when the jailbreak occurred around 02:50 a.m. local time, making it easy for the prisoners to bolt.

The police immediately launched a manhunt to prevent the inmates from getting out of the city.

Ignacio also ordered the relatives of the inmates to surrender their fugitive kins within 24 hours or face charges for harbouring wanted persons.

Ignacio has already relieved the police jail personnel for their negligence, saying administrative charges will be filed against them.
The first group of China's Yaogan-31 remote sensing satellites were sent into space on Tuesday at 12:25 p.m. Beijing time from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

A Long March 4C carrier rocket blasts off at 12:25 pm at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert of the country's northwest, April 10, 2018. [Photo: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp]

The satellites were carried by a Long March-4C rocket, the 271st mission for the Long March rocket family.

The mission also sent a micro nano technology experiment satellite into orbit.

The satellites will be used for electromagnetic environment surveys and other related technology tests.

China launched the first "Yaogan" series satellite, Yaogan-1, in 2006.
We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world

For over 130 years, Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada) has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the worlds most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives.

We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships.

Today, we continue to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals  including cancer, infectious diseases, such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases.
People.cn, Beijing March 29 (Liu Teng)  Recently, Olivier Charmeil, Executive Vice President, Head of General Medicines & Emerging Markets of Sanofi, who came to China to participate in the China Development Forum, said in an interview with People.cn that the Chinese government's strong commitment in primary care has left a deep impression on multinational companies. Digital healthcare and internet healthcare are evolving rapidly in China. With the high internet penetration rate, China is very likely having a greater leapfrog compared with that of developed countries. Sanofi hopes to seize this opportunity, setting up a local innovation hub to cultivate potential projects and catch up with the tide of digital healthcare in China.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reforms and opening up. It has been 36 years since Sanofi entered the Chinese market. Charmeil recalled that when he first came to China in 1985, it was impossible to imagine that one day Chinas basic medical insurance would cover more than 1 billion Chinese people.

China is shifting medical service down to the grass-roots and setting up a system of tiered medical service. The strong primary care strategy is guiding MNCs in China to put more effort into primary healthcare.

Since 2011, Sanofi has taken the lead in setting up a primary care BU among MNCs, initiating a plan to move services down to the county level. It already covers more than 1,700 counties and cities with its innovative products. Over the past two years, Sanofi has made greater efforts in community health centers, in addition to county-level ones, said Charmeil.

"Back in 2016, we started a major project to community health centers, so far covering over more than 3,800 community health centers. We believe there is great potential in this area," said Charmeil.

Sanofi has introduced more than 40 innovative drugs and vaccines since entering the Chinese market. In 2018, it plans to bring some new drugs to the Chinese market, including Aubagio for multiple sclerosis. In the coming years, the company also expects to continue to launch about 16 innovative products in the Chinese market, said Charmeil.

The Sanofi Digital Innovation Hub is expected to be launched soon this year. Enterprises with potential in digital healthcare will be selected to join the center, with the goal of hatching innovative solutions in digital healthcare.

"We would like to find creative medical solutions from startups and help them to accelerate their maturity," Charmeil said. "Sanofi is preparing to select about 15 startups to pitch and select four or five winning solutions to enjoy the accelerator services provided by the company."

He hopes that this will help Sanofi change its corporate culture, make it more outgoing, and offer more internal entrepreneurship capabilities.

At the same time, Sanofi is collaborating with external partners to promote the Innovation Hub project and digital healthcare, including venture capital funds. We will not only work with these promising startups in digital healthcare, but also cooperate with large IT companies, such as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. To achieve sustainable development in China, we have to rely on innovation and catch up with the tide of digital healthcare in China, explained Charmeil.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BOAO, Hainan, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled new measures for expanding reform and opening up Tuesday as China marks the 40th anniversary of the policy this year, heralding "a new phase of opening up" for common prosperity of both China and the world.

"China's reform and opening up meets its people's aspiration for development, innovation and a better life. It also meets the global trend toward development, cooperation and peace," said Xi when addressing the opening ceremony of the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in the southern island province of Hainan.

This is Xi's first major diplomatic event in China since he was unanimously re-elected Chinese president in March.

Observers believe that as a staunch advocator of globalization, China is leading opening up and development in the world.

In his speech, Xi announced that China will significantly broaden market access, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, and take the initiative to expand imports.

New initiatives include easing foreign equity restrictions in the industries of automobiles, ships and aircraft, and implementing across the board the management system based on pre-establishment national treatment and negative list.

China will also significantly lower the import tariffs for vehicles this year, and seek faster progress toward joining the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

Attendees at the forum said the president has sent a strong message that China is firmly advancing reform and opening up at its own pace. It is also part of effort to turn the spirit of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress into action.

The landmark Party congress in October revealed the roadmap for China's rejuvenation, laying out a two-step approach toward "a great modern socialist country" and heralding a new era for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The reform and opening up, initiated by Deng Xiaoping in 1978, has significantly unleashed and enhanced productivity in China, blazed a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, demonstrated the strength of the nation, and actively contributed China's share to the world, according to Xi.

Over the past 40 years, China has recorded an averaged annual GDP growth rate of around 9.5 percent, fostered a middle-income population of 400 million, and lifted more than 700 million Chinese people out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total.

China contributed over 30 percent of global growth in recent years.

Guests attend the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Hailing it as "China's second revolution," Xi said the reform and opening up had not only profoundly changed the country but also greatly influenced the whole world.

As the country's helmsman, Xi launched the new round of reform and opening up, the largest in scale around the globe, at a time when the giant vessel of China has entered "a deep-water zone."

The world is undergoing a new round of major development, great change and profound readjustment.

"Humanity has a major choice to make between openness and isolation, and between progress and retrogression," Xi said. "In a world aspiring for peace and development, the cold-war and zero-sum mentality looks even more out of place."

The president called for people around the world to work together toward a community with a shared future for mankind by treating each other with respect and as equals, promoting dialogue and sharing responsibility, engaging in cooperation for win-win results, upholding inclusiveness and seeking harmony without uniformity, as well as treating nature with respect and treasuring the planet.

China will not threaten anyone else, attempt to overturn the existing international system, or seek spheres of influence, no matter how much progress it has made in development, Xi said.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Chinese leaders and officials had declared China's determination to liberalize further recently.

"Today I was very glad to hear President Xi Jinping reaffirm this and announce further steps in financial sector reforms, in opening up foreign investment rules, in protecting intellectual property, and in increasing imports in order for China to go further in this direction," Lee said.

China has every intention to translate all the major initiatives of opening up unveiled Tuesday into reality, sooner rather than later, Xi declared. "We want the outcomes of our opening-up efforts to deliver benefits as soon as possible to all enterprises and people in China and around the world."

"China's successful exploration and practices in reform and opening up have offered a new choice for humanity as the world is at a crossroad for development," said Chi Fulin, head of the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development.
WASHINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Tom Bossert, U.S. President Donald Trump's homeland security adviser, resigned on Tuesday, as John Bolton, Trump's new national security adviser, is reshaping the national security team.

"The president is grateful for Tom's commitment to the safety and security of our great country," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Bossert, 43, led the administration's efforts to protect the homeland from terrorist threats, strengthen cyber defenses, and respond to a series of natural disasters that have occurred across the country over the past year or so.

Sanders said that Trump "thanks him for his patriotic service and wishes him well," but she did not give a reason for Bossert's departure.

Bossert, who previously served in George W. Bush administration, was tapped to be assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism in December, 2016.

He was a Trump favorite for his articulate TV style when defending the administration's agenda and made a name for himself as the public face of the administration's response to hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico last year.

Last weekend, Bossert also represented the administration on television to talks about the U.S. response to an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria.

Bossert's resignation came a day after John Bolton took over as Trump's new national security adviser and two days after Michael Anton announced his departure as spokesman for the National Security Council.

Bolton, a former hawkish diplomat, is expected to add more momentum to the increasingly assertive U.S. foreign policy.

A source close to Bossert told NBC News that the adviser was unware of any intention at the White House to seek his resignation, and that he had no plans for the move.

"New team," the source said, without further explanation.

According to The New York Times, a White House official said that Rob Joyce, special assistant to the president and cybersecurity coordinator on the National Security Council, would take Bossert's place on an acting basis.

Bossert's resignation also marks the latest high-level departure from the White House.

Other Trump administration officials who have either resigned or been fired in the past few months include Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, Communications Director Hope Hicks, among others.
The United States violated World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and its own public commitment by launching a Section 301 investigation unilaterally and threatening punitive tariffs against China, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce Tuesday.

In accordance with the WTO rules, its members are forbidden to unilaterally assume when others break WTO rules and are not allowed to unilaterally stop tariff concessions or other obligations without WTO authorization.

Meanwhile, the United States has breached its own public commitment made in the Statement of Administrative Action in 1994.

The statement declared that the U.S. trade representative should decide that its rights under the WTO framework are infringed only based on the decision of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.

The United States on April 3 announced tariffs on a proposed list of Chinese goods worth 50 billion U.S. dollars, covering industries in aerospace, information and communication technology, robotics and machinery.

The list was authorized by the U.S. Trade Representative's office, which in August 2017 initiated an unfounded investigation under the Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 to probe China's intellectual property and technology transfer practices.
"China 'firmly opposes and strongly condemns' an auction house in the UK," after it refused to stop the sale of an "illegally-discharged cultural relic," according to a statement issued by China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage on Tuesday.

The "Tiger Ying," a bronze relic which was looted from Beijing's Old Summer Palace in 1860, was discovered in the UK, and is set to go under the hammer at the Canterbury Auctions Gallery on April 11, 2018, with an estimated value price of 120,000 to 200,000 pounds.

Chinese authorities are calling on those involved to adhere to international conventions and halt the upcoming sale.

However, the Canterbury Auctions Gallery has issued its own statement, saying "Tiger Ying" will go up for auction as planned.

"The State Administration of Cultural Heritage will closely follow development of the incident, and will promote the return of illegally-discharged cultural relics by all necessary means in accordance with relevant international conventions and Chinese laws," reads the statement.

The ancient bronze cup is believed to date back some 2,000 years. Authorities believe it was taken by British soldiers when a a multi-nation coalition invaded Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion and looted the old Summer Palace.
China supports an investigation of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma, Syria, a Chinese envoy to the United Nations said Monday.

Smoke rises after the Syrian army's shelling targeted the Douma district in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, Syria, on April 7, 2018. The Syrian army on Saturday stormed the frontlines of the Islam Army in the Douma district of the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside, state news agency SANA reported. [Photo: Xinhua]

"China supports a comprehensive, objective and impartial investigation of the incident concerned so that a conclusion that is based on substantiated evidence and that can stand the test of history and facts can be reached, so that the perpetrators and responsible parties can be brought to justice," Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council.

The reports of the latest chemical attack in Syria and of the related civilian casualties are of grave concern to China, said Wu.

"China's position on chemical weapons has been consistent and clear: we are firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons by any state, organization or individual under any circumstances. Any use of chemical weapons, whenever and wherever, must not be tolerated."

The question of chemical weapons in Syria is closely linked with the political settlement of the Syrian issue, he said. "China supports the Security Council and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in continuing to play an important role as a main channel for addressing the chemical weapons in Syria."

He expressed the hope that the parties concerned will take a constructive approach, engage in consultations to seek a solution, discover the truth, avoid the recurrence of chemical weapons use, maintain the unity of the Security Council, and work to advance the political process in Syria.

The Syrian conflict has entered its eighth year, inflicting tremendous suffering on the Syrian people, he said, adding that political settlement is the only way out. The international community must remain committed to the political settlement and effectively respect the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, he said.

China is always opposed to the use of force or threat of the use of force in international affairs and always advocated the adherence to the UN Charter, said Wu.

All parties should increase their support to the United Nations as the main mediator, push parties in Syria to seek a political settlement under the principle of Syrian leadership and Syrian ownership and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, he said.

Counter-terrorism is an important and urgent issue in the political process. The international community needs to enhance coordination, uphold uniform standards and combat all terrorist organizations listed by the Security Council, said Wu.

On Saturday, activists said the Syrian forces used chlorine gas in an attack against Douma, the last rebel-held area in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry responded to the rebels' claims of chemical weapons use by the Syrian army in Douma district near Damascus as "premeditated pretexts," according to state news agency SANA.
DAMASCUS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Russia tension runs high over the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, while the U.S. seems banging the drums of war in Syria using the same old pretext of chemical weapons.

Intense political clashes were witnessed in the UN Security Council on Tuesday between Russia and the U.S. over the recent allegations of chemical weapons used by the Syrian government forces in the battles against the rebels in Douma district of Damascus.

Activists claimed the Syrian army used chlorine gas in the attack, a claim completely denied by the Syrian government, which accused the rebels of making up pretexts to attract foreign military intervention.

U.S. officials have also spoken of military action against Syria, but the eyes were fixed on Tuesday evening on the session of the UN Security Council, where both major powers fought diplomatically.

The clash between both powers was reflected in the two draft resolutions on the form of investigating the alleged incident.

Both powers vetoed each other's draft resolutions, with the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley saying that the main difference between the U.S.-drafted text and the Russian one is that Russia wanted to choose the investigators and assess the outcome while the U.S. text allows for an independent investigation.

Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. draft prejudges the outcome of an investigation, as the U.S. has already made its accusation without investigation.

The U.S. has for long been accusing the Syrian government forces of using toxic gas in an attack on Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, basing its accusations on claims by the rebels.

But last Saturday's alleged incident seemed like the pretext under which the U.S. could justify striking Syria after the Syrian army emerged victorious and after it found the Russians and the Iranians in a stronger position in Syria than itself.

Analysts in Syria said the U.S. threats of military action on Syria is "serious" and exceeds 90 percent.

Hmaidi Abdullah, a Syrian political analyst, told Xinhua the U.S. threats of military action on Syria were "serious," saying they reflect the U.S. desire to undermine the Russian-Iranian-Syrian alliance, which is gaining the upper hand in Syria.

He said the U.S. is under pressure from Israel and Saudi Arabia to act against the growing influence of Iran in Syria.

Abdullah said the U.S. has the desire to strike Syria but the decision has not yet been made.

Mahmoud Meri, another political analyst, said the U.S. and its Western allies are preparing to launch strikes on Syria, which could fuel a regional or even international war because Syrian and its allies promised to respond to the fire sources.

Maher Ihsan, a journalist, and political expert told Xinhua that the U.S. is not okay with the Syrian and Russian sides winning in Syria, adding that the recent victory of the Syrian army in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus has raised the ire of the U.S. administration.

"The U.S. wants to say I am here and I call the shots," he said.

The analysts speculated that the possible U.S. strikes could be limited, such as in the last year when the U.S. fired Tomahawk missiles on a Syrian base in central Syria over similar allegations of chemical weapons' use.

Earlier in the day, Russia's envoy to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, said his country has warned the U.S. against striking Syria.

Speaking to Euronews, Chizhov said "Russia has warned U.S. representatives, publicly as well as through proper channels, over the grave consequences that could arise if these strikes happen and whether deliberately or otherwise Russian citizens are hurt."

On Monday, Trump promised a decision on a possible military response within 24 to 48 hours.
No evidence foreign firms forced to transfer tech: industry insiders

Workers check cargo trains to be exported to Argentina at a plant in Ziyang, Southwest China's Sichuan Province in December 2017. Photo: VCG

The US is urged to correctly understand the Made in China 2025 initiative, which adheres to the principles of transparency, openness and fairness, while the US' 301 investigation is groundless and has distorted the meaning of this initiative, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said Tuesday.

Made in China 2025 aims to propel the upgrade of China's manufacturing sector, which is open to all companies operating in the country, including domestic firms and foreign-owned enterprises, MOFCOM said in a post published on its WeChat account.

In fact, several US companies have already taken part in projects related to the initiative, such as the C919 aircraft program, which is part of China's ambitious move to elevate the status of its aviation industry, according to the website of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

Companies like GE and Honeywell were major suppliers for the C919, which made its maiden flight in May 2017.

The initiative includes indicators that form a predictable guideline for future industrial development, but they are not mandatory, MOFCOM said.

The Section 301 Investigations under the US Trade Representative Office (USTR) reflect its concerns over the possibility that China may one day surpass the US in high-end manufacturing, driven by the integration of informatization and industrialization, Cong Yi, an economics professor at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"The US is seeing the writing on the wall that its supremacy in technology and innovation is likely to be challenged one day," he said.

By 2020, 40 percent of necessary parts and machinery should be supplied domestically in the aerospace, telecommunications, power generation and machine industries, according to the Made in China 2025 initiative, details of which are published on the government's website. And by 2025, 70 percent of core equipment and basic materials will be supplied domestically.

In fact, the US government has misinterpreted the initiative, particularly in terms of understanding the targets outlined by the Chinese government. "It's just a common way of expression for industrial planning, and not fixed indicators to be reached," Cong said.

The USTR's report said that Made in China 2025 sets explicit market share targets that are to be filled by Chinese producers both domestically and globally in dozens of high-tech industries. Foreign technology acquisitions through various means remain a prime focus under the initiative, because China is still catching up in many of the areas prioritized for development, while US companies are frontrunners.

Made in China 2025 is in line with China's obligations under the WTO structure, which is transparent, open and not discriminatory, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen told a press briefing on April 4.

Wang also noted that many other countries have similar guiding indicators and planning, such as the National Information Infrastructure under the former Clinton administration in the US and Barack Obama's plans to double US exports, which were both guiding objectives.

Some companies in high-tech and manufacturing sectors the Global Times contacted on Tuesday said there has never been an issue for foreign enterprises in terms of the technology transfer mechanism in China, which is a market-driven action.

"There are two ways of introducing technologies from foreign firms, one is paying patent fees, the other is setting up a joint venture," said a source at a State-owned shipbuilding company that also produces military products like submarines and missile destroyers.

"It's about trading technologies for larger market shares," the source said, asking not to be identified.

Fair tech transfer

WTO members agree to facilitate the provision of technical assistance to other members, especially developing countries, according to the WTO's detailed presentation on tech transfers.

"It has been always a voluntary move for foreign companies in China to work with their Chinese counterparts in terms of technology cooperation, which is a choice companies make themselves," Cong said.

There is no concrete evidence that foreign companies have been forced to trade their technologies to their Chinese partners, said another source close to the semiconductor industry, who also refused to be named.

For example, the national semiconductor plant based in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, has hired some engineers from South Korea, which is also a move to attract more foreign talent to the country, he noted.

Working with foreign firms in the chipmaking sector is more like coordinating with each other to gain reciprocal benefits.

"By working with Chinese companies, foreign firms have access to a larger market, more support facilities and lower-end consumers, so why not work with them for the sake of business profits?" he said.
WYOMING, MI - Agropur Inc. announced it will invest $21.3 million and create 62 news jobs over the next three years at its processing plant in suburban Grand Rapids.

Most of the $21.3 million expansion project at Agropur's at 5252 Clay Avenue SW will be for new equipment with a portion going toward building modifications, according to news releases by The Right Plac Inc and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC).

"This investment is driven by the need to meet growing customer demand, and will result in a modernized production line, increased production capacity, and the creation of 62 new jobs," according to a Right Place news release issued Wednesday, April 11.

Agropur is the Wisconsin-based subsidiary of Agropur Cooperative, a Canadian firm has grown to become the largest dairy cooperatives in North America. Agropur processes more than 13 billion pounds of milk per year at its 39 plants across North America.

The plant currently employs 161 people and primarily produces non-dairy products such as soy milks, protein drinks, and broths. The expansion will include modernizing certain steps of the production line and increasing production capacity.

"Agropur's investment here rather than in another state means good jobs for Michigan residents and underscores the strength of the state's food and dairy processing industry," said Jeff Mason, CEO of MEDC.

"It is thanks to many public and private partners that this project is taking place, and we are pleased to support that collaboration," Mason said.

The former Farmland Dairies plant, which was purchased by Agropur in 2010, produces a variety of shelf-stable dairy products that are distributed across the country.

Originally built in 1991 as a fruit juice processing plant, the plant was converted to milk processing in March 1994 after it was purchased by Parmalat, an Italian food processing company.

The MEDC is supporting the expansion effort with a $434,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The expansion will also be supported locally by a tax abatement from the City of Wyoming.

"The City of Wyoming is a phenomenal place for manufacturing and we are so proud to have companies like Agropur in our community," said mayor Jack Poll, City of Wyoming. "We are excited to be a part of their growth story and we look forward to watching their continued success."

"We're excited to be expanding our facility in Grand Rapids, which will allow us to better serve our customers," said Doug Simon, president of US Operations for Agropur. "This investment is a key to continuing Agropur's impressive growth and will also create jobs in the state of Michigan."
Photo by Mike Clark | MLive.com

Let's celebrate, Michigan

Who doesn't love a holiday? They are the days you look can look forward to, in order to survive the monotony of everyday life.

In Michigan, we know how to celebrate. We will take any excuse to throw a party. No matter what the weather is like, we will make the most of a special occasion.

Plan out your next year of holidays by planning trips to these Michigan cities that properly mark these festive occasions.

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Photo by Mark Bugnaski | MLive.com

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Head to Kalamazoo for MLK Day to celebrate his legacy by visiting a statue of the civil rights leader at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park. There are always events planned to mark the day, many of which are organized by Western Michigan University.

Runners up: Detroit and Ann Arbor also have big, annual plans to celebrate King

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Photo by Kim Schneider | MLive.com

Michigan's birthday

Celebrate Jan. 26, the day Michigan became a state, by visiting our great state's first city -- Sault Ste. Marie. There are great eats, great views and tons of history to absorb in this eastern Upper Peninsula town.

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Photo by Jack Zellweger | MLive.com

Groundhog Day

There's no need to head to Pennsylvania if you want to celebrate Groundhog Day. Head to Howell Nature Center where Woody the Woodchuck will make her annual weather prediction. Then you can get a photo with the local celebrity after her big annual shadow test. Perhaps we should change it to Woodchuck Day?

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Photo by Jeff Schrier | MLive.com

Valentine's Day

Nothing says "I love you" like a wine tour. Head up to Traverse City, where you'll be in the midst of the state's delicious wine region. Plus, there are beautiful views (even during winter) and lovely hotels. Romance is in the air and in your glass.

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Photo by Neil Blake | MLive.com

Presidents' Day

The only president Michigan can claim (though he was technically born in Nebraska) called Grand Rapids home. He is honored here with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Take a trip to the museum to learn more about the 38th president (and to see a lot of other cool exhibits).

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Photo by Emily Mesner | MLive.com

Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday, also known as Paczki Day, is THE holiday of Hamtramck. People take the day off work to eat Polish pastries and party from sun up til way past sun down. It makes sense, because Hamtramck has some serious Polish roots. You'll find tons of parties at bars and clubs, long lines at the best bakeries and an epic eating contest.

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Photo by Dan Staudacher | MLive.com

St. Patrick's Day

Maybe you've never celebrated a holiday in Clare. You should, and that holiday should be St. Patrick's Day. The city celebrates for multiple days with the Clare Irish Festival. There's a parade, music, a race, green beer AND BED RACES! (Sorry, we got excited.) Plus, they have a ton of experience throwing a St. Patrick's Day party, since the festival dates back to 1975.

Runners up: Grand Rapids and Bay City certainly know how to party in green.

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Photo by Jessica Shepherd | MLive.com

Easter

Head to Indian River, where you'll find the Cross in the Woods. This shrine is home to the world's second tallest crucifix. Maybe a Good Friday visit would be more appropriate? Even if the gift shop is closed for the holiday, the shrine itself is outdoors. You can visit stations of the cross and shrines dedicated to saints.

Related: A massive crucifix and 525 nun dolls are in one unique Michigan place

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Photo by Jessica Shepherd | MLive.com

Tax day

Okay, it isn't a holiday and no one likes it, but tax day is a necessary evil. Perhaps you should make it more fun by heading to the state's tiniest post office in Elm Hall to send off your paperwork to the IRS.

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Earth Day

Did you know one of the world's largest Earth Day celebrations is held in Michigan? Each year in late April, Rochester is the place to be for the MI Earth Day Fest. The free three-day festival at Municipal Park/City Center offers live music, vendors, food and more. Plus, there's a parade. What holiday is complete without a parade?

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Photo by Andrew Whitaker | MLive.com

Cinco de Mayo

Sure, other cities have popped up with their own Cinco de Mayo celebrations but Saginaw has long been known for throwing a big party to mark the day Mexico won the Battle of Puebla. There is an annual parade, a race and a festival with delicious food and great music.

Runners up: Flint and Holland are also known for great Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

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Photo by Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com

Mother's Day

Take mom to Mackinac Island for this special day. You can take a scenic bike ride, check out the blooming flowers and have a cocktail while looking out at the water. Whether your mom loves to stay active or needs time to relax, this is the perfect backdrop. Plus, you can grab a great brunch at the Grand Hotel.

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Memorial Day

According to St. Clair Shores, the town throws the biggest and best Memorial Day parade in the Midwest. Tens of thousands of people come out to take in the two-hour parade that dates back to 1952. The more than 110 entries in the parade include military groups, marching bands, local celebrities, classic cars and more. There is also a 5K fun run held before the parade.

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Photo by Kim Schneider | MLive.com

Eid al-Fitr

As Ramadan comes to a close, the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn holds a Eid al-Fitr celebration that welcomes thousands of people from near and far. Plus, there is plenty of delicious food in the Dearborn area to check out since Eid signals the end of fasting for Ramadan.

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Photo by Jessica Shepherd | MLive.com

Father's Day

Marquette is the perfect destination for pretty much any day. We think dad will love spending his day there to see the unique creation that is the Lakenenland sculpture park. If he loves the outdoors, enjoy the beautiful summer weather by visiting the Black Rocks or Sugarloaf Mountain. Plus, each Father's Day weekend, the Great Lakes Rodeo comes to the Marquette County Fairgrounds.

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Juneteenth

Juneteenth, a celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S., is commemorated each year in Lansing with a three-day event. Attendees can enjoy music, food, African heritage exhibits, a health fair and more. Plus, there's a parade!

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Photo by Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com

Fourth of July

You might assume the biggest cities have the biggest firework displays, but you'd be wrong. Bay City takes Independence Day seriously, celebrating with a festival that offers three nights of fireworks. The Bay City Fireworks Festival also includes a large carnival with rides and games for the family.

Runners up: Pretty much every other Michigan city celebrates on July 4. Some large displays to check out take place in Saginaw, Detroit and Grand Rapids.

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Labor Day

You work hard all year long, so on Labor Day, you should get away from it all. Head up to Ontonagon in the western U.P. and then head a little farther, until you find Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. This is the ultimate peaceful break from the business of work life. After you spend some tranquil time at the park (you MUST visit the breathtaking overlook at Lake of the Clouds), head back to town so you can take in the Ontonagon Labor Day Parade.

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Photo by Jeffrey LaMonde | MLive.com

Oktoberfest

Is Oktoberfest a holiday? Well, it is in Michigan's Little Bavaria. Frankenmuth knows how to throw a festival and this is one of their biggest annual events. Drink beer, dance polka and watch some adorable costumed wiener dogs race. Did we forget to mention the German food?

Runner up: Muskegon throws quite a shindig for Oktoberfest too.

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Photo by J. Scott Park | MLive.com

Halloween

Or should we say "Helloween"? It is pretty much Halloween every day in Hell, Michigan. The store sells Halloween goodies all year long and the local post office will always singe your mail when they send it out. Dressing up is always encouraged here, so Halloween just feels right in Hell. Go get a Gravedigger Sundae from the Creamatory as a Halloween treat. If you are a Halloween lover looking to get married, a Halloween wedding at the Hell wedding chapel would be ideal. Yes, we are serious.

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Diwali

Diwali, one of India's biggest festivals, is celebrated each year at the Bharatiya Temple in Troy. Attendees will enjoy food and music. Last year, the temple combined their Diwali celebration with a Hanukkah celebration, since both holidays are festivals of lights.

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Photo by Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com

Thanksgiving

America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit is one of the best parades EVER! The annual event is a longstanding Turkey Day tradition. If you have only ever watched the parade action on TV, you should make this year the year when you join the crowd hanging out on Woodward Avenue, celebrating and spotting all their favorite balloons, marching bands and floats in person. Then, if you are really lucky, you will head over to Ford Field for Detroit's other Thanksgiving tradition -- the Lions.

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Photo by Ryan Garza | MLive.com

Hanukkah

Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills welcomes everyone to celebrate Hanukkah during their annual party that includes the traditional lighting of the menorah. After the lighting, attendees can enjoy latkes, dreidel competitions and more.

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Christmas

Well, this might seem obvious. For Christmas, you have to visit Christmas, Michigan. You will feel festive checking out the huge Santa and spotting the signs bearing his face. Plus, you are right in the midst of a winter wonderland here. There are great snowmobile trails and you are close to some beautiful Michigan waterfalls that are totally worth a winter visit. We love the U.P. in the winter, and no place could make you feel the spirit of the season more than this snow-covered play land.

Runner up: Everyone knows Frankenmuth is an enchanted Christmas town, but you might want to visit on Christmas Eve, since Bronner's is closed on Christmas Day.

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Photo by Griffin Moores | MLive.com

Kwanzaa

In recent years, Flint's Kwanzaa celebration has taken place at Odyssey House. In the past, it was held at churches or other community gathering spots. No matter where the it's held, this is a celebration of African-American culture and heritage.

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Have you made your reservation to spend New Year's Eve in Pure Ludington? Come watch West Michigan's largest NYE Ball... Posted by Ludington Area CVB on Wednesday, December 3, 2014

New Year's Eve

In downtown Ludington, they really know how to ring in the New Year. A downtown street is closed down and people fill the roadway to watch the big ball drop at midnight. Beforehand, partygoers enjoy live music and a beer tent. After the ball drops, the firework display begins. One of the best parts about this party? It's free to attend.

Runners up: Traverse City drops a giant cherry for the New Year, Midland has a big outdoor party and Allegan just took over the title of the state's largest ball drop.

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Photo by Jake May | MLive.com

Your birthday

Your birthday is your own personal holiday. If you are a Michigan native, we propose you celebrate your birthday in your Michigan hometown, wherever that may be. From Alpena to Escanaba to Monroe, there is something special to see and celebrate in every Michigan locale. Never forget where you came from, Michiganders.

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The most beautiful place in each of Michigan's 83 counties

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BLUEBERRY AMBASSADOR MOMENTS

Clio Garner Elementary School, coordinator David Griffel



The Garner Blueberry Ambassadors, with the help of the school community, have participated in several community projects over the course of this school year. In the fall around Thanksgiving, we held a can food drive and were able to collect over 2,000 items for the Clio area. Thanks to everyone's generous donations, we made sure our community could have a happy Thanksgiving.

At Christmas, the Blueberry Ambassadors had a bake sale to raise money to buy Christmas presents for families in our community. The Blueberry Ambassadors advertised and promoted their fundraiser by designing flyers and posters and through their hard work, students raised over $160. This allowed them to go shopping at the local Walmart and buy Christmas presents so a local family could have a Merry Christmas.

The Garner Blueberry Ambassadors donated stuffed Easter Eggs to the Foster Closet of Genesee County. Every year, they have an Easter Egg hunt for children in foster care and their families. Our Ambassadors wanted to help these children to enjoy themselves on Easter with a great scavenger hunt. Many thanks to those who helped us with these community service projects and showing that we are concerned about the Blueberries!



Emily Windt

I bought doughnuts for the police. I thought it would be nice to give them a treat. It felt good to do something for someone.

I helped someone with their homework. I did not tell them the answers. I knew I could help.

I shared my snack with someone that did not have one. They were very hungry and I wanted to help. I felt like I did the right thing.



Ivory Briggs

I have been out on the quest of my Blueberry Ambassador promise. My first Blueberry Ambassador moment was when I brought my best friend Holly Cooke to my church.

The next Blueberry Moment was when I bought popcorn for a kid in my class that never gets popcorn. I also put an encouraging note the said, "You rock keep up the good work."

For my last Blueberry Moment, I went around my church and gave ten people compliments. It was a lot of fun complimenting people and seeing the smile on their faces.



Bella Emerson

When I went to the Bavarian Inn, I saw a girl who was all alone. So I said, "Would you like to play?" She said yes, so we went down the slide four times together.

When I was at Splash Village, I was letting people cut in line because I saw people with little kids that were four years old. It was their first time down the slide, and I wanted them to go before me.

When my friend was crying and was upset, I went over and asked what was wrong? I did this because I do not like it when people are sad. She did not answer me, so I sat with her and made a joke to try to cheer her up. She started to laugh and it made me feel good to help her feel better.



Alyssa Harris

I helped my friend up off the ground when she was hurt. I found a lunch lady and had her come over to help my friend. The reason I did this was because it was nice and I wanted her to get bandaged up. I felt good about this act of kindness.

I helped my dad by starting the car. My dad said we are going somewhere, so without asking my dad, I grabbed the keys and started the car. I think my dad was happy that I warmed the car up. I felt good to help.

I helped my sister with selling lemonade. I went where my mom and dad told us where we could go around the park and sell the lemonade. I did that and my sister had a big smile on her face. I felt good when I helped her.



Ryan Kean

I saw someone alone at the playground. I felt bad, so I invited them to play.

I saw someone who had a broken arm and had difficulty opening the door. So, I held the door open for them. I felt good because I did the right thing.

I held the door open for my mom. I did this because she was holding too many groceries and she was frustrated. I was glad I could help her out.



Luna Kirby

My friend felt sick but she was afraid to speak up. I said, "I will be by your side, my friend." She was in need and seeing her not feeling well made me think. I said, "Come on you can do it." She went home and the next day she felt better than ever.

This girl in my class was scared to talk to anyone. My friends and I helped her to speak up more and not be so afraid to talk to the teacher. Look at her now, we are laughing about everything.

There was a funeral down my street. I am not just a Blueberry Ambassador, I am also a girl scout. I gave away some of the top selling Girl Scout Cookies to the people attending the funeral down my street. I felt good giving the cookie away for free. Also, my mom and I paid for the cookie.



Colton Hines

The first Blueberry Card that I gave out was to a woman at Walmart. My mom had three bags of cans and she was putting them in the machine that takes cans and returns dimes.I noticed a lady next to mom, and I asked if her if she wanted help. She said "Yes, please." I helped her put her cans in. When we were both done, I gave her the receipt, and a Blueberry Card with it. She asked what the card was, and I told her the basics, and if she had any other questions, to check the back of the card.

The second Blueberry Card I handed out was to my very own brother. Him and I were building a marble track when I had to go downstairs and get my folder out, and all that stuff. Meanwhile, my brother realized there was a mess upstairs, and he decided to start cleaning up. When I went to give my mom the stuff, I told him he could stop. He didn't wait another second, he just ran downstairs, and watched TV. I cleaned up the mess, and when I was done, I went downstairs, and gave him a Blueberry Card. He didn't ask what it was, but I told him the basics, and read him the back. He said, "Okay," and put it in his coat pocket.

The third and final deed I did was buying a classmate a bag of popcorn. I brought a dollar to school for cotton candy, but I had the wrong day, so I just did it with popcorn. I went to my locker to give him a Blueberry Card. He didn't ask any questions, so I just handed him the card, and went back to my seat.



Chloe Ford

I was in the drive thru at Burger King and I paid for the man order behind us and him a Blueberry Ambassador Card.

I shoveled my great grandmas driveway and wrote a note and put the Blueberry Card inside. I taped the note and card on her door.



Austin Lyons

At the end of the school day, I wrote a note and put it in someone's locker because they are struggling in math. I wrote, "You are good at math, keep working hard." I felt good the next day when I saw her reading the card.

At my brothers wrestling tournament, a kid dropped all his stuff, so I helped him pick it all up. I slipped a Blueberry Ambassador Card in some of his stuff.

When me and my mom were buying coffee, we also bought the person behind us food and drinks. We asked the cashier to give the person behind us the Blueberry Ambassador Card.



Ethan Ward

I sent someone a letter when I was up north. I said that he was a good man and he has done lots of good things. I think he was an older person and when he was younger he did lots of good things. I hope this made his day when he read the letter.

The second act of kindness was when a lady at the store was checking out, she said she forgot to buy some grapes. I asked her what kind and she said, "Green grapes in a purple bag." I went into the store and got them for her.



Addison Findlay

For my first act of kindness, I bought someone a popcorn because they were sad that they didn't have one. So, when I gave them the Blueberry Card I told them to look on the back. After I did it I felt happy and good I chose to do that because they were sad.

For my second act of kindness, I bought my friend a book from the book fair. It was Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Getaway. I did that because they also showed kindness to me.

For my third act of kindness, I gave someone a gift from the book fair. It was a giant pencil. They were happy and thankful and so was I.



Kaden Boggs



I bought someone breakfast for three dollars. To pay for it, I think it made her happy, and it made me feel good in side.

I bought someone Tim Hortons for breakfast and it cost a little under six dollars. I think it made the person happy, and made me feel good.

I bought someone lunch at a restaurant at a buffet. It made me feel good and happy. I think it made him feel cared for.



Jordan Kelley

I got pizza for my mom because my aunt just died. She didn't feel like going in because she was to sad.

I held the door for my mom at parent teacher conferences.



Kiley Smith

I helped my mom carry groceries into the house because there were a lot of groceries that will take her forever to carry in so I helped her.

I helped my sister clean her room because it was really messy and she had a lot of other chores that she had to get done.

I watched my baby cousins while my aunt was getting ready for work because it was hard for her to watch a one year old and a three year old. So I figured I could help her out.



Madison Henry

So, when I got out of school my dad picked me up and took me and my brother and my sister to Dairy Queen to pick up my brothers birthday cake. Well we were waiting in line I grabbed three Blueberry Cards out of my bag.My dad asked what I was doing so I told him. My first act of kindness made me feel so good. So, what I did I held the door for a group of elderly people. The next thing I did made me feel happy because I helped an elderly man that could not see very well by holding the door for him.

My last act of kindness was I cleaned my sisters half of the room and mine. When I was done, I felt like a big hero. I felt so good! I am glad I could help someone!
LANSING, MI - Ann Arbor Public Schools, Clio Area School District and pro-gun groups are arguing their cases related to school gun policies before the Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 11.

Justices asked the attorneys to argue specific points, which center on whether board of education's policies are preempted by state law and case law.

Michigan Supreme Court hearing on whether Ann Arbor and Clio schools can enforce their policies banning guns on school property Posted by The Ann Arbor News on Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Following Wednesday's hearing, the justices could decide to let the Court of Appeals decisions stand, which affirmed schools' rights to enforce a weapons ban; to reverse the lower court decisions; or to grant leave for the appeal, which would lead to further briefings and the Supreme Court issuing a decision on the case.

Ann Arbor Public Schools, which enrolls about 17,800 students in Washtenaw County, and Clio Area School District, which enrolls about 3,000 students in Genesee County, have similar policies that prohibit visitors from possessing weapons on school property.

Michigan Gun Owners Inc. and Michigan Open Carry Inc., which are suing Ann Arbor Schools and Clio Schools, respectively, argue the districts are preempted by state regulations on firearms from enforcing their weapons bans.

Michigan law says people who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon may have a weapon in a vehicle with them when they are picking up or dropping off a student at school, and people with a concealed weapon license may openly carry their weapon on school property.
ANN ARBOR, MI - A 62-year-old caregiver accused of stealing money from the 89-year-old Ann Arbor woman she took care of will avoid jail time after she was sentenced Wednesday, April 11, in Washtenaw County Trial Court.

Cheryl Smith, of Hamburg, who was accused of stealing from Agnes Jamieson, of Ann Arbor, was sentenced by Judge Archie C. Brown to two years probation and will have to pay $32,000 in restitution.

Smith pleaded guilty Feb. 14 to one count of embezzlement more than $1,000 but less than $20,000 from a vulnerable adult, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Smith initially was charged with embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $50,000 or more but less than $100,000 and larceny over $20,000.

"I just want to say I'm sorry for what I did," she told the court Wednesday.

Smith's siblings, who turned her in to police, were in court Wednesday to learn their sister's fate.

Sheila Talbot, Smith's sister, said she wished the sentence was more severe.

"She needs to learn her lesson and not do it to another victim," Talbot said. "She needs to take responsibility for what she did and she has not. The reason she made for why she's sorry is empty and hollow."

Witnesses previously testified they found feces in Jamieson's house in the 3000 block of Rosedale in Ann Arbor and there were only narrow pathways for the elderly woman to get from her bedroom to the kitchen and bathroom.

Jamieson was the neighbor of Smith's parents, according to court testimony. Smith helped take care of the woman and eventually gained access to the 89-year-old's bank account, according to testimony. Jamieson has since died.

Smith will have six months to pay off the $32,000 in restitution to Jamieson's estate.

As part of her sentence, she also is no longer allowed to provide care to any adult 62 and older or any disabled adult.
ANN ARBOR, MI - A Pennsylvania man faces federal charges after officials say he enticed a 10-year-old Washtenaw County boy to send him lewd photos.

A federal complaint filed Friday, April 6 accuses Joshua E. Kordish, 33, of Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania, of production of child pornography, online enticement and coercion, and distribution of child pornography.

The complaint stems from December 2016, when a mother reported coming across Facebook messages between her autistic son and a username called "Suuwuucreation Urbanworld," according to the complaint. The two met on a social media site called "Live Me."

The conversation began a month prior and included the boy sending explicit videos and photos at the request of "Suuwuucreation Urbanworld," who sent explicit photos of a minor girl, according to the complaint.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, who took the initial report, located an online T-shirt and prepaid smartphone store called SuuWuu Creations based in Reynoldsville. Kordish lived at the same address, Homeland Security Investigations special agent Detroit Daniel Ghareeb wrote in the complaint.

Kordish was on probation for a felony conviction at the time and was also listed on a website for sex offenders, according to the complaint.

After he was arrested on a probation violation, Kordish waived his Miranda rights and, according to the complaint, told a Washtenaw County detective that he ran a scam using photos of young children to convince men to send him naked photos and then extort them.

Kordish told police he'd stopped talking to the 10-year-old boy because didn't think the boy had money, but not before getting multiple nude photos, according to the complaint.

The boy told police he thought he was exchanging photos with a girl his own age.

Kordish is currently in prison in Pennsylvania on a two and a half year to five-year sentence for the corruption of minors, said Amy Worden, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, via email.

He previously served time for possession of child pornography, according to prison records from 2008, she said. He completed that sentence in 2011.

Kordish was required to register as a sex offender as part of a sentencing in 2007 for possession of more than 600 images of child pornography, according to CNN Affiliate Gant News.

Police received a response to a search warrant of one of the involved Facebook accounts in the Washtenaw case in February 2018, just about two months before the complaint was filed, according to the complaint.

A court date has not yet been set in the case.
LANSING, MI - Do public schools have the authority to set stricter weapons policies than what is required by state law?

That was the central question at a Michigan Supreme Court hearing Wednesday, April 11, on cases involving guns rights groups versus Ann Arbor Public Schools and Clio Area School District.

State law says people with concealed carry permits may openly carry a gun on school property, and people may have a weapon in a vehicle with them when they are picking up or dropping off a student at school.

Ann Arbor and Clio school districts have adopted policies that prohibit people carrying weapons from being on school property. Ann Arbor Public Schools enrolls about 17,800 students in Washtenaw County, and Clio Schools enrolls about 3,000 students in Genesee County.

Related: Watch a live stream of the Supreme Court hearing on schools' weapons policies

Kenneth Herman and Michigan Open Carry Inc. filed a lawsuit against Clio Schools in March 2015 asserting the district is preempted by state regulations on firearms from enforcing its weapons ban. In April 2015, Ulysses Wong and Michigan Gun Owners Inc. filed a lawsuit against Ann Arbor Schools that made similar claims.

Attorneys representing the school districts argued schools have the authority and duty under Michigan's Revised School Code to provide for the safety and welfare of students, which includes regulating visitor access to schools.

County courts sided with Michigan Open Carry and Ann Arbor Public Schools, in the respective cases, and both cases were appealed to the Michigan Court of Appeals, which issued decisions affirming both school districts' right to enforce their weapons ban.

On Wednesday, the Michigan Supreme Court considered the cases.

There's no timeline for when the Supreme Court justices will issue a response to Wednesday's hearing. They could either uphold the Court of Appeals ruling; reverse the lower court decisions; or grant leave for the appeal, which would lead to further briefings and the Supreme Court issuing a decision.

Chief Justice Stephen Markman's questioning centered on why school districts would have the authority to override the specific exceptions to weapons-free school zones provided by law - including the allowance for people with concealed carry permits to openly carry a weapon in schools.

"The issue here is not the wisdom of policy - it's not whether we should have guns available here or not available there," Markman said. "The mission here ... is to construe the statute as faithfully as we can."

Attorney William Blaha, who represented Ann Arbor Public Schools, said repetitive statements in state and federal law referencing weapons-free school zones and the duty schools have to provide for the safety and welfare of students gives them the authority to prohibit visitors from carrying weapons on school property.

Justice Bridget McCormack questioned the attorneys on whether there is in fact a conflict between state law and the school district's weapons policies. If there is no conflict, state law would not necessarily preempt school policies.

School districts enforce policies that prohibit other activities that are not illegal, she said, giving the example of chewing gum or wearing short shorts.

"State law says it's not a crime for somebody to carry a gun, but a policy can still say, 'We don't want you on our property if you're doing it. So we have the ability to remove you.' ... Why is it a conflict?" McCormack asked.

Attorney Dean Greenblatt, who represented Michigan Open Carry in the lawsuit against Clio Schools, said school districts are using trespass charges to enforce a gun ordinance they do not have the authority to create.

Justice Richard Bernstein asked the attorneys how school staff should respond when they see an unknown person carrying a gun approaching a school, even if the person is lawfully carrying a gun and has no intent to do harm.

"This court is in a difficult position," Bernstein said. "We have an abstract, which is what we're arguing ... but we also have the practical implications that we have to be conscious of."
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BOAO, Hainan, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for elevating the ties between China and the Philippines while meeting with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

Xi said that the leaders of both countries should maintain close communication, and strengthen strategic steering and top-level design for the bilateral relations.

From a rapid turnaround to a consolidated relationship, China and the Philippines have taken "two steps upward" in their bilateral ties over the past two years, Xi said.

"The task of this year shall be upgrading the relationship," he said.

According to Xi, both sides shall dovetail their development strategies and advance cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and in all areas for mutual benefits.

The two countries shall also strengthen security cooperation, and China supports the Philippines in fighting against terrorism and drugs, Xi said.

"A new chapter has opened in the bilateral ties since President Duterte took office," he said.

China is willing to work with the Philippines to stick to the direction of good-neighborly friendship, set the goal of common development and properly manage differences, so that the bilateral ties will keep to the right direction and stay healthy and stable, he said.

Xi also said that China is resolute in developing good-neighborly friendship with the Philippines and sincere in supporting the Philippines' development.

"China supports the Philippine government in exploring a development path in line with its own conditions," Xi said.

"We should continue to properly handle South China Sea issue, and discuss joint exploration, development and cooperation at an appropriate time, thus making the waters a sea of cooperation and friendship," he said.

China has always taken the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership and also the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation, while the Philippines will be the coordinator of China-ASEAN ties.

Xi said China is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with the Philippines to promote China-ASEAN ties and regional cooperation in East Asia, Xi said.

Noting that the bilateral relations have maintained a sound momentum, Duterte expressed his thanks to China for its assistance and support in boosting the Philippines' socioeconomic development, and improving its capabilities in fighting terrorism and maintaining stability.

The Philippines is willing to participate in the building of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and maintain close cooperation with China in sectors including economy and trade, fishing, tourism, education and infrastructure, Duterte said.

The Philippines will also work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea through bilateral communication and consultation, and boost cooperation in this regard, he said.

The Philippines is willing to help deepen the ASEAN-China cooperation, he added.

After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents.
PONTIAC, MI - More than 400 teeth were fixed and 650 patients seen at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland's Dental Center last year, prompting an expansion of the facility.

The 1,744-square-foot dental clinic located inside the main hospital building at 44405 Woodward Ave. has doubled in size in response to a growing number of patients, some facing challenges in seeking dental care, according to a statement from St. Joseph Mercy Oakland. It first opened in 2011.

Shannon Striebich, president of St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, said the dental clinic with five treatment rooms, one specifically for wheelchair-bound patients, fills a gap in Oakland County.

"The opening of the new, expanded dental center means that many more patients will receive quality care not available to them elsewhere in our community," Striebich said in the statement.

Dr. Nisha Yusaf, clinic director, said the Dental Center participates with Medicaid and some dental insurances and that they regularly work with patients to reduce fees if they are not insured or do not have enough insurance.

According to St. Joseph Mercy, the expansion was funded by a challenge grant from a local family foundation.

The dental center treated 650 patients and restored more than 400 teeth in 2017, with some patients seeking services in the hospital setting because of special needs or their medical and physical conditions, the hospital said.

To help service the increasing dental needs of patients, the hospital is also growing its General Dental Residency Program with an additional resident in summer 2018.

St. Joseph offers a private and hospital-based dental residency program, which Yusaf said is staffed by licensed dental students who are opting in for a one-year, post-graduate program.

"If it were not for their participation in this optional year, they would be practicing dentistry out in the community already," Yusaf said in an emailed statement. "Through our dental residency program, our dental residents work under the supervision of licensed attending dentists."

"The expanded dental center allows us to provide excellent care for our patients while also training the dentists of tomorrow," said

Craig Spangler, program director of the St. Joe's Dental Residency Program, said in a statement that the expanded dental clinic allows the organization to provide excellent care for patients.

"With the active involvement of our volunteer attending dentists and specialists, we are providing a learning experience that residents won't receive anywhere else," Spangler said.

Located in southeast Michigan, St. Joseph Mercy Health System serves seven counties with hospitals in Ann Arbor, Pontiac, Livonia, Howell and Chelsea and more than 15,000 employees.
DETROIT -- When Siwatu-Salama Ra was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon earlier this year, a Wayne County judge found that probation was the appropriate sentence for the 26-year-old Detroit environmental activist.

But when it came to the accompanying felony firearm conviction, the judge had no such choice. The charge carries a mandatory minimum 2-year sentence, and Ra, who is pregnant, is likely to give birth in prison.

Her attorneys claim the conviction was driven by racial bias, and that Ra, who is black, was defending herself and her daughter when she pulled a gun on a woman during a confrontation outside a Detroit home last year.

A review of court records shows the case involved two conflicting accounts of what happened on July 16, 2017.

'Stand your ground law'

Chanell Harvey testified in court that Ra pointed a gun at her during an altercation outside a home owned by Ra's mother on Sturtevant Street in Detroit. Harvey's 14-year-old daughter was in the vehicle.

Ra's legal team told the Detroit Metro Times that Harvey was the aggressor, and that she rammed Ra's parked car while Ra's 2-year-old daughter was playing inside the vehicle, prompting her to grab the gun.

One of Ra's attorneys, Victoria Burton-Harris, told MLive that Ra asked members of the legal team to no longer comment on the case.

Ra's attorneys have claimed she feared for her own life, and had the right to protect herself -- as well as her daughter, niece and mother, who were also present -- under Michigan's Stand Your Ground self-defense law. A similar law in Florida led to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the 2012 fatal Florida shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Burton-Harris told Detroit Metro Times:

You're allowed to behave differently when you're fearful based on the color of your skin. George Zimmerman was allowed to be fearful and to act on that fear. He was allowed to take the life of an unarmed black child. Juxtapose that next to my client who had a car coming at her mother, and that same car had just presented danger to her child. It was driven by the complaining witness, but Siwatu wasn't allowed to be fearful and rely on her government-licensed and sanctioned firearm to ward off her attacker.

According to nearly 30 pages of jury instructions reviewed by MLive in the court file, jurors were told that a person "is not required to retreat" if they have an "honest and reasonable belief that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death and/or great bodily harm of the person."

The jury unanimously found Ra guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and felony firearm use on Feb. 8, indicating they didn't buy the claim of self defense.

For many other crimes, Ra, a first time offender and working mother, may have received a sentence of probation, or at least a much lighter jail term; however, Michigan's stiff felony firearm statute, which demands a minimum two-year prison sentence, left Wayne County Circuit Judge Thomas M.J. Hathaway without discretion.

There were nearly 100 letters of support sent to the judge on Ra's behalf. They came from across the nation, asking Hathaway for leniency or at the very least, a bond so that she could remain free while her case is appealed.

"This unfortunate situation has the potential of separating Siwatu from her child and family," wrote Rita T. Harris, who's known Ra for 18 years.

"The most troublesome aspect of this situation is her pregnancy, which creates an immense amount of constant stress for her worrying about delivering a baby while incarcerated."

According to FreeSiwatu.org, a website created to raise money for legal expenses to support Ra:

Siwatu-Salama Ra, a mother and community leader in Detroit, was trying to defend herself when she was violently confronted by her neighbor. The neighbor rammed her vehicle into Siwatu's car while her two-year old was inside and then tried to use the vehicle to run Siwatu and her mother over. Fearing for their lives, Siwatu, who is a licensed concealed gun owner, held her weapon in plain sight, hoping it would stop her neighbor from running them over. The gun was unloaded and no one was hurt. Still, she was sentenced to two years in prison and is now behind bars and pregnant.

Ra works as the youth director for the Eastern Michigan Environmental Action Council, a nonprofit focused on protecting the environment. She's held the position since 2014, according to the nonprofit's website.

The claims against Ra

Harvey testified at Ra's preliminary examination that she dropped her 14-year-old daughter off at the home on Sturtevant Street about 8:15 p.m. She intended for her daughter to spend the night with Ra's niece at Ra's mother's home.

Harvey testified that her daughter called her in tears about 15 minutes later, asking to be picked up; she'd been ordered to leave the home and wasn't welcome to stay overnight.

When she arrived to collect her daughter, Harvey said Ra came out of the home yelling, ordering them to leave.

She was "basically telling us, 'Bye, get on,' get from in front of the house, basically," Harvey testified.

Harvey, who admits she directed profanity at Ra, says she was upset becasuse Ra's niece had spent the night at her home weeks earlier, and so she didn't understand why her daughter wasn't welcome to do the same.

Wayne County District Judge Lydia N. Adams challenged the relevance of the subsequent questioning related to the history between Ra and Harvey.

"We get these family and close friend issues all the time and usually it is bad blood a good deal of the time," she told attorneys. "And it has a history as well. It doesn't mean somebody can pull a gun out at you ... so unless the other person pulled out a gun first, I don't know what relevance it is just to say it was a heated situation."

Harvey claims she was stopped in the middle of the street when her daughter entered the vehicle. Ra went to her own vehicle, which was parked on the street, took her 2-year-old daughter out -- she'd been playing inside -- handed the child to her niece, and pulled out a handgun, according to Harvey.

"She got a gun," Harvey says she told her friend, Toya, to whom she was talking on her cellphone at the time.

"She cocked it and pointed it," Harvey testified. "(Ra's) mother came over and smacked the gun out of her hand."

Harvey claims Ra picked up the gun a second time and pointed it at her again, but she was blocked from driving away by a black truck that was in front of her.

"Then, in the midst of me moving out of the way again, I did hit her car," Harvey said. "It wasn't on purpose. I moved it to get out of the way.

"You know, when you get a gun pointed at you, you're going to get out of the way."

Harvey claims that when the road cleared, but before she drove away, she stopped to take three pictures of Ra holding the gun, but Ra hid it out of sight behind her back.

"And you tried to quickly get out of the way, but you made time to take photographs before you left?" the assistant prosecutor asked.

Defense attorneys at the preliminary examiation were forbidden from questioning Harvey about her own prior conviction of felonnious assault, for which she is on probation.

Harvey said she drove immediately to a nearby Detroit police precinct to report the incident.

According to Ra's attorneys, she also reported the encounter several hours later, but because she was the second to do so, Detroit police investigated as if Harvey was the victim and Ra was the suspect, Metro Times reports.

Jury notes

Based on several notes sent to the judge during Ra's trial, it appears jurors became focused on an aspect of the testimony that had nothing to do with the charges at hand.

The questions had to do with claims that Ra's infant daughter was playing unsupervised in her car, while there was a handgun in the console.

"Did you forget that your firearm was in your console, as your 2-year-old child played inside your car?" said one juror's note reviewed by MLive in the court file.

"Why was your unlocked gun not in a lockbox?" another juror wrote.

MLive attempted to reach the jury foreperson, but was unsuccessful.

Mandatory minimum

Regardless of who is at fault or whether Ra broke the law, her supporters -- in letters to the judge and online comments -- feel a 2-year-sentence is unjust, and doesn't take into account her character, hard work and positive impact on Detroit and society at large.

Felony use of a firearm is a crime that involves possession of a gun during the commission of another felony. If convicted, it carries a two-year-minimum sentence, and the sentence must be served prior to the defendant serving time for any other accompanying felony conviction.

In the case of Ra, Hathaway sentenced her to two years of probation for the underlying conviction, felonious assault.

How prosecutors treat a felony firearm charge varies from county to county.

"We rarely dismiss felony firearm once it's charged," Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller said. "If the defense believes there are mitigating factors that support dismissal, they can petition our (Wayne County Prosecutor's Office) gun board in writing.

"The committee is composed of assistant prosecutors that evaluate the case to determine whether the charge will be dismissed."

While there's been a national trend toward removing mandatory minimum sentences -- especially lengthy minimum sentences for drug crimes -- the felony firearm minimum remains, and is charged often in Michigan.

According to the Michigan Department of Corrections 2016 annual report, 1,266 people that year were convicted of the crime.

Anne Yantus, the director of clinical programs and a professor at University of Detroit Mercy law school, has studied the impact of mandatory minimum sentences and spent nearly 30 years representing convicts in the state Apellate Defenders Office.

She says implementation of mandatory minimum sentences, which are established by the state Legislature, is usually reactionary, short-sighted, politically motivated and can take decades to reverse, because politicians are reluctant to rescind laws at the risk of appearing weak on crime.

"It appears that the Legislature will create a mandatory minimium term when they're looking to have a particularly harsh response to a crime," said Yantus, who wrote a 2014 article on the topic for the Universitry of Michigan Journal of Law Reform. " ... It can have the negative effect of precluding an idividualized sentence for someone who truly deserves a lower sentence."

Other existing mandatory minimum sentences in Michigan include: a life sentence for first-degree murder; 25 years for first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13; 25 years for fourth-offense habitual offender; two years for aggravated assault during an armed robbery; and a year for third-offense driving under the influence of alcohol.
FLINT, MI -- Work on the new Hamady Complete Food Centers has been stopped by the city over a lack of proper permits.

A yellow stop work order from the city was in the window of the new north Flint grocery development.

The city's director of building inspections said a stop work order was issued due to Hamady working without proper permits, city spokeswoman Kristin Moore said Wednesday, April 11.

To date, Hamady has not submitted any drawings for plan review or applied for any permits, Moore said.

A legal notice was posted outside of the store on March 29 stating the company was to stop work immediately.

However, Chief Executive Officer for Hamady Complete Food Centers, Jim McColgan, said Tuesday, April 10, the company has been working with the city and that all of the permits to continue work have been obtained.

McCologan said there is a tentative VIP night for the grand opening on May 29 and a public grand opening on May 30.

An order posted at the planned Hamady Food Center, located near the intersection of Clio and Pierson Roads, on Monday, April 9, 2018, on Flint's north side. Jake May | MLive.com

The Hamady Complete Food Centers will be located in the Hallwood Plaza at the corner of Clio and Pierson roads. Hamady held a job fair on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Sloan Museum.

A sign was posted outside of the location in late March stating pre-employment drug screening was canceled for that week following "unforeseen circumstances."

McColgan could not be reached Wednesday for additional comment.

On Monday, McColgan gave a presentation to the city council touting the development. He did not make any mention of permit problems or the stop work order.

McColgan envisioned the 74,000 square foot building to be a place for the local Flint community and has said the store plans on employ at least 90 people.

"It's not just a grocery store, it's a community activity center," McColgan previously said. "We're going to hold classes for children and young adults."

A press conference was held on Jan. 12 where a $51,000 check was presented to Hamady Complete Food Centers from Michigan Works for a Skilled Trades Training Fund.

The new store would include a pharmacy, deli, bakery, soul food buffet and cafe, dollar store section as well as Michigan-made products with a focus on fresh meat and produce.
FLINT, MI -- Swanson Funeral Home and its manager are being stripped of their state licenses and fined $34,100 -- the price for what regulators have called deplorable, unsanitary conditions at the business.

A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Licensing Regulatory Affairs said the state Board of Examiners in Mortuary Science voted to impose the fine and immediately revoke the licenses at its meeting April 4.

Swanson closed its doors in July after state regulators claimed they found deplorable, unsanitary conditions at the business, including maggots on the floor of a garage where unrefrigerated human bodies were stacked in boxes, some for more than 90 days without having been embalmed.

A fellow funeral home operator has told MLive-The Flint Journal previously that Swanson was so filthy when he had visited there to retrieve a body that it reminded him of a slaughterhouse.

During an administrative hearing in December and again at last week's hearing, no one appeared on behalf of the funeral home or manager O'Neil D. Swanson II, according to LARA.

The Journal could not immediately reach an attorney who has represented Swanson in civil lawsuits filed last year in Genesee County Circuit Court.

Jason Moon, communications director for LARA, said in an email that the final Swanson order, reflecting the actions of the mortuary board last week, has not yet been issued -- something that's expected to occur this week.

Once the order is issued and mailed to the licensees, revocations are triggered as well as a timeline for paying the fine, Moon said.

The fine is due within 30 days of issuance of the final order.

Moon said if the fine is overdue for six months or more, the state may refer it to the Michigan Department of Treasury for collection action.

"A separate violation of the Occupational Code also exists if a person fails to comply with a final order ... so the department could also open a new complaint against the respondents based on that violation" if the fine is not paid, the spokesman said.
FLINT, MI -- Treasury's MI Student Aid team will visit Flint Southwestern Academy, 1420 W. 12th St., for a financial aid event from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 12. The program is free and open to Michigan families and students looking for help paying for college.

Representatives from Treasury and Mott Community College will be available to educate and inform students and their families about options for paying for college, according to a press release on the event.

Students will have the opportunity to complete applications for the Tuition Incentive Program, which is Treasury's largest grant program. Mott Community College representatives will also be on-site assisting families with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the release said.

"This event is a great opportunity for the MI Student Aid team to have an impact on the future of students in the Flint community as they prepare financially for college," said Anne Wohlfert, director of Treasury's Student Financial Services Bureau. "Many college-bound students and their families don't know where to begin with the financial aid process. We will have staff available at this event to answer questions and provide guidance about paying for college."
BURTON, MI - The site plan for a new 1.1 million-square-foot industrial facility near the corner of Genesee and Davison roads that could bring up to 800 jobs has received the go-ahead from city officials.

But the name of the company behind "Project Fusion" as it's been dubbed by Riverdale, Missouri-based NorthPoint Development is still unknown and left some residents unease about the development.

"I cannot tell you who the tenant is at this time," said Brent Miles, Northpoint's vice president of economic development, at the April 10 planning commission meeting where the site plan was unanimously approved by board members.

Burton Mayor Paula Zelenko has said the company interested in the location is on the Fortune 500 list, but she has remained tight-lipped with following non-disclosure agreement that came with the $268,000 sale of the city-owned property for the development.

Miles noted the facility would not deal with marijuana and is not Amazon, as some have rumored in the community given NorthPoint's history of working with the online retail giant.

If the 140-acre site is chosen by the company its usage will revolve around warehousing and distribution, with an estimated 425 employees on first shift and 350-375 employees on second shift during operations on Monday through Friday.

Some of those jobs may come from employees moving into the state, Miles said, with the development serving as a relocation for the unnamed company.

Resident Debra Dewar was uneasy with the possible development, largely due to the company not having been named.

"What is it going to do?" she asked during a lengthy round of public comments, with others peppering city officials and Miles with questions on traffic flow, water runoff, lighting, and noise. "I don't understand exactly what this business is. I'd like to know why it's a big secret."

The plan was approved contingent on a traffic engineering study completed by the developer.

"Every single use that would be proposed on 140 acres will cause some traffic congestion one way or the other," said Amber Abbey, the city's deputy planning official.

She added there would be no manufacturing or production at the site while pointing out the project is not unknown to the city.

"How can the city approve this if we don't know what it is?" Abbey rhetorically asked. "It's a very simple answer. We do know what it is, we just don't know who it is."

Offering the analogy of a mall to the project, Abbey argued all the tenants may not be known right away but the mall would be approved because it fits the permitted use.

Miles and Abbey addressed resident concerns, noting the parking lot would be approximately 900 feet away from Genesee Road as well as a 10-foot-high landscaping berm and 8-foot-tall coated fence to offer a buffer for light and noise.

Abbey said truck traffic would be expected to exit off Interstate 69 to Center Road, travel east onto Davison Road and turn right into the facility, then exit onto Davison Road and travel right onto Belsay Road back to the interstate.

She said all the roads are Class A, or all-season roads, that can be used by trucks all year round, unlike Genesee Road that has seasonal weight restrictions.

Miles, who called the development a "40-year plus investment" for NorthPoint as owners of the property, said an announcement is expected in the next two to three weeks after the company makes its final decision on which location it will choose.

The location was previously approved as part of a six-parcel industrial development district that provides for a 50 percent tax abatement on a new or replacement facility for no more than 12 years.

The abatement covers property taxes and personal property assets within a facility, such as machinery, computers, and hardware.

Final approval of a tax abatement for a business must come from the State Tax Commission.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - One of the largest school districts in Michigan is among those investing in a comprehensive program to support student mental health.

Forest Hills Public Schools -- with an enrollment of nearly 10,000 students, making it the second-largest district in the Grand Rapids region -- is spending more than $200,000 on behavioral-health liaisons.

Forest Hills schools, in partnership with parent and community volunteers, is playing a vital role in reducing the stigma of mental health, according to Superintendent Dan Behm.

"We were hearing loud and clear from our kids, families and staff that we needed to do more to promote mental health and address the issue of the stigma that can prevent individuals from accessing care," he said.

Approximately $230,000 is spent on the liaisons and another $2.8 million on its counseling programs, not including training for staff. The counseling money covers counselors' work on career and college preparation for students, along with mental-health work.

Dan Behm

Forest Hills' third behavioral-health liaison came on board this school year.

"Resources are a huge issue when it comes to promoting mental health," he said. "Being proactive and addressing mental-health issues that arise is a time-intensive process."

David Jangda, a psychologist with Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, became the district's first behavioral-health liaison in 2013.

For approximately five years, the district has worked closely with the AAA team, a group parents and community volunteers, dedicated to Awareness, Acceptance and Advocacy of Mental Health.

The group works with district mental-health clinicians, school counselors, social workers and other specialists in the district and region to try to eliminate the stigma surrounding common needs that many families have around mental illness.

Forest Hills is among districts in Kent County and Michigan working aggressively to better address the mental-health needs of its students.

Due to financial constraints from academic needs, mental-health support is limited in many cash-strapped school districts. The number of licensed, trained psychologists, counselors and/or social workers in-house is insufficient in most districts statewide.

Nine Kent County districts, including Grand Rapids and Kentwood, receive mental health support for students and other services from the Kent School Services Network through its community school model.

Behm said investing in a comprehensive mental health program benefits the district on many fronts.

He said Forest Hills has worked to develop a school culture in which teachers and support staff are trained to recognize the early warning signs of mental-health issues and make referrals.

"The brain is the most complex organ in the body," Behm said. "The problem with mental health is all too often it can be an invisible illness, but we encourage conversations about self-care and well-being."

Heather Lundt, program coordinator for AAA, said the group has about six core parent volunteers in addition to approximately 15 dedicated district counseling and social work staff.

AAA also hosts forums designed to educate families on topics affecting youth. On Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m., the group is hosting "Kids Under the Influence: Hidden Impact of Screen Time and Social Media" at 7 p.m., in the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center

There is an ongoing effort across the Kent ISD to put people and programs in place to better support students with mental-health issues.

One in five children living in the United States, ages 3 to 17, experience a mental disorder in a given year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"No matter the size of the audience in attendance, we believe that if we have helped just one person then we have been successful,'' said Lundt, about the forums to educate the community.

Last year, AAA had approximately 1,000 people turn out for a movie screening and discussion about the documentary, "Angst: Anxiety Disorders are Real, Common and Treatable... let's talk about it!"

Behm said the mental-health liaisons are building relationships with students, providing counseling and connecting families with additional community resources if needed.

In the past, Rockford Public Schools, which has around 8,000 students, worked with Jangda to build more mental-health support for its students.

Douglas VanderJagt, assistant superintendent for Human Resources, said more district staff have received mental-health training and other professional development around the issue.

Forest Hills' AAA group coordinates Circle of Support. The group meets monthly on the third Thursday for families to find support in other parents who are experiencing similar struggles with their children.

A school counselor leads the support group meetings. For more information, email:AAACOS.FHPS@gmail.com.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- City officials want to hear from the community regarding the future of five business districts in Southeast Grand Rapids.

Residents are invited to three community workshops this week to provide input on what they want to see in the business districts, which include Alger Heights, Boston Square, Franklin and Eastern, Madison Square and Seymour Square.

"Hearing from community members on what they want their business districts to be will help our plan be a success," said Bill DeJong, who serves on the Southtown Corridor Improvement District Board and is chairman of the Southtown Area Specific Plan steering committee.

"The goal is to benefit the entire Southtown community by strengthening these commercial areas."

Each event will include the same presentation about the projects. The schedule is:

Wednesday, April 11:

Thursday, April 12:

Friday, April 13:

Spanish interpreters will be available at each workshop. Children are welcome to attend.

Third Ward Commissioner Senita Lenear, who also serves on the Southtown CID Board and steering committee, called it an "exciting time for Southtown."



"The plan will seek to grow and stabilize the businesses, especially those that are minority- and locally owned," Lenear said in a statement. "Together with the community, we want to create a plan to improve the business districts and retain their unique qualities."

Check out the Southtown Area Specific Plan website for more information.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A man charged with striking three people with his vehicle earlier this year has been sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison.

Police said Javier Cano-Monarrez, 34, was driving a Ford pickup on Sept. 17, 2016 when he struck three pedestrians at Grandville Avenue SW and Naylor Street.

All three victims - a 20-year-old pregnant woman, a 34-year-old woman, and a 1-year-old child in a stroller - had injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Police say Cano-Monarrez fled the scene after the crash and confessed to the crime after they tracked him down.

At his sentencing at the 61st District Court on April 10, Cano-Monarrez said an injection he had received to treat schizophrenia made him try to kill himself and hit the people with his car.

"Before the injection I never wanted to kill people," he said. "I never wanted to kill myself."

Defense attorney Naesha Leys said the defendant's family firmly believed a drug made him do the act.

She said she was not saying her client should walk out without being punished, but she did not think the sentencing guidelines were fair under the circumstances.

She asked the court to consider Cano-Monarrez's schizophrenia and mental illness and said he was not able to form intent.

Kent County Circuit Judge Paul Sullivan said he struggled with the sentencing, as he understood all the different sides.

"I recognize there's mental health issues here," Sullivan said. "I fully recognize that."

However, Sullivan said two psychiatrists had evaluated Cano-Monarrez and both said he was mentally ill at the time, but despite this he still had the capacity to understand right and wrong.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Cano-Monarrez on Sept. 14 -- three days before the crash -- told his therapist he would kill people with his vehicle if he wasn't placed in Pine Rest, a mental health facility.

Abigail Rubio, who was pregnant when she was struck by Cano-Monarrez's pickup, asked him "why" during her victim statement.

"My question is, why?" She said. "Causing so much pain to four innocent people."

"Sometimes I don't understand 'why' when someone wants to kill innocent people."

Sullivan said Cano-Monarrez would be incarcerated for no less than 12 years and no more than 30 years, with a credit of 570 days jail time he had already served.

He said the Michigan Department of Corrections would provide Cano-Monarrez housing that would give him the services and treatment he needed.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Two of the children of former President Gerald R. Ford and first lady Betty Ford told a crowd in Grand Rapids this week of a family partnership that helped guide them through one of the most trying periods for the modern American presidency.

Susan Ford Bales, the couple's youngest, and Michael, the oldest of the four children, both attended a banquet in Grand Rapids Wednesday, April 11, marking what would have been their mother's 100th birthday.

"I wish she was here for the celebration," Bales said.

Other special guests included Lynda Johnson Robb, daughter of former President Lyndon Johnson, and former first lady, secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Johnson and Clinton both expressed how glad they were to take the opportunity to honor Betty Ford's life and career.

"First ladies have always supported each other," Bales said.

The banquet, "America's First Ladies: An Enduring Legacy," is an annual tradition in Grand Rapids, the Ford family's onetime hometown. To mark the centennial milestone this year, the museum also unveiled a new exhibit this week taking a close look at Betty's life.

Bales explained why she believes it's so important to take the time to discuss the mark America's first ladies have left on our nation.

"The first lady's role is a very important role," she said. "And sometimes, I think, it gets lost. And I think my mother was one of the beginners of changing that role."

Though Bales said her mother was not necessarily the first "outspoken" first lady, her efforts to champion causes ranging from breast cancer awareness to the arts set her apart.

Michael pointed out his parents never campaigned to be president and first lady.

"As you know, my father and mother didn't really aspire to be the first family," he said.

The highest-ranking Republican congressman, Ford was chosen by then-President Richard Nixon to replace vice president Spiro Agnew after his resignation in 1973. Ford ultimately assumed the presidency on Aug. 9, 1974, after Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

Michael recalled the family gathering in the White House's East Lounge, sharing all their thoughts and anxieties and praying together over the family bible before Ford was sworn in as the nation's 38th president.

"That started a very tense and critical time in our nation's history," he said. "That was scary for all of us."

But they got through that difficult period as a family.

"They needed to lean on each other," Michael Ford said of his parents.

But six short weeks after President Ford took office, the family was hit with the news of Betty's breast cancer diagnosis. She underwent a mastectomy and ultimately made a full recovery.

Johnson said she remembers Betty giving her family a White House tour on the same day her operation was scheduled, something she learned later that day. That act of selflessness illustrated a larger trend in Betty's life, Johnson said.

"She was a role model for a lot of people," she said. "She faced life with great adventure."

The first lady used her experience to elevate public discussion of breast cancer, a topic considered taboo at the time. Later she talked openly about her struggle with addiction and founded the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction.

"She really felt that it was important to get breast cancer out and to get people to talk about it," Bales said. "You've got to remember, back then, nobody said 'breast' on TV. You would have said, 'She's having female surgery.' I mean, things have changed drastically. And thanks goodness. There's a definite line in women's health of before Betty and after Betty."

In a time of increasingly divisive political discussion, both Ford children stressed the importance for America to engage in thoughtful and respectful dialog.

Michael Ford said his parents set an example of avoiding "the spirit of acrimony and negativity"

"There's so much to be gained by collaboration and working with each other's strengths and not trying to put people down or point out their weaknesses," Ford said. "That's the approach that they followed. It worked very well in healing our nation. Certainly, we need more of that today."

Bales said the American people should remember to respect the office of President of the United States.

"Whether you like who's in there or not, it doesn't matter," she said. "When you've been in that fishbowl, you still respect the office. I will never say anything against a president or a first lady or their family members, because I've been there and I've walked in their shoes."

Last year's event featured presidential children Mary Jean Eisenhower and Susan Ford Bales as well as journalist and author Lisa McCubbin and former Secret Service agent Clint Hill, who collaborated with McCubbin to write books about the life of Jackie Kennedy and assassination of John F. Kennedy. Hill and McCubbin, who expect to release a biography of Betty Ford later this year, both returned to Grand Rapids this year to attend the event.

Proceeds from the luncheon benefit the DeVos Student Learning Center at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese art troupe will leave for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival.

The troupe will be led by Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The visit is at the invitation of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Traffic has slowed on southbound U.S. 131 after several vehicles were involved in crashes.

Dispatchers reported crashes just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 11, near Franklin and Wealthy streets.

Police have shut down lanes with traffic moving slowly.

Four vehicles were involved in the crash near Franklin. Tow trucks were called to the scene of the crashes.

Police and firefighters are on the scene.
LANSING, MI - A ban on all imported deer and an additional fencing requirement for private deer farms are part of Michigan's proposed changes to help limit the spread of chronic wasting disease.

The proposed legislation would create a three-part plan to protect deer from chronic wasting disease.

The plan:

Prohibits the importation of live cervids - which includes whitetail deer, elk and moose - into Michigan.

Establishes health and safety protocols for privately owned cervids imported before the ban, including a requirement that privately owned deer, elk and moose farms construct a secondary fence around the perimeter of their facilities.

The creation of a new fund dedicated to addressing chronic wasting disease in Michigan. People would have the option to make a voluntary $1, $5 or $10 donation to the fund when purchasing a Michigan hunting license and the donations would go directly toward research into eliminating chronic wasting disease.

The legislation was introduced Tuesday by three state representatives.

Michigan law currently allows people to import live deer into Michigan and only requires captive deer facilities to have one fence.

State Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, said single fences are not cutting it, as they allow wild deer to come nose-to-nose with deer on private farms.

"One sick deer mingling with wild whitetails is all it takes to jeopardize Michigan's hunting heritage," Barrett said.

Barrett, state Rep. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, and state Rep. Jim Lower, R-Cedar Lake, introduced the legislation.

Chronic wasting disease is a contagious and fatal central nervous system disease found in deer, elk and moose. It causes a spongy degeneration of the brain, resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and, ultimately, the animal's death.

From April 14, 2015 to May 31, 2016, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources tested 5,385 deer for CWD with seven CWD-positive results. As of March 13, 2018 the DNR has tested 30,706 deer total with 57 CWD-positive deer.

"Chronic wasting disease is known to spread easily from deer to deer," Lower said. "We must take a more proactive approach to stop its spread in Michigan and protect our healthy, sustainable deer herd."

Lower, Barrett and Albert are all hunters and wanted to work on the legislation together, Lower said.

Lower called CWD the "worst case scenario for people who deer hunt."

High rates of the disease in a deer population could significantly affect the number of deer and could decrease the potential for older deer, especially more mature bucks, according to the DNR.

In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated hunting generates more than $2.3 billion in economic impact in Michigan, including expenses related to food and lodging and $1.3 billion spent on equipment.

"Hunters have a stake in this," Lower said. "They value the opportunity to participate in one of Michigan's most treasured traditions, and it all rides on our deer population remaining healthy. This is a smart solution that allows concerned citizens to help protect a valuable natural resource."

The Core CWD Area includes Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm and Newaygo counties and 17 townships in Ingham, Clinton, Shiawassee and Eaton counties. The CWD Management Zone includes the remainder of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, as well as all of Ionia County, according to the DNR.

To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans and there is no evidence chronic wasting disease presents any risk to humans, either through contact with an infected animal or from handling venison.

However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A West Michigan nonprofit that has increasingly stepped into refugee resettlement around the world is calling on President Trump to let more refugees into the United States.

Bethany Christian Services says the United States should open its doors to at least 85,000 refugees.

In late 2017, the White House dropped the cap on refugees to 45,000 from 100,000, citing safety and cost concerns. In reality, United States is likely to let in about 25,000 refugees, according to numbers Bethany Christian Services is tracking.

The Trump administration's decision to cap refugee admission to 45,000 could have "devastating results" for highly vulnerable refugees such as unaccompanied minors, individuals with urgent medical needs, torture survivors and persecuted religious minorities, the organization said in a letter sent earlier this year.

More than 75 percent of refugees are women and children who have suffered torture and violence.

"They are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable," said Chris Palusky, Bethany's new CEO.

Bethany is among nine agencies, mostly faith-based organizations, that have worked for decades with the U.S. government to settle refugees.

"Our faith and God's loving kindness to us and this nation compel us to support refugees. We ask that you view the refugee and immigration crisis through the eyes of those seeking refuge from persecution. America can and should be that place of refuge," read part of the letter to Trump signed by Palusky and Bethany's board of directors.

The group sent a similar letter to the President last year.

"We would hope the administration would be open to our conversation," Palusky said. "We hope to see it as a value to the fabric of the U.S."

Since its start nearly 75 years ago as an adoption agency, Bethany has evolved into a world-wide social services agency now primarily focused on refugee resettlement and foster care.

On any given day, there are about 1,200 children in Bethany's U.S. foster care program. The organization served more than 2,230 refugee children and adults arriving in the United States in 2016, according to the most recent data available.

Over the past 40 years, Bethany's refugee work has developed a niche focused on children, many of whom arrive in camps or the United States as unaccompanied minors.

In response to fears that terrorist might pose as refugees, Palusky pointed out that refugees go through a two-year, 16-step comprehensive vetting process to gain approval to enter the country.

"We want to get the word out that refugees aren't what people envision. They are usually mom and kids," Palusky said.

His career in the nonprofit sector began with resettling refugees in Atlanta 20 years ago, and has expanded to relief and development work around the world. Most recently, he worked in Tacoma, Washington as vice president of private funding for World Vision International.

Palusky took the helm from Bill Blacquiere, who retired in late 2017 after 31 years with Bethany. Blacquiere played a significant role in growing Bethany into one of the world's largest global Christian social services organization, with a presence in 36 states and 15 countries.

The organization is stepping up its efforts to take a larger role in responding to the worst global refugee crisis since World World II. There are currently 22.5 million refugees -- who are among 65.5 million people forcibly displaced around the globe.

"If we don't speak for refugees, they don't have a voice," Blacquiere said.

Bethany recently hired Nate Bult, former legislative director for U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, who is tasked with increasing the organization's profile with both lawmakers and other agencies.

"Our hope is to open doors," said Bult, who is based in Washington D.C. "There's good will on the hill."

Bult said his goal is to put Bethany at the table with other social service organizations to come up with solutions for addressing the global refugee crisis.

Inside the organization's headquarters, at 901 Eastern Ave. NE in Grand Rapids, the the walls are decorated with photos of foster children from all over the world who have been helped by the non-profit.

Bethany's work is supported by hundreds of churches, business and others donors. The organization also has a network of 400 businesses who provide jobs to refugees, helping them make the transition to the country.

Bethany has been expanding its work in refugee camps around the world as the United States is letting in fewer refugees. Often, there is a need for foster care in the camps.

In Grand Rapids, Bethany has a healing center for victims of torture which provides counseling to about 5,000 refugees annually. Many of those receiving counseling are children. Some are so traumatized by their experiences they have shut down and won't talk.

The organization has built a reputation for providing counseling service to help refugees who have suffered from war, sex and slavery trafficking and severe abuse by terrorist organizations.

"That's one of the reasons we are going to refugee camps," Blacquiere said. "United Nations has asked us to come into help."
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The attorney for Quinn James, accused of killing a teen he allegedly raped, said the prosecution's case is based on "speculation."

The victim's family said James' arrest brought some comfort.

Kent County prosecutors charged James and an accomplice on Wednesday, April 11.

Mujey Dumbuya

James, 42, is facing multiple life offenses in the January killing of Mujey Dumbuya, 16, who police say was kidnapped from her home, strangled, then had her body dumped on Kalamazoo's north side.

James was awaiting trial on allegations that he raped Dumbuya, an East Kentwood student, when she went missing on Jan. 24.

Police say James, through an acquaintance, sought out Gerald Bennett, 58, of Detroit, to help him kill Dumbuya and dispose of her body.

The arrests brought comfort to the victim's family who lost their "beautiful, beloved, Mujey."

Her mother, Fatmata Corneh, said a statement that she wants James to know: "You have no idea what you have put me and my family through. You broke us into pieces."

Najaj Konneh, Mujey's aunt, said: "We are happy and sad at the same. Happy because we are closer to seeing the people who murdered Mujey get convicted. Sad on the other hand, because Mujey is not here to see this day."

The family's attorney, Christine Yared, thanked police in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo for their tireless work.

"Today is a day to recognize and express deep appreciation for their dedication and hard work," Yared said.

James is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, with kidnapping the underlying offense, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Bennett is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

James' attorney, Jonathan Schildgen, discounted evidence against his client, who has maintained his innocence.

"Theory and speculation as certainty is the name of their game," Schildgen said in an email to MLive and The Grand Rapids Press.

"I do 200 felonies a year. (I) Read hundreds of police reports and affidavits. Their case will never look better than it does right now! Affidavits always look great... . Because they are untested and unchallenged. And most importantly, not subjected to the adversarial system. Let's see how many of those propositions hold true after the preliminary exam. And more pointedly, what's left of that document after a fair trial. My guess is not much."

Schildgen was unable to attend James' initial court appearance Wednesday before Grand Rapids District Judge David Buter.

Buter ordered James and Bennett held without bond.

Arraigned via video link from the Kent County Jail, James looked relaxed before the judge entered the courtroom.

He noted that several members of the media took his photo.

"I see all the reporters," he said, making clicking noises.

When the judge read the charges and asked James if he understood, James said, "I understood the last one. I don't understand the first two."

The judge said it was important that James understand the charges, even if he disputes them.

"I'll figure it out later," James said. When the judge said he would read them again, James said he understood.

Bennett, who proclaimed his innocence after he was recently charged with perjury, had little to say during his brief hearing.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker filed charges after a lengthy joint investigation by Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo police.

Dumbuya was reported missing Jan. 24 after she failed to get on the bus for school.

Her body was found four days later in the woods in the 800 block of North Prairie Avenue in Kalamazoo.

In reading the charges against the defendants, the judge said that the crime happened at Dumbuya's apartment just outside of Kentwood. Records showed she died of "asphyxia, including strangulation."

Police would not disclose where they believe she died, or share a timeline of events leading to the killing.

"We think we have an idea of what exactly happened," Becker said.

A probable-cause affidavit said police discovered evidence that linked James to the victim's disappearance and killing. Police also said witnesses reported James was looking for someone to kill Dumbuya and dispose of her body.

Police say James was near her home the night before her abduction and killing. Police linked the car James was driving to the place where the victim's body was dumped, the affidavit said.

Surveillance video also captured the two suspects in Grand Rapids the day before the killing.

Police say James paid Bennett with a vehicle, which was found at Bennett's girlfriend's home in Detroit.

Dumbuya's boyfriend, Daquarius Daymont Bibbs, 17, was living with James, who was engaged to Bibbs' aunt, Tiara Burnett. Bibbs testified that James sexually assaulted Dumbuya in his presence.

He said he feared James.
LANSING, MI - The same vessel thought to have caused a mineral-oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac earlier this month may also have put three small dents in Line 5, according to the governor's office.

Line 5, operated by Enbridge, carries oil between Michigan's two peninsulas underneath the Straits of Mackinac. It's proven controversial in recent years as engineers and environmentalists have expressed concern about risks the aging pipeline could pose to the Great Lakes.

The incident involving a different line in the Straits was initially thought not to have affected Line 5, which was shut down temporarily during the investigation.

The governor's office announced the Line 5 damage in a press release Thursday.

The governor's office was informed of three small dents in the line by Enbridge, which said they posed no danger. The state is verifying that information with its own experts.

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who is acting as governor due to Gov. Rick Snyder being out of the state, is also asking Attorney General Bill Schuette to initiate legal action against the ship's owners, operators or other parties who are potentially responsible.

"There is no excuse for the ship's actions, which risked devastating environmental harm as well as the loss of vital infrastructure for communications, electrical power, and heat for residents of the Upper Peninsula," Calley said. "I have asked the Attorney General to begin legal action against the ship's owners immediately to ensure every member of the maritime community understands the no-anchor zone is vital."

A spokesperson for the governor's office said she could not name the company thought to be responsible for the anchor strikes, citing an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Enbridge in a statement said it took immediate action after learning of the damage to the American Transmission Company's transmission cables in the straits.

"Following a series of inspections of Line 5 in recent days, we have confirmed dents to both the East and West segments of Line 5," said the company in a statement.

"A review of all leak detection systems and available data indicates the structural integrity of the pipelines has not been compromised."

The company is assessing appropriate reinforcing repairs, according to its statement.

In a press release, Snyder called for an acceleration of studies on alternatives to the pipeline he demanded in November.

"An anchor strike was the largest risk identified in a previous independent analysis of the Enbridge pipeline, which is apparently what happened in the Straits last week. We need to accelerate these studies so they are completed as soon as feasibly and responsibly possible," Snyder said in a press release.

"We need the right answers, but we need them as soon as we can get them so that we can take action faster to protect the Great Lakes."

The studies, expected to be completed in June, are looking at ways to mitigate anchor strikes. One possibility is tunneling, which according to the governor's office would require Enbridge to construct a tunnel and decommission the existing Line 5. That is a possibility the governor would support assuming studies show a tunnel is physically possible and constriction would not cause significant environmental damage, according to his press release.

Snyder is currently in Silicon Valley meeting with tech companies and investors to further Michigan's mobility and information technology sectors.

Note: This story has been corrected to reflect that, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, it was mineral oil that spilled in the recent transmission line incident.
Michigan's Department of Natural Resources is stepping in to help save Indiana's annual brown trout restocking effort, agreeing to send the Hoosier state 40,000 of the fish this month.

The 6-inch fingerling trout will be restocked in and around Indiana's Lake Michigan coastline, the Associated Press said.

Indiana typically gets a big batch of the popular game fish from Illinois, but that state had a shortage, prompting Indiana to tap its northern neighbor.

The bulk of the Michigan-raised trout will be stocked at the East Chicago marina, the AP said.

The Michigan DNR said 2017 was a strong year for fish-stocking in the state. It stocked nine different species, totaling 834,175 fish. These fish were stocked at 76 locations throughout the state.
RED CLIFF, WI - Michigan's Pictured Rocks isn't the only national lakeshore that will be honored on a quarter in 2018.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a group of 21 islands and shoreline located on the northern tip of Wisconsin in Lake Superior, is the latest release in the United States Mint's America the Beautiful Series honoring national parks and other national sites.

The coin is the second of five to be issued in 2018, and the 42nd release in the series overall. A quarter depicting Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising was released in February.

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore quarter design depicts the sea caves at Devils Island with the lighthouse in the background and a kayaker paddling in the foreground. Inscriptions on the reverse are "APOSTLE ISLANDS," "WISCONSIN," "2018," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."

The heads design depicts the 1932 restored portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan. Inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "QUARTER DOLLAR."

"Just as the guiding light beacons from the Devils Island lighthouse--as it has done for decades--the Apostle Islands Quarter will serve as a shining example of the inherent value of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the people who protect it and frequent it...shedding light on its splendor, beauty and purpose, for future generations to follow," said Marc Landry, Acting Associate Director of the Mint's Numismatic and Bullion Directorate.

Launched in 2009, the America the Beautiful Quarters Program is a 12-year initiative that honors 56 national parks and other national sites.

Each year until 2020, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverses of the America the Beautiful Quarters coins, with a final coin scheduled for release in 2021.

The Mint is issuing these quarters according to the date each location was designated a national site.
No, Facebook does not monitor audio on social media to mine for ad use, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday.

Zuckerberg shot down the widespread rumor in response to a question from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, while Zuckerberg appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees.

"Facebook is losing the trust of a lot of Americans," Peters said, as he asked Zuckerberg about rumors that Facebook monitors audio on mobile devices.

"I hear it all the time, from my own staff," Peters said.

Not true, Zuckerberg said.

"You're talking the conspiracy theory that we listen to people when they use our microphone and use that for ads. We don't do that," Zuckerberg said.

When people use Facebook to create videos, he said, "we do record that to make the service better and make sure people have audio," but the content is not subject to data collection.

Zuckerberg's appearance before Congress continues today, as he is questioned about his company's collection of data of users and how that data was obtained by a third party.

An estimated 87 million Facebook users -- 70 million in the U.S. -- are believed to have had their data collected by Cambridge Analytica through a personality quiz on Facebook.

Another Michigan lawmaker -- U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph -- questioned Zuckerberg this morning.

He asked Zuckerberg about Facebook rules in taking down content, using the example of a political ad created by Michigan Lottery Commissioner Aric Nesbitt, a Republican running for Michigan State Senate in the 26th District.

Upton said that Nesbitt's ad was "quite positive," stressing his support for conservative values. But the ad was taken down by Facebook, which said the ad violated Facebook's policy on civil discourse.

"It's quite possible that we made a mistake," Zuckerberg said, adding he wasn't aware of the specific case. "We don't always get it right."

In response to another Upton question, Zuckerberg said that regulation of the Internet is inevitable.

"The Internet is growing in importance around the world, and it is inevitable there will be need to be some regulation," he said.

"My position is not that there should be no regulation, but that you have to be careful."
JACKSON, MI - It was a warm summer afternoon when Demarcus Smith stopped to refuel his car at a Jackson gas station, not expecting someone would begin shooting at him from a passing vehicle.

As the shots rang out at the Sunoco gas station in the 1400 block of Francis Street on July 12, 2016, Smith took cover, running toward the building as a bullet hit him in the leg.

Smith, a felon, said he retrieved a handgun he knew he could not have and shot back at his attacker as he fled back to his car to make his escape.

His attacker was never located, but Smith was by Jackson police as he was heading to the hospital.

"I got shot at a gas station in the middle of the day and now I'm going to prison," Smith said at his Jackson County Circuit Court sentencing Wednesday, April 11.

Circuit Judge Susan Jordan sentenced Smith to serve one to 10 years in prison.

"This was a heartbreaking situation," Jordan said. "You made a lot of mistakes, but I'll take you at your word that you're not going to let yourself or your family down. I don't want to see you back here again."

Smith, 25, was convicted March 2 of one count each carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a fire arm by a felon, felon in possession of ammunition and two counts of felony firearms.

He was found not guilty of one additional count of carrying a concealed weapon, records show.

If he serves his time with no infractions, Smith is eligible to be released from prison in one year and three months as he has been in jail for 637 days already.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kelsey McKinnie argued for a harsher sentence, noting Smith's involvement with multiple other crimes in Jackson.

"This case was square in the middle of an uptick in shootings and crime in 2016," McKinnie said. "(Smith) has been involved in a lot of things and he has shown over and over again he is dangerous to the community."

Smith's name appeared repeatedly in police investigations of several shootings in the spring and summer of 2016, police said previously. The gas station shooting that left Smith injured was believed to be retaliatory, police said.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- YWCA Kalamazoo will celebrate several Kalamazoo-area women for their contributions to the community with its 2018 YWCA Women of Achievement Awards.

Recipients were announced this week and will be honored at the 34th annual awards program at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel, 100 W. Michigan Ave.

Judy Jolliffe, retired executive director of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, is this year's Lifetime Woman of Achievement Award recipient.

The YWCA credits Jolliffe with helping to transform the arts community in Kalamazoo. Her "influence is seen throughout the community," it said in announcing her selection for the highest award. In addition to leading the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, she has served as interim director of both the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

She spearheaded the fundraising campaign to renovate Chenery Auditorium, co-chaired the Arcadia Creek Common-West "Artscape" project and played a key role in converting the former Jacobson's department store downtown into the Epic Center, where the theater was renamed the Judy K. Jolliffe Theatre in 2016. She has received numerous awards, including the Athena Award, Community Medal of Arts, Glass Ceiling Award and the Rotary Red Rose.

Woman of Achievement recipients are:

Ann Fergemann, philanthropic advisor with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, has provided expertise in philanthropy for over 30 years, the YWCA said in a news release. She was hired as the foundation's first scholarship administrator then became its first donor relations officer in 1997. Fergemann assisted four nonprofit organizations in the creation of the Women's Education Coalition Fund, one that provides grant support to women in need of education.

Wendy Fields has worked "tirelessly for inclusion and equity in her many positions" through a social justice lens, the release said. A retired worker for Kalamazoo County, Fields "highlighted and combated disparities" in roles at Head Start and Maternal and Infant Health programs. She headed the creation of an antiracism team at the Health and Community Services Department and mandatory training on the topic. Her "knowledge and skill sets proved effective when helping mothers navigate systems," the release said.

Rosemary Gardiner, CEO emeritus of Family & Children Services, has "advocated for and embodied the mission" of the organization for 44 years and has worked to "support, strengthen and preserve the safety, well-being and dignity" of everyone, the YWCA said. As CEO, Gardiner's vision extended beyond norms in developing services and challenged staff and community partners to be innovative in their service to the community. "Her energy, enthusiasm and authenticity motivated colleagues to strive to do their very best work," the release said.

Donna Odom, executive director at the Society for History and Racial Equity, used an "inclusive approach to community dialogue" in her anti-racism efforts in Kalamazoo, the YWCA said in its announcement. Under her leadership, SHARE's programs such as Annual Summit on Racism, The Racial Healing Initiative and Engaging the Wisdom Oral History Project are "fundamentally interracial and serve the community as a space where truths can be spoken honestly," it said.

Jane Rooks Ross, the founding director of education for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, started 20 education programs serving eight counties in and around Kalamazoo. Her programming has impacted thousands of students by introducing children to a "lifelong engagement of music," the release said. Her programs such as Music-on-the-Move Ensemble and Instrument Petting Zoo provide children with exposure to music and instruments.

A special posthumous award will also be presented at the awards program to the family of Gulnar Husain for her commitment to Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo.

Recipients of the Women of Achievement Awards were selected by an independent committee chaired by YWCA Board member Cathy Wortham. The 2018 awards are sponsored by The Peterson Company, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Chemical Bank, Greenleaf Trust and Stryker Corp.
A Chinese terracotta warrior, which was damaged while on display in the U.S., has returned to China this month. Chinese authorities noted that such vandalism would not hinder Sino-U.S. cultural exchange, though urging the U.S. side to better protect loaned cultural relics in the future.

The thumb of a 2,000-year-old terracotta warrior was stolen while on display at the Franklin Institute. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The life-sized terracotta warrior statue, which was on loan by the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Center and displayed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, succumbed to bodily harm in January after a man snuck into the exhibit and broke off and pocketed its thumb. The cavalryman statue dates back to at least 209 B.C and is one of 10 Chinese terracotta warrior statues on display in the U.S. The exhibit was ended on March 4.

According to CGTN, the Philadelphia City Council has apologized for the vandalism, while the official apology was sent to the Chinese Consulate General in New York, which forwarded it to the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Center in April.

Confirming receipt of the apology, an official from the Shaanxi cultural relics bureau told Science and Technology Daily that the mayor of Philadelphia has sent a written document regarding the vandalism to Chinese authorities, while the case is now undergoing legal hearings in the U.S. The Chinese side will keep calling the perpetrator to account for the damage.

Sino-U.S. cultural cooperation will not be hindered by the vandalism, but security measures regarding cultural relics lent to foreign countries must be strengthened and upgraded in the future. According to former agreements signed between China and the U.S., there will be more cultural relics including the terracotta warriors travelling to the U.S. to be displayed in the future, he added.

Local authorities also noted that the restoration work of the damaged terracotta warrior has already started.
BRIDGEPORT TWP, MI -- Bridgeport-Spaulding Community Schools is putting the brakes on hiring a superintendent until board members come to an agreement as to who should lead the district.

The district chose five people out of 28 applicants and announced two finalists earlier this week.

Penny Kentish McWilliams, director of state and federal programs at Beecher Community School District, and Mark Whelton, a financial independence consultant for Michigan Department of Education, were slated to be interviewed again on Friday, April 13.

But School Board President Robert Lange announced in an email on Wednesday, April 11, that those interviews have been canceled. The board now plans to meet with their consultant from the Michigan Association of School Boards to address the superintendent search.

Lange said they were following the process of hiring a superintendent as defined by MASB, however, the district is heavily invested in the K-12 Blueprint model, which is a systematic reconfiguration of how education is delivered to students.

"We want to make certain that whoever we hire will make sure that process continues," Lange said.

Lange said the reason for slowing things down is "due to a genuine sensitivity to all the good things we have going, and the board's desire to ensure a seamless handoff."

"There is a difference between the democratic process and consensus, and this is one of those times where we need to ensure we have taken the needed time to get it right," Lange said.

Superintendent Carol Selby was appointed interim superintendent when Thomas Hill took medical leave in December of 2014. She became the superintendent in May 2015. She is retiring on June 30.

Lange said the board will regroup Friday night before moving forward with the search.
FRANKENMUTH, MI -- Willkommen to Frankenmuth.

That's the message that will greet motorists in 8-foot-tall red letters as they pass under a new archway crossing M-83 near Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. The steel and concrete welcome sign represents a nearly $1 million investment in Michigan's Little Bavaria.

"It's nice for people to understand you have arrived. This is a place of importance, this is a special place," said Sheila Stamiris, director of the Frankenmuth Downtown Development Authority. "It sets the tone from the minute you drive under the arch into the city."

The new archway, measuring 160 feet wide, crosses M-83 at the southern boundary of Frankenmuth between Townline Road in Frankenmuth Township and Weiss Street in the city of Frankenmuth near Bronner's Christmas Wonderland and Grandpa Tiny's Farm. The towers are taller than 26 feet.

Stamiris said the project, funded entirely by the Palmer Foundation through the Frankenmuth Community Foundation, "has roots that go way back." The total cost was $918,000, which includes a $250,000 endowment fund to maintain it, she said.

The Palmer Gateway Arch project is the realization of a vision Walter and Maria Palmer had years ago, Stamiris said. The Palmers built and operated the original Bavarian Haus Motel, now Zehnder's Splash Village, and were "ardent supporters of the Frankenmuth community, establishing a family foundation to enable funding of the Palmer Schau Platz, city beautification efforts, music education and many other good works," according to a news release.

Officials hope to have the project complete by Friday, April 13, Stamiris said, noting that detours remain in place for cars and trucks.

Check out this drone video courtesy of Grand Space Media LLC:
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump says the relationship between the U.S. and Russia has never been worse and that former Cold War adversary should be prepared to shoot down missiles directed at Syria.

In a pair of tweets sent out early Wednesday morning, Trump appeared to confirm his intentions to use missile attacks in Syria, despite threats from Russia that any U.S. launched missiles would be shot down.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump also called on Russia to join other nations in working together while also appearing to call for an end to the arms race.

According to the Associated Press, Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted. Russian lawmakers have also said any attack on Syria would be treated as a war crime which could lead to a serious conflict between the nations.

Conversations between the U.S., France and Britain have been ongoing about how to respond to Syria's use of chemical weapons attack that killed at least 40 people.

French President Emmanuel Macron says a decision is coming and has called for a "strong and joint response," according to the AP.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and Trump have spoke about the chemical attack according to British government statement. Both sides agreed the attack the something must be done "to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons."

Russian military has visited the site of the alleged chemical weapons attacks and reports there is no evidence that such an attack occurred.
A large, powerful storm looks like it is tracking toward the Great Lakes region. This storm isn't a fast mover. It may dominate our weather around the Great Lakes for four straight days, starting Friday.

When we meteorologists forecast the next seven days, we look to at least two computer models, the Global Forecast System (GFS) and the European Medium Range Weather Forecast Model (Euro in slang). Both major weather models indicate a storm system will arrive in Michigan Friday morning, and bring us rain, snow, freezing rain and wind through next Tuesday morning.

That's a four-day storm.

Now relax. Not everywhere will get four days of a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain. In fact, for the southern half of Lower Michigan the precipitation should mostly be rain.

Here's a look at the surface weather maps for each morning from Friday through Tuesday.

Just below is the start of the storm Friday morning.

Surface weather for 8 a.m. Friday, April 13, 2018.

Rain could be just starting in much of Lower Michigan Friday morning.

Just below is the surface weather Saturday morning.

Surface weather at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 14, 2018.

I have to beg you to not look at the exact position of the rain to freezing rain to snow areas. Those areas will change with the storm still 72 hours from starting. Just get the idea that there will be three zones of weather with this storm.

Surface weather for 8 a.m. Sunday, April 15, 2018.

The storm center will likely still be near Michigan Sunday, April 15, 2018. Areas of precipitation will be rotating around the storm.

Sometime Monday, Michigan could get on the back-side, cold part of the storm.

Surface weather for 8 a.m. Monday, April 16, 2018.

Once Michigan is on the west side of the storm, much of the precipitation could change over to snow. The precipitation may not be heavy at that point, but it's snow in mid-April.

Surface weather for 8 a.m. Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

The precipitation with the storm may finally be east of Michigan by next Tuesday. The cold winds will still be circulating around the storm, and keeping Michigan colder than average.

The precipitation amounts could be heavy. Here's a look at what one computer model shows for total liquid precipitation amounts by the end of the storm. Use this info with a few points in mind. First, the amounts are probably too heavy at this point. Cut the amounts in half. Also, don't focus on exactly where the heaviest amounts are shown. Get the idea that there will be heavy rain areas.

Total precipitation forecast through April 20, 2018.

So if we cut the amounts in half, which is my general rule this far out, we get a 1.5" to 2.5" liquid amount. Some part of northern Michigan or the U.P. could have that as mostly snow. Some part of northern or central Michigan could have some of that precip as freezing rain. Southern Michigan mostly gets a soaking rain.

One thing is for sure looking at the rain forecast, the Great Lakes water levels will definitely rise due to this storm system.

I'll keep you updated on MLive. I think the smart thing to do Wednesday would be to fire up your generator for a test run, especially if you are like me. I haven't run my generator in a year. You know what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Any questions? Please post in the comments section.
[April 11, 2018] Uruguay Telecoms Market Report 2018: Analysis and Outlook (2005-2025) - Leading Companies Along with Their Market Shares are Identified DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2018 Uruguay Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research work strategically analyzes Uruguay telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others. The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025. Uruguay telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in Uruguay together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front. On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of Uruguay that enable strategy planners to formulate their pricing an branding strategies. The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed. Key Topics Covered:







Executive Summary Key Findings

Uruguay Telecom Market Overview Uruguay Telecom Market - Strategic Analysis Trends Shaping the Future of Uruguay Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in Uruguay

Telecom Investments in Uruguay

Market Drivers

Market Restraints Uruguay Telecom Market Outlook Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook Uruguay Telecom Competitive Environment Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry Uruguay Telecom Industry Benchmarking Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index Uruguay Economic Outlook to 2025 GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends Uruguay Demographic Outlook to 2025 Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in Uruguay Competitor Analysis Company A: Profile and operations in Uruguay

Company B: Profile and operations in Uruguay

Company C: Profile and operations in Uruguay Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4vhtw5/uruguay_telecoms?w=5 Media Contact:

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Laura Wood, Senior Manager

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[April 11, 2018] Digital Colony to Acquire Digita Oy BOCA RATON, Fla. and HELSINKI, Finland, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Colony, a global investment firm focused on enabling the next generation of mobile and internet infrastructure, today announced that a Digital Colony affiliate has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100 percent of the capital in Digita Oy ("Digita") from First State Investments ("First State"). Digita is the owner and operator of the premier nationwide digital terrestrial television ("DTT") and radio broadcasting tower infrastructure network in Finland. Founded in 1999 as a spin-off from national broadcaster Yle, Digita is Finland's leading TV and radio broadcasting network and the only platform with the ability to reach nearly 100 percent of the Finnish population. The company is also Finland's largest independent tower network owner, providing infrastructure solutions to the country's largest mobile network operators. Digita will continue to be led by CEO Juha-Pekka Weckstrom and the existing management team. "I am grateful for the support First State has provided to Digita over the years," said Weckstrom. "Together with First State, we have invested more than 40 million into Digita to upgrade our network and to start new business lines including data centers and internet of things ("IoT") services. Partnering with Digital Colony will help Digita continue to enhance its network and facilitate a first class customer experience." "Digita is well-positioned to extend its business model into adjacent markets as the deployment of 5G will increase demand for new macro towers, rooftop sites, small cell deployments, and data centers," said Ben Jenkins, Managing Partner at Digital Colony. "We look forward to partnering with Digita's highly experienced team to ensure that the company's processes and systems remain best in class to provide customers state-of-the-art solutions across the entire value chain." "We ae pleased to have reached an agreement to sell Digita to Digital Colony," said Niall Mills, Partner, Infrastructure Investments at First State. "Under our ownership, Digita has successfully refocused on its core competencies, extended all of its key broadcasting contracts, led the transition to high definition DTT and secured all six ultra-high frequency DTT Multiplex licenses in 2017. This secures Digita's role as Finland's nationwide TV broadcast infrastructure provider over the long-term. We are confident that under Digital Colony's ownership, Digita will continue to be well positioned to further develop as Finland's leading tower network company." The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in Q2 2018. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and ICECAPITAL served as financial advisors, with Roschier acting as legal advisor to First State. Ashurst LLP provided legal counsel to Digital Colony. About Digital Colony

Digital Colony is a global investment firm focused on enabling the next generation of mobile and internet infrastructure. Digital Colony is a joint venture between Digital Bridge Holdings, LLC, a leading owner and operator of digital infrastructure businesses and Colony NorthStar, Inc. (NYSE: CLNS), a leading real estate investment management firm. The principals of Digital Colony collectively have 23 years of investment and operating history, having founded, operated and successfully exited from multiple businesses in the digital infrastructure space. Digital Colony's focus is to invest in four key segments of mobile and internet infrastructure (macro cell towers, data centers, small cell networks, and fiber networks) to take advantage of physical infrastructure convergence ahead of the anticipated global 5G rollout and beyond. About Digita

Digita transmits radio and television programs to nearly everyone living in every corner of Finland every day of the year. Digita also applies the latest digital technology in order to develop and offer versatile online television and radio services. In addition, its service portfolio includes comprehensive Internet of Things services based on its nationwide network, as well as world-class Data Center Services. Digita's clients are the national broadcaster YLE, media houses and mobile and broadband operators that provide quality content and services. About First State Investments

First State Investments is a global asset management business with experience across a range of asset classes and specialist investment sectors. First State Investments is owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and as at 31 December 2017 managed 127.5 billion of assets on behalf of clients worldwide. In Australia First State operates as Colonial First State Global Asset Management. First State offers a range of investment solutions to institutional and retail investors globally, including equities, debt, multi-asset and unlisted infrastructure. First State Investments approach to investment is driven by a commitment to providing the best possible outcomes over the long term for its investors. To achieve this, First State Investments ensure its interests are aligned with its investors and upholds a culture of always acting in its clients' best interests. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-colony-to-acquire-digita-oy-300628173.html SOURCE Digital Colony

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[April 11, 2018] 2018 Denmark Telecom Market Report: 2005-2025 Analysis & Forecasts - Revenues, Investment and Infrastructure Details are Covered DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2018 Denmark Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research work strategically analyzes Denmark telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others. The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025. Denmark telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in Denmark together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front. On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of Denmark that enable strategy planners to formulate their pricng and branding strategies. The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed. Key Topics Covered:







Executive Summary Key Findings

Denmark Telecom Market Overview Denmark Telecom Market-Strategic Analysis Trends Shaping the Future of Denmark Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in Denmark

Telecom Investments in Denmark

Market Drivers

Market Restraints Denmark Telecom Market Outlook Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook Denmark Telecom Competitive Environment Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry Denmark Telecom Industry Benchmarking Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index Denmark Economic Outlook to 2025 GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends Denmark Demographic Outlook to 2025 Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in Denmark Competitor Analysis Company A: Profile and operations in Denmark

Company B: Profile and operations in Denmark

Company C: Profile and operations in Denmark Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gdsshz/2018_denmark?w=5 Media Contact:

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[April 11, 2018] United Kingdom Telecoms Market Report 2018: Analysis and Forecasts (2005-2025) - Revenues, Investment and Infrastructure Details are Covered DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2018 United Kingdom Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research work strategically analyzes United Kingdom telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others. The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025. United Kingdom telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in United Kingdom together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front. On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of United Kingdom that enable strategy planners to formulate their pricing and branding srategies. The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed. Key Topics Covered:







Executive Summary Key Findings

United Kingdom Telecom Market Overview United Kingdom Telecom Market - Strategic Analysis Trends Shaping the Future of United Kingdom Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in United Kingdom

Telecom Investments in United Kingdom

Market Drivers

Market Restraints United Kingdom Telecom Market Outlook Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook United Kingdom Telecom Competitive Environment Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry United Kingdom Telecom Industry Benchmarking Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index United Kingdom Economic Outlook to 2025 GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends United Kingdom Demographic Outlook to 2025 Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in United Kingdom Competitor Analysis Company A: Profile and operations in United Kingdom

Company B: Profile and operations in United Kingdom

Company C: Profile and operations in United Kingdom Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xg4sdn/united_kingdom?w=5 Media Contact:

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LOS ANGELES, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Arctic mountain glaciers are melting faster than at any time in the past 400 years because of rising summer temperatures, a new study found.

The warmer temperatures are melting 60 times more snow from Mt. Hunter in Alaska's Denali National Park today than the amount of snow that melted during the summer before the start of the industrial period 150 years ago, according to the study, published in the latest issue of Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

More snow now melts on Mt. Hunter than at any time in the past 400 years, Dominic Winski, a glaciologist at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and lead author of the new study, said in a news release on Tuesday.

The new study's results show the Alaska Range has been warming rapidly for at least a century. The Alaska Range is an arc of mountains in southern Alaska home to Denali, North America's highest peak.

To better understand how the climate of the Alaska Range has changed over the past several hundred years, Winski and 11 other researchers from Dartmouth College, the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire drilled ice cores from Mt. Hunter in June 2013.

New ice cores taken from the summit of Mt. Hunter show summers there are least 1.2-2 degrees Celsius warmer than summers were during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Hunter is about double the amount of warming that has occurred during the summer at areas at sea level in Alaska over the same time period, according to the new research.

Researchers believe that warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean has contributed to the unprecedented melting of Mt. Hunter's glaciers by altering how air moves from the tropics to the poles.

They suspect melting of mountain glaciers may accelerate faster than melting of sea level glaciers as the Arctic continues to warm.

"This adds to the growing body of research showing that changes in the tropical Pacific can manifest in changes across the globe," said Luke Trusel, a glaciologist at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey who was not connected to the study. "It's adding to the growing picture that what we're seeing today is unusual."

Since mountain glaciers provide fresh water to many heavily-populated areas of the globe and can contribute to sea level rise, understanding how mountain glaciers are responding to climate change is important.

"The natural climate system has changed since the onset of the anthropogenic era," Winski said. "In the North Pacific, this means temperature and precipitation patterns are different today than they were during the preindustrial period."
Washington (Peoples Daily)  Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before a joint hearing of Senate Judiciary and Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation committees with 44 US Senators on Tuesday, responding to a series of privacy concerns stemming from a data breach by Cambridge Analytica.

Last month, multiple media reports said that 87 million Americans Facebook data was harvested and improperly transferred to the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

In his opening remarks, Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook didnt do enough to prevent its platform from being used for harm, such as fake news, foreign interference in elections, hate speech and breach of data privacy.

We didnt take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and Im sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here.

Journalists gather to wait for Zuckerberg ahead of the hearing. (Photos: Hu Zexi/People's Daily)

The debut of the Facebook founder before US Congress has attracted widespread attention across the United States. Reporters and journalists arrived three hours ahead of the hearing, while the public lined up early outside the testimony hall to get a pass.

It's extraordinary to hold a joint committee hearing. It's even more extraordinary to have a single CEO testify before nearly half the United States Senate," said Chairman Senator John Thune of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Weve seen apology tours before, Senator Richard Blumenthal told Zuckerberg, questioning if the social media giant could regain public trust.

Zuckerberg said that Facebook was started in his dorm room, indicating that its hard not to make mistakes in the companys exponential expansion.

Protestors hold up signs at the hearing with statements for "privacy protection" and "stopping corporate spying".

Zuckerberg also emphasized that Facebook is undergoing a philosophical transformation toward how to run its business.

Despite acknowledging many deficiencies and mistakes, Zuckerberg defended the companys business model of data-based advertising at the hearing, saying this can help the company achieve its mission to connect people worldwide.
Prime Minister Abe extended his congratulations on the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and progress of the reconstruction in Iraq, and stated that Japan will continue to support the Iraqi peoples unified efforts towards reconstruction and is determined to strengthen the relationship between the two countries in a broad range of fields, taking the opportunity of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2019.

In response, Prime Minister Al-Abadi expressed gratitude for Prime Minister Abes invitation, and stated that he would like to take this visit as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
Hangzhou customs blocks 469 tonnes of solid waste from U.S.

HANGZHOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Customs authority in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, said 469 tonnes of solid waste will be returned.

Inspectors found the shipment, from the United States, consisting of scrap paper mixed with waste metal parts and used drinking bottles.

According to Chinese regulations, the shipment that contains solid waste should be banned from import.

The customs authority has asked companies to return the waste as early as possible.

China has banned imports of 24 types of solid waste since late 2017 in a move to reduce environmental pollution.
From the Ground Up: Leaving some wild for wildlife
As Fire Prevention Week approaches, Bucks County firefighters urge residents to Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety
Chinas first home-grown aircraft carrier has been reportedly preparing for its maiden sea voyage in the northeastern Bohai Sea later in April, with experts noting that the vessel may serve the Chinese Navy in the second half of 2018.

Citing sources close to the Chinese military, South China Morning post reported on April 3 that the carriers first sea trial would test the ships basic functions, including power systems, damage control and radar and communication systems.

Weve already accumulated data and experience during the building of the Liaoning aircraft carrier, and our experts and workers have been working hard in recent months with enough financial support. So I would not be surprised if the carrier is to conduct such a sea trial soon, Cao Weidong, a Chinese military expert, told Peoples Daily Online.

According to the latest online photos from the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) construction site in Liaoning Province, where the carrier was launched and outfitted, the scaffolds on the carrier have been completely removed, and a phased array radar has been installed.

"All the equipment and devices on the carrier are in the joint debugging stage, and the main engine has been powered. In 2018, we will present a surprise to the Chinese people," DSIC Chairman Liu Zheng said, according to a report on cctv.com, the official website of China Central Television, on March 13.

Once the sea trial is completed and all aspects of the carrier have met the set standards, it will be delivered to the Navy for further use. I would say that such a sea trial will be completed in the second half of 2018, meaning that it can serve the navy by then, Cao added.
April 11, 2018

Syria - A U.S. Attack Would Be Futile - But Serve A Purpose

by M. K. Bhadrakumar

The United Nations Security Council turned down a compromise resolution on Syria, proposed by Sweden and seconded by Russia seeking investigation on the alleged chemical attack in Douma. Five countries supported the resolution with two permanent members  United States and Britain  opposing it. Earlier, a resolution on the same lines which was supported by Russia and China was also opposed by the US and Britain.

This is a significant political and diplomatic victory for Russia insofar as only two other countries joined the US and Britain to oppose the Swedish resolution. Six countries abstained.

The big question is whether this development portends an impending US attack on Syria, bypassing the UN. The UN has refused to confirm there has been any attack at all. Russia and Syrian government insist there has been no attack and have approached the Organization for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for an international investigation. The good thing is that the OPCW is deputing two teams of experts to go to Douma later this week. Russia has offered to give them full security protection.

So Trump has a major decision to make. Logically, punishment follows a crime that has been committed and it seems no crime has been committed. This appears to be a false flag operation  that is, a fabrication with a view to trigger a sequence of events. That was how the US invaded Iraq in 2003 and it is an established fact today that Saddam Hussein did not have any program to develop weapons of mass destruction, as then US Secretary of State Colin Power had misled the UN Security Council. (Powell later admitted that he was misled by his own administration.)

One difference in the present case is that Trump has been on record that he wants the American military presence in Syria to end. That stance and the present threat to launch an attack on Syria are contradictory. Because, a US attack on Syria will have serious repercussions, including possibly a showdown with Russia, which would mean a US drawdown in Syria may not be possible in a conceivable future.

Perhaps, Trump is indulging in doublespeak and the backdrop could be the criticality that has arisen over Robert Muellers investigation into his collusion with Russia, which has now dramatically expanded in scope. The FBI raid on the office of Trumps attorney in the White House is a very serious development. Trump is just inches away from being implicated in the charges against him leveled by porn star Stormy Daniels. The CNN says, There could be dark and unprecedented times ahead. A US attack on Syria can distract attention from the stormy controversy that may arise if at this point Trump axes Mueller and derails the investigation against him. There are precedents when beleaguered American presidents resorted to diversionary tactic. Bill Clinton fired cruise missiles at Kandahar when the scandal over Monica Lewinsky peaked and he was facing the prospect of impeachment.

A US That brings us back to the alleged chemical attack in Douma last weekend. Who would have staged a false flag operation? The finger of suspicion points toward Israels role. Israel is desperately keen that the US should have a permanent military presence in Syria. To that end, Israel is fueling tensions that will take matters to a point that a US withdrawal from Syria somehow gets stalled. This is also the impression conveyed by DebkaFile, the Israeli website with links to the intelligence, which specializes in disinformation tactic.

The coincidental Israeli attack on a Syrian air base on Sunday had all the hallmarks of a deliberate act of provocation. Four Iranian military advisors were killed in the Israeli raid. Israel must be hoping against hope that the Iranians will retaliate, leading to a flare-up where the US would get pitted against Iran at some point. Such subterfuges are typical of Israels strategy. The point is, Israelis lacks the capacity on its own to tackle the challenge of the expanding Iranian influence in next-door Syria.

Trump has reportedly cancelled a planned trip to Latin America. The New York Times has reported that Trump is weighing more robust military strikes against Syria. No doubt, tensions are rising. To my mind, however, Trump may not order an attack on Syria. Maybe its wishful thinking  frankly, I am a man of peace and am terrified of war  but Ill explain why there is reason to believe still that sanity will ultimately prevail in Washington.

First, a US attack on the Syrian regime at this stage of the 7-year old war doesnt make sense insofar as it cannot stop President Bashar Al-Assad on his tracks from attaining total victory. Bashars victory is a fait accompli. Period. On the other hand, in order for the Syrian regime to be degraded to a point  like in Libya for example  and deposed from power, there has to be a massive western military intervention, including deployment of ground forces in tens of thousands. That seems improbable, given the level of disenchantment in Europe regarding Trump. So, the US has to go alone  at best with the (British) poodle. In such an enterprise, what does US hope to gain? Again, the chaos that follows will be beyond imagination. Indeed, the risk of escalation is exceedingly high and that is not in the interests of Trumps America First. By the way, hey, what about the trade war with China? What about the meet with Kim Jong Un? What about Afghanistan? What about Yemen? Above all, will another Middle Eastern war go down well in the US opinion? Will the US Congress support an attack on Syria when American interests are not directly facing threat?

Finally, the US cannot afford to overlook the explicit  and repeated  Russian warnings at various levels that an American attack on Syria will have grave consequences. Trump would know Vladimir Putin is smart and means business when he says something to the effect that Russia will ensure that what happened in Libya does not repeat. (TASS) However, the Syrian conflict is approaching yet another new flashpoint. Make no mistake, Israel will have to pay a price for the killing of the Iranian 4 military advisors. The powerful Iranian statesman, Ali Akbar Velayati has has explicitly stated as much. Indeed, Israel is going to be in real fix if Trump now decides not to attack Syria.



---

M.K. Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001).

This column was first published at Indian Punchline, Mr. Bhadrakumar's personal blog. It is republish here with his permission.

Posted by b on April 11, 2018 at 6:34 UTC | Permalink

Comments
How important is it for a trustee to physically be in the boardroom during proceedings, both private and public? If there are extenuating circumstances such as business travel or illness keeping them from being in attendance, is it better for the impacted trustee to remotely participate in a meeting or just let their colleagues handle the business without them?

These questions have arisen after two members of the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees have combined for 16 teleconference calls into board meetings since June 2017.

The increased usage of such technology, where trustees listen into board proceedings on their smartphones or laptop computers from a remote location as well as comment and vote on issues, prompted district leadership to bring in an attorney to lead a discussion on Telephonic Participation and the Brown Act at a March 6 meeting.

Its totally normal, and I think its probably healthy given the day and age we live in, said Board Vice President Mary Patterson when asked about it. Ive met with other trustees with other districts and its really commonplace now.

Patterson, who has physically attended every meeting since being elected in 2016, explained that trustees must find ways to balance their demanding work schedules and/or family commitments with their duties while serving on the school board.

Im not sure board meeting attendance is a good marker (for being an effective trustee), added Patterson, offering better indicators such as getting out and talking with families and knowing the pulse of the community.

However, Nikki Moore, staff attorney and legislative advocate with the California Newspaper Publishers Association, said while teleconferencing is permissible and not a violation of state open meetings laws, it can be seen as a way for trustees to avoid public scrutiny and proceedings lose an element of our participatory democracy when a participant is not physically present.

Theres a lot to be said for public officials being in a public place when doing the publics business, Moore said.

Morgan Hill Board President Tom Arnett, whose full-time job requires regular travel, has remotely participated in seven meetings since June 2017, including four since being named chair of the board. Trustee David Gerard, who has not been present in months due to illness, has called in to nine consecutive meetings dating back to October 2017.

Its not ideal, but kind of the reality I have to work within, explained Arnett, who is an education researcher for the Clayton Christensen Institute, which has him traveling across the country to visit different school classrooms. Before stepping up as board president, I had conversations with Mary (Patterson) and (Superintendent Steve Betando) and let them know this is going to be a challenge.

In his physical absence, Patterson, as VP, has led the meetings. However, back in December, Patterson declined a nomination for president due to her own busy schedule before taking on the vice presidency role.

Im perfectly comfortable with that. I knew going in Tom was going to be traveling a lot, Patterson said. If I am honored to be elected president next year, then I have all this experience under my belt.

Requirements for teleconferencing

Steve Delay, President of the San Benito High School Districts Board of Trustees, said he has never seen a trustee participate via teleconference in his 12 years on the board.

Its a commitment to be there unless somebody is really sick or something (serious) comes up, Delay said. We were elected to do that job and the job is to be there.

While Arnett has been out of the state on business when teleconferencing into meetings, Gerard has done so from his Montoya Circle residence, until he is physically able to attend. Gerard could not be reached for comment on this topic.

In either case, the trustees location must be open for any member of the public to come inside and listen, and comment on the public portion of the meeting. Furthermore, an agenda must be posted at the front entrance and/or outside the room where the trustee is participating. Arnett said he no individual has participated in a meeting from his remote location.

Its less than ideal that I cant make it to all the meetings due to work commitments, but I think it would be unfortunate if people in my circumstance couldnt have a place on the board, Arnett said.

At Morgan Hills March 6 school board meeting, three of the seven trustees (Arnett, Gerard and Gino Borgioli) participated in both closed and public session via teleconference. During the same meeting, the board reviewed the protocols for telephonic participation presented by attorney Manuel Martinez of the Lozano Smith law firm.

Questions surfaced from community members, staff and trustees about the legal and logistic parameters necessary for teleconferencing, said Betando as to why the discussion item was placed on the agenda. I felt that it was important to clarify what is necessary functionally and legally so that we can continue to do the business of the District with as many trustees participating as possible.

Martinez explained that as long as a quorum (majority of board) is located within the school district boundaries, either at the board room or another location, then there is no violation of the open meetings law. One condition pertaining to closed session, where discussions are kept confidential, is making sure the trustee is alone in a secure location.

I emphatically trust every single one of them, said Borgioli of any inkling that a trustee would allow someone to listen in to closed session proceedings. I have complete confidence in my board.

Borgioli, who has never missed a meeting, has used teleconferencing twice since he was elected to the board in 2014. The first was in 2016 and the latter call-in March 6 came days after Borgioli suffered serious injuries when he was hit by a car.

If any single trustee uses the teleconference option, all votes taken at that specific meeting must be done in a roll call format, which means one by one each trustee must say their vote aloud so it can be properly recorded.

Trustee Donna Ruebusch has used teleconferencing three times since joining the board in 2014, while Trustees Teresa Murillo and Ron Woolf (the longest tenured member since 2010) have never utilized the teleconferencing option.

I am sure we all can agree that there is nothing that fully replaces being in the room when it comes to group participation and effective communication, Betando said. We will continue to welcome and attempt to give remote access for trustee full participation as active and engaged voting members, no matter where they are in the world and no matter why they are out during board meetings.

Trustee Absences Teleconferences

David Gerard 3 9

Tom Arnett 2 7

Donna Ruebusch 3 3

Gino Borgioli 0 2

Ron Woolf 5 0

Teresa Murillo 1 0

Mary Patterson 0 0

*Gerard, Borgioli and Ruebusch were elected to board in Nov. 2014; Arnett in June 2016; Patterson and Murillo in Nov. 2016; Woolf in Nov. 2010

Theres a lot to be said for public officials being in a public place when doing the publics business.
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 Valuable Boao proposals

Since its inception, with a focus on Asia and a global perspective, the Boao Forum for Asia has hosted active discussions and produced many valuable "Boao proposals" that have helped build consensus in Asia, encourage cooperation, promote economic globalization and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

 40 years of reform, opening-up

Over the last four decades, the Chinese people have significantly unleashed and enhanced productivity in China through hard work with an unyielding spirit.

Over the last four decades, the Chinese people have blazed a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics through determined exploration with a pioneering spirit.

Over the last four decades, the Chinese people have kept forging ahead and demonstrated the strength of the nation through keeping pace with the progress of the times.

Over the last four decades, the Chinese people have embraced the world with open arms and actively contributed our share to the world.

China's reform and opening-up meets its people's aspiration for development, innovation and a better life. It also meets the global trend toward development, cooperation and peace.

Four decades of reform and opening-up has given us many valuable inspirations. The most important one is that for any country or nation to achieve rejuvenation, they must follow the logic of history and the trend of the times in their pursuit of progress and development.

 GDP growth

Over the past 40 years, Chinas GDP has averaged an annual growth rate of around 9.5% in comparable prices and its foreign trade has registered an annual growth of 14.5% in US dollar.

 Poverty relief

The Chinese people have emerged from a life of shortages and poverty and are now enjoying abundant supply and a moderately prosperous life.

According to current UN standards, more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for more than 70% of the global total over the same period.

 Peace and development

In a world aspiring for peace and development, the cold-war and zero-sum mentality looks even more out of place.

Putting oneself on a pedestal or trying to immune oneself from adverse developments will get nowhere.

No matter how much progress China has made in development, China will not threaten anyone else, attempt to overturn the existing international system, or seek spheres of influence.

China will stay as determined as ever to build world peace, contribute to global prosperity and uphold the international order.

 Trend of the world

We live at a time with an overwhelming trend toward peace and cooperation.

We live at a time with an overwhelming trend toward openness and connectivity.

We also live at a time with an overwhelming trend toward reform and innovation.

We must dispel the clouds to see the sun, as we say in Chinese, so as to have a keen grasp of the law of history and the trend of the world.

 Better future

I hope that people around the world will work together toward this community with a shared future for mankind and make Asia and the world peaceful, tranquil, prosperous, open and beautiful.

 Community with a shared future for mankind

With the future in mind, we need to treat each other with respect and as equals.

With the future in mind, we need to promote dialogue and share responsibility.

With the future in mind, we need to engage in cooperation for win-win results.

With the future in mind, we need to uphold inclusiveness and seek harmony without uniformity.

With the future in mind, we need to treat nature with respect and treasure our planet.

 Chinese nation's missions in new era

In this new era, the Chinese nation will continue to improve itself through reform.

The Chinese people will continue to take bold steps in innovation to boost development.

The Chinese people will continue to increase openness and expand cooperation.

The Chinese people will continue to work together with the rest of the world and make greater contribution to humanity.

 Free trade ports with Chinese characteristics

We will pay equal attention to "bringing in" and "going global", and break new ground in opening China further through links running eastward and westward, across land and over sea.

We will adopt policies to promote high-standard liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and explore the opening of free trade ports with Chinese characteristics.

 Market access

We will significantly broaden market access. A number of landmark measures are to be launched this year.

We will ensure that these measures are materialized and at the same time make more moves toward further opening, including accelerating the opening-up of the insurance industry, easing restrictions on the establishment of foreign financial institutions in China and expanding their business scope, and opening up more areas of cooperation between Chinese and foreign financial markets.

 Attractive investment environment

we will create a more attractive investment environment.

We will enhance alignment with international economic and trading rules, increase transparency, strengthen property rights protection, uphold the rule of law, encourage competition and oppose monopoly.

In the first six months of this year, we will finish the revision of the negative list on foreign investment and implement across the board the management system based on pre-establishment national treatment and negative list.

 IPR protection

We will strengthen protection of intellectual property rights (IPR).

This year, we are re-instituting the State Intellectual Property Office to strengthen the ranks of its officers, step up law enforcement, significantly raise the cost for offenders and fully unlock the deterrent effect of relevant laws.

We encourage normal technological exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises, and protect the lawful IPR owned by foreign enterprises in China.

 Tariffs and imports

We will take the initiative to expand imports.

This year, we will significantly lower the import tariffs for automobiles and reduce import tariffs for some other products.

We will import more products that are competitive and needed by our people.

We will seek faster progress toward joining the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

 Belt and Road Initiative

The BRI may be China's idea, but its opportunities and outcomes are going to benefit the world.

China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others.

We can make the BRI the broadest platform for international cooperation in keeping with the trend of economic globalization and to the greater benefit of all our peoples.
For bonds (and almost for S&P futures as well), today was spent in roughly the same range as yesterday and well-within the range boundaries set by Friday's trading. News stories are touting volatility in stocks. While that may be true inasmuch as the magnitude of day-to-day changes, trading has been essentially flat since March 26th (2656 vs 2658 closing levels).

Bonds are also in a consolidation pattern over the past few weeks, and none of today's goings-on even remotely threatened to change that. There were headlines out overnight from an ECB (European Central Bank) official suggesting an increase in the deposit rate as a preliminary step toward an eventual rate hike. That pushed yields slightly higher at the open. A separate headline cited ECB officials as saying the first official doesn't speak for the rest of the ECB. Bond yields quickly erased the initial move after that.

In the context of the recent range, however, any of these individual moves could easily be mistaken for random trading. As such, they don't merit any serious focus in terms of assessing momentum and risks. It seems fairly clear that the biggest near-term risk is tomorrow morning's CPI data (Consumer Price Index) which has been a consistent market mover for better or worse when it's deviated from the median forecast. With tomorrow's median forecast for Core year-over-year CPI jumping from 1.8% to 2.1%, the potential for a "miss" is bigger than it has been in recent months. Thus, the potential for bonds to break out of this consolidation is also higher.
BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The best way to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the "Wang-Koo meeting" is to uphold the 1992 Consensus, according to a mainland spokesperson Wednesday.

"The Singapore meeting between Wang Daohan, then head of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Koo Chen-fu, then chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), in April 1993 was a historic attempt to replace confrontation with dialogue across the Taiwan Strait," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference in Beijing. "The meeting set a precedent for high-level contacts and equal negotiation across the Strait."

Exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan stalled after the Kuomintang, led by Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan in 1949 after being defeated in a civil war.

In the early 1990s, the mainland and Taiwan decided to entrust non-governmental organizations to begin cross-Strait talks.

The common understanding, later named the "1992 Consensus," was reached between ARATS and SEF a few months before the Wang-Koo meeting.

"The key is to adhere to the 1992 Consensus and oppose 'Taiwan independence,'" Ma said. "With this political foundation, the cross-Strait relations and welfare of people on both sides will be improved. Without it, mutual trust across the Strait will no longer exist and relations will regress to unrest, with progress made so far vaporizing."
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.

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.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on Facebook's privacy scandal (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

Yes, Mark Zuckerberg will wear a suit.

The Facebook CEO is best known for his "uniform" of jeans, sneakers and a fitted gray T-shirt.

But he'll don a suit and tie when he testifies before Congress starting Tuesday. He already did on Monday, when he met with lawmakers ahead of the grillings.

The 33-year-old billionaire no stranger to suits. In 2009, he wore a tie every day as the first one of what became his yearly "personal challenges." This year, his challenge is to fix Facebook.

While wearing a suit won't fix Facebook, it'll serve as an outward sign that Zuckerberg is treating his testimony seriously.

___

4:40 p.m.

Facebook says it has settled a long-running lawsuit brought by data center manufacturer BladeRoom Group over accusations that Facebook stole BladeRoom's patented designs to save billions of dollars.

A trial over the lawsuit brought in 2015 had finished its fourth day and had been scheduled to resume Monday. The settlement comes just before CEO Mark Zuckerberg is to address Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday regarding the company's privacy policies in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Facebook says the company is pleased to reach a resolution and "put our differences behind us." The company isn't releasing details, saying the settlement is confidential.

___

3:10 p.m.

Facebook is scheduled to begin notifying users Monday if their data has been swept up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but it isn't clear if it's started yet.

The 87 million users who might have had their data shared with Cambridge Analytica were supposed to get a detailed message on their news feeds starting on Monday.

In prepared remarks released ahead a House hearing, Zuckerberg said the company has notified all users affected in the scandal.

Since the remarks are for Wednesday morning, this means everyone who was affected should see a message by then.

___

2:20 p.m.

Mark Zuckerberg says as many as 146 million people may have received information from a Russian agency that's accused of orchestrating much of the cyber-meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The Facebook CEO says his company found about 470 accounts and pages linked to the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, which generated around 80,000 Facebook posts over roughly a two-year period.

Zuckerberg says most of the people  roughly 126 million  "may have been served content" from a Facebook page linked to the Russian agency. Another 20 million "were likely served" on Instagram.

The Trump administration last month hit Internet Research Agency employees with financial sanctions. Special Counsel Robert Mueller had earlier indicted these employees for seeking to conduct "information warfare" against the U.S.

___

2:05 p.m.

The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee says he believes Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is taking congressional hearings seriously "because he knows there is going to be a hard look at regulation."

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said Zuckerberg was "forthright and honest to the degree he could" be in a private meeting the day before Zuckerberg testifies before the committee.

Nelson said it's going to be difficult with Republicans in charge, but argued there should regulation to ensure users' privacy on social media.

Zuckerberg is testifying before two Senate committees on Tuesday and a House panel on Wednesday. That comes after revelations that a Trump-connected data-mining firm gathered personal information from 87 Facebook million users to try to influence elections.

__

1 p.m.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says his company was too slow to spot or respond to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He's also apologizing for a privacy scandal that allowed third-party apps to harvest the personal data of users without their consent.

Zuckerberg says in an opening statement to be delivered to congressional committees, "I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He says that includes "fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

Zuckerberg says Facebook is an "idealistic and optimistic company." But he says Facebook didn't take a broad enough view of its responsibility. He says that was a "big mistake."

He's scheduled to testify Tuesday and Wednesday before Senate and House oversight committees.

__

12:30 p.m.

Mark Zuckerberg says the company has a responsibility to make sure what happened with Cambridge Analytica doesn't happen again.

Zuckerberg, who is testifying before Congress this week, says in his opening testimony that the company has taken several steps to restrict outsiders' access to people's personal information on Facebook. The House Energy and Commerce Committee released the prepared remarks Monday.

Zuckerberg says the company is also investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014  something that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.

Facebook is under fire in the worst privacy crisis in its history after it was revealed that this Trump-affiliated data mining firm used ill-gotten personal information from 87 million users to try to influence elections.

___

10:50 a.m.

Facebook has suspended another app firm that may have misused data, adding to a growing list of firms being investigated by the social media company.

Facebook says CubeYou, a firm associated with the University of Cambridge Psychometrics Centre, will be suspended after CNBC notified Facebook that CubeYou was collecting information about users through quizzes.

According to CNBC, CubeYou labeled its quizzes "for non-profit academic research" then shared user information with marketers. CNBC says CubeYou denies misusing data.

On Saturday, Facebook said it suspended AggregateIQ, a Canadian political consulting firm, amid media reports it had ties to Cambridge Analytica, a British data mining company accused of obtaining data from up to 87 million Facebook users to sway elections. Cambridge Analytica got its data through an app built by a University of Cambridge psychology researcher, Aleksandr Kogan.

The suspension comes as Facebook prepares to notify users Monday about whether their data had been accessed by Cambridge Analytica.

___

10:30 a.m.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is meeting privately with lawmakers on Monday ahead of his first time testifying on Capitol Hill.

Zuckerberg will testify in the Senate on Tuesday and in the House on Wednesday about the company's ongoing data-privacy scandal and how it failed to guard against other abuses of its service. He is also expected to be asked about Russia's use of social media during the 2016 U.S. election.

One of Zuckerberg's first meetings will be with Florida Sen. Bill Nelson. He is the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which will hold a joint hearing Tuesday with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Nelson and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune asked Zuckerberg to testify to "restore lost trust" in the company.

___

10:15 a.m.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company is establishing an independent election research commission that will look into the effects of social media on elections and democracy.

The move comes as the social media service grapples with a government report that Russia tried to meddle with the U.S. elections in part by using Facebook. Facebook is also facing one of its worst privacy scandals in its 14-year history after it was revealed a data firm Cambridge Analytica misused data from up to 87 million users. Zuckerberg is preparing to testify before Congress beginning on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, Zuckerberg said the commission will work with foundations across the U.S. to set up a committee of academic experts who will come up with research topics and select independent researchers to study them.

___

6:30 a.m.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is shutting down his Facebook account as the social media giant struggles to cope with the worst privacy crisis in its history.

In an email to USA Today, Wozniak says Facebook makes a lot of advertising money from personal details provided by users. He says the "profits are all based on the user's info, but the users get none of the profits back."

Wozniak says he'd rather pay for Facebook. He says "Apple makes money off of good products, not off of you."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday about the company's ongoing data-privacy scandal and how it failed to guard against other abuses of its service.

Facebook has announced technical changes intended to address privacy issues.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ROMA, Texas (AP)  The deployment of National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border at President Donald Trump's request was underway Tuesday with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration.

The Trump administration also announced that Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will visit this week a stretch of new border wall breaking ground in New Mexico, putting additional focus on what Trump has called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime.

The construction and commitment of at least 1,600 Guard members from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas provoked fresh condemnation from immigrant activists and praise from border-state Republican governors, who will retain command-and-control of their state's Guard during a mission that for now has no firm end date.

The only holdout border state was California, led by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not announced whether troops from his state's National Guard will participate and has repeatedly clashed with Trump over immigration policy. The state was still reviewing Tuesday whether it join the effort, said Lt. Tom Keegan, a spokesman for the California National Guard.

In Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to put more than 1,000 Guard members into action, military officials said Tuesday that 300 troops would report to armories this week for preparation and training. Texas has previously kept about 100 Guard members stationed on the border for years as part of its own border security efforts.

"What is different now it is happening in a different context and a different narrative," said Fernando Garcia, director of the Border Network for Human Rights, an immigrant advocacy group.

Speaking from the Rio Grande Valley where immigrant crossings are the highest along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) U.S.-Mexico border, Garcia said, "When you hear the narrative of the president, it seems to him the enemy is the immigrant family."

Abbott said in a statement Tuesday that the Guard has "proven to have a meaningful impact" in reducing immigration and crime.

In the Texas border town of Roma, about a half-dozen uniformed Guard members were seen Tuesday near an international bridge along the Rio Grande. Children played just across the river in Mexico, and it wasn't clear whether the Guard members were new or part of Texas' earlier observe-and-report missions.

One guard member was armed with an M4 rifle and used binoculars to peer across the river. Pickup trucks with guard members inside circled the town square along with border patrol vehicles. Mexican children who had attended school on the U.S. side of the border showed their passports and paid a toll to cross a bridge over the river and walk home to the Mexican community of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.

Trump said last week he wants to send 2,000 to 4,000 National Guard members to the border, issuing a proclamation citing "the lawlessness that continues at our southern border."

Trump administration officials have said that rising numbers of people being caught at the southern border, while in line with seasonal trends in recent years, require an immediate response.

Monthly border arrests surpassed 50,000 in March for the first time since December 2016. The Border Patrol, which polices between but not at official crossings, made more than 37,000 of those arrests, including more than 14,000 in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, nearly 6,000 in its Tucson, Arizona, sector and more than 4,000 in San Diego.

Inspectors at official crossings made nearly 13,000 arrests in March, led by the Laredo, Texas, field office with more than 4,800 and the San Diego field office with about 3,800.

Apprehensions are still well below their historical trends during the terms of former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, both of whom also deployed the Guard to the border.

Some Guard members will be armed if they are placed in potential danger, Abbott said, adding he wanted to downplay speculation that "our National Guard is showing up with military bayonets trying to take on anybody that's coming across the border, because that is not their role."

There is no end date for the deployment, Abbott said: "We may be in this for the long haul."

Trump has said he wants to use the military at the border until progress is made on his proposed border wall, which has mostly stalled in Congress. Defense Secretary James Mattis last Friday approved paying for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel from the Pentagon budget through the end of September.

Mexico's foreign relations secretary said his government is evaluating its cooperation with the United States.

___

Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press Writer Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BEIRUT (AP)  The international chemical weapons watchdog said Tuesday it was sending a fact-finding mission to the Syrian town where a suspected chemical gas attack took place over the weekend, following a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers that appeared to be aimed at averting punitive Western military action.

It was not immediately clear whether the announcement would delay or prevent a U.S. strike in Syria. President Donald Trump has vowed to respond "forcefully" to Saturday's attack on civilians in the town of Douma, hours before rebels agreed to surrender it, and warned that Russia  or any other nation found to share responsibility  will "pay a price."

In a statement, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said a fact-finding mission was "preparing to deploy to Syria shortly," though it did not give a more precise timetable on when the inspectors would arrive.

Trump on Tuesday cancelled plans to travel to South America later this week, choosing to stay in the United States to manage the response to the events in Syria. The White House said he later spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May and the two "agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue."

Trump also discussed Syria with French President Emanuel Macron, who said Tuesday that France would decide in the coming days on "a strong and joint response" with the U.S. and Britain to the suspected attack.

The incident has sparked international outrage and ratcheted up tensions in the already volatile Mideast, raising the specter of possible imminent American retaliation amid Russia's warnings against any such action, and denials that any chemical weapons attack took place.

Adding to the tensions, Iran, a strong ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, threatened to respond to an airstrike on a Syrian military base on Monday that the Syrian government, Russia and Iran have blamed on Israel.

Seven Iranians were among the estimated 14 people killed in the missile strike, and a senior Iranian official visiting Damascus said the attack "will not remain unanswered." Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Iran's supreme leader, spoke upon arrival in the Syrian capital on Tuesday.

The Syrian air base was struck by missiles a little more than 24 hours after the alleged chemical attack. Israel does not typically comment on its operations in Syria, and it is unclear whether the missile attack was linked to the alleged use of chemical weapons.

Iran is one of Assad's strongest backers and has sent thousands of troops and allied militiamen to support his forces.

Syrian government forces were on high alert and taking precautionary measures Tuesday at military positions across the country amid fears of a U.S. strike in the aftermath of the attack near Damascus.

At the United Nations, meanwhile, Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted U.N. resolution that would have condemned the suspected gas attack and established a new body to determine responsibility for Syrian chemical weapons attacks. The vote Tuesday in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, with Bolivia joining Russia in voting "no," and China abstaining.

Chemical weapons attacks have killed hundreds of people since the start of Syria's conflict, with the U.N. blaming four attacks on the Syrian government and a fifth on the Islamic State group.

The OPCW, in its statement, said its technical Secretariat has asked the Syrian government to make the necessary arrangements for the deployment of a fact-finding mission. The group is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1997, which has been signed by 192 member states.

Syria became a member in 2013 as part of a deal brokered by the U.S. and Russia after a chemical attack in eastern Ghouta killed hundreds of people. That attack was widely blamed on government forces, who denied responsibility.

Syrian opposition activists and paramedics said more than 40 people were killed in last weekend's suspected chemical attack and blamed the government. The Syrian government and its Russian backers strongly deny the allegations, and questioned whether a chemical weapons attack even took place.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday he was outraged by the reported attack, and that the use of chemical weapons would be a violation of international law. He also reaffirmed his support for an OPCW investigation.

A senior Russian lawmaker said Tuesday that Moscow is willing to help arrange an OPCW visit to the site of the suspected attack. Yevgeny Serberennikov, from the defense committee at the Federation Council, told the RIA Novosti news agency that Russia is eager for the OPCW to "finally start carrying out the functions it was created for."

Thousands of opposition fighters, along with tens of thousands of civilians, are still in Douma. The rebels agreed to surrender the town to government forces after the suspected gas attack, and have been evacuating in batches to rebel-held areas in the north. Russian military police have since entered parts of the town.

Asked in Berlin about the Russian proposal that OPCW experts visit Douma, German Chancellor Angela Merkel responded unenthusiastically, saying that "the evidence that chemical weapons were used there is very, very clear."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Syrian government troops were on a 72-hour alert and were fortifying their positions. The Observatory's chief, Rami Abdurrahman, said the alert includes all army positions and bases from the southern province of Sweida all the way to Aleppo province in the north, the Mediterranean coast in the west to Deir el-Zour province in the east, along the Iraqi border.

The Sound and Picture Organization, an activist collective in eastern Syria, said that Iranian fighters and members of Lebanon's Hezbollah group had evacuated their positions in the Boukamal area, near the Iraqi border, which was recently retaken from the Islamic State group.

___

Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow, Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
LONDON (AP)  The Latest on the poisoning of a Russia ex-spy and his daughter in England (all times local):

9:00 p.m.

The Russian Embassy in London is criticizing British officials for isolating the daughter of an ex-Russian spy.

A hospital official said Tuesday that Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in England March 4 along with her father, former double agent Sergei Skripal, has been discharged. Officials said her father continues to improve in hospital.

The Russian Embassy accused British authorities of continuing their policy of isolating the ex-spy's daughter from the public, "concealing important evidence and blocking an impartial and independent investigation."

The embassy reaffirmed its request for a meeting with the 33-year-old woman, and demanded "urgent proof" that British authorities are respecting her free will.

Britain blames Russia for the nerve agent attack on Skripal. Moscow fiercely denies the accusation.

___

9:40 a.m.

A hospital official has confirmed that Yulia Skripal, one of two Russian targets of nerve agent poisoning, has been discharged.

Officials said Tuesday she will continue to need medical care as she recovers from the March 4 attack.

Dr. Christine Blanshard said: "This is not the end of her treatment but marks a significant milestone."

Officials say her father, ex-spy Sergei Skripal, continues to improve in hospital. His release date has not been set.

The two were poisoned March 4 in an attack that has led to a prolonged confrontation between Russia and Britain.

Britain blames the Russian government for the incident. Russia denies all involvement.

____

8:20 a.m.

British media are reporting that Yulia Skripal, one of two Russians poisoned by nerve agent, has been released from the hospital.

BBC News said Tuesday the 33-year-old Skripal had been discharged from hospital and taken to a "secure" location on Monday.

If she is well enough, she is likely to be extensively questioned by British security officials and police about her recollection of events leading up to her poisoning, which sparked a major confrontation between Britain and Russia that recalls Cold War tensions.

Yulia Skripal was in critical condition after the March 4 nerve agent attack, apparently aimed at her father, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

She had arrived on an Easter visit from Moscow the day before the attack.

Her father, the 66-year-old Sergei Skripal, is a former Russian military intelligence officer who was convicted in Russia of spying for Britain.

He was imprisoned in Russia and eventually settled in England after a "spy swap."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Ivanka Trump plans to promote women's economic empowerment and female-owned businesses during a Latin American summit this week.

President Donald Trump's daughter and senior adviser will be part of the U.S. delegation to the Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, led by Vice President Mike Pence.

The president has pulled out of the event so he can oversee the U.S. response to an apparent chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria.

Ivanka Trump says she plans to announce an initiative "to propel women's economic empowerment in the region" and will stop at Lima's stock exchange to meet with female corporate leaders and entrepreneurs.

She also plans to highlight the participation of women in the economy at a female-owned business that makes organic products.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BERLIN  Police hope a new program called CARS will help catch car thieves by using security camera video.

We havent had anything like this before, said Police Sgt. Shawn Solek. We have an alarm registry but nothing pertaining to security cameras.

Community Assistance in Response to Stolen cars/property was launched following a string of car thefts and break-ins within the last year. In 2017 over 120 thefts from motor vehicles were reported and 30 vehicles stolen, a nearly 20 percent increase from the previous year.

Many of the crimes have been a result of unlocked vehicles. Berlin police arrested three juveniles in 2017 related to some of the thefts.

Solek said he thought of the idea of creating a database that could easily pinpoint the location of exterior residential and business security cameras.

The world is completely different now, Solek said. Theres technology everywhere.

Currently officers go door to door after a crime is reported to see if the suspect was caught on security camera.

The database would eliminate the guessing game, Solek said.

Participation in the program is voluntary and no information will be shared outside the police department.

There is no legal obligation for residents to share private security videos with the police.

Depending on the quality of the camera and time of day of a crime, video can help officers identify a suspect by facial features and clothing. Often the images are shared on social media and users are able to help identify the suspect.

Its a creative idea, said Police Chief John Klett.

Many crimes that have occurred within the last year have been in the middle of the night when residents are asleep. The thefts are usually reported in the morning.

It really helps establish a timeline, Solek said of the time stamps shown on videos.

Residents and businesses can join the effort by providing the address where a camera is located and the contact information of someone who can access the video.

For more information contact Sgt. Shawn Solek at 860-828-7080 or ssolek@berlinpd.org or Officer Michael LoCastro at 860-828-7080 or mlocastro@berlinpd.org.

akus@record-journal.com

203-317-2448

Twitter: @KusReporter
Egypt's Journalists' Syndicate stressed in a Tuesday general meeting the importance of freedom of the press in the country following controversial measures taken against two major media outlets.

The meeting was headed by Abdel-Mohsen Salama, head of the syndicate.

On Sunday, Al-Masry Al-Youm editor-in-chief Mohamed El-Sayed Saleh was replaced by veteran journalist Hamdy Rizk following a controversy about the papers presidential elections coverage.

Egypt's Supreme Media Council also fined the paper EGP 100,000 following an investigation by the syndicate.

During the meeting, the syndicate's press council affirmed that they reject the later doubling of penalties on Al-Masry Al-Youm by the general prosecution after the Supreme Media Council's initial decision.

They also affirmed that all press-related issues should be referred to the Journalists' Syndicate to be dealt with outside of court rooms.

The syndicate's press council also affirmed its support for Adel Sabry, chief editor of the news website Masr Al-Arabiya, who was detained last week on charges of publishing false news and operating a news website without a license, according to the interior ministry.

His detention came two days after the Supreme Media Council imposed a EGP 50,000 fine on the website for publishing a translation of a New York Times report on alleged violations during the 2018 presidential election.

The council also underlined the importance of adhering to article 71 of the Egyptian Constitution, which reads, It is prohibited to censor, confiscate, suspend or shut down Egyptian newspapers and media outlets.

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MERIDEN  Carabetta Companies have withdrawn a zone change petition to add 25 apartments on North Broad Street, citing an inability to meet application deadlines.

The Planning Commission was set to review the plan tonight. The application sought to change 1444 and 1460 N. Broad St. and 18, 29, 30, and 36 Lirot Court from an R-1 single-family zone to an R-3 zone, which allows apartments.

Carabetta purchased the properties for $366,000 in 2016 and 2017. Company CEO Joseph F. Carabetta could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

In an email to City Planner Bob Seale on Monday, Carabettas lawyer, Dennis Ceneviva, said the company is not abandoning the plan, which many neighbors opposed.

We recognize that certain time frames for action cannot be met at this time, Ceneviva wrote. We will re-file after we have had the opportunity to review some of your suggestions and the comments from the neighbors.

Over 70 nearby residents signed a petition opposing the zone change, claiming the development would be incompatible with the neighborhood, aggravate an already hazardous traffic situation, lower home values and decrease their quality of life.

The company did not submit site plans for the development and the application had been tabled at several previous meetings awaiting more detailed plans to present to the public. The application was scheduled to be voted on next Tuesday at the s Economic Development, Housing and Zoning Committee meeting.

They were nearing the end of the statutory time period that it would have to be voted on, Seale said. I think the residents had a lot of good input on the conceptual proposal, however we really needed some more detailed plans in order to truly address what is being proposed and how that could potentially impact the residents and that Broad Street corridor area.

ltauss@record-journal.com

203-317-2231

Twitter: @LeighTaussRJ
PLAINVILLE  The state-wide and national opioid epidemic will be discussed at an educational forum Thursday night at Wheeler Clinics Connecticut Clearinghouse at 334 Farmington Avenue.

The forum will be from 6 p.m., to 7 p.m.

The presentation will give information on how to obtain Naloxone, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Local first responders, including those in Plainville, recently began carrying the medication as well as pharmacies.

By September 2017, the medication had been administered 19 times. Last year there were over 20 reported opioid overdoses in town, according to police.

Aisha Hamid, Connecticut Clearinghouse program manager, will discuss the current epidemic of opioid addiction and overdoses. She will also discuss how to safely store and dispose of medications.

This is an excellent opportunity for community members to learn more about the opioid crisis and to get helpful information and valuable free Connecticut Clearinghouse resources, Hamid said. It is important that everyone in the community is well-informed on this issue, and we encourage people to attend. Forums such as this also help to dispel myths and reduce stigma regarding opioids and substance use.

The Clearinghouse hosted a similar forum in January.

Pre-registration is requested (but not required) at www.ctclearinghouse.org or by calling 800.232.4424.

akus@record-journal.com

203-317-2448

Twitter: @KusReporter
SOUTHINGTON  The Aqua Turf Club will no longer host an annual National Rifle Association fundraiser, according to a statement Wednesday.

The move was requested by gun control advocates last month and may result in another gun rights organization leaving the venue.

In a statement Wednesday, Aqua Turf manager Karen Alix said the decision was made after a mutual agreement between the Aqua Turf and NRA representatives.

It was an excruciatingly difficult decision to make as we had formed a 25-year client-venue relationship, Alix wrote.

The NRA dinner, which included gun raffles, took place the night before a gun control rally in Hartford last month that coincided with the national March for Our Lives. Aqua Turf Club officials said the fundraiser is a yearly event that was planned well in advance.

The Charter Oak Committee Friends of NRA dinner draws about 1,000 guests. Proceeds go to the NRA Foundation, a non-profit that supports shooting clubs, firearms education and safety training. The NRA's political action committee is the NRA Political Victory Fund.

Friends of the NRA could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Scott Wilson, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, called the decision a bit outrageous and an example of the efforts on the part of gun rights opponents to ostracize Second Amendment supporters.

The league, the states largest gun owners advocacy organization, had planned a 10-year anniversary dinner at the Aqua Turf for February but the recent decision threw those plans in doubt. Wilson said that league members, who may also be NRA members or supporters, might not want to buy tickets to the club.

If the friends of the NRA dinner cant host an event there, I think wed be hard pressed to pull off a dinner at the same venue, he said.

Arguments over whether the Aqua Turf should allow an NRA fundraiser played out on the clubs Yelp page as well as social media.

Tim Needham, former Aqua Turf general manager, said at the time that the group had held events at the Aqua Turf for the past 20 years without issue until this year. He said the club doesnt take political stances when it rents to groups.

Ryan Busillo, a Sheehan High School from Wallingford who helped organize a walk-out in support of gun control measures, was among those saying high schools shouldnt use the Aqua Turf Club for proms if the venue also hosted a gun rights group.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com

203-317-2230

Twitter: @JBuchananRJ
Egyptian authorities will open Sinais Rafah border crossing with Gaza for three days starting Thursday, according to the embassy of Palestine in Cairo, official Palestinian news agency WAFA announced on Wednesday.

The crossing will be open in both directions from 12 to 14 April.

WAFA quoted Palestine's ambassador to Cairo and its permanent representative to the Arab League Diab Al-Louhah as thanking Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the Egyptian authorities for their support of the Palestinian people and their cause.

The North Sinai border crossing is the main gateway to the outside world for 1.8 million Palestinians living in Israeli-besieged Gaza, as it is the only terminal not controlled by Israel.

Egypt has largely kept the border closed in recent years due to security concerns following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, but periodically opens the crossing for humanitarian purposes.

Gaza, a small, impoverished coastal enclave, has been under Israeli blockade since 2006.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Cypriot foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides have agreed to bolster energy cooperation as well as economic and trade ties during talks in Cairo on Wednesday, Egyptian and Cypriot officials have said.

El-Sisi highlighted Cairo's "keenness to bolster ties with Cyprus in all fields and praised ongoing tripartite cooperation with Greece, namely in energy in the Eastern Mediterranean," Egypt's presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

Egypt, Greece and Cyprus aim to turn the Eastern Mediterranean region into an offshore natural gas hub, especially after Egypts 2015 discovery of Zohr, the biggest offshore gas field in the Mediterranean.

The three countries have been holding regular cooperation summits in Nicosia, Athens and Cairo since November 2014, with the fifth such gathering held in Nicosia in November 2017.

Christodoulides is the first European minister to meet with El-Sisi since the Egyptian presidents re-election for a second term earlier this month.

Christodoulides and El-Sisi discussed their "strategic vision, energy, trade, tourism and their strong political will to further strengthen bilateral and trilateral cooperation," the Cypriot foreign ministry said on its official Twitter page.

Earlier on Wednesday, Christodoulides met with Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail. The two officials discussed "the extensive spectrum of bilateral ties and common strategic understanding on crucial regional developments," the Cypriot ministry said.

Christodoulides arrived in Cairo on Tuesday and met with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, where they discussed Egypt's domestic affairs following last month's presidential vote as well as Egyptian-European ties.

El-Sisi visited Cyprus in November 2017, the first such visit by an Egyptian president to the Eastern Mediterranean island country.

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The dismissal of Al-Masry Al-Youms chief editor and imposition of a LE150,000 fine on the newspaper raises fears that press freedom is being undermined

Hamdi Rizk was appointed editor-in-chief of the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm this week, replacing Mohamed Al-Sayed Saleh who was dismissed after running a controversial headline during last months presidential elections.

It has been decided to end Mohamed Al-Sayed Salehs term as editor-in-chief as of 4 April he will remain one of the papers leading writers, said a statement issued by the board of Al-Masry Al-Youm. The statement gave no reasons for the dismissal.

Saleh and another writer on the paper were summoned for questioning by the Press Syndicate, acting on a request by the state-appointed Supreme Council for Media Regulations (SCMR), after a front-page headline was published in the papers 27 March first edition reading The state mobilises voters to cast their ballots.

The headline was changed in the second edition to Al-Sisi sweeps election against Moussa.

On 28 March the paper published an apology for its earlier headline of the day before in which it said the headline had intended to underline the positive mobilisation of voters. The apology failed to mollify the SCMR which fined Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypts largest private independent daily, LE150,000 and demanded the paper apologise to the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

The fine was imposed two days after the NEC submitted an official complaint to the SCMR over the newspapers election coverage. The NEC said the headline insulted both it and the public since it implied state interference in the voting process.

Commenting on his dismissal on his Facebook page Saleh said he was proud of the 1,000 headlines he had helped compile during his time as editor-in-chief.

During a telephone interview with Al-Hayat TV channel Abdel-Mohsen Salama, chairman of the Press Syndicate, said one positive aspect of the case was that demonstrated cases involving the press were now being dealt with by administrative bodies such as the SCMR and the Press Syndicate rather than the courts. He added that he had also submitted a request to the SCMR for the fine to be reduced.

The dismissal of Saleh and fining of the paper have raised fears among some journalists that it heralds more restrictions on press freedom.

Hisham Kassem, founder and former CEO of Al-Masry Al-Youm, told Al-Ahram Weekly the headline to which the NEC took offence was professional and suggested only that the state wanted to increase voter turnout.

Everyone knows Al-Masry Al-Youm didnt make a mistake and its editor-in-chief is paying a price only because he acted in a professional manner, insisted journalist and columnist Ayman Al-Sayyad.

Hafez Abu Seada, head of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) and a member of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), branded the fining of Al-Masry Al-Youm a gross violation of freedom of opinion and expression.

Last week also saw the detention of Adel Sabri, editor-in-chief of Masr Al-Arabia, an independent news website. Security forces subsequently raided Masr Al-Arabias headquarters and shut it down. The Interior Ministry said in a statement Sabri had been arrested for operating a news website without a licence.

The moves came two days after the SCMR fined the website LE50,000 for publishing an Arabic translation of a New York Times article alleging violations during the presidential election.

Dokki prosecution ordered Sabri be detained for 15 days pending investigations into charges of being a member of a terrorist group, publishing false news and managing an unlicensed website.

Masr Al-Arabia is among a number of news websites blocked in May 2017 after accusations of publishing false news.

What has happened to Adel Sabri is a violation of regulations which forbid pre-trial detention in publishing cases, said Kassem.

Article 70 of the 2014 constitution guarantees freedom of the press and of print and paper, visual, audio and electronic publications. But Egypts 59-year-old emergency law, which President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi invoked on 11 April 2017 allows the authorities to censor publications.

In an EOHR statement Abu Seada said the government should reconsider its decision to shut down the website since it violates the right to freedom of expression and opinion.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry will head to the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday for preparatory meetings before the start of an Arab Summit early next week, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The gathering of Arab foreign ministers will address a number of major regional issues including recent developments in Palestine and the "escalation [by Israeli forces] against [Palestinian] civilians over the past few days," the statement said.

Around 30 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds have been injured by Israeli forces during thousands-strong border protests over the past two weeks. The protesters are demanding a return to the homes that their ancestors were forced to flee when Israel was created in 1948.

Israeli's use of force against the protesters has been condemned by Egypt and other countries, including Russia.

The participants in the Arab Summit, which is scheduled for Sunday in the Saudi city of Dammam, will seek to prevent Israel from gaining a rotating seat on the UN Security Council.

The summit will also discuss the situation in war-torn Arab countries including Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq.

The gathering will also tackle counterterrorism efforts, Arab national security, as well as efforts to "strengthen joint Arab action in the face of foreign interference in Arab affairs."

During his visit, Shoukry will hold bilateral talks with Arab counterparts on regional and international issues of mutual interest, the ministry added.

The Arab League has also sent a delegation to Saudi Arabia for preparatory meetings.

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: Senior-most Supreme Court judge, Justice J Chelameswar, has shot off a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) asking him to consider convening a full court to take up the issue of alleged executive interference in judiciary.

Justice Chelameswar, in his letter written on March 21, cautioned that "the bonhomie between the judiciary and the government in any State sounds the death knell to democracy".

The unprecedent letter, copies of which were also sent to 22 other apex court judges, has questioned the probe initiated by Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari against District and Sessions Judge Krishna Bhat at the instance of Union Ministry of Law and Justice, despite his name being recommended for elevation twice by the Collegium.

"Someone from Bangalore has already beaten us in the race to the bottom. The Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court is more than willing to do the Executive bidding, behind our back," Justice Chelameswar wrote in his six-page letter.

ALSO READ | My fight is to clean up judiciary: Justice Chelameswar

Raising the issue of judicial independence, he said, "We, the judges of the Supreme Court of India, are being accused of ceding our independence and our institutional integrity to the Executive's incremental encroachment.

"The executive is always impatient, and brooks no disobedience even of the judiciary if it can. Attempts were always made to treat the Chief Justices as the Departmental Heads in the Secretariat. So much for our 'independence and preeminence' as a distinct State organ".

ALSO READ: Impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra ill-conceived: Soli Sorabjee

Justice Chelameswar, who had held the unprecedented January 12 press conference along with three other senior judges questioning the allocation of cases by the CJI, referred to the "unhappy experience" where the Government sat tight over the files even after the Collegium recommended names for appointment in the higher judiciary.

"For some time, our unhappy experience has been that the government's accepting our recommendations is an exception and sitting on them is the norm.

'Inconvenient' but able judges or judges to be are being bypassed through this route," he claimed.

The apex court judge, who is demitting office on June 22, took serious note of the communication between the Karnataka High Court chief justice and the executive saying, "the role of High Court ceases with its recommendation".

He said that any correspondence, clarificatory or otherwise, has to be between the executive and the Supreme Court.

Referring to Bhat's case, he said, "To my mind, I could recollect no instance from the past, of the executive bypassing the Supreme Court, more particularly while its recommendations are pending, to look into the allegations already falsified and conclusively rejected by us.

"Asking the High Court to re-evaluate our recommendation in this matter has to be deemed improper and contumacious.

" He said the judiciary may not be "far-off" when the executive would directly communicate with the High Court about the pending cases and ask what orders are to be passed.

"Let us also not forget the bonhomie between the judiciary and the government in any State sounds the death knell to democracy.

We both are mutual watchdogs, so to say, no mutual admirers, much less constitutional cohorts", he said in the letter to the CJI.

Asking the CJI to take up the issue of executive interference in judiciary by convening a full court on the judicial side, he said this was necessary in order to ensure that the institution (Supreme Court) remained relevant under the scheme of the Constitution.

He then referred to an instance from the past when the apex court had taken serious note of direct communication of the then Law Minister with the High Courts on the issue of judges' transfer which had finally led to the judgement in first judges case in 1981.

Later, the Collegium had assumed power with regard to judges' appointment in higher judiciary.

In 2016, then Chief Justice of India T S Thakur had asked then High Court chief justice S K Mukherjee to hold an inquiry against Bhat on certain allegations levelled by a subordinate woman judicial officer.

Bhat's name was later recommended after the probe had given him a clean chit.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The protests over formation of Cauvery Management Board Wednesday turned violent with one person suffering burns when he climbed over a train and came in contact with a live wire. The victim identified as Ranjith, who is a PMK cadre suffered a severe electric shock and has been hospitalised with 70 percent burns.

Sources said the auto driver had climbed the train at Tindivanam station during the protest.

The state is witnessing yet another day of agitations with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) calling for a bandh over the Cauvery issue. The party cadres reportedly resorted to blocking trains at several places across Tamil Nadu since morning.

WATCH:Man electrocuted on top of train during Cauvery protests in Tamil Nadu

While Puducherry received a good response for the bandh, whereas the impact in Tamil Nadu was partial. In certain PMK pockets, like Dharmapuri and Cuddalore districts, most shops remained shut. However, the government bus services remained unaffected.

With an influential traders association, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangam Peravai, calling for a hartal today, some shops in Chennai downed their shutters.

The mob pelted stones at buses plying towards Hogenekkal. At Pennagaram in Dharmapuri, buses were halted at depots after the attacks on the buses.

PMK cadres, led by the party leader Anbumani Ramadoss entered Egmore railway station and demonstrated a rail roko.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg took personal responsibility Tuesday for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, while warning of an "arms race" against Russian disinformation during a high stakes face-to-face with US lawmakers.

In his first formal congressional appearance, the Facebook founder and chief executive sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social media giant that have angered lawmakers and the network's two billion users.

Under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by a British political consultant, Zuckerberg reiterated his apology for the historic breach, before being grilled over how Facebook collects and protects people's personal information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said. "I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

"It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm," he said. "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

The 33-year-old CEO spoke of a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well," he said.

"So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last US presidential race.

"After the 2016 election, our top priority was protecting the integrity of other elections around the world," he said.

- Work with special counsel -

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook is cooperating with the US special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said.

Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data.

VIEW GALLERY: CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologizes for Facebook's privacy failures

"I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them," he said.

Swapping his customary T-shirt for a business suit and tie, Zuckerberg faced tough questions over how a US-British political research firm, Cambridge Analytica, plundered detailed personal data on 87 million users to be used in the 2016 US presidential election.

Reiterating comments from the past few days, he took responsibility for the data misuse.

"We've been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said in his prepared remarks.

- 'Doesn't feel' like a monopoly -

Dozens of protestors gathered outside Congress before the hearing wearing Zuckerberg masks and #DeleteFacebook T-shirts.

Inside the jammed hearing room, activists from the Code Pink group wore oversized glasses with the words "STOP SPYING" written on the lenses, and waved signs that read "Stop corporate lying."

Testifying was a new step forward for Zuckerberg, who started Facebook as a Harvard dropout in 2004, and built it into the world's largest social media company worth $470 billion.

During questioning, Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," he said when asked if he thinks Facebook has a monopoly.

"The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people. Ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said.

But when asked if Facebook favored regulation of online firms, he said, "I think if it's the right regulation, yes."

Lawmakers have suggested the election meddling and poor controls on personal data requires the government to step in to regulate Facebook and other social media companies which generate revenue from user data.

"The status quo no longer works," said Senator Chuck Grassley, chair of one of the committees holding the hearing.

"Congress must determine if and how we need to strengthen privacy standards to ensure transparency and understanding for the billions of consumers who utilize these products."

"You have a real opportunity this afternoon to lead the industry and demonstrate a meaningful commitment to protecting individual privacy," Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein told Zuckerberg at the rare joint committee hearing, to be followed by a similar hearing in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
By AFP

KATHMANDU: Forty-nine people were killed when a Bangladeshi plane crashed and burst into flames near Kathmandu airport on Monday, in the worst aviation disaster to hit Nepal in nearly three decades.

Officials said there were 71 people on board the US-Bangla Airlines turboprop plane from Dhaka when it crashed just east of the runway and skidded into a nearby football field.

Rescuers cut apart the mangled and charred wreckage of the upturned aircraft to pull people out, while other passengers were found buried under debris that scattered as the plane hit the ground.

"Forty people died at the spot and nine died at two hospitals in Kathmandu," police spokesman Manoj Neupane told AFP, adding another 22 were being treated in hospital, some in a critical condition.

WATCH: Nepal plane crash: Death toll almost 50

Survivor Sanam Shakya, who climbed out of a window of the smouldering plane, said he didn't realise the aircraft was in trouble until it hit the ground.

"The plane was going up down, right and left, up down... so I thought that was some air traffic only. But I came to know that the aircraft had a problem only when it forcibly landed," the 33-year-old said from a hospital bed.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but a statement from airport authorities said the plane was "out of control" as it came in to land.

Meanwhile, the CEO of US-Bangla Airlines Imran Asif laid blame on Kathmandu's air traffic control, saying the controller "fumbled" the landing.

"Our pilot is an instructor of this Bombardier aircraft. His flight hours are over 5,000 hours. There was a fumble from the control tower," Asif told reporters outside the airline's offices in Dhaka.

An airport source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there may have been confusion between air traffic control and the pilot over which end of Kathmandu's sole runway -- referred to as 'Runway 02' and 'Runway 20' -- the plane was meant to land on.

A recording purportedly of the conversation between the controller and pilot has been published online. AFP could not independently verify the recording.

Eyewitnesses said the plane -- a Canadian-made Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop -- crashed as it made a second approach towards the airport, shuddering violently as it lost height before hitting the ground and bursting into flames.

"It should have come straight but it went in the other direction... then it crashed towards the field," said airport cleaner Sushil Chaudhary, who saw the crash.

- 'Challenging terrain' -

Desperate relatives searched for the names of their loved-ones on a list of casualties hung outside a hospital where most of the victims were taken. One woman collapsed in tears after checking the list.

Another bewildered-looking survivor, 27-year-old Basanta Bohara, told AFP at a hospital that he couldn't remember how he escaped from the burning wreckage.

"I remember the accident. Nothing else. I don't know how I got out," Bohara said.

Airline spokesman Kamrul Islam said 33 of the passengers were Nepali, 32 were Bangladeshi, one each from China and the Maldives. Local media reported that many of the Nepali passengers were college students returning home for a holiday.

Kathmandu airport briefly closed after the accident, forcing inbound flights to divert, but it has since reopened.

It is Nepal's only international airport and experts say the mountainous landscape with the towering Himalayas to the north poses difficulties for pilots coming in to land.

"The landing at Kathmandu because of the terrain is a little challenging," said Gabriele Ascenzo, a Canadian pilot who runs aviation safety courses in Nepal.

Depending on the direction of approach, pilots have to fly over high terrain before making a steep descent towards the airport, Ascenzo added.

The accident is the deadliest since September 1992, when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when it crashed as it approached Kathmandu airport.

Just two months earlier, a Thai Airways aircraft had crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.

Nepal's poor air safety record is largely blamed on inadequate maintenance and substandard management. Accidents are common and Nepal-based airlines are banned from flying in European Union airspace.

The Dhaka-based US-Bangla Airlines launched just four years ago and made its first international flight in May 2016 to Kathmandu. It has since expanded with routes to South Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

In 2015 one of its planes overshot the runway on landing at Saidpur in northwest Bangladesh. There were no reports of injuries.
On Sunday Arab leaders are scheduled to meet in the Saudi city of Dammam for a summit that is likely to focus intensively on Iran.

Not that Iran was ever going to be low on the agenda.

Arab diplomats say Saudi Arabia had insisted Irans regional machinations be addressed but now, as the situation in Syria escalates and the confrontation between Iran and Israel is increasingly unmasked there, Iran will consume more of the attention of Arab leaders than was originally planned.

On Tuesday the Israeli press was loaded with suggestions the countrys military is adopting a more aggressive approach towards Iran in Syria. The Jerusalem Post went so far as to announce in a headline that there was no more a shadow war between Israel and Iran.

On Sunday Israel attacked an airbase in Syria that was hosting foreign troops fighting for the Al-Assad regime.

According to the official Iranian news agency, four Iranian advisors were killed.

The attack came less than 24 hours after chemical weapons were allegedly used against civilians in Douma, one of the last strongholds of anti-regime militants, with most fingers pointing to the Al-Assad government as being responsible for the assault.

US President Donald Trump promised prompt and major retaliation for the Douma attack by animal Assad.

Russia, whose major military presence in Syria supporting the regime further complicates the equation, claimed the Israeli attack heralded very serious developments and said that it was addressing the issue with Israel.

It is a very serious situation. Things could easily escalate. It is not like previous occasions when there have been limited Israeli attacks against Iranian facilities usually related to Hizbullah in Syria. This time it looks like [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has decided to forcibly move the parameters of any future Iranian presence in Syria and it is very disturbing, said an Egyptian official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the official, regardless of who wins or loses the Israeli-Iranian confrontation in Syria, it will serve only to destabilise the country.

Nobody, not even the Americans who are threatening military action against Syria or the French who are encouraging it, has a clear scenario about removing Al-Assad or replacing the regime with something more stable. So what we are talking about is more confusion  an open proxy war between Iran and Israel and a less explicit proxy war between Russia and the West.

This is the nightmare scenario that we must avert, warns the official.

Foreign diplomats in Cairo say there is a flurry of diplomatic contacts across the region, and in the UNs New York headquarters, to try to reach a consensus among the leading players in the Syria.

One well-informed source said that these consultations include direct appeals from some Arab leaders to Tel Aviv to exercise caution.

According to one regional diplomat, the message being sent to Netanyahu from Arab capitals is that the situation could spin out not just in favour of Iran and Hizbullah but also of Islamist and anti-Israeli camps in the Arab world that are already protesting what they see as the lax Arab response to Palestinian protests in Gaza.

They say any escalation in Syria could eliminate the chances of talks that could end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict being launched, talks which the Arab Summit was supposed to support, says the diplomat, though Im not really sure they understand Netanyahus priorities.

Abbas Kamel, senior political and security aide to President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, visited both Ramallah, home of the Palestinian Authority, and Tel Aviv last week in a bid to lay the ground for the Arab summit to adopt a resolution expressing willingness to engage with the planned US peace scheme. Saudi and Emirati officials have also been consulting with Palestinian and Israeli officials on the same issue.

The aim of the talks, both announced and un-announced, is now not only to persuade Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to approve of the launch of settlement negotiations but to convince Netanyahu to exercise restraint before what he sees as the perfect opportunity to deal a blow to Hizbullah and limit Irans presence in Syria.

On Monday the UN Security Council met to discuss Syria. On Tuesday, as Al-Ahram Weekly went to print, diplomats in New York were holding another round of consultations with a scheduled Security Council session expected.

Arab and foreign diplomats who spoke to the Weekly agreed the situation would be managed one way or the other before Arab leaders arrive in Saudi Arabia for their summit. Already there are intense Arab talks on the matter, and discussions were scheduled for Tuesday evening (Middle East Time) between Trump and the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman who is currently in Paris. Consultations are also already underway between on-the-ground Syrian players Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Whatever understandings are reached as a result of these talks will be reflected in the Arab Summit.

The Arab Summit, says an Arab League official, was expected to be tense given that it would be the venue for the first encounter between Qatar  Doha has yet to announce the level of Qatari participation  and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain since June last year when the four allies instigated their diplomatic embargo of Qatar.

The summit is being held in the absence of any breakthrough in the stand-off between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours and Egypt and after Washington called off, at least for now, a summit Trump had planned to host for the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The biggest concern now, say Arab diplomats, is whether the delegations of the conflicting countries will attempt to pin their positions on developments in Syria and exchange accusations over siding with non-Arab regional players, be they Iran, Turkey or Israel. Any tit-for-tat accusations could also spill over to include support of militants in Syria, and in Libya.

Kuwait, the current Arab member of the UN Security Council which has been attempting to mediate and contain the fall-out of the dispute between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates on the one hand and Qatar on the other, has been stepping up consultations in an attempt to ensure the Arab Summit ends without further escalation on either the Arab Gulf or Syrian fronts.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, a step that could trigger a major escalation in the Syrian war.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, in comments broadcast on Tuesday evening, said he was referring to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria, targeting any missiles and launchers involved in such an attack. Russia is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally.

The United States and its allies are considering whether to hit Syria over a suspected poison gas attack that medical relief organisations say killed dozens of people in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus on Saturday.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then...the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic. He also said a clash "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations".

Russia and the United States blocked attempts by each other in the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.

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Lockdown lifted at Rogers High after report of stranger on campus

According to an email that went out to the school community, the school went into lockdown around 12:30 p.m.
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Iran on Wednesday hit back at Saudi accusations that Tehran provides "support for terrorism", pointing at alleged links between Riyadh and jihadists such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Countries in the region "will never forget the role played by Saudi Arabia in conspiring for, supporting and arming violent terrorists and extremists... such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh (IS) and other similar groups," Iran's foreign ministry said.

It also singled out Saudi support for Iraq's fallen dictator Saddam Hussein in his 1980-1988 war against Iran, its military intervention in Yemen since 2015 and its apparent rapprochement with Israel.

Iran, a bitter regional rival of Saudi Arabia with which diplomatic ties were cut in 2016, was responding to the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who Tuesday referred to Tehran's "support for terrorism" during a visit to Paris.

The Wahhabist ideology which is historically linked to the Saudi monarchy has inspired the ideology of jihadist groups, and 15 of the 19 plane hijackers in the 9/11 attacks on the United States were Saudi nationals.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Iran not to test Israel's resolve, in a speech marking the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Speaking at a ceremony at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, the Israeli premier spoke of the murderous Nazi aggression that was not sufficiently challenged by Western powers.

"Today, too, there's an extremist regime that's threatening us, threatening the peace of the entire world," Netanyahu said of Iran. "That regime explicitly declares that it intends on destroying us, the Jewish state."

"I have a message to the rulers of Iran -- don't test Israel's resolve," Netanyahu said.

Russia, Syria and Iran accused Israel of an air strike Monday that hit a regime base in Syria, killing 14 Syrian and Iranian personnel.

Israel has refused to comment on the strike.

Israel has acknowledged carrying out dozens of air strikes in Syria since 2013 to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group fighting alongside Damascus.

Israel has also repeatedly warned it will not accept its arch-foe Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

"We nip the aggression in its bud," Netanyahu said without specifying. "These aren't empty words, we back them up with action."

The Israeli leader also reiterated his stance on the shortcomings of the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, which he believes must be changed.

"Signing the agreement with Iran not only didn't curb their aggression, it increased it," he said.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to walk away from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions by May 12 unless tough new restrictions are imposed on Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.

Netanyahu also spoke of the duty to stand up to "evil and aggression" throughout generations, citing the alleged chemical attack that the Syrian regime is accused of doing.

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A group of Russian lawmakers plans to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Interfax news agency reported citing a Russian lawmaker.

"We plan to meet him to discuss the situation and support the people of Syria in its fight against terrorism," Dmitry Sablin, a deputy in the Russian lower house of parliament, was quoted as saying.

Sablin did not specify where or when a meeting might take place

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A representative of the Cyprian government has commented on the possible use of Cyprian military bases by the United Kingdom to conduct military operations in Syria.

According to the spokesman of the Cyprian government Prodromos Prodromu, Cyprus won't participate in any military operation in Syria, what will provide the country's security.

"Cyprus doesn't have any agreement with other states on the country's participation in any operation. The issue of bases have been known for a long time," Prodromu said.

The UK has two military bases under its jurisdiction on Cyprus. If the UK uses the base, the country only has to notify the Cyprian authorities of the fact but doesn't need to obtain any authorization.

The official also touched upon a possible participation of France in military operations in Syria, saying that Cyprus won't participate in them either.

"We've recently held a search and rescue operation with France, but not a military one. Cyprus isn't interested in any military operations in the region," Prodromu noted.

France may use Cyprian Andreas Papandreou military base, in case it decides to hold military operations in Syria.

However, it has to obtain authorization of the Cyprian authorities to do this.

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The Russian military said on Wednesday it was closely watching the situation around Syria and was aware of the movements of a U.S. naval force in the Gulf.

In an apparent response to U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about a possible U.S. missile attack on Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry also said in a statement that Washington would do better to rebuild the destroyed Syrian city of Raqqa rather than talk about its readiness carry out such strikes.

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Three of the 50 Fastest Growing Craft Breweries of 2017 Are from Oregon
Figtree farmer David Connolly, who lost his farm to President Emmerson Mnangagwas top aide  Ray Ndhlukula  has cried foul after the latter this week moved to destroy his farm house, at a time he felt that he had not exhausted all the legal channels to get back what belongs to him.



Ndhlukula, who is the deputy chief secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, might have felt vindicated to erect new structures by the recent victory in the legal battle over ownership of the Figtree Farm, being Subdivision A of Centenary situated in the Bulilima District of Matabeleland South Province, following a Supreme Court ruling.



The apex court said the farm in dispute was State land and had been gazetted under the land reform programme by government.



The farm was gazetted for acquisition by the State on January 31, 2003 under General Notice 37 of 2003 and was subsequently acquired by the State in 2005 by virtue of the Constitutional Amendment No 17 of 2005.



Connolly, who last week said he was being persecuted because of his skin following the ruling, yesterday told this publication that Ndhlukula has started destroying his farm house.



Those people have started destroying my farm house, my wife is from there right now. She is telling me that they have removed the roof and are also destroying the structure. How can they do that, honestly? Connolly, who still hopes that one day he will return to the farm he has called home for close to half a century, said.



He, however, could not be drawn into revealing his next move in the wake of the latest developments.

The commercial farmer, who could not hide his bitterness at the way government has treated him in all the court battles, said these were clear signs of a lawless government that claims to respect the rights of its people.



Last week Connolly said; We have a Constitutional Court; I think we have to challenge the Constitution there. We just have to see what is good for us but we should be able to do that before the elections such that the international community is aware that President Mnangagwa is all about rhetoric.



In January this year, Connolly told Southern News that he had taken the matter to Southern African Development Community (Sadc) for redress.



Its quite shocking how the government has treated me on this matter. I know its because I have a white skin hence I am being denied my rights which I deserve like any other Zimbabwean citizen, he said.



The white commercial farmer did not hide his bitterness against Mnangagwa whom he felt should have saved his farm from Ndhlukulas occupation.



Mnangagwa is saying Zimbabwe is open for business, yet on the other hand, is doing the opposite. He cant do that when he is expecting to win in the next election. He is chasing away white farmers at a time he has promised to address their plight, Connolly said. Daily News
Parliament yesterday grilled former Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made on why he appointed Mr Rockie Mutenha as the Grain Marketing Board general manager when he had scored lesser marks compared to two other aspirants.



The committee on Agriculture, chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya MP Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Zanu-PF) took Dr Made to task why he disregarded GMB board recommendations to appoint former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe official, Dr Millicent Mombeshora or Mr David Mashingaidze, who had scored higher marks during interviews.



GMB board members led by Mr Charles Chikaura had indicated that Dr Made had directed the appointment of Mr Mutenha.



Dr Made said he appointed Mr Mutenha because there was pressure and anxiety over the need to have a substantive head at GMB. He denied arm-twisting the board to appoint Mr Mutenha ahead of other people.



There were two separate issues, he said. The board was taking its own course, but as a ministry we sat down and said we cannot continue to have this bickering over a substantive general manager. There was pressure to have somebody.



Dr Made did not tell the committee the nature of the pressure or its source.



Norton legislator Mr Temba Mliswa accused Dr Made of abusing his powers to settle for a least qualified person against recommendations by the board following interviews held by a human resources consultancy firm in which Mr Mutenha had scored the least points.





Other board members said they did not eventually sit to consider the appointment of Mr Mutenha after Dr Made indicated his preference. herald
Former Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) Commissioner-General Mr Gershem Pasi is contesting the $217 000 claim filed against him by his former employer, arguing that the period within which the taxman should have sued him has expired.



Mr Pasi was forced out of Zimra in May last year when pressure mounted ahead of a disciplinary hearing on a series of charges ranging from mismanagement to gross negligence and abuse of office, among others.



Zimra last month filed a $217 000 claim against Mr Pasi for unjust enrichment and poor administration that financially prejudiced it, three years after the lapse of time to sue. The contraventions took place between March 2010 and February 2015.Mr Pasi responded to Zimras right with a special plea of prescription in a bid to quash the claim, while the taxman claimed that during his tenure, he unjustly enriched himself with $12 445 through fraud and abuse of office in violation of his contract of employment.



In his response, Mr Pasi, who is being represented by Advocate Thabani Mpofu, attacked the basis of claim that is alleged to have taken place in March 2010, June 2014, July 2014 and February 2015 respectively. He argued that the summons were served on March 21, 2018.







As at the date of service of summons, plaintiffs claim had been extinguished by extinctive prescription in terms of the law, argued Mr Pasi.





The former Zimra boss further argues that the taxmans second claim of US$205 178,59 has also prescribed given the time the alleged contravention took place and the time the summons were served. Zimra is claiming $205 178, excluding interest plus cost of the suit, as damages for financial prejudice caused by Mr Pasis grossly negligent and reckless management of its affairs during his tenure as the commissioner-general.





Mr Pasi, according to the Zimra declaration, was employed as commissioner-general from November 1, 2011 until May last year when he resigned.





It is alleged that a forensic audit carried out in 2016 revealed that Mr Pasi unjustly enriched himself through fraud and abuse of office. Herald
His Trek Up Mount Whitney

Was 'a Hell of His Own Making'
(Newser)  In the 135 days since the Trump administration took control of the nation's consumer watchdog agency, it hasn't recorded a single enforcement action against banks, credit card companies, debt collectors, or any finance companies whatsoever. That's likely no fluke: Mick Mulvaney, appointed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in late November, promised to shrink the bureau's mandate and take a much softer approach to enforcement, and records reviewed by the AP indicate he has kept his word. The review of the CFPB database shows that the bureau issued an average of two to four enforcement actions a month under former Director Richard Cordray, former President Obama's appointee.

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But the database shows zero enforcement actions have been taken since Nov. 21, 2017, three days before Cordray resigned. Before Mulvaney, the bureau used enforcement actions to extract billions of dollars in relief for consumers from financial companies and to stop companies from doing harm. Bank of America was ordered to return $727 million to consumers for deceptive credit card practices in 2015the largest award in the bureau's historybut the CFPB has issued dozens of smaller actions to get relief for student borrowers, victims of debt collection companies, and bank customers. In a statement, the CFPB said the slowdown is tied to a new administration taking over the bureau, adding that "it is our job to enforce the law, and we take it very seriously." (Read more Consumer Financial Protection Bureau stories.)
(Newser)  A social worker worried about the welfare of the Hart family called 911 in Washington state the same day the family's SUV plunged off a cliff in California. The Department of Social and Health Services employee told dispatchers in the March 26 call that she was requesting a welfare check after repeated failed attempts to locate Jennifer and Sarah Hart and their six adopted children, People reports. "I've been to the home Monday and Friday and knocked on the door just this morning, and I can get no response," the worker said. "Different cars have been moving in and out, I noticed, so I feel like someone is there." The worker said she was worried about the family because of "concerns the children aren't being fed," reports KPTV.

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The couple and at least three of the childrenMarkis, 19; Jeremiah, 14; and Abigail, 14 died in what investigators believe was an intentional crash. Three other childrenDevonte, 15; Hannah, 16; and Sierra, 12are missing and presumed dead. The Harts were being investigated for alleged child abuse and neglect, which mystifies friends who knew them in the mid-2000s, when they lived in Minnesota, reports the Seattle Times. "They were passionate about trying to help," says Kayla Schmitz, who worked with the couple at Herberger's department store when they first got their foster-care license. "The people I know wouldn't starve their kids and lock them up." (An autopsy is being carried out on an unidentified body found near the crash site.)
Guilford County Sheriffs Office(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) -- A missing teen girl has been found safe after she apparently disappeared with an older man, authorities in North Carolina said.



Amelia Hill is being returned to her family, according to the Guilford County Sheriff's Office. Earl Cunningham, 44, has been arrested and is being questioned by investigators. Further details were not immediately available.



Amelia was believed to have left home on her own, possibly after an argument with her parents, Guilford County Sheriff's Department Capt. David Pruitt previously told ABC News.



We want her to come home," Amelia's mother Stacy Hill told ABC News earlier today. "It doesnt matter whats going on or what shes done. We just want her here."



A girl believed to be the missing teen was then spotted with the unknown man at a Walmart in Randleman, North Carolina, on Monday morning, the sheriff's office said.



The two people were at the Walmart between 9:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and left the store in a four-door white Ford F-250 pickup truck, the sheriff's office said.



It's not clear if the man in the photo is the man who was arrested.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Russia's armed forces said Wednesday they would send military police into the Syrian town of Douma from Thursday to keep the peace.

"From tomorrow, for security and to ensure law and order as well as to organise help for the local population, units of Russian military police are being brought into Douma," senior Russian officer Viktor Poznikhir said at a briefing in Moscow.

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(Newser)  Earlier this year, the New York Times reported on China's emerging #MeToo movement, noting that "silence breakers" in the male-dominated culture face the added obstacle of government censors. It now describes how a 20-year-old alleged rape case has broken through barriers to bring about change. It centers on Gao Yan, a 21-year-old who committed suicide in 1998 after claiming she was raped by Peking University professor Shen Yang, whom Gao said had then started a rumor that she had a mental illness. Shared recently by her former classmatesincluding one who wrote a widely read essay targeting Shen, who denies the allegationsGao's story is seen as an example of the abuse suffered by women in China, per the Times, and universities including Peking, which Shen left in 2011, have responded with promises to do better.

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Nanjing University and Shanghai Normal University, schools where Shen taught recently, say they've ended relationships with the professor, reports the Telegraph. Peking University, meanwhile, says Shen received a "warning penalty" after police found he'd "violated teachers' morality" in 1998, per the Telegraph. The school is now promising to institute new rules on sexual harassment, reports Global News, but student activists are cautious. One tells the Times that Peking has "shown no sense of introspection about the unequal power dynamics between students and teachers" since Gao's death. "Merely resolving one or two specific cases is meant to gag the public," she adds. Speaking of gag orders, the Times reports an article published by Chinese media Monday contained sexual harassment accusations against Shen by a second student, but that article was quickly deleted. (Read more China stories.)
(Newser)  The British government no longer has to worry about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle causing a diplomatic incident by inviting the Obamas to their wedding and snubbing President Trump, because the number of politicians invited to the upcoming royal wedding is zero. Kensington Palace says people close to the couple will be invited to the May 19 wedding, but political leaders, including British ones, are not on the guest list, the New York Times reports. "It has been decided that an official list of political leadersboth UK and internationalis not required" for the wedding, the palace said in a statement. "Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by the Royal Household."

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Palace sources say the decision was made because Harry is not a direct heir to the throneand the church where the wedding will be held only seats around 600 people. The prince is friendly with Barack Obama, and there had been worries about friction amid rumors that the government was pressuring him to invite Trump to the wedding instead. Officials say some 1,200 members of the public will be invited to Windsor Castle to celebrate the wedding. The guests, including a 12-year-old girl injured in the bombing of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester last year, were chosen by officials after the couple asked for guests from a variety of backgrounds, the BBC reports. The palace says the couple are asking people to donate to selected charities instead of sending gifts. (Read more British royals stories.)
(Newser)  A top GOP lawmaker said Tuesday that the Oklahoma Legislature has no plans to bow to striking teachers' demands to eliminate a capital gains tax break as a way to end a walkout in its second week. Rep. John Pfeiffer, a House majority floor leader, also said lawmakers are unlikely to consider any other major revenue bills this session, reports the AP. Gov. Mary Fallin also defied striking teachers on Tuesday, signing a bill to repeal a tax on hotel stays that teachers had called on her to veto. Fallin encouraged lawmakers to turn their attention to other issues. The actions of the governor and Legislature appeared to indicate that the confrontation has reached a stalemate. The state's largest teachers union has called for the walkout to continue until the Legislature comes up with more money for schools. Several districts have announced plans to close Wednesday for an eighth day.

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Teachers descended on the Capitol again Tuesday, but the crowds were notably smaller. The House and Senate this week returned to more routine work, holding committee meetings and considering bills unrelated to revenue or education. The GOP-led Legislature has approved tax increases on cigarettes, motor fuel, and oil and gas production to generate about $450 million, with the bulk going to teacher raises. Pfeiffer said many House Republicans agreed to vote for the package only if the capital gains deduction remained. "We've accomplished a whole lot, and I just don't know how much more we can get done this session," said Pfeiffer. The Legislature approved $2.9 billion for public schools, an increase of nearly 20% over last year. Much of the new money was earmarked for teacher raises of about $6,100 on average. But teachers say the increase is not enough after a decade without raises.

(Read more teachers' strike stories.)
(Newser)  If the US tries to launch missiles at Syria, they will be shot down and the warships or planes they're launched from will become targets, Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said Tuesday night, echoing earlier warnings from Moscow. "If there is a strike by the Americans, then  the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Alexander Zasypkin told a Hezbollah-affiliated TV station, per Reuters.

The words planted no fear in President Trump, who on Wednesday morning addressed the news in a tweet, telling Russia to "get ready ... because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

The Guardian reports a Russian foreign ministry rep addressed the tweet, saying "smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not [a] legal government."

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About 40 minutes after his first Russia-themed tweet came a second one from Trump: "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"

Moscow's United Nations envoy also warned against US action Tuesday, saying that Washington will "bear responsibility" for any "illegal military adventure" carried out in response to a suspected chemical attack that killed scores of civilians, the BBC reports.

Vassily Nebenzia was speaking during a meeting of the UN Security Council in which the US and Russia blocked each other's attempts to set up investigations of the alleged chemical attack.

Trump has canceled a trip to Latin America in order to oversee the US response, which he said Monday would be decided on within 48 hours.

The Telegraph reports that European traffic controllers have warned aircraft that strikes in the region are a strong possibility in the next 72 hours.

(Russia is jamming the signals of American drones over Syria .)
(Newser)  A pastor and former spiritual adviser to President Clinton has stepped down from one of the largest evangelical churches in the country over allegations of misconduct with women. Bill Hybels, 66, planned to retire from the Chicago-area megachurch he founded 43 years ago in October. But at Willow Creek's Tuesday service in South Barrington, Hybels said allegations of suggestive comments, unwanted kissing, invitations to hotel rooms, and an extramarital affair, raised last month by the Chicago Tribune, had become an "extremely painful" distraction, though the church's own investigation found no wrongdoing, per the Tribune. "In recent times, I have been accused of many things I simply did not do," but "some in the wider Christian community continue to be confused and conflicted," Hybels said, announcing his resignation was effective Tuesday.

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Hybels did admit he "placed myself in situations that would be far wiser to avoid. I was naive" but "I realize now that  I communicated things that were perceived in ways I did not intend, at times making people feel uncomfortable," per the Washington Post and Chicago Sun-Times. He said, "I feel the need to look deep inside myself and determine what God wants to teach me through all of this," adding, "I have complete peace about this decision." Two successors will now take over: Executive pastor Heather Larson will become chief executive while Steve Carter will become lead teaching pastor, reports the Sun-Times. One of 25,000 worshipers across Willow Creek's Illinois campuses wasn't happy with Tuesday's news, blaming the #MeToo movement, per the Tribune. "It worked. It destroyed an old man's life. Nothing good came out of it," he said. (Read more megachurches stories.)
(Newser)  Alex Malarkey calls it "one of the most deceptive books ever," even though it bears his byline and that of his late father. The 20-year-old Ohio man, left paraplegic after a 2004 car crash in which his father, Kevin Malarkey, was driving, co-penned with his dad The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven after he emerged from his coma two months after the accident. In the 2010 book, he claimed a near-death experience in which he visited heaven and met Jesus, angels, and the devilall of which he retracted in a 2015 blog post, saying he'd done it for "attention." Now, per the Washington Post and Courthouse News, Malarkey is suing the Christian publisher that put out the New York Times best-seller, saying the story was fabricated by his father, he's long tried to have his name disassociated with it, and he hasn't seen a dime of the money Tyndale House made off the book, since taken out of print.

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Malarkeywho says he lives off his Social Security checks and help from his mom, Beth Malarkey, and that they're both near homelessnessclaims Tyndale never cleared the book's contents with him, as his father was the one who signed the contract. Tyndale tells the Post it tried multiple times to set up meetings with the Malarkeys and that Beth wouldn't agree to one. The publisher also won't give Malarkey a record of the money Tyndale made off the book until Malarkey agrees the contract is "in effect and binding"something he won't do. His complaint goes after Tyndale House for defamation, exploitation of his disability, and appropriation of his likeness. "Despite the fact that Tyndale House has made millions of dollars off Alex's identity and an alleged autobiographical story of his life, Tyndale House paid Alex, a paralyzed young man, nothing," the suit states. (Behind "heavenly lights": CO2?)
(Newser)  Algeria's defense ministry says 257 people died when a military plane crashed soon after takeoff in a farm field in northern Algeria on Wednesday, per the AP. The Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane had departed Boufarik air base, 20 miles southwest of the capital Algiers, for a military base in Bechar in southwest Algeria, a civil protection agency rep tells the AP. Another rep, who initially gave the "provisional" death toll as 181, says some passengers were "extracted with deep burns caused by the fuselage catching fire" and more than 300 emergency workers are working at the scene, per the AP. Footage showed thick black smoke coming off the field, as well as ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles at the site. The defense ministry says an investigation is underway. (Read more plane crash stories.)
(Newser)  An Australian woman who perpetrated a "despicable" scam when she was 19 is headed to jail for three months after being busted by her social media pictures. Per the BBC and News.com.au, Hanna Dickenson, 24, pleaded guilty to obtaining property by deceptionmeaning she pretended she had terminal brain cancer and got her parents, struggling farmers, to help her beg for donations for medical treatment overseas. Those donations, a total of more than $30,000 that the London Times says came from three different sources, ended up instead funding Dickenson's party lifestyle, including foreign vacations, which one suspicious donor eventually found proof of on Facebook. One donor gave about $8,000 to Dickenson after his own cancer treatment; a couple, Nathan and Rachael Cue, says they sent her four separate donations that totaled more than $15,000.

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And it was the Cues' detective work that busted Dickenson's story wide open. "I started looking into it, doing my homework  and yeah, 100% scammed," says Nathan Cue. "That's when I took it to the police." Dickenson's lawyer's three-pronged defense included pinning her parents as the ones who actually asked people for the money, emphasizing that Dickenson has since turned her life around (she's now a real estate agent), and that her transgressions weren't as bad as those of blogger Belle Gibson, another Australian who made fake cancer claims. But Magistrate David Starvaggi called Dickenson's plot "despicable" and said it "smacks of a Walter Mitty kind of lifestyle," adding her behavior "tears at the very heartstrings of human nature." In addition to her jail term, Dickenson has to perform 12 months of community service and pay restitution to the donors she fleeced. (Read more scam stories.)
(Newser)  Julie Marburger had had itand then she reached a new level of fed-up. The 45-year-old Texas middle school teacher has decided to give up teaching at the end of the school year, but in a March 28 Facebook post, she writes that she didn't know if she would "make it even that long." She explains she had to leave work early that day "after an incident with a parent left me unable emotionally to continue." And it wasn't an anomaly. "Parents have become far too disrespectful," their kids are worse, and administrators just want to keep parents happy. Yet Marburger, who teaches in Cedar Creek, anticipated dealing with more super unhappy parents soon. Reports cards were being issued later in the week, and almost half her students are failing because of missing assignments.

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She called and emailed parents to try to turn things around, to no avail. "Now I'm probably going to spend my entire week next week fielding calls and emails from irate parents, wanting to know why I failed their kid." The root of the issue is that parents are "coddling and enabling their children," and it has to stop. Ditto the disrespect. "Most parents can't stand to spend more than a couple hours a day with their kid, but we spend 8 with yours and 140 others just like him. Is it too much to ask for a little common courtesy and civil conversation?" Her post has been shared more than 420,000 times, and she tells Good Morning America she was worried people might take offense. Instead, she's found "more support," as says she's exploring her options in terms of her teaching future. (This teacher's post about a broken chair also got a big reaction.)
(Newser)  Law enforcement and hundreds of volunteers spent days searching for a 5-year-old boy reported missing in Tennessee last week, but his parents already knew he was dead, police say. Joseph Daniels, 28, who on April 4 told authorities his son slipped out of the family's home in Dickson, admitted Friday to intentionally killing Joe Clyde Daniels, who had autism and was nonverbal, report CNN and WSMV. During questioning Monday, the boy's mother, 27-year-old Krystal Daniels, admitted to witnessing abuse that resulted in Joe's death at the family's home, police say. According to an affidavit, Joseph Daniels repeatedly hit Joe in the head, face, upper torso, and body with a closed fist, reports WSMV.

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Police say Joseph Daniels then put his son's body in the trunk of a car, drove it to a rural area, and disposed of it. Krystal Daniels, arrested Monday, also admitted to knowing that her husband disposed of Joe's body, which has yet to be found, authorities say, adding she ignored many earlier opportunities to relay this information to police. "Krystal Daniels failed to report the abuse and resulting homicide" and "took active steps to obfuscate the abuse and homicide," an affidavit reads, per WSMV. She's charged with aggravated child neglect or endangerment, while her husband is charged with criminal homicide. Both are held on $1 million bonds. (Read more Tennessee stories.)
Syria's army has evacuated key defence buildings in Damascus following intelligence they might be targeted in a Western strike in response to an alleged chemical attack, a monitor said Wednesday.

The United States and France have warned of a strong response after an alleged deadly chemical attack by the regime on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday.

"The buildings of the ministry of defence and the army headquarters have been empty for two days," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Regime forces have also evacuated military airports as well as the bases of the elite Fourth Division and Republican Guard outside the capital, the Observatory said.

"The Russians told the Syrian army's leadership they had intelligence on possible US and French targets in Syria," Observatory head Abdel Rahman said.

According to the Russian intelligence, the United States is pushing for possible strikes to target the ministry of defence and army headquarters in Damascus, he said.

The intelligence indicated they were also aiming to strike military airports and bases, the Observatory said.

According to the same Russian intelligence, France would like targets to include President Bashar al-Assad's suspected chemical facilities.

These would be the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center in Jamaraya, just north of the capital, and the suspected chemical warfare headquarters in Damascus.

Paris would be pushing for a strike on the Dumair military airport, which is suspected of having been the launchpad for Saturday's alleged chemical attack.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Damascus regime.

Rescuers say more than 40 people were killed in Saturday's alleged toxic gas attack.

Last year, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the United Nations later pinned on Assad.

More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

It has since spiraled into a complex war involving world powers.

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(Newser)  Kim Jong Un on Monday finally acknowledged the planned North Korea-US summit, but there's still no word on where it will take place. At the Washington Post, David Nakamura looks at an interesting wrinkle: whether Kim has a plane that can actually get him to wherever it will be held and how the logistics of it all will jibe with his quest to "project a more charismatic and worldly image." Nakamura writes there's some speculation that President Trump might suggest a more impressive location than the Demilitarized Zone between the Koreas or neighboring ChinaSingapore or Sweden, for instance. But the planes the North is known to possess are largely Ukrainian- or Russian-made ones capable only of regional travel, or the Soviet-era Ilyushin Il-62, which some say is too old for a long haul.

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If that's the case, it would leave three options, all potentially embarrassing: Hitch a ride on a South Korean flight, refuel along the way (avoiding numerous countries where sanctions are in force), or borrow a plane from China or Russia (though there's a good chance it would be bugged). National Geographic in February published a photo essay of the North's "retro" planes, and it gives some background on the country's single commercial airline, Air Koryo, which has been flying since 1945. It reports the airline has only two international destinationsChina and Vladivostok, Russiabut that those flights aren't void of amenities: Travelers are served North Korean beer, for instance. (Read more Kim Jong Un stories.)
(Newser)  A German dendrochronologist stumbled on something puzzling while gathering wood cores on the Norwegian coast in 2016: some trees were missing rings. "We got back to the lab and measured the tree rings, and saw that they were very narrowin some cases nearly absentfor 1945," Claudia Hartl tells the AFP. A local scientist had a theory, she explained Wednesday at the annual meeting of the European Geosciences Union: that it had something to do with the Tirpitz. The 820-foot battleship was the largest in Hitler's navy, and the BBC reports it spent much of WWII anchored and hiding along Norway's coast, including in Kafjord, where Hartl observed the tree-ring anomaly. But then Allied forces found it, and that's when the trees suffered, believes Hartl.

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The Nazi ship released chlorosulphuric acid as a sort of "chemical fog" to try to cloak it from aerial enemy forces, and Hartl now believes the acid caused damage to the trees' needles. "If trees don't have needles they can't photosynthesize and they can't produce biomass," she explains, noting recovery can be a multi-year process as pine trees can retain their needles for as long as seven years. And that jibes with what she found: In one case, a tree had no growth for nine years and took three decades to revert to "normal growth." Near where the ship was stationed all the trees she studied were affected, with more than 60% not growing at all in 1945. She found the impact on the rings diminished with distance, with trees about 2.5 miles away starting to be unaffected. As for the Tirpitz's ploy, it didn't work: It was ultimately sunk. (Using ink and urine, this man recorded Nazi horrors.)
(Newser)  Mark Zuckerberg was back on Capitol Hill Wednesday, and he told lawmakers in a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that his own Facebook information was compromised in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, with Zuckerberg numbering as one of the 87 million users whose data was shared. Reuters reports he didn't waver on his assertion that users do have control over their data, saying, "Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook  there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there." Reuters notes investors were largely pleased with how Zuckerberg did during five hours of questioning Tuesday: Facebook shares were up 4.5%, their biggest daily uptick since 2016. Here were big moments from his testimony on Tuesday. (Read more Mark Zuckerberg stories.)
(Newser)  Vermont on Wednesday raised the age to buy firearms, banned high-capacity magazines, and made it easier to take guns from people who pose a threatthe first significant gun ownership restrictions in state history, signed into law by the Republican governor. It's a remarkable turnaround for the largely rural state that traditionally has refused to impose restrictions on gun ownership, the AP reports. Standing on the Statehouse steps, Gov. Phil Scott signed the three bills into law before a crowd of gun rights activists and supporters of gun control. "This is not the time to do what's easy, it's time to do what's right," the governor said. Scott, a gun owner, had urged the Legislature to pass gun restrictions in the aftermath of what police called a narrowly averted school shooting in Fair Haven by a teenager. He said the incident proved to him that Vermont isn't immune from the school violence that has plagued other parts of the country.

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Vermont's new gun laws are mild by some standards. But they are part of a trend of states passing gun restrictions, prompted in part by the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., said Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York at Cortland who has written books on gun policy. "There has been movement in a number of states," Spitzer said. But Vermont is significant "because Vermont is traditionally such a strong gun-rights state and has not moved in this direction in ages, if ever," he said. While gun control advocates have praised Vermont's new laws, the state's traditionally powerful gun rights advocates and members of the outdoor community feel betrayed by Scott, whom many supported during his 2016 election campaign. During debate on the legislation, many firearms owners milled around the Statehouse halls wearing hunter orange vests or hats.

(Read more Vermont stories.)
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Bolivia has asked for the United Nations Security Council to meet on Thursday "on the escalation of rhetoric regarding Syria and these threats of unilateral military action," hours after US President Donald Trump warned of missile attacks.

"There's a consistency in these threats, so we are concerned because any unilateral action would be a violation of the principles and purposes of the (UN) charter," Bolivia's UN Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorentty Soliz told reporters.

Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected deadly poison gas attack, declaring that missiles "will be coming" and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Dozens of people died and hundreds were injured in the attack, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The 15-member council failed on Tuesday to approve three draft resolutions on chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia vetoed a US text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get a minimum nine votes to pass.

"Whatever happens next has to abide by international law," Swedish UN Ambassador Olof Skoog told reporters on Wednesday, referring to US plans for military action.

Some diplomats said there were several arguments to justify bombing Syria over the suspected chemical weapons attack.

It could be argued a strike is being carried out in support UN Security Council resolutions, as was the case in 1998 when a US and British bombing campaign hit Iraqi weapons research and storage facilities to retaliate for the Iraqi government's refusal to cooperate fully with UN weapons inspectors.

Alternatively, a Syria strike could also be justified as action to stop the use or spread of weapons of mass destruction taken because the UN Security Council has been unable to act.

Any countries that carry out a strike on Syria over the chemical weapons attack could also defend their action under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers an individual or collective right to self-defense against armed attack.

"The use of chemical weapons, once allowed to spread, is a threat to everybody and if that takes hold and becomes a routine part of fighting, then we are all at risk," said Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In September 2014, the United States defended the start of its military action against Islamic State militants in Syria under Article 51. Washington argued it was attacking Islamic State group in Syria to eliminate a threat to Iraq, the United States and its allies.

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New Delhi:

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), in its circular dated April 9, asked banks to not deny monthly pension to people for want of biometric authentication or Aadhaar cards. It said that alternative means of identification like life certificates can be used if needed.

The retirement fund body issued a circular to all the heads of pension disbursing banks and postal services, which listed out that a person cant be denied his/her monthly pension if biometric identification, be it fingerprint or iris scan, failed.

EPFO asked the banks to ensure that the pensioners are facilitated for Aadhaar enrolment and also a paper life certificate is accepted, in place of a digitally generated one, for those pensioners who have already enrolled for Aadhaar.

It also stated that people who dont have Aadhaar must be encouraged to get the same and till the time they do so, life certificates could be accepted as an alternate means of identification.

EPFO also advised the banks to make provisions for IRIS scanners and fingerprint mechanism in their branches for authentication of identity. The circular stated that there were cases when iris-scan authentication was successful even if fingerprint mechanism failed.

In cases where both iris and fingerprint authentication fail, EPFO has asked the concerned banks to maintain a record of the beneficiaries details in an exception register, with the exact reason.

The pension will be given on the basis of paper life certificates and physical Aadhaar card after proper verification as considered fit by the bank.

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Delhi:

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday started its level exercise GaganShakti-18, with the concept of a Forward Surgical Centre (FSC).

The IAF has deployed more than 11 aircraft at their operational locations this year as this is a unique exercise and these aircraft are being deployed at forward bases.

A Forward Surgical Centre (FSC) is set up at a remote forward location in the Indian Air Force with an aim to enhance the medical capabilities at the forward base located away from a service hospital. The establishment of FSC permits immediate life and limb saving surgery, thus stabilising the patient.

The evacuation rear-ward could then be taken to a higher surgical centre at an appropriate time during operations.

The first station to be operationalised with an FSC is Air Force Station Naliya, where existing men and material of the IAF was used. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa visited the Naliya FSC and was impressed with the setup.

The Naliya FSC has a dedicated surgical team that can undertake six to eight surgeries a day. Meanwhile, FSCs are also being set up at Phalodi and Sirsa Air Force Stations.

The availability of FSCs at remote forward Air Force bases would tend to boost the morale of the air warriors of the Indian Air Force, along with boosting up the confidence of soldiers of the Indian Army.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The government on Wednesday asked Indias state-run oil retail companies not to increase the prices of diesel and gasoline.

Companies like Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) were asked to keep a stable price for oil and not raise it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating the 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) ministerial in New Delhi, called for a responsible pricing in the oil market so as to balance the interest of oil and gas producers and consumers to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Modi said a massive transformation was underway in the energy market with the consumption growth shifting from the developed countries to the developing and emerging countries.

PM Modi, while addressing the event, said, The world has seen prices on a roller coaster for much too long. We need responsible prices to balance the interests of both producer and consumer. We need a transparent and flexible market...there has to be a mutually supportive relationship between producers and consumers. Efforts at artificially distorting prices are self-defeating as history has shown us.

Also Read: Modi praises Union secretary at 'Swachh Bharat' event

He added, We need a transparent and flexible market...there has to be a mutually supportive relationship between producers and consumers. Efforts at artificially distorting prices are self-defeating as history has shown us. Let us build a global consensus on responsible pricing which will serve both producer and consumer. In a period of global uncertainty, India needs energy security.

Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Khalid A Al-Falih, who was also present at the event, said that India was a priority destination for Saudi investment and his countrys oil firm, Saudi Aramco, will continue to look to the country for more opportunities.

During the event, Saudi Aramco, which is the worlds largest oil producer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to buy 50 per cent stake in a $44 billion oil refinery in Maharashtra. The remaining stakes are held by state-run corporations like IOCL, HPCL, and BPCL.

The Modi administration also said it wants to keep the oil prices under check and wants to see prices at about $50 a barrel in order to manage its finances in a better way, said oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in an interview.

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New Delhi:

Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, who was questioned on Tuesday by CBI in the alleged IRCTC scam, accused the state government of conspiring against her family, after security was withdrawn from her residence.

The Bihar government had withdrawn 32 Military Police jawans deputed at her residence in Patna on Tuesday.

While talking to reporters, Rabri said that security was revoked from her residence at 9pm and alleged that it was governmentas conspiracy to get her and her family killed.

The security was revoked at 9 in the night. See what the govt is doing? It is a conspiracy to get me & my family killed: Rabri Devi, former CM of Bihar pic.twitter.com/7nr4661XbC a ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018

When asked if she feared her life being under threat post the withdrawal of security, Rabri said that she had no fear and would walk among the public and the public would protect her family.

Rabri claimed that there was a threat to Lalu Prasad Yadavas life in jail, while talking to ANI.

It's conspiracy by Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi & govt. Lalu Ji is in jail & dying every day, don't know if he's dying due to disease or being killed using medicines. His sugar level is rising. How do I trust govt? If govt asks us to vacate our house we're ready to do it: Rabri Devi pic.twitter.com/XoXRfJQBDf a ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018

The RJD leader has written a letter to the stateas Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying that the home ministry would be responsible if any untoward incident happened to her or her family.

After the security at her house being withdrawn, Rabri Devi writes to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar saying, 'If any untoward incident takes place with me & my family, home ministry will be held responsible'. pic.twitter.com/lP2guMaPUo a ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018

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British Prime Minister Theresa May is ready to give the go-ahead for Britain to take part in military action in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

May would not seek prior parliamentary approval, the BBC said without naming its sources.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May declined to comment on a BBC report that May was ready to approve military action in response to a chemical attack in Syria and that she would not seek prior parliamentary approval as she favoured taking action quickly.

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New Delhi:

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned the Russian government of nice and smart missile attack on Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack which killed at last 40 people.

Trumps warning comes after the Russian government issued warnings to the US against the military strikes in Syria.

Trump wrote on Twitter, Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

There were no further details of what the strike would look like, or what kind of missiles will be used. The tweet came after the Trump administration had consulted Russia over a possible joint military response to Syrias chemical gas attack. President Trump had cancelled a foreign trip to manage the Syrian crisis.

However, the Russian lawmakers have warned the US that a possible airstrike on Syria will be seen as a war crime, which could instigate a direct military clash between the two former Cold War nations. Russias ambassador to Lebanon said, Any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down.

Also Read| Syria: Chemical gas attack kills at least 70, President Trump blames Russia, Iran

President Emmanuel Macron said France, the US, and Britain will decide collectively on how to respond in the coming days. Macron had called for a strong and joint response to the attack on Syrian city Douma on Saturday in which at least 40 people were killed.

Meanwhile, the French President does not need a parliamentary permission to launch a military operation as it is already involved with the US-led coalition, which was created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State (IS).

On the other hand, Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, told reporters that he and Trump see eye to eye on the Syria issue.

The Emir said, We cannot tolerate with a war criminal. This matter should end immediately. Qatar hosts the US main air operations centre for the Middle East.

In response to Trumps tweet, Moscow government had said they should target terrorists and not legitimate government in Syria.

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The UN Security Council will meet behind closed doors Thursday to discuss the threat of military action against Syria after President Donald Trump warned that "missiles will be coming."

Bolivia, one of 10 non-permanent council members and a strong supporter of Russia, requested the meeting to address "the recent escalation of rhetoric regarding Syria and the threat of the use of unilateral actions," according to the request sent Wednesday and seen by AFP.

Trump earlier warned on Twitter that "missiles will be coming" to Syria in response to an alleged chemical attack and that Russia should "get ready."

The meeting will be held immediately after a briefing on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which is scheduled for 10:00 am (1400 GMT), diplomats said.

The Security Council failed on Tuesday to agree on setting up an investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria, with draft resolutions from Russia and the United States defeated in three votes.

Russia used its veto to block a US-drafted measure, while two other proposals from Russia failed to garner enough votes for adoption.

The United Nations is facing calls for a response following an alleged chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday that killed at least 40 people, according to medics and rescuers.

The United States is consulting Britain and France about a possible military response.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that the Pentagon was ready to provide military options.

After the three failed votes at the council on Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia implored the United States to change course.

"I would once again ask you, once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that you are currently developing for Syria," he said.

Russia has warned at the council that Western military action in Syria would be illegal and could lead to a wider conflict.

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Russian flights have resumed to Cairo after a two-year ban, renewing hopes of further boosts to Egypts tourism sector

Cairo International Airport saw the first Russian flight since November 2015 this week, as a result of the Russian national carrier Aeroflots decision to run flights from Moscow to Cairo on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays and from Cairo to Moscow on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

With the resumption of the Russian flights to Egypt following lengthy negotiations, Egypts tourism sector is also hoping a date will be announced soon for the resumption of Russian flights to tourist destinations such as Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, which top the list of favoured destinations among Russian holidaymakers.

Many Russian tourists have been used to booking seats on low-cost airlines to visit Egypts touristic destinations, and observers believe itineraries could be arranged to appeal to different segments of the Russian market.

Former head of the Egyptian Federation of Tourism Chambers Ilhami Al-Zayat said the resumption of Cairo-Moscow flights was the beginning of the wider return of Russian tourists to Egypt. Promotional packages for Luxor and Aswan should be arranged, he said, and their marketing should start even before the travel show scheduled in Russia in September.

These packages would increase the number of Russian tourists coming to Egypt and different types of Russian tourists, he said. There was also an argument for diversifying the packages offered. Most Russian tourists have visited Egypt on packages including round-trip tickets and all-inclusive stays for around $600, but there were also other more expensive options.

It is important to prepare attractive cultural tourism itineraries as well as packages for beach tourism, Al-Zayat said.

Until 2015 Russian tourists topped Egypts foreign tourist market, with three million Russians visiting the country in 2014 alone. In 2015, approximately 2.4 million Russians travelled to Egypt before Moscow grounded commercial passenger flights to Egypt in November 2015 over security concerns after a Russian flight crashed in Sinai shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.

Egypt has since boosted security procedures at its airports.

Al-Zayat said tourist itineraries from Cairo to Hurghada would attract Russian tourists, since transportation by bus, at about $30, was cheaper than flights at approximately $250.

Travel agencies dealing with the Russian market have started promoting city break programmes in Egypt, said Mustafa Khalil, a member of the Egyptian-Russian Business Council. The programmes are designed for four days/three nights at Hurghada, Ain Al-Sokhna or Alexandria and start at $600 and include transportation from Moscow.

Prices range according to the itinerary and mode of transportation. Khalil said that travel agencies had also started promoting new destinations that will come on line over the next few years, including New Alamein on the North Coast and Al-Galala in Ain Al-Sokhna overlooking the Red Sea.

Egypts Tourism and Antiquities Police have recently updated safety procedures for vehicle transport, including by making agencies have tracking devices en route, better training and supervision of drivers, improved over-night parking, further guards, and tour guides equipped with satellite phones in areas where there is limited mobile coverage.

Atef Aglan, a member of the Ministry of Tourisms Committee to Restore Tourism, said that some travel agencies were working on packages to Egypt for Russian tourists that would help to break the Turkish monopoly of the Russian market.

National carrier EgyptAir has undertaken to reserve seats on its flights for agencies offering Egypt affordable luxury packages that promote the country as an affordable, though luxury, tourist destination, breaking some current views of Egypt as a cheap destination.

Aglan is expecting an influx of Russian tourists numbering up to four million a year after the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt.

However, head of the Egyptian Federation of Travel Chambers Nora Ali said it could be difficult to attract Russian tourists away from Egypts beaches to cultural tourism destinations in Luxor and Aswan.

The prices of domestic flights to Hurghada would raise the prices of itineraries, she said, and Ain Al-Sokhna hotels could be more expensive.

Deputy President of the Chamber of Travel Agencies Moodi Al-Shaer said Russian tourists might have grown accustomed to Egypts coastal cities and might be reluctant to take flights to Cairo only to re-embark to other cities.

Al-Shaer said many Russian tourists had arrived in Egypt on Turkish and Ukrainian airlines over the past two years to overcome the Russian flight ban. According to Ministry of Tourism figures, around 94,000 Russian tourists visited Egypt in 2017, a 74.5 per cent increase on 2016.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Eating super-hot chili peppers can have painful effects that extend beyond a blazing mouth, doctors warn.

After downing a Carolina Reaper, billed as the worlds hottest chili pepper at the time, a 34-year-old man developed intense head and neck pain and had several brief but excruciating headaches over the next few days. Known as thunderclap headaches, these episodes are a medical emergency, because they can signal bleeding in the brain, a clot shutting down brain blood flow, or other life-threatening conditions.

Fortunately for the man, the pain came from so-called reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), a temporary narrowing of the vessels that supply the brain with blood. RCVS usually does not have long-term ill effects but can sometimes lead to stroke.

Certain substances - including capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers - can trigger blood vessel constriction, Dr. Kulothungan Gunasekaran, a senior staff physician at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and one of the doctors who took care of this patient, told Reuters Health in a telephone interview.

He noted that other teams have already reported two cases of heart attack apparently due to capsaicin, one in a patient taking cayenne pepper capsules for weight loss and another in a patient using a capsaicin patch to treat pain.

In a report released April 9 by the publishers of BMJ Case Reports, Gunasekaran and colleagues describe how the patient had started having dry heaves after competing in a hot pepper contest. Over the next few days he suffered thunderclap headaches, with excruciating pain that eventually sent him to the emergency room.

Tests showed no sign of stroke or any other deadly headache causes, and the mans blood pressure was normal. CT angiography, which allows doctors to visualize blood vessels, showed narrowing of four arteries delivering blood to the brain, suggesting RCVS.

Repeat CT angiography five weeks later found the mans arteries had returned to normal.

People should be cautious about the effects of hot peppers, Gunasekaran said. If they do develop these symptoms, they should seek medical attention.

Dr. Aneesh Singhal of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston was the first to describe RCVS, in 2001, in a patient who developed thunderclap headaches after eating red hot peppers. While about one-third of patients with RCVS will have complications such as bleeding in the brain, Dr. Singhal noted, more than 90% of patients have an excellent outcome.

Its crucial that thunderclap headaches not be mistaken for migraine, because migraine drugs can make RCVS worse, he told Reuters Health in a telephone interview.

Energy supplements are another potential cause of RCVS, Dr. Rula A. Hajj-Ali of Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine told Reuters Health by phone. She noted that most of her RCVS patients are males who use these supplements.

While most RCVS patients do well, she added, a minority can have such severe blood vessel spasms that they die. This is a common cause of strokes in the young, and it is not benign, Dr. Hajj-Ali said.

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A collection of 122 artefacts from the King Tutankhamun collection previously housed at the Luxor Museum was successfully transported to its new home in the Grand Egyptian Museum late Tuesday night.

The collection includes baskets, boxes, a wooden chair, a bed and a chariot, among other pieces. Among the most treasured, is a gilded head of the goddess Hathor, according to Tarek Tawfik, Supervisor General of the GEM.



A number of other artefacts shed light on funerary ritual practices and daily life during Tutankhamun's roughly ten-year reign.

Eissa Zidan, head of restoration at the GEM, told Ahram Online that all pieces had been restored before transportation and were packed over a period of nine days and according to the latest scientific techniques.



He added that a Japanese team of archaeologists helped the Egyptian team in packing and transporting Tutankhamun's funerary chariot in a specially-designed vehicle to protect against vibrations.

The Grand Egyptian Museum, located on the Giza plateau, is set to open later this year.

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Vijay Mallya

"It was bittersweet coming away from Bahrain with just a point. Yes, it was good to get on the scoreboard, but the potential for more was there. Apart from the race result, it was an important weekend of testing and learning about the car. Theres more to come this weekend too as the development race continues. The grid was very tight in Bahrain and we expect the same in China. With such small margins, its about maximising every session. A small mistake is the difference between making Q3 or dropping out in Q1. We will continue working hard this weekend to reclaim out position at the front of the midfield."

Sergio Perez

"I have mixed feelings after the Bahrain weekend. I think we had the potential for a great result, but everything changed after being hit on lap one. Its disappointing to miss out on points, but I still enjoyed the race trying to recover from the back of the field. We made some progress over the weekend and were definitely in the midfield battle. We have more updates to test in China and we just need to keep working in the same direction, as we did in Bahrain.

"The Chinese fans are some of the best anywhere in the world. You see their passion and feel their enthusiasm. They are always waiting at the airport when we arrive and they also wait at our hotel in the evening when we get back from the track. It makes you realise how much they love our sport.

"As for the circuit, my favourite part is turn one because there is nothing else like it on any other track. China is also a race where you are not sure what the weather will do. It can be cold in the morning and warm up quickly when the sun comes out. Theres usually a good chance of rain showers at this time of year too."

Esteban Ocon

"A point in Bahrain was a nice reward after a really intense weekend. We learned a huge amount and weve taken a step forward with the car. I enjoyed the race because I had some good battles and I couldnt relax for a moment. It always feels great when you overtake somebody in the final laps, especially when it moves you back into the points.

"Ive only raced at Shanghai once so far, but last year was a good experience. The fans are great and they show support for all the drivers. Last year I received lots of gifts so your bags are always a bit heavier on the return flight!

"Its a tough circuit, as I found out last year, with some unusual corners and its not easy to hook up the perfect lap. You have to really attack the lap, rather than being smooth, and use the kerbs. Overtaking is possible, but its still difficult. You can sometimes find opportunities in turn six and also at the end of the back straight.

"The secret to being quick in Shanghai is the same as anywhere. Its about building your confidence with the car through all the sessions. The balance was pretty good in Bahrain and Im feeling comfortable in the car. If we can just find a bit more speed we can consistently be up there in Q3 and racing for points. There are more updates coming to the car so its going to be another busy Friday."
Once again the Palestinian people, especially their valiant sons and daughters, have accomplished astonishing deeds in the Gaza Strip

Tens of thousands of men, women, elderly people and children have taken part in popular protests to affirm the Palestinian people's hold on their homeland and the right of refugees to return to the homes from which they were driven.

Once again, the unity of the Palestinian people has been reaffirmed through parallel protests in the 1948 Land and in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and wherever the Palestinians are located abroad.

Land Day is an established symbol of Palestinian unity, but this time the unity was embodied by the participants on the field of struggle, completely ignoring political divisions and the fight over authority, which is totally under the control of the occupation.

Land Day this year was a day of glory for the popular resistance as an idea, an approach and the practice of struggle, having been embraced by all the national and Islamist forces who have seen its effectiveness and impact.

Sixteen years after it was launched in opposition to the recist apartheid wall, its content has deepened through various actions: demonstrations against settlements; ships breaking the Gaza blockade; the resisting villages, such as Bab Al-Shams, Ahfad Yunus and Al-Manatir; through the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement; and the popular uprising that forced Netanyahu to back off from his measures against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

From the early beginnings of the first demonstrations against Gaza's borders, the popular resistance has reached a new peak, due to the comprehensive popular participation in the March for Return in Gaza on Land Day.

Undoubtedly, the conscious and organised adoption of popular resistance represents a sign of maturity in the struggle among the entire Palestinian national movement. At the same time, it is a challenge to all the Palestinian forces to participate with full force, bearing in mind that it is one of the key foundations of the Palestinian national strategy for changing the balance of power in favour of the BDS movement.

In spite of the martyrdom of sixteen Palestinians and the injury of 1,800 others in just one day, the bravery and heroism of huge numbers of Palestinian people have reaffirmed a total popular rejection of the Trump administration's decisions.

These decisions were related to Jerusalem and the "Deal of the Century" and aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause and establishing malicious normalisation projects at the expense of the Palestinian people and their national cause.

Holding on to the right of return in practice was a suitable response to the Trump administrations aim of strangling UNRWA as a means of liquidating the rights of Palestinian refugees. Given the failure of the Oslo accords to provide a viable solution, the masses have asserted the existence of an actual alternative path to resistence.

Israel was terrified by the prospect of a victorious return of the events of the first popular Intifada, and its foundations were shaken because the number of Palestinians on the historical land of Palestine has exceeded that of Israeli Jews.

However, what Israel's forces have done under the leadership of its Chief of General Staff Eizenkot, by firing live bullets at peaceful, unarmed Palestinians demonstrators, is a great scandal and an unforgivable war crime.

The use of live bullets isn't proof of strength but rather a manifestation of the Israeli sides weakness and the futility of its attempts to prevent the popular protests

Here, we must clarify the false Israeli narrative that claimed that the martyrs and the injured were hit while they were trying to cross the fence from the Gaza Strip.

Everybody has seen that they were injured while they were inside the so-called buffer zone within the Gaza Strip, which was imposed by the occupation army, an area that amounts to no less than 24 percent of Gaza.

We must keep in mind the Gazans' right to access those villages and towns from which they were driven out, such as Al-Majdal, Hamama and Al-Masamiya and others.

Israeli snipers didn't restrict their crimes to the Gaza Strip, for they also confronted our demonstrations in Ramallah in front of the Beit El settlement and other demonstrations in the West Bank in the same way.

Despite the great loss of life and those injured, mostly in the Gaza Strip, the amazing success of Land Day and the March for Return, represents a starting point for a movement that will continue and a popular resistance that will escalate.

This should be an incentive to political leaders to transform the unity of the struggle on the ground into a comprehensive and complete ending of divisions and the achievement of national unity based on real partnership and joint struggle.

The bravery of the Gazans confirms the necessity that everybody should help them and criminalise any form of harm done to them.

These events should lead to the immediate transfer to the International Criminal Court of the criminal Israeli soldiers and officers, headed by Eizenkot.

As for the foreign parties and governments equating the victim with the executioner and not commenting on what has taken place except for asking both sides to adopt self-restraint, we must remind them of lectures and advice in which their representatives spoke at length about the necessity of the Palestinians organising peaceful rallies in their thousands.

Well, the Palestinian people have done it in their tens of thousands. Shall we see these governments impose any form of sanctions on Israel due to the brutal force it has used against unarmed demonstrators?

Regardless of what they do, the Palestinian people have regained the awareness of the first popular Intifada and the perception that they should apply self-reliance first and that the way to success is through self-organisation and challenging and resisting the decisions of the occupation and the apartheid system.

May our valiant martyrs achieve immortality and the injured have a speedy recovery, and all respect goes to our people, especially the Gazans, who have once more proved their greatness.

*The writer is Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative.



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Fernando Alonso

After a couple of positive results, Im excited to go to China. Turn One in Shanghai is one of the best corners of the calendar and its a great track to race on for a driver.

For us, consistency has to be the key. Weve been able to pull everything together on a Sunday so far  a combination of both hard work and good fortune  but we havent given ourselves the best chances on Saturday, so its important we pull the whole package together.

It wont happen overnight, but we know where our issues lie and we know that we need to work hard to overcome them as soon as possible. In the meantime, well be pushing hard in China, as always, and continue our fight to the front of the midfield pack.

Stoffel Vandoorne

Last year was my first experience of the Chinese Grand Prix, and, although the race was short-lived for both of us, I did enjoy racing there.

As we saw last year, the weather in Shanghai can be unpredictable. If we can continue our good momentum in terms of putting together a good strategy and taking every opportunity where we can, rain could be a fun addition to our race weekend.

But, we know its a tough circuit for our package and we need to maximise every session, every day, to give ourselves the best chance of a good result. We cant be on the back foot on Sunday and its important we do as much learning as we can on Friday to enable us to fight for representative positions on the grid on Saturday afternoon.

Eric Boullier

We now head to Shanghai after a hard-fought couple of races for McLaren. Our results are solid but havent come easily, and we are by no means satisfied with our progress so far.

We know theres a lot of work to do and were working hard, day and night, to bring more performance to the car each time we hit the track. Our biggest deficit is our qualifying performance and addressing this is our priority.

The Shanghai International Circuit is a very different challenge again to Melbourne and Bahrain. The long straight, high top speeds and the low and medium-speed corners mean it has a bit of everything, so our objective is to get on top of the circuits characteristics from Friday onwards.
The House of Representatives has advised the Presidency to follow due process in obtaining one billion dollars from Nigerias Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight insurgency.Spokesman of the House, Rep. Abdulrasak Namdas (Adamawa-APC), gave the advice in an interview with Newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.Namdas said that the National Assembly had not received any notice on such need of government, nor had it given any approval for one billion dollars to be taken from the ECA for the military to fight insurgency.According to him, the normal practice in Nigeria is that any amount to be withdrawn from the Federation Account must have approval from the National Assembly.We are hoping that this will be brought before us before any amount is withdrawn.Although from the presidency we have heard some explanations that the president has not approved.What we have been told is that the National Executive Council (NEC) has given its tacit approval and that it will still come to the National Assembly.But until we approve, no single amount can be taken from that account, he said.The All Progressives Congress (APC)- Federal Government has been under criticism following President Muhammadu Buhari had approved one billion dollars from the ECA to procure more military hardware to fight Boko Haram terrorism.
The Nigerian Army on Tuesday said it had arrested one Adamu Hassan, a Boko Haram insurgent who specialises in making Improvised Explo...

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday said it had arrested one Adamu Hassan, a Boko Haram insurgent who specialises in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, said in a statement that the military apprehended the suspect in Kaltungo town of Gombe during a joint operation with Department of State Security Service (DSS).He said that the suspect, also known as Baale, was apprehended at a check point in the town along the busy Gombe to Yola highway during a Stop-and-Search operation.In a separate incident,the army spokesperson disclosed that troops also killed three Boko-Haram insurgents in two separate encounters at the Bokko Hilde mountainous region along Ngoshe to Pulka road and Mujigine general area in Borno, on April 9.The troops neutralised the insurgents during clearance operations and recovered two AK 47 rifles and a motorcycle, he said.Nwachukwu added that in another joint operation with members of vigilante group, the troops foiled a raid by terrorists rummaging for food and logistics at Kudiye community along Dikwa to Gulumbagana road in Borno.He said the insurgents were intercepted following a tip- off to the effect that they (insurgents) were on their way to loot the community.According to him, the insurgents have admitted that they belong to the Abubakar Shekaus faction, adding that they are now in custody assisting with useful information.He said two motorcycles, bags of grains and tamarind, were recovered from them.It is expedient to bring to public awareness that in their desperation to survive troops onslaught and remain relevant, the Boko Haram terrorists have continued to make frantic efforts to infiltrate communities with Person Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (Suicide bombers) to callously unleash terror and fear on the populace.Members of the public are therefore enjoined to remain vigilant and watchful while going about their normal activities, and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to appropriate security agencies. (NAN)
The Niger Delta Peoples Movement (NDPM) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring interest to seek a second term in office in...

The Niger Delta Peoples Movement (NDPM) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring interest to seek a second term in office in 2019.





The associations Director-General, Mr Oviebor Okeh, said on Tuesdy in Port Harcourt said the NDPMs Coordinator, Mrs Ibifuro Thompson-Tatua described the move as timely and a welcome development as a lot of Nigerians had been waiting for Buharis declaration.





Okeh said the declaration had finally laid to rest speculations surrounding the presidents interest and silenced some individuals of interest calling on him not to contest.





The president is a leader that has placed the nation on the path of dignity among the comity of nations and doing great in ensuring a better Nigeria amid glaring challenges.





So, the declaration is very important as it will guarantee consolidation on the gains recorded by this administration in all sectors, he said in a statement.





The director-general promised that the organisation would mobilise support for Buharis re-election bid and make it a reality to achieve the Nigeria of their dream.





We therefore, call on all well-meaning Nigerians to give their support to him for the greater good of all and a better nation at large.




President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved the extension of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme to June 30, 2018.According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the extension after the original March 31 date was based on the appeals of professional bodies and individual taxpayers.Adesina quoted the President as saying that no further extension will be approved after June 30.He further quoted Buhari as explaining that a new date was also given, based on the conviction of the Ministry of Finance that the overall objective to increase compliance will be attained, and additional revenue will accrue.The presidential spokesman indicated that a fresh Executive Order will be made to give legal backing to the new timeline.For a nation of people who are competitive and driven, it is not a pride that we are the lowest performer in tax to GDP, not just in Africa, but in the world.Nigerias growth needs are such that every Nigerian must do his duty to his nation, to his neighbour, and to himself.Hiding monies overseas, evading taxes by manipulation, and other unwholesome practices, have never developed a country, and for Nigeria to attain her true potential, these must stop, he quoted the President as saying.Buhari urged Nigerian companies and individuals to join government in the rebuilding mission, and do the right thing by taking this window of extension to regularise.He added that the right thing may not be convenient or comfortable, but in the long run, we will all have a nation we can be proud of.The President further urged tax authorities to use the extension window to perfect plans to prosecute those who fail to regularise their tax status.VAIDS is one of the key policies being used by the Federal Government to reposition the Nigerian economy and correct inherited underdevelopment.The country has one of the lowest tax collection rates in the world at just 6% of GDP.This was partially a function of the reliance on oil that saw us abandon the historical revenue collection systems and switch to a culture of sharing resources, rather than generating them.Buhari had last year launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and the VAIDS tax amnesty is first in the series of reforms that will transform our tax system and provide sustainable predictable funding for all tiers of government.Tax revenues will ensure that public infrastructure is provided, and public services are funded to improve the lives of the people.Taxes redistribute wealth from those who have more to those who have less, and VAIDS is one of the windows to achieve such.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu will on 26 April argue before a Federal High Court in Abuja why the Federal Government should be...

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu will on 26 April argue before a Federal High Court in Abuja why the Federal Government should be stopped in seizing 22 houses, said to belong to him.The Federal Government had on March 21 filed an ex parte motion seeking an interim order for the temporary forfeiture of some of Ekweremadus assets it claimed were undeclared.Mr Festus Keyamo, (SAN), filed the ex parte application on behalf of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.When the matter came up on Tuesday, Mr Adegboyega Awomolo, (SAN), counsel to Ekweremadu told the court that he filed two applications on March 26.He said the first application was praying the court for leave to be heard in the motion ex parte adding that he had filed a counter affidavit to depositions contained in the application.He said the second application was praying the court to decline jurisdiction and exercise of judicial power, and consequently strike out or dismiss the motion.This, Awomolo said was on the grounds that the panel was unknown to law.The body that brought that motion ex parte does not exist in law. We are challenging the constitutionality of its existence Awomolo said.In opposition to Ekweremadus application seeking to be heard, the Federal Government stated that all it was currently seeking was to obtain an order of court stopping Ekweremadu from dissipating the assets in question whilst investigation was ongoing.Mr Bala Dakum, counsel to the government claimed that it was not seeking to permanently deprive Ekweremadu of the use of his properties.He alleged that the application of Ekweremadu was a delay tactics to frustrate the suit adding that there were reports that Ekweremadu was already selling off the assets in question.According to him, without an order attaching/forfeiting the said properties, the likelihood of the frustration of investigations as well as the dissipation of the said properties was very high.He further told the court that the matter was of utmost public interest and concern, and that an order of court would enable the government to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, adjourned the matter until April 26 for hearing.
The leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent Nat...

The leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the Ekiti State governorship election billed for July.PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus made the allegation yesterday when the German Ambassador in Nigeria, Dr. Bernhard Schlagheck, visited the party leadership at its Abuja secretariat.Secondus complained to the envoy that instead of fulfilling its campaign promises to Nigerians, the APC administration had plunged the country into crises.The party chair, who called on the international community to prevail on the incumbent administration to ensure a free and fair election, said the Ekiti poll would be the first test for the administration.He said information indicated that APC and INEC had perfected plans rig the election.Secondus said election rigging and vote manipulation had been the causes of leadership crisis in Africa, adding: When citizens are deprived of their right to vote, it generates crisis that may be difficult to control.He said: ?Nigeria is an important country in Africa. The best we can give to our people is an election that will be transparent, an election that will be credible, an election that all- both local and international- will welcome.So we urge APC and INEC to ensure one man, one vote. We did that during the election in 2015, but they are not assuring us of this, which means ?there is a great fear in the land that the election is not going to be free and fair? despite the promises made by INEC.The German Ambassador said he was visiting parties ahead of the 2019 elections, adding that he would report the information gathered to his country.
Henry Sado, one of the pastors who visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja last week, says he was deceived i...

Henry Sado, one of the pastors who visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja last week, says he was deceived into joining the delegation.





Under the aegis of Arewa Pastors Non-Denominational Initiative for Peace in Nigeria (APPIN), the pastors endorsed the president and promised to expose those working against him within the Christain fold.





While they discussed different issues with the president, the pastors were silent on the plight of Leah Sharibu, the Christain girl held by Boko Haram for refusing to renounce her faith.





The action of the clerics sparked anger, especially on social media. Some had described the visit as a political pilgrimage to the presidency.





In an attempt to clear his name, Sado who is a pastor at the Abuja branch of Church of Eternal Life, narrated how he got to know of the visit.





Bishop JRA (John Richard Abu) called me on Wednesday, April 5, 2018, to be part of his team to Aso Rock on Thursday, April 6. He told me about his closeness to a former president of CAN. He also said he had spoken with the chairman of Pentecostal Bishops in the 19 northern states and FCT who is also the founder of Dominion Chapel International Churches, Archbishop Daniels John Praise; hence I should please follow him, he said.





I asked him the purpose of the visit to the Villa and he said like other Christian groups that have been visiting the villa, he wants to go and present burning issues to President Buhari, including the case of Leah Sharibu, the female student of Government Science Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state, who is still being held captive by Boko Haram insurgents and a prayer conference. I am not privy to the speech he presented.





I met him for the first time on Thursday, April 5, 2019, in fact, I had to call him to identify him in the midst of others. On getting to the villa, the Chaplain of Aso Villa (Seyi Malomo) was surprised to see him and he asked of Archbishop Daniels John Praise and Rev. Yakubu Pam (chairman of CAN in 19 northern states and FCT), two very prominent northern Christian leaders, and he (Abu) said they were not on his team. There and then, I suspected there are issues, I had been conscripted through deception.




A herdsman, who the police claimed has been to prison several times, has said his gang made over N100 million from kidnapping.

A herdsman, who the police claimed has been to prison several times, has said his gang made over N100 million from kidnapping.An AK47 rifle with breech number KO340119 and 10 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered from him.The herdsman, whose name was given as Muritala Umaru, was said to have been responsible for kidnapping in parts of Edo and neighbouring states.He sang like a canary when he was paraded before reporters at the police headquarters.Umaru said he became a kidnapper four years ago in Okenne, Kogi State and had participated in several kidnapping across Edo State.He said he had cattle, adding that his gang had 10 AK47 rifles with which they carried out kidnapping.He said it was somebody he described as a Chief from an Edo community who gave them identities of their victims.The kidnapper said they realised N10 million from one of their victims, pledging to cooperate with the police.On what happened to some of their victims, he said it was his boss that was responsible for the killing of victims who refused to cooperate.Umaru said: I am married. I stay in Auchi, but I was born in Lokoja. I am into kidnapping. I have been a kidnapper for four years. I started in Lokoja. I have kidnapped over 50 persons. We kidnapped them when they were travelling. One man gave us target. I collected N3 million in our last operation. It is my boss that kills people. He had killed many people. We operate in Auchi, Ekpoma, Okenne and other places.Police Commissioner Babatunde Kokumo described Umaru as a kidnapper who disguised as an herder.The man has been in an out of prison. He has kidnapped in Edo and other states. The prison official he kidnapped identified him.A welder, who was on Monday rescued from kidnappers den at Afuze in Owan East Local Government, Mr. Idirisu Mohammed, has identified a herdsman, Abubakar Ilyasu, as one of his abductors.He said he was rescued before Abubakar returned.His words: I am 51 years old. I am a farmer and a welder. On Monday morning, I was taking my workers to the farm. At Warrake road near Afuze, I saw herdsmen come out of the bush. They had guns. They collected our phones and used cutlass to attack us. They took us to the bush. It was a vigilance group, hunters and police who rescued me. They ran away and abandoned me when the rescued team shot at them.This one that was nabbed was sent to buy food. Before he returned, the rescued team arrived and the food was with him.Abubakar said he left his cattle to buy food when he was arrested.
The mayor's race in Ocean City has brought mudslinging to a new level.

John Flood, a candidate running against incumbent Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian, claims that a bathroom renovation, would benefit the Gillian's Wonderland Pier, an amusement park attraction on the city's boardwalk owned and run by the mayor.

Flood contends that the mayor has touted the project as costing under $700,000, but the cost is well over $1 million when other expenses, such as the architect's fee, street reconfiguration and foundation construction, were scattered throughout the budget under different line items.

"If you look at it, they say the restrooms were $690,000, and that was the bid, but you couldn't build it unless you built the foundation under it first and paid the architect to draw it," the former Ocean City Council member said. "How do you come up with what the true cost is?"

Gillian, however, said the former bathrooms on Sixth Street were in need of an upgrade to serve an area of the boardwalk that sees a lot of traffic, and the issue in nothing more than "toilet politics."

"For eight years I have tackled long-neglected projects that benefit the entire community, and I will continue to do so," Gillian said in a statement. "The bathrooms at the end of Sixth Street are a small part of a $100 million capital plan and they serve an area that is busy with traffic from the beach, boardwalk, school complex, Carey Stadium, and many events throughout the year."

"I'm not against bathrooms," Flood said. "Bathrooms in a tourist-based economy like Ocean City is a very important thing that needs to be done. I'm not against that."

According to Ocean City spokesperson Doug Bergen, the new facilities will include three wash-off stations, 21 stalls for women, ten stalls and six urinals for men, an two family bathrooms. Bergen also said the structure, which is being built by Schiavone Construction, costs $690,537. The city's website states it is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

However, Bergen told the Press of Atlantic City that the entire project, which including decking, ramps, paving and other costs put the project's total near $1.5 million.

Flood claims the restrooms should service the growing needs of attractions such as Carey Stadium, the Civic Center, parking lot and municipal operations that exist between Fifth Street and Sixth Street, but that they are built far away from those operations and too close to the mayor's business.

The two will debate on April 27.

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
New Jersey workers now have a few more bucks in their pocket.

The average hourly earnings of New Jersey employees in the private sector went up by 4 percent over the past year, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

That's a faster rise than from 2016 to 2017, which saw a 2 percent increase.

And heck, that's good news for workers who are looking for a little more cash to pay everything from their weekend bar tabs to childcare or healthcare. But experts and economists said the news isn't all roses and butterflies, as it suggests a labor shortage may be taking hold in the state.

"[Employers] are having a hard time filling open positions," said James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. "There are jobs available, but applicants don't have the education or skill level necessary."

That tends to push wages and earnings up.

Workers in the state made, on average, $29.64 an hour in February 2018 compared to the $28.51 an hour they were making in February of last year.

Nationwide, New Jersey ranked as having the 11th-highest earning increase over the past year. Maryland had the highest average hourly earnings increase, at 6.8 percent.

For interactive version of the graphic below, click here.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average hourly earnings measure not only your paycheck, but also health benefits, royalties, commission, overtime and bonuses. It's a more holistic view of what you earn, but it can also be more volatile and can change quickly.

Also, averages can also skew the overall picture.

Experts at the state Department of Labor said the two sectors that are likely driving the growth are financial activities, which includes jobs in the finance and real estate industries, and professional and business services, which includes legal, scientific and computer jobs.

Those tend to be highly skilled jobs, ones that can be difficult to fill.

It's hard for New Jersey employers to find qualified applicants, especially younger workers who may have the needed skills but prefer to work in New York City or Philadelphia, Hughes said. A U.S. Federal Reserve survey published in January found labor shortages across the country.

"[Employers] have to increase wages for the entire job category to make it more attractive for people," he said.

Talent wants to live in urban, walkable communities close to public transportation, and New Jersey communities that are not investing in those things will be missing out no matter how much money they offer their workers, said Pete Kasabach, executive director of New Jersey Future.

"We've underestimated the importance of place and how it's a major driver of wages," Kasabach said.

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find her on Facebook.
Samara Lee made a dramatic escape from a burning building this week, but she wasn't going to let that ruin her perfect attendance record.

Samara, 13, was one of six girls and others forced to leap from the balcony of their Edgewater arts academy Monday night when a fire engulfed the building. But on Tuesday morning, the honors student was back in class at Lincoln School in North Bergen.

"I don't like to miss school," she told The Jersey Journal while sitting inside her principal's office Wednesday morning. "I like having perfect attendance. I don't try making excuses not to come."

Samara, who hopes to pursue a career on Broadway, has taken classes at Professional Arts Academy for several years and is there three days a week. She was attending a voice lesson Monday when she and the other girls smelled smoke.

The girls initially did not think much of it, but soon heavy fire engulfed the only staircase out of the Old River Road building. After huddling into a corner, the girls and their teachers were forced out onto a balcony before being rescued by a good Samaritan and police officer.

Samara took a terrifying, one-story tumble to the ground when she slipped while stepping on a ladder that was hoisted up for rescue.

"Everyone was freaking out," she said of the experience.

While she and the rest of girls and teachers were planning an escape from the building, Samara said she could feel the temperature in the room rising. It became hard to see once she reached the balcony and the people below were telling everyone to jump.

"That was nuts, it was just very intense," she said. "I never thought that that would happen to me. It was like very hot and the flames just kept getting closer."

Officials have not determined what caused the fire that burned for more than three hours. It also damaged a hookah lounge and auto center.

Samara was treated at the scene for burns, minor cuts, and bruising she suffered during the escape. Her dad said the events of Monday night were a good excuse to take off of school on Tuesday to rest, but Samara said she didn't want to sit around the house and keep thinking about the horrific fire.

"I'd rather be here learning," she said.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY  Jury selection began Tuesday for the murder trial of a 23-year-old Jersey City man who was tracked down by the U.S. Marshals Service after being charged with murdering a man inside a Greenville deli in 2015.

The arrest of DeAndre C. Thomas came four months after a warrant was issued on Dec. 3, 2015, charging him with killing Davonte Carswell, 23, who was shot dead in Los Yoleros Mini Market Deli on Ocean Avenue on Nov. 15, 2015, officials said.

On the day of the incident, police responded to the deli just before 1 p.m. on the report of a shooting and found Carswell with at least one gunshot wound to his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 1 p.m., officials said at the time.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Rinaldi is handling the case. Thomas is represented by defense attorney Keith Hirschorn. The trial is before Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

After the murder, investigators arrested three deli workers on charges of tampering with evidence for allegedly moving Carswell's body, officials said.

One of them was also charged with possession of gambling records, according to the criminal complaint. The status of the charges against the three workers was not immediately available today.

Thomas faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder. He has had contacts with the justice system beginning at age 16.
JERSEY CITY  A judge today dealt a major blow to county prosecutors' case against three Jersey City cops, ruling that pivotal cell phone records are unreliable and therefore inadmissible as evidence against the officers.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mirtha Ospina, reading her 25-minute decision Wednesday morning from the bench, said the phone records would have confused and misled the jury in the case against Joseph Ascolese, Kelly Chesler and Michael O'Neill. Prosecutors claim the records would show the officers were not in Jersey City when they claimed to be working.

Prosecutors did not seek a second set of records  documents critical to establishing the officers' location  before Verizon destroyed them, Ospina said.

Chesler's attorney, Jeffrey Garrigan, called Ospina's decision "a significant victory" for the defense.

"We believe it was the right decision," Garrigan said. "These records were not reliable and should not be used in this trial."

Robert E. Lytle, Ascolese's attorney, said the ruling should have prosecutors weighing whether they want to proceed with the case at all. It is expected to go to trial in late May.

"I highly respect the judges and their decisions, and that was her decision. We accept that and we'll move forward," Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.

A Jersey City spokeswoman declined to comment.

Prosecutors in June 2016 handed up a 107-count indictment against the three cops plus a fourth officer, Michael Maietti, who has since decided to cooperate and testify against the others. They are accused of conspiring to falsify timesheets to get paid for work not performed during a three-month period in 2014. Defense attorneys have said their clients are the victims of political retaliation. Three of the four officers filed lawsuits against the city before their indictments.

Ascolese and Maietti are both now retired.

Ospina's ruling is the result of a three-day hearing that started March 27. Renata Lewis, a Verizon records custodian called by prosecutors to testify during the hearing, conceded she could not have said where the officers were located using the cell phone records prosecutors obtained.

Lewis had initially testified that the records offered a general sense of where the officers were at the times of the phone calls, but backtracked after Garrigan offered records that appeared to show Chesler made one phone call in Mahwah and another one in Flanders within four minutes. The towns are nearly 50 miles away from each other.

There were two types of records discussed today: cell phone toll billing records and detailed cell site information. Lewis testified that she needs the detailed cell site information to explain where calls cited on the billing records originated, according to Ospina. Verizon would have preserved those records but prosecutors did not make that request until after Verizon destroyed them, the judge said.

"If they had the records, they'd exonerate my client," Charles J. Sciarra, O'Neill's attorney, told The Jersey Journal after today's hearing.

Ascolese, Chesler and O'Neill are three of 23 current and former Jersey City police officers in some sort of legal trouble.

This case is similar but separate from the federal investigation into falsified police time records that has led to 11 guilty pleas, including ex-police chief Phil Zacche.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- Lawyers for two Jersey City police officers charged with threatening and harassing a pizzeria manager said today that the police department's recent acts of corruption are the reason the pair was charged criminally.

"My hope is the prosecutor's office realizes this is not an indictable offense," said defense attorney Jeff Garrigan, who represents Officer Rodney Clark, after Clark and Officer Courtney Solomon made their first court appearance on the charges today.

The attorneys want the matter remanded to municipal court.

Garrigan and Solomon's lawyer, Volodymyr Tyshchenko, said the matter has been blown out of proportion because it was videotaped and that "It's been open season on Jersey City police."

Numerous officers have been charged with various offenses, including attempted murder, in recent months. In January, former Jersey City Police Chief Phil Zacche pleaded guilty to charging the Jersey City Housing Authority more than $31,000 for security work he did not perform.

Clark and Solomon are charged with making terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct regarding the March 27 incident at Domino's Pizza on Communipaw Avenue. The officers, who were in uniform, apparently went to the pizzeria because a pizza they ordered had not been delivered.

Garrigan said video of the incident shows the establishment's manager was being disrespectful and the officers were trying to diffuse the situation. The confrontation appears to have started in the pizzeria before spilling out onto the sidewalk.

The criminal complaints against the officers charge them with threatening the manager over the phone and alleges he was told "I'm going to f--- you up," before the officers showed up at the business.

The complaints also charge the officers with striking, kicking and shoving the manager, as well as other offensive touching, or threatening to do so. Finally, the officers are charged with engaging in violent, tumultuous behavior.

The officers have only been on the force since 2015. The attorneys said their clients have unblemished records and should not have been suspended without pay as a result of incident.

Garrigan said any administrative charges against the pair would only be filed after the adjudication of the criminal case. He also said that if the manager had "just listened to the police officers and calmed down, there would have been no problem here."

Solomon and Clark made their first appearance on the charges in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City at about 11 a.m. today. Their next hearing is scheduled for May 9 before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

The state was represented by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Karyn Darish at today's hearing. Judge Richard Nieto presided.

A spokesman for the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association declined to comment on the case.
Helen's Pizza in Jersey City celebrated its 50th anniversary Monday by turning back the clocks.

The Newark Avenue pizzeria, which was founded in 1968, offered slices to the public at 1968 prices -- 25 cents -- to mark it's 50th year in business.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Ward E Councilman James Solomon were on hand for a special lunchtime ceremony congratulating the pizzeria's second-generation owner, Steve Kalcanides, who was also joined by his mother, Irene, and wife, Maria.

Kalcanides' father, Nicolas, opened in the business five years after immigrating to the United States from Greece in 1963. He ran a hot dog stand prior to founding Helen's, which he passed down to Steve in 1985.

"It's been part of my life the past 50 years," said Steve Kalcanides, who oversaw the pizzeria's renovation and expansion in 1989. "My son is going to be the next generation taking it on."

And it wasn't just the Kalcanides family who was eager to celebrate today; the public jumped at the opportunity to buy 25-cent pizza. A total of 1,000 slices were sold throughout the day, Steve said.

"Oh my God, it was busy until 4 o'clock. The line stretched down to the store next door!"
A woman was injured after her vehicle crashed into a Trenton building that is home to the state's Motor Vehicle Commission headquarters.

The crash took place at 10:10 a.m. on Tuesday at 225 East State Street, said Trooper Alejandro Goez, a spokesman with the New Jersey State Police.

A Honda CRV driven by 40-year-old Jennifer Rosa of Plainsboro crashed into the building.

The building is also home to Blimpie Subs & Salads and The Renaissance Grill, among other offices and businesses.

Rosa was taken to a local hospital with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, Goez said. No other injuries were reported.

Car crashes through DMV window in Trenton 10 Gallery: Car crashes through DMV window in Trenton

Trenton Fire Battalion Chief Todd Willever said the vehicle caught fire after crashing through the plate glass window and was partially extinguished by the building's sprinkler system. Firefighters took care of the rest.

The building was briefly evacuated, Willever said. The driver was removed from behind the wheel by good Samaritans, before first responders arrived.

Mairin Bellack, a spokeswoman with the MVC, said operations at field offices around the state were not interrupted Tuesday.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

- Kevin Shea contributed to this report.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.



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UPDATE: Rutgers University Police now say the incident was a "consensual interaction" and that there was no robbery.

A Rutgers University student said he was robbed in New Brunswick early Tuesday by an armed man who pulled up to him in a car with a woman and two young children as passengers, according to police.

The student told officers he was walking about 12:30 p.m. near Campbell Hall on George Street when the driver of a dark Toyota Highlander asked him for gas money.

"As the victim retrieved cash from his wallet he observed a handgun on the lap of the driver who then told him to get into the vehicle," Rutgers Police Chief Kenneth Cop said in a statement.

The student said he complied and realized there was a woman in the car and two young children ages 3 or 4 in the back seat, Cop said.

The robber drove the student to a bank on Somerset Street and ordered him to withdraw cash from an ATM, the student told police.

"The victim exited the vehicle, walked into the bank alone where he withdrew cash, and then walked back to the waiting vehicle where he turned over the withdrawn cash," Cop said.

The driver then took the student back to Campbell Hall and dropped him off before leaving campus, according to the student's account.

The student was not hurt.

The robber is described as around 40 years old, with a full black beard, short black hair, and wore a short sleeved T-shirt with khaki pants. The woman wore a purple dress and head covering.

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information or who may have been in the area at the time is asked to call Rutgers Police detectives at 848-932-8025.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A former Keansburg middle school teacher and camp counselor admitted Tuesday to distributing child pornography.

Marc Marinoff, 31, faces three years in state prison and must forfeit his job as a teacher, according to the terms of his plea agreement. He'll never be able to take another public job in his life, according to the agreement.

Marinoff, of Marlboro, taught science and math at Joseph R. Bolger Middle School in Keansburg, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. He was also a camp counselor and director at the Marlboro Township Recreation Community Center, according to his LinkedIn page.

Marinoff was arrested in March 2017 after detectives found evidence that he distributed videos of child pornography on his personal computer and devices on a file-sharing program on the internet, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said in a statement. The peer-to-peer network allows users to connect directly with other users on the internet and easily share files.

Marinoff, who pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography, is scheduled to be sentenced before Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O'Connor on June 29.

An attorney representing Marinoff, Mitchell Ansell, was not immediately available to comment on the plea.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Already facing a statewide heroin epidemic among adults, New Jersey health officials are now trying to combat the rising number of babies in the state being born addicted to opioids.

It's called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) -- when babies are born hooked on drugs or alcohol that their mother ingested during pregnancy. And in the last 10 years, NAS cases have roughly doubled in the state, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Which is why the state has launched an awareness campaign to encourage pregnant women in New Jersey to get help for themselves and their babies for opioid addiction.

"Babies that are exposed to drugs in the womb are at risk of prematurity, birth defects and withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and vomiting," New Jersey Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said in a statement. "By encouraging pregnant women to seek help, their addiction can be treated to reduce the impact to their unborn child."

This awareness campaign aims to reach "women of child-bearing age that are addicted or dependent on prescription pain killers as well as illicit drugs such as heroin," the statement said.

To get the word out, state health officials plan to distribute various awareness materials in public spaces and facilities across New Jersey.

The health department also plans to promote information on social media and on its new, NAS-dedicated website -- NJ.gov/health/treated4baby -- which has facts about the condition along with outreach resources to community partners and health care providers.

"Some women don't realize that they can receive medication-assisted treatment while pregnant to help them and their neonates become opioid free," Elnahal added. "There is no reason for these babies and their mothers to remain dependent."

According to the New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System's 2015 report, the most common substance used by pregnant women in the state was heroin, at nearly 60 percent.

And, a previous analysis by NJ Advance Media found that in some areas of the state, more than one out of every 50 babies was born with the condition.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A 42-year-old Berkeley police officer who has been named in four separate excessive force lawsuits has given up his bid to be reinstated to the force and instead retired.

Patrick Stesner was on paid leave for nearly a year before he decided to retire March 1, Berkeley Township administrator John Camera confirmed by email Wednesday afternoon.

Stesner also dropped a lawsuit he filed against the township, according to Camera.

Berkeley officials have settled two lawsuits involving Stesner for $110,000 each in the past 10 years. Two other suits are still pending.

A 2008 lawsuit was filed by Michael Forte claiming Stesner and other officers assaulted him while he was being arrested was settled in 2010.

A January 2013 recording shows Stesner punching a handcuffed Darren Yurcik twice in a holding cell. The then 38-year-old Yurcik, who police charged with simple assault and criminal restraint following a domestic violence call, later sued the department.

An internal investigation by the Berkeley police department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office cleared Stesner and another officer, Michael Tier. Police assert Yurcik kicked Stesner before being punched. The video shows Yurcik putting his hand between the cell bars and touching the lock moments before Stesner struck him.

Yurcik settled his suit against police in November 2014.

Stesner's annual salary was $108,071, according to state pension records. It's not clear what his yearly pension will be.

Stesner's attorney, Robert Renaud of Palumbo, Renaud & DeAppolonio didn't respond to messages from NJ Advance Media.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
In 2011, Speaker Paul Ryan released a three-minute video that was supposed to define the core purpose of the Republican Party during the Obama era. Watch it today, and you can barely believe the chutzpah of this man.

With ominous orchestral music in the background, Ryan stares into the camera and warns of economic cataclysm.

"We face a crushing burden of debt, which will take down our economy, will lower our living standards," he said. "The economists tell us when your debt gets to 90 percent, as a share of your economy, you start slowing down and we stagnate."

Remember those days? It turns out that Ryan's pitch back then was just a trick, a political stunt that he abandoned as soon as the winds shifted.

Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office warned that the tax bill Ryan rushed through the House in December will explode the annual deficits, causing the debt to balloon by more than 50 percent over the next decade. That will push the total well past the 90 percent threshold that Ryan warned was a red line.

So, what happened, Mr. Ryan? The deficits matter when Democrats are in power, but not when Republicans are?

And please, don't blame this one on Donald Trump. This was the work of the Republican establishment, with Ryan steering it. He rushed this tax bill through the House without needed hearings, and before the CBO had a chance to even predict the impact on the deficit.

Ryan didn't want to know. Or, at least, he didn't want us to know.

The latest CBO study confirmed the worst fears. In five years, it found, interest payments alone will exceed the military budget. And then it will get worse.

Remember, we'll get nothing useful for that money. No new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. No national campaign to fight the opioid crisis. No plugging holes in the safety net. No nothing.

It will go to bond-holders, in America and abroad. And the waste will grow every year, adding more to the debt, in a never-ending cycle of doom.

I see no prospect of turning this around under Trump, but there was a rare window in 2010, when President Obama put this problem before a bipartisan commission known as Bowles-Simpson.

It produced a tough plan to cut spending and raise taxes, and most of its members agreed to sign on and take the heat. But not Ryan.

That's right, the guy in the video, the one warning about a debt disaster, punted on this one opportunity for a bipartisan fix. And then, once Obama was out of the way, he engineered this tax cut.

So, this has to be Paul Ryan's first legacy - his towering hypocrisy on the debt.

Next up is his blindness to the needs of low-income families, one best illustrated by the House repeal of Obamacare last year. That nasty piece of work would have thrown 23 million off the roles, and chipped away at protections for people with cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses. It would have gutted funding for drug treatment as well.

That should surprise no one. Ryan produced several Republican budgets over the years, and each time he aims the bulk of spending cuts at safety net programs.

"We don't want to turn the safety net into a hammock that lulls able-bodied people to lives of dependency and complacency, that drains them of their will and their incentive to make the most of their lives," he said in 2012.

If there is a God, then I have a request: Make Ryan work as a cashier in a grocery store at minimum wage for a year to make amends for this insult. If he left his bubble, he would learn that American poverty is mostly about low-wages, not failed character.

Of America's poor who are working age, nearly two-thirds have jobs. And - you guessed it - Ryan is opposed to increasing the minimum wage.

Ryan has one good friend in New Jersey, Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd), the only member of New Jersey's delegation who supported both the Obamacare repeal and the new tax bill, complete with its poison darts aimed at New Jersey.

On Wednesday, he called Ryan a "selfless public servant" who led the House with "strength and dignity." And he repeated his Orwellian claim that this tax plan is aimed at helping the middle-class, even though the rich are the big winners, and that is a provable fact.

And please, strength and dignity? That brings us to Ryan's dealings with Trump.

Let history remember the farce of House Republicans declaring last month that they found no evidence the Russians were trying to help Trump in the 2016 elections, despite the unanimous conclusion of American intelligence agencies. Then they shut down their investigation. Ryan, remember, is their boss.

And here are a few choice comments Ryan made on Trump during an appearance on "60 Minutes."

Asked about Trump's claim that "millions" of illegal votes were cast by undocumented immigrants, he said, "I don't know. I'm not really focused on these things."

Asked about Team Trump's conflicts of interest, he said, "This is not what I'm concerned about in Congress." So much for Congress acting as a check on the executive branch.

Ryan's decision to resign is his first good decision in years. He's a complete fake. Wisconsin is welcome to have him back, forever.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Gov. Phil Murphy will soon receive his first truly awful bill from the Legislature, a rush job that provides for a subsidy of $300 million a year to support PSEG's nuclear power plants in South Jersey.

Unfortunately, the new governor is likely to sign it, in part because it is the pet project of Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), whose district is home to the plants. The most realistic hope is that Murphy will use his conditional veto to reshape the bill and limit the damage.

The goal of the bill is sensible. The climate crisis demands that we find a way to keep those plants open. They produce enough energy to satisfy nearly half of New Jersey's demand for electricity, and they emit no carbon. And in one of the poorest sections of the state, the plants provide 2,000 good jobs.

But this bill is designed, at every turn, to give PSEG more than it needs and deserves. It is a triumph of PSEG's lobbying power, and testimony to the dangers of Trenton's sloppy style of legislating.

Drafted behind closed door by a small cabal, the bill was approved in committee by legislators whose questions showed they only dimly understand the workings of the energy market. The army of opponents crowded into a few hearings and were given a few minutes each to make their objections, most of which were met by silence. It was obvious this one was cooked from the start, on the orders of Sweeney and other legislative leaders.

The result is a deeply flawed bill.

Begin with the most obvious. The bill creates new legal barriers that effectively exclude the Ratepayer Advocate, Stefani Brand, from the hearings where subsidies will be considered, a move that is unprecedented and revealing. Why would they want to banish the one person whose job is to protect ratepayers?

Is PSEG so trustworthy that we should feel no need to have a consumer representative in the room? Please. On Monday, a federal agency accused PSEG of gaming the regional energy auction by making false bids over a decade, until 2014.

"It underscores, for me, the need for diligent oversight," Brand told NJ Spotlight, the online news source.

Another problem: The bill would force New Jersey to bear the entire cost of these subsidies, even though customers in other states would share the benefits. Why should we allow ourselves to be used like this?

New Jersey is part of a larger electricity market known as PJM, which stretches all the way to Chicago. Its managers are actively working to devise new rules that will help plants like these survive, and would spread the cost among all who benefit. Why should New Jersey jump ahead and bear the entire cost itself?

Another: The bill asks the Board of Public Utilities to rule whether PSEG needs a subsidy but does not allow the BPU to adjust the size of the subsidy to match the need. Instead, it forces the BPU to grant the full subsidy for at least three years, even if the BPU believes half that amount would be enough. That's just nuts.

Finally, the bill rigs the market so that PSEG cannot lose. If its revenue is too low, ratepayers would be forced to pay more. But if conditions change, and PSEG turns a big profit, it gets to keep the windfall. Heads they win, tails we lose. It's a wholesale perversion of the market system that PSEG has been advocating for two decades.

These objections were all raised during hearings by consumers groups, manufacturers, competing energy firms, and experts on the energy market. In most cases, legislators offered no defense or explanation. It was not an honest discussion of the merits. It was a dance they had to endure for appearances, before voting as the leadership demanded.

All this puts Murphy in a tight spot. Sweeney has the power to singlehandedly block legislation and appointments, and relations between him and the governor are already strained.

If you are looking at policy alone, this bill deserves a flat-out veto, and if Murphy goes that route, we all should cheer. But given the politics, even strategic repairs would be a win at this stage.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said pharmaceutical companies should be using some of their windfall from Republican tax cut to reduce drug prices. Instead, he charged in a new report, they're using that money to reward stockholders.

None of the 10 biggest drug companies plan to use any of their tax windfall to lower prices, the report said, based on earnings calls and other forecasting statements,

"This early snapshot of how drug companies are using their newfound tax savings is profoundly discouraging," said Booker, D-N.J.

"Instead of using the windfall to benefit consumers in the form of lower drug prices, they're using their savings to line the pockets of wealthy shareholders and executives. That's unacceptable."

Industry officials said at least $23 billion in tax savings is going for research, development, new construction and employee pay.

"Unfortunately, Senator Booker's report buries the lede," said Holly Campbell, a spokeswoman for the drug companies' Washington-based trade group, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

"According to the report, these same companies have made billions in commitments to reward employees with bonuses and base pay increases, increase their venture capital investments, expand the drug development pipeline, invest in and strengthen their pension systems and support U.S.-based nonprofits including increased aid for rebuilding Puerto Rico," Campbell said.

Booker faced criticism when he refused to back a proposal by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to allow imports of prescription drugs, saying there were not enough safety protections. He later teamed up with Sanders on importation legislation that included safety provisions.

Three of the 10 top companies, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson and Celgene Corp., are located in New Jersey, and the industry has backed his runs for Senate.

Pharmaceutical employees have contributed $406,826 to his Senate campaigns, his seventh biggest industry source of campaign donations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group. In February, Booker announced he would no longer take money from corporate political action committees.

Booker, who voted against the Republican tax bill that disproportionately affected New Jersey taxpayers by limiting their deduction for state and local taxes, said that five of the 10 companies surveyed said they would spent $45 billion buying back stock. The richest 10 percent of taxpayers own 84 percent of securities, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive research group.

"The pharmaceutical industry needs to get its priorities straight and do more for patients struggling with skyrocketing drug prices," Booker said, calling his report "a powerful indicator of how these and other major pharmaceutical companies intend to deploy their tax benefits."

Other than the three New Jersey-based companies, the companies in the report are Pfizer, Gilead Sciences, Abbvie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Co. and Mylan.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
New Jersey's top lawmaker has slammed the brakes on the confirmation of Gov. Phil Murphy's nominees to lead the two state agencies in charge of education and colleges in New Jersey.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday he's not satisfied with answers that Murphy's picks for state education commissioner and the secretary of higher education gave him as they wait to be confirmed.

It's the latest flap between Murphy, the state's new governor, and Sweeney, the fellow Democrat whom Murphy needs to install many of his initiatives in New Jersey -- including a higher minimum wage, a new tax on millionaires, and legal marijuana.

The Senate, the upper house the New Jersey Legislature, has to sign off on both nominees: Lamont Repollet as state education commissioner and Zakiya Smith Ellis as the state's higher education secretary.

Reppolet is the former superintendent of Asbury Park schools, while Smith Ellis was a White House education policy advisor to then-President Barack Obama.

Each have been serving in an acting capacity for months and can continue to do so.

But both have been approved by the state Senate Judiciary Committee and were expected to finally be confirmed when the full Senate holds a voting session Thursday at the Statehouse in Trenton.

Sweeney, though, said he never put them on the schedule.

He said he was bothered by how Repollet is approaching calls to rework the oft-criticized way New Jersey doles out state aid public school.

"When I heard that the (acting) commissioner of education said he needed six-to-eight months before we could come up with a fix for education funding, that was absolutely unacceptable," Sweeney, D-Gloucester, told NJ Advance Media.

"As a former superintendent, he's well aware what's wrong and the administration is slow walking us in a solution to funding and it's not acceptable," Sweeney added.

Meanwhile, Sweeney said he gave Smith Ellis "a list of questions that I had concerns with, and the answers back were not sufficient."

"They weren't answers," he said.

Richard McGrath, a spokesman for Sweeney, clarified that "we haven't seen or heard the level of willingness needed to make progress" on school funding and making college more affordable in New Jersey.

Mahen Gunaratna, the head of Murphy's communication team, shot back in a statement.

"The Senate president has unilaterally decided to hold up the confirmations of two highly qualified cabinet nominees, despite overwhelming support from the Senate Judiciary Committee," Gunaratna said. "There's no good reason why he's standing in the way of their confirmations."

While both Murphy and Sweeney belong to the same party, the two have had a largely frosty relationship since Murphy took office in January. Sweeney has also pushed back on Murphy's plans to institute a millionaire's tax and raise the sales tax to bring in new revenue to the state.

As for school funding, Sweeney wants to fully fund the state's existing funding formula and remove all caps and limits on how much new aid a district can receive from one year to the next.

To achieve that, he's willing to reallocate state aid from districts considered overfunded to districts considered underfunded.

Murphy pledged during his campaign last year to fully fund the formula but more recently has talked of working with lawmakers to revamp it -- though he hasn't detailed how he would do that.

Murphy's first state budget proposal -- which must be signed by June 30 -- does not continue the reallocation of aid Sweeney started last year, and his idea of "full funding" appears to include the caps and limits Sweeney wants to abolish.

Sweeney's plan would eventually call for about $1 billion more in school aid than Murphy's.

"We need a fix now," Sweeney said. "We're not waiting to six-to-eight months and getting into another school year."

Sweeney added that he expects the Senate to sign off on Repollet and Smith Ellis in the end.

"I don't expect that they won't get confirmed," he said. "But I'm entitled to get my questions answered."

NJ Advance Media staff writer Adam Clark contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump believes he can fire special counsel Robert Mueller, repeatedly calling the investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Russian officials a "witch hunt."

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and senators from both political parties introduced legislation to protect the special counsel from an angry president.

The measure would allow Mueller to be fired only for good cause by a senior Justice Department official, require that the reasons be given in writing, and give him 10 days to appeal his dismissal to a federal judge.

"A nation of laws cannot exist if the people tasked with enforcing them are subjected to political interference or intimidation from the president," Booker said.

"The Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act will install a needed check and ensure that Special Counsel Mueller and his team - and any future special counsels -- are able to follow the facts and the law wherever they lead."

The measure combines two earlier bills, one introduced by Booker, D-N.J., and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The other co-sponsors, who introduced their own legislation last year, are U.S. Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. All four lawmakers are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The presence of two Republicans on the bill means that it would pass the Senate if all 49 Democrats vote yes and if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., brings the measure to the floor.

The bill introduction came a day after White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump believed he could dismiss Mueller.

"I know a number of individuals in the legal community, and including at the Department of Justice, that he has the power to do so," Sanders said at Tuesday's daily press briefing.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called on his colleagues to pass the special counsel legislation in a floor speech Wednesday.

"We cannot ignore the elephant in the room any longer," Schumer said. "If the president were to interfere in any way with the chain of command in the Russia investigation, or clean house at the Justice Department in order to install lackeys who will carry out his orders, we would be no better than a banana republic - the kind of thing we see happening in other parts of the globe would be happening here."

Trump, meanwhile, continued to dismiss the ongoing probe.

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Yom HaShoah, a Service of Remembrance and Hope, hosted by Temple Sholom, 1925 Lake Ave., Scotch Plains, will be held on Sunday, April 15, at 7 p.m.

Yom HaShoah is Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Free and open to the public, the program features Temple Sholom member Andrew Breit who will tell the story of his parents' escape from the Nazis in Poland, winding their way from Lvov through central Russia and eventually to the city of Smarkand in Uzbekistan, a former Soviet Union Republic.

Attendees also will learn about Joel and Blanka Breit's experiences before the war and after the war in a Displaced Persons camp in Austria where Joel (Andrew's father) served as a photographer for the American Joint Distribution Committee.

An exhibit of photographs taken by Joel Breit will be mounted in the Temple Sholom Lobby Gallery.

The Yom HaShoah program will continue with a special service which gives voice to those who endured the cruelties of the Holocaust, from those who perished at the hands of the Nazis to those who miraculously survived. Their words are included in the service through readings and song. Included are excerpts from Anne Frank's diary; poetry by resistance paratrooper Hannah Senesch; liturgy by survivor and humanitarian Elie Wiesel; and stories and poems written by others whose names are less well known, such as children imprisoned in Terezin concentration camp. Included, too, will be music of rebirth after the war.

Six candles, representing the six million Jews who perished, will be lit by Temple members whose lives, either as Holocaust refugees or children and grandchildren of survivors, have been affected by the Holocaust.

For additional information, call the Temple Sholom office at 908-889-4900 or visit www.sholomnj.org.

Submitted by the Temple Sholom Marketing Committee
Phillipsburg is hoping to capitalize on a federal program designed to encourage investment in low-income areas.

Phillipsburg was included in the Opportunity Zones program after being recommended by Gov. Phil Murphy, the mayor said in a news release Wednesday.

Enacted under the 2017 federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the program provides tax incentives meant to encourage long-term investors to support distressed communities, according to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

Census data was used to determine eligibility for inclusion in an opportunity zone, limiting it to areas with a poverty rate of 20 percent or a median family income up to 80 percent of the area median, the DCA says on its website.

The governor and Sen. Cory Booker met with mayors and nominated 169 tracts last month, which were approved Monday, the DCA says. Phillipsburg is the only one in Warren County.

Mayor Stephen Ellis said the program comes at "the perfect time," as the town prepares to solicit proposals for development along the Delaware riverfront.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Saturday will be a great day for kids who enjoy going out to the creek and dipping a line.

Thats because Jimmys Friends Helping Friends, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping local residents in need due to illness or other infirmities, will hold its 11th annual Kids Fishing Rodeo from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a small lake on Still Lane off Williams Road.

Youths 18 and under will bring their fishing poles, sunscreen and lawn chairs to the water, where live worms will be provided for them. The cost is $5 and hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks will be sold at the event.

Jimmy Roberts, who runs the organization, said the event started when it was decided Jimmy Friends wanted to do more than just the traditional turkey shoot.

We always did turkey shoots and we were talking one day and someone asked if we can do something with the lake, so we started the fishing rodeo. Roberts said. We usually get at least 50 kids, but weve had as many as 94.

There will be trophies for children in each age category for the biggest fish, smallest fish, biggest bass and the most fish caught.

The event is catch and release.

Roberts said the event is more a funraiser than fundraiser, with the whole idea being to spread the word of what they do rather than raise money.

We charge the kids, but then we buy the worms. We dont make much, its about getting the word out and let people know what we do, Roberts said. Its about helping friends. Its a cycle we all need to get into.

Roberts said this will be the first of two fishing rodeos. On May 5, the inaugural senior fishing rodeo will happen. The entry fee is $10 and participants will have to being their own bait, live or artificial.

For more information on the event or on Jimmys Friends Helping Friends, call Roberts at 872-5640.
To the editor:

I have written the following letter to Sen. Marco Rubio, Congressman Francis Rooney, Lee County Republican Chairman Johnathan Martine and Collier County Republican Chairman.

I share this with other Republicans and citizens.

The NRA, through its lobbying and campaign contributions, has supported excessive expansion of gun sales within our country. Today our country is awash with unnecessary guns that have contributed to growing numbers of mass slaughters, especially to our school children. More people are being shot than in the past: murder rates are down only because of medical advances as opposed to NRA claim down because of greater gun sales to individuals. As a long-time hunter and supporter of hunting, and Republican of long standing, I am not happy with your support of the NRA, and the campaign funding you receive from it. I will no longer support members of my Republican party who support the NRA.

I believe we protect hunted game animals and migratory birds better than we currently protect school children and adults in our society. When was the last time we saw a massacre of game animals or birds similar to our school childrens murders? Not any time recently because all states and the national government control guns used for hunting, especially for big game animals and migratory birds. Contrast what we do to prevent massacre of game animals and birds to what we dont do to prevent any massacre of school children and adults.

A great number of states provide restrictions on the bullet magazines capacity for hunting game animals and migratory birds, and the caliber and type of gun that can be used near populated area. In most cases, semi-automatic rifles and shotguns are limited to three bullets or shells. And many states require shotguns to be used for hunting within populated areas. The civilian use of .223 caliber semi-automatic military styles rifle should have similar controls and limitations much like those extended to our game animals and birds so as to reduce and limit the probability of massive killing of American citizens. Citizens are Homo Sapiens, and they should be given at least the same safety and consideration as game animals and birds. Republicans and Democrats alike need to act to provide this safety to citizens.

Enough is enough. We need a safer society and Im more than willing to give up some of my gun rights, and allow Republicans and non-Republicans to be voted in who wish to reduce gun rights to a reasonable level. We are aware that some Republicans, following the NRAs marketing goals, have worked to allow military style rifles to exist in growing numbers in our society. The military style semi-automatic AR-15/caliber .223 rifle, and other similar models were created to kill and maim individuals with grievous consequences. And they have! These type rifles are easy to use and have little recoil for the shooter. And the gun industry has manufactured bumpstocks to make them even more lethal.

The failure of the Republican Party to make illegal the possession and sale of bumpstocks (attachments that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire faster, almost like machine guns) demonstrates the weakness in Party leadership, including your own. When the Party and the NRA put military style gun sales and profits ahead of human lives, they become evil; there is no other way to say it. I believe your support of the NRA for campaign donations has corrupted your sensibility like many others in both Parties who pander to the NRAs legislative needs.

Where has your sense of family values evaporated to? Safety and security of our children should be your highest priority. The Second Amendment is not sacred: already it has been overridden by concern for public safety: for example, guns are prohibited from all government buildings -national, state, county, and city  as well as international and domestic airlines, and cruise ships. We need to expand our gun controls further to enhance public safety beyond the Second Amendment interpreted definition. Already the sale of full automatic weapons to the public requires registration of the owners.

There are good reasons to place more restrictions on gun ownership of military style rifles, especially semi-automatic .223 caliber rifles: indeed, their use in mass execution of innocent citizens is the most crucial reason. This rifle has limited recoil and is easy to use. We should limit ownership of these guns to those who know the consequence of its power such as sound-minded veterans, active National Guard, active duty armed force members, and various police groups, but even then there will be public safety risks from rogue individuals within these groups.

As a veteran, I believe Life Membership in the NRA is no longer a thing of honor. I dumped my membership long ago when the NRA supported public use of military style armor-piercing bullets. (More recently, members of the Republican Party in Georgia were supporting the public use of gun silencers by legislation so that potential shootings and slaughter an happen to relative silence. Both cases shows how callous and indifferent to public safety the NRA and some state Republican legislators have become.)

To conclude: I support Florida high school students, who, unlike many Republican politicians tied to the NRA, clearly see the national threat of military-style rifles against the life and liberty of innocent American citizens. Unlike most citizens, these students have experienced the killing power of military-style rifles.

The coming national election cycles will likely ensure that many Republican politicians are voted out for their support of the NRA as well as the current Administration, which also supports the NRA. I therefore encourage you to reconsider your prior positions and pass legislation to ban civilian use of assault weapons, large capacity gun magazines, and bump stocks..Your allegiance to public safety and school childrens safety should be greater than allegiance to the NRA. Elections are getting near and that should be a concern to each of you.

Charles W. Hampton,

City of Cape Coral
There was a race to be on the National Supplier Database by March 31 as the upstream oil companies started calling for bids ahead of what is set to be a busy year in Ugandas oil industry.

Some of our sources within the oil companies have told us that right up to the end of the second quarter of this year, there wont be much work in the oil fields other than the preparation work of building camps and offering services ahead of a major oil drilling campaign.

Oil activities in Buliisa

One of our sources said the oil companies are in a rush to get a substantial amount of these services completed before the signing of the $3.5 billion final investment decision for the crude oil pipeline, which is expected to be signed in the third quarter of this year. Total and Cnooc spent much of March calling for bids.

Total E&P, which is operating the Tilenga project, appears to be the busiest, especially after taking over Tullow Oils exploration area two. The French oil major is currently assessing bids for provision of social services and resettlement for the people who will be evicted to pave the way for the construction of the crude oil pipeline.

Other bids include: infield logistics services at Tilenga, transport services and construction of water projects, just to mention a few. Total plans to drill at least 33 wells this year, the company said.

Chinese firm Cnooc, which operates the Kingfisher oil field, is also assessing bids for logistical services such as catering, lifting and material handling and infield transport services, among others.

Local companies such as Bemuga Forwarders Limited have imported trucks targeting some of these jobs.

Oranto Petroleum, which has an exploration license for the Ngassa deep and shallow plays on the banks of Lake Albert, is on a major recruitment drive of its staff. The company is undertaking studies before it can engage in any heavy exploration works.

The Petroleum Authority of Uganda says any company that might have missed out on being listed on the national suppliers database for 2018 has a last opportunity to do so in July.

There are more than 1,000 companies listed on the database, with the ratio between local Ugandan firms and foreign entities averaging about 55 per cent to 45 per cent in favour of the local firms.

jeff@observer.ug
In part I of this series published last Wednesday, we examined how the Reform Agenda (RA) pressure group manoeuvred to ensure that Dr Warren Kizza Besigye Kifefe would lead, and control the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) right from the outset. SULAIMAN KAKAIRE continues the examination...

By the time Besigye became FDC party president, the important offices were secretary general and the secretaries for treasury, legal, mobilisation, security, publicity and information, women and youth.

Kizza Besigye addressing his supporters in Kasese

Some of these positions were largely occupied by what one would refer to as Besigyeists. They included Jack Sabiti (treasurer), Alice Alaso (secretary general), and Ingrid Turinawe (women).

Alaso has since been replaced and no longer sees Besigye as someone truly committed to the democratic principles, which their party championed. However, former information secretary, Wafula Oguttu (also since replaced) maintains that the Besigye he knew was always a democrat.

I have seen him; he used to come to Najjanankumbi, with his ideas. We would combat them and we tell him reasons as to why and he says okay, comrades, lets move on, Oguttu told The Observer.

The difference in opinion between these party elders underlines just what has become of FDC today. The experience of former Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Prof Morris Ogenga Latigo, will shed some light on how Besigye operated as party president, and why he has become such a divisive figure in FDC.

Latigo remembers how he was targeted during his bid for and tenure as LOP. He became a pariah just because he had collected signatures in support of Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntus bid to stand in the 2006 elections.

Besigye was stuck in exile at the time and there was no guarantee he would be back in time. But still, Latigo came under fire for daring to back anyone but their man.

We walked a very tight rope in that perspective until the elections were over; we lost the presidential elections. Some of us got elected to parliament. After the elections, you could begin to see that while we were a new party, there were some units within FDC; sentiments like Reform Agenda is our thing and you are an outsider. But we said no, some of you guys came and joined us in the opposition, Latigo said.

Everybody wanted to be leader of opposition but I argued strongly and said that where the president is not in parliament, the people who occupy the highest party position should become the leader, said Latigo.

He would eventually move a motion for a resolution to this effect, which was overwhelmingly supported by FDCs National Executive Committee (NEC) in 2006.

This defined the road towards the creation of the two power centres, Latigo remembers.

By accepting the rule that the most senior person in the party becomes leader of opposition, they not only disqualified people like Kasilo MP Elijah Okupa, who was campaigning for the post, but it automatically meant that the choice was down to either Latigo or Sam Njuba -- both deputy presidents then.

The RA wing allied with Buganda interests within FDC and presented Njuba (now dead) as their candidate. At the opposite end, the Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) which was the other major founding group of FDC, supported Latigo.

That election exposed internal weaknesses There was no single day we sat in private, me and Dr Besigye, to discuss the unfolding scenarios, remembers Latigo.

For a while, I kept off the campaign, thinking probably Dr Besigye would call me and say Latigo, you are with Njuba now what do you people think?

Besigye was close to Njuba because they were from Reform Agenda. But when the period of campaign came, I wrote a small brief about myself; what I have been doing for the party and about my vision as a leader of opposition. If you ask people like Odonga Otto, they were furious with me; they said Latigo, what is the problem with you, these guys are campaigning and you are not. I said, let them campaign, people know me and if some people can do this work better, let it be, he said.

Kizza Besigye campaigns before FDC delegates

Eventually, Latigo won but the campaign experience, particularly Besigyes disposition, left a sour taste.

I dont remember ever being congratulated by Dr Besigye, he said.

Of that contest, Besigye said when interviewed that: The late Hon Sam Njuba (RIP) was our leader in Reform Agenda when Hon Ogenga Latigo was still in DP. Hon Njuba had been our leader in UPM and during the NRA/NRM struggle, to which he personally recruited me.

He expected that I would campaign and vote for him to become our first LOP. I neither campaigned nor voted for him! He, and those who voted for him, were very disappointed with me on this account because he attributed his loss to that. Its possible that Hon Latigo too thought that I couldnt have favoured him for the post.

Proscovia Salaamu Musumba, who was the other deputy president, thinks the former LoP is reading too much into what happened.

Those are petty things. He did not make himself leader of opposition, we made him. He was not the only one available. It was a political calculation. He was assigned like anyone else. We made a political choice and it was communicated to him, Musumba said.

However, Latigo says this explanation by Besigye and Musumba does not truly reflect the reality of the LoP race those many years ago. It was so polarising a contest that the Buganda caucus was so consumed by a guilty conscience, Latigo remembers. He says most of its members boycotted the party headquarters for quite some time.

Through his eyes, Latigo saw a pattern emerge  one where somebody deliberately wanted to position particular people in certain offices.

You could see that there was something beyond the meetings we had with Dr Besigye; the decisions we took in the party. Though sometimes he would opt to consult on some things... Although in certain cases I stood my ground. For example, in the case of Hon Hassan Kaps Fungaroo, they wanted him to be in the cabinet but I said that he is too young; he doesnt have the competencies, we have senior people whom we cannot overlook, Latigo remembers.

CENTRES OF POWER

This pattern eventually established itself in the factions that evolved. Latigo says he was somehow made to pay for defeating Njuba.

This first came out when the leader of opposition was required to respond to President Musevenis State-of-the-Nation address. Latigo said the party headquarters tried to direct the response but he refused.

I accepted to be leader of opposition because I know am competent to lead; otherwise, I would not even have offered myself. So, nobody is going to write anything for me. I know party policies, I am the one who chaired the meeting, I know the constitution of the party, I know everything including the interests of the party. But beyond that, I am a policy expert not many of you can compete with.

Even then the party leadership continued to press.

I told them, look; the parliamentary caucus is not an organ of the party. So the party cannot make a demand for us to account unless we provide for the parliamentary caucus in the constitutionNEC would ask for the accountability and they even made Hon. Alice Alaso, the secretary general then, write. I wrote back to her and I said, no, we are not under the supervision of the party, but we are a body of the party, Latigo.

In retrospect, Latigo says;

They [Alaso and Besigye] only wanted to control me which was not fair. And so I said, we will give a report. So, every two weeks we would write a summary report and I made specific proposals on how to amend the party constitution to provide for the parliamentary caucus. Because I said that that caucus is an opposition caucus beyond FDC and, therefore, for FDC to take a claim and demand that we report, as a mandatory thing, it is not right, he said.

In due course, Latigo remembers encountering difficulties during briefing meetings.

KB could at times be dismissive, he said. I remember when they asked me in writing, to report on the Juba peace process and I wrote back to them, saying I am providing a report, but not I am not reporting [to you] because the Juba peace process is a process outside the party. We are there by virtue of being leaders from the conflict area. For the party to demand that I report, is not right.

Besigye brushed off Latigos letter, replying that the LoP was dabbling in semantics.

But, I said, no its not semantics... I wrote my report, I read it to them. I told them let the party keep out of this process... Let it fail on account of us who are participatingthey never took it kindly. But, I held my ground. I was actually attacked over that, in particular by the Reform group.

Slowly, the groundswell of opinion against Latigo spread out from FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi into the parliamentary caucus.

I remember one time when I had to react to the Reagan [Okumu] and Nandala [Mafabi]. We would be in a meeting and then they start their own discussions. I remember one day, when they started discussing, I kept quiet. And when I kept quiet, they also kept quiet, I said no, you finish your discussions then we can proceed. They got the message, Latigo said as he referred to some records.

But Besigye does not remember having a problematic relationship with Latigo.

I didnt have any difficulty working with Hon Latigo at all, save for MPs generally ignoring party work.

Musumba also questions the MPs commitment during Latigos time. Revealing how I was always assigned to act in Doctors capacity but my colleagues were always finding excuses

Parliament never gave value for their work, she said.

Musumba and Oguttu think the problem has its roots elsewhere, suggesting that only those who were nursing bigger ambitions found Besigye to be difficult.

So, those of us who are not ambitious to be president of Uganda maybe we do not see a problem with him. If I was ambitious to be the president of Uganda and Im in FDC, the biggest problem would be Besigye, I would get rid of him, he said.

Said Musumba: Because they had ambition of replacing him, they did not work to make him succeed.

YOUTH STRUCTURE

Other goings-on inside FDCs youth organ will, however, discount the Oguttu/Musumba theory. There were two important offices for youth in FDC. One was the secretary for youth headed by Aruu MP, Samuel Odonga Otto, and the other was the national chairperson for youth, at one time or the other held by Samuel Makoha.

Things were fine until new office bearers arrived. When Makoha went into exile in the Netherlands, Frank Kiherere, a former suspect of the shadowy so-called Peoples Redemption Army rebel group, was selected as a stand-in while elections were organised in January 2009.

Kiherere and Gerald Karuhanga were the candidates. Elections for the womens league had also been simultaneously organised and Ingrid Turinawe, the current secretary for mobilisation, was to tussle it out with current Lubaga division chairperson, Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo.

Before voting day, Muntu stepped in, warning that FDC was running the risk of becoming westerner-dominated. Kiherere was advised to step down in favour of current Ayivu MP, Benard Atiku, while Karuhanga pulled out in favour of Abed Nasser Mudiobole, the current secretary for legal affairs.

Mudiobole won but not many people were happy about that.

I was not very popular within the structures. I remember even people like Hon. Alaso saying, who is this person? He could be a mole or intelligence. Well, it was all because of ignorance or perhaps the fact that their camp lost. I was a very active member at the formation of the party during my university days, he said.

Having been elected, Mudiobole was now part of the partys management committee, but he says he was not embraced by Besigye.

I remember that I was the national youth chairperson but I never got instructions from the party president. Instead, I would see other people doing my work, Mudiobole said.

Mudiobole says this forced him into the arms of Muntu, who was then secretary for mobilisation. After the 2009 delegates conference during which Mudiobole was one of 52 people who sided with Muntu over Besigye, his troubles mounted.

I had dealt with Muntu and I had found him a clear and straightforward person, said Mudiobole, remembering how that choice has continued to haunt him.

He [Besigye] would never give instructions to me but instead instruct Sam Mugumya, who was not in the national structure. I saw that was not proper. In fact, the closest he would come to the structure was when he would give some work to my then vice chairperson, Francis Mwijukye, the current MP for Buhweju, Mudiobole said.

So, Mudiobole came to understand how Besigye prefers to work with those who agree with or serve him.

Muntu declined to be interviewed at any length for this article, observing that: When you are in an institution with people, you always have points of agreement and disagreement. It is normal and for my case everything is solved internally. I cant discuss that with you.

The record will show that although Besigye eventually handed over to Muntu, having prematurely ended his FDC presidency in 2012, the colonel seemed determined to undermine his successor at every turn.

In effect, Besigye created a parallel party headquarters at his Katonga Road offices in Kampala, acting and operating as if he was still FDC leader. This left Muntu looking like a lame-duck leader.

In the end, the rubicon was crossed when he chose Patrick Amuriat Oboi over Muntu in last years bruising party presidential elections.

2009 ALIGNMENTS

In 2008, the tenure of the party leadership had expired and as those in leadership had to seek a new mandate. A delegates conference was slated for 2009. The RA wing saw this as a perfect opportunity to reassert itself.

They needed to fix the parliamentary caucus as a way of balancing power within the party, a member of the RA, who has since switched sides, told The Observer.

Aswa MP Reagan Okumu, the man who was pivotal in getting the RA off the ground, was asked to challenge Latigo for the position of deputy president (northern). If he won, it would mean Latigo had to give up the LoP position given the 2006 NEC resolution that guided on how one qualifies to be chosen for that post.

The free-thinking incumbent says that when he got wind of the plan, he decided time had come to hold the bull by the horns.

I kind of got information that the campaign which was going on was that Latigo the other time humiliated Njuba, this was meant to get the Buganda caucus vote for Reagan; so, when I handled the Buganda caucus, I had to address the delegates about the [Besigye issue], he said.

I told them that for me, I am contesting to keep my position as deputy president and as the deputy president, my job is to help the president, now why have you people accused me of wanting to be party president? Reagan had been quoted somewhere saying I wanted to be party president... As a party leader, and as leader of the opposition, Ive worked with everybody, he said.

Latigo says he wrote to Besigye telling him not to worry about Latigo, informing him that if I thought he was not providing the kind of leadership that I agree with, he would be the first to know my intentions of opposing him.

Besigye never replied. Latigo defeated Okumu, which meant that he could not be removed as LoP. At the same conference, the RA opposed another independent-minded member, the Bugweri MP, Abdu Katuntu. Katuntu had expressed interest in the national chairperson job.

Besigyes people first lined up Obeid Kamulegeya or Yusuf Nsibambi but they were found to be lightweights when measured against the heavy hitter Katuntu is known to be.

So, Besigye persuaded his man, Njuba to stand. Njuba became national chairman. A few weeks after that conference, former Workers MP, Martin Wandera, who had been chosen as secretary for labour, was withdrawn by Besigye.

Wandera told The Observer, I was being victimised for having led the Muntu campaigns when he stood against Besigye.

In explaining the Martin Wandera incident, Besigye said, I made a straightforward mistake that wasnt intentional. The NDC [National Delegates Conference] had elected him to a post that I erroneously filled with another person. It was rectifiable and I apologised to him when the mistake was clear to me. However, it seems (from my observation since) that there was more interest in highlighting the mistake than rectifying it. Nonetheless, I still regret the mistake.

Katuntu says the 2009 delegates conference was a defining moment for him.

I supported Besigye and had always supported him but when I came to reflect on the behind-the-scenes of the conference I had to reconsider my relations with some individuals in the party, he said.

NAIVETY OR MATURITY

Whereas most Besigye loyalists are adamant that their patron does not work in cliques, Dan Wandera-Ogalo, a level-headed political operator who worked with Besigye as secretary for legal affairs, says factionalism took root in FDC due to their failure to manage disagreement.

Now, once they became camps, management of the party became problematic because people retreated into their original formations [PAFO or Reform Agenda], he said.

Consequently, over time, one force (RA), either due to the gullibility of the PAFO side, or their willingness to tolerate suppression in the wider interests of FDC, started to dominate. Ogalo uses the example of Katuntu and his bid for national chair to illustrate his point.

What could have guided people then? Maybe there was naivety on our part, but you see it is easy to explain and say you people, the position of chairman has already been in Buganda. If now you bring a Musoga, you are going to destabilise our arrangement. That was the argument then

What I have come to learn later is that there have been caucuses and I think thats where you can say danger began. A certain tendency starts meeting and planning... This caucusing is not something we had in the party. You hear people have met in such and such a place; they have planned, when you are from the same party he said.

Ogalo says he got a better understanding of this when he also stood for party chairmanship in 2015. He says he was advised not to rock the boat.

They said if a post is for Buganda, it will be for Buganda. I argued that but we have come from very far. Then we didnt have people to take leadership positions but we have attracted people, now we have moved away from that. We should build a party based on competence, not based on religion, region or so on, he said.

Eventually, he found himself facing virtual unknown inside opposition circles, Wasswa Biriggwa and Bwanika Bbale. Biriggwa, the newcomer, won.

I was seeing him for the first time in the delegates conference! I heard that he had joined the party three weeks or three months before. So, I said to myself that if a person has come to a party just three weeks, how can he be rallying support? If we want a Muganda, why didnt people support Bwanika Bbale? He is a former NRC member and CA member, and most importantly he is a founding member and former chairperson of Buganda caucus, Wandera said.

Only later would Wandera discover that Biriggwa was introduced into the picture by then Besigye loyalist, Joyce Ssebugwawo. His entry was by design.

Last Saturday evening, Alaso also created the impression that her naive belief misled her into thinking that whenever she was writing to former LoP Latigo in pursuit of Besigyes wishes, she was only fulfilling her role as secretary general.

Professor should not think that I was used to castigate him. I was doing what the NEC chairperson [Besigye] required the secretary general to do. In hindsight, perhaps things were beyond what we had imagined then, she said.

Alaso acknowledges that there was animosity between Besigye and Latigo.

I remember that most of the times when Besigye was away, he would never assign Latigo to act in his capacity. Of the deputies, it was only Salaamu [Musumba] who would act. That was always raised as a concern in one of the meetings and I remember another incident when he said that Besigye was not talking to him or taking his calls. In fact, in one meeting that I attended, Prof Latigo called Salaamu, so that he could reach Doctor through her but when Salaamu showed Doctor that it was Prof calling, Doctor refused to talk to him.

Alaso said about the Martin Wandera fiasco: It is the first time I am hearing that there was an apology made. As the secretary general, I could have documented that or come across it in the records because it is the same records in my possession that indicate the mistake or those actions as you would wish to call them.

Alaso was FDC secretary general for 10 years. Between 2005 to 2009, she remembers that they as top leaders, especially those from PAFO, thought that these tendencies would be outgrown.

However, this was not the case with colleagues from the other side. We thought that we shared common values but we were naive. Besides, at some point we thought that this was maybe about the fact that this being a new party maybe most of us did not have a clear understanding of how parties function because I remember how I fought to give status reports to the NEC and National Delegates Conference, when people like the late Dr Sulaiman Kiggundu did not like it.

Latigo says there were basically two reasons they did not pick a fight with Reform Agenda.

One, some of us did not want to start an early fight as to who should be the leader. Secondly, Reform Agenda which was the largest group in the debate and had the biggest network at the formation of the party, wanted to see the party led by somebody from their side.

The writing was on the wall

skakaire@observer.ug

TO BE CONTINUED
Richard Echoku, 54, is one of many HIV-positive Ugandans on second-line antiretroviral treatment, having failed to respond to first-line drugs.

They tested my viral load several times, but it was not suppressing yet I was taking the drugs, Echoku told The Observer. However, doctors realized I was not taking my medicine on time especially during stock-outs. Sometimes I could miss getting drugs in hospital for some days, he said.

Jane Nassolo gets her medication from Kasangati health centre IV but for long the doctors had wondered why her viral load was not suppressing yet she was taking drugs daily, and on time.

When the doctors asked me where I store my drugs, I told them at home in the drawer, although I used to take one tablet daily to my working place at the farm and keep it in the bush before I swallow it on time, she said. Then doctors realised the medicine I used to keep in the bush lost its quality and stopped working. That was why the viral load was not suppressing.

These are typical cases and, according to Dr Peter Andrew Kalema, head, Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinic, at Kiswa health centre III in Kampala, treatment failure can lead to drug resistance.

Treatment failure is when someone on ART treatment fails to respond due to poor adherence, which increases the viral load, while HIV drug resistance is when the virus has mutated or changed its shape, and even if you take the medicine properly, its not suppressed by the drug until you switch to another line, he says.

Of recent, HIV drug stock-out is adding a lot of misery to us as service providers in the ART clinics because we get very few drugs from National Medical Stores (NMS) which is not enough for our patients. We keep on begging for drugs from nearby health centres. When patients spend long time without taking drugs, they develop resistance, Kalema laments.

He said the most affected patients are those on second-line treatment because their drugs are very expensive and are supplied in smaller quantities. Last December, says Kalema, most patients on second line were advised to buy drugs from pharmacies.

The biggest challenge has been due to new UNAIDS guidelines of test and treat policy, where they recommended all people tested HIV-positive to start treatment immediately yet 40 per cent of HIV-positive patients were still on septrin because their CD4 counts were still high, says Kalema.

There was massive prescription of ARVs and the NMS stores cleared in December. Since then, we are struggling with stock-outs. Most patients are not getting enough drugs, which causes drug resistance.

Dr Ivan Arinaitwe, also at Kiswa health centre III, observes that the ministry of Health recommendation for all patients failing on first line to be switched to second line also increased stock-outs. Arinaitwe points out that majority of patients on second-line drugs today were not budgeted for this financial year.

The cost of testing a person resisting on second line to third line is Shs 800,000. Third-line drugs are also very expensive and can only be found in HIV centres of excellence such as Mulago hospital, Infectious Diseases Institute and Joint Clinical Research Centre, he said.

Of the 5,900 people under Kiswas care, about one per cent are on second line treatment. Countrywide, about 5.7 per cent HIV- positive people are on second line.

One appreciates how troubling the stock-out situation is  given its correlation with drug resistance -- when you hear from Prossy Luzige. As programme manager, National Forum of People Living with HIV Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), she has disturbing inside knowledge.

Most health centre IIs and IVs in rural areas dont have second-line treatment. When doctors shift you to second line, they refer you to regional hospitals where they order for second-line treatment, says Luzige.

But in rural areas, regional hospitals are too far from patients home and it becomes difficult for patients to move; hence, ending up abandoning drugs, becoming drug-resistant and dying.

Both Echoku and Nassolo fear that if the government is failing to provide second- line treatment, then the more costly third-line phase is but a dream. Another threat to the fight against HIV comes in the shape of so-called voluntary drug holidays.

Drug holiday means people stop taking drugs after finding out their viral load is suppressed. Others are deceived by pastors to stop taking drugs, while others are just fed up of swallowing drugs and abandon them, she says.

She warns that the moment the virus is exposed to a drug holiday, it changes form and becomes resistant. All this, however, does not come anywhere near the dangers posed by stock-outs. For instance, Luzige remembers how last year many HIV-positive people in eastern Uganda developed resistance which forced NAFOPHANU to petition government.

With peoples lives being unnecessarily exposed to grave danger, a sinister truth has been revealed about why stock-outs persist.

Alice Kayongo, the regional policy and advocacy manager at Aids Health Care Foundation (Uganda Cares), says they have evidence that donor money from USAID which was initially meant to buy HIV drugs was used by government to pay off some of its debts.

The donors communicated that since the money was pulled out of HIV treatment, we are likely to face stock-outs until May, Kayongo said.

This is happening in an environment where Kayongo reveals that drug resistance is also occurring on account of many people objecting to taking new drug combinations. Some worry about the suspected side effects such as damage to the liver, kidneys and changes in body colour and weight.

People dont have faith in new medicine  without sensitisation, she says.

I was with an old man in Lyantonde hospital recently. He was in tears because he had moved a long distance and failed to get drugs on second line treatment. Second-line has been consistently out of stock yet many people have been shifted to it, she said.

Worse still, stock-outs are affecting laboratory reagents used in testing for HIV viral load.

In case the donors pull out completely, many poor people will die, she says.

But at the health ministry, Dr Joshua Musinguzi, the Aids Control Programme manager, says most people with HIV drug resistance come late to the hospital when the virus is already in advanced stages and they have low CD4 counts. The doctors cant do much and they die.

Musinguzi also blames stock-outs on health centres.

They dont make correct orders; right quality, right quantity, right mix and right type of drugs. [National Medical Stores NMS] cant give them what they didnt order for, Musinguzi said.

According to the 2017 UNAIDS global report, by June, about 21 million people living with HIV were accessing ART, up from 17.8 million in 2015 and eight million in 2010.

As such, the cost of treatment remains very high. It is estimated by UNAIDS that $26.2 billion will be needed for the AIDS response by 2020 in low and middle-income countries.

Sources at NMS say the challenge facing health centres is that ARVs are ordered online yet most of them dont have bio-statisticians.

If a bio-statistician goes on leave and he or she is replaced with someone who doesnt know the system... you find they put quantity in the place of unit, and this creates problems with suppliers, a source said.

This confusion is further complicated by policy contradictions. Dan Kimosho, spokesman at NMS, acknowledges that the test and treat policy caught them off guard: they dont give out drugs to expected patients as UNAIDS proposed. They only consider those who were ordered for.

The donors tell health centres to order ART for expected patients not only for patients they currently have. Yet for us, we give drugs for current number of patients and advise them to make orders for expected patients in the next budget, he said.

zurah@observer.ug
The government of Uganda yesterday signed the contract for the construction of the $4 billion oil refinery, offering further clarity on how the countrys oil resources will be exploited, writes JEFF MBANGA.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Irene Muloni signed the contract with the Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium, which is led by General Electric after more than one year of negotiations.

Officials signing the oil refinery agreement at State House

President Museveni presided over the closed-door event at State House. The signing of the contract ends a more-than-five-year struggle by Ugandas government to get a company to invest in a refinery, whose return on investment has been questioned.

The refinery will be built under a public-private partnership, favouring the consortium with a 60 per cent shareholding while the government, through the national oil company, will retain the other 40 per cent.

Uganda is expected to invite East African states to buy into its 40 per cent stake. Tanzania had earlier committed to taking up about seven per cent of this stake. The consortium is made up of General Electric, Saipem from Italy, Yaatra Ventures from the United States of America and Intra-continent Asset Holdings.

The profile of the consortium looks quite weak and there are some doubts it can pull off a $4 billion project. There is little independent publicly-available information about Intra-continent Asset Holdings.

Questions are bound to be asked as to how this consortium will be able to attract the capital and expertise to build the refinery. However, in October, we reported how the Albertine Graben Refinery consortium had posted a $2 million commitment bond with government ahead of the signing of the Project Framework Agreement (PFA).

We also said that up to 70 per cent of the financing of the refinery will be through debt with the other 30 per cent coming in as equity from the project partners. In August, the government announced it had agreed core project terms for the refinery project.

We further noted that after the signing of the PFA, the consortium would be required to finance all pre-Final Investment Decision activities up to $100 million.

The pre-FID activities, according to the terms of the arrangement, include market studies, logistics studies, technology licensing, refinery config-uration studies, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, and Front End Engineering Design.

These activities are expected to start after the signing of the contract. The major upstream companies operating in Uganda  Total, Tullow and Cnooc  had for long preferred a crude oil export pipeline because they felt the product had a more lucrative market abroad.

Ugandas government thought otherwise, throwing its weight behind the construction of a refinery. Government commissioned a Swiss firm, Foster Wheeler, to come up with a report that offered pointers on how an oil refinery made economic sense, especially from the perspective of creating spin-off industries such as those that make bitumen, which is crucial in the construction industry.

Compromises needed to be made. To get the three oil companies to commit investments in the country, Ugandas government agreed to the demands of having a crude oil pipeline. However, it never dropped its ambition of building a refinery.

The structure of having an oil refinery and a crude oil pipeline led to another important negotiation: how much crude would each take and which infrastructure would take the first call on the oil resources. Government settled for a 30,000-barrels- per-day refinery, which would later be ramped up to 60,000. The refinery, it was agreed, would take the first call.

Earlier figures showed that the crude pipeline would carry 120,000 barrels of oil per day, shooting up to 180,000 barrels only after the refinerys demands had been met. Now, current figures show that the crude oil pipeline will carry about 212,000 barrels of oil per day.

jeff@observer.ug

Twitter:@jeff_mbanga
The executive director of National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) Judy Obitre-Gama is under investigation for alleged fraud, corruption and abuse of office among other cases.

The case was referred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) by the parliamentary committee on Defence and Internal Affairs committee on the basis of queries raised by the auditor general in a December 2017 report from the verification of funds spent for the registration of learners exercise.

NIRA executive director Judy Obitre-Gama

The report indicated that NIRA failed to account for huge sums of money, channelled billions of money to individual accounts and flouted procurement procedures during the exercise that was carried out in both primary and secondary schools across the country during the national ID student enrolment exercise.



The enrolment drive is intended to capture the data of children aged 5-16 years which the authority did not have in its national registry databank. The auditor general observed that in the process, NIRA irregularly paid out Shs 2.1 billion to individual personal accounts while another Shs 1.3 billion was deposited to the personal account of the accountant.



NIRA also failed to account for Shs 8.4 billion spent as facilitation to various officials. The report equally pointed out irregularities in the procurement of laptops and batteries for the project.

NIRA purchased 2,000 laptops and 6,000 laptop batteries for the project, which, according to the auditor general, were overpriced leading to a loss of Shs 2.7 billion. Though all laptops were delivered, the report says only 350 batteries were received.



Parliament's defense committee headed by Judith Nabakooba handed Obitre-Gama to the Criminal Investigations Department after failing to provide evidence of the use of government resources.



According to Nabakooba, the authority does not have documents and records in relation to the activities. She says NIRA does not have authentic paperwork showing what they are doing. Nabakooba also says Obitre-Gama used her position to recruit staff without approval from Public Service.



Nabakooba says police will now investigate all the allegations on NIRA and concerns of staff, like harassment of staff. She says NIRA has Ugandans' sensitive information, but there is something not happening right in the authority.



Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa says that NIRA failed to avail minutes of board meetings for the first two years, which is unacceptable for an authority which is managing Uganda's data system.



NIRA has been marred by chaos with workers accusing the management of segregation, favouritism and in many cases harassment. NIRA whose principal role is the establishment and maintenance of the national identification register has also faced allegations of irregular recruitment of staff among other things.



In March, this year the former staff members petitioned the speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga seeking to have them either reinstated or they are paid salary for six months.
I am a concerned citizen who always travels across borders, but has failed to see the benefits of the East African Community.

Recently, I travelled to watch the 2018 Safari Rally in Kenya in which Uganda sent two representatives (Jas Mangat and Duncan Mubiru).

However, Ugandans were treated as if we were from another planet. From the border to all the rally sections, the moment Kenyan traffic police officers saw Ugandan-registered number plates; they would stop and hold you until you gave them money.

They asked between KShs 500 [approximately Shs 16,000] and KShs 2,000 [approximately Shs 64,000]. I was personally stopped seven times; and on the eighth one, I complained and tried to

confront them.

They immediately took me to their express court where I was fined KShs 15,000 (about Shs 480,000). At the road block where they arrested me, I had all they asked for but one officer told me my vehicle was dirty!

It had been raining from the time I left Jinja to Nairobi. Funny enough, when I reached the court, they changed the statement and said I did not have a safety reflector triangle.

I hope EALA MPs, the minister of East African Community Affairs and respective embassies can look into this matter; otherwise, we are losing hope in the EAC.



Keith Ssali Isaac,

Deputy mayor, Nansana municipality.

Ochola has started on a positive note

Since the new inspector general of police, Martin Okoth Ochola, took over the mantle, changes have been made within the force. Of particular interest is the merger of various departments.

Two directorates and at least fifteen units that were previously reporting directly to the IGPs office were merged, and their command decentralized to three directorates.

This move will not only return police to its original constitutional duties and obligations, but also cut operational costs.

Given its constitutional mandate of maintaining law and order, police cannot succeed without societys trust and confidence. We also believe with time, the new leadership will consider strengthening community liaison services and corporate social responsibility activities to increase community participation in helping police to maintain law and order.

Lack of public respect, trust and confidence is one of the reasons there have been unanswered questions regarding criminal gang activities in the country. I believe the new leadership can harness community involvement.



Bernard Odida,

oyodida911@gmail.com.



Ugandans need water harvesting lessons



Last year, almost all parts of the country experienced a severe drought that affected peoples lives, crops and livestock. Now that God is abundantly giving us rain, farming activities are ongoing and we expect food surplus.

Although farmers are smiling today, those who are building and mining in wetlands, and cutting forests are still active. There is need to prepare for the next drought when the rains stop.

This is the time for the ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to wake up and think about measures to conserve for agricultural use. This can be done through sensitizing citizens about how to harvest water during rainy seasons.



David Serumaga,

serumagadavid@gmail.com



Input distribution alone cannot trigger agricultural productivity



Uganda has experienced low agricultural productivity for decades. This is partially due to low application of improved inputs.

Given the importance of improved agricultural technologies in addressing low productivity, government prioritized various initiatives to drive the economy to lower middle-income status by 2020.

Notable is the input distribution programme under Operation Wealth Creation (OWC). Since its inception in 2013, OWC has received exponentially growing budget allocations to intensify improved inputs use among farmers.

In the current financial year, input provision implemented by OWC was allocated Shs 316 billion  37 per cent of the agricultural sector budget. According to the medium-term expenditure framework 2018/19-2020/21, allocations to OWC are projected to increase to Shs 588 billion by 2020.

It is evident government is emphasizing input distribution as a pathway to increase agricultural productivity over the next five years.

However, earmarking more resources for input distribution does not necessarily guarantee that farmers have received all the accompanying services to trigger the projected middle-income status.

OWC is commended for the efforts towards distribution of seed and seedlings. Through OWC, the government has registered popularity at district and household levels with a notable increment in the number of supported farmers from 717,515 in 2015 to 822,417 in 2016.

However, the problem with this arrangement is the unavailability of complementary agricultural services to accompany the provided inputs.

According to the financial year 2017/18 background to the budget, various planting materials were procured and distributed during 2016/17 cropping seasons.

These included; 2,485 tonnes of maize seed to 993,956 households, 1,040 tonnes of bean seed to 104,000 households, 10 tons of rice seed and 432,220 apple seedlings to 4,322 households, among others. No fertilizer and agro-chemicals were provided.

Providing only planting materials shows the government has not yet settled on a master plan for complementary agricultural services to achieve the target of improving productivity by 2020. If the trend continues as observed, it will deter the sector further from achieving the projected middle-income status.

However, to achieve a successful agricultural transformation by 2020, policies regarding input distribution should be reviewed. Increasing agricultural productivity requires a combination of matching inputs (fertilizer, agrochemicals, extension and irrigation).

According to a study by Economic Policy Research Center, the use of quality seed with fertilizer in Irish potatoes produces a yield of 16.5 metric tonnes per hectare as compared to 11.1 metric tonnes when only quality seed is used.

Thus, better outcomes from improved agricultural technologies are expected when it is taken as a package of complementary inputs.



Florence Nakazi,

Research analyst, Economic Policy Research Centre.





letters@observer.ug
The meeting between President Yoweri Museveni and the archbishop of Kampala, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, early this week meant to resolve their differences  imagined and real  is good for the country.

These are all influential leaders; therefore, the uncertainty surrounding their lives and suspicions against each other inevitably affects their followers negatively.

The matter had escalated to an extent that Archbishop Lwanga had even lost faith in some of the priests, nuns and seminarians around him.

The prelate suspected some of them had been hired by the state to spy on him. The president, too, was suspicious the man of God was involved in activities aimed at removing him from power unconstitutionally.

We shall not probe the veracity of these allegations, but it is imperative not to just sweep the matter under the carpet.

The church has power to unite, inspire, comfort and give hope to the people. And the preaching of the religious leaders sometimes is laden with real-life experiences, which sometimes bring them into conflict with the interests of the state.

Unfortunately the church, in that regard, is looked at as the one instigating rebellion or dissent against the state. So, the state is uncomfortable, and this opens up floodgates of suspicions and; hence, the bad blood between church leaders and the president.

It is our hope that the discussions were sincere, honest and went to the real root of suspicion between the two leaders. It is also hoped that by the time the two parties sat to discuss, they had really made up their minds to bring this unnecessary apprehension to an end.

We hope those who have been stoking the negative fires between the two leaders have also stopped and embraced the talks with good faith.

The country does not need conflicts between the church and the state.
I have observed that one of the trendiest things in todays economy is corporate farming.

Several white-collar professionals that have earned enough savings are shifting to farming as part of their retirement planning.

In fact, it is fashionable nowadays to meet an old friend and the first thing he brags about are the acres of farmland he owns and how lucrative farming is.

Amidst all this showiness, it is imperative to understand that when you have earned enough to live through a happy retirement, the most important aspect is not how much profit you earn from farming, but how well you are doing it to sustain your health as well as the environment and generations to come.

Have you ever paused to think about growing plants or fruits whose most essential role is to improve your health? Incidentally, our forefathers foresaw this and surrounded their homesteads with all kinds of flora that possess medicinal ingredients to fight diseases.

That was before cancer became a big threat to our lives. It is for that reason I set out to tackle cancer head-on through strategic farming.

As of last week, I cleared two acres of land in Masaka purposely for foods and fruits with cancer-fighting properties. It is in memory of my late sister who recently succumbed to cancer. Here, I am not looking at success through profits but through growing plants with the power to fight cancers and other diseases.

You may very well be aware of the fruit nutrients that detoxicate the body or the power of the soursop fruit, popularly known as ekitafeeri, to produce immunity to cancers.

Last week, I found time to pass by the CBS-Pewosa trade fair at Wankulukuku grounds. The exhibition is renowned for showcasing farming products and techniques, among other things. There was, indeed, a variety of plants and fruit seedlings to take away, including those renowned for fighting cancer such as broccoli, strawberries, carrots and, of course, mangoes.

In this internet era where everything is on the fingertips, you dont need to be a medical professional to know these cancer basics as long as you are not going to self-medicate.

So, I was taken aback when only one person from the dozens of exhibitors was informed enough to explain the various health benefits of these plants and their resistance to cancer.

To most of the exhibitors and showgoers, the biggest selling points were good yields and profits. Health was a by-the-way. As I pondered my next step after taking away more plant varieties, I also wondered whether my fellow Ugandans really take wellness seriously.

I have seen quite many people with expansive compounds designed with pavers throughout. The same people, however educated, know the best restaurants around town but have no single plant in their home. Easy-to-grow plants such as the lemons or mangoes are ignored in preference for designer plants that create shade or beautify the compound.

Upon getting unexplainable ailments, they will be forced to buy drugs whose properties are material that can be easily grown at home.

They may also be consuming ultra-processed foods that contain complex ingredients. In fact, a recent study by the Guardian, titled Ultra-processed foods may be linked to cancer, showed that stuff such as noodles, ready-meals and cakes were tied to rising cases of cancer due to their high levels of sugar additives, preservatives and flavourings.

Thats why I believe we are living on a time bomb, and the earlier we utilise the natural gift of fertile soils to grow virtually everything, the better.

A leading exporter of fruits to Europe recently told me of how he miserably made losses while trying to market soursop fruit in Kampala supermarkets. But on the contrary, he got a fortune exporting tonnes every month to Europe.

As Ugandans, we should prioritise knowledge and health before anything else. Meanwhile, Im hoping my farming efforts will set up a model farm for others to pick a leaf from. I dont plan to look back.

The author is SC Villa president and a concerned Ugandan.
Porter Novelli is supporting the launch of the International Rescue Committees Displaced podcast series, which shines a light on the global refugee crisis.

Produced with Vox Media, Displaced will be a weekly feature exploring the work of policymakers, humanitarians and advocates to solve global conflicts and crises.

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright kicked off the debut podcast on April 10.

Ravi Gurumurthy, IRCs chief innovation officers and Grant Gordon, IRCs director of innovation strategy co-host Displaced.

PN, which is part of Omnicom, is working on an integrated communications program with earned/paid media components and will arrange a series of IRC events.

Ravi Sunnak, executive VP-sustainable development goals and social impact at PN, said the firms commitment to taking an advance look at social issues and building purposeful work, makes it a great fit for the campaign.

British politico David Miliband heads New York-based IRC. He served as the UKs Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs focused on human rights issues, Secretary of State for the Environment and Member of Parliament.

His brother, Ed, led the Labour Party to defeat by the Conservative Party in the 2015 general election.
11/04/2018 - England has committed itself to a very ambitious programme to develop apprenticeships, but still faces many challenges to effectively implement current reforms and develop a world-class apprenticeship system, according to a new OECD report.

Apprenticeship in England, United Kingdom says that England has implemented major reforms to its apprenticeship system, including a new funding arrangement in the form of an employer levy. The energy with which England is currently investing in these reforms is impressive, according to the report, but several challenges remain.

Apprenticeship programs in England devote much less time to general education, including maths and English, than those in many other countries. English apprentices receive 50-100 hours of general education over the course of their apprenticeships, and general education is only mandatory for those who do not meet the minimum requirements. This compares to around 400 hours of general education covering a range of subjects in German and Swiss apprenticeships, and nearly 600 hours in Norwegian apprenticeships.

The report also finds that apprenticeship workplace training in England is not systematic and subject to little quality assurance. Lack of standards with regard to training in workplaces increases the risk that employers will substitute apprentices for unskilled workers.

The report recommends that England:

Increase the amount of general education in apprenticeships for young people;

Support systematic provision of training in work places;

Keep apprenticeship qualifications sufficiently broad and few in number;

Review current plans for competition in the assessment market;

Provide pre-apprenticeship and alternative apprenticeship programmes that effectively prepare disadvantaged young people to undertake full apprenticeship programmes;

Ensure that all degree apprenticeships include a substantial element of work-based learning with an employer.

For comments or further information, journalists should contact Malgorzata Kuczera: Malgorzata.Kuczera@oecd.org

Apprenticeship in England, United Kingdom is available at https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/apprenticeship-in-england-united-kingdom_9789264298507-en

For more information on the OECDs VET and Adult Learning team, see: www.oecd.org/education/vet.

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
Heres some very rare footage of the great Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo paying a visit to exiled Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his wife, Natalia Sedova, in Coyocoan, Mexico, in 1938.

The Trotskys had arrived the year before, after Rivera petitioned the government of President Lazaro Cardenas to grant the controversial Marxist leader and theorist sanctuary in Mexico. When the Trotskys arrived on a Norwegian oil tanker at the port city of Tampico in January of 1937, Rivera was not well, but Kahlo boarded the ship to welcome the Trotskys and accompanied them on an armored train to Mexico City. She invited the Trotskys to stay at her family home, La Casa Azul (the Blue House) in Coyocoan, now a section of Mexico City. By the time this footage was taken by a visiting American named Ivan Heisler, Trotsky and Kahlo had either had, or were about to have, a brief affair, and the friendship between the two couples would soon fall apart. In early 1939 Trotsky moved to another house in the same neighborhood, where he was assassinated in August of 1940.

Note: An earlier version of this post appeared on our site in July, 2012.

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Watch Moving Short Films of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera at the Blue House

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1933 Article on Frida Kahlo: Wife of the Master Mural Painter Gleefully Dabbles in Works of Art

Attempting to Set the World Record for Most Frida Kahlo Lookalikes in One Place: It Happened in Dallas
By Ted Sickinger and Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Update, 12:30 p.m.: Oregon Business & Industry fired its CEO shortly after this story published.



Oregon Business & Industry, newly established as the voice of the state's business community, is in upheaval amid accusations of improper conduct by its chief executive and a six-month tenure characterized by organizational chaos.

The trade group hired Mark Johnson, a Republican legislator from Hood River, as its first chief executive in October, just months after the merger of Associated Oregon Industries and the Oregon Business Association. It was a galvanizing moment for Oregon's fractured business lobby, meant to usher in a newly unified, more proactive and well-funded business voice at the state capitol.

But that has not been the case. Johnson had no prior experience running an organization of any size. His leadership at the association has been plagued by turnover of senior staff, frayed relationships internally and externally, questions around his executive and managerial skills, and the lack of a coherent strategy for members.

Several top staffers left in Johnson's first months on the job, and he unsuccessfully sought to install his legislative chief of staff as the business association's chief operating officer. Moreover, a fired staffer accused Johnson of making a racially charged comment about one of his former colleagues in the Oregon House.

That staffer, Joel Fischer, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Johnson denigrated Rep. Diego Hernandez, "and his chain-migration homeboys from the hood." Two other people, who asked not to be named because of sensitive relationships to the organization, told The Oregonian/OregonLive they also heard him make those comments.

The group's executive committee hired Portland lawyer Courtney Angeli to investigate claims Fischer made in a letter to the board accusing Johnson of broad mismanagement, as well as using racist and misogynistic language. Fischer and the two others who heard the comments said investigators never asked them about the accusations.

"There wasn't anything to substantiate the claims and so we moved forward," said Scott Parrish, the board chair of Oregon Business and Industry and CEO of Newberg dental equipment manufacturer A-dec.

In an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive, Johnson said he doesn't believe he used the "chain-migration" language. "I don't recall that at all," he said. "I don't know where that would have come from."

In a written statement, Hernandez said it's "disheartening" to hear such comments from the leader of a major organization.

"But I know that this isn't reflective of the larger business community," Hernandez said, "and I look forward to working with OBI on our state issues."

After the departure of several top staffers in the four months since Johnson took over, the organization is searching for a chief operating officer, a political director, a membership director and a communications chief. This as it heads into the May primaries, the fall campaign season and a 2019 legislative session that is already shaping up as a budgetary train wreck.

Oregon Business & Industry inherited 1,700 members and an annual budget around $2.2 million from last year's combination of Associated Oregon Industries and the Oregon Business Association.

In addition to its advocacy role in public policy, the group offers its members access to health insurance and workers' compensation programs designed to provide small businesses with access to insurance plans typically available only to large corporations.

Oregon Business & Industry also inherited the schism that produced two competing business organizations in 2000. The Oregon Business Association formed as a "progressive" alternative to Associated Oregon Industries, which dated to the 19th century.

The organizations increasingly embodied Oregon's urban-rural split, with the Oregon Business Association speaking for large Portland employers including Nike while Associated Oregon Industries advocated for traditional industrial interests and outlying parts of the state.

Business leaders worked for years to heal that split and combine the two business groups. They hoped a single voice would be more effective in Salem, and that it would spare some members paying dues to two organizations.

In practice, though, the new organization has struggled to find its footing. The arrival and quick departure of a key Johnson staffer is emblematic of what's gone wrong.

As one of his first acts as CEO, Johnson installed his legislative campaign manager and chief of staff, Cassandra Hayt, as his right hand at OBI. Hayt had moved to Pennsylvania more than a year earlier, public records show.

But Johnson had flown her regularly back to Salem, tapping his own campaign funds and the House leadership political action committee to cover her pay, airfare and her housing at a hotel near the Capitol, according to campaign finance records. Oregon allows lawmakers wide latitude in how they spend campaign funds.

Both Johnson and the trade group's executive committee agreed that he needed a chief operating officer to help manage the organization's membership services, which include the health insurance and worker's comp programs.

Though she lived thousands of miles away in another state and had even less managerial experience than Johnson, he tried to slot Hayt into that role.

Parrish said he made it clear to Johnson that was an untenable situation: "This can't work with her not moving." Johnson, though, says Hayt came to that conclusion on her own.

So Hayt left within months of being hired and the business group began a fresh look for a new COO, a search that remains ongoing.

There's a big learning curve stepping into Oregon Business and Industry, Johnson acknowledged, but he said the association expects to move quickly to fill the range of vacant positions. Organizationally, he said, the group is right where it expected to be when he came on board.

"I think it's going well," Johnson told The Oregonian/OregonLive last month. "We all knew it was going to be a lot of work."

This article has been updated with comment from Rep. Hernandez.

- Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699
By Mike Rogoway and Ted Sickinger | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregon Business & Industry, newly established as the voice of the state's business community, fired its chief executive Wednesday amid accusations of improper conduct and a six-month tenure characterized by organizational chaos.

Word came a little more than an hour after The Oregonian/OregonLive published an article recounting accusations that CEO Mark Johnson had mismanaged the association and used racially charged language. The organization acted Wednesday while Johnson was vacationing in Hawaii. He issued a statement apologizing "for any insensitive comments I may have made."

Oregon Business & Industry said it hadn't been aware of Johnson's specific comments until Tuesday night, amid an ongoing investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The organization said its executive committee voted unanimously to remove Johnson.

Oregon Business & Industry named former CenturyLink executive Ginny Lang as interim CEO and said it will begin a search for a long-term replacement. With Johnson's exit, and a surge in staff turnover that followed his hiring, the organization must now replace nearly its entire leadership team.

Signs of trouble had been apparent for weeks at the trade group, which hired the Republican legislator from Hood River as its first chief executive in October. The selection occurred three months after the merger of Associated Oregon Industries and the Oregon Business Association.

It was a galvanizing moment for Oregon's fractured business lobby, meant to usher in a newly unified, more proactive and well-funded business voice at the state capitol.

Instead, Johnson's tenure has been plagued by turnover of senior staff, frayed relationships internally and externally, questions surrounding his executive and managerial skills, and the lack of a coherent strategy for members.

Several top staffers left during Johnson's first months on the job, and he unsuccessfully sought to install his legislative chief of staff as the business association's chief operating officer. Moreover, a fired staffer accused Johnson of making a racially charged comment about one of his former colleagues in the Oregon House.

That staffer, Joel Fischer, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Johnson denigrated Rep. Diego Hernandez, "and his chain-migration homeboys from the hood." Two other people, who asked not to be named because of sensitive relationships to the organization, told The Oregonian/OregonLive they also heard him make those comments.

Oregon Business & Industry's executive committee hired Portland lawyer Courtney Angeli to investigate claims Fischer made in a letter to the board, which accused Johnson of broad mismanagement, as well as using racist and misogynistic language, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Fischer's letter did not specifically reference the comments about Hernandez, but he and the two others who heard the comments said investigators never asked them about any accusations against Johnson.

Angeli said Wednesday that she had sought to contact Fischer through his attorney but didn't get a response. Fischer disputes that, and says she never contacted his lawyer.

"There wasn't anything to substantiate the claims, and so we moved forward," Scott Parrish, the organization's board chairman, told The Oregonian/OregonLive during an interview last week.

That changed Tuesday night, the organization said in a written statement.

"When vague allegations were raised about OBI President Mark Johnson by a former employee, the executive committee retained an experienced outside investigator to thoroughly review and evaluate them. The details of the investigator's report are privileged, but the investigator did not find any pattern of misconduct.

"However, the full executive committee has learned that, on one occasion in a private meeting, Mr. Johnson made an inappropriate comment that, regardless of any joking intent, is unacceptable and wholly inconsistent with OBI's values and the values of its members. At its meeting Tuesday evening, the OBI executive committee was informed of the inappropriate comment, and reached the unanimous decision to ask Mr. Johnson to step down as CEO."

In a prior interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive, Johnson had said he didn't believe he had used the racially charged language.

"I don't recall that at all," he said. "I don't know where that would have come from."

In Wednesday's statement, though, Johnson did not specifically deny the comments. He noted that he had supported access to driver's cards and affordable college tuition as a state lawmaker.

"I'm proud of the work that I have done to promote equity and improve outcomes for students across our state," Johnson said. "So it is shocking to be accused of insensitivity on equity issues I have demonstrated I care about."

In a statement following The Oregonian/OregonLive's initial report, Hernandez said it's "disheartening" to hear such comments from the leader of a major organization.

"But I know that this isn't reflective of the larger business community," Hernandez said, "and I look forward to working with OBI on our state issues."

OBI inherited 1,700 members and an annual budget around $2.2 million from last year's combination of Associated Oregon Industries and the Oregon Business Association.

In addition to its advocacy role in public policy, OBI offers its members access to health insurance and workers' compensation programs designed to help small businesses tap insurance plans typically available only to large corporations.

OBI also inherited the schism that produced two competing business organizations in 2000. OBA formed as a "progressive" alternative to AOI, which dated to the 19th century. The organizations increasingly embodied Oregon's urban-rural split, with OBA speaking for large Portland employers including Nike while AOI advocated for traditional industrial interests and outlying parts of the state.

Business leaders worked for years to heal that split and combine OBA and AOI. They hoped a single voice would be more effective in Salem, and that it would spare some members paying dues to two organizations.

In practice, though, OBI has struggled to find its footing.

A homebuilder and school board member, Johnson had a reputation for reaching across the aisle at the capitol. But he was not a thought leader in his caucus and had no experience running an organization of any size.

Wednesday's firing comes as Oregon heads into the May primaries, the fall campaign season and a 2019 legislative session that is already shaping up as a budgetary train wreck.

The group claims one of its priorities is heading off Democratic super majorities by focusing on key legislative races. But with $188,000 on hand, its political action committee is underfunded, both in absolute terms and relative to smaller, more specialized business organizations.

Meanwhile, it is outsourcing its lobbying on critical issues, such as tax policy, to contractors. And it will be fielding a green team on other issues, such as the environment, in a session when Democrats are again determined to pass an expansive climate bill.

The combined organization's dues structure is still a work in progress, and some key members who were part of both groups have balked at a request to continue paying at a dual dues level for the first year.

Oregon Business & Industry formed in the afterglow of the business lobby's thrashing of Measure 97, a union-backed initiative on the 2016 ballot that threatened to raise corporate taxes by $3 billion a year.

But instead of capitalizing on that momentum, Johnson frayed relationships, both internally and externally. In his first major policy pronouncement, denouncing Democrats' climate change legislation as a California-style boondoggle that would hobble Oregon business, Johnson surprised some of his group's liberal members and many Democratic lawmakers who consider environmental issues among their top priorities.

Some 80 businesses have formed a new organization -- the Oregon Business Alliance for Climate -- that is supportive of the cap and trade legislation lawmakers were considering. They included many OBI members, such as Nike. OBI, meanwhile, has developed no viable alternative to offer legislators.

Johnson also found himself in fence-mending mode with Gov. Kate Brown in January after OBI criticized her plan to address the state's pension fund crisis -- the public system is $22 billion in the red -- while she was on stage at the Oregon Leadership Summit, the business community's annual policy confab with state political leaders.

"I honestly still can't tell you what all the ruffled feathers were about," Johnson said. "I think it was overblown."

The arrival and quick departure of a key Johnson staffer is emblematic of OBI's internal struggles.

As one of his first acts as CEO, Johnson installed his legislative campaign manager and chief of staff, Cassandra Hayt, as his right hand at OBI. Hayt had moved to Pennsylvania more than a year earlier, public records show.

But Johnson had flown her regularly to Salem, tapping his own campaign funds and the House leadership political action committee to cover her pay, airfare and her housing at a hotel near the capitol, according to campaign finance records. Oregon allows lawmakers wide latitude in how they spend campaign funds.

Both Johnson and the trade group's executive committee agreed that he needed a chief operating officer to help manage membership services, which include the health insurance and worker's comp programs.

Though she lived thousands of miles away in another state and had even less managerial experience than Johnson, he tried to slot Hayt into that role.

Parrish said he made it clear to Johnson that was an untenable situation: "This can't work with her not moving." Johnson, though, says Hayt came to that conclusion on her own.

So Hayt left within months of being hired, and the business group began a fresh search for a new COO. It's also seeking a political director, membership director and potentially a communications chief after prior staffers left early in Johnson's tenure.

This article has been updated with additional context and comment from Johnson.

-- Ted Sickinger; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger

-- Mike Rogoway; 503-294-7699; @rogoway;
A Vancouver man stabbed his grandfather in the neck Tuesday morning, which triggered a temporary lockdown at three nearby schools, the Clark County Sheriff's Office said.

Officers responded to reports of the alleged attack at a home in the 4000 block of Northeast 44th Avenue around 8:50 a.m., said Sgt. Brent Waddell, a sheriff's spokesman.

Truman Elementary, Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary and Fir Grove Children's Center quickly went into lockdown, Waddell said. The emergency measure has since been lifted at all three schools, he said.

The grandfather, 69, suffered injuries in the suspected attack, but is expected to survive, authorities said.

His 24-year-old grandson, who has not been identified, fled on foot and was taken into custody at a nearby park, Waddell said.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaugh
New York comedian Rishi Mathur's gigs have included an appearance at the prestigious comedy club Carolines on Broadway. (Courtesy of Rishi Mathur)

New York comedian Rishi Mathur is a hustler. Not the kind who tries to scam people out of their money, but the kind who knows the only way to get ahead in comedy is to work harder than everybody else.

Sometimes working harder than your fellow big-city comedians means doing an independently financed nationwide tour.

Sponsored by Mathur's online show "What Makes You Click," the tour kicks off in Portland Friday, April 13, with the Rip City Comedy Show at the Siren Theater.

Mathur and his co-headliner, Kerby Darius, are enlisting local powerhouse comics Caitlin Weierhauser and Alex Falcone for their stopover in Portland, and the show's host is one of the city's hottest young comics, Neeraj Srinivasan.

Don't Edit

Comedian Kerby Darius's resume includes an appearance at Canada's first Soul Food Comedy Festival last year. (Handout photo)

Portland seemed to Mathur like an ideal spot to kick off a comedy tour for a number of reasons: He's always wanted to visit the city, and he's heard it's a great place to meet and work with young comics like himself.

"My whole goal as a comedian is to grow my network. Not just with audiences but with comedians as well," Mathur said. "I don't really know the scene. I want to come to Portland and that way I grow my network of comics I know and if they ever come to New York I can help them out."

If Mathur is coming to Portland to help build his network, the network he already built is partially responsible for getting him to the Northwest in the first place. Mathur first connected to Srinivasan through Yogi Paliwal, a Seattle-based comic who recently relocated to New York.

"We love Yogi out here, and I got to meet Neeraj through that and Neeraj introduced me to everybody," Mathur said.

Don't Edit

Portland comedian Neeraj Srinivasan will host the Rip City Comedy Show. (Handout photo)

It's the same method he and Darius are using to book their tour, which will include dates in Chicago, Pittsburgh and a number of other cities with growing comedy scenes.

Building an independent comedy tour is hard work, and though Mathur regrets that it means more time away from the stage, he understands that importance of touring for a young comic.

"Doing a tour is more for educational purposes early on than it is for anything else. You open yourself up to a different style of audiences. You can see if your material truly is bulletproof," Mathur said. "You understand your material, you understand who you are, and you also understand America and what works. Why certain things are big, why certain things are niche."

But there's more to touring than getting into new cities and seeing which jokes kill and which jokes bomb. Without a big-name sponsor, Mathur, Darius and the handful of comedians who will share the stage are shouldering a lot of responsibility.

Don't Edit

Portland's Caitlin Weierhauser is among the featured comedians in the Rip City Comedy Show. (handout photo)

"We're selling our own tickets and getting 100 percent of the door sales. I divide that among the comics. As long as I can meet the costs for my flights and my stay, I'm cool with everything else," Mathur said. "I'm figuring out the cheapest way to do everything. It's really tough because you have get in front of papers, you have to tell people what the tour is."

It's all part of the hustler mentality, a mentality Mathur has developed through his three years working within New York's highly competitive comedy scene.

"New York City is a massive city of comedians. There are thousands of comics. I meet new comics every day. It's where you want to be if you're trying to make a name for yourself," Mathur said. "The good thing about me is I kept hustling and trying to get over that fear of all these guys watching me and what they thought about me. If you're not working and hustling constantly, you're going to get left behind."

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Alex Falcone is one of three Portland comedians who'll appear in Rip City Comedy Show. (Handout photo)

Working hard so as not to be left behind means hitting the road without the guarantee of sold-out shows or packed arenas just as much as it means getting booked at world-famous New York comedy clubs like Carolines on Broadway or criss-crossing the city for two or three open mics a night.

"Right now I'm doing this to learn as much as I possibly can," Mathur said. "Once I get to Kevin Hart's level, then I'm going to be looking to make a million dollars."

***

Rip City Comedy Show

Who: Kerby Darius, Alex Falcone, Rishi Mathur, Neeraj Srinivasan, Caitlin Weierhauser

When: 7 p.m. Friday, April 13

Where: Siren Theater, 315 N.W. Davis St.

Tickets: $15, eventbrite.com

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Imani Winds is (from left) Monica Ellis on bassoon, Jeff Scott on French horn, Toyin Spellman-Diaz on oboe, Mark Dover on clarinet and Valerie Coleman on flute. (Matthew Murphy)

Classical music has a diversity problem. So it marked a turning point when the Portland classical music presenter Chamber Music Northwest announced that its next artist-in-residence -- following the storied Emerson Quartet, composed entirely of older white men -- would be Imani Winds, a younger, equally talented and until recently, entirely black ensemble.

Bassoonist Monica Ellis, hornist Jeff Scott, flutist/composer Valerie Coleman, oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz and clarinetist Mark Dover will appear at Chamber Music Northwest's annual summer festival. They're also in town next week for a series of concerts, dance performances and educational and outreach programs.

Imani's residency grew out of the ensemble's long relationship with Chamber Music Northwest. "We've been coming to Portland every two or three years for 15 years," Scott says. The ensemble enjoyed their Oregon experiences so much that when Chamber Music Northwest's artistic director, David Shifrin, asked if they'd be interested in becoming the resident ensemble, Scott says, "it took about five seconds for us to say yes."

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Imani Winds is made up of (from left) clarinetist Mark Dover, flutist/composer Valerie Coleman, bassoonist Monica Ellis, French horn player/composer Jeff Scott and oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz. (Matthew Murphy)

Since Imani's founding in 1997, it has cultivated a diverse and enthusiastic audience. The musicians' skill plays the biggest role, of course -- they're among the finest of all chamber ensembles -- but their refreshingly un-canned stage presence and their audience-conscious programming encourage broader listenership than at most classical concerts.

"Just by who we are, we look a little bit different than most classical music ensembles, so that automatically makes people think we're going to be a little different from what you're expecting in a classical music concert," Spellman-Diaz says. "But we also spend a lot of time programming gratifying listening for everyone. So we try to have at least one classical work on the program, and then we might combine that with some world music and some jazz-based repertoire."

Imani has worked with jazz musicians like Jason Moran, Wayne Shorter and Edward Simon (whose new album with the group drops this month), world music performers like Simon Shaheen and Paquito D'Rivera, and other non-classical composers.

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The Imani Winds ensemble performs with pianist and composer Daniel Schlosberg. (Tom Emerson)

Two of Imani's upcoming concerts happen not in traditional venues but in Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Kendall Planetarium. In two more performances, Imani Winds joins forces with Portland dance company BodyVox. "They're pure excellence, they're hysterical, adventurous, open-minded," Scott says.

The two groups first worked together in 2013. "That was a special concert where we were trying to push out of our comfort zone," Spellman-Diaz remembers. "We had BodyVox to help us go there. They're such good outside-the-box thinkers." Scott prefers to keep details about this year's "The Wind and the Wild" program a surprise. "There'll be very familiar waltzes and the music will invoke a certain feeling -- but how they choreograph it is the opposite of what you'd expect. Prepare your mind to be twisted."

The OMSI concerts and another at Hillsboro's Walters Cultural Arts Center display Imani's celebrated eclecticism. There's an arrangement of a popular classic -- this time Gustav Holst's "The Planets" -- and a pair of contemporary works. Miguel del Aguila's whirling four-movement "Wind Quintet No. 2" employs percussive and other unusual techniques yet remains as tuneful as the Seattle composer's other music. Reena Esmail's "The Light Is the Same," based on the Sufi poetry of Rumi, uses Indian scales and rhythmic devices. It emerged from Imani's Legacy Commissioning Project, which has spawned 20 works so far.

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Imani Winds consists of (from left) Valerie Coleman, Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Monica Ellis, Jeff Scott and Mark Dover. (Tom Emerson)

"That's what Imani Winds is most proud of," Spellman-Diaz says, "expanding the repertoire by adding new sounds."

Imani is also working to widen its audience through outreach and education programs, its own annual chamber music festival and other residencies and appearances. In Portland, the ensemble is appearing with Bravo Youth Orchestras and Portland Youth Philharmonic, at two schools and at p:ear, a nonprofit serving homeless youth, as part of an initiative to share chamber music with young musicians.

"There's a whole generation of young people addicted to the wrong side of YouTube," Scott says. "They have access to so much greatness and yet we're losing out to all the great pop and hip-hop artists. So we're reaching out, showing youthful people that musicians of diverse backgrounds play this music and enjoy it."

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Imani Winds

7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, April 18-19: "Under the Stars," Kendall Planetarium, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, 1945 S.E. Water Ave. $48.

6:30 p.m. Monday, April 23: Walters Cultural Arts Center, 527 E. Main St., Hillsboro. $20.

7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, April 24-25: "The Wind and the Wild," with BodyVox, Revolution Hall, 1300 S.E. Stark St. $32-$64.

Tickets: cmnw.org or 503-294-6400

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Patients who swap opioids for other therapies might not experience much difference with chronic pain, according to a new study from a Portland researcher.

Travis Lovejoy, an assistant professor of psychiatry in the OHSU School of Medicine and a clinical psychologist in the VA Portland Health Care System, said the research could help doctors consider different treatments for patients who have been relying on opioids to manage their pain.

"Our hope is our findings may suggest there may be ways to taper or discontinue opioid therapy for patients who might not be the best candidates even if they've been on them for a long time," said Lovejoy, who co-wrote the study with a Washington State University researcher.

Lovejoy will present the study's findings Wednesday to the Society of Behavioral Medicine in New Orleans.

Researchers tracked 600 veterans who'd stopped using opioid medications for one year. They reviewed the medical records of the veterans as they checked in with doctors at regular intervals to learn, on a scale of zero to 10, how much pain the patients experienced. Those rankings were compared with the pain levels they reported while on opioids.

The study found that patients who reduced their opioid intake, or who switched to a non-opioid medication, massage or other therapy, still reported pain  but it was comparable to the levels they reported while relying largely on opioids.

"Our data suggest that patients who discontinue opioid therapy will not experience worse pain," the authors wrote in the study. "Rather, their pain will remain similar or slightly improve, on average, relative to their levels of pain prior to discontinuation."

Addiction to legal and illegal opioids resulted in more than 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many U.S. doctors already have backed off prescribing opioid medications or try a mixture of opioids and other medications and therapies. New national guidelines that call for physicians to reduce the reliance on opioids have been effective in bringing down the number of deaths from prescription painkillers. And just last week, the U.S. surgeon general issued a rare nationwide advisory urging Americans to keep the opioid overdose antidote naloxone on hand.

Meanwhile, the number of overdose deaths attributed to heroin and illicit synthetic opioids like fentanyl have increased nationally, according to a research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Drug Prevention.

Lovejoy said the patients who abuse opioids the most have the most to gain from his research.

"The medical community recognizes some of these patients should not be on opioids, but they also might still have chronic pain," Lovejoy said.

Those patients might be able to avoid dangerous behaviors that lead to an overdose by being switched to alternative pain management strategies that aren't addictive.

Lovejoy's research echoes a similar study published in March by a Minneapolis VA doctor, Erin Krebs. That study followed patients who were randomly chosen to receive opioid and non-opioid painkillers. She came to the same conclusion -- there is no significant difference between their outcomes, but one has many more risky side effects.

The research has its limitations -- many patients have compounding issues outside of pain management that might complicate withdrawal from opioid use.

"While there is a current push for policy change and legislation regarding opioids, we still don't fully understand the impact of taking patients off of long-term opioid therapy for treating chronic pain," said lead author Sterling McPherson, associate professor and director of biostatistics and clinical trial design at Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com

503-294-5923

@MollyHarbarger
PORTLAND  The Oregon Zoo has a large newcomer.

A 19-year-old Asian elephant named Samson arrived Tuesday night from a zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Keepers hope he can serve as a big brother to Samudra, who turns 10 this year and is maturing into an adult.

Bob Lee, the zoo's elephant curator, also hopes Samson will hit it off with Samudra's mother  Rose-Tu  perhaps adding to the population of the endangered species.

The public won't see Samson right away. He will remain behind the scenes for a month or so as caregivers gradually acquaint him with Samudra, Rose-Tu and the rest of the herd.

--The Associated Press
BY SHANE DIXON KAVANAUGH and JIM RYAN

Sarah Hart sent a middle-of-the-night text message to a friend only hours after Washington child protective services first visited the family's home, saying she was so sick she might have to go to the hospital, according to 911 records obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The friend, Cheryl Hart, said she received the alarming message from the mother of Devonte Hart and his five siblings at 3 a.m. March 24 but was unsuccessful in reaching Sarah afterward. By 8 a.m., the family, authorities would later learn, was in Newport, Oregon.

Cheryl Hart of Vancouver told a Clark County emergency dispatcher two days later that she had not heard back from her friend.

"Nobody has been able to get ahold of her, talk to her or seen her since ... or her wife, which is Jen," she told the dispatcher at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, March 26. She also said she had checked hospitals, but none said they had a record of treating Sarah.

Hart, who shares Sarah's last name but is not related, asked the Clark County Sheriff's Office to do a welfare check at the family's Woodland, Washington, home. She also said Sarah Hart's cell phone appeared now to be dead.

Three hours after her call to authorities, a Highway 1 traveler would discover the Hart family's SUV at the bottom of a scenic cliff in Northern California and alert authorities.

Sarah and Jennifer Hart, both age 38, were killed, and children Markis, 19, Jeremiah, 14, and Abigail, 14, also died. Three of the children  Hannah Hart, 16; and Sierra Hart, 12; and Devonte Hart, 15  remain missing.

A body that appeared to belong to a black female has been found in the ocean near the crash site, but authorities haven't publicly identified the dead person.

Other records released to The Oregonian/OregonLive this week also show how Washington officials attempted to contact the Hart family after abuse allegations were lodged against them last month.

The records also further recount the abuse allegations against Jennifer and Sarah Hart, who were accused of withholding food from their children.

The documents, which are from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, show authorities initially tried to contact the Harts regarding the allegations on Friday, March 23.

An official went to the family's home, knocked and rang the doorbell and left her card in the front door. Two officials returned Monday, March 26  the day the Harts' SUV was found  and the card from the Friday before had been removed. One of the officials left another card. A welfare check from law enforcement was requested.

A deputy went to the home, which is off a winding, wooded road in rural Woodland, and no one appeared to be home.

Authorities returned the next day, and no one appeared to be home again.

Authorities think all six of the family's children were in the SUV during the crash, which they have described as intentional.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday said shoreline searchers didn't find any of the missing Hart children or physical evidence the day before.

The agency said deputies will keep searching the county coastline as calls for service allow and that search and rescue divers are readying to be deployed to the crash site area once ocean conditions improve. Conditions aren't expected to shape up for several days, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh and Jim Ryan

skavanaugh@oregonian.com; jryan@oregonian.com
A 37-year-old Tualatin man died Monday from a head-on crash on Oregon 22 outside Sisters.

Michael T. Hunt had been driving east on the highway when a westbound vehicle crossed the center line and crashed into his Nissan Sentra, according to Oregon State Police. Paramedics declared Hunt dead on scene.

The driver of the second car, Tarah J. Fair, 27 of Redmond, was taken to a Bend hospital with serious injuries.

Oregon State Police said Fair's vehicle, a Kia Sorento, went out of control amid icy conditions at milepost 78. The crash occurred at about 8 a.m., roughly 20 miles west of Sisters.

-- Brad Schmidt

bschmidt@oregonian.com

503-294-7628

@_brad_schmidt
Roseburg Republican Dallas Heard is expected to be sworn next week to temporarily replace Jeff Kruse, who resigned his Senate seat in February after he was found to have inappropriately touched women in the Capitol.

Heard, 33, who currently serves in the Oregon House and co-owns a landscaping construction business, was chosen Monday by a panel of county commissioners. Though he'd already filed for reelection in House District 2, he now intends to pursue the remaining two years of Kruse's term in the November election.

The massive Senate district covers five counties, and county commissioners from all of them had the opportunity to help select Kruse's short-term replacement. In the end, a majority of commissioners from Curry, Douglas, Jackson and Josephine counties selected Heard, the Roseburg News-Review reported. The two other candidates were Douglas County Commissioner Gary Leif and Coos Bay resident Karl Shank, Heard said.

Heard said he is scheduled to be sworn in on the Senate floor 1 p.m. Tuesday. "We look forward to working with Representative Heard as we welcome him to the Senate Republican Caucus," Senate Republican leader Jackie Winters said in a statement.

Republicans already selected Heard at a convention earlier this year to be their Senate District 1 candidate in the November election. Molly Woon, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of Oregon, said the party will hold a convention May 5 in Bandon to select its candidate for the November election.

Woon said Democrats wanted to make their selection quickly "so our candidate can hit the ground running, just like the candidate on the Republican side."

Kruse announced his resignation in February, days after a report concluded he had sexually harassed or groped many women at the Capitol, including four lawmakers. The investigation was sparked by formal written complaints from Democratic Sens. Sara Gelser of Corvallis and Elizabeth Steiner Hayward of Portland. He officially stepped down in March, ending a 22-year legislative career.

Former Sen. Jeff Kruse

Accusations against Kruse first went public in October 2017, after women from all walks of life began to speak up about sexual harassment as part of the #MeToo movement. Sexual misconduct allegations have been made against dozens of state officials, and Kruse was the 12th nationwide to announce plans to resign because of them, according to Ballotpedia.org, a website that tracks American politics.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud
An Iraqi man who pleaded guilty to impersonating a U.S. intelligence officer in a letter to the prime minister of Iraq was set to face a year of federal probation.

But the negotiated agreement fell apart after Wathiq Al-Ibraheemi continued his deceit by mailing a copy of a doctored newspaper article about his guilty plea to his family, falsely suggesting that they were also somehow implicated in his crime, according to a prosecutor.

"He's a fraudster, a manipulator and a liar,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel told U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman.

So Tuesday, Al-Ibraheemi's sentence was increased to two years of probation.

Al-Ibraheemi, 34, in January pleaded guilty to unlawfully using the official insignia of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, a misdemeanor.

According to prosecutors, Al-Ibraheemi misrepresented himself as a U.S. intelligence officer in a letter to the prime minister of Iraq and in a phone call to an Iraqi member of parliament.

The Nov. 8, 2015, letter, written on a fraudulent letterhead from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, urged Iraq's leader to appoint a certain man as director of Iraq's intelligence service, pledging U.S. support for the candidate. It was signed, "William J. Peterson.''

The writer said he cared deeply about Iraq after spending a career trying to shape a stable, Democratic Iraqi government. He was critical of Gen. Zuhair al-Gharbawi, director of Iraq's intelligence service at the time, and said the United States supported appointing Dr. Mosdeq Al-Janabi in his place.

The letter instead was forwarded to the U.S. ambassador in Iraq. A short time later, the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community verified the letter was phony.

In a phone call to a member of the Iraqi parliament during spring 2016, a man who identified himself as "Dr. William'' from the U.S. government said he was interested in getting the member appointed as speaker of the Iraqi parliament.

Iraqi officials alerted the U.S. ambassador in Iraq, who contacted the FBI, concerned about interference with U.S. political initiatives in Iraq, according to Gabriel.

The prosecutor argued that Al-Ibraheemi's brazen deception caused "brief diplomatic uncertainty'' between the United States and Iraqi governments before the FBI traced the phone call to Al-Ibraheemi, now living in Beaverton.

He served as an interpreter for U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq about 10 to 12 years ago. In 2009, he immigrated to the United States, sponsored by an Army officer with whom he had worked in Iraq, under a U.S. program that allows the Homeland Security secretary to temporarily admit foreign nationals for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

Al-Ibraheemi's lawyer Colin Hunter said his client's plea was much narrower than the government described it.

"Mr. Al-Ibraheemi pleaded to the misdemeanor offense of possessing a copy of a U.S. government insignia, and that is all,'' Hunter said.

His lawyer added that the case is "simply not what the government has made it out to be.''

Hunter urged the judge to consider his client's long service to the United States during the Iraq War, which put his family at great personal risk. "That Al-Ibraheemi survived a brutal, violent upbringing in a country besieged by war and poverty  only to put himself in further danger by serving the U.S. government and its mission  underscores how deeply deserving he is of the utmost leniency in this matter,'' Hunter wrote to the judge.

Al-Ibraheemi said he hoped the United States would help bring democracy to his country. He said this case has clouded his reputation and he pledged to "never make them (his family) go through this again." He didn't explain the motive for his offense, and both he and Hunter declined further comment after court.

Former U.S. Army colleagues and friends submitted letters to the court on Al-Ibraheemi's behalf. His mother also wrote that she was frightened her son would be sent back to Iraq, where he'd likely be killed as a "traitor.''

The judge said he couldn't ignore the "difficult, important and dangerous work'' Al-Ibraheemi did for the United States.

"You could have gone the rest of your life walking proudly down the streets of this country as someone to whom this country owed a debt of gratitude," Mosman said. "Now it's deeply unfortunate that that debt of gratitude is stained, if not erased."

-- Maxine Bernstein

503-221-8212
The man shot and killed by police at a Southeast Portland homeless shelter over the weekend was a once a member of a local white supremacy group.

A Portland Monthly article from the August 2007 issue includes a story about European Kindred, a prison gang founded in 1998 that spread to Portland and other cities. John A. Elifritz, then 37, is quoted in the story alongside EK founder David P. Kennedy.

The Southern Poverty Law Center estimates the gang has 300 members in Oregon prisons with an additional 100 to 125 on the street.

"It was a way to look at yourself and be proud," Elifritz told Portland Monthly. "There was a lot of that in the beginning. Being proud of who you are. Keeping your lineage running. That's what attracted me to EK: Knowing that I can rely on these guys for anything."

Elifritz also says he was a good friend of Kennedy's and estimated he'd spent 12 years in prison up to that point. The article doesn't mention when Elifritz joined EK.

But the piece does paint a striking portrait of the group, one that is quick to turn on members suspected of thinking about leaving.

"We were like a pack of wild dogs," Elifritz told Portland Monthly. "We went really hard-core."

Elifritz, now 48, was shot and killed by police Saturday after allegedly crashing a stolen SUV on Southeast Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard near Stark Street and entering a convenience store, then the Cityteam Ministries building on Grand Avenue, holding a knife and cutting himself.

Portland police held off identifying officers involved in Elifritz's shooting Sunday night and Monday after learning about an unidentified European Kindred post on social media referring to the police having shot one of their own, sources said.

Police said they couldn't locate "any credible'' threat when they investigated further.

Seven Portland police officers and one Multnomah County sheriff's deputy were involved in the shooting. Another 12 officers witnessed the incident, police said, along with witnesses who assembled at the shelter in anticipation of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting scheduled to start before Elifritz entered CityTeam.

The end of the altercation was recorded by a bystander and uploaded to Instagram, where it quickly went viral.

Local criminal justice reform advocates immediately cried foul Saturday as the video made the rounds. Portland's Resistance leader Gregory McKelvey said on Twitter the shooting was the result of Mayor Ted Wheeler's call for more funding for police.

He walked back that claim Monday, saying it appeared Elifritz was a "very problematic individual" before reiterating his stance that the shooting was unjustified.

At least three of the officers involved have made headlines in the past for their conduct.

Andrew Polas was involved in the May 12, 2010 shooting of Keaton Otis.

Chad Phifer was cited in a federal investigation as an example of excessive force for firing a Taser at a man who suffered from mental illness.

And Bradly Nutting in 2014 used a stun gun on a bicyclist six times in 15 seconds.

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

ecampuzano@oregonian.com
Portland may finally have a buyer for the rundown Centennial Mills property in close-in Northwest Portland.

Prosper Portland, the city economic development agency, plans to begin "exclusive" sale negotiations for the 4.4 acre riverfront property with San Antonio-based luxury condo developer Lynd Corporate, according to a city report.

A deal is far from certain. Centennial Mills is perhaps Portland's most cursed redevelopment site.

Prosper Portland, then known as the Portland Development Commission, bought the site in 2000 and spent more than $20 million, in part on demolishing crumbling buildings at the former feed and flour mill site. The city marketed the land, but pulled out from redevelopment plans  twice  and was later forced to pay $200,000 to a California developer to settle a lawsuit. Developer Jordan Schnitzer proposed a redevelopment, but that plan fell apart.

Later, the city fielded bids as low as $1,000 for the snake-bitten Pearl District property. It didn't sell, and Centennial Mills, located at Northwest Naito Parkway and Ninth Avenue, still sits undeveloped.

Prosper Portland spokeswoman Anne Mangan said the start to negotiations with Lynd is "good news," though she noted the city is far from a "firm decision" on a sale. Any sale would have to be approved by the Prosper Portland board, Mangan said.

As part of its proposal, Lynd offered to construct two buildings with 400 units of housing and to make 40 to 80 of them affordable, in line with the city's new inclusionary housing rules. Lynd also agreed to renovate and preserve Centennial Mills' existing "iconic" flour mill building, according to the city report.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209
Portland approved an emergency plan Wednesday to reduce by 5 mph the speed limit on a more than 50-block stretch of Stark Street in Southeast Portland.

Two of the city's 10 traffic fatalities this year happened between 109th and 162nd avenues on Stark. A 53-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed Feb. 1, and a 34-year-old motorist died Feb. 11.

The road has long been an area of concern. Two advocacy groups, Oregon Walks and the Rosewood Initiative, requested traffic changes February 7 and subsequently met with city leaders in March.

Leah Treat, Portland's transportation director, on Wednesday told the City Council the bureau will install or redesign four pedestrian crossings on Stark this year and set up red light and speed limit safety cameras at 122nd and 148th avenues.

"We have found that when we reduce the speed limit and have it backed up by an enforcement method," Treat said, "it's way more effective."

Drivers should notice 30 mph signs soon, down from 35 mph. New pedestrian beacons will be installed at 146th and 155th. Existing crossings will be redesigned at 151st and 160th with additional street lights to improve visibility. City crews have replaced the 160th beacon in the median three times because drivers plowed into it. Officials hope to install overhead crossing beacons there if possible.

The speed limit change, while deemed an "emergency," will only be effective for 120 days at the outset. Oregon Department of Transportation must approve a permanent speed limit change.

Treat said the city would immediately seek a permanent slowdown, calling the street one of Portland's 10 most dangerous for bikes, pedestrians and motorists. Portland can subsequently apply for a 120-day extension if state officials have not yet approved the reduction.

Transportation officials are also kick-starting plans to redesign Stark, which in that stretch of east Portland has bad lighting, long gaps for pedestrians and no median or bike lanes.

"The time is definitely right to address this and other major roadways," Treat said to council.

Stark is the latest street to see speed limits reduced. In 2017, Portland slowed down traffic on parts of Southeast Division Street and installed speed cameras. City leaders say those cameras are working to deter speeders.

This month, the city also installed hundreds of new 20 mph signs on residential streets while simultaneously releasing an advertising blitz designed to warn drivers of the dangers of speeding.

Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees the Transportation Bureau and introduced the emergency ordinance, thanked east Portland community groups like the Rosewood Initiative for bringing the issue to the council's attention.

Saltzman said the city is committed to its Vision Zero campaign, which strives to eliminate all traffic fatalities and injuries by 2025. The city highlighted Stark as a danger zone in its 2016 Vision Zero report and installed a pedestrian crossing beacon at one location that same year.

More speed limit reductions could be coming.

Saltzman said by reducing speeds from 40 to 30 mph, the likelihood of fatality is cut in half.

"One of the fundamental principles of Vision Zero is that traffic deaths are not just inevitable," he said, "we can reduce them and get them to zero."

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., has told friends and several colleagues that he has decided not to seek reelection this year and will soon inform colleagues of his plans, according to several people familiar with his plans.

The decision comes ahead of mid-term elections that were already looking treacherous for Republicans, who risk losing control of the House.

The party has seen a large number of retirements, and Ryan's exit is certain to sap morale as Republicans seek to contain a surge in enthusiasm from Democrats, whose fortunes have been buoyed by the unpopularity of President Donald Trump.

Ryan, 48, was the vice presidential nominee in 2012 on the GOP ticket with Mitt Romney.

He had long championed tax reform, a goal accomplished with the passage last year of the sweeping GOP tax bill.

Ryan was elected by his colleagues in 2015 to replace John Boehner as speaker following Boehner's retirement.

He has represented Wisconsin's 1st congressional district since 1999. Ryan was previously chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and before that chairman of the House Budget Committee.

The news of Ryan's retirement was first reported by Axios.
Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attends a symposium to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Zhang Tingfa, former commander of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2018. Wang met with Zhang's relatives prior to the symposium. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A symposium was held Tuesday in Beijing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Zhang Tingfa, former commander of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attended the event and met with Zhang's relatives prior to the symposium.

Zhang was appointed air force major general in 1955 and served as the political commissar and the commander of the Air Force.

Zhang was regarded as an outstanding member of the CPC, a loyal Communist fighter, a proletarian revolutionary and an eminent military leader.

Zhang died of illness in Beijing in March 2010, aged 92.

Zhang Youxia, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, also attended the symposium, calling on army officials to learn from Zhang Tingfa's beliefs, military wisdom and loyalty to the CPC.
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Dozens killed in a suspected chemical attack in the Douma district in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, Syria on April 7. US President Trump said on social media that the Syrian government would have a "big price to pay".

On April 4, 2017, a chemical attack took place at the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib Governorate of Syria. Two days later, a total of 59 Tomahawk missiles were launched by American forces targeting an air base in Syria. Trump said that the assault was retaliation for the chemical attack by the Syrian government troops.

Will the US attack Syria again this time?

The US reacted strongly to the chemical attack in Syria. Although the authenticity of the incident has not yet been confirmed by the authorities, the US has taken the lead in targeting the Syrian government.

Trump not only condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but also claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran must assume responsibility as they support the Assad regime.

White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said on Sunday that nothing should be taken off the table after reports of the chemical attack in Syria. Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that the international image of the US will be undermined if Trump takes no actions against Syria.

The EU also issued a statement on the same day saying that there was evidence that this chemical attack was conducted by the Syrian government, but the EU did not disclose any details of the so-called evidence.

According to reports, the UN Security Council held a meeting at the request of the US, UK, France and other countries on Apr. 9 to discuss the Syrian chemical attack. The UN Security Council voted on Apr. 10 on a draft resolution requesting authorization to investigate the party responsible. Russia voted against the draft resolution. Finally, the draft proposed by the US did not pass the UN Security Council.

Will the US eventually use this chemical attack as an excuse to take military actions against Syria?

Analysts believe that if the attack were an incident the Syrian anti-government forces scripted and directed to dispose of their own chemical weapons, their purpose has already been fulfilled. The US and other Western countries have used this incident to launch a public opinion war against Syria, Russia and Iran, and they may not be able to do anything beyond that.

On the other hand, Trump has once again demonstrated his "tough" image and may once again order a limited-scale attack against Syria. However, given that it is very difficult to find the responsible party, it is unlikely that the US will resort to large-scale military operations to try to destroy the Assad regime once and for all.

Disclaimer: The author is Shao Jie, reporter with the Xinhua News Agency. The article is translated from Chinese into English by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author from the Xinhua News Agency and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity.
This Tuesday, the annual TED conference kicked off in Vancouver, BC. TED has become a media juggernaut, with 2,700 talks viewed more than 11 billion times in 116 languages.

And as TED's audience has gotten increasingly global, so have TED's speakers. Conference programming has also seemed to shift away from product launches and wonky tech demos to presentations on provocative issues like climate change, race politics, and poverty (still with cameos from Elon Musk and the like now and again).

The conference kicked off with talks by TED Fellows, a network of 400 scientists, artists, activists, entrepreneurs, doctors, journalists and inventors who collaborate across disciplines to create positive change around the world.

Dr. Essam Daod and Dr. Rola Hallam, both 2018 Fellows, are two such change makers. Daod, a psychiatrist and founder of Humanity Crew is addressing a pervasive, but oft-overlooked, issue facing many displaced populations: their mental health. Hallam, founder of crowdfunding platform CanDo, is working to stabilize war-torn regions like Syria so the necessity of fleeing decreases.

PAPER caught up with both visionary doctors separately on the state of the refugee crisis and what everyone, all over the world, can do to help.

Dr. Daod, you've been aiding refugees since before you were addressing their mental heath.

Daod: I was a surgeon for three years. That was my entrance ticket to rescue boats and the world of humanitarian aid. In the first five minutes of my first mission, I gave CPR to a dead body  a dead Iraqi woman. I did the CPR because I needed to give something to the family. They were waiting three or four hours for a doctor, and they couldn't accept that I was arriving just to tell them she was dead. That was when I knew that mental health was important.

Talking about the trauma refugees experience along with a need to address their mental health seems intuitive. So why is the mental health of refugees almost always a secondary consideration when it comes to providing aid?

Daod: The issue of mental health is marginalized in our daily lives everywhere, even in the West. So, imagine the Middle East.

You believe mental illnesses refugees experience, like PTSD, can be overcome, and to some extent prevented.

Daod: Given the massive number of refugees, the best course of action is prevention. We need to do interventions [at the time of the displacement]. This is why we create "mental health lifeguards;" we work on the boats and on the beaches. Interventions can prevent the onset of PTSD in the future or lessen its prevalence. People are already there handing out blankets and bananas, now we have to train them to do psychological first aid.

Essam Daod

What are examples of the "psychological first aid" you administer?



Daod: Refugees need to feel safe and that they can trust you. The base of trauma is mistrust. You trust the world, your community, your government, and people to respect your life, and they don't. You need to say, "Welcome, we won't take you back to where you came from." You tell them, "You'll be on the shore of Greece in a refugee camp until you have your papers, and then you'll move to a housing program." You give them information and stability. If I start yelling to take food, take blankets, and go, even the rescue experience can be traumatic.

In the future, refugees will do a mental split  the boat and the sea is bad and good things will come later. We need to give them good memories, stored in the brain so if they remember the sea, they remember me and the team, the feeling of warmth, and the love we give them. They may remember the trauma and the fear, but it will be a fight [in the brain] at least.

What can people do to help you in this work, and refugees more broadly?

Daod: We need to start acknowledging that when there is a crisis  whether it's a hurricane or a war  the rescuers we send should be trained on mental health support. We need to understand that human beings are body and mind, not just body.

---

If Dr. Daod is focused on the mind, Dr. Hallam is focused on body, and in Syria, where the daily stakes are life or death, her focus is necessary. Her crowdfunding platform CanDo is bringing much-needed resources to local humanitarians.

Why did you found CanDo and how'd you get involved in this work?

Hallam: I think I was born a doctor. I felt very profoundly called to help everyone have access to healthcare; I think healthcare is a fundamental human right. And after the revolution turned into the war and the catastrophes we know now, I did the only thing I could and joined the humanitarian response.

You were working in Syria?

Hallam: Yes, I worked with various Syrian-led organizations and helped build six hospitals in the north of the country. It was such a profound experience and looking at the humanitarian system up close and personal was a real eye-opener. I didn't know how much local aid workers and local medics did. Growing up in the West, you think it's the UN and UNICEF going around and saving the world. And they do good work, but what none of us know is the huge amount of work that is done by the locals and how very little support and recognition they are getting.

I was seeing people die in front of me, not because I didn't have the knowledge, skill, or ability but because I didn't have the tools, medicines or equipment I needed. I took a time out, did my research and learned this is a global problem and as a result millions of people are suffering needlessly.

And the problem is local humanitarians are way under-resourced? What is the divide between massive NGOs and small local orgs?

Hallam: The first thing to say is there is a huge recognition among humanitarian community that change needs to happen and more aid should go to local humanitarians. Unfortunately the pace of change is super slow. Most of the funding goes to 10 of the largest aid agencies. They get the funding, they contract another international charity, who maybe contracts a local charity, and so there's massive wastage, and only a fraction of the aid budget arrives where it needs to be.

Rola Hallam

Were trying to say, where there is local capacity, locals should be getting the funds to do the work.



I imagine some pushback is around accountability; the massive orgs are heavily scrutinized. What about these local orgs?

Hallam: At the end of the day, accountability is important to anyone who is a humanitarian. My experience is local groups are very accountable, but often they don't have the tools and resources to do it to standard that is required by a traditional system. So what I'd love to see is big charities become mentors and supporters, and start complimenting their work.

What we do at CanDo is source local groups, we do the assessing and vetting and due diligence to ensure these are the most impactful groups and then we support their development.

Hope Hospital, in North Aleppo, Syria, is first project CanDo funded and the first crowd-funded hospital ever built. What are some success stories from that project?

Hallam: That isn't just about the success of funding the hospital, it's about the success of humanity and collective action. It only happened because 5,000 people from around the world came together. We may not be able to stop bombs, but we can save lives. And the system right now is not empowering individuals to understand they can make a difference. We see catastrophes exploding on our screens and everyone wants to help, but there is no mechanism to know who to trust or how to send money.

We raised the money in 12 days, took medical equipment, IDA set up hospital in three months, and they've since treated over 15,000 children.

News that comes out of Syria is incredibly politicized. How do you think it's possible for people connect to what's really happening and to the people who are most affected?

Hallam: I'm trying to solve this piece of the puzzle by setting up a crowdfunding platform that shows the faces of humanitarians, videos of what supporters are helping to build, and children they're saving.

The crowdfunding space is, for lack of a better word, crowded. What do you say to someone who is reluctant to give because this feels like a faraway problem?

Hallam: Whether we like it or not, we are all interconnected. Either we wake up and realize it or we forever doom ourselves to repeat mistake after mistake. In Syria, medics have been killed and hospitals have been bombed. A huge part of the refugee crisis is there is no infrastructure left in the country. So we need to address that head on. And the second part of this, that effects the whole world, is if we allow hospitals to be bombed in Syria that gives the wrong message. That tells militaries and terrorist groups that hospitals are OK to bomb, that's not OK to normalize.

That's a bleak reality. What gives you hope?

Hallam: My colleagues, the local doctors and nurses get me out of bed every day. They've had their hospital bombed six times and pick up the phone and say we want it built for the seventh time. They don't need to stay but they do because they believe in a better tomorrow. They have hope and that gives me hope.

Essam Daod Photos  Matias Quirno Costa
Argentina is a country that's been celebrated more and more for its trailblazing efforts to achieve equality of its citizens. For starters, it was the first nation in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage. Argentinian leadership also passed legislation that made it one of the world's most advanced in the fight for transgender rights.

It currently has one of the world's most comprehensive transgender rights laws; the Gender Identity Law, passed in 2012, made Argentina the first Latin American country enabling people to change their gender identities without facing barriers such as hormone therapy, surgery or any psychiatric diagnosis that might label them otherwise abnormal. (Women's equality in Argentina, however, is another story).

Kike Arnal, a Venezuelan-born, Bay Area-based photographer with a demonstrated passion for documenting LGBTQ experiences, has produced a new photobook, entitled Revealing Selves: Transgender Portraits from Argentina, available now. (His first book project focused on the LGBTQ community in Mexico).



What is perhaps most powerful and revelatory about Revealing Selves is its breadth: the transgender community in Argentina, as chronicled through Arnal's lens via stunningly intimate shots and details, is vibrant, diverse, and rich. The fact that the photos are black and white renders them timeless  honest portraits of people destined to linger in your memory.

There are stories of transformation borne through meeting life on life's terms. Some of those stories include people like Florencia Guimaraes Garcia, a former sex worker who became leader in the transgender rights movement in Buenos Aires, and Cinthia Arroyo, who is working as a librarian and raising her daughters alone.



Have a look below at some of what you can expect to find in this book; buy it here, via The New Press.



Copyright  2018 by Kike Arnal. These images originally appeared in Revealing Selves: Transgender Portraits from Argentina, published by The New Press. Reprinted here with permission.
Sandra Oh is best known for playing surgeon Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy. Though she's been more or less out of the spotlight for a few years, she's back playing Eve Porowski, the lead in a new show called Killing Eve. Oh recently spoke about how she had to carve out her own path as an Asian-American woman in Hollywood.

She said that she knows there isn't one specific way to build a career, telling Vulture, "So it's just like 'Oh, so at a certain point in your career, you think A, B, C, or D is supposed to happen?' Thinking of it that way just causes me suffering. But being aligned to it to say, How do I stay creative? How do I still connect? How do I practice access? That you can do every day."

Oh also said that she has certainly felt the effects of racism, but has always tried to remain positive, adding, "Not only is s**t hard, it's extremely unfair. And racism exists. Let's start there. I felt it, and I have felt it deeply. And I'm extremely fortunate. So I'm not going to not say that it's not there, because it is. But it's changing the mindset that being an actor of color, person of color, that you're at a disadvantage in the creative life. That you don't have opportunity. It's all how you see the opportunity."

Related | Ariel Winter on 'The Last Movie Star' and Burt Reynolds

They continued talking about how the limited representation of Asian Americans in media leads to a deep-rooted inability to see "ourselves as the heroes of our own stories." Oh shared that when she first got the script for Killing Eve, she was shocked to see that she was given the lead, and that she realized just how much she had internalized the racism she had experienced throughout her career.

Oh also warmly encouraged Jung, who is Korean-American, saying, "Keep writing about what you don't know. I think we need more of that introspection, questioning, for ourselves as our own community before anyone else is interested in our community."

Read the entire interview here.

Image via Getty


Mothers have breastfed their kids since time immemorial. For first-time mothers, however, this experience can feel incredibly strange and foreign.

Much like giving birth, breastfeeding is natural, healthy, and beautiful, although it doesn't necessarily come easily to every woman and baby.

To most moms, breastfeeding comes naturally, but it can still be intimidating for first-timers. The good news is that first-time struggles and pain are perfectly normal; it doesn't mean that it's time to give up.

All mothers experience difficulty especially with their first child since everything is new, and the same goes for breastfeeding.

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for babies up to six months of age. Breastmilk along with supplementary food is still highly encouraged until the child reaches two years old. Beyond that, mothers can wean their child or continue breastfeeding. This guideline from WHO is another testament to how nutritious breastmilk is.

Parents learn on the job, but it doesn't hurt to seek some extra information to prepare for the good and not-so-fun parts of being a new mom and dad. Breastfeeding isn't something one can exactly practice before the baby arrives. However, new parents will panic less in the face of a minor difficulty when they know what to expect.

Here are 35 helpful tips, tricks, and nuggets of wisdom which covers everything from nursing discomfort to the incredible benefits of breastfeeding to ease the mind of moms and dads who are embarking on the journey of parenthood for the first time.
SEOUL, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Top diplomats of South Korea and Japan held talks here on the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization ahead of the inter-Korean summit later this month, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met her visiting Japanese counterpart Taro Kono to discuss issues of mutual concerns including nuclear issues on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Kang and Kono assessed the significance of the inter-Korean, DPRK-U.S. summits in achieving a goal to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and settle a permanent peace on the peninsula, agreeing to strengthen close communication and cooperation between the two countries.

The South Korean foreign minister also assessed Japan's recent positive messages for the successful holding of the inter-Korean and DPRK-U.S. summits.

Kono thought highly of South Korea's role in pushing for the inter-Korean, DPRK-U.S. summits, saying Japan anticipates a real advance in resolving the nuclear issue through the two summits' success.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed to meet on April 27 in the border village of Panmunjom.

It would be followed by a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in May or early June.
Tehran Mayor Resigns Again After Prosecutor's Open Threat

04/10/18

Source: Radio Farda

Tehran's Mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi has once again resigned a few hours after Prosecutor-General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri threatened him to step down. Montazeri on April 9 called the city council's rejection of Najafi's first resignation "political" and told the Mayor to resign again.



Tehran's Mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi

(source: Iranian daily Ghanoon)

The mayor's second resignation was announced only one day after the Tehran City Council rejected his first resignation on April 8.



Some of the council members said on Sunday that Najafi had resigned under political pressure, although he had mentioned "illness" as the reason.



Montazeri called the council's rejection of Najafi's resignation "an act of treason," adding that the council should be held accountable if the ailing mayor fails to fulfill his responsibilities.



Montazeri's statement "Resign and you won't be prosecuted," is one of the most blatant interventions by a judiciary official in this matter.



Referring to Montazeri's remark, Council member Zahar Sadrazam Nouri said, "Now pressures are being exerted on the mayor openly."



Another council member Mohammad Javad Haghshenas said in a tweet, "The prosecutor's comment is beyond his legal status, and in violation of the Constitutional Law."



Reformist MP Mahmoud Sadeqi reminded in a tweet "This is clearly within the city council's jurisdiction to decide on the mayor's resignation."



Tehran City Council Chairman Mohsen Hashemi has confirmed that the mayor has resigned again, while IRGC-linked Fars news agency reported that the city council might name an acting mayor for the time being rather than appointing a new mayor.



Meanwhile, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) quoted Council Chairman Mohsen Hashemi as saying that Najafi has informed the council that he will not be able to fulfill his responsibilities as his doctor is making preparations for a surgical operation on him.



The council is going to decide on the mayor's second resignation on Tuesday April 10, said Hashemi. This comes while Council member Hojat Nazari told Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) that the council would not discuss the resignation before next week.



Previously, several Iranian news websites reported "the IRGC Intelligence Organization exerted pressure on Najafi to resign."



Najafi has repeatedly spoken about "widespread illegal actions at the Tehran Municipality" under former conservative Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. But when he said that he was planning to send some of these cases to Judiciary for investigation,



Tehran's hardline Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi challenged Najafi to present his evidence to the Prosecutor's Office "immediately."



Meanwhile, the Tehran Prosecutor summoned Jafari to court in mid-March, after a video was released on social media showing Najafi at a Women's Day ceremony where young girls were dancing.



Iran's conservatives controlled the Tehran City Council for 14 years between 2003 and 2017. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the first Tehran Mayor elected by a conservative council in 2003. He took over as the country's president within two years.



Qalibaf, who was defeated in the 2005 presidential election, took over as Tehran's mayor in 2005 although he kept trying his luck as a presidential candidate in 2013 and 2017. His term of office as Mayor came to an end with reformist faction's overwhelming victory in the council elections in March 2017, and Najafi replaced him in August.
The upgraded version of Ecobanks revolutionary mobile app has attracted 3 million new customers in just 6 months, taking the total number of users to 4 million.



The app builds on the core functionality that saw the original version applauded as a game changer for African banking by using digital technology to combat many of the financial inclusion barriers faced by those on the continent. This includes the dearth of rural branches, affordability of products, high transaction costs and minimum opening balance requirements.



Ade Ayeyemi, Ecobank Group CEO, says Ecobanks strategic mission is built around using mobile banking to deliver innovative, efficient and cost-effective services to those who have typically sat outside of the formal economy, and therefore goes far beyond the reach of the traditional branch and ATM networks.

Subsequently, while the app won one million customers in its first year of launch, upgraded features have seen the rate of sign-ups treble in half of the time. So far this year, app usage has been growing at an average 700k new customers per month.



Customers can use the app on their mobile to instantly open Ecobank Xpress Account, which doesnt have any account fees, paperwork or minimum balance requirements, or to send and receive money across 33 African countries, he explains. Therefore, our app not only removes the barriers that have financially excluded so many Africans but offers next generation functionality to help them send money, make withdrawals or pay for goods and services.



Patrick Akinwuntan, Ecobanks Group Executive, Consumer Banking, says that Ecobank is committed to providing all Africans with access to financial services, but doing so in a way that conjoins functionality with convenient, accessible and efficient banking channels, such as the rollout of Ecobank Xpress  Point Agents.



We want to be the digital bank of choice for all Africans, he said. Functionality is one thing  giving our customers unrivalled convenience is another. The Ecobank Xpress  Point Agents that can now be found in your local neighbourhood enable you to deposit money into your app-based Ecobank Xpress Account and begin to make digital payments on the app using Ecobankpay. You can also withdraw funds in local currency that may have been sent to you from friends or relatives using our innovative instant transfer or Xpress Cash capabilities.



The Ecobank Mobile App is available for download from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.



Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) is the parent company of the leading independent pan-African banking group, Ecobank. It currently has a presence in 36 African countries, namely: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Democratic Republic), Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Group employs over 17,000 people in 40 different countries in over 1,200 branches and offices. Ecobank is a full-service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking services and products to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, international organizations, medium, small and micro businesses and individuals. Additional information on Ecobank can be found at www.ecobank.com.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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There was an anticipated showdown yesterday at the campus of the Wa Polytechnic as the schools embattled rector vowed to return to the campus in defiance of workers protests and an interdiction order.



On Monday, April 9, 2018 aggrieved staff of the polytechnic chased out Professor Emmanuel Marfo Owusu after mounting roadblocks to impound his car and prevent him from accessing his office.



The angry lecturers chased Prof Marfo-Owusu out of campus with clubs and stones on Monday.



The Wa Polytechnic chapter of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) had levelled a series of allegations of financial malfeasance and breaches of procurement processes against Prof Marfo-Owusu.



Prof Marfo-Owusu has also been accused by the lecturers of breaching procurement regulations in the purchase of a Mercedez Benz vehicle worth about Gh500,000.



However, Proff Marfo Owusu had filed a fresh suit to halt his interdiction and a probe into allegations of embezzling over 500,000 Cedis.



Speaking on Starr FM yesterday in Accra, he said his lawyers were returning to the court to sue the polytechnic authorities for contempt.



I will be there, they can touch me if they want. I want to sue the one who will be brave enough to touch me.



I am going there tomorrow morning (referring to yesterday) with the police because I am expected to be there to take care of the school in respect to signing the cheques for the school. I am not there for the lecturers.



If I leave them to do their own thing, the whole coffers will be empty, the rector stated in an interview.



The rector who seemed unhappy with the development also in the interview with Starr FM , which was monitored by Today, accused the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, of being behind the tension going on in the school.



According to him, Dr Opoku Prempeh took arbitrary decisions without considering laid-down procedures.



The rector noted that although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was implementing good policies such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, the conduct of some of his ministers, including the education minister, was hurting the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



He, therefore, urged Dr Opoku Prempeh to reconsider his ways of taking decisions as far as polytechnic education was concerned.



Meanwhile, police officers have been deployed to Wa Polytechnic to restore calm.



The Polytechnic Council also convened an emergency meeting over the impasse on Monday evening to find a solution to the problem.

Source: Today Newspaper









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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The government in Liberia has refuted allegations that it influenced the arrest of journalists of a newspaper that has recently been critical of President George Weah.



Journalists and editors of Frontpage Africa were on Monday morning arrested from their offices by court sherrifs, and detained at the Civil Law Court before a lawyer secured their released on the same day.



In a story written on their website, Frontpage explained that they were being harassed because of civil lawsuit for actions of damages amounting to over one million dollars.



Contrary to the erroneous claims that inundated social media platforms and other news outlets on Monday, the legal suit against the entity was one of a private nature between the FPA and Henry A.K Morgan and Moses T. Konah.

The suit filed against the newspaper follows publication of an erroneous survey advertisement published in the paper on Friday, March 16, 2018.



The advertiser and the two men now suing Frontpage, Henry A.K. Morgan and Moses T. Konah, were both joint administrator to a piece of land.



Henry A.K. Morgan and Moses T. Konah consequently sought a retraction of the advertisement, which Frontpage says it did on March 23. The retraction was however not enough, thus the suit against the advertiser and Frontpage as a second defendant.



In a statement issued by the Information ministry, the government sought to clarify that it had not ordered the arrest of Frontpages staff.



Contrary to the erroneous claims that inundated social media platforms and other news outlets on Monday, the legal suit against the entity was one of a private nature between the FPA and Henry A.K Morgan and Moses T. Konah, read part of the statement.



Frontpage however insisted that the government engineered this raid, arguing that the offending advertisement had been published in many other newspapers, yet only this newspaper was singled out by the suit.



The governments actions today will not keep us from doing our investigative work but will only strengthen us to do more.



Through a statement issued on their Facebook page, Frontpage also pointed out that the information Minister, Lenn Eugene Nagbe is on record for having criticised the newspaper for not publishing any positive stories about the new government.



Frontpage has recently published different stories critical of President Weah including his refusal to declare his assets in disregard to the Code of Conduct and highlighting the unforeseen consequences of Liberias US$536 million loan secured through an undisclosed memorandum of understanding signed in Hong Kong

Source: africanews.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings will lead a government delegation to represent Ghana at the funeral of the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in Soweto, South Africa.

The renowned freedom fighter will be buried on Saturday, April 14, 2018.



Other members of the delegation include the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Charles Owiredu; Deputy Minister for Information, Hon. Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, MP; Ambassador-at-Large, Dr. Edward Mahama; and Protocol Officer at the Office of the President, Ms. Ama Serwaa Nyarko.



Mrs Madikizela-Mandela was born in 1936 in the Eastern Cape - then known as Transkei.



She was a trained social worker when she met her future husband in the 1950s. They went on to have two daughters together.



They were married for a total of 38 years, although for almost three decades of that time they were separated due to Mr Mandela's long imprisonment.



It was Mrs Madikizela-Mandela who took his baton after he was jailed for life, becoming an international symbol of resistance to apartheid. She too was jailed for her role in the fight for justice and equality.



To her supporters, she became known affectionately as "Mother of the Nation

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has revealed that its inspection has revealed that oil-funded projects in the three Northern Regions in 2016 are non-existent.



Chairman of PIAC, Dr Steve Manteaw, addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday said PIAC was compiling what he described as a list of Ghost projects and will soon call upon the Auditor-General for further investigation.



According to a 2013 report on the management of petroleum revenues by PIAC, an amount of GH372.07 million out of the GH543.78 million of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) representing 68.42 per cent was spent on roads and other infrastructure.



Also, according to the report, the remaining GH287.20 million representing 35 per cent of the ABFA allocation was spent on several infrastructural sectors, including energy, education, water, housing, security and health.



He alleged that: Six projects were inspected in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions [and] the findings and observations were overwhelming with fifty per cent of the projects being non-existent.



In the committees interaction with indigenes of the regions during our district engagement in about sixty districts later in 2016, concerns were raised as to whether PIAC verifies projects which have been reported by the ministry of finance to have been undertaken with petroleum revenues.



He said, over fifty per cent of school projects inspected showed signs of serious deterioration in less than three years after completion including a six-unit classroom block at Apedwa SDA Primary School in the East Akim District of the Eastern Region which has begun to sink due to poor siting and shoddy work.

Source: Today Newspaper









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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A New Jersey man who raised more than $14,000 on GoFundMe to cover his German Shepherd's vet bills is accused of causing the injuries that led to the puppy's death.

Police said they became suspicious of Reid M. Herjo, 24, of Medford, after he was pulled over for speeding in January while taking his then-14-week-old puppy, Atlas, to the veterinarian. He told officers Atlas was hit by an ATV, police said.

Less than a week later, Atlas died from hemorrhaging and numerous fractures from additional injuries, authorities said.

Herjo had Atlas for less than three months and suffered injuries at least three times, before dying in February at 5 months old, police said.

Atlas died on Feb. 3 "under suspicious circumstances as there was evidence Atlas sustained additional trauma," authorities said.

Herjo set up a fraudulent GoFundMe for veterinary bills, raising more than $14,000 for injuries he claimed the dog sustained in a hit and run accident, police said.

He closed the campaign the day after Atlas died.

Herjo was charged with animal cruelty and theft by deception.

GoFundMe said Herjo has been banned from its platform and that all donors will receive a refund.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) is retiring when his current term ends, according to several sources.

He is expected to address his decision in a closed-door GOP conference meeting Wednesday morning, CNN reported. His term expires at the end of this year.

It's true: @SpeakerRyan will retire after his current term. Just told staff. Loud applause heard outside his office suite. Huge blow to GOP morale with midterms 7 months away. https://t.co/Q8VzSgZMLK  Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) April 11, 2018

Ryan has been in Congress since 1999, the speaker since 2015. He was Mitt Romey's running mate in the 2012 presidential election.

Ryan's plans have been the source of much speculation, amid Republican concerns over keeping their majority in the House of Representatives.

The party has seen a large number of retirements, and Ryan's exit is certain to sap morale as Republicans seek to contain a surge in enthusiasm from Democrats, whose fortunes have been buoyed by the unpopularity of President Donald Trump.

From the New York Times: Mr. Ryan has been publicly noncommittal for months about running for re-election, repeating a formulation that he was not going anywhere any time soon. At the retreat in Austin, Tex., Mr. Ryan was opaque about his plans for 2018, saying that he and his wife, Janna, would confer in the coming weeks to make a decision, according to two people who attended the gathering.

Ryan, 48, and his wife have three children.

The Associated Press and The Washington Post contributed to this story.
During the Roh Moo-hyun administration in 2004, Seoul and Washington agreed to move most of the U.S. military installations in central Seoul further south of the border to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Under the agreement, all facilities from the main Yongsan Army base must be relocated to Pyeongtaek by 2016. But now the U.S. military has raised the possibility of keeping the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command in Seoul. U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti said Sunday that the issue is being considered, though no decisions have been made.

Under the 2004 agreement, the CFC was destined to be dismantled when the U.S. returns full operational control of the South Korean military back to Seoul. But the Lee Myung-bak administration, which followed, postponed the timing of the handover, and the incumbent Park Geun-hye administration is in talks to push the date back even further. This means the CFC will continue to serve as a symbol of the Seoul-Washington alliance and oversee joint military responses to any North Korean threat.

If South Korea's Defense Ministry and Joint Chiefs of Staff remain in Seoul while the USFK headquarters moves further south, efficient coordination may be difficult in times of crisis. The U.S. military is aware of this concern, and so is Seoul, as demonstrated by the fact that the Defense Ministry was left in Seoul even though most other government ministries were relocated to Sejong city.

The problem is that Korea hopes to build a park on the site of the sprawling Yongsan garrison once it moves. The city government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to create a massive park that would rival New York's Central Park in scale. Keeping the CFC there would get in the way. But an alternative being tossed around is to allow the CFC to move into the Defense Ministry building, and all kinds of other alternatives could be found.



Read this article in Korean As it fired a Scud missile into the West Sea on Saturday, Pyongyang said the exercise was aimed at practicing to strike U.S. bases in South Korea. Keeping the CFC in Seoul would send a clear message to Pyongyang that any wrong move would entail serious consequences. Seoul and Washington should seriously consider the idea.
Police in Harrisburg have arrested a man accused of inappropriately touching two female juveniles in his truck.

Police arrested Lonnie Joe Clark, 57, during a warrant sweep for individuals with outstanding warrants on April 5.

Clark is accused of inappropriately touching the two girls in his truck on Dec. 21, 2017, according to police. The victims then told their mother, who then reported the incident to police.

Clark is already a Tier 3 sex offender for previous convictions of rape, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, and indecent assault, according to police.

Harrisburg police, with the assistance of officers in Highspire, took Clark into custody from his residence without incident and taken to the county booking center.

Clark faces charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors, and unlawful contact with a minor.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is calling for reform of the criminal justice system after visiting rapper Meek Mill in a Pennsylvania prison.

Kraft and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin visited the Philadelphia-born rapper on Tuesday.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft

After the visit, Kraft said Mill's incarceration makes it clear that "we have to do something with criminal justice reform." Rubin said he believes "the right thing will happen" and Mill will be released soon.

Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, is fighting for release while appealing a two- to four-year sentence for a probation violation.

A judge said his drug use, arrests and other issues while under supervision merited the jail time. Mill's lawyers have accused her of turning the case into a "personal vendetta."
Three PennDOT workers were injured after being hit by a vehicle in a construction zone on Interstate 80.

WNEP-TV reports the incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the westbound lanes of I-80 near the Blakeslee exit in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County. PennDOT workers were patching potholes on the interstate at the time.

State police told WNEP a tractor trailer rear ended a car, which then went on to hit the three workers. The truck driver was not injured, but a family in the car and the three workers had to be taken to the hospital with injuries.

One of the PennDOT workers had to be flown to the hospital, according to the report.

I-80 west was closed between the junction with I-380 and the Blakeslee exit for hours as state police conducted their investigation.
Pennsylvania's birders slipped a bit as a state in the 2018 Great Backyard Bird Count earlier this year. The Pennsylvanians submitted 6,065 checklists of birds spotted, which placed the Keystone State fourth behind California, with 8,683 checklists; Texas, 6,859; and New York, 6,599.

Pennsylvania is perennially among the top states for number of checklists submitted in the GBBC, an annual, international count by bird enthusiasts of birds at backyards, parks, nature centers, hiking trails, school grounds, balconies and beaches.

Last year, Pennsylvanians submitted 7,212 checklists, second to New Yorkers with 7,452 checklists and ahead of Californians with 7,117 checklists.

The state's birders managed to record about the same number of species this year: 145, compared to 149 last year. That maintained Pennsylvania's status in the middle of pack, tied with Delaware in the 24th position both last year and this.

Each year, tens of thousands of volunteers contribute data to the GBBC. The global event encourages bird enthusiasts to contribute important bird population data that help scientists see changes in bird populations.

Participating bird watchers count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count and then enter their checklists at birdcount.org.

Gary Landham, vice president and chief scientist for the National Audubon Society, explained, "The Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to introduce people to participation in community science. No other program allows volunteers to take an instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations that can contribute to our understanding of how a changing climate is affecting birds."

In 1998, during the first GBBC, bird watchers submitted about 13,500 checklists from the United States and Canada.

In this year's 21st annual count, more than 190,000 participants submitted 176,905 checklists, noting 6,310 species of birds.

The most frequently reported species were northern cardinal, which appeared on 48,956 checklists; dark-eyed junco, 43,742; mourning dove, 43,412; American crow, 40,959; blue jay, 37,549; downy woodpecker, 36,495; house finch, 34,766; black-capped chickadee, 31,942; house sparrow, 31,884; and European starling, 28,683.

The most counted species were snow goose, 4,957,116 birds tallied; Canada goose, 1,626,585; common murre, 1,365,546; red-winged blackbird, 778,311; ring-billed gull, 743,932; mallard, 742,408; European starling, 701,381; American coot, 461,082; common grackle, 382,268; and herring gull, 333,047.

To learn more about what scientists discovered the past 21 years and how to take part in next year's Great Backyard Bird Count, visit birdcount.org.
Penticton Indian Band Chief Chad Eneas speaks at a press conference Tuesday in Kelowna where details were announced of a new $1.45 million project to update flood maps. To the right is Kelowna Coun. Tracy Gray, chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
Joyce and Don Smith with their 1931 Ford Model A, which is on display this week at Cherry Lane Shopping Centre with eight other vehicles as part of an exhibition put on by the South Okanagan Vintage Car Club.
As the U.S. mulled its response, the White House said Trump canceled a trip to Latin America, which was to begin Friday, so that he could "oversee the American response to Syria." Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also called off domestic travel plans.

At the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted plan that would have set up a commission to investigate and assign blame for the chemical weapons attack.

Trump has blamed the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as Assad's backers in Iran and Russia. Assad denies the allegation. A global chemical weapons watchdog on Tuesday said it would send a team to investigate the incident.

President Donald Trump has warned those responsible will pay a "big price" for Saturday's attack in eastern Ghouta that killed at least 40 people. Over the past day, Trump has talked repeatedly with his British and French counterparts about a possible response to the attack.

"We are looking for a coordinated response, whatever that response might be," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert about possible U.S. military action in Syria.

The United States on Tuesday consulted with allies in preparation for possible expanded military action in Syria following the latest suspected deadly chemical weapons attack on a Syrian rebel-held village.

 No Details

White House officials refused to say whether the response included the possibility of prolonged U.S. military action in Syria or would amount to more than just a "one-off" airstrike.

"The president and his national security team thought it was best that he stay in the United States while all these developments are taking place," said press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

The U.S. is already deeply involved in the seven-year-old Syrian civil war. Over 2,000 U.S. troops are in Syria. A U.S.-led coalition has launched thousands of airstrikes there, mostly against Islamic State and other extremist rebels.

Almost exactly a year ago, the U.S. launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian government airbase in retaliation for another chemical weapons attack. But too intense a response to the latest attack risks escalating the Syrian civil war and exacerbating military tensions between major world powers that all have proxies on the ground, according to analysts.

"There's no easy answer here," retired Admiral Michael Mullen told VOA contributor Greta van Susteren on Tuesday. "It's delicate, it's dangerous. I worry that it could expand fairly rapidly."

Trump has said he would like to pull U.S. troops from Syria, citing progress in fighting Islamic State. Many in the U.S. foreign policy community, including Mullen, disagree with such a withdrawal.

"The couple thousand troops that we have there are a stabilizing force," Mullen said. "I think [they] need to be there until it's very obvious that they shouldn't be there or that they don't need to be there anymore."

It's unclear what an expanded U.S. military campaign in Syria would look like, including what the targets would be or which U.S. allies would be involved.

 Options Apppear Few

But the U.S. appears incapable of substantially altering the direction of the conflict, said Andreas Krieg, a Middle East specialist at King's College London.

"Unlike 2013, the West no longer has the leverage to shape or determine outcomes in Syria's civil war," Krieg said. "Punitive air or missile strikes will have limited effect, and neither deter Assad nor deny his ability to use chemical weapons again."

Trump has for years warned of the dangers of the U.S. becoming too involved in Syria. "What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict?" Trump said in a 2013 tweet. "[Former President Barack] Obama needs Congressional approval."

More recently, Trump has changed course. In a tweet this week, Trump said that if Obama had pursued more vigorous military action in Syria, "Animal Assad would have been history."

Daniel Davis, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who is now a senior fellow and military expert at the Washington-based think tank Defense Priorities, said he thought Trump should follow his earlier inclination.

"This would profoundly worsen our situation here," Davis said. "We cannot take that kind of risk of escalating a contained civil war. We've also got the possibility of armed conflict with Russia, which isn't in our interest at all."

Russia has warned of "grave repercussions" if the U.S. strikes Assad.
The U.S. military is bracing for a possible strike in Syria. Preparations for a high-risk North Korea summit are barreling forward. The White House staff is on edge, unsure who will be fired next, and when. And the national security team is holding its breath to see whether their new leader will be a shock to the system.

Enter John Bolton, the pugnacious former UN ambassador who took over Monday as President Donald Trump's national security adviser -- the third person to hold the job in barely 14 months. Trump's selection of Bolton last month set off a guessing game in Washington as to just how much of an imprint his take-no-prisoners approach to foreign policy will have on Trump's team, already beleaguered and exhausted after a tumultuous first year.

If Bolton had any first-day jitters, he had little time to indulge them. A daunting to-do list has awaited him, punctuated over the weekend by a suspected chemical weapons attack by Syria's government that led Trump to start exploring potential military retaliation.

Although Bolton didn't formally start until Monday, he was spotted entering the White House over the weekend, carrying an umbrella as he strolled down the driveway toward the West Wing on a rainy Saturday.

And on Monday, he appeared at his first Cabinet meeting, where Trump talked up his forthcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, chided China for taking advantage of the United States and condemned the "atrocious" chemical attack in Syria. Bolton didn't speak, but was seated prominently behind Trump as reporters were briefly allowed into the meeting.

"I think he's going to be a fantastic representative of our team," Trump said later in the day. He pointed out the fact that Bolton was starting in the midst of an urgent situation with Syria, adding: "Interesting day."

Inevitably, Bolton's past statements in public jobs and as a Fox News commentator follow him into the job. At the White House press briefing Monday, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about a comment Bolton made in 2013 on Fox and Friends -- he said he would have opposed an authorization to use force in Syria.

"The point of view that matters most here at the White House, as you well know, is the president's," Sanders replied.


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 
Int'l study on 100 corrupt oil contracts reveal Vague terms, abuse of discretion are worrying warning signs, Guyana's PSA with Exxon holds vague

By Kaieter News



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 04 11 2018



Contracts which lead to or encourage acts of corruption, often carry a number of red flags. In this regard, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), advises that citizens must be on the lookout of contracts with vague terms and those which create conditions for abuse of discretion.



Elaborating further in a special report which examines 100 corrupt oil contracts, the group notes that a worrying red flag is when the contract between the company and intermediary describes the services the intermediary must perform in vague, non-descriptive terms.



The Institute also notes that when the conduct of the award process departs from the government's established rules, standards or criteria, and/or exhibits a high or unusual degree of discretion and/or secrecy, it is without a doubt, a troubling red flag. It said that this is very common in some countries, but nonetheless creates conditions amenable to influence-peddling, self-dealing, patronage and other abuses of discretion.



ABUSE OF DISCRETION



Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has constantly been accused of abuse of discretion, since ExxonMobil was granted a production licence without its plan for local content being published.



The Coalition Administration was also heavily criticized for approving the company's production licence when its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not published.



VAGUE TERMS



There are many examples around the world where the governments of nations ensure that oil co In the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed between the Government of Guyana and USA oil giant, ExxonMobil, there is no provision regarding any adverse impact on fishing grounds and coastal communities or on neighbouring countries.



This alarming observation was recently pointed out by Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram, and political Commentator, Ramon Gaskin. The two have been extremely critical of the vague terms in the contract especially as it relates to environmental protection.



Ram in his recent writings noted that Article 20.2 of Guyana's 2016 Oil Agreement deals with Insurance in respect of but not limited to assets, pollution, third parties and employees.



The Attorney-at-law said that the Agreement does not require any loss of production insurance as will apply in the case of any major disruption of production or environmental accidents. He said that while this provision is absent from the 2016 Agreement, the 1999 Agreement, which was signed by the Jagan administration, allowed for insurance to be taken out by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited's affiliate insurance company.

Esso is a subsidiary of ExxonMobil.



Ram stated, That requirement has been changed and now allows the Contractor to have the right to self-insure against the risks identified. This is a major concession by (Natural Resources Minister, Raphael) Trotman on an issue that only specialist lawyers know about.



What it means in practice is that anyone seeking to make an insurance claim will have to lodge that claim against Esso, CNOOC/Nexen or Hess, all of which are external companies. Those potential claimants must thank Raphael Trotman for making their chances even more difficult to succeed.



CASE OF UGANDA



In 2012, the Government of Uganda signed a PSA with British operator, Tullow Oil. That entity is also exploring in Guyana's deep waters.



In the PSA of that African nation, there are strict provisions for Insurance.



The PSA notes that the Licensee is to provide a Performance Security in the form of Insurance Bond or Bank Guarantee amounting to US$500,000, which shall, inter alia, guarantee the payment by Licensee of the sums, if any, due and payable to the Government pursuant to the paragraphs hereunder.



To ensure that Licensee, its Contractors and Sub-contractors meet their obligations to third parties, or to the Government, that might arise in the event of damage, loss or injury (including environmental damage or injury, removal of wrecks and cleaning up caused by accidents) caused by Petroleum Operations, Licensee shall maintain in force an insurance policy through an international insurance company of good financial standing covering the activities of itself and its contractors and sub-contractors, sub-licensees and the employees of all such parties



To the extent that third party liability insurance is unavailable or is not obtained, or does not cover part or all of any claims for damage, loss or injury caused by or resulting from Petroleum Operations, Licensee shall remain fully responsible and shall defend, indemnify and hold the Government harmless against all such claims by the Government arising from any such damage, loss or injury. Licensee shall indemnify, defend and hold the Government harmless against all third party claims for damage, loss or injury, including, without limitation, claims for loss or damage to property or injury or death to persons, caused by or resulting from any Petroleum Operations conducted by or on behalf of Licensee. mpanies provide insurance, which would ensure compensation for any impact on communities and neighbouring countries due to the said operations. Unfortunately, Guyana is not one of those nations

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Guyana watching situation in recolonised Caribbean Netherlands Antilles



By Demerarawaves



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 04 11 2018



Guyana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge on Tuesday indicated that his country would be paying guarded attention to the political situation in the former Netherlands Antilles- Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba- where residents complain that they have been recolonised eight years ago by The Netherlands.

They want to be replaced on the United Nations list of non-self governing territories. That can only happen if that's asked for by a member state of the United Nations and we were advised by different people to have it done preferably by the neighbouring countries, the brother and sister countries, which is formed by the Caricom, Former St. Eustatius Island Secretary of Koert Kerkhoff. He explained that once the islands are back on the list UN member nations could ask what is happening there and whether The Netherlands would be decolonising or not.

Greenidge said Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean share the same patrimony and similar experience of being brought to this part of the world forcibly. He, however, noted that Guyana has to be wary of the fact that a referendum had decided those islands' fate.

We have an interest and we will have a watching brief but we have to be careful about constitutional rights and interference with other people's constitutional arrangements, he said a day after three advocates briefed the media in Georgetown following discussions with him and the Caribbean Community's (Caricom) Assistant Secretary General for Foreign and Community Relations, Ambassador Colin Granderson.

The Foreign Minister of Guyana said the concerns were internal and his country was wary of getting involved. In the first instance, the concerns are, if you like, internal. There are constitutional arrangements and, therefore, we are not in a position to intervene directly or even comment in public on those areas, he said. Greenidge did not rule out the possibility of the Caricom Headquarters asking to meet with the advocates again or trying to ascertain if the Dutch authorities are interested in telling us anything

The representatives of the Nos Kier Boneiru Bek Foundation from Bonaire, Brighter Path Foundation and the illegally deposed government of St. Eustatius said they sought solidarity from Guyana and Caricom in condemnation of and to expose the blatant violations of human rights, the continued colonial administration, the contempt for identity and culture of the local people by the Dutch government in The Hague and its local collaborators.

The advocates expressed concern that the daily influx of Dutch Europeans on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius was putting locals out of jobs and eventually giving them the right to vote in domestic elections. With the right to vote in local elections obtained in 90 days (a Dutch law), these Dutch immigrants could soon outnumber locals in the electorate and replace them in their representative bodies, making the exclusion of local people complete, Nos Keir Boneiru Bek Foundation, Brighter Path Foundation and the deposed government of St. Eustatius said in a statement.

Despite allegations of corruption, Kerkhoff said there has been no evidence and no one has been prosecuted.

Leader of the Nos Kier Boneiru Bek Foundation, James Finies said that while Dutch Europeans could travel freely to the Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, persons born on the islands could not do so to The Netherlands. He also complained about an increased death rate, disadvantaged access to education because the official teaching language has been changed from Papiamento to Dutch, increased taxation.'We cannot stop any law, we cannot object, we cannot vote them out of office, we cannot do anything so we are in that situation at that moment, he said.

The Netherlands on October 10, 2010 took over the administration of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba and declared them municipalities of the mother country'.



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Exxon, Qatar eye U.S. shale deal - WSJ

By Reuters



BENGALURU

Petroleumworld 04 11 2018

Exxon Mobil Corp is in talks with Qatar over a possible deal that could see the country investing in the company's U.S. shale gas resources, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The deal could take the shape of a joint venture in which Qatar, through state-owned Qatar Petroleum, could partner or invest in future wells with Exxon's XTO Energy subsidiary, the newspaper said on.wsj.com/2HoPiyj.

The newspaper said no deal had been finalized yet and talks could collapse. The newspaper did not say how much Qatar was planning to invest in XTO Energy.

If the deal takes shape as described, it would be the first time a Middle Eastern country invested significantly in a U.S. shale-related project.

Exxon, which is targeting Qatar for additional investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects reut.rs/2qn9FUr , already partners with Qatar Petroleum in Cyprus and Brazil.

Exxon spokeswoman Rebecca Arnold declined to comment on the newspaper's report. A representative for Qatar Petroleum was not immediately available to comment.

Mohammed Saleh Al Sada, Qatar's minister of energy and economy, declined to comment on the newspaper's report when asked by Reuters at an industry event in India.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday.

The shale revolution in the United States has not only seen a huge rise in crude production, but also in gas output. Exxon, already the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, said earlier this year it is aiming to triple production in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico to 600,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2025.

For Qatar, which is locked in a dispute with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, the move could help broaden its investments outside the Middle East.

Qatar is one of the smallest producers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and also one of the most influential players in the global LNG market due to its annual production of 77 million tonnes, cementing its position as the world's largest LNG supplier.

Qatar Petroleum is majority owner of the Golden Pass LNG terminal in Texas, with Exxon and ConocoPhillips holding smaller stakes.



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Trudeau's cabinet to discuss troubled canadian Kinder Morgan pipeline

By David Ljunggren



OTTAWA

Petroleumworld 04 11 2018

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet on Tuesday with his cabinet ministers to discuss Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd's threat to walk away from a troubled pipeline expansion as various levels of government signal interest in spending public funds to ensure the project proceeds.

The company, losing patience with moves by politicians and activists to block plans to almost triple the capacity of its Trans Mountain pipeline, is vowing to halt all work on May 31 unless the challenges can be resolved.

The 90-minute cabinet meeting is due to start at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT). The pipeline carries crude from Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific province of British Columbia.

The issue is a major political challenge for Trudeau, who approved the expansion plan in 2016. Critics have said he needs to be more forceful with the provincial government in British Columbia, which is vowing to do all it can to halt the project.

Alberta premier Rachel Notley, asked by the Calgary Herald newspaper whether her government would buy out Kinder Morgan Canada's stake in the pipeline if necessary, replied: That's what we'd do.

The newspaper quoted her as saying she was determined that the province, hopefully with Ottawa as co-investor, would control the project in case the company bailed.

Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr said on Monday that Ottawa was looking at whether to take a stake.

We are doing an assessment of what might be necessary, working with the government of Alberta, Carr told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

The government is looking at all options including legal, regulatory and financial options, a spokesman for Carr said.

Shares of Kinder Morgan Canada stabilized on Tuesday and were up 2.1 percent at C$16.62 in early morning trade after shedding 12.6 percent on Monday.

Political observers have said Trudeau is unlikely to crack down too harshly on British Columbia for fear of antagonizing voters ahead of a federal election set for October 2019.



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Saudi Aramco signs $12 bln worth of deals with France's Total, Technip and Suez

By Reuters



PARIS

Petroleumworld 04 11 2018

Saudi state-oil giant Aramco on Tuesday said it had signed agreements worth over $12 billion with French companies including Total, Technip and Suez during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to France.

The young prince who is behind reforms to wean Saudi Arabia off its dependence on oil exports and open up Saudi society was concluding a three-day trip at a time when differences over Iran are testing relations between the two nations.

Among the Saudi Aramco accords is a $9 billion deal with Total to build a giant petrochemical complex at their 440,000 barrels-per-day Jubail Satorp refinery.

Speaking at a Franco-Saudi economic forum in Paris, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said there was scope for further deals in the future.

There are more opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, not only in the oil and gas sector but also in infrastructure, manufacturing and services industries which are critical to manage and operate an enterprise like Saudi Aramco, Nasser said.

Alongside the deal with Total, two others were signed separately between Aramco and French environmental and waste management groups Veolia and Suez, and Saudi Arabia's Dussur on industrial wastewater treatment.

French oil services company TechnipFMC, and Schneider Electric, signed separate MoUs, while a jet engine deal was signed between French group Safran and Saudi airline Flynas.

Saudi Aramco has a massive and highly ambitious investment program over the next decade, which is part of our portfolio expansion aspiration, Nasser said.

The deal with Total involves the construction of a petrochemical complex at their Jubail Satorp refinery, a joint venture in which Saudi Aramco holds a 62.5 percent stake, while Total holds the other 37.5 percent.

Total and Saudi Armaco said they would invest around $5 billion, while third-party investors will invest another $4 billion on petrochemical and specialty chemical plants on the site. The project will create some 8,000 jobs.

Total said that the petrochemical complex will comprise a mixed-feed steam cracker with a capacity of 1.5 million tons per year of ethylene and related high-added-value petrochemical units, the statement said.

Front-end engineering and design for the complex will start in the third quarter of 2018.

This project illustrates our strategy of maximizing the integration of our large refining and petrochemical platforms and of expanding our petrochemical operations from low-cost feedstock, to take advantage of the fast growing Asian polymer market, said Total's chief executive Patrick Pouyanne.



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It will be friends and family, rather than politicians and world leaders, at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.

Kensington Palace says "it has been decided that an official list of political leaders -- both U.K. and international -- is not required'' for the wedding.

That means U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May are not among 600 people invited to the May 19 ceremony at Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel.


A gray mouse: If you have an infestations, consult Delaware Valley Consumers Checkbook to determine options and get tips. Read more

As things warm up outside, a lot of us will wage war inside with an annual invasion of pests. If you're one of the unlucky, think twice before hiring someone to evict your pests. Usually, you can take care of the problem yourself.

You can prevent or control most household pest problems by cutting off access to foods, keeping your home as clean as possible, reducing or eliminating excess moisture, and sealing cracks and other entry points.

Some steps to take for specific pest problems:

Ants  If you can locate the ants' nest, spray it with insecticide. If the nest is outside, follow the ants' movements to and from food sources. If the nest is inside walls or inaccessible, cut off the paths ants follow by caulking cracks and crevices. Also try using baits  our favorite is Terro liquid ant bait. Place bait stations in many locations where ants can easily find them but are not accessible to children and pets.

Carpenter ants  Because they are drawn to damp wood, you'll need to prevent water from accumulating in your house. Clean gutters and downspouts, and cut tree limbs and shrubs that overhang the house.

Cockroaches  Keeping your home clean and dry is the first step. Caulk to seal cracks and other entry points. You can try sticky traps or "bait stations." Sticky traps probably won't solve an infestation but bait stations can solve a small onebut it may take a week because they dispense slow-acting poison. Boric acid is another effective roach killer. Blow it into cracks and crevices where people won't come into contact with it.

Mice and rats  Close off openings more than 1/4 inch in size through foundation cracks, around door and window frames, and elsewhere. After closing entry points, you may be able to bring a small infestation under control with traps. Peanut butter is effective bait. Place traps perpendicular to walls, with trigger ends toward the walls so rodents will run over them. Large infestations will require poison baits, which are usually anticoagulants. Be careful to place them out of reach of pets and children, and don't forget where they are.

Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to control. Sanitation won't prevent bedbugs or get rid of them. You'll likely need to hire a diligent, experienced exterminator, and you will probably need a series of treatments. You're probably best off contracting with a company to perform a rigorous initial treatment and follow up with scheduled inspections and re-treatments for a year.

Most pests are unpleasant, but termites can wreck your house. If you hire an exterminator, be wary of operators that push bait systems. Because the bait stakes used to monitor termite activity are designed to attract termites, sticking several in the ground around your home's perimeter likely will attract termites. These companies will require an expensive long-term contract to monitor the bait stations, and once the baits have done their job, the companies may try to use the evidence of infestation to sell you a warranty against future infestations.

If you do end up hiring a pest control service, shop around  there are big differences in quality, and you don't have to pay more for good service.

If you need a swat team, Checkbook.org's ratings of Delaware Valley area pest control services for quality and price can help you find one that will do the job right for a fair price. Until May 5, Checkbook is offering free access to its ratings of area exterminators to Inquirer readers through this link: Checkbook.org/Inquirer/PestControl.

Checkbook found big differences when it asked area consumers to rate pest control services they had used. Some outfits were rated "superior" overall by 90 percent or more of their surveyed customers, but other companies received such favorable ratings from fewer than 60 percent.

Get multiple estimates. Checkbook's undercover price shoppers found big price differences, and there was no relationship between what firms charged and customer satisfaction. Checkbook found companies that charge $150 or less for a single treatment for cockroaches, while others charge $250 or more. Some require long-term contracts that cost $400 or more, even though, for most pests, a single treatment done well should suffice.

If you think you have termites or bedbugs, it's especially important to get multiple proposals. Some companies recommend treatment when there is neither an active infestation nor a serious threat of one. For termites, ask whether they recommend treating only part of your home or its entire perimeteryou'll save big if a company can wipe out your infestation without a house-wide treatment.

For any kind of critter, get any guarantee in writing and check what it offers: Will the company pay for additional pest damages or just re-treatment? How often will it come out to inspect at no extra charge? And what do you have to do to keep the guarantee in effect?

Delaware Valley Consumers' Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org are nonprofits that help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. We are supported by consumers and take no money from the service providers we evaluate. You can access all of Checkbook's ratings of pest control services free of charge until May 5 at www.checkbook.org/Inquirer/PestControl.
Former House Speaker John Boehner has jonied the advisory board of Acreage Holdings, a company that grows and sells cannabis. Read more

John A. Boehner, the former Republican speaker of the House who once said he was "unalterably opposed" to decriminalizing marijuana laws, has joined a board of directors for a cannabis company with an eye on rolling back federal regulations.

The former Ohio congressman has been appointed to the board of advisers of Acreage Holdings, invoking the need for veterans to access the drug legally to explain his change of heart, Boehner said in a statement Wednesday. The company grows and sells legal weed and operates in 11 states.

Acreage Holdings was formerly known as High Street Capital Partners. The company is a financial backer of Prime Wellness, which owns a permit to cultivate medical marijuana in South Heidelberg, near Reading.

Boehner's acceptance of marijuana tracks with evolving beliefs about the drug and its uses among Americans and even Republican lawmakers, Erik Altieri, executive director for the Washington-based marijuana advocacy group NORML, told the Washington Post.

But, Altieri said, Boehner probably would have been more influential if he supported marijuana use for veterans while he was speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to struggle with treatment options for post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions.

"It would've been more helpful for him advocating for this 10 years ago," Altieri said.

The move is a stark reversal for the former speaker, who in 2011 wrote a constituent that he was against "legalization of marijuana or any other FDA Schedule I drug," adding, "I remain concerned that legalization will result in increased abuse of all varieties of drugs, including alcohol."

Boehner's daughter, Lindsay Marie, married a Jamaican-born Rastafarian in May 2013. Rastas believe marijuana is a religious sacrament.

Boehner reiterated his opposition to legalization as recently as September 2015. Nearly half a million people were arrested for selling weed during Boehner's term as speaker from 2011-2015, Quartz reported.

"I have concluded descheduling the drug is needed so that we can do research and allow the VA to offer it as a treatment option in the fight against the opioid epidemic that is ravaging our communities," he said.

Spokesman David Schnittger said Boehner's evolving position has been the result of close study after leaving office.

Nine states plus Washington have legalized recreational use of the drug, and many others allow some sort of medical use. The Justice Department has been prohibited from using federal funds to target state-legal medical marijuana businesses since 2014.

Boehner is joined on the board of advisers by former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, a Republican who left office in 1997 and was former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson's running mate in 2016 on the Libertarian party ticket. As governor, Weld advocated for medical marijuana legalization since 1992.

It is unknown whether Boehner or Weld holds a paid position on the board. Acreage Holdings spokesman Lewis Goldberg declined to discuss salary or benefits of its executives. Weld told Bloomberg he was considering an investment in the company.

Legal marijuana sales topped $9 billion in 2017, according to one industry estimate. Worldwide, legal marijuana could be a $57 billion industry by 2027, according to a report by Arcview Market Research.

Weld, a former federal prosecutor, said the conventional wisdom about marijuana during the Reagan administration was that it acted as a "gateway drug" to more harmful substances.

"Now there's some evidence that it can become an exit drug" and an alternative to opioid addiction, which has become the primary public-health concern in Massachusetts, Weld said in an interview with the Post.

Weld said his advocacy will likely find appeal among conservatives who champion state laws to regulate issues without federal interference. A number of Republican lawmakers criticized a recent move by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to roll back a long-standing policy of federal noninterference with state-legal recreational marijuana laws.

Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project, told the New York Times that Boehner "should be actively working to reform federal marijuana laws to allow states to determine their own policies, rather than just consulting with a business to navigate the conflicts between state and federal law."

In a joint statement, Boehner and Weld focused on a long-standing concern among veterans and advocacy groups  federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, the same as heroin and ecstasy.

Current prohibitions have stymied research at Veterans Affairs to evaluate the drug's efficacy in treating post-traumatic stress and physical pain as the result of military service, then-VA Secretary David Shulkin said earlier this year. Critics of restrictions say a tangle of federal laws that regulate research and funding has confused the VA and lawmakers on what it can evaluate.

Veterans advocating for decriminalizing marijuana have spoken with Boehner in the past, Schnittger said. "It was an argument he heard as a member, considered, and never dismissed," he said.

Descheduling cannabis would not legalize it nationally, but it would end federal marijuana enforcement and allow states to set their own marijuana policies without federal interference.

Polls show that more than 60 percent of Americans favor legalizing marijuana completely, with well over 90 percent in favor of legal medical use. Democrats eyeing a 2020 presidential run have grown increasingly vocal about the shortcomings of current federal law, and the cannabis industry has stepped up lobbying lawmakers in both parties.

Acreage Holdings, a main player in the increasingly white-collar marijuana trade, will expand its research initiatives among universities as it seeks to "demystify" cannabis, chief executive Kevin Murphy told the Post. The company cultivates, processes and distributes marijuana in the growing, billion-dollar industry, according to its site.

The company focused on veterans in its messaging, because they are "passionate" about broadening marijuana options available to former troops, Murphy said.

The American Legion, the largest veterans group in the country, found in a 2017 survey that veterans overwhelmingly support marijuana use for medical reasons. About 22 percent of veterans' households said they use weed for medical reasons.

Altieri said he hopes Boehner will use his influence within the GOP to extend acceptance of marijuana, which may lead to legalization laws for veterans and nonveterans alike. The VA has said 20 veterans commit suicide every day.

"Think of the number of veterans who could've had relief sooner," he said.
I don't vote because people died 50 years ago to secure my right to the ballot. I vote because people are dying right now.

I vote because systems of oppression speak loudest when their victims are silent. I vote because the fight for equal rights is ongoing. I vote because with each underfunded school, and each unjust police shooting, and each loan denied on the basis of race, the danger blacks face is increased.

Faced with that reality, I've often looked out on the political landscape in search of allies. But what I've found is a substantial portion of my countrymen fighting hard to deny me full citizenship, and an equal number who are complicit through their silence. In times like these, America must decide what it wants to be. Such a decision can only be made through our one common tool  the vote.

But black voter turnout, which reached a record 66.6 percent in the 2012 reelection of President Obama, fell in the 2016 election, to 59.6 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. It was the first time in 20 years that the black voter turnout rate had fallen in a presidential election.

I believe some of this is a result of the absence of Obama, whose very presence at the top of the Democratic ticket was a symbolic victory for black voters who viewed Obama as a symbol of black achievement.

Jay McCalla, a political commentator who served in senior positions under then-mayors Ed Rendell and John Street, agrees.

"I'd bet money the black vote was far less excited about voting for Hillary Clinton than they were President Obama," McCalla told me. "Voting for Obama was like voting for ourselves. Each time I voted for him, I just loved it. It was not possible to transfer our proud tribal loyalty from our handsome, young king, to someone so opposite of what gratified us."

There were other elements, as well, including a yearslong effort to suppress the black vote through legislative maneuvers and rule changes. In order to effectively do so, the Voting Rights Act, which prevented states from implementing discriminatory voting rules, had to be gutted.

That happened in 2013, when the Supreme Court, in a case called Shelby v. Holder, scrapped the Voting Rights Act's requirement that states with histories of voting discrimination get federal permission before changing election laws.

Thus, counties in states such as North Carolina were able to tweak the rules on early voting to effectively disenfranchise people of color, poor people and students  people who were more likely to vote Democrat. Other states like Georgia were able to close or move polling places to decrease voting numbers.

Thousands were purged from the voter rolls in states like Ohio. The state police were used to seize thousands of voter registration forms in Indiana.

However, conservative Republicans and their efforts to suppress votes are not solely to blame. Democrats who speak of racial equality but do little to make it a reality are also to blame. In a political atmosphere where Democrats walk the fine line between gaining black support and losing white support, their words too often ring hollow, and their action is too often nonexistent.

That leaves black, brown and poor voters in a place where they know the importance of the vote, but too often, they don't see its effectiveness. And they are therefore ambivalent about participating in the process.

"Black political empowerment is a function of access to and intentional use of the ballot," said Nyron N. Crawford, assistant professor of political science at Temple University. "This has not always translated into policy change, but it has increased representation in government and even helped to grow the black middle class."

What Crawford does not say is that, for many of us, increased representation and a bigger black middle class is no longer sufficient.

We want equality across the board, not only for ourselves, but also for every American.

But that will require a reset. It will require us to reject the patronizing policies of liberal politicians who offer platitudes and nothing more. It will require us to fight the classism behind conservative political polices that hurt the working poor, no matter what color they are.

It will require us to engage. That's why I've decided to take to the streets and register my fellow Philadelphians to vote. However, I realize that's not enough.

"We have to do more than vote," McCalla said. "We have to show up. We have to show up at community meetings and City Hall. Our powers sits before us in the voting booth, we have only to seek our own minds and grab that power."

To which I can only say, Amen.

Solomon Jones will join with Praise 107.9 FM and the League of Women Voters for a voter registration drive at the Municipal Services Building 1401 JFK Boulevard on Friday, April 13, from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Solomon Jones is the author of 10 books. Listen to him weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon on Praise 107.9 FM. Email him at sj@solomonjones.com. On Twitter: @solomonjones1
Cheese can be a snack, an appetizer  even an elegant dessert. But it shouldn't be intimidating. And, experts say, putting together a restaurant-quality cheese board shouldn't be intimidating, either.

Claire Adler, cheese director for Tria restaurants, said at-home entertainers need not be discouraged by photos of lavish displays they see on Pinterest. Composing a cheese plate, she said, can be simplified by following a few guidelines for navigating the infinite number of cheeses and condiments available in stores and at farmers' markets.

Adler recommends a minimalist approach. Five cheeses, four condiments, maybe sliced bread on the side.

"You see a lot on Instagram of these beautiful cheese boards stuffed with fruits and nuts and jams," she said. "I like fresh fruit, too, but sometimes it can distract." She prefers a tidy board with contained garnishes that let the cheese take center stage.

"I just think it's nicer for the cheeses," she said.

Hunter Fike, merchandising and category manager at Di Bruno Bros., said a cheese plate should have at least three options, ideally five to cover all the families: a fresh cheese, meaning one that has not been aged; a washed rind ("stinky" to some); a medium-aged; one firm or hard selection; and an aged variety such as Gouda.

Adler said five is the magic number because it doesn't overwhelm.

"I think that once it gets to be more than five, you're not really paying attention," she said. "It gets harder to remember what you enjoyed."

Cheese should be stored in parchment paper or cheese paper, never in plastic wrap or Ziploc bags, because those don't let the cheese breathe, Adler said. Blue cheese should be stored in foil to contain the mold.

Cheese is best enjoyed at room temperature, Adler said, in portions allowing for about one ounce of each cheese per person, unless the platter offers more than five choices. Cheeses are typically arranged from mild to wild so the intensity builds.

Adler started with a light chevre, a goat cheese with a fluffy texture and a hint of fresh lemon. She chose Westfield Farm Capri from Massachusetts, but said substitutes like Shellback Sharp and Vermont Creamery's fresh chevre are carried at Di Bruno Bros., Whole Foods, and other stores.

Fike started with burrata, a fresh cheese that is essentially a shell of mozzarella wrapped around whipped mozzarella.

"You could call burrata 'mozzarella squared,' " he said.

Adler's second selection was a cremeux de Bourgogne, a triple creme Brie-style cow's milk cheese from France. Many triple cremes can be found locally, such as the delice de Borgogne, available at Di Bruno's. The cheese is silky and a little sweet, and oozes when cut.

"I always tell people to embrace the messy, especially with a triple creme," she said. "There's no neat way of doing it."

Fike next recommended Taleggio, a semisoft cheese with some funk and undertones of mushroom that can even be used in a grilled cheese sandwich, followed by raclette, cheese with a pliable texture that goes with most condiment pairings.

For her third cheese, Adler chose a wedge of pepito, a goat's milk cheese studded with whole peppercorns, from Yellow Springs Farm in Chester Springs. It might not always be available, so Adler said any other tomme or tomme-style cheeses would work as substitutes. To get the peppercorn flavor, she suggested a trip to the Italian Market for Pecorino pepato, a crumbly sheep's milk cheese.

Dutch Gouda cheeses are crowd-pleasers, Adler said. Her choice is Klaverkaas Estate, but her favorite substitutes are Isabella, Boerenkaas, Marieke, Prima Donna, and the locally produced St. Malachi from the Farm at Doe Run, all available at stores like Whole Foods.

Fike suggested L'amuse Gouda, the top-selling cheese at Di Bruno's, for its crunchy, sweet, faintly caramel flavor.

Adler's final selection was a salty, smooth Gorgonzola cremificato from Italy, an accessible introduction for those who might not normally like blue cheeses. For similar "gateway" blues, she suggested exploring the Italian Market or Gorgonzola dolce from Di Bruno's, which has a fudgy texture that appeals to a range of palates.

Fike's final choice was Chiriboga blue, a German attempt at making Roquefort that turned into something sweeter, with hints of vanilla. He said it pairs well with Di Bruno's cocoa-and-cinnamon-seasoned pecans, but that they are second to the best condiment: meat.

"We hear people ask for jam, but the No. 1 go-to is actually charcuterie," he said. "Some sliced salami, some ham. Those salty flavors."

Meats aside, Fike recommended fig jam as a versatile seasoning for cheeses salty and sweet. For the same reason, Adler said she would never have a cheese plate without honey. Fig jam would complement blue cheese or Taleggio, both said.

Most cheese is salty and fatty, so a sweet taste helps break that down. But it also adds to the flavor of sweeter cheeses. Adler suggested using cherries poached in beer, or another type of fruit compote or chutney. She'd pair the fruit with the Brie-style cheese, because it's the fattiest cheese and the sweetest condiment.

Adler paired candied pecans with the chevre, honey with the pepito, and cherries with the Gouda. Fike said Di Bruno's Black Lava cashews, toasted in toffee and sprinkled with Hawaiian salt, complement Gouda's taste as well.

No fancy cheese tools are required for serving, Adler said, just a few sharp knives. The only tool she recommended was a cheese wire to slice through softer cheeses, making a clean cut with minimal surface contact. Even dental floss would work as a substitute, she said, provided it's unscented.

Cut along the natural lines of the cheeses as a rule, Adler said, making slices out of a wheel of cheese, carving crosswise pieces out of a wedge, and long, narrow slices out of softer, pie-shape cheeses. That means no cutting the nose off the end of a slice of Brie.

"Please don't do that," Adler said.

Want to add a charcuterie board to the table?

Try these tips, courtesy of Claire Adler and the rest of the Tria staff.
Flu tests can come with high costs, depending on how many conditions are being looked for. Read more

Vince Amalfitano isn't one to rush to the doctor's office every time his kid sniffles. But when 12-year-old Christopher's fever climbed past 102 and with nightly news horror stories of flu deaths swirling in his mind, the Montgomery County father decided it was time for a trip to the family pediatrician.

It turned out that Christopher did have the flu  the diagnosis was confirmed by a flu test ordered by the doctor. But the pharmacy was out of Tamiflu, the antiviral medication the doctor prescribed, so Christopher rode out the bug with lots of fluids and bed rest.

Christopher was back to school and running around outside when the virus hit the family again  this time, in the wallet. Quest Diagnostics had billed the family's insurance plan $887 for the flu test and the insurer had written down the charge to $400.

"If I would have known that test cost $887 or 400 bucks, I would have said, 'What does this test do and is there another option,' " said Amalfitano, 52, of Upper Pottsgrove. "The problem is there's no information out there."

Its awkward

The flu test Christopher received was called a respiratory viral panel, a newer product that tests for 12 to 20 flu-like illnesses. Doctors like it because it is often more accurate than the older rapid flu tests and more effective in finding out what's wrong with a patient, if not the flu. But testing for more than a dozen different illnesses makes these tests more expensive and, for many patients, may not make a significant difference in their treatment. After all, the recommendation for most flu patients who are not at risk of complications is extra rest and increased fluids.

High-deductible plans, which require members to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket before coverage kicks in, are making people more aware of  and sensitive to  the cost of health services, and forcing people to consider a new question when deciding on their care: Is the price worth it?

"It's awkward, especially when your child is involved," said Thomas Fekete, an infectious-disease specialist and chair of internal medicine at Temple University Hospital. "You don't want to be perceived as not caring. It becomes a lot of complicated social things weaving among the medical ones."

Too often, Fekete said, doctors don't know the cost of the test or procedure they're ordering.

Prices change and each patient's out-of-pocket cost will vary, depending on the insurance plan.

He recommends patients call their insurance provider to try to find out in advance what a prescribed test, service or medication will cost, whenever possible, and to not be afraid to call back the doctor's office if they're concerned about cost.

"Doctors forget that patients don't know until they have the test done what it's going to cost," he said. "It's a little more work for the patient, but obviously this sticker shock is no treat, either."

Most doctors are willing to talk about alternatives if patients broach the topic, he said.

Is the price worth it?

Amalfitano said it didn't faze him when Christopher's doctor ordered a flu test because he couldn't imagine it costing more than $10 or $20.

He brought his $400 bill to Philly Health Costs, a price transparency project by the Philadelphia Inquirer and 6ABC Action News, because he didn't understand why the test would cost so much, and wished he'd known more about it beforehand.

The cost of flu tests varies significantly, in part because there are different types of tests a doctor can order to diagnose the flu.

CVS's MinuteClinic charges $70 for the rapid flu test, which tests for Influenza A and B, the two common strains of the flu, according to the pharmacy's website. The test returns results quickly and when it says you have the flu, you have the flu. But it is known for a high rate of false negatives  leaving patients who have the flu undiagnosed.

That's why newer, so-called panels that test for a range of illnesses with similar symptoms are becoming more popular, said Holly Batterman, a laboratory medical director for Quest Diagnostics.

"Basically, it provides additional information to the physician," Batterman said. "If you learn the person doesn't have the flu, but does have adenovirus, that might be helpful."

The sophistication of these tests is reflected in their cost.

Christopher's doctor sent a swab from his nose for testing at Quest Diagnostics, which billed the family's insurance plan $887 for the respiratory viral panel. The insurer, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, wrote down the charge to $400.

The Amalfitanos have a high-deductible plan and paid the $400 out of pocket.

"This is definitely going to change my perspective going to the doctor's going forward," Amalfitano said. "I will know to ask the question."

But, he said, he's not sure he'll necessarily fare better, because knowing how much a health service costs is only half the battle. Deciding whether the test or service is truly necessary and whether it's worth the price can be difficult for both patients and doctors.

Sometimes doctors order tests out of precaution, while patients may sometimes seek out unnecessary tests because they want to feel that some action is being taken to improve their health or their child's health, said Tyree Winters, a pediatrician in Summit, N.J.

The flu is a perennial example, he said.

For most patients who come in with the flu, Winters recommends rest and fluids, and a close watch on symptoms.

He reserves the flu test and prescriptions of Tamiflu, the oral medication to treat flu symptoms, for high-risk patients, such as children with heart or lung conditions.

"It has its place; however, it can be overused," Winters said. "It can be overused not only based off the provider, but overused based off the desire or request of the families or the patient."

The antiviral needs to be taken within 48 hours of the first signs of infection to be most effective and reduces the duration of flu symptoms by about a day. That could be significant for a patient who is at risk of serious complications from the flu, but may not be worth the potential side effects of nausea and vomiting for an otherwise healthy patient.

Amalfitano said he didn't ask for the flu test.

Would he have agreed to the test had he known more about its usefulness and cost? Maybe not.

In hindsight, with his son now healthy, it's easy to say the test wasn't worth the price, Amalfitano said.

At the same time, what if Christopher had gotten sicker and the family was no closer to knowing what was wrong?

"It's sort of a Catch-22," he said. "I'm looking at it from the flip side  it was just the flu and it was nothing big  but it is sort of a conundrum."

Lets talk about Philly Health Costs

Join the Inquirer's Sarah Gantz and 6ABC Action News reporter Nydia Han at 1 p.m. April 18 on Facebook Live for a conversation about health-care costs, and the main issues our readers are facing. Just "like" Philly.com or 6ABC on Facebook, and you'll get an alert when the program begins. Can't be there? Look for a recording on both pages later.
Technically speaking, it's nearly impossible to see a film these days.

Movies abound; on multiplex screens, devices from the handheld to the wall-mounted, and streaming services, you could conceivably watch a movie every minute of the day, no matter where you are. But over the last decade, digital has become the medium of choice, making it increasingly rare to find the opportunity to see actual film flickering through a projector at 24 frames per second.

This weekend, the Ambler Theater will offer classic film buffs and curious binge-watchers the opportunity to experience the joys of celluloid at the first 35mm Film Festival. The two-day program celebrates the return of classic reel-to-reel projectors to the theater following its 2013 conversion to digital.

"Luckily we've entered a moment where there's reinvigorated interest in 35 millimeter, much like vinyl or other older analog technologies," says Michael Kamison, associate programmer for Renew Theaters. "Digital is clearly the way of the future, but we always knew that we would want to reinstall these projectors in order to show films on film and use it as a teaching moment for film history."

The festival opens on Friday night with Cinema Paradiso, the 1990 Italian Oscar winner about a film projectionist that Kamison calls "a welcoming love letter to cinema and to film itself as a medium." On Saturday evening, it will conclude with screenings of the Gregory Peck/Audrey Hepburn classic Roman Holiday and a late-night screening of the Ed Wood anti-classic Plan 9 from Outer Space, often dubbed the worst movie ever made.

Earlier on Saturday, local film historian and preservationist Lou DiCrescenzo will present a program of Technicolor animated shorts intended to show off the radiant colors of the obsolete color process.

>> Read more: In the Netflix age, some small suburban theaters have found success. A Wayne theater is still looking

That will be followed by Dying of the Light, a documentary about the fade-out of 35mm projection and those diehard few  including DiCrescenzo, one of the film's subjects  fighting its looming extinction.

"Digital's here to stay and it looks fine for what it is," DiCrescenzo shrugs. "But it's really just glorified TV. It's a video presentation. I try to keep the old film alive."

A veteran projectionist who got his start in the mid-'60s, riding the bus from his home in Yardley to movie theaters in Trenton, DiCrescenzo fell in love with film at an early age. His father was a home movie enthusiast, so young Lou watched his childhood play out on a big screen at home. "I always liked to see the gears and the reels spin on the machine," he recalls. "That's how I got started."

In the half century since he got his start in the projection booth, DiCrescenzo has amassed one of the largest collections of original film prints and projection equipment in the world. Items from his collection have been donated to the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum of the Moving Image.

There are those who would argue that film is an antiquated medium, that prints age, colors fade, and images get riddled with scratches.

DiCrescenzo shoots down such protests, however.

"If it's handled properly, nothing gets scratched," he insists. "See, I started 55 years ago when we had the same picture in the theater for six months and you had to know how to run it and not scratch it. That all got dumbed down in the last 20 years when we put unprofessional people in the booth because film companies didn't want to pay anybody."

As for the faded pink tinge that so many old color films take on with age, that's not a problem for the original Technicolor process, which overlaid three images with primary color dyes to achieve vivid, unreal colors that never fade  another victim of Hollywood cost cutting.

DiCrescenzo is hardly a purist, despite his love and advocacy for vintage formats. He continues to work as a digital programmer for the AMC Theatres chain. "I'm a 2018 guy as much as I'm an 1897 guy," he jokes. "You have to adapt. But there's still a great history lesson to be learned from what we did in the past."

That's Kamison's hope for the festival, which he plans to make an annual event, as well as more regular 35mm screenings at the Ambler.

"We want [the festival] to be entertaining and fun," he says. "But we really want people to interact with film history before it's an entirely lost art."
He meets with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha after paying his respects at the National Cemetery in Seoul on Wednesday morning. He will then pay a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in and also meet with National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon to be briefed on how Seoul is preparing for an inter-Korean summit slated for April 27.

It is the first time in two years and four months that a Japanese foreign minister has visited Seoul, and the first time in 14 years that one has visited the National Cemetery.

Diplomatic sources said Kono is worried that Japan could be left out of talks on the Korean Peninsula.

He is expected to relay a request from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for Moon to bring up the matter of Japanese victims of North Korean abductions in the 1970s and 1980s when Moon meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

He will also urge Seoul to keep up sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang until it dismantles its nuclear weapons.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk only told reporters that Kang and Kono "will exchange opinions on matters of mutual concern."

A trilateral Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo summit will be held in Tokyo around May 9.


Superintendent Amy Sichel sits with the Abington school board during its meeting April 10, 2018, with residents questioning the $25 million donation from Wall Street billionaire and alum Stephen Schwarzman. Read more

Abington School District leaders pledged transparency and apologized profusely at a packed school board meeting Tuesday night for their handling of a $25 million gift from Wall Street billionaire Stephen Schwarzman and the now-abandoned plan to rename the high school after him  but the sometimes angry crowd was left hanging for at least one more day to hear some key details.

Superintendent Amy Sichel and board members revealed details of a new deal with Schwarzman for his donation but said the old agreement  which included the renaming and was approved by the board on March 27 with little community input  would not be posted online until Wednesday morning. The posting also will include extensive details about a foundation created in 2017 to receive Schwarzman's donation.

"We'll vote on the agreement after we've received your comment  that should have happened two weeks ago," School Board President Raymond McGarry told a standing-room-only crowd of about 300 people at the Abington Junior High School Little Theater. "For that we are profoundly sorry. Transparency in government is critical. When government leaders are not transparent, the public loses faith in them."

Despite the stream of apologies for what McGarry called "a drastic error in judgment," a lengthy presentation on the high school renovation that would be partly funded by Schwarzman's gift was interrupted several times by angry attendees.

"This is horrendous," one woman shouted out during the presentation. "You are here to hear us tonight. If you want us on your side, you have to listen to us."

Another soon yelled out, "These billionaires need to pay more taxes!"

"I'm still really emotional about anyone changing our name without our consent," Gwen Vance, a 1980 Abington High graduate, said during the public comment section. "Help me understand how you can make such a monumental decision without even asking."

Alumni, parents, and other district stakeholders have also expressed outrage that the district had refused to release the initial agreement with Schwarzman that was voted on last month, and have pressed to learn more details about the nonprofit foundation created last year to receive the gift  including the makeup of the foundation board, and any other stipulations that came with the billionaire's money.

Sichel and other district officials had said public disclosure of the original agreement with Schwarzman was under "legal review." Meanwhile, the revised agreement with the donor  which was discussed briefly Tuesday and should soon appear online  is expected to be voted on at an April 24 board meeting.

McGarry had strong words of praise for Schwarzman and his commitment to Abington schools, echoed by Sichel and other board members. Added McGarry: "Whatever Schwarzman's beliefs are, and whoever his friends are, is not relevant to this gift." Schwarzman is a friend of President Trump.

The brouhaha wasn't exactly what district leaders expected when they announced in February that Schwarzman, a 1965 graduate of the high school, who has acquired a net worth of more than $12 billion as co-founder and CEO of the Blackstone Group private equity firm, was making the $25 million gift.

Both Sichel and Schwarzman hailed the donation, which will help pay for the renovation of the high school and a new science and technology center, as a model for how public schools could tap into private donations from wealthy alumni.

But any goodwill dissipated with the March 27 vote to rename the high school as Abington Schwarzman High School  a stipulation that was not disclosed right away. After more than 1,500 parents, alumni, and others signed a Change.org petition criticizing the name change, the district and the donor agreed to cancel it, and Sichel apologized in a subsequent letter for how the matter was handled.

But that didn't end complaints from people who questioned why the philanthropic organization created more than a year ago to handle Schwarzman's gift  the Foundation for Abington School District  had not been previously disclosed, and whether the billionaire had placed restrictions on how his money could be spent. Some also complained more broadly about the privatization of public education as well as controversial past remarks that Schwarzman has made about taxes and teacher salaries.

David Brooks, a 2000 Abington alumnus, drew applause at the meeting when he asked, "When are the next elections?"

He said the board's March 27 vote was either "brazen" or "sneaky" or just "stupid," and asked what other things besides the high school renaming were in the first pact. The district solicitor, Kenneth Roos, said there were some provisions about honoring other members of Schwarzman's family but offered no other specifics.

Not all the attendees were critical. Chuck Gesing, a math teacher with three children, said "maybe it wasn't handled picture perfect," but Schwarzman's donation would benefit Abington's children.

Vince Volz, a parent of three children who attend or graduated from Abington public schools, said Tuesday that he had lodged a formal complaint with Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro this month asking him to investigate the Schwarzman donation and how it was handled.

"I think the attorney general should at least review all these big contributions that go to public schools to make sure the money is going where it should be going," said Volz, who expressed concern about any possible stipulations on what can be taught. Joe Grace, a spokesman for the attorney general, said Shapiro's office would look into the complaint.
If you ever wanted to spend a night at Bam Margera's house, your chance is coming up soon, and you won't even have to break in naked in the middle of the night, like one woman did in 2012.

The Jackass star's West Chester home is under renovation as part of a plan to list the property on Airbnb, Margera's mother, April, said in a phone interview. She has been hard at work, rehabbing the property with a two-man crew for more than a month and hopes to list the house for rental by early summer.

"People have been wanting to come to Bam's house, so we decided we'd put it up," April said. "It looks great on film, but the wallpaper's taken a hit, and it needed painting badly."

Known as "Castle Bam," the house at 435 Hickory Hill Rd. in West Chester was made famous on MTV's Viva La Bam in the early 2000s. Many of the show's antics took place in or around Castle Bam, and Margera even dedicated an episode to moving into the house in 2004. He promptly painted much of it purple and installed amenities including a so-called pirate bar, which is being redesigned in the renovation.

"I don't know about anybody else, but I'm over the purple," April said.

According to West Chester public records, Margera bought the house in 2004 for $1.2 million. A 2003 real estate listing for it indicates it is 4,200 square feet, has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, and sits on 14 acres. Today, the property is also home to an indoor skatepark, a swimming pool, and a band practice space used by CKY, which features drumming by Margera's brother Jess.

"It's not going to look like the show set," April said of the new Castle Bam, "but there are a lot of amenities there that people might be interested in in this area."

The house has been empty since Margera and wife Nicole Boyd moved to a house about six miles away last year in preparation for the arrival of son Phoenix Wolf. Since then, items from Viva La Bam's 40-person production team had been left to gather dust alongside items left behind by touring bands and friends who had used the house over time. Cleaning up that mess, April said, has been a large part of the renovation.

"There are 'heartagrams' all over the place, and I don't know what to keep and what not to," she said, referring to Bam's signature logo combining a heart and a pentagram, formerly used by the Finnish goth rock band HIM. The work has been so intense, April said, that she believes all the sanding and cleaning gave her laryngitis.

Still, she said her son's decision to leave the house was wise, because it wasn't "a good situation for him."

"It was almost like he was living on a show set, and the whole show left and he was left behind," she said. "I told Bam it might be a bad idea to sell it right now. He's got a little son, and he might want to see it one day. As long as you can kind of rent it out, it will help pay taxes, and that's about it."

As part of the rehabbing, April plans to style the space with renovated furniture and decor from her business, Rose Hip Barn, which she began in 2011. Guests will be able to buy the items during their stay.

April says Margera has been staying in California, where he was arrested on DUI charges this year and later checked into a rehabilitation facility, although he was recently home for an Easter visit. In 2016, VH1's Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn detailed the skateboarder's trouble with drinking. Last year, he told Inquirer reporter Jason Nark that the death of friend Ryan Dunn in 2011 set him down a destructive path from which he has been trying to recover.

"He went to rehab, and he has embraced his sobriety," April said. "We're really proud of him. He's moving forward, and he takes it one day at a time."
Actor and comedian Bill Cosby arrives for the third day of the retrial of his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania on April 11, 2018. POOL PHOTO  Dominick Reuter/AFP Read more

One said she came to testify because "I want to see a serial rapist convicted."

Another, after recounting alleged abuse three decades ago, interrupted the judge to turn toward the 80-year-old entertainer and say, "You remember, don't you, Mr. Cosby?"

A third lashed out at a defense lawyer: "If you want to twist my words around to say that I was never raped, then you are incorrect, sir."

Bill Cosby is not on trial for sexually assaulting any of them, but the three women called to the witness stand Wednesday took full advantage of their chance to finally confront him across a courtroom.

Heidi Thomas, Chelan Lasha, and Janice Baker-Kinney all said Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted them in the 1980s.

The statute of limitations on their allegations expired long ago. But it was their emotional statements, delivered under oath and in front of dozens of reporters in the Norristown courtroom, that drew perhaps the most attention  and legal wrangling.

Cosby's lawyers twice during the testimony asked Judge Steven T. O'Neill to declare a mistrial, citing the witness outbursts. He declined.

Before the retrial ends, two more accusers  in addition to Andrea Constand, whom Cosby is charged with drugging and assaulting  will have their own moments to air sexual misconduct claims against the entertainer once known and trusted as "America's Dad."

Lasha, of Palmdale, Calif., was tearful from the moment she took the stand and stated her name. Letting out loud sobs between words, she said she was 17 and an aspiring model when she met Cosby in 1986. He visited her grandparents' home in Las Vegas, called her and her grandmother on the phone, and eventually invited her to the Elvis Presley Suite at the Las Vegas Hilton to pose for modeling photos.

She had a cold that day, Lasha said, and after a photographer took pictures of her, Cosby offered her what he said was an antihistamine, along with a shot of amaretto. He told her it would help with her cough, she said, and she took it "because I trusted him."

She said she became woozy and Cosby helped her to a bed, where he lay next to her, grabbed her breasts, humped her and grunted. She said she felt something warm hit her leg and was unable to speak.

"Dr. Huxtable wouldn't do this," Lasha recalled thinking, a reference to the sitcom character Cosby made famous. "You said you were going to help me. What are you doing to me?"

When Cosby woke her up later, she said, she was undressed. She said she left the hotel and went to her high school guidance counselor's house to tell her what happened.

Lasha often grew emotional during her nearly three hours on the stand. At one point, she sobbed so loudly while O'Neill addressed an issue with the lawyers that the judge stopped to remind jurors that a witness' emotions and demeanor should not be considered evidence.

Cosby sat quietly throughout her testimony, at times leaning back in his chair and resting his hand on his chin. When Lasha interrupted the judge to address him directly  asking "You remember, don't you, Mr. Cosby?"  the defendant smiled slightly.

Lasha's account came after Thomas, 58, a music teacher from Colorado, finished telling jurors about the 1984 trip to Reno, Nev., where she says Cosby drugged and assaulted her during an acting lesson. But unlike Lasha, Thomas smiled and remained upbeat and composed on the witness stand  even as she described him as a "serial rapist."

Thomas said she decided to publicly air her allegations against Cosby in January 2015, as other women were sharing their own accusations.

"I hadn't told anybody anything," she said. "And when I determined that these women were not being believed, I wanted to support them."

She also later sent a Facebook message to Constand, telling her that she had her back.

Asked about that message Wednesday, Thomas said simply: "I never would have believed I would be here."

Wednesday's testimony concluded with Baker-Kinney, a 60-year-old California resident who told jurors that she was working as a bartender at Harrah's Casino in Reno in the early 1980s when she went with a friend to visit Cosby at a nearby home. He gave her a Quaalude, which she said she took willingly because she had taken one before at parties. He then gave her a second pill and told her that "it will be OK," she said.

Baker-Kinney said she blacked out while playing backgammon with Cosby, and awoke on the couch and heard her friend leaving. Her pants and shirt were unbuttoned, she said, and Cosby sat and groped her on the couch before taking her upstairs.

She said her next memory is waking up the following morning in bed with Cosby, and they were both naked.

"There was a sticky wetness between my legs and it felt like that I had had sex the night before," she said.

Cosby's lawyers did their best to challenge the stories of all three women: They questioned Lasha about a 2007 conviction for making a false report to police, interrogated Thomas about the many media interviews she gave in the last few years, and pressed Baker-Kinney about her history of drug use and alcoholism.

Baker-Kinney's exchange with Cosby lawyer Tom Mesereau grew heated when he asked why she had not realized she was raped by Cosby until other accusers came forward. She accused him of trying to "twist my words." She also said she always blamed herself for taking pills from Cosby.

"It still takes me everything within my being to say the words, 'I was raped,'" she said, "because I still carry the guilt. Back then, there was no acquaintance rape or date rape or anything like that. I didn't have that verbiage."

She is expected to return to the stand Thursday morning.

Keep up with every development in Bill Cosby's case with our day-by-day recaps, timeline, and explainer on everything you need to know about the case and its major players.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. Read more

The 2008 financial crisis made the phrase "too big to fail" a part of common parlance. Until now, it's been used mainly to describe financial institutions that have become so vital to our system that their collapse could take down the larger economy. When these institutions run into trouble, the government feels obliged to step in  and it has.

Following Mark Zuckerberg's testimony on Capitol Hill, one wonders: Is Facebook trying to take the "too big to fail" designation for itself? One of Zuckerberg's messages seemed to be that his social network is so systemically important, the government should leave it alone.

The Facebook chief executive continued to make a glowing case for the importance of his platform. In earlier interviews, he mused on the "philosophical question" of helming a community of more than 2 billion active users, and about his "social mission" of connecting the world in new ways.

Before Congress, he went further, painting a picture of the platform as all but essential to the functioning of the United States. "After Hurricane Harvey, people raised more than $20 million for relief," he said. "And more than 70 million small businesses now use Facebook to grow and create jobs." While Zuckerberg apologized for the mistakes the company has made, he made clear that he views it as his responsibility  and no one else's  to fix them.

Many members of Congress appeared willing to accept Zuckerberg's reasoning. It's easy to see why they might. The majority of those asking questions weren't necessarily familiar enough with Facebook's technology to suggest any specific regulation to secure user data in advance of the next Cambridge Analytica-style scandal, or to prevent a new infestation of Russian bots.

Perhaps more important, they seemed to buy into the myth of Facebook's importance and the inevitability of its growing influence. In his opening statement, Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R., S.D.) said, "Today's hearings are extraordinary.  But then, Facebook is pretty extraordinary." Later, Sen. Roy Blunt (R., Mo.) waxed nostalgic about how his were the first Senate business cards printed with a Facebook address, and how today his young son was already a dedicated user of Instagram, another Facebook-owned platform.

Yes, there were questions about what the company should change or what it should have reported earlier. But few bothered to wonder whether the platform was worth all the trouble it had caused, or whether it was time for a major shift in how it operates  its revenue model, its data collection methods, its end goal of world connection.

That's a mistake. Facebook may tout itself as an idealistic operation, connecting humans across the globe for the greater good, but its business model is based on monetizing as much personal data as possible. In essence, the company has ushered in a new era of what is essentially personal surveillance for profit.

Facebook may be making itself safer or more secure, but it hasn't answered the question of whether we should continue to interact with it at all. Congress should remember that the social network is not too big to be punished for prior bad actions. It's not too big to be tightly regulated by experts. And it's not too big to be reformed in ways that could help us all.

In Europe, plans for a consumer-oriented regulatory scheme are underway, to be implemented next month. And as my Washington Post colleague Anne Applebaum has noted, Zuckerberg seems agreeable to having the European Union General Data Protection Regulation suggest changes to his site.

Clearly, Facebook's not too big to accept orders, and it's not too big to pivot when needed. After this week's hearings, Congress should begin to look past Facebook's bluster about its size and importance and begin to push for real legislative remedies to the social network's problems, rather than leaving them to the site's users to deal with after the fact.

Facebook may be big, but it's not too big to fail.

Christine Emba writes for the Washington Post. Twitter: @ChristineEmba
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Center City, along with the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, will remain the single academic medical center for the dramatically expanded Jefferson Health, according to a new bond offering statement. Read more

As part of the realignment of services in the 14-hospital network Thomas Jefferson University has assembled since 2015, the nonprofit health system projected this week that it will eliminate more than 400, or at least 16 percent, of its staffed hospital beds in the next two to four years.

In a preliminary bond offering statement published this week, Jefferson said it has 2,509 staffed beds and expects the number to decline to fewer than 2,100.

"The simple fact is there are going to be a lot fewer hospital beds in this country," Jefferson president and chief executive Stephen K. Klasko said in an interview last month, referring to predictions that the number of hospital beds nationwide will decline 20 to 25 percent over an unspecified time period.

Asked for a comment on potential job cuts, a Jefferson spokesman said: "We believe the investments in innovation we are making today could very well mean even more jobs in the region in the future, despite the reduction in inpatient beds."

Jefferson's bond offering statement to raise $485 million also published the first details on the broad structure of the dramatically expanded Jefferson. It did not reflect the preliminary deal for Jefferson to acquire Einstein Health Network, which has 965 licensed beds.

"Jefferson Health plans to support a single academic medical center," which is comprised of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, both in Center City, the pitch to potential bond investors said.

Abington Memorial Hospital and Jefferson/New Jersey  Washington Township would serve as "regional referral centers." In addition, the system would be organized into "two community hospital centers, four 'connected' community hospitals, three specialty hospitals and micro hospitals," the prospectus said. It did not provide details on which of the smaller hospitals fit into each category.

Since Jan. 1, Jefferson has been operating profitably. That has reduced the organizations operating loss for the first eight months of the fiscal year ending June 30 to $10.4 million. For the first six months of fiscal 2018, Jefferson had an operating loss of $27.9 million.
An 8-year-old Montgomery County child and an adult member of the same household are the latest confirmed regional cases of the mumps, a county spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The child was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and found to have swelling of salivary glands, a common symptom of the mumps. The youngster was up to date with the recommended childhood measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations, but is believed to have contracted the highly infectious illness through the adult household member, who recently came down with the mumps, said county spokeswoman Kaitlyn Foti.

Montgomery County's public health office is helping the infected child's school alert fellow students' families.

The two cases are not believed to be related to last month's outbreak of mumps in Montgomery and Chester Counties and the state of Delaware. The majority of those cases were linked to Baile Mejicano, a social dance event held at the Chase Center in Wilmington on Feb. 10 and March 3.

Three Montgomery County cases were part of that outbreak, and 19 Chester County cases also were reported. Delaware public health officials said there were 13 cases there. Nine of those were people who went to one of the dances, while two others were people who lived with those who attended a dance. Two cases are still under investigation.

News of those cases came days after the release of a Harvard study that said the mumps outbreaks in the United States of recent years were likely due to the wearing-off of the vaccine's effectiveness over time. The researchers estimated that about a quarter of the people vaccinated against the mumps lose protection within eight years, half lose it within 19 years, and 75 percent lose it within 38 years. They recommended people be vaccinated again around age 18 and possibly get booster shots later. Federal health officials earlier this year recommended that adults at risk of infection, such as during an outbreak, get a booster.

Generally, it is advised that children get their first MMR vaccine around one year of age and again around the start of school. Vaccines aren't a guarantee against infection. The recommended two vaccines are usually 88 percent effective, while one is considered 78 percent effective.

Mumps symptoms are generally unpleasant but not serious, such as fever, fatigue, and body aches, but in rare cases deafness or sterility can occur.

The resurgence of the mumps  several thousand cases were reported in both 2016 and 2017  has particularly been seen where people live in close contact, like on college campuses. The virus can be spread through saliva or mucus and by sharing items like cups, utensils or cigarettes, or through kissing.
In recent interviews, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt made two false claims about his agency's record on removing toxic sites from the Superfund National Priorities List:

Pruitt said the EPA will remove "almost 30" sites from the list "this year," claiming that's "never been done before." But it has been done before. In 1996, the agency removed 45.

He claimed the EPA removed seven sites from the list "last year." That's false. The agency removed three sites last year.

Pruitt did not specify if he was referring to calendar years or fiscal years, which run from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. But either way, he's wrong. The above numbers are for calendar years. As for fiscal years, the EPA has removed 30 or more sites from the list in fiscal years 1996, 1997 and 2001, and the agency deleted two sites last fiscal year.

Pruitt made his claim in an interview on April 4 with the Washington Times (starts at about 13:30).

Pruitt, April 4:  We saw seven [Superfund]

He also made the claim in an interview that same day on Fox News, while defending hiring Albert Kelly, a former banker, to lead the agency's Superfund Task Force (starts at about 15:30).

Fox News anchor Ed Henry first pointed out that Kelly was banned from the banking industry by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Though Kelly didn't plead guilty to any crimes, the FDIC did have "reason to believe [Kelly] violated a law or regulation," according to a May 9, 2017, settlement between the two parties.

Two weeks later the EPA announced Kelly would head the Superfund Task Force, which was created to "provide recommendations" to "streamline and improve the Superfund program." The Superfund program manages the country's most contaminated sites.

Henry then asked Pruitt what experience Kelly has related to running environmental programs. "Look at the results that they're achieving," Pruitt responded. "That's the experience."

Pruitt added, "We'll have almost 30 sites off the list this year," which has "almost never been done. Never been [done] in history."

During the interview, Pruitt also confirmed that he has "had accounts" with SpiritBank, an Oklahoma bank where Kelly had been president and chief executive officer. Pruitt was the Oklahoma attorney general prior to becoming EPA administrator.

We reached out to Pruitt's office for comment multiple times, but it has yet to respond. We don't know how many sites will be deleted from the list this year. We also don't know if Pruitt was talking about fiscal years or calendar years. Either way, even if near 30 sites are deleted from the National Priorities List, it would be no record.

In fiscal year 1996  which extended from Oct. 1, 1995, to Sept. 30, 1996  34 sites were deleted from the list. In fiscal years 1997 and 2001, 32 and 30 sites, respectively, were removed. By calendar year, 45 sites were removed from the list in 1996.

In both interviews, Pruitt also touted that the EPA removed seven sites from the list "last year." Again, it's unclear here whether Pruitt meant last calendar year or last fiscal year. But either way, it's wrong.

In calendar year 2017, three sites were deleted from the list. In fiscal year 2017, the EPA deleted two sites, both after he took the helm at the EPA in February 2017.

This would make it a below-average year. Since 1983, when the list was created, the average number of sites deleted each fiscal year is about 11.3.

The EPA has deleted seven sites total since Pruitt took office. This would include four sites in calendar year 2018 (or five in fiscal year 2018)  sites that would presumably be included in his tally of about 30 for "this year."

It's also worth mentioning that Pruitt's EPA can't take full credit for the sites it has deleted. All of them were first listed more than a decade prior to 2017. During this time, previous administrations did the work to remediate them.

In fact, all of the sites were "Ready for Reuse and Redevelopment" in or before 2016. "Once sites have been cleaned up, EPA works with communities through an array of tools, partnerships, and activities to help to return these sites to productive uses," the EPA's website says.

Two regional EPA spokespeople told us that after a site reaches this stage in the cleanup process, the work that takes place entails monitoring contamination levels and compiling paperwork to delete the site from the National Priorities List. A site comes off the list when "all cleanup goals have been achieved" and any comments from the public are addressed, the EPA says.
The EXO-themed Subway Line No. 7 train began operating on Tuesday and the dazzling ad was paid for by his fanatic fans to celebrate the sixth anniversary of his debut, Seoul Metro said.

An entire subway train in Seoul has been covered in pictures of Xiumin, a member of boy band EXO.

The interior of the train was wholly decorated with pictures of the star and quotes from interviews hung on the walls, which drew instant attention from passengers, especially youngsters.

"I took pictures of the train and shared them with my friend who is a big EXO fan," said a university student.

"I heard that Seoul Metro has been struggling with chronic deficits, so this massive scale ad might help," another student said.

But some were apparently perplexed by an unfamiliar scene. "It's too much and it makes me dizzy," said an 80-year-old passenger.

The ad, reportedly costing W30 million, runs for a month (US$1=W1,069).
Yolonda Keels, at her home in North Carolina, with the ashes of her father Sebastian Riley. Riley, a reclusive Philadelphia handyman, died in 2017. Read more

I thought I was going to have to bring home a stranger's ashes.

I wasn't sure if that was even allowed, and I couldn't imagine how that conversation was going to go over in my house. But I didn't know what else to do. No amount of digging led to living relatives of a reclusive North Philadelphia handyman I wrote about in 2017. The thought of leaving the remains at the M.E.'s Office didn't seem right.

I first learned about Sebastian Riley through LaTanya Pierce, who'd hired him to do some work for her and her family. Riley, whom she called "Ralph," was a private man who never shared much past his devotion to his mother, Julia, who died in 2006. But he'd recently asked Pierce for help to get his few papers in order, and they were enough to paint a picture of a man who didn't have much, including running water.

When Riley collapsed one day in June, Pierce rushed to the hospital  she didn't want him to be alone. She was too late. A heart attack, they told her. He was 62.

Pierce reached out to me hoping I could help find his people. If he didn't have any, she at least wanted the world to know that a man who had lived under the radar had mattered, that "he was somebody."

Read Helen's previous column on Sebastian Riley.

On the 2500 block of West Lehigh, where he lived in his mother's house, I found a neighbor who thought Riley had a daughter and son somewhere. Maybe in North Carolina, he guessed. But I couldn't find them. A detective who wanted to help poked around but didn't get much further.

Maybe, I thought, there were just no people to find. Maybe this was the end of the story.

And yet, I couldn't let him go, and pondered how to get those ashes from the medical examiner.

Then, out of the blue, an unexpected email in January. Subject line:

"Daughter of Sebastian Riley."

I called Yolonda Keels immediately. She sent me an old photo of her, Sebastian, and his mother in their West Lehigh home.

Sebastian Riley had people after all.

Over many conversations and texts, Keels, 39, recounted bittersweetly how she had always felt different than her siblings. She was more social, more artsy, more of a free spirit. It all finally made sense when her mother, commenting on her ability to draw, let it slip that she must have gotten it from her father. Finally, she told the girl about Riley.

The two had met in Philadelphia after she'd separated from her first husband. Riley was handsome, a little younger, interesting  a painter and a poet. They moved to North Carolina when Keels was just a few years old, but Riley missed the pace of home.

He missed his mother even more. Riley left and never came back.

Over her mother's concerns and objections, Keels reached out to Riley more than 20 years ago and traveled to North Philly to meet him. He was happy to see her; he called her "baby girl." Her grandmother pulled $100 from her brassiere as a gift. Riley showed her his artwork and poetry. He told her about his love of chess and a half-brother.

Keels had expected to meet the young, vibrant man in the pictures she'd seen. What she found was a man with demons  including alcoholism and drug addiction. He told her he'd been in jail. Court records I found when I first wrote about him showed a few arrests for possession of drugs, one of which led to about a year behind bars.

He handed her some documents, including discharge papers from a hospital that listed his condition as schizophrenia.

For years, she worried that in addition to inheriting his creativity, she would also inherit his mental illness. Over the next two decades, she called him on Father's Day and his birthday. He sent her intricate, handmade cards he embellished with his artwork and always signed, "Dad." She shared the milestones in her life: college graduation, her wedding, the birth of her first child. She probably would have asked him to walk her down the aisle if she thought he could make the trip.

After Riley's mom died in 2006, Keels, a mental health case worker, worried. But when she called him, he assured her he was managing. "I'm going to make it through," he told her.

The calls and cards grew more infrequent until she stopped hearing from him.

An uncle in Philly who she'd occasionally ask to check on him had moved. The phone number that hadn't changed in decades was disconnected. She thought maybe he'd relapsed, or landed in the hospital with schizophrenia.

She'd search for clues on the internet. No news, she thought, was good news. And then in January, she found my column online. She was shocked.

In her first message she said she wanted to know more, and for the next few months we kept in touch as she tried to come to terms with his death.

"I never felt like there was anything I could do," she said. "I didn't want to put any strain on him by asking him too many questions about his issues, and no matter how many times I asked, I knew he'd never come live with me."

When I told her that her father had been cremated, she decided she wanted his ashes.

Last week, she sent a text with a picture of a black box holding her father's ashes. He was home.

Keels wrote, "Finally."
Daniel Rose (left), chef of Le Coucou, and Stephen Starr arriving at the 2017 James Beard Awards at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. Read more

Pastis, the chic Lower Manhattan restaurant that closed four years ago because its building was being torn down, will be revived nearby.

Philadelphia-based restaurateur Stephen Starr, expanding on his New York holdings, said he would join founder Keith McNally on running the new restaurant, coming to 52 Gansevoort St. in the Meatpacking District. It's about three blocks from Starr's first New York restaurants, Buddakan and Morimoto. Both men are James Beard restaurateur-of-the-year winners.

"I admire Keith not only for his giant impact  he changed pop culture with Odeon, Pravda, Balthazar, and Pastis," Starr said. "They transcended just the restaurant world. Their impact was felt around the world."

When Pastis closed, "I think the city lost something," Starr said.

McNally lives in London, and is recovering from a stroke last year.

"We're based in New York and Philadelphia, with a strong infrastructure," Starr said.

Starr said he expected Pastis to open in about a year.

Among Starr's other New York restaurants are Le Coucou, Upland, the Clocktower, and El Vez.

Le Coucou, with a French theme and in a partnership with chef Daniel Rose, won the James Beard Award last year for best new restaurant in America, as Starr was named the Beard's top restaurateur.

Starr has found success in French concepts. In its previous guise, Pastis had a bistro atmosphere similar to Starr's Parc (Rittenhouse) and Le Diplomate (Washington, D.C.).
Mariel Levey (left) and Amanda Shor (right) sniff scents as they attend candle-making party with friends, at the new Philadelphia experience: Wax and wine, where one drinks wine and makes candles. Read more

Wax & Wine  Center City's new spot where visitors make candles as they sip vino  started to tease my nose the moment I walked through its weighted, velvet curtain.

A pungent yet pleasant combo of all things citrus, floral, and musky enveloped me. And then  pow  I wandered into the vast smell-a-palooza that is Wax & Wine's scent cellar.

"Here lives the 75 scents we use to make custom candles," said Jordan Beletz, the 24-year-old mastermind behind Wax & Wine. Once I descended, I couldn't stop sniffing. I took a whiff of teakwood, a dead ringer for the 1990s cologne Fahrenheit. Then I unscrewed the top of something rosy. Next, on to fudge.

Excuse me, was that a Tootsie Roll?

"I love DIY trends," said Beletz. "I love entertaining with a twist. I thought if I came up with a DIY project in a nice atmosphere with a product that people could actually use, I thought I might have something."

He just might.

Wax & Wine ticks a lot of lifestyle trend boxes. It's totally rustic chic; taps into mindfulness goals through the burning of candles, essential oils, sage and incense; and it's eco-friendly (the candles are made from coconut wax, and Beletz wants to recycle the wine bottles into candle holders).

And it's part of larger trend of doing, rather than consuming.

"Not only do people want experiences, they want to be made better by the experiences, whether it's through charitable giving, learning a new skill, or picking up cultural capital," said Allyson Rees, senior editor for retail lifestyle at WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, the Los Angeles arm of the global trend forecasting company WGSN. "This Wax & Wine concept also provides 'taste makers' an education, something they can take with them to the next dinner party."

Finally, candle-making is an extension of the DIY trend in retail that taps into the most powerful sense we have: Smell.

The hospitality and restaurant industry has been futzing around with our olfactory memories in the name of experience-making for a few years now. Hotels like Loews Philadelphia pump a mystery scent through their vents that's so recognizable I know I'm in Loews the moment the glass doors open. And some upscale restaurants, like Center City's Ocean Prime and Wayne's Autograph Brasserie, have paired with candle companies like Seventh Avenue Apothecary and Diptyque for dinner/cocktails/dessert and scent pairings. You smell the candle, and then you get to dine on something inspired by that scent.

This spring, Invent Your Scent, the perfumed version of painting and sipping parties, will roll out in local bars and restaurants, including the Moshulu. Rather than painting or making a candle, you'll create your own perfume.

"The world right now is chaotic in many, many ways  scent-making is self-soothing, it's comforting," said Robin Darrow, who co-owns Invent Your Scent with husband Chuck Darrow, a former writer for the Philadelphia Daily News. "Right now, people would rather spend their money and their energy on making something rather than going out and buying a sweater."

Beletz is betting on that.

This time last year, Beletz was a salesman for Milwaukee Power Tools in Los Angeles. During the summer, he visited a flea market and happened upon a booth where people could make scented candles, shop the rest of the market, and return to pick up their creations. An idea was born.

Beletz began researching places with similar ideas. He visited candle-making spots, too, and was often the only guy in the room. Within a few weeks, he wrote a business plan and when he had all of his wicks in a row, he presented the idea to his dad, Alan.

The senior Beletz, once a co-owner of the Northeast glass manufacturing company Beletz Bros. Glass, wasn't sure how bright the candle-making business could burn. "He convinced me that this was a platform for so many different things: like candles and calligraphy, candles and yoga," Alan Beletz, 54, said about his son's ideas. "This is just the beginning. Who knows, maybe we'd bring in an aromatherapist?"

The whole endeavor entailed an investment of about $200,000.

Since opening in early March, Wax & Wine has hosted two bridal showers and a few birthday and just-because gatherings. You can walk in and make a candle, or you can rent out the back room for a party. It costs $30 to make one eight-ounce candle ($45 for two and $50 for three), about the same it costs to buy a 14-ounce Yankee Candle.

On a recent evening, 12 women in their late 20s and early 30s arrived at Wax & Wine, wearing long coats, long hair, and with wine in hand.

Beletz opens bottles one by one and the women settle around a long table set with all the tools needed to tap into their inner chandler: a tiny whisk, a silver jigger  not for measuring whiskey, but fragrance ratios  a Popsicle stick with a tiny hole in it designed to keep the wicks straight. A satchel of coffee beans is nearby to clear the nasal palate between sniffs.

After about a half hour of sipping, sniffing, giggling, and more sipping, the scent combos emerge: spearmint and white wine, oatmeal and white linen, hot fudge and vanilla.

"Making a candle and having a great time with your friends is different," said 28-year-old Rachel Gendelman, who organized the evening with friends. Gendelman's candle was a combo of two scents: fruit slices and champagne she named Anthro.

"It smells like something I once bought from Anthropologie," Gendelman said. "We had a great time. I'd definitely go back."

Wax & Wine is at 1034 Pine St.; 215-309-3424, waxandwine.com.
THE PARENTS: Kristie McCourt, 36, and Mike McCourt, 41, of Haverford

THE KIDS: Mackenzie Patrice, 18; Tiana Marie, 5 months, adopted December 27, 2017

AN EARLY "YOU'VE GOT ME" MOMENT: When Mike called the day after their first date to say, "My sister told me I should wait a certain number of days before calling, but I don't play games."

Maybe the universe was giving them a message.

By the summer of 2017, Kristie and Mike had experienced three miscarriages, along with several rounds of failed fertility treatments  intrauterine inseminations and hormone injections. A doctor had pronounced Kristie's ovaries "odd-shaped" or "irregular"  they can't recall the exact word, but it wasn't good news  and predicted low odds of a successful pregnancy.

They attempted to adopt a baby from Nicaragua, but several years into the process, that country changed its policies, prohibiting adoptions to U.S. couples who were neither Nicaraguan citizens nor had a permanent residence there.

Meanwhile, they acquired a dog, a schnoodle named Snoop, and a teenager, Mike's daughter from a previous relationship, who decided at age 13 that she wanted to leave her mother's home in Texas and live with the couple full-time.

Finally, they turned to domestic adoption. They matched quickly, but six weeks before the baby was due, the birth mother changed her mind and decided she wanted to parent.

On an anniversary trip last August to St. Michaels, Md., Kristie and Mike pondered a different kind of future. If they didn't have a baby, perhaps they'd buy a vacation condo in that waterfront town; once Mackenzie left for college in fall 2018, they'd be free to travel.

"We thought, 'We've put five or six years into this kid-journey. Maybe that was enough,' " Mike says.

"If this isn't meant to be, then what?" Kristie wondered.

A month later, she got a jolting answer: a positive pregnancy test. And shortly after that, she found herself accompanying a birth mother  a woman who'd chosen Kristie and Mike to parent her baby  to her final ultrasound appointment.

The take-home? "You can't make this stuff up," Kristie says. "You could never in a million years predict this."

Their first meeting was planned happenstance: Mike's roommate, who worked with Kristie in the Colonial School District, knew she would be at Flanigan's Boathouse in Conshohocken that night and persuaded Mike to go to happy hour.

"I remember his roommate coming to me later, like a middle-schooler, and saying, 'My friend wants your number,' " Kristie says.

After that, it took Mike three attempts to snag a date. Kristie had slipped on spilled milk in a supermarket, banged up her knee, and was hitching around on crutches; she didn't want to hobble through their first encounter.

"I cancelled on him three times," she recalls. But once they did go out, both sensed a magnetism from their contrasting traits: Mike is more extroverted, while Kristie is a quiet thinker. She cooks; he's adept with a budget. He's a neat-freak, wanting objects in their proper place; her housekeeping is more laissez-faire.

Mackenzie was 5 at the time, and Mike felt sure enough about this relationship to introduce Kristie to his daughter  something he'd never done with a girlfriend. "I showed up with a lollipop bigger than her head," Kristie recalls. "I remember thinking she had a natural connection to children," Mike says. "That made me think of her differently."

He proposed at home, with the Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" playing in the background. They married in 2008; outside the Northeast Philadelphia union hall where they held their reception, a giant sign congratulated the plumber of the year.

Mike hoped for a passel of kids; Kristie wasn't sure she even wanted to be pregnant. The miscarriages tested both of them  she tended to withdraw, while Mike threw himself into work  and Mackenzie's move to live with them, in 2013, jostled the couple into new roles.

"I had been less the disciplinarian and more the fun dad," Mike says, but that changed when he was no longer the weekends-and-summers parent, needing to remind Mackenzie about chores, homework, and bedtime. Kristie, meanwhile, struggled to discern her role as a stepparent, "trying to be supportive without stepping on toes."

Initially, Mike was leery of open adoption, but Kristie gradually convinced him that such arrangements were best for children. And when she found herself pregnant (despite the fertility doctor's prediction) in the midst of working with A Baby Step, the couple decided to remain in the adoption process, even though it might mean having "unofficial twins."

Kristie met their daughter's birth mom for the first time at the woman's final prenatal appointment. She recalls a nervous "hi" and the awkwardness of accompanying a stranger in such a vulnerable moment. "I was definitely scared and unsure of what to expect," she says.

Because of the past miscarriages, neither she nor Mike trusted that her pregnancy would endure. They didn't share the news with family, or with case workers at A Baby Step, until the beginning of the second trimester. The baby  a boy, they learned  is due in May.

Both were in the delivery room the day Tiana was born. Kristie cut the umbilical cord. Mike remembers an infant with huge eyes, staring at everyone as though to say: "I'm here. What do you have for me?"

Kristie, an inveterate researcher, did her homework about "unofficial twins." But in the end, it was instinct that told the couple this path would somehow work. "I'd come to a point where I was comfortable with pursuing adoption and knowing I was pregnant at the same time."

Still, there are times when the prospect of two children, born six months apart, feels overwhelming. "We'll see what happens when one's waking the other up in the middle of the night," Mike laughs.

For the moment  at least, until she graduates from Haverford High School in June  they have help from Mackenzie, the household's designated "baby whisperer." She even told her psychology teacher she was suffering "postpartum depression"  meaning she loved Tiana so much she didn't want to leave her to go to school.

As for her parents, they've learned to embrace the unexpected. "Life has a plan," Mike says, "and it's going to find you when you're ready."
A fatal shooting Tuesday night in downtown West Chester prompted West Chester University to alert students as police searched for the gunman.

The shooting occurred at 9:11 p.m. behind 212 E. Market St. in the borough, according to Tuesday's alert. On Wednesday afternoon, the school said one person was killed in the shooting. The victim, whose identity was withheld, was not a student, the university said.

Police told the school that investigators believe the killing was a targeted shooting and that possible suspects had been identified. "Borough police say they see no reason for concern at this time," the university said.

Multiple networks, including 6ABC and FOX29, had reported that a man was shot in the chest and transported to Paoli Hospital.

West Chester Borough Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact police at 610-696-2700.
The government is considering moving a historic U.S. military hotel in the old U.S. Forces Korea headquarters in Seoul to the new base in Pyeongtaek south of the capital or closing it down altogether.

A government official said Tuesday, "The government has exchanged opinions with the U.S. side, but has yet to discuss it in detail."

Korea and the U.S. had originally agreed to leave the Dragon Hill Lodge where it is, even when the entire USFK base has been moved to Pyeongtaek, but at Yongsan it would get in the way of a new public park.

A Defense Ministry official said, "The relocation of Dragon Hill Lodge is not included in the existing relocation plan, so a separate agreement needs to be made about expenses and other matters."

Some news media reported that Cheong Wa Dae told the Defense Ministry to consider either moving it or closing it down. The ministry official said the matter is of "national interest" but added, "Cheong Wa Dae has not given any instructions."
Emergency crews responding on April 11, 2016, to the scene after someone was hit by a SEPTA train. Inset, Ao Olivia Kong. Read more

The parents of a Wharton School junior who died by suicide filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the trustees of the University of Pennsylvania alleging that campus professionals failed to respond appropriately to the 21-year-old woman's repeated pleas for help.

Ao "Olivia" Kong suffered fatal injuries on April 11, 2016, when she was hit by a Market-Frankford Line train at the 40th Street station.

Ron Ozio, Penn's director of media relations, said by email Wednesday that the university would not comment on pending litigation.

Kong, a Central High School honors graduate, was taking a heavy course load at the encouragement of an academic adviser during the 2016 spring semester when she twice fell ill, according to the complaint filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.

During a March 30 visit to the Student Health Center for her second bout of illness, Kong reported that she was worried about her academic performance and was becoming stressed and anxious, the complaint says. She had a recorded fever of 102.1 degrees and a pulse of 153.

The complaint details alleged interactions she had with campus professionals as she sought help from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

On multiple occasions, Kong reported having suicidal thoughts.

She had two conversations with a psychiatrist, who reported that she talked about suicide each time they spoke, according to the complaint. The second conversation was prompted by a graduate assistant who told the psychiatrist that Kong had mentioned suicide in a text message to a friend.

The complaint states that "multiple CAPS clinicians intentionally disregarded, completely ignored and/or utterly failed to understand Olivia's repeated pleas for help and specific statements that she was feeling hopeless and considering suicide."

On April 11, a Monday, starting about 6:45 a.m., Kong was recorded on video by a SEPTA surveillance camera at the 40th Street station, according to the complaint.

"She is alone and in her pajamas," the complaint describes. "She is tugging at her hair and staring at her hands. After two trains pass, Olivia flops onto a platform bench. After a third train comes and goes, she gets up and begins walking along the platform's yellow textured caution strip toward the tunnel; with each step she moves closer and closer to the platform's edge. Near the mouth of the tunnel, she crouches down and then sits with her legs dangling off the platform. Within seconds, she jumps onto the train tracks and begins walking along the tracks into the dark tunnel."

Fourteen minutes after she arrived at the station, Kong was struck by an eastbound train.

Kong, who was born in China and came to live in Philadelphia with her family when she was 9, was the tenth Penn student to die by suicide in three years, according to the complaint. Since then, four more Penn students have died by suicide.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of her parents, Xianguo Kong and Zhao Lin, by the Philadelphia firm Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig LLP, alleges negligence, wanton and willful misconduct and reckless disregard, and wrongful death, and is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

Staff writer Julie Shaw contributed to this report.
George Hopkins resigned as director of the Cadets, an elite drum corps based in Allentown, Pa., after nine women accused him of sexual misconduct. Read more

Two more women say they were raped by George Hopkins, bringing to 11 the number who have accused the former Allentown drum and bugle corps director of sexual misconduct.

>>UPDATE: Interim CEO of drum corps organization suspended amid sexual misconduct scandal

Jessica Beyer, one of the new accusers, said Hopkins regularly made inappropriate comments at work, texted her seeking sex, and once raped her in his apartment.

Overwhelmed by the unwanted attention, Beyer said she more than once told a superior that Hopkins was making her uncomfortable, stopping short of telling him about the alleged rape but sharing some details about Hopkin's texting and office behavior.

"I was told that's just how he was," Beyer, 33, said. "'You know how George is.'"

The man Beyer said she confided in, Sean King, last week was named as Hopkins' interim replacement.

King took the helm of Youth Education in the Arts, the Allentown nonprofit that runs the famed Cadets drum and bugle corps, after Hopkins resigned last week. King declined to speak with a reporter. Through a spokesman, he denied that Beyer or any woman told him of being sexually harassed by Hopkins.

>> Sexual abuse in drum and bugle corps: Do you have a story?

"I have never heard of him [George] sexually abusing anyone," King said. "I never received an allegation. Ever. Had someone brought that to me, I would have reported it."

Hopkins, 61, did not respond to calls and text messages seeking a response to the new accusations, which fall within the 12-year criminal statute of limitations for rape.

His downfall has rocked the drum and bugle corps world, where he was a fixture for four decades, and led to calls for widespread change to better protect participants and employees from sexual harassment and assault. The activity is like marching band but with more theatrics. Members ranging in age from 16 to 22 spend the summer traveling the country performing and competing against other corps.

On Wednesday, the board of Youth Education in the Arts resigned en masse amid concerns that it did not do enough to investigate the claims against Hopkins. A new board was named in its place. On the same day, Drum Corps International, the activity's sanctioning organization, placed the Cadets on probation and outlined a series of steps, including submitting a plan of action to prevent and report misconduct, that the new board must take in order to participate in this summer's season.

The women who have now publicly accused Hopkins of sexual misconduct all either marched with the Cadets or were employees of the organization. Their stories span four decades.

Beyer, of Drexel Hill, marched with the Cadets in 2006 and was hired by Hopkins the following year. Then 22, she had majored in music education and saw the position, which required she relocate from South Carolina, as a path to a career in the arts.

Within two months, she said, Hopkins set his sights on her. She recalls a night when, she, Hopkins, and two others went to dinner after work. Beyer said that when Hopkins got up to leave, he texted her to meet him in the parking lot.

Outside, Hopkins was standing at her car. She said he grabbed her and kissed her, then, just as abruptly, got in his car and left. She stood there, stunned.

"Looking back, I go 'Well, maybe I shouldn't have done what he said,'" said Beyer, then known by her maiden name, Jessica Wilson. "But you're like, 'This is the CEO. I don't want to lose my job.' "

Beyer wrote about the incident at the time in a journal, which she shared with a reporter.

After that night, she said, Hopkins started making comments at the office about her looks, brushing against her when he walked past and texting her late at night.

One day in spring 2008, Hopkins asked her to come to his apartment, saying he needed her help with some work and was too busy to go to the office, she said.

Hopkins was drinking red wine when she arrived, Beyer said. He told her to put down her work things, then began kissing and undressing her.

Beyer told Hopkins she didn't want to have sex, but he persisted and led her to his bedroom where he forced her to perform oral sex on him and then performed oral sex on her. He said little to Beyer when he finished.

"I just got my clothes and got dressed and went home," Beyer said. "And I got in the shower until I ran out of hot water. I brushed and flossed my teeth about 20 times. And then I just got in bed and cried."

In the months that followed, she said, she was a shell of herself She wore sweatpants to work most days, self conscious of her body. She turned down social engagements. She snapped at colleagues, succumbing to what she said had become a toxic work environment.

Beyer said she was fired in 2009.

Then and for years following, she said, she buried the trauma. She said she spoke to a therapist in 2012 about what had happened. The therapist confirmed that Beyer in 2012 confided in her about being raped by a boss years before. Beyer's mother also confirmed her daughter told her several years ago that she was raped by Hopkins.

Beyer said she never considered telling King or anyone else at work about the assault because she didn't think she would be believed but also because she didn't want to hurt the organization. Reporting the incident to the police, Beyer said, didn't cross her mind.

"It took me a long time to say it wasn't my fault. Because I really felt like it was my fault," she said. "Maybe I wore the wrong thing. I shouldn't have gone over there. I should have seen he was drinking and left. I shouldn't have ever let him kiss me. I should have pitched a bigger fit."

I just stared at the ceiling

The second woman, who briefly worked for Youth Education in the Arts in 2006, agreed to share her story only if not named, out of a concern for her privacy.

Like Beyer, she said Hopkins first made a sexual advance on her by kissing her in a parking lot after the two had drinks with coworkers. The woman was 22 at the time and married. She said she covered her face with her hands, told Hopkins to stop, then got in her car and left.

(A man who worked at the office at the time confirmed that the woman told him Hopkins once kissed her without her consent.)

As she drove home that night, she contemplated quitting, thinking it would be uncomfortable to work with Hopkins.

She didn't have to. She was let go within days. Though her position was a seasonal one, she said she saw the action as retaliation.

She found work with another drum corps. In 2010, then 26, she asked Hopkins to meet for dinner to discuss a change in drum corps rules he had proposed that she feared would negatively impact her team.

Given her previous experience with Hopkins, the woman went to the bar that night with her guard up. Below is how she described the evening:

She ordered a light beer though she loves craft brews, knowing she would sip it slowly and be fine to make the hour-long drive home. Hopkins wanted her drink a shot, goading others at the bar to join in pressuring her.

She agreed and downed a single birthday-cake-flavored shot.

When she went to stand, the room spun around her. She said Hopkins told her she couldn't drive, took her keys and offered to take her to his home. There, she asked for a glass of water. He brought her wine.

She got up to go to the kitchen but Hopkins grabbed the collar of her shirt, ripping it as he pulled her onto the couch. He kissed her, then hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her to his bedroom and raped her, she said.

"I remember he pinned my arms over my head with one hand and was touching me," she said. "I know at one point he got undressed because he let me go and I went to curl up. And I know that he was on top of me, and I just stared at the ceiling."

When she awoke the next morning, Hopkins was gone. He had left a Cadets T-shirt on the nightstand. She tied her own tattered shirt together and put it on instead. On the drive home she stopped and bought a morning-after contraception pill.

Years later, the woman said she has no doubt Hopkins drugged her. She had two drinks and two glasses of water at the bar, yet she had never felt so incapacitated.

She said she first told someone, a boyfriend, about the incident in 2012. That man, now her husband, confirmed that the woman, after they began dating, told her Hopkins had driven her home from a bar and had nonconsensual sexual contact with her.

The woman said she considered reporting the assault to police but didn't, in part because she worried about hurting the Cadets.

"I felt like I would be taking down an organization that did so many wonderful things," she said, "that the good things that George was responsible for outweighed my experience."
An image released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets shows victims of an alleged chemical weapons attack collapsed on the floor of a building in the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. Read more

It's hard to know where to begin when describing the incoherence of President Trump's Syria policy as he threatens missile strikes on the Assad regime.

The presidential tweet vowing an upcoming strike  which also taunted Russia's pledge to stop any missiles  was bizarre and counterproductive. "Get ready Russia, because [the missiles] they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!" Trump couldn't resist typing.

Never mind that candidate Trump chastised Barack Obama for telegraphing U.S. military moves to the enemy by announcing plans in advance. After Trump's twitter announcement, Syria is moving key assets to safety; Russia is no doubt readying the air defenses it has installed in Syria. (And if Trump fails to strike, he will now look weak and foolish.)

Yet even more disturbing was Trump's signal last week to Russia and Iran  and Bashar al-Assad  that he wants to pull 2,000 U.S. forces out of northeast Syria in four to six months. Trump's timetable appears dictated not by U.S. security needs but by the need to satisfy a campaign promise before 2018 elections. Aware of Trump's eagerness to exit, Assad felt free to use toxic weapons.

Unless someone can inject some coherence into Trump's scattershot approach to Syria, a missile attack could do more harm than good.

Yes, there should be a response to the Syrian regime's latest hideous chemical attack on civilians in Douma. Such weapons are prohibited by international law and Russia had guaranteed that its Syrian ally had destroyed its chemical stocks.

But it's necessary to recall that the U.S. launch of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles on Syria's Shayrat airbase a year ago, much touted as a sign of Trump's toughness, had little long-term impact on Assad's behavior. Several chlorine attacks have occurred since then.

Moreover, Assad has directly targeted hospitals and civilian neighborhoods with barrel bombs, killing hundreds of times the number who have died from chemical weapons. Yet Trump, like Obama before him, has rejected any deeper involvement in Syria, and left the field to Russia and Iran.

It is too late to revisit that policy. Supported by Moscow and Tehran, Assad is assured of power for the foreseeable future. Another one-off missile strike may persuade him to lay off the chemicals, but it won't stop the barrel bombs or the continuing slaughter of Syrian civilians.

The only hope of ending the bloodshed is at the negotiating table, where Russia has taken charge, along with Iran and Turkey  but where the United States is strikingly absent.

And the only way for the U.S. to have any leverage at the table and return the process to the original aegis of the United Nations, rather than leave it to Moscow and Tehran, is for the president to reverse his pledge on withdrawing troops.

Indeed, those troops  based mainly in the northeastern Kurdish region of Syria, known as Rojava  do more than give America some heft at negotiations. They are also helping Syrian Kurds, and some Sunni Arab tribesmen, who bore the brunt of liberating Raqqa, the capital of the ISIS caliphate. With U.S. help, they are helping clean up the last pockets of ISIS.

Even more important, continuing U.S. support in stabilizing northeast Syria is vital to prevent a resurgence of ISIS. It is also important to demonstrate that America does not callously abandon allies, like the Kurds, before there is a negotiated settlement of the Syrian civil war.

I reached the former co-president of the main Syrian Kurdish PYD political party, Salih Muslim, by phone and asked him what would be the consequence of a U.S. withdrawal within the next four to six months. He answered swiftly: "If you leave, Da'esh [the Arab acronym for ISIS] will start to appear again where the Americans are not.

"If you don't want extremists, or ISIS to return, you should keep some kind of presence [in Rojava]. We Kurds are different. Our areas are safe."

Muslim added, "If President Trump withdraws, it would be a failure for the West. It means that the Russians and Iranians would be shown to be far more effective. Also, the withdrawal of the U.S. from Rojava means that they will lose a very sincere friend." He meant the Kurds.

Unfortunately, Trump seems not to have grasped the connection between a troop withdrawal and Assad's use of chemical weapons. In a rare critique of Vladimir Putin, Trump blustered: "President Putin, Russia, and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay."

But a one-off missile strike, or even two strikes, won't persuade Putin to stop backing Assad. Nor will such strikes prevent Tehran from trying to expand its hold on Syria, which could provoke a war between Iran and Israel. Nor will they stop Turkey from attacking America's Syrian Kurdish allies  and possibly U.S. troops. Nor will the ad hominem name-calling that Trump delights in on Twitter impress Putin or Assad.

As one-off events, missile strikes could make the Syria situation worse. They won't make it better. That would take a broad Syria policy that shows the U.S. president is serious, a policy (and a president) that we have yet to see.

trubin@phillynews.com; @trudyrubin
The scandal surrounding new Financial Supervisory Service chief Kim Ki-shik is deepening amid revelations that he also received a donation from the wife of former Hyosung Group vice president Cho Hyun-moon back in 2015.

Five months after accepting the donation, Kim appeared in the National Assembly's National Policy Committee and called on the FSS to investigate suspicions of a slush fund created by Hyosung Group chairman Cho Hyun-joon, who was locked in a bitter feud with Cho Hyun-moon, his brother.

National Election Commission data on sizable political donations reveal that Cho's wife gave the maximum permitted amount of W5 million to Kim, who was then a lawmaker for the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (US$1=W1,069). That year only one other enthusiast donated a sizable amount to Kim, and that was only W3 million.

In 2014, Cho Hyun-moon sued his brother for embezzlement and breach of trust amounting to tens of billions of won. Kim told the FSS chief at the time that the Hyosung Group chairman must be probed by financial regulators due to suspicions that he created a slush fund and cooked the books.

Kim did not respond to repeated requests for comment by the Chosun Ilbo.
Heidi Austin and her father Joseph Wituschek display a photo of their family members, the Bergs. Also pictured is their attorney Daniel P. McElhatton,who convinced a judge to fire convicted felon Gloria Byars as the Bergs financial guardian. MARK C PSORAS/For the Inquirer Read more

Pleading guilty to financial fraud didn't stop Gloria Byars from supervising the finances of about 100 vulnerable people. She easily became a state-appointed financial guardian in Pennsylvania because the state has such low standards, it doesn't even require a criminal background check for those who manage the finances of people too incapacitated to take care of themselves.

If Pennsylvania's government cared enough to require a criminal background check, it would have learned that Byars pleaded guilty in 2005 to defrauding several people in Virginia in a check-cashing scam. She served about two years in federal prison.

Her conviction should have ended hopes for a career in finance  but not in Pennsylvania, where the courts unwittingly appointed her to oversee the financial survival of scores of incapacitated people. In at least three cases, it didn't work out very well.

Families of former clients told staff writer Julie Shaw a number of horror stories, including that Byars hired her husband's company to clean out the Fox Chase home of a couple in their 80s. She charged them $11,000.

She transferred a 73-year-old woman from her home in Kensington to a Delaware County nursing home where no one could speak the same languages she did  Vietnamese and Chinese. The woman became isolated and depressed.

Byars failed to pay the bills of a 79-year-old retired Philadelphia cop suffering from dementia. His Wyncote home went into foreclosure.

After learning about these irregularities, Orphans' Court judges not only removed her from these three clients but from about 100 more in Philadelphia and Montgomery and Delaware Counties.

But taking one financial guardian out of the mix is hardly enough to protect Pennsylvania's disabled and skyrocketing elderly populations from financial abuse. According to the 2010 census, there were 2.7 million people over 60 in Pennsylvania. The Department of Aging estimates their numbers will reach 3.6 million in just two years. That means Pennsylvania will be dealing with even more people suffering from age-related disabilities, including dementia, making them especially vulnerable to fraud.

The state has long known it must protect them but hasn't done much. In 2013, a rigorous study by the Philadelphia-based Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE) recommended training and monitoring financial guardians. In 2014, the state Supreme Court made similar recommendations.

Diane Menio, director of CARIE, wisely suggests the state certify guardians, using a group like the Center for Guardianship Certification. CGC requires financial training, an exam, and continuing education for guardians. Applicants have to submit to criminal background checks. CGC certifies financial guardians in several states as well as Northampton County because judges there apparently care that people under their protection are in fact protected.

It shouldn't be hard to find the center. It's in Harrisburg.

The courts or legislature can require certification for financial guardians. Or, county courts, like Northampton's, can create their own rules if they're sick of waiting for statewide leaders to do their jobs.

Gov. Wolf, the legislature, and Supreme Court have an obligation to protect our parents, our relatives, and, eventually, us. This is easy.
Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins was charged last week with 31 counts of obstruction, reckless endangerment, and witness intimidation. The charges stem from allegations that he protected female drug dealers in exchange for sex and revealed to them the identities of confidential police informants. Higgins promptly resigned from his post.

The disgraced DA is hardly an aberration. In the last two years, two other high-profile Pennsylvania prosecutors have gone to prison for serious misconduct, including former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, who was indicted in 2017 for bribery, extortion, and fraud. Williams was sentenced in October. Attorney General Kathleen Kane was convicted in August 2016 for illegally leaking grand jury records in an attempt to discredit a critic and then lying about it to a different grand jury.

Misconduct by prosecutors must be taken seriously because they are the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. Prosecutors' decisions  including which crimes to prioritize, what charges to bring, and whether to offer plea bargains  are essentially unreviewable. The only real check on their power is the ballot box.

But elections can create further opportunity for prosecutorial misconduct and scandal.

Like all public officials who have to run for election, prosecutors have to fund their campaigns through contributions. It is up to voters to ensure that campaign contributions do not cause elected officials to make decisions that are against the public interest. Voter vigilance is particularly important in a state like Pennsylvania that imposes no limit on how much a donor can give a candidate.

Unfortunately for Pennsylvania voters, finding information about candidates for district attorney is difficult. Although state election law requires counties to make DA campaign finance reports available for public inspection, only seven of the state's 67 counties post those reports online. Many of the other 60 counties' websites have information for candidates about how to file campaign finance reports, but virtually none of them provide instructions for voters to obtain information about contributions to candidates for district attorney. This puts Pennsylvania voters at a disadvantage.

Most other states compile prosecutors' campaign finance reports on a centralized website that allows voters to easily search for a candidate and view exactly where donations have come from.

New York, for example, has put all campaign finance information in a searchable database available to the public. Journalists have made good use of that information. Reports surfaced late last year that the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., accepted contributions from lawyers for the Trump Organization while his office was investigating Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. for fraud. Vance decided not to bring charges against them, and has faced considerable criticism for that decision.

It should be easy for all voters to find out who is donating to their district attorney candidates' political campaigns. Pennsylvania should follow the example of states like New York and make all campaign finance information for prosecutor candidates available on the secretary of state's website.

In a state with a long history of political corruption, transparency and accountability are imperative. It is certainly possible that Pennsylvania's candidates for district attorney do not have any unsavory information in their campaign finance reports. But given how many other scandals have plagued Pennsylvania prosecutors recently, it doesn't seem safe to assume that all campaign contributions are entirely innocent.

With open access to all campaign contribution information, Pennsylvania voters will be able to hold their elected DAs accountable, which will help protect the legitimacy of the criminal justice system.

Carissa Byrne Hessick is the Ransdell Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the director of the Prosecutors and Politics Project. Rachel Geissler is a law student at UNC and a research associate at the Prosecutors and Politics Project.
The Greater Pine Island Civic Association held its monthly meeting last week to discuss high levels of arsenic found on Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve, an update on the Matlacha annexation lawsuit, an update on Woodstock airstrip and the possible effects incorporation would have on flood insurance.

At the March board meeting, the GPICA elected three board members: Shari Perkins, Gabrielle Solterra and Roger Wood. The board then elected Bryan Crane as treasurer, Nancy Harwood as secretary, Scott Wilkinson as vice president and Claudia Bringe as president.

The current GPICA board now consists of:

Officers: President Claudia Bringe, Vice President Scott Wilkinson, Secretary Nancy Harwood, Treasurer Nadine Slimak.

Board Members: Bryan Crane, Carol D. Crane, Tim Heitz, Shari Perkins, Gabriele Solterra, Anna Stober and Roger Wood.

In December 2017, WGCU Public Media provided an update of an earlier study indicating groundwater on Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve showed elevated arsenic levels. Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve is a 920-acre 20/20 preserve located on Stringfellow Road just south of Turtle Trail Road. The EPA and World Health Organizations safe standard for levels of arsenic is 10 micrograms/liter. At their peak, arsenic levels at Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve were 30 times higher than the federal government allows for drinking water.

Wilkinson said that at the time of purchase part of Flatwoods was under contract with Lee County Utilities to use as a spray field to dispose of some of the treated wastewater (effluent) from its Pine Island Wastewater Treatment Facility.

This WWTF treats all the municipal sewage from Matlacha and some areas of St. James City, Wilkinson said. If you go down there youll see the waste water treatment plant on the left. Theres a huge spray-field it looks like lawn sprinklers on posts.

In tests conducted by Lee County Utilities, arsenic levels showed a marked increase in Maintenance Well #5 in May 2012 when they rose from 1.45 micrograms per liter to 17.3 micrograms per liter. Six months later the arsenic level rose to 32.0 and three months later to 68.6 reaching a high of 147.0 in February 2014.

A resolution was adopted by the GPICA that Lee County Utilities should pay for all testing and cleanup of arsenic contamination at the waste water effluent spray-field at Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve. Also that Lee County Utilities will completely discontinue using that spray-field and will immediately commence dismantling it.

Additional information can be found on the GPICA website: gpica.org/2018/01/arsenic-levels-on-pine-island/

In other business, Matlacha resident and Washington, D.C., attorney Michael Hannon provided an update on the Matlacha Civic Associations lawsuit against the Cape Coral annexation of property on Matlacha.

Cape Coral filed its opposition to our brief in the District Court last Monday and our reply is due to the court 20 days from their filing and the court will probably schedule oral arguments in 3 to 5 months, Hannon said.

Ndakhte Ndiaye, a resident of Woodstock Road, adjacent to the newly proposed Lee County Mosquito Control airstrip, provided an update on the status of the airstrip lawsuit. Lee County Mosquito Control filed a motion to dismiss and a meeting was held where both sides presented their arguments, Ndiaye said. Now both sides have to present a recap of the arguments by Friday (4/6/18). We dont know how long it will be before the judge rules on the case.

One of the concerns residents face with the possibility of incorporation is how it would effect homeowner flood insurance. Jamie Scofstad, from Safety Harbour Insurance, clarified some issues raised since her presentation at Matlacha Civic Associations February meeting. Scofstad has over 15 years experience in the insurance industry.

The people who will be most effected by this (incorporation) are people whose homes were built before September 1984 which is when our first flood insurance rate maps were done for this area.

In 1984, unincorporated Lee County joined the National Flood Insurance Program to enable residents with mortgages to obtain flood insurance policies through the NFIP and to ensure FEMA will provide emergency assistance to Lee County residents. Through the NFIP, Lee County adopted FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which determine the cost of flood insurance and set standards for construction in various flood zones.

Up until now most of those homes received discounted rates, Scofstad said. Those houses built before 1984 didnt meet the base elevation that they should have been built to. Now they are doing away with the subsidized rate and slowly bringing everybody up to full risk rates.

According to Scofstad, depending on the occupancy of the home, its 18-25 percent increases per year until you reach your full risk rates.

Elevation certificates are how flood insurance premiums are determined. Pine Island and Matlacha are high risk areas and insurance agents will require an elevation certificate to determine your premium. Elevation certificates measure the elevation of the home above mean high tide. In general, the higher your lowest floor is above mean high tide the lower your flood insurance premium.

Bringe announced that GPICA is in the process of revising its current bylaws posted at gpica.org/about-us/gpica-bylaws/. Comments about changes and updates can be sent to comments@gpica.org. GPICA expects to have revisions completed before their May meeting.

The GPICA meets at the Elks on Pine Island Road, west of Stringfellow, on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. Join or renew membership for $10 per person annual fee.
The fourth and final Town Hall meeting to address the proposed charter for incorporation of the islands was held last Thursday night at Pine Island Community Church. The Greater Pine Island Civic Association financed the four charter meetings about 35 people were present.

The purpose of the four meetings was to gather residents feedback on the proposed charter for the proposed Village of Matlacha/Pine Island. A completed charter and a feasibility study are required to begin the process through the Florida Legislature that voters will ultimately vote on.

Joe Mazurkiewicz, the president for BJM Consulting Inc., chaired the meeting. BJM is a firm that specializes in local government activities. Mazurkiewicz served as mayor of Cape Coral from 1983 to 1993 before forming BJM Consulting.

There was a question from the audience about whether Matlacha or Pine Island could incorporate by themselves. Mazurkiewicz stated that either Pine Island or Matlacha could incorporate by themselves with the proper waivers.

I was asked by the president of Greater Pine Island Civic Association to give them a proposal as to the cost to separate Pine island (remove Matlacha) from the study, Mazurkiewicz said.

Mazurkiewicz reviewed the decisions from the first three meetings. Decisions made at the first three Town Hall meetings are:

Issues confirmed: Form of government will be council/manager.

Issues to be included in proposed charter: Primary funding for capital improvements and maintenance will be by special assessments from improved properties based on a prorate share or taxable value.

Language to be included in preamble: Items of importance are land use, clean water and maintaining present lifestyle (quality of life). All submitted preamble language will be submitted to drafters for consideration.

FEMA: Concerns over the impact of incorporation on flood insurance will need to be studied further.

Council makeup: Number of council members 7 member hybrid with 5 members elected from single member districts and 2 members elected at large

Land use in charter: Comp plan will be included in charter with reference to existing Pine Island Plan with dates and will only be able to be changed by referendum of the registered voters

Council meetings: City council will meet at least once a month for a minimum total of 12 meetings per year.

City Manager: Will reside in city once selected and remain during term. All staff will be hired by city council and,or manager; none will be elected.

Debt: Any long-term debt (over 5 years) will only be allowed with approval from the voters by referendum.

Budget: Will be adopted in compliance with Florida Law

City staff: Original draft feasibility study included 5 employees, presently only 3. This should be reconsidered in next draft of the study.

Changes to Charter: Initiatives, reconsider ordinances and recall petitions will need 5 percent and charter changes 10 percent signatures of registered voters. All will be approved by 50 percent +1 of those voting in the election.

According to Mazurkie-wicz, the average taxpayer would not see any tax increase under incorporation.

The way the study is configured right now, were including the entire Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District, with the absence of Cape Royal, Mazurkiewicz said. The new city would not pay for any new services; the city is not going to create any new capital projects; were going to have the same levels of service; were not going to enhance code enforcement and after five years you should have a couple million dollars in the bank. This is based on the status quo that nothing will change. That the EPA hasnt come in and said you have to fix this, the status quo.

Decisions made during the final meeting included:

Term of council members: 4 years

Term limits: 2 consecutive terms including not allowing an elected official to change seats in order to extend their term to over the two-term limit.

Council elections: Each candidate will need to have a majority of those voting in their election

Village canvassing board: Canvassing board shall consist of collected official (mayor) and city clerk along with county commissioner, supervisor of elections and county judge.

Eminent domain: Can only be used by the city when its approved by the voters in a referendum vote.

Committees, boards, departments: Can be created by council when not paid and can only be created with a referendum vote of the electors when paid.

Capital Improvement Program: Shall be approved every 5 years by a vote of the of the electors. This will need research as the CIP is part of the Comp Plan and as such may need to be approved by the voters due to the plan being part of the charter.

Mazurkiewicz urged everyone to review the SWOT analysis that is part of the Matlacha  Pine Island Incorporation Feasibility Study. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that incorporated Pine Island / Matlacha would face. The entire report is available on the GPICA website at GPICA.org.

The next Greater Pine Island Civic Association meeting is Tuesday, May 1. At the April meeting, the GPICA board decided to continue meetings through the off season: months of June September.

All meetings are open to the public at no charge. The association meets at the Elks on Pine Island Road, west of Stringfellow, on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. Join or renew membership for $10 per person annual fee. Contact Roger Wood, president, at 920-421-3984.
USKI was pressured by Seoul to replace its right-leaning chief, Ku Jae-hee, and when it refused, the state-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy decided to turn off the spigot.

USKI chairman Robert Gallucci, who was chief U.S. negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis, told the Associated Press that he could not accept "utterly inappropriate meddling" in scholarly research, prompting the decision to shut down the think tank next month.

Johns Hopkins University is to shut down the U.S.-Korea Institute, the only think tank in Washington specializing in Korean affairs, after the Korean government decided to cut off its funding. Seoul has provided USKI with W20 billion in aid since 2006 (US$1=W1,069).

Gallucci said the South Korean government "has no authority" to demand personnel changes at USKI and added that the dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins has praised the think tank's achievements. Gallucci added that he demanded the South Korean government to provide evidence to back up its allegations of mismanagement, but had "gotten zero."

"This is a peculiar time to decide to screw with an institute whose purpose is [South Korea]-U.S. relations, just when you have got two summits coming up," he said.

Dean Vali Nasr told Gallucci and Ku that USKI will be shut down on May 11 since U.S. labor law requires at least a one month's notice of a company's closure.

But the website 38 North, which is run by the institute and often provides invaluable intelligence on North Korea's nuclear program, will be split off as a separate think tank using US$2 million in support from the MacArthur Foundation. USKI researcher Joel Wit will head 38 North.

USKI originally decided to hold a press conference in response to the funding halt, but had to cancel it as its closure was announced.

Seoul is apparently considering retaining USKI's Korean studies professors at SAIS.

An internal KIEP memo suggests that the pressure to replace Ku came directly from Cheong Wa Dae, which does not like his politics. But the presidential office denies this and says the decision to cut USKI's funding was prompted by the National Assembly and due to lack of transparency and sloppy management.
The term philanthropy is often made in reference to monetary donations, but sometimes, its not just about cutting a check.

Yes, financial assistance is critical, but time is just as important. Eight years ago, I joined a group of successful business, government and nonprofit leaders who offer their time and valuable insight to students through Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida.

Junior Achievement is our way to share tricks of the trade with aspiring business leaders, life lessons we wished someone told us when we were teenagers or pre-teens. It can be advice on picking a college major, why its important to have a savings account or how to be a leader and winner in life.

Ten years ago, I started working at IBERIABANK as a commercial banking intern. A decade later, my responsibilities as executive vice president and market president for the Sarasota and Fort Myers markets are vastly different. Yes, Ive worked hard in advancing to this position so quickly in my career, but I didnt do it alone. I had help along the way, wisdom and guidance from my colleagues, friends and local business leaders who took the time to guide me down this path.

With my background in banking, most of my discussions with students center around money. Their financial decisions  good and bad  can change their lives for better or worse. Many students dont have a financial expert living in their home, and Money Management 101 isnt part of the standard school curriculum. Thats why I help explain debt load, lending and borrowing, the importance of saving, basics of budgeting, paying for college and one element that seems to trip up most Americans  credit card debt.

My advice boils down to making sound financial decisions. Dont spend money that you dont have.

Following our discussions in the classroom, students often pull me aside for questions about complex or personal issues like bankruptcy, foreclosure and options for parents who are out of work. Its questions like these that must be answered, and its exactly why Junior Achievement is such a critical program for our youth.

On April 25, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida will recognize two of my colleagues who graciously have given their time to the organization and area schoolchildren. Pason Gaddis, co-founder and CEO of Florida Media Group, LLC, and Gary Griffin, P.E., president and CEO of B & I Contractors, Inc., will be inducted into the 2018 Business Hall of Fame, Lee County. Since it was established in 1999, the Business Hall of Fame has recognized outstanding entrepreneurs and role models who demonstrate a strong commitment to the community and our next generation of leaders.

I invite you to share in this fantastic event and help make a difference in the lives of local students. The Business Hall of Fame event will take place Wednesday, April 25, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, 5001 Coconut Road in Bonita Springs. A cocktail reception at 5 p.m. kicks off the event, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the induction ceremony.

To reserve tables, purchase individual tickets or become a sponsor, call the Junior Achievement office at 239-225-2590 or visit www.JASWFL.org. Proceeds benefit local Junior Achievement programs.

Brandon Box is executive vice president and market president for IBERIABANKs Sarasota and Fort Myers markets. Box is a regular volunteer for Junior Achievement and serves on the JA Hall of Fame board of directors.
To the editor:

This year the Matlacha Hookers hosted the 6th Annual wine event. Our theme Peace, Love and Wine gave our guests the chance to go back in time and get groovy to the sounds of musician Tommy Barr, who graciously donated his time to entertain us, all while enjoying our wine tastings and delicious themed appetizers. Carlos and William from C.W. Fudge not only donated their time to serve our guests but also donated all the delicious treats our guests were able to sample. Local artist Mel Meo came by the event after donating a beautiful one-of-a-kind themed painting for our guests to bid on. We thank our wonderful guests who make our event unique by coming dressed in theme! Special thanks to Stew Bennett, the club manager at Alden Pines, who provided constant guidance and assistance before and during the event and also deserved the best costume award!

Thank you to all of the businesses who helped us make our 6th annual wine event a successful. Among them were Alden Pines Country Club, Castaway Realty, C.W.Fudge, Island Girl Fitness Club & Yoga Studio, Mel Meo, Publix, Sam Yaffey with Experience Realty, & The Island Grill  without their help we would not been able to raise $9,400 to donate to the Beacon of HOPEs senior program. Thank you Beacon of HOPE for taking such great care of our island seniors. To learn more about their organization, please visit their website www.beaconofhopepineisland.com

We look forward to having the 7th Annual wine event in February 2019 at Alden Pines. Stay tuned for details and the unveiling of the theme.

Myself and my co-chairs Darlene Widirstky & Jean Dickenson want to extend our thanks and appreciation to all of our Matlacha Hooker volunteers who help make our organization great.

Want to learn more about the Matlacha Hookers? Visit out website at www.matlachahookers.org

Madam DouZie

Julia Simpson
Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas pledged on Monday to send about 1,600 National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border, responding to President Donald Trump's plan to use the military to help fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would add about 300 troops a week to the 250 members of the National Guard whose deployment was announced Friday until the total number reaches at least 1,000 troops. Arizona officials announced they were sending 225 National Guard members to the border Monday and would deploy another 113 on Tuesday, reports the Associated Press.

And New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's office said that more than 80 troops would deploy later this week. They will be the first of an expected 250 Guard members from New Mexico to serve on the border.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has not made a public commitment to sending troops from his state's National Guard.
Deputy Justin Nail, who was shot in the line of duty on Easter, was released from the hospital Sunday and is continuing to recuperate at home, a St. Tammany Parish (LA) Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said Monday.

Deputy Justin Nail was released from the hospital. (Photo: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office)

Nail suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen during an April 1 gunfight with a man suspected of being involved in numerous vehicle burglaries. Sheriff Randy Smith said the suspect, Joseph Johnson Jr. of Folsom, led deputies on a high-speed chase before crashing off the roadway in Goodbee and exchanging gunfire with deputies. Johnson was killed in the shootout.

The deputy had surgery early Easter Sunday and the Sheriff's Office reported he is expected to make a full recovery. Authorities did not say when Nail, a 13-year Sheriff's Office veteran, might resume his duties, reports the Times-Picayune.
Homicide suspect Ian L. Mitcham was arrested as a result of a familial DNA search. (Photo: Scottsdale PD)

Scottsdale, AZ, police arrested 42-year-old Ian L. Mitcham for the February 2015 murder of Scottsdale resident Allison Feldman. His arrest in Phoenix Tuesday morning marked the culmination of an intense three-year investigation into Feldman's death. A familial DNA search ultimately led to the arrest, according to a Scottsdale, AZ, press release.

On Feb. 18, 2015, a woman soon identified as 31-year-old Allison Feldman was found dead, and her death was quickly determined to be a homicide. A DNA profile was developed from evidence at the scene, but unfortunately no match was found in the current databases.

homicide victim Allison Feldman. Her suspected killer was found using a familial DNA search.

In late 2017, Scottsdale detectives began to work with the Arizona Governors Office, Arizona State Attorney Generals Office, Maricopa County Attorneys Office, and the Department of Public Safety to expand that forensic search. Our goal was to expand the parameters of the DNA search through the use of Familial DNA. We were at a point of impasse. We were out of leads and still had a very violent offender on the loose, said Scottsdale Police Department Assistant Chief Scott Popp.

Familial DNA searches, though not used up to this point in Arizona, have been used successfully in other states in recent years. The process widens the search parameters of the offender data base to identify people that may be close relatives of the person who committed the crime. Using this process, police were able to develop a match, which ultimately led to Mitchams arrest.
This Edmonds, WA, motel room was reportedly trashed by a man during a standoff with police Tuesday. (Photo: Edmonds PD)

A man armed with three axes and a knife destroyed a motel room, threatened to kill police officers and others and caused a standoff with police Tuesday, according to Edmonds, Washington, police.

According to a Facebook post by the Edmonds Police Department, officers were called to a motel Tuesday morning by guests who said a man there was threatening to kill people.

Police said the man ripped out the hot water tank and stove and threw them out of a room, along with chairs and other items, WSOC reports. He also reportedly threw tools at officers.

He was taken into custody after a two-hour standoff. We had a crisis negotiator trying to work with him to give up, the Facebook post said. We were finally able to subdue him using two heavy duty, rubber projectiles.
Thomson Reuters has honored the Springfield (Mass.) Police Department with its 2018 Everyday Heroes award.

The Springfield PD was recognized for its use of Thomson Reuters CLEAR to locate and arrest a sexual predator. Armed only with the perpetrators first name and potential street location, investigators were able to find the suspect and uncover his significant criminal history. Soon after, the victim was able to positively identify the suspect via a photograph.

Crimes of this sort are difficult to investigate and unfortunately many cases never close, said Steve Rubley, managing director of Thomson Reuters Government business. It is a testament to the tenacity and skill of the investigators, along with the courage of the victim in this case, that the suspect of this violent crime was located and captured. It is an honor to recognize the dedication of the Springfield Police Department with this years Everyday Heroes Award.

As the recipient of the award, the Springfield PD received a $10,000 charitable donation made by Thomson Reuters on its behalf to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The award and check presentation to department and NCMEC, respectively, occurred at a ceremony in Springfield last week.

The annual Everyday Heroes award is given to Thomson Reuters customers who use CLEAR, PeopleMap on Westlaw and other Thomson Reuters public records solutions. Customers are encouraged to share their stories on hero.thomsonreuters.com, and a panel of Thomson Reuters employee judges from the Government, Corporate and Law Firm business segments evaluate customer submissions and select the recipients.

For the complete stories of this and prior Everyday Heroes award winners, visit hero.thomsonreuters.com.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un chaired a meeting of the Politburo of the Workers Party on Monday, apparently to bring the elite into line ahead of summits with South Korea and the U.S.

The official [North] Korean Central News Agency published three photos of the meeting on Tuesday. One shows Kim and seven senior members at a roundtable. The other, Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, is visiting Russia. Six other members sit in the back row alongside about a dozen candidate members.

Conspicuously, Kim Yong-chol, the chief of the United Front Department, sits in the back row, despite being a full member.

"This suggests that Kim Yong-chol doesn't rank within the top 10 in the party yet," said a defector who used to be a senior official in the North.


Its remarkable and positive that Iowa cropland values on average increased by 2.9 percent from September 2017 to this March. The increase continues an 18-month trend thats seen values increase 4.9 percent in the last year, according to Iowa Land Institute survey results.

Concern remains that land values have entered a bubble situation, which is a dangerous environment that potentially could lead to dangerous drops in land values. Experts who study debt-to-asset ratios and profit margins are optimistic that deflation wont occur. They also are certain that farmers will face more risk than ever before in an uncertain trade and ag policy environment.

While average cropland values in the state remain at a strong $6,951 per acre, land rents have fallen off, which is a concern for owners no matter if they are individuals or trusts.

The average Iowa cash rent for cropland has fallen from $260 per acre in 2014 to $231 in 2017. The decline, as significant as it is, may not be sufficient enough to turn rental operator profits from red to black. It is interesting to note that during the same time, pasture rental rates increased by $5 per acre, which reflects both increased demand and decreased supply.

Statistics are one thing, but what is happening with land ownership is another. The state has tracked ownership via surveys since 1949, with results that have alarmed farm family advocates in recent decades.

In the Great Depression era, more than half of Iowa farms were rented, a figure that would be ruinously large if it was reality today. Only 12 percent of farm operators are tenants today, and 30 percent of farmers have at least partial ownership in the farms they run. Owners operate 60 percent of Iowas farmland, but that number is likely to decline in the years ahead.

It is concerning that most land  62 percent, as reported in 2012  is owned by people who dont farm it. The percentage of full-time farmers hovers just more than 20 percent. The likelihood that more of Iowas cropland acres will be run by tenants in the years ahead raises serious questions as the farm population ages.

Farm-state lawmakers must examine the possibility of enacting expanded or establishing new beginning farmer programs. Such programs have been tried before with mixed results at the federal level. Minnesota offered a loan guarantee incentive program in the later 1970s that was controversial yet reasonably successful.

Providing increased opportunities for ownership for the next generation is a critical component to the future of agriculture and rural communities.

Forward-thinking approaches are needed now so that the next generation will have the opportunity and challenge to farm the land.
First there was the Agricultural Revolution, then the Industrial Revolution, and now the Information Revolution.

We are in the midst of technology-driven generation and it has benefits, but it also has detriments.These risks need to be considered and responded to because, in this still developing situation, they are not going away.

With the flood of easily accessible information over the internet, there is a never-before-seen amount of global connection happening at our fingertips. With this comes a never-before-seen amplification of past information problems: false stories, propaganda, exaggerated facts, confirmation bias.

Intense propaganda now comes in the form of bots that are essentially impossible for the average citizen to identify. Confirmation bias is unavoidable, as platforms such as Facebook employ algorithms to manipulate what news is seen; this is, again, rarely noticed by the user. The misinformation, fabrications, and, yes, "fake news" are not only seen in greater quantity now, but are also becoming harder and harder to distinguish from real news.

The danger presented by this ambiguity is palpable. The problem becomes even more concrete when looking at it in the context of our nation.

The greatest pride of any democracy comes from its political base: the citizens. The United States is no different. Our public education system has the stated goal to create well-informed citizenry that can then become more productive society members and prepared voters. In order to continue this trend, the way students approach information consumption has to be prioritized in school. Currently, there is no course in the curriculum that addresses this particular need.

Why not? What is standing in the way? News can be a difficult topic because it often becomes political and therefore controversial. Perhaps this is a reason to stray away from a course like the one suggested.

In fact, the Academic Balance Policy bill being considered by Minnesota Legislature indicates that controversial discussion in schools is only becoming more taboo. This proposal presents important issues of indoctrination of students by teachers, or discrimination based on political alignment. The bill requires school districts to "prohibit(s) school employees, in their official capacity, from requiring students or other school employees to express specified social or political viewpoints for the purposes of academic credit, extracurricular participation, or as a condition of employment."

As an idea, this holds water, but many fear that, if put into action, it would create an atmosphere of fear among educators, bourne out of uncertainty about what is and is not too controversial. Such a sentiment could not be coming at a worse time. It is more important now than ever to keep an open dialogue in our education system.

If students dont learn how to distinguish between opinion and fact, bias and substance, real and fake, in school, when will they? The answer, unfortunately, is that there is no guarantee they ever will. In a burgeoning era, this education is vital for a future not spent buried in excess information.
It was a bitterly cold February day when Teruko Yamashita stepped off the train in Rochester in 1945. She had never seen snow before and it enchanted her, covering Rochester in "pure white." It was so different from the barren, hot Arizona desert.

Yamashita was 18 and a "little" frightened at being out in the world for the first time. Yet she was happy because she was free.

"The joy of breathing the fresh air of freedom is indescribable!" she said. "It was bitter cold, but at the same time, it was simply beautiful."

Yamashita had spent the last three years imprisoned in the Gila River, Ariz., incarceration camp with her parents and four siblings.

Surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers topped by machine-gun wielding soldiers, Yamashita and other Japanese Americans had been imprisoned in relocation camps during World War II not for anything they had done, but for who they were.

In 1942, bowing to war hysteria, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order mandating the relocation of all persons of Japanese ancestry into 10 internment camps. Two-thirds of the 110,000 people imprisoned were U.S. citizens.

Now the History Center of Olmsted County is hosting an exhibit that casts a new light on the Japanese-American experience during the Second World War. The traveling exhibit, called "Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American WWII Experience," will run from Friday to June 17 at the history center.

Todays challenges, too

The exhibit comes at a time when the country is again caught up in a debate about what it means to be an American.

Mitch Maki, president and CEO of Go for Broke National Education Center, a nonprofit that is sponsoring the exhibit, said there are "tremendous parallels" between what happened to Japanese-Americans 75 years ago and the "challenges we are facing as a nation today."

"To me, what this story talks about is Americas promise," Maki said. "Americas promise is that youre not judging individuals by the color of their skin, the nation of their origin or the God they choose to worship, because thats what they did during World War II."

A year after forcibly resettling Japanese-Americans into the camps, the Army realized it had a manpower problem, that it needed more men to fight in Europe, Maki said. So it created an all-volunteer unit composed entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry.

These men, both from the camps on the mainland and Hawaii, volunteered to fight hoping to prove their loyalty to the U.S., even while their parents and siblings remained imprisoned.

The 442nd Infantry Battalion, fighting in Italy, southern France and Germany, would become the most decorated unit of its size in American history. The 4,000-man unit had to be replaced nearly two times. In total, about 14,000 men served and nearly 9,500 of them earned Purple Hearts.

In the Pacific Theater, Japanese-Americans used their language skills to translate Japanese documents, interrogate prisoners and help American commanders understand the culture of the Japanese army, Maki said. Their efforts were later credited by American Gen. Charles Willoughby with bringing the war to an end two years earlier than it might have been.

Local champions

The exhibit is coming to Rochester to highlight the role the sisters of St. Francis and their Mayo Clinic colleagues played in facilitating the release of young Japanese American women from the camps.

Sister Domitilla DuRocher, the hospital superintendent, and Sister Antonio Rostomily, the schools director, indicated early in the war to U.S. leaders that they would be willing to take on any Japanese-American students, said Virgina Wentzel, a Rochester author whose book has chronicled the history of the nursing school.

The two leaders viewed what was happening to Japanese-Americans as an injustice and wanted to do what they could to help them.

"Part of it was their Franciscan charity," Wentzel said.

Saint Marys School of Nursing, which operated from 1906 to 1970, admitted 42 Japanese-American women during World War II. The nursing program offered freedom, a free education and a way to serve their country through the Cadet Nurse Corps.

Wentzel interviewed many of these nurse alumni years later while doing her research for her book. Many have since passed away. Wentzel said none of them expressed bitterness at their treatment, even though they might have felt justified in feeling that way.

"They were grateful," Wentzel said. She recalled what one of the former Japanese-American nurses said at a reunion many years later. "Why be bitter? I could not do anything about it."
The term "voracious reader" takes a literal meaning this Saturday. On April 14, a long-held Rochester Public Library tradition returns as amateurs and professional decorators submit their best-looking  and most delicious  literary-themed food creations to the sixth annual Edible Book Festival.

From punny YA romance cookie bars to highly detailed marzipan and fondant-sculpted classics, the contest garners entries from all kinds of people representing, or rather, redecorating all kinds of books. This year, the festival encourages Frankenstein-themed entries in conjunction with the librarys ongoing Frankenstein Project, a novella contest wrapping up a week before the festival. The winners of that contest will be published in an anthology released on April 28 (and receive a cash prize to boot). Until then, both library and cake lovers can participate in this delectable festival.

Contestants in the Edible Book Festival set up their creations, which must be made mostly of edible items and pertain to or reference a book, at 1:30 p.m. in the first-floor auditorium, with doors opening to the public at 2. Winners will be announced at 2:30. To participate, entrants only need to submit a form before the day of the festival, and, of course, create something fabulous to share.

Anyone can enter the Edible Book Festival, no matter their skill level. The categories are for kids aged 8-12, teens aged 13-17, and all adults (18+). Group entries of all ages are also welcome. Children under eight years old must enter within a group. Prospective entrants can contact Keri Ostby at the Rochester Public Library to register, or download the form on the library website.

The first Edible Book Festival in Rochester was held in 2012. The first ever Edible Book Festival was held in 2000 in Hamburg, Germany; since then, it has grown into a worldwide celebration, including our own local event. The origin lies in celebration of the nineteenth-century foodie (then called a "gastronome") Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, whose birthday was April 1. Its become a great excuse to bring people together in honor of great books and food.

Whether youre there to win or just to tempt your taste buds, its sure to be a fun afternoon for everyone. As with all library programs and events, the Edible Book Festival is free and open to the public.
Deal will start new chapter for Chinese books in the UK

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-04-11 00:53

The number of Chinese books that are sold in the United Kingdom is expected to increase because of a new partnership announced on Monday by Chinas CYP Press and Britains Bloomsbury Publishing.

The initiative, called China Global Publishing, was unveiled on the eve of the three-day London Book Fair.

Under the arrangement, the two publishers will select Chinese books that are suitable for the British market, and invest in their translation, and the publishing and promotion of an English version in the UK.

The publishers aim to publish 100 titles a year.

Traditionally, Chinese publishers find it hard to sell books into the UK due to their lack of channels to effectively market the English translations to the British audience, said Guo Guang, general manager of CYP International Ltd. On the other hand, British publishers find it hard to discover suitable Chinese material, because they simply dont know where to search when facing Chinas large publishing market.

CYP Press, which established a UK subsidiary in 2007, has published 400 Chinese-to-English books in the UK. Bloomsbury has, so far, only published one.

Under this arrangement, we will share the risks and share the benefits, while ensuring the end quality, said Guo.

He said he expects the arrangement to be a financial success for both publishers, and, if business volume picks up, the publishers may launch a new joint venture publishing house in the UK dedicated to the endeavor.

Richard Charkin, executive director of Bloomsbury, said: China Global Publishing is the first step to reward Chinese writers with income, readership, and opportunities from the UK market. It also brings fascinating content to British readers.

Industry insiders have endorsed the initiative.

Emma House, deputy chief executive of The Publishers Association, said it may lead to a breakthrough for Chinese literature in the UK, because the same model has already worked for Indian and Arabic language publications.

The British market is very competitive, you have to have the right connections, expertise and channels, House said. Traditionally, Chinese publishers have established UK offices and tried to publish English translations themselves, but their limited understanding of what the British readers want is restricting them. With Bloomsbury on board, this new initiative can make a difference.
Sci-tech led island's trajectory of success

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-04-11 06:47

Back in 1988, when Hainan island split from Guangdong province and became a province of its own, it was undeveloped. Its economy was dominated by low-productivity agriculture and fishing, which together generated half its GDP of 7.7 billion yuan ($1.1 billion).

But science and technology have played a decisive role in recent years in Hainan, and are serving as a new driver of economic growth.

According to Hainan officials, the island province will focus on technologies embracing such things as hybrid seeds, deep-ocean research and space exploration, for which it has unique geographical advantages, and make them leading players in the country over the next five years.

Three tech cities will likely be launched within the year to enhance those sectors, they said.

With advances in science and technology, Hainan has earned a reputation as an agricultural leader. It is now said to be China's largest "winter vegetable basket" and is considered a "Silicon Valley" of seed breeding.

Nearly 18,000 hectares, or about 33.5 percent of the island's farmland, are under protection as permanent prime land for crops, and ensure that Hainan will become the country's largest base for seed breeding.

Every year from September until May, more than 6,000 scientific research personnel from 30 provinces and regions in Chinaincluding the country's "father of hybrid rice", Yuan Longpingare drawn to Sanya, Lingshui and Ledong in southern Hainan, to immerse themselves in hybrid seed research in ideal tropical island weather.

"Hainan used to provide us fields to carry out research, but more supporting facilities, high-tech laboratories and accommodations, are also provided nowadays," said Hua Zetian, a scholar of the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center. Hua has worked in Sanya for 30 years.

The Hainan provincial government has injected 200 million yuan for seed breeding technology, and the transfer of the knowledge into industrial production.

The output of winter vegetables on the island has notably increased, thanks to the application of new farming science and technology.

Winter vegetable planting has expanded to 194,000 hectares, producing 3.41 million tons of vegetables, which are sold in cities outside the island. Profits have reached 10 billion yuan, according to Ke Yongchun, head of the Sanya Science and Technology Academy, part of the Base of National Breeding and Multiplication.

"Seeds cultivated in Hainan have been sold in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative," Hua said.

Hainan will emphasize science and technology innovation to boost its 12 pillar industries' developmentincluding tourism, high-efficiency agriculture, internet-based business, exhibitions and marine economyin the next five years, according to the annual government work report released in January.

Haosheng village, near the Wenchang satellite launch centerChina's fourthis growing vegetables and fruit varieties that were developed with help of space technology, and developing space-technology-themed tourism that helped increase its villagers' income by 52 percent last year.

China's first deep-sea research institute, the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, settled in Sanya in 2016. Hainan will better explore its marine resources and improve naval technology, provincial officials said.

The added value of Hainan's new high-tech industry rose 14.8 percent to 21.2 billion yuan in 2017, and the number of related enterprises increased from 127 in 2013 to 269 last year, according to Shi Yiyun, head of Hainan's Science and Technology Department.

"We will stick to reforming science and technology mechanisms to provide a better environment for research," said Guo Zhangcheng, Party secretary of Hainan's sci-tech department. Hainan will also introduce more talent to foster greater vitality in innovation and entrepreneurship, Guo said.
To obtain clarity on the raid of Michael Cohens home, office, and hotel room plus the seizure of attorney-client material, I turned to this article by Andy McCarthy. As usual, Andy delivers plenty of clarity. I recommend reading his entire article.

I want to make just one point. Andy writes:

There had to have been [Southern District of New York U.S. Attorneys Office]Main Justice consultations [about the raid] because Justice Department guidelines require that district U.S. attorneys offices receive Washington approval before seeking a warrant to search an attorneys premises. (See U.S. Attorneys Manual, Section 9-13.420.) When one reads the guidelines, one suspects that there must be more to the SDNYs investigation of Cohen than the Stormy Daniels transaction  a suspicion echoed in the aforementioned Times report, which describes the searches as related to several topics, including a payment to a pornographic film actress (emphasis added). Prosecutors are admonished that, because raiding a lawyers office has serious constitutional implications, it should be avoided unless truly essential to a significant criminal investigation. If the only matter under investigation were a potential campaign-finance violation that would normally not be grist for criminal prosecution, it would be outrageous to raid a lawyers office  especially the presidents lawyer. Not only must high-level Justice Department approval be obtained before seeking a search warrant for an attorneys premises; the prosecutors and their superiors must explore whether less intrusive investigative alternatives  such as seeking the desired materials by grand-jury subpoena  would be viable. That the government must have decided they were not viable is remarkable. A prosecutor gets a search warrant when the subject cannot be trusted to cooperate and hand over materials voluntarily. But Cohen has been cooperating with investigators, at least ostensibly. His counsel, Stephen Ryan, maintains that Cohen has been giving information to all government entities, intimating that he has cooperated with Mueller in addition to providing extensive documentary evidence and testimony to congressional committees.

To summarize, McCarthy is saying that the raid was improper unless Cohen is being investigated for more than the Stormy Daniels transaction and there were no less intrusive means than the search and seizure of obtaining documents relating to that more.

Were these conditions satisfied? It seems likely. Even if one doesnt trust Robert Muellers shop, and there are reasons not to, it looks like both Rod Rosenstein and the U.S. Attorneys office for the Southern District of New York signed off on the raid. A judge must have done so, as well.

One person who didnt sign off is Jeff Sessions. He recused himself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States. This covers the payment made by Cohen to Stormy Daniels during the campaign, even though Sessions almost certainly had no involvement in, or knowledge, of that payment.

But the recusal may not extend to other matters as to which the SDNY U.S. Attorney might be investigating Cohen. Indeed, Mueller himself concluded that these matters, whatever they are, fall outside the scope of his Russia-campaign investigation. This suggests that any non-Stormy matters for which Cohen is being targeted do, indeed, fall outside of Sessions recusal. If so, Sessions can involve himself.

Thus, I think Sessions can ask the SDNY to identify for him the matters it is investigating Cohen about that do not relate to the payment of Stormy Daniels. If there are such matters, and Sessions confirms that they do not relate to the presidential campaign, Sessions can oversee these aspects of the investigation (or so it seems to me).

If the SDNY cant identify any matters that do not relate to payment to Stormy, Sessions will know that yesterdays searches and seizures were improper. As McCarthy says, it would be outrageous to raid a lawyers office  especially the presidents lawyer  over this kind of matter.

Sessions would probably be barred by the terms of his recusal from taking action to redress this outrage. He could not shut down the investigation or order that the seized documents be returned and not be used against Cohen. However, he could, I think, tell the president what he has learned. He could also fire Rod Rosenstein for not scotching the raid.

To be clear, I dont assume that the SDNY is only investigating Stormy stuff. More likely, it is investigating real, serious potential crimes. In that case, as Ive said, Sessions can participate unless the crimes involve matters relating to the presidential campaign.

Oversight by Sessions wherever in these investigations it is possible would be desirable.
Yesterday the financial markets soared in response to a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xis speech was conciliatory, and suggested that, far from igniting a trade war, President Trumps proposed punitive tariffs have brought about important and positive changes in our economic relationship with China, including, among other things, lower tariffs on American automobiles and better protection for American intellectual property. Time will tell how this plays out, but some are already tempted to say I told you so. President Trump welcomed Xis speech on Twitter:

Very thankful for President Xi of Chinas kind words on tariffs and automobile barriersalso, his enlightenment on intellectual property and technology transfers. We will make great progress together!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018

Today the markets are down moderately, reportedly because of concern about the U.S.s relationship with Russia, which President Trump addressed in a series of tweets this morning:

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

One can only imagine how well this sort of thing goes over in the ever-so-nuanced State Department. But it seems to me that Trump is right on all counts. 1) Russian threats should not, and will not, deter America and its allies from responding strongly to Assads outrages. 2) Our relationship with Russia is bad these days, and, one would think, needlessly so. Russia is beset with problems, and hostility toward the U.S. does nothing to solve them. 3) The Democrats unending hysteria about Russia makes it hard for the administration to conduct normal diplomacy. After decades of accepting, if not welcoming, aggression by the U.S.S.R., liberals are now having fainting fits over Russia putting ads on Facebook.

The dogs are barking, but the Trump caravan moves along, successfully more often than not.
Thank you for remembering, let them remain in our memory forever, President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter to mark the conclusion of observances of the eighth Smolensk disaster anniversary on Tuesday.

In his tweet, President Duda appealed for remembrance of the disaster victims and recalled the crowds outside the Presidential Palace on the evening of the disaster day, April 10, 2010.

"I remember that evening outside the palace on April 10, 2010. A sea of lights, a sea of flowers, a sea of people and tears. I thank you for being there for them then, for remembering them then and today. Let them remain in our memories forever," Andrzej Duda said. See also: Poland marks Smolensk air crash 8th anniversary
Child car seats sold online fail quality tests

From:Shine | 2018-04-11 01:29

NEARLY one third of child car safety seats sold online, including on top sites like Tmall, Taobao, jd.com and yhd.com, that were tested for quality came up short, authorities said yesterday.

The Shanghai Industry and Commerce Administration said it had tested 60 batches of baby safety car seats belonging to 35 brands and sold on 10 online sites and at two stores in Yangpu and Qingpu districts.

They were checked for dynamic test, flame resistance, label and instruction, structure, buckle opening and restraint system. Seventeen batches, or 28.3 percent, failed the tests.

Seven batches failed dynamic tests. On the list were two batches of seats branded Carmind and ZazaBaby sold on jd.com, Babyvox sold on Taobao, and Leman sold on Tmall.

Dynamic test is the most important index of child safety seats and directly affects the safety of children passengers, said Shi Shulu, deputy director of the consumer protection department of the administration.

The test simulated the situation of a child sitting on a safety seat and its protection ability during accidents by measuring the displacement of the childs head, chest acceleration and abdominal invasion.

Six batches failed for horizontal displacement. Safety seats with excessive horizontal displacement means that children can easily hit the front seats or dash boards in case of accidents and likely get hurt, said Shi.

The shoulder straps of a batch were found to slip below the elbows that could lead to dislocated shoulder. Another batch failed for broken headrest, a serious safety problem.

Seventeen batches were deemed substandard for combustion performance. Flame resistance performance is an important index in terms of materials used in the seats because it can slow down the burning speed of seats and protect children during fire, Shi said.

The substandard seats included a brand Kiddy that was bought on Tmall and had the worst performance. Other brands were Pouch that was sold on Taobao, Beichi sold on Suning Yigou, and innokids sold on yhd.com, the administration said.

The administration has ordered the businesses to stop their sales immediately.

May Xu, a mother of a 3-year-old boy, said she used the child safety seats on highways and elevated roads.

My son complained that he felt uncomfortable when he was on the seat for a long time. I think the softness of the belts is very important, she said.

She said she had to take the boy off the seat every hour.

About 18,800 children die in traffic accidents in China every year, most of them for not using child safety seats.
Kathmandu, April 11

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has directed officials and contractors to complete the construction of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project on time.

After being reported that the 456-megawatt project is likely to miss its deadline, Prime Minister Oli and Energy Minister Barsha Man Pun visited the project location in Dolakha district today.

During the visit, Oli also said, If this project will not be complete on time, its indirect losses will be far greater than direct ones. Therefore, please dont pass the buck on others. Complete the project on time, anyhow.

Likewise, Minister Pun said he would like to see the project completed before other national pride projects.

Nepal Electricity Authority Managing Director Kul Man Ghising said the project would save Rs 18 billion money which is currently being spent to by power from India.

The fresh project deadline is December 2018. Though the cost was initially estimated at Rs 35.3 billion in the beginning, it now has reached Rs 49.29 billion.
PUNE, India, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Aircraft Lightning Protection Market by Application (Test Service, Lightning Detection & Warning, Lightning Protection), Aircraft Type (Fixed-wing, Rotary-wing, UAVs), End User (Civil, Military), Fit (Linefit, Retrofit), Region - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to grow from USD 4.10 Billion in 2017 to USD 5.52 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 6.13% between 2017 and 2022.

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Browse 86 market data Tables and 33 Figures spread through 131 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Aircraft Lightning Protection Market - Global Forecast to 2022"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aircraft-lightning-protection-market-938330.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Increased number of orders for new aircraft across the globe and increase in demand for more electric aircraft and glass cockpit are major factors driving the aircraft lightning protection market.

Based on application, the lightning protection segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on application, the lightning protection segment of the aircraft lightning protection market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Lightning protection comprises different components, such as static wicks, transient voltage suppressors, and expanded metal foils. These components help in reducing the extent of damage caused due to lightning strikes on the aircraft.

Based on end user, the civil segment is projected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on end user, the civil segment of the aircraft lightning protection market is estimated to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the civil aviation industry has been witnessing growth over the past few years, owing to increase in air travel and rise in disposable income of the middle-class population. Increase in demand for passenger and cargo flights is one of the most significant factors projected to drive the demand for aircraft lightning protection devices.

Ask for PDF Brochure : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=938330

The retrofit segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.

The retrofit segment of the aircraft lightning protection market is projected to grow at a higher CAGR as compared to the linefit segment during the forecast period. The higher growth rate of the retrofit segment can be attributed to the modification/upgradation of an aircraft during overhaul period. Major airline companies are focused on retrofitting the aging fleets of commercial aircraft.

Based on aircraft type, the UAVs segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on aircraft type, the UAVs segment is projected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The UAVs segment has witnessed significant growth in the past few years due to increasing applicability of UAVs in the commercial and defense sectors has boosted the aircraft lightning protection market. UAVs have less demanding flight profile, lifetime, and environmental requirements than manned aircraft and hence, the aircraft lightning protection used in UAVs are smaller in number and of lower mass as compared to those used in manned aircraft.

The aircraft lightning protection market in Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period.

The aircraft lightning protection market in Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The aviation industry is growing at a significant rate due to increasing air passenger traffic and improving economic conditions of the region. The growth in air passenger traffic has resulted in an increased demand for new lightweight and fuel-efficient aircraft from the region. In addition, emerging aircraft manufacturers in China, Japan, and India are expected to fuel the demand for aircraft lightning protection during the forecast period.

Major companies profiled in the aircraft lightning protection market report are Cobham (UK), Saab (Sweden), Honeywell (US), L3 Technologies (US), Microsemi Corporation (US), TE Connectivity (Switzerland), Dayton-Granger (US), Dexmet (US), Astroseal Products (US), Pinnacle lighting protection (US), Avidyne (US), and National Technical Systems (US).

Know more about the Aircraft Lightning Protection Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aircraft-lightning-protection-market-938330.html

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Offering panoramic views of the South China Sea, Capella Sanya is a collaborative art piece by two of the world's most celebrated designers: Jean-Michel Gathy and Bill Bensley. With their combined creative genius, Capella Sanya is a showcase of spectacular luxurious hospitality, landscape design and recreational facilities. Inspired by a Chinese trader's adventures along The Silk Road, Capella Sanya encapsulates the rich culture and heritage of ethnic communities along this historic trade route.

The legend of Blessed Bay dates back to about 600 years ago, when a group of Persian traders arrived in China. On their way home, they were pounded by typhoon at sea. The survivors floated to an unknown bay, where they rallied their way home and made a good fortune eventually. In honor of their experience and blessings, they named the bay "Blessed Bay" (Tufu Bay in Chinese).

"We are grateful for the opportunity to introduce the Capella Experience to China's leading resort destination. Capella Sanya will exemplify the winning attributes of the world's fifth best hotel brand, as voted by readers of Travel + Leisure," said Mr. Nicholas M. Clayton, Chief Executive Officer of Capella Hotel Group.

"Capella Sanya will be the new benchmark for China's luxury beach resorts. Our pursuit of excellence in real estate development is complemented by Capella Hotel Group's expertise in creating exceptional guest experiences," said Mr. He Jingang, Chairman of China Gezhouba Real Estate.

Capella Sanya features 190 of the island's most luxurious rooms, suites and villas. Elegantly appointed accommodation choices include executive suites, 2- to 4-bedroom villas and a Presidential Suite within the Manor House, as well as five low-rise Mansions for an elevated sense of residential experience.

Careful consideration was given to the needs of diverse clientele like honeymooners, extended families and incentive group travelers. To cater to their discerning palates, six distinctive dining concepts differentiate the culinary experience including a signature restaurant, authentic Chinese, a stylish Noodle Bar and Lobby Lounge. A wellness sanctuary offering unique and innovative treatments like the Moroccan Hammam and "Snow Cabin" complete the Capella Sanya experience.

For more information on Capella Sanya, please visit www.capellasanya.com

About Capella Hotel Group

Capella Hotel Group, headquartered in Singapore with offices in China, Europe and USA, offers global hospitality management services through two distinct brands. Capella Hotels and Resorts is an ultra-luxury hotel, resort, and residential concept designed for the most discerning travelers and offering personalized attention with locations in Dusseldorf, Saint Lucia, Shanghai and Singapore as well as hotels planned for Ubud, Bangkok, Maldives and Sydney. Solis Hotels and Resorts, is an exclusive collection of resorts, hotels and residences designed for travelers and meeting planners who seek an environment with a global palette of cosmopolitan comfort, inspiring cuisine, world-class spas with locations in Donegal, Ireland; Nanjing, China and Atlanta, USA along with hotels planned for Bali and Guangzhou. Learn more at www.capellahotelgroup.com

About China Gezhouba Group Real Estate Development Co., Ltd

China Gezhouba Group Real Estate is under the China Gezhouba Group Co. Ltd. It is the pioneer in real estate developments and is one of the first State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) identified 16 real estate companies. It is a large state-owned firm with assets in hydro-power generation, infrastructure and real estate. The company is active in both domestic and overseas markets. Learn more at http://en.gzbfdc.com/

For media enquiries, please contact:

Joleena Seah

Director, Marketing & Communications

Capella Hotel Group

Telephone: +65-6887-9835

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Capella Hotel Group Asia
MUMBAI, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Datamatics Global Services Ltd. today announced that its proprietary RPA solution TruBot[TM] has been recognized as an 'Aspirant' by Everest Group, a global independent consulting and research firm in their report 'Robotic Process Automation - Technology Vendor Landscape with Products PEAK Matrix Assessment 2018' that was released in April this year.

Datamatics TruBot[TM] is a multi-skilled software bot that enables several large enterprises across the globe to automate repetitive processes. TruBot[TM] customers across the Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Logistics industries have experienced over 500% improvement in productivity, 100% process accuracy and RoI within 4 months of go live.

Mr. Mitul Mehta, SVP & Head, Marketing & Communications, Datamatics Global Services Ltd., said, "RPA is a priority area for Datamatics and we are happy to see TruBot[TM] debut in the Everest Peak Matrix. With an aggressive product roadmap and market outreach, we will further consolidate our position in the market."

Everest Group's PEAK Matrix assessments provide analysis and insights that enterprises need for making critical selection decisions about global services providers, products and solutions within various market segments. The report provides a detailed view of the RPA technology vendor landscape and a thorough assessment of the capabilities of 18 leading RPA vendors across several key dimensions. The vendors have been assessed using Everest Group's proprietary framework, the Products PEAK Matrix, and classified into three categories: Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirants.

Click here to read the report - https://www2.everestgrp.com/reportaction/EGR-2018-38-R-2595/Marketing

About Datamatics Global Services

Datamatics is a global technology company offering Information Technology, Data Management, Business Process Management and Consulting services to several Fortune 500 companies. The company caters to over 450 customers globally across Banking, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Telecom and Logistics through a wide array of intelligent solutions and over 10 proprietary products and frameworks including Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Mobility, Document & Workflow Management, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics.

Datamatics has a dedicated incubation hub for Research & Development called DataLabs where highly skilled team of Data Scientists and Doctorates co-create innovative products that enable businesses to discover new opportunities in emerging markets. Datamatics has adopted the highest standards of service quality and operational excellence through its customized offerings, enabling customers to improve productivity and accuracy, take intelligent decisions, speed up go-to-market and enhance customer experience to stay ahead in the connected world. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company has an employee base of over 10,000 with a presence in Americas, Australia, Asia, and Europe, with 8 delivery centres across 4 continents. Click here to know more - http://www.datamatics.com.

Safe Harbour

Some of the statements in this update that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include our financial and growth projections as well as statements concerning our plans, strategies, intentions and beliefs concerning our business and the markets in which we operate. These statements are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update these statements as circumstances change. There are risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, the level of market demand for our services, the highly-competitive market for the types of services that we offer, market conditions that could cause our customers to reduce their spending for our services, our ability to create, acquire and build new businesses and to grow our existing businesses, our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, currency fluctuations and market conditions in India and elsewhere around the world, and other risks not specifically mentioned herein but those that are common to industry.

For media queries, please contact:

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SOURCE Datamatics Global Services Ltd.
PUNE, India, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Density Meter Market by Implementation Type (Process, Lab), Type (Vibrating, Nuclear, Ultrasonic, Microwave, Optical), Industry (Chemicals, Food & Beverages, Oil & Gas, Metals & Mining, Water & Wastewater), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is estimated to be worth USD 855.0 Million in 2018 and is expected to be valued at USD 1,041.2 Million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 4.02% between 2018 and 2023.

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Browse 66 market data Tables and 33 Figures spread through 130 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Density Meter Market - Global Forecast to 2023"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/density-meter-market-262416579.html

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Key driving factors for the growth of the density meter market is the oil and gas downstream segment and stringent regulations with regard to food quality and food safety.

Process density meter is expected to hold the largest market during 2018-2023

Density meters used for process applications are primarily the inline density meters and are used to determine and monitor the density of liquids or gases in various industries such as oil & gas, chemicals, food & beverages, pulp and paper, and metals and mining. The market for process application is expected to grow at a higher CAGR owing to the preferred inline process measurement.

Water & wastewater treatment industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR owing to stringent norms regarding the discharge of wastewater and popularity of smart water management

The density meter market for the water and wastewater treatment industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Stringent norms regarding the discharge of wastewater, especially for industrial wastewater, limited availability of drinkable water, and popularity of smart water management are expected to further fuel the demand for density meters. Suspended solid/sludge density analyzers, ultrasonic concentration meters, and microwave density meters are mainly used in the water and wastewater treatment industry.

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APAC is expected to hold the largest market size, in terms of value, owing to increasing industrialization and regulations regarding food quality and safety getting stringent

APAC is among the high-potential markets for density meters because of the increasing industrialization in the same region. In the coming years, brewery industry is also expected to grow in the said region with various breweries aiming their expansion in this region. Thus, in the coming years, the density meter is expected to grab various opportunities in APAC.

Emerson (US), Thermo Fisher (US), Endress+Hauser (Switzerland), Yokogawa (Japan), Mettler Toledo (Switzerland), Toshiba (Japan), AMETEK (US), Valmet (Finland), Anton Paar (Austria), Vega Grieshaber (Germany), Berthold Technologies (Germany), Schmidt + Haensch (Germany), ProMtec Theisen (Germany), A.KRUSS Optronic (Germany), Avenisense (France), Rudolph Research Analytical (US), Bopp & Reuther (Germany), Rototherm Group (UK), Integrated Sensing System (US), Sensotech (Germany), Kyoto Electronics (Japan), Lemis Baltic (Latvia), Horiba (Japan), Meidensha Corporation (Japan), Dandong Dongfang Measurement & Control Technology (China), and Ronan Engineering (US) are some major companies in this market.

Know more about the Density Meter Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/density-meter-market-262416579.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

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MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

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Email: [email protected]



Visit Our [email protected] http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
Aon publishes 2018 Risk Maps for Political Risk, Terrorism and Political Violence

- Political Violence: The likelihood of interstate conflict, even involving major powers, is at the highest point since the end of the Cold War. Growing geopolitical competition and weak leadership in international diplomacy have contributed to increased risks of armed conflict over the last year.

- Terrorism: The number of terrorist attacks in Western countries in 2017 (204) doubled  up from 96 in 2016, though casualties remained at similar levels. A number of war zones internationally continue to serve as incubators for international terrorism, although the global threat from Islamic State seems to be waning somewhat.

- Political Risk: Last year saw political risk increase in 11 countries, with climate change and commodity shocks weakening fiscal positions, which are still struggling to recover from the commodity shock, and exacerbating rising levels of political violence and supply chain disruption.

LONDON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon's (NYSE:AON) 2018 Risk Maps covering Political Risk and Terrorism and Political Violence, produced in conjunction with Continuum Economics and The Risk Advisory Group are published today.

Terrorism and Political Violence

Political violence risks are rising globally, due to geopolitical tensions, a weakening of liberal democratic governance, and the repercussive effects of chronic conflicts around the globe.

For the third successive year, more country risk ratings have increased (17) than decreased (6). This year:

40% of countries are listed as being exposed to terrorism and sabotage risk;

60% to civil unrest risk, and;

33% to insurrection, war or coup risk.

Forty-six countries or territories are now rated as high or severe risk, representing 22% of the global total.

The likelihood of interstate conflict, even involving major powers, is at the highest point since the end of the Cold War. Growing geopolitical competition and weak leadership in international diplomacy have contributed to sustained or increased risks of armed conflict over the last year. Growing rates of polarisation over political, economic and social issues in mature democracies, and divisions between Western powers in the face of complex threats and risks, has also contributed to worsening global security and greater strategic uncertainty.

The number of terrorist attacks in Western countries in 2017 (204) was roughly double that of 2016 (96) but the total number of casualties in both years was broadly the same (1,092 in 2017), meaning that the lethality of attacks has fallen.

Notably, the threat posed by Islamic State has stopped spreading  but has not yet receded. IS mounted terrorist attacks in 29 countries on five continents in 2017, the same number of countries as in 2016 and up from 19 countries in 2015, but the global reach of IS appears to have peaked, and it seems likely that the number of countries where it is able to mount attacks, or inspire others to do so, will fall in 2018.

In particular, the tourism sector is having to manage the risks posed by increased terrorism, with the sector a highly attractive target for some terrorist organisations. In 2017, there were at least 35 attacks worldwide that directly targeted commercial sectors that are critical components of the tourism industry, such as hotels and resorts, nightclubs, civil aviation and visitor attractions.

Political Risk

Last year political risk increased in eleven countries, compared to only two countries that saw reduced risk, showing the persistence of political risk across the globe, highlighted by increases in political violence and supply chain disruption. Many countries' risks of supply chain disruption have risen due to both climate shocks and weakening fiscal positions.

Notably, over the last year, Asian countries' trade linkages have been shifting away from the US and toward China. This is due to China's economic development, and its rise as a trade giant. Amid China's rise, Asia's exports to the US have edged down from around 23% of total exports in 2000 to stabilize at around 12% in recent years. By the same token, Asia's exports to China have more than doubled over the past decade to around 23% currently.

Elsewhere, political risks in Latin America are increasing ahead of a busy election season, delaying major reforms in Brazil and stoking fears of reform reversal in Mexico. Major countries are at risk of electing populist governments, and smaller countries are experiencing their share of political noise.

More broadly, the region experiencing most downgrades is Africa. Ongoing conflicts within countries, the erosion of democratic governance and increasingly frequent corruption scandals have led to more political violence. Groups such as IS and Boko Haram are taking advantage of fragile institutions and weak borders. Elsewhere, the Middle East contains some of the highest-risk countries in the world: Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Egypt. Instability and violence in the region have spilled over to neighbouring countries, undermining trade and tourism.

Mark Parker, Head of Property, Casualty and Crisis Management, Aon Global Broking Centre, said: "The global geopolitical environment remains volatile. This is reflected in the 2018 Risk Maps, with the interlinked threats posed by Political Violence and Political Risks growing. Given this heightened level of risk, and the rapidly evolving landscape against which businesses are operating, it is essential the companies understand their exposures and the potential for political instability to impact their people, property and supply chains. Ensuring that the right solutions are in place to mitigate and transfer risk is essential for firms operating internationally."

Paulina Argudin, Director, Country Risk Model, Continuum Economics, said: "The Aon Political Risk Map 2018 captures changing elements of political risks for businesses across emerging and frontier markets countries. Last year we saw political risk rising in several countries, driven mainly by increases in political violence and supply chain disruption. The persistence and rise of political risk across the globe demonstrates how relevant it is for businesses to identify and monitor specific political risk elements in their countries of operation.

Henry Wilkinson, Head of Intelligence & Analysis at The Risk Advisory Group, said: "The Aon Terrorism & Political Violence Map 2018 points to inter-state tensions driving up longer-term political violence risks, as well as diversifying terrorist and extremist threats particularly in the West. The long-term trend of non-state actors being the predominant political violence concern in most regions is shifting towards geopolitical risks. These are more business threatening and demand board-level ownership. In such an unsettled environment, it is imperative that businesses invest in world class crisis and risk management programs that are intelligence-led, anticipatory and adaptive to rapid change."



Notes to editors

The Aon Political Risk Map captures changing risks for businesses and countries across emerging and frontier markets (non OECD countries).

For more information and to access the interactive maps and full report please visit the Aon website.

Media Contacts

Madeleine Little +44 (0)20 7086 0347 [email protected]

Tom Blackwell, FTI Consulting +44 (0)20 3727 1051 [email protected]

Cybil Rose +1 847 638 6691 / [email protected]

Maneesh Sah +65 6221 8222 / [email protected]

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance.

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About Continuum Economics

Continuum Economics (formerly Roubini Global Economics) is the international market-leading service for independent economic research powered by 4Cast and Roubini Global Economics. With its growing user base of 10,000 clients and a reputation for incisive analysis on every aspect of the market, it provides research that spans short-term market signals and long-term strategic themes. This approach uncovers opportunities and risks before they come to the attention of markets, helping our clients make more informed decisions.

Continuum Economics works with clients in a series of different ways, from macro strategy subscription products to bespoke work, multi-client conference calls, direct access to analysts and the licensing of its systematic country risk analysis tool. For further information on Continuum Economics, please visit www.continuumeconomics.com

About The Risk Advisory Group

The Aon Terrorism and Political Violence map represents detailed empirical and intelligence based assessments on terrorism threats and political violence risks.

The map has been produced in conjunction with The Risk Advisory Group since 2007. The Risk Advisory Group is a leading, independent global risk management consultancy that helps businesses grow whilst protecting their people, their assets and their brands. By providing facts, intelligence and analysis, The Risk Advisory Group helps its clients negotiate complex and uncertain environments to choose the right opportunities, in the right markets, with the right partners. www.riskadvisory.com

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Related Links

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SOURCE Aon plc
PUNE, India, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "High Strength Steel Market by Type (High Strength Low Alloy, Dual Phase, Bake Hardenable, Carbon Manganese), End-Use Industry (Automotive, Yellow Goods & Mining Equipment, Construction, Aviation & Marine), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the High Strength Steel Market is projected to grow from USD 18.67 Billion in 2018 to USD 27.92 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2018 to 2023. Increasing consumption of high strength steels in the automotive and construction industries to improve the fuel efficiency of automobiles and ensure high strength and improved safety features of buildings is driving the growth of the High Strength Steel Market across the globe.

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Browse 113 market data Tables and 53 Figures spread through 173 Pages and in-depth TOC on "High Strength Steel Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/high-strength-steel-market-4627428.html

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Among types, the high strength low alloy segment is projected to lead the High Strength Steel Market during the forecast period.

The high strength low alloy type segment is expected to lead the High Strength Steel Market in 2018. The growth of this segment of the market can be attributed to the increased demand for high strength low alloy steels from the automotive industry. High strength low alloy steels are the most widely used steels in various end-use industries as they offer superior mechanical properties such as high corrosion resistance, increased formability, and excellent weldability, among others.

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The automotive end-use industry segment is expected to lead the High Strength Steel Market between 2018 and 2023.

Among end-use industries, the automotive segment is expected to lead the High Strength Steel Market in 2018. The growth of the automotive end-use industry segment of the High Strength Steel Market can be attributed to the increased demand for high strength steels from the automotive industry. It is expected that the amount of high strength steels used in the production of automobiles will be more than double in the next 15 years. The increase in the global automobile production is a major factor leading to the growth of the automotive end-use industry segment of the High Strength Steel Market across the globe. The use of high strength steels for manufacturing body panels of automobiles results in an increase in their fuel efficiency by reducing their weight by approximately 60%. This, in turn, contributes to the growing demand for high strength steels from the automotive industry. The increasing demand for electric and hybrid vehicles across the globe is also expected to contribute towards the growth of the High Strength Steel Market during the forecast period.

The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the largest market for high strength steels between 2018 and 2023.

The Asia Pacific region is the largest consumer of high strength steels across the globe, and this trend is projected to continue during the forecast period as well. The growth of the Asia Pacific High Strength Steel Market can be attributed to the economic growth of emerging economies such as China, India, and Taiwan, among others. Increasing production of the manufacturing sector of the Asia Pacific region to cater to the domestic requirements for superior quality products and rising exports from the region are factors leading to an increased demand for high strength steels from the region.

The key players operating in the High Strength Steel Market include Voestalpine AG (Austria), POSCO Group (South Korea), ArcelorMittal S.A. (Luxembourg), SSAB AB (Sweden), Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Japan), Tata Steel (India), Steel Authority of India Limited (India), United States Steel Corporation (US), Baosteel Group Corporation (China), Severstal JSC (Russia), ThyssenKrupp AG (Germany), JFE Steel Corporation (Japan), Nucor Corporation (US), and JSW Steel (India), among others.

Know more about High Strength Steel Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/high-strength-steel-market-4627428.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Salgarkar

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]



Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
NEW DELHI, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeProof, a pioneer and global leader in action-ready phone cases, has partnered with Arjun Vajpai, India's top young climbing talent for 2018.

Arjun, 24, will attempt to summit Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, arriving at Basecamp in mid-April. The climbing prodigy has already successfully climbed Mt. Everest at the age of 16. He continued his journey after Everest in 2010 and became the youngest person in the world to summit Mt. Manaslu (2011), Mt. Lhotse (2011), Mt. Cho Oyu (2016) and Mt. Makalu (2016).

This will be Arjun's second attempt at Kanchenjunga and LifeProof will be with him every step of the way. Last year, adverse weather prevented him from topping the notoriously difficult mountain.

"Mountaineering throws so many obstacles at you, but my preparation and motivation are stronger now than ever," Arjun said. "As I get ready to battle the elements, it is exciting to know that LifeProof enables my phone to do the same. I hope to inspire young Indian climbers, and using my LifeProof-protected phone to document my climbs is a large part of that."

This Kanchenjunga expedition is part of Arjun's larger goal to summit all 14 of the world's peaks above 8,000 meters as well as reach the North and South pole. With five peaks under his belt, he hopes to continue momentum and add another sacred peak to his list.

"LifeProof has always been about inspiring people to live and share their adventures without limits," said Sean Murphy, head of marketing for LifeProof Asia-Pacific. "Arjun's courage and approach to exploration is an inspiration to young Indian adventurers as well as anyone determined to chase experiences.

"We have engineered LifeProof products to ensure that hesitation takes a backseat to the adventure at hand. We are proud to support Arjun's effort to summit Kanchenjunga and tackle the adventures that await him," Murphy said.

The expedition began on the 1st April, 2018, from New Delhi and progress can be followed on LifeProof and Arjun's channel:

LifeProof

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeProofAPAC/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeproofasia/

Website: www.lifeproof.asia

Arjun

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VajpaiArjun/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arjunvajpai/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArjunV_everest

Website: www.arjun-vajpai.com

About LifeProof:

After disrupting the consumer electronics industry with award-winning waterproof smartphone cases, LifeProof continues to innovate and inspire. In its unapologetic quest to reimagine, reinvent and use technologies in extraordinary ways, LifeProof empowers athletes, explorers and adventurers to live life without limits. From its lineup of action-ready phone cases and accessories to the selection of waterproof, drop-proof, Bluetooth speakers, LifeProof is the gear you grab to go get living.

For more information, visit www.lifeproof.asia . #LiveLifeProof

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SOURCE LifeProof
NEW DELHI, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Airport Authority of India (AAI) in its continuing efforts to provide world class infrastructure and services to its stakeholders has been endeavouring to excel its global peers by undertaking various initiatives. As one of the initiatives, the AAI has been participating in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey conducted by Airports Council International (ACI) in order to get the feedback from the passengers on various parameters of services rendered by airports and also get Authority's airports benchmarked with other participants in ACI-ASQ survey worldwide.

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MRSS India - BSE listed (1st & Only) Market Research Company will conduct ACI-ASQ survey at 20 airports for a period of 3 years (2018-20). During the survey, MRSS India professionals will capture information from lakhs of passengers travelling through domestic as well as international airlines as per the guidelines of ACI.

Mr. Sarang Panchal, Managing Director of MRSS India commented on this win, "This validates our belief in the Airport and Airlines vertical in Asia which is expected to be half a trillion dollar industry. Airports in India have graduated very quickly in the past few years and for us it is a matter of pride that GMR/Delhi International Airport Limited is the joint 1st in its category of airports. We are highly confident that we will add more airports and airlines in our client portfolio in the coming couple of years while providing substantial tailwinds for our continued growth."

The 20 airports are as follows: Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Goa, Jaipur, Amritsar, Srinagar, Lucknow, Pune, Indore, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Patna, Calicut, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Trivandrum and Vizag.

About MRSS India:



MRSS India relies exhaustively on usage of technology for data acquisition offering reliability, validity and faster turnaround times to its clients. The company has wide range of offerings such as Eye Tracking, Mobile Analytics, Video Analysis, Facial Recognition, Digital Tracking, Online Communities, Neuroscience, Emotional Analysis, Automated Audience Measurement, Sensory Sciences, etc. It is India's 1st and only listed Market Research Company, also a member of MRSI and DIN (Digital Insight Network - Global). It is the subsidiary of Majestic Market Research Support Services Limited - One of Asia's largest full service market research firm. MMRSS is a member of ESOMAR, QRCA, MRA, etc. with presence in 18 countries across Middle East and Asia Pacific region.

Media Contact :

Sukanya Mandal

[email protected]

+91-8369257175

MRSS India



SOURCE MRSS India Ltd.
Making the case for this initiative, Shail Kumar, Founder & President, Nalanda 2.0, said, "Great nations, states, and cities are powered by a world-class higher education system. The United States has 135 universities in the Top 500 of global rankings, China: 45, South Korea: 12, California: 12, Silicon Valley: 3, and Singapore: 2. In the same rankings India has just one university in the Top 500. Even after 70 years of independence, India does not have even one world-class multidisciplinary research university. India needs 100 such universities. It is time to build at least one university with the scale, scope and level of excellence and impact as Nalanda University of ancient India and Stanford University of the 21 st century."

According to Krishna Saraswat, Professor, Stanford University and member of Nalanda 2.0's Board of Directors, "The proposed university will prepare the next generation of leaders, researchers, innovators, and professionals for all sectors of the society, conduct basic and applied research, enable interdisciplinary learning and research, spur innovation and start-ups, and solve problems that matter to the industry, government, society, and the nation."

"Stakeholders are excited to bring this vision to a reality. This includes leaders such as Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, government officials, leaders in industry, academia, and research, and students," added Kumar.

The next step is to develop an actionable master plan by the end of March 2019.

"I am really pleased that we have an exceptional Global Advisory Board with people of eminence in academia, research and industry who will participate in developing the master plan," noted Arjun Malhotra, pioneer of India's IT industry and member of Nalanda 2.0's Board of Directors. He added, "India and its diaspora have the expertise and financial resources to design and build a university that will not only add value to students, industry, government and society in the upcoming years but for generations to come, just like Nalanda University of ancient India."

For information about the initiative and the Global Advisory Board members visit: https://www.universityofthefutureinindia.org/

About Nalanda 2.0

Nalanda 2.0 is a nonprofit organization addressing India's defining challenge and opportunity of the 21st century.

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SOURCE Nalanda 2.0
PUNE, India, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Equipment Market by Product (Receiver, Transmitter/Transponder, Transceiver, Antenna, Modem/Router), Technology (VSAT, SATCOM on the Move, SATCOM on the Pause), End-Use, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, the SATCOM equipment market is estimated to be USD 20.20 Billion in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 30.32 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 8.46% during the forecast period. The growth of this market is driven by the high demand for advanced, energy-efficient, and uninterrupted communication systems with enhanced lifespan, increased reliability, and varied functionalities.

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Browse 76 market data Tables and 40 Figures spread through 177 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Equipment Market - Global Forecast to 2022"



https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/satellite-communication-satcom-equipment-market-159285646.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

The SATCOM transceiver product segment is expected to lead the SATCOM equipment market during the forecast period.

By product, the SATCOM transceiver segment is estimated to hold the largest share of the SATCOM equipment market in 2017 and is also expected to be the largest segment throughout the forecast period. This segment's expected high growth is due to the increasing use of satellites for navigational purposes as well as for surveillance by defense authorities worldwide. There has been an increase in research and development activities for SATCOM equipment in the US as well as in emerging economies, such as India and China, over the past few years, which has, in turn, increased the demand for SATCOM transceivers worldwide.

The land mobile SATCOM equipment end-use segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.

SATCOM equipment is now a vital part of the global ecosystem and plays a major role in the daily lives of people across the world. SATCOM systems are used in a wide array of applications, such as telecommunications, weather monitoring, military, and navigation. Based on end-use, the land mobile SATCOM equipment segment of the SATCOM equipment market is estimated to grow at the highest rate from 2017 to 2022. Land mobile SATCOM equipment is widely used to obtain real-time information during warfare. Object detecting, tracking, and reporting functions are performed by satellite antennas. Land mobile SATCOM systems can also effectively locate unexploded ordinance and tunnels and trace movements near exterior walls as well as critical infrastructures and buildings. They are used, along with airborne, naval, and space satellites for target integration.

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North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the SATCOM equipment market in 2017.

The major driver for the SATCOM equipment market in North America is technological advancements, which have led to improvements in transmission capacity and in minimizing the cost of launching satellites for commercial and military applications. The latest technological developments, such as propulsion technology and spacecraft design, and advancements in Earth observation services have also contributed to the growth of the SATCOM equipment market in North America. Additionally, the high demand for SATCOM equipment from NASA, the US Department of Defense, and the private sector, along with the rising demand for uninterrupted communication in the defense sector fuel the SATCOM equipment market in North America.

General Dynamics Corporation (US), L3 Technologies, Inc. (US), Cobham Plc (UK), Harris Corporation (US), Viasat, Inc. (US), Gilat Satellite Networks (Israel), Campbell Scientific, Inc. (US), Hughes Network Systems LLC (US), and Aselsan A.. (Turkey) are some of the leading players in the SATCOM equipment market.

Know more about the Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Equipment Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/satellite-communication-satcom-equipment-market-159285646.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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Unified cloud-based eClinical platforms, with built-in scalability and modularity, will drive growth opportunities across the globe

SANTA CLARA, California, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital transformation is leading the clinical trial industry toward a much anticipated data-centric approach. Frost & Sullivan forecasts the Global Clinical Trial Data Management and eClinical Solutions market to cross $4.0 billion by 2020 due to the increased need for digital continuity, thereby driving unparalleled transparency and efficiency throughout the clinical development lifecycle.

Growth Opportunities in the Clinical Trial Data Management and eClinical Solutions Market, Forecast to 2020 evaluates and discusses market projections, key trends, technology life cycle (adoption rate vs. maturity), key implementation challenges and growth opportunities. The research scope includes select high growth clinical IT systems such as: electronic data capture (EDC), randomization and trial supply management (RTSM), clinical trials management systems (CTMS), electronic clinical outcome assessment (eCOA), trial planning and safety solutions, and biostatistics solutions. Finally, the analysis provides industry best practices and strategic imperatives for key clinical trial industry stakeholders such as pharmaceutical sponsors, clinical research organizations (CROs), sites and technology providers.

For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/2b3

"As the clinical trial industry transitions towards future biomarker-based targeted therapeutics and adaptive clinical trial models, the need for digital continuity theme has become critical across clinical trials IT framework to drive transparency and efficiency throughout the clinical development lifecycle," said Kamaljit Behera, Transformational Health Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Clinical trial IT vendors providing eClinical modular solutions leveraging cloud-based, multi-tenant system on flexible Software-as-a-service (SaaS) pricing model will be more attractive both for CROs and Big Pharma, compared to function-specific point solutions licensing models."

As the industry seeks to shift towards cost-efficient and patient-centric clinical trials designs, mHealth devices, when integrated with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) platforms, demonstrate the maximum value. Emerging BYOD concepts provide an efficient alternative, as more than 30 percent of eCOA solution costs are associated with the supply of provisioned devices. Multi-modality eCOA solutions supporting BYOD concepts will help pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs to reduce hardware, maintenance and telecom costs, increase flexibility in capturing data, and reduce logistics cost.

Further growth opportunity trends include:

Cloud-based modular EDC systems with intuitive user interfaces, capable of integrating all possible study and eSource data, with predictive analytics features, will be the key differentiator for emerging EDC systems ;

systems with intuitive user interfaces, capable of integrating all possible study and eSource data, with predictive analytics features, will be the key differentiator for emerging ; Convergence of healthcare with life science IT systems will continue to transform the clinical trial industry, driving the demand for informatics solutions to bridge knowledge gaps, empowering sponsors, CROs, and sites to make meaningful, data-driven decisions;

to bridge knowledge gaps, empowering sponsors, CROs, and sites to make meaningful, data-driven decisions; New breed of agile modular RTSM solutions, which are 100% configurable with self-guided workflow for study design and randomization, will empower clinical teams to design, validate, and deploy a study in days instead of weeks or months, to meet the unique protocol requirements of adaptive study designs; and

which are 100% configurable with self-guided workflow for study design and randomization, will empower clinical teams to design, validate, and deploy a study in days instead of weeks or months, to meet the unique protocol requirements of adaptive study designs; and Cloud-based unified eClinical platforms help break traditional data silos, driving interoperability to provide significant cost and time efficiencies compared to traditional web-hosted or on-premise infrastructure deployment.

"The integration of eClinical platforms with an evolving ecosystem of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices and solutions has the potential to change the process of clinical trials, making them more efficient and cost-effective, while accelerating research into new treatments," observed Behera. "Apart from optimizing the Clinical Trial IT systems at the backend, vendors need to leverage converging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), analytics, and visualization tools to provide real-time access for the data review process with intuitive user interfaces to improve collaboration among sites, sponsors, CROs, and patients.

Growth Opportunities in the Clinical Trial Data Management and eClinical Solutions Market, Forecast to 2020 is part of Frost & Sullivan's Transformation Health  Life Sciences Growth Partnership Service program.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion

Growth Opportunities in the Clinical Trial Data Management and eClinical Solutions Market, Forecast to 2020

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Contact:

Mariana Fernandez

Corporate Communications  North America

P: +1 (210) 348 1012

E: [email protected]

http://ww2.frost.com

twitter: @FS_Healthcare

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
CHENNAI, India, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) - 'Be a #FarmDost' - initiative has been at the forefront of highlighting the importance of farmers and helping the urban society appreciate the hard work of farmers through various digital media communications and on-ground activities which has brought farmers and the urban population together. These efforts were validated with the 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative winning awards at the IAA Olive Crown Awards, PRCI's Corporate Collaterals Award, ACEF's 7th Global Customer Engagement Awards, the Rural Marketing Forum & Awards and the Making of Developed India Awards.



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TAFE was bestowed the Chanakya Award in the category 'Communication Idea of the Year' for its 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) during the 12th Global Communication Conclave held in Pune. The TAFE group was among the top winners, winning 15 awards across different categories.

At the prestigious IAA Olive Crown Awards 2018 hosted by International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter in Mumbai, TAFE was awarded the Silver Olive Crown in the Events category for it's 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative's, 'National Farmers' Day' event for 'Creative Excellence in Communicating Sustainability'. And at the Asia Pacific Customer Engagement Forum's (ACEF) '7th Global Customer Engagement Awards', TAFE's 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative won two gold awards. One for its 'National Farmers' Day event for the 'Successful use of CSR Activity' in the Events & Promotions category, and one for its #ThankYouTohBol TV commercial for 'Creativity' in the Television category.

The 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative by TAFE was also recognized as the 'Social Development Campaign of the Year' by the Rural Marketing Forum & Awards. The award recognizes development and integrated marketing concepts which aim to bring about social change for the greater good. TAFE's 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative was also awarded at the Making of Developed India Awards, in the 'Best Marketing Campaign of the Year (Agriculture)' category. The award recognizes the efforts of an organization/team to increase awareness for a particular product or service.

About TAFE:

The world's third largest tractor manufacturer and second largest in India by volumes with an annual sale of over 150,000 tractors, TAFE - Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited is one of the leading exporters of tractors from India with a turnover in excess of INR 93 billion. TAFE manufactures a range of tractors in the sub 100 hp segment in both, the air-cooled and water-cooled platforms and markets them under its four iconic brands - Massey Ferguson, TAFE, Eicher and the recently acquired IMT brand. Its over 1000 strong distribution network covers the entire length and breadth of India. Apart from India, its products have found excellent acceptance in over 100 countries across the world, including developed countries in Europe and the Americas.

Besides tractors and farm machinery, TAFE manufactures Diesel engines, silent gensets, batteries, hydraulic pumps and cylinders, gears and transmission components, and has business interest in vehicle franchises and plantations. TAFE is committed to the Total Quality Movement (TQM) and three of its tractor plants are certified under ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

About the 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative:

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), the world's third largest tractor manufacturer, launched the 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative with the aim to help the urban and semi-urban population understand the importance of a farmer in their lives. The initiative wants to raise empathy by encouraging people to step into the farmer's shoes, even if for a small while. The idea stems from the thought that if people realize the effort it takes to cultivate a single crop, they would truly realize what the average farmer has to go through, day in and day out.

The 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative is simple, to show gratitude to the farmers who are responsible for sustaining and nourishing us. Launched in April 2015, the initiative is spearheaded by the Corporate Communications team of TAFE. In its first phase, TAFE encouraged the urban population to become farmers in a small way using the #FarmDost seed kit to cultivate crops at home, thereby realizing the effort that goes into the food they eat every day. People were also challenged to meet farmers and thank them for their hard work that nourishes and sustains the world. To support this mission, activities have been carried out throughout the country apart from the daily activity on all its online communities.

The 'National Farmers' Day' by TAFE - Be a #FarmDost was held in December 2017 bringing together the urban residents of Bengaluru, and farmers from nearby regions, on a farm to live the farm life and celebrate 'Farmers' Day' with the farmers. The event got urban residents to become farmers for a day, engage with them, and realize the effort and hard work put in by the farmer to cultivate the food that sustains and nourishes the world. The participants got the experience of, cultivating in a farm (teak, pomegranate or sandalwood sapling); tending to a farm by, harvesting red chilies and radish, and de-weeding the farm; making organic fertilizer; taking a tractor ride; and creating a mock farm in teams with the farmers, during the 'Build-a-Farm' challenge. The event channeled all the participants' inner farmer by the activities, which they enjoyed - discovering the joys of farming.

The 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative is primarily driven online, building a global community of #FarmDosts, reaching out to them across media and platforms. The aim is to communicate with and bring like-minded people together who relate to the cause and bring the farmer back into social consciousness. Within a short span, the #FarmDost community grew to become 1 million strong on Facebook and is steadily growing. It also has a notable presence on other platforms like Linkedin, YouTube, Google Plus, Pinterest, and Instagram.

The 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative's simple yet powerful message of gratitude and appreciation for the farmers and the profession of farming has resonated with society and is inspiring people to realize the true value of the invisible hero - the farmer.

Media Contact:

Sunitha Subramaniyan

[email protected]

+91-4466919163

Head - TAFE Corporate Communications, Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited



SOURCE TAFE - Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited
NORTH READING, Massachusetts, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink Inc., the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the life sciences supply chain and providing real-time information sharing for better patient outcomes, today announced EU FMD Express  a cost-effective, simplified solution designed specifically to address the needs of smaller pharmaceutical companies complying with the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD.)

With far greater resource and budget constraints than their larger counterparts, many small pharmaceutical companies face extreme challenges with serialization, including master data management and data exchange with their contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), making it difficult to meet the EU FMD deadline by February 2019. TraceLink's EU FMD Express provides these companies with a simple approach to meet EU FMD compliance while controlling costs and minimizing business impact. With over 40,000 users regularly accessing the Life Sciences Cloud system, TraceLink's EU FMD Express is a complete, easy to use solution that allows smaller manufacturers to comply with EU FMD and integrate with the EU Hub through a single, secure connection, while removing the burden of software maintenance and upgrades, and insulating companies from regulatory changes.

"Due to its size and vast number of companies spread across various countries, Europe is one of the largest and most complex markets, leaving hundreds of small companies grappling with how to achieve EU FMD compliance within the next 11 months," said Shabbir Dahod, president and CEO, TraceLink. "As the market leader, we feel that is our responsibility to help every company comply, regardless of size, and therefore developed this cost-effective, easy to use offering to streamline the ability for smaller companies to become compliant on time, with no disruption to their business operations. Through our investment in services and support in the EU and unique network architecture to accelerate company on-boarding, TraceLink is the only company positioned to provide such an offering for this market."

EU FMD Express: Key Benefits for Small Pharmaceutical Companies

Designed specifically for smaller pharmaceutical companies with simple supply chains, EU FMD Express utilizes purpose-built templates and compliance modules for faster implementation and predictable costs. TraceLink executes the entire deployment, including system configuration and data entry. Every EU FMD Express customer will benefit from:

Easy to Use and Proven Solution That Is Purpose-Built for Smaller Companies  Enabling portal access for line management systems and CMOs with integration options available; access to TraceLink's serial number and event repository; and direct integration into the EU Hub;

Enabling portal access for line management systems and CMOs with integration options available; access to TraceLink's serial number and event repository; and direct integration into the EU Hub; Simplified Deployment, Set-Up and Configuration  TraceLink Services will help EU FMD Express customers define and manage their master data, on-board and train their CMOs, configure the EU compliance module, support for QA testing and validation, and user training.

TraceLink Services will help EU FMD Express customers define and manage their master data, on-board and train their CMOs, configure the EU compliance module, support for QA testing and validation, and user training. Ongoing Training and Education  All EU FMD Express users will have full access to TraceLink configuration templates for master data and serial number templates. TraceLink also provides an online collaboration workspace for companies to exchange customer configuration documents and full access to TraceLink University for tutorials and e-learning courses.

To learn more about EU FMD Express and see how TraceLink provides smaller pharmaceutical companies with unmatched flexibility and predictability while eliminating the uncertainty of high costs from CMO integrations and time-intensive implementations, please visit: https://www.tracelink.com/solutions/eu/eu-fmd-for-small-pharma.

About TraceLink

TraceLink is the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the Life Sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace. Leading businesses trust the TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud to deliver complete global connectivity, visibility and traceability of pharmaceuticals from ingredient to patient. A single point and click connection to the Life Sciences Cloud creates a supply chain control tower that delivers the information, insight and collaboration needed to improve performance and reduce risk across global supply, manufacturing and distribution operations. A winner of numerous industry awards including Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (ranked number 149 in 2016), the Amazon AWS Global Start-Up Challenge Grand Prize, and the Edison Award for Innovation in Health Management, the Life Sciences Cloud is used by businesses across the globe to meet strategic goals in ensuring global compliance, fighting drug counterfeiting, improving on-time and in-full delivery, protecting product quality and reducing operational cost. For more information on TraceLink and our solutions, visit www.tracelink.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

TraceLink is funded by Goldman Sachs, FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital and F-Prime Capital.

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SOURCE TraceLink
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Jayashri Srikantiah is the founding director of Stanford Law School's Immigrants' Rights Clinic. Professor Srikantiahs dedication to social justice exemplifies one of the core values of Mills. Her mission to serve as a voice for immigrants rights, especially in our current social climate, will provide an inspiring example to our students.

Mills College will celebrate its 130th Commencement on Saturday, May 12, 2018, with an address given by Jayashri Srikantiah, a passionate immigrants' rights advocate, attorney, and professor. Additionally, Mills is proud to honor renowned actress Olivia de Havilland with the colleges 2018 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters award.

Jayashri Srikantiah is the founding and current director of Stanford Law Schools Immigrants Rights Clinic. Professor Srikantiah has represented scores of immigrants facing removal from the United States, with a focus on representing immigrants with past criminal convictions. She has also conducted impact litigation, community outreach, public education, and policy advocacy in partnership with a range of immigration nonprofits.

Professor Srikantiahs dedication to social justice exemplifies one of the core values of Mills, said Mills President Elizabeth L. Hillman. Her mission to serve as a voice for immigrants rights, especially in our current social climate, will provide an inspiring example to our students.

Immigrating to the United States from India when she was four years old, her family settled in the Bay Area where she grew up in an immigrant neighborhood in San Jose. Her personal experiences influenced her passion for immigrants' rights, and at a young age, it became clear that those within her very own community were being marginalized and were in desperate need of legal help.

Professor Srikantiah holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate from New York University School of Law. She has previously served as the Associate Legal Director of the ACLU in Northern California, a staff attorney for the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, and as a law clerk to Judge David R. Thompson on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Having joined the Stanford Law School faculty in 2004, she teaches the Immigrants' Rights Clinic, an immersive course designed to provide law students with the opportunity to serve the immigrant community in the Bay Area and beyond. Along with her students, she represents individual immigrants facing deportation and also conducts multi-modal advocacy to advance immigrants' rights.

She is a frequent speaker on various immigration topics, including comprehensive immigration reform, the constitutional rights of immigrants, and immigration detention. She is the recipient of California Lawyers 2014 Attorney of the Year, SIRENs 2017 Legal Advocate of the Year, and the 2017 Carol Weiss King Award from the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild.

As a young adult navigating my own professional calling, it took time for me to realize my need to be involved in public policy said Professor Jayashri Srikantiah. At Mills, students are inspired to take risks, seek action, and have a voice. I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to speak to these admirable graduates who will soon, if not already, have their own mission to influence social change.

As part of the Commencement ceremony, Mills College will award an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to Olivia de Havilland, a celebrated actress who signed with Warner Brothers Studios in the mid-1930s. Long before the phrase gender equality had been coined, de Havilland was standing up for her rights and the rights of her colleagues. After taking Warner Brothers to court for not allowing her to play more complex roles, de Havilland won a significant court ruling providing greater creative freedom to performers.

De Havilland has lived in Paris for the past sixty years and will be 102 years old this year. Her daughter, Gisele Galante Chulack, will be accepting the Honorary Doctorate on her behalf. This award is especially fitting for de Havilland, not only for her social activism, but because she always wanted to attend Mills College. In 1934, she applied to Mills and was accepted. It was at this same time that well-known director Max Reinhardt saw her in a play and offered her an acting contract. In a People magazine article, on her 100th birthday, she was asked if there was any advice she would give to her younger self and she noted: Take a long leave of absence from the Warner contract and go to Mills College, where the scholarship I had won in 1934 is still waiting for me!

The 130th Commencement will begin at 9:45 am on Holmgren Meadow on the Mills campus and will celebrate the academic achievements of 242 undergraduate women and 369 graduate women and men including students receiving certificates and credentials in a variety of fields. The event is open to the public.

The traditional farewell reception for graduating students, alumnae, faculty, and guests, held on the Art Museum Meadow, will follow the Commencement ceremony.

About Mills College

Located in Oakland, California, in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, Mills College is a nationally renowned independent liberal arts college for women with graduate programs for women and men. Ranked one of the top-tier regional universities in the West by U.S. News & World Report, Mills is also recognized as one of The Best 382 Colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. Since 1852, weve been empowering students to become creative, independent thinkers who take and inspire action. For more information, visit http://www.mills.edu.

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Tutu School Franchises logo Now more than ever, I believe in the significance of what we are doing, and the importance of creating a space in kids lives for creativity and joy, said Genevieve Custer Weeks, CEO & Founder, Tutu School Franchises.

Tutu School Franchises is celebrating ten years of helping children dance their way through the critical years of motor skill development, setting the stage for a bright future, strong bodies and vivid imaginations. Once a fledgling dream of a professional ballet dancer, Tutu School has flourished into more than 30 ballet studios in seven states across the U.S., providing dance instruction to 4,000 students each day.

Ten years ago, Tutu School Franchises had its step on the stage moment when it was founded in San Francisco by Genevieve Weeks, a professional ballet dancer. The aim: focus on the tiniest dancers - age eight and younger - to foster their confidence and creativity.

Now more than ever, I believe in the significance of what we are doing, and the importance of creating a space in kids lives for creativity and joy, said Genevieve Custer Weeks, CEO & Founder, Tutu School Franchises. The benefits of dance are far-reaching: from helping develop balance and coordination, to nurturing inspiration, the time spent in a dance studio builds social skills, dedication, teamwork and a positive sense of self.

Tutu Schools has locations in California, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin. Each school is independently owned by a carefully selected director with a clear commitment to quality arts education.

Celebrations of the 10 year anniversary will continue throughout the year in tandem with multiple new Tutu School studios slated to open over the coming months.

To find a Tutu School near you, visit http://www.tutuschool.com/locations.

ABOUT TUTU SCHOOL FRANCHISES

At Tutu School Franchises, we believe every child should know how to dance. We believe that motor skill development is infinitely enhanced by Tchaikovsky and Bach, that young imaginations benefit immensely from exploring the enchanted worlds of swans and sugar plums, and that twirling should be a fundamental part of any childhood. Founded in 2008 by professional ballet dancer Genevieve Weeks, Tutu School has grown from one studio in San Francisco, Calif. to 30 studios in seven states in just 10 years. For more information, visit: https://www.tutuschool.com.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Genevieve Custer Weeks was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. She received her early ballet training there, and took part in her first dance productions in the middle of her parents' living room.

At the age of fifteen, Genevieve moved to Chicago to study at the School of Ballet Chicago, and that same year became a founding member of the Ballet Chicago Studio Company. She supplemented her training with study at the San Francisco Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, and with Suzanne Farrell at the The Kennedy Center. A contract with the Oakland Ballet brought Genevieve to the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning in 2006, Genevieve began performing as a freelance artist, dancing principal and soloist roles throughout North America, and started dreaming of her opening own boutique school that would celebrate the things she loved most about ballet. She finally took the leap in 2008.

Since the founding of that first initial studio, Tutu School has grown into a collection of boutique ballet schools all over the country, and Genevieve  who retired from performing in 2012  now divides her time between Tutu School and her life with her husband Andrew, a photographer, and their three sons.
SpeakFeel Corporation and Sandbox Software Solutions, two local software development firms, have opened a new joint office on Gordon Street, just a five-minute walk from the University of Guelph. The shared space aims to benefit both companies by distributing resources and boosting collaboration, leading to increased morale among development teams and greater opportunities for effective problem-solving.

On the surface it may seem like the two software organizations are competing, but Sandbox Co-Founder Devin Gauthier asserts that the office dynamic is purely innovative: "Many companies don't take the time to get to know who their perceived competitors are. Despite operating in the same industry, there are very few projects that SpeakFeel and Sandbox would actually compete on, and many other organizations could strongly benefit from being open to this type of collaboration."

Kelly Brooks, President and Founder of SpeakFeel, also notes, "ICT firms in Guelph share many of the same challenges. We're in a regionally-based competitive space for skilled employees and have a unique set of operational and service processes. Co-sharing a location serves as an ideal approach to addressing these issues. We can bounce ideas and solutions off each other. We don't have to do it alone."

Community members are also expressing excitement at the partnership. Anne Toner Fung, Executive Director of Innovation Guelph, a local business accelerator, says, "We are excited to hear about the collaborative relationship emerging between SpeakFeel and Sandbox...this type of forward-thinking space sharing is key to the development of the ICT sector-which has become an integral part of every other sector interested in innovating and staying competitive."

For years, SpeakFeel and Sandbox have been developing projects for clients in and beyond the GTA, bringing millions of dollars to the Wellington County region. Moving forward, both companies are positive that their coworking setup will greatly benefit the Guelph community by allowing them to grow their complimentary services while strengthening current ties with Innovation Guelph, Business Centre Guelph-Wellington, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, and the School of Computer Science at U of G.

Sandbox already works heavily with the University, regularly accepting co-op students and offering a $1,000 scholarship to the woman-identified compsci student with the highest average. SpeakFeel also continuously supports the community; like Sandbox, it hires co-op students and maintains close ties with downtown businesses and organizations. Notably, SpeakFeel's Kelly Brooks was a mentor for Innovation Guelph's Rhyze Project, a program that supports networking and leadership opportunities for women.

About SpeakFeel Corporation

SpeakFeel is a software development firm that creates web and mobile applications for clients in Canada and beyond. The company specializes in building applications that utilize progressive technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and blockchain.

For more information: http://www.speakfeel.ca

About Sandbox Software Solutions

Established in 2004, Sandbox is a custom software development agency that works primarily with nonprofit and public-sector clients across North America. The company crafts professional digital strategies and specializes in designing websites to strengthen clients' online branding.

For more information: http://www.sandboxsoftware.ca
Announcing 80/20 Healthcare Solutions Providers have nothing to lose and a lot of money to gain.

Today, HealthCare Futures, Premier Healthcare Systems, and RSI Enterprises proudly announce the launch of 80/20 Healthcare Solutions, LLC, a revolutionary revenue cycle management (RCM) company specializing in the collection of third party liability (TPL) claims and insurance denials. With 250 years of combined experience, these three established companies aim to lead the market in higher reimbursement for providers through 80/20 Healthcare Solutions.

80/20 Healthcare Solutions was created with one goal in mind: to transform the RCM industry using a more entrepreneurial and results-oriented model.

The firms foundation was built years ago, when a dozen prominent hospital executives, physicians, and other healthcare professionals (now the partners of 80/20 Healthcare Solutions) gathered at a diner in Phoenix, Arizona. They discussed the revenue cycle challenges they were seeing in the healthcare industry, and what could be done about them. These issues included how to cope with rising expenses, lower reimbursements, new technologies, increasing denials and changes in healthcare policy.

We all had decades of experience in healthcare finance, from every discipline and perspective, and, collectively, we were seeing the same problems, says David Lamparter, Managing Director of 80/20 Healthcare Solutions and former CFO of John C. Lincoln Health Network. We saw a need for a platform centered on distinctive, effective ways to address revenue cycle management, so we built one.

These solutions include the unique 80/20 Healthcare AccessGranted program, which advances reimbursements to physicians within 48 hours of billing patients enrolled in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). The AdvancedDenial Solutions program pursues denied payments on submitted claims.

80/20 Healthcare Solutions only gets paid if the medical provider receives a higher reimbursement than AHCCCS provides. Any firm that wishes to share in your revenue should also be willing to share in your risk, says Lamparter, and 80/20 Healthcare Solutions assumes all risk in seeking out higher reimbursements for these difficult claims."

We believe theres nothing like this currently in the market, says John Ragan, Managing Director of HealthCare Futures, now serving as 80/20 Healthcare Solutions President. Providers have nothing to lose and a lot of money to gain.

Chris Ulrich, CEO and Founder of RSI Enterprises, adds, We couldnt be more excited to be a part of this venture. As providers work through 2018 more apprehensive than ever about rising costs and expenses, we know the time is right to introduce 80/20 Healthcare Solutions.

About HealthCare Futures

Founded in 2013, HealthCare Futures (HCF) is a partnership of healthcare industry experts from every major operational discipline. These experts collectively possess the knowledge, expertise, and inside perspective to deliver valuable products and services, ventures, and solutions to healthcare providers. HCF members have held C-level positions in some of the most prominent health systems and physician groups in the western United States. To learn more, visit http://www.hcarefutures.com.

About RSI Enterprises

RSI Enterprises, Inc. (RSI) began as a collection agency in 1985, and has expanded into one of the fastest growing receivables management companies in the country. In recent years, RSI has been responsible for managing the professional, ethical and successful recovery of several hundred thousand accounts, totaling billions of dollars. RSI is one of the fastest growing firms in its markets and surpasses its competition in accessibility, professionalism, integrity and percentage of debt recovery. To learn more, visit http://www.rsico.com.

About Premier Healthcare Systems

Premier Healthcare Systems is an innovative healthcare finance and servicing company, focused on bridging the gap between cash-flow optimization and complex financial solutions. Premier assists its clients in revenue cycle management through custom non-traditional solutions. For more than a decade, Premiers creative approach to building value has helped clients find financial success in the healthcare sector. To learn more, visit https://www.premierhealthsys.com/.

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Brian Renshaw, a retired information systems specialist and father of three grown sons currently residing in the mountains of North Carolina with his wife, Kathy. His book The Lonely Little Mesa: a delightful narrative for school-age children inspired by the spectacular and dramatic geography of the American Southwest.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Brian Renshaws book is an captivating and educational resource for parents and educators teaching children about the geography and wildlife in the Southwest.

Readers who wish to experience this entertaining and informative work can purchaseThe Lonely Little Mesa at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Eka is the global leader in providing cloud-based Smart Commodity Management software solutions, including CTRM, ETRM, and advanced analytics. For more information, visit www.ekaplus.com. Eka's long history of success with energy companies and ability to scale as the business grows made Eka the right choice for this co-op.

Eka Software Solutions, the leading global provider of Smart Commodity Management software solutions, announced today that a large retail trading co-op including over 200 independent associations has implemented Ekas ETRM software to manage currency and energy related risks and support its recently developed energy financial risk management program.

The co-op is a wholesale, manufacturing, marketing, and administrative co-operative and operates in many industries, including energy, where it upgrades, refines, and markets petroleum products. After evaluating all the leading ETRM vendors, the co-op chose Eka because Eka had the most comprehensive and cost-effective solution. Ekas history of success with energy companies and ability to scale as the business grows and the new risk management program evolves made Eka the right choice for this growing co-op.

Eka provides the greatest depth and breadth of functionality of all ETRM solution providers, with shorter implementation times and faster returns on investment, said Karen Lukacs, GM of Energy at Eka. To remain profitable in todays volatile energy markets, companies need advanced ETRM systems to manage and mitigate risk. Eka delivers comprehensive, cost-effective risk management with quick and easy integration with other systems.

Ekas energy customers provide some of the strongest references in the industry, praising both the software and Ekas team. Ekas ETRM software manages financial derivatives and physical contracts for crude and refined products, natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGL), liquefied natural gas (LNG), power, coal, and biofuels. It covers all aspects of a transaction lifecycle including trading, risk management, processing, scheduling, logistics, and accounting.

About Eka Software Solutions

Eka is the global leader in providing cloud-based Smart Commodity Management software solutions. Ekas analytics-driven, end-to-end Commodity Management platform enables companies to efficiently and profitably meet the challenges of complex and volatile markets.

The companys best-of-breed solutions manage commodity trading, enterprise risk, compliance, procurement, supply chain, operations, logistics, bulk handling, processing, and decision support. Eka partners with customers to accelerate growth, increase profitability, improve operational control, and manage risks and exposures.

Eka is a team of 315 staff with offices in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and EMEA, serving a rapidly growing global client base across multiple commodity segments.

For more information about Eka, visit http://www.ekaplus.com.
A Palm Beach Circuit Court Judge has issued sanctions against Bank of America, one of the nations leading financial institutions. According to the lawsuit, Estate of Makovsky vs. Bank of America, N.A. (Case Number: 50-2013-CA-018966-XXXX-MB), Bank of America is accused of allegedly misappropriating the funds of a deceased Palm Beach County woman.

According to the Courts Order issued on April 3, 2018, the Honorable Lisa S. Small ruled that the Estates case against Bank of America, hinges on recordkeeping. In making the ruling, the Court stated that [Bank of America] is responsible for failure to present the documents that are critical to the case and [Bank of America] is responsible for making the misrepresentations during the deposition. As a result, and after the evidentiary hearing, Judge Small awarded attorneys fees to the Estate, struck Bank of Americas previously filed Motion for Summary Judgment and, will send a rebuttable instruction to the jury that [Bank of Americas] records are not reliable.

David I. Shiner, one of the trial attorneys representing the Estate, said that the allegations against Bank of America include Bank of Americas failure to account for a $75,000 Certificate of Deposit, which Jean Irene Makovsky opened in 1992 and held in trust for the benefit of her four sons. According to the allegations, Jean Irene Makovsky originally opened the Certificate of Deposit with MBNA (Maryland Bank), which Bank of America subsequently acquired in 2006 along with all of its customers, accounts, and funds.

It is alleged that Ms. Makovsky died prior to redeeming the Certificate of Deposit funds. When Ms. Makovsky died, her sons thereafter presented the Certificate of Deposit confirmation to Bank of America and were unsuccessful in recovering the funds. Bank of America has denied any record of Ms. Makovskys Certificate of Deposit funds.

According to attorney Ronnie M. Gotti, in 2015, Bank of America produced Ms. Makovskys bank records with Bank of America. However, the records Bank of America produced did not include Ms. Makovskys bank records for the critical time for when Bank of America acquired MBNA in 2006. Mr. Gotti explained that the critical records for the time period of September 2004 through February 2008 were not produced until October 11, 2017, which was just prior to trial. As reflected in the Courts April 3, 2018 ruling, [Bank of America] did not provide an adequate explanation as to why these documents [i.e., September 2004 through February 2008] were not produced earlier.

The Courts ruling also addressed allegations surrounding Bank of Americas corporate representatives deposition testimony; at his deposition, Bank of Americas corporate representative testified that certain documents produced by Bank of America were, irrelevant. Subsequently, Bank of Americas corporate representative attempted to clarify his testimony vis-a-vis an errata sheet filed on October 11, 2017, just prior to trial and the same date the critical records were produced. In the Courts ruling, the Judge found that [Bank of America] did not provide an adequate explanation for the gap in time for [Bank of Americas corporate representative] to come forward with his clarification.

This case, which the Estate originally brought in 2013, is currently reset for trial in the summer of 2018. After more than five years of litigation, the Estate is ready to have a Palm Beach County jury finally determine the ultimate disposition of what occurred to Ms. Makovskys Certificate of Deposit funds.

About Shiner Law Group

Founded on the principles of dedicated service, honest communications and competent and aggressive representation, Shiner Law Group, based in Boca Raton, serves individuals and business in civil cases throughout Florida including Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. If you have suffered unnecessary physical or financial harm, you have the fundamental right in the State of Florida to choose an attorney. Call Shiner Law Group at 561-777-7700 for a free consultation, 24/7. Your best interests are the Shiner Law Groups foremost interest https://shinerlawgroup.com/
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney Christopher A. Cornwall has been named a 2018 Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group. Mr. Cornwall is one of only 328 lawyers in the United States who were selected for this honor.

Mr. Cornwall is a member in the firms Detroit office and focuses his practice on Commercial and Business Litigation and Construction Law. With a depth of experience in commercial and business litigation, he has represented corporations in a wide range of business disputes, including breach of contract, tortious interference, fraud, non-compete agreements, shareholder claims and buy-sell agreements. He has defended class actions and has counseled business and private owners in real estate matters, including adverse possession, eminent domain, zoning issues, restrictive covenants, variances, boundary disputes, title issues and nuisance claims. He has also represented national and local construction companies in construction disputes, including lien and bond claims, delays, scheduling, cost escalation, differing site conditions, defective design, cardinal change, extras, and cumulative impact claims, as well as claims involving Departments of Transportation.

Mr. Cornwall is a member of the American Bar Associations Forum on the Construction Industry, the Federal Bar Association, and the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association. He is also recognized as a leader in his field by Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Cornwall received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University.

The 2018 Client Service All-Stars is the definitive guide to the attorneys commanding the attention of general counsel and legal decision makers at large organizations. Each year, BTI reaches out to a sample of legal decision makers at large organizations with $1 billion or more in revenue. This year, BTI interviewed more than 350 corporate counsel from large and Fortune 1000 companies to probe at all aspects of client relationships. To see the full report, please click here.

About Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 450 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas and 16 industry groups. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has 19 offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and 12 other domestic offices in Austin and El Paso, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville and Music Row, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canadian office is located in Toronto.

Dickinson Wright offers our clients a distinctive combination of superb client service, exceptional quality, value for fees, industry expertise and business acumen. As one of the few law firms with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, Dickinson Wright has built state-of-the-art, independently-verified risk management controls and security processes for our commercial transactions. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited for their expertise and experience by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.
HGH Infrared Systems wins the SECONA Shield Award 2018  We are very pleased to receive the world-reknowned Indian Security & Safety industry SECONA Shield Award. The V-LRF option proves that for HGH, innovation is more than ever on the agenda !  Thierry Campos, CEO

The electro-optics experts HGH Infrared Systems won the SHIELD 2018 award for the first time last Friday, at the NSE Complex in Mumbai. The company, well known for its 360 thermal sensors  Spynel , was awarded the  Innovative Product of the year - Hardware CCTV  for its brand new V-LRF option for Spynel-X: a major technological advance that helps improve the recognition phase when a threat is detected.

The V-LRF option consists in adding a Visible channel and a Laser Range Finder to the Spynel-X or Spynel-S thermal sensors. Spynel-X was already the InfraRed Search & Track (IRST) with the best image resolution and the longest detection range on the market. This unrivalled technology can now be improved with a full HD Visible Channel and its x30 continuous optical zoom. With the Laser Range Finder, accurate distance data is provided in real-time, while tracking multiple targets over a very wide area, night and day.

Thierry Campos, HGH Infrared Systems CEO, said :  We are very pleased to receive the world-reknowned Indian Security & Safety industry SECONA Shield Award. The V-LRF option proves that for HGH, innovation is more than ever on the agenda ! 

The company is very active in India, with offices in Bengaluru, and will showcase Spynel V-LRF at Defexpo (Chennai, India) this week, stand 322D.

More about HGH Infrared Systems:

Founded in 1982, HGH Infrared Systems designs, develops, assembles and sells electro-optics systems for civil, defense and security applications. In 30 years of existence, HGH has established itself as an international reference in terms of innovation in infrared technology, through the development of multiple advanced sensors.

More about the SECONA Shield 2018 Awards :

http://secona.org/shield-awards-2018/shield-2018-finalists/

http://www.hgh-infrared.com
Clinical Video Telehealth gives our veterans access to high-quality mental health treatment regardless of whether they live in a small, remote town or in a larger city with an abundance of resources.

Most veterans opted to receive PTSD therapy via video session rather than in person, and their symptom reduction was no different, according to research from the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.

The research is being presented Thursday at the Society of Behavioral Medicines (SBMs) 39th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions.

PTSD is a common mental health condition in veterans. Two psychotherapies, or talk therapies, have been developed to effectively treat this condition: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy. These treatments require 12 to 16 weekly sessions to have effective results.

The VA is committed to making these treatments available to all Veterans. However, many rural veterans live in areas where there is limited access to providers trained in these treatments. To receive these treatments, veterans must travel long distances to VA clinics, making it hard for them to attend weekly appointments.

Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT) gives veterans the option of connecting with their VA provider remotely. Telehealth can be used to deliver high quality services to Veterans receiving care from community clinics or their home.

Jeanne Gabriele, Lauren Graves, and Jan Lindsay, researchers at the G.V. Sonny Montgomery VA Medical Center and the VA Office of Rural Health, assessed differences in treatment outcomes based on modality. 302 Veterans receiving care from the G.V. Sonny Montgomery VA Medical Center received PTSD therapy sessions in-person, through CVT to a community clinic, or through CVT to the home. To promote patient-centered care, Veterans were allowed to select their provided treatment modality and psychotherapy (CPT or PE).

Among the studys findings:



60% of veterans selected to receive services through CVT rather than in-person appointments. Of those receiving CVT services, 19 percent preferred CVT to the home.

Veterans who received eight sessions of therapy showed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. There were no differences in PTSD symptom reduction based on service delivery preference. At the end of treatment, 58% of Veterans had final scores in the subclinical range.

There were differences in treatment engagement by modality with Veterans receiving services to the home having lower treatment engagement.

Although CVT-Home may increase access to treatment, this modality alone may not increase engagement. Providers may need to assess motivation and ability to attend sessions early in treatment and utilize motivational enhancement and problem-solving techniques to overcome barriers.

Mississippi is a very rural and medically underserved region, Gabriele said. Clinical Video Telehealth gives our veterans access to high-quality mental health treatment regardless of whether they live in a small, remote town or in a larger city with an abundance of resources.

Many of our returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are balancing school, work, and family responsibilities, stated Graves. They simply dont have the time to travel to the VA each week.

Roughly half of all Veterans live in rural areas which has historically led to disparities in accessing the therapies that work, Lindsay stated. Integrating web and mobile platforms can allow us to extend the reach and effectiveness of evidence-based psychotherapies so we can meet Veterans where they live.

Gabriele will present the findings Thursday at 3:45 p.m. CT during a paper session at the SBM Annual Meeting, being held in New Orleans at the Hilton Riverside New Orleans. Gabriele is an SBM member.

The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) is a 2,400-member organization of scientific researchers, clinicians and educators. They study interactions among behavior, biology and the environment, and translate findings into interventions that improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities (http://www.sbm.org).

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Premier Consulting Associates announced today a new technology partnership with HealthJoy to deliver artificial intelligence-powered cost containment and employee guidance tools to their clients.

Founded in 2004, Premier Consulting Associates is an independent consulting firm that partners with employers of all sizes to manage their healthcare benefits. They manage over $1 billion in insured, self-funded and prescription drug claims. They are experts in balancing cost containment with meeting the healthcare needs of employers and their employees.

Premier has a long track record of curating the best technology solutions for their clients, said Doug Morse-Schindler, President and Co-Founder of HealthJoy. Healthcare costs continue to increase and the executive team at Premier understands that the only way to tackle this problem is to help guide and empower employees to make better healthcare decisions. Their reputation for bringing forward-thinking approaches to benefits attracted us to partner with them, and were delighted to work together to bring our solution to market.

HealthJoys mission is to simplify the healthcare experience for employees. Their mobile app features an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant named JOY who makes navigating healthcare easy. Their platform brings together online doctors, healthcare advocacy, prescription savings and other cost containment strategies into a single place. The app becomes the first stop for all employee healthcare needs. For companies, the HealthJoy platform increases benefits satisfaction while reducing healthcare costs and administration. HealthJoy integrates with a client's existing benefits package and changes the dynamics of healthcare by empowering members.

HealthJoy has the ability to contain healthcare costs for employers by redirecting care to lower cost but higher quality providers. For example, they can encourage the use of an online, real time physician consultation rather than have an employee go to the emergency room in the middle of the night. Or, HealthJoys concierge staff can recommend that an employee goes to a specific MRI facility that has been reviewed for both quality and cost and may be less than other providers in the area. Both employees and employers benefit from HealthJoys easy to use, time saving resources.

In todays on-demand world, employees expect a better experience from their employee benefits. HealthJoy has built the most advanced healthcare guidance platform on the market, said William Brothers, CEO and Founder of Premier Consulting Associates. Their use of technologies like artificial intelligence are years ahead of the competition. They can provide personalized communication at the member level based on their specific healthcare benefits. We are excited to bring this solution to all of our clients.
We saw and overwhelming outpouring of generosity from donors this year more more than 900 nonprofits receiving donations that day.

Hosted by the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and Arizona Grantmakers Forum, and presented by FirstBank, Arizona Gives Day 2018 raised a preliminary number of more than $2.5 million for 902 nonprofit organizations. Final tallies of the fundraising effort are still being calculated and the total is likely to rise.

Arizona Gives Day is an annual, statewide day of giving that invites Arizonans to support their favorite causes. Donations were both scheduled in advance and submitted online at http://www.azgives.org during the 24-hour window on Tuesday, April 3.

"We saw an overwhelming outpouring of generosity from donors this year, with more than 900 nonprofits receiving donations that day," said Kristen Merrifield, CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits. "This is just one indicator that Arizona Gives Day is accomplishing what we set out to do  fostering an incredible spirit of philanthropy."

For participating nonprofits, Arizona Gives Day offers an opportunity to raise awareness about their work, connect with new donors and win prize money to supplement individual donations. (The day has now helped raise more than $12.6 million for Arizona nonprofits since its founding in 2013.)

"The success of Arizona Gives Day is a great testament to the nonprofits throughout the State and the generosity of Arizona residents," said Bryce Lloyd, President - Phoenix of FirstBank. "To be part of the growth of this online giving moment since inception has been extremely rewarding to witness, not only because we're sponsors, but because we're proud Arizonans, too."

ARIZONA GIVES DAY 2018 FAST FACTS

$2.5 million raised in 24 hours online

17,640 online donations

902 organizations received online donations

1,053 organizations participated from across the state

260 organizations joined Arizona Gives Day for the first time

$180,000 in prize pool money was awarded (see below for prize winners)

Organizations by county: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma; National, International

See all of the participating nonprofits throughout the state at http://www.azgives.org/nonprofits

ARIZONA GIVES DAY 2018 PRELIMINARY PRIZE WINNERS

For more prize winner information, please visit http://www.azgives.org/newsroom

Prize winners by county:

Cochise



Oasis Sanctuary Foundation ($5,000)

Coconino



Northern Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society ($5,000)

Arizona Cattle Dog Rescue ($1,000)

Graham



Our Neighbors Farm and Pantry ($5,000)

Maricopa



Phoenix Rescue Mission ($13,750)

Swift Youth Foundation ($2,500)

Sold No More ($12,500)

CO+HOOTS Foundation ($7,500)

Daring Adventures ($5,000)

Forever Loved Pet Sanctuary ($2,500)

Lost Dogs Arizona ($2,500)

Rusty's Angels Sanctuary ($2,500)

Creative Contributions ($2,000)

Arizona Animal Welfare League ($2,000)

East Valley Children's Theatre ($2,000)

Young Artist Society ($1,500)

Musical Instrument Museum ($1,500)

Gilbert Historical Society/HD South ($1,500)

Parents of Addicted Loved Ones - PAL ($1,250)

Pets on Wheels of Scottsdale ($1,250)

Dream Catchers Foundation ($1,250)

Homeless Youth Connection ($1,000)

Steps of Love ($1,000)

Salt River Wild Horse Management Group Inc. ($1,000)

Boxer Luv Rescue ($1,000)

Arouet Foundation ($1,000)

St. Vincent de Paul ($1,000)

Radiant Health Natural Medical Center ($1,000)

Lost Our Home Pet Rescue ($1,000)

Healing Hearts Animal Sanctuary, Inc. ($1,000)

Rotten Rottie Rescue, Inc. ($1,000)

National Kidney Foundation of Arizona ($1,000)

Navajo



Northland Pioneer College Friends and Family ($5,250)

Humane Society of the White Mountains ($4,000)

The Hopi Foundation ($1,000)

Pima



Hoofsnhorns Farm Sanctuary ($10,000)

Watershed Management Group ($6,500)

Pawsitively Cats, Inc. ($5,500)

Make Way for Books ($5,000)

GAP Ministries ($5,000)

RAD (Rehabbing and Advocating for Dogs) Rescue ($4,000)

Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona ($3,000)

Ben's Bells Project ($2,500)

KXCI Community Radio ($2,500)

Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation ($2,500)

Tu Nidito Children and Family Services ($2,500)

Friends of Pima Animal Care Center ($2,500)

Arizona Youth Partnership (AZYP) ($1,500)

HOPE Animal Shelter ($1,500)

Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption ($1,500)

Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary ($1,500)

Humane Society of Southern Arizona ($1,250)

Parent Aid Child Abuse Prevention Center, Inc. ($1,000)

Ironwood Tree Experience ($1,000)

Gospel Rescue Mission, Inc. ($1,000)

NAMI Southern Arizona ($1,000)

All Souls Procession / Many Mouths One Stomach ($1,000)

Pinal



Seeds of Hope ($12,500)

Ironwood Pig Sanctuary ($1,000)

Yavapai



Desert Star Community School, Inc. ($1,000)

Yuma



Helping Hands of Yuma ($1,500)

SOURCES

Kristen Merrifield, CEO, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits

Office: 602-279-9150, Cell: 602-686-4297; kristenm(at)arizonanonprofits(dot)org

Kristen brings more than 15 years of association, nonprofit and fundraising expertise to her role as CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits. She was a donor on Arizona Gives Day before stepping into the leadership role in 2015. Arizona Gives Day has expanded under her leadership, with 2016 giving totals increasing by 28 percent over the previous year. Kristen serves in various volunteer roles with the Arizona Society of Association Executives, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and National Council of Nonprofits.

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Laurie Liles, President & CEO, Arizona Grantmakers Forum

Office: 602-845-1361, Cell: 602-312-3059; lliles(at)azgrantmakers(dot)org

Laurie became president and CEO of the Arizona Grantmakers Forum in 2015. She grew up in Arizona and has worked throughout her career to make our state a better place to live and work. With more than two decades of advocacy and association leadership experience, Laurie is passionate about connecting people who want to make a difference in others' lives. She honed her advocacy chops at the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, where she served as president and CEO and as senior vice president of public affairs, among other roles. In 2014, she was a Washington, D.C. correspondent for Cronkite News, covering politics, immigration and Indian affairs for Arizona news media outlets.

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Bryce Lloyd, President - Phoenix Metro, FirstBank of Arizona (Arizona Gives Day's Presenting Sponsor & Incentive Prize Pool Funder)

Office: 602-381-7805; bryce.lloyd(at)efirstbank(dot)com

Joel Johnson, President - East Valley, FirstBank of Arizona (Arizona Gives Day's Presenting Sponsor & Incentive Prize Pool Funder)

Email: joel.johnson(at)efirstbank(dot)com

Josh Weiss, PR Rep for FirstBank of Arizona

Cell: 480-789-0743; josh(at)10to1pr(dot)com

_______

About the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is a statewide trusted resource and advocate for the nonprofit community. The Alliance's mission is to unite, strengthen and advance Arizona's nonprofit sector and is comprised of more than 1,000 members - both nonprofits and those in the community who support them - across the state. Since 2004, the organization has been dedicated to furthering the common interests of Arizona's nonprofit community and envisions an Arizona where all nonprofits are valued, empowered and thriving, with support from grassroots efforts like Arizona Gives Day.

For more information, visit http://www.arizonanonprofits.org, or email azgives(at)arizonanonprofits(dot)org.

_______

About Arizona Grantmakers Forum

Arizona Grantmakers Forum is the statewide network that connects, educates and advocates for Arizona philanthropy. Its mission is to empower members to transform Arizona through leadership and meaningful philanthropy. Member organizations make financial grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the state and represent the interests of private foundations, trusts, endowed community foundations, corporations, government agencies and individuals with organized charitable gift programs.

For more information, visit http://www.azgrantmakers.org, or email support(at)azgrantmakers(dot)org.

_______

About FirstBank

FirstBank, the nation's third largest privately held bank, operates more than 115 locations in Arizona, Colorado and California, serving over 750,000 customers. The bank offers a variety of checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity loans and a full range of commercial loans and business accounts and services. Since 2000, the company has been recognized as a top corporate philanthropist, contributing more than $60 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. FirstBank is also unique in that a majority of its stock is owned by management and employees. For more information, go to http://www.efirstbank.com.
This is a tremendous achievement for WorkWise and a true reflection of our culture, which encourages innovation and gives employees the freedom to think creatively, question the status quo and embrace change.

WorkWise, a leading CRM and ERP software developer, is excited to announce it has been awarded the prestigious BizTimes I.Q. Award for Innovation for its groundbreaking new release of OnContact CRM software. Workwise is part of a select group of companies to receive this award in 2018.

The I.Q. Awards salute southeastern Wisconsin businesses for their innovative products, services or processes. The winners will receive their awards at a lunch ceremony on Thursday, May 31, at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Woodland Dreams Ballroom, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Innovation is a key driver to the economic success of our region, said Dan Meyer, publisher of BizTimes Milwaukee. We salute these companies for their forward thinking commitment to growth in our community.

Leveraging the latest, proven technologies in HMTL5, CSS and Javascript, OnContact CRM 10 redefines the marketplace, driving the CRM industry forward with its standout optical advances. Boasting a one-of-a-kind visually collaborative and responsive interface, CRM 10 adjusts seamlessly across different browsers and mobile devices, creating an all device inclusive, interactive experience. OnContact CRM 10 also features mapping powered by Google, including a navigation menu that syncs with a users current location, granting the ability to search for nearby prospects, customers, opportunities, leads, competitors, contacts and more.

OnContacts all in one solution gives users complete sales, marketing automation, customer service and call center software for one price, in addition to an open web platform and integration with calendars.

This is a tremendous achievement for WorkWise and a true reflection of our culture, which encourages innovation and gives employees the freedom to think creatively, question the status quo and embrace change, states WorkWise President and CEO, Wayne Wedell. Driven by CRM market direction and customer feedback, OnContact CRM 10 combines a completely redesigned, visually-collaborative interface, with product enhancements, enriching user experience. This is the future of CRM.

To register to attend the BizTimes I.Q. Innovation Awards Ceremony and/or the BizExpo, visit http://www.biztimes.com/bravo. Learn more about the innovations and best practices fueling the growth of both the I.Q. and Bravo Entrepreneur award winners at the 2018 BizExpo.

About WorkWise:

WorkWise is a leading developer of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions along with comprehensive implementation and support services. Our flagship products, WorkWise ERP and OnContact CRM are easy-to-use, quick to implement, provide a high return on investment and are offered either in a Cloud or on-premise deployment. Use of WorkWise applications provide more accurate and timely information that helps enable companies to grow and increase productivity.

OnContact CRM is a full-featured, award-winning, browser-based CRM software solution that automates a companys sales, marketing and customer service areas. OnContact CRM has been awarded the TopTenREVIEWS Excellence Award in recognition of its unique design, customizability and superior features.

WorkWise ERP offers make-to-order, repetitive and mixed-mode solutions to manufacturers to shorten cycle times and optimize manufacturing information, supply chain management, and manufacturing execution and planning. WorkWise ERP enhances operations by taking time out of the business processes and increasing value-add in products and services.

In addition, WorkWise has pre-configured integration between WorkWise ERP and OnContact CRM, which is unavailable from other ERP and CRM suppliers.

WorkWise is headquartered in the greater Milwaukee, WI area and has been inspiring companies to achieve new levels of success for over 15 years. WorkWises proven business philosophy is customer inspired because they put customers first, listen to their requirements and deliver innovative business solutions. Inspire Your Growth  to new levels of success with WorkWise software.

For seven consecutive years, WorkWise has been recognized by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for being a Top Workplace. WorkWise has also been consistently recognized by The Business Journal for being one of the areas Healthiest Employers.
RTB House, a global company that provides state-of-the-art retargeting technology for top brands worldwide, has been ranked 8th in the tech industry in the Financial Times 1000: Europes Fastest Growing Companies 2018.

Financial Times in cooperation with Statista reviewed and analyzed innovative and fast-growing companies that are responsible for development of the European economy in the 21st century and published the list of 1000 companies, that have achieved the highest growth in revenues between 2013 and 2016.

From 819 538 EUR in 2013 up to 18 573 000 EUR in 2016 - RTB House reached revenue growth of 2167 percent. Through 4 years the number of employees tripled from 68 to 184. Those numbers resulted in 46th position overall and 8th place amongst technology companies.

RTB House is the first retargeting company in the world to develop and implement its own technology 100 percent based on deep learning, for purchasing ads in the RTB model. With this tool, the firm is able to increase overall performance of retargeting campaigns by up to 50 percent compared to those without deep learning.

We are delighted and proud to have been ranked amongst the fastest growing companies in Europe. The high position among tech enterprises is especially important for us, because we believe that our technology is unrivaled and together with the expertise of our team, we offer a well-tailored solution for our clients worldwide. This is our strength and thanks to that we achieved our place on FT1000 list, said Daniel Surmacz, COO of RTB House. We are constantly growing. In 2017 we implemented deep learning within 100 percent of our algorithms and the numbers for last year are spectacular. So next year we are aiming for an even higher position in ranking.

Since its founding, RTB House has changed the industry. The deep learning algorithm is a real game changer, which has recently been awarded with Big Innovation Award by The Business Intelligence Group. RTB House is a global company with offices in all biggest business regions worldwide including New York, London, Tokyo, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Istanbul, Dubai, Berlin, Prague and Warsaw.

More information about FT1000 you can find here: https://ig.ft.com/ft-1000/2018/

About RTB House:

RTB House is a global company that provides state-of-the-art retargeting technology for top brands worldwide. With its proprietary ad buying engine, powered entirely by deep learning algorithms, RTB House helps advertisers multiply sales to reach their short, mid and long-term goals.

Founded in 2012, RTB House serves over 1200 clients across EMEA, APAC and the Americas regions with main locations in New York, London, Tokyo, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Istanbul, Dubai and Warsaw. The team consists more than 300 professionals and growing.

Learn more at http://www.rtbhouse.com
WealthTechs, a leading custodian data technology provider for advisors using SS&C Advent and other portfolio accounting systems, today announced that it has received the SOC 2 Type I attestation report.

The completion of this engagement provides evidence that WealthTechs has a strong commitment to maintaining stringent and effective operating controls and processes for the security of its customer services and associated systems.

The SOC 2 Type I attestation report, issued by AARC-360, LLC, an independent CPA firm, confirms that WealthTechs has met the standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA].

AARC-360 tested the operational effectiveness of controls implemented by WealthTechs for the Trust Services Principles for Security.

The report confirms WealthTechs commitment to rigorous security standards and procedures. WealthTechs offers custodian data aggregation, data normalization and integration-based trust-based services to its advisor customers, and by communicating the results of this audit, they can be assured of their reliance on WealthTechs controls.

Trust and compliance commitments are critical for WealthTechs customers and we are dedicated to providing service and data security assurance alongside our Portfolio Accounting Data (PAD) initiatives, said Eljean Barimbao, Chief Information Security Officer, WealthTechs. Our new attestation with the SOC 2 Type I standard demonstrates WealthTechs enduring commitment to maintain the highest level of security and continuity of our critical customer data & operations.

WealthTechs provides Advisors with advanced technology to aggregate, normalize and integrate financial account data from the worlds leading custodian banks with Advent Axys, APX, Geneva and other leading portfolio accounting systems.

About WealthTechs

WealthTechs Inc. is a leading data technology firm serving the larger institutional and high & ultra-high net worth advisor industry. WealthTechs provides advisors with advanced technology to aggregate, normalize and integrate financial account data from the worlds leading custodian banks with the Advent Axys, APX, Geneva and other leading portfolio accounting systems. The WealthTechs team brings together industry experience from the most established companies in the industry including SS&C, Advent Software, Satuit Technologies, Factset, and Broadridge. WealthTechs is rapidly growing due to high demand for its high quality, integrated custodian financial account data solutions. WealthTechs is headquartered in Carlsbad, California, with offices in, Park City, Utah, New York City, Boston and Argentina.

WealthTechs currently offers custodian data solutions for leading custodian banks, such as: Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Pershing, Raymond James, State Street Bank, Wells Fargo First Clearing and over 80 others. WealthTechs also provides seamless integration to the following investment systems: Advent APX, Advent Axys, Advent Geneva, Schwab Portfolio Center, AssetBook, Finfolio, WealthSite and assists customers with custom data integration projects as well.

Disclaimer Third Parties: All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. All specifications are subject to change without notice. WealthTechs and CDi are trademarks of WealthTechs Inc. SS&C, Advent, APX, Axys & Geneva are registered trademarks of SS&C Technologies, Inc. WealthTechs is unaffiliated with SS&C Technologies, Inc.

For more information about WealthTechs, visit http://www.wealthtechs.com or call (435) 631-0423
The NHP Foundation (NHPF) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Glynna Christian to the NHPF Board of Trustees.

As Co-Head of the Global Technology Transactions practice at Orrick, Glynna brings to the Board of Trustees a wealth of commercial and legal knowledge in M&A, financings, public offerings, joint ventures and other strategic transactions.

"In addition to experience advising clients in corporate and commercial deals across virtually all operational and strategic areas of their business, Glynnas expertise in launching new technology and digital products, including blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) bring an exciting new dimension to the affordable housing space," said NHPF CEO Richard F. Burns. We know Glynna will be a great addition to NHPFs future endeavors.

In her role at Orrick, Glynna advises both emerging and established companies, in deal-making across virtually all operational and strategic areas of their businesses. She has more than 20 years' experience counseling clients on emerging and transformative technology, communications, media and data transactions that are strategic to her clients businesses.

Glynna earned her J.D. from the University Of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School Of Law, 1994, cum laude, and her B.A. from the University of North Texas, 1990, cum laude. An active and sought-out thought leader, Glynna has lectured for a variety of professional organizations and written numerous articles on technology and digital transactions. She also serves on the board of directors of Legal Momentum and the Childrens Arts Guild.

About The NHP Foundation

Headquartered in New York City with offices in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, The NHP Foundation was launched on January 30, 1989, as a publicly supported 501(c)(3) not-for-profit real estate corporation. NHPF is dedicated to preserving and creating sustainable, service-enriched multifamily housing that is both affordable to low and moderate income families and seniors, and beneficial to their communities. NHPF also provides a robust resident services program to more than 28,000 community residents. Through partnerships with major financial institutions, the public sector, faith-based initiatives, and other not-for-profit organizations, NHPF has preserved 81 properties, totaling 14,259 units in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Today, NHPFs portfolio includes 40 properties, totaling 6,801 apartment units, in 18 states and the District of Columbia. For more information on The NHP Foundation, please visit http://www.nhpfoundation.org.
After vetting eight ecommerce platforms, we chose Workarea for its ease of use on the back end and flexibility, said Sara Fenwick, Director of Business Technology at Rens Pets.

Rens Pets, a Canadian-based omnichannel pet specialty retailer, has selected Workarea, the enterprise SaaS ecommerce platform that combines best-in-class functionality across commerce, content, search and merchant insights into a single application to support growing brands and retailers.

After vetting eight ecommerce platforms, we chose Workarea for its ease of use on the back end and flexibility, said Sara Fenwick, Director of Business Technology at Rens Pets. A small web department handles everything for us, and the customization and analytics provided out of the box by Workarea are extremely exciting for us. We are looking forward to richer site content, including educational and interactive elements, to make our new site mirror our exceptional in-store experience. We are excited to join the Workarea community!

Rens Pets, founded in 1976, is the destination for all your pets needs in Ontario. With sixteen brick and mortar locations and over 10,000 products, including a huge selection of premium brands, their commitment to quality product at competitive prices is second to none. Far more than the standard pet retailer experience, their passion for pets and their wellbeing has led to licensing and adoption programs, as well as being a national sponsor for OVC Pet Trust, Canadas first charitable fund benefitting the health and well-being of companion animals.

Fenwick continued, We were very impressed with how involved, as a platform, Workarea was with the partner selection process, as well as the commitment to the project going forward. With a lot of the other bigger platforms, we would feel like a small fish in a big pond. The fact that minor upgrades are covered, there is a solid product roadmap that was shared with us willingly, as well as a myriad of smaller things, it all added up to make our decision relatively easy.

Demac Media, a premier partner in a growing community of Workarea implementors, will support the site build as the implementation partner, their fourth deployment on Workarea.

About Workarea

Workarea is the modern SaaS ecommerce platform purpose-built for medium to large merchants to achieve their full potential online. A product of 20+ years experience at WebLinc, ecommerce, content management, search and analytic insights are built as one platform promising unmatched flexibility, constant product evolution, and empowered merchant teams. Workarea is the platform of choice for growing online retailers and merchants such as The Reformation, Sanrio, The Bouqs, Do it Best Corp., Lonely Planet, U.S. Polo Assn., Woodcraft, Costume SuperCenter, Lime Crime, and many others. To learn more, visit http://www.workarea.com.

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"How much value are we bringing to this world if we cannot make this amazing technology available to everyone? The 3DHEALS team believes that this conference can also make a meaningful social impact..." Dr. Mayasari Lim, CEO, SE3D

3DHEALS, LLC. is pleased to these announce fundraising event for Limbforge and Victoria Hand Project on the night of April 20th, 2018. These are two nonprofit organizations leveraging 3D printing scanning and 3D printing technologies for amputees worldwide. They are doing this through the development of low cost, accessible, clinically tested upper extremity prosthetic solutions.

3DHEALS2018 is an annual global summit focusing on healthcare 3D printing and bio-printing solutions for medical and dental industries. The summit attracts hundreds of healthcare providers, entrepreneurs, and organizations to the Bay Area to learn and collaborate on projects. The fundraising event occurs annually in conjunction with the summit to provide financial support to the nonprofit organizations in the field. This year the fundraising event aims to raise money for the Victoria Hand Project (VHP)(Victoria, Canada) and Limbforge (Seattle, USA). Both organizations aim to address the shortage of prosthetics professionals and high-cost of prosthetics, especially in the developing world. Both organizations aim to develop high-function, customized, culturally appropriate, visually-appealing, low cost, 3D printed prosthesis system and a scalable manufacturing system whereby the prosthesis can be built anywhere in the world. Not only do both organizations aim to improve thousands of amputees lives with technologies, they also effectively engage local healthcare providers to provide sustainable long-term solutions. Additionally, both organizations have collaborated on multiple projects with many international groups including the MSF foundation and Nia technologies, another 3D printing prosthetics nonprofit organization from Canada.

The night of the fundraising event will start with four presentations from the Dr. Nick Dechev from Victoria Hand Project, Andreas Bastian from Limbforge, Jerry Evans from Nia Technologies, as well as Dr. Safa Herfat from MSF foundation. Each is anticipated to present the public with powerful stories on how emerging technologies like 3D printing can impact the developing world in a way that is never been observed before. These stories will not only be about the benefits of the technologies, but also the challenges of being the early adopters of technologies in complex geopolitical and cultural settings. The presentations will be expected to be educational, meaningful, and profound. A silent auction will take place after the presentations.
Renters Warehouse The acquisition of Worth Clarks property management business is a great example of what we are trying to do this year, and we are very excited to have closed and fully integrated the portfolio in under four months."

Renters Warehouse, one of the largest and highest reviewed property management companies in the country, is thrilled to announce that it has acquired Worth Clark Realtys Property Management Business and contracts for over 1,100 single-family properties.

Renters Warehouse acquired contracts totaling over 1,100 units as part of the transaction, across four markets including St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver and Chicago. With the addition of these properties, Renters Warehouse now services over 14,000+ investors with 22,000+ residential homes across 42 markets and 25 states.

This acquisition marks the first for Renters Warehouse in 2018, following six acquisitions in 2017. Were being very selective with our acquisitions in 2018 and anticipate closing one or two more in 2018, explained Renters Warehouse CEO, Kevin Ortner.

Relative to 2017, we are planning to close fewer deals this year with a focus on larger portfolios that are in our existing markets, added Renters Warehouses Chief Investment Officer & President of Portfolio Services, Anthony Cazazian. The acquisition of Worth Clarks property management business is a great example of what we are trying to do this year, and we are very excited to have closed and fully integrated the portfolio in under four months.

Worth Clark owner Bryan Bowles is equally excited about the acquisition. Our experience during the transaction and closing of this sale, as well as throughout the integration process was smooth and seamless. We are confident our homeowners will be in excellent hands as part of Renters Warehouses growing portfolio.

Renters Warehouse exists to help homeowners and investors create wealth and financial freedom through Rent Estate. To learn more about Rent Estate, visit http://www.rentestaterevolution.com and order your copy of Rent Estate Revolution, Renters Warehouses cornerstone book for the masses authored by Kevin Ortner and with foreword Dr. Arthur B. Laffer, Phd., Economic Policy Advisor to President Ronald Reagan.

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About Renters Warehouse

Renters Warehouse is one of the fastest growing and highest reviewed residential property management companies in America. Backed by growth equity investor and majority stakeholder Northern Pacific Group, and under the leadership of President and CEO Kevin Ortner, Renters Warehouse now manages more than $3 billion in residential real estate, servicing over 14,000+ investors across 22,000+ residential homes over 42 markets and 25 states. NPG Managing Partner Scott Honour, who in 1999 was a founder of YapStone, a leading online rental property payment service provider, serves as Chairman.

Renters Warehouse expertly serves everyday single-property homeowners as well as real estate investors. In 2015, the company officially trademarked the term Rent Estate to redefine the entire SFR (Single Family Rental) industry as more traditional real estate gives way to this new lucrative asset. Through their dedicated Portfolio Services Division led by Chief Investment Officer Anthony Cazazian, the company also brings professional, scalable and efficient single property management solutions to investment portfolios with both centralized services and local market expertise and staff. Not only has Renters Warehouse received the prestigious honor of being included on the Inc. 500 | 5000 list of fastest-growing privately held companies in America eight consecutive years in a row, it was also named one of the Best Places to Work in Minnesota (where they are headquartered) by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The company was also honored as a best place to work in Arizona (a centralized corporate services center) by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2013, 2014 and 2017, and achieved a spot on the prestigious 2016 Top Companies to Work for in AZ list. Nationwide, Renters Warehouse has been honored as one of America's "Best Places to Work" in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 by Outside Magazine. Recognized as pioneers in real estate, business management and innovation, Renters Warehouse has been awarded 22 Business Stevie Awards both internationally and stateside.

In 2017, Renters Warehouse received an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) after meeting the BBBs eight Standards of Trust and earning BBB Accreditation. In 2016, Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC, a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) offering a wide array of services including operational risk assessments, assigned its MOR RV2 residential-vendor ranking to Renters Warehouse as a residential property manager, indicating that the company demonstrates proficiency in managing key areas of operational risk.

In 2017, Renters Warehouse published its first book - Rent Estate Revolution. Authored by CEO Kevin Ortner, the book shares the Renters Warehouse philosophy and business expertise around single-family rentals and the power of Rent Estate to drive long-term wealth creation, retirement security and financial freedom for the everyday person. Order your copy today: http://www.rentestaterevolution.com.

Media Inquiries / Interviews:

Crystal Richard

Public Relations

crystal(at)renterswarehouse(dot)com
The Pedestrian Shops is now serving Denver customers. The store at 15th and Platte streets is the newest addition to the rapidly growing Central Platte Valley neighborhood, nestled between LoDo and LoHi. Pedestrian Shops, which bridges the gap between fashionable and functional footwear for active lifestyles, fits right into this evolving part of downtown Denver.

Richard Polk, Pedestrian Shops president and founder, said, Weve always been interested in opening a store in Denver. It took us over 40 years to find the perfect location. Polks youngest daughter, Zoe, operations manager for the three Pedestrian Shops stores, found the building, built in 1887 at 2368 15th St., last fall. Along with Richards other daughter, Lauren Polk Brown, Pedestrian Shops vice president, the family recognized that this was the perfect opportunity to enter the thriving Denver market. Longtime businesses including REI and My Brothers Bar, as well as heavy pedestrian traffic through the lower downtown Denver neighborhood, were selling points for the location.

Pedestrian Shops is hosting a 10-day Grand Opening Celebration from April 13-22, including giveaways, gifts with purchases, and special events. Coinciding with the Grand Opening is Pedestrian Shops annual Earth Day Shoe Drive. This Earth Day marks the 59th shoe drive -- a second is held yearly at Thanksgiving. Customers are asked to bring in footwear that they just never wear, any kind, any brand, new or slightly used. Donors are offered a 10 percent discount on a pair of new shoes. Donated shoes are distributed to local assistance organizations. Donations will be accepted at all three Pedestrian Shops April 13-29. Tens of thousands of pairs have been donated, a purchase is not required to donate shoes.

The Pedestrian Shops offer a selection of The Worlds Most Comfortable Brands of Shoes. Some popular brands include Birkenstock, Dansko, Keen Merrell, Vionic, Chaco, Lems, and Naot. Lauren and Zoe do the buying for the stores, and look for up and coming lines to add to their assortment. New finds include Ten Points from Sweden and Jafa from Israel.

About the Pedestrian Shops

In addition to Pedestrian Shops new Denver store at 2368 15th St., they operate two Boulder stores, one on the Downtown Boulder Pearl Street Mall and the other in the Village Shopping Center near McGuckin Hardware. Family owned and operated for 49 years, the Pedestrian Shops, Colorados original walking shops, encourage customers to Enjoy Life, Take a Walk.

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UWD Wins Angie's List 2017 Super Service Award

Universal Windows Direct of Indianapolis was recently announced as a winner of the renowned Angies List Super Service Award in 2017. The exterior remodeling company maintained exceptional ratings through the year by providing homeowners top-of-the-line customer service. This award helps Indianapolis homeowners identify high-quality contractors for exterior remodeling projects.

The Angies List Super Service Award represents exceptional ratings for companies of all industries on the platform. Universal Windows Direct of Indianapolis has a proud A-rating on the platform and achieved this status by providing remarkable customer service and quality products. The exterior remodeling companys goal is to increase comfort levels in the home, boost curb appeal, and help homeowners save more energy. This is combined with the value of a no-obligation sales approach to further build confidence with homeowners in Indianapolis.

Qualified companies for the Angies List Super Service Award must meet a series of strict eligibility guidelines. These guidelines include straight A-ratings for overall grade, recent grade, and period grade. The grading period for the award covered from November 1, 2016 to October 31, 2017. Companies must also be in good standing with Angies List, pass a background check, and submit a trade license attestation.

There are 10 million reviews and 700 categories on Angies List. Its company ratings are updated daily with a grading from A to F. Only the top-performing companies are awarded the Angies List Super Service Award. Receiving the Angies List Super Service Award is a primary demonstration of how Universal Windows Direct of Indianapolis provides excellence in customer service to local homeowners.

About Universal Windows Direct:

Universal Windows Direct is an exterior remodeling company located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was founded by Mike Strmac and William Barr in 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio, and ultimately branched out into a national company with a location in Indianapolis. Its proud to service Indianapolis homeowners with top-quality replacement windows, entry doors, vinyl siding, and more.
The average days on the market from contract to close in February 2018 was 51 days. As of February 2018, there was only six weeks of inventory. This is wonderful for sellers.

The Denver real estate market is synonymous with high prices and low inventory. There are not enough houses on the market to keep up with demand, said Madison & Company Properties broker associate Ryan Dillon. In fact, in one year the average purchase price from February 2017-February 2018 went from $402,771 to $453,788 -- a 13% increase. The average days on the market from contract to close in February 2018 was 51 days. As of February 2018, there was only six weeks of inventory. This is wonderful for sellers

To help sellers prepare for the hot Denver real estate market, Dillon shares the following three tips:

No. 1: Leave the weekend you list to be prepared for traffic. Strategize the time and day of the listing to capture the most attention. We always suggest that the seller go on a mini vacation the first weekend to allow showings to be easy. The more eyeballs on the property the better! stressed Dillon.

No. 2: Prepare for multiple offers. Navigate what makes an offer better than another, whether its cash, financed, etc. You should also remove emotions from the process, added Dillon. Ask yourself where are you going knowing there isnt a lot of inventory, contingent offers, tax implications on sale price and gains.

No. 3: Work with a reputable real estate agent. The real estate professional one works with should have a proven track record. It is crucial they have the knowledge and creativity to make their clients offers stand out, concluded Dillon. A lot of time its not about being the highest offer on the table, but showing the strength of our client's offer. That being said, Denver is a cash market, and sometimes cash is going to win the home.

About Ryan Dillon, Madison & Company Properties, Ltd.

Ryan Dillon was born and raised in Denver. His familiarity with the city, its neighborhoods, lifestyle and people gives him an in-depth understanding of the central Denver real estate market and surrounding communities. Ryan has been helping people buy and sell real estate throughout Colorado since 2002. In 2016 he added a Transplant Broker, Andrea Buettner Wardell, to his team to serve the growing population. The two have combined experience of 25 years and give natives and transplants the best of both worlds. For more information, please call (303) 489-3211, or visit http://www.ryandillonproperties.com.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
Felix Gray, a modern designer of eyewear engineered for happier eyes by filtering blue light and eliminating glare, is today introducing its new prescription lens collection. The Rx collection is a first-of-its-kind, combining high-specification, blue light filtering lenses with fashion-forward frames, and was designed in response to customer demand. Contrary to the standard, Felix Gray embeds the blue light filter within the lens rather than using a simple coating or yellow tint, ensuring the perfect balance between a clear and effective lens.

Felix Gray has quickly generated a reputation of offering timeless classic eyewear designs to complement personal style. Each model is crafted using Italian acetate and the new Rx collection comes in a variety of finishes and colors including Whiskey Tortoise, Artichoke, Sazerac and classic Black.

Americans continue to become digitized and consume content from their computers, smartphones, and televisions. As a consequence, The Vision Council has reported an increase in eye strain, dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision and neck and shoulder pain. Felix Gray creates a better experience and promotes improved wellness for anyone who spends time in front of a screen.

"We started Felix Gray as a solution for the all-too-many people that deal with symptoms associated with staring at a screen for long periods of time. Because it's our own lens, it was difficult to move into Rx right away," says David Roger co-founder & CEO. "But as we grew, more people wanted to wear our glasses as their everyday pair. It made sense to bring our lens technology to the Rx market, providing greater value to anyone who's in front of a screen, whether they wear glasses or not. Now, there's no reason for anyone to not own a pair. Felix Gray is the eyewear brand for today's age--which, let's face it--is spent mostly in front of a screen.

Felix Gray glasses ship straight to your doorstep, making them quickly attainable for all. Customers can choose from seven different designs depending on desired look and fit. The ordering process is as easy as possible. For Rx, simply provide a selfie and upload your prescription and Felix Gray will send you your glasses in no time!

The new Rx collection is available starting today for $145. The full line of designs can be browsed at http://www.shopfelixgray.com.

For more information about Felix Grays latest prescription lenses, or to request a pair for review, contact Kirstin Hallett at kirstin(at)sourcecodecomms(dot)com.
CAP-XX is the first manufacturer to provide 3V supercapacitors in thin, prismatic form factors, 0.9mm to 1.9mm thick: Z, 20mm x 15mm; A, 20mm x 18mm; W, 17.5mm x 28.5mm; S, 17.5mm x 39.5mm.

CAP-XX (LSE:CPX), a leader in supercapacitors that deliver peak power to support or replace batteries, today announced it has developed the industrys first 3V thin, prismatic supercapacitors. The company will deploy its 3V technology first in thin prismatic form to meet demand for small, inexpensive, energy-efficient power solutions for thin wearables, key FOBs and other IoT devices. CAP-XX will then integrate the 3V technology into its larger prismatic supercapacitors, automotive modules and other products for high-energy, high-power applications.

The new 3V supercapacitors eliminate the cost and inefficiencies of the low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulator or buck converter often required to step the voltage down to work with the industrys existing 2.7V-rated thin, prismatic supercapacitors. CAP-XX is initially targeting markets using 3V coin cell batteries, where popular batteries such as the CR2032 have reasonable energy (~220mAh) but have trouble delivering the peak power (~100mA) needed for data collection and transmission. CAP-XX can handle those power bursts, and its new 3V supercapacitors can be placed directly across the battery without the intermediary LDO.

3V supercapacitors enter production trials; samples expected August 2018 with Q2 2019 production:

To achieve the 3V, CAP-XX developed new materials and production techniques. The company has successfully tested prototypes at 3V, 70C meeting the IEC 62391 requirement for endurance. CAP-XX has started production trials, with samples expected for customers by end of August 2018, and mass production in the first half of 2019. Pricing will start at less than US$1 in large volumes. CAP-XX will become the only manufacturer to provide a 3V supercapacitor in a thin, prismatic form factor.

The 3V versions, ranging from 0.9mm to 1.9mm thick, will come in the same footprints as CAP-XXs existing 2.7V thin prismatic supercapacitors: Z, 20mm x 15mm; A, 20mm x 18mm; W, 17.5mm x 28.5mm; S, 17.5mm x 39.5mm. Initial samples will be in the S package, with other footprints and the 0.6mm Thinline products to follow.

Specific benefits of the 3V supercapacitors over 2.7V cells that require an LDO:



Cost savings of US$0.27 to $0.31, or 20 to 25%, based on a single supercapacitor price of US$0.95 to $1

Saved battery energy, up to 30% over five years. Assuming constant power, an LDO dropping the battery voltage from 3V to 2.7V will lose 10% of the battery energy. On top of that, assuming the LDO draws 1A, an additional 8.8mAh (4% of a typical CR2032s energy) is lost per year. The projected yearly energy savings therefore is: 10% + 4% = 14% after one year, 10% + 8% = 18% over two, 22% over three and 30% over five years.

Increased usable energy storage. For example, if an application operates down to 1.8V, then a 3V supercapacitor stores 42% more usable energy than a 2.7V one.

Improved power density, by 23%.

Low leakage current, approximately 1.5A for a 500mF cell at 3V. As the battery discharges and voltage reduces, the supercapacitor leakage current also reduces to about 0.7A at 2.5V.

Engineers might also consider a buck converter or a buck-boost design if the current required is only marginally more, say +20%-30%, than the coin cell can provide. CAP-XX projects that its 3V supercapacitor solution will be up to 50% cheaper than such a design. CAP-XX also projects such a design will still incur significant energy losses, it wont see the benefits of the higher currents from a 3V supercapacitor, and it will require more components.

Anthony Kongats, CAP-XX CEO, will cover the new developments in a paper he is presenting, Using thin prismatic supercapacitors to support 3V coin cell batteries, on 12th April, 2018 at the IDTechEx conference in Berlin.

About CAP-XX supercapacitors:

CAP-XX supercapacitors support power requirements including wireless communication (Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Ant, active RFID), electronic paper and OLED displays, haptic or tactile feedback, vibration alerts, GPS acquisition, and injection or inhalation system delivery. The supercapacitors work with thin-film, solid-state, and other low-power batteries such as coin cells/button cells, energy harvesting modules (solar, vibration/kinetic, RF, and other ambient energy sources), as well as inductive/wireless and cable/cradle fast-charging systems.

About CAP-XX

CAP-XX (LSE:CPX) is a world leader in the design and manufacture of small supercapacitors and energy management systems used in portable and small-scale electronic devices, and large supercapacitor-based modules used in automotive and renewable energy applications. The unique feature of CAP-XX supercapacitors is their very high power density and high-energy storage capacity in space-efficient thin prismatic and compact cylindrical packages. These attributes are essential in many power-hungry applications. For more information about CAP-XX, visit http://www.cap-xx.com or email sales(at)cap-xx.com.

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ProVisors, the pre-eminent business organization that unlocks the power of relationships and accelerates business, today announced it has bolstered its management team with strong leaders from premier companies that set the standard in their industries. Former west coast Vistage leader, Jackie Kibler was named Vice President of Sales and Member Services, and Sharon Eisen was named Director of Marketing and Communications. The two executives will report to CEO, Matt Toledo, who joined the organization in July 2017.

Jackie and Sharon are powerhouses of strategy and execution and will help our members achieve meaningful results, said Toledo. I have tremendous confidence in their abilities and energy, and know this team is ready to make ProVisors the most prominent and influential organization of its kind. ProVisors is entering a new era, and we must support and expand to meet the ever-changing business needs of our members.

Kibler's expertise in global sales, learning and development and recruiting spans more than 20 years. She will lead ProVisors sales and service teams to improve strategy and process to ensure ProVisors maintains a cohesive and high-performing culture. At Vistage, Kibler helped it reach its goals through training and member value events. Prior to Vistage, Kibler worked for the Los Angeles Times, Corporate Executive Board and Dun & Bradstreet.

Eisen also brings two decades of experience and proven success in the areas of new business development, direct marketing, events, branding, communications and building company visibility. She held key leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company and Wheres Waldo, Inc. At Disney, Eisen focused on direct to consumer marketing, where she created and launched the first Disney Catalog and improved external communications to Disney Fans by unifying data sharing across the company.

About ProVisors

With more than 5,000 members in Southern California, Northern California, Chicago, and New England, ProVisors is an invitation-only community of experienced professionals who serve their clients as Trusted Advisors and share the highest standards of integrity, performance, and accountability. A ProVisors membership provides participants with specialized opportunities to collaborate, create meaningful connections on both a professional and personal level, learn lucrative business skills, share resources, and expand their client base. ProVisors is a business organization that unlocks the power of relationships and accelerates the growth of your personal brand, your firms brand, your referral network and ultimately the business results you want to achieve.

To learn more, visit: http://www.provisors.com.
We selected Aqualine as our new partner to serve the changing needs demanded by our members, said APSP President & CEO, Lawrence Caniglia. We are excited to provide unique insurance benefits and solutions which provide real value to our members.

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) announces a new partnership with Aqualine/Venture Pacific Insurance Services a national provider of a variety of risk management solutions. The new partnership will offer APSP members exclusive rates on commercial insurance including property, general liability, auto insurance, workers compensation, surety bonds, employee benefits, financial services and risk management.

We selected Aqualine as our new partner to serve the changing needs demanded by our members, said APSP President & CEO, Lawrence Caniglia. We are excited to provide unique insurance benefits and solutions which provide real value to our members.

Aqualine has a team of industry experts that work together to offer pool and hot tub industry members comprehensive coverage at a competitive price. They provide simple solutions that protect members businesses from a variety of industry risks. Aqualine offers exclusive discounts to APSP members for services such as general liability insurance, workers compensation insurance, auto insurance, workers compensation, surety bonds, employee benefits, financial services and risk management.

APSP has a long history of leveraging our group buying power to provide valuable member benefits, and we are delighted to add Aqualine to our portfolio, said APSP Director of Membership and Business Development, Seth Ewing. This is a great opportunity for our members to have or add to existing coverage. Our members have been asking for a new insurance provider and we are excited to deliver on their needs.

Were pleased to partner with APSP, said Aqualine National Programs Director, Sam Houghton. We believe that we will provide significant value to APSP members. As a proactive partner, we want to stay on the forefront of our clients needs and provide them with communication options that fit their lives. Soon well be offering members access to a new mobile app. This app will allow members to make direct contact with Aqualine when it is convenient for them, initiate dialog and input insurance requests.

Later this year, Aqualine will offer a series of free webinars and videos to help educate APSP members on their offerings. Through showcasing our programs through webinars and videos, APSP members will see how our offerings can be tailored for their needs and how they will be taken care of with responsive and personalized customer support, said Houghton.

For more information about the entire lineup of exclusive Aqualine services for APSP members, call Sam Houghton at 949.421.3551, Brandon Riggs at 949.421.3522 or visit AqualineInsurance.com.
Bryan University (https://bryanuniversity.edu), a leader in transforming students lives through engaging, experiential online education, received the Gold Award by Healthy Arizona Worksites for 2017.

The Healthy Arizona Worksites award has four recognition levels: copper, silver, gold and platinum. Many companies throughout Arizona apply and are awarded based on several different types of criteria.

This marks the third year in a row Bryan University has been honored with the gold.

Tracy Cruickshank, a member of Maricopa County Department of Public Health, believes the award signifies a productive and smart work environment:

Efficient, effective and sustainable work site wellness initiatives can improve employee health and wellness. The Healthy Arizona Work Sites Program helps employers understand how to design, implement and evaluate a work site health program that meets their needs.

Bryan University met the gold standard by using popular wellness offerings that address nutrition, stress management, and physical activity. The companys chair massages are a hit among employees, giving them a chance step away from their work for 15 minutes and relax their mind and body. The company also provides 24/7 access to an onsite gym equipped with machines, free weights and a locker room with showers and towels.

Bryan University Vice President of Employee Excellence, Julie Phillips, had this to say about the achievement:

This award is very important to our organization because it represents how much we value our employees and their overall well-being. By investing in our employees' health, we have seen an increase in effort, commitment and productivity. Maintaining a healthy workforce contributes to positive morale and increased employee engagement. Working alongside colleagues who have transformed their health, and ultimately their lives, for the better as result of our wellness program is inspiring!

With strong support from senior management, Bryan University provides an online wellness tool and app that supports and encourages employees to change behaviors so they live healthier lifestyles. Around the office the company encourages wellness habits through our monthly wellness lunch and learn, walking workstation, bean bag room, weekly wellness walks, and monthly wellness challenges.

About Healthy Arizona Worksites

The Healthy Arizona Worksites Program (HAWP) is a public health initiative that has been developed through a partnership between the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. This statewide program provides Arizona employers with training, technical assistance, tools, and resources to design, implement, and evaluate worksite wellness initiatives. HAWP also works to create linkages between Arizona businesses engaging in healthy worksite efforts so they can learn from each other and share experiences.

More information is available at http://www.healthyAZworksites.org.

About Bryan University

Bryan University is an industry leader in solving complex challenges in online education and delivering transformative experiences to students. Founded in 1940 based upon the principle of providing innovative education that leads to productive professional careers, the university continues to develop effective online learning strategies through evidenced-based research and believes online learning can be an educational pathway preferred by students.

Bryan University offers undergraduate programs in fitness, healthcare, legal services, and business. The university also offers a graduate program in public health. Advisory board members and faculty for these programs include notable industry executives and professionals.

More information about Bryan University is available at:

https://bryanuniversity.edu/

For media inquiries, please contact:

Steve Sliker

Digital Content Manager

(602) 384-2549

Steve.Sliker(at)bryanuniversity(dot)edu
Today, TVision Insights, the leader in measuring eyes-on-screen attention to every second of programming and advertising on television, announced that Dave Marquard has joined the company as Chief Product Officer. With Marquards leadership, TVision will further pioneer the industrys move towards measuring the quality of TV ad exposures.

Marquard is an ad-tech innovator. At TVision, he will manage the product roadmap and extend industry partnerships that enable brands and networks to accurately measure the effectiveness of programming and commercials.

Most recently, Marquard spearheaded the publishing and programmatic business at Integral Ad Science, where he helped to define digital ad viewability. At Google he managed the strategy and roadmap for mobile ad publishing platforms. In addition, Marquard held leadership positions in product management and engineering at IBM and Lombardi Software. Marquard was an endowed scholar in engineering at Duke University where he earned degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. Later, he returned to Duke's Fuqua School of Business for an MBA.

Attention leads to outcomes, and thats why marketers, networks and industry data providers want access to our second-by-second viewer attention insights. As we advance our roadmap and expand our reach, Dave is a natural fit to lead our product strategy and execution. He has a strong track record of innovation in advertising, says Yan Liu, CEO of TVision Insights.

I am excited to join TVision Insights in challenging the standards of TV measurement, says Marquard. Marketers are more accountable than ever to the return on their media spend, and eyes-on-screen attention data is the basis for a TV ad exposure. If theres no attention, how can there be impact?

About TVision Insights

TVision Insights is the television attention measurement company pioneering the way brands, their agencies, and TV networks determine the true value of their video content and advertising. The companys core technology uses patented computer vision algorithms to passively measure eyes on screen, the single most accurate way to measure person-level engagement with video content. Founded by two MIT alumni, TVision Insights is a venture-backed company headquartered in Boston with offices in New York and Tokyo.
The demand for dependable, high-quality home care services will continue to rise as growing numbers of seniors nationwide choose to age in place, said Larry Kraska, Interim HealthCare Inc. CEO and President.

Interim HealthCare Inc. is ranked No. 13 in the Top Franchises Under $150K category by Entrepreneur Magazines Spring Startups issue. This ranking is based off similar criteria to the Entrepreneurs 2018 Franchise 500 but is stratified by three key investment levels: under $50k, $100k and $150k. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, Entrepreneur evaluates recipients based on outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

The demand for dependable, high-quality home care services will continue to rise as growing numbers of seniors nationwide choose to age in place, said Larry Kraska, Interim HealthCare Inc. CEO and President. Meeting the needs of this aging population will continue to be in high demand. In fact, according to a recent article, healthcare is listed as the industry with the most promising future. An Interim HealthCare franchise is an affordable investment opportunity with great potential for expansion, and we couldnt be prouder of this recognition.

Interim HealthCare Inc. offers extensive training and innovative marketing programs for all franchisees through one of the most experienced franchise support teams in the industry. Its legendary brand has been built on over 50 years of home care, hospice and staffing expertise. Interims deep understanding of todays regulatory environment and the complexities of building franchise operations, such as marketing, sales, finance, training and human resources, continues to drive business success for its franchise owners.

For more details about the companys franchisee opportunities, visit http://www.interimfranchising.com.

Rankings will be published in the Spring issue of Entrepreneurs Startups.

About Interim HealthCare Inc.

Interim HealthCare Inc., founded in 1966, is a leading national franchisor of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing. It is part of Caring Brands International which also includes UK-based Bluebird Care and Australia-based Just Better Care, both well-known franchise brands in their countries. With more than 530 franchise locations in seven countries Caring Brands International is a global health care leader.

Interim HealthCare in the United States is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service. Franchisees employ nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals who provide 25 million hours of home care service to 190,000 people each year, meeting a variety of home health, senior care, hospice, palliative care, pediatric care and healthcare staffing needs. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit http://www.interimhealthcare.com.
Listening to our customers has been integral to the development of the HR Hero solution, says Rafael Cardoso, BLR President.

Business and Legal Resources (BLR), the HCM division of Simplify Compliance, and the nations leading provider of compliance solutions and expert-sourced business information, announces the release of the highly-anticipated HR solution suite HR Hero. The comprehensive digital platform empowers and informs HR teams of all sizes, delivering the step-by-step guidance and tools they need to drive business performance in a one-stop, fully-customizable dashboard.

The suite includes best in class tools Employee Handbook Builder, State Law Chart Builder, Job Description Manager, and FLSA Audit Tool. Each provides the opportunity for team-based access, and recently upgraded workflow integrations for ease of use throughout an organization.

In addition to these four powerful tools, hundreds of resource materials, and instructor-led training support, HR Hero also features a proprietary HR Hotline that provides subscribers with direct phone, email, and chat access to BLRs in-house team of employment law experts for instant guidance.

Listening to our customers has been integral to the development of the HR Hero solution, says Rafael Cardoso, BLR President. A single point of access to powerful tools and resources, developed by an impressive team of employment law attorneys will provide organizations the confidence they need in their foundational compliance.

HR Heros team of attorneys and customer success managers are committed to continuous improvement after the suites initial launch, with user-driven feature releases and upgrades slated for the upcoming year.

You can learn more about HR Hero and start your free trial at hrhero.blr.com.

About BLR

BLR (Business & Legal Resources) helps U.S. businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements. In-house experts and an exclusive attorney network provide comprehensive, reliable state-specific information for businesses in all 50 states. Award-winning products and solutionsincluding training programs, events, online solution suites, reports, and subscription servicesgive businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available at affordable prices. For more information on their offerings, visit http://www.BLR.com.

About Simplify Compliance

Simplify Compliance helps its customers learn, comply, and succeed by providing mission-critical regulatory and business information, analysis, and tools. Serving a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, human capital management, and telecommunications, Simplify Compliance provides time-saving products and solutions that help U.S.-based businesses and their employees monitor compliance, optimize financial performance, and create and implement best practices. For more information on their offerings, visit http://www.SimplifyCompliance.com.
The Tastevinage tasting offers the unique opportunity to encounter 17 Burgundian treasures, selected over 1045 wines, and showcasig different Burgundy appellations and Grand Crus.

Unlike in most other French wine regions, Burgundys vignerons mostly employ single grape varieties for their winesPinot Noir for the reds and Chardonnay for the whites. The employment of the same grapes for (almost) all of Burgundian wines highlights the characteristics of their terroirs. With no English translation, the French word terroir designates the soul of wine as expressed in the specific site where the grapes grow. Except for the climate, almost everything else about the site (e.g. soil, the hill slope, etc,) of comes into play to form its terroir. Through terroir, tasters recognise seminal aspects of a wine and identify different producers.

The over 1,200 Burgundys climats are another trait of the region. Climats are precisely delimited plots of land differing from one another in their geological conditions and vine types. Attesting to the historical construction of a viticultural territory, climats represent human interaction with a specific natural environment. The combination of climats, terroirs, and the regions vineyards turned Burgundy into an ideal viticultural microcosm. During the years, this combination has become so culturally relevant to earn Burgundys climats and terroirs the UNESCO world heritage status in July 2015.

Organised by Veronafiere and Vinitaly International in collaboration with the Vinitaly International Academy, the Discover 17 gems of Burgundy: The Tastevinage Majors seminar will display the variety of the Burgundy climats and terroirs during Vinitaly. Conducted by the renowned French wine personality Arnaud Orsel, the Tastevinage tasting offers the unique opportunity to encounter 17 Burgundian treasures, selected over 1045 wines, and showcasig different Burgundy appellations and Grand Crus.

Arnaud Orsel is the Conseiller dHonneur of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. A Member of the Confrerie since 2010, he has been the head of the institution since 2015. Holding a Master Degree in Knowledge and International Trade of Wines, Orsel also specialized for 10 years in the elevage sous bois [ageing in wood barrels] of Pinots Noirs and Chardonnays, both in Europe and South Africa.

The wines Orsel will present at Vinitaly are the winners of the famous Tastevinage competition. First instituted in 1950 by the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the society brings together 12,000 Burgundy wine lovers around the world. Since then, every Spring and Autumn the Tastevinage has been held at the Clos de Vougeot Chateau, the headquarters of the Confrerie located in the center of the route des Grands Crus, the scenic route among the vineyards of Burgundy. During the famous wine competition, a jury of more than 250 wine experts blind taste 20 wines per table. The principle of the Tastevinage (also defined a test based on trust) is to select the wines perfectly expressing the truth of appellation and vintage", wines that members of the jury would gladly offer to friends.

Early evidence dates wine production in Burgundy back to the 1st century AD, making it one of the oldest European wine-producing regions. Though the region is fairly small, the combination of Burgundy wine grapes, soils, terroirs, climats, and climate resulted in the production of excellent wines for thousands of years. Located in the east-central part of France, Burgundy has 5 wine growing areas: Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise, and Maconnais. With this tasting-grand tour, Vinitaly International and Veronafiere pay homage to Burgundian treasures. Discover 17 gems of Burgundy: The Tastevinage Majors is a two-hour trip in the very heart of the French region, a stimulating journey for Burgundy lovers and beyond.

Please see additional information below:

Discover 17 gems of Burgundy: The Tastevinage Majors

Convenor: Arnaud Orsel (Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin)

Time: Tuesday April 17th, 2018, 10.00 - 12.00

Location: wine2digital

Link: http://bit.do/edi5T

About

The grand Vinitaly 2018 will be held from April 15th to the 18th. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (https://www.vinitalyinternational.com/?page_id=646) Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, which will be held on the 14th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the third edition of its Certification Course and today counts 122 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 9 Italian Wine Experts.
Organizations need to realize that implementing an employee hotline shows that they care about their employees and that they are making a good effort to ensure a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace culture.

F&H Solutions Group (FHSG) has launched an anonymous employee ethics and complaint hotline service to offer company employees a safe and confidential outlet to report complaints or ethical violations. With recent movements such as #metoo and #timesup, now more than ever, people are being encouraged to come forward about issues that affect them in their personal or work lives.

FHSGs anonymous hotline helps employees who may feel scared or discouraged from reporting issues for many reasons: fear of retaliation, feeling uncomfortable about speaking to colleagues, and fear of repercussion by coworkers.

Without an efficient complaint hotline in place, costly litigation, public relations nightmares and decreased morale are at stake.

An Ernst & Young survey found that 80 percent of employees would be willing to report a coworkers illegal or unethical activity, and 39 percent would be more likely to make a report if they could remain anonymous.

The anonymous complaint process takes a few minutes. Employees can call a telephone number to speak with an FHSG customer service representative or can complete the anonymous complaint process online through a survey link. All complaints are thoroughly documented, detailed and tracked. Once an employee files a complaint, an investigation begins immediately. This way, the organization can solve internal problems quickly before they become larger external ones.

Organizations need to realize that implementing an employee hotline shows that they care about their employees and that they are making a good effort to ensure a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace culture, says Brad Federman, Chief Operating Officer of F&H Solutions Group.

To obtain more information on how to implement an anonymous employee ethics and complaint hotline service for your organization, please visit our website or contact Brad Federman at bfederman@fhsolutionsgroup.com or 901.291.1547.

About F&H Solutions Group

F&H Solutions Group is a national consulting firm specializing in employee engagement, human resources and labor relations matters. Our professionals have unmatched expertise and experience in working with all types and sizes of organizations in different industries in both the private and public sectors. Since 1989 FHSG has provided clients with solutions for a better workplace. Our long-term client relationships are a testament to our commitment to improving workplaces and preparing clients for a successful future. For more information, please visit http://www.fhsolutionsgroup.com.
Our inspections solutions are always designed to provide customers with the most fully automated ways of ensuring correct operation

One of the most critical elements of any foreign material inspection system is ejection  once a piece of foreign material in a food or beverage is detected, it is essential that the defective product be removed from the production line. While there are many excellent solutions for container ejection, none of these solutions provide 100% traceability for tracking discrepant products to ensure that each and every one of the proper containers was in fact removed from the production line.

Peco InspX, in partnership with Domino printers, is pleased to announce a rejected container traceability solution that prints unique information on each container that is targeted for ejection. This user configurable information is generated by the Peco InspX X-Ray system and is then printed via a Domino printer prior to the container being ejected (for example, a rejected container may contain a sequence number, a time stamp as well as an ejector reason code). Operators can then use this printed reject information to cross reference the physical rejected containers with the reject image library on the X-Ray machine. This review process provides absolute assurance that all appropriate containers were in fact removed from the line. At any point during the operational inspection process, Peco InspX X-Ray machines can signal to stop the production line real-time should any container fail to be confirmed as ejected, which may happen due to a loss of ejector air pressure or some type of jam that disables the ejector.

Our inspections solutions are always designed to provide customers with the most fully automated ways of ensuring correct operation. While there has been considerable focus from the inspection industry on defect detection, there is substantial opportunity for improving ejection solution automation  our partnership with Domino provides a simple and cost effective way of ensuring total traceability for rejected containers, remarked Peco InspX VP of US Sales Martin Lymn.

For more information on this innovative traceability tool from Domino and Peco InspX, please watch the following video: https://vimeo.com/263553553.

About Peco InspX

Peco InspX Corporation is a leading provider of advanced technology inspection solutions for the food and beverage industries. With headquarters in Silicon Valley (San Carlos), CA and European headquarters in Nuneaton, UK, the company serves customers around the world and inspects over 120 million food and beverage containers daily. The company specializes in accurate high speed package inspection in machines that are easy to use with a low cost of ownership.
Extreme Energy Solutions is proud to partner with Tony Mrakovich in his leap and debut into NASCARs Xfinity Series, said Samuel K. Burlum, CEO/President of Extreme Energy Solutions, Inc. 

The emerging green tech company, Extreme Energy Solutions Inc., and race car driver Tony Mrakovich partner for a second time in 2018. This time, the racing campaign consists of both sponsor and driver debut in NASCARs Xfinity Series, making their first appearance behind the wheel of JGL Racing equipment at Bristol, scheduled for Saturday, April 14, 2018; for the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300. Mrakovich and Extreme agreed to a short term two-race deal after driver and sponsor made an attempt at the 2018 ARCA season opener at Daytona.

Mrakovich will be piloting the number #28 SMART Emissions Reducer by Extreme Energy Solutions sponsored Ford Mustang; supplied and prepared by JGL Racing of Denver, North Carolina. The green techs other product, Extreme Kleaner, will also be featured on the car. Mrakovich will make a second NASCAR Xfinity appearance in just a few weeks at Richmond, for the ToytotaCare 250, Friday, April 20th, 2018.

This is one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. Some of the sports most prestigious names have gone to Victory Lane here, so if you can have a good day at Bristol, youve accomplished quite a feat. Im so thankful for Extreme Energys support on this journey and for the opportunity to run my first Xfinity race with JGL Racing, contributed Mrakovich.

Elizabethtown, Pa. native carried the Smart Emissions Reducer colors in the ARCA season-opener at the Daytona International Speedway. Mrakovich was on the verge of breaking into the top 10 in the late stages of the race when a mechanical failure relegated him to 29th place. Still, the 19-year-old gained valuable experience to face his next challenge.

Daytona was disappointing for sure, recalled Mrakovich. We had a fast car and a shot at a solid finish, but at the end of the day, its about gaining experience. While Bristol is about as different as you can get from Daytona, I can still apply the lessons I learned.

Extreme Energy Solutions is proud to partner with Tony Mrakovich in his leap and debut into NASCARs Xfinity Series, said Samuel K. Burlum, CEO/President of Extreme Energy Solutions, Inc. He has demonstrated that he has what it takes to compete on and off the track and he is a great steward of the sport. We are looking forward to a long-term relationship of having Mrakovich as one of our leading brand ambassadors for our company.

In addition to working with Mrakovich, Burlum also understands the benefits of introducing the Extreme Energy brand to NASCARs national platform and partners. As much as we look forward to working with Tony, we are also excited about the many opportunities which the world of auto racing can afford to our business, and understand the value of branding our automotive technology and green consumer products throughout the racing community and beyond.

JGL Racing owner James Whitener is happy to have Mrakovich and EES onboard. Tony is a talented young driver with a lot of potential and were looking forward to giving him the opportunity to compete in his first Xfinity race. We think EES is going to be a great partner with our team and NASCAR is a perfect fit for raising brand awareness for the SMART Emissions Reducer.

Extreme Energy Solutions is the provider of the clean tech, green tech engine-vehicle emissions reduction technology known as the SMART Emissions Reducer. Founded in 2008 as a third party testing and research consulting firm; Extreme Energy Solutions Inc. has evolved into becoming a developer, manufacturer, distributor, and service provider for technologies and products aimed at reducing toxic harmful engine emissions (for both gasoline and diesel powered engines) including the SMART Emissions Reducer and E-Missions Automotive Intelligence.

Extreme Energy Solutions also offers a line of green eco-friendly consumer products; Extreme Kleaner, H2O Energy Flow, and Extreme Xtra Fuel Treatments; found in selected hardware stores, auto parts stores, grocery markets, and specialty retailers coast to coast in over 500 store locations; including Street Stores Hardware, in Middletown, Pennsylvania, the very store Mrakovichs family owns and operates.

Coverage for the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 will begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, April 14 and will be televised on FS1.

For more information about Extreme Energy Solutions, visit http://ExtremeEnergySolutions.net
Bobbi Schroeppel

MEA Energy Association (MEA) announces the appointment of Bobbi L. Schroeppel as chair and welcomes the full slate of officers and directors for the 2018 MEA Board of Directors.

Bobbi is the vice president of customer care, communications, and human resources of NorthWestern Energy. Bobbis responsibilities include strategic and day-to-day leadership of NorthWesterns customer facing, corporate communication, and human resources processes; including customer interaction, revenue collection, customer education, customer programs and services, market research, customer care systems and infrastructure, branding and advertising, media relations and the human resource generalists processes. Since joining NorthWestern in May of 1998, Bobbi has also held positions in market research, support services and strategy.

MEA's contributions to the energy industry are immeasurable and I am proud to serve as chair, said Bobbi L. Schroeppel. I have great respect for my fellow board members and the over 300 individuals who serve on MEA committees and look forward to working with them and the MEA team to empower the energy industry through education and leadership development."

The slate of board members for 2018-2019 follows.

Officers:

Chair, Bobbi L. Schroeppel, vice president of customer care, communications, and human resources of NorthWestern Energy

1st Chair , Barry J. Bentley, senior vice president, customer operations of Indianapolis Power & Light

2nd Vice Chair , Vernon J. Peterson, vice president, electric distribution asset management of WEC Energy Group

Treasurer, Tom J. Henkels, chief operating officer of PLH Group, Inc.

Secretary , Patrick D. Van Beek, president of MEA Energy Association

Past Chair, Gary L. Gibson, associate general manager, economic development of City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri

Executive Committee Delegate, Charles C. Crews, vice president gas operations of Consumers Energy

Executive Committee Delegate, Jon K. Luttrell , senior vice president, utility ops and president VUHI of Vectren

Directors:

Joe Awad, general manager construction and maintenance of Colorado Springs Utilities

Tamara A. Bewley, market manager, natural gas and PVF of Border States

W. Noble Billingsley, ll, director, gas operations, GRMI of DTE Energy

James M. Conway, vice president field operations of ComEd, an Exelon Company

Patrick C. Darras, vice president of operations of Montana-Dakota Utilities Company

James W. Dougherty, vice president, electric delivery of MidAmerican Energy Company

Benjamin F. Felton, vice president power delivery of NiSource

Dean A. Headlee, manager, pipeline safety and compliance of CenterPoint Energy

Steven A. Karolewski, vice president of operations of GROEBNER

Jamie Kiely, senior director, operations of Kansas City Power & Light

Eric Kozak, senior director, gas operations of Ameren Illinois

Scott Kranstuber, vice president, sales and marketing of SENSIT Technologies

Kevin P. Joyce, director, gas emergency response of Xcel Energy

James Lorenz, director-electric construction and operations of Madison Gas and Electric

Anthony R. McCain, vice president resource management of Nicor Gas, Southern Gas Company

James J. Miller, director, business development of 3 Phase/MasTec

Joe Purington, vice president of electric operations (NH) of Eversource

Ivan Vancas, group vice president natural gas utilities of Black Hills Corporation

Mark Van Dyne, vice president environmental services of Burns & McDonnell

John C. Webster, director natural gas division of Hutchinson Utilities Commission

MEA thanks all outgoing board members for their service. For more information about MEA visit http://www.MEAenergy.org.

About MEA:

MEA Energy Association (MEA) serves the people that deliver electricity and natural gas to homes and businesses. MEA was founded as a trade association over 100 years ago by distribution utilities, whose vision was to improve safety and efficiency. Today, energy delivery companies and their contractors around the globe benefit from MEA's industry learning seminars, operations summits, and other events. Members collaborated to develop EnergyU, the world's premier online training and testing system for gas and electric distribution utilities.
Alula Simplifying Security Security solutions that dont address consumers demand for a seamless automated experience just will not cut it.

Alula announces the launch of the Alula mobile application available today on iOS for the iPhone and iPad, and for Android phones and tablets running version 4.1 and up. With the Alula app, security, smart devices and video are seamlessly integrated creating a more engaging experience for consumers seeking more from their security solution. Consumers can easily control their security system while controlling other devices and build scenes like lock my doors and turn off lights when arming their security system. In addition, dealers can easily brand the app with their own logo, reinforcing the relationship with their customers and letting users forego a wired wall panel altogether. This app builds on the powerful Connect+ wireless smart security platform from Alula. Security has never been this easy and this powerful.

For consumers with a smartphone and smarthome, there is no difference between automation and security, said Alula CEO, Brian McLaughlin. We pride ourselves on being one of the only providers of a complete sensors-to-services offering that operates seamlessly between security and the expanding world of automation devices. Solutions that dont address consumers demand for a seamless automated experience just will not cut it. No one is more aware of this than todays security professional.

Download Today and Demo the Apps

Both consumers and security professionals can download the apps by searching Alula Security in either App Store, try the Demo mode and plan to see a live demo at ISC West booth 22059 / #ISCWest2018.

About Alula Security Application

The Alula Security app combines your alarm system with smart device control into one app. The app delivers direct control over your smarthome and security allowing you to control lights, locks, thermostats, cameras and garage doors independently or in combination with the arming and disarming of your alarm, in whatever order you choose. Theres even a demo-mode, built into the app, so you can see what a simple smart home security system looks like and plan the addition of new features, devices and scenarios. Features include:

Remote Arm/Disarm

Full System Status

Scenes and Automation

Simplified New User Access

Set Security Zones

Event-based or Continuous Recording of Video Activity

Remote Arming and Disarming

Remotely control your security system from anywhere at anytime. Arm your system later if you forget. Or disarm your system to allow someone you trust to gain access and secure it again immediately after they leave.

Full System Status

Stay aware of important activity at your property anytime, not just when there's an emergency, with customizable text, push notifications and email alerts.

Scenes and Automation

With event or time based Scenes and Automations, your smarthome supports the way you want to live. Automatically adjust the entire atmosphere in your home based on your day to day routines. Lights, locks, garage doors and thermostats can adjust to greet you as you start your day or be prepared for when you return home in the evenings.

Simplified New User Access

Add new users with a few taps in the app. Allow full or limited control with selective access configuration. You even have the ability to establish temporary accounts for services companies, the babysitter or visiting family.

Alula Home Security Zone Configurations

Alula Connect+ provides maximizes the flexibility in managing security sensor behaviors. Connect+ allows each zone to chime independently, change the conditions in which they will generate an alarm or even be bypassed for any specific arming activity.

Video Monitoring

Alula video monitoring lets you easily watch live and recorded events from a mobile phone or computer. You can choose to receive notifications when motion is detected or leave the monitoring to the professionals, or both.

About Alula

Alula is the only security platform that delivers security simplified for independent security dealers and installers and the customers who rely on their service and expertise. Today, thousands of dealers across North America have over 250,000 active locations secured and connected with Alula. Designed for professional security professionals, the Alula platform provides a complete security, alarm, video and automation solution for renters, homeowners and commercial installations. Alula is a business-driven security platform designed to reduce truck rolls, increase RMR, simplify inventory and put dealers in control of their business, their customers and their revenue. The Alula platform is available nationwide through distributors that cater to the alarm and integrator industry. http://www.alula.net
Gold-Level Award in Cameras - Visible Category We are delighted to be recognized by Vision Systems Design for our contribution to the imaging industry with our LtX45R Camera Series.  Huw Leahy, President of Lumenera Corporation.

On April 10, Lumenera Corporation, a leading manufacturer and developer of high performance digital cameras and custom imaging solutions was presented with a gold-level award in the Cameras - visible Category at the Fourth Annual Vision Systems Design Innovators Awards presentation, held during The Vision Show in Boston, MA. Their Lumenera LtX45R Camera Series was recognized by a panel of esteemed experts from system integrator and end-user companies.

We are delighted to be recognized by Vision Systems Design for our contribution to the imaging industry with our LtX45R Camera Series, said Huw Leahy, President of Lumenera Corporation. Our line of high performance global shutter CMOS cameras is available in 3, 5, 9, and 12 megapixel versions to meet the requirements of a wide range of imaging applications.

Alan Bergstein, publisher of Vision Systems Design (http://www.vision-systems.com) said, "This prestigious program allows Vision Systems Design to celebrate and recognize the most innovative products and services in the vision and image processing industry. Our 2018 Honorees are an outstanding example of companies who are making an impact in the industry."

The Innovators Awards are judged based on the following criteria:



Originality

Innovation

Impact on Designers, Systems Integrators, End Users

Fulfilling a need in the market that hasnt been addressed

Leveraging a novel technology

The 2018 Visions Systems Design Innovators Awards Honorees are featured in the June Issue of Vision Systems Design magazine as well as on http://www.vision-systems.com. Companies were recognized in the following categories:

Vision systems

Cameras - visible

Cameras  non-visible

Cameras  3D

Cameras  Specialty (High-speed, scientific)

Image sensors

Lighting, lenses, and optics

Connectivity: Cables, connectors, extenders, interfaces, etc.

Software

Frame grabbers and boards

Embedded vision: Cameras, computers, boards, processors, development kit, components

R&D / start-up category

About Vision Systems Design: Published since 1996, Vision Systems Design is a global resource for engineers, engineering managers and systems integrators that provides comprehensive global coverage of vision systems technologies, applications, and markets. Vision Systems Design's magazine, website (http://www.vision-systems.com), email newsletters and webcasts report on and analyze the latest technology and business developments and trends in the worldwide machine vision and image processing industry.

About The Vision Systems Design 2018 Innovators Awards program: The Vision Systems Design 2018 Innovators Awards program reviewed and recognized the most innovative products and services in the vision and image processing industry. Honorees were announced at Automate 2018 held in Boston, MA, USA. Criteria used in the Innovators Awards ranking included: originality, innovation; impact on designers, systems integrators and end-users; fulfilling a need in the market that hasnt been addressed, leveraging a novel technology, and increasing productivity.

About Lumenera: Lumenera Corporation, a division of Roper Technologies Inc., is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and is a leading developer and manufacturer of high performance digital cameras and custom imaging solutions. Lumenera imaging solutions provide a unique combination of speed, resolution, and sensitivity to meet the most demanding digital imaging requirements, and are used worldwide in a wide range of industrial, scientific, security, and astro applications. For additional information about Lumenera, please visit http://www.lumenera.com or call 613-736-4077. To receive Lumenera press releases as they are issued, contact us at marketing(at)lumenera(dot)com.
spencer is designed for use at home; shaped roughly like a tall toaster, but it's likely the most advanced appliance in your home. A family owned and operated business by Craig and Elena Tostenson, the Glenmore Pharmasave is dedicated to helping their community by introducing the spencer program to improve people's health outcomes and give peace of mind to caregivers.

The Glenmore, Kelowna Pharmasave has announced the availability of the spencer in-home medication dispenser. A family owned and operated business by Craig and Elena Tostenson, the Glenmore Pharmasave is dedicated to helping their community by introducing the spencer program to improve people's health outcomes and give peace of mind to caregivers.

spencer is meeting an increasing need in the Okanagan. Consider this:



Seniors represent a staggering 21% of our population. They are living longer and want to stay home for as long as possible (Global News; Aging in the Okanagan: Seniors population on the rise, 2017).

72% of the 30,363 BC residents receiving long-term home support are for difficulty with medication management (Office of the Seniors Advocate BC; Analysis: Who are we caring for? 2017).

Multiple medications are a common concern when it comes to senior's health. Pharmacists dispensed an average of 35 prescriptions per person aged 60 to 79, and 74 prescriptions per person aged 80 or older, compared with an overall average of 14 prescriptions per Canadian (Statistics Canada; Findings, 2015).

Approximately 11% of 45 to 64-year-olds and 30% of seniors aged 65 to 79 took at least five prescription medications concurrently (Statistics Canada; Findings, 2011)

Not adhering to medication accounts for almost 70% of medication-related hospitalizations. That costs the Canadian healthcare system up to $9 billion per year. (ABN Life; The cost of non-adherence to prescribed medications, 2017).

Older adults who fail to take prescribed medications were 76% more likely to experience a significant decline in their overall health than those who took their medications as prescribed (Medical Care; The Health Effects of Restricting Prescription Medication Use Because of Cost, 2004).

Remember the daily M-T-W-T-F-S-S pill box? The need to manually sort medications into an organizer, or set alarms to remind users to take them; those days are behind us. Users can have medications delivered at home in a personalized box that can be simply placed on the countertop, a device that signals when it is time to take medications, and then dispenses exactly what is needed. Simple. Convenient. When it comes to taking medications at home, we've entered a new era of connected services and technologies; welcome to Canada, spencer!

For Craig and Elena, the decision to introduce spencer was personal. It was becoming increasingly difficult to manage the complex medication schedule for a parent living with Parkinson's. Elena shares her story:

"spencer has had an emotional impact on my family. My father, Frank, takes multiple medications several times each day, and we worried about whether he was taking his meds at the right time. spencer relieved that worry. After just a few weeks with spencer, I witnessed a transformation. I was having coffee with my mom while my father napped in his chair. It was time for dad's medication, and spencer started to beep. Just like that, dad woke up, walked over to spencer, spencer dispensed his meds, which he took, and then returned to his chair and nap. My mom didn't skip a beat in our conversation. If you told me a year ago we could all be this relaxed; I wouldn't have believed you. Before spencer, my dad wouldn't have been relaxed enough to nap, for fear of missing a dose. My mom would have been anxiously checking her watch, too. spencer is so much more than a medication reminder; it has given us true peace of mind."

Craig, the first spencer-certified pharmacist in Canada, adds, "We are very excited to bring spencer to the Okanagan. It's no understatement to say that spencer changes lives."

spencer allows pharmacists to take a pro-active, patient-centered approach to patient care. According to Craig, "Beyond simply dispensing pills or sending alerts, spencer connects the patient, caregiver, physician, and pharmacist to ensure we all stay informed and work together. For example, spencer enables the pharmacist to be alerted to side effects, etc., so we can work with the patient's physician to adjust doses and medications to improve therapeutic outcomes, enhance the quality of life, and avoid hazardous situations. And caregivers no longer have to worry about medication administration, because with spencer, they can check in on loved ones to see if pills were dispensed on time, dispensed late, or missed altogether."

spencer is designed for use at home; shaped roughly like a tall toaster, but it's likely the most advanced appliance in your home. spencer is part of Catalyst Healthcare's adherence ecosystem, a suite of connected technologies that gather, share and correlate data in real-time. Catalyst is a local, Kelowna-based technology company that, together with Glenmore Pharmasave, are spearheading the use of digital health tools to improve patient outcomes in the Okanagan.

Julie McRae, a Baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurse and Catalyst's Director of Clinical Outcomes states, "The emphasis in health service delivery must shift toward better chronic disease management, with care that is delivered in a patient and family-centered manner. A key component of remaining independent is the ability for patients to share their health information, such as medication adherence, with their larger support system, which is made possible by spencer and individuals such as Craig and Elena who are passionate about making an impact in their community."

About Glenmore Pharmasave

The Glenmore Pharmasave is a family business owned and operated by Craig and Elena Tostenson. In addition to spencer, this location offers prescription delivery, foot care by a registered nurse, travel vaccinations and flu shots, home health care sales and rentals, a lifestyle/weight loss program along with standard pharmacy products and services. For more information, visit http://www.meetspencertoday.com/.

About Catalyst Healthcare

Catalyst Healthcare is an award-winning technology company dedicated to improving medication adherence and reducing the costs associated with non-adherence to healthcare systems. Catalyst provides an end-to-end pharmacy solution for adherence that improves quality and efficiency at every point across the medication delivery ecosystem. Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of care setting, has access to clinically-managed digital health tools that lower costs and improve outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.catalystrms.com.

For more information or media opportunities, please contact:

Pharmasave Glenmore:

Craig Tostenson, Pharmacist / Owner

(250) 861-4443

craigtos[at]shaw[dot]ca

Catalyst Healthcare:

Kasumi Oda, VP of Marketing

(250) 980-4713

kasumi.oda[at]catalystrms[dot]com
Dr. Amarik Singh Secures Loose Dentures in Downers Grove, Ill Dr. Singh has extensive experience in restoring oral function and esthetics with implant dentistry solutions, and is recognized for offering best in class care from his state-of-the-art facility.

Esteemed periodontist and implant dentist, Dr. Amarik Singh of Periodontal Implant Associates, welcomes new patients with loose dentures in Downers Grove, Ill, to visit his practice for an All-on-4 dental implants consultation, with or without a referral. The All-on-4 treatment concept is a full-arch tooth replacement alternative to traditional dentures, offering a wide range of benefits to patients. As a well-respected and highly experienced periodontal and implant specialist in the Chicago area, Dr. Singh utilizes the latest in proven, minimally invasive techniques and technology for restoring oral health after tooth loss. He is also widely regarded as being one of the nations pioneers in providing full-mouth rehabilitation with treatment modalities that include All-on-4 dental implants.

All-on-4 dental implants are a permanent full-arch solution for replacing missing teeth, and viable alternative to traditional removable dentures. The treatment involves the strategic placement of four specially designed implants, placed within the jaw bone, and attachment a prosthesis that is functional the same day as implant surgery. All-on-4 carries a high satisfaction rating among patients, and is a minimally invasive procedure. Benefits include permanent tooth replacement, fast recovery time, greater comfort, natural-looking appearance, improved speaking and eating ability, and no need for adhesives or pastes.

As a leading periodontal specialist, Dr. Singh is renowned within the Chicago area and beyond for his refined skill and advanced expertise in implant procedures. He understands the challenges patients face with traditional tooth replacements, and invites those with loose dentures in Downers Grove, Ill, to visit his practice to learn more about the All-on-4 implant alternative. Having placed over 15,000 dental implants, Dr. Singh has extensive experience in restoring oral function and esthetics with implant dentistry solutions, and is recognized for offering best in class care from his state-of-the-art facility.

Those looking for an alternative to loose dentures in Downers Grove, Ill, or anyone interested in learning more about All-on-4 dental implants are encouraged to call 630-424-9404 for a consultation with Dr. Singh, or visit http://www.pidentists.com for more information on his services.

About the Practice

Periodontal Implant Associates is a periodontal practice offering personalized dental care for patients in Oak Brook, Ill and the Chicago area. After graduating from Northwestern University Dental School, Dr. Amarik Singh went on to obtain his Specialty Certificate in Periodontics and earn his Masters from Northwestern University. Dr. Singh is deeply committed to continuing education and prides himself on remaining on the cutting-edge of the newest techniques and technology in dentistry. Dr. Singh has placed over 15,000 dental implants using minimally invasive techniques and is part of an elite group of dental professionals at the forefront of the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST), a revolutionary new approach to repairing gum recession. To learn more about the periodontal services available at Periodontal Implant Associates, please visit http://www.pidentists.com or call 630-424-9404.
I cannot begin to say how much I admire the staff at Pelican Harbor Seabird Station. Hundreds of birds and mammals are saved each year because of their tireless efforts. I am thrilled to be a sponsor of this great event for a second year.

Attorney Mark S. Steinberg, founder of the Law Offices of Mark S. Steinberg, P.A., a Miami consumer law firm, is sponsoring the Pelican Party Fundraising Gala for the second consecutive year. The 38th Anniversary Celebration takes place on Saturday, April 14, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Miami Shores Country Club, 10000 Biscayne Blvd.

I cannot begin to say how much I admire the staff at Pelican Harbor Seabird Station. Hundreds of birds and mammals are saved each year because of their tireless efforts. I am thrilled to be a sponsor of this great event for a second year, said Steinberg, who volunteers every weekend at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station.

The fundraising event is a benefit for the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, which was founded in 1980 for the purpose of caring for injured brown pelicans and has grown into an internationally recognized center for seabird rehabilitation. The Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, which in 2016 was listed as a Top Non-Profit Organization on GreatNonProfits.org, does a tremendous amount of veterinary work with a very small staff and a shoestring budget.

The Pelican Party includes music, elegant food and an open bar, plus a fantastic silent auction and several ambassador animals. Tickets are $150 each. For ticket and/or sponsorship information, please visit http://pelicanharbor.org/events/pelican-party-2018/.

About Mark S. Steinberg, P.A.

For more than twenty years the Miami Law Firm of Mark S. Steinberg, P.A. has been protecting the rights of Florida families. Mark takes time to understand the needs of his clients and takes a holistic approach to solving problems. Mark has dedicated himself to the practice of bankruptcy, tax resolution, consumer protection, and family law, but through an affiliation with some of Miamis most well-respected attorneys, he can also assist clients with many of their other legal concerns. For more information, please call (305) 671-0015, or visit http://www.steinberglawoffices.com. The office is located at 9100 South Dadeland Blvd., Suite 1607, Miami, FL 33156.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
The OncoZine Brief at the KFNX studio in Phoenix, AZ Looking at the wealth of news and information as well as the enormity of the impact of being told You have Cancer, we hope that The OncoZine Brief will lead to a global conversation  and a real comprehensive discussion  about cancer.

Cancer Kills. It is the second leading cause of death globally, and, based on recent data, responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there will be 26 million new cancer cases and 17 million cancer deaths per year by 2030. [1][2]

Approximately 41% percent of all Americans can expect to be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life. These patients and their loved ones can, however, draw comfort from the fact that there has been substantial progress in the early detection and treatment of cancer. This improvement has significantly extended the life expectancy of patients to the point that many people diagnosed with cancer can be cured, while the illness of many others can be managed as a chronic disease. But lack of meaningful, easy to understand, news and information about cancer, and cancer diagnosis and treatments remains an important unmet need. [2]

Recognizing the increased importance of accurate news and information for cancer patients and their loved ones, Peter Hofland, Ph.D and Sonia Portillo, launched The OncoZine Brief, which first debuted in the spring of 2017, as the broadcast edition of the online journal OncoZine.

Now entering its second year, with over 25 episodes already released, this sponsor-supported radio broadcast and podcast program being developed for cancer patients and their loved ones, as well as cancer survivors, healthcare professionals, medical scientists, policy makers and payers, features in-depth roundtable discussions and interviews covering a broad range of topics and timely news updates about cancer, cancer diagnostics, new and existing treatment options as well as hot button issues about access to care, the psychosocial aspect of cancers, disparities and cost.

Hofland and Portillo hosted multiple episode of the show in 2017 from major international medical conferences, including the annual meetings of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH). They also traveled to Europe to cover various meetings there, including CPhI in Frankfurt, Germany.

The new 2018 season will feature interviews with key opinion leaders and cancer experts, researchers and medical scientists, pharmaceutical business leaders and regulators from North America and Europe, as well as patients and patient advocates. For the new season, Hofland and Portillo, hosting the show on a weekly basis throughout the year, are also expected to present The OncoZine Brief from China and Southeast Asia.

This season, Hofland and Portillo launched a regional edition of The OncoZine Brief which can be heard every Saturday afternoon between 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. (Arizona Mountain Tim) on Independent Talk 1100 KFNX, Phoenix, AZ.

We couldnt be more thrilled to partner with Independent Talk 1100 KFNX to bring The OncoZine Brief to audiences in Arizona, noted Hofland, the executive producer and co-host of the program.

Looking at the wealth of news and information as well as the enormity of the impact of being told You have Cancer, we hope that The OncoZine Brief will lead to a global conversation  and real comprehensive discussion  about cancer. Such a conversation should help create a realistic and constructive approach to cancer prevention, treatment and care  but also help generate a better understanding of drug development, clinical research many other aspects related to cancer, he added.

The aim of The OncoZine Brief is to broaden understanding of cancer and cancer treatment and improve the lives of the men, women and children who  every day again - live with it. Well bring the latest updates from national and international conferences where (medical) scientists present their latest breakthrough research  which may, potentially, lead to novel treatment options  and hope, said Portillo, associate editor and co-host of the program.

Tweet this:



Medical journalists Peter Hofland and Sonia Portillo host @theoncozinebrief a radio broadcast and podcast about #Cancer and #Cancerresearch

@theoncozinebrief on independent talk 1100 KFNX focusing on all aspects of #cancer, cancer treatment, medical research and breakthroughs

@theoncozinebrief every Saturday at 1.00 p.m. on Independent Talk 1100 KFNX in Phoenix, Arizona

@theoncozinebrief a weekly interview and discussion program with timely news and information about cancer

About The OncoZine Brief

Peter Hofland, Ph.D and Sonia Portillo are the hosts of The OncoZine Brief. The program features guest speakers from around the world discussing cancer, cancer diagnostics, new and existing treatment options and information from all oncology disciplines and sub-specialties. The hour-long show airs every Saturday at 1 p.m. Arizona Mountain Time on Independent Talk 1100 KFNX, Phoenix, Arizona.

The OncoZine Brief is produced for Sunvalley Communication, LLC by Peter Hofland, Ph.D, Sonia Portillo, Eric Rosenthal, Evan Wendt, David Caylor, Shaun Mehr and Kourtney Balsan and distrinuted by InPress Media Group, LLC via: PRX | Public Radio Exchange, KFNX Independent Talk 1100 AM (Arizona), iHeart Radio, YouTube, and as a podcast via Stitcher Radio, Speaker, Soundcloud, iTunes, and Google Play Music. Additional distribution is planned in April/May 2018 via UK Health Radio, Spotify and TuneIn.

The OncoZine Brief is supported through donations, sponsorship, advertising and educational grants from corporate sponsors and listeners. For more information and inquiries about underwriting and sponsor options, visit OncoZine or contact Shaun Mehr (see contact details below).

Individual donations to support the program can also be made via Patreon.

Follow The OncoZine Brief on:



About Independent Talk 1100 KFNX

Independent Talk 1100 KFNX was voted one of the Top Ten Radio Stations in Arizona by Ranking Arizona with over 60,000 weekly listeners. KFNX has one of the largest signals of any Phoenix Radio Station with 50,000 watts reaching almost 5 million people throughout Arizona from Sedona to Tucson and Yuma to Globe and worldwide streaming on its website. KFNX exclusively features Top Ten Talk Shows in the country including - The Laura Ingraham Show, The Savage Nation with Michael Savage, The Joe Walsh Program, The Lars Larson Show, and The Alex Jones Show. KFNX offers national news as well as local news, weather and traffic around the clock. For more information, visit the KFNX website.

SOURCE: The OncoZine Brief, OncoZine, Sunvalley Communication, LLC, InPress Media Group, LLC and KFNX.

CONTACT:

Editorial Suggestions

Peter Hofland or Sonia Portillo (in Arizona)

4960 S. Gilbert Road, Suite 1-286

Chandler, AZ 85249

Underwriting, Sponsorship and Advertisement Sales

Shaun Mehr (in California)

References:

[1] Global Cancer Facts & Figures, American Cancer Society, 2018. Online. Last Accessed February 21, 2018

[2] Thun MJ, DeLancey JO, Center MM, Jemal A, Ward EM. The global burden of cancer: priorities for prevention. Carcinogenesis. 2010;31(1):100-110. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgp263.
Get your free trial started in under 15 minutes. Our new software continues the mission to bring affordable wellness to small companies that otherwise may not be able to offer a program to their employees. We cant wait to see the positive impact it has on their people and business.

MeYou Health is excited to announce the launch of its new turn-key, instant-purchase wellness software. It is the industrys first-ever wellness program that can be purchased online with just a credit card, and it is available with a 30-day free trial. Created specifically for business owners and HR professionals at small and mid-sized companies, MeYou Health provides an affordable and comprehensive alternative to more expensive programs traditionally geared toward larger companies.

"This is a milestone for MeYou Health, said Jennifer Gendron, chief revenue officer. It continues our mission to bring affordable wellness to small companies that otherwise may not be able to offer a program to their employees. We cant wait to see the positive impact it has on their people and business."

A Tailor-made SMB Solution

According to the Small Business Association, there are 1.2 million companies with 10 to 500 employees in the United States, and most have yet to put a wellness program in place. Although small businesses regularly rank wellness as a primary priority, they often lack the budget and resources to start and sustain an effective program. In addition, the impacts of poor lifestyle behaviors disproportionately affect small employers, and they have to compete for the same talent as larger employers with wellness benefits.

Now, small and mid-sized businesses can bring wellness to their employees with virtually no effort. Packaged as an easy, intuitive, and turn-key platform, MeYou Health offers a one-stop SaaS (software as a service) solution that requires no special training or account management. It takes fewer than 15 minutes to set up and includes a 30-day free trial with no long-term commitment. The flat-rate monthly pricing model was designed to match the size of the buyers employee population and fit well within a small companys budget.

MeYou Health also makes it simple to promote the new employee wellness program, with downloadable materials that can be printed and posted in the workplace, emailed to employees, or both. Employers can track the program by visiting a real-time dashboard that offers data about numbers of enrolled employees in Daily Challenge, Walkadoo, and QuitNet, clinically validated interventions included in the MeYou Health platform.

Expanding the Network for Small Employers

MeYou Healths proven effective, mobile-friendly interventions are powered by an open social network, meaning friends and family are welcome to join in addition to the employees participating. New users are instantly connected to the hundreds of thousands of people nationwide who are already active in our programs.

Research shows wellness programs that allow only covered members to participate exclude 90% of the people who can have a positive effect on their well-being. With open social, everyone becomes a source of support for making lasting health changes.

According to Health Insurance Cooperative Agency (HIC) president and MeYou Health partner David Hickman, the open social model is one of the platforms greatest assets.

One big perk is that MeYou Health incorporates the entire family, Hickman said. Dependents make up a large portion of health plan claims, so shouldn't a wellness program also incorporate all of those members? The platform is easy to use and it really engages employees in working toward a healthy lifestyle."

HIC incorporates MeYou Health as one of their core benefits offerings.

About MeYou Health

Since 2009, MeYou Health has been using online communities and game mechanics to build health interventions that measurably improve well-being. Now, MeYou Health provides a full-feature, turn-key wellness suite optimized for small and mid-sized businesses. Designed for digital delivery, MeYou Healths platform for web and mobile was built from the ground up to give employers a social, engaging, and effective alternative to traditional wellness programming. With industry-leading engagement and multiple clinical trials demonstrating impact, MeYou Healths programs deliver measurable results to even the smallest organization.
Kohs significant experience is particularly relevant to the needs of our clients today as the real estate industry becomes increasingly interconnected across borders, said Robert J. Ivanhoe, chair of the firms Global Real Estate Practice.

Koh Ueda, a senior associate with significant experience in the structured financing of real estate projects, has joined the Real Estate Practice in the Tokyo office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He joins Greenberg Traurig from Nishimura & Asahi, a leading Japanese law firm, where he was a member of the firms securitization practice group for more than 12 years.

During the past dozen years, Koh has worked on real estate-related transactions with some of Japans largest institutions and companies, covering various asset classes such as hotels, residences, offices, and shopping malls, while representing sellers/buyers, lenders, asset managers, contractors, and the like, said Koji Ishikawa, managing shareholder of the law firms Tokyo office. We are fortunate to have him join our team as we expand our client offerings in Tokyo.

The Greenberg Traurig Tokyo office comprises an award-winning team of attorneys and professionals, who provide multinational and Japanese clients with innovative, strategic advice and legal services in a market known as a gateway to international business opportunities. The firms Tokyo attorneys bring a range of functional and industry experience to assist clients. The team provides legal services tailored to the Japanese market in a global context in a variety of areas including the Real Estate sector, Corporate, Capital Markets, Dispute Resolution, Labor & Employment, Intellectual Property, Energy, and Infrastructure.

Greenberg Traurigs real estate practice continuously expands as clients needs reach further around the globe, said Robert J. Ivanhoe, chair of the firms Global Real Estate Practice. Kohs significant experience is particularly relevant to the needs of our clients today as the real estate industry becomes increasingly interconnected across borders.

Uedas prior work includes assisting clients with securitization transactions for a wide range of asset types, including, among others, real property, whole business, and monetary claims, such as commercial and residential mortgages, auto loans, and consumer loans. Additionally, during 2012-2013, he worked at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. in Singapore as an in-house counsel addressing 13 jurisdictions in the Asia-Oceania region.

I look forward to bringing my experience to Greenberg Traurig as the Tokyo office continues to develop our real estate practice, Ueda said. I am very happy to have an opportunity to assist utilizing my past experience and join a leading real estate practice.

Ueda is a graduate of Boston University School of Law (LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law, 2012) and of the University of Tokyo (LL.B., 2004). He is admitted to the practice of law in Japan and is fluent in English, in addition to Japanese. His recent article contributions include, Corpus Juris Finance (Completely Revised Version) (Book 1) August 2017; The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Securitisation 2017 (Japan Chapter), May 2017; and Syndicated Loans in Asia: Contract terms and practices to secure collateral, August 2016.

Greenberg Traurig represents companies throughout China, India, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan in their business dealings in the United States and abroad. The firm also advises U.S. and European companies engaging in transactions throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The attorneys provide strategic advice and legal services in connection with mergers and acquisitions, financings and securitization activities, intellectual property, trade and governmental strategies, international dispute resolution, infrastructure and project finance, export controls, and business immigration issues. The Asia Practice brings together attorneys from our Shanghai, Seoul, and Tokyo offices along with numerous multilingual attorneys from across Greenberg Traurigs global organization with experience handling client matters in Asia. Greenberg Traurigs Tokyo Law Office is operated by Greenberg Traurig Horitsu Jimusho, an affiliate of Greenberg Traurig, P.A. and Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

About Greenberg Traurigs Global Real Estate Practice

Greenberg Traurig's Global Real Estate Practice is a cornerstone of the firm and recognized leader in the industry. The firms real estate attorneys deliver diversified and comprehensive legal counsel for property acquisition and investment, development, management and leasing, financing, restructuring, and disposition of all asset classes of real estate. The team draws upon the knowledge and experience of more than 400 real estate lawyers from around the world, serving clients from key markets in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The groups clientele includes a broad range of property developers, lenders, investment managers, private equity funds, REITs, and private owners. The firms real estate team advises clients on a variety of matters across a broad spectrum of commercial, recreational, and residential real estate, including structured equity and debt and the hybrids.

About Greenberg Traurig

Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
Gavin Nichols, Chief Information Officer & Executive Vice President Were thrilled to welcome Gavin, Elizabeth and Adrienne to their new leadership roles at this important time for both Bioclinica and the industry and where our teams are making a real difference in the lives of patients around the world.

Bioclinica, the world-leading provider of scientific- and technology-enabled solutions for clinical research, today announces two executive-level additions and one promotion, further strengthening and diversifying its executive leadership team. Joining Bioclinica are Gavin Nichols as Chief Information Officer & Executive Vice President, Technology, and Elizabeth Edwards as President, Bioclinica Site Network, and a member of the executive management team. Additionally, Adrienne Rossi is promoted to the newly created position, Chief of Staff. All three will report to President & CEO David Herron.

Im pleased to have such talented life science professionals like Gavin, Elizabeth and Adrienne on our leadership team as we move toward continued growth, success and innovation, said David Herron. Each will work across our dynamic organization, driving significant value creation for our biopharmaceutical and CRO clients across our Medical Imaging, Technology and Site Network businesses.

As Chief Information Officer & Executive Vice President, Technology, Gavin Nichols will lead the planning and execution of the Companys long-term information technology vision. He will be responsible for delivering scalable business applications and technology solutions. Im excited to head Bioclinicas technology organization, known for best-in-class clinical applications and robust cloud infrastructure, said Nichols. He has over 25 years of experience both as an executive IT professional and general manager and has led global technology teams in delivering analytics, recruitment, wearables, electronic health records, genetics, consumer apps and trial management solutions. He established and led the co-development of a service organization to improve clinical planning and trial design for an industry-leading sponsor. He was instrumental in the creation of Quintiles (now IQVIA) Infosario technology suite, and prior to this was with Unisys where he grew a new $100 million practice. Nichols has a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from Open University (UK) and an MBA from Bournemouth University (UK). Nichols, who relocated from United Kingdom to the U.S. 12 years ago, is based in the Durham, North Carolina office.

As President, Bioclinica Site Network, Elizabeth Edwards leads a network of sites located across the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia. She also directs Bioclinicas Patient Recruitment services. An accomplished executive in pharmaceutical research and development, Edwards has contributed substantially to numerous drug approvals in a range of therapeutic areas. Previously she was with global CRO Chiltern International where she led a 1,000+ member team in advancing sponsors Oncology clinical research programs. Previously, she was with Novella Clinical and Inspire Pharmaceuticals. She also founded and managed a successful clinical development consulting firm, Edwards Pharmaceutical Research. Early in her career she was a clinical research scientist assigned to GSK studies. Edwards has a Bachelors degree in Pre-Medicine, Psychology from the University of Virginia. Edwards, who is based in Raleigh, said, Im proud to lead Bioclinicas exceptionally skilled and patient-centered Site Network team, which is making significant contributions to research in Alzheimers, Arthritis, Central Nervous System and many other diseases.

As Chief of Staff, Adrienne Rossi will work closely with the CEO as she leads and executes on the organizations strategic initiatives and aligns resources and processes across the enterprise. She will be responsible for managing staff globally, overseeing financial and top administrative operations and will collaborate with other top executives in shaping the Companys future. She has 20 years of industry experience, including 15 with Bioclinica. Rossi most recently served as Vice President of Business Transformation for the Medical Imaging service line. Being with Bioclinica during a period of historic growth and innovation has been a tremendous experience and I look forward to continuing to build on this in my new role, said Rossi. She has extensive experience in clinical trials both operationally and in project management across many therapeutic areas. Early in her career she was a clinical study manager for ophthalmic clinical studies at Bausch & Lomb. Rossi has a Bachelors degree in Public Health and Women's Studies from Rutgers University.

Herron commented, Were thrilled to welcome Gavin, Elizabeth and Adrienne to their new leadership roles at this important time for both Bioclinica and the industry and where our teams are making a real difference in the lives of patients around the world.

About Bioclinica

Bioclinica is a global life sciences solution provider that utilizes science and technology to bring clarity to clinical trials  helping companies to develop new life-improving therapies more efficiently and safely. Successful clinical trials require the ability to see key details and uncover hidden insights, and Bioclinicas hundreds of experienced scientific, medical, and domain experts bring unmatched insight across the development lifecycle, from the initial protocol to post-approval. The companys cloud-based offerings include medical imaging; cardiac safety; clinical adjudication; randomization and trial supply management and optimization; electronic and eSource data capture; site payments and forecasting; pharmacovigilance; trial management; and risk-based monitoring solutions. A true multifaceted partner to trial sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Bioclinica offers an integrated App xChange partner ecosystem, a global network of research sites, and patient recruitment services to provide committed, detail-focused service through all stages of drug development. The companys thousands of employees serve more than 400 pharmaceutical, biotechnology and device organizations  including all the top 20 biopharmaceutical companies and leading CROs  through a network of offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Learn more about Bioclinica at http://www.Bioclinica.com and in the Bioclinica Blog. Follow the latest company news and happenings on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Brian Sharpe, 2018 MIAMI Commercial President New warehouses and distribution centers continue popping up throughout South Florida, adding jobs and boosting our economy, said 2018 MIAMI Commercial President Brian Sharpe, a commercial Realtor with Sharpe Properties Group in Hialeah.

South Florida industrial real estate prices increased 11.4 percent year-over-year in the 4Q 2017 and the Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach tri-county region posted its second highest industrial transaction volume for the year, according to The Quarterly Report  South Florida Commercial Real Estate released by data firm Vizzda (Visual Data) and the MIAMI Association of Realtors Commercial (MIAMI Commercial).

New warehouses and distribution centers continue popping up throughout South Florida, adding jobs and boosting our economy, said 2018 MIAMI Commercial President Brian Sharpe, a commercial Realtor with Sharpe Properties Group in Hialeah. South Florida is a top-tier U.S. industrial real estate market and the stats back it up. South Floridas population growth and investment opportunities make the region a hub for world markets and a top market influencer worldwide.

The Quarterly Report  South Florida Commercial Real Estate includes stats and trends on all property sectors.

Miami-Dade Accounts for More than Half of all South Florida Industrial Transactions

As with all previous quarters going back to the last quarter of 2016 and 2017, Miami-Dade County accounted for more than half of all total South Florida industrial transactions in 4Q 2017. Miami-Dade County had 114 industrial sales in 4Q 2017 --- an increase of 6.5 percent over the previous quarter and the second highest quarterly total since 1Q 2017.

Broward County square footage transacted and total dollar volume jumped from the same period last year, while the number of transactions fell slightly to 68 in 4Q 2017.

Palm Beach had 37 total industrial transactions. The West Palm Beach/Riviera Beach submarket had the highest number of transactions and square footage transacted, accounting for 55.9 percent of the former metric and 48.6 percent of the latter for the quarter.

Miami Multifamily Transactions Jump 44 Percent in 4Q 2017

Despite an increase in new inventory, Miami-Dade multifamily transactions increased 44 percent year-over-year in the 4Q 2017.

South Florida multifamily boasts healthy fundamentals and a diverse economic profile. Population and job gains are contributing to healthy demand and ensuring that new units are absorbed.

The average price per multifamily unit was up 49 percent in Broward County compared to the same quarter last year, according to the report. In Palm Beach, price per unit was 49 percent higher than the price per unit in 4Q 2016.

South Florida Retail Transactions Total $2.7 Billion in 4Q 2017

About $2.7 billion in retail property changed hands in South Florida in 2017. The total square footage transacted across all three counties increased 29 percent year-over-year in 3Q 2017.

Miami-Dade County had 80 retail sales in 4Q 2017  the second highest total for the year. Broward County posted an average value of $4 million per retail transaction, which equates to $268 million in dollar volume  a 37.9 percent quarterly increase. Palm Beach County retail saw a 28.7 percent increase in per square foot valuations compared to 4Q 2016.

Miami-Dade Urban Core Fueling South Florida Office Growth

Nearly 40 percent of the 10.7 million square feet in office that transacted in 2017 was located in Miami-Dade County. Miami-Dade had the highest dollar volume for the year, capturing 47 cents of every dollar spent on office in 2017.

Miamis urban core, which includes downtown, Brickell, Edgewater, Midtown Miami and Wynwood, is in high demand for office transactions. Miamis office market is outperforming Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Washington, D.C. and other top-tier markets.

Broward County had the highest per square foot office transaction average of the year at $246. In Palm Beach, the Boca Raton submarket claimed 47 cents of every dollar spent on office in Palm Beach during 4Q 2017.

About MIAMI Commercial

MIAMI Commercial seeks to serve South Florida commercial members and to shape and unify the commercial real estate brokerage and service industry. The largest commercial REALTOR association in Florida, MIAMI Commercial has more than 2,000 members in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties. MIAMI Commercial provides member services, including a legislative voice, education opportunities, a code of ethics, and networking opportunities that provide enhancement of the commercial REALTORS knowledge base and ability to service their clients. MIAMI Commercial participation facilitates networking opportunities. MIAMI Commercial hosts an annual conference, the largest commercial event in South Florida.

About Vizzda

Vizzda (Visual Data) is a leading software and information provider to the Commercial Real Estate Industry. Vizzda's comprehensive data tracks every commercial sale, new project, contact information, and debt. Founded in 2011, Vizzda serves many of the largest commercial real estate firms in the nation. Because it runs five to ten days faster than other providers, Vizzda's clients enjoy unparalleled competitive advantages, including expanded deal flow, increased revenue, and access to the most active buyers and sellers in the industry.

About the MIAMI Association of REALTORS

The MIAMI Association of REALTORS was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 98 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, MIAMI Commercial, the Broward Council, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS-MIAMI) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents 47,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S. and has official partnerships with 171 international organizations worldwide. MIAMIs official website is http://www.MiamiRealtors.com.
In addition to highlighting our Oracle Sales Cloud add-ons at Oracle Modern Customer Experience 2018, we will focus on the tools, technologies, and capabilities that Oracles JD Edwards and Oracle Customer Experience (CX) Cloud customers can leverage to accelerate their digital transformation.

Circular Edge, a Gold level and Cloud Standard member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced the availability of several new Oracle Sales Cloud add-ons and Oracle Customer Experience (CX) Cloud Integration Accelerators, which will be showcased at Oracle Modern Customer Experience 2018, Oracles annual conference dedicated to helping customer experience (CX) professionals advance their careers.

Held in Chicago, Illinois, April 10-12 at the McCormick Place convention center, Modern Customer Experience 2018 will bring together thousands of marketing, commerce, sales and customer service professionals to share best practices and insights on meeting the expectations of todays empowered customers.

As a bronze sponsor of the event, Circular Edge will showcase its new Oracle Sales Cloud add-ons, Oracle CX Cloud Integration Accelerators, and Integrated ERP/CX Digital Experiences during two educational sessions as well as at their Sales Exhibit Experience kiosk. Circular Edge will also host the first Oracle JD Edwards & Oracle CX Cloud User Group breakfast for companies running JD Edwards and who have also adopted Oracle CX Cloud applications to improve sales, quoting, marketing, commerce and service capabilities throughout their enterprise.

Oracle Sales Cloud Add-Ons: Companies preparing to implement, are currently implementing, or are considering implementing Oracle Sales Cloud can enhance their experience and ROI by leveraging Circular Edge add-ons that can be deployed quickly utilizing out-of-the-box functionality to improve lead creation and distribution, customer relationship management (CRM) adoption, data quality and even generate simple quotes and service requests. Modern Customer Experience attendees can attend this session to learn more:



8 Smart Add-Ons for Oracle Sales Cloud: Wednesday, April 11, 12:30pm  12:50pm

Oracle CX Integration Accelerators: By combining Circular Edges integration adapters with Oracle CX Cloud applications, companies running JD Edwards can move beyond siloed applications and processes to achieve better automation, accuracy and global reporting with a single version of the truth, as well as 360-degree customer views, near-seamless cross-application user experiences and real-time data availability. Modern Customer Experience attendees can attend this session to learn more:

JD Edwards & Oracle CX  Integrated ERP/CX Digital Experiences: Wednesday, April 11, 12:00pm  12:20pm

Enterprise Resource Planning plays an increasingly significant role in delivering greater customer experiences, said sAchin cHoudhari, Chief Executive Officer. This is an exciting time to be an Oracle customer as Cloud technologies keep gaining momentum, especially for Oracles JD Edwards customers. In addition to highlighting our Oracle Sales Cloud add-ons at Oracle Modern Customer Experience 2018, we will focus on the tools, technologies, and capabilities that Oracles JD Edwards and Oracle Customer Experience (CX) Cloud customers can leverage to accelerate their digital transformation.

To learn more about Circular Edges Oracle Sales Cloud Add-ons, Integrated ERP/CX Digital Experiences, and to RSVP for the breakfast, visit http://www.circularedge.com/moderncx-2018/.

About Modern Customer Experience 2018

Modern Customer Experience arms professionals across commerce, marketing, sales, and service with the tools to deliver legendary customer experiences. This year, Modern Customer Experience will be held at the McCormick Place in Chicago, from April 10-12, 2018.

For registration and additional details, please visit http://go.oracle.com/moderncx. To join the conversation on Twitter please use #ModernCX.

Circular Edge

Circular Edge, started in 2003, is a full-service Oracle JD Edwards, Oracle Sales Cloud & Oracle Customer Experience (CX) Cloud Integrations Service Provider. Built from the ground up as a JD Edwards consulting company, we bring extensive JD Edwards and Oracle Sales Cloud domain expertise into Oracle CX Cloud implementations to deliver Integrated ERP/CX Digital Experiences as well as extended post go-live and upgrade cycle support, systems design, training/skills enablement, reports, development, enhancements, conversions and application integrations via Smart Help. For more information about Circular Edge, visit http://www.circularedge.com.

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracles products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracles growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program  an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partners.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Follow Circular Edge on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Swinerton believes that a strong workforce is one that is diverse and inclusive, and we know that developing teams that are diverse in experience, background, and thought has kept us on the leading edge of innovation for decades. We are committed to Fair Employment Practices, and Swinerton provides Equal Employment Opportunities for minorities, females, veterans, people with disabilities, and disabled veterans. Carrie Schaeffer, Swinerton Builders Vice President and Division Manager of Aviation says Ive encountered my biggest obstacles due to a hesitancy to act when faced with a challenge. When I reflect on my career, I have more regret about times that I didnt take action than from times that I did. I regularly remind myself to have the courage to move forward.

The construction trades have long been among the industries with the lowest percentage of gender diversity in the workforce. As of 2015, less than three percent of workers in the construction and extraction trades were women. Additionally, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors, 1.6 million new skilled workers will be needed between now and 2022. Schaeffer, says Building construction is an intersection of technical and business challenges that can be very rewarding to solve. I was an enthusiastic student, strong in math and visualization, with good communication skills. But as a young woman, complex construction was not presented to me as a career option. I discovered it only after arriving at college and I thrived in the Building Science curriculum.

In collaboration with the National Association of Women in Construction, we told the story of Mardi Gauer, who in her mid-forties, went back to school to get a degree in Construction Management. During this time, she worked two jobs, raised two teenagers, took eight hours of classes each semester and studied as much as time would allow. While her schedule was hectic, Mardi says the end result was quite rewarding.

The print component of Women in Business is distributed within USA Today in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carolinas markets, with a circulation of approximately 250,000 copies and an estimated readership of 750,000. The digital component is distributed nationally, through a vast social media strategy, and across a network of top news sites and partner outlets. To explore the digital version of the campaign, click here.

This campaign was made possible with the support of Bethenny Frankel, Founder of Rent the Runway Jennifer Hyman, Chairwoman of VEON Ursula M. Burns, Founder of BFS Capital Cathy Bass, Vice President of Finance Rose Zhong, Vice President & Division Manager of Aviation of Swinerton Builders Carrie Schaeffer, Mary Kay Cosmetics Chief Marketing Officer of Sheryl Adkins-Green, Vice-President of Enterprise Managed Services Division for Canon of Valerie Belli, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Canon, The Tory Burch Foundation, The U.S. Small Business Administration, National Association of Women Business Owner, Midwest Women Business Owners, The National Association of Women in MBAs, National Association of Women in Construction, International Womens Media Foundation, Equal Right Advocates, National Center for Women and Information Technology, BFS Capital, Swinerton Builders, PagerDuty, Educational Testing Service, The College of Charleston, The State University of New Work -Oswego, San Diego State University, Bowling Green State University, and Shenandoah University.

About Mediaplanet

Mediaplanet specializes in the creation of content marketing campaigns covering a variety of industries. We tell meaningful stories that educate our audience and position our clients as solution providers. Our unique ability to pair the right leaders with the right readers, through the right platforms, has made Mediaplanet a global content marketing powerhouse. Our award-winning stories have won the hearts of countless readers while serving as a valuable platform for brands and their missions. Just call us storytellers with a purpose. Please visit http://www.mediaplanet.com for more on who we are and what we do.

About Swinerton Builders

Since our founding in 1888, Swinertons success has been built on a foundation of shared values. We are a 100% employee-owned company, so our people have a personal interest in the success of every project. With a culture of collaboration, we work toward a common purpose: to be the preferred builder and trusted partner in every market we serve, proudly leading with integrity, passion, and excellence.

Press Contact:

Brenda Choi

brenda.choi@mediaplanet.com

(646) 518-5423
This is a program that will change lives  the lives of the students seeking a rewarding career and the lives of the patients they will eventually serve, - Devorah Lieberman.

The University of La Vernes new physician assistant masters degree program has received provisional accreditation from the fields premier national accrediting body.

The approval, granted by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), is for a new PA Program that has not yet enrolled students.

This is a program that will change lives  the lives of the students seeking a rewarding career and the lives of the patients they will eventually serve, University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said. This is a proud moment for all of us.

The first group of 22 students will begin coursework on August 27.

The need for physician assistants in Inland Southern California rose by 18 percent between 2011 and 2016, according to a Centers of Excellence study. The program is part of the universitys commitment to expanding health sciences educational programs, outlined in the universitys 2020 Strategic Vision. The program also complements the mission of the Convergence, an initiative aimed at providing skilled and diverse health care professionals for the region.

The physician assistant profession has been named by several top media outlets, including Forbes and USA Today, as the most promising job in America. The demand for physician assistants increased more than 300 percent from 2011 to 2014, according to the healthcare search firm Merritt Hawkins. As of January 2016, there were more than 108,000 certified physician assistants nationwide who interact with patients upwards of 350 million times annually.

This is going to have a significant impact on Inland Southern California and we look forward to training our students to meet the health care needs of the region, said Dr. Michael Estrada, the programs director.

Students enrolled in the 27-month program will complete 118 units to receive a masters degree. Students will work the first 15 months in the classroom and the following year in hospitals and other medical facilities in Inland Southern California. Scholarships are available through a $250,000 gift from Cardenas Markets Inc.

The programs accreditation follows a thorough review of both the curriculum and the new faculty.

We have no doubt that students will be entering a world-class program, said Dr. Lawrence Potter, dean of the universitys College of Arts and Sciences. Once we receive full accreditation, our graduates will be prepared to apply for Californias State Medical Board or medical boards in other states for a license to practice. We are extremely pleased with our unique PA Program curriculum and its focus on integrating cultural competence and humanistic approaches to working with clients. Our students will be equipped to work in hospitals, private practice, and community clinics and will be trained in a range of specialties such as womens health, pediatrics, behavioral and mental health, emergency and family medicine.

The next application period for students runs from Apr. 27 to Oct. 1. Information sessions will be held regularly at the University of La Verne, 1950 Third St., La Verne.

More information on the program is also available on the University of La Verne website.

Accreditation Statement

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the University of La Verne Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of La Verne.

Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the programs ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

About the University of La Verne

Founded in 1891 and located 35 miles east of Los Angeles, the University of La Verne is a private, nonprofit, comprehensive institution founded on four core values: lifelong learning, ethical reasoning, civic and community engagement, and diversity and inclusivity. The university serves more than 8,000 students on the historic La Verne location as well as across nine regional campuses and online.
The new interface makes it easy for operators to examine capacity settings and set flow rates to a desired output. The PD Series represents a new generation of technology for LMI that reduces complexity for users and simplifies distribution.

LMI, a leading manufacturer of controlled-volume metering pumps and a brand of Accudyne Industries, today announced the PD Series of chemical metering pumps for industrial water treatment. The new capabilities expand the functionality of LMIs popular P Series pumps.

The PD Series helps users simplify selection, configuration and operation. The intuitive user interface makes it easy for operators to examine capacity settings and set flow rates to a desired output. These features improve safety and give operators confidence that the pumps are working as configured. New alarm indicators for tank levels are brightly displayed on a large color display.

The new pumps feature improved hardware, a new graphical user interface and external control inputs. Enhanced software facilitates new calibration assist capabilities, plus new functionality to log pump strokes, estimated volume and power cycles.

FastPrime liquid ends, which facilitate easy priming through an integrated bleed-valve are now standard. Optional AutoPrime liquid ends are available for applications with off-gassing liquids. The Enhanced Model includes the StayPrime degassing technology, which is designed to maintain prime and keep the pump operating when needed.

The PD Series represents a new generation of technology for LMI that reduces complexity for users and simplifies distribution, said Eric Pittman, Global Product Manager, LMI. The capabilities weve announced today have previously been reserved for higher-end, specialized pumps  but now, our customers will be able to address a wider range of needs via the Manual and Enhanced versions of the PD Series.

For more information, please visit: http://www.lmipumps.com, http://www.RelyOnLMI.com or contact your local stocking distributor. Members of the media can arrange an interview with LMI by contacting Laurel.Bloch(at)miltonroy(dot)com.

About LMI:

With more than 40 years of industry excellence, LMI manufactures an extensive line of Chemical Metering Pumps, pH/ORP Controllers and related accessories for water and wastewater treatment industries. LMIs signature yellow and black products are recognized for excellence by water treatment professionals around the world. Electronic and motor-driven pumps are available for flow proportional applications and optional liquid handling configurations to handle slurries and high viscosity chemicals. All LMI products are in stock for immediate delivery by our distributor network. LMI is a brand of Accudyne Industries, a leading global provider of precision-engineered, process-critical and technologically advanced flow control systems and industrial compressors. For more information, please visit http://www.lmipumps.com.
Aptris sponsors Knowledge18, it's sixth consecutive year at the annual IT event. Were looking forward to connecting with our customers at Knowledge18 and the opportunity to meet so many more people we can help. Tim Ancona, CEO of Aptris

Aptris announced today it is a Silver sponsor of ServiceNows Knowledge18 conference, running from May 710 at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aptris will be in booth #1213.

Knowledge18 is projected to have over 15,000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors, making it the largest gathering of IT professionals using cloud services for enterprise IT service automation. This will be Aptris sixth year to sponsor the event.

Aptris invites attendees to its booth to discuss how Aptris can help them transform the way service management is delivered throughout their organization, from IT to HR and beyond.

While at the booth, attendees can also compete in the PUTTSKEE CHALLENGEa combination of putting and skeeballand get their name on the digital leaderboard for several chances to win prizes.

ServiceNow continues to expand their reach throughout the enterprise, and were excited about how were able to do so much more for customers by combining the tool with industry best practices, said Tim Ancona, CEO of Aptris. Were looking forward to connecting with our customers at Knowledge18 and the opportunity to meet so many more people we can help.

One of Aptris customers will be a featured speaker at Knowledge18. Mark Baker of Faith Technologies will present a case study of how ServiceNow has impacted his Menasha, WI-based electrical contracting company. With more than 90 percent of the sessions delivered by ServiceNow customers like Mark, Knowledge is a great way for IT professionals to learn from peers and share experiences in implementing and expanding ServiceNow and across their enterprises.

The conference can be followed on the ServiceNow Community and on Twitter #Know18 and @Know365.
Barlow Research Associates Inc. announced the winners of its 11th annual Monarch Innovation Awards, naming fintech company Autobooks as the Most Innovative Industry Partner.

The Monarch Innovation Awards recognize B2B innovations within the financial services industry. Awards are presented to financial institutions and industry partners that provide the most innovative products to business customers as well as recognize risk takers who create/promote innovation within their organizations.

Autobooks helps financial institutions reimagine business-banking; providing a comprehensive set of tools specifically for small business owners. Similar to how bill-pay provided an expense-management solution years ago, making it easy to move money OUT of the bank  Autobooks provides a bundled receivables platform to help bring money IN, says Autobooks CEO Steve Robert. We help financial institutions build stronger relationships with their business customers, while also working to grow deposits, increase non-interest income and identify new lending opportunities.

Small business owners use several back-office tools to run their business, often from non-bank providers such as PayPal, Square and QuickBooks. These companies are building relationships with bank customers, monetizing their transactions and increasingly holding funds that greatly diminish the banks value with business customers. Until now, banks could not easily compete, as small businesses were often using products designed for consumers or retail customers. Now, with Autobooks, they can provide a seamless on-ramp for small, medium and even micro-businesses to get these important services from a provider they already know and trust  their bank. Autobooks brings treasury and cash-management services down-market to this important SMB audience, making it easy to send invoices, process payments and generate financial reports to forecast and optimize cashflow.

Speaking to why Autobooks was chosen to win the Most Innovative Industry Partner Award, Judge Nick Miller of Clarity Advantage said: The wow factors here are the two-party value proposition, a simple and powerful user experience embedded directly into the bank. Weve seen other accounting solutions before and, to us, this represented a significant step forward in terms of what this means to both the bank and the business end user.

Autobooks wins the Monarch Award after a year of significant growth. The company followed a successful $5.5M Series A investment in 2017, with an additional $10 million investment in 2018, just nine months later. The company anticipates further growth, as it looks to expand its offices in Detroit, while also opening an office in Austin, TX where it already has several employees.

Autobooks is rapidly expanding partnerships with core and internet banking providers to help make it easy and affordable to deploy Autobooks into a banks existing infrastructure. The company is already deploying its solution into a new financial institution every month and the pace is accelerating. Banks find comfort partnering with a proven product and experienced team which has demonstrated an ability to drive both growth and demand  things that have historically been difficult for banks to do when launching new products.

Financial institutions provide the last-mile for small business and a compelling user experience is paramount to changing behaviors and adopting new services. Data shows most small businesses are still dependent on checks to get paid, using notepads and spreadsheets to track customer balances. Only now are businesses starting to realize the potential of digitizing the file cabinet, providing a unique opportunity for banks to reclaim their rightful role at the center of a businesss financial world. As the technology has become more sophisticated what's beautiful here is the user experience is actually becoming simpler, said Mary Beth Sullivan of Capital Performance Group. Autobooks aims to be accessible to anyone, regardless of accounting or business experience. 60% of Autobooks users are using an accounting system for the first time - thereby reaching a huge market of people that have never accessed powerful financial management tools before, helping both banks and businesses grow.

About Autobooks

Autobooks is a financial technology (fintech) company located in Detroit, MI. Autobooks integrates invoicing, payment and accounting software into online banking platforms. Through Autobooks, financial institutions can provide essential tools to help small businesses grow.
Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Miller Automotive Group, Inc., call (858) 952-0354 to speak to Attorney Nicholas De Blouw.

The Los Angeles Employment law attorneys at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Miller Automotive Group, Inc., alleging that the company failed to lawfully provide meal and rest periods and reimburse their California Sales Consultant employees for all their business expenses incurred while working for the company. The class action lawsuit against Miller Automotive Group, Inc., is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC699211. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

The lawsuit alleges the company does not have a policy or practice which provides legally compliant thirty minute uninterrupted meal breaks and paid rest breaks to their Sales Consultant employees in California. The lawsuit further alleges that the failure of Miller Automotive Group, Inc. to provide the legally required meal and rest period is evidenced by the company's records.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the employees were not reimbursed for all their necessary business expenses incurred on Defendant's behalf. Under California Labor Code Section 2802, employers are required to indemnify employees for all expenses incurred in the course and scope of their employment. Cal. Lab. Code  2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties, or of his or her obedience to the directions of the employer, even though unlawful, unless the employee, at the time of obeying the directions, believed them to be unlawful."

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Miller Automotive Group, Inc., call (858) 952-0354 to speak to Attorney Nicholas De Blouw.

Blumenthal, Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
The Washington Posts report on shelters and rescues buying dogs from auctions and characterizing them as rescues is disturbing but unfortunately not surprising, said Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) President Mike Bober.

A leading companion animal advocacy group representing pet owners and pet care professionals called for federal and state authorities to address the practices of 86 rescues and shelters uncovered by a Washington Post report.

The Washington Posts report on shelters and rescues buying dogs from auctions and characterizing them as rescues is disturbing but unfortunately not surprising, said Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) President Mike Bober. At least 86 groups from across the country have engaged in this practice, including several named in the Posts well-researched article.

According to the Post, the groups used over two million dollars  often raised through crowdsourcing  to buy healthy, purpose-bred dogs at auction, with some groups engaged in a bidding process that increased the price of the dogs. The groups allegedly then portrayed those dogs to the public as rescue animals in desperate need of a home.

Thousands of Americans have been misled into thinking their dogs were rescued, when in fact they were raised in high-quality, well-socialized circumstances like those illustrated in the Posts story and the Posts profile of one licensed commercial breeder, continued Bober. Like dogs found in pet stores, these well-socialized and healthy animals were purchased and then offered for resale.

Bober said that PIJAC is concerned about the story because his group stands for transparency, animal care, and consumer protection. Animal care should be the priority of everyone who connects people with pets, Bober said. Its not negotiable.

Federal and state laws regulate licensed and inspected commercial dog breeders. Pet stores are regulated by state authorities. Bober said that the rescues and shelters engaging in business transactions should be treated the same way as licensed dealers who purchase dogs and then resell them. This kind of activity by shelters and rescues should be similarly regulated at the state and federal level to protect animals and the public, he explained. Record-keeping and reporting requirements would ensure that  when possible  accurate information is provided to prospective pet owners. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversight would ensure these groups provide appropriate care for the dogs for which they are receiving compensation.

Much of this information is readily available  one auction owner told the Post that he requires vaccination records for all dogs.

We urge the USDA and authorities in all 50 states to take steps to ensure that all providers of dogs are well-regulated and properly overseen, concluded Bober. Like pet stores and USDA-licensed dealers, shelters and rescues must be required to provide health and history records for dogs they offer. These dogs deserve protection and oversight, and the dog-loving public deserves truth and transparency.

Permalink: http://pijac.org/press/leading-companion-animal-advocacy-group-condemns-misleading-rescue-shelter-practices

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Since 1970, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has protected pets, pet owners and the pet industry  promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, fostering environmental stewardship, and ensuring the availability of pets. PIJAC members include retailers, companion animal suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, manufacturers representatives, pet hobbyists, and other trade organizations.
Scott Schafer, SIA Chairman

The Security Industry Association (SIA) welcomed a new Chairman and new Directors to the SIA Board of Directors during ISC West 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The SIA Board of Directors ratified the selection of Scott Schafer, Principal at SMS Advisors LLC, as SIA Chairman of the Board during an organizational meeting of the Board held at ISC West.

I thank the Security Industry Association for entrusting me with the responsibilities of SIA Chairman of the Board, said Schafer. As a longtime member of SIA, I understand the value the association has delivered to its members the importance of driving even more value though great execution of our strategic plan going forward. I would like to thank Denis Hebert for his many contributions to SIA during his term as chairman. We look forward to his future engagement with the SIA board.

Following the ratification, the SIA executive committee for 2018 now includes:



Chairman: Scott Schafer, SMS Advisors

Vice Chairman: Dan Moceri, Convergint Technologies

Treasurer: Rich Cillessen, Siemens Industry

Secretary: Pierre Trapanese, Northland Controls

Immediate Past Chairman: Denis Hebert, Feenics

The SIA membership ratified new voting members of Board of Directors (listed alphabetically by last name):



Scott Dunn, Senior Director, Business Development Solutions & Services, Axis Communications

Janet Fenner, Director, Business Development, Dahua Technology

Mike Foynes, Senior Director, Global Security, Microsoft Corporation

John E. Mack III, Executive Vice President, Co-Head of Investment Banking, Imperial Capital, LLC

Tom Nakatani, Vice President, IT, Customer Monitoring Technology, ADT

The full list of SIA board members is available at https://www.securityindustry.org/about-sia/board-of-directors/. The Chairman and Directors of the SIA Board serve two-year terms.

SIA members will continue to be well represented through an impressive set of directors who are well respected within the global security industry, said SIA Chairman Schafer. Collectively, these leaders will help SIA navigate through emerging opportunities and challenges while ensuring that the associations programs and events are achieving their full potential for all of our members.

About the Security Industry Association

The Security Industry Association (SIA) (https://www.securityindustry.org) is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with more than 850 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels; creating open industry standards that enable integration; advancing industry professionalism through education and training; opening global market opportunities; and collaboration with other like-minded organizations. As a proud sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA Government Summit, which brings together private industry with government decision makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industrys top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking.
We are excited to see Eagle Eye Networks adding body worn cameras to its system. The management of body worn video is cumbersome and unreliable from a storage perspective. The Cloud makes it so much easier to store and retrieve evidentiary video

Eagle Eye Networks, Inc. announced the enhancement of the Eagle Eye Cloud Security Camera VMS to include the integration of Hikvision body worn cameras. The new Eagle Eye solution provides ease, reliability, and cybersecurity to body worn camera users seeking to synchronize and store video for extended periods in the cloud.

The Eagle Eye Cloud Security Camera VMS will retrieve video and GPS data through a docking station connected to any Eagle Eye Bridge or Cloud Managed Video Recorder (CMVR) and securely transmit the video to the Eagle Eye Cloud Data Center. The body worn camera and its video appears in the Eagle Eye Customer Dashboard along with any fixed cameras attached to the system and can be reviewed, managed, and analyzed.

Eagle Eye Networks customers have requested the integration of mobile cameras into the Eagle Eye interface to enable the combination of fixed position cameras with mobile cameras to better serve specific applications. Law enforcement, guarding services, health care, retail management, training, warehouse management, and other service-oriented verticals create considerable value and reduce risk through the reliable and secure management of surveillance video in the Cloud. Several of Eagle Eye Networks high-tech customers are using mobile video for business optimization in robotics, manufacturing, emergency room management, and home care medical services. The challenge surrounding body worn and other types of mobile cameras has always been the lack of scalable, cost effective, redundant storage. The Eagle Eye Cloud Security Camera VMS offers subscription based storage for any time period.

Lieutenant Kevin Francis, Head of the Bay County Sheriffs Office Drug Enforcement Division stated, We are excited to see Eagle Eye Networks adding body worn cameras to its system. The management of body worn video is cumbersome and unreliable from a storage perspective. The Cloud makes it so much easier to store and retrieve evidentiary video.

The use cases for body worn cameras are endless. Body worn cameras began gaining momentum in law enforcement and private security, but there are other business optimization benefits these cameras provide. Businesses using body worn cameras have been able to improve profitability, communication, and customer service by using the footage to provide scenario-based training to employees. In the retail industry, for example, body worn camera users are witnessing a decrease in customer standoffs and reduced claims against stores based upon readily available visual evidence.

According to Dean Drako, CEO of Eagle Eye Networks, Eagle Eye Networks is the industrys go-to supplier of cloud video surveillance. One of the many advantages of a cloud-based video management system is the ability to coalesce a wide variety of video collecting devices within a single user experience. Eagle Eye Networks will remain the leader in offering innovative solutions to combine connected, remote, and mobile-based camera technologies.

To learn more about Eagle Eye Networks, visit http://www.EagleEyeNetworks.com or contact +1-512-473-0500 or +316 46 27 32 51.

PRESS CONTACTS

NORTH AMERICA

Deborah Demarchi

ddemarchi(at)eagleeyenetworks(dot)com

+1-512-473-0500

EUROPE

Xander Van Baarsen

xvanbaarsen(at)eagleeyenetworks(dot)com

+316 46 27 32 51

ABOUT EAGLE EYE NETWORKS

Founded in 2012, Eagle Eye Networks, Inc. (Eagle Eye) is the leading global provider of cloud-based video surveillance solutions addressing the needs of businesses, alarm companies, security integrators, and individuals. Eagle Eyes 100% cloud managed solutions provides cloud and on premise recording, bank level security and encryption, and broad analog and digital camera support  all accessed via the web or mobile applications. Businesses of all sizes and types utilize Eagle Eye solutions for operational optimization and security. All Eagle Eye products benefit from Eagle Eyes developer friendly RESTful API platform and Big Data Video FrameworkTM, which allow for indexing, search, retrieval, and analysis of live and archived video. Eagle Eyes open Video API has been widely adopted for integration in alarm monitoring, third party analytics, security dashboards, and point of sale system integrations.

Eagle Eye sells its products through authorized global resellers and installation partners. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, Eagle Eye has offices in Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit http://www.EagleEyeNetworks.com or call +1-512-473-0500 or +316 46 27 32 51.
The University System of Maryland Selects Portfolium for Digital Badging Initiative We believe Portfolium BadgeLink can provide the technical infrastructure we need to take B.E.S.T. to the next level for our institutions.

The University System of Maryland (USM) has partnered with Portfolium to support the systems career-readiness digital badging initiative, Badging Essential Skills for Transitions (B.E.S.T.). As an early strategic partner of Portfoliums digital badging and learning pathways platform, BadgeLink, USMs William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation has established itself as a leader in cutting-edge educational initiatives aimed at improving student success.

As an innovative way to validate and better communicate graduates career-ready skills, the B.E.S.T. initiative focuses on helping students develop eight competencies identified by employers as critical for career success: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Globalism, Interculturalism, Leadership, Problem Solving, and Professionalism. These skills are drawn from the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Career Readiness Competencies framework.

BadgeLink is the latest innovation from Portfoliums student success platform which allows institutions to track student learning along curricular and co-curricular pathways and automatically award digital badges when students have unlocked achievements or demonstrated competencies.

Initially, five institutions within the system will begin piloting BadgeLink in the summer session and fall semester, and the Kirwan Center will be using Portfoliums reporting tools for institutional and system-wide assessment of the initiative. The system structured a multi-year agreement with expansion incentives for USM institutions to opt-in to broader use of Portfolium ePortfolio and Portfolium Assessment at a discounted price.

We believe BadgeLink can provide the technical infrastructure we need to take B.E.S.T. to the next level for our institutions, said Dr. M.J. Bishop, Director of the Kirwan Center. Without these kinds of tools, it would be difficult to make badge earning opportunities available to all of our students.

Portfolium BadgeLink will support the USM institutions engaged in Phase 2 of the USMs B.E.S.T. initiative by:



Providing an easy-to-use administrative portal at the institution and system level for badge management, with a library of badges and rubrics to support the framework of the initiative.

Reducing administrative burden on staff by enabling the easy creation of badge earning pathways, providing access to assessment tools to validate the evidence provided by students, and automating the issuance of badges into students lifelong ePortfolios.

Automating the fast, accurate aggregation of student learning outcomes data for reporting at the institution and system level.

We are thrilled to the have USM as an early strategic partner in BadgeLink, not only to improve student success and career readiness across the system but also to develop and scale groundbreaking academic transformation across higher education nationally in partnership with the Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, said Troy Markowitz, VP Partnerships at Portfolium.

ABOUT PORTFOLIUM:

Portfolium is the worlds fastest growing student success platform. 2,000+ colleges, universities and high schools use Portfolium to manage and align competency assessment, student success, and career readiness programs. Portfoliums academic solutions plug students into an open ecosystem of employers, mentors, educators, and peers around the world. Our 3.5M+ users are linked to internships, jobs, and lifelong learning opportunities via ePortfolios that showcase their proven competencies. To learn more about Portfoliums network for learners and solutions for educators, visit: https://portfolium.com.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND

The University System of Maryland (USM) is the states public higher education system. USMs 12 institutions, two regional higher education centers, and system office work closely together to leverage their collective expertise and resources, share best practices, increase the systems effectiveness and efficiency, and advance USMs mission to improve the quality of life in Maryland. It is the 12th-largest university system in the United States, with over 122,000 undergraduate students, 41,000 graduate students, and roughly 17,000 combined full-time and part-time faculty.

ABOUT THE WILLIAM E. KIRWAN CENTER FOR ACADEMIC INNOVATION

The Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation is the first system-level center to conceptualize, promote, study, and disseminate groundbreaking innovations aimed broadly at transforming higher education. Under the leadership of its first director, Dr. MJ Bishop, the Kirwan Center is becoming a focal point for conceptualizing, promoting, studying, and disseminating ground-breaking academic innovation work both within Maryland and across higher education nationally. To learn more about B.E.S.T., visit http://www.usmd.edu/cai/BEST.
Genetec AutoVu Flexreader plate reader detection workflow schematic. AutoVu Flexreader, provides an option for customers to re-use their existing security infrastructure equipment to augment their system with ALPR in a cost-effective manner." Robert Amante, AutoVu Product Manager at Genetec.

At ISC West 2018 on booth (#26065), Genetec Inc. (Genetec), a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions will unveil AutoVu Flexreader, a new offering that brings powerful ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) capabilities to suitable IP video surveillance cameras supported by the Genetec Security Center unified platform.

AutoVu Flexreader enables organizations to move beyond simple plate capture and use existing IP cameras to identify and track license plates of vehicles entering or leaving their premises. End users can additionally benefit by extending their security operationsespecially for businesses and retailersto access the full ALPR feature set of Security Center AutoVu, and take advantage of valuable data-mining tools and graphical reports.

In the past, customers who wanted to take advantage of the unified ALPR experience offered by Security Center had to use dedicated ALPR units, which provided more capabilities than necessary for certain applications, said Robert Amante, AutoVu Product Manager at Genetec. With AutoVu Flexreader, we are making it easier for customers to take advantage of the deep feature set AutoVu provides. Now, they can re-use their existing security infrastructure equipment to augment their system with ALPR in a cost-effective manner. Interested customers should request a demo to ensure AutoVu Flexreader meets the requirements of their application, added Amante.

For security professionals, AutoVu Flexreader can help identify potential threats as soon as they appear by automatically identifying vehicles entering a facility and match them to existing hotlists. With the flexible list management features of Security Center AutoVu, unknown or suspect vehicles can trigger specific alarms and activate video surveillance recording to help decrease response time and support investigations.

AutoVu Flexreader can also automate processes to improve efficiency. The system can open vehicle gates and garage doors when the vehicle of an employee or registered visitor is detected, or instantly notify staff of the arrival of suppliers and visiting VIPs. It can also provide security professionals with complete vehicle audit trails, including license plate number, date, time, coordinates, license plate origin, and associated videos to support investigations.

For retail organizations and other businesses with ungated parking lots, AutoVu Flexreader unlocks new business intelligence insights in the behavior of vehicles and visitors accessing their facilities. Using data collected by the cameras, AutoVu Flexreader can track who is accessing a facility and when, monitor repeat visits, measure length of stay, and more.

AutoVu Flexreader is expected to be available worldwide in April 2018 through any Genetec AutoVu certified integrator. For more information please visit: https://resources.genetec.com/en-datasheets/autovu-flexreader-datasheet.

About Genetec

Genetec Inc. is an innovative technology company with a broad solutions portfolio that encompasses security, intelligence, and operations. The companys flagship product, Security Center, is an open-architecture platform that unifies IP-based video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), communications, and analytics. Genetec also develops cloud-based solutions and services designed to improve security, and contribute new levels of operational intelligence for governments, enterprises, transport, and the communities in which we live. Founded in 1997, and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Genetec serves its global customers via an extensive network of resellers, integrators, certified channel partners, and consultants in over 80 countries.

For more information about Genetec, visit: http://www.genetec.com

 2018 Genetec Inc. All rights reserved. Genetec, Security Center AutoVu Genetec AutoVu Flexplate, and their respective logos are trademarks of Genetec Inc., and may be registered or pending registration in several jurisdictions. Other trademarks used in this document are trademarks of the manufacturers or vendors of their respective products.
The agreement rounds out BJGs product portfolio...[and] further demonstrates our commitment to providing comprehensive value-added solutions to customers in the military, aerospace, and industrial communities

New York based BJG Electronics, Inc., signed a global distribution agreement with Safran Electrical & Power in Sarasota (formerly Eaton Aerospace) significantly expanding BJGs offering of relays, contactors, switches, and circuit breakers. Safran Electrical & Powers product line highly complements BJGs existing line card which already includes the worlds top interconnect brands. Safran is expected to benefit from BJGs award winning service platform, assuring its military and commercial aviation customers on-time delivery performance, design support, and consistent quality.

BJG President Rick Flora explained, The agreement rounds out BJGs product portfolio with the addition of Safran Electrical & Powers relays, contactors, switches, and circuit breakers. This further demonstrates our commitment to providing comprehensive value-added solutions to customers in the military, aerospace, and industrial communities.

Philippe Leveque, Director of Sales & Marketing for Safran Electrical & Power Sarasota, also commented on the new relationship between the two companies: We believe Safran will benefit significantly from its new relationship with BJG. Safrans distributor portfolio will better serve the US market and our high-quality electro-mechanical products will be available to a wider range of customers.

About BJG Electronics, Inc.

Based in Ronkonkoma, NY, BJG Electronics, Inc. is a value-added distributor and light manufacturer of high reliability electronic components. Certified to ISO9001:2015 & AS9100:2016, the company serves the defense, commercial and business aviation markets. BJG is widely recognized for its outstanding customer service, comprehensive range of franchised suppliers and quality practices. For more information, visit http://www.bjgelectronics.com.
Moore DM Group CDR Fundraising Group is expanding beyond our strong East Coast presence with strategically-located new offices in Los Angeles and Tulsa to better serve our growing base of clients.

James Moore, chairman of Moore DM Group (MDM), today announced the expansion of the companys agency services devoted to supporting nonprofit organizations. The expansion includes two additional CDR Fundraising Group offices in Los Angeles and Tulsa, as well as the hiring of Lisa Scott Benson as chief executive officer of CDR. CDR President Angela Struebing, will continue leading the CDR headquarters in Bowie, Md.

In addition, Janet Tonner was named president of Direct Donor Television (DDTV), the leading provider of DRTV to nonprofits in North America. Tonner has been with the company for four years and will continue to serve as vice president of analytics for CDR.

CDR Fundraising Group is expanding beyond our strong East Coast presence with strategically-located new offices in Los Angeles and Tulsa to better serve our growing base of clients, Moore said. With the hiring of Lisa, we cannot be more pleased with the senior team we have assembled to provide the full array of agency services to the nonprofit community. Lisa brings an excellent depth of multi-channel experience in growing revenue for nonprofits.

Benson will replace Geoffrey Peters as CEO of the expanded CDR Fundraising Group. Peters will continue his role as president of Moore DM Group and will assume responsibilities managing all MDM agency and agency support services, video and television production, media buying, analytics, database, payment processing and other services offered by MDM to support its nonprofit clients.

Benson, former president of One & All (the recently merged Omnicom companies, formerly known as Russ Reid and Grizzard), brings 30 years of direct response and brand experience in the nonprofit and commercial sectors.

Lisa has conceived and led many of the most innovative and effective new strategies in donor acquisition and cultivation for international, national, and local nonprofit organizations, Peters said. She is bold, imaginative, passionate, collaborative, and ultimately pragmatic on behalf of the clients she serves. CDR is excited to combine Lisas talent and experience with our existing team of nonprofit and fundraising experts to attract more donors and engage more generous hearts.

Angela is a nationally recognized fundraising strategist and will partner with Lisa, remaining as president of the Bowie, Md. headquarters of CDR. Angela has led significant growth in the client base of CDR and will continue to provide services to those clients as well as strategically working with other MDM clients on their fundraising programs as an expansion of her duties, added Moore.

Tonners promotion to president of Direct Donor Television will continue to build the companys resume as the full-service provider of DRTV services to all MDM agency clients. Tonner works alongside Tracy Trost, of the MDM video and production team, and Lois Ephraim, chief creative strategist for MDM. Direct Donor Television creates, produces, plans and buys more DRTV for nonprofit organizations than any other agency in North America.

Peters continued, With the recent addition of Lois managing creative, and the breakthrough technology of the only Neuro-Fundraising Lab in the world, we are providing cutting edge pre-tested creative in multiple channels. With our top-notch analytics team, we can create, test and validate fundraising strategies, measure their effect, and project their future on the nonprofits entire fundraising program.

With the support of the experienced managers of our various agencies in Arlington, Va., Baltimore, Bowie, Md., Atlanta, Dallas, Tulsa, Toronto and Los Angeles, we have a wealth of experience and talent to address the needs of the nonprofit community. By having a full array of services, Moore DM Group can meet the needs of our present and future clients. Our mission is to help our clients create realistic and achievable growth strategies to accomplish their objectives, Peters said.

About Moore DM Group:

Moore DM Group is a global leader in direct response marketing focused on all facets of the consumer experience. The organization provides services including strategic consulting, creative development, media planning and buying, research and analytics, production management and product fulfillment, database services and public relations to nonprofit, association, commercial and government clients.
I am excited to be a part of SCALABLEs exceptional team and look forward to leveraging their unique capabilities to meet the communications, networking and cybersecurity needs of the Department of Defense, Military Services, and Intelligence Community, stated Jeff Hoyle.

SCALABLE Network Technologies, Inc. (SCALABLE), a leader in wireless network design and optimization tools, announced today that Jeff Hoyle, Captain, US Navy (Retired) has been appointed Vice President, Federal Programs. In this new role, Hoyle will work alongside SCALABLEs sales and engineering teams to grow the software and services business within the Federal Government. As part of the Executive Management team, Hoyle will leverage his extensive industry experience in developing and strengthening SCALABLE's strategy and position within major Defense programs.

"The SCALABLE team is pleased to welcome Jeff Hoyle and looks forward to expanding our relationships with our Military customers," stated Dr. Rajive Bagrodia SCALABLEs CEO and Founder. "His decades of service to our nation and his expertise in strategic planning and execution will allow us to significantly advance our capabilities and ensure we are meeting the critical needs of our Federal customers. 

I am excited to be a part of SCALABLEs exceptional team and look forward to leveraging their unique capabilities to meet the communications, networking and cybersecurity needs of the Department of Defense, Military Services, and Intelligence Community, stated Jeff Hoyle.

While on active duty, Hoyle commanded the strategic missile submarine USS MAINE (SSBN 741) and was a Major Program Manager within the Joint Program Executive Office for the Joint Tactical Radio System, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. In the latter role, he successfully delivered 24 complex tactical systems to Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, including extensive modeling and simulation to validate requirements, support development and test solutions. Since retiring from the Navy, Hoyle served as Director of Technology and Programs at AtHoc, Inc and Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, as well as consulting with various Defense companies.

Hoyle graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval. He later earned Master of Science degrees in Ocean Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Product Development from the Naval Postgraduate School as well as Masters of Business Administration from Chaminade University.

About SCALABLE Network Technologies

Based in Culver City, California, SCALABLE provides network design, modeling and analysis tools, cyber training and assessment solutions and engineering support services to commercial enterprises, government and defense agencies, research organizations and educational institutions around the world.

SCALABLE solutions integrate simulated virtual network models with physical hardware and applications, allowing users to reduce the time, cost and risks of developing, testing and deploying large, sophisticated wired and wireless networks and new communications equipment, and train personnel on cyber defense.

More information on the company is available at scalable-networks.com.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Quarter

The United States Mint (Mint) joined the National Park Service today to celebrate the release of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin honoring Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. The coin is the second of five America the Beautiful Quarters coins to be issued in 2018, and the 42nd release in the series.

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore quarter design marks the 100th new reverse (tails) of this coin denomination since 1932. This latest design depicts the sea caves at Devils Island with the lighthouse in the background and a kayaker paddling in the foreground. Inscriptions on the reverse are APOSTLE ISLANDS, WISCONSIN, 2018, and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The obverse (heads) design depicts the 1932 restored portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan. Inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and QUARTER DOLLAR. A digital image is available here.

Just as the guiding light beacons from the Devils Island lighthouseas it has done for decadesthe Apostle Islands Quarter will serve as a shining example of the inherent value of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the people who protect it and frequent itshedding light on its splendor, beauty and purpose, for future generations to follow, said Marc Landry, Acting Associate Director of the Mints Numismatic and Bullion Directorate.

More than 500 people, including 200 schoolchildren, gathered in the nearby Legendary Waters Resort for the festivities that included performances by the Bayfield High School Choir, Red Cliff Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wiigwamm Express, Red Cliff Youth Drum Group, and the Washburn High School Jazz Band.

Former Bayfield mayor Larry MacDonald served as master of ceremonies. Guest speakers included Rick Peterson, Tribal Chairman of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Mike Wiggins, Tribal Chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Henry Buffalo, Elder of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and descendant of Chief Buffalo; and Bob Krumenaker, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore superintendent. The ceremony, which culminated with a public exchange of $10 rolls of new quarters, included special recognition of United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program designer Richard Masters, creator of the coins design.

The United States Mint is offering products featuring the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore quarter at its online catalog. Click here for details.

Public Law 110-456 authorized the 2009 launch of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. It is a 12-year initiative that honors 56 national parks and other national sites. Each year until 2020, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverses of the America the Beautiful Quarters coins, with a final coin scheduled for release in 2021. The Mint is issuing these quarters according to the date each location was designated a national site.

About the United States Mint

Congress created the United States Mint in 1792 and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nations sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:



Contact Information:

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Julie Van Stappen

Chief, Planning and Resource Management

(715) 779-3398, ext.1601

julie_van_stappen@nps.gov

# # #

United States Mint  Connecting America through Coins
Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) today announced the opening of its new treatment center at 10015 Old Columbia Road, Suite F100, Columbia, MD 21046. Recognized as a global leader in the field of autism treatment, CARD specializes in applied behavior analysis (ABA) to treat individuals of all ages diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ABA is the only scientifically validated treatment for ASD, and research shows that it is most effective when delivered early and at a high level of intensity. The Columbia office becomes CARD's third location in Maryland, joining locations in Baltimore and Rockville. CARD offers center-based services, home-based services, school-based services, vocational services, diagnostic and assessment services, and social skills groups for individuals of all ages with ASD. CARD creates individualized treatment plans for each patient tailored to his or her specific needs.

We are excited to join the CARD family with our new location in Columbia," said Brittnae Rowe, operations manager. By providing the Columbia area with CARD's scientifically proven treatment methods, we are helping ensure the autism community receives the best care possible.

The Columbia center is one of over 190 centers that provides services based on the CARD Model developed Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA-D, founder and executive director of CARD. Dr. Granpeesheh has dedicated over 30 years to helping individuals with autism fulfill their potential and lead healthy, productive lives. Since its founding in 1990, CARD has helped thousands of individuals affected by autism and their families access the services and supports they need.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in every 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD, with one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls diagnosed. These 2014 figures represent a 30 percent increase since 2008. As the prevalence of ASD has increased, services for individuals with ASD have not always kept pace with demand. As a result, families affected by ASD may encounter challenges when trying to access quality treatment. The increase in autism diagnoses and the lack of resources available to families in many communities leave parents struggling to access the services that are crucial to their childs development.

CARD strives to meet the growing need for services by continuously opening new centers throughout the country to provide top-quality ABA therapy across all populations. As a result of its unprecedented growth, CARD is hiring entry-level and experienced clinicians and administrative staff at many of its locations. To explore a rewarding career in the field of autism treatment, visit http://www.centerforautismjobs.com.

About Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)

CARD treats individuals of all ages who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at treatment centers around the globe. CARD was founded in 1990 by leading autism expert and clinical psychologist Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA-D. CARD treats individuals with ASD using the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), which is empirically proven to be the most effective method for treating individuals with ASD and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Surgeon General. For more information, visit http://www.centerforautism.com or call (855) 345-2273.
This is another example of technology invented by a small company that has become fundamental to the industry it serves. It is very gratifying to help these companies benefit from their inventions.

Blackbird Technologies has settled a patent infringement lawsuit related to secure transactions.

Blackbird Technologies filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Capital One Financial Corporation in July 2017 in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (17-cv-00911). Three patents were asserted -- US Patent No. 7,958,214, US Patent No. 8,285,832 and US Patent No. 9,424,848. All three patents relate to methods for securely authorizing online transactions. Last month, Blackbird Technologies settled the case against Capital One.

Wendy Verlander, President and CEO of Blackbird Technologies, stated, This is another example of technology invented by a small company that has become fundamental to the industry it serves. It is very gratifying to help these companies benefit from their inventions.

About Blackbird Technologies

Blackbird Technologies provides a unique opportunity for individual inventors and small companies to realize the value of their patents. By using in-house expertise, rather than expensive law firms, Blackbird Technologies is able to litigate at reduced costs and achieve results that equal or exceed what a law firm would recover. This company creates efficiencies that make it possible for individual inventors and small companies to see the end game  realizing the true value of their patents.
Today, Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) announced the appointment of Barbara Poindexter Webb as the Director of the Mayors Scholars Program. Webb will be responsible for running day-to-day management of the initiative which, in partnership with Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and Baltimore City Public Schools, offers all 2018 graduates of Baltimore City public high schools free tuition and college fees to attend BCCC this fall.

Webb, who at the start of her career served as the Assistant Director of the Honors and Scholars Program at BCCC, joins the College from the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) where she served as a Senior Contracts and Grants Specialist. For the past 17 years, she has been an adjunct instructor at CCBC-Dundalk, teaching developmental courses in English and reading. Prior to her time at UMB, Webb worked at the Maryland State Department of Labor, Licensing, & Regulation where she developed community partnerships and led outreach on behalf of the division of workforce development and adult learning. Webb earned her Masters Degree in Education from Goucher College and her Baccalaureate Degree in English from Towson University.

Baltimore City Community College is proud to be part of a program moving the needle forward on boosting economic and workforce training in the City of Baltimore and making college assessable to our young people, said Dr. Gordon F. May, President & CEO of BCCC. In our extensive search for a Director of the Mayors Scholars Program, we sought professionals who had a proven record of success handling some of the most complex issues in the community college space. What we found in Ms. Webb is an experienced individual passionate about improving student outcomes for our most vulnerable student population.

I am thrilled to return to Baltimore City Community College to lead the efforts of the Mayors Scholars Program, said Webb. This program is an exciting and life-changing opportunity for our citys students. BCCCs partnership with Mayor Pugh and BCPS is breaking down the financial barriers that have prevented students from attaining a quality college education. I am looking forward to working diligently with my new colleagues at the College to make this program a success.

Contact:

Derrick Robinson

Drobinson(at)bccc(dot)edu
Today, Conway Inc. announced that Andrew Clutz has joined the company as its new Director, Corporate Investment & Analytics.

Prior to accepting a position at Conway, Andrew was Oxford Intelligences Director of the Americas.

With a long history in the economic development industry, Andrew has served as the Vice President of Marketing for the Welsh Development Agency, he served as a Director for Alsace International (France) and was formerly the Managing Director of the Atlantic Resource Group, where he worked with dozens of economic promotion agencies as a consultant.

With Conway, he will focus on investment lead generation strategy and delivery as well as the further development of Conways Analytics product and new service development.

For Conway Analytics, Andrew will work to enhance historical investment data, investment lead indicators and optimize the systems reporting and market trend analysis functions.

Conway is thrilled to have Andrew join us as a senior member of our team, said Adam Jones-Kelley, President of Conway Inc., Andrew has unparalleled experience in the economic development industry and will bring his depth of knowledge and experience to Conways clients.

Were very lucky to have him, added Jones-Kelley, Andrew will complement the Conway team and work closely with our international offices.

Im looking forward to this new opportunity, said Andrew Clutz, Conway has a comprehensive suite of products and services, some of which I will be working to develop further.

Its an exciting time to join Conway, commented Clutz, The company is growing and focused on providing its clients with new and innovative ways to secure corporate investment.

Im pleased to be part of this new era at Conway and to be part of the team.

Based in Boston, Andrew will round-out Conways presence in the northeast, working closely with Conways New York office.

Andrew is a graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and has his MBA from Northeastern University.

About Conway

Conway provides the worlds most comprehensive offering of services related to domestic and cross-border corporate investment. Our integrated services meet the needs of government agencies seeking to attract investment as well as companies planning international expansion.

Conways network of corporate decision-makers invests more than $300 billion each year in new facilities, offices and sites. Conways full spectrum of services and relationships with corporate decision-makers around the world facilitates government attraction of foreign and domestic direct investment. Conway, publisher of Site Selection magazine, was founded in 1954. For more information visit: http://www.conway.com
Wines of Greece announces its annual Road Show, with its kick-off events in Canada before heading to the US for stops in Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. The events will highlight Greece's wine culture to media and trade, with a focus on wines with a Protected Designation of Origin. The Roadshow schedule includes: May 1 (Montreal), May 3 (Toronto), May 8 (Seattle), May 10 (San Francisco) and May 15 (New York).

The local trade and press in each city will enjoy a Grand Tasting of wines from regions throughout Greece and will showcase different styles of classic varieties plus wines from up and coming Greek grapes. Each stop will also feature educational workshops exploring the next generation of Greek wines with speakers Konstantinos Lazarakis, MW, well-known Sommelier Michael Madrigale, and Enologist, Sofia Perpera.

According to Eurostat data, Greek wine exports to the US from 2009-2016 increased by 81.6% in value and 28.4% in volume. The average price per liter increased 41.3%. This pattern has continued as Greek wine exports in 2017 increased by 14.8% in value compared to 2016 and 5.5% in volume. These numbers indicate an increasing consumer willingness to spend more on wines from Greece.

We will have a new generation of Greek winemakers present who are crafting world class wines from our classic indigenous and other relatively unknown varieties, while exploring their potential with new styles of wine, single vineyard bottlings and wines with less intervention, explains Sofia Perpera, Director of the Greek Wine Bureau for North America. With the increasing popularity of Greek wine in the U.S., we are always excited to return to New York and San Francisco, and be introduced to the Seattle market for the first time.

Wines of Greece US Roadshow Schedule of Events:

Seattle (May 8)

Exploring Greek Winethe Next Generation Workshop presented by Konstantinos Lazarakis, MW: 10:30am  11:45am

Trade Tasting: 12:30pm  4pm

To register for the Wines of Greece Seattle Roadshow, please visit: https://winesofgreecegrandtastingseattle.eventbrite.com

San Francisco (May 10)

Exploring Greek Winethe Next Generation Workshop presented by Konstantinos Lazarakis, MW: 10:30am  11:45am

Trade Tasting: 12:30pm  4pm

To register for the Wines of Greece San Francisco Roadshow, please visit: https://winesofgreecesanfrancisco.eventbrite.com

New York (May 15)

Exploring Greek Wine.. the Next Generation Workshop with Michael Madrigale & Sofia Perpera:

10:30am  11:45am

Trade Tasting: 12:30pm  4pm

To register for the Wines of Greece New York Roadshow, please visit: https://winesofgreecegrandtastingnyc.eventbrite.com

Follow Wines of Greece on Facebook at Facebook.com/NewWinesofGreece and Twitter at @DrinkGreekWine. The hashtag for the event is #WOGRoadshow.

About EDOAO (Wines of Greece)

Wines of Greece is the national umbrella organization representing the wineries of Greece in their international efforts to introduce, educate and promote the modern revival of the Greek wine sector.
The passing of this bill helps encourage children to develop sun-safe behaviors early on, like sunscreen application.

Governor Larry Hogan signed HB 427 into law on Tuesday, making Maryland the second state this year to ensure state policy allows students to possess and use sunscreen at school.

The legislation is based on the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Associations (ASDSA) model legislation known as SUNucate to eliminate barriers that prohibit students from possessing and using over-the-counter sunscreen in school. Sunscreen often falls under broad reaching medication bans that require a physicians note or prescription to utilize in school. HB 427 was introduced by Delegate Karen Lewis Young with companion legislation, SB 217, introduced by Senator Ron Young.

ASDSA Board Member Lawrence Green, MD, of Rockville, Maryland testified in favor of SB 217 during committee consideration and said, Allowing children to put on sunscreen before recess () would really help protect them from the dangers of the sun.

The need for such legislation arose after concerns were raised by dermatologists and reports in the national media about students being required to bring a note or prescription from a physician in order to possess or use sunscreen, which is classified as an over-the-counter drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Preventive Services Task Force both believe that children should have access to sunscreen and other sun-protective measures in order to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

The passing of this bill helps encourage children to develop sun-safe behaviors early on, like sunscreen application, said ASDSA President Lisa Donofrio, MD. Marylands efforts reinforce the importance of teaching children the risks of sun exposure during outdoor activities and how to best avoid skin cancer.

ASDSA was pleased to work with the Maryland Dermatologic Society in advocating for passage of this common-sense law. To learn more about SUNucate, visit asdsa.asds.net/SUNucate.

# # #

About the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association

With a membership of 6,400+ physicians, ASDSA is a 501(c) (6) association, dedicated to education and advocacy on behalf of dermatologic surgeons and their patients. For more information, visit http://asdsa.asds.net.

Follow @ASDSAdvocacy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Inside Liberty University's Center for Energy Research & Education. "We are excited about what this project means to local and regional economic development efforts."  Jonathan Whitt, Liberty University Vice president of Special Projects and Business Engagement

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam recently announced a $300,000 grant to create Industry Labs at Liberty University's Center for Energy Research & Education (CERE) in Bedford County. The grant was one of five regional projects funded through GO Virginia (Growth and Opportunity for Virginia) to diversify the respective regional economies, strengthen their workforce, and support collaborative programs between localities, public entities, and private businesses.

The grant will help with the construction of four labs at CERE: a chemical/material lab, an EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) lab, a calibration lab, and a non-destructive testing lab. The labs will offer regional companies and institutions of higher education, including Liberty's School of Engineering, the facilities necessary to promote research and development. They will be used by advanced manufacturing companies in the energy and technology sectors for testing, research, and workforce development training. The labs will attract and retain a strong scientific and engineering workforce in the community.

"We are excited about what this project means to local and regional economic development efforts," said Jonathan Whitt, Liberty's vice president of special projects and business engagement. "The Town of Bedford, Counties of Campbell and Bedford, the City of Lynchburg, Central Virginia Community College, and the Regional Business Alliance have all supported this project along with several of the region's leading employers. These labs will offer companies and partnering institutions of higher education the facilities necessary to promote research and development as well as to foster the attraction and retention of the scientific and engineering workforce that our community needs."

Liberty will provide oversight and administration to establish the labs, working with industry professionals to ensure they are responsive to current and future needs, and to acquire and configure new equipment. The university will also work with local economic development agencies to improve ready-to-market information about the CERE Industry Labs site and building characteristics to increase connection and collaboration between localities, businesses, and other colleges and universities.

Liberty purchased the CERE facility (formerly the Center for Advanced Engineering and Research) and the surrounding 28-acre lot at the New London Business and Technology Center park last spring. It is located off U.S. 460 in Bedford County, about 10 miles from main campus. Businesses continue to operate at the facility, and Liberty's engineering program will be relocated there following construction improvements.

Whitt said the goal is to foster new partnerships between industry and higher education organizations in order to increase the number of research and development contracts in the region. (A new innovation center, focused on telecom infrastructure, launched at CERE last summer.)

In addition to the GO grant, CERE has garnered a $1.4 million fund match for laboratory assets from a private company and a local match of $73,600 of in-kind support for economic development marketing from Bedford County, the Town of Bedford, and the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance. (Liberty is providing more than $100,000 of additional in-kind support.)

Liberty has already invested $4.5 million into CERE. Local and state entities are expected to invest another $1.6 million in the next five years. The lab project is projected to net a $15 million return on investment through research grants, job creation, and training programs.

About Liberty University

Liberty University, founded in 1971, is the largest private, nonprofit university in the nation and the largest university in Virginia. Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains on more than 7,000 acres in Lynchburg, Va., Liberty offers more than 550 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level. More than 250 programs are offered online. Liberty's mission is to train Champions for Christ with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrow's world.
Seek Capital looks forward to furthering our mission of getting startup capital to as many new businesses as possible in partnership with ConsumersAdvocate.org

Seek Capital is the industry leader in providing startup loans for startup business owners looking to launch or grow a company. ConsumersAdvocate.org is one of the top websites for comparing different products and services across multiple categories. Now, ConsumersAdvocate.org has recognized Seek Capitals commitment to make it easy for new businesses to get a startup loan.

ABOUT CONSUMERSADVOCATE.ORG

The team at ConsumersAdvocate.org understands that most consumers dont have the time to properly investigate the thousands of products and services they might need or be interested in. For this reason, ConsumersAdvocate.org is committed to providing consumers with helpful, honest, accurate, and thorough reviews across a wide range of products and services.

ConsumersAdvocate.org prides itself on being able to research and interpret a large amount of information, and then present it to consumers in a succinct and accurate manner. Moreover, if members of the ConsumersAdvocate.org team wouldnt recommend a product or service to their own friends and family, then ConsumersAdvocate.org as an organization would never recommend said product or service to its website users. This guiding principle determines every decision that ConsumersAdvocate.orgs editors make.

Seek Capital CEO Roy Ferman stated, We are very excited about our relationship with ConsumersAdvocate.org. We understand how hard the company vets all of its partners to make sure that they are only recommending the best products and services available and we are extremely proud and humbled that they have selected Seek Capital to be their go to partner for startup business loans.

Ferman further stated, While there may be a lot of options for established businesses to get funding, startups are significantly under-serviced and have little to no options to get the money they need to launch a business. Seek Capital looks forward to furthering our mission of getting startup capital to as many new businesses as possible in partnership with ConsumersAdvocate.org.

ABOUT SEEK CAPITAL

Seek Capital is the leader in startup business funding, specializing in getting new businesses an unsecured line of credit. Launched in 2015, Seek Capital has helped solve the challenge of early stage business owners obtaining capital to launch and grow their small business.

The company has grown by combining the Seek Capital proprietary lender matching platform, Capital Seeker with its dedication to providing a hands-on, consultative approach to each client. By utilizing the Capital Seeker the company is able to provide real time underwriting decisions allowing business owners to instantly know their funding options.

To date, the company has used the matching software for over 20,000 successful applications across the United States. Seek Capital has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, is a consistent Top 3 rated or Winner of Lending Tree's Lender Award and was Ranked #44 by Glassdoor Best Place to Work 2017.
Nick Polce for Congress The Nick Polce for Congress campaign would like to thank Mr. Ryan for his 20 years of service. We are looking forward to continuing the efforts of our campaign announced last November in the 1st Congressional District of Wisconsin and are focused on winning the primary in August.

Nick Polce, Republican candidate for US Congress in Wisconsins District 1 extends his appreciation and well wishes to Speaker Paul Ryan in the wake of todays announcement that the Speaker will not seek re-election in the 2018 midterms.

Our campaign wants to thank Mr. Ryan for his 20 years as an elected official, says Nick Polce. We announced our campaign in November 2017 to challenge Mr. Ryan in the Republican primary because we had a conflict of vision as to the role of an elected official and substantial policy differences. We have spent months campaigning in the district meeting with voters in order to earn their vote. We look forward to continuing the campaign and are focused on winning the primary in August.

Nick is a former US Army Green Beret Combat Veteran, business owner, father and husband. He feels a part of the larger freedom movement that is looking to bring the voice of the American people back to Washington D.C. Nick and his family live in Lake Geneva.

For more information on the campaign or to make a donation, visit http://www.NickPolceForCongress.com and follow Nick Polce for Congress on Facebook, Instagram, and @Nick4House on Twitter and Periscope.

Approved and paid for by friends of Nick Polce for Congress, LLC
HC takes suo motu cognizance of Rohini Court shootout that left three dead, seeks suggestions from stakeholders on security at courts.

NEWSALERT-FRANCE-SARKOZY-TRIAL French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy found guilty of illegal campaign financing of his unsuccessful 2012 reelection bid. (AP)French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy found guilty of illegal campaign financing of his unsuccessful 2012 reelection bid. (AP)
Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2018 3:40 am

Written public comment on the proposed Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort in Brinnon has been extended to 4:30 p.m. April 13, after Jefferson County commissioners presided over a three-and-a-half-hour public hearing April 9 to solicit written and oral comments from the community.

While opposition to the proposed resort development was represented by members of environmental groups, the Jefferson County Planning Commission and the Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe, almost all of the self-identified residents of the Brinnon area who spoke that night did so in favor of the MPR.

Garth Mann, president and CEO of the Alberta-based Statesman Group real estate developer, described the deliberative process to date as democracy at its finest, even as several Brinnon residents asked why it has taken so long to implement the MPR, citing the work Statesman has already done to improve the Pleasant Harbor Marina.

After Brinnon resident Jim Watson praised Mann for his amazing flexibility in accommodating the countys conditions, fellow Brinnon resident Charlotte Clark cited the amazing lack of revenue in the south end of the county, which she identified as leading to a localized economic depression and crime problem.

Rob Mitchell, another Brinnon resident, was one of the few to speak out against the proposed development, arguing that the majority of jobs that the resort would bring to the area would be seasonal or offer poverty-level wages.

However, he was countered by Port Ludlow resident Scott Hogensen, who deemed the development a good expansion of the tax base to help support social welfare programs, affordable housing, schools and emergency services while providing a little relief to homeowners.

Brinnon resident Victoria Marshall recalled her career in the hospitality industry to defend the environmental stewardship of the tourism industry in general, while saying how impressed she was with the environmental standards outlined by the Statesman Group in particular.

Lorna Smith was the first member of the Planning Commission to reiterate the concerns the Planning Commission already expressed to the county commissioners about what they saw as the lack of key details in the proposal, which led the Planning Commission to recommend the county commissioners deny the proposal until more information is supplied.

Port Townsend resident Julia Cochrane threw her support behind the Planning Commission, and recommended two of the geologically and culturally significant kettle pools proposed for demolishment instead be retained, and that the number of proposed units at the resort be reduced from 890.

Tim Cullinan, representing the Point No Point Treaty Council, which serves the natural resource management needs of the Port Gamble and Jamestown SKlallam tribes, joined in criticizing what he referred to as the lack of clarity, specificity or enforceable language in the Statesman Groups wildlife management proposals.

Judy DAmore, speaking for the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee, questioned why the Statesman Groups stormwater management plan was not available for review, while fellow MRC member Dale Moses wondered who would be receiving the groundwater monitoring data that would be required by the proposal.

Marie Hebert was the first member of the Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe to speak, and worried what the runoff from the resort could do to vulnerable shellfish. She was joined by fellow tribal members Stephanie Sullivan and Laura Price, who described themselves as speaking not just for their own future generations, but also those of everyone else in attendance.

If you kill a piece of Hood Canal, its so, so fragile that its not coming back, said Sullivan, who was joined by her daughter Rowan. I want the same opportunities for my children and grandchildren that I had.

Tribal chair Jeromy Sullivan responded to those who pointed out the area Native American tribes real estate developments by noting that the Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe observes far greater setbacks than those mandated by the law.

Tribal members were not the only attendees who voiced a desire to do right by younger generations.

Id like to retire, Brinnon resident Mike Lagenbach said. My wife manages the Brinnon Food Bank. We serve about 90 families a week, or about 250 people, in a community of 800 or 900 people. With the opening of this resort, and the jobs it would bring, we could finally retire from our jobs.

Port Ludlow resident Bert Loomis cited statistics showing the increasing average age of the Jefferson County population, as well as the decreasing enrollment numbers of its school districts, two trends he argued must be reversed for the area to have a viable future.

Brinnon resident George Sickel was one of the members of the sub-area planning group in 2000 that met every two weeks for two years to eventually adopt the regulations for a future MPR. As a member of the Boeing Bluebills, he has distributed meals for the Brinnon Food Bank, and agreed there is an employment problem in the community.

As a substitute teacher in this area for 20 years, I have experienced what poverty has done to these kids, said Joe Baisch, another Brinnon resident who supports the MPR, and one of several to cite the free and reduced-price lunch program for area schools.

On a lighter note, Gordon Lacey was one of a number of Pleasant Harbor Marina users to report that oysters have begun growing in his bed in the wake of the Statesman Groups improvements.

Ive got fish under my dock, Lacey said. Ive even got sea lions back, because theyre after the fish.

Port Ludlow resident Tim Radliff recalled the economic boom and bust of his native Midwest in the 1980s and 90s, when cities were so desperate, they were fighting over the rights to prisons, and warned the county could share that same fate by rejecting this development.

Roma Call of the Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe responded by wondering at the wisdom of a deal made when so many Brinnon residents likewise described themselves as desperate.

She followed the remarks of Peter Bahls, executive director of the Northwest Watershed Institute, who urged the county commissioners to adopt only a contract that protects the public interest, adding, The devil is in the details, and the details are not there.

The hearing included testimony from two candidates for elected office: Jodi Wilke, running to represent the 24th Legislative District, and Dan Toepper, running for the Jefferson County Public Utility District Board of Commissioners.

This gives our young people the chance to stay in this community, without living in poverty, Wilke said.

The amount of land thats available in this county is limited and steadily shrinking, Toepper said. Its thanks to the foresight of previous generations that were not all just tourists, but are instead residents of this county.

By the hearings end, county Commissioner Kate Dean estimated that 46 attendees had spoken in favor of the MPR, and 19 had spoken against it.
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The strikes would be in response to a suspected chemical-weapons attack by the regime of Bashar Assad. Trump previously ordered a missile strike on Syria in April 2017, following allegations of a chemical-weapons attack.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Below, you can see how one of the biggest crises of Trump's presidency emerged in the course of a week:

Trump reportedly told military officials to prepare to withdraw from Syria on Tuesday, April 3, the same day that senior military leaders warned that the fight against ISIS was not over.

Source: ,

"I want to get out. I want to bring our troops back home. I want to start rebuilding our nation," Trump said on April 3.

Source:

That dispute between Trump and his military advisers was followed on April 7, by what is believed to have been a chemical weapons attack on civilians in Douma, a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.

Source:

Initial estimates of the death toll ranged from about 40 to more than 150. Local groups said scores of people "suffocated to death." Many of those killed were huddled in shelters, and chlorine gas was suspected.

Source:

In the days after the attack, Trump inveighed against Russian President Vladimir Putin, appearing to drop the long-held affection he has had for the Russian leader. "President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad," Trump tweeted, adding there was a "Big price" to pay.

Source:

The weekend closed with strikes reported at military airfields in Syria. The US denied it carried to the strikes, and Syria and Russia blamed Israel, which did not immediately deny involvement. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said early on Monday that he would not rule out "anything" in regard to the US response to the chemical attack.

Source: ,

Trump started the week railing against the suspected chemical attack, calling it "atrocious" and "horrible." He said his administration would make a decision about how to response within 48 hours. "We cannot allow atrocities like that," he said. "Everybody's going to pay a price."

Source:

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley also railed against Russia during a UN Security Council meeting on Monday. "The Russian regime, whose hands are also covered in the blood of Syrian children, cannot be shamed by pictures of its victims," she said. "Russia could stop this senseless slaughter, if it wanted, but it stands with the Assad regime and supports it without hesitation."

Source:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told security cabinet officials during a closed meeting on Monday that he believed the US would order a military strike in Syria in response to the attack.

Source:

On Tuesday morning, hours after federal agents raided the office of Trump's personal lawyer, the White House announced that Trump would skip the Summit of the Americas, which was scheduled to take place in Lima, Peru, starting April 13. The White House said Trump would remain in the US to "oversee the American response to Syria."

Source:

On Tuesday, Russia vetoed a US-drafted UN resolution that would have condemned the suspected chemical attack in Syria and set up a new body to investigate who was responsible for it. Twelve of the council's 15 members voted for the resolution, with Russia and Bolivia voting "no." China abstained.

Source:

A French naval source also said Tuesday that over the weekend a fully armed Russian warplane buzzed the French frigate Aquitaine at low altitude in the eastern Mediterranean. The Aquitaine was operating off Lebanon alongside US warships in support of the operation against ISIS. The French source said the French government contacted Russia about the overflight.

Source:

On Tuesday evening, Russia's ambassador to Lebanon told Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV that, "If there is a strike by the Americans," then "the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired."

Source:

Earlier on Tuesday, Russia said it hoped all sides involved in Syria would act with restraint to avoid further destabilizing the situation. The Kremlin said allegations the Assad regime carried out the attacks were not based on real facts and called for an impartial investigation. Asked about the Russian ambassador to Lebanon's comments about shooting down US missiles, a Russian spokesman said he did not want to comment.

Source:

Wednesday started with an early-morning tweet from Trump. "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" Trump said. "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Source:

"So much Fake News about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria. Feels great to have Bolton & Larry K on board" Trump added later on Wednesday, referring to new national-security adviser John Bolton and new senior economic adviser Larry Kudlow.

Source:

Not long after appearing to threaten imminent strikes in Syria, Trump took what seemed to be a more conciliatory tone, tweeting, "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"

Source:

The Pentagon, asked about Trump tweeting that missiles "will be coming" to Syria, said on Wednesday morning that it wouldn't comment on potential military operations. While a Pentagon spokesman said the attack on April 7 "demands an immediate response from the international community," he referred questions "to the White House to characterize the president's tweet."
Talk of missile or air strikes against Syrian government forces as part of a retaliatory action for the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma on Saturday has heated up in the last 24 hours.

But while Syrian air defenses are viewed as either not a threat or fair game for destruction, Russia's air defenses provide a much more difficult challenge, and not only because their destruction could lead to higher escalation. The air defenses could prove dangerous should the Russians decide to protect their Syrian ally.

Both the Pantsir and the S-400 were brought to Syria years ago by Russia. Notably, the Russian systems, working in tandem, could take on both low-flying and high-flying targets, and could be a problem for US forces attempting to strike Syria.

The Pantsir, known to NATO as the SA-22 Greyhound, entered service in the Russian military in 2012. Its primary role is that of point-defense, meaning it can defend from low-flying aerial targets within a certain area.

It is armed with two 2A38M 30 mm autocannons that have a maximum fire ratetwelve AA missiles in twelve launch canisters. The system's weapons have an effective range of 10 to 20 kilometers.

Conversely, Russia's S-400 missile system is intended to deal with long-range targets. The system can be armed with four different missiles, the longest of which has a claimed range of 400 kilometers, while the most common missile has a range of 250 kilometers.

The two systems working in tandem provide a "layered defense," with the S-400 providing long-ranged protection against bombers, fighter jets, and ballistic missiles, and the Pantsir providing medium-ranged protection against cruise missiles, low-flying strike aircraft, and drones.

This explains why the systems have been deployed together in Syria, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has said "guaranteed the superiority of our Aerospace Forces in Syrian air space."

The Pantsir has also reportedly been seen in Ukraine's Donbas region, no doubt helping separatists defend against attacks from the Ukrainian Air Force.

Just before the end of January, Russia announced that its Pantsir-S1 mobile surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapons system would be equipped with a new type of missile to help it defend against smaller, low-flying targets.

Called the "gvozd" (the Russian word for "nail"), the missile is a small armament designed to take out small targets like drones. The Pantsir will reportedly be able to carry 4 gvozds in one canister, which means a fully armed system can have up to 48 missiles.

The issue of how to combat small and cheap drones that can carry small payloads or carry out kamikaze-style attacks continues to vex global militaries. The terrorist group ISIS has found them to be particularly useful, and last January saw a swarm of drones attack a Russian air base in Syria, reportedly damaging seven jets.

"It certainly makes the system more robust," Jeffrey Edmonds, a research scientist and expert on the "A layered defense is always better than a single defense layer."

Compared to Russia, the US does not have a point-defense system. Its air defense strategy relies primarily on the Patriot Missile System, the Avenger Air Defense System, and shoulder launched FIM-92 Stingers.

Edmonds says that the reason the Russians have been able to achieve these gains in aerial defense over the West is because the US has not had to face an adversary with advanced air capabilities, and because Russia's air defense strategy is made specifically to counter America's aerial superiority.

"For the Russians, in any conflict with the United States, the primary concern is going to be a massive aerospace attack," Edmonds said.

Operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yugoslavia, and elsewhere have shown that the Americans prefer to use what the Russians refer to as non-contact or new-model warfare  the use of effective airpower to destroy a large amount of targets and winning wars without invading a country.

"Their layered defenses are designed around that threat," Edmonds said.

As a result, Russia's air defenses are much more advanced than anything that the US and its allies currently field.

But that may not necessarily spell doom for the US and its allies, Edmonds said.

"Do we need the same kind of systems as the Russians? That's not necessarily the case because the threat they pose to us is different than the threat we pose to them," Edmonds said.

Edmonds pointed out that aircraft take a more active and aggressive role in American and NATO strategy than Russian strategy.

"The way we fight, our aircraft are out front. They prep the battlespace for follow-on units," he said. "It's almost the opposite for the Russians. Fighter aircraft will be fighting kind of behind the line, not venturing far out front."

Edmonds also noted that defense against an aerospace happens "across domains."
Elon Musk has become legendary for coming up with huge, seemingly impossible ideas. At SpaceX, Musk's rocket company, Gwynne Shotwell is the person tasked with turning the entrepreneur's wild visions into reality.

Shotwell, the COO and president of SpaceX, has been at the company since its founding in 2002. During an onstage interview at the 2018 TED Conference in Vancouver, she discussed what it's like to work with Musk.

"I love working for Elon. I've been doing it for 16 years this year," she said. "He's funny, and fundamentally without him saying anything, he drives you to do your best work."

In addition to his huge ideas, Musk is also known for wanting to turn those ideas into reality on tight timelines (see: his plan to start colonizing Mars in the next decade). Shotwell has learned to roll with it.

"When Elon says something, you have to pause and not blurt out 'Well, that's impossible,'" she said. "You zip it, you think about it, and you find ways to get it done. I've always felt like my job was to take these ideas and turn them into company goals, to make them achievable."

Shotwell said she noticed at a certain point that every time she thought she'd gotten the company to catch up to Musk's goals  to make his ideas feel achievable  he'd throw something new out that would keep SpaceX on its toes.

"Once I realized that was his job...and my job was to get us feeling comfortable, I liked my job a lot more," she said.

It's not like Shotwell doesn't have wild visions of her own. SpaceX's plans for Mars are just the first step in what she imagines will be a much bigger journey.
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Writing examinations is one of the most important stages in a students career. In Nigerian schools, anyone who wants to pass a course must write the exam no matter what deserves your attention. Two students in Benue state learnt this the hard way.

READ ALSO:Lady plays the role of grooms best man at a wedding

Dorcas Atsea and Deborah Atoh, who study mass communication at Benue State University in south-east Nigeria, both set their wedding dates for 7 April - long after their final exams were supposed to be over.

The courses lecturer, Benjamin Ogbu, who photographed the brides in the exam hall explained that the exam could not be rescheduled because of just two people because it was going to be unfair to the others and the process involved was cumbersome.

Dorcas Atsea revealed that she was very happy to be getting married to the love of her life and also completing school at the same time. She added that her classmates were excitedas she entered the class.

I attempted to shift the exam, but to no avail, she said. I went to the exam officer, she said I should choose between the two: the exam or the wedding.
The local executive of the Ghana Nurses and Midwifery Association in the district have visited the hospital to appeal to the staff to rescind their decision.

Public Relations of the Association, Justice Parmak, told Accra-based Starr FM that the staff are angry and traumatized by the way the police are treating their colleague.

He added that the staffs of the hospital have therefore refused to resume duties until their colleague, who they maintained was accused wrongly, is released and discharged.

The police have arrested a male nurse of the Damongo Government hospital for sexually assaulting a debilitated malaria female patient under his care at the facility, after allegedly giving her an overdosed medication.

The victim, an Italian national, accused Ernest Green, 28, of having unprotected sex with her on Friday dawn, few hours after she was admitted to the hospital on Thursday midnight.

The police subsequently arrested the nurse on Sunday after a report was filed by the recuperating victim.

The victim said she was taken to a separate room by the male nurse, where he promised her a better care but ended up raping her repeatedly after she was enervated by drugs prescribed by the nurse.
The team underwent rigorous sessions in weapon handling, suspect control, vehicle search among others.

They are expected to frequently patrol crime prone areas in order to ensure safety of citizens and to help reduce crime in the country.

Director General of Operations, DCOP Simon Afeku, described the initiative as a good way to deal with robbers.

According to him, Police patrols are greatly needed at crime prone areas to ensure that crime cases are checked.

The Inspector General of Police David Asante-Apeatu also noted that the 69-man squad will not be lenient with criminals essentially those that use motorbikes to rob.

He called on the trained motorbike patrol team to do their best in fighting crime in the country.
In a paper analysing President Akufo-Addos national address on the matter, the four researchers: Dr Etse Sikanku, Frank Kofi Boadi, Halisa Aziz and Nana Kwame Osei Fordjuour, said the president failed to touch on the substance of the issues raised by critics as far as the agreement is concerned.

As part of the agreement, the United States of Americas government will be spending $20million in training and supplying equipment for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

Ghana has also agreed to bear the cost and take primary responsibility for securing US military facilities in the country.

Critics, however, hold the opinion that Ghanas sovereignty is at stake as the deal provides fertile grounds for the establishment of a base by the US, but Nana Akufo-Addo insists the agreement will benefit the country.

The researchers indicated in their article on Akufo Addos statement that: The President was personal, using this frame to allay fears that the deal will not put the countrys security in jeopardy and to build trust adding this is, perhaps, the tone most of the speech should have assumed.

They added that the president clearly denied the purported intention to establish a military base but simply doing so without getting into the substantive reasons as to why he arrived at this conclusion did not sound convincing enough.

The researchers in the report further noted that Mr Akufo-Addo evaded responsibility by saying that previous governments had signed similar Agreements.

According to them, the president used transcendence by casting the agreement within the broader context of deepening democracy and international relations. This was not effective because it did not address the specific elements of the Agreement.

They added that Mr Akufo-Add also attacked his accusers adding in this case his focus was the opposition and the media, even though the term accuser in this case could be broadened to Ghanaians in general. The President should have realised he was not just addressing the opposition but the wider Ghanaian public.

They observed that the Presidents foul mood was also evident toward the conclusion of his speech when he spoke of his outrage concerning the defamatory comments from my political opponents, some of whose patriotism can be so easily questioned.

The researchers pointed out that: So, incensed was the President that even though the concluding part of his speech was intended to be inspirational, it hardly sounded so listening to him.

Overall, what we would say is that a nationally televised address, like press conferences, is a rarely held political communication event by the President. Such addresses are normally done in periods of national crisis, national controversies and during periods of critical national concerns or events (for instance national disasters, emergencies, war or when the nation is under attack or threatened). The President is expected to use the event to bring the nation together, whip up collective interests, nationalistic sentiments, call the nation to action and assuage the fears or anxieties of the populace. Such speeches are hardly partisan or overtly/overly political. On this score the President was lacking, the publication added.

Below is the full detail of the research:

Functions of political communication, textual and framing analysis of President Akufo-Addos televised address to the nation on the US-Ghana military co-operation agreement

By: Etse Sikanku, Frank Kofi Boadi, Halisa Aziz, Nana Kwame Osei Fordjuour

We examined President Akufo-Addos televised national address delivered on April 5, 2018. The goal was to focus on the communicative and stylistic elements of the speech. Our objectives were multiple. First, to ascertain the dominant themes/frames present in the presidents televised address. Second, to decipher the communicative or image repair strategies employed by the President. Third, to account for the delivery, stylistic and non-verbal elements of the occasion and fourth, to test or apply Benoits concept of the functions of political communication to the Presidents address.

To achieve these objectives, this article relied on three relevant theories related to the issue at hand: framing, image repair, and functional theory of political communication. Quantitative (content analysis) and qualitative (textual analysis/framing) were employed as the methodological approaches to this research.

Research Question (RQ1): What were the dominant themes present in President Akufo-Addos televised address?

(5) Deepening Democracy & commitment to accountable governance

In this address, the president sought to portray the process of signing the agreement as one that enhanced Ghanas democracy. To achieve this frame or theme, the president relied on several sub-frames or elements. He cast the executives involvement of parliament as a symbol of open and accountable governance. He further sought to burnish his democratic frame by alluding to this move as evidence of transparency and another key element of democracy; citizens right to know. (I take what has happened not to be symptomatic of the hazards of democracy, but a show of the strength of democracy in action. We are seeing being displayed before our very eyes, not the triumph of disorder, but the value of openness in governance, and of the need, the crucial need, for the people to be fully and accurately informed.)

The president went further to portray the backlash and heated debates that ensued in as beneficial. (But for this decision to be open about this agreement, how else would we, the people of Ghana, have ever known that for several decades, Ghana has had defence and security co-operation collaborations with the United States of America?)

Still, within the democratic frame, the president cast himself as someone with an abiding faith in the people of Ghana. (You cannot claim to believe in democracy unless you have faith in the people, faith in their inherent goodness, and faith in their capacity to make the right decisions, given the right information.).

(6) Veiled attacks

Throughout the speech, the president took the opportunity to either rebut or attack his opponents. He cast them as projecting anti-American sentiments while wallowing in the largesse of the US. He called them hypocrites while asserting that they were misleading Ghanaians. He rejected accusations that the agreement amounted to an infringement on Ghanas sovereignty. He maintained that opposition assertions amounted to a cynical manipulation of reckless self-seekers. He then categorically stated that Ghana hadnt offered a military base to the US. The president under this frame admitted that he was outraged by what he deemed as defamatory statements by the political opposition. Some of these words were deemed as harsh, unpresidential and indicative of the presidents anger and outrage.

(7) Comparisons (us vs them, past vs present, NPP vs NDC)

Throughout the speech, an essential theme or frame that dominated was the idea that the NPP was better than the NDC (in handling the Agreement) or in some cases, what the NPP did was no different from what had been done in the past. The President suggested that his government had done better than the NDC who had been secretive with such agreements. He took credit for being transparent. "After all, you, the Ghanaian people, had voted massively for change; therefore, there was simply no way my government would ever keep hidden from you, the people, agreements of such a nature. He said past governments had signed similar Agreements though some maintain that the present Agreement is not nearly the same as previous ones. The President engaged in self-praise to drive home his point.

(8) Defence & assurances: enhancing bilateral/international relations and peacekeeping

One of the dominant frames emerging from a textual analysis of the speech was that of international relations. The president used this theme or frame to defend the agreement and assure the nation that their sovereignty was not being trampled upon. (I will never be the President that will compromise or sell the sovereignty of our country.) He said the conditions under which the agreement was signed were no different from conditions bestowed on embassies, high commissions and other international organisations operating in Ghana. He insisted that the agreement was in keeping with the norms of international diplomacy. Clearly, the president sought to assuage the fears of Ghanaians by situating the agreement within the international relations frame. The fact that the conversations still linger suggest he may not have been successful.

Human Rights defender

The President was personal, using this frame to allay fears and to build trust. (Everything I have done, since assuming the great honour and privilege of serving you as President of the Republic, demonstrates that I remain focused on building a self-reliant, free, prosperous Ghana, which will be able to make her own unique contribution to the growth and development of Africa and the world.) In the concluding aspect of the speech, the President sounded inspirational, nationalistic and high-minded. (Let us rise above them, and build the Ghana of our destiny, the land of freedom, justice, progress and prosperity. May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong). This is perhaps the tone most of the speech should have assumed.

RQ2: What image repair strategies did the President employ in his televised speech to the nation on the US-Ghana military co-operation agreement? He employed denial. He denied the purported intention to establish a military base but simply doing so without getting into the substantive reasons as to why he arrived at this conclusion did not sound convincing enough. (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).

He evaded responsibility by saying that previous governments had signed similar Agreements. He also sought to reduce offensiveness using various components of this particular approach. Bolstering: The president sought to bolster his reputation as a defender of Ghanas rights, someone who respects the Patriots and sovereignty of Ghana. These were generic statements and did little to assuage the concerns of Ghanaians. It appeared the President was skirting the core or substantive issues by relying on his individual reputation and singing his own praises.

The president, as previously highlighted in identifying the themes/frames employed sought to reduce any offensiveness by casting the Agreement as part of Ghanas contributions to regional peace and to fighting the threat of instability in the region. He also alluded to the fact that it was in keeping with Ghanas impressive peacekeeping record. We do not think/believe this was effective either since Ghanaians are well aware of our peacekeeping practices. Also, it is possible we could contribute to regional peace in various ways, as weve often done, aside signing this agreement with the United States. Relying on this refrain was not so convincing. He relied on differentiation as a defence or image repair element by saying they could have signed it in secret like the previous government did.

He used transcendence by casting the agreement within the broader context of deepening democracy and international relations. This was not effective because it did not address the specific elements of the Agreement. This was beside the point. Also, a good image repair strategy should address some core concerns of the average Ghanaian. For instance, will this Agreement expose us to terrorist attacks? Was the agreement lopsided? In other words, did we negotiate a good deal? Are the benefits equal? Are we better off without the deal and what is likely to happen if we didnt sign the deal? These are the core issues the President should have addressed to repair issues or address the crisis, however, the Presidents televised address failed to persuade or speak to such concerns.

He also attacked the accuser. In this case, his focus was the opposition and the media, even though the term accuser in this case could be broadened to Ghanaians in general. The President should have realised he was not just addressing the opposition but the wider Ghanaian public.

RQ3: How did the President perform in his delivery, stylistic and non-verbal elements of his address to the nation on the US-Ghana military co-operation agreement?

The president appeared well dressed for the occasion. He was calm during most portions of the speech and kept his hands down but his pitch tended to rise during certain portions, particularly when addressing the opposition. There were no unnecessary gesticulations. There was no fit of rage. There was no finger-wagging. There was no moment of melodrama. The president did not unravel. He was not unhinged. However, the president seemed clearly outraged and disgusted during certain portions of the speech. When put together with some of the very strident words used to address his opponents, it is easy to understand why some would think the president was angry. He was definitely upset, disgusted, disenchanted and for some momentssome would sayhe seemed to be speaking out of suppressed anger.

Though the president appeared calm, he had slightly high pitched levelssometimes for emphasis, other times to express disdain, during certain sections of the speech. There were also some moments the president sounded clearly outraged and disgusted. When put together with some of the very strident words used to address his opponents, it is easy to understand why some would think the president was angry. There were moments, especially when addressing the opposition, that the president displayed anger.

The president begins this sentence in the concluding parts of his speech with a raised voice; evidently higher than what had been his normal level before then: How could a document intended for the consideration of Parliament be described as a secret document? A careful look at the presidents facial expression, though quite suppressed, reveals his chagrin for the opposition on this issue. Let us remember that President had moments earlier said But we have to take issue with the front-line politicians who have sought to mislead the people in this blatant manner, and those who, for mischievous purposes, leaked the document destined for the scrutiny of Parliament prematurely to a section of the media, who then went on to describe it as a secret document How could a document intended for the consideration of Parliament be described as a secret document? Here, at this particular moment, if you put these words together and with the pitch of the Presidents voice, you can readily and perhaps rightfully conclude that the president demonstrated anger.

It is again plausible to conclude, looking at the presidents facial expression while he said the following: A democracy that has become the beacon of good governance in Africa? portrays and suggests anger. The president wears a frown while saying these words. There seems to be a strain/squirm/ coming together of his eyebrows and his voice is raised higher than it has usually been.

Choice of words

Largely, the words used by the President sought to explain why the government took the decision to sign the Co-operation Agreement. He used anecdotes, innuendos, rhetorical questions and international relations instruments. He also tried to sound uplifting or inspirational towards the end of his speech.

However, at certain moments, the presidents tone and demeanour signified displeasure and his words disparaged opponents. There were certain moments when some word choices could be described as revealing the presidents anger at the publics furore, especially the actions of the opposition. The president says No one has dared suggest that granting these foreign embassies and international institutions these concessions constitute an attack on the sovereignty of Ghana. The word dared could have been omitted and the sentence would have still carried the same meaning. Unlike his reference to political opponents, the word dare is open enough and could be applied to the larger Ghanaian public rather than just his opponents.

Perhaps the most plausible evidence of the presidents anger is his admittance of outrage when he says Fellow Ghanaians, let me conclude by saying how outraged I am by the defamatory comments from my political opponents, some of whose patriotism can be so easily questioned, that the sovereignty of this country has been sold by my government and myself.

In rebutting arguments by his opponents the president tended to raise his voice and in some cases raised his eyebrows (sometimes showing anger, other times indicating emphasis). In moments when he showed disgust, the president tended to lean forward, shook his head slightly or widened his gaze. It happened when he talked about frontline politicians. It happened when he spoke about the fact that Ghana has not offered a military base to the US and it happened when he asked a series of rhetorical questions (How could a document intended for the consideration of Parliament be described as a secret document? It is difficult to understand that such people, knowing what they do know, would set about so blatantly to confuse people, and go as far as calling for the overthrow of our democracy? A democracy that has become the beacon of good governance in Africa? A democracy that has survived for a quarter of a century and encompassed even the most irresponsible episodes of ill governance, in a state of unity and stability?).

His foul mood was also evident toward the conclusion of his speech when he spoke of his outrage concerning the defamatory comments from my political opponents, some of whose patriotism can be so easily questioned So incensed was the President that even though the concluding part of his speech was intended to be inspirational, it hardly sounded so listening to him. We have to add that though the President showed suppressed anger at certain points and overt expressions of being upset or offended, there was no fit of rage, a melting down moment, unnecessary finger waging, extreme aggression or shouting (Howard Dean style), an unhinged moment or a melodramatic moment or a period where he, the President, quite simply unravelled. Significantly, it must also be understood that the President naturally appears to speak forcefully and would sometimes exhibit such demeanour for purposes of emphasis.

PR perspective and body cues

If a listener had missed the entire speech and caught just the concluding parts of it, they were more likely to join the majority of those who believed the president was angry. While he held a rather calm posture at the initial stages of his speech, his concluding parts of the speech suggested his outrage. Some of these concluding statements were targeted at the opposition. Clearly, he was being honest about his feelings on the matter. He physically looked outraged. There was the expression of anger on his face. There were more emphasis on words than there had been initially. He looked upset.

Communicators sometimes maintain that your audience will most likely only remember (go away) with your final words or acts. And perhaps why this tone has become the measure of the Presidents address. People mostly remember the stern warning or approach from the Commander in Chief though we must admit he attempted to inspire and lift the nation. This attempt was drowned by the generally upset tone.

Overall, what we would say is that a nationally televised address, like press conferences, is a rarely held political communication event by the President. Such addresses are normally done in periods of national crisis, national controversies and during periods of critical national concerns or events (for instance national disasters, emergencies, war or when the nation is under attack or threatened). The President is expected to use the event to bring the nation together, whip up collective interests, nationalistic sentiments, call the nation to action and assuage the fears or anxieties of the populace. Such speeches are hardly partisan or overtly/overly political. On this score, the President was lacking.

The President was largely composed but he seemed to have lost it when it came to the opposition. He could have been a bit moderate in his choice of words. He went after his opponents, rather than address the nation as a collective unit. He appeared less incensed at the initial portions of the speech, he sought to make us understand his decisions and this was good for Ghanaians. He sounded partisan at the concluding aspect of his speech and went for the opposition, though theres an attempt to suggest he was talking to Ghanaians.

RQ4: What was the extent of acclaims, attacks or defence statements employed by the President in tandem with the functional theory of political communication or to what extent did the president employ acclaims, attacks and defence as a functional theory of political communication?

One of most relevant theories in the examination of political communication discourse is the functional theory of political communication espoused by an acclaimed scholar, William Benoit. He posits that political communication discourse can either seek to establish preferability through acclaims, attacks and defence. Here, the theory is applied to Nana Akufo-Addos televised address.

Acclaims Attacks Defence

14 12 13

Total 39

Percentages

Acclaims - 36%

Attacks - 31%

Defence - 33%

Some Acclaims

I decided that, under my watch, any such agreements should be subject to the appropriate scrutiny of the peoples representatives in Parliament, in consonance with the requirements of accountable governance and the teachings of the Constitution

I will never be the President that will compromise or sell the sovereignty of our country.

Ghana has built a formidable reputation for its contribution to peace-keeping around the world.

Let us concentrate and spend our energies on working together to achieve that goal of a happy and prosperous Ghana

Some Attacks

 No one has dared suggest that granting these foreign embassies and international institutions these concessions constitute an attack on the sovereignty of Ghana

 Surely, this is the kind of cynical manipulation by reckless self-seekers, which, in the fullness of time, the people of Ghana will acknowledge and condemn

 Reject the hypocrisy of the naysayers who led our country into bankruptcy and the worse economic record of modern Ghanaian history

Some Defences

 Yet, far from being daunted, I take what has happened not to be symptomatic of the hazards of democracy, but a show of the strength of democracy in action

 No suggestion had ever been made that the United States of America had abused any of the privileges or concessions granted under any of these agreements
He said those comments clearly shows that Mahama is not civilised and as an ex-President he shouldn't be speaking in that uncouth manner.

John Mahama told NDC party faithfuls in Wa over the weekend that, "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."

But the Assin MP said those comments were distateful. "This is below the belt completely. You can say Nana is super incompetent, I dont have a problem but to add that he should go for a sticker from Obinim, thats a statement from a man who is uncivilised, he stressed.

It is sad to have a former President of a country believe in things like stickers, its hard to refer to a person of this caliber as a Former president", he added.
In a Facebook post, the NDC MP said he was invited by the Palestinian Authority to give a speech in Ramallah.

I was invited by the Palestinian Authority to give a speech in Ramallah. Israel issues a permit for me to go into Palestine. Just when I arrive at the border they won't allow me to enter Palestine.

His post showed how unhappy he was about the treatment.

The MP who has been vocal against Israels occupation in Palestine, and recently led a Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in Ghana in protest of the United States recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital.

He asked if the Israelis are afraid of the truth and wondered why he will be denied entry after granting him the permit.

What is this rogue state [Israel] afraid of? The truth? That I would witness the occupation first hand and call them out for the terrorists they are? The politics of discrimination and apartheid should have no place to thrive in the 21st century.

If they change their minds and allow me entry, I would say what I plan to say. If they dont, I would say it anyway. However how long it takes the oppressed Palestinian people would get Justice, he added.

Ras Mubarak joins a growing number of African parliamentarians and dignitaries who have been denied entry into the OPT by Israel.

In April 2015, South Africas Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, was denied entry into the OPT, while en-route to Ramallah to promote research collaboration between the University of Johannesburg and institutions in the OPT.
The regime and its Iranian and Russian allies increasingly appear to be on the path to victory in Syria's brutal seven-year civil war, while the West has been reluctant to engage militarily.

Here is what you need to know about the Russian army's presence in Syria.

How many troops?

The precise number of Russian troops fighting in Syria is not known.

Putin said in December that some 48,000 Russian servicemen have taken part in the campaign.

He has ruled out dispatching ground troops in Syria, making the air force the mainstay of Moscow's Syria campaign.

Officials have acknowledged the presence of Russian advisors and military police in Syria, however.

Independent Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer estimated late last year that "up to a thousand" military police and special forces are fighting alongside regime troops.

In March, the defence ministry said a total of 2,954 Russian troops in Syria had voted in presidential polls, giving an idea of current numbers.

In December Putin made a surprise visit to Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Latakia, Syria where he ordered a partial pullout of the country's troops, saying their task had been largely completed.

Russia said the airbase, set up in 2015, would remain in operation permanently, while its naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus would be expanded.

Three battalions of military police and officers of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation would remain in Syria, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Putin first said in March 2016 that the country's military campaign in Syria was coming to an end.

Today few believe Russia is leaving the war-torn country any time soon.

Mercenaries

Officials and observers also point out the presence of a "shadow army" of Russian mercenaries in Syria, including those working for a private military company called Wagner.

Military expert Felgenhauer last year estimated the number of mercenaries at 2,000 to 3,000.

Moscow in March acknowledged five Russian nationals were killed and "dozens" wounded in US strikes on an area where no official troops were present, saying they all were in Syria "on their own initiative."

Various media reports in Russia and the United States said Wagner was being funded by one of Putin's allies Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Saint Petersburg businessman who previously carried out catering contracts for Russia's military and the Kremlin.

He has been charged by a US court and hit by Washington sanctions over setting up an internet "troll factory" that is accused of attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. He has denied involvement.

How many casualties?

Russia has officially acknowledged 84 military losses in the Syrian war, including 39 killed in a plane crash at Hmeimim in March that was not caused by military action.

Fighter planes, bombers

Russia rules the skies in Syria and the role of its air force there has been celebrated at home.

Bomber planes such as the Tu-22 and Tu-160 have also flown from Russia to hit targets in Syria.

Navy, aircraft carriers

Russian warships and submarines have also played a prominent role backing up the bombing campaign in Syria, firing missiles at Islamic State group targets from the Mediterranean.

The Hmeimim airbase on the western coast and the naval facility in Tartus have been protected by S-300 and S-400 air missile defence systems.

Russian ships, such as Moscow's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, have also completed missions in Syria. The Kuznetsov is now out of action for repairs set to last 2 to 3 years.

Russian ships are passing back and forth through the Bosphorus every couple of days.
Cospedal was representing Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis who is accompanying Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on an official visit to Argentina.

Prince Mohammed is scheduled to meet with Spain's King Felipe VI, who acceded to the throne in 2014, on Thursday morning before holding talks later in the day with Rajoy.

During his short visit Spain and Saudi Arabia are expected to sign five memorandums of understanding in the areas of culture, science, employment, air transport and defence, a Spanish foreign ministry source said.

Top-selling daily newspaper El Pais reported earlier this week that Spain would likely make progress during his visit on a deal to sell five warships to Saudi Arabia for around two billion euros.

A coalition of NGOs including Amnesty International and Greenpeace urged Spain not to go ahead with the sale of the five corvettes because they could be used in Saudi Arabia's military campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, where thousands of civilians have been killed.

The Saudi prince's trip to Spain comes hot on the heels of a three-day official visit to France and after a tour lasting several weeks of the United States, Britain and Egypt, where the self-styled moderniser signed multimillion-dollar deals.
The government said the short extension after the original March 31, 2018 date is based on the appeals of professional bodies and individual taxpayers as no further extension of time will be approved after June 30.

Recall that few weeks to deadline, Ayodele Zubair, Chairman of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), said the agency has been approached by many individuals and corporate organisations seeking to declare their indebtedness.

Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) in a statement released on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, said President Muhammadu Buhari approved the new date based on the conviction of the Ministry of Finance that the overall objective to increase compliance will be attained, and additional revenue will accrue.

According to the President, a fresh Executive Order will be made to give legal backing to the new timeline.

"For a nation of people who are competitive and driven, it is not a pride that we are the lowest performer in tax to GDP, not just in Africa, but in the world.

"Nigeria's growth needs are such that every Nigerian must do his duty to his nation, to his neighbour, and to himself.

"Hiding monies overseas, evading taxes by manipulation, and other unwholesome practices, have never developed a country, and for Nigeria to attain her true potential, these must stop," the statement reads.

Government urges individuals to regularise tax payment

The President urged Nigerian companies and individuals to join government in the rebuilding mission, "and do the right thing by taking this window of extension to regularize."

He added that the right thing may not be convenient or comfortable, "but in the long run, we will all have a nation we can be proud of."

President Buhari further urged tax authorities to use the extension window to perfect plans to prosecute those who fail to regularize their tax status.

Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS)

VAIDS is one of the key policies being used by the Federal Government to reposition the Nigerian economy and correct inherited underdevelopment.

The government said the country has one of the lowest tax collection rates in the world at just 6% of GDP and that the reliance on oil made Nigeria to abandon the historical revenue collection systems and switch to a culture of sharing resources, rather than generating them.
At least, the sum of N108 billion has been lost to several constraints by Nigeria's power sector in the first three months of 2018.

Data from the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) confirmed that Nigerias power sector lost the sum due to several constraints inhibiting the regular supply of electricity in the country.

January's Loss was valued at over N1.5billion

In January alone, the average power generated and distributed was 3,971mw while 2,302.8mw was not generated due to unavailability of gas.

In the same vein, as a result of the unavailability of transmission infrastructure, about 417mw was not generated high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure disturbed the generation of while 290mw.

As a result of all these constraints, the power sector lost an estimated N1.584 billion on January 25, 2018, due to insufficient gas supply, distribution infrastructure, and transmission challenges.

The constraints

The Nigerian power sector has been plagued with structural issues in all key areas that include generation, gas supply, transmission, and distribution.

Sadly, the operational capacity of the countrys power plants is less than a third of their installed capacity.

As it has been mostly reported, chronic vandalism has crippled oil and gas pipelines, creating gas shortages at power plants.

In the same vein, underinvestment in maintenance and infrastructure has constrained the transmission grid.

Government is committed to providing regular and efficient supply - power minister

Babatunde Fashola, Nigeria's Minister of Power, who also doubles as the Works and Housing Minister, has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to providing regular and efficient power supply in the country.

The minister said: While it is no longer news that we have reached a 7,000MW) Generation Capacity and have a 5000MW Distribution Capacity; what is newsworthy is that last month we met with Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), DisCos, and GenCos on how to implement the Eligible Customer Policy and increase connectivity to the 2000MW that is available.

World Bank approves $486 million Transmission Company of Nigeria

The power minister has also disclosed that the Federal Government had secured the World Banks approval for $486 million Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) transmission expansion funding.

He also said progress is being made with the same bank for the Rural Electrification and Distribution Expansion Funding.

He said: In many parts of the country connected to the grid, citizens feedback is positive, even though all the problems are not solved. Citizens acknowledge more power in dry weather, reduced hours of running their generators and reduction in fuel (diesel and petrol) purchase to power generators.

The minister said that the country was moving away from theorising about power to the actual provision of efficient power to support trade and businesses, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who are the drivers of our economy.
A South African cancer survivor, Mpho Nyane, has broken the internet after she tweeted about her graduation with emotions.

On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, Mpho graduated alongside several students from the University of Johannesburg and she decided to tell the world that despite all odds, she scaled through.

She tweeted, "On the first day I went to UJ, a lecturer told my parents and I that I wouldn't make it because of my disability. But look at God, I made it. Never Give up on your goals!!!. UJGraduate"

The tweet, which has been pinned to her timeline, has garnered over 11,000 retweets, 36,000 likes and 530 responses with many congratulating her.

Mpho, who wore a flowing gown to her graduation, has also been commended for her creativity when she revealed that she designed and made the gown.

Already, a Twitter user, who claims to have an organisation that provides job for people with special needs, threw a job offer at Mpho few hours after her tweet went viral.

The South African beauty had responded saying she will definitely keep in touch.

Mpho's sister took to her timeline to shower encomium and praise her sister for being a strong personality.

She wrote: "You are a cancer survivor... now you are UJ graduate...I cannot imagine how life must've been for you, but seeing you graduate today filled me with so much joy. You're such a courageous, ambitious and beautiful person. You're an example of what it means to live a fearless life."
Dr Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, made this appeal last week during the 2018 Global Spring Launch held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

"I want to appeal to TECNO Mobile that we are ready to partner with you. We will assist you in every way possible to encourage you".

"Government is prepared to encourage investors to market their products in Nigeria and more especially, establish production plants for such products within the country to service the West African sub-region and create jobs for our teeming youth."

"May I also, seize this opportunity to invite investors to partner with our higher institutions to open laboratories for the refining of essential mineral resources as well as training of suitable individuals on the production of accessories, parts, components etc, to grow our local content and material for the production sector.

"This will encourage new businesses to emerge and reduce the production cost of the final products." the Minister said.

He acknowledged governments failings in the past and its inability to provide an enabling environment for investors to set up locally.
Professor of Islamic Sharia at Al-Azhar University, Ahmed Karima made the plea on Sunday, April 8, 2018, according to Egypt Independent.

He argues that Easter should be celebrated by Muslims because it is mentioned in the Quran.

Prophet Moussa chose that day for people to come together on the Nile, as harvesting takes place in April. We should not listen to the ignorant. People should go out and celebrate Easter, he says.

Professor Karima has a second argument. According to him, Easter should be celebrated by Muslims because it is just an old traditional and social feast with no religious beliefs.

In his words, It is an old feast that has existed in Egypt for 4,200 years. It is a pharaonic feast that has been celebrated since 2,700 BC. The feast falls on the days known as the turn of spring, where night and day become equal.

The professor goes on to explain that the pharaohs believed that Easter marks the beginning of creation. The feast then was transferred to sons of Israel as it fell on the date where the children of Israel left Egypt, and it became a celebration of the incident. The Copts took the feast and made it their own, for them it falls on Eid Al-Keyama (Judgment Day Celebration).

How other Muslims feel about celebrating Easter

Professor Karimas statements follow a declaration from Egypts governmental and Islamic body. On April 8, 2018, Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah issued a Fatwa permitting people to celebrate Easter.

This year, a former and esteemed Sheikh named Atteya Sakr has also issued a fatwa allowing Easter to be celebrated by Muslims.

On the other hand, there are other fatwas that have forbidden Easter celebrations. Salafi fatwas forbid Muslims from going out and celebrating Easter.
The leader of the Roman Catholic church made this distinction in his newly released apostolic exhortation called Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad).

In the document, which is a formal counsel to Catholics, Pope Francis writes that there is a constant struggle against the devil, the prince of evil.

He is quick to inform the readers that he is not speaking figuratively adding, We should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea. This mistake would lead us to let down our guard, to grow careless and end up more vulnerable.

Pope Francis on Satan

This is not the first time the Holy Father has warned people about Satan. In 2017, he also insists that the Devil is a very real, evil being.

Speaking with an Italian Catholic broadcaster from TV2000, Pope Francis said, "He's not like mist. He's not a diffuse thing, he is a person. I'm convinced that one must never converse with Satan - if you do that, you'll be lost. He's more intelligent than us, and he'll turn you upside down, he'll make your head spin.

The pontiff added, "He always pretends to be polite - he does it with priests, with bishops. That's how he enters your mind. But it ends badly if you don't realise what is happening in time. We should tell him, 'Go away.'"

ALSO READ: Pope Francis paints a scary picture of who Satan really is

Pope Francis on Hell

This new document, which has no mention of hell, comes weeks after the controversy caused by a report that claimed that the pontiff denied the existence of hell.

According to newspaper publisher and atheist, Eugenio Scalfari, the pope told him, There is no hell, there is the disappearance of sinful souls.
The university was approved on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the Federal Executive Council Meeting, in Abuja.

According to reports, the new institution will be located in Biu, Borno state.

The approval follows the presentation of a memo by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, Premium Times reports.

Adamu announced the approval while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the council.

ALSO READ: 10 private universities that are not owned by religious institutions

Earlier in March, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general, had announced that the Nigerian Army will upgrade the Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies to a full fledge University of Technology and Environmental Studies.

The university was conceived as a unique one that will be different from conventional universities in Nigeria.

The concept is to make it a solution provider and a centre of excellence for a variety of technologically related ventures such as generation and armament production, the army chief said.

Nigeria now has 163 universities

Approval of the Military University increases the total number of universities in Nigeria to 163.

Recall that on Monday, March 12, the National Universities Commission approved Zamfara State University as the 47th state-owned university and 162nd in Nigeria.
Two days after the audio clip in which Prof Akindele allegedly demanded five rounds of sex from a yet-to-be-identified student went viral, Lara Owoeye-Wise, a presenter at African Independent Television has said more than five graduates of the university have reached out to her to tell her about their sexual harassment experience with the lecturer.

Owoeye said one of the victims sent a message to her Facebook to report how the embattled OAU lecturer insisted on sleeping with her before she could pass his course twenty years ago.

Here is the Facebook post.

Speaking with Pulse about the sex-for-mark allegation against the lecturer, the media personality said, more than five people have sent messages to her to narrate their sexual harassment experience with the lecturer.

''Somebody sent to my inbox that Prof Akindele has sexually harassed them before. In fact, I have more, many people have reached out to me, making confessions. One of my friends in the US said he broke up with his girlfriend because the lecturer slept with the girl 10 years ago. I have so many of such confessions in my inbox now''.

The media personality also said Prof Akindele's sexual activities with his students caused a break up between two students of the university.

''Some of them saw his pictures when I published it on Facebook and they were surprised that this same man is involved in a sex scandal.

One saw the picture and said, 'so it is this dude, I don't know it is this dude. Over 10 years ago, I was to marry a girl, but this lecturer slept with her because he wanted to give her grades and that's how we broke up.'

Lara Owoeye-Wise further said "Right now, I have about five people who have come out to tell me about heir sexual harassment experience with Prof Akindele."

OAU VC reacts to sex-for-mark scandal

Meanwhile,The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede has ragainst the lecturer.
He, however, neglected to mention the exact political office he is interested in or the political party he would be working with.

Politics affects everything I do, he said. So, I am definitely going to be interested in politics. I will soon participate as a contestant and speak the truth at all times.

I hope and pray that good men will rise up and make a difference in this country because we need more patriotic people in all aspects of life.

2Face condemned the continuous clash between farmers and Fulani herdsmen clashes that have negatively impacted Benue state, which he hails from.

There is so much weve been saying about this crisis, but nothing much has come the way of the victims, he said.

We just need more people to support and join hands to continue extending relief materials to affected people. This is the most important thing we can now do; bring succour to the victims.

I feel terrible not because it also happened in Benue State, where I hail from, but because it is also happening almost throughout the federation. It does not have to happen to someone you know before you speak up about it.

Recall that in January 2017, 2baba announced a nationwide protest against the policies of the federal government.

According to him, the Nigerian government has failed its people leading the country into an economic downturn.

ALSO READ: R&B legend lashes at critics questioning his good intention

However, after coming under intense pressure to drop the demonstration, 2baba announced the cancellation, saying,

It has become clear that the One Voice protest scheduled to hold in Lagos and Abuja is under serious threat of hijack by those whose interest do not align with our ideals.

The point I intend making is not worth the life of any Nigerian. It is motivated by the need to demand a better deal for the ordinary Nigerian.
It would be recalled that video of the men and operatives of SARS manhandling a certain young man who they claimed refused to allow them to see the content of his phone. It was reported that he died from wounds inflicted by the officers.

Now the gist is that ASP Badmus has come to say that, the Lagos state commissioner of police, Edgar Imohimi is presently interrogating the officers involved in the alleged murder.

However, rapper, Ruggedman isn't having any of this statement as he went on to call out the PRO saying that Nigerians are tired of hearing the same news all the time.

''I am sorry that statement is never going to be enough for us. We are tired of these same words. We need to see them in court and hear their jail sentence. We feel the police keeps protecting the bad eggs and leaving innocent citizens to die. Now people are pulling me into this mess and I will not stand by and get coloured black. Please do better," he replied the police officer.

It didn't end there as she went to reply Ruggedman by saying she was totally disappointed in him for saying that the police was shielding the bad eggs.
Thomas said this during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday, April 10. He expressed his displeasure at the show being hosted in South Africa, stating that Nigeria has what it takes to host the show.

"If it is Big Brother Africa, they can host that anywhere; but the one for Nigeria should be hosted in Nigeria," he said.

Nigeria has what it takes to host the show; after all, there are many multinational/telecommunication companies hitherto operating hitch-free in the country."

According to Thomas, if companies like MTN are operating in Nigeria, then the organisers of Big Brother Naija have no excuse.

If MTN, a similar South African company, has been surviving in this country, then I dont think anybody has an excuse for not hosting BBNaija in Nigeria. They are making a lot of money from Nigerians here, so, we want them to host it here.

Thomas also spoke about the constant criticism of the show by Nigerians, who consider it immoral.

Parents can always block the watching of some scenes within a particular period or in totality. It is not governments responsibility to assume the parental roles of moral upbringing of children in their homes, he said.

Big Brother Nigeria made its debut in 2006, and was shot in Lagos Nigeria. 10 years later, the reality show returned as Big Brother Naija, and was shot in South Africa.
In a recent online interview, media personality Emma Ugoleemade some startling revelations on payola in the Nigerian music industry.

How come Payola keeps resurfacing every time we discuss the music industry? Can there ever be a level playing ground in the music industry with payola?

Well, these are 7 things you should know about payola and how it affects the industry.

1. How it all began

In the 1920s, Payola used to be a legal act (still is to an extent), as long as it is paid directly to the media house and disclosed openly. But sometime in 1959, it became illegal due to a high profile case involving Alan Freed, a top DJ at the time with WABC radio in New York.

Alan Freed was fired after he refused to sign a statement that he had never received money to play a record on air. This led to its first court case in 1960, which made the news and subsequently served as references in court judgements.

2. How did the word 'Payola' come about?

Payola is actually coined from the words, 'Pay' and 'Victrola', which is a crank- driven turntable with an inbuilt speaker used by deejays back in the days. So a hybrid of the two words gave birth to 'Payola'.

3. Payola is not just in form of cash

Payola comes in various forms not down to cash alone. In the 50s, American artists gave deejays fur coats in exchange for airplay. While as Emma Ugolee also revealed in the interview, the likes of Five Star music have allegedly handed out cars to deejays and OAPs for sustained promotion.

4. Even with social media, payola still lives

Despite the new windows created by social media, Payola is still a thing as commercial radio reaches a larger audience across the world in a short period of time and that remains the fastest route to scoring a hit.

The act has also spread to online media as bloggers have also joined in making the music homogenous on their pages.

5. How does Payola influence the charts?

The music industry is a game of numbers and saturation. Record companies or big artists pay for their songs to flood the airwaves so they can be acceptable to corporations and make a profit from their sales.

At some point in Nigeria, two or three labels ruled the land, controlled the radio stations ensuring that only their acts get played and this influenced charts nationwide and killed music diversity.

6. Payola kills competition

With Payola, it is never about what you want to listen to, but what they feed you with.

The only person who wins in payola is the payer who gets increased exposure and a career boost. But it leaves an imbalance as it is damaging to independent artists and small labels who cannot compete.

7. People have been punished for payola

In 2005, one of the world's biggest record labels, Sony BMG was made to pay $10 million in fines after it was charged guilty of engaging in payola.
It all started for the one-time bright kid, now 28 years old, during a visit to his friend's residence at the age of 12.

As a youngster who grew up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the road looked so smooth for him.

His family were in touch with wealth, an attribute that had firmly placed him on a path of speedy success, but his addiction to drugs rephrased that script according to tweets shared by the Naija Class Captain.

ALSO READ: Abuja is becoming a busy territory for codeine users

It was a case of a gradual but steady decline for the man whose addiction to marijuana created more monsters.

He fed his urges with money stolen from his parents who knew at the time that sending him to a private academic institution - a Christian-owned school for the matter, was a necessity but that did not quite help.

After living out the phase, he has decided on turning a new leaf and some Twitter users have been quite supportive.

Meet poor crippled old man who cures diseases by smoking weed

In Calabar, Cross River State, a crippled waste collector, Effanga Francis Umoh, has found better result from smoking weed.

An elderly Umoh told Vanguard News that he has had no reason to visit the hospital due to a consumption of the drug substance.

This has saved him from the challenge of visiting the hospital - a venture that will have cost money he does not have in abundance.

He survives on payment made to him by market women who have been serviced by his waste disposal activity.

Umoh had an air of pride while describing his dedication to his occupation despite hindrances caused by his physical challenge. He attributed it as a personality common with individuals from his ethnic group.

I am an Efik man and we do not beg for alms in any circumstance because we are a proud nation.

"So I will rather work than bring shame to my people," says Umoh who was captured sitting on the floor in a picture.

ALSO READ: Tramadol user goes mad in Lagos
A post shared via the platform on Monday, March 26, 2018, saw congregants scamper to lay their hands on the feet of South African spiritual leader, Prophet Jacob.

The clergyman was captured sitting on a red chair while his followers gathered around him as a group comprising of men and women.

This action has been condemned on Facebook where users expressed huge disappointment about the state of affairs in Christendom, fast becoming a nest for controversies.

According to an accompanying caption, the display was part of activities lined up for a Sunday anointing service at the church.

Pastor who attempted to "fly to heaven" becomes butt of jokes on social media

A clergyman, Bishop Daniel Obinim of the International Gods Way Church in Ghana, has been made a laughing stock following a viral video of him attempting to "fly to heaven."

This clip was shared by a Facebook user, David Hooah who captioned the footage posted on Sunday, January 28, 2018, "Obinim is trying to fly to heaven" amid laughter.

He was captured during a service as he made a posture that portrayed him in a position poised to take off.

The bishop was seen flapping his hands as he shortly made for a crowd at top speed. The group of Christian worshippers waited at an end of the church as he flew towards their direction.
Items recovered from the suspects, Ale Daniel, Tunde Badmus, Adams Tunde Adedeji and Ajiboye Gbenga, include an array of luxurious cars such as a Benz, Range Rover and magical charm.

They were apprehended on Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Lekki, Lagos.

"Suspected yahoo-yahoo boys arrested by the EFCC Lagos office in the Lekki area of the state for their alleged involvement in cybercrime and money laundering activities.

"Charms were part of the items recovered from them," a tweet shared on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, via EFCC's Twitter reads.

Pictures circulating online media showed the quartet take position in front of their respective vehicles.

Suspects are expected to be arraigned as soon as the EFCC concludes investigation.

ALSO READ: Lady regrets dating Yahoo boy who eats bread and excreta for money rituals

Evil charm seized from Yahoo boys who use 'juju' to rob client

In Calabar, Cross River State, the police have arrested three Yahoo boys who reportedly use 'Juju' charm to rob their victims.

State police commissioner, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, confirmed the report while parading the suspects identified as Chukwuemeka Ahunanya, 22; Francis Ugochukwu, 25; and Emmanuel Chukwuma, 25.

Some fetish items were recovered from the fraudsters following earlier investigations.

On February 23, 2018, at about 0940hours, the following suspects were arrested in the Akpabuyo Local Government Area on a tip-off. They are Chukwuemeka Ahunanya, Francis Ugochukwu, and Emmanuel Chukwuma.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to belonging to an Internet fraud group also known as yahoo boys.

"They used charms to defraud and dispossess unsuspecting members of the public of their hard-earned money and other valuables. Some charms were recovered from them during the search," the police chief Inuwa told Punch News.

One of the suspects, Ahunanya who spoke on behalf of his team insisted that the group recently introduced the use of charms into the online fraud business.

According to him, his colleagues were in the process of perfecting the 'juju' when they were nabbed.
This was confirmed following his arrest by the police.

The suspect who was caught in possession of an AK47 rifle with breech number KO340119 and 10 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, reportedly has four years experience in the kidnapping business.

According to reports, he receives his mission orders from a supremo identified as "Chief".

I am married. I stay in Auchi, but I was born in Lokoja. I am into kidnapping. I have kidnapped over 50 persons.

"We kidnapped them when they were travelling. One man gave us target. I collected N3 million in our last operation.

"It is my boss that kills people. He had killed many people. We operate in Auchi, Ekpoma, Okenne and other places," says Umaru, in a Kemi Filani report.

State police commissioner, Mr. Babatunde Kokumo, stated that the suspect is a jail bird who disguised as a Fulani herdsman. The nomadic folks are a problem to some Nigerians who have seen their farmlands trampled on due to uncontrolled grazing.

Fulani herdsman caught making love to his cow

A viral video has captured a Fulani herdsman while making love to his cow in Kubwa, Abuja.

"Herdsman seen having s*x with one of his cows, today, at Kubwa, Abuja," reads a tweet by Instablogja which also included a footage of the shocking incident.
So, first things, what is rape culture?

Explaining this without leaving out the kinds of details that grow in importance is something most commentators on the subject find difficult.

What I find to be closest to an astute explanation is that it represents every attitude or behaviour that creates an environment that enables or at the least, condones rape.

The imbalance in gender relations in Nigeria has created a society where male entitlement is excused and as we have even learned, much of what many men see as normal sexual behaviour is actually harassment.

The entire point of being a culture is that it has become something we engage in as a society.

Somehow, we've all helped to support the system. In the spirit of fixing our mess this year, here are some ways you may have endorsed rape culture.

(1) Asking what the victim wore:

It's important to remember that nothing can justify the actions of a rapist.

The urge to violate a person's agency is behavioural, not entirely motivated by the allure of a half-naked body as most apologists will have you believe.

Asking questions like "What did she wear" only blame the victim for being violated and shifts the blame and responsibility from the rapist.

(2) Our attitude towards accusations of rape:

Here's the cycle. A young woman accuses a man of rape. Cue false outrage. Civil society and Nigerians on social media respond with fury and calls for the perpetrator's head.

Blogs and influencers curate every whiff of air that escapes anyone's lips regarding the incident. The Police issue a number of statements. The story stops making the news. People lose interest.

Compare how we treat reports of armed robbery and theft with urgency, as opposed to the subtle doubts that meet every girl who accuses a man of rape or sexual harassment.

If we ignore or dismiss rape allegations in the manner that we do, eventually in most cases, victims will be reluctant to share their stories. Rapists will become bolder and daring knowing that fear protects their evil deeds.

(3) Putting the onus on the victim to prove herself:

What differentiates accusations of rape from any other random allegation of crime is that it is very sensitive, and the events can have a debilitating effect on the victim if not handled appropriately.

Rape is difficult to report, mostly because it requires the victim to come to terms with an incident they would rather forget. However, we find that we often put the burden on the victim to prove that the events they claim happened, giving the benefit of the doubt to the accused.

To be fair, this is a function of the desire to be "on the safe side", especially considering those random reports where men are accused of rape, only for the events to suggest something different happened or worse, nothing at all. Still, we need to find a balance.

Creating a society that treats such claims with hostility will only make it difficult for victims to report rape, and give rapists cover to hide under.

(4) Catcalling and making women feel less safe in streets than men do:

So, men defend catcalling by saying it's just talking.

Unfortunately, this ignores the people taking the shots and the real-time reviews on her body type and the fit of her dress that she has to prepare for when she's walking through a street in daylight.

These unnecessary shows of masculine power (or "men being men" if we want to be childish). Making women feel unsafe in the streets that they live in winks at the people who actually get physical.

(5) Rape Jokes:

They are not funny. They're insensitive. You shouldn't have to tell people these things.

Unfortunately, rape has become so normalised that grown men who get paid to stand on stage, 'crack' jokes about the subject.
The 22-year old visual storyteller was born in the bustle of Lagos.

While in school, his interests, as with most young boys in that phase, fluttered between fields. He wanted to be a designer at some point, he would draw the thin bodied sketches we have come to associate with such designers.

He dropped that pursuit, but as he tells DAZED in a recent interview, the sketches he gifted to his younger sister were the seeds of her own career in fashion.

From Lagos, Dafe moved on to the field of storytelling for which he is now enjoying attention, or to put it more specifically, he moved to the United Kingdom to study Broadcast Journalism.

Dafe made his first splash into public consciousness with a project he made while still at school.

Telling True Stories

2016s Slum Dwellers: Not Dead, Not Living was a short documentary which focused on the human cost of destroying slums in a nation that is becoming a by-word for overcrowded cities and poor urban planning.

The film was named a Runner-Up at the Amnesty Media Awards in the UK that year, going away with top honours for best documentary at the Nottingham Micro-Festival.

Since then, hes worked on a collaboration between photographer Nadine Ijewere, stylist Ibrahim Kamara and fabled designer Stella McCartney as well as the young Nigerian designer and frequent collaborator, Mowalola Ogunlesi.

Last year, he was featured on the Creative Class of 2018 , a list by A NASTY BOY magazine which highlighted 40 African creatives upsetting the status quo.

His new documentary, Boy, youre beautiful continues in the tone of previous work, by exploring masculinity among young Nigerians, traditional and moral values, and what extents on the spectrum are being acknowledged.

In "Kilo shele gan gan", he draws from 70s/80s when Psychedelic Rock enjoyed brief polularity in Nigeria.

Because sensitivities have swept certain topics beneath the carpet and certain stories are considered too rough to tell, the importance of innovative storytellers cannot be overstated.

As with most misunderstood societies, Nigeria and the diverse cultures of its people have been simplified into simple misconceptions that are seen as conservative, religious and financially corrupt.

Truth and Perspective

It has created a need for storytellers who can tell the stories beneath the 3-minute ads, the unrealistic web series, music videos and photo ops.

That charge has been taken on by a generation of young creatives both at home and in the diaspora.

Across various formats, through their words, music and films, they are telling more nuanced perspectives of Nigeria.

Much of this, like Dafes Slum Dwellers: Not Dead, Not Living, shines the light on life for the millions who do not show up in drone shots that soar over Victoria Island and Lekki, the disadvantaged people the world has heard too much of but Nigeria tries to blur out of sight.

They also address topics on the less tangible social constructs like sexuality, identity, belief systems, alternative lifestyles and trauma.

Subjects like these have been suppressed for years, with an addendum claiming that most of what the West calls progress is actually taboo in our society.

This reality is confronted by a generation not burdened with such limitations.
Veronica Odeka. Having started out as a stylist with her company Vanestyle, styling great women like Mo Abudu, Veronica then began a beauty empire single-handedly, all whilst being a mother of 3.

Her nail polish company ' which comes in a variety of sumptuous colours. Let's not forget her Vane Nail Bar where you can get yourself pampered to your hearts desire.

Adopting the moniker 'stylemom', Veronica is certainly a woman who knows how to pull off 'a look' and the launch of undefinedwas no different. Veronica attended in a look, fresh off the Arise Fashion Week runway. She wore an AW18 Tzar khaki ensemble and she looked effortlessly chic.

Veronica's look was straight off the runway. Here is model of the moment, Victor Ndigwe, backstage at Arise, ready to hit the runway just a day before.
In a statement signed by the minister's aide, Oluyinka Akintunde, on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, the sum of $322,515,931.83 was received into a special account in the Central Bank of Nigeria on December 18, 2017.

Her statement was in response to media reports that she blocked the payment of $16.9 million to two Nigerian lawyers who had been appointed by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to duplicate the work of Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, who had already been paid for the same job.

According to the reports, the minister had written a letter to the president to deny payment of the fee, an event she denied ever took place.

The statement read, "The attention of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has been drawn to false media reports of a 'strongly-worded letter to the President' objecting to the payment of $16.9 m fees to two lawyers for the recovery of Abacha funds.

"The minister wishes to dissociate herself and the Federal Ministry of Finance from recent malicious and misleading media reports on the Abacha refunds.

"The minister had at no time written any letter to the President or any member of the Federal Executive Council on the payment of lawyers for the Abacha recovery.

"She also refuted the flawed media reports of controversy surrounding the Abacha recovery, disclosing that the sum of $322,515,931.83 was received into a special account in the Central Bank of Nigeria on December 18, 2017 from the Swiss Government.

"For the avoidance of doubt, there is no controversy concerning the recovery of the Abacha monies from the Swiss Government."

The Federal Government had sought Monfrini's services in 2000 and he was pivotal to the tracing and recovery of the $322 million from Luxembourg before it was domiciled with the Attorney-General of Switzerland.

While the fund was not repatriated to Nigeria until former president, Goodluck Jonathan left power in 2015, AGF Malami and Swiss foreign minister, Didier Burkhalter, signed a letter of intent in March 2016 to ensure the restitution.
Amaechi who is the current Minister of Transport disclosed this at the presentation of a book titled, Dignity in Service, authored by the late Matthew Mbu, a former minister of foreign affairs.

Amaechi, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the ministers are expected to pay their aides from the monthly N950,000.

A minister earns only N950, 000 a month, Amaechi announced. Out of this money, N350, 000 is for accommodation so there is no more money given to you. The remaining N600, 000 includes payment for your staff, personal assistants and all that.

Amaechi said President Buharis government had helped to stop the culture of waste such that private citizens no longer throw lavish parties.

Nigerians like going to parties. That is one benefit of this government. We now assess our wealth and value money. Before, once you get money from the illegal means, we hold parties. There are very few parties these days because there is no more money to hold such parties.

There are no owambe anymore because there is very little money to hold owambe. The reason is that the owambe money used to come from the government and there is no money in the government to do such, he declared.

Amaechi had announced that he wasnt corrupt, neither does he like money

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thinks otherwise as Amaechis name appeared alongside over fifty others in the list of looters published by the party.

Senators N13.5m running cost

While ministers are getting N950,000 monthly, senators in the National Assembly are taking home N13.5 million as running cost.

Senator Shehu Sani let the cat out of the bag in a recent interview.

The Senate said Sani's revelation was old news.
Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, said in a statement that the military apprehended the suspect in Kaltungo town of Gombe during a joint operation with Department of State Security Service (DSS).

He said that the suspect, also known as Baale, was apprehended at a check point in the town along the busy Gombe to Yola highway during a stop and search operation.

In a separate incident,the army spokesperson disclosed that troops also killed three Boko-Haram insurgents in two separate encounters at the Bokko Hilde mountainous region along Ngoshe to Pulka road and Mujigine general area in Borno, on April 9.

The troops neutralised the insurgents during clearance operations and recovered two AK 47 rifles and a motorcycle, he said.

Nwachukwu added that in another joint operation with members of vigilante group, the troops foiled a raid by terrorists rummaging for food and logistics at Kudiye community along Dikwa to Gulumbagana road in Borno.

He said the insurgents were intercepted following a tip- off to the effect that they (insurgents) were on their way to loot the community.

According to him, the insurgents have admitted that they belong to the Abubakar Shekaus faction, adding that they are now in custody assisting with useful information.

He said two motorcycles, bags of grains and tamarind, were recovered from them.

It is expedient to bring to public awareness that in their desperation to survive troops onslaught and remain relevant, the Boko Haram terrorists have continued to make frantic efforts to infiltrate communities with Person Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (Suicide bombers) to callously unleash terror and fear on the populace.
The president's Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, revealed on his Twitter account (@BashirAhmaad), that the president hosted the cleric at the Abuja House in London. The president met with Archbishop Welby to discuss inter-religious harmony in Nigeria and the world.

President Buhari was also visited by Nigeria's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, George Oguntade, as well as Secretary General Worldwide of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon.

Buhari in London

The president left Abuja for the United Kingdom on Monday, April 9, 2018, a full week ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings scheduled to hold between April 18 to 20.

He left Nigeria just hours after he officially announced his intention to seek re-election in the 2019 presidential election during a meeting with the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.

The president is expected to sit down with British Prime Minister, Theresa May, ahead of the meetings, to discuss Nigeria-British relations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), the prosecuting agency tendered the documents in a bid to prove its fraud allegation amounting to N300 million against Halilu, his son, Abba and their company.

The documents included the account opening package, statement of account and certificate of identification issued by Eco Bank Plc.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe, had sought to tender the documents but the defence had raised objections.

Mr Solomon Umoh (SAN), counsel to Halilu had argued that the documents were not front loaded as well as attached to the proof of evidence as required by law, thereby making them irrelevant.

The trial Judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, however, in a short ruling, overruled the objection of the defence counsel to the admissibility of the bank documents.

The judge agreed with the prosecution that Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act did not guide admissibility of documents, but Section 57 of the Evidence Act, 2011.

Justice Mohammed further held that not front loading a document did not make a document irrelevant.

The judge also granted an application to allow Halilu travel to the United Kingdom for medical check-up since the EFCC did not oppose the application.
According to him, the unit also generated N166. 20 million from March 19 to April 9 from duty payment and demand notices on general goods from seaports, airports and land border stations.

The command also intercepted contraband with DPV of N1.46 billion between March 19 and April 9.

The seized items include Indian hemp (cannabis sativa), 64 exotic vehicles, 6,003 bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent of 10 trailers loads) 963 cartons of frozen poultry products.

Others are: 431 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 163 bales of used clothing, 569 pieces of used tyres, 69 bags of sugar and four containers, among others.

Garba said that the 570 parcels and 98 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 1,550kg were intercepted on the Olorunda axis of Ogun, following a tipoff.

These Indian hemp was the highest seizure of such hard drugs in the history of the command.

Such a drug will have negative effects on consumers if it escapes to the public.

In the spirit of inter-agency relationship, the seized Indian hemp will be handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation, Garba said.

According to him, the command evacuated 2, 671 bags of 50kg parboiled rice from nine storage houses in Ilogbo, Abeokuta.

He said that the evacuation was done by the Lagos Roving Team complemented by other teams of the service.

The controller said that there were mob attacks on customs operatives but the officers were not deterred from performing their statutory responsibilities.

He that said the seized 64 vehicles, including Toyota Land Cruiser, 2018, 1 Escalades 2017 Cadillac, 2014 Range Rover and 2014 Toyota Highlander, had DPV of N258 million.

Garba said that the command intercepted three 40ft containers and one 20ft container classified CSNU 106087/4 containing 2, 260 cartons of Gonca Spagetti and 530 packages of Rifle Energy drinks.

He said that the goods were intercepted as a result of false declaration, adding that they were declared as baking powder.

A 40ft container No. PCUI 865957/1 was seized for carrying 200 cartons of ladies shoes, 134 cartoons of children shoes, among others.

Another 40ft container No. FCIU 80992/0 was seized for carrying 2,300 cartons of tiffany chocolate, 385 cartons of tiffany crunch cream biscuit as against tappet for pump.

A total of 10 suspects were arrested in connection of these seizures, Garba said.

He commended the support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) and his management team for providing adequate logistics for the command to succeed.

He also commended the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police for their support.

He pledged that the command would not relent in its efforts to bring down smugglers and improve government revenue.

While receiving the intercepted cannabis sativa from customs, Mr Lawal Opeloyeru, the NDLEA Principal Officer (Operations and Intelligence), hailed NCS for the feat.

He promised that NDLEA would carry out further investigation on it.

Opeloyeru acknowledged the contributions of NCS in the fight against illicit drug peddling.
The agency said on Wednesday, April 11, that the drugs were coming from Togo and Ghana, two of Nigeria's neighbouring countries.

It was gathered that the drugs have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action.

A suspect is said to have been arrested in connection with the seizure.

"The driver of the truck carrying the drugs was arrested and he has been granted administrative bail", the customs Unit Controller," Uba Mohammed said.

"These are substances that are not good for all of us, anybody that takes such is reported to be aggressive. On behalf of the Customs Service, I now hand over these substances for confiscation and prosecution of offenders", he added.

Principal Officer in charge of the NDLEA Operations in Lagos, Lawal Opeloyeru, received the drugs on behalf of the anti-drug agency.

"We have contacted our colleagues in Ghana to put a stop to stop such menace though it has not yielded any positive result but hopefully it will be achieved because we are also using Interpol to eradicate such problem.

'Immediately we get court injunction, the drugs will be destroyed publicly here in Lagos," Mr. Opeloyeru said.

Legal marijuana use

On Monday, March 26, 2018, the United Nations urged Nigeria not to criminalise the use of marijuana also known as cannabis, which the UN has approved as a drug for medical purposes.

The Project Officer of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Nigeria, Harsheth Kaur Virk said marijuana is a miracle drug allowed for medical reasons by the global body, adding that it is not for recreational purposes.

ALSO READ: Covenant University dropout laments miserable life after smoking marijuana
He made the disclosure in Ibadan on Wednesday, at a two-day strategic engagement and sensitisation workshop for stakeholders in the Southwest geo-political zone.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SMDF was established in 2017, to administer accruing funds meant for solid minerals development.

The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Gbade Ojo, advocated the assemblage of stakeholders in the industry to brainstorm and map out strategies toward attaining the objectives of the SMDF.

Ajimobi said that the objective aimed at facilitating the desired growth and sustainable development of the mining sector, aligned with his administrations vision of harnessing potential in the solid minerals development sector.

There is no debating the fact that for Nigeria to achieve her desired growth, particularly in the solid minerals sub-sector, there is the need for an intervention like the SMDF.

Oyo State has large deposits of high quality marble. Other solid minerals available in commercial quantities are aquamarine, tantalite, tourmaline, granite, talc and the recently discovered gold deposits.

As a matter of fact, the state will in the nearest future, establish an international gemstone processing centre and market where precious stones could be processed and polished before shipment to international markets, he said.

The governor said that the state was exploring the benefits in agriculture and solid minerals as its own pragmatic measure to wean itself from overdependence on the dwindling oil revenue coming from the centre.

According to Ajimobi, this is what informed the decision of his administration to establish the Mineral Development Agency, which is responsible for the creation of wealth from mineral resources, as well as to attract investors.

He said that the governments decision to invest in the solid minerals development sector had led to an increase in the states IGR and collection of 13 per cent derivation on mineral resources from the Federal Government.

The governor said that the effort had also resulted in the discovery of gold deposits, which earned the state licence for the exploration of talc and gold in Kajola Local Government Area of the state.

He appealed to the SMDF to use the opportunity of the workshop to further enlighten and empower those in the mining sector by exposing them to necessary steps in facilitating access to the fund.
The 75-year-old Nigeria president has been tending to an undisclosed ailment since he assumed the reins in 2015.

London trips

In 2017, Buhari spent more than 100 days in London on a medical vacation.

Before his 2017 London trip, Buhari visited the UK on February 5, 2016 and June 6, 2016, for medical reasons.

Soon after declaring for a second term in office on April 9, 2018, Buhari left Nigeria again for London; this time for a series of meetings a week before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

There are speculations in certain quarters that Buharis latest trip to London has everything to do with keeping a date with his doctors; even though the presidency sent out an itinerary as soon as it was formally disclosed Buhari will be travelling.

Excellent health

But Shehu told the BBC that those rumours are wide of the mark.

President Buhari is in excellent health. In fact, I would say the president is a lot healthier today than he was when he took office, Shehu said.

A couple of seconds later, he was repeating his lines for emphasis. The presidents health is excellent. I am saying that it is excellent. He looks much healthier now than when he came into office.

When the BBC asked Shehu why Buhari had to fly to London a week ahead of the CHOGM, the presidents spokesperson said: There is a schedule that has been plotted out. And come to think of it, the relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom is intense; it is wide.

And so the president has chosen this time to engage not only with the British government but a lot of common interests that bind United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Saraki said that male politicians were not doing enough in inclusion of women in policy implementation and governance.

We must change and turn the tide. We cannot continue with this low level of women participation in politics.

We must do something about it, he said.

Saraki assured the conference of his support in ensuring that in 2019, politicians would help in increasing the level of women participation in politics.

It is in the interest of this country that this happens; we re-assure those that have fears of it that there is nothing to be worried about. It will only strengthen our democracy and make our country better, he said.

The president of the senate further called for all hands to be on deck to make 2019 election a difference.

He commended the efforts as female parliamentarians, describing them as shining stars to the present and future generations.

On Gender Equality Bill, Saraki said, you would have had it quicker and faster than this.

Sometimes, it seems it is taking longer than expected. I believe that at the end of the day, it is the result that matters.

I think everybody is on board with this and we must ensure the 35 per cent affirmation for women both in the areas of appointment and election.

Earlier, President of the group, Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, had decried the diminishing level of women participation in politics and said it had affected the growth and development of the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the wedding between Muazu and her heartthrob, Shehu Idris, a staff of Bauchi State Specialists Hospital, has been slated for Friday, April 13, in Bauchi.

Speaking at the occasion which was graced by women and fellow orphans, among others, wife of the governor said government would continue to support orphans in the state.

The bride is not an orphan completely because she has the Governor as her father and me as her mother.

We will continue to support the bride even in her marital home, she said.

In her remarks, Officer in charge of Bauchi Orphanage Home, Mrs Maryam Zuwaira, said the bride was brought into the Home at infancy about 20 years ago and was so far the oldest inmate of the Home..

She is physically-challenged, as such, our dear bride remained in the Orphanage Home till recently when her groom, Mr Shehu Idris, a civil servant in the state, came to seek her hand in marriage, she said.

Speaking on preparations for the marriage, the Information Officer of Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA) ,Mrs Aisha Bamai, said that the agency had procured furniture, kitchen utensils, electronics and clothing materials, among others, for the bride.
Malam Ibrahim Muazzam Abdullahi, the director general of the Katsina media and publicity who spoke at the formal presentation of employment offers to the absorbed staff, called on them to be committed and dedicated to their duties, stressing that "we will not victimize any staff as we will reward merit and sanction laxity".

Abdullahi bemoaned a situation where a person would be working for 18 consecutive years as a casual staff, stressing this was a clear case of exploitation and deprivation.

He stressed that the administration of Gov Aminu Bello Masari was all out to ensure justice to everybody devoid of sentiment.

The director expressed optimism that the present APC administration will leave the state much better than it met it in 2015 through job creation and training of youths on vocational skills.

He added that the mission and vision of the Masari led administration was to rid the state of poverty, unemployment, political thuggery and drug abuse especially among the vulnerable groups.

Bold effort

In his remarks, the General Manager (GM) of the state hotels board Alhaji Abubakar Badaru Jikamshi commended the bold effort of the State government in absorbing the workers into the mainstream of the Katsina State civil service.

He noted that other States were disengaging workers from the civil service at a time Katsina was busy reabsorbing and reinstating workers into the payroll.

Malam Musa Shehu who is the spokesperson of the benefiting workers commended the state government for absorbing them.
The agency said the Displacement Tracking Matrix round XXI of January 2018 identified estimated 1.7 million IDPs in over 321,580 households across six states in the North-East.

Forty per cent of these IDPs are said to be residing in camp-like settings in urban areas - the figure includes 1.4 million repatriated migrants.

The NPC Chairman Mr. Eze Duruiheoma said this while delivering Nigeria's statement on 'Sustainable Cities, Human Mobility and International Migration' at the 51st Session of Commission on Population and Development in New York.

According to him, the number of IDPs represented 4.5 per cent increase compared to the 1,702,680 identified in December 2017.

"This shows that 766,206 persons have become displaced due to security issues in the country," he added.

Duruiheoma also urged the Federal Government to tackle the problems of insecurity and inadequate health care services for adolescents and women of child-bearing age.
Cross River States N1.3 trillion budget is called Budget of Kinetic Crystallization.

For context, Ayade's budget is the biggest by a single State in Nigeria's history. Only Lagos comes close in 2018 with a budget of N1.04 trillion.

Ayades budget is ambitious and ambiguous. The Governor seeks to achieve what no other Governor before him has achieved, hence the tears.

Mandate

Cross River Commissioner for Finance, Asuquo Ekpenyong, explains why it was an emotional moment for Gov Ayade.

This budget is intended to crystallize and implement the visions that have been so far formulated by the administration. We are entering the fourth year, so this is the time to deliver on the mandate and the promises we made to the people, Ekpenyong said.

Eyewitnesses who were in the room as the budget was signed, tell Pulse that Ayade was overwhelmed with emotion after signing the budget. He thereafter shed tears and pleaded for Gods intervention towards the successful implementation of the budget.

Castles in air

Regarded in certain quarters as a very dramatic dreamer who fancies erecting castles in thin air, Ayade divides opinions in Cross River.

After shedding gallons of tears on Tuesday, Ayade handed over a signed copy of the budget to a pastor who attended the budget signing ceremony.

The unnamed pastor then led the room in prayers and supplication.

History

Ayade explains why his emotions got the better of him on a humid afternoon in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

This is the first trillion Naira budget by a State government in the annals of Nigerian history, and therefore it is unique and ambitious and intended to decouple the state from dependence on Federation Account, Gov Ayade said of his budget of Kinetic Crystallization.

The philosophy behind the budget is the spirit of we can do it and create a new vista, thinking and horizon that would take us out of the woods. It is high time we brought to an end the civil service status mentality we have found ourselves in by thinking outside the box, Ayade added.

'No detail'

Cross Riverian Braide says Ayades ambitious 2018 budget isnt his first.

Ayade had shocked many when he presented a budget estimate of NGN1.3 trillion on November 30, 2017 and despite mixed reactions trailing the figure, the House of Assembly passed the budget with almost no alteration a few weeks ago, Braide says.

She adds that in 2016, Ayade presented a budget of N301 billion called budget of Deep Vision. In 2017, he presented a budget of N701 billion called Infinite Transposition. And in 2018 we are having a N1.3 trillion budget of "kinetic crystallization". Not one detail available.

Superhighway

A chunk of Ayades trillion Naira budget will go into the construction of a superhighway that will criss-cross Calabar in the South of Cross River to Obudu and Ogoja in the Southern fringes of the State.

Environmentalists say the 275km Cross River superhighway will destroy the famed virgin forest of the State and lay waste to plenty of flora and fauna.

Cross River is a mostly agrarian State with all of its oil wells ceded to neighboring Akwa Ibom. That means very little in terms of internally generated revenue and allocation from the center.

Not a few have wondered where Ayade will get the N800B ($2.6B, 2.3B euro) needed to fund the superhighway.

Soon after he resumed office in 2015, however, Ayade vowed that the expensive superhighway will be his legacy to the people of Cross River.

If after four years I have not achieved the superhighway I promised, then I am not Ayade. I am going to shock the country. I promised that I will deliver. I will not fail the people. I will work hard to wipe out poverty in the State. I promised God I will do everything possible to help my people. That is what I owe God", the Governor had vowed.

Allocation

Estimated revenue from internal sources to fund the N1.3tr budget is N40.7 billion. Cross River is expected to receive N67.7 billion as federal allocation in 2018, which brings total revenue needed for the budget, to something in the region of N108.5 billion.
Although Pulse could not independently verify the authenticity of the video as of the time of this report, the closed-circuit television footage bears the correct time stamp for Thursday, April 5, 2018 when a group of at least 25 armed robbers staged an attack on some commercial banks along Owode Market Area of the town, as well as the police station in the area.

In the video posted on Facebook by News Bytes, the attack on a security post of one of the banks started around 4:41 pm when two robbers appeared at the entrance and shot at two security personnel who appeared to escape unhurt as they ran further into the bank's premises.

The footage started shortly after a woman entered the bank with a little child and passersby on the other side of the road can be seen running for safety when the shootout started.

Watch the video below:

Even though the official death toll for the incident is nine policemen and eight civilians, reports have indicated between 30 to 50 people died as a result of the attacks.

The robbers attacked Union Bank, Eco Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Ibolo Micro Finance Bank,and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

According to the Kwara state commissioner of Police, Lawan Ado, seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the armed robbery attacks.

The Kwara state Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed has also offered N5 million to anyonewho provides information that will lead to the arrest of those involved in the robbery attacks.
Buhari and his political party, the APC, pledged to radically change Nigeria before the 2015 general elections.

In a document titled My Vision and Manifesto for Nigeria, Buhari pledged to deliver permanent peace and solution to the insurgency issues in the North-East; the Niger Delta; and other conflict prone States and areas such as Plateau, Benue, Bauchi, Borno, Abia, Taraba, Yobe, and Kaduna in order to engender national unity and social harmony;

Make our economy one of the fastest growing emerging economies in the world with a real GDP growth averaging at least 10-12% annually.

Prevent the abuse and misuse of Executive, Legislative and Public offices, through greater accountability, transparency, strict and implementable anti-corruption laws, through strengthening and sanitising the EFCC and ICPC as independent entities and;

Amend the Constitution to remove immunity from prosecution for elected officers in criminal cases", among others.

Mountain of promises

The APC and its presidential candidate delivered a plethora of campaign promises which fall into the broad themes of tackling corruption, improving the economy and providing security for all Nigerians.

One commentator counted 81 campaign promises as tendered by candidate Buhari and the APC before 2015.

Promise kept?

Speaking to the BBC soon after his principal said he will be seeking another term in office in 2019, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, Garba Shehu said Buhari has done 98 percent of the job he promised he was going to do.

The president has done 98 percent of the job he was asked to do, Shehu declared emphatically.

Heres how we think Buhari has fared across the three broad themes of fighting corruption, tackling insecurity and improving the economy.

Anti-corruption

The Treasury Single Account (TSA) was not a Buhari invention but it was quickly adopted by the APC led federal government as soon as Buhari assumed the reins.

The TSA ensures that all agencies of government pool their revenues into a single account across all departments and ministries.

The TSA has reduced corruption in government business and kept civil servants out of the cookie jar.

The nation's Biometric Verification Number (BVN) has also harmonised the nation's data base; helping to check laundering and other forms of financial crimes.

However, president Buharis anti-corruption war has been described as a witch-hunt by the opposition, with only PDP members making it into the governments recently released looters list.

The Buhari administration is also yet to score a high profile conviction even though it has done so well with waging a media war against persons who allegedly looted the treasury.

A few top ranking officials in Buharis government who have been accused of corruption, are still on the administrations payroll.

But theres a general feeling in the land that stealing government money is no longer as mainstream as it once was.

Buhari has also maintained sealed lips on how much it costs the State each time he proceeds to London for a medical vacation.

Rating: 5/10

Economy

Buhari promised to hand Nigeria a real GDP growth averaging at least 10-12% annually.

However, Nigeria officially slipped into a recession in August 2016 following two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

The country emerged out its worst economic slumpin 29 years in September of 2017.

On Buharis watch, GDP has grown by merely zero percentage points, although it has to be said that the plunge in the global price of oil is largely to blame for the nations worsening economy under Buhari.

The administration is also completing abandoned infrastructure at a frenzied pace and its social investment programs are progressing apace.

Theres also a renewed commitment to diversify an ailing economy under Buhari, but the gains are nowhere near visible at the moment.

There are a lot more Nigerians out of job on Buharis watch.

According to latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), an estimated eight million Nigerians became unemployed between January 2016 and September 30, 2017.

The number of Nigerians who became unemployed during the Buhari administration rose from 8,036 million in Q4 2015 to 15.998 million in Q3 of 2017.

More than 100 million Nigerians remain poor in Nigeria with over 80 percent of the population surviving on less than a dollar a day.

Nigerias foreign reserves rose to $42.8billion under Buhari, but exchange rates remain high and pump price of petrol spiked with Buhari at the helm.

Across the land, living conditions are at abysmal levels and inflation has remained at double digit since 2015.

Rating: 4/10

Fighting insecurity

The capacity of terrorist sect Boko Haram to seize whole towns and communities has been drastically reduced, but the terrorist outfit continues to launch soft target attacks on civilian populations.

Boko Haram is also still capable of evading soldiers in heavily militarized zones in the nations northeast, and carrying out mass abductions of students, traders and farmers.

For all the military onslaught, Boko Haram remains a fighting force.

Herdsmen have also stepped up attacks on farmers and villagers on Buharis watch and robbers are still on a rampage in several parts of the country.

Rating: 3/10
Shittu, who is the coordinator of the Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group, described Buhari's declaration for a second term as a welcome development.

The minister stated this during an interview with NAN in Abuja on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.

Responding to a question about the third force, Shittu said, "Who is OBJ? OBJ is not God. IBB is not God. Obasanjo was president here, he wanted a third term and he didnt get it.

"What Mr President did yesterday (Monday), we had done that much back on his behalf; that is the Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group. So what he did yesterday was just a follow-up to what we had done about three months ago. And I want to assure you is that by the grace of God, Muhammadu Buhari will become president the second time."

According to him, the Buhari administration has achieved more in three years than the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party's rule.

"For instance in the area of job creation for youths, no government has ever in one day employed 200, 000 graduates. It has never happened but under Buhari N-Power it happened," he said.

"Through this, he has provided jobs for 200, 000 families spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

"Government is still processing the employment of 300, 000 more graduates to make it 500, 000, this has never happened. In the areas of transport, works and housing, the last budget of the PDP government was less than N20 billion and most of these monies were stolen; diverted to private pockets.

"In 2017 alone, the Buhari government spent N255 billion on those subject matters; transport, works and housing. So how do you compare? Today, government is also building new roads across the south-east states with 100 million dollars SUKUK loan; non-interest loan from Islamic Development Bank.

"For the first time, government is building new railway from Lagos to Kano, from Kano to Maiduguri, from Maiduguri to Calabar and from Calabar to Lagos. So the records are there."

On Monday, April 9, Buhari announced his intention to seek re-election in the 2019 presidential election.

He made the declaration at the National Executive Committee meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress held in Abuja.
Saraki gave the pledge on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, when the Conference of Nigeria Female Parliamentarians paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly.

The Senate President while lamenting the poor participation of women in governance in the country urged Nigerian women to vote wisely in 2019.

"Anybody in this country today will agree that from the statistics you have given out here today, it is clear that definitely, we are not doing enough in the inclusion of women in politics and governance, Saraki said.

"We must change and turn the tide in this direction. We cannot continue with this low level of participation.

"Political parties are now gearing up for election, this is the right time we must begin to demand from political parties and candidates that they must tell Nigerians what their policy is on gender affirmation.

"You have the votes, at least you have 46 - 48 per cent, let your votes do the work and if your votes do the work, then you will make the work easier for all of us.

"It is time for you to mobilize and work for it because it is important. A lot of us who have had the experience have found out, without any bias, that generally female politicians and parliamentarians are very committed, hardworking and more importantly very consistent and loyal.

"I think when you build a country and you build a political space, what is important is consistency and sometimes loyalty," he added.

ALSO READ: Amaechi just told us how much ministers earn monthly

Saraki assured the female parliamentarians of the support of the National Assembly towards the issue of increased female participation in governance.

Earlier, chairperson of the group, Honourable Elizabeth Uyinmwen Ativie, decried the low level of women participation in the nation's governance, both elective and appointive offices, since the return of democracy in 1999.

"Nigeria needs to invest in women's participation in politics by creating an enabling environment for women to thrive and tackle perceived systemic and cultural hindrances to women's inclusion," she said.
The Saudi-led alliance was launched in March 2015 with the goal of pushing back the Iran-allied Huthis, who seized control of much of the country including the capital Sanaa, and restoring the internationally recognised government to power.

The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead and tens of thousands wounded, creating what the United Nations says is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Now entering its fourth year, the coalition has shown signs of internal division, with some questioning the utility of Hadi to their cause.

Embodiment of government

Hadi is the embodiment of Yemen's internationally recognised government.

He was appointed president in 2012 as part of a political deal that saw his predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh cede power after months of street protests.

When the Shiite Huthis overran Sanaa in late 2014, Hadi was forced to flee the capital, going first to the southern city of Aden -- then into exile in Riyadh.

While the United Nations has since recognised Hadi as Yemen's president, that has not fazed the Huthis or even coalition member the United Arab Emirates, which in recent months torpedoed Hadi's authority in the southern port city of Aden.

In January, southern separatists backed by Abu Dhabi attacked pro-Hadi forces in Aden, overrunning the city. The government was forced to hunker down until Saudi and Emirati envoys arrived, in a visit publicised in UAE state media, to quell the infighting.

That showdown was the manifestation of the UAE's exasperation with Hadi, viewed as incompetent and too close to the Muslim Brotherhood, analysts say.

The Emirates and Britain, which backs the coalition both diplomatically and with arms, are in favour of a shuffle in the government camp, according to regional sources close to the process.

While aware of their Yemeni ally's shortcomings, the Saudis have made restoration of the government their mission. The United States, which provide weapons, intelligence and aerial refueling to the Saudi-led coalition, also sees Hadi as key to an eventual accord.

"At the end of the day Hadi, for all of his failings, represents something very important if we want to reach a political solution in Yemen," a senior US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The way the Emiratis are acting in the south is complicating the task of reaching a political solution. It's only perpetuating the problem of Yemen which is the militias, and armed groups," said the official.

The tensions with the southern separatists, and ever-present threats from Al-Qaeda and Islamic State group jihadists, mean Hadi's ministers cannot govern from the city they once declared their temporary capital.

Plan B

The spokesman of the Hadi government, Rajeh Badi, told AFP "the majority of ministers are spending the bulk of their time in Aden".

But most of those ministers are from Yemen's formerly independent south. Ministers who hail from northern Yemen work mainly from Riyadh.

They include Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al-Mikhlafi, who makes periodic visits to the government stronghold of Marib in central Yemen, as well as Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar who has difficult relations with the separatists.

Hadi has not stepped foot in Yemen for about a year, while two of his ministers quit in March accusing Saudi Arabia of controlling his movements.

In a September 2017 interview with Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Hadi said a military solution was "the most likely" to force an end to conflict.

But Yemeni political circles are increasingly looking for a way out -- floating a Plan B -- aimed at fostering a political process in the war-torn country.

Hadi would keep his "ceremonial" role as the head of state, but in effect be replaced by a political figure from the north -- an executive vice-president capable of negotiating an accord with the northern Huthi rebels.
PEN said it had just changed its lawyer and that the new lawyer needed time to review the case.

The postponement gives the Supreme Court breathing space ahead of what could be a momentous case.

Currently the law says that anyone convicted of a crime should serve their sentence after losing an initial appeal. Under the change petitioned by PEN, people would be allowed to remain at liberty until exhausting all appeals at higher courts.

This would apply to Lula, who was imprisoned on Saturday to start serving a 12-year sentence for corruption, having lost his first appeal in January. If the law were changed he would likely be released and allowed to stay free while pursuing further appeals.

The change would also apply to many others currently behind bars.

PEN filed the petition back in 2016. The hard-right party had a change of heart this week, even trying to withdraw its petition, when it became clear that if successful the petition would benefit Lula, the main leader of Brazil's left.

To supporters of the current law, prison after a first appeal is needed to prevent the rich and powerful from playing the courts and avoiding prison for months or even years.

Supporters of changing the law say that presumption of innocence doesn't end until the appeals process also ends.
Prosecutors in New York accuse him of conspiring to ship 10,000 kilograms of cocaine to the United States while serving as a senior member of the FARC leadership. They are pushing for his extradition along with three others who are also allied with the group.

The partially-sighted 51-year-old, whose real name is Seusis Pausivas Hernandez, was a member of the FARC's peace negotiating team in Cuba, with the group warning his arrest posed a "genuine threat" to the deal.

Government peace commissioner Rodrigo Rivera also said the agreement was facing its "most grave, most serious and most delicate" challenge.

US prosecutors allege that between June 2017 and April 2018, the four worked together to produce and distribute approximately 10,000 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to the States and elsewhere.

"These defendants conspired to ship thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to the streets of the US," said Manhattan attorney Geoffrey S. Berman in a statement, which identified the other three as Marlon Marin, 39, Armando Gomez, 70, and Fabio Younes Arboleda, 72.

"They are now under arrest and face significant criminal charges."

All four are facing one count of conspiring to import cocaine, and two counts of attempting to import it into the US.

If convicted, they could face life behind bars.

'Twisted US justice'

Santrich's arrest was swiftly denounced by the FARC, with a spokesman warning it could deal a damaging blow to the 2016 peace deal.

"With the capture of our comrade Jesus Santrich, the peace process is now at its most critical point, faced by a genuine threat," C said in a statement.

The group accused Colombia's prosecutors of colluding with a plan "orchestrated by the US government" describing it as yet another display of "twisted US justice."

But Marquez also called for calm, urging supporters "not to be provoked."

The arrest was also denounced by the ELN, Colombia's last active rebel group, which said the move was "a slap in the face for the agreements made with FARC."

Although the FARC's leaders have ruled out any return to the conflict, there are fears that many former rebels could take up arms again.

Pivotal situation

Speaking to AFP, Colombian Senator Ivan Cepada, who acted as a consultant for the Cuba talks, agreed the situation was on a knife-edge.

"A false accusation could be very serious, even devastating and a threat to the peace process with FARC, but if it is true, it will be a lesson," he said.

"There is absolutely no chance that the victims or the state will put up with being mocked if this really is a case of drug trafficking."

jpegMpeg4-1280x720Under the peace accord, repentant FARC fighters were required to confess their wartime crimes and pay reparations to victims to avoid jail.

But they could still be arrested for any crimes they committed after the deal.

Despite the November 2016 peace agreement signed between the FARC and Santos's government, which ended half a century of bloodshed, the conflict still drags on parts of the country, financed by drug money.

Since then, the FARC has disarmed and transformed itself into a political party, swapping its crossed-rifles emblem for a red rose. Ten of its members, including Santrich, were given seats in Congress.
Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor.

Over the last year, he has increasingly dug into evidence of alleged money laundering, fraud and obstruction of justice inside Trump's inner circle.

Four Trump aides -- including his 2016 campaign chair Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Michael Flynn -- have already been indicted or pleaded guilty.

Now, Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen -- who holds secrets about many of the president's personal and financial dealings -- is in the crosshairs.

"We have been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said of the possibility to remove Mueller.

"I think that the president has been clear that he thinks that this has gone too far."

Trump hunkered down at the White House, canceling a first trip to Latin America that was due to start Friday and stewing on a move that could throw America into a constitutional crisis.

At the same time, Trump faced a momentous decision about whether to carry out military strikes in Syria.

'TOTAL WITCH HUNT'

Trump has pledged to decide by the end of Tuesday how to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held suburbs of Damascus, blamed on the Syrian regime and its allies.

But while much of his national security team debated whether strikes would be effective in deterring future chemical attacks, and how to limit the risk of escalation, Trump met his lawyers Jay Sekulow and Ty Cobb to discuss the Cohen raid.

His anger showed no signs of abating.

"A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" the president blasted on Twitter amid news that FBI agents had seized documents pertaining to his dealings with Cohen. "Attorneyclient privilege is dead!"

In a phone call with CNN, Cohen admitted the raid was "upsetting to say the least."

Asked if he was worried, Cohen said: "I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No."

On Capitol Hill, Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged Trump to allow Mueller to do his work.

Democrats wanted to go one step further and pass legislation protecting the Republican former FBI director.

"If the president is thinking of using this raid to fire Special Counsel Mueller or otherwise interfere with the chain of command in the Russia probe, we Democrats have one simple message for him: don't," top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.

"The investigation is critical to the health of our democracy, and must be allowed to continue."

Trump's fellow Republicans said that would not be necessary, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley stating it would be "suicide" for the president to fire Mueller.

The raid on Cohen's offices came amid allegations he paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the election to keep a tryst with Trump quiet.

After months of silence, Trump last week offered a flat "no" when asked if he knew about the payment.

Plans dashed

Trump's decision to scrap his trip to Colombia and Peru surprised even some White House staff.

"The president will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world," Sanders said.

Trump had already cut the visit short -- from five days, to three and, finally, to none.

The combative US president had been expected in Peru for the Summit of the Americas, where he was likely to face protests and awkward meetings with leaders who have bristled at his repeated portrayal of Latino immigrants as rapists and thugs.

Vice President Mike Pence will represent the United States in Lima instead, his aide Jarrod Agen said, adding that he would also meet Venezuelan dissidents.
"Therefore, its nationals will again be able to receive visas for travel to the United States."

The travel restrictions will be officially terminated on April 13.

The central African country's government, which the US calls a "critical" partner in fighting terrorism, had expressed astonishment in September last year when the US unexpectedly added it to a list of five other mainly-Muslim countries under a travel ban.

Chad's foreign minister Cherif Mahamat Zene welcomed the news.

"Chad is pleased to be removed from the list of countries whose nationals are banned from entering the United States, and hopes to further strengthen the strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries," he tweeted.

Critics say the ban -- first declared in January 2017 without Chad on the list -- targeted Muslim travelers, pointing to President Donald Trump's campaign promises to ban Muslims from coming to the United States.

After a series of court challenges, the Trump administration revised the ban in September, putting all the countries listed under a 180-day review.

The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that the ban focused on getting countries to improve information on their citizens and cooperation on travel databases, to meet US security standards.

US officials said Chad has addressed the deficiencies in vetting outward-bound travelers and cooperating with US security bodies.

They said it sets an example for other countries on the list, which include Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and North Korea.

The ban was applied in a limited way to officials from certain Venezuelan government agencies as well.
The letter acknowledged the separation of powers in Panama but cautioned the president that the matter has repercussions for the Panamanian state, which is your responsibility.

At the time, the Trump Organizations hotel management team had been evicted from the hotel but was still fighting to regain control. Several days after the letter was sent, an arbitrator ruled against the Trump companys request that its management be reinstated.

The letter, which was first revealed Monday by the Panamanian daily newspaper La Prensa, does not explicitly mention President Donald Trump but refers to his company as the well-known Trump Organization. Trump continues to own the Trump Organization through a trust, but has turned over day-to-day management to his sons Donald Jr. and Eric.

In a statement, Britton and Iglesias denied that the letter sought to pressure the president of the Republic of Panama or any other official of the government of Panama. The law firm said the letter was very common in international arbitration matters, and was such a routine matter for our firm that the Trump Organization had not been made aware of it until this week. In response to a request for comment, the Trump Organization on Tuesday forwarded the Panamanian law firms statement.

The office of Varelas spokesman declined to comment Tuesday, referring inquiries to the Foreign Ministry. In a statement, the ministry said the letter dealt with a purely commercial issue.

Differences arose between two companies, and the case was handled by the judiciary, the ministrys statement said. It is not a bilateral issue between governments, much less political.

The struggle over management of the hotel erupted late last year when the majority owner sought to fire the Trump hotel company, which had been managing the property under a long-term contract. The Trump firm resisted and the matter went to international arbitration and moved into the courts in Panama, New York and Delaware.

In early March, amid a several-day  and occasionally violent  standoff between Trump employees and the majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis, a Panamanian court authorized a change of administration. Police officers escorted Trump managers out of the building, workers promptly removed the Trump name from the property and Fintiklis renamed the hotel the Bahia Grand Panama, even peppering a new bar menu with sarcastically named drinks aimed at Trump.

In their March 22 letter to Varela, the lawyers for the Trump hotel management firm said the judiciarys handling of the case had been rife with violations of due process and had therefore crossed a 1983 investment treaty between the United States and Panama.

The lawyers requested Varelas use his good offices lest his government be blamed for what they called the damages that this excessively bad administration of justice is causing.

Several other legal matters related to the dispute remain to be resolved, including arbitration on damages.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi made the ruling requiring Boinet and Kihalangwa to ensure Okeke Patrick Godwin Chukwudu was immediately deported by Wednesday evening.

The state counsel told the court that the Nigerian national had been preying on Nairobi women but kept on dumping one for another in order to survive in the city.

The Inspector General of National Police Service to liaise with the Director of Immigration to ensure the accused person is deported this evening. You must be on a flight to Nigeria this evening, Andayi ruled on Wednesday afternoon.

Okeke's attempt to justify his presence in Kenya without immigration documents proved futile.

He had claimed that his Kenyan wife had confiscated his passport with the intention of grabbing his property in Nairobi.
Wetangula was responding to a statement by Mr. Odingas PA Dennis Onyango that castigated him for linking the former Prime Minister to his removal from the Senate Minority leader position.

"To date, none of the NASA senators has come out to support Wetang'ula. That kind of rejection was unprecedented and pointed to a deep-rooted problem between him and his colleagues.

"We find his sentiments to be dishonest, frivolous and evasive. They are only meant to whip up emotions to get sympathy over problems of the senators own making, Odinga said in the statement.

Wetangula's tweets

In the morning tweets, the Bungoma Senator sounded unhappy claiming that the statement issued by Odingas PA proved that there were wrangles in the Opposition.

Raila's disjointed proxy responses and attempts to malign me explains the internal turmoil of a conflicted, disintegrating organisation," he tweeted.

The FORD-Kenya party leader went ahead to advise Mr. Odinga to form another political vehicle and leave NASA to the three co-principals  himself, Wipers Kalonzo Musyoka and ANCs Musalia Mudavadi.

"Omwami Raila leave NASA to Stevo,MDVD & Weta. You made your choices and moved on to Nrm..as you never face the next election with same party," he tweeted.

Here are the responses to Wetangulas tweets:

Wetangula has formed a basis of political discussion after publicly declaring that Mr. Odinga had betrayed him by spearheading his removal from the Senate leadership.
LOS ANGELES and WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Los Angeles-based Kairos Ventures and Purdue Research Foundation today announced a partnership to bring substantial venture funding support to Purdue University research, technologies and startups with high commercial potential.

The collaboration provides additional leverage for Purdues startup ecosystem and supports investments in companies commercializing Purdues intellectual property.

The Kairos partnership with Purdue opens a whole new door for technologies and startups coming out of Purdue. We anticipate that this multi-million dollar collaboration will provide another strong avenue to move Purdues life-changing innovations to the marketplace through successful commercialization, said Dan Hasler, Purdues chief entrepreneurial officer. The funding could be used in a number of ways from pre-commercialization research projects to early-stage investments to Series A investments in companies.

Kairos collaborates with universities by providing funding, mentorship from industry experts, and assistance with sales and marketing. Its scientific and business advisory boards also provide additional support for startups.

Our investment goals are to build relationships with top universities that have well-established startup ecosystems, because we believe that research originating from the top minds in academia and industry have the potential to change the world, said James Demetriades, managing partner and founder of Kairos. Purdue University, like the other top-tier universities we partner with, is a proven leader in translating research to successful commercial endeavors. We look forward to working with Purdue-based companies from an idea all the way to positive impact on our society.

The Kairos/Purdue partnership provides:

*Early-stage investment in incubating companies.

*Executive assistance to help guide incubation companies.

*Series A funding for companies so positioned.

*Regular reviews of available technologies and investment opportunities.

*Participation in events, entrepreneurship competitions, showcases, business plan competitions, etc.

The Purdue Foundry, our startup accelerator, was founded in 2013 and has had great success. We recently celebrated 165 startups that raised more than $270 million, said John Hanak, managing director, Purdue Ventures. Even considering this tremendous accomplishment, with Purdue Universitys strong pipeline of research and innovation we know there are even more untapped and available innovations that are ready to move through the commercialization channel. Our partnership with an entity as highly respected and knowledgeable as Kairos opens the door to new opportunities and possibilities.

Purdue Ventures, a Purdue Foundry entity that manages Purdue-based funding opportunities for startups including matching funds, will provide matching investments to Kairos Ventures funding if appropriate and possible.

About Purdue Foundry

The Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization accelerator in Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship whose professionals help Purdue innovators create startups. Managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Foundry was co-named a top recipient at the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Designation and Awards Program by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

About Kairos Ventures

Kairos Ventures invests in ideas, patents, and businesses from the top universities and scientists. Kairos Ventures works to translate scientific innovations into successful commercial opportunities with world-changing potential. Their team possesses an extraordinary passion to have a huge impact on our world through the creation of companies that will improve our lives and that of the generations that will follow. They aim to do this by backing the very best scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs and help them transform their knowledge, ideas and discoveries into viable businesses. They expect these companies to have a huge impact on the world and create significant returns for their shareholders.

Writer: Cynthia Sequin, 765-588-3340, casequin@prf.org

Sources:

John Hanak, 765-588-5255, jmhanak@prf.org

Dan Hasler, 765-588-1039, djhasler@prf.org

Alex Andrianopoulos, Alex@kairosventures.com
Congestion Pricing Is A Terrible Idea

Congestion pricing hearings are now taking place. We cannot believe anyone is even considering this terrible idea. It is going to cause a rift between...

Astoria Civic Association Will Be Sorely Missed

The Astoria Civic Association has existed for 87 years. They have been a community institution ever since the founding by Judge Charles J. Vallone when...
QUIZ: Guess the Road Songs

We can't wait to get back on the road again! Play this quiz and see if how many you can get right!
Russian investigators cancel criminal proceedings against owner of SPI Group Shefler

 flickr.com/Joe Gratz

11:59 11/04/2018

MOSCOW, April 11 (RAPSI)  Investigative authorities of Russia have cancelled criminal proceedings against owner of the SPI Group Yuri Shefler, a defendant in the case of unlawful use of vodka trademarks, lawyer Alexander Asnis has told RAPSI.

According to Asnis, the proceedings were cancelled because of criminal amnesty. The courts ruling concerning Sheflers arrest in absentia was cancelled as well. Last few years the businessman lived in England.

The criminal case against the businessman was launched in 2002. He was charged with organizing a criminal group, murder threat to a representative of authority, unlawful business activity, unlawful use of a trademark, alcohol smuggling and money laundering. In 2012, most of the charges except for the illegal use of trademark were lifted.

Investigators believe that Shefler caused damage to Russia's Agriculture Ministry and Soyuzplodimport company, which received a right to use Limonnaya, Sibirskaya and Russkaya trademarks. The damage was estimated at 1.3 million rubles ($24,000).
Negligence case opened against fire team commander over Kemerovo mall blaze

 Imago/TASS

12:59 11/04/2018

MOSCOW, April 11 (RAPSI)  A criminal case has been opened against fire team commander Sergey Genin on suspicion of negligence over the fire in the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) shopping mall in Kemerovo that left 64 people dead, the Investigative Committees press service reports on its Telegram account on Wednesday.

Genin will be arrested in the nearest time, the statement reads.

According to investigators, Genin ignored information about scores of people at the cinema on the fourth floor and the nearest way to the movie hall he received from a witness of the fire. Other firemen obeyed their chief in accordance with applicable regulations. The defendant sent his subordinates to the far-away stairs and lost the time. His negligence resulted in the death of at least 37 people, the Investigative Committee said.

The fire in the mall occurred on March 25. Investigators reported that 64 persons including children were killed in the accident. A criminal case has been launched over involuntary manslaughter, violation of fire safety regulations that left more than two persons dead and provisions of services that dont meet safety requirements.

According to the Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin, the two main versions of the tragedy are an electrical short circuit and arson.

Seven persons were charged and detained in the case. They are: Yulia Bogdanova, CEO of the Kemerovsky Confectionary Combine, a company owning the mall, Tanziliya Komkova, head of the regions State Construction Inspection, a formal head of the malls owner company Georgy Sobolev; the malls manager Nadezhda Suddenok; CEO of the company System Integrator that developed the fire safety system Igor Polozinenko; an employee of the company, who personally installed the fire alarm Alexander Nikitin and a guard who allegedly turned off the emergency notification system when he received a fire signal Sergey Antyushin.

Moreover, on March 28, the court issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian national Nikita Kuvikov known as pranker Yevgeny Volnov, who allegedly disinformed people of the death toll in the blaze, in absentia. He was charged with inciting hatred and enmity.

According to investigation, the pranker called medical settings and government agencies on the phone and distributed false information on the death toll in the accident in order to destabilize the situation. Reportedly, he said that about 300 people were killed by fire.
Russia and Israel to sign treaty on prevention of double conscription for citizens

 flickr.com/Eylon Israely

14:59 11/04/2018

MOSCOW, April 11 (RAPSI)  Russia and Israel will sign an agreement to prevent repeated conscription for people, who are citizens of both countries, the official website of the Presidential Council of Human Rights reads.

According to human rights expert Andrey Babushkin, during a meeting between Israeli ambassador Harry Koren and the Councils members, the former said that Russian authorities try to launch criminal cases against people attempting to evade draft in Russia after serving in Israel. The two countries are working on the agreement that could prevent this situation from happening.

Other topic brought up during the discussion was functionality of national institutions that prevent torture or other forms of inhumane treatment of detained or imprisoned people. Koren promised to provide the Council with documents related to Israeli penitentiary system that could be of help in Russia.
Property details:

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Price: $ 407 State/Province: Texas Seller State of Residence: Missouri Zoning: Residential Type: Ranchette Location: 640**, Liberty, Missouri

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Vacant Land in Golden Valley, Mohave County, Arizona! Item Id: Carr02 Case Name: Carr, Donna Case Number: 17 11412 Trustee: Description: Estate's interest in 2.06 acres of vacant land in Golden Valley, Arizona near Kingman. The property is located on West Jurassic Drive, Golden Valley, AZ 86413. The status of water, power, sewer and utilities is unknown. The APN# is 339-08-091 and the Account # is R0226167. The legal descriptions is 'Section: 9 Township: 22N Range: 19W Golden Sage Ranchos Unit 7...

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Star Island Resort and Club ~ Kissimmee, FloridaFree Closing!! Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Buyer will receive a $200.00 Visa Gift Card upon completion of transfer!Additional Fees Include: GO Properties Services LLC Closing Costs: $475.00 (PAID BY SELLER) Recording Fee: $40.00 (PAID BY SELLER) 2018 Maintenance Fee: $0.00 Resort Transfer Fee: $150.00 (PAID BY SELLER) Star Island Resort and Club 5000 Avenue of the Stars Kissimmee, FL 34746 407-997-8000 This 65-acre retreat, just ...

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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/10/2018



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.
'... not even a moral one, let alone a legal one.'

'Even if it is assumed that Deepak Kochhar tried to influence his wife into doing something dodgy for his 'social acquaintance', why would she do it?'

'By all accounts she has been granted share options in ICICI Bank of a very substantial amount which easily makes her a multi billion-pati.'

'She did not become CEO against some stiff competition by being stupid and concocting devious cock-and-bull renewable energy stories.'

S Muralidharan, former managing director, BNP Paribas, unravels the Deepak Kochhar-Videocon controversy.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Try as you might, you cannot escape the handsome smiling face of Deepak Kochhar on the TV channels. No doubt the picture was from another era, when things were going swimmingly for him and there was not a cloud in his silver linings.

His wife, poor thing, is now suddenly the fallen icon; one year she was one of the 50 (or 100) most powerful women and now it looks like she will soon be one of the 10 most 'wanted', but not quite in that way. What is this brouhaha all about?

As always, everyone and his/her grand uncle is mouthing off about this issue without the least clue as to what the words mean, let alone what they mean together.

TV anchors are putting on a stern face and summoning up their inner indignant selves when the studio lights come on and the words ICICI, Deepak, Nu, Energy, or Kochhar pop up on the teleprompter.

Strangely, the usual suspects are silent, no doubt waiting to see if the timeline starts when they were in power.

The current dispensation is not sure whom to fight back in the absence of noise from the vocal minority and hence keeping their powder dry for another day.

Even the Curly-haired Commie, a man not given to reticence in the absence of facts, is quiet.

Some people are happy, possibly even delirious.

The beleaguered chiefs of PSU banks in general and of PNB in particular are without doubt thanking the celestial powers that for once the raucous public is baying for someone else's blood, not theirs.

I suspect their relief is going to be short lived, poor sods. This 'private sector scam' is the cavalry that saves the owners and managers of PSU banks in the nick of time, to fight another day.

Another month, another scam...

NiMO must be chuckling in his uber-comfy Manhattan condo at the mathematical irony of 64 trumping 12,000 (crores).

The Talking Heads, Chatterati and the Metropolitan Elite are drowning their sorrows in choice malts now that the Kochhars are not yet hanged, drawn and quartered.

The CBI is clueless and will remain so despite the numerous obligatory visits to offshore financial havens and global financial centres that will ensue, only to return empty-handed; Mauritius, Singapore, Cayman Islands... yum, yum, this case reads like a Thomas Cook holiday brochure.

The political class is happy that the middle class has been silenced, however temporarily, that one of their own heroes/heroines has concocted a scam which the latter usually accuse the former of.

There is distinct glee and schadenfreude among the chatterati that a 'rising star' has been humbled, brought to her knees, shown her place etc.

Women, please don't make this about 'the revenge of the patriarchy' and please let the law take its course.

Dear Fearless Crusaders of the Net (with anonymous handles), if you have light to shed, please do so, just don't hyperventilate with non-facts -- yes, Mr Famous-crusading-Lawyer, I am talking to you: Your Youtube video is a disgraceful vomit of non-facts and political diatribe.

It is not time for recriminations, but for facts and fact-based analysis to piece together what really happened.

Let us not turn this into a morality play for aspirational women wanting to be successful in the public eye.

What is this brouhaha all about?

In sum and substance, it is alleged that the Videocon group paid a large sum of money to Deepak Kochhar, ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar's husband, as a quid pro quo for a large loan from ICICI Bank to the Videocon Group.

Plain and simple allegation. Should be easy to prove, right? Wrong! The time lines and complex flows of cash via circuitous routes, in my opinion, put this beyond the ability of our investigators to prove conclusively.

However, those readers who have flown kites will no doubt know that a tangled ball of string can be unravelled with a bit of diligence, oodles of patience and a modicum of intelligence, which attributes are all beyond our investigators.

Let's a take a look at the time line of events: In December 2008, Deepak Kochhar started a firm, NuPower, to ostensibly operate in the renewable energy sector.

He strangely invites Venugopal Dhoot, chairman of the Videocon group whom he knew 'socially', to be a 50/50 partner in the venture.

Dhoot, being a man of a charitable disposition, agrees to this proposal.

(In all the subsequent paragraphs, I will use Deepak Kochhar as the proxy for his family members and various firms and entities in his control. Similarly, 'Dhoot' will represent himself, family and generally Videocon entities including his surrogates).

They each contribute Rs 2.5 lakh as capital in the new venture.

In January 2009 Dhoot resigns from the board of this company within 22 days of joining Kochhar.

The reason given by Kochhar for this rapid exit is that Dhoot lost interest in solar energy and decided to concentrate on his petroleum-based businesses. But Dhoot retains his 50% stake.

All goes quiet for a while.

Suddenly, in March 2010, Dhoot renews his interest in solar (it is, after all, renewable energy!) and lends Kochhar's venture Rs 64 crores.

Compare this sum to the firm's capital of only Rs 5 lakh (to the numerically challenged, that is 1,200 times the capital).

In our financial system it is the norm to lend not more than twice the capital as loan.

But 1,200 times, and that too to a 'social acquaintance'?

I ask the readers to make their own conclusions.

The loan is given by Supreme Energy, which is 99.5% owned by Dhoot. (Remember I use this name to include the person, his family, his business ventures and surrogates).

What led to this sudden change of heart on the part of Dhoot is not known.

By this time, through a set of transfers of shares, Dhoot, through Supreme, also becomes 95% owner of NuPower.

We have no idea at what price the shares of Nu were purchased by Supreme, but I am willing to bet it was not at face or fair value.

If it was at face value, then why was Dhoot effectively lending from the left pocket to the right?

In November 2010, the story gets, as Alice would have put it, curiouser still.

Dhoot now gets out of Supreme and hands the company over to his associate Mahesh Punglia.

Punglia obediently transfers control of Supreme Energy to Pinnacle Energy Trust.

Guess what? The managing trustee of Pinnacle is none other than our old friend Deepak Kochhar.

Now sit down before I tell you how much Pinnacle paid for Supreme: 9 lakh.

Not dollars, but Indian rupees.

Pinnacle pays Rs 9 lakh to buy a firm with assets of Rs 64 crores (the loan given to NuPower by Supreme is an asset in its books).

Think of it as your buying a house. You buy a house along with your friend and get out within 22 days.

Then after a year you lend 1,200 times the value of the house to the friend whom you ditched and slowly, behind the scenes, buy 95% of the house off your friend.

Then a few months later you transfer the house to your associate who then transfers it to your friend for peanuts.

Any sensible man would do that, right?

By 2017, 57% of NuPower was reportedly owned by a Mauritius-based company, DH Renewables.

In 2016, nearly 100% was owned by Kochhar and surrogates.

Over 50% of the company had been transferred to the Mauritius-based company between 2016 and 2017.

Some reports suggest that DHR in turn is 'owned' by an investment fund operating out of the Cayman Islands.

The trail there appears to go cold. Who is behind the Cayman trust is not known at this moment and probably will never be.

Enter ICICI Bank.

In 2012 ICICI Bank participates in a consortium led by SBI to restructure Rs 40,000 crores of loans to Videocon which the business group was unable to service.

The banking system and other banking authorities are delightfully vague if Rs 40,000 crores is the 'bad' money or it is the new 'good' money thrown after the old bad money.

Whatever the case, ICICI Bank's share of this new money is Rs 3,250 crores.

Such a 'consortium' lending approach was started with noble intentions, but like everything else in India quickly became a medium for dispersing and disowning responsibility for bad loan decisions.

Every member of the consortium 'relies' on the 'leader's appraisal' and the leader assumes that everyone has done his own due diligence.

Being a collective decision, in principle everyone is responsible, but in reality no one is accountable.

It is a fact little known outside banking circles that a meaningful dissent within the consortium is not possible.

You can say what you want in the privacy of the consortium meetings, so long as you fell in line with the majority views at the end of the meeting.

Usually leaders call the shots.

No one complains as this system absolves them of individual responsibility for their decisions.

Coming back to the ICICI Bank loan, much is made of the approval of Rs 3,250 crores -- they had no choice in the matter.

Also, in terms of time lines, the theory that Dhoot bought influence over ICICI Bank by becoming Kochhar's partner does not hold water since:

1. ICICI Bank was a minor partner in the lending consortium and could not reliably assure an outcome preferred by Dhoot, and

2. The loan restructure happened almost a decade after the partnership was forged.

Businessmen like Dhoot do not become rich by placing long bets on unborn foals of ordinary nags. They play for certainty.

Had he wanted to influence the loan restructuring on favourable terms, it could have been done much more easily through political influence in Delhi.

It would also have cost far less than Rs 64 crores.

All sorts of stretch is made to fit Rs 64 crores into the narrative; none holds any water.

Even if it is assumed that Deepak tried to influence his wife into doing something dodgy for his 'social acquaintance', why would she do it?

By all accounts she has been granted share options in ICICI Bank of a very substantial amount which easily makes her a multi billion-pati in rupees (that is hundreds of crores) and multi-millionaire in dollars.

She did not become the CEO against some stiff competition by being stupid and concocting devious cock-and-bull renewable energy stories.

I am willing to bet that there is no case against her -- not even a moral one, let alone a legal one.

As for her board, I am not so sure. They had received some information of some dodgy deals involving Videocon, Kochhar and the bank, sent by one Arvind Gupta, a whistle-blower.

It should have been the easiest thing for them to call in an outside forensic audit into the matter and await its report.

But they work overtime to give their CEO a clean chit without so much as a second look at the facts of the deals between Kochhar and Videocon.

If the board had started out to destroy her, they could not have done a better job.

The board perhaps brought consortium practices into their own meeting room -- follow the leader and lose individual responsibility in collective stupidity.

To summarise what we think we know now, there are a few possibilities:

A. It was influence-buying in ICICI Bank through Kochhar and his wife.

B. It was a tax-dodge that needed a partner to obscure the cash trail. Deepak was used for this purpose.

C. Dhoot saw the endgame approaching for Videocon and wanted to stash cash for his personal use and found a credulous partner in Deepak.

D. Deepak wanted to match his wife's success with his own and found Dhoot willing to lend his name and even some money.

But how do these possibilities hold up?

A. Unlikely as Dhoot could buy political influence in Delhi far more easily for a far lower sum.

B. All businessmen dodge tax and have elevated it to an art form. Why would they do that with a man they just met at a party?

C. I am unable to persuade myself that Indian business promoters would be unaware of the endgame nearing and have not lowered the life raft/golden parachutes for themselves and their families. Question of using a third party acquaintance (pun intended) for such an important thing does not arise.

D. This is certainly a possibility with a high probability. After all, the man himself is reported to have said that 'the husband of a successful woman cannot be expected to sit at home'. That provides the motivation for his deals. The means were provided by his party-friend. But why was the devious route taken unless there was something to hide? But what exactly is being hidden?

What did Chanda Kochhar know and when?

The gallant Deepak has said it was when Dhoot exited the partnership 22 days after entering it. That is still January 2009.

Should Chanda not have been concerned by this flip-flop by her husband's partner, especially when he happens to be one of the big clients of the bank she led?

Did she not sit Deepak down and have 'The Talk'? If not, why not?

Should she not have advised him to clear all of his future partnerships with her and extracted a promise from Deepak not to have anything to do with her bank's clients any more?

To paraphrase Julius Caesar, should Kochhar not only have been kosher, but seen to be kosher?

Some questions investigators would do well to pursue are as follows:

1. Why would a leading businessman of India choose a 'social acquaintance' to be a partner in his business? Or accept when such an acquaintance invites him to be the partner? What did Dhoot know of Kochhar's acumen and special expertise in renewable energy?

2. Having partnered Kochhar, why did Dhoot leave in just 22 days? Did he realise that there was no expertise? Then why did he retain his 50% shareholding at that stage? What was the motivation?

3. Having severed his personal connection with NuPower, why did Dhoot lend Rs 64 crore to it through his 99.5%-owned company? If his plan as per point 2 above was to distance himself from NuPower, why did he get close again?

4. What was the basis for the loan 1,200 times the capital of the borrower? Where did that money come from? I am unable to shake off the feeling that somehow that money was taken from the operating entities in the Videocon group who in turn must have taken it from their bankers for some expansion/new project! Once inside NuPower, where did that money go?

5. Why did Supreme Power acquire 95% of NuPower, after Dhoot walked in, then out? Could he not make up his mind (I doubt it) or was it a ploy to obscure the money trail or some elaborate tax fraud?

6. Why was Supreme transferred to Dhoot associate Punglia first, before it was sold to Kochhar? This appears to be a clear attempt to insulate Dhoot from the later transfer to Kochhar for peanuts. If it was kosher, why the convoluted trail?

7. What was the amount paid to acquire 95% of NuPower? To whom was it paid, how and where?

8. Why did Kochhar buy Supreme in a trust controlled by him rather than a proprietary firm/partnership/limited company as is the norm in business? Is it to evade scrutiny and reporting requirements under company laws or to obscure beneficial ownership from the public eye? Who are the beneficiaries of the trust?

9. Why did DH Renewable of Mauritius acquire a majority shareholding in NuPower? What was the consideration? What was the business rationale/logic? To whom was the consideration paid?

10. Who owns/controls DH Renewable Mauritius? And who owns them and so on? Why this layer upon layer of screens? Who is hiding what?

11. What exactly has NuPower done with the Rs 64 crores it received? What has it set up? How much power has it produced? How did it rack up accumulated losses of Rs 78 crores? How did it fund the losses?

12. What was the role played by Rajiv Kochhar in 'restructuring' overseas loans of ICICI Bank? What were the specific cases and what were the haircuts taken by the bank in those cases? Who was made accountable for the write-offs/haircuts/losses (there must have been, for a restructuring expert to be called in) in those loan settlements?

There are a lot of questions now and I am afraid even after this thing has played out, most of them will remain unanswered.

But some things are clear: The succession of veils and back and forth transactions and transfer of ownership through devious means can all mean only one thing: Somebody has something to hide.

Who is it and what is he hiding?

Was Deepak the sinner or was he lured into a complex web by his social friend?

When confronted with a difficult issue I use the Duck Test: If something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and smells like a duck, IT IS A DUCK.

Unfortunately we live in an age of laws and courts and lawyers and adjournments ad infinitum and of political interference and influence peddling/buying; ours is neither Rome-rajya nor Ram-rajya where Caesar and his wife, and Ram and his wife, were required to be seen to be above suspicion.

We live in an era when innocence means not getting caught.

I cannot shake off the feeling that despite dead bodies littering the place, everyone will emerge innocent in this saga.

S Muralidharan retired as managing director, BNP Paribas, after serving the bank for 20 years.
The bench also said there was merit in ED's contention that while the "driving force behind the companies" (Modi) was not submitting to the agency's jurisdiction, his companies cannot be given any discretionary relief.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed diamantaire Nirav Modi's company, Firestar Diamond, to ask him to return to India, dubbing him a "fugitive".

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta passed the direction after the company's lawyer said relief should not be denied to it on a technicality that Firestar International had authorised the filing of petitions by its subsidiary, Firestar Diamond.

"If we should not stress upon technicalitythen ask Mr Modi to come back. Ask him to come back," the bench told advocate Vijay Aggarwal, who appeared for Firestar Diamond and Firestar International.

Expressing "serious concern" over Modi's statement to investigative agencies that he will not submit to their jurisdiction, the court said "we are dealing with a fugitive here according to them (ED). A fugitive from justice stands on a different footing."

Agarwal, however, said that the media has termed Modi as a fugitive and only non-bailable warrants have been issued against him and no order proclaiming him as an absconder has been passed.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches and seizure of the company and its assets in connection with a money laundering case related to the over Rs 11,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.

Agarwal urged the bench to either stay the ED proceedings against the two companies or direct the agency to provide the reasons for its search and seizure action.

The ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General Sandeep Sethi and central government standing counsel Amit Mahajan, raised several objections, including that of jurisdiction, against maintainability of the pleas.

The agency contended that no relief should be granted to the two companies under the discretionary power of the court as Modi was a "fugitive from justice", was "absconding" and not joining the investigation.

It showed the share holding pattern of the two companies and several others in which Modi has stake and argued that he was the person behind all of them.

The court took note of the share holding pattern and said it was "intricate" and "speaks for itself".

The bench also said there was merit in ED's contention that while the "driving force behind the companies" (Modi) was not submitting to the agency's jurisdiction, his companies cannot be given any discretionary relief.

The observations came during the hearing on the pleas of Modi's and Mehul Choksi's firms challenging the ED proceedings against them as well as various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court listed all the matters for hearing on May 3.

It asked the ED to file its response to the pleas moved by Choksi's Gitanjali Gems and Modi's Firestar International, the parent company of Firestar Diamonds which had earlier moved high court against the ED proceedings.

During the hearing, Agarwal argued that the agency was making contradictory submissions.

He said on one hand it was saying Modi was not separate from the two companies, on the other it was saying that the Board of Firestar International cannot authorise filing of petitions by Firestar Diamond as they were different entities.

The court, however, observed that in view of the board resolution by Firestar International, the petitions of Firestar Diamond were bad from inception and added that the conduct of Modi was also essential to consider grant of discretionary relief.

With regard to the plea by Choksi's Gitanjali Gems, which has challenged the alleged illegal seizure of documents and articles by the probe agency, the bench said its share holding too has to be seen to ascertain who holds the controlling interest.

"The bottom line is that under Article 226 for grant of discretionary relief, we may want to examine to whom the benefit will enure. We have to see who will be benefitted," the court said.

The three companies in their respective pleas have sought directions to ED to supply them copies of search warrants, the ECIR registered by the agency on the basis of which searches were made in their premises and the entire documentation and details of places where the assets have been kept for safe keeping.

They have also challenged the constitutionality of various provisions of the PMLA, including Section 17 which gives powers of search and seizure and Section 20 relating to retention of property.

Billionaire Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others are being investigated by multiple probe agencies after the scam recently came to light following a complaint by the PNB that they had allegedly cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The ED has registered the money laundering case against Nirav Modi, his firms and others on the basis of a CBI FIR.

The CBI and the ED have registered FIRs to probe the case and intensified the crackdown on Nirav Modi and Choksi with the ED seizing jewellery and assets worth thousands of crores of rupees, the I-T department attaching various properties, and the CBI grilling several senior executives of his company.

Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters
Pilots open up to Anjuli Bhargava about their struggles.

Representational photograph: Pixabay.com

The A320neo's engine problems have led to several stressful weeks of flying for commanders and co-pilots of IndiGo and Go Air.

While the problem may be behind them for now with the grounding of 11 aircraft, flying with a low-fare airline in India is not a piece of cake.

After four years of flying as a co-pilot, Navneet Sarin, 32, is the commander of a low-fare airline in India. Sarin is married, has a child and lives in Gurgaon.

His reporting time on one of the days of his last week's roster was 4.35 am. He takes off from Delhi and lands at Cochin. There is a 20-25 minute stop at Cochin when passengers disembark.

Then the flight takes off for Thiruvananthapuram. The stop at Thiruvananthapuram is even shorter -- as the number of passengers getting off shrink.

From Thiruvananthapuram, the flight takes off for Chennai. More passengers board at Chennai, and the commander takes the flight to its final destination -- Hyderabad, where he finally gets to halt for the night.

Typically, on a such a work day, Sarin carries out four take-offs and four landings. He barely manages to stretch his legs when the aircraft halts -- let alone have a cup of tea or coffee.

Unlike full-service airlines, turnaround time between flights is tight for low-fare airline, making it more stressful for pilots. Since each take-off and landing means pressurising and depressurising of the aircraft, it takes a physical toll on the body.

But Sarin argues the mental toll is worse. He he feels like a "glorified driver", and says that even if he doesn't fly that many hours in a month or a year, the nature of the work is stressful.

The prescribed rest period after a day of four landings and take offs is 15 hours.

"One can land at 9 pm and then the next flight could be scheduled at 12 noon the next day," explains Sarin, so one is always cutting it fine to the minimum time prescribed or to what is legally required by the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Moreover, sometimes the schedules include what is called "red-eye" flights -- which typically end late into the night or start very early in the morning, making matters worse.

"No matter what time one retires, one cannot actually fall asleep before 11 pm, which is one's normal body clock", says Sarin.

So, at times like this, the pilot often gets barely a few hours of actual sleep and is far from rested.

"The body itself is confused; am I supposed to get up or am I supposed to sleep?"says Sarin.

While this may be manageable for a few months, on a longer basis, it begins to tell on the system.

Although there are rules that prescribe no more than two consecutive late night landings, in effect and practice, it works out differently.

Sarin and other LCC (low-cost carriers) pilots say that while their schedules are manageable for a few months, over a longer period, the fatigue begins to set in.

Also, since the low-fare airlines do the same routes all the time, a sort of monotony sets in. It is, in fact, to escape this monotony that many pilots through their careers opt for ground duties.

"Just flying endlessly becomes a bit mindless over a period of time. Even the thrill of handling the aircraft single-handedly dims after a period," says a senior commander with Jet Airways.

Arati Saini -- who worked as a commander with a full-service carrier before moving to an LCC two years ago -- says she was spending 12-15 days in a month out of the house and this was throwing her personal schedules haywire.

Even though she opted for less flying (a contract that required 60 hours over 21 days), she still found she was spending too many nights outside the house.

"This may work fine for co-pilots -- young, unmarried and yet to start families -- but it becomes a problem for commanders with families," she explains.

In addition to this, another factor is adding to the stress of pilots.

Many of the low-fare carriers -- IndiGo in particular but even SpiceJet and others -- have seen fairly rapid capacity growth in the last two-three years. To keep pace with the growing demand, aircraft and routes are being added almost on a daily basis.

But the rate at which commanders can be added is much lower. As a result, a lot of the commanders are pulled in as reserves and stand-bys.

So, if a pilot is on reserve on a particular day from say 5 am to 3 pm, it effectively means he can't do much else as he can be called in to operate a flight just 1-2 hours before he actually flies.

"Commanders and senior first officers are at a premium as you cannot churn them out at the same rate as you can add planes," explains Shakti Lumba, an industry expert.

This is what is behind the move by airlines to increase the pilot's notice period to one year, an absurd stipulation as most people in the industry agree.

What then is the solution to some of these problems, since the nature of the job is tied to the nature of the business?

Pilots and commanders say that a more "humane" approach towards them would go a long way.

"The aircraft is a machine but we are not," says a senior pilot, who feels that the attitude of the management has in the past often been adversarial, although it is slowly changing.

Alternating the schedules and adjusting them to ensure that one day with four departures and landings is followed by the next one with only two departures and landings would help after the 15-hour rest.

"It all comes down to better planning by someone who is willing to understand the problem by stepping in the pilot's shoes; not by someone who wants to dictate terms as it often happens," says Lumba.

The joy of flying must be a factor that is kept in mind -- not just for passengers but the pilots as well.

(Names of pilots have been changed to protect their identity)
'The Modi-Shah duo won't leave the war zone without putting up a tough fight.'

'Modi's slogan for 2019 could well be, "I have done much. Give me one more chance to do even more".'

'2019 will be tough for the BJP.'

'But it will be even tougher for the Opposition -- united or otherwise,' says R Rajagopalan.

IMAGE: Leaders of various Opposition parties, including United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, protest outside Parliament against the government's alleged anti-Dalit policies. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has remarked that faced with Opposition unity,Prime Minister Narendra D Modi could lose his Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 election.

Rahul also said the Bharatiya Janata Party would not return to power in 2019.

Though the Congress is well within its right to dream big, this time it seems Rahul has gone too far.

What makes him confident enough to make such statements?

Is it because of the BJP's defeat in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections?

Or the Congress winning a few assembly segments here and there?

Or is it due to Rahul's talks with Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury?

Or due to the rising discontent against the BJP in and out of Parliament?

Certainly, the nation's mood is changing and the BJP has taken a beating on several crucial issues, most recently on the Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi fraud, as well as over the Dalit protests

But that does not mean the BJP can be written off in 2019.

A little over two months ago, the BJP snatched Tripura from the CPM.

With this, the era of Communism in India is all but over. The Left is losing strength in West Bengal and only holding whatever ground it can in Kerala.

On the other hand, BJP leaders are politicking 24x7 and not resting on their laurels.

Today, the BJP rules 21 states and is the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha.

Its cadre increases every month. The BJP has volunteers and workers in every district for booth-level management.

Is there any political party as big as the BJP as of now?

In contrast, the Congress's vote share is fast receding at the national level.

Rahul may think of defeating the BJP with a united Opposition behind him. But are the Opposition parties united?

And even if they unite, will they accept Rahul as their leader?

All the top Opposition leaders have their own egoes and ambitions, because of which they tend to split soon after entering into an alliance.

Can Mamata Banerjee and the Communists come together?

Will Sharad Pawar be comfortable with the Shiv Sena?

Can the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazahagam be pulled into one camp?

The Mahagathbandhan, or Grand Alliance, of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar in Bihar broke up within two years, so how long will the alliance of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati last?

And can the Telugu Desam Party and the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party forget their differences?

All this is still not clear and May 2019 is only a year away.

What seems clear at this is stage is that no regional party is ready to give the Congress the importance it once enjoyed.

Will the DMK agree to allot 20 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in Tamil Nadu?

Will Mayawati and Akhilesh offer 40 seats to the Congress in UP?

Will Lalu agree to give 20 seats to the Congress in Bihar?

If not, then, in the event of a united Opposition contesting the next general election, by how much can Rahul improve the Congress's current tally of 48 in the Lok Sabha?

Prevailing political combinations and caste-religion equations in north India do not paint a rosy picture for the Congress.

So how can Rahul say that Modi will be defeated if Akhilesh and Mayawati come together?

Leave alone defeating Modi, can Rahul ensure that he himself or his mother, United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, will retain their respective seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli if their party is ignored by the Akhilesh-Mayawati combine in UP?

Senior Opposition leaders like Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav may accept Sonia Gandhi as their joint leader. But this will not be the case with Rahul in the saddle.

And there is no Opposition leader who can be said to be on par with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi in the popularity ratings.

However, on the flip side, the BJP does not have a strong regional ally.

Most of its allies have deserted the BJP or in the process of deserting it.

The TDP walking out of the ruling National Democratic Alliance was a major setback to the BJP. But the BJP has not much to lose in Andhra Pradesh.

Also, the Modi-Amit A Shah duo will not easily leave the war zone without putting up a tough fight.

Modi's slogan for 2019 could well be, 'I have done much. Give me one more chance to do even more'.

Indeed, 2019 will be tough for the BJP. But it will be even tougher for the Opposition -- united or otherwise.
IMAGE: An Algerian military plane is seen after crashing near an airport outside the capital Algiers, Algeria. Photograph: Ramzi Boudina/Reuters

An Algerian military plane carrying soldiers, their families and some refugees crashed soon after takeoff on Wednesday, killing 257 people.

Algeria's Defense Ministry said those killed included 247 passengers and 10 crew.

The cause of the crash was unclear and an investigation has been opened.

The plane was said to be headed to the western Algerian city of Bechar.

The Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane crashed in a farm field with no people nearby.

Footage from the scene showed thick black smoke coming off the field, ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles arriving at the crash site.

"The plane started to rise before falling," an unidentified man lying on what seemed to be a hospital bed told Algerian TV network Ennahar. "The plane crashed on its wing first and caught fire."

Algeria President Abdelaziz Bouteflika declared three days of national mourning and prayers for the dead on Friday.
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#Air Force space center Air Force launches space center to boost space defense capabilities The Air Force launched a space center under the direct control of its chief of staff Thursday as part of efforts to expand its presence in space and strengthen defense capabilities...
The victim claimed that the district administration in Unnao had virtually confined her to a hotel room "without a phone or water and guards at every corner".

IMAGE: Activists of the Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist and the Communist Party of India-MarxistLeninist display placards during a protest over Unnao rape case. Photograph: PTI Photo

As a political storm and public outcry over the Unnao rape case raged, the wife of the accused Bharatiya Janata Party MLA in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday demanded narco tests on her husband and also the 18-year-old victim, who alleged confinement by local authorities.

The judiciary also stepped in with the Allahabad high court seeking the Yogi Adityanath-led state government's stand on the incident on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi detailing the incident and posted the matter for hearing tomorrow. The Supreme Court also decided to hear next week a plea by an advocate for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the rape case.

A Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Director General of Police-Lucknow zone visited Makhi village from where the rape victim hailed and collected information to submit a report to the chief minister.

"The SIT team will probe on all the aspects of the case and act accordingly. Security has been provided to the victim's family," additional director general of police-Lucknow zone Rajiv Krishna said.

The Congress latched on to the case to hit out at the BJP government with party president Rahul Gandhi wondering if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would observe a fast on the alleged rape and death of the complainant's father in custody, which he said "has shamed humanity".

The victim, who had tried to immolate herself outside the chief minister's house just a day before her 50-year-old father died on Monday, alleged that she has been confined to a hotel room by the district administration, leaving her "without a phone or water and guards at every corner".

She also accused the MLA's brother and their henchmen of killing her elder uncle earlier. "I want justice, why are they putting pressure on me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?" she told TV channels.

A purported video of the alleged rape survivor's father before his death also went viral and was shown by several TV channels, in which he alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, including with rifle butts. It also showed the deceased person's back with serious wounds, but its veracity could not be ascertained.

IMAGE: Sangeeta Sengar, wife of BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the main accused in the Unnao gangrape case meets director general of police, Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

In the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, the wife of the accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting state police chief O P Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.

"We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture. There are political reasons behind this and my husband has been made a pawn," Sangeeta Sengar said. The narco analysis test is a type of psychological investigation.

"My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. He has been in politics for the past 15 years and has been serving the society and people," she said, adding that her daughters were unable to concentrate on their studies in the wake of this incident.

She said the allegations against her brother-in-law Atul, who was arrested on Tuesday, were false too.

The MLA's wife, as also the alleged rape survivor, have demanded a CBI probe into the entire matter.

The Congress party demanded the dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, alleging that his government was a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women.

Taking a swipe at the prime minister's proposed hunger strike over the non-functioning of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi separately tweeted, "The barbarism inflicted on a father seeking justice for his daughter in Uttar Pradesh has shamed humanity. Hope the prime minister will soon observe a fast over atrocities against women, failed law and order and increasing anarchy under the BJP's watch."

The Congress president also posted a purported video in which the woman's father is seen speaking against the BJP MLA.

In the Supreme Court, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would hear a plea next week for a CBI probe. The plea also alleged that the woman's father was tortured and killed in police custody at the behest of the "ruling party" in the state.

The petition, filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, sought the court's direction to the CBI to probe the alleged kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in July last year "by the BJP MLA and his companion and custodial death of her father via torture" on April 9.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator "under political pressure" and that the state police would not carry out a "fair investigation under compulsion", it said the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International India's Asmita Basu said, "The reported failure of the Uttar Pradesh police to register an FIR against the accused, the harassment faced by the survivor and her family, and the death of her father in custody paint a chilling picture."
The IIM-B's 'Karnataka innovation report' has become the basis for the Congress partys election narrative, particularly to distinguish it from the Gujarat model of development, reports Archis Mohan.

IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress president Rahul Gandhi take a selfie at a metro ticket counter at MG Road metro station during an election rally in Bengaluru. Photograph: PTI Photo

The centrepiece of the Congress partys election campaign in Karnataka is the good governance it claims the Siddaramaiah government has provided in the last five years, and the party has come to call it the Karnataka model of development, with its highlight being the several Bhagya social welfare schemes.

From December 23, 2017, to January 17, 2018, the Centre for Public Policy of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, held 12 seminars to interact with stakeholders to discuss steps taken by the Siddaramaiah government in governance, education, health, urban-rural development and other sectors.

Participants included bureaucrats, sectoral experts, representatives from academia and private industry, as also activists. The IIM-B later released a Karnataka innovation report.

This report has become the basis for the Congress partys election narrative, particularly to distinguish the Karnataka model of development from the Gujarat model of development.

The Congress partys manifesto for the Gujarat assembly polls in December was a critique of the Gujarat model of development, and its manifesto for Karnataka, to be released soon, will present the Congress vision of inclusive growth and social mobility.

The Congress partys Gujarat manifesto had criticised the Gujarat model of development for its focus on big factories, big projects, foreign direct investment and its top down approach.

It had said this development model ignored the people of Gujarat -- farmers, women, small and medium enterprises, students and traders. The Congress manifesto had spoken of the need to have a bottom up approach to policy making.

The IIM-B report has tried to collate the Siddaramaiah governments decisions of the last five years, including its bottom-up approach.

Start Ups

Karnatakas IT-BT sector earns $50-billion in revenue. Karnataka houses 400 biotech companies, 60 per cent of biotech companies in India.

The Congress government has proposed several Information Technology and Biotechnology projects to be complete in the next couple of years.

Recently, it launched the Elevate 100 programme, which selected 111 start-ups from 1,400 that had applied to receive government grants.

To bridge the digital divide, the state government has covered 6,000 gram panchayats with broadband facility, and give access to free Wi-Fi. It plans to cover all soon.

Solar energy

Under Surya Raitha scheme, farmers can install solar-powered irrigation pump sets with 90 per cent subsidy from the government. Excess power can be sold to the government.

The state government has leased 13,000 acres of land from farmers for 28-years to develop a solar park in Tumkuru district. These farmers receive lease charges of Rs 21,000 per acre per year with 5 per cent escalation every two years on the base. The park is expected to generate 4,000 jobs for the local youth and 2,700 MW of solar power by end-2018, of which it has already started generating 500 MW, the report states.

Nutrition

The government has set up 132 Indira canteens in Bengaluru to provide subsidised food to all. The report said 20 million meals have been supplied until 2017-end.

Mathru Poorna scheme provides one nutritious meal daily for 25-days a month to 1.2 million pregnant and lactating women across the state.

Ksheera Bhagya provides 200 ml milk to children between six months and six years for five days a week.

Motte Bhagya scheme provides eggs to all children in the state twice a week, and five days a week to underweight children.

Healthcare

The state government has strengthened existing and launched new healthcare schemes under Arogya Bhagya schemes.

Udaan, a public-private-partnership, programme with Narayana Health, helps meritorious students from marginalised rural families to pursue a degree in medicine. In 2016-17, 56 students were selected for this long-term programme with a nine-year tenure.

Deepening democracy

In 2015, the Siddaramaiah government modified the Karnataka Panchayati Raj Act for greater devolution of power, functions, finances and functionaries to panchayati raj institutions.

It empowered PRIs to adopt a bottom-up approach to plan and identity the needs for implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Swachh Bharat Mission.

Fifty per cent of seats were reserved for women. It also created grievance redressal authorities in all zilla panchayats, with a stipulated time frame for action. Voting was made compulsory for Panchayat Raj elections.

Agriculture

Around Rs 350 billion of produce is transacted in Karnatakas agriculture markets, or APMCs. To ensure improved incomes for farmers, the state government, along with NCDEX eMarkets, established a joint venture called Rashtriya eMarket Services.

The report claims 158 of the 162 main markets in the state are connected to this e-market and 4.8 million farmers registered. It quotes a NITI Aayog report to state that Karnataka realized 38 per cent more income to farmers in 2015- 2016 over 2013-2014.

Krishi Yantra Dhare, a scheme launched by the state government provides high-tech farm machinery and equipment on custom hire service basis to small and marginal farmers at rentals 30 per cent lower than existing market rates.

Water and irrigation

A mere 36 per cent of total land under cultivation in Karnataka has access to irrigation. Krishi Bhagya scheme of the state government has tried to make water available during critical stages of crop growth and conserve rainwater. About 160,000 krishi hondas or farm ponds have been created.

The government has launched the ambitious Koramangala and Challaghatta valley waste-water treatment plants. These are located close to Bellandur and VarthurLakes, large lakes in Bengaluru now fully contaminated with untreated waste-water. This treated waste-water can have agriculture reuse, and could also be pumped to drought-prone districts of Kolar and Chikballapur.

Education

The state government set up the Bangalore Ambedkar School of Economics, patterned on the London School of Economics, which has 30 per cent reserved for SC/ST and OBC students.
Royal fans from around the world are counting down the days until the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges third child, due in April. Soon, photographers and video crews will head to the Lindo wing at St Marys Hospital in London for what has become known as the Great Kate Wait.

As we wait for the newest Cambridge arrival, Getty Images photographer Chris Jackson presents some of his most favourite moments with the little royals.

When George meets George

April 20, 2014

All Photographs: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

During their tour of Australia in April 2014, Prince William, Kate and George visited the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, where the young prince met a Bilby by the same name. George, who was on his first official overseas trip, face lit up as he saw the cute furry animal and he squirmed to get out of his mothers grip to get a closer look.

Prince at Play

September 29, 2016

At a childrens party for military families during the Royal Tour of Canada, George was absolutely transfixed by the bubbles his father was blowing for him. Getty Images photographer Chris Jackson said, I always come away from photographing situations like this with a big smile.

Waiting for Kate

July 23, 2013

When it was announced that Kate was expecting her first child, Britain was ecstatic. On July 23, when it was announced that Kate had given birth to a boy on April 22, the worlds media thronged The Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital in London to catch a glimpse of the third in line to the throne.

After a long wait, when the royal couple finally walked out onto the steps of the hospital, proudly holding the little prince, a chorus of camera shutters accompanied them. Prince William skilfully tucked the newborn into the baby seat and whisked his family away to KensingtonPalace. It was the start of a new and exciting time.



Window view

June 13, 2015

As his father, Prince William, rode out to take part in the formal parade for Queen Elizabeth IIs annual birthday, George takes it all in from the window of BuckinghamPalace accompanied by his nanny -- Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.



Hug for dad!

September 29, 2016

He wont let go of his dad. Prince George of Cambridge with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge at a childrens party for military families during the Royal Tour of Canada. Its rare to see such affection in formal royal situations and we must say it warms our hearts to see it!



Protective brother to Charlotte

July 5, 2015

Big brother Prince George almost stole the show at Princess Charlotte's christening by charming the crowds who had gathered to see the family on the Sandringham Estate.

He peeked inside his baby sister's pram to catch a glimpse of his nine-week old sister as they headed to church of St Mary Magdalene.



Aww...dorable

June 17, 2017

Trooping the Color, an annual British military ceremony that also marks the queens birthday, is a rare opportunity to see so many members of the royal family in one place at the same time.

The little royals -- George and Charlotte -- are transfixed by the incredible Royal Air Force flypast that zooms over their head.



Following in dads footsteps?

July 21, 2017

During their official visit to Poland and Germany, Prince George couldnt help but be excited when he sat inside helicopter models H145 and H135  similar to the ones his dad used to pilot as an air ambulance pilot. While the tour wasnt exactly a happy one for George, in this very moment his joy was palpable and unbridled.



Important firsts

September 7, 2017

First day of school is a big deal for any child, but it has to be huge for the third in line for the British throne. Prince George was accompanied by his dad, William, to school. George arrived in his new uniform, which included a blue official school jumper with red logo, blue Bermuda shorts and blue socks with laceless shoes and his name George Cambridge on his bag. And while he looked nervous at first, it was revealed that George had a good first day.



Smelling roses

July 19, 2017

Charlotte takes delight in the small bouquet of flowers shes presented during the official visit to Poland and Germany. She was all smiles as she was presented the flowers.



On his agenda for 2018, in addition to the expected arrival of the duke and duchess new baby in April, is Prince Harrys marriage to Meghan Markle in May.




Prime Minister Narendra Modi will observe a day-long fast on Thursday in New Delhi, while top BJP leaders, including Union ministers, will fan out across the country for a similar protest to corner the opposition over the recent washout of the budget session of Parliament.

Addressing party MPs through an audio conference call ahead of the protest, Modi said the BJP leaders and its workers will observe the fast tomorrow to "expose" those handful of people who "throttled" democracy by stalling Parliament proceedings during the budget session.

Besides Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu will observe the fast in New Delhi.

As per the schedule prepared by the BJP for observing the fast across the country, Union Health Minister J P Nadda will be in Modi's constituency Varanasi, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will travel to Patna for it, party sources said.

Many other ministers will travel to various places across the country to observe the fast. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will observe the fast in Chennai, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javdekar in Benguluru, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel in Tamil Nadu and Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh.

Tourism Minister KJ Alphons will observe the fast in Kerala.

Besides ministers, all the party MPs will also sit on a fast in their respective constituencies, while BJP chief Amit Shah will hold a sit-in at Hubli in poll-bound Karnataka tomorrow.

The ruling BJP has blamed the opposition, led by the Congress party, for the washout of the budget session. The session was the worst in terms of productivity in about a decade.

Last week, while speaking at the BJP's parliamentary party meeting, Modi had accused the Opposition, particularly the Congress, of practising divisive politics and stalling Parliament. PTI

Meanwhile, the Congress has dismissed Modi's proposed hunger strike as a "photo-op".

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the proposed fast by the BJP MPs led by the prime minister tomorrow was a "drama", adding that time has come for the PM to take 'sanyas' (retirement).

"It is only a photo opportunity. The BJP did not allow the parliament, the country's temple of democracy, to function when they were in the opposition and neither are they allowing it to function now when they are in power.

"Prime Minister ji, it is not the time to observe fast, in view of your failures... it is time to take retirement instead. If you do not wake up now, you should understand that the time of your retirement will come in 2019 when people will vote you out," he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also questioned Modi's decision to observe a fast protesting washout of recent Parliament session, alleging it was the Centre which ensured

the disruption by provoking All India Anna Dravida MUnnetra Kazhagam over the Cauvery issue.

Referring to day-long fast by Modi along with BJP MPs, he claimed the Centre did not constitute the Cauvery Management Board because of coming elections in Karnataka.

"They provoked the AIADMK and ensured" that the MPs of the ruling party in Tamil Nadu stormed the well of the Lok Sabha and thereby did not allow TDP to raise its demand (for grant of special category status to Andhra Pradesh), he said.

"How atrocious? And now he (prime minister) says he will observe protest...seeking to portray the opposition as wrong and he is right. Is it correct? Is it justified," the chief minister questioned.

Naidu, whose party recently snapped ties with the National Democratic Alliance was addressing a meeting in connection with the birth anniversary celebrations of social activist Jyotirao Phule.
Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Sarath Chand had told the parliamentary panel that inadequate allocation of funds in the defence budget for 2018-19 will hit the army's modernisation plan.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday brushed aside the army's concerns over severe shortage of funds to procure new equipment and weapons, asserting that there was no reason to worry as adequate financial resources are being made available to the armed forces.

The army had told a Parliamentary Standing Committee that it was reeling under severe fund crunch and struggling to even make emergency procurements when there was a real possibility of a two-front war and both China as well as Pakistan were carrying out modernisation of their defence forces in "full swing".

The report of the committee was tabled in Parliament last month.

"The parliamentary standing committee has said lot more. I wish you had read the entire report of the committee. The standing committee report has said so many other things as well," Sitharaman said when asked about the report during a press conference at the Defence Expo in Thiruvidanthai.

Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Sarath Chand had told the parliamentary panel that inadequate allocation of funds in the defence budget for 2018-19 will hit the army's modernisation plan when Chinese military was competing to reach the level of the United States.

He said 68 per cent of the army's equipment is in the vintage category, adding fund crunch will also impact the serviceability of the existing equipment and may even affect payment of instalments for past purchases.

When asked about the vice chief's comments, Sitharaman did not give a direct reply but said the impression in certain quarters that the defence ministry was not doing anything was "wrong".

"Our focus has been to prioritise what we have. We are ensuring maximum utilisation of funds. Things are happening in defence ministry," she said.

The government allocated Rs 76,765 crore less to the Army, Navy and Air Force in the defence budget than what they had sought to purchase new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware, according to official figures placed in Parliament last month.

The three forces had demanded Rs 1.60 lakh crore as capital outlay but were granted Rs 83,434 crore for the year 2018-19.

Referring to criticism of delays in procurement of bullet proof jackets for the armed forces, Sitharaman said it is not like "over the counter buying of things" and the government was putting sincere efforts to meet demands of the armed forces.

Sitharaman also said that the armed forces had been given free hand to go for equipment of their choice -- be it Indian or imported.

The 10th edition of the Defence Expo, an exhibition of land, air and naval systems, is billed by the government as first major initiative to project India's potential as a manufacturing hub.

Sitharaman said though she would like the forces to go for domestic defence equipment, it is for them to take a call on the issue based on their requirement.

"The armed forces are free to decide what they need to deal with the country's security challenges. They are free to choose their equipment," she said.

The defence minister said the armed forces are using various indigenous platforms but it "may be not as much as we would want".

"It is up to them to take a call on what they need," Sitharaman said.
Trump also warned Russia that it should "get ready" for missiles to be fired at its ally Syria, in response to an alleged chemical attack.

The United States's relationship with Russia is worse than the Cold War era, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday and blamed special investigator Robert Mueller's "fake and corrupt" investigations into the Russian meddling in 2016 election for the "bad blood" between the two countries.

In a series of tweets, Trump also called for an end to the arms race between the two countries.

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?" Trump said.

Attacking Mueller, he tweeted, "Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!

Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favour.

Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration over the mainstream media and the opposition Democratic leaders over the probe.

The US president also accused The New York Times of writing a "phony story" over a report that Mueller's office is looking into a payment that a Ukrainian steel magnate made to Trump's charitable foundation in exchange for a video appearance.

"The Failing New York Times wrote another phony story. It was political pundit Doug Schoen, not a Ukrainian businessman, who asked me to do a short speech by phone (Skype), hosted by Doug, in Ukraine. I was very positive about Ukraine-another negative to the Fake Russia C story! he said.

So much Fake News about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria. Feels great to have Bolton & Larry K on board, he said referring to the two new members of his national security team.

Trump suggested that the Federal Bureau of Investigation raid at the offices of his private lawyer Michael D Cohen in New York was the result of the special counsel investigation that he said has found no collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

"I (we) are doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus. No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!" Trump said.

In response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, Trump while warning Russia, said that US missiles "will be coming" in retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!," he said on Twitter.
Spokane Valley, WA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/11/2018 --Choosing a new fence for the home might seem like an easy task. It's not so, for one can only realize that only once one gets to it. With innumerable options available in the market, it is indeed difficult to choose among wood, aluminum, steel, chain link, and PVC. The plethora of designs and styles, as they come in, is sure to leave one completely confused. Amidst this confusion, one has to judiciously select a fence style and material to install in the house.



Inland Home Improvement has earned a reputation as a leading resource for fences in Cheney and Mead, Washington. Since 1999, the company has been in business serving the needs of the community and continues to grow through the positive word-of-mouth that is spread about it.



Whether one is looking for vinyl fence installation or quality decking, Inland Home Improvement is a name to trust. Vinyl fence is considered to be an excellent alternative to a wood fence, for the benefits are extraordinary. Keeping in mind the aesthetic part of the equation, one can select vinyl fencing, as it comes in many different colors. Moreover, if one likes the look of wood, there are vinyl fencing products that look exactly like the real deal.



While wood or iron can be an expensive deal, going for vinyl fencing can improve one's home without putting much of a dent in one's checkbook. As it is easy to install, chances are there for more savings on this level as well. More so, no expense needs to be borne for maintenance for vinyl is not susceptible to rust, insect infestation, rotting, or peeling. When one combines all of these benefits, one can see why so many people choose vinyl fencing after they understand all the facts.



To know more about roofer in Cheney and Mead, Washington, visit https://www.inlandhomeimprovements.com/roofing/.



About Inland Home Improvements, Inc.

Inland Home Improvements, Inc. is a popular company that serves the residents of Mead Liberty Lake, Newman Lake, Cheney and Spokane, Washington by offering doors, windows, siding, and roof installation services.
Lewisville, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/11/2018 --When a hail storm hits, avoiding the damage is nearly impossible. Repairing the hail damage is quick and easy with Metro Dent's hail repair process. Metro Dent is the leading provider of hail damage repair and the world leader in paintless dent repair. With over 25 years of valuable experience in the field, Metro Dent technicians can provide high-quality hail repair in Denton and Frisco, Texas.



They are adept at repairing vehicles that have been damaged by a hail storm. If one's vehicle is struck with hail, one can rest assured knowing that Metro Dent has the experience and technology to get the vehicle back to its pre-damaged condition.



When it comes to dent repair, the bodywork experts remove the panel and hammer out the ding and then use filler to smooth out the surface, and then they repaint the damaged area to get it as close to the way it initially was.



With Metro Dent standing by the side, one can easily bring back the vehicle to its original self following the recent storm with hail damage repair. The experts are all licensed and certified, and they can understand a headache and frustration that comes along with the vehicle being damaged by a hail storm. This is why the company lays focus on ensuring their technicians receive ongoing training that allows them to use the latest innovative methods of vehicle hail damage repair.



While dents and dings can reduce the resale value of the vehicle, hail repair can restore the vehicle to its original factory condition without affecting the factory paint finish. The process begins with an assessment followed by an estimate and on-site repairs throughout Denton and Frisco, Texas. Lifetime warranty and 100% satisfaction guarantee are the reasons why people come to them time and again.



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We were browsing King & McGaw earlier, spotting quite a few midcentury advertising posters along the way. In fact, enough for us to do a top 10. All are priced from around 14.95 and available from that retailer.

1. The Design Centre (1956) (pictured above)

We always used to get excited when we saw anything branded Design Centre at at a car boot  and thats perhaps why we love this poster. Very Festival of Britain.

More about the poster here

2. Guinness G poster (1956)

Another from the same year, demonstrating just how eye-catching a simple illustration can be. Designers take note.

More about the poster here

3. Horizon Holidays  Sunshade (1958)

Not sure the travel poster is a thing these days, but if it is, perhaps they should look more like this angular 1950s affair.

More about the poster here

4. UK Board of Trade Exhibition in Moscow (1959)

When the UK went to promote itself in the USSR, it used this clever bit of graphic design to win them over. Still looks contemporary today.

More about the poster here

5. BEA  Olympic Games (1948)

Perhaps still an overhang of the art deco era here, but this is still la very strong image for the return of the Olympics post-war.

More about the poster here

6. Zoo Tiger (1975)

From a little early to a little later, this is a 1970s London Underground poster encouraging us to go to the zoo. Were sold!

More about the poster here

7. London Buildings (1970)

Celebrating and promoting the capital using the buildings themselves. Very clever, very colourful.

More about the poster here

8. Carfree, Carefree (1967)

The swinging sixties are very much in evidence on this public information poster, which encourages us not to drive. Not a bad idea.

More about the poster here

9. Libros sobre Oriente (Books on the East) (1964)

The Mad Men era jumps out of this cool and abstract advertising poster. If you want to liven up a room with a 60s vibe, this is worth checking out.

More about the poster here

10. Cut travelling time Victoria line (1969)

More London Transport, with this clever little image that forces the point home without any subtly. Love it.

More about the poster here

Of course, there are plenty more to choose from. You can browse all the posters here.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
China said that it would not interfere in the possible arrest of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, leaving Hong Kong the option of making a decision based on an Indian request.

Modi has reportedly fled to Hong Kong in the backdrop of his involvement in the Punjab National Bank scam. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing in Beijing: According to the one country two systems and basic law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), under the assistance and authorization of the central government the HKSAR can make proper arrangement on mutual judicial assistance with other countries. If India makes a relevant request to the HKSAR, we believe the HKSAR will follow the basic law and relevant laws and under relevant judicial agreements with India with the relevant issue, he added.

Hong Kong is a part of China but follows a largely autonomous legal regime based on the One China two systems principle.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) annual meeting April 9-10 gave the Louisville & Indiana Railroad reason to celebrate, as the railroad was honored with three awards.

The railroads transportation director, Jeremy Kramer, was recognized as the 2018 Safety Person of the Year. The associations 2018 Marketing Award also went to Louisville & Indiana Railroad for its efforts to expand rail service to an Indiana National Guard training facility in central Indiana.

The railroad was also the recipient of ASLRRAs annual Timmons Award in recognition of its commitment to hiring military veterans. The awards were announced at the ASLRRAs 2018 Connections Convention earlier this week in Nashville, Tenn.

Kramer joined the railroad four years ago, and officials said he has continued to expanded his areas of responsibility at the railroad. He has previously held management positions with Canadian National.

Kramer joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2004 and worked closely with the U.S. Department of State and Federal Railroad Administration during the creation of the Afghan Railroad Administration, officials noted.

Among his safety-related accomplishments are his work on the Operation Lifesaver highway-rail crossing program, the Officer on the Train program with law enforcement, outreach to members of online communities and veterans, as well as extensive hazardous materials training for emergency responders.

Jeremy was nominated for this award quite simply because he deserved to be, said John Goldman, Louisville & Indiana Railroad president. His efforts in not only keeping LIRC employees safe, but those in the community as well are evident through his tireless efforts in scheduling and training the various first responder agencies. We are very proud and fortunate to have Jeremy as a part of our team.

The ASLRRA Marketing Award recognizes the railroads collaboration with the Indiana National Guard to increase its ability to transport military equipment on railroad flatcars from its newly-expanded installation at Camp Atterbury. The site serves a large-scale U.S. Army training facility in central Indiana.

The Indiana National Guard initially approached the railroad about partnering on a new nine-track rail loading facility. The necessary design, construction and rail operations planning work took place throughout a five-year period, officials said.

We are proud of [railroads] effort, but we are most heartened by a developing partnership with the Indiana National Guard, said Scott Lurkins, senior director, business development of Anacostia Rail Holdings. We believe we convinced them rail was both efficient and intelligent. We kept thousands of trucks off of the local road network during a busy harvest season in Indiana.

The railroad also received the ASLRRAs Timmons Award for the second consecutive year. The award honors the efforts of ASLRRA members to recruit U.S. military veterans.

In 2017, Louisville & Indiana Railroad employed the highest percentage of veterans29.6 percentand the highest percentage of veteran new hires30.0 percentamong all ASLRRA member railroads, officials said.

Veteran initiatives at the railroad include lapel pins for new hires with military service, applying large logos on two of its locomotives to commemorate veterans and donating funds to Kentucky Indiana Paralyzed Veterans for materials to construct a new deck at the organizations center in Jeffersonville, Ind.
A new report assessing the state of press freedom in the United States says that the most dangerous place for a journalist in the country last year was at a protest.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press released Tuesday a report after surveying the 2017 data from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.

It notes 45 incidents of physical attacks on journalists in 2017, out of which two were notably committed by elected officials.

Montana congressional candidate Greg Gianforte "body slammed" a reporter who tried to interview him but was nevertheless elected the next day, and an Alaska state senator slapped a reporter in the state capitol building. The tracker also identified instances where journalists were stopped while crossing U.S. borders, denied access to public meetings and information, subpoenaed to testify in court, and subjected to unprecedented verbal attacks from public officials, often at the highest levels of government.

Of the 122 incidents threatening press freedom that the tracker logged last year, nearly half occurred at protests, where journalists faced physical attacks from police and demonstrators, were arrested by law enforcement, and had their equipment seized.

According to the report, law enforcement officials arrested journalists 34 times, with more than three-quarters of those arrests taking place at protests, where police used a controversial crowd-control technique known as "kettling."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Risk agency Moody's upgraded Petrobras' credit rating to 'Ba2' from 'Ba3' with a stable outlook, following the decision to change the Brazilian 'Ba2' rating outlook to stable, from negative.

According to the agency, "the action on Petrobras' ratings also reflects the company's continued success in improving its liquidity position and reducing debt leverage," which Moody's expects to remain "solid in the foreseeable future."

Moody's also said that the Brazilian state-owned oil company had shown discipline in the competition in the local fuel market and in improving its financial policies.

For the agency, the cash generation of Petrobras in the next two years will be more than enough to cover the obligations, in addition to annual capital expenditures of about US$ 33.1 billion.

As for the divestment program, Moody's stresses that it can help the company reduce its debt and achieve the 2.5-fold target in the net debt/EBITDA ratio before the end of 2018.

"Solid amount of cash on hands plus revolving credit facilities provide a cushion in case legal disputes with investors, related to the Lava Jato investigations, result in large sums in settlements or fines."

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Colombia and Norway committed to strengthen the fishing sector in the South American country and to promote the sustainable development of the oil industry. The agreement resulted from the official visit of the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg to Bogota.

In a statement to the media, the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos also mentioned the growing interest of Norwegian companies to increase their investments in the country, as well as the purpose of both countries to deepen their trade ties.

The agreement on the fishing sector aims at strengthening the institutions and responsibly managing resources. Meanwhile, the oil agreement seeks to promote the management and sustainable development of the sector through the Norwegian program "Oil for Development."

The agreement should focus on environmental management, the response to oil spills, & safety, among other issues.

Colombia aims at reaching, with the Norwegian support, the best social and environmental practices in the field of extractive industries.

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
German stocks pulled back on Wednesday as the rising risk of a real war in Syria kept investors nervous.

Russia has threatened to shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at neighboring Syria if the U.S. decides to strike Syrian bases in response to a chemical attack.

The benchmark DAX was down 37 points or 0.30 percent at 12,360 in opening deals after rallying 1.1 percent the previous day.

Volkswagen rose half a percent. Media reports suggest that the automaker's supervisory board will likely vote on Friday to replace Chief Executive Matthias Muller with VW brand chief and former BMW AG executive Herbert Diess.

Evotec jumped over 2 percent after it announced a strategic collaboration with Petra Pharma Corp.

Deutsche Telekom soared 4 percent after reports that Sprint and T-Mobile have decided to restart talks to merge.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
The White House says the President has the power to dismiss special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is probing The Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 presidential election.

The statement by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders comes at a time the investigation is moving closer to the Oval Office.

The White House has long been denying Trump is considering Mueller's removal.

The change in tone came as Trump reacted furiously to a raid of his private lawyer's offices on Monday.

During a routine news conference Tuesday, Sanders admitted that the President has voiced his frustrations over the FBI raid of the Rockefeller Center office and Park Avenue hotel room of Michael Cohen.

Business records, emails and documents related to several topics, including a payment to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, were reportedly seized.

As Trump's longtime lawyer, Cohen holds secrets about many of the president's personal and financial dealings.

Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favour.

Over the last year, he has increasingly dug into evidence of alleged money laundering, fraud and obstruction of justice inside Trump's inner circle.

Four Trump aides -- including his 2016 campaign chair Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Michael Flynn -- have already been indicted or pleaded guilty.

CNN had reported Trump is considering firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, to contain Mueller.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurelio Mello decided to suspend for five days the analysis of an injunction that could remove former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from jail.

The injunction request was filed by the National Ecological Party (PEN), a minor political force, in 2016. The party wanted the Supreme Court to prevent convicted people from going to prison before exhausting all their chances to appeal from the sentence.

The Supreme Court denied PEN's request at that time, with six of the eleven judges voting against the injunction. Last week, however, the party renewed its demand, arguing that during Lula's habeas corpus trial, on April 5, two Justices signaled that the Court changed its understanding on the subject.

Mello said that he would take the issue to the Supreme Court floor at the opening of today's session, but PEN gave up on the reassessment claiming that, currently, it is in favor of imprisoning convicted people after the second instance trial.

The party backfired after noting that its request could favor Lula, who has been imprisoned since Saturday.

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Christchurch couple, Kerry and Jeremy Ray, love their trip to Samoa.

It turns out, that this is the couples fifth time to the islands.

Being married for 20 years, the pair just cant get enough of what Samoa has to offer.

They arrived on Easter Sunday and have been here 10 days. They left for their country, New Zealand, yesterday.

During their stay, they have been to Lalomanu Beach and they stayed at the Stevensons Resort for four nights and the last night they spent at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel.

Their first trip to Samoa was in 2008. They shared with Dear Tourist a few changes since their last visit.

What I recognised is that a lot of the traditional fales have been replaced by resorts. I do totally understand because the demand and the time changes. But it is unfortunate that the country loses some of their culture - most important goods, Kerry shared.

Now, there is a lot more food compared to when we first arrived. They offer so much fish, this is definitely an improvement.

They have been to Fiji as well.

The tradition here holds so much value and importance then what we saw in Fiji, Jeremy said.

The importance of the family is also more noticeable then in other places.

So why do they keep returning?

It is the whole package of this country. The atmosphere is so personal and the people care about you. They will even get worried if you dont return to the resort. It is the weather, the snorkeling and the nature. The whole island is beautiful, relaxed and friendly.

On this trip, they met in Savaii other tourists who shared their experience with them.

We met a woman, she was between 40 and 48 maybe. She has been travelling alone and did not feel safe here. An elderly man was following her the whole canopy walkway until we arrived, Kerry said.

He was asking her personal questions about her private life. She also mentioned she feels alone.

We never had such an experience maybe it was because we have always been here as a couple, Jeremy added.

Kerry mentioned that she would probably not come alone as a woman for holiday.

You just have to be careful, it can happen everywhere, she said.

Asked which trip they enjoyed the most, Jeremy said: Actually all the trips have been great, we enjoyed every single time we have been here, that is why we will come back again.
The construction of the new Vaisigano Bridge will start in May following the ground-breaking on Monday by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielgaoi.

I have been told that the new bridge, 75 metres long will be located 20 metres away from the current location of the Vaisigano Bridge, Tuilaepa said at the ground breaking.

The road on the bridge will have two lanes, footpaths and street lighting as well as improvements to the roundabout at Matautu.

The ongoing improvement works at the Matautu port and the seawall are and were also funded by the Government of Japan hence the construction of the new Vaisigano Bridge will complement the works at the Matautu port and existing coastline adaptations.

The Prime Minister thanked the government of Japan for the financial assistance towards the design, construction and supervision of the Vaisigano bridge project.

He also acknowledged the contributions by Government Agencies led by the Land Transport Authority and the Non-Government Organizations, which have cooperated well and will continue to work closely for the successful implementation of this project.

The Vaisigano Bridge was first constructed as a seven-span steel bridge and was later on replaced with a concrete bridge in 1953.

In 2012, a post Cyclone Evan technical assessment recommended that the Vaisigano bridge has to be replaced.

Consultations between the Government and its development partners resulted in a commitment of 1.8 billion yen (equivalent to ST$44 million tala) from the Government of Japan to assist the Government of Samoa with the new bridge project.

The Grant Agreement was signed by both the Government of Samoa and the Government of Japan on the 27th of July 2017.
Members of the legal profession could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has something against them.

As if the daily ridicule through remarks on national TV, radio and newspapers targeting certain members of the profession is not enough, Tuilaepa has now turned his attention to lawyers working for different Government bodies, basically calling them a waste of time.

What they did to incur the wrath of Prime Minister Tuilaepa nobody knows just yet. But if Mondays front-page story of the Samoa Observer was anything to judge by, lawyers working for different Government offices better be on the look out.

For the uninitiated, the development surfaced in a letter written by Prime Minister Tuilaepa to Ministers of Cabinet leaked to the Samoa Observer, where he accuses the lawyers of being overpaid and underworked.

Dated 3 April 2018, 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.

And because of that, Tuilaepa believes the need for Government bodies to hire in house lawyers is redundant.

How does he justify this? Well Tuilaepa claims Corporations and Government bodies cannot keep their lawyers and legal officers busy for eight hours a day which means money being spent on paying them is a waste of funds.

It was at that point also the Prime Minister Tuilaepa had a go at the Development Bank of Samoa.

Said he: 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.

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.

From an outside perspective, Prime Minister Tuilaepa has a legitimate point.

Why should the Government continue to waste public monies if such officials and roles are unnecessary? Also, since the Office of the Attorney General exists, why is it not possible for them to do all the Governments legal work?

Well the answer is simple, we believe. From what we are told, even with all the lawyers working at the Office of the Attorney General, they are poorly staffed. Many of them are overworked and are stretched by the load they have to carry.

Still, Prime Minister Tuilaepas point is worth considering.

It would certainly be interesting to hear the perspective from one of the lawyers working for a Government body whom the Prime Minister has attacked for the sake of balance.

While weve now heard from the Prime Minister, there are always two sides to a story.

Besides, why the poor lawyers have been singled out in this leaked letter is beyond anyone. What is brewing in that Government building, with regards to lawyers, that we are not aware of just yet, is anybodys guess?

But if you follow the Prime Ministers public comments on a daily basis, including statements in Parliament and everywhere else, there is hardly a day that goes where he doesnt have a go at the profession.

What we find interesting is that he could easily write a similar letter about the number of A.C.E.Os in different government ministries? How many A.C.E.Os is too many and when should the government draw the line? You could also say the same about I.T. officials, accountants and so forth?

If it is the waste of money that Prime Minister Tuilaepa is worried about, then we respectfully disagree. Its not having too many lawyers that is causing the problem. It is corruption, abuse of power and exorbitant spending on failed projects that is costing this country. Thats what he should be concerned about.

What do you think?

Have a productive Thursday Samoa, God bless!
Afamasaga M. F. Toleafoa, I thank you for responding.

Pure fabrication and distortion. I wont accuse you of anything quite so malevolent, but merely of misunderstanding the words spoken by Jesus and reported by Luke. I will again quote from Luke, Ch. 5

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours. Jesus answered, It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

Now if you do not think the authority (viz., government) of all the kingdoms (which I take to include all nations) have that authority and glory from the devil, take it up with Luke or the devil. Or take it up with Jesus, for he certainly did not contest the devils assertion.

As for 1 Samuel 8, again I direct you to the author of the text or the translator of the NLT Bible, for here is what it says:

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 Look, they told him, you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have. 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 Do everything they say to you, the Lord replied, for they are rejecting me, not you. They dont want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.

I take it from this passage and from the passage from Luke that I quoted that human government is a rejection of God, and a rejection of the kingdom of God, which Jesus consistently preached. No where in the Bible will you find God or Jesus ordaining human government. Human governments involve some men ruling other men by means of force and coercion, which Jesus rejected in his teaching and by his example. Where but from the devil do you suggest that the concept of men ruling men by force comes?

I do indeed wonder why you quote passages from scripture, which do not contain the words of God or Jesus, and which do not support the argument that human governments are ordained by God. If that was so then the governments of Hitler, Stalin and Mao would be ordained by God or Jesus.

My dear sir, when confronted with the words of Jesus, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, I say, exactly so. I say, Do what Jesus instructs. I say Jesus meant exactly what he said. And I only point out that if one has nothing belonging to Caesar, Jesus instructions are to give him that--nothing. I do not distort nor reinterpret Jesus words, for I take Jesus to be perfectly honest and to speak the truth precisely. I believe Jesus chose his words--in response to a question meant to trap him--carefully. And I only urge those who read his words to do so carefully and not to reinterpret him--in other words. His words are suffice.

You, on the other hand, seem unwilling to take Jesus words at their face value. You have to reinterpret them. You say, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, (in other words, be subject to government rule at the time)... Why do you think Jesus words need to be replaced, in other words, by your words? For the sake of those who may be reading our exchange, I think you owe it to them to explain how Jesus words, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, became be subject to government rule at the time.

Now if you want to assert Pauls words to dispute the words Jesus spoke, you are free to do so. As for me, I am a disciple of Jesus, not Paul. If Pauls words in Romans conflict with Jesus words, as they do if you take Paul literally, I hold to Jesus words and explain Pauls remarkable words in Romans as irony. Since I dont think Paul was confused, and since Peter when instructed by authority to stop preaching about Jesus, said, We must obey God rather than human beings!

Sir, you write, And yet in the face of all that long history spanning almost 2000 years from Genesis to the book of Malachi and in spite of Jesus telling his Jewish listeners to be subject to the rule of Caesar, you continue to claim, that this was a government that neither God nor Jesus ordained or supported! That is distorting the truth.

Sir, this is utter disassembly. As I have pointed out again and again, Jesus did not tell his Jewish listeners to be subject to the rule of Caesar. You told your own listeners what Jesus told his listeners, but Jesus most assuredly did not say what you say he said. The words are yours not his, and uttering them time and again cannot change or disguise the truth.

The history of the Jews you have cited proves my point--not yours. But I call on you to find one passage in the Bible--just one itsy bitsy passage--wherein Jesus or God ordain human governments. Do it in the exact words of even one of the translations of the Bible, not in other words.

You have provided a very long winded defense of the challenge I issued, mostly commentary not at all germane to the issue I raised. And you make patently false accusations, saying I am a Trump supporter.

I am as much a Trump supporter as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are Trump supporters. (Not that I support either one of those politicians.) If those who might have the stomach to still be following this discussion would like to know more about me, they can get a pretty good idea of who and what I am from the information at my blog site: https://jesusontaxes.libert...

God bless you.

Ned Netterville
The Apia Broadcasting Limited, which runs TV3, is under new ownership.

Maposua Corey Keil and Nicholas Caffarelli have acquired the network, previously owned by former Cabinet Minister and businessman, Hans Joachim Keil.

Both Maposua and Mr. Caffarelli during separate interviews on the phone confirmed that they had purchased the company.

Yes we are the new owners, and a press release will be out soon that should have all the details, Maposua told the Samoa Observer yesterday.

This business venture is a partnership between me and Seiuli and we look forward to working with the community.

Later yesterday evening, TV3 confirmed the change of ownership in a press release. It is published verbatim below:

After 12 years, the first ever privately owned Television Broadcasting station in the country has changed ownership. Apia Broadcasting Ltd. (TV3), was officially taken over by Maposua Corey Keil and Nicholas Caffarelli last Friday 6th April.

TV3 was established 12 years ago by Hans Joachim Keil and members of his family as the first privately owned TV station in Samoa.

Our goal was to have a wide selection for our viewers especially family programs and movies that cater to families, especially children, says Hans Joachim Keil.

Some of the favourite local shows produced by TV3 since it was established, include Samoan Idol and Young Stars Singing Competitions, National Spelling Bee Competitions for Junior and Senior Levels, 8 Days of Christmas which was later revamped to Island Christmas to name a few. Another highlight event that is broadcasted on TV3 is the Joseph Parker Fights.

The decision to sell TV3 comes at a difficult time for Hans Joachim Keil who since August last year have been undergoing medical treatment overseas with love and support from his wife Celine and family.

Joe Keil acknowledges with gratitude the ongoing support of clients and sponsors over the years since TV3 started.

He also congratulates the new owners Maposua and Mr. Caffarelli and has full confidence they will continue and improve TV3s service to the country and beyond.

Maposua adds TV3 to his list of business portfolios including Dawg Professional Audio and Radio Polynesia Ltd, which he has directed as a family business for more than 30 years.

Mr. Caffarelli is the Owner of Signs Studio and a prominent businessman in the community. As partners they bring combined strength in business expertise and investment that will no doubt ensure the longevity of TV3 as it continues to provide broadcasting services to the Samoan community.

The new proprietors have announced that they will strive to continue to deliver the values and vision that Hans Joachim Keil had when he started the TV station more than 12 years ago, with the promise of adding new programs and content over time.

TV3 continues to film and broadcast community events in collaboration with the government and private sector to inform, educate and entertain our local viewers. Its coverage around Samoa has grown from strength to strength over the years where today, TV3 prides itself in saying that it now covers all four corners of Samoa.

Its local content such as Nightly News, Tala I Vaifanua, Manuo Show for Public Notices and more is also viewed by neighbouring American Samoa.
Luatuanuu High Chief, Tofete Lafaaua Tofete, has challenged the Commissioner of Police, Fuiavaiiili Egon Keil, to provide evidence that guns were used during the fight between their village and Falefa.

The incident has escalated not only about the day in question, but also the Prime Minister has labeled us as dog all due to reports from the Police."

So I want the Commissioner to bring evidence implicating that our village used guns."

This statement is inaccurate, said Tofete, who is also the village spokesperson.

He claimed that Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaois comments in public regarding their village are based on inaccurate reports by the Police.

That is why our Village Council is calling on the Commissioner to bring forth such evidence pointing to the guns because our Chiefs and untitled men and other members of the public can attest to the fact that no guns were used that day, he said.

I am not sure about the motivation behind such reports, but they are inaccurate, said Tofete.

Our efforts to file a criminal complaint under the Criminal Libel against the Prime Minister for defamation over his use of the word dogs in reference to the village was flatly denied by the Ministry of Police and now we know why.

According to Tofete, they will file a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman next week. He added that they will not drop the defamation case against the Prime Minister.

The dispute, which led to Luatuanuu men blocking the road, was the result of a fight between the Luatuanuu youth and men of Falefa Village at a rugby game.

When the Police turned up, they were attacked with stones.

At the time, Tuilaepa said the young people of Luatuanuu had no right to endanger the lives of the Police and the travelling public.

These types of actions do not exist at this time and age, said the Prime Minister.

The actions by these young men are not that of humans, rather they are the actions of dogs.

Tofete said Tuilaepas comments are unacceptable.

We want to take him to Court, he said. We believe that our village is a victim in this ordeal because of the public comments by the Prime Minister."

We want him to be held accountable in accordance with the law.

Tofete told the Samoa Observer their request to file an official complaint with the Police was denied.

The Police officials flatly denied our request, he said.

We were informed that only the Minister of Police can determine whether we can file a complaint or not. But then the Minister of Police is Tuilaepa, so where is the fairness in all of this?"

The Police are where we seek assistance from. I am really saddened that we were denied access to filing an official complaint."

We also took issue with the announcement by the Prime Minister that the Police Officers were shot at by men of our village. That is an absolute lie."

I know for a fact Tuilaepas comment was based on the report by the Police."

Those were lies and also the Police approach on the day in question was unacceptable."

As a matter of fact, the Commissioner and his Police made it worse with their approach."

They should have come directly to the Village Council, then things would be much smoother, but no, the Commissioner and his Police instigated the incident in the village, which led to injured people."

Things would have been much smoother if the Police had followed the Samoan protocols and that was to come to the Village Council first, said Tofete.

I also want to make it clear that when we visited the office of the Prime Minister two weeks ago, we did not go there to apologise, we wanted to discuss some issues with him, so whoever said we were there to apologise that is wrong.

Attempts to get a comment from the Police Commissioner were unsuccessful. It was not possible to get a comment from Prime Minister Tuilaepa at press time.
The Minister for the Office of the Electoral Commissioner, Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu, has defended changes proposed in the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018, which has caused widespread concerns among voters.

He has also downplayed questions as to why the changes do not affect the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers constituencies, if re-defining boundaries for electoral constituencies, as the bill proposes, are determined by the number of voters.

Asked why Lotofaga and Lepa have not been combined since both constituencies have relatively small electoral rolls compared to others, the Minister said the bill looks at the total population and it specifically targets the imbalances in Savaii.

This does not apply to the constituency you had mentioned as we are targeting only Savaii given the significant imbalance of numbers in Savaii, Faaolesa told the Samoa Observer yesterday.

Pressed as to why Savaii has been singled out, while the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers constituencies are also small, Faaolesa insisted their population is around 1,000.

However like I said earlier, Savaiis population is quite small and the amendments targets where is affected the most and that is Savaii.

In terms of voting rolls, statistics obtained by the Samoa Observer show that for the past three elections, Lepas roll has not reached 1,000 voters. For 2006, they had 588, in 2011 it was 740 and 764 in 2016.

For Lotofaga, in 2006 it was 801, 814 in 2011 and 1,062 in 2016.

Compared these statistics to Gagaemauga No. 2, one of the constituencies affected by the Bill, the argument about voting numbers does not stand up.

For 2006, Gagaemauga No. 2s roll was 1,009, 1,117 in 2011 and 1,120 in 2016.

Now the bill in question threatens to split voters in Gagaemauga No. 2.

This week the Electoral Constituency consisting of Saleaula Savaii and Saleaula Upolu urged Parliament to reconsider the proposed changes.

The constituency made their point known before a Parliamentary Committee hearing at Parliaments makeshift home at Tuanaimato.

Saleaula Savaii and Saleaula Upolu that make up the electoral constituency, is one village. They were divided during the Mt. Matavanu volcano in 1905 when some of them sought refuge in Upolu where their decedents now call Salamumu home.

Historically though, despite the physical separation, they have had one Member of Parliament. That seat for the current Parliamentary sitting is occupied by Faasootauloa Pati Taulapapa, the Associate Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

But the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018 is threatening to change that so that voters in Saleaula, Savaii, will vote as part of Gagaemauga 1, while Salamumu voters will vote as part of Safata 1.

During an interview yesterday, the Minister said the Electoral Constituencies Bill 2018, was the result of complaints from members of the public.

After every election, an election Commission of Inquiry is held and the same complaint is echoed over and over about the need for more seats in Parliament due to the increasing number of voters in a constituency, he said.

Faaolesa told the Samoa Observer, complaints led to a visit by the New Zealand Electoral Commission who conducted a study.

They recommended the addition of more seats.

The recommendations included looking at the number of seats in Parliament, which was 49, and comparing it to the population.

The scale is that every constituency should at least have 3,800 people living in that area.

Keep in mind, we look at the population of any village, not the number of voters, explained Faaolesa.

Looking at Savaii, each constituency, not one village reaches the quota for 3,800 people.

The only time we can meet the quota is when we combine two or three constituencies, then we meet the quota.

The imbalance of the numbers of those living in the area is the reason for the proposed amendments.

The Minister used Vaimuaga Wests population which is about 24,000 compared to that of Saleaula Savaii which is 864.

I want to make one thing clear, there is a fine line and significant difference between electoral boundaries and cultural boundaries, he said.

When the bill was introduced in Parliament last month, Deputy Speaker, Nafoitoa Talaimanu Keti, was among Members of Parliament who called on Parliament to reconsider the proposal to divide voters for Gagaemauga No. 2.

The Member of Parliament for Gagaemauga No. 3 has asked the Government to consider a standalone seat for Saleaula, as opposed to the current plan where Saleaula will join voters in Gagaemauga No. 1.

The Government has meddled with of core traditional authority in Savaii with its decision to remove of Saleaula from its own electoral constituency, he said.

In Samoan, he cautioned: O lea ua omiomi le niu ale le pule faavae i le Puleono i Salafai, tulou lou gutu male afi - ia Saleauala ma lona tufugaga.

That is my concern, although my constituency is not affected but this will affect Savai'i as a whole.

The Deputy Speaker made it clear he does not support the removal of Saleaula from Gagaemauga No. 2, which they currently belong to.

Nafoitoa cautioned the introduced changes will affect the traditional relationship between districts and villages.

The mutual respect between the districts is what I am extremely troubled about and that is why I implore you to reconsider the removal of Saleaula.

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi objected.

He argued changes have nothing to do with Samoas culture and traditional boundaries. He said the divisions are only voting constituencies as opposed to territorial constituencies.

When you bring culture and traditions into such issues, this is when things tend to be problematic. Again these are only voting districts, said Tuilaepa.

Former Speaker and Member of Parliament for Gagaifomauga No. 3, Laauiloemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, also objected.

We are concerned about the renaming of the electoral constituencies, said Laauli. The essence behind our unease is because we want the integrity of the constituencies to remain intact. We are Members of Parliament for the respective constituency and that is our calling.

Laauli reminded our forefathers, who laid the foundation for Samoa, knew the importance of traditional links.

You are a traditional leader in your district. Youre not just a lawmaker from your constituency. Your calling to your constituency does not end after the election.

Your purpose is to serve your district and you are a traditional leader endorsed by your traditional leaders in your respective districts.
A woman from Aleipata has criticised what she described as poor Police service at the Lalomanu Police Station.

The woman who only wants to be identied as Ioe said she is frustrated about the lack of action with regards to complaints she had lodged about missing and stolen properties from her home.

Whats really sad is that, its getting worse. Weve discovered many properties at our place been stolen from time to time, she said.

The only time we go to our village is during the weekend, but we stay during the week in Apia because of our childrens education and work. Even our pigs have been stolen.

The woman said the reason they reported the matter to Police is because they want peace.

We dont want to do this by our own strength because we may never know what comes after from people who we accuse.

She also recalled a number of threatening texts she received on her phone.

I believe the person who stole from our place did this and I also reported those text messages to the Police. Up until now, we still have not received any call from Police about the status of their investigation.

Plus the number of other matters that I reported, I am still waiting and it is really sad.

Honestly, I just dont know where to turn to and my only hope is the Police.

She believes the Police are the only hope for vulnerable families like hers.

If Police officers are expected to understand and respect the law, then they should also respect people within the community.

They are also expected to work closely with everyone in the communities they serve, treat everyone fairly, and maintain the peace and physical discipline that effective policing requires.

Yes, they are viewed as role models of peace and justice.

She also told Samoa Observer she had already contacted Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who is also the Minister of Police, and she is awaiting a response.

Hopefully Im the only person who faces this kind of service from the Police. My situation in my village is getting worse. It couldve cost someones life, but what more can we do?

Im begging the Ministry please I need your help to resolve my situation. I dont want to live in fear all my life. My children are not safe as well.

The Samoa Observer was referred to the Police Media Spokesperson, Auapaau Filipo Logoitino, by an officer at the Lalomanu Police Station for comments.

Attempts to get comments from Auapaau were unsuccessful as of press time.
Life has given Akelei Tauevatuloto a hell of a tough ride.

Divorced and unemployed, Mr. Tauevatuloto finds himself in the midst of his misery, living in a shack with no stable water supply.

He also has no electricity and a proper toilet.

Life is hard for the father of two.

Since he got separated from his wife and his daughters, he now lives close to his parents and takes care of them.

Mr. Tauevatuloto shared with the Village Voice team that his main concern is his parents.

My parents are also facing the problem of not having a proper toilet. There are materials to build it, but we dont have enough money to get cement and things like that.

My father is 79 and my mother is 76. They are both old. With the money that I earn, it is never enough for our family.

I am the one who is responsible for my parents while my other siblings have moved on with their own lives and they have their own little families to worry about, said the 52-year-old.

Mr. Tauevatuloto says there is no stable income from selling his crops.

It is not easy looking after your parents and you have no stable job. I rely on the land for survival. I usually make $40 from the crops that I sell.

I sell my crops to people who look for taro and instead of going to the market they just turn here to my home and give me $40 for two bags of taro.

I work the land so that my parents would have something to eat, he said.

Mr. Tauevatuloto adds he has been trying to save money to build a proper house for him but money is always the issue.

This house that I am living in belongs to my brother who is in Malie with his wifes family. I have moved here to look after our land.

I am now trying to build my own house so that there would be no conflict in our own family. I want to be independent on my own.

Even though they have moved to their spouses house and things like that, there will be a certain time that they will come back here.

He also mentioned the condition of the house he lives in.

I have been living here for quite some time now and this has always been the same issue that I face with water.

I dont mind having no electricity, but as long as I have water then I could definitely make it until the next day.

I get water from the water tank that is located at my parents place. I have used iron gallons to store water for other purposes but I definitely cannot drink from it.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged Wednesday that regulation of social media companies is inevitable and disclosed that his own personal information has been compromised by malicious outsiders. But after two days of congressional testimony, what seemed clear was how little Congress seems to know about Facebook, much less what to do about it.

House lawmakers aggressively questioned Zuckerberg Wednesday on user data, privacy settings and whether the company is biased against conservatives. As they did in the Senate a day earlier, both Republicans and Democrats suggested that regulation might be needed, but there was no consensus and few specifics about what that might look like  or even what the biggest problems are.

New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the panel and a 30-year veteran of the House, said at the beginning of the hearing that he plans to work on legislation but is pessimistic that Congress will pass anything.

Ive just seen it over and over again  that we have the hearings, and nothing happens, he said.

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For Zuckerberg, who often found himself explaining what his company does in rudimentary terms to lawmakers twice his age, the hearings could be considered a win: Facebook shares rose more than 1 percent after climbing 4.5 percent on Monday. And his company regained more than $25 billion in market value that is had lost since it was revealed in March that Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trumps presidential campaign, gathered personal information from 87 million users to try to influence elections.

Still, Facebooks stock remains 10 percent below where it stood before the scandal, a decline that has wiped out about $50 billion in shareholder wealth.

Zuckerberg agreed to the hearings as pressure mounted over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the companys own admission last year that it had been compromised by Russians trying to influence the 2016 election. Earlier this year, special counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a social media propaganda effort that included online ad purchases using U.S. aliases and politicking on U.S. soil. A number of the Russian ads were on Facebook.

Zuckerberg told the Senate on Tuesday that the company has been working with Mueller in his Russia probe and apologized over and over again for the companys handling of data privacy.

I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here, he said.

House lawmakers were a bit tougher on Zuckerberg than their colleagues in the Senate, many of whom seemed confused by the company and what it does. Some of the House members curtly cut him off in questioning, trying to make the most of their four minutes each.

Zuckerberg mostly held his composure, repeating many of the same well-rehearsed answers: He is sorry for the companys mistakes. He is working on artificial intelligence technology to weed out hate speech and at the same time ensure that they dont block people for the wrong reasons. People own their own data, as far as he sees it. And hes come a long way since he created the platform in his dorm room almost 15 years ago.

Some of the lawmakers talked to Zuckerberg, 33, as they would their children or grandchildren, and were occasionally befuddled by the complexities of his company.

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Wrapping up his four minutes, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., commended the platform, saying its wonderful for us seniors to connect with our relatives.

By the close of Wednesdays hearing, Zuckerberg had spent roughly 10 out of the previous 24 hours testifying before Congress.

On regulation, Zuckerberg said he was open to it.

The internet is growing in importance around the world in peoples lives and I think that it is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation, he said.

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Still, he said, lawmakers need to be careful, noting that new rules or laws could hurt smaller businesses more than a behemoth like Facebook.

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden said the committee will look at what could be done.

While Facebook has certainly grown, I worry it has not matured, Walden, R-Ore., told Zuckerberg. I think it is time to ask whether Facebook may have moved too fast and broken too many things.

Many questions focused on Cambridge Analytica, which gathered data several years ago through a personality quiz created by an academic researcher. The app vacuumed up not just the data of the people who took it, but also  thanks to Facebooks loose restrictions  data from their friends, too, including details that they hadnt intended to share publicly. Cambridge Analytica then obtained the data and was said to have used it to try to influence elections around the world.

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Zuckerberg said at the House hearing that his own Facebook data was part of that sweep. He told the Senate that Facebook had been led to believe Cambridge Analytica had deleted the user data it had harvested and that had been clearly a mistake. He assured senators the company would have handled the situation differently today.

That may be enough to satisfy lawmakers for now. But that could change if Democrats take control of Congress in midterm elections this year.

Pallone said that if Democrats were in charge, then we would push all the more.

Ortutay reported from New York. Associated Press writers Ryan Nakashima, Richard Lardner and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Seaport Village is under new management.

Officials with the San Diego Unified Port District selected Protea Property Management to operate Seaport Village until June 30, 2021, with options to extend the term. Protea is part of the same company that has won the bid to remake the nearly 40-year old shopping and recreation area.

Proteas plans include completely remaking the village from a grouping of small villas to a big money-maker that includes hotels, offices, an aquarium and a 480-foot observation tower.

The previous operator of the village, with more than 50 shops and 17 restaurants, was Newport Beach-based TRC, formerly known as Terramar Retail Centers. A last-minute effort by another group looking to manage the property, Dallas-based Stream Realty Partners, was rejected by the port.

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Property management and leasing is our business. Its what we do, said Bret Morriss , managing director of Streams San Diego office. There is a good thing that comes out of separation of church and state sometimes and you need to kind of be cognizant of that.

Port commissioners said it made more sense to go with Protea because they would be the ones developing the new Seaport Village.

Commissioner Dan Malcolm said Stream had a strong proposal but the port had much confidence in Proteas $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion redevelopment.

He said if they couldnt also trust Protea with property management then there is something wrong with the underlying decision to move that developer forward.

Protea said after the vote it was excited to get the deal approved because it gives them the opportunity to try out different ideas for the site while they are going through the expected three to four year process before construction begins.

Its an incubation period, said Proteas Jeffrey Essakow.

The new management arrangement for Seaport Village means much more money for the port. TRC, which is the lessor, manager and operator through Sept. 30, had paid the port around $2.5 million a year for the ground lease while keeping most of the $35 million in annual gross revenues.

Under the new deal, Protea will be paid around $10,000 per month (or up to 1.7 percent of gross revenue after Oct. 1) to manage Seaport Village. This means most of the revenue will go directly to the port. But, it also means the port is responsible for any capital improvements and operating expenses.

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Protea said it has been talking with current tenants since getting the job to remodel the village. The only shop operator to speak at Tuesdays meeting was Peter Mackauf, operator of Ben and Jerrys, who said he approved of Protea being awarded the contract.

(Protea) has been active in their outreach to us and tenants, he said, to be thoughtful about what our concerns and worries are.

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phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

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Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday where he faced a sometimes confrontational House Energy and Commerce Committee that challenged the tech executives positions on user privacy, political bias and regulation.

The rapid-fire inquiry contrasted with Zuckerbergs more languid hearing Tuesday before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Judiciary Committee.

Facebook failed its customers, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) said about Facebooks mishandling of user data in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. We have a responsibility to figure out what went wrong here.

WATCH LIVE: Day 2 of Facebook chief Mark Zuckerbergs testimony before Congress 

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When it was over, Zuckerberg offered little new information, other than revealing he was among the up to 87 million Facebook users who unwittingly had their personal information harvested by Cambridge Analytica. And there was little consensus as to whether Facebook needed to be regulated or left to police itself.

We need your help here. I dont want Congress to have to act, said Rep. E.L. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.). Please.

The 33-year-old billionaire repeatedly deployed the same tactics he used the previous day with members of the Senate.

When asked if hed support a specific piece of regulation, Zuckerberg said he was open to exploring it. When pressed about how an open platform can stop more hate speech and fake accounts, he implored patience for the development of more artificial intelligence tools. And when confronted with details about the scope of Facebooks data collection, he promised to get back to the committee.

I will talk to my team and follow up, Zuckerberg told Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) in response to heated questions about how much Facebook tracks internet users on other websites.

Unlike the Senate, where members were allotted five minutes to question Zuckerberg, the House committee granted members four minutes. That gave Zuckerberg less time to meander and he was often interrupted by committee members determined to make their points before time ran out.

I dont have time for a long answer, said Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Menlo Park), unsatisfied with Zuckerbergs response to a question about when Facebook knew that Cambridge Analytica was harvesting its data to build voter profiles.

The committee also asked pointed questions about the spread of prescription painkillers on the social network.

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Your platform is still being used to circumvent the law and allow people to buy highly addictive drugs without a prescription, said Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.). With all due respect, Facebook is actually enabling an illegal activity, and in so doing, you are hurting people. Would you agree with that statement?

I think that there are a number of areas of content that we need to do a better job policing on our service, Zuckerberg responded.

Another line of questioning examined the implications of Facebooks growing political advertising business.

Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) asked if Facebook offered the Trump campaign stronger assistance than the Clinton campaign by providing an embedded sales staff.

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Sarbanes cited statistics that showed the Trump campaign placed 5.9 million ads on Facebook in the run-up to the election while the Clinton campaign placed 66,000.

Can you say with absolute certainty that Facebook or any of the Facebook employees working as campaign embeds did not grant any special approval rights to the Trump campaign? Sarbanes asked.

Zuckerberg said Facebook offered the same services to both campaigns. But Sarbanes expressed concern that Facebook was acquiring too much political influence.

Im worried that that embed program has the potential to become a tool for Facebook to solicit favor from policymakers and that creates the potential for real conflict of interest, Sarbanes said. A lot of Americans are waking up to the fact that Facebook is becoming sort of a self-regulated superstructure for political discourse.

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Conservative members of the committee raised concerns about political bias, particularly in Facebooks news feed algorithm. The company has been accused of suppressing right-wing points of view in the past. Facebook eliminated many news curator positions after they were accused of filtering out conservative topics in a trending news feature.

A popular example of bias cited Wednesday was the banning of Trump supporters Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, better known as Diamond and Silk.

Facebook called them unsafe to the community. That is ludicrous. They hold conservative views. That isnt unsafe, said Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas).

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said, Diamond and Silk is not terrorism.

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And Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) brought out a poster of the conservative bloggers and read a question on their behalf: What is unsafe about two black women supporting President Donald J. Trump?

Congressman, nothing is unsafe about that, Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg had announced earlier in the hearing that the ban of Diamond and Silk was made by mistake and that the pair would be reinstated.

Long asked Zuckerberg what became of Facebooks predecessor, Facemash  a hot or not site that allowed users to compare the attractiveness of people in side-by-side photos.

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A bemused Zuckerberg said the site was a prank, which he developed in his Harvard dorm room 15 years ago.

There was a movie about this, or said it was about this; it was of unclear truth, Zuckerberg said, referring to the unflattering portrayal of him in the 2010 film The Social Network. It has nothing to do with Facebook.

david.pierson@latimes.com

Follow me @dhpierson on Twitter

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UPDATES:

2:35 p.m. This article was updated after the conclusion of the hearing.

9:35 a.m.: This article was updated with an exchange between Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Rep. John Sarbanes.

9:10 a.m.: This article was updated with an exchange between Zuckerberg and Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

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8:20 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Rep. Michael Burgess.

7:50 a.m.: This article was updated with Zuckerberg revealing that his own data was among the personal information obtained by Cambridge Analytica.

7:35 a.m.: This article was updated after testimony began.

This article was originally published at 7:10 a.m.
Several hundred veterans are set to go on a poker run to raise money for fellow comrades. The group is putting out a call for motorcyclists to join the ride on Saturday.

The Combat Vets Motorcycle Association Chapter 33-1, Stand-Up Ride,  Standing Up for Those Who Stood Up for Us  is expected to bring together more than 200 motorcycle riders for the poker run from Escondido to the hills of San Diegos backcountry. The ride is part of their mission of Vets Helping Vets.

The sixth annual event begins at Escondido Elks Lodge 1687 and ends there with a barbecue, live music, raffle prizes and vendors selling motorcycle and military-related goods.

Money raised at the event goes to local nonprofits that help area veterans.

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Last year, the chapter donated $25,000 to several area nonprofits that aid veterans, including Veterans Village of San Diego, North County Stand Down, Semper Fi Fund and 22Kill. Also, special recognition and donations were given to Final Honor for a horsedrawn funeral carriage at Miramar National Cemetery.

All motorcyclists, riders groups, associations, clubs, lone wolves, individuals and cars are welcome.

Registration starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Escondido Elks Lodge, 2430 S. Escondido Blvd., with the last bike out at 9:30 a.m.

Tickets cost $20 for single riders, and $30 for two and up.

Preregister at cvma33-1.org.
John Boehner, the former Republican speaker of the House who once said he was unalterably opposed to decriminalizing marijuana laws, has joined a board of directors for a cannabis company with an eye on rolling back federal regulations.

The former Ohio congressman has been appointed to the board of advisers of Acreage Holdings, invoking the need for veterans to access the drug legally to explain his change of heart, Boehner said in a statement Wednesday. The company grows and sells legal weed and operates in 11 states.

Boehners acceptance of marijuana tracks with evolving beliefs about the drug and its uses among Americans and even Republican lawmakers, Erik Altieri, executive director for the Washington-based marijuana advocacy group NORML, told The Washington Post.

But, he said, Boehner probably would have been more influential if he supported marijuana use for veterans while he was speaker. The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to struggle with treatment options for post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions.

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It wouldve been more helpful for him advocating for this 10 years ago, he said.

The move is a stark reversal for the former speaker, who in 2011 wrote a constituent that he was against legalization of marijuana or any other FDA Schedule I drug, adding that I remain concerned that legalization will result in increased abuse of all varieties of drugs, including alcohol.

Boehner reiterated his opposition to legalization as recently as September 2015. Nearly half a million people were arrested for selling weed during Boehners term as speaker from 2011-2015, Quartz reported.

I have concluded descheduling the drug is needed so that we can do research and allow VA to offer it as a treatment option in the fight against the opioid epidemic that is ravaging our communities, he said.

Spokesperson David Schnittger said Boehners evolving position has been the result of close study after leaving office.

Currently, nine states plus Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational use of the drug, while many others allow some sort of medical use. The Justice Department has been prohibited from using federal funds to target state-legal medical marijuana businesses since 2014.

Boehner is joined on the board of advisers by former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, a Republican who left office in 1997 and was former New Mexico governor Gary Johnsons running mate in 2016 on the libertarian party ticket. As governor, Weld advocated for medical marijuana legalization since 1992.

It is unknown if Boehner or Weld hold paid positions on the board. Acreage Holdings spokesman Lewis Goldberg declined to discuss salary or benefits of its executives. Weld told Bloomberg he was considering an investment in the company.

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Legal marijuana sales topped $9 billion in 2017, according to one industry estimate. Worldwide, legal marijuana could be a $57 billion industry by 2027, according to a report by Arcview Market Research.

Weld, a former federal prosecutor, said the conventional wisdom about marijuana during the Reagan administration was that it acted as a gateway drug to more harmful substances.

Now theres some evidence that it can become an exit drug and an alternative to opioid addiction, which has become the primary public health concern in Massachusetts, he said in an interview with The Post.

Weld said his advocacy will likely find appeal among conservatives who champion state laws to regulate issues without federal interference. A number of Republican lawmakers criticized a recent move by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to roll back a long-standing policy of federal noninterference with state-legal recreational marijuana laws.

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Morgan Fox, a spokesperson for the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project, told the New York Times that Boehner should be actively working to reform federal marijuana laws to allow states to determine their own policies, rather than just consulting with a business to navigate the conflicts between state and federal law.

In a joint statement, Boehner and Weld focused on a long-standing concern among veterans and advocacy groups - federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, the same as heroin and ecstasy.

Current prohibitions have stymied research at Veterans Affairs to evaluate the drugs efficacy in treating post-traumatic stress and physical pain as the result of military service, then-VA Secretary David Shulkin said earlier this year. Critics of restrictions say a tangle of federal laws that regulate research and funding have confused VA and lawmakers on what it can evaluate.

Veterans advocating for decriminalizing marijuana have spoken with Boehner in the past, he said. It was an argument he heard as a member, considered and never dismissed, Schnittger said.

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Descheduling cannabis would not legalize it nationally, but it would end federal marijuana enforcement and allow states to set their own marijuana policies without federal interference.

Polls show that over 60 percent of Americans favor legalizing marijuana completely, with well over 90 percent in favor of legal medical use. Democrats eyeing a 2020 presidential run have grown increasingly vocal about the shortcomings of current federal law, and the cannabis industry has stepped up lobbying lawmakers in both parties.

Acreage Holdings, a main player in the increasingly white-collar marijuana trade, will expand its research initiatives among universities as it seeks to demystify cannabis, chief executive Kevin Murphy told The Post. The company cultivates, processes and distributes marijuana in the growing, billion-dollar industry, according to its site.

The company focused on veterans in its messaging because they are passionate about broadening marijuana options available to former troops, Murphy said.

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The American Legion, the largest veterans group in the country, found in a 2017 survey that veterans overwhelmingly support marijuana use for medical reasons. About 22 percent of veteran households said they use weed for medical reasons.

Altieri said he hopes Boehner will use his influence within the GOP to extend acceptance of marijuana, which may lead to legalization laws for veterans and nonveterans alike. VA has said that 20 veterans commit suicide every day.

Think of the number of veterans who couldve had relief sooner, he said.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Tuesday that his country would support airstrikes against the Syrian government if an alliance including France, Britain and the U.S. called for such a military operation.

Mohammed, who was on his first official visit to France, made the comments during a news conference with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

If our alliance with our partners demands it we will respond, said Mohammed, the heir to the Saudi throne.

Earlier, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told reporters in Paris his country was greatly concerned about a suspected chemical weapons attack Saturday that aid groups and activists said killed dozens of people in the city of Duma in Syrias east Ghouta region, but made no mention of Saudi Arabia taking part in any potential intervention.

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Macron said Tuesday that France had red lines regarding the access of humanitarian aid to Syria and the suspected use of chemical weapons by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Macron said he would announce in the coming days whether France would respond militarily.

Frances decision would be separate from United Nations Security Council discussions over a possible international response to the alleged chemical attack, he said.

We are going to continue an exchange of technical and strategic exchanges with our partners, particularly the British and Americans, and in the next few days we will announce our decision, Macron told journalists.

President Trump has blamed the Syrian government for the suspected chemical attack, called Assad Animal Assad and warned of a big price to pay.

On Monday, ambassadors for the United States and Russia, an Assad ally, exchanged sharp comments during an emergency session of the U. N. Security Council to debate a U.S.-drafted proposal to create an independent panel to investigate poison gas use in Syria.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley blamed Russia for refusing to condemn Assad, while Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia described the behavior of the U.S. and countries that followed it as boorish and said the alleged attack in Duma was staged by anti-Assad terrorists.

On Tuesday, Macron also announced that he would organize a humanitarian conference on Yemen before the summer. Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its involvement in the civil war, which has included airstrikes and a blockade of aid to relieve a famine threatening millions of Yemenis.

Macron said Frances position was clear: support for Saudi security and condemnation of rocket attacks by Houthi rebel militias inside Yemen, and a wish to find a political solution to the conflict with concern for humanitarian demands.

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We are very attached to respect for international humanitarian law and we will continue to be vigilant about this, he said.

Macron spoke of future Saudi investments in France and joint ventures between the two countries in the media, telecom, leisure and luxury sectors. France has been a major arms supplier to the Saudis traditionally, but no big weapons contracts were announced during Mohammeds three-day visit.

The trip included the signing of contracts worth billions of dollars between French and Saudi businesses. Cultural links include Saudi Arabia being represented at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time next month. France is also to help Saudi Arabia set up a national opera and orchestra.

Macron invited Mohammed and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri for a gala dinner, a diplomatic move from France that sees itself as playing a mediation role in the region. Last November, the Saudis were accused of holding Hariri hostage after the Lebanese prime minister resigned while in Saudi Arabia, saying he feared being assassinated.

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Hariri eventually left Saudi Arabia and rescinded his resignation. Macron said the dinner was aimed at boosting attempts to stabilize Lebanon and improve relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

Also Tuesday, a lawyer representing a Yemeni human rights group filed a lawsuit in Paris accusing Mohammed of complicity in torture and inhumane treatment in Yemen.

Taha Hussein Mohamed, director of the Legal Center for Rights and Development, along with two French advisors said they were suing over the indiscriminate bombings against civilian populations in Yemen by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Mohammeds visit was part of a whirlwind tour that included trips to the United States, Britain and Egypt. He is attempting to project a moderate reformist image. The Elysee Palace announced Macron would visit Saudi Arabia this year.

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Willsher is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

4:35 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with Times reporting.

This article was originally published at 11:25 a.m.
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday agreed to call up 400 National Guard troops to beef up border and transnational anti-crime security, but has no firm number on how many will actually deploy to the southern region.

Brown placed important restrictions on their use, forbidding them to enforce federal immigration laws or build a controversial border wall.

The California Guard already has 250 soldiers and airmen staffing anti-crime programs, including 55 along the border with Mexico.

Breaking his silence after more than a week of deliberating a request from President Donald Trump to send National Guard troops to beef up security along the border with Mexico, California Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday agreed to call up 400 personnel.

California authorities, however, cant say how many will actually end up along the international boundary but any who make it to the border will have strong restrictions placed on them by Brown.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Brown agreed to accept federal funds to add approximately 400 Guard members statewide to staff existing border programs combating transnational crime statewide, but theyre barred from building any stretch of Trumps proposed three-story border wall, rounding up suspected unauthorized migrants or enforcing any other federal immigration laws.

The California Guard already has 250 soldiers and airmen staffing anti-crime programs across the state, including 55 along the border with Mexico.

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Californias citizen soldiers previously buttressed federal border security initiatives launched by George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Your funding for new staffing will allow the Guard to do what it does best: support operations targeting transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers along the border, the coast and throughout the state, Brown wrote. Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans  Republicans and Democrats. Thats why the state and the Guard have long supported this important work and agreed to similar targeted assistance in 2006 under President Bush and in 2010 under President Obama.

In Washington, D.C., the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement welcoming Browns support.

The Secretary recently spoke with Governor Brown, the statement read. She is pleased to have the support of all four border governors to help secure our southwest border. Issues of border security require the partnership of the federal government and our state and local allies to be successful.

In his letter, however, Brown told Mattis and Nielsen that theres no massive wave of migrants pouring into California and reminded them that border apprehensions are the lowest theyve been in a half-century, with only 15 percent of the detentions occurring in California.

Browns words echoed a plea by Roman Catholic bishops along the border to ensure that the use of his troops is measured and not disruptive to community life.

Browns decision partly aligns with the Republican governors in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, who supported Trumps push to fortify the border with Guard troops.

But it also reflects concerns voiced by Democratic governors in Oregon, Montana and elsewhere about using state citizen-soldiers as a political stunt to enforce federal immigration laws and erect a wall critics seem as a pricey boondoggle in an era of dwindling unauthorized border crossings.

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The location of Guard personnel  and number specifically working in support of operations along the border, the coast and elsewhere in the state  will be dictated by the needs on the ground, said Browns spokesman Evan Westrup in an email to The San Diego Union-Tribune. The Guard will move forward as quickly as possible pending review and approval by the federal government. For reference, the time between the request and full operational capability/deployment was 77 days in 2006 and 58 days in 2010. It has been just one week since California received the current request.

While some who staunchly opposed the presidents request, like state senator Kevin De Leon, approved of Browns middle-of-the-road decision, others said any military increase to support border enforcement was too much.

Although Brown says the National Guard will not be engaged in immigration enforcement, their presence enables Trumps deportation force to do more harm, said Lilian Serrano, chair of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium. We reject any move to further militarize our communities by sending soldiers trained to wage war. Regardless of their mission, the fact is that soldiers should not be patrolling our communities. We are not war zones.

Peter Nunez, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California and chairman of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, praised Browns decision but critiqued his reasoning.

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Why the governor would not be willing to provide resources specifically to assist in stopping illegal immigration is crazy  its one thing to worry about illegal aliens who are already embedded in our communities, but to suggest that there was something wrong with stopping future illegal immigration is a disgrace, Nunez said. Nobody should be in favor of illegal anything. How can he possibly justify not wanting to stop illegal immigration?

He added, If you put more resources on the border, regardless of how you explain it, it is going to deal with all border security issues, from drugs, to immigration, to terrorism, to customs fraud.

The president of the local Border Patrol union has said that having National Guard in support roles at the border is helpful to agents so that they can focus their resources on enforcement at the line.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
On Dec. 9, two men quietly met at a coffee shop in Coronado.

Although surrounded by the Saturday breakfast crowd, they chose seats unlikely to attract the attention of eavesdroppers.

Both men were former military. With stints in the Marines and then the Air Force Reserve, retired Col. Billy Lee Little Jr. ran criminal defense probes for the Navy.

The other, very cautious, man was retired Rear Adm. Brian L. Losey, considered within the SEAL community as one of the toughest officers to ever wear a commandos trident.

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For the next 90 minutes, Little wooed Losey to become a confidential informant, sharing his inside knowledge about what he seemed to believe were the political shenanigans surrounding a probe into three SEALs accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan in 2012.

Frustration with the senior leadership, recalled Little on Tuesday morning as he gave testimony in the court-martial trial of Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Daniel V. Dambrosio Jr. and two Special Operator Chief Petty Officers, Xavier Silva and David N. Swarts. And there appeared to be anger to go along with that. And fear.

Speaking under oath inside the Naval Base San Diego courtroom, Little said that Losey was so scared of being recorded or followed that when the session wrapped up, the SEAL told the Navy investigator to leave first, so he couldnt identify the car he drove or trace a path back to his home.

Little had wanted to know if Losey felt pressured by lawmakers on Capitol Hill and senior military leaders to reopen an investigation of the three SEALs who were accused of abusing male prisoners at Village Stability Platform Kalach in the Chora District of Afghanistans Uruzgan Province on May 31, 2012.

Five months after the beatings and despite the eyewitness accounts of Army soldiers and concerns that a homicide might have been committed  but was never proved  the SEALs were given non-judicial punishment by their commander, Capt. Robert E. Smith.

Called a Captains Mast in the Navy, its a far less severe form of justice than a general court-martial and its proceedings play out in private, far from public courtrooms and a paper trail citizens can follow.

In particular, Little wanted to know the role played by the Navys top lawyer, Vice Adm. James Crawford III  the Navys judge advocate general  and whether he conspired with other senior leaders to exert unlawful command influence on subordinates to prosecute SEALs who already had been punished.

The more they talked about Crawford, Little testified, the more Loseys demeanor changed, becoming more animated.

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He spoke about the importance of honor and courage and seeking the truth but none of that seemed to make any difference anymore, said Little, adding that the SEAL seemed to believe that the prosecution had come down to a political decision at that point.

Little showed Losey the emails the criminal defense attorneys had dug up.

He said, You need to ask for more emails, Little said, suggesting that the Navy had lost or withheld key evidence in the case.

To Little, Losey was concerned that the Navy had abandoned Capt. Smith, who had received mixed advice on how to handle the war crimes case.

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Leadership didnt have their back, Little recalled.

And then Little dropped a name that had nothing to do with the probe into Village Stability Platform Kalach but everything to do with Crawford.

He brought up the Barry case, Little testified. I didnt bring it up.

A ruling is expected in the coming days from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., into Crawfords alleged involvement in the rape case of Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Keith Barry, who was court-martialed and convicted in San Diego in 2015.

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A special judge hearing evidence in Barrys appeal already ruled that Crawford and other senior leaders unlawfully tampered in the matter but left the final adjudication to the higher court.

Crawford also was accused by defense attorneys of improperly inserting himself into a probe involving the May 6, 2016, pool drowning of Seaman James Derek Lovelace during initial SEAL training.

Crawford has long insisted he was innocent in those cases and declined comment on Tuesday.

The prosecution has opposed the defense motion to dismiss based on unlawful command influence in U.S. v. Dambrosio, Silva and Swartz, and the judges ruling on the matter is forthcoming, Navy spokeswoman Patricia Babb said by email. It would be inappropriate to discuss this case further, as it is Navy policy to not comment on ongoing or pending litigation.

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Losey wasnt called to the stand on Tuesday. His successor at Naval Special Warfare, Rear Adm. Timothy Szymanski, is slated to be questioned Wednesday evening.

Telephone messages left by The San Diego Union-Tribune with Losey were not returned.

In her cross-examination, military prosecutor Cmdr. Andrea Lockhart tore into Littles recollections.

She pointed out that Little neither recorded the conversation nor took notes. She suggested that Losey might have been fearful of him -- not retaliation by fellow SEALs or senior leaders -- especially because the admiral had left the service in 2016.

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In early 2017, the Navy quietly allowed Losey to retroactively pick up his second star. His promotion had been blocked in Congress in early 2016, following an Inspector General probe into allegations that he retaliated against subordinates during a crusade to find the person who turned him in for minor travel expense violations.

To Lockhart, it was telling that Losey never specifically mentioned he felt pressured by Crawford to take a course of action against the SEALs that was allegedly favored by senior leaders or lawmakers.

Little said that after he showed Losey a list of questions he wanted to ask him, it was the SEAL leader who took the pages and wrote down his answers.

At one point, he scribbled political. At other times, he put down record, meaning that if asked that question in court hed fall back on what he already told investigators, nothing more, Little testified.

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Emails exchanged between Crawford and Losey two years ago that have been submitted as evidence seem to echo what he allegedly told Little in the coffee shop.

Crawford, on the other hand, emailed Losey that Smith was being investigated already for allegedly bypassing traditional criminal justice procedures  possibly sending a warning to junior leaders that the Navy wanted the commandos prosecuted, the SEALs defense attorneys believe.

To them, Loseys communications with Crawford seem similar to messages exchanged around the same time between the Navy JAG and Rear Adm. Patrick Lorge, then the commander of the San Diego-based Navy Region Southwest, in the Barry case.

Lorge wanted to overturn the verdict because it lacked sufficient evidence, was overseen by a judge he felt was not objective and Barry may not have committed the crime.

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But because of Crawfords input, Lorge later testified, he didnt overturn Barrys verdict and came to believe an innocent man went to prison.

Barrys Washington, D.C.-based appellate attorney, David P. Sheldon, said by phone that the Navy needed to remove Crawford from his post and place him in legal hold until an investigation could be done into his role in all three SEAL cases.

Its is Adm. Crawford who should be held accountable for his repeated unlawful acts, Sheldon said.

The hearing resumes Wednesday with the formal trial scheduled later in May.

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A June trial for the SEALs commander in Afghanistan, Navy Lt. Jason L. Webb, waits in the wings. Hes accused of willfully failing to supervise the interactions between his sailors and the Afghan militiamen when they interrogated the prisoners and later filing a false report about what really happened.

Like the other three SEALs, Webb has pleaded not guilty.

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A plan to pipe treated wastewater from Tijuana to the Guadalupe Valley is being championed by authorities who say the project not only would support the states wine-growing region, but also solve another problem: reducing the flow to the overburdened San Antonio de los Buenos coastal sewage treatment plant.

The vision revolves around the treated effluent from Tijuanas La Morita and Arturo Herrera plants that currently flows down the Tijuana River channel. The idea is that we take the water that we are treating here in Tijuana and send it to the Guadalupe Valley, said Roberto Ramirez de la Parra, Mexicos top water official, during a visit to Tijuana last week.

State authorities have said a private company would build the aqueduct, but have not offered details. The project would help guarantee the water supply to the Guadalupe Valley, which produces close to 90 percent of Mexicos wines.

Ramirez de la Parra, who heads Mexicos National Water Commission, said the aqueduct project would eliminate discharges from the plants into the Tijuana River channel. The water runs downstream toward the U.S. border and picks up contaminants on the way. It then must be pumped toward the San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant about six miles from the border.

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The plan to send the water to the Guadalupe Valley has been gaining support in Mexico as part of a larger strategy aimed at reducing contaminated cross-border flows in the Tijuana River watershed. It would also decrease the San Antonio de los Buenos plants discharge into the Pacific Ocean, which environmentalists say is often polluted.

Ramirez de la Parra said authorities are also planning in the short-term some upgrades to the 31-year-old San Antonio de los Buenos plant. We are going to start the rehabilitation right now, said de la Parra. They are postponing a more costly plan to expand the plants capacity and build a new activated sludge water treatment facility.

Ramirez de la Parra said the idea is to rehabilitate it, so that it functions well, but we wont build a new facility, until we have a pipeline that would take the water to the Guadalupe Valley.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

@sandradibble
Sheriffs investigators secretly recorded the deputy lifting weights at the gym.

Dumbells weighing 80 pounds in each hand. Leg presses of 600 pounds. Dead lifts of 315 pounds from floor to hips.

Impressive for a man out on workers compensation for a back injury reportedly caused by lifting two five-gallon water bottles.

The video provided evidence investigators needed to arrest Deputy Matthew Tobolsky last year on 14 counts of insurance fraud and related charges. He was a six-year San Diego County Sheriffs Department veteran.

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He pleaded guilty to one count on March 2 and resigned March 19 from the department, Deputy District Attorney Alan Kessler said.

On Tuesday, San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon sentenced Tobolsky, 40, to three years probation and 180 days in work furlough.

The former sheriffs deputy faced a sentencing range from probation to five years in county jail for the single felony count, Kessler said.

Tobolsky was accused of defrauding the state workers compensation system, causing $57,000 in losses  $46,000 of which was paid directly to him.

The amount of restitution he will actually be required to pay is still in dispute, Kessler said. He said Deputy Public Defender Edward Neusteter argued that the original workers compensation claim was legitimate, and the fraud occurred later, after some valid payments had been made to Tobolsky.

Kessler said Tobolsky first ran afoul of the law when he was arrested in August 2016 on a domestic violence charge. He pleaded guilty to vandalism. He was placed on probation, given two days credit for time served in jail, and was ordered to attend a domestic violence program.

He was not fired, but was assigned to administrative duties. Kessler said it was during that assignment, in January 2017, that he claimed to have hurt his back lifting office water bottles. No one else saw it, the prosecutor said.

Tobolsky said his pain was too severe even for continued light duty, so he went off work and received workers compensation. When Tobolskys injury didnt seem to be improving, sheriffs investigators followed him to a gym and shot video of him lifting the heavy weights, Kessler said.

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Prosecutors announced Tobolskys arrest last September.

Kessler said he argued on Tuesday that Tobolsky deserved 270 days in custody. The defense argued that the ex-deputy is the primary caregiver for his children and custody would be a hardship for them. He said, too, that Tobolsky would be at risk among other inmates if incarcerated.

Tobolsky apologized for what he had done. His ex-wife, family and friends sent letters of support for the judge to consider.

The judge balanced her sentencing options and settled on a middle ground with probation, work furlough and yet-to-be-determined restitution.

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pauline.repard@sduniontribune

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A mother shuttling five of her children across the border in a minivan was arrested Monday after authorities uncovered 231 pounds of drugs hidden throughout the vehicle, officials said.

The 34-year-old woman was driving a Honda Odyssey from Mexico through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry just after midnight when she and her five kids were stopped for further examination, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The CBP officer found some initial discrepancies and sent the minivan through a large imaging system, which found anomalies in the spare tire well, quarter panels, doors and gas tank, officials said. Officers eventually retrieved 206 wrapped packages  a combination of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. The drugs were valued at just over $1 million in street value, CBP said.

The woman, whose name was not released, was booked into the countys womens jail in Santee, indicating possible state charges in the case rather than federal. The children were handed over to a family member. CBP officials did not disclose the ages of the kids or provide additional details.

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CBP has seen many forms of drug smuggling through the years, said Pete Flores, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego. The hardest ones are when adults include their children in attempted smuggling schemes.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A federal court in San Diego has permanently barred a local tax preparer, who reduced her customers tax liabilities by improperly claiming a variety of deductions and education tax credits, from handling federal returns for others, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

According to the government, Melissa Lang, formerly known as Melissa Ann Vega, caused returns to be filed that claimed fraudulent refunds of more than $9 million, which included about $7 million in false education credits.

Lang filed, or caused to be filed through her associates and employees, upwards of 4,200 false returns, court papers show.

Lang, who operated tax return preparation businesses called L&T Works and Lang Works LLC, agreed to the civil injunction order entered against her, which requires her to turn over to the government a list of all principals, managers, employees and independent contractors for her tax preparation businesses.

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Lang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to file false, fictitious and fraudulent claims, tax evasion and aggravated identity theft, according to the Justice Department.
San Diego Unified School District was the only large district in the country to see an increase in both math and reading test scores among fourth and eighth grade students, according to new federal data.

Fourth grade students in San Diego scored an average of 222 on the reading exam in 2017, six points higher than the average in 2015, which is when the exam was last administered.

Its the largest increase among the 22 large, urban districts in the country for which data is available.

The data come from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nations Report Card. The group administers math and reading exams to students in grades 4 and 8 every other year and the results represent one of the only national assessments of what students know and what they can do in certain school subjects. Data for smaller districts were not released.

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Data show fourth-grade students in Fresno scored an average of four points higher than students in 2015, the second largest increase in reading scores behind San Diego, followed by students in Los Angeles and Miami-Dade in Florida.

San Diegos average among eighth graders was 264, up two points from 2015. The average ranks No. 2 in the country behind Hillsborough County, Florida, which had an average of 265 on the 2017 reading test.

San Diego Unified stands out as a hub of academic excellence and innovation, where students learn and thrive thanks to the dedication of our teachers, Superintendent Cindy Marten said. The NAEP results underscore the incredible teaching and learning thats occurring in San Diego Unified schools every day.

According to the Nations Report Card data, San Diego also saw growth in math scores among fourth- and eighth-grade students. Its the only district to see an increase from 2015 in both subjects, across both grades.

Thirty-seven percent of fourth graders in San Diego scored at or above proficient in math, outperforming 20 other large urban school districts in the nation.

The fourth-grade students average score on the math exam was 237, up nearly 2 percent from an average of 233 in 2015.

Among eighth graders, 36 percent rated proficient in math, ranking No. 3 nationwide among large districts behind students in Austin, Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Their average score was 283 in 2017, up from 280 from the last exam.

A San Diego Unified spokeswoman said the math results, particularly for those in grade 4, come as a relief for the district, which saw a significant drop in math scores in 2015. Officials attributed the dip to the implementation of the Common Core math curriculum and the challenges that came with it.

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The districts long-term upward trend, which has held constant since 2003, appears to be back on track with the addition of 2017 math results.

Mike Casserly, executive director for the Council of the Great City Schools  which represents 69 of the largest urban public school districts in the country  said San Diego blew the socks off of the 2017 exams.

No other city in the country saw gains in both grades in reading and math like San Diego, Casserly said in a news release. The gains are evidence of, and testimony to, the serious academic work the school district has been doing over the last several years.

Bill Lucia, president of the educational advocacy group EdVoice, said not all of the results are worthy of a celebration.

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While San Diego has seen improvement in some areas, gaps between low-income students and their higher income peers have actually widened since 2003 in math, which should be more cause for alarm and action than celebration  particularly since low-income students represent a majority of the districts enrollment, Lucia said in an email.

Data show other large districts, including Fresno, Los Angeles and Atlanta, saw scores increase in three out of four exams. Eighth-grade students in Los Angeles averaged four points higher in math and three points higher in reading. Fourth graders in Fresno increased their math scores by three points and reading scores by four points.

Six districts saw decreases across the board in both grades and subjects.

Students in Houston scored an average of 205 on the reading exam last year, down five points from their average score in 2015. Philadelphia students in grade 8 tested an average of seven points lower in math, the largest decrease among all grades and subjects.

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The Nations Report Card is congressionally-mandated and comes out of the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch within the U.S. Department of Education.

Last years test was the first to be administered on tablets. Since 1969, all exams were taken using pencils and paper.

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San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer joined 10 other California mayors in Sacramento on Wednesday to push for a bill that could generate $1.5 billion in state funds to help the homeless.

We really want the state to be a partner in the cities efforts, Faulconer said about Assembly Bill 3171. At the local level, weve been throwing everything we can to get people into permanent housing.

AB 3151, authored by Democrat Phil Ting of San Francisco, calls for 25 percent of the states $6.1 billion budget surplus to be set aside for programs that help the homelessness.

Faulconer was in Sacramento along with other members of the group known as the California Big 11 Mayors, a bipartisan group with representatives from the most populous cities in the state, including Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Long Beach, Sacramento, Oakland, Bakersfield, Anaheim and Santa Ana.

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The mayors were scheduled to meet with Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday morning following a news conference on the capital steps. Faulconer said he also was going to meet with Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins.

The bill would establish a Local Homeless Solution Program and an account that would fund local programs throughout the state based on their history of success and the size of the areas homeless population.

San Diego County had about 9,100 homeless people in shelters and on the street in a count conducted in January 2017, and results from last Januarys count are expected to be released next month. The county has the fourth largest homeless population in the country.

Besides the $1.5 billion in state funds that would come from the bill, municipalities would provide matching funds to spend locally on existing or new programs, bringing the amount to $3 billion statewide for emergency services such as triage shelters and navigation centers with wrap-around services.

Faulconer said the assembly bill would provide cities the flexibility to fund programs that address the many needs of the homeless in their area, including housing, mental health, addiction and other issues.

Homelessness is not just an issue, Faulconer said. It is the issue. That is a compelling case that we are going to bring to the governors office today.

The bill is scheduled to go before the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee on April 25 for its first hearing.

The homeless population in California is 134,278, up 16 percent since 2015.

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Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

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Gov. Jerry Brown has agreed to amplify the number of National Guard being used for border security work in California by 400 members, following a request from the Trump administration last week to send troops to the border.

In a letter to the secretaries of homeland security and defense, Brown said the troops would be deployed statewide to combat transnational crime. The federal government will pay for the operation, according to a memorandum the governor signed Wednesday.

The California National Guard already has 250 members working on transnational crime across the state with 55 stationed at the border, Brown said. The additional troops will be placed around the state based on needs on the ground, according to Browns office.

Your funding for new staffing will allow the Guard to do what it does best: support operations targeting transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers along the border, the coast and throughout the state, Brown wrote, citing previous deployments under both the Bush and Obama administrations. Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans  Republicans and Democrats.

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President Donald Trump called for military presence at the southwest border after reports surfaced of a large migrant caravan moving through Mexico. Trump said the military would remain at the border until his promised border wall is completed.

The Mexican border is very unprotected by our laws, Trump said last week during a news conference with the presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. We have horrible, horrible, and very unsafe, laws in the United States.

Brown cautioned in his letter to the Trump administration that the troops would not be used for immigration enforcement.

Lets be crystal clear on the scope of this mission, Brown wrote. This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws.

There is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California, he added.

The agreement between Brown and the federal government runs through the end of September. It was not clear how quickly the new troops will move into place. Browns office said this would happen as quickly as possible pending federal review and approval.

When former President George W. Bush requested troops in 2006, they deployed in 77 days, and when former President Barack Obama made a similar request in 2010, it took 58 days, according to Browns office.

Governors in other border states have already committed a total of about 1,500 troops.

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The U.S. immigration courts will temporarily halt a program that offers legal assistance to detained foreign nationals facing deportation while it audits the programs cost-effectiveness, a federal official said Tuesday.

Officials informed the Vera Institute of Justice that starting this month it will pause the nonprofits Legal Orientation Program, which last year held information sessions for 53,000 immigrants in more than a dozen states, including California and Texas.

The federal government will also evaluate Veras help desk, which offers tips to non-detained immigrants facing deportation proceedings in the Chicago, Miami, New York, Los Angeles and San Antonio courts.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the Justice Departments immigration courts, said the government wants to conduct efficiency reviews which have not taken place in six years.

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An immigration court official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the audit has not been formally announced, said the review will examine the cost-effectiveness of the federally funded programs and whether they duplicate efforts within the court system. He noted, for example, that immigration judges are already required to inform immigrants of their rights before a hearing, including their right to find a lawyer at their own expense.

But advocates said the programs administered by Vera and a network of 18 other nonprofits are a legal lifeline for undocumented immigrants.

This is a blatant attempt by the administration to strip detained immigrants of even the pretense of due-process rights, said Mary Meg McCarthy, executive director of the National Immigrant Justice Center, one of the organizations that offers the legal services with Vera.

In a statement, the Vera Institute said a 2012 study by the Justice Department concluded that the program was a cost-effective and efficient way to promote due process that saved the government nearly $18 million over three years.

The Trump administration has also clashed with the Vera Institute over whether its subcontractors were informing undocumented immigrant girls in Department of Health and Human Services custody about their right to an abortion.

The Justice Department is ramping up efforts to cut an immigration court backlog of 650,000 cases in half by 2020. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week imposed production quotas on immigration judges to spur them to clear cases more quickly.

Immigration courts are separate from U.S. criminal courts, where defendants are entitled to a government-appointed lawyer if they cannot pay for their own legal counsel.

The Vera Institute said approximately 8 in 10 detainees in immigration court face a government prosecutor without a lawyer.

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The Executive Office for Immigration Review says on its website that it launched the legal-aid program in 2003, during the administration of George W. Bush, to orient immigrants so that court proceedings would move more quickly.

In Veras Legal Orientation Program, lawyers and others hold hour-long group information sessions with detainees to explain their rights, how the court process works and their possible defenses to deportation in federal law, such as seeking asylum if they are in fear for their lives. They also meet with detainees individually and refer detainees to free or low-cost lawyers, but do not represent them in court.

Experience has shown that the LOP has had positive effects on the immigration court process: detained individuals make wiser, more informed, decisions and are more likely to obtain representation; non-profit organizations reach a wider audience of people with minimal resources; and, cases are more likely to be completed faster, resulting in fewer court hearings and less time spent in detention, the agencys website says.

The help desk answers questions and provides similar information to immigrants who are not detained but are facing deportation.
An off-duty Border Patrol agent was arrested in Oceanside on suspicion of possessing heroin and an illegal rifle after officers found him asleep in a pickup Sunday, police and Border Patrol officials said.

Brandon Herrera, 37, was arrested around 8:45 a.m. Sunday outside an apartment complex at Los Arbolitos Boulevard and Fredricks Avenue, Oceanside police spokesman Tom Bussey said.

Police had been patrolling the complex since early April after getting a report about a suspicious man loitering near a trash dumpster in the complexs parking lot.

Officers went to the complex several times. They had been told a Ford truck parked near the dumpster, but they found a motorcycle parked in the spot that was registered to Herrera, Bussey said.

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When police returned to the complex Sunday  their third visit  they found a man sleeping in the truck, which was parked on Fredricks near the complex.

When the officers arrested him, Herrera identified himself as a Border Patrol agent, Bussey said.

During a search of Herrera and his vehicle, officers found about 5 grams believed to be heroin and a short-barreled rifle, Bussey said. The federal agent was booked into county jail in Vista but later released.

Border Patrol officials confirmed the arrest Wednesday but would not confirm the agents name. A spokesman said the agent who was arrested had been employed by the agency since August 2007 and was put on administrative leave.

The U.S. Border Patrol serves the community with honor and integrity and has zero tolerance for illicit drug use,' San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said. Any allegation that tarnishes the badge and violates the public trust is taken seriously. We are cooperating with the investigating agency, and the employee in question has had his law enforcement authority revoked and has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com

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UPDATES:

11:55 a.m.: This story was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published at 11:20 a.m.
As bullets tore through the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Music festival in Las Vegas, Taylor Winston commandeered a truck and transported dozens of critically injured people to hospitals.

William Stout put himself in danger by tackling a man who was beating his estranged girlfriend with a tire iron  likely saving her life.

Cynthia Doucette managed to survive being stabbed 11 times, and then found the strength to testify against her attacker in court.

These were some of the nine crime victims and heroes who were honored at the countys annual Citizens of Courage awards, an event  according to District Attorney Summer Stephan  that focuses on victims and witnesses who under extraordinary circumstances discover the hero within them.

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This is the events 28th year, which is often held in conjunction with National Crime Victims Rights week. About 500 people attended the ceremony at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on Tuesday.

After a video introduction, each of the honorees received an award and thunderous applause. Here are their stories.

 Citizens of Courage: Matt Bruhin

Matthew Bruhin prevented a mans suicide and got him back on his feet

There was a moment when Matthew Bruhin wondered if he was doing the right thing as he attempted to convince a stranger to climb down from the ledge of the Coronado Bridge last November. But he didnt give up.

Bruhin and his wife, who live in Coronado, kept talking to the man on the bridge, who was clutching his rosary and sobbing. Bruhin  CEO of an addiction treatment and mental health facility in San Diego  explained that their meeting wasnt chance, and that he had access to resources that might help.

They wanted to invest in the man, to help him, they said.

To see two strangers that I didnt know crying like they knew me, like I was their friend trying to kill himself. That got to me, said the man, identified only as Juan.

Eventually, Bruhin and his wife convinced Juan  a military veteran and a father  to get into their car.

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I think we just sat on the bridge, probably for about 10 minutes crying and just hugging each other, Bruhin said. It was a very surreal and miraculous experience to be a part of.

The couple then took Juan to their treatment facility, Apex Recovery Rehab, where they sponsored him for three months. They also raised more than $10,000 to help him transition into an apartment. He had been homeless.

Other Coronado residents offered to help Juan find a job.

I think this is kind of that hallmark moment where you kind of know why you were put on this planet, why you do what you do, and for that I am so grateful, Bruhin said.

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Cynthia Doucette survived a violent stabbing and faced her attacker in court

Cynthia Doucette wasnt alarmed when a man walking his dog came over to say, good morning, soon after she arrived at her office in the Morena community.

Doucette, a mental health clinician, returned the greeting. A moment later, when she leaned into her car to get the rest of her things, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head.

I thought, Oh my god, hes hit me with a rock, and I turned around and it wasnt a rock. It was a knife, Doucette said. He started stabbing me in my chest, in my abdomen, my hands, my arms.

She managed to dial 911, threw her cellphone in her car and started screaming for help.

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Doulcette was stabbed 11 times.

The assailant  Greg Taylor  was a stranger to her. Police arrested him blocks from where the attack occurred.

Doucette said the incident, in November 2016, left her with post traumatic stress disorder. Although it was difficult to face her attacker in court, she did so to ensure he went to prison.

In July, Taylor was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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Ive always been a survivor, Doucette said. If I go out, thats not how Im going to go out. Im gonna go out having a good time.

William Stamm, William Stout and Bala Carter saved a woman from being beaten to death

William Stout was driving home from work when he spotted what was clearly an altercation. Other people were in the area, and he almost kept driving  until he saw the outline of a tire iron.

A man was methodically beating a woman in the head and face.

Its scarier now than it was at the time , Stout said. Its just inconceivable. How could someone do that?

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People in the area were having difficulty getting close enough to stop the attack. A man named William Stamm approached the assailant twice, but was forced back when threatened with the tire iron.

Stout said when he saw an opportunity to get close, he drilled the man into the ground.

He, Stamm and a man named Bala Carter  who noticed the fight, flagged down help and threw a skateboard at the attacker  held the man down until police arrived.

Prosecutors believe that if the three men had not stepped in, the assailant, identified as Erwin Anderson, would have killed the woman  his estranged girlfriend.

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Anderson was sentenced to 38 years to life in prison.

Maria Figueroa helped send her neighbors killer to prison

When Maria Figueroa heard her neighbor scream, she thought the 45-year-old woman had fallen. She wasnt expecting to find Alfa Castillo in a pool of her own blood.

Figueroa was putting pressure on the womans wounds when she saw 17-year-old Jorge Suarez Villalba approach. She recognized him as the boyfriend of Castillos daughter.

And then he started stabbing her.

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The only thing I can think of is I cant let my parents find me like this,  she said. I cant let my parents find me on the floor. I want to be OK so they dont have to go through that.

Figueroa fought back. She kicked her attacker until he fled, giving her time to call 911.

Castillo would ultimately die of her injuries, but Figueroas quick thinking helped investigators catch the victims killer.

Had she not been there, had she not acted quickly, had she not identified him, come to court and follow up with that identification, it may not have been possible to identify the assailant in this case, said Deputy District Attorney Anthony Campagna.

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Villalba was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

Taylor Winston and Shiva Ghaed rescued victims and counseled survivors of the Las Vegas mass shooting

Soon after bullets started tearing through the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas, Taylor Winston started looking for a truck to commandeer.

The Iraq war veteran from Ocean Beach knew victims needed to get to hospitals as soon as possible, and there were far too few ambulances in the area.

With a truck, he could make trips to a hospital. With a truck, he could save lives. So he ran to a nearby parking lot. He knew festival employees often left keys in work vehicles. He got lucky.

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Winston and a friend, Jenn Lewis, spent the next 40 minutes or so taking truckloads of victims to hospitals.

Shiva Ghaed was also at the concert that night. She didnt have the capacity to step into the fray like Winston did  but she knew shed have a role to play in the aftermath.

Ghaed, who specializes in trauma and anxiety disorders, has counseled active-duty military and veterans for more than a decade. As her own trauma symptoms began to appear, she knew there were likely hundreds of others in San Diego alone who were similarly struggling.

I knew that there would be countless invisible injuries, invisible casualties that would not get addressed, that would likely not be talked about, she said. There is so much stigma with mental illness.

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She started a support group for other Route 91 survivors that meets weekly at In Cahoots, a Mission Valley country restaurant and bar.

Winston is a regular attendee.

Being former military, Im never wanting to share my feelings, but in the group Im more prone to do so because I know other people are going through the same stuff, and by bringing it up we can all talk through it, he said.

Marlene Ruiz protected a loyal customer from a con-artist

After years of seeing him regularly, Marlene Ruiz, a bank teller, had grown close to a customer named Bruce. So she could tell something was wrong when he came in with a man she didnt recognize in September 2016.

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Bruce believed the man to be a real estate agent, and he trusted the man to help him sell his condominium.

Ruiz said the man was a con-artist.

Bruce, a dependent adult who uses a wheelchair, fell on hard times and owed a hefty sum in back taxes. The man he entrusted with the real estate transaction took advantage of him, by selling the residence below market value and convincing Bruce he should forfeit $27,000 from the sale, prosecutors said.

Ruiz and a coworker reviewed the contract Bruce had signed and refused to facilitate the transaction.

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I could just see that our customer was really uncomfortable. He was really scared, Ruiz said. ...this was a big chunk of money. We just couldnt let him do it. He was being bullied.

Ruiz called the police and restricted Bruces account until investigators could get to the bottom of what had happened.

The suspect was arrested. He received one year in jail and was ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution to Bruce.

I nominated Marlene because one doesnt have to jump in front of a bullet to be a hero, said Deputy District Attorney Rebecca Zipp. We have opportunities in our daily lives as ordinary people if we see something as wrong we have the opportunity and really the obligation to step in and stop that situation from occuring.

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Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A 25-year-old motorcyclist suspected of riding while intoxicated was injured early Wednesday when he ran a red light and collided with a vehicle in San Diegos Grantville neighborhood, police said.

It happened just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday when the motorcyclist, riding a 1998 Kawasaki westbound on Santo Road, ran the red light at Friars Road,San Diego police Officer John Buttle said.

The motorcycle collided in the intersection with a passenger vehicle turning left from Friars Road onto Santo Road.

Paramedics took the motorcyclist to a hospital with serious injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening, Buttle said.

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The 50-year-old driver of the other vehicle was not believed to have been injured.

Investigators from the San Diego Police Departments traffic division believe the motorcyclist was riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Every week, Faisal Alawad braces for fresh trauma during calls to family and friends living in Syria.

Im very worried about them, Alawad said in Arabic through an interpreter. You have the feeling youre going to call them and theyll say, Your brother or cousin was killed just two days ago.

The 43-year-old escaped the war-torn country several years ago with his wife and their seven children and eventually settled in San Diego County, home to one of the largest refugee communities in the United States.

Since the conflict erupted in 2011, San Diego has received the most Syrian refugees of any U.S. city, according to data from the State Departments Refugee Processing Center.

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He confirmed with his sister on Monday that none of his friends or family were hurt in the suspected chemical gas attack outside of Damascus, where scores of people suffocated to death in a rebel-held suburb.

Still, just this week in the town of Idlib, where many of his family and friends continue to live, 11 civilians were reportedly killed and 80 others wounded in an explosion that leveled a building.

Faisal Alawad stands in the doorway to his modest 2 bedroom apartment he shares with his wife and their 7 children. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune )

Nobodys taking care of the Syrian people, he said. They left us behind. It should have been a long time ago, someone doing something to end this.

Alawad said hes given up hope of ever returning home, even as President Donald Trump weighs a strong military response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Hes also not optimistic that any of his family remaining in or just outside of Syria in Jordan or Lebanon will be able to join him in the United States.

After a surge under President Barack Obama, the flow of new Syrian refugees has slowed dramatically from 15,479 in 2016 to just 11 so far this year.

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Families who have found their way to resettlement feel extremely fortunate, but thats also mixed with a tremendous sadness because they have no promise that theyll be reunited with family members, said Donna Duvin, executive director at the International Rescue Committee in San Diego County. Family members can see whats happening on the news. Youre never far away from this story.

While Alawad said he has a hard time watching news about his home country, hes constantly thinking about his mother and father, who escaped to Jordan but remain in precarious limbo.

He credits his father for forcing their extended family to leave the city of Homs in 2011 after his cousin was indiscriminately gunned down by pro-Assad forces outside of a mosque.

Many in the family, including Alawad, had been part of a family-owned carpentry business in the bustling, industrial municipality. They enjoyed a prosperous, middle-class existence until they fled to a nearby town to wait out the violence.

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As the carnage continued to escalate, the family decided to travel through Damascus to the Jordanian border, passing government checkpoints where residents risk being detained, sometimes indefinitely.

It was a very hard decision to leave Syria, and we were thinking it we would stay in Jordan for like two, three months, Alawad said. After that, everything will be OK and well go back.

Of course, that didnt happen. Now he and his wife are living in El Cajon in a two-bedroom apartment with their four boys and three girls.

Alawad said hes grateful to live here and has no plans to leave. While he doesnt speak English, there is a large Arabic-speaking community and the family regularly attends a local mosque.

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The San Diego region is welcoming for immigrant families, said Doris Bittar, president of the local chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

The financial hardships outweigh anything else, she said. Theyre on a tough trajectory, but its not as tough as others before them, like Iraqis. Theres a lot set up for them.

Alawad said that he dreams of being reunited with his extended family, many of whom are scattered across Europe and the Middle East. However, the opportunity to give his children an education and a fresh start in San Diego is almost indescribable when weighed against the reality of living in Syria.

Its like comparing paradise and hell, he said.

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Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
The chairman of a council that advises the county about land use and other development matters at Gillespie Field airport in El Cajon has financial stakes in numerous businesses that operate within its jurisdiction, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Robert Dale Davison Jr., 64, of El Cajon, has served on the five-member Gillespie Field Development Council since he was appointed in 2011. On state-mandated disclosure forms, Davison has reported financial interests that are potentially affected by the council he serves on:

On his 2015 and 2016 disclosures, Davison reported an interest of more than $1 million in AirWorld LLC, a commercial hangar business that leased and developed a plot of county-owned land at the airport.

In 2011, 2013 and 2014, he reported an investment worth $100,000 to $1 million in ConTel Project Development, an engineering firm that developed the Gillespie Field site plan for AirWorld.

From 2011 to 2016, he reported a financial interest worth more than $1 million in R.D. Engineering & Construction Inc., a general construction company that built the hangars planned by ConTel and owned by AirWorld.

From 2011 through 2016, he reported an interest worth $100,000 to $1 million in Speer Hangar Owners Association, which holds the master airport lease on ground adjacent to a runway at Gillespie Field.

Government ethics experts say Davisons financial interests speak to his expertise and interest in aviation and the economic viability of the airport, which are valuable to the public and required for membership on the development council. They also say that government decisions that affect personal financial interests can erode the public trust and must be guarded against.

Davison says he has never profited off any of his leaseholds at Gillespie Field and all his dealings have been vetted for compliance.

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At no time was my service on the Gillespie Field Development Council a conflict of interest, he said. I have complied with all rules and regulations regarding disclosures, with all required documentation up to date and complete.

Public officials are in a fiduciary relationship with the people they serve, said Hana S. Callaghan, director of government ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

They have to put the publics interest before their own interests, Callaghan said. They also have a duty to preserve trust in government. So they have a duty to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Gillespie Field is the oldest and largest of the countys eight air fields. Across its 757 acres, it hosts almost 800 aircraft making more than 200,000 take-offs and landings per year.

Davison is one of five members appointed to four-year terms on the airports advisory council by mutual agreement between the City of El Cajon and the Board of Supervisors. He was nominated by the mayor of El Cajon with the concurrence of the City Council in 2011 and again in 2015, according to the citys website.

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, who nominated Davison for reappointment to the council in 2015, said in a statement that he was aware of Davisons economic interests at the time and considered them an asset.

The city was aware of Mr. Davison having business interests in the Gillespie Field area and it was this experience and expertise that qualified him to be appointed, Wells wrote in the statement. Having such business interests does not represent, in itself, any conflict of interest. It is entirely the responsibility of any commissioner to determine if they have a conflict regarding any particular issue.

County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who represents the district that covers Gillespie Field, issued a statement for this story urging vigilance and caution by officials.

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State law requires and taxpayers expect that those sitting on public boards avoid conflicts of interest, Jacob said in the statement. Serving on a public board comes with the personal responsibility to refrain from these types of conflicts. To address any concerns about conflicts, I would strongly encourage Mr. Davison or any member of a public board to consult with the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

The Union-Tribune reviewed economic disclosure forms for other members of the Gillespie Field council and found one other member reported airport-related economic interests  a flight instructor at two schools that operates there.

R.D. Engineering & Construction

Set back against a flood control channel in a cluster of office buildings on Magnolia Avenue south of Airport Drive is an unassuming stucco structure with the letters RD etched into its glass doors.

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The building, at 1660 N. Magnolia Avenue, is the home of R.D. Engineering & Construction, a business Davisons disclosures say he has owned since 1998. R.D. Engineering & Construction has been housed at the address since at least 2003, building permits on file with the City of El Cajon show.

A forest of tall reeds fills a flood control channel that runs through Gillespie Field near Davisons business. The earthen channel is a deeper, upgraded version of its former self, before the county began a multi-million-dollar improvement project to boost the drainage systems capacity in 2013.

The county expected the improvements to protect properties near the channel from flooding, according to the countys 2008 application for hazard mitigation grant funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

At least one structure directly adjacent to the Wing Avenue channel is continuously inundated during smaller seasonal events, the application said under the section for hazard and risk analysis. Additionally, a business owner at 1660 N. Magnolia Ave. made a flooding complaint on Feb. 14, 2008.

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The county received a $4-million grant to help fund the flood channel improvements, and the Board of Supervisors approved the project in 2012, according to board records.

In 2013, Davison, then vice chairman of the Gillespie Field Development Council, helped move the project forward, council meeting minutes show.

Davison voted during a meeting in May 2013 to recommend county supervisors approve a proposed amendment to an airport lease that would reduce the area of the  leasehold to accommodate the Wing Avenue Flood Control Channel, according to meeting minutes.

The council voted unanimously to make the recommendation. Supervisors approved the lease change as recommended at their meeting June 19, 2013.

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Davison told the Union-Tribune he had no conflict of interest in the 2013 vote.

At the time in question, Davison said, he was a renter of office and yard space at 1660 N. Magnolia Ave, he wrote in his statement. As a renter, I received no income from the property.

Davison told the Union-Tribune that prior to October 2017 the property was owned by a general partnership between Dewain Davis and the Robert & Genevieve Davison Sr. Trust. He said he never had ownership, rental income or management decision authority at the property.

Robert Dale Davison Sr. and Genevieve Davison are Davisons parents, according to public records. They died in June 2003 and October 2017, respectively.

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Davison denied in his statement that the property at 1660 N. Magnolia Ave. ever experienced flood damage, and he said he had never filed a claim for flood damage at that location. County officials have not responded to a request for any records of a flooding complaint at the property.

AirWorld, LLC

Next door to 1660 N. Magnolia Avenue is 1662 N. Magnolia Ave., headquarters of another Davison business, ConTel Project Development. The two companies planned and helped build a project on what was then an empty patch of undeveloped county-owned land near a runway at Gillespie Field, according to county records.

The project was completed in 2016, a beige metal hangar with around 25,000 square feet of storage and office space.

The facility and land lease at the hangar, 2111 N. Marshall Avenue, belongs to AirWorld LLC, a commercial hangar business. Davison disclosed an investment of more than $1 million in the company in 2015 and 2016. He also disclosed an investment of more than $1 million in AirWorlds land lease.

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The improvements were expected to boost the propertys assessed value by an estimated $1.6 million, according to a county redevelopment report.

Davison said airport property values depreciate as lease terms run down, and San Diego County is the ultimate beneficiary of all on-airport development.

My leasehold interests at Gillespie Field were vetted prior to my joining the council, Davison wrote in his statement. Further, I have never profited from any of my lease holdings on Gillespie Field.

He said the projects at Gillespie Field in which he has financial interests were approved by airport staff, County of San Diego, Federal Aviation Administration and the City of El Cajon Planning Commission prior to me joining the council in 2011.

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Speer Hangar Owners Association

AirWorlds development is next door to a small, gated community of semi-residential hangars with living space on a second floor and access to a Gillespie Field taxiway. The master lease for the developments land is held by Speer Hangar Owners Association, which sells the hangars.

Since 2011, Davison has reported an investment between $100,000 and $1 million in the company, plus ownership of a hangar there, with a value listed in the same range.

A real estate listing posted in 2011 gives an idea of the business model for the hangars. It offered to sell for $800,000 a condominium leasehold interest in a hangar in the complex, at 2017 N. Marshall Ave. According to the advertisement, the purchaser gets title to the hangar and a leasehold ownership of the underlying land for the duration of the master ground lease held by Speer Hangars Owners Association until 2030.

At a May 2014 meeting of the Gillespie Field Development Council, members were considering a proposal to allow a second floor addition to Hangar 23.

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Davison sat out the discussion to recuse himself, the minutes show. He owns Hangar 23, leasing the land under it from the county, according to his statements of economic interests.

Davison had another council member chair the meeting for Item 7, but he didnt go far. When questions arose that others couldnt answer, Davison was sitting in the audience and spoke up.

According to the minutes, Davison explained that the hangar addition was for the sheriffs ASTREA unit, or Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies.

It was explained by Mr. Davison, from the audience, that he is a badged and sworn sheriffs reserve officer with ASTREA reserve fixed wing division, the minutes say. The plan is to use the new space to conduct planning strategy meetings for upcoming missions, etc.

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Davison told the Union-Tribune this week that the discussion was an informational item only and the hangar addition at 2091 N. Magnolia was never started nor completed.

Its clear from the May 2014 meeting  when Davison left the dais  that he was making an effort to bear potential conflicts in mind. But council members should leave the room to successfully recuse themselves from votes or discussion, said Callaghan of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics  a requirement spelled out in FPPC regulations.

The requirement isnt just recusal, its avoiding any participation in the deliberation process, she said. So you have to announce your conflict and excuse yourself from the whole room.

Davisons term on the council ends Jan. 31, 2019, according to county records.

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morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com
For a second day in a row on Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat for long hours answering questions from skeptical lawmakers weighing on whether to regulate the social media giant or allow it to do better in safeguarding the privacy of its billions of users.

At the center of Congressional hearings in Washington have been questions on whether Facebook did enough to protect the privacy of some 87 million users whose personal data was improperly harvested by the political firm Cambridge Analytica, and whether it can do enough in the future.

The hearings have been broadcast live and a great amount of attention has focused on Zuckerbergs exchanges with lawmakers. Zuckerberg met with senators in a joint committee hearing on Tuesday, then on Wednesday he went to a House committee.

One of those pressing Zuckerberg for answers in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Wednesday was Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, who asked whether profits may have interfered with Facebooks promises to safeguard users privacy on the platform.

Heres how that exchange went:

Peters: Would it not be appropriate for us, once we define this duty, to assess financial penalties in a way that would sufficiently send a signal to the shareholders and to your employees  that the privacy youre so concerned about is a bottom line issue at Facebook?

Zuckerberg: Congressman, it certainly is something we can consider. Although one thing that I would push back on is, I think, it is often characterized as maybe these mistakes happened because theres some conflict between what people want and business interest. I dont think thats the case.

I think a lot of these hard decisions come down to different interests between different people. So, for example, on the one hand, people want their ability to sign into apps and bring some of their information and bring some of their friends information to have a social experience. On the other hand, everyone wants their information locked down and private. The question is not a business question as much as which of these equities you weigh more.

Peters: I think part is that, but part is also what happened with Cambridge Analytica. Some of the data got away from us. And I suggest to you if there were financial consequences to that, that made a difference to the business, not people dropping their Facebook accounts. It would get more attention.

Its not so much a business model choice  I congratulate you on your business model  but its that these issues arent getting the bottom line attention that I think would have given or made them a priority with respect to Facebook. Let me follow up  on an exchange you had with Sen. [Lindsay] Graham about regulation.

I think the [Sen. Graham] said, do you as a company welcome regulation? You said if its the right regulation, then, yes. Question: Do you think the Europeans have it right? You said, I think they get some things right. I want you to elaborate on what the Europeans got right and what you think they got wrong.

Zuckerberg: Congressman, well, there are a lot of things that the Europeans do and I think that [General Data Protection Regulation] is going to be a very positive step for the internet. And it codifies a lot of things in there are things that we have done for a long time. Some are things that I think would be good steps for us to take. For example, the controls that this requires are generally privacy controls we have offered around the world for years.

Putting the tools in front of people repeatedly, not just having them in settings, but putting them in front of people and making sure that people understand what the controls are and that they get affirmative consent. I think thats a good thing to do that weve done periodically in the past. I think it makes sense to do more. And I think its something GDPR will require us to do and it will be positive.

Peters: Anything they get wrong?

Zuckerberg: Um I need to think about that more.

You can watch the entire exchange in this clip.

The scandal has shaken confidence in Facebook in recent weeks, causing its stock prices to tumble and leading some people to go as far as abandoning the social media site altogether  a revolt pronounced under the hashtag #DeleteFacebook.

On March 21, Zuckerberg apologized for missteps that led to the scandal. And later on April 6, Zuckerberg publicly expressed support for the Honest Ads Act, the first and most significant set of regulation for political ads on the internet that has been proposed in Congress. Twitter offered its support for the legislation as well on Monday.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.
Why respect PUSD?

I read San Diego County Board of Education member Rick Sheas comment on the controversial vote to accept the Poway Unified School District-approved map: Poway is an exemplary school district, the voters should decide and we ought to respect the PUSD board.

Really? The district has a very public profile, not because of its test scores, but because of its exotic bond financing and felony charges facing former superintendent John Collins.

We lived in Poway for 23 years and our sons attended PUSD schools. Superintendent Robert Reeves was forced out in 2001 after facing sexual harassment allegations by district employees. These unfortunate and costly events occurred with a board that wanted to go along to get along. It doesnt appear to me that there has been any meaningful oversight in recent years.

These maps were not approved unanimously. No surprise that one of the PUSD board members opposed to the maps has been diligent in her role of overseer and for that she has been maligned.

Poway should be an exemplary school district given its relatively affluent communities and a more homogeneous student population (i.e., far fewer languages than San Diego schools). The district deserves all the controversy it has garnered and now so does the county Board of Education.

Dorothy Gesick

San Diego

Lyles wrong on firing

More blather from columnist Dick Lyles? Yup: a rambling screed (March 22) on the Andrew McCabe firing. Since Mr. Lyles claims an in-depth knowledge of misconduct, poor judgment and mismanagement by two federal agencies  behavior only evident after criminal investigations of President Trump began, it is fair to ask for his sources. Did knowledgeable officials within the agencies risk careers to spill the beans to one cranky guy in Poway? Did he himself investigate? Wheres the proof?

Or, could his source be a TV network that caters to the insecurities of easily-frightened old white folks?

Mr. Lyles crows that one firing foretells draining the federal swamp, yet, Mr. Trumps been in office for 14 months now and McCabes the first swamper to go. Fourteen months to dump one guy? Perhaps the pace of drainage isnt all that brisk.

Mr. Lyles tries hard to convince us - again, because he knows these things - that political pressure had nothing to do with McCabes ouster, even though the linkage between McCabe and the investigation of Trumps alleged collusion with the Russians is clear. Only Mr. Lyles would state that Jeff Sessions, appointed to his job by Trump, and who lied before Congress about his knowledge of the Russian matter, was an independent and courageous fellow to fire Mr. McCabe.

Finally, why print this drivel? Surely a community as diverse politically as ours has conservative voices who are thoughtful, persuasive and can champion conservative views worth thinking about.

Dave Jacobs-Robinson

Rancho Bernardo

New city motto?

I thought the Poway City Council wanted to upgrade Poway Road by having businesses that would be conducive to having people spend time walking, shopping and spending time downtown.

Now that council members have enthusiastically endorsed a Chick-fil-A with not one but two drive through windows, we should get them to reconsider the city motto to The Food Court in the Country!

Jim Lawler

Poway

Email: editor@pomeradonews.com
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/10/2018 -- A greater number of refinery projects across the world should create an immense opportunity for sulphur recovery technology manufacturers to install their units in the plants. Upcoming refineries in the APEJ and MEA region are anticipated to be major contributors to the global sulphur recovery technology market. Future Market Insights has comprehensively assessed the sulphur recovery technology market in its report titled 'Sulphur Recovery Technology Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012 - 2016 and Opportunity Assessment 2017 - 2027'. The sulphur recovery technology market is expected to have a value of over US$ 2.7 billion by end 2027.



Technology  Claus Process Slightly Ahead of Tail Gas Treatment Technology



There is a close battle between the claus process and tail gas treatment technology in the sulphur recovery technology market with the former edging ahead. The claus process is predicted to record a CAGR of 12.8% for the decade. However, it would be unwise to ignore the tail gas treatment technology segment entirely in the sulphur recovery technology market as companies are focusing on it as well. For e.g.  BASF has introduced tail gas treatment technology to increase plant efficiency and reduce sulphur technology. This helps decrease sulphur emissions and lowers operational expenditure because of lesser amine circulation rates and reboiler duties.



Source of Recovery  Gas Recovery has Significant Traction in Sulphur Recovery Technology Market



The gas type segment has a market share of approx. two thirds of the global sulphur recovery technology market by source of recovery and is poised to lose 210 BPS going forward. However, gas recovery is unlikely to cede its pole position in the sulphur recovery technology market. An incremental dollar opportunity of US$ 1.1 billion can be tapped in the gas recovery segment of the sulphur recovery technology market. Increasing production and exploration activity, particularly in respect of shale gas, is fuelling demand for sulphur recovery units in refineries. Gas refining has great potential in the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Asia.



Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1431



Capacity  < 100 t/D Dominates the Sulphur Recovery Technology Market



The < 100 t/D capacity segment has a share of more than half the global sulphur recovery technology market by capacity at the end of 2017. The < 100 t/D segment is popular on account of having a lower emission footprint, being easy to upgrade, and relatively cost-effective as compared to other units. Several companies have invested in < 100 t/ D units such as Siirtec Nigi that has agreed to supply two Claus sulphur recovery units in Kuwait with a capacity of < 100 t/D each.



Region  Europe and MEA Key in Sulphur Recovery Technology Market



Europe and MEA are the regions to look out for in the sulphur recovery technology market. Refinery projects in diverse nations such as Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and Russia should boost the demand for sulphur recovery technology. These countries have ample oil reserves and are major global suppliers, making them lucrative for sulphur recovery technology unit manufacturers. The Europe sulphur recovery technology market is projected to push past US$ 720 million by end 2027.



Request Report Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-1431



Competition Dashboard in Sulphur Recovery Technology Market



The companies profiled in the sulphur recovery technology market report are Jacobs Engineering Group, John Wood Group, TechnipFMC, WorleyParsons, Prosernat, Black and Veath Holding Company, Bechtel Corporation, KNM Group Berhad, CB&I, Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil Corporation, KT Kinetics Technology SPA, Fluor Corporation, Linde AG, Chiyoda Corporation, and GTC Technology.



Takeaways



Sulphur recovery technology unit manufacturers must take advantage of the refineries being set up across the globe. APEJ, MEA, and Europe could contribute a sizeable chunk of revenue in the sales of sulphur recovery technology units and companies are advised to target these regions with all guns blazing.
Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/11/2018 -- The aerosol can is usually a metal receptacle containing inert gas under pressure, which can spray substances such as deodorant, cooking sprays, and solvents when the gas is released by opening of the valve. Aerosol can contain the product and propellants under pressure, which can be dispensed as spray, mist, and foam.



The global aerosol can market is a dynamic and is expected to witness a high growth over the forecast period. The market growth is primarily influenced by the increase in usage of an aerosol paint can, technical advantage of an aerosol can, and environmental advantage of an aerosol can. Fluctuation in raw material prices may hinders the growth of the aerosol can market over the review period.



Increasing demand for alcoholic beverages owing to changing lifestyle patterns is also augmenting the demand for metal aerosol cans. The global aerosol cans market is expected to account for USD 6,697.3 by 2022 with 4.06% CAGR.



Get Sample of Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2097



Leading Players:



- Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad (Malaysia)

- Toyo Seikan Group Holdings Ltd. (Japan)

- CPMC Holdings Ltd. (China)

- CCL Industries (Canada)

- Shanghai Sunhome Industrial Company (China)

- Crown Holdings Incorporated (U.S.)

- Ball Corporation (U.S.)

- Ardagh Group (Luxembourg)

- Exal Corporation (U.S.)

- Al-Can exports Pvt. Ltd. (India)



In 2014, Crown acquired Mivisa Envases (Spain) to successfully integrate Mivisa into their European food can business and substantially increased their presence in Spain.



Ball Corporation acquired Rexam PLC in June 2016 to expand its geographical footprint and product offerings. Moreover, Ball Corporation received '2016 Can of the Year honor' for its aluminum aerosol packaging innovations.



Global Aerosol Can Market

Over the past few years, the demand for the aerosol can have increased due to the increase in disposable income of the people. The aerosol can is mainly used in deodorants. The rise in the end-use application, especially in the field of personal care products ensure better market prospects. The product customization as per end-user requirements is expected to increase the demand. The increasing use of metal can for the personal care products as they protect the contents from leakage and extend the life of the products as compared to plastic can, increase the demand for the metal aerosol can and drives the global aerosol can market. The personal care market also benefits from the promotional offers, advertisement, and an increase in the media penetration.



Developing economies, for instance, India, China, and Brazil has changed their buying patterns by purchasing more packaged foods. The rising food market enables the global players to introduce new products, expand to new regions, and develop new technologies. The Asia Pacific with various leading developing nations is the most attractive market on account of growing demand for quality food. The demand for canned food has increased in the Asia Pacific region majorly due to the changing lifestyle and increasing purchasing power.



Aerosol can market report is segregated on the basis of type, material, application, and region. The type segment is segmented into straight wall, necked-in, and shaped. On the basis of the material, it includes metal, glass, and plastic. Based on the application, it is segmented into personal care, industrial, pharmaceutical, and automotive. On the basis of the geography, the global market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.



In the report, the market is segmented into the type which includes:



Aerosol can market has witnessed a prospective growth over the last few years and as per analysis, the market is projected to retain the same growth rate during the forecast period. Based on the types, the market is segmented into straight sided, necked-in and shaped.



The necked-in type is used to package everything from food to deodorant and automotive products. Necked-in steel aerosol can are extremely durable and serves to enhance the appeal of products on the retail shelf. The necked-in top is opposite to the straight wall design. It reduces the lid diameter and also the material usage. The bottom of the can is also necked in, allowing for the use of a smaller end component.



Intended Audience:



- Aerosol can manufacturers

- Distributer & Supplier companies

- End Users

- consultants and Investment bankers

- Government as well as Independent Regulatory Authorities



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The technical advantage in an aerosol can



The aerosol can are safe, efficient and protect the products from leakage. Thus, they are used by over 200 brands across 200 products. Over the past years, various innovation has been done in an aerosol can such as printing technology, shaped can, and improvement in the components of the product. Use of aerosol can extend the shelf life of the coating product because it protects the product from air and light. The product in an aerosol can is sealed which protects the product from contamination with bacteria or dust. Due to this aerosol can are mostly used, which drives the growth of aerosol can market.



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In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/10/2018 -- Barite is a mineral that is rich in barium. Barite commonly occurs in the large number of depositional environment and it is found in the zinc-lead veins in limestone, in the hot spring deposits and in the hematite ore. Barite is also found alongside meteorites. Barite is relatively inert and also exhibits a physical property of high density. Barite is widely used as a weighting agent in the drilling muds. Barite also finds other applications in the electrical and electronics, rubber, ceramics, paints radiation shielding, medical and glass industry among others. China, India, Morocco and U.S. are expected to be the largest producers of barite. The total barite resources across the globe in all categories are around 2 billion tons, however, only 740 million tons is considered among the identified resources.



Most of the barite manufactured is used as a weighting agent in the drilling fluids that are used in the oil and gas exploration. Barites are mainly used to suppress the high formation fluids and also to prevent blowouts. The quantity of barite used is mainly dependent on the depth of the hole that has to be bored. The deeper the hole, more the barite is required. Barite is non-magnetic in nature and hence, it does not interfere with the magnetic measurements that are taken during boring the hole making barite an ideal choice for the drilling fluids. Barite is widely used in the manufacturing of paints and coatings. Thus, the growing automobile industry is expected to boost the overall growth of the paints and coatings industry which in turn is expected to drive the growth of the overall barite market. The global barite market is expected to grow owing to its increasing demand in other applications such as textiles, paper and paints among others. Though, there are alternatives to barite such as ilmenite, celestite, iron ore and synthetic hematite, none of these substitutes had a major impact on the barite drilling mud industry.



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Barites offer several benefits such as good stability, strong inertia, moderate rigidity, acid and alkali proof and high specific gravity. Due to such advantages, barite is widely used in applications including engineering plastic, middle and high-grade paint, medicine compounding, rubber, pottery, paper-making and cosmetics among others. The main types of barites are ground barite, finely ground barite and bleached barite. Ground barite is used as filler in the production of oil cloth, linoleum, paper, textile, plastics and rubber. Finely ground barite finds use in making thixotropic mud for sealing oil wells in drilling applications and bleached barite is used as a pigment in white paint.



Considering the rapidly growing oil and gas drilling industry, the demand for barite is expected to record a strong growth in the coming years. India and China hold a dominant position in the barite supply and have increased prices significantly in the recent times. Owing to this, there is an increased focus on discovering and developing new barite resources across the world. While India and China are anticipated to dominate the barite production and export, mining projects in several stages of development are ongoing in countries such as Liberia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, and Zimbabwe.



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Some of the key participants of the barite market include Desku Group Inc., SMIMTAF, Shijiazhuang Oushun Minerals Products Co. Ltd., Shanghai Titanos Industry Co., Ltd., CMS Industries and V&P Corporation among others.
San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/11/2018 -- Offshore support vessels are a crucial class of vessels essential for the smooth function of offshore oil and gas operations. Offshore support vessels fulfil all the logistical needs of offshore petroleum platforms. Due to this, they have taken on an important role in the global petroleum industry following the acknowledgment of the declining levels of petroleum in terrestrial reservoirs, which has led to intense focus on offshore exploration and production of petroleum. The global offshore support vessel market is thus likely to grow steadily in the coming years thanks to consistent utilization in the oil and gas industry.



Global Offshore Support Vessels Market: Key Trends



The prime driver for the global offshore support vessels market is the rising investment being made in underexplored regions such as Africa and Brazil for offshore petroleum exploration and extraction. The West coast of Africa and the East coast of Brazil have become important regional segments of the global offshore support vessel market and are likely to be developed further in the coming years, resulting in steady growth prospects for the global offshore support vessels market.



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Other emerging economies such as China and India are also likely to increase their investment in offshore petroleum exploration in the coming years, which bodes well for the global offshore support vessel market. Meanwhile, the North Sea has also become important for the global petroleum industry and exploration and extraction projects in the region could also generate significant revenue for the offshore support vessels industry.



On the other hand, the capital-intensive pricing dynamics of the offshore support vessel market have reduced the number of viable players claiming a sizable share in the global market. The steady decrease in petroleum prices in the last two years has also had an adverse effect on the global offshore support vessels market, as it has reduced the spending power of even some of the top companies in the global petroleum sector.



Global Offshore Support Vessels Market: Market Potential



Adapting to dire pricing dynamics has forced many offshore support vessel manufacturers to fold up or accept inconvenient mergers. According to 2017's Annual Offshore Support Journal Conference, this is likely to remain the status quo in the global offshore support vessel industry in the coming months, with many more players likely to turn to mergers in order to sustain their business. The expected recovery in the petroleum sector in 2017 and 2018 could bring comfort to the offshore support vessel industry.



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Offshore support vessels designed to minimize their environmental impact are likely to become popular in the coming years. Norway and other countries using the oilfields in the North Sea have been among the first to use electrically powered offshore support vessels, and vessels with onboard batteries could soon become the norm rather than exception in the global offshore support vessel industry. Battery systems can be retrofitted on many existing designs of offshore support vessels, which could further increase the scope of their adoption in the offshore support vessel industry.



Global Offshore Support Vessels Market: Geographical Dynamics



North America, led by the U.S., is likely to remain the leader in the global offshore support vessel market in the coming years. Asia Pacific countries such as China and Latin American countries such as Brazil and Venezuela are also likely to feature prominently in the development of the offshore support vessel market in the coming years, whereas Western African countries could also benefit strongly from the increased offshore petroleum sector operations.



Global Offshore Support Vessels Market: Competitive Dynamics



The leading companies in the global offshore support vessel industry include Tidewater, Inc., Farstad Shipping ASA, Gulfmark Offshore, Inc., Havila Shipping ASA, Swire Group, Ltd., Siem Offshore, Inc., Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc., Bourbon Corporation SA, The Maersk Group, and Seacor Marine, LLC. With steady consolidation likely to be the order of the day for the offshore support vessels industry in the coming months, larger players could benefit significantly from acquisitions and profitable mergers.



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Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/11/2018 -- Market Scenario:



A smart city uses electronic data generated through sensors which is collected from citizens, devices, and systems to manage assets and resources efficiently. Smart city is a vision of urban development combining information and communication technology with administration to reform, manage, and modify city assets and to direct its evolution.



The global Smart City Market is anticipated to generate USD 1933 billion by the end of forecast period of 2022.



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Dominant Players:

Some of the key players in global smart city market include IBM Corporation (U.S.), Siemens AG (Germany), Hitachi Corporation (U.S.), Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. (China), AT&T Inc. (U.S), Oracle Corporation (U.S.) Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), Cisco Systems, Inc.(U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), Ericsson (Sweden), and others.



Market Dynamics Drivers:

The drivers of the market such as increasing urbanization, advancements in sensor technologies, growing adoption of smart devices, growing interconnectivity between devices, development of protocols for side area low power network systems, and growing network capability and capacity are the prime drivers of the market.



The adoption of information technology by public and private sectors especially the law enforcement, waste management, and other community services has created antecedents for its adoption. The attractive economics of connected devices such as automation, reduced human intervention, and faster implementation as well as correction are economic drivers of the market.



The high potentialities of smart cities can result in huge savings due to efficient management of assets and resources especially in fields of traffic and transportation systems, power plants, water supply networks, schools and libraries, hospitals. Further smart cities help to connect to citizens which helps in managing the evolution of cities for betterment of citizens. Advancements in data management, big data, analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning is providing a further boost to the smart city market.



Restraints:

The restraints that may hamper the smart city vision market growth are poor communication, lower adoption of information technology in developing regions, high capital investment, lack of awareness, and concerns over data security and privacy. Lack of social coherence, communalism, and threat of misuse of data for political gains are the social determinants of the market.



Segments:

To generate a comprehensive view of the market so as to enable the reader to take an informed decision the global smart city market has be segmented by components, application and regions.

On the basis of component the market has been segmented into hardware, software and service. The hardware component accounts for the largest market share which is growing at a CAGR of 30.65 %.



On the basis of application the market has been segmented into utility, transport, government, residential, education, healthcare and others. The transport component accounts for the largest market share which is growing at a CAGR of 30.34 %.



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Regional Analysis:

The global smart city market is dominated by North America led by the U.S. owing to large scale adoption of internet of things, developed infrastructure, prosperous cities, high democratic index, presence of advanced players, and focus towards energy saving. North America is followed by Europe led by Germany, France and the U.K. however the Scandinavian nations of Norway, Finland, Luxemburg, Iceland, and Denmark are expected to generate a faster growth in the European region. However the global growth is expected to be led by Asia-Pacific due to the increasing government initiatives and high investment in real estate and urbanization. Japan dominates the Asia Pacific landscape with China, South Korea and India account ting for the fastest growth in the market.



The Middle East and Africa region is expected to be dominated by the Gulf economies of UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and others owing to their high wealth and booming real estate sectors.



About Market Research Future

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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/11/2018 -- A new research report titled "Recap and Outlook for the Worldwide Wafer Foundry Industry In 2017" has been added to the repository of Market Research Hub (MRH). The report offers in-depth insights on the future projections of global wafer foundry industry in key countries. The industry has been analyzed on the basis of demand-supply equation, whereas developments of some of the key players have also been analyzed in the report.



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According to the report, the wafer found industry is in the midst of a steady phase on account of spike in demand for IT devices. The pickup in the growth of IT devices is likely to provide an impetus to the worldwide wafer foundry industry in the near future. In addition to surging demand for IT devices, the industry is also likely to benefit from growing applications in emerging technologies.



The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) and growing digitalization of automotive components are ramping up demand for ICs, which in turn is boosting the demand for wafer foundries globally. In addition, investment in 5G technologies by telecom companies around the world, is also likely to provide an impetus to growth.



The growth of the consumer electronics industry has been a key factor for inducing a state of steadiness in the global wafer foundry industry. According to the report, surging sales of smartphones and notebooks will continue to provide an impetus to demand for wafer foundries. Consumers in developing countries such as China and India are showing big appetite for flagship smartphones and advanced notebooks. Lower replacement cycles and cost-effectiveness of these products is also likely to augur well for the prospects of wafer foundry industry in the near future.



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The report includes a holistic competitive landscape that profiles the business and product strategies of some of the leading players in the market. Some of the prominent players assessed in the market include Samsung, TSMC, SMIC, GlobalFoundries, and UMC. In addition to these key players, the report also delves into the most lucrative manufacturing countries for wafer foundries. The industry has been analyzed in Taiwan and China, two of the most prominent manufacturing hubs for wafer foundries.



According to the report, Taiwan still continues to outperform the global market, owing to competitive labor costs, and presence of a large pool of skilled workers. The market share of Taiwanese manufacturers is still larger than other competitors, and the status quo is unlikely to change in the near future.



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Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRH's expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.



MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.



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The development of the autonomous ship was flagged-up by both Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director, The Nippon Foundation and Daniel Bjarmann-Simonsen, State Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Norway, highlighting the huge potential change that autonomous ships could bring in their keynote addresses.

Were also about to enter the autonomous shipping revolution, some argue that the autonomous ship will change our industry like the smart phone has changed life on the planet, said Bjarmann-Simonsen. I am convinced Norway and Japan will be leaders in that revolution.

In his address Unno of the Nippon Foundation noted that the shipping industry was undergoing change must faster than had been expected. He believes that an important factor in the development of autonomous shipping is the impact unmanned ships will have on people's lives. Unno noted in his speech it would result in changes for shipbuilders and shipyards, logistics and insurance.

Speaking to Seatrade Maritime News Unno expressed concern that the shipping industry itself was not keen to embrace the concept of autonomous ships.

Unfortunately at this time most of the maritime industry is in resistance and its the governments that are moving, there arent many participants from industry and thats something Im a bit concerned about. I feel that it is one of the Nippon Foundations responsibility to form a wider platform for this to grow, he explained.

The Nippon Foundation is a key benefactor of the international maritime industry and has been involved in funding and supporting a wide range of initiatives in the industry related to areas such as safety of navigation.

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Read more on autonomous shipping

A commercial reality check for autonomous shipping in 2018

Autonomous vessels a 'huge opportunity' for shortsea shipping

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The foundation believes that the general public needs to understand autonomous shipping so that they support its development and this end the Nippon Foundation is looking to present a prediction of the future in of shipping 2040 to the public within the next year.

Its mostly the specialists that are in talks about autonomous vessels and I would like to open it up to the public and I think its one of the roles of the Nippon Foundation to get more information out to the public, Unno explained. Much of the public in Japan does not know about autonomous vessels, it equals it not existing, almost.

On concerns over the impact of employment of people if ships are unmanned he said in his speech that more people would be required to work in back-up functions offices ashore, with a broad range of skills required, and these would include seafarers.

The Nippon Foundation is also looking into funding autonomous ship research, although currently it just funding a domestic company in Japan researching autonomous shipping.

Obviously we want to see about providing funds to venture companies and companies in different industries. I think there is need for us to think about a possible new scheme to fund companies in this industry, he said.

Sea Japan 2018, organised by UBM, is being held at Tokyo Big Sight from 11  13 April.
De Lima rejects proposed drug test for barangay, SK poll bets

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed concern over Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde's proposal requiring drug testing for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) candidates in the May 14 local elections.

De Lima, a staunchest critic of the Duterte administration's war on drugs, said Albayalde's proposal is anti-poor, violates equal protection, and smacks of class legislation.

"Without casting any aspersion on his fitness and integrity, I'm afraid that Albayalde is starting on the wrong foot as he starts his stint as PNP Chief," she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 278.

"It only targets lowly barangay and SK hopefuls, and spares the rich and privileged candidates for higher elective office," she added.

Based on reports, Albayalde urged the voters to demand a voluntary drug test from all the candidates for the barangay elections in May 14, saying "If I were a candidate for barangay elections, I would volunteer for a drug test if I am not hiding anything."

The former justice secretary reminded Albayalde to not be "selective" in his new plans on how to wage the drug war.

"By requiring barangay and SK candidates to undergo drug testing, shouldn't he think that candidates for national office should also be required to undergo drug testing, including candidates for President? If only that was required back in 2016, maybe we would have been spared this President," she said.

Should Albayalde decide to push through with his proposal, De Lima said the PNP chief should start with the President.

"And if Duterte fails the drug test, Albayalde should recommend his removal from office," she suggested.

Last April 7, De Lima lauded the appointment of Albayalde as the new PNP chief. She noted that Duterte's three new appointees, including Albayalde, "are all men of honor, competence, and integrity."

It may be recalled that Duterte also recently appointed Menardo Guevarra as Justice Secretary and Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez as Armed Forces Chief of Staff.
Press Release

April 11, 2018 Recto to incoming PNP chief: Fill 26,000 cop vacancies "Mission number one" for incoming Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde is to fill the big number of personnel vacancies in the PNP, which is projected to hit 25,938 this year, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said. "If all of these positions are filled, and distributed equally to the country's 1,489 municipalities, each will have an additional 17 policemen. If 20 percent of the slots will be allotted to cities, each will receive 35 more policemen," Recto said. The challenge is to put "more boots on the ground," Recto said, noting that the annual population increase of 1.67 million triggers a corresponding need to boost police strength by 3,340 yearly, on a 1:500 cop-to-population ratio. And if all of these new recruits will be given patrolling duties, it will solve the chronic lack of police officers on the ground, Recto said. "Sa ngayon kasi, wala ka nang pulis na makikita sa ilalim ng tulay, flyover o underpass. Sadyang kulang talaga," he said. The PNP has an authorized uniformed troop strength of 194,410, of which only 168,472 are or will be filled this year, based on the DBM-prepared 2018 government "Staffing Pattern." "But not all of the 168,472 are on duty--some may be sick, absent, on schooling, suspended, or assigned to administrative duties, so the actual policeman-to-population ratio at any given hour of the day is below what is on paper," Recto said. Recto said "to close the huge gap in unfilled police officer positions, the PNP must go on a recruiting spree, using the recent doubling of the base pay of the entry-level Police Officer 1 to P 29,668 as a come-on." "General Albayalde seems to be a good poster boy for recruitment. But there are other programs and policies that could boost recruitment. They can expand the applicant base by relaxing height or age requirement. And offer more review classes to improve test passing rate," he said. "Before you can put more policemen on the streets, you have to put more of them in uniform first," Recto added. Salaries and allowances eat up 86 percent, or P113 billion of the PNP's 2018 budget of P132.3 billion. A big chunk of the PNP's personnel compensation budget goes to its 76,000 Police Officers. The PNP, however, has been quoted in the press that it has 187,000 men in uniform, leaving 7,410 vacancies. "Whatever the range is, the task at hand is to recruit more, so there will be more men to protect and serve the people," Recto said.
Press Release

April 11, 2018 Villanueva urges DOLE to ensure safe workplaces following deadly crane collapse in Pasay Senator Joel Villanueva on Wednesday urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to focus its work in ensuring that businesses comply with occupational safety and health standards following the collapse of a metal crane which was being set up in the ongoing construction of STI building in Pasay City. The incident killed an unidentified man on the spot while Jonathan Diserdo, crane operator of Monocrete Construction, was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead. Six individuals were also injured composed of security guards, construction workers, and a Chinese national. "My deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends, and relatives of the workers affected by this tragedy. We constantly pray for your strength and resilience in this difficult time," Villanueva said. The senator stressed that the lack of stricter regulations on occupational safety and health standards is a major factor which leads to several accidents in the workplace. "Incidents such as this recent collapse of a crane in Pasay City could have been avoided if we only have a stricter law that would penalize companies which are non-compliant of our country's regulations on occupational safety and health standards," the senator said. Villanueva lamented the continuing deaths of workers due to workplace accidents. The senator further called for the prioritization of Senate Bill No. 1317 or An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards. "For the longest time, violation of occupational health and safety standards has no fines or penalties. The DOLE only issues a work stoppage order if there is an imminent danger or would result to disabling injury," said Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee and author of the bill. "We cannot just tolerate that kind of regulation at the expense of our workers," Villanueva said. Under Senate Bill No. 1317, an amount of P100,000.00 will serve as an administrative penalty for the erring employer for every day of non-correction of workplace safety violation. The bill was approved on third and final reading last Feb. 19, 2018 and has been sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence. "Neglecting to comply with occupational safety and health standards does not only pose risk to our workers but may also inconvenience other people as it could even stop business operations in the affected workplace," Villanueva said. "What we want to address is prevention. We hope that our OSHS bill would be enacted into law immediately to finally give teeth to our 41-year Labor Code and would thus force establishments to comply to occupational safety and health standards," the senator said.
iStock/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) -- A knife-wielding man at a Los Angeles shopping mall was shot and killed by authorities Tuesday night, according to police and witnesses.



The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene after police shot him following a stand-off inside the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. No officers were injured in the incident.



A witness told ABC's Los Angeles station KABC that the suspect appeared to be holding a long knife and that officers repeatedly told the man to drop the weapon before firing at him.



"I heard the officers patiently telling the guy, put it down, put it down, put it down," said Tim Williams, a former police officer who was at the mall at the time and watched the incident. "He kept gesturing and gesturing. He'd move toward them and move back. They still didn't shoot. They could have shot him then and they didn't."



According to Williams, the officers shot the suspect when he appeared to be lunging toward onlookers inside the mall.



"But when he took off toward where the people were, that's when they had to shoot him," he told KABC.



A woman, who spoke to KABC on condition of anonymity, said she was standing just a few feet away from the knife-wielding suspect.



"I saw one of the workers, I said 'What do I do?' She said, 'Just run. Just run,'" the woman said. "It was really scary because my life could have been gone right then and there."



The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for further comment.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Michael Hill International said the exit from its US business is expected to cost US$4.5 million for lease terminations and employee severance costs after it was unable to find a buyer for the jewellery stores.

The jewellery chain decided to wind up its US business in January after a decade-long investment failed to build a profitable business and the company said today all nine US stores will close around April 30 and the staff offered redundancy and support.

"Efforts to find a purchaser for the US business did not result in any satisfactory offers," Brisbane-based Michael Hill said in a statement to the New Zealand stock exchange. "The company has therefore negotiated non-binding in-principle lease exit terms with all US landlords and will now proceed to negotiate binding formal documentation with those landlords."

Michael Hill, founded by its namesake with a single store in Whangarei in 1979, is this year pulling back from some of its recent expansions with the closure of its US business and repositioning and downsizing of its fledgling Emma & Roe chain, with 24 of the stores to close at a cost of A$5.8 million-to-A$7.9 million.

Sales at Michael Hill stores in its continuing business in Australia, New Zealand and Canada increased 4.9 percent to A$441.6 million in the nine months to March 31 as the company opened 15 new stores, taking the total to 314, the company said in a separate announcement today. Excluding new store openings, same-store sales lifted 1 percent.

Six new Michael Hill stores opened in Australia, taking the total to 171, helping sales over the nine months to increase 1.7 percent to A$252.7 million. Same-store sales slipped 0.3 percent.

In New Zealand, two Michael Hill stores were opened, taking the total to 52, with sales lifting 4.3 percent to NZ$96.9 million. Same-store sales increased 3.7 percent.

Meanwhile, in Canada the Michael Hill chain grew by seven, taking the total to 82 and boosting sales 17 percent to C$98.2 million. Same-store sales advanced 4.1 percent.

The company said the Emma & Roe brand was negatively impacted in the third quarter by the announcement that the store footprint would be reduced. Sales at the stores lifted 16 percent to A$13.7 million, while same-store sales fell 5.8 percent.

In the US, sales dropped 18 percent to A$10.2 million, while same-store sales slid 14 percent.

The dual-listed shares last traded at $1.16 on the NZX, having declined 15 percent over the past 12 months.

(BusinessDesk)

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27th September 2021 Morning Report


New Zealand shares fell, led by Pushpay Holdings after the mobile app payments developer posted its first dip in quarterly revenue, while blue-chip stocks a2 Milk Co, Fletcher Building and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare declined. Infratil gained on upbeat earnings guidance.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index fell 16.05 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,453.72. Within the index, 17 stocks fell, 27 gained, and six were unchanged. Turnover was $125 million.

Pushpay led the index lower, falling 3 percent to $4.14 after the software developer said annualised committed monthly revenue fell 19 percent to US$86.4 million in the March quarter, coming off a high during the Christmas giving period and as it gave up pursuing smaller churches. Revenue doubled to US$70 million in the year ended March 31, it said.

"There was a bit of a reversal as the went on," said Grant Williamson, a director at Hamilton Hindin Greene in Christchurch. "When analysts started to drill down, it wasn't quite as good as investors' initially thought."

The benchmark index was pushed lower by large-cap stocks, with a2 Milk down 1.3 percent to $12.88, Fletcher Building falling 1.8 percent to $5.90 and F&P Healthcare declining 2 percent to $13.10.

Sky Network Television fell 2.9 percent to $2.37 and Trade Group declined 2.5 percent to $4.33.

Kiwi Property Group fell 1.5 percent to $1.33 after the real estate investor said it's sold its North City Shopping Centre in Porirua for $100 million to a private investor.

Synlait Milk rose 2.3 percent to $8.95, the biggest gain on the day after a Commerce Commission report questioned one of the components used to set Fonterra Cooperative Group's farmgate milk price, saying the level may be inflating what the larger milk processor pays its suppliers. Fonterra Shareholders' Fund units gained 0.4 percent to $5.75.

Infratil gained 2.2 percent to $3.19. The Wellington-based infrastructure investor said 2018 earnings were at the top end of guidance at today's investor day briefing, and that it's considering paying special dividends when it realises gains from its development investments to supplement ordinary returns. Infratil-controlled Trustpower rose 2.1 percent to $5.74 and Tilt Renewables advanced 1.1 percent to $1.89.

Williamson said Infratil's guidance was "pretty positive" and noted the prospect of special dividend payments.

Utility stocks largely weathered outages across the country's biggest city. Auckland International Airport rose 0.2 percent to $6.415, lines company Vector increased 0.9 percent to $3.25, while Chorus slipped 0.1 percent to $4.035 and Spark New Zealand was unchanged at $3.385.

NZX increased 0.9 percent to $1.09 after the stock market operator released its second consultation document on plans to simplify the listing rules. CDL Investments, a potential beneficiary if a lower free float is adopted, was unchanged at 94 cents while controlling shareholder Millennium & Copthorne Hotels NZ was also unchanged at $2.86.

(BusinessDesk)

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Australian-owned New Zealand Steel is persisting with its campaign to secure greater protection from Chinese imports, lodging its third complaint that dumped foreign-produced goods are undercutting local manufacturers.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has started two new investigations into Chinese and Malaysian steel products, the third such probe triggered by BlueScope Steel subsidiary NZ Steel since it first sought an inquiry in 2016. MBIE general manager science, innovation and international Peter Crabtree this week signed off on separate investigations into allegations of Chinese subsidies on certain hollow steel products and claimed dumping of Chinese and Malaysian imports, according to notices published on the New Zealand government's Gazette yesterday.

The ministry has previously rejected NZ Steel's requests to impose duties and other measures on imported galvanised steel coils and steel reinforcing bar and coil from China and Malaysia, finding Chinese government subsidies were too small to hurt domestic producers and that exports from those Asian nations were being dumped locally.

MBIE again agreed there was enough information provided by NZ Steel in its Dec. 6 application warranting an investigation into the new steel product range, noting "significant increase" in the volume of Chinese and Malaysian imports with some undercutting that squeezed the local producer's sales and margins.

However, MBIE said the local producer hadn't faced a "significant decline in market share" that could be put down to dumped or subsidised goods. NZ Steel didn't consider it had suffered reduced capacity or detriments to inventories, employment and wages, or provided evidence of an impact on growth or its ability to raise capital.

NZ Steel estimates Chinese products were dumped at 37.9 percent of the export price in the 2017June quarter and Malaysian products at 50.4 percent in the December quarter.

"NZ Steel considers that the primary factor affecting domestic prices is the price of the unfairly traded imports from China (and Malaysia), which undercut NZ Steel prices, causing price depression and price suppression," the report said. "NZ Steel notes that China and Malaysia have collectively about a 75 percent share of imports, with the next largest share being from Australia" which has "significantly higher" prices than the Asian nations.

On Chinese subsidies, MBIE said "the application largely repeats claims relating to subsidy programmes that have been the subject of previous applications considered and investigated by MBIE," but accepted "there is evidence beyond a mere assertion and of a nature and extent that indicates a likelihood of the existence of subsidisation affecting the subject goods."

NZ Steel's latest application has support from Kiwi-owned Industrial Tube Manufacturing, and New Zealand Tube Mills, owned by Amari Metals. The three firms collectively account for a quarter of New Zealand production of the hollow steel products.

Chinese steel exports have been a bone of contention around the world as US and European producers accused the Asian nation's subsidies and overproduction of undercutting their local industries, and US President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on steel imports last month as part of his more protectionist trade policy.

NZ Steel has disagreed with MBIE's findings in earlier investigations and has so far asked the High Court for a judicial review of the first rejection.

(BusinessDesk)

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Advisory firms that looked into the 'asset beta' Fonterra Cooperative Group uses to determine the farmgate milk price say it may be too low, meaning its farmer-shareholders are receiving a bigger payout than warranted under the company's enabling law.

The Commerce Commission hired Cambridge Economic Policy Associates (CEPA) and Freshagenda to establish whether Fonterras proposed approach to estimating the asset beta for a "notional processor" - as set out in the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 (Dira) - is appropriate. The Act sets out an approach to calculating the farmgate milk price paid by Fonterra, to ensure New Zealand's dairy markets are efficient and contestable in the face of Fonterra's market dominance.

A lower asset beta allows a higher milk price to be calculated. Last month Fonterra lifted its forecast farmgate milk price to $6.55 per kilogram of milk solids from the $6.40/kgMS it projected in December, reflecting the improvement in global dairy prices since then.

Under Dira, the commission conducts an annual review of the milk price 'manual' that Fonterra uses to calculate its base milk price each season. The regime was put in place when Fonterra was created because there wasn't a competitive market for the purchase of farmers milk. In the past two years, the regulator has concluded that the manual is largely consistent with its statutory purpose under the Act but has been unable to reach a conclusion on whether the asset beta is consistent with the Act.

Beta is a measure of the volatility, or systemic risk, of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole, according to Investopedia. A beta of less than 1 suggests the security is theoretically less volatile than the market. Utility stocks typically have a beta of less than 1, which is important for Fonterra because the beta it advocates, of 0.38, is based on a sample of electricity lines businesses.

Its adviser, Auckland UniServices, argues that the systemic risk for the notional processor is lower than for companies in the same broad sector as "as the cash flows, and therefore asset beta, of the business are more similar to that of a price capped/revenue capped business such as an electricity lines business," the report says. Fonterra makes a large downward adjustment to the commission's asset beta estimate on the basis that the notional processor has lower exposure to systemic risk because it can pass on commodity price risk to its farmers, paying them from the residue of revenue after its notional and actual costs are taken out, including its weighted average cost of capital (WACC).

"The estimate of the asset beta is a crucial determinant of the WACC, and thus the farmgate milk price," the report from CEPA and Freshagenda says. Its analysis indicates other dairy companies "are a reasonable proxy for asset beta in the dairy industry in general, and the notional processor in particular," and indicates an asset beta range of 0.45 to 0.58.

"We have not seen sufficient empirical support for an asset beta below the bottom end of this range," the report says. It does acknowledge that the risks faced by the notional processor are limited given that the Dira price risk is passed on to farmers via the farmgate milk price.

"This might suggest that the business is very low risk compared to comparator companies that may face commodity price risk," the report says. "However, our analysis indicates that dairy price variation is not correlated with general stock market movements, and so may not be systematic."

The report says the argument that a sample of electricity utilities is the best proxy for the notional processor "is unconvincing." It says in a mature economy such as New Zealand, drivers of electricity lines business revenue is somewhat decoupled from economic growth and is more influenced by factors such as changing patterns of electricity demand and supply.

The commission monitors the milk price manual but has no powers of enforcement. For 2017-18, the regulator's "primary focus of our calculation review for this year will be the estimate of the asset beta and estimated cost of capital used in the calculation," it has said.

While our recent reviews have found the way Fonterra sets its milk prices is largely consistent with the Dira, we continue to be concerned that Fonterra has not provided sufficient evidence to support using an asset beta lower than that of comparable processors, commission deputy chair Sue Begg said in a statement released today with the report.

The commission is seeking feedback on the report by 5pm on May 9 and will then confirm the next steps for its review of this year's milk price calculation, it said.

The government has put on hold an amendment to Dira that had been prepared by the previous National-led administration and in February, Primary Industries Minister Damien O'Connor said the move would allow a broader review of New Zealand's dairy sector and whether it is adding enough value to the nation's biggest export commodity. The legislative amendment followed a Commerce Commission review triggered by Fonterra's share of South Island milk falling below a Dira threshold which concluded Fonterra's market dominance still warranted regulation.

Units in the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund, which are entitled to dividends from Fonterra's ordinary shares, last traded at $5.73 and have fallen 5.5 percent in the past 12 months while the S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 17 percent.

(BusinessDesk)

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Beijing: Chinese authorities on Tuesday closed an app and account on social network WeChat for publishing "vulgar and improper content".

Operated by news website Toutiao, the app and WeChat account was called "Neihan Duanzi", a Chinese euphemism for "dirty jokes", Xinhua news agency reported citing a press release from the State Administration of Radio and Television.
Chennai High Court has passed an interim stay order against the release of Vijay Antonys Kaali. On hearing the plea of William Alexander of Picture Box Company, Justice CV Karthikeyan said that Fathima Vijay Antony, producer of Kaali can release the film by depositing Rs 4.73cr.





In his petition William Alexander submitted enough proof saying that he released Vijay Antonys previous film Annadurai and to compensate the losses incurred by the film, Fathima promised him to give distribution rights of Kaali at a discounted price. Alexander agreed to the deal proposed by Fathima but because of the strike, he couldnt lock the territory wise business and delayed settling the full payment to the producer.





According to Alexander, irked by the delay, Fathima and her production house tried to break the promise. Now, Alexander wants Rs 4.73cr (total loss of Annadurai) from Vijay Antony Film Corporation before the release of Kaali.





Kaali was originally scheduled to release on April 13 but because of the ongoing strike, the makers are waiting to announce an alternative release date.




At the request of the state government in view of bandh called by several Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the CBSE had postponed the exams scheduled on April 2.

: The Central Board of Secondary Education on Tuesday announced that the Class 10 and Class 12 examinations that were postponed in Punjab due to the 'Bharat bandh' on April 2 will now be conducted on April 27.

"It has been decided to conduct the cancelled examination in Punjab on April 27. The roll numbers and examination centres already allotted to the students will remain the same," said K K Chaudhury, Controller of Examinations, CBSE.

While Class 12 students were supposed to appear for the Hindi exam, language exams of French, Sanskrit and Urdu were scheduled for Class 10 on that day.

The board had then said that it had received a letter of request, dated April 1, from the director general (school education) of the Punjab government to postpone all its examinations scheduled to be held on April 2, on account of apprehensions of law and order problems and other disturbances in the day during the 'Bharat bandh'.

The Punjab government had also taken a decision to keep all schools shut for the day, the CBSE had said referring to the former's letter.
Rawat's statement comes amid an ongoing debate over the use of EVMs with some political parties questioning the reliability of the device and suggesting a return to the old ballot paper system.

: Electronic Voting Machines are foolproof and have brought in "revolutionary changes" in the poll process, Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said on Tuesday.

The CEC said India's EVM technology has been praised by countries such as Australia.

"EVMs were successful in bringing revolutionary changes in the election process. They are foolproof," Rawat said, adding that the use of EVMs prevented booth capturing.

The poll panel chief was talking to reporters in Bhopal after the launch of "Mediawala", a news website.

"Recently, when I went to Australia to take part in an election conference, people there expressed unhappiness with the ballot system.

"They asked us, how we managed to announce poll results in a single day and wanted to see EVMs. You get results soon and even Australia praised it," he said.

The EVMs eliminate the possibility of bogus voting, the retired IAS officer said.

"It takes 20 seconds for a machine to record a vote. If you want to poll 1,000 votes then you require at least five hours to do so. Therefore it is not possible for anyone to do bogus voting. It deals with electoral malpractice such as booth capturing in an effective way," the CEC said.

Highlighting the benefits of EVMs, Rawat said they required minimal human interface and did not need power connections to operate.

Moreover, under the earlier system, ballot papers of a large number of voters were invalidated because of various reasons, the CEC maintained.

"There were crores of voters in the country, who did not know how to vote under the older system. This used to tarnish the image of people, but EVMs prevent this," he said.

"It is a foolproof system and if we discard it for the old one, it will not be easy to conduct polls. It rules out human errors as it is a machine," he said.

Rawat added that monitoring of sensitive booths through web-cameras helped in preventing bogus voting.

The CEC said those criticising EVMs were doing so for their own interests.

When people lose elections, they blame their defeat on EVMs, but when they win they don't do so, he added.

On the issue of conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, he said this could be done if necessary amendments were made to the Constitution and there were enough EVMs.

Other factors such as logistical support and availability of security forces also had to be considered, Rawat said, adding that simultaneous polls would drastically reduce electoral expenses.

"The government had sought the Election Commission's opinion in 2015 on holding elections to the Lok Sabha and legislative Assemblies together.

"We had sent a detailed reply to the government, telling them that the new system would require amendments in the relevant paragraphs of the Constitution and certain sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Representation of the People Act, 1951," Rawat said.

Joint elections would reduce poll expenses by up to 70 per cent, the CEC maintained.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently urged National Democratic Alliance constituents to start a debate on the need for "One Nation, One Election".

To a question, he said the EC has installed software to weed out duplicate names from the electoral rolls.

Asked if it was possible to delay the coming Assembly polls and conduct them along with the Lok Sabha elections, as was being talked about in political circles, Rawat said, "It can't be done in the present circumstances."

To a query on whether this could be done by imposing President's rule in the states, he said, "It's not possible under the present Constitution".

Madhya Pradesh is one of the states going to the polls by the year-end.
Sangeeta Sengar met the DGP in Lucknow and pleaded justice for her husband who is accused of raping a girl from Unnao, calling the allegations on Kuldeep Sengar 'baseless' and 'fabricated'.

: The wife of rape accused Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Sengar today met Uttar Pradesh's Director General of Police OP Singh and handed over a letter to him demanding a Narco test for her husband and the Unnao rape victim.

"My daughters are traumatised. We are being mentally harassed. No evidence has been presented yet, still he (Kuldeep Sengar) is being labelled as rapist," she said.

She added that neither Sengar's brothers nor his supporters beat up the alleged rape victim's father and that he was beaten up by other people.

Sangeeta Sengar told India Today that she and her daughters would consume poison if the media trial of rape accsued BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar continued further.

The father, who was earlier arrested by the police in a case of assault, died on Monday while he was in judicial custody in Unnao.

Sangeeta Sengar, Unnao rape accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar's wife, says her husband is innocent. "If he is proven guilty, the entire family will give up their lives. The way evidences are being hidden, it is not correct, we want justice."
: The Unnao rape survivor has alleged that she had been kept in captivity in a hotel room and was not even given water and that she was barred from watching television.

The alleged victim, whose father died in police custody in Unnao, has now alleged that she was kept locked after she blamed the BJP MLA for rape. She has claimed that she was locked in a room by a District Magistrate.

I appeal to CM Yogi Adityanath to provide me justice. The DM has confined me to a hotel room, they are not even serving me water. I just want the culprit to be punished, she said The allegations were supported by the alleged victims sister, who claimed that they were earlier kept at the residence of the District Magistrate and later taken to a hotel in the area. She further said that they fear threat to life if they returned to their village.

The fresh allegations came even as the uncle of the alleged victim said that he wanted to meet BJP president Amit Shah over the issue while accused MLA Kuldeep Sengar's wife Sangita met UP Director General of Police at his residence seeking justice for her husband.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Artist Gregory Perillo has donated 33 paintings to the Wagner College Holocaust Center. Their subjects range from Nazi roundups in ghettos to heroic images of Jewish Resistance fighters to brutal depictions of mass graves and death camps. The liberation of Dachau by U.S. troops is also depicted.

The exhibition's opening reception is set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, at the Wagner College Hormann Library Spotlight Gallery in Grymes Hill.

Gregory's son Steve Perillo and his sister Lucy Buttermark will be speaking on his behalf during an earlier event in Manzulli Board Room, Foundation Hall at 6pm that includes a candle lighting and 30-minute film on Holocaust survivors created by multi-media specialist Shira Stoll. This week marks Holocaust Remembrance and Heroism day.

Perillo is a World War II veteran who enlisted in the Navy on his 17th birthday. He served on the U.S.S. Storm King (AP 171) that earned four gold stars for service in the Pacific as a transport ship. "I wanted people to know that the Nazis were evil and they should never, never forget it," Perillo notes. Of his painting The Last Goodbye, Perillo said: "There's so much sadness in the Jewish couple saying goodbye." Another motive for paintings Holocaust images, including several of the U.S. army liberation of Dachau, was to emphasize the importance of Israel as a democracy within the Middle East: "Israel is our greatest ally and this democracy was founded on the suffering of the Jewish people."

Several framed images of headlines from World War II, from the Staten Island Advance, are paired with the exhibit in order to emphasize the role of U.S. newspapers in capturing turning points in the Nazi rise to power and Allied military confrontation. There are also two articles from April 1943 of interfaith protests on Staten Island to raise awareness of the Jewish refugee crisis and ongoing Nazi murder of "two million Jews."

Perillo had been haunted since his days in the war when he first read newspaper articles recounting the atrocities of the Holocaust. Perillo is best known for his paintings of Native Americans and the Vietnam war. He lived on Staten Island for 90 years. He had been considering painting images of the Holocaust when he ran into Murray Berman. With encouragement from Lori Weintrob, he began to research images in photographs and in films like "Defiance" and "Schindler's List."

The mission of the WCHC is to awaken awareness of the ramifications of prejudice, anti-Semitism and racism and of the dynamism of Jewish culture.

For more information, contact Wagner College Holocaust Center director Lori R. Weintrob at 718-390-3309 or lori.weintrob@wagner.edu.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Monsignor Peter G. Finn, dean of the Staten Island Vicariate and pastor of Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church, will celebrate an annual mass for "All God's Special People," Sunday, April 15, at 11 a.m. in the church located at 30 Manor Road in West Brighton.

Following mass, the Ministry For Inclusion will host a "Meet and Greet"" for people with special needs and their families, friends and fellow parishioners.

Interestingly, the ministry was initiated under leadership of the late Carol Wentworth and Gail Checkett, with guidance from the late Congresswoman Elizabeth Connelly, who saw a need to have the parish be inclusive of accessibility, and to offer to all parishioners full participation in the liturgies and parish life.

And it's the continued hope of parish members to promote an awareness of persons with special needs and to bring focus to the gifts and contributions made by those individuals.

The mass will be signed for the hearing impaired.

People with special needs will have an active role in this celebration and several participants will exhibit their arts and crafts work at the "Meet and Greet."

For additional information, email almalolabraisted@aol.com or phone the parish office at 718-442-1581.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Ashley Zanatta, a public health advocate, is running for the South Shore's state Assembly seat.

Zanatta, a 27-year-old South Shore native, told the Advance on Wednesday that her campaign will focus on addressing the borough's opioid crisis, infrastructure and the deer population.

"I'm one of those people who believe there's no better time to do anything than the present," Zanatta said. "I think it's important to fight for the community and at this point there's a need to get involved and make substantial changes to improve quality of life not only for our current generation, but for future generations."

The political newcomer said she was looking forward to running for a seat where endorsements from previous incumbents have played too big a role.

"I think it's apparent that there is a boys' club, but I also think it's important that that doesn't hurt other people from fighting and going for a position if they feel they're best qualified," said Zanatta. "I think history will show, especially on the South Shore, it's been a male dominated seat.

"New blood isn't a bad thing," she added.

HER PRIORITIES

The Annadale Republican said that she would advocate for increased state funding to fight the opioid epidemic and increase partnerships with other government offices and organizations.

"It's killing people in our community and while there are resources available and the D.A.'s office has been doing great things for it, we need to continue to fight for resources and do a cross-sectorial collaboration to decrease the toll and educate younger people on how bad this is," said Zanatta.

"Opioids don't discriminate, everyone is a user now. It's killing people. We see it," she added.

Zanatta, who serves as secretary of the Richmond County Young Republicans, also said that improving transportation options for South Shore residents and expediting proposed projects, such as a South Shore fast ferry, would be a major priority if she was elected.

"Why are we not moving quicker? I understand there's a process, but there's something missing when resources are available and they're being allocated and nothing is being done," she said.

Zanatta is a community engagement manager at the Jewish Community Center's Tobacco Free Staten Island, where she partners with property managers, schools and businesses to decrease the toll and acceptability of tobacco use.

"Working at a community center ... really shows you the importance of the community," she said. "It also shows you that there's so much work that we can do as people within our own community."

Zanatta graduated from St. John's University in 2012 and is currently pursuing a master's in public policy at SUNY's University at Albany.

COMPETITION AWAITS

Assemblyman Ron Castorina (R-South Shore) triggered an open race in the 62nd Assembly district after he announced in March that he won't seek re-election and will run for the Staten Island Surrogate Court judgeship.

Zanatta is the second candidate to officially enter the race for the South Shore Assembly seat.

Michael Reilly, president of Staten Island's Community Education Council, told the Advance on Monday that he's also running. Reilly, a Republican from Eltingville, has the backing of Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore).

Several other Republicans are also reported to be interested in the Assembly seat, including Nick Iacono, director of communications for the New York Archdiocese superintendent of schools and president of the Richmond County Young Republicans; Patrick Ryan, communications director for GOP Rep. Daniel Donovan, and Guyon Rescue community activist Derek Tabacco.

The primary election is Sept. 13.

FOLLOW CLIFFORD MICHEL ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- "Never again." A phrase we are hearing a lot in 2018.

In 2018, students are saying it in a plea to feel safe in school again, just months after a crazed gunman massacred 17 people in a Florida high school. The dead: Fourteen teenagers. Three adults.

In 2018, Jewish seniors are saying it in a plea to remind people that the Holocaust began 80 years ago, lasted seven deadly years, and could happen again somewhere in the world if we do not remain vigilant. It's near impossible to calculate the staggering number of men, women and children murdered. Six million Jews. Six million others. Perhaps more.

Before you think this has nothing to do with Staten Island, think again.

Scores of Holocaust survivors are our Staten Island neighbors. They might not have come here immediately after the physical horror of the Holocaust ended for them. But they did come here, like so many did, seeking a better existence. To start a family. To find a better life for their children.

SILive and the Staten Island Advance have produced a powerful documentary that tells the story of 10 Staten Island Holocaust survivors.

It is a story at first of shocking despair. Children torn from their parents. Their parents tortured and killed.

But it is also story of resilience, of the fierce determination within these 10 Staten Islanders who fought so desperately to survive.

The film debuted Tuesday night at Wagner College's Holocaust Center, sponsored by Wagner, the Jewish Community Center and the Advance.

It debuts today on SILive.

Multimedia specialist Shira Stoll has been on staff at the Advance since May 2017.

The documentary was conceived and produced by Advance/SILive Multimedia Specialist Shira Stoll.

Shira brings to life the emotional and heartbreaking stories of the young Jewish children's capture and their unspeakable existence in the death camps. How they navigated life after their liberation, oftentimes a horror itself.

Marrying. Starting families. Experiencing grandchildren. Great-grandchildren. Living normal lives after a childhood of abject horror, finding happiness on Staten Island.

Growing up in a conservative Jewish household, Shira -- at just 25 -- has a deep understanding of the horror of the Holocaust because of time she spent listening and learning from her babysitter, a woman named Helen -- a concentration camp survivor.

Helen began caring for Shira as her parents worked when she was 2. By the time she was 8, when Helen had become her "third grandma," Helen decided to share her story.

"To hear what she went through was really emotional for me," Shira said. But Helen continued to share her story because Helen knew we can never forget.

The documentary project was born as Shira covered an event last June at the Island's Jewish Community Center. Called Cafe Europa, it is a unique program for Staten Island's Holocaust survivors with a focus on celebration and socialization.

"I loved the event. I knew all the songs ... all the dances. I was really moved."

She immediately began to formulate a plan to share the Staten Island survivor stories, much the way Helen shared her story. The actual project began in September.

At first, it was thought there were approximately 15 survivors on Staten Island. As Shira did her research and interviews, she found others. Today, we think there are 40 or more.

So powerful we feel is this documentary and so important to the Staten Island community, the Advance is in discussion with Staten Island private, Catholic and public schools to make it part of the fall curriculum.

The 24-minute documentary featuring 10 survivors is only part of the overall project. Every survivor we have discovered will be the subject of a shorter video profile. In addition, there will be a special printed section in the Advance sometime within the next few months, profiling the many survivors we have found.

Shira has been on staff at the Advance since May 2017. She holds a bachelor's degree in Photo Illustration from Syracuse University and is a master's degree candidate at the school's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One of two teenagers charged in connection with a bomb scare in West Brighton was released on his own recognizance Tuesday, after a brief appearance before an arraignment judge.

Jesse Sidor, 17, of Martling Avenue in West Brighton, faces charges including possessing fireworks and unlawful possession of air guns, after a photo of an imitation suicide vest was posted to SnapChat, according to court records.

The NYPD's bomb squad and dozens of other emergency personnel responded to his family's home Monday, where they found a vest strapped with commercial-grade fireworks with wires and batteries attached, according to court records.

Sidor, however, made only the vest, his attorney Greg Esposito said Tuesday.

"If I create a prop, and someone wants to be the mad bomber for a play ... does that then become a violation of the law? It's a little ridiculous, this [prop] never left anyone's home."

Police accused another teen, Roger Smith, 16, of Maine Avenue in Westerleigh, of posting a photo of the vest that said, "don't come to school tomorrow," the spokesman said.

Smith received a desk appearance ticket Monday and was released from police custody in lieu of being arraigned. Both defendants are due back in court May 9.

Sidor's parents were in court Tuesday, but declined to comment. His mother watched police search her home on Monday, telling an Advance reporter "there's absolutely no bomb ... it was a stupid thing; kids, social media."

Her son told police he got the fireworks from a July 4th party in 2016, which he kept in his room until assembling the prop vest on Sunday, according to court records.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are on the lookout for an unidentified driver who smashed into a doctor's office in Grant City.

Emergency crews responded at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to the intersection of Richmond Road and Bedford Avenue, where an NYPD truck was used to pull the SUV out from inside the building.

The male driver who appeared to have careened off Richmond Road -- through a bush and about 20 feet into the building -- fled the scene, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

An investigation remained ongoing, as of Wednesday afternoon.

Dr. Michael Grecco, an OBGYN who has been practicing for more than 30 years -- watched the police pull the mangled SUV out from the inside of his office, at 1984 Richmond Road.

His morning started with a call from a patient, who also happens to teach at a Catholic school nearby.

"She said, 'there's a car inside your building.' "

Grecco rushed to his office, where he convened with his staff.

The business hadn't opened yet and no one was in the first-floor apartment that was damaged, though had it been later in the day things might have been different, he said.

Grecco practices on the upper level, but sometimes stays in the apartment.

A vacate order will be placed on the business, and a portion of the first floor while repair work is completed, due to the fact the section of the building damaged served as an alternative exit from the second floor, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Mariners Harbor man was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison for sexually molesting a 12-year-old girl last year.

His conviction also means Jose Zuniga-Diaz, who is not a U.S. citizen, likely faces deportation.

Two weeks ago, Zuniga-Diaz pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to first-degree sexual abuse.

Zuniga-Diaz admitted he touched the girl's private area between Jan. 30 and Feb. 7, 2017.

The defendant and victim knew each other, prosecutors said in court.

Zuniga-Diaz, then 35, was arrested on Feb. 8 of last year.

According to an indictment, the defendant subjected the victim to sexual contact, including intercourse, on multiple occasions in his home between Feb. 1, 2016 and Feb. 7, 2017.

He was indicted on charges of rape, course of sexual conduct against a child, sexual abuse and child endangerment.

A first-degree rape charge was levied against Zuniga-Diaz because it is unlawful in New York for a person 18 years of age or older to engage in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 13.

At his plea hearing, Assistant District Attorney Melissa O'Leary told the court the sexual-abuse plea was appropriate for several reasons.

She said the victim and her family have since moved south, and the plea spared the girl the ordeal of returning to Staten Island to testify at trial against Zuniga-Diaz.

In addition, there was no medical corroboration of the incidents, and the girl's family did not oppose the plea agreement, said O'Leary.

Besides prison time, Zuniga-Diaz was sentenced to five years' post-release supervision. He must also register with state authorities as a sexual offender.

Attorney Peter Kapitonov represented the defendant.
By ,

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Break up the new Murderer's Row?

Yankees manager Aaron Boone hasn't thought about it. Not yet, anyway.

With the Giancarlo Stanton off to a rough start, Boone was asked if moving the reigning National League MVP elsewhere in the lineup to jump start him was an option.

"I think that's too early," Boone said before Tuesday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park -- his first time being part of the rivalry as a manager.

"We always grind away and help our guys jump start and always think about ways we can help put our guys in a better position to succeed or help them behind the scenes be in a position to succeed. But I also do feel like it's really early and in the grand scheme of things, I'm not worried about it."

Stanton, the No. 3 hitter, is off to a sluggish start. He's hitless in his last nine at-bats and he's hitting .167 with three home runs and 20 K in 42 at-bats this season.

He's not the only Yankees slugger struggling. Catcher Gary Sanchez, often hitting fourth or fifth in the order, is has a .063 batting average with one homer in 32 at-bats.

Boone suggested the weather in what's felt like a colder-than-usual April could be bothering Stanton, who came over from the Miami Marlins in an offseason trade.

"Hopefully, as the weather starts warming up a little bit, that will start warming him up a little bit, too," he said.

Boone said he thought when Stanton gets down his pre-swing toe tap, he could take off.

"For a guy like Giancarlo, he's going to have weeks where he gets a little out of whack and it doesn't necessarily look great," Boone said. "But I think once he finds that feeling, and I think from a timing standpoint, his toe-tap, when he gets that really synced up, I think he takes off. As soon as he gets that feeling and strings a couple of at-bats together, look out. That's kind of how I look at it and we'll just do everything we can behind the scenes to kind of support him and put him in the best position to get to that good feeling quicker."

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
Sweden charges Chinese with spying on Tibetan refugees



Stockholm, Sweden, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



Swedish prosecutors on Wednesday charged a 49-year-old Chinese man with espionage for allegedly gathering intelligence on Tibetan refugees in Sweden and Norway for China.

The man, identified in the charge sheet as Dorjee Gyantsan, is accused of infiltrating the Tibetan community to pass information on their personal and political activities to Chinese officials in exchange for money.

His lawyer, Mikael Soderberg, told AFP his client -- who faces up to four years in prison -- denied all charges.

Dorjee acquired resident status as a refugee in Sweden in the early 2000s, and posed as a supporter of Tibetan independence, prosecutors said.

He also attended Tibetan anti-China protests in Norway, and covered a visit of the Dalai Lama to Norway as a reporter for the pro-Tibetan Voice of Tibet, in order to collect information on Tibetan refugees.

The espionage is believed to have taken place from July 2015 to February 2017, when he was arrested.

"This is a very serious crime. The espionage has affected very vulnerable people," prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist told AFP.

"People who have fled to Sweden from totalitarian regimes must be able to feel safe and feel that they can exercise their constitutionally-protected freedom to protest against a regime without fear of persecution or attacks on themselves or their families."

Some 130 Tibetans live in the Scandinavian country, according to the organisation Tibetan Community in Sweden.

Prosecutors believe Dorjee met repeatedly with a Chinese embassy secretary in Poland to pass on information, receiving thousands of dollars (euros) in exchange.

The suspect had also contacts with a person in Finland believed to be connected to the Chinese regime.

The meetings were held outside Sweden "to make it more difficult to uncover the operation", the charge sheet said.

At the time of his arrest, Dorjee had just returned from a trip to Warsaw and was carrying $6,000 in cash, which prosecutors believe was payment for his information.

The prosecution's evidence includes witness testimonies about his contacts with the Tibetan community, as well as the suspect's phone and travel records.

Beijing says it "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1951 and considers it an inseparable part of China.

Regimes often spy on refugees to find out who has fled the country, why, and where they are now -- or to put pressure on family members who have stayed behind.
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~ Mercelina juggling between PM or MP as he wants to maintain job at SMMC.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United Democrats Theodore Heyliger is busy perusing names of several persons to take up positions as Ministers in the UD/ SMCP cabinet. While several persons were considered the UD double leader Heyliger and Wescot Williams already have a list of persons whose names will be submitted for vetting.

Luc Mercelina is one of the persons that are being considered for the Prime Minister position but if he is chosen it means Mercelina would have to give up his full-time job at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) where is currently employed as a surgeon. It is understood that Mercelina who is quite eager to become the countrys 8th Prime Minister also wants to keep his job at SMMC since it will mean more monies in his pocket, should Mercelina turn down the PM offer then the current Interim Prime Minister Leona Marlin Romeo will remain in the position. Another decision this coalition government has to take is whether or not they will appoint Sharine Daniel as the Minister of Finance or if they will give that position to Perry Geerlings which would then pave the way for Tamara Leonard to take up the vacant seat in Parliament.

The other candidate Ministers are as follows:

 Prime Minister --- Leona Marlin- Romeo

 Minister of TEATT ---- Stuart Johnson

 Minister of VSA --- Emil Lee

 Minister of Education --- Wycliffe Smith

 Minister of Finance --- Perry Geerlings

 Minister of VROMI --- Miklos Gitterson

 Minister of Justice ---- Cornelius de Weever

 Minister of Plenipotentiary --- Joireen Wuite

 Deputy Minister of Plenipotentiary --- Hassani Ellis.

 President of Parliament --- Sarah Wescot Williams
GREAT BAY:--- It shouldnt be too long now before Gerard van Veens Schoolboy in Wartime  Memories of My Early Years is published here.

House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP) started working on the manuscript of the senior St. Martin author early this year, said Jacqueline Sample, HNP president.

The autobiographical writing is mostly about Gerard van Veens childhood and his familys experiences during World War II (1939 to 1945)  in the authors native Alkmaar during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

The idea for the book, however, was born in St. Martin. One day in 2015, my wife Bernadine came back from physiotherapy and told me that the therapist had said: Your husband always writes nice stories about your family and your ancestors. Did he never write about himself and his family?

Thats when I realized it never came to my mind to write about my own family. But the more I thought about it, I thought I could give it a try, said Van Veen.

According to HNP, the author recalls family lore and war secrets; being asked to prepare vestments for a Nazi soldier priest during the occupation of his neighborhood; the sudden disappearance of a Jewish citizen who frequented the shop of his grandparents; his father returning from police action in the Netherlands East Indies; and school days.

Period photographs will enhance the book with images of Alkmaar men forced to board trucks for work camps in Germany, women in search of food during the Hunger Winter, and of the authors family and school life. On Tuesday, HNP obtained permission info for the last photo from the Nederlands fotomuseum, said Sample.

In the first chapter of the books manuscript, completed during the weeks following Hurricane Irma, Gerard van Veen links his experiences with war in Europe and hurricanes in the Caribbean with the following observation: Hurricanes have something in common with a man-made war. It is not only the frightening hours of a devastating storm or the threatening behavior of the enemy, but also the aftermath of weeks, months, or even years.

Gerard van Veen, a former Catholic priest, is the author of nine books.

Photo caption: The Van Veen family in Alkmaar, Netherlands, 1946, L-R: Gerard (author as a boy),
PHILIPSBURG:--- NV GEBE in a press release indicated that the (RO) Reverse Osmosis Water Tank located on Soualiga Boulevard in front of the Festival Village will be out of use as of April 16 for approximately 3 weeks. The closure of this tank is based on the amount of traffic in that location as St. Maarten prepares for the upcoming Carnival season. Users who frequent the tanks on Soualiga Blvd are advised to make use of the storage tank located in Dutch Quarter on the McDonalds parking lot and the other located on the parking lot of AbuGhazi in Madame Estate. These tanks will be filled throughout the weeks to ensure enough water for all users.

The RO Plant was erected on that location by the Dutch to assist with the Water Distribution after Hurricane Irma. GEBE is in the stage of a completing the damaged tanks in the Cay Bay and Point Blanch area to restore normal water distribution to the island.
By Victor Ing,

Special to The Post

As with most things in life, the success of your immigration case will often come down to timing. Having a basic understanding of the immigration application process and how long you can expect to wait to be approved can often be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful outcome because most immigration strategies will require sufficient time to successfully execute.

By obtaining advice and becoming familiar with these application processes, program requirements and estimated processing time frames, you will be the master of your own immigration destiny.

If you are already living and working in Canada it can be very easy to overlook the looming expiry date of your work permit. This is particularly true if you have come to Canada with a work permit granted under the International Experience Class or some other type of open work permit because the requirements to remain working in Canada will often be drastically different than when you first applied.

Failing to start the extension process early can result in difficulties such as having your SIN card renewed or ensuring continuous provincial medical coverage and, at worst, losing valid immigration status and being asked to leave Canada.

If you want to continue working in Canada past the expiry of your current permit, you should give yourself at least six (6) months time (and more if possible) to ensure that you have the appropriate job offer in place and to obtain any applicable supporting documents such as medical examinations or language testing results.

It is a common misconception that you can remain working in Canada if your current employer makes you a job offer for a permanent, full-time position. A verbal or written offer of employment is only the starting point and does not, on its own, allow you to keep working in Canada.

Extending your stay in Canada as a worker is usually a two-step process. In most cases, the first step is for your employer to obtain formal permission through the local Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) processes to continue hiring you after the expiry of your current work permit.

These processes can take up to six months or more to complete.

At the second stage, you will need to apply to Immigration Refugees, and Citizenship Canada for a new work permit with the permission obtained by your employer, which can take the form of a Provincial Nomination Certificate, positive Labour Market Impact Assessment decision or approval under the Global Talents Stream of the TFWP, for instance.

Alternatively, if your current work permit is set to expire soon, you may also qualify or soon be qualified to apply for Canadian permanent residence as an economic immigrant. You should become familiar with the requirements to be selected for permanent residence and may benefit from professional advice if you wish to stay in Canada on a permanent basis.

If you are qualified and have filed an application for permanent residence you will be able to extend your stay in Canada by applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit, which is intended to keep you working until your application for permanent residence is approved.

One of the most important pieces of advice we give clients at my office is to take responsibility for your own immigration case, even when you have hired representation by a lawyer or immigration consultant.

We often hear horror stories about clients who are asked to sign blank forms and are simply given assurances that their immigration matters will be taken care of by someone else.

You should always understand what you have applied for and what to expect during processing. Moreover, you should always feel comfortable asking your representative any questions you may have about the process and make sure you have a copy of any materials submitted on your behalf.

Extending your stay in Canada can be an intimating process, but starting the process early and taking responsibility for your case will reduce the stress around maintaining your legal immigration status and will let you control your immigration destiny.

Victor Ing is a lawyer of Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre. He provides a full range of immigration services.

For more information go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email [email protected].
By Janice Dickson

New Canadian Media

Iranian nationals say theyre enduring painfully long wait times to become permanent residents and citizens in Canada and believe they are being treated unfairly.

I, along with many other Iranians are victims of systemic discrimination by the Canadian government and security apparatuses, said Naeim Karimi, a senior business analyst with Moneris.

Karimi said that he applied for permanent residency in 2012 and obtained it in 2014. Now hes applied for his citizenship but he said his application is stuck at the security screening stage, which is similar to those waiting for permanent residency.

I first thought this was isolated to me, but then when I found many many others online who were in a similar situation, I realized that this is the result of systemic discrimination against Iranians, he said.

Hursh Jaswal, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, said security checks have no set processing time and they will vary as they are done on a case-by-case basis.

The CBSA performs background checks on all visitors, immigrants and refugee claimants of 18 years of age or over to ensure that inadmissible person  such as criminals or persons considered security risks  are not allowed to enter or remain in Canada, he said.

Jaswal said the department understands the frustration felt by applicants and their loved ones, but that the thorough security screening of all applicants is important to ensure the safety and security of Canadians.

BSA and the Government of Canada are committed to a fair and non-discriminatory application of immigration procedures while protecting the safety and security of Canadians, said Jaswal.

Karimi said hes submitted a complaint to the Human Rights Commission and advised others to do the same.

In the case of the PR applicants, who are all highly educated individuals and have graduated from or are currently enrolled in Canadian universities, we are seeing delays of up to two years from the regular six-month processing time, he said.

Karimi called the processing time Jaswal had mentioned a self-declared time by the department of immigration.

This alone is an indication of the systemic discrimination.

We are all professionals, masters or PhD [students] and pay very high taxes, contributing to the economy. Many of us are scientists or entrepreneurs and contribute to Canadas scientific advancement. Canada is getting all the benefits and we are kept in a limbo. Unable to vote and uncertain if we can even continue to stay, said Karimi, who is an Ontario resident.

Iranian nationals in Quebec spoke out recently about the delays for permanent residency. CBC News reported that dozens of Iranians in Quebec have been waiting more than two years to become permanent residents.

Jaswal said the total processing time for currently listed for Quebec skilled workers is 15 months. That figure represents the time it has taken IRCC to process 80 per cent of applications, which means that 20 percent of the applications received have taken longer than that.

Jaswal said the department cannot comment on the details of any specific case due to privacy laws.

This piece originally appeared in New Canadian Media.

See http://www.newcanadianmedia.ca/component/k2/43095-scores-of-iranians-living-in-canada-decry-lengthy-wait-times-for-permanent-residency
Hundreds of thousands of Sikhs will congregate in Vancouver and Surrey over the next few weeks to celebrate Vaisakhi, which will be highlighted by two Khalsa Day Parades that are massive shows of diversity and inclusion in British Columbia.

The parades or Nagar Kirtan will be a lively celebration to mark the Sikh New Year, pay tribute to the harvest and commemorate one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar - the creation of the Khalsa.

The Khalsa, was founded in 1699 as a Sikh brotherhood and sisterhood to fight adversity and continues to be at the heart of Sikhism.

From here the Sikh nation grew with a renewed identity and as a collective faith underlined by the principles of sewa or sacrifice for their fellow human beings.

This years celebrations come amidst a time of strained Canada-India relations, triggered by Indian concerns that the Liberal Government tolerates Sikh separatism by not openly speaking out against it.

This issue gained prominence during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to India last month, when he was apparently snubbed by the Indian government in the initial days of the trip for being seen as soft on radical Sikh groups, Indian media said.

But for most Sikhs, the Vaisakhi celebrations are about a message of peace, equality, and freedom of religion regardless of caste or creed, not about dwelling in the schisms in Sikhism.

The values of Sikhism will wash over the streets of B.C. this month, said newspaper publisher Harbinder Singh Sewak, who has over the last decade, been a key player in the Nagar Kirtan parade in Surrey, considered the largest outside India.

These are events promote cultural exchange by bringing together people to mark one of the most important days for the Sikh community, said Sewak, who was instrumental in bringing the Canadian Armed Forces to be part of the festivities and who founded Canadas first Sikh Cadet regiment, known locally as the Surrey Sikh Cadets.

We once again expect record numbers to turnout for the parades, he said.

Last year more than 400,000 people attended the Surrey parade while about 150,000 took part in the parade in Vancouver.

This years Vancouver Vaisakhi parade will be held on Saturday Apr 14th from about 11 am to 5 pm. It begins at the KDS Ross Sikh Temple at 8000 Ross Street in East Vancouver and winds it way through the Paunjab Market on Main Street.

The Surrey Nagar Kirtan takes place on Saturday, April 21st.

Beginning at the Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar Temple, at 12885 85th Avenue in Surrey, the procession heads south each year along 128th Street and then west at the BC Hydro (Newton) Railway line. From there it heads south down 124th Street, west back to 128th Street via 75th and 76th Avenues, and then back to the Temple.

Most years the parade starts at about 9 or 9:30 am, with events finishing back at the Temple by around 4 pm or so.

In Surrey an economic study based on the 2014 Surrey Vaisaskhi Parade showed the event generated close to $30 million in spending by visitors from out of town.

The study which was commissioned by Sewak, publisher of The South Asian Post, has also found that the 2014 parade is estimated to have contributed between $6.6 million and $12.3 million in GDP for the provincial economy, supported between 116 and 215 Full Time Equivalent jobs, and contributed between $2.3 million and $4.4 million in tax revenues for federal, provincial and municipal governments.

Based on the estimates of the parade, between $2.6 million to $4.5 million worth of food and beverages were served; The average length of stay was 7 days for visitors from the rest of BC, 15 days for visitors from the rest of Canada, 15 days for visitors from the US, and 30 days for other international visitors.

Vaisakhi Q&A

Q: What are the origins of Vaisakhi?

A: Although Vaisakhi has traditionally been a harvest festival in Punjab and across South Asia for centuries, the day has a very special significance for Sikhs. On Vaisakhi Day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh created the Order of the Khalsa. The Khalsa are those Sikhs who have accepted the Sikh initiation or khande kee paahul and commit to live their lives in the service of humanity and the spirit of equality and compassion. The founding of the Khalsa was a seminal event in Sikh history which gave the Sikh faith its final form.

Q: What is a Nagar Kirtan?

A: The word nagar means town and kirtan is singing of hymns. A nagar kirtan refers to a Sikh parade that is led by the Punj Pyare (the five beloved ones, who represent the first five Sikh to have been initiated) and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib or the Sikh scripture, which is placed in a decorated float. The congregation follows the parade while singing hymns and verses from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, along with displays of the Sikh martial art gatka and distributing free food (langar). The nagar kirtan begins and concludes with a religious service and the serving of langar.

Q: What is the significance of the orange and yellow colours?

A: Yellow and orange are the traditional colours of Vaisakhi. They represent the spirit of rebirth and sacrifice of the Punj Pyare but are also a colour of joy and celebration. When Vaisakhi is celebrated in Punjab, the golden yellow wheat fields are ready to be harvested.

Q: Who can participate in Vaisakhi celebrations?

A: Everyone. The Sikh faith considers all persons to be equal, regardless of gender, race, nationality or class. Sikh gurdwaras are open to all people. The langar or community meal is also offered to both Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike.

Q: Is there any special dress I should wear?

A: The only requirements to visit a Sikh gurdwara are that visitors take off their shoes and cover their heads. Any intoxicants such as tobacco products or liquor are also not permitted on the premises.  World Sikh Organisation of Canada
Climate change runs AMOC with Atlantic currents: studies



Paris, France, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



A system of Atlantic Ocean currents that regulates global weather is at its feeblest in 1,600 years, weakened partly by climate change, said researchers Wednesday, warning of trouble ahead.

Two studies in the journal Nature concluded the system, dubbed the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is in decline -- validating a long-held scientific suspicion.

The weakening, agreed the teams, was the result of melting sea ice, glaciers, and ice-shelves gushing freshwater -- less dense than salty ocean water -- into the North Atlantic.

"This freshwater caused the AMOC to weaken because it prevented the waters getting dense enough to sink," David Thornalley of the University College London, who co-authored one of the studies, told AFP.

The AMOC is often likened to a conveyer belt redistributing warmth through the ocean, so regulating weather over land as well.

Its currents take warm, salty Gulf Stream water northward, releasing heat into the atmosphere and warming Western Europe.

As the water cools in the cold, Nordic seas, it sinks to great depths and travels southward all the way to Antarctica, eventually circulating back up to the Gulf Stream, and so on.

"If the system continues to weaken, it could disrupt weather patterns from the United States and Europe to the African Sahel, and cause more rapid increase in sea level on the US east coast," said the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, which participated in the research.

Apart from warming Europe, the system transports important nutrients, oxygen, and the larvae of marine organisms such as corals and fish between ocean regions.

It also controls the ability of the seas to absorb and store carbon dioxide -- the most abundant of the Earth-warming greenhouse gases.



- More beasts from the east -



For the first study, Thornalley and a team consulted historical "records" locked up in the ocean floor -- sand grains deposited by ocean currents.

The larger the grains in a sediment layer, the stronger the current must have been.

The data revealed the AMOC was relatively stable from about the year 400 to 1850, then started weakening around the start of the industrial era.

The second study looked at sea-surface temperature patterns to conclude the AMOC has declined by about 15 percent in the last half century -- likely in response to global warming caused by humankind's burning of coal, oil, and natural gas.

The two teams found a similar degree of AMOC weakening, but over very two different time periods.

This has implications for identifying the trigger -- whether it was manmade or natural changes in the climate.

"The initial weakening that we show ocurred at the end of the Little Ice Age is likely part of natural processes ending the Little Ice Age," Thornalley said.

"However, the fact that AMOC has remained weak and weakened further throughout the 20th century, with a noticeable decline since about 1950, is very likely due to human factors."

The studies cannot conclude whether the AMOC will regress further.

If it does, there will likely be further cooling in the North Atlantic, increased winter storms for Europe, a possible southward shift in the tropical rainfall belt, and faster sea-level rise off the US eastern seaboard, said the teams.

Global warming, however, will likely more than counter any cooling of Europe due to a weaker AMOC, said Thornalley.

According to the European Union-funded ATLAS research project, another study participant, commercial fisheries may be affected as the positions and depths of ocean currents shift, and some regions are starved of oxygen-rich waters.

"A weakening of the AMOC can also result in temperature increases or decreases of several degrees centigrade, affecting some high-value fisheries as well as abundances of plankton, fish, sea birds, and whales," it said in a statement.

Further weakening of the system "will leave more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere where it causes warming," added Thornalley -- perpetuating the vicious circle.

The findings imply that models used to project global warming scenarios had likely underestimated the contribution of a weakening AMOC, said the teams.
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Bill Clinton hails 'genius' of N.Ireland peace deal 20 years on



Belfast, April 10 (AFP) Apr 10, 2018



Former US president Bill Clinton on Tuesday celebrated the "genius" of the Northern Ireland peace deal 20 years ago, as he joined key political figures in Belfast to mark the anniversary of the historic accord.

"The Good Friday Agreement is the work of genius that's applicable if you care at all about preserving democracy," Clinton said of the deal signed on April 10, 1998, marking the end to a conflict lasting three decades.

He was joined in Belfast by other political leaders at the time, including the then UK prime minister Tony Blair and his former Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern.

Clinton described the agreement as a "precious gift" and said those behind it "inspired the world".

"These people gave you a gift... People who lost loved ones and bore scars; the women's groups; everybody, they gave you a gift. Make the most of it," he said.

Despite the Good Friday Agreement putting an end to "The Troubles", in which more than 3,500 people were killed, there are concerns over the future of the British province.

The power-sharing executive established in Belfast as part of the accord broke down more than a year ago and the two sides remain divided over issues including the Irish language.

"The Good Friday Agreement couldn't solve all the issues," remarked Gerry Adams, former long-time leader of the Irish republican party Sinn Fein.

Britain's decision to leave the European Union has further called into question one of the key outcomes of the deal -- the dismantling of the border infrastructure between the British province and Ireland.

While Blair praised former foes for choosing "not to forget the past, but not let it decide the future," the ex-premier voiced his concerns over Brexit.

Imposing a hard border following the EU exit "would be a disaster for the Agreement and for the relationship between the Republic (of Ireland) and the UK, and therefore for the people of Northern Ireland," he said.
Saudi prince, Macron hail warming ties, but differences lurk



Paris, April 10 (AFP) Apr 10, 2018



Saudi Arabia's crown prince and French President Emmanuel Macron hailed warming ties Tuesday and agreed on the need to curb Tehran's "expansionism" in the Middle East, but conceded differences over the key issue of the Iranian nuclear deal.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman also joined Macron in taking a tough line over the weekend's alleged chemical attack in Syria, as the de facto Saudi leader wrapped up a three-day visit to Paris with a gala dinner at the Elysee Palace.

The prince's first visit to France as heir to the Saudi throne, which saw companies ink draft agreements worth $18 billion (14.5 billion euros), sought to deepen relations between the young leaders despite underlying frictions.

"This relationship has been slightly on the back-burner over the past decade... either to pursue other relationships in the region or seeing Saudi Arabia exclusively as a customer for big contracts," Macron said alongside the 32-year-old prince at a press conference.

"France believes we must preserve the structure of the Iranian nuclear deal, but it must be complemented by the work that has been done on limiting Iran's ballistic activity and its regional expansionism," he added.

Macron, 40, has walked a diplomatic tightrope in talks with the reformist prince as he seeks to bolster ties with the world's top crude exporter, while also managing relations with the kingdom's arch-nemesis Iran.

As US President Donald Trump threatens to tear up a 2015 nuclear cooperation deal with Iran, Macron has sought to convince the Saudi prince that some agreement to curb Tehran's atomic ambitions is better than no deal at all.

"On the subject of Iran, we have different tactical views on the deal... but a coherent strategic vision," Macron said.



- Smiles and selfies -



The gala dinner also hosted Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who tweeted a cheerful selfie with Macron and Prince Mohammed.

Earlier on Monday, Hariri tweeted another selfie with the prince and Moroccan King Mohammed VI, showing the three leaders smiling and dressed casually. "No comment," read the caption.

The photo op appeared designed to send a message of reconciliation after Hariri was allegedly pressured to resign by the Saudi prince during a trip to Riyadh last November, causing a crisis which Macron helped defuse.

Macron's mediation, which led Hariri to travel to Paris and then rescind his resignation, was seen by analysts as exposing the limits of Prince Mohammed's authority.

"This period of ambiguity and confusion is now behind us thanks to the efforts from all sides and the personal implication of President Macron," Moueen Merhebi, an MP in Hariri's party, told AFP in Beirut.

Macron and Prince Mohammed met for nearly three hours Sunday at the Louvre museum, where they visited an exhibition of 19th century painter Eugene Delacroix, creator of the famous "Liberty Leading The People" painting.

The canvas features a bare-breasted woman holding the French tricolore, an image that would be banned in Saudi Arabia for its nudity and its subversive political message.



- Music and cinema -



The gallery tour underscored a central theme of the visit: deepening cultural ties that will see Saudi officials call on French expertise to set up a national opera and orchestra.

The kingdom also revealed on Monday that it will enter short films at next month's Cannes film festival for the first time, a further sign of Prince Mohammed's modernising mission.

The two leaders plan to work on a "strategic document" involving a series of contracts to be signed by Macron during a visit to Saudi Arabia later this year, the French leader's office said.

Talks between the men also covered Syria, where Macron and Trump are threatening military action against the regime of Bashar al-Assad over alleged chemical weapons attacks.



- Rights abuses -



Prince Mohammed visit is part of a global tour that has already seen him travel to the United States, Britain and Egypt as he seeks to project a more moderate vision of Saudi Arabia, typically associated in the West with exporting jihadist ideology.

After Paris, he will head to Madrid, before travelling home ahead of the next Arab League summit meeting, on April 15 in Riyadh.

Amid the flurry of announcements in France, campaigners are also mobilised to keep attention focused on French weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and rights abuses in the country.

The kingdom is the lead partner in a coalition of countries bombing and blockading Yemen, where a combination of fighting, disease and food shortages has led the UN to dub it the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Macron said France will host a conference to boost humanitarian support for war-ravaged Yemen later this year.

burs-ac/kjl/spm
New Zealand to probe deadly SAS raid in Afghanistan



Wellington, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



New Zealand ordered a top-level inquiry Wednesday into allegations its special forces killed six civilians, including a three-year-old child, during a botched 2010 raid on an Afghan village.

The New Zealand military vehemently denies the accusations, which were first made in a book "Hit and Run" published last year.

The book alleged an elite SAS squad staged the raid as a "revenge attack" after a New Zealand soldier was killed, but faulty intelligence meant it targeted villagers rather than insurgents.

It also claimed the military covered up the raid's failure, falsely saying nine insurgents had died when it knew otherwise.

The centre-left Labour Party called for an independent inquiry while in opposition and Attorney-General David Parker reviewed the case following last year's election win.

Parker on Wednesday appointed former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer and Supreme Court judge Terence Arnold to head the probe.

"Bearing in mind the need for the public to have confidence in the NZDF, I have decided in the public interest that an inquiry is warranted," he said.

Parker said he had seen video of the raid suggesting there were "armed individuals" in the village but the footage was not conclusive, hence the need for the inquiry.

It will examine the conduct of troops during the raid, whether those killed were insurgents or civilians and the accuracy of military briefings given to the public and the government.

It is expected to take up to a year.

The New Zealand Defence Force chief, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, said he stood by earlier statements about the raid.

"At all times throughout this operation our NZSAS acted professionally and conducted themselves to the high standards expected of our special forces," he said.

New Zealand sent a reconstruction team and a small special forces contingent to join the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan in 2003.

In early August 2010, Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell became the first of New Zealand's 10 military deaths in Afghanistan when his patrol was hit by a roadside bomb.

The SAS raid in the northern province of Baghlan, carried out with US helicopter support, took place about two weeks later on August 22.

In the following days Mohammad Ismail, a district chief for Tala Wa Barfak, where the incident occurred, told AFP that eight people died in the raid, all civilians.

The New Zealand military initially kept silent about its involvement, then said nine insurgents were killed and no civilians harmed.

ns/mp/jta
Gazan who says he was shot in Israeli sniper video denies posing threat



Khan Yunis, Palestinian Territories, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



A Palestinian who says he was shot by an Israeli sniper along the Gaza border said Wednesday he was posing no threat to soldiers at the time, after a video of the incident went viral.

The footage filmed from the Israeli side of the border fence, which included rejoicing after the shooting, was shared widely online and by the media earlier this week.

It led to further scrutiny of Israel's open-fire rules along the Gaza border.

Israel's defence minister praised the sniper, but criticised the soldier who filmed the incident.

Israel's military alleged that the soldier opened fire after rioting by Palestinians and warnings from soldiers.

Tamer Abu Daqqa, 28, said he recognised himself in the video, which was filmed on December 22 in southern Gaza, particularly due to the red jacket he was wearing.

Footage from that day shows him in hospital after being shot in the leg, which is still in plaster four months after the incident.

Abu Daqqa said he had thrown stones at Israeli soldiers over the border during the day, but denied being armed or posing any threat at the time of the gunshot.

"When they shot me I was not throwing stones. I was yelling to friends near the fence to leave and go back to our homes," he told AFP at his home in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The incident took place during protests along the Gaza border sparked by US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which infuriated Palestinians and led to clashes.

In the footage of the incident, voices can be heard discussing opening fire on Palestinians walking on the other side of the border fence.

A shooter then opens fire on one of the Palestinians, knocking the person to the floor.

"Wow. What a video! Yes! That son of a bitch," one of the voices behind the camera exclaims in Hebrew.

Israel's military on Tuesday confirmed the authenticity of the video, but alleged the shooting followed riots and warnings from troops.

It said a single bullet was fired toward the Palestinian "suspected of organising and leading this incident while he was a few metres from the fence," wounding him in the leg.

The video came at a highly sensitive time for Israel's military, which has faced mounting criticism over its use of live fire on the Gaza Strip border, where 31 Palestinians have been killed since late March as mass protests have led to clashes.
US should target rebels, not 'legitimate' Syria government: Moscow



Moscow, Russia, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



Moscow on Wednesday said the US should strike rebels rather than "the legitimate government" in Syria, after President Donald Trump warned Washington was planning to use missiles in retaliation over alleged chemical attacks.

"Smart rockets should be aimed at terrorists, rather than the legitimate government, which has for several years been fighting international terrorism on its territory," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Facebook post.

Trump earlier warned in a tweet that regime-backer Russia should "get ready" for missiles, "because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'".

Zakharova also suggested the strikes could be a pretext to destroy evidence of an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, which Moscow has said was a staged "provocation" to justify Western intervention.

"Is the whole idea to quickly remove the traces of the provocation...(so) international inspectors will have nothing to look for in terms of evidence?" she asked.

Moscow has warned the US of the possible consequences of any use of force against the Syrian regime, "especially if this affects the Russian military", a source in the foreign ministry told AFP Wednesday.

"Russia will do whatever is necessary to defend its citizens on Syrian territory," the source said.
Syria says US threats 'reckless escalation': state agency



Damascus, Syria, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



Syria on Wednesday described US President Donald Trump's threats of missile strikes on the country in response to an alleged chemical attack as a "reckless escalation", state news agency SANA said.

"We are not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria," SANA reported an official source at the foreign ministry as saying.

Damascus, which refers to all rebels as "terrorists", has almost entirely expelled opposition fighters from their former bastion of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus since mid-February.

Trump said Wednesday that "missiles will be coming" in response to an alleged chemical attack in Ghouta's last rebel holdout of Douma at the weekend.

"It's not at all strange that it (the United States) supports the terrorists in Ghouta and condones their fabrications and lies to use them as a pretext to target Syria," the official source said.

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the attack bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Damascus and its ally Moscow have rejected the accusations as "fabrications".

Last year, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the United Nations later pinned on Assad.

More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

It has since spiralled into a complex war involving world powers.
Gazan who says was shot in Israeli sniper video denies posing threat



Khan Yunis, Palestinian Territories, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



A Palestinian who says he was shot by an Israeli sniper along the Gaza border said Wednesday he was posing no threat to soldiers at the time, after a video of the incident went viral.

The footage filmed from the Israeli side of the border fence, which included rejoicing after the shooting, was shared widely online and by the media earlier this week.

It led to further scrutiny of Israel's open-fire rules along the Gaza border.

Israel's defence minister praised the sniper, but criticised the soldier who filmed the incident.

Israel's military alleged that the soldier opened fire after rioting by Palestinians and warnings from soldiers.

Tamer Abu Daqqa, 28, said he recognised himself in the video, which was filmed on December 22 in southern Gaza, particularly due to the red jacket he was wearing.

AFP could not independently verify Abu Daqqa's claim, but separate footage from that day shows him in hospital after being shot in his leg, which is still in plaster four months after the incident.

Abu Daqqa said he had thrown stones at Israeli soldiers over the border during the day, but denied being armed or posing any threat at the time of the gunshot.

"When they shot me I was not throwing stones. I was yelling to friends near the fence to leave and go back to our homes," he told AFP at his home in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The incident took place during protests along the Gaza border sparked by US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which infuriated Palestinians and led to clashes.

The Palestinians consider the eastern part of Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

In the footage of the incident, voices can be heard discussing opening fire on Palestinians walking on the other side of the border fence.

A soldier then opens fire on one of the Palestinians, knocking the person to the ground.

"Wow. What a video! Yes! That son of a bitch," one of the voices behind the camera exclaims in Hebrew.

Israel's military on Tuesday confirmed the authenticity of the video, but alleged the shooting followed riots and warnings from troops.

It said a single bullet was fired toward the Palestinian "suspected of organising and leading this incident while he was a few metres from the fence," wounding him in the leg.

"In the video they say they killed me," said Abu Daqqa. "The sniper failed. I was only injured."



- 'If they were men' -



The video came at a highly sensitive time for Israel's military, which has faced mounting criticism over its use of live fire along the Gaza Strip border, where 31 Palestinians have been killed since late March as mass protests have led to clashes.

Hundreds of others have been wounded. There have been no Israeli casualties. The European Union, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and others have called for an independent investigation into the deaths, which included a journalist.

Israel has rejected the calls, saying its forces have opened fire to stop attempts to damage the fence, infiltrations, bids to carry out attacks and at those seeking to harm soldiers.

It accuses Hamas, with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of seeking to use the protests as cover for violence.

The Abu Daqqa video, though it dates from several months earlier, led to fresh questions about Israel's rules of engagement.

The Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem said earlier this week that shooting incidents similar to what is seen in the video have "occurred hundreds of times over the past few weeks in the Gaza Strip, causing death and injuries."

Abu Daqqa said the video showed the Israelis were "terrorists".

"In the video they laugh at me and insult me. If they were men they would face me without weapons as I faced them," he said.

"I will continue to demonstrate for our land and our rights even if they injure me in every part of my body."
Putin says hopes 'common sense will prevail' in international relations



Moscow, Russia, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he hoped that common sense would prevail in global affairs as the US has threatened to send missiles into Syria.

"The state of the world cannot but provoke concern. The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic but all the same we hope that common sense will finally prevail and international relations will take a constructive path," Putin said as new ambassadors presented him with their credentials at the Kremlin.
Defiant Trump warns missiles 'will be coming' over Syria attack



Washington, United States, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that "missiles will be coming" in response to an alleged chemical atrocity in Syria, as Russia scrambled to deflect blame from its ally Bashar al-Assad.

With renewed US military action seemingly imminent -- and as Trump threatened that the US missiles would be "nice and new and 'smart!'" -- both Washington and Moscow raised the rhetorical stakes.

Trump's warlike tweet apparently came in response to a warning from Russia's ambassador to Beirut, who took to a television network run by the armed group Hezbollah to warn that any US missiles would be shot down "as well as the sources they were fired from."

If the US action follows the pattern of a previous punitive strike on Syria ordered by Trump last year it will begin with a salvo of cruise missiles fired from US warships in the Mediterranean.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the Pentagon is ready to provide options for a Syria strike in response to a suspected chemical attack, but noted the US and its allies are still gathering information.

Meanwhile, Moscow said the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta -- including Douma, the target of Saturday's alleged chemical attack -- had been "totally stabilized" and would soon be patrolled by Russian military police.

But the Russian army continued to deny their side's latest victory came after Assad launched a chemical attack on the last rebel-held pocket of the enclave, instead accusing the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging the massacre.

But, while his lieutenants continued to up the ante with threats and allegations, Russia's President Vladimir Putin adopted a more statesmanlike tone, in remarks to new ambassadors presenting their credentials at the Kremlin.

"The state of the world cannot but provoke concern," he said.

"The situation in the world is becoming more and more chaotic but all the same we hope that common sense will finally prevail and international relations will take a constructive path."

Trump's tweets were more belligerent -- he told Russia "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" -- and he admitted that US relations with Russia have plunged to a historic low.

But he notably also said there was "no reason for this," reiterated his hope for talks with Putin to halt a new arms race, and blamed his domestic political opponents for poisoning ties.

Assad's Damascus regime, which has long accused Washington of supporting its armed opponents in the country's bloody seven-year-old civil war, hit back.

"We are not surprised by such a reckless escalation from a regime like the United States which has fostered and continues to foster terrorism in Syria," a foreign ministry official said, according to state news agency SANA.



- Air traffic alert -



Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people in the Damascus suburb of Douma.

Efforts at the UN Security Council to find a diplomatic solution failed on Tuesday, with Washington and Moscow opposing each other's rival motions to set up an international investigation into chemical weapons use.











The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Both Trump and his defense secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -- moved to within striking range of Syria.

The air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has also released an alert from the European Aviation Safety Agency to flight operators in nearby airspace of "the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours."

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response "in the coming days."

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," he said, insisting he did "not want an escalation."

As it looked to head off the threat of Western strikes, Syria said it had invited the OPCW to visit the site of the alleged attack in Douma, a town in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta that is on the verge of falling to the regime after a long and bloody siege.



- WHO demands access -



The OPCW said it would "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday demanded "immediate" access to the victims of the alleged chemical attack.

"We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma," said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," he added.

Damascus agreed to hand over its chemical arsenal in 2013, narrowly avoiding American and French air strikes in retaliation for a suspected sarin attack.

That incident, which killed hundreds, also took place in Eastern Ghouta.

burs-dc/jm
Missiles, drones from Yemen 'intercepted' over Saudi Arabia



Riyadh, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



Saudi Arabia's air defences on Wednesday "intercepted" a ballistic missile fired from rebel-held Yemen at Riyadh, a military spokesman said, adding two others were shot down in southern Saudi Arabia.

The announcement came after an AFP journalist witnessed explosions and heard three blasts over the capital, which has previously been targeted by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen.

"An Iranian ballistic missile launched from Sadaa towards Riyadh was successfully intercepted by Saudi Air Defence earlier today," Colonel Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis, said.

He said Saudi forces also intercepted two missiles in the southern Jizan and Najran provinces close to the border with Yemen.

The attacks were claimed by the rebels via their news outlet Al-Masirah.

"The missile force carried out a large-scale ballistic missile attack on various parts of Saudi Arabia," Al-Masirah said.

As the announcement on the missile interceptions emerged, Malki also said in a separate statement that Saudi air defences had shot down two unmanned Yemeni drones Wednesday in southern Saudi Arabia.

One of the drones was targeting the Abha international airport in Asir province, which led to a temporary suspension of air traffic, and a second was approaching a "civilian object" in Jizan province, he said.

The Huthis claimed attacks on Abha airport and Saudi Aramco, located in Jizan, via Al-Masirah, publishing an infographic of the "Qasef 1" drone.

Aramco in a statement Wednesday said, "Saudi Aramco operations and facilities, including our facilities in Jizan, are operating normally and safely".
How the West might strike Syria



Washington, United States, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



US President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday that missiles would be launched at Syria following a suspected chemical attack, virtually ensuring a military strike against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The question now becomes what the United States, probably with France and Britain, will hit in war-torn Syria, and what are the risks of escalation and miscalculation with Assad allies Russia and Iran.



- What will it target? -



The United States and its allies France and Britain want to send a clear and definitive message to Assad that the future use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

One way to ensure Assad cannot use such weapons is to conduct strikes on his chemical infrastructure, including by targeting factories and weapons holding areas.

However, such an action carries risks, including the possibility of unintentionally unleashing a cloud of toxic gas into the environment.

The strike could also target what is left of Assad's air force and air defenses, though the delay between Saturday's attack and an eventual retaliatory strike means he likely will have moved his warplanes to safety.

Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst for the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, told AFP that one potential target would be Dumayr military airport northeast of Damascus, from where regime aircraft used in Saturday's attack may have launched.



- How big will the strike be? -



Trump last year ordered a strike against Assad following a deadly sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.

The US Navy launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, targeting Shayrat air base, its aircraft, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radars.

But the strike was limited and designed to not draw America into the chaos of Syria's bloody civil war.

Since then, the regime is alleged to have repeatedly used chlorine and other chemicals, forcing Pentagon planners to consider broader action.

Cafarella said the United States must decide how far it wants to go in terms of hitting Iranian proxy forces near US positions in eastern Syria, or even targeting Russian-supported facilities.

"The president has publicly stated that he intends to hold not just Assad but his backers accountable as well," she noted.



- How will it be launched? -



A strike against Syria will likely come in the form of missiles, as was the case last year.

The United States would not want to risk putting manned aircraft over Syrian air defenses -- a shoot-down would send the conflict spiralling in unforeseeable new directions.

The USS Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, is within easy striking range of Syria, as is a French frigate with its own cruise missiles.

These two ships, possibly aided by a US submarine, are likely to play a role in a strike.



- What are the risks? -



The reaction from Assad backer Moscow is unpredictable and Russia has threatened retaliatory action against the United States if missiles are fired at Syria.

The Russian army on Wednesday accused the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging a chemical weapons attack in Douma, where observers say more than 40 people died in a gas attack.

NBC News reported Tuesday that Russia has learned how to use GPS jammers to limit the capabilities of US drones operating over Syria.

"The US has to be very careful not to accidentally strike Russian targets or kill Russian advisors," Ben Connable, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, told AFP.

"That significantly limits the number of options available to the United States, because the Russians are embedded in many cases with the Syrians."

Connable warned that if the US accidentally or purposefully kills uniformed Russian soldiers, there would potentially be a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear powers.
Syria: 'Chemical attack' and international threats



Beirut, Lebanon, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



An alleged chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held Douma over the weekend has sparked global outrage, with Washington threatening missile strikes as Moscow tries to deflect blame from its ally Bashar al-Assad.

Here is a recap of events since April 7:



- 'Poisonous chlorine gas'-



On April 7 the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and Syria's White Helmets jointly say more than 40 people have died in a "poisonous chlorine gas" in Douma, the last remaining opposition-held town in Eastern Ghouta, once the main rebel stronghold outside Damascus.

The statement said "more than 500 cases" showed "symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, does not confirm a chemical attack.

However, it reports at least 70 cases of respiratory difficulties among civilians trapped underground or in poorly-ventilated rooms after regime air strikes, specifying 11 people had died.



- 'Big price to pay' -



The following day Trump tweets a warning aimed at Assad and his allies that there will be a "big price to pay" after what he calls a "mindless CHEMICAL attack". He hits out at Russia and Iran over their backing for "Animal Assad".

Moscow warns Washington against carrying out a "military intervention on fabricated pretexts", which "could have the most dire consequences".

Damascus denies having carried out a chemical attack, denouncing the accusations as an "unconvincing broken record".

The EU says that signs suggest the regime carried out the attack and urges Russia and Iran to help prevent another one.



- Russia and Iran -



A missile attack on April 9 targets Syria's T-4 military airbase in the central province of Homs.

Iran, Syria and Russia blame Israel for the strike that kills up to 14 people, according to the Observatory. Paris and Washington deny responsibility.

Russia says its specialists have found no trace of a chemical attack on Douma.

At a UN Security Council meeting US Ambassador Nikki Haley warns Washington is determined to "see that the monster who dropped chemical weapons on the Syrian people is held to account".

The USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -- leaves Cyprus, moving within easy striking range of Syria.



- 'State of emergency' -



On April 10 the Syrian army puts its military positions, including airports and all bases, on alert for three days, the Observatory reports.

France says "there will be a response" if the "red line" of chemical weapons use has been crossed.

Intelligence shared by the US and France had "in theory" confirmed the use of banned substances in the attack, it adds.

The global chemical weapons watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announces it will "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres calls for an "impartial" investigation, which "should be granted full access".

Trump cancels travel plans for the end of the week.

France says it will decide "in the coming days" on its response, in conjunction with Washington and London.

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," says Macron, insisting he does "not want an escalation".

At the UN, Russia vetoes a US-drafted Security Council resolution that would have set up an investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria.

The body also votes twice on draft texts put forward by Russia, but both fail.



- Missiles 'will be coming' -



On April 11 the Kremlin warns against moves that "could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region".

In an escalating war of words with Moscow, Trump takes to Twitter with the strongest assertion yet that he plans to take military action in Syria.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!"
UN to meet on threat of military action against Syria



United Nations, United States, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



The UN Security Council will meet behind closed doors Thursday to discuss the threat of military action against Syria after President Donald Trump warned that "missiles will be coming."

Bolivia, one of 10 non-permanent council members and a strong supporter of Russia, requested the meeting to address "the recent escalation of rhetoric regarding Syria and the threat of the use of unilateral actions," according to the request sent Wednesday and seen by AFP.

Trump earlier warned on Twitter that "missiles will be coming" to Syria in response to an alleged chemical attack and that Russia should "get ready."

The meeting will be held immediately after a briefing on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which is scheduled for 10:00 am (1400 GMT), diplomats said.

The Security Council failed on Tuesday to agree on setting up an investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria, with draft resolutions from Russia and the United States defeated in three votes.

Russia used its veto to block a US-drafted measure, while two other proposals from Russia failed to garner enough votes for adoption.

The United Nations is facing calls for a response following an alleged chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday that killed at least 40 people, according to medics and rescuers.

The United States is consulting Britain and France about a possible military response. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that the Pentagon was ready to provide military options.

After the three failed votes at the council on Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia implored the United States to change course.

"I would once again ask you, once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that you are currently developing for Syria," he said.

Russia has warned at the council that Western military action in Syria would be illegal and could lead to a wider conflict.
Syria: 'Chemical attack' and international threats



Beirut, Lebanon, April 11 (AFP) Apr 11, 2018



An alleged chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held Douma over the weekend has sparked global outrage, with Washington threatening missile strikes as Moscow tries to deflect blame from its ally Bashar al-Assad.

Here is a recap of events since April 7:



- 'Poisonous chlorine gas'-



On April 7 the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and Syria's White Helmets jointly say more than 40 people have died in a "poisonous chlorine gas" in Douma, the last remaining opposition-held town in Eastern Ghouta, once the main rebel stronghold outside Damascus.

The statement said "more than 500 cases" showed "symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, does not confirm a chemical attack.

However, it reports at least 70 cases of respiratory difficulties among civilians trapped underground or in poorly-ventilated rooms after regime air strikes, specifying 11 people had died.



- 'Big price to pay' -



The following day Trump tweets a warning aimed at Assad and his allies that there will be a "big price to pay" after what he calls a "mindless CHEMICAL attack". He hits out at Russia and Iran over their backing for "Animal Assad".

Moscow warns Washington against carrying out a "military intervention on fabricated pretexts", which "could have the most dire consequences".

Damascus denies having carried out a chemical attack, denouncing the accusations as an "unconvincing broken record".

The EU says that signs suggest the regime carried out the attack and urges Russia and Iran to help prevent another one.



- Russia and Iran -



A missile attack on April 9 targets Syria's T-4 military airbase in the central province of Homs.

Iran, Syria and Russia blame Israel for the strike that kills up to 14 people, according to the Observatory. Paris and Washington deny responsibility.

Russia says its specialists have found no trace of a chemical attack on Douma.

At a UN Security Council meeting US Ambassador Nikki Haley warns Washington is determined to "see that the monster who dropped chemical weapons on the Syrian people is held to account".

The USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -- leaves Cyprus, moving within easy striking range of Syria.



- 'State of emergency' -



On April 10 the Syrian army puts its military positions, including airports and all bases, on alert for three days, the Observatory reports.

France says "there will be a response" if the "red line" of chemical weapons use has been crossed.

Intelligence shared by the US and France had "in theory" confirmed the use of banned substances in the attack, it adds.

The global chemical weapons watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announces it will "shortly" deploy a fact-finding team to Douma.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres calls for an "impartial" investigation, which "should be granted full access".

Trump cancels travel plans for the end of the week.

France says it will decide "in the coming days" on its response, in conjunction with Washington and London.

"Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities," says Macron, insisting he does "not want an escalation".

At the UN, Russia vetoes a US-drafted Security Council resolution that would have set up an investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria.

The body also votes twice on draft texts put forward by Russia, but both fail.



- Missiles 'will be coming' -



On April 11 the Kremlin warns against moves that "could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region".

In an escalating war of words with Moscow, Trump takes to Twitter. Ties with Russia are worse than during the Cold War, he says.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!"

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the Pentagon is ready to provide options for a strike but notes the US and its allies are still assessing intelligence on the alleged strike.

The Kremlin announces the deployment of its military police in Douma as of Thursday.

Bolivia -- a strong supporter of Russia -- requests a closed-door UN Security Council meeting to be held the same day on the threat of military action against Syria.
Wickremesinghe has fared only a little better. His habit of placing unquestionable trust in a handful of friends and elevating them to great heights has cost him dear.









by Tisaranee Gunasekara





Through conviction one crosses the flood

Through heedfulness the sea.

Siddhartha Gautama, The Buddha (Alawaka Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Sutta Pitakaya)





( April 8, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Raised from the Ground restarted the writing-life of Nobel laureate Jose Saramago. The semi-autobiographical novel uses the trials and travails of a single family of landless peasants through three generations to shed light on the desperate plight of Portugals rural poor. The book ends on a hopeful note. The Carnation Revolution has begun and the peasants are invading the inland sea of latifundio, the massive agricultural estates owned by a handful of rich. The living are joined by the spirits of the dead, including that of a dog depicted as the model of steadfastness. Here they all are, the living and the dead, writes Mr. Saramago in his hauntingly beautiful prose. And ahead of them, bounding along as a hunting dog should, goes Constante, how could he not be here, on this unique and new-risen day.





The Carnation Revolution was a success and a failure. It installed democracy in Portugal, but fared less well in other areas. So work revolutions. Even when they survive, they do so as distortions or pale reflections of their original selves. The unique new-risen day, tends to look anything but with hindsight.





The 2015 Presidential election of Sri Lanka was not a revolution. But it was more than a standard change of government. Under Rajapaksa rule, Sri Lanka had become an emerging autocracy, the fief of a single megalomanic family. The January 8th election ended that dystopian journey and returned Sri Lanka to the democratic path.





If January 2015 was about the possibility of the impossible, the subsequent trajectory of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration constitutes a morality tale on the impossibility of the possible. After a promising start, the government fell into the trap of recurrence and busied itself with repeating Rajapaksa mistakes in every sphere. Its conduct has alienated the uncommitted voters, disheartened the committed supporters and opened the door for a Rajapaksa return.





A stable and safe democracy requires a democratic government and a democratic opposition. Sans either, a democracy is never stable, never safe. Before the Presidential election of 2015, Sri Lanka had a strong anti-democratic government and a weak democratic opposition. After the electoral upheaval of January 2015, Sri Lanka got a weak democratic government but its oppositional space fell under the thrall of anti-democratic forces, unrelenting and virulent in their pursuit of power.





The Rajapaksas were not defanged and the guilt belongs to both Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mr. Wickremesinghe, instead of working to fulfil the promises of 2015, placed all his eggs in the divide-the-SLFP basket, believing that alone would enable the UNP to romp to victory. After some initial resistance, Mr. Sirisena followed suit, trying to use the SLPP to expand his influence within the government.





The defeat at the February local government election and the NCM crisis resulted from those opportunistic political calculations.

Myopic Governance

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administrations inability to comprehend the economics of democracy is imperilling Lankan democracy. Its inability to comprehend the politics of racism is imperilling civil peace and societal stability.





Sri Lanka still has a two-party system, but the two parties are the SLPP and the UNP. Mahinda Rajapaksas SLPP did what the SLMP of Vijaya Kumaratunga and Chandrika Bandaranaike and the DUNF of Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake tried to do and failed  overtake and replace the parent party. The SLPP did not divide the SLFP; it decimated the SLFP and reduced it to the status of a politico-electoral featherweight.





Mr. Sirisena can never form an unadulterated SLFP government. The SLPP will not ally with him. The best the SLFP can hope for, if it contests alone, is to gain the third place, ahead of the TNA and the JVP. If Mr. Sirisena hopes to create dissension in the Rajapaksa family by protecting Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, any such effort will be an exercise in futility. Eventually, he will find himself derided in the anti-Rajapaksa camp and friendless in the Rajapaksa camp, facing the wrath of the Rajapaksas alone.





The UNPs position is only marginally better. It cannot hope to defeat the SLPP on its own, be it at a provincial, presidential or a parliamentary election. It can defeat the SLPP only in alliance with the SLFP. Mr. Wickremesinghe can form an unadulterated UNP government but it will be neither stable nor enduring. It will last for a short while, make too many mistakes by succumbing to partisan short-sightedness and be pummelled by the electorate at provincial and national level elections.





As a result of his recent political choices, President Sirisena has gained for himself a reputation of total untrustworthiness. He is not trusted by the UNP, the SLFP, the SLPP or the JVP. Sinhala-Buddhist extremists dont trust him despite his attempts to win them over while the minorities are beginning to suspect his bona-fides.





Mr. Wickremesinghe has fared only a little better. His habit of placing unquestionable trust in a handful of friends and elevating them to great heights has cost him dear. The depredations of Arjuna Mahendran have deprived Mr. Wickremesinghe of his Mr. Clean image; the disastrous performance of Sri Lankan under the stewardship of Suren Ratwatte has lost Mr. Wickremesinghe his reputation for efficiency.





Public memory is an ephemeral thing. If Mr. Sirisena and Mr. Wickremesinghe can patch up their relationship and return to the agenda of 2015, by 2020, the wasted years will be largely forgotten. The victories of 2015 turned Ranil Wickremesinghe and Maithripala Sirisena into conjoined twins. Neither can survive alone, let alone in opposition to each other. If one fell, the other would fall too. The only government that can survive until 2020 is a Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration.





The SLPP won the local government election not because the Rajapaksa vote base increased between 2015 and 2018. There was no growth in the support for the Rajapaksas either in absolute or in relative terms. The SLPP victory was due in the main to the Rajapaksa ability to maintain its vote base and the acrimonious disunity in the anti-Rajapaksa camp.





So death by suicide is not the fate of the government. Regeneration is possible. But regeneration presupposes a willingness by the president and the prime minister to realise the commonality of their interests, recreate a working-relationship and move fast to fulfil their joint-mandate. If they fail to do so, if they embrace vituperation and inimical competition, they will drown themselves and Lankan democracy in the swelling Rajapaksa seas.

Perilous Deficiencies

The outcome of the No Confidence Motion is a defeat for the SLPP and for the Rajapaksa project; a tactical defeat, one that is easily overcome, but a defeat nevertheless. The SLPP was confident of winning the vote. It was confident of pushing the government and the country into an existential crisis. It expected the UNP to fracture and the SLFP legislators to vote for the motion en bloc (barring a couple of recalcitrants).





But those plans backfired. The UNP didnt split. The SLFP did, with a majority of legislators opting to abstain (which, given the nature of the numbers game, was a way of helping not the SLPP but the UNP). The SLPPs plan of wreaking havoc on the government and the country failed. Instead it imposed an unnecessary defeat on itself, thereby dimming the glory of its recent electoral victory.





In the aftermath of that unexpected and humiliating defeat, the Rajapaksas have returned to what they do in the aftermath of any defeat  depict the outcome as the result of a Tamil-Muslim-Western conspiracy. This was how they interpreted their defeat at the 2015 Presidential election. Having conceded the presidency, Mr. Rajapaksa flew to Hambantota and informed an adoring crowd that Mr. Sirisenas victory was not a legitimate one as it was achieved with the help of Tamils and Muslims.





Similar efforts to incite anti-minority hysteria are being made now. An excellent case in point is a statement by a monk (Hegoda Vipassi Thero) comparing the UNP winning the No Confidence Motion with the TNAs help to the Sinhala-Buddhist version of the Alavaka story. According to this version, King Alav, in order to save his life, promised to give the demon Alavaka a human prey a day [i] ; the king and his hapless subjects were eventually saved by the Buddha.





The Buddhist version  the one in the Tripitaka - is different. The Alavaka Sutta says nothing about a King Alav or a deal between him and Alavaka. It says nothing about Alavakas eating habits. It begins so: Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the abode of Alavaka, the Yakkha (demon), at Alavi. Then Alavaka approached the Blessed One and said: "Get out, recluse (samana)."  "Very well, friend," so saying the Blessed One went out. [ii] The questions Alavaka subsequently puts to the Buddha reveal him to be an intelligent and perceptive creature (far more than most Sinhala-Buddhist monks.) [iii]





The TNA is a democratic Lankan party. Comparing it to a man-eating demon illustrates how a warped version of Buddhism is being used to portray the minorities as the inimical and devilish Other intent on destroying Sinhala-Buddhists. This deadly practice began with the Bhikku Mahanama, the author of Mahawamsa. Mahanama enshrined the three myths which have become the bane of pluralist and democratic Sri Lanka  sacred land, chosen people and holy war.





It is to these ancient myths that the likes of the Rajapaksas and the BBS hark back to, in order to get enough Sinhala-Buddhists to suspect their critical faculties and their humanity, Unlike with Tamils, the Sinhalese had neither a history of contestation nor a linguistic problem with Muslims. Nor did/do the Muslims demand a separate state  except in the fervid imaginings of the likes of Champika Ranawaka, Udaya Gammanpila and Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara. The rapid spread of Wahabism has created a trend towards cultural ghettoisation on the part of conservative Muslims. But black robes and face veils alone couldnt have resulted in Kandy. Kandy happened because of the successful marrying of ancient myths to new cultural differences by vested political interests. It cannot be accidental that those arrested for the conflagration include several SLPP area politicians.





Debunking myths which breed conflict was one of the tasks the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration was supposed to undertake as a key pillar of its reconciliation effort. Unfortunately the government has failed to fulfil this promise. That failure, together with its dismal performance on the economic front, has recreated an environment conducive to extremism and intolerance. It has also enabled the Rajapaksas to define Lankas political centre in Sinhala-Buddhist supremacist terms and render ethno-religious racism respectable, again.





A country is as democratic and as tolerant as the majority of its people. Democracy and tolerance can survive only on the bedrock of economic justice. The three are interrelated. Ancient myths and unalleviated/worsening economic pain working together can lure a nation into the quick-sands racial and religious extremism. Becoming the willing dupes of a perceived strongman-saviour is the next inevitable step in this trajectory.





Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe won when they were jointly heading an alliance of moderates. They can survive only by reaffirming their political unity and their moderate values. If they fail, the failure will not be theirs alone. If they fail, democracy and tolerance too will die. The Rajapaksas will return, with Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the head. Like in Egypt, we would have delivered ourselves from a bad autocrat only to fall into the clutches of an infinitely worse one.
















. "     ,    ,                    ."   -       "  "  ,     .             ,...








Following article based on the excerpts of the Keynote Address by Dr. Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, in the launch of the Handbook on Good Governance for Chairmen and Boards of Directors of Public Enterprises at the Member's Lounge, CA Sri Lanka, Colombo









by Dr. Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough





( April 11, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) While many of us may not be governance specialists; we can equally relate to the impacts of good and bad governance. Its this shared experience that has brought you all here today; that has influenced the development of the handbook that is being launched today; and that dictates that the recommendations in this guidebook be implemented.





Lets start with the what. What does good governance require? It requires credible and trustworthy institutions built on principles of transparency and accountability . Accountability goes beyond the mere responsibility of delivery of a task or service. It also means answerability if a service is not delivered in a timely and efficient manner such that it becomes a burden. It is the citizens right but also their duty to demand it.





What is true at an individual level, is true at the level of a society. International experience, from research, and also as illustrated in a few countries, such as Botswana, Chile or South Korea show that there is a strong positive correlation between accountable and transparent political and economic institutions and the sustainability of the development outcomes. Douglas Norths historical analysis of the transition from natural states to open societies shows how the latter are more sustainable as they use economic competition rather than political institutions and rents to regulate social relations.





Likewise, numerous cross country studies show the negative impact of corruption on growth and investment. For example, a Study by Aidt et all (2007) of 70 countries indicated that countries with higher quality institutions experience higher growth and lower corruption. It further estimated that countries moving to high quality institutions had a growth premium of 26% in the short run and 40% in the long run.





Similarly, the World Banks publication on the changing wealth of nations shows that beyond capital accumulation, it is a countrys intangible capital that makes the difference. Intangible capital being composed of human and natural capital, institutional capital and social capital. I trust these dimensions of development are also very relevant for Sri Lanka, which has made important progress in strengthening the countrys governance framework and institutions with the 19thconstitutional amendment. The amendment provides for more independent accountability of institutions such as the Human Resource Development Council, the Auditor General, Information and the Procurement Commission. The recently approved Right to Information and Audit Acts are also very progressive. All these create a conducive environment to improve the transparency, accountability and performance of the public sector in general, and of public enterprises.





Public Enterprises, represent a major part of Sri Lankas public-sector institutions, and their governance therefore matters greatly. Around 400 SOEs operating in Sri Lanka play a key role in the countrys economy not only in terms of size;, but also because they provide the most important infrastructure and services. Total turnover of the 55 strategically important State Owned Business Enterprises (SOBEs) alone amounted to LKR 1.5 trillion, equivalent to 13 percent of GDP in 2016. Their performance therefore impacts directly Sri Lankas competitiveness and the achievement of its socio-economic development objectives.





But do we know how citizens feel about the service provided by their public enterprises? The World Bank together with our Government counterparts wanted to get a citizens perspective on their public enterprises; so we launched an opinion survey. What we found was both interesting and in some cases perhaps unsurprising. A summary of the results showed that a) many Sri Lankans arent happy with the performance of Public Enterprises - 38% think they perform poorly, while 36% think that the quality of services provided are very poor.





We also asked them to list the top reasons why the performance of Public Enterprises should be reformed. The leading reason was to improve the quality of essential services. They also sited issues with political interference; and need for better corporate governance. So, as I said at the beginning beneficiaries of good/bad governance do not need to be specialists; they just need to be recipients of its impact.





Governance of public enterprises also has an impact on fiscal costs and fiscal risks. Many State-Owned Enterprises reported significant and persistent operating losses, which will need to be covered, generally at the expense of core social programs. Between 2012 and 2015, the net transfers from the State to Public Enterprises amounted to 460 billion rupees, more than the health budget of 380 billion rupees. And these losses havent stopped; Apart from financial sector institutions, the State is contributing more to its commercial public enterprises than receiving from them. It is also exposed to growing liabilities, through guaranteed and non-guaranteed debt, equivalent to 12% of GDP, not counting other contingent liabilities.





Evidence shows that a good corporate governance system is associated with benefits for all companies, whether private or state owned. In Malaysia, a program aimed at transforming government-linked companies, now in its seventh of a 10-year program, has contributed to improving performance. The return on equity of 20 large companies rose from 7.7 percent in 2009 to 10.5 percent in 2010, while total shareholder return grew by 16.4 percent from 2004 to 2011. A 2011 study of 44 Public Enterprises in the water and electricity sectors of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean finds a positive correlation between six dimensions of corporate governance reform such as the legal and ownership framework, the composition of the board, the performance management system of the enterprise, the degree of transparency and disclosure of financial and nonfinancial information, the skills of staff, and the operational performance of the utilities.





We therefore fully support the efforts of Parliament, Government, the Human Resources Development Council and Civil Society, to improve the governance and performance of Public Enterprises. Success will require a collective effort; and I am heartened to see so many stakeholders coming together to support this important reform.





I hope you will allow me to lay out what we feel could be a few critical next steps to better governance in public enterprises  my wish list, so to speak:

Firstly,future consideration of good governance of public enterprises must apply a holistic approach  realigning and strengthening the States ownership and oversight function; which includes improving performance monitoring and evaluation; transparency and accountability; corporate governance, and the capacity of Boards and their senior management. Secondly, increase their ability to compete  competition raises the performance bar Thirdly,improve the business environment in which they operate. Provide opportunities for sharing lessons; creating feedback loops between service deliverer and recipient; and rapid course correction when needed. Fourthly,modernize the accountability framework  and reduce unnecessary external and political influence. Fifthly,improve the legal framework through a PFM Act; Lastly,establish a central clearing house that brings together consideration on investments, revenues, budgetary considerations  resulting in better fiscal considerations and management.

It is against this backdrop that we very much welcome the timely release of the Handbook for Corporate Governance of Public Enterprises, which reflects upon internationally adopted principles and good practices. Every stakeholder  from the individual, the NGOs, the government, and private sector  must read the handbook, identify actions and implement them. The handbook is an important tool; but unless its used its impact will be minimal.





The Handbook complements well the capacity building framework for Public Enterprises jointly developed last year between the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants and the World Bank. This work and the Handbook will inform a certification program with the Ministry of Finance, the Sri Lankan Institute of Directors and IFC for Board leadership.





Let me end by congratulating the host, Dinesh, and respected participants for this event. This event marks an important start to a dialogue  and hopefully action. Its focus on why we should care about better governance of public enterprises; what can be done to improve on a solid base that has been laid out; and how each concerned stakeholder can assist in the process is poignant. Ultimately, everyone wants better service delivered at value for money; in a timely manner and at high quality. That to me, as a layman amongst many is what good governance means to us. We experience the impact. Thats why we should all care.





We look forward to continuing to partner with the various entities that have been involved in the Handbooks creation; the Government, concerned and interested stakeholders. I would like to also acknowledge the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who have been instrumental in supporting our activities on improving good governance of Public Enterprises.
English11/04/2018

SRNA News Roundup /III/ April 11, 2018





REPUBLIKA SRPSKA



BANJALUKA - The Ministry of Economic Relations and Regional Cooperation of Republika Srpska believes that when it comes to the strengthening of institutional and economic cooperation, the work results of the Srpska representative offices abroad are much more important for Srpska than the activities of the entire network of diplomatic and consular BiH's representative offices in the world, whose budget is incomparably larger and is measured by BAM tens of millions.



BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA



SARAJEVO - A BiH Presidency member of Republika Srpska, Mladen Ivanic, said today in Istanbul that the Western Balkans countries face many challenges, but the common desire of all is to ensure political stability and chance for economic development.



SARAJEVO - The contact point for BiH's cooperation with Europol will be the BiH Ministry of Security, it was agreed today in Sarajevo. BiH Security Minister, Dragan Mektic, has stated that the agreement reached today on the contact point for BiH's cooperation with Europol will enable more efficient fight against all forms of crime, including terrorism and illegal migration. Republika Srpska Minister of Internal Affairs, Dragan Lukac, has stated that the agreement reached today on the contact point for cooperation between BiH and Europol will improve many things in police cooperation.



BANJALUKA  Counter-terrorism expert Dzevad Galijasevic told SRNA that there are still structures in BiH not wanting to seriously fight terrorism, but calming the international public down with occasional arrests showing that something is being done in this regard.



FEDERATION OF BiH



IVANICA - Republika Srpska Minister of Refugees and Displaced Persons, Davor Cordas, visited Serb returnees today in the Ivanica Local Community in the municipality of Ravno in FBiH, where eight housing units for Serb returnees have been built, worth approximately BAM 180,000.



SARAJEVO - The Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office is confused with the conclusions adopted by the deputies in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, which, among other things, demand that this judicial institution prioritizes investigations into political killings.



SERBIA



BELGRADE  Leader of the Serbian Radical Party /SRS/, Vojislav Seselj, told SRNA that the second instance verdict of 10 years for hate speech in Hrtkovci, which was pronounced in The Hague, is unlawful, and announced that he will contest it and take measures in few days.



BELGRADE  On the occasion of the Hague Tribunals final verdict of 10 years for persecution of Croats in Hrtkovci handed down to the leader of the Serbian Radical Party /SRS/, Vojislav Seselj, Tomo Fila, a lawyer, told SRNA that for the first time, someone was convicted of a crime in the territory of Serbia , which means "spreading the story" to Serbia and Vojvodina.



BELGRADE - Branko Lukic, a lawyer, has assessed that the Mechanism for International Criminal Courts in The Hague brought a verbal act /speech crime/ back to criminal law with todays judgment handed down to the leader of the Serbian Radical Party /SRS/, Vojislav Seselj.



BELGRADE - Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Alexander Grushko and the director of the Serbian Government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, confirmed today in Moscow the unity of the approach of Serbia and Russia to resolving the Kosovo and Metohija issue, which is based on Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council.



REGION



PODGORICA - Leader of Real Montenegro, Marko Milacic, has told the prime minister of self-proclaimed Kosovo's, Ramush Haradinaj, to keep "hands away from Montenegro" after Haradinaj stated that Albanians should support the DPS candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, Milo Djukanovic. /end/vos
A call for evidence for a potential ban on the live export of animals for slaughter after Brexit has been launched by Environment Secretary Michael Gove. It will also look at higher welfare standards for live animal movements.

Taking action on live animal exports forms part of the governments programme of reforms to cement our position as a global leader in animal welfare as we leave the EU and deliver a Green Brexit.

The Farm Animal Welfare Committee has also launched a review into the existing welfare standards for animals during transport, and this is being complemented by research commissioned by Defra from Scotlands Rural College and the University of Edinburgh.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world which we are strengthening further by raising maximum sentences for animal cruelty to five years and introducing mandatory CCTV in abattoirs.

All animals deserve to get the respect and care they deserve at every stage of their lives. This call for evidence begins to deliver on our manifesto commitment which aims to control the export of live animals for slaughter once we leave the European Union.

With all options being considered, I am keen to hear from industry, the devolved authorities and charities on all possible options and evidence on this vital issue.

The call for evidence, which will last for six weeks, seeks views from across industry, devolved authorities, charities and the general public on how the government might raise standards of animal welfare during transport after the UK leaves the EU. All options for future improvements in this area are being considered, including a potential ban on the live export of animals for slaughter.
The free-to-attend workshops have been designed to provide practical advice to young shearers, semi-professional and professional contract shearers and sheep farmers, with each event being delivered by Selwyn Williams, R&D Manager for Heiniger. Additional input will also be provided by Matt Smith at the Holsworthy, Lostwithiel and Tavistock events: Matt is the 2016 World Nine Hour Strongwool Ewe shearing champion and is Farmers Weekly Sheep Farmer of the Year 2017.

The workshops will focus on several key elements aimed at improving delegates shearing knowledge, including: selecting the right equipment and correct plant setup; clipper and blade maintenance; grinding and sharpening combs and cutters for optimum performance and lifespan. Matt Smith will also be discussing the importance of health, nutrition and fitness which can be overlooked but are essential to a successful career in shearing. Each event will also include a Q&A session with attendees able to seek specific advice pertinent to their own shearing requirements.

Choosing the right equipment and ensuring it is properly maintained is vital to the safe and efficient shearing of sheep, explains Ian Chapman, Marketing Executive for Allflex UK Group Ltd, the UK importer and distributor of Heiniger clipping and shearing equipment. Weve therefore teamed up with Heiniger and a selection of well-known companies and institutions to host a second series of our popular shearing workshops. The sole aim of these workshops is to help improve a shearers knowledge, thus making the shearing season more efficient, more productive, more profitable and safer for novice and experienced shearers and farmers.
The countdown to the 2018 Pepsi North America Cup is on, with Trot Magazine profiling the horses predicted to be the top contenders for Canadian harness racing's richest prize.

At 20-1, Hitman Hill comes in at #8 in Trot Magazine's 2018 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book.

Owned by Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont. and Northfork Racing Stable, Wilkes-Barre, Penn., Hitman Hill was nearly flawless as a freshman with six wins in seven starts and $146,533 in earnings. Trot Insider caught up with trainer Chris Oakes for an update on the speedy son of American Ideal.

Where did he winter?

He went to North Carolina for three months then after that he came to the South Florida Trotting Center.

When did you start back with him?

He came in around the first of the year, somewhere in the middle of January.

Where are you at with him right now? (as of April 5)

We went around 2:10 the other day, so hes probably about a month away.

Have you noticed any changes from last year to this year?

Hes a little bigger and stronger, but he was already a kind of big, strong two-year-old; a good-looking horse. [Hes] a little more mature and has filled out nicely.

When will he qualify?

Early May, first week of May, hell qualify at Pocono. Hell qualify probably two times, then hes got a sires stakes at Vernon a week before the elimination, so Ill race him two qualifiers and maybe one time or two times at the most before we head to Canada.

What will his early schedule look like leading up to the Pepsi North America Cup?

I dont want to over race him; he went in 1:50 his second start lifetime at Vernon, so he told me he didnt need to work a lot. Hes just a natural; he can go fast. I want to have him lightly-raced going into [the North America Cup]. How he races at Vernon will determine whether he goes [to the North America Cup].

Obviously, Im expecting him to go...hes a really good horse. Hes only lost one time and thats because he was sick. We scoped him after the [New York Sires Stakes final] and he was full of mucous and pus. But he didnt have a temperature, so we decided to race him. The groom called and told me He never touched his breakfast the morning of, I was kind of suspicious and he didnt have a temperature, so we obviously cant scope him in the paddock before you race him so we decided to go with him and he was flat.

I just turned him out and quit with him after that, instead of going to the Breeders Crown. He was eligible, but I thought it was better to just shut him down cause I thought Hes a two-year-old, hes done enough at this point. He paid his purchase price back, so I figured just give him time, let him heal up and wed have a great three-year-old coming back next year.

What does his tentative schedule look like after the North America Cup?

Hes in everything. The only thing I didnt put him in was the Meadowlands Pace because I cant race there in a Meadowlands-sponsored race. But hes in all the other stuff -- Little Brown Jug, Breeders Crown, pretty much everything. Its not a bad thing...well have basically a two-or-three-week layover [after the Hempt]. Home for him is Pocono, thats where I have my own farm. Hell be home there and should have an easy time about it with no shipping. Its a long year; to do that [well] week in and week out at that level is completely brutal. Well have to give him a break some point in the year and there seems as good a time as any.

At what point last year did you think this horse was North America Cup material?

After his second start at Vernon when he went [1]:50. They were giving two seconds that night, two seconds were allowed. Brett Miller drove him and he was literally shaking in the winners circle saying This is some kind of horse. I kind of knew he was a nice horse...I figured hed pace probably in [1]:51, [1]:52 easy enough that night, but aw man, [he went 1]:50. And again, the track was terrible that night. [He] came first over and just annihilated them.

Then he went to Batavia after that and went in [1]:52 over that track, set a track record. Came home in :27 and never even pulled the plugs. He got a little hot at the end of the year; he started getting a little aggressive, because, when racing on all those half-mile tracks, youve got to be on or near the lead. And by the time the end of the year rolled around, he thought that was what he was supposed to do all the time. We tried to quiet him down and reprogram him...hes got an open bridle now. Hes just sitting last every training trip and pacing home real well, so the main thing is I want to keep him quiet, relaxed and teach him how to be a good horse.

What's his biggest asset/strength?

"I think hes got three lungs. He just doesnt get tired...he can go fast and go fast a long time. Nothing bothers him that way. He could go stupid quarters and, how another horse could curl up, he doesnt even think about it; no problems.

Where does the Pepsi North America Cup sit on the bucket list of races you'd like to win?

Its right up near the top; its got one heck of a trophy. Canadas a great place to race. Everybodys always treated me very well there. The people are good and I have a lot of friends up there. Its a nice race for sure to be in but its also a nice race to win.

Previous Profiles:

 Trot N.A. Cup Spring Book: #9

 Trot N.A. Cup Spring Book: #10
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TARGOVAX ASA: Protocol from the Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting was held on April 11, 2018 at the Company's offices at Lilleakerveien 2C, 0283 Oslo.

Please find minutes of the meeting attached.

For further information, please contact:

Renate Birkeli, Investor Relations

Phone: +47 922 61 624

Email: renate.birkeli@targovax.com

Media and IR enquires:

Andreas Tinglum - Corporate Communications (Norway)

Phone: +47 9300 1773

Email: andreas.tinglum@corpcom.no

Simon Conway - FTI Consulting (International)

Phone: +44 20 3727 1000

Email: Targovax@fticonsulting.com

About Targovax

Arming the patient's immune system to fight cancer

Targovax (OSE:TRVX) is a clinical stage company focused on developing and commercializing novel immuno-oncology therapies to target, primarily, treatment-resistant solid tumors. Immuno-oncology is currently one of the fastest growing therapeutic fields in medicine.

The Company's development pipeline is based on two novel proprietary platforms:

The first platform, ONCOS, uses oncolytic viruses as potential multi-target, neo-antigen, therapeutic cancer vaccines. ONCOS uses an adenovirus that has been engineered to be an immune activator that selectively targets cancer cells. In phase I trials it has demonstrated immune activation at tumor lesional level which was associated with clinical benefit. In an ongoing phase I combination trial in advanced melanoma we are seeking important proof of concept data to confirm that patients who have become refractory to treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) can respond to the same checkpoint inhibitor after treatment with ONCOS-102.

The second platform, TG, uses neo-antigen cancer vaccines designed to specifically treat tumors that express mutated forms of RAS. Mutations to the RAS protein are common in many cancers and are known to drive aggressive disease progression and treatment resistance. There is a high unmet medical need for therapies that are effective against tumors that express these mutations. The TG platform's therapeutic potential stems from its ability to enable the patient's immune system to develop a cellular response with the potential to identify and destroy tumors bearing any RAS mutations. In early 2017, key proof of concept data for the TG platform from a clinical trial of TG01 in resected pancreatic cancer patients showed encouraging overall survival. These results are now providing guidance for the future clinical development of this platform.

Targovax's clinical development pipeline includes three novel therapeutic candidates covering six indications.

Both platforms are protected by an extensive portfolio of Intellectual Property (IP) and know-how and have the potential to yield multiple pipeline candidates in a cost-effective manner. Additionally, Targovax has other product candidates in preclinical development.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Targovax ASA via Globenewswire


Yara and BASF open world-scale ammonia plant in Freeport, Texas

Oslo, Norway and Florham Park, NJ, April 11, 2018: Yara International ASA and BASF today celebrated the opening of a new world-scale ammonia plant in Freeport, Texas, USA.





Yara Freeport LLC is owned 68 percent by Yara and 32 percent by BASF. The plant, located at BASF's site in Freeport, has a capacity of 750,000 metric tons of ammonia per year. Each party will off-take ammonia according to their ownership share.



"Together with our partners at BASF, we built a world-scale ammonia plant that not only raises the bar in terms of safety, efficiency and quality but also applies the principles of industrial symbiosis by using a by-product as feedstock for ammonia production," says Yara President and CEO, Svein Tore Holsether. "Yara Freeport strengthens our leading position in the global ammonia market and expands our production footprint in North America."



"This joint venture with Yara not only strengthens our production Verbund at the Freeport site, it demonstrates BASF's commitment to investing in North America," said Wayne T. Smith, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE and Chairman and CEO, BASF Corporation. "The new plant allows us to take advantage of world-scale production economics and attractive raw material costs to strengthen the competitiveness of our customer value chain in the region."



Conventional ammonia plants use natural gas to produce the hydrogen needed during ammonia production. Yara Freeport's hydrogen-based technology allows the plant to forego this initial production step, leading to lower capital expenditure and maintenance costs. By using hydrogen, which originates from the production processes of various petrochemical plants nearby, Yara Freeport safeguards resources and mitigates environmental impact.



A long-term supply agreement for hydrogen and nitrogen with industrial gases company Praxair Inc. links feedstock cost to the advantageous natural gas prices on the U.S. Gulf coast.



BASF will use its share of ammonia off-take to produce polyamide 6, which is commonly used in the production of carpet fibers, packaging and casings for the wire and cable markets. Polyamide 6 for injection molding is used in high-performance engineering plastics for automotive applications. Yara will market its share of ammonia to industrial customers and the agricultural sector in North America. To support the new plant, Yara built an ammonia storage facility at Port Freeport. BASF upgraded its existing terminal and pipeline assets.





Media Inquiries:



Yara Contacts:



Thor Giver, Investor Relations

Mobile: (+47) 48 07 53 56

E-mail: thor.giaver@yara.com



Kristin Nordal, Corporate Communications

Mobile: (+47) 900 15 550

E-mail: kristin.nordal@yara.com





BASF Contact:



Donna Jakubowski

Tel.: (+1 973) 245-6260

E-mail: donna.jakubowski@basf.com





About Yara

In collaboration with customers and partners, Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet, to fulfil its vision of a collaborative society, a world without hunger and a planet respected.



Our crop nutrition solutions and precision farming offerings allow farmers to increase yields and improve product quality while reducing environmental impact. Our environmental and industrial solutions improve air quality and reduce emissions, and are key ingredients in the production of a wide range of products. We foster an open culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes the safety and integrity of our employees, contractors, business partners, and society at large.



Founded in 1905 to solve emerging famine in Europe, Yara has a worldwide presence with more than 16,000 employees and operations in over 60 countries. In 2017, Yara reported revenues of USD 11.4 billion.

www.yara.com





About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,200 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.9 billion in 2017. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.com.



At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of 64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at

www.basf.com



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.





This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Yara International ASA via Globenewswire


Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
Participants in Challenge Day at Sidney High School Monday share personal experiences during a session in the full day event. The event is designed to break down the social barriers between people and encourage support between students.

It is no secret the junior high and high school years can be challenging academically and emotionally. Some of the hardest lessons are learned in the hallways, cafeteria and even after school when a student has to learn to accept and relate to young people they normally don't spend time with.

On Monday, Sidney High School hosted a program designed to help students see that their fellow students are not as different as they might believe, and that some of the "strangers" in the hallway might be future friends.

Challenge Day is a 501c3 nonprofit organization designed to help people connect through powerful, life-changing programs in schools, businesses, communities and families, according to the program's website.

"I'm pretty amazed at our kinds, and some of the challenges they live through," Sidney School District Board Member Brenda Smith said Monday at the board meeting. "It was a pretty powerful day."

The program included games and exercises that encourage self-esteem and helped children see that each of them have obstacles in life and some of the road blocks in life are inconsequential. The program was designed to be safe for students to be transparent, share as deep into their personal experiences as they feel comfortable.

"I definitely saw it as a safe space," said freshman Phyre Gonzales.

She said students were encouraged not to share their stories or stories other students shared in the meeting. She added the experience makes her feel closer to other students at the high school. It helps unify students, she said.

The program was for Sidney High School freshmen.

"They limited us to 100 students overall, and one adult per four students," SHS Principal Chris Arent said at the school board meeting. "We used no school dollars."

He said the project was supported by local businesses and community members.

Arent said the response from freshmen participants was "universally positive."

Freshman Kaitlyn Darnall said Challenge Day brought people together in an effort to break down barriers, learn what other people are like.

Arent said at the school board meeting he feels the staff and students can work together, however "we can do better."

"I think our culture at the high school is pretty good, and surveys say that, but we an do better," he said.

He said surveys of students show there is more mistreatment among students than between students and staff.

He added the program is designed very specifically.

"It is very well scripted, and they stuck to the timetable. We started on time and ended on time."

He said the high school hopes to return the event next year and make it an annual event. He commended Shelby Price for her dedication to bringing the event to Sidney.
A recommendation by the Cheyenne County Assessor has been accepted by the Nebraska Department of Revenue to be forwarded to potentially lower the level at which properties are taxed.

Cheyenne County Assessor Sybil Prosser last week sent the offices annual review to the Department of Revenue, proposing value changes based on property sales. Prosser was informed Friday that the Department of Revenue approved the proposal and forwarded it on to the Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Commission, which has the final say.

Properties are taxed based on their market value, from 92-100 percent for residential properties, and from 69-75 percent for agricultural land. Cheyenne Countys recommendation was that county properties be taxed at 92 percent for residential and 71 percent for agricultural land.

In Sidney, that would be a reduction of 10-14 percent, while villages and small town properties would be nine percent lower. Rural residential could drop five percent. Taxing of agricultural land in Area 1, generally the southern parts of the county, could go down 13 to 20 percent for dry land, and 20 percent for CRP. Area 2, generally the northern parts of the county, could go down approximately 12 percent for both dry and CRP. Irrigated land sales have for the most part remained the same and would not change.

Prosser said this years recommendation is based on a review of sales within the county. Lower sales prices have gone down enough to make the suggestion.

In the case of ag land, Prosser said dry land had previously been selling in Area 1 in a $575-755 per acre range and now sells for $604-460 per acre. Area 3 was $940-825 and is most recently in the $827-726 per acre range. Homes sale prices have also dropped significantly.

Prosser said the tax percentage is just one part of the valuation formula. Another is a propertys individual market value, established by either the sale of a home or property, or similar properties. The assessors office performs physical reviews of properties every six years (on a rotating basis).
The reduction of staff when Cabelas was sold to Bass Pro lead the Sidney School District to plan cost-saving efforts. The plan included a reduction in staff, primarily by attrition.

Between retirements and resignations, the plan has worked. However, Cheyenne County Assessor Sybil Prosser announced a decrease in valuation, resulting in less revenue from property taxes. Monday night, Sidney Schools Superintendent Jay Ehler was asked what the impact will be and if the State will increase its support to the school district.

Our allotment is going to go down, he said referring to the property tax revenue.

He added the amount of State aid should increase. The question that couldnt be answered is what the state legislature is doing with the school aid and property tax credits. In an April 6 story from Unicameral Update, the Nebraska Legislatures official news source, said lawmakers were debating a proposal to provide a minimum amount of state aid to each public school district. The report said an amendment is pending that would replace the bill and raise the state sales tax rate to fund additional school aid and property tax credits.

Sen. Curt Friesen, of Henderson, is sponsoring the bill. Sen. Friesen is quoted saying the bill would ensure districts receive no less than 25 percent of its basic funding needs. In the article, Friesen added about 70 percent of the States school districts receive no equalization aid.

Monday, Ehler said he expects the state aid to increase.

All in all, I thought it was good news, he said.

In other business, the school board approved an agreement with Turf Management and Weed Control and discussed changes in graduating with honors requirements. Honors graduates with a 3.75 gpa or higher will be recognized, up from 3.50 presently. Changes will include Honors students must complete 85 credit hours. The changes are set to be instated in 2019.

The board also accepted resignations of Amber Burnett, Kelly Whipple and Victoria Ingram, and teaching contracts for Eamonn Feeney, Carissa Rayburn, Erin Dunn and Amelia Schuessler.

The board also approved a contract with Wamsley Construction for $36,225 to replace and update the front door at West Elementary School.

The board also recognized the Sidney High School choir for its invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Construction of the AES superyacht began in 2006 at Sevmash Shipyard in Northern Russia before being delayed in order to deliver Graceful. Following the launch of the 81-metre in 2015, the owner approached Steve Gresham to complete the project following his earlier work with H2 Design.

It is great to see Victoria launched, explains Steve Gresham of Gresham Yacht Design. I remember putting pen to paper for the project back in 2004 and to see it finished is a proud moment. It has been a privilege to design this yacht for an owner with foresight in developing new build facilities and thus expanding yachting horizons.



After travelling from Russia to Italy and then to AES Yachts in Turkey, Victoria has now been completed and features an uncompromising lifestyle on board thanks to the ample amount of interior space, styled by H2 Design.

The layout, an engineering feat which maximises interior space, brings the outdoor in thanks to full-height windows which cantilever outward and conical doors on the main and upper deck. This merges worlds on board and brings a unique style to the exterior profile itself, emphasising the milestone launch for the Turkish builder.

A beam of 11.4-metres brings space to breathe on board, while the 1,553 GRT volume offers guests expansive room to relax, dine and spend time at sea together in total comfort.

While little is still known about Victoria, the highly-styled work of a design studio, innovative designer and visionary owner has brought forward yet another spectacular member for the global fleet and we look forward to bringing you more details as they emerge.
Support the Cudeca cancer hospice and enjoy an unforgettable concert experience at the same time. This is the invitation being extended to everyone when Europe's best Queen tribute act plays in aid of Cudeca at the Castle in Fuengirola on Saturday, April 21.

It all started on a small scale more than ten years ago. Today, the band is in demand all across Northern Europe, and in many parts of the USA as well.

From hobby to the big time

Bjarke Baisner sings, looks, acts and performs just like the legendary Freddie Mercury. And his four band members are equally enthusiastic. That's why the Queen Machine tribute act is the closest you can get to the real deal, and fans flock to their concerts in the thousands. "We are just like Queen in their younger days. When they were in their prime and always able to surprise on stage. This is also just how our audiences expect to see us," explains Peter Jeppesen, guitarist and spokesman for the band. He has been on board ever since things first got going in '07. "Back then it was just for fun, but things suddenly got serious  and in a good way. We went from playing for small audiences in tiny venues to standing before crowds of 10-20 thousand people at huge festivals. I don't quite get it, but people want to see us. They want to see Queen." And Queen Machine does their utmost to deliver the goods.

All the little details

The popular band takes great pride in developing their act and preparing for their performances, and they focus on all of the little details in order to make their concerts as authentic as possible. "We are always coming up with new shows and we pay attention to all of the subtleties so that we can get as close to the real Queen as we can," explains the Danish guitarist. For this reason, their costumes are tailor-made to look like the original ones worn by Queen, and their light shows and staging are set up just as they were at Queen concerts in the 80s. Attention is paid to every detail, including those which are too small to fully appreciate, such as the guitarist's plectrum, for example.

Brian May and Roger Taylor say okay

It is no ordinary plectrum; it's the old, original sixpence coin that Brian May used at the height of Queen's fame. "A few years ago, we had the pleasure of meeting Queen's original guitarist, Brian May, and the band's drummer Roger Taylor. They know us and our show, so we've got the thumbs up from them," concludes Peter Jeppesen cheerfully. The band has a long summer ahead touring across Europe and the USA, where they had a big breakthrough last year. But before then, Europe's best Queen tribute act will play their first concert ever on Spanish soil. On April 21, they will bring their legendary show to Castillo Sohail in Fuengirola.

About Cudeca

Since the cancer hospice Cudeca was established in 1992 it has cared for more than 14,000 cancer patients on Costa del Sol. Some patients stay in-house at Cudecas hospice in Benalmadena, while others receive out-house treatment and care in their homes. All cancer patients can ask Cudeca for help regardless of the persons sex, age, religion and nationality. Last year alone Cudeca took care of more than 1,400 patients. And the number is growing every year. Therefore, the cancer hospice is in need of more resources. Just eight percent of Cudecas budget is covered by public contributions. In other words, 92 percent is generated by private donations, charity shops and numerous charity events.

Ticket prices and sales

Tickets standing: 18 euro. Tickets seated: 25 euro.

Tickets are sold online

www.ticketea.com and at:

Fuengirola: UniOptica (opposite the Tourist Office)

Cafe La Vida (the Feria Square)

Arroyo: Funky Frog (Avda. Gamonal)

Mijas: Loft & Roomers (Ctra. de Mijas)

Elviria: Hairdresser Martins (Centro Comercio Elviria)

Marbella: Loft & Roomers (OASIS Business Center)

For more info please conctact:

henrik@eventhuset.es / 670 63 57 86

Beautiful Castillo Sohail

The old medieval castle in Fuengirola is considered one of the most beautiful concert venues in Andalucia. But this hasnt always been the case. Castillo Sohail was extremely damaged by wars in the past and at some point it was almost virtually destroyed. Since the castle didnt serve much purpose for the local government, it was privately owned for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. But in 1989 the town hall took over Castillo Sohail and from 1995-97 the castle was restored and partially rebuild. Now 15-20 concerts and other cultural activities are held at Castillo Sohail every year.

Paul Maxwel

The evening at Castillo Sohail on the 21st of April will offer lots of entertain-ment and really good music.

Paul Maxwel  also known as The Piano Man  takes the scene at 20.15 hours. Paul Maxwell performs frequently at the most popular venues in Marbella and has performed several times with prominent names like Lionel Richie, Gary Moore, Michael Bolton and Ricky Martin. Paul Maxwel will perform the biggest hits from Elton John, Louis Armstrong, Tom Jones and Tina Turner as well as his own music. Of course accompanied with his beautiful white piano.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Dan Marriott lived out his bowling fantasy Tuesday at the United States Bowling Congress Masters at the Oncenter.

The 19-year-old right-hander from East Syracuse got to compete on the same qualifying squad and interact with many of the professional stars he idolizes, including Marshall Kent and hall of famers Walter Ray Williams Jr., Norm Duke and Parker Bohn III.

"This is fun," Marriott said. "At first it was overwhelming. But once I got my feet under me, it was just like bowling in league."

Marriott was among the first local bowlers to enter the event. He averaged 172.80 for his five-game block that featured a 236 last game.

"I'll need more of those games the next two days," Marriott said.

Cicero's Derek Magno had the best showing of the Central New York bowlers with a 204.8 average after Day 1 of qualifying. All players will bowl 10 additional qualifying games Wednesday and Thursday before the field is trimmed to 64 for match play. Times for the qualifying rounds Wednesday and Thursday are 8 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

USBC MASTERS NOTES

Youth is served: While Dan Marriott is one of the tournament's youngest competitors at 19, 17-year-old Jalen Mosley, of Indianapolis is the youngest. Mosley bowled last year in the Masters at 16 and finished 13th. Anthony Simonsen became the youngest Masters champion at 19 when he won the title in 2016.

Sweeper results: On Monday, competitors took to the lanes for practice and also could enter a five-game sweeper side tournament. Daniel Fransson of Sweden won the event with a 1,145 total and cashed $1,000.

Televised finals a hot ticket: Bleacher seating for the April 15 televised final has been sold out. But chair seating (with no direct view of the live action only TV monitor viewing) remains and can be ordered online at $7.33. Go to bowl.com for ticket information.
For at least a year, the biggest Black Lives Matter page on Facebook was a scam and has been removed from the platform.



The page, titled Black Lives Matter, had almost 700,000 followers, according to CNN. That's over twice as many as the movement's official page.



The fake page was tied to online fundraisers that brought in at least $100,000 that supposedly went to Black Lives Matter causes in the U.S., CNN said.



But the page was apparently run from Australia. It has consistent ties to Ian Mackay, a middle-aged white man and National Union of Workers official in that country, according to CNN.



At least some of the money raised through the fake page's fundraisers ended up in Australian bank accounts.



Facebook has removed the page for being inauthentic, according to The New York Times. CNN said the page, separate from Facebook's suspension, had been taken down by an administrator shortly after CNN contacted one of the Australian men who may be associated with it.



The disclosure of the fake page came as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was preparing for testimony in Congress this week.



The page appears to have been set up in 2016, according to CNN. The people behind the page also ran a popular Facebook Group titled Black Lives Matter that had almost 40,000 members.



The page continually drove traffic to websites associated with the blackpowerfist.com domain name, which Mackay registered in 2015, according to CNN.



At least one of the fundraising accounts associated with the page and its activities was tied to Mackay by name, CNN said.



Mackay and one other official have been suspended from their union positions while the organization investigates, according to SBS News in Australia. The union told CNN it was not involved in any of Mackay's Facebook activities.



CNN said Facebook acted on the page only after a week of emails and calls between the network and the company about the story. And the company only acted because it had suspended a user account that ran the page, CNN said.



Facebook was told of the concerns previously, according to CNN. Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, told CNN that the group contacted Facebook over concerns about the page being a scam several months ago.



Cullors wrote on Twitter that she and her supporters asked Facebook repeatedly to shut down the fake page, but the company balked at doing so, according to The New York Times.



"These fake BLM accounts and fake BLM people literally stealing money off black death is so stomach churning I can't even begin to explain," she wrote. "Glad it's down now."



Mackay denied running the page when CNN reached out to him last month.



"I once bought the domain name only and sold it," he said, according to CNN.



Within a few hours, the fake Facebook page had been deactivated. Mackay did not answer multiple questions from CNN about his connection to the page.



Fundraising campaigns associated with the fake page were suspended by PayPal and Patreon after CNN contacted the companies for comment. Other campaigns on Donorbox and Classy had already been removed.

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112
Syracuse, NY -- Should police be able to search someone's cell phone if that person's mother, who pays the bill, hands it over?

That was the ultimate question debated today in a court hearing before Judge Thomas J. Miller.

But the backdrop wasn't just a legal curiosity: it revolves around a key piece of evidence in a Syracuse murder. Hanza Muhammad, 26, is accused of shooting to death John White, 22, in October 2017 on Butternut Street.

Muhammad wasn't caught for several weeks, leading police to go looking for him.

Here's what happened next: Muhammad's girlfriend did not want police to search her phone when they showed up at her North Syracuse residence. During a search of the residence, which the girlfriend consented to, Muhammad was trying to call her.

The girlfriend, Meghan Lamirande, 23, was placed in handcuffs after becoming belligerent with officers, a detective testified Tuesday.

That's when Lamirande then handed the phone off to her mother, asking her to put it in the glove compartment of a car.

What happened next is in dispute, but the mother ended up handing the phone to police. The mother testified today that police ordered her to turn it over. But she previously testified that she handed it to police without mention of the police order. The detective testified the mom willingly handed the phone over, saying she wanted to cooperate against Muhammad.

In any case, the mom knew that she was turning the phone over against the wishes of her daughter. The mom then signed a consent form allowing police to confiscate and search the phone.

Prosecutors say the mom had every right to consent to police searching the phone -- after all, she paid for the Verizon family plan that covered the phone. She also provided a passcode that, perhaps coincidentally, turned out to be the code her daughter used to lock the phone (the mom said today the same passcode was used for the entire account and she wasn't trying to give cops a way to break into that particular phone).

In any case, prosecutor Joseph Coolican argued that the consent form proved police had a right to take the phone.

But Muhammad's defense lawyer, Ken Moynihan, argued that police improperly took the phone, knowing that the daughter -- its primary user -- didn't want them to have it.

He likened it to police getting denied by one person to search private property, only to find someone else who allowed them to do it. Moynihan argued that wasn't allowed under law. That said, Moynihan didn't argue that mom wasn't also a qualified owner of the phone.

It's not clear what's on the phone that can be used against Muhammad. But prosecutors have now spent two days in court hearings arguing for its use at Muhammad's trial.

Miller, the judge, gave lawyers a week to file legal arguments before he makes a ruling on the cell phone's admissibility at trial.

The daughter, Lamirande, is facing possible criminal prosecution and did not testify at this week's hearing because her lawyer advised her to exercise her right against self incrimination.

Muhammad faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Syracuse University student has been accused of rape, according to court records.

Miguel A. Caamano, 21, was arrested and charged with third-degree rape, a felony complaint filed in City of Syracuse court said. Caamano is listed as a senior in the university's student directory.

The felony complaint accuses Caamano of raping a 19-year-old woman in an on-campus, university-owned apartment in September of 2017.

When contacted by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, the university didn't provide an immediate comment.

A person accused of third-degree rape can be accused of having sex with someone:
OSWEGO, N.Y. -- Oswego County landlord Doug Waterbury has a "longstanding pattern" of sexually harassing female tenants -- dating back to 1990, according to federal officials.

The U.S. Department of Justice today filed a lawsuit against Waterbury, joining in the claims lodged last year by six low-income tenants of Waterbury's.

According to the DOJ lawsuit, Waterbury's sexual harassment spans dozens of victims, including a teenager who he subjected to non-consensual sex while she checked out an apartment he was renting.

Waterbury has not been criminally charged, according to a spokesman for Oswego city police.

He owns the Renaissance Fair in Sterling, Syvlan Beach Amusement Park, Santa's Workshop near Lake Placid, and about 50 rental properties mostly in the city of Oswego.

The Justice Department's lawsuit names Waterbury, his wife and business partner Carol, and two property companies, Ontario Realty Inc. and E&A Management Co.

Federal officials said that among multiple other instances, in May 2017, Waterbury locked a teenaged girl who was a prospective tenant in a rental unit, lifted her shirt, groped her and pushed her onto a couch.

According to the DOJ's complaint, Waterbury then proceeded to have "unwelcome and painful sexual intercourse and oral sex with her, and instructed her not to tell anyone what had just happened."

Federal officials provided a handful of other examples in their complaint, including repeated harassment of a homeless woman who continuously refused to rent from Waterbury, despite his offers of lower rent in exchange for sex.

"The experiences of these three women were not isolated instances," DOJ lawyers wrote in their complaint.

According to federal officials, Waterbury regularly demanded tenants and potential tenants have sex with him to keep or obtain housing, including while he was showing rental units.

Here are other examples alleged in the complaint:

He subjected these women to non-consensual sexual contact, groping, unwanted sexual comments and advances.

He asked women intrusive personal questions about their romantic relationships and sexual histories as part of their application process for apartments.

He offered reduced rent or deposit payments in exchange for sex.

He refused services or created adverse housing conditions for females who refused sex.

He showed up for unannounced, intrusive visits to tenants' homes for the purpose of making sexual advances.

According to the DOJ, the lawsuit is part of a Civil Rights Division initiative announced in October to combat sexual harassment in housing.

Officials said in a statement they hope the lawsuit and other efforts help with "tackling this scourge, which strikes at the heart of access to fair housing, free from harassment and other forms of discrimination."

The lawsuit demands money to compensate Waterbury's alleged victims and seeks a court order barring him from further discrimination.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992
New York, NY -- A Queens judge should be removed from the bench, the state's judicial conduct commission determined, after a history of berating lawyers, abusing his power and failing to cooperate with the investigation into his conduct.

When Judge Terrence O'Connor showed up at the commission's office in March 2017, he was overheard saying, "The place is a (f-ing) clown show," according to the document ordering his removal.

But it was repeated impropriety while serving on the bench that the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct faulted in launching a probe into O'Connor.

Some of the allegations are bizarre: O'Connor, for example, is accused of berating lawyers for saying "okay" after a response by a witness in court.

Stop "telling (the witness) his answers are okay!" the judge ordered in March 2015 court hearing. O'Connor eventually threw out the landlord-tenant case after striking the witness's testimony over the lawyer's use of the word, "okay."

That improper dismissal cost one party $90,000 after being forced to restart the litigation, the judicial conduct commission said.

O'Connor claimed that "okay" -- a word routinely used by both sides in court proceedings -- was leading the witness. The commission said that made no sense, noting that lawyers said "okay" after even the most mundane answers, such as the witness's occupation.

In another case, O'Connor berated a lawyer who was unexpectedly ordered to be ready for trial and attempted to contact his client by cell phone.

"Is there some course in law school now, how to bediscourteous and how to be rude? Because if there is, you must have gotten an A in it," the judge told the lawyer.

The judge was also faulted for imposing improper fees that weren't asked for by the opposing party.

But perhaps O'Connor's greatest sin was failing to cooperate with the state's judicial commission in regards to his courtroom conduct.

O'Connor repeatedly delayed hearings, refused to testify and then refused to cooperate when formally charged with misconduct.

It was months after the investigation began that O'Connor was heard after a March 2017 hearing swearing in regards to the commission.

O'Connor can appeal his removal to the state's highest court for a review. Otherwise, he will be removed from office by the high court.
Chris Baker | cbaker@syracuse.com

A closer look at Ben Walsh's budget

Monday, Mayor Ben Walsh presented his proposed 2018-19 budget to the Syracuse Common Council. The highlights of that 387-page budget include a hiring freeze, a flat tax rate, an $11 million deficit and money for new classes of cops and firefighters.

Also included in the budget are a series of other initiatives that didn't make it into our first round of coverage. Here's a look at some of those items:

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Lauren Long | llong@syracuse.com

Increasing security and maintenance downtown

The proposed budget includes a $135,000 increase in the special downtown assessment fund. That money, collected from downtown business owners, is used to support the Downtown Committee and services like security patrols, hanging flowers, the farmer's market and marketing.

Walsh has proposed a $20,000 increase in security spending, a $47,000 increase in economic development and an $85,000 increase in environmental maintenance.

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Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

"Assessing" all city fees

Walsh said he's committed to reassessing fees for city services across departments.

The parks department presented a series of fee increases to the Common Council earlier this year. Those increases were ultimately shelved. Councilors decided to assess them at budget time.

Walsh said Monday most fees have not been updated in many years and do not accurately reflect the cost of services. He plans to have new fee proposals in front of the council this fall.

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AP Images

Bringing bike-sharing to Syracuse

In the coming fiscal year, Walsh's administration is seeking to attract a bike sharing company to set up shop in Syracuse. This will come at no cost to the city, Walsh said last week.

In the new fiscal year, the city will issue a request for quotations from interested companies. Read more about the bike-share program here.

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Tim Knauss

Purchasing 17,000 street lights

The city currently rents all of its street lights from National Grid at significant expense.

The city will partner with the New York Power Authority to purchase roughly 17,000 street lights from National Grid. Those lights will be replaced with a network of LED lights, which will save the city money on energy costs, Walsh said.

"What we can do with those is really exciting," he said. "...If you have a neighborhood with a crime issue, [we're] able to turn up the lights. This is where cities are going."

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Chris Baker | cbaker@syracuse.com

Building a new city website

The city's website is more than a decade old and difficult to navigate. The new budget promises a new site compatible with desktops, tablets and mobile devices -- one that will be more user friendly.

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Chris Baker | cbaker@syracuse.com

Creating new accountability department

Walsh mentioned creation of the the Office of Accountability in his State of the City in January. In the budget, he establishes that department as part of the executive office. The office is tasked with monitoring the performance of city departments and offering regular reports to administration officials as well as the public.

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Chris Baker

Accepting credit cards for city bills

City Hall will modernize its in-house equipment to begin accepting credit card payments. Currently, a handful of bills (water, taxes, parking tickets) can be paid online with a credit card. But in person, most city departments only take cash, check or money orders.

The city will install a new point-of-service system to accept credit card payments for any expenditures.

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What's next?

This budget provides $1 million for mental health support to city school students, funding that will be magnified by funding from the School District and Onondaga County to help our children succeed and make our schools safer. I greatly appreciate Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoneys strong support for Say Yes and our schools.

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Read more about the budget

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Syracuse, N.Y. -- Rev. Carl Clark made the trip from Syracuse to South Africa late last month, just as he had more than a dozen other times for his ministry work. This time, it was to become a bishop in the Christian Center International Churches, based in Sharpeville.

But that did not turn out to be the highlight. Clark, minister at a storefront church along a street known more for strip clubs than anything else, found himself in Winnie Mandela's house of mourning, the day after the controversial matriarch died at age 81 from complications of diabetes.

Rev. Carl Clark of Syracuse with members of the Winnie Mandela's family at her home following her death April 2, 2018.

It seems an odd place for the pastor of a small Syracuse church to end up. But the path there was one built from Central New York to South Africa over the course of Clark's lifetime. He began ministering at the elbow of Rev. Robert W. Jones, Grace Jones' father. Through Jones he met the Molefe family of South Africa. The Molefe family, Clark said, are the like the Kennedys of South Africa, involved in politics, government and church.

After Jones died, Clark continued as a pastor and his relationship with the Molefe family grew. He helped start churches in South Africa and train ministers there.

During this most recent trip to South Africa, Clark was to be consecrated as a bishop by a member of the Molefe family through Christian Center International Churches. That happened March 31. Two days later, Mandela, the ex-wife of former South African anti-apartheid leader and president, died.

Mandela was friends with the Molefe family. Karabo Molefe, who was hosting Clark and his delegation on the trip, called the Mandelas and asked to bring Clark to come pray with the family.

So on April 2, Clark found himself in the center of a controversial family that changed the face of South Africa. He prayed with the family. And he told them it was not just Africa that sees her as their leader, "Mama Winnie."

"People who are African-American, we look at Winnie Mandela as our mother, too," Clark recalled telling the Mandela family as he sat behind his desk at Open Arms International Ministries Church in Syracuse.

While South Africa and Syracuse are worlds apart, their experiences with racism and segregation are not as far apart as people might think, Clark said.

"It no secret that Syracuse is pretty poverty stricken. It's not a good place for African-Americans to live," Clark said. "I see people struggling for employment."

Clark said he sees work being done on the South Side and other places around the city that are mired in poverty, but he doesn't see many African-Americans who live in those neighborhoods being paid to do that work. "I never see us," Clark said.

Winnie Mandela, who was a member of South African parliament until her death, was a controversial figure. Nelson Mandela was a pacifist but Winnie believed force was necessary. She was also caught in financial scandal at one point.

Clark said both are sometimes necessary to make great change. "I believe history balances it," Clark said.

Winnie Mandela's legacy will continue, Clark said.

He saw the new generations of her fierceness and Nelson Mandela's wisdom in her kitchen. One grandchild was the live image of Nelson Mandela, who died in 2013.

He hugged Winnie Mandela's daughter and ate spice cake at their kitchen counter as mourners came to pay their respects.

"When you're a person of vision, that vision should not die with you," Clark said.

Marnie Eisenstadt writes about people, life and culture in Central New York. Have an idea or question? Contact her anytime: email | twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2246
To the Editor:



It has only taken a year plus four months, but I have come to believe that we have no Congress, no body of legislators, no Cabinet to protect and defend the Constitution and "we the people." Steve Bannon must think he has died and gone to heaven. John Bolton? Good grief! There will no Congressional hearings for that critical position.



The so-called Speaker of the House has done nothing except manage his small majority so they'll support whatever our Twitter President wants. Congress used to hold the reins but now there's no leash. What's new is we can return to 19th century policies and send our National Guard to the borders of Mexico, before we drift back to an even earlier time and challenge North Korea to a duel.



Name a statesman (I can't think of any) who is prepared for the decade or two that it will take us to recover. Let Joe Biden off the hook; we have to wake up and grow up on our own.



Nancy Sullivan Murray

Jamesville
WASHINGTON -- The Syracuse VA Medical Center needs almost $70 million in repairs and upgrades, and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says the projects should be a high priority now that Congress has set aside extra money for VA construction work.

Congress included about $4 billion for VA construction projects in a budget bill signed into law last month by President Donald Trump.

The money would help pay for about $500 million in projects requested at VA medical centers across Upstate New York, Schumer said Wednesday. But the senator said he's concerned the projects may be delayed by the federal bureaucracy.

"The money is there, it's sitting in the VA department," Schumer said in a conference call with reporters. "They ought to make every effort to get that money out to our hospitals and begin construction."

The Syracuse VA Medical Center has requested funding for 16 construction projects, the largest of which is a $17 million expansion of its primary care facilities, according to Schumer's office.

The Syracuse VA would also like to move forward with a $9.3 million project to renovate research labs on its second and third floors, and to make more than $11 million in renovations and upgrades in its research wing.

The Syracuse VA Medical Center's last big upgrade was a $90 million, six-story addition that opened in 2013 and became the home of its 30-bed Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder Center. That project also added seven new operating rooms and a dialysis and infusion program.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Jefferson County schools were placed on a lockout Tuesday after a bomb threat sent via email.

Watertown City Police said the suspicious email was sent to the Watertown Daily Times with an implied threat of a student bringing a bomb into a school building. The newspaper contacted state police, who recommended all schools be placed on lockout status; the Watertown City School District and General Brown Central School District canceled all after-school activities Tuesday.

Police said Tuesday afternoon that an investigation determined the threat was likely a hoax.

The email was sent from a Russian address and appeared similar to a threat sent from a group called the Apophis Squad to more than 400 British schools, and a California school, last month. No attacks were ever carried out.

"Hello, we have picked you and your building to be our next target. We have sent in a student with a bomb," the email said. "This is for all the times you ignored me and because of the stupid people who think they are better then me, just because they have money. Well this time money will not save them from me. After the first explosion, I will be walking into school and shooting it up."

The Daily Times said it is cooperating with an investigation, which includes Watertown City Police, New York state police, the FBI's Syracuse field office, and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. No arrests have been made.

"We are continuing our investigation and have reached out to other law enforcement agencies in an attempt to identify the person(s) responsible," Watertown Detective Lieutenant Joseph R. Donoghue Sr. said in a press release.
The photos surfaced on social media late Sunday, during the California Polytechnic State University's multicultural weekend. One showed a Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity member in blackface. Another showed members of the same fraternity dressed as gangster stereotypes, throwing gang signs in front of their San Luis Obispo house.

First came shock. Then, outrage. Hundreds of Cal Poly students crammed into a classroom Monday night for an emergency town hall meeting, sitting on desks and on the floor. Those who couldn't fit spilled out of the classroom door into the hallway, with some watching a live stream of the meeting just steps from where it was taking place.

"There needs to be punishment," one student said. "Not only to show the students that are here that they are with us and for us, but for the students who are to come - 10 years, five years from now, that are going to change the culture on this campus."

Still in disgust to learn about what a fraternity at my school did over this weekend. Cal Poly cannot allow this to get swept under the rug. pic.twitter.com/hD0aSg47dc  Andrea Amavisca (@AndreaAmavisca) April 9, 2018

The fraternity was placed on interim suspension while the university investigated the incident, said Dean of Students Kathleen McMahon. Lambda Chi Alpha's national headquarters has also limited the chapter's operations.

"Racism and hate are unwelcome here, in any form," McMahon said in a statement. "Cal Poly is focused on enhancing the diversity of our campus and providing an environment that is welcoming to all who would study, work or visit here."

The temporary suspension means the fraternity must cease all events and activities while Cal Poly conducts its review to determine whether anything that took place at the chapter's gathering violated the university's policy or the student organization's code of conduct, Cal Poly officials said.

The fraternity's chapter released a statement Sunday that said the photos were taken at an April 7 event during which members took part in a competition, wearing different colors to designate different teams. The members dressed up in "support of their specific team," similarly to how students might dress for high school spirit rallies, the chapter said.

Monique Chenault-Hakker told the San Luis Obispo Tribune that she posted the blackface photo to Facebook after a Cal Poly professor sent it to San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon.

"This post just put me over the edge as a parent," Chenault-Hakker told the Tribune, adding that her daughter attends the university. "I'm just sick of the actions that are happening at Cal Poly. There's no consequences for any of their bad actions and the racism is so thick there."

The photo of the fraternity members in costume was posted on Instagram with the caption, "She want a gangster not a pretty boy," according to the Tribune, which published a screenshot of the image. It has since been deleted.

"We are extremely sorry and embarrassed for failing to recognize the racial impacts this brought forth," Cal Poly's Lambda Chi Alpha chapter said in a statement. "The representation depicted in the photograph was absolutely unacceptable by our standards as it had a negative influence on surrounding members of our community."

"Although it was not our intention to stir up racial tension, we understand the negative impact this picture had on our peers," the chapter added.

Fraternity members' failure to recognize the racial implications of their actions, however, angered Cal Poly students. One student said that people of color within fraternities might not stand up to racist actions because they fear they'd be "ostracized from the group."

"So if you have white students, or students of a majority, [and] don't stand up for people of color within your own organization? You ain't [crap]," the student said.

On Monday afternoon, before the town hall meeting, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong sent an email to the campus community regarding the incident. He said he stood by those who were "hurt and offended," and called the photos "painful and embarrassing."

"I am ashamed. Hurtful actions, be they intentional or otherwise, have no place at our university and yet, regrettably, we experience them," he wrote. "They are senseless acts of ignorance that injure and alienate valued members of our community. They must stop."

He did not attend the town hall meeting. Many questioned his absence, according to several people who were there.

Some were disappointed that another campus fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho, remains active after an photo circulated last June depicting members in culturally and ethnically insensitive costumes with a banner that read "TRUMP - MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Several held firearms, some wore overalls, one wore a sombrero and another wore a colorful dreadlock-style cap from Disneyland, the Tribune reported at the time.

"They're still on campus," one student said about Alpha Gamma Rho at the town hall. "There has to be a zero-tolerance policy for parties that engage in racist actions. [Because] it continuously happens."

In 2013, Cal Poly officials investigated the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, which hosted a party with the theme, "Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos." Men wore Colonial-era clothing and women wore "sexually explicit Native American-themed attire," the Tribune reported at the time. The university concluded that the party did not violate any campus policies.
A Target employee has been fired after white supremacist messages were found hidden in boxes of diapers sold in stores.

According to Newsweek, laminated cards with the words "It's okay to be white" were slipped inside diaper boxes purchased from Target stores or delivered to customer homes in several states. URLs for alt-right and Neo-Nazi websites were also printed on the back of the cards, promoting the Daily Stormer, the Traditionalist Worker Party and others.

One parent in Tennessee told WRCB-TV that he found the message inside a box of Pampers he bought for his 3-week-old daughter.

"Diapers come in these two big plastic sleeves. You pull those out, and I noticed something drop and fall. And I know that sometimes companies will put coupons in boxes," Tad Russell said. But what he found instead was a card with language he recognized "from the Charlottesville incident late last year."

Russell contacted Target and Pampers, and both launched investigations to "urgently address" the matter.

Target fired an employee who had been slipping "It's Okay To Be White" cards in packages of diapers sent to customers across the US. At least 8 people in several states reported finding the white supremacist propaganda in their boxeshttps://t.co/Lq9Q8lUsd0 pic.twitter.com/x3K6QRkA5F  Brianna Sacks (@bri_sacks) April 11, 2018

Target said Wednesday it found the person responsible and terminated their employment.

"We sincerely apologize to guests who received an inappropriate message in their Target purchase and thank them for calling it to our attention," a spokesman for Target said in a statement.

"After being made aware of the situation, we immediately launched a thorough investigation to address the concerns and put a stop to it. We have identified the source, and given this is a violation of our policies and our commitment to inclusivity, terminated the team member."

The retail chain did not identify the employee or where they worked.

According to Newsweek, they most likely worked at a warehouse as the "It's okay to be white" messages were reported in Pampers and Target's Up & Up brand diaper boxes in Arizona, Washington, Tennessee, Florida and Indiana. It's unclear how many cards were inserted in store merchandise.

"It's okay to be white" is a racist slogan commonly used by white supremacist groups, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); Ku Klux Klan groups have used the hashtag #IOKTBW on Twitter since 2012. Right-wing bloggers celebrated the phrase as "a brilliant political provocation" because "any response other than 'Of course it is' looks preposterously demented."

"This is an attempt to promote propaganda to families, hoping that it might reach white families," Marilyn Mayo, senior research fellow with ADL's Center on Extremism, told KMSP-TV. "It's very disturbing."
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Responding to Russian warnings to the U.S. against military strikes in Syria, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that missiles "will be coming" in response to Syria's suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria," Trump tweeted. "Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump did not detail what a strike would look like, or whether these would be U.S. missiles. The tweet came as Trump administration officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syria's alleged poison gas attack. Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russian lawmakers have warned the United States that Moscow would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime, saying it could trigger a direct military clash between the two former Cold War adversaries. Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted -- a stark warning of a potential major confrontation in Syria.

The U.S., France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, U.S. officials have said. None of the three countries' leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorized to discuss military planning publicly.

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the U.S. in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syria's political and military support from Russia and Iran.

President Emmanuel Macron said France, the U.S. and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days. He called for a "strong and joint response" to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the U.S.-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month.

Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the U.S., France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April. That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Assad from further use of chemical agents. So the three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

Asked whether France would take military action, Macron said his country will continue discussing technical and strategic information with U.S. and British allies and "in the coming days we will announce our decision." He said any action would "target chemical weapons" stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

Trump spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was "utterly reprehensible" and that the international community must respond "to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons." Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Trump "see eye to eye" on the Syria problem.

"We cannot tolerate with a war criminal," the emir said, adding, "This matter should end immediately." Qatar hosts the United States' main air operations center for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it will send "shortly" a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit would delay or avert U.S. or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A couple of days ago, the forecast was predicting that much of Upstate New York could see highs in the 70s Friday and Saturday.

It was nice while it lasted.

The latest forecast shows that warm front will likely lie farther south than anticipated, meaning the 70s will be confined to the lower Hudson Valley. With luck, the western Southern Tier could edge up into the low 70s.

But it's looking more likely that highs will top out in the 50s and 60s across most of Upstate, and even just the 40s in the North Country and Adirondacks.

High temperatures forecast for Upstate New York on Friday.

The main cities along the Thruway corridor, from Buffalo to Albany, are expected to reach into the high 50s and maybe low 60s Friday and Saturday.

That could still feel like a warming trend, though, for Upstate residents who have endured much-colder-than-normal temperatures through March and April. Normal high temperatures this time of year in Syracuse, for example, are about 54 degrees, but Syracuse hasn't hit that mark yet this month.

"You do get at close to normal this week," said Accuweather meteorologist Paul Walker reassuringly.

A surge of warm air is coming up from the Southeast late this week, and it could push temperatures into the 80s as far north as New York City. Over Upstate New York, though, the front will clash with cold air from Canada, and Upstate will be bisected by an east-west line where those two air masses finally stop their shoving match.

South of that line, you'll bask in the 70s. North of that line, you'll have to be content with finally being close to normal.

Rain moves in Saturday night and Sunday, and Upstate could see up to an inch. There could even be freezing rain or wet snow Saturday night, especially on the Tug Hill or in the North Country.

And next week? Don't even look. The Climate Prediction Center says the odds are high that Upstate New York will be colder and wetter than normal.

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251
Redistricting proposal places Tama County outside Rep. Hinsons district

New maps could lead to a remaking of the political landscape in Iowa  Tama County included. What is now a quadrant of four U.S. ...
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Mothers who smoke marijuana while nursing their child transfers a small amount of cannabis's psychoactive ingredient in the breast milk, a new study finds.

Researchers, from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences, conducted a controlled study of eight anonymous nursing women who regularly use marijuana. The purpose of the study is to determine if the breast milk samples will test positive for Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.

The milk samples were tested 20 minutes after ingestion, followed by one, two, and four hours post-ingestion state. It was given to infants aged three to five months.

The study, published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, showed that approximately 8 micrograms of THC per kilogram per day were present in the milk. It translates to about 2.5 percent of the amount of THC the mother took.

Controlled Intake

Lead author Dr. Tom Hale, a professor of pediatrics and the executive director of InfantRisk Center, said that not all of the THC content will be absorbed by the baby.

"The levels are low in the milk, and even less would be absorbed by the infants," Hale said.

Experts said it would usually take two hours for the body to absorb THC and at least 20 hours to be expelled. However, the study warrants further investigation due to the absence of blood work.

The researchers said collecting blood samples would add a whole new perspective to the study because then, they will be able to identify and measure THC levels.

Hale said what sets their study apart from others is that they have controlled the amount of cannabis given to the participants. Each subject smoked 0.1 gram of marijuana with 23.18 THC concentrations.

Lower levels of cannabis were given after examining previous studies where participants smoked 0.6 of cannabis with 3.55 percent of THC.

"The study was carefully controlled. We knew exactly what they smoked and when they smoked it," Hale said.

Neurological Effects

Hale emphasized that although they were able to measure the THC level in breast milk, the study did not explore its effects on the child's neurological development.

Dr. Ronald Marino, chief of the pediatrics division at NYU Winthrop Hospital in New York, said that although the study showed minimal THC exposure, it is best for babies not to acquire this ingredient.

"Your baby's brain is developing so much in the first year of life, you want to give them every chance to have a high function. Try to stay as pure as you can when breastfeeding - [avoiding] marijuana, alcohol or even herbal remedies," Marino said.

More than a dozen states in the United States have legalized the use of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. Just like alcohol, Hale said marijuana is not advisable for pregnant or nursing women even if the law allows its use.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also discourages the use of marijuana among pregnant and breastfeeding women due to its unknown effects on the mother and the child.

"[B]ecause of concerns regarding impaired neurodevelopment, as well as maternal and fetal exposure to the adverse effects of smoking, women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use," ACOG advised.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A 34-year-old man sought medical help at a hospital after eating a Carolina Reaper. His case is the first thunderclap headache associated with chili peppers.

The Carolina Reaper holds the Guinness World Record for the world's hottest chili pepper in 2013 and once again in 2018. On April 9, however, doctors have cautioned against consuming the variety after treating the patient.

Carolina Reaper Challenge Sends Man To Emergency Room

A case study published in the journal BMJ Case Reports details the story of the unnamed patient complaining of a thunderclap headache, a condition usually characterized by bleeding in regions surrounding the brain. His symptoms emerged after eating one piece of Carolina Reaper in a hot pepper eating contest. He experienced dry heaves followed by intense neck and occipital head pain. He exhibited the same symptoms in the next few days while under medical care.

The study states that the patient initially tested negative for other known neurological conditions. A subsequent CT scan revealed that arteries in his brain were constricted.

The doctors' final diagnosis reveals that the patient had a reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Specifically, his arteries have narrowed, resulting in a thunderclap headache.

An active ingredient in chili peppers known as capsaicin may have caused the man's constricted blood vessels, Dr. Kulothungan Gunasekaran explains. He is a senior staff physician at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and was also one of the doctors who looked after the patient.

"People should be cautious about the effects of hot peppers. If they do develop these symptoms, they should seek medical attention," Gunasekaran explains in an exclusive phone interview with Reuters.

Carolina Reaper Reclaims World's Hottest Chili Pepper Award

Meanwhile, PuckerButt Pepper Company announced on April 7 that the Carolina Reaper has once again been declared the world's hottest chili pepper. The company is founded by Ed Currie, the scientist who developed the Carolina Reaper.

"[We are] please to announce that Smokin Ed's Carolina Reaper has been awarded a new world record, at a higher average," the company says on its Facebook page.

Guinness has given the award to Carolina Reaper for reaching the average of 1,641,000 Scoville heat units as recorded on Aug 11, 2017. The Carolina Reaper showed an average of 1,569,300 SHU when it was initially given the title in 2013.

SHU is the measurement of spice heat of chili peppers or other spicy food. In comparison, Jalapeno peppers emit an average of 2,500 to 8,000 SHU.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk has once again expressed his apprehension about highly advanced artificial intelligence. He says that robots smarter than humans could potentially be the ultimate tyrannical leaders.

The Tesla CEO uses the term "superintelligence" in referring to AIs that can achieve the brainpower far greater than their creators. He contends that a robot with immense intellectual capacity can oppress people for as long as time exists.

"At least when there's an evil dictator, that human is going to die. But for an AI, there would be no death. It would live forever. And then you'd have an immortal dictator from which we can never escape," Musk said.

The SpaceX founder continues his remarks by warning companies and other entities against developing "godlike digital superintelligence." He emphasizes that these AIs need not be programmed as evil robots to be capable of destroying humanity. Logically, they can inflict damage apathetically for simply being a robot, Musk stresses.

'Do You Trust This Computer?'

The SpaceX founder has made the statement in a documentary titled "Do You Trust This Computer" directed by U.S. filmmaker Chris Paine. The documentation explores the emergence of AIs and the impending risk they bring to the world.

The film also attempts to analyze the extent of breached data and how AIs can influence the society. Case in point is the recent controversy involving Cambridge Analytica which has allegedly manipulated the 2016 Presidential Election. Ultimately, the documentary aims to answer the question of whether people can control what they created.

In line with the film's theme, Musk describes Google's DeepMind as "superhuman" for having the capability to play games at super speed in less than a minute. He is referring to how a program developed by Google was able to defeat Lee Sedol, a board game champion in 2016.

Elon Musk Has Consistently Objected To Applications Of Artificial Intelligence

Musk has always been vocal about his concern over the emergence of intelligent robots.

In 2017, he has spoken about how China, Russia, and all countries competing for AI superiority can lead to potential World War 3. He says this following a statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin which asserts that whoever becomes the leader in artificial intelligence can become the "ruler of the world."

In 2015, together with Stephen Hawking and other scientific experts, Musk has signed an open letter to the United Nations. The letter highlights the potential of lethal autonomous weapons becoming the third revolution in warfare. Worse, it can end up in the hands of terrorists, birthing a conflict at a scale greater than ever, the experts' letter says.

In 2014, he has described AI as potentially more perilous than nuclear weapons.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple announced that it is now 100 percent running on renewable energy. Last year, it reduced its carbon emission by almost 585,000 metric tons.

This is a major push toward the company's environment responsibility that is to reduce impact on climate change by using renewable energy resources, conserve valuable resources, and pioneer the use of safer materials for its productions and production process.

Grand Push For Clean Energy

In 2016, Apple reached 96 percent renewable, and now, the company's operation in its 24 data centers nationwide, is now fully renewable.

Even its new corporate campus located inside Apple Park in Cupertino, California, is set to be the largest LEED Platinum-certified building in North America. The campus features large open spaces and planted with over 9,000 drought-tolerant oak and fruit trees.

"If you look at our trajectory, for the last couple of years we've been close to 100%. It's just four percent more, but it's four percent done the right way. Like our products, we sweat the details, we have pretty strict standards, and we prefer to wait and meet our standards than to rush and make a claim," says Lisa Jackson, Apple's VP for Environment.

"We're committed to leaving the world better than we found it. After years of hard work we're proud to have reached this significant milestone," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in statement.

How Did Apple Do It?

The company harnesses the power of reusable energy to power its production and operation chain. It produces its own energy through developing solar, fuel cell, water, and wind projects.

Currently, it has 25 renewable energy projects worldwide that generates a total of 626 megawatts. Fifteen new projects are underway.

In 2015, it partnered with First Solar, one of the largest photovoltaic manufacturers and provider of utility-scale photovoltaic plants. First Solar will supply Apple with 130 megawatts of energy for 25 years.

It has massive investments in renewable energy and has power purchasing agreement contracts with renewable power companies. It has issued a $1.5 billion green bond to finance environmental projects, including renewable energy initiatives at its facilities around the world.

More To Come

Last year, NV Energy and Apple agreed to produce 200 megawatts of additional solar energy in Nevada by early 2019. This project will support energy needs for Apple's Reno data center where servers for Siri, iCloud, Apple Music, and Apple Pay are located. The Nevada data center is currently powered by the Fort Churchill energy project.

It also partnered with energy company Sunseap to source 100 percent clean energy by producing 32 megawatts of solar energy from solar roof panels on more than 800 roof tops in Singapore.

Whatever excess energy that the company doesn't use goes to the power grid, so others may use it. Apple connected 40 megawatts of new solar energy to China's national grid. The energy produced by Apple's solar farm is more than enough to power all its corporate offices, retail stores, and data centers in China.

Apple's 23 suppliers, including nine new suppliers has also committed to operate on a 100 percent renewable energy.

Once all of Apple's energy projects are built, over 1.4 gigawatts of clean renewable energy generation will be spread across 11 countries.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
PlayStation 5 rumors that the next-generation console will be launched as early this year has been shot down by Kotaku's Jason Schreier, who said that the device is nowhere near ready to be released.

It has been five years since the arrival of the PlayStation 4 in 2013, which was launched seven years after the PlayStation 3 was rolled out in 2006. Following that trend, and Schreier's investigation, the PlayStation 5 release date will likely be in 2020, at the earliest.

PlayStation 5 Release Date Will Not Happen This Year

According to a recent report published by SemiAccurate, the PlayStation 5 release date may happen this year, due to the amount of development kits for the console that have reportedly been given out by Sony.

Kotaku's Schreier, who was looking to find out when the PlayStation 5 was really going to be launched, heard from two sources familiar with Sony's plans that the next PlayStation console will unlikely be released in 2019, let alone 2018. The sources said that multi-year plans for projects are always shifting, but it may be too much of a stretch to think that the PlayStation 5 will arrive this year.

Schreier also spoke with Sony's first-party studios and third-party developers to ask for information about the PlayStation 5. The people he spoke with have not heard of plans for the next-generation console, which should not be the case if it will indeed be launching soon.

What about the supposed PlayStation 5 development kits?

"Super early devkits are often PCs with the CPU and GPU," said one of Schreier's sources, who said that while early PlayStation 5 development kits may be in the wild, it does not necessarily mean that the console is launching soon.

There is also the matter of the PlayStation 4 Pro, which Sony released in November 2016. It is hard to imagine Sony moving on so soon to new hardware, when developers are still learning how to harness the power of the PlayStation 4 Pro.

Enjoy The PlayStation 4 For Now

Previous PlayStation 5 rumors have pegged the console's release date to as early as 2019 and as late as 2021, but Sony has so far not revealed any official information regarding the next PlayStation console.

Instead of figuring out when the PlayStation 5 will be launched, gamers should instead enjoy what the PlayStation 4 offers. Coming very soon as a PS4 exclusive is God of War, with Spider-Man to swing into the console in September.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Exercising may be as beneficial to those with genetic links to heart disease to those without. A new study, pulling data from the UK Biobank project, claims that it doesn't matter if you have an elevated genetic risk for heart disease  staying active will help improve your chances of avoiding it.

Heart disease remains the number 1 cause of death for men and women in the United States, killing over 700,000 people each year. These include cardiovascular complications such as heart attacks, strokes, abnormal heart rhythms, heart failure, and many others. Most of these conditions, if not all, involved blocked arteries or vessels in some form or another.

Exercise Lowers Heart Disease Risk, No Matter What Your Genes Say

The study, published in Circulation observed more than 500,000 men and women of various ages and races in Europe and followed them for about six years. All had genetic risks for heart disease, and some even had other risk factors on top of it, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

The most active participants, despite their high risk due to genetics, had 50 percent less risk of having cardiovascular complications. This was also true of the other participants who had either low or moderate risk for heart disease based on genetics.

"Fitness and physical activity demonstrated inverse associations with incident cardiovascular disease in the general population, as well as in individuals with elevated genetic risk for these diseases," the researchers conclude.

They assessed associations of grip strength, objective and subjective physical activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness with cardiovascular ailments among participants in the UK Biobank.

"It's clear that exercise is good for us and it is good for heart health," said principal researcher Erik Ingelsson, of the Stanford University School of Medicine. "Both aerobic exercise and strength training are beneficial, and they are likely to have good effects regardless of genetic risk."

Essentially, the study suggests that exercise is still one of the best ways to prevent heart disease  regardless of what your genes tell you.

Physical Activity

Of course, there's no set number of hours for physical activity one needs to partake in to keep their heart healthy, but the American Heart Association recommends 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for up to four times a week to prevent a heart attack or a stroke. Living a healthy lifestyle, which involves avoiding smoking and choosing healthier food options, also helps a great deal.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mark Zuckerberg puts a conspiracy theory to rest: Facebook, he says, does not listen to private conversations to improve its ad targeting algorithm.

Many have theorized that the social media company has some way of keeping tabs on its users by virtue of surreptitiously turning on their smartphones' mics without their consent.

During Zuckerberg's U.S. Senate testimony, Senator Gary Peters asked him if Facebook collects audio from mobile devices, which is something his constituents have been asking him about, he said.

Zuckerberg denied such allegations.

"You are talking about the conspiracy theory passed around that we listen to what is going on on your microphone and use that," Zuckerberg said. "We do not do that." He did mention, however, that while recording video, Facebook "record[s] that and use that to make the service better by making sure that you have audio."

Cambridge Analytica Scandal

The practice has Black Mirror-like implications, and though Zuckerberg has outright denied it's taking place, the fact that many people believe it is representative of the level of distrust some users have for the site.

"I think it's safe to say very simply that Facebook is losing the trust of an awful lot of Americans as a result of this incident," said Peters. He is referring to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where Facebook kept the public oblivious to the fact that a third-party firm had amassed information from 87 million accounts.

The ensuing public outcry surrounding the data breach spawned the #DeleteFacebook movement, which was joined by high-profile figures including SpaceX's and Tesla's Elon Musk and, most recently, Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.

Facebook's Trust Problem

There have been many articles discussing how an undertaking described in the conspiracy theory has a number of technical limits, deeming it not impossible but quite a challenge to pull off. They also point out how easy this would be detected if it were indeed happening. Regardless, many people still hold the belief that Facebook secretly listens. With high-magnitude scandals the likes of Cambridge Analytica, this belief will most likely not be put to rest, no matter how vehemently Zuckerberg rejects the idea.

Facebook has a trust problem, that much is true. From data collection to fake news to Russian propaganda accounts infiltrating the network to spread misinformation. "No" isn't potent enough to repair the public's trust for the social network, and Zuckerberg knows that: he has delayed the release of Facebook-branded smart speakers, in fact, in light of the Cambridge Analytica fiasco.

Do you trust Facebook? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Astronomers have shared new images of dust rings around young stars, which could also reveal information on how the early solar system looked like.

SPHERE Images

Researchers were able to capture images of the dust rings around young stars by using the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research tool on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile. With the SPHERE instrument, they were able to contain the light of the stars in order to view the dust around them.

These images were captured as part of the DARTTS-S, or Discs Around T Tauri Stars with SPHERE survey. Young stars are known as T Tauri stars, and they are younger than 10 million years old. The young stars observed by researchers were located between 230 and 500 light years away from Earth.

The discs captured by the SPHERE instrument vary in size and shape. Some of the rings are bright, some are dark, and some of the rings could be described as hamburgers. Images shared by astronomers show that the young stars may be in different scales in terms of how their systems are forming around them.

Discs around the young stars also contain gas, dust, and planetesimals, which are the building blocks of planets.

SPHERE's main mission is to be able to discover giant exoplanets that are orbiting stars near Earth using direct imaging. Having provided help in capturing the dust rings around young stars, it sheds light on the makeup of planets and how they are formed around stars.

Newborn Planets

In 2016, scientists captured evidence of what they believe are two planets forming around a young star in the Milky Way. Scientists observed the young star, HD 163296, which is around 400 light years away from Earth. HD 163296 is approximately 5 million years old and around twice the mass of the sun.

Researchers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. They were able to observe the dust and carbon monoxide gas components in the rings around HD 163296. These observations revealed that there were two planets forming around the star.

In the protoplanetary disk around the star, researchers found three gaps. One gap is 60 AU (93 million miles away), while the other two gaps are 100 AU and 160 AU away from the HD 163296, respectively. 60 AU is around the distance of the Earth from the sun. The other two gaps would be farther away than the Kuiper Belt in Earth's system.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Yes, were talking about taking Blockchain where no distributed ledger has gone before.

The fact is that everyone is putting a special spin upon blockchain this minute. Given that, its no surprise a number of companies are discussing distribution of blockchain information via satellite and only a mild surprise there's a proposal by at least one firm to incorporate blockchain as a way to enable a commercial economy in space. But are these ideas viable?

Two companies advocating distribution of blockchain from space for cryptocurrency are Blockstream and Nexus Earth. Blockstream, privately funded to the tune of at least $75 million, is currently broadcasting real-time Bitcoin blockchain data from four communications satellites, with a fifth "TBD," according to the company's website. The satellite architecture uses one-way, off-the-shelf Ku-band capacity at 64 Kbps, with different transponders over North America, South America, Africa, and Europe. "Phase 2"/"TBD" listed on the website is presumably one or more transponders for Asia distribution; this makes sense due to the relative expense of capacity in the region.

Satellite broadcast provides another option for protection against network interruptions, according to the Blockstream Satellite FAQ, along with a redundancy connection to the blockchain that doesn't require a traditional Internet connection. However, transactions  spending BitCoin  require a traditional a two-way communications channel.

Blockstream is providing the blockchain data for free, but plans to charge for future add-ons. Connections require a small Ku-band satellite dish  size will depend on location  an LNB receiver, a USB software-defined radio interface, and free GNU Radio software for the receiver, with an estimated $100 or so for equipment. Free documentation is available at Github.

Nexus Earth plans to use satellites to support the distribution and use of its NXS cryptocurrency as part of decentralized ground and space-based networks. The company has partnered with Vector Space Systems for hosting its application on Vector's GalacticSky software-defined satellite platform. Multiple satellites will host Nexus blockchain distribution, with the first launch of GalacticSky and deployment of NXS expected to take place next year. Vector will also allow future customers to pay for nanosatellite launches with its rockets using NXS cryptocurrency. (Yes, Vector is selling both launch services to put very small satellites into orbit AND a fleet of software-defined satellites to host applications, but that's a story for another day.)

At the end of the day, Nexus says it plans "approximately" 2000 nanosatellites in orbit, ranging in size from some smaller than a 1U (10x10x10cm) cube, all the way to a larger 3U (30x10x10cm) form factor. A large distributed cloud of nanosatellites can be launched and turned up on an incremental basis based on available cash flow, slowly expanding space-based service coverage to a 24-hour basis as more satellites are launched.

SpaceChain is the most radical departure from conventional thinking on space technology and blockchain. The company says it is building the world's first "open source satellite network" to enable a next-generation infrastructure for blockchain. Under SpaceChain's plan, satellites will incorporate blockchain as an operating system and interface for decentralized applications. The SpaceChain OS is an open source platform to permit organizations to work on collaborative projects, with smart contracts, as well as a way to aggregate and utilize current space resources in an open source, audited and secure system.

The company's white paper says SpaceChain OS will, among other things, enable blockchain-based satellite-to-satellite communication. Since SpaceChain OS will be a "sandboxed" application, it will be able to enable blockchain-based distributed applications on satellites, such as data collection, computing, storage, and other functions. Similar to GalacticSky, satellites following the SpaceChain model will have flexible software capabilities, as well as being able to host multiple tenants and/or uses.

Data from sensors on a SpaceChain OS-using satellite, such as satellite position, location, temperature, and orientation will be accessible from any app running in the blockchain sandbox, but control and power systems will not.

A SpaceChain demonstration satellite was launched into orbit in February onboard a Chinese C-2D vehicle. The 3U cubesat runs Qtum's blockchain software on a Raspberry Pi device. Larger, heavy satellites with more powerful and open source-based processors are planned in the future and will include camera and sensor APIs for developer access. Like other open source projects, SpaceChain plans to provide a SDK, with a development environment similar to JavaScript, plus code examples and tutorials. A hardware developer's board is also expected.

A discussion of blockchain in space will take place at The Blockchain Event on May 17 in Las Vegas.Edited by Erik Linask
Six unaccounted for after landslide in Japan



Tokyo, April 10 (AFP) Apr 10, 2018



At least six people were unaccounted for Wednesday after a landslide hit their houses in southern Japan, local police said.

"Three houses were buried after a landslide" in a mountainous area of Nakatsu City, a police spokesman said.

"Six people (believed to be in there) were unaccounted for after that," the official said, adding a resident in the neighbourhood called for rescue.

Search operations were continuing while troops are expected to arrive later to help.
The family of a 5-year-old girl killed in a head-on crash in Ascension Parish is seeing an outpouring of support from local law enforcement agencies.

Benjamin Teekell, the father of Addisyn Teekell and a St. John the Baptist Parish sheriffs deputy, made several posts on Facebook the last two days to thank different law enforcement agencies for visiting the hospital, where his other young daughter continues to recover from her injuries in the crash.

According to Teekells posts, the St. John Sheriffs Office, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office and Louisiana State Police are among the agencies who have sent officers to visit the family.

On Wednesday, Teekell posted that the EBRSO SWAT team made his daughter Ashtyn an honorary SWAT team member.

Before this picture was taken she was crying and when she saw them immediately calmed down, Teekell said on Facebook. Officers always put her in a happy place. Fell straight to sleep.

Teekell also posted Wednesday that new developments with Ashtyns injuries will require her to stay in the hospital instead of being discharged as planned.

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She is smiling and in good spirit though, Teekell posted.

+2 Father of 5-year-old killed in Ascension crash mourns 'beautiful baby girl,' forgives other driver The father of a 5-year-old girl killed in a crash Friday evening in Ascension Parish said that he forgives the driver who struck their vehicle

Teekells other daughter, 5-year-old Addisyn Teekell, died in a crash Friday evening on La. 621 in Ascension Parish.

Teekell, 32, of Baton Rouge, was driving westbound when Joey Gaudet, 35, of Gonzales, attempted to turn left onto Mire Road while traveling east. Gaudet struck Teekell's vehicle head-on.

Addisyn, who was properly restrained, was taken to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and later pronounced dead.
press release

Following the release by DP World of press releases regarding the Doraleh port facilities, the Republic of Djibouti wishes to provide the following clarifications.

Djibouti, April 11, 2018 - Since early April 2018, DP World has circulated a press release in which it challenges both the effectiveness and the lawfulness of the Republic of Djibouti's termination of the concession agreement relating to the operation of the Doraleh container terminal. This concession agreement was entered into in 2006 with Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT), of which DP World is a shareholder.

In its press release, DP World threatens to take legal action against any company that may enter into a new contract with the Republic of Djibouti with respect to a stake in the Doraleh container terminal.

The Republic of Djibouti intends firmly to oppose the threats and falsehoods asserted by DP World in its press release.

The concession agreement with DCT was terminated at the term of a transparent legal process, and contrary to DP World's allegations, DCT can no longer claim to be entitled to any concession rights under the contract in question.

The Government of Djibouti notes with deep regret the position taken by DP World, which continues to jeopardize the superior interests of Djibouti. DP World is plainly unafraid to challenge the sovereign power with which each State is endowed under international law to terminate a contract when the general interest so requires, subject to fair compensation being allocated.

DP World's position once again shows the contempt that this company holds for the Republic of Djibouti and its people.

What right does DP World have, as a private company, to threaten other companies that wish to enter into commercial relations with the Republic of Djibouti in order to grow their businesses in Djibouti? Evidently, DP World does not hesitate to flagrantly interfere with such companies' economic freedom. Moreover, it is worth emphasizing the fact that these threats are frivolous and lack any legal basis with respect to third-party companies that are unconnected with the Republic of Djibouti's decision to terminate and against which the exclusivity clause referred to by DP World has never been enforceable.

In this regard, contrary to the views of DP World, the termination of the concession agreement for the Doraleh container terminal is effective and perfectly lawful. Indeed, the decision to terminate was made on the basis of a law passed by Parliament on November 8, 2017 and a decree issued by the President of the Republic of Djibouti on February 22, 2018. Both actions are consistent with international norms and follow attempts to renegotiate the concession that were unsuccessful because of the repeated and inexplicable refusals on the part of DP World to hear the legitimate requests of the Republic of Djibouti.

Furthermore, despite DP World's assertions, the Republic of Djibouti has not based it decision to terminate the Doraleh container terminal concession agreement on illegal grounds but rather on public interest grounds.

The Republic of Djibouti has determined that the performance of the contract in question has proven to be adverse to the superior interests of the Nation and that it is manifestly prejudicial to the country's development imperatives, to its need to control its infrastructure and to its people's security of supply. DP World attempts, rather clumsily, to characterize the situation as a simple divergence in financial interests by emphasizing that "the concession agreement has been greatly advantageous for Djibouti".

Once again, this demonstrates that DP World makes light of the superior interests of a State and appears to think that the only interests worthy of pursuit are financial interests, even at the expense of the development of an entire nation and an entire region.

The Republic of Djibouti could never be satisfied with revenues generated by the operation of strategic services or infrastructure  as important as such revenues may be  while economic growth and improvement in the living standards of the population are threatened.

To conclude, the Republic of Djibouti wishes to reaffirm its intention to facilitate the development of the country and the well-being of its people. It emphasizes, likewise, that international investors, public and private partners, and nation friends are welcome to come to Djibouti for the purpose of infrastructure development.

Press contact

Press Relations Agency 35Nord

Nicolas TEISSERENC

nt@35nord.com

+33 6 18 09 66 90
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asks a question of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as he testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Claiming he's accomplished a "heckuva lot," House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday he will not run for re-election and will retire next year, injecting another layer of uncertainty as Republicans face worries over losing their majority in the fall.

The Wisconsin Republican cast the decision as a personal one, saying he did not want his children growing up with a "weekend dad." He told reporters he believes he's leaving with strong accomplishments his party can sell to voters ahead of November elections.

"I have given this job everything I have," he said. "We're going to have a great record to run on."

Ryan's plans have been the source of much speculation and will set off a scramble among his lieutenants to take the helm. A self-styled budget guru, Ryan had made tax cuts a centerpiece of his legislative agenda, and a personal cause, and Congress delivered on that late last year.

Will House Speaker Paul Ryan's retirement open the door for Steve Scalise? WASHINGTON  House Speaker Paul Ryans announcement Wednesday that he will retire could put Louisianas Steve Scalise in the middle of a heate

Ryan, who has had a difficult relationship with President Donald Trump, thanked the president for giving him the chance to move the GOP ahead.

Ryan, 48, announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Wednesday morning, according to those present. His tone was somber, and he read directly from prepared remarks.

"After nearly 20 years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father," Ryan adviser Brendan Buck said in a statement. "While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him."

The speaker called extended family and a few close friends Tuesday night and alerted a few staff. On Wednesday morning, he called the president and the vice president and informed the rest of his staff before going to the conference meeting, officials said.

Ryan will serve out his term and retire in January, Buck said.

According to recent reports, Louisiana's Steve Scalise continues to be mentioned as a possible candidate to be the next speaker of the House.

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Politico reported this week that Majority Whip Scalise's name comes up often, alongside Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, as a potential replacement if Ryan were to leave his post.

Report: Steve Scalise downplays talk as lawmakers size up potential replacements for Speaker Paul Ryan After tamping down such speculation late last month, Louisiana's Steve Scalise continues to be talked up as a candidate to be the next speaker

The current No. 2 Republican in the House, McCarthy is above Scalise on the leadership ladder. But McCarthy, a Californian, was passed over for the speaker's post in 2015 after then-Speaker John Boehner resigned.

McCarthy ran for speaker at the time but couldn't collect the 218 votes  a majority of House members  to win the post, prompting Ryan, then the chairman House Appropriations Committee, to step forward.

Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998. Along with Reps. Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy, he branded himself a rising "Young Gun" in an aging party.

He became the GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012.

Ryan was pulled into the leadership job by the abrupt retirement of Boehner, who had struggled to wrangle the chamber's restless conservative wing and failed to the seal big-picture deals on fiscal policy he sought. Ryan had more trust with the hardliners in the House, but had no more success in brokering fundamental reform of entitlement he sought.

He ultimately had to wrestle with another unexpected challenge: President Donald Trump, a president with little of Ryan's interest in policy detail or ideological purity. The two have had not had a close working relationship.

Grace Notes: Speaker Scalise? The 1st Congressional District has come close before House Majority Whip Steve Scalise keeps swatting down rumors that he could become the next House Speaker, and its not at all assured that his
The latest shot at abolishing the death penalty in Louisiana is likely done for this legislative session, with a House committee killing the proposal after nearly two hours of debate and testimony.

A separate measure to do away with capital punishment remains alive in the Senate, but it would face the same House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee that rejected the idea in a 10-8 vote Wednesday after two hours of emotional debate and testimony.

"A lot of us here are conflicted about this to some point," said Rep. Tony Bacala, a Prairieville Republican who ultimately voted against House Bill 162.

Louisiana is one of 31 states to still use the death penalty as criminal punishment, though no prisoners have been executed in Louisiana since 2010 because of legal issues.

The issue has frequently come up at the State Capitol, but it continues to face major resistance in both the Republican-controlled House and Senate.

Proponents of abolishing the death penalty say it will reduce costs and could save innocent lives of prisoners wrongly convicted. Opponents say the measure comes across as soft-on-crime and lessens the weight placed on the most heinous crimes committed in the state.

Lawmakers consider abolishing death penalty in Louisiana; bill heads to Senate Legislation that would abolish the death penalty in Louisiana is advancing to the Senate for consideration.

"This is a piece of legislation that literally decides life and death," said Rep. Terry Landry, a Lafayette Democrat and former Louisiana State Police superintendent who authored HB162, during Wednesday's hearing. "I want to plead to everyone to reach down deep into their spiritual beings."

Louisiana allows death sentences only in cases of first-degree murder.

One person has been executed in Louisiana in the past decade. More than 70 inmates remain on death row at the Louisiana State Penitenary at Angola.

Laverne Thompson, the widow of former death row inmate John Thompson who narrowly escaped execution by lethal injection in 1999 and was then exonerated and released from Angola in 2003 after serving 14 years on death row, implored members of the committee to think of her late husband's case. John Thompson, 55, died last fall of a heart attack.

"It was his dream to save us from doing wrong," Laverne Thompson said. "We have an opportunity today to do what's right."

At least five other death row inmates in Louisiana have been exonerated since Thompson's release, according to data from the Innocence Project, which helps free those who have been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death. Several clergy members and other advocates pointed to those convictions as reason to do away with the death penalty.

"If we risk executing one man for the sake of having a bill what are we?" Landry said. "Let's kill everybody."

Landry said he also felt that life in prison is a severe enough consequence to face for a crime.

"We're not advocating that people who do these heinous crimes should get out," he said. "I know for me, if you sentence me to life you might as well take me out because I don't want to be confined in an area and have no hope."

"I think one wrongful execution is not worth having (the death penalty)," Landry added.

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Several members of law enforcement spoke out against abolishing the most severe punishment at their disposal.

Loren Lampert, of the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's office, argued that the death penalty is only sought in the most heinous cases and that criminals know what they are facing when they commit such acts.

"I have sat with the family members of victims who have lost their child," he said. "I have had to hold the hands of a widow of a police officer who was murdered in the line of duty and look them in the eyes."

Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, said he thinks eliminating the death penalty would devalue human life.

"It's a recognition of how important life is and how sacred life is," he said.

He said he believes that the risks of killing someone who is innocent are slim.

"We don't want to wrongfully accuse or kill anybody," he said. "With technology and the way things have gone DNA wise, we are limiting that further and further each year."

The Senate Judiciary A Committee's 4-1 Tuesday to advance Senate Bill 51, a separate measure to repeal of death penalty, put even more pressure on the House panel as its vote was seen as the next signal of whether legislation might move this session.

"I can feel the tension in here," Rep. John Bagneris, D-New Orleans, remarked as the discussion neared its end.

Each of the members of the committee took turns justifying how they planned to vote.

"There are a lot of issues," said Rep. Joe Marino, No Party-Gretna. "I can't get past the fact that we might execute an innocent person."

Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley, said he would have preferred the measure be put to the voters to decide, rather than giving the Legislature the final say.

Every member of the House Criminal Justice panel voted, including Chair Sherman Mack, an Albany Republican who cast the final deciding vote against Landry's bill and ultimately signaled that the issue is unlikely to move forward.

How they voted - House Administration of Criminal Justice:

Voting in favor of HB162 (8): Reps. Bagneris; Barbara Carpenter, D-Baton Rouge; Randal Gaines, D-LaPlace; Ted James, D-Baton Rouge; T. Landry, Marcelle, Marino and Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport.

Against (10): Reps. Bacala; Crews; Stephen Dwight, R-Lake Charles; Chris Hazel, R-Pineville; Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs; Frank Howard, R-Many; Nick Muscarello, R-Hammond, Steve Pylant, R-Winnsboro; Stefanski and Mack.
A new study by researchers at Tulane University has concluded that Louisiana will not be able to build land fast enough to keep up with how quickly wetlands are disappearing.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, has dire implications for the latest version of the states Coastal Master Plan, a $50 billion blueprint designed to save as much of the coast as possible.

The authors of the study agree with scientists who say river diversions are the best way to sustain portions of the Mississippi River Delta. But even the best-built diversions wont deposit sediment quickly enough to save the entire coast, they say.

The river is capable of building land, said Elizabeth Chamberlain, who led the study, but the rates at which its building arent high enough to offset the rates of loss were seeing.

Torbjorn Tornqvist, a geology professor at Tulane and co-author of the study, said the state will have to place the diversion structures in areas with the greatest potential to build land and protect highly populated areas, rather than create multiple diversions along the entire shoreline.

Difficult choices will have to be made about where to locate these diversions, he said in a news release.

The states plan earmarks $5 billion for diversions along the Mississippi River. They are intended to rebuild Louisianas disappearing coast by carrying sediment through cuts in the river's levees to silt-starved wetlands. Periodic flooding built land this way over thousands of years, but the levees blocked that process.

The 2017 Master Plan calls for building 10 sediment diversions across the central and southeastern coast in the next decade.

The state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which oversees the rebuilding plan, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on the study.

Researchers conducted the study to better understand how land was formed in the delta hundreds of years ago. They took sediment samples up and down Bayou Lafourche, an abandoned distributary of the Mississippi River. Using a technique called luminescence dating, they measured how fast the shoreline migrated toward the sea under natural conditions.

How Monday's decision by the Corps of Engineers will affect Louisiana coastal restoration The Trump administration has followed through on a promise to expedite federal permitting for a critical coastal restoration project, shaving 

By examining when minerals in the sediment were last exposed to sunlight, they determined that the delta grew at a rate of two to three square miles per year before humans reined in the river.

That growth rate is dwarfed by the current rate of land loss in coastal Louisiana, which has averaged 15 to 20 square miles per year over the past century. The latest research from the U.S. Geological Survey shows that number is now close to 10.8 square miles per year.

And seas are rising five times faster now than when sediment was deposited along Bayou Lafourche, the researchers said.

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The study confirms one conclusion already made by scientists: that human decisions greatly contributed to the states land loss.

Canals dredged for oil and gas drilling allowed saltwater to penetrate and kill marshes, causing them to erode and making them more vulnerable to storm surge. River levees prevented moisture-rich sediment from being deposited, allowing the delta to dry out and sink over time.

Tornqvist said Louisianas current reality  that land cant be built faster than it erodes, even with the best technology  will not change in the future, taking into account accelerated sea-level rise.

The idea that the state wont be able to catch up on land loss isnt new. When the Coastal Master Plan was revised in early 2017, scientists abandoned a long-held hope that the state could build more land than it loses by 2065.

The more dire outlook is due to sea-level rise. The worst-case scenario for human-caused sea-level rise in the 2012 plan, 1.48 feet, became the best-case scenario in the 2017 plan.

The National Climate Assessment now estimates sea levels on U.S. coastlines could rise 4 feet by 2100.

The new worst-case scenario projects that Louisiana would lose 4,000 square miles over the next 50 years if the state were to abandon all efforts to restore its coast. Thats double the loss projected under the same scenario in the 2012 plan.

Scientists now hope to restore between 800 and 1,200 square miles of wetlands in the states southern third, in addition to shoring up protection against storm surges.

+5 Buyout program, new policies possible for La.'s coastal area residents to combat erosion, sea-level rise After meeting with about 4,000 residents over the course of a year, state officials are working on a report that could reimagine how communiti

Natalie Peyronnin, director of science policy for Mississippi River Delta restoration at the Environmental Defense Fund, said diversions are still the states best tool for building new land. But its become even more important to build them quickly, she said.

Theres been a growing recognition  that we cant sustain all the land that we have today and that the delta of the future with sea-level rise is going to look different than it does today, said Peyronnin, who wasnt involved in the Tulane research. But there are things we can do to build that sustainability.

Indeed, the researchers found that Louisiana deltas have been able to grow even when constrained by limited sediment, accelerating sea-level rise and rapid subsidence.

The study is important, the researchers say, because understanding how the delta grew in the past will help them figure out how it will change in the future  especially as scientists attempt to build more land with expensive engineering.

So many people live on the coast, Chamberlain said, and having a fundamental understanding of how these systems operate can be used to create models in how the coast might change in the future.
Sofia Francesca Giarrusso, a fifth-grader at Hynes Charter School, has been chosen as a regional finalist in the 2018 Louisiana student of the year competition of the Louisiana state Department of Education. Sofia was previously honored as the Orleans Parish school district student of the year and now will move on to the state competition.

The Students of the Year Awards Program is designed to recognize outstanding elementary, middle or junior high, and high school students. The program recognizes those students who have demonstrated excellent academic achievement, leadership ability and citizenship.
Former Angola lifer John Floyd has collected ample evidence that he was innocent of the 1980 murder of a Times-Picayune proofreader and that authorities denied him a fair trial, a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled recently.

The panels 2-1 decision upheld U.S. District Judge Sarah Vances decision last year to overturn Floyds conviction for killing William Hines in the French Quarter.

The ruling is a major victory for attorneys at the Innocence Project New Orleans and for Floyd, who spent 36 years behind bars before his release last year from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

It may also be the first time that the generally conservative 5th Circuit Court has found that evidence of a defendant's innocence outweighs strict limits on when state prisoners can challenge their convictions in federal court.

Innocence Project New Orleans Director Emily Maw said the appeals court recognized that John Floyd has suffered a miscarriage of justice, that his is an exceptional case, and that it is time for his conviction to be over.

Orleans DA fights to reinstate conviction of John Floyd, free after 1980 French Quarter killing New Orleans prosecutors don't care if John Floyd stays free. Yet on Monday they nonetheless asked a federal appeals court to reinstate his con

Yet the panels decision is not the end of the road for Floyd, who has been free since New Orleans prosecutors agreed to his release. Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said he will ask the full appeals court to rehear the case.

While we believe this defendant may be rehabilitated, we also believe he was responsible for the murder of William Hines in 1980. There has been no new information presented that wasnt already in possession of defense counsel during the trial that ended with Mr. Floyds conviction, Cannizzaro said.

Cannizzaro's office has previously offered Floyd a deal to go free if he pleads guilty to manslaughter, which Floyd has rejected.

Maw criticized Cannizzaros decision to keep fighting the case despite conceding that Floyd, who now lives on a farm near Lafayette, poses no danger to the public.

For which citizens of New Orleans is he fighting so hard here? For which taxpayer does he believe that this is a good use of money, other than himself? she said.

The 5th Circuit panel's majority opinion, which was written by Judge Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale and joined by Judge Stephen Higginson, dives deep into the case and closely follows Vance's earlier decision.

In November 1980, the New Orleans Police Department was investigating two similar murders of gay men within a few days. Hines and Rodney Robinson were found nude and stabbed to death. Both appeared to have been killed by someone they welcomed into their residence, according to Detective John Dillmann.

Dillmann got a tip that Floyd had bragged about killing Hines and caught up with him at a bar. He and another detective bought Floyd at least one drink before taking him to police headquarters, where he confessed to both killings.

Yet the confession was not enough to secure a conviction in both cases. A judge at a bench trial convicted Floyd only of the Hines slaying, in part because there was seminal fluid in Robinsons hotel room from someone with a different blood type.

The 5th Circuit panel said there were several issues that, taken together, suggested that Floyd was innocent of the Hines killing as well and that he was denied a fair trial.

First, an NOPD technician had recovered a fingerprint from a whiskey bottle at Hines home on Gov. Nicholls Street. The fingerprint was not the victims and not Floyds, but the defense was not told that.

The U.S. Supreme Court has said prosecutors must disclose any evidence that would point toward a defendants innocence.

Also, Floyd claimed that Dillmann got him drunk and beat him into confessing, which the detective denied. The appeals court said the credibility of Floyds confession was called into question by a book the detective published in 1989.

Dillmann wrote that he had shown Floyd two of the grisliest shots from the Hines crime scene to crack him. Although the state said the veracity of Floyds confession was supported by the specific details it contained, the appeals court said that argument was severely weakened by the fact that Floyd had viewed crime scene photos.

Finally, the appeals court pointed to an affidavit from a friend of Hines who said he told Dillman that Hines had a preference for black men. Floyd is white and police found a black persons hair near the body of Robinson, who was supposedly killed by the same person. Dillman testified at the trial that a friend of Hines had told him that Hines had no particular preference.

In his ruling, Barksdale noted that it was not enough for Floyd to show that he was likely innocent. Under federal law, he also had to show that state prosecutors had withheld favorable evidence at his trial.

+6 Angola inmate John Floyd set free after 36 years pending appeal on overturned murder conviction Until Thursday, the last time John Floyd enjoyed freedom was about 5 p.m. on a chilly Monday in January 1981.

The court's majority said Floyd had also overcome this hurdle. Prosecutors should have disclosed the fingerprint evidence as well as the statement from Hines friend, the panel said.

Where the proof on which a conviction was based was thin to begin with, the Supreme Court has been clear that withheld evidence undermining that proof is material, the majority said.

In his dissent, Judge Jerry Smith said that while Floyd may have collected significant evidence that he was actually innocent, that was not enough to overturn his conviction. Neither this circuit nor the Supreme Court has recognized a freestanding claim of innocence, Smith said.

Smith noted that Congress passed a law in 1996 strictly limiting the right of state prisoners to appeal their convictions in federal court. An actual innocence claim is meaningless unless defendants can also show that their constitutional rights were violated, Smith said.

Smith said those rights were not violated because the state courts could have reasonably determined that the fingerprint test and Hines sexual preferences paled in comparison to Floyds confession.
A man fleeing in a car from Louisiana State Police troopers on Monday night got into a fiery crash with another vehicle and shut down a major corner in the Faubourg Marigny, though no serious injuries were reported.

The incident that culminated at the intersection of Elysian Fields and St. Claude Avenue drew wide attention after portions of it were captured on cellphone video and distributed on social media.

Can't see video below? Click here (via WWL-TV's Paul Murphy)

State Police tried to stop Bickett Theophile, 21, at the corner of North Rampart and Frenchmen streets because he was improperly displaying a temporary license plate about 10:10 p.m., agency spokeswoman Trooper Melissa Matey said. But he took off, kicking off a brief police chase that ended with Theophile running a red light and striking another persons vehicle, Matey said.

Theophile bailed from the car, which ultimately caught fire, Matey said. Troopers soon caught him; and after a visit to University Medical Center for minor injuries, he was jailed on counts of aggravated flight from an officer, resisting arrest, reckless driving, hit-and-run and an outstanding warrant for second-degree battery.

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The driver Theophile hit claimed minor injuries on the scene but refused aid, Matey said.

An Advocate reporter captured video of Theophile being escorted to a State Police cruiser while the car he was driving burned up in flames behind him. It struck a traffic light pole.

Joe Ashlar captured video of the wreck on his dashboard camera and told WWL-TV, "I was in shock for a moment afterwards, especially when I saw it catch on fire. I pulled over into the right lane and drove a little ways to get away from the debris that was flying."

Troopers help New Orleans police patrol local neighborhoods under an agreement struck a few years ago that was designed to boost the number of officers on city streets.

New Orleans polices car chase policy is more restrictive than the one governing troopers, who are given more latitude about when they can pursue suspects.

Advocate contributor Katy Reckdahl and WWL-TV's Paul Murphy contributed to this report.
Who loves a good old glass of wine in the evening? Not only is it enjoyable, but we're about to tell you that you're better in the bedroom department.

Yep, you're better at the sex.

Non-wine-drinkers will not be happy about this study's findings.
Consequently, presidents do not even bother any more to make serious legal arguments for dropping bombs on other countries. Instead, they rely primarily on humanitarian justifications, which have become America's all-purpose rationale for using force against anyone at any time.

Yet, aside from the domestic enthusiasm for bombing raids, it is striking how little concern American presidents give to international law when deciding whether to bomb a country. It's not just the Trump Administration. For the last 25 years, Democratic and Republican presidents alike have repeatedly bombed countries (and, in the case of Iraq in 2003, invaded and occupied a country for nearly a decade) without a basis in international law for doing so. In each case the public displayed complete indifference to the lack of legal authority for the military operations.

If history is any guide, the general public will support Trump's decision to attack Assad's regime. 67% of Americans approved last year's missile strikes on Syria, which reflects a pattern of public support for American bombing campaigns. For example, the Obama Administration's air strikes in Libya in 2011 received the support of 68% of Americans according to a March 2011 CBS News Poll . Surveys also consistently find high levels of public support for US drone strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Iraq. The relatively low-risk posed to American military personnel by air strikes combined with the "feel-good" nature of bombing foreign adversaries have made drone strikes against terrorist cells, and "humanitarian" bombing campaigns against dictators, quite popular with the public.

An American military assault on Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime appears imminent. President Trump warned on Sunday that Assad will pay a  big price  for using chemical weapons against Syrian civilians and the president followed up this morning with a Tweet in which he declared that missiles " will be coming, nice and new and smart! " Trump reportedly intends to unleash a more aggressive and broad-based bombing campaign than the modest missile strikes he ordered against a Syrian airfield in April 2017.

The pending bombing campaign against Syria is the latest case in point. On Monday night President Trump emphasized the humanitarian necessity of bombing Syria:

"We cant let atrocities like we all witnessed, and you can see that and its horrible, we cant let that happen in our world. Especially when were able to, because of the power of the United States, because of the power of our country, were able to stop it."

President Trump's words echo the humanitarian rhetoric of his immediate predecessors. In Bosnia in 1995, Kosovo in 1999, Iraq in 2003, and Libya in 2011 the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, respectively, claimed that preventing humanitarian disasters justified the use of American military force.

For example, in 1999 President Clinton declared that NATO's campaign against Serbia was necessary to stop "the unspeakable brutality in Kosovo" and "restore the Kosovars to their homes with security and self-government." In 2003 President Bush declared that by invading Iraq the United States would "tear down the apparatus of terror" and help Iraqis "build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free." In 2011 President Obama defended his bombing campaign in Libya as necessary to prevent a humanitarian disaster. He declared, "Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different."

Presidents use the humanitarian rationale for a reason: it resonates with both the general public and Congress. For example, a 2017 article in the Journal of Conflict Resolution by Prof. Sarah Kreps and Sarah Maxey found that the public is more likely to support the use of force for humanitarian purposes than for defending another country  by margins of up to 27 percent. Fascinatingly, they found that using a humanitarian justification, rather than a national security argument, is particularly effective for building support among Democrats. As they explained in an excellent Washington Post op-ed last weekend, "if Trump decides to further involve the U.S. military in Syria, emphasizing humanitarian needs can build a sense of moral obligation and support from both Democrats and Republicans. Focusing narrowly on U.S. national interests wont do the trick."

But there is one important catch when presidents make humanitarian-based arguments for military intervention: humanitarian justifications do not constitute a valid legal basis for military operations.

The Only Two Lawful Uses of Force

Under international law, there are only two internationally agreed-upon scenarios for lawfully using military force against another country. The first is when a nation is engaged in individual or collective self-defense. The second is when an offensive use of force is authorized by a United Nations Security Council Resolution. Neither scenario applies to the proposed attack on Assad's regime.

First of all, no Security Council Resolution authorizes a U.S. bombing raid in Syria. Russia, a close ally of Syria and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, supports Assads regime and adamantly opposes any attack, even one to enforce the Chemical Weapons Convention that Syrian forces violated by using chemical weapons.

Russia's opposition is critically important. There are 5 permanent members of the Security Councilthe US, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and Franceand each individually possesses a veto over Security Council resolutions. Article 27 of the United Nations Charter states that

decisions of the Security Council . . . shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members.

Although the word veto does not appear in the United Nations Charter, the term concurring has been interpreted by the 5 permanent members of the Security Council as granting each of them a veto power. Accordingly, Russia has the clear legal authority to block any resolution put before the Security Council.

In the absence of a Security Council resolution, the only other internationally-recognized legal basis for the United States to use force in Syria is self-defense. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter expressly acknowledges:

the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.

The problem, of course, is the United States has not been attacked by Assads government. Although a theory of self-defense at least arguably provides a plausible justification for U.S. military operations against ISIS terrorist forces in eastern Syria, the self-defense argument cannot be extended to the Assad regime. Assad has ruthlessly murdered tens of thousands of his fellow Syrians, but he has not taken any hostile act with regard to the United States.

Thus, no matter how compelling the humanitarian case, the United States would clearly violate traditional understandings of international law by attacking the Syrian government.

The Doctrine of Humanitarian Intervention

Nevertheless, some argue that it is lawful to bomb a country for humanitarian reasons. For example, President Obama and senior members of his foreign policy team argued that there should be a humanitarian exception under international law that permits foreign intervention to prevent atrocities. In the late 1990s British Prime Minister Tony Blair articulated a similar argument. In 2013 the British government reiterated its position that there exists in international law a "doctrine of humanitarian intervention" that permits the use of military force when three criteria are met:

"(i) there is convincing evidence, generally accepted by the international community as a whole, of extreme humanitarian distress on a large scale, requiring immediate and urgent relief;

(ii) it must be objectively clear that there is no practicable alternative to the use of force if lives are to be saved; and

(iii) the proposed use of force must be necessary and proportionate to the aim of relief of humanitarian need and must be strictly limited in time and scope to this aim (i.e. the minimum necessary to achieve that end and for no other purpose)."

But there are three major problems with the "doctrine of humanitarian intervention."

The first is that the doctrine is never invoked when there actually is a "general acceptance by the international community" that military force is "necessary" to relieve a humanitarian crisis. If in a given case there actually is general international acceptance of the necessity for military force, then there would be no need for the intervening powers to invoke the doctrine of humanitarian intervention. They would instead go to the UN and get a Security Council Resolution authorizing the use of force, which is the gold standard under international law.

But over the last 25 years, we have repeatedly seen that the US, UK, and France profoundly disagree with Russia and China on the need for humanitarian interventions. Accordingly, the West has developed the humanitarian intervention doctrine as a way to get around the Security Council. The "doctrine of humanitarian intervention" is thus not really a legal doctrine. It's a policy strategy employed by the West to marginalize the influence of Russia and China on the Security Council.

For example, the West did not invoke the "humanitarian intervention" doctrine to stop Saudi Arabia from bombing Yemen, or to prevent the Egyptian military from crushing domestic dissent. The reason is because Saudi Arabia and Egypt are vital allies of the United States. But Syria is not. It's allied with the Russians. Thus, at best, the doctrine of "humanitarian intervention" is only selectively applied. The United States invokes it when atrocities are committed by a regime hostile to the West, and when the atrocities are broadcast on television around the world, creating a domestic political appetite for "feel good" air strikes. In short, although supporters may attach the word "doctrine" to humanitarian interventions, there are no uniformly-enforced and evenly-applied legal principles that undergird the doctrine.

Second, despite the doctrine's reference to "proportionate" uses of force, humanitarian interventions all too often not only fail to reduce violence, but instead add fuel to the fire, making a bad situation worse. For example, citing humanitarian reasons, the United States and its allies intervened in Somalia in 1992 to end a civil war-created famine, in Iraq in 2003 to remove Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, and in Libya in 2011 to prevent Muammar Gaddafi from brutally suppressing a rebellion.

But all three interventions led to anarchy in the countries the West sought to save. In each case, the United States and its allies found themselves engaged in a much broader military campaign than originally envisioned, resulting in even more mass killings and atrocities after the humanitarian intervention than before. Years after the West's "humanitarian" interventions, Somalia, Iraq, and Libya all remain wracked by internecine violence, civil disorder, and political instability. In the Libya case, for example, even President Obama--one of the main proponents of the doctrine of humanitarian intervention--admitted that the humanitarian intervention in Libya "didn't work" and represented his "worst mistake" as president.

Third, the inherently subjective nature of the doctrine of humanitarian intervention means that it could be used by any aggressor as justification for almost any act of aggression. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his 2014 invasion of eastern Ukraine and Crimea on the grounds that it was necessary to protect Russian ethnic groups from Ukrainian "mobs roaming the streets of Kiev." The discomfiting reality is that, under the doctrine of humanitarian intervention, every civil war becomes fair game for foreign intervention.

The doctrine of humanitarian intervention is thus so subjective, incoherent, inconsistently-applied, and easily-manipulated that it simply does not offer a viable legal standard. The doctrine may serve public relations purposes for invaders, aggressors, and would-be liberators, but it does not represent anything remotely resembling international law.

The Realities of 21st Century War

The legal shortcomings in the doctrine of humanitarian intervention, however, won't stop superpowers from routinely invoking it to justify their military operations.

Indeed, the doctrine is an increasingly useful tool for superpowers. In the last 25 years, 4 of the 5 permanent members of the Security Council have violated the traditional understanding of international law in using military force. For example, in the 1999 Kosovo War, the United States, France, and Great Britain bombed Serbian forces without Security Council authorization and without a valid self-defense argument. In 2003 the United States and Great Britain invaded Iraq without Security Council authorization and once again without a valid self-defense argument. In 2011 the U.S., Great Britain, and France went beyond the U.N. Security Council Resolution that authorized limited strikes to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Libya and dramatically expanded the air campaign to topple the Libyan government itself. And in 2014 Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea without Security Council authorization and without a legitimate self-defense argument. Ironically, therefore, the Security Council powers are among the worst offenders when it comes to waging war without a sufficient legal justification. In recent years, only China has refrained from invading or bombing countries in violation of international law (although it did invade Vietnam in the late 1970s).

The doctrine of humanitarian intervention has thus become an extremely convenient cover for the use of force by superpowers. This is particularly true of Western powers, like the Americans, the British, and the French, whose domestic populations respond favorably to humanitarian based arguments. Accordingly, despite the profound legal flaws in the doctrine, humanitarian-based justifications for bombing and invading countries are likely here to stay.
By Carlo Javier

Special to Mata Press

The cold afternoon of Feb. 19 felt just like any other day would. Eight of Capilano Universitys night-shift cleaners sat together in the Capilano Students Union (CSU) Members Centre, but because not everyone can fit in the lounges partitioned two-couch space, two of them had to grab a barrel chair from different areas of the room. It didnt matter that it would disorganize the lounge, because later that evening, one of them will have to come back and clean it all up.

The cleaners were an hour early for their 4:30 to 12:30 p.m. shift, but some of them kept their coats on. Nearly everyday, the cleaners congregate in the lounge for a fleeting moment of catharsis. Most  if not all of them  came to campus straight after their morning jobs, and these short bursts of relaxation are almost as precious as sleep itself.

All eight of the cleaners who arrived an hour early for their shift are Filipino  they often tend to be. Twenty-two of the 29 CapU cleaners are Filipino, and in the Greater Vancouver area, 65 percent of all cleaners who work in schools, malls, office buildings and other spaces are Filipino. This is a number confidently estimated by Leo Alejandria, a former janitor himself, who now works with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2 and the BC chapter of Migrante  a global non-profit organization that fights for the rights of immigrant Filipinos.

The cleaners in the lounge kept to themselves. Some of them carried out their own mini-conversations, while others browsed through their Facebook pages. There were familiar faces, like Cherish Lazo and her father, Marciano. One person that was noticeably absent was Delia Tanza.

Shes not here yet, one of the cleaners told me.

As normal as the day seemed, there existed a noticeable air of relief. As if a certain weight had been lifted from the cleaners shoulders. The Feb. 19 night shift almost never happened.

On Feb. 13, the CapU cleaners unanimously voted to go on strike on Monday, Feb. 19  marking the boiling point of their ongoing dispute with an employer, BEST Service Pros. However, late on Thursday, Feb. 15, the planned campus walk-off was averted after the two parties reached a then-tentative bargaining agreement. When Tanza arrived in the lounge around 4 p.m., she received a little bit of a heros welcome from her colleagues. Tanza was in Birch 205  the room where it happened.

Holy cow. Those were the two words that Tanza could muster when BEST presented their final offer to the bargaining committee. It was not a denouncement of the pitch, in fact, it was an exclamation of relief. The new agreement addressed the primary demands that the cleaners put forward, namely wage increases, health benefits as well as paid sick days. Though BEST did not accommodate the exact designated BC living wage number ($20.62), Tanza said that their committee was satisfied with what BEST provided in terms of benefits. Its not the minimum, but we feel okay, she said.

Since their partnership with SEIU Local 2 and its Justice for Janitors campaign was permitted in June 2017, Tanza has emerged as one of the more prominent figures from the cleaner group. The 53-year-old mother of one was front and centre at a November demonstration outside of President Paul Dangerfields office, where she spoke to dozens of supporters, including the Student Worker Alliance Group, about their plea for higher working standards. She has become a frequent contact for local publications covering the situation as well as a constant figure in the negotiations.

Though successful in terms of compensation and working conditions, the cleaners campaign may have inadvertently cast a spotlight on an underlying truth that exists in the cleaning workforce: how did custodianship become so inseparable from the immigrant Filipino identity?

The victory solves the day-to-day challenges that CapU cleaners face on the job, but what cannot be overlooked is the very significance of the fact that the campaign not only existed  it also managed to garner the support of numerous stakeholders in the CapU community. It is a conscious and concentrated effort to counter the increasing and troubling racialized identities of Filipinos in Greater Vancouver. It provides an opportunity to bring a group of people that have routinely been disenfranchised, since the dawn of the Lived-In Caregiver Program (LCP) from the periphery, to the conversation.

Tanza spent the entirety of July 2016 in the Philippines. Coincidentally, that was also her last vacation. She first immigrated in 2006, splitting the next four years of her life between Dubai and Hong Kong. In 2010, Tanza moved to Canada, entirely because of her desire to bring her son abroad and gain access to better education, healthcare and simply, a better life. Her husband remained in the Philippines and will likely never step foot in Canada.

What she may not have known then, is crystal clear to her now. For her to best provide for her son, she would have to just about extinguish the life she once knew. They [Filipinos] see Canada as a good country, as heaven, but its not, you need to work, you need to down your pride, Tanza said. You need to really accept your life here, that this is it. In order to live, you might have to work at the very bottom to provide for your family.

Tanzas days often start at 6:30 a.m., when she wakes up to get ready for her morning shift taking care of an elderly person, in her position as a caregiver. Part of her morning is also spent ensuring that her son is ready to go to school. He is 16 now and the Grade 10 student aids his mom by helping with the cooking. At 9:30 a.m., she works as a caregiver, with shifts ranging from four to five hours. By 4 p.m., shes at CapU.

Tanza has been cleaning at the University for three years. She has been stationed on the third floor of the Birch building the whole time, and now knows the layout of the floor like the back of her hand. So much so that she can list the rooms, the number of labs and offices off the top of her head. Recently, she has also taken responsibility for part of the second floor. Night shift ends at 12:30 a.m., and like most of the cleaners, Tanza takes public transit to and from work  increasing her workday hours from 12 to 14 or 15 depending on traffic. Around 2 a.m., its lights out. On weekends, shes at the Lynn Valley Care Centre, working as a caretaker and a housekeeper. Im tired, yes, but this is it, this is my life, she said. Its normal.

Her son routinely encourages her to drive, at least it would decrease her daily working hours, but Tanza knows better than to increase her spending. Owning and maintaining a vehicle could eat up one of her salaries. I want to provide him with a good education, its not only for me right now, she said. Im old already, sooner or later Ill be retired. So, I just focus on earning money, provide daily needs, renting, the insurance that I have to pay, MSP, everything.

The paradigm shift was most evident to Jeepney Payemyem, a 58-year-old Filipino cleaner at CapU. Before moving to Canada in 2016 to join his family, Payemyem led a lengthy and decorated career in the firefighting industry, eventually achieving the rank of Fire Captain in his near two-decade stint in Saudi Arabia.

Payemyem is both tough and articulate. His work in firefighting has helped him build a tough, no nonsense exterior, but hes also down-to-earth, even jolly on occasion. He has developed a rapport with some of the security workers on campus, possibly because hes often stationed in Arbutus, but also because security has been a part-time job of his, since moving to Canada. Initially, he had a short four-month stint working security at the Vancouver Drydock. Now he maintains a weekend security job on top of his four days a week at CapU, as well as his new maintenance position at a property building. Just to keep the ball rolling, he said.

Its hard for me to change, he admitted. The lifestyle in Canada has been vastly different for Payemyem. Even beyond his starkly different income as a fire captain, compared to his income here, Payemyem has also noticed differences in treatment  especially perception.

In his security job, he often gets questioned how a Filipino like himself managed to do security, especially at his age. I hear it from anybody, sometimes you meet somebody, they will always say, Filipinos are cleaners, he said. When I was at my security job, they will always look at me and say, oh hes a Filipino, and hes in security?

Stereotypes have their own nuanced process of manifestation, evolution, and normalization. The Filipino caregiver stereotype was a tragic by-product of the massive influx of Filipina caregivers in the 90s and early 2000s. The association of custodianship with Filipinos grew out of the difficulty of transitioning from a live-in caregiver to more skilled positions.

Most Canadian workplaces do not recognize education and experience obtained from other countries, much less one from Southeast Asia. Because of this, former caregivers are forced to go back to school to upgrade. While this sounds like a straightforward solution, the challenges that stand in the way are a little more complicated. Many caregivers, especially the ones who came from the first boom of the LCP, were never paid  their remuneration often took the form of room and board. Most of them were then forced to find a part-time job that was easy to apply for and do, but also flexible.

Caregivers worked their primary responsibilities in the morning and daytime, then cleaned in the evening  not many had the time, opportunity, or money to go to school

Canadas relationship with the Philippines is built almost entirely on the foundations of the LCP. The LCP was created in 1992 as an evolution of the Foreign Domestic Movement (FDM). The program created a two-pronged benefit: one, with a live-in caregiver, Canadian families will have little issues with having two working parents. Two, once a caregiver completes their 24-month contract within four years, they become eligible to apply for permanent residency.

Decades later, the LCP has brought a massive influx of Filipinos to the country  along with other races, too  but with it, came seemingly unyielding stereotypes.

Carlo Javier is the editor-in-chief of The Capilano Courier, Capilano Universitys number one campus newspaper. The original version of this article appeared in the Capilano Courier.
More than 300,000 immigrants and refugees come to Canada each year, many with top credentials in their professional fields.

Many more thousands come on temporary work permits in hopes of staying permanently one day. Some may be fleeing war, while others are seeking new opportunities and a better life.

But they all have one thing in common: they need information and guidance after they arrive to help them in their immigration journey. Thats where the Canadian Immigrant Fair comes in.

On April 26, 2018, the free fair comes to the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown in Burnaby, B.C. This tradeshow and speakers series for newcomers is all about providing the information and inspiration people need as they look for jobs, go back to school and settle into their new home.

In Metro Vancouver, 30,000 immigrants landed in 2017, with another 3,300 in the first quarter of 2018 alone, according to data from Immigrant, Refugees, Citizenship Canada.

The free fair, hosted by Canadian Immigrant magazine, will feature a tradeshow of diverse exhibitors, including career advisors, education institutes and social service agencies, plus hiring companies. If you want a more professional headshot for your social media presence, the fairs associate sponsor Public Mobile will be offering a professional photo booth to take your photo onsite.

The events popular speakers series includes a workshop on banking in Canada by platinum sponsor National Bank, an English pronunciation class by Catherine Steele to help you take your career to the next level, an interview skills workshop, a small business session by local entrepreneur and RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Trish Mandewo, plus a multicultural womens Q & A dialogue panel.

Temporary residents and students can seek advice on immigration from the Express Entry and CELPIP English test workshops.

Immigrants are coming to Canada, and its our responsibility to welcome them, and help them settle in and integrate into this great country. Through the Canadian Immigrant Fair, we offer information on the three pillars of success for immigrating to Canada: careers, education and settlement, says Sanjay Agnihotri, group publisher of Canadian Immigrant, a national magazine, website and events producer that has been a guiding star for newcomers since 2004.

After the April 26 Burnaby event, the Canadian Immigrant Fair will be held in 7 other cities throughout 2018.

Register for the fair online at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/careerfair before April 26 for a chance to win a free talk and text plan for one full year from Public Mobile.
Not everything associated with the word auto is a good thing.



For example, when the word auto is combined with immunity, it means something really bad is happening.



Under normal conditions, immunity protects a person from harmful bacterial invasion, however when an individual has autoimmunity, the body can no longer distinguish between good and bad bacteria.



Consequently, different symptoms arise in an autoimmune patient that are sometimes unexplainable.



Symptoms of autoimmunity are varied, depending on the body part that is being attacked, said Andini S. Natasari, an autoimmune sufferer who is also a postgraduate student of immunology.



Autoimmunity has various types, each of which may have several symptoms.



For instance, a patient with Sjogrens syndrome (affecting salivary glands) feels fatigue and a headache, while one with thickening blood often gets bruises for no apparent reason, and another with celiac disease due to intestinal hypersensitivity to gluten has digestion and skin troubles.



According to Andini, autoimmune patients initially are unaware of what they are suffering from exactly, forcing them to consult a number of doctors and yet still fail to come up with any indication of the real culprit.



We call this process doctor shopping, Andini said.

Read also: Fighting against autoimmunity

The factor of heredity plays some role, especially among women, but autoimmunity is also activated by the environment or exposure to chemicals.



A child may inherit autoimmunity from parents but without triggers the child can live a healthy life.



Andini also mentioned that most patients were females, however, males were also not safe from autoimmunity despite their far less dominant number.



One individual may have more than one type of autoimmunity so it is important for general practitioners to be knowledgeable about autoimmunity and to be able to consult with their patients very deeply for further recommendations to internists, said Andini.



Some practitioners lack of familiarity with autoimmunity symptoms may result in hasty referrals to certain specialists before the detection of this condition.



Sari Saphera, who works for a ceramics firm, was detected to have autoimmunity in 2012. She had previously suffered from frequent fatigue, lack of orientation and bruising, which turned out to be the symptoms of her autoimmunity.



Sari also had several miscarriages due to the condition, which had remained undetected until she found a doctor who traced her complaints.



At the time I was diagnosed with Sjogrens syndrome, anti-phospholipid syndrome and rheumatoid [arthritis], revealed Sari, adding that the list could someday grow longer.



With autoimmune patients need for general practitioners sensitive to symptoms of autoimmunity, an autoimmunity clinic was finally set up, located at the Guntur Clinic in south Jakarta.



The clinic also provides hypnotherapy offered by Dr. Eliza Mirabella, aside from counselling.



According to Eliza, hypnotherapy is useful to relieve despair that often arises because of endless medication or declining health.



Hypnotherapy is expected to restore patients calm attitude and high spirits in experiencing their disorders, added Eliza.



Although incurable, whatever is suffered by autoimmune patients can be relieved with drugs that need to be routinely consumed. However, many of these drugs are not available in Indonesia.



Usually our friends or families who travel abroad buy them [the drugs] for us, said Sari.



Some patients occasionally have to loan their drugs to others in need. Their declining health can be caused by several things, such as physical exhaustion, stress and weather changes.



Their unstable health has also caused some patients to lose their jobs.



This will surely create difficulties for those who support their families, said Sari, who feels very lucky to have tolerant superiors that care about her condition, thus allowing her to be absent from work or perform her job duties at home whenever shes too sick to be present.



With only a few employers being so lenient, a lot more workers with autoimmunity have had to leave their jobs for being considered unproductive.



Therefore, solutions to the drug and workplace problems are being sought through advocacy to the level of decisionmakers by the Indonesian autoimmunity community.



Andini, Sari and Eliza hope the advocacy efforts will prove beneficial for autoimmune patients in Indonesia.
China will send a Communist Party official with an art troupe to North Korea for a festival celebrating the country's founder, state media said Wednesday, as the neighbours seek to heal battered relations.

The delegation will leave on Friday to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival at the invitation of North Korea's Workers' Party, China's official Xinhua news agency said in a brief report.

Song Tao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's international department, will lead the mission.

Song had visited Pyongyang late last year to brief officials about the party's October congress.

The festival is held in Pyongyang as part of the commemorations for the anniversary of the birth of the North's founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, 1912.

Both North Korean and foreign artists take part, and this year's week-long event includes concerts, dance performances and acrobatics.

Read also: North Korea's 'army of beauties' set to invade South

China has sent art troupes to every festival since 1986, except in 2016.

Beijing is North Korea's sole major ally, an alliance dating back to the 1950-1953 Korean War, but relations deteriorated after China backed United Nations sanctions to punish Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons programme.

Both sides have since sought to improve ties, with North Korea's Kim Jong Un meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping last month in Beijing -- the young leader's first known official trip abroad.

Kim's visit was seen as an attempt by both leaders to shore up a key alliance ahead of the North Korean leader's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in this month and US President Donald Trump in the following weeks.

Baik Tae-hyun, a spokesman for South Korea's unification ministry, said Seoul believes the Chinese delegation's trip is "part of the efforts to strengthen friendly cultural exchanges between North Korea and China following their summit".

Seoul, Baik added, "will watch with interest whether it will lead to a performance in China by North Korean artists that was cancelled in December 2015".
Dance Prix Indonesia, the annual ballet and contemporary dance competition, will return for its fourth edition on April 13 to 15 at the Jakarta Art Building, Central Jakarta.

A total of 350,000 participants from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will compete to win cash prizes and scholarships to the Singapore Ballet Academy, Universal Ballet in South Korea, Ena Ballet Studio in Japan and V. Chabukiani Tbilisi Ballet State School in Georgia. There are also cash prizes and scholarship to Ballet Legacy  Master Class Series in the US for winners of Jurys Choice Awards.

Said to be the largest and the first annual dance competition in Indonesia, Dance Prix has assembled a three-person judging panel comprising Simon Pointon, a former principal dancer of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Han Kee Juan, principal of Singapore Ballet Academy and Maria Sascha Khan, a former principal dancer at the Ekaterinburg State Ballet in Russia.

Furthermore, there is also a master class with Maria Sascha Khan on April 15.

There are two main categories in this competition, Ballet and Contemporary.

In Ballet, subcategories Solo and Group are divided into two to four smaller categories based on the age of the participants. Ballet Solo Junior A, for instance, is for kids from eight to 11 years old, while Ballet Solo Senior is for dancers at the age of 20 and above.

Read also: Ballet schools 'stifling' young dancers says top star

This year we see a significant increase in the number of candidates for Junior A and B. Theres an increase of 20 percent for junior participants, said Juliana Tanjo, founder and managing director of Dance Prix Indonesia, in press conference on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at the auditorium of the Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta, Central Jakarta.

Juliana Tanjo (left), founder and managing director of Dance Prix Indonesia, Vittorio Sandalli (center), Italian ambassador to Indonesia, and Jetty Maika (right) from Speranza Dance Studio during press conference on April 10 at the auditorium of the Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta, Central Jakarta. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)

In Ballet Solo, all participants must choose one out of five provided dance variations. For Ballet Group, the teachers can use their own choreography. The same goes with Contemporary category, said Juliana.

Presented by Indonesia Dance Society organization, this years Dance Prix Indonesia also collaborates with the Embassy of Italy and Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta.

On April 14, for the first time, two Italian principal dancers of Teatro dellOpera di Roma, Claudio Cocino and Susanna Salvi, will perform contemporary choreography of Stabat Mater by Benjamin Pech and classical ballet piece Sleeping Beauty Grand pas de deux, respectively.

During the press conference, Italian Ambassador to Indonesia Vittorio Sandalli said he aspired to have more regular collaborations in ballet. There are many other sectors in art, music and other different forms of creativity, Sandalli said. So, I think this collaboration in ballet with institutions from two countries is fruitful for both societies.

Tickets can be purchased by contacting Julies Dance Shop via +62213000303 or +6281878300 10303, with price starting at Rp 180,000 ($12). (wng)
Online luxury fashion retailer Net-A-Porter and Italian fashion house Fendi have announced the launch of the FF Capsule Collection.

The collection will be exclusively previewed on Net-A-Porter for one month, starting on April 13, before being made available in selected Fendi stores and on fendi.com from May 14th until the end of the year

The FF Capsule Collection is said to celebrate the heritage of the Roman house and the iconic FF logo.

Designed by Karl Lagerfeld in 1965, the logo was hoped to bring out a contemporary yet sophisticated feeling. It is updated from the original rectangular version and is featured heavily on every item in the collection.

Read also: Fendi to unveil new art installation in Rome

With graphic patterns in classic tobacco and black, alongside black and white, the collection includes bomber jackets, sneakers, boots, sandals and slippers.

Fendi has made efforts to reintroduce itself with a lighter style, when it was once the choice for power dressing. The brand has associated closely with popular models such as Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, in line with the young generation currently in favor of 1980s fashion trademarks of logos and slightly oversized clothing.

The launch of the capsule will be celebrated in London on April 12 and then again in Dubai. The brand will also recreate the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, Fendi headquarters in Rome, in inflatable form at the Dubai Mall Fashion Catwalk from April 19 to 29. (wng)
Google has initiated an Android programming scholarship for 1,000 university students and teachers in Indonesia.

According to kompas.com, the scholarship is one of the results from President Joko Jokowi Widodos visit to Silicon Valley in 2016. At the time, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, promised to train 100,000 app developers in Indonesia until the year 2020.

Google is collaborating with Dicoding, a platform for app developers in Indonesia with over 80,000 members. The 1,000 scholarships will be given during the duration of 90 days, to university students and teachers of information technology who wish to learn Android programming.

Read also: Google Assistant adds more languages in global push

Dicoding will provide 125 modules, 35 videos and 24 quizzes for the whole course, which will be offered in the Indonesian language. Through the Dicoding Academy website, Dicoding and Google Developer Expert will guide the training with a discussion forum and code reviews.

Participants can expect to learn how to build apps using the Android operation system.

Participants will receive printed copies of Becoming Expert Android Developer by Dicoding, after they register and follow the course.

At the end of the course, all graduates will receive certificates once they complete the modules. Further information is available on the Dicodings website. (wng)
Heritage cuisine is set to be featured at the Solo Indonesia Culinary Festival (SICF) slated to take place over four days starting on April 12 at the Manahan Stadium parking lot in Surakarta, Central Java.

At least 170 booths are expected to be set up at the festival.

"There will be no Western foods; all will be heritage cuisine and authentic Indonesian dishes, as this festival aims to preserve them. There are some foods that still exist today, but some other are rarely found," SICF 2018 initiation head Daryono told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Daryono said Surakarta was home to many street food eateries that were popular among local tourists, especially during the night.

"This festival is a form of our appreciation for these culinary business players," he added.

Among the Surakartan traditional cuisine set to be presented at the festival are sate kambing (mutton satay), tengkleng (mutton soup), sate kere (tofu satay) and nasi liwet (savory steamed rice with spicy fried condiments).

Tengkleng is said to have existed since the golden era of the Surakartan palace, which was more than 100 years ago.

Read also: Eight places to visit in Surakarta

"In the old days, tengkleng was a poor people's dish. But now tengkleng has become popular and is an expensive menu item," said an observer of Surakarta's traditional culinary scene, Heri Priyatmoko, adding that a similar fate also happened to sate kere, which currently also uses beef offal.

Surakarta Tourism Agency head Hasta Gunawan said other than foods, the festival, which offers free entry, would also display an old-style kitchen and various cookware.

"The committee will also offer packages to visitors who want to visit Gondorasan [the kitchen of the Surakarta Kasunanan Palace] in Baluwarti to learn about old styles of cooking, presenting and eating," said Hasta. "Enjoying the palace's traditional cuisine amid the palace's atmosphere will of course provide a different sensation,"

Hasta said the festival was targeting to attract 25,000 visitors over four days. He added that the festival would also present 30 culinary stalls from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) that would provide free foods.

Visitors can also expect to enjoy a cooking demonstration with experienced chefs, a Chef Indonesia battle event, tengkleng cooking contest and food bazaar at the festival. (kes)
U.S. President Donald Trump, his predecessor Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Theresa May have not been invited to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, royal and British government sources said on Tuesday.

Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth and younger brother of Prince William, will marry Markle, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series Suits, at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle.

It has been decided that an official list of political leaders  both UK and international - is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markles wedding, said a spokesman for Kensington Palace, the official residence of William and Harry.

Read also: Graphic novel tells story of UK's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Her Majestys Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household, the spokesman said. Her Majestys Government is the official name of the British government.

A Kensington Palace source confirmed the Obamas would not be attending and said the wedding guests would be people who have an existing direct relationship with the groom or the bride or with both. That excludes Trump.

There had been some speculation that the Obamas might be invited due to the personal rapport between the former president and Harry, but it would have been diplomatically awkward to invite the Obamas and not the Trumps.

Although the royal family is expected to steer well clear of politics, Britains delicate constitutional balance means that its members have to consult discreetly with the government to ensure their public actions comply with foreign policy.

A British government source confirmed May would not be attending and said there had been no expectation that she would.

The government source noted that the wedding venue was significantly smaller than Westminster Abbey, where Harrys older brother William wed Kate Middleton in 2011 in the presence of then Prime Minister David Cameron and other politicians and diplomats.

Read also: Prince Harry's fiancee craves 'Diana 2.0' role: biography

Obama, who was then in office, was not invited to that wedding and the United States was represented by its ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Kensington Palace on Tuesday named some of the 1,200 people, chosen because of their strong leadership and community service, who have been invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle on the wedding day to join the celebrations.

The list included people who ran a wide variety of charity organizations as well as veterans from the armed forces who have suffered life-changing injuries.
The Facebook scandal involving the harvesting of data from tens of millions of users has raised a lot of questions about social media and search engines.

As Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the US Congress this week on protecting user data, here is a primer on what they know about you:

Social media

Facebook, which has more than two billion users, has access to everything you do on the site: the photos and videos you post, your comments, your 'likes,' anything you share or consult, the identity of your friends and any other users you interact with, your location and other information.

Ditto for Instagram and WhatsApp, which are owned by Facebook, and for Snapchat and Twitter. A user can control some sharing of their Facebook data with privacy settings and the ad preferences page.

- What it sells: Facebook insists it does not sell advertisers personally identifiable information or even aggregate data. What it provides an advertiser with is the ability to reach a specific demographic, which enhances the effectiveness of an ad campaign. Twitter, for its part, provides access to an internal search engine that sweeps up all messages on the site.

- What it shares: Most social media platforms are open to outside developers who create apps fed in varying degrees by using data from users of these networks. In the case of Facebook, the public profile -- the whole page for some people, or just the first and last name and photo for others -- does not require authorization from the user, but accessing the rest may require a separate OK from the user.

Once data is mined by outside apps, it is no longer in the grasp of Facebook and trying to get hold of it again is difficult.

"Once people had access to that data, Facebook has no way of knowing for sure what they did with that data," said Ryan Matzner, co-founder of mobile app designer Fueled. "It's like sending an email to somebody and then saying: 'What did they do with that email?' You don't know."

Only bank and payment details held by Facebook are off-limits.

Read also: Seven parenting tips in the digital era

Search engines

- What they collect: Google, Yahoo and Bing gather all information involving searches including the websites that are accessed and the location of the user. This can be integrated with information from other services owned by the internet giants.

"You don't have to tell Google your age and your gender and all those things. They can determine all of that based on so many other factors," said Chirag Shah, a computer science professor at Rutgers University.

- What they sell: like social networks, their revenue comes largely from advertising. They do not sell data, but rather access to a consumer with very specific characteristics.

This comes from compiling search engine data but also, in the case of Google, from searches and content viewed on its YouTube platform. Google used to also mine the content of Gmail before ending this practice in June.

- What they share: Like social media networks, search engines share data with developers and third-party app makers.

Are there limits?

In the United States there are practically no laws against the use of data from social media or search engines.

But the Federal Trade Commission did sanction Facebook in 2011 for its handling of personal data.

In Canada and Europe, there are some limits on the use of data, mainly involving health.

Facebook was fined 110 million euros ($135.7 million) by the European Commission last year for sharing personal data with WhatsApp.

In an attempt to harmonize data privacy laws, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation is to go into force on May 25.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 08:00 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdf41e3 1 City Pari-island,oil-spill Free

The Jakarta Environment Agency has yet to find the culprit of an oil spill that contaminated Pari Island Beach in Thousand Islands regency on Sunday despite the fact that such an occurrence reportedly happens regularly.

We havent found [the culprit] yet, the agencys head, Isnawa Adji, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Isnawa said the oil might have come from a vessel that had dumped waste into the sea.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) had called the city administration on Sunday morning to investigate the oil spill, saying such incidents happened up to three times a year in Thousand Islands waters.

Thousand Islands Environment Agency head Yusen Hardiman said his side had cleaned up the oil spill.

"I just got back from the beach. The cleaning is finished," Yusen stated on Tuesday.

He added that the oil had contaminated a 10-meter area. (wnd)
This is a video about Karamel the squirrel, who had to have her front legs amputated (in two different surgeries, one lasting six hours) after getting caught in an animal trap in Batman, Turkey. There's a Batman in Turkey! Now Karamel has a custom wheeled prosthesis, which appears to be partly the axle and wheels from a toy car. She lives with Tayfun Demir in Istanbul, who had already taken in another rescue squirrel previously. Happy endings. The story of my life? That ending will probably not be so happy, just like the rest of the book. I don't even like the cover.

Keep going for the video, as well as a longer one of Tayfun discussing the prosthesis's design (in Turkish) with some footage at the end of Karamel running around his place (skip to 5:50 for that).

Thanks to Stephanie B and K Diddie, who agree compassionate people are the best people.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 07:35 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdf3edc 1 City beer,company,Jakarta-administration Free

The city administration is looking for a financial consultant to assist in the planned sale of its stake in beer manufacturer and distributor PT Delta Djakarta.

Disposing of the 26.25 percent stake in the company was a campaign promise by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and his deputy Sandiaga Uno, who earlier said that it was improper for the city administration to own a stake in a brewery.

"We're now conducting a beauty contest to look for a financial consultant who can give us suggestions about our investment in Delta Jakarta," Sandiaga said on Monday according to kompas.com.

He added that the city administration would consult with the Indonesia Stock Exchange and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) about the plan because Delta Djakarta was a publicly listed company.

Sandiaga made no further comment about potential losses from the sell-off given that last year alone the company contributed Rp 37 billion (US$2.6 million) to the city's budget.

He also declined to comment on the size of stake that would be disposed of by the city administration, saying the information should be confidential.

The Jakarta administration has owned the shares in Delta Djakarta since 1970.

The company produces various brands of beer including Anker, Stout and Carlsberg. (cal)
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Linkedin Moses Ompusunggu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 21:20 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce24f32 1 National academic-freedom,scientists,tsunami,Banten Free

The Banten Police have reportedly dropped their plan to summon coastal disaster expert Widjo Kongko in connection with a criminal investigation, a colleague of the scientist has said.

"The Banten Police chief has canceled the legal process," Henny Warsilah, a senior sociologist and earthquake mitigation expert at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday evening.

Widjo, a coastal engineer and disaster risk expert at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), recently delivered a presentation as part of a discussion on "Tsunami Potential" that covered several coastal regions in southwestern Java. Widjo's presentation quickly became a viral controversy after detik.com, a popular online news portal, reported the assessment, erroneously dubbing it a "tsunami prediction".

Detik.com's report, which was originally published on Apr. 3 under the heading, "BPPT Predicts Potential for 57-Meter High Tsunami in Pandeglang", claimed that Widjo had "predicted" the potential disaster. Widjo had said in his presentation that the tsunami could only occur in what he referred to as "the worst possible scenario".

Pandeglang is located on western coast of Java, the most populated island in the country, and falls under the administration of Banten province.

Banten Police had previously planned to summon Widjo based on the detik.com report, which had triggered widespread public concern and apparently disrupted the province's investment climate.

Henny said the police had asked the BPPT, LIPI and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to explain the matter to the public directly, and were ready to facilitate the agencies' efforts in educating the public.

Meanwhile, detik.com has since apologized for using the word "prediction" in both the heading and in reference to Widjo's presentation in its misleading article, based on a letter from the BPPT scientist. The news portal also corrected the figure of the "potential tsunami" to 57.1 meters. (ahw)
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 14:55 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce02e9f 1 Politics chemo-treatment,KPK,graft,corruption,bribery,bribery-case,West-Bandung,PDI-P Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says it has not yet arrested West Bandung regent Abu Bakar, who is implicated in a graft case, because he is undergoing chemotherapy.

A joint team of KPK investigators and police personnel were waiting for the regent to complete his chemotherapy session at Borromeus Hospital in Bandung, West Java, the antigraft body said in a statement on Wednesday.

Out of compassion, our team has decided not to [bring] the regent to Jakarta last night [Tuesday evening]. Therefore, we asked the regent to sign a letter as the basis for conducting an initial questioning at his home, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said in Jakarta.

He said the commission had called on all doctors currently handling Abu Bakars medical treatment to do their job professionally. It also urged any parties not to obstruct its investigation into the graft case.

(Read also: KPK arrests regent in West Java)

In the same case, the KPK arrested six other government officials suspected of bribery on Tuesday.

Abu Bakar, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, has served as the regent since 2008 and is currently in his second term in office, after he was reelected in 2013.

As of today, the KPK has conducted eight operations across Indonesia to arrest state officials allegedly connected to graft cases.

The latest operation was on March 12, when KPK investigators arrested several officials of the Tangerang District Court, including judge Wahyu Widya Nurfitri and clerk Tuti Atikah, for alleged bribery related to a civil case. (ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 16:00 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce0c66d 1 Politics PKPI,general-elections,2019-legislative-election Free

The Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN Jakarta) granted the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party's (PKPI) petition to contest the 2019 legislative election on Wednesday.

"We declare KPU's (General Elections Commission) decision letter [...] on the determination of political parties participating in the 2019 legislative election void," presiding judge Nasrifal said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The judge also ordered the KPU to issue a new letter naming the PKPI, which is led by former spy chief AM Hendropriyono, one of the political parties eligible to contest the 2019 election.

In February, the KPU declared the PKPI ineligible to contest the election because it had failed to meet the proscribed membership criteria.

The party appealed the KPU's decision with the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), and then petitioned the court when the appeal was rejected.

The ruling makes the PKPI the 16th party eligible to contest the election. (kmt/ahw)
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Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali  Wed, April 11, 2018 18:18 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce16de5 1 National Australian,Australian-citizen,drug-abuse,drug-addicts,DenpasarDistrictCourt,bali,drug-rehabilitation Free

The Denpasar District Court ordered authorities to provide medical and social rehabilitation for Australian Isaac Emmanuel Roberts who was found guilty of abusing drugs and possessing psychotropics at a hearing on Wednesday.

The sentence is much lighter than the 15 months imprisonment sought by prosecutors.

Presiding Judge IGN Putra Atmaja ordered Roberts to undergo rehabilitation at the Anargya Foundation, a drug rehabilitation center in Sanur, Denpasar, for 15 months.

Awaiting fate: Roberts is escorted to a courtroom at the Denpasar District Court on Wednesday. (JP/Zul Eduardo)

Roberts was arrested upon his arrival at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport from Bangkok, Thailand, in 2017. He carried 14.2 grams of methamphetamine, 6.22 g of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, and several packs of psychotropics in his bag.

He was found guilty of violating Article 127 (1) of Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics and Article 62 (1) of Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropics.

"The defendant's act contradicted with the government program on drug eradication," said Atmaja, explaining the factors that aggravated the defendants sentence.

Meanwhile, the judge also considered some mitigating factors. "The defendant was cooperative, admitted his act and promised not to repeat his act. The defendant is a drug user. It is not proven that he is a drug dealer," Atmaja said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Nusa Dua, Bali  Wed, April 11, 2018 13:21 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdff491 1 World Indonesia-Africa-Forum,IAF,Retno-Marsudi,Foreign-Affairs-Ministry,Foreign-Minister-Retno-Marsudi,Addis-Ababa,Ethiopian-Airlines,Ethiopia Free

Ethiopian Airlines is expecting to kick off its inaugural direct flight connecting Jakarta and Addis Ababa next month.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi met with Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam on the sidelines of the Indonesia-Africa Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Wednesday.

We talked about connectivity because it matters in supporting economic, trade and people-to-people cooperation, said Retno after the meeting.

Hence, the agreement on the direct flight is a breakthrough for Indonesia-Africa economic ties, she added.

Retno further said a lack of connectivity had been an issue that hindered Indonesia and Africa from boosting trade and investment cooperation.

In the meeting, I also expressed our interest to designate Addis Ababa as the hub of Indonesias visa services for other African countries, the minister said.

(Read also: Multi-million dollar deals made at RI-Africa forum)

Retno also suggested Ethiopian Airlines cooperate with national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia for maintenance services.

Separately, Indonesian Ambassador to Ethiopia Imam Santosa said the Jakarta-Addis Ababa direct flight would likely kick off within a month or two, depending on the progress of technical preparations.

It depends on technical readiness, like offices, partnerships for catering services and airport facilities, he said. Once they are ready, the flights can start.

Ethiopian Airlines plans to provide the direct flight three times a week via Bangkok. (ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 18:05 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce15038 1 City Matraman,underpass,gas-station,lawsuit Free

The owner of a gas station on Jl. Pramuka in Matraman in East Jakarta has instigated legal proceedings against Jakarta road agency Bina Marga over an expected loss of revenue caused by a newly built underpass.

The head of Bina Marga's intersection construction division, Hananto Krisna, said the gas station owner was demanding Rp 8 billion (US$764,000) in compensation.

"The lawsuit was filed because the gas station owner believes his/her income will decrease after the construction of the [Matraman] underpass," Hananto said on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Hananto said the gas station owner had filed the lawsuit not only against Bina Marga, but also the Jakarta Transportation Agency and Jaya Konstruksi, the construction company.

He added that the lawsuit had been filed when work began on the underpass, which was opened for trials on Tuesday.

The trial reportedly caused severe traffic congestion in the area. (cal)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 12:55 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdfe353 1 National IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri,AdministrativeandBureaucraticReformMinistry,Asman-Abnur,civil-servants,holiday-bonuses Free

The government is set to increase the Idul Fitri bonus for civil servants this year. The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry said it was assessing the holiday bonus calculation.

There will be a change in the holiday bonus received by civil servants for Idul Fitri this year. We are calculating the increase, said Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Asman Abnur as quoted by kompas.com at the Bogor Palace in West Java on Wednesday.

Normally, the holiday bonus received by our civil servants is the same as their monthly base salary. But, were planning to increase this years bonus by including several allowances, the minister said, adding that among the allowances included were for meals and transportation.

Asman refused to explain the reasons behind the governments decision to increase the holiday bonuses, except saying that it was in the right direction.

The ministry is also considering to increase the number of cuti bersama (collective leave days) for civil servants for this year's Idul Fitri holiday.

The Islamic holy day falls on June 15 and 16 this year. The government has set four collective leave days: June 13-14 and June 18-19.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has suggested the government include June 11-12 in the collective leave days.

We are evaluating it too, Asman said. The extra two days are expected to reduce traffic congestion, so we're making preparations. (kmt/ebf)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11 2018

The West Jakarta Police have shot four suspected ATM thieves in Greater Jakarta on separate occasions.



The polices general crimes head, Adj. Comr. Rulian Sauri, said the four suspects stole Rp 700 million (US$49,000) from 36 different locations.



The four perpetrators specialize in stealing from ATMs. They conduct their criminal activity in different areas and each have their specific roles. In this case, we shot their legs because they tried to fight us, Rulian said on Tuesday as quoted by tribunnews.com.



He added that the police had arrested the suspects in different locations and on different days in Penjaringan, North Jakarta; Tambora, West Jakarta; and Caringin village in Tangerang, Banten.



Suspects Mulyadi, 40, and Rusdi Bawono, 37, were arrested on Friday at a hotel in Penjaringan. Firmansyah, 29, was arrested in Tambora on Saturday...
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 17:07 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce108ff 1 National house-of-representatives,Facebook,social-media,Southeast-Asia,data-breach Free

The House of Representatives has postponed a hearing with US-based social networking website Facebooks Indonesian representatives, which had been scheduled for Wednesday. The Facebook representatives should have given their testimonies in the hearing about recent reports on data breaches that have allegedly affected the platform's users in Indonesia.

House Commission I, which oversees IT, defense and foreign affairs, had to postpone the hearing because Facebook representatives scheduled to give their testimonies were unable to attend Wednesdays hearing in Jakarta.

Facebooks vice president for Southeast Asia, who we expected to come, and other officials couldnt show up as they were summoned by Singapores parliament, House Commission I member from the Golkar Party, Meutya Hafid, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. She further said the hearing had been rescheduled to next Tuesday.

Last week, Facebook revealed more than 1 million users from Indonesia might have had their personal information improperly shared with political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica. Indonesia has the fourth-highest number of Facebook users in the world, reaching 130 million people.

The reported violations have led Indonesian experts and activists to put more pressure on the government and the House to immediately pass the long-awaited personal data protection bill. (ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 15:40 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce0b8e0 1 Business Indonesia-Africa-Forum,bilateral-meeting,morocco,Somalia,Nigeria,Trade,talks Free

Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita held bilateral meetings with delegates from Morocco, Somalia and Nigeria on the sidelines of the Indonesia-Africa Forum on Tuesday in Nusa Dua, Bali as part of the efforts to eliminate trade barriers.

The bilateral meetings are parts of the effort to increase Indonesian trade with African countries that this year is expected to grow 11 percent, said the minister as stated in a press statement received by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Indonesian-African trade value was recorded at US$8.84 billion in 2017, a 15.25 percent increase compared to 2016.

One of the barriers to trade with African countries is high tariffs because Indonesia has no trade agreements with them, said Enggartiasto.

While meeting with Morocco Deputy Foreign Minister Mounia Boucetta, Enggartiasto discussed the preferential tariff agreement (PTA) negotiation proposed by Indonesia.

During the meeting, Morocco supported the proposal. But before the PTA negotiation starts, there will be a meeting with experts in June to discuss the idea, Enggartiasto said, adding that Indonesia would also send a trade mission to Morocco from June 27 to 28.

With the Nigerian secretary of the Mining and Steel Federal Ministry Abdulkadir Muazu, Enggartiasto sought confirmation about the Indonesian proposal to establish an Indonesia-Nigeria PTA and another PTA between Indonesia and the Economic Community of West African States of which Nigeria is a member.

Meanwhile, Enggartiasto said Somalia is a potential market, but Indonesia could not yet establish direct trade with the country because of security issues. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 20:50 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce23ee7 1 City beer,manufacturer,investment,Jakarta-administration Free

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedans determination to sell the citys 26.25 percent stake in beer manufacturer and distributor PT Delta Djakarta is only growing stronger as some question the move.

He recently said the dividend the administration had received from the brewer had not always been satisfying.



[The business] is not that profitable. We need to invest more in clean water instead of alcoholic water, Anies said.

The city is likely to sustain losses from the stake sale, given that the company contributed Rp 37 billion (US$2.6 million) to the citys budget last year alone.

Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno supported Aniess statement, saying the city administration was looking for a financial consultant to assist with the planned divestment.

Were conducting a beauty contest to look for a financial consultant who can give us suggestions about our investment in Delta Djakarta, Sandiaga said, as quoted by kompas.com on Monday. (vla)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 19:55 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce1ff3a 1 City Tangerang,land-dispute Free

Around 500 residents of Tunas III lane in Sukajadi, Karawaci, Tangerang, have lacked easy access to their own residential area for the past few months after Hertati Suliarta, the owner of the disputed plot of land on which they live, built a two-meter high iron fence that has blocked main access to around 200 households.

They reached out to the administration of President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Wednesday.

The police and the [local] court had rejected us. The road closure is against the law, said the residents spokesman, Arjuna Ginting Soka, as reported by tempo.co.

Hertati had built the fence after attempting to reclaim 6,965 square meters of the disputed land.

Weve been paying our property taxes since 1970 and we possess girik [customary land appointment certificate], said Thio Lian Seng, 53, who has been living there since 1969.

He went on to explain that circa 2016, someone who claimed to be Hertatis lawyer visited the neighborhood to show the local residents a copy of a land certificate that indicated the land was owned by Hertati.

Most of us rejected it, some others gave up their land and received the compensation money, Lian Seng said, adding that the Tunas residents have been struggling for months to conduct their daily activities as a result of the fence.

Sukajadi subdistrict head Mulyani suggested that neighborhood and community unit heads file a report to the subdistrict administration.

Hertatis lawyer, Yoni, said Hertati had the right to build such a fence since the land belonged to her. (vla)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11 2018

The South Jakarta District Court has instructed the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to continue its investigation into the 2008 Bank Century bailout, which reportedly caused more than Rp 7 trillion (US$508 million) in state losses.



On Monday, Judge Efendi Muhtar ruled in favor of antigraft activists grouped under the Indonesian Anticorruption Community (MAKI), who had filed a legal challenge against the antigraft body accusing it of being slow in handling the case.



[We are] ordering [the KPK] to move on with the investigation [] into alleged corruption related to the Bank Century [bailout], said Efendi as he read out the ruling on Monday.



The judge said the KPK had to name several figures implicated in the case  including former vice president and then-Bank Indonesia (BI) governor Boediono and former Financial Services Authority chairman ...
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Jerusalem  Wed, April 11, 2018 22:26 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce25f1c 2 World Jewish,population,Israel,Holocaust Free

The number of Jews around the world is lower than before World War II, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday ahead of the Jewish State's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.

According to the CBS, there are approximately 14.5 million Jews in the world, compared to 16.6 million in 1939 when World War II began.

The compilation uses census figures from 2016, it said.

Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins Wednesday evening on the Jewish calendar, commemorates the six million Jewish victims of the Nazis during World War II.

Nearly half of the world's Jews -- 6.44 million -- live in Israel, with the United States home to the second largest population of 5.7 million.

Nearly half a million Jews live in France, 390,000 in Canada and 290,000 in Britain.

There are Jewish communities of over 100,000 in Argentina, Russia, Germany and Australia, according to the Hebrew University's Harman Institute of Contemporary Judaism, the source for the CBS data.

The CBS said their definition of a Jew included "persons who define themselves as Jewish, or persons of Jewish parentage with no current religious or ethnic identity".
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 13:23 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdff75b 1 City underpass,South-Jakarta,opening-ceremony Free

A trial run for the Mampang-Kuningan underpass in South Jakarta was held on Wednesday morning.

The underpass was inaugurated by Attorney General's Office spokesman Tony Spontana.

Soon after the underpass was opened to the public, several local residents flocked to the area, kompas.com reported.

Im curious. Ill try passing through the underpass, said a local resident named Titin.

Some motorcyclists, meanwhile, wove to people as they drove through the underpass for the first time.

Jakarta Police traffic personnel announced through loud speakers that the underpass could be used.

Jakarta Transportation Agency deputy head Sigit Wijatmoko said the 827-meter-long, 14-meter-wide underpass is expected to alleviate traffic jams in several congestion-prone areas in the vicinity. Jams frequently happen on Jl. Gatot Subroto from Semanggi heading to Pancoran, on Jl. Tendean from Santa heading to Buncit and from Pancoran heading to Santa.

The Mampang-Kuningan underpass is expected to alleviate traffic jams in the vicinity by 15 to 20 percent. (vla)
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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 10:35 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdf8f82 1 Business jasa-marga,dividend,payment,toll-road Free

State owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga announced on Tuesday that it would set aside 20 percent of its 2017 net profit, or Rp 440 billion (US$31 million), as dividends for its shareholders.

The latest financial report shows that the company booked a Rp 2.2 trillion net profit, 16 percent higher than in 2016, and Rp 35.09 trillion in revenue in 2017, a 110 percent increase from the previous years figure.

We hope this year's revenue will exceed [the 2017 figure], particularly from our investments in toll roads, Jasa Marga president director Desi Arryani told journalists after a shareholders meeting in Jakarta.

Desi added that in 2018, the company will focus on completing the Trans-Java toll road, especially the Batang-Semarang, Solo-Ngawi and Salatiga-Kartasuro sections.

We also expect to finish our toll-road project in Sumatra, namely the Medan-Kualanamu-Bukit Tinggi section, she added.

The company also plans to double the length of toll road that is in operation from 680 kilometers to 1,260 km by 2019.

Jasa Margas secretary Agus Setiawan explained further that the company planned to collect Rp 11.6 trillion in revenue, around 30 percent higher than last years figure. (bbn)
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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua  Wed, April 11, 2018 17:57 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce148b1 1 National Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,land-certification,Papua,Jayapura,BPN,Agrarian-and-Spatial-Planning-Ministry,sofyan-djalil Free

Around 3,000 Papua residents received land certificates directly handed over by President Joko Jokowi Widodo in a ceremony at the Jayapura regent office in Gunung Merah, Sentani city, Jayapura, Papua, on Wednesday.

It was the first time Jokowi had distributed land certificates in Papua, which he has visited eight times in total since he was first elected President in 2014.

Yawa Bosway, a resident of Sarmi regency who attended the ceremony to receive a land certificate, expressed his gratitude for being able to get a certificate for his land without a complicated, costly process.

I feel happy and want to thank Pak Jokowi because I have been able to receive this certificate so easily. My land in Sarmi is around 2,000 square meters or 2 hectares, said Yawa.

At 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Jokowi and his entourage arrived at Sentani Airport in Jayapura, from where he proceeded to the Gunung Merah regent office, where thousands of residents had gathered and waited for his arrival for hours.

In the certificate handover ceremony, Jokowi told the residents that the certificates were proof of their land ownership. By holding the certificates, we will feel more secure because the ownership right of our land has become clearer, he said.

I have ordered the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister [Sofyan Djalil] to accelerate the distribution of land certificates in all provinces across Indonesia. In 2017, we gave 70,000 certificates to people in Papua and this year, we will increase it to 80,000. I hope this target can be met, said Jokowi. (ebf)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11 2018

Political parties are making more efforts to consolidate in a bid to form a strong coalition, as the clock ticks for presidential candidates to register for the 2019 election.



On Tuesday, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto paid a visit to the headquarters of the Islamic-based National Mandate Party (PKB) to meet with its chairman Muhaimin Iskandar.



The visit is seen as the PDI-Ps attempt to keep the PKB in the ruling coalition to secure Muslim votes. The PKB has yet to declare support for President Joko Jokowi Widodos reelection bid.



The commitment of the two parties in building Islamist-nationalist politics was there a long time ago, Hasto said in a press statement, underlining that the PKB was one of the key actors in Jokowis current administration.



The PKB has long promoted Muhaimin as...
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 17:49 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce13c01 1 City odd-even-license-traffic-policy,Tangerang,toll-road Free

The Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) has decided to implement an odd-even license plate policy for motorists heading to Jakarta via the Tangerang 2 and Kunciran 2 tollgates. It previously considered applying the regulation at the Kunciran 2 and Bitung 2 tollgates.

The toll road connects Jakarta and its satellite city of Tangerang in Banten, which the BPTJ says has seen worsening traffic, forcing vehicles to move at slow speed, particularly during morning peak hours.

According to the BPTJ, on average, 3,367 car pass through the Kunciran 2 tollgate, 3,131 through Bitung 2 and 3,025 through Tangerang 2 daily during morning peak hours.

The consideration is not only about the number of cars that pass through, but also other aspects such as the fact that the Tangerang 2 tollgate is close to many residential complexes, BPTJ spokesperson Budi Rahardjo said.

The policy stipulates that private cars with license plates ending in an odd number can only pass through the tollgates on odd-number dates and vice versa on weekdays. The trial period will start on Monday and will be fully implemented at the beginning of May.

The policy, which is also aimed at reducing the number of private cars entering Jakarta and forcing workers to use public transportation ahead of the Asian Games on Aug. 18 through Sept. 2 in the capital, will run from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., during which semitrailers are prohibited from using the toll road.

A dedicated lane will be provided for buses, which is intended to cater to affected motorists looking to shift to public transportation when commuting to the capital. Premium bus services called JR Connexion are provided at some residential complexes, namely Citra Raya, BSD City, Alam Sutera, Villa Melati and Banjar Wijaya.

A similar policy will be applied at the Jagorawi tollgate, which connects Jakarta and its satellite city of Bogor in West Java.

The BPTJ previously implemented a similar policy at the West Bekasi and East Bekasi tollgates in West Java, which has eased traffic flow on the Cikampek-Jakarta toll road.
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Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Pontianak  Wed, April 11, 2018 13:05 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdfeae3 1 Business port,Pontianak,West-Kalimantan,Kapuas-River,sediment-dredging Free

State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Pelindo II) has said it spends Rp 70 billion (US$5.1 million) annually to dredge sediment from the Kapus River, the site of Pontianak Port in West Kalimantan.

The high sedimentation rate of the Kapuas River has made us think about developing a new seaport, Pelindo II corporate secretary Shanti Puruhita said on MOnday in Pontianak.

She said the high sedimentation rate was a problem, because the port was located in the inland city of Pontianak.

Pelindo II Pontianak general manager Adi Sugiri explained that the river had to be dredged every year, because the sedimentation hampered transportation by river, the backbone of distributing the people's daily needs.

He added that because the seaport was sandwiched between the Kapuas River and a crowded residential area, it was unlikely the port could be expanded.

Pontianak Port has good performance and is among the busiest ports in the country. We have a fully integrated loading and unloading system, said Adi.

Shanti said that Pelindo II planned to develop a new seaport called the Pantai Kijing International Seaport in an area facing Singapore and close to Malaysia along an old shipping lane.

It will become the largest seaport in Kalimantan to support the governments Sea Toll Road policy, she said.The adjacent area would be developed into a special economic zone where smelters and factories would be developed to manage local commodities. (bbn)
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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 10:49 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdf931b 1 National PLN,electricity,electricity-supply,power-outage,power-supply,Kulon-progo,Yogyakarta,New-Yogyakarta-International-Airport Free

State utility firm PLN's Yogyakarta office has rejected calls to restore the electricity supply to houses belonging to Kulon Progo residents, who are refusing to relocate to make way for the New Yogyakarta International Airport.

PLN Yogyakarta general manager Eric Rossi Priyo Nugroho conveyed the rejection to representatives of the residents, who were accompanied by lawyers and student activists, during a closed meeting on Tuesday.

Before the meeting that took place at PLN's Yogyakarta office, activists staged a rally, which grew tense as they demanded to enter the building.

If electricity reconnection is requested by the residents, our answer will be no. But if this request is made by [state airport operator] PT Angkasa Pura I, it is possible for us to grant the demand because this land now belongs to the company, Eric said.

Seeking justice: Residents and student activists who oppose the construction of the New Yogyakarta International Airport confront security personnel at PLN's Yogyakarta office on April 10. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)

Eric said PLN Yogyakartas stance was in line with the law. This is based on the Wates District Court ruling and Presidential Regulation No. 98/2017 on the acceleration and operation of a new airport in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta.

Sofyan, who represented the residents, said he was very disappointed with the decision. Electricity is our right as citizens. We are consumers.

Budi Prasetya, a lawyer representing the Kulon Progo residents, said he would file a civil lawsuit against PLN because it had violated Law No.8/1999 on consumer protection.

Currently, 37 houses where 300 people are living are suffering from the power outage, said Budi. PLN Wates disconnected the electricity supply in the area on Nov. 27, 2017. (ebf)
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Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 15:21 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce088c0 1 National National-Police,bootleg-liquor,oplosan,ramadhan,alcohol,alcohol-poisoning,alcohol-consumption,alcohol-raid,#Ramadhan2018 Free

Police have declared war on bootleg liquor after 51 people in West Java and another 31 in Greater Jakarta died from consuming unlicensed alcoholic beverages in the past two weeks.

National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Syafruddin said the force would conduct operations against bootleg liquor across the country and stressed that the distribution of the harmful product had to be ended immediately.

If you count the number of victims from all over Indonesia, I believe it could be 100 people. (). This is serious. Too many have died, Syarifuddin said.

(Read also: Bootleg liquor deaths rise to 51 in West Java)

He said that to solve the problem, authorities had to eliminate the production of bootleg liquor. Police had to get to the roots of the rampant use and distribution of the liquor, and perpetrators should face maximum punishment.

I have given them a target to finish this problem this month. There will be zero bootleg liquor in Indonesia. There will be no more bootleg liquor this Ramadhan, Syafruddin told journalists on Wednesday, adding that he had coordinated the policy with regional police offices.

Police found that the bootleg liquor they had seized during the operations contained 96 to 98 percent pure alcohol mixed with other substances, like energy drinks, syrup or carbonated drinks.

Police have arrested seven people for allegedly producing and distributing bootleg liquor in West Java and Greater Jakart. Two other suspects are still on the run. (ebf)
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 08:35 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdf5514 2 National Balikpapan,oil-spill,PostScript,#BalikpapanOilSpill,environment,#environment,#PostScript Free

Indonesia is facing its biggest environmental disaster in the past 10 years with the oil spill polluting the Balikpapan Bay in East Kalimantan, affecting the marine ecosystem as well as coastal residents. Heres what we know and what we dont about the incident.

What we know so far

What happened?

On March 31, a burst pipeline  which is used to transfer crude oil from the Law-Lawe Terminal in North Penajam Paser regency to an oil refinery facility in Balikpapan  caused the oil spill that polluted Balikpapan Bay. The spill also led to a fire that broke out at noon on March 31 near Panama-flagged coal cargo vessel MV Ever Judger 2, which was docked in the bay.

The 20-year-old pipeline belongs to state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina. It is 22 to 26 meters under the sea, is made of steel and has a diameter of 20 inches. The authorities claimed the pipe had moved 120 meters from its original location.

How bad is it?

The spill covered a 400-meter area of the bay at first, but then spread to a radius of over 2 kilometers in the waters around Semayang Port to Margasari. Satellite images from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan) on April 2 showed that the oil spill had covered 12,987 hectares of Balikpapan Bay, as the oil was spread out by waves and currents.

This aerial picture taken on April 2, 2018 shows some of the oil spill on Benua Patra beach in Balikpapan. An oil spill off Borneo island that led to five deaths and the declaration of a state of emergency was caused by a ruptured undersea pipe, Indonesia's national oil company Pertamina said on April 4. (AFP/-)

On April 6, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry claimed that the area affected by the spill had widened to 20,000 ha based on satellite images. A day later, however, the Environment and Forestry Ministry disputed the number, saying that the spill had only widened from 12,987 ha to 13,559 ha.

Both the spill and the fire had caused casualties as well as environmental damage. The fire that broke out soon after the spill was discovered on March 31 caused the death of five fishermen who were caught in the fire. The victims were Sutoyo, 52, Suyono, 45, Imam Nurokhim, 41, Agus Salim, 42 and Wahyu, 27.

Apart from the fishermen, the fire also injured a crew member of the vessel MV Ever Judger 2, which was docked in the bay. The vessels 20 other crew members were evacuated safely from the bay.

Residents living around the affected coastal area suffered from nausea, vomiting and suffocation from the strong smell. It also drove residents to stop cooking, fearing that the fuel-filled air would burst into flames as they turned on their stoves.

The spill also affected marine animals and plants, as activists and officials discovered dead crabs and an Irrawaddy dolphin on the coast. Balikpapan is known as the home of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins.

The spill also affected around 34 ha of mangrove trees in Kariagau village, as well as 6,000 mangrove trees and 2,000 mangrove seeds in Atas Air Margasari village.

The mangrove forest is contaminated by oil spill in Kariangau village, Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan. An oil spill off Balikpapan Bay in Borneo island that led to five deaths and the declaration of a state of emergency, was caused by a burst undersea pipe belonging to Indonesia's state oil company Pertamina. Photo taken on April 5, 2018. (Courtesy of Greenpeace/Jurnasyanto Sukarno)

What we dont know

Who is responsible for the oil spill?

Government and Pertamina officials have stated the oil company is not at fault for the oil spill incident, though an investigation into it is still underway.

Officials seem to believe that a foreign coal vessel, MV Ever Judger, illegally passed through and dropped anchor in the bay, dragging away the pipeline. But, again, the investigation has not been concluded and no formal charges have been filed against anyone involved in the incident.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan has said that legal or administrative actions would be taken against those found guilty of causing the oil spill.

Cleaning up the mess: Officials from state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina spray dispersant fluid to clear an oil spill in Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan, last week. The oil reportedly leaked from a broken pipe belonging to Pertamina. (JP/N. Adri)

How long will the cleanup process take?

The Balikpapan administration and Pertamina have claimed the bay had largely been cleaned. But activists have cast doubt on their claim.

To clean up the oil, the authorities in cooperation with Pertamina deployed oil spill containment booms, which are used to collect oil on water for recovery, as well as dispersants  chemicals sprayed on a surface oil spill to break down the oil into smaller droplets that more readily mix with the water.

Six days after the incident, Balikpapan Environmental Agency head Suryanto claimed the cleaning process had reached 90 percent and the cleanup would end this week.

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Agus Haryono said the only oil that could be recovered was the oil on the surface of the sea, while the heavy oil that was already at the bottom of the sea could not be cleaned. This was echoed by Greenpeace activist Ahmad Ashov, who said the recovery rate for most oil spill cases was never more than 20 percent.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said last Friday that it would take at least six months to clean up the spill. (ahw)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beirut, Lebanon  Wed, April 11, 2018 21:00 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce23ffd 2 World Russia,Syria,US,attack Free

Russia has threatened retaliatory action against the United States if missiles are fired at Syria over chemical attack allegations it claims are fabricated.

"If there is a US strike... the missiles will be downed as well as the sources they were fired from," Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said late Tuesday.

He made the comments on Al-Manar, a Lebanon-based television channel run by the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, another key military ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The envoy argued the accusations that Damascus dropped chemical munitions on a rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta last week were fabricated to justify strikes and added that Russia had long warned of the scenario.

Russian officials have repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that Syrian rebels, with support from the West, had been faking -- and training civilians to fake -- the symptoms of a chemical attack.

US President Donald Trump swiftly responded on social media.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" he wrote.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump and other Western leaders have vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged chemical attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people.
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Linkedin Ock Hyun-ju (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) Seoul, South Korea  Wed, April 11, 2018 17:15 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce1179b 2 World #SouthKorea,#Japan,#NorthKorea,#NorthKoreaNuclear,#NuclearDeal,#PeaceTalks,#KoreanPeninsula Free

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono met South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday to discuss North Koreas nuclear issue and bilateral relations, as Japan struggles to remain relevant to the inter-Korean summit later this month.

During an hourlong meeting, Kang and Kono reaffirmed their pledge for close coordination in dealing with North Koreas nuclear issue in the lead-up to the inter-Korean summit scheduled for April 27 and the US-North Korea summit expected to take place by early June.

With preparations underway for South Korea and the United States summits with North Korea, which could serve as a major turning point in attaining denuclearization, (we) hope for cooperation to achieve the two countries shared goal of peacefully resolving the Norths nuclear issue and establishing peace, Kang said in opening remarks ahead of the meeting with Kono.

I want Japan and South Korea to closely coordinate to realize the denuclearization of North Korea and bring about peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia, Kono said.

Konos visit comes amid growing concerns in Japan that the diplomatic drive led by South Korea, North Korea and the US could fail to meet its security concerns and interests as it is sidelined in the denuclearization talks.

The top diplomats shared the perception that the upcoming inter-Korean summit, ahead of the North Korea-US summit, offers a historic opportunity, an official from Seouls Foreign Ministry told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

They agreed that a pressure campaign and sanctions against North Korea will continue until there is progress in the process of North Koreas denuclearization. But Kang stressed the importance of maintaining the momentum of dialogue with North Korea to achieve the goal of denuclearization, the official said.

Kono also reiterated Japans position that North Koreas nuclear and missile issue and its abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s should be comprehensively resolved and asked South Korea to bring up the issue during the upcoming inter-Korean summit, according to the official.

The issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea remains highly critical for Japan.

Japan has said North Korea abducted at least 17 Japanese citizens to train agents in the Japanese language and culture to spy on South Korea. North Korea acknowledged in 2002 that it had abducted 13 Japanese. It has released only five of them, saying the other eight had died.

Kono arrived in South Korea late on Tuesday, on his first visit to the country since taking the post in August last year. It was the first visit by Japans top diplomat since the two countries signed a deal on Japans wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women at front-line brothels in December 2015.

Kono was set to pay a courtesy call later in the day to President Moon Jae-in and to have dinner with Kang. He also visited the Seoul National Cemetery to pay tribute to Korean War veterans before returning to Japan.

Although Seoul and Tokyo present a united front in tackling North Koreas nuclear issue, their bilateral relations have frayed in recent months over historical matters, including the comfort women issue and Japans claims to South Koreas eastern islets of Dokdo.

Kang acknowledged that the two neighbors face challenges but said she hopes that they will beef up cooperation in such areas as economy, culture and personnel exchanges that could be mutually beneficial, while building future-oriented relations.

Topics :

This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) New Delhi, India  Wed, April 11, 2018 20:24 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce22216 2 Business oil,Saudi-Arabia,saudi-aramco,India Free

Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil company, on Wednesday announced a $44-billion deal to build a giant refinery complex in India with three Indian firms.

The refinery at Ratnagiri on the west coast will be handle up to 1.2 million barrels of oil a day, the Saudi company said in a statement after signing a memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation.

The Ratnagiri complex "will rank among the largest world refining and petrochemicals projects and will be designed to meet India's fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand. The project cost is estimated at around $44 billion."

The Indian accord is just the latest in a string of deals -- with French, US and Malaysia companies -- announced by Aramco as it seeks to secure buyers for its oil.

Saudi Arabia is the world's second biggest oil producer behind Russia, according to the International Energy Agency, while Aramco is the biggest company putting oil on the world market currently awash with product.

"Investing in India is a key part of our companys global downstream strategy, and another milestone in our growing relationship with India," said Saudi Aramco president Amin Nasser.

"The signing marks a significant development in India's oil and gas sector, enabling a strategic joint venture and investment partnership that will serve India's fast-growing demand for transportation fuels and chemical products.

"Participating in this mega project will allow Saudi Aramco to go beyond our crude oil supplier role to a fully integrated position that may help usher in other areas of collaboration, such as refining, marketing, and petrochemicals for India's future energy demands," said Nasser.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have set up a joint venture for the deal with Aramco, Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 12:41 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cdfd9bf 1 City Tanah-Abang,bridge,construction Free

The city administration is planning to construct a sky bridge connecting Tanah Abang Station in Central Jakarta with all blocks of Tanah Abang's market, the largest textile center in Southeast Asia.

The president director of city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya said the sky bridge would form a circular route connecting the station to Blok G, F, A and B and back to the station again.

We want the train passengers from Tanah Abang Station to use the sky bridge. They will no longer need to walk on [Jl. Jatibaru Raya], Arief said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Arief said the sky bridge was a transit-oriented development (TOD) facility for Tanah Abang, with the proposed main area to be located at the back of Blok F, near the Krukut River.

He said the construction of the sky bridge would be a multiyear project, adding that the city administration should cooperate with state-owned companies, such as train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia, which is also interested in building a TOD facility in Tanah Abang.

Earlier, Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said the administration did not plan to open Jl. Jatibaru Raya any time soon because of the planned construction of the sky bridge.

Street vendors need space while the sky bridge is being constructed. So, dont expect [that the street will] be opened soon, Sandiaga said.

The closure of the street to motorists has been controversial, with continued protests from angkot (public minivan) drivers who are affected by the policy. (ami)
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Linkedin Tarko Sudiarno (The Jakarta Post) East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara  Wed, April 11 2018

If you want to find your marriage partner, approach the woman sitting in the gazebo. Shes waiting for somebody to come up to her, said a driver guiding visitors to the Pohon Purba (Ancient Trees) tourist spot in Pringgabaya, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

The guide further described the local custom of hanging around under the lian trees, locally called pohon cinta, in the belief that they will meet their soulmates in the area. Visitors consist of tourists who love taking selfies and men and women who sit in shade under the trees to wait for fu...
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 18:15 1267 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce16414 1 City Tasik-Market,Tanah-Abang,eviction Free

Vendors from the so-called Tasik Market in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, have occupied several streets along the crowded business district following the closure of the market in March for a transit-oriented development (TOD) project.

State-owned railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) region I senior asset manager, Tanang, said that KAI had to implement the TOD development in the market area, Hence, before it begins, the area should be cleared first.

Tasik market, named after Tasikmalaya in West Java, the hometown of the traders who specialize in selling embroidery textiles on Mondays and Thursdays, is on a plot of land belonging to KAI.

Tanang said KAI had disseminated the information via letters to all parties occupying the site. The market was cleared of traders at the end of March. Access to the land has also been closed, reported tempo.co.

Earlier, Deputy Jakarta Governor Sandiaga Uno said traders from the market would be included in the Tanah Abang spatial planning concept, promising to find a location for those affected by the development.

For now, he plans to ask the Jakarta Police to allow traders to occupy the land on at least Thursday this week and Monday next week.

Besides the TOD, the land is currently under Jakarta Police investigation in relation to a case involving PT Padi Mas Realty, which rented the land but which was considered to be in breach of its contract with KAI. KAI decided to demolish illegal buildings on the land and subsequently Padi Mas Realty is suing KAI. (wnd)
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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java  Wed, April 11, 2018 16:31 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce0e6a2 1 Politics West-Bandung,graft,corruption,corruption-case,KPK,bribery,bribery-case Free

West Bandung Regent Abu Bakar was questioned on Tuesday evening by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) about money he was suspected of collecting for medical treatment and to fund the nomination of his wife, Elin Suharliah, in the 2018 West Bandung election.

Many reports have been filed with KPK claiming that I had instructed heads of agencies to collect funds for my medical treatment and for the nomination of my wife in the regental election, Abu Bakar told journalists at his house in Lembang, West Bandung.

The regent said the two KPK investigators wrote down his statements in an investigation report (BAP).

(Read also: Chemotherapy prevents arrest of West Bandung regent by KPK)

Abu Bakar is serving a second term as West Bandung regent. His tenure ends this year.

Serving as the chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) West Bandung executive board, Abu Bakar has nominated his wife to run for West Bandung regent, with Maman Sulaeman Sunjaya as her running mate. The candidate pair is also supported by the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP).

Abu Bakar has denied all the claims accusing him of instructing West Bandung regional working units (SKPD) to collect money. Im fully aware that as a regent, my political opponents are spying on me.

He expressed belief that all claims filed against him with the KPK were related to the regental election his wife would contest. But I dont want to speculate about it, Abu Bakar said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Karina Maharani Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, April 11, 2018 14:24 1268 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9ce00870 1 Politics Prabowo-Subianto,presidential-election,Gerindra-Party Free

As the Gerindra Party holds its closed-door national coordination meeting at party chairman Prabowo Subianto's residence in Hambalang, West Java on Wednesday, the question on everyone's mind is: will Prabowo run for president in 2019?

As leader of the opposition, Prabowo seemed almost certain to run again in 2019, in what would be his fourth bid for the presidency. But in recent weeks he has appeared to waver on the matter, and has gone so far as to cancel the planned official declaration of his candidacy.

Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting program director Sirajuddin Abbas said Prabowo's hesitancy was understandable given his inability to match President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's popularity.

Prabowo has also been dogged by an electability rating that continues to hover below 35 percent, against Jokowi's rating of 45 to 55 percent.

Gerindra itself seems split on the matter.

One side, represented by House of Representatives deputy speaker and party deputy chairman Fadli Zon, remains adamant that Prabowo will be the party's presidential candidate.

"Prabowo is the most eligible candidate from Gerindra, in terms of his electability and other factors. As long as he has the support of the Gerindra cadres and the people, he is ready [to run]," he said on Monday.

The cost of not having Prabowo as Gerindras candidate would not be insignificant for the party, which heavily relies on his popularity to win votes in legislative elections.

"If Prabowo doesn't run, as of now there is no other candidate that can give Gerindra a boost," he said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo (left) and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto ride horses at the latter's house in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java on Oct. 31. (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari)

On the other hand, several prominent Gerindra members seemed ready to consider other potential candidates, positioning Prabowo as a kingmaker who could handpick the eventual winner.

"If there is a different candidate [that the people want], then we will support the will of the people," Gerindra central executive board head Desmond Junaidi Mahesa said on Tuesday. "The important thing is that we replace Jokowi."

Prabowo's brother and Gerindra advisory council vice chairman Hashim Djojohadikusumo also seemed to suggest that Prabowo did not have enough resources to run again.

"There are many factors to consider, such as health, and whether or not the logistics are sufficient," he said last month as quoted by kompas.com.

Other names that have been put forward to replace Prabowo include former Indonesian Military chief Gatot Nurmantyo and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.

Gatot met with the Gerindra leadership last month to discuss the possibility and party members confirmed that it was being considered.

Gatot came to us several days ago to register himself as a presidential candidate. He said if it was possible, he was ready [to contest the election], Gerindra executive Muhammad Syafii said at the time.

Upbeat: Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto (second from right) gives a speech in support of then-candidate pair Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno at a rally in South Jakarta on Jan. 29. Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) president Sohibul Iman (center) and then-deputy governor candidate Sandiaga (second from left) attended the event. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A.)

There has also long been speculation that Anies Baswedan has ambitions for the presidency, despite his pledge during last year's gubernatorial debates that he would serve his five-year term as governor.

He has so far refused to comment on the matter, most recently saying, "I am taking care of Jakarta right now," as quoted by tempo.co.

Another interesting, if improbable, possibility that has been sounded out in some quarters is the idea of Prabowo crossing the aisle and becoming Jokowi's running mate.

A survey conducted by SMRC at the end of 2017 found that 66.9 percent of respondents approved of a Jokowi-Prabowo partnership in 2019, with most preferring Jokowi at the top of the ticket.

Jokowi's own Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) seemed open to the possibility, though no decisions have been made yet.

"[A Jokowi-Prabowo] ticket is entirely possible," PDI-P central executive board head Puan Maharani said at the party's national convention in February.

If Prabowo does decide to sit out the election, it is possible that Jokowi may face a blank box in 2019, as none of the other possible candidates are seen as popular enough to unseat him, unless the Muslim-based partiesthe National Awakening Party, the National Mandate Party or the Democratic Partydecide to endorse either Gatot or Anies.

The Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Gerindra's closest ally, has said it will continue to support Gerindra whether or not Prabowo chooses to run.

"The choice of whether to be a kingmaker or a candidate is in the hands of Prabowo and the Gerindra Party. We are comfortable with Gerindra," PKS executive Mardani Ali Sera said on Tuesday as quoted by tribunnews.com. (ahw)
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It wont be a room with a view, but may help prevent neck strain. Passengers flying on Airbus SE planes will soon be able to slip down into the cargo hold for a proper nap.

The European jetmaker is working with seat manufacturer Zodiac Aerospace on the design and construction of lie-flat beds to fit in lower-deck cargo areas. The berths will initially be offered on Airbus A330 widebody aircraft from 2020, the companies said Tuesday at a conference in Hamburg.

The idea for specially-designated sleeping areas on planes was also raised last month by Qantas Airways Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce, who said the airline is studying options for making ultra-long haul flights more bearable for passengers. Qantas is exploring direct links from Australia to the U.S. and Europe that would require travelers spend as many as 17 consecutive hours in flight. Joyce said the airline could introduce a new four-class structure, with part of the cargo hold utilized for beds.

Read also: Airbus tests self-flying taxi

Under Airbuss plan, the sleeping berths would be installed as modules that could be quickly replaced with regular cargo fittings during an aircrafts typical airport turnaround. Holds have in the past been designed as cabin crew rest areas and for ablutions.

Airlines will be able to retrofit old planes with the modules or build them into aircraft coming off the production line, according to the manufacturer. Airbus is also studying the possibility of offering similar sleeper compartments on its A350 airliner.
Indonesian government officials are meeting representatives from neighboring countries Timor Leste and Australia in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), to discuss economic cooperation, particularly in tourism.

NTT Tourism Agency head Marius Ardu Jelamu told KompasTravel on Tuesday that the three-day meeting, which will run until Friday, was a follow-up of cooperation between the three countries that had begun in 2012. "One of the things that will be discussed is how we can increase [collaboration] in tourism," he explained.

In addition to tourism, Marius said the activity  initiated by the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister  would also discuss general economic cooperation, investment and business as well as land, sea and air connectivity, culture, livestock and farming, education and health.

Read also: Choosing between staying in a hotel or a boat in Labuan Bajo

He added that the trilateral cooperation was aimed at strengthening relations between the three countries. "We have frequently held such meetings, either in Jakarta, Darwin, Dili or Kumpang. This one in Labuan Bajo is the follow-up."

With regard to tourism, Marius said the agency would propose increased air connectivity, with flight routes from Darwin in Australia to Kupang and Labuan Bajo. "We hope that new connections could be opened, not only from Darwin to Kupang, but also from other Australian cities like Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne."

The Tourism Ministry is set to give a presentation on Indonesia's tourism potential. "We have prepared the material for tourism in NTT," Marius added. (kes)
The falling birth rate in Japan has produced a rapidly aging and shrinking population, which has had significant effects on rural communities due to the shrinking workforce and soaring pension demand.

Some small cities in Hyogo prefecture have suffered from decreasing revenue, and are thus taking measures to invigorate their tourism industries to bring money into the region.

There are at least 16 relatively small cities in the prefecture, including Himeji, Kamikawa, Ako and Tatsuno, that have worked together to promote tourism in the region since 2014.

The cities are eyeing increased numbers of tourists, especially as Japan is set to host the Summer Olympics in 2020.

Himeji Regional Revitalization Division director Kojiro Fukuda said the city had set a target to attract more Indonesian tourists.

The number of Indonesian tourists visiting Japan has grown every year, with some 300,000 people visiting the country in 2017.

However, few Indonesian tourists had heard of Himeji, let alone visited it, Fukuda said.

As Indonesia was a Muslim majority country, Kojiro said the city had tried to become Muslim friendly for Indonesian tourists.

For example, several restaurants in Himeji provided halal food and prayer rooms, he said.

Indonesian Muslims have a good image here as they are so tolerant and respectful of diversity, Fukuda said.

The Kamikawa administration has also tried to boost its tourism amid the graying of society.

A representative of Kamikawa City, Tanikase Kazuto, said only 11,600 people still lived in the area as residents had moved to urban areas.

The administration has attempted to increase the birth rate through policies such as free healthcare services for children under the age of 15.

To increase the citys revenue, Tanikase said the administration had opened a hotel in Mineyama Kogen Highlands in 2015 to attract more tourists.

The hotel, called Mineyama Kogen Hotel RelaXia, also opened a ski resort in late December last year, he added.

Some 50,000 people had visited the hotel since the opening of the ski hill, he said.
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THUNDER BAY, Ontario, April 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEXICAN GOLD CORP. (TSX-V:MEX) (OTCQB:MEXGF) (FRA:4QW1) ("Mexican Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its announcement on March 26, 2018, it has completed a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") for gross proceeds of $1,046,950 at a price of $0.30 per unit (Unit). Each Unit consisted of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.60 per common share for a period of thirty-six (36) months from the closing date of the Private Placement, whereupon the Warrants will expire.

The securities issued and issuable pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period.

The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to continue exploration on the Companys Las Minas project located in the State of Veracruz, Mexico, and general working capital purposes.

The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to persons in the United States absent registration or an exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Related Party Transaction

The participation in the Private Placement by John Anderson and Palisade Global Investments Ltd. (Palisade) are related party transactions as such terms are defined by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101), requiring the Company, in the absence of exemptions, to obtain a formal valuation for, and minority shareholder approval of, the related party transactions. The Company is relying on an exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements set out in MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the participation in the Private Placement by Mr. Anderson and Palisade does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

About Mexican Gold Corp.

Mexican Gold Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration company committed to building long-term value through ongoing discoveries and strategic acquisitions of prospective precious metals and copper deposits in Mexico. Mexican Gold is exploring the Las Minas Project, which is located in the core of the Las Minas mining district in the Veracruz State, Mexico, and is host to one of the largest under-explored skarn systems known in Mexico.

For more information, please contact:

Brian E. Robertson, P. Eng., President & CEO

Phone: 807-474-4270 or 807-251-1816

Fax: 807-474-4272

E-mail: info@mexicangold.ca

Website at www.mexicangold.ca

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information can often, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. These statements are based on information currently available to the Company, and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about the closing of the Private Placement, the future exploration results relating to the Las Minas project, and exploration plans for the Las Minas project and the exploration potential of the Las Minas project. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risks identified in the Company's disclosure documents. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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SALT LAKE CITY, April 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. joined forces with Smiths Food and Drug to donate more than 35,000 pounds of protein to Utah Food Bank. Smithfields contribution was part of the companys 2018 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour. Now in the programs 10th year, Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfields signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 143,000 servings, will help families fight hunger across Utah.

For more than 100 years, our objective has been to serve those in need throughout our state, said Jim Yorgason, president and CEO of Utah Food Bank. Like Smithfield, we work hand-in-hand with community partners and volunteers to make an impact, and fulfill our shared commitment to fight hunger.

Smithfield and Smiths representatives presented the donation to Utah Food Bank at an event at the food bank this morning. Members of the organizations discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation, which will provide protein throughout the food banks service area including 149 partner agencies located across all of Utahs 29 counties.

At Smiths, we are dedicated to helping our communities grow and prosper, said Aubriana Martindale, corporate affairs manager for Smiths. We are honored to stand with our allies like Smithfield and Utah Food Bank in the fight against hunger and to serve so many of our neighbors in need.

This is the 14th large scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2018 Helping Hungry Homes tour. Since the programs inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 100 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.

Additionally, this donation aligns with Smiths visionary Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan, aimed at ending hunger in the communities Smiths calls home. This initiative supports Smiths goal to eliminate waste across the company by 2025, and the companys Purpose to Feed the Human Spirita.

Smithfield is proud to fight food insecurity alongside partners like Smiths and Utah Food Bank, and further deliver on our promise to help hungry homes, said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. We aim to eliminate hunger and provide relief to the millions who are at risk of missing a meal across the country. Were hopeful that this donation will offer a nutrient-rich meal to those in need throughout Utah.

For more information about Smithfield Foods Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cook's, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curly's, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Smiths Food and Drug

Smiths is a division of the Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), one of the nations largest retail grocers, including 56 stores in Utah. Smiths visionary Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan is aimed at ending hunger in the communities Smiths calls home, and eliminating waste across the company by 2025, in keeping with the companys Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit. For more information, please visit www.smithsfoodandrug.com.

About Utah Food Bank

Founded in 1904, Utah Food Bank has operated under various names but remains true to its mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide by providing food to a statewide network of 149 emergency food pantries and agencies. Last fiscal year, Utah Food Bank distributed 39.2 million pounds of food and goods, the equivalent of approximately 32.7 million meals, to families and individuals in need. For more information about Utah Food Bank, visit www.utahfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UtahFoodBank and Twitter at www.twitter.com/UtahFoodBank.

Media Contacts:

Dalton Agency for Smithfield

Jana Beasley

(904) 534-8568

jbeasley@daltonagency.com Utah Food Bank

Heidi Cannella

(801) 599-6700

heidic@utahfoodbank.org Smiths Food and Drug

Aubriana Martindale

(801) 974-1233

aubriana.martindale@sfdc.com



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/de444444-0be7-4563-8318-f93352b5ccad
CALGARY, Alberta, April 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Target Capital Inc. d.b.a. CBi2 Capital (TSX-V:TCI) (CSE:TCI) (CBi2 or the Corporation) is pleased to announce that it has set May 25, 2018 (the Record Date) as the record date for the previously announced rights offering (the Rights Offering) to the holders (Shareholders) of common shares of CBi2 (Common Shares). CBi2 is also pleased to announce its 2018 annual general and special meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) will be held on June 7, 2018.



The Corporation is not aware of any material facts or changes in respect of the business of the Corporation which would result in a significant change in the trading price of the Common Shares.

Rights Offering

Pursuant to the Rights Offering, each holder of Common Shares on the Record Date will receive one transferable right (a Right) for every Common Share held. Every four Rights will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one unit (Unit) at a price of $0.06 until the Rights expire at 4:00 p.m. (Calgary time) on June 22, 2018 (the Expiry Date). Each Unit will be comprised of one Common Share and one half of one Common Share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.10 until June 22, 2023. There is no additional subscription privilege and no standby commitment in respect of the Rights Offering. The completion of the Rights Offering is not subject to CBi2 receiving any minimum amount of subscriptions from Shareholders.

The Rights Offering will be made in each of the provinces and territories of Canada (other than Quebec) (the Eligible Jurisdictions) and in such other jurisdictions where CBi2 is eligible to make such offering. Details of the Rights Offering are described in the rights offering circular (the Rights Offering Circular), which will be mailed to Shareholders in connection with the Rights Offering as soon as practicable following the Record Date.

The Corporation has applied to receive conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) and the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE) for posting and listing the Rights and the Common Shares issuable thereunder, subject to the Corporation satisfying certain conditions pursuant to the policies of the TSXV and the CSE. The Warrants will not be listed on the facilities of the TSXV or the CSE.

Subject to the receipt of approval from the TSXV and the CSE, the Common Shares are expected to commence trading on the TSXV and the CSE on an ex-Rights basis at the opening of business on May 23, 2018. This means that Common Shares purchased on or following May 23, 2018 will not be entitled to receive Rights under the Rights Offering. At that time, the Rights are expected to be posted for trading on a when issued basis on the TSXV and the CSE under the symbol TCI.RT. Trading of the Rights is expected to continue until 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time) on the Expiry Date.

All Shareholders of the Corporation as of the Record Date will be offered Rights, including Shareholders who subscribed in the previously announced non-brokered private placement that closed on December 15, 2017 (the Private Placement). Accordingly, up to 23,879,635 Units will be subscribed for under the Rights Offering, comprised of up to 23,879,635 Common Shares and up to 11,939,817 Warrants. The Corporation will raise gross proceeds of up to $1,432,778 pursuant to the sale of Units under the Rights Offering and up to an additional $1,193,982 pursuant to the exercise of Warrants under the Rights Offering. CBi2 will use the proceeds of the Rights Offering to execute on its cannabis-focused investment strategy and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Rights Offering Circular and related materials will be delivered to all Shareholders of the Corporation as of the Record Date. Only holders of Common Shares who are resident in one of the Eligible Jurisdictions will be issued and forwarded certificates representing the number of Rights they are entitled to (Rights Certificates).

Registered Shareholders wishing to exercise their Rights must forward the completed Rights Certificates along with the applicable funds to the depository for the Rights Offering, AST Trust Company (Canada) (the Depository), by 4:00 p.m. on the Expiry Date. Shareholders who own their Common Shares through an intermediary, such as a bank, trust company, securities dealer or broker, will receive materials and instructions from their intermediary.

Rights Certificates will not be issued and forwarded to holders of Common Shares not resident in the Eligible Jurisdictions. Instead, Rights otherwise issuable to such holders will be issued to and held, as agent, by the Depository, which will use its reasonable commercial efforts to sell the Rights on behalf of all such holders prior to the Expiry Date and then forward the net proceeds pro rata to such holders.

Completion of the Rights Offering is subject to receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, including, but not limited to, approval from the TSXV and the CSE.

Annual General and Special Meeting

CBi2 is pleased to announce that the Meeting will be held on June 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Tetrault LLP, the Corporations legal counsel, Suite 4000, 421 - 7th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta. At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to approve, among other things, the change of the Corporations name to CBi2 Capital Corp..

A management information circular and related meeting materials will be mailed to the Corporations registered Shareholders and will be available under the Corporations profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Ab o ut CBi 2 Capital

Target Capital Inc., to be renamed CBi2 Capital Corp., is a Calgary, Alberta based company engaged in making strategic investments in private companies, including small startup operations and land development corporations. The Corporations Common Shares are listed on the TSXV and the CSE under the trading symbol TCI. CBi2 is executing on a cannabis-focused investment strategy, where it intends to develop and manage a diversified portfolio of predominantly early stage cannabis investment opportunities. CBi2 will explore and invest in a number of strategic investment opportunities in the medical and recreational cannabis industry and in businesses offering ancillary supportive products and services. Upon receipt of Shareholder approval, the Corporation will change its name to CBi2 Capital Corp..

For additional information please contact:

Sonny Mottahed

President and Chief Executive Officer



or



Bill Macdonald

Executive Vice President  Corporate Development



CBi2 Capital

Suite 300, 407  3rd Street SW

Calgary, Alberta T2P 4Z2

Phone: 403.351.1779

Email: contact@cbi2.com

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This news release may include forward-looking statements including opinions, assumptions, estimates, and, more particularly, statements concerning: the completion of the Rights Offering; the number of securities issued by way of the Rights Offering; the Meeting; and the Corporations investment strategy and the ability to exercise thereon.

When used in this document, the words will, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intent, may, project, should, and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements are founded on the basis of expectations and assumptions made by the Corporation which include, but are not limited to, the timing of the receipt of the required, regulatory and third party approvals, as well as the satisfaction of other conditions pertaining to the completion of the Rights Offering.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties, and although the Corporation believes that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will be realized.

Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to: regulatory and third party approvals not being obtained in the manner or timing anticipated; the ability to implement corporate strategies; the state of domestic capital markets; the ability to obtain financing; changes in general market conditions; industry conditions and events; the size of the medical marijuana market and the recreational marijuana market; government regulations, including future legislative and regulatory developments involving medical and recreational marijuana; competition from other industry participants; and other factors more fully described from time to time in the reports and filings made by the Corporation with securities regulatory authorities.

Except as required by applicable laws, the Corporation does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to United States Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS.




English French

Luxembourg, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 (7:00 am CET) - Aperam has signed a Share Purchase Agreement with Falcon Metals and Lindsay Goldberg Vogel to acquire VDM Metals Holding GmbH ("VDM Metals").

The combination of VDM Metals with Aperam's Alloys & Specialties Division will create a leader in global premium speciality alloys. VDM Metals' product offering is highly complementary to Aperam's Alloys & Specialties Division. The enlarged geographical presence, will create a stronger global quality and technological producer in the high end alloys & specialities sector, better positioned to fully support the evolution of its customers' needs and address the challenges of the industry.

The combined Alloys & Specialities division generates pro-forma production revenues of about EUR 1.15 billion with a pro-forma EBITDA of EUR 122 million based on last yearly Audited Financials of the two entities and a combined workforce of over 3,000 employees based in 20 countries.

This acquisition is fully in line with Aperam's value strategy and represents a total purchase consideration of EUR 438 million for 100% of the shares in VDM Metals, corresponding to an Enterprise Value of EUR 596 million, which will be financed through a mix of available surplus cash and debt.

The acquisition is expected to unlock about EUR 20 million of synergies by 2020, enhance cost competitiveness and provide a strong platform to further develop new products and applications for alloys & specialities materials. The Transaction is expected to be EPS and FCF enhancing from year 1 and executed in line with Aperam's financial policy.

The acquisition will be presented to the employee representatives of both parties and is subject to merger control approvals. It is expected to be completed during second half of 2018. Until closing VDM Metals and Aperam will remain fully separate and independent companies.





Mr. Timoteo Di Maulo, Chief Executive Officer of Aperam, said: "Thanks to the solid execution of our strategy and our financial strength, we are very pleased today to announce a major step in our development, by further growing in the Alloys & Specialties, a high added value segment in the stainless steel and alloys sector. This acquisition will also allow us to profitably grow in this segment, by offering to customers the largest range of speciality alloys products and services with enhanced footprint. Whilst maintaining our priority of a strong balance sheet, consistent with investment grade ratios, we are confident that this acquisition will create further value for all Aperam's stakeholders. We warmly welcome the highly skilled and competent workforce of VDM Metals and we count on them to further strengthen Aperam's value strategy."

Aperam will hold an investor conference call with its senior management today, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at 11:00 am CET, with the following dial-in details:

France: +33 (0)1 76 77 22 57

USA: +1 646-828-8143

International: +44 (0)330 336 9411



Confirmation Code: 9225321

A replay of the conference call will be available until April 17, 2018 at:

France: +33 (0) 1 70 48 00 94

USA: +1 719-457-0820

International: +44 (0) 207 660 0134





Access Code: 9225321





About Falcon Metals

Falcon Metals BV (Falcon Metals) is the initial sole shareholder company of VDM Metals Holding Gmbh ; on July, 31, 2015 , VDM Metals and its subsidiaries were acquired from ThyssenKrupp Materials International Gmbh by funds advised by Lindsay Goldberg. Falcon Metals served as acquisition vehicle in 2015 and for the further structuring of all VDM Metal Group owned by LG.

About Lindsay Goldberg

Lindsay Goldberg LLC (LG) manages equity capital of more than US $ 13 billion and is represented in Europe by Lindsay Goldberg Vogel GmbH, Dusseldorf. LG is committed to forming long-term partnerships with outstanding management teams.



LG has extensive experience in a variety of industries and pursues strategic goals with a long-term orientation, with the goal of creating lasting value, rather than quick returns. LG is most interested in companies with first class management, a competitive advantage, and substantial potential for growth.





About Aperam

Aperam is a global player in stainless, electrical and specialty steel, with customers in over 40 countries. The business is organised in three primary operating segments: Stainless & Electrical Steel, Services & Solutions and Alloys & Specialties.

Aperam has 2.5 million tonnes of flat Stainless and Electrical steel capacity in Brazil and Europe and is a leader in high value specialty products. Aperam has a highly integrated distribution, processing and services network and a unique capability to produce stainless and specialty from low cost biomass (charcoal). Its industrial network is concentrated in six production facilities located in Brazil, Belgium and France.

In 2017, Aperam had sales of USD 5.1 billion and steel shipments of 1.94 million tonnes.

For further information, please refer to our website at www.aperam.com





Contacts

Aperam / Corporate Communications: +352 27 36 27 103

Aperam / Investor Relations: +352 27 36 27 36
They also acquired Comicbook.com's 2,000,000+ strong The Walking Dead Facebook fanpage, planning to rename it Star Trek: Discovery in the hopes no one notices.

Source: Who Is

When not writing about Carrie Fisher, Comicbook.com is usually writing about Carrie Fisher's death. When not writing about either of those topics, they write articles like Dragon Ball Fan Art Shows What Live-Action Movie Characters Could Look Like, despite there having actually been a live-action Dragon Ball movie.

For some reason, this is an attractive quality in a website, enough so that CBS Interactive, a division of the CBS Corporation, has purchased it, according to domain search website Whois.

It seems that every major comic book "news" website is being picked up by other companies. Newsarama is owned by Imaginova. Comic Book Resources is owned by Valnet Inc. Comics Beat is owned by Lion Forge. Bleeding Cool is owned by Avatar Press.

Will someone just buy The Outhouse already?
Artwork by Gent Selani

Whenever Kosovo is mentioned we are reminded of the 90s, when Europe and the US provided shelter for hundreds of thousands of Albanians who resisted the tyrannical Milosevic regime. A few years later in 1999, the US, jointly with EU countries, launched NATO air strikes against the Serbs artillery position to end their atrocities. With the support of Western countries, Kosovo became the newest state in Europe, and this year it celebrates its 10th anniversary as an independent country.



Kosovo is known as one of the most pro-American countries, where boulevards are named after President Clinton, with his 11-foot-tall statue at the entrance of the capital city Pristina. Streets are named after George W. Bush and Beau Biden (the late son of Joe Biden); girls are named after Madeline Albright, and boys after other notable American figures. In 1999, the US built its largest military base in the Balkans, Camp Bondsteel, in the eastern part of Kosovo. Kosovo is defined by its constitution as a secular state; Islamic headscarves and religious instructions are banned in primary and secondary schools.



Now Kosovo is being targeted by Turkeys President Erdogan, who is bent on spreading his Islamic agenda throughout the Balkans. He views Kosovo as easy prey and a means by which to promote his wicked plans, and uses its submissive President Hashim Thaci to do his bidding. Millions of euros are flowing from Turkey to Kosovo through illegal routes, bypassing banks and other legitimate financial institutions. In 2015, Pristina-based Albanian language daily Zeri revealed that Erdogan is increasing his influence through the building of religious institutions, including dozens of new mosques, and the restoration of existing ones built during the Ottoman Empire.



These new and old religious structures are financed through one large donor, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which is directly managed by the Turkish embassy in Pristina. Even more troublesome is that Kosovos main assetsthe airport and electricity gridswere sold to companies controlled by Erdogans son-in-law, when Kosovos current president was the Prime Minister.

On March 29, Kosovo deported six teachers from Gulen schools to Turkey, becoming the third country after Iraq and Sudan to hand Gulenists over to Erdogans brutal treatment. Erdogan regularly pressures the EU and US to deport his enemies to Turkey, but fortunately none of the Western countries are willing to cave in to Erdogans anti-Western Islamic agenda.



After the widespread media coverage and civil outcry over these brazen deportations, none of Kosovos leaders assumed responsibility, albeit Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj dismissed his Interior Minister and intelligence chief over these deportations, stating that this was done without his permission.



No one can trust President Thacis statement denying any knowledge of the operation, as he is known to be a close ally of Erdogan. In conversation with us, Berat Buzhala, Editor-in-Chief of the largest online media platform in Kosovo, Gazeta Express, said that The kidnapping of the Gulenists in Kosovo was organized by both presidents, Erdogan and Hashim Thaci.



Buzhala is convinced that Thaci is lying to the public. Everything that happened was coordinated between them. How else would the Turkish secret service succeed in kidnapping six Gulenists from Kosovo with a private jet from Pristina Airport, in cooperation with Kosovo Police and the Intelligence Agency, and the President is not aware?! asks Buzhala.



Erdogan has slammed Kosovo's prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, saying on March 31 that he was "saddened" and that Prime Minister Haradinaj would "pay" after he dismissed both his interior minister and his intelligence chief for deporting the six from Kosovo without his permission, states the Associated Press.



Kosovo civil society and the majority of the media reacted against the abduction of the six Gulenists. Lulzim Peci, former Ambassador of Kosovo to Sweden and Executive Director of the Kosovo Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED), said to us that the scandal of the arrest of six Turkish citizens, and their subsequent handover to Turkeys National Intelligence Organization (MIT) by Kosovo Police, presents one of the most repugnant acts of human rights violations of foreign residents in Kosovo.



The affected Turkish citizens had not undergone any of the legal proceedings required by the national law, and above all, the Human Rights Convention of the Council of Europe has been gravely violated, taking into consideration that deported citizens are awaiting unjust judicial proceedings in Turkey, said Peci.



In a conversation with Ilir Deda, a member of Kosovos Parliament representing Alternativa, he too blamed Kosovos president for this shameful act that has undermined the foundation of the youngest democracy in Europe. President Thaci went rouge and gave the order to illegally arrest and deport these citizens fearing for his personal fate, [he] is creating continuous crisis in order to politically survive. This latest crisis has directly created an internal backlash, says Deda.



Sociologist Sibel Halimi criticized the politics for fostering a perfect environment for Turkey to spread its influence. She explained to us that The determination of Turkey to invest in mosques is expanding Erdogans influence into other spheres as well. Here I am referring to the priority given to Kosovo's political class and the readiness of Turkey to buy Kosovo's state assets such as KEK [Kosovo Energy Corporation] [and] airport



Unfortunately, the European Unions reaction was measured, when in fact it should have been resoundingly critical because it threatens Kosovos very sovereignty. The arrest and subsequent deportation of six Turkish nationals legally residing in Kosovo said Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for the European Commission on her public statement, raises questions about the respect of the due process of law.



Kosovos parliament unanimously voted to establish an investigative committee to examine the institutional collapse, and the violation of the Constitution and respective laws with the arrest of the Gulenists. The independent ombudsperson has also begun an investigation into this extradition.

The influence of Erdogans Islamist agenda in Kosovo and other Balkan countries, however, needs more scrutiny from Western countries. Erdogan has already invested millions in mosques, and thousands on other projects. Kosovo remains the only country in the Balkans deprived of visa liberalization, which isolates the country and increases the risk of creating a perfect atmosphere for Erdogans Islamic exploits.



The US and the EU must come to their senses and warn Erdogan that his insidious ambition to dominate Kosovo by whatever means at his disposal will not be tolerated, because it is nothing but a recipe for destabilization and violent conflict that transcends the Balkans.

About the Authors: This article is co-written by Alon Ben-Meir and Arbana Xharra. Arbana Xharra authored a series of investigative reports on religious extremists and Turkeys Islamic agenda operating in the Balkans. She has won numerous awards for her reporting and was a 2015 recipient of the International Women of Courage Award from the US State Department.
Cambridge, UK and Indianapolis, US - 11 April 2018: Acacia Pharma Group plc ("Acacia Pharma", the "Company" or the "Group"), (EURONEXT: ACPH), a hospital pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of new nausea & vomiting treatments for surgical and cancer patients, has made substantial progress in expanding its US commercial operations for the intended launch of intravenous amisulpride (BAREMSIS) with four key appointments. The new hires bring significant and relevant commercial experience in launching and marketing hospital pharmaceutical products in the US and have been recruited, as planned, ahead of the target PDUFA date for BAREMSIS of 5 October 2018.

Mike Bolinder, Chief Commercial Officer of the Group's US subsidiary, Acacia Pharma, Inc., commented: "Filling these key roles with these experienced leaders with such relevant experience provides the Group with a strong foundation for the intended US commercialisation of BAREMSIS. We are delighted to welcome them all to the team and look forward to getting our launch preparations underway. It is a great achievement for Acacia Pharma to attract such high calibre professionals, and to deliver the first key element of our commercialisation strategy so soon after completing our recent Initial Global Offering."

The new members of Acacia Pharma's US commercial team are:

Rye Dalton, Vice President of Commercial Operations and Analytics. Rye has over 20 years in the industry and extensive experience in the hospital setting. He has run commercial operations for launches focused on the surgical setting at Otonomy, Inc. for OTIPRIO and Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for OFIRMEV injection for the management of mild to moderate pain.

Jim DiPofi, Vice President of Sales. Jim brings over 28 years of experience in the industry, primarily focused on the hospital market. Jim was recently the VP of Sales at Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and previously at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (following its acquisition of Cadence Pharmaceuticals), where he played a key role in the launch success of OFIRMEV.

Shiella Radel, Executive Director of KOL and HCP Marketing Strategy. Shiella has over 30 years' experience in the industry, primarily in hospital-focused startup companies, and has extensive expertise in communicating with, and meeting the needs of, key opinion leaders (KOLs) and health care practitioners (HCPs). She also joins from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals where she worked with Jim and Rye in delivering the launch and sustained success of OFIRMEV.

James Singell, Executive Director of Marketing Strategy and Operations. James joins from Eli Lilly and Company where he spent more than 25 years in leadership roles covering sales, marketing and new product development and launch in the global, US and key affiliate markets in a broad range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, neuroscience, autoimmune disorders and drug delivery devices.

Contacts

Acacia Pharma Group plc

Julian Gilbert, CEO

Christine Soden, CFO



+44 1223 875130 Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Mark Swallow, Shabnam Bashir, David Dible



+44 20 7638 9571





About Acacia Pharma

Acacia Pharma is a hospital pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of new nausea & vomiting treatments for surgical and cancer patients. The Group has identified important and commercially attractive unmet needs in nausea & vomiting and has discovered two product candidates based on the same active ingredient, amisulpride, to meet those needs.

The Group's lead project, BAREMSIS for post-operative nausea & vomiting (PONV), has generated positive results in Phase 3 clinical studies and an NDA has been accepted for filing by the US FDA for marketing approval. Its sister project, APD403 for chemotherapy induced nausea & vomiting (CINV) has successfully completed one proof-of-concept and one Phase 2 dose-ranging study in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

Acacia Pharma is based in Cambridge, UK and its US operations are centred in Indianapolis, IN. The Company is listed on the Euronext Brussels exchange under the under ISIN code GB00BYWF9Y76 and ticker symbol ACPH. www.acaciapharma.com

About BAREMSIS

BAREMSIS comprises a low dose intravenous formulation of the marketed dopamine antagonist amisulpride, which Acacia Pharma has developed for the completely new, patent-protected use of management of PONV.

Data generated by Acacia Pharma indicate that BAREMSIS is an effective, safe dopamine antagonist that can treat established PONV and prevent PONV from occurring, when used alone or in combination with other antiemetics. The Company believes that BAREMSIS can be used:

to rescue patients who develop PONV despite having received prior standard of care PONV prophylaxis (5HT 3 antagonist and corticosteroid, alone or in combination), and

prophylactically to prevent PONV in combination with standard of care (5HT 3 antagonist and/or corticosteroid) in the highest risk patients.

A New Drug Application (NDA) submission for BAREMSIS, including data from four positive Phase 3 studies and more than 3,300 surgical patients and healthy volunteers, is currently under review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), the FDA has set a target date of 5 October 2018 to complete its review.

About PONV

PONV is a common complication of surgery, occurring in approximately 30% of surgical patients and up to 80% of high-risk patients. It is associated with the use of anaesthetic gases and opioid pain-killers and is particularly common following gynaecological, abdominal, breast, eye and ear operations, especially those lasting an hour or more.

The Group estimates that approximately 65 million surgical procedures are conducted in the US each year that require injectable analgesia and are eligible for antiemetic use to prevent PONV. Based on market research, Acacia Pharma estimates that the total market in the US for prophylactic and rescue treatment comprises an estimated 34 million treatment events annually.

PONV has been ranked as the most undesirable of all surgical complications by patients and contributes significantly to patient anxiety and distress. PONV can delay hospital discharge; result in re-admission after in-patient procedures; and lead to day-case patients being admitted to hospital, all of which can result in significantly increased healthcare costs.

Forward looking statement

This announcement includes forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations and projections about future events. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "believe", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "will", "should", "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company and its subsidiaries and investments, including, among other things, the development of its business, trends in its operating industry, and future capital expenditures and acquisitions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances. Any forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Group's business, results of operations, financial position, prospectus, growth or strategies and the industry in which it operates. Save as required by law or applicable regulation, the Company and its affiliates expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.
In my previous article, I argued that transfer pricing and prevailing global/international market prices were a key component of illicit financial flows, and justify renegotiation and revision of concession agreements in Liberia. That article focused on the revenue side of the financial statements of concessionaires. This article focuses on the expenditure side of the financial statements and unveils what transfer cost and trade misinvoicing are, and how those transactions are hurting Liberia. This too is another component of illicit financial flows that Global Financial Integrity reports is costing Liberia around US$900m a year. This series of publication are extracts of arguments proffered in my LLM (Master of Law degree) in International Commercial Law dissertation, that I believe is relevant for the current revision of concession agreements going on in Liberia.



Trade misinvoicing is a method for moving money illicitly across borders which involves the deliberate falsification of the value or volume of an international commercial transaction of goods or services by at least one party to the transaction. Trade misinvoicing is the largest component of illicit financial outflows measured by Global Financial Integrity. Transfer cost is the total opportunity cost of moving an item from one place to another, including transport costs, loading and unloading costs, and administrative costs. So when a concessionaire brings heavy mining equipment from one of its related companies to the Liberian company and places a monetary value on the equipment, we are faced with transfer cost. The transfer cost becomes a trade misinvoice when the price or value attached to that equipment is not fair to the Liberian company.



Concessionaires always boast of investing hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars in Liberia every time they measure the cost of their investments, as if these sums are monies that come to Liberia, for which Liberia would derive benefits, and therefore owes these investors an obligation for their huge investments. Between 2006 and 2011 Liberia signed concession agreements worth at least US$16b according to the US Government. This amounts to an average US$3.2 billion a year during this period. During the same period, Liberias real GDP was less than a billion dollars. Clearly, we have a case of missing billions! How are we losing these huge sums of money?



Heres a simple, practical but real-life example: ArcelorMittal transfers a used and refurbished mining equipment from its mines in Tanzania to its mines in Liberia. When the equipment was first bought brand new, it was fully depreciated in Tanzania, and ArcelorMittal received full capital allowances for the equipment. This means the cost of the equipment has already been charged to the profit and loss in Tanzania. Following full charging of this equipment, because the equipment is still good for mining operations, ArcelorMittal continues to use the equipment and therefore revalues the equipment to reflect the useful economic life that the equipment still possesses. The depreciation charges will continue as required by generally accepted accounting standards. The tax authorities in Tanzania however, will not normally grant tax-deductible capital allowances for that same machine anymore because the revalued cost is simply an accounting cost, not a financial cost. So there is no tax benefit for ArcelorMittal to continue using that equipment in Tanzania. That is why it makes sense for ArcelorMittal to transfer that equipment to their operations in Liberia.



When the equipment comes to Liberia, it comes with the revalued cost, which is usually very high. This cost will be the global prevailing market value of a similar machine, plus the cost of shipment and other administrative cost associated with that equipment. This is transfer costing. The trade misinvoicing part is the notional cost of the equipment as a result of the revaluation, shipping and administrative costs attached to the equipment that the new invoice now carries. Yes, the related company from which the equipment is transferred invoices the Liberian company for the equipment as if there is real trade between the two companies. The Liberian company counts the value of this invoice as an investment in Liberia!



And here is how Liberia loses on this intercompany transaction: first, a high-value invoice on imports is supposed to give Liberia increased revenue from customs duties and other import levies. However, these concessionaires all have duty free privileges that exempt them from paying duties on their investments in Liberia, as an investment incentive. So Liberia gets zero! Were there not duty and import levy exemptions, ArcelorMittal would not want to overvalue the equipment in the first place, because of the high customs duties that would have applied.



The second way Liberia loses is through capital allowances that are tax deductible. The invoiced value of the equipment is deducted as expenses to reduce profit. Accounting profit is therefore reduced by the high-value equipment, which most often results in losses being reported, while at the same time taxable profits are also reduced by the deductible capital allowances of the equipment. ArcelorMittal Liberia, therefore, reports losses and pays no taxes.



In addition to equipment and other goods transferred from related companies, services are also transferred and (mis)invoiced to the Liberian company for the services of experts and skilled workers brought to provide services to the Liberian company as consultants. These consultants do not pay taxes on their invoices to the Liberian government, even though ArcelorMittal Liberia deducts the invoices from their profits. Liberia, therefore, loses out on both the lost tax revenue on the consultant's income and the reduced profits on the Liberian companys profit and loss statement.



Concession agreements, therefore, need to be revised to give zero exemptions on all imports and used or secondhand equipment should be disallowed for tax deductions in the computation of taxable profits. Transfer cost and trade misinvoicing must be curtailed if we are to stop illicit financial flows and derive just and fair compensation for our natural resources.



About the Author: Paul Columbus Collins is a Liberian and the CEO/Senior Partner of Gedei & Associates. He holds an MSc and a Ph.D. in Economics, is a Liberian CPA and a Fellow of the ACCA-UK, a Certified Internal Auditor, and now a candidate for the LLM in International Commercial Law. He can be contacted at yuahcollins@yahoo.com and Cell (+231) 776641184 / 886641187


PYJ in action

Better Late than Never: The Execution of Michael Doe is a story that has been in the making since 2005; all we needed to find if there were additional eyewitnesses to validate the execution-style killing of our relative, Michael J. Doe by General Prince Yormie Johnson at Hotel Africa.

The phrase better late than never is an early English proverb that was first recorded in 1200; it means it is better to do something when it is supposed to be done than not to do it at all.



Also, there is this expression in Liberia that goes like this: Ninety years are not forever! In a way, it is a wish that someday, whether in ninety years or so, those who took the laws into their hands, killed and violated every law in the country with impunity will have to pay for their sins. To the ordinary person, Ninety years are not forever is their cry for JUSTICE. The Ninety Years scenario has made many African leaders and criminals alike become casualties by their own doing; but for some reasons, due to these leaders wicked and greediness for power, they failed to learn from history; they keep repeating the same offense over and over and by hook or crook to maintain and remain in power. They are not alone; they have cheerleaders who will cheer them on, no matter the consequence.



Yet, Luke 8:17 (NIV) states, there is nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. This is true of the cold-bloody execution-style killing of our beloved brother, cousin, father, uncle and Citizen Michael J. Doe by then General Prince Yormie Johnson of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL); a break-away fashion of Charles Taylors National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).





The Way It Happened

Mr. Gus Kouwenhoven, a Dutch national and Manager of Hotel Africa left Mr. Does security company in charge of the management of the hotel when he was leaving Liberia. At the time, the area where Hotel Africa is located was under the control of General Johnson and his INPFL. Thats how General The once majestic Hotel Africa Johnson came in contact with Mr.

Doe. Thereafter, General Johnson would pay frequent visits to the hotel requesting the Bossman (thats how he referred to Mr. Doe) to entertain him and his entourage, and without hesitation, Mr. Doe would oblige.

We believe General Johnson was no stranger to Mr. Doe; they might have known each other in Nimba where Mr. Doe was Chief of the LAMCO Plant Protection Force (PPF) in Yekepa, Nimba County. From 1966-67, Siahyonkron Nyanseor (then known as Sam Anthony Roberts, III) who is part author of this story was a student at LAMCO Vocational Training School (LVTS) at Grassfield, Nimba. The institution later became Carrol High School. (For further information, see Nyanseors article titled: My LAMCO Buchanan Experience published in the September 25, 2015 edition of The Perspective.org online web magazine).



Based on the additional information we obtained, two reliable eyewitnesses confirmed that it was on August 5, 1990, when General Johnson came to the hotel and confronted Mr. Doe who was seated in a chair. He demanded that the Bossman show him where he kept one million United States dollars the hotel management left in his care. On that evening, General Johnson and his entourage had been drinking and appeared they were intoxicated.



According to these eyewitnesses, General Johnson said to Mr. Doe that a lady with inside scoop regarding the operation of the hotel told him about the money; and when Bossman (Mr. Doe) failed to provide the alleged money, General Johnson got angry, took his pistol and shot him at point blank. The witnesses also reported that the body of Mr. Doe was then thrown off the 4th-floor balcony, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in close proximity to the hotel. On that same evening, another witness said, General Johnson, shot and killed a lady he called his daughter. No reason was given!

The morning of the next day after the execution of Mr. Doe, General Johnson went to the hotel looking for him (Mr. Doe). He asked some of the employees, Where is the Bossman? They couldnt believe he had forgotten! They said, You shot him yesterday evening over 1 million dollars palava. His initial response was, How could I do a thing to such a good man? The Bossman is the person we usually come to for money and beers. General Johnsons reaction was described as remorseful.



Numerous Reported Gruesome Killings of Innocent Civilians

There are numerous incidents in which General Johnson committed crimes against humanity. One classic example is the photo that showed him with a gun that looks like an M-16 with a person lying on his back on the ground with the gun pointed at him and a man who looks like an aid worker looking on. The name of the man who was later killed by him is Augustus Barchue. Also, there is a story published August 26, 2008, in The Liberian Journal of the execution of the popular Liberian musician named Tecumseh Roberts. The article was written by James Kpargoi, Jr. According to Mr. Kpargoi, Mr. Johnson said Varnii shot Roberts in his (Johnson) presence because, according to him, he was involved in homosexuality. Samuel Varnii was the deputy leader of the INPFL, the warring faction headed by him.

Unlike General Johnson, Mr. Joshua Milton Blahyi aka General Butt Naked, now an evangelical preacher in Monrovia has openly confessed, and have asked God and those whose relatives he killed for forgiveness; whereas, General Johnson is making all sorts of excuses and threats the people want trouble return warning the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) from prosecuting those that committed heinous crimes outside of the civil wars. It is even alleged that he took part in the overthrowing and killing of the pan-African leader of Burkina Faso, President Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara (popularly known as Captain Thomas Sankara). If Honorable Prince Y. Johnson is the born again Christian as he claims, he must confess to the execution of Michael J. Doe and others for God to forgive him. Thats a true Christian thing to do!



This execution- style of the killing of innocent civilians, who were not involved in the war, was a trademark that defined Prince Johnson and those who fought alongside his Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) group. Mr. Johnson notoriety for brutally murdering civilians in the public glare was so egregious that it placed him in a special category amongst Liberian warlords. He was unrestrained with his guns and had the wicked impulse to terrorize everybody who lived in the area the INPFL mostly controlled in Monrovia, which at the time was Bushrod Island. According to Mr. Ben Tee Browne, Sr., a Liberian who witnessed this, writing in the September 11, 2016 edition of The Perspective magazine, shared his experience:

In 1990, like many Liberians who feared for their safety in the areas controlled by the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL/Doe Soldiers) during the war, I was forced to leave from the only home I have known since birth in Sinkor to go through Bushrod Island with the hope of going to my brother in Gardnerville. Little did I know that Gardnerville was considered a different country (Greater Liberia) that was controlled by Charles Taylors National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and Bushrod Island was another country too that was controlled by Prince Y. Johnsons INPFL, a break-away rebel group from Taylor; I was forced to stayed [sic] on Bushrod Island without food, money, families, and friends or loved-ones like many other Liberians.



He narrates his story further:

After spending my first night on the water-filled living room floor of Ms. Joanna Kofa in Logan town, I was told that Prince Johnson distributes rice to new comers at his Duala, cotton tree sub-office on a daily basis. Some of the displaced people who had spent the night at Ms Kofas house and I decided to check the food distribution out. After we waited for about 45 minutes at the distribution site, a convoy of looted jeeps carrying boys and girls dressed in jeans and T-shirts on top speed came rolling down at the crowd, nearly knocking some of the by-standers in their path. Before the jeeps could come to a complete halt, a man dressed in a complete American styled military uniform jumped out of the second jeep in the convoy. In his left hand was a guitar, he walked to the crowd and started to sing a popular gospel song, What a friend we have in Jesus?



The more than three hundred hungry displaced people had no choice but to join him into singing. Before long, a malnourished boy, about eight years old found his way right next to Johnson. With his swollen feet, stomach and wide eyes that seems to be begging for food, he stood at the feet of Johnson like a squirrel at the feet of an elephant. In no time, Johnson recognized his presence and shrieked at him to leave but like any child his age, he was gone away from the crowd for a few minutes and was back.



Johnson, with his left hand still holding his guitar, pulled out his silver pistol with his right hand and shot the boy in the head. Before the boys malnourished body could fall to the ground, some of Johnsons trigger-happy fools (bodyguards) emptied the magazines of their automatic weapons on his innocent body. Many of us ran a little distance from the spot. Some of the women in the crowd covered their faces and squealed. Some who remember their faith, made a quick sign of the cross.



Bury him and come for rice! Johnson barked at the group of men standing nearby. About 20 men dragged the boys scattered body and pushed it under a disabled truck nearby. They tried to cover the body with anything, including papers and grass. They later received a 100 pounds bag of gold dust rice. The rest of us stayed around more than two hours after Johnson left for his Caldwell headquarter without distributing rice or providing any explanation for taking that innocent harmless life away. Later during my stay on Bushrod Island, I was unfortunate to have witnessed four additional killing of civilians whose only crime was been present at a particular place in pursuit of food; all personally by Prince Y. Johnson.



There are many other stories that mirror how innocent Liberians who had no involvement with the war suffered and were murdered by the cruel hands of Prince Johnson and other warlords who today are entrenched in the corridors of power.



The culture of impunity which has become so pervasive in the Liberian society cannot go unpunished and must change in order to build a peaceful, viable, and prosperous society. That is why the thousands of Liberians who were victimized and still bear the scars of a war that was orchestrated by power-hungry men and women must show courage and remain relentless in pursuing a Campaign for Justice that will ensure the likes of Prince Johnson and several others who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, face the full weight of justice that would lead to them being prosecuted.

Part II will follow after we have gotten additional information. Also, we are requesting from the general public or anyone with additional information regarding the case or related cases; and photos of the late Michael Doe, have it sent to siah1947@gmail.com; it will be treated with confidentiality.

About the Authors: Elder Siahyonkron Nyanseor and J. Kpanneh Doe are relatives of the late Michael J. Doe who since 2005 have been investigating to bring to justice the killer of their relative. Nyanseor can be contacted at: siah1947@gmail.com and Doe at: kpannehdoe@live.com
Monrovia, Liberia (April 10, 2018)  The Movement for Social Democratic Alternative (MOSODA) extends hearty revolutionary salutations to the Mass of the People, the Domestic Workers, the Petrol Attendants, the Working Poor, the Peasant Masses, the Patriotic Professionals, and the Working Poor of Liberia most of whom live in the cesspool of poverty and on the margins of society as a result of the concentration of capital and the monopolization of the instruments of production in the hands of a negligible minority, which uses said instruments to further their own interests and for their own benefits.



In recent times, this Organization has followed with keen interest the spiteful campaign of slander launched by the most reckless and reactionary layer of the Coalition for Democratic Change-led government against media institutions that refused to approve with its stories the open looting and reckless mismanagement of the state. Against this reality, an all-out war has been declared by the ruling clique, in alliance with its intellectual prostitutes and street thugs, against progressive media institutions and elements that report the facts and interrupt information to the Liberian people about the wholesale mismanagement of the state.



One such outlet which has come under the most vulgar indignation of the CDC-led government is the Front Page Africa Newspaper, a paper which was once the best thing to ever happen to Liberia when this Coalition which presides over the state was in the wilderness of opposition, but today they have rescinded their words. And have subjected the paper to the incessant attack of the most callous form. The salvo of platitudes against the paper and journalist Jonathan Pay-layleh is reminiscent of the heydays of the Liberian civil war when being a journalist was akin to suicide.



Of late this Movement has seen the troubling preponderance of tirades directed at media institutions, for being critical of the CDC-led government, some CDCIANs have charged those institutions with the predictable and recycled argument of extortion, which is an insipid counter that exposed the collective hysteria that runs amok in the government. In fact, their counter is so shallow that it exposed the intellectual rottenness of the CDC. MOSODA wonders whether they could not have issued a better rebuttal than the cliche they disgorged, which is akin to street thugs and demagogic charlatans.



Yesterday, CDCIANS who condemned the paper sang its praises and inundated it with glorious epithets when it stood up against the reactionary Sirleaf-led government. It stood his ground and published critical stories on the government. When it was sued by Chris Toe, the reactionary chauvinists of the CDC used the occasion as an opportunity to not only garner political capital but also call into question the free speech credentials of the erstwhile leadership. They bombarded social media and the mainstream media with solidarity statements, calling on Chris Toe to abandon the case, which progressive elements of this Movement also supported, as they thought that an attack on the publisher was an attack on all conscious persons.



Today, the open vilification of the paper and its publisher is not worth the papers it is printed on. A bundle of incoherent absurdities about the latter wanting to get funds from the government is a predictable recycled gibberish which has often being pinned on critical minds who refused to endorse the open looting of the state by reactionary chauvinists who see the state as a casino. Their regular lines about racketeering are the ridiculous public relation counter this Movement has ever seen. From the kingpins to the least midgets of the CDC, they recite such vile refrain like toddlers preparing for a Sunday school program.



Fast forward, days after the childish outburst of Jefferson Koijee against the newspaper and its owner, Rodney Sieh, the CDC-led government has heightened its crackdown on free speech and against the outlet. It has been followed by the vulgar circulation of messages on social media from a bogus account, allegedly the account of the Publisher in conversation with Amara M. Konneha conversation in which the former was asked by the later to heighten his attack on the government in return for a huge cash reward. Following that, comes a private lawsuit against the paper by an element who contested on the ticket of the Coalition (Bomi County, District # 2) in the just ended 2017 legislative and presidential elections, in a somewhat desperate attempt to shut down the paper.



MOSODA categorically states that from the chronological sequence of events, it is absolutely correct to conclude that the legal suit against the paper is a state-sponsored gimmick meant to use loopholes in the rule of law or make pliant subordinates at the court to silence the paper. However, this tactic is not strange to us, as the erstwhile leaderships of this bourgeois state have used similar trend to silence the free press. This Organization is quite aware that the rule of law and the state have always been used as instruments of violence by the exploiting class against the exploiters layers of society. The hollow argument that the state is above society is a bourgeois gibberish which has been falsified by events and history. And the current unfolding between the state and the Front Page Africa Newspaper has confirmed our claim.



It is sad that the CDC-led government has gone full cycle in its assault on free speech and on the right of the people to know. This government has played all hands in this crackdownusing both direct purge (in the case of Alfred Cheeks and journalist Jonathan Pay-layleh) and sponsoring proxy agents (in the case of FrontPage Africa Newspaper) to deal a mortal blow to anybody who wants to hold it to account for its stewardship of the state. And these attacks are not isolated instances, but they are part of the wider skullduggery of the state to ruthlessly crush dissenting voices in the homeland.

MOSODA wants to remind this blunder galore of a government that history has passed the era in which free speech and the progressive media will be silenced by the administration of a clueless vagabond and lousy clown. The vanguard elements of the media and the masses of the people will never be cowed into submission. Press freedom in Liberia did not come on a silver plateau, it took the blood and sweat of martyr compatriots to reach thus far. Under their blood and sweat, the battle against all forms of oppression will be waged.



Nobody needs to tell the Liberian people that the Weah-led government is a political farce. The Liberian people do not need to be told by FrontPage Africa Newspaper and the progressive press that this regime is a blunder galore. Nobody needs to be told by the paper that the Weah-led regime has placed mediocrity at the height of its policy of appointment and employment in the public bureaucracy. Nobody needs to be lectured by the paper about the rising tide of nepotism in the current administration. Nobody needs to be told that the deafening slogan of pro-poor parroted by the henchmen of this regime is not supported by any official policy document.



Make no mistake, freedom was never gifted to the Liberian media. It fought for it at the peril of its existence. The war drum the Liberian government is beating will consume it, as the Liberian media is battle-tested and overly resolved to bring the unadulterated news to the masses of the people. The media makes no news, it reports the fact and analyzes the situations in the homeland to the people.



Signed: _______________________

Alfred P. B. Kiadii, Secretary General

Approved: _____________________

Leon M. Talery, Chairman

GWEH FEH KPEITHE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!
In life, as in history, it has been proven that there can be no objectivity in the rendering of historical verdicts. Historians analyze historical accounts based on their own class interest. For example, American bourgeois historians will never heroically record the role of Brother George Lester Jackson of the Soledad Brothers, for challenging the racist American justice system. In their historical accounts, through self-censorship, they have presented him as a radical black extremist who was jailed for theft and subsequently killed in 1971 when he tried escaping from prison.



For us, he was a revolutionary par excellence who fought against not only racial segregation but also the excesses of capitalism that subjected both black and white working class to extreme agony and misery. Bourgeois American historians will present Abraham Lincoln as the man who ended slavery in America because he signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, declaring that as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in America would be freed. On the contrary, this declaration was an empty dramatic rhetoric. Slavery still existed after January 1, 1863. It was the heroic uprisings of slaves themselves that led to their emancipation.



This distortion of history which has existed in every society known to mankind and which is for the purpose of reflecting a particular class interest (usually a dominant class), is also akin to Liberia. The history of this space has always been the history of those who ruled, and the conquest of the dominant class. We learned in school only about those who came here in 1822. Little is said about those who were here prior to 1822. We are only taught the history, religion and etc. of those who came here in 1822 in their tailcoat and bowler hat which represents nothing but a caricature of American culture. But very little is recorded of the cultural and traditional rituals of the indigenous mass of the people. This has been the rule rather than the exception.



This historical distortion through the denial of the truth and self-censorship of the reactionary writers of Liberias history is also reflected in the narration of the ideological motives and the root cause of the April 14, 1979, Rice Riot. The historians of the ruling clique present what occurred in Monrovia on April 14, 1979, as the starting point of Liberias carnage. They argued that President William R. Tolbert was instituting measures to promote the local production of rice by increasing the price of imported rice but the Progressive Alliance of Liberia (PAL) and the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA) took advantage of the gullibility of the people, and led them on the street to destroy lives and properties. This is how the peoples determination to change the course of history on April 14, 1979, has been misconstrued by remnants of the moribund oligarchy of the True Whig Party.



They have included this ahistorical falsehood in the educational curriculum of the state to stamp in the heads of students a guilty verdict of patriots who experienced the violence of black apartheid in Liberia and chose to challenge such a system. In their established churches, through ill-prepared sermons, they say to our people that Liberia was better until some people with foreign ideology came and brainwashed the people and led them to challenge the state on April 14, 1979. The remnants of this oligarchy still control the Liberian media. Therefore, they used the radio and newspaper to parrot such falsification to our people that those who led the April 14, 1979, Rice Demonstration plunged the country into backwardness.



As students with progressive consciousness who have seen through this historical travesty, it is our responsibility to tear to pieces this reactionary version of history from the perspective of the oppressed class interest and establish how April 14, 1979, was never the starting point of Liberias problem. April 14, 1979, never happened as the result of any brainwashing from PAL and MOJA. Brother Jonathan Jackson, Jr., in the foreword to his uncles (George Lester Jackson) Soledad Brothers, postulated: Revolutionary change happens only when an entire society is ready. No amount of action, preaching, or teaching will spark a revolution if social conditions do not warrant it.



The True Whig Party had led the state at the expense of the majority mass of the people. Economically, the people were deprived. Politically, they were isolated. By 1975, Liberia had recorded an annual GDP of over 600million from the mining, agriculture, forestry and trade sectors of the economy. Economic growth amounted to just the development of underdevelopment of the people while the ruling clique which was the lackey of foreign capital that dominated the economy swam in the cesspool of wealth. Article One, Section 11 of the 1847 Constitution of Liberia deprived majority of the people from voting because they did not own property and pay hut taxes. How did they expect the people to have owned properties when a property ownership right was on a de facto basis and concentrated in the hands of the cliquish ruling class? How did they expect the mass of the people to pay hut taxes when they played no part in the appropriation of the surplus value accrued from the instruments of production?



The people would not have come on the streets of Monrovia on April 14, 1979, had their social conditions been in line with their ontological vocation to become full humans. Had the peoples social existence been favorable at the expense of the productive forces of the Liberian society, no amount of revolutionary rhetoric from PAL and MOJA would have put them on the street. But the peoples stampede into history on that fateful day was not only a protest against the increment of the price of imported rice. It was also a reaction to the growing social contradictions brought forth by the over 125years of minority oppressive rule in Liberia. The ruling clique took the initial long years of silence and submission of the masses to mean that the people would not fight for change in the republic. Little did they know that the number of social contradictions was leading to a large number of very small changes which finally produced a qualitative leap on April 14, 1979.



The workers, students, handicraftsmen, urban poor and etc. came out in their numbers to vent out their indignation against a system that treated them as cannon fodders and not as partners to a holistic nation-building process. They came out to express their disagreement with a system that subjected their forebears to slavery not only on the Fernando Po Island in the 1920s and 30s but also on the rubber plantations of elite elements of the oligarchy. Among the mass of the people that came out on April 14, 1979, were brilliant university students who were following the wave of revolutionary agitation in Africa and Latin America.



They were following with solidarity the role of the Black Consciousness Movement and how such movement headed by Steve Bantu Biko served as the vanguard revolutionary movement against Apartheid in South Africa after the incarceration of key struggle icons of the ANC, PAC, and the SACP. They saw how the South African Students Organization (SASO) was playing a decisive role in intensifying the struggle against Apartheid. Those students were following with deep interest the role of the New Jewel Movement in fighting for the revolutionary overthrow of the brutal dictatorship of Sir Eric Gairy in Grenada. Anyone who expected those students with growing progressive consciousness to have sat passively with insensitivity to the injustices and social discards of the republic would be nothing but a decrepit old man longing for the days of his youth in his senile decay.



We are not surprised in the least at how the oligarchy used the armed forces to react with reactionary violence against the revolutionary action of a people that had suffered long years of oppression. This is a ruling class that was so nervous for it had not been challenged by the people since its long years of misrule like it was challenged on April 14, 1979. And the false bourgeois Liberian historians who represent nothing but the parochial interest of such false aristocracy indicated that the violence was initiated by the people. We say to those elements of reaction, that in any process of revolutionary change, it is not the revolutionary forces that introduce violence. But rather it is the status quo that does so because of its refusal to allow the emergence of the revolutionary reconstruction of society.



We pay revolutionary homage to the over three hundred martyr comrades who lost their lives at the expense of the reactionary armed violence unleashed on our people by the True Wing Party Oligarchy on April 14, 1979. The long years of burying the heroic sacrifices of these struggle icons by the remnants of the old order have come to an end. For us, we dont analyze history by examining only the ideological motives in the historical activities of human beings. We also consider investigating the origins of those motives or ascertaining the objective laws governing the development of the system of social relations such as the one put in place by the True Wing Party which subjected our people to a very hostile social existence for more than 125years. We also study with scientific accuracy the social conditions of the life of the masses of our people, and how they struggle to bring about a qualitative change in those conditions. It was for no other reason for which on April 14, 1979, the mass of the people stood up to an inhumane system in the TWPs oligarchy but their fight to change the course of history in the direction of the vast majority of Liberians who had been victims of inevitable poverty and economic deprivation.


An 18-year-old man from Rockingham has been booked into the Moore County detention center and charged with first-degree murder by the Southern
English Norwegian

The annual general meeting of Selvaag Bolig ASA will be held on 2 May 2018 at 09:00 (CET) at Silurveien 2, 0311 Oslo, Norway.

Further information from

Kristoffer Gregersen, Vice president communications and market Selvaag Bolig ASA

Telephone: +47 957 75 593, e-mail: kgr@selvaagbolig.no

Selvaag Bolig ASA is a residential property developer controlling the entire value chain from acquisition of land to sale of homes. The company has several thousand homes under development at any given time, and focuses on the growth areas in and around Greater Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim. Selvaag Bolig represents a continuation of Selvaag's 70-year history and experience, and offers a broad variety of property types. The company is headquartered at Ullern in Oslo.

www.selvaagboligasa.no/english



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.



Attachment
Walder pleads not guilty to murder, other charges in toddler death

Murder suspect pleads not guilty as Judge Carmen Means set bond at $50,000. The trial is expected to begin in November.
Octopus VCT 3 plc

11 April 2018

Company Secretary Change

Octopus VCT 3 plc announces the resignation of Nicola Board as Company Secretary and the appointment of Dawn Noel as Company Secretary with effect from 9 April 2018.

For further information please contact:

Dawn Noel

Company Secretary

020 3935 3500
TORONTO, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Thursday, April 12, the Fraser Institute will release a new report on electricity in Ontario.



Understanding Changes in Ontarios Electricity Markets and Their Effects spotlights the provincial governments policy decisions that have increased hydro prices for residents and businesses.

A news release with additional information will be issued via GlobeNewswire on Thursday, April 12 at 5:00 a.m. (Eastern).

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ross McKitrick, Senior Fellow

Fraser Institute

Kenneth Green, Senior Director, Natural Resource Studies

Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Bryn Weese, Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute

Tel: (604) 688-0221 ext. 589

E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institutes independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org
We know mice love eating cheese, but not that type of John Day cheese.

From our bros at Newshub:

Eight police officers in Argentina have lost their jobs after claiming mice ate half a tonne of confiscated marijuana that had gone missing.

Six tonnes of marijuana was being stored in a warehouse in Pilar, 60km from Beunos Aires, the Guardian reports.

But when it was weighed recently, only 5.5 tonnes were found.

Former Police Commissioner Javier Specia told a judge mice had eaten it, and so did three of his subordinates. But the judge had his doubts, as did forensic experts called in to examine the shrinking stash.

"Mice wouldn't mistake the drug for food, and that if a large group of mice had eaten it, a lot of corpses would have been found in the warehouse," a spokesperson for the judge said.

It's not clear yet if the weed went walkabouts through "expedience or negligence", and the officers will be called to testify in May, hopefully coming up with a better explanation than "mice ate it".
 :              ...
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Yes' debut, Yes featuring Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman have announced the first shows of a 100 show world tour called 'Quintessential Yes: The 50th Anniversary Tour'.

They have also planned a compliation, a live music recording and new music.

After playing across June in Europe they'll begin the U.S part of their tour on August 26.

So far they have only confirmed nine more shows between then and September 9 but a press release says that at least 20 more North American dates for early 2019 will be announced in the near future, as well as South America, Central and Southern Europe, and Japan and the Far East.

The trio will be supported by bassist Lee Pomeroy and drummer Louis Molino III.

Source: Ultimate Classic Rock

Photo credit: Deborah Anderson Creativeanderson


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anfield Energy Inc. (TSX.V:AEC) (OTCQB:ANLDF) (FRANKFURT:0AD) (Anfield or the Company) is pleased to announce that is has engaged BRS Engineering to complete a mineral resource report for the Taylor Ranch uranium project in Wyoming. The Taylor Ranch project was purchased from Uranium One Americas Inc. (Uranium One) in September 2016 and is one of the 25 uranium mining properties acquired in the Black Hills, Powder River Basin, Great Divide Basin, Laramie Basin, Shirley Basin and Wind River Basin areas of Wyoming. As a key part of this 2016 transaction, Anfield also signed a Resin Processing Agreement with Uranium One whereby Anfield would process up to 500,000 pounds per annum of its mined material at Uranium Ones Irigaray processing plant in Wyoming.



Corey Dias, Anfield CEO, states We are pleased to update and further delineate another uranium resource from amongst the 25 uranium projects acquired in Wyoming. Including the recently-commissioned Charlie Project resource report, this will be only the fifth NI 43-101 resource report commissioned for our Wyoming projects. So far, Anfields three completed resource reports have increased its Indicated uranium resource portfolio by approximately 3.6 million pounds and its Inferred uranium resource by approximately 4.5 million pounds. Given that 80% of Anfields Wyoming projects have yet to be addressed in terms of resource delineation, we believe a significant pipeline is emerging. Importantly, Anfield remains on course to deliver on its strategy of creating a long-term viable uranium production complex in Wyoming as a vital part of its portfolio of U.S. uranium assets.

About The Taylor Ranch Project

The Taylor Ranch Project is located in the Powder River Basin Uranium District in portions of Campbell, Converse, and Johnson Counties, Wyoming. Mineral rights at the Taylor Ranch Project include mining claims, Wyoming State leases, and private leases totaling some 5,620 acres.

Regional exploration drilling programs were conducted in the 1970s by the American Nuclear-Tennessee Valley Authority partnership, Conoco Minerals, and Kerr McGee. During this time ISR was not a common mining practice for the recovery of uranium and the discovery of shallower mineralization on the nearby Moore Ranch became the focus exploration to the detriment of deeper deposits such as Taylor Ranch. Subsequently, Power Resource Inc. began property acquisition at Taylor Ranch in 1993 and later formed a joint venture with Cotter Corp. A 1996 internal summary report by PRI titled Properties, Ore Reserves and Resources, states the Wide spaced exploration has intercepted ore grade mineralization and defined several thousand feet of mineralized roll fronts systems at depths of 800 to 1,000 feet.

In 2007-2008 Uranium One drilled 224 rotary drill holes with a total footage of 203,525, at a cost of approximately $694,000 US, on the Taylor Ranch Project. An internal report titled Taylor Ranch Drilling Report dated May 15, 2008, provides a summary of drilling results. Uranium One did not complete a 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate for the Taylor Ranch Project. Drilling identified mineralized trends in the 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 sandstone units of the Wasatch Formation with the majority of higher grade intercepts in the 30 and 40 sand units. Drill results are summarized in the following table.

Taylor Ranch Footage Total

Holes GT > 0.5 GT



0.25-0.5 GT



0.1-0.25 Anomalous Sept 07  Jan 08 203,525 224 25 24 37 138

About BRS

BRS, Inc. is an engineering and geology consulting corporation with expertise in mining and mineral exploration. Of particular note, it specializes in uranium exploration, mineral resource evaluation, mine design, feasibility, mine operations, and reclamation. It has completed numerous uranium projects including technical reports and feasibility studies for underground, open pit, ISR, and conventional uranium mills. Representative projects include technical reports and due diligence for project financing for conventional uranium projects including the Sheep Mountain and the JAB-RD open pit in Wyoming, the Cibola Project in New Mexico, the Coles Hill, Virginia open pit and underground mine, and numerous ISR uranium projects in Wyoming and Paraguay.

Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G., the principal engineer at BRS, is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 with 40 years of professional and managerial experience. Mr. Beahm has a proven track record in a variety of mining and mine reclamation projects including surface and underground mining, heap leach recovery, ISR, and uranium mill tailings projects. Mr. Beahms experience includes coal, precious metals, and industrial minerals, but his emphasis throughout his career has been on uranium.

Mr. Beahm has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

About Anfield

Anfield is a uranium and vanadium development and near-term production company that is committed to becoming a top-tier energy-related fuels supplier by creating value through sustainable, efficient growth in its assets. Anfield is a publicly-traded corporation listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange (AEC-V), the OTCQB Marketplace (ANLDF) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (0AD). Anfield is focused on two production centres, as summarized below:

Wyoming  Irigaray ISR Processing Plant (Resin Processing Agreement)

Anfield has signed a Resin Processing Agreement with Uranium One whereby Anfield would process up to 500,000 pounds per annum of its mined material at Uranium Ones Irigaray processing plant in Wyoming. In addition, the Company can both buy and borrow uranium from Uranium One in order to fulfill some or all of its sales contracts.



Anfields 25 ISR mining projects are located in the Black Hills, Powder River Basin, Great Divide Basin, Laramie Basin, Shirley Basin and Wind River Basin areas in Wyoming. Anfields three projects in Wyoming for which NI 43-101 resource reports have been completed are Red Rim, Clarkson Hill and Nine Mile Lake.

The Charlie Project, acquired from Cotter Corporation, is located in the Pumpkin Buttes Uranium District in Johnson County, Wyoming. The Charlie Project consists of a 720-acre Wyoming State uranium lease which has been in development since 1969.

Arizona/Utah  Shootaring Canyon Mill

A key asset in Anfields portfolio is the Shootaring Canyon Mill in Garfield County, Utah. The Shootaring Canyon Mill is strategically located within one of the historically most prolific uranium production areas in the United States, and is one of only three licensed uranium mills in the United States.

Anfields conventional uranium assets consist of mining claims and state leases in southeastern Utah and Arizona, targeting areas where past uranium mining or prospecting occurred. Anfields conventional uranium assets include the Velvet-Wood Project, the Frank M Uranium Project, as well as the Findlay Tank breccia pipe. An NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment has been completed for the Velvet-Wood Project. All conventional uranium assets are situated within a 125-mile radius of the Shootaring Mill.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

ANFIELD ENERGY INC.

Corey Dias, Chief Executive Officer

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact:

Anfield Energy, Inc.

Clive Mostert

Corporate Communications

780-920-5044

contact@anfieldenergy.com

www.anfieldenergy.com





Safe Harbor Statement

THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE THAT ARE NOT PURELY HISTORICAL ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INCLUDE ANY STATEMENTS REGARDING BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS REGARDING THE FUTURE.

EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION PRESENTED HEREIN, MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS THAT ARE PRECEDED BY, FOLLOWED BY, OR THAT INCLUDE SUCH WORDS AS ESTIMATE, ANTICIPATE, BELIEVE, PLAN OR EXPECT OR SIMILAR STATEMENTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES FOR THE COMPANY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MINERAL EXPLORATION AND FUNDING AS WELL AS THE RISKS SHOWN IN THE COMPANYS MOST RECENT ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY REPORTS AND FROM TIME-TO-TIME IN OTHER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY. OTHER RISKS INCLUDE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SEEKING THE CAPITAL NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THE REGULATORY APPROVAL PROCESS, COMPETITIVE COMPANIES, FUTURE CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE COMPANYS ABILITY AND LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR ITS EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE COMPANY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THAT THE COMPANYS EXPLORATION EFFORTS WILL SUCCEED OR THE COMPANY WILL ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, AND THE COMPANY ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, OR TO UPDATE THE REASONS WHY ACTUAL RESULTS COULD DIFFER FROM THOSE PROJECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT THE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS AND INTENTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE ARE REASONABLE, THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THOSE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSIDER ALL OF THE INFORMATION SET FORTH HEREIN AND SHOULD ALSO REFER TO THE RISK FACTORS DISCLOSED IN THE COMPANYS PERIODIC REPORTS FILED FROM TIME-TO-TIME.

THIS NEWS RELEASE HAS BEEN PREPARED BY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY WHO TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS.




FREMONT, Calif., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attivo Networks, the leader in deception solutions for cybersecurity defense, today named security industry veteran Mark Howell as the companys new Vice President of UK and Ireland operations. A widely respected business development leader specializing in delivering new solutions in European markets, Howell will continue to build out the companys expanding customer and partner base. Last year, Attivo Networks grew in revenue by more than 300 percent as enterprises continue to invest in deception-based threat detection solutions to battle the escalating number and scale of security breaches and cyberattacks globally.



As VP of UK and Ireland operations, Howell is responsible for scaling the Attivo customer development efforts around its ThreatDefend Deception and Response Platform by leveraging his 20+ years experience in developing enterprise and channel distribution partnerships throughout the region. His experience guiding customers and channel partners from product adoption to profitability will prove valuable to Attivo Networks as the company rapidly expands its presence globally.

We have seen a steady increase of inquiries in the UK and Ireland and are excited to add Mark Howell to the Attivo Networks leadership team to address increased demand and further support growth initiatives for the market, said Tushar Kothari, CEO of Attivo Networks. Mark brings valuable expertise that will undoubtedly increase our ability to meet our customers threat protection requirements.

Prior to joining Attivo Networks, Howell was the UK and Ireland Country Manager for BDNA (acquired by Flexera), where he managed the software supply chain companys operations in the region for the past two years.

Perspectives are shifting among CISOs globally, and they now recognize that deception technology is an area they need to invest in as prevention alone is no longer a sufficient means of cybersecurity defense, said Mark Howell, Vice President of UK and Ireland, Attivo Networks. I look forward to educating both customer and channel partner organizations throughout the region on the critical role deception technology plays in protecting company assets and how the ThreatDefend solution provides the tools to better understand adversaries, what they are after, and most importantly, the visibility to slow and halt an attack.

About Attivo Networks

Attivo Networks is the leader in deception technology for real-time detection, analysis, and accelerated response to advanced, credential, insider, and ransomware cyber-attacks. The Attivo ThreatDefend Deception and Response Platform accurately detects advanced in-network threats and provides scalable continuous threat management for user networks, data centers, cloud, IoT, ICS-SCADA, and POS environments. Attivo Camouflage dynamic deception techniques and decoys set high-interaction traps to efficiently lure attackers into revealing themselves. Advanced attack analysis and lateral movement tracking are auto-correlated for evidence-based alerts, forensic reporting, and automatic blocking and quarantine of attacks. For more information, visit www.attivonetworks.com.

CONTACT:

Loren Guertin

Matter Communications for Attivo Networks

lguertin@matternow.com

401-351-9504

Follow Attivo Networks: Twitter and LinkedIn
PHOENIX, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DNA Brands Inc. (OTC Pink:DNAX) ("the Company"), today announced CEO, Adrian McKenzies return to Uptick Newswires Stock Day podcast.

DNA Brands Inc. is the owner of DNA Energy, a two-time award-winning energy drink, said Jolly. The Company has also entered into the Cryptocurrency industry with its purchase of Tokentalk.io.

DNA Brands wholly owned subsidiary Tokentalk.io provides cryptocurrency consultation, SEO (search engine optimization), social media, marketing and advertising services for Initial Coin Offerings. Recently, Tokentalk.io closed its first ICO project for 2018.

We are taking a strategic approach to the currently highly volatile cryptocurrency market, McKenzie said. We are being selective in our projects to create a strong portfolio, in turn, a strong company. In addition to DNA Energy and Tokentalk.io, we have partnered with a large maritime company, for whom we are assisting in international growth.

To listen to the full interview please click here to the following link: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-ceo-adrian-mckenzie-of-dna-brands-inc-otcpink-dnax-2/

DISCLAIMER

This press release contains statements that are "Forward-Looking" in nature (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1993, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). All Statements regarding the Company's financial position, potential, business strategy, plans and objectives for future operations are Forward-Looking statements. Many of these statements contain words such as "goal," "aims," "may," "expect," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "would," "exceed," "should," "steady," "plan," "potential," "dramatic," and variations of such words and similar expressions identify Forward-Looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a Forward-Looking statement. Because Forward -Looking statements involve future risks and uncertainties, there are many factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The Company cannot predict the actual effect these factors will have on its results and many of the factors and their effects are beyond the Company's control. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise. Given these uncertainties, you should not rely too heavily on these forward-looking statements.

Adrian P.McKenzie

(561) 654-5722

info@dnabrandsinc.com

www.dnabrandsinc.com

www.tokentalk.io

About Uptick Newswire and the Stock Day Podcast

Uptick Newswire is a private company reaching out to the masses keeping investors and shareholders up to date on company news and bringing transparency to the undervalued, undersold, micro-cap stocks of the market and is the sole producer of the Uptick Network Stock Day Podcast. The Uptick Network Stock Day Podcast is an extension of Uptick Newswire and has recently launched the Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Source: Uptick Newswire

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of Stock Day and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit DNA Brands Inc., message board on: https://investorshangout.com/
Mercy Corps is an InternationalNGO that exists to alleviate poverty and oppression by helping people buildsecure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps has been fully registeredin Uganda as an operational NGO. Currently Mercy Corps has an office in Kampalaand is implementing Food Security programs which comprise of Water andSanitation, Livelihood and Agriculture and Conflict Mitigation Management Programin North and North Eastern Uganda. We implement programs in the northerndistricts of Pader, Kitgum, Agago, Lamwo, Kaabong, Abim and Kotido with fundingfrom USAID, USDA, Walmart Foundation, SDC, DFID as well as other privatedonations.
TheProject Management Specialist Green Climate Fund (GCF) will provide technicalsupport to the Ministry of Water and Environment to manage the BuildingResilient of Communities and Ecosystems through Restoration of Wetlands andassociated Catchments Project. This position involves the development andimplementation of management systems for the restoration of wetlands andassociated catchments. The Management Specialist will be responsible forproviding guidance during implementation of the project activities and budgetacross the three components ensuring synergy and continuity. The position has astrong focus on capacity building and mentoring of staff in the Ministry ofWater and Environment and partner staff. Monitoring and evaluation of outputsagainst actual outcomes also forms a key component of this position.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Otis Gold Corp. (Otis or the Company) (TSX-V:OOO) (OTC:OGLDF) is pleased to announce the addition and further definition of emerging gold targets at its Kilgore Project in Clark County, Idaho. These targets were generated as a result of surface geochemical sampling and ground geophysical surveys conducted in the 2016 and 2017 exploration seasons. The geochemical program consisted of sampling and assay of soils, silts and rocks; the geophysical program consisted of property-wide ground magnetic surveys. These activities were complemented by historical Induced Polarization and CSAMT surveys.

Results have been received from 2,125 surface soil samples, 268 stream/silt sediment samples and 151 rock samples. The geophysical program included 548 line kilometres of ground-based magnetic surveys conducted in 2016 and 2017 (see Kilgore Property  Regional Sampling Au map). The historical geophysical work reviewed comprised 6 CSAMT (controlled source audio-magneto telluric) lines totaling 8.5 line kilometres conducted by Zonge Geosciences Inc. in 2009 (see Otis New Release dated January 24, 2009), and 14 lines of gradient array Induced Polarization (IP) totaling 25 line kilometres conducted by Placer Dome in 1991. Otis is working on integrating the current data obtained in 2016 and 2017 with the existing historic data to further define emerging exploration targets outside of the core Kilgore Deposit.

Exploration work carried out in 2017 was designed to accomplish the following primary goals:

Follow-up of open-ended anomalies as identified in 2015 and 2016 around the existing Kilgore Deposit; Better define drill targets at Prospect Ridge, Gold Ridge and Dog Bone Ridge; and Conduct generative exploration work beyond the existing claim block and known targets to identify new exploration targets (see Otis News Release dated February 1, 2018).

Additional mineralized targets identified by the geochemical and geophysical survey programs are summarized below:

Expansion of Targets Adjacent to the Kilgore Deposit: An area 1,000 metres x 500 metres to the northeast of Kilgore Deposit (see North Grid Anomaly Gold (Au) map) highlights the mineralizing potential of subordinate 300 structures including the Snotel and Vortex (see Otis News Release dated April 12, 2017) with the corresponding conjugate faulting and resultant structural compartments. Sampling of historic prospect pits has returned gold values up to 0.69 g/t Au along with anomalous Arsenic and Selenium.



An area 1,000 metres x 500 metres to the northeast of Kilgore Deposit (see North Grid Anomaly Gold (Au) map) highlights the mineralizing potential of subordinate 300 structures including the Snotel and Vortex (see Otis News Release dated April 12, 2017) with the corresponding conjugate faulting and resultant structural compartments. Sampling of historic prospect pits has returned gold values up to 0.69 g/t Au along with anomalous Arsenic and Selenium. Prospect Ridge Target: The South Soil Grid (see South Grid Anomaly Gold (Au) map) displays a gold-in-soil anomaly that covers approximately 15,000 square metres in the Prospect Ridge target area. This anomaly overlies a section of the lithic tuff similar to rock that hosts some of the Kilgore deposit. Historical drill hole 95-EKR-98 returned 27.4 m of 1.39 g/t Au in that area.



The South Soil Grid (see South Grid Anomaly Gold (Au) map) displays a gold-in-soil anomaly that covers approximately 15,000 square metres in the Prospect Ridge target area. This anomaly overlies a section of the lithic tuff similar to rock that hosts some of the Kilgore deposit. Historical drill hole 95-EKR-98 returned 27.4 m of 1.39 g/t Au in that area. Crystal Tuff - Aspen Formation Contact: Surface rock samples returned greater than 0.5 g/t Au north of the Kilgore Deposit area. Early interpretations are that the Crystal Tuff and Cretaceous Aspen Formation contact near the surface as part of a local horst block, representing a near-surface target.



Surface rock samples returned greater than 0.5 g/t Au north of the Kilgore Deposit area. Early interpretations are that the Crystal Tuff and Cretaceous Aspen Formation contact near the surface as part of a local horst block, representing a near-surface target. Gold Knob: A small soil sample program conducted in 2017 returned several 40+ ppb gold hits. The ground magnetic survey conducted over this target indicates areas of older country rocks (Aspen Formation and Beaverhead Conglomerate) in contact with mafic rocks. Approximately 270 stream sediment samples were collected in an area to the west and outside the existing Kilgore claim block in an area close to the inferred margin of the Kilgore Caldera; gold values returned up to 0.55 g/t Au. The results from this program resulted in the staking of 150 federal lode mining claims (see Otis News Release dated February 1, 2018).

Structural and geological interpretation of the exploration data has outlined an 8 square kilometre volcanic terrace (see Volcanic Terrace map) that is potentially prospective for gold in association with the Crystal Tuff intrusive and associated Rhyolite plugs. The geophysical data also shows evidence of localized zones of alteration within the volcanic terrace potentially indicating further targets for exploration in the coming year.

The toe of the volcanic terrace, where the overlying volcanic rocks are in contact with country rocks, represents an area of interest over 4 kilometres long, within which approximately 1 kilometre hosts the Kilgore Deposit; gold-in-soil anomalies support that the remaining 3 kilometres represents a near surface target area considered prospective for hosting gold and requiring further exploration.

All geochemical samples (rocks, silts and soils) were submitted to ALS Minerals in Reno, Nevada and North Vancouver, British Columbia. Samples were treated by Aqua Regia digestion and analyzed either by Fire Assay by with ICP-MS finish, or Fire Assay with AAS finish. ALS Minerals is certified ISO/IEC 17025:2005.

Otis President & CEO, Craig Lindsay, stated: The exploration programs completed in 2017 have further contributed to our understanding of the geology and exciting exploration potential at Kilgore. Our commitment to ongoing exploration work continues to generate target areas that we believe are prospective to hosting additional gold deposits outside of the Kilgore Deposit, with tremendous regional expansion potential.

The qualified person under National Instrument (NI 43-101) Standards of Disclosure for this News Release is Alan Roberts (CPG), Vice President of Exploration, who has reviewed and approved its technical content.

About the Kilgore Project

The Kilgore Project lies on the north-eastern margin of the Miocene-Pliocene Kilgore Caldera complex in the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho. The Kilgore Project contains the Kilgore Deposit with a current NI 43-101 (see Kilgore Technical Report dated September 12, 2012) Indicated Resource of 520,000 ounces (oz.) Au in 27.4 million tonnes at a grade of 0.59 g/t Au and an Inferred Resource of 300,000 oz. Au in 20.2 million tonnes at a grade of 0.46 g/t Au (the Deposit). The Kilgore Deposit is a low-sulphidation, gold bearing, quartz-adularia epithermal system hosted in Tertiary volcanic rocks, local Tertiary intrusive rocks, and basement Late Cretaceous, Aspen Formation sedimentary rocks. The preparation of an updated NI 43-101 compliant resource calculation is ongoing and will include drilling completed from 2015 through 2017; this resource estimate will be released when available.

About the Company

Otis is a resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal deposits in Idaho, USA. Otis is currently developing its flagship property, the Kilgore Project, located in Clark County, Idaho and the Oakley Project, located in Cassia County, Idaho.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Craig T. Lindsay

President & CEO

For additional information, please contact:

Mr. Tony Perri  Corporate Development

Tel: (604) 424-8100 Email: tony@otisgold.com

Idaho Investor Days: Toronto, April 24 & New York City, April 25

Discover Idaho and the world-class mining opportunities that exist in the Gem State. Join Idaho Governor C.L. Butch Otter, state officials, industry experts and mining company representatives as they discuss why Idaho is the right place to invest.

For more details or to RSVP, please email: tony@otisgold.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as defined in the policies of the

TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This News Release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the US Securities Act) or any State securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to US Persons unless registered under the US Securities Act and applicable State securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/3310bde7-117b-46d0-8eb4-2308d62b5d84

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President Donald Trump plans to send Vice President Mike Pence to an upcoming summit in South America the president has decided to skip.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Tuesday that Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru or travel to Bogota, Colombia as planned. Pence will travel to the summit in his place, but will not go to Colombia.

Pences deputy chief of staff, Jarrod Agen, said in a statement that Pence is honored to attend the summit, adding that last year he traveled to the region to meet with the Presidents of Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Panama to increase the pressure against the Maduro regime and negotiate better trade deals that benefit American workers.

Sanders said Trump has decided to stay in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world. This marks the first time an American president has not attended the summit, which was first held in 1994 and is scheduled to begin April 13.

The decision came after an apparent chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria. Trump has vowed to respond forcefully, warning that Russia or any other nation found to share responsibility will pay a price.

White House officials said the decision to miss the summit was made Monday, adding that the raid of the office of Trump attorney Michael Cohen was not a factor in the decision. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.

Trumps new national security adviser, John Bolton, advocated that Trump stay in Washington in the aftermath of the attack, said one of the officials.

(AP)
President Donald Trump has nominated Rhode Island Public Defender Mary McElroy to be a judge on the U.S. District Court in Providence.

The White House on Tuesday announced the nomination , which is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

McElroy was first nominated by President Barack Obama in September 2015. Her nomination was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2016, but languished in the full Senate and eventually expired.

Democratic Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse had been pushing for her nomination. Whitehouse said in October that appointing McElroy would be a sign of considerable good faith from the Republican presidents administration.

In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the two applauded her nomination, crediting White House Counsel Donald McGahn for working on behalf of President Trump in a bipartisan, collaborative manner to fill this vacancy.

He and his office handled this matter professionally and in a manner befitting Rhode Islands traditions of thoughtful judicial nominations, they said.

The two lauded McElroy for her impressive legal career, as well as for her integrity, professionalism and skill.

Mary McElroy has impeccable credentials, broad bipartisan support in legal circles, and has already been vetted and unanimously approved on her merits by the Judiciary Committee. We are hopeful she will be confirmed by the full Senate with an overwhelming majority, they wrote.

McElroy has been the state public defender since 2012.

She got her law degree from Suffolk University School of Law and her bachelors from Providence College.

(AP)
President Donald Trump was so incensed by the FBIs raid of his personal attorneys office and hotel room that hes privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly mused about ousting special counsel Robert Mueller.

The raid left the president more angry than advisers had seen him in weeks, according to five people familiar with the presidents views but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

On Twitter Wednesday Trump took a shot at Rosenstein, as he complained about what he calls the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation. Trump said the probe was headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!

Trump also said: No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD! And he insisted the White House was Very calm and calculated.

But nervous White House aides expressed new fears about the presidents unpredictability in the face of the Cohen raid, which he viewed as an assault on a longtime defender and a sign that Muellers probe into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was going too far.

Trump also announced Tuesday he was cancelling plans to attend the Summit of the Americas over the weekend as well as an overnight visit to Colombia.

The president had been telling confidants for weeks that he was not eager to make the three-day trip, which had already been shortened from original plans, according to two people who have discussed it with him in recent weeks but were not authorized to disclose the private conversations. His decision not to travel was publicly tied to the need to monitor the situation in Syria, but privately Trump said he didnt want to be away from the White House amid developments in the China trade dispute and in the Mueller investigation.

Trump also expressed confidence in the loyalty displayed by Cohen, his longtime personal and professional fixer, who ascended to one of the most powerful roles at the Trump Organization not filled by a family member.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear that White House officials have explored Trumps authority to fire Mueller.

He certainly believes that he has the power to do so, she said at Tuesdays press briefing.

Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

On Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of four senators moved to protect Muellers job.

Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing, according to two people familiar with the legislation. They were not authorized to discuss the bill ahead of its release and requested anonymity.

Trump spent Monday evening calling associates to vent and gauge their reaction to the news. He bitterly complained that the raids were meant to ruin Cohens life and expressed frustration that it was another front from which to attack his presidency, according to a person familiar with the conversations but not permitted to discuss them publicly.

Trump also revived his broadsides on Rosenstein as well as Rosensteins boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he belittled to confidants for recusing himself from the investigation and, in turn, delivering him to Mueller.

The White House insisted Trump was focused on the response to Syria following the countrys apparent use of chemical weapons on civilians over the weekend, killing more than 40 people. A military strike would mark Trumps second retaliatory strike against Syrian President Bashar Assads government at a time when Trump is seeking to reduce the U.S. footprint in Syria.

The discussions come as Trumps newest national security adviser, John Bolton, stepped into the job this week. He encouraged Trump to skip the trip to South America to manage the Syria strategy.

Bolton, a seasoned bureaucratic operator, has been expected to put his stamp on the National Security Council staff. NSC spokesman Michael Anton resigned over the weekend, with two people familiar with the situation saying Anton resigned after learning he would be fired. Trumps homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, exited Tuesday. Bossert had overseen the administrations response to the 2017 hurricane season and was credited by his colleagues for leading the administrations efforts to bolster cybersecurity resiliency across government and private industry.

Asked if Bolton forced Bossert out, Sanders said: Im not going to get into specific details about the ongoings of personnel, but I can tell you that he resigned. The president feels hes done a great job and wishes him the best.

The mood at the NSC this week was described as grim, with aides fearful over Boltons plans. More senior-level departures are expected in the coming weeks, said two people familiar with the dynamic but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Trumps administration has set records for turnover in his 15 months in office at all levels, with Bossert marking at least the 13th official who held the rank of assistant to the president at the start of the administration to depart.

There is growing concern in Trumps orbit that the turmoil will only continue following the release next week of former FBI director James Comeys book, which promises to reveal new details about his conversations with the president and the Russia probe. An administration official said the White House would largely defer to outside surrogates to push back on Comey, but there was concern as to how the directors interviews could rile up the president.

(AP)
An online petition is being circulated against Israel Police for its cruel actions, using the skunk smelling water against a crowd in Meah Shearim, citing protocol only permits using it in an open area.

Emails being sent to recipients state, Please convey to any painful Jew who can join. After the horrific abuse perpetrated during Pesach in the Meah Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem.

In houses and passageways  against men, women and children, and even the faces of old men.

In the continuation of one email, Israel Police are referred to a Nazis YMS.

The online petition reads:

In the recent demonstrations in the Meah Shearim area, the Israeli police used the skunk material that was sprayed inside residential neighborhoods, contrary to the police procedure, that as a rule the liquid will be sprayed in open areas.

While the role of the Israel Police is to maintain routine in the entire neighborhood, they accomplish just the opposite with the use of the stench in the neighborhood.

The injury is to all the residents of the neighborhood including elderly people and asthma patients. This is also contrary to the police procedure, which states that it is forbidden to spray at elderly pregnant women and infants, even after the time of the demonstrations.

We immediately demand that the commander who gave the order to use the skunk stench against the police procedures be held accountable and at the same time work to remove the smell from the neighborhood immediately.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
After both Russia and Syria blamed Israel for an attack against a Syrian air base near Homs on Monday, 24 Nissan, the Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned Israeli Ambassador to Russia Gary Koren for a meeting with the Deputy Russian Foreign Minister. The media has since reported the United States was given a heads-up, informed of the attack before it occurred, and Moscow is questioning why it was kept in the dark.

According to a Yediot Achronot report, the Russian government summoned Israels Ambassador to Russia, Gary Koren, amid a diplomatic dustup after Kremlin officials criticized Israel for not giving them prior notice of a planned strike on a Syrian airbase reportedly housing Iranian drone aircraft. Despite the report, the ambassadors staff is not commenting on the integrity of the report.

At least fourteen people were reportedly killed in the aerial strike near Homs. Israel remains silent, not commenting despite America attributing the attack to Israel.

US media reports add the Syrian use of chemical weapons against civilians has been discussed by President Donald Trump, who is quoted responding the Syrians will pay a big price for their actions, adding his decision as to the response will be made Very quickly.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

The central state ceremony marking the start of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day in Israel will be held at Yad Vashem on Wednesday night, the eve of 27 Nissan. The ceremony will be held in the presence of President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, dignitaries, survivors, children of survivors and their families, together with the general public.

Torchlighters

Each year, six Holocaust survivors are chosen to light torches in memory of the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. Their wartime experiences reflect the central theme chosen by Yad Vashem for Holocaust Remembrance Day. The torches are lit during the central memorial ceremony held at Yad Vashem on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Mirjam Lapid:

Mirjam Lapid was born in 1933 in Deventer, the Netherlands to a Zionist family. After the Netherlands was occupied, Mirjam had to wear a yellow star and was expelled from school. The Germans confiscated Jewish houses, but a notice on the door of Mirjams house stating that she was sick with scarlet fever meant that their house was ignored.

Mirjams father Herman Andriesse refused to put his Christian friends in jeopardy by hiding his family with them. In April 1943, they were taken to Amsterdam and two months later deported to the Westerbork detention camp (Mirjams oldest brother hid with the Dutch underground).

Working as a cleric in Westerbork, Herman managed to obtain a forged permit for the family to immigrate to Eretz Israel, putting them on the list of prisoners destined to be exchanged.

In January 1944, the family was sent to Bergen-Belsen and imprisoned in a sub-camp designated for prisoner exchanges. The young people in the camp conducted activities for the children and taught them songs in Hebrew. In February 1945, Herman passed away. On 9 April, the prisoners were marched to the railway station. Mirjams mother Batya, who was sick with typhus, was carried by Mirjams brother and sister.

The family was put on the lost train. For two weeks, they traveled around, stopping intermittently and burying the dead. On 23 April, the trains passengers were liberated by the Red Army on the outskirts of the village of Trobitz in eastern Germany.

A few months later, Mirjam and her family returned to the Netherlands, where she joined the Habonim youth group. She became a leader in the movement, and served as its secretary in the Netherlands. In 1950, she traveled to Jerusalem to study. When she returned, she joined an agricultural training farm near Amsterdam.

In 1953, Mirjam immigrated to Israel. There she met Aki, and the couple joined a Habonim group from South Africa at Kibbutz Tzora, central Israel. Since 1960, she has run the bureau of the kibbutzs secretariat.

Mirjam and Aki had six children and 14 grandchildren. When their late son Ran, a helicopter pilot in the Israel Air Force (IAF), was asked to fly the German chancellor during a visit to Israel, he made it contingent on Mirjams approval. Nothing could be greater for me than to have my son, a pilot in the IAF, fly the German chancellor, she said. That is my victory.

Shmuel Bogler

Shmuel Bogler was born in Bodrogkeresztur, Hungary, in 1929, the youngest of Mordehai and Rajzel Boglers ten children. One of Shmuels sisters died as a young girl. Mordehai was a merchant, and Shmuel helped the family make a living.

In 1941, Mordehai was imprisoned for 18 months due to an anti-Semitic libel. Three of Shmuels brothers were forced into labor battalions. One of them was murdered in Buchenwald; the other two survived in captivity by the Red Army.

In March 1944, Germany invaded Hungary, and in the spring, immediately after Passover, the villages Jews were deported to the Satoraljaujhely ghetto. Shmuel and his family were taken from the ghetto to Auschwitz. His parents and three cousins were sent immediately to the gas chambers. Shmuel and his brother Chaim were sent to a labor camp near Breslau, where there were hundreds of Polish Jews. Most of the Hungarian Jews in the camp did not know Yiddish, and Shmuel and Chaim, who spoke Yiddish, became the groups interpreters.

On 31 January 1945, the two brothers were sent on a death march to Buchenwald, where the US Army liberated them. They returned to their village two months later, where they discovered that two of their siblings had survived, too. Another two had emigrated from Europe before the war. In May 1947, Shmuel boarded an illegal immigrant ship bound for Eretz Israel. After detention by the British in Cyprus, he eventually arrived in October 1947.

Shmuel joined the Palmachs Religious Platoon. In December 1947, he left Tel Aviv for Jerusalem with a convoy of provisions. He fought to defend the Etzion bloc, and when the bloc fell in May 1948, he was taken prisoner by the Jordanian Legion. Shmuel joined the POW camps police force in Transjordan and became the second-in-command. He was responsible for distributing food and water, as well as roll calls in the camp. He studied history, geography and mathematics and played volleyball.

In April 1949, after nearly a year in captivity, Shmuel was freed and joined the Israel Police. He became an officer and worked in high-ranking capacities, including as the Southern District Deputy Commander.

Since retiring, Shmuel has worked in various public capacities, such as road accident prevention, and gives testimony on a regular basis. He volunteers in Yad Vashems Righteous Among the Nations Department, translating testimonies from Hungarian to Hebrew.

Shmuel and Shoshana have a son, a daughter, five granddaughters and three great-grandchildren.

Thea Friedman

Dr. Thea Friedman was born in 1924 in Chernovitz, Romania, the only child of Yosef and Yetty Kwalenberg. In June 1941, the Germans bombed the city and Thea was sent to her relatives in a nearby village. German and Romanian soldiers reached the area and began harassing the residents. Thea and her aunt fled to a nearby thicket, and after the soldiers left, Thea returned to Chernovitz, passing many dead bodies along the road.

In September 1941, a ghetto was established in Chernovitz. Some 20 people were housed in Theas home. In November, her family was put in an overcrowded cattle car, with no food or water, and sent on a two-day journey to Atachi. Romanian soldiers plundered the deportees valuables. Theas family crossed the Dniester River and was deported to the Mogilev-Podolski ghetto. Yosef was taken to perform forced labor, while Thea worked clerical jobs for 150 grams of bread per day.

In December 1942, Thea fled the ghetto. She crossed the frozen Dniester on foot and went back to Chernovitz. She tried in vain to find refuge among relatives and acquaintances, and ultimately hid in the house of Prof. Kalman Gronich and his wife. When she was caught in a surprise search, she tried to commit suicide by swallowing pills, but her captors had her stomach pumped. She was eventually freed with the help of a bribe paid by the Jewish community.

Late in 1943, Thea met activists from the Gordonia youth movement, and acquired a forged passport. She reached Bucharest, where she met Yoseph, her future husband. After being arrested in a police raid, she was imprisoned, but she left the jailhouse daily to work in a hospital.

In July 1944, Thea was released from jail. Romania capitulated to the Red Army a month later. In 1945, she registered for medical school in Timisoara. In 1950, she married Yoseph and began practicing medicine. Their applications to leave for Israel were repeatedly turned down.

In 1958, Thea, Yoseph and their son finally immigrated to Israel. She began working as an ophthalmologist in the Haifa Bay area, and then in various hospitals in central Israel. She is an emeritus professor of the Faculty of Ophthalmology at Tel Aviv University (TAU). Yoseph helped lay the foundations of family medicine in Israel and taught at the TAU School of Medicine.

Thea and the late Yoseph have a son, who is also a physician, and five grandchildren.

Raul Teitelbaum

Raul-Israel Teitelbaum was born in 1931 in Prizren, Yugoslavia (today Kosovo), the only child of Dr. Josef and Paula Teitelbaum. In April 1941, the Germans invaded Yugoslavia. In the winter of 1941-1942, the Italian occupation authorities arrested Josef and sent him to a detention camp in Albania, where he was put in charge of the camp infirmary.

The Italian Army requisitioned the familys apartment, and Raul and his mother were thrown out on the street. Their friends Dragotin and Ana Jakic opened their house to them, and Raul joined the Yugoslav underground.

In the summer of 1943, Raul and Paula moved to Albania to visit his incarcerated father. When Italy surrendered in September 1943, Albanian partisans liberated the camp where Josef was being held, and the family joined the partisans. Josef treated injured partisans and sick villagers. After a few days, the Germans went on the offensive and the partisans were forced to retreat to the mountains. With Josef suffering from stomach ulcers the family hid among villagers, but ultimately had to return to Prizren. Twelve year-old Raul rejoined the underground in the city, distributing leaflets and taking part in acts of sabotage against the Germans.

In May 1944, the Teitelbaums were caught and sent to the Sajmiste concentration camp, and from there to Bergen-Belsen. On 9 April 1945, a few days before liberation, Raul, Paula and Josef were sent from Bergen-Belsen with a group of prisoners on what became known as the lost train. Two weeks later, the prisoners were freed by the Red Army. They were sick, and some of them died. Raul had contracted typhus, and Josef died in a Red Army hospital three days after liberation. Rauls grandmother Ethel had died in the Terezin ghetto.

In 1949, Raul and his mother immigrated to Israel. He enlisted in the IDF and served as an artillery officer, eventually rising to the rank of major. As a journalist, Raul has published hundreds of articles and reports about the Holocaust, Holocaust survivors, and the society and economy of Israel. He was a formulator of Our Living Legacy  a call by Holocaust survivors to educate towards humanitarian values, democracy, human rights and tolerance, and against racism and totalitarian ideologies. He has been active in the Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel since its establishment in 1987, and is a lecturer, researcher and an initiator of a project highlighting the contribution of Holocaust survivors to the founding and development of Israel.

Raul and his late wife Aliza have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Yisaschar Dov Goldstein

Yisaschar Dov Goldstein was born in 1929 in Bratislava, Slovakia, the third of five children. His father, Moshe Shraga, was the rabbi of the Jewish community, which suffered persecution by the anti-Semitic Slovakian regime. After Germany occupied Slovakia in the summer of 1944, Dov joined the underground Working Group, and learned what was happening in Poland. Preparing for the worst, he built a wall in the storage room of his family home.

In the fall of 1944, Dovs mother Chaya Feige, his infant brother Eliezer and his 12-year-old sister Buna were deported to Auschwitz and murdered. Dov and his father hid in the storage room, but the Germans found them, too. They were taken to the Sered concentration camp and deported to Birkenau a week later, where Moshe Shraga was murdered on arrival. Dov was transferred to a factory in a satellite camp of Buchenwald.

Dov tried to observe Jewish practice every step of the way. On Hanukkah, the prisoners made a makeshift menorah, which gave off a strong aroma. The German commander came to check the source of the smell, but a bombing raid began and the commander ran out. During Passover 1945, a Jewish prisoner acquired a handful of flour from which they made a single piece of matzah. Every prisoner in the shack received a crumb from the matzah during the Seder.

As the Americans advanced, Dov was sent on a death march to Buchenwald. Two days after he arrived, the US Army liberated the camp. Dov had contracted typhus and was hospitalized in an infirmary, but he returned to Bratislava once he recuperated. When he arrived, he discovered that everything in his house had been stolen, except the holy books.

In August 1946, Dov boarded an illegal immigrant ship bound for Eretz Israel. After a seven-month incarceration by the British in Cyprus, and a month at the Atlit internment camp, he settled in northern Israel with a Bnei Akiva youth group. He was one of the first members of Kibbutz Ein Tzurim and fought in the War of Independence.

Dov established the Bnei Akiva yeshiva in Beer Sheva, taught Talmud and Bible for many years, and guided students and tourists around Israel. In the 1990s, he was the rabbi and kosher butcher in Kosice, Slovakia. Dov continues tells his life story to young people and accompanies student trips to Poland.

Dov and Shulamit have three children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Abba Naor

Abba Naor was born in 1928 in Kovno, Lithuania. In August 1941, two months after the German invasion, the Kaunas ghetto was sealed, with the family imprisoned inside. His older brother Chaim was caught looking for food and murdered at the Seventh Fort, a killing site on the outskirts of the city.

Abba and the rest of his family survived several Aktionen. When his parents were at work, Abba would practice hiding his six-year-old brother Berale in a kiln. Berale thus escaped the Childrens Aktion in March 1944, but the family was then transferred to the Stutthof labor camp in July, where they were separated. His father, Zvi-Hirsch, was taken to perform forced labor at a sub-camp of Dachau. Berale and his mother Chana were deported to Auschwitz. The moment I saw my mother and brother heading towards the train, I realized that was it, recalled Abba. I could say goodbye forever.

Abba was put to work in construction at a satellite camp of Dachau. To this day, he has stayed in touch with fellow prisoners from the camp, childhood friends from Kovno. Early in 1945, the Germans asked for volunteers to build subterranean bunkers at the Kaufering labor camp. Mistakenly believing his father was in Kaufering, Abba volunteered. On 24 April, the prisoners were taken on a death march without food or water, in rain and snow, eating grass along the way. On 2 May, they woke up in a forest with their German overseers gone. Suddenly they saw American soldiers, who told them they were free.

A few months later, Abba and his father were reunited at a DP camp near Munich. They moved to Poland, and in 1946 he attempted to immigrate illegally to Eretz Israel. After detention by the British in Cyprus, he reached his destination in 1947. He fought in the War of Independence and later worked in the General Security Service, the Weizmann Institute and the Mossad. From 1984-1985, Abba was a proud participant in Operation Moses, during which some 5,000 Ethiopian Jews were brought to Israel by plane and ship from refugee camps in Sudan.

Abba still delivers lectures at German schools about his experiences during the Holocaust, and participates in Dachau- and Holocaust-related ceremonies in Bavaria. He is Vice President of the World Organization of Former Prisoners of Dachau.

Abba and his late wife Lea have a son, a daughter, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Israels Labor Party suspended ties with the leader of Britains opposition Labour Party over its alleged anti-Semitism on Tuesday, citing what it said was Jeremy Corbyns hostility toward Jews in his country.

Allegations of Labour anti-Semitism have grown since pro-Palestinian socialist Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of Britains main opposition party in 2015. Some in the party say Corbyn, a longtime critic of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians, has allowed abuse to go unchecked.

Israeli Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay said Tuesday he sent a letter to Jeremy Corbyn announcing his decision. He said the move comes ahead of Israels Holocaust Memorial Day and serves as a reminder to our commitment to combating anti-Semitism of all forms and in all places. 

He wrote to Corbyn: It is my responsibility to acknowledge the hostility that you have shown to the Jewish community and the anti-Semitic statements and actions you have allowed as Leader of the Labour Party UK.

This is in addition to your very public hatred of the policies of the Government of the state of Israel, many of which regard the security of our citizens and actions of our soldiers  policies where the opposition and coalition in Israel are aligned, he wrote.

Gabbay said the suspended relations apply to Corbyn only and not his party and recalled the long history of friendship that had existed between the two parties in the past.

Corbyn faces intensifying criticism from outsiders and some of his own members for what is viewed as a failure to address reports of anti-Semitism involving some Labour supporters.

The latest confrontation within the party began when a 6-year-old Facebook posting was brought to public attention last month by a Labour Party lawmaker who is Jewish.

In the post, Corbyn expressed support for an artist who created a street mural that included a number of anti-Jewish stereotypes.

Corbyn later apologized, saying he had not looked closely enough at the mural before giving it his backing. But many in the party doubt his sincerity about tackling anti-Semitism.

Corbyn said Tuesday that his party was utterly determined in every way to drive out anti-Semitism from our society. And, where it exists in any party, to drive it out, including my own.

I would be very happy to have that discussion with them, he said of the Israeli party. I think they should have done me the courtesy of asking me first.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have alleged that the Labour Party has shown a repeated institutional failure to address anti-Jewish prejudice.

(AP)
Many readers feel intimidated into switching their analogue gas and electricity meters for digital versions

Today, Money Mail launches a campaign to stop energy firms bullying customers into having a smart meter fitted in their homes.

We have been inundated with letters, emails and calls from readers who have felt pressured and intimidated into switching their analogue gas and electricity meters for digital versions.

The new devices  which show how much power and gas you're using minute by minute and send that data to your supplier  are entirely optional and many people have legitimate reasons for rejecting them.

For example, nearly all the meters so far installed are ones that lose their smart functions if you switch providers.

Understandably, many readers want to wait until the devices are capable of working with any supplier before they make the swap.

Others have privacy concerns about how energy suppliers plan to use their data  especially after the Facebook scandal  while some are worried about the safety of an electronic device being linked to their gas supply.

The Government has stated nobody is under any obligation to have a smart meter fitted. Yet our postbag is bulging with evidence that firms routinely lead homeowners to believe they have no choice in the matter, and that they must 'upgrade' immediately.

The bullying tactics include:

Charging people more unless they accept a smart meter;

Setting up installation appointments for customers who haven't requested them;

Reneging on pledges to stop contacting customers who feel harassed;

Giving people the impression they will face charges if they don't accept a free meter;

Bribing customers with 50 Amazon vouchers.

Today, we reveal the reasons firms are using these dirty tricks  and lay out our key demands, which should put an end to them once and for all.

Crucially, all the major energy suppliers  British Gas, E.ON, SSE, ScottishPower, npower and EDF Energy  are under enormous pressure to install 50 million smart meters in UK homes and businesses by the end of 2020. But with two-and-a-half years to go, they can so far tick off only 11 million.

Smart meters show how much power and gas you're using minute by minute and send that data to your supplier

That means firms must fit 24 smart meters every minute between now and the deadline. If they fail to meet the target, power firms face swingeing fines equal to 10 per cent of their worldwide sales. In the worst cases, the penalties could exceed 7 billion.

Suppliers have been ordered by the Government to take 'all reasonable steps' to ensure every home has a smart meter fitted by the end of 2020.

But firms say they have been issued no guidance on what 'all reasonable steps' means in practice. As a result, the Big Six privately admit they push the boundaries as far as they can.

'The threat of such a huge fine is like a Sword of Damocles hanging over us,' says a source at one major supplier. 'When we've asked what 'all reasonable steps' means, the answer has been: 'We'll tell you if you've done enough after the deadline.'

'We're taking the view that the only way to prove we've done enough  and avoid the fine  is to have meters actually installed in homes rather than just asking customers if they want one.'

Money Mail's Stop The Smart Meter Bullying campaign calls on the Government to relax its targets for the roll-out.

Ministers could either push back the 2020 deadline or reduce the number of homes in which they need to fit meters. For example, they could say suppliers must install them in only 80 per cent of homes and businesses by this time.

Privately, energy firms say this would reduce the need for bullying tactics as they could more carefully target the customers who they think would be interested.

Money Mail revealed in February that suppliers estimated the cost of fitting the meters across the country had ballooned from 11 billion to more than 20 billion.

This cost goes on customers' bills so could wipe out the benefits from the energy savings they were promised they would make from seeing up-to-date usage figures and receiving accurate monthly charges.

Money Mail understands some firms are concerned that if they are forced to install smart meters too quickly, the fitters they employ could start to cut corners. If the technology is installed poorly, it could put families at risk of fires or an explosion.

The second part of Money Mail's campaign calls on the energy regulator to set out clear rules on what is and what is not an acceptable way to advertise the devices to customers.

Companies should have to state clearly  in large print on letters, emails, texts and during phone calls  that installing a smart meter is optional and that customers have the right to say no.

Ofgem must also prevent companies setting up installation appointments for customers who have not requested them.

The watchdog should ban firms from reserving their best energy prices for customers who have smart meters and should crack down on the use of incentives to persuade people to sign up.

'Smart meters help customers save money,' says Energy Minister Claire Perry. 'That is why we are we committed to ensuring that all consumers are offered the chance to upgrade by the end of 2020.

'Suppliers must treat customers fairly in how they communicate with them and we expect regulator Ofgem to ensure they do.'

An Energy UK spokesman says: 'Companies have trialled different approaches and we're working with suppliers on good-practice principles for the smart meter roll-out.'

A spokesman for Ofgem says: 'It is not compulsory to have a smart meter installed  consumers have a right to decline them and suppliers must not mislead consumers.'

Supplier booked a fitting without my permission  I was furious: Kathy, 65, is one of thousands hounded by energy firms that won't take no for an answer

By: SARA SMYTH

Almost seven months have passed since Money Mail first reported on energy suppliers bullying customers into getting smart meters  and readers say the intimidation tactics are only getting dirtier.

Every week, we receive dozens of complaints from customers who've been bombarded with calls, texts and letters that make it seem like they must get the new technology fitted immediately.

Some have discovered that this is not true and have written back to their suppliers, pleading for the junk mail to stop. Yet the barrage rarely ceases.

Angry: Kathy Relf struggled to contain her outrage when Npower emailed her saying an appointment had been booked for a smart meter to be fitted when she hadn't asked for one

Anne Dagen, from Stanwick, Northamptonshire, says she's hit by a wave of anger each time a letter arrives from her supplier, E.on.

The letters she and other customers have received are some of the most aggressive Money Mail has seen.

Some state, in bold, red lettering, that 'your meters are being phased out' and 'we need to change your meter'.

Readers say they were left with the impression that the changeover was a foregone conclusion  even though they have the right to refuse.

In July last year, Anne was receiving roughly one of these types of letters every month. She complained about being harassed and was offered a derisory 10 compensation.

Foregone conclusion? Replica of a letter sent out by Eon suggesting that old models of meters are being phased out

E.on promised that her complaint would be logged on her account and Anne would not hear about an installation for the 'foreseeable future'.

But, just six months later, the letters started arriving again. In January, E.on wrote saying Anne needed to upgrade to the new equipment.

Then, in March, an email arrived saying: 'You recently told us you were interested in being one of the first to have a brand new smart meter.'

Anne says she never told E.on anything of the sort. 'It's so frustrating that the whole cycle has begun again,' she says. 'It's as if they've wiped my records and are ignoring the fact I have made two official complaints.'

Anne refused the 10 compensation, saying it in no way reflects the annoyance she has been caused.

A spokesman for E.on apologised for not removing Anne from its mailing list when she asked.

Last October, E.on promised to tone down the language it uses when it contacts customers about smart meters, after Money Mail reported the firm to Ofgem.

At the time, its correspondences said: 'It's a legal requirement and we want to keep you safe. When we replace it, we're going to give you a free self-reading meter.'

However, the evidence shows that the firm has continued with its bullish tactics.

We have seen letters dated February 2018 that state: 'Your electricity meter is an old model that we need to replace with our free self-reading smart meter. We need to install smart meters in our customer's homes as part of a nationwide upgrade programme.'

John, 78, from Hertfordshire, received one of these letters from E.on last September.

He wrote an impassioned reply, telling E.on to stop pestering him  but was then contacted four times in one month. Last month, he received two letters and two phone calls from the firm.

An E.on spokesman apologised and the firm has now removed John from its mailing list.

Money Mail has heard several accounts of companies leading customers to believe that they could be charged for smart meter installations if they don't agree to one now.

One customer, who does not want to be named, says: 'It's presented like a ticking time bomb. It certainly sounds like you will end up with one, whether you want it or not.'

This customer is with Utility Warehouse, but the firm says it has no record of ever giving customers any information that would suggest they have to pay for a smart meter.

All suppliers have slightly different ways of trying to convince their customers to sign up.

First Utility has offered 50 Amazon vouchers to customers who agree to have a smart meter fitted within the next month.

Scottish Power has sent emails asking customers: 'Did you know your current gas and electricity meters are being phased out and replaced with smart meters?'

SSE writes to customers with traditional meters that are 'nearing the end of their lifespan'. It then offers smart meters as replacements. EDF letters say: 'Important  book your smart meter change now'.

Last year, we caught firms booking smart meter installation appointments for customers  even though they hadn't requested one.

The evidence you've sent to our postbag shows this practice is continuing  at an alarming rate.

Kathy Relf, 65, struggled to contain her outrage when Npower emailed her saying an appointment had been booked for a smart meter to be fitted when she hadn't asked for one and does not want a new meter.

The email, seen by Money Mail, states: 'Your new smart meters are coming. Confirm your Npower smart meter appointment.'

The retired radio producer was told she had an appointment in two weeks' time.

The email continues: 'We'd like to come and fit your smart meters but can only guarantee we'll be able to fit them if you confirm this date or choose a new one within the next five days.'

Kathy cancelled the appointment and asked for no further communication from Npower about dual fuel smart meters.

She says: 'I'd never heard of being given an appointment that I hadn't asked for.

'It's a bit rich because when you do want something sorted, it's almost impossible to get an appointment with Npower.'

A spokesman for Npower says that offering appointments in this way is in line with the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice.

In January, the Mail reported that energy giants had been accused of flouting trading laws by pressuring homeowners into getting smart meters.

Some firms were making it sound like a legal requirement to replace your meter.

Trading Standards chiefs told power firms giving customers this impression breached consumer law.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute wrote to Energy UK, which represents big suppliers, to raise concerns about the way that firms are marketing the meters.

Yet Money Mail readers say their suppliers, under huge pressure to keep rolling out smart meters, are still using hard-sell ploys.

George McClure, 70, will lose 144 a year if he doesn't sign up for a smart meter with his current provider. The retired headmaster and his wife Maureen, also 70, have paid 90 a month for dual fuel with First Utility for the past five years.

Money Mail readers say their suppliers, under huge pressure to keep rolling out smart meters, are still using hard-sell ploys

They were told their current tariff will change to 98 if they renew next month.

But this deal is only valid if a smart meter is installed. Without a smart meter, the best deal the couple can get is 110 a month.

George doesn't want one, but also doesn't want to overspend on his energy.

He says: 'It's an underhand way to force my hand, but I refuse to have a device in my home that undermines my privacy.'

A spokesman for First Utility says the firm makes clear when a customer signs up that the tariff they're offered is dependent on having a smart meter installed within six months.

Saverio D'Amico, 67, says he felt tricked into accepting a smart meter after he was sent a seemingly innocuous letter claiming his analogue electricity meter had reached the end of its lifespan.

The retired engineer from Peterborough followed the letter's instructions to telephone E.on to arrange a like-for-like replacement. Instead, he was greeted by a smart meter adviser who thanked him for requesting the new technology.

Saverio says: 'I felt duped  like they'd used mind tricks to reel me in. I was a bit flustered throughout the phone call and the adviser just kept talking over me. So, in the end, I accepted it and had the meter installed.'

Saverio was unaware that sticking with an analogue meter was an option for him.

A spokesman for E.on says that Saverio didn't contact the firm to say he didn't want a smart meter. It said it was in the process of updating its letters and emails to make it clearer that smart meters are not compulsory.

The spokeman adds: 'We're obliged to contact our customers about upgrading their smart meters as part of our commitment to Ofgem.' A spokesman for Energy UK says: 'The energy industry has installed more than 11 million smart meters in the UK.

'Customers have reported high levels of satisfaction overall for both the smart meter itself (80 per cent) and the installation visit (89 per cent).

'Energy companies are working hard to enable as many people as possible to experience the benefits that smart meters bring and to ensure the rollout is carried out safely, efficiently and cost-effectively.

'Suppliers remain committed to meeting the Government's deadline of ensuring all households and businesses are offered a smart meter by 2020.'

s.smyth@dailymail.co.uk

How I fought the bullies and won 50

By: GUY ADAMS

Smart move: Feature writer Guy Adams took on First Utility and won 50

Last autumn, a new type of junk mail began to appear among the pizza menus and charity begging letters on the doormat of my West London flat.

Sent in official-looking envelopes, they came from my gas and electricity supplier, First Utility. Each instructed me to 'upgrade to a smart meter' in order to 'get your gas and electricity bills under control'.

As far as I'm concerned, my gas and electricity bills are already 'under control'.

And I've no desire to take a day off so workmen can fit a vaguely Orwellian device that will almost certainly become useless when I switch supplier.

The letters were consigned swiftly to the bin. Various similar emails met the same fate, too.

Nevertheless, the marketing blitz continued.

One day in mid-October, things took an more intrusive turn, when lunch was interrupted by the ping of a text message. It was 'just a friendly reminder from First Utility to call our partner Siemens (on an 0345 number) to arrange your smart meter installation'.

Irritated by this increasingly high-pressure campaign, I wrote to the energy company, formally asking it to stop contacting me about smart meters. A simple request, one might think. But it was not to be.

In response, First Utility claimed that it would take me off its own 'smart meter mailing list'.

Yet, somewhat bizarrely, it added that this wouldn't actually prevent new text messages from arriving.

These had, apparently, been sent by Siemens, a German technology firm it had hired, as a sub-contractor, to install the devices.

To prevent this other firm from continuing to bother me, I was blithely advised to 'contact them directly'.

There are several problems with this response  not least that I'd no contractual relationship with Siemens and no memory of agreeing to have my personal phone number shared with it, or anyone else.

I therefore asked First Utility to explain why it had passed it on and when, if ever, I'd consented.

Its response? A boilerplate message claiming it had been handed out as part of a 'government led initiative to let every household know about smart meters by 2020'.

Since this was obviously false (the Government has not instructed utility firms to give our personal data to third parties), I did what every consumer messed around by an energy company ought to do at the earliest opportunity and declared that I wished to 'raise a formal complaint'.

There followed one of the more Kafka-esque experiences of my adult life, in which a succession of the firm's 'case handlers' sent a variety of evasive emails, claiming their 'processes' are 'in line with the Data Protection Act'.

Awkwardly, for them at least, the marketing wing of First Utility wasn't listening.

As a result, the firm continued, despite my repeated requests, to send out regular, pushy messages, pestering me to accept a smart meter.

During the month that followed my original complaint, I received three more unsolicited emails (several containing very basic grammatical errors), one letter and, on November 21, yet another irritating text message.

By Christmas, following several apologies, along with an attempt by First Utility to declare my complaint 'closed', I gave the firm a week to sort its act out, before I escalated things to Ofgem and the Information Commissioner.

Amazingly, they telephoned me within a few days, offering 50 compensation and promising (correctly, this time) that the hectoring would finally stop.

I went away a little richer and a lot more certain that energy giants are the opposite of smart.
MONTREAL, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glen Eagle Resources Inc. (TSX-V:GER) reports that Insiders and Management have kept increasing their holdings in the Company to 45 million shares or 55.5% of all outstanding shares, demonstrating their confidence in Glen Eagles business model and potential market capitalization.



The Company is also pleased to announce that is has designed a completely new website more compatible with mobile devices and social media networks. Further improvements will be added over the next few weeks by incorporating a quality video using drone technology. The video will bring to the viewer an acute panorama of Cobra Oros gold plant and its surrounding geography.

As Cobra Oro expects to have an increasingly profitable operation, the Company felt the need to polish its image with a new communication platform that would appeal to a wider audience and be more compelling to social media users.

Jean Labrecque, President

Glen Eagle Resources Inc

Complexe du Canal Lachine, Suite 308

4710 St-Antoine Street

Tel : 514-808-9807

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Values in the news release are quoted in canadian dollars.
Low profile: HSBC's new chief exec John Flint

HSBC's self-assured chairman Mark Tucker was a keynote speaker at the recent International Fintech Conference in London, along with raffish Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio and Santander's UK head, Nathan Bostock.

Does tough nut Tucker, 60, mean to overshadow his wet-behind-the-ears new chief executive John Flint? It's been three months since 2.9million-a-year Flint, 48, took over, and we're yet to hear a peep out of him.

Meanwhile, his chairman bestrides the global stage, giving speeches and interviews to all and sundry. Let's hope it doesn't end in tears.

Guppy-eyed Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's energy group EN+ is being hurriedly disowned since it was slapped with US sanctions.

Two directors have quit. So have brokers Credit Suisse. Roland Rudd's PR outfit Finsbury, which helped with last year's stock market float, are no longer working with the firm.

Thank heavens Lord Mandelson's furtive consultancy firm Global Counsel continues to tender its advice.

Following John Cryan's bloody exit from Deutsche Bank, investors now demand the head of the lender's weasely-looking chairman Paul Achleitner. For now, Achleitner, 61, is said to enjoy his board's support.

But one wonders if he'll come to regret recently appointing John Thain, 62, the steely investment banker with a cyborg-like gaze whose ruthlessness once led to him being compared to a 'stone-cold killer'.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 33, received a crash course in humility from big-hitting lawyers WilmerHale ahead of yesterday's testimony on Capitol Hill.

The Washington-based firm, which typically bills clients 1,000 per hour, was retained by Richard Nixon during Watergate.

Its London office is currently investigating WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell over murky allegations of misuse of company funds.

Citigroup has written a cease and desist letter to a cannabis dispensary in California which calls itself Citidank ('dank' being urban speak for getting stoned) and has a logo eerily similar to that belonging to the banking giant.

A spokesman for Citi remarks drily: 'Unless you are as high as a kite, you'll know Citi isn't affiliated with this business in any way.'
Scratch the surface and you'll find that the bullying scandal at the heart of Money Mail's smart meter campaign today can be traced back to a catastrophic series of events in 2009.

The EU had just ruled that, by 2020, eight in ten European households should be using these digital devices to see how much energy they were using.

Armed with these powerful tools, we were told, homeowners would turn off TVs and lights to save money and fossil fuel. Meanwhile, suppliers would cut meter reading costs and keep prices low.

Unrealistic target: In 2009 the EU ruled that, by 2020, eight in ten European households should be using these smart meters to see how much energy they were using

You can imagine Gordon Brown's government licking their lips in excitement.

Brush aside the privacy, health and safety concerns of ordinary citizens and billions of pounds in savings were up for grabs.

But bungling Labour ministers at the time  led by energy secretary Ed Miliband  then made two serious mistakes.

First, they decided all households in the UK should have a smart meter by 2020, not the 80 per cent suggested by Brussels. Second, they decided that the suppliers should roll out the technology, rather than a central body.

Nine years on, we're left in a mess.

The costs of installing smart meters are rising so fast, energy insiders say the promised savings could be wiped out before 2020.

On top of that, each supplier has installed its own smart meter technology, meaning customers lose the key functions if they switch tariffs.

Now, the threat of gigantic fines for missing the unreasonable 2020 deadline is causing firms to harass customers who, quite correctly given their concerns, have been given the right to say 'no'.

You won't find a single energy giant brave enough to poke its head above the parapet and condemn the rollout, as they're petrified of being shot down by ministers.

But Big Six sources tell me that the Government has been warned if the rush leads fitters to bodge the installations, there is a risk of gas explosions. It's a terrifying thought.

These problems could be solved by our Stop the Smart Meter Bullying campaign's twin aims: relax the 2020 deadline, and set clear instructions on how firms should advertise smart meters to customers.

Claire Perry, the energy minister, and Ofgem, the energy watchdog, must act immediately.

Breakdown ruse

How astonishing for the AA to admit that, by default, the price of its breakdown cover soars by as much as 124 per cent after a year.

That's a far more extreme hike than you'll get if you roll over your car or home insurance and shows blatant disregard for customers.

I can't help thinking that its rivals must be up to the same tricks. Let me know if you've been hit by the breakdown cover ruse.

Thrifty 50,000

Last week, I wrote that many young families tell me a 50,000 joint household income doesn't make them feel rich.

It's the equivalent of both parents earning less than the average wage while feeding four or five mouths, and families say it leaves little room for luxuries.

The thought touched a nerve with some readers who remember the harshness of wartime rationing. Rodney Norman emailed me to say if families can't manage on 50,000, 'they need to look hard at their lifestyle and make some changes'.

What do you think? Is 50,000 enough for a family of four to feel wealthy?

Wake up, Ageas

Andy Watson, the boss of insurer Ageas, needs to take a long, hard look at himself. His dismissal of the Weldin family, whom Ageas has denied a 460,000 payout to rebuild their fire-ravaged home, is an outrage.

Every insurance expert Money Mail has spoken to since the story ran two weeks ago says Ageas is acting unfairly in denying the family a single penny because they said their home had five bedrooms, while Ageas said the large loft space meant they had seven.

Steve Groves, former chief executive of insurer Partnership, says the family should at least get five-sevenths of the 460,000 payout, or around 328,500.

He describes it as a 'very unfair decision' and, based on the Money Mail feature, says he 'wouldn't allow a company I ran to treat customers like this'.

d.hyde@dailymail.co.uk
I tried to withdraw 400 using my First Direct debit card at a Barclays cash machine on Brighton Marina.

Initially, I withdrew only 20, as I mistook the message on the machine.

I tried to withdraw the remaining 380. The machine returned my card and gave a receipt, but the lid closed rapidly, snatching my money back.

I informed First Direct, but my account has only been credited 100, leaving me 280 out of pocket.

First Direct says it contacted Barclays Bank, which admits its machine was faulty, but says that it only had an extra 100 in it at the end of the day.

Mrs S. B., Brighton.

A rogue Barclays cash machine in Brighton snatched back 380 when one reader attempted to make a withdrawal

I know that Brighton boasts excellent fish and chips and a fair number of slot machines. But I wasn't aware Barclays had introduced an element of risk into its cash machines there.

When I read your letter, the explanation seemed pretty clear to me.

Barclays admits that the machine went wrong and took back your cash, and you have a receipt for the withdrawal.

Yet the machine was only 100 out at the end of the day. My best guess is that the next person who used the machine hit the jackpot and received 280 more than they'd expected.

First Direct confirmed the explanation from Barclays that the machine had recaptured the money, though at the end of the day, it did only have an extra 100.

However, First Direct says it would not want a loyal customer such as you to be out of pocket, so it has repaid the 280 as a gesture of goodwill.

I also went to Barclays, which, again as a goodwill gesture, also agreed to refund the 280.

When I told First Direct that Barclays had also agreed to refund your money, it magnanimously agreed to let you keep the money it had already placed in your account.

So, at the end of the day, you're 280 to the good. I suspect a little shopping trip along The Lanes beckons. Enjoy spending it.

You Have Your Say Every week, Money Mail receives hundreds of your letters and emails about our stories. Here are some from our report last week on families being fined up to 2,000 for mistakenly claiming child benefit... The rules on this benefit do not make sense. A family in which both parents earn 49,000 is given the full amount of child benefit. But a family with only one working parent, earning 60,000, doesnt receive a penny. How is that fair? R. G., Northampton. The tax system in this country is unfair and it is difficult to reason with HM Revenue & Customs. But the families who complain about money being clawed back should consider what it is like living on the minimum or living wage. P. D., Oxfordshire. I was under the impression that child benefit was brought in after the war to encourage families to have children. What is the point of it now? HMRC should incorporate it into tax credits or universal credit where income is checked. N. I., Preston, Lancs. Child benefit should only be used to help the needy. Someone earning 49,000 shouldnt receive this. D. M., London. It would be nice if HMRC pursued tax-dodging multi-nationals with as much vigour as it does ordinary citizens. J. K., Cambridgeshire.

My Virgin Media phone line stopped working when I was admitted to hospital in December.

Virgin sent out two engineers in the New Year, who both advised me that the problem was with my phone, not the line coming into my property.

I purchased a new phone, but still nothing worked. When another engineer came out, he said there was a problem with the Virgin Media box on the street and that this needed to be fixed.

I think that Virgin should compensate me for the loss of service over several months.

Mrs H. S., Hampshire.

Virgin Media says your phone line was only out of action for 11 days. You called on January 4 to report the issue and, by January 15, the line had been fixed and no further issues have been reported since then.

Virgin says it has offered 200 for the cost of the two new phones you purchased and the cost of topping up your mobile during the period you had problems with your service. This also includes a gesture of goodwill.

It tells me that you've declined and want more compensation because you think the line was out of action for three months.

Virgin is adamant that the fault was first reported to it in January and fixed within a couple of weeks. Given you were in hospital in December  and so weren't there to notice any lack of service  I'm inclined to believe them.

It also says your service has been back up and running since. You haven't provided me any evidence to the contrary.

A Virgin spokesman says: 'We're sorry for the temporary loss of service Mrs S experienced. An engineer visited her property twice, but unfortunately, the fault took 11 days to fix.'

I'm afraid there is little more I can do at this stage.

The 200 offer covering your expenses and some goodwill seems fair to me in the circumstances and I suggest you get back in touch and take it.

If you're still unhappy, you can take your case to the independent ombudsmen  the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (020 7520 3814, cisas@cedr.com) or the International Dispute Resolution Centre (70 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1EU).
Savers who donate more than a tenth of their estate to charity in their wills could leave more for their loved ones than those who give less generously.

The little known legacy rule means that savers who hand over more than 10 per cent of their wealth to charity can see their inheritance rate drop from 40 to 36 per cent.

It means that an individual with a 600,000 estate could leave 8,250 more for their family after allowances than someone who bequeathed a lesser amount.

Give and receive: little known legacy rule means that savers who hand over more than 10 per cent of their wealth to charity can see their inheritance rate drop from 40 to 36 per cent

This nifty trick has long been used by the wealthy.

However, soaring house prices mean that rising numbers of middle earners now face paying death taxes and could make use of it.

Many of these savers may plan to leave money in their will to charity anyway but may not realise that they can bequeath thousands of pounds more to their loved ones by taking advantage of the rules.

Usually inheritance tax is levied at a rate of 40 per cent of estates worth more than 325,000.

However, the Government awards a perk to anyone who hands over more than 10 per cent of their estate to charity.

No inheritance tax is due on the donation. And the extra bonus is that the rest of your estate will be subject to the tax at a reduced rate of 36 per cent.

That means a charity gift of between 4 per cent and 9 per cent of an estate can leave family members out of pocket, compared to one of 10 per cent.

Calculations for Money Mail show that a family of someone with a 600,000 estate who made a 9 per cent donation to charity in their will would have 475,150 left to share between them.

By contrast if the person made a gift to good causes worth 10 per cent of their estate there would be 483,400 left for the family  8,250 more  once the taxman and charity had each taken their share.

This is because the bigger 10 per cent donation would mean inheritance tax would be levied at 36 per cent on the taxable part of the estate after allowances.

By contrast the family who made a 9 per cent donation would pay the tax at the full 40 per cent.

The tax break is also a much-needed boost for charities.

This is because it allows someone to leave more for good causes without any fear that their loved ones will miss out.

A family of someone who left 10 per cent of their estate to charity would be no worse off than if their relative had donated 4 per cent  however the good cause may receive tens of thousands of pounds more.

In a recent case, a family saved 26,000 by leaving 8,750, or an additional 1 per cent of a 1.2 million estate, to the RSPCA.

Many savers may plan to leave money in their will to charity anyway but may not realise that they can bequeath thousands of pounds more to their loved ones by taking advantage of the rules

Chas Roy Chowdhury, head of taxation at tradebody, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, says: 'It makes perfect sense to leave 10 per cent to charity if you are planning to bequeath money to good causes anyway, as the cost to your loved ones will be the same as a 4 per cent donation.'

If you plan to leave money to charity, it's vital to include all the information your executor needs to understand what you want to happen.

You should include the correctly spelled name of the charity, as well as its registered charity number and address.

You should also take legal advice on including a clause in your will that will explain what will happen to your legacy if the charity merges or ceases to exist.

Britons leave 2.24 billion to charity through wills a year  making up a quarter of the cash given to good causes, according to figures collated by law firm Hodge Jones & Allen.

Last year one in ten people left money to good causes in their will, up from one in 16 in 2016.

Cancer Research UK is the top beneficiary from legacies, receiving around 170 million a year.

Lifeboat charity RNLI comes hot on the heels of the number one, with 112.9 million  two-thirds of its fundraised income from legacies.

And animal charity the RSPCA is in third place. It receives 63.7 million, more than half of its total fundraised income.

But charities have received criticism over using aggressive tactics to encourage potential donors to bequeath cash.

In 2017 the Charity Commission watchdog warned that it expected charities to ensure all fundraising is done in a 'respectful and ethical way'.

r.lythe@dailymail.co.uk
Glencore's boss has severed ties with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska as US sanctions on allies of Vladimir Putin begin to take effect.

Ivan Glasenberg, the billionaire boss of the FTSE 100 mining group, quit the board of Deripaskas aluminium firm Rusal as business leaders with links to the Russian ran for the hills.

The 61-year-old also abandoned plans for Glencore to swap its stake in Rusal for a stake in EN+, another of Deripaskas firms.

The move followed the resignation of two directors from London-listed group EN+.

Glencore boss Ivan Glasenberg, left, has severed ties with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, centre, whose energy firm is chaired by former UK energy minister Lord Barker, right

But despite growing condemnation of the oligarchs ties to the Kremlin  and even allegations he ordered a murder  former energy minister Lord Barker remains as chairman of EN+.

The 52-year-old Tory peer, who served under David Cameron, is one of only two non-Russian directors on the board of EN+ after independent director Dominique Fraisse and non-executive director Guang Ming Zhao both stepped down.

Shares in Russian companies have tumbled along with the rouble since Donald Trump last week slapped sanctions on a host of oligarchs and their firms, including Deripaska, 50.

Timothy Ash, an analyst at Bluebay Asset Management, said: This is a game changer for the market. The message to US and Western institutional investors is clear: you hold or trade Russian securities at your own risk.

You have been warned. The US is taking aim at President Putin and his allies following Russias annexation of Crimea, support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and alleged attempts to subvert Western democracies. It comes in the wake of the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

Deripaska, who notoriously entertained Labour grandee Lord Mandelson and ex-chancellor George Osborne on his 80million yacht in Corfu in 2008, has been accused by the US of acting or purporting to act directly or indirectly on behalf of the Russian government.

The US noted he has been probed for money-laundering and accused of bribing a government official, ordering the murder of a businessman and having links to organised crime.

Deripaska says the decision to sanction him is groundless, ridiculous and absurd.

Barker was hired to chair EN+ last October in a bid to reassure the City ahead of its listing in London. He has not responded to requests for comment since the sanctions were imposed.

But sources told the Financial Times he was carrying out his duty as independent non-executive chairman representing minority shareholders during the crisis.

They stressed his decision could change. EN+ has admitted that sanctions may be materially adverse to the business and prospects of the group.

It added on Monday: Investors are advised to exercise extreme caution when dealing in the securities of the company.
Britain hosts three times as many high-earning financiers as the rest of the European Union combined, figures have revealed.

The City has 3,529 bankers, asset managers and other financial services executives who pocket more than 1million euros a year, or 870,000  accounting for 77 per cent of the total in the bloc.

It puts Britain far ahead of closest financial services rival Germany, which has just 253 high earners in the industry.

The figures, from the European Banking Authority (EBA), also show that the continents top earner was an unnamed UK asset manager who pocketed 28.9million.

A London-based finance executive was in second place with 22million.

The figures are likely to trigger a fresh debate on corporate excess  but they also undermine claims that Britain could be replaced by Paris or Frankfurt as Europes financial hub.

Experts said they highlight Londons global importance and suggest that Continental rivals are being left far behind.

Pro-Brexit economist Gerard Lyons added that the Citys ability to attract top talent relies on a competitive tax system.

He argued a Brussels-backed cap on banking bonuses, coupled with the eurozones more hostile attitude to free markets, is likely to prevent a mass exodus from the UK.

Lyons said: These figures are consistent with other indicators that confirm London leads the way in terms of highly skilled, high-paying jobs across Western Europe.

This reinforces the need for the UK, and London in particular, to remain competitive. The EBA figures cover 2016, the year of Brexit, and shows there were 604 fewer staff earning 1million or more in the UK than there had been in 2015.

This is not because workers moved abroad but because the figure is measured in euros, and the pounds fall after the Brexit vote meant that many workers dropped out of the income range measured because their salaries in sterling were worth less when converted.

The average pay-out for UK workers in the category was 1.8million, ahead of Germany and France where they typically took home 1.4million.

It is the latest sign of Londons dominance as foreign rivals hopes of stealing the Citys crown fade. During the Brexit campaign, Remainers warned that as many as 75,000 jobs could shift overseas if we quit the EU.

But major players including Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs are planning to move to new City headquarters.

The EBA statistics also revealed a total of 145 high earners across the EU were handed severance deals worth an average 1.2million.

 Former Deutsche Bank boss John Cryan is in line for a 7.7million pay-off  including a 1.7million pension pot and two years salary worth 6million  after being forced out of the bank.
Analysts have cast doubt on designer Riccardo Tisci's ability to revive Burberry's fortunes.

In a stinging note, investment bank Jefferies questioned whether 'overhyped' Tisci was the right choice for Britain's biggest luxury brand, which is trying to boost flagging sales.

Tisci, known for his racy and gothic style, was drafted in from French haute couture house Givenchy as a replacement for long-serving former creative director Christopher Bailey in March.

When he was unveiled, analysts heaped praise on Burberry for bagging the services of the 43-year-old Italian, who has designed outfits for Rihanna, Madonna and Kim Kardashian, and is credited with turning around Givenchy.

Investment bank Jefferies questioned whether designer Riccardo Tisci was the right choice for Britain's biggest luxury brand Burberry, which is trying to boost flagging sales

But Flavio Cereda-Parini, an analyst at Jefferies, did not 'share in the love-in over Tisci' and questioned whether he would be able to carry his success over to a much bigger firm such as Burberry.

'We think the choice of Tisci by Burberry chief executive Marco Gobbetti is a bold and cautious one at the same time: bold in terms of a further shift towards cutting-edge product and streetwear influences  although this is hardly disruptive any more  cautious in that he hired a fellow Italian whom he knows and has worked with before albeit in rather different surroundings,' he said.

'Whilst we certainly expect a spike in brand buzz once the first collection is unveiled with the inevitable platoon of celebrities, this needs to translate into sales and that is far less obvious.'

Cereda-Parini also said there is little evidence Burberry was succeeding in making its products more upmarket and hit out at its declining digital presence.

Stock Watch - D4T4 Solutions A stonking trading update and a flurry of contracts lit the fuse on D4T4 Solutions' share price. After a 'very strong trading performance' in the second half of the year, the AIM-listed data firm reports a record level of bookings in the 12 months ending March 31. Over the past few months it has taken on a Taiwanese bank, a global US financial services firm, a major online retailer and a Japanese car manufacturer as clients. Shares shot up 25.2 per cent, or 27p, to 134p.

Despite the criticism Jefferies boosted the fashion brand's target price from 1650p to 1700p. Burberry's shares ticked up 1.4 per cent, or 23p, to 1715p.

The FTSE 100 rose after China calmed fears of a trade war with the US by pledging to open up its economy and lower import tariffs. The blue-chip index ended the day up 1 per cent, or 72 points, at 7266.75.

China's announcement gave a boost to miners, which had suffered heavy losses on Monday. Anglo American was one of the biggest risers, its shares rising 5.1 per cent, or 81.6p, to 1692p.

It was followed by Antofagasta (up 4.5 per cent, or 41.2p, to 952.8p), BHP Billiton (up 3.5 per cent, or 49p, to 1434.2p) and Rio Tinto (up 3.1 per cent, or 111.5p, to 3712p).

On the FTSE 250, Card Factory's shares shot up despite profits falling 12.3 per cent to 72.6million in the year to January 31 as rising wages and a weakening pound hit its bottom line.

But while profits fell, like-for-like sales were up 2.9 per cent and revenue rose 6pc to 422.1million.

Prior to its results, analysts speculated that the firm might reduce or scrap its dividend.

But Card Factory increased its final dividend by 1.6 per cent to 6.4p a share and said it expects to pay a special dividend of 5p to 10p in its half-year results. Its shares jumped 12.6 per cent, or 24p, to 214p.

Analysts at Peel Hunt upgraded FTSE 250-listed infrastructure firm John Laing to 'outperform' from 'neutral' due to its resilience in tough trading conditions. Its shares edged up 0.1 per cent, or 0.4p, to 277p.

Flowgroup sold its gas and electricity provider, Flow Energy, to Co-operative Energy for 9.25million ahead of the Government's looming energy price cap.

However, the AIM-listed business risked the ire of shareholders by revealing they would not receive a penny from the deal. As a result, its shares plummeted 61.3 per cent, or 0.05p, to 0.03p.

Clean fuel company ITM Power has inked a deal to supply the Metropolitan Police with hydrogen for its new fleet of zero-emission vehicles. Shares jumped 4.2 per cent, or 1.45p, to 32.15p.
AUDIT EXIT Two executives have quit the board of tainted Financial Reporting Council watchdog.

Corporate governance head Paul George and audit regulation director Melanie McLaren have stood down as directors. They previously worked at KPMG and PwC respectively.

They resigned after critics claimed the FRC, which oversees auditors, was stuffed with former accountants who put its independence at risk.

EURO GLOOM The eurozone's fragile recovery may have already petered out, figures suggest.

Italian industrial output unexpectedly dropped 0.5 per cent in February, surprising analysts who had been expecting growth of 0.8 per cent. In France, production grew by 1.2 per cent instead of the 1.4 per cent predicted.

It follows data revealing a sharp fall in German exports last month.

AIR BID Budget airline EasyJet has re-submitted an interest in bidding for all or part of bankrupt rival Alitalia's assets after the process was postponed due to Italy's general election in March.

SALES ACCELERATE Logistics firm Eddie Stobart made sales of 623.9million last year, up from 549million the year before, with profits up 17 per cent to 48.5million.

It is paying a final dividend of 4.4p per share, making a total dividend of 5.8p per share for the full year.

GOLD HOPE Tanzanian miner Acacia Mining produced 120,981 ounces of gold during the first quarter of 2018, and expects to produce up to 475,000 ounces in the year.

OIL SET UK oil and gas firm Hurricane Energy will start producing oil in the first half of 2019 from its Lancaster field west of Shetland.

METAL POWER South Africa focused miner Tharisa produced 77,000 ounces of platinum group metals during the six months ending March 31, an 11.4 per cent increase on the year before.

BANK FINE Toxic bank Wells Fargo faces a fine of more than 100million in the US for high-pressure selling of mortgages and car insurance.

RULES FEAR Britain's 8 trillion fund management industry will suffer financially from rules laid out by the City watchdog, credit agency Moody's has warned.

INTERIOR FUNDS Investor Guy Hands has contributed to a 5.7million fundraising drive by interior design start-up Eporta.
Tesco's share price hit a three-year high last night as the turnaround under chief executive Dave Lewis gathered pace.

In a sign Britain's biggest supermarket chain has finally put the woes of recent years behind it, including an accounting scandal and a 6.4billion loss in 2015, it posted a 28 per cent rise in profits to 1.6billion.

Sales hit 51billion  or 980million a week  as Tesco attracted 260,000 new customers. It also reinstated its dividend after three years, promising 3p a share.

Tesco posted a 28% rise in profits to 1.6bn sending shares up more than 7% as the turnaround under chief executive Dave Lewis gathered pace

The results, the first since it completed the 3.7billion takeover of Booker five weeks ago, sent shares up more than 7.2 per cent, or 15.1p, to 225.4p, the highest level since May 2015.

'Lewis deserves significant credit for getting things back on track after a very troubled period,' said analyst Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

But the stellar results triggered fresh speculation that Lewis is being lined up for the top job at Marmite owner Unilever, as Paul Polman prepares to step down by the end of the year.

Lewis, 53, who spent 27 years at Unilever where he helped launch Dove in the UK, was widely viewed as being Polman's protege before he jumped ship to Tesco in 2014.

Lewis brushed off speculation that he was angling for the top job at Unilever.

'We're very clear there's more to do,' said Lewis. 'It's definitely not job done. With three years under our belt Tesco is growing again, recovering profitability and generating significant cash.

The merger with Booker allows us to build on this trajectory.'

Since joining in 2014, Lewis has battled to make Tesco popular with shoppers again after an accounting scandal saw the supermarket overstate its profits by 300million, wiping 2billion off its market value.

Nicknamed Drastic Dave for his ruthless cuts, Lewis has slashed management roles by 5,900 since 2014 but has added 18,443 staff to the shop floor.

He has also improved supplier relationships, rebranded Tesco's own-label products, cut back on stocking unprofitable consumer electronics and increased pay for delivery drivers. It appears to have paid off, with customers returning to Tesco last year.

Bryan Roberts, global insights director at TCC Global, said: 'Tesco has further underlined its recovery, demonstrating a creditable performance considering the dire situation in which David Lewis inherited the business.'

Laith Khalaf, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, added: 'Tesco is enjoying a renaissance and its turnaround plan is literally paying dividends to shareholders.'

Following the merger with Booker, Tesco revealed it would keep Booker boss Charles Wilson on to head the new group's UK and Ireland operations, sparking rumours that Lewis was paving the way for Wilson to take over.

Tesco is expecting to make 2.5billion in extra sales as a result of the merger, while saving 200million.

Lewis did not give a timescale for the sales but said they would come 'in the near-term'.

Tesco has already made use of the Booker link by opening 'Chef Central' outlets within supermarkets, to sell catering-sized produce like rice, oil and sugar to professional chefs. The stores are also open to the public.

Lewis said he was very happy with the sales so far and was looking at extending the service.

He said Tesco is also looking at using its home delivery vans to deliver bulk supplies to restaurants. This could include selling and delivering products like chilled, pre-prepared mashed potato to cooks.
Treat-to-Target trial aims to change the practice of care through advanced use of objective targets derived from an FDA-cleared PKG wearable technology

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. and MELBOURNE, Australia, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Kinetics Corporation Ltd., today announced it has received funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research (MJFF), Shake It Up Australia Foundation, and Parkinsons Victoria for a project aiming to spark a paradigm shift in the treatment and management of Parkinsons disease (PD) utilising the companys FDA-cleared and CE-marked Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) wearable technology. The funding will support a global clinical trial, which will be the first randomised and controlled study to evaluate the widespread implementation of target ranges derived from a wearable device to dictate treatment decisions in PD.



The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Shake It Up Australia Foundation will collectively provide $250,000i to support the trial. Parkinsons Victoria will provide $100,000 and will also contribute substantial support as the major delivery partner for the Treat-to-Target study.

Currently, there are no universal objective metrics and target ranges for assessing or managing PD that can be used in the same way that cholesterol or blood sugar levels, peak flow measures or blood pressure readings, for example, are used to manage other common chronic conditions. PD is the second most prevalent movement disorder worldwide.

John Schellhorn, CEO Global Kinetics Corporation, said, To date, Global Kinetics has provided decision support information to clinicians across 17 countries with more than three million hours of clinical data from our PKG wearable device.

Our company operates within a dynamic ecosystem in which new wearable devices, apps and technologies for PD care are being developed every day. However, the defining feature of our technology is that it is already used every day to help people with Parkinsons. Target ranges are the next evolution in the use of wearables to extend the benefits of measurement to people with Parkinsons who have the greatest need for support, Mr Schellhorn said.

Mark Frasier, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research Programs at MJFF, said, The experience of Parkinsons varies day to day, hour to hour. An objective tool, such as the wearable PKG technology, that passively collects data on the lived experience of Parkinsons disease outside the clinic could give patients and their doctors greater insight to calibrate treatment plans and improve outcomes and to give scientists a metric with which to measure therapeutic impact and test potential therapies faster.

Clyde Campbell, Founder and CEO of Shake It Up Australia Foundation, said, Shake It Up Australia is excited to support the PKG technology in this trial which brings an opportunity to use objective measurement and targets to help Australians with Parkinsons by gaining a real-life picture of current symptoms and responses to medications. PKG allows the Parkinsons patient, their Neurologist & researchers access to vital information that can make a big difference to how we deal with Parkinsons moving forward.

Emma Collin, CEO Parkinsons Victoria, said, Parkinsons Victoria is proud to fund this landmark research project providing those living in both metro and regional communities within Australia the opportunity to participate in an important clinical trial impacting the effectiveness of both current and future treatments of Parkinsons. Over the coming months we will be reaching out to some 27,000 Victorians living with Parkinsons to recruit participants in Victoria, a key implementation site for this phase of the study.

The Treat-to-Target study has already commenced in a number of Australian clinical sites and will be running for 18 months. United States and European sites will be enrolled in coming months. Interim data are expected by December 2018, and guidelines on the use of objective measurement and targets underpinned by the PKG wearable technology based on the studys findings will be released in early 2019 for mainstream clinical use.

About the Treat-to-Target Clinical Study

For most common chronic diseases, accurate and unbiased measurement of symptoms, such as blood glucose in diabetes or blood pressure in heart disease, is critical for calibrating treatment and management decisions. Alongside measurement, normal or target ranges help to guide decisions for doctors. For example, if blood sugar is high or low relative to a target range for diabetics, different drugs or actions are recommended. Objective targets are also important for accurately assessing potential new treatments as they provide a measureable goal for clinical trials.

For Parkinsons disease, the idea of using objective and continuous measurements and targets to improve routine care is relatively new. This landmark Treat-to-Target study will use the Personal KinetiGraph ( PKG) and objective target ranges in a formal controlled trial to establish whether it leads to improved outcomes for people with PD. The study will recruit 225 people with PD from numerous sites across Australia, Europe and the United States and evaluate the benefits and efficacy of using objective and continuous targets over a period of 18 months.

The benefits of objective treatment targets for clinical care in PD were highlighted in a recent publication in npj Parkinsons Disease, which serves as the foundation for the clinical design of the landmark Treat-to-Target study (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41531-018-0046-4).

About Global Kinetics Corporation Ltd.

Global Kinetics Corporation Ltd. is committed to improving the lives of those with Parkinsons disease with advanced medical technologies. The company was formed in 2007 to commercialise its lead product, the Personal KinetiGraph (PKG), also known as the Parkinsons KinetiGraph outside the USA. Developed in conjunction with the world-renowned Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia, the Personal KinetiGraph enables the precise monitoring, quantification and reporting of movement symptoms in Parkinsons. Global Kinetics Corporation, a privately held company, is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with offices in London UK, Minneapolis and Portsmouth, NH USA.

For more information, visit: www.globalkineticscorporation.com

Follow our LinkedIn updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/globalkineticscorp

Follow our Twitter updates: https://www.twitter.com/kinetics_corp

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research

As the worlds largest nonprofit funder of Parkinsons research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinsons disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinsons patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $800 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinsons research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinsons disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinsons awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit www.michaeljfox.org.

The Michael J Fox Foundation is providing support for this project in conjunction with Shake It Up Australia Foundation.

Shake It Up Australia Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in 2011 to promote and fund Parkinsons disease research in Australia. Shake It Ups mission is clear; to improve treatments, stop the progression of and ultimately find a cure for Parkinsons disease. The foundation was established by Clyde Campbell, a father of three and business owner who was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2009 at the age of 44. 100% of all donations to Shake It Up are invested in Australian based research, in partnership with the Michael J Fox Foundation. To date, Shake It Up has co-funded over $6 million to Parkinsons projects. For more information, visit shakeitup.org.au/

About Parkinsons Victoria

Parkinsons Victoria raises awareness and funds for services and research to improve the quality of life for people with Parkinsons across the state. Our Health Information Service provides expert information, peer support and education to people living with Parkinsons, their families and healthcare professionals. We support world class research projects with funding, promotion to support participation and the translation of research results for the Parkinsons community.

For more information about Parkinsons Victoria and for information relating to recruitment for the Treat to Target trial, visit http://www.parkinsonsvic.org.au/

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VICTORIA, British Columbia , April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada Foundation for Innovation



The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, will be at the University of Victoria to announce funding for research equipment at universities and research hospitals across Canada.

The Minister will be joined by the Canada Foundation for Innovations President and CEO, Roseann OReilly Runte.

Following the announcement, media will have access to Minister Duncan as she joins scientists and students who will showcase their ground-breaking projects and research.

Media are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early.

Date: April 11, 2018 Time: 9:30 A.M. (PDT) Lab tour: 10:25 A.M. (PDT) Location: University of Victoria, Bob Wright Centre  Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 3rd Floor foyer (announcement) 2nd Floor Laboratory (tour) Victoria, BC

For more information:
EZULWINI  Swaziland hopes to inject up to E10 billion into the economy through investments by retirement funds and insurance companies in the short term.



Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) Chief Executive Officer Sandile Dlamini explained that this would be made possible through the proposed amendment of investment schedules from 30 to 50 per cent in the Insurance Act and Retirement Funds Act of 2005, which currently awaits to be gazetted.



Dlamini said they were strongly supportive of governments stance to increase investment obligations for retirement funds, and insurance companies because most of them tend to invest monies invested by locals in foreign countries and off-shore, yet the money should in essence support development of the kingdom.



He said as at December 2017, total assets held by retirement funds and insurance companies were at a whopping E32 billion, with less than E5 billion invested locally.



This effectively means should the proposed amendment see light of day, local retirement funds and insurance companies could be compelled to invest at least E15 billion in Swaziland.



The bulk of money held by retirement funds and insurance companies is invested outside the country.

Through the proposed amendment, which is part of the developmental agenda, we seek to ensure that these funds and insurance providers look at Swaziland as an investment destination, Dlamini justified during the retirement funds breakfast seminar hosted by Fiduciary Trusteeship Services (FTS) at Royal Swazi Sun Hotel yesterday.



Retirement Funds Advisor Chris Gama said the move to increase investment schedules by retirement funds and insurance companies was a good opportunity to develop the Swazi economy.

He said the amendment would help further reduce the minimal vulnerability to external shocks in foreign markets, such as the JSE, where retirement funds assets were heavily invested in equity instruments.



If insurance firms and retirement funds invest up to 50 per cent of their assets in-country, it means the people who are making contributions will be investing in their own future, which is a good thing to do for an economy that seeks to grow and compete globally, said Gama.



He further said investing more into the kingdom presented an opportunity to diversify investment.

Manager Alternative Investments at the Government Institutions Pension Fund of Namibia Sara Enzo also shared similar sentiments.

She said the proposed amendment would greatly improve the Swazi economy through bolstering infrastructural, agricultural and educational development, among others.



She mentioned that just like Swaziland, Namibia also intend to ensure that the E110 billion assets held by insurance and retirement funds, help improve their economy for the better, as opposed to advancing foreign economies.

Enzo said over the years, they had managed to increase domestic investment by insurance companies and retirement funds from only 10 per cent in 1992 to 45 per cent as at January 2018.



If the trend globally is to utilise local monies to spur development, then we should do the same in our own economies, said Enzo.

The Central Bank of Swaziland (CBS) reported that retirement funds assets were heavily invested in equity instruments with 68 per cent through the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).



This was noted to be unlike in the local market, where the majority of funds are invested in the money markets and in debt maturing within 12 months (31 per cent).



The CBS financial stability report stated that overall, this showed that pension funds preferred investment instruments were equity (51 per cent), debt maturing after 12 months (19 per cent), and the money market and debt maturing within 12 months (13 per cent).

It should be mentioned that pension funds are categorised as systemically important (Non Bank Financial Institutions in (NBFIs) in Swaziland.



CBS said the retirement funds industry played a significant role in the countrys financial system, as measured by the ratio of their assets to Growth Domestic Product (GDP), which stood at 48.2 percent as at 31 December 2016 - the highest when compared to all the other sectors within the financial system.



It was explained that the retirement funds industry comprises 70 stand-alone funds, nine umbrella funds with 127 participating employers and five benefit administrators.

The industry is dominated by the Public Service Pensions Fund, which constitutes 76.9 percent of total assets, followed by the Swaziland National Provident Fund with 7.7 per cent (E2 billion), said CBS.




MBABANE  It was not the full and final line-up for the MTN BUSHFIRE 2018!



House on Fires Communications Manager Noncedo Dlamini said the line-up that was revealed last Friday, during the MTN BUSHFIRE 2018 launch, was not the final list of artists who were to perform in the country.



The artists who were revealed are the ones who are set to perform on the main stage.

Only two Swazis were among the enlisted artists who are to perform at the festivals main stage, and they are; Jazz and Traditional music sensation Tlale Makhene and award-winning Country music duo Dusty and Stones.



These are not the only Swazis who will be performing on the main stage. In the next couple of weeks, we will be revealing other Swazi and international artists who are to perform on the main stage during the festival.



The line-up, which we revealed during the launch, was not final, said Dlamini. Among the artists who were revealed included Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African male choral group who in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They were formed by Joseph Shabalala in 1960 and later became one of South Africas most prolific recording artists, with their releases receiving gold and platinum disc honours. The group has since become a mobile academy, teaching people about South Africa and its culture.



Last year, the won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album and they have many other international awards.

We are yet to add more artists of Lady Smith Black Mambazos calibre, said Dlamini.










MBABANE  The family of a Swazi man who died in Mozambique has finally been located following a post on social media about his demise.



For about two days, a picture of Ayanda Dlamini had been circulating on social media as his relatives in Mozambique tried to locate his local family.



Dlamini, who passed away a month ago, was working for Leaf Tobacco in Tete and the Swaziland High Commission in Maputo was approached for assistance in locating his family.



According to the post, Dlamini was based in Mozambique on a permanent basis.

Tete is two and a half hours away from Nyasa Station in Maputo when using an airplane.



Dlamini had been indisposed for sometime according to some of the people who kept in contact with him while he was in Tete.

According to a reliable source, there was a WhatsApp group which was started in Mozambique for Swazis residing in that country.

This group helps to connect those Swazi nationals with their families when the need arises and it also helps them to be able to check up on one another.



Interpol



The Swaziland High Commission has liaised with Interpol in the country to try and trace his relatives.

Some of the responses on the post came from people from Manzini who claimed to know Dlamini.



Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Khulani Mamba confirmed that they had received the report.

Mamba went on to state that they had contacted the high commission and they also confirmed that Dlamini had died and they were looking for his relatives in Swaziland.
MBABANE  Aspirant parliamentarians have seemingly mastered the art of campaigning, such that it is difficult for the EBC to take legal action against them.



EBC is an abbreviation for the Elections and Boundaries Commission.

The EBC Communications Officer, Mbonisi Bhembe, said it was not easy to say a person was campaigning.



He said evidence was needed to prove that he or she was indeed campaigning, and added that in the event people suspected anything, they should notify the commission or the police so the matter could be addressed.



He added that people did not just donate but there were often motives behind that. Bhembe opined that had things been the EBCs way, donations to the public would be made anonymously through chiefs.



He said this would be to ensure that people do not give gifts to people as a campaigning strategy but do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Bhembe said this during an interview yesterday.



There has been growing concern over the increasing number of people giving gifts to the less privileged and elderly out of the goodness of their hearts. What troubles most is that this coincidentally happens during the election year.

Bhembe said campaigning came in many forms and the public had to understand this.



He said there was also a need to find means of ending campaigning before time, as it was against the law. He said although it was difficult to pinpoint campaigning, it should be noted that people did not just give.



There is usually a motive behind, Bhembe said. Bhembe stated that people who would be found to be campaigning stood to be prosecuted and banned from participating in the upcoming elections.



He said such people would not be eligible to register or vote for two years, and added that they also stood to be fined about E10 000.

He said corruption bordering around elections were so deep that they happened even during elections.
MANZINI  Every action has a consequence. Likewise, an elderly woman of Murray Camp location in Fairview was brutally beaten in the wee hours on Monday after she was caught allegedly loitering at a community police members home.



Narrating how *Sarah ended up being assaulted, the woman of the home where this happened, Thobile Mkhabela, said it was around 1am on Monday when she suddenly lost her sleep.

She said she first heard the tapping of footsteps near her door.



Scared as she was, Mkhabela said she then heard some noise as if the person on the other side was rubbing something on the door.

Mkhabela said she was frightened so much that she woke up her husband who was fast asleep.



Upon hearing the rubbing sound, Mkhabela said her husband was also in a state of fear.

After a short while, Mkhabela said her husband, who also heads the areas community police forum , gained the courage to get out of bed and peeped through the window.



As he did this, Mkhabela said her husband saw a figure in front of the door and as a result he shouted, Wentani lapho?



Combed



Startled by that she had been caught, Mkhabela said the woman took to her heels and combed the neighbouring homesteads, and ran towards the direction of Sarahs home.



Since we didnt know what the person was doing on our doorstep, my husband jumped through the window to get out and chased after the woman. After a little while, he shouted and told me that he had caught her, said Mkhabela.

The bellows of her husband are said to have caught the attention of a female community police member whose home is near the path where Sarah was caught. She and other members of the community, who heard the noise, came out to ascertain what was going on. By then, Mkhabelas husband was said to have been dragging the woman back to his home.

There, Sarah was extensively interrogated by Mkhabelas husband and other members of the community on what she had gone to do at the homestead.

However, Sarah allegedly remained quiet until a mob decided to whip her. Even then, she was said to have remained silent on what she had gone to do at the Mkhabela homestead at such an ungodly hour.



When whipped, the woman hardly reacted but when she was beaten harder, she only pleaded that the men stop so that she could explain herself. But she ended up saying that she did not want to admit an offence that she did not commit, Mkhabela stated.



Disagreements



When asked whether Sarah was related to the family or whether there had been disagreements between the two parties, Mkhabela said she did not recall any and that Sarah lived on the suburban side of the area, hence the shock of the incident.

We are still asking ourselves what Sarah wanted from us because we are of very different backgrounds. Maybe the police will deduce something in their investigations into the matter, Mkhabela added.



When sought for comment, Sarah denied having gone to Mkhabelas home at night.

She claimed that she was only attacked while on her way home from accompanying an acquaintance. She said if the community police member claimed to have seen her at his home, he should have caught her then and asked what she was doing there.
BOSTON, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Votacall announced today that TMC, a global, integrated media company, has named Votacalls hosted VoIP Phone System as a winner of the 2018 CUSTOMER Product of the Year Award.



With a robust feature set and a development mantra centered on the customer experience, Votacalls Hosted VoIP business phone system is changing the way in which businesses communicate.

Votacall is honored to be named a winner of the Customer Magazine Product of the Year award because it relates directly to our daily mission of developing and deploying game changing, customer-centric Cloud VoIP solutions, said Andy DeAngelis, Chief Operating Officer, Votacall. Team Votacall strives to deliver an unrivaled customer experience, it is our differentiator in the crowded hosted VoIP and UCaaS markets. We believe that we are setting a new customer experience standard day in and day out, one that cannot be replicated. This recognition is proof that our recipe for success is working and it will continue to drive innovation in Votacalls ability to deliver a new standard of VoIP Customer Experience.

The 2018 CUSTOMER Product of the Year Award recognizes vendors that are advancing the Customer Communications Experience one solution at a time. The award highlights products which enable their clients to meet and exceed the expectations of their customers.

On behalf of both TMC and CUSTOMER magazine, it is my pleasure to honor Votacall with a 2018 Product of the Year Award, said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. The Votacall hosted VoIP business phone system has proven deserving of this elite status and I look forward to continued innovation from Votacall in 2018 and beyond.

The 20th Annual Products of the Year Award winners will be published in the 2018 1st quarter issue of CUSTOMER magazine.

About Votacall

Votacall is a leading provider of cloud-based voice solutions and business communication systems, with expertise in VoIP, unified communications and call center design and deployment. The company is committed to delivering best-in-class solutions to its customers  helping them stay ahead of the technological curve at the lowest total cost of ownership. For more information, visit www.votacall.com.

TMCs CUSTOMER Magazine

TMCs CUSTOMER magazine premiered in September 2012 and is the industrys new, definitive source for news, product information, and strategies for communications that engage customers and potential customers. Each issue of CUSTOMER includes news and insights on the latest developments in agent training, analytics, ERP, IVR, social CRM solutions, mobile apps, workforce management and more. Please visit http://customer.tmcnet.com for more information.

Votacall Contact

Andy DeAngelis

Chief Operating Officer

TMC Contact

Stephanie Thompson

Manager

203-852-6800, ext. 139

sthompson@tmcnet.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pistol Bay Mining Inc. (TSX-V:PST) (Frankfurt:OQS2) (OTC/Pink Sheet symbol:SLTFF) (Pistol Bay or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on its 3,500-metre diamond drilling program on its 51,000-acre Confederation Lake property in northwestern Ontario.



Drilling of the first two holes on the Arrow Zone has been completed. Core samples from the first hole have been sent to the lab for assaying. The core from the second hole is currently being logged. Sampling of the second hole will be carried out after the hole has been logged.

The drill is being moved to the site of the third hole and drilling will commence on this hole as soon as the drill is set up.

Following is a selection of drill intersections from previous diamond drill holes on the Arrow Zone by Noranda Exploration in 1997-1998 and Tribute Minerals Inc. in 2004-2007.

DDH-ID From

(m) To

(m) Core

Length True

width Cu% Zn% Ag g/t Au g/t GL1997-02C 451.80 456.10 4.30 3.51 3.07 27.16 50.4 2.105 GL1997-04 469.00 474.80 5.80 4.25 1.61 9.36 37.0 0.818 GL2004-08 325.00 335.20 10.20 7.13 0.95 8.50 25.3 1.018 GL2006-18 513.50 518.90 5.40 3.84 0.66 18.71 25.6 0.446 GL2006-27 304.90 309.05 4.15 3.20 0.59 10.59 19.6 0.730 GL2006-39 338.83 343.10 4.27 3.00 1.21 18.54 8.2 0.413 GL2007-50 526.50 537.60 11.10 7.99 0.92 2.45 15.1 0.496 GL2007-53 560.35 567.40 7.05 5.39 1.20 4.28 25.4 0.834

Following drilling on the Arrow Zone, the drill will move to the Fredart Zone, which was drilled in the 1960s and contained copper mineralization of VMS type with associated silver values. Only the first four holes were assayed for gold.

The technical information in this news release was prepared and/or reviewed by Colin Bowdidge, Ph.D., P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Pistol Bay Mining Inc.

Pistol Bay Mining Inc. is a diversified Junior Canadian Mineral Exploration Company with a focus on zinc and base metal properties in North America. The company has also created a subsidiary for resource driven blockchain applications. For additional information please visit the Company website at www.pistolbaymininginc.com or contact Charles Desjardins at pistolbaymining@gmail.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

PISTOL BAY MINING INC.

" Charles Desjardins "

Charles Desjardins,

President and Director

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary note:

This report contains forward looking statements. Resource estimates, unless specifically noted, are considered speculative. Any and all other resource or reserve estimates are historical in nature and should not be relied upon. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on factors that will or may occur in the future. Actual results may vary depending upon exploration activities, industry production, commodity demand and pricing, currency exchange rates, and, but not limited to, general economic factors. Cautionary Note to US investors: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission specifically prohibits the use of certain terms, such as "reserves" unless such figures are based upon actual production or formation tests and can be shown to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions.




[April 11, 2018] Confirmit Launches Employee Pulse Solution

NEW YORK and OSLO, Norway and LONDON, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Confirmit has announced the launch of a new solution that will enable businesses to run highly flexible, employee listening programs that transform their employee voices into business change. Confirmit Employee Pulse provides a ground-breaking approach to delivering an empowered employee feedback approach, creating a solution that supports any type of employee feedback, from company-wide surveys, to ad-hoc programs that identify and address specific local issues. In a study by Deloitte of over 10,000 HR and business leaders across 140 countries, 90 percent of respondents indicated that traditional employee engagement strategies are no longer sufficient.1 Confirmit Employee Pulse enables businesses to build a clear picture of employees' experiences and the impact on the organization, and create surveys to enable managers to get feedback on-demand. Terry Lawlor, EVP Product Management at Confirmit said: "Today's workforce now expects dynamic, agile interactions. Confirmit Employee Pulse has been able to empower people across the business to easily seek feedback in ways that are meaningful to their work area, but within a clearly-defined governance framework that ensures high-quality data and insights." Confirmit Employee Pulse features four key elements to empower local and global teams to gather insights that will improve the health of their organization: Hierarchy Management and HRIS Integration: Teams can collaborate to accurately map the structure of their company, within the context of an integrated HRIS.

Teams can collaborate to accurately map the structure of their company, within the context of an integrated HRIS. Mobile-friendly: Businesses can reach every employee on a mobile device with a flawless mobile experience, while business users can access mobile reporting at any time.

Businesses can reach every employee on a mobile device with a flawless mobile experience, while business users can access mobile reporting at any time. Insights from Unstructured Feedback: Confirmit Genius Text Analytics uses deep-learning techniques to draw smarter insights from all the employee comments within surveys.

Confirmit Genius Text Analytics uses deep-learning techniques to draw smarter insights from all the employee comments within surveys. Reporting and Analytics: Data can be combined from multiple sources to deliver live, customized dashboards to managers around the world.



Terry Lawlor and E.J. Sieracki, Senior Director, Voice of the Employee will present the new solution in a webinar, "Rethinking Employee Engagement: Why Taking Your Pulse Matters" on Thursday, April 12, at 11 a.m. EDT.

About Confirmit

Confirmit is the world's leading SaaS vendor for multi-channel Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, and Market Research solutions. The company has offices in Oslo (headquarters), Grimstad, London, Moscow, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Vancouver, and Yaroslavl. Confirmit's software is also distributed through partner resellers in Madrid, Milan, Salvador, and Tokyo.



Confirmit powers Global 5000 companies and Market Research agencies worldwide with a wide range of software products for feedback / data collection, panel management, data processing, analysis, and reporting. Customers include Aurora, British Airways, British Standards Institution, Cross-Tab, Dow Chemical, GfK, GlaxoSmithKline, GMO Research, Nielsen, Research Now, RS Components, QRS, SSI, Sony Mobile Communications, and Swisscom. Visit www.confirmit.com for more information. 1 Source: As provided in Engagement: Pop the Question, Bersin by Deloitte, Deloitte Consulting LLP / Robin Erickson, IMPACT 2016: 2016 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends Data, Deloitte Consulting LLP Media Contact: Sarah Beth Fahey, 401-351-9507, sfahey@matternow.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/confirmit-launches-employee-pulse-solution-300627573.html SOURCE Confirmit

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[April 10, 2018] Fortemedia Holds Voice Interface Portal Seminar, Bringing New Technology to Voice Market

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortemedia Inc., the global leader in small array microphone and acoustic processing technology, at the end of January 2018 in Shenzhen, held a Voice Interface Portal Seminar to explore and share a variety of key voice processing technologies in increasingly broad voice interface markets. As well as announcing its opening of world-class acoustics laboratory in Shenzhen, Fortemedia can respond to customers and support partners instantly. Key speakers are invited to this great event including Patrick Cheng, CEO and Board Director of NavInfo Co., Ltd; Elwin Ho, CEO, Pachira Information Technology Co. Ltd; Elaine Huang, VP of Acoustics, Shenzhen Aoni Electronic Co., Ltd; Koji Kawakita, Principal Advisory Engineer of Lenovo Strategic Technology; Guenael Strutt, VP of Products, Elliptic Labs; Dr. KP Yang, Chairman, UnlimiterHear Incorporated. These speakers shared prestigious viewpoints in voice technology and market information along with unprecedented demonstrations in voice applications to audience. Voice Interface Portal

The era of voice is coming eying on all the debuts of intelligent voice-enabled devices and products. From Apple's Siri, Google's voice assistant Google Assistant, to Amazon's voice assistant Alexa, these smart speakers with personal assistants have been widely discussed in the market. The artificial intelligence (AI) is well deployed, allowing machine to human communication, facilitating personal instructions to smart devices, or ever performing conversation among devices. Before voice stream is identified and analyzed for voice recognition, the key lies on voice quality, which takes noise suppression process to enhance signal and lower noise influence. If the voice is not processed and handled properly, the recognition rate could be greatly degraded. As an illustration, in a quiet environment, the voice can be clearly recognized, while in a noisy spot, speech recognition rate will be dropped significantly. Fortemedia's technology and products provide advanced noise suppression, greatly reducing background noise affection and performing crystal-clear voice quality. It brings customers a whole new trend in voice market for hands-free voice interface application even under noisy environment. Fortemedia to Debut Advanced Acoustics Laboratory in Shenzhen, China

Fortemedia has built professional acoustics laboratories both in Nanjing and Taipei, providing best support for local customers. In light of deepening customer relationship and service, Fortemedia further launched its world-class acoustics laboratory in Shenzhen, China in Jan of 2018. Multiple laboratories can provide debugging testing services for different types of customers in different regions, and can cover a variety of different testing standards including international standards such as ITU and ETSI, or telecom carrier standards such as AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone and China Mobile, etc. Other voice quality standards defined by international leading enterprises are also included as follows: Apple CarPlay, Microsoft Cortana and Amazon AVS. With this new acoustics laboratory in Shenzhen, Fortemedia can provide real-time customer service for southern China regions. Shenzhen laboratory is equipped with a listening room and a real car acoustics lab. In addition to these three laboratories, Fortemedia and Nessie Industrial Corp jointly built a Semi-Anechoic room and a listening room. This laboratory provides another service alternative for its customers in voice performance tuning, debugging and testing. Virtual Lab

No matter how close the test results can be between an internal laboratory and certification laboratories, the labs can sometimes be full loaded and over occupied. In addition, actual test and certification consumes considerable time. With this, Fortemedia develops a Virtual Lab, utilizing simulation as a substitution for the actual test. It greatly reduces signal processing development and testing cycles as well as the load of laboratories. Virtual Lab is not only an independent simulation system tool, but also a valuable database for all the data collection during its accumulative testing batches. Customers can summarize the effective development experience through the analysis of large database, reduce the development cycle, and improve the development efficiency. Fortemedia, Inc.

Fortemedia, Inc., headquartered in the US Silicon Valley with global operations and offices in Asia, focuses on developing high quality solutions and semiconductor products to enhance human-to-human and human-to-machine voice communication quality and efficiencies. As a technology leader, Fortemedia's ASIC devices and solutions with advanced voice processing technologies, SAM (Small Array Microphone), SAMSoft, and ForteVoice, have all been widely deployed in numerous commercial systems, devices, and applications for better user experience in voice communication. Fortemedia is well-positioned to fulfill customer and market needs in mobile (smartphone and tablet), automotive (in-vehicle infotainment system), PC (VoIP communication), and wearables, with its wide range of product offering in software, DSP IC, and small array microphone. Learn more at www.fortemedia.com. For more information please refer to: www.Fortemedia.com.







Fortemedia, Inc. News media Contact

Jimmy Hsu +886 2-25462100 #296 jhsu@fortemedia.com





Illy Wang +886 2-25462100 #277 illywang@fortemedia.com

SOURCE Fortemedia International, Ltd.

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[April 10, 2018]

Giift Loyalty Marketplace Captures China SME Market With Its Mobile Payment Enabled Loyalty App "CoolFen"

NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

1k merchants and 1m users to join CoolFen App every month

Giift the Loyalty Marketplace specializing in the exchange of loyalty currencies (points, miles, gift cards, rewards) confirmed the success of its mobile payment enabled loyalty solution for merchants since its launch in China a year ago. Over 1,000 merchants and 1m users are joining the App every month.

Giift's CoolFen App combines mobile payment technologies such as WeChat and Alipay with the most efficient single loyalty point technology for SMEs. In less than 5 seconds, mobile payment triggers registration, poin issuing, point redemption and payment (for the user). It also activates merchant loyalty program with member and transaction details, data analytics, reports, as well as a set of very advanced marketing tools.







Of the company's recent milestone, Giift co-founder Pascal Xatart said, "Giift mobile payment enabled loyalty technology is critical to address the massive SME market. Our success in China highlights market convergence between mobile payment and loyalty, and will enable us to address non-China markets with the same technology".

About Giift.com: Giift Loyalty Marketplace enables your loyalty points, miles and gift cards to be exchanged with over 20,000 loyalty programs in more than 55 countries. Giift operates out of offices in New York, Singapore, Wuhan, Nairobi, London, and serves over 1,700 business clients. Giift's business model is transaction based.

NB: CoolFen represents Giift technology and brand in Mainland China.

Contacts:

Pascal Xatart

pascal.xatart@giift.com

+44-747-0605-095



SOURCE giift.com
[April 10, 2018] Global Programmatic Mobile Video Advertising Growing by 30% Quarterly: Latest Marketplace Report by Chocolate Platform

SAN FRANCISCO and GURUGRAM, India, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Latest data from Chocolate Marketplace Insights (CMI) report highlights rapid growth in in-app video ad spend (+57%) and full-screen video ad formats (+170%) Chocolate Platform, a global mobile video advertising company, today announced the launch of Chocolate Marketplace Insights (CMI) report. The report provides latest trends and in-depth analysis on ad spend, top advertiser and publisher categories, ad formats and key metrics like viewability that are shaping the programmatic mobile video advertising landscape.

Please download the report here . (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664832/Chocolate_Programmatic_Mobile_Video_Advertising.jpg ) The report analyses over 170 billion auctions and millions of ad impressions delivered in Q4'2017 to take a detailed look at a broad spectrum of areas related to programmatic media advertising. Chocolate Marketplace has seen tremendous interest fromglobal brand marketers for programmatic solutions that deliver successful results with 100% transparency. The company's significant investments in integrating third-party integrations like MOAT, Pixelate and conscious efforts to knock off fraud inventory has strengthened Chocolate Marketplace's position as a go-to choice for mobile video advertising.



Key highlights of the report include: 30% increase in video ad impressions served

57% increase in in-app video ad spend

170% increase in full-screen video ad impressions

32% increase in in-view ad time

Technology (36%), Retail (15%), Auto (14%), CPG (13%) and Movies & Entertainment (8%) are the top 5 brand advertiser categories "The growth in Chocolate Marketplace ad spend and auctions is a testament to our continuous efforts in building a transparent, brand safe and viewable platform," said Saurabh Bhatia, CEO, Chocolate. "Nearly two-thirds of the world's digital display advertising (67%) will be traded programmatically by 2019[1], growing 21% per year which signifies the importance of programmatic in future. We happen to be at the forefront of the fastest growing mobile video advertising segment and are committed to expanding our Marketplace to create a 100% transparent platform."

[1]: Source: https://www.zenithmedia.com/programmatic-marketing-forecasts/ About Chocolate Chocolate is a global leader in mobile video advertising. Chocolate offers two core products, Chocolate Marketplace, a global programmatic buying and selling platform for mobile video advertising and Chocolate Mediation, an end-to-end monetization solution for app developers & publishers. Chocolate is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in San Francisco, CA, and India. For more information, visit: https://chocolateplatform.com/ . Media Contact:

Tanu Kak

marketing@chocolateplatform.com

Chocolate



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[April 11, 2018] Datamatics TruBot Makes its Debut in the Everest Group's PEAK Matrix for Robotic Process Automation

MUMBAI, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Datamatics Global Services Ltd. today announced that its proprietary RPA solution TruBot[TM] has been recognized as an 'Aspirant' by Everest Group, a global independent consulting and research firm in their report 'Robotic Process Automation - Technology Vendor Landscape with Products PEAK Matrix Assessment 2018' that was released in April this year. Datamatics TruBot[TM] is a multi-skilled software bot that enables several large enterprises across the globe to automate repetitive processes. TruBot[TM] customers across the Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Logistics industries have experienced over 500% improvement in productivity, 100% process accuracy and RoI within 4 months of go live. Mr. Mitul Mehta, SVP & Head, Marketing & Communications, Datamatics Global Services Ltd., said, "RPA is a priority area for Datamatics and we are happy to see TruBot[TM] debut in the Everest Peak Matrix. With an aggressive product roadmap and market outreach, we will further consolidate our position in the market." Everest Group's PEAK Matrix assessments provide analysis and insights that enterprises need for making critical selection decisions about global services providers, products and solutions within various market segments. The report provides a detailed view of the RPA technology vendor landscape and a thorough assessment of the capabilities of 18 leading RPA vendors across several key dimensions. The vendors have been assessed using Everest Group's proprietary framework, the Products PEAK Matrix, and classified into three categories: Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirnts.



Click here to read the report - https://www2.everestgrp.com/reportaction/EGR-2018-38-R-2595/Marketing About Datamatics Global Services

Datamatics is a global technology company offering Information Technology, Data Management, Business Process Management and Consulting services to several Fortune 500 companies. The company caters to over 450 customers globally across Banking, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Telecom and Logistics through a wide array of intelligent solutions and over 10 proprietary products and frameworks including Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Mobility, Document & Workflow Management, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. Datamatics has a dedicated incubation hub for Research & Development called DataLabs where highly skilled team of Data Scientists and Doctorates co-create innovative products that enable businesses to discover new opportunities in emerging markets. Datamatics has adopted the highest standards of service quality and operational excellence through its customized offerings, enabling customers to improve productivity and accuracy, take intelligent decisions, speed up go-to-market and enhance customer experience to stay ahead in the connected world. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company has an employee base of over 10,000 with a presence in Americas, Australia, Asia, and Europe, with 8 delivery centres across 4 continents. Click here to know more - http://www.datamatics.com. Safe Harbour Some of the statements in this update that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include our financial and growth projections as well as statements concerning our plans, strategies, intentions and beliefs concerning our business and the markets in which we operate. These statements are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update these statements as circumstances change. There are risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, the level of market demand for our services, the highly-competitive market for the types of services that we offer, market conditions that could cause our customers to reduce their spending for our services, our ability to create, acquire and build new businesses and to grow our existing businesses, our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, currency fluctuations and market conditions in India and elsewhere around the world, and other risks not specifically mentioned herein but those that are common to industry. For media queries, please contact:

Nikita Suratwala

AGM - Marketing & Corporate Communications

nikita.suratwala@datamatics.com

+91-9820707434 Mehul Mehta

President - Dickenson Financial PR

Mehul.mehta@dickensonIR.com

+91-9820280325



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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Further to its news releases of March 15, 2018 and April 2, 2018, Esrey Resources Ltd. (the Company) (TSXV:ESR) announces the final closing of its previously announced private placement (the Offering). The Company issued a further 7,270,000 units at $0.20 per unit for proceeds of $1,454,000 (the Final Closing). In total, the Company issued 19,995,000 units for gross proceeds of $3,999,000. In addition, the Company issued a finders fee of 158,100 units on a portion of the Final Closing. The securities issued in the Final Closing will be subject to a hold period expiring August 11, 2018.



Each unit is comprised of one common share and one share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each Warrant gives the holder the right to acquire a further common share of the Company at a price of $0.40 for a term of 5 years. The expiry of the Warrants may however be accelerated at the election of the Company in circumstances where, at any time following 4 months from the issuance of the Warrants, the closing price of the Companys shares on the TSX Venture Exchange is equal to or greater than $0.75 for 20 consecutive trading days. In such case, the Company may give notice to the holders of the Warrants that the Warrants will expire 30 days following such notice.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for further development of the Companys zinc projects in the Balkans and for general working capital.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

David Cohen

Chairman of the Board

Interim President and CEO

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations: 1-778-373-0103

Email: info@esreyresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are inherently uncertain, are based on estimates and assumptions, and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the future events or circumstances contemplated by the forward-looking statements will not in fact be realized. Actual results could differ, and the difference may be material and adverse to the Company and its shareholders.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date thereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
[April 11, 2018] BridgeStreet Goes Borderless with Worldpay

BridgeStreet makes it EASY to LIST and BOOK extended-stay experiences around the globe RESTON, Virginia, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BridgeStreet has selected Worldpay as its online payments provider for EMEA as they expand into new international markets. BridgeStreet is delivering further on its commitment to connect travel buyers to a growing supplier community. For multinational corporations  or even business traveling globally  the problem of managing currency standards delays productivity and progress. For BridgeStreet's 5000+ clients around the world, a solution was needed to establish consistency in the billing process and mitigate currency confusion. Sean Worker, BridgeStreet's CEO, "This partnership is the natural progression of our commitment to delivering a seamless and secure travel experience. The ability for BridgeStreet to be borderless with Worldpay is another step forward for our industry. Business needs to travel, and we're here to make it easy." Thomas Helldorff, Vice President Travel and Airlines, Worldpay: "We are delighted to be supporting BridgeStreet as the company embarks on this exciting period of its growth journey. As the world's leading payment provider we are committed to being a true partner, not only providing BridgeStreet with a reliable and secure payments platform that accepts over 300 payment types and 126 currencies across the globe but also sharing our deep knowledge and insight of the global travel and payments industry as they enter new markets" In selecting Worldpay, BridgeStreet joins some of the most recognizable global names within the travel industry, as well as online travel agents and travel marketplaces. They'll work with Worldpy to continue to offer their customers a secure way to pay, and their suppliers a safe way to receive funds in their preferred transaction currency.



With Worldpay, BridgeStreet can quickly launch into new markets with the right set of payment methods, thus reaching their audience in the right way. An optimized payment set-up will also ensure high acceptance rates while tailored risk and fraud systems keep charge-backs at bay. "The partnership goes hand in hand with BridgeStreet's technology backbone that's spurring major growth. Confidence and ease in payments is not just great for our business travelers around the world, it's a service to our supplier network that appreciates the additional layers of protection we provide." Aaron Turner, BridgeStreet Chief Technology Officer

About BridgeStreet With more than 160,000+ ExtendedStay Experiences in over 80 countries, BridgeStreet.com is the first unified technology platform built for business travel offering clients unparalleled access to serviced apartments, homes and extended-stay hotels while providing our supply partner community access to built-in demand from BridgeStreet's 5000+ client portfolio and 100+ global sales team. Widely recognized for uncompromising standards of quality and innovative bespoke client services, BridgeStreet is a renowned award winner in both the Americas and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). BridgeStreet makes it EASY to LIST and BOOK ExtendedStay experiences. For more information about BridgeStreet, please visit www.bridgestreet.com or call 800 278 7338/ +44 (0) 20 7792 2222 About Worldpay Worldpay, Inc. is a leading payments provider with unique capability to power global integrated omni-commerce, any payment, anywhere. With industry-leading scale and an unmatched integrated technology platform, Worldpay offers clients a comprehensive suite of products and services globally, delivered through a single provider. Annually, Worldpay processes over 40 billion transactions through more than 300 payment types across 146 countries and 126 currencies. The company's growth strategy includes expanding into high-growth markets, verticals and customer segments, including global eCommerce, Integrated Payments and B2B. Worldpay, Inc. was formed in 2018 through the combination of the No. 1 merchant acquirers in the U.S. and the U.K., Vantiv, Inc. and Worldpay Group plc. Worldpay, Inc. trades on the NYSE as "WP" and the London Stock Exchange as "WPY." Visit us at www.worldpay.com.  2018 Worldpay, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks, service marks and trade names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Worldpay and other Worldpay and Vantiv products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Worldpay, Inc. and Vantiv, LLC in the U.S. and other countries.

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[April 11, 2018] Google Analytics Extension Powered by Fastbase, Inc. Bring Enhanced Intelligence with Detailed Website Visitor Information 12 Months back.

NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- All Google Analytics users will now have access to the most powerful lead generation tool available on the web. The new Google Analytics extension provide free access to a detailed list of all the companies having visited a website in the past twelve months. Furthermore, the new extension enable Google Analytics users to download the full list of the companies having visited with email addresses and further contacts information, as well as a list of employees with detailed profile. Website owners can sign-in to Fastbase with a single click using their Google Analytics account. http://analytics.fastbase.com The service will be free of charge to Google Analytics users until June 1st 2018, whereafter the user can choose to subscribe at a subscription fee of US$ 45.00 per month for contnued access.



"Most companies with a website only interact with about 5-8% of their website's visitors. This new extension, companies get access to the huge potential getting a full overview of everyone having visited their website. This will not only support sales generation, but also to get a deeper understand of who their customers, where they are coming from, and which industry-branch. The new leads report containing these data from the past twelve months, provide powerful and valuable insights to any business" states Rasmus Refer, CEO at Fastbase, Inc. Fastbase, Inc. has undertaken rapid growth and count more than 800,000 companies and top brands using Fastbase, Inc.'s web analytics software to generate leads within the B2B industry. Fastbase Inc., incorporated in January 2015, is currently in the process of to be listed on the London Stock Exchange as one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in the world.

The Fastbase, Inc. founders and management team can now be added to the long list of successful technology entrepreneurs in Denmark like Skype, Just Eat, Zendesk, Simcorp, Navison, Unity Technologies, Tradeshift and Sitecore. http://www.fastbase.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/google-analytics-extension-powered-by-fastbase-inc-bring-enhanced-intelligence-with-detailed-website-visitor-information-12-months-back-300627937.html SOURCE Fastbase, Inc.

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[April 11, 2018] Targovax ASA: Protocol from the Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting was held on April 11, 2018 at the Company's offices at Lilleakerveien 2C, 0283 Oslo. Please find minutes of the meeting attached.

For further information, please contact:

Renate Birkeli, Investor Relations

Phone: +47 922 61 624

Email: renate.birkeli@targovax.com Media and IR enquires:

Andreas Tinglum - Corporate Communications (Norway)

Phone: +47 9300 1773

Email: andreas.tinglum@corpcom.no Simon Conway - FTI Consulting (International)

Phone: +44 20 3727 1000

Email: Targovax@fticonsulting.com About Targovax Arming the patent's immune system to fight cancer



Targovax (OSE:TRVX) is a clinical stage company focused on developing and commercializing novel immuno-oncology therapies to target, primarily, treatment-resistant solid tumors. Immuno-oncology is currently one of the fastest growing therapeutic fields in medicine. The Company's development pipeline is based on two novel proprietary platforms:

The first platform, ONCOS, uses oncolytic viruses as potential multi-target, neo-antigen, therapeutic cancer vaccines. ONCOS uses an adenovirus that has been engineered to be an immune activator that selectively targets cancer cells. In phase I trials it has demonstrated immune activation at tumor lesional level which was associated with clinical benefit. In an ongoing phase I combination trial in advanced melanoma we are seeking important proof of concept data to confirm that patients who have become refractory to treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) can respond to the same checkpoint inhibitor after treatment with ONCOS-102. The second platform, TG, uses neo-antigen cancer vaccines designed to specifically treat tumors that express mutated forms of RAS. Mutations to the RAS protein are common in many cancers and are known to drive aggressive disease progression and treatment resistance. There is a high unmet medical need for therapies that are effective against tumors that express these mutations. The TG platform's therapeutic potential stems from its ability to enable the patient's immune system to develop a cellular response with the potential to identify and destroy tumors bearing any RAS mutations. In early 2017, key proof of concept data for the TG platform from a clinical trial of TG01 in resected pancreatic cancer patients showed encouraging overall survival. These results are now providing guidance for the future clinical development of this platform. Targovax's clinical development pipeline includes three novel therapeutic candidates covering six indications. Both platforms are protected by an extensive portfolio of Intellectual Property (IP) and know-how and have the potential to yield multiple pipeline candidates in a cost-effective manner. Additionally, Targovax has other product candidates in preclinical development.



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Attachment Minutes From Annual General Meeting 11 04 2018.pdf

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[April 11, 2018] CEO of Ctrip Jane Sun meets the First Minister of Scotland

SHANGHAI, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the largest online travel agent in Asia and the second largest in the world, Ctrip hosted the First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon during her 2018 China visit. This is the Scottish First Ministers first visit to the Ctrip Headquarter and the first meeting with Jane Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Ctrip. Photo: Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip with the First Minister of Scotland



As women leaders, Jane Sun and the Scottish First Minister both share a desire to see gender equality improved and to be role models to girls and young women. Ctrip continues to strongly adhere to the United Nation Womens Empowerment Principles and ensure that the female voice is heard. Ctrip is deeply committed to ensuring gender equality in the workplace through offering maternity packages, baby bonuses and other incentives. With more than 50% of our 30,000 plus employee base being female, Ctrip has higher female participation rate compared with the Top 25 Tech companies in Silicon Valley which stands at 19.6%. This is similarly shared by Scotland due to their goal of achieving a 50/50 gender representation on the boards of public, private and voluntary sector boards ?by 2020. China and Scotland has a great partnership as both offer room for xpansion and further cooperation in investments. Through mutual investment and sharing of human resources across various sectors and industries, such collaboration will ensure that both China and Scotland will achieve win-win results.





Aimed at providing over 300 million registered members with a one-stop travel experience, Ctrips dynamic partnership with Skyscanner is a success story of cooperation and dialogue.

According to Ctrips Scotland travel data, we are seeing a year-on-year growth of 120% from 2017 to 2016. Ctrip users to Scotland spend on average 14412 RMB or 1616 pound per person. Edinburgh remains the top favourite destination followed by the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness. Ctrip continues to play a vital role in promoting peace and understanding through travel. Further integration of technology and innovation as well as the ongoing investment in A-B-C (Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Cloud Computing) has allowed us to adapt to the ever growing demands of our users and to ensure products and services that are high-quality, hassle-free and efficient. From our Customer Service Robots to Virtual Tour Manager to Global SOS, these are just some examples of technological innovation. As Scotland has a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that transforms innovation into products, services and solutions with global appeal, Ctrip remains a partner in the field of innovation and technology. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, "I was delighted to meet with Jane Sun and her Ctrip colleagues today for what was a fascinating exchange of ideas. Ctrip's investment in Scotland is a great example of collaboration between Scotland and China in the key areas of tourism and the economy - and with a direct flight between Edinburgh and Beijing about to begin, this will only go from strength to strength." Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip said, The relationship between China and Scotland has always been a positive one. As more Chinese visit Scotland, mutual respect and understanding is reinforced. Ctrip remains by the side of our travelers to ensure that they have a positive experience and we look forward to more collaboration with Scotland across all fields. About Ctrip.com International, Ltd. Ctrip.com International, Ltd. is a leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China. It is the largest online consolidator of accommodations and transportation tickets in China in terms of transaction volume. Ctrip enables business and leisure travelers to make informed and cost-effective bookings by aggregating comprehensive travel related information and offering its services through an advanced transaction and service platform consisting of its mobile apps, Internet websites and centralized, toll-free, 24-hour customer service center. Ctrip also helps customers book vacation packages and guided tours. In addition, through its corporate travel management services, Ctrip helps corporate clients effectively manage their travel requirements. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the best-known travel brands in China. For further information, please contact: International PR

Ctrip.com International, ltd.

Tel: (+86) 21 3406 4880 ext 196455

Email: Pr@ctrip.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/dbb2d838-fc4f-4f76-b4fb-71cb7f702a3e

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[April 11, 2018] Luminate Announces General Availability of Its BeyondCorp-as-a-Service Secured Access Platform

PALO ALTO, California, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Luminate Security, provider of the first universal platform for secure access to corporate applications in hybrid cloud environments, today announced the platform's general availability and its first public presentation after the company's official launch in March. Luminate will demonstrate its Secure Access Cloud at the RSA Conference 2018 in San Francisco, CA, April 16-19, at the Moscone Center, South Hall at the Israel Cyber Alliance Booth #735. Luminate's solution solves a once in a generation security problem by redefining the corporate applications usage and the way IT teams grant, secure, manage and govern users' access to those applications. "Modern organizations are under pressure to quickly adopt dynamic business solutions that allow mobility of resources and users," said Luminate CEO Ofer Smadari. "Corporate applications are moving to the cloud and enterprise environments become hybrid and distributed. As a result, traditional network perimeter security techniques, such as VPNs and DMZs, no longer support current business needs. With Luminate's Secure Access Cloud, CISOs, CIOs and CTOs can move at the speed of their business operations. It provides and manages secure access to any cloud-based and on-premises corporate application to help organizations remain competitive, scalable and agile." Already deployed by international financial, technology, and consumer services enterprises, Luminate's Secure Access Cloud gives employees the freedom to access ny corporate application, wherever it is hosted, from any device or location worldwide through a consistent, cloud-native user experience. All users' activities are examined against company policies, triggering automatic actions to ensure security enforcement and prevent unauthorized access.



Luminate's Benefits Secured, zero-trust architecture allowing point-to-point, ad-hoc user access to corporate resources

Reduced corporate networks attack surface

Quick provisioning of access to any corporate application, hosted in the cloud or on-premises

Unified security stack for all environments

Real time visibility and governance of users' actions to prevent malicious usage of corporate resources

Supports tracking and audit of all application access activities

Secured access of mobile workforce and third-party users

100% API driven infrastructure, seamlessly integrating with automation and orchestration solutions Luminate creates a secure, one-time connection between the user and the requested application, while all other corporate resources are isolated. Connections are ephemeral and automatically end once the users complete their session, blocking access to other network resources and eliminating the risk of network-based attacks.

"Luminate agentless platform can be set up in less than five minutes. Utilizing its infrastructure-as-code functionality, it can be quickly deployed over numerous environments, connecting unlimited number of users to the corporate distributed resources," said Luminate co-founder and CTO Leonid Belkind. "Operating on the application layer, it gives organizations a new-found level of security without disrupting their existing architecture, user permissions and applications to the delight of our customers." Luminate was officially came out of stealth last month with $14M in combined round A and seed funding. About Luminate

Luminate is a software-as-a-service security platform that allows CISOs, CIOs and CTOs to securely manage access to all their corporate resources from any device anywhere in the world. Based on Software Defined Perimeter principles, Luminate gives users one-time access to the requested application while all other corporate resources are cloaked without granting access to the entire network. This prevents any lateral movements to other network resources and eliminates the risk of network-based attacks. Visit www.luminate.io to learn more. For more information, please contact: Adi Bar-Lev, VP Marketing

Luminate Security

+972-54-533-0537

adib@luminate .io Josh Turner, Senior Associate

Silicon Valley Communications

+1-917-231-0550

turner@siliconvpr.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/luminate-announces-general-availability-of-its-beyondcorp-as-a-service-secured-access-platform-300627993.html SOURCE Luminate Security

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[April 11, 2018] Cyient and BlueBird Aero Systems Sign Joint Venture to Offer UAV Systems to Indian Defence and Industry

The JV underlines the commitment of both partners to the 'Make in India' initiative and will supply advanced micro, mini, and tactical UAV systems CHENNAI, India, and HYDERABAD, India, and KADIMA, Israel, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyient, a provider of engineering design, manufacturing, geospatial, networks, and operations management services to global industry leaders and Israel-based BlueBird Aero Systems, a leader in design, development, and production of micro, mini, and small tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) today announced they have entered into a joint venture to offer field-proven UAV systems to Indian defence, paramilitary, security, and police forces. The joint venture, named Cyient Solutions & Systems Private Limited, has 51% and 49% shareholding by Cyient and BlueBird respectively. Cyient and BlueBird signed the JV agreement today at DefExpo 2018. In attendance were stakeholders from both companies and distinguished industry representatives from India and Israel. Cyient Solutions & Systems will indigenize, manufacture, assemble, integrate, and test advanced UAV systems at its production facilities in Hyderabad by leveraging BlueBird's technology and manufacturing know-how. Cyient Solutions & Systems, supported by BlueBird, will also provide comprehensive aftermarket services, including spares, repairs, maintenance, and support to end users across India. The joint venture's portfolio includes the SpyLite, ThunderB, and MicroB systems that offer highly-innovative UAS technology designed to fulfill covert, real-time intelligence, and tactical mapping-on-demand missions across open areas or crowded urban environments. Cyient Solutions & Systems recently conducted field trials in India that successfully demonstrated the SpyLite's outstanding performance in a tactical surveillance role at high altitude and in extreme weather conditions. Commenting on the anouncement, Krishna Bodanapu, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Cyient, said, "I am very excited about the joint venture with BlueBird Aero Systems that combines our design and manufacturing expertise to bring the best of UAV technology solutions to the Indian defence industry. The joint venture also underlines the commitment of both partners to the government's 'Make in India' initiative."



NJ Joseph, Managing Director & CEO, Cyient Solutions & Systems added, "Our Unmanned Aerial Systems raise the bar on performance and reliability for ISTAR and mapping applications. BlueBird's world-class technology, joined with Cyient's manufacturing and aftermarket capabilities and local presence, offers exceptional value to the rapidly expanding market for UAV solutions in India." Ronen Nadir, Founder & CEO, BlueBird Aero Systems said, "We are proud to team with Cyient in this joint venture that enables indigenization, manufacturing, training, and support of our advanced, field-proven UAV systems in India. BlueBird is pleased to transfer to Cyient Solutions & Systems its latest, innovative technology and know-how to further enhance what we see as a long-term partnership with Cyient for the benefit of the Indian UAV market."

About Cyient: Cyient (Estd: 1991, NSE: CYIENT) provides engineering, manufacturing, geospatial, networks, and operations management services to global industry leaders. Cyient leverages the power of digital technology and advanced analytics capabilities, along with domain knowledge and technical expertise, to solve complex business problems. As a Design, Build and Maintain partner, Cyient takes solution ownership across the value chain to help clients focus on their core, innovate, and stay ahead of the curve. Relationships form the core of how Cyient works. With 15,000 employees in 21 countries, Cyient partners with clients to operate as part of their extended team, in ways that best suit their organization's culture and requirements. Cyient's industry focus includes aerospace and defence, medical, telecommunications, rail transportation, semiconductor, utilities, industrial, energy and natural resources. For more information, please visit www.cyient.com. For media inquiries, please write to press@cyient.com Follow news about the company at @Cyient. About BlueBird Aero Systems Ltd.: BlueBird Aero Systems Ltd (founded 2002), is a dominant player in the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry. BlueBird specializes in design, development and production of micro, mini and tactical UAS and peripheral equipment and delivers exceptional, field-proven solutions to meet the challenges of the Military, HLS, and civilian markets. With a wide spectrum of platforms all operating from a unified, intuitive and advanced ground control station, BlueBird's UAS can reliably perform all kinds of missions in severe weather conditions and without terrain limitations. BlueBird's advanced and mature systems are lightweight, highly manoeuvrable and can operate under rigorous demands with respect to range, endurance and payload requirements. BlueBird's advanced UAV systems, operational in Israel and worldwide since 2006, have accumulated over 16,000 operational sorties and support open area as well as urban scenarios and Tactical Mapping on Demand (TMOD) for military, HLS, peace-keeping, low intensity conflict, security, disaster management, law enforcement, search & rescue and commercial applications. For more information, please visit www.bluebird-uav.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cyient-and-bluebird-aero-systems-sign-joint-venture-to-offer-uav-systems-to-indian-defence-and-industry-300628015.html SOURCE Cyient

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[April 11, 2018] 2018 Chinese Telecoms Market Report: Analysis & Forecasts (2005-2025) - Trends Shaping the Future of China's Telecom Industry

DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2018 China Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The research work strategically analyzes China telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others. The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025. China telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in China together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front. On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of China that enable strategy planner to formulate their pricing and branding strategies.



The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed. Key Topics Covered:



Executive Summary Key Findings

China Telecom Market Overview China Telecom Market - Strategic Analysis Trends Shaping the Future of China Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in China

Telecom Investments in China

Market Drivers

Market Restraints China Telecom Market Outlook Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook China Telecom Competitive Environment Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry China Telecom Industry Benchmarking Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index China Economic Outlook to 2025 GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends China Demographic Outlook to 2025 Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in China Competitor Analysis Company A: Profile and operations in China

Company B: Profile and operations in China

Company C: Profile and operations in China Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/prx6mb/2018_chinese?w=5 Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2018-chinese-telecoms-market-report-analysis--forecasts-2005-2025---trends-shaping-the-future-of-chinas-telecom-industry-300628011.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[April 11, 2018] SkyWay String Transport Was Displayed to the Arab World at Future Cities Show

MINSK, Belarus, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyWay transport technology has been demonstrated in the Middle East for the first time ever. A large-scale presentation took place at the exhibition Future Cities Show in Dubai. Visitors from 150 countries were able to examine the national innovation in details. The exposition displayed unibike U4-621certified in Russia obtaining recognition together with unibus U4-210. To represent the developer in the new market, the Company's management headed by General designer Anatoly Yunitskiy arrived. The possibility of signing a number of agreements for the introduction of Skyway transport in the region is under consideration on a bilateral basis with representatives of local business and authorities. Mr. Yunitskiy commented on this event: "We are strengthening our positions worldwide, alongside with India, Indonesia and Australia. The Arab world is one of our priorities and success in Dubai is the key to the development in the entire region. Now the preparation for EXPO 2020 is underway here and according to industry leaders, innoative transport has never been in such demand before. Successful certification in Russia made Skyway transport even closer to customers."



Future Cities Show was held in Dubai from 9 to 11 April 2018. The venue of the Future Cities Show is not accidental: Dubai is a world leader in the field of implementing large-scale infrastructure projects. The ideology of the exhibition is based on the sustainable development agenda ? a strategic plan approved by the UN and aimed at eradicating poverty, preserving the planet's resources and ensuring well-being for all. According to the organizers, there are three pillars of the event: Sustainability, Innovations and Happiness. It is noteworthy that the certification and demonstration center of Skyway transport is located in Belarus; its dynamics of trade with the UAE has almost doubled since 2011. Against the background of increased trade volumes between the countries, mutual visits at the highest level became more frequent and a guideline of half a billion dollars was announced. The place of the developer-company in the structure of these relationships depends on the success at the exhibition.

SkyWay (earlier ? "Unitsky String Transport") is an elevated transport system, in which the movement is arranged by means of suspended rails stretched between supports. The speed of the rolling stock can reach 500 km/h and its motion is regulated automatically. Media contact:

Evgeniy Petrov

193133@email4pr.com

+375447238061 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/skyway-string-transport-was-displayed-to-the-arab-world-at-future-cities-show-300627648.html SOURCE SkyWay Technologies Co.

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[April 11, 2018] Noel Perry, Transportation Industry's Leading Economist, Launches New Website, Transport Futures

NEW PLYMOUTH, Idaho, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Noel Perry, Truckstop.com's Chief Economist, announced today the launch of his new website, Transport Futures. The site will serve as Mr. Perry's platform to share industry insights about the wide variety of transport issues that cross his desk. A key feature of Perry's new site is his blog The Transport Navigator. Blog subscribers will not need to wait for monthly publishing schedules to see analysis of breaking stories. "If it moves, I'm watching it  and thinking deeply about it. I wanted a place where I could share information as soon as good data is available, allowing my readers to react to market pressures right now," said Perry. "I've always been fascinated by the radical changes that have revolutionized the transportation industry," continued Perry. "My choice in naming my new site Transport Futures is a pointed reminder of that interest." Noel will continue his affiliation with Truckstop.com, using the data he gleans from this relationship in his thought leadership content. The Transport Navigator is an enhanced version of his long-running newsletter, "State of Freight" published by FTR Intelligence, although Perry is no longer associated with FTR. His new work will reflect the additional time and creative freedom he now has to devote to his unique brand of analysis and will be available exclusively through Transport Futures. Perry's current analysis, titled "Declare Victory at Your Own Risk" is the lead contribution to his new blog, The Transport Navigator. Subscribers will learn what those risks are along with a steady stream of Mr. Perry's other insightful writing. You can find this and other offerings from Transport Futures on the web at www.transportfutures.net. Watch, especially, for publication of a book-length handing of the radical changes that will revolutionize transportation and supply chain design over the next twenty years. Truckstop.com is proud to work with industry leaders like Noel Perry and to provide leading insight for Perry's work. About Truckstop.com Truckstop.com is the world's most trusted load board and freight marketplace for drivers to find loads at the best rates, brokers to increase capacity, and shippers to manage freight. With Truckstop.com, brokers can post loads, carriers can search for available loads in real-time, and shippers can match their freight with the right person. For over 20 years, Truckstop.com has helped carriers, brokers, and shippers successfully run their businesses and find a better way to move freight. Visit www.truckstop.com to learn more. About Transport Futures Transport Futures is a North American Heavy Freight Consulting firm headed by the noted transportation economist, Noel Perry. Transport Futures deals with all matters of freight transport within North America, with special emphasis on truckload, rail, intermodal and domestic water markets. Although independent, Transport Futures has a close relationship with Truckstop.com. In addition, it has aligned with Susan Collins of the marketing firm 63rd & Eliot to distribute its work more effectively within the industry. Please visit www.transportfutures.net to learn more.







Truckstop.com Media Contact : Transport Futures Media Contact : Jamie Boyer Susan Collins 193206@email4pr.com 193206@email4pr.com (208) 674-6052 (770) 654-7054

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/noel-perry-transportation-industrys-leading-economist-launches-new-website-transport-futures-300627942.html SOURCE Truckstop.com

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FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avoya Travel, one of the worlds most innovative travel brands, is thrilled to announce the promotion of Ashley Hunter to Vice President of Business Development. Hunter will take the lead strategic role in nurturing and growing supplier partnerships to continue generating record-breaking performance for Avoya and its preferred suppliers, exclusive competitive advantages for Independent Agencies in the Avoya Travel Network, and the best vacation value for travelers.



Hunters new role as Vice President of Business Development will capitalize on her more than 11 years of leadership experience at Avoya and expand on her accomplishments in fostering close working relationships with preferred suppliers and the Independent Agencies in the Avoya Network.

Ashley has long been one of Avoya Travels most talented leaders improving everything she touches, and were confident that her proven ability to deliver results as well as her extensive experience within the travel industry will make her a stand-out executive at Avoya and with our preferred suppliers, said Jeff Anderson, Executive Vice President, Avoya Travel. Avoya Travel is committed to the growth of its people and the Independent Agencies in the Avoya Travel Network, and were confident in the executive leadership we have in place to further innovate and grow the company and the Avoya Travel Network.

Since joining Avoya in 2006, Hunter has been influential in expansion and innovation within many departments at Avoya, including channel marketing, events, public relations and corporate communications, and most recently business and sales development. With her diverse industry experience, Hunter is equipped with unique and well-rounded expertise in all aspects of the Avoya Shared Success model that will seamlessly generate positive results and relationships with key stakeholders.

Hunters promotion follows Avoyas best-ever sales year and Avoya Network growth in 2017, and the company continues to break sales records in 2018. Contributing to this growth is Avoyas increasing investment in its people, leadership, and the development of talent from within the company to continue the vision and innovation for the future of vacation planning.

Hunter holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo. Having caught the travel bug at an early age, Hunter was destined to build a career in travel and now shares her passion for the industry with a new generation of travel innovators and leaders. Still an avid traveler, Hunter currently resides in San Diego, California, with her husband and two daughters.

About Avoya Travel:

Avoya Travel is a family-owned company with a longstanding reputation for being one of the worlds most innovative marketing and travel technology companies. As an American Express Travel Representative for more than 30 years, and one of their largest sellers of cruises and tours, Avoya is deeply committed to Integrity and Professionalism, service, and value in every aspect of planning cruises and vacations. Through an elite network of independently owned and operated travel agencies, Avoya provides exclusive discounts, amenities, and first-class customer service to travelers worldwide. Cruise lines and travel partners recognize this, as Avoya has received numerous accolades, including being repeatedly named Travel Partner of the Year by Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruises, American Express, Oceania Cruises, MSC Cruises, and more. Today, Avoya is headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with support offices throughout the United States.

Travel agency owners, travel professionals, and others interested in owning and operating their own travel business should contact Avoya Travel at 800-521-2597 or visit www.JoinAvoya.com. Travelers interested in booking their next vacation with Avoya Travel, should call 800-753-1463 or visit www.AvoyaTravel.com.

Media Contact:

Angela Velarde

Avoya Travel

(760) 305-5060 x23272

PublicRelations@AvoyaTravel.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/ace31f2a-fafa-4d32-b49f-dda6ac9246ae
[April 11, 2018] Expereo and SecureOps partner to deliver specialist SD-WAN security

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Expereo, global provider of managed internet network, accelerated cloud access and SD-WAN solutions, announces a new strategic partnership with information security services company SecureOps.





SecureOps brings two decades of network security experience as a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to Expereos XDN portfolio. SecureOps comprehensive suite of on-premise and cloud-based security services will empower multinational customers to securely operate internet-centric networks, deploy SD-WANs, and move to the cloud with confidence. SecureOps and Expereo

Expereo and SecureOps have signed a strategic partnership to provide total network security for todays business-critical digital landscape. As enterprises move to the internet and SD-WAN, many find that complex manual processes plus a lack of resources and skills prevents them from effectively keeping pace with the current security landscape. Expereo and SecureOps joint solution alleviates these challenges when adopting an internet-centric enterprise network and cloud access strategy. Irwin Fouwels, Exereo CEO, comments: "With SecureOps we bring a complete security suite to the Expereo XDN portfolio. We now offer our global SD-WAN solutions bundled with full managed security, enabling the multinational enterprise to deliver on its cloud strategy and deploy SD-WAN with confidence.



Loren Goldig, SecureOps CEO & President, comments: Network security in 2018 must be adaptable. You cant throw in firewalls and walk away; security needs are as complex and diverse as the businesses themselves. Todays solutions must exactly meet the specific needs of each individual company. Working in strategic partnership with Expereo, our ability to deliver these tailored solutions is enhanced by Expereos commercial go-to-market and agile global delivery capability. The security offering

The Expereo and SecureOps strategic partnership for security and network service management is enhanced by vulnerability lifecycle management services. Enterprises will be able to easily integrate SecureOps flexible MSSP services into their network, bolstering Expereo connectivity with robust security. Expereo will offer the following Managed Security services:

Security infrastructure management

Secured, monitored internet break-out services via on-premises devices or secure cloud gateways across a number of security offerings, including security information and event management (SIEM), firewall management for SD-WAN, intrusion defense and prevention systems (IDS and IPS), universal threat managers (UTM) and more.

Secured, monitored internet break-out services via on-premises devices or secure cloud gateways across a number of security offerings, including security information and event management (SIEM), firewall management for SD-WAN, intrusion defense and prevention systems (IDS and IPS), universal threat managers (UTM) and more. Threat monitoring and response

Dedicated, 24/7 triage and incident handling and customer environment monitoring for potential threats, powered by a multi-layer detection process.

Dedicated, 24/7 triage and incident handling and customer environment monitoring for potential threats, powered by a multi-layer detection process. Vulnerability lifecycle management

Enterprise WAN vulnerability management. Proactive scanning and analysis of customer infrastructure for threat determination and reporting, backed by assessment and remediation. In addition, customers will also receive access to security consultancy services such as security audits, customer requirement facilitation, host protection and more. About SecureOps

SecureOps is a high-end information security services provider and member of the Information Security Forum (ISF) with two decades of experience. The team offers specialist knowledge related to security and security-related networking technology. SecureOps has built its global services on personalised solutions, preferring turnkey approaches to an off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all approach. SecureOps will work directly with Expereo customers to understand their needs and deliver specialist security solutions tailored to their specific requirements. Customers can choose and deploy a suite of solutions that will sit under one accessible management framework specifically relevant to their organization. SecureOps and Expereo are uniquely positioned to collaborate given their commitment to a customer-centric approach, cutting-edge technology, global capability, and agile customer deployment expertise. Press contact: conor@grammatikagency.com

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[April 11, 2018] Digital Colony to Acquire Digita Oy

BOCA RATON, Fla. and HELSINKI, Finland, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Colony, a global investment firm focused on enabling the next generation of mobile and internet infrastructure, today announced that a Digital Colony affiliate has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100 percent of the capital in Digita Oy ("Digita") from First State Investments ("First State"). Digita is the owner and operator of the premier nationwide digital terrestrial television ("DTT") and radio broadcasting tower infrastructure network in Finland. Founded in 1999 as a spin-off from national broadcaster Yle, Digita is Finland's leading TV and radio broadcasting network and the only platform with the ability to reach nearly 100 percent of the Finnish population. The company is also Finland's largest independent tower network owner, providing infrastructure solutions to the country's largest mobile network operators. Digita will continue to be led by CEO Juha-Pekka Weckstrom and the existing management team. "I am grateful for the support First State has provided to Digita over the years," said Weckstrom. "Together with First State, we have invested more than 40 million into Digita to upgrade our network and to start new business lines including data centers and internet of things ("IoT") services. Partnering with Digital Colony will help Digita continue to enhance its network and facilitate a first class customer experience." "Digita is well-positioned to extend its business model into adjacent markets as the deployment of 5G will increase demand for new macro towers, rooftop sites, small cell deployments, and data centers," said Ben Jenkins, Managing Partner at Digital Colony. "We look forward to partnering with Digita's highly experienced team to ensure that the company's processes and systems remain best in class to provide customers state-of-the-art solutions across the entire value chain." "We ae pleased to have reached an agreement to sell Digita to Digital Colony," said Niall Mills, Partner, Infrastructure Investments at First State. "Under our ownership, Digita has successfully refocused on its core competencies, extended all of its key broadcasting contracts, led the transition to high definition DTT and secured all six ultra-high frequency DTT Multiplex licenses in 2017. This secures Digita's role as Finland's nationwide TV broadcast infrastructure provider over the long-term. We are confident that under Digital Colony's ownership, Digita will continue to be well positioned to further develop as Finland's leading tower network company."



The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in Q2 2018. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and ICECAPITAL served as financial advisors, with Roschier acting as legal advisor to First State. Ashurst LLP provided legal counsel to Digital Colony. About Digital Colony

Digital Colony is a global investment firm focused on enabling the next generation of mobile and internet infrastructure. Digital Colony is a joint venture between Digital Bridge Holdings, LLC, a leading owner and operator of digital infrastructure businesses and Colony NorthStar, Inc. (NYSE: CLNS), a leading real estate investment management firm. The principals of Digital Colony collectively have 23 years of investment and operating history, having founded, operated and successfully exited from multiple businesses in the digital infrastructure space. Digital Colony's focus is to invest in four key segments of mobile and internet infrastructure (macro cell towers, data centers, small cell networks, and fiber networks) to take advantage of physical infrastructure convergence ahead of the anticipated global 5G rollout and beyond.

About Digita

Digita transmits radio and television programs to nearly everyone living in every corner of Finland every day of the year. Digita also applies the latest digital technology in order to develop and offer versatile online television and radio services. In addition, its service portfolio includes comprehensive Internet of Things services based on its nationwide network, as well as world-class Data Center Services. Digita's clients are the national broadcaster YLE, media houses and mobile and broadband operators that provide quality content and services. About First State Investments

First State Investments is a global asset management business with experience across a range of asset classes and specialist investment sectors. First State Investments is owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and as at 31 December 2017 managed 127.5 billion of assets on behalf of clients worldwide. In Australia First State operates as Colonial First State Global Asset Management. First State offers a range of investment solutions to institutional and retail investors globally, including equities, debt, multi-asset and unlisted infrastructure. First State Investments approach to investment is driven by a commitment to providing the best possible outcomes over the long term for its investors. To achieve this, First State Investments ensure its interests are aligned with its investors and upholds a culture of always acting in its clients' best interests. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-colony-to-acquire-digita-oy-300628173.html SOURCE Digital Colony

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[April 11, 2018] Paytm Canada Launches the First Bill Pay Rewards Platform

Consumers earn rewards through credit, debit and cash payments TORONTO, April 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Paytm Canada, a payments and financial services company that offers a mobile payments and commerce platform, today announced the launch of the first-of-its kind rewards platform where consumers earn points and cash back through any method of payment. The Paytm mobile bill pay app offers Canadians an instant and cost-free mobile account to manage their bill payments at more than 5,000 billers through their smartphones and earn rewards and cashback offers for doing so. Canadians can pay their bills with the Paytm app by using their bank account, debit card, some credit cards or via cash at over 6,000 Canada Post locations wih no transaction fees. This new offering furthers Paytm Canada's continued effort to provide a convenient and superior bill payment experience for Canadians.



"Consumers will increasingly choose digital channels to access all kinds of financial services if they are offered a superior experience," said Harinder Takhar, CEO, Paytm Canada. "Paytm Canada is improving and modernizing the experience of managing day-to-day finances for Canadians, and we will continue to build secure digital products and services that promote a rewarding experience." The Paytm mobile app rewards and cash back platform includes a robust offering of rewards and a consumer-friendly points formula without any annual or transaction fees. And, consumers can access it no matter how they pay their bills  through cash, debit card, bank account or credit card.

The Paytm Canada mobile app is available for free download from the Google Play store, Apple Store and at www.paytm.ca. About Paytm Canada

Paytm Canada is an internationally recognized payments and financial services company based in Toronto that offers a mobile payments and commerce platform to consumers. Paytm Canada is a subsidiary of Paytm, India's largest mobile payments provider with more than 230 million users. In 2017, Paytm Canada launched its first consumer-facing mobile application allowing consumers to pay their bills using multiple payment options with no fees and earn cash back and other rewards via their smartphone. As a registered MSB company regulated by FINTRAC, Paytm offers its users the ability to pay their bills  like utilities, city tax payments, electricity bills  from more than 5,000 billers on its network. For more information about the Paytm app, please visit: www.paytm.ca. SOURCE Paytm Labs Inc.

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[April 11, 2018] Coresystems to Showcase the Business Benefits of 'Crowd Service' at Field Service USA 2018

SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coresystems, a leading provider of cloud-based field service and workforce management software for mid-sized and large enterprises field service organizations, today announced its participation in the upcoming Field Service USA 2018 Conference, taking place in Palm Springs, CA from April 17-20, 2018. At the event, Coresystems will lead a workshop session on the transformational power of crowdsourcing in the field service industry, and will demonstrate its comprehensive field service management (FSM) solution at booth #415.

Customer satisfaction extends far beyond the purchase of machines and devices, as the increasing shift towards a mobile-enabled and connected world has conditioned end-users to expect delivery of products and services, including ongoing equipment maintenance, in real-time. Through its FSM platform, Coresystems enables organizations to request and deliver targeted service technicians that get the job done much faster and more efficiently than ever before  a concept known as crowd service. As a result, enterprises can increase customer satisfaction, improve first-time fix-rates, boost field technician productivity and lower costs. At Field Service USA 2018, Coresystems VP of Industry Solutions, Jeff Bonnell, will provide a detailed overview of crowd service and its key benefits during the Transforming Field Service with he Crowd workshop session. The workshop will highlight how crowd service leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) and AI and AR technologies to counter organizations primary field service challenges, such as the burden of manual systems and loss of experienced field service staff to retirement. The workshop will also offer best practices for utilizing contingent workforces to counter growing customer demands and create even better outcomes.



 When: Tuesday, April 17 at 2:30 p.m. PT  Where:

Field Service USA 2018 Conference, Track C, Workshop O

The JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort & Spa

74-855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260  What: Workshop: Transforming Field Service with the Crowd  Who: Jeff Bonnell, VP Industry Solutions, Coresystems The field service industry has recently seen a convergence of increased customer demands, new business challenges and technology innovations, presenting an opportunity for organizations to dramatically retool their field service operations to create happier customers and new revenue streams, said Bonnell. I look forward to sharing the benefits of modern technological breakthroughs for field service, such as the IoT, AI, AR and crowd service, to give enterprises a blueprint for significantly increasing operational efficiency and delivering an enriched customer experience. In addition to leading the Transforming Field Service with the Crowd workshop, Coresystems will demo its FSM solution at booth #415. For further details about the Field Service USA Conference, please visit https://fieldserviceusa.wbresearch.com/



For further details on Coresystems offerings, please visit https://www.coresystems.net/find-your-field-service-solution About Coresystems

Coresystems is a leading provider of cloud-based field service and workforce management software for mid-sized and large enterprises' field service organizations. Since Coresystems' founding in 2006, more than 190,000 users across the world have utilized the company's innovative, real-time field service management software to improve their business and field service processes. Coresystems has also pioneered the "crowd service" model, which allows customers to leverage an Uber-like platform to find available field service technicians in real-time. Coresystems is headquartered in Switzerland with international offices in San Francisco, Miami, Berlin, Freiburg, Shanghai, Sao Paulo and London.



Media Contact

Kyra Tillmans

ktillmans@10fold.com

+1 925-271-8214

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[April 11, 2018] Greece Telecoms Market Report 2018: Analysis & Outlook (2005-2025) - Growth, Demand, Pricing, Competition, Consumer Behaviour, Infrastructure, and Policies

DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2018 Greece Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The research work strategically analyzes Greece telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others. The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025.



Greece telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business envirnment in Greece together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front.







On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of Greece that enable strategy planners to formulate their pricing and branding strategies.



The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed.





Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Greece Telecom Market - Strategic Analysis



3. Greece Telecom Market Outlook



4. Greece Telecom Competitive Environment



5. Greece Telecom Industry Benchmarking



6. Greece Economic Outlook to 2025



7. Greece Demographic Outlook to 2025



8. Competitor Analysis



9. Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/j3z9db/greece_telecoms?w=5

Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/greece-telecoms-market-report-2018-analysis--outlook-2005-2025---growth-demand-pricing-competition-consumer-behaviour-infrastructure-and-policies-300628113.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[April 11, 2018] Government investing in space and satellite communications technologies to improve access to broadband in rural and remote areas

Nearly $11.5 million from the Strategic Innovation Fund will help create or maintain more than 95 jobs in Quebec DORVAL, QC, April 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Space touches all aspects of our lives, from connecting us to the Internet to helping farmers map out their crop development. That's why David Lametti, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced a significant investment in the Canadian space industry. Thanks to a repayable government investment of nearly $11.5 million, Advantech Satellite Networks will develop an advanced satellite broadband network that will improve the performance of satellite communication systems. The total value of the project is $29 million. This funding will help create or maintain more than 95 jobs in Quebec and will bring new high-tech skills to the Montreal region, thanks to Advantech's partnership with local post-secondary institutions like Concordia University and Dawson College. The project will support the development of next-generation terminals and hubs for faster and higher-capacity broadband networks that allow data to be transmitted more efficiently across networks, leading to significantly lower network costs. These innovations could also lead to other broadband solutions that will help bring greater Internet access and more reliable service to communities in rural areas of Canada. As the technology can be adapted to any satellite, the project will position Advantech to capture a share of a growing global market. Canad is uniquely placed, with space satellite industry leaders, to pursue cutting-edge innovations in the fields of low-earth-orbit and high throughput satellite technologies, creating jobs while building better and more reliable connectivity for all Canadians.



Quotes "Canada's space sector provides thousands of middle-class jobs for Canadians and drives innovations that improve our everyday lives. Advantech's satellite project will help strengthen our country's leadership in space satellite technology while improving Canadians' access to broadband Internet in all parts of the country. This project is an excellent example of home-grown ideas that help Canadians fully participate in the digital economy."

 David Lametti, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

"Advantech's project shows how innovative Quebec companies are solving real problems and creating the middle-class jobs our community needs now and in the future. Its partnership with local post-secondary institutions will help ensure our local workforce has the skills it needs to succeed in our innovation economy."

 Anju Dhillon, Member of Parliament for DorvalLachineLaSalle "We are extremely honoured and excited that our High Throughput Satellite System [HTSS] project was awarded this contribution from Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund. HTSS is an important piece of the overall telecommunications infrastructure and plays a major role in producing visible and concrete outcomes for areas without access to high-speed Internet. The technology being developed will showcase Canadian satellite companies' innovations that will help them provide affordable connectivity for the benefit of all Canadians, eliminating the digital divide for hard-to-reach regions, including the Arctic. It will also enhance Canadian satellite technology exports worldwide."

 David Gelerman, President and CEO, Advantech Satellite Networks Quick facts The Canadian space sector contributes more than $5 billion a year to our economy and employs over 10,000 people.

a year to our economy and employs over 10,000 people. Funding for this project is through the Strategic Innovation Fund, which aims to attract and support high-quality business investments across all sectors of the economy.

The Strategic Innovation Fund aims to accelerate economic growth, strengthen and expand the role of Canadian firms in regional and global supply chains, support economic strategies, and attract investment that creates well-paying jobs. It also promotes collaboration among industry and universities, colleges and research institutions to encourage the development of a highly skilled workforce.

With a simple, story-based user interface, the new Innovation Canada platform can match businesses with the most fitting programs and services in about two minutes. In addition to the Strategic Innovation Fund, there are hundreds of programs and services to help businesses innovate, create jobs and grow Canada's economy. Associated link Strategic Innovation Fund Follow the department on Twitter: @ISED_CA SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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[April 11, 2018]

Public Prosecution Service of Canada - David Livingston sentenced

TORONTO, April 11, 2018 /CNW/ - David Livingston was sentenced today in the Ontario Court of Justice to four months imprisonment followed by twelve months probation and 100 hours of community service for fraudulently and without colour of right, using or causing to be used, directly or indirectly, a computer system with intent to commit the offence of mischief in relation to data under section 430(5), thereby committing an indictable offence contrary to section 342.1 of the Criminal Code.

With the consent of the Crown, the offence of attempting to cmmit mischief in relation to data, by attempting to delete data from the computers of the Office of the Premier of Ontario, thereby committing an indictable offence contrary to section 430(5)(a) of the Criminal Code, was conditionally stayed pursuant to R. v. Kienapple.







He was found guilty of both offences on January 19, 2018.

The prosecution was delegated to the PPSC by the Attorney General of Ontario.

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada is responsible for prosecuting offences in a manner that is free of any improper influence and that respects the public interest. The PPSC is also responsible for providing prosecution-related advice to law enforcement agencies across Canada

www.ppsc-sppc.gc.ca

(Version francaise disponible)

SOURCE Public Prosecution Service Canada
[April 11, 2018] 2018 Malaysian Telecoms Market Analysis & Outlook Report (2005-2025) - Trends, Drivers and Challenges

DUBLIN, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2018 Malaysia Telecom Market Analysis and Outlook Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The research work strategically analyzes Malaysia telecommunications market, examining the recent trends, drivers and challenges across diverse dimensions such as growth, demand, pricing, competition, consumer behaviour, infrastructure, policies and others. The study also provides in-depth analysis of segment wise telecommunications including mobile, fixed line and fixed broadband services. The number of subscribers and penetration rates are forecast for each of the sub-segment including mobile, fixed landline and broadband segments from 2005 to 2025. Malaysia telecommunication revenues, investment and infrastructure details are also covered in the report. Further, emerging business environment in Malaysia together with comparison to five competitive benchmark countries are included, to assess the country's prominence on regional front. On the competitive analysis front, leading companies along with their market shares are identified. Further, key business strategies of market leaders, their tariffs and SWOT profiles are included. In addition, the research work forecasts the demographic and economic drivers of Malaysia that enable strategy planners to formlate their pricing and branding strategies.



The report also includes latest telecommunication market developments, mergers, acquisitions and launches, spectrum availability, tenders and other aspects are analyzed. Key Topics Covered:









Executive Summary Key Findings

Malaysia Telecom Market Overview Malaysia Telecom Market-Strategic Analysis Trends Shaping the Future of Malaysia Telecom Industry

Key strategies being Implemented by Market Leaders

Telecom Revenues in Malaysia

Telecom Investments in Malaysia

Market Drivers

Market Restraints Malaysia Telecom Market Outlook Fixed Line Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Mobile Subscriber and Penetration Outlook

Fixed Broadband Subscriber and Penetration Outlook Malaysia Telecom Competitive Environment Market Shares by Company

Major Operators-Domestic vs International

Regulatory Body and Its Role in Industry Malaysia Telecom Industry Benchmarking Overall Ranking as Compared to Peer Markets

Demand Index

Infrastructure Index

Growth Index Malaysia Economic Outlook to 2025 GDP Forecast, 2005-2025

GDP per Capita Forecast, 2005-2025

Inflation Trends Malaysia Demographic Outlook to 2025 Population Forecast, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Gender, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Age Group, 2005-2025

Population Forecast by Location-Rural Population: Urban Population, 2005-2025

Unemployment Trends in Malaysia Competitor Analysis Company A: Profile and operations in Malaysia

Company B: Profile and operations in Malaysia

Company C: Profile and operations in Malaysia Recent Industry Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xlx29n/2018_malaysian?w=5 Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716



View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2018-malaysian-telecoms-market-analysis--outlook-report-2005-2025---trends-drivers-and-challenges-300628140.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[April 11, 2018]

Actors Federal Credit Union Leverages Hypur's Technology to Elevate Its Regulatory Compliance

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Actors Federal Credit Union (Actors FCU), a national financial institution headquartered in New York City, cites the unique advanced features of Hypur Inc.'s (Hypur) compliance software with helping it maintain a sustainable money service business (MSB) banking platform.

Actors FCU began working with Hypur in August 2016 to improve the efficiency, transparency and reporting of its MSB portfolio. Hypur's software works alongside Actors FCU's existing Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Act (AML/BSA) procedures to help the credit union meet the regulatory requirements of banking MSBs.

"Hypur's proactive compliance, monitoring and reporting capabilities have clearly enhanced our program. Hypur's technology is the perfect complement to our existing systems and enables us to more accurately measure and monitor the unique activity of our MSB accounts," says Chuck Brown, senior compliance officer of Actors FCU.

Hypur's technology provides comprehensive baseline analyses with customizable alerts and triggers along with daily monitoring and monthly reporting of remote deposit capture, armored car, cardholder, ACH and wire activity. Using Hypur's web-based tools allows Actors FCU to easil gather, compare and evaluate custom core and source data. The software also helps quantify the geographic risk of member-reported money transmissions and detects unusual transactions and patterns.







Hypur's technology automates many tedious, manual processes so Actors FCU's compliance and operations staff can spend their time on more value-added tasks and analysis. The result is better customer service, further enhanced AML/BSA compliance and improved profitability.

"Actors FCU is an outstanding partner and a leader in compliantly serving regulatory intensive businesses. We look forward to working with Actors FCU to help them continue to serve their communities by providing valuable banking services for cash-intensive money service businesses," says Christopher E. Galvin, founder and CEO of Hypur.

For inquiries regarding Hypur's bank compliance software, please email Banking@hypur.com.

About Hypur

Hypur is a financial technology company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that provides innovative software solutions for the toughest banking and payments challenges. Hypur's suite of software products includes proactive compliance tools, automated due diligence tools and electronic payment alternatives to debit and credit cards. For more information, visit www.hypur.com.

Related Links

LinkedIn

Twitter

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/actors-federal-credit-union-leverages-hypurs-technology-to-elevate-its-regulatory-compliance-300628280.html

SOURCE Hypur Inc.
[April 11, 2018] Daqo New Energy Corp. Announces Proposed Follow-on Public Offering of American Depositary Shares

CHONGQING, China, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) (the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, today announced the commencement of its proposed registered underwritten public offering of American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), each representing 25 ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (the "Offering"). The Company proposes to offer 2,000,000 ADSs and intends to grant to the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to 300,000 additional ADSs. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditure for further capacity expansion and upgrade of its business, and working capital. The Offering is subject to market conditions and other factors. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is acting as the sole book-running manager and the representative of the underwriters of the Offering. Roth Capital Partners is acting as co-manager for the Offering. The Offering is made pursuant to the Company's shelf registration statement on Form F-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 19, 2018, which became effective under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 on March 26, 2018. A preliminary prospectus supplement dated April 11, 2018 related to the Offering has been filed with the SEC. The registration statement on Form F-3, the preliminary prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference therein are available on the SEC website at: http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may also be obtained from Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, at One Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010-3629, by telephone at (800) 221-1037 or by email at newyork.prospectus@credit-suisse.com, or Roth Capital Partners, 888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 400, Newport Beach CA 92660, (800) 678-9147 or by email rothecm@roth.com.



This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This press release contains information about the Offering, and there can be no assurance that the Offering will be completed. About Daqo New Energy Corp.

Daqo New Energy Corp. is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. As one of the world's lowest cost producers of high-purity polysilicon and solar wafers, the Company primarily sells its products to solar cell and solar module manufacturers. The Company has built a manufacturing facility that is technically advanced and highly efficient with a nameplate capacity of 18,000 metric tons in Xinjiang, China. The Company also operates a solar wafer manufacturing facility in Chongqing, China. For more information, please visit http://daqo.gotoip1.com/. Safe Harbor Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "is expected to", "anticipate", "aim", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "is/are likely to" and similar statements. Among other things, Daqo New Energy Corp.'s strategic and operational plans contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's business and operating strategies; capacity expansion and capital expenditure plans; operations and business prospects; future business development, financial condition and results of operations; competition in its industry; the industry regulatory environment as well as the industry outlook generally; future developments in the polysilicon manufacturing and photovoltaic and semiconductor industries; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China; and government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the reports or documents we have filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Daqo New Energy Corp. does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Daqo New Energy Corp. undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law. For more information, please contact: Daqo New Energy Corp.

Investor Relations

Phone: +86-1871-6585-553

Email: dqir@daqo.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/daqo-new-energy-corp-announces-proposed-follow-on-public-offering-of-american-depositary-shares-300628453.html SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp.

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SAN DIEGO, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health System (API), 1 of 3 free standing psychiatric and addictive disorder facilities serving the San Diego community for over 30 years, today announced major changes to the Executive Management Team as part of the continued expansion plans for its Behavioral Healthcare System in response to the ever growing demand for services.



Patrick Ziemer, who has served as the companys CEO for the last 10 years, will be moving into a corporate role as President and Chief Development Officer, leading the organizations major west coast expansion for Behavioral Health Development and Acquisitions. As part of the Behavioral Health Systems work to enhance its continuum of care, Ziemer will head the companys portfolio expansion plans adding 12 new Crisis Houses (residential treatment facilities offering recovery from mental illness and co-occurring challenges) over the next few years. In addition, Ziemer will lead the planning and acquisition of a new Inpatient Behavioral Health Hospital, development of Psychiatric Urgent Care clinics, Tele-psych services and expansion of Outpatient Clinics throughout the west coast.

Megan Montgomery-West, who has served as the Executive Director Regulatory Affairs and a number of other executive leadership positions within the Hospital including Chief Operations Officer, will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Montgomery-West will be responsible and accountable for managing all administrative and behavioral health care activities for the hospital. As CEO, she will provide overall leadership and direction for all professional, administrative, technical and clerical employees, ensuring the delivery of high quality behavioral health care and supporting ongoing quality improvement efforts. Montgomery-West is known as a pragmatic, results oriented leader, whose success has been in her commitment to identifying practical, quantifiable systems to promote continuous quality improvement. Montgomery-West will focus on improving and expanding patient centered care throughout the Hospital and Intensive Outpatient Programs.

Megan Montgomery-West brings a wealth of experience and leadership from her career as a health care administrator at API, said Patrick Ziemer, outgoing CEO at API. Megans demonstrated leadership, expertise and success in behavioral health care policy and management will be invaluable assets as we carry out our mission of Improving Mental Health and Quality of Life by Helping People Maximize their Potential. It is beyond exciting to step into my next role and lead the Behavioral Health Systems expansion. The need is great, but so is the opportunity and API is poised to expand to meet the need in our community of San Diego and beyond.

Patrick Ziemer has been a part of the Behavioral Healthcare community here in San Diego for over 30 years, said Andrew Noorollah, PhD. Ziemers knowledge of the unique challenges facing our San Diego Behavioral Healthcare and Addiction Disorders community has positioned him well to take on the corporate level role as President and Chief Development Officer and successfully expand our continuum of care and service offering to those living in San Diego and beyond. Ive worked with Megan Montgomery-West since 2003. Shes professional, organized, confident and extremely bright. She has high standards and high expectations for patient care and customer service. We are privileged to have her expertise and leadership as CEO.

Josh Tolman, Chief Administrative Officer for Mountain View Hospital, Idaho Falls, ID., who serves on APIs Board of Directors said Weve seen the need for accessible mental health and addiction services expand exponentially over the past 20 years. We see the devastating results of the unmet need on the nightly news, social media, in our schools and in practically every aspect of our society. As 1 of only 3 free standing psychiatric and addictive disorders facilities in San Diego county, we are eager to invest in expanding our reach to meet the behavioral health and addictive disorder needs within our communities in central San Diego, north county, east county and to grow throughout California and beyond. We are confident that with Megan Montgomery-West as CEO and Patrick Ziemer as President and Chief Development Officer, our team of behavioral healthcare professionals at API will deliver excellent care to those who are in need.

It is a true honor to be selected as the next leader of API, said Montgomery-West. It is a great institution with a long history of excellence. Working together as a team, I know in my heart that APIs best days lie ahead, and together with our great physicians, clinical and non-clinical staff, we will achieve APIs full potential as the #1 behavioral healthcare system, delivering accessible, excellent patient-centered care.

Click Here for Photos and Logo

About API:

Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health System is focused on meeting the needs of the whole patient by providing a Continuum of Care. The current system includes a 66-bed inpatient hospital, Partial Hospitalization and Outpatient services, three Intensive Outpatient facilities, Jackson House, a short-term Crisis residential treatment program, Promontory, an In-home Healthcare practice and 4Front Pharmacy, a full-service pharmacy with a emphasis on behavioral health and addictive disorder needs. For more information on API visit http://www.apibhs.com

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:

Renee Novo, Media Relations

rnovo@apibhs.com

619-401-3349
[April 11, 2018] LiqTech Signs Another Framework Agreement With Marine Scrubber Manufacturer

BALLERUP, Denmark, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LiqTech International, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: LIQT) ("LiqTech") is pleased to announce that the Company has signed another framework agreement with a large marine scrubber manufacturer. The framework agreement has an initial term for 2018 and 2019 and provides that a minimum of 35 systems are estimated to be delivered during the initial term. The first 14 systems to be purchased under the framework agreement have already been identified. Mr. Sune Mathiesen, LiqTech CEO, remarked, "We are very pleased to sign this new framework agreement. Three weeks ago we announced a framework agreement for an expected more than 95 systems in 2018 and 2019, and now we have the pleasure of announcing this new agreement for an expected more than 35 systems in 2018 and 2019." "Our standardized marine scrubber wastewater treatment systems offers significant advantages in terms of foot-print, discharge quality, Capex saving and Opex savings. We have been working in this industry for almost four years now, and our technology has proven well suited for this challenging application." ABOUT LIQTECH INTERNATIONAL, INC. LiqTech International, Inc., a Nevada corporation, is a clean technology company that for more than a decade has developed and provided state-of-the-art technologies for gas and liquid purification using ceramic silicon carbide filters, particularly highly specialized filters for the control of soot exhaust particles from diesel engines and for liquid filtration. Using nanotechnology, LiqTech develops products using proprietary silicon carbide technology. LiqTech's products are based on unique silicon carbide membrane which facilitate new applications and improve existing technologies. In particular, Provital Solutions A/S (www.provital.dk), the Company's subsidiary, has developed a new standard of water filtration technology to meet the ever- increasing demand for higher water quality. By incorporating LiqTech's SiC liquid membrane technology with its longstanding systems design experience and capabilities it offers solutions to the most difficult water pollution problem.



For more information, please visit www.liqtech.com

Follow LiqTech on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/liqtech-international

Follow LiqTech on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiqTech Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Although the forward-looking statements in this release reflect the good faith judgment of management, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in the reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks that may affect our business, financial condition, results of operation and cash flows. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those expected or projected. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this release. CONTACT:

Aldo Petersen, Chairman,

+45 2390 0000, ap@liqtech.com

Sune Mathiesen, CEO

+45 5197 0908, sma@liqtech.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/liqtech-signs-another-framework-agreement-with-marine-scrubber-manufacturer-300628295.html SOURCE LiqTech International, Inc.

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[April 11, 2018] LiqTech Signs Letter Of Intent With One Of The World's Largest Marine Scrubber Manufacturers

BALLERUP, Denmark, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LiqTech International, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: LIQT) ("LiqTech") is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a Letter of Intent with one of the world's largest marine scrubber manufacturers. The Letter of Intent provides that the parties intend to enter into a definitive partnership agreement no later than July 1st, 2018. Mr. Sune Mathiesen, LiqTech CEO, remarked, "We are very pleased to sign this Letter of Intent. "We believe our long term investments into the marine scrubber market has positioned us well with scrubber manufactures and ship owners. We have a proven technology and we continue to add new relationships." ABOUT LIQTECH INTERNATIONAL, INC. LiqTech International, Inc., a Nevada corporation, is a clean technology company that for more than a decade has developed and provided state-of-the-art technologies for gas and liquid purification using ceramic silicon carbide filters, particularly highly specialized filters for the control of soot exhaust particles from diesel engines and for liquid filtration. Using nanotechnology, LiqTech develops products using proprietary silicon carbide technology. LiqTech's products are based on unique silicon carbide membranes which facilitate new applications and improve existing technologies. In particular, Provital Solutions A/S (www.provital.dk), the Company's subsidiary, has developed a new standard of water filtration technology tomeet the ever- increasing demand for higher water quality. By incorporating LiqTech's SiC liquid membrane technology with its longstanding systems design experience and capabilities it offers solutions to the most difficult water pollution problem.



For more information, please visit www.liqtech.com

Follow LiqTech on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/liqtech-international

Follow LiqTech on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiqTech Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Although the forward-looking statements in this release reflect the good faith judgment of management, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in the reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks that may affect our business, financial condition, results of operation and cash flows. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those expected or projected. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this release. CONTACT:

Aldo Petersen, Chairman,

+45 2390 0000, ap@liqtech.com

Sune Mathiesen, CEO

+45 5197 0908, sma@liqtech.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/liqtech-signs-letter-of-intent-with-one-of-the-worlds-largest-marine-scrubber-manufacturers-300628303.html SOURCE LiqTech International, Inc.

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[April 11, 2018] Legacy Health Announces Kathryn Correia as Next President and CEO

Legacy Health, the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area and mid-Willamette Valley's largest, locally owned nonprofit health system, announced today that its board of directors has unanimously chosen Kathryn Correia to be its next president and chief executive officer (CEO) effective in late June 2018. Correia will succeed George Brown, M.D., as Legacy Health's president and CEO who has served since 2008. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411006256/en/ Kathryn Correia, newly announced CEO at Legacy Health Systems (Photo: Business Wire) "After a nationwide search, the board was unanimous in selecting Kathryn Correia to be Legacy Health's next president and CEO," said Jeff Fullman, M.D., chairman of Legacy Health's board of directors. "Kathryn is a mission-driven leader who aligns with Legacy's culture of respect, service and excellence among others. This combined with her deep experience in hospital operations, the physician community and health plan administration make her uniquely qualified to lead Legacy Health into its new chapter." The selection of Correia is the culmination of a nationwide search process led by the Legacy Health Board of Directors' CEO Search Committee. "We were fortunate to have a vast pool of diverse candidates who were each carefully considered," said Nancy Locke, chair of the board's CEO Search Committee. "Kathryn has over 20 years of proven experience leading large health care institutions similar in size and scope and shres many of Legacy's core values, including a deep commitment to the community and the practice of Lean leadership, namely the development of people."



Correia served as CEO of HealthEast, a health system serving the east-metro area of Minneapolis, Minn., until 2017 when she led the organization's successful merger with Fairview Health Services creating the largest health system in Minnesota. Correia then became Fairview Health Services' chief administrative officer where she has played a key role in Fairview's overall integration, planning, advocacy and philanthropic efforts. "I'm honored and I'm grateful to the board for the opportunity to lead this renowned regional health care institution," said Correia. "I have spent my career building health systems that are not only dedicated to providing quality, safe and reliable care but also addressing social determinants of health through deep community engagement. I look forward to working with employees across the system to continue building on the critical mission of good health for our people, patients, communities and world."

A selection of Correia's notable achievements includes: Initiating the integration of electronic health records systemwide on-time and on-budget.

Creating the Community Health Network (CHN), a joint venture Accountable Care Organization (ACO) with independent physicians that resulted in lower cost and higher quality care for patients.

Developing the Neighborhood Health Initiative, an innovative model of community health integration that built neighborhood resiliency and increased access to mental health and fresh, local food. Correia holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Literature from Denison University in Granville, Ohio; a Master's of Health Administration from The Ohio State University; and a Certificate of Health Systems Management from Harvard. She currently serves her community on several community boards and has been recognized as one of the "100 Influential Minnesota Health Care Leaders, Recognizing Excellence" by Minnesota Physician; "100 People to Know" by Twin (News - Alert) Cities Business Magazine; and "Top 35 Women Leaders in Health Care" by the Women's Health Leadership Trust; among others. She and her husband, Steve, have two sons. Correia is an avid kayaker, loves reading and enjoys preparing vegetarian cuisine. About Legacy Health Legacy Health is a local, nonprofit health system with six hospitals and dedicated children's care offered at Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel. Legacy also includes more than 70 primary care, specialty and urgent care clinics, as well as almost 3,000 providers who are either employed, on the medical staff or part of Legacy Health Partners. We have lab, research and hospice services. Among our major partnerships are PacificSource Health Plans and the Unity Center for Behavioral Health. Follow us on Facebook (News - Alert) at www.facebook.com/legacyhealth and on Twitter (News - Alert) at @OurLegacyHealth. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180411006256/en/

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[April 11, 2018] Successful North American Cyber Conference Opens Registration for a New Event in Bermuda

Opening Address on December 6, 2018 : THE HON E. DAVID BURT JP, MP, Premier of Bermuda and Minister of Finance, Government of Bermuda

Theme for 2018: Insurance Approaches to Cyber Risk Management

Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) named Signature Partner TORONTO, April 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Registration has opened for the inaugural Bermudian edition of the International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC), event producers announced today. Opening remarks at the fourth annual International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre today included the proud news that the successful conference is launching a new Bermudian event and that registration is now open. ICRMC Bermuda will take place December 6-7, 2018 at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. Conference programming and registration can be seen at bermuda.icrmc.com. The theme of the inaugural ICRMC Bermuda conference is Insurance Approaches to Cyber Risk Management. This unique agenda will focus on cyber risk with an emphasis on re/insurance and risk transfer solutions. Bermuda, the 'World's Risk Capital', is the ideal market to host this vendor-neutral gathering of the global risk management community. The ICRMC Bermuda program is being designed for corporate risk managers, corporate counsel, auditors, CISOs, CSOs, and CTOs, governance and claims professionals, insurers, reinsurers, insurance brokers and service providers. "We are delighted to be partnering with the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) for ICRMC Bermuda. The agenda reflects the growing need for risk transfer solutions as part of the arsenal of approaches available to organizations to prepare for and recover from a cyber breach," said Joel Baker, President and CEO of MSA Research, the producer of ICRMC. "Risk professionals are faced with cyber attacks that are increasingly difficult to prevent, making insurance solutions that are overtly designed to meet this challenge an important component of corporate cyber risk management and business recovery," Baker added. A world-class advisory committee comprising cyber risk experts from the fields of insurnce, information technology, law, audit and compliance, governance and public policy are shaping the program for ICRMC Bermuda. The British Overseas Territory is a leading global re/insurance hub and the world's most significant property casualty market, supplying an estimated 35 percent of capacity for Lloyd's of London. Bermuda is also the largest domicile for captive insurance and insurance-linked securities.



"As home to a third of the world's top re/insurers, Bermuda is a fitting venue for the type of content and quality of this inaugural event, and we're proud to welcome ICRMC to our market," said Jereme Ramsay, BDA Business Development Manager for the risk solutions sector. "The partnership is particularly fitting, given Bermuda's many close links with Canada, and our location will also allow us to attract US and UK audiences." ICRMC Bermuda Session Highlights:

Current Cyber Risk Trends and How They're Impacting Services and Offerings

Cyber Pricing, Underwriting, Modelling and Reserving

Reinsurance and ILS  Managing Cyber CAT Risk

From Blockchain to Crypto-Currency  Cyber Security Implications

Employing AI in Cyber Risk Management ICRMC Bermuda Featured Speakers: Craigg Ballance , Director, Canadian Member Services, FS-ISAC

, Director, Canadian Member Services, FS-ISAC Anthony Belfiore , SVP and CSO, Aon

, SVP and CSO, Aon The Hon E. David Burt, JP, MP, Premier of Bermuda and Minister of Finance, Government of Bermuda

and Minister of Finance, Government of The Hon Wayne Caines, Minister of National Security, Government of Bermuda

Charles Carmakal, VP, Mandiant/FireEye

Ari Chatterjee , Chief Underwriting Officer, Envelop Risk

, Chief Underwriting Officer, Envelop Risk Todd Daubert , Partner, Dentons US LLP

, Partner, Dentons US LLP Charles Dugas , Director, Insurance Solutions, Element AI

, Director, Insurance Solutions, Element AI Victoria Edmonds , VP, Professional Liability, Markel

, VP, Professional Liability, Markel Alan Frith , Senior Manager, Consulting and Client Services, AIR Worldwide

, Senior Manager, Consulting and Client Services, AIR Worldwide Nick Galletto , Global and Canadian Cyber Risk Services Leader, Deloitte

, Global and Canadian Cyber Risk Services Leader, Deloitte Chris Garrod , Director, Conyers Dill & Pearman

, Director, & Pearman Giles Harlow , VP, Professional Risk Solutions, Aon

, VP, Professional Risk Solutions, Aon Brett Henshilwood , Partner, Deloitte

, Partner, Deloitte John Huff , President and CEO, Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers

, President and CEO, Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers Chris Jansma , SVP, Head of FINPRO, Aspen

, SVP, Head of FINPRO, Noel Pearman , SVP and Cyber Product Lead, XL Catlin

, SVP and Cyber Product Lead, XL Catlin Daniel Rance , Underwriter, Financial Lines, Iron-Starr

, Underwriter, Financial Lines, Iron-Starr Adam Segal , ICRMC Bermuda Emcee and Director of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations (NY)

, ICRMC Bermuda Emcee and Director of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations (NY) Sarah Spurling , SVP, Professional Lines, Sompo International

, SVP, Professional Lines, Sompo International Mark Synnott , Managing Director and EVP, Willis Towers Watson

, Managing Director and EVP, Tim Tetlow , COO, HSCM Bermuda and Partner, Hudson Structured Capital Management Ltd.

, COO, HSCM Bermuda and Partner, Hudson Structured Capital Management Ltd. George Thomas , Senior Advisor, PwC

, Senior Advisor, PwC Ross Webber , CEO, BDA

, CEO, BDA Greg Wojciechowski , President and CEO, Bermuda Stock Exchange About ICRMC

Now in its fourth year, the International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC) has earned a reputation as one of the world's most trusted cyber security events. Canadian and Bermudian editions of ICRMC are uniquely programmed to reflect each market. ICRMC provides delegates with an essential forum to learn from experts, network and share experiences with peers and colleagues, and get the answers they need to help them mitigate and respond to today's evolving cyber risks. ICRMC is a content-rich event where the primary goal is to inform and educate attendees about the issues. The programming is driven by a world-class advisory committee made up of cyber risk subject matter experts from the areas of information technology, insurance and risk management, law, audit and compliance, governance, academia and public policy. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/successful-north-american-cyber-conference-opens-registration-for-a-new-event-in-bermuda-300628570.html SOURCE International Cyber Risk Management Conference (ICRMC)

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[April 11, 2018] Qnect Continues To Shape The Steel Industry With Investment From Nucor

HADLEY, Mass., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Qnect, LLC announced today that Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) is the lead investor for Qnect's $3.8 million funding round. Qnect provides software and digital engineering to optimize connections and production throughput for better steel project efficiency. "We are proud to be able to partner with Nucor. Their investment recognizes the power of our software and is a gratifying endorsement from such a prominent leader in the steel industry," says Jef Sharp, CEO of Qnect. "Qnect helps everybody in the industry with early data and optimization cost benefits that make steel the best choice." Introduced to the market in April 2016, Qnect's cloud-based connection software is designed for steel detailers, fabricators, engineers and others involved in the structural steel workflow. Qnect projects have recognized savings from earlier delivery of shop drawings, improved fabrication throughput, reduction in connection costs, and streamlined approvals and revisions. With Nucor's investment, Qnect will strengthen its market position in North Americ and key international markets.



"This investment in Qnect emphasizes Nucor's commitment to continuous improvement, our dedication to our customers and our belief that technology will continue to drive the steel industry," said John Hollatz, President of Nucor's Vulcraft / Verco Group. "Nucor is looking forward to working with Qnect as it delivers on its vision of bringing significant efficiencies to the design, fabrication, and erection of steel structures and provides stewardship to the construction process." About Qnect, LLC

Qnect, the optimization company, delivers fast, intelligent, cloud-based connection software (SaaS) for steel detailers, fabricators, owners and engineers who seek efficiency, quality, increased profits and better managed schedules. Qnect's QuickQnect automates structural steel connection design capable of detailing 1,000s of steel connections in minutes.

About Nucor Corporation

Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor is North America's largest recycler. CONTACT: Christian Erickson, 512-814-5611, christian@qnect.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qnect-continues-to-shape-the-steel-industry-with-investment-from-nucor-300628580.html SOURCE Qnect, LLC

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[April 11, 2018] Serko Expands North American Presence with Industry Veteran Tony D'Astolfo

LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --?Serko Ltd. (NZX:SKO), a leader in online travel booking and expense management for business, today announced the further expansion of its North American operations with the appointment of Tony D'Astolfo, as Senior Vice President, NORAM. Serko CEO, Darrin Grafton said, "With Tony joining, we welcome arguably one of the most influential executives in corporate travel in the North American market. This is another key milestone in Serko's global expansion and we're thrilled to add someone of Tony's caliber to the team. His experience, track record and extensive network will propel our efforts to launch Zeno in the world's largest business travel market." D'Astolfo is a 30-year travel industry veteran with deep expertise in business travel and technology. His successful track record in the corporate travel technology space began at GetThere, where he led the pre-IPO startup as Vice President of Sales. D'Astolfo then moved to Deem, where he assembled and led a team that added over 7,000 customers, before leaving to lead Phocuswright, the travel industry's premier research firm, as Managing Director. "The North American market is looking for alternatves to the status quo, and Zeno, the state-of-the-art travel and expense technology platform that Darrin and team have built at Serko is perfectly positioned to make an impact," said D'Astolfo. "I'm excited to join a team with a proven history of execution and look forward to leading the efforts here in North America."



Grafton added, "Our entry into the U.S. market is gathering momentum and we're excited to give the U.S. and Canadian markets a sorely needed new option." D'Astolfo joins former Amex and NuTravel exec Rich Miller, and former Concur exec Murray Warner as the newest members of the leadership team at Serko. The new look executive line-up, along with Serko's new flagship product, Zeno, will be introduced to the industry at the upcoming ACTE Conference in New York, April 29-May 1, and the BTTB-GTBA conference in Sydney on May 8-9.

More information Kylie Banks, Porter Novelli, for Serko

Phone: 310-754-4126

Email: kylie.banks@porternovelli.com Follow Serko On Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/company/serko-ltd

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/SerkoOnline About Serko Serko is a leading travel and expense technology solution in Australasia, used by over 6,000 corporate entities and Travel Management Companies who combined book more than A$6bn of travel a year through Serko's platforms. Zeno is Serko's next generation travel management application, using intelligent technology, predictive workflows and a global travel marketplace to transform business travel across the entire journey. Listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange Main Board (NZX:SKO), Serko employs more than 100 people worldwide, with its HQ in New Zealand, and offices across Australia, China, India and the U.S. Visit www.serko.com for more information. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/serko-expands-north-american-presence-with-industry-veteran-tony-dastolfo-300628583.html SOURCE Serko Ltd.

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NEW ORLEANS, La., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2018 Louisiana Energy Conference will be held in New Orleans on Tuesday afternoon May 29 through Friday, June 1, 2018 at the Westin Canal Place Hotel at 100 Rue Iberville. The Conference will feature a series of approximately 20 panels May 30 - 31 that will discuss key domestic and international oil and natural gas industry developments and topics. After strong participation in recent years, the Conference will again host several field trips on June 1 to both offshore Gulf of Mexico and onshore south Louisiana facilities, including a crew boat visit to an offshore platform and an onshore airboat trip to view marshland production facilities.



Several networking events are planned for this year. The Conference will begin at 4 pm on Tuesday afternoon May 29 with a keynote speaker discussing global energy matters, followed by a welcoming reception. On Wednesday, May 30 the Conference will return to the National World War II Museum for its traditional dinner and museum tour. There will also be a Thursday evening May 31 post-closing, pre-field trip event from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at a venue to be announced.

Executives from a variety of leading public and private exploration and production and oil field services companies as well as representatives from energy-related private equity firms, industry trade groups, regulatory agencies, investment banks, institutional research groups, insurance, and law firms will participate in the panel discussions.

Confirmed investment professional attendees will be offered the opportunity to register for one-on-one meetings with companies participating on the panels. Over 70 exploration and production companies, oil field service companies and other panelist firms are expected to take part in the Conference.

Event host Al Petrie, Senior Partner of Al Petrie Advisors, LLC commented, Oil prices have improved significantly in the last several months and the industry is increasingly optimistic. We look forward to hearing from executive management from both public and private companies to learn more about their 2018 activity levels and capital expenditure budgets, and what their expectations are for the future. We will also have principals from private equity firms who will discuss their views on energy investing. Our Conference will again be comprised solely of panel discussions rather than typical scripted company presentations. The addition of private company executives to the panels continues to add a new dimension to the discussion of key industry issues.

Petrie continued, This year we will again host a day of field trips to allow our attendees to see the energy industry up close and personal. New Orleans is uniquely located to enable us to visit a variety of offshore and onshore industry facilities with easy access from the Conference.

Attendance at the Conference is directed to investment professionals including buy side and sell side analysts and portfolio managers, as well as private equity and wealth management executives and trust officers. There is no cost for investment professionals to attend the Conference. The cost for all other attendees is $295 for the four-day event.

The Conference web site www.LouisianaEnergyConference.com provides additional details on the event and will be updated over the coming weeks with additional information on the agenda and participating companies. Registration is now open through the web site as well as the ability to reserve rooms online at our special rate.

The Conference is being hosted by Al Petrie Advisors. For additional information on attendance and sponsorship opportunities, please call (504) 799-1953 or email info@LouisianaEnergyConference.com.

201 Saint Charles Avenue Suite 2413 New Orleans, Louisiana 70170

Contact:

Al Petrie

(504) 799-1953
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Expereo, global provider of managed internet network, accelerated cloud access and SD-WAN solutions, announces a new strategic partnership with information security services company SecureOps.



SecureOps brings two decades of network security experience as a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to Expereos XDN portfolio. SecureOps comprehensive suite of on-premise and cloud-based security services will empower multinational customers to securely operate internet-centric networks, deploy SD-WANs, and move to the cloud with confidence.

SecureOps and Expereo

Expereo and SecureOps have signed a strategic partnership to provide total network security for todays business-critical digital landscape. As enterprises move to the internet and SD-WAN, many find that complex manual processes plus a lack of resources and skills prevents them from effectively keeping pace with the current security landscape. Expereo and SecureOps joint solution alleviates these challenges when adopting an internet-centric enterprise network and cloud access strategy.

Irwin Fouwels, Expereo CEO, comments: "With SecureOps we bring a complete security suite to the Expereo XDN portfolio. We now offer our global SD-WAN solutions bundled with full managed security, enabling the multinational enterprise to deliver on its cloud strategy and deploy SD-WAN with confidence.

Loren Goldig, SecureOps CEO & President, comments: Network security in 2018 must be adaptable. You cant throw in firewalls and walk away; security needs are as complex and diverse as the businesses themselves. Todays solutions must exactly meet the specific needs of each individual company. Working in strategic partnership with Expereo, our ability to deliver these tailored solutions is enhanced by Expereos commercial go-to-market and agile global delivery capability.

The security offering

The Expereo and SecureOps strategic partnership for security and network service management is enhanced by vulnerability lifecycle management services. Enterprises will be able to easily integrate SecureOps flexible MSSP services into their network, bolstering Expereo connectivity with robust security. Expereo will offer the following Managed Security services:

Security infrastructure management

Secured, monitored internet break-out services via on-premises devices or secure cloud gateways across a number of security offerings, including security information and event management (SIEM), firewall management for SD-WAN, intrusion defense and prevention systems (IDS and IPS), universal threat managers (UTM) and more.

Secured, monitored internet break-out services via on-premises devices or secure cloud gateways across a number of security offerings, including security information and event management (SIEM), firewall management for SD-WAN, intrusion defense and prevention systems (IDS and IPS), universal threat managers (UTM) and more. Threat monitoring and response

Dedicated, 24/7 triage and incident handling and customer environment monitoring for potential threats, powered by a multi-layer detection process.

Dedicated, 24/7 triage and incident handling and customer environment monitoring for potential threats, powered by a multi-layer detection process. Vulnerability lifecycle management

Enterprise WAN vulnerability management. Proactive scanning and analysis of customer infrastructure for threat determination and reporting, backed by assessment and remediation.

In addition, customers will also receive access to security consultancy services such as security audits, customer requirement facilitation, host protection and more.

About SecureOps

SecureOps is a high-end information security services provider and member of the Information Security Forum (ISF) with two decades of experience. The team offers specialist knowledge related to security and security-related networking technology.

SecureOps has built its global services on personalised solutions, preferring turnkey approaches to an off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all approach. SecureOps will work directly with Expereo customers to understand their needs and deliver specialist security solutions tailored to their specific requirements. Customers can choose and deploy a suite of solutions that will sit under one accessible management framework specifically relevant to their organization.

SecureOps and Expereo are uniquely positioned to collaborate given their commitment to a customer-centric approach, cutting-edge technology, global capability, and agile customer deployment expertise.

Press contact: conor@grammatikagency.com
(Image credit: C-SPAN)

In the second Congressional hearing on Facebooks data practices, several House representatives brought up the issue of Facebook tracking users even when they log out or when they dont even have accounts. The company has long been accused of creating these "shadow profiles."

Facebooks Long History With Shadow Profiles

Facebook introduced the "Like" button for web pages in 2010. Months later, a Dutch security researcher discovered that the button was sending data about the pages you were visiting to Facebook, even if you never clicked on it. Facebook said that what the researcher found was a bug and promised to fix it.

When the Wall Street Journal found that Facebooks Like button was still collecting data in May, 2011, Facebook reiterated that the Like button is not used nor intended to be used for tracking. Later that year, Facebook began auto-sharing what people were reading with their friends. At first, people thought that simply logging out of Facebook would stop this sort of tracking, but others soon discovered that it actually didnt work. Facebook promised to fix the issue so that users are no longer tracked when they log out of their accounts. The company also added that it doesnt track users or target ads at them via the Like button, and that it deletes or anonymized the data after 90 days of using it.

In 2014, Facebook announced that it will use the Like button and other widgets to track users and to create more targeted ads against that data.

In 2015, Facebook was threatened with a 250,000 euro per day fine unless it stopped this sort of tracking against internet users who didnt even have Facebook accounts. The company claimed it was using Like button tracking for security reasons, in order to stop fake accounts and botnets. The company had initially won the lawsuit based on a jurisdiction issue.

However, as the jurisdiction issue clarified in the following years, a Belgium district court eventually ruled that Facebook must end its shadow tracking, delete all the shadow profiles it had illegally created over the years, and comply with EU privacy laws. Otherwise, the company would have to pay a fine of 250,000 euro a day until it made those changes.

Congress Confronts Zuckerberg Over Shadow Profiles

Today, in the second hearing Congress has done on Facebooks data policies and the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, Congressman Ben Lujan from New Mexico asked Zuckerberg about shadow profiles. However, he claimed he was not aware of that term. After explaining it, Lujan confronted Zuckerberg about his statement that all users control their data when internet users whose data has been collected by Facebook through shadow tracking in fact have few ways to do so.

Zuckerberg said that non-Facebook users can only opt out of ad tracking. However, considering he also said that the company tracks all users who visit pages with Facebook widgets on them for security purposes, that means not all tracking will stop. Lujan then pressed him on how many data points the company collects on both users and non-users, but Zuckerberg said he doesn't know.

In an earlier discussion with another Congressman, Zuckerberg also said that users can download or delete all the data theyve ever posted or that has been created through their own interactions with the Facebook. However, he also implied that the data Facebook may have collected about individuals through other means may not be deleted.

Although Facebook may be forced to stop using tracking non-users in the European Union, that may not be the case in the U.S. and elsewhere, even if the company has promised to bring GDPR privacy controls to everyone.

The only way the company may stop its shadow tracking in the U.S. is either if the FTCs new investigation concludes that this behavior is illegal, or if new regulation requiring consent for all use of consumer data would ban the company from doing it without explicit user permission.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, at Senate hearing

In the joint Senate hearing, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg rejected the idea that his company violated the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement from 2011, when the agency found that Facebook deceived consumers with its privacy policies. He also said that he didnt think it was necessary to disclose the Cambridge Analytica data leak in 2015 to either the millions of impacted Facebook users nor to the FTC.

FTCs 2011 Settlement With Facebook

After many complaints from users and civil rights groups about Facebooks misleading privacy policies and the fact that the company seemed to keep converting users own settings from private to public, the FTC started an investigation against the company in 2010. A year later, the agency concluded that Facebook had deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public.

FTCs list of complaints against Facebook also included the following:

In December 2009, Facebook changed its website so certain information that users may have designated as private  such as their Friends List  was made public. They didn't warn users that this change was coming, or get their approval in advance.Facebook represented that third-party apps that users' installed would have access only to user information that they needed to operate. In fact, the apps could access nearly all of users' personal data  data the apps didn't need.Facebook told users they could restrict sharing of data to limited audiences  for example with "Friends Only." In fact, selecting "Friends Only" did not prevent their information from being shared with third-party applications their friends used.Facebook had a "Verified Apps" program & claimed it certified the security of participating apps. It didn't.Facebook promised users that it would not share their personal information with advertisers. It did.Facebook claimed that when users deactivated or deleted their accounts, their photos and videos would be inaccessible. But Facebook allowed access to the content, even after users had deactivated or deleted their accounts.Facebook claimed that it complied with the U.S.- EU Safe Harbor Framework that governs data transfer between the U.S. and the European Union. It didn't.

The settlement with the FTC bars Facebook from making anymore deceptive privacy claims such as the ones above and requires the company to get consumers approval before changing how it shares their data.

Closed Case

Zuckerberg said in the hearing that when the company learned about Cambridge Analytica and Professor Aleksandr Kogans actions to harvest user data, it demanded that both delete any Facebook data they had. Then Facebook relied on Cambridge Analytica and Kogans verbal assurances that they deleted the data to consider this a closed case.

Senator Bill Nelson from Florida then asked Zuckerberg if he believes the company had an ethical obligation to notify the 87 million users whose data was harvested or the FTC that this happened. Zuckerberg reiterated that the company considered this to be a closed case.

Its not yet clear if Facebook violated the full agreement with the FTC, which is why the FTC is also investigating the company right now. However, the fact that Facebook didnt consider it necessary to report a leak or breach affecting tens of millions of Americans, is why the European Union adopted regulations to make it mandatory for companies to report such incidents within three days of discovering them.

When asked whether or not he would agree with similar legislation in the U.S., Zuckerberg answered affirmatively.
Senator Graham showing Facebook's entire ToS

The first of the two Congressional hearings started today, with multiple Senators each getting five minutes to question Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the companys data policies. One of the questions specifically asked Zuckerberg whether or not he believes that Facebook is a monopoly. He answered that he doesnt feel like it is.

Does Facebook Have Direct Competitors?

Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina asked Zuckerberg to name his companys biggest competitor. Zuckerberg didnt seem willing to name a direct competitor and instead wanted to name categories of competitors."

Senator Graham pushed him to state whether or not he believes Facebook has a direct competitor in the same way car companies have many direct competitors, which allow consumers to easily switch from one brand to another. Seeing as Zuckerberg was still unwilling to provide a direct response to this line of questioning, the senator asked him if Facebook is a monopoly, and Zuckerberg rejected that idea.

Is Facebook A Social Media Monopoly?

To most of us, it probably does appear that Facebook is a social media monopoly, because theres no other social media company that comes even close to Facebooks network of 2.2 billion users.

The closest competition that Zuckerberg could name were chat applications, some of which do have hundreds of millions of users. These chats do also provide users a way to communicate with each other, but its still not quite social media in the same vein as Facebook. Therefore, the correct answer to Senator Grahams question would be that there is no large competitor to which users could just flock tomorrow, if they could.

Part of the reason why its so difficult to leave a social network is also because the bigger the social networks are, the better they become in the sense that all of your friends and acquaintances are on it. Thats how they become more valuable to each individual.

Facebooks Terms Of Services Are Not Human-Readable

To make a point about the fact that consumers cant be the parties most responsible for the Cambridge Analytica data leak (and others), even if they agreed to Facebooks Terms of Service (ToS), Graham showed everyone a large stack of paper, containing at least dozens of pages of Facebooks complete ToS.

He then asked Zuckerberg whether or not he believed that the average Facebook user can even read that ToS, to which Zuckerberg replied that they would not. Zuckerberg added that Facebook will do a better job at presenting the privacy policies in an easier to understand way.

Facebook And Regulations

Facebook was asked by multiple senators about his opinions on regulating the social media platform. Zuckerberg was cautious in responding to these questions. However, he welcomed the prospect of some regulations, such as having transparency rules to show who spends money for political ads on Facebook, or regulations that would make it easier for users to understand how Facebook and other companies use their data. Zuckerberg didn't completely agree with the GDPR regulations, but he said the Europeans "have done some things right."
As an easy-to-use headset that runs on modest hardware (by VR standards), the Explorer is a solid-enough choice. And if youre looking for a headset to share with your kids, were not aware of a PC-connected VR device that will fit better.

Introduction

The Lenovo Explorer Windows Mixed Reality headset is a portable VR headset that's affordable and lightweight, and will fit on a small head. If you're looking for a headset to share with your kids, this is among your best bets right now.

Microsoft launched the Windows Mixed Reality platform in October, which added virtual reality and augmented reality to the Windows 10 operating system. Rather than build its own hardware, Microsoft focused on the software side of the platform and turned to a handful of hardware partners to take care of the headset manufacturing. The company partnered with well-established PC hardware designers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung to bring a variety of Windows Mixed Reality headsets to the market. Microsoft set the minimum specifications for the headsets, and it developed a reference controller design for the motion controllers, and it gave the headset partners the freedom to customize and improve the designs as they saw fit.

We recently took a good hard look at the Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset, and it left us with mixed impressions. The Acer headset features a crisp display, is lightweight, and is easy to set up. However, the build quality feels somewhat cheap, and we werent impressed with the reference-design controllers that Acer includes with the headset.

Lenovos Explorer Windows Mixed Reality Headset is in the same price range as the Acer headset, and it offers comparable features. And it happens to be the second Windows MR headset that we received for evaluation. Hopefully, Lenovos headset doesnt fall short in the same ways that the Acer headset did. Let's see.

The Windows Mixed Reality Platform

Windows Mixed Reality is Microsofts immersive technology platform. It piggybacks on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and supports augmented-reality devices such as the HoloLens headset. But Microsofts partners are betting that most people will access Windows MR with one of the Windows MR VR HMDs.

The Windows MR platform provides a virtual environment from which to access your digital content in 3D. When you put the headset on, youll find yourself in virtual space that you can customize for your preferences. The default environment is called the Beach House, and it offers several rooms and workspaces. (For an in-depth look at the Windows MR platform and its Beach House environment, see our Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset review.)

The Windows Mixed Reality platform is still in its infancy, and as such, there isnt much to do with it yet. Microsoft boasts that more than 20,000 applications support Windows MR, but wed argue that you wont find much to do thats practical in VR. Sure, you can open almost any UWP app in Windows MR, but most apps werent created with a 3D environment in mind, and they dont offer much that you cant do with a standard PC display.

When we received our Acer headset, we attempted to use it for productivity, but that was easier said than done. Ideally, we would have used Microsofts Office suite to write the review while wearing the headset. Unfortunately, there was a bug in Microsofts UWP Office applications that prevented us from opening them in the VR environment. Fortunately, by the time we started to evaluate the Lenovo headset, Microsoft had corrected the problem. Much of the review youre reading right now was written in Word Mobile while wearing the Lenovo Explorer headset.

Working in Windows Mixed Reality has gotten better since we first looked at the platform, but its still not up to par with a traditional computing environment. Were now able to work with Word Mobile and other Office apps, which is a great improvement from the initial launch. However, were still not convinced that Microsofts approach to productivity in VR worksespecially now that Oculus Core 2.0 software supports virtual workspaces, too. Its nice to see Microsofts native applications working in Windows Mixed Reality, but we dont expect to spend much time working with our headset on. In fact, we couldnt even compel ourselves to write this entire article in VR. We could see using Word Mobile in Windows MR to write short documents, or for quick edits. However, Windows MR doesnt improve our productivity. If anything, it hinders our ability to work efficiently, and therefore we dont see ourselves giving up traditional displays just yet.

We found that we had to lift the visor regularly to see the real world. Be it reaching for our mouse or searching for the right key on the keyboardwe found it more challenging than you might expect to reach for peripherals blindly. You may not think that visual cues play a big role in reaching for your mouse. We learned the hard way just how much our peripheral vision plays a role in our day-to-day computer use.

When we tested the Acer Windows Mixed Reality headset, we found that using the motion controllers to navigate applications was cumbersome. We attempted to use the mouse in VR, but that didnt appear to work in our early tests. Were not sure if Microsoft changed something, or if we somehow missed this feature, but weve since discovered that you could use your traditional mouse in Microsofts Mixed Reality environment. The mouse isnt the ideal peripheral for 3D navigation, but it is still superior for 2D navigation. We much prefer using the mouse to access the menus in Word Mobile and other 2D applications.

When you use the mouse in VR, you can move it from window to window through 3D space. The mouse cursor remains at a static distance when hovering over an application. When you move beyond the app windows barriers, the cursor jumps to the nearest flat planebe that another window, a wall, the background in the distance, or even the floor. You wouldnt think that moving a mouse in a 3D space would work, but Microsofts implementation works well.

MORE: Best Virtual Reality Headsets

MORE: All Virtual Reality Content

MORE: Virtual Reality Basics
"T-Mobiles and Sprints previous round of negotiations ended in November over valuation disagreements. Since then, Sprints shares have lost more than a fifth of their value amid questions about how the company can compete effectively under the weight of its long-term debt of more than $32 billion."

T-Mobile, Sprint restart merger talks: source (Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc () is engaged in a new round of talks to acquire Sprint Corp (), a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, the latest effort to combine the third and fourth largest U.S. wireless carriers.

A money quote highlighted by one of the smarter denizens of our blog community whilst a "takeover" is looking more like a mercy killing of a former corporate giant now hobbled by borrowed money . . .Read more:
A former treasurer of the Gladstone firefighters union pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $26,000 from the union. The Kansas City Star reports 58-year-old Charles Duddy, of Platte City, entered the plea Tuesday in federal court after waiving his right to a grand jury. Duddy was the former fire inspector for the city of Gladstone.
His friends had gone down to Westport, had too much to drink, called him and he went down to pick them up," she said.





Police have told her that gang members were driving and trading bullets near 39th and Broadway and that her son was shot while walking on the sidewalk outside Walgreens.





Several of [the drivers] went through the parking lot and several other went up onto Broadway heading north shooting at each other the whole time, and Chris was on the sidewalk in between the shooting," she said police told her.





He died the next day at a hospital.





More than a decade later, there is no one behind bars for his death. Police have identified a blue 2003 Isuzu Rodeo, a gray 2007 Pontiac G6, and a brown vehicle with suspected involvement.

As usual with most crime in and around Westport, nobody saw anything and Midtown denizens downplay the risk of violence to potential customers.

was gunned down during a Westport rolling gun battle more than a decade ago and the pain of that loss endures for his friends and family.His mom bravely serves as an advocate for the cold case and decries so many other local crimes that remain unsolved.Take a look:Deets:. Call-takers do not record whether the tipster is a male or female, do not take down any contact information, and if a reward is due, he or she can also collect it anonymously.Chris's mom is asking any of the people leaving the bars that night, also walking along, or who know details about the shooting, to call theDeveloping . . .
Kansas City Jazz Contemplation

Report: American Jazz Museum needs 'complete rethinking,' new leadership - Kansas City Business Journal Consultants assessing Kansas City's American Jazz Museum concluded that the 18th & Vine attraction needs to temporarily shut down, undergo a "complete rebirth" and reorganize its leadership. The museum needs "a revamped financial model, visitor experience, and operational infrastructure," and it should close temporarily, KCUR reports.

Talking MLK Street Rename Logistics

If KC renames The Paseo for Martin Luther King Jr., there will be lots more work to do Brenda Jenkins has lived in a home on The Paseo since 1973. She hears some people want to rename it for Martin Luther King Jr. Nope. "I like it the way it is," she said this week. "They just want to change stuff to suit them. We live on this street."

Rolling With KCMO Hipster Transit

RideKC Transit: to your local B-Cycle Station By Paul Thompson Northeast News RideKC sponsored content What better way to spend a glorious spring afternoon than atop a bicycle? That was my initial thought, perched merrily upon a rented B-Cycle on a recent picturesque April afternoon, gliding effortlessly - on a largely downhill plane - from the River Market to Berkley Riverfront Park.

KC Laptop Job Search

Virtual Career Fair Underway! The Kansas City Virtual Career Fair is here April 10-May 6 at www.VirtualCareerFair.com. This is the perfect chance to discover your next professional opportunity, all from the comfort of your home.

KCMO Doggie Vote Roundup

KCMO Council green-lights $18 million animal shelter In April 2017, KCMO voters approved an expected $14 million outlay of General Obligation bond funds for the construction of a new animal shelter in Swope Park. On April 5, 2018, those voters got more than they bargained for, as the City Council approved an $18 million appropriation for the animal shelter in a unanimous vote.

Local Helping Hand

Kansas City Autism Training Center Giving Families Hope April is Autism Awareness Month. According to the Kansas City Autism Training Center, nearly 8,000 kids in the greater KC area are diagnosed on the autism spectrum. After one local man's son was diagnosed, he started a school that's helping these kids live their best life.

Springtime For Kansas City???

First Alert: Warm, windy for your Wednesday It's going to be very warm and windy Wednesday with south gusts up to 35-40 mph and highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s.

This morning. Accordingly, we're also checking news links closer to home in this first sip of local MSM content.Checkit:this is thefor right now . . .
Merriam police searching for missing woman MERRIAM, Kan. - Merriam police are asking for the public's help find a missing woman not scene since Monday. Trinecsua Waters' mother last saw her 19-year-old daughter around 4:30 p.m. Monday. She was wearing a white jacket, blue jeans and a colorful scarf.

Authorities looking for help in this missing lady case . . . Take a look and maybe help a suburban mom reconnect:
NEW YORK, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AKF, a global leader in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection engineering (MEP/FP), information and communication technology (ICT), as well as commissioning, design, and consulting, has expanded its presence in the Southeastern U.S. with the acquisition of Richmond, Virginia-based Bold Rock Engineering Group, an MEP/FP and commissioning firm serving the region for nearly four decades.



Bold Rocks commitment to higher education, workplace, hospitality, and healthcare clients complements AKFs already strong portfolio in these practice areas, as does its expertise in the transportation, government, and utilities sectors.

Bold Rocks notable projects include the redevelopment of Main Street Station, Richmonds historic railroad station; the expansion and renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport's International Arrivals Building; Loudon Countys Metro Rail Station Parking; the new Regattas Dining Hall at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA; and the recently renovated 410-key Richmond Marriott.

This partnership makes sense for all parties involved, said AKF CEO, Dino DeFeo, PE, for AKF, for Bold Rock, and especially for our clients. Collectively, well build on our experience to deliver innovative and client-centric solutions exceeding our clients expectations.

Having collaborated with Bold Rock on successful projects, DeFeo continued, we felt this was an excellent opportunity to grow the AKF family by acquiring a firm with a shared vision and culture of Engineering Leadership.

AKFs presence in Richmond also empowers the firm to provide additional support to existing clients, such as VCU Health, James Madison University, Inova Health, and Childrens National Medical Center.

This is a natural progression for AKF. Weve experienced great success with the launch of our Baltimore office, and our new office in Richmond enhances our growing operations in the Southeast, said DeFeo. Were also excited to be a part of and contribute to the growth in Richmond and across Virginia.

Bradley Lownsbury, Bold Rocks Managing Principal, stated, Weve always championed a client-first focus and simply put, joining AKF benefits our clients. As AKF Richmond, we are now a firm with local roots and global reach.

Lownsbury also emphasized AKFs robust offering of integrated services including IT/AV/security, fire and life safety, architectural code consulting, lighting design, and energy and sustainability as additional advantages for clients in the region.

ABOUT BOLD ROCK ENGINEERING GROUP

With a long history in Virginia, Bold Rock Engineering has provided MEP engineering and commissioning services to architects, developers, and building owners throughout the Southeast. Bold Rock has worked with the regions market leaders in a variety of sectors including higher education, hospitality, healthcare, cultural, commercial, government, historic preservation, transportation, and power and energy services.

ABOUT AKF GROUP

AKF is a global leader providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection engineering (MEP/FP), information and communication technology (ICT), as well as commissioning, design, and consulting for the built environment.

The firm has provided Engineering Leadership for many landmark projects, including The Wharf along Washington, DCs Southwest Waterfront; the iconic One57 condominiums in Manhattan; Yale Universitys Sterling Memorial Library; Bristol-Myers Squibbs 650,000 SF, four-building Princeton Pike campus; and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital, named New Yorks best healthcare project for 2017 by the Engineering News-Record.

AKFs services include: mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering, analysis and testing, architectural code consulting, building controls, central utilities, cogeneration, commissioning, critical systems, energy and sustainability, fire and life safety, IT/AV/security, lighting design, and special inspections.

With the addition of its Richmond office, AKF now has more than 500 dedicated team members and ten offices worldwide, including New York, NY; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; Minneapolis, MN; New Haven, CT; and Hamilton, NJ. AKF also has two offices in Mexico: Puebla and Mexico City. For additional information about AKF, please visit www.akfgroup.com.

Tom Dalton

480-529-5434

tom@chapterandversestrategies.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/df0714ad-ed90-42ef-8815-262c4050751d

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/44f867fc-3379-4ca6-8248-c801b6b62f25
Much of Kansas City's economic development over the past few decades is thanks, in part, to tax breaks given to developers by the city. The shops at Zona Rosa and Briarcliff in the Northland, the Power and Light District and Crossroads Arts District downtown, and the massive Cerner development in south Kansas City, just to name a few, all benefit from tax abatements.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- An Independence man is now facing charges after he allegedly stabbed his girlfriend's son in the back while he was cooking ramen noodles Saturday night. James McConnell, 59, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in Jackson County. Court documents say on April 7, police were called around 9 p.m.
THE CONTEXT THE LOCAL NEWS IS AFRAID TO MENTION: THE KANSAS CITY CASE FEATURES AN EXTREME CONSERVATIVE RIGHT-WING DUDE CHARGED WITH KILLING A LOCAL LIBERAL LAWYER!!!

David Jungerman charged in the murder of Kansas City lawyer Thomas Pickert









KCUR: The charges come after three witnesses told police they saw an older man in a white van, which Jungerman drives, near Pickerts home the morning of the shooting, according to charging documents. Other witnesses told police that Jungerman answered his phone Murder, Inc., this is David."

David Jungerman has been charged in the October 2017 fatal shooting of Kansas City lawyer Thomas Pickert on his front walk, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.David G. Jungerman, dob: 3/03/1938, faces Murder 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action.*According to court records, KCPD officers responded at about 8:07 a.m. on Oct. 25, 2017, to a Kansas City residence. They found the victims body on the front walk. He had been shot once by a .17 caliber bullet. Before the shooting, the victim had obtained a jury verdict in the amount of $5.75 million against David Jungerman, of Raytown on behalf of his client. The day before the murder, Jungerman was served property liens by the Jackson County Sheriffs Office.A white van was tracked traveling from near Raytown to the victims neighborhood, according to court records. The defendant owns a white van and told the media that no one used his van that day and that he had the only key to that van. A witness  a man walking his dog -- told police that he saw an older white man with grey hair standing behind an idling white van. The man then parked the van directly across from the victims house. The witness also stated the man wore khaki pants and a tan jacket darker than the pants.The fatal bullet, according to court records, was identified as a .17 caliber round, a relatively rare caliber. On March 8, 2018, a search warrant was obtained for the defendants car. Under the passenger seat an unspent .17 caliber bullet was located. A witness told police that he had a conversation with Jungerman in March 2018. During that conversation, Jungerman stated he had killed a lawyer with a gun and gotten away with it. He did it because the lawyer stole his money.Recently, police executed search warrants, according to court records, at the defendants home and business. At his business, police found a print out from the Jackson County property tax database. It showed the victims home address. An Olympus audio recorder with a recording was recovered. The first part of the recording captured a court hearing that the defendant attended in November 2017. But after the hearing, the recorder continued to run. Later, the defendant talked to his employee about a .17 caliber rifle and about killing the victim.Prosecutors requested that Jungerman continue to be held on no bond.##############More Links:Developing . . .
Zarah Evans, the managing partner of Dubai-based brokerage Exclusive Links Real Estate, has been honoured with the Female Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year award by leading real estate portal Propertyfinder Group.



Evans won the award in "recognition of a woman-led brokerage that has proved its staying power in the UAE with 13 years in business."



Propertyfinder Group honoured her at an exclusive event which celebrated the success of two dozen leading women in the real estate sector.



The proud winner said real estate was a good career match for women. "Although more typically the real estate industry is a mans world, I will say that over the years and in all circumstances, I have only been met with respect and inclusion," remarked Evans.



"I think that managing a real estate business takes much attention to detail, patience and care. These are all traits naturally instinctive to most women," she stated.



Women in the workforce are on the rise in the UAE with the figure going from 34 to 46 per cent between 2000 and 2014, according to Boston Consulting Group. The country has surpassed Japan (43 per cent), and now matches with the United States (46 per cent), Norway (47 per cent), and the United Kingdom (46 per cent), based on data from the World Bank.



The property portal dedicated an afternoon to celebrating the female workforce that shapes much of the real estate industry, from commercial real estate to property management, short-term leasing and luxury sales.



Evans, pointing to her business partner, Louise Heatley, for being a champion throughout her career, said: "My business partner and joint owner of Exclusive Links is another strong, respected female in the industry."



"Together we share a vision of a better marketplace. It can be lonely at the top and to have a trusted like-minded partner can halve the battle," she stated.



Having held a senior management position in sales and marketing with Qantas Airways in Australia for 12 years, Evans relocated to Dubai in 1997.



After enjoying an international life in Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the UK, Evans first focus was to settle her young family in the UAE.



In 2000, she joined a leading real estate and relocation firm as general manager. During the next seven years she travelled the world promoting the UAE as the new relocation destination, opening six more offices throughout the Middle East and GCC.



In 2007, Evans was appointed managing partner at Links Gulf Real Estate where she led the company to the industry peak of 2008, and helmed the company successfully through the global economic downturn that followed.



In 2011, Links Gulf Real Estate merged with Exclusive Real Estate and since then, as managing partner, Evans has continued to spearhead the company as a market leader.



We were thrilled to award Evans this award, remarked Paul Spargo, the commercial director of Propertyfinder Group.



She always champions best practice in real estate, and having seen a lot of change over the years, has always been at the forefront when it comes to betterment of the industry, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Thousands of architects, engineers, project managers, suppliers and buyers are bringing both innovative products and know-how to Morocco as they take part in The Big 5 Construct North Africa being held in Casablanca.



Running from April 10 to 12 at the Parc des Expositions de LOffice des Changes in Casablanca, The Big 5 Construct North Africa is the international event dedicated to the Moroccan and North African building and construction industry.



Presenting innovative products from around the world and 40 educational sessions, the international construction event gathers thousands of professionals for three days of networking, learning and business opportunities and to build up the cities of tomorrow in Morocco.



On its second day (April 11), the Big 5 Construct North Africa is all set for a successful edition at the Parc Des Expositions De L'Office Des Changes in Casablanca, said the organisers.



"The Big 5 is one of the initiatives that our country has actively supported on the international scene in recent years," remarked Sara Ben Ayyad, the project manager Green Buildings at Bureau Veritas Morocco.



"The Big 5 Construct North Africa not only creates business opportunities for the sector; it is a great opportunity for staging ecological products and sustainable high-end technologies to involve us in the dynamics of sustainable construction," she stated.



The international construction event displays what is next in the construction sector. 190 companies from 29 countries are presenting innovative technologies, building materials and advanced solutions to meet the needs of the growing Moroccan construction sector.



"The visitors coming to our stand have been exactly who we wanted. We have had architects and construction companies, all with the right inquiries," remarked Andre van Herrden, the managing partner of exhibiting company Cape Reid.



The event also features 40 educational workshops, where local and international experts share best practices and discuss latest trends with the Moroccan construction community.



I look forward to seeing more exhibitions like this, displaying new materials and solutions, said Noureddine Abouricha, a visitor to the show.



Ben Ayyad, who presented a workshop on Sustainable Construction in the Moroccan Market, said: "Pushing to build a sustainable, healthy, energy / water efficient and environmentally friendly building is becoming a major concern that policy makers are increasingly integrating into their practices."



The vision of Morocco is clear today: the country reaffirms its leading position as a luxury destination in Africa with the acceleration of the industry and the promotion of new constructions. As a result, the construction sector is becoming one of the most dynamic and buoyant segments of the country, contributing to economic growth, wealth creation and the attraction of foreign capital, she added.



From Dubai, speaker Dr Hany Salem, the director of the Integrative Sustainability Group, presented a workshop on Sustainable Urban Planning at the event.



The feedback I received from the local audience was amazing, remarked Salem. "Today we polished the actual definition of sustainable development. I believe our discussion at the Big 5 Construct North Africa will benefit the local community," he noted.



Sustainability is growing and what sets The Big 5 Construct North Africa apart from other exhibitions is that Sustainability has always been a major topic here, he added.



On the innovative trends for interactive spaces, Albert S. Fakhoury, the executive board member of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designer, and president of Council for International Accreditation of Architecture & Design, said: "It is great to present this topic in Morocco as the local construction community is looking forward to follow-up with what is happening all over the world."



Focusing on combining the best of todays new materials, trends and media possibilities with futuristic views, Fakhourys presentation at The Big 5 Construct North Africa was Packed with visitors.



According to the international expert, people should treasure their culture and traditions, while benefitting from new technologies and innovations.



"I would love to see beautiful Moroccan design that works perfectly and speaks to the upcoming generations. We need to create interactive spaces that will be beneficial not only for us but also for the coming generation," remarked Fakhoury.



Companies from Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Qatar, UK, South Korea, India and China among many others will display their products at The Big 5 Construct North Africa until April 12.



Organised by dmg events, The Big 5 Construct North Africa features five product sectors: Building Interiors, Building Materials & Tools, MEP Services, Concrete & PMV, and Windows, Doors & Facades.-TradeArabia News Service
Egypt-based DP World Sokhna, a marine terminal of global shipping terminal operator DP World, has opened a new customer service centre worth EGP3 million ($169,620).



The announcement was made at a recent ceremony which was attended by Admiral Mafouz Taha, vice chairman SC Zone, and Xi Manding, managing director of Cosco Egypt.



The centre will serve as the hub for all customer-related processes for shipping lines, clearance agents, trucking companies, freight forwarders and cargo owners, said the statement.



The centre is open 24/7 and will be responsible for responding to customer enquiries, providing real time information on cargo and solving any issues in coordination with other departments at the port, it added.



The centre is integrated with the customs system so that customers can perform their customs documentation processing, pay handling fees, and receive direct answers for their enquiries.



Ajay Singh, chief executive officer, DP World Sokhna, said: We always aim to provide high-quality logistics services to enable trade movement and this new customer service centre is another step to support our port operations by unifying the documentation processes leading to higher quality services.



Our customer friendly staff working there will also help enhance customer support and reduce the time spent on cargo handling, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Viva Bahrain recently partnered with FutureTec, leading IT solutions provider, to expand the portfolio of ICT services hosted locally at the Viva DataCenter in Bahrain to include cloud computing & cloud security services for businesses.



Government customers and enterprises of all sizes can remain competitive and relevant as Bahrain becomes increasingly digital through Vivas latest affordable, reliable and scalable cloud-based services powered by FutureTec.



The new offerings are designed to enable Viva Business customers to seize huge growth opportunities by improving operational efficiencies and lowering infrastructure costs. They also serve greater support for future innovations and provide the technical foundation required to deploy next-generation technologies.



Viva Bahrain CEO Ulaiyan Al Wetaid said: We at Viva Bahrain have a thorough understanding of where the future of ICT is going and making that shift to cloud-based services is a significant part of the journey for businesses. By offering secure and efficient services like this, thus reducing the need for IT infrastructure CAPEX and expensive IT operational expenses, were allowing Viva Business customers to focus on bigger goals and trust us with their IT systems management.



Hosted in Bahrain, Viva will be launching various cloud computing services such as Infrastructure as a Services (IaaS), virtual servers, Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), Backup as a Service (BaaS), Internet Security and Email Security as a Service which are powered by leading technology providers such as Nutanix and Fortinet.



Feras Al Oqlah, FutureTec CEO and founder said: We believe it is the right time to position our services in an era that is upon us, our cloud services is a trusted service that increases business velocity, improves productivity and efficiency while reducing cost, time and risk. We are certain that moving into cloud will speed up the overall process of acquiring and adding new resources on demand to fully serve the business and ensure its continuity.



Viva offers an extensive range of ICT solutions that keep business sensitive data safe and highly secured. The DataCentre is built to Tier-3 standards and managed by a highly specialised team of dedicated professionals, providing a one-stop technological solution to Viva Business customers in all areas of expertise.  TradeArabia News Service
Batelco, the leading digital solutions provider in Bahrain, said it has signed a strategic partnership deal with the British University of Bahrain (BUB), a move aimed at supporting education in general and higher education in the kingdom.



Batelco is the first organisation in Bahrain to enter into a MoU with the new British university.



The BUB is a partner of The University of Salford, Manchester, and will bring Salfords globally recognised academic programmes to Bahrain.



For the first time Bahraini students will be able to study for British Degrees in such areas as Engineering and Information and Communications Technology as well as traditional business specialties.



The signing ceremony took place at the British University of Bahrain premises in the presence of The Duke of York and Dr Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi, the Minister of Education, official dignitaries, academics and guests.



The MoU was signed by Batelco General Manager Talent Development & Culture Ebru Pilav, on behalf of Batelco Bahrain CEO Mohamed Bubashait, and Prof Keith Sharp, the VP of the British University of Bahrain, during the inauguration ceremony of the British University of Bahrain, a partner of The University of Salford in Manchester.



Commenting on deal, Bubashait said: "Batelco is delighted to enter into this agreement with BUB as it demonstrates Batelcos commitment towards supporting education in general and higher education in particular in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We believe this strategic partnership is beneficial for both Batelco and the BUB."



This Partnership represents the mutual interest between both organisations for collaborative research and development opportunities, and additionally training and capacity building activities for the British University of Bahrain and Batelco to benefit from, he added.



Prof Sharp said: "Fundamental to BUBs mission is to work as closely with industry as possible to ensure that our students benefit from learning in real world environments and gain the skills which employers in Bahrain and the region need. Our partnership with Batelco is a clear example of this kind of collaboration."



As part of the MoU, Batelco will be the exclusive sponsor of the British University of Bahrains ICT College.



The MoU will also incorporate collaborative research and development opportunities, training and capacity building activities and opportunities for BUB and Batelco to benefit from in the areas of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and student experiences, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia is hosting the Arab Women Forum as part of the fourth edition of the Top CEO Conference and Awards, which kicked off yesterday (April 10) and will conclude today at King Abdullah Economic City.



On the first day of the forum, an elite gathering of top female executives, decision makers, professionals, and experts on women empowerment and business leadership gathered at key sessions including The Economic Revolution, Entrepreneurs and The Community-Based New Economy, among many others.



Julien Hawari, co-CEO of Mediaquest, the company behind the Arab Women Forum, said: This is an exciting and transformational time for women working in the Middle East, and the ultimate goal of our new forum is to enhance and support the growing contribution of Arab women to drive the regions ongoing economic and social development.



By providing attendees with a series of engaging keynote speeches and panel discussions, as well as strong networking opportunities, we are empowering women to lead a paradigm shift in the region and improving their potential to claim the senior positions they deserve.



At The Economic Revolution session, attendees engaged in open discussions about the wide-ranging benefits of including of women in the workforce in Arab countries, including boosting the GDP of the region, reducing unemployment, and kick-starting the economy in a new direction.



With credit representing the key constraint to female entrepreneurship in the Arab region and 39 per cent of Arab firms reporting difficulties in this area, the Entrepreneurs session explored the venture capital and investment situation, and debated whether women-led projects should be fast tracked to empower businesswomen.



The Community-Based New Economy session questioned whether technologies and the new sharing-based economy could pave the way for Arab women to become active economic members of society. The session also asked what can be done to achieve a more inclusive approach, how female representation can be improved, and what role technology can play.



Faisal J Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News said: Given the raft of reforms underway in Saudi Arabia, there could not be a more appropriate and meaningful time to host such an event. Arab News has been taking a leading role in both reporting on the changes underway in the Kingdom and pointing out the clear need for women to play key roles in Saudi society, and the many challenges ahead.This conference aims to take this conversation forward  for the benefit of both Saudi Arabias female workforce and the wider society as a whole.



The Arab Women Forum is supported by Arab News as the official partner of the event. Womens Forum as the supporting partner of the event and Haya magazine as the media partner.  TradeArabia News Service
As part of its route expansion strategy, AirArabia Egypt has launched a new route linking Sohag to Kuwait.



The new flights operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, departing from Sohag International Airport (HMB) at 2340 hours and arriving in Kuwait International Airport (KWI) at 0305 hours the following day. The return flight will depart Kuwait at 0345 hours and land in Sohag at 0535 hours local time  operating Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.



Adel Al Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia, said: Egypt is one of our fastest growing markets driven by both business and tourist travellers. The expansion of our existing network of direct flights from and to Egypt is aligned with our ongoing commitment to offering our passengers access to destinations at tremendous value.



Air Arabia, currently operates flights to over 148 routes across the globe from five hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa, continues on the mission to create an ever-expanding network of diverse destinations, allowing for high-quality and cost-effective travel. - TradeArabia News Service


WEST CHESTER, Ohio, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AK Steel (NYSE:AKS) said today that three of its employees were recognized by the Manufacturing Institute as 2018 STEP Ahead Award winners who exemplify leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering and Production. Lisa A. Vensel, AK Steel General Manager, Manufacturing Planning and Joyce C. Niedringhaus, AK Steel Principal Research Engineer, were named 2018 STEP Ahead Honorees. Ayesha Satija, AK Steel Associate Process Engineer, was honored as a STEP Ahead Emerging Leader.



All three employees were among honorees recognized by the Manufacturing Institute earlier this week in Washington, D.C. The Manufacturing Institute is the authority on the attraction, qualification, and development of world-class manufacturing talent. As part of that work, the Institute champions diversity, works to empower women leaders and honor those who demonstrate excellence and leadership in their careers, and represents all levels of the manufacturing industry. These inspirational women have stepped up as leaders in our industry, building the future of manufacturing in our county, said National Association of Manufacturers President and Chief Executive Officer and Manufacturing Institute Chairman Jay Timmons.



We are proud to have Lisa, Joyce and Ayesha recognized for their work at AK Steel, and as role models and mentors in the steel making and manufacturing industries, said Roger K. Newport, AK Steel Chief Executive Officer. Science, manufacturing and technology roles are incredibly important to our work to bring innovative steel solutions to meet our customers needs, and to drive manufacturing growth and development critical to our nations economy.



Lisa Vensel joined AK Steel in 1986 and progressed through a number of roles in Engineering, Planning and Analysis, Quality Systems and Sales. She was named General Manager, Manufacturing Planning in 2012. Lisa holds a Bachelors degree in mathematics from Westminster College and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.



Joyce Niedringhaus has more than 37 years of experience at AK Steel. She is an expert in the fields of steel refining and steel sheet processing, and is a Principal Engineer at the companys Research and Innovation Center. Joyce holds a Bachelors degree in chemistry from Ursinus College, and a Masters degree and Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.



Ayesha Satija began her career in 2015 as a summer intern at AK Steel, and was then hired full-time as an Associate Process Engineer in 2016. She holds a Bachelors degree in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University.

AK Steel

AK Steel is a leading producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for the automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, electrical power generation and distribution markets. Through its subsidiaries, the company also provides customer solutions with carbon and stainless steel tubing products, die design and tooling, and hot- and cold-stamped components. Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company has approximately 9,200 employees at manufacturing operations across seven states (Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia), as well as in Canada and Mexico. Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com.

Contacts:

Media  Lisa H. Jester, Corporate Manager, Communications and Public Relations (513) 425-2510

Investors  Douglas O. Mitterholzer, General Manager, Investor Relations (513) 425-5215
Riyadh Travel Fair (RTF) 2018, Saudi Arabias leading travel industry showcase, opened its doors for the 10th consecutive year in Riyadh yesterday evening (April 10) with more than 300 exhibitors from 55 countries.



The fair, organised by Asas Exhibition and Conference Organizing Company, is being held at Prince Sultan Grand Hall, Al Faisaliah Hotel, from April 10 to 13.



The fair was inaugurated by Hamad Ali Alshowair, vice chairman of the board of directors of Riyadh chamber.



The four-day event will become the focus of business networking opportunities, insightful seminar sessions, ministerial discussions and the recognition of twelve months of the tourism industrys achievements.



Bander Algryni, general manager of Asas Exhibitions, said: The 2018 edition is the largest Riyadh Travel Fair to date thereby extending our prominence as the leading travel and tourism exhibition in the kingdom. More than 270 exhibitors from tourism boards, airlines, tour operators and hotels from more than 60 countries are currently present in the exhibition.



Its been a year of growth not only for the tourism and hospitality industry in the kingdom, but for RTF; and with Saudi nationals increasingly travelling overseas at a greater number year on year, the opportunities that the RTF provides for domestic and overseas destinations, hospitality service providers and other tourism-related businesses, to directly meet with the kingdoms leading travel professionals and travellers has never been more significant.



Celebrating its 10th anniversary as Saudi Arabias Leading Travel Trade and Consumer Show, RTF 2018 has completely sold out ahead of its milestone show this April, attributed to a tremendous surge in booth bookings from the global market, an announcement by the exhibitions organizer ASAS Exhibition said.



RTF 2018 show holds its strong Middle East support with 60 percent of exhibiting companies from the GCC region including Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, Government of Sharjah (Commerce & Tourism Development Authority), Ministry of Tourism Bahrain and Oman Tourism.



RTF 2018 features many firsts for the travel trade and consumer show. For the first time this year, RTF 2018 is hosting Scandinavian tourism boards such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland as well as Greece, among many others.



Tanzania and Spain are making their debut at RTF 2018 this year, joining other European and African tourism boards including Czech Republic, Poland, Bosnia, Greece, Turkey, South Africa, Egypt and Tunisia.



While Asian markets have increased their presence in this years show floor, North and South East Asia feature prominently during RTF 2018 too with the participation of Japan, Korea, The Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.



As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, the substantial growth in exhibitors underlines how RTF has firmly established itself as the leading industry event in the country. The Saudi Arabian outbound market continues to attract huge interest and we are delighted to see such levels of growth from various key markets at the show this year. As early as now, we are accepting bookings for the 2019 show, said Sheikh Hafeez, director of Sales and Marketing, ASAS Exhibition, organiser of RTF.



Exploring The Innovation of Travel, RTF 2018 features industry heavyweights from the travel and tourism sector as well as global brand names from the technology sector.



The Riyadh Travel Fair is open to both travel professionals and the general public looking for in-depth destination information and special deals. Visitors to the 2018 edition will be able to interact directly with various tourism authorities, hotels, airlines and travel agents from around the world. The Arabian Gulf region have a strong presence at the fair including pavilions sponsored by; Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cultural Authority (Strategic Partner), Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (Platinum Sponsor), Indonesia Tourism (Diamond Sponsor), Al-Riyadh Travel & Tourism (Gold Sponsors), Czech Republic Tourism (Silver Sponsor). National pavilions exhibiting include those of Egypt, Bahrain, Poland, South Korea, Greece, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Scandinavia, Singapore, Spain, to name just a few.



Exhibitors from Asia, Oceania, Europe and North Africa are also present, along with hotels, airlines, travel agencies, online booking sites, car rental and tourism companies such as Rotana, R Hotels, Lufthansa, Al Shidi Group, Royal Caribbean International, Capital Travel, and Silkway Travel, to name a few.



Riyadh Travel Fair is organized by Asas Exhibition and Conference Organizing company under the sponsorship of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority as Strategic Partner. - TradeArabia News Service


Oman Air has started its operations from the new passenger terminal at the Muscat International Airport.



From March 20, all incoming and outgoing flights were transferred from the current terminal to the new passenger terminal.



The new passenger terminal has been designed to be a shining symbol of the modern state of Oman, being built by HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The hub will be a significant boost to Omans already flourishing travel sector as it will have the capacity to handle 12 million passengers per year and its runway will be able to accommodate the worlds largest aircraft, the Airbus A380, and independent parallel operation. The airport also boasts a number of excellent facilities including 6,000-sq-m of Duty Free shopping, 96 check-in counters, 8,000 parking spaces and a 90-room airside hotel.



The new terminal will allow Oman Air to offer a thoroughly enhanced service; the check-in process will be seamless for all guests and Premium Class guests will be able to avail themselves of designated check-in areas and entrances. Entrance A is for all Business Class passengers and allows Oman Air guests access to the airlines dedicated First and Business Class check-in lounge. Entrance B is for Oman Airs Economy Class guests and entrance C for all other airlines Economy Class guests offering access to the Economy Class check-in area.



Once in the airport there are designated check-in areas for Premium Class Oman Air guests. First and Business Class guests will be served separately through 12 check-in counters and three supervisor counters. Oman Air will offer premium concierge services at check-in with seating and soft drinks provided, as guests complete the check-in process. There are a further 24 counters in total exclusively for Oman Air economy class guests.



Oman Air First and Business Class guests can enjoy the unique Omani hospitality at the stylish Premium Lounges which offer an oasis of calm, located above Muscat Duty Free and next to the airside hotel. The beautiful interiors created in the lounges have been influenced by the unique terrain found in Oman. The elegant and tranquil surroundings are enriched by the abundance of natural light which floods the spaces.



The First Class lounge offers exceptional services, including a personal chef, limousine service from the lounge to the aircraft and relaxation rooms. The Business Class lounge offers an extensive array of snacks and full dining options, a quiet lounge area, shower rooms, a childrens play area, wireless internet access and a business centre. Gold members of Oman Airs Sindbad frequent flyer programme will also be welcome to use the Business Class lounge. Guests who have previously used Oman Airs existing lounges will be impressed further still by the new facilities.



The opening of the new terminal will further facilitate the airlines exciting fleet and network expansion programme, which will see Oman Air operate up to 66 aircraft to around 60 destinations by 2022. - TradeArabia News Service


Greg Tusar to Win NEIL DESENA Market Advocate Award

Markets Media Group, publisher and owner of Traders Magazine, is pleased to announce that Greg Tusar will win the Neil DeSena Market Advocate Award at the 6th annual Markets Choice Awards, which will be held April 24 in New York City.

E-trading pioneer Neil DeSena passed away in February 2017, at the age of 52. As a tribute to Neil, Markets Media posthumously awarded him the Market Advocate Award at last years MCA event to recognize his distinguished career in financial markets and his positive influence on people along the way.

This year, the Neil DeSena Market Advocate Award will go to Tusar as the market professional who best embodies Neils exceptional drive, generosity and spirit.

Currently CEO at Greywolf Consulting and a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, Tusar has enjoyed a long and accomplished career on Wall Street. He was Head of Client Market Making and Execution Services at KCG from 2013-2017; previously, he was a partner and Global Head of Electronic Trading at Goldman Sachs from 2000-2013, and a partner at TLW Securities in the 1990s.

Greg has been at the forefront of electronic trading since its inception, starting on the floor of the exchange and later building the largest electronic trading franchise at Goldman, and leading a generation of professionals to change the industry for the better, said Rishi Nangalia, who worked with Tusar and DeSena at Goldman and is currently head of ETI trading at Thomson Reuters. He continues his work to institutionalize crypto trading and push forward the business that he and Neil together pioneered.

"I am so pleased to see Greg receive this award, said Carolyn DeSena, who gave a tribute to her late husband at last years event. It would have meant a lot to Neil. Each had great admiration and respect for one another and their relationship transcended well beyond the professional side of their lives.

The Markets Choice Awards is the premier industry event for identifying and recognizing the best companies, individuals and innovation in institutional trading and technology. The MCAs span buy-side investment firms, sell-side execution desks, exchanges and trading platforms, established technology providers and emerging fintech firms.

Last years winners included BlackRock for Best Fixed-Income Trading Desk; T. Rowe Price for Best Buy-Side FX Trading Desk; Tradeweb for Best ETF Platform; LSEG for Best Global Exchange Group; and OpenDoor Trading for Best Fintech Company. Individual awards included Jen Nayar of Vela for CEO of the Year; Linn Karstadt of Jefferies for Excellence in Electronic Trading; and Larry Thompson of DTCC for Lifetime Achievement.

This years MCA event will be held at Edison Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan, on the evening of Tuesday, April 24.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
English Danish

Company Announcement

Copenhagen, 11 April 2018





On Wednesday 11 April 2018 at 3 pm, the annual general meeting of Copenhagen Airports A/S was held with the following agenda:

The report of the board of directors on the company's activities during the past year Presentation and adoption of the audited annual report Resolution to discharge the board of directors and the executive board from liability Resolution on the appropriation of profit or loss as recorded in the adopted annual report Election of members of the board of directors, including the chairman and the deputy chairmen Approval of remuneration to the board of directors for the current year Appointment of auditor Proposals from the shareholders Authorisation to the chairman of the general meeting Any other business

Re item 1

The general meeting acknowledged the report of the board of directors.

Re item 2

The general meeting adopted the 2017 annual report.

Re item 3

The general meeting discharged the board of directors and the executive board from liability.

Re item 4

The general meeting approved the proposed distribution of profit as recorded in the adopted annual report.

Re item 5

Lars Nrby Johansen was re-elected as chairman of the board of directors, and David Mark Stanton and Ulrik Dan Weuder were re-elected as deputy chairmen.

Janis Carol Kong and Charles Thomazi were re-elected to the board of directors, and Marlene Haugaard was elected as a new member of the board of directors.

Re item 6

The general meeting approved the proposed remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year.

Re item 7

The general meeting re-elected PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab) as the company's auditor.

Re item 8

The general meeting did not approve the submitted shareholder proposals.

Re item 9

The general meeting authorised the chairman of the general meeting to register the resolutions with the Danish Business Authority.

COPENHAGEN AIRPORTS A/S

P.O. Box 74

Lufthavnsboulevarden 6

DK-2770 Kastrup

Telephone: +45 32313231

E-mail: cphweb@cph.dk

www.cph.dk



CVR no. 14 70 72 04

Attachment
Credit Agricole Assurances would like to announce that its 2017 Registration Document was filed with the AMF (French Securities Regulator) on April 9th, 2017, under number D.18-0303.

The Registration Document includes:

- the 2017 annual financial report,

- the report on corporate governance,

- the information concerning the fees paid to the Statutory Auditors.

It is available for public consultation free of charge in accordance with current regulation and may be consulted on Credit Agricole Assurances' website (www.ca-assurances.com/espace-investisseurs) and on AMF's website.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 11

A consortium of Indian oil companies, comprising Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), and Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday signed an MoU to jointly develop and build an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex  Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL) in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 3 lakh crore ($44 billion).

Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest oil producer, will pick up 50% stake in the project, a move that will give it an assured customer for additional 30 million tonnes of its crude oil.

Saudi Aramco may also seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the project. RRPCL will rank among the worlds largest refining and petrochemicals projects and will be designed to meet Indias fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand.

The refinery will be capable of processing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day (60 million metric tonnes per annum, or MMTPA). It will produce a range of refined petroleum products, including petrol and diesel meeting BS-VI fuel efficiency norms. The refinery will also provide feedstock for the integrated petrochemicals complex, which will be capable of producing 18 million tonnes per annum of petrochemical products.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said this is a joint partnership between the consortium from India consisting of IOC, HPCL and BPCL and Saudi Aramco and an additional strategic partner on 50:50 basis.

Visiting Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the Saudi national oil company will supply half of the crude oil required for processing at the refinery.
uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, April 11

Messaging app WhatsApp is scouting for a full-time hire to lead its operations in India, its largest market globally.

The individual will lead the company's operations in India, "including products for people and businesses along with our interest in peer to peer payments," a job advertisement said on WhatsApp's website.

WhatsApp has over one billion users globally. India is the largest market for the company with over 200 million monthly active users as of February 2017.

"This is a senior leadership position that requires product experience as well as a track record of success leading partnerships and business development in India. This leader will need to build a close partnership with product and engineering teams to influence direction and to effectively represent WhatsApp's long term strategy," it added.

The development comes at a time when WhatsApp is rolling out its UPI-based payments service in India. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) allows users to make intra-bank transfers easily using a virtual ID.

WhatsApp's payment service has been criticised by rival Paytm, whose founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma had alleged that the Facebook-owned company's platform has security risks for consumers and is not in compliance with the guidelines.

There have also been concerns around privacy of user information, following the global data breach at its parent company. WhatsApp has, however, defended itself, saying it collects very little data and that every single message is end-to-end encrypted.

Apart from being a "heavy user of WhatsApp's products", WhatsApp is looking for a candidate with over 15 years of experience in product-driven companies and more than 5 years of experience with payment technologies in India.

The position is based in Mumbai and the chosen executive will report to WhatsApp's Chief Operating Officer in California.

A key responsibility, according to the post, will be to lead partnership efforts in market, "acting as a cross functional leader across WhatsApp and Facebook teams".

Besides, WhatsApp is also looking for Communications Manager in India, who can create and implement a long-term communications strategy for India to support the brand as well as the growth of the app amongst consumers and businesses. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Chandigarh, April 11

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has donated 3,500 books from his personal library to his alma mater Panjab University (PU) here, a university official said on Wednesday.

Singh, who was here on Wednesday, announced his wish to donate the books.

University authorities said that arrangements would soon be made to transport books and memorabilia, photographs and paintings from New Delhi to the university campus.

The books and other objects will be kept in the Guru Teg Bahadur Bhawan on the university campus.

Singh, also a noted economist, was a student of the university in the 1950s and later joined the Department of Economics here as a faculty member.

He became a professor at the age of 32 years and continued teaching in PU till the mid-1960s before moving to other international assignments.

He was the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.

IANS
TORONTO, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:WDO) (Wesdome or the Company) today announces its gold production results for the first quarter of 2018 (Q1).

Mr. Duncan Middlemiss, President and CEO commented, 2018 is off to a strong start, with total gold production and sales above our budget. Grade improvements continue at the Eagle River Underground Mine, with Q1 2018 head grade of 12.0 grams per tonne (g/t) compared to 11.3 g/t in the previous quarter and 11.5 g/t in Q1 2017. These improvements are largely a function of stopes in all zones, 8 Zone, 7 Zone, and 300 Zone contributing more tonnes at higher grades than anticipated, and strong ore development improving production flexibility. As illustrated in the below table, we are pushing forward with our strategy to increase the ratio of underground tonnes to open pit tonnes. The Eagle River underground exploration and definition program is progressing well, with three underground drills fully manned, thereby giving encouragement to the addition of underground workplaces which could fill the mill.

Amounts are denominated in Canadian dollars First Quarter

2018 2017 Variance % +/(-) Ore milled (tonnes) Eagle River 44,480 38,578 5,902 15% Mishi 32,846 36,641 (3,795 ) (10%) 77,326 75,219 2,107 3% Head grade (grams per tonne, g/t) Eagle River 12.0 11.5 0.5 4% Mishi 1.8 1.7 0.1 6% Gold production (ounces) Eagle River 16,398 13,588 2,810 21% Mishi 1,550 1,574 (24 ) (2%) Total Gold Production 17,949 15,162 2,787 18% Production sold (ounces) 15,430 12,320 3,110 25% Revenue from gold sales ($ millions) $ 26.2 $ 20.1 $ 6.1 30% Average realized price per ounce 2 $ 1,698 $ 1,631 $ 67 4%





Notes:

1. Numbers may not add due to rounding.

2. Average realized price per ounce is a non-GAAP measure and is calculated by dividing the reported revenue from gold sales by the number of ounces sold for a given period.



Looking ahead into Q2 and beyond, our second stope development of the high grade 303 lens above the 844 metre level is commencing, putting this high grade area into production for the second half of 2018. Additionally, the exploration program at Eagle will add a surface drill to follow up on some prospective parallel zone targets. We are continuing our compilation of the 2017 exploration drilling data at Mishi, and expect to provide an update on this asset later in the year.



The Companys 2018 production guidance stands at 62,000  68,000 ounces of gold.

TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE

The technical and scientific disclosure in this press release has been prepared and approved by Marc-Andre Pelletier, Chief Operating Officer of Wesdome and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101)

ABOUT WESDOME

Wesdome Gold Mines has had over 30 years of continuous gold mining operations in Canada. The Company is 100% Canadian focused with a pipeline of projects in various stages of development. The Eagle River Complex in Wawa, Ontario is currently producing gold from two mines, the Eagle River Underground Mine and the Mishi Open pit, from a central mill. Wesdome is actively exploring its brownfields asset, the Kiena Complex in Val dOr, Quebec. The Kiena Complex is a fully permitted former mine with a 930 metre shaft and 2,000 tonne per day mill. The Company has further upside at its Moss Lake gold deposit, located 100 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Company has approximately 133.9 million shares issued and outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WDO.

For further information, please contact:

Duncan Middlemiss or Lindsay Carpenter Dunlop President and CEO VP Investor Relations 416-360-3743, ext. 29 416-360-3743, ext. 25 dmiddlemiss@wesdome.com ldunlop@wesdome.com 8 King St. East, Suite 811 Toronto, ON, M5C 1B5 Toll Free: 1-866-4-WDO-TSX Phone: 416-360-3743, Fax: 416-360-7620 Website: www.wesdome.com

This news release contains forward-looking information which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances, managements estimates or opinions should change, except as required by securities legislation. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company has included in this news release certain non-IFRS performance measures, including, but not limited to, mine operating profit, mining and processing costs and cash costs. Cash costs per ounce reflect actual mine operating costs incurred during the fiscal period divided by the number of ounces produced. These measures are not defined under IFRS and therefore should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to or more meaningful than, net income (loss) or cash flow from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of our financial performance or liquidity. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow.
Robert Fisk

Robert Fisk

ALL battles and bombardments share their secrets one by one. Eastern Ghouta is no different. Why the sudden, savage bombardment of these Syrian towns and villages more than three weeks ago? Why the wasteland of homes and streets  and how did so many of the civilians survive, along with hundreds of Islamist gunmen?

You can do no better that start your enquiry in a frontline dugout near Arbeen, on the old and now war-smashed international highway between Damascus and Aleppo. It is protected by oil barrels of solid concrete, an iron roof, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, a couple of rifles and a rusting motorbike, presumably to carry messages when the lines were cut. "Twenty mortars a day," one of the Syrian soldiers says, rolling his eyes.

And now it is over, he hopes. But  aside from the oil lamps and the cups of 'mutta' tea what catches your attention is the absence of a single trench.

The soldiers sport beards like the French 'poilu' in the Great War a hundred years ago. But they dig no trenches. Not a single communications alleyway winds through the dirt and mud on either side of the dugout to give the running messenger cover from those mortars. Maybe the motorbike increased their chances. The lattice of trenches and revetments  dug so deeply a century ago by the Brits, French and Germans  has never caught on in Syria.

Thus, Syrian soldiers were shocked to find how safe their enemies were. These tunnels of great stoneworks  for they were carved through the living rock, supposedly by Palestinians on loan from Hamas, men who had spent years hacking tunnels between Gaza and the Egyptian desert  have become a familiar part of the Syrian war. In Homs, the makers carved their names on the walls like Victorian railway builders, and in eastern Aleppo. These tunnels carry inside them the necrology of ideas, the ideological martyrs' cemetery of their makers' minds. They are deep and dank and moist. But they are safe.

So here comes the latest little secret of the Ghouta war. The Syrian aircraft  so often blamed for the indiscriminate nature of a bombing campaign which, according to many reports, has killed 1,500 civilians in eastern Ghouta  were old. But the Russian aircraft were also old Sukhoi 24s. A Russian source says: "The bombs we used in Ghouta were not 'smart' bombs with full computer guidance. Maybe some. But most had a variable of 50 metres off target." In other words, you can forget the old claim of "pinpoint" accuracy which Western armies also like to adopt. These Russian bombs launched against eastern Ghouta had a spread pattern of 150 feet each side of what the pilots were aiming at; which means a house instead of an anti-aircraft gun. Or one house rather than another house. And anyone inside.

But these blockbusters, it seems, couldn't bust any blocks. The tunnels were never breached. That's why they were built. They were bomb-proof. And thus the Russians and Syrians fired more and more bombs to break them. The Islamist groups in Ghouta did not have barracks or dugouts, for they lived in the tunnels, ate in the tunnels, fought, briefly, in daylight outside the tunnels, and then dragged their mortars back inside. A fighter wishes to pray: he can take the tunnel to the mosque. He needs surgery? He can be taken between those glistening walls to the hospital. He needs to move to a new battlefront, he takes a mile or two walk across town. Underground.

The Syrians paid for their advance. In one short battle, at least 20 of them were killed. During another, five men emerged from the ruins, all dressed in Syrian army uniform and carrying weapons, well shaved, saying they were "coming across" to the Syrian lines. Several Syrian soldiers captured years ago were still held hostage by Islamists in underground cells. But the 'Nimr' units, while they knew the uniforms were real, looked closely at the faces of the men wearing them. "They could see they were newly shaved, that they weren't so tanned on their chins as on the rest of their faces, and they realised they were Jaish al-Islam men dressed in Syrian uniform who had just removed their beards," the eyewitness added bleakly. "They killed them all."

So why the ferocity of the bombardment? That Russian source believes that the Russian president wanted to end the Syrian war, especially the Ghouta conflict, before his election. But this proved impossible. Syria doesn't fit the familiar 'quagmire' of Vietnam legend; it is a vast terrain of captured and recaptured and re-recaptured towns and villages, which moves with the power of the antagonists. The Russians can pick and choose their battles. This increases mobility. But it doesn't create the exit home.

There are streets in Ghouta, incredibly enough, whose buildings are still standing relatively unscathed. They were spared during the bombardment because their inhabitants said they wanted to stay in their homes and would not resist the Syrian army. Thousands of Syrians in Ghouta have thus not joined the refugee buses nor accompanied the women and children travelling with their jihadi menfolk to Idlib. They are still living at home.

You might not think this, staring over the miles of wreckage, grey, powdered, roof upon pancaked roof. But then you wouldn't imagine the tunnels either. The Syrians were amazed at them. So were the Moscow military men guarding the Russian Centre for Reconciliation inside Ghouta. That's where the convoys are put together on paper and lists and buses numbered for evacuation, where the Islamist groups bargain for freedom with or without weapons, for 'reconciliation' or for a temporary Russian presence in their streets - even for local authorities run by Islamist political groups instead of by armed men. The Syrians have spotted the trick in this one, of course. Try to take back the land from the 'local authorities' and the Islamists will spring mushroom-like from the ground again, along with their weapons. And perhaps from undiscovered tunnels.

There are tunnels everywhere

An eyewitness who entered the ruins after Syrian assault units burst through the tunnels towards Douma said, "I have never seen so many tunnels. They had built tunnels everywhere. They were deep and they ran beneath shops and mosques and hospitals and homes and apartment blocks and roads and fields. I went into one with full electric lighting, the lamps strung out for hundreds of yards. I walked half a mile through it. They were safe there. So were the civilians who hid in the same tunnels."

By arrangement with Independent
KC Singh

KC Singh

THE Lok Sabha eventually adjourned sine die after weeks of being non-functional. The Oppositions no-confidence motion was ruled by the Speaker as un-implementable as the House was not in order. Under similar conditions, the important annual Budget was allowed to be passed without debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for all BJP members of Parliament to observe a one-day fast against disruption by the Opposition. The Opposition, on the other hand, has alleged that those disturbing the House were, in fact, allies of the government.

Denying Opposition the right to test the majority of a government sets a bad precedent as any government having lost majority can create conditions of chaos, with Speakers connivance, and preclude a floor test. Thus, a government can rule without a majority till its term ends while avoiding debate on important issues facing the nation. Democracies to succeed require not only written guidelines, but also many unwritten ground rules. Many books this year are addressing these fundamental questions.

In How Democracies Die, authors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt reach into history for answers. They hypothesise that in the US post-election of President Donald Trump politicians say and do things that are unprecedented in the United States. They add that American politicians now treat their rivals as enemies, intimidate free Press, and threaten to reject the results of elections. Even more worrisome, they weaken the institutional buffers of our democracy, including the courts, intelligence services, and ethics offices. Finally, they note that in 2016 Americans elected a President, who for first time in US history, had no experience in public office, little observable commitment to constitutional rights, and clear authoritarian tendencies. Larry Diamond, an authority on democracy worldwide, believes the world has entered a period of democratic recession.

In India, too, as it enters the final year before parliamentary elections, attempts are afoot to weaken institutional sinews. India thus shares the global democratic recession referred to above. Of course, this is not happening for the first time, as worse was witnessed during the Emergency, or in the unwise move by the Rajiv Gandhi government to curb Press freedom via legislative action. Clearly, all Prime Ministers since the 1980s having single-party majorities have shown a tendency to override democratic principles.

Europe, which saw in the 1930s the rise of authoritarian leaders and parties in Germany and Italy, using democratic processes to enter the political space, is again witnessing the slow strangulation of democratic principles. Take the example of Hungary, which gained freedom from communist stranglehold after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. Despite the history of its brave, but unsuccessful fight to overthrow communist shackles in 1956, and the memory of authoritarianism, its PM, Viktor Orban, is today allegedly centralising political and economic power unknown since communist times. He is using the bugbear of immigration and external threats from the likes of his old patron Soros, who gave him a scholarship as a young dissident to study at Oxford in 1988, to get re-elected after eight years in power.

Likewise in Germany, the rise of extreme right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), particularly in former East Germany, is forcing other moderately right-of-centre parties to adopt politics of identity and belonging. At the federal level, after the last election and following the new grand alliance, Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is, as The Economist states, steering clear of culture wars in favour of bread and butter issues. In faraway Costa Rica in central America, the victor Carlos Alvarado scored for liberal values by roundly defeating his fulminating rival Fabrico Alvarado who wanted to put God in government, targeting gays to start with. In Ethiopia, run for three decades by the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Front (EPRDF), this time, a charismatic and young Abiy Ahmed was elected by secret ballot among the top brass to be Prime Minister. Though hardly democracy in play, it showed a display of controlled freedom to choose a successor by all players representing different factions in the EPRDF. Whether this is the first step towards more open governance remains to be seen.

Against this background and the consolidation of power by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the banner of democracy and liberalism has to be carried by India. It is a misnomer to think of these values as imports from the West. There is enough historical evidence in Greek and old Indian sources that India had thriving republics even at the time of Alexanders invasion, though they existed alongside kingdoms run autocratically. The Dalai Lama puts it in Buddhist terms saying that the Himalayas were never as pristine white till the light came from India. That light includes liberal values strewed across Indian religious and philosophical discourses.

Thus, the current attempt to weaken institutional base of democracy needs countering. The attack on the independence of media has been thwarted after uproar over the fake news order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, but the recasting of the Press Council of India leaves doubts about governments intentions. The attempt to bend judiciary to the executives dictates surfaced dramatically after open defiance of the Chief Justice by his four senior colleagues when they went public with their angst. The government, not seriously attempting to make Parliament function, poses further questions about its commitment to constitutionalism. That leaves the Election Commission as the last bastion to ensure free and fair elections. Many opposition parties are pointing fingers at the possibility of EVMs being tampered with. Belfer Centre at Harvard University has produced a report on EVMs in the US. In their federal system, the choice of machines is left to the states. The report calls machines, like the ones used in India, as hackable. It recommends the alternative machines used in the US, where vote is cast on paper and then scanned by machine. Thus, paper record remains in case of recount.

Karnataka election is a watershed moment for Indian democracy. If the BJP wins, it can draw a wrong lesson that people endorse its tactics. If it loses, PM Narendra Modi will have a choice to go for reforms, or perish.

The writer is a former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Houston, April 11

A top Hindu body in the US has raised over US$ 130,000 during an annual fund-raising event here during which a range of key issues like H-1B visas and immigration reforms affecting the Indian-American community were highlighted.

Leading figures from the government and civil society spoke to highlight the issues surrounding Hindus in America at the event organised by Hindu American Foundation (HAF), a non-profit advocacy organisation for the Hindu American community, on Saturday.

In his keynote address, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi praised HAF's initiatives like changing California textbooks to accurately represent Hindus and stopping revocation of H1B visa extensions, preventing deportation of 700,000 Indian nationals from the US.

He also stressed on the need to get involved in public affairs.

"Registering to vote and voting ensures that your voice is heard and you have a proverbial seat at the table when important decisions affecting you are made," Krishnamoorthi said.

He said at present there were only four Hindu-American congressmen.

"We need more Hindu-Americans. Doesn't matter from what party as at the end of the day we are Hindu-Americans. We are people of faith and we can live our faith in different ways, just get involved," he said.

"I am proud of every letter in my name and proud of every letter in your names. What distinguishes us is ahimsa, dharma, bhakti, sewa, vasudhaiva kutumbakam. These principles are timeless and important for the way we should be conducting ourselves," he said.

Recalling his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi last week, Krishnamoorthi said he would work with his counterparts to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

Important issues like pushing for a solution to the green card backlog, H-1B visa and immigration reforms, working to counteract anti-Hindu bullying in schools and advocating for gun violence prevention measures were highlighted at the event.

At the gala, HAF gave Sewa International Houston Chapter "Pride of the Community" award for its relief and recovery work during and after the devastating Hurricane Harvey that hit the state of Texas last August.

Sewa president Houston Chapter Gitesh Desai, who received the award from Krishnamoorthy thanked the HAF for the honour.

HAF's three areas of focus are education, policy, and community. Through its advocacy efforts, HAF promotes dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism to ensure the well-being of Hindus and all others, said Rishi Bhutada, HAF Houston Chapter coordinator. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

New Delhi, April 11

India is set to sign an agreement with the United Kingdom and Ireland on the return of illegal migrants.

The Union cabinet this morning gave its nod to the MoU.

The MoU will facilitate visa free agreement for holders of diplomatic passports as well as liberalisation of UK visa regime for those who are travelling to the UK legally, an official statement said.

It will ensure the return of persons, who have no lawful basis to be in the territory of the other party, after verification of nationality.

The proposed agreement will also help in streamlining the procedure of return of nationals, who are caught to be staying illegally, in a specified time-frame.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be in London in the third week of April to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Washington, April 11

An Indian family of four was reported missing in the US state of California while on a road trip and authorities are fearing for the worst after an SUV matching their vehicle was believed to be swept away by a flood-swollen river, according to a media report.

The Thottapilly family, from Kerala, went missing on Thursday while travelling from Portland to San Jose.

The search continues for a maroon Honda Pilot that went down an embankment on Friday around 1:10 pm on Highway 101 near Dora Creek, about five miles north of Leggett, according to the Cailfornia Highway Patrol (CHP).

The vehicle is the same kind that the Thottapilly family 42-year-old Sandeep, 38-year-old Soumya, 12-year-old Siddhant and 9-year-old Saachi were driving on a road trip from Portland, Oregon, back to their home in the southern California city of Valencia, with a planned stop to see relatives in San Jose, The Mercury News reported.

A notice posted on Facebook stated that relatives last heard from the family on Thursday, and reported them missing over the weekend after they did not show up for their planned Friday visit.

The San Jose Police Department confirmed that a missing persons report was filed on Sunday involving the Thottapilly family.

Their last known location was the Klamath-Redwood National and State Parks area, roughly 80 kms north of Eureka.

After an SUV matching that description went off the roadway on Friday near Dora Creek, first-responders and rescue crews arrived to find the vehicle "was completely submerged in the Eel River" amid heavy rains, the CHP said.

"Due to the strong river current, and the poor clarity, the vehicle was unable to be located" on Friday, adding that authorities "have continuously searched and monitored the river in attempts to located the vehicle", with assistance from a CHP helicopter.

CHP Officer William Wunderlich told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal affirmed that the vehicle they were searching for is similar to the one the Thottapilly family was last known to be driving.

"Based on our preliminary investigation and witness statements, we believe the vehicle was a 2016 or 2017 Honda Pilot maroon in color," Wunderlich told the news outlet.

"This vehicle and the missing person's vehicle are similar but, at this time, we are unable to confirm its the same vehicle.

The Signal reported that the family is from Valencia. Sandeep works as a vice-president for Union Bank, according to his Facebook and LinkedIn pages. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday, approved the Haryana State Shubhra Jyotsna Pension and Other Facilities Scheme, 2018, which would be made applicable from November 1, 2017.

Under the scheme, a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 would be given to those residents who had actively participated during the Emergency, from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, and faced imprisonment under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971, and Defence of India Act, 1962.

Those who did not have Haryana domicile, but were arrested and jailed in the state during the Emergency, would also be entitled for the pension. This policy would also be applicable to widows of such persons.

The beneficiary would have to produce a jail certificate for the purpose issued by the Jail Superintendent concerned and countersigned by the District Magistrate or a certificate from two co-prisoners. Such certificate of co-prisoners must be authenticated by an MLA or MP of the district concerned.

A modified scheme for hiring buses on km basis by the Transport Department was also approved. The scheme aimed at reinforcing the bus fleet to enhance coverage and quality of bus services by hiring new standard non-AC buses on lease by inviting tenders and operating these on routes on which Haryana Roadways held valid stage carriage permit.

The minimum indicated hiring rate of Rs 19.50 per km for diesel at Rs 60 per litre was expected for such hired buses for minimum assured mileage of 9,000 km per month.

The government started the process to set up an international airport or civil aviation hub in Hisar with the approval of sale of 23 acres and 4 kanals belonging to the municipal corporation to the Civil Aviation Department for construction. At present, the collector rate was Rs 1 crore per acre.

The Cabinet also approved the draft of the Haryana Consolidation of Project Land (Special Provisions) Rules, 2018, to lay down the procedure to be followed under certain provisions of the Act.

The rules specified powers, functions and duties of the competent authority and mode of issuing notifications as prescribed under Sections 5, 8 and 9 of the Act.

The Cabinet gave its approval to amendment in schedule of rates under the Haryana Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, 2003, regarding provisions for natural gas.

Providing relief to more than 350 industries, the decision reduced the incidence of VAT on industries using natural gas for manufacturing from 12.5 per cent with surcharge to 6 per cent with surcharge.

The government formulated the Haryana Road Safety Fund Rules, 2018, to effectively implement road safety norms. The government had in-principle approved the scheme Haryana Road Safety Fund of Transport Department and got Cabinet nod on Wednesday.

Fake old-age beneficiaries

The Cabinet decided on Wednesday that the benefit availed of under the Old Age Allowance Scheme by suppressing information would be recovered. It was decided that the benefit given for the ineligible period would be recovered by way of deducting 50 per cent of the amount from monthly pension of the beneficiaries. The government decided that notices issued and FIRs registered against such beneficiaries would be withdrawn.

Other decisions
editorial@tribune.com

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, April 11

Additional District Judge (ADJ) Naresh Katyal on Wednesday issued non-bailable warrants against the Chief Administrator and the Chief Financial Controller, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Panchkula.

According to information, several petitions regarding enhanced payment of acquired land are pending before the court of ADJ.

The petitioners belong to Gari Mundo, Tejli, Govindpuri and Govindpura villages whose land was acquired for Sector 15, 17 and 18 of HUDA, Jagadhri. The amount of enhanced payment is between Rs 40-50 lakh.

In an order passed on March 8, the ADJ directed the Chief Financial Controller, HUDA, to be present in the court on March 15 to explain, in case, payment was not released in favour of the petitioners by March 15. But, he did not appear in the court. Therefore, the court sought personal appearance of the Chief Administrator, HUDA, on March 21, he too did not appear. Consequently, bailable warrants against the Chief Administrator as well as the Chief Financial Controller were issued for Wednesday, but none of the two officers appeared.

According to information, J Ganeshan, Chief Administrator, HUDA, filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance.

Declining to grant exemption from personal appearance, court states, In view of the facts and attending circumstances, let non-bailable warrants against the Chief Administrator and the Chief Financial Controller, HUDA, Panchkula, be issued for May 2.
editorial@tribune.com

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, April 11

The death of an inmate of an old-age home here seems to have put the Civil Hospital authorities in the dock. She died on Saturday last week allegedly due to lack of timely treatment.

A complaint in this connection has been lodged at the CMs window, seeking action against the authorities.

The inmate, identified as Prakash Kumari (68), was living at Tau Devi Lal Vridhashram run by an NGO, Navjivan Morcha Samiti. She was a heart patient and reportedly died for want of a bypass surgery.

Prakash Kumari was among two women admitted to the Civil Hospital on March 17. The hospital staff did not attend to her properly. She required a heart surgery. So, doctors referred her to a hospital in Delhi, but failed to provide an ambulance, alleged Kishan Lal Bajaj, the manager of the samiti, in his complaint to the CMs window and the DC.

He also claimed the hospital authorities had turned down the request for an ambulance (available free of cost to BPL and other categories). She succumbed to her ailment in the old-age home on Saturday last week.

A complaint about the hospitals negligence was lodged with the DCs office last Friday, but no relief came, resulting in the death of Prakash Kumari, Bajaj said.

Faridabad-based Nav Prayas Sewa Sangathan, meanwhile, has written to Health Minister Anil Vij, alleging degradation of health services at the Civil Hospital and demanded transfer of officials.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Gulshan Arora refuted the allegation of negligence. Prakash Kumari needed a heart valve replacement surgery (bypass), which cannot be conducted in the Civil Hospital. So, she was referred to a Delhi hospital last Thursday.

The patient was not taken to Delhi. Instead, she was taken to the old-age home. Why? And no one asked for an ambulance on Thursday, he claimed.
editorial@tribune.com

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

With the illegality of deploying private security guards to manage traffic at toll plazas having already been established, Haryana has given an undertaking in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take necessary steps and apprise the Bench. Punjab Police have already decided to post personnel on either side. They have undertaken to apprise the Bench on the initiation of police deployment process.

Justice Rajan Gupta of the High Court had, on December 1 last year, asked whether regulation of traffic on highways was a sovereign function and whether it could be delegated to a private individual. In response to the query, counsel for the petitioners, state counsel and amicus curiae (friend of the court) had asserted that this cannot be done.

The Punjab Police had then announced the decision to deploy trained personnel on either side of toll plazas across the state. Appearing before Justice Guptas Bench, Punjab Additional Advocate-General AA Pathak had submitted that one or two trained police personnel would remain posted on both sides of all toll plazas in Punjab.

This, he added, would be done to ensure smooth flow of traffic, obviate harassment to the public and make certain that private personnel hired by the concessionaire did not carry batons and arms to manage chaos.

Justice Gupta had, in turn, asked the Haryana Advocate-General to assist the court after amicus curiae Gautam Dutt pointed out that a larger issue was involved and as such, Haryana might be asked to clarify its stand.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, Haryana Advocate-General BR Mahajan submitted that Haryana would take necessary steps in light of the earlier order and apprise the court on the next date of hearing.

A law officer, appearing for Punjab on instructions from Inspector General of Police, Law and Order, Gautam Cheema, undertook to apprise the Bench during the resumed hearing in the first week of May.

The developments took place on a petition filed by Parmod Chaudhary and another petitioner against Punjab and other respondents. The petitioners had brought under judicial scanner the alleged charging of double the prescribed toll at the Ferozepur-Fazilka road.

The counsel for the petitioners, CM Munjal, had claimed that Punjab, the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board and another respondent had entered into a Ferozepur-Fazilka road concession agreement in March 2006. Munjal added that Rs 92 was being charged instead of Rs 46 for the entire highway.

During the course of hearing, Munjal had contended that there was congestion and mismanagement at the toll plazas, which required regulation of traffic by the authority concerned, which was a part of law and order duty.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 11

Three youths from Himachal Pradesh serving in the Merchant Navy, who were kidnapped by Nigerian pirates, have been released, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Wednesday.

We have secured the release of three Indian nationals Sushil Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Kumar - all from Himachal Pradesh who were abducted in Nigeria. I appreciate the efforts of Shri B.N.Reddy Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria, Swaraj tweeted, tagging a news story of this newspaper.

The three youths, belonging to Kangra district, were along with the ship captain kidnapped for ransom by Nigerian pirates and the ship hijacked.

Raghubir Singh (62), a resident of Nagrota Surian and father of one of the kidnapped crew members, who is also captain of the ship, had on Thursday told The Tribune that his son Sushil Kumar, 37, father of two children, had been working in Merchant Navy for the last 13 years.

He has worked with different companies but currently he was working with Max Marine Services in Cortnou Benin since November 26 last year. He said the ship was owned by Nesto. Raghubir Singh said the family last talked to Sushil Kumar on January 31. After that, there was no communication from him till March 12.

The family was disturbed and got in touch with Nesto, the owner of the ship to enquire about his welfare. Raghubir said the family was allegedly misguided by ship owner. Every time, the family contacted him, he gave wrong information that all crew members were safe.

Raghubir Singh said it was on March 12 that the family received a satellite call from Nigeria. Speaking to the family, Sushil informed them that some Nigerian sea pirates had hijacked his ship and kidnapped three Indian crew members, including him. He revealed that the other two kidnapped crew members are Pankaj Kumar from Samloti and Ajay Kumar from Palampur, both from Kangra district.
English Dutch

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) of Heijmans N.V. was held on Wednesday 11 April 2018 in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The key resolutions are as follows:

Composition of the Supervisory Board

Ms P.G. Boumeester and Mr R. van Gelder were both reappointed for a period of two years effective from the date of the AGM.

Reappointment of the external auditor

EY was reappointed by the AGM as the external auditor for the 2018 and 2019 financial years.

Power of the Executive Board to issue shares

Extension of the nomination of the Executive Board as the competent body to issue ordinary shares for a period of 18 months from the date the AGM was approved. This power is limited to 10% of the issued share capital currently outstanding, as well as 10% thereof if the issue takes place as part of a merger or acquisition or as part of the formation of a strategic alliance.

2017 Result Appropriation

The Executive Board, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, and with an eye on the importance of the recovery of the 2017 balance sheet, has decided not to distribute a dividend on ordinary shares. This item therefore was not subjected to a vote.



About Heijmans

Heijmans is a listed company that combines activities related to property development, residential building, non-residential building, roads and civil engineering in the areas living, working and connecting. Our constant focus on quality improvements, innovation and integrated solutions enables us to generate added value for our clients. Heijmans realises projects for private consumers, companies and public sector bodies and together we are building the spatial contours of tomorrow. You will find additional information on www.heijmans.nl.



For more information / not for publication:

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Marieke Swinkels-Verstappen

Communications

+31 (0)73 543 52 17

mswinkels-verstappen@heijmans.nl

Analysts

Guido Peters

Investor Relations

+ 31 (0)73 543 52 17

gpeters@heijmans.nl




editorial@tribune.com

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 11

Three youths from Kangra district  Sushil Kumar (37) of Nagrota Surian, who had been working in Merchant Navy for the last 13 years and was the captain of a merchant ship, Pankaj Kumar from Samloti village and Ajay Kumar from Palampur who were kidnapped by Nigerian pirates, have been released.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur tweeted on Wednesday, I am highly grateful to honourable Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj for her tireless efforts in securing the release of three Himachalis who were kidnapped in Nigeria. A big thanks from the people of Himachal, tweeted the Chief Minister.

Raghuvir Singh, father of Sushil Kumar, when contacted on phone, said that he got a phone call from his local MLA Hoshiar Singh that his son has been released by the Nigerian pirates. Later, the BJP MP from Kangra, Shanta Kumar, also talked to Raghuvir Singh and informed him about the release of his son.

I am grateful to all the leaders of the state who have helped in securing the release of my son. We have been informed that my son would reach India in the next two to three days, he said.

Three sailors of Himachal, who were kidnapped by the Nigerian pirates, were currently working with Max Marine Services in Cortnou Benin since November 26 last. The ship was owned by Nesto. The pirates made calls to the families of the kidnapped youth time and again demanding ransom of Rs 5 lakh per head.

Raghubir Singh said it was on March 12 that the family had received a call from Nigeria. Speaking to the family, Sushil informed them that some Nigerian sea pirates had hijacked his ship and kidnapped three Indian crew members, including him.

He said after this call the family contacted the ship owner Nesto and talked to him about the latest situation. Nesto informed them that he was trying to negotiate with the pirates and he was ready to give the ransom money to get the three released from their clutches. The family had alleged that Nesto was misleading them.

The families had approached the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Ministers Office through the state government and Shanta Kumar.

CM shares Sushmas message on Twitter

We have secured the release of three Indian nationals, Sushil Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Kumar, all from Himachal Pradesh, who were abducted in Nigeria. I appreciate the efforts of BN Reddy, Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria
vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Jammu, April 10

Two soldiers were killed as Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation on the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district on Monday night.

The slain soldiers were identified as Riflemen Jaki Sharma and Vinod Singh.

A defence spokesperson said around 5.15 pm, the Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling to which the Indian Army responded strongly and effectively. However, in the exchange of fire, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma were grievously injured and later succumbed to injuries, he added.

One more soldier was injured and is undergoing treatment, said a source, adding that the incident happened in the Keri area of Sunderbani sector.

Keri is around 8 km from Battal, from where four militants, killed on March 28 in Sunderbani, had infiltrated into the Indian side.

Rifleman Vinod Singh, 24, who belonged to Danapur village of Akhnoor in Jammu district, is survived by his father Ajit Singh, while Rifleman Jaki Sharma, 30, who belonged to Sanhail village in Hiranagar of Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, is survived by his wife Rajni Devi.

Since January 1, the Indian Army has lost 16 soldiers while defending the LoC, whereas the BSF, which works under the operational command of the Army on the LoC, has lost a jawan.  TNS
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, April 11

Four civilians and a soldier were killed and over 47, including 2 army men, were injured in an encounter here in Khodweni area of south Kashmirs Kulgam district.

Sources said one of the three militants who engaged security forces in a gunfight was also killed. The body, however, is yet to be retrieved.

The encounter was triggered on Tuesday night in Khodweni area after security forces laid a cordon and search operation, acting on inputs regarding the presence of militants in the area.

A senior police official from the area said three army men were injured during the gunfight and one of them succumbed to his injuries.

The other two are undergoing treatment in Srinagar, the official said.

As soon as the encounter resumed on Wednesday morning hundreds of people marched towards the site of the encounter to try and make the militants flee.

Security forces have used bullets, pellets and tear smoke shells to disperse the ever-growing crowd of the civilians, sources said.

Hospital sources in Anantnag and Kulgam said they had received the injured with bullet, pellet and teargas shell injuries.

The four slain youths were identified as Sharjeel Ahmed Sheikh (25) of Khudwani, Bilal Ahmad Tantray (16) of Frisal, Faisal Ilahi (14) of Melhoora Shopian and Aijaz Ahmad Pala of Bijbehara.

Police said Sheikh was involved in an Arms Act case.

Official sources said six additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force have been moved to the encounter site.

Train services have been suspended on Srinagar-Banihal route, although trains on Srinagar-Baramulla route remain undisturbed. With agencies


monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Guwahati, April 11

The Assam Police is awaiting confirmation from its Jammu and Kashmir counterpart whether a missing youth from the northeastern state has joined militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, a senior police official said on Wednesday.

Whether he has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen is still to be confirmed by Jammu and Kashmir Police. The verification process is going on," Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay told PTI.

The fact that he is missing is confirmed. The special branch of Assam Police is investigating and has taken up the matter with Jammu and Kashmir Police, Sahay said.

A photograph of the youth from Assam's Jamunamukh village in Nagaon district holding an automatic assault rifle has gone viral on social media. The photograph has a caption that suggests he is now a member of Hizbul Mujahideen.

The youth's mother recognised him in the photograph as her missing son and said the government should shoot him dead for being a traitor. PTI
gspannu7@gmail.com

Jammu, April 11

Faced with a challenge to bring to book the culprits behind the Kathua rape-cum-murder of a minor girl, police reconstructed the scene of the crime to gather vital clues.

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

The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police filed two separate charge sheets against the eight accused persons, including a juvenile, held in the case.

According to investigators, the girl was held captive inside a Devisthan, gang raped, kept without food and administered sedatives.

Her cause of death was asphyxia leading to cardio-pulmonary arrest, the investigations revealed.

In the course of investigation the Special Investigation Team (SIT) members along with Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts and naib Tehsildar (executive magistrate) again visited the scene of occurrence and tried to reconstruct the scene of crime, according to the charge sheet.

It said minute examination of these locations led to the recovery of various items, including blood-stained wooden sticks and hair strand which were seized, packed and sealed by the magistrate.

The sealed packets containing the exhibits were sent to FSL for analysis and report. Besides, few hair strands recovered from Devisthan and nearby forest where the body of the girl was dumped by the accused were forwarded to experts in Delhi for DNA profiling.

On the basis of opinion furnished by the experts, one of the hair strands recovered from the Devisthan matched with the DNA profile of victim which confirmed that she was kept in captivity at Devisthan which is exclusively manned by the mastermind Sanji Ram to the exclusion of any other person of the area, the charge sheet read.

Similarly, the hair strand recovered from the place of recovery of the body matched with the DNA profile of the juvenile who raped the girl several times after abducting her, it said.

Accused police officials  Sub Inspector Anand Dutta and Head Constable Tilak Raj  failed in their efforts to destroy the evidence by washing the clothes worn by the deceased after receiving Rs 4 lakh from the mastermind, it said.

FSL Delhi with updated technology was able to confirm the presence of blood stains on the clothes of the victim which matched with her DNA profile, it further said, adding DNA profiling also established presence of victims blood on the vaginal smears.

As per the report of medical experts, the victim was found prima facie raped before being killed, the police said.

The crime branch said the investigation also established that the victim was raped by more than one accused with common intention.

The medical opinion also established the fact that the victim had been kept without food and administered sedatives and her cause of death was asphyxia leading to cardio-pulmonary arrest, the charge sheet said.

During investigation, call details of mobile phones used by the accused persons were obtained from quarters concerned.

The CDRs obtained have prima facie established the individual and common locations of all the accused in and around the scene of crime on crucial dates of occurrence.

The analysis of CDRs of accused Deepak Khajuria, a special police officer who raped the girl shortly before she was killed and her body dumped, revealed that he had remained in constant touch with his associate Surinder Kumar from the date of kidnapping of the victim, the charge sheet said.

This necessitated the questioning of SPO Kumar who was summoned and questioned but he could not give any plausible and tangible explanation regarding his telephonic conversation with Khajuria and sudden spike in their frequency despite of the fact that Khajuria had disclosed that he had sent Kumar to ascertain the movement of Bakherwals in and around Devisthan on January 14 and also to inform him regarding the condition of victim who then was held in captivity in Devisthan.

In response to which, Kumar visited the Devisthan and conveyed to him regarding the movement of Bakherwals and condition of the victim. Besides some of the witnesses examined corroborated regarding the movement and presence of Kumar in and around Devisthan, it said.

The charge sheet said Kumar was accordingly arrested and is at present in judicial custody.

Further investigation in respect of his involvement in the case is being conducted which may include his narco-analysis for which his consent has already been obtained, it said.

In the course of investigation, it said the statements of more than 130 witnesses were recorded.

All the witnesses examined have unequivocally corroborated the facts that emerge in the course of investigation. The statements of all these witnesses form part of the challan (charge sheet).  PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Jammu, April 11

The Jammu High Court Bar Association (JHCBA) on Wednesday struck work demanding a CBI probe into the Kathua rape-cum-murder case, leading to disruption of normal life across the region.

The brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakerwal girl has polarised the normally peaceful town of Jammu, with the local Bar Association calling for a bandh against what it termed the targeting of minority Dogras, while the state police had lodged a case against lawyers who allegedly tried to prevent it from filing a chargesheet against the accused.

Markets in Jammu city wore a deserted look as shops and schools remained closed while skeletal public transport was seen plying on various routes.

Majority of the private educational institutions also remained closed as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident, officials said.

The strike, which was supported by several political and civil society groups except Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (JCCI), was peaceful so far though rallies and protests were staged by lawyers and their supporters at various places in the city to ensure success of their strike call.

So far there is no report of any untoward bandh-related incident from anywhere, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Vivek Gupta told PTI.

He said police had made necessary arrangements to ensure that the bandh passes off peacefully.

The strike also received a good response in Kathua, Samba and Udhampur districts of the Jammu province, officials said.

Carrying tricolor and chanting slogans in support of their demands, JHCBA members led by their president B S Slathia staged a rally from High Court complex and visited various markets in the old city seeking public support to their demands, which also include clarity of the state governments stance on tribal affairs and district status to Nowshera sub-division in Rajouri district.

A group of lawyers also blocked the court road near Janipur in the city and set ablaze worn-out tires while shouting go back, go back, Rohingyas go back.

Opposition Congress and Panthers party along with several civil society groups have extended support to the strike call but JCCI has opposed the call on the plea that there is no justification for the strike as both the major demands of Bar are sub judice.

The issues raised by the Bar lack justification to call for a strike. We should have faith in our judiciary, JCCI president Rakesh Gupta had said, adding the Rohingya issue was being heard by the Supreme Court while the Crime Branch investigation into the Rassana rape-and-murder case was being monitored by the High Court.

National Panthers Party activists also staged a separate protest in the city in support of the bandh.

Reports reaching here from Samba said, bandh supporters blocked the Jammu-Kathua highway near Jatwal. However, the protesters later dispersed and the traffic on the highway was restored, the officials said. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 11

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him a host of issues concerning the state, including the progress made on the initiatives taken by the Centres representative Dineshwar Sharma in holding talks with a cross-section of society.

A senior Ministry of Home Affairs official said during the 20-minute meeting, the two leaders talked about the measures to be taken to bring normalcy in the Valley, which has recently seen a spurt in violence. They also discussed the initiatives taken by Mr Sharma in holding talks with a wide cross-section of society, he added.

The CM briefed Rajnath on the prevailing law and order situation and the steps taken to restore peace in the Valley. The situation along the border with Pakistan, which often witnesses attempts of infiltrations by militants and cross-border firings, also came up for discussion, the official added.

The meeting came in the wake of the growing demands for a CBI probe into the Kathua rape-murder case and incidents of militant violence and encounters with security forces.

The two leaders, it is learnt, also deliberated on measures to be taken to ameliorate the misery of the border dwellers and the implementation of the PMs development package.

According to the data provided to Parliament, 60 incidents of terrorist violence have taken place in J&K from January till mid-March this year, killing 15 security personnel and 17 terrorists. Last week, an officer of the J&K Police was badly injured in a stone-throwing incident in Srinagar.

On Tuesday, the Concerned Citizens Group, including former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha and former chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities Wajahat Habibullah, had said that the violence in the Kashmir valley showed no signs of abating and was, in fact, being stoked by talk of revenge and unrestrained public statements from various actors.

Border woes taken up
gspannu7@gmail.com

Mumbai, April 11

Kareena Kapoor Khan says she has been acting for such a long time now that she cannot imagine herself in any other profession.

Asked what she would be if not an actor, Kareena told reporters, After 18 years of working in this profession, I dont know if I can even think of myself doing something else. I always wanted to be an actor, so I cant imagine life without acting.

She was speaking at the Lokmat Maharashtrian of The Year awards.

The actor also received an award at the event.

Every award is important but to be awarded Maharashtrian of The Year is extremely special. I am very proud of my state, my city. I feel very humble to receive this honour, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan star said.

At the event, actor Akshay Kumar was also honoured, and Kareena said the Airlift star is most deserving of the award.

There is no one more deserving than him because his film choices are so brave. He has made films on varied topics and tried to do something different, she said.  PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Mona

In his cinematic journey, filmmaker Ojaswwee Sharma has dabbled in many genres but has been labelled documentary-maker largely  a title he is out to proclaim with a docu-drama that he trusts our city is going to be proud of!

With 25 short films under his belt and laurels gathered from international film festivals for his two highly acclaimed films  Zubaan and The Last Date  this director-producer has his kitty full with six more short films in various stages of production. Opening the account with Badalati Soch this year, a film that brings together issues of girl child and gender equality, this five-minute short is duly supported by National Health Mission, UT, Chandigarh.

Social eye

In fact, most of Ojaswwee work cries out social causes. Deliberate? Not really, opens up this rather handsome and solemn director. My idea of telling a story is taking a slice out of life and presenting it. Issues get interspersed, says this filmmaker, who writes most his projects. In fact, the line-up for the year has themes  food wastage in Butter Toast; wait for long-pending dues by an honest police constable; social opinions impacting question of identity; and another sequel to JSLive and JS Live 2  a fun take on social media and its over over-arching impact on our lives.

While all others are of short duration its the docu-drama thats feature length. Chandigarh is a city of educated and the topic that I am currently documenting gives an impetus to its status as a learned city. The process is long and arduous, but Ojaswwee is happy the way it is shaping up. I pick up lots of subjects for my soul; kitchen suffers is another matter, he laughs.

Talking finances

That short films are not financially viable is an open secret, what makes him carry on this path? Well, I am a story-teller. And if I hit upon an idea that can be conveyed in a few minutes, I dont think of commercial aspects and sully its purity. For financial concerns there is commercial work  advertisements, promotional and corporate films.

Dividing time between Chandigarh and Mumbai, this award-winning filmmaker finds his ideal in Rajkumar Hirani. His films are thoroughly entertaining and without being in your face pass on a message that matters to masses and beautifully so.

Question him on fringe groups staking claim on films release, he feels, No film hits the screens before being passed by various advisory boards. Once through with it all, no one should be allowed to stall the release.

Speaking of glamour industry, its hard to ignore Sri Reddy and her nude protest against casting couch. There are two sides to every coin. For self and my crew, I ensure work ethics all the time. As for others, I am not responsible. Lets face it; casting couch isnt restricted to the film industry alone.

A feature next, this city boy aims to elevate education through his films and more. While huge stress is placed on academics in our country, is real learning happening or not is my worry! Addressing and contributing to this cause is up on my list of priorities.

Surging ahead

Ojaswwee Sharmas films have been appreciated on international forums. Zubaan garnered 12 feathers, including Vancouver International Film Festival and Sikh Lens Arts and Film Festival; and The Last Date four, including Best Director award at Rajasthan International Film Festival. So, what does it mean to get critical acclaim? Well, for one its a huge honour and, two, more importantly so, it strengthens the resolve  another pointer that one is on the right path!

mona@tribunemail.com
English French

BONDUELLE

A French SCA (Partnership Limited by Shares) with a capital of 56.491.956, 50 Euros

Head Office: La Woestyne 59173 Renescure, France

Registered under number: 447 250 044 (Dunkerque Commercial and Companies Register)

MONTHLY INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTING RIGHTS

AND SHARES FORMING THE COMPANY'S SHARE CAPITAL

ARTICLE 223-16 OF THE GENERAL REGULATION OF THE FINANCIAL MARKET AUTHORITY

Date of latest

information Total number of

shares forming the capital Number of voting rights







31.03.2018







32 281 118



Theoretical Total



50 393 410



Actual Total *



49 854 417




vinaymishra188@gmail.com

What inspired you to take up this role?

My father is a great fan of Chandrashekar Azad. We also had a photo of Azad in our home when I was young. So it is like a dream come true. Also playing the role of Chandrashekar Azad is like a blessing. I hope I am able to connect with the audience and do complete justice to the character.

Where are you originally from?

I was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and did my initial schooling there. Then we shifted to Mumbai for my television career. We visit Gujarat during breaks.

How will you manage your studies along with the shoot?

We started shooting in June 2017 when I was a student of class 12th. It was hard to manage both, as I study in Ahmedabad and was shooting in Mumbai. But due to the support of production house and school, I was able to manage both nicely.

What are your views on the concept of the show?

It is the first-of-its-kind show on Indian television. Its an inspirational show and it feels great to be able to inspire others with such a powerful character.

How has your journey been so far?

I have been working since the age of three (from 2004) as an actor. I have worked in many Gujarati Films. After 2007, when I started my work in Mumbai, I have done 100 stage shows, 16 Gujarati and Hindi serials, including my recent one in Baalveer.

What are your future plans?

I want to become a successful actor, director and producer.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, April 11

A loan of Rs 5,280 crore extended by a consortium of 31 banks led by ICICI Bank to the companies of absconding billionaire jeweller Mehul Choksi has come under the scanner of the CBI, officials said on Wednesday.

The agency questioned three officials from foreign branches of Indian banks, which had given credit facilities to the companies of absconding billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, on the basis of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by Punjab National Banks Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The USD 2 billion scam became public in January after the CBI registered an FIR in the matter, but by that time both the high-profile jewellers had left India with family, they said.

Two officials of Canara Banks branch in Bahrain, including its branch manager, and an official of Bank of Indias branch in Antwerp in Belgium were questioned by a CBI team in Mumbai, they said.

Meanwhile, the agency officials said while their focus remains on the fraudulent LoUs, the loan of Rs 5,280 crore to the companies of Choksi in 2016 will come under its probe at a later stage.

They said whether a fresh FIR will be registered in the case or the ambit of an existing FIR will be expanded, will be decided before proceeding with action in the matter.

The agency in February had examined a senior ICICI Bank functionary too, they said.

It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) of USD 2 billion issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

The accused PNB officials did not enter the instructions for these LoUs in their internal software to avoid scrutiny.

They were sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds.

An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.

In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit-giving bank along with the accruing interest.

The PNB officials allegedly sent these messages to Indian banks -- Canara Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of India, Axis Bank, Allahabad Bank -- located in Antwerp, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Mauritius, Frankfurt without making entries in the banking software about the LoUs.

Upon receiving the messages from PNB under SWIFT, the banks abroad transferred these amounts into Nostro account of PNB with them.

A Nostro account is an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank to enable foreign trade by its clients.  PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, April 11

The Delhi High Court has asked CBSE not to reject the applications of open school candidates for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG, a pre-qualification for pursuing MBBS course, till the challenge to the exams eligibiliIty criteria is decided.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar told the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which conducts the test, not to reject the applications of the 13 MBBS aspirants who have moved the court fearing they would be barred as they did their schooling from open schools.

It listed the matter before another bench which is hearing a batch of pleas against the Boards notification laying down the eligibilty criteria, including the upper age limit of 25 and 30 years for general and reserved categories respectively, to apply for the test.

The court also issued notice to the Centre, CBSE and the Medical Council of India (MCI) and sought their replies on the plea, filed through advocate Jose Abraham, which has also sought quashing of a clause in the notification which bars students from open schools or those who have studied privately from appearing in the test.

The 13 MBBS aspirants from Kerala have submitted in their plea that they have completed their higher secondary school education (10 plus 2) from open schools or through private schooling and under the notification, they were barred from sitting for NEET-UG exam.

On February 28, another bench of the high court had put on hold the operation of CBSEs January 22 notification.

Under the January 22 notification of CBSE, candidates who have studied in open school, students who have had biology or biotechnology as an additional subject, those who have taken more than two years to complete their 11th and 12th and students who have studied privately, were not eligible to apply for the examination.

The court, while passing its interim order on February 28, had made it clear that while the candidates will be allowed to submit their application for the entrance test, it does not mean they can sit for the examination, scheduled to be held on May 6.

The order was passed on several petitions moved by medical aspirants who were aggrieved by several other eligibility norms barring them from applying for the NEET-UG for which the last date for submission of application is March 9.

The bench had also said students from open schools or those who have studied privately should belong to a recognised board in order to apply for the exam.

In the earlier batch of petitions, the students had also challenged the constitutional validity of the amendments made by the MCI in the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education which are the basis of the NEET-UG notification issued by the CBSE.  PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Panaji, April 11

A brain dead mans organs harvested at a private hospital in Goa were taken to Mumbai instead of being donated to a patient waiting for transplant at a state-run hospital, prompting the health department to order an inquiry into it.

In view of this, a senior official of the western regions organ transplant body, affiliated to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has drawn the attention of the authorities concerned on the need to set up the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) in Goa.

The brain dead mans organs were harvested at a private hospital near here on Monday and sent to a hospital at Mumbai in the neighbouring Maharashtra, instead of being given to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

The state-run GMCH, located close to the private facility where the organs were harvested, claimed that one of its patients was waiting for a kidney transplant.

Goas health minister Vishwajit Rane on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the matter and formed a team of GMCH officials to investigate why the local patient was not provided the required organ.

Meanwhile, Dr Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, the director of the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO), Western Region, Mumbai, on Tuesday wrote a letter to Goas health services director Dr Sanjiv Dalvi over the need to set up the SOTTO.

In the letter, Gajiwala said since the SOTTO had not been set up, the coastal state did not have the approved list of kidney patients waiting for the transplant.

The letter, dated April 10, also said that the state did not have an emergency cross-matching facility, which is required for transplants.

Gajiwala also suggested the state to maintain a criteria-based transplant waiting list for organs and link it to ROTTO and NOTTO.

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has made it mandatory for the states to have their own panels so that the organs and tissues were collected scientifically from donors and provided to patients.

The Goa chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had earlier expressed serious concern over the delay in setting up SOTTO in the state. PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, April 11

India is set to sign an agreement with the United Kingdom and Ireland on the return of illegal migrants.

The Union Cabinet this morning gave its nod to the MoU.

The MoU will facilitate visa free agreement for holders of diplomatic passports as well as liberalisation of UK visa regime for those who are travelling to the UK legally, an official statement said.

It will ensure the return of persons, who have no lawful basis to be in the territory of the other party, after verification of nationality.

The proposed agreement will also help in streamlining the procedure of return of nationals, who are caught to be staying illegally, in a specified time-frame.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be in London in the third week of April to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. PTI
gspannu7@gmail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, April 11

Former media executive Indrani Mukerjea, who is the prime accused in the disappearance and murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, was on Wednesday discharged from the JJ Hospital where she was admitted last weekend after allegedly overdosing on anti-depressants.

Dr Sudhir Nandankar, Dean, JJ Hospital, said Mukerjeas condition had improved and she was thus discharged from hospital.

She was taken back to jail this afternoon. However, to a query from a news reporter as to whether she feared a threat to her life, Mukerjea replied in the affirmative.

However, she was whisked away by the police before she could speak at length to the media waiting outside the hospital.



Mukerjea was admitted to hospital on Friday in a delirious condition. JJ Hospital officials said Mukerjea had overdosed on anti-depressants.






rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, April 11

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to grant protection to a Karnataka woman who alleged that she had been married off without her consent.

The woman, who is at present in Delhi and being assisted by Delhi Commission for Women, has also sought striking down of certain provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act on the grounds that the consent of the bride or the groom has not been made mandatory in the law.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it would treat this petition as a habeas corpus plea and would not deal with the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Act as sought by senior advocate Indira Jaising, who was representing the aggrieved woman.

The bench observed that Section 12 C of the Act provided for annulment of marriage if there is forced or fraudulent consent.

The court agreed with the contention that the identity of the woman and her family members, who had forced her into the marriage, not be revealed.

It directed the Superintendent of Police concerned to serve notice on the respondents and fixed the matter for further hearing on May 5.

During the hearing, Jaising said the woman had been forced into marriage and sought protection. PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Visakhapatnam, April 11

Inspector General KR Nautiyal has been appointed as the new Coast Guard Commander (Eastern Seaboard), a press release from the Coast Guard said here on Wednesday.

The Flag Officer relinquished the command of Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (West), Mumbai, on Tuesday and would be taking over as Headquarters Eastern Seaboard from Inspector General KS Sheoran on Thursday, it said.

He has been promoted to the rank of Additional Director-General.

Nautiyal has commanded all types of Coast Guard ships and was Deputy Director-General (Operations and CS) at CGHQ, New Delhi, Commander CGRHQ (NE) in Kolkata and Commander CGRHQ (W) in Mumbai, it added. PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, April 11

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daylong fast was only a "diversionary tactic" to cover up his government's inability to resolve the contentious issues, the Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged.

Stepping up attack on the BJP leadership after ending the alliance with the NDA over denial of special category status to AP, Naidu accused the Prime Minister of turning a blind eye to the problems of the state.

"The PM's fast is ridiculous. It is an attempt to run away from the crucial issues raised by the Opposition parties in the just-concluded Parliament session," the Chief Minister said in an informal chat with the media on Tuesday on the sidelines of a dinner hosted for delegates attending the three-day Happy Cities Summit in Vijayawada.

Modi, along with other BJP leaders, will observe a day-long fast in New Delhi on Thursday to protest against the disruption of Parliamentary proceedings by opposition parties.

"Who is responsible for the stalemate in Parliament? Was it not the NDA government which was behind the AIADMK MPs, who stalled the proceeding in the Lok Sabha, to avoid facing the no-confidence motion proposed by the Opposition?" Naidu wondered.

He said it was wrong on the part of the Prime Minister to blame the Opposition for the Parliament logjam. "Our MPs have exposed the deceit of the NDA government in not fulfilling the promises made in AP Reorganisation Act, including granting of special status to AP," Naidu said.

He also found fault with the Central government for not constituting the Cauvery Board as demanded by the AIADMK. "Who stopped Modi from doing it? The Supreme Court ordered that the Cauvery Board be constituted and the Centre could have done to do it to resolve the decades-long dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," he said.

The Chief Minister said his government was committed to continue the developmental programmes in the state with or without the central government's assistance.

On building the new capital Amaravati, the state government would go ahead with the construction of the capital involving private sector without waiting for the Central assistance. "If the Centre extends help, we will welcome it. Even otherwise, we would go ahead with the works with people's cooperation. Several NRIs are coming forward to contribute their might for creating a world-class capital city," Naidu said.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, April 11

Seeking to give shape to the governments concept of one nation, one election, a law commission internal working paper has recommended holding of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in two phases beginning 2019.

The second phase of simultaneous polls can take place in 2024, the document states.

The document has proposed amending the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to shorten or extend the terms of state legislative assemblies to effect the move.

The amendments are in line with the ones recommended by a parliamentary panel and the Niti Aayog.

The working paper will be discussed by the full commission on April 17. It is a draft document and no final decision has been taken. If members suggest, changes could be made before a final report is submitted to the law ministry, a top law panel functionary told PTI here today.

The states which are recommended to be covered under phase I are where assembly polls are due in 2021. These include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

States which will come under phase II are Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab. To hold elections in these states along with LS polls, the terms of the assemblies have to be extended.

Based on a suggestion made by the Election Commission, the working paper also says that a no confidence motion against the government should be followed by a confidence motion. This would ensure that if the opposition does not have numbers to form an alternative government, the regime in office cannot be removed.

Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat had a word of caution on simultaneous polls when he recently said the legal framework required for holding of the two elections together will take a lot of time to get ready.

We cannot put the cart before the horse. Logistical issues are subservient to legal framework. Unless legal framework is in place, we dont have to talk about anything else because legal framework will take a lot of time, making constitutional amendment to (changing) the law, all the process will take time, he said.

He had said once the legal framework is ready, the EC will deliver.  EC is a creation of the Constitution. We have to perform willy-nilly, deliver the election, whatever way prescribed in the law, he had said.  PTI
Zaandam, the Netherlands, April 11, 2017 - Ahold Delhaize today held its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The meeting was attended by 263 shareholders, representing approximately 921 million shares.

Shareholders adopted Ahold Delhaize's 2017 financial statements and established the 2017 dividend at 0.63 per common share, to be paid on April 26, 2017.

Shareholders adopted all other proposals on the agenda, including: the appointment of Wouter Kolk as member of the Management Board and the reappointment of Rene Hooft Graafland as member of the Supervisory Board.
gspannu7@gmail.com

New Delhi, April 11

A global human rights body on Wednesday said the Unnao gang rape case, allegedly involving a BJP MLA, and the subsequent death of the womans father in judicial custody, painted a chilling picture, and demanded an independent investigation.

Amnesty International Indias Programmes Director Asmita Basu, in a statement also urged the Uttar Pradesh Government to respond to the notices issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in this case and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The NHRC had yesterday sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government and the state police chief seeking a detailed report on the custodial death of the 50-year-old man after his daughter had accused a BJP MLA and his aides of gang rape in Unnao, and asked the authorities to ensure the aggrieved family is not subjected to further harassment.

Days after the 18-year-old woman accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother Atul Singh and his aides of raping her, her father had died in custody on Monday.

Prior to her fathers death, the woman had also tried to immolate herself outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths house in Lucknow.

The death of her father in custody while seeking justice for his daughter, suggests that the UP Police have turned their backs on human rights, the Amnesty India said.

The alleged failure of the Uttar Pradesh Police in registering an FIR against the MLA, the harassment faced by the woman and her family, and the death of her father in custody, paint a chilling picture, the rights body said.

There must be an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into these alleged violations, and authorities must take all steps to ensure that the survivor and her family are protected from any further harassment, the statement said.  PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Washington, April 11

Facebook is committed to ensuring integrity of key elections across the world, including in India, its founder Mark Zuckerberg said as he testified before the US Congress over the massive Cambridge Analytica scandal that has shaken the social media giant.

Zuckerberg's testimony came after it was revealed in March that British firm Cambridge Analytica tied to US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign improperly collected profile data of up to 87 million Facebook users.

The scandal shook confidence in Facebook, leading some people to go as far as abandoning the social media site altogether  a revolt called the hashtag #DeleteFacebook.

Zuckerberg, who is also the CEO of Facebook, said data privacy and foreign interference in elections were topics that they have discussed at the Facebook board meeting.

"These are some of the biggest issues that the company has faced, and we feel a huge responsibility to get these right," Zuckerberg told lawmakers during the Congressional hearing, adding that "this is one of my top priorities in 2018".

He said Facebook was taking steps to ensure integrity of elections in countries like the United States, India, Brazil, and Pakistan.

"2018 is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections," he said.

Zuckerberg organisation faces charges of failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica from gathering personal information of Facebook users to try to influence election.

Zuckerberg said his one of the greatest regrets was that Facebook has been slow in identifying the Russian information operations in 2016.

We expected them to do a number of more traditional cyber attacks, which we did identify and notify the campaigns that they were trying to hack into them, he said.

The Facebook CEO said he was now more confidant as his company has set the things right. Since the 2016 election, there have been several important elections around the world where it has had a better record, he said.

There was the French presidential election. There was the German election. There was the US Senate Alabama special election last year," Zuckerberg added.

He said Facebook has deployed new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that better identify fake accounts, trying to interfere in elections or spread misinformation.

"Between those three elections, we were able to proactively remove tens of thousands of accounts before they could do significant harm," he said.

"And the nature of these attacks, though, is that there are people in Russia whose job is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems, and other systems, as well. So this is an arms race, right? I mean, they're going to keep on getting better at this, and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this, too, which is why one of things I mentioned before is we're going to have more than 20,000 people, by the end of this year, working on security and content review across the company," he said.

Zuckerberg said they had developed tools which identify people when they try to create fake accounts.

Your content has to be authentic. So we build technical tools to try to identify when people are creating fake accounts, especially large networks of fake accounts, like the Russians have in order to remove all of that content," he said.

Zuckerberg said after the US 2016 election, Facebook's top priority was to protect the integrity of other elections around the world.

What we're going to do is to ask a valid government identity and we're going to verify the location. We are going to do that so that someone sitting in Russia, for example, couldn't say that they're in America and, therefore, able to run an election ad," he said. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

Duped by travel agents in the name of work visa, one youth from Bholath has been missing from Dubai for the last five months while another 27 Punjabi youths have been allegedly trapped in UAE and Saudi Arabia for several weeks now.

Chief spokesperson for AAP Harjot Singh Bains in a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has urged her to intervene in the matter so that no valuable life is lost. He said the youths had sent some videos showing their pitiable plight in the foreign land.

The family of the missing youth, Khushwinder Singh, resident of Bholath, Kapurthala, said while they were trying their level best to search for him, they had got no help from the Punjab government or the police.

His sister Satinderjit Kaur Taggar said the police had not even registered an FIR against the accused travel agent. My brother had gone to Dubai in May last year through a Ludhiana-based travel agent, who assured that he would get a lucrative job soon. However, my brother learnt after two months in Dubai that he had not received requisite papers as promised and is missing since November.

Taggar said the agent had since then gone into hiding. We suspect foul play as my brother was upset when he was told he will have to go back. He talked to us last on November 14, 2017.

Harjot Singh Bains told The Tribune that most of the 27 trapped youths were from Nawanshahar, especially Banga. He said four youths belonging to Himachal Pradesh were also trapped in UAE and Saudi Arabia.

He said, I have sent the list of the youths with their passport numbers to the External Affairs Minister. All the youths were promised well-paying jobs and long work visa but they have been taken for a ride. They are now being treated as slaves by their employers who have confiscated their passports also.

Bains said though the families of the trapped youths had approached the Punjab government, but they had got no relief so far.

The youths have released a video and sought help.
uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, April 11

Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, who escaped the Nabha jail in Punjab in 2016, has been awarded three-month imprisonment by a Delhi court for assaulting public servants and attempting to fire at police officials to prevent his re-arrest.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma sent him to jail for three months, a term he has already undergone, after Mintoo pleaded guilty and sought leniency from the court.

He has been behind bars since November 2016.

The 51-year-old Mintoo had fled the Punjab jail with five other inmates on November 28, 2016 but was nabbed from the Nizammuddin Railway Station here a day later.

The prosecution said when Mintoo found himself surrounded by the police, he took out a pistol and tried to fire at them but was apprehended.

After completion of investigation, a charge sheet was filed against under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC and under the provisions of the Arms Act.

The court, in its order, said the accused was also charge-sheeted for the offence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act but because he was already facing trial under UAPA in a court in Patiala, Punjab, he was not charged for the offence.

Mintoo had moved an application pleading guilty of the offences and sought leniency from the court, contending he remained in custody for the last 15 months and was a heart patient.

"Record shows that the convict is in custody since November 28, 2016, and thus he remained in custody for more than 15 months till date. Considering the punishment provided for the offences, considering that the convict is a heart patient, aged 51 and considering that he has been convicted on his pleading guilty, I sentence him to three months imprisonment," the court said.

The court, in a separate order, directed that he be released from jail as he had already spent the period behind bars.

Earlier, the police had told the court that the role of "insiders and outsiders" who assisted Mintoo and five others in escaping the Nabha jail in Patiala had to be ascertained.

It had said the role of Inter-Services Intelligence and some terror organisations had to be investigated as Mintoo had also visited Pakistan.

According to the police, one loaded pistol and six live cartridges were seized from Mintoo. He was earlier a member of Babbar Khalsa International and later floated his own group, it had said.

Mintoo, wanted in 10 terror cases, was arrested by the Punjab Police after he was deported from Thailand in November 2014. PTI




editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

Asked by security personnel to deposit his mobile handset at the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) in the Punjab Civil Secretariat here, state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar left the place in a huff without meeting the CM on Wednesday.

Later, he switched off his mobile phone and reportedly flew back to New Delhi.

All efforts to contact Jakhar proved futile. His personal secretary, Sanjeev Trikha, said he was not aware of the incident, while claiming that he was not accompanying the PPCC chief here.

A senior MLA, who witnessed the incident, said when Jakhar and other legislators arrived for a scheduled meeting with the Chief Minister, the security staff asked him to first deposit his cellphone.

Some Cabinet ministers were also present at that time. After handing over his phone, Jakhar waited for a while before taking it back and going away. It is learnt that he had sought an audience with the CM over the recent large-scale transfers in the police department and other issues. Party sources said Jakhar was likely to skip the debt waiver function in Sangrur on Thursday.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Wednesday said Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had lost the will to fight the menace of drugs in Punjab.

Addressing a press conference here, Khaira alleged that Amarinder was shielding the police officers who were shielding SAD leader Bikram Majithia.

Khaira said all AAP leaders would take an oath at Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, not to rest till the drug menace ended in Punjab.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

In a short but stern lecture to the top-ranking officers of the Punjab Police, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday warned that those indulging in indiscipline might even face dismissal.

He said DGP Suresh Arora was the boss and reminded the officers that the government had not even let Arora take up a central government posting.

The meeting was called in the wake of recent accusations made by senior officers against each other.

Clearly upset at the recent incidents, Capt Amarinder said he had been getting a hollow feeling over the last few days. What is happening today is not only in an extremely bad taste, but also highly detrimental to the interests of Punjab, he said.

Pointing out that as an ex-Army man he had seen from close quarters how discipline was maintained in the forces, the CM called for serious introspection by the officers for the sake of the force and the state.

A government spokesperson said the CM ordered the top brass of the police to put an immediate end to their personal and professional battles in the courts and the media.

The CM said, if needed, he could even approach the Union Home Minister to seek the dismissal of any officer found violating discipline.

Any senior officer facing a professional issue should first approach the state DGP, followed by the Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary. If he is still not satisfied, he can come to me, he said.

Besides the CM, Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Home Secretary NS Kalsi and DGP Arora spoke to the officers. Arora said the entire issue was particularly awkward for him, but assured the officers that he would not let them down at any cost.

Karan Avtar Singh exhorted the officers not to indulge in any act that had the potential of lowering the morale of the force and damaging its reputation.

Kalsi also expressed concern at the developments and exhorted the officers to get back to the task of keeping the state and its people safe and secure. Chief Principal Secretary to CM Suresh Kumar and all DGPs, except Sumedh Singh Saini, and 17 ADGPs attended the meeting.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

The state government has cleared an amount of Rs 52 crore to give debt waiver to 14,260 people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and 1,630 belonging to the Backward Classes, said Punjab Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot here on Wednesday.

The minister said the debt-ridden SC and BC people who had taken loans from the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCFC) and Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation (BackFinco) would get a waiver of Rs 50,000. The beneficiaries included defaulters and those who were paying instalments.

He announced that the government would give a debt waiver of Rs 125 crore to poor people and the waiver would be initiated on April 14 (the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar) when Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh would distribute debt-relief certificates to the tune of Rs 52 crore during a state-level function at Jalandhar.

The minister has threatened to sit on a dharna in Delhi over delay in release of SC scholarship.

He said if the Union Government delayed releasing the pending amount of the scholarships then he would sit on a days hunger strike in front of the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministrys office.
editorial@tribune.com

Washington, April 11

The US state of Oregon has declared April as the Sikh American Communitys Celebration of Baisakhi month in recognition of the minority communitys contribution.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a proclamation on Monday. It said Sikhs in the US pursued diverse professions and walks of life, making rich contribution to the economic vibrancy of the US as farmers, engineers, doctors and scientists. The city of Salem has declared April 14 as Baisakhi Festival Day.

In the past month, Oregon is the fourth American state to have dedicated April to Sikhism. The others are Indiana, Delaware and New Jersey.

This is an important event in the history of Sikh Americans in Oregon, said local businessman Bahadur Singh, Ghadar Memorial Foundation chairman, who led the delegation to receive the proclamation. -- PTI
BERLIN, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novasentis, a leading developer of film based haptic actuators, announced that it won the IDTechEx 2018 Award for Best New Material for Wearables. The award was presented at IDTechExs Emerging Technologies show in Berlin on April 11th, recognizing Novasentis unique and patented polymer based haptic actuators which are being designed into AR/VR controllers, smart watches and other Wearables.



Novasentis has created haptic actuators using Electro Mechanical Polymer (EMP) technology, that are feather lite, paper thin (150 microns), and can vibrate at any frequency (few Hz to KHz). The Novasentis EMP actuators can be embedded in the surface of any devices to act as a haptic skin capable of providing both localized and meaningful haptic feedback.

Novasentis transitioned from lab to pilot last year and has commenced design activities with several large OEMs on VR/Gaming and Wearable device makers. And its actuators will shortly commence shipping from a mass production factory.

On behalf of the independent judges and IDTechEx, I congratulate Novasentis on creating a unique haptic materials technology that brings life into AR/VR applications and gaming devices, said Raghu Das, CEO of IDTechEx. We have been following Novasentis progress over the years and are delighted to see that they are getting traction in Wearables applications that we believe will continue to grow rapidly in the next three years.

The market for haptic technology is forecasted to grow to nearly $3b by 2027 per James Hayward, Sr. Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, he expects polymer based haptic technologies like that of Novasentis to grow faster than competing technologies.

We are thrilled to receive the 2018 Best New Materials Award for Wearables from IDTechEx, said Francois Jeanneau, CEO of Novasentis. We had been working on perfecting our haptic actuator technology and our work has been validated by customer design wins, investment from key supply chain partners and prestigious industry awards such as this one from IDTechEx. On behalf of our entire team of employees, board of directors and supply chain partners, I thank IDTechEx for this honor.

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research and Events services, helping you profit from emerging technologies. IDTechEx Events provide an analytical, commercial outlook, taking into account market requirements, competitive technologies and development roadmaps. Attendees are presented with the full, diverse range of technologies but the main thrust is always on end user needs and commercialization strategies. For more information see http://www.IDTechEx.com

About Novasentis

Novasentis is the supplier of the worlds thinnest and most flexible polymer-based haptic actuators. The patented electro-mechanical polymer (EMP) technology and products are ideal for creating rich haptic feedback and a completely new user experience for applications including smart watches, AR/VR, gaming controllers and many others. Founded in 2006, Novasentis is privately held with corporate offices in Berkeley, California and research facilities in State College, Penn. More information on Novasentis is available at www.novasentis.com.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Chandigarh, April 11

The rains lashed most of Punjab and parts of Haryana on Wednesday, leaving farmers a worried lot over the fate of their wheat crop nearing the harvesting stage.

According to the MeT office here, Punjab had widespread rains on Wednesday, covering almost the entire state, while Haryana had it in places like Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Kaithal, Jind, Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Hisar.

Chandigarh too received some rainfalls today morning.

The rains, which lashed the two states on Monday too, have increased the worries of wheat farmers as heavy showers are harmful for ripening wheat crop.

Both Punjab and Haryana are the key wheat producing states in the country.

The rains, which are unusual during this time of the year for Punjab and Haryana, were caused by western disturbances.

Farmers say the rainy conditions are detrimental for their wheat harvest.

The rains are unusual during this time of the year. During the past three days, the weather has been either rainy or overcast, which may delay the wheat harvest, said Santokh Singh, a farmer from Jalandhar district.

Another farmer from Kurukshetra said some agriculture experts have suggested that they should not harvest their crop for a week, so that the moisture content subsides.

There were reports that the winds accompanying the rains have slightly flattened the crop at a few places in the two states.

A MeT Department official, meanwhile, told PTI that weather will be clear from tomorrow and temperatures, which have fallen around two to four notches due to rains, would start rising from Friday. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune Reporters

Chandigarh/Bathinda, Apr 11

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday asked Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and his brother-in-law Jaijeet Jojo Johal to apologise for degrading the Dalit community, failing which community members would gherao them.

In a statement here, Dalit leaders Gulzar Singh Ranike and Pawan Kumar Tinu said Johal had made casteist remarks on camera during a dharna organised in Bathinda on Manpreets directions. A case under the SC & ST Prevention of Atrocities Act should be registered against Johal and other Congress leaders who disparaged the Dalits, they added.

Meanwhile, Darshan Singh Kotfatta, former MLA and chief of the SC wing of the district Akali Dal, on Wednesday condemned Bathinda Congress leaders for mocking the SC community during a protest on Monday.

He said he could approach the National SC/ST Commission if the Congress leaders didnt tender an apology.

Meanwhile, Johal said the Opposition parties were making an issue out of nothing. He rejected the allegations levelled by the Akali Dal, while accusing the latter of trying to gain political mileage out of the matter.

He said the Congress had the highest regard for the SC community and could never do anything to offend it.
laxmi@tribune.com

AT the last monthly meeting of the Bombay Co-operative Housing Association, Mr. J.P. Orr, the Chairman of the Managing Committee, explained that on the 15th March he addressed Sir William Meyer on the subject of State aid to Co-operative Housing Societies. He observed that the question of housing middle and poorer classes had become more acute in Bombay and aid was necessary to relieve congestion. We are glad that Mr. Orr has addressed the Government of India on the subject. As he has so well studied the condition of slum life in overcrowded Bombay, he will probably be able to convince the Government of the need of taking greater interest. It is not only the people of Bombay whom the question affects, but also those of numerous growing towns and cities whose insanitation, caused by overcrowding, is a menace to public health of the district and province.
vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 11

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that land degradation was a big challenge in Uttarakhand and hoped that the techniques provided by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would help the state overcome this challenge.

The Chief Minister was on Wednesday addressing the inaugural session of the three-day 10th Annual JICA national workshop being organised by Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project in Mussoorie. He said other issues like forest conservation, improving quality of soil and fulfillment the need of minerals in the soil in Uttarakhand can be addressed through the assistance of JICA

Referring to forest fires, the Chief Minister said community participation through awareness was the most feasible solution to curb forest fires. He said it was important that children in particular had affection towards the forests, which, he said, can only be done if schools sensitised them about the importance of forest conservation.

Forests Minister Dr Harak Singh Rawat apprised that Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project that was being financially supported by JICA includes components like forestry works and livelihood interventions. He said the Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project would prove a milestone in creating livelihood opportunities in the hilly villages that today face the challenge of population migration.

Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi, in his address, referred to importance of forest resources and their valuable contribution towards ecology and economy. He also spoke on eco system services provided by Uttarakhand forests.

Earlier, Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Projects Chief Project Director Anup Malik apprised the participants that the project in the state aimed at establishing innovative approaches for eco-restoration, livelihood enhancement, eco-tourism promotion and sediment disaster mitigation in forest areas of the state. Senior Forestry sector consultant Jayesh Bhatia proposed the vote of thanks.

Delegates from the states of Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tripura, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya are taking part in the three-day deliberations.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Algiers (Algeria), April 11

At least 257 people were killed when a military plane crashed soon after takeoff in a farm field in northern Algeria on Wednesday, officials said.

The cause of the crash was unclear, and an investigation has been opened, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

Emergency services converged on the area near the Boufarik military base after the crash.

There are more than 100 deaths. We cant say exact how many at this point, Mohammed Achour, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency, told The Associated Press.

He said the plane was carrying soldiers. The Defense Ministry did not provide a death toll but expressed condolences to the victims families.

The flight had just taken off from Boufarik, about 30 kilometres southwest of the capital Algiers, for a military base in Bechar in southwest Algeria, Achour said.

It was scheduled to make a layover in Tindouf in southern Algeria, home to many refugees from the neighbouring Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco.

The Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane crashed in an agricultural zone with no residents, Achour said.  AP
uttara@tribuneindia.com

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO, April 11

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg started a second day of testimony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, facing more questions from lawmakers about data privacy at the world's largest social media network.

The 33-year-old internet magnate, once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual grey T-shirt, appeared before the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, a day after he took questions for nearly five hours in a US Senate hearing.

He navigated through the first hearing on Tuesday without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance.

Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 per cent. They were down slightly in early trading on Wednesday.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users' personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US President Donald Trump's election campaign among its clients.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway US politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday's hearing expressing confidence in the social network.

"I don't want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will," Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. "A lot of that depends on you."

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people's permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

"In principle, I think that that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out," Zuckerberg said. Reuters
uttara@tribuneindia.com

KUTUPALONG REFUGEE CAMP (Bangladesh), April 11

Rehana Khatun dreamed her husband came home. He appeared without warning in their village in western Myanmar, outside their handsome wooden house shaded by mango trees. He didnt say anything, she said. He was only there for a few seconds, and then he was gone. Then Rehana Khatun woke up.

She woke up in a shack of ragged tarpaulin on a dusty hillside in Bangladesh. Her husband, Nur Mohammed, is never coming home. He was one of 10 Rohingya Muslim men massacred last September by Myanmar soldiers and Rakhine Buddhists at the coastal village of Inn Din.

Rehana Khatun's handsome wooden house is gone, too. So is everything in it. The Rohingya homes in Inn Din were burned to the ground, and what was once a close-knit community, with generations of history in Myanmar, is now scattered across the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh.

A Reuters investigation in February revealed what happened to the 10 Rohingya men. On September 1, soldiers snatched them from a large group of Rohingya villagers detained by a beach near Inn Din. The next morning, according to eyewitnesses, the men were shot by the soldiers or hacked to death by their Rakhine Buddhist neighbours. Their bodies were dumped in a shallow grave.

The relatives the 10 men left behind that afternoon wouldn't learn of the killings for many monthsin some cases, not until Reuters reporters tracked them down in the refugee camps and told them what had happened. The survivors waited by the beach with rising anxiety and dread as the sun set and the men didnt return.

This is their story. Three of them fled Inn Din while heavily pregnant. All trekked north in monsoon rain through forests and fields. Drenched and terrified, they dodged military patrols and saw villages abandoned or burning. Some saw dead bodies. They walked for days with little food or water.

They were not alone. Inn Din's families joined nearly 700,000 Rohingya escaping a crackdown by the Myanmar military, launched after attacks by Rohingya militants on August 25. The United Nations called it "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing," which Myanmar has denied.

On Tuesday, the military said it had sentenced seven soldiers to long prison terms for their role in the Inn Din massacre. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay told Reuters the move was a "very positive step" that showed the military "won't give impunity for those who have violated the rules of engagement". Myanmar, he said, doesn't allow systematic human rights abuses.

Reuters was able to corroborate many but not all details of the personal accounts in this story.

The Rohingya streamed north until they reached the banks of the Naf River. On its far shore lay Bangladesh, and safety. Many Inn Din women gave boatmen their jewellery to pay for the crossing; others begged and fought their way on board. They made the perilous crossing at night, vomiting with sickness and fear.

Now in Bangladesh, they struggle to piece together their lives without husbands, fathers, brothers and sons. Seven months have passed since the massacre, but the grief of Inn Din's survivors remains raw. One mother told Reuters her story, then fainted.

Like Rehana Khatun, they all say they dream constantly about the dead. Some dreams are bittersweeta husband coming home, a son praying in the mosqueand some are nightmares. One woman says she sees her husband clutching a stomach wound, blood oozing through his fingers.

Daytime brings little relief. They all remember, with tormenting clarity, the day the soldiers took their men away.

Allah saved me

Abdul Amin still wonders why he was spared.

Soldiers had arrived at Inn Din on August 27 and started torching the houses of Rohingya residents with the help of police and Rakhine villagers. Amin, 19, said he and his family sought refuge in a nearby forest with more than a hundred other Rohingya.

Four days later, as Inn Din burned and the sound of gunfire crackled through the trees, they made a dash for the beach, where hundreds of villagers gathered in the hope of escaping the military crackdown. Then the soldiers appeared, said Amin, and ordered them to squat with their heads down.

Amin crouched next to his mother, Nurasha, who threw her scarf over his head. The soldiers ignored Amin, perhaps mistaking him for a woman, but dragged away his brother Shaker Ahmed. I don't know why they chose him and not me, Amin said.

Allah saved me.

The soldiers, according to Amin and other witnesses, said they were taking the men away for a meeting. Their distraught families waited by the beach in vain. As night fell, they returned to the forest where, in the coming days, they made the decision that haunts many of them still: to save themselves and their families by fleeing to Bangladeshand leaving the captive men behind.

Abdu Shakur waited five days for the soldiers to release his son Rashid Ahmed, 18. By then, most Rohingya had set out for Bangladesh and the forest felt lonely and exposed. Abdu Shakur said he wanted to leave, too, but his wife, Subiya Hatu, refused.

I won't go without my son, she said.

You must come with me, he said. If we stay here, they'll kill us all. They had three younger children to bring to safety, he told her. Rashid was their oldest, a bright boy who loved to study; he would surely be released soon and follow them. He didnt. Rashid was one of the 10 killed in the Inn Din massacre.

We did the right thing, says Abdu Shakur today, in a shack in the Kutupalong camp. I feel terrible, but we had to leave that place. As he spoke, his wife sat behind him and sobbed into her headscarf.

Day of judgment

By now, the northward exodus was gathering pace. The Rohingya walked in large groups, sometimes thousands strong, stretching in ragged columns along the wild Rakhine coastline.

At night, the men stood guard while women and children rested beneath scraps of tarpaulin. Rain often made sleep impossible.

Amid this desperate throng was Shaker Ahmed's wife, Rahama Khatun, who was seven months pregnant, and their eight children, aged one to 18. Like many Rohingya, they had escaped Inn Din with little more than the clothes they wore. We brought nothing from the house, not even a single plate, she said.

They survived the journey by drinking from streams and scrounging food from other refugees. Rahama said she heaved herself along slippery paths as quickly as she could. She was scared about the health of her unborn child, but terrified of getting left behind.

Rahama's legs swelled up so much that she couldn't walk. My children carried me on their shoulders. They said, Weve lost our father. We don't want to lose you. Then they reached the beach at Na Khaung To, and a new ordeal began.

Na Khaung To sits on the Myanmar side of the Naf River.

Bangladesh is about 6 km (4 miles) away. For Rohingya from Inn Din and other coastal villages, Na Khaung To was the main crossing point.

It was also a bottleneck. There were many Bangladeshi fishing boats to smuggle Rohingya across the river, but getting on board depended on the money or valuables the refugees could muster and the mercy of the boatmen. Some were stranded at Na Khaung To for weeks.

The beach was teeming with sick, hungry and exhausted people, recalled Nurjan, whose son Nur Mohammed was one of the 10 men killed at Inn Din. Everyone was desperate, Nurjan said.

All you could see was heads in every direction. It was like the Day of Judgment.

Crossing the Naf

Bangladesh was perhaps a two-hour ride across calm estuarine waters. But the boatmen wanted to avoid any Bangladesh navy or border guard vessels that might be patrolling the river. So they set off at night, taking a more circuitous route through open ocean. Most boats were overloaded. Some sank in the choppy water, drowning dozens of people.

The boatmen charged about 8,000 taka (about $100) per person. Some women paid with their earrings and nose-rings.

Others, like Abdu Shakur, promised to reimburse the boatman upon reaching Bangladesh with money borrowed from relatives there.

He and his wife, Subiya Hatu, who had argued over leaving their oldest son behind at Inn Din, set sail for Bangladesh.

Another boat of refugees sailed along nearby. Both vessels were heaving with passengers, many of them children.

In deeper water, Abdu Shakur watched with horror as the other boat began to capsize, spilling its passengers into the waves. We could hear people crying for help, he said. It was impossible to rescue them. Our boat would have sunk, too. Abdu Shakur and his family made it safely to Bangladesh. So did the other families bereaved by the Inn Din massacre. During the crossing, some realised they would never see their men again, or Myanmar.

Shuna Khatu wept on the boat. She felt she already knew what the military had done to her husband, Habizu. She was pregnant with their third child. They killed my husband. They burned my house. They destroyed our village, she said. I knew I'd never go back.

The only photo

Two months later, in a city-sized refugee camp in Bangladesh, Shuna Khatu gave birth to a boy. She called him Mohammed Sadek.

Rahama Khatun, who fled Myanmar on the shoulders of her older children while seven months pregnant, also had a son. His name is Sadikur Rahman.

The two women were close neighbours in Inn Din. They now live about a mile apart in Kutupalong-Balukhali, a so-called mega-camp of about 600,000 souls. Both survive on twice-a-month rations of rice, lentils and cooking oil. They live in flimsy, mud-floored shacks of bamboo and plastic that the coming monsoon could blow or wash away.

It was here, as the families struggled to rebuild their lives, that they learned their men were dead. Some heard the news from Reuters reporters who had tracked them down. Others saw the Reuters investigation of the Inn Din massacre or the photos that accompanied it.

Two of those photos showed the men kneeling with their hands behind their backs or necks. A third showed the men's bodies in a mass grave. The photos were obtained by Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested in December while investigating the Inn Din massacre. The two face charges, and potentially 14-year jail sentences, under Myanmar's Official Secrets Act.

Rahama Khatun cropped her husband's image from one of the photos and laminated it. This image of him kneeling before his captors is the only one she has. Every other family photo was burned along with their home at Inn Din. Reuters
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Tokyo, April 11

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe denied on Wednesday that he had intervened to secure preferential treatment for a friends plan to set up a veterinary school despite new reports he had discussed the matter with the friend.

Abes ratings have taken a hit because of several scandals over suspected cronyism and cover-ups, with a steady stream of new allegations raising doubts about how long he can stay in power.

One of the scandals involves suspicion Abe helped a friend, Kotaro Kake, director of school operator Kake Gakuen, set up a veterinary school in a special economic zone exempt from a rule limiting the number of such schools.

Abe has denied that he ever instructed officials to give preferential treatment for the establishment of Japans first new veterinary school in more than 50 years.

Abe repeated to a parliamentary panel on Wednesday his assertion that he only became aware of Kakes proposal when it was approved in January 2017.

His was replying to questions after media this week cited an April 2015 memo from an official in Ehime prefecture, where the school ultimately opened in the special government-designated deregulation zone, that said Kake and Abe had discussed the proposal while sharing a meal.

No one received instructions from me. There was no problem with the (approval) process, Abe told the parliamentary panel in response to a question about the memo.

Asked repeatedly whether he had at least had casual talks about the plan with Kake, Abe said his friend had neither consulted him nor asked for favours.

He said he wanted to take on a new challenge, but we never discussed specifics, Abe said.

The veterinary schools affair, which emerged last year, is one of several suspected cronyism scandals and cover-ups eroding Abes support as he eyes a third term as ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader in a September vote.

Victory in the party poll would set Abe, who took office in 2012, on track to become Japans longest-serving premier.

Abe has also denied that he or his wife intervened in the heavily discounted sale of state-owned land to another school operator, Moritomo Gakuen, which had ties to Abes wife, Akie.

The finance ministry has admitted doctoring documents related to the murky deal.

Separately, Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera apologised again on Wednesday after the military found missing troop activity logs.

Among recently lost-and-found records are those from a controversial 2004-2006 deployment to Iraq. The logs could shed light on whether the dispatch was to a non-combat zone as asserted by the government at the time, in line with constitutional limits on military activities abroad. Reuters
harinder@tribunemail.com

Washington/Beirut, April 11

US President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles will be coming and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Trump was reacting to a warning from Russia on Tuesday that any US missiles fired at Syria over the deadly assault on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

You shouldnt be partners with a gas-killing animal who kills his people and enjoys it! Trump tweeted, referring to Moscows alliance with Assad.

In response, Russias Foreign Ministry said in a Facebook post that smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not towards the lawful government.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any US missile strike could be an attempt to destroy evidence of the reported gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma, for which Damascus and Moscow have denied any responsibility.

In Damascus, the foreign ministry accused the United States, which has supported some rebel groups in the Syrian civil war, of using fabrications and lies as an excuse to hit its territory.

We are not surprised by such a thoughtless escalation by a regime like the United States regime, which sponsored terrorism in Syria and still does, the state news agency SANA cited an official source in the ministry as saying.

After the Douma attack, the insurgent group dug in there, Jaish al-Islam, finally agreed to withdraw. That sealed a major victory for Assad in the war, crushing a protracted rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near the capital Damascus.

White House officials did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for more detail about Trumps remarks. The US Defence Department said it does not comment on potential future military actions.

Trumps decision to disclose his decision to strike as well as the kind of weaponry to be used in a future military operation is likely to frustrate military planners, who hold such information closely.

He had repeatedly said he would not telegraph military moves toward foes, including North Korea and Islamic State. On Monday Trump said he would make a decision within 48 hours on a strong, forceful response to the attack in Syria, later telling reporters: When I will not say, because I dont like talking about timing.  Reuters

Missile salvo from Mediterranean?

Any US strike is likely to involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defence systems. A US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

Both Russia and Iran, Assads other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would not remain without response

Symptoms of poison gas attack

The WHO said that among the more than 500 persons treated for symptoms of gas poisoning in Douma, there were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed

France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Assads government had been asked to make necessary arrangements for an OPCW investigation team to visit shortly

Eurocontrol warning: Airlines re-route flights
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

United Nations, April 11

The UN Security Council has failed to adopt two competing resolutions that would have established a mechanism to investigate use of chemical weapons in Syria as well as another concerning a fact-finding mission in the war-torn country.

The Security Council, voting on Tuesday on the three separate draft resolutions, failed to rally the votes needed to launch an independent mechanism of investigation into the incident, as delegates voiced frustration over the continued paralysis and the expanding rifts between nations.

The first draft considered on Tuesday  penned by the United States  which would have established a new investigative mechanism for one year, as well as identify those responsible for the use of chemical weapons, was rejected owing to a negative vote from Russia. The draft received 12 votes in favour, two against (Bolivia and Russia) and one abstention (China).

US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said after the vote that month after month, the Assad regime, with full support of Russia and Iran, has strung along this Council. She said her delegation had conducted transparent negotiations when drafting the resolution and had gone the extra mile in incorporating the views of the Russian Federation.

And when the people of Douma, along with the rest of the international community, looked to this Council to act, one country stood in the way. History will record that. History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people, she said.

Russias UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia, speaking following its veto, said the United States was attempting to mislead the international community.

He said the draft would have been an attempt to recreate the Joint Investigative Mechanism  whose mandate had not been renewed in late 2017  which had become a puppet of anti-Damascus forces and shamed itself by rendering a guilty verdict against a sovereign State with no evidence.

He added that the new mechanism, as proposed by the United States, would carry out an investigation with no regard to the standards set out in the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and of Their Destruction, known as the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Yesterdays meeting marked the 12th time Russia has used its veto to block Council action on Syria.

The meeting came says after reports of a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma.

Similarly, a competing draft  penned by Russia  which would have established the mechanism for one year as well but would have given the Security Council the responsibility to assign accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, was also not adopted.

By the terms of that text, the Council would have established a United Nations independent mechanism of investigation, also for an initial period of one year, and urged it to fully ensure a truly impartial, independent, professional and credible way to conduct its investigation.

It would have further directed the mechanism to make full use of all credible, verified and corroborated evidence collected by the OPCW fact-finding mission, while also directing it to collect and examine additional information and sources not obtained or prepared by the mission, including all information provided by the Government of Syria and others on the activities of non-State actors.

Six Council members - Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan and Russia voted in favour of the draft while seven against (France, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) and two abstentions (Cote dIvoire and Kuwait).

The Council rejected a third text  also proposed by Russia  which concerned the work of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM). The draft received five votes in favour (Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Russia), four against (France, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States), and six abstentions (Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, and Sweden).

Syrias UN envoy Bashar Jaafari, speaking at the close of the meeting, emphasized that his Government had officially invited the OPCW to send its fact-finding mission to investigate. He said Syria would fully cooperate and provide access to a liberated Douma.

Criticising the positions of the US, UK and France, he said that some permanent Council members were attempting to cover up domestic crises and conflicts among their political elites. After seven years of filthy terrorist war in Syria, the choice was clear, he said adding that the Council should stand up to lies, conscious that international public opinion would be judging its ability to safeguard the world.

Ahead of the Security Council meetings, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had repeated his call on 15-member body to find unity on the issue of use of chemical weapons in Syria and ensure accountability.

The norms against chemical weapons must be upheld. I appeal to the Security Council to fulfil its responsibility and find unity on this issue, he said.

I also encourage the Council to redouble its efforts to agree on a dedicated mechanism for accountability, he said. PTI
PROVO, Utah, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mission Belt, the company that you saw on ABCs Shark Tank that helps fight poverty with every belt sold, is now offering belts aimed for women with their newest Womens Collection. Catering to a more feminine audience, it's the same great belt Mission Belt customers have come to love but in a slimmer 30mm width that ladies will love.



Here at Mission Belt we have always catered to both our male and female audience, said Zachary Holzapfel, co-founder of Mission Belt. But after feedback from our female employees and customers, weve tweaked the belt to address their concerns of style and fit.

The Womens Collection features 30mm width belts with a choice of 19 different colored leather or canvas straps coupled with 5 different buckles for a total of 95 different combinations.

The buckle colors include:

24k Gold

Obsidian

Patina

Platinum



Rose Gold

The leather strap colors include:

Black

Blue

Light Brown

Tan Brown

Mocha Brown

Chocolate Brown

Gold

Gray

Red

Rose Pink

Silver

Vinca Blue

White

The canvas strap colors include:



Cedar Brown



Desert Tan

Midnight Blue

Pitch Black

Sangria Red

Stone Gray

The Womens Collection starts at $34.95 and is available online and at select retail stores.

Mission Belts have no holes and always fit. Traditional belts only adjust every inch whereas Mission Belts micro adjust every  inch. The company also sells a la carte buckles and straps to give customers the option to mix and match for their own unique combinations.

And dont forget, a dollar from every Mission Belt sold goes to the Mission to fight global hunger and poverty through micro lending. Partnering with Kiva, the Mission Belt has made over 92,000 micro loans worldwide ranging from $25 to $500 each, totaling over $2.1. Million in loans. Like Mission Belt, the Mission is growing everyday and giving a hand up to those striving for a better life.

Stay up to date with Mission Belt news, announcements, and promotions on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Mission Belt

Mission Belt was founded in 2012 with the dual purpose of breathing life into a tired accessory and to aggressively fight hunger and poverty. After a successful appearance on ABC's "Shark Tank" in April 2013, the company took off. Inspired by modern, simplistic design and intuitive functionality, Mission Belt gives the classic accessory a fresh start with a unique ratchet buckle to provide a more comfortable fit.

For more information about Mission Belt Co. or its belts and mission, visit http://MissionBelt.com. To see Mission Belt Co.'s Kiva page, visit http://www.kiva.org/lender/TheMissionBeltCo.

Media Contact:

Roxanne Stevenson

858-366-3849

roxanne@missionbelt.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/2fd1eb0e-ac59-4a42-87a9-fd393e0356b1
Washington, D.C., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Model of mobilizing private investment is becoming more prominent as the needs in the developing world are just too great to meet with official government resources

Increased competition from China and others for influence in the developing world.

A modernized DFI  with more tools - will have more impact in the developing world

Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) President and CEO Ray W. Washburne testified Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on OPICs model of financing overseas development and the proposal in President Trumps Fiscal Year 2019 budget to create a modernized development finance institution.

When it comes to meeting the massive development needs around the globe and advancing American foreign policy, this proposal is essential, Washburne said in written testimony submitted before the hearing.

Washburne said that while OPICs model of mobilizing private investment is becoming more prominent, OPIC has been operating for years without significant legislative updates.

As a result, we lack the modern, 21st century mechanisms needed to either compete with countries like China, or cooperate with allies like the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, which are investing heavily in emerging markets.

OPIC, the U.S. Governments development finance institution, supports investment in emerging markets around the world in projects that advance development and American foreign policy. OPIC operates as a self-sustaining agency at no net cost to taxpayers.

During his testimony, Washburne said that a modernized development finance institution would align closely with the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and American foreign policy.

Washburnes full testimony is available here

###

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is a self-sustaining U.S. Government agency that helps American businesses invest in emerging markets. Established in 1971, OPIC provides businesses with the tools to manage the risks associated with foreign direct investment, fosters economic development in emerging market countries, and advances U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities. OPIC helps American businesses gain footholds in new markets, catalyzes new revenues and contributes to jobs and growth opportunities both at home and abroad. OPIC fulfills its mission by providing businesses with financing, political risk insurance, advocacy and by partnering with private equity investment fund managers.

OPIC services are available to new and expanding businesses planning to invest in more than 160 countries worldwide. Because OPIC charges market-based fees for its products, it operates on a self-sustaining basis at no net cost to taxpayers. All OPIC projects must adhere to best international practices and cannot cause job loss in the United States. 
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 5G Americas, the industry trade association and voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas, announced the election of WOM to its Board of Governors. As a mobile service operator from Chile, WOM will contribute to 5G Americas work by providing its outlook on mobile services, infrastructure and technologies in Latin America.



We are very excited to welcome WOM to 5G Americas Board of Governors. This addition will broaden the representativeness of our organization in the Americas by including the vision of an innovative operator toward our goal of promoting the development of mobile broadband technologies in the entire region, stated Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas.

Felipe Simonsohn, Director for Regulation and Corporate Affairs at WOM, stated that 5G technology is the future of telecommunications and at WOM we wish to promote and be a part of this huge leap, which shall soon become a reality in Chile. For that reason, we are proud to be a member of 5G Americas, an organization that advances the progress and capabilities of mobile communications based on principles and values that represent us as a company and will enable high quality mobile services with initiatives that aim at bridging the digital divide in the region.

Jose Otero, Director of 5G Americas for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted that the election of WOM to 5G Americas Board of Governors WOMs election to the Board will be extremely valuable as it adds the companys experience in the Latin American telecommunications sector to continue boosting the progress of current and next generation wireless technologies throughout the Americas region.

WOM is a mobile operator owned by British firm Novator Partners with presence in Chile. Led by CEO Chris Bannister, it started operations in the Chilean market upon the acquisition of the local subsidiary of Nextel.

The members of 5G Americas Board of Governors include: America Movil, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Cisco, CommScope, Ericsson, Intel, Kathrein, Mavenir, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Shaw Communications, Sprint, T-Mobile U.S., Inc., Telefonica and now also WOM.

About 5G Americas: The Voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas

5G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to advocate for and foster the advancement and full capabilities of LTE wireless technologies and their evolution to 5G, throughout the ecosystem's networks, services, applications and wirelessly connected devices in the Americas. 5G Americas is invested in developing a connected wireless community while leading 5G development for all the Americas. 5G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. More information is available at www.5gamericas.org. Follow our news on Twitter: @5GA_CALA and LinkedIn: 5G Americas - Latin America & Caribbean.

Media Contact:

Lucas Ledesma

Communication, Latin America and the Caribbean

5G Americas

Comunicacion@5gamericas.org

@5GA_CALA
HOUSTON, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harvest, the worlds fastest growing investor network, today announced three executive hires to support its rapid growth.



Jon LaNasa has been named Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development, while Robert Caputo and Jared Longhitano have both been named Vice President, Account Executive.

I am thrilled to welcome such an accomplished team of professionals to Harvest, said Hans. They each bring great domain knowledge and track records of success in financial services and digital platforms, our core areas of expertise. We have been fortunate to have exceptional growth in recent years, and Jon, Robert and Jared will help propel that further in 2018.

Mr. LaNasa brings more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, operator and investor in a wide-range of industries, including mobile, e-commerce, manufacturing and strategic consulting. He holds a BBA in Finance, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Notre Dame.

Prior to joining Harvest, Mr. LaNasa was on the founding team of Photofy, a mobile photo enhancement app and brand engagement platform, and served in the role of Chairman and CEO. Prior to that, Jon found and sold InvitationBox.com to Cafe Press and had extensive business development experience with Amphenol Corporation, leading the creation of the RF Automotive business group and overseeing Amphenol's global relationship with Cisco Systems. Jon has also held roles with Affect Change, Greenology Products, Priceline WebHouse Club and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Mr. Caputo is based in Boston and brings more than 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and product management at top financial services firms, including Fidelity Investments, Ameriprise Financial, and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. He holds a M.B.A. in Marketing from Northeastern University and B.A. in Economics from Brandeis University.

A Native of Boston, Mr. Caputo is involved with several volunteer activities in the community, including acting as an Instructor for the Citizens Schools teaching financial literacy to middle school students in the city of Boston, serving as a Parent Representative for the Belmont Hill School, as well as fund raising for the National Brain Tumor Society.

Mr. Longhitano is based in New York and joins Harvest with a two decade track record as a financial services sales executive and entrepreneur. Prior to joining Harvest, he was Head of Sales for CapSo Inc, a financial technology company that specialized in the distressed debt/high yield and bankruptcy/restructuring marketplaces. He has also held senior-level sales and business development roles at Debtwire, BGC Partners, eSpeed and Cantor Fitzgerald, serving institutional investors and hedge fund clients and relevant service providers.

Outside of work, Mr. Longhitano is an active Patron and board member of several arts organizations in New York and Paris. He holds a double B.S. in Exercise Science and Psychology from Rutgers University.

About Harvest

Harvest is a digital platform that helps financial organizations compliantly distribute content, while also measuring its effectiveness. The A.I. driven platform helps institutional investors, advisors and individual investors easily access the insight most relevant to them.

Contact

Thomas Walek

Peaks Strategies

twalek@peaksstratgies.com

(917) 353-7575
| By Laura Lee





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 9, 2018

 Front row center: Henry Abromson, clinical instructor; Patricia Campbell, faculty director, and Duane Moore, clinical instructor, with IPEC students at the Grid.

The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic (IPEC) is proud to announce a partnership with five prominent law firms that will foster experiential learning opportunities for future IP and corporate lawyers as well as help drive economic growth in the Baltimore/Washington area. Baker Donelson; Gordon Feinblatt; Offit Kurman; Perkins Coie; and Womble Bond Dickinson have aligned with Maryland Carey Law to mentor law students as they develop IP and corporate law experience, and will provide guidance and advice to law students and their IPEC clients. [See a list of comments from participating firms below.]



With the generous support of the IPEC partner firms in addition to funding supplied by UM Ventures, Maryland Carey Law students will provide intellectual property and business law assistance to emerging companies and small businesses in both the College Park and Baltimore areas. In Baltimore, IPEC offers services out of the Graduate Research Innovation District (the Grid) in the newly renovated Lion Brothers Building.



Maryland Carey law students will have the benefit of the expertise and support of partner attorneys working in various areas of business and IP law, but they are not the only ones who benefit. The five participating firms will have the opportunity to form relationships with startups and young lawyers. Meeting law students while theyre still in school and getting exposure to these young businesses while theyre setting up their companies and making intellectual property and business decisions is incredibly valuable, said Professor Patricia Campbell, faculty director of IPEC. The partner firms will also serve on an Advisory Board for the law schools IP Program and will provide occasional presentations and educational programming for startup companies and entrepreneurs.



Research indicates that there is a critical gap between when a startup company needs legal advice about forming a business and protecting its intellectual property and when it obtains sufficient funding to be able to afford that advice. As the State of Maryland expands its efforts to encourage startups and emerging businesses, IPEC will play an important role in assisting with the formation and development of new businesses, as well as the protection of their intellectual property assets.



Were thrilled these five firms are joining forces with our IPEC to help ensure the sustainability of the program and maximize the positive impact it will have on the regions efforts around innovation and entrepreneurship, said Dean Donald Tobin. Helping businesses succeed will increase jobs and create opportunities for worker training and employment in new and emerging business sectors.



COMMENTS FROM PARTNER FIRMS



Baker Donelson

"Baker Donelson welcomes this partnership as an opportunity to expand our national emerging companies and intellectual property capabilities in Maryland. We look forward to helping Maryland entrepreneurs progress from idea to IPO, and perhaps even more, we look forward to sharing that experience with Maryland Carey Law students."  James E. Edwards Jr. 82, Managing Shareholder, Baltimore office



Gordon Feinblatt

Gordon Feinblatt is thrilled to be a founding member of the Law Firm Partnership for Maryland Carey Laws Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic. We look forward to providing insight to the students and the entrepreneurs they will counsel, and deepening our relationship with the University of Maryland Carey Law School community.  Ned T. Himmelrich 86, Member



Offit Kurman

Offit Kurman takes great pride in establishing its partnership with Maryland Carey Law as it embarks on its maiden initiative of the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic. We wish the School great success in this worthy and forward-thinking program, and we are grateful to be able to contribute in some small way to its expected success.  Howard K. Kurman 75, Principal



Perkins Coie

Perkins Coie is pleased to partner with the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law on its new Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic (IPEC). We share a commitment to creating hands-on learning opportunities to prepare law students for success, and we recognize the valuable role that IPEC will play in the development of future leaders. For more than 100 years, inventors, entrepreneurs, and the most cutting-edge technology companies have turned to Perkins Coie to help them protect their inventions and ideas, and to provide innovative solutions to their most complex problems.  Terrence Wikberg 00, Partner



Womble Bond Dickinson

Womble Bond Dickinson is excited to lend the support of our lawyers to the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic at Maryland Carey Law. Theres no better way for law students to gain experience in practicing law, especially Intellectual Property law, than to provide counsel to real life business leaders on their IP issues. The clinic is a worthy program.  Barry Herman 99, Partner



INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE:

Maryland Carey Law Dean Donald Tobin and IPEC Faculty Director Patty Campbell are available for interviews.

Contact: Laura Lee 410-706-0023 or Shara Boonshaft 410-706-1842.
As prepared for delivery.

Good morning and welcome to the 2018 meeting of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Chernobyl.

While this is my first IATF as the UNDP Administrator and the UN Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl, it is the tenth meeting of this kind since UNDP took over the UN system-wide coordination on Chernobyl in 2004.

I am very pleased to welcome many participants who are joining todays meeting. Let me start with the government representatives of the three countries most affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident:

H.E Mr. Andrei DAPKIUNAS, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus,

Mr. Valentin RYBAKOV, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations,

Mr. Sergey KONONUCHENKO, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations,and Mr. Vitalii BILAN, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations.

I also welcome the many participants joining us by videoconference: The UN Resident Coordinators and members of two UN Country Teams are joining us from our Country Offices in Minsk and Kyiv. We also have participants joining us from Vienna (UNSCEAR, IAEA, FAO), London (EBRD), Geneva (UNEP), Istanbul (UNV) and Minsk (World Bank). Here in New York I welcome representatives of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, UNICEF, WHO, EU and UNDP. I also acknowledge the presence of representatives of the Permanent Missions of Germany, Japan and Kyrgyz Republic.

During todays meeting, we will receive updates from the key stakeholders on their pertinent Chernobyl related activities, then the floor will be open for questions and comments followed by brief closing remarks.

I am joined here by the Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, Cihan Sultanoglu who has been working on this topic for the past few years and has led the partnership with the three most-affected countries and donors in the RBEC region. Ms. Sultanoglu will take over as chair of the meeting following my departure.

Todays IATF is an opportunity to:

1. review progress made on Chernobyl related activities since the last IATF in April 2017; and

2. brief each other on the plans made following the adoption of the latest GA resolution on Chernobyl of 8 December 2016 on the Persistent legacy of the Chernobyl disaster, which has defined the vision for post-2016 international co-operation on Chernobyl.

This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the Chernobyl accident; its economic, environmental, and social impacts have left deep scars in Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, some of which are still felt in the areas affected by the Chernobyl accident. This is also an occasion to acknowledge the tremendous recovery efforts achieved by the governments supported by the international community and to take stock of mainstreaming local development activities in the Chernobyl affected communities. While doing so, we also take a moment to remember the heroic efforts of the first responders who rushed to the damaged reactor on 26 April 1986 and sacrificed their lives or their health for the benefit of affected communities.

In this regard, I am pleased to recall that in December 2016, the General Assembly declared 26 of April as International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. This is an important global acknowledgement of the importance of keeping the Chernobyl incident high on the global agenda, drawing lessons from the emergency and recovery responses, and sharing them globally for the benefit of current and future generations. I look forward to hearing from the representatives of the three most affected countries about commemorative events that are being organized in their capitals and here in New York.

The leadership shown by the governments and engagement of local communities and youth of the three affected countries has been a major factor in the success of the post-Chernobyl work. With this commitment, UNDP and the UN family have worked closely together to promote an integrated approach to address the development issues of the affected areas. Building on the 2016 Secretary-Generals report on Chernobyl and in the context of Agenda 2030, UNDP has been supporting local and economic development, environment and local governance activities in the Chernobyl affected areas as part of its larger development programme in Belarus and Ukraine.

Such transition to integrated development work and prioritizing Chernobyl-affected communities in all relevant UNDP and overall UN programming goes hand in hand with the vision and spirit of the SDG 2030 Agenda and the promise of Leaving No One Behind. We will learn more about these innovative approaches and results achieved from the UNCTs in Belarus and Ukraine and the specialized agencies addressing the most pressing needs and priorities of the affected communities.

As both Ukraine and Belarus Governments have embarked on the SDG MAPS approach and are seriously adapting the relevant SDGs to their local contexts, opportunities exist to further integrate and mainstream the Chernobyl priorities in medium and long-term development strategies and programmes at the local level. I want to take the opportunity to recognise that despite the specific challenges, including substantial impact of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 and its aftermath effects, countries have continually invested in education, health, and other social service infrastructure and prioritized economic development and employment opportunities in Chernobyl-affected regions. These observations are stemming from the recently conducted MAPS missions, the conclusions of which will be further discussed at the country level. I wanted to stress this finding as we build our cooperation around long-term development priorities, sustainable growth and the SDGs.

While I am pleased today to assume the responsibility of leading the coordination of the international cooperation of Chernobyl related activities, I would like to emphasize that results can only be achieved in partnership and in collective effort. The concrete outcomes for the people and nature in Chernobyl-affected areas would not be possible without our UN Country Teams, specialized UN agencies, civil society and the international partners and donors. We all continue to engage and support the governments of Belarus and Ukraine to fill the remaining gaps and fully overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl Incident. Next year, another SG report on Chernobyl activities will be due and we will work together to present the results, challenges and lessons learned of our work in this field for the past three years.

The representatives of the governments of the most affected countries  Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, will now deliver their statements.

I invite Mr. Andrei Dapkiunas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, to please take the floor.
Refugee woman from Eritrea comforting her friend on the transfer bus at the airport in Italy.  UNHCR/Alessandro Penso

Despite a drop in the number of refugees and migrants reaching Europe last year, the dangers many face along the way have in some cases increased, according to a new report by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, setting out changing patterns of movement.

The Desperate Journeys report found that sea arrivals to Italy, mostly from Libya, have drastically reduced since July 2017. This decrease has continued in the first three months of 2018, with a 74 per cent drop compared to last year.

The journey to Italy has proved increasingly perilous, the death rate amongst those crossing from Libya increased to 1 for every 14 people in the first three months of 2018, compared to 1 for every 29 people in the same period in 2017.

Additionally, in the past months a deeply worrying deterioration in the health of new arrivals from Libya, with more people arriving extremely weak, thin and in general poor health condition, has been observed.

While the overall number of Mediterranean crossings remained far below the levels of 2016, the UNHCR report also finds a rise in arrivals to Spain and Greece in the latter part of 2017.

In 2017, Spain witnessed a 101 per cent increase last year compared to 2016, with 28,000 new arrivals. The first months of 2018 show a similar trend, with arrivals increasing by 13 per cent compared to last year. Moroccans and Algerians have become the top two nationalities, although Syrians remain the largest group to cross Spains land borders.

In Greece, the total number of sea arrivals decreased compared to 2016, however, a 33 per cent rise was observed between May and December last year with 24,600 arrivals compared to 18,300 in the same period in 2016. Most originated from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, including a high number of families with children. Asylum-seekers arriving by sea to Greece faced extended stays in overcrowded and dire conditions on Greek islands.

Due to heightened restrictions in Hungary, many refugees and migrants resort to alternative routes to move across Europe, says the report. For example, some cross from Serbia to Romania while others move from Greece via Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina to Croatia.

Journeys to and through Europe for refugees and migrants remain fraught with danger, said Pascale Moreau, Director of UNHCR's Europe Bureau. Over 3,100 people are believed to have lost their lives at sea last year while traveling to Europe compared to 5,100 in 2016. Another 501 people have died or gone missing since the beginning of 2018.

In addition to deaths at sea, at least 75 others perished along land routes at Europes external borders or while traveling in Europe in 2017, with continuous and deeply worrying reports of push-backs.

Access to territory and to swift, fair and efficient asylum procedures for people seeking international protection is vital. Managing borders and offering protection to refugees in line with States international obligations are not mutually exclusive nor incompatible, said Moreau.

The UNHCR report also stressed the abuses and extortion endured by refugees and migrants at the hands of traffickers, smugglers or armed groups along various routes to Europe.

Women, especially those travelling on their own, and unaccompanied children remain particularly exposed to risks of sexual and gender-based violence along routes to Europe and in some locations within Europe

In 2017, over 17,000 unaccompanied children reached Europe. Most of these children arrived by sea to Italy, where 13 per cent of all arrivals were children traveling on their own, a similar trend to 2016.

The UNHCR report shows however some welcome progress in the number of people resettled to Europe last year, with a 54 per cent increase from 2016. Most of these 26,400 refugees were Syrians (84 per cent) and were resettled from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Among European countries, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany received the largest number.

In another positive development, at the end of last year UNHCR started facilitating the evacuation of vulnerable refugees from Libya to Niger, and from Libya to Italy.

The evacuations out of Libya and the increased resettlement opportunities that we saw last year are very good news. Still significant obstacles remain that limit access to safe and legal pathways, including family reunification, for people in need of international protection, and we call for more solidarity, said Pascale Moreau.

The report also provides additional recommendations related to the need to increase solidarity among States within Europe and with countries of first asylum and transit, to enhance the quality of reception, especially for unaccompanied and separated children and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and to better protect children.

Read the report

For more information on this topic, please contact:
Somali mother of two Amina* was strong and vigorous before she fell into the hands of Libyan traffickers. After more than a year of relentless beatings and electric shocks, she is now broken and unable to walk.

When I arrived in Libya, I was walking, nobody had to help me  but look at me now, she says, holding up her badly broken arms in despair, her legs paralyzed.

The 42-year-old is among thousands of refugees and asylum seekers from across Africa who set out on desperate journeys in search of safety, who all too often end up the captives of ruthless human traffickers in Libya.

Held for ransom for months in dire conditions, many are subjected to abuse and torture that marks them for life.

She was given electric shocks and beaten, she says. They always tied my hands behind my back, and afterwards, they would leave me outside, tied up in the cold."

Her ordeal began in 2015 when her home in the capital, Mogadishu, was destroyed by a bomb that killed her husband and brother.

I begged them not to torture my family.

Without access to education and with limited resources, her sons Ahmed and Mohamed, aged 13 and 14 at the time, were in danger of forced recruitment by the armed group Al-Shabab, like so many boys their age.

With few options, the brothers set out in secret with a female cousin in 2016 on a quest for safety that would take them to Yemen, Sudan and then Libya.

Once Amina learned they had left, she set out for war-ravaged Yemen to try to find the boys. She eventually caught up with them five months later in Sudan, but little did they know what lay ahead of them in Libya.

After initially negotiating with traffickers, they set off north over the Sahara, with little or no water or food for days, in unyielding heat. Amina grew weak and the traffickers wanted to abandon her in the desert but her sons refused to leave her.

See also: Deadly trade through Niger snares refugees and migrants

When they reached the western Libyan city of Bani Walid, the real horror began. The traffickers demanded US$10,000 for each of the four family members. Amina did not have the means to pay, or family to ask for help.

They tortured me so badly. I begged them not to torture my family, says Amina, who volunteered to take all the abuse to spare her sons and niece.

After seven months her body began to shut down from the abuse. She could no longer stand and her hands did not function. So the smugglers began torturing the children.

After 15 months in captivity, Amina was on the brink of death. The smugglers did not want to deal with a corpse and realized that they would not get the money they demanded, so they finally let them go.

He knew I would die, and he didnt want that, so he finally let us go, recalls Amina. Another niece was also held captive in the same location, so the whole family left together. All five were transported to the coast as part of a larger group. They were among the lucky ones.

See also: Hundreds of children lose lives on desperate sea journeys

They were herded on to an inflatable boat bound for Europe. They knew it was overloaded, with more than 100 people, but were powerless and unable to get away. Panic hit several hours later, when the boat began to sink. However a Libyan Coast Guard vessel brought them back to the coast.

At the harbour, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was waiting for them. Amina was in a critical state and was rushed to hospital. Authorities took the boys and their cousins to a detention centre, where UNHCR informed them they would be flown to Niger.

Somali mother Amina sits with her nieces after being evacuated to Niger by UNHCR.  UNHCR/Louise Donovan

The move was arranged through UNHCRs Emergency Evacuation Transit Mechanism (ETM), which was established in November 2017. So far, 1,020 of the most vulnerable refugees  like Amina and her family  have been evacuated to Niger on a temporary basis, while long-term solutions are sought for them, including resettlement.

The boys were first to be offered evacuation. They were delighted with the news, but feared leaving their mother again. UNHCR reassured them that she would be joining them soon.

We were very anxious, from the minute we landed in Niger, we kept asking about our mother  whether she was alive, when she would be joining us, says Mohamed. To their relief, UNHCR succeeded in flying Amina and her niece to Niger the following week.

When discussing the evacuation, the mood changes completely. Amina begins to cry again, but this time from happiness. Everything changed in a minute. I was so happy. Instead of feeling depressed, I felt blessed, she recalls.

Theres nothing more important for us in our lives than our mother, and we are so grateful that she is okay, says Ahmed, grinning broadly. I want to go back [to Somalia] one day he adds, I want to bring change to my country  but how can I, when I cant even protect myself?

For Amina, the onslaught of blows and shocks has left her confined to a wheelchair and dependent on her nieces as care givers.

The experiences recounted by the family are not unusual amongst those evacuated from Libya, where reports of beatings, torture and rape are common.

UNHCR is appealing for additional resettlement places to enable evacuees to begin to plan a future.

A UNHCR report published today, Desperate Journeys, found a deeply worrying deterioration in the health of new arrivals to Italy from Libya in recent months, with more people reaching there extremely weak, thin and in general poor health.

UNHCR is appealing for additional resettlement places to enable evacuees to begin to plan a future.

"A total of 2,483 places have so far been pledged for refugees in Niger, but more are needed. This is essential to avoid the same situations for more refugees, still trapped in Libya, where their lives have been suspended, says Alessandra Morelli, UNHCRs senior official in Niger.

Of the refugees who have so far been evacuated to Niger, 84 have left the country, most through resettlement, while a small number have been reunited with family in Europe or received humanitarian visas.

The evacuations out of Libya and the increased resettlement opportunities that we saw last year are very good news," said Pascale Moreau, Director of UNHCR's Europe Bureau.

"Still significant obstacles remain that limit access to safe and legal pathways, including family reunification, for people in need of international protection, and we call for more solidarity.

* Refugees' names have been changed for protection reasons.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Socotra, creator of the first cloud-native, productized insurance core platform, announced today that it has partnered with Coya, a Berlin-based digital insurance startup, to offer consumers a fast, simple, transparent, and flexible insurance experience.



Coya is leveraging Socotras cloud-native system as a foundation upon which to build advanced and differentiated insurance offerings to meet the needs of tomorrows customers.

"Finally, theres a platform in Socotra that understands how a technology-forward insurer needs to innovate, said Sebastian Villarroel, founder, Data & Technology, Coya. Now we are able to concentrate 100% of our resources on differentiation, allowing us to offer a higher quality experience and more products to customers. Given how advanced our vision is, our only viable solutions were buying Socotra or building everything ourselves, a daunting task.

Coya aims to become Europes leading digital insurer by adopting a customer-first approach and a tech-driven insurance business model. Coya was founded by Andrew Shaw, former CIO of Kreditech, Dr. Peter Hagen, former CEO of Vienna Insurance Group (VIG), and Sebastian Villarroel, former data specialist at Kreditech, Allianz and Zenmate. Coya comprises a team of more than 40 employees with insurance, technology and data science backgrounds, gained at global leaders such as AXA, Citi, HUK-Coburg, Oliver Wyman, Rocket Internet, Wimdu and Zurich.

Coya has a powerful vision for the future of insurance, backed by a team with deep experience in both insurance and consumer fintech, says Dan Woods, CEO, Socotra. Its exciting to see a customer taking advantage of our flexibility and extensibility by designing new products within Socotra and implementing new innovations on top.

Socotra is a first-of-its-kind cloud-native system enabling carriers to easily and efficiently manage complex interactions throughout the lifecycle of policies (whether single line, single state or multi-line, multi-country). The Socotra platforms agility, flexibility, reliability, and modern design offers carriers lower costs, faster product releases, and easy integration with future technologies. The new Coya/Socotra platform will launch GDPR-compliant in light of the new EU data regulations going into effect in May.

"I find increasingly that today's tech-forward insurer doesn't want to buy custom software, said Greg Brown, partner of London-based insurance consulting firm Oxbow Partners. Coya has a very experienced engineering team, and so they bought a productized core platform they can build on themselves--something that feels more like developing on the Android or AWS platforms."

Carriers interested in trying Socotra can visit www.socotra.com to learn more or write inquiries@socotra.com to request a demo and evaluation license.

About Coya

Europe's leading digital insurance for property: this is the vision of the Berlin-based Coya AG. With an acute focus on customer-centricity, Coya offers maximum convenience and transparent insurance products at a low cost through the use of state-of-the-art technologies, such as artificial intelligence, at every step of the value chain. Coya was co-founded by Andrew Shaw in 2016 together with Peter Hagen, Sebastian Villarroel, and Thomas Munkel and is supported by the global top-tier investors Valar Ventures, e.ventures, and La Famiglia.

About Socotra

Socotra is the core technology platform of tomorrows digitally-transformed insurer. Only Socotra brings the staggering technology infrastructure advances of the last decade to the insurance industry. The result is a new, simplified, radically open, cloud-native core platform that supports underwriting, policy administration, claims, billing, reporting, and much more. Socotra delivers agility, reliability, and a clear path to the many InsurTech promises of today and tomorrow. Learn more at www.socotra.com.

Contact:

Joseph Eckert

media@socotra.com

650-353-5713
English Norwegian

Oslo, Norway and Florham Park, NJ, April 11, 2018: Yara International ASA and BASF today celebrated the opening of a new world-scale ammonia plant in Freeport, Texas, USA. The $600-million, state-of-the-art facility uses a cost-efficient and sustainable production process, based on by-product hydrogen instead of natural gas.



Yara Freeport LLC is owned 68 percent by Yara and 32 percent by BASF. The plant, located at BASF's site in Freeport, has a capacity of 750,000 metric tons of ammonia per year. Each party will off-take ammonia according to their ownership share.



"Together with our partners at BASF, we built a world-scale ammonia plant that not only raises the bar in terms of safety, efficiency and quality but also applies the principles of industrial symbiosis by using a by-product as feedstock for ammonia production," says Yara President and CEO, Svein Tore Holsether. "Yara Freeport strengthens our leading position in the global ammonia market and expands our production footprint in North America."



"This joint venture with Yara not only strengthens our production Verbund at the Freeport site, it demonstrates BASF's commitment to investing in North America," said Wayne T. Smith, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE and Chairman and CEO, BASF Corporation. "The new plant allows us to take advantage of world-scale production economics and attractive raw material costs to strengthen the competitiveness of our customer value chain in the region."



Conventional ammonia plants use natural gas to produce the hydrogen needed during ammonia production. Yara Freeport's hydrogen-based technology allows the plant to forego this initial production step, leading to lower capital expenditure and maintenance costs. By using hydrogen, which originates from the production processes of various petrochemical plants nearby, Yara Freeport safeguards resources and mitigates environmental impact.



A long-term supply agreement for hydrogen and nitrogen with industrial gases company Praxair Inc. links feedstock cost to the advantageous natural gas prices on the U.S. Gulf coast.



BASF will use its share of ammonia off-take to produce polyamide 6, which is commonly used in the production of carpet fibers, packaging and casings for the wire and cable markets. Polyamide 6 for injection molding is used in high-performance engineering plastics for automotive applications. Yara will market its share of ammonia to industrial customers and the agricultural sector in North America. To support the new plant, Yara built an ammonia storage facility at Port Freeport. BASF upgraded its existing terminal and pipeline assets.





Media Inquiries:



Yara Contacts:



Thor Giver, Investor Relations

Mobile: (+47) 48 07 53 56

E-mail: thor.giaver@yara.com



Kristin Nordal, Corporate Communications

Mobile: (+47) 900 15 550

E-mail: kristin.nordal@yara.com





BASF Contact:



Donna Jakubowski

Tel.: (+1 973) 245-6260

E-mail: donna.jakubowski@basf.com





About Yara

In collaboration with customers and partners, Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet, to fulfil its vision of a collaborative society, a world without hunger and a planet respected.



Our crop nutrition solutions and precision farming offerings allow farmers to increase yields and improve product quality while reducing environmental impact. Our environmental and industrial solutions improve air quality and reduce emissions, and are key ingredients in the production of a wide range of products. We foster an open culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes the safety and integrity of our employees, contractors, business partners, and society at large.



Founded in 1905 to solve emerging famine in Europe, Yara has a worldwide presence with more than 16,000 employees and operations in over 60 countries. In 2017, Yara reported revenues of USD 11.4 billion.

www.yara.com





About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,200 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.9 billion in 2017. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.com.



At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of 64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at

www.basf.com



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
First Advisory Board of the Global Judicial Integrity Network appointed at Vienna launch

Vienna, 10 April 2018 - After two days of discussions among more than 350 participants and in the presence of chief and senior justices from around the world, the Global Judicial Integrity Network was formally launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration.

During the conference closing session the Terms of Reference of the Global Judicial Integrity Network were endorsed by acclamation. The Terms outline the Network's mission statement, objectives, participation and organization of work, as well as the role of the Secretariat (carried out by UNODC) and of the Advisory Board.

The Advisory Board of the Network will help identify priority challenges and emerging topics in judicial integrity, and assist judiciaries in addressing those challenges as they arise. The first members of the Board, selected by the Secretariat based on their active engagement in advancing judicial integrity, are:

Adrian Saunders: President-elect of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Chairman of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers

Duro Sessa: President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia and President of the Consultative Council of European Judges

Masood Bin Muhammad Al-Ameri: Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Council, Qatar

Maria Theresa Moura: Minister of the Superior Court of Justice in Brazil and Director-General of the Brazilian National Magistrates School

Zainun Ali: Judge of the Federal Court, Malaysia

Kashim Zannah: Chief Judge, High Court of Borno State, Nigeria

Nihal Jayawickrama: Coordinator of the Judicial Integrity Group

Jose Igreja Matos: Judge, Court of Appeal, Porto, Portugal, President of the European Association of Judges, and Vice President of the International Association of Judges.

Lynne Leitch: Justice, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Representative of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, Chair of the Association's Gender Section

Diego Garcia-Sayan: UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers

The conference concluded with the adoption, by acclamation, of the Declaration on Judicial Integrity and the invitation by Masoud Mohamed Alameri, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Council of Qatar, to hold the next conference of the Global Judicial Integrity Network in Qatar. Addressing the participants, Chief Justice Alameri stressed: "As we proceed with the Global Judicial Integrity Network, we should remember that our efforts are of historic value to us, as it will be the first purely judicial project connecting and bringing together the world's judicial authorities under the auspices of the United Nations."

Dimitri Vlassis, Chief of the UNODC Crime and Corruption Branch, said at the closing of the meeting: "The Global Judicial Integrity Network is an initiative of paramount importance in strengthening judicial integrity and preventing corruption in the justice system. It will be an honour to work with you all as we continue to encourage other judiciaries and stakeholders to join us on this important journey."

To know more about the Global Judicial Integrity Network, please visit: www.unodc.org/ji.

For further media enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Town

UNODC Public Information Officer

Telephone: +43 699 1459 5575

Email: kevin.town [a] un.org
Norcross, GA, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Portsmouth Ford, Portsmouth Ford Used Car Center and Wiscasset Ford have been selected to be the only dealerships in Portsmouth, NH, and Wiscasset, ME, able to certify their pre-owned vehicles with the exclusive MOTOR TREND Certified designation. MOTOR TREND Certified vehicles meet the highest standards in the pre-owned market, with every vehicle vigorously inspected, upgraded and backed by a MOTOR TREND Certified seal of approval, plus comprehensive vehicle protection from EasyCare.

MOTOR TREND Certified dealers are carefully selected and appointed based on their focus on quality and a positive customer experience. They must have a history of excellent customer reviews and outstanding service. MOTOR TREND certification allows Portsmouth Ford, Portsmouth Used Car Center and Wiscasset Ford to offer MOTOR TREND Certified pre-owned vehicles and MOTOR TREND Certified service in the Portsmouth and Wiscasset areas.

"With demand higher than ever for certified pre-owned vehicles and with my used car center growing to over 300 vehicles in the last six months, joining the MOTOR TREND Certified program was a no-brainer for me, said Chris Sawyer, General Manager at Portsmouth Ford. Being the only MOTOR TREND Certified dealer in the New England area will place my store at a competitive advantage toward my competition.

Steve Richards, Vice President of the MOTOR TREND Certified program driven by EasyCare, said Portsmouth Ford, Portsmouth Ford Used Car Center and Wiscasset Fords two-and-half-decades-strong commitment to the Portsmouth and Wiscasset area consumers made them a natural choice to be named as MOTOR TREND Certified dealers.

Portsmouth Ford, Portsmouth Ford Used Car Center, and Wiscasset Ford began offering MOTOR TREND Certified vehicles in March of 2018. For more information on Portsmouth Ford, Portsmouth Ford Used Car Center and Wiscasset Ford, visit www.portsmouthford.com, www.portsmouthusedcarcenter.com and www.wiscassetford.com.

For more information on the MOTOR TREND Certified program, visit www.motortrendcertified.com.

About EasyCare

EasyCares mission is to help dealers succeed at every customer touchpoint by creating passionate employees and customers. Whether its protecting the dealerships customers on their behalf or helping deliver the ultimate driving experience, EasyCare is fully engaged. Since 1984, the company has provided leading-edge benefits that have helped nationwide dealers deliver an outstanding ownership experience to over 7 million customers. EasyCare provides the only F&I benefits that are named a MOTOR TREND Recommended Best Buy for franchised dealers, in addition to a full suite of training programs, management development, and proprietary software. For more information, please visit www.easycare.com.

About MOTOR TREND

MOTOR TREND, a media brand of TEN: A Discovery Inc. Company, was founded in 1949 and is internationally recognized as one of the leading names in the automotive category. The MOTOR TREND brand is composed of Motor Trend magazine; the award-winning website MotorTrend.com; the Motor Trend subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, Motor Trend Auto Shows; Motor Trend Audio; Motor Trend en Espanol; Motor Trend India; and the renowned Motor Trend Car of the Year, SUV of the Year, Truck of the Year, Person of the Year, and Best Drivers Car awards programs.

About TEN: A Discovery Inc. Company

TEN: A Discovery Inc. Company is the largest automotive media company in the world, bringing together Discoverys fast-growing Velocity network and TENs entire automotive digital, direct-to-consumer, social, and live event portfolio, including MOTOR TREND, HOT ROD, ROADKILL, AUTOMOBILE, and more than 20 other industry-leading brands. With a cumulative reach of more than 131 million, the company encompasses Velocitys #1 TV network for automotive superfans, MOTOR TRENDs #1 automotive YouTube Channel, and the only auto-dedicated subscription video-on-demand service. For more information, visit ten-discovery.com.
April 11 2018

An application for the creation of 11 flats on vacant ground off Edinburghs West Granton Road has been filed by Ed Consilium, supplanting an earlier application for a taller building that was refused permission.The latest proposals have been drawn up by Cockburns Consultants by taking on board criticism of the original scheme by lopping off the top floor and expanding the amount of open space bordering Granton Crescent Park.Finished in white roughcast with timber lining above a grey brick basecourse the project will include undercroft parking for three vehicles as well as a further eight surface parking spots and a landscaped amenity area.In a statement: The decreased height from the refused scheme to now incorporate 4 floors with parking and services at ground level is significant in that it now knits better with recent developments.The use of more interesting design features and timber linings on the eastern elevation softens the impact of the proposal, whilst the previous case was perhaps a bit more blank and arguably quite imposing.The applicants believe that the revised scheme knits better into the surrounding urban fabric with a more visually interesting facade.
Published: April 11, 2018

UT Students Say National Debt Reduction is Up to Us

Its large and looming and talked about every four years or so, and some University of Tampa students want to change that.



The Congressional Budget Office projects that if the current spending is maintained, the federal debt held by the public will climb to 150 percent of the gross domestic product within the next 30 years, wrote Rajul Mehta 18 in an editorial in the Tampa Bay Reporter. That is more than our countrys entire economic output. These dangerously high levels of debt threaten the economy the younger generation of Tampa Bay would inherit.



Mehta is leading a group of three others in the Up to Us challenge, a semester-long competition empowering students to educate their peers on the impacts of the national debt and what their generation can do to mitigate its effects. The competition started in 2012 with previous winners including the University of Virginia and College of William & Mary. Some competitors in this semesters program include the University of South Florida, University of California, Berkeley, Duke University and Northwestern University.



Out of 106 competing schools, UT has made it in the top 10. The team will find out on April 17 if they won, which includes a $10,000 prize and a chance for the whole team to attend the Peter G. Peterson Foundations Fiscal Summit in Washington, D.C. Even if they dont win, one team member will attend the summit for making it into the top 10.



Being at that stage with the people at the summit is actually huge, said Mehta, a triple major in finance, cybersecurity and accounting. Its the first time UT has participated in the event, and if we win its going to be a big benchmark to set the foundation for other students at UT.

Competition was based on their educational efforts as well as the number of signatures they were able to secure on a pledge of students support of Up to Us and their own commitment to prioritize the importance of the nations fiscal future.



One thing I learned about the national debt is that it currently stands at $21.1 trillion in the U.S. Another thing I learned is that over the next 10 years, net interest on the national debt will reach approximately $5.6 trillion, said team member John Vazquez 18, a finance major from New Milford, CT.



I became a part of this competition to raise awareness on the rising national debt and how it can affect us, said team member Ismail Mohammedali 18, also a triple major in finance, cybersecurity and accounting, from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Any kind of impact from rising debt would also impact Saudi Arabia, in a variety of ways including trade.



Mohammedali and Mehta, of Mumbai, have had the same class schedules since their first year at UT, and partnering on Up to Us was a way to leave their mark on UT as they near graduation this December.



Its my senior year, so its like before going you have to do one big thing that youre known for, so this is one of those things, Mehta said. Its a great platform. You get to meet so many people. You get to do something that is so important, and through our events on campus we realized how much it is needed here at UT.



Mehta and team member Shivang Kundu 19, an international business and finance major from West Bengal, India, both commented on how the competition has strengthened their public speaking skills and makes them more confident leaders.



Activities included lots of tabling in Vaughn (50 Shades of Debt was the theme in February), presenting to cybersecurity and accounting classes, and hosting a debate in March between UTs College Republicans and College Democrats. Mehta wants to create an Up to Us student organization in the fall and hopefully recruit another team to compete in next years challenge.



This topic is important to be discussed. Whos going to talk about it if not us, whos going to do something about it in the end, Mehta said. We all know about college debt, but on a more significant level, on a broader level, its the national debt thats more important.





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Annual UW Ram Tests Offer Producers Firm Data

Producers Mike McCormick, left, from Glendo; Tracy Dilts, of Douglas; Jim Forbes, of Kaycee; and Clyde Peterson, of Lance Creek, scrutinize rams during the afternoon viewing and silent auction at the ram test field day near Laramie. (UW Photo)

Utah sheep producer Lanny Frampton has definite opinions about data versus word of mouth when he makes production decisions.

He and his wife, Caroline, had driven 420 miles from their Tooele ranch to attend the 56th annual Wyoming ram test field day Saturday near Laramie.

Producers drop off test rams in October, and University of Wyoming Laramie Research and Extension Center personnel care for and feed the animals for 140 days, measuring wool diameters and rate of gain, among other factors. The data are compiled, and producers are invited back to get their results in late March or April. The top 30 percent of performers are eligible to become certified sires.

Data doesnt lie, says Frampton, who has raised sheep for 28 years, and noted his wifes lifelong experience raising sheep. She was raised in a sheep camp half the time as a child; her father was a sheep rancher.

Frampton says he relies on information, not people.

You can go to a persons place, and theyll tell you they have the greatest sheep in the world, he says. Thats 90 percent BS. This is data. Thats what I like. I want to know what I got. I want to know what the wool measurement is, the rate of gain. I dont want to raise anything I dont want to sell. I want a good product.

Producer names are listed with their ram test results, so everyone knows how one anothers animals performed.

Jim Forbes, of Kaycee, has been bringing rams for 40 years and says the information has helped him.

I can see what Im gaining, what Im losing, and I can compare my rams to everybody elses on equal terms, he says. Theyre here for five months. If my rams need more clean fleece weight, I can look and see what breeder has more fleece weight and talk to him about getting a stud. Its improved my herd a lot.

Clyde Peterson, of Lance Creek, has participated since 1967. He said hes seen great improvement in Rambouillet sheep.

As a matter of fact, for people who use the certified rams, Ive seen their herds really improve, he says. The thing is, our sheep are getting more alike because of it. But thats a good thing as far as Im concerned.

Whit Stewart joined the UW Department of Animal Science last year from Montana State University. The UW Extension sheep specialists move to Wyoming left a vacuum in Montanas sheep testing, and the state stopped its ram test.

Texas A&M University also recently dropped its test, leaving testing only in Wyoming and North Dakota.

Stewart reminded producers Saturday that, over 50 years, the program has seen Wyoming growth rates double and wool quality increase, as measured in clean fleece weight and fiber micron widths.

The traits we can measure are highly inheritable, and the improvements made are evidence of that, he says.

Producers make most of their revenue by selling animals, but money from wool helps cash flows.

Wyoming produced the highest-valued wool clip in 2017 ($4.4 million or $2 a pound), according to United States Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service Information Sheep and Goat Report estimates released in January, says Stewart. Utah was second at $4.1 million in total value.

We are the wine country of sheep country, he says. People come from all over the world to buy our wool, and we want to make sure we have programs like ram tests that keep us continually improving our wool clip. Ram tests help us keep a finger on the pulse of where we are at.

The Wyoming tests cant measure all traits of economic value, he says.

Twinning rates, milking ability and total pounds of lamb weaned per ewe need to be done through on-farm recordkeeping such as the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP), he says.

Stewart adds hes happy to help producers navigate the numerous selection tools out there. Ive been doing this long enough that selecting for better sheep cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, he says. As long as were selecting for more productive sheep, there will be numerous ways to get there.

Even with emerging technologies, many producers use only certified rams and data from Wyoming tests to make production decisions.

And theres that Frampton perspective on objectivity.

We are the objective university folks, Stewart says. We cant fluff the numbers. This is a real hard-line comparison to your peers. People like that. People like to see what they have.
Wyoming to Receive Support for Higher Educational Attainment Efforts

Efforts to increase postsecondary educational attainment of Wyoming citizens have received a significant boost, as the state has been chosen to participate in a task force that aims to lead the nation in developing policy and practice to close higher education attainment gaps.

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) selected Wyoming, Utah and Arizona to be part of the Higher Education Task Force on Closing Postsecondary Attainment Gaps. That means Wyoming will receive consulting support over 20 months for development of a statewide educational attainment plan, along with $30,000 in annual funding to implement it.

The University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Community College Commission and the states seven community colleges submitted the proposal to WICHE on behalf of the state.

Wyoming set a high educational attainment goal. It is important to give every person the access to higher education, Gov. Matt Mead says. The selection of Wyoming as a member of this task force gives us important additional resources. Our educational attainment goal is an important cornerstone for diversifying our economy.

The governor issued an executive order earlier this year calling for 67 percent of Wyomings working-age population to hold postsecondary certificates or degrees by 2025, increasing to 82 percent by 2040. Data from the Lumina Foundation show that 48 percent of Wyomings citizens hold certificates or degrees.

Wyomings future economic success requires that a higher percentage of its working population possess a postsecondary credential, wrote Greg Hill, who chairs the governors ENDOW (Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming) council, in support of the states proposal to WICHE. Participation in this task force will be transformative to the future of our state and has potential to change the lives of underrepresented students throughout Wyoming.

The initial meeting of the WICHE task force is May 15-16 in Westminster, Colo. Its objectives are to help the participating states develop action plans to close postsecondary attainment gaps; implement practices to increase retention, completion and employment outcomes for underrepresented students; and establish regional recommendations to close attainment gaps.

Wyomings specific priorities are to:

-- Develop a statewide plan to achieve its attainment goals, including a need-based financial aid program.

-- Take steps toward developing a college-going culture in Wyoming, starting in K-12 schools.

-- Find new ways to engage adults in higher education, as over 80,000 Wyoming adults have taken college courses but have no degrees, and 40,000 more have associate degrees but no bachelors degrees.

Achieving our very ambitious attainment goal requires support from all across the public and private sectors in the state, and WICHE has recognized this cross-sector commitment by accepting our proposal, says UW President Laurie Nichols, who co-chairs the Wyoming educational attainment task force with Laramie County Community College President Joe Schaffer. Im excited about the synergies to be found in working with the two other states, as well as the support well receive from WICHE to develop a policy agenda that will drive measurable change in our state.

Other members of the Wyoming task force are:

-- Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow.

-- Cindy DeLancey, president of the Wyoming Business Alliance and Wyoming Heritage Foundation.

-- Mary Garland, president and chair of the John P. Ellbogen Foundation.

-- Mary Kay Hill, policy director, governors office.

-- Shawn Reese, CEO of the Wyoming Business Council.

-- Jerimiah Rieman, director of economic diversification, governors office.

-- Jim Rose, executive director of the Wyoming Community College Commission.

-- Bill Schilling, ENDOW vice chair.

-- State Sen. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette.

-- Mary Aguayo, UWs director of transfer relations, who wrote the proposal to WICHE.

The grant funding administered by WICHE comes from a $400,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation, a private foundation that works to make opportunities for learning beyond high school available for all. Established in 1953, WICHE is one of four regional interstate higher education compacts in the nation.
SANTIAGO, Chile, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UN Women and Teck Resources Limited (Teck) (TSX:TECK.A) (TSX:TECK.B) (NYSE:TECK) announced today the extension of their partnership and the development of a new training centre to empower Indigenous Women in Northern Chile, funded through a US$1 million investment from Teck.

The investment will extend the Originarias programme, and support the goal of providing Indigenous women in northern Chile with access to high-quality, culturally relevant, flexible training programs with a focus on economic development, entrepreneurship, and business management skills.

UN Women works to give visibility to Indigenous women, promoting their rights and helping to make their voices heard, said Luiza Carvalho, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean. Chile is one of the countries of Latin America where we are working hard to strengthen the leadership of indigenous women, and thanks to the Originarias programme we are expecting to be one step ahead in this challenge.

Teck is focused on helping to empower women and Indigenous Peoples in the areas where we operate so they can fully share in the economic benefits created by responsible resource development, said Don Lindsay, President and CEO, Teck. We are proud to build on our partnership with UN Women to provide access to education and training that will strengthen women and Indigenous communities and create a more diverse and thriving regional economy.

The partnership between Teck and UN Women was launched in 2016 with an initial US$1 million investment from Teck to fund the Originarias programme. Between 2016 and 2018, Originarias undertook work to study the status of economic empowerment for Indigenous women in northern Chile.

The next phase for the Originarias programme will be the development of a new training center to provide education and capacity building focused on economic development, entrepreneurship, and business management to empower Indigenous women in the regions of Tarapaca, Antofagasta, Atacama and Coquimbo.

The extension of the UN Women and Teck partnership was announced today in a ceremony that was attended by Luiza Carvalho, Regional Director of UN Women for Latin America and the Caribbean, Don Lindsay, Teck President and CEO, and Maria Ines Salamanca, Representative of the UN Women Programmes Office in Chile, as well as members of Tecks Board of Directors.

About Originarias

Since 2016, UN Women - with the support of Teck - has been implementing the Originarias program for the empowerment of indigenous women in the North of Chile, a project that seeks to contribute to the empowerment and economic and social participation of indigenous women and to consolidate their tangible progress made on participation and equitable representation, which leads to a greater autonomy and a better quality of life for the target communities.

From 2016-2018, Originarias undertook research and engagement involving over 250 women in the region, which identified access to education and training as a key factor for improving socio-economic opportunities for women in northern Chile.

Learn more about Orginarias at http://originarias.org

About UN Women

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. The UN Women Chile Office programme focuses on three aspects: economic empowerment, women leadership and political participation, and the elimination of gender violence.

About Teck

Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc and energy. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TECK.A and TECK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TECK.

Tecks Carmen de Andacollo and Quebrada Blanca operations are located in Coquimbo and Tarapaca, respectively, both regions in northern Chile. NuevaUnion, the 50/50 joint venture between Teck and Goldcorp, is located in the Atacama region, also in northern Chile.

Learn more about Teck at www.teck.com or follow @TeckResources.

Press contact: UN Women

Fanny Peralta

Communications Coordinator

+56981378309

Press contact: Teck

Chile: Pamela Chait

Corporate Affairs Manager

+56224645422

pamela.chait@teck.com

North America: Chris Stannell

Senior Communications Specialist

604.699.4368

chris.stannell@teck.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/01044354-43bc-4132-9c3b-d5403272f03f
HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier and Minister of Finance the Hon David Burt leads a delegation of government, regulatory and industry leaders to next weeks Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) annual conference and exhibition in in San Antonio, Texas.



The Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) is coordinating the islands presence at the prestigious insurance event April 1518, including an executive industry forum, media interviews, meetings with RIMS, civic and business leaders, a Bermuda networking reception, and a trade-floor booth, all highlighting the islands leading global insurance market, and promoting Junes Bermuda Captive Conference.

RIMS is an important event for Bermudas insurance industry, said Premier Burt, who will be accompanied by Junior Minister of Finance the Hon Wayne Furbert and Assistant Financial Secretary Pamela Burrows. Our markets insurance leaders come together to showcase their expertise and demonstrate the significant role the island plays in risk mitigation. For decades, Bermuda has had a prominent position at RIMS, and I look forward to continuing the relationships that have been established over the years, and to making new connections.

Joining the government at RIMS 2018 will be representatives of Bermudas insurance industry, the BDA, and the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA), including BDA Chair Paul Scope, also Chair of Willis Bermuda; BDA CEO Ross Webber; BMA Chief Operating Officer Shanna Lespere; and Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) President and CEO John Huff.

RIMS, with over 400 exhibitors, attracts close to 10,000 risk-management professionals to its annual conference, as well as senior executives and other decision-makers from a wide range of sectors. The hallmark two-storey Bermuda Booth, this year #1045 at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center, will see BDA, BMA, and volunteers from Bermudas global companies on hand to answer questions about the jurisdiction and meet with prospective businesses interested in establishing a presence in Bermuda.

For the first time this year, the BDA, in partnership with the Bermuda Captive Conference, has organised a Bermuda Executive Forum, to be held at the Briscoe Western Art Museum the morning of Tuesday, April 17, before the main conference opens. Two panels of senior industry and regulatory leaders from the island will discuss the strengths of both the Bermuda markets world-leading captive insurance sector and its re/insurance hub.

Were proud once again to represent the island at RIMS, and in particular, to host a forum featuring our islands experts, said the BDAs Webber. It will be an excellent way for Bermuda to highlight our world-class industry talent across risk-management sectors to highly relevant audiences. We feel it will add extra value to Bermudas attendance at this years event.

Team Bermuda will have a full Monday agenda of media interviews and meetings. On Tuesday following the Bermuda forum, RIMS President Robert Cartwright, Jr and RIMS CEO Mary Roth will officially welcome the Bermuda delegation before it tours the Exhibition Hall, visiting Bermuda companies and affiliate booths. The BDA will host the annual Bermuda Reception networking event Tuesday evening, in collaboration with Goslings Rum, and featuring Bermudians Gianluca Gibbons and Hannah Eggen, of soul/pop band HEITAGE.

There will also be several Bermuda promotional giveaways during RIMS 2018, including deluxe accommodation and airfare packages courtesy of the Fairmont Southampton and Hamilton Princess, and a luxury three-night stay donated by Rosedon Hotel. As in previous years, Bermuda canvas tote bags, distributed at the booth, will also be a popular item for delegates.



MEDIA CONTACT:



Rosemary Jones

Head of Communications & Marketing

rosemary@bda.bm

441 278-6558

441 337-4696



CONNECTING BUSINESS

The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business here smooth and beneficial.
Air New Zealand was also named Best Airline in the South Pacific

The airline has been ranked second of all airlines globally, as well as seized the Best Airline in the South Pacific title.

It also won Best Premium Economy Class in the World for the second consecutive year.

Air New Zealand was also awarded top honours in the following categories: Best Business Class in the South Pacific, Best Premium Economy Class in the South Pacific, and Best Economy Class in the South Pacific.

The awards are determined by the quantity and quality of TripAdvisor traveller reviews and ratings submitted over a 12-month period.

The awards are determined by the quantity and quality of TripAdvisor traveller reviews and ratings submitted over a 12-month period.

Air New Zealands chief marketing and customer officer Mike Tod said the accolades reflect the airlines commitment to delivering an outstanding experience on the more than 16 million customer journeys it facilitates every year.

Listening to customer feedback is an important part of our strategy and has helped us to deliver high-quality products and a more seamless customer experience.

It is incredibly meaningful to receive these awards as a result of direct feedback from our customers globally. Our people work hard each day to deliver a unique customer experience, so to have this acknowledged directly by customers is extremely satisfying, said Tod.

Senior vice president and general manager for TripAdvisor Flights Bryan Saltzburg said, We are thrilled to recognise the global TripAdvisor communitys favourite airlines and shine a spotlight on the carriers around the world that provide the very best flying experiences, including Air New Zealand.

Experience Air New Zealands services on Ho Chi Minh City-Auckland direct flight

After the first two successful seasons of direct flights to Vietnam, Air New Zealand will continue to operate its seasonal non-stop service to Ho Chi Minh City, following strong customer demand.

For its 2018 season, from June 23 to October 23, the airline will operate two direct services a week between Auckland and Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday and Saturday, using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

On this occasion, Air New Zealand also introduces a special promotion for the first 100 passengers who are going to study in New Zealand, with an extra free-of-charge luggage of 23kg.

Out of the direct season, Vietnamese travellers can book a transfer flight from Vietnam via Singapore using Air New Zealand services.
The strikes hit Germany's biggest airport Frankfurt. (Photo: AFP/Daniel Roland)

Germany's biggest carrier Lufthansa was forced to cancel 800 out of 1,600 scheduled flights, including 58 long-haul flights, as German public sector workers including ground crew and airport firefighters walked out between 5am and 6pm (0300 and 1600 GMT).

Tuesday's "warning strike" hit Germany's biggest airport Frankfurt as well as other regional hubs such as Munich, Cologne and Bremen.

Other airports such as Hamburg, Leipzig and Hanover were hit with knock-on effects.

Half of the flights at Munich were delayed or cancelled according to the union Verdi, reported national news agency DPA.

Beyond airports, local transport, kindergartens, rubbish collection and hospitals were also affected as civil servants walked out to demand a 6.0-per cent pay raise for the 2.3 million people working for Germany's federal, state and local governments.

"Warning strikes" lasting a few hours are a familiar ploy by worker representatives ahead of sector-wide talks on pay and conditions.

Given the country's economic strength, "when if not now should there be significant pay increases for workers, including those in the public sector?" asked Verdi leader Frank Bsirske in an appearance at Frankfurt airport.

"We're determined to achieve this."

But the ADV airport operators' association accused unions of "lacking all proportionality" with the strike disrupting tens of thousands of journeys - 90,000 at Lufthansa alone - and whose costs they said would run into the millions.

BEER AT 8AM

Travellers had plenty of notice of upsets to their plans, avoiding scenes of chaos at Frankfurt airport, but some could not avoid travelling Tuesday.

Sybille Metzler, who was due to travel to Amsterdam for a meeting, turned up at the hub despite warnings from the operator that her flight had been cancelled.

"I know, but I wanted to see if I can still get there, because it won't work with the train," the 41-year-old management accountant told AFP.

Some passengers who faced disruption were understanding of the walkout.

"It's fair enough. Hope they get it," said Porsche service manager Ashley Gillham, 40, of the strikers' pay demands - despite having to switch to rail for part of her journey from New Zealand via Frankfurt to Mallorca.

"It's not a big deal, we would have been waiting at the airport for five hours anyway" for a connecting flight, she said.

"This way we get to have a beer at 8am," Gillham joked.

SIXTH WALKOUT AS AIR FRANCE

In unrelated industrial action in France, air traffic was also severely disrupted as the country's biggest airline Air France was forced to cancel one in four flights, in the sixth round of strikes launched by its employees since February.

Around 65 per cent of long-haul flights will depart as planned, the carrier said, with higher proportions on schedule among medium- and short-haul services from Paris and other French airports.

The group said the strikes between Feb 22 and Apr 11 were estimated to cost 170 million (US$210 million).

But several Air France unions have called four further days of industrial action in April as they also seek a 6.0-per cent pay raise.

Managers say the company is not growing solidly enough to justify such salary boosts, which they reckon would cost 240 million per year.

Air France's labour woes come at the same time as disruption for French state rail operator SNCF.

Workers are staging repeated walkouts in a bid to scare the government off a planned reform to the national icon and to the special status its employees enjoy.
People provide information at a MobiFone's outlet

Aiming to strictly control the countrys subscribers and prevent trash SIMs, Viettel, MobiFone, and Vinaphone have requested all Vietnamese subscribers to submit their portraits before April 24. If any subscribers do not submit portraits, they will be dealt under the Decision No.49/2017/ND-CP.

However, this requirement roused concerns as people registered their phone numbers by their identification cards, which would make submitting a photo unnecessary.

Tamas Bay Nguyen, a foreigner living in Vietnam and using the MobiFone mobile network, told VIR that submitting a portrait should not be necessary because he has already submitted his passport (which already has a clear photo for identification) to register in the first place.

According to the latest report of the Telecommunications Department, as of this year's March 15, only four million out of the 38 million mobile subscribers updated their full information on mobile operators' databases.

Furthermore, people are worried that their personal information (including their photos) may be misused by the three telecom groups.

xuanx667 commented on Vnexpress: With the current leaking of personal information, I am not at all sure that my information would be secure if I submitted my photo to the mobile network operators.

More importantly, what do the mobile network operators do to protect our information? Why do they require us to submit our photos without making any explicit commitment to protect our personal information? vythugian commented on Vnexpress.

Why dont mobile networks learn from the information leak at Facebook? Who will take responsibility if our information stored at mobile networks is hacked into?asked khuong bui tien on Vnexpress.

Responding to these queries, representatives of Viettel, MobiFone, and Vinaphone affirmed that subscribers personal information would never be leaked because their information would be secure in accordance with the Law on Telecommunications and current regulations. However, these statement went only a little way to satisfy the general mass.

At the April 10 meeting, Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan said that countries like the US, Germany, Japan, and Singapore have databases of personal information, so subscribers only need to show their ID to confirm their identity. However, Vietnam has no such database, so identification is a longer process which requires new photos.

Tuan also suggested allowing people to submit the photos on their IDs instead of completely new pictures.

In contrast, Le Thi Ngoc Mo, deputy director of the Telecommunications Department, said that submitting new portraits is necessary because ID photos are usually outdated.

The expiration date of ID cards is 15 years. During this time, peoples faces change significantly, which means we need new photos to determine their identities, Mo added.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madalena Energy Inc. ("Madalena" or the "Company") (TSXV:MVN) (OTCQX:MDLNF) is pleased to announce that the Companys Chief Executive Officer, Jose Penafiel, will be speaking at the 8th Annual Argentina Conference hosted by AR Partners at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday April 11, 2018.



About Madalena Energy

Madalena is an independent, Canadian upstream oil and gas company with operations in four provinces of Argentina where it is primarily focused on the delineation of unconventional oil and gas resources. The Company is implementing horizontal drilling and completions technology to develop both its conventional and resource plays.

Madalena trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MVN and on the OTCQX under the symbol MDLNF.

For further information please contact:

Jose David Penafiel

Chief Executive Officer

email: info@madalenaenergy.com

phone: (403) 262-1901

Alejandro Augusto Penafiel

Director

email: info@madalenaenergy.com

phone: (403) 262-1901

Reader Advisories

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Hoi An streets are particularly exciting after the sun sets. Along the scenic Hoai River are stalls selling local souvenirs and handicraft products.

These include colorful lanterns, toy figurines made by Thanh Ha pottery artisans, silk items, and local cuisines like noodles, rice cakes, and sweet soup.

Walking through Hoi Ans narrow alleys at night induces a feeling of profound peace.

Dan Phuong, a visitor from Da Nang city, said she visits the Hoi An night market at the weekend just to mingle in the crowd under the colorful lights, walk along the river, and stop at a stall to sample Hoi An food.

She said, Im not sure exactly why it is, but Hoi An inspires me so much that I visit the town quite often. I particularly like the night market where they offer delicious food and cute handicraft souvenirs. Its very exciting and fun.

Nguyen Van Son, Vice Chairman of the Hoi An Municipal Peoples Committee said that nearly 9,000 visitors come to the Nguyen Hoang market every evening, which makes the area too crowded. Now the Tran Quy Cap night market has opened and expanded to Tieu La street.

Mr Son said, We have opened a new night market where artists perform Bai Choi folk singing and contemporary romantic songs hoping to reduce the overload at the old night market. Since it opened in early March, it has been attracting crowds of visitors. The business there has been very good. 

Hoi An also offers boat tours that take to the Bay Mau coconut forest in Cam Thanh commune. The forest, part of the Cua Dai mangrove ecological site, is up the Hoai river, 3 km from Hoi An.

Yoon Young Joo, a visitor from the Republic of Korea, said, "Local people are friendly. The air is pure. Its interesting to sit on a bamboo boat visiting the coconut forest. I love performances featuring the bamboo boats and fish net throwing by the locals. They are like performing artists.

Most visitors to Bay Mau forest are foreigners. 70% of them are Koreans. The forest receives around 1,500 visitors a day during the week on holidays and special occasions, the number reaches 3,000. 85,000 people visited the site in the first two months of this year.

Nguyen Van Son said, "We plan to recreate a revolutionary base in the Bay Mau coconut forest. The original military tunnels will be rebuilt to enable visitors to explore the base underground. We will also upgrade the pier and guest service facilities.

Hoi An received approximately 3.5 million visitors last year.
Top performing Honeywell channel partners recognised at 2018 APAC Conference

Honeywell Process Solutions has just awarded the top regional distributors at its Asia-Pacific (APAC) Channel Partner of the Year Awards, held during the 2018 Channel Partner Conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

Honeywell recognised six partner companies which are supplying and integrating Honeywell industrial automation solutions across the Asia-Pacific for excellence, innovation, and delivering exceptional customer service.

Jiangsu Xurun Machinery Electricity and Technology of China received the Honeywell APAC 2017 Channel Partner of the Year Awardthe highest honour given to a channel partner.

We are delighted to be recognised by Honeywell for our regional service. Our focus on customer satisfaction and the market resonance of Honeywells products are the key factors in our sales success in China, said Xu Guoyin, president for Jiangsu Xurun.

There were four regional award winners, including Jinan Huahui Science and Technology Co., Ltd. for China, Artee Flow Controls for India, Nippon Lobby Co., Ltd. for South Korea/Japan, and Pacific Central Teknik Pte., Limited for the Southeast Asia and Pacific region.

Our focus on customer satisfaction and the market resonance of Honeywells products are the key factors in our sales success in China.

Indonesia as the Best New Channel Partner of the APAC region.

These top performing partners have proven their commitment to their customers and Honeywell through stellar business performances in 2017, said Asheesh Arora, vice president global channels, Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS).

Honeywell continues to strengthen its partner network in the Asia-Pacific alongside the expansion of its product portfolio. Combined with Honeywells partner support infrastructure and new, exciting opportunities provided by Honeywells products, the future looks bright for our APAC partners, he added.

Honeywell hosted channel partners from 15 countries across the region, including Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

The theme of this years conference was Connected Partners, Connected Products, with a keynote speech from Bob Gill of ARC Advisory Group. Other topics included Honeywell business updates, global channel strategy, customer development tools, as well as product presentations, demonstrations, and training.
Japan's foreign minister Taro Kono is in South Korea for his first visit in more than two years AFP/Andy Wong

The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month.

Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of a third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out.

Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security concerns.

Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said "it is extremely important that Japan, the US and South Korea share information and coordinate closely" ahead of the two summits.

Foreign minister Taro Kono will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday morning.

As well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues", Kono has said he will try to ensure that "the abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit".

He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions.

The North regularly excoriates Japan over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

But ties between the South and Japan have also remained sour for years due to controversy over historical issues left unresolved -- including Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II.

Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a controversial deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims.

Suga said Japan's foreign minister would seek to boost a "forward-looking" bilateral relationship despite the row.

Kim is set to meet Moon on April 27 for a third-ever summit between the two neighbours, and is expected to talk with Trump in May or early June.

Japan -- a key Asian ally of the US and host of 50,000 American troops -- had long supported Trump's hardline position to press Pyongyang to abandon its widely-condemned nuclear and missile weapons programmes.

But Trump's sudden decision to open dialogue with Kim reportedly stoked concerns over whether Japan was being ignored in the regional push to engage the unpredictable North.
The baby and mom retail segment may see heated competition

Mothercare enters Vietnam this month

On April 21, Mothercare will launch its first baby and mom retail store in Ho Chi Minh Citys Crescent Mall, which is one of the first shopping centres in Vietnam meeting international standards. The store volume is expected to increase to three within the year.

Mothercare will join Vietnam via franchising partner Au Chau Fashion and Cosmetics Co., Ltd. (ACFC), which is a subsidiary of Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPP Group) and specialises in distributing the products of Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and Gap, among others.

Covering an area of 286 square metres, Mothercare will supply UK-standard products meeting all demands of mothers-to-be, babies, and children.

According to the first phases development plan, Mothercare will focus on supplying creative and unique products for children below five.

Mothercare's ambitions are a direct challenge to Bibo Mart

With its Welcome to the club slogan, Mothercare set itself apart from general baby and mom stores. Notably, Mothercare will organise programmes and forums to connect family members with each other to better take care of the babies and connect families with each other to train and share experiences in pre-natal care raising children.

In the UK, Mothercare and Early Learning Centre products are sold through the groups own multi-channel (in-store and online) retail operations and via a smaller wholesale operation. In the overseas markets, the groups products are sold through its franchise partners retail stores with a small but growing online presence and a fledgling wholesale business for territories where the company does not have franchise partners.

A clash of epic proportions?

At present, the baby and mom retail market is dominated by the Bibo Mart baby and mom store chain, which is 20 per cent owned by ACA InvestmentsJapans leading fund management company and an affiliate of Sumitomo Corporation.

Starting out with only two stores in 2006, Bibo Mart now has 120 stores. It is expected that by the end of this year, the number of stores will double over 2016s figure to reach 180 and then 500 by the end of 2019.

On average, about 10 new stores will open nationwide each month. Bibo Mart stores will be located in more than 18 cities and provinces, targeting locations that are densely populated and convenient for buyers. Over its 12 years of establishment and development, Bibo Mart is now the No. 1 mother and baby chain in Vietnam and is valued at $140 million.

In May 2017, ACA Investments completed the purchase of a 20 per cent stake in Bibo Mart JSC with the ambition to become the dominant baby and mom retailer in Vietnam.

ACA Investments is one of the best-performing fund managers in Asia, with a head office in Singapore and extensive experience in investing in projects in the Asia-Pacific region. It was established in 2008 and has a focus on growing companies in specific industries as well as investment-related services, such as mergers and acquisition advisory.

Mothercare was established in 1961 in the UK. Mothercare Plc. is a global retailer for parents and young children. In 1974, it established the first Early Learning Centre. Both brands resonate well with customers the world over. It currently has 1,300 stores across more than 50 countries, offering a range of products from both Mothercare and Early Learning Centre.

The clash of Mothercare and Bibo Mart is expected to be fierce, as Mothercare has extremely deep financial foundations, while Bibo Mart receives support from ACA Investments, giving both sides ample ammunition.
A French police assault on an anti-capitalist camp has seen dozens of rounds of tear gas fired while the occupants and demonstrators have responded by throwing petrol bombs and rocks at the security forces. (Photo: AFP/Guillaume Souvant)

Some 2,500 officers raided the decade-old camp at Notre-Dame-des-Landes on Monday, destroying makeshift buildings topped with corrugated iron, a giant tent, a watchtower, and a sheep shed and cheese-making area.

The assault in a wooded area near the city of Nantes has seen dozens of rounds of tear gas fired, as well as stun grenades, while the occupants and demonstrators have responded by throwing petrol bombs and rocks at the security forces.

The activists have used tractors and burning barricades of tyres, wooden pallets, hay bales and electricity poles in an effort to keep the police at bay.

Two policemen suffered minor injuries on Tuesday, a security source told AFP, while around six demonstrators were hurt.

Activists opposed to the building of an airport began squatting on the farmland in 2008 and have since built up a community they bill as a model of sustainable farming and political debate.

In January, the government scrapped plans for the airport and told the protesters to clear out by spring.

The government has said the main aim of the operation is to retake control of a key road that runs through the area that has been blocked for five years.
Tencent's interest in Didi Chuxing and Go-Jek may belie ambitions to harmonise the market

China-based ride-hailing player Didi Chuxing is waiting for the Vietnamese governments approval to start operations in the country, according to newswire Dantri.

Nguyen Xuan Thuy, deputy director of the Transport Department under the Ministry of Transport (MoT), told Dantri that Didi Chuxing submitted the dossiers to MoT, however, the ministry has yet to consider this proposal because it is not a suitable time for Didi Chuxing to enter Vietnam.

At the same time, motorcycle ride-hailing transportation provider Go-Jek from Indonesia has gathered a team of experts to advise its expansion in Vietnam to break the dominance of Grab.

In reality, both Didi Chuxing and Go-Jek have a common backer - Tencent. Notably, Tencent is the strategic investor of Go-Jek, while Didi Chuxing has received substantial financial support from Tencent.

Thus, once Didi Chuxing officially comes into operation in Vietnam, no one can say how the shared investor will affect operations at the two companiessome foresee a level of aberration of free market competition where the two service providers coordinate to minimise friction, similar to how Uber and Grab have decided to separate their spheres of interests around the globe due to their common backer Softbank.

Uber and Grab share a common investor - SoftBank from Japan. The Japanese firm first backed Grab back in 2014, and it recently pumped $2 billion fresh capital into the company alongside Chinas Didi Chuxing. In January, SoftBank made headlines with a significant investment into Uber, only a few short months after which Uber has decided to withdraw from Southeast Asian, passing on its operations to Grab. According to the deal, Grab will integrate Ubers ridesharing and food delivery business in the region into its existing multi-modal transportation and fintech platform. In the time to come, Grab will take over Ubers operations and assets in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. As part of the acquisition, Uber will take a 27.5 per cent stake in Grab and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grabs board. At the same time, Uber will focus on its businesses in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Australia, while Grab will develop the market in Asia-Southeast Asia.

SoftBank has also been a big investor in Uber's rivals across Asia, including Southeast Asia's Grab, China's Didi Chuxing, and India's Ola, as it works to achieve founder Masayoshi Son's vision of a future driven by artificial intelligence and interconnected devices.

According to a source close to Singapore-based Grab, the purpose of investing in these ride-hailing service providers is to keep Softbank's right to change the conversation in case the competition among ride-hailing companies escalates and brings down profit margins.

"SoftBank will play a consolidating role. Simultaneously, SoftBank as a board director in both companies (Uber and Grab) would fundamentally change the conversation," said the source that declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject.

Tencent, via its investment in Didi Chuxing and Go-Jek, might be striving to fill a similar role in the market and moderate competition across the board.
US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping. (Photo: AFP/Fred DUFOUR)

Still, the White House also admonished China to take concrete action on US complaints about unfair trade practices.

Xi earlier Tuesday pledged to open Chinese markets and lower tariffs, remarks that helped global investors breathe a sigh of relief after weeks in which Beijing and Washington appeared on a collision course.

"Very thankful for President Xi of China's kind words on tarrifs [sic] and automobile barriers ... also, his enlightenment on intellectual property and technology transfers," Trump said on Twitter.

"We will make great progress together!" Trump predicted, hailing the speech in which Xi renewed a commitment to lower car import tariffs.

But following Trump's tweet the White House made clear it wants to see changes enacted in China.

"We're encouraged by the words but we want to see concrete steps and concrete action," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

"We want to see more than just the rhetoric," she added, and until that happens the planned tariffs will enter into force.

The fresh sign of detente could further soothe fears that the tit-for-tat exchange of threats of new punitive tariffs on agricultural and manufactured goods could boil over into an all-out trade war, damaging the global economy.

Trump has signed off on duties on $50 billion of Chinese imports which are due to take effect later this year, and he threatened to retaliate with tariffs on another $100 billion in Chinese goods, after Beijing said it would target US agricultural goods among other items.

US officials have long accused China of forcing US companies to hand over technology, or stealing it outright, and of spurring massive industrial overcapacity, among other complaints.

XI "UNDERDELIVERS"

White House officials in recent days offered mixed messages, suggesting in some cases the tariff threats were mostly a negotiating tactic, while demanding China reduce its trade surplus with the US.

In his address, Xi told an economic forum on the southern island of Hainan that China "does not seek a trade surplus."

Promising a "new phase of opening up," Xi said China would "considerably lower" tariffs on cars and other products this year, take measures to liberalize automobile investment, and protect intellectual property -- all areas that have been high on the list of demands by Washington.

"Economic globalization is an irreversible trend of the time," Xi told the Boao Forum for Asia. "The door of China's opening up will not close, it will only open wider and wider."

But analysts and veteran China watchers were less upbeat about Xi's remarks than Trump, pointing out that there was nothing new in the statement and the Chinese leader had previously promised reforms of the auto sector.

Evan Medeiros, former US National Security Council director for Asia, noted it was "not a new commitment and will not dramatically change the fortunes of US car companies."

"Xi's bland and generic commitments on IP protection fell short of what would have been a true gamechanger."

The Eurasia Group agreed the speech was "not a game-changer" and said it "underdelivers after all the hype from Beijing."

"Xi proposed actions which were previously promised and none address the reciprocity issues in US-China relations," Eurasia Group said in a briefing note.

But with Trump and his supporters happy to claim a victory for a browbeating strategy, the flurry of pronouncements could open the door to talks.

Earlier this week Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic advisor, said limited interactions already had taken place but no serious discussions to avoid tariffs.
An image grab taken from a video released by the Syrian civil defence in Douma shows unidentified volunteers giving aid to children at a hospital following an alleged chemical attack on the rebel-held town on Apr 8, 2018. (AFP/HO)

The United States, backed by Britain and France, has said it is ready to act with or without support from the United Nations, where the Security Council was to vote as early as Tuesday on rival US and Russian proposals to probe chemical attacks in Syria.

Trump met his cabinet and then dined with top generals Monday, telling reporters "we have a lot of options militarily and we'll be letting you know pretty soon ... probably after the fact."

Washington and Moscow set out starkly different positions at a stormy emergency session at the UN Security Council, where Russia's ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned that the possibility of US military action was "very, very dangerous."

Nebenzia rejected a US call for the world body to set up a probe to identify the perpetrators of what rescuers called a "poisonous chlorine gas attack" late Saturday in the enclave of Douma, near Damascus.

But US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the "world must see justice done."

"History will record this as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria," Haley declared.

Diplomats said the United States was pushing for a vote on Tuesday on its draft resolution setting up a Syria gas attacks inquiry, but Russia could veto the measure.

Trump slammed the "horrible attack" and vowed to respond "forcefully."

"We're going to make a decision tonight or very shortly thereafter," he told reporters.

Rescuers and medics in Douma say more than 40 people died after the suspected poison gas attack in the last rebel-held pocket of the one-time opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta.

France warned it would retaliate against the Assad regime if evidence emerges that it was behind the attack.

"If the red line has been crossed, there will be a response," government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said.

He added that intelligence shared by President Emmanuel Macron and Trump "in theory confirms the use of chemical weapons."

Access to the area, which has faced weeks of regime bombardment, is limited and AFP has not independently verified the accounts.

In April last year, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base after a previous chemical weapons attack UN monitors later pinned on Bashar al-Assad's regime.

'VERY DANGEROUS'

The punitive raid did not draw US forces any deeper into Syria's civil war, nor did it dissuade Syria or its Russian and Iranian backers from pursuing their campaign against rebel groups.

And any new action raises the risk of open conflict with Russia which, like Iran, has deployed forces to defend Assad's regime.

Nebenzia, reflecting earlier warnings from President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin, said: "From what we hear now, I am afraid they are looking for a military option, which is very, very dangerous."

Earlier, Trump was asked whether Putin bore some of the responsibility for the latest attack. "Everybody is going to pay a price. He will. Everybody will," the American president warned.

Washington's main European allies stood by reports blaming Assad.

Trump spoke to Macron for the second time in two days over the alleged attacks, with the pair expressing a "desire for a firm response from the international community to these new violations of the chemical weapons ban," according to the Elysee Palace.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson spoke with the acting US secretary of state and, according to London, they agreed that "this attack bore hallmarks of previous chemical weapons attacks by the Assad regime."

As the UN debate took place, a huge blast tore through a multi-story building in the militant-held city of Idlib, in northern Syria.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately apparent, but the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 13 people had been killed and another 80 wounded.

INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said it was investigating the Douma attack allegations, but that so far only a "preliminary analysis" had taken place.

Syrian regime forces have carried out an offensive against Ghouta since Feb 18 that has killed more than 1,700 civilians and cornered rebels in their last holdout of Douma.

After capturing most of Ghouta, Syria and Russia secured two negotiated withdrawals last month that saw 46,000 rebels and civilians evacuate.

Following fraught negotiations and a regime bombing blitz, state media announced Sunday a deal for Jaish al-Islam to leave Douma within 48 hours and release hostages.

A group of detainees arrived in Damascus overnight Monday to Tuesday after being freed by Jaish al-Islam, state news agency SANA said.

In a parallel operation, 65 buses carrying fighters and civilians left the outskirts of Ghouta and headed to northern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Representatives of domestic e-commerce businesses attending the seminar

This statement was shared by Vu Duc Thinh, director of Lazada Express, at the seminar on April 10 titled Logistics and E-commerce: Companion to development, held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)s Department of Import and Export and Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy.

The number of Vietnamese people using e-commerce platforms for shopping is relatively small (33 per cent of the population) compared to traditional channels due to a limited trust in e-commerce. Therefore, consumer trust currently remains the biggest theatre of war between e-commerce enterprises. Once a lot more businesses enter the Vietnamese e-commerce market, consumer access to e-commerce will improve, leading to more trust as well as boosting the development of e-commerce, Thinh told VIR.

According to Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM), the growth rate of Vietnamese e-commerce in 2017 reached over 25 per cent, and this rate will be maintained in 2018-2020.

Some of the worlds biggest names in e-commerce, including Chinese Alibaba, JD, and Tencent, are investing in Vietnamese e-commerce platforms, including Lazada, Tiki, and Shopee.

Accordingly, Alibaba has poured $4 billion of investment capital into Lazada to focus on expanding in Southeast Asia.

Economists also predict that the value of the Vietnamese e-commerce market will increase from 2016s $1.6 billion to $3.7 billion in 2020.

According to experts, the potential to develop e-commerce in Vietnam remains huge, with high rates of young population with easier access to new technology and stable GDP growth.

Specifically, the number of Vietnamese internet users is over 50 million, accounting for 53 per cent of the total population, with 46 million using social networks (48 per cent of the population).
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee joint hearing about Facebook on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP)

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg accepted personal responsibility on Tuesday (Apr 10) for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, while warning of an "arms race" against Russian disinformation during a high stakes face-to-face with US lawmakers.

In his first formal congressional appearance, the Facebook founder and chief executive sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social media giant that have angered lawmakers and the network's two billion users.

Under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by a British political consultant, Zuckerberg reiterated his apology for the historic breach, before being grilled over how Facebook collects and protects people's personal information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said the improper sharing of 87 million people's information by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working for Donald Trump in 2016. "I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He added that Facebook fell short in protecting the platform, noting, "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

The 33-year-old CEO spoke of a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other Internet systems and other systems as well," he said.

"So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last US presidential race.

"After the 2016 election, our top priority was protecting the integrity of other elections around the world," he said.

OPEN TO REGULATION

Zuckerberg said he was open to regulation, but cautioned against complex rules that might impact emerging social media firms.

"I am not the type of person who thinks all regulation is bad," he told Senator Dan Sullivan.

"I think the internet is becoming increasingly important in people's lives and I think we need to have a full conversation about what is the right regulation."

He added that "you need to be careful (a new regulatory policy) doesn't cement in the current companies that are winning."

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook is cooperating with the US special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said.

Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data.

"I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them," he said.

Swapping his customary T-shirt for a business suit and tie, Zuckerberg appeared somber as he fielded tough questions over Cambridge Analytica's massive data breach.

"We've been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said in his prepared remarks.

The show of contrition was not enough for several lawmakers.

"We've seen the apology tours before," Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told Zuckerberg.

"And so, my reservation about your testimony today is that I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are specific rules of the road."

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said Facebook has failed to deliver a promised "digital utopia."

"I don't want to regulate Facebook but by God I will," he told the CEO. "A lot of that depends on you."

'DOESN'T FEEL' LIKE A MONOPOLY

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Congress before the hearing wearing Zuckerberg masks and #DeleteFacebook T-shirts.

Inside the jammed hearing room, activists from the Code Pink group wore oversized glasses with the words "STOP SPYING" written on the lenses, and waved signs that read "Stop corporate lying."

Testifying was a new step forward for Zuckerberg, who started Facebook as a Harvard dropout in 2004, and built it into the world's largest social media company worth more than US$450 billion.

Zukcerberg's congressional appearance comes as a number of countries place Facebook under scrutiny. Earlier this week, Australia began an investigation into the social media giant. The UK is also looking into Facebook and the way it handles data. In Singapore, a senior Facebook executive was quizzed about the Cambridge Analytica issue when he appeared before the Select Committee on deliberate online falsehoods.

During questioning, Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," he said when asked if he thinks Facebook has a monopoly.

"The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people. Ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said.

Zuckerberg also said the company believed in an ad-supported business model but appeared to leave open the possibility of a paid version.

"There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," Zuckerberg told the hearing.
Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release publication, distribution or dissemination directly, or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States.



TORONTO, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OutdoorPartner Media Corporation (OutdoorPartner or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding letter of intent (the Letter of Intent) with leading Los Angeles-based cannabis company MM Enterprises USA, LLC ("MedMen Enterprises"). The Letter of Intent outlines the proposed terms and conditions pursuant to which OutdoorPartner and MedMen Enterprises will effect a business combination that will result in a reverse takeover of OutdoorPartner by the securityholders of MedMen Enterprises (the "Proposed Transaction"). The Letter of Intent was negotiated at arms length.



With vertically integrated operations in three states, including seven licensed stores in Californias newly opened adult-use market, MedMen Enterprises is one of the most dominant players in the fast-growing cannabis industry. MedMen Enterprises recently completed construction of a 45,000-square-foot factory in Northern Nevada, and MedMen Manhattan, the first-of-a-kind marijuana store in New York, is scheduled to open on Fifth Avenue on April 20, 2018. MedMen Enterprises also recently announced a joint-venture with Cronos Group Inc. to develop products and open MedMen branded stores in Canadas potential adult-use market.

Terms of the Transaction

The Proposed Transaction will be structured as an amalgamation, arrangement, takeover bid, share purchase or other similar form of transaction or a series of transactions that have a similar effect with OutdoorPartner acquiring all voting securities of MedMen Enterprises. The final structure for the Proposed Transaction is subject to satisfactory tax, corporate and securities law advice for both OutdoorPartner and MedMen Enterprises.

Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including completion of the MedMen Financing (defined below), completion of the OutdoorPartner Debt Conversion (defined below), all necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals, the execution of a definitive agreement and related transaction documents, and conditional approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange for the listing of the common shares of OutdoorPartner following completion of the Proposed Transaction.

MedMen Enterprises currently intends to complete a brokered private placement to accredited investors of subscription receipts (the MedMen Financing). MedMen Enterprises has engaged Cormark Securities Inc. and Canaccord Genuity Corp., leading Canadian independent investment dealers, to act as co-bookrunners in connection with the MedMen Financing. The subscription receipts are proposed to be exchanged for post-Consolidated common shares of OutdoorPartner in connection with the Proposed Transaction.

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, the Company will be required to, among other things: (i) change its name to a name requested by MedMen Enterprises and acceptable to applicable regulatory authorities; (ii) consolidate its outstanding common shares on a basis to be determined (the Consolidation); (iii) continue the Company into the Province of British Columbia; (iv) replace all directors and officers of the Company on closing of the Proposed Transaction with nominees of MedMen Enterprises; (v) create a new class of non-participating super voting shares that would be issued to certain securityholders of MedMen Enterprises under the Proposed Transaction; and (vi) extinguish currently existing indebtedness or convert such indebtedness into equity of OutdoorPartner (the OutdoorPartner Debt Conversion).

Under the Proposed Transaction, following the OutdoorPartner Debt Conversion and Consolidation, existing shareholders of the Company as of immediately prior to the completion of the Proposed Transaction would hold post-Consolidated common shares of the Company (whose voting rights will be subordinated) with a value, based on the MedMen Financing price, of US$6.0 million. Further details of the Proposed Transaction will be included in subsequent news releases and disclosure documents to be filed by the Company in connection with the Proposed Transaction. It is anticipated that a shareholder meeting of the Company to approve all required matters in connection with the Proposed Transaction and closing of the Proposed Transaction will take place in the second quarter of 2018.

As noted above, the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions and there can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in a management information circular or listing application of the Company to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

For more information please contact:

Robert Suttie

President & Chief Executive Officer

OutdoorPartner Media Corporation

Tel: (416) 848-6865

Email: rsuttie@marrellisupport.ca

All information contained in this news release with respect to MedMen Enterprises was supplied by MedMen Enterprises for inclusion herein and the Company has relied on the accuracy of such information without independent verification.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities under the MedMen Financing in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Companys beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning the Proposed Transaction with MedMen Enterprises and the MedMen Financing.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements.

In connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.


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EAST GREENVILLE, Pa., April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Knoll, Inc. (NYSE:KNL), a leading designer and manufacturer of furnishings and coverings for the workplace and home, today announced that it plans to report financial results for the first quarter 2018 on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, following the close of the market.



In addition, Knoll, Inc. will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 26, 2018 to discuss its financial results. The call will include slides; participants are encouraged to listen and view the presentation via webcast at http://www.knoll.com.

To access the webcast, go to www.knoll.com,"Discover Knoll," and click on "Investor Relations."

The conference call may also be accessed by dialing:

North America (844) 778-4138

International (661) 378-9550

Passcode 956 5766

A replay of the webcast can be viewed by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Knoll, Inc. corporate website. In addition, an audio replay of the conference call will be available through May 3, 2018 by dialing (855) 859-2056. International replay: (404) 537-3406 (Passcode: 956 5766).

About Knoll

Knoll, Inc. is a constellation of design-driven brands and people, working together with our clients to create inspired modern interiors. Our internationally recognized portfolio includes furniture, textiles, leathers, accessories, and architectural and acoustical elements brands. These brands  Knoll Office, KnollStudio, KnollTextiles, KnollExtra, Spinneybeck | FilzFelt, Edelman Leather, HOLLY HUNT, DatesWeiser and Muuto reflect our commitment to modern design that meets the diverse requirements of high performance workplaces and luxury interiors. A recipient of the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian`s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Knoll, Inc. is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Canadian Green Building Council and can help organizations achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) workplace certification. Knoll, Inc. is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program.

Investors:

Charles Rayfield

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Tel 215 679-1703

crayfield@knoll.com

Media:

David E. Bright

Senior Vice President, Communications

Tel 212 343-4135

dbright@knoll.com
Hustlers are born every day, but none are like these five guys from Staten Island. Every week, these five friends come together to discuss ideas that can make them money. Meet The Hustlers: Uncle Dom Detore  The Boss; Adolfo LaCola  The Professor; Big Ron Montana  The Hustler; Mike Palmer  The Negotiator; and Tony D  Mr. Wall Street. They appear on Staten Island Hustle tonight at 10 on CNBC.
For Elvis Francois, M.D. (left), singing is as natural as breathing. One recent video of him singing has gone viral, earning Dr. Francois a new nickname  and a lot of new fans.
This year marked our biggest group ever, with 14 students on program. All of the students in this years group are seniors. They are (not featured in order) Nichole Albright, Megan Dreger, Hunter Haggenmiller, Katie Koegel, Austin Koep, Jake Martin, Grace Ruckheim, Katelyn Schlosser, Kate Simonson, Maddie Schroeder, Jon Schwartz, Emma Skalsky, Cody Springer, and Dillon Vogt. Group leaders this year were David OBrien and Jim Duberowski.
English French

ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Explor Resources Inc. (Explor or the Corporation) (TSX-V:EXS) (OTCQB:EXSFF) (FSE:E1H1) (BE:E1H1) is pleased to announce the acquisition of 9 mineral claims located in the Hebecourt Township and in the Lac Duparquet and Rapide-Danseur Municipalities, in the Rouyn-Noranda Mining Division, Province of Quebec for a total of 383.30 hectares. These claims are contiguous to the East Bay Property. Explor will issue pay $5,000 cash and issue 450,000 shares to acquire a 100% interest in the additional East Bay claims.



This program is in line with the Corporations strategy of conducting exploration along the Porcupine Destor Fault Zone (PDFZ), where several notable gold deposits have been found in the past, including the Timmins mining camp which produced more than 80 million oz of gold. The Corporation now owns 11,389.20 ha of land along this section of the PDFZ. Explors East Bay property is contiguous and wraps around the western portion of the former Clifton Stars Duparquet property as shown on the attached plan. The East Bay property is approximately 0.5 km west of the former Consolidated Beattie and Donchester Gold Mines.The former Consolidated Beattie and Donchester Gold Mines, produced over 1.0 million oz of gold between 1933 and 1956. The former Clifton Star in a previous press release announced (Press Release dated April 09, 2014) significant proven and probable reserves of 1,895,530 oz at 1.50 g/t Au and a measured and indicated resource of 1,127,972 oz at 1.48 g/t Au on their property.



The East Bay Gold Property is located to the west of the Consolidated Beattie and Donchester Gold Property and contiguous to the ground on which the former Clifton Star Resources Inc. intersected wide width of gold mineralization (Press Releases dated June 19 and June 6, 2013).

Chris Dupont, P.Eng is the qualified person responsible for the information contained in this release.

Explor Resources Inc. is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX Venture (EXS), on the OTCQB (EXSFF) and on the Frankfurt and Berlin Stock Exchanges (E1H1).

This Press Release was prepared by Explor. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Explor Resources Inc.

Explor Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based natural resources company with mineral holdings in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Explor is currently focused on exploration in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The belt is found in both provinces of Ontario and Quebec with approximately 33% in Ontario and 67% in Quebec. The Belt has produced in excess of 180,000,000 ounces of gold and 450,000,000 tonnes of Cu-Zn ore over the last 100 years. The Corporation was continued under the laws of Alberta in 1986 and has had its main office in Quebec since 2006.

Explor Resources Flagship project is the Timmins Porcupine West (TPW) Project located in the Porcupine mining camp, in the Province of Ontario. The TPW mineral resource (Press Release dated August 27, 2013) includes the following:

Open Pit Mineral Resources at a 0.30 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

Indicated: 213,000 oz (4,283,000 tonnes at 1.55 g/t Au) Inferred: 77,000 oz (1,140,000 tonnes at 2.09 g/t Au) Underground Mineral Resources at a 1.70 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

Indicated: 396,000 oz (4,420,000 tonnes at 2.79 g/t Au) Inferred: 393,000 oz (5,185,000 tonnes at 2.36 g/t Au)

This document may contain forward-looking statements relating to Explors operations or to the environment in which it operates. Such statements are based on operations, estimates, forecasts and projections. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and may be beyond Explors control. A number of important factors could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, including those set forth in other public filling. In addition, such statements relate to the date on which they are made. Consequently, undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements. Explor disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save and except as may be required by applicable securities laws.



For further information please contact:
MARKHAM, Ontario and ETOBICOKE, Ontario , April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Extendicare Inc. (Extendicare or the Company) (TSX:EXE) today announced that it has completed the previously disclosed acquisition from the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec Foundation of Lynde Creek Retirement Community for a cash purchase price of $34.5 million, subject to customary closing adjustments.



The acquired community, located in Whitby, Ontario, consists of the Lynde Creek Manor Retirement Residence, offering 93 independent and assisted living suites, (the Manor); the Lynde Creek Life Lease Village, with 113 townhomes, (the Village); and 3.7 acres of adjacent land for expansion (the Excess Land).

The Manor is a modern private pay luxury retirement residence with 93 suites offering independent supportive living (ISL) and assisted living (AL) suites, and is currently 100% occupied with a robust waitlist.

The Village is an enclave of 113-unit townhomes adjacent to the Manor. Included in the purchase is the ownership of the underlying land and the leasehold interest related to the life leases. Upon the resale of a townhome, the Company retains a 10% residual interest in the proceeds.

The Excess Land is situated immediately adjacent the Manor, with zoning that allows for a strategic expansion to include additional ISL/AL suites or seniors apartments.

The purchase price, exclusive of the excess land, represents an implied capitalization rate of 6.3%, and the operations are expected to be immediately accretive to the Companys adjusted funds from operations, or AFFO.

We are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of Lynde Creek and welcome the staff, residents and their families to the Extendicare and Esprit Lifestyle community. With the addition of this unique and desirable community to our growing retirement portfolio, Esprit now owns and operates nine private-pay retirement communities offering a range of ISL/AL and memory care services. This is indeed an exciting chapter for us as we celebrate 50 years of providing quality care to seniors in Canada stated Tim Lukenda, President and CEO of Extendicare.

ABOUT EXTENDICARE

Extendicare is a leading provider of care and services for seniors throughout Canada. Through our network of 117 operated senior care and living centres (including nine retirement communities through Esprit Lifestyle Communities), as well as our home health care operations, we are committed to delivering care throughout the health care continuum to meet the needs of a growing seniors population in Canada. Our qualified and highly trained workforce of 23,700 individuals is dedicated to helping people live better through a commitment to quality service and a passion for what we do.

Forward-looking Statements

Information provided by Extendicare from time to time, including this release, contains or may contain forward-looking statements concerning anticipated financial events, results, circumstances, economic performance or expectations with respect to Extendicare and its subsidiaries, including, without limitation, statements regarding its business operations, business strategy, and financial condition. Forward-looking statements can be identified because they generally contain the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intend, objective, plan, project, will or other similar expressions or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements reflect managements beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available, and Extendicare assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable securities laws. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Extendicare to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Extendicares forward-looking statements. Further information can be found in the disclosure documents filed by Extendicare with the securities regulatory authorities, available at www.sedar.com and on Extendicares website at www.extendicare.com.

For further information, contact:

Elaine E. Everson

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Phone: (905) 470-4000; Fax: (905) 470-4003

Email: eeverson@extendicare.com

Visit Extendicares Website at www.extendicare.com
Manalapan, New Jersey, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sun Pacific Holding Corp. (OTCQB: SNPW) has been made aware of what appears to be promotional activities related to the common stock of the Company. The Company was made aware of these activities by inquiry from OTC Markets Group, Inc. compliance group. On April 6, 2018, the Company put forth a press release providing a general overview of performance of the Company since the acquisition of Sun Pacific Power Corp. following the filing of the Companys Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The promotional materials that the Company has discovered appear to simply restate the contents of our April 6, 2018 press release and do not make any statements that seem to be misleading. However, the Company, nor any of its management team, Board of Directors, third party providers or control persons, being persons holding greater than 10% of the current outstanding shares of common stock have engaged any parties for promotional services related to its common stock. Management as inquired each member of management, generally, control person and its third party service provides as to whether a) have in any way been involved, directly or indirectly, in the creation and distribution of promotional material; or b) have bought or sold securities of the Company for the past 90 days, and are satisfied that these parties have not participated in promotional activities.



Currently, the Company has engaged Bull Media Consulting, LLC for basic investor relations. However, management has been focused on building and operating the Company and investor relations activities have been limited to press releases and general responses to shareholder inquiries.

Please note that as described in our April 6, 2018 press release and Form 8-K filed on October 18, 2018, the Company extinguished all convertible notes owed by the Company when the acquisition of Sun Pacific Power Corp. was closed. The Company did assume certain liabilities of Sun Pacific Power Corp. including $275,000 of convertible promissory notes owed by Sun Pacific Power Corp. None of the holders of these notes, including the Companys Chairman and CEO, Nicholas Campanella. However, there have been no conversions related to these notes.

The Companys goal is to create and preserve value for shareholders and the Company will continue to monitor the market for the Companys common stock for abnormalities and/or additional promotional activities.

Safe Harbor and Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions (such as those relating to future expansion or financial results) and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's OTC Markets filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, so actual results may vary materially. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and other similar expressions. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors not within the control of the company. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.
Heidi Thomas. Photo: Pool/Getty Images

The first of six witnesses against Bill Cosby took the stand at the Montgomery County Courthouse outside of Philadelphia during the famous comedians felony sexual-assault retrial. Tuesday and again Wednesday morning, Heidi Thomas, a teacher from Colorado, recounted in graphic detail what allegedly happened when she met Cosby as an aspiring actress in 1984.

The petite blonde, who shared her allegations in A&Es one-hour special, Cosby: The Women Speak, three years ago, was 24 years old when she first met Cosby in Reno, Nevada. The comedian, who was performing at Harrahs Hotel and Casino, was staying at a private home when Thomas, who went by her stage name Heidi Johnson at the time, was called there for an audition.

[Cosby] said he was looking forward to working with me  that I had been highly recommended, Thomas told the court. When she arrived to the ranch-style home in the gambling mecca she was greeted personally by Cosby at the door.

During questioning by prosecutors, Thomas said that she was surprised to find herself alone with Cosby, who encouraged her to have a drink. Up until she was selected for what she described as a special one-on-one mentoring opportunity with the entertainer, Thomas said she had never actually been intoxicated. But Cosby  who called himself Mr. C  said the young actress and model needed to understand the feeling of being drunk. He reportedly gave her a glass of white wine and asked her to read a monologue in which the character was drunk. Thomas said she blacked out soon after. She only remembered bits and pieces from the next four days.

I remember waking up in bed, she said, beside Cosby who was naked and forcing himself into her mouth. Thomas revealed that the former TV dad repeatedly referred to himself in the third person during the alleged rape, telling her that he (her friend or Mr. C) was going to come again.

I remember feeling sick, she said, asking, How did I get here?

For more than 30 years, Thomas said she kept her encounter with Cosby secret, partly because she didnt think anyone would believe her and because the meeting was originally arranged by the modeling agency on which she relied for work. It was only until other women began telling their stories several years ago that the longtime music teacher decided to go public. Seeing him in the courtroom this week was the first time Thomas and Cosby have come face to face since the 1980s. Cosby didnt react to her testimony, mostly slumping in his chair, touching his face, folding his hands or whispering to his legal team.

Defense attorney Kathleen Bliss continued her cross-examination of Thomas this morning, focusing for several hours on the subsequent media attention Thomas has received since going public with her accusations.

You had a lot of attention, Bliss said to Thomas on the stand.

Im sure thats what many people would say, Thomas responded. As the exchange got heated, Thomas interjected, I want to see a serial rapist convicted, before the judge intervened.

Thomas, who was both confident and poised on the stand, didnt make it easy for the defense over the past two days. Bliss, who several times was admonished by the judge for overstepping, fell short in proving that Thomas had an ulterior motive for framing Cosby for these alleged crimes.

The defense took a leap of faith by pushing Thomas so hard. Not only is the aggressive strategy a radical departure from the first trial, such harsh questioning can sometimes backfire and alienate a jury who may be sympathetic to a witness who claims to be a victim of rape. But if Thomas Mesereaus opening statements yesterday were any sign of whats to come, we can be confident that the defense will be seeking to vigorously discredit each witness the prosecution calls to the stand.

According to Stuart Slotnick, a criminal defense attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Philadelphia, this could actually be a very smart strategy for Cosbys legal team.

Juries expect defense attorneys to go after witnesses, he explained. Although an attorney runs the risk of alienating a jury by crossing the line. Ultimately, he said a defense attorney should adjust his or her tone and approach to the presentation of the witness. Juries do not like seeing innocent and weak victims being attacked, he said, but dont mind it when the tough cross-examination reveals holes in the witnesses story.

In this specific case, Slotnick said, The jury may relate to and believe that the complainant in this case wanted to get paid to keep quiet her relationship with Bill Cosby because he was a much older married man who did not want to be embarrassed or have problems with his wife.

Gloria Allred, attorney for several of Cosbys accusers, three of whom are being called as witnesses in the retrial, described the defenses strategy as a smear campaign.

Cosby, now 80 years old, faces three felony sexual-assault charges of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. Constand will take the stand during the retrial, along with at least four more prior-bad-act witnesses, including former model Janice Dickinson. She claims that Cosby drugged and raped her in Lake Tahoe in the early 1980s.

All told, almost 60 women have accused Cosby of rape over the past four decades. He has denied all allegations.

Heres a clip of Thomas talking about Cosby:
Ted Sarandos. Photo: Mike Pont/WireImage

The ongoing feud between Netflix and Cannes rages on. Netflixs chief content officer Ted Sarandos confirmed to Variety that the streaming service will skip the prestigious festival altogether, following Canness announcement that films without theatrical distribution wont be allowed to compete. Speaking to Variety, Sarandos detailed the decision-making, but not without taking an opportunity to shade Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux. (Call Netflix by its name  as Cannes did in the ban announcement  and Ted Sarandos will call you out by yours.) It is not a coincidence that Thierry also banned selfies this year, Sarandos said, bringing up another new Cannes rule. I dont know what other advances in media Thierry would like to address.

The Netflix chief took more swipes at the French fest in the Variety interview: I dont think there would be any reason to go out of competition. The rule was implicitly about Netflix, and Thierry made it explicitly about Netflix when he announced the rule, Sarandos said. And later: [Netflix is] 100 percent about the art of cinema. And by the way, every other festival in the world is too.

While Netflix wont screen any films out of competition, Sarandos said several Netflix executives will attend to see films seeking distribution. Last year, despite boos from French audiences, Netflixs Okja competed for the Palme dOr.
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

I had no idea that Rampage was based on a video game until, somewhere around the point where a giant flying wolf eats Joe Manganiello, an arcade cabinet makes an extremely conspicuous cameo in the background of the villains penthouse lair. I have since learned that Rampage, a King Kong knockoff starring a trio of city-smashing mutant animals, was an arcade staple in the mid-80s, and more importantly, one of the many properties acquired by Warner Bros. when they bought Midway Games in 2009. Nearly ten years later, the first fruit of that iconic deal has arrived on our screens, starring the Rock. Its trash, but its trash with context.

If you ignore its acquisition pedigree, Rampage, directed by San Andreas maestro Brad Peyton, feels like something that accidentally got sent down the wrong tube to a slightly-too-fancy casting director (Manganiello, Naomie Harris, and Malin Akerman are all here, bafflingly) and a guaranteed wide release. Despite its insistent name-checking of CRISPR gene-editing to  root the flying wolf in scientific reality, I guess  this is in fact way more SyFy than Sci-Fi, one shark short of a Sharknado. (There is a giant alligator, though.) Its aggressively dumb, and Id feel safe in the assumption that everyone was in on the joke if it werent for the absence of any good ones. (Evil biotech boss Akerman casually asking her brother Remember that private military firm we acquired last year? counts, maybe.) Im not terribly convinced that the overtly campy version of this film would be any better, but Im very certain that this one is bad.

Dwayne Johnson plays Davis Okoye, a San Diego primatology expert with a checkered past and a mistrust of humans, who has a special relationship with an albino Gorilla named George. The opening act of the film, in which we meet Davis and his band of beta sidekicks, who gush about the kale bread they made last night while he pacifies the beasts, is so transparently dictated by Johnson that I was tempted to feel embarrassed for him. Its an incredibly unpleasant ten or so minutes to get through, and I wondered if I had accidentally wandered into a narrative adaptation of a Mike Cernovich book, all the way up to the point where a blushing blonde, impressed with Daviss handling of the gorillas, asks if they can discuss his submission techniques over drinks sometime. It doesnt come off as a joke about Johnsons cartoonish Superman persona so much as an earnest advertisement for how not to be, in his words, a candyass.

Luckily, we dont spend too much time with this pitiable gang. When an orbiting lab owned by the shady Wyden Technologies explodes in space, canisters of a special neon-green gene-enhancing goo fall back to Earth, where they are promptly gobbled up by an alligator, a wolf  and our dear friend George. The animals get big and essentially indestructible; some get new abilities (have I mentioned the flying wolf) and they all want nothing more than to destroy. Davis ditches the skinny boys and teams up with Kate Caldwell (Harris), a disgraced geneticist who makes a far better foil for him, not least because Harris is the best part of this thing by a mile. They go on a hunt for a possible antidote, while the trio of beasts converge on Chicago, inevitably leveling it in their rage-y rampage.

A quick digression: When I was in high school and we were learning about the principles of flight, we used Microsoft Flight Simulator to model lift, drag, and some other ideas I have since forgotten. Flight Simulator, for whatever reason, is anchored around a model of Chicago, and one of our exercises to demonstrate our accuracy was to fly our planes into Sears Tower (now Willis Tower). This was in 1999, two years before flying planes into buildings became more specifically frowned upon. I only bring this up because the Sears Tower has always been a bizarro World Trade Center in my imagination, making the climax of Rampage as tough to watch as its toxic-masculine opener.

Or to put it another way: your possibly self-consciously stupid Rock-starring pre-summer actioner is all fun and games until you invoke 9/11. The three mutant animals, drawn by a radio frequency being emitted by Wyden Technologies from the Willis antenna (whatever, just go with me) all scale the building, smashing it as they go up, and inevitably bringing it down in a cloud of debris and smoke. Plenty of movies have dredged up our anxieties of death and destruction in American cities since 2001, but few have re-created them with such faithfulness, and even fewer in service of a giant flying wolf. Ill admit I had eased myself into a kind of pliability in order to get through the film (talk about submission techniques), but at this point, it was too tacky to enjoy in any good conscience. As ash falls from the sky and distant screams are heard, Davis and Kate emerge limping from the dust cloud. Theres still about 15 minutes of movie left. I need a drink, quips Johnson. I hear that, buddy.
Jan Clayton (as Julie Jordan) and John Raitt (as Billy Bigelow) in the 1945 original production of Carousel. Photo: Eileen Darby/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty

Billy Bigelow says he does not beat his wife. I wouldnt beat a little thing like that  I hit her, he explains to the Starkeeper, head man in heavens waiting room. But Ive gotten ahead of myself.

Bigelow is the protagonist in Carousel, the second work by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and one thats come to be known as a problem musical, or the wife-beater musical. And the problem is not that Billy hits his wife, Julie, but that Julie, seemingly, makes an excuse for him, thereby teaching their daughter Louise that abuse is a form of love. This happens near the end of the show, when Louise asks, Has it ever happened to you? Has anyone ever hit you  without hurtin? As Hammerstein wrote it, Julie answers yes: It is possible, dear, fer someone to hit you  hit you hard  and not hurt at all. And because Hammerstein places this conversation just as the play gears up for the reprises of If I Loved You and Youll Never Walk Alone, the thought gets tangled up in the great emotion of the shows ending.

This year, the women are not saying those lines. In a new production that opens April 12 at the Imperial Theater in Manhattan, director Jack OBrien cut them in previews, a measure that may forestall some criticism. Except that Julies frame of mind and her way of loving are so deeply woven into the musical that this small deletion doesnt change very much. Still, the audience might find the controversy is more complex than whether or not the show condones domestic abuse.

When it was new, Carousel was a kind of corrective to Rodgers and Hammersteins debut groundbreaking musical, Oklahoma! Hammerstein said that Oklahoma! had no particular message, but a flavor that he identified as gaiety. The 1943 smash hit is about a couple and a country on the rise, looking toward the future with irresistible optimism. Written two years later, Carousel focuses on lovers who cannot dig their way out of poverty, crime, and brutality; a couple whose only comfort comes in retroactive forgiveness and redemption in the afterlife. For Bigelow and his wife Julie Jordan, happiness on earth is not in the picture.

In this and other aspects, Carousel is unlike any musical that came before it, and the show remains a complete oddity. It shouldnt work. Its about a man who figures out how to be human only after he dies, and even then just barely. And yet Carousel, and particularly its problematic ending that may or may not ask us to forgive Bigelow his crimes, remains among the most moving experiences in all of musical theater.

OBrien cast Joshua Henry, an African-American, as Bigelow, a role originally written for, and until now virtually always played by, a white actor. While OBriens bit of nontraditional casting might have provoked some commentary in another year, this year it will be irrelevant (as it should be and might well have been regardless). Six months after the parts were cast, the actions of one Harvey Weinstein inspired the #MeToo movement and a rethinking of everything we accepted as the social status quo for women.

Bigelow has a gift for obliterating whatever good might come from his few impulses toward decency. When he gazes at the stars hes inspired to contemplate eternal forces, but the only lesson hes able to then draw is that he is irrelevant to the universe  that he and his lover dont count at all. He comes as close to telling Julie he loves her as O.J. Simpson came to confession; Bigelow can only say if I loved you.

Julie (Jessie Mueller) is so loving and unguarded that she opens up a world of human engagement for Billy. But he doesnt get to travel very far down the road. After they marry, Billy, whos been unable or unwilling to find work, lashes out and hits her. It is a shocking moment, even though it happens offstage. When Julie tells her friend Carrie Pipperidge about it, in OBriens production it seems like the entire chorus overhears and is repulsed simultaneously, along with the audience.

But public condemnation has no effect on Billy; his judgment never evolves. His best plan to care for his unborn child is to rob a rich man. When he botches that, he knifes himself rather than go to jail, and he dies crying out the name of his pregnant wife. Then  and this shouldnt work either  he comes before a heavenly tribunal, presided over, in this production, by a kindly, gray-suited Starkeeper (John Douglas Thompson), who allows Billy to return to earth for one day to do something for Julie or for his lonely, now 15-year-old daughter Louise (Brittany Pollack). Billy bungles that as well; when he tries to force a gift into Louises arms, a star hes stolen from the sky, she pulls away in fright, and Billy smacks her hand in frustration. At this, a gasp went through the audience at an early preview.

OBrien competes with a legendary, critically lauded Carousel that is still within living memory: the London National Theatres 1993 stark and unsentimental production, which came to Lincoln Center in 1994. British director Nicholas Hytner paid great attention to the way poverty grinds down even the young. His Billy Bigelow (Michael Hayden) appeared deeply embalmed in dirt and sweat, and grew more haggard as the play went on. Injustice and toil were everywhere  they seemed to emanate from the gigantic clock that oversaw Julie and the other mill workers, an instrument so heavy it would crush them if it fell. Hytners Carousel provided an argument about class that contextualized Billys violence.

OBrien never shows us the mill at all  his is a less grim, more traditional and more romantic Carousel. Hytner says he borrowed a bit of a Central European grotesque from the play on which the musical is based, Ferenc Molnars Liliom. That work was set in the playwrights native Hungary, where the carnival is a place for thrills and sex, and theres danger in the festivity. The new production restores some of the reassuring Americana that the previous one stripped away  for instance, where Hytners fairground featured a bearded lady and an animal trainer who mercilessly beats a bear, OBriens features a clown bedecked in silver and colored fluffballs, and cheerful, well-heeled patrons who wear mink-trimmed shawls and carry balloons. His female chorus often looks like it was shipped in from Oklahoma!  long ruffled skirts and crinolines, bloomers and little ankle boots, and everyone looks healthy and happy. Bigelow and his accomplice-in-crime Jigger may not be respectable, but they never look debauched like the pair from 24 years ago on the Lincoln Center stage.

Another telling difference is the way OBrien uses the celestial Starkeeper  he is front and center at the top of the show, and he reappears every time Billy is about to make one or another disastrous decision, at times staring into his face. His ubiquity suggests a heavenly omnipresence, a god who cares, and this, too, reveals a more sentimental reading, one that is perhaps meant to soften the blow of the hard ending. But, aside from providing an old-fashioned staging for the musical, OBrien does not offer any thoughts on Bigelows violence or Julies masochism.

Twenty-five years after he staged Carousels finale, Hytner told me he regrets not deleting the dialogue between Julie and Louise. Those words should not have been said on the stage, because they are a lie, he said, with passion. I suggested that since Billy is long dead when Julie speaks those words to her daughter, they cannot be construed as enabling further abuse, but the director would not have it. It is an appalling truth that people feel that way, but  to put those words in the shows climactic moment is a huge blot on that text. Its outrageous and unforgivable. It should be cut.

Perhaps Hytner had forgotten, but when I rewatched a video of his production at the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center, I saw that Billy, who is looking on as Julie says those words to Louise, shakes his head no. That directorial choice offers the audience not only Hytners own comment on the text, but an important amplification of Hammersteins attempt to show Billys awakening comprehension. And it gave the 1994 audience permission to be swept up in that gorgeous ending, rather than feel they were acquiescing to a justification for violence.

While I understand OBriens decision to remove the lines, I would have left them in, the better to confront and contemplate a trope that has become almost universally offensive. There is no question that Hammerstein saw nobility in Julies sacrifice  the sacrifice of her own body and dignity  and he wanted the audience to see it as well. Near the shows end, when we see Julies old friend Carrie, now long married to her prosperous Mr. Snow and trailed by many children, the everyday happiness and relative inanity of Carries safe existence casts Julies pale loneliness in a romantic light. Despite her deprivations, Julie sees more, feels more, and knows more. This is present in both productions, possibly in every production. Suffering does bring some kind of knowledge.

Hammerstein first floated the idea of painless abuse in a forgotten 1935 operetta he wrote with composer Sigmund Romberg and book writer Frank Mandel called May Wine, adapted from a treatment by Erich von Stroheim and Wallace Smith (which became the novel The Happy Alienist by Smith). In that musical a professor named Volk is adored by his assistant Vera, who tries to warn him that his bride is a con artist. Youre in love with something that doesnt exist, says Vera. A madmans dream! At that, Volk smacks her across the mouth. Her answer is triumphant: Ah! That didnt hurt at all!

While the smack is in the source material, Veras response is original to May Wine.

Julies second-act ballad, Whats the Use of Wonderin, contains the beauty that Hammerstein saw in enduring love and female self-sacrifice. So do other songs of his, like Cant Help Lovin that Man from Show Boat and Something Wonderful from The King and I. But, it should be said, both of those shows (as well as Carousel) also showcase spirited and independent female characters. I think its undeniable that Hammerstein saw beauty in suffering and redemption, but not in suffering for its own sake.

Though Hammerstein was a great progressive in many ways  accused by a derisive Mike Wallace in a 1958 television interview of being an active liberal  he was also a man of his time, especially where gender roles were concerned. In his love letters to his future wife Dorothy  who spent December 1928 through February 1929 in Reno, Nevada, in order to obtain a divorce from her first husband  he shows himself to have rather firm ideas about how a man and a woman, but particularly a woman, should behave: stick very close to her mans side and end any alarming friendships with other men. When Hammerstein grew rich in the 1940s and richer in the 1950s, he was forever trying to convince Dorothy to quit the successful interior-decorating business she had started during the Depression, when he was struggling unsuccessfully to create consequential work in both Hollywood and New York. Dorothy acquiesced but always drifted back to her business with one large commission or another.

Both as an activist and as a writer of shows like Show Boat, Carmen Jones, The King and I, and Flower Drum Song, Hammerstein played a large part in opening Broadway to actors of underrepresented races and nationalities. His song from South Pacific  Youve Got to be Carefully Taught  is possibly the most influential song about racism ever written, the latest evidence being Lin-Manuel Mirandas quote from it in Hamilton. Hammerstein had enormous depths of compassion for the human predicament, and he knew that forgiveness can be a messy and complicated business.

Carousel examines forgiveness. We all agree that domestic violence is a scourge, and making excuses for it a trap, but forgiveness is something else. We are capable of course of condemning the sin but forgiving the sinner. And Hammerstein knew, too, that forgiveness can transform: Billy does, at very end, learn some basic empathy; he is able to whisper something to both his daughter and his wife that just might help them both.

Most of us will cry at the end of Carousel because its true subject is the overwhelming power of love, both the happy and tragic kinds. As Lin-Manuel Miranda said at the 2016 Tony Awards in response to the mass shooting at Pulse, an LGBT club in Florida: Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love. Hammerstein knew that one form of love is forgiveness, that forgiveness is hard and fraught and not without its costs. Some of us will weep at all of that, too.

A founding editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books, Laurie Winer is the author of Song of Ourselves: Oscar Hammerstein II and the American Musical, to be published next year by Yale University Press.
Davenport Police along with troopers from the Iowa State Patrol, while doing a routine car check, have arrested a man accused of killing his wife and leaving her body in a dumpster behind a liquor store.

Arrested was Donnell Stafford, 30, of Wichita.

Iowa State Patrol say on Tuesday, April 10 after 10 a.m. at the Quad City Inn off of Brady Street, a vehicle theft officer spotted a car with a Kansas plate. After running some checks, it came back stolen, linked with the Kansas murder. According to Wichita, Kansas news station KWCH Stafford is the husband of Leuh Moore, the 38-year-old victim whose body was discovered in a garbage dumpster behind a Wichita liquor store on Sunday, April 8. Moore's family members say the car found in Davenport belonged to her.

Davenport police said the Iowa State Patrol is the leading the investigation. Police were executing a search on a room in the second floor of the motel, which is on North Brady Street, around noon on Tuesday.

Police say the woman died of blunt force trauma.

"This happened just like the police want it to happen. It was resolved quickly and without any incident and nobody was hurt," says Iowa State Trooper Dan Loussaert.

Stafford is being held at the Scott County Jail pending extradition back to Wichita on the charge of murder in the first degree.
(CNN) -- What happened to a contestant in a hot-pepper-eating contest may give spicy food aficionados one more reason to "fear the reaper," according to a recent case report.

The 34-year-old man, who was not identified, experienced a series of intense headaches and dry heaving after eating a Carolina Reaper, reportedly the hottest pepper in the world, during the contest in New York.

The man developed excruciating pain in his head and neck, prompting him to go to an emergency room, according to an article published Monday in the journal BMJ Case Reports. "The patient ate the pepper and immediately starting having a severe headache that started in the back of the head and spread all over within two seconds," said Dr. Kulothungan Gunasekaran, an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and a lead author of the report, who was not involved in the patient's care.

"Because he could not tolerate the headache, they sent him to the ER," he added.

When the patient arrived at the hospital, physicians were not positive what had caused his symptoms. The man did not have any neurological deficits such as slurred speech, muscle weakness or vision loss that would have indicated a stroke. CT imaging also ruled out a blood clot or bleeding in one of the large blood vessels supplying the brain.

But a CT angiogram of the brain's blood vessels did reveal something unusual: a substantial narrowing of the left internal carotid artery and four other blood vessels supplying the brain.

"Then CT angiography was done, which showed narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain," Gunasekaran said. "You could see the beaded appearance [of the arteries], and the yellow arrows point to the narrowing of the blood vessels."

Gunasekaran and Dr. Gregory Cummings, the neurologist on the case, eventually diagnosed the man with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, or RCVS, probably caused by the hot peppers.

RCVS is typically characterized by an intense "thunderclap" headache due to constriction of blood vessels in the brain and usually resolves within a few days or weeks, according to Dr. Anne Ducros, professor of neurology and head of the migraine and headache unit at the University of Montpellier, who was not involved in the report.

It is normally associated with certain medications, such as ergotamine or triptans, and illicit drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines -- not peppers. Severe cases can even be life-threatening, according to Ducros.

"A proportion of patients will have a severe form with strokes, and they can get either an intracranial hemorrhage of an ischemic stroke," Ducros said. "But the mortality is low, around 2% ... and most patients who die from RCVS are young women and often in the postpartum state.

"But most of them will do well with only recurrent headaches, and then they have a total recovery," she added.

Hot peppers have a high concentration of capsaicin, a chemical responsible for the spiciness of certain foods. The substance is known to cause constriction of blood vessels in some parts of the body and is even used at low concentrations in some topical medications.

A 2012 study documented a 25-year-old man who had a heart attack and coronary vasospasms after taking cayenne pepper pills -- which also contain large amounts of capsaicin -- for weight loss.

But this would be the first documented case of hot peppers causing vasoconstriction in the brain, according to the report.

"This is the first time that pepper has been related to RCVS," Gunasekaran said. "Capsaicin, the key ingredient in the pepper, is a vasoactive substance, so it could potentially narrow the blood vessels to the most important organs like the heart and brain."

The Carolina Reaper was bred in 2013 by Ed Currie of the Puckerbutt Pepper Company. The pepper measures roughly 1.5 million on the Scoville Heat Scale -- a measurement of the pungency, or spiciness, of chili peppers -- according to the company's website.

That is over 400 times spicier than jalapeno peppers, which average 3,500 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale, according to a 2013 study.

Greg Foster of Irvine, California, holds the Guiness World Record for Carolina Reaper eating. He achieved this accomplishment by consuming 120 grams of the pepper in 60 seconds at the Arizona Hot Sauce Expo in November 2016.

According to Ducros, RCVS can also be triggered by extreme emotions or pain, which may have played a role in the case of the hot pepper contestant.

"You can also have RCVS after strong emotion, such as learning the death of a friend," Ducros said. "The mechanism is that strong emotion can activate the sympathetic tone, and this leads to vasoconstriction."

Sympathetic tone refers to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which also results in the constriction of blood vessels.

"For example, in the case of ingestion of pepper, perhaps it is the intense pain triggered by the pepper which triggered the RCVS and not the pepper itself," Ducros added.

Treatment for RCVS typically consists of removal of the offending substance and supportive care such as pain management, she said.

In this case, the patient's symptoms improved, and he was released from the hospital after a few days.

"The patient was followed up after five weeks, and a repeat CT angiography showed resolution of the narrowing of the blood vessels," Gunasekaran said. "Usually, RCVS resolves on its own after days to weeks."

The authors of the report advise that RCVS should be considered for patients who experience intense headaches after eating hot peppers, cayenne pepper or any other substance containing high amounts of capsaicin.

"It's important to think about RCVS if you get a very severe and instantaneous headache. It's the main cause after a subarachnoid hemorrhage," Ducros said. "But, unfortunately, this condition is still not widely known."

The-CNN-Wire

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A Michigan woman is headed back to Alabama to face charges for taking her four children from a Marshall County home.

Marshall County Sheriff's Office deputies picked up Anna Marie Carroll, 37, of Taylor, Mich., Tuesday morning at the Laurel County Jail in Kentucky. They were expected to arrive back in Marshall County Tuesday afternoon.

Taylor faces four counts of interference with custody after authorities said she tried to take her four children, who range in age from 14 to 17, back to Michigan after the Easter holiday.

Taylor and one of the children were found in Kentucky. The other three children were later located in Michigan. Authorities said they rode back to Michigan with Taylor's relatives.

The children have since been brought back to stay with their proper custodians, authorities said.
A program that brings in sex offenders and other parolees to the Shoals is coming under fire from people who live in the area and the State Fire Marshal's office.

WAAY 31 first brought you this story about Outreach Reentry Ministry running a re-entry program for parolees at the Four Way Inn on Highway 43. People were originally upset when they found out the program had brought in two registered sex offenders because they were not promptly notified. The Sheriff and local police departments have now developed a plan that notifies people that live nearby when sex offenders move into the area.

Now, WAAY 31 has learned the Four Way Inn is not up to fire code. We called the State Fire Marshal's office and asked them specifically about the Four Way Inn.

"The State Fire Marshals Office has conducted an inspection on the property. There are fire code violations and the building isnt being used as designed. The owners have been told to get an architect and to get the building into code compliance. Our understanding is that no one is staying there at the present time. Thats the available information we have for now," they said.

Multiple meetings have previously been held in Colbert County about the program, and many citizens who live near the motel said they are concerned for their safety.

"It's not what you want right across the field," said Kyle Oakley, who lives yards away from the motel. "We don't want it nowhere close. I don't think anyone does especially around kids," he added.

The Alabama State Fire Marshal's Office told WAAY 31 to their knowledge no one is currently living a the Four Way Inn.

However, Colbert County Sheriff Frank Williamson said there are still two registered sex offenders living there.

We ask the Fire Marshal's office how can people live there if the building is not up to code? We also asked if the facility was temporarily shut down, they have not answered our questions yet.

"It's frustrating," said Shoals Representative Johnny Mac Morrow. "If I understand the fire codes and state laws, I don't think they can. I guess my question is what steps do we take? Whose responsibility is it to close it down?"

WAAY 31 brought these questions to Morrow, and he called the State Fire Marshal's office while we were with him.

He was told the Fire Marshal would call him back. Morrow called us back a short time later, and told he learned from their office that under state law when someone changes a building from a motel into a residential area, a state architect must be hired and the building brought up to code, according to Morrow.

Morrow added the state fire marshal told him it is up to the owners to bring the building up to code. If a facility continues to operate without fixing the fire code violations, then State Fire Marshal can shut it down, according to Morrow.

Outreach Reentry Ministry is a nonprofit headed up by Willie Simpson. The nonprofit was running the parolee program out of the Four Way Inn, but Morrow told WAAY 31 the nonprofit was no longer involved in the program. We called Simpson and he said he had no comment on the matter.

"It's my understanding that they have pulled out of the program. Basically what we have is an old run down motel housing inmates (parolees) with no supervision," said Morrow.

People who live near the facility tell us they hope to get answers soon without the run around.

"It would be fantastic if someone would be honest and straight up with you instead of trying dodge and beat around the bush," said Oakley.

We have tried reaching Chester McKinney, who owns the Four Way Inn, to ask him about fire code violations and what plans he has to do with the facility. We have not heard back from him.

Morrow said he's sent a letter to the Governor, corrections department, and parole department and hasn't recieved a response from any of them.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VANC Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VANC) (TSXV:VANC) (OTCQB:NUVPF) is pleased to announce it has entered into a defintive agreement with Corozon Consulting Corporation (Corozon Consulting) for the acquisition of the Corozon Platform (Platform). The Platform (www.corozonplatform.com) is an innovative portal designed to provide front line community pharmacists with the knowledge and tools to implement practice change and enhance their professional service programs. It is the first online service of its kind in Canada, addressing the lack of infrastructure to support pharmacy program and service delivery. The Platform benefits pharmacists by enabling them to offer sustainable and tailored care to their patients, potentially increasing their billables and improving competitiveness.



The Platform itself consists of two complementary modules. 'Corozon Academy' offers practical professional education for community pharmacists. The Academy uses short video vignettes hosted by experts in different therapeutic areas to teach pharmacists how to implement, operationalize, and monetize unique clinical services. 'Corozon Hardware' is an e-commerce portal that allows pharmacists to order point-of-care diagnostic devices and supplies. Through these two modules the Platform provides easy access to the latest point-of-care diagnostic devices and also extensive information on how to implement these devices into daily pharmacy practice.

The unique clinical programs, easy to navigate site, and ready to use tools have quickly made the Corozon Platform the go to site for pharmacists looking to change their practice says Bryan Gray, managing partner of Corozon Consulting. The platform aligns well with VANC Pharmaceuticals new strategic direction.

The Corozon Platform furthers our position as a leader in point-of-care technology for community pharmacies. It will also help to promote VANCs current portfolio, including the INSTI HIV Antibody Test and our HealthTab system, to the large number of pharmacists already using the site, as well as serve as an additional distribution channel and revenue source for the company, says VANC CEO Bob Rai.



Pursuant to the terms of the definitive agreement, the purchase price payable by VANC to Corozon Consulting in respect of the Platform will be satisfied by the payment of $50,000 in cash, which will be paid in twelve (12) equal monthly installments following the closing date and the issuance of 909,090 common shares in the capital of VANC at a deemed price of $0.22 per common share, issuable on the closing date (the Payment Shares). The Payment Shares to be issued under the transaction will be subject to a four month and one day hold period pursuant to applicable securities laws. In addition, 75% of the Payment Shares will be subject to a resale restriction for a period of 12 months after the closing date. Closing of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval.



About Corozon:

Corozon is an innovative consulting firm comprised of a team of pharmacy leaders and award winning pharmacists. Corozon is committed to supporting the pharmaceutical industry in developing, testing, and implementing novel clinical programs into community pharmacy practice. Given the rapidly evolving scope of practice, changing legislation, and transforming consumer demand, our team, armed with its unique solution portfolio, is positioned to facilitate navigation in this environment.



www.corozonconsulting.com



About VANC Pharmaceuticals Inc.

VANC Pharmaceuticals aims to become the partner of choice for forward-thinking pharmacies across Canada. With an established sales force, distribution network, and team of highly experienced professionals in pharmacy, point-of-care testing and health technology, VANC is growing beyond generics to provide pharmacists with innovative, value-added products and services to expand their scope of practice and support their evolving role as front-line healthcare providers.

www.vancpharm.com

For more information, please contact Bob Rai at 604-247-2639 or by email at info@vancpharm.com .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves VANCs expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. VANC generally uses words such as outlook, will, could, would, might, remains, to be, plans, believes, may, expects, intends, anticipates, estimate, future, plan, positioned, potential, project, remain, scheduled, set to, subject to, upcoming, and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to VANC as of the date of this release, and VANC assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of VANC and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact:

Bob Rai, Director and CEO

604-247-2639

info@vancpharm.com

www.vancpharm.com




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... but you will need to show proof of jab get into bars STUDENTS heading to college in September will not have to be vaccinated...
WATERFORD is marking time with a new museum in the Viking Triangle. The Irish Museum of Time is the first of its kind in the...
IMAGINING Arts was about all we could do over the last 18 months or so, but now we need imagine no more. Celebrating its 20th...
CHANGES to the junction between New Street and Barrack Street have backfired, becoming yet another source of traffic chaos in the heart of the...
An abattoir is using gas created by rotting meat, manure and offal from dead animals to create electricity.

Southern Meats Goulburn abattoir has partnered with ReNu Energy to build a $5.75 million biogas facility to reuse the waste generated by the abattoir as a fuel source.

The covered lagoon catches methane gas produced by rotting corpses and wastewater, which ReNu turns into fuel. Credit:Nick Moir

The facility will use anaerobic digestion to produce biogas.

This is a process where the facilitys waste  liquid run-off, fats and other remains from the abattoir after the meat is processed and packed  is biologically broken down and putrifies in a covered dam using bacteria, much the same as a stomach, to produce burnable gas.
Illustration: Andrew Dyson

Seven years into its catastrophic conflict, Syria has witnessed yet another major chemical strike. This time the target was the rebel-held city of Douma in eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus. The death toll currently stands at around 70  making the attack as deadly as the infamous sarin strike at Khan Sheikhoun almost exactly a year ago to the day. It is thought the number of confirmed fatalities could rise to 150.

The White Helmets have reported that most of the victims were women and children. A local journalist said the scene was like judgment day  the situation, the fear, and the destruction are indescribable.

Like previous incidents, the attack has been widely blamed on Bashar al-Assads government. The agent used has not been confirmed. Witnesses say they smelled chlorine, but the sheer level of destruction suggests that something more lethal may have been used as well. There are allegations that the regime used a sarin barrel bomb.
Labor, which is planning to push the Coalition to strengthen Australias anti-corporate crime regime, said the Turnbull government needed to answer questions about the decision to hire and retain SMEC. "These allegations are incredibly serious. A competent government would have made inquiries, and taken necessary action, to ensure that allegations of criminal wrongdoing will not affect this project," said Labor's justice spokeswoman, Clare O'Neil. "The Minister must explain how he has satisfied this responsibility." There are two alleged criminal conspiracies detailed in confidential search warrants that were executed in February and obtained by Fairfax Media. Mr Goodwin is named a suspect in both.

The first involves a claim that a small number of Australian SMEC directors and executives are involved in a plot beginning in April 1, 2016 and still continuing. This conspiracy involves alleged accounting fraud to conceal from investigators financial crime involving an engineering and design water infrastructure contract in India. SMECs chairman Max Findlay, who was overseeing SMEC's parent company, headquartered in Melbourne, when SMEC Australia won the Snowy 2.0 feasibility project, is also named in the AFP warrant as a suspect in the ongoing alleged accounting conspiracy. The other businessmen named in the warrant are former SMEC Australia director Alastair McKendrick and senior executives George Lasek, Sri Kishen Dhar, Ankur Charagi and Raj Kumar. The second set of allegations detailed in the AFP search warrant involve Mr Goodwin, SMECs company secretary Charles Wilcox, Mr Dhar and retired director Barry Norman. Mr Turnbull and Mr Goodwin in Cooma last December. Credit:Andrew Meares

The four men are suspected of involvement in a conspiracy that occurred between April 2015 and 28 August 2016 to defeat justice. This alleged conspiracy relates to efforts to stymie bribery investigations relating to a project in Bangladesh. Other than those named in the warrants, no other SMEC figures are suspected of any wrongdoing by police. No charges have been laid as a result of the inquiry linked to the recent raids or the ongoing 2015 inquiry. A magistrate signed off on the AFP search warrants in February after being satisfied police had reasonable grounds to suspect the businessmen named in the warrant were involved in alleged criminal behaviour. Loading This judicial oversight process involves an AFP agent signing a confidential affidavit outlining the evidence the police have gathered to form their reasonable belief.

The "reasonable grounds" standard of proof needed to get a search warrant is far less than that required to launch a prosecution, which must then prove a case beyond reasonable doubt. For high profile matters such as the SMEC case, the AFP requires senior officers and internal lawyers to scrutinise the affidavit underpinning the request to a magistrate. Once the warrant is won, it allows police to raid a property and seize computers, documents and phones. Fairfax Media can reveal that SMEC is now seeking to block the AFP investigation in court. After the firm was questioned by Fairfax Media, it launched a Federal Court action to challenge the validity of the AFP warrants. In a statement, SMEC said it was "cooperating with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) as they continue with their investigation into some international projects that SMEC has been involved in over the past 15 years ... SMEC Australia is not the subject of any allegations or investigations by the AFP." Loading

"SMEC has robust accounting protocols and audits are conducted by approved independent third parties, the company said, while declining to comment on why it was challenging the AFP in court. A law firm acting for Mr Findlay and Mr Wilcox said in a statement that the Chairman and Company secretary of SMEC, respectively, both vigorously deny any suggestion  of being involved in any illegality or wrongdoing. They have fully co-operated, and will continue to do so, with the Australian Federal Police, law firm Logie Smith-Lanyon said. Mr Goodwin's lawyer, Howard Rapke, said his client would be "responding to the AFP investigation if and when required". The two alleged conspiracies refer to efforts to undermine an ongoing AFP inquiry that began in April 2015 into allegations that SMEC paid bribes or engaged in other financial crime across Asia to win contracts funded by the World Bank. Energy minister Josh Frydenberg sought to distance the Prime Minister's signature project from the allegations involving SMEC after being questioned by Fairfax Media.

"SMEC Australia [the SMEC subsidiary which won the Snowy 2.0 contract] is a separate company and has told Snowy Hydro it is not part of the investigation, Mr Frydenberg said. Snowy Hydro is the government owned entity which runs the existing hydro plant and is managing the planned upgrade. During the period the federal police suspect Mr Goodwin was involved in the accounting fraud conspiracy, he was a director of SMEC Australia, the subsidiary which secured the Snowy 2.0 feasibility contract. Last June, Mr Goodwin hosted Mr Turnbull at the firm's NSW office. As a company director, Mr Goodwin was responsible for the firm's corporate governance and culture. This responsibility was also part of his role as chief executive of parent company SMEC Holdings. The Snowy 2.0 project, in which SMEC Australia continues to play a vital part having securing further work, is estimated to cost at least $2 billion, will take at least four years to complete and will power an extra 500,000 homes. The allegations also create problems for the government on another front. The department of foreign affairs and the defence department both have lucrative contracts with the publicly listed firm, Cardno, which in March appointed ex-SMEC boss Mr Goodwin as chief executive.

Among Cardnos Australian taxpayer-funded projects are those aimed at fighting corruption and improving governance in the Pacific. Cardno is aware that its new CEO is himself accused by the AFP of corporate corruption, but has chosen to back Mr Goodwin. When approached by Fairfax Media about the allegations facing Mr Goodwin, Cardno had not disclosed to the market that its chief executive was under police investigation. In a statement, Cardno said it was is "closely monitoring this situation and, in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations, would make an announcement to the market if it forms the view that such an announcement is required". In late 2017, SMEC had several of its overseas subsidiaries banned by the World Bank after an investigation into "inappropriate payments" linked to projects across Asia. Labor's Clare O'Neil criticised the government's handling of the SMEC allegations and said it was part of a pattern of conduct involving firm's accused of misbehaviour.
Bill Cosby's defence lawyer has told a jury that accuser Andrea Constand is a "con artist" out to extort money from the famed comedian, saying she concocted a false story of sexual assault to pay for her education and set up a business.

"She was madly in love with his fame and money. She's now a multimillionaire because she pulled it off," defence lawyer Thomas Mesereau said of Andrea Constand, 44, who won a $US3.4 million settlement from Cosby in a civil lawsuit in 2006.

The 80-year-old entertainer, once known as the wise and witty father in the 1980s television hit The Cosby Show, is facing his second trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on charges of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand in 2004. Last year his first trial ended with the jury unable to reach a verdict.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has suspended one of its public servants after he was arrested for alleged indecent acts against minors.

Sky News Australia reported on Wednesday a Commonwealth employee in his 50s had been charged over alleged offences relating to the sexual abuse of children under 16 in central Australia, prompting PM&C to confirm the arrest.

Northern Territory police said a 58-year-old man was charged with seven counts of indecently dealing with a child under 16 years.

PM&C has suspended the employee pending his prosecution, the government's top-ranking public servant and department secretary Martin Parkinson said.

"The Australian Public Service has a zero tolerance for any abuse, particularly abuse of children," Dr Parkinson said.
A federal inquiry into fake indigenous art will hear evidence from the Warmun Art Centre in Western Australia's north, home to more than 60 artists of the Gija people famed for their ochre-based paintings.

Within the Warmun Aboriginal Community of the East Kimberley region, the centre has displayed works by Lena Nyadbi, whose art was also shown in 2013 on the rooftop of the Musee du quai Branly in Paris.

Photograph shows examples of souvenirs featuring fake or unlicensed Indigenous art and designs. Credit:Indigenous Art Code

The parliamentary committee was set up by Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion to look into the growth of bogus Aboriginal art flooding the market and robbing artists of their income.

Artists and representative bodies from across WA have called for laws to make it illegal to sell fake indigenous art and for the inquiry to recommend overhauling legislation around intellectual and trademark ownership.
A Perth couple have copped a hefty fine for backyard car dealing after it was found they had bought and sold about 17 cars without a registered sellers license.

Ty Mellowship and Mandy Paula Rowe were fined $2500 each by the Midland Magistrates Court on Wednesday after they were found to have been selling cars from the backyard of their Bellevue home.

The couple have also been ordered to pay $598 in costs.

It was found between July 2016 and April 2017, Mellowship bought and sold five cars, and between June 2016 and June 2017, Roe bought seven cars and sold five.

The couple did not have a relevant Motor Vehicle Dealer license and did not appear in court to face the charges.
Yangon: Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to ten years in prison with hard labour in a remote area" for participating in a massacre of ten Rohingya Muslim men in a village in north-western Rakhine state last September, the army said.

Myanmar soldiers take part in a military exercise. Credit:AP

The military said in a statement published on Commander-in-Chief's office Facebook page that seven soldiers have had "action taken against them" for "contributing and participating in murder".

Myanmar military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The massacre was being investigated by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 - who were subsequently arrested in December and are still behind bars facing charges of violating the country's Official Secrets Act.
The World Customs Organization (WCO) provided support to the National Customs Service (Servicio Nacional de Aduanas  SNA) of Costa Rica under the WCO Mercator Program, on 19  23 March 2018. The WCO team successfully conducted a scoping mission and recommended actions to effectively implement trade facilitation measures, taking into consideration local conditions and environment, as well as the WCO instruments and tools.

Prior to the in-field mission in Costa Rica, Customs authorities sent a series of documents, and information, which were fundamental for the development of the mission. During the mission, the WCO team met with officials from the SNA, Customs Brokers and National Committee on Trade Facilitation (CONAFAC). The discussions were crucial to carry out an analysis of the current situation in relation to the implementation of the articles in Section I of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

In addition, the WCO team also visited the cargo terminal in Aduana de Santamaria. The results obtained (roadmap and actions related to the implementation of the TFA) were presented to the Director-General and senior officials of the Costa Rica Customs.

The WCO will continue to support the Costa Rica SNA modernization program and the successful implementation of the TFA.
Under the framework of the WCO ESA Project II funded by the Finnish Government, the WCO delivered an e-Learning mission at the Kenya Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Mombasa on the 2nd to 4th April 2018. The aim of this mission was to integrate the WCO e-Learning modules through blended learning in the Customs training programmes at the Kenya Revenue Authority.

Building sustainable capacity is one of the priorities within the WCO-ESA Project II and supporting the adoption of the WCO TFA related e-Learning modules further increases the capacity of the RTC Mombasa to take ownership of their own and regional Customs modernization and development agenda.

A dedicated expert supported Kenya RTC with the installation and set-up of the national e-Learning platform, and also provided a train-the-trainers session to introduce the new platform as well as the WCO e-Learning modules mainly those relevant to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The mission also covered the approach towards blended learning using both e-learning material and face to face sessions. The WCO RTC Kenya is now ready to pilot a Refresher Customs course on the new e-Learning platform through the use of the WCO e-Learning modules. An official launch ceremony was held in the presence of the Chief Guest, the Customs Chief Manager for Customs Freight Station in Mombasa.
Three arrested on meth charges in Paducah
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 11, 2018 | 10:54 AM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

The Graves County School District is continuing a partnership with Mountain Comprehensive Care Center to offer students counseling. Through an agreement that started 18 months ago, the care center makes school-based counseling and therapy available for students, including any student who expresses a need.

"We started out with two or three counselors and have expanded since then into all of the Graves County schools," said Ken Stein, chief operating officer in western Kentucky for Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, whose home office is located in Madisonville. "We now have a case manager and six school-based counselors who, together, cover all the schools in the district."

"We're pleased with the agreement to offer this additional level of counseling," Graves County School District Superintendent Kim Dublin said. "The counselors in our schools are responsible for a number of duties prescribed by the Kentucky Department of Education. Therefore, this agreement adds an extra level of support from these added professionals in the counseling field."

"We work with any child in the Graves County School District who expresses concern or an issue with any mental health needs," Stein explained. "We have five different clinics in five different cities in western Kentucky. The far western Kentucky counselors all report to the Benton/Draffenville office."

"We're happy that Mountain Comprehensive Care Center is located near us in Madisonville," said Graves County School director of pupil personnel Christy Puckett, "and the branch office for these counselors is even closer."

"Our counselors all are fully-licensed and some hold bachelor's degrees," Stein added. "They provide psycho-educational counseling and psychotherapy. They specifically work on a number of issues with the students, including any child in the schools who expresses a need. It is hard to measure the potential things prevented from happening, but we believe we're being very successful with treating kids and trying to catch problems before they become bigger problems."

Stein concluded, "The support we get from the Graves County School District administration is incredible. From Superintendent Dublin to Mrs. Puckett, the director of pupil personnel; the guidance counselors and everyone else involved, we get very good support. That's what makes our program successful."
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 11, 2018 | 06:27 AM | FRANKFORT, KY

The Kentucky Secretary of State's office reminds eligible Kentuckians that the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming May 22 primary election is Monday, April 23.

Kentuckians can register and update their registration with GoVoteKY.com, the Commonwealths online voter portal. County clerks offices throughout Kentucky will accept online and paper applications until 4 p.m. local time on the deadline.



Mail-in voter registration applications must be postmarked by April 23.

To be eligible to vote, Kentuckians must:

 Be a U.S. citizen.

 Be a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before Election Day.

 Be at least 18 years old on or before the general election.

 Not be a convicted felon, or if convicted of a felony offense, must have obtained a restoration of civil rights.

 Not have been adjudged mentally incompetent.

 Not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky.

Minors who are 17 years old but will be 18 years old on or before the Nov. 6 general election are eligible to register and vote in the upcoming primary.

Voters who have recently moved need to update their voter registration information by no later than April 23. Pursuant to Kentucky law, voters who move from one county to another county while the voter registration books are open and fail to update their registration information before the voter registration books close are not permitted to vote in the primary.

Voters may check their current registration status and where they vote with the Voter Information Center found at GoVoteKY.com. For questions, contact your county clerk or the State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100.
Across the country, April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. State and local agencies and concerned citizens all work toward the common purpose of preventing child abuse and deliver a powerful, collective message about the importance of protecting children, supporting families and strengthening communities.

You will notice all around the State of West Virginia and right here in Wetzel and Tyler Counties, blue and silver pinwheels.

In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the new national symbol for child abuse prevention through Pinwheels for Prevention. What their research showed is that people respond to the pinwheel. By its very nature, the pinwheel signifies whimsy and childlike notions. In essence, it has come to serve as the physical reminder of the great childhoods we want for all children. WV Partners in Prevention/Wetzel County Center for Children and Families, The Lighthouse Child Advocacy Center, and Wetzel County Family Resource Network has placed several pinwheels at various schools, businesses, and agencies to promote awareness for prevention of child abuse. When you see them, smile and know that we all can work together to insure the children of West Virginia are safe.

WV Partners in Prevention is a unique model of communities working together to strengthen families and help West Virginias children grow up free from abuse and neglect. This model is based on the belief that child well-being hinges on the capacity of local communities to support families and protect children. This approach is built on a framework of collaboration between and among community groups, state and local organizations and local teams.

The Lighthouse Child Advocacy Centers mission is to meet the needs of children and families in our community by providing a community-based, child-focused Center that facilitates a compassionate, multi-disciplinary approach to the prevention, identification, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse.

The Wetzel County Family Resource Network is a local coalition of people working together to better meet the needs and improve services for children and families in its community.

We all have a role to play in ensuring every child in our community has an equal opportunity for healthy growth and development. You can be a part of the solution by learning about the needs of children and families in our community, speaking out on behalf of childrens issues, advocating for proven prevention, donating to charities that work to prevent child abuse and neglect, and supporting family or friends who are under stress. To learn about healthy child development and more ways you can help prevent child abuse and neglect in our community, visit http://www.preventchildabusewv.org>www.preventchildabusewv.org or www.thelighthousecac.org.

Together we can build a bright and prosperous future for our community  one child at a time.
An error in the recently passed school funding bill adopted last week, would decrease the amount of funding for Kansas Schools by $80 million.

Associate Director of the Kansas Association of School Boards Mark Tallman said that mistakes in bills this complex are not uncommon and potentially have an easy fix, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any concerns.

"I dont think there is any conspiracy at work here, I think this was probably just an honest mistake, Tallman said. But given the immense pressure put on to try to get a level that people agreed with and then find out that it didn't actually do that, there will be people who will be a little bit concerned about that."

Spokesperson Kendall Marr tells 13 News Governor Jeff Colyer plans to sign the bill and work with legislators at the session on April 26th to fix the mistake.

Tallman said that the legislature was under a deadline to complete the bill and a defense to the Kansas Supreme Court and this error brings up questions.

"This really means, I think, the state is going to be having to decide are they defending the bill that was intended, Tallman said. Versus the bill that was actually passed which would clearly do less."

The error also concerns school boards about the amount of funding they will receive.

"Many school districts are still unsure whether the funding provided will be enough to reach the educational, Tallman said. Many legislators certainly some school leaders would like to have seen a larger package, and this would just move farther away from that."
By: Paige Cline The hills are still green for the most part, but a little[Read More]
Two Yelk Alliance Faction MPs today lit smoke candles in the Armenian parliament and called on citizens to participate in a Yerevan rally scheduled for April 13 to prevent ex-Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan from becoming the countrys next prime minister.

The video shows Ararat Mirzoyan and Lena Nazaryan in the parliament holding the smoking candles aloft, engulfing the chamber in a fog of blue and yellow smoke.

Standing at the podium, Ararat Mirzoyan called on citizens to light the torch of freedom at the rally, organized by the Yelk (Way Out) Alliance and others, in Yerevans Liberty Square.

National Assembly President Ara Babloyan said the actions of the two deputies could have caused a fire in the chamber, thus threatening the lives of other deputies.

As a doctor and citizen, I am stating that such actions, for political reasons, are unacceptable when they threaten the lives of citizens, Babloyan said.
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As protests continue to erupt in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the world in outrage against the horrific shooting of Jacob Bla Read more
Since he launched his run for president, Donald Trump has said things about immigrants and the U.S.-Mexico border that no other U.S. president has said  or would want to say.

But now hes reached directly into his predecessors playbook by sending in the National Guard.

When former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama deployed the Guard to the border in 2006 and 2010, they were pushing Congress to pass wide-ranging overhauls of immigration policy.

Both overhauls failed.

A 2011 government review estimated the Bush and Obama deployments cost at least $1.3 billion.

Trump also is trying to reshape immigration law. But Congress so far has funded a fraction of the border wall he promised during his campaign, so the president said he wants 2,000 to 4,000 Guard troops on the frontier until the wall goes up.

Trump called the deployments crucial to helping the U.S. Border Patrol.

Defense Secretary James Mattis said the Pentagon would foot the bill for the full 4,000, if needed, through September.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said he would send troops.

Heres a closer look at the recent history of National Guard deployments, what the presidents who ordered them said at the time and what the state of the border was then versus now:

OPERATION JUMP START, June 2006-July 2008

WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID: For decades, the United States has not been in complete control of its borders, President George W. Bush said. As a result, many who want to work in our economy have been able to sneak across our border, and millions have stayed.

Bush called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Using rhetoric very different from Trumps, Bush called immigrants without legal status a part of American life.

These are real problems. Yet we must remember that the vast majority of illegal immigrants are decent people who work hard, support their families, practice their faith and lead responsible lives, he said.

HOW MANY TROOPS: Up to 6,000 Guard members in the first year, reduced to 3,000 in the second year.

WHERE: About 2,400 were sent to Arizona in the first year, according to a 2008 review the Guard published about the operation. Another 1,500 were sent to Texas that year, 1,200 to California, and 900 to New Mexico. The Guard members came from all over the United States.

WHY: Bush said he was trying to buy time to bolster Border Patrol staffing, which eventually grew by about one-third. He said the troops would assist Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building patrol roads and providing training. He said Guard members would not assume law enforcement responsibilities and that the U.S. is not going to militarize the southern border.

WHAT THE GUARD DID: While Guard members could not make arrests on their own, according to government figures for the two-year operation, Guard members helped in almost 12 percent of migrant apprehensions and 9 percent of border marijuana seizures.

COST: $1.2 billion, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

PROBLEMS: In a 2009 article for Joint Force Quarterly, Maj. David M. Church, an Army National Guard commander during Operation Jump Start, said the operations sudden formation gave the National Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection little time for preparation, acquaintance and coordination. The two agencies struggled to communicate and share information without prior coordination and a solid unity of effort between them, though those issues eased over time.

OPERATION PHALANX, July 2010-September 2011

WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID: Were not going to solve the problem just solely as a consequence of sending National Guard troops down there, President Barack Obama said. Were going to solve this problem because we have created an orderly, fair, humane immigration framework in which people are able to immigrate to this country in a legal fashion; employers are held accountable for hiring legally present workers.

HOW MANY: Up to 1,200 Guard members initially, though some remained in operations that continued beyond the initial deployment.

WHERE: About 560 members were sent to Arizona. According to Maj. Gen. Hugo Salazar, the head of the National Guard in Arizona, all four Southwest border states supported the operation with their own Guard members.

WHY: Obama said the Guard could help on intelligence, dealing with both drug and human trafficking along the borders and free up Border Patrol to handle more law enforcement duties.

WHAT THE GUARD DID: According to a Government Accountability Office review of figures from the start of the deployment through May 2011, the Guard assisted in 6 percent of all migrant apprehensions and 2.6 percent of marijuana seizures.

COST: $110 million through the first year, according to the Government Accountability Office.

PROBLEMS: Critics questioned whether the deployment was worth the expense, especially since Guard members could not make arrests on their own. John David Franz, the mayor of the border city of Hidalgo, Texas, told The Washington Post: As a mayor, I am not going to say we dont want more security. But as a taxpayer? I would say something different.
Ashot Ghahramanyan, a 66-year-old resident of Shatin, a village in Armenias Vayots Dzor Province, says hes joined the Im Kayl (My Step) march not for himself but for future generations.

The marchers, now winding their way through Armenia, are voicing their opposition to ex-President Serzh Sargsyan becoming the countrys next prime minister.

They plan to recruit people along the way to attend a rally in Yerevan on April 13. If enough people show up, rally organizers say they might try to encircle the National Assembly so as to force MPs inside from voting for Sargsyan as the next prime minister.

Our thoughts are the same as Nikols, Ghahramanyan said referring to Nikol Pashinyan who heads the Civil Contract political party that has organized the march.

Our focus is to be free of this evil regime and to be free of Serzh Sargsyan, said Ghahramanyan, adding that the small numbers of marchers didnt mean that the Yerevan rally would be sparsely attended.

Now into their twelfth day, the marchers have left Hrazdan and are headed to Abovyan.
by Mariam Ugrekhelidze, iFact.ge

In Georgian tradition, guests are golden, a gift from God. For the past three years, the government has seen them as more of a goldmine, offering more than 400 well-heeled foreigners permanent residence in exchange for hefty investments.

But some Georgians traditional hospitality appears to be turning to hostility, and not for the first time.

Foreigners have long streamed into this small Caucasus country that bridges Europe and Asia. Over the last 2,000 years, various parts of Georgia have been occupied by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, Persians, Turks, Russians, and Soviets.

After the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia suffered a period of civil war and internal decline that delayed any thought of looking outwards. But since the Rose Revolution of 2003, Georgians have veered wildly in their attitudes towards foreigners  from welcoming them with open arms to demonstrating against them in the streets.

What happens next is anyones guess.

A New Muslim Invasion?

Georgia offers a number of options for foreigners who want to stay, from short-term work and study visas to renewable residency permits of up to five years. The latter are available for those who work in Georgia, invest US$ 35,000 in real estate, or run a business.

The Golden Visa, however, offers permanent residency for a much larger investment: 300,000 Georgian lari, or about $123,000 at current exchange rates. The money can be invested in real estate or used to start a business or open a company in Georgia.

Between the programs start in 2014 and the end of 2017, 575 people applied, 466 were accepted, and 109 rejected. The numbers of those rejected rose each year, from 8 in 2014 to 13 in 2015; 36 in 2016; and 52 in 2017.

Most of those approved come from Iraq (90 people); in second place is Egypt (87 people); while third place goes to Iran, with 67 people. These figures, which cover the time period from the programs start in 2014 until October of 2017, are provided by Georgias Justice Ministry, which administers the program.

Approval takes about a month. Successful applicants can go on to apply for Georgian citizenship if they wish, but this requires knowledge of Georgian language and history in addition to investment, and each application for citizenship must be approved by the president.

A Rejected Syrian Family

Several wealthy foreign businesspeople who secured the Golden Visa declined to talk to iFact.ge about their experiences, saying they did not want to draw attention to themselves.

One woman from a more modest background said that she and her husband were repeatedly rejected for a simple residence permit for reasons that seem arbitrary, or at least were not fully explained.

Najwa Al Darwish, a citizen of Syria, says she applied not once but three times  only to be turned down on each occasion.

Darwish and her husband, Monir Al Jazaerli, werent even trying for the Golden Visa  just for the one-year temporary permit that requires a $35,000 investment. In May of 2016, they bought a flat in Tbilisi for $50,000, which should have qualified them easily. Yet their applications were rejected on the grounds of national security, with no further explanation.

The couple tried twice more in the following year, Darwish said, because everyone told me that I had to try, because there were people who tried a few times and finally got residency. The government did not explain its reasons for rejecting these subsequent applications, other than to cite Article 18 of the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, which states that resident permits may be denied for applicants who pose a danger to state security or public safety.

Darwish says that she and her husband had been looking for investments in a number of countries, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, as there are many problems in Syria. They currently live in Dubai, but in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), real estate is too expensive for us.

Georgia looks like the couples last hope. But, although they own the flat in Tbilisi, Darwish has now discovered that her husband can no longer even enter the country.

When we last came to Georgia (in June 2017), in the airport at passport control, we were told that my husband could not enter the country, only I could, she says. We were surprised, as we had the flat here, had been in Georgia two previous times, and had friends here. They simply said he could not enter, and gave no further reason for the refusal.

That night, her husband flew back to Dubai.

Darwish says that it is important for them to find a legal home soon, as their UAE residency permits are good for just three years. When [my husbands] contract ends, or if he gets fired, we wont have residency at all, she explains.

She says that her lawyer assures her that the couple will succeed if they just keep trying.

Maybe we will get it, she says, noting that they have already invested $50,000 and had planned to invest more in growing a business, either a kindergarten or a medical center, but we never got the chance.

But she appears to be running out of optimism. I am even afraid to come to Georgia, because the last time, my husband was rejected, and I am not sure that it wont happen again, she says. I am simply tired of trying and fighting.

She believes that the couple was rejected because they are Syrian.

A Disturbing Pattern of Rejection

Darwishs lawyer, Anastasios Anastasiou, heads a law firm in Tbilisi that specializes in immigration issues. He says that in his recent experience, its very common for applicants from Muslim countries to be rejected.

Since founding his firm in 2008, he says he has worked with hundreds of investors and others who want to live in Georgia.

Anastasiou says he sees a big difference in who gets approved for all kinds of permits.

If someone is from Europe or the United States, [the government] gives them permission to stay here in Georgia, for five years, directly, without having any documents, he says. [That person files paperwork to open] a new company, applies for residency and he gets it for five years, without making any investment.

At the same time, he says, If someone is from Saudi Arabia, he can [actually create a] big company and invest in Georgia, but they reject him. This [discrimination] started with Arab countries and now it is the same with other eastern countries like India and China.

Anastasiou says that the government cites Article 18 for almost all of his rejected clients, and that even when he goes to court seeking the reasons behind the decision, he gets no answers  officials consider the information secret.

He believes the true reason is anti-Muslim discrimination, and that it will end up costing Georgia a lot of money, as serious investors will pull out when they fail to get the permits they expected.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

While the government refuses to explain its reasons for rejecting applicants under Article 18, others say there are legitimate reasons for caution.

Tornike Sharashenidze is the head of the masters program in International Relations at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs. He says that mixed in with the stream of investors and tourists coming to Georgia are an unknown number of spies and foreign agents.

Special service agents from almost every one of our neighbors are here, not to fight against Georgia itself, but to fight each other, he says. Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia  there are too many interests and they are connected with each other. Our country can become a place for serious conflict, so we should be very careful and look at every investor to understand whether they are really investors or spies wearing the mask of an investor.

Mahmoud Davari, a founder of the Iran-Georgia Business Development Center, agrees that some investors who come to Georgia have no real business or companies.

They do it, he says, because for Iranians, life in Georgia is much easier than back home. He believes that only genuine businessmen and investors should stay.

Georgias Golden Visa program is not advertised by either Henley & Partners or Arton Capital, two of the biggest global companies that provide so-called citizenship services around the world. It was, however, promoted by 2ndpassports.com, a little-known organization headquartered in Guatemala that listed an Estonian contact number but later changed it to one in Panama.

Its web page offered help obtaining temporary and permanent residency permits for foreigners in various countries. In October 2017, the site touted options in Georgia, offering a permanent residency program for 40,000, (118,400 Georgian lari)  less than the 300,000 lari required under Georgian law.

A reporter for OCCRP asked Georgian officials what they know about 2ndpassports.com, but received no response.

The reporter then contacted 2ndpassports.com by email, asking how it could provide residency by investment at less than the legal cost. The company responded, We can offer you Georgian Residence for 40,000. We use our contacts in Tbilisi to get this done.

The website further stated: Georgian citizenship could well prove to be the gateway to accessing the European Union, and eventual EU citizenship. While Georgia has applied for EU membership, the unresolved status of the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia make it unclear when, if ever, membership might be approved.

Subsequent to OCCRPs questions, the Georgian offer was removed from the website.

The Islamic Republic of Iran wasnt buying it anyway.

The Iranian embassy in Georgia issued a warning to its citizens, saying, The claim of residence in Europe through asylum in Georgia is a trap of fraudsters and urging Iranian nationals to conduct careful study and research before applying for citizenship or making an investment.

In a story posted on the website of the Mehr News Agency last December, embassy officials note that gaining citizenship in Georgia is not an easy matter, and that people who promised otherwise were lying. Do not trust anonymous individuals, neither Iranians nor foreigners, the story warns.

In addition Anastasiou, the immigration lawyer, cautions applicants to beware of people who approach them at Tbilisis House of Justice, the centralized location for permits and other legal documentation that handles paperwork for residency.

While they offer to help foreigners collect the necessary documents for Georgian residency, they are likely fraudsters, he says. We asked the government to do something about them, but the situation remains the same.

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On Tuesday, the White House announced that President Donald Trump was canceling his trip to Lima, Peru, for a regional summit with other heads of Latin American and Caribbean countries. His sudden cancellation and decision to send Vice President Mike Pence in his place will drive an even bigger wedge between the United States and its regional allies.

Officially, the White House is pointing to the chemical attacks in Syria as the reason why Trump needs to stay in Washington. As if President Trump weren't fully capable of monitoring whatever countermeasures he is planning from Air Force One, an airplane the White House website describes as "...equipped with advanced secure communications equipment, allowing the aircraft to function as a mobile command center."

The reality is that the FBI's raid on Michael Cohen's office has deeply rattled the President, and that may well be why he has opted to stay close to his family, friends and allies as this crisis unravels.

But Trump's excuse -- or his statement Tuesday afternoon that he "would have loved to have gone" -- isn't fooling anyone. He never wanted to attend the Summit of the Americas. "Given President Trump's disdain for the region, its people, and its institutions, combined with his total lack of interest in Latin America, except as his own personal pi-ata, one can only consider the Lima summit dead on arrival," Jerry Haar, Professor of Management & International Business at Florida International University, told me.

Unlike some of his previous travels where Trump was treated as royalty -- remember his extravagant trip to Saudi Arabia last year? -- his trip to Peru was going to resemble an uncomfortably large Thanksgiving dinner in which he would assume the role of the slightly off-kilter uncle who everyone was hoping wouldn't show up.

Since the mid-1990s, the Summit of the Americas has been an opportunity for leaders from Canada to Argentina to profess their collective love and admiration for democratic ideals, regional trade, security, and other areas of mutual interest and cooperation.

But Trump has not expressed such love and admiration for his regional allies. He is alleged to have referred to Haiti and El Salvador (as well as Africa) as "shitholes." And he has repeatedly singled out Mexico and many Central American immigrants who pass through its borders as the cause of a host of problems for the United States.

With the prospect of having to face off against the leaders of the countries he has repeatedly insulted, it's not at all surprising that Trump was quick to push the cancel button on this particular transaction and send his Vice President in his place.

It's not exactly clear what Trump -- and now Pence -- hopes can be achieved in Lima. With the State Department headed by an acting secretary of state and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs led by an acting assistant secretary, it's hard to imagine that much strategic thinking or policy planning has gone into the trip.

Officially, despite the President's constant needling of the region with the threat of new tariffs on imports, a border wall, and his on-again, off-again determination to return Dreamers to their birth countries, the White House has made only vague references to its objectives -- citing the strengthening of America's ties with the regional democracies, discussing fair trade and coordinating better border security.

Under normal circumstances, a US president would have the moral authority (and impetus) to use the summit as a platform for applying further pressure on the region's rampant corruption. According to the Global Corruption Barometer survey, 67% of Latin Americans believe corruption has risen during past year, and more than half feel that their governments are failing to address the problem.

But how would anyone from the Trump White House even begin to take regional leaders to task on the issue of corruption when Trump's campaign team remains under investigation by a special investigator, and several have already been indicted on charges of conspiracy, money laundering, financial crimes, bank fraud crimes and false statements.

Now that Pence is attending, he might be eyeing the Summit as an opportunity to compel greater regional pressure for regime change in Venezuela -- a country that is teetering on the brink of economic and political collapse yet remains openly hostile to the United States. But if his objective is to sway regional leaders on Venezuela, then he will probably be preaching to the wrong choir.

With few exceptions, the heads of state of the region's powerhouse economies are either on their way out of office, lacking a strong mandate in their home countries. or are embroiled in their own corruption scandals. Take Michel Temer, Brazil's substitute President, who took office after former President Dilma Rousseff was impeached in 2016. Temer has approval ratings in single digits and is immersed in the Lava Jato (Car Wash) corruption scandal -- the same scandal that, only a few days ago, led to the jailing of the country's popular ex-president, Luiz In-cio Lula da Silva.

So, what can Pence hope to achieve at the Summit of the Americas?

Perhaps he can set his sights on heading off China's increasingly aggressive economic and diplomatic overtures in the region. It's no secret that China's focus on pushing commodity-backed loans to fund large infrastructure projects throughout Latin America is ripping a page out of same playbook that China used with much success throughout Africa. The White House's recently published National Security Strategy brazenly accuses China of attempting to "pull the region into its orbit through state-led investments and loans."

With Trump having chickened out from facing the leaders of the countries he has derided since announcing his campaign for office, it's up to Pence to put his best foot forward.
HERKIMER  Students at Herkimer College are raising awareness for victims of relationship abuse by walking one yard at a time.

The college is one of 25 SUNY schools participating in the One Love Foundations Around the World for Yeardley initiative. Together, participants will walk the circumference of the earth, 50 million yards, in honor of Yeardley Love and other victims of relationship abuse.

Yeardley Love was a student at the University of Virginia who was killed by her ex-boyfriend.

The goal of the event is to end relationship abuse by educating young people about relationship behaviors.

When it comes to talking to your friend about an unhealthy relationship, focus on the behaviors that are happening, said Jaklyn Van Manen, director of the Program Engagement & Evaluation. Don't focus so much on their partner and who that person is, or try and make judgments or say mean things about their partner. Rather, talk about how all these behaviors are impacting them and impacting their relationship, which can really help them to do reflection.

Herkimer Colleges goal is 1 million yards, or 570 miles, for Yeardley Love. Their first Around the World for Yeardley event was held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday in the colleges Physical Education Building.
Seth Fiegerman

(CNN Money) -- Mark Zuckerberg has apologized many times in his years running Facebook, but this time is different. At least that was the message he delivered during his debut appearance on Capitol Hill.

The Facebook CEO formally apologized to Congress on Tuesday for mistakes that led to the Cambridge Analytica scandal and stressed that his company is rethinking its responsibilities to users and society.

"It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well. That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy," Zuckerberg said in opening remarks before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees.

"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility and that was a big mistake," he continued. "It was a big mistake. And I'm sorry. I started Facebook. I run it and I'm responsible for what happens here. "

When pressed on why people should trust him now, after years of his promises to do better, Zuckerberg admitted that "we have made a lot of mistakes in running the company."

"It's pretty much impossible to start a company in your dorm room and grow it to the scale we are at now without making some mistakes," he said. Now, however, "I would say we are going through a broader philosophical shift in how we run the company."

For most of its history, Facebook focused on "building tools," he said. Now, Facebook recognizes the need to "take a more proactive role."

The appearance marks the first time that Zuckerberg has testified before Congress. Zuckerberg, 33, swapped his usual gray t-shirt and jeans attire for a dark blue suit and light blue tie.

He appeared somber as he walked in to testify, and spoke before a packed room, with 44 senators in attendance. The number of senators, and the time constraints for each, limited the potential for followup questions to and grilling of the CEO.

"It's extraordinary to hold a joint committee hearing. It's even more extraordinary to have a single CEO testify before nearly half the United States Senate," said Sen. John Thune, chairman of the Commerce Committee. "Then again, Facebook is extraordinary."

Zuckerberg will testify again on Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The Congressional hearings come nearly a month after news broke that Cambridge Analytica, a data firm with ties to President Donald Trump's campaign, accessed information from as many as 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge.

The data scandal wiped away tens of billions of dollars from Facebook's market value, prompted political scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic and even raised the once unthinkable question of whether Zuckerberg should step down as CEO. It also reignited long simmering concerns about Facebook's impact on the world's privacy, civil discourse and domestic institutions.

Related: Was your Facebook data shared with Cambridge Analytica? You can now find out

While Zuckerberg took responsibility for Facebook's shortcomings in preventing abuse of the platform, he nonetheless continued to defend the company's core business model: Using personal data to target ads.

"We think offering an ad-supported service is the most aligned with our mission to connect everyone in the world. We want to offer a free service that everyone can afford," he said.

In the days leading up to the hearings, Facebook released a torrent of product and policy updates to address concerns about data privacy and election meddling. Zuckerberg, once press shy, also launched an apology tour as part of a rare media blitz.

Behind the scenes, Zuckerberg and his team did mock hearings over the past week in a conference room at Facebook set up to look like a congressional hearing room. Zuckerberg plans to be contrite in his appearances before lawmakers. He will make the case for Facebook  why it helps people's lives  but be ready to push back when appropriate.

"He's nervous, but he's really confident," the source said. "He's a smart guy."

(The-CNN-Wire &  2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)
In Nature: The tragedy of a bad sexual wager

Genitals in blue: Rendering of male specimen of a living ostracod species shows proportion of anatomy devoted to reproduction. Overdevelopment of male genitals contributed to the extinction of a number of ostracod species during the Cretaceous Period. Photo illustration by Dietmar Keyser, University of Hamburg

Small specimens: Each dot in the black square is a fully grown ostracod. (Or used to be  these are fossils.) Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Collaboration: The research that produced the Nature paper was based on paleontology as well as biology, so it was a natural collaboration for biologist John Swaddle (left) and paleontologist Rowan Lockwood. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

There are significant advantages to developing massive male genitals  but there also can be a terrible cost.

Its an evolutionary tale of caution revealed in an article published in the journal Nature. The co-authors, which include two William & Mary scientists, depict how overemphasis on masculine endowment began a path that led to extinction of entire species.

The paper is High male sexual investment as a driver of extinction in fossil ostracods. The William & Mary co-authors are Rowan Lockwood, professor of geology, and John Swaddle, professor of biology. Other authors are Maria Joao Fernandes Martins and Gene Hunt, both of the Smithsonian Institution, and T. Markham Puckett of the University of Southern Mississippi.

The reason this is in Nature is because it is the first study linking sexual selection with actual extinction, Swaddle said. There have been papers that have linked sexual selection to indicators of extinction.

Such indicator papers might focus on yeast colonies not being able to cope with a new environment or could be based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature list of threated bird species, he said.

The Nature study is an examination of the fossil record of numerous species of small crustaceans known as ostracods, or seed shrimp. It is a test of a theory about sexual selection, which is essentially a subset of natural selection, the Darwinian mechanism of evolution. The paper concludes that ostracod species that developed the largest male genitals went extinct at rates 10 times the species with the least investment in genital apparatus.

Theres more to life than procreation

Natural selection, writ small, holds that he or she who produces the most progeny wins. But Lockwood and Swaddle explain that organisms have business beyond procreation and therefore species that place too many evolutionary chips on reproduction may be making a bad long-term bet.

Think of something like a peacock, Lockwood said. Male peacock trains are big, theyre showy, and we know that female peahens prefer males that have larger, more colorful and more symmetric trains. But those feather trains are also detrimental to the health and well-being of a peacock, because it makes them harder to take off and avoid predators.

So sexual selection, she explained, pushes the peafowl population toward males with bigger, brighter, showier tails. The flashy plumage is an example of what the Nature paper calls costly, exaggerated characteristics. Such traits can operate at odds with other aspects of natural selection and might put wild peafowl populations on an eventual path to extinction, as a species evolutionary over-investment in traits linked to reproduction often comes at the expense of development of other systems.

You have a situation where sexual selection is almost maladaptive for the species of peacock, Lockwood explained. While peacocks work on increasingly showy and unwieldy tails, their predators may be evolving increasingly efficient peacock-hunting traits.

Its compromising their survival for the sake of getting mates, Swaddle added.

Sexual selection takes many forms

Swaddle explained that sexual selection is generally thought of in terms of peacock-like competition to attract mates, but thats not the only way sexual selection plays out. A peacock invests in huge plumage, while the male ostracod invests in huge genitals.

Its only a slight exaggeration to say that a male ostracod is mostly penis, but an anatomical illustration reveals that the seed shrimp devotes more body-cavity real estate to its reproductive works than almost any other system. This apparatus is dominated by an organ that the authors of the Nature paper refer to as the large, muscular sperm pump. There are a number of facts to support Swaddles characterization of seed shrimp as the Don Juans of the crustacean world.

Everything about an ostracods reproductive system is large. Some ostracods produce extremely large sperm, Lockwood said. If you were to take the sperm out of their sperm sack and line it up, it would be six times the length of the animal  a single sperm.

Seed shrimp are internally fertilized. The male has two separate structures  called hemipenes, Lockwood said. The females have two openings that can accommodate a couple dozen eggs at once. And all of those eggs dont necessarily have the same father.

They dont look like much, but sex is on the brain  what little brain they have, Lockwood said.

Swaddle said that male ostracods face an evolutionary challenge known as sperm competition. If a female copulates with more than one male, the sperm compete with each other inside the female. He said a common evolutionary strategy to win the sperm competition is to simply produce higher numbers of sperm  more tickets in the lottery. Ostracods enter the sperm competition arena armed with bigger sperm  and a more powerful sperm factory.

Sperm competition: Yes, its a thing

In this case  although we dont really know this  the size of the sperm pump is probably an indication of how much competition is happening, Swaddle said. Because you can have competition among sperm from different males. Its called sperm competition. It happens in all kind of organisms  including humans.

All of this happens in teeny little bivalve crustaceans. Ostracods are shaped like a sesame seed, but are even smaller. Lockwood says ostracods can live in fully marine, brackish\, and even freshwater environments.

You can think of them as a kind of a shrimp in a shell, Swaddle said.

Its hard to see that its a crustacean, but its a little like a shrimp, Lockwood added. These guys have heads, but theyre not as developed as shrimp heads are. They have a set of antennae. They have a set of legs. They use their legs for swimming, for walking around on the sea floor, for clinging to vegetation.

Lockwood added that ostracods can withdraw into their shells: They can be completely inside it for protection from predators. But most of their life, they spend with their shell gaped and the legs and antennae sticking out.

Lockwood and Swaddle explain why ostracods make good study organisms for a study on sexual selection and its role in extinction. For one thing, there are a large numbers of seed shrimp species. There are a large numbers of ostracod species in the waters of the world today, but there are many, many extinct species as well. Plus, the extinct seed shrimp have not vanished  they are preserved in their once-swarming gajillions in the fossil record.

Were going back to the Cretaceous  66 to 85 million years ago. This is the time of the dinosaurs, the time right before the dinosaurs go extinct, Lockwood said. We went back that far in part because ostracod species are long-lived in the fossil record. We wanted to make sure we had enough of a sample size of ostracods that had gone extinct.

Sexing ostracods by shell differences

To top it off, ostracods  the quick and the fossilized  exhibit a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Males have a more elongated shell than the females in the same species. The longer shell is necessary to accommodate the oversize copulatory apparatus, as the paper says.

The strategy is to maximize the number of offspring, but whats beneficial for the individual is not necessarily a good bet at the level of population or species. Swaddle explained that changes in the ostracod environment  temperature, salinity, etc.  put those high-stakes reproductive investments to the test.

Its not as if theyre sexing themselves to death, he said. At issue is the intense investment in sexual selection and mating strategies. Its making them vulnerable to other things going on in their environment. It puts them at risk, and then when the environment changes in different ways, the species that are investing more heavily in reproduction are the ones more likely to go extinct.

It just so happens that the oldest penis known to science belongs to a 425-million-year-old fossilized ostracod. Fossilized penises of any vintage are rare, as genitals are among what Swaddle calls the soft parts, of an animal and the fossil record usually preserves only hard parts, such as teeth, bones and shell.

About the precursor work

Swaddle and Lockwood point out the Nature paper rests atop a large amount of precursor work. They credit Martins for her painstaking examination of the anatomy of modern ostracods, working as a post-doc with Hunt at the Smithsonian. Swaddle said her work on the understanding of those soft parts drew the connections relating sexual dimorphism in shell size/shape in seed shrimp of today and in the hard parts, as revealed in the fossil record.

As a preamble to this, we published a series of studies to show that the kind of sexual dimorphism that were talking about here exists in modern ostracods, he said. And it exists because of investment in male reproductive organs.

Some of the precursor also included contributions by William & Mary undergraduates. Swaddle has taught a sexual selection seminar at William & Mary for 17 years. (And Martins taught the seminar one year, as well.) One of the students, Luke Redding 13, began his own investigation on the long-term costs of sexual selection.

In that study, he set up little yeast colonies that were under different intensities of sexual selection and then testing whether they could cope with new environments, Swaddle said. Colonies with more sexual selection going on were less able to cope with change. It was a kind of a proxy for extinction risk.

Redding worked with Swaddle and Helen Murphy, assistant professor of biology, and was a co-author on a paper on the yeast extinction-proxy study. Lockwood also had a research student involved in precursor work. Chrissy Hall 12 interned for a summer at the Smithsonian as part of an ostracod collaboration with Lockwood and Gene Hunt.

Shes gone on in paleontology and now is doing her Ph.D. on ostracods at the University of California, Riverside, Lockwood said.

The interrelationships that began with the undergraduate research projects led the collaborators to formulate their own Nature-bound ostracod study and to apply for funding from the National Science Foundation.

They stress that their investigation into the extinction of tiny crustaceans millions of years ago has relevance for the many questions that arise in todays world of rapidly changing environments. Lockwood points out that the paper offers a rare opportunity to use sexual dimorphism as a lens to examine extinction and extirpation at the level of entire populations and species.

There are implications for conservation and restoration, she said. When species do put a lot of time and energy into reproduction, and the environment changes, they can become more vulnerable to extinction.
Students build awareness of local refugee community

Swapping stories: Students in William & Mary music Professor Anne Rasmussen's freshman seminar class American Soundscapes: Music, Migration and Resettlement as part of the Sharpe Community Scholars program last fall hosted local refugees for a tour of campus. Photo courtesy of Anne Rasmussen Photo - of - Hide Caption

Trying to make students more aware of refugees in the local community, Anne Rasmussen continues to find ways to connect the two.

Rasmussen, professor of music and director of the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble at William & Mary, started a couple of years ago with an idea. Her latest effort will be the ensembles benefit concert for local refugee resettlement efforts on April 21 at the Kimball Theatre.

The event Refugees Welcome: Music for a Better World will feature the ensemble performing with guest artist Imad Al Taha, a violinist and refugee from Iraq, whom Rasmussen met years ago while conducting research in Dubai. Danis Sugiyanto, a Fulbright artist and teacher from Indonesia in residence this semester at W&M and the University of Richmond, performing with Richmond-based musicians of Raga Kusuma and Rumput will be the opener.

Rasmussen had always admired colleagues who worked with at-risk populations and organized various sessions involving her activist colleagues during her time as president of the Society for Ethnomusicology. In addition to her research abroad, she made it a goal during her 2016-17 sabbatical year to reach out to local refugee resettlement offices.

As an ethnomusicologist, I try to bring attention to communities that might be foreign to our students and faculty, Rasmussen said. And particularly, since I work in the Islamicate world among Muslim populations and also in the Arab world and in diasporic communities in the U.S., I have something to offer students in both academic and music performance classes. Although there are always positive stories, this is part of the world thats sensationalized, and people are naturally curious about it.

She forged a connection with Suheir Diyab, supervisor of the Commonwealth Catholic Charities Hampton Roads Refugee Resettlement office and herself a refugee from Iraq. Since then, Rasmussen has arranged for members of the ensemble to play at the organizations holiday parties in 2016 and 2017 and for a tour of the W&M campus where young refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Kenya and the Congo were paired with students, as well as for the upcoming benefit concert.

Last fall, students in Rasmussens freshman seminar class American Soundscapes: Music, Migration and Resettlement, taught as part of the Sharpe Community Scholars program, listened to Diyab speak in class and later in the semester hosted a campus visit for refugee youth. To share some of their favorite music, W&M students created a Spotify playlist of their favorite and most representative songs.

It was a lot of fun, said Mary Hanrahan 21, who participated. The guy I was paired up with, Im still in contact with him. We have each others Snapchat and stuff like that. And it was just a lot of fun walking around.

Students and visitors listened to one anothers music on their cell phones and exchanged contact information to stay in touch. The visitors particularly enjoyed listening to the ensemble perform Middle Eastern music that day, during lunch at the Reves Center, Hanrahan said.

She has experience with immigrants because in the summers she works as a cherry picker in northern Wisconsin, and most of her coworkers are originally from Mexico, she said. Her family in Richmond also hosted Nepalese neighbors for dinner frequently enough for her to become familiar with their stories.

The day of the Sharpe Scholars tour, she decided on the topic for the classs final project of a podcast focusing on a case study.

Mine was specifically on immigrants and their music and how the music changes  how tastes change when they come to America, Hanrahan said.

Ari Weinberg, a graduate student in American studies and member of the ensemble, played in the ensembles 2017 holiday concert for refugees and will play and sing, as well as perform a vocal solo, in the upcoming concert. She is working on publicity for the show as part of her interest in connecting the campus community to the local community, including refugees who may need support.

We want people to feel welcome here, Weinberg said.

Getting across a sense of global citizenship for undergraduates is one goal, while the other is making students aware that while they are learning about international topics there are people all around them who have experienced those things, she added.

By interacting in these ways, were challenging ourselves to work against the kinds of biases that we have been brought up with or whats said to us in the news or online, Weinberg said.

Music and other aspects of culture like food are ways that difference can be celebrated and acknowledged, with people less afraid of asking questions and getting to know each other, she said.

Coming to our concert and just hearing the music and meeting refugees and people from the refugee resettlement center is just, beyond the money were raising, is so important, Weinberg said. Theres a lot of violence in the world and tensions and fear. And what better way to challenge yourself to move beyond what were being told all the time and figure out for yourself that these are real human beings youre talking to who have gone through stuff to get here.

Diyab said Rasmussens efforts have helped build local awareness about her organization.

People wanted to volunteer, donate and see how they could help, Diyab said. And they all heard about us from working with Anne and her group.  Refugees need help and guidance to acclimate to totally different systems here; Anne is so helpful and supportive, connecting people with people.




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Reactor internals en route to demo Hualong One unit

11 April 2018

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The reactor internals for the demonstration Hualong One being constructed as unit 5 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province have been shipped from the manufacturing plant in Shanghai. The unit is scheduled to be completed next year.

The reactor internals for Fuqing 5 leave the factory (Image: CNNC)

The reactor internals were designed by China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute and manufactured by the Shanghai No.1 Machine Tool Plant. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced today that the components left the manufacturing plant yesterday for the construction site.

Reactor internals are the major structures within a reactor vessel that have one or more functions such as supporting the core, maintaining fuel alignment, directing primary coolant flow, providing radiation shields for the reactor vessel, and guiding in-core instrumentation.

CNNC noted that the reactor internals "are components in the nuclear island main equipment that are difficult to manufacture, require long processing cycles, and require high assembly precision".

The control rod drive mechanism for use at Fuqing 5 passed factory acceptance tests on 15 March. The ML-B type drive mechanism was independently developed by CNNC China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute and fully domestically manufactured by Shanghai No.1 Machine Tool Plant, CNNC said.

Fuqing 5's reactor pressure vessel was installed on 28 January. The vessel completed hydraulic pressure tests in April last year. Those tests confirmed the integrity of the vessel's welds and seals.

In November 2014, CNNC announced that the fifth and sixth units at Fuqing will use the domestically-developed Hualong One PWR design, marking its first deployment. The company had previously expected to use the ACP1000 design for those units, but plans were revised in line with a re-organisation of the Chinese nuclear industry. China's State Council gave final approval for construction of Fuqing units 5 and 6 in April 2015.

The pouring of first concrete for Fuqing 5 began in May that year, marking the official start of construction of the unit. Construction of unit 6 began in December the same year. The dome of unit 5 was installed on the containment building in May last year. Fuqing 5 and 6 are scheduled to be completed in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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One of our all time favorite guests will join us on the phone during our six hour rock and roll retro show on Saturday night. Ray Graffia of the New Colony Six will look back on the history of that Chicago group. It has been fifty years since the Six had the big hit 'I Will Always Think About You'. It has been over twenty years since the New Colony Six celebrated our Those Were The Days anniversary show with a concert here in Richland Center. My wife, June, was not feeling well that night. She had just found out that our family was going to expand. Our son, James, will be twenty in July! The current NC6 will be a part of the Cornerstones of Chicago Rock show at this years Summerfest on June 28th! The New Colony Six had a couple of well known national hits, however, several other songs were hits here in Wisconsin thanks to WLS radio. The group has always been a request favorite on Those Were The Days. I have talked with listeners that remember their Chicago heros playing at a high school or local community building here in Southwest Wisconsin. We will hear from Ray Graffia, the request line will be wide open, the trivia bell will be ringing, and I will be in the studio this Saturday night to weave everything together. What a show we have planned! Perhaps you can join the party. Just tune to 100.9 WRCO FM 100.9 between six and midnight for pop radio memories from the fifties through the eighties.

Philip James Nee
Plans for new Welsh medium school in Borras progress after getting Executive Board green light

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Apr 11th, 2018

Plans to establish a new Welsh-medium primary school in Wrexham have moved a step forward, despite strong opposition due to possible traffic problems.

Proposals for the new school were put forward by Wrexham Council in September 2017 in a bid to help meet the growing demand for Welsh-medium education in the area.

The primary school would have capacity for 210 pupils and would be based at the old Hafod Y Wern school in Caia Park, initially accommodating 15 places for nursery and 15 places for reception classes from September 2019.

The school would eventually relocate to its permanent site in Borras infant school  which will be vacant once the amalgamation of pupils into the junior school building is complete.

Two consultation periods took place between 26th September and 7th November and 18th December until 30th January 2018 to allow residents, councillors and interested parties to have their say on the proposals.

Such responses were presented to Executive Board members yesterday, who were also requested to approve plans to begin with the next step in the process, the publishing of statutory notices in the back pages of local newspapers regarding the creation of the new school.

Speaking at yesterdays meeting Lead Member for Education, Cllr Phil Wynn, said that he had been challenged over the decision to use Borras as the site for the new school.

He said: Due to recognised need from September 2019 to provide additional Welsh-medium nursery and reception places, officers have advised we can use the previous Hafod Y Wern infant site which is currently unused to provide a feeder school for eventual permanent site in Borras. This is a temporary arrangement.

I have been challenged on why Borras has been chosen as the location for new Welsh-medium and I would point out that within Band B of 21st Century Schools programme, our estimated cost of refurbishment of infant site is 2m, which is favourable to building a brand new school. I hope this meets with everyones approval of good use of public money.

This also allows us as an education department to use monies that we were looking to save by utilising as way to delivering the Welsh-medium school so we can actually provide schools elsewhere in county to be built or refurbished as part of Band B.

He added: With the new school in Borras I believe the children of Borras and Acton community wards will be well served for many years to come. This will in time free places in Ysgol Plas Coch for other parents to gain access to bilingual education.

Seconding the report, Cllr Hugh Jones added: What is very clear is that we are responding to the demands and the needs for the parents of Wrexham for increased provision through education via the medium of Welsh language. It is important that we do that.

There are a number of planning concerns and the Lead Member has indicated those will have to be dealt with and appropriately by the planning committee. It is not for us as executive board members or other members to pre judge decisions of the committee.

One of the key concerns cited in the consultation process was an increase in traffic and parking issues on the streets surrounding the school, GP surgery and at the shopping precinct on Borras Park Road.

Addressing such issues, Cllr Wynn said todays report had been delayed in coming to the board to allow education officers to examine potential ways to ease congestion in the area.

He said: Undoubtedly an additional primary school in Borras would exacerbate the situation.

For this reason we have delayed the report for executive approval until now to provide additional time to provide education officers with additional time demonstrate to me how the existing provision for school staff and users of the GP surgery can be reconfigured and extended to allow parents to park onsite and at the same time provide a drop-off zone for parents whose children are old enough to make their own way from the drop-off zone unaccompanied by an adult.

Officer proposals for dealing with this contentious issue are outlined on page 19 of the report. Whilst acknowledging these proposals will not completely remove the parking issues currently face, I am confident a new Welsh-medium school will not compound the problem due to the additional on site parking we are seeking to deliver.

It was also noted that officers will seek to stagger the opening and closing times of both schools.

However these comment were challenged by Cllr Mike Davies who referenced the elephant in the room which is the Groves site and questioned what the council will do to ensure traffic in the area doesnt worsen with a second school.

He said: One of the proposals says we will have 20mph speed limit outside school and it had been monitored for five days in November. Incidentally it was mild week and had more walking probably.

The average speed limit was 17mph, which is below safe limit. If read further down 18.7 per cent were speeding. It doesnt sound a lot but it is 1022 cars a day speeding past the site. Is that a safe place to expand a school?

There are claims here of solving the parking problems. The site is congested already and I cant see how you can extend the school, provide extra parking for staff and provide enough off road parking to alleviate problems of traffic.

Introducing an extra 200 pupils to site, most wont be local. Thats an extra 200 cars a day possibly.

The suggestions staggering start times by 15 minutes is good idea, but it extends congestion for residents for 15 minutes. There are shops down road, you cant park there during school pick up times. That gives shopkeepers an extra 15 minutes without customers.

Cllr Davies continued: The main concern I have is that I do not think it will solve traffic problems. The congestion is very serious there and there was near miss recently.

I honestly dont think appropriate site for schools. My guess is this is a done deal anyway but I think we should be looking at it again. Do we honestly think we are going to solve the problem?

Cllr Davies also pointed out that Borras Park School falls into the Rhosnesni ward, which along with the nearby high school results in close to double the amount of school places than any other ward in the county.

Cllr Wynn said: Can I draw your attention to when Bro Alun was built. It been well received and unless you live within one mile radius you struggle to get a place.

There is an expectation that as time moves on, there will be increased demand for places and belief it will be drawn from Borras and Acton community.

With concerns about one street parking pressures, the planning process will deal with that issue.

Cllr Paul Rogers, who spoke on behalf of Cllr Debbie Wallice, raised similar resident concerns about the state of local infrastructure around the Borras Park site used to drop off pupils.

He added: Can the lead member give any assurances that the 21st Century Schools will address any of these concerns raised by local residents?

As myself as local member with a school in Band B of 21st Century Schools, can officers give any assurances that there will be meaningful consultation with all elected members with projects in Band B and there will be meaningful consultation with local communities with regards to design process so that issues such as this are taken into consideration?

Cllr Wynn offered his assurances that going forward that he would be working closely with local members and communities.

He added that issues and changes with infrastructure in the area will be looked at further during the planning process.

Cllr Dana Davies queried what evidence there was to suggest Borras was the correct location for a new Welsh-medium school, noting that the Deposit Local Development Plan has allocated a large section of land at Bryn Estyn for housing.

She said: What information do we have from a demand management point of view that there is more demand in Borras for Welsh-medium rather than Caia Park?

We have two unused education sites. The question is why is the preference Borras and not investing in Hafod Y Wern. Im linking in with strategic point of view with the LDP and the development around Bryn Estyn.

The meeting was told that the Borras site was found to be ideal demographically in releasing pressure on Ysgol Plas Coch and by default Ysgol Bro Alun. It was also noted that Ysgol Bodyhfryd is historically accessed by those living in the Caia Park area for Welsh-medium education.

Cllr Wynn added: We as an authority are committed to geographically spreading the provision of Welsh-medium education as best we can through the county so parents have a choice which is relatively near in distance.

I think this is a creative use of what will be a disused Borras infants site when work has been completed on amalgamating the infants and junior English-medium provision on the junior site in Borras.

In a rare turn of events in Lead Member voting, Cllr Bill Baldwin announced he would be voting against the recommendations amid serious concerns over parking, access and drop off points at the school.

Seven members of the board voted in favour of the reports recommendations, with Cllr Baldwin voting against. Cllr Terry Evans and Cllr David A Bithell were not present for the meeting.

A further report seeking permission proceed with developing the new Welsh-medium school in Borras will be presented to the executive board in July. A planning application is also expected to be presented and debated at a later date.
Three incidents yesterday  further water board distraction burglary warning

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Apr 11th, 2018

Police are urging elderly residents in the Wrexham area to be on their guard following a spate of distraction burglaries this week.

Thieves posing as water board officials or handymen stole cash from two homes, but failed to steal anything in a suspected attempted burglary.

Last night we reported on distraction burglaries by men pretending to be from the water board, including a similar sounding incident over the weekend.

Today police have said that around 1pm on Tuesday April 10th (yesterday), a man with an Irish accent and wearing a hi-viz jacket attended an address in Ceidiog Road Wrexham offering to clean the gutters.

He asked to see the back of the house and while the elderly occupier escorted him, two other men, wearing black clothes entered the property. The victim noticed them walking down the stairs and challenged them. They said they were checking the gutters from upstairs.

They left when told that the police would be informed. The victim later found that an untidy search had been made upstairs and cash stolen.

Sometime after 2pm a man described as in his 40s and politely spoken, tricked his way into a house in Westminster Road Brynteg, claiming to be from the water board and that he needed to run the taps.

The elderly resident let him in, but did not let the man out of sight and also checked with the water company to see if they had sent anyone. When they confirmed that they had not sent anyone to the address the suspect left.

In a third incident at around 6pm, men impersonating water board officials called at a house in Chapel Street Rhosymedre. They asked the elderly resident outside to look at pipes. One of the thieves then entered the house and stole cash from a sideboard.

DI Mark Hughes said; Although no violence was used, the victims have been left frightened and distraught.

Distraction burglary, targeting the elderly and vulnerable, is a particularly mean crime which the whole community rightly finds upsetting.

I would like to remind residents that under no circumstances should they allow anyone into their homes unless they are 100% sure that they are legitimate.

Council and authentic utility staff will carry identification, which should contain a phone number for verification. Dont be fooled by hi-viz jackets and work clothes.

Any genuine contractor will not mind waiting outside while you seek verification.

I would also ask relatives and neighbours to look out for elderly and vulnerable people, to reinforce security advice and to encourage them to report any suspicious behaviour.

Dee Valley Water has also issued a reminder to its customers to always check the identity of callers claiming to be from the water company.

Alexandra Ganley  Customer Support Manager from Dee Valley Water said: We cant stress how important it is for customers to check the identity of the person knocking on the door. It doesnt matter how convincing they look, if they work for us theyll be carrying an identity card and you can check that they work for us by ringing 01978 833200 to confirm they are who they say they are.

Wed never try to get access to your home to fix pipes or to fit meters without making an appointment first and, even then, if you have any doubts, just call us to double check.

Our colleagues fully expect customers to check their identity, either with a card or a call, and theyll wait while you carry out the necessary checks.

We also offer a doorstep password scheme where you can apply for a password in advance to make sure that the callers definitely from Dee Valley Water when they come to your home.

Anyone interested in the doorstep password scheme can sign up by calling 01978 833200.

If youre in any doubt, just ring and check, said Alexandra

With these reports Wales & West Utilities are also reminding local people that their team will always carry identification.

Phil Collins, Wales & West Utilities Customer Service Manager said: Whether theyre responding to gas emergencies, connecting homes to the gas network or working on our gas pipe upgrade programme, all members of our team including contractors will be carrying an identification card and will be happy to show it if you ask. If you want to confirm one of our colleagues identity call us on 0800 316 0478 and if youre in any doubt if a caller is genuine, do not let them in.

Bogus callers usually target the more vulnerable in our communities, so wed really appreciate if people could share this information with family and neighbours.

Wales and West say you can confirm one their our colleagues identity by calling 0800 316 0478 who can confirm identity  they add If the person becomes pushy, or aggressive, call the Police immediately on 999, and if youre in any doubt if a caller is genuine, do not let them in.

Advice from police on How to beat the bogus caller:

 LOCK: Keep your front and back doors locked, even when at home.

 STOP: Before you answer, stop and think if you are expecting anyone. Look through the spyhole or window to see who it is.

 CHAIN: If you decide to open the door, put the door chain or bar on first. Keep the bar or chain on while you are talking to the person on the doorstep.

 CHECK: Check their details before you let them into your house.

If there is any doubt about the caller, call the police

If you have information about these crimes call 101. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or contact the control room direct via the web live chat.
Ty Pawb saw 10,000 visitors on opening day  more than Chesters Storyhouse or Bangors Pontio

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Apr 11th, 2018

It has been estimated 10,000 people came through the doors of Ty Pawb on Bank Holiday Monday for the official opening of the centre.

The information was revealed at yesterdays Town Centre Forum, which gave a quick run down of where things are a week into Ty Pawbs life.

Dave Cupit presented a quick run down of some figures, including the estimated headline figure, which he added most would not contest as it was shoulder to shoulder most of the day.

Further detail was given of the events that have taken place, with around 350 people enjoying an event headlined by Gwenno on Saturday evening, and week one being described as extremely successful.

It was added that market traders had commented on how busy they had been, with some stating it had been the best week of business for them in any market they had ever been in.

Local MP Ian Lucas queried about the official website that is still not fully live ( TyPawb.Wales  although with a separate battle one Wrexham.comer has been having with Nominet they can soon register TyPawb.wales!) and therefore cant be used to find out what is going on and when. With various fingers crossed and wood touched, the meeting was told the site is hoped to be live later this week and will have details on traders as well as events.

A new Events Officer is due to take up a role in the coming weeks and will be working closely with those in residence and will look to engage the people of Wrexham to what is going on inside Ty Pawb.

Focus Wales have their event 10th-12th of May and will be using Ty Pawb as their principle base of operations, and have all the event space booked out.

Vist Wales have ventured north and are looking to use Ty Pawb to put on an event surrounding locally sourced food, and the meeting was told that could take over the whole centre.

It is Record Store Day on the 21st of this month, and with an in house record store Ty Pawb will be looking to put on an event to celebrate vinyl.

Further events figures were given, including 120 children attending various workshops, and fifteen people joining the volunteer crew all taken on after attending initial events. Students from Germany are also working at Ty Pawb as part of an english language improvement scheme, and visitors are encouraged to go and have a chat with them.

Cllr Dana Davies queried the poor mobile reception and virtually non existent internet connection and asked if extra money would need to be spent. Currently you can connect to the Ty Pawb wifi network however unless you are using Twitter the system does not allow any other traffic through.

Cllr Davies was told there had been a technical issue with the connection, and not a budget problem, and it is hoped it will be sorted very soon. A Council Officer added that a similar issue was delaying the activation of wifi in the towns other two indoor markets.

The poor to non existent mobile phone reception in parts of Ty Pawb was recognised as the reality of life at the bottom of a largely concrete and metal building, however once the internet connection is sorted out it is hoped boosters can be brought in.

Wrexham.com did have a fiddle after the meeting, and on several devices tested a change of DNS servers to Googles 8.8.8.8 and Cloudfares 1.1.1.1 meant that the Ty Pawb wifi login page showed for the first time, and a login was possible via the third party service. We would not suggest attempting this unless you know what you are doing.

As for the headline  we had a look back at Bangors Pontio and Chesters Storyhouse openings, although both different offerings from themselves and to Ty Pawb we thought it worth a friendly comparison.

The 43m Pontio centre proudly spoke of 1,000 people enjoying their opening day, and the 37m Storyhouse saw just 3,500 over their opening day taking a full weekend to hit the 10k mark!

You can watch a quick video from Wrexhams Bank Holiday Monday event and opening below
Wrexham swimmers help complete Cardiff to Adelaide distance challenge!

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Apr 11th, 2018

Swimmers from leisure centres across Wrexham have helped smash a target of swimming nearly 20,000 miles in times for the Commonwealth Games  the equivalent of swimming between Cardiff and Adelaide!

Last month seventeen Welsh leisure centres operated by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Wrexham County Borough Council and Powys District Council committed themselves to a challenge to swim the 10,245 mile distance between Cardiff and Adelaide in a show of support for Team Wales.

It was hoped that by recording and totalling all the lengths swum by customers and staff that they would make it in time for the launch of the Commonwealth Games.

With the challenge starting on We Are Red day, swimmers had 11 days to make the total and wanted to do by midnight on the 3 April  as to metaphorically be in Adelaide to support Team Wales in time for the opening of the 2018 Common Wealth Games.

During the duration of the challenge centres recorded total number of lengths swum by over 3500 children during their swim lessons, as well as laps covered by local swimming clubs, individual swimmers and staff.

However not only did the swimmers help reach the target, they also far surpassed it back racking up a 19,255 miles  enough to swim there and almost back again.

Hywell Evans, Freedom Leisure aquatics development, said they have been blown away by everyones dedication to help us succeed.

When we first came up with the idea we were not sure if we would make it but we ended up swimming nearly double  which we have all joked has almost got us home again, continued Hywell.

It really has been a fantastic team effort by our staff and customers across Wales, and it has been humbling to watch.

We have had children swimming just one length to add to our total, club swimmers pushing hard in sessions for extra lengths, customers coming in several times over to help, and staff swimming after their shifts, all to get behind the Welsh Team.

I think it was all made worth it seeing Jazz Carlin carrying the Welsh flag in the opening ceremony.

Jeremy Rowe, Freedom Leisure head of operations Wales, said: This wonderful challenge was great on so many levels; it celebrated Freedom Leisures longstanding partnerships in Wales by allowing us to show our support for Team Wales, while also providing a fun yet challenging way for our 750 plus staff and 2 million plus annual visitors to get behind them too.

However, we also hoped that it would help to get locals engaged in swimming and support our two local authority partners in Wales with their commitment to supporting local active communities.

In addition our close partnerships with both Sport Wales and Swim Wales will mean that we and continually strive to increase participation in sport across and swimming in Wales.

Cllr Andrew Atkinson, lead member with responsibility for leisure on Wrexham Council, added: Well done to all those who took part in this fantastic challenge organised by Freedom Leisure.

It was a superb way to encourage greater participation in swimming and get behind Team Wales at the same time.
Two weeks have passed since the Ecuadorian government cut off WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange from any communication with the outside world, placing a block on his access to the Internet, phone communications and visitors.

Assange has been confined to Ecuadors embassy in London for the last six years, where he had been granted political asylum as he has fought to avoid being extradited to Sweden for questioning on trumped-up sexual assault allegations. The United States has long sought to detain and prosecute Assange for publishing emails and diplomatic logs exposing American war crimes in the Middle East and the corruption of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Any accusations against Assange have long been dropped by Sweden, and the UN has declared his confinement to the embassy to be illegal. However, the British government continues to insist that they will arrest him if he leaves the building for any reason, including health problems, and presumably deliver him immediately into the clutches of the American government.

CIA director Mike Pompeo, soon to be President Trumps Secretary of State, has declared WikiLeaks to be a hostile non-state actor. Then businessman Trump called for the death penalty for Assange and others involved with WikiLeaks in 2010.

According the government of Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, Assange has been cut off from Internet access for interfering in the politics of another country by tweeting about the arrest of the former Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont in Germany.

In days leading up to his silencing, Assange released statements questioning the official narrative spun by the UK government around the alleged poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal by Russia. He had also tweeted links to the WSWS series exposing the unprecedented number of former CIA agents running as Democrats in the US midterm elections.

It is no coincidence that Assange has been shut off from any form of communication with the outside world as the US and its allies prepare for an escalation of the war in Syria and for direct confrontations with nuclear-armed Russia. The censorship of oppositional voices that are critical of the official narrative is seen as necessary to selling new wars to the public.

The outrageous assault on Assange has been met with an approving silence by the New York Times, Washington Post, and the other major bourgeois publications, which have had no further reports, comments or editorials since their initial news reports on March 28.

The pro-war human rights imperialists employed as columnists by these papers would be banging the drums of war if a dissident journalist or publisher had been cut off from the Internet by Russian President Vladimir Putin. There wouldnt be enough barrels of ink to fill the columns demanding a war to defend journalistic freedom.

Moreover, there has, predictably, been no defense of Assanges democratic rights from the pseudo-left, including the International Socialist Organization, which publishes Socialist Worker; Jacobin, which has close ties to the Democratic Socialist of America; and Socialist Alternative. On the reactionary basis of identity politics, these adjuncts of the Democratic Party and American imperialism threw Assange to the wolves as soon as sexual assault accusations surfaced.

Also noticeable is the lack of any protests from organizations that have previously opposed the persecution of Assange and attacks on WikiLeaks. As of this writing, there have been no official statements posted on the websites of Amnesty International, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation or the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Documentary filmmaker and journalist John Pilger and Assanges mother, Christine Assange, spoke about the political motivations behind his silencing in an interview on the Flashpoints program broadcast on Pacifica Radio stations on Thursday.

There is a particular cruelty being imposed on Julian Assange because he is the embodiment of dissent which is missing across the political spectrum in Western countries, Pilger explained. He has become the enemy to governments in the West.

Taking away his right to communicate is an attack on freedom of speech. It is an attack on our rights as well as his. I have never met anyone as defiantly courageous as Julian. Not at all courageous are the so-called opposition, who are silent.

Christine Assange drew the connection between Assanges silencing and his criticism of the British governments anti-Russia campaign whipped up around the Skripal affair, which has quickly been exposed as a pack of lies.

John Pilger mentioned that we are at a rather critical stage with Russia, because of the apparent propaganda around this poisoning in the UK. It has been found not to be conclusively related to Russia.

I would say that we are also at a critical stage regarding Julians safety and freedom. The two situations are related. For example, the day before Julians communications with the outside world were cut off, one of the members in the UK parliament asked, Isnt it about time we took some action against the Ecuadorian embassy? He wasnt happy about Julian tweeting about the government response to the attack in Salisbury.

I like the Orwell quote, that if there is any hope, it lies in the proles, Christine Assange noted later in the interview. Throughout history, it generally has not been the leaders who have ensured our rights. It has been the people who have stood up and demanded that their leaders act in their interests. We are at a pivotal point in history where, as John [Pilger] said, we are facing a possible global war and at the same time a war on journalism.

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Why has Ecuador silenced Julian Assange?

[31 March 2018]
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Parents and families of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) held a large protest outside Labour-controlled Bradford council last week to oppose cuts in staffing for children who receive support in mainstream schools.

The council rejected the concerns of families and unanimously voted through the cuts.

The changes will see the support services for SEND children restructured into one service for all children and young people up to the age of 25. Between 25-30 members of staff will be lost across the borough, with the aim of saving an estimated 770,000 a year. As well as making cuts to services, the council is asking schools to contribute 30 percent of funds from school budgets to run the services.

Similar cuts are being implemented across the country in response to the Conservative governments new fairer funding policy, which comes into effect this month. Although under this new formula Bradford should be receiving an additional 15 million to meet current levels of pupil-need, the government is only making half that available (7.5 million). The council also said that it has had its overall budget cut by 50 percent over the past five years.

The fairer funding initiative is a ruse. It is aimed at reshuffling investments to give the appearance of increased funding, but schools will continue to suffer unacceptable levels of reduction in funding and resources. The ever-worsening situation had been opposed by campaign groups and teachers, who demand equal allocation of funding among schools as well as increased funding. In response to criticism, in July the government promised an additional 1.3 billion in a package of fairer funding.

With the extra money, total budgets are to increase to 2.6 billion for schools in England over the next two years. However, the truth is that no extra spending at all is being allocated by the Department of Education (DoE), as the 1.3 billion is coming from efficiency savings from its existing budget.

Some 420 million of the savings will be cut from the DoEs capital budget. Further savings of 250 million will be made in 2018-19 and 350 million in 2019-20 from the departments resource budget. This will be offset as 200 million is being taken away from its central school improvement programme.

According to the Association of School and College Leaders, schools require a further 2 billion a year between now and 2020 if they are to be able to deal with previous budget cuts. Since 2015 alone, schools have suffered a real-terms cut in funding of 2.7 billion.

Many inner-city areas of the UK will lose out in the new funding formula because funding is largely being redistributed from schools in one area to top up another.

Special education provision, which is a statutory requirement, has become a major target. Many councils have already imposed a reduction of transport services to take children to school and back. Many of these children spend at least 2-3 hours a day travelling.

Hackney Council in London announced they would slash funding for children with special needs last year in response to the fairer funding campaign, which saw large protests and demonstrations by families.

The Labour-run council halved its SEND inclusion team last year, slashing the number of specialist teachers helping support special needs children in mainstream settings. It proposed further cuts in its 2018/19 budgetincluding two successive 5 percent cuts in funding for all special needs children. It also proposed changes to how children are assessed for special needs.

The council had to put these measures on hold due to opposition, but its solution will be to make savings from elsewhere.

A 2016 survey of 1,100 school leaders found that 90 percent of primary schools and 80 percent of secondary schools saw funding for SEND provision affected by cuts to the local council.

Conservative-run Surrey County Council is reportedly Englands second most financially at-risk council, just after another Tory local authority, Northamptonshire, which recently became the first local authority in nearly 20 years to effectively declare bankruptcy.

In Surrey, parents of children with special needs have crowd-funded a judicial review of council attempts to slash more than 10 million from SEND fundingincluding cuts to special schools, home-to-school transport, post-16 provision and early years services. Campaigners argue that the council has failed in its duties under equality and human rights legislation.

A Surrey council spokesman said, The money we get from the government has failed to keep pace with the steep rise in numbers of children needing support for special educational needstheres now a 15 million gap between whats needed for them and whats given. Funding has risen but demand and cost pressures are outstripping the increasemany councils across the country are facing a similar situation.

Anne Heavey, education policy adviser for the National Education Union, said, We have never seen a situation when we can look at a childs need and deliver the support they need in a timely and efficient fashion for them to thrive. For too long, children with SEND have been less likely to succeed in exams, to access good quality college or university places, and to access the workplace. They are at high risk of exclusion, high risk of loneliness and mental health problems.

These cuts are being imposed under conditions where there is a large increase in the number of children who need additional support in schools. The governments own figures show that over 4,000 children with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or a Statement have no educational provision and are therefore not in school at all. This figure has increased more than fivefold over the last five years.

 There is widespread recognition of a significant increase in the number of EHCPs. For example, West Sussex reports a 42 percent increase since 2014.

 There has been an increase in the number of children identified with complex special educational needs.

 The age range for which EHCPs must be provided by local authorities has been extended and must now include 0-to-5-year-olds and 19-to-25-year-olds. This has happened at the same time as the government has cut local authority funding.

 The cost of independent provision for children with SEND has been increasing. For example, West Sussex local authority estimates an additional cost of 2.7 million for 2018/19. Other local authorities such as Hackney have highlighted the escalating costs of independent provision.

Tory and Labour representatives in central and local government refuse to fund even the most basic requirements of some of the most vulnerable people in society, while the trade union bureaucracy hasnt lifted a finger to mobilise opposition.
France is playing the leading European role alongside the United States in preparing for military action against Syria that threatens a direct confrontation with Russia.

US President Donald Trump has held two conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron, the latest on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, France issued a statement pledging to retaliate against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if it is proved that his government and armed forces were responsible for the supposed chlorine gas or nerve gas attack in Eastern Ghouta.

Referring to Macrons earlier declaration regarding the use of chemical weapons, spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux told Europe 1 radio, If the red line has been crossed, there will be a response, before adding that intelligence in theory confirms the use of chemical weapons.

A French statement explained that both countries had exchanged analyses confirming the use of chemical weapons.

So politically vital is the relationship being forged between the US and France that CNN ran an April 9 op-ed by former New York Times columnist David A. Andelman titled, With France in, Trump has no excuse not to act on Syria.

Andelman voiced his ire over events in August 2013, when President Barack Obama and his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, pledged united military action over false claims that Assad had used sarin gas, but Obama pulled back from the abyss, with French bombers poised on their runways.

Today, Andelman wrote, with Macron scheduled to pay a state visit to the White House in two weeks, there is every reason for Trump to steel himself and go into battle with a staunch friend and ally, Macrons France, at his side

Britains ruling elite, whose foreign policy depends on preserving the vaunted special relationship by being first off the blocks in any US-led war, is apoplectic at this latest turn of events. The media overflows with militarist rhetoric mixed with expressions of concern at being overshadowed by France.

Rupert Murdochs Times quoted senior figures warning Prime Minister Theresa May of the UK losing influence in Washington to France if it turned down a request by President Trump to join a retaliatory strike. The article added, President Macron of France was said by Whitehall sources to be egging on Mr Trump.

Downing Street had been left embarrassed as Mrs. May was still waiting to speak to Mr. Trump last night, the Times continued, leaving Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson speaking alternately to his US and French counterparts yesterday as he sought to keep Britain within any joint action.

The Daily Telegraph, the house organ of the Tory Party, was equally warlike and concerned at the UK losing influence with the US to France. It too noted how the UKs standing with Washington was undermined when, on August 30, 2013, Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, faced with widespread anti-war sentiment and divisions in the military, called a parliamentary vote on a planned strike on Syria and lost. This played a significant role in Obama backing down over Syria the next day.

The Telegraph wrote, The fact that Mr. Trump called French President Emmanuel Macron prior to calling Mrs. May should be seen as an indication of Washingtons enduring wariness about Britains ability to support military interventions.

Thanks to Cameron, the parliamentary precedent has now been set whereby any overseas intervention by the British military requires Commons approval, it complained. Unlike Mrs. May, it continued, the French president has no constraints on his authority when it comes to launching military action, and if Washington is looking for a prompt response against the Assad regime, he might find the French are in a better position to act than the British.

Britains loss of position is only acting as a spur to its offering the use of a Royal Navy attack submarine armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles or possibly Royal Air Force fast jets capable of firing Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

Speculation is rife over whether May will now act without parliamentary approval and reverse the precedent set by Cameron, or, in what is considered a less likely move, recall MPs from their Easter break.

The Tory right is adamant that May should proceed without parliamentary approval. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, told May to stick with your allies We can be legalistic or we can be realistic.

A senior military source took the same line, telling the Times, You have to examine options [It is] a prime ministers decision at the end of the day.

The most politically vicious response came from Tory MP John (Johnny) Mercer, a captain and career soldier until 2013. Writing in the Telegraph April 8, Mercer denounced a parliamentary vote and the possibility of Labour MPs led by Jeremy Corbyn opposing actions as symptoms of broad-based anti-war sentiment that must be fought.

The nations politics have become nauseatingly pious since Iraq, he wrote. A parliamentary vote was a uniquely useless way of conducting foreign policy, and in almost one action emasculates us on the world stage It is a cop-out to go to Parliament on issues of national security

He continued: It is now time get out there and tell the British people what modern warfare is about, including targeting every individual inside Syria involved in the chemical weapons decision-making cycle, levelling military bases and recognising that Assad should have been dead long ago.

We dont shy away from targeting individuals with drones in their beds because the political risk is too high, he insisted.

Writing again in the Sun, Mercer focused his ire on my largely Labour Party fellow parliamentarians [who] voted against taking military action against President Assad in 2013 You can draw a clear correlation between our vote in Parliament in 2013, Obamas unenforced red line in 2013 and an emboldened Putin and Assad.

The Sun s own warmongering centred on a denunciation of Corbyn for his past leadership of the Stop the War Coalition, which was more concerning than his dalliances with IRA sympathisers and Soviet spies.

Stephen Bush suggested in the pro-Labour New Statesman that no one need be too concerned at a parliamentary vote because, even though Corbyn is urging a political solution, There is a significant group of Labour MPs who bitterly regret not voting with the government in 2013 and that buffer of 30 to 50 MPs means that if May wants some kind of military response to this attack, she has the votes for it.

Bush is correct in his appraisal of the parliamentary arithmetic, thanks to Corbyns refusal to oppose the naked warmongers in his own party. With Tony Blair himself stating that no Commons vote is needed on war, the Blairites position was epitomised by Simon Tisdall in the Guardian, who insisted, Its time for Britain and its allies to take concerted, sustained military action, ending the situation where hands are thrown up in horror at the prospect of another open-ended, armed Western intervention in the Middle East.

But this is not simply about a parliamentary vote. The British ruling class is both vitriolic in its attacks on Corbyn and bitterly opposed to any repeat of a democratic vote on its war plans, no matter how meekly Corbyn frames his protests, because this might provide an impulse to the widespread anti-war sentiment among workers and youth.

May appears to have heeded the advice, convening a meeting of the National Security Council yesterday to discuss the UK response and speaking directly to Macron and Trump.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg used his appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees to outline a plan for mass censorship on the worlds largest social media platform.

Zuckerberg explained how every single statement made by the companys 2.2 billion users is analyzed and vetted by artificial intelligence systems, then reviewed by an army of some 20,000 censors. If the company finds a statement to be sensational or divisive, the user will be flagged as a bad actor, and either have their posts blocked, be reported to the government, or both.

Since the 2016 election, Zuckerberg said, the company had undergone a transformation. We are going through a broader philosophical shift in how we approach our responsibility as a company, Zuckerberg said.

It is not enough to build tools and let users do what they want with them, Zuckerberg said. We need to make sure they are used for good by policing the Facebook ecosystem.

The ability to police all the content on Facebook was impossible until the rise of artificial intelligence, Zuckerberg said. From the beginning of the company in 2004, we didnt have AI technology that could look at content people were sharing. But the rapid development of artificial intelligence now allows Facebook to screen and understand every single post and message on its platform.

By the end of this year well have more than 20,000 people working on security and content review, Zuckerberg said. So when content gets flagged to us we have those people look at it.

He bragged that Facebooks artificial intelligence tools now succeed in flagging 99 percent of terrorist propaganda before users ever see it. By rolling out AI tools, Facebook can proactively police and enforce all content, Zuckerberg said.

These AI tools will be used to identify accounts that spread fake news, and they have helped the company proactively remove tens of thousands of accounts before they could contribute significant harm.

To drive home the companys integration into the military/intelligence/police apparatus, Zuckerberg declared that Facebook is actively involved in an arms race with Russia.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy demanded that Zuckerberg do more to combat divisive Facebook accounts and pages, not just those operated by Russia. The Senator had a staffer hold up a sign with examples of such divisive pages, asking why they were allowed to continue operating.

Zuckerbergs appearance came after he announced on Friday that the company would require all large Facebook pages and all pages that run political and issue ads to verify their identities. He clarified what this would mean in his appearance Tuesday, saying he would require anyone operating large pages to have a valid government identity, and to verify their location by receiving a confirmation code by mail.

Asked by Republican Senator John Cornyn whether Facebook took responsibility for its users statements, Zuckerberg declared, were responsible for the content. He added that its artificial intelligence tools would be able to tell whether a post was you knowsomething bad.

The vast and sweeping dangers to democratic rights posed by Facebooks censorship measures were ignored by all of the Democratic Congressmen, who universally cheered the crackdown by the social media giant. The same went for nearly all the Republicans, with the exception of Senator Ted Cruz, who sought to burnish his credentials with the extreme right by criticizing Facebooks censorship of far-right political organizations.

Cruz accused Facebook and other technology giants of engaging in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship against the far right, in order to promote what he called left-wing political views. Cruz asked Zuckerberg whether he knew the political orientation of Facebooks content evaluators.

Zuckerberg replied with the standard line worked out between the Democrats, leading Republicans, and the intelligence agencies. There are a number of things that we would all agree are clearly bad. Foreign interference in our elections, terrorism thatis clearly bad activity that we want to get down.

In fact, the real target of the mass censorship regime implemented by the technology giants is left-wing political opposition, most importantly workers use of Facebook to organize strikes and protests. Over the past two months, numerous stories in major US newspapers warned that teachers throughout the country were using Facebook groups to organize strikes independently of the unions.

Cruzs claims that Facebook was spreading left-wing viewpoints constituted the entirety of the criticism within the hearing of Facebooks efforts to rip up the First Amendment and institute mass censorship.

Indeed, despite weeks of negative press stories and efforts to demonize Zuckerberg for being insufficiently deferential to claims about Russian meddling in the 2016 election, the hearing was notable for the remarkable unanimity within the ruling class for the creation of a mass censorship regime, as part of a transition to openly dictatorial forms of rule.

Amid a deepening political crisis at the highest levels of the state, mounting opposition within the working class, and the growing threat of world war, the ruling elite sees in censorship the only way to prop up its beleaguered domination over society.

The World Socialist Web Site is leading the struggle to oppose internet censorship through the building of a mass socialist movement of the working class. We call on all workers and youth seeking to oppose censorship to contact us and join the struggle for socialism.
As lawmakers return to the capital after a spring recess, Republicans are preparing to release a new five-year farm bill that would impose tougher requirements for eligibility for food stamps, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The farm bill is a nearly $1 trillion piece of legislation that includes provisions for crop insurance, conservation programs, and commodity price and income support programs for the agriculture industry. But the vast majority of its funding is allocated for food stamps. In the 2014 bill, SNAPs 10-year cost was $756 billion, or 80 percent of the entire $956 billion bill.

Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee are proposing to add further work requirements to SNAP. Under the current proposal, adults between the ages of 18 and 65, who are able-bodied and without children, would have to be working to be eligible for food stamps. Those without a job would be required to attend a minimum of 20 hours a week of new job-training classes, which would increase to 25 hours in 2026.

The program currently has work requirements for most people between the ages of 18 and 49, but governors in states with high unemployment are able to waive them. SNAPs current provisions include exemptions from work requirements for those who are elderly, disabled or have school-age children. The new bill would end the waiver allowances for high-unemployment states.

According to Politico, the draft of the farm bill also calls for severing ties between SNAP and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income households pay their energy bill. Most states use a provision in SNAP that increases a households food stamp benefits if they participate in LIHEAP.

The new bill would also eliminate a provision known as broad-based categorical eligibility that allows states to simplify the enrollment process for food stamps when someone is already on another welfare program.

Democrats in the House Agriculture Committee say the new proposal could result in the loss of benefit eligibility for 1 million people. Democrats in the committee have stated their full disapproval of the new proposal. However, their opposition, to the extent that it exists, is centered on arguments that people would not show up to job-training programs and that the bills implementation would create a larger bureaucracy.

The Trump administration is also proposing to cut funding for SNAP by $129 billion, or roughly 20 percent, over a decade by shifting food stamp benefits to a state-run box delivery system, called Americas Harvest Box. According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 16 million households would no longer receive full SNAP benefits on cards, but would get half in the form of cereal, beans, canned fruits and other food purchased by the government through wholesale channels instead of at supermarkets.

Approximately 43 million Americans currently receive food stamp benefits. To qualify for food stamps, a household must have a net income below 130 percent of the poverty line, or about $26,000 a year for a family of three. On average, a family of three receives $373 a month in assistance, but food stamps often dont cover a full months worth of food.

Critics of work requirements state that they mostly increase food insecurity and argue that food, health insurance and housing are all keys to helping people get and stay employed. One Ohio survey found that many SNAP recipients have unidentified injuries, such as chronic pain, that prevent them from working. Factors such as language barriers, education, and lack of transportation also prevent people from working.

Rep. Mike Conaway (Republican of Texas), chairman of the Agriculture Committee, has made clear that the work requirements are aimed at pushing people off SNAP. Were going to get you on that ladder to success that gets you off these programs and having you take care of your family the old-fashioned way, Conaway said in a speech in Texas last month. If you choose not to, if you say, Well, you know, that food stamp thing is just not worth it, dont want to work, great. Were Americans. Thats your choice.

A Feeding America report found that one out of every eight people, and one out of every six children, did not consistently have access to food in 2015. The new farm bill would only make it harder for poor people to purchase food and increase food insecurity in the United States.
Amid the growing strike movement in France, students are stepping up action against the reactionary policies of President Emmanuel Macron. A half century after the brutal police repression of student protests provoked the May-June 1968 general strike, during which over 10 million workers struck and occupied their factories, students are occupying university buildings, defying threats from university administrators, police and far-right thugs to protest the Macron administration.

The escalating strike action by workers against Macron has gone hand in hand with a movement of campus occupations by university students in Franceover half of whom are already in the workforce, holding down jobs to pay for tuition and living expenses while they study.

All over the country, students are occupying campuses and holding general assemblies and demonstrations. Yesterday over 2,500 students participated in the general assembly at the university in Rennes. Universities where buildings are being occupied or blockaded include Paul-Valery University in Montpellier, Jean-Jaures University in Toulouse, the Victoire site of University of Bordeaux-Montaigne, the Lumiere 2 campus of the University of Lyon, University of Lille-3, the universities of Rouen and Strasbourg, and the Saint Denis, Tolbiac, Clignancourt and Nanterre campuses of the University of Paris.

Yesterday, as Air France workers struck, grounding a quarter of flights, and rail workers prepared to go back on strike on Friday, thousands of students marched in a Day of Action to protest a new law issued by Macron imposing new selection rules limiting students access to university education. The new law, the Orientation et Reussite des Etudiants (ORE, Orientation and Success for Students), is set to come into effect in September.

In Paris over 1,000 participated in a demonstration at the Sorbonne University, which was heavily guarded by police. A WSWS reporting team intervened in the protests at the Sorbonne, distributing the perspective Fifty years after May-June 1968, the class struggle erupts in France and interviewing students. Students spoke out against the growing social inequality Macrons education policies will produce, as well as the growing danger of war.

Leo, who is studying history and English at the Sorbonne, told WSWS reporters that he is protesting because of the new law that passed.

Before university was basically for everybody if you got your baccalaureate, but now you have to have certain prerequisites, he explained. For example, if you want to study geography you have to travel, if you want to study English you have to do an internship in English. You have to do things not everyone can afford, so university is not for everyone now, but only for more privileged parts of the population.

Leo solidarised himself with the growing strikes against the privatisation of the French National Railways (SNCF). We also agree with the SNCF strike. Our protest is about student issues, but its also about what the government is now doing to the refugees. Sending policemen to just beat up students. And we dont want this government keep passing laws we dont agree with. And we want to say that we dont agree with it.

Asked what he hoped the movement would accomplish, Leo said: We are trying to put pressure and make everybody understand why we are here. Maybe if more of us come out, the government will step back from what it is doing. We are not sure about that, but at least we are trying.

When WSWS reporters pointed out, however, that Macron will not retreat and make concessions, because he is working closely with the European Union and diverting hundreds of billions of euros to the military to prepare for war, Leo said: This is true. And, for example, the SNCF reform is also taking place because the European Union wants liberalisation. The German government did it before. But France is based on public services, and they should be for everyone. We feel that they want to take away everything that was won in past struggles, and thats why we are here.

Leo pointed to the growing opposition among European youth to war: I am just against the army. Like for example in Mali and everywhere else, there are French troops there because they are former French colonies. And we just keep interfering in the affairs of countries that are not ours, and it is just disgusting and we should stop that.

Asked about Macrons announcement of plans to reintroduce the draft, Leo said: We talked about it during the [2017 presidential election] campaign, because Melenchon said something a bit similar, but we are just against it. I am against it and also my friends who are on my political side are also against it.

He added: We are not prepared and we dont want to die in wars again. In the Sorbonne, inside the building, you have a list of names of people who went to war and all these people died. There are tons of names everywhere. And you see this every day. So when I hear about the draft, this is just disgusting.

Similarly, a history student told the WSWS that she and her friends are worried about the comments of Macron and Jean-Luc Melenchon advocating a return to the draft: We do not feel like we are at war, but we are talking about the coming reform on universal military service. I find that unsettling, in fact, because it is as if a conflict were being prepared.

Several students stressed their concern at the way Macrons education agenda would increase social inequality, even as his economic policies aim to slash social spending and wages and reduce large swathes of the workforce to temp status.

Michel told the WSWS: I feel solidarity for the workers struggles and I feel I am involved. And I also feel solidarity for their working conditions. First of all, there is a campaign to denounce the rail workers and legitimize the reform. I find this pretty disgusting because that is just appealing to jealousy of various people in order to get a legislative measure through that is unfair. And, moreover, it is based on lies to say that the rail workers are privileged people; thats outside of reality.

Michel stressed that Macrons education policies would increase the gap between the super-rich and the broad mass of the working population: The impact of the reform, overall, will be to reinforce social inequality. Because as I see it, only certain parts of the population will be able to choose general, academic fields of study and temporarily leave the labour market. And on top of this, this week a commission of the National Assembly will begin examining a bill to increase tuition fees.

Emile also criticised how Macrons education law would increase social inequality: It really gives an advantage to families that can make very long-term plans several years in advance to know what course of study to follow, in which high school, and to join which university. And its been shown that it is the families of teachers, management and executives that have advantages in making such calculations.  That is not the right way to go, solving budget problems with a policy of social and academic selection. I dont think its good.

Asked if he supported the struggles of the working class against Macron, Emile said: Yes, were in complete solidarity, I hope even that for most students it is an inseparable part of their decision to mobilise.  State policy is always in the same mind-set of short-term profitability. That is not the right approach to take.
Lecturers and other further education staff are resisting the attempt by the University and College Union (UCU) to betray their strike against massive cuts to pensions planned by the Universities UK (UUK) employers.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), its Education FightBack initiative and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) call for a decisive rejection of the UUK/UCU deal in the ballot due to close at 2pm Friday.

The strike began after UUK proposed to end the defined benefits within the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), as a precursor to ending a national pension scheme altogether. Academics joining the USS now stand to lose more than 200,000 (US $283,074) in deferred wages from their retirement income. Many others would lose tens of thousands of pounds.

In opposition, 40,000 UCU members have taken 14 days of strike action since February 22in the largest ever strike in Higher Education (HE) in British history.

Following a rebellion by strikers on March 12-13, which defeated the UCUs first attempt to sell out the dispute, the union entered into a new round of negotiations with the employers. They concocted a rotten deal, which the union is trying to force through by an online ballot of lecturers.

The new deal offers nothing to employees. According to the document released, a joint panel will be set up to assess the disputed financial valuation of the pension scheme, whose findings USS trustees are under no obligation to accept!

The current pension scheme is to be maintained only until April 2019, when a new scheme will be decided that meets the affordability challenges for all parties. There is no commitment that staff will not lose out under these new arrangements.

The UCUs only concern is to demobilise a powerful offensive by higher education workers that threatens to break from its control. To this end, it is facilitating an assault by UUK on working conditions throughout HE. The wording of the proposal itself was not even the product of a formal negotiation process, but dictated to UCU by the employers. The UCUs sole purpose is to sell the deal, by hook or by crook, to its membership.

The move to put managements offer to a ballot was voted for 10-8 by UCUs Higher Education Committee (HEC) on March 28, even though 32 of 35 branches called for its rejection. At a branch delegates meeting, held prior to the HEC, the bureaucracy ensured that no vote was held on whether to send the proposal to ballot. This was so as not to jeopardize their pre-arranged decision to push the deal to members.

Expecting opposition, UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt posted a Q&A recommending acceptance of the deal along with the threat that there would not be a better offer. This included the following:

[G]iven that no one knows what the independent panel will find my assessment is that it is extremely unlikely that the university employer will go beyond this commitment and agree to a no detriment clausenot least because the current arrangement provides that any future contribution increases are shared between the employers and members.

In a blatant and ant-democratic attempt to railroad strikers into accepting, as the online ballot opened, Hunt said, I do not think we should risk what we have achieved to chase a no detriment [to lecturers pensions] clause.

I believe instead that we should bank the substantial concessions we have achieved from the employers.

In fact, there are no concessions, and the UCUs attempted sellout has met with strong resistance from many members who do not buy the bureaucracys propaganda. Under these conditions, a majority of UCU branches across the country have already voted in well-attended meetings to recommend a No vote to their members. Of the 21 branches to announce a position following the opening of the ballot, 19 have voted No. These include branches at the universities of Kent and Liverpool, University College London and Salford. A petition Reject the UUK dealWe need to fight now is gaining widespread support.

Lecturers have expressed their opposition by utilizing various hashtags on Twitter, including #RejectUUKDeal, #VoteNO, #NoCapitulation and #NoDetriment

One striker tweeted, Sally Hunts made the ballot a matter of trust in her judgement. As @UCU GS [General Secretary] for 12 years she presided over the closing of final pension scheme (20% pension loss) and 20% wage decline. So it would be really crazy not to trust her, wouldnt it?

Another said, I find Sally Hunts email an absolute shame. For her to use a Q&A email to try and bias peoples vote at this point is dishonest. I not only dont have confidence in UUK but I now have little confidence in @UCU national leadership.

Another warned, ...if you vote yes in the ballot, youre getting the 12th of March crap deal weve all loudly rejected with #NoCapitulation.

Another said, union leaders love to grasp defeat from jaws of victory #voteno.

In order for workers to defeat the plans being hatched by UUK/UCU, criticism of the union bureaucracy must be extended to a conscious political break with this tool of management. The Socialist Equality Party and IYSSE call on lecturers and university workers to form rank-and-file committees to take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of the UCU and to fight for the broadest mobilisation of the working class to oppose the attack on pensions and university education being spearheaded by the Tories, the Labour Party and the entire corporate-controlled political establishment.

The SEP warns against the pseudo-left groups who pose as critics of the deal but who insist workers must continue to rely on the trade unions as the basis of their struggles.

Foremost among these is the UCU Left, who call for the offer to be rejected while advocating a return to the same negotiations that produced it in the first place.

UCU Left, whose leading figures hold key positions on the UCUs executiveand once held a majority on the executive committeehas long provided a radical sounding cover for the union bureaucracy.

It cites the strikes as evidence that the UCU is being reclaimed by its members. Writing on the defeat of the proposed sell-out in March, for example, the Socialist Workers Partythe main pseudo-left party comprising the UCU Leftclaimed that rank and file democracy, participation and militancy  is the way to renew our unions.

The reality is that this supposedly democratised union is now trying to shut down and silence rank-and-file militancy in order to impose a sell-out deal that has already been rejected!

Militancy and activism is not enough to oppose the UCUs betrayals. What is needed is a complete break from the corporatist unions, which are deeply entrenched in the structure of corporate management and the government and support austerity. University workers need new organizations of struggle and a new political strategy to defend the social rights of the working class.

Everything is being done by the UCU to wind down the dispute. Hunt has proposed plans for a fresh ballot of UCU members to escalate the action further in the autumn and we will ask the employers to further improve their proposal so that it contains a no detriment clause, if a NO vote is returned.

The UCU has already set in motion plans to wind down and isolate the strike in the expected event of a No vote. The next set of strikes, scheduled to begin April 16, is limited to just 13 of the 65 universities previously engaged in industrial action. The UCU also ensured that strikes by its members in Further Education colleges, who are opposing a derisory pay offer, have been almost totally quarantined from those of striking university staff. To ensure the least disruption possible to FE management, the UCU called out members at just 15 colleges (out of nearly 300) for a token strike and then, weeks later, reduced this to just seven.

The strike by university workers is part of a global offensive by education staff, who in order to defend their livelihoods are being forced into conflict with the union bureaucracy. The SEP and IYSSE (UK) urge workers to form rank and file committees to break the organizational and political control of the UCU over their struggle. This would provide the basis for mobilizing all sections of the working class in the fight to defend jobs, wages, conditions and the right to high-quality, well-resourced education provision as part of the necessary socialist reorganisation of economic life.

For further details visit Education FightBack

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[29 March 2018]
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razaks government dissolved the national parliament last Saturday, setting the stage for an early general election. Yesterday, the Election Commission (EC) fixed May 9 as polling day. Twelve of the 13 state assemblies will be dissolved for state elections on the same day.

The decision puts the polling day ahead of the Muslim Ramadan that begins in mid-May and well before jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is due to be released in June. Anwar was convicted and jailed in 2015 on trumped-up sodomy charges.

Since formal independence from Britain in 1957, Malaysia has been a virtual one-party state. Najibs United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), along with its coalition partners in the Barisan Nasional (BN), has ruled continuously.

The regime was designed, above all, to serve the interests of the ethnic Malay ruling elites that back UMNO, as well as business cronies represented by UMNOs main coalition partners in the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Malaysian Indian Congress.

At the last general election in 2013, BN lost the popular vote for the first time to the opposition coalition led by Anwar. BN still won a majority in the 222-seat national parliament, due to an electoral gerrymander, but lost its two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution.

Over the past five years, Najib has pulled out all stops to politically undermine the opposition parties, including through the jailing of Anwar. Najib has called the snap election and instituted further measures to rig the election in BNs favour. His own position will be in doubt if BN suffers another poor result.

Najib faces the prospect of fresh investigations into the 1MDB state development fund scandal if the opposition parties take office. At least $US4.5 billion disappeared from the fund. International investigations suggest that hundreds of millions went into Najibs personal accounts.

Malaysias government-controlled media has all but buried the scandal. In addition, Najibs cautious support for Washingtons anti-China policy has ensured there has been limited international pressure on the issue.

Before calling the election, the government moved on multiple fronts.

On March 28, the parliament voted 129 to 80 to approve the new electoral boundaries drawn up by the EC. A new electoral law had faced legal challenges and protests, but the EC received the go-ahead from the Appeals Court last December.

The law manipulates electorates. Pro-opposition voters are bundled into larger electorates, while pro-government voters are in far smaller ones. The new boundaries give an enormous advantage to the BN in at least a third of the 222 federal seats and six state assemblies, according to various analysts.

The average size of a constituency normally won by the BN has now shrunk to 48,000 voters, whereas those associated with opposition victories average 79,000.

The EC paid particular attention to Selangor, the most powerful economic state, where the opposition won the federal vote as well as control of the state government in 2013. The largest opposition seat of Damansara has 150,439 voters, while the smallest, the BN seat of Sabak Bernam, has just 37,216.

Shahrul Aman, head of the electoral reform group Bersih, told the Guardian that by gerrymandering the popular vote, the government could retain power with as little as 16.5 percent of the vote.

Another measure, enacted on April 2, is a fake news law that takes censorship to a new level. Punishments for circulating fake news have been set at 500,000 ringgit ($123,000) and a maximum of six years in jail. The government already has in place sedition and criminal defamation laws that have been used to prosecute opposition figures and journalists.

A Human Rights Watch report last month pointed out that the new law sets no standards to determine what is false and makes no distinction between malicious acts or mistakes. It is in effect left to the government and security apparatus to determine what is fake and to charge anyone they wish.

In a third move against the opposition, the Registrar of Societies (RoS) deregistered the United Malaysian Indigenous Party (PPBM) for at least 30 days on spurious technical grounds. The PPBM was formed by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who joined the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) and is its prime ministerial candidate.

The ban will become permanent if the party fails to submit paperwork from the partys December annual meeting. The ban is designed to undermine PH, which counted on the Malay chauvinist PPBM to attract votes from UMNOs traditional ethnic Malay Muslim base.

The RoS is using the PPBM ruling to refuse to register the PH as a formal coalition. If the PPBM ban stays in place, Mahathir and other PPBM candidates will be prohibited from referring to themselves as party members.

The PH was formed after the collapse of the opposition Peoples Alliance (PR) coalition that contested the 2013 election. The PR consisted of Anwars urban ethnic Malay-based Peoples Justice Party (Keadilan), the ethnic-Chinese based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the rural-based Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS). UMNO exploited the racist and religious card to encourage the PAS leaders to leave the PR in 2015.

The new opposition PH coalition initially consisted of Keadilan, the DAP and PAS breakaway Parti Amanah Negara, which then joined with Mahathirs PPBMa breakaway from UMNOon the basis of campaigning to remove Najib. It is a highly unstable political formation.

Mahathir and Anwar have sharp political differences, particularly over economic policy. In the midst of the 199798 Asian financial crisis, Mahathir, who was then prime minister, sacked Anwar, his deputy and finance minister, and expelled him and his supporters from UMNO. When Anwar initiated anti-corruption protests, he was arrested and eventually jailed on phony charges.

Mahathir was bitterly opposed to Anwars promotion of the International Monetary Fund agenda of opening up the Malaysian economy, which threatened UMNOs business cronies. Mahathirs attack on Najib has been on the same basis: that he has made too many pro-market concessions. Mahathir also remains committed to discrimination against the countrys ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities as the means to ensure the economic and political dominance of the Malay elites.

As part of the coalition deal, the PPBM was awarded 52 of the coalitions candidacies. If the new coalition wins, Mahathir has promised to pardon Anwar, allowing him to become prime minister. Because the underlying differences remain, there is no guarantee that the promises will be kept, or that the HP coalition will stay intact.
Michael Bott, a prominent Wellington barrister and civil rights lawyer, last month issued an important call for the defence of the presumption of innocence. In an op-ed piece in the Dominion Post on March 28, Bott noted that some New Zealand politicians had called for radical reform of the justice system to ensure that rape accusers are believed as a starting point of any police investigation.

In 2014, the then-opposition Labour Party advocated reversing the onus of proof in rape cases to do away with the long-standing legal principle, protected in the NZ Bill of Rights Act, that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Spokesman Andrew Little, now the Minister of Justice, proposed that in cases where the prosecution proved a sexual encounter occurred, it would be deemed rape unless the defendant could prove it was consensual.

Bott noted that with the promotion of the #MeToo campaign, the cry believe the victim has become further popularised. He wrote: To presume that all sexual assault complainants tell the truth imposes a presumption of guilt on defendants. The reversal of the presumption of innocence would encourage police to cut corners rather than dispassionately and thoroughly investigate complaints, he said.

I have great sympathy for people who suffer sexual abuse, Bott explained, but an automatic believe the victim starting point in a prosecution can and must have no place in criminal trials. Calls to radically change laws, he warned, protect no one and increase the risk of people who are innocent being both charged and, worse, possibly convicted.

Bott cited two cases in which he had been involved that highlighted the risk of innocent people being wrongly convicted.

In the first, Bott successfully defended a male who faced several counts of rape relating to allegations made by his former partner when they were in a relationship, six years previously. The complaints were made in 2015 within days of the male applying to the Family Court for full custody of the children from the relationship. This scenario, Bott wrote, is not uncommon.

The complainant made an extensive four-hour evidential video interview detailing severe sexual and physical violence that included her being chased around a property with a samurai sword. When the case proceeded to trial, it became apparent that police had failed to attend the addresses where the alleged incidents occurred in order to corroborate her complaints.

The woman also identified a Wellington hotel where she claimed to have sought refuge and the male arrived and threatened her. However, no attempt was made to obtain a copy of the hotel register to confirm she was even there. Her allegations of sexual violence were contradicted when a former friend testified that the complainant introduced the male to her as a great catch, just weeks after they had broken up.

The second case also involved serious flaws in police procedures. Botts female client was charged with sexual offending against the 14-year-old son of her partner (also a woman). The client had fallen asleep mildly intoxicated on a couch and was woken by the 14-year-old raping her.

After a week of struggling with what to do, she told her partner and it was agreed that she should make a complaint. Police interviewed the boy, his mother, some other guests and the boy's friends. The boy agreed that sex occurred but claimed it was consensual.

The police declared they believed the boys version of events and Botts client would be charged with having sex with an under-aged person. Further, she had told lies to have the teenager arrested, and therefore would also be charged with conspiring to make a false accusation.

At trial, flaws emerged in the evidence. Extensive bruising on the womans body was not documented, as the police had never investigated it. Police also failed to undertake a DNA analysis on critical areas of the couch. Contradictions between the boys account and evidence given by his friends, including false claims that the woman had plied him with alcohol, were never considered by police. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges.

Speaking to the WSWS, Bott said that these were just two examples of how the presumption of innocence is being eroded all the time. In cases of alleged child abuse, an a-priori assumption now prevails that police should believe anything a child says, he said.

Bott pointed to another recent case in which a school teacher was cleared by a jury in the Auckland District Court of indecently assaulting three schoolgirls. The students admitted in court they had concocted the allegations in order to get the teacher sacked. The Criminal Bar Association sharply criticised the police handling of the case, declaring that the widespread assumption that complainants are always telling the truth can have a catastrophic effect on those falsely accused.

Bott said that he had become familiar with certain types of complaintparticularly involving sexual assaultsbeing whipped up in a rush and a clamour for the authorities to be seen to be doing something. He explained: My proposition as a defence lawyer is that basic contradictions in evidence are not being followed up by the police. A growing police practice of once over lightly is not good enough. Evidence has to pass the test of scientific reliability, Bott emphasised.

The barrister condemned politicians of all hues for the escalating attacks on the presumption of innocence, pointing to a politically driven agenda to get tough on crime and achieve a greater number of successful prosecutions. Bott noted that changes to the 2006 Evidence Act had now made it impossible for defence counsel to get access to evidentiary interviews conducted by the police in sexual offence cases.

Bott agreed that these developments dovetailed with the anti-democratic and right-wing trajectory of official politics. He compared the situation with the anti-terror witch-hunts following the September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre in the US. In 2007, a massive police operation was mounted in New Zealand against members of the Maori Tuhoe tribe, based on concocted allegations of a terrorist plot that were later dropped.

On the #MeToo movement, Bott said: It is not to say there is not truth or weight behind some allegations, but the pendulum has swung in the other direction against the presumption of innocence. We now have a modern version of declaring someone to be a witchjust throw them in the water and see if they sink or float. If they float, they must be a witch.

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[7 March 2018]

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[22 March 2018]

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[12 March 2018]
Following Mondays FBI raid on President Donald Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen, the survival of the Trump presidency appears increasingly problematic.

The use of tactics against a sitting president normally reserved for mafia dons or alleged terrorists takes the months-long conflict within the ruling class and the state to an entirely new level. The fact that the raid was carried out as Trump was meeting with his generals to discuss military action against Syria underscores the explosive level of tensions within the ruling elite.

On the basis of a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible Trump collusion has been the focus of the campaign by sections of the intelligence establishment and the Democratic Party against the White House, FBI agents seized Cohens computer, phone and personal financial records. They also took documents relating to hush money paid during the 2016 election campaign to a porn star and a former Playboy playmate who claim to have had affairs with Trump. The FBI swept up a wealth of data, including privileged communications between Trump and his lawyer.

Cohen, a longtime lawyer and confidant of Trump, boasts of being the presidents fixer. Mueller and the anti-Trump camp within the ruling elite know very well that the billionaire New York real estate and gambling speculator-turned president is mired in criminal activity, which is certain to be reflected in the material seized from Cohen.

They have Trump by the throat, and Trump knows it.

Mueller executed a calculated maneuver to immunize himself from charges of overreach. He referred a criminal investigation of Cohen on charges of banking and wire fraud and election campaign violations to the US attorneys office, which executed the warrants and oversaw the FBI raid. This indicates that Mueller is working toward an indictment not only against Cohen, but also against Trump.

The extraordinary events of Monday suggest that a criminal indictment or the threat of one is overtaking a strategy based on impeachment, which would be difficult to obtain in a Republican-controlled Congress. Even if a sitting president cannot be prosecuted and must first be removed from office, the calculation may be that the threat of massive fines and jail time will convince Trump to resign.

Trumps rambling tirade Monday in advance of a meeting with his national security team on Syria, in which he denounced Mueller, his attorney general Jeff Sessions and his deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who has authority over the special counsel, reflected his own crisis and the dilemma in which he finds himself.

His talk of possibly firing Mueller and/or his top Justice Department officials evoked a sharp rebuke from some leading Republicans in Congress. The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, warned Tuesday that it would be political suicide for Trump to take that route.

These extraordinary events are part of a ferocious conflict within the highest levels of the ruling elite and its state apparatus. The battle concerns fundamental issues of US imperialist foreign policy. Trumps opponents, spearheaded by the Democratic Party and the bulk of the corporate media, are allied with the dominant sections of the intelligence establishment, which consider Trump to be insufficiently aggressive in waging war in Syria and confronting Russia.

They have been using the Mueller investigation and the phony narrative of Russian meddling and Moscow-inspired fake news to pressure Trump to escalate the US offensive against Russia. But Mondays raid indicates that decisive sections of the ruling class have lost confidence in Trumps ability to manage their foreign policy or deal with the increasingly tense internal situation.

The political turmoil in Washington is being intensified by the convergence of crises on a number of fronts. The US is facing a deepening geopolitical crisis, most sharply expressed in the failure of its proxy war in Syria. Its economic crisis is intensifying, with Trumps trade war measures against China threatening unknown consequences, the financial markets in turmoil, trade deficits growing and budget deficits heading for $1 trillion a year.

Most dangerous of all is the growth of working-class opposition, with teachers strikes, protests and rebellions against the corporatist unions spreading from West Virginia to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona and other states. The fact that most of these strikes are taking place in states that voted for Trump is seen as an indication that the ability of Trump to disorient the working class with his social demagogy has drastically eroded.

It is the class struggle, not the palace intrigues within the ruling elite, that provides the basis for a progressive and democraticthat is, revolutionarysolution to the crisis of American capitalism. Left to its own devices, the ruling elite will resolve its problems with Trump by shifting the political system even further to the right, with or without the current president. Were Trump to be removed by impeachment or forced to resign, he would be replaced by Vice President Mike Pence, a more polished but no less reactionary enemy of the working class.

The same forces, including virtually the entire Democratic Party, that are rushing to defend Mueller and the raid on Trumps lawyer are demanding that Trump carry out a major military attack on Syria, far beyond the one-off missile strike he ordered last April, and that the confrontation with Russia be escalated even to the point of military conflict.

The New York Times Tuesday edition carried an editorial demanding that Trump massively escalate the US military intervention in Syria. That evening, it posted an editorial defending the FBI raid and excoriating Trump for diverting attention from the supposed Syrian gas attack by denouncing the raid on his lawyer.

It stated: Among the grotesqueries that faded into the background of Mr. Trumps carnival of misgovernment during the past 24 hours was that Mondays [national security] meeting was ostensibly called to discuss a matter of global significance: a reported chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians. Mr. Trump instead made it about him

One thing that is striking is the utter inability of the Democratic Partywhich helped push through Trumps tax cuts for the rich, voted for his record Pentagon budget and dropped any defense of DACA recipients facing the threat of deportationto make any genuine appeal to the broader population. In its conflict with Trump it relies entirely on the FBI and the CIA.

Last June, the World Socialist Web Site published a Perspective column titled Palace coup or class struggle: The political crisis in Washington and the strategy of the working class. It stated, in part:

The working class confronts in Trump and his administration a vicious enemy, dedicated to the destruction of its democratic rights and a further lowering of its living standards. It is a government that is pursuing an international agenda based on America First chauvinism. The working class must oppose this government and seek its removal. But this task must not be entrusted to Trumps factional opponents in the ruling class. The working class cannot remain a bystander in the fight between Trump and the Democrats. Rather, it must develop its struggle against Trump under its own banner and with its own program The interaction of objective conditions of crisis, both within the United States and internationally, and the radicalization of mass social consciousness will find expression in the eruption of class struggle. The decades-long suppression of the class struggle by the trade union bureaucracy, the Democratic Party and the affluent sponsors of various forms of identity politics is coming to an end Mass struggles are on the agenda in the United States. Protest rallies, demonstrations and strikes will tend to acquire a general nationwide character. The political conclusion that flows from this analysis is that the fight of the working class against Trump and all that he represents will raise ever more urgently the necessity of a political mass movement, independent of and opposed to both the Republicans and the Democrats, against the capitalist system and its state.

This analysis is being vindicated by the deepening of the political crisis, which now confronts a growing wave of social opposition in the working class. The confirmation of our analysis makes it all the more urgent that workers and young people take up the fight for the revolutionary socialist perspective of the Socialist Equality Party.
As of this month, the Australian government is eliminating the bare income support for an estimated 12,500 asylum seekers living in the country, awaiting the outcome of refugee applications.

The Liberal-National Coalitions move is designed to push them into penury and homelessness, forcing many to return to the countries they fled, in line with the bipartisan border protection regime of shutting Australias doors to refugees.

The asylum seekers have been languishing in Australia for up to five years on temporary bridging visas. For most of this time they have not been permitted to work as they waited for refugee visa decisions.

Until now, the status resolution support service (SRSS) provided a paltry living allowance of up to $270 a week. This is only 89 percent of the Newstart unemployment benefit, which is itself below poverty levels. The SRSS also provided casework support for housing as well as trauma and torture counselling.

As of April 9, the SRSS is being transitioned out and those asylum seekers deemed job-ready will soon have their payments scrapped. A list of single female and male asylum seekers will be passed on to settlement services, which are expected to assess their job readiness by May 7. Then, from June 4, they will have their financial support cut. Families face the same treatment from late May, with payment cuts starting on July 18.

A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson told the media that the SRSS was not a social welfare program, adding: Individuals on a bridging visa with work rights and who have the capacity to work are expected to support themselves prior to being granted a substantive visa or departing Australia.

Any asylum seeker studying full-time will have their payments abolished. If an adult chooses to study full-time, when they are able to work, they are not eligible for SRSS income support, the spokesperson said. This is particularly punitive because the government recently flagged plans to introduce a university-level English test as a requirement for Australian citizenship.

Thousands of asylum seekers rely on the SRSS, together with charities, for food and housing. Some suffer from acute mental and physical health issues, brought on by the conditions they experienced in the war-ravaged countries they fled. Many are unable to work or will find it impossible to secure employment.

Refugee Council of Australia policy director Joyce Chia said the announcement was completely terrifying. She told the Guardian: We are already hearing of people self-harming, were hearing of people losing housing, of huge levels of depression and anxiety. The government was going to punish these people and some will be driven over the edge.

In a statement, Jana Favero from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which supports over 1,000 asylum seekers living in the community, described the SRSS as a life-saving service. She commented: The government is confusing us by saying that people need university-level English to become Australian, yet in a cruel twist of irony, the government is preventing people studying English by removing support services.

Shayne Neumann, the Labor Partys immigration spokesman, supported the governments announcement, saying any abuses in the welfare system needed to be stamped out. He only added that the Coalition should stop playing politics with vulnerable people.

Greens immigration spokesman, Senator Nick McKim, called the announcement a deeply unfair decision which could force people into poverty, homelessness and exploitative jobs. The Greens are attempting to distance themselves from their own responsibility in creating the conditions in which asylum seekers can be stripped of basic income support.

In 2012, the Greens-backed Gillard Labor government issued a visa ban on all asylum seekers who had reached Australia by boat, forcing them onto bridging visas. These visas robbed asylum seekers of the right to family reunion and, at the time, forbade them from working.

This affected some 30,000 asylum seekers while the minority Labor government was in office. From 2013, the Coalition government continued the ban on visa applications, which was not fully lifted until 2016.

Under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, then Malcolm Turnbull, the government has attempted to prevent what it calls Labors legacy caseload from living in Australia. In 2014, the Abbott government introduced a Fast Track Assessment Program to try to prevent asylum seekers from appealing adverse visa decisions.

In March last year, the Turnbull government announced that asylum seekers on bridging visas had 60 days to complete complex refugee visa applications or face being cut off welfare or deported. Last September, Turnbulls government stripped 100 asylum seekers of their housing and income support.

These anti-democratic measures flow from the reactionary border protection regime which is aimed at vilifying vulnerable refugees and blaming them for the failure of successive governments to provide decent jobs, working conditions and essential services such as education, health care and housing.
Without any fanfare or media reporting, Yulia Skripal, was spirited out of Salisbury District Hospital on Monday evening to a secret location.

The event was only made public Tuesday morning, when Christine Blanshard, deputy chief executive and medical director at the hospital, reported that Yulia had been discharged after making a recovery from being poisoned by a supposedly deadly nerve agent just five weeks ago.

Yulias father, the former double agent Sergie Skripal, remains in hospital but is reportedly well on the way to recovery.

The discharging of Yulia is only the latest event exposing Britains efforts to blame Russia for use of a military grade novichock to poison the pair. Novichok has been described as the most deadly nerve agent ever developed5-8 times more lethal than VX nerve agent that was developed by the UK at its Porton Down military research complex.

It was only two weeks ago that British Prime Minister Theresa May said that the Skripals may never fully recover from an attempted murder on British soil organised by Moscow. Now both are well on the way to recovery.

The operation to move Yulia from the hospital was carried out with military precision. Sky News reported that with Police guarding doors to the intensive care unit where the Skripals were being treated, she was discharged in a quiet and secret operation to an unknown location where she has only police and MI5 [intelligence] officers for company.

This is not to protect her from Russiathe last thing Moscow would possibly contemplate is an attempt on her lifebut to protect the UK government from any further exposure of its lies.

Viktoria Skripal, Yulias cousin and her closest living relative, expressed her concern about Yulias fate and whereabouts. After only finding out about her discharge Tuesday morning, Viktoria said she had been trying to contact her without success. Ive tried lots of numbers for her but have had no response. She added, So far my feelings are unclear because I have not seen her and nobody has seen her, weve just had information. Viktoria added, I think Britain will insist that she [Yulia] claims asylum.

London has barred Viktoria from obtaining a visa.

A Sky News reporter stated, Friends here [in Salisbury] said they had heard nothing from Yulia, even during her final conscious days in hospital and they dont expect to, at least for some time.

The Russian Embassy was not informed about Yulias discharge, leading it to make a statement via Twitter reading, We congratulate Yulia Skripal on her recovery. Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will.

The same treatment can be expected to be meted out to the elder Skripal, with Salisbury hospital announcing that he is expected to be discharged in due course.

The Skripals may never in fact be seen again. The Sunday Times reported earlier that they will be offered new identities and a new life in America.

This too is reportedly to be carried out under the pretext of it being a move to protect the victims of the Salisbury attack from further murder attempts 

The newspaper reported that intelligence officials at MI6 have had discussions with their counterparts in the CIA about resettling the Skripals in the US.

It added, Security sources said Britain would want to ensure their safety by relocating them with one of the five eyes countries, the intelligence-sharing partnership that also includes the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The Sunday Times cited an intelligence source familiar with the negotiations, who said this was because their case would have huge security implications.

A statement from the Russian Embassy read, With a secret resettlement of Mr. and Ms. Skripal all opportunities to hear their version of the events of 4 March will highly likely be lost forever.

The world, while having no opportunity to interact with them, will have every reason to see this as an abduction of the two Russian nationals or at least as their isolation.
On Wednesday, April 4, Herve Falciani was arrested in Madrid. The whistleblower, who is expected to be extradited to the Swiss authorities, was released from custody the following Thursday under strict regulations.

As reported in the Guardian as well as other news sources, Falciani was previously an IT specialist at the HSBC Bank in Geneva, Switzerland. He provided a great service to the British, French and German tax authorities by sending them data on thousands of cases of tax fraud.

Falciani has lived undisturbed in Spain for the past five years. Switzerland sentenced him to prison on grounds of economic espionage in 2015 and requested his extradition. Until now, Spain has failed to carry out this request.

That could now change. When Falciani was released from custody on Thursday, the court confiscated his passport, and a judge passed strict regulations against him. He is no longer allowed to leave the country and must check in regularly with the court.

The proceedings of the Spanish judiciary against Falciani fall directly in line with the suppression of the Catalonian separatists and the prosecution of the former Catalonian president, Carles Puigdemont. It is believed that Falciani will be used as a piece in a trade deal for the two Catalonian politicians, Anna Gabriel and Marta Rovira, both of whom emigrated to Switzerland in the previous weeks.

Falciani moved from Switzerland to France at the end of 2008. He carried in his luggage the names of 130,000 individuals and organisations that he knew through his work at HSBC Bank to be using Swiss banking secrecy to commit money laundering and tax evasion. He then presented this knowledge to the French, British and German tax authorities, an action that would go down in banking history as the Swiss-Leaks Affair.

Switzerland would then sentence Falciani to five years of imprisonment in his absence, for revealing banking data to foreign tax authorities. He was arrested in July 2012 in Barcelona and held for months in custody.

However, the Spanish judiciary opposed the extradition in that case. The Spanish state prosecution ruled in May 2013 that the accusations against Falciani were not punishable in Spain but, to the contrary, that he had acted in accordance with Spanish laws against money laundering and tax evasion.

The documents of the scandal were published in 2015 and revealed that thousands of customers of HSBC, including heads of state, kings, sport stars and other celebrities, committed tax fraud and money laundering. The Spanish government was even able to profit off of Falcianis revelations, and collected over 300 million in tax revenue.

However, the whistleblower was arrested on Wednesday as he made his way to a presentation at a Madrid university. Under the title When Its Heroic to Tell the Truth, Falciani was expected to deliver remarks on tax evasion and corruption.

The Spanish government is obviously working towards getting hold of not just Puigdemont, but other Catalonian politicians as well. A visit is planned for April 23 by the Spanish foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, to Bern, Switzerland. An extradition of Falciani could be used as part of a deal to assure the extradition of the Catalonians Gabriel and Rovira.

Gabriel, floor leader of the CUP (Candidacy of the Peoples Unity) in the Barcelonan parliament, supported the referendum on October 1 of last year over the independence of Catalonia. Gabriel fled Spain earlier this year to avoid arrest after receiving a summons from the Spanish Supreme Court.

Rovira, general secretary of the ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia), also emigrated to Switzerland recently so as to avoid being thrown in prison. The Spanish judiciary has already arrested a string of Catalonian politicians since the referendum.

Switzerland renewed its demands for extradition to Spain. As Folco Galli, speaker of the Swiss Office of Justice (BJ), explained, an official petition for the immediate extradition of the whistleblower has recently been finished.

Galli denied any connection to the extradition of the other Catalonian politicians and stated that there is absolutely no scope of discretion for such deals. However, the speaker refrained from answering questions as to a petition of extradition from Spain for Gabriel or Ravira. He defended this, claiming that such international correspondence is confidential and is to be released at the discretion of the foreign offices.

The proceedings against Falciani are accompanied by moves towards a police-state across all of Europe. The European governments, including the non-European Union member Switzerland, are working together very closely to advance the interests of the banks.
Large sections of the American and international media are demanding that the Trump administration follow through on its rhetoric and launch a massive military assault against the Russian-backed Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. The recklessness of the editorial agitation is underscored by the fact that the calls for action are indifferent to the possibility that an attack on Syria could provoke a war with nuclear-armed Russia.

A selection of headlines conveys the sentiment that is pervading the American establishment press. A few cruise missiles from Trump wont stop Syrias war crimes (Washington Post); For a second strike on Syria, Trump will have to go big (Foreign Policy); In Syria, Trump faces the limits of bluster (New York Times).

The pretext for the Trump administration ordering a major escalation of American military operations in Syria is the unverified and dubious allegation that the Syrian army used chemical weapons in an attack last weekend on the rebel-held city of Douma. Lurid video footage released by anti-government forceswhich even some media outlets have felt obliged to re-publish with the disclaimer that they cannot verify its authenticityclaims to show children suffering from the effects of a chlorine-based weapon.

Both the Assad government and Russia, which has thousands of military personnel on the ground supporting Syrian forces, vehemently deny the accusations. They have pointed to the obvious issues: from any standpoint, the use of chemical weapons would be both militarily unnecessary and strategically detrimental to their interests. The US-backed Islamist forces had been utterly routed and have since surrendered Douma.

The only beneficiary of the alleged chemical attack, as has been demonstrated throughout this week, are the factions of the ruling class in the US, Europe and internationally who want to prevent the total defeat of the rebels and use Moscows backing for the Assad government as the means to step up war preparations against Russia itself.

In April 2017, the Trump administration responded to subsequently disproven allegations that chemical weapons had been used by the Syrian government by firing 59 cruise missiles at an airbase where it was known that Russian personnel were operating. Trump later boasted that he informed Chinese President Xi Jinping of an attack that could have triggered a nuclear war while they were eating chocolate cake together at his mansion in Florida.

A year later, Trump has issued bellicose tweets and statements responding to the latest and no less fraudulent poison gas claims, vowing that the Syrian government will pay a big price and accusing Iran and Russia of complicity in the purported chemical attack. In the United Nations, American Ambassador Nikki Haley vowed that the US will respond regardless of any veto in the UN by Russia and China of military action.

The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Democratic Party and military-intelligence apparatus for which they speak have sent a clear message to Trump that a limited attack like that in 2017 will be denounced as worse than useless. They are demanding nothing short of the overthrow of the Assad regime and, if necessary to achieve that end, the use of military force against Russian and Iranian forces in Syria.

The Post declared on April 11: [T]he reality Mr. Trump has not yet faced is that as long as the dictator he called Animal Assad remains in place, Syrias wars will continue.

The Times  editorial stated: Just to reiterate: To have any chance of success, any international retaliatory action must be part of a coherent diplomatic strategy for stabilising Syria and putting a political settlement in place. The conflict has allowed Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Islamic State, now degraded by an American-led coalition, to gain a foothold in Syria.

Foreign Policy, after endorsing a massive attack, indifferently raised the question: Whether or not such a large-scale operation will bring the United States into a confrontation with Assads main patron, Russia, is less clear. The answer depends in part on the severity of the US military action

The military means to carry out a large-scale operation are already in place in the Middle East, due to 25 years of US-led imperialist intrigues and wars across the region. A vast array of American aircraft is stationed in Iraq and the Gulf states. American, French and British warships and submarines armed with cruise missiles are deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Macron government in France and the May government in Britain have signaled that they are prepared to enlist in a revamped coalition of the willing and participate in what could escalate into a war with Russia and Iran. The Saudi Arabian monarchy, armed to the teeth by US imperialism, has indicated it will participate in military action in Syria and, implicitly, a wider regional conflict. Israel, the main US client state in the region, which is suspected of having carried out a missile attack on a Syrian airbase on Monday, would also inevitably be involved.

A US Defense Department spokesperson, Eric Pahon, told Foreign Policy: Were pulling all of our plans off the shelf, but, ultimately, its the presidents decision. He has a lot of options he can take, and not all of them are military.

The message being conveyed in the US media, however, is that if Trump chooses a non-military option, his already besieged administration will face an even more ferocious attack from its opponents. They will be satisfied with nothing less than war.

In the short-term, a key objective is to secure American domination over the Middle East. Longer-term, it is part of a calculated and reckless determination to cripple and ultimately bring down the Russian government of President Vladimir Putin.

Faced with the exposure of their claims that Moscow tried to poison double-agent Sergei Skripal with a nerve agent, the ruling class elements seeking confrontation with Russia have employed the imperialist proxy forces in Syria to stage a new provocation.

Another factor in the provocations aimed at stoking tensions with Russia is the desperation of the ruling class to divert and suppress the growing movement of workers for wages, secure employment and decent social conditions.

As the World Socialist Web Site Perspective stressed yesterday: Amid a wave of labor unrest throughout the United States and Europe, coupled with acute domestic political crises, the ruling elites see in war a means not only of reversing a series of geopolitical setbacks in the Middle East, but also of cracking down on political opposition.

Under conditions of a major military conflict, strikes and demonstrations for workers social and democratic rights will inevitably be denounced as giving aid to the enemy.
Nikolle Contreras says she is about to make her third attempt to cross into the United States -- her first since she came out as a woman. And one way or another, she says it will be her last.

She tried to cross the border for the first time in 2016, she said. She tried again the following year, attempting to swim across the river from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. She nearly drowned, she says, and spent two days in a coma. After a brief hospital stay, she was detained and deported back to her native country of Honduras.

After she returned, she decided to start living openly as a transgender woman. It didn't take long for her to realize that, in order to continue doing so, she needed to leave Honduras -- one of the most dangerous countries in the world for transgender people -- even though it would mean leaving her beloved family.

"I'm making this trip out of necessity, you could say," she said in an interview in Mexico City, the latest stopping point on her journey.

Contreras is one of roughly 25 transgender and gender nonconforming individuals who have joined a caravan of Central American migrants planning to cross through Mexico to the US border. On the journey, they have found safety in numbers and solidarity -- no small thing for a community that faces high rates of violence and persecution in their home countries and along the migrant trail.

Like some caravan members, she hopes to apply for asylum or some form of refugee status when she reaches the border. But even if they make it across the border, American lawyers say their fate remains uncertain.

"When they are in US land we will be able to help them ... but we also cannot predict what will happen," said Flor Bermudez, legal director of the Transgender Law Center. The group is providing legal assistance to migrants and recruiting lawyers and volunteers to work on their behalf.

Contreras is not sure what lies ahead. But she knows it can't be much worse than what she's leaving behind.

"Discrimination because of my sexuality, lack of work, discrimination within my own family for being gay and worse, for being a trans person," she said. "It's very, very difficult."

Keeping her true identity a secret

Contreras has always known she was assigned the wrong gender at birth. Growing up, she tried on women's clothes in secret, but never told her mother or five siblings about her true identity until last year.

Her family supports her, she says -- to a degree.

"My family is the love of my life," she said. "But they would say, 'we love you for who you are, but without the dressing (as a woman).'"

She would leave her family's home dressed as a man. But she would change and put on makeup at friends' homes to go out, she said. She avoided posing in photos with friends or posting images of herself online.

After she came out, she said she tried wearing makeup and women's clothes to her job at a clothing factory. She used extensions in her hair and grew her nails long. But her supervisors harassed and humiliated her, she said.

She said they brought nail clippers to her work station and told her to trim her nails so she wouldn't rip the fabric. They told her the makeup would stain the garments, she said, and that her hair would get caught in the machines. But they only said it to her, she remembered -- not the other women with long hair.

"They look for excuses that make no sense," she said.

Finding a community in an unlikely place

Contreras said she struggled with the idea of leaving her family. But she knew she had to do it for her own sake.

She left Honduras on January 29 and arrived on January 31 in Tapachula, Mexico, a key entry point to Mexico from Central America. Initially, she said intended to seek asylum in Mexico. Then, on March 25, she joined the annual caravan organized by Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which offers safety in numbers for migrants fleeing their native countries in search of safer, more stable lives.

She soon realized she was not the only transgender or gender nonconforming person along for the journey. Several said they joined the caravan because it was safer than traveling alone.

Organizers have welcomed them into the fold, even if they have been on the fringes at times.

By the time the caravan reached Matias Romero in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the transgender and gender nonconforming people had organized their own bus, joined by friends and allies. With a sign bearing the pink, white and blue colors of the transgender flag declaring "transmigrating for freedom" taped to its side, bus #14 stands out from the 17-vehicle caravan.

After the group arrived in Puebla, an organizer called everyone outside to be counted. Bleated instructions through a crackling megaphone, he told them to line up under a blue and yellow striped tarp, in one line for men and another for women and children.

Uncertain where they belonged, Contreras and others from the bus stood to the side and made their own line. Then, as organizers tallied the number of men, women, babies and children, a woman hesitantly asked where to put Contreras' group. After a momentary pause, the organizers decided to create a separate category for them.

The next day, a local volunteer brought a speaker and started a makeshift dance party. The group was finishing a lunch of tortillas, rice and chicken -- for many, their first meal in two weeks of something other than fruit, bread and vegetables. A few bashfully joined as the volunteer coaxed people into dancing. Then, a Honduran punta dance song came on and people paired up as Contreras and her friends circled them. Suddenly, a man grabbed one of the trans women and a whoop shot up from the crowd. She smiled, swiveled her hips and joined for the rest of the dance.

An uncertain future

As groups have broken off throughout the journey, remaining members of the caravan arrived in Mexico City on Monday. Plans are still in flux as organizers attempt to figure out what's next -- especially what happens at the border.

The legal options available depend on each person's individual circumstances, and even then, there are no guarantees about what will happen, said Bermudez of the Transgender Law Center. A one-size-fits-all approach won't work for the members of the caravan.

"The most important piece is that transgender people should be aware that crossing the border will not automatically grant any status and that they are going to be mandatorily detained for an indefinite amount of time."

The migrants are staying at a shelter in the Gustavo a Madero neighborhood, with armed guards standing at both entrances.

Contreras and others from the transmigrating bus huddled together on the second floor of one of the shelter buildings. Clothes, makeup, shoes, medication bottles and food crowd the space. On Tuesday morning, most of the women were downstairs, doing their hair and makeup, including Contreras.

A man from the caravan yells "Ay mami!" as one of the women walks by him, fixing her hair. She rolls her eyes and doesn't bother to turn around. Moments like this make Contreras grateful for the security of the large group, even though she, too, has been on receiving end of catcalls from other migrants. But it's better than being alone.

Contreras hopes she makes it into the United States -- maybe to Nashville, where she has a friend, or New Jersey, where a lawyer has told her she could find a good support system. Already, after three months living as herself, she feels like a new person -- "transformed," she says.

If she doesn't make it, she'll go back to Honduras and resume dressing like a man -- for her safety and for her family.

"I would not want to disrespect them dressing as a woman, and I would not want them to disrespect me," she said. "I just ask God that everything ends up well."
Iran vowed to retaliate for the recent attack on a military base in Syria, blaming Israel for the strike. Speaking in Damascus at a two-day conference on Jerusalem Tuesday, a senior advisor to Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, told Iran' state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that Israel's "crimes will not remain unanswered."

"The Israeli regime's aggression against Syria is a breach of this country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and runs counter to all international regulations and principles," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday, according to Press TV.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the strike, but Russia claims Israel Was responsible for carrying out the attack, which targeted the T-4 airbase near Homs. Syria, Iran, and Lebanon have also blamed Israel for the attack, which Russia said was initiated by F-15 fighter jets firing missiles from Lebanese airspace.

The strike resulted in the killing of "some Iranian military advisers," according to IRNA. The semi-official FARS news agency said 4 Iranians had been killed.

"The Zionist regime is [looking for] increased tensions in the region and I think that all involved sides should be extremely vigilant towards this issue," said Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi to Russia Today on Tuesday, according to FARS.

Blaming the US for supporting Israel, Araqchi added, "The US and Israel have entered the scene at different stages to boost the terrorists' morale in Syria and the recent attacks by the Zionists against Syria which was a repetition of similar assaults in the past are within the same framework."

Though Iran and Israel often exchange accusations, Israel is taking these new threats seriously. The government will discuss the situation at a security cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"I want to say one thing with absolute certainty. We will not allow the Iranians to base themselves in Syria, no matter what the price," said Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Tuesday. "We have no other choice. To agree to the Iranians basing themselves in Syria is like agreeing to Iran putting a noose around our neck." Liberman did not comment on the strike in Syria.

Israel has repeatedly expressed its red lines when it comes to Syria: it says it will not allow the transfer of high-powered weapons to Hezbollah, an Iranian-proxy based in Lebanon; it will not allow any breach of Israeli sovereignty; and, as apparently in the most recent strike, it will work to prevent Iran from entrenching itself in Syria.

"T-4, which is the base we're talking about, is no longer just a Syrian base, it is a Syrian-Iranian base," leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid, said Speaking to Israeli Army Radio on Monday.

In February, Israeli fighter jets hit the same facility, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says was the command and control center for an Iranian drone that penetrated Israeli airspace, before being shot down.

Before this year, Iran and Israel had only had one other direct confrontation in Syria, which occurred in January 2015. Then, an airstrike attributed to Israel in Quneitra in southern Syria killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, Gen. Mohammed Ali Allahdadi, along with six others. Israel has never commented on the strike. In response, Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli vehicles operating near the Lebanese border, killing two Israeli soldiers.
LINTON, Ind. (WTHI) - Police believe a Greene County teacher may have had inappropriate relations with a student.

That teacher is Taylor Vanlandingham-Dunham.

She is a teacher at Linton-Stockton High School.

Linton Police say several weeks ago, the school resource officer contacted them.

He told police he'd received reports that Valandingham-Dunham had been having "sexual and or inappropriate relations" with a student.

Police say they believe those actions happened outside of school, in Sullivan County.

For that reason, Sullivan County's prosecutor will be handling this case.

Police say they are also checking into the possibility of other students being involved.

The school's website has her listed as an art teacher.

We spoke with the Linton-Stockton School Board President.

He told us he believes Valandingham-Dunham was placed on administrative leave

The board is waiting for the investigation to conclude.

If a termination is recommended, the board would vote on it at that point.

The board president went on to say the situation is "disheartening."
WASHINGTON (AP) - Trump administration officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syrias alleged poison gas attack, as President Donald Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump spoke with other world leaders, and other U.S. officials said the U.S., France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week. None of the three countries leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorized to discuss military planning by name.

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the U.S. in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syrias political and military support from Russia and Iran.

President Emmanuel Macron said France, the U.S. and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days. He called for a strong and joint response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the U.S.-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month.

Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the U.S., France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April. That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Assad from further use of chemical agents. So the three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

Asked whether France would take military action, Macron said his country will continue discussing technical and strategic information with U.S. and British allies and in the coming days we will announce our decision. He said any action would target chemical weapons stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

Trump spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was utterly reprehensible and that the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Trump see eye to eye on the Syria problem.

We cannot tolerate with a war criminal, the emir said, adding, This matter should end immediately. Qatar hosts the United States main air operations center for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it will send shortly a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit would delay or avert U.S. or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis canceled plans to travel to California this week, indicating his focus on Syria. He was expected at a White House meeting Wednesday for further consultations on Syria.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, or travel to Bogota, Colombia, as planned. She said he will stay home to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.

The presidents new national security adviser, John Bolton, urged Trump to skip the trip, an official said. This reflects a view in the White House that deeper Russian and Iranian involvement in Syria have complicated calculations about a response to any U.S. military attack, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Moscow has cautioned the U.S. not to launch a military attack.

Amid the tough talk from the White House, the U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order. A Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, got underway in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday after completing a port call in Cyprus. The guided missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria following an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians.

Also, the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe. The Navy does not currently have a carrier in the Persian Gulf.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTTV)  Indianapolis Metropolitan police have arrested two people in connection with the shooting death of 1-year-old Malaysia Robson.

The department said Wednesday that two men were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in the shooting. Darrin Banks, 27, and Brian Palmer, 29, were arrested on preliminary charges of murder and aggravated assault, police said.

A big thank you to the community for all their help and patience, IMPD tweeted about the case Wednesday morning.

Police said the mugshots of both suspects are from unrelated arrests. IMPD hasnt commented on the circumstances surrounding their arrests in Robsons death.

According to IMPD, the little girl and her 19-year-old aunt were hit when someone fired shots into their home in the 3500 block of N. Wittfield St. on March 29. Malaysia died from her injuries while her aunt, Ana Fox, was wounded.

The little girls family responded with a statement about the arrests:

We have been waiting for this day since Malaysia was taken from us and are very happy these two men are now off the streets.

Malaysias family members

The shooting outraged the Indianapolis community, and family members said dozens of shots were fired into the home. Investigators said the shooting may have stemmed from an argument on social media.

Malaysia was laid to rest last week following a funeral at New Beginnings Fellowship Church.

The Rev. Charles Harrison with the Ten Point Coalition thanked IMPD for its work in solving the case.

We cannot tolerate this kind of senseless violence in our city, Harrison wrote on Twitter after news of the arrests broke.

This story was originally posted by WTTV CBS4indy.com
The sister of journalist Marie Colvin, killed in Syria in 2012, says she and her lawyer have evidence that the Syrian government specifically targeted the reporter in a rocket attack.

In court documents unsealed Monday, a former Syrian intelligence agent alleges an informant told the Damascus government about Colvin's location the night before she was killed.

Colvin, a reporter for Britain's Sunday Times, died in a rocket attack during the siege of Homs, the day after a telephone interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, in which she said that the Syrian war was "the worst" conflict she had ever covered.

The former Syrian agent, turned defector, says that the Assad government "regularly monitored" TV broadcasts and newspaper articles. A top intelligence official "wanted to learn their location and take the necessary measures to stop them from reporting," the defector says in the documents.

Marie Colvin's sister, Cat, first filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Syrian government in a Washington, DC court in 2016. She and her lawyer are now asking the judge for a default judgment -- a win by default, because the Syrian government has not showed up to defend the case.

"If I could throw Assad in prison, that's what I would do," Cat Colvin told Christiane Amanpour in an interview airing Tuesday.

Short of that, she said, "I think that every penny I can get out of the Assad regime is less that they can spend on barrel bombs and chemical weapons."

Colvin is asking for compensation for lost earnings, grief compensation and punitive damages.

Cat Colvin's lawyers say the rocket attack on Colvin's location was deliberate. "The regime meticulously planned and carried out this rocket attack on the media center," Scott Gilmore, a lead lawyer in the case, told Amanpour.

They acknowledge that getting money from the Assad regime is unlikely, but they hope that their case can help establish evidence of a "chain of command" to be used in a possible future war crimes trial.

Gilmore said that years of meticulous investigation led him and his team to the defector, code-named "Ulysses" in court documents.

"What he revealed was really that from the moment that Marie, Paul Conroy and other journalists -- Arwa Damon from CNN, Paul Wood from the BBC -- as they were arriving in Lebanon, there were intelligence sources tracking their movements."

"All of that was being channeled to the military and security officials that were overseeing the armed operations in Homs, with specific instructions that the intelligence forces were to track them down and capture them if possible or otherwise kill them."

The Syrian government did not respond to CNN's request for comment on the case, but has previously denied targeting journalists.

"The army forces didn't know that Marie Colvin existed somewhere because before that we hadn't known about Marie Colvin," Bashar al-Assad told NBC in a 2016 interview.

Cat Colvin said that she still thinks of her sister every day.

"I've become much more angry about the silencing of journalists and the ongoing bombing of civilians. I really thought Marie's death would be sort of a watershed event, and the world would take notice, or the US government would find the targeting and murder of an American citizen intolerable."

"But none of that happened."
WASHINGTON (AP)  Claiming he's accomplished a "heckuva lot," House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday he will not run for re-election and will retire next year, injecting another layer of uncertainty as Republicans face worries over losing their majority in the fall.

The Wisconsin Republican cast the decision as a personal one, saying he did not want his children growing up with a "weekend dad." He told reporters he believes he's leaving with strong accomplishments his party can sell to voters ahead of November elections.

"I have given this job everything I have," he said. "We're going to have a great record to run on."

Ryan's plans have been the source of much speculation and will set off a scramble among his lieutenants to take the helm. A self-styled budget guru, Ryan had made tax cuts a centerpiece of his legislative agenda, and a personal cause, and Congress delivered on that late last year.

Ryan, who has had a difficult relationship with President Donald Trump, thanked the president for giving him the chance to move the GOP ahead.

Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Ryan, 48, announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Wednesday morning, according to those present. His tone was somber, and he read directly from prepared remarks.

"After nearly 20 years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father," Ryan adviser Brendan Buck said in a statement. "While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him."

The speaker called extended family and a few close friends Tuesday night and alerted a few staff. On Wednesday morning, he called the president and the vice president and informed the rest of his staff before going to the conference meeting, officials said.

Ryan will serve out his term and retire in January, Buck said.

Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998. Along with Reps. Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy, he branded himself a rising "Young Gun" in an aging party.

He became the GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012.

Ryan was pulled into the leadership job by the abrupt retirement of House Speaker John Boehner in 2015. Boehner had struggled to wrangle the chamber's restless conservative wing and failed to the seal big-picture deals on fiscal policy he sought. Ryan had more trust with the hardliners in the House, but had no more success in brokering fundamental reform of entitlement he sought.

He ultimately had to wrestle with another unexpected challenge: President Donald Trump, a president with little of Ryan's interest in policy detail or ideological purity. The two have had not had a close working relationship.

House Majority Leader McCarthy, a Republican from California known to be tighter with Trump, is expected to seeking the speaker post. He will likely compete with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, for the job. Both men spoke at the closed-door meeting Wednesday, delivering tributes to Ryan.

In Wisconsin, the most likely Republican candidate is state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, multiple Republicans in the state said. Vos did not immediately return telephone or text messages.

Another Republican mentioned as a potential candidate is longtime Ryan family friend and Ryan backer Bryan Steil, an attorney and member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Steil did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Democrat Randy Bryce, a colorful ironworker who has cultivated an "IronStache" moniker, had been Ryan's best-known challenger, drawing liberal support from around the country. He had nearly $2.3 million in the bank at the end of the first quarter. Janesville teacher Cathy Myers was also running on the Democratic side. The only declared Republican was Paul Nehlen, who was banned from Twitter for a series of posts criticized as racist or anti-Semitic.
WORLAND  Representatives from the Wyoming State Parks Outdoor Recreation Office will be in Worland on Saturday, to host residents and community leaders for a meeting devoted to expanding outdoor recreation opportunities in the Big Horn Basin.

The idea is to start a conversation about outdoor recreation opportunities in the Basin, and see if we can create some collaborative efforts to expa...
Spring burning? Plan ahead, avoid burning in state rights-of-way

WORLAND - As temperatures begin to warm and the winter snows melt, many ranchers, farmers and other people head outside to begin their annual agricultural burns.

April 11, 2018

COURTESY/WYDOT This picture shows right-of-way fencing that was replaced after an agricultural prescribed burn moved outside private property and destroyed the state-owned right-of-way fencing in northwest Wyoming. Citizens planning prescribed burns are urged contact the National Weather Service for weather forecasts before lighting the match.
Syrian babies receive treatment for a suspected chemical attack at a makeshift clinic on the rebel-held village of al-Shifuniyah in the Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus late on Feb. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP)

WASHINGTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the United State will make "major decisions" over the reported chemical weapon attack in Syria soon, and warns "tough" consequence for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the incident.

Trump said in a cabinet meeting that the attack was "heinous", "atrocious", "barbaric" and "horrible," noting "we'll be making some major decisions over the next 24 to 48 hours."

"As bad as the news is around the world, you just don't see those images," he said. "We are studying that situation extremely closely ...we're looking at that very, very strongly and very seriously."

Speaking of his earlier claim to get the U.S. troops out of Syria soon, Trump said "we'll be making that decision very quickly, probably by the end of today."

He said that "nothing's off the table," referring to the possible U.S. military action against Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin take part in a family photo at the APEC summit in Danang, Vietnam Nov. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

In the unusual rhetoric against Russia, Trump added that Putin "may" bear responsibility for the Syrian incident.

"If he does, it's going to be very tough. Very tough," he said. "Everybody's going to pay a price. He will, everybody will."

He also hinted that Syria, Iran and Russia are behind the attack.

"They're saying they're not. But, to me, there's not much of a doubt. But the generals will figure it out, probably over the next 24 hours," said Trump.

Earlier on Monday, U.S. defense chief James Mattis said Washington has not ruled out launching airstrikes against Damascus.

"The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all chemical weapons, and so working with our allies and partners from NATO to Qatar and elsewhere we are going to address this issue," Mattis said.

U.S. media reported that National Security Council principals are holding a "small group" meeting to discuss Syria on Monday, led by John Bolton on his first official day as White House national security adviser.

U.S. bilateral relations with Russia have deteriorated recently due to the U.S. expulsion of Russian diplomats and sanctions of Russian business leaders and high-ranking officials. The incident in Syria was expected to be a new flashpoint between the two nations.

Trump on Sunday condemned Syria, Russia and Iran for what he called the "SICK" attack, threatening "big price to pay." The unexpected rhetoric has sparked concerns over the prospect of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Syria that Trump has reiterated recently.

Also on Sunday, Trump spoke over phone with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, agreeing on a "strong, joint response" to the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria.

The two leaders also "agreed to exchange information on the nature of the attacks and coordinate a strong, joint response," according to the statement released by the White House.

Activists, local rescuers and rebels in Syria have claimed that Syrian forces used chlorine gas in the attack on Saturday against Douma, in the rebel-held area near Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry responded to the rebels' claims of chemical weapons use by the Syrian army in Douma district near Damascus as "premeditated pretexts," according to state news agency SANA.

The ministry said the allegations have been planned beforehand to prolong the lives of the "terrorists" in Douma. The Syrian government has denied the allegations and called it fake news.

File Photo: A UN chemical weapons expert, wearing a gas mask, holds a plastic bag containing samples from one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Ain Tarma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria Aug. 29, 2013. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

Earlier on Monday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said it was investigating the incident and has made a preliminary analysis of the reports of the alleged use of chemical weapons.

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."

Speaking at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said that China firmly opposes the use of chemical weapons under any circumstances, adding that his country is "greatly concerned by the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria."

All parties should continue to insist that the Security Council and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) should be the main channels for addressing the use of chemical weapons, said the Chinese envoy.

Wu expressed the hope that the Syrian government would continue to cooperate with OPCW on the resolution of the initial declaration and properly resolve the outstanding issues.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-10 22:11:53|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BOAO, Hainan, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China-Pakistan relations should be a pillar for regional peace and stability, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday when meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

The ties between the two countries should become a model for good-neighborly relationship and international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi said.

"The China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has made outstanding progress since I visited Pakistan in 2015," Xi said.

The international and regional situation is undergoing profound and complex changes, which makes it more important for the two countries to consolidate the all-weather friendship and deepen strategic cooperation, the president said.

China is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to push bilateral ties to a higher level and build a more closely-knitted community with a shared future between the two countries, Xi said.

Xi called for efforts from both sides to advance the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and ensure the sound planning and implementation of cooperation projects involving infrastructure construction, such as the Gwadar Port, as well as energy and industrial parks.

What China most wants to see is stable development and prosperity in Pakistan, Xi said.

China firmly supports Pakistan in its efforts to safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity, and legitimate rights and interests. China opposes interference from any country in Pakistan's internal affairs, and firmly supports Pakistan in maintaining its national unity and the fight against terrorism, the president said.

For his part, Abbasi said China and Pakistan are "iron friends" who always support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns.

Hailing CPEC's important role in the development of both countries and the region, he expressed Pakistan's willingness to promote bilateral cooperation in finance, energy, agriculture, infrastructure and human resources.

After their meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents.
SKOPJE, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian Ministry of Education and Science announced on Tuesday the proposal to change the Law on Primary Education that foresees to cancel Saturday classes for primary level education.

According to the ministry, the changes proposed in the Law on Primary Education will be such as the reducing of the number of students in the parallel, the external evolution of the ranking of primary schools, the limitation of the powers of directors, counseling with parents on children who use hate speech, as well opportunities for the advancement of gifted students.

The proposal will be open to the public's suggestions and comments for one month.

The law provides that students from the first to third classes to study 20 hours a week, students from the fourth grade up to sixth will have 25 hours and those from the seventh to the ninth up to 30 hours per week.

Moreover, the law foresees the cancellation of lessons on Saturday because the educational process is ineffective. For this purpose, the number of lessons will not be fixed but can range from 175 to 180 working days.

In regard to the number of students in the parallels the Law suggests it to be between 20 and 30, with a maximum of 24 students.
UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A Russian-drafted resolution on an investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria failed to be adopted by the Security Council on Tuesday.

Of the 15 members of the Security Council, only six voted in favor of the Russian text, while seven voted against it, and two others abstained.

Adoption needs nine positive votes, including "yes" votes from all the five permanent members of the council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Before the vote on the Russian draft, Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted text for the same purpose.

The main difference between the two competing texts is that the Russian draft gives the Security Council the power to attribute accountability for chemical weapons use in Syria while the U.S. draft gives investigators this power, as the case with the now-defunct Joint Investigative Mechanism between the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations.

The Joint Investigative Mechanism had found that both the Syrian government and the Islamic State terrorist group used chemical weapons in Syria.

The mechanism ceased in November 2017 after Russia blocked the renewal of its mandate.

Before the vote on the U.S. text, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the Russian text wants to choose the investigators and assess the outcome while the U.S. text allows for truly independent investigation.

Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. draft prejudges the outcome of an investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 07:19:07|Editor: Lifang

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UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said Tuesday that the successful elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was crucial to peace and stability in the wider Great Lakes region of Central Africa.

Credible and inclusive elections in the DRC, followed by a peaceful transfer of power, would have a positive effect on peace, stability and development in the wider Great Lakes region of Central Africa, speakers said as the Security Council debated regional developments that also included humanitarian concerns and the activities of armed groups.

Said Djinnit, special envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, urged the Council "to remain united" in its support for the implementation of the Dec. 31, 2016 political agreement among Congolese political leaders under which elections would be held on Dec. 23, 2018 for a successor to President Joseph Kabila.

"The Great Lakes was among Africa's most volatile and complex regions, but it was also one that could make a meaningful contribution to the continent's stability and development," he said.

He encouraged the Council to keep urging the parties concerned to work toward the common goal of peace, stability and sustainable development for the region and its populations.

Ignace Gata Mavita wa Lufuta, permanent representative of the DRC to the UN, said the country is undoubtedly "the nerve center" of the Great Lakes region, adding that the task at hand is to help that country regain stability so it could become a catalyst for lasting peace in the wider region.

In that regard, he added, the international community must mobilize around regional efforts with strengthened coordination and cooperation.

In the ensuing debate, which followed the Council's renewal on March 27 of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), several speakers drew a link between the forthcoming elections and improving the lives of millions in the wider Great Lakes region.

Many drew attention to other challenges, too, including human rights abuses, the humanitarian situation in the east of the DRC and the flow of refugees and internally displaced persons.

French permanent representative to the UN, Francois Delattre, emphasized the importance of elections in the DRC and a peaceful handover of power, stating that regional stability is at stake.

Respect for human rights and the electoral calendar is key, he asserted, underscoring the role of regional organizations as well as the need to confront armed groups and the illicit trafficking in natural resources.

Also speaking were representatives of Britain, Russia, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Kuwait, Netherlands, Bolivia, Poland and Peru.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 07:34:08|Editor: Lifang

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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (R, Front) and British Ambassador to the United Nations Karen Pierce (L, Front) veto a Russian-drafted resolution on an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria, at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 10, 2018. The UN Security Council failed to adopt the Russian-drafted resolution on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a Russian-drafted resolution on an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria.

Five countries -- Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Russia -- voted in favor, failing to pass the threshold of nine. Four council members -- Britain, France, the United States and Poland -- voted against it and six others abstained.

Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia expressed disappointment at the outcome, arguing that the Russian text was a "repetition" of a Swedish document that was circulated on Monday among council members.

Nebenzia blamed some council members for voting against the text, as he claimed, simply because it was a Russian draft.

Right before the vote on the Russian text, Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog requested a suspension of the Security Council meeting for extra consultations.

"We are at a very fragile phase of council deliberations now and we need to reflect carefully on the way forward to ensure that we don't jump into further paralysis (that is) difficult to defend or repair," said Skoog.

The result of the vote shows that the closed-door consultations did not help to bring about consensus.

The Russian text was amended on the basis of Swedish draft elements circulated on Monday in order to find common ground in the Security Council for an outcome in support of an investigation by the OPCW into the alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday.

Russia substantially amended those elements and presented them as a Russian-drafted resolution on Tuesday. Russia requested the draft to be voted on alongside two competing draft resolutions on a broader investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria.

The two competing drafts, prepared by the United States and Russia respectively, failed to be adopted by the council.

The U.S. draft received 13 votes in favor, but Russia blocked it, using its veto power. Bolivia also voted against the U.S. text.

The Russian-drafted resolution got only six votes in favor, short of the nine voted needed. Besides, veto-wielding Britain, France and the United States all voted against it.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 08:04:14|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese art troupe will leave for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival.

The troupe will be led by Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The visit is at the invitation of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 09:02:06|Editor: Lifang

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (C) arrives to testify at a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., United States, on April 10, 2018. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Congress in written testimony on Monday that he is "responsible for" not preventing the social media platform from being used for harm, including fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)
TOKYO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Six people remain unaccounted for after a landslide buried three houses on Wednesday in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, local officials said.

According to police and government officials in the city of Nakatsu, three houses in the town of Yabakei were engulfed by a landslide after a mountain slope collapsed at around 3:50 a.m. local time.

Local rescue officials said they have asked for heavy machinery to be deployed to shift soil to access the accident site.

Ground Self-Defense Force personnel will also assist in the search and rescue mission, they said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 09:09:24|Editor: Lifang

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UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Tuesday vetoed a U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution on an investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria.

Twelve of the 15 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the U.S. text, while Russia and Bolivia voted against it. The draft failed to be adopted as Russia has veto power. China abstained.

Before the vote, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said her delegation had tried hard to incorporate Russian proposals into the draft so long as they would not compromise the impartiality of investigation.

She said the U.S. text was "the bare minimum" that the Security Council can do to respond to reports of the latest chemical attack in Douma, Syria, on Saturday.

Russia has also tabled a draft resolution for vote on Tuesday -- also on an investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria.

Haley said the main difference between the U.S.-drafted text and the Russian one is that Russia wanted to choose the investigators and assess the outcome while the U.S. text allows for truly independent investigation.

"Our resolutions are similar, but there are important differences. The key point is our resolution guarantees that any investigations will truly be independent. Russia's resolution gives Russia itself the chance to choose the investigators and then to assess the outcome. There is nothing independent about that," she told the Security Council.

"The United States is not asking to choose the investigators, and neither should Russia. The United States is not asking to review the findings of any investigation before they are final, and neither should Russia," she said.

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia, who spoke after Haley, argued that the U.S. draft prejudges the outcome of an investigation.

"Why do you need the mechanism, what do you need it for, when you have already appointed the guilty party prior to the investigation?" he asked.

Nebenzia accused the United States of pushing for a vote as a pretext for possible use of force against Syria.

"If you took the decision to carry out an illegal military adventure -- we do hope you will come to your senses, then you will have to bear responsibility for it yourselves," he warned.

Last year, the United States launched missile strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian airbase after the Syrian government was said to be responsible for chemical weapons use.

"The United States is again trying to mislead the international community and is taking yet one more step toward confrontation," said Nebenzia. "It is clear that the provocation step has nothing to do with a desire to investigate what happened in Douma, Syria."

"The propaganda fire will be once again aimed at Russia (because of its veto)... We are using the veto in order to protect the international rule of law, peace and security and to make sure that you do not drag the Security Council into your adventures," said Nebenzia.

Tuesday's veto by Russia was its 12th over Security Council action against Syria since the Syrian civil war started seven years ago.
CANBERRA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Wednesday announced that French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canberra on May 1-3.

Macron and Turnbull will discuss the 50-billion- Australian-dollar (about 38 billion U.S. dollars) Future Submarines Program, one of the biggest contract in the history of the Australian Defence Force that was awarded to France's Naval Group, the prime minister said.

The two sides will also discuss the next steps toward launching negotiations of an Australia-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA), "which will embody our commitment to open markets and a liberal rules-based trading system, while significantly strengthening our trade and investment ties," Turnbull said.

2018 marks 100 years since the end of World War I, a war where France and Australia fought alongside each other, the prime minister said.

"France is one of our oldest and closest friends. This year especially we remember our nations' shared sacrifice in the trenches of the Western Front a century ago," Turnbull said.

"In a time of uncertainty and persistent challenges to the international-rules-based order to which both our countries are firmly committed, we must continue to work together to address global challenges and create opportunity for the prosperity of our people."

This will be Macron's first visit to Australia since the French president came to power in 2017.
TRIPOLI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The eastern-based Libyan army has denied reports that the army's commander, General Khalifa Haftar, has been transferred to Europe for treatment.

"The news about the health of the commander, General Khalifa Haftar, is not true. He is in an excellent health condition," spokesman Ahmad Mismari said in a statement late on Monday.

"The General is following up the work of the (army's) operations chambers and the military zones," said Mismari.

Media reports said that Haftar had a stroke, and that he was transferred to Jordan and then to Europe for medical treatment.

The news came shortly after Haftar announced that his forces will take over the eastern city of Darna, as demanded by the local people.

Since 2015, Darna has been besieged by the army which demanded the armed group of the Shura Council of Mujahideen of Darna leave the city. The army accuses the group of being loyal to al-Qaida.
WASHINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump "believes he has the power" to fire special counsel Robert Mueller.

"He certainly believes he has the power to do so," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said when asked if the president believes he has that power.

The administration had been denying for months that Trump is considering firing Mueller. The change in tone followed Trump's anger over an FBI raid of the office of Michael Cohen, his long-time personal lawyer.

After receiving a referral from Mueller, federal prosecutors in Manhattan on Monday obtained a search warrant, raided Cohen's office and seized emails, tax documents, business records and communications between Cohen and Trump.

But the raid reportedly does not appear to be directly related to Mueller's investigation, which focuses on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

"It's an attack on our country in a true sense. It's an attack on what we all stand for," Trump said after knowing the operation. "We'll see what happens," he said when asked if he would fire the special counsel, who reports to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

"I think that the president has been clear that he thinks that this has gone too far," Sanders said of Trump's remarks.

CNN reported Tuesday that Trump, who does not have the power to fire Mueller directly, is considering firing Rosenstein, who could remove the special counsel for misconduct or other reasons, in a bid to put greater limits on the ongoing Russia probe.

Mueller has so far charged 19 people, among whom were several Trump campaign associates that have pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from Mueller's investigation. They are all cooperating with prosecutors but none of the charges are directly related to the collusion allegation.

It was reported earlier this month that Mueller told Trump's lawyers that the president is not a criminal target of the Russia probe, but stressed that he remains a subject of the investigation.
CANBERRA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A vast majority of Australia's political and business leaders come from an Anglo-Celtic or European background, research has found.

The study, released by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Asia Society Australia (ASA) and University of Sydney Business School on Wednesday, examined the cultural backgrounds of senior management of Australia's top 200 companies, members of parliaments (MPs), heads of government departments and university leaders.

It found that of the 2,490 people occupying the most influential posts in Australia, 75.9 percent were from Anglo-Celtic backgrounds while 19 percent had European heritage.

Only 4.7 percent had a non-European background and 0.4 percent an indigenous background.

"Described another way, about 95 percent of senior leaders in Australia have an Anglo-Celtic or European background," Tim Soutphommasane, Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner and lead author of the study, wrote in the report.

"Although those who have non-European and Indigenous backgrounds make up an estimated 24 percent of the Australian population, such backgrounds account for only five percent of senior leaders."

Soutphommasane said that only eight chief executives within the ASX 200, the group of Australia's top 200 companies, had non-European heritage.

"Of the 30 members of the Federal Ministry, there is no one who has a non-European background, and one who has an indigenous background," he said in a media release on Wednesday.

"It is similarly bleak within the public service, where 99 percent of the heads of federal and state government departments have an Anglo-Celtic or European background (that's one person of 103 heads of department).

"These are dismal statistics for a society that prides itself on its multiculturalism. They challenge our egalitarian self-image. And they challenge our future prosperity as a nation. If we aren't making the most of our multicultural talents, we may be squandering opportunities."
DHAKA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's leading premium airline, US-Bangla Airlines, has announced the launch of flight operations to Guangzhou, making it the first Bangladeshi air service to have a route to China.

Beginning on April 26, the flight will run thrice a week according to the spokesman Md. Kamrul Islam of the Dhaka-based leading private carrier.

"This is the first time in Bangladesh aviation history, from 26 April 2018, the country's leading premium airline, US-Bangla Airlines will start operations of its eighth international destination by flying beyond the borders of the nation in one of the most important cities of the eastern region, Guangzhou, China," said US-Bangla General Manager Islam on Tuesday.

"Initially three flights will be operated for Guangzhou from Dhaka on every Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday and return from Guangzhou to Dhaka on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday," he said in a statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 10:59:45|Editor: Liangyu

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HANGZHOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A vessel designed to navigate both rivers and the ocean completed a maiden voyage in China Tuesday, the shipping company said.

The vessel departed April 5 from Zhoushan port in Ningbo City on the east coast and arrived at a port in Ma'anshan City in Anhui province on the Yangtze River.

The ship, about 154 meters long, is loaded with 20,000 tonnes of iron ore, according to ship operator Zhejiang Xin Yi Hai Shipping Co., Ltd.

Previously, cargo had to be moved from one ship to another when switching between the ocean and rivers.

"River vessels generally cannot endure the waves at sea, and seagoing ships reach deep and cannot be used in rivers," said Chen Bo, director of Zhejiang Seahead Ship Design and Research Institute.

The new vessel is made from light iron plates. It has a flexible helm and is easier to dock at ports. It is safe for the vessel to cross under bridges on the Yangtze River, said Chen.

The ship was built in Zhoushan and construction started in April last year.

Zhoushan port management authority said use of the ships will greatly raise efficiency of cargo transport between the Yangtze River and the sea. A fleet will be built this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 11:14:47|Editor: ZD

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Photo taken on April 10, 2018 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on a U.S.-draft resolution on probe of chemical weapons use in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York. Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution on probe of chemical weapons use in Syria on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nationals Security Council remained "paralyzed" on investigating the recent alleged chemical weapons use in Syria with Russia and the United States continuing to shoot down each other's proposals Tuesday.

Russia on Tuesday vetoed a U.S.-drafted resolution on investigating reports of the recent chemical attack in Douma, a town located northeast of Syrian capital Damascus.

While 12 of the 15 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the U.S. text, Russia and Bolivia voted against it and China abstained. The draft failed to be adopted as Russia has veto power.

Before the vote, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said her delegation had tried hard to incorporate the Russian proposals into the draft so long as they did not compromise the impartiality of the investigation.

She said the U.S. text was "the bare minimum" that the Security Council could do to respond to the chemical attack reports.

Russia tabled a draft resolution of its own for the same purpose but that too was rejected.

Haley said the main difference between the two texts was that Russia wanted to choose the investigators and assess the outcome while the U.S. text was for a truly independent investigation.

"Our resolutions are similar, but there are important differences. The key point is our resolution guarantees that any investigations will truly be independent. Russia's resolution gives Russia itself the chance to choose the investigators and then to assess the outcome. There is nothing independent about that," she told the Security Council.

"The United States is not asking to choose the investigators, and neither should Russia. The United States is not asking to review the findings of any investigation before they are final, and neither should Russia," she said.

Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia, who spoke after Haley, argued that the U.S. draft prejudges the outcome of the investigation.

"Why do you need the mechanism, what do you need it for, when you have already appointed the guilty party prior to the investigation?" he asked.

Nebenzia accused the United States of pushing for a vote as a pretext for possible use of force against Syria.

"If you took the decision to carry out an illegal military adventure -- ... then you will have to bear responsibility for it yourselves," he warned.

"We do hope you will come to your senses," Nebenzia said.

Last year, the United States launched missile strikes against a Syrian airbase from two navy destroyers after the Syrian Government was alleged to have used chemical weapons, leading to civilian fatalities.

"The United States is again trying to mislead the international community and is taking yet one more step toward confrontation," Nebenzia said. "It is clear that the provocation ... has nothing to do with a desire to investigate what happened in Douma."

"The propaganda fire will be once again aimed at Russia (because of its veto). ... We are using the veto in order to protect the international rule of law, peace and security and to make sure that you do not drag the Security Council into your (American) adventures," he said.

Tuesday's veto by Russia was its 12th over Security Council action against Syria since the Syrian civil war started seven years ago.

Russia's draft was voted on later on Tuesday, receiving six votes in favor and seven against with two abstentions.

To be adopted, a draft needs nine votes, including from all the five permanent members of the council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Russia tabled a second draft resolution for vote on Tuesday for an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the watchdog of the Chemical Weapons Convention, into the chemical attack allegations.

It too failed to pass the threshold of nine. While Britain, France, the United States and Poland voted against it, six others abstained.

Right before the vote on the third text, Swedish Ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog requested a suspension of the meeting for extra consultations.

"We are at a very fragile phase of council deliberations now and we need to reflect carefully on the way forward to ensure that we don't jump into further paralysis (that is) difficult to defend or repair," Skoog said.

Tuesday's intensive voting came as Security Council members were striving to set up a mechanism to determine which side was accountable for the chemical weapons use in Syria.

A joint OPCW and United Nations investigation earlier had found that both the Syrian Government and the Islamic State terrorist group used chemical weapons in Syria. The investigation mechanism ended in November 2017 after Russia blocked the renewal of its mandate.

Related:

Security Council fails to adopt Russian-drafted resolution on OPCW probe of Syria chemical attack

Russia vetoes U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution on probe of chemical weapons use in Syria
By Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- With this week's raid of the office of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, things are looking pretty bad for the president and could get worse, analysts said.

"He could be the person who knows enough to bring the president down," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua, referring to the president's personal attorney Michael D. Cohen.

"This raid is ominous for Trump. Cohen is his personal attorney and privy to many intimate details of Trump's business life," West said.

Monday saw FBI agents raid the New York office of Cohen. The agents confiscated emails, documents related to business records, as well as documents allegedly connected to a payment to a woman who was formerly a porn actress.

The actress, known as Stormy Daniels, claimed to have had an affair with Trump over ten years ago. She was allegedly paid hush money.

The raid was the latest among FBI's investigations against the president, as the FBI has been seeking to find a connection between Trump and Russia, after Moscow allegedly meddled in the 2016 presidential elections.

"He handled sensitive issues, lawsuits, women's complaints and the like," West said. "If he has legal jeopardy and accepts a plea deal, that would be very difficult for Trump."

"He (Cohen) could tell stories and provide documents that would undermine many of Trump's stated defenses. As such, he is a crucial person in the Trump investigation," West added.

Christopher Galdieri, assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua that it's hard to say whether this will hurt Trump until more information comes out.

"But this is a major development... This sort of raid is not the sort of thing that's done lightly," he said.

"I think it has the potential to hurt Trump legally, since Cohen has much to offer Mueller in terms of testimony and evidence. And politically, at least a few Republicans seem to be realizing that the investigation needs to be protected," he said, referring to the special investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, into the alleged collusion between Trump and Russia during the U.S. presidential elections.

"In the big picture, I think this shows that the Mueller probe is both growing and getting closer to Trump. Cohen is about as close as you can get without being a member of the Trump family," he said.

"There's also the possibility that the raid will implicate Cohen in activities that would fall under the purview not of the Mueller probe, but of the U.S. attorney in New York, or New York's attorney general, both of which would be additional fronts for Trump to worry about," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 11:29:50|Editor: Liangyu

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LIMA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The earlier U.S. announcement that President Donald Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas to be held this week here in the Peruvian capital reflects a "low priority" for Latin America on Washington's agenda, said Peruvian analysts.

Peru's international relations expert Miguel Rodriguez Mackay said Trump, who was expected to make his first visit to the region as U.S. president, has once again made his "contempt" for Latin America clear.

"We have to be sensible, Trump's contempt for Latin America has been confirmed," said Rodriguez, citing Trump's project to build a wall on the border with Mexico to curb illegal immigration.

The White House said Wednesday U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will attend the summit on behalf of Trump. Trump has decided to stay home to focus on issues related to an alleged use of chemical weapons recently in Syria.

"U.S. interests are not in Latin America, but in the Middle East. We continue to be seen as its backyard. That's why Trump's absence from the summit, where for the first time there won't be a U.S. president among the participants, marks a key point in ties and in the application of policies based on consensus," Rodriguez said.

Political analysts Farid Kahhat and Oscar Vidarte agreed that Washington not only puts Latin America low on its agenda, but also lacks any development vision for the hemisphere as a whole.

"Trump has no positive agenda for Latin America that he could present at the summit. Almost all matters that have linked Trump to Latin America are matters of confrontation, whether in trade or immigration," said Kahhat.

"I'm not very surprised (with Trump's absence) because the U.S. government really has no clear agenda for the region," he said.

Since Trump took power in January 2017, Vidarte said, "the topic that has dominated ties with Latin America has been the search for measures that will benefit his country more."

Jorge Castro, head of the Institute of Strategic Planning (IPE) in Argentina, said Trump cancellation of the visit "is quite revealing, it shows the U.S. priorities are elsewhere."

He also said that compared with countries in the northern area of Latin America which are geographically nearer the United States, South America's relations with the United States are "irrelevant."
NEW DELHI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will observe a day-long fast along with other lawmakers of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday to protest against disruptions in the parliament, the BJP party said Wednesday.

The BJP has said that its fast will be against disruptions in the Indian Parliament by the opposition parties, mainly the Congress. BJP chief Amit Shah will also observe fast, but in the southern state of Karnataka where he is conducting campaign for upcoming polls, the party said.

"To expose the Congress for its undemocratic style of functioning & pursuing divisive politics & anti-development agenda, PM Shri @narendramodi will observe day-long fast on April 12 while continuing his routine official work," the BJP tweeted.

"Shri @AmitShah will participate in a protest in Hubli (Karnataka)," the party added.

The BJP has been blaming the Congress party, including its seniormost leader Sonia Gandhi, for the disruptions that led to the complete washout of the recently concluded Budget Session.

The Congress, however, denies the charges and has called Modi's fast a "farce".

"This is a farce of a fast by the Modi government. The BJP should apologise to the nation and hold a fast for disrupting Parliament for over 250 hours," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
LONDON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Eating the hottest pepper in the world is no joke, as a man discovered at his expense, after a bite of the "Carolina Reaper" gave him massive headaches and necessitated an emergency visit to the hospital.

The 34-year-old took part in a hot pepper eating contest in New York and the "Carolina Reaper" gave him excruciating thunderclap headaches, finally forcing him to visit a hospital emergency room, British Medical Journal Care Reports said Monday.

A CT angiography of his brain showed he was suffering from cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), or unexpected narrowing of arteries, leading to the headaches.

Fortunately, it was reversible and the report said his condition improved with supportive care. A second examination five weeks later showed the abnormality had been resolved.
WASHINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis has canceled his weekend trip to California over the upcoming U.S. response to the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, local media reported Tuesday.

The trip was canceled following President Donald Trump skipping his first trip to Latin America scheduled for the weekend to oversee "the American response to Syria".

Trump has been mulling a response to the alleged "chemical attack" on Saturday, with the possibility of U.S. military actions against the Syrian government looming large.

Mattis, who planned to visit California and Nevada, is expected to attend a White House meeting on Wednesday for further discussions on Syria, local media reported.

On Monday evening, Trump said the United States is "going to make a decision tonight or shortly thereafter" on the Syria incident.

Activists, local rescuers and rebels in Syria claim that Syrian government forces used chlorine gas on Saturday in an attack in Douma, a rebel-held area near capital Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has denied the accusations, calling rebels' claims "premeditated pretexts".
UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the killing of a Rwandan peacekeeper and the wounding of eight others of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), his spokesman said in a statement.

The incident occurred in Bangui on Tuesday during an exchange of fire with armed elements. The fighting followed a joint operation launched on Sunday by the UN mission known as Minusca and CAR security forces to disarm and arrest heavily armed criminal groups, said the statement.

The secretary-general offered his deepest condolences to the bereaved family, as well as to the government of Rwanda, and wished a swift recovery to the injured.

The secretary-general said attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute a war crime and called on the CAR authorities to investigate them and swiftly bring those responsible to justice, said the statement.
NADI, FIJI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 18,000 people are still staying at evacuation centers in Fiji after tropical cyclone Keni hit the South Pacific Island state with heavy rain and destructive winds on Tuesday.

Announcing this on Wednesday, Fiji's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) said that most of the evacuees are in the centers in the western part of the nation and the evacuees will only return to their homes when it is safe.

Anare Leweniqila, director of NDMO, said that the impact of tropical cyclone Keni on Fiji is still unknown and their focus right now is to provide emergency services to the affected people.

The damage assessments are currently underway in the western part and other affected areas of the island nation. It is reported that NDMO hopes to send out a plane to conduct an assessment of damage to Kadavu and Ono-i-lau islands.

Fiji's Kadavu Island has suffered a direct hit and devastation to homes and plantation from tropical cyclone Keni with its highly destructive winds wiping out homes, uprooting trees and capsizing boats on the south side of the island.

Keni also caused the death of one man in Ba, a town in western Fiji while trying to secure his house with blocks and falling off his roof at the height of the heavy rain and winds.

Currently, 90 roads across Fiji remain closed due to damage caused by heavy rain and flooding while all schools in the western part and Kadavu island that are being used as evacuation centers are also closed.

Keni is the second tropical cyclone to hit Fiji in just over a week after tropical cyclone Josie caused six deaths over the Easter long weekend.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 13:50:19|Editor: Liangyu

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KABUL, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank provided a grant of 691 million U.S. dollars to Afghan government to support its efforts in reviving economy and improving access to quality healthcare, Afghan Finance Ministry said Wednesday.

The new financing will help modernize state-owned banks, and expand regional telecommunication connectivity, electronic-government services and create enabling environment for private sector investment, the ministry said in a statement.

"Improving the quality of health services, strengthening the banking infrastructure and digitizing government systems will enhance our ability to deliver better and quality services to our people," Afghan Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi was quoted in the statement as saying.

"This contribution demonstrates the continued commitment and support of international community helping the government of Afghanistan implement priority reforms for sustainable development," he said.

Afghanistan is implementing an ambitious reform program in a context of strong budget pressures imposed by low domestic revenue, though improving, massive security spending and enormous development needs, said Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank country director for Afghanistan, in the statement.

"In this challenging environment, we remain committed to helping the government of Afghanistan further improve service delivery to the Afghan people. For example, the new health project will improve health and nutrition services for the entire population of the country in all 34 provinces." he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 14:00:20|Editor: Liangyu

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HANGZHOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Customs authority in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, said 469 tonnes of solid waste will be returned.

Inspectors found the shipment, from the United States, consisting of scrap paper mixed with waste metal parts and used drinking bottles.

According to Chinese regulations, the shipment that contains solid waste should be banned from import.

The customs authority has asked companies to return the waste as early as possible.

China has banned imports of 24 types of solid waste since late 2017 in a move to reduce environmental pollution.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 14:10:21|Editor: ZD

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LANZHOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province and birthplace of Lanzhou beef noodles, has seen many foreigners learning to make noodles in recent years.

Lanzhou beef noodle has a history of about 200 years. Having been rated as one of the top 10 famous noodles in China, the hand-pulled noodles have been accepted by gastronomes across the world.

Studying at colleges in Lanzhou, Dvumarov Takhir and other students from Kazakhstan are attending a training class on Lanzhou beef noodles

Takhir said that he fell in love with Lanzhou beef noodles when he first ate them three years ago when he came to the city.

"There seems to be a magical power in the hand of the cook. He just stretched a lump of dough, and a big bowl of beef noodles was ready for me right after I found a seat in the restaurant," Takhir said. "I'm obsessed by the taste of Lanzhou beef noodles and drink all the soup every time."

When he knew there was a chance to learn Lanzhou beef noodle-making he applied to join the course instantly."It seemed to be very easy, but it's easier said than done," said the 23-year-old man, who has been learning to knead and pull dough for 10 days.

"My arms were aching at the beginning. I would have given up if I didn't like the noodles," he said, adding that he wants to cook Lanzhou beef noodles for his family.

Different from Takhir, Kozhevnikov Nikolay said he would run a Lanzhou beef noodle restaurant in his country after graduation.

"China and Kazakhstan have seen more frequent trade contact since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, and a growing number of Chinese businessmen come to Kazakhstan. Introducing this food to Kazakhstan can enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries," Nikolay said.

Alfraih Abdulaziz Nasser, from Saudi Arabia, is also taking part in a Lanzhou beef noodle cooking lesson at another training school.

This is the second time that he has participated in such a lesson.

"Only through studying can I understand that a bowl of delicious beef noodles contains dozens of processes, including selecting materials, cooking the broth, kneading and stretch dough. Only one step wrong will affect the taste,"said the Ph.D candidate at Lanzhou University. "I will focus on making soup and chili oil this time," he said.

"We have spaghetti in Italy, but Lanzhou beef noodles are totally different. Beef noodles use more ingredients with rich soup," said Ilaria, a master student at Lanzhou University.

"It will take at least three months to master skills of making Lanzhou beef noodles. Patience is the most important thing," said Zhao Xinmin, a teacher at Xinglong Lanzhou Beef Noodles Vocational Training School.

"To make these foreign students better understand how to make beef noodles, teachers slow down the course and teach them step by step," Zhao said.

Sun Yanhe, who's in charge of academic affairs at the school, said that the school also provides training concerning business startups and management.

"We provide such kinds of training and supports to foreign learners so that they can help spread our food culture and let more people across the world know about Lanzhou beef noodles," Sun said.

So far, there are more than 110 Lanzhou beef noodle restaurants in 40 countries and regions across the world.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 14:15:23|Editor: ZD

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GUANGZHOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A court in south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday sentenced 47 people, most of whom had been repatriated from Malaysia in 2016, for telecom fraud.

The defendants were given sentences ranging from 25 months to 12 years in prison and slapped with fines due to the seriousness of the circumstances.

According to a district court in Zhuhai city, the scammers were from two groups. Forty-two of them were extradited from Malaysia in April 2016, including 19 residents of Taiwan.

The court said between September 2015 and March 2016, the offenders impersonated bank staff, police officers or procuratorate staff, and cheated victims out of money in the name of upgrading bank accounts or account inspection. Most of the offenders committed fraud in Malaysia, while the others were in China.

They swindled 42 people on the Chinese mainland out of a total of 7 million yuan (1.1 million U.S. dollars), the court said.
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Long family dispute has resulted in the death of six members of a family in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, authorities said Wednesday.

The tragic event occurred late on Tuesday night, in Saracha-e-Ali Khan area of Behsud district, where three brothers armed with guns attacked their uncle house, killing him, his wife and four of his children, the provincial government said in a statement.

Further details about the incident were not shared in the statement.

The assailants have managed to flee the scene, with police officials launching investigation into the case, according to the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 14:50:29|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The 10th Straits Forum will be held in southeast China's Fujian Province in mid-June, said a spokesperson Wednesday.

"The forum, the first large-scale cross-Strait event since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, will focus on expanding people-to-people exchanges," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

Online application will be open this month to people from across the Taiwan Strait, who wish to attend the forum, Ma said.

Praising the event's constructive role in improving connections across the Strait, Ma said the forum was aimed at creating more diverse and inclusive exchange programs.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 15:00:32|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's groundbreaking reform and opening-up. The long-held policy not only brings China rapid and sustainable development, but also enables the country to have contributed greater momentum to the global economy.

Over the past 40 years, China's GDP has averaged an annual growth rate of around 9.5 percent in comparable prices. The country's foreign trade has also registered an annual growth of 14.5 percent in the U.S. dollar, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday in Boao, a town in southern island province of Hainan.

"China's reform and opening-up meets its people's aspiration for development, innovation and a better life. It also meets the global trend toward development, cooperation and peace," Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference.

CHINESE MODEL DRIVES ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION

Before heading for China to attend this year's BFA, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the achievements China made through reform and opening-up show that the country has successfully driven economic globalization. He stressed that China's economic development would remarkably propel the global economy.

Every year, the BFA is expected to gather thousands of participants from around the world to offer advice on cooperation, development and prosperity.

Boao, a traditional fishing town drastically changed into a well-known diplomatic destination as a permanent venue for the annual forum, has witnessed the great leap that China made through reform and opening-up over the past 40 years.

So far, it's widely acknowledged that China's comprehensive and deepening reform and opening-up has provided the world with a major economic locomotive, as it has given fresh impetus to the global economy through a set of pragmatic programs, of which the most representative one is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Overseas experts and China watchers agree that Asia is currently leading the world economy with China's contribution of a large part of global economic growth.

"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 Young-ju, chairman of the Korean International Trade Association, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Kim said China has helped build the world economic order and global governance by creating an economic model of reform and opening-up. He expressed the hope that China would contribute to further global growth by deepening its reform and opening-up.

He noted that the economic model China has devised is represented by the BRI and the establishment of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank to support the initiative.

The "BRI's format follows that used in China's development," according to a pre-conference report jointly composed by the BFA and Deloitte, a UK-incorporated multinational accounting and consulting firm.

The "BRI's initial focus was on energy and infrastructure; it is now widening to trade, manufacturing, the Internet and tourism," said the report.

"Multinational corporations with competitive advantages are winning BRI-related deals, and we predict more will do so in the near future," the report noted.

BRI TO ADVANCE REFORM, OPENING-UP

To date, more than 40 Asian countries have joined the BRI, and some have dovetailed their national development strategies with the initiative.

In 2017, China's trade volume with BRI countries grew by 14.8 percent year-on-year, reaching 1.18 trillion dollars, according to latest statistics from China's Ministry of Commerce.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte hailed the connection set up through the BRI between China and his country as "a symbol of intensifying China-Dutch relations." Rutte noted that Dutch companies have been keenly interested in the BRI, especially since it involves enormous investment in infrastructure.

"This is where Dutch companies can assist China with their strong expertise in fields like maritime logistics and port development, as well as rail and road construction and sustainability," he told Xinhua.

Last month, the first direct train connecting Amsterdam and Yiwu City in eastern China under the Belt and Road framework left the Dutch capital for the Chinese trading hub. A direct rail service linking Rotterdam and Tilburg in the Netherlands and Chengdu in southwest China has been in operation for nearly two years.

Gamal Bayoumi, head of the Cairo-based Arab Investors Union, also hailed China as a significant stabilizer in global trade, especially for developing countries.

"We encourage this role and we hope that China's economic growth rate remains high because it benefits the economies of many developing states," Bayoumi told Xinhua recently.

FURTHER OPENING UP OF CHINESE MARKET

As the largest emerging economy, China kept a medium-high economic growth rate of 6.9 percent in 2017, contributing approximately one third of global economic growth and continuously acting as the largest contributor to the global economy, according to a report released at a press conference of the BFA annual conference on Sunday.

In doing so, China has vowed to further open its economy with concrete measures to promote the common prosperity of China and the world.

China will improve the investment environment for foreign investors, significantly lower the import tariffs for vehicles and reduce import tariffs for some other products this year, Xi said in his keynote speech.

"We will take the initiative to expand imports," Xi said. "We have a genuine desire to increase imports and achieve greater balance of international payments under the current account."

(Yoo Seung-ki in Seoul, Liu Fang in The Hague also contributed to the story.)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 16:10:47|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson said here Wednesday that the mainland has always supported and protected Taiwan enterprises and Taiwan compatriots to invest on the mainland.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference that as the mainland continues to open up, Taiwan businessmen and companies, if they follows the economic progress of the mainland, would post better development.

"We are willing to share the development opportunities with our Taiwan compatriots, and deepen the cross-Strait communication and cooperation economically and culturally, to bring tangible benefits to Taiwan compatriots," Ma said.

Ma said that the mainland continued to carry out preferential policies towards Taiwan compatriots living, working and studying on the mainland.

The preferential policies are applied in cultural, financial, and social communication, among others, according to Ma.

Ma also said the increased number of Taiwan students applying for mainland colleges showed that the development of the mainland and the opportunities it provides have become more and more appealing to Taiwan youngsters.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 16:35:54|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BOAO, Hainan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank governor on Wednesday fleshed out measures and disclosed a timetable to further open up the financial sector, signaling fast progress in implementing the country's opening-up promises.

China will encourage foreign investors to enter its trust, financial leasing, auto finance, money brokerage and consumer finance sectors, a move to take effect before the end of this year, said Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China, at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in the southern Hainan Province.

No foreign ownership limits will be set for new financial asset investment and wealth management companies initiated by commercial banks, he said.

China will also "substantially expand the business scope of foreign banks," and impose no restrictions on the business scope of joint-venture securities companies, Yi said.

In addition, the country will remove the requirement that foreign insurance companies must have had representative offices for two years before they set up businesses in China, he said.

All these measures will come into force before the end of this year, Yi told a panel discussion, noting that the country will also try to launch the Shanghai-London stock connect program within this year.

The opening policies in the following six areas will be implemented in the coming months, according to the governor.

First, foreign equity restrictions on banks and financial asset management firms will be canceled, with equal treatment for domestic and foreign-funded institutions. Foreign banks will be allowed to set up branches and subsidiaries at the same time in the country.

Second, foreign businesses will be allowed to own up to 51 percent of shares in securities, funds, futures and life insurance joint ventures, and the cap will be phased out over three years.

Third, securities joint ventures will not be required to have at least one securities firm among its domestic shareholders.

Fourth, daily quotas for the stock connect schemes between the mainland and Hong Kong will be quadrupled starting from May 1. The daily southbound quotas for the Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connects will be increased to 42 billion yuan (about 6.67 billion U.S. dollars), while the daily northbound quota will reach 52 billion yuan.

Fifth, qualified foreign investors will be allowed to operate as insurance agents and appraisers in the country.

Sixth, foreign-funded insurance brokers will have the same business scope as their Chinese counterparts do.

The central bank governor stressed equal treatment of domestic and foreign companies. "Their performance and competitiveness are up to themselves. The market is open," he said.

The opening up of the financial sector should go together with the reform in exchange rate formation mechanism and the process of advancing capital account convertibility, Yi said.

While mapping out the plan of opening up, the governor also called for attention to financial regulation.

"While pursuing opening up, we should attach importance to preventing financial risks," he said. "The capability of financial regulation should match the extent of opening-up."
PHNOM PENH, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Wednesday launched the Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation to raise funds for the country's Kantha Bopha Hospitals.

The new foundation was aimed at keeping the hospitals running after charismatic Swiss doctor and cellist Beat Richner, the 71-year-old founder of the hospitals, was seriously ill and stepped down from his position as the managing director of the hospitals in March last year.

"I can say that today is a historic day that the Cambodian children will continue to receive quality healthcare services free of charge," Hun Sen said in a speech during the launching ceremony. "This is the big relief of burden in either financial or mental aspects for all parents."

The prime minister called on the people from all walks of life to make donations to the foundation for the well-being of the Cambodian mothers and children.

Meanwhile, he announced that the government made the first donation of 10 million U.S. dollars to the foundation, and on the occasion, government officials, prominent tycoons, and the Cambodian Red Cross also contributed a total of 2.47 million U.S. dollars to the foundation.

According to the prime minister, anyone donated a minimum of 20,000 U.S. dollars would become the foundation's founding members, 5,000 U.S. dollars would be recorded as honorary members, and 15 U.S. dollars would be noted as supporting members.

Hun Sen said the Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation would complement the Kantha Bopha Foundation in Switzerland, which was established by Richner more than two decades ago.

Founded in 1992, the Kantha Bopha Hospitals currently have five locations, including four in capital Phnom Penh and one in northwestern Siem Reap province, said Economy and Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth, who serves as the president of the Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation.

The hospitals employed 2,345 staff and provided medical checkups and treatment to between 2,500 and 3,000 patients a day, he said, adding that the annual budget of the running costs was around 43 million U.S. dollars.

It is estimated that the hospitals provide free medical treatment to about 80 percent of the country's pediatric patients, and the main sources of funds for running the hospitals come from Swiss donors and contributions by the governments of Swiss and Cambodia.
TOKYO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. Marine based in Okinawa was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday for killing a 61-year-old Japanese man last year while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Prosecutors had initially been seeking a six-year term for the fatal offense, but the Naha District Court sentenced 22-year-old Nicholas James-Mclean to four years in prison.

James-Mclean, according to the court's ruling, while driving a 2-ton military vehicle intoxicated, missed a red traffic signal at a junction in Naha City and struck a pickup truck at 88 km per hour, killing its occupant.

"It was extremely dangerous and his negligence is serious. The defendant cannot avoid the prison sentence," Presiding Judge Toshihiro Shibata was quoted by local media as saying.

James-Mclean was arrested following the fatal incident in the early hours of Nov. 19. and was found by local police to be three times more over the legal limit to be operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, hosts the bulk of U.S. military bases in Japan.

Local citizens and officials have become increasingly irate at instances of U.S.-military-linked crimes, noise, pollution and accidents involving aircraft.

Following the high-profile case of a U.S. base-linked worker murdering a 20-year-old local women in 2016 and amid staunch opposition to the relocation of a controversial military base within the island, the people of Okinawa have been stepping up calls for their base-hosting burdens to be lifted.

Officials and citizens have been ardently calling for their decades-long burdens to be eased by some of the U.S. bases being relocated outside the prefecture or out of Japan completely.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:21:01|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The best way to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the "Wang-Koo meeting" is to uphold the 1992 Consensus, according to a mainland spokesperson Wednesday.

"The Singapore meeting between Wang Daohan, then head of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Koo Chen-fu, then chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), in April 1993 was a historic attempt to replace confrontation with dialogue across the Taiwan Strait," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference in Beijing. "The meeting set a precedent for high-level contacts and equal negotiation across the Strait."

Exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan stalled after the Kuomintang, led by Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan in 1949 after being defeated in a civil war.

In the early 1990s, the mainland and Taiwan decided to entrust non-governmental organizations to begin cross-Strait talks.

The common understanding, later named the "1992 Consensus," was reached between ARATS and SEF a few months before the Wang-Koo meeting.

"The key is to adhere to the 1992 Consensus and oppose 'Taiwan independence,'" Ma said. "With this political foundation, the cross-Strait relations and welfare of people on both sides will be improved. Without it, mutual trust across the Strait will no longer exist and relations will regress to unrest, with progress made so far vaporizing."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:21:02|Editor: Yamei

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by Tamara Treichel

BOAO, Hainan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Conference-goers from around the world to attend the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) weighed in with their impressions of this year's forum and welcomed China's promise of a further opening-up.

Leslie Maasdorp, the South African vice president and chief financial officer of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of the bustling summit that the forum comes at a very interesting time for China as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up.

"So it's a good moment to pause, reflect, look at what will be the next phase of growth for China," Maasdorp said. "How should it be different? What can we learn from the past 40 years? So it's a very interesting inflection point for China and for the region."

Stephen Groff, vice president of the Asian Development Bank, comes from the United States and is a regular at the Boao Forum. He remarked on China's opening-up at a press conference on the sidelines of the forum.

Groff said an open economy and open trade are critical for sustainable global economic growth and that a further opening-up as mentioned in President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the forum is a good thing for China's economy.

"What this opening-up does is increasing competition in whatever sectors that are opening up, which ultimately results in more innovation and better products and better services that ultimately benefit consumers at the end of the day," he said.

"And so whether that be in the auto sector which President Xi mentioned or the financial sector or insurance markets, all of this kind of opening-up does result in better outcomes for consumers at the end of the day and more innovation," Groff said.

Alexei Chekunkov, general director of The Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund, was also excited about the prospect of a further opening-up and what this would mean for his native Russia.

"Forty years of reform and opening-up in China have made amazing achievements. In the next 40 years, China will undoubtedly achieve more," Chekunkov told Xinhua.

"We understand that China is going to explore the opening of free trade ports. China and Russia share similar goals in the area. Russia has set up a free trade port in Vladivostok. I very much hope that China's new polices on openness will promote friendly cooperation between the border areas of China and Russia."

John and Doris Naisbitt are a couple who were attending the forum for the first time among other distinguished guests. John, an American, is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller "Megatrends" and his wife Doris, who is from Austria, is an observer of global social, economic and political trends and director of the Naisbitt China Institute.

To the Naisbitts, the Boao Forum reflects the shift of economic importance from the West to the emerging nations, with many of these emerging nations being connected by the maritime and land routes of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Whether it is taking place on small or large scale, to meet, discuss and exchange success and challenges with like-minded people and nations is an important factor on the path to reaching a goal. It is already a great achievement to raise a feeling of community and solidarity, even if it is only on a few matters," the Naisbitts told Xinhua in a joint email interview.

The couple also commented on this year's forum being overshadowed by the threat of a trade war between China and the United States.

"It is a very naive point of view that there is a zero-sum trade game between China and the U.S. Our economies are much too much integrated to hurt just one target without damaging others," especially one's own country. "America first versus China first would end in a loss for most," they said.

However, the Naisbitts remarked favorably on Xi's keynote speech. "It was a speech in very conciliatory tone. It was putting China in the position that used to be claimed by the U.S., to be the champion of globalization," the couple said, adding that China was standing up for dialogue, openness, cooperation and respect among nations.

"The promise of a 'new phase of opening-up,' of making broader commitments to further liberalize China's economy, is well received. But as much as the prospects of creating a more attractive investment environment, of easing restrictions on foreign firms and lowering import tariffs are welcome, of most importance is their implementation," they said.

The BFA is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization that has been holding this annual conference since 2002. This year's theme is "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity," which is a nod to the elements that have helped Asia's economies develop rapidly: openness, innovation and globalization.

(Xinhua reporters Qiu Xia, Kang Yi and Wang Shang also contributed to the story.)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:26:04|Editor: Yamei

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by Levi J Parsons

SYDNEY, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Australian business leaders, academics and journalists welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech on Tuesday at the Boao Forum for Asia, saying that numerous countries stand to benefit from China's global development plans.

Australian mining company Fortescue Metals' CEO Elizabeth Gaines told Xinhua she feels upbeat about the current economic conditions in the Asia Pacific region, despite the current Sino-U.S. "trade dispute."

"President Xi spoke very positively on the new phase of China's opening up, building on the highly successful economic reforms over the past 40 years, and particularly noting that China's door will open wider through a range of strong measures to further grow market access, open financial markets and liberalize foreign investment," said the business leader.

"These initiatives will further build China's global competitiveness, with the Belt and Road Initiative also set to drive continued development for the benefit of all economies," she said.

"As a major supplier of iron ore with the majority of our customers in China, we are confident in the growth prospects and long-term fundamentals of the Chinese market and other emerging economies in the Asian region," she added.

Meanwhile, academics and journalists in Australia appeared somewhat eased by the tone of the speech, amid concerns stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies.

"With Mr. Trump tweeting all manner of ribald attacks on domestic and foreign foes from the White House, Xi has been left to take the high road on his own, alone among major powers, in defence of global trade and economic openness," senior fellow Richard Mcgregor wrote in an article for the Lowy Institute, an independent think tank based in Sydney, Australia.

On the foreign exchange market, the sharp rise in the Aussie dollar after the address saw the local currency jump 0.5 percent to 77.35 U.S. cents, its highest level since late March.

Xi reaffirmed the outlook for Chinese trade policy, helping "calm investor nerves that have been rattled over the past month as trade tensions between the United States and China increased," financial reporter David Scutt wrote on Wednesday for the Business Insider Australia.

"In a widely flagged speech yesterday (Tuesday) China's President Xi struck a mature and conciliatory tone on global trade," CMC Markets' chief market strategist Michael McCarthy said.

"And industrial commodities and related currencies rallied as relieved investors piled into shares," said McCarthy.

"Welcoming comments from U.S. President (Donald) Trump this morning also further fuelled the enthusiasm," added the market analyst.

"Very thankful for President Xi of China's kind words on tariffs and automobile barriers ... also, his enlightenment on intellectual property and technology transfers," Trump said on his Twitter account.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:26:06|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with incumbent and incoming members of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 11, 2018. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BOAO, Hainan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's development cannot be achieved without the world, and the world also needs China for its development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday.

That is one of the important conclusions drawn from the past four decades of reform and opening-up in China, said Xi while meeting with incumbent and incoming members of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan.

China will continue to staunchly stay on the path of peaceful development, pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up, and forge a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, Xi said.

The country will promote coordination and cooperation with other major countries, develop good-neighborly relationship with its neighbors, take a more active part in global governance, and work with the rest of the world to deal with challenges more effectively, the president noted.

Xi pledged that China will closely connect its own future with that of the world people and strive for both the wellbeing of the Chinese people and human progress.

Efforts will be made to further expand cooperation with others and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, Xi said.

China will also promote the Belt and Road Initiative, follow the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, build a new platform for international cooperation to create new drivers of shared development, and deliver the benefits of the initiative to more countries and their people, he noted.
ALGIERS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 105 soldiers on Wednesday morning were killed in a military plane crash in Blida province, 30 km southwest of Algiers, Ennahar private television channel quoted official sources as saying.

An Ilyushin I76 troop carrier belonging to the Algerian Air Force crashed Wednesday morning in the perimeter of the military airbase of Boufarik in Blida province, Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement.

Official sources noted that the plane was departing for the western province of Oran.

A thick black smoke emanated from the crashed jet, which could be visible from the highway linking Algiers to Blida.

Emergency services have been dispatched to the site of the crash.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:31:07|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan meets with a British delegation attending the 10th China-UK Leadership Forum in Beijing, capital of China, April 11, 2018. The British delegation was led by David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan met with a British delegation attending the 10th China-UK Leadership Forum in Beijing on Wednesday.



The British delegation was led by David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister.

Wang said the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, including opening-up, accords with Chinese people's expectations for a better life.

The interdependence of China and the rest of the world is growing, Wang said, noting that China's development will bring more opportunities globally.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind aligns with the trend of times, and the Belt and Road Initiative has put it into practice, Wang said.

Chinese and British leaders attached great importance to the China-UK Leadership Forum, Wang said, expressing his hope that both sides will contribute to creating a Golden Era of bilateral ties in the new era.

Lidington said he hopes the two countries will deepen cooperation and exchanges to benefit the two peoples.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:36:08|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's auto sales returned to growth last month following a holiday-distorted February, with a continued boom for new energy vehicles (NEVs), according to an industry association Wednesday.

Some 2.66 million vehicles were sold in March, up 4.7 percent from a year ago and more than 50 percent month on month, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Sales in February fell 11.1 percent year on year.

The NEV market remained vigorous as sales soared 117.4 percent year-on-year to around 68,000 vehicles in March. Production surged by 105 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:46:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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SYDNEY, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Amid recent concerns over the escalating trade tensions and protectionism, Chinese President Xi Jinping's latest pledge to globalization and opening-up has been hailed by Australian academic and business communities.

"Australia is a small, open economy, and we rely on a rules-based trading system to protect our national interests. So it's a big positive for Australia if China supports that rules-based system," Professor James Laurenceson, deputy director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, told Xinhua.

China will "stay as determined as ever to build world peace, contribute to global prosperity and uphold the world order," Xi said Tuesday when addressing the opening ceremony of the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia in China's southern island province of Hainan.

Australian investors were highly motivated by the speech, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index reaching a two-and-a-half week high to close up 48.3 points or 0.83 percent higher at 5,857 on Tuesday. Strong moves in markets were also expected with the future index up by at least 1 percent.

Westpac analysts Imre Speizer and Sean Callow highlighted in a research note that investors were looking to President Xi's assurance that the U.S. protectionism would not be played out in the world's second largest economy.

To that effect, the president's pledge to further open the Chinese economy and lower barriers on products, such as vehicle import tariffs, also buoyed the U.S. markets and helped propel the greenback and Asian shares higher.

"Built on the highly successful economic reforms over the past 40 years, China's door will open wider through a range of strong measures to further grow market access, open financial markets and liberalize foreign investment," said Elizabeth Gaines, chief executive officer of Australian iron ore group Fortescue Metals.

Signs were clear that Australian businesses understood the threats posed by the rising rhetoric about trade protectionism and market barriers.

"When the United States undermines the rules-based order by putting in place tariffs outside the World Trade Organization, it's very important that Australia stands up and makes it clear that we don't consider that in our interests," said Laurenceson.

China's latest commitment to further open its markets and import more goods means that Australia would be "very lucky to play a role," Professor Hans Hendrischke from The University of Sydney Business School told Xinhua.

"Australia will essentially be able to follow, and to reap the benefits that will be created for the bigger economic players, for the United States and for the European Union," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 17:51:12|Editor: ZX

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A screenshot taken on April 11, 2018 from an Algerian TV channel shows the crashed Algerian military jet in the perimeter of air base of Boufarik in Blida province, 30 km southwest of Algiers, Algeria. At least 105 soldiers on Wednesday morning were killed in a military plane crash in Blida province, Ennahar private television channel quoted official sources as saying. (Xinhua)

ALGIERS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 105 soldiers on Wednesday morning were killed in a military plane crash in Blida province, 30 km southwest of Algiers, Ennahar private television channel quoted official sources as saying.

An Ilyushin I76 troop carrier belonging to the Algerian Air Force crashed in the perimeter of the military airbase of Boufarik in Blida province, Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement.

Official sources noted that the plane, with more than 200 soldiers on board, was departing for the southwest province of Bechar, before crashing in an unpopulated green field near the airport.

A thick black smoke emanated from the crashed jet, which could be visible from the highway linking Algiers to Blida.

Emergency services have been dispatched to the site of the crash.

Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaid Salah, has extended condolences to the families of the victims and ordered to open an investigation into the accident.
LAGOS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- At least five serving policemen have been arrested in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, over an alleged robbery attempt in a Lagos suburb.

The suspects were identified to be operatives attached to Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), Chike Oti, a police spokesperson told Xinhua on Wednesday.

They were arrested over the alleged robbery attempt on a businessman, Immanuel James, on Monday.

Those involved are currently undergoing interrogation at the police X-Squad Section, Oti said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 18:11:18|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BAGHDAD, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The government-backed Hashd Shaabi fighters on Wednesday killed two Islamic State (IS) militants in eastern Iraq, thwarting an IS infiltration attempt from Syria into western Iraq.

Acting on intelligence information, two Hashd Shaabi brigades, backed by security forces, swept Wadi Janat area in the northeast of the Iraqi eastern province of Diyala, destroying an IS hideout and killing two militants, a Hashd Shaabi statement said.

Also on the day, a Hashd Shaabi force arrested two IS militants while they were planting a roadside bomb in Seniyah area in the west of the oil refinery town of Baiji, located some 40 km north of Salahudin's provincial capital Tikrit, the paramilitary group said in a separate statement.

During the past few months, dozens of IS militants fled their former bases in the predominately Sunni Arab provinces of Diyala, Salahudin and Kirkuk, after the Iraqi forces carried out major anti-IS offensives to drive out the extremist militants from these areas.

On Dec. 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

However, small groups and individuals of IS militants regrouped in the rugged areas and are carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.

The borderline between Iraq and Syria, which extends some 600 km in the west of the provinces of Nineveh and Anbar, has long been used by insurgent groups and IS militants for logistic support and to carry out cross-border attacks in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 18:36:25|Editor: Yurou

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by Xinhua writers Liu Chang, Shang Jun

BOAO, China, April 11 (Xinhua) -- When Beijing decided in 1978 to open its doors to the wider world, perhaps few both in and outside the country then had the foresight to envision China's phenomenal economic rise.

Four decades later saw Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiling a raft of new reform and opening-up measures Tuesday at this year's Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in a hamlet-turned-resort of China's southern island province of Hainan.

At this time of rising protectionism and isolationism across the globe, these landmark policies are good news for all.

Xi's pronouncements have been eagerly awaited. Once these policies are implemented, foreign investors will enjoy greater access to China's markets, like the banking and insurance sectors. At the same time, intellectual property rights would be better protected and tariffs on imported vehicles lowered significantly.

In the first place, these bold new measures inspire confidence in China's continued economic growth. That's because these policies come at a time when the Chinese economy has seen growing dependence on service sectors and is shifting to a quality-based and consumption-driven growth trajectory. As the opening-up package will invite stronger external competition, Chinese enterprises in related industries will be encouraged to make much-needed changes so that they can better prepare themselves for a highly competitive global marketplace. Thus, the Chinese economy will be able to live up to its great potential.

In fact, a key secret ingredient in the magic formula that has catapulted China to the world's second-largest economy is Beijing's readiness to fine-tune existing policies and to formulate new ones based on the needs of particular stages and in a step-by-step manner.

Hainan's own story of development is such an example. At the early stage of China's reform and opening-up, the island was not among the first four special economic zones. It was not even a province back then. Now it has become one of China's many portals to the wider world.

More importantly, the train of the world economy will run faster with a stronger China engine.

China's latest commitment to reform and opening-up, as well as those commitments that came before it, shows the country's determination to contribute to a more open and integrated global economy.

As Xi put it in his Boao speech, "The Chinese people will continue to work together with the rest of the world and make greater contribution to humanity."

For many years, the exuberant Chinese economy has been a sustained driving force of the global economy. China's role as a major motor of the global economy has become even more prominent in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. World Bank data show that China contributed 34 percent of world economic growth from 2012 to 2016, more than that of the United States, the European Union and Japan combined.

Currently, the world's rules-based multilateral trading system is threatened by a protectionist pivot in some of the world's major developed countries. In the face of anti-globalization sentiment, China's most recent commitment to opening up will serve as a shot in the arm for those who seek to join the Asian country in promoting global free trade and economic integration, and has already won wide-ranging endorsement inside and beyond the Boao conference hall.

However, the ultimate goal of boosting economic growth is to deliver the benefits of development to all. It is a key lesson China has learned over the decades. That is why China has worked diligently to reduce poverty inside the country, and proposed the Belt and Road Initiative with the aim of building a community with a shared future for mankind together with the rest of the world.

This year's Boao forum falls under the theme "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity." As globalization is inevitable and irreversible, the only future for all countries and peoples on this planet is a shared one. China, by taking a further step toward openness, has reiterated its commitment to build a better world. It is a collective task that needs the input of other global stakeholders.
YEREVAN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The National Assembly of Armenia voted unanimously on Wednesday to ratify the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement the country signed with the European Union (EU) in November, local Armenpress reported.

In the days leading up to the vote on the landmark deal in Armenia's parliament, no political faction voiced any critical objections to the agreement with the European bloc.

One of the key aspects of the deal is the launch of the visa liberalization dialogue with Armenia, which the ex-Soviet republic wants to achieve in the near future following the granting of visa-free regimes by the EU to other former Soviet states like Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia's northern neighbor Georgia.

However, unlike these former Soviet countries, Armenia has close strategic ties with Russia in nearly all realms and is seen as Russia's last stronghold in the South Caucasus.

Armenia is a full member of the Russia-led five-member Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which also embraces Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is the first EEU member to sign such an accord with the EU.

Armenia is also a full member of the military alliance of Collective Security Treaty Organization, which emerged in 1992 shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It currently has six permanent members with Serbia and Afghanistan engaged as observers.

The agreement Armenia signed in November with the EU now needs to be ratified by the European Parliament to take effect following such procedures in the legislatures of all EU member states.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 19:01:30|Editor: ZX

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BAGHDAD, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The government-backed Hashd Shaabi fighters on Wednesday killed two Islamic State (IS) militants in eastern Iraq, thwarting an IS infiltration attempt from Syria into western Iraq.

Acting on intelligence information, two Hashd Shaabi brigades, backed by security forces, swept Wadi Janat area in the northeast of the Iraqi eastern province of Diyala, destroying an IS hideout and killing two militants, a Hashd Shaabi statement said.

Also on the day, a Hashd Shaabi force arrested two IS militants while they were planting a roadside bomb in Seniyah area in the west of the oil refinery town of Baiji, located some 40 km north of Salahudin's provincial capital Tikrit, the paramilitary group said in a separate statement.

In western Iraq, a Hashd Shaabi brigade foiled an infiltration attempt by IS militants late on Tuesday night in Tal Sfoug area near the border with Syria, when the paramilitary fighters fought a fierce clash with the IS militants who tried to exploit bad weather and dark to cross the border from Syria, a third statement said.

During the past few months, dozens of IS militants fled their former bases in the predominately Sunni Arab provinces of Diyala, Salahudin and Kirkuk, after the Iraqi forces carried out major anti-IS offensives to drive out the extremist militants from these areas.

On Dec. 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

However, small groups and individuals of IS militants regrouped in the rugged areas and are carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.

The borderline between Iraq and Syria, which extends some 600 km in the west of the provinces of Nineveh and Anbar, has long been used by insurgent groups and IS militants for logistic support and to carry out cross-border attacks in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 19:06:30|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday rejected an Australian official's claim on China's moves in the Pacific region, and said the claim is false.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comment responding to reports that said a senior Australian official said Australia would view the establishment of any foreign military bases in Pacific island countries and neighbors of Australia with great concern. There were also reports that China was negotiating with Vanuatu to establish a military base in the Pacific nation.

Geng said what the Australian side claimed was untrue and Vanuatu has made a clarification.

The pragmatic cooperation between China and the South Pacific island countries in various fields has effectively promoted the economic and social development of the countries concerned and was warmly welcomed by the governments and people of those countries, Geng said.

"The South Pacific island countries are not in the sphere of influence of any country, and some Australian people should stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries," said Geng. "It is better for them to do more practical things for the development of those countries rather than 'making trouble out of nothing'."
WASHINGTON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Walden Pond, a once-pristine lake that inspired naturalist Henry David Thoreau's best-known work "Walden", is being befouled by swimmers' urine, a new study has showed.

In the book, first published in 1854, Thoreau recounted his stay at the pond, celebrating simple living in natural surroundings. Referring to the "crystalline purity" of the pond, he described it as "so transparent that the bottom can easily be discerned at the depth of 25 or 30 feet."

"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads," he famously wrote.

Following publication of Thoreau's works, the Walden Pond became a tourist attraction. Swimming, walking and hiking are some of the activities offered at the lake.

Scientists analyzing the Massachusetts waterway discovered a surge in the lake's level of nitrogen and phosphorous, which are found in human waste. These chemicals feed the algae, which mars the water and blocks the rays of the sun, threatening the lake's ecosystem.

"These findings suggest that, although mitigation effort have curtailed anthropogenic nutrient inputs to Walden Pond, the Lake has not returned to the pre-impact condition described by Henry David Thoreau," warned Dr. Jay Curt Stager, a researcher at Paul Smith's College and one of the authors of the study.

"If we're not careful, this beautiful, iconic lake... could easily become more like a murky, green stew of algae," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 19:46:37|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's state economic planner released a document Wednesday to guide the development of outbound investment and financing funds, eyeing more capital for the Belt and Road Initiative and better cooperation with global lenders.

The funds will be encouraged to direct investment into industrial cooperation, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The document said the funds should help ensure "stable, sustainable and safe capital sources" for the Belt and Road.

Chinese outbound investment funds will be supported to expand collaboration with global financial institutions, including the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the New Development Bank.

China will support those funds to expand business, such as overseas equity investment, debt financing, and cross-border guarantee.

Financing channels of those funds will be broadened, the document said, allowing fund-raising from all types of private capital, including sovereign wealth funds.

Regulators including the NDRC and the central bank will step up supervision and channel more energy into risk control to ensure healthy development of the funds.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 19:46:37|Editor: Yamei

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- About 2,000 audience were treated Tuesday to an unforgettable performance of Chinese folk music in the downtown Davies Symphony Hall of San Francisco Symphony.

The two and half hour concert, "Enchanting China," presented by the China Broadcasting Performing Arts Troupe (CBPAT) in the U.S. west coast, captivated the audience with a host of classical Chinese folk musical pieces, such as "Moonlight of the Spring River," "Lovely Rose," "Deep Night" and many more.

Most of the musical pieces were performed with traditional Chinese stringed instruments such as the Erhu (a bowed instrument with a long neck, small oblong body and two strings), Pipa (a pear-shaped fretted instrument), as well as transverse and flutes of various sizes.

"This is our first time to come to San Francisco and we injected innovative elements into the concert," said Zhang Gaoxiang, general director of the concert, which was staged as part of the music tour of the CBPAT to U.S. western coast cities of Los Angles and San Francisco in California, and Seattle in Washington state.

"We tried to blend Eastern music with (a) Western flavor in our rendition of the piece adopted from a famous Chinese folk song Flowers Thoughts," which was played by a American cellist and a Chinese soloist of Banhu (an ancient traditional Chinese stringed instrument), Zhang explained.

"The Chinese traditional folk music is warmly welcomed by local people, and our performances have created (an) unexpected responses from (the) mainstream American audience, who have a different artistic taste from Chinese music," said Liu Xuejun, head of the Chinese delegation of the CBPAT.

"It's a perfect performance that almost brought down the house. I can't speak Chinese but I can understand the music language," said an excited American university student in her 20s, who identified her only as Froster.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 19:46:37|Editor: ZX

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A customer picks up a copy of the last issue of main Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, Hungarian Nation, in Budapest, Hungary on April 11, 2018. Hungary's main newspaper Magyar Nemzet was published here on Wednesday for the last time after 80 years in circulation, owners said in a statement in the print and online versions of the paper. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's main newspaper Magyar Nemzet was published here on Wednesday for the last time after 80 years in circulation, owners said in a statement in the print and online versions of the paper.

"Due to financing problems of the journal Magyar Nemzet, following the decision of the owners, the publisher ceases its media service activity, thus eliminating the Magyar Nemzet daily newspaper and its online version, mno.hu, as from April 11, 2018," the statement said.

Owners also ceased operating opposition radio Lanchid radio, and will proceed to make cuts to the news television channel Hir TV, the statement added.

Magyar Nemzet and the other media concerned are owned by business tycoon Lajos Simicska, a former ally and confidant of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who turned his back on him in 2015.

Since then, the media mogul has been said to support the opposition party Jobbik, which lost the April 8 general elections.

Talks are underway for the shares of the paper. Opposition member Peter Ungar, from the small LMP green-liberal party, is said to have made an offer to buy the paper and continue its operations.

Miklos Hargitai, the head of the Hungarian association of journalists MUOSZ, said on commercial radio klubradio that the closure of the paper had been a political decision rather than a financial one.
KIEV, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will launch a major privatization of government properties next month, a local official said on Wednesday.

"It (privatization) will eliminate corruption at state-owned enterprises and attract investment and new technologies, creating budget revenues and jobs," Vitalii Trubarov, acting head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU), wrote on Facebook.

On April 27, the Ukrainian government is set to approve a list of large state-owned enterprises which could be sold to private investors, Trubarov said.

Last month, the SPFU unveiled the list of more than 600 small facilities that would be privatized this year.

The facilities included the assets of government-owned and municipal enterprises. These properties including completed and unfinished buildings would be used to house equipment, objects, items and relics of social and cultural importance.

This year, Ukraine has adopted a new legislation on the privatization of state property, aimed at attracting more investors.

The legislation provides an opportunity for the investors to sign contracts with the Ukrainian government and to settle the disputes with it in accordance to international law.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 19:56:39|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Japan from Sunday to next Tuesday and co-chair the fourth high-level economic dialogue between China and Japan with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the announcement on Wednesday.

The dialogue is the highest level economic cooperation mechanism between the two countries. The third meeting was held in 2010 in Beijing.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 19:56:39|Editor: ZX

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GAZA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza Municipalities Union warned on Wednesday of a complete cessation of basic municipal services due to sharp drop in its financial revenues.

Head of Municipalities Union, Nizar Hijazi, told reporters in Gaza City that the municipalities are facing serious difficulties in getting enough revenues to buy fuel to operate water wells, sewage plants and other facilities.

Hijazi called for urgent international intervention to change the situation in Gaza.

Gaza has been placed under a tight Israeli blockade since Islamic Hamas movement seized the territory by force after routing forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.

In the recent six years, Israel and Hamas movement have been engaged in three major wars that claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians and dozens of Israelis.

The blockade has pushed Gaza's 2 million populations deeper into poverty with inflating unprecedented unemployment rates.

In February, the union, which includes 25 municipalities, declared a state of emergency and reduced basic services by 50 percent due to lack of facilities available to its staff.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 20:01:39|Editor: Yurou

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Cai Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, meets with UK Cabinet Office minister David Lidington in Beijing, capital of China, April 11, 2018. Lidington is in Beijing to attend the 10th China-UK Leadership Forum. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Cai Qi, a member of Political Bureau of Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with UK Cabinet Office minister David Lidington in Beijing on Wednesday.

Lidington is in Beijing to attend the 10th China-UK Leadership Forum.

Cai, also secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, said that the exchanges between the political parties of the two countries serve as an important part of Sino-British ties. He expected the two sides to make good use of the China-UK Leadership Forum to contribute to the development of bilateral relations.

Lidington said that the United Kingdom highly values the forum's role, expressing the will to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Beijing and inject vigor into bilateral ties.
An Algerian military plane is seen after crashing near an airport outside the capital Algiers, Algeria on April 11, 2018. (Reuters photo)

ALGIERS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of an Algerian military plane that crashed early on Wednesday in the military airport of Boufarik, 30 km south of Algiers, has risen to 257, local media reported.

An Ilyushin I-76 troop carrier belonging to the Algerian Air Force crashed Wednesday morning in the perimeter of the military airbase of Boufarik, Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement.

Ennahar private television channel said the plane carried more than 250 troops and was departing for the southwest province of Bechar, before crashing in an unpopulated green field near the airport.

Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaid Salah, has extended condolences to the families of the victims and ordered to open an investigation into the incident.

Fire-fighting Department said in a statement that 300 fire-fighters, equipped with 40 ambulances and 40 fire trucks, have rushed to the crash site to extinguish fire and conduct rescue operations.
COLOMBO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will call for fresh bids for an oil exploration block off the island's northwestern coast in May, where traces of natural gas was discovered in 2011, Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said on Wednesday.

Senaratne said that following a proposal by Minister of Petroleum Resources, Arjuna Ranatunga, the cabinet also agreed to enter into agreements with global oil companies for land and offshore exploration work along the Eastern coastal belt.

A natural gas field was found for the first time off the coast of Sri Lanka in the Mannar Basin after the previous government signed an agreement with Cairn India Limited, in 2008 to explore for oil and gas off the country's north-western coast.

However, according to local media reports, Cairn India pulled the plug after two-years of exploration as oil prices plunged.

Currently, Sri Lanka produces no oil and is dependent on imports.

Senaratne said with global oil prices rising, the government is keen to revive and fast-track the search for petroleum resources in the island country.
ISTANBUL, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Wednesday detained 15 foreigners in Istanbul over their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS), local media reported.

Anti-terror teams launched simultaneous operations in eight districts of the city against IS suspects who were believed to have been planning terror attacks, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

Many documents and digital materials were seized along with the suspects during the raids, the agency noted.

Turkey has been cracking down hard on IS suspects, as the country has been hit by a series of suicide attacks carried out by the group since 2015.
BELGRADE, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Educational aircraft of the Serbian Army "Super-Galeb G-4" crashed on Wednesday morning on a field near Serbian village of Kovacica, killing one pilot and severely injuring his colleague, Serbian defense ministry confirmed in a press release.

The crash took place around 10 a.m., some 50 kilometers north of the capital Belgrade. The defense ministry confirmed that there was an accident resulting in two pilots catapulting from the aircraft.

The press release said that rescue teams was on the way, and that during the catapulting, one pilot was killed while the other was taken to hospital with injuries, but in a conscious state.

National broadcaster RTS reported that nearby residents heard an explosion, and saw the plane and the pilots falling on opposite sides of the field.

Army and police forces are at the crash scene. Prosecutor from nearby city of Pancevo is expected to conduct an investigation.
ISTANBUL, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A parent who is a police officer shot a school principal and a deputy principal at an elementary school in Turkey's northwestern province of Bursa on Wednesday, according to local media.

Following the shooting, the officer surrendered to security forces, while the two injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, Turkish Dogan News Agency said.

The cause of the incident was not immediately clear, but Dogan said the officer argued with the two officials at Kadir Cavusoglu Elementary School before shooting at them.

Police have launched an investigation into the shooting, press reports said.

The episode came a week after a researcher shot dead four at Eskisehir Osmangazi University in northwestern Turkey.
COLOMBO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- All three-wheeler taxis operating in Sri Lanka will be fitted with metres after April 30, an official here said on Wednesday.

Chairman of the Sri Lankan National Council for Road Safety Sisira Kodagoda told Xinhua that some three-wheeler taxis had been metered, but many taxis had not yet been metered.

He said the operators of three-wheeler taxi services should issue a printed bill to their passengers indicating the fare and the distance from April 30, 2018.

The chairman added, a six-month grace period would be given to the operators to get adjusted to the new requirements.

According to the chairman, traffic police have been instructed to arrest any three-wheeler drivers who don't give the passenger the bill.

Currently, there are around 750,000 operating three-wheelers as taxis in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga said this would be a wise move for the benefit of tourists visitng Sri Lanka.

"We also want to ensure hassle-free travel for tourists in Sri Lanka," the Minister told Xinhua.
CAIRO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian authorities have decided to open the Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian Gaza Strip for three days starting from Thursday, the Palestinian embassy in Cairo said in a statement Wednesday.

Egypt reopens the crossing in both directions for a few days every month or two for stranded travellers, including Palestinian patients seeking overseas treatment, students studying abroad, people with work permits or residents in other countries, people with relatives outside Gaza and Palestinians with foreign passports.

In Wednesday's statement, Palestinian Ambassador to Cairo Diab al-Louh praised Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and the Egyptian authorities for their keenness on relieving the sufferings of the Palestinian people.

Egypt's opening of the crossing point is based on the security situation in the Sinai Peninsula where the country is launching a war against Islamic State terrorists.

Controlled by Egypt, the Rafah crossing is currently the only link between the Gaza Strip and the outside world, since another two crossings are controlled by Israel.

The seaside enclave has been besieged by Israel since 2007, after Islamic Hamas movement, which overwhelmingly won the parliamentary elections a year earlier, routed forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority and seized control of the territory by force.

Gaza borders with Israel have been witnessing massive rallies of Palestinian protesters, known as "the Great March of Return," during which about 30 protesters have been killed and more than 3,000 others wounded by Israeli forces since the protests started late March.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 20:57:03|Editor: ZX

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KUWAIT CITY, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait has struck a loan agreement with Pakistan worth 4.5 million Kuwaiti dinars (15 million U.S. dollars) to finance a hydroelectric project in this country, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said Wednesday.

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) said in a statement that the project, located on the Golen Gol River, a tributary of Mastuj River of Pakistan, aims at meeting the electric power demand in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan by developing hydroelectric power.

The implementation of the project began at the end of 2008 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year, the statement said.

The loan is the 18th of its kind provided by the KFAED to Pakistan, which has already provided 17 loans totalling 125.3 million Kuwaiti dinars (about 417 million U.S. dollars) to finance Pakistan's projects from various sectors, KUNA said.

Founded in Dec. 1961, the KFAED is Kuwait's agency for the provision and administration of financial and technical assistance to developing countries.
File photo shows Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming (2nd L, Front) speaks during a donation ceremony at the Ministry of Health in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, on Jan. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun)

LUSAKA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming on Tuesday bade farewell to Zambia's government officials, foreign Ambassadors to Zambia, and the Chinese community in Zambia.

The Chinese envoy, who leaves the southern African nation after over three years of service, said the joint efforts of the two countries during the period have resulted in bilateral relations progressing significantly and borne new fruits consistently in various sectors.

"China and Zambia are both in a great and fast changing time. The world is changing. China and Zambia are changing. What does not change is our desire for national development and the commitment to realize a better life for our two peoples," he said during a farewell ceremony at the embassy.

According to him, the relationship between the two countries has constantly developed on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, witnessed by high-level visits of government officials.

He added that economic and trade cooperation has increasingly become the highlight of the China-Zambia relations in the new era, resulting in the two countries having formed a wide-ranging, multi-level, and in-depth developing cooperation landscape in areas such as infrastructure, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and medical industry.

China-Zambia cooperation has provided strong support to Zambia's industrialization and economic diversification, and created a large number of jobs for the benefit of the local people, he added.

He further said China-aided projects have soared over the years and were visible in many sectors, with the bilateral trade volume soaring to a record 3.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2017.

Vincent Mwale, Zambia's Minister of Local Government, praised the outgoing envoy over his tireless efforts to promote the relation between the two countries and that the Zambia-China relations have benefited tremendously from his commitment.

The Zambian minister said the two countries have now embarked on a second generation of infrastructure projects following the holding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in South Africa in 2015.

According to him, the two countries have been working on new projects after FOCAC such as the extension of a the Levy Mwanawasa Hospital in Lusaka, the construction of a modern international airport as well as various road projects, a continuation of the spirit of first generation of projects such the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) rail line.

He further said the two countries established a twinning program to facilitate the exchange of ideas among provinces of the two countries, a situation which will go a long way in assisting Zambia's industrialization program.

Zambia, he said, will be forever grateful to China for the invaluable service and selfless contribution it has rendered which have contributed toward enhancing people's livelihood.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 21:07:09|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Xinhua writer Liu Xinyong

BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Despite facing the challenges of rising unilateralism and protectionism, China has decided to start a new chapter of opening-up to share growth opportunities with the world.

In a keynote speech delivered Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, President Xi Jinping unveiled new measures for expanding reform and opening-up as China marks the 40th anniversary of the policy this year.

China will broaden market access, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, and take the initiative to expand imports, Xi said.

The reform and opening-up policy has been behind China's robust growth over the past 40 years, which saw the country become the world's second largest economy and the largest contributor to world growth.

From 2013 to 2017, China contributed more than 30 percent of world economic growth, more than the combined contribution from the United States, Japan, and the eurozone, the World Bank data showed.

Likewise, the new round of opening-up will not only become a main source of the country's own development, but also bring opportunities and common prosperity to the whole world.

One of China's most important decisions in the new round -- to make its investment environment more attractive -- is a perfect example.

Foreign-invested companies have become an integral part of the national economy, and China treasures their vital role in expanding capital supply, introducing professionals, and advancing market-oriented reform.

In pursuit of a market environment like "fresh air," China will follow international economic and trading rules, increase transparency, strengthen property rights protection, uphold the rule of law, encourage competition, and oppose monopolies.

With the renewed pledges, China will become well-positioned to achieve high-quality development, the fundamental requirement for determining the development path, making economic policies, and conducting macroeconomic regulation.

Foreign companies will also continue to reap the benefits of investing in China, including cost-effectiveness, a large market, as well as a stable and constantly improving investment environment.

China has also pledged to expand imports, a major and a more direct way to share its development opportunities with the world.

With the world's largest population, China can provide a huge market for other countries and regions with industrial advantages.

It's an opportunity that is too great to lose.

With the new commitments, China is shouldering its responsibilities as a large nation and working toward making globalization more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all.

"I wish to make it clear to all that China's door will not be closed and will only open even wider!" Xi reassured the world.

As always, China will match its words with deeds, and become an even more important anchor of global economic stability and engine of shared growth.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 21:27:16|Editor: ZX

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BEIRUT, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A Syrian teenager has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 12-year-old boy and dumping his body in a building in northeastern Lebanon, the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) said in a statement Wednesday.

The body of the boy, identified as M.N., was found last Thursday in a house under construction in Hermel.

According to the ISF statement, the victim had been choked to death by an electric cable.

The suspect was identified as Syrian national M.F., who described himself as being "around 16."

M.F. allegedly admitted to killing M.N. following a "personal dispute," and moving the body to the building under construction after attempting to conceal it in a cloth bag.

He has been transferred to Baalbeck's Judicial Police for further investigations.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 21:42:20|Editor: ZX

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Passengers from a plane of Russia's Airliner Aeroflot arrive at Cairo International Airport, Egypt, on April 11, 2018. Egypt and Russia resumed their direct flights on April 11, 2018, after two years of suspension following a deadly Russian plane crash over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in late October 2015. (Xinhua)

CAIRO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and Russia are scheduled to resume their direct flights within the coming few hours after two years of suspension following a deadly Russian plane crash over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in late October 2015, Egyptian official MENA news agency reported Wednesday.

Cairo International Airport will receive the first resumed flight coming from Russia in the early hours of Thursday, while EgyptAir will send its flight to Moscow on Thursday as one of its three flights per week.

Claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group, the Russian plane crash in Egypt's Sinai killed all 224 people on board, mostly Russians.

Egypt counts on the resumption of Russian flights as a big push for its tourism sector that has been suffering recession over the past few years.

Before the crash, Russia used to be the number one tourist exporter to Egypt with some 3 million Russians visiting the most populous Arab state every year.

Moscow and Cairo will discuss the resumption of direct flights to Egyptian tourist destinations after the resumption of direct flights between the two capital cities.

Egypt's ties with Russia have been growing since President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi came to office a year after he, the army chief then, removed former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to the mass protests against Morsi's one-year rule.

The plane tragedy did not affect Egypt's relations with Russia, which later signed an agreement to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant in Dabaa city of the coastal Matrouh province.
KIGALI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- One Rwandan peacekeeper was killed and eight others wounded in the Central African Republic (CAR) during fresh clashes with armed groups on Tuesday, a Rwandan military spokesperson told Xinhua Wednesday.

Innocent Munyengango said the deceased Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) peacekeeper, who was serving under United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR (MINUSCA), died during an disarmament and arrest operation against armed groups in Bangui's mainly Muslim PK5 neighborhood.

"The Rwandan peacekeepers had been deployed to rescue civilians who had been attacked by the armed elements. The peacekeepers managed to stop the fight and rescue civilians but unfortunately one of our soldiers lost his life and eight were wounded," he added.

Munyengango noted that preparations were underway to repatriate the body of the fallen peacekeeper to Rwanda for burial.

The injured peacekeepers are receiving medical treatment and are recuperating, Munyengango said.

According to MINUSCA, the residents of PK5 have repeatedly called on the UN peacekeepers to intervene and put an end to the predatory activities of criminal gangs.

These gangs are responsible for extensive abuses against the local population, including extorting merchants and attacking civilians, while blocking the return of state authorities, according to MINUSCA.

"Heavily armed elements of criminal groups in the area deliberately fired on international forces, prompting a return of fire to push these elements back," said MINUSCA.

Rwanda maintains 986 peacekeepers in the CAR, including an infantry battalion, a mechanized company and a level-2 military hospital.
SOFIA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria is planning to double the length of its motorways by 2025, the country's Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) said in a press release on Wednesday.

In 2018 and 2019, Bulgaria would start construction of three motorways in the northern part of the country with a total length of 350 km, including Ruse-Veliko Turnovo, Vidin-Botevgrad and Sofia-Kalotina, RIA's board chairman Doncho Atanasov said in a press release.

Meanwhile, the country would begin building the last 312 km of the Hemus and Struma motorways, Atanasov said, and the construction works are scheduled to be completed by 2025.

The total length of the motorways in Bulgaria is now 740 km, and over 300 km of them were built in the last five years, Atanasov said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 21:47:22|Editor: ZX

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by Xinhua writer Liang Junqian

BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- In total disregard of global opposition, the United States is unilaterally wielding the stick of trade-protectionism, trampling on the rules-based multilateral trading system.

Ironically, the United States was the one who imposed the rules when the global trading system was conceived decades ago and has since enjoyed the lion's share of benefits.

Now, the U.S. government under President Donald Trump wants to shake off the "shackles" of the trade system, ripping up international agreements and getting tough on trade partners, while seeking the benefits provided by the framework. This is not only a unilateral approach, but a two-faced one.

After proposing steep tariffs on Chinese imports worth 50 billion U.S. dollars, the Trump administration has threatened to slap additional duties on Chinese goods worth 100 billion dollars.

Judging from U.S. official statements, Washington's headlong rush to provoke trade frictions and play a game of chicken is largely based on three primary perceptions. However, all of them are untenable.

First, the Trump administration sees trade as a zero-sum game, loathes trade deficits, and blames them for domestic job losses.

In fact, as numerous economists have pointed out, trade is a positive-sum game, in which both sides of the transaction gain. The United States' trade imbalance is just a natural outcome of its economic habit, which leans towards low savings and high consumption. That explains why it has trade deficits with more than 100 countries.

Meanwhile, although foreign competition contributes to some job losses, the main culprits are automation, digitization and industrial restructuring. Trade is not the enemy here.

Second, the U.S. government accuses China of engaging in unfair trade practices in carrying out its "Made in China 2025" strategy.

As a matter of fact, China's strategy is in essence no different from the United States' "National Network for Manufacturing Innovation" scheme, which is launched to encourage innovation and strengthen the manufacturing sector. Being the global leader in science and technology, the United States should have the confidence to compete with other countries in an honest manner.

Moreover, "Made in China 2025" is market-oriented, which helps Chinese companies to better cooperate with foreign partners and engage in the global market of free trade.

Compare and contrast "Made in China 2025" with the "Buy American Campaign" lambasted on American television, coupled with the huge banners, and posters in practically every shopping avenue screaming "Proudly made in America," and you will clearly note the stark difference.

Third, U.S. policymakers are betting that browbeating might intimidate China and extract concessions beyond what is reasonable.

It might have worked in the past with other countries, but today, playing hardball will by no means cow China into submission. By defending free trade and multilateral trade rules, China holds the moral high ground. On top of that, China has the will and resources to strike back.

History has repeatedly proved that no country can emerge from a trade war unscathed. U.S. stocks fell sharply as fears for a trade war rattled Wall Street. Furthermore, it will cause spillover-effects on other countries.

As trade serves as a significant driver for economic growth and sustainable development, protectionist policies based on "whims and fancies" of an individual also risk hindering the hard-won global growth a decade after the most recent international financial crisis.

With great power comes great responsibility. As the world's second largest economy, China has always been a firm proponent of economic globalization and performs her duty as a guardian of the multilateral trading system.

Addressing Asia's top economic forum on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that "We will continue to safeguard the international order and rules, and support free trade and the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment."

As for the United States, the world's top economy, now it is high time that it abandoned its distorted perceptions, laid down its protectionist stick, and joined the broader international community in pursuing win-win results within the open, rules-based multilateral trading system.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 22:02:25|Editor: ZX

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NAIROBI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Lawmakers from Africa, Caribbean, Pacific and the European Union (ACP- EU) on Wednesday pledged support for trade liberalization as a means to promote economic growth, peace and security.

The lawmakers who attended a joint assembly in Nairobi said they will rally behind efforts to open up markets, promote skills transfer and investments in order to achieve prosperity for all.

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Monica Juma in her opening remarks at the lawmakers' forum said that a political dialogue is key to boost integration that lies at the heart of globalization.

"From an African standpoint, we support integration that will hasten structural transformation of our economies. Our integration agenda must focus on trade, investments, peace, security and innovations," said Juma.

Dozens of lawmakers from Africa, Caribbean, Pacific and the European Union are attending the three-day joint assembly in Nairobi to discuss critical areas of bilateral cooperation that would unleash mutual benefits.

Juma said elected representatives have a duty to promote open trade in goods and services and technology transfer in critical sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and health.

"Parliaments have an obligation to promote deepening of trade ties and issues of peace, energy, environmental management, innovations and food security," Juma said.

She hailed the establishment of an African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), saying it will boost the continent's bargaining power in the global markets.

Lawmakers from the global south and the EU will support a multilateral trade regime that could guarantee prosperity and security for all citizens irrespective of their nationality, creed and color.

Joseph Kono, the Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, said well-structured economic partnership agreements coupled with infrastructure development will promote inclusive development.

"The regional parliamentary assemblies should articulate ways to expand market access and promote investments in sectors that have a promising future," said Kono.
ADDIS ABABA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government Wednesday said the recent resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, which condemned the Ethiopia's human rights and governance record, was untimely and inappropriate.

The resolution passed on Tuesday called on the Ethiopian government to lift the state of emergency rule, end the use of excessive force by security forces, investigate the killings and excessive use of force that took place amid protests in Ethiopia's two largest regional states Oromia and Amhara regions.

It also stressed release of dissidents, activists and journalists "who have been imprisoned for exercising constitutional rights."

"This simple resolution is counterproductive and is against the important partnership between the U.S. and Ethiopia," the Ethiopian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Those members of the House who cosponsored the resolution conspicuously failed to recognize the changing reality on the ground. Indeed, these members of the House merely wanted to please their constituencies," it said.

The ministry said the House ignores the positive strides the country has made recently.

According to the ministry, Ethiopia's ruling party and its government have been launching bold reforms aimed at increasing transparency and widening the country's democratic space -- some of these initiatives include releasing prisoners, and working on stabilizing the situation in the region.

Noting the commitments made by Ethiopia's new prime minister Abiy Ahmed to urgently undertake multifaceted reforms, the ministry stressed that "that is why the Government of Ethiopia believes H.Res.128 is untimely and inappropriate."

"At this crucial juncture, when the government is working to implement bold reforms, this resolution tries to undermine the new political dynamism and fails to recognize the call by the Prime Minister to create all inclusive political platform," the ministry said.

"While Ethiopia values its bilateral relations with the United States and works to promote regional peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the resolution undermines its sovereignty," the statement added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 22:02:27|Editor: Yurou

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File photo taken on March 23, 2018 shows the Boao International Conference Center in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

by Xinhua writer He Fei

BOAO, China, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's latest pledge of further opening-up made at Asia's top economic forum has offered a much-needed boost to global confidence in building an open, all-win world economy.

Leaders and observers across the world have said that the speech Xi delivered Tuesday at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is particularly reassuring in the face of the alarming rise of protectionism and isolationism in some advanced economies.

CHAMPION OF OPENNESS

Summarizing the historical progress made since China adopted its reform and opening-up policy in 1978, Xi said "China's reform and opening-up meets its people's aspiration for development, innovation and a better life. It also meets the global trend toward development, cooperation and peace."

Contributing over 30 percent of global growth, China has recorded an average of 9.5 percent annual growth in the past four decades, Xi said, adding that more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total over the same period.

"The Chinese people have emerged from a life of shortages and poverty and are now enjoying abundant supply and a moderately prosperous life," he said at the forum, which is themed "An open and innovative Asia for a world of greater prosperity."

Leslie Maasdorp, vice president of the BRICS New Development Bank, said the forum comes at "a very interesting inflection point for China and for the region" as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up.

Praising the Asian country's remarkable achievements in poverty elimination, Maasdorp said he considers China's past four decades a success -- its economy has grown, key infrastructure is being upgraded, and technology has enabled big companies such as Alibaba and Tencent to thrive.

Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, said China's reform and opening-up has not only changed China's relations with the world, but provided a paradigm for other nations to achieve openness and prosperity.

Yasuo Fukuda, chairman of the BFA and former Japanese prime minister agreed, saying China's experience in implementing structural reform and dealing with globalization sets good examples for developing countries to avoid obstacles in pursuing development.

GROUNDBREAKING NEW MEASURES

What attracted the most attention from forum attendees and analysts has been a set of groundbreaking new measures Xi unveiled to consolidate China's past success and further expand the country's reform and opening-up. [ In his speech, Xi announced that China will significantly broaden market access, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, and take the initiative to expand imports.

New steps to be taken include reducing import tariffs for vehicles and some other products, and seeking faster progress toward joining the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement, among others.

Sourabh Gupta, senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, D.C., said "the specific and achievable measures" provide a "tangible basis to assess the continuing commitment to openness" of China.

"It was reassuring to hear President Xi speak in a measured but firm tone that China will not be deflected from the path of openness and globalization," after a series of protectionist measures were taken by the United States, he said.

Sorao Sugiyama, attache at the Japanese Consulate-General in China's southern city of Guangzhou, said Xi's proposals at the forum are "very significant."

Saying that Japan wants to expand its overseas market due to a shrinking population, Sugiyama said China's markets are important to Japan especially when trade policies in some countries are turning protectionist.

COMMON PROSPERITY

At the Boao gathering, where world leaders compare notes on development on an annual basis, Xi called on all to build a community with a shared future for mankind and make Asia and the world peaceful, prosperous and open.

Gerhard Stahl, former secretary-general of the European Committee of the Regions, said Europe should not perceive China as a threat, but understand that economic progress in China benefits the whole world.

This is especially the case with the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

Since it was proposed in 2013, the initiative has seen more than 80 countries and international organizations signing cooperation agreements with China.

Cooperation between Europe and Asia was hampered by administrative barriers and a lack of transport and communication infrastructure, while the initiative is a comprehensive plan addressing all the impediments, Stahl said.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are "two major efforts by China to contribute to the regional structure and regional prosperity."

While elaborating on the flagship initiative, Xi said it may be China's idea, but its opportunities and outcomes will benefit the world, adding that China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others.

"With the future in mind, we need to treat each other with respect and as equals," said Xi, who also called for shared responsibility, harmony without uniformity, and respect for nature.

Stahl said Xi's speech "offers the right method: to succeed in the cooperation we have to understand and respect the different situations, to advance we have to agree on common rules and standards."

More importantly, said Gupta, "President Xi stretched out his hand to any and all takers who wish to reach out and pursue a win-win economic relationship with China."

(Wang Shang, Tamara Treichel, Liu Chang, Kang Yi, Liu Hua, Zhou Zhengping in Boao, Yang Shilong in New York, and Zheng Jianghua in Brussels contributed to the story.)

(Video editors: Geng Linlin, Zhao Yuchao and Mu Xuyao)
TOKYO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Japan's upper house of parliament on Wednesday passed a legislation requiring visitors to pay departure tax when they leave Japan next year.

Under the new legislation, visitors, with the exception of infants aged under two years old and those transiting within 24 hours, will be required to pay 1,000 yen (about 9 U.S. dollars) upon departing Japan.

The new departure tax, slated to be introduced on Jan. 7, 2019, will be applicable to those departing Japan by airplane or ship.

Revenue generated from the new tax will be directed into the building of facilities and infrastructure to cope with the increasing numbers of tourists expected to visit Japan in the run up to and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Tokyo in 2020.

Government officials in Tokyo expect the income from the new tax will amount to some 6 billion yen (56 million U.S. dollars) between January and March 2019, and a prior legislation had been passed to ensure all revenue generated is allocated for projects related to tourism.

Japan, while enjoying an economic uptick, is still mired in deflationary pressure and has been increasingly looking towards its tourism industry to boost its economy.

The number of tourists, particularly from Japan's closest neighbors, has risen significantly recently, owing in part to relaxed visa regulations and a comparatively weak yen bolstering the purchasing power of inbound visitors.

The Japan Tourism Agency at the end of March estimated the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a new record for the month in February.

According to the agency, 2,509,300 tourists visited Japan in the recording month, marking a 23.3 percent jump from a year earlier, with visitors from China's mainland topping the chart with a jump of 40.7 percent from a year earlier to 716,400 tourists.

South Korean ranked second with a visitors' number reaching 708,300, which is 18.1 percent more than the previous year.

Travelers from China's Taiwan took the third spot with 400,900 visitors and those coming from Hong Kong totaled 178,500 in the recording month, the agency said.

The agency also noted that visits to Japan from Singapore and Malaysia in the recording period also posted significant rises on year, with numbers jumping 33.2 percent and 32.4 percent, respectively.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 22:22:33|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called on Shanghai to further improve the business environment and reduce institutional transaction costs in its efforts to expand reform and opening up.

Li urged the local government to firmly promote reforms and opening up to accumulate more fresh experiences.

Li made the remarks during a two-day inspection that ended Wednesday to the municipality, where he visited the Shanghai pilot free trade zone, a foreign medicine firm, a local manufacturing company, a hospital and an innovation incubator.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 22:22:34|Editor: ZX

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GAZA/RAMALLAH, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Palestinian Gaza Strip, condemned on Wednesday an earlier Israeli bombardment targeting military posts in the coastal enclave.

The bombardment reflects the state of confusion Israel is experiencing because of the anti-Israel mass marches that demand the return of Palestinian refugees to their lands, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a press statement.

The resistance will remain the shield in face of occupation, Barhoum added.

Well-informed sources in Gaza said the Israeli artillery targeted a monitoring point east of Gaza City belonging to Hamas military wing.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army confirmed that it struck a number of Hamas military posts after a bomb exploded near Gaza fence.

According to an army statement, the explosive device, which caused no casualties, was implanted near the fence during rallies along the borders.

Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have launched a six-week long protest along the Gaza borders with Israel on March 30.

The protest, dubbed the "Great March of Return," demands Israel to acknowledge Palestinian refugees' right to return to their lands before the 1948 war, known also as Israel's Independence War.

The protests are expected to culminate next month, when Israel will mark its 70th Independence Day and the Palestinians will commemorate the Nakba Day, or "Day of the Catastrophe."

Dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli military gunfire and thousands were injured during the weekend marches towards the fence.
KAMPALA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have agreed to remove non-tariff trade barriers in a bid to boost trade between the two African countries.

The agreement was reached during a Wednesday meeting attended by Uganda's trade minister Amelia Kyambadde and DRC's external trade minister Jean-Lucien Bussa Tongba in Uganda's Kasese. Kasese hosts one of the major border trade points between Uganda and DRC called Mpondwe.

A joint communique signed by the two ministers said the meeting had reached an agreement to also enhance management and control of standards and quality as well as exchange of information and statistics.

Last year, the DRC had banned the importation of certain products such as drinks from Uganda, prompting traders at the border district to complain.

Following the meeting, there is hope that more goods will be allowed to cross the border line.

"The two ministers considered and approved the list of products for the Simplified Trade Regime (STR)," the communique said. STR was recently implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in a bid to help the small traders to benefit from the preferential rates enjoyed by commercial traders when importing or exporting goods within member states.

Uganda's exports to DRC reached 177 million U.S. dollars while it collects 2.5 million dollars from Congolese imports. Whereas Uganda exports lime and cement, iron and steel, cereals, vegetables and fruits, it brings in oils, cosmetics, iron and steel from DRC.

Last month, Uganda announced it had secured a loan from the World Bank to construct three modern markets across the border with DRC.

Uganda and DRC have in the past undertaken joint campaigns such as the fight against rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces.

Thousands of Congolese refugees have also found shelter in Uganda due to the ethnic clashes in eastern DRC.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 22:27:36|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Key documents of the third plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee were published on Wednesday.

Also published was a book written to help the public understand the documents. It includes a piece by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping, explaining the decision on deepening reform of Party and state institutions at the plenary session, said Xin Guangwei, editor-in-chief of the People's Publishing House.

Xin said Xi's piece had never been made public before. Seven articles written by other Party and state leaders on the matter were also included.

Zhang Yongjun, an official at the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said these publications are the most fundamental and authoritative materials for all Party members to study and implement the spirit of the plenary session.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 22:37:41|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said Wednesday that he welcomed the deployment of European Union election observers to monitor the upcoming parliamentary race, a statement from the presidential media office said.

During a meeting with EU officials in Baabda Palace, Aoun said Lebanon was "looking forward to the election as an accurate expression of democracy," and the newly introduced proportional vote law would "serve popular representation."

Elena Valenciano, the EU's head of mission for electoral monitoring, stressed that they would be watching the election unfold at polling stations across the country until the end.

The EU also plans to send observers to Lebanese embassies and diplomatic missions in Europe to monitor expatriate voting.
HO CHI MINH CITY, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Police of Vietnam's southern Can Tho city on Wednesday said they are carrying out procedures through the diplomatic channel to hand over dossiers relating to Rafael Vazquez Floresl, an American of Mexican origin, to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to the municipal police, in 2016, many people in Can Tho and the southern province of Dong Nai denounced that Do Huu Le Hung, a 57-year-old man of Australian national, colluded with Rafael to swindle 3 billion Vietnamese dong (132,000 U.S. dollars), Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.

Hung introduced Rafael to the victims as a billionaire who is chairman of World Trade Commodities Inc Panama with assets valued at 130 billion U.S. dollars, and wants to invest in Vietnam.

Hung then asked the victims to spend over 3 billion Vietnamese dong to invite Rafael to visit Vietnam to assess projects in which they intend to invest.

At Hung's residence, the police collected many relevant documents along with two bills of exchange worth 5.1 billion U.S. dollars (suspected to be fake) that Rafael brought to Vietnam. Rafael said the bills were issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury to invest in welfare projects in Vietnam.

Responding to the Vietnamese side's verification request, the FBI identified that Rafael whose address is in Texas recorded convictions. Besides, there is no information about World Trade Communities Inc Panama in Texas' archives, and no competent U.S. agencies issuing the exchange bills.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 23:02:47|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraq security forces Wednesday killed two suicide bombers who attempted to attack Shiite pilgrims who were walking in large numbers to the holy Kadhimiyah shrine, the Iraqi military said.

Acting on intelligence reports, the Iraqi forces ambushed two militants wearing explosive belts in Tarmiyah area, some 40 km north of Baghdad, and opened fire on them, leaving one of the suicide bombers killed and forcing the other to detonate his explosive belt after wounding him, a statement from Baghdad Operations Command said.

The troops killed the two suicide bombers before they attempted to attack the pilgrims on the main road leading to Baghdad northern district of Kadhimiyah, the statement said.

The incident came as thousands of Shiite pilgrims were marching from Baghdad districts and from other Iraqi cities to the mausoleum of Imam Musa al-Kadhim in Baghdad's northern district of Kadhimiyah to commemorate the death of the seventh of the most revered 12 Shiite Imams.

Kadhim's tomb is in a golden-domed mosque in the center of the old part of the holy Shiite Kadhimiyah district.

The extremist insurgent groups, including Islamic State (IS) militant group, frequently attacked Shiite pilgrims who perform communal rituals in Iraqi cities, killing and wounding hundreds of them in the past years in attempts to provoke sectarian strife in the violence-shattered country.
Qinzhou Port is seen in Qinzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

by Xinhua writer He Fei

BOAO, China, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's latest pledge of further opening-up made at Asia's top economic forum has offered a much-needed boost to global confidence in building an open, all-win world economy.

Leaders and observers across the world have said that the speech Xi delivered Tuesday at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is particularly reassuring in the face of the alarming rise of protectionism and isolationism in some advanced economies.





CHAMPION OF OPENNESS

Summarizing the historical progress made since China adopted its reform and opening-up policy in 1978, Xi said "China's reform and opening-up meets its people's aspiration for development, innovation and a better life. It also meets the global trend toward development, cooperation and peace."

Contributing over 30 percent of global growth, China has recorded an average of 9.5 percent annual growth in the past four decades, Xi said, adding that more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total over the same period.

"The Chinese people have emerged from a life of shortages and poverty and are now enjoying abundant supply and a moderately prosperous life," he said at the forum, which is themed "An open and innovative Asia for a world of greater prosperity."

Tourists taste coconut in Xiaomei Village, Lingshui Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 21, 2018. After local government's targeted measures in poverty alleviation work, the improved environment in Xiaomei Village, once an impoverished village, now attract more tourism business for local people. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan)

Leslie Maasdorp, vice president of the BRICS New Development Bank, said the forum comes at "a very interesting inflection point for China and for the region" as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up.

Praising the Asian country's remarkable achievements in poverty elimination, Maasdorp said he considers China's past four decades a success -- its economy has grown, key infrastructure is being upgraded, and technology has enabled big companies such as Alibaba and Tencent to thrive.

Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, said China's reform and opening-up has not only changed China's relations with the world, but provided a paradigm for other nations to achieve openness and prosperity.

Yasuo Fukuda, chairman of the BFA and former Japanese prime minister agreed, saying China's experience in implementing structural reform and dealing with globalization sets good examples for developing countries to avoid obstacles in pursuing development.





GROUNDBREAKING NEW MEASURES

What attracted the most attention from forum attendees and analysts has been a set of groundbreaking new measures Xi unveiled to consolidate China's past success and further expand the country's reform and opening-up. In his speech, Xi announced that China will significantly broaden market access, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, and take the initiative to expand imports.

Traders attend the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2017. The China Import and Export Fair is held every spring and autumn and is seen as a barometer of the country's foreign trade. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

New steps to be taken include reducing import tariffs for vehicles and some other products, and seeking faster progress toward joining the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement, among others.

Sourabh Gupta, senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, D.C., said "the specific and achievable measures" provide a "tangible basis to assess the continuing commitment to openness" of China.

"It was reassuring to hear President Xi speak in a measured but firm tone that China will not be deflected from the path of openness and globalization," after a series of protectionist measures were taken by the United States, he said.

Sorao Sugiyama, attache at the Japanese Consulate-General in China's southern city of Guangzhou, said Xi's proposals at the forum are "very significant."

Saying that Japan wants to expand its overseas market due to a shrinking population, Sugiyama said China's markets are important to Japan especially when trade policies in some countries are turning protectionist.





COMMON PROSPERITY

At the Boao gathering, where world leaders compare notes on development on an annual basis, Xi called on all to build a community with a shared future for mankind and make Asia and the world peaceful, prosperous and open.

Gerhard Stahl, former secretary-general of the European Committee of the Regions, said Europe should not perceive China as a threat, but understand that economic progress in China benefits the whole world.

This is especially the case with the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

Since it was proposed in 2013, the initiative has seen more than 80 countries and international organizations signing cooperation agreements with China.

Containers are loaded onto a China-Europe freight train in Zhengzhou City, capital of central China's Henan Province, Aug. 2, 2017. (Xinhua/Li An)

Cooperation between Europe and Asia was hampered by administrative barriers and a lack of transport and communication infrastructure, while the initiative is a comprehensive plan addressing all the impediments, Stahl said.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are "two major efforts by China to contribute to the regional structure and regional prosperity."

While elaborating on the flagship initiative, Xi said it may be China's idea, but its opportunities and outcomes will benefit the world, adding that China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others.

"With the future in mind, we need to treat each other with respect and as equals," said Xi, who also called for shared responsibility, harmony without uniformity, and respect for nature.

Stahl said Xi's speech "offers the right method: to succeed in the cooperation we have to understand and respect the different situations, to advance we have to agree on common rules and standards."

More importantly, said Gupta, "President Xi stretched out his hand to any and all takers who wish to reach out and pursue a win-win economic relationship with China."

(Wang Shang, Tamara Treichel, Liu Chang, Kang Yi, Liu Hua, Zhou Zhengping in Boao, Yang Shilong in New York, and Zheng Jianghua in Brussels contributed to the story.)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 23:37:55|Editor: yan

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by Tamara Treichel

BOAO, China, April 11(Xinhua) -- At this year's Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), China has clearly demonstrated its commitment to dialogue, openness, and cooperation with other countries, said John and Doris Naisbitt, both prominent authors and speakers who had attended the conference.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the forum had made a positive impression on the couple, who said President Xi is championing open and free markets, environmental considerations and globalization.

"It was a speech in very conciliatory tone. It was putting China in the position that used to be claimed by the U.S., to be the champion of globalization," the couple said in an email interview with Xinhua.

The Naisbitts were among the distinguished participants at the forum. John, the author of bestseller "Megatrends", used to serve as assistant secretary of education to U.S. President John Kennedy and was later special assistant to Lyndon Johnson, another U.S. ex-president. The couple have co-authored numerous books, addressed many governments and policy-making institutions, and spoken engagements around the world, for example this year's BFA.

The BFA is committed to promoting regional economic integration as well as bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals, and sometimes referred to as the "Asian Davos."

The Naisbitts see both forums as complementing each other, with the BFA being centered on and primarily serving the interests of Asia.

"In the mid-term future, Davos and Boao could and should find common ground," the Naisbitts said.

The couple also believed the BFA's greatest achievements so far are "the solidarity the forum created." The theme for this year's BFA annual conference is "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."

"Whether it is taking place on small or large scale, to meet, discuss and exchange success and challenges with like-minded people and nations is an important factor on the path to reaching a goal. It is already a great achievement to raise a feeling of community and solidarity, even if it is only on a few matters," they said.

As such, the forum plays a role in countering the current global trend of isolationism and protectionism. "Protectionism and isolation are in contradiction to the creation of any forum," the Naisbitts said. "To gather is the opposite of to isolate. That by itself explains the role such large conferences have."

Regarding this year's forum in particular, the Naisbitts believed that China is living up to the theme of this year's forum by taking action that is not based on short-term benefits, but on long-term strategic planning.

"In our 2015 book we described a 'Global Game' in which China will take the lead in supporting economic growth of emerging economies around the globe," they said, adding that China has laid the foundation for that role years ago. "Many African and South American nations have strongly benefited from Chinese investments."

While China is continuing to open itself up to the wider world, the couple commented on the threat of a trade war between China and the United States looming over this year's BFA.

"It is a very naive point of view that there is a zero-sum trade game between China and the U.S. Our economies are much too much integrated to hurt just one target without damaging others," especially one's own country. "America first versus China first would end in a loss for most,"they said.

President Xi's pledge at the forum of a further opening-up on China's part was welcome news.

"The promise of a 'new phase of opening-up,' of making broader commitments to further liberalize China's economy, is well received," they said, looking forward to their implementation.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 23:42:58|Editor: yan

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's opening is very good news as it works for the world as it does for China, Mario Bergara, president of Uruguay's Central Bank, said during an interview with Xinhua.

In a world becoming more globalized each day, China plays a role of increasing importance in the global economy as well as in determining the variables of international markets, which undoubtedly affects all other countries including Uruguay, the veteran economist said Tuesday.

To continue to increase openness and to expand cooperation was outlined as one of the nation's missions in the new era, according to a keynote speech delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of Boao Forum for Asia's annual conference on Tuesday.

China's determination to keep on opening up will benefit itself as it will do the world, Bergara commented on Xi's speech. "For an open economy such as Uruguay, it is within our interests to deepen our strategic partnership with China in all aspects."

Bergara rejected the idea that China's development should be seen as a threat. "Quite to the contrary," he said. "The deepening of our strategic partnership with China is all good news. We look forward to exploring the enormous potential of our cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative."

China and Uruguay celebrate 30-year anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year. Currently, China is the biggest trade partner of the South American country in terms of goods.

As for future cooperation in finance, Uruguay's Central Bank has been operating a section of assets denominated in renminbi, the Chinese currency, and foresees the growing presence of the Chinese yuan in its foreign reserve management program, according to Bergara.

With improved exchange efficiency and transparency, Uruguay views the renminbi as a foreign reserve that could be managed for profitability, he said. The Chinese currency was included in the special drawing rights basket by the International Monetary Fund in 2015.

Being the first and only country who has issued currency in digital format in a trial program, Uruguay hopes to learn from China's electronic payment systems, Bergara said.
PYONGYANG, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday slammed Japan's revised high-school textbook guideline that "beautifies Japanese imperialists' wars of aggression and colonial rule over other countries."

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary that the Japanese government endorsed a revised high school textbook guideline in late March, obliging students to be taught of Japan's "dominium over the Tok Island."

The island, located in the East Korean Sea, is claimed by Pyongyang, Seoul, and Tokyo (which calls it Takeshima). The island is currently controlled by South Korea.

The textbook revision came only one year after similar moves by Tokyo for elementary and middle schools, the KCNA said.

"These moves would infuse students with the twisted idea beautifying the past Japanese imperialists' wars of aggression and colonial rule over other countries," it said.

The official daily Minju Joson also said in a commentary that the aim of claiming Tok island as Japanese territory is to "imbue the rising generation with the 'pride' about Japan's history of aggression along with the ambition for seizure of other's territory".
LUSAKA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday held bilateral talks with visiting Indian President Nath Kovind, with both pledging to take the relations to greater heights.

The Zambian leader held the talks with his counterpart, who is in the country on a three-day state visit, at State House.

In his remarks, Lungu said the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations over the years and hoped that the relationship will be taken to a greater height.

On his part, the Indian president hoped that the visit will deepen the already existing cordial relations between the two countries and revive a joint permanent commission.

The Indian leader, who said the foundation of the bilateral ties was deep, added that he was looking forward to improved ties.

The two leaders later witnessed the signing of four memoranda of understanding aimed at enhancing cooperation in various sectors.

Among the memorandum of understanding includes avoidance of double taxation, visa exemption on diplomatic passports and allowing the diplomatic passport holders to enter without visas, judicial cooperation which seeks collaboration in training and expedition of judicial matters affecting the two countries and another one that seeks for the establishment of Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Zambia in conformity with the Vision 2030 which would help entrepreneurs to access finance and general empowerment.

The Indian president arrived in Zambia on Tuesday, accompanied by First Lady Savita Kovind, and a 300-member delegation comprising of senior government officials and a business delegation.

It was the first visit in three decades by an Indian president to the southern African nation.

According to government figures, private investment in Zambia by Indian companies currently stands at over 5 billion U.S. dollars while bilateral trade stood at 1.2 billion dollars from April 2017 to January 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-11 23:58:03|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday that the Western accusations about the Syrian government's use of chemical weapons against its people are fabricated.

The foreign minister's special assistant for political affairs, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, said Iran opposes employing chemical weapons by any party which is totally unacceptable.

The United States and its allies are threatening to carry out military action against the Syrian government under the pretext of chemical weapons use, he said after a meeting with Russia's special envoy on Syria Alexander Lavrentiev in the capital Tehran.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said that the allegations against the Syrian government over the use of chlorine gas were fabricated in an attack on Douma district in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus.
WASHINGTON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump taunted Russia on Wednesday that missiles "will be coming" to Syria, as Washington was mulling a response to the suspected chemical weapons attack.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'" said Trump in a tweet on Wednesday morning.

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump tweeted.

Trump has accused "President Putin, Russia and Iran" responsible for the attack due to their backing of the Syrian government in a tweet over the weekend.

Rebutting Trump's tweet on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Facebook later in the day that a missile strike could undermine the work of international inspectors who will examine the site of the suspected chemical attack.

The so-called "smart" missiles should be fired at terrorists, not at the legitimate government which has been fighting terrorists, Zakharova wrote.

Trump has been mulling a response to the alleged "chemical attack" on Saturday, with the possibility of U.S. military actions against the Syrian government looming large.

Activists, local rescuers, and rebels in Syria claim that Syrian government forces used chlorine gas on Saturday in an attack in Douma, a rebel-held area near capital Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has denied the accusations, calling rebels' claims "premeditated pretexts."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 00:08:11|Editor: Lifang

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Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen (L) and his wife Doris Schmidauer (C), together with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (R), arrive in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 11, 2018. Austria has set up a consulate general in Chengdu, with President Alexander Van der Bellen attending the opening ceremony Wednesday. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also attended the ceremony. (Xinhua/Wang Di)

CHENGDU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Austria has set up a consulate general in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen attending the opening ceremony Wednesday.

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said the consulate general in Chengdu would help deepen cooperation between China and Austria in foreign affairs, economy, science, education and culture, and boost exchanges between people from the two countries.

Chengdu is the economic hub of southwest China, and Sichuan is known as home to giant pandas.

Five cubs have been born in Austria after pandas Yang Yang and Long Hui arrived there in 2003. The father, 16-year-old Long Hui, died in 2016.

Three of the cubs have been returned to Chengdu according to the agreement between the two countries.

Van der Bellen said the giant pandas were very popular in Austria, and they hope a male panda can be sent to Austria to see more cubs born.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also attended the ceremony.

Chengdu is the last stop for the Austrian delegation to China. On Sunday, leadership of the two countries agreed to establish a Sino-Austrian friendly strategic partnership and advance bilateral pragmatic cooperation.
NAIROBI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank on Wednesday called for stronger regional collaboration to help develop carbon markets in Africa.

Venkata Putti, World Bank's Program Manager of Carbon Markets and Innovation, said individual countries in the continent are unable to develop their own systems due to low mission profiles.

"Carbon markets and pricing is one area, which has huge potential hence the need to give it attention through a strong collaboration," he said at the 10th Africa Carbon forum which kicked off in Nairobi.

Putti said that in spite of some progress, a lot still needs to be done by way of climate action in Africa.

He noted that since Africa did not benefit as much as other regions under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of Kyoto Protocol, there is need for specific attention in this area.

"In collaboration with international partners and the Nairobi Framework Convention (NFP), the World Bank has plans to focus on this area in the near future," Putti noted.

The official said that the World Bank is already working in a number of countries to promote carbon pricing and markets.

"The bank is already working on carbon tax in South Africa, market infrastructure in Morocco and Tunisia, and feasibility of carbon pricing in Cote d'Ivoire," he added.

He cautioned delegates to put their strategies in order and start focusing on climate change with emphasis since Africa remain the least contributing region for climate change, but is disproportionately impacted.

Putti said 43 million more people in the continent will become poorer by 2030 and over 85 million people will undergo internal migration due to adverse climate impacts.

He said through Africa business plan, the bank is in the process of mobilizing nearly 20 billion U.S. dollars by 2020 to implement priority climate action.

"You need to create enabling environment and give incentives to make it easier for international partners to bring in their expertise," said Al-Hamandou Dorsouma, the African Development Banks (AfDB) Manager for Climate Change and Green Growth.

Dorsouma told delegates that it is high time that climate change was seen as a business opportunity and not a disaster.

"Looking at the performance of renewal energy in the continent is proof that climate change is now a lucrative business venture," he added.

Dorsouma challenged African governments to align their adaption priorities to reflect the reality of every country.

He suggested that alongside resource mobilization, the countries also need to concentrate on developing technology and the capacity of the people.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 00:13:14|Editor: yan

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RIYADH, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Air Forces announced Wednesday the interception of two missiles fired from Yemen, including one towards Riyadh, Al Arabiya local news reported.

The forces also intercepted another missile fired by the Houthi militias towards border city Jazan.

The spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition forces said the air defense systems were able to detect an unidentified object in the direction of Abha International Airport and fought accordingly.

Maliki said that after examining the debris of the object, specialists of the joint coalition forces said it was found to be a drone with Iranian characteristics and specifications that was trying to target the airport.
LUSAKA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The European Union on Wednesday signed a 17 million Euros (21 million U.S. dollars) financing agreement with the Zambian government aimed at helping the southern African nation strengthen its public finance management system.

The support is for the program on Effectiveness and Transparency in the Management of Public Resources (EFFECT), a five-year program that will help the country improve public finance management.

Funded under the 11th European Development Fund, the program will contribute to the improvement of the planning, budgeting and budget implementation of the Zambian government, improve capacities of oversight public institutions and support the country's revenue agency in its efforts to modernize revenue collection processes to ensure that the tax system was simpler and ensure expanded tax compliance.

"The program we are launching reflects the EU approach "collect more-spend better," intended to reinforce governance, raise the revenue collection, and improve the quality of spending," EU Ambassador to Zambia Alessadro Mariani said during the signing ceremony.

According to him, the program also reflects the need to strengthen fiscal transparency and accountability through effective oversight of the country's budget in all its phases.

The program will address some of the key challenges Zambia is facing in the field of public finance management, which in turn are critical for sustained inclusive growth, he added.

While acknowledging reforms in recent years, the EU noted that Zambia still faces major challenges in the field of public finance management.

Fredson Yamba, the Secretary to the Treasury thanked the EU over its support to Zambia especially in the area of good governance.

The government, he said, has remained committed to enhancing sound public financial management systems and good governance as demonstration through the implementation of various public finance management reforms.

He however said recent revelations in the Auditor-General's report have exposed inadequacies in the management of public finances and reveal that government's overall control systems still require further strengthening.

According to him, the EU support will complement government's efforts to improve prudent use of public resources and ensure accountability.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 00:28:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Indian army troopers gather near the site of a gunfight in village Khudwani of Kulgam district, 59 km south of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, April 11, 2018. At least three civilians and a trooper were killed Wednesday in ongoing clashes and gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, April 11 (Xinhua) -- At least four civilians and one trooper were killed during the daylong clashes between government forces and militants in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.

The clashes were triggered during a gunfight between militants and joint contingents of Indian police, paramilitary and army at village Khudwani of Kulgam district, about 59 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Police said a trooper was killed and two others wounded fighting the two holed-up militants, who finally managed to break off the cordon after 18 hours and escaped due to support of local residents.

"During the daylong clashes, four civilians were killed," a police official said. "A trooper was also killed and two others wounded fighting the militants."

Health officials said over 65 people were wounded after government forces fired warning shots, pellets and dozens of tear smoke shells to chase the protesters.

Officials said the village was cordoned off on the specific intelligence information suggesting presence of two militants. However, a gunfight triggered immediately after that.

Police said while the gunfight was underway, local youth thronged the gunfight site in a bid to break military cordon and help militants escape.

Reports said two residential houses were completely damaged, while three others suffered partial damage during the gunfight between government forces and militants.

Authorities have suspended internet in the twin districts of Anantnag and Kulgam, fearing it would mobilize people to come on roads and stage protests against the government.

The domestic train service from Banihal to Srinagar passing through the area has also been suspended.

A spontaneous shutdown was observed in Anantnag and Kulgam in wake of the gunfight and civilian killings.

The region's separatist groups have called for a shutdown on Thursday against the civilian killings.

Reports of protests and clashes poured in from several places of the region. Police fired tear gas to stop students from marching in Srinagar.

A senior separatist leader Mohammed Yasin Malik was detained while he tried to stage protests against the killings in Srinagar. Two other separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have been put under house arrest.

Indian-controlled Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has expressed grief over the Kulgam killings.

"The Chief Minister said there is an urgent need to get together to get Jammu and Kashmir out of this vicious cycle of violence and killings," a government spokesman said.

Earlier this month, gunfights and subsequent clashes between militants and government forces left 13 militants, three troopers and four civilians dead, with 150 civilians injured in adjacent Shopian district.

Militant groups are engaged in a guerilla war with Indian troops in the region since 1989. Gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
LUSAKA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Wednesday launched the start of high-level consultations on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in order for the country to come up with a common position before signing the deal.

Zambia did not sign the agreement last month as it still needed to conduct internal negotiations on some protocols in the agreement.

The country, however, signed the African Free Trade Area Declaration.

Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Christopher Yaluma said at the start of the consultations that Zambia will not sign the agreement until after inclusive consultations with all stakeholders.

While acknowledging that the agreement will provide greater market opportunities and enhance job creation for the country, the Zambian minister noted that the country needed to be prepared before signing the agreement.

"The onus is on us as a country to prepare adequately in order to take advantage of the emerging opportunities that will come from the agreement while minimizing costs," he said.

Kayula Siame, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, said the government wanted to build consensus with all stakeholders before signing the agreement.

She said the launch of the consultative process was meant to engage the stakeholders on what the country's position was, discuss details of various protocols in the agreement.

Forty-four African countries signed the agreement to launch the AfCFTA during an extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU) in Kigali, Rwanda.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji, Zambia had negotiated the protocol on goods and services and the dispute settlement mechanism, while the remaining protocols, including on trade competition, investment and the intellectual property, were yet to be negotiated.

The AfCFTA was aimed at creating a single continental market for goods and services with free movement of businesses and investments.

According to the AU, this will pave the way for the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African Customs Union.

The AfCFTA could create an African market of over 1.2 billion people with a GDP of 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars.
by Muhammad Tahir

ISLAMABAD, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A recent decision by Pakistan and Afghanistan to operationalize a new mechanism for dialogue have raised hopes for bilateral comprehensive engagement on key issues including actions against irreconcilable elements in both countries.

During Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Kabul and official talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on April 6, both sides reached an agreement on Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), a joint action plan for cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism and reduction of violence, peace and reconciliation, refugees' repatriation and joint economic development.

Tense relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan had badly affected cooperation, particularly in security area. Violence in both countries has led to a traditional blame game that has widened mistrust.

But the two neighbors have now agreed to "deny use of their respective territory by any country, network, group or individuals for anti-state activities against either country," according to the seven key points of the APAPPS.

They have also reached at understanding to "undertake effective actions against fugitives and the irreconcilable elements posing security threats to either of the two countries."

The two sides are expected to put in place a joint supervision, coordination and confirmation mechanism through Liaison Officers (LOs) in both capitals for realization of the agreed actions. If any side will have information about the activities of militants, the intelligence will be shared with the LO for a possible joint action.

Pakistani former ambassador to Afghanistan Qazi Hamayun highlighted the importance of the joint Pak-Afghan groups and said both countries have now agreed to act against those elements who refuse to join peace process.

But Hamayun told Xinhua that the U.S. and Afghan leaders should not use pressure tactics on Pakistan as the reconciliation process will remain a complicated matter unless the foreign troops issue, the main reason the Taliban has been fighting against, is addressed.

Defense expert Said Nazeer Momnad said the APAPPS has assumed importance as now both countries will pursue bilateral engagement and regional countries would have relatively little influence in either county.

Momand, a retired army brigadier, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the establishment of the new system is a tangible step to deal with all those issues which had been major irritants in relations.

"This is very significant that Pakistan and Afghanistan appoint groups for every problem. They would now regularly sit face-to-face to share concerns and find out a solution. This will help in bridging the trust gap," Momand said.

He said Abbasi's visit to Kabul has laid foundation for high level exchanges and now the Afghan leaders will visit Pakistan that will enable both sides to use the APAPPS to respond to mutual issues of contention and concerns and to avoid public blame game.

As Pakistan and Afghanistan have now defined terms of the future cooperation at the highest level, they should frustrate any possible attempt to derail the process by elements opposed to tension-free bilateral relations.

However, both countries still face serious security challenges, therefore the two governments should be prepared to make sure that any violent incidents in either country should not spoil the new mechanism, experts warned.
ACCRA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Ghana's Minister for Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu on Wednesday called for the revamping and strengthening of health systems in Ghana to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

"Essentially, this means that everyone must have access to affordable quality health services such as well-equipped health infrastructure with essential equipment, medicine and drugs, and trained and skilled human resource for health," he said.

Manu was speaking at a ceremony to mark World Health Day (WHD) in Accra. This year's WHD, instituted by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims at throwing the spotlight on the need for UHC and the advantages it can bring.

It also provided a unique opportunity to mobilize action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.

Manu said, with the support of the World Bank, Ghana was ready to assist all Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, for everyone everywhere to be able to access basic healthcare facilities free of charge.

The CHPS compound idea is to bring healthcare delivery to the doorsteps of the people, and as result, reduce the cost and stress of traveling to distant places to seek medical attention.

"This we believe will go a long way to reduce the burden of diseases on the Ghanaian population thereby strengthening the labor force and increasing productivity," he said, adding that the move would also bring Ghana close to achieving the UHC.

The WHO Country Director, Owen Kaluwa, called on governments in Africa to live up to the Sustainable Development Goal pledges they made in 2005, and to commit concrete actions.

He said WHO would continue to support countries to build stronger, more resilient and responsive health systems through UHC to advance health for all.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 11 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and 11 others injured in a gas cylinder explosion Wednesday on a ship at the Almaz shipyard in Russia's St. Petersburg.

The local department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that a gas cylinder exploded during welding operations, with 12 people injured.

One of them died in an ambulance, and 10 were hospitalized. Investigators had questioned witnesses of the explosion.

The explosion occurred on a patrol boat, which was repaired at the border guard service. The ship did not get substantial damage.
Most posts here will be stuff I've

found or friends have sent to me

from around the internet that I

find interesting in one way or

another.





It will be an outlet for my political

views, sense of humor, musical

interests, etc., etc..





Also on occasion stories of my

own from my everyday life,

doing what ever the hell it is i do,

see, or may be working on.




BRATISLAVA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Slovakia will run for the presidency of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it was announced Wednesday.

It will strengthen the personnel in its permanent mission to the OECD and in the steering department that deals with the OECD agenda at the headquarters, the Slovak government decided during its regular session on Wednesday.

"The time has come for the Slovak Republic, as a full member of the OECD, to show its commitment to the organization and to submit its candidacy to preside over the OECD Council meeting at the ministerial level," announced the press department of the government office.

The presidency should also help promote Slovakia abroad, and at the national level to increase awareness of its role in the international environment. According to the press department, the year 2019 is ideal for the Slovak presidency, because a parliamentary election will be held in 2020.

Slovakia is the only country running for the presidency. The OECD Council usually meets once a month at the permanent representatives level and once a year at the ministerial level.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 01:23:26|Editor: yan

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CAIRO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Egypt on Wednesday mourned the victims of an Algerian military plane crash earlier in the day that killed 257 people on board.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry offered condolences in a statement to the families of the victims and expressed Egypt's support for Algeria in this plight.

Meanwhile, Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Wednesday expressed his deepest condolences in a statement to the Algerian leadership, government and people and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

An Ilyushin I-76 troop carrier belonging to the Algerian Air Force crashed Wednesday morning in the perimeter of the military airbase of Boufarik, killing 257 people on board, the Algerian Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement.
SKOPJE, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin will strengthen relations, the Macedonian government said in a press release on Wednesday.

In an official visit, Zaev and Klimkin agreed to improve relations between the two counties and to boost the cooperation through the implementation of the key reforms made by the Macedonian government in the political and economic level.

Moreover, Zaev and Klimkin welcomed efforts made to lift the year-long stalemate in the functioning of the committee charged with implementing the free trade agreement.

Klimkin underlined that Macedonian government has addressed challenges regarding reform implementation and good neighborly relations to pave the way for the country to conclude its European Union integration bid.

"Ukraine is ready to offer political support and expertise and has interest in investments," stated Klimkin.

Zaev highlighted that Macedonian government is working hard to make progress in key areas important for the quality of living standards for the citizens and to join EU and NATO.

"We consider 2018 as an important year to get condition-free recommendation for start of accession negotiations and to make important steps toward Euro-Atlantic membership," stressed Zaev.
UNITED NATIONS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog on Wednesday warned against military action against Syria after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to launch a missile attack.

"What the Syrian people want and need is peace and justice, not further military escalation or impunity. Let that also be a response to planned military intervention etc.," Skoog told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.

"Whatever happens now has to be in line with international law," he said before walking into the Security Council chamber for a meeting on Mali.

Skoog refused to comment on a tweet by Trump early Wednesday morning.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump tweeted.

Asked whether such military action against Syria requires Security Council authorization, Skoog said: "The (UN) Charter is very clear about military intervention."

Skoog expressed disappointment at the failure of the Security Council to adopt any resolution with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria. "The Security Council failed to shoulder its responsibility yesterday," he said.

Sweden supported the U.S. draft on a new investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria and thought it was the best way forward, he said. But the draft, which won the support of 12 of the 15 Security Council members, was vetoed by Russia.

A competing text prepared by Russia had no chance of adoption at all, he said.

Having anticipated the deadlock, Sweden on Monday circulated "a very credible, very assertive compromise resolution" in order to find common ground in the Security Council for an outcome in support of an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the alleged chemical attack in Douma. Russia amended the Swedish work and tabled it as a third draft resolution for vote on Tuesday.

However, some Security Council members were not ready to engage -- for political reasons that have nothing to do with the substance of the draft, said Skoog.

The third text failed to be adopted as it won only five positive votes.

The Fact-Find Mission of the OPCW is going into Syria to probe the Douma attack. "There will be an investigation. The problem is that there is no follow-on, which is to establish responsibility, guilt, accountability. That has to be worked out," said Skoog.

The Joint Investigative Mechanism between the OPCW and the United Nations, which was set up by the Security Council for the purpose of accountability attribution for chemical weapons use in Syria, ceased to be in November 2017 after Russia blocked the renewal of its mandate.
Rescuers are seen around the wreckage of an Algerian army plane which crashed near the Boufarik airbase from where the plane had taken off on April 11, 2018. The Algerian military plane crashed and caught fire killing 257 people, mostly army personnel and members of their families. (AFP Photo)

ALGIERS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 257 people were killed on Wednesday morning in a military plane crash in Algeria's Blida Province, 30 km southwest of the capital Algiers.

The tragedy came just moments after the plane took off from the Boufarik military airport, with the majority of the victims soldiers and members of their families, according to the Defense Ministry.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has decreed a three-day national mourning, according to a statement from the President's Office.

"Following the crash of an air force Ilyushin on Wednesday in Boufarik, which killed 257 people, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika declares a national mourning of three days," the statement said.

"The president also ordered a prayer on Friday in memory of the victims," it added.

The plane crash has been confirmed by the Defense Ministry as the worst air disaster in the history of Algeria, killing all 257 people on board including 10 crew members.

Last May, three troops were killed in the northern province of Tipaza when their military helicopter crashed.

A month later, a military helicopter crashed in the province of Naama, 700 km southwest of Algiers, leaving one army troop dead.

In February 2014, 77 troops were killed when a C-130 Hercules aircraft belonging to the Algerian Air Force crashed in Oum El Bouaghi Province, 400 km east of Algiers.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 01:43:32|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto (L) and Sudan's First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Saleh attend a joint press conference in Khartoum, Sudan, April 11, 2018. Sudan and Kenya on Wednesday reiterated their commitment to working together to resolve Africa's security issues, particularly in South Sudan. The announcement came in a communique during the joint talks chaired by Sudan's First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Saleh and visiting Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir)

KHARTOUM, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Sudan and Kenya on Wednesday reiterated their commitment to working together to resolve Africa's security issues, particularly in South Sudan.

The announcement came in a communique during the joint talks chaired by Sudan's First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Saleh and visiting Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto.

The two countries discussed the situation in the region and agreed "to work together to ensure durable solutions," according to the communique.

Speaking at a joint press conference after the talks, Saleh reiterated Sudan's commitment to working with the African Union and its organizations to achieve stability in the region.

"Sudan and Kenya, as member states of the African Union, focus on cooperation to achieve peace and stability in all countries of the region and enhance the trade exchange in a manner that achieves common interests," he said.

Ruto also urged the African countries to boost the peace process in Somalia and South Sudan.

"Kenya and Sudan are working hand in hand to deal with the insecurity and instability imposed on Somalia and South Sudan," he noted.

The Kenyan deputy president concluded his three-day official visit to Sudan on Wednesday, where he held meetings with a number of Sudanese officials and visited a number of development projects.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 01:48:34|Editor: yan

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LONDON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, on Wednesday published a signed article in a major British newspaper, saying that "the United States has announced successive protectionist tariffs pursuant to its domestic law, forcing China to take counter-measures."

The so-called "investigations" under legislation, such as section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, risk igniting a trade war between the world's two biggest economies, Liu said in the article carried by The Guardian newspaper.

"But a trade war, which would be unpopular, damaging and anachronistic, should and can be avoided," he said.

"There would be no winner in a trade war," the Chinese ambassador said, "If the Trump administration, by announcing unilateral protectionist measures, believe there could be, it must be suffering the damaging after-effects of the years in which it had a hegemonic mindset. It must also be suffering from historical amnesia."

"Should a trade war erupt, the multilateral trade system would bear the costs, and the global economy, which is yet to fully recover from the last crisis, would be at risk again," he said, "To uphold the rules-based international trade regime as well as to safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests, China has taken counter-measures."

Raising tariffs will not balance U.S. books because the real problem is its excessive consumption and low saving rate, Liu noted. "The trade imbalance with China is further aggravated by the long-term U.S. restriction on high-tech exports to China."

"The Trump administration is putting domestic law above international law and forcing America's trading partners to make concessions," he said, "It is tantamount to returning the international trade order to the 'law of the jungle'. In the face of this, China had to act."

"China has not, however, closed the door to negotiations," he said. "On the contrary, we will continue to deepen reform and open up on all fronts with a view to building closer trade and economic partnerships with the world."

It is China's consistent position to address trade disputes through negotiations and consultations, he said. "China stands ready to carry out constructive negotiations with the United States on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, as long as the United States abandons unilateralism and trade protectionism."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 02:03:37|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged to use national currencies in trade ties with Brazil, Tehran Times daily reported on Wednesday.

Iran and Brazil should use their own national currencies in economic interaction, cooperate in oil industry and implement projects in the areas of nano-technology, biotechnology and aerospace, Zairf was quoted as saying.

The impediments to banking relations between the two countries should also be removed, Zarif said in a meeting with the Brazilian President Michel Temer in Brasilia.

Tehran welcomes Brazil's investment in Iran's gas and oil industry, he said, calling further for political dialogue and consultations between the two countries.

President Temer said that Brazil is interested in expanding relations with Iran and called for exchange of delegations between the two countries. He called for expansion of cooperation in oil industry.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia (C, Front) votes in favor of a Russian-drafted resolution on an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria, at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 10, 2018. The UN Security Council failed to adopt the Russian-drafted resolution on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog on Wednesday warned against military action against Syria after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to launch a missile attack.

"What the Syrian people want and need is peace and justice, not further military escalation or impunity. Let that also be a response to planned military intervention etc.," Skoog told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.

"Whatever happens now has to be in line with international law," he said before walking into the Security Council chamber for a meeting on Mali.

Skoog refused to comment on a tweet by Trump early Wednesday morning.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump tweeted.

Asked whether such military action against Syria requires Security Council authorization, Skoog said: "The (UN) Charter is very clear about military intervention."

Skoog expressed disappointment at the failure of the Security Council to adopt any resolution with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria. "The Security Council failed to shoulder its responsibility yesterday," he said.

Sweden supported the U.S. draft on a new investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria and thought it was the best way forward, he said. But the draft, which won the support of 12 of the 15 Security Council members, was vetoed by Russia.

A competing text prepared by Russia had no chance of adoption at all, he said.

Having anticipated the deadlock, Sweden on Monday circulated "a very credible, very assertive compromise resolution" in order to find common ground in the Security Council for an outcome in support of an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the alleged chemical attack in Douma. Russia amended the Swedish work and tabled it as a third draft resolution for vote on Tuesday.

However, some Security Council members were not ready to engage -- for political reasons that have nothing to do with the substance of the draft, said Skoog.

The third text failed to be adopted as it won only five positive votes.

The Fact-Find Mission of the OPCW is going into Syria to probe the Douma attack. "There will be an investigation. The problem is that there is no follow-on, which is to establish responsibility, guilt, accountability. That has to be worked out," said Skoog.

The Joint Investigative Mechanism between the OPCW and the United Nations, which was set up by the Security Council for the purpose of accountability attribution for chemical weapons use in Syria, ceased to be in November 2017 after Russia blocked the renewal of its mandate.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 02:18:40|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Bolivian ambassador to the United Nations Sacha Llorenti said Wednesday that his delegation has requested a meeting of the Security Council for Thursday in the context of "escalation of rhetoric and threats of unilateral military action" against Syria.

He said the meeting would be in the form of closed-door consultations.

"My delegation has requested the presidency of the council to convene a meeting for tomorrow for consultations and also for the presidency to ask the (UN) Secretariat to brief the council on the situation (in the context of) the escalation of rhetoric regarding Syria and threats for unilateral military action," he told reporters.

Llorenti said his delegation is concerned about the threats of military action. "Any unilateral action would be a violation of the principles and purposes of the (UN) Charter," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to launch a missile attack against Syria after reports of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma near the capital city of Damascus over the weekend.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump tweeted.
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KAMPALA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- As Uganda strives to exploit its full tourism potential, the country is now targeting hosting conferences with an aim of attracting over four million tourists by 2020.

Stephen Asiimwe, Chief Executive of Uganda Tourism Board, told reporters on Wednesday that Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) Tourism has the capacity to attract large numbers of tourists and also trigger a multiplier effect of up to 30 times the initial investment.

He said the MICE segment currently contributes about 16 percent of tourism revenue collection, with an annual turnover of more than one thousand meetings and conferences.

"Last year, we received about 1,000 meetings and conferences and this year, we have so far had three high profile ones and several smaller meetings and conferences. With the new strategy, we shall be able to effectively harness the potential of the segment and the tourism sector as a whole," Asiimwe said.

He said strategic marketing of the MICE segment has the potential to create more jobs in the tourism sector, and earn the country more revenue for social and economic development.

He said a number of countries are now looking at MICE as one way of attracting visitors and generating the much needed foreign exchange.

Globally, the United States is credited for hosting the largest number of high profile meetings followed by Germany, United Kingdom, France and Spain.

Within the East African region, Rwanda is currently rated the leading country in hosting MICE meetings followed closely by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Tourism is one of Uganda's main foreign exchange earner. The sector contributed up to 1.35 billion U.S. dollars to the export basket in 2016, and was the single highest foreign exchange earner, contributing 23.5 percent of total exports.

The sector currently employs approximately 600,000 people, but more than 150,000 additional tourism jobs are expected to be created by 2024, according to government.
MOGADISHU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Wednesday said it will end the United Arab Emirates (UAE) funding for its soldiers amid diplomatic spat after the seizure of millions of dollars from a plane chartered by Emirati diplomats to transport the cash to Mogadishu.

Defense Minister Mohamed Mursal Sheikh told journalists in Mogadishu that the government will take full charge of training and paying salaries for the Somalia National Army (SNA) after integrating the UAE-trained troops into the army units.

"The government has made a plan to settle down the army salary payments including those Somali forces that are in General Golden camp who were trained by the United Arab Emirates," Sheikh said.

The minister said the salaries for the armed forces will be paid as from Thursday, noting that it was the government's responsibility to pay salaries for its army and "no to bother other people."

The two countries have been embroiled in a diplomat spat after the Somali government seized three bags containing 9.6 million U.S. dollars on Sunday.

"The seized money is worth 9.6 million dollars. Security agencies are currently investigating where the money came from, where it was going, the individuals involved and the reason for bringing money worth this amount into the country," Somalia's interior ministry said on Sunday.

According to reports, some 47 Emirati Armed Forces personnel who were on the plane were held at gunpoint and assaulted by Somali security forces.

Mogadishu has since denied the allegation, arguing that it only took the action after the UAE ambassador who was at the airport refused to let the bags containing the cash be scanned.

The UAE, who has been supporting the Horn of Africa nation for years as part of stabilization efforts, claimed the money was meant to pay the salaries of SNA soldiers and trainers.

The UAE has since condemned the seizure terming it illegal and a breach of diplomatic protocol, accusing the Somali government of creating "unnecessary tension."

According to the Somali government, the money was found in three unmarked bags on a Royal Jet plane and its seizure resulted in an hours-long standoff between airport officials and UAE embassy staff in Mogadishu.

The two countries inked a pact on military cooperation in November 2014 in which oil-rich Gulf country was to pay the salaries of SNA soldiers and trainers. But Mogadishu said the said MoU expired in 2016.

The Somalia government has launched investigations to establish whether the money was brought to undermine the country but said the seized money is safe under the central bank of Somalia custody pending the outcome of the probe.

Ties between Somalia and UAE have been strained since mid 2017 when Mogadishu defied UAE and Saudi pressure to cut ties with Qatar following a diplomatic dispute between the Gulf neighbors.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 02:53:51|Editor: Xiang Bo

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SANAA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels fired a barrage of ballistic missiles on the Saudi Defense Ministry in Riyadh and oil giant Aramco in Saudi border region of Najran, the Houthis said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The rocketry forces of the Yemeni (Houthi) army and popular forces have already fired a barrage of long-range ballistic missiles, Burkan-H2, toward the headquarters of the Saudi Defense Ministry in the capital Riyadh," said the statement, which is posted on the Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency.

"Other several ballistic missiles were fired toward the headquarters of the Saudi oil giant Aramco in Saudi border region of Najran," the Houthis added.

Houthis said the barrage of missiles also targeted King Abdullah city in the Saudi border province of Jizan.

Though, the Saudi-run Al Arabiya television channel reported that Saudi air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed several ballistic missiles over the capital Riyadh, and southern provinces of Jizan and Najran.

Hours earlier, the Houthis said that they had launched drone air strikes on a facility run by oil giant Saudi Aramco in Najran and on a civil airport in Abha city in the Saudi border province of Asir.

However, the Saudi company tweeted that its establishments were operating "normally and safely."

Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV reported that the Saudi air defence forces had shot down the drones over Abha city and Jizan province.

Houthis have recently intensified such attacks with the completion the third year of Saudi-led war against the Iranian-allied militias in Yemen.

A day earlier, Houthis said they fired 2 ballistic missiles; one on a military camp in Asir and the other on a military camp in Jizan.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia led a military coalition of Arab forces, backed by the United States, to intervene in Yemen's conflict to back the government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The coalition has launched thousands of airstrikes on the Iran-aligned Shiite Houthis, in attempts to roll back rebels and reinstate President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the capital Sanaa.

In return, Houthis have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles toward Saudi cities, with most of them intercepted by Saudi air defense forces.

The war has so far killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and pushed the Arab country to the brink of mass famine.
PRAGUE, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Czech government on Wednesday approved a foreign military mission plans for Czech troops in the second half of 2018 and 2019-2020.

According to the proposal, the Czech Republic will maintain its presence in all current foreign operations. The existing mandate allows 806 Czech soldiers to participate in foreign missions.

The proposal also suggests sending around 270 soldiers this year to Iraq, Afghanistan and Mali. Thus, the number should increase to 1,081 this year and 1,191 next year. In 2020, 1,096 Czech soldiers could operate in the missions.

As for the next year, the plan involves Czech army to guard the airspace of the Baltic countries. The enlargement of foreign missions would cost the state between 2.1 and 2.4 billion crowns (about 117 million U.S. dollars) per year.

"We want to carry out training and peacekeeping operations at their current places. Same as our allies, we want to increase our involvement within the main missions. I believe that the proposal will find support in Parliament," Defense Minister Karla Slechtova said.

Slechtova explained that a number of Czech soldiers should go to Logar to train a special unit of the Afghan police and to Herat province to help with the training of Afghan soldiers.

The Czech Army wants to have an additional unit in Mali in order to guard or accompany soldiers of the European Union at their training mission. The scale of the Czech engagement is planned to be extended to surrounding countries of the Sahel region due to the new EU mission mandate to start in 2018. A small expert team could also join a UN mission in Mali. This unit may have up to 30 Czech soldiers.

More troops should also go to Iraq, including a chemical unit. In addition, the Czech troops are waiting for a NATO statement that plans to launch their own mission in Iraq. The Czech units could then be involved in this mission and got strengthened too.

The proposal will be sent to the Czech lower house of parliament for approval.
HELSINKI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Abderrahman Bouanane, who was accused of killing two and injuring eight in Turku, Finland last August, had to be removed from court room on Wednesday as he started shouting at an eyewitness.

Bouanane lost control as Hassan Alazawii, one of the eight injured, said Bouanane was a coward. Alazawii said he had eye contact with the attacker for a moment during the series of stabbings and saw "empty fear" in Bouanane's eyes.

Two other victims on Wednesday said Bouanane acted with determination when he waved the long knife at crowds in the city center of Turku.

Earlier on Wednesday, his lawyer Kaarlo Gummerus said Bouanane had asked him to explain that he smiled in the court on Monday as something had amused him. Gummerus said the accused was "in his own thoughts" and smiled therefore. The judge told Gummerus to tell his client how to behave in a court.

Photographers were allowed to take pictures of Bouanane for a few minutes when the hearing started on Monday, and some commentators said they saw a slight smile on Bouanane's face.

The calm appearance then triggered a debate as a researcher from the Helsinki-based conflict research institute (CMI) said on Tuesday the smile was a kind of "propaganda". The researcher warned that Bouanane was "still at war" against people.

An apparent error in the translation of the EU terrorism definition into Finnish has baffled lawyers. In the Finnish law, the target of terrorism is given as "the state". Bouanane's action in Turku, however, did not cause harm to the state in the meaning of the governmental institutions.

Late last year, the Finnish government started procedures to change the wording into "targeting the country". But the trial will be based on the legislation what was valid last August, not the revised text.

The prosecutor is demanding a sentence for two murders and eight attempts related to a terrorist intention. Bouanane has himself said in police interviews that he saw what he did in the Turku market place as an act of terror, but his defense has denied terrorist intent in Finnish definition any way.

Whether being convicted of terrorist intent has a bearing on the actual length of the likely "life sentence". With a normal life sentence, a convict in Finland is eligible for life on probation after twelve years. If convicted on terrorism, probation or "prison leaves" could be more unlikely, local media noted.
LJUBLJANA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec showed satisfactory on Wednesday with Croatia's intention to attend a meeting about border arbitration lawsuit if the meeting will be called by the European Commission.

He said that Croatia's response was "proof that that the arbitration decision exists", the Slovenian Press Agency STA reported.

The European Commission said on Tuesday that it was proposing an oral hearing for May 2 about Slovenia's lawsuit against Croatia over alleged breach of EU treaties for failure to implement the border arbitration decision.

Croatia will provide a written response by April 17, according to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. The newspaper Jutarnji List also reported the similar confirmation, said STA.

Slovenia presented to the European Commission last month a letter in which it set out its case against Croatia. It plans to take Croatia to the EU's Court of Justice over its refusal to implement the border between the two countries as set by an arbitral tribunal on June 29 2017.
KIEV, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and Macedonia will soon sign an agreement on visa-free travel regime for citizens of both countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on Wednesday.

"We have agreed at the meetings in Macedonia to soon sign a visa waiver agreement. The text is almost ready," Klimkin wrote on Twitter after his meeting with Macedonian authorities in Skopje.

Since 2011, Ukraine and Macedonia have taken a series of steps to liberalize their travel rules, including the introduction of a temporary visa-free regime for certain periods of time.

Last month, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree, allowing Macedonian citizens to enter Ukraine for a stay of 90 days in any 180-day period till March 15, 2019.

Klimkin arrived in Macedonia earlier in the day for a two-day official visit.

Last year, about 4,800 Macedonian citizens visited Ukraine, up 14.3 percent from 2016, according to official data.
TRIPOLI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deported 169 illegal immigrants from Libya to Niger, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.

IOM said "169 migrants, including 14 children, were able to return to their homeland in Niger through the Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli to Niamey."

The deportation was carried out within the organization's voluntary return program, the statement noted.

Migrant shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of migrants who have been rescued at sea or arrested by Libyan authorities. IOM provides them with an opportunity to return home voluntarily.

The program is carried out in Libya since 2006 to arrange the return of illegal migrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin.

The organization deported 20,000 illegal migrants from Libya to their countries of origin in 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 04:24:19|Editor: yan

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JERUSALEM, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran on Wednesday "not to test Israel's resolve," amid escalating tensions in the region.

Speaking at an official ceremony to mark the Holocaust Remembrance Day in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said the attacks in Syria's Douma "show that confronting evil and aggression is a mission that is imposed on every generation."

"I have a message for Iran -- don't test Israel's resolve," he said.

Netanyahu's warning to Tehran came after Iran vowed to act in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on the T-4 Air Base in Syria, which killed at least 14 people, including seven Iranians.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin talked with Netanyahu over the phone and urged him to avoid actions that might destabilize the situation in Syria, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Tensions were mounting in the region after U.S. President Donald Trump offered the clearest sign yet of his willingness to attack Syria, declaring that missiles "will be coming," as Washington was mulling a response to a suspected chemical weapons attack.
BERLIN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- German budget airline and Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings continued growing in the first quarter of 2018 (Q1), the company told the press on Wednesday.

"The first quarter went well for us, March in particular was extremely positive," a statement by Eurowings chief executive officer (CEO) Oliver Wagner read. "We remain Europe's fastest growing airline", Wagner added.

According to Eurowings, passenger numbers grew by more than 40 percent in Q1, while the wider airline market only expanded at a relatively modest rate of between four and five percent. The budged airline hereby profited from higher demand caused by the bankruptcy of its rival Air Berlin.

Lufthansa has acquired around half of all 144 planes formerly operated by Air Berlin in an effort to further boost the development of Eurowings. Wagner expressed optimism on Wednesday that the upward trend experienced by his company at the start of the year would last into the summer.

Eurowings is in the process of expanding its presence at the Munich International Airport to serve around 40 destinations, including long-haul flights to the United States and Dominican Republic. Wagner announced that capacity at the regional hub was set to double to ten planes.

It remained unclear on Wednesday whether Eurowings would also take over additional planes of the former Air Berlin subsidiary Niki from June onwards as suggested by earlier reports. Wagner told the press that he was still in talks with Niki's current parent company Laudamotion.
BERLIN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Germany's federal government has extended an ongoing military mission of the country's armed forces in Mali for another year on Wednesday.

Pending the approval of the federal parliament (Bundestag), the foreign deployment is now scheduled to formally run until at least May 2019. Additionally, the cabinet of chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to increase the number of troops posted in Mali from currently 150 to 350, as well as extending the duration of a separate anti-piracy mission in Somalia.

Berlin is scheduled to take command of the ongoing European Union (EU) mission in Mali to train soldiers from November 2017 onwards. So far, more than 11,000 armed forces personnel have already been trained by EU military staff.

Mali has suffered an armed invasion and a series of terrorist attacks carried out by Islamist extremists the North of the country since 2012. In order to help stabilize the wider Sahel region and stem the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe, German training staff will henceforth be able to rotate between countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauretania, Niger and Chad as well.

Aside from the EU training mission, more than 1,000 German troops are simultaneously involved in the United Nations "Minusma" peacekeeping mission which is considered to be the most dangerous foreign deployment of Germany's armed forces.
BERLIN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- German judicial authorities have accepted an invitation by their Spanish colleagues to discuss the potential extradition of ex-Catalan governor Carles Puigdemont, a spokesperson for the Chief Public Prosecution Office in the state of Schleswig-Holstein confirmed on Wednesday.

A meeting at the European Union (EU) justice agency Eurojust in the Dutch city of Den Haag was planned "shortly", the spokesperson told the press. Media reported that Spanish judicial authorities still hoped to persuade their German counterparts that there was sufficient evidence to justify accusations of "rebellion" and "embezzlement" against the Catalan separatist leader during the high-level meeting.

Earlier, the Higher Regional Court in Schleswig-Holstein rejected a Spanish extradition request for Puigdemont on the grounds of "rebellion". The court is still assessing whether to deliver the wanted ex-governor to Spain on related embezzlement charges.

Puigdemont has expressed his desire to remain in Germany until the full conclusion of judicial processes involving him there. The 55-year-old was recently released from custody at the Neumuenster prison after posting bail of 75,000 euros (93,000 U.S. dollars) and must still regularly report his movements to local police.

Spanish authorities accuse Puigdemont of having acted in breach of the country's constitution by holding a referendum on Catalan independence in October 2017, as well as misappropriating 1.5 million euros (1.86 million U.S. dollars) in public funds to organize the vote before fleeing to Belgium. Nevertheless, Madrid has announced that it would respect any decision reached by German judicial authorities on the suspect's extradition.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 05:09:34|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Bouthaina Shabaan, the political and media adviser to President Bashar al-Assad, said Wednesday that her country is not fearing the U.S. threats of striking Syria.

In an interview with pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV on Wednesday, Shabaan said the U.S. threats of striking Syria aim to practice more pressure to make more gains.

She stressed that consultations are ongoing among the allies of Syria and they will not leave things to go Washington's way.

Her remarks come as the United States is banging the drums of war on Syria over allegations of toxic gas use by the Syrian army against the rebels in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside.

Last Saturday, the rebels in Douma district of Eastern Ghouta said the Syrian forces used chlorine gas in an attack on Douma, leaving many killed.

The Syrian government has denied the allegations and said the rebels were fabricating the incident to give a pretext to the United States and its Western allies to strike Syria.

Shabaan described the U.S. threats as part of a psychological war launched by the West to show strength after their failure in Syria.

She said the Syrian army's victory in Eastern Ghouta constituted a turning point in the course of the Syrian war.

Shabaan said the results of the Syrian war have come against the Western approach in terms of the emergence of the Russian, Syrian and Hezbollah alliance, calling it the "alliance of the future."

The "axis of resistance," referring to the Syrian allies of Iran and Hezbollah, has its choices in dealing with the U.S. threats, Shabaan said, adding that the rule of clashes has changed in favor of the Syrian side.

"The victory of Syria will change the map of the region and the world," she said, adding that Israel is feverishly trying to prolong the Syrian war.

She said that Israel is the main ignitor of the war in Syria, adding the Syrian and Russian sides have made all preparations after the Israeli attack on the T-4 Air Base a couple of days ago.
Chinese travellers arrive at the Boryspil airport in Kiev, Ukraine, on June 20, 2016. (XINHUA PHOTO)

KIEV, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and Macedonia will soon sign an agreement on visa-free travel regime for citizens of both countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on Wednesday.

"We have agreed at the meetings in Macedonia to soon sign a visa waiver agreement. The text is almost ready," Klimkin wrote on Twitter after his meeting with Macedonian authorities in Skopje.

Since 2011, Ukraine and Macedonia have taken a series of steps to liberalize their travel rules, including the introduction of a temporary visa-free regime for certain periods of time.

Last month, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree, allowing Macedonian citizens to enter Ukraine for a stay of 90 days in any 180-day period till March 15, 2019.

Klimkin arrived in Macedonia earlier in the day for a two-day official visit.

Last year, about 4,800 Macedonian citizens visited Ukraine, up 14.3 percent from 2016, according to official data.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-12 05:39:40|Editor: yan

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LA PAZ, April 11 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people died and 15 others were injured on Wednesday after a dynamite explosion at the mining center of Huanuni in western Bolivia, Interior Minister Carlos Romero announced.

At a press conference, Romero said that "this morning, at the time when the miners were entering to work in the mine ... in Huanuni, a strong explosion occurred, causing the deaths of seven people and various injured, who were transferred to hospitals in the city of Oruro."

The government has sent two teams of investigators to Huanuni, a heavy mining area 288 km southeast of La Paz to find the cause of the explosion.

"The Attorney-General has dispatched personnel to help in the investigations as well as a forensic team to Huanuni to investigate the case of the explosion, we cannot speculate anything," said Romero.

In October 2006, the same mining center saw an armed battle between local cooperative farmers and workers from the state-owned mining corporation, Comibol, which left around 20 dead and dozens injured.
TRIPOLI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The newly-elected Head of the Libyan High Council of State Khaled al-Meshri on Wednesday called for an urgent meeting with the eastern parliament to end the country's political division.

Al-Meshri said in a televised speech that the meeting with the speaker of the eastern-based parliament Agila Saleh is a "priority" to bring together the dialogue teams of the two councils.

He also expressed regret over the continued deterioration of the security and economic situation in the country "due to failure of some parties to meet the requirements of the agreement."

The Tobruk-based eastern parliament did not endorse a UN-sponsored political agreement signed in December 2015 under which the High Council of State was formed.

Al-Meshri also mentioned the continued division of the sovereign and military institutions, which led to the non-activation of mutual powers between the House of Representatives (eastern-based parliament) and the High Council of State."

"As we realize the seriousness of this stage, we are going to be in close contact with the parties involved in dealing with monetary policy to stop wasting public money," he said.

Al-Meshri confirmed that he would work to activate transitional justice, calling on efforts to establish a permanent constitution.

Libya's High Council of State on Sunday elected al-Meshri, a leader of the Justice and Building Party and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, as the new head of the council, replacing Abdarrahman Swehli.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Any trade war between the United States and China is worrisome, but if it escalated and tariffs imposed, "it will hit Washington particularly hard," said a former business leader in the U.S. west Pacific state of Washington on Wednesday.

"Avoiding that possibility should be our primary goal," Don Brunell, retired president of the Association of Washington Business, the state's oldest and largest business organization, wrote in the state's weekly the Sequim Gazette, which was published on Wednesday.

Washington state is America's third largest exporter with more than half of the containers leaving the Puget Sound heading to China, he said.

"The Port of Seattle estimated that China trade alone accounted for 18 billion U.S. dollars last year and 40 percent of our state's jobs are now tied to trade," he said.

"For Washington the immediate threat is the 15 percent tariff which may be placed on cherries, apples and wine," he said, adding that with the cherry crop ripening in early summer, the impact would be the most noticeable.

Brunell's comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration threatened early this month to slap 25 percent tariffs on a list of 1,300 Chinese products worth 50 billion U.S. dollars.

In response, China announced it would impose tariffs of between 15 percent and 25 percent on 106 types of products from the United States worth 50 billion dollars.

"If a 25 percent tariff was levied on Boeing commercial aircraft, it could hurt Washington and impact the company's orders, deliveries and production," Brunell warned.

He said the U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has delivered over 1,000 737 passenger jets to China, and it has recently listed 273 unfilled orders of 737 destined for China airlines.

"In addition to airplanes and farm products, our state exported over 1 billion dollars in vehicles and parts, wood products, medical and surgical equipment and other goods," Brunell said.

"A deal needs be worked out which will give us better protections for intellectual properties and a more even playing field for our products," he suggested.

The best approach would be to bring people to the bargaining table, he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Prime Minister Viktor Orban on his win, the federal governments spokesman said. Merkel congratulated Orban in the usual manner, Steffen Seibert said, adding that Hungary can count on Germany as a reliable partner in addressing bilateral issues.

Germany and Hungary have strong ties going back to a long and fruitful history and partnership, Seibert cited the chancellors letter as saying. The controversial issues in the two countries relations, such as migration, wont be overlooked, Seibert said, adding that the chancellor and Germany were ready to develop bilateral ties within the framework of our shared EU membership and European values.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Orban on his election victory by phone and invited him to pay a visit to Israel in the near future. Netanyahu paid an official visit to Hungary last July, making him the first Israeli prime minister to visit Hungary for several decades.



European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he would call Orban on Tuesday to discuss with him important and topical issues of common interest, the commissions spokesman said on Monday.



The commission is looking forward to cooperating with the re-elected Hungarian government and tackling various future challenges, Margaritis Schinas said at a regular press briefing.



The EU is a union of democracy and common values, Schinas said, adding that the commission and its president believe that defending these values is a common duty of all member states, without exception.



Juncker will write to Orban later on Monday to congratulate him on his partys election victory, he said.



Manfred Weber, group leader of the European Peoples Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, also congratulated Orban on his clear victory. I look forward to continuing working with you towards common solutions to our European challenges, Weber said in a tweet.



The Austrian chancellor congratulated the Hungarian prime minister on his partys election victory on Twitter. Hungary is an important neighbour and economic partner for Austria, Sebastian Kurz said, adding that he was looking forward to continuing cooperation with Orban.



Other leaders to congratulate Orban included Andrej Babis the Czech prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic the Serbian president and Horst Seehofer, head of the Christian Social Union (CSU), who said the CSU had always viewed Orban as a partner.



Seehofer, who also heads the federal interior ministry, said the Hungarian prime minister had emerged as a resistance fighter against the Communist dictatorship and had kept his voters trust ever since.



Joerg Meuthen, co-leader of German nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD), said on Monday that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had won a truly resounding victory with an agenda defined by the interests of his people.



Orban is willing to take on confrontation to achieve his goals, Meuthen said in a Facebook post, adding that the Hungarian PM had made a command to halt the unregulated influx of culturally foreign migrants into the continent. He called on EU elites to introduce reforms giving member states greater sovereignty.



Matteo Salvini of Italys centrist right Liga party, who won the March general election in Italy and is in coalition talks to form a government, said on Twitter that Hungarians have voted with their hearts and minds, not heeding Brussels threats and Soross billions.



Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian upper houses foreign affairs committee, said the Fidesz victory reflected the citizens responsible and pragmatic take on the protection of national interests, as opposed to obligations towards the European Union and NATO.



MTI Photo above by Szilard Koszticsak of PM Orban celebrating his latest election victory.
Translation of Momentum Praesidium member Katka Csehs Facebook post of Monday April 9th, 2018, a day after the General Election in Hungary.

"At the end of 2015 I moved home from Holland because I wasnt comfortable with the fact that, by choosing a comfortable, good life, I was abandoning the opportunity to do something to make Hungary a little better, a little happier, a little more humane and a much more lovable place.



It was about the time when nine of us decided in the library of a college dormitory to try and create a party that could offer an alternative to people like us disillusioned with politics.



We would like to have proved that in Hungary there is an opportunity for civilized dialogue and politics without hatred, and for burying political trenches.

With time the nine people became fifty, then 140, and now almost 2000. We created a fantastic political community from absolutely nothing and without financial backing, purely out of enthusiasm.



We conducted many large-scale signature-collection campaigns, built a national organization, and finally took measure of ourselves in a national election.

Perhaps a few of you are aware that since leaving my full-time job in September, I have spent practically all of my working hours participating as a volunteer in the work of the Momentum Movement.



Every single minute was worth it a thousand times over. These months were the most beautiful, most inspiring, most intensive, and most uplifting period of my life. I cannot begin to say how much I learned, or how much I worked, and how many mistakes I made. This is true of the party, as well.



We did fantastic things but we also ran into a few dead-ends. We took a lot of blows, but got even more love, encouragement, and a huge amount of positive feedback from many tens and hundreds of thousands of people with whom we spoke over the course of a year, with whom we worked and drew into public life, and for whom we restored hope that indeed there is a point to dealing with politics.



And yesterday we received more than 150,000 votes. True, this was well below the threshold for getting into parliament. But at the same time this is more than the entire population of Pecs, or say twice that of Szolnok.



To me this clearly shows that indeed there is a need for something new, something different, something more honest, something fresher. And I am extremely grateful to everyone who entrusted their vote to us, and we will show that these votes went to a good place.

We are moving forward because there will be a real need for us. Somehow we have to give hope to the many youth who since last night are talking about emigrating or looking for work abroad.



We have to prove that in the next four years we can stop the hatred flowing from every direction, the rhetorical attacks on George Soros and migrants, and all this talk of Ukrainians and those living abroad.



We must show that beyond the parliamentary puppet show there exists real politics in the communities, in the streets, between people, and in demonstrations. We continue to believe that it is possible to politicize fairly and honorably, respect our opponents, and stay clear of suspect deals in dark back rooms.



I am extremely grateful to everyone for the past year. Thanks to my comrades in arms for our joint work, the laughter, the many experiences, (and) I would like to thank my loved ones for their patience, acceptance, and toleration of my outbursts. I will never ever forget these months."
URBANA, Ill. - Each spring the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences recognizes faculty, staff, and graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding achievements or exceptional service to the college. Recipients are honored at the annual Paul A. Funk Recognition Awards Banquet. This year, the banquet was held Monday, April 9, at Pear Tree Estate in rural Champaign. The awards program was established in 1970 by the Paul A. Funk Foundation of Bloomington, as a memorial to the late Paul A. Funk, who attended the college as a member of the class of 1929 and devoted his life to agriculture. The 2018 recipients include: PAUL A. FUNK RECOGNITION AWARD Brent McBride, Human Development and Family Studies

Mohammad Babadoost, Crop Sciences

John Juvik, Crop Sciences

Soo-Yeun Lee, Food Science and Human Nutrition SPITZE LAND-GRANT PROFESSORIAL CAREER EXCELLENCE AWARD Elvira de Mejia, Food Science and Human Nutrition FACULTY AWARD FOR GLOBAL IMPACT Mary Arends-Kuenning, Agricultural and Consumer Economics TEAM AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE INGENAES: Paul McNamara, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Andrea Bohn, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Maria Jones, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Katy Mosiman, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Han Bum Lee, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Colby Silvert, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Amber Martin, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Lulu Rodriguez, Agricultural Communications

Juan Andrade, Food Science and Human Nutrition

Austin Peterson, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

Jan Henderson, Agricultural and Consumer Economics FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Senior - Angela Kent, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

College - Juan Andrade, Food Science and Human Nutrition FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH Senior - Amy Ando, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

College - Gail Ferguson, Human Development and Family Studies FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EXTENSION Senior - Aaron Hager, Crop Sciences KARL E. GARDNER OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE ADVISER AWARD Stephen Moose, Crop Sciences JOHN CLYDE AND HENRIETTA DOWNEY SPITLER TEACHING AWARD Dawn Bohn, Food Science and Human Nutrition SPECIALIZED FACULTY TEACHING AWARD Debra Korte, Agricultural Education Program PROFESSIONAL STAFF AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE Sustained Excellence - Advising, Teaching and Outreach, Ann Finnegan, Agricultural and Consumer Economics Sustained Excellence - Research, Kristin Greer, Crop Sciences Sustained Excellence - Administrative/Management or Technical Contributions, Diane Anderson, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Innovation and Creativity, Douglas Wolters, ACES Administration MARCELLA M. NANCE STAFF AWARD Cathy Cherry, Human Development and Family Studies SERVICE RECOGNITION AWARD Guy Johnson, Food Science and Human Nutrition STAFF AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE Jennifer Black, Crop Sciences

Andrea Ray, Agricultural Education Program GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARD Ph.D. - Patricia Wolf, Division of Nutritional Sciences

M.S. - Guanying (Bianca) Xu, Food Science and Human Nutrition LOUIS V. LOGEMAN GRADUATE STUDENT TEACHING AWARD Candice Mazewski, Food Science and Human Nutrition

Janice Kelly, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences ACES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARD OF MERIT Sam R. Eathington, B.S. 91, M.S. 92, Ph.D. 95 Agronomy, of Chesterfield, MO

Eric H. Jackson, B.S. 83 Ag Economics, of Minneapolis, MN

David W. Mies, B.S. 70 Ag Sciences, M.S. 71 Plant Breeding, of Mahomet

Donald L. Moffitt, B.S. 69 Ag Education, of Gilson

John G. Reifsteck, B.S. 77 Ag Economics, of Champaign Source: Melinda DelRossi, 217-333-1429, melinda@illinois.edu

News writer: Stephanie Henry, 217-244-1183, slhenry@illinois.edu

Date: April 10, 2018
By RALPH ANSAMI

[email protected]lobe.com

HURLEY  Beacon Ambulance is looking for an 800 percent increase in its contract with the city of Hurley.

Mayor Joseph Pinardi told the city council Tuesday theres no way the city has money in its budget for a proposed increase from $5,231 to $46,710, or more than $41,000, retroactive to March 1.

This is just a shock, Pinardi said, adding that the $41,000 is basically the cost of a city employee.

Pinardi said the city could negotiate next years contract with Beacon, but doesnt have the funds for such a large increase this year.

He...
CONFERRING AT Monday's Wakefield City Council meeting are, from left, members Kay Wiita (back turned,) Pat Mann and Jim Anderson; mayor pro tempore Amy Tarro; mayor John Granato; city clerk Sue Ahonen; city attorney Ray O'Dea and city manager Richard Brackney.

By P.J. GLISSON

[email protected]

WAKEFIELD - In back-to-back Monday meetings, the Wakefield City Council and planning commission both voted to "file" a request for support from Superior Cannabis Solutions, LLC, in Bessemer.

The request came from a March 28 letter from Kathleen Whitburn, director of market and business development for the company.

"As business owners and investors in the medical marijuana industry and in the U.P. of Michigan, we are actively reaching out to you to establish our business within the city of Wakefield," Whitburn wrote in her letter to city officials.

Mo...
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

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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...
WASHINGTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he expected to meet Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in May or early June.

"We'll be meeting with them sometime in May or early June, and I think there will be great respect paid by both parties," he told a cabinet meeting, saying that he hoped the two sides would be able to make a deal on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Trump also said the U.S. side has been in touch with the DPRK.

The White House host said "hopefully it will be a relationship that will be much different than it has been for many, many years ago," referring to the U.S. confrontation relations with the DPRK.

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has thawed in recent months. In March, Trump and Kim agreed to meet, but the exact timing and place of the high-profile gathering have not been announced yet.

Seoul and Pyongyang have agreed to hold a summit on April 27, the first meeting between the leaders of the two sides in 11 years.
We are confident that each of us is appalled at the fact that Arthur Jones, an avowed Nazi sympathizer and Holocaust denier, ran unopposed in the primary for the Republican nomination to the 3rd Congressional District, and is now the Republican nominee on the ballot. And, needless to say, our local party looks like a group of incompetent fools. But what is infuriating is that the nomination of Jones could easily have been prevented .

According to a former Palos Township Committeeman, Arthur Jones was well known in the 3rd Congressional District for being a Nazi sympathizer, Holocaust denier and perennial candidate. In the past, the local party officials have always recruited candidates to keep Jones off of the general election ballot. But, inexplicably, not this year.

Sean Morrison is State Central Committeeman for the 3rd Congressional District, Cook County Chairman and Palos Township Committeeman. Given these multiple key spots, and in particular his role as State Central Committeeman for the district in which Jones was running, we believe that it was undeniably Morrison's responsibility to take action to stop Jones. Yet when the State Central Committee met in February 2018 and discussed Jones' success in getting on the November ballot, Sean Morrison admitted that he knew of Jones' upcoming candidacy as early as October 2017 , a month and half before the deadline for Nomination Papers, but claimed that he could not find another candidate to block Jones.

This excuse is outrageous and unacceptable. We urge all to review the geography of the 3rd Congressional District. It has only a narrow segment in the City of Chicago, then broadly weeps though the southwest suburbs with towns such as the Palos communities, Orland, Homer Glen, Crestwood and Lockport, running as far as the border of Joliet. The idea that no Republican candidate could be found is laughable. It is obvious to us that this was not a matter of no one being found, it was a case that no one bothered to even try and recruit.
New Delhi: Bhojpuri filmmaker Ramkumar Kumawat has been acquitted by the sessions court in Mumbai in a nine-year-old rape case. An actress in 2009 had alleged that the producer-director raped her on the pretext of offering her work in films.

According to Timesofindia.com, Ramkumar called the actress to his office for work where he allegedly raped her. It did not stop there as she was called to his house the very next day on the pretext of work and again he allegedly raped her. The role was reportedly that of an item girl in a song.

However, the role later went on to some other actress, as per reports. It was only after that the actress filed a complaint against the filmmaker.

The producer-director has now been acquitted in the case after nine long years as the court found several discrepancies in the statements given by the complainant to the police and before the court. Also, as per the report, the medical officer who examined the actress stated that the injuries on her body were superficial.

The defence managed to prove that the filmmaker and the actress had consensual sex and that the complaint was filed by her only after she wasn't given the film role. She even admitted to the fact that had she bagged the role, she would not have filed the complaint.
PATNA: Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday claimed that the government is conspiring to get her and her family killed. The allegation comes a day after the Bihar government withdrew the 32 Military Police jawans who were stationed at the residence of the former chief minister in Patna. "The security was revoked at 9 in the night. See what the government is doing? It is a conspiracy to get me and my family killed," Rabri Devi said.

"It's a conspiracy by Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi and the government. Lalu Ji is in jail and is dying every day. I don't know if he's dying due to disease or being killed using medicines. His sugar level is rising. How do I trust the government? If they ask us to vacate our house we're ready to do it," she added.

She also wrote a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying the Home Ministry would be responsible if any untoward incident takes place with her or her family.

After the security at her house being withdrawn, Rabri Devi writes to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar saying, 'If any untoward incident takes place with me & my family, home ministry will be held responsible'. pic.twitter.com/lP2guMaPUo  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018

Protesting against the decision, Rabri's son and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav along with his brother Tej Pratap Yadav had also given up their security on Tuesday. Tejashwi claimed that he was taking the decision so that the Nitish Kumar-led government could indulging in 'petty politics' and do some development work.

In a series of tweets, Tejashwi said that the three of them had obtained security on the ground of him being the leader of the opposition, Rabri being an ex-CM and Tej Pratap being an MLA. The decision to withdraw the security came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a raid at Rabri's residence in connection with the IRCTC hotel tender case.

Tejashwi also alleged that the Chief Minister had sent him a notice to vacate the government residence, he is presently living in. While the CBI officials said it clear that only Rabri Devi was questioned at her residence in Patna, RJD leaders claimed that Tejashwi was also quizzed for over four hours. "Only Rabri Devi was questioned today. We have already questioned Tejashwi Yadav in connection with the case," an official said on Tuesday.

RJD leaders attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that it was a malicious exercise and wondered if it was a coincidence that their leader had been questioned by the CBI when the prime minister was visiting the state. "Let Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar remember that the more they will try to repress us, the stronger will we emerge," RJD vice-president Shivanand Tiwary said.

This is not the first time that the RJD leaders have made such an allegation. Earlier in March too, Tejashwi Yadav had claimed that there is a threat to his father Lalu Prasad Yadav's life and claimed that a conspiracy is being hatched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "I am sure there is a threat to LaluJi's life, looking at the conspiracy being planned by BJP," he had said.

Lalu has been sentenced to fourteen years in prison in connection with two cases in the fourth fodder scam case. He is currently admitted to the All India Medical Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment after his health deteriorated in jail.
New Delhi: Karan Johar has given a dreamy launchpad to several actors in the industry. Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra featured in KJo's 'Student Of The Year' and the rest, as they say, is history. The sequel of the film is on the floors and the star cast has been finally unveiled.

Ending months of speculation, it has now been confirmed that Chunky Panday's darling daughter Ananya is making her big-screen entry into films with 'Student Of The Year 2'. The gorgeous newbie was welcomed to the movies by mentor Karan on Twitter.

He shared the first look poster:

Also, this time it's going to be a two-heroine project unlike the original which had two heroes. Tiger Shroff plays the lead role whereas Ananya has been paired opposite him. Another female lead in the film is Tara Sutaria, who was introduced on the social media as well.

Check out here:

The film is scheduled to hit the screens on November 23, 2018. The film is being directed by Punit Malhotra and produced by Dharma Productions. The original turned out to be a big gainer that year and helped Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra in shaping up their respective careers.

Tiger meanwhile is basking in the glory of his latest hit 'Baaghi 2' opposite Disha Patani. It will be interesting to see how his on-screen chemistry turns out to be with the fresh faces in 'SOTY2'.

So, are you excited about this one?
New Delhi: Karan Johar's much talked about 'Student Of The Year 2' (SOTY) is high on the buzz word and rightly so. Ever since the filmmaker announced th sequel to 'SOTY', fans were keen to know about the star cast. While Tiger Shroff leads the pack, rumours about the leading ladies were floating everywhere on social media.

The makers have finally revealed the first actress to be cast in the sequel which happens to be Tara Sutaria. The gorgeous actress will be seen opposite Tiger in the film which will reportedly also have another female lead on board. The film is scheduled to hit the screens on November 23, 2018.

The actor welcomed his new co-star on Twitter and shared the new poster as well. Check it out here:

Speculations are rife that Chunky Panday's darling daughter Ananya too will be seen making her big screen debut in 'Student Of The Year 2'. The film is being directed by Punit Malhotra and produced by Dharma Productions.

Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra made their smashing debut in Karan Johar's directorial 'Student Of The Year' in 2012. The movie turned out to be a big gainer that year and helped these actors shape up their respective careers.

Tiger meanwhile is basking in the glory of his lastest hit 'Baaghi 2' opposite Disha Patani. It will be interesting to see how his on-screen chemistry turns out to be with the fresh faces in 'SOTY2'.
Korba: Congress MLA Ramdayal Uike kicked up a row on Tuesday, saying "sticks and bullets" will be used, if needed, to throw the BJP out of power in Chhattisgarh, drawing a sharp rebuke from the ruling party. "Lathi, goli chalana padhe to chalayenge, lekin Bharatiya Janata Party ko Chhattisgarh se bhagayenge (will use sticks and bullets, if required, to throw the BJP out of the state)," the Pali-Tanakhar MLA said at Sinthiya village, while administering a pledge to the party workers to form a Congress government in the state, where the Assembly polls are due later this year.

AICC general secretary and the Congress' Chhattisgarh affairs in-charge, P L Punia, who was also present at the programme, defended Uike, saying the MLA used such words only as "idiomatically". "His (Uike's) intention was to say that the party organisation will put all its strength to dislodge the BJP government. He used the words (sticks and bullet) only idiomatically," Punia said.

However, BJP leader and state Forest Minister Mahesh Gagda said Uike was speaking the language of the Naxals. "The comment reflects the criminal mindset of the Congress and shows that it can go to any extent for the sake of power," he said.

Gagda said the BJP was voted to power for the third time in a row in Chhattisgarh in 2013 with the blessings of the people. "The Congress is making such comments because it has become frustrated after seeing the support being extended by the people to the Lok Suraj Abhiyan of Chief Minister Raman Singh and to the BJP's jansampark yatra," he added.
NEW DELHI: A student of Delhi University's Kirori Mal College has been caught on camera being beaten up by a group of students. The incident took place on March 15, 2018. The student has complained that the others used to ask me for money and target him saying "Tum UP-Bihar ke ho yahan tumhari nahi chalti (You are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. No one will listen to you here)". The student has also alleged that he reached out to the police but they did not take him seriously.

#WATCH: A student beaten up by group of students in Delhi University's Kirori Mal College. The student says 'They used to ask me for money & target me saying 'Tum UP-Bihar ke ho yahan tumhari nahi chalti'. When I complained to the police, they didn't take me seriously' (15.03.18) pic.twitter.com/49NidXaZbn  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018

The video comes days after there were reports that an 18-year-old student of Dyal Singh College was allegedly attacked for belonging to the Scheduled Caste. The victim was reportedly attacked by an ice pick and glass bottles.

The victim had reportedly got 14 stitches on the face and had claimed that those who attacked him were Jats. He had also claimed that the other students had been harassing him for the past few months and had been levelling casteist slurs.

In February, a 23-year-old sportswoman was also allegedly beaten up by a group of men when she was on her way to her hostel. She claimed that she was surrounded by a group of six men who looked to be college students. The men hit her until she shouted that she was a girl. Realising that hitting a woman could get them in serious trouble, the attackers fled the scene.
Washington: For the first time, scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are studying the tiny sea creatures called phytoplankton and their impact on the atmosphere and climate of the Earth.

NASA's North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems (NAAMES) study is the first research mission to conduct an integrated study on world`s largest phytoplankton bloom in the North Atlantic. The study is in its fourth and final deployment stage.

Previous three deployments have confirmed a distinct shift in the annual cycle of the phytoplankton bloom as well as a lack of larger-sized plankton during the peak of the bloom.

Rich Moore, Deputy Project Scientist at NAAMES, in a statement said, "Most scientists studying the bloom head to sea during its climax in late spring and early summer. We did that, but we also went out during the other seasons to fully capture the minimum and transitions of the bloom."

"This thoroughness pays off as our ship-based scientists use these data to fully describe the entirety of the plankton bust/boom cycle. No one has done this before, and we`re excited about the science findings that are beginning to trickle out now," Moore said

The study is set to research the "ascending transition" of the bloom, which occurs after the phytoplankton minimum in February.

In the March-April phase, the plankton are growing steadily, with their abundance in the water continuing to increase or accumulate toward the maximum of the bloom between May and July.

The NAAMES campaign also provides a unique opportunity for researchers aboard Atlantis to do experiments that study growth and decay of the phytoplankton population.

Moore said,"For scientists watching the rates of growth, this is the exciting time, because the accumulation rate is expected to be going through the roof and stay high for the next few months," Moore said.

Rates of phytoplankton accumulation are critical for understanding the ocean conditions that lead to phytoplankton growth and its timing, a key to unlocking the environmental drivers and controls of biological dynamics, the report said.

For the study, the team is combining global data from NASA satellites with the ship, aircraft, and autonomous assets such as floats, along with laboratory research and balloon data.

Scientists are also conducting meteorological balloon launches from the ship to understand the link between the ocean, atmospheric particles and clouds.

(With IANS inputs)
Chandigarh: In a controversial move, school students in Haryana have been asked to fill in a 100-pointer admission form giving details like whether their parents are engaged in any "unclean occupation" or suffering from genetic disorders, prompting the opposition to hit out at the Khattar government.

The school students above primary classes have also been asked to mention their along with their parents' Aadhaar numbers, parents' occupation and educational qualification in the admission form. The form also seeks to know "whether parents of students are engaged in unclean occupation, whether they are income tax payees, their religion and caste details, genetic disorder, if any, besides students' bank details".

Commenting on the development, the opposition Congress said the BJP-led state government was indulging in "racial and religious profiling".

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in a series of tweets said, "Khattar Govt issues a 100 point Students Admission Form. It is really a Surveillance of Parents/Students Form. "Khattar Govt does it again. Students labelled as 'untouchables' & their parents occupation as 'unclean'. Height of insanity is the kind of pvt info of parents being sought. Calling vocation of parents unclean is absurd," he said.

"Govt, taking a cue from NaMo App, issues a 100 pointer student admission form. Since when has Aadhaar become mandatory for school admission?," he said in another tweet.

Surjewala demanded that the state education department withdraw the order and tender an apology to the parents.
Los Angeles: Saudi Arabia will be for the first time participating in the 71st Cannes Film Festival in France, which is set to run from May 8 to 19, 2018.

The move comes a few months after the country lifted its 35-year ban on public cinemas. The country's new film organisation, the Saudi Film Council, will have a dedicated pavilion at the 'Marche du Film', reported The Hollywood Reporter.

"The kingdom looks forward to its debut presence at the festival. Saudi Arabia is embarking on the development of a sustainable and dynamic industry that supports and encourages all stages of a film cycle and offers an incredible range of locations for the world's filmmakers to discover," said Awwad Alawwad, Saudi culture minister and chairman of GCA's board, said in a statement.

Nine short films by young Saudi filmmakers will screen at Cannes' Short Film Corner on May 14 and May 15, as part of the country's first trip to the Croisette.
SPRINGFIELD - The Equal Rights Amendment won its biggest victory in Illinois since its 1970s' beginnings when a surprising number of Republican senators abandoned the party's traditional opposition to an amendment that would dramatically change public policy in the name of Equal Rights.

The new support for the ERA passed the Illinois Senate - where the Democrats already have a super-majority - with a 43 to 12 vote. The vote will now go to the Illinois House to be listed among those states that support ratifying the ERA.

Republicans Althoff, Barickman, Connelly, McConnaughay, Nybo, Rezin and Rooney switched sides on the ERA to join the Democrat majority:
A quick glance at the top news of the day:

1. Sunni Wakf Board claims it owns Taj Mahal, Supreme Court wants Shah Jahan's signed will

Slamming Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board's claim that it owns Taj Mahal, Supreme Court on Wednesday said that such matters are nothing more than a waste of time, unless Mughal Emperor's signed will indeed proves ownership. Read full report

2. Commonwealth Games 2018: India's medal winners on Day 7

India won one gold and two bronze on the seventh day of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast on Wednesday. All three medals came in shooting though Shreyasi Singh, Ankur Mittal and Om Prakash Mitherval, taking India's medals tally to 12 gold, four silver and eight bronze. Read full report

3. No more IPL matches in Chennai this year after protests hit Tamil Nadu: Report

All T20 matches scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium will now be reportedly shifted to another venue outside Tamil Nadu. The move comes on the back of anti-IPL protests across the state and a day after two protesters hurled slippers on the field during a CSK vs KKR match. Read full report

4. India operationalises first smart fence on Bangladesh border in Assam

Taking the first but crucial step towards ensuring zero-transgression borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan, Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday operationalised the first smart fence on a riverine stretch with Bangladesh in Assam. Read full report

5. At least 257 killed as military plane crashes in Algeria: Report

An Algerian military plane crashed on Wednesday near Boufarik airport near the capital Algiers. The plane was reportedly carrying more than 250 military personnel. At least 257 are feared dead in the crash, including 26 from Western Sahara, say Reuters. Read full report
In a fresh twist in the rape allegations against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a woman named earlier by the alleged victim has come out in support of the ruling party leader. The woman, Shashi Singh, has claimed that the alleged victim often frames people on false charges of rape.

Shashi, who came to Lucknow along with her husband Haripal Singh and son Shubham, said that the alleged victim had nine months back filed a rape case against her son and sent him to jail. She often frames people putting false allegations on them. Earlier it was my son, and now she is framing the MLA, said Shashi.

Meanwhile, a special investigation team has been constituted for probe into the alleged rape and the death of the father of the claimant in police custody in Unnao. A plea has also been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case.

Accused MLA Sengars brother Atul Singh Sengar and four others  namely Sonu, Baua, Vinit and Shailu  has been arrested in the case so far. The MLAs brother had alleged beaten the father of the alleged victim after he was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act.

Reacting to the rape allegations and custodial death, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state police chief seeking a detailed report in the case, and asking the authorities to ensure no further harassment to the family concerned.

Amid these allegations and counter-allegations, an alleged phone call recording of a conversation between rape-accused Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and the uncle of the woman who accused him has revealed that the lawmaker was pressuring him to withdraw the complaints against him.

In the recording, Sengar can purportedly be heard as saying that the matter should be brought to an end. "Whatever has happened, has happened. You come to me. Am I closer to you or someone else? Let us start a new chapter," he is heard saying in the phone conversation. "Stop everybody, tell everyone to remain calm."

Speaking to Zee News about the said conversation, Sengar denied making the call. "Let investigations happen, do not jump to conclusions. Whoever is guilty should be punished. I did not make any phone calls. If charges against me are proven, I will leave politics," he said.
India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun MK-II and Arjun MK-I, Nirbhay Missile System will be the star attractions at the Defence Research and Development Organisation's stall at the four-day DefExpo 2018 at Kancheepuram near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The other star attractions at the DRDO stall are Arjun Armoured Recovery and Repair Vehicle (ARRV), T-72 Trawl, T-72 Bridge Layer Tank, Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhaP), Mobile Surveillance System and Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS).

There will be live demo during the April 1114, 2018 expo of LCA Tejas, MBT Arjun MK-II, ARRV, T-72 Trawl, T-72 Bridge Layer Tank, Wheeled Armoured Platform, Mobile Surveillance System and ATAGS. The outdoor exhibits include Nirbhay Missile System with Launcher, Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (AUGV), MBT Arjun Mk-I, Astra Missile, Low Level Transportable Radar (LLTR) System, Medium Power Radar (MPR) System, Convoy Jammer, Multipurpose Decontamination System (MPDS), Varunastra - Heavy Weight Anti Submarine Electric Torpedo and Bio-Toilet.

There is an exclusive India Pavilion for the first time in DefExpo, which will showcase the combined strength of DRDO, public and private sector in defence manufacturing.

DRDO is the largest exhibitor at DefExppo 2018 and its exhibits are in two broad categories, one pertaining to technologies ready for transfer to industries for productionisation and the other pertaining to technologies ready for exports.

The exhibits include technologies pertaining to aeronautics, missiles, armaments, combat vehicles, naval systems, electronics, information warfare and life sciences. The pavilion also presents an array of digital experiences including war game simulation zone, augmented reality, virtual reality, physical simulators, etc.

During the event, Transfer of Technology (ToT) of DRDO developed products to private industry and Defence PSU partners will be done in the presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on April 11, 2018. Some of these include: ASTRA Missile, Varunastra - Heavy weight torpedo, Anti Thermal Anti Laser Grenade, Identification of Friend & Foe (IFF), HUMSA  UG, ABHAY Sonar, etc. A record number of 200 ToTs in the last three years with revenue generation to the tune of Rs 190 crore by DRDO has spurred the growth of defence manufacturing sector, echoing the theme of DefExpo - 2018, 'India : The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub'.
A security personnel was killed in an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in Kulgam area of Jammu and Kashmir. The encounter started late on Tuesday night between terrorists and security forces at Khudwani area of Kulgam district. Authorities said that two-three terrorists were trapped during the gunbattle.

#Visuals from #JammuAndKashmir: Encounter underway between terrorists & security forces in Khudwani area of Kulgam District in South Kashmir. 6 additional coys of CRPF moved to the spot. 2-3 terrorists have been trapped. (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/hmDRMrgDEg  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018

As many as six additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been moved to the site of the encounter.

Mobile internet services were also suspended in Kulgam and Anantnag districts of South Kashmir following the encounter. Train services on Srinagar-Banihal route were also suspended as a precautionary measure. However, trains continued to ply normally on Srinagar-Baramulla route.

There were also reports of locals pelting stones on security forces during the encounter.

More details are awaited.
Reporting by Mehak Kasbekar

New Delhi: CBSE has been in the eye of a raging storm since reports of Class 10 Maths and Class 12 Economics papers being leaked came to the fore. Home secretary Anil Swarup too has had to fight fire for close to two months before it was announced that while Class 12 students will have to appear again for Economics, Class 10 students won't need to. In an exclusive interview, Swaroop says decisions taken may not be perfect but were still taken with best interest of students in mind. He also says increased use of technology may ensure such incidents do not happen again.

Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Q: Why different decisions for 10th and 12th exams were taken? Why was same consideration not taken for both, at least when the leaks were there in both papers?

A: See, the implication of class 10th and 12th examinations are different. Class 10th is more of an internal exam, where you self-evaluate and see. You don't have to go for admission elsewhere like in case of Class 12. In class 12, every mark matters. The difference of one mark leads to non-admission to a particular college that you want to go.

So given the implication of class 10 and 12 exams, we decided that we should hold the class 12th exam again and class 10th should not be held.

For not holding the class 10th examinations there are other reasons also. The primary reason was the impact of class 10th examination. We evaluated it through some randomly selected copies, which were corrected, and we found that the results of this year through this randomly selected copies was worse than last year. So, if this would have impacted it than would have improved a bit both in terms of children failing and children getting 90% more. There were lesser number of 90 percent and more failures this year. So being that case, we came to a conclusion that by and large there has been no impact.

I would like to add that this may not be a perfect decision. But keeping in mind the inconvenience that would have cost to 14 lakh children would have to re-appear. We took the decision that it has no implication, there has been no impact and the inconvenience to children based on three factors, we decided not to hold the exams.

Q: Were there any discussions on any other solutions, which was put on the board and was discarded? Maybe giving the passing marks to everybody?

A: Yes, we had a discussion on all those. But once the random sample study came to us, we decided that it is not really required. By and large, the marks will reflect what the students have done. So in that context, we said holding an examination will be disastrous.

Q: Many said that the CBSE chairperson should be removed as a fallout of the CBSE leaks. Of course, you explained in the public domain earlier in the decisions she took. But going ahead, how we are going to make sure that such leaks do not happen in the system at all?

A: This system had been working for three-four years but this is a wake-up call in the context that even this can be misused at some level. So, we are now committing ourselves to use technology to see how it could be used to make the system even more foolproof.

For this purpose, a committee under the chairmanship of ex-secretary HRD has been constituted. It will submit its report by May 31, 2018. But we are also looking at various techniques that can be used to make the system foolproof.

Q: And this will be applicable from when?

A: Next exams. All next year exams will be held under the new system. It will be our endeavour to ensure that the students do not go through this agony from next year.

Q: Is there anything in the current system that is going to be put in the new system?

A: No. The advantage of the electronic system is that we are able to track down much easier than in the physical system. In the electronic system, whoever messes with this process, you can get to know who has got into the system at what time and from through which IP address. We should be in a better position to look at the problem if it arises. Our hope is that there would not be any problem as the world will know that they will be caught in case they do it. But you can never give full assurance. It will be our endeavour to make the system foolproof.

Q: Could it (the entire paper leak controversy) have been handled swiftly? Could the media have been involved in a better way? Could they have been reached out from the government so that all the issues that we saw panning across the country would have probably have been solved?

A: You know, it was a very unusual situation and without any appropriate information it would have been a wrong step to come to the media. When you talk to the media, you should be aware of the thing that you are talking about. And to get to know that in the system, it took some time obviously on the hindside, someone can say that someone should have spoken ahead of it. But my view is that speaking prematurely without knowing the full facts would have been even worse. So, as soon as we took the decision in this regard to reconduct the examination or not to reconducting other exams, I personally came to the media and spoke to it.

Q: What would you like to say to students?

A: My advice to students is that focus on what you are doing. You don't become good or better because someone else has done good or bad. You are evaluating yourself. Just because someone else has done well, doesn't make you bad. You are what you are, so focus on yourself. There is a whole life ahead and there will be many such situations where you will be compared with others but don't go by comparison. Do good to yourself, improve yourself and you will succeed in the life.

Q: The last question is on the values and ethics that we are seeing and there is a big question mark on the educational system. Currently, we saw the Pradyuman murder case, there have been other violent cases and it is just increasing across India. What is the government looking at to contain it?

A: It is a very, very serious issue and we are conscious of the fact that we have to somehow bring in value education in the current system. We had a couple of days of workshop, intensive interaction with the experts. We are working towards it and hopefully, we will be able to get these aspects in the new curriculum of the NCERT, where value education becomes a part of formal education.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday took up with her Georgian counterpart Mikheil Janelidze the issue of Indian students being denied entry into that country despite having valid visas. Janelidze assured me that he would look into the matter personally and resolve it, Swaraj said in a tweet.

"@SushmaSwaraj Why Georgian Government denying entry for Indian students in Georgia even after having valid D3 visa. Deported Students and their parents want to meet you. Please suggest the time and place where we can meet to discuss the issue. #SOS," said a tweet by one Prashant Kamlakar.

Responding to the tweet, the external affairs minister said that she was aware of the issue and the Indian Embassy had taken up the matter. "I have spoken to His Excellency Mr Mikheil Janelidze, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. He assured me that he will look into this matter personally and resolve this,": Swaraj said in a late evening tweet.

Reacting to another tweet on a missing Indian family in the US, the Union minister said she has asked for a report in the incident from the Indian Consular General in San Francisco. The family was on a road trip from San Francisco to Portland.
Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon has slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who has been accused of rape by a woman in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Sharing a photograph of Sengar visiting the office of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Raveena said that the least he could do is look embarrassed.

She tweeted, Like the Cat who got the Cream. The least he could do is look embarrassed by the whole incident and apologetic for the death of the womans father in police custody.

Like the Cat who got the Cream . The least he could do is look embarrassed by the whole incident and apologetic for the death of the womans father in police custody. https://t.co/XglExC0Ip4  Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) April 10, 2018

Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh has been facing the heat for not taking any action against the rape accused lawmaker. While Adityanath has assured that no one would be spared in the case, there has been no visible action against the BJP MLA.

Meanwhile, copies of the complaint of the alleged victim, accessed by Zee News, revealed that she had not named Sengar in the first complaint she filed on June 22, 2017. Sengars name featured in the case for the first time in a complaint filed by the alleged victims mother on February 12, 2018.

The UP Chief Minister is expected to get the an initial report of the findings of the special investigation team (SIT), which visited the residence of the complainant on Wednesday morning.

The wife of the MLA, meanwhile, met Uttar Pradesh DGP, seeking justice for her husband. She claimed that her husband was being framed because of political issues. I have full sympathy with the victim, but my husband is being made a scapegoat, she said. "There's political motive behind this. Make my husband & girl (rape victim) undergo narco test. My daughters are traumatised. We're being mentally harassed. No evidence has been presented yet, still he's being labelled as rapist," she added.
Parents, teachers, and education professionals who identified problems were ignored by the Obama administration and the NEA (National Education Association), both of which were strong advocates of the new system. Hence, Common Core was inserted in classrooms across America. The organization behind its implementation claimed that having a consistent national set of standards was important to US education, that these new standards would improve the educational outcome of students. That may be true, but they ignored many credible, worthwhile arguments, one of which was made by our Forefathers who wisely warned of the dangers of a federal government interfering with education issues. They advocated instead that each state be responsible for developing its own education program.

Our public schools went through a significant change during the Obama years, a change that was met with an unusual amount of criticism from the public, parents, and concerned education professionals. Among the most frequently repeated complaint was that the new program, Common Core, had not been sufficiently tested before being released and implemented in classrooms throughout the United States, despite pleas from education professionals and parents that it needed further studies.

Failure of Common Core

The Common Core Standards were officially launched in 2009. The 2016 high school graduating class was then in fifth grade. Thus, this experiment has been in our schools long enough now to discern if it has achieved its promise to greatly improve student performance.

In Fall 2015, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tested a representative sample of high school seniors in the 2016 graduating class. After seven years of Common Core curriculum and assessment, the NAEP tests showed a depressing result. The average performance of high school seniors dropped in math and failed to improve in reading. Even worse, while scores improved for students in the highest percentile group in reading, they dropped in reading and math for students in the lower percentiles. The number of students scoring below basic in both subjects also increased from 2013. These were the students that Common Core and the high-stakes testing regime were supposedly designed to help the most.

Test scores for students in 4th and 8th grades likewise showed a similar decline in math. Terry Mazany, chairman of the governing board for the test, called these results worrisome. Fairfield University Professor and Network for Public Education Board member Yohuru Williams argues that the NAEO tests are manifestly unfair to the neediest children. They feed into the rhetoric that there is racial determinism in American society that tends to close doors of opportunity for Black and Latino children.

The facts clearly indicate Common Core has failed the specific objectives its authors tried to achieve, largely because the real problems were ignored. Much like a magician who tricks his subjects by distracting them away from the subject, Common Core tricked the public into believing changing our education standards was the answer to more successful educational outcomes for minorities, when the real problems were ignored, such as poverty, one parent families, both parents working long hours, gang involvement, under-performing teachers, and Teacher Unions protecting bad teachers at the expense of needy students.

There is no doubt Common Core Standards and Common Core aligned assessments failed to transform American schools and increase test percentages, but even more depressing is they failed their intended goal of helping the most vulnerable among us. It is interesting to note the media has not given this subject much attention.

New 2015 Education Concept: "Skills for Social Success"?

In 2015, a new concept for educating our children was introduced when the OECD published a three-year study entitled Skills for Social Progress." The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) spans back to 1960, when 18 European countries, plus the United States and Canada, joined forces to create an organization dedicated to economic development. Its mission was to promote policies that would improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. It's membership now numbers 35 countries which span the globe.

The purpose of the research was to examine cognitive and non-cognitive skills (literacy, academic achievement tests, and grades) which can have a particularly strong effect on higher education attendance and employment. Social and emotional skillssuch as perseverance, self-esteem, and sociabilitycan have particularly strong effects on staying in college, being healthier, being bullied less, and reporting more happiness. While research to improve our quality of education is useful, our children should never be used for experimental new programs, especially on a scale as large as Common Core, which was a nation-wide effort. Particularly problematic was that Common Core, under Obama, largely bribed states to accept the new education program by agreeing to forgive a previous agreement regarding No Child Left Behind, another federally funded education system that did not meet the expectations of its authors or the schools that accepted it.

ESSA and Testing Mandates

It was in December of 2015 that Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), that replaced the often criticized No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). ESSA, in contrast to NCLB, signified a clear move away from federally prescribed standards. In fact, ESSA expressly forbid federal regulators from attempting to influence, incentivize, or coerce states to adopt the Common Core.

Many states have been using the ACT or the SAT tests to meet federally mandated testing requirements, while concurrently preparing their students for college admissions. That the College Board is tied to common core-aligned SAT testing is troubling and assures that Common Core-aligned SAT and ACT are destined to remain prime candidates for these high stakes tests leading to profitable statewide assessment testing contracts

However, it is not just the standards that have caused many parents concern, it is also about the effectiveness of the Common Core curriculum, especially mathematics which has parents even more upset than the students. Parents have also complained about the excessive and inappropriate teaching of sex education at earlier ages and in a far more explicit way than in the past or required at their age. These are reasons why more parents are homeschooling their children.

Few deny that our schools have gone through an intensive transformation in the past decade and that our schools no longer teach important historical facts about our amazing beginning or how we became the most prosperous nation in the World. How will our youth know the important facts about our Constitution and Bill of Rights if they are not taught in our schools?

Bloated and Ineffective Department of Education

Perhaps the solution to our childrens and nations academic success is to abide by our Forefathers wisdom that individual states decide what is best for their children, not the Federal government. The combination of concerned and involved parents, talented teachers, wise school administrators, and an informed public all working together would be a big step forward. Many Conservatives also question why the Department of Education, created in 1979, has now become a sprawling bureaucracy with 153 programs, 5,000 employees, and an annual budget of approximately $70 billion, reversing the years when the federal government left education almost entirely in the hands of the state and local government.

On the same day the Senate confirmed President Trumps Secretary of Education pick, Betsy DeVos, by a historically narrow margin, Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massieintroduced legislation to abolish the Department of Education. Massie believes that policymakers at the state and local levels should be responsible for education policy, instead of a federal agency that was erected in 1980. While Massie was probably just scoring some political points, abolishing the Department of Education is a favorite idea of Republicans, including President Trump. While elimination is unlikely, its also not impossible, according to Alexander Holt, a former a policy analyst with the Education Policy program at New America. Former President Reagan called for dismantling the Department of Education, along with the Department of Energy, but that proposal ultimately never came to fruition.

Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos

Betsy DeVos has made school choice and reducing the role of the federal government in education two of her priorities. She also is working toward fulfilling President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign promise to finally and totally end Common Core.

A brief excerpt of prepared remarks by Secretary Betsy De Vos to the American Enterprise Institute on January 16, 2018 more fully explain her ideas for our childrens education future.

"When it comes to education  and any other issue in public life  those closest to the problem are always better able to solve it. Washington bureaucrats and self-styled education "experts" are about as far removed from students as possible and yet continually overextend themselves time and time again with proposed changes. Educators do not need engineering from Washington. Parents do not need prescriptions from Washington. Students do not need standards from Washington."

Maybe there is some hope on the horizon, but for now it is wise for parents to carefully watch what is being taught in their childrens classrooms today, and equally important  what they are not being taught.

Recommended reading: Failure: The Federal Misedukation of America's Children (Independent Institute Studiesin Political Economy) Paperback  July 1, 2016, by Vicki E. Alger.
NEW DELHI: Launching a counter-attack on Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the grand old party of not letting the country to move forward. "The people who couldn't gain power in 2014, don't want the country to move forward," he told ANI.

Accusing the Opposition further, PM Modi said, "They didn't let Parliament work for a single day. They killed democracy and we will observe fast to bring their crime in front of the world. I will observe fast and at the same time I will continue my work."

The Prime Minister's reaction comes a day after Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had called PM Modi's planned fast - to be observed on April 12 - a farce of a fast. Taking a dig at the party, the Congress spokesperson had said that the fast should be to seek an apology from the children whose lives have been jeopardised due to the CBSE and SSC scams.

Slamming the Modi government, he had said that they must also apologise to the Dalits by observing the fast. "The fast should be to seek an apology from the children whose lives have been jeopardised due to the CBSE and SSC scams.They should tender an apology to the Dalits," Surjewala had added.

On Tuesday, PM Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said they will observe a day-long fast on April 12, Thursday. This came as a protest against the disruptions that had broken out during the budget session of Parliament.

On April 6, the second leg of the Budget Session, which had commenced on January 29, concluded with the Rajya Sabha losing over 121 hours. The Upper House had 30 sittings where the sittings were held for just 44 hours.

Along with the Prime Minister and the party chief, several BJP MPs will also join the fast observation. They are namely - Ravishankar Prasad, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Giriraj Singh, Mahesh Sharma, Rajnath Singh, Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, JP Nadda, Prakash Javdekar, Radhamohan Singh, Piyush Goyal, Suresh Prabhu, Maneka Gandhi, Meenakshi Lekhi, Thawerchand Gehlot, Nirmala Sitaraman and Smriti Irani.

There was no Question Hour in the Upper House for 27 days due to the uproar causing repeated adjournments, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, bank scams, demand for Cauvery water management board, vandalising of statues, review of the recent Supreme Court order on SC/ST Act and law and order situation in Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh were some of the issues on which the House saw the uproar. The House lost nearly three- fourths of its time to disruptions and adjournments.

Upset by the loss of time caused due to disruptions, Naidu had called the session 'an eminently forgettable one'. He had also urged the members not to make the Rajya Sabha a "clog in the wheel" of progress, before adjourning the proceedings of the Budget Session sine die.

Due to the disruptions, the House could not debate the important Finance Bill 2018 but passed the payment of gratuity law without debate.
New Delhi: The Unnao gangrape case has put BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar in the line of fire after the survivor accused him as being one of the culprits. Support for the politician came in the most shocking manner on Wednesday when another BJP MLA said that it was not possible to rape a mother of three.

Surendra Singh, BJP MLA from Bairia in Uttar Pradesh, categorically termed charges of rape against Sengar as a conspiracy. "I am speaking from a psychological point of view, no one can rape a mother of three children. It is not possible," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "This is a conspiracy against him (Sengar)."

I am speaking from psychological point of view, no one can rape a mother of 3 children. It is not possible, this is a conspiracy against him(Kuldeep Sengar).Yes maybe her father was thrashed by some people but I refuse to believe rape charge: BJP Bairia MLA Surendra Singh #Unnao pic.twitter.com/NjXCOpOHG4  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

The shocking statement comes just days after the survivor tried to immolate herself in front of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence. She has repeatedly said that Sengar is one of the culprits but no FIR has been filed against him. Instead, the police arrested the woman's father of the survivor on a complaint made by another woman. He later died in police custody with a post-mortem report blaming internal injuries.

Singh maintained his defence of Sengar and said while the father may have been beaten but rape charges against his fellow MLA was false. "Yes, maybe her father was thrashed by some people but I refuse to believe rape charge," he said.

Sengar himself has denied rape charges made against him and told Zee News on Tuesday that the charges against him are false. While his brother - Atul - has been taken into custody in connection with the case, there has been no action against Sengar yet. On Wednesday morning, there was another twist when Zee News accessed a copy of the first complaint made by the survivor on June 22 of 2017 which showed that Sengar's name did not figure in it. Instead, his name featured in the case for the first time in a complaint filed by the survivor's mother on February 12 of this year.

Nonetheless, pressure has been mounting on Adityanath government to take action against Sengar. The CM has already constituted an SIT to look into the matter and its first report is expected shortly.
In a fresh twist in the Unnao gangrape case, it has been revealed that the alleged victim had not named Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the first complaint filed by her under section 164 on June 22, 2017. According to a copy of the complaint accessed by Zee News, there was no mention of the lawmaker in the rape complaint.

Sengars name featured in the case for the first time in a complaint filed by the alleged victims mother on February 12, 2018. The complaint by her mother was filed under section 156/3. She alleged that her daughter was raped on June 3, 2017 by BJP MLA Sengar.

The development has raised questions on the claims being made the complainant, who even tried to commit suicide in front of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths residence while her father died in police custody in Unnao. It is unclear as to why she did not name the MLA in her first complaint if he was the perpetrator of the crime.

The revelations come amid fresh claims by the alleged victim that she was locked in a hotel room by a District Magistrate. She has alleged that she was first kept locked at the residence of the DM and later taken to a hotel.

An uncle of the alleged victim also upped the ante as he said that he wanted to meet BJP president Amit Shah over the issue. A purported conversation between him and Sengar also emerged on Tuesday wherein the lawmaker could be heard threatening him.

The wife of the MLA, meanwhile, met Uttar Pradesh DGP, seeking justice for her husband. She claimed that her husband was being framed because of political issues. I have full sympathy with the victim, but my husband is being made a scapegoat, she said. "There's political motive behind this. Make my husband & girl (rape victim) undergo narco test. My daughters are traumatised. We're being mentally harassed. No evidence has been presented yet, still he's being labelled as rapist," she added.

In another development related to the case, a woman, Shashi Singh, earlier named by the alleged victim came out in support of Sengar. She claimed that the complainant had nine months back accused her son of rape and sent him to jail. She often frames people putting false allegations on them. Earlier it was my son, and now she is framing the MLA, said Shashi.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea seeking a CBI probe into the incident. It will hear the plea next week.
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to withdraw a rape and kidnapping case against former Union minister Swami Chinmayananda. Following a letter in this regard by Yogi Adityanatah-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the district administration has begun correspondence through a senior prosecution officer.

However, sources said that the victim in the case has raised her objection over the development in the court. According to the victim, the BJP government must wait for a decision by the court in the matter as BJP itself has given the slogan of protecting women. Her move might lead to hindrance in quashing of the case against the former minister.

The victim has sent letters to the President, the Chief Justice of India, the UP Governor, the Chief minister and the district judge raising objections over the move, urging them for immediate issuance of a warrant against the accused. The victim, in her letter, also said that Adityanath on a visit to Shahjahanpur, had a lunch at the house of the accused on February 25, 2018.

The move by the government has also invited sharp reactions from leaders of opposition parties. Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan took a dig at the BJP government, saying withdrawal of case against Swami Chinmayananda would be injustice to Sakshi Maharaj. First they should withdraw case against Sakshi Maharaj. In fact they should withdraw cases against all rapists, said Khan.

A letter with regard to the withdrawal of the case was sent to the district administration on March 6 on behalf of the government, PTI quoted sources as saying. Subsequently, the Shahjahanpur administration had on March 9 written to the prosecution officer of the case for its withdrawal.

In Lucknow, state government spokesman and Cabinet minister Siddhartnath Singh told newspersons that though the government had taken a decision to withdraw the case, the matter would finally be decided by the court.

"If anyone has any objection to it (withdrawing the case), one can challenge it in the court," Singh said.

Shahjahanpur Additional district magistrate (administration) Sarvesh Dixit said the state government has decided to withdraw the case filed against Chinmayananda in the Kotwali police station and the process for the same has been initiated by the prosecution officials.

The FIR against the former minister was lodged in November 30, 2011, on the complaint of a girl who had spent several years at his ashram.

The girl had alleged that she was kept at an ashram in Haridwar and raped by the former minister. Her father had lodged an FIR against him at Kotwali police station in Shahjahanpur. However, Chinmayananda moved the high court, which had stayed his arrest. The case has been pending since then.

(With PTI inputs)
WASHINGTON: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday said that his company will do everything to ensure that fair polling takes place in India and other countries. "2018 is an important year for the whole world. Several countries like India, Pakistan will have elections. We'll do everything possible to ensure these elections are safe," Zuckerberg said during a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees at the Capitol Hill.

Zuckerberg added that he knows the importance that the upcoming polls in countries, including India, Hungary and Brazil hold.

The Facebook co-founder faced a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. The 33-year-old testified before the senators and a House panel amid uproar over the alleged hijacking of data of millions of Facebook users by British firm Cambridge Analytica.

Zuckerberg also said that he was "sorry" that Facebook did not take a "broad enough view" of the responsibility when their platform was being used for circulating fake news and was becoming a tool for foreign interference in elections. "We didn't do enough to keep fake news and foreign interference in elections away. We didnt take a broad view of our responsibility and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake and Im sorry for what happened. I started Facebook and I run it. I take full responsibility as the CEO of Facebook," he said.

The 33-year-old billionaire also expressed regret that his company was slow in identifying the Russian operations in 2016, which allegedly benefitted the then-presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who is now USA's 45th president.

The hearing is taking place after reports started pouring in March that the social networking site had compromised with the personal data of over 87 million Facebook users to Britain-based Cambridge Analytica - which allegedly influenced voters during the 2016 US Presidential elections.

The firm's former employee Christopher Wylie accused Cambridge Analytica of gathering the details of Facebook through a personality quiz in 2014. He alleged that because 270,000 people took the quiz, the data of some 50 million users, mainly in the US, was harvested without their explicit consent via their friend networks.

On April 5, the social media giant, however, revealed that the data of as many as 87 million users was improperly shared with British political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, far greater than the 50 million previously estimated.

(With agency inputs)
Mumbai: All "secular but Hindutva" parties will come together to counter the "pseudo-secular" opposition, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said, as he indicated that the BJP and its bickering ally Shiv Sena will fight the 2019 polls together. "The Shiv Sena may be a party led by Uddhav Thackeray, but it is run on the ethos of late Balasaheb Thackeray. Looking at the current situation, I can say that all secular, but Hindutva parties will come together to counter the pseudo-secular opposition parties," he said.

"This was Balasaheb's thinking as well," Fadnavis said while speaking at the event in Mumbai. Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha member and executive editor of its mouthpiece `Saamana', interviewed Fadnavis.

Raut asked Fadnavis how did he know the Sena's future plans when he can't even predict what was the RSS's next move. "The Shiv Sena is a political party and hence it is easy to predict what will it do in future. The RSS does not have any political compulsions. Their programmes are fixed at times a year in advance and they execute them as per their schedule," Fadnavis said.

When Raut asked why Bal Thackeray's Hindutva ideology was forgotten by the BJP in 2014 when it snapped the ties with the Sena, Fadnavis blamed the estranged ally for being adamant for just four more seats. "We had offered you 147 seats, but you were adamant on 151. Had you accepted our offer, the Sena would have got more seats than the BJP (in ensuing Assembly polls), and either Uddhav-ji or you would have become the CM," Fadnavis retorted.

He denied that Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah hold the "remote control" of the Maharashtra government. "He (Modi) has asked us not to take populist measures. He says don't take populist measures and don't make announcements that cannot be implemented," said Fadnavis.

The chief minister also appealed to all political parties to introspect whether they were glorifying criminals by inducting them. People, too, should decide if such criminals should be elected, he said. He denied that he has failed as the state's Home Minister, and said not the crime rate but the conviction rate is important.

"In the last three years, we have taken the rate of conviction to 32 per cent from 8 per cent. That is my achievement.... (late NCP leader and former home minister) R R Patil had once told me that the CM must keep the home portfolio with himself, because most of the decisions of the Home department are given the final nod by the CM," Fadnavis said.

On a question on former Congress leader Narayan Rane, Fadnavis said the Sena -- Rane's former party -- should introspect why the BJP had to take him in. "(We joined hands with him) Because you are giving us step-motherly treatment," he quipped.
New Delhi: Stock market opened mildly up on Wednesday amid firm Asian cues but gave up the intial gains immediately.

At 9.35 am the 30-share index was trading down rose 17.10 points, or 0.05 percent, to 33,863.15. The NSE Nifty too was down 1.90 points, or 0.02 percent, at 10,400.15.

The rupee, meanwhile, depreciated 12 paise to 65.11 against the US dollar in opening trade today ahead of the release of US Fed meeting minutes scheduled later in the day.

Asian stocks rose modestly on Wednesday, paring earlier gains as optimism that trade ties between Washington and Beijing were on the mend gave way to questions about the next phase of the diplomatic tit-for-tat between the two countries.

MSCI`s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.35 percent higher.

With Reuters Inputs
New Delhi: Mutual funds witnessed huge redemptions of over Rs 50,000 crore by investors in March on strong outflow from liquid and debt funds, according to industry body Amfi.

Besides, MF schemes saw a net inflow of Rs 2.72 lakh crore in 2017-18, much lower than Rs 3.4 lakh crore seen in the previous financial year.

Net inflows into equity MFs slumped to 20-month low of Rs 2,954 crore last month.

"Every year, March month high outflow is a routine phenomenon," Bajaj Capital Senior V-P and National Head-Mutual Funds Anjaneya Gautam said.

"It happens due to high redemptions in liquid funds by big corporates for year closing. Like the trend of many years, even this year also, more than 90 percent of the redemptions for the March month is in liquid funds. These funds generally come back in the month of April, as per the trend,? he added.

According to the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) data, total redemptions from MF schemes stood at Rs 50,752 crore last month compared with Rs 54,883 crore in March 2017. It had stood at over Rs 73,000 crore in March 2016.

The latest outflow was mainly driven by contribution from liquid or money market segment. Besides, income segment too witnessed outflow.

Liquid funds witnessed redemptions to the tune of Rs 54,979 crore last month, while income segment saw a net outflow of Rs 13,719 crore.

However, equity segment saw an inflow of Rs 2,954 crore, making it the lowest since July 2016, when such category had witnessed an infusion of Rs 2,221 crore. This could be attributed to investors claiming exemption on long-term capital gains.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his budget speech, had announced a long-term capital gains tax of 10 percent on equity gains beginning February 1, 2018 - on gains exceeding Rs 1 lakh.

Later government clarified that the proposed long-term capital gains tax on equity holdings will apply on profits made from sale of shares on or after April 1, 2018.

"The new tax regime will be applicable to transfer made on or after April 1, 2018 (and) the transfer made between February 1, 2018, and March 31, 2018, will be eligible for exemption under clause (38) of section 10 of the Act," the government had stated in the detailed FAQ (frequently asked question).

Besides, Stefan Groening, Director (Investment Solutions) at Sharekhan said that sentiment and poor market performance are key contributors for weak net flows into equities.

"Investor behaviour in MFs still seems to be impacted significantly by the short term performance of the market. This was also reflected in the fixed income flows," he added.
Mumbai: Director Prabhudheva says it is a myth that only those who play challenging roles are appreciated by the audience.

The key is to entertain the viewers and win their hearts, he says. "If you are playing a hero you have to connect with the audience. It is not that only if you do challenging roles then people will like you. You don't have to be a NASA scientist to show your acting (skills)," Prabhudheva told PTI.

"Not all those who play tough roles are given the best actor awards, those who manage to entertain the audience also get recognition."

After the success of his Tamil film 'Devi', Prabhudheva says he was given similar offers but he prefers directing over acting.

"I like both (acting and directing) as today there are a lot of exciting opportunities for me as an actor. But I love directing more than acting," he says.

Prabhudeva says whether he is working as an actor or as a director, he tries to give his hundred per cent to his craft.

"Once you become popular, it doesn't mean you let go of things. Rather you have to work harder and make sure that you maintain the name that you have made for yourself in the industry. I am in that position that I can do things I like and want to experiment. Today I am an improved actor," he says.

Other than films, Prabhudheva says, he knows nothing.

"In the initial days, I wanted to make a name for myself here. Then I went after money and did some films. Today, I do films for passion," he says.

He is looking forward to the release of "Mercury", a silent thriller in which he plays an antagonist.

"This film looks tough but I never felt it was tough as the director was very good. If I would have made this film, I would not have been able to finish it. I would not have been able to do justice," he says.

"The genre is new, I wonder how you can make a film without dialogues. When you see the film, you will never feel it is a silent film."

Being a director himself, Prabhudheva says he never interferes with the direction process of another person.

"...When I act, I just act, I hear the story and listen to the instructions of the director. At times, I show another take, if the directors like it, they retain it, even if they don't, I am ok," he says.

The film is set to release this Friday.
Mumbai: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, who won a Social Influencer Award here, is a socially sensitive "true" Indian, says Maharashtra's Minister for Rural Development Pankaja Munde.

Munde shared a photograph of Akshay being honoured by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Lokmat Maharashtrian of The Year Awards 2018 on Tuesday night.

"Congratulations Akshay Kumarji for winning the 'Social Influencer' award at Maharashtrian Of The Year. A very deserving, socially sensitive and true Indian in every sense! Your contribution and unconditional support for social cause is most appreciated," Munde tweeted.

Akshay, through his work in films like "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" and "Pad Man", has addressed social issues like open defecation and menstrual hygiene. He has even set up vending machines for sanitary napkins at various places. Earlier this month, Akshay also inaugurated a public toilet at the famed Juhu Beach and handed it over to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan was named Power Celebrity of the Year at the Awards ceremony.
New Delhi: Superstar Salman Khan's co-star and noted actress Kunickaa Sadanand has alleged that she has been receiving death threats and lewd messages from some of the members of Bishnoi community after she backed the actor on a panel discussion.

Salman was sentenced to a 5-year jail term by a Jodhpur sessions court in 1998 blackbuck poaching case on April 5, 2018. The actor got bail after spending two nights in the Jodhpur Central Jail and was welcomed by an ocean of fan following.

Kunickaa took to her social media handles and shared that she is receiving indecent messages, phone calls and even death threats by the Bishnoi community. The actress has kept a record of all the messages sent to her. Reportedly, she has now filed a police complaint against the Bishnoi community and she has been given protection as well.

Dear frnds this is important pls watch. I am getting threats and dirty obscene messages from some ppl of the Bishnoi community, i hv unfortunately come to a conclusion that if they can harass me like this for... https://t.co/LpCJcob4U0  Kunickaa Sadanand (@Kunickaa) April 7, 2018

And the phn calls continue.  Kunickaa Sadanand (@Kunickaa) April 7, 2018

These are the decent threats if there is anything like that, some more nasty ones which I cant think of sharing. And some that are available on the Fb pages for all to see. I really thought they were a decent... https://t.co/XOWprfJk3C  Kunickaa Sadanand (@Kunickaa) April 7, 2018

The morchas , burning of my effigy, abusing and threatening on social media and sms continues by the Bishnois, unemployment in My India.  Kunickaa Sadanand (@Kunickaa) April 8, 2018

Talking about the incident, she told Timesofindia.com, During television debates on the blackbuck poaching case, I was advocating that instead of punishing Salman, the Bishnoi community should use him as an example and not oppose the bail. Ideally, he should be made to do some work for the community, like breeding black bucks, adopting a jungle, etc. On one such panel discussion last week, I said that even Bishnois are hunters. I wanted to add that just like there are non-vegetarians in vegetarian communities, likewise... but I was interrupted by the anchor.

A person called Santosh Bishnoi called me and wanted me to apologise for what I had said on television and I agreed, as I had no proof about Bishnois being non-vegetarian; I had only heard about it from a man in Kota. However, the phone calls did not stop, there were messages on Facebook, too. They threatened to file a case against me. By then, Id had enough and I posted a video online, apologising for my statement. I also talked about the harassment, she added.

After Salman walked out of the jail, several actors were spotted visiting Galaxy Apartments in the night to meet the Khan. From Katrina Kaif, Daisy Shah to Ramesh Taurani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Varun Dhawan etcall were seen in attendance.

After the conviction was announced, Salman spent two nights in the Jodhpur Central Jail. However, other actors such as Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam were acquitted by the court in the same case.
New Delhi: Telugu actress Sri Reddy has accused Abhiram Daggubati, son of producer Suresh Babu of exploiting her sexually. In an interview with News 18, Sri, without naming Abhiram, claimed that Suresh Babu's son cheated her and 'used' her inside a studio.

"Suresh Babus son cheated me so badly. The studio belongs to the government and it is meant to help and support talented people. They have to use it in a proper way. This Suresh Babus son took me to the studio and f****d me so badly in the studio only," she told the news channel.

It is to be noted that Suresh Babu is the father of Rana and Abhiram Daggubati.

While Sri initially did not reveal the name of the accused, hours later when she appeared on a Telugu show, she alleged that it was Abhiram who exploited her. She went on to share few intimate photos of Abhiram and herself.

Later, she shared some intimate photos with Abhiram on her Twitter account. Check out her posts:

Last week, the television presenter-turned-actress grabbed attention after she stripped in front of the office of Movie Artists Association (MAA) against the casting couch menace in the Telugu film industry. During her protest, Sri claimed that many producers, directors and actors had asked her for sexual favours, and even upon having submitted to such requests she did not get an opportunity in any film project.

After her sensational protest, the MAA decided to ban the actress for her actions saying that her acts have come as a rude shock to many younger generation stars in the film industry.

Talking about Abhiram, his grandfather D Ramanaidu was also a famous producer who started a production house Suresh Productions. His elder brother Rana Daggubati is a big name in the southern film industry. And this is not the first time when his name has got embroiled in a controversy. In 2015, a complaint was registered against him after he allegedly assaulted two US nationals in a road rage. Later, in 2017, he got involved in a brawl with his neighbour over some construction work.
Mumbai: As "The Simpsons" has raked up a controversy over stereotyping Indians in America's popular culture, Indian comedian Vir Das has urged people to introspect over how Bollywood stereotypes white women.

"While America takes a look at Apu and the consciousness of how Indians are portrayed in American media, maybe we take a look at how we treat white characters, specifically female in almost every single Bollywood movie. Ever?" Vir, who has widely toured the US, tweeted on Wednesday.

"The Simpsons" featured a South Asian character called Apu, who has had to grapple with the troubling stereotype of a convenience store clerk with an exaggerated, fake Indian accent since the show's existence.

The documentary "The Problem With Apu" touched upon how "The Simpsons" damaged the South Asian caricature.
While Parameshwara has said that the modalities are yet to be finalised, Kumaraswamy had said even before the swearing-in ceremony that his party was not looking to work out any power-sharing formula
LUCKNOW: A day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a SIT probe into the death of the Unnao alleged rape victim's father in police custody, the investigating team visited the site of the crime on Wednesday. The team further informed that they have spoken to both the victim's side and that of the accused. Information has been collected from local officers.

"SIT inspected the site of the crime. Talks were held with victim's side as well as that of the accused. Information has been collected from local officers as well. Further actions will be initiated after presenting preliminary report before the DGP," said DIG Pravin Kumar.

Amid the ongoing controversy in alleged gang rape case, Yogi Adityanath had directed the Home Department to ensure the visit of a special investigation team (SIT) to Unnao. He had also asked the team to submit its first report by Wednesday evening.

Calling the incident unfortunate, Adityanath had earlier said, "ADG Lucknow has been asked to probe the matter thoroughly. Those at fault, whoever they might be, will not be spared."

The man - father of the Unnao gang-rape victim who has alleged rape by BJP Bangarmau MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar - had on Monday died in died in police custody. Postmortem report blamed "shock and septicemia" as the cause of the death.

The woman's father, aged around 50, was rushed to a hospital from the district jail last night and died during treatment, officials said. He was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act, they added.

Accused MLA Sengar's brother Atul Singh Sengar and four others  namely Sonu, Baua, Vinit and Shailu  have been arrested in the case so far. The MLA's brother had reportedly beaten the father of the alleged victim after he was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act.

On Sunday, the woman - who has accused the MLA - had even tried to immolate herself along with her family outside Adityanath's office.

A defiant Sengar, however, claimed innocence and dismissed the charge as a conspiracy by his opponents and said the complainant belonged to a "low class". "There is no allegation against me, I am open to any kind of investigation. Strict action should be taken against the real culprit," said the BJP MLA.

The woman has alleged that Sengar and his associates raped her and that authorities had refused to register her complaint. She said she had been running from pillar to post for over a year, but that authorities had not paid her any heed. She attempted to set herself on fire twice - first outside Adityanath's residence, and then outside the Gautam Palli Police Station.
LUCKNOW: BJP's Bangarmau MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar reached Lucknow SSP's office late on Wednesday night and walked away half and hour later proclaiming he was innocent in the Unnao gangrape case. The development came on a day when a special investigation team (SIT) team inspected the crime site - possibly paving the way for BJP to take action against Sengar.

Speaking to mediapersons after meeting the SSP, Sengar said there was no question of surrendering. "I will come whenever police officials summon me. There is no question of me surrendering because no one has asked me to. I am innocent, why would I be asked," he said. "A probe is on and I am sure it will also see that I am completely innocent."

WATCH: Unnao rape case: BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger reaches SSP office. pic.twitter.com/EZNM8VEXP1  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

Earlier on Wednesday, ADGP Lucknow Zone, Rajiv Krishna confirmed that he has submitted the preliminary report on the matter.

Amid the ongoing controversy, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered an SIT probe into the death of the rape survivour's father in police custody. Calling the incident unfortunate, Adityanath had said, "ADG Lucknow has been asked to probe the matter thoroughly. Those at fault, whoever they might be, will not be spared."

As per the findings of the SIT report, the BJP Bangarmau MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar will be interrogated and will not be spared, if found guilty. The questioning will be held in a day or two.

The SIT will also probe the role of the jail staff in the death of the father of the rape survivour. The investigating team will look into whether the accused BJP MLA had any previous criminal record.

The investigation so far has revealed that the father of the rape survivour had suffered 18 internal injuries. The probing agency will see if at all the Uttar Pradesh Police acted under stress.

On Tuesday, the brother of the survivour's father had said that they had family relations with the Sengar. According to him, a police officer had allegedly said in September of last year that they cannot work under pressure from the administration and government. The police officer even advised the family to move court.

The man - father of the Unnao gang-rape survivour who had alleged rape by Sengar - had on Monday died in died in police custody. Postmortem report blamed "shock and septicemia" as the cause of the death.

The woman's father, aged around 50, was rushed to a hospital from the district jail last night and died during treatment, officials said. He had been arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act.

Accused MLA Sengar's brother Atul Singh Sengar and four others  namely Sonu, Baua, Vinit and Shailu  have been arrested in the case so far. The MLA's brother had reportedly beaten the father of the survivour after he was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act.

On Sunday, the woman - who has accused the MLA - had even tried to immolate herself along with her family outside Adityanath's office.

A defiant Sengar, however, claimed innocence and dismissed the charge as a conspiracy by his opponents and said the complainant belonged to a "low class". "There is no allegation against me, I am open to any kind of investigation. Strict action should be taken against the real culprit," he has said.

The woman has alleged that Sengar and his associates raped her and that authorities had refused to register her complaint. She said she had been running from pillar to post for over a year, but that authorities had not paid her any heed. She attempted to set herself on fire twice - first outside Adityanath's residence, and then outside the Gautam Palli Police Station.
LUCKNOW: Two days after the father of the Unnao alleged gang-rape victim died, the wife of the BJP MLA, who is accused of the rape, defended her husband on Wednesday saying both the woman and her husband should undergo a narco test.

Sangeeta Singh, the wife of BJP Bangarmau MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting Director General of Police O P Singh that her husband was a victim of "political conspiracy" and was innocent of the crime he is supposed to have committed.

A defiant Sengar, however, claimed innocence and dismissed the charge as a conspiracy by his opponents and said the complainant belonged to a "low class". "There is no allegation against me, I am open to any kind of investigation. Strict action should be taken against the real culprit," said the BJP MLA.

Sangeeta went on saying that she had been told that a free and fair probe had been initiated into the entire episode that has led to the arrest of the MLA's brother and four aides following the death of the young woman's father in police custody.

On Monday, the father of the 18-year-old woman died in custody, prompting her to put the blame on Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The woman's father, aged around 50, was rushed to a hospital from the district jail Monday night and died during treatment, officials said. He was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act, they added.

On Sunday, the woman who has accused the MLA had even tried to immolate herself outside Adityanath's office.

"I want justice for my husband and my family who are undergoing a lot of mental harassment," the MLA's wife said, adding no proof had been submitted about the alleged rape.

She alleged that the young woman had earlier accused another man also of rape.

Meanwhile, a Special Investigative Team (SIT) reached Unnao. It is likely to submit a preliminary report to the government by evening as directed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The woman alleged that Sengar and his associates raped her and that authorities had refused to register her complaint. She said she had been running from pillar to post for over a year, but authorities had not paid her any heed. She attempted to set herself on fire twice - first outside Adityanath's residence, and then outside the Gautam Palli Police Station.

(With inputs from IANS)
ALGIERS: An Algerian military plane crashed on Wednesday near Boufarik airport near the capital Algiers. The plane was reportedly carrying more than 250 military personnel. At least 257 are feared dead in the crash, including 26 from Western Sahara, say Reuters.

Some reports even suggest that there were at least two hundred people on board the aircraft. At least fourteen 14 ambulances are present at the scene. The injured are being rushed to the hospital. All roads near the airport have been closed for emergency services and for rescue operations to be carried out.

Television footage showed black smoke billowing near a motorway and a crowd of security officials and others standing in a field next to the crash site. The tail fin of a plane could be seen above olive trees, with smoke and flames rising from the wreckage.

The crash took place soon after take-off at Boufarik military airport near the capital, Algiers. The airport is a base used by the country's air force.

As per reports, the plane was an Ilyushin Il-76 and was headed to the western Algerian city of Bechar.

IL-76 is a medium-range military transport aircraft. Also known by the Nato codename 'Candid', the aircraft is mainly used to drop paratroopers, carry troop forces and combat material with crews and armaments, including medium-sized battle tanks, airlift cargo for troop forces and transport for disaster relief operations.
There is no age to stop learning. And who better to know this than a 97-year-old Chinese woman who has spent the last 32 years in college and continues to refuse a graduation degree.

Local Chinese media reported that Peng Nan had managed to gain admission into a university 30 years ago at a time when she retired from her daily job. At the time, she felt learning would be the best way to spend her post-retirement days. While friends and family did consider it unusual at the time, they felt she would study for a brief period of time only. Time though flew by and Nan continued to take up one course after another. University is a way not only to pass the time, but also gain knowledge and make my brain more active," she was quoted as saying by Changjiang Daily News. As long as I am able to move, I must continue to learn."

In the last three decades, Nan has completed 20 courses - including calligraphy and painting - and is looking for more. She attends three classes each day and has now signed up to learn more about 10 additional subjects.

Studying though is not the only thing Nan is passionate about. The elderly woman also reportedly shows similar enthusiasm in encouraging others to spend post-retirement years in an institution of learning. Her son says that while people can have their respective opinion about a 97-year-old regularly attending college, his mother remains healthy and determined to learn till her last breath.
WASHINGTON: Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday told lawmakers that he was among the 87 million or so Facebook Inc users whose data was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

But he pushed back on Congress members` suggestions that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook in the wake of the privacy scandal at the world`s largest social media network.

"Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there," the 33-year-old internet magnate told the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Zuckerberg faced questions and concerns from members of Congress about what it was doing to give users more flexibility to opt into sharing their personal data with Facebook or third parties.

"How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?" asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, at the beginning of the hearing.

Zuckerberg repeatedly defended the company`s privacy practices, saying that users have control over their own data and decide what to share. But when asked if his data had been improperly used he replied: "Yes." He gave no further details.

Once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual grey T-shirt, the hearing was Zuckerberg`s second in two days. On Tuesday, he took questions for nearly five hours in a U.S. Senate hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users` personal information were wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted U.S. President Donald Trump`s election campaign among its clients.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway U.S. politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Facebook shares turned positive after earlier falls on Wednesday. They posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday as Zuckerberg managed to deter any specific discussion about new regulations that might hamper Facebook`s ability to sell ads tailored to users` profiles.

"It is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation" of internet firms, Zuckerberg said on Wednesday, but he again steered away from any specifics.

Some lawmakers grew frustrated at their limit of four minutes each to press Zuckerberg on specifics and chastised the billionaire at times for offering up rehearsed platitudes about valuing user privacy.

"I can`t let you filibuster right now," Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn said at one point. She cut Zuckerberg off a number of times.

Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democratic congressman, was in the process of asking Zuckerberg when he learned that Facebook allowed advertisers to prevent ads from being shown to certain minority groups, a possible violation of civil rights laws. He was cut off.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday appeared before the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees at the Capitol Hill. During his testimony, Zuckerberg took responsibility for the data leak and also ensured that he would take all measures for a free and fair elections in India. He was prepared with notes on all possible questions he could be asked by the panel. But was Zuckerberg also prepared to answer about resigning as the head of social media giant Facebook?

ABC News quoted a report and a photograph by Associated Press to say that the Facebook co-founder was prepared with an answer on his resignation. And according to the report, he had decided to tell the panel that he would not resign.

Under a subhead Resign?, Zuckerberg had reportedly mentioned that though data leak was a big problem, he would solve the issue like he solved other problems faced in the past.

The 33-year-old testified before the senators and a House panel amid uproar over the alleged hijacking of data of millions of Facebook users by British firm Cambridge Analytica.

Later, he talked about upcoming elections in India and Pakistan. "2018 is an important year for the whole world. Several countries like India, Pakistan will have elections. We'll do everything possible to ensure these elections are safe," said Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg also said that he was "sorry" that Facebook did not take a "broad enough view" of the responsibility when their platform was being used for circulating fake news and was becoming a tool for foreign interference in elections. "We didn't do enough to keep fake news and foreign interference in elections away. We didnt take a broad view of our responsibility and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake and Im sorry for what happened. I started Facebook and I run it. I take full responsibility as the CEO of Facebook," he said.
In order to buy a parcel of land, including forest and agricultural land, non-EU nationals have to obtain a permit from the Ministry of the Interior.

In 2017, Ukraine led the way among foreign nationals in terms of land purchases in Poland, obtaining every other permission from the Polish authorities. The Ministry of the Interior and Administration of Poland noted that in 2017, aliens received a total of 224 permits for the purchase of 270 plots on a total area of 23 hectares. In order to be eligible for land purchase, including forest and agricultural land, non-EU nationals have to obtain a permit from the Ministry of the Interior, UNIAN reports.

There is a growing interest in purchasing land parcels in Poland by Ukrainian citizens. In 2017, they obtained 134 permits, which accounts for close to 50% of all land purchase permits issued to individuals (the figure stood at 47% the year before), the Polish institution wrote.

As reported earlier, a moratorium on farmland purchase and sale still remains in effect in Ukraine. Close to 100% of all money transfers made within Poland are made by employees of Ukrainian origin. Altogether, Ukrainians transferred around 3-4% of Ukraines GDP in remittances from Poland. Ukrainians also contributed to the expansion of retail spending in Poland to 7.7 billion zlotys ($2.1 billion), which exceeds the 2016 figure by 8%.

As reported earlier, a moratorium is still being enforced in Ukraine on farmland purchase and sale. As UNIAN reported, almost all money transfers in Poland are made by Ukrainian workers. In general, over 2017, Ukrainians transferred from Poland to Ukraine an amount equal to 3-4% of Ukrainian GDP. It was also reported that Ukrainians increased retail spending in Poland to 7.7 billion zlotys ($2.1 billion), which is 8% more than in 2016.






The Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) Vitaliy Trubarov says some 1,255 out of 3,500 state-run businesses in Ukraine are not operating and should be liquidated.

The state has done nothing for these enterprises to survive. We have analyzed the existing 3,500 state-owned enterprises. Unfortunately, 1,255 of them are asset-stripped corporations that will be subject to liquidation. The state has done nothing for these companies and we have lost them, he told a Ukrainian radio station on 11 April, UNIAN reports.

As reported earlier, the Ukrainian parliament passed the bill on the privatization of state property on 18 January 2018. The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the bill into law at the beginning of March. The main goal of the law is to promote the privatization process by simplifying the classification of facilities for sale, splitting them into small- and large-sized businesses subject to privatization. The law also provides for adding more assets onto the privatization list, shortening the period of sale, providing the possibility of issuing a bank guarantee, and unifying the ways of selling state property.

The state budget of Ukraine for 2018 provides for $819.9 million in privatization proceeds. In 2017, revenue from the sale of state assets was forecast at $658.2 million. In reality, the actual revenue amounted to $130.9 million. Altogether, the government intends to sell over 900 state-owned corporations.
the state budget of Ukraine is providing the Energy Efficiency Fund with $61.5 million in funding in 2018.

The German government is ready to supply a further 10 million for various projects of the Energy Efficiency Fund of Ukraine and 4 million for personnel training of energy auditors and employees of the fund, the Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Hennadiy Zubko has said, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

The German government is ready to enter into an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to add an extra 10 million to the Multi-Donor Fund for co-funding the projects of the Ukrainian Energy Efficiency Fund, Zubko posted on his Facebook page.

The official also noted that the federal government of Germany had agreed on the implementation of the project of technical aid to Ukraine in the field of personnel training in order to improve the competence of the Funds employees.

As reported earlier, the Ukrainian government has introduced a joint program with the EU on financing the Energy Efficiency Fund to the tune of 268 million. According to the press service of the Ministry for Regional Development, the European Union expects to contribute some 50 million in assistance to Ukraine in 2018, and another 54 million in 2019.

Also, the press service of the institution reminded that the state budget of Ukraine is providing the Energy Efficiency Fund with $61.5 million in funding in 2018.
At the same time, Naftogaz is not going to attempt to acquire the Russian gas that is being transported through Ukraine to Europe.

The state-owned joint stock company Naftogaz-Ukraine intends to file lawsuits at European courts aiming to arrest the assets of the Russian monopolist Gazprom because of the latters failure to comply with the ruling made by the Stockhol Court of Arbitration. The chief financial officer of the corporation Yuriy Vitrenko said it to Reuters, 112.ua reports.

It is clear for us that they (Gazprom) are not going to do it (pay), this is why we are going to start by arresting their gas and other assets in Europe, as opposed to in Ukraine. We are going to turn to courts in Europe,- Vitrnko said.

He also added that Naftogaz-Ukraine is not going to try to acquire the Russian gas that is being transported through the nations gas transportation system to Gazproms customers in Europe.

We do not want to create some kind of political ambiguity here, in the European Union, about Ukraine being an unreliable transit country,- Vitrenko explained.

He also noted that it is possible that Gazprom may stop the gas transit through Ukraine in 2020 by redirecting the gas via other pipelines.

This is a way, according to Vitrenko, for the Russian president Vladimir Putin to punish Ukraine.

As reported earlier, on 28 February, the Stockholm Court of Arbitration satisfied Naftogazs claim to Gazprom. Naftogaz was a awarded a compensation amounting to $4.63 for the shortfall of gas for transit. Also, Gazprom was ordered to pay $2.56 billion to Naftogaz. The debt amount is also subject to interest payments and penalties  accumulatively at $526,000 per day, beginning on 1 March.

However, after the courts ruling against it, Gazprom initiated the termination of the agreements on shipment and transit of gas with NAK Naftogaz-Ukraine.

After that, Ukraine confiscated all of Gazproms funds that were located in Ukraine at the time.
Open source

Sales of used cars in Ukraines primary market formed by imports grew by 78% in year-over-year terms in March 2018, to 7,400 units. Second-hand vehicles accounted for 52% of the countrys primary market of passenger cars, the press service of the Ukrautoprom Association has informed, UNIAN reports.

The rise in the share of used vehicles in the primary market is believed to be due to the fact that a lower excise duty on imports of used cars is about to expire at the end of the current year. The increase is also allegedly linked to a drop in the average offer price of such vehicles, as eight-year-old cars are also subject to the reduced rate in 2018.

In March, Volkswagen used cars ranked first among imported second-hand automobiles. 1,252 Volkswagen vehicles acquired Ukrainian license plates. Renault came close second, with 1,126 used vehicles, while 696 Skoda automobiles were freshly equipped with Ukrainian license plates, the report said.

Sales of second-hand automobiles in Ukraines primary market in 2017 skyrocketed increasing 3.3-fold in year-over-year terms, to 56,744 vehicles. The Ukrainian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association Ukrautoprom was founded in 1997. The founders of the Association included more than 20 of the nations leading car manufacturers such as the Zaporizhzhya-based ZAZ Plc., the Lviv-based bus manufacturer LAZ Plc., the Kremenchuk-based truck manufacturer AutoKrAZ PJSC, and others.

https://economics.unian.info/10077143-sales-of-used-cars-in-ukraine-soar-by-almost-80-in-march.html
Read the original text at 112.ua.

April 10, President Petro Poroshenko stated that Ukraine would impose sanctions against Russian oligarchs.

I am not sure that Ukraine has many opportunities to impose sanctions on Russian business so that the Russian business would suffer more than Ukraine.

These are rather political statements, and in fact, Ukraine cannot significantly influence Russian business. Of course, Russian oligarchs have certain assets in Ukraine, for example, Deripaska possesses an alumina refinery in Mykolaiv. We can just take it away, that is nationalize it. But would it somehow help Ukraine or would it help the plant  this is a rhetorical question. In fact, we have problems with privatization, and not vice versa. The interests of the others are rather insignificant (I mean, for those who are on the sanctions list).

Speaking about Deripaskas plant, it should be noted that he pays taxes in Ukraine. This means that here come Ukrainian national interests. In addition, no one could take anything from Deripaska, for there are some restrictions on the activities. If you simply impose restrictions on the activities of any asset of Russian business in Ukraine, first of all, it would blow back on the Ukrainian workers who work there, the Ukrainian budget, which receives taxes from there. We are not talking about this very Mykolaiv plant. To be frank, I am not that familiar with that situation, so I do not know whether it works at all. But if we are talking about any Russian business here, we understand that imposing such sanctions is not reasonable step. We will be the most adversely affected by its consequences.

At the same time, I do not think that Russia would harshly respond for our actions. For everything negative that could be done about the economy of Ukraine is already done. Currently, they do not have any levers; they have already brought maximum damage to us.

I do not think that Ukraine would impose any significant sanctions. I also do not believe that Russia would somehow respond to them (to Ukraine or to the whole world). They can do nothing to the world, they cannot say anything, and they have already brought their greatest damage to Ukraine.

The only benefit for Ukraine, which I see now, is that in terms of the ongoing war with Russia, we are talking about the economic issue. So to say, we fight, whose economy is more sustainable. The more threats to the Russian economy, the better for Ukraine.

Why have the stock exchanges harshly reacted to these new sanctions? Because they are stronger than those sectoral ones. So, the sectoral sanctions were of a broader profile, but the level of sanctions itself increased much in the case of Rusal (world's second-largest aluminium company by primary production output as of 2016  Ed.). Rusals business model is actually destroyed, and it needs to build a new business model. Its shares were affected. What the Americans have done now is very similar to what they did to Iran. The companies are simply thrown out of the world market. Rusal is now being thrown out of the world market. And it hurts. Nobody expected that such a strong level of sanctions would be imposed. This is all projected onto other Russian assets, which also became toxic. This might happen to everyone.

Would this situation have a strong impact on the Russian economy? No. Sectoral sanctions are in force, they are influencing the Russian economy even now, but this influence is limited. Similarly, the situation with Deripaska would affect the Russian economy, but in a limited way.

As we reported the US imposed new sanctions against several Russian oligarchs and companies on April 6. It is noted that the new sanctions concern a possible Moscows intervention in the U.S. elections in 2016.

Russian businessmen and entrepreneurs, whose wealth is more than $1 billion are on the sanctions list. Alexey Miller, CEO of Gazprom, Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, and Aleksandr Zharov, the Head of Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications, - ed.) appeared in the sanctions list as well.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners.
The deal will focus on the terms of the contract for the period since 2020

Open source

Russia's energy monopolist Gazprom and Ukraine's NJSC Naftogaz started negotiations on the new contract about the transit of gas via Ukraine to Europe. According to Vedomosti, the deal will focus on the terms of the contract for the period since 2020, so it is not about the revision of the acting contract, which expires in late 2019.

A source close to Naftogaz reported that the issue of extending the transit after 2019 was raised several weeks ago, as the representatives of both companies met for talks. The negotiation just began, and there is no information about any certain conditions discussed so far.

On February 28, Stockholm arbitrary court granted the motion of Ukraine's Naftogaz as it sued Gazprom for under-supply of the agreed volumes of gas for the transit. Gazprom is also due to pay Naftogaz 2.56 billion U.S. dollars, with USD 526,000 added every day since March 1.

After the decision of Stockholm arbitrary court, Gazprom decided to break the current deal with Naftogaz. In turn, Ukraine confiscated all means of Russia's Gazprom in this country.
It was noted that the Ukrainian side has to justify the economic efficiency of the new transit contract

Open source

Alexey Miller, CEO of Gazprom said that Russian Gazprom may keep gas supply through Ukraine, as Gazprom press-office reported on Twitter.

We have never raised a question concerning the refusal of Ukraines transit. But Russias recourse potential is shifting to the north, and we will not have resources in the previous amounts in the central gas transportation corridor. Therefore, a certain transit may be preserved, 10-15 billion cubic meters per year, but the Ukrainian side has to justify the economic efficiency of the new transit contract, Miller said.

Earlier, Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko offered Germany an option to the Nord Stream 2, stating that the project is economically unjustified. He offered gas transit through Ukraine.

Poroshenko called Russia an extremely unreliable partner and expressed an opinion that the project implementation will lead to economic and energy blockade of Ukraine, which inflict enormous damage on the state. Moreover, Ukraines President believes that the gas pipeline does not have an economically efficient base. The gas transit through Ukraine, as Poroshenko said, will cost cheaper and can be easily and profitably modernized.

Later, Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, stated that the German side has taken into consideration Ukraines position concerning the construction of the Nord Stream 2 and thinks that the gas transit through Ukraine should be preserved.

On April 11 Vedomosti, Russian news agency, reported that Russias Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukraine, National Joint Stock Company, started discussing the conditions of the new contract on the gas transit to Europe through Ukraine. It was noted that it was about the new contract, which expires in 2020, and not about the one which is in effect until 2019. Meanwhile, the parties did not define which conditions of the contract they were discussing, as the negotiations are at a very early stage.

Russias leading energy enterprise Gazprom and its partners intend to start implementing the Nord Stream-2 project worth almost 10 billion euros in April 2018. The 1,200-kilometers-long pipeline is to be laid through the Baltic Sea, linking Russia and Germany  bypassing Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic States. The capacity will be twice larger than that of Nord Stream-1. The construction is to be complete by late 2019.
The 10 hryvnias coin is made out of sterling silver, with a proof mintage quality category, 31,1 grams of weight, 38,6 mm in diameter, the mintage is 3,5000 units

The National Bank of Ukraine introduced two commemorative coins valued 5 and 10 hryvnias with An planes, which entered the Ukraines Plane series.

The 10 hryvnias coin is made out of sterling silver, with a proof mintage quality category, 31,1 grams of weight, 38,6 mm in diameter, the mintage is 3,5000 units.

The 5 hryvnias coin is made out of nickel-silver, with a special uncirculated quality category, the mintage is 40,000 units.

These commemorative coins were produced within Ukraines Plane series and are dedicated to the An-132 multipurpose aircraft, created by the team of the Antonov State-owned company thanked its long-term experience and the use of brand new aviation technologies.

The composition consisting of a sun, a stylized wing and the birds are placed on the head side of the coin; An-132 plane is depicted on the tail side.

Earlier, the National Bank of Ukraine has issued a commemorative coin dedicated to Ukrainian volunteers.
The decree also provides the commemoration of the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine

Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on the celebration of the 27th anniversary of the independence of Ukraine, which provides a military parade in Kyiv on Khreshchatyk on August 24.

This was reported on the website of the Presidents Administration.

The troops parade is to be held on Khreshchatyk Street and on the Independence Square in Kyiv on August 24, the Independence Day of Ukraine. The decree also provides the conduction of the thematic festive, scientific, informational, educational, patriotic and educational events in Ukraine and outside of it, along with the prayers for Ukraine.

An official ceremony of the solemn raise of the National Flag of Ukraine and other events aimed at the development of respect for Ukraines State Symbols are to be held in Kyiv, other cities and foreign Ukraines diplomatic institutions on August 23, the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine.

The Government is responsible for the formation of the Organizing Committee on the preparation and commemoration of the anniversary of the independence, and for the development and provision of the implementation of the events plan on the preparation and commemoration of the 27th anniversary of Ukraines independence and the 100th anniversary of the revival of Ukraines nationhood.

According to the decree the central and local public authorities have to develop and implement the regional plans for the preparation and commemoration of the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine, the 27th anniversary of Ukraines independence and the 100th anniversary of the revival of Ukraines nationhood.
In general, the slide of democratic processes is recorded in 19 countries out of 29 taken to the research

The index of democratic processes in Ukraine has declined for the first time since 2014. This was stated in the Freedom House report Nations in Transit 2018. Confronting liberalism, published on April 11.

The window for fundamental reforms may not have closed in Ukraine, but it has narrowed considerably amid political resistance to anti-corruption reforms and a series of attacks on civil society and the media. For the first time since the 2014 revolution, Ukraines Democracy Score declined this year, the message says.

At the same time, it is noted with these deepening setbacks in the European half of the Nations in Transit region, it is no surprise that the countries in Eurasia most at risk of falling into authoritarianismUkraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstanare also moving in a negative direction.

In general, the slide of democratic processes is recorded in 19 countries out of 29 taken to the research. In 2017, illiberalism established itself as the new normal in the region that stretches from Central Europe through Eurasia, it is noted.

Also, the report states Russia's action in Ukraine has worsened Ukrainians attitude to Russia and caused a foreign policy catastrophe.

"Indeed, the seizure of Crimea is supposed to be Putins great achievement, but it has poisoned relations with Europe and the United States for the foreseeable future, leaving them no realistic option for deescalating sanctions. The fact that Russia helped shoot down a civilian airliner over eastern Ukraine, and that it still refuses to take responsibility for doing so, will not be forgiven. Even more importantly, the invasion has turned a whole generation of Ukrainians against Russia, fostering a climate of nationalist defiance that grows more entrenched with every soldier killed on the front lines in Donbas. Russias seemingly permanent loss of Ukraine as a potential partner is a foreign policy catastrophe," it is noted.

As it was reported earlier, Nations in Transit. Confronting liberalism is an annual research, the results of which are published since 1995. It includes 29 post-communist countries  former USSR republics, Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Related video:
Also, the sides agreed to improve the functioning of the Free-Trade Area in the near time

Pavlo Klimkin, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine announced the signing of the agreement on the liberalization of the visa regime with Macedonia on Twitter.

At the meetings in Macedonia we agreed to sign the agreement on the visa-free regime in the near time, the text is prepared and we will improve the functioning of the Free-Trade Area. Generally, we have the common way to the EU and NATO and we should work together, Klimkin wrote.

The visa-free regime between Ukraine and Kuwait will come into force on April 18.
The UNESCO Executive Board has just made an important decision concerning the Crimea. This is an opportunity to set the monitoring mission and to struggle for the educational rights, science, protection of cultural heritage in Crimea, including the Khans Palace, the Foreign Minister said

The UNESCO Executive Board made a decision concerning Crimea, which gives an opportunity to start a monitoring mission in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, as Pavlo Klimkin, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, wrote on Twitter.

The UNESCO Executive Board has just made an important decision concerning the Crimea. This is an opportunity to set the monitoring mission and to struggle for the educational rights, science, protection of cultural heritage in Crimea, including the Khans Palace, the Foreign Minister said.

We will not let the occupational authority to plunder and destroy the Ukrainian heritage! Klimkin concluded.

As it was reported earlier, the Crimeas Prosecutors Office informed that the occupational authorities have illegally nationalized 4,000 objects of Ukraines heritage. Ukraine lost around $39 trillion.
Serdyuk also reported that the advocates will come for the next court session on treason case on April 18

The defense of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych explained its absence in the court on the hearing of the treason case. Vitaly Serdyuk, the advocate claimed to 112 Ukraine that the defense of the former president got the summons from the Obolon Court for the conducting of the judicial challenge of the witnesses and went to Russia.

At the moment, we are forced to stay in Russia. We are here because the court designated us to work as the postman, ministries of justice and we should call the witnesses. We see that the court is not interested in the hearing of our witnesses and does everything to not allow such questionings to take place. The court handed us a bunch of the summons instead of calling them personally and we were forced to do this job but not holding the questioning of the head of the security team, he said.

Serdyuk also reported that the advocates will come for the next court session on treason case on April 18.

As we reported the session of the Obolon Court of Kyiv postponed the hearing of the state treason case of Yanukovych due to the absence of the lawyers until April 18.

Yanukovych is charged with state treason, assistance in deliberate actions against Ukraines state border, sovereignty and territorial integrity and assistance in leading the aggressive war against Ukraine.
courtesy of New Mexico Salsa Congress

After five years of running the Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival, James Foley stepped down to relax into life outside of the hectic business of organizing massive, national-scale events. His new laidback lifestyle, however, didn't last long. After five months, he had a realization after a conversation with a salsa instructor visiting from San Diego. The dancer had made an offhand comment that the salsa scene was dying, in a way. What he meant by that, Foley explained, was that we need to get going. There's not enough instruction, there's not enough people taking classes. It had gotten very exclusive.  People needed to be actively learning. And so, the New Mexico Salsa Congress got its start.

A little over three years ago, the Congress was incorporated as a nonprofit, under the umbrella of a dance advocacy organization called LMB Productions. It soon launched activities with the explicit mission of exposing more New Mexicans to Latin dance, changing lives by offering access and education, and celebrating the rich traditions of Latin dance and music in all its variety as it exists in the region. Now, the organization hosts bi-monthly socials, dubbed Salsa en la Bodega at a building Downtown near the Cell Theatre loosely known as La Bodega Social Lounge and Studio (708 First Street NW). The group also offers occasional workshops and free weekly classes thanks to grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. They've got rangethe all-volunteer group recently acquired a classic DJ set so they can spin old school salsa on vinyl, but just the same, they offer workshops in popular and up-and-coming dance styles like zouk or the super accessible bachata.

We really are hoping to build up the education component of it, Treasurer Miguel Robledo Jr., said. That's been the focus of 2017 and going into 2018. We want to create space that  provides a safe environment where people can have a good time. Robledo himself came to N.M. Salsa Congress out of a pure love of the environment the organization aims to create, and brings his background in business and hospitality to amp up the Friday night socials, making them all the more welcoming and world-class. We sometimes forget what the word hospitality means, Robledo continued. It is to provide an experience so that everybody has a memorable time, so they can go back and think, 'Oh yeah, I was at La Bodega, and this song was playing.' 

The Friday night socialsSalsa en La Bodegahappen every other Friday (check their website, newmexicosalsacongress. com or their Facebook page @NMSalsaCongress for specific dates), meanwhile, unprecedented free dance classes happen every Tuesday. These run as progressive seriesyou can find information on start dates on their website. That free education component is really almost unheard of, but just the same, it is vital to the work the organization is doing. We thought it was probably more important to do this on a more frequent basis, multiple times a week, Foley said. It's more important to the dancers to gain from instruction and practice instead of just popping up twice a year for some grandiose event.

And the lessons teach more than just how to move your feet. There's a lot of focus on rhythm and musicality, Foley continued. We're teaching people how to listen to the musichow to find the one, the two, how to listen to the congas, the cowbell. Eight counts, two measures. It's so neat to be teaching musicality. I didn't get that a lot when I was coming up.

That coming up phase for Foley began in Santa Fe years ago. He affectionately described an old roommate who was a dance instructorI saw tango and salsa in our living room, and I realized, oh, this is what I want to do, he recalled. It was the Latin rhythms that caught his attention, which was then held by the myriad other benefits that came with dancing. You're really connecting with people and that's important. It's not important to dance fancy or pull out all the stopsit's the connection you have with your peers and your dance partner.

That laidback, welcoming attitude has done a lot of New Mexico Salsa Congress. The organization is evermore successful in their efforts to bring the joy of dance to more people. Part of those efforts include bringing the benefits of dancingthe physical and cerebral exercise of itto even more people by developing dance programming for the elderly, the blind and people diagnosed with degenerative disease like Alzheimer's. It's really recognized for keeping us sharp in later ages, Foley said.

All aroundit's a horizon-broadening exercise that offers all sorts of benefits. If you're taking lessons, you're working on bettering yourself, Robledo said. And that's unequivocally true, plus, dropping in for a social or a class means you can enjoy the visual sport of it, the socializing, the camaraderie, the hospitality, the food and the drink, Foley said. Our content has been really rich, and it's going to keep improving.

Newbies and veteran dancers alike benefit from connecting with the organization and the breadth of the programming they have already set and are always developing. Stay connected with the opportunities like the upcoming Bacha-Zouk workshop with Erika Paloma Lopez and Kelvin Rico-Pineda that runs April 20 through 22 by visiting the organization on the web at newmexicosalsacongress. com, on Facebook (@NMSalsaCongress) and on Instagram (@labodegadancestudio).
Rob M.

Last weekend I visited Colorado for the first time. I didn't exactly hear chimes when I rolled across the state lines, but there was a certain coppery expectation hanging in the air as I-25 opened up on a deep green landscape glowing with promise in the afternoon sun. The pristine Welcome to Colorful Colorado sign was framed by a scene that could easily be on one of those postcards you find in Christian bookstoreslight glowing through a cloud, a quote from 2 Corinthians about the kingdom. (In contrast, consider the New Mexico sign on the return trip: riddled with bullet holes and slouching before a plain of shrubs and good intentions.)

Already, my mood was improving. Back in New Mexico, our legislators had managed to pass over a stack of opportunities to legalize cannabis this year. Why? Some who opposed it feared teenagers would get their hands on it while others mumbled generalities about drug addiction. None would admit the truth: That they haven't personally taken the 20 minutes required to do the most minimal amount of research into legalization's effects on teen use (The Washington Post reported last December that teen use of cannabis actually dropped in Colorado after the drug was legalized) and opioid addiction (the day after I got back, NPR reported that opioid use dropped in states where cannabis is legal for medical or recreational use and is easy to obtain). Here, however, was a place where the people had taken a stand and struck back against our draconian overlords in Washington, D.C.

The effects of legalization were immediately obvious. Each town I passed through was packed with dispensaries. Every one showed the tell-tale sign of economic progressirritating and constant road work. Last summer, Colorado announced they had collected $105 million in tax revenue from cannabis sales over the 2016-2017 fiscal year. According to Money, for the next fiscal year, the state will be putting $15.3 million of those tax dollars toward providing housing assistance for the homeless, $9.7 million toward the state's Department of Education to hire 150 health professionals and $7.1 million toward the Department of Human Services to end the use of jails for holding people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Illegal cannabis sales will be targeted with $5.9 million of the revenues. (In case you've forgotten, two of our biggest social issues in New Mexico are our shoddy schoolslast month 24/7 Wall Street rated the state's school systems at 49th out of 50 statesand homelessnesslast year the US Housing and Urban Development Department found that New Mexico's homeless rate went up 9.7 percent in 2017.)

I was doing good on time, so I decided to stop at a shop located right off the freeway in Pueblo. It was called Strawberry Fields (2285 N. Interstate 25, Pueblo, Colo.), and it had the distinction of being the first dispensary I've ever seen sporting red branding instead of the traditional green. There wasn't a huge difference between this dispensary and the ones I've been to at home, except the prices were a little steeper than usual and there were some tourists with wide grins at the counter.

I ended up buying a gram of Crunchberry (THC: 22.3-30.79%, CBD: unlisted$12/gram) before hopping back on the freeway and heading north again. I was on my way to Colorado Springs, where I'd booked an Airbnb that was 420-friendly.

Once I'd gotten into town, I was surprised to find out that although it has dispensaries seemingly on every corner, all of them were medical only. Despite pushes from the citizenry, they have laws against selling recreational cannabis within city limits. Of course, this matters little when a short drive (10 minutes from my room) will take you into neighboring Manitou Springs and its 2 dispensaries.

I kept driving past them all day, noting the throngs of people and waiting for a lull that would never come. Both shops, Emerald Fields (27 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, Colo.) and Maggie's Farm (141 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, Colo.) were smashed with customers. New people were posing in front of them for selfies each time I passed.

I finally gave up and went into Emerald Fields when it seemed to be a little less crazy (there were two whole parking spots available). Here, I ended up buying the most expensive flower of my life: Tropicanna (THC: 23.8%, CBD: unlisted$18/gram). After taxes, the damn thing ended up costing me around $20.

That night I sat on a porch and lazily blew smoke into the airone of the quietest moments of triumph I've ever experienced. The Crunchberry was fine, but it was nothing to write home about. The Tropicanna, on the other hand, was like some new level of flower. I suppose the constant flow of traffic keeps most flower from aging before it's purchased, because this was the absolute stickiest and most dense bud I've ever enjoyed. It was also the first time I'd ever seen a legitimate purple phenotype. I've seen photos of these beautiesimages of plants topped with purple buds so brilliant that you wonder if it's been shoppedbut I'd never seen the real thing.

I struck the flint on my lighter before I'd even noticed. Then I got excited and ran inside to inspect it under a light. Sure enough, streaks of rich purple veined the bowl. I was quite taken. So much so that I almost couldn't bring myself to smoke it.

I got over it, though. It was a bright Tangie derivative that tasted sweet and citrusy. Its powerful effects hit me with the force of a supernova, and within a puff, I was coughing and laughing and crying at the same time. My mood was at an all-time high and I was feeling no pain. Fucking fuck this place, I said out loud to no one in particular.

Two days later I drove home without speaking too much.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Isabel Hees shows her printmaking expressions flamenco through abstracted shapes, textures, lines and patterns of print. Runs through 4/12.

Artist Isabel Hees was born in Pasadena, California and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a student of the University of New Mexico, she studied both flamenco and printmaking. She danced with the National Institute of Flamenco from 2008 to 2017, culminating in an apprenticeship with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company. Her recent project Huellas: Impressions Through Movement is an exploration of her two spheres of influence merging flamenco baile with fine art printmaking.

Huellas (footprints) was born in 2011 while Isabel spent the year in Sevilla studying two very distinct art forms: fine art printmaking and flamenco dance. Printmaking is the design and production of tangible, replicable two-dimensional images. Flamenco dance, or baile, is a culturally-specific expression of movement, music and rhythm that is stimulating yet fleeting. Despite their obvious differences both artistic mediums make an impression physically, visually and emotionally. Huellas seeks to explore both mediums of artistic expression by imprinting each baile graphically and metaphorically -- translating a dancer's raw, ephemeral movement into the abstracted shapes, textures, lines and patterns of print.

Join us at Tractor Brewing, Wells Park for the opening of Huellas on March 9th between 6-9pm to explore the work and meet the artist. Her work will be on display through April 12th.
Ten years ago Jean left his familyand his familys humble yet picturesque vineyard in Burgundyto see the world. Now, with his father dying, the prodigal son returns to the old homestead where he, his sister and his brother are primed to inherit the family business. Can they put the past behind them, learn to trust one another again and save the old-school vineyard in the face of modernization and money woes? Thats the simple set-up for French filmmaker Cedric Klapischs heartfelt, lightweight and just-short-of-twee film Back to Burgundy.

Over the years, Klapisch has established himself as a reliable, relatable purveyor of easy-to-digest ensemble dramedies of the faintly exotic and frequently romantic persuasion. When the Cats Away, Family Resemblances, LAuberge Espagnole, Russian Dolls and Chinese Puzzle have set the tone over the years, and Back to Burgundy fits right alongside that art house crowd-pleasing list.

As the film starts, scruffy but handsome Jean (Pio Marmai, Maestro) wanders back into the lush green valleys of Burgundy, backpack in hand. He reunites with no-nonsense sis Juliette (Ana Girardot, The Returned) and scrappy little bro Jeremie (Francois Civil, Frank). Jeans siblings are happy to see him, but are still a petit bit peeved he never made it back for moms funeral. The conflicting emotions are put on hold, however, when dad promptly kicks the bucket. According to his will, all three kids inherit the house, the vineyard and the land on which it sits. None of them can sell it or do anything without the express agreement of the other two.

The pressing problem is that, in todays market, the land is worth 100 times what the cash value of producing wine on it is. Sell off the whole shebang and the siblings will pocket an easy $6 million. That sounds like a good idea to Jean. Hes no longer connected to this place. He left as a young man because nothing ever changes here. He could use the dough. Plus, hes got a girlfriend and a young son over in Australia, bugging him to get home soon. Of course if you think Jean isnt going to have a major change of heart, you know nothing about movies. Even if the three would-be vintners do decide to keep the family estate, theres the looming problem of the inheritance tax, which will set them back a cool half a millionmoney they dont have.

Although Jean is champing at the bit to return to Australia, he sticks around for a few months, helping close out this years harvest and settle the question of the estate. Despite his various protestations against the gorgeously shabby French setting, he advises his gung ho sister in Zen-like, chill-dude axioms. You like wine, you make wine, he tells her.

Juliette is clearly the brains of this operation. Though her brothers have been trained in the ins and outs of the wine business, shes the one with the flawless palate and perfect nose. Her heart and soul are planted deep in the soil, and shes committed to continuing what her family has done on this land for generations. Nonetheless, Juliette doesnt think shes cut out to be a boss. When the temp workers (college kids, mostly) picking the grapes run amok, she doesnt have the stones to stand up to them.

Jeremie, meanwhile, is the sensitive one, the emotional bridge between hotheaded Jean and business-minded Juliette.  If only there were some way Jean, Juliette and Jeremie could, I dont know, combine their various skills to run the vineyard.

Despite the fact that rebellious Jean repeatedly encourages his dutiful sister to break with tradition and bottle a more adventurous type of wine, Back to Burgundy doesnt exactly stray from the formula itself. Too smooth and fruity, dismisses Jean of the old family recipe as he pushes for something riskier and more acidic. And yet the films narrative finds few real conflicts to distract its straightforward storyline. A few scenes after being angrily attacked for missing his mothers funeral, Jean mentions that it happened the same day his son was born. Conflict resolved! In the end, the films final solution to all the familys problems is simple, easy and rather obvious from the get-go. Few roadblocks pop up that arent resolved a scene or two later.

Instead, Klapisch distracts audiences with his sensual attention to detail. Light breezes dances through through the twisted vines. Grapes glisten in the dappled sunlight. A lusty, wine-soaked end-of-harvest party explodes with music and laughter. It makes for a hell of a travel brochure and a perfectly pleasurable cinematic experience. Just dont go into it expecting something other than perfectly palatable table wine. It may not be complex, but the bottle is awfully pretty, and it gets the job done.
Are you one of those rare people who loved Downton Abbey but wished it had more gore? AMC has come to your rescue with the highbrow hybrid The Terror. Executive produced in grand style by movie bigwig Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator) and based on Dan Simmons best selling historical horror novel from 2007, The Terror is prestige binge-watching at its best.

Simmons novel was based on the real-life story of the Royal Navys polar exploration ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. In 1854 Captain Sir John Franklin led an expedition to locate the mythical Northwest Passage. As a particularly harsh winter hit North America, Franklin and his crew of 129 men vanished without a trace. Simmons novel speculatesnot without a certain dose of historical evidencewhat happened to the crews of the two ships after they became icebound in the Canadian Arctic.

The shows stellar cast starts with Ciaran Hinds (best known as Julius Caesar in HBOs Rome) as Captain Franklin and Jared Harris (Lane Pryce on AMCs Mad Men) as his second-in-command, Captain Francis Crozier. Franklin is the more adventurous (we might say foolhardy) of the two, while Crozier is the more cautious. Its Crozier who recommends turning back when winter bears down on the expedition. But Franklin is determined to do the Queens Duty, and presses on. Its not long before the Terror and the Erebus are sitting on a shelf of ice, unable to move.

With food supplies dwindling and morale crumbling, the Captains debate various ways to escape. As a historical tale of survival, The Terror is gripping and down-to-earth. Some grim cinematography and the occasional, judicious use of CGI conjure up the dark and frozen atmosphere of the Arctic with deadly precision. But theres more than just frostbite and starvation preparing to take out these sailors. A haunting sequence in which a sailor braves the frozen sea to break a chunk of ice from the ships propeller is heavy with dread and hints at a dangerous world that wants nothing more than the quick and violent death of these intruding humans.

The story tips its hand toward the supernatural soon enough, when one of the expeditions looking for a way out of the ice field is attacked by what could be a polar bear. A very big polar bear. An impossibly big polar bear, in fact. In fear for their lives, the panicked sailors accidentally shoot a wandering Inuit shaman. Dragging the elderly shaman back to the ships, they try to save his life. But the doctor refuses to operate on a savage. When the old man expires, his daughter grows gravely concerned, knowing that he was the only one who could control Tuunbaq. Now the sailors have another problem to deal with, a bloodthirsty native demon who wants to munch on their internal organs.

The Terror has its fair share of monsters and gore, but the mysterious creature stalking our cast of Brits is actually only a small part of the horror laying in wait. Demon or no demon, these men are in deep doo-doo. Will it be the elements, the monster or their own dark natures that drags them down? Dont expect thrills on the level of John Carpenters The Thing. On the other hand, dont expect history lessons on par with Master and Commander. At 10 perfectly paced episodes, The Terror is a judicious balance of white-knuckle survival horror and classic historical drama.
Netflix

A lot of people dont like David Chang. The celebrity chef and owner of Momofuku is the host of Netflixs new food documentary series Ugly Delicious, and his on-camera personality is often likened to that of Anthony Bordain: In a word, abrasive. Its true that Chang is loud and opinionated, and that he interrupts people constantly. Typically I cant stand these qualitiesespecially in men, and most especially in men with enough fame to have their own show. Perhaps the reason I appreciate these things in Chang is because of the things he chooses to get loud about.

In Ugly Delicious, Chang and a rotating cast of friends and expert guests travel around the world to examine the origins and modern permutations of different kinds of foods. The word authenticity is used a lot hereChang wants to know what makes a dish authentic and, more importantly, why we should care. Sure, this restaurant might serve the most authentic Cantonese foodbut is it good?

In the very first episode Pizza authenticity is discussed both in terms of authentic Neapolitan pizza and authentic New York pizza with Mark Iacono, owner of the critically acclaimed pizzeria Lucali in Brooklyn, and Antonio Pace, the President of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. As Chang and his friend and business partner Peter Meehan sit down to share a pie with Iacono, Chang asks, If we were in Naples, would they consider this pizza? Iacano, whos sporting a white t-shirt and a thick Brooklyn accent, smirks and says I could care less what they consider pizza. Pace, meanwhile, addresses the camera straight-on in a crisp black suit and red tie, describing all rules and regulations that dictate, based on the quality and origin of the ingredients and cooking methods used, whether or not something is authentic Neapolitan pizza. There is some heavy-handed editing and music selection at work here, all pointing to how stuffy and reactionary Pace and his authentic Neapolitan pizza seem in comparison to the laid-back Iacono.

The guests that Chang brings onto the show provide, by and large, amazing contributions to the episode. Bringing on Lolis Eric Elie, a black food journalist and cookbook writer, for the Fried Chicken episode, as well as Psyche Williams-Forson, a professor of African American Studies at the University of Maryland, shows that Chang is actively seeking out underrepresented perspectives on Americas most beloved foods. Both guests have insightful things to say about the ongoing stereotyping of black people and soul food, as well as the hip, millennial fried chicken joints being opened by white people across the country and marketed as tributes to the original Southern fried chicken joints they supposedly frequented as kids. Conversely, he also approaches Nick Bishop, Jr., a white man who opened one such imitation chicken joint in Nashvilleand confronts him with, Why do you think this is ok? Bishops answer is unsatisfying, to say the least.

And this isnt the only time on the show that Chang makes white people uncomfortable by presenting them with their own racism. In the episode on fried rice, he examines the history of Americanized Chinese food and the MSG scare in particular. He and Ian Mosby, a food historian, gather several people who have complained of adverse reactions to MSG in Chinese food together under the pretense of a focus group. While they each speak about the headaches and dry mouth they get from cheap Chinese food, theyre eating the Doritos, Pringles and other processed snacks provided by Chang. After a while, Mosby tells all the participants that all the snacks theyve been eating have MSG in them. Do any of you  feel anything?, he asks. Theres a powerful silence that falls on the room, and several of the participantsnearly all white-presenting peopleshake their heads. They then have a frank discussion about the old stereotypes of Chinese food as dirty, cheap and liable to make you sick. How pervasive are these stereotypes today? And how many of them extend not just to the food, but to the people making it?

When talking or writing about the intersection of food, race and politics it is too easy to end on the insipid note of food brings us all together. Ugly Delicious, though, isnt afraid to embrace uncertainty or even discord, as seen in the Shrimp and Crawfish episode. At one point, Chang is eating homemade Vietnamese food in the home of a family of shrimpers who proudly identify as Vietnamese rednecks. As the son of Korean immigrants speaking to the son of Vietnamese immigrants, Chang is shocked when the man hes talking to expresses concern and fear over immigrants coming from Islamic countries. It seems hypocritical to him, and justifiably so. After this conversation he speaks to the camera one-on-one, hashing out how upset he is that he couldnt win this guy over to the side of supporting other immigrants. Its not the only time that Chang speaks to the camera as a sort of confessional, and its one of the reasons hes so perfect in this rolehes comfortable with being in the spotlight, and hes willing to be personal and vulnerable in the public eye. This openness, plus his excellent sense of humor, make the show sparkle with personality and create something almost as addictive as trashy reality TV. When Chang messily eats a soup dumpling and declares, This is like Blade Runner food, you not only know exactly what he means, but you want to eat it. Like, right now.
Dateline: Spain

A man who was raised by wolves says life among humans has been disappointing. El Pais reports 72-year-old Marcos Rodriguez Pantojawho was called the Mowgli of Spain when he was discovered living among animals in the Sierra Morena mountain range in 1965now lives in a small home in the village of Rante. The house is reportedly not well insulated, and the last winter was particularly harsh for Rodriguez. In response, environmental group Amig@s das Arbores began raising money to insulate his house. While speaking with reporters, he allegedly claimed his last fond memories were of his childhood among the wolves. He also said he was less affected by the cold when he lived on the mountain because he'd developed thick calluses on his feet that protected him. Rodriguez is one of the only documented cases of a human child being raised by animals. At age 19, Spanish authorities reportedly discovered the teenager living in a cave with a family of wolves. According to Rodriguez, at the age of 6 or 7, his father sold him to a farmer who took him into the mountains to assist a goatherd. Soon after, the goatherd died, leaving the young boy alone in the wilderness to fend for himself. Rodriguez claims he was accepted by a mother wolf when she found him playing with her cubs. He says he learned what foods were safe to eat by watching what the wolves ate. Manila, who has written a book based on Rodriguez, says he spoke with witnessesincluding the authorities who found him and the nuns who raised him after his return to societywhose stories aligned with Rodriguez' accounts. Last month, Rodriguez admitted to reporters that living with human beings for the last 50 years has often been a disappointment for him. He said he tried to return to the mountain but that, it is not what it used to be.

Dateline: South Korea

A group of leading researchers into artificial intelligence threatened to boycott a South Korean university because of its partnership with weapons manufacturer and their fears that it would develop autonomous lethal weaponskiller robots. According to the BBC, over 50 leading AI researchers signed a letter calling for a boycott of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon. The boycott was organized by Toby Walsh, a computer scientist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, who says the KAIST's newly opened Research Center for the Convergence of National Defense and Artificial Intelligence could be used to develop autonomous weapons. According to Walsh, these possible weapons could take the form of unmanned drones, cruise missiles, autonomous sentry guns or even battlefield robots. In response, KAIST president Shin Sung-chul told ScienceInsider that the university does not have any intention to engage in development of lethal autonomous weapons systems and killer robots. He went on to say that they were significantly aware of the ethical concerns over AI's military applications and that the research will actually be used to build efficient logistical systems, unmanned navigation and aviation training systems.

Dateline: Canada

A hotel guest banned for 17 years is welcomed back after he explains how he accidentally knocked out the hotel's electricity and caused an entire flock of seagulls to defecate inside his room. Last month, Nick Burchill posted an open letter on Facebook addressed to the Fairmont Empress, a Canadian hotel, requesting that the ban placed against him be lifted. The letter details an odd sequence of events that Burchill claims occurred in 2001 and led to the ban. According to his story, Burchill was transporting a suitcase filled with a variety of Brothers' brand pepperoni and was concerned about its temperature. The room did not have a refrigerator, but the temperature outside was cool and, Burchill wrote, he decided to lay the sausage out and leave the window open. He then went for a walk for about 4 or 5 hours. On his return, he found an entire flock of seagulls had entered his room through the open window. His entrance startled the birds, who attempted to escape and ended up damaging much of the room in the process. The result was a tornado of seagull excrement, feathers, pepperoni chunks and fairly large birds, he wrote. During the scuffle, he allegedly threw a shoe out the window while attempting to strike one of the birds. The shoe was soiled, and while attempting to dry it with a hair dryer, Burchill claims he was called away by the telephone ringing. According to his story, the dryer, which he'd left running, fell into the full sink and caused a short, knocking out a portion of the hotel's electricity. I have matured and I admit responsibility for my actions, Burchill wrote near the end of his apology letter. Last week the Fairmont Empress tweeted a response to the letter, welcoming him back as a customer and letting him know that the hotel's rooms have been outfitted with refrigerators to keep his pepperoni cool.
At the beginning of the film, the sheriff marvels that many of the old-time lawmen didn't wear a pistol; what he doesn't mention is that for more than a century, it was illegal for any civilian to do so anywhere in Texas. Yes, Texas. From 1871 until 1995 , people were prohibited from openly carrying pistols in public or concealing them on their persons. Texas was special in its statewide pistol ban but hardly unique in the Old West. Many cities such as Tucson demanded that guns be turned in to the local constabulary when entering town.

The famous shoot-out at the OK Corral was initiated when the Clantons refused to check their guns. Marshals like Wyatt Earp were paid by the proprietors of brothels, saloons and faro houses that specialized in separating young cowboys from a year's pay in a matter of minutes. Drunken outraged men shooting up the town was bad for business.

"Six-gun" revolvers were perfected so that cavalry men could hold the gun in one hand while they rode, but they were surprisingly rare in the Old West. Working men could usually only afford only one gun, and pistols couldn't also be used for hunting due to their range and accuracy. There was a brisk trade in cheap pocket guns in the East however, such as the infamous Saturday Night Special, but gradually, they were left at home as policing improved.

It didn't hurt that you could be marked as a criminal by police if discovered with a pistol during the course of some other infraction. Many people kept them at home or in their cars but as the 20th century advanced, they didn't carry them around on their person, both because it was illegal and considered anti-social; pistols were for troublemakers.

Pistols have always accounted for the most deaths and gun crimes. Before semi-automatic pistols and rifles, revolvers were the " rapid- fire" weapon of choice: easy to conceal and capable of quickly firing multiple shots. Revolvers were six-shot for a good reason: the short barrel makes pistols inaccurate in combat situations, so the number of shots possible is increased as much as engineering allows. Even now the US Army estimates only a 50/50 chance of hitting a target at 25 feet with a pistol in combat.

As with the AR-15, the lethality of pistols was greatly increased with the availability of military style semi-automatic function and the remarkable number of rounds that can be loaded in interchangeable magazines. A PC- designed- and- manufactured Glock 9mm holds 14 rounds15, if you keep one in the chamber and as many as 21 with an extended magazine like the one used on US Representative Gabby Giffords in Tucson.

At the Virginia Tech shooting, 10 to 14 round magazines in 2 pistols were more than enough to kill 32 people and wound 17. A single magazine was enough to murder nine grandparents at church in Charleston, S.C.

Accurately, semi-automatic pistols are referred to as " automatics" since they automatically reload after each trigger pull. Plenty of military-style pistols became available in the '80s with the increased lethality of multiple quick-change magazines accompanying their upsurge in popularity. They sold in the millions, replacing stodgy revolvers.

It's clear that the expectation of people who conceal-carry a semi-automatic pistol is victory in combat at close range, pumping out multiple shots in half-second intervals to ensure a hit. The latest black man shot by police, Stephon Clark, had 20 rounds fired at him, hitting him 8 times in the back. In 2012, 2 policemen engaged a shooter at the Empire State Building, hitting 9 bystanders as well as the assailant with 16 shots.

Further, one reaction to the social upheaval of the '60s was the co-opting of the sportsman-oriented NRA by reactionaries who were convinced the Gun Control Act of 1968 would lead to the eventual outlawing of firearmsright when they needed personal protection, as demonstrated by the civil rights riots of that summer.

Many white people no longer trusted government to protect them and such fears were manipulated by security salesmen, most notably, Richard Nixon, and later, the reoriented NRA, which became the de facto gun sales lobby. In articles and advertisements, the NRA propagated the " self- protection" model of gun ownership, promoting the carrying of handguns and urging the passage of concealed-carry lawseven where it involved licensing, something that was usually on their slippery- slope- to- socialism list.

Why do some people feel so threatened that they carry a pistol concealed on their person? Through a cursory review of the most complicated subject imaginable, psychology reveals that normal behavior is what most people currently do; individual mental health is measured against an average. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was one of the first instruments for measuring normative behavior; testers were compared to the average score of hundreds of Minnesota students.

This method of qualifying normal behavior proved so accurate the Air Force used it to decide who should have control of nuclear weapons, Dr. Strangelove notwithstanding. A handful of personality categories are considered; anxiety, depression and, most importantly, paranoia, among them. Each person scores somewhere along a gradient in each characteristic, considered extreme only if it greatly deviates from the average.

It doesn't take Sigmund Freud to see that if 78% of the population doesn't keep guns at home for protection, then those who do deviate from the norm. In this case, science says you're more paranoid and anxious than the average person. Carrying around a hidden gun is undeniably more paranoid yetfar out from the mean, though you're probably one of the 3% of Americans that own half of all guns in the US.

Finally, we have to ask: Are self-appointed but demonstrably anxious and paranoid people packing auto-loading, military-grade pistols a workable solution to safety? In our gun-filled past, Wyatt Earp didn't think pistols should be part of civilized society; in our gun-overrun present, we should not pretend otherwise.
August March

Like the flies a-coming after Orestes, the violence in our town these days seems like pay back for all the years we spent telling ourselves that the progressive values that had sprouted in suburbia and hipsterdom during the aughts had taken hold of this entire country.

In fact, in parts of the nation that had already begun to deterioratethe rustbelt, former manufacturing centers, the rural centerviolence had long been a common, though ultimately self-defeating cultural thread.

The underlying poverty, lack of educational and economic opportunities and crushing deterioration of the urban infrastructure have destroyed families, institutions, have nourished bad thought and egregious behaviorthis has been going on for years. In the 90s and 00s, urban dwellers laughed about the dark things approach.

But this amalgamation of frustration, when combined with an  I- don t- give- a- fuck attitude about fellow humanswhose intensity is inevitably a function of capitalismseems to have crept into the wider world of late; some would say its a consequence of demonstrable violations of the social contract and democratic ideals by the leadership chosen in the last US presidential election.

Case in point: Last weekend, a man was stabbed to death in an Albertsons supermarket on Isleta Boulevard. He died Aztec-style, yo, with one deadly blow directly to the heart. But any heroic status he gained in his flight from this world to Mictlan should be measured against the horror and shame of such a crime.

I recall telling a reporter a mere three years agowhen I began my tenure at this news deskthat we shouldnt cover crime, especially violent crime because thats what the teevee did with such salacious presentation that outlets like us wouldnt stand a chance against their bloody coverage.

But things have changed. The poles havent literally shifted but this spring seems the odd middle part of a potentially overwhelming year of events that skew toward the edge. If you dont know what I mean, open your browser window to cnn.com and read through the top stories out loud.

In order to better understand all of these unsettled and unsettling circumstances, I met with local blogger, former colleague (at Rio Grande High School and Duke City Fix) and long-time Burque arts community mystic chieftain, Jeff Hartzer.

By some unforeseen happenstance, Hartzer was on hand moments after the stabbing I told about, exiting the supermarket after buying soda for his wifes dance company. That experience and related subjects are what we talked about at the Frontier Restaurant on Tuesday morning.

Weekly Alibi: Jeff, what did you see?

Jeff Hartzer: We were having an event down at the AirDance ArtSpace and we ran out of refreshments. So I went three blocks down the road to Isleta, to the Albertsons grocery store. I got the refreshments and went out to the car. As I did so, I noticed two Bernalillo County Sheriffs deputies entering the building with a big bag. Ive been trained by the Community Emergency Response Team and know first aid.

I decided to follow behind them, to see if they needed any help. Right in the middle of the store was a body. And lots of blood. A man who had just been stabbed moments before was deceased and some one else was running out the door. I suppose I did not see him. But a woman was giving the victim mouth-to-mouth and another [one] was pushing down on the mans chest, he was losing a lot of blood. They tried to tend to the man.

Did you see any indication of an altercation or fight preceding the violence?

It was like a car wreck, like a horrible tornado. There was an enormous amount of blood, a pool about 10 feet across, worse than anything youd see in the movies, frankly. There was a mans body, work going on, but not much else.

Reports in the media point to a minor altercation between two customers that occurred prior to the stabbing. Could the outcome have been prevented if a bystander had been armed and intervened? Could a good guy with a gun have stopped this murder from happening?

Im sure thats a question the Albertsons administration is going to have to deal with, whether an armed security guard at the front door could have prevented this or whether an armed shopper could have prevented it. I do not think so. The police are trained to approach a knife very carefullyremember that when confronted with a homeless dude armed with small knives, APD used lethal force. A knife can be used in seven seconds. Studies show that it takes 23 seconds for a gun to go from holster to trigger-pull. Anyway, ironically one of the people involved, the younger man, the alleged stabber, came in to Albertsons looking for supplies for a matanza (matanza literally means killing party in Spanish).

Is this sort of violence in the South Valley, in Albuquerque for that matter, growing, steady but typical or anomalous?

Ive lived in Albuquerque since 1985 and theres a myth, expressed as a pop culture joke about how all the sewage flows south in this town and that everything in the Heights is better than whats in the valley. I dont think this is a valley problem. This could have happened anywhere. I also own a home in the South Broadway neighborhood and we get asked the same sort of question whenever something [bad] happens there. Frankly, theres been more violent crime recently in the Heights.

The fact it happened on a very quiet Saturday afternoon in the middle of a beautiful Albertsonsits one of the best supermarkets in townis particularly horrendous. A knife stabbing is one single move from the attacker to the victims body. This act was done in a split second with one physical motion. The alleged murderer took a knife and hit the other directly in the heart. He bled out; when I saw him he was totally unconscious, barely breathing. He died shortly thereafter. He died before Albuquerque Ambulance of BernCo Fire Department arrived.

Whats driving this violence? Is it out of control in Albuquerque?

I think its out of control in this country. The whole of the United States seems to be out of control. And we are not even into summer 2018. We have not even begun the yearly Black Lives Matter protests, the inevitable protests against our president are yet to come. People have less money. They are not feeling good about themselves. Global warming and extreme weather are causing extreme pessimism, feelings of uncertainty and anxiety.

One thing I really notice about the United States, not just Albuquerque, is the lack of impulse control. Theres no impulse control among citizens now, little respect for one another. There is no discussion, no circumspection, there is just the immediate stabbing to the heart. I blame a lot of those lapses in behavior on the current presidential administration.

Whats the role of the police in all of this?

Im in an unique position to think about my contention. In 2008, I graduated from the Albuquerque Police Departments Citizen Academy. At that time, we had a different mayor, different chief of police and the department was going through a number of changes. But one thing remains clear. We need police officers in this town who are committed to making things better. On paper thats an easy fix, but only 12 people signed up for the exam for the latest police academy. Seventy-one APD officers serve in the National Guard. If they are deployed to the border, then Albuquerque will definitely suffer. There is no respect anymore for the police, or for school teachers for that matter. We still want to be taken care of, but we dont want taxes to enable that process. All of that has to do with Trump.

Whats his overarching place in all of this chaos? What is the way back to an ordered and civilized society?

Things are bad today and they could get worse. The problem with an unstable, vile, ridiculous, embarrassing presidentthat allegedly has relations with prostitutes and porn starsis that such leads to a dissembling of everything below it. The president of the United States calls all journalists, except his bullpen from Fox, purveyors of fake news. He decides to get rid of DACA, has a downright racist attitude toward his predecessor, he seeks to destroy until there is nothing left, in my opinion. The people see that and I am certain some of them are thinking, if he doesnt care about this, why should I? I think this president has unleashed all the inner darkness of America. Random stabbings will inevitably follow.
Letters

Cest Nest Pas une Pistolet

Dear Editor,

I was appalled at the uncalled for, senseless, shocking and utterly inappropriate menacing display of a very real-appearing large black pistol by an actor during his performance of a poem at the April 1 SOMOS (Society of the Muse of the Southwest) event in the Taos Arts Center.

This actor ran about the audience waving his "fake" firearm in audience members faces. There was no warning given. The "fake" firearm display and audience-menacing was all recorded on cell phone video by an audience member. No one in authority at this event had the presence of mind to halt the performance and re-direct this wayward "actor," alas. Fortunately no one was hurt physically, though there was shock and distress among at least some audience members.

The SOMOS event curator and the SOMOS executive director have since stated to me that the pistol was a "prop" and this display was unrehearsed and unexpected, but they also state that the actor who waved the "prop" firearm intended it for theatrical effect "to illustrate a poem about a sea captain high on drugs who threatened his crew." This seems an odd choice of a poem subject in our current gun-violence climate; but even given that choice, why must a poem be " illustrated" so literally in a crowded performance hall. If the poem were about fire, would the actor have set the building on fire to " illustrate" his chosen text? I am puzzled by this explanation. Even in the context of April Fools Day, this was outrageous, insensitive and unacceptable. It should never be repeated at any public performance, in jest, or otherwise.

I myself have lost a most dear family member to hostile gunfire, and I myself have also in years past been personally menaced by gun-wielding criminals. I see this as no joke. I also have long experience hosting and performing in poetry and theater events. I am a dues-paying SOMOS member as well as the curator and host of a Poetry and Prose performance series in Angel Fire. I hosted poetry performance series in Albuquerque for many years including the long-running Resolana series at South Broadway Cultural Center. We never pointed guns at the audience at these performances, even when the recitations touched on gun related subjects. This seems like stating the obvious, but the following needs to be said, nonetheless: Gunseven fake, toy, starter or unloaded gunsand poetry performances do not mix. Any discussion on this? For the record, there are to be no guns displayed, even in jest, at any literary events which I curate and sponsor. Period. And I intend not to attend any events where guns are flashed about in a foolish manner, nor to support any literary or theatrical organizations which encourage or even permit such dangerous and irresponsible public behavior. I look forward, as a SOMOS member, to some public statement on this matter from the Board of Society of the Muse of the Southwest of Taos.
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The presidential election in Azerbaijan has kicked off Wednesday.

Eight candidates are running for office in the snap elections  Incumbent President Ilham Aliyev from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, MP Zahid Oruc, Araz Alizada MP, chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev  MP, chairman of the Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Faraj Guliyev  MP, chairman of the National Revival Movement Party, Hafiz Hajiyev  chairman of the Modern Equality Party, Razi Nurullayev  political analyst from the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party and Sardar Jalaloglu - chairman of Azerbaijan Democratic Party.

The authoritarian incumbent President Ilham Aliyev is widely expected to win the election. If Aliyev wins this election, it will be the 4th consecutive re-election of the Azerbaijan dictator.

In recent years, Aliyev has silenced the opposition and free press of Azerbaijan, with many opposition politicians being expelled or arrested, while independent news media were shut down.

The April 11 presidential election is the first election after the Constitutional amendments of the country, which enabled Aliyev to run for office for the 4th time for a 7-year term. Another amendment in the Constitution enabled Aliyev to run for office as many times as he wants, because the limitation of a candidates nomination was abolished, thus, enabling the authoritarian leader to consolidate power even more.

Earlier in February the Azeri leader ordered snap presidential elections to take place April 11.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenias government, declaring the development of technological field as a priority direction, also attaches importance to the development of blockchain technologies and their installation in different branches of the economy. Having a vision to create its own product in this field and propose it to the world, the Armenian Blockchain first international Forum is expected to be held in Yerevan. On April 22 the leading international figures of the field - more than 600 participants from different countries, including the USA, Ireland, China, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Canada, as well as Armenia, representatives of more than 30 investment funds and angel investors will gather at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, Emil Tarasyan  deputy minister of economic development and investments, told ARMENPRESS.

Blockchain is a new technological trend, and countries compete in this field to propose more interesting solutions, and Armenias goal is to move forward with realistic steps. We aim at understating how we can improve the public services by the use of blockchain technologies, what advantages and impact their use will have, starting from optimization to ruling out possible corruption phenomena in the services provided in the public sector. It will be a good chance for our startups to meet with potential investors, the deputy minister said.

The forum will consist of four parts: in the first part the world experience of blockchain technologies, in connection with legal regulation mechanisms, smart contracts, will be presented, in the second part of the forum lectures on blockchain technologies and their use will be organized, as well as the existing educational and acceleration programs in the field will be introduced. There will be a separate hall for investors-business circle-public sector communication, and the Armenian and foreign startups will present their developments by the use of blockchain technologies at a road-show format. The jury will select 15 startup-idea which will receive funding and will be able to create their own product and will target also the world market in addition to the Armenian one.

As a ministry of economic development and investments, we attach a great importance to the progress of innovative solutions and new technologies, as well as their promotion. For this purpose we need to understand the problems facing the companies operating in this field, in connection with the legal field, ecosystem gaps. And we must fill these gaps through investment and already specialized companies, the deputy minister noted.

Blockchain technologies are used in all spheres of life when transactions or registrations are being made, for instance, in cadastre, notary systems. The self-regulatory and validation system is being done between all participants which also increases the level of trust towards that system as the anti-corruption manifestation and the interference possibility reaches zero.

Some countries already use the solutions based on this technology in their administration systems. Armenias digital agenda provides a great field for the use of these technologies in the country. For its use its very important for Armenia to have an ecosystem, only its installation is not enough, we should have organizations which will not only install them, but will serve these systems, as well as will create new products that will be exported to other countries, Emil Tarasyan noted.

Cryptoassets (cryptocurrency)

Blockchain technologies are also used for approving and registering transactions with cryptocurrency, as well as generate them. Emil Tarasyan called this phenomenon cryptoasset because different countries give different definitions. One country views it as a product, the other as a property right to that product, another one considers it as a currency, and there are countries which view it as a digital asset. There are different approaches, but this market also started developing international standards. Compared to an ordinary currency in which case there are common international standards, cryptoasset and platforms designed for it do not have common standards, but the latest developments lead to the fact that platforms are being united across certain standards.

Having the component of anonymous transactions, cryptoassets or cryptocurrencies are attractive for those who want to hide their own money, therefore, they contain many risks. Moreover, it also raises the problem of the protection of consumer rights. The business of people having cryptocurrencies can close in a day, and they will lose all their money. They cannot appeal to the court as de jure they have no right towards that cryptoasset they have acquired, but they de facto have lost concrete sums. Therefore, many countries move on the path of ruling out anonymous transactions. We need to understand what regulations exist in general since while regulating the technological field the over-regulation results in technological stop, but non-regulation in general contains risks of not ensuring investments and progress. By using the format of the forum we must be able to understand what regulations can be applied, he said.

As for the private initiatives on creating a crypto-mining center in Armenia and rumors according to which a free economic zone will be created for that purpose, Emil Tarasyan said this can be one of the solutions. Armenia had working discussions on this issue with different beneficiaries. Maybe we will go to regulation by a new model, whether it will be free economic zone, or other format, is still unclear. If there is a demand, we are ready to present a proposal. This is one of the ways which must be discussed during the forum when its business model and technical solutions are presented, the deputy minister noted.

Regulation approaches

Armenias finance ministry, as well as Central Bank are carefully following the developments in the cryptocurrency field. They say its difficult to welcome a phenomena to an economic life which is being created by algorithms, and in the final result there is no one who bears responsibility for that.

Nevertheless, the discussions on regulating the crytocurrency field become more relevant, and Armenia as well is engaged in it. As finance minister Vardan Aramyan told ARMENPRESS in February, 2018, when cryptocurrency enters the economic life of any country, and when it is impossible to stop the process of any procedure, it must become manageable. There are discussions at various formats. Different countries have different approaches on this issue. Some view it as a financial asset, some - as a financial asset and a payment measure. I think sooner or later we need to take into account this phenomenon and make the risks manageable. There are views according to which the cryptocurrency field must become manageable, and it is necessary to create a platform which will generate additional revenues for the state.

Head of the financial system regulation department at the CBA Mher Abrahamyan told ARMENPRESS in December, 2017 that the world, including Armenia, is still at the stage of recognition, study and monitoring of the cryptocurrency field with more than 1000 types. Actually, cryptocurrencies are a new phenomena in our lives. Most of the countries do not yet have a final stance in terms of its regulation and control. Some countries make various attempts, some regulate them, some ban, and some countries warn their citizens, consumers about the great risks linked with cryptocurrencies and urge to refrain from possible risks and losses. The Central Banks position has not changed during these months.

Interview by Ani Nazaryan

English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The Russian envoy to the UN called on the West to "refrain from plans" it might be harboring for Syria, after three consecutive resolutions to investigate the alleged recent chemical attack near Damascus failed to pass at the Security Council, RT reports.

The latest resolution to fail was a Russian-sponsored draft backing an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) fact-finding mission at the site of the alleged attack in Douma. The draft received five votes in favor (Russia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Bolivia), four votes against (the US, the UK, France and Poland) and six abstentions, falling short of the minimum nine votes required for adoption.

The failure of an "innocuous" draft in support of an impartial investigation into the alleged chemical incident in Syria's Douma is a "litmus test which speaks volumes," Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia said. The draft was based on, and "almost completely copied," an earlier proposal by Sweden. Nebenzia argued that the proposal was stonewalled simply because it ultimately came from Russia.

Nebenzia warned of the consequences that ill-conceived decisions by the West might lead to, saying that the threats towards Syria should worry us, all of us, greatly, because we could find ourselves on the threshold of some very sad and serious events.

The US and its allies' refusal to back the Russian proposal shows that "our Western colleagues do not need any independent investigation," Nebenzia said, reiterating Russia's calls to exercise restraint with regards to Syria.

The US, UK and France had earlier indicated they are likely to resort to military action in response to the alleged chemical incident in Douma on Saturday. The Russian envoy once again called for the West to show restraint.

I ask you once again  refrain from the plans which you might be harboring with regards to Syria, he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Council rejected two rival drafts on Syria submitted by Russia and the US.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The 103rd anniversary commemorative events of the Armenian Genocide in the Netherlands will begin April 17th.

Mato Hakhverdyan, president of the Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands, told ARMENPRESS that a rally will take place against the Government on April 17 in a square near the parliament building in the Hague.

As you know, the parliament of Netherlands has recognized the Armenian Genocide, a document was adopted two times, but the government continues using other terms while speaking about this topic, saying  the issue of the Armenian Genocide. The parliaments recognition didnt impact the vocabulary of the government. It is important for us that the government uses correct terms in speeches, rather than make up some thing every time. We plan to submit a petition to the government, he said.

In accordance to the recently adopted document, a government official of the Netherlands should visit Armenia once in five years and pay tribute at the Armenian Genocide Memorial. Hakhverdyan said that this year the governments representative will visit Armenia for the first time since the adoption of this document.

Weve made numerous questions until now, however, no name has been released. We dont have a final answer yet. It is probable that they will fail to make a final decision until April 24, he said.

A new cross-stone and a monument in honor of the Armenian Genocide victims will be unveiled on April 21 on the occasion of the 103rd anniversary. The monument will be placed in the territory of the Holy Spirit Armenian Church of Amsterdam.

A commemoration event will take place April 24 near the cross-stone.

Another event will take place April 24 near the Armenian Genocide memorial in Assen, where politicians and public figures will deliver remarks.

A mass will be held near the Armenian Genocide memorial of Almelo on the same day.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. At least 23 people have been killed in Belem, Brazil, when prisoners attempted to escape from a correctional facility, local authorities said.

Law enforcement agencies said one prison guard and 22 prisoners were killed in the firefight.

The prison break was comprehensively premeditated. The prison was ambushed by heavily armed men from the outside, blowing up a wall for the convicts to escape from the heavily overcrowded prison.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. As part of fighting transnational organized crime, the National Security Service of Armenia has discovered and terminated channels of organizing illegal immigration in 2017, whereby criminal syndicates comprising Armenian and foreign citizens attempted to illegaly transport citizens from Central Asia and the Middle East through the territory of Armenia to Schengen Area countries, the US, Turkey or other countries. The syndicate also used fraud to organize the exit of Armenian nationals from Armenia to the abovementioned countries.

The National Security Service told ARMENPRESS that the investigation also discovered cases of illegal immigrants residing in the country and illegal obtainment of temporary residence permits.

33 suspects are included as defendants in the criminal case, including 25 Armenian and 8 foreign nationals. Two of the suspects are at large.

The organized crime group would charge from 350-10,000 dollars from the foreigners to organize their illegal transportation, including documents.

In one case, the syndicate organized the transportation of Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens though Armenia to Turkey, who were earlier deported from the same country.

Particularly, in accordance to a scheme of the syndicate operating in Armenia, Iran and Turkey  citizens of Central Asian countries who were deported from Turkey earlier would arrive legally to Armenia, where the syndicate would make fake Armenian passports for them. The immigrants would later use their legal passports to exit Armenia, but would switch to the fake ones upon arriving to Turkey.

Another similar attempt was prevented on January 15, when security services detained two foreign nationals, accompanied by an Armenian, at the state border with fake passports.

The National Security Service issued a warning saying that the service is fighting illegal immigration consistently.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. A citizen reported to the Yerevan Police Department on April 1 that a man has stabbed a child in the citys Childrens Park.

The Yerevan Police Department told ARMENPRESS that minutes after the report a medical center alarmed the police that a 15 year old boy has been hospitalized with stab wounds.

A 35-year old man, identified as Argam Hovhannisyan, has been detained in suspicion of stabbing the boy.

Hovhannisyan, a local of a village in Aragatsotn province, confessed to carrying out the crime.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. For the first time in Khosrov Forest State Reserves history, the WWF trapcameras captured amazing images of the Caucasian leopard.

The young male leopard pictured in the footage has never been caught on camera before, the ministry of nature protection told ARMENPRESS.

Minister Artsvik Minasyan commented, saying that the ministry highly values the development of special preservation territories in terms of both nature protection and organizing eco-tourism.

The images of the trapcameras show that after the last years fire the nature is getting restored, and fortunately the wildfires consequences werent devastating for our fauna. And if the leopard has returned to the reserve, this means it has sufficient amount of kill. This is a true achievement which was possible due to the joint efforts of the ministry of nature protection, Khosrov Forest State Reserve, and our partners the WWF and the CNF.

WWF Armenia director Karen Manvelyan said back in 2002, when they first began working in Armenia, no leopards were left in Armenia. One of the first actions was to restore the leopards habitat, he said. A few years later we had the first success  getting images of a leopard from the trapcamera. We were regularly discovering leopard traces in the reserve but we werent able to photograph one before. This is wonderful news. Today we can say that the Caucasian leopard is returning to the reserve, he said.

Geof GiacominiExecutive Director of the CNF (Caucasus Nature Fund) said they are proud to support strengthening of Armenias specially preserved territories for 10 years.

The existence of this young male leopard shows what result patience and selfless devotion to nature protection can have. Today is a true occasion to be proud, both for us, Armenia and the entire region.

The ministry of nature protection and the WWF Armenia have been carrying out the preservation program of the Caucasian leopard in Armenia since 2002.

7-9 leopards are currently documented in Armenia, with habitats in Ararat, Vayots Dzor and Syunik.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. ETIX EVERYWHERE, a provider of smart data centers, is interested in operations in Armenia.

Acting minister of transportation, communication and IT Vahan Martirosyan held a meeting April 11 with the international business development delegation of the company in Yerevan.

Company executives presented their portfolio to the minister at the meeting, mentioning global operations ranging from Europe to the US, African countries and Asia.

ETIX EVERYWHERE officials said they are interested in opening a regional data center in Armenia.

Acting minister Martirosyan expressed readiness to assist the implementation of the initiative.

He presented to the delegation the skills and potential of Armenian IT professionals and expressed hope that the company will also consider creating a scientific research lab of the Armenian IT market.

The sides discussed directions of cooperation.

ETIX EVERYWHERE will have a more detailed discussion about the project with ministry experts.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan continues its tradition of electoral fraud as voters are heading to polling stations to elect a president.

Despite having official permits from the central electoral commission, observers are barred from entering polling stations throughout the country, Azerbaijani Turan news agency reported.

A single voter is voting for numerous times in various polling stations. Observers arent allowed to enter the polling stations. This and many other types of violations and fraud continues, presidential candidate Sardar Jalaloglus spokesperson told Turan.

Jalaloglus spokesperson said observers are being obstructed despite having all required official documents and permits from the central electoral commission

The presidential election in Azerbaijan kicked off Wednesday.

Eight candidates are running for office in the snap elections  Incumbent President Ilham Aliyev from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, MP Zahid Oruc, Araz Alizada MP, chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev  MP, chairman of the Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Faraj Guliyev  MP, chairman of the National Revival Movement Party, Hafiz Hajiyev  chairman of the Modern Equality Party, Razi Nurullayev  political analyst from the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party and Sardar Jalaloglu - chairman of Azerbaijan Democratic Party.

The authoritarian incumbent President Ilham Aliyev is widely expected to win the election. If Aliyev wins this election, it will be the 4th consecutive re-election of the Azerbaijan dictator.

In recent years, Aliyev has silenced the opposition and free press of Azerbaijan, with many opposition politicians being expelled or arrested, while independent news media were shut down.

The April 11 presidential election is the first election after the Constitutional amendments of the country, which enabled Aliyev to run for office for the 4th time for a 7-year term. Another amendment in the Constitution enabled Aliyev to run for office as many times as he wants, because the limitation of a candidates nomination was abolished, thus, enabling the authoritarian leader to consolidate power even more.

Earlier in February the Azeri leader ordered snap presidential elections to take place April 11.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. US President Donald Trump warned Russia to "get ready" after Moscow vowed to shoot any missiles fired at Syria down, RT reports.

"They will be coming, nice and new and smart," Trump tweeted.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it, Trump tweeted.

It comes after Russia vowed to shoot down any US missiles aimed at Syria. If there is an American strike, then we... will shoot down the missiles and target the positions from where they were launched, Alexander Zasypkin, the Russian envoy to Beirut, said on Wednesday. In the past few days, we have seen an escalation towards a significant crisis."

Trump has been quick to point the finger at Syrian President Bashar Assad regarding the alleged chemical attack, despite the fact that investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have yet to begin an official investigation into the matter.

His allegations also come after the Russian military traveled to the scene of the alleged incident and determined that there was no evidence of any chemical attack.

Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has warned against the US carrying out an "illegal military endeavor," adding that he hopes Washington "comes to its senses."

Trump has been holding calls with his British and French counterparts. It remains unclear whether the UK will take part in military action, after a report in The Times suggested that Prime Minister Theresa May is waiting until there's evidence of Syria's culpability for the alleged attack.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS/ARTSAKHPRESS. Azerbaijani Major-General Hikmet Hasanov gave an extensive interview to armiya.az website recently, presenting the April war of 2016 as an impressive victory of the Azerbaijani army. The high level military official, who spared no wonderful words to describe his army, also condemned the actions of the Armenian army, noting that starting from 2015 the Armenian side kept bordering Azerbaijani settlements under fire, carrying out sabotage attempts at the same time.

ARMENPRESS presents the remarks and responds of press secretary of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh, Colonel Senor Hasratyan.

Referring to the border situation prior to the April war, Senor Hasratyan noted that starting from the second half of 2014 the Azerbaijani side regularly increased the number of ceasefire violations, using more and more serious weapons. It went even farther on November 12, 2014, downing the Mi-24 helicopter conducting a training flight with no ammunitions, which was the most massive ceasefire violation since 1994. Afterwards, ignoring all the international humanitarian norms, denied to return to the Armenian side the bodies of the staff lying in the neutral zone, the Colonel said, adding that it was possible to return the bodies thank to the excellent operation conducted by the Armenian side. Day by day escalating the situation, the Azerbaijani side conducted a military adventure in April, Hasratyan said, underlining that the Armenian side has never targeted Azerbaijani civilians, but the Azerbaijani troops often use their population as human shields by stationing its positions inside settlements and firing from there. In such cases those positions must be immediately eliminated. Here as a proof I will mention only the case of silencing the fire positions of Azerbaijan stationed in Cmnli and Zangishal settlements, after which clashes between the local residents and the servicemen took place. Its impossible to find better evidences, he said.

Referring to the remark of the Azerbaijani General who said that once their defense minister had ordered to plan and implement a more decisive strike against Armenians putting end to all the problematic issues, the press secretary of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh said, These words of the Azerbaijani General prove that active preparations for carrying out a large-scale offensive had been implemented before April 2016.

Speaking about the Azerbaijani claims about their huge achievements during the April war, Senor Hasratyan said, Using almost its entire arsenal, including helicopters, SMERCH multiple rocket launcher, TOS-1 heavy flamethrower system, UAVs, SPIKE guided anti-tank missiles, different types of artillery and rocket launchers, and suffering numerous human losses, the Azerbaijani army implemented a military task equivalent to a battalion. If this is the criteria for the combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army, they can enjoy their brilliant victory and continue to enjoy its consequences.

Referring to the announcement of Hikmet Hasanov that Azerbaijan did not use its reserve forces during the April war, otherwise the Armenians would be fully demolished, Senor Hasratyan noted that the Azerbaijani General is either unaware of the reality or just deceives. During the first day of the military operations in April, following the losses inflicted on the army, the Azerbaijani command staff was forced to move its reserve units to the frontline, particularly, to the section of Akna, where huge damage had been inflicted on the 190th motor-rifle brigade most of the units of which had been demolished and the commander of the brigade, Colonel Yusubov was killed. For that reason the 130th and 708th reserve brigades of Azerbaijan stationed in Ganja and Mingachevir moved in the direction of Akna. Folowing the destruction of these reserve forces, as well as the special unit Yashma, Azerbaijan was seeking ways to stop the military operations, and finally managed to reach its goal through the brokering of Moscow, once again beseeching a ceasefire that it needed so much, Hasratyan said, concluding with a rhetoric question, If no reserve forces were used, how did the SMERCH or TOS systems, helicopters and UAVs appeare in the frontline?.

English translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) will propose the party Council to nominate Serzh Sargsyan, the leader of the party, as the candidate of Prime Minister of Armenia on Sunday, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of the party, Vice President of the National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov told the reporters after the Executive Body meeting of the Republican Party.

The Executive Body of the RPA has started discussions over the next Prime Minister. The discussions passed in an atmosphere of unity and solidarity. Everyone accepted the proposal made by the acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan earlier. Its clear who will be our candidate for the post of the Prime Minister  leader of the party Serzh Sargsyan. No one elses candidacy was discussed, Sharmazanov said.

Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan spoke on April 9 about his meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan, answered the question about the next Prime Minister and presented his visions. We also referred to the issue of the candidate for the post of the Prime Minister, we talked about the Constitution, and the new model of governance. We shared the opinion that under the conditions of the challenges and issues facing the country the smooth transition to the new governance model is of key importance. Also, taking into account the achievements reached under the existing configuration of state governance we have decided to offer our party colleagues to preserve the existing configuration for this period of time, meaning to nominate Serzh Sargsyans candidacy for the post of the Prime Minister.Because, I reiterate, its of key importance to switch to the new model in a smooth, productive way with diminished risks, he had said.

English translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The Editorial Board of the Washington Post has published an article criticizing the elections in Azerbaijan.

RULE ONE of the Dictators Handbook: Allow no one else to seriously challenge you in an election. Rule Two: Spend enough of your nations treasure to lure a popular Western entertainer to distract from Rule One. Previously, President Ilham Aliyev, son of a strongman who inherited his fathers distaste for democracy, enticed Lady Gaga to perform, then Mariah Carey. Now Mr. Aliyev has booked pop star Christina Aguilera for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 28, ARMENPRESS reports the Washington Post wrote.

The newspaper notes that the event will take place 2.5 weeks after the presidential elections in Azerbaijan, meanwhile, Aliyev has so thoroughly suffocated democracy in Azerbaijan that he will certainly win a fourth term by a wide margin. The newspaper also reminded about the Azerbaijani Laundromat  a mechanism through which Aliyev bribed European politicians.

If Ms. Aguilera has time, she may want to poke around Azerbaijans jails. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Azerbaijan ranks among the worst jailers of journalists in the world, with at least 10 imprisoned when its last survey was completed in December. She might also want to set aside some time to get a reality check on Azerbaijan from Khadija Ismayilova, a courageous journalist who endured a prison term for the crime of her hard-hitting investigative reports about Mr. Aliyevs family wealth. Or, perhaps Ms. Aguilera could visit Ilgar Mammadov, a prominent alternative voice to Mr. Aliyev who was arrested more than five years ago shortly after announcing he would challenge the president in the 2013 elections. Mr. Mammadov was accused of inciting violence and sentenced to seven years in prison after a faulty trial. The European Court of Human Rights found his detention illegal. He is still locked away, the Washington Post concluded.

English translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan
CYBERSPACEGay porn fans who love story-driven erotica are in for a treat today with the debut of a new feature, The Chosen Few, shot on location in a South Florida mansion. A joint production between the website and gay adult studio NakedSword, the first scene is now viewable on TrentonDucati.com.

Its very exciting because its our first NakedSword/TrentonDucati.com feature, said Ducati.

And thats not the only exciting thing about the project. Prominent director mr. Pam served as Ducatis directorial co-pilotwelcome news considering the bang-up job she did directing Ducati in the GayVN Award-winning Secrets and Lies (NakedSword).

As if that werent enticing enough, consider the list of starsa Chosen Few indeed. Dante Colle, Alam Wernik, Logan Moore, Michael Delray, Jacob Peterson, Arad Winwin and Danny Gunn all are featured.

I love working with the NakedSword team, Ducati said. mr. Pam is so inspirational and talented. I learned a lot from co-directing with her.

According to the plot synopsis, Everyone in South Beach wants to part of the Chosen Few, an exclusive group of the world's hottest men, hand-selected by Logan Moore to live at his private island estate. Stories of their lavish lifestyle and endless hours of sexual debauchery tempt Danny Gunn and Michael DelRay onto Logan's boat, headed to paradise. Logan welcomes them to his home, where there is only one rule: no one touches his personal houseboy, Alam Wernik.

Wernik, a new exclusive with Falcon Studios Group, plays the horny houseboyand he certainly doesnt play by the house rules. Thats apparent in the first scene, in which Moore catches houseguest Colle hooking up with the off-limits Wernik. Theres only one thing to do: Moore has to teach the handsome brunette a lesson he wont forgetand the audience will thoroughly enjoy.

One by one, Wernik makes a move on every cock in sight. Will Michael and Danny be able to resist temptation? Somehow, we suspect they won't.

Ducatis thrilled about the finished product, and notes that all of the scenes will soon be available on both TrentonDucati.com and NakedSword.com. He expressed his gratitude to NakedSword chief Tim Valenti, who lent his support and guidance. Thanks again to Tim for allowing this project to come to life, Ducati said.
MONTREALAll-girl studio Girlsway gets summer vacation started a little early with three-part series School's Out, releasing in updates throughout April.

Episode one, titled "Hot for Student," is available now and stars 2018 AVN Best Supporting Actress Kristen Scott as a college instructor who invites student Lily Adams to an end-of-year party that turns out to be just for two.

The second episode, "Three Cheers," releases April 16 and finds cheerleaders Alison Rey and Maya Kendrick plotting to seduce their team captain, Lana Rhoades.

Final episode "The Tutor Redux," out April 23, casts Girlsway first-timer Alina Lopez as a tutor who gives Adria Rae an unconventional lesson in math.

"With Spring Fever in full swing, there's no better time to explore that last gasp of responsibilityand the yearning desire to dodge that responsibilitythan in this school vignette series," director Stills by Alan said. "We hope fans enjoy this new series that celebrates the spirit of restless teens having spring flings."

For more information, visit Girlsway.com. For affiliate inquiries, contact affiliate manager Derrick Gilbert at [email protected].

Pictured: Kristen Scott, Lily Adams.
CYBERSPACEA fake Hillary Clinton porn video that was posted multiple times on the internet forum Reddit was actually created by the same Russian troll farm that was behind a multimillion-dollar social media propaganda campaign during the 2016 presidential election campaign, according to a report Tuesday by NBC News.

The video that purported to portray the Democratic candidate engaged in a sex act with a black man was posted to the Reddit forum /r/The_Donald, an aggressively pro-Donald Trump forum that has spread various conspiracy theories, including the fabricated Pizzagate story which claimed that Clinton in involved with a child sex ring run out of a Washington, D.C., pizza joint.

On the Reddit forum, the phony Clinton sex video was initially posted under the heading, This is How Hillary gets black votes. But the doctored porn tape was also posted to the tube site PornHub, where it received 250,000 views, according to NBC News. On Pornhub, the tape was labeled, Leaked Hillary Clinton's Hotel Sex Tape with Black Guy.

On Tuesday, Reddit announced that it had deleted 944 accounts that it had linked to the Russian organization known as the Internet Research Agency, including the account "Rubinjer," which originally posted the bogus Clinton sex tape on /r/The_Donald.

In February, Trump-Russia investigation Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals who worked for the Internet Research Agency, including the groups chief financier Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch so closely linked to the countrys president Vladimir Putin that his is known as Putins Chef. The nickname stems from the fact that Prigozhin had been a well-known Moscow restaurateur who frequently served meals to Putin and quickly rose into Putins inner circle, becoming a billionaire.

Prigozhin has been under United States sanctions since December of 2016, for providing financial backing to Russias military incursion into Ukraine. He has been described by The Financial Times newspaper as a shadowy figure whose resume reads like a grab bag of dirty tricks carried out in the name of Russian president Vladimir Putin known for extensive pro-Kremlin side projects, doing everything from posting puerile memes about Barack Obamas farts to involvement with the Russian military.

Experts on Russia often assume that Prigozhin simply carries out Putins wishes, backing the various dirty tricks and other covert operations as a way of providing plausible deniability to Putin himself. The close tie between Prigozhin and Putin raises the possibility that the Russian leader may have actually approved or at least been aware of the bogus Hillary Clinton porn video.

The revelation from Reddit on Tuesday, however, was not the first time that the Clinton fake porn video has been publicly linked to Russian government-linked trolls. In October of last year, Alan Baskaeva former Internet Research Agency paid troll who became a whistleblowertold a Russian independent TV station that the troll farm itself had produced the sex tape, hiring a lookalike to play the role of Clinton and a black man to perform as her co-star in the porn video.

Photos: Kremlin.ru/Lorie Shaull/Wikimedia Commons
This latest title from Wickeds Passions line for couples chronicles the relationship between Rebecca and Tommy, two up and coming Hollywood stars played by India Summer and Tommy Pistol. We get to see the first time they have sex, which is a romantic and playful scene in itself, and they end up getting married. Things start to go downhill once fame and fortune have their way with the pair. Rebeccas friend Aaliyah Love doesnt believe in true love and has a revolving door of dick in her life. We get to watch her and her flavor of the week Logan Pierce get it on.

Tommy is working on some new projects including fucking the daylights out of Karlee Grey while Rebecca begins hooking up with her domineering lady manager Jenna. Both of the new couples are having trouble in paradise, apparently. Jenna misses the D big time and bangs one of her male clients, and Grey is actually screwing Tommys agent. But, spoiler alertas you may be able to tell from the title, Rebecca and Tommy make their way back to each other for a true Hollywood ending. This title is soaked in plot and juicy drama and is perfect for those who want some story with their porn. Its like a soap opera with hot sex and sticky cumshots on luscious, hairy pussies. Two great tastes that go together!
A Lebanese bakery has opened in Cambridge, serving more than 50 traditional sweet and savoury pastries, breads and treats.

Lagona Bakery, which is located on Mill Road, opened yesterday (9 April) will serve up freshly baked products from 8am to 5pm six days a week, targeting the breakfast and lunch crowds. Diners can grab-and-go or sit in as the bakery has seating for 24 people.

Alongside the bakery, owner Salah Edan runs a restaurant in the city (pictured), which was opened two years ago. When we opened the restaurant we were the first Lebanese restaurant in Cambridge. Now, we are the first Lebanese bakery as well  its something different for the city, he told British Baker.

Items on the bakery menu include date maamoul, a date with dough around it, baklava made of layers of filo pastry topped with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey, as well as Lebanese fatayer  a small dough filled with different ingredients that is then closed and baked.

Manouche, likened to a smaller thinner pizza, will also be served topped with items such as halloumi, feta, minced lamb and spinach. Brunch favourite shakshuka is also available.

Edan said the stone-baked oven played an important role in the creation of the goods.
Continuing its expansion across the UK, Warrens Bakery is opening for business in Bognor Regis.

Opening its doors this week, the latest shop is the first of many new stores anticipated in the south coast area, according to CEO Mark Sullivan.

We have been inundated with requests to open in West Sussex and the Home Counties, so its great to arrive at last, he continued.

Warrens Bakery plans to launch 750 new sites over the next five years, having grown rapidly since opening its first franchised store last year.

It will be running the site in joint partnership with local businessman Lee Johnston, who said he was drawn to the venture by the rise in popularity of craft baking, as well as the fresh local ingredients and traditional craft skills associated with the brand.

The local mayor, Phil Woodall, will be attending the grand opening of the bakery.

This is what regeneration is all about, he said, a sign we are moving in the right direction.

Located in the Arcade on the High Street - which is currently receiving a 600,000 facelift  the site will create six new jobs.

The store opening will coincide with the launch of the firms Around the World in 80 Days range, which includes bakes and sandwiches sporting a global theme, such as a Croque Monsieur pasty.
Now that it is fully apparent, to all who have the ability to pay some modicum of attention, that Imposter President Biden has extreme cognitive issues, in addition to being an inveterate liar: Can OUR Republic continue with this Executive Office that has completely failed, so many times, on far too many issues here at this early date in this abysmal presidency?

No, Joseph R. Biden is completely unqualified, morally and cognitively, to represent real Americans, and lead this Republic of disparate peoples.

Yes, Joseph R. Biden has started whispering again, even softer now than before; so, I know he still cares, plus, OUR media will soon stop reporting on Afghanistan in favor of OUR Socialist ideals.
The percentage of black students in NC public schools has dropped from 31.4 percent in 2003-04 to 25.3 percent in 2017-18

White students now make up 48.4 percent of public school student population, down from 58.5 percent in 2003-04

Asian and Hispanic student populations have been growing during that time, rising to 3.3 percent and 17.4 percent respectively

Lower birth rates among all races and the influx of Hispanic immigrants help to explain the lower numbers and some of the trend lines

For example, in 2017-18, 26 percent of all administrators are black-including 25 percent of all principals and 32 percent of assistant principals.

Of those school positions classified as professional such as guidance counselors, psychologists, librarians and consultants, 21 percent are black.

Likewise, 36 percent of clerical, service and technician positions are held by blacks.

Blacks comprise 25 percent of overall school population and comprise 23 percent of all school employees.[i]

The education web site EdNC.org , recently ran an article by Adam Rhew that sounded the alarm about the lack of diversity among teachers in North Carolina's public schools.Rhew believes this is problematic, because there arefor students, and that there is an "advantage" to students who "The author cited a number of statistics, acknowledged that teacher diversity is a difficult topic to resolve and stated theStill, Rhew didn't tell the whole story.Rhew pointed to 2016-17 statistics showing that blacks comprise almost 25 percent of enrollment in North Carolina public schools, but only 14 percent of the teaching population. He also noted that Hispanic or Latinx - the new descriptor for Hispanics - students now comprise 17 percent of public school students, but just 4.9 percent of the state's teachers.These figures lack context, however. For example:Moreover, Rhew ignores that the percentage of blacks in other school personnel categories is very near or exceeds the percentage of blacks in the overall population.Despite the gains, the differences still make us wonder why there are so few black teachers in the classroom. Over the past several decades numerous efforts have attempted to address this. While there has been some success in recruiting blacks and other minorities to prepare for jobs in the classroom, overall numbers are not close to where people had hoped they would be.Several factors might help to explain the status quo. For starters, high school graduation rates for blacks and Hispanic students are low, which impacts the pool of potential educatorFurthermore, blacks and other minorities are leaving teaching positions at a higher rate than whites.[1]With regard to the disparity between the growing Hispanic student population and the lack of Hispanic teachers, much of that can be explained by the rapid influx of Hispanic immigrants over the past decade. The speed with which the population grew coupled with apprehension over language and cultural assimilation also worked against the development of a natural pipeline of Hispanic teachers. [ii] According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 2002, 18 percent of students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools were Hispanic. By 2012, that percentage had grown to 24 percent. In 2000, the percentage of Hispanic students enrolled in education majors was only 8 percent. By 2012 the number had increased to 11 percent.[iii] While there have been numerical improvements from year to year, the overall actual percentage size of Hispanics enrolled in education majors is significantly lower than the percentage of Hispanics in the overall K-12 student population.We can argue numbers for a very long time. When we do however, we obscure the key question: how do we improve minority student achievement? Rhew points to research and believes that is best achieved by adding diversity to the teaching force. I disagree.I acknowledge that black students may derive benefit from having a teacher of the same race, just as other minority groups may. Rhew notes the research. However, he seems to sidestep some of the general objections. These include: the fact that benefits to minorities who have same-race teachers seem to wane over time, are greatest for those from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds and have yet to be definitively tied to quality of life and after school employment. Many important questions emerge from this discussion: How do we know gains weren't simply a result of the quality of the teacher and had nothing to do with race? For example, could the larger gains among disadvantaged blacks merely reflect the poor quality of the white teachers in many schools? Why have other minorities (such as Asians) appeared less interested in obtaining teachers of the same race and have populations that have on average still performed well academically?Indeed, truth be told, telling black or other minority children they need a teacher of the same race to succeed is demeaning. To say the best way to help minority students is to hire more minority teachers is misguided. It insults minorities and addresses none of the problems that contribute to the low number of minority teachers.Understand my saying this does not denigrate the work of organizations like Profound Gentlemen (a non-profit referenced in the article that helps mentor minority teachers), whom I applaud for seeing a need and helping to meet it. My objection is in believing that such organizations offer the best solution for boosting minority student achievement statewide.Increasing the diversity of the teaching force may be a popular view, but in my view, it is not enough. If you want to improve minority student achievement, add effective quality teachers in every classroom.[iv] Providing high quality teachers in all classrooms is an effort backed by research and results.If parents were asked if you'd rather have a quality teacher in your son or daughter's classroom or a teacher of the same race, I believe most parents would choose a quality teacher. This is not to imply the choice is mutually exclusive. The reality is, however, if you're emphasizing diversity you're not emphasizing teacher quality. Rhew identifies race as a key variable for boosting student achievement. This is not to say race is unimportant. But we must come back to the question: what is the best way to boost minority student achievement?If teachers can engage students and communicate culturally, but don't know the subject matter, being of the same race and having a college degree is not enough.To boost minority student achievement, you must understand the variables that contribute to the problem. Minority student achievement is, in part, rooted in failing schools. Failing schools are often tied to lower salaries, less experienced teachers, often with emergency credentials or no regular certification. Considerable data shows that many of the failing schools are staffed by young teachers, usually with three years' experience or less. Young teachers usually do less satisfactory jobs, and are often quick to leave challenging circumstances. When young teachers leave, they are usually replaced by other young teachers. And the cycle continues.Hiring more black and minority teachers will, according to Rhew, help correct serious shortages. We can, however, go overboard on all the bean counting. The "right" percentages guarantee nothing.Briefly, a number of steps can aid this effort.First, we must improve the quality of existing teacher education programs. For too long, teaching has not attracted the top students and schools have suffered for it. How you do that might be the subject of another paper. However, better pay structures that reward performance and an opportunity to advance financially while still teaching helps, as would more autonomy in the classroom.Improving the quality of teachers also means doing more to make average teachers better. This may take the form of mentoring or professional development. It also involves the ability to promptly remove nominal teachers with better quality teachers.Second, unlike other professions, most teacher pay is not tied to productivity, but to years of experience. No one goes out of business if schools continue to pay ineffective and effective teachers the same salary, but policymakers and teachers take note.Our schools need to incentivize excellence and reward good teaching. Tying pay to performance and judged by fair standards of evaluation is a place to start. Excellent teaching should be rewarded financially and bonuses or incentives should be applied for those who teach in high-need areas like troubled urban centers or chronically understaffed subjects like math and science.Lastly, teachers should be encouraged to specialize. The average teacher does about ten different tasks during the day, some instructional, some administrative, some interpersonal. Most teachers are good at a few things and trudge through the others. The practice of having teachers carry responsibilities outside their area of expertise or specialization is at odds with many professional fields. Allowing teachers to specialize in their strengths can be done without much additional expense and can invigorate careers and reduce turnover.How to boost minority student achievement is a chronic question facing the public schools. The causes are many, the most important of which is not all children have access to a quality teacher. While hiring more teachers of the same race can be beneficial for minority students, the best way to improve minority student achievement is to ensure all public schools have quality teachers - be they white, black or brown. The reality is teacher quality varies from school to school. Parental choice empowers parents to mitigate those problems. The lack of choice and the constant focus on race, obscures this need. It's time to clear the fog.
Contact: White House

White House Press Office

Over the past year, I was honored to serve as President Donald J. Trump's National Security Adviser. I am immensely proud of the vital role that the National Security Council (NSC) played in restoring America's strategic confidence. We helped the President set forth a strategic direction for the United States to protect the American people, promote American prosperity, preserve peace through strength, and advance American influence.Examples include a new approach to North Korea, through maximum pressure on Pyongyang and close coordination with our allies and partners, including China. Our realistic approach toward China recognizes that we must compete to counter China's economic aggression as we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The United States and our allies are imposing costs on Russia for its destabilizing actions, while leaving the door open for future cooperation. We are taking a firm stand against Iran's nearly 40-year proxy war against America, as well as its support for terrorist groups and its perpetuation of violence across the Middle East. The United States led the defeat of ISIS's so-called "caliphate," while reinvigorating our Middle Eastern alliances. In South Asia, we are fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, while holding Pakistan accountable. In Europe, our NATO allies are doing more for our common security-showing that they've heeded the President's challenge.These are just a few of the many foreign and security policy accomplishments of President Trump's first, eventful year in office.I will always be especially proud of the dedicated men and women of the NSC staff who have helped make all this possible. Thanks to their hard work, President Trump's NSC has consistently done what it was designed to do: identify challenges and opportunities, develop integrated strategies, and present clear options and complete information to the President.I look forward to many more years of accomplishment from this Administration. I wish the very best to my successor, Ambassador John Bolton. And I thank President Trump for the opportunity to serve our Nation as National Security Advisor.
Contact: White House

White House Press Office

The Donald J. Trump Administration has taken additional actions in recent weeks to combat the opioid crisis on all fronts. On March 23, President Trump signed an omnibus funding bill into law, which provided approximately $4 billion to combat the opioid crisis. The omnibus provided critical funding for law enforcement, addiction treatment and prevention, drug courts, treatment research, safer prescribing initiatives, and more. Last week, the Attorney General announced the results of the first operation led by the new Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) Team. The operation, which took place from March 27 to March 30, resulted in eight arrests and the seizure of weapons, drugs, counterfeit currency, and computer equipment. The J-CODE Team is a new FBI initiative targeting drug trafficking, especially trafficking in fentanyl and other opioids, over the darknet. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a 45-day surge in February and March to investigate medical professionals who were prescribing disproportionately high numbers of opioids. The DEA surge led to 28 arrests and revoked 147 registrations of medical professionals, taking away their ability to dispense controlled substances. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to take sweeping action to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that illicitly introduce fentanyl, heroin, and other dangerous opioids into the United States. So far in 2018, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has provided training to more than 1,200 other Federal, State and local law enforcement officers on the investigation of opioid trafficking over the internet and darknet and the use of crypto-currencies by TCOs. On April 5, 2018, the Surgeon General issued an Advisory on Naloxone and Opioid Overdose, recommending that more people keep the overdose reversing drug on hand. The Surgeon General has recommended that people using opioids, health care practitioners, and others in contact with those who have an opioid use disorder carry naloxone. This month, President Trump's Administration brought the "Prescribed to Death" memorial to President's Park near the White House, helping raise awareness about the opioid crisis. The "Prescribed to Death" memorial was created by the National Safety Council and features a wall with 22,000 simulated pills, each with a face carved into it to represent the very real human toll this crisis has on American communities.The opioid crisis has devastated communities across our Nation, affecting Americans from all walks of life. It is estimated that more than 2 million Americans will suffer from addiction to prescription or illicit opioids in 2018. The overdose epidemic in America is spreading both geographically and demographically according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2016, drug overdose deaths increased across all races and ethnicities and locations, from rural communities to big cities. Tens of thousands of Americans continue to lose their lives to drug overdoses each year, largely due to the growing opioid crisis. 63,632 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016, nearly two-thirds of which involved a prescription or illicit opioid. Drastic increases in deaths from synthetic opioid overdoses have contributed to recent increases in overall overdose deaths. From 2015 to 2016, the overdose death rate from synthetic opioids more than doubled. Death rates for overdoses involving synthetic opioids increased in 21 states, ten of which saw their rates double.President Trump has released an initiative aimed at confronting underlying forces that are fueling the opioid crisis. In March 2018, President Trump released his Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand. The President's Initiative aims to reduce drug demand, cut off illicit drug supplies, and expand access to proven opioid addiction treatments. One of the key pillars of President Trump's Initiative aims to reduce drug demand through education, increased awareness, and preventing over-prescription. The White House has launched a new website, crisisnextdoor.gov, allowing Americans to share their stories about the dangers of opioid addiction. The Initiative will implement a safer prescribing plan to reduce opioid prescriptions by one-third and ensure best practices are more widely used for opioid prescribing. President Trump's Initiative will crack down on the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, including dangerous synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Our land borders and ports of entry will be secured against smuggling. More advance data will be required on international shipments, enabling more rigorous screening and inspections to crack down on shipments of illicit drugs. Expanded Department of Justice (DOJ) efforts will prosecute medical professionals and drug manufacturers and distributors for unlawful practices which feed the opioid epidemic. Scaled up enforcement efforts by DOJ's J-CODE Team and ICE-HSI will shut down illicit opioid sales conducted online. DOJ will seek the death penalty in drug trafficking cases, where appropriate under the law. The Initiative will help those struggling with addiction by expanding access to overdose-reversing drugs, evidence-based treatment, and addiction recovery services. First responders will be properly supplied with naloxone. Evidence-based treatment, including Medication-Assisted Treatment, will be expanded in every State. The President is calling for Congress to change the restrictive law that prevents Medicaid from reimbursing treatment at certain residential facilities with more than 16 beds. Service members, veterans, and their eligible family members will receive on-demand, evidence-based addiction treatment. New programs and reforms will be used to identify and provide treatment options for Federal inmates struggling with opioid addiction.
Life science leader to invest $30 million for new information technology and operations center

Contact: Ford Porter

Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov

RALEIGH: LabCorp (NYSE: LH), the global life sciences company known for its world-class clinical laboratory and drug development services, will locate a new operations center in Durham County, creating 422 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $30 million in a Durham facility on the Parmer RTP campus. In addition to the new positions that will be added over time, the facility will house existing information technology staff, along with personnel from its drug development business, who currently occupy several locations in Durham and Wake counties.said Governor Cooper.LabCorp, headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina, provides comprehensive clinical laboratory and end-to-end drug development services. With a mission to improve health and improve lives, LabCorp delivers world-class diagnostic solutions, brings innovative medicines to patients faster and uses technology to improve the delivery of care. The company employs more than 60,000 people worldwide, including more than 8,900 people in North Carolina.The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. (EDPNC) led the state's support for the company's expansion.said David P. King, LabCorp's CEO and chairman.said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland.LabCorp will add a variety of positions with this expansion, including information technology designers, software developers, operations staff, and senior and middle managers. When all the new positions are filled, the total payroll impact will be $27.7 million annually.LabCorp's expansion in Durham County will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project will grow the state's economy by an estimated $880 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $8,172,750, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant's reimbursement payments to a given company.Because LabCorp chose to expand in Durham County, classified by the state's economic tier system as Tier 3, the company's JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $2.7 million into the state's Industrial Development Fund - Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Durham, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities anywhere in the state. More information on the state's economic tier designations is available here.said Representative MaryAnn Black.said Senator Floyd McKissick, Jr.Partnering with N.C. Commerce and the EDPNC on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Durham Technical Community College, Karlin Real Estate, CBRE, Durham County, and the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce.


Yahoo! JAPAN



Yahoo! JAPAN
Sam Peltzman proposed a model of regulation where the profitability of firms is in tension with their customers' desire for low prices and politicians' desire to get votes.



In Peltzman's model, companies can get politicians off their backs  or get them to institute anti-competitive policies that benefit them  by bribing them with campaign contributions, but the limit on this is that voters will eventually publish politicians for letting companies rip them off.

Politicians look for ways to regulate monopolies that diverts some of their profits to key constituents, keeping the threshold of profit-diversion to a point where the monopolist can still bank large profits.

In the case of Facebook, voters are worried about the costs in privacy, not cash, and the model predicts that Facebook will amp up its Congressional campaign funding and also to create programs that enrich key constituents in key electors' constituencies.



Who will be subsidized? Be sure to watch the key players as there is plenty to go around and the money has only begun to flow but aside from campaign funds look for rules, especially in the political sphere, that will raise the costs of advertising to challengers relative to incumbents. Incumbents love incumbency advantage. Also watch out for a deal where the government limits profit regulation in return for greater government access to Facebook data including by the NSA, ICE, local and even foreign police. Keep in mind that politicians don't really want privacyremember that in 2016 Congress also held hearings on privacy and technology. Only those hearings were about how technology companies kept their user data too private.

The Peltzman Model of Regulation and the Facebook Hearings [Alex Tabarrok/Marginal Revolution]
It's been a year since someone hacked all 156 of Dallas's emergency tornado sirens, setting them off in the middle of the night, and the security picture for cities' emergency PA systems keeps getting uglier.

Since 2015 Balint Seeber  a security researcher at Bastille  has been probing San Francisco's emergency PA system, which plays a test warning ("This is a test. This is a test of the outdoor warning system. This is only a test") every Tuesday at noon. Now, he's announced that he's cracked it.

Seeber used a software-defined radio to monitor possible transmissions to the PA speakers. He struggled to identify the control messages, and had given up, but then, after the Dallas hack, he renewed his interest. Close examination of a photo of one of the speakers revealed its yagi antenna, from which he was able to derive the control frequencies; with this information, he was able to reverse-engineer the protocol used to send messages to the PAs for broadcast.





The protocols contain no authentication or encryption, meaning that anyone can make any or all of the towers broadcast any audio-file at earsplitting, terrifying volume.





Seeber disclosed the vulnerability to ATI Systems, the Boston company that supplies the PA systems in many cities, including San Francisco, Wichita, and an undisclosed third city, all of which were verified to be vulnerable to Seeber's attack.

ATI claims that the research that revealed the defects in their products is illegal, and that discussing these defects is also illegal, but admits that its products are defective, though they downplayed the significance, claiming it would be very hard to replicate Seeber's attack. Seeber's attack used a $35 off-the-shelf radio device and free/open source software.

Seeber says that these defects can't be easily patched, as each speaker needs to be physically updated; however, he says that ATI's speakers in San Francisco are increasingly using encrypted messages to communicate, suggesting that ATI is slowly updating its products.





Seeber believes that ATI's products aren't the only defective offerings in the marketplace and suggests that cities procuring their own emergency PA systems should get assurances from vendors that the system uses cryptography and authentication to verify messages.

Seeber posits that ATI's system security depends on the notion that its radio signals are too obscure for anyone to decode rather than on any actual encryption to protect the signals or authentication that would prevent unauthorized commands from being accepted. But the rise of cheap and accessible software-defined radios that allow any hacker to pick up and or produce radio signals in a broad spectrum of frequencies has made it far easier to eavesdrop and mimic unencrypted communications than in the past. "This looks like it was security through obscurity, and in this day and age that approach is really not valid," Seeber says.

This Radio Hacker Could Hijack Citywide Emergency Sirens to Play Any Sound [Andy Greenberg/Wired]


After Winnipeg's Marion Hotel turned away members of the Manitoba Nomads  a branch of the Hells Angels, classed as a criminal organisation under Manitoba law  the gang's president called on Hells Angels affiliate around the world to leave one-star ratings for the business on Facebook, driving both the hotel and its restaurant off of Facebook, seemingly permanently.

Then the bikers targeted the Marion Hotel on Tripadvisor, which eventually deleted their one-star reviews.

The Marion Hotel isn't the only Manitoba business that the Hells Angels have targeted with online downranking campaigns: the Headingley Sport Shop Ltd was brigaded because the store had agreed to serve as the starting line for a charity motorcycle ride that had banned riders in gang colors.

An Ontario police officer who works for an outlaw motorcycle gang unit said that the activities might constitute criminal harassment, and suggested that the targeted businesses could seek civil remedies from the Hells Angels.



Schneider had never heard of the Hells Angels banding together to attack businesses with bad reviews, but he wasn't entirely surprised that Kelland was able to mobilize support so quickly. "They're a group that has connections worldwide," he said. Neither the Marion Street Eatery nor the Marion Hotel would comment, but this is what they posted on their Facebook page before taking it down: "Due to an unsubstantiated negative attack in the last 24 hours, we will be taking down our Facebook page today for the unforeseeable future. Thank you to all our amazing customers for your likes, reviews and support. Positivity has run our business and will continue to do so. #positivityrules" More than a week later, calls for a boycott of the restaurant were renewed, but this time on TripAdvisor. The travel site told CBC News on Monday that they removed the reviews in question from the Marion Street Eatery's listing.

Manitoba Hells Angels target businesses by posting 1-star reviews [Caroline Barghout/CBC]





(via Naked Capitalism)
Ken "Popehat" White (previously) is a former US federal prosecutor whose explanations of the minutae of law have been invaluable to my understanding of the legal controversies swirling around Trump and his retinue.

White's latest piece, delving into this week's FBI raid on Michael Cohen, the Trump lawyer who tried to secure the silence of adult actress Stormy Daniels regarding her sexual affair with Donald Trump.

The key takeaway from White's explainer is that this is a Big Deal; moreover, it's a Big Deal in precisely the way that many of the other news-blips about the president's legal woes were not. This isn't just something that sounds scary to laypeople but bores legal experts. This is yuuuuuge.

3. A magistrate judge signed off on this. Federal magistrate judges (appointed by local district judges, not by the president) review search warrant applications. A magistrate judge therefore reviewed this application and found probable causethat is, probable cause to believe that the subject premises (Cohen's office) contains specified evidence of a specified federal crime. Now, magistrate judges sometimes are a little too rubber-stampy for my taste (notably, recall the time that a magistrate judge signed off on a truly ludicrous gag order forbidding Reason from revealing that it had been served with a subpoena for information identifying commenters). But here, where the magistrate judge knew that this would become one of the most scrutinized search warrant applications ever, and because the nature of the warrant of an attorney's office is unusual, you can expect that the magistrate judge felt pretty confident that there was enough there. 4. The search warrant application (the lengthy narrative from the FBI agent setting for the evidence) is almost certainly still under seal, and even Michael Cohen doesn't get to see it (yet). But the FBI would have left the warrant itselfand that shows (1) the federal criminal statutes they were investigating, and (2) the list of items they wanted to seize. Much can be learned for those. Assuming Michael Cohen doesn't release it, watch for it to be leaked. Again: This is a big deal. It's early times. Watch for the search warrant itselfthat will show us what crimes they are investigating and what documents they think are probative of that crime. Watch also for what Michael Cohen's lawyers do in the struggle to compel arbitration with Stormy Daniels in a federal court in Los Angelesthe search warrant dramatically complicates whether Cohen can, or should, submit to any questions in that case. Be skeptical of the surge of misinformation and inaccurate legal takes that are certain to drop. But watch. This is historic.

Feds Raid Office of Trump Lawyer Who Paid Off Stormy Daniels. This Is a Big Deal. [Ken White/Reason]

Image: IowaPolitics.com  Trump executive Michael Cohen 014, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
A Connecticut man tried to tell Taylor Swift that You Belong With Me by robbing a bank.

Call It What You Want, but according to the Associated Press, Rhode Island police believe that it was in bank robber Bruce Rowley's Wildest Dreams to propose to Swift, showing his devotion by committing a federal crime.

After robbing a bank, Rowley's End Game was to head over to Swift's place in his Getaway Car and throw his ill-gotten gains over the fence of her Rhode Island home to impress her.

You should know that the total sum of Rowley's score amount it around $1,6o0: a princely bounty that, as any love-starved misogynist will tell you, is guaranteed to attract the affections of any woman, no matter she is or how much of a loon you might be.

Rowley's belief in the fact that Two is Better Than One wasn't long lived, however. After figuring out Rowley's plan, cops from Rhode Island chased him all the way to Connecticut and placed him under arrest. I'm betting that Rowley falsely believed that by crossing the state line, he'd be able to evade the police and wind up Safe and Sound. But the Highway Don't Care. Love Story or not, the cops got their man.

So yeah, if you're thinking of pulling some creepy stalker bullshit, maybe don't.

Image: Eva Rinaldi  Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
One of the factors that makes the Net Neutrality fight so urgent is how little competition there is in the telcoms sector; it  like the whole modern economy is dominated by a few giant, top-heavy firms that are gobbling one another at speed.



What's more, Trump, the Republican Congress and especially FCC Chairman Ajit Pai love monopolies and only object to them when they harm their personal fortunes.

So it's particularly terrible news that the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger is back on, after being scuppered by Sprint's owners, the Japanese investment fund Softbank. Softbank has reportedly come around on how much control they want to maintain post-merger, and so we're now being teed up for a wireless sector with even less competition.



The argument has long been that combining the two companies will create a more effective competitor for AT&T and Verizon. But that's generally not how competition, or the telecom sector, works. Reducing the total number of competitors almost always results in less incentive to compete. Even with T-Mobile's disruptive habits, the wireless sector already doesn't really try too hard to seriously compete on price. And part of the reason Sprint and T-Mobile have struggled is AT&T and Verizon's monopoly dominance of fiber-based cellular backhaul, something that won't change just because of M&A mania. As they hunt for possible regulatory approval, Sprint and T-Mobile have previously tried to play on Donald Trump's facts-optional job creation claims, insisting the deal will somehow, magically, be a boon for employment. But analysts that rely on actual facts and hard data (remember them?) have argued the deal will be mammoth job killer:

The Competition-Killing Sprint, T-Mobile Merger Nobody Asked For Is Back On The Menu [Karl Bode/Techdirt]
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Spain is exploring investment opportunities in Zimbabwe's energy sector as relations between the two countries grow stronger.Zimbabwe-Spain relations are being reinforced following the coming into power of a new dispensation and a subsequent visit by a special envoy sent by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to Madrid in March.Speaking after paying a courtesy call on Energy and Power Development Minister Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo, Spanish ambassador to Zimbabwe Alicia Moral said she has been meeting with various cabinet ministers in a bid to deepen economic collaboration between the two countries in different areas."The economic aspect of this relationship is very important and this is why the Economic and Commercial Councillor who is based in Johannesburg came this week to meet with ministers of different companies to explore economic opportunities."This is the main purpose of this meeting, to see available opportunities for Spanish companies in the energy sector. I want to say the energy sector is very important for us because there is a number of big Spanish companies who have a lot of expertise in energy and more specifically renewable energy," said Ambassador Moral.Minister Khaya Moyo had an opportunity to brief Ambassador Moral on the prospects for energy investment projects in Zimbabwe in the near future.Several European countries have warmed up to the prospect of up-scaling investment in the country following a charm offensive by government.
Opinion / Columnist

There are many Zimbabweans out there who have heard a lot said by Zanu PF members and apologist about the economic sanctions imposed by the West and the economic hardships they have caused to the ordinary Zimbabwean. Two USA Senators on Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on African Affairs, who have just amended the sanctions America imposed on Zimbabwe, have been in Zimbabwe to explain what Zimbabwe must do for the sanctions to be lifted.It beggars belief why Zanu PF and its apologist have been up in arms demanding the sanctions to be lifted immediately when the conditions being demanded are what every thinking Zimbabwean out there has been calling for decades! Here are some of the USA demands (and comments many Zimbabweans have been saying all along):- BVR roll - public release, without cost, in both paper and digital formats of a roll endorsed by all registered political parties1) BVR exercise was started very, very late; it should have been started in January 2015 at the latest, it finally kicked 14 September 2017. There was no way anyone, even with all the best will in the world, would have given everyone the chance to register in the five months the exercise lasted. In the end ZEC registered 5.3 million out of the 7 million.2) ZIDERA call on government to allow Zimbabweans in the diaspora to register and to vote from wherever they are outside Zimbabwe. The regime has not even lifted a finger to make that possible. It is estimated that there are 2 to 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora.3) ZEC has not produced the BVR roll for verification and time is running out - again because the BVR registration was very, very late.4) 2013 elections were held with no verified voters' roll resulting in nearly 1 million registered voters being denied the vote because their details were not in the constituency roll they expected it to be. Zanu PF was able to bus its supporters from one polling station to the next casting multitude votes, etc. All these vote rigging schemes were possible because there was no verified voters' roll. Zanu PF intends to do the same this year. It is almost certain, the next few weeks will confirm, there will be no verified voters' roll.5) President Mnangagwa was, until October 2017 reshuffle, the minister of Justice, ZEC reported to him, and therefore was aware of the very late BVR exercise and its downstream consequences.- Defence forces - must not campaign for any candidate nor intimidate voters, must be non-partisan, and must verifiably and credibly respect human rights and freedoms of all1) Zanu PF has already deployed war veterans whose leader is Chris Mutsvangwa, who is also the President's special advisor, backed by ex-security personal like retired Major General Engelbert Rugeje, who is Zanu PF's nation political commissar to start campaign for the party. These people have played a major role in the intimidation, beating, rape and murder of civilians in past elections but especially in the 2008 and 2013 elections. Rugeje is on record telling villagers the same violence will return if they do not vote for Zanu PF in the coming elections.2) There have been reports of 2 000 to 5 000 soldiers have been deployed to coordinate Zanu PF election campaign. The very close ties between Zanu PF and the security sector is well documented which is why the Police, for example, has turned a blind eye to Zanu PF inspired violence and lawlessness.3) President Mnangagwa's proposal for all political party meeting to agree on a conduct of conduct to ensure free and fair elections is an insult to all thinking Zimbabweans. The code of conduct would be unnecessary if the Police, ZEC, etc. were free to carry out their statutory duties! With no meaningful democratic reforms in place, the Police, ZEC, etc. will remain in Zanu PF's pocket.- State media - free and full access for candidates, equal time and coverage to all registered parties, in an impartial manner1) It is deeply regrettable that Zimbabwe has never ever had a free media and freedom of expression. Many people are not following what is happening in the country politically and economically not because it is too complicated or they are too lazy to follow but because they have never been allowed to hear alternative point of views to the Zanu PF propaganda.2) Elections about making an informed decision, the only opinion the majority of the rural people know on many big issues such as sanctions, corruption, democratic reforms, free elections, etc. is what Zanu PF want them to know.- International observers - must be permitted to monitor the entire electoral process, and enabled to access and analyse tallying, tabulation and transmission and content of voting results.1) If the international observers were to make their judgement on the electoral process so far then they will have to come to the same conclusion SADC leaders came to before the 2013 elections - that it is impossible to hold free and fair elections without first implement. "If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done," the warned the MDC opposition. The truth is this year's elections are also "done"!2) The observers must declare these flawed and rigged elections null and void and give the people of Zimbabwe a chance to finally implement the reforms so they can have their first ever free, fair and credible elections.With unemployment soaring to dizzying height of 90%;  of our people living on UD$1.00 or less a day; millions of our people scattered all over the world, like fallen leaves in the wind, as economic and/or political refugees; etc.; there is no arguing, Zimbabwe is in a serious mess.We can come up with a long list of why we are in this mess but these will all boil down to one - we have been stuck these last 38 years with an incompetent, corrupt and murderous Zanu PF dictatorship. For the last 20 years, at least, we have made a concerted effort to remove this Zanu Pf regime but have failed again and again because the regime rigged the elections and frustrated our democratic will!Since the late 1990s the people of Zimbabwe have been united in our call for democratic change. Morgan Tsvangirai and his political friends taped into this public sentiment and named their new political party accordingly. The people risked life and limb to elect them into office on the ticket they would bring about the democratic changes necessary to stop Zanu PF rigging elections and frustrating the people's democratic will.It is very sad that MDC have had many the golden opportunities, the best during the GNU, to implement the democratic reforms but wasted them all.There is no arguing Zimbabwe is in a serious mess because we are stuck with a corrupt and incompetent regime. If we want a competent and democratically accountable government then we must implement the democratic changes we called for back in the 1990s. The democratic reforms being demanding by the Americans are restating the changes we have been calling for the last 20 years.If President Mnangagwa fails to hold free and fair elections this year, then the election must be declared null and void and a separate administration appointed to implement the reforms.The above conditions demanded by the Americans are clearly meant to force President Mnangagwa and his junta regime to implement the democratic reforms and hold free and fair elections. No thinking Zimbabwean out there would want the sanctions lifted if the regime fails to hold free, fair and credible elections. We are in this mess because for 38 years we have been stuck with this corrupt regime, so why would anyone want the sanctions lifted to encourage the regime to rig yet another election!
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the province will buy the Trans Mountain pipeline project outright, if that's what it takes to get it built.

On Tuesday morning, Notley said the federal government should be willing to put money into the project as well.

Then, in a statement issued later in the day, the premier said buying the pipeline is one of many options being considered to get construction ramped up on the project, which would triple the amount of oil going from Alberta to the B.C. coast.

Notley said over the weekend the province was looking at taking an equity stake in the line, but didn't talk about buying it completely.

Kinder Morgan deadline

The pipeline builder, Kinder Morgan, announced it was scaling back on the federally approved $7.4-billion project because of opposition and delays from the B.C. government.

Kinder Morgan has given the federal government until May 31 to offer concrete assurance the line will get built, and Notley has repeatedly called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take action.

"We are considering a number of financial options to ensure that the Trans Mountain expansion is built, up to and including purchasing the pipeline outright if were to come to that," Notley said Tuesday in the statement. "But it is not the only model we're considering."

Faced with stubborn opposition in B.C. and an ultimatum from Kinder Morgan, Notley initially suggested on Sunday the Alberta government might invest in the pipeline.

In an interview Tuesday with CBC Radio's Edmonton AM, the premier said the federal government should be willing to do the same.

"They put a lot of money on the table for Bombardier, they put a lot of money on the table for GM when the auto industry went into crisis," Notley said

"They've stepped up for other industries in other parts of the country and the workers that rely on those industries to support their families. And our view is that they're going to have to do it here soon."

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Notley pitched the idea of backing the pipeline expansion after Kinder Morgan announced it is suspending all non-essential spending on the project in an effort to reduce the risk to its shareholders.

The premier said on Tuesday officials from her government are working with the Houston-based company, but declined to provide details, saying she did not want to "negotiate through the media."

Kinder Morgan Canada's CEO Steve Kean, speaking to analysts on Monday, said he was open to the idea but added that the company still needs clarity on building through B.C.

'Now is the time'

Federal cabinet ministers gathered Tuesday at an emergency meeting to find a way to convince Kinder Morgan to go forward with the project.

Government officials did not give any specific solutions to the pipeline standoff following the meeting.

The project was approved by the Trudeau government 17 months ago.

The federal government can force the B.C. government to "back off" either through the courts, legislative changes or by "backstopping the financial risk" to Kinder Morgan investors, Notley told the CBC.

"We're getting to a really critical point," she said. "I don't know why they didn't move faster, but I do know that they have the ability to do it now and fix this problem, and they need to.

"Ultimately [the pipeline] has a much bigger national implication in terms of how we function as a country. It's time the federal government come in and act like the federal government."
Esther the Wonder Pig is helping raise money for a new CT scanner for the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, which would be the first of its kind in Canada.

It comes months after the 295-kilogram (650-pound) pig  a social media phenomenon and the subject of a children's book  needed a CT scan herself.

Last October, Esther started experiencing health complications that caused her to have seizures and hyperventilate, but a CT scan for her was not available in Canada.

Going to the United States for one would involve a three-week quarantine period for the pig. (Esther started recovering on her own and didn't head south after all.)

Esther lives with owners Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter in Campbelllville, Ont., who also own the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary. They were surprised to learn there was no scanner in Canada capable of handling her.

Now, they're helping the vet school buy a Pegaso CT scanner, which will be able to scan large animals, including standing horses, without needing anesthesia.

They want to raise $650,000 for the scanner by July 1. They have raised more than $73,000 so far, according to a Facebook post.

Esther in good health

Jeffrey Wichtel, dean of the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, said the new scanner will help fill a gap in animal care in Canada.

"As a health-care centre whose goal is to help animals of all shapes and sizes, we're grateful Steve and Derek want to help change that  for Esther and for all large animals," Wichtel said in a statement.

Jenkins said they wanted to make a difference for other owners of companion animals.

"As soon as we realized there was nothing there for Esther, we started working to get a large-scale scanner in place. It was an incredible opportunity to do something good, to do something much bigger than anything we've done so far," he said.

Jenkins added Esther is feeling better after the health scare and the pig has more energy now that spring has arrived.

Esther will be the first animal scanned by the Pegaso once it is installed.
The misery surrounding the Kathyrn Spirit, a cargo ship that has been abandoned off Montreal's South Shore since 2011, deepened today after a part of the derelict vessel caught fire.

"It will be a bad story [from] the beginning until the end," said Beauharnois Mayor Bruno Tremblay.

Firefighters from six municipalities were called to the scene to extinguish the fire, which was fuelled by the remnants of petroleum products on the ship.

The fire sent dark, thick smoke billowing into the air that could be seen from a significant distance.

No immediate danger was reported but the air quality is being assessed by representatives from Quebec's environment ministry.

One step back

The ship was in the process of being slowly dismantled. Efforts to remove it started in December after years of desperate pleas from the local municipality and environmental advocates concerned that the ship's deteriorating condition could contaminate Lac Saint-Louis.

"With the dismantlement, we were thinking everything was going in the right direction," Tremblay said.

"This morning with the fire, we're starting again with the bad news."

The fire on the ship started Tuesday at around 11 a.m. after a spark from workers welding in the machine room spread.

The Kathryn Spirit was brought to Beauharnois in 2011 by a private firm hoping to dismantle the bulk carrier in the St. Lawrence River and sell it for scrap.

That project didn't materialize and it was sold to Mexican interests who've since declared bankruptcy and abandoned it about 60 kilometres southwest of Montreal.

The federal government says pollutants were removed from the ship in 2013.

The dismantling was expected to be completed in two years.
One of the worlds leading experts on humanitarian work with street children and children affected by war has been arrested on pedophilia charges.

Canadian humanitarian worker Peter Dalglish, who helped found the charity Street Kids International, was taken in by police in Nepal on Sunday (April 8), Xinhua news agency reported.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police said they wanted to question Dalglish over claims he was involved in pedophile activities in Kavre district, around 50 kilometers north of the capital, Kathmandu.

Trending: 'The Simpsons' Response to Racism Accusations Over Apu Falls Flat With Most Viewers

Peter_Dalglish

Peter Dalglish

An initial investigation claims the 60-year-old had offered children foreign trips and better education before sexually abusing them.

My Republica reported that two children, aged 12 and 14, had allegedly been abused by Dalglish and rescued by authorities.

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CIB chief and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Pushkar Karki, said that an organization outside the country had tipped off the police about Dalglish.

Under the guise of community worker, claiming to educate poor kids and provide necessary support, he had been sexually exploiting these children. We have developed a sound network to track down and arrest pedophiles entering Nepal. We had been following Dalglishs activities for the last two weeks after we were tipped about his activities, he said, according to the Kathmandu Post.

Dalglish had been running the Himalayan Community Foundation in the country since 2015. Prior to his stint in Nepal, he had worked for a number of United Nations agencies and was the U.N.-Habitat country representative for Afghanistan.

Story continues

He was also part of the U.N. Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in Liberia until January 2016 and has been advisor to the World Health Organization to help tackle the spread of the disease.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
What started as a trip down south for a family wedding has turned into a nightmare for a Glace Bay, N.S., family.

Brad Maxner, his wife, Lindsey, and their two daughters had just arrived at a resort in Varadero, Cuba, on Thursday, when Brad slipped in the bathroom of their hotel room.

"He hit his head on the concrete floor," Maxner's cousin Andrea Martin said from Glace Bay Monday.

The accident fractured Maxner's skull from his brow bone to the occipital bone in the back of his head, causing a frontal lobe injury.

The 38-year-old, a constable with the Cape Breton Regional Police Service, was taken to hospital in Varadero, then to Havana, where he underwent surgery on Sunday.

"The doctors weren't pleased with his progress," said Martin. "He wasn't improving and they felt that the brain was suffering. So they had to go in and remove the frontal part of his skull to let the brain expand to heal."

The surgery revealed a bleed on his brain, which had to be repaired, extending the surgery from two hours to six hours.

"Right now they have his head wrapped. And hopefully, with the bleed repaired, the brain can do the proper healing it needs to do to go back to normal," she said.

'A nightmare'

Maxner's father and brother flew to Cuba the morning after the accident, joining Lindsey in Havana. The couple's daughters, Zoey, 12, and Avery, 9, had been staying with Lindsey's mother in Varadero, but were hoping to visit their father Monday, before flying home to Cape Breton Tuesday.

Lindsey, an OR nurse at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, says it's been "a nightmare".

"She knows a little bit too much," said Martin. "So it's been a very stressful, stressful week for her so far.

"She's so thankful that there are so many family members around."

The family has also been receiving support from back home.

"Friends, colleagues ... just everybody who knows them and knows us, they have been just rallying around to make sure everything goes smoothly," said Martin.

Story continues

"We're an amazing little community ... and I'm pretty proud to be a part of Glace Bay and Cape Breton."

It's uncertain when Maxner will be able to return to Canada, or at what cost.

Martin has started a GoFundMe campaign under the name 'Keep Fighting Brad' to help the family with their expenses.
PMV Canada says it will tear down decrepit Saint John building on its own

The chief operating officer for PMV Canada says his company will tear down a dilapidated Saint John apartment house on its own.

Dave Loten said another three or four nearby buildings at Main and Albert streets in the city's old north end will be demolished at the same time.

- Saint John to demolish vacant building owned by PMV Canada

He said an excavator has been hired for the job.

"It's booked for next week," said Loten. "We're going to erect fences, we rented the fences yesterday.

Demolition ordered

"I'm going to tear down an entire strip on Main and Albert starting next week. That whole corner's coming down. Nobody told us to tear those ones down, I'm just doing it."

On Monday Saint John council ordered the demolition of the three-storey wood frame apartment building at 126 Main, saying PMV had not responded to concerns raised over the past year about the condition of the building, which has been deemed unsound and a fire risk.

Vacant since at least 2016, the building is boarded up, but children and teens have found ways to get inside.

Bylaw enforcement officials were authorized Monday to hire a contractor to handle the demolition, which is expected to cost $20,000 to $25,000 and charged to PMV.

The building at 126 Main is one of 47 Saint John rental properties purchased as a group by PMV in 2016 after the former owner, Phillip Huggard Properties Ltd., was placed in bankruptcy.

Assessed at $2,700

At that time, PMV announced it would renovate many of them and demolish some of those in poor condition.

The building at 126 Main, assessed at just $2,700, was one of those expected to be removed.

At the city's urging, PMV purchased a demolition permit in January but failed to remove the structure in time to head off the council order.

But Loten told CBC News on Tuesday that it is expensive to demolish a building in January because the gravel and fill needed to remediate the site is hard to find.

Story continues

Loading up dumpsters

Loten said the company has worked steadily indoors through the winter fixing up many of its other Saint John buildings.

He pointed to extensive work PMV has done to apartment houses on Peter Street in the Waterloo Village area.

Loten said his workers removed 40 40-yard dumpster loads of trash in and around the buildings.

"That's clothing, garbage, food waste, dead animals, needles, drug paraphernalia," said Loten. "That's not construction material, we had a bunch of loads of construction material too."
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - France is entitled to bring criminal proceedings against local managers of ride-hailing app Uber [UBER.UL] for running an illegal taxi service, the EU top court ruled on Tuesday, dealing the Silicon Valley start-up another legal setback. Uber's loss follows an earlier one last year where the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) classified the company as a transport service rather than a digital one, which stripped it of protections against undue national regulation that digital services enjoy under EU law. The latest case concerned Uber's use of unlicensed drivers as part of its UberPOP service in France, which has since been suspended there and in several other cities. Uber still uses its service with professional licensed drivers in France, which is not affected by the ruling. "Member states may prohibit and punish, as a matter of criminal law, the illegal exercise of transport activities in the context of the UberPOP service, without notifying the Commission in advance of the draft legislation," the ECJ said in a statement. Uber had argued that France should have sought the European Commission's approval for a new taxi law, which contained measures on taxis and mobility apps, including one that said only official taxis could use geolocation technology to show available cars. As France did not seek the Commission's approval Uber argued that criminal charges brought against two of the company's French managers were not valid. "This case is about whether a French law from 2014 should have been pre-notified to the European Commission and related to peer-to-peer services which we stopped in 2015," a spokeswoman for Uber said. "As our new CEO has said, it is appropriate to regulate services such as Uber and so we will continue the dialogue with cities across Europe." Uber, which allows users to summon a ride through an app on their smartphones, has roiled the traditional taxi industry since it launched in Europe in 2011, triggering protests and clashes with local authorities. It recently adopted a more conciliatory approach, voluntarily suspending its services in some cities to comply with local legislation. It has also been forced to quit countries such as Denmark and Hungary. Under EU law, national legislation affecting digital services needs to be pre-notified to Brussels to ensure it is not distorting the single market. The ECJ said that since Uber was offering a transport service under EU law the obligation to notify the Commission in advance did not apply. Last year, London deemed Uber unfit to run a taxi service and stripped it of its license to operate. Uber is appealing against the decision. The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) - which represents major technology companies, including Uber - said the importance of the case went beyond the ride-hailing app. "It is about the Commissions effective oversight powers, and we regret to see those being curtailed after todays judgment," said Jakob Kucharczyk, Vice President, Competition & EU Regulatory Policy at CCIA. "Unfortunately, the Court has given member states more room to thwart the Digital Single Market through restrictive, disproportionate and unjustified measures at national level. (Reporting by Michele Sinner, writing by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Alastair Macdonald, Susan Fenton and Jane Merriman)
Itai Reuveni is Director of the Israel desk with NGO Monitor

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.

.

....10 April '18..When reports surfaced in the international media of a serious security incident involving an employee of a foreign consulate stationed in Israel, my first guess was that there was a good chance that the French consulate in Jerusalem was involved.Apart from its role as the official diplomatic representative of France in Jerusalem and the various services it provides the citys residents, consulate employees themselves have recorded a very problematic history over the years with regards to their attitude towards the country that hosts them. This is not the first time they have taken an active part in the struggle against the State of Israel.The details of the incident were clarified in an official statement by the Israel Security Agency (ISA)  Roman Frank, a driver with the French consulate in Jerusalem, who holds a diplomatic passport and is therefore entitled to immunity and ease of checking at border crossings, was arrested after a weapons smuggler from Gaza was apprehended in Judea and Samaria.Frank took advantage of the diplomatic license plates in the vehicle he used to easily pass through checkpoints and roadblocks, smuggling in dozens of weapons in return for payment. Several collaborators from Israel and the Palestinian Authority were arrested along with him.He received the weapons in Gaza, from a civilian employed at a French-funded cultural center, defined as a kind of official cultural attache of France in Gaza. In one case, Frank received $700 in exchange for six guns. In another case, when 17 guns and rifles were transferred, the consular worker received a sum of NIS 10,500 for the smuggling.This serious incident, where an official representative of a foreign government assists terrorist activity, joins a long list of cases in which French consulate employees were involved in problematic activities.
Online Learning

Udacity Dives Deep with AI School

MOOC provider turned for-profit educational provider Udacity has launched a new "School of Artificial Intelligence," which features four "nanodegrees" covering AI and machine learning. Each program has tuition and a set period in which to participate and complete the lessons. The courses consist of video lectures, personalized project reviews and a dedicated mentor. Those who successfully finish the program receive certification. The announcement came during the company's latest annual conference, Intersect 2018, which took place in its hometown, Mountain View, CA.

The current nanodegrees cover:

AI Programming with Python, a two-month, $399 course that requires a commitment of about 80 hours. Intended for beginners, the program covers the fundamental building blocks for becoming an AI practitioner, including an introduction to Python programming and related tools, linear algebra and neural networks. For the course project students will implement an "image classification system" to train a deep learning model on a dataset of images, and then apply the model to new images for classification.

Computer Vision, a three-month, $599-$799 course requiring 10 to 15 hours per week over the term and developed in collaboration with graphics company Nvidia and Affectiva, an emotion recognition AI company. Intended for people who have "significant" experience with Python and some understanding of probability and statistics as well as deep learning architectures, the course provides an introduction to the topic of computer vision techniques and object tracking and localization. Participants will tackle three projects involving facial keypoint recognition, automatic image captioning and landmark detection and tracking.

Natural Language Processing, a three-month, $599-$799 self-paced program requiring 10 hours of work each week and developed in collaboration with the Amazon Alexa and IBM Watson teams. Like the Computer Vision course, this one also requires a background in Python programming and experience with probability and statistics and deep learning design. The course will cover natural language processing and computing and communicating with natural language. Students will tackle three projects, one on speech tagging, another on machine translation and a third on speech-to-text.

Artificial Intelligence, a three-month, $599-$799 self-paced program requiring 12 to 15 hours of work each week and led by Sebastian Thrun, founder and head of Udacity; Peter Norvig, a director of research at Google; and Thad Starner, a professor of computer science at Georgia Tech. The most advanced of the classes, it requires experience in Python, an understanding of linear algebra and calculus, as well as probability and statistics and practice in running computer science algorithms and working with a command line. Coverage includes search, optimization and planning; adversarial search; and the fundamentals of probabilistic graphical models; students will also be assigned projects in each subject.

As a blog post about the new AI school noted, "The likelihood that within five years you will be applying some form of AI, machine learning or algorithm-based technology in your job  no matter what your job may be  is increasing every day. No matter your profession  business leader, accountant, farmer, programmer or virtually any other role  AI is on your career horizon."

The courses come at a time when many institutions are bolstering their information management and computer science programs to provide an emphasis on AI. Udacity claimed that it has already graduated 8,000 AI nanodegree students  representing some "3 percent of the world's estimated 300,000 AI engineers."

All of the new programs start in April.
TUESDAY, April 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Tiny e-cigarette devices that look like USB drives are making it tough for parents and educators to keep their kids from vaping.

And these devices are producing a new generation of nicotine-addicted Americans, experts say.

"The way these products are able to be used without any sort of detection from adults is very much consistent with something that would appeal to a kid," said Erika Sward, the American Lung Association's assistant vice president of national advocacy.

The most well-known of these devices is the Juul, an e-cigarette that closely resembles a USB drive. In fact, it charges by being inserted into a computer's USB port, furthering the illusion, Sward noted.

The device produces vapor in a variety of fruit and mint flavors, and is so well-known that students have turned Juul into a verb, Sward added.

"They may not even call it vaping. They will refer to it as Juuling," Sward said. "As a result, some of the information being used for youth education about e-cigarette use isn't specific enough to deal with Juul."

The Juul is so popular that many kids don't even realize that it is an e-cigarette loaded with nicotine, she said.

But Juul Labs, the San Francisco company that makes the device, contends that it is only intended for adults who want to quit smoking.

"We do not want kids using our products," Ashley Gould, Juul's chief administrative officer, told The New York Times. "Our product is not only not for kids, it's not for non-nicotine users."

But Sean Christiansen, a Maryland high school student, told his state's senate in February that his age group is being targeted by e-cigarette makers.

"If you were to go to social media, there are constantly videos and pictures of high schoolers doing 'vape tricks,' " Christiansen, 14, testified. "These are designed to increase the number of high schoolers who wish to use nicotine/tobacco products, and many kids who had no interest in drugs prior to high school have become smokers."

The legal age for buying tobacco in Maryland is 18. Christensen testified that many 18-year-olds buy e-cigarettes and then resell them to younger students.

"I know there are freshmen who bought Juuls from seniors, will go to our local middle school and sell vapes to the middle schoolers," Christensen said.

This has led to a wave of surreptitious e-cigarette use in schools, educators said.

"It's our demon," Nate Carpenter, vice principal of Cape Elizabeth High School in Maine, told the Times. "It's the one risky thing that you can do in your life -- with little consequence, in their mind -- to show that you're a little bit of a rebel."

In 2017, more than 1 in 4 high school seniors said they had vaped during the past year -- and most apparently don't know they're toying with a potentially addictive product, according to the federal government's latest Monitoring the Future survey.

Sward and other tobacco-control experts argue that Juul and similar companies are targeting children with their products.

The variety of flavors "are attractive to kids," Sward said, and devices like the Juul are sold in convenience stores and gas stations, "right where tobacco companies who are targeting kids go.

"It's deeply troubling, but Juul is like every other e-cigarette company in that they've ripped all these tactics straight from Big Tobacco's playbook," Sward said.

Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, argued that "Juul Labs is being unfairly hit with an onslaught of negative media articles that assume ill intentions on behalf of the company.

"While we support vigorous enforcement of youth access laws, we disagree with activists who believe that new restrictions, taxes and bans on adult products have ever solved a problem involving youth rebellion," Conley said.

Still, Sward said the legal age for tobacco products needs to be raised to 21 and the FDA needs to curtail some of the marketing tactics that appeal directly to children.

Parents also need to learn about these camouflaged e-cigarette devices, Sward said.

Unfortunately, there's a learning curve in this for parents, said Michael McAlister, the principal at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, Calif.

"If I had a pack of cigarettes in my room as a kid, that would have been discovered," McAlister told the Times. "Here we're dealing with, first of all, 'what's a Juul?' "

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more about e-cigarettes.
WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors needn't worry when they perform cataract surgery on Ebola survivors with eye problems caused by the highly contagious virus, a new study finds.

Between 13 percent and 34 percent of Ebola survivors develop eye inflammation (uveitis) that causes problems ranging from mild disease to blindness.

It was thought that Ebola could linger in eye fluid even after it had been cleared from the rest of the body, posing a risk to health care workers who come in close contact with survivors.

But in this study, researchers tested 50 Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone and found no evidence of the Ebola virus in their eye fluid. Thirty-four of the survivors later had cataract surgery that led to improved vision.

"These findings are truly exciting, as they improve our ability to impact vision care and quality of life for thousands of Ebola survivors at risk for eye disease," study author Dr. Steven Yeh said in an Emory University news release. He is an associate professor of ophthalmology, uveitis and vitreoretinal surgery at Emory's Eye Center in Atlanta.

The researchers noted that they could not determine if any of the survivors still had Ebola virus in their eye fluid at earlier points in time when they still had eye inflammation.

Thousands of survivors of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 are at risk for vision complications, so it is urgent to meet the needs of their ongoing medical and surgical eye care, the study authors said.

The study was published recently in the journal EBioMedicine.

More information

The World Health Organization has more on Ebola.
WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental peanut-allergy vaccine proved effective in mice, researchers say.

The vaccine protected allergic mice from reactions such as itchy skin and breathing problems when they were exposed to peanuts two weeks after their final vaccine dose, according to the University of Michigan researchers. The vaccine is administered by nose in three monthly doses.

The researchers said their approach activates what they called a new type of immune system response that heads off an allergic reaction.

"We're changing the way the immune cells respond upon exposure to allergens," lead author Jessica O'Konek said in a university news release. "Importantly, we can do this after allergy is established, which provides for potential therapy of allergies in humans."

She said that "by re-directing the immune responses, our vaccine not only suppresses the response but prevents the activation of cells that would initiate allergic reactions."

O'Konek is a research investigator at the university's food allergy center.

Ongoing studies aim to learn how long the vaccine might protect against peanut allergies, but the researchers are optimistic that the approach will lead to long-lasting allergy suppression.

The investigators plan further studies in mice in order to learn more about how food allergies are suppressed.

However, the results of animal studies often don't produce similar results in humans.

"Right now, the only [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]-approved way to address food allergy is to avoid the food or suppress allergic reactions after they have already started," O'Konek said. "Our goal is to use immunotherapy to change the immune system's response by developing a therapeutic vaccine for food allergies."

Senior study author Dr. James Baker Jr. said food allergies are fertile ground for study.

"Food allergy has exploded in prevalence and incidence, but we still know so little about it because there hasn't been that much research in the field," he said in the news release.

Baker is director of the university's food allergy center and is CEO of Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), which provided funding for the study.

"This research is also teaching us more about how food allergies develop, and the science behind what needs to change in the immune system to treat them," he added.

The study was published April 11 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more on peanut allergy.
WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- There could be a link between the severity of a woman's menopausal symptoms and her risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.

While the research couldn't prove cause-and-effect, it's "yet another important study which highlights gender-specific risk factors for heart disease," said Dr. Rachel Bond. She directs women's heart health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Bond wasn't involved in the new research, but she said it should "encourage physicians to take a more thorough history of [menopausal] symptoms," to help prevent heart issues.

The study was led by Kerrie Moreau of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in Aurora. Her team tracked outcomes for 138 menopausal women in order to compare mood, menopause symptoms and quality of life with key markers of "vascular aging" -- the condition of aging blood vessels.

In all stages of menopause, artery stiffening and dysfunction of blood vessels were each associated with more frequent and severe menopause symptoms among women, as well as a lower quality of life.

While prior studies found a strong link between "hot flashes" and increased risk of heart disease and death, this study found that the frequency, but not the severity, of hot flashes was specifically associated with greater arterial stiffening and blood vessel dysfunction.

Dr. Jill Rabin helps direct Women's Health Programs at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y. Reading over the findings, she said that they weren't surprising, given the role of estrogen in heart health.

The hormone "is a powerful antioxidant and mediator of vascular health through its effect on [another hormone] serotonin, which helps regulate our temperature controls, nerves and cardiovascular system," Rabin explained.

She believes that declines in estrogen during menopause might account for the changes in heart risks. Therefore, "hot flashes may provide an actual mirror of women's vascular risk," Rabin reasoned.

But she stressed that heart disease isn't inevitable for anyone.

"A healthy lifestyle and exploring these issues with your physician can help reduce a woman's personal risk of heart disease," Rabin said.

Hormone replacement therapy is another option, Bond noted, but its links to certain cancers and even stroke mean it should be used judiciously.

"It would be a difficult clinical decision whether or not to treat these symptoms of menopause with hormone replacement therapy, as these come with their own significant side effects and risks," Bond said.

The study was published online April 11 in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about menopause.
WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are older when they enter menopause may have a slight advantage when it comes to keeping key memory skills as they age, British researchers report.

The study was decades long and tracked outcomes for more than 1,300 women. The research showed that a woman entering menopause 10 years later than her peers was able to recall one extra word on a 15-word test for every year as she grew older.

No such link was seen between menopause timing and thought-processing speed. But the verbal recall finding held up whether or not a woman took hormone replacement therapy after menopause.

That said, the authors stressed that the jury is still out on whether that improved word recall translates into a similar dip in dementia risk.

"For women whose periods cease naturally -- not due to surgical or medical intervention -- they usually experience menopause between 45 and 55 years of age," explained study author Diana Kuh. She is a professor of life course epidemiology with the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London.

Among the participants tracked, natural menopause began at an average of 51 years of age.

"We measured thinking skills by the number of words women remembered after being shown a list of 15 words, repeating this test three times," said Kuh. The total maximum score would be 45. "The women took this test four times between ages 43 and 69," she said.

In the end, said Kuh, "my research team found an association between later menopause and better verbal memory across adult life, even after taking account of many other factors that affect adult memory."

The study participants were tracked as early as birth in 1946, and they took memory and thought-processing tests as they hit the ages of 43, 53, 60 to 64, and 69.

On average, word recall did decline with age across the board, regardless of the timing of menopause. For example, while women could recall an average of 25.8 words on the verbal memory test at age 43, that figure dipped to 23.3 words by age 69.

Kuh and her colleagues reported their findings online April 11 in the journal Neurology.

Still, Kuh cautioned that "an observational study is not able to demonstrate cause and effect," so the finding can only be characterized as an "association."

With that in mind, she and her team are already embarking on a search for any evidence suggesting that menopause onset might be linked to dementia risk.

"Some of the women in our sample are having detailed brain scans and cognitive testing to look for early markers of dementia," Kuh noted.

"Continued follow-up will enable the researchers to see if the small benefit in thinking skills associated with later menopause translates into a lower risk of dementia in later years," she said. "However, previous studies have not shown a link between later menopause and lower risk of dementia."

Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer's Association, said suggested findings "are not so surprising."

As for why, he said the study hints that cognitive decline associated with menopause is somehow related to "the length of time a person maintains the hormonal status they have during the reproductive years."

But Fargo concurred with the researchers that it's premature to infer that menopause onset is also a factor in dementia risk.

"We cannot draw that conclusion from this study alone," he stressed, adding that "the link between sex and Alzheimer's is complex, and likely due to multiple factors. Discovering those factors and translating those discoveries into therapy is critical."

More information

There's more on memory and aging at U.S. National Institute on Aging.
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New York, April 11, 2018A Dominican Republic court yesterday sentenced Matias Avelino Castro to 20 years in prison for his role in the 2011 murder of journalist Jose Agustin Silvestre, according to reports. The court convicted Avelino Castro, whom police had identified as the alleged mastermind of the killing, of being an accomplice to murder, according to reports.

We applaud the steps taken by authorities to bring the killers of journalist Jose Agustin Silvestre to justice, said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna. This conviction is a sign that the Dominican Republic takes the murders of journalists seriously.

In addition to the prison sentence and a fine, the court ordered Avelino Castro to surrender two properties and a bank account. Lawyers for Avelino Castro, who was extradited from Colombia last year to stand trial, have not said whether they will appeal the ruling, according to reports. A court in July 2015 sentenced two men to 30 years in prison for carrying out the murder, according to reports.
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New York, April 11, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over a US$1.8 million civil defamation lawsuit against Front Page Africa, a privately owned Liberian newspaper that has long been the subject of complaints and harassment for its critical reporting on successive governments.

The lawsuit relates to an advertisement about land administration published in March by Front Page Africa. Administration of the land at the heart of the notice is in dispute. One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Henry Morgan, was previously affiliated with the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) party of President George Weah. Morgan refused to answer questions about his current party affiliation when asked by CPJ.

Rodney Sieh, Front Page Africas owner and a member of CPJs Africa advisory group, said he believes the lawsuit and a recent wave of harassment on social media are part of a strategy to silence the newspaper.

Liberia has a troubling history of libel lawsuits where applicants ask for exorbitant damages simply to harass and intimidate journalists, resulting in their imprisonment or the closure of news outlets, said Angela Quintal, CPJ Africa program coordinator. The government should move swiftly to reform Liberias libel laws to guard against their abuse in this way.

Court sheriffs on April 9 delivered a summons to the newspapers Monrovia office, briefly detained at least seven journalists, and temporarily shut down the office, Lennart Dodoo, the news editor of Front Page Africa, told CPJ.

Dodoo said that he and six other Front Page Africa staff were held at a Monrovia civil court for three hours in relation to the suit and were released after their lawyer, Pearly Brown Bull, negotiated for a US$350,000 bond to be paid the next day. The staff reopened their offices the same day and the paper has continued to publish, according to Dodoo.

The week before the summons, Jefferson Koijee, a member of Weahs political party and Monrovia mayor, publicly condemned Front Page Africas critical reporting on the government and lambasted Sieh for unprofessional attacks on the presidency, according to media reports.

Furthermore, Sieh told CPJ that a week before the summons was issued, anonymous social media users harassed him and Front Page Africa about the newspapers critical reporting and claimed that the paper was anti-government. One post on Facebook threatened arson and included a picture of Siehs home, he said.

On the same day as the summons, FPA published on its Facebook page: [W]e are strongly convinced that the government is definitely behind what happened.

Liberias Information Ministry in a statement released on the same day as the summons denied any connection between the government and the lawsuit. The ministry emphasized the governments commitment to free press and freedom of expression.

Sieh told CPJ that the paper received a request in late March from the lawyers of the now-plaintiffs, asking it to retract the advertisement. The paper published a clarification with further details on the dispute over the land on which the advertisement was based. The paper did not hear from either party in the dispute until police arrived at the Front Page Africa office on April 9 with the summons, Sieh said.

Edwin Morgan, one of the people who submitted the original advertisement and who was also named as a defendant in the suit, told CPJ that at least two other newspapers, The Daily Observer and The New Democrat, had also run the original advertisement. Sieh told CPJ that, to his knowledge, Front Page Africa was the only newspaper to be sued.

Plaintiff Henry Morgan told CPJ, Whether we are going to go after the other papers [that published the original advertisement] is up to our discretion.

During a visit to Liberia in March, David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, expressed concern over the consequences of large financial penalties in civil libel suits against Liberian journalists and newspapers.

In 2013, Sieh was jailed for 89 days for not paying $1.5 million in damages in a civil libel conviction related to his reporting, according to CPJ research.
The eleventh edition of World Hindi Conference (  ) will be hosted by Mauritius in its capital city Port Lois in August 18-20, 2018. The conference provides common platform to several Hindi scholars, writers and laureates from different parts of the world to contribute the language. It will be organised by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with Government of Mauritius. The theme of the Conference is Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti. The venue of Conference is Swami Vivekanand International Convention Centre, Pailles Mauritius.

World Hindi Conference

The First World Hindi Conference was held from 10 to 12 January 1975 in Nagpur and was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Since then, ten such Conferences have been held in different parts of world. In the first conference, then Prime Minister of Mauritius Seewoosagur Ramgoolam was Chief Guest and it was attended by 122 delegates from 30 countries. Since then every year 10th January is being observed as World Hindi Day. The 10 edition of World Hindi Conference was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (India) in 2015 with the theme of Hindi Jagat-Vistar and Sambhavnaye.
India donated US $1 million to support Swazilands National Disaster Management Agency as well as food grains. India also expressed commitment to developmental partnership to create local capacities Swaziland and across Africa. The commitment came after Indias President Ram Nath Kovind addressed Swazilands parliament, becoming first visiting Head of the State to do so. Indian President Kovind visited Swaziland on the second leg of his three-African nation tour which also included Equatorial Guinea and Zambia.

Key Takeaway from Presidents visit

India will support Swaziland National Disaster Management Agency by donating US $1 million as well as food grains. India invited Swaziland to join International Solar Alliance (ISA) as partner country. India is ready to help Swaziland on issues of public health.

India will establish Centre of Agricultural Excellence in Swaziland for sharing its experience in the sector. President Kovind inaugurated IT Centre built with Indian assistance. India has offered to help in the construction of a Disaster Recovery Site for providing data backup at Swazilands National Data Centre.

India also announced concessional finance for constructing new parliament building in Swaziland. However, no details of the concessional finance were provided.


Nepal: Kapilvastu to become self-reliant in fish

by Manoj Poudel

April 11,2018 | Source: Kathmandu Post

Kapilvastu district is on track to becoming self-reliant in fish production, with annual production of fish topping 1,200 tonnes in the last fiscal year. A large number of locals in the district are now engaged in fish farming, lured by handsome returns. Currently, 700 hectares of land in the district is being used for aquaculture, enabling Kapilvastu to substitute imports with domestic production. Five years ago, the district used to meet 80 percent of its fish demand through imports. Now, only 30 percent of the fish available in the district is imported. Fish produced in the district now meets 50 percent of the demand and another 20 percent is imported from nearby district, according officials of Kapilvastu District Agriculture Development Office (DADO).



The district, within a couple of years, will outperform Janakpur and Rupandehi, two largest fish producing districts, in terms of fish production, said Khursed Ahamed Khan, chief of DADO Kapilvastu. Kapilvastu used to rear fish on around 400 hectares of land three years ago, generating 800 tonnes in output. Now, the district is producing 1,200 tonnes of fish worth Rs240 million. By the end of this fiscal year, additional 100 hectares of land will be used to rear fish, according to Khan. This is expected to end Kapilvastus reliance on fish imported from other districts.



Farmers of the district are rearing fish species like silver carp, grass carp, bighead carp, rohu and naini. Productivity is very high in western and northern sides of the district. With increasing number of farmers shifting to commercial fish farming from traditional crops, the district is turning into an aquaculture hub. Last year alone, 66 new farmers started rearing fish, while 40 new farmers are all set to join this profession this year, according to DADO Kapilvastu. Farhan Khan of Shivaraj Municipality owns the largest fishery business in the district. His farm sprawls across 11 hectares. Khan, who has invested Rs27 million in his farm, is rearing fish in 40 ponds. We are selling fish worth Rs6 to Rs7 million every year, said Khan. He is also supplying fish fries to 18 to 20 districts.



Bharat Bam Karki of Banganga Municipality is another farmer, who has been rearing fish for the last two years. The future prospect of fishery business looks bright, said Karki, who has invested over Rs2.5 million in his business. According to government officials, fish farmers earn three times more than traditional farmers, who grow paddy and wheat. Therefore, locals are being attracted towards fish farming, said Umesh Shrestha, officer at DADO Kapilva stu.
Maharashtra: For Thane's Sand Miners, a Life Mired in Dirty Water, Illness, Illegality

by Sukanya Shantha

April 11,2018 | Source: The Wire

Balancing himself on two wobbly boats, Amit pulls out a 60-foot-long metal bargepole tied to one of them and slips it into the bed of the river. Fifty feet, he announces. The other four helpers support the pole and then tie it up on the rear of the boat. This pole tells him the exact depth of the river and the task in hand. Without wasting much time, Amit then changes into a vest and shorts, takes a deep breath and plunges into the river. He dives in and out of the water for the next eight hours, manually excavating sand using an iron bucket from the bed of the saline Thane creek.



Amit is one among nearly 70,000 people engaged in manual sand dredging work on the 12-km stretch of Thane creek about 30 km north of Mumbai. Over the years, this has become the primary source of sand for the booming construction business in Mumbai and its two neighbouring cities of Thane and Navi Mumbai. Once you go in, you cannot see anything. The water is black and gets darker as you go deeper. I have to hold my breath for nearly 45-50 seconds and shut my eyes tight each time I plunge into the water, and just pray I dont get stuck at the bottom, Amit says.



On an average, Amit, like other divers, works in and out of the water for nearly eight hours at a time, diving deep down at least 350-400 times during that period. Since there is no harness, the diver has to use the bargepole for support with one hand and carry the iron bucket with another, and stay in until the bucket is filled to at least one-third (the bucket holds 30-35 kg sand) before he signals the pullers (khechya, as they are called in the local lingo) to drag the bucket up. Is the work dangerous? Amit says he is risking his life with every dive. But more than the fear of drowning in the water, I wonder what those chemicals and pollutants are doing to my body, he adds. The water has become progressively dirtier over the years. On one end, the Thane creek is surrounded by highly polluting units operated by the MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation), which is accused of releasing untreated industrial effluents directly into the creek. On the other end, massive residential projects like the Hiranandani estate have mushroomed over the past few years.



A wooden boat holds anything between 7,200 and 7,500 kg sand, and it takes two divers and ten other support men to work simultaneously for eight-ten hours to fill one boat. At the end of a days work, the divers are paid Rs 1,200, while the support staff, depending upon their seniority and efficiency, get anything between Rs 400 and Rs 600. The work goes on for nine days at a stretch, depending upon the lunar tide. The first day, as per the Hindu calendar, is called Ekadashi and the ninth, Navami. After Navami, the workers get a three-day break, and then the nine-day cycle restarts. This way, each worker gets at least 21-22 days of work in a month, and could end up with up to Rs 25,000; but each day is full of immense risk.



In 1952, Mustafa Fakih, then the revenue minister of the erstwhile Mumbai state, opened the 12-km stretch of Thane creek to carry out sand excavation work. It was supposed to be an alternative source of income for the natives of this region, mostly belonging to the Koli and Agri communities, says Nandkumar Pawar, founder of the Shree Ekvira Aai Pratishthan (SEAP), who has been following this issue for years.



That explains how at most sand excavation sites, the boat owners work in a highly organised way, with villages occasionally even forming a cooperative. The cooperative at Kalher in Bhiwandi has as many as 28 villages registered under it. This is an old cooperative and we only have members with registered boats and old royalty (a temporary licence to carry out the sale of sand) to carry out sand mining, said Prahlad Mhatre, a local resident who until a few years ago was engaged in the business. But as the city expanded and witnessed a real estate boom in the 1990s, this excavation work grew exponentially, leading to tighter regulations of sand mining work in the region. Only those with royalty were allowed to carry out the work; in 2014, that too was totally stopped. It is now illegal to dredge or mine for sand.



Recognising the environmental hazards of sand dredging, the western bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014 banned sand mining in coastal regions of many states, including Maharashtra. Soon after, the state government filed an appeal against the order, but in a series of petitions, environmental activists ensured the official ban on excavation continued. However, this ban on paper did not really translate into a complete end to the practice on the ground. It continued surreptitiously and was flourishing until a few years ago. The extent of it has now come down, but it still continues on a smaller scale under the noses of the administration, since there is rising demand from the booming construction sector. Before the ban, Maharashtra Maritime Board guidelines allowed mining only up till three metres. But the miners blatantly violated the rule and the entire stretch of Thane creek has already been mined close to 12-15 feet.



The lower you go, the larger the impact on the ecosystem. Sand mining doesnt just impact the course of the creek, it also destroys mangroves and the adjoining groundwater system. The uneven depths in creeks and rivers caused by mindless mining has already destroyed fishing here, says Sumaira Abdulali, a well-known environmentalist and founder of Awaaz Foundation, an NGO campaigning actively against sand mining.



The revenue department has carried out raids from time to time and several cases have been registered against both boat owners and those working at the site. But they are mostly fined and allowed to go, said A.M. Jadhav, an officer at the revenue department. For every brass (a measurement used for sand that roughly translates to 1,600 kg) seized, the revenue department imposes a fine of Rs 50,300. Most of them take a chance and are even ready to pay the fine in a worst case scenario. In most cases, much before the raids are arranged, the information is leaked out and the work is stopped. In some cases, they try and manage the officials, a senior mining officer in the Thane collectorate said, on the condition of anonymity.



Between April 2017 and March 2018, the revenue department seized 153 trucks of sand and collected fines worth Rs 89.58 lakh. These trucks were seized at different points notorious for illegal sand transport. Once the fine is paid, the owners are let off and are allowed to sell the sand on their own, says Ujjwal Deshmukh, a vigilance officer with the mining branch in Thane. Abdulali points out that these numbers mean nothing for the impact that mining has on the environment. Those 153 trucks are not even a tiny percentage of the total business. For those dealing with hundreds of trucks, getting a truck or two seized means nothing. Both the government and the miners are happy with this arrangement. Illegal sand mining, which was earlier limited only to Thane and Raigad districts, has now moved within the municipal limits of the city of Mumbai. Over 70 cases of illegal sand mining were registered between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. Sand mining was reported from the coastal areas of Madh, Malad-Marve, Gorai and Versova areas of suburban Mumbai.



Sand mining and its impact on human life



While the petitioners and the judiciary have dealt with the environmental implications and have brought in laws and regulations from time to time, they have failed to spare a thought for those several thousand human lives that are directly affected by this work. Like Amit, several workers travel from the tribal regions of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Many also migrate from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. But the major workforce comes from Palghar, a tribal district that was carved out of Thane district of Maharashtra in 2014. Tribals belonging to Warli, Kaikadi and Mahadeo Koli communities from Wada, Jawhar, Dahanu, Vikramgad, Shahpur and Murbad talukas are mostly dependent on sand mining for their livelihood.



While there is no apparent connection between the involvement of people from the tribal communities and the work  besides their dire need for a livelihood  the owners of the boats claim it is the strength that the divers have which makes them a natural choice. This explanation is ironic, as most of these workers come from one of the most acutely malnourished regions in the state. Life is often hard in the remote villages of Palghar district. Stories of financial insecurity, chronic but inexplicable illnesses and even deaths in some cases can be heard in abundance. In late February, The Wire travelled to villages in Wada, Vikramgad and Jawhar Taluka and met several workers at their homes while they waited for work. They had not got any diving jobs since November, since the administration had launched a vigorous crackdown on the business.



Sanjay Rende, a bony, 36-year-old man, anxiously talked about the issues he has been facing, both financially and physically. He had been having serious breathing problems, he said, and occasionally experienced bleeding from his nose. This, he said, was a common issue every time he took a break from work for a long period. I have been visiting the primary health centre (PHC) in the village and taking medicines. But the problem does not seem to subside. The doctor at the PHC suggested I consult a private doctor at Thane, Rende told The Wire.



Bleeding from the nose was a problem that almost every diver that The Wire spoke to complained of. But the common belief was that once you have suffered from this illness and are eventually cured of it, you are free from every ailment. This old belief has kept Rende hopeful too. I was alarmed in the beginning. But when my uncle, also a one time diver, told me about his condition and how with time the problem subsided, I stopped worrying. Rende said he would give up the work provided he finds an alternative. The owner (of the ship Rende works on) pays me Rs 1,200 per day along with free accommodation and healthy food. Where else will I find a similar paying job? he asks. Insurance is non-existent. Until a few years ago, he would manage to earn around Rs 20,00-25,00 in most months. But it is not the same anymore. For months at a stretch there is no work.



Rendes friends, too, are not positive about the situation. Describing his predicament, Kishan Khaparde said he would rather work as a farm labourer than return to the work. Each time I enter the water, I wonder if I will make it safely back home this time. They provide us with food and money, but no safety. Khaparde has had similar health issues to Rende, along with an itching in his eyes and periodic outbreaks of rashes on his skin. Last summer, Khaparde was infected with hepatitis. During the diagnosis, the doctor had also found out that my liver was badly affected. I dont drink or smoke. The how did my liver get infected? Khaparde asks. Ganda paani hai, haalat toh kharab hona hi hai. (It is bad water. I am bound to fall sick).



Almost every diver that The Wire met has had at least one encounter with death, either by losing control or suddenly consuming a large amount of toxic water. They also narrated stories of having found floating bodies in the water. Sometimes it is one of the co-workers. Sometimes some strangers bodies that have been disposed of. It is a disturbing sight, Biju Potkhal, a 62-year-old resident of Rathad in Vikramgad, said. But none of these deaths are investigated. They only get notified as accidental deaths. With no official data, residents and old workers at the site put the figure at around 20-25 deaths in last decade.



We are not mafia



Only a part of the sand demand is fulfilled by manual dredging. There has been serious exploitation of the seashores and creek fronts using suction pumps too. As compared to manual dredging, suction pumps manage to excavate almost ten times more, said a senior officer at the mining section of the Thane revenue department. But local groups operating at the Thane creek claim those are the big players, mostly operating under complete protection from local politicians.



For the media and lawmakers, we are some deadly mafia operating on the creek. But our conditions are just as vulnerable as those working under us, says Narayan Joshi, the owner of a boat. For our livelihood, we end up doing everything. I have been working at the creek front since I was 14. This is the only work I seem to know. Abdulali feels the situation here is so desperate that you cannot help but look at this with some sympathy. People are desperate and indulge in this work. One cannot ignore their living conditions. But this work also has a huge impact on the environment and this is a reality too.



Pawar also points out how the work cannot stop here unless the government brings out a clear rehabilitation plan for the lives dependent on sand mining. For every village displaced, displacement and rehabilitation policies are followed. But what policies are available for the fisher and other communities dependent on the water bodies for sustenance? If a fisherman loses fishing as his only source of income, what else can he do? He will have to look for a source of income around him, some legal and some illegal, Pawar says. The question looms large over the 70,000 families that are directly dependent on sand mining work, even as labourers continue to risk their lives in this hazardous and illegal business.
(CNN) -- A hearing will be held Wednesday to determine whether Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz can afford to hire his own attorneys so taxpayers can stop paying for his defense.









Before the massacre, Cruz told a family he was living with that he was set to inherit $800,000 f rom his deceased parents when he turned 22.





Even if he gets access to the money several years from now, the Broward County public defender's office, which is representing him, could still get reimbursed.





Under Florida law, a public defender can charge a client even after the case is over, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Scott Silverman told the Miami Herald.





"The public is still protected if he comes into money at some later time. The public defenders would be reimbursed the cost of their services," said Silverman, a retired judge who is not involved in the case.





If Cruz can access the money, the judge may compel him to get his own attorney instead of using the public defender. Victims' attorneys are also hoping to go after any assets available to him.





Prosecutors to seek death penalty





Last month, a grand jury indicted Cruz on 17 counts of premeditated murder in the first degree and 17 counts of attempted murder in the first degree.





He's been held without bail in a Broward County jail, and appeared by video during his initial court appearance. The indigence hearing to decide whether taxpayers should stop paying for his defense team will be held in the county.





Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty . They listed several factors, including that Cruz knowingly created a risk of death for many people and the shooting was "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel."





Cruz's defense team has said there is no question he did it, and he's willing to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.





Last month, his defense attorney told the judge that the teen was standing mute to the charges -- meaning he was declining to enter a plea. As a result, a judge entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.





The 19-year-old confessed to being the gunman, court documents show. Police arrested him shortly after the massacre.





Source: CNN , Faith Karimi, April 11, 2018









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BATON ROUGE  A House committee killed a bill to repeal the death penalty here Wednesday, likely ending efforts to abolish the ultimate punishment for another year despite a duplicate bill still alive in the Senate.





Members of the House Criminal Justice Committee voted 10-8 to defer House Bill 162 by Rep. Terry Landry, D-New Iberia, with both sides quoting the Bible to support their positions.





Though Senate Bill 51 by Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans, earned a favorable committee vote Tuesday , he is unlikely to move forward knowing his bill would have to go through House Criminal Justice if it won full Senate approval.





"I'll have to reevaluate for sure," Morrell said in a text to USA Today Network. "I certainly would take the House vote into account when deciding what to do."





Landry, former leader of the State Police, said what has become an annual effort to abolish the death penalty is his most important legislation "because it literally decides life and death."





"The death sentence is barbaric and inhumane," he testified when presenting his bill.





Landry was supported by faith leaders and defense attorneys who cited the sanctity of all life and the inexact administration of justice that has led to some death sentences being overturned.





"This bill has the unified and unwavering support of every bishop in Louisiana," said Robert Tasman, executive director of the Louisiana Conference of Bishops.





On Tuesday in the Senate, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, representing the conference, said, "The Catholic Church considers the death penalty an offense against the sanctity of life.





Both prosecutors and the majority of the committee said the death penalty is appropriate for the most heinous crimes and a valuable tool in prosecuting criminals.





"I've sat with family members who have lost their children; I've held the hand of a widow whose police officer husband was murdered in the line of duty," said Loren Lampert, a prosecutor in the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's office.





"This is about standing for victims of the most heinous crimes," he said.





Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, said he rejected the testifying clergy's argument that someone who is against abortion should support abolishing the death penalty.





"When you take the (death penalty) off the table it degrades the lives taken," Crews said. "We're spending all of this effort on this bill when two people have been (executed) since 2000 and 25 are being killed today in abortion clinics."





Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, is a minister who said the death penalty "is a Biblical precept from beginning to end."





But those supporting Landry's bill disagreed.





"I believe it's the business of God to take lives, not ours," said Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport.





And some shared the sentiment of Rep. Joe Marino, Independent-Gretna.





"I just can't get past the fact we might execute and innocent person," Marino said.

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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

USA Today, Greg Hilburn, April 11, 2018
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for 18-year-old Andrew Vrba, who has been implicated in the violent death of trans teenager Ally Steinfeld. The case garnered national attention because of the slaying's brutality: Steinfeld had been stabbed in the genitals and her eyes had been gouged out before her body was set on fire.





Steinfeld, who was 17 years old, was killed in September of 2017 near the small town of Cabool, Missouri. Vrba was charged with 1st-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse and armed criminal action, according to The Kansas City Star. Vrba has allegedly admitted to stabbing Steinfeld, telling police he bragged about the killing to friends.





Vrba is not the only one implicated in Steinfeld's murder.





1 female suspect, Isis Schauer, 18, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to The Star. A third suspect, Briana Calderas, 24, awaits trial on 1st-degree murder charges. One last suspect has pleaded not guilty to abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.





Vrba's attorneys have not offered a comment on prosecutors seeking the death penalty, according to NBC News.





Steinfeld's alleged murderers were not charged with hate crimes, sparking outcry from LGBTQ advocacy groups. County Sheriff James Sigman and prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr. have claimed the killing was not motivated by Steinfeld's gender identity.





"I would say murder in the 1st-degree is all that matters," Stevens told the Associated Press at the time. "That is a hate crime in itself."





LGBTQ groups continue to speak out against the court's decision pertaining to the hate crime status.





"The desecration of Steinfield's body is a direct correlation to the way trans bodies are spoken about - in so-called bathroom bills, in public transitions and in death," Audacia Ray, director of community organizing and public advocacy at the Anti-Violence Project, said to NBC News. "This is especially true for trans women, and trans feminine individuals, whose vulnerability to violence is amplified by misogyny."





Meanwhile, other LGBTQ groups are speaking out against the death penalty. The National Center for Transgender Equality, for example, has issued a statement saying it "does not support the death penalty."





"While investigating crimes against transgender people and holding individuals responsible is important, our vision of justice is not focused on 'tough' sentences but on confronting a climate of hate that too many of our leaders are promoting, and pursuing policies that value transgender people while they are alive," Harper Jean Tobin, the organization's director of policy, said in a statement sent to NBC News.





There have been at least 8 known transgender victims of homicide in the year 2018, according to data from the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group.





People who identify as transgender face considerable violence, according to HRC President Chad Griffin.





"The epidemic of violence against transgender people is an urgent crisis that demands the nation's immediate attention," said Griffin. "The unique and tragic stories featured in this report reflect the obstacles that many transgender Americans - especially trans women of color - face in their daily lives. It is crucial that we know these stories in order to combat the transphobia, misogyny and racism fueling this violence so that we can end this epidemic before it takes any more lives."

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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
Ukraine's Naftogaz comments on Merkel's statement on Nord Stream 2

Merkel stressed the need to continue gas transit shipments via Ukraine.

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S&P affirms PrivatBank's credit ratings at 'CCC+/C' before their withdrawal

The bank still has credit ratings from Fitch and Moody's.

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Kremlin seeks to set up offshore havens to help oligarchs under sanctions  media

A representative of the Kaliningrad City Administration says the idea is now at the stage of discussion.

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Some 474 investment projects worth US$1.6 bln under way in Ukraine's agriculture

The implementation of the projects will create about 16,000 new jobs.

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Ukraine in 1Q cuts gas imports by 57%

The largest volumes of natural gas were imported from Slovakia.

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A few years ago, the dependence of the Ukrainian economy on that of its northern neighbor was so strong that a sanctions strike against Russia would ricochet violently over Ukraine. However, despite the fact that the hryvnia today saw no damage from the ruble plunge, a new package of Russia sanctions could still affect certain Ukrainian companies.

Several days following the introduction of the latest set of anti-Russian sanctions, the country's oligarchs lost more than $16 billion due to the drop of their companies' shares at stock exchange. The Russian ruble on April 11 continued its descent, reaching a mark of RUB 08 to the euro, which is a peak point since March 2016. At the same time, the hryvnia, contrary to popular opinion on Ukraine's continuing economic dependence on Russia, just keeps strengthening. It's actually almost surprising as we recall how the hryvnia earlier used to go down following any fall of the ruble. According to a Ukrainian economist Vitaly Shapran, today we can already claim Ukraine's "indifference," or neutrality, in relation to the situation in Russia. "We are not just independent of the ruble, we have quite good reasons to say that we are seeing opposite trends," Shapran said.

The economist explains this by the fact that earlier almost a third of Ukraine's exports went to Russia, while now the share barely reaches 10%. Besides, there is no significant impact on our exports on the part of Russia, and there are no other financial channels of influence on their part (loans, for example). "Their behavior, aimed at pushing Ukraine out of Russian domestic markets has made its point. We have reoriented our exports to Asia and EU," Shapran adds.

However, it's too early to talk about full financial independence from Russia. Despite military aggression by Ukraine's northern neighbor, some Russian oligarchs from the "Kremlin list" retain their business interests in Ukraine. Earlier today, the YouControl analytical system posted a report on two sanctioned oligarchs from Russia, who remain beneficiaries of a number of Ukrainian companies. It's Igor Rotenberg and Oleg Deripaska (the latter recently got into a public focus over his ties with an elite escort Nastya Rybka).

Igor Rotenberg is the eldest son of the Russian dollar billionaire Arkady Rothenberg, the one who is part of Vladimir Putin's closest entourage. Igor Rotenberg is the beneficiary of a Kyiv-based shopping mall "Ocean Plaza." As for Oleg Deripaska, owner of the world's largest aluminum producer Rusal, he remains beneficiary of seven Ukrainian companies. Namely, Guardon Ukraine LLC, Aluminum of Ukraine Company LLC, Rusal Accounting Center Nikolaev LLC, Ohrana NGZ LLC, Metallurg Service Center LLC, Rusal Automation LLC, and Nikolaev Alumina Refinery LLC.

President Petro Poroshenko has already stated that Ukraine will also introduce restrictive measures against Russian oligarchs included in the new U.S. sanctions list. According to Poroshenko, Deripaska will be included in the list of Ukrainian sanctions as well.

"A few days ago, I instructed the SBU Security Service of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to prepare a relevant draft decision that will be submitted to the NSDC meeting in the coming days and sanctions will be imposed. They will be as much as possible harmonized with the decision of the U.S. government," Poroshenko told a joint press briefing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel April 10.

At the same time, it remains a big question, how these sanctions will affect operations of Ukrainian companies, whose beneficiaries are Russian oligarchs.

Oleksiy Herashchenko, a Ukrainian economist with the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, draws attention to the fact that without analyzing the legal act adopted on sanctions, it is difficult to predict their possible consequences. In his opinion, most likely, the sanctions will not affect economic activity of said companies, rather presuming certain restrictions for their shareholders. Let's assume, the ones on exit capital and certain transactions, and so on. "But the question is how these sanctions will physically be laid down. After all, they can be nominal, formal. That is, there are de jure sanctions, while there are none de facto," Gerashchenko argues.

In turn, Oleh Ustenko of the Blazer Foundation believes that Ukraine's sanctions list may be even wider than the American one (certainly not narrower). He suggests that Russian businessmen will start facing problems with their property in Ukraine, however, the potential for such developments is not that high. "Given that the ownership structure in Ukraine is non-transparent, some investigations are periodically released on some shale companies of top government officials (some of which are related to Russian businesses). Traditionally, in Ukraine the ultimate beneficiary is disguised - I would presume that there will be a move toward re-registering these companies to other owners in other offshore jurisdictions," says the expert.

To put it simply, most likely, their Russian owners will be concealed. "A possible scenario will be to report that the sanctions have been imposed, but in reality, it will be just a masking of the owner," stresses Ustenko.

Anyway, as of today, the relevant decision on imposing sanctions has not yet been taken in Kyiv. But there is hope that at least the desire to follow the global anti-Kremlin trend, if not the protection of Ukrainian interests, will keep the country's political leaders from imitation in favor of concrete decisions.

Iryna Shevchenko

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Cabinet allows Boryspil Airport pay less tax, seeking hub development

The use of released funds shall be subject to mandatory annual state financial audit.

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As the United States and Chinese tariff threats grow increasingly more volatile, many have begun to fear the possibility of a trade war. However, the new U.S. - Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) addresses many of the problems that President Trump has pronounced as harmful to the economy and national security. While the positive effects felt in specific industries may be less significant than Representative Lighthizer and President Trump would have you believe, the renegotiated deal does represent meaningful progress in improving U.S. trade relationships.

South Korea is America's sixth largest trading partner. In 2016, the two nations exchanged $144.6 billion in goods and $32.4 billion in total services, just over 3 percent of U.S. total trade. The United States had a services surplus worth $10.7 billion. However, America imported $70 billion of goods from Korea and only exported $42 billion, leaving a trade deficit in goods of nearly $28 billion.

The new agreement will increase South Korean sales of American-made vehicles by allowing more vehicles that meet U.S. safety standards, though not necessarily South Korean standards, into South Korea. Under the previous agreement, 25,000 American manufactured automobiles could enter the market after passing U.S. safety standards; that number will now double to 50,000.

That increase may not represent as significant of a change for U.S. auto companies as initially thought. There are currently42,000 American made vehicles in all of Korea, less than the 50,000 threshold set under the new agreement. Of the 42,000, nearly two-thirds were vehicles from German or Japanese auto companies that were produced in American plants.

Consumer choice is responsible for much of the dominance of brands such as Mercedes and Honda. South Koreans have a preference for luxury options, and South Korea is Mercedes' sixth-largest market. American companies such as GM, Ford, and Chevrolet, will experience some benefits. However, it is unlikely they will come to dominate the Korean market and ultimately balance the trade deficit in the auto sector.

The revamped deal will also extend a 25 percent tariff on South Korean pick-up truck exports to the U.S. through 2041. South Korea's top negotiators claimed the tariff, which was initially set to expire in 2021, would have little effect on South Korean automakers since they do not currently produce pickup trucks to be exported to the United States. However, in 2015 and 2016, Hyundai displayed truck prototypes that may have been created in the next few years, if the producer was hoping to enter the market after the tariffs expired. Hyundai's labor union called the agreement "humiliating" and accused Americans of proactively blocking South Korean companies from competing within the U.S. truck market.

Incorporated into the agreement is an exemption of Korean steel from the 25 percent tariff recently signed by President Trump. Rather than a tariff, steel exports will be subject to a product-specific quota equivalent to 70 percent of steel imported from 2015 - 2017. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Korea's agreement to the steel quota is significant to the United States as it represents the first step in boosting "capacity utilization of the domestic steel industry to 80 percent."

The United States may continue to try and leverage quotas against foreign producers to decrease their involvement in the steel market. Quotas, if placed against countries like Brazil, Japan, or the EU, whom we import nearly a third of our steel from, could decrease the available supply. A shortage that President Trump hopes domestic suppliers would fill.

No one walks away from the negotiations a clear winner; much of the trade agreement is comprised of small concessions and victories on both sides. While the new agreement may not create major economic stimulus, the political importance of the renegotiations should not be overlooked. South Korean and American negotiators updated the agreement's terms in a way that reflects a strengthening relationship between trade partners.

While many of the underlying characteristics are different, the deal struck between the United States and South Korea could serve as a template for future negotiations. KORUS FTA represents to the world America's willingness to continue improving its trade relationships despite the ongoing tensions.

Jacob Reyes is a contributor to Economics21. Follow him on Twitter @Jacob_DReyes

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Ukraine to get about $3 bln in 2018, 2019 as revenues from gas transit - Vitrenko

Ukraine will receive about $3 billion each in 2018 and 2019 as revenues from natural gas transit, Naftogaz Chief Commercial Officer Yuriy Vitrenko has said.

"The revenues from transit should be at the level of $3 billion each in 2018 and 2019," he wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

According to the ruling of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Naftogaz should receive money from the transit through Ukraine's gas transport system of 110 billion cubic meters of Russian gas regardless of actual volumes of transportation. The contracts between Gazprom and Naftogaz for gas supply and transit are valid until the end of 2019.

According to Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev, this is not a classic "take or pay" case, but if Gazprom does not fulfill the contractual volume of transit of 110 billion cubic meters per year, Naftogaz will again file a claim with the arbitration court and will sue the Russian company for non-fulfillment of the terms of the contract.
The summit of the leadership of Germany, France and Ukraine in Aachen will take place against the backdrop of a dialogue with Russia, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Konstiantyn Yeliseyev has said.

"It is very important for us that this will also happen against the backdrop of an intensive dialogue of the leaders of Germany and France with Moscow. Because without Moscow, it will be very difficult to promote this issue, since everybody knows that Russia has the right of veto in the UN Security Council," Yeliseyev told journalists in Berlin on Tuesday.

The deputy head of the presidential administration has said Ukraine is impressed by Germany's position, which states that the key condition for the deployment of a peacekeeping operation in Donbas is Ukraine's consent.

According to Yeliseyev, during the negotiations in Germany, including with the foreign affairs minister, the conditions for the future peacekeeping mission were considered. "The German side is determined to implement this idea, since everyone already knows that this issue is a component of the German coalition agreement, that is, it has political support in Germany," he said.

Yeliseyev stressed that the parties once again coordinated their positions and agreed there should be a multifunctional full-fledged UN peacekeeping mission, which should cover the entire occupied territory of Donbas and it should, among other things, be deployed at the uncontrolled sector of the Ukraine-Russia border.

As reported, the meeting of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Presidents of France and Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron and Petro Poroshenko, will be held in Aachen (Germany) in May this year.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has met with President of the German Bundestag Wolfgang Schauble in Berlin to discuss the progress of reforms in Ukraine and continued cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In particular, the two officials discussed the progress of reforms in the financial, economic, banking and energy sectors of Ukraine, the Ukrainian president's press service said on Tuesday.

"The importance of ongoing cooperation of Ukraine with the IMF as a weighty factor of stability and international confidence was underlined," it said.

During the meeting, Poroshenko and Schauble also agreed on strengthening of interparliamentary cooperation between Ukraine and Germany.
The Ukrainian authorities should honestly recognize that they financially depend on Russia, Head of the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU) Illia Kyva has said on 112 TV channel, the party's press service has reported on its official website.

"[Naftogaz Ukrainy CEO Andriy] Kobolev states that if Russia stops gas transit through Ukraine, we will lose $3.5 billion. That is all you need to know about the war with Russia. With this position, the authorities should honestly recognize that they financially depend on the Russian Federation. Return the East, get financial compensation for Crimea and continue business with Russia without loud statements about a full and quick victory in exchange for lifting the sanctions from Russia," he said.

Kyva reminded that it is impossible to fight a war and simultaneously trade with the aggressor.

"There are rules of conduct in case of a war. There are laws and conventions. They suggest a break in financial and diplomatic relations. And there are economic and political factors that influence our relations with Russia. And if the authorities agree to continue the relations, even taking into account the loss of territories, then, from a legal point of view, this situation needs to be confirmed by respective agreements, and not to spend human and material resources on the war. Resources, which many times exceed $3.5 billion a year!" the politician said.

The head of the Socialist Party said that today there is no politician in power in Ukraine who would have taken the liberty of unequivocally resolving the issue of relations with Russia.

"While the 'a feeding trough' dictates its conditions to Ukraine, the political bosses feed the people with tales of patriotism. There are only two solutions to the issue: legally correct and economically unprofitable, and the legally incorrect one, but economically viable. There are no politicians who could make one of these two decisions. This issue had to be taken to a referendum a long time ago. After all, the people of Ukraine have the right to determine their future," Kyva said.

Source: socpartia.com
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called upon Irans authorities to immediately release a human rights activist who is suffering medical complications resulting from a hunger strike.

Iranian authorities should immediately release Golrokh Iraee Ebrahimi, a human rights defender hospitalized in Tehran, HRW said in an April 10 statement.

Ms. Golrokh Iraee Ebrahimi, a 37-year-old writer, was sent to prison in early October 2016 after penning an unpublished story about stoning. She was released from prison on January 3, 2017 after a 71-day hunger strike by her husband, Arash Sadeghi, and a protest campaign on social media that got international attention, but she was taken back to prison January 22 after her husband ended his hunger strike.

The charges against Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee are ludicrous. She is facing years behind bars simply for writing a story, and one which was not even publishedshe is effectively being punished for using her imagination, said Philip Luther, research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

According to HRW, Iraee was transferred from prison to a hospital April 3, apparently suffering medical complications from a hunger strike. The authorities allowed her family to visit April 9.

Iranian authorities are apparently so threatened by human rights defenders that they imprison them for years, said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, adding, Instead of making prison conditions worse, Iran should start listening to defenders demands for more rights and freedom for all citizens.

On January 24, authorities transferred Iraee and Atena Daemi, another human rights defender, from Tehrans notorious Evin Prison to Qarchak Prison in the city of Varamin, a facility which is reputed to have worse conditions than Evin.

Daemi and Iraee began a hunger strike February 3 to protest their transfer from Evin, their families reported. Daemi ended her hunger strike February 26, but Iraee continued hers until she was transferred to the hospital April 3.

That same day, Iraees family traveled to Varamin in the hopes of visiting her in prison. When they arrived, authorities told them that she had been transferred to a hospital in Tehran, but refused to provide the family any information about her location or condition. Authorities finally allowed Iraees father to visit her at a Tehran hospital April 9. A source who wished to remain anonymous told Human Rights Watch that the visit lasted about an hour, and it was apparent that Iraee had lost a significant amount of weight.

There is nothing to suggest that Iraee has committed any genuine crime and keeping her one more day behind bars is illegal, Whitson said. She should be released immediately.

Meanwhile, Ms. Iraees husband, imprisoned rights activist Arash Sadeghi, has urged all conscientious people to call for the release of his ailing wife, reported New York based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

I call on all awakened, conscientious people to be the voices of Golrokh and Atenas [Daemis] innocence before another tragedy takes place in the aftermath of [suspicious] suicides in the prisons, wrote Sadeghi in an open letter from Rajaee Shahr Prison in Karaj where he has been serving a 19-year prison sentence since June 2016.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the judiciary will be directly responsible for anything terrible that happens to them, added Sadeghi.

A source close to the Iraee family told the CHRI April 9 that Iraee had lost more than 44 pounds and suffered frequent convulsions since starting her hunger strike in February.

The authorities have not responded to her demands and havent even talked to her or visited her to see how she is, said the source, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. Golrokh has told her family that she will not stop her hunger strike until shes returned to Evin Prison.
AFP - Iran said Tuesday the number of its soldiers killed in an air strike in Syria this week had risen to seven and that it would not go unanswered.

Iranian media reported that seven bodies had been flown back to Tehran for burial following Monday's strike against the T-4 airbase in Homs.

Syria, Russia and Iran have blamed Israel for the attack, which Tehran had initially said killed four military advisors.

"The Zionist regime's attack on Syria will not go unanswered," said Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Iran is a key ally of the Syrian government, alongside Russia, and Velayati was speaking on arrival in Damascus where he was due to meet with President Bashar al-Assad, according to ISNA.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hit back at US President Donald Trump, who has said Russia and Iran share the blame for an alleged chemical attack in a rebel-held town in Syria.

Iran "has consistently condemned use of chemical weapons by anyone (and) is itself the victim of their use by Saddam with US support," Zarif wrote on Twitter, referring to chemical attacks during Iran's war with Iraq in the 1980s.

Trump's "threats to repeat impulsive acts of aggression is symptomatic of US policy helping extremists," Zarif added.

The US president has threatened a "forceful" response to the alleged chemical attack.
The whereabouts of an Iranian Christian convert who was detained by Irans security forces more than a month ago is still unknown.

Newly converted to Christianity, Aziz Majidzadeh was meeting his friends March 2 at their workshop near the city of Karaj when the security forces stormed the place, spokesperson for religious freedom advocacy group Article 18, Kiarash Alipour, told Radio Farda.

Alipour said twenty other Iranian Christian converts were detained in a sweep around the same time as Majidzadeh. Their personal effects, including their cell phones and laptops, were confiscated.

According to the UK-based Article 18, which focuses its work on Christians in Iran, after lengthy interrogations, most of the detainees were released, but Mr. Majidzadeh is still being held in an unknown location.

Iranians born into families practicing minority religions in the Islamic Republic are generally tolerated and allowed to practice their faith, though they often face discrimination. However, converting from Islam to another religion, or apostasy, is considered a crime, and converts can face imprisonment and even execution.

Those who have converted to Christianity practice their faith in secret in so-called home churches, which are viewed with mistrust by the authorities. When arrested, Christian converts are usually charged with actions against national security for attending these secret home churches.

Though there are no official figures, rights groups say several Evangelical Christian converts have recently been sentenced to long prison terms in Iran.
Hundreds of farmers continued demonstrating in the Iranian city of Isfahan in a protest against what they say is government mismanagement of water resources.

Amateur video shared on social media and labeled as shot on April 11 showed crowds in the streets and large numbers of riot police.The police warned the protesters that they could be arrested for chanting antigovernment slogans, but there were no detentions reported.

Much of Iran is suffering from drought, and residents of Isfahan say officials have diverted the province's main river to neighboring Yazd Province, causing their farms to suffer.Protests over the water crisis have been held in Isfahan and other Iranian cities over the past month.The government has promised to pay compensation to the farmers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 102 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 11.

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 11

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be further discussed in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Samad Seyidov, chairman of Azerbaijani parliaments Committee on international and inter-parliamentary relations, told Trend April 11.

He said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a big tangle of problems and discussions on this issue have never ceased.

The fact is that there are two types of discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. One of them is direct discussions on the conflict, which are being conducted in the OSCE. Meanwhile, there are so-called indirect discussions related to refugee problems, humanitarian aspects, issues of the Sarsang reservoir, access to water. All these problems are connected with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Of course, all issues were discussed, are being discussed, and will be discussed at PACE meetings, added Seyidov.

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 11

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Chairman of Azerbaijans Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov has declared the start of presidential election in Azerbaijan.

Eight candidates are participating in the election. Six candidates were nominated from political parties, one is self-nominated, and one candidate nominated from the Initiative Group.

On the election day, 5,426 permanent and 215 temporary polling stations operate in 125 constituencies.

The voting process can be observed from the website of the Central Election Commission during the day.

Also, web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts.

Moreover, 894 international (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers monitor the election.

The Information Center of CEC Secretariat will give information on the voting process and the participation of voters in the election at 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00.

The voting will end at 19:00.

According to the latest information, there are 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan who have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of them are women and 49.22 percent are men.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

The possibility of Azerbaijani citizens' obtaining visas upon arrival in Bahrain using a simplified visa regime is a clear example of the development of the bilateral relations, said Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa Undersecretary for International Affairs during the political talks between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Bahrain on April 10.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the current cooperation between the two countries, and exchanged views on the cooperation prospects.

Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, welcoming the delegation of Bahrain, spoke about the successes achieved in many areas, the economic reforms implemented in the country in recent years, as well as the work done to develop the oil and gas sector, regional and global projects.

Noting that Azerbaijan attaches special importance to the development of relations with the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Khalafov stressed that Azerbaijan is interested in further development of relations with Bahrain.

Speaking about diversification of the Azerbaijani economy, Khalafov noted that there are great opportunities for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bahrain in the trade and economic sphere, investment, agriculture, oil and gas, industrial, tourism, banking, information technologies and others.

During the meeting, Khalafov informed the guest about large-scale transport and energy projects implemented upon the initiative and with the participation of Azerbaijan, further adding that the North-South and East-West transport routes will create favorable opportunities for the companies of Bahrain.

Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa expressed deep gratitude for the detailed information and noted that there is a great potential for expanding the bilateral trade and economic ties.

He expressed interest in developing all-round cooperation with Azerbaijan and thanked the Azerbaijani government for organizing high-level ministerial conference of the Non-Aligned Movement and hospitality.

In this regard, he said that Azerbaijan's holding of a number of large-scale events within the framework of international organizations deserves a positive assessment.

Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa noted that the existence of direct air communication and the possibility of Azerbaijani citizens' obtaining a visa at the airport of Manama using a simplified visa regime are a clear example of the development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Bahrain on an ascending line.

He stressed that Bahrain supports the speedy settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of respect for sovereignty of Azerbaijan and its territorial integrity and that this position is stable and unchanged.

Khalafov highly appreciated Bahrain's support for Azerbaijan's fair position in the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is the main obstacle to peace and stability, integration process, and development of the region as a whole.

The sides also exchanged views on cooperation within the framework of international organizations, creation of a joint intergovernmental commission for the development of trade and economic relations and on other issues of mutual interest.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Chairman of Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said that necessary conditions have been created for voters to cast vote freely at all polling stations.

Panahov said that the election is a big process.

"There are people with different opinions, and we should try to create conditions for each side, so that no one is dissatisfied. All voters should exercise their right to vote freely," he said.

The CEC chairman said no one can put pressure on voters in any form.

"The polling stations are to close down at 19:00. From there on, no one can enter polling stations and no observers of mass media representatives can be asked to leave the polling station," he said.

Today, is the Presidential Election Day in Azerbaijan. Eight candidates were registered to participate in the election.

On the election day, 5,426 permanent and 215 temporary polling stations operate in 125 constituencies.

The Information Center of CEC Secretariat will give information on the voting process and the participation of voters in the election at 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00.

According to the latest information, there are 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan who have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of them are women and 49.22 percent are men.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev together with his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva and family members has arrived at the polling station No. 6, located in the secondary school No. 6 of the Sabail Electoral District No. 29 of Baku.

The president entered the voting room, took the ballot to the cabinet and then put the ballot into the box, in presence of representatives of the local and foreign media, television channels.

Then, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and the other family members cast their votes as well.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Jani Babayeva  Trend:

Voters actively vote in the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova told Trend on April 11.

She noted that the organization of the election is a lengthy process, and if one talks about the success of the election, then not only the last few months should be taken into account, as this is a process progressing for years.

"Our legislation, the Electoral Code are being improved every year on the recommendation of the Venice Commission. Our employees, as independent observers, take part in the election process in almost all regions of the country," she said.

Suleymanova said it is great that many representatives of different countries observe the election in Azerbaijan.

"I think that it is a good opportunity for them to observe the election in Azerbaijan, which is held transparently, democratically, while the equal rights of all those who participate, are ensured," she said.

Today, is the Presidential Election Day in Azerbaijan. Eight candidates were registered to participate in the election.

Chairman of Azerbaijans Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov has declared the start of presidential election in Azerbaijan.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies will operate in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election will be observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

The Information Center of CEC Secretariat will give information on the voting process and the participation of voters in the election at 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00.

According to the latest information, there are 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan who have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of them are women and 49.22 percent are men.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

The Pakistan Navy is ready to render any assistance and support to the Azerbaijani Navy, said Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Pakistan Navy, Admiral Zafar Mahmoud Abbasi at a meeting with Azerbaijani Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Alizade, the Azerbaijani embassy in Pakistan said on April 11.

At the meeting, it was stressed that the support provided by the two countries to each other in all spheres is always highly appreciated.

The sides also noted the importance of an early settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Kashmir problem on the basis of requirements of the international law and the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council.

The sides further exchanged views on issues of friendship and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, continued cooperation in the military-technical sphere, participation in the exercises, exchange of experience and mutual visits.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Frangiz Agalarova, Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The voter turnout is high at the presidential election in Azerbaijan, member of the Senate of the Kazakh parliament from Zhambyl region Muratbay Zholdasbayev told Trend April 11.

"A big delegation from the Senate of Kazakhstan, consisting of 701 people, has arrived, he said. We see that the voters are very active. We just visited one polling station and there were no violations."

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

Azerbaijani citizens living in Georgia, or temporarily reside there, are actively participatin in the Azerbaijani presidential election, Secretary of the Azerbaijani Embassy to Georgia, member of the election commission in Tbilisi Samira Aghayeva told Sputnik Georgia on April 11.

"We have opened a polling station at eight o'clock in the morning. So far, we see really great activity of Azerbaijani citizens, who temporarily live in Georgia, study or work in different organizations and companies," she said.

Polling stations for Azerbaijani citizens, living or temporarily residing in Georgia, opened in Tbilisi and Batumi on April 11.

The polling stations at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Georgia, located in Tbilisi, as well as the consulate of Azerbaijan in Batumi will be open until 19:00 [local time].

A total of 557 citizens, wishing to vote, were registered in Azerbaijan's consulate in Georgia. However, the number may increase, because any Azerbaijani citizen, eligible to vote, can take part in the election.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

The presidential election process is organized very well in Azerbaijan, British observer, MP from the British Conservative Party David Morris told reporters in Baku on April 11.

Morris noted that his delegation had visited two polling stations in Baku.

"What we have seen so far is a good organization of the electoral process. We do not yet know which polling stations we will visit next, and we will try to cover not only Baku. I have visited Azerbaijan, I watched the referendum in 2016. Then, we visited 8-10 polling stations, and today, I think, it will be the same," he said.

Member of the British delegation, Chief Editor of The London Post newspaper Shahid Qureshi also noted that the election process is going well.

"People are actively participating in the election, everything is organized at an excellent level. I hope everything will continue the same way until the end of the day," Qureshi said.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

According to the latest information, there are 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan who have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of them are women and 49.22 percent are men.

As of 10:00, 18.71 percent of voters, 994,196 persons cast their ballots in Azerbaijan's presidential election, the Election Information Center of Azerbaijans CEC said in a message.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) mission has launched monitoring over the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Corien Jonker, the head of the OSCE ODIHR election observation mission told reporters in Baku on April 11.

"We monitored the preparations for the election. Today, we plan to monitor directly the process of the presidential election in Azerbaijan. Our main group, consisting of 13 observers, will remain in Azerbaijan until April 24 to monitor the post-election period in the country," Jonker said.

She noted that a group of long-term observers is currently working in the regions and in the capital of Azerbaijan, and informs about the processes taking place at the election.

"The mission will announce the election evaluation on April 12. The report on holding of the presidential election in Azerbaijan will be submitted two months after the election day," she said.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Matanat Nasibova, Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

All conditions were created for the free expression of the voters will at the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Secretary General of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development GUAM Altai Efendiev, told Trend April 11.

Efendiev heads the delegation of GUAM observers at the presidential election in Azerbaijan.

"To date, we have visited two polling stations and talked to voters, he said. I am impressed by the electoral process in Azerbaijan. Everything has been organized thoroughly. There are no violations on the polling stations.

GUAM delegation intends to visit about 15 polling stations in Baku and Sumgait, he said. "Perhaps, we will also visit polling stations in Bakus settlements."

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Matanat Nasibova, Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Azerbaijan has perfectly coped with such an important task as the organization of the presidential election, Israeli Knesset member Konstantin Yoel Razvozov, who is observing the presidential election in the country, told Trend on April 11.

"So far, we have visited several polling stations in two and a half hours. I can say that the election process is running smoothly and without any violations," he said.

Razvozov noted that the voter turnout is quite high and different observers monitor the election.

"The web technologies, the way polling stations are equipped particularly impress. All this suggests that the right organization was ensured for holding of the transparent election," Razvozov said.

The Israeli MP believes that many countries could learn from Azerbaijan's experience of organizing the presidential election.

"I believe that here I will also be able to gain the necessary experience in order to make useful suggestions on how to properly prepare the organizational process for such a serious event as the presidential election upon arrival in Israel. According to my observations, Azerbaijan has perfectly coped with this important task," he said.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan's Finance Minister Samir Sharifov said that in the presidential election, he voted for a candidate, who will be able to ensure the future of the Azerbaijani people.

The minister cast his vote at the polling station No.36 of the Khatai Electoral District No. 4 of Baku.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Frangiz Agalarova - Trend:

The transparent presidential election is being held in Azerbaijan, Sarvar Otamuratov, deputy speaker of the legislative chamber of the Uzbek parliament, told Trend April 11.

We have been observing the election for more than two hours, he said. We see that the election is being held with participation of representatives of political parties, independent organizations in accordance with international norms and the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan.

Otamuratov added that together with colleagues, he visited more than 10 polling stations and did not notice any violations.

The voter turnout is high, he said. Around 40 percent of people have already voted. Azerbaijan is a fraternal country for Uzbekistan. We support all Azerbaijans reforms being carried out in economic, political and social spheres.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

The presidential election in Azerbaijan is held in full transparency, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov told reporters in Baku on April 11.

Gurbanov cast his vote at the polling station No.15 of the Narimanov-Nizami Electoral District No. 18 of Baku.

Gurbanov said that the election run in full transparency and Azerbaijani people freely express their will.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

As of 12:00, 39.39 percent of voters, 2,093,343 persons cast their ballots in Azerbaijan's presidential election, the Election Information Center of Azerbaijans CEC said in a message.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Ali Mustafayev - Trend:

The presidential election process in Azerbaijan is stable, and runs transparently, head of the observation mission of the European Parliament David Campbell Bannerman told Trend on April 11.

"Our task is to observe and evaluate organization of the process of the presidential election in Azerbaijan, and I can say that the election is organized well and at a high level. We are pleased to see a fair election process and provision of equal rights to all voting citizens of the country, " he said.

Campbell stressed that the measures taken to ensure holding of stable and transparent presidential election in Azerbaijan demonstrate their effectiveness and participation in the election will be a positive experience for the group of observers from the European Parliament.

"During the observation, we have not faced any violations. The election process is stable," Bannerman said.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The presidential election is being held transparently in Azerbaijan, Mohammad Aliasgar Mohammadi, deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Iranian observer, told Trend April 11.

Mohammadi said he has already visited four polling stations.

One of the interesting moments that attracted my attention is that the names in the voter lists and the documents required of them are carefully checked. I saw this in each of the polling stations that I visited. This is an indicator of a very serious attitude towards the electoral process, noted the observer.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Matanat Nasibova, Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Very good infrastructure was created at polling stations at the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Romans Naudins, chairman of the parliamentary committee on economic affairs of the Latvian parliament, told Trend April 11.

"The poling stations have modern equipment, he said. I was impressed by the number of webcams on each of the polling stations, which creates great opportunities for monitoring the election both in Brussels and Washington, that is, in any part of the world."

Naudins assessed the situation at the election in Azerbaijan as positive.

"It is also very important that people, who can not come to the polling stations, namely, elderly and disabled people, are able to vote at home, he said. "We visited a number of polling stations in the Nizami district, no violations were observed."

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
About Me William Kelly I am a freelance writer, journalist and historian whose major interests are music and history, with a special emphasis on the assassination of President Kennedy. View my complete profile

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Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend:

No violations were officially registered on the election process so far, Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov told reporters in Baku April 11.

He said that mainly, the appeals were requests.

Panahov noted that the voting process in the presidential election is fully transparent in Azerbaijan.

CEC chairman touched upon the issue of asking journalists to present a document in order to monitor the process at the polling stations # 3 and #4 of Constituency Election Commission #36.

Panahov said that the CEC hasnt received any appeal in this regard.

This is an illegal step. The police and the election commission have no such a right, he added.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The presidential election in Azerbaijan is held at a very high level and absolutely transparent, Managing Director of Iris Media, Dr. Jamal Al Majaida told Trend on April 11.

"I am heading a delegation of journalists from Arab countries, who came to cover the presidential election in Azerbaijan. Sine early morning, we have visited a large number of polling stations. I would like to note that the situation in the election is very positive. We have seen a high voter turnout at almost every polling station. We saw a large number citizens, who are happy to participate in the election and vote for their future, " Al Majaida said.

He said that the delegation did not note any violations in the electoral process.

"We have not recorded any violations. The election is held at a very high level and absolutely transparent, no disagreements or problems were revealed," Al Majaida said.

Eight candidates were registered at the presidential election. Six candidates of them were nominated from political parties, one was a self-nominee and one candidate was nominated from the Initiative Group.

On the election day, 5,426 permanent and 215 temporary polling stations operate in 125 constituencies.

As of 12:00, 39.39 percent of voters, 2,093,343 persons cast their ballots in Azerbaijan's presidential election.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Matanat Nasibova, Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The presidential election in Azerbaijan is being held in the conditions of democracy and in line with the legislation of the country, Member of the Ukrainian parliament Oleg Medunitsa told Trend April 11.

He came to Azerbaijan to observe the presidential election in the country as a member of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development.

The voting process is very active at polling stations. There are no violations. The voting takes place in an atmosphere of absolute stability and in a very positive atmosphere, he said.

Medunitsa also noted that Azerbaijan is a friendly country for Ukraine.

Bilateral relations between our countries are developing constantly. I believe that they will also be strengthened in the future, added the Ukrainian MP.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Firangiz Agalarova  Trend:

A great activity of voters can be seen at the presidential election in Azerbaijan, the member of the legislative chamber of the Uzbek Parliament, Nilufar Saidakhmatova told Trend on April 11.

The presidential election in the country is held in an open and democratic manner, Saidakhmatova said.

Saidakhmatova further shared her impressions about the country.

"We are in Baku for the third day already. You have a beautiful country and a very beautiful city," she said, adding that the peoples of the two countries have much in common in traditions and culture.

She expressed hope for further development of the friendly relations and cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

Eight candidates were registered at the presidential election. Six candidates of them were nominated from political parties, one was a self-nominee and one candidate was nominated from the Initiative Group.

On the election day, 5,426 permanent and 215 temporary polling stations operate in 125 constituencies.

As of 15:00, 60,74 percent of voters, 3,227, 817 persons cast their ballots in Azerbaijan's presidential election.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

The Azerbaijanis show high political activity, Montenegrin parliamentarian, PACE member Predrag Sekulic told Trend April 11.

He added that in the first half of the day he managed to visit 11 polling stations in Baku.

"The election process is going well, Sekulic said. Earlier, I monitored referendum and parliamentary election in Azerbaijan. Today I represent the parliament of Montenegro and PACE. The Azerbaijanis are politically active and positive. In general, everything has been organized well. The voter turnout is quite high."

The MP added that he will also visit seven or eight polling stations, including those outside Baku.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

The Azerbaijanis will make the right choice during today's voting at the presidential election, Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu said at the Moscow polling station, Vestnik Kavkaza information and analysis agency reported April 11.

He stressed that a presidential election day, which determines the development of the country for the coming years, is very important.

"The election has been well organized and widely covered, he said. Three polling stations have been opened in Moscow at the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as at the consulates general in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg."

"I am sure that the Azerbaijanis will make the right choice," Bulbuloglu said.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11



By Jani Babayeva  Trend:



Presidential election is being held at a high level, Head of Azerbaijan's Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev told reporters at the polling station #7 of the Sabail Election Constituency #29 in Baku April 11.



"As of 17:00, 70 percent of the voters have cast their ballots," he noted.

Mehdiyev added that this election will remain as an important event in the history.

Because Azerbaijan has made great progress in 15 years, achieved great success, gained recognition in the world. Many issues at the international level, in the economic sphere, social issues were solved. Therefore, the active participation of voters in the voting was expected, he added.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates were registered for the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

The presidential election has been organized at a high, professional level in Azerbaijan, a member of the Serbian parliament, Milos Aligrudic, told Trend in Baku April 11.

Its too early to give final comments, but even today I can say that the staff of the Central Election Commission and the organizers of the presidential election approached their work with a high level of professionalism, said the MP.

Aligrudic noted that the Azerbaijani citizens who came to the polling stations were well informed and enjoyed equal voting rights.

We have not encountered any violations, and we saw an open and fair voting process, with the active participation of citizens of the country, added the Serbian MP.

Aligrudic added that he visited Baku 12 years ago, and having returned here today, could not hide the admiration for the changes that took place in the city during this period.

The modern architecture of Baku, harmoniously coexisting with its historical atmosphere, is indescribably beautiful, and I am very glad to observe such progress, he added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Presidential election in Azerbaijan is organized in line with international norms, Michel Laflandre, a member of the observation mission of the French Parliament, told Trend April 11.

He said that the observation mission visited up to nine polling stations.

We started monitoring at 9:00 (GMT +4) and visited about eight-nine polling stations, he noted. The voting process was the same at all stations, there wasnt much difference among the stations, and from the technical point of view, everything is organized well. It seems to me that we should thank not only the heads of polling stations but also the voters themselves for the good organization of the election, because we observed a high voter turnout. The election process itself is organized in accordance with international norms - document verification procedure, special ultraviolet paint, everything was at a high level.

He added that the observers didnt record any offenses in the voting process.

Neither I nor my colleagues encountered problems or violations, he noted. In order to make sure, we also talked with local observers and asked them a few questions. Their answers helped us to make sure that the process is transparent.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies were operating in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, it was possible to observe the voting process online from the website of the CEC.

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

The voting at the presidential election in Azerbaijan ended at the polling station created in Azerbaijans Embassy in China, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesperson of Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry, said April 11.

The free and democratic election was held with the high activity of the Azerbaijani citizens registered in the embassy, he noted.

Hajiyev added that a polling station opened in Azerbaijans Embassy in Washington.

The polling station at Azerbaijans Consulate General in Los Angeles will be the last one to close, Hajiyev said.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps of Azerbaijan actively participate in the voting, he noted.

The results of the voting at the polling stations created in the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan are sent to the 16th and 17th Yasamal constituencies, Hajiyev said.

Eight candidates were registered at the presidential election. Six candidates of them were nominated from political parties, one was a self-nominee and one candidate was nominated from the Initiative Group.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies were operating in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, it was possible to observe the voting process online from the website of the CEC.

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Organization of presidential election in Azerbaijan can become a model for other countries, Konstantin Yoel Razvozov, the Israeli Knesset member, and Lev Spivak, director general of the Israel-Azerbaijan International Association, who came to Azerbaijan to observe the presidential election, told Trend April 11.

We visited more than 12 polling stations, Razvozov said. Everything goes very smoothly, without violations. There are many different ways and technologies to prevent violations. For the first time I see that spray is used so that a person cannot vote repeatedly. It is clear that everything is very well organized. I watched elections in different countries. The organization of election in Azerbaijan can become a model for other countries.

Razvozov especially stressed high voter turnout.

I didnt expect to see many voters in the morning, noted Razvozov. However, in the morning, in a few hours, voter turnout exceeded 50 percent. This is a very high indicator.

He stressed that equally good conditions were created at all polling stations.

We were not only at the central polling stations, but we ourselves chose stations and also visited remote areas of Baku, Razvozov said.

Lev Spivak, in turn, noted that the preparations for the election are absolutely amazing.

I was an observer in Azerbaijan twice, said Spivak. There is an absolutely amazing system of a portable ballot box for those who have the opportunity to vote at home only. We saw how this was done. Besides, we were, in my opinion, at a unique polling station, the one for refugees. We havent seen anything like that anywhere else.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates were registered for the election.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Sara Israfilbayova  Trend:

Els Independent Research Center has announced the results of an exit-poll conducted at Azerbaijan's presidential election on April 11.

The exit-poll was conducted at 300 polling stations of 118 constituencies.

Electronic technologies and a special program were used during the exit-poll.

Head of Els Independent Research Center, Irada Yagubova, said that the voters, who refused to participate in the exit-poll, amounted to 12-15 percent in Baku and 3-4 percent in the districts.

She noted that the voter turnout stood at 68.7 percent in the voting.

According to the exit-poll results, 82.71 percent of the voters cast their ballots for Ilham Aliyev, 4.23 percent  for Gudrat Hasanguliyev, 3.56 percent  for Sardar Mammadov, 3.37 percent  for Zahid Oruj, 2.01 percent  for Hafiz Hajiyev, 1.87 percent  for Araz Alizada, 1.33 percent  for Faraj Guliyev and 0.92 percent  for Razi Nurullayev.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates were registered for the election.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

As of 17:00, 69.93 percent of voters, 3,716,135 people, voted in the presidential election.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

The US-based AJF & Associates Inc. and the Citizens Labor Rights Protection League have announced the results a joint exit-poll conducted at Azerbaijans presidential election on April 11.

According to the exit-poll results, 85.57 percent of voters cast their ballots for Ilham Aliyev, 2.96 percent  for Gudrat Hasanguliyev, 2.48 percent  for Sardar Mammadov, 2.92 percent  for Zahid Oruj, 1.76 percent  for Hafiz Hajiyev, 1.42 percent  for Araz Alizada, 1.52 percent  for Farah Guliyev and 1.37 percent  for Razi Nurullayev.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates were registered for the election.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

As of 17:00, 69.93 percent of voters, 3,716,135 people, voted in the presidential election.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Presidential election in Azerbaijan was held in line with democratic European standards, Zviad Dzidziguri, deputy chairman of the Georgian parliament, said at a press conference April 11.

He noted that the election process run smoothly.

We observed high voter turnout. We were encouraged by the fact that all candidates had their observers at the polling stations, he added.

The Georgian official added that there were no significant deficiencies during the monitoring process.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election today, on April 11. The election process ended at 19:00 [UTC +4].

Eight candidates were registered for the election. Six of the candidates were nominated by political parties, one candidate was a self-nominee and another candidate was nominated by an initiative group.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 12

By Ali Mustafayev - Trend:

Azerbaijan demonstrated an impeccable level of preparation for the presidential election, which can serve as example for many countries, former Italian MP Antonio Razzi said at a press conference in Baku.

He noted that observers from Italy at the presidential election didnt observe any violations, but, on the contrary, witnessed a professionally organized election.

We received information from the Citizens Labor Rights Protection League, prepared jointly with the US organization AJF & Associates Inc., according to which Ilham Aliyev gained the majority of votes at the election, Razzi said.

In turn, Italian MP Giacomo Bezzi said that the observers noted the active participation of Azerbaijani citizens in the election, as well as the innovative methods used by the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan for greater efficiency and transparency of the election process.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election on April 11. Eight candidates were registered for the election.

A total of 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of which are women and 49.22 percent are men.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Presidential election in Azerbaijan was organized at a high level, Haluk Ipek, Turkish MP, member of the international observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries (TurkPA), said at a press conference in Baku April 11.

We conducted observations and meetings with observers and voters in Baku, Sumgait and Khirdalan cities, Ipek said. Following the observations, we would like to note the high voter turnout. Transparency and freedom of expression of the will were ensured during the election.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates were registered for the election.

A total of 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of which are women and 49.22 percent are men.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

President Ilham Aliyev has appealed to the nation to express his gratitude to the people of Azerbaijan for the confidence demonstrated in him.

Azerbaijani people have again demonstrated great confidence in me and I would like to express gratitude to my native people for this confidence and this great support, said President Aliyev in his appeal.

I always feel the support of Azerbaijani people. This support gives me strength. This support is the main condition for our development. The unity of people and government is the main factor of our development in Azerbaijan, said the head of state.

Ilham Aliyev noted that in this election, the Azerbaijani people voted for stability, security, development and progress and appraised the work done over the last 15 years.

We have achieved all this success together with you. The unity of people and government, our expedient policy have today turned Azerbaijan into a strong country, added Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state pointed out that Azerbaijans international reputation is improving.

We have managed to gain a worthy place on a global scale. Today, Azerbaijan enjoys great respect, sympathy and support in the world. We are a reliable partner, we are reckoned with and we have managed to significantly strengthen our position on international arena, said Ilham Aliyev.

We havent made even one step back from our principled position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Our principled position is even more strengthening. This conflict should be resolved within the territorial integrity of our country and there is no other way. Over the recent years, many influential international organizations have adopted several decisions and resolutions supporting our position, the justice. We have gained great diplomatic victories. At the same time, we have gained great victory in the battlefield. The Azerbaijani soldier, the Azerbaijani army, the Azerbaijani state have liberated a part of our occupied territories from occupants. A part of Aghdere, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts were cleared from occupants and today the Azerbaijani flag is flying on those lands. Life is returning, people are returning to the lands liberated from occupation. Presidential elections are held on those lands, said the head of state.

President Aliyev noted that time will come when Azerbaijani flag will fly on all the lands that are still under occupation today, presidential elections will be held in those lands to elect the Azerbaijani president.

We should be even stronger. We should build even stronger economy in order to be strong. No other country has developed as much as Azerbaijan in the economic sphere over the last 15 years. Our economy has grown by 3.2 times. Today, Azerbaijan is among the most competitive countries in the world. We rank 35th in terms of competitiveness, he added.

President Aliyev said that Azerbaijani citizens, their problems, their concerns, their welfare have always been in the center of the countrys policy. Salaries and pensions have increased by 7-8 times over the last 15 years and this policy will be continued further, he added.

The head of state went on to add that Azerbaijan has turned into a cosmic state over the past years.

We bring the most advanced technologies to our country and apply them. The technological and scientific development will be one of the main priorities for our future activity as well, said the president.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan is implementing huge energy and transport projects.

With our initiative and active participation, Eurasias energy and transport maps are re-drawn in accordance with those projects, added the head of state.

President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has never been as strong as today.

We have built a strong state. We should make Azerbaijan even stronger and I am confident that we will do that. The path we are going on is a glorious path. It is a path of victory and success. I am confident that we will always go on the path of victories. Go forward to new victories!"
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 12

Trend:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has phoned his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, the press service of the Azerbaijani president said in a statement April 12.

Erdogan congratulated Ilham Aliyev on confident victory at the presidential election and wished success in his presidential activity for the benefit of the Azerbaijani people.

Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the shown attention and congratulations.

President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed confidence that relations of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries will continue to develop in all areas.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 12

Trend:

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in connection with his confident victory at the presidential election held April 11.

I convey my most heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of your re-election as the president at the election held April 11 in Azerbaijan, Yildirim said in his letter. It is gratifying that this election, which reflects the will of the friendly and fraternal Azerbaijani people, was held in conditions of transparency and trust. Your leadership, for sure, has a great role in the development of fraternal Azerbaijan as a country where there is stability, peace and prosperity.

I firmly believe in the continuation of your role as a leader in deepening of development both on bilateral and multilateral platforms, as well as in achievement of an even higher level of relations in the interests of our fraternal peoples, Yildirim noted.

Taking this opportunity, I wish you health and happiness, and convey you the most sincere wishes for the well-being and stability of fraternal Azerbaijan.
Details added (first version posted on 23:46)

Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

President Ilham Aliyev has appealed to the nation to express his gratitude to the people of Azerbaijan for the confidence demonstrated in him.

Azerbaijani people have again demonstrated great confidence in me and I would like to express gratitude to my native people for this confidence and this great support, said President Aliyev in his appeal.

I always feel the support of Azerbaijani people. This support gives me strength. This support is the main condition for our development. The unity of people and government is the main factor of our development in Azerbaijan, said the head of state.

Ilham Aliyev noted that in this election, the Azerbaijani people voted for stability, security, development and progress and appraised the work done over the last 15 years.

We have achieved all this success together with you. The unity of people and government, our expedient policy have today turned Azerbaijan into a strong country, added Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state pointed out that Azerbaijans international reputation is improving.

We have managed to gain a worthy place on a global scale. Today, Azerbaijan enjoys great respect, sympathy and support in the world. We are a reliable partner, we are reckoned with and we have managed to significantly strengthen our position on international arena, said Ilham Aliyev.

We havent made even one step back from our principled position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Our principled position is even more strengthening. This conflict should be resolved within the territorial integrity of our country and there is no other way. Over the recent years, many influential international organizations have adopted several decisions and resolutions supporting our position, the justice. We have gained great diplomatic victories. At the same time, we have gained great victory in the battlefield. The Azerbaijani soldier, the Azerbaijani army, the Azerbaijani state have liberated a part of our occupied territories from occupants. A part of Aghdere, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts were cleared from occupants and today the Azerbaijani flag is flying on those lands. Life is returning, people are returning to the lands liberated from occupation. Presidential elections are held on those lands, said the head of state.

President Aliyev noted that time will come when Azerbaijani flag will fly on all the lands that are still under occupation today, presidential elections will be held in those lands to elect the Azerbaijani president.

We should be even stronger. We should build even stronger economy in order to be strong. No other country has developed as much as Azerbaijan in the economic sphere over the last 15 years. Our economy has grown by 3.2 times. Today, Azerbaijan is among the most competitive countries in the world. We rank 35th in terms of competitiveness, he added.

President Aliyev said that Azerbaijani citizens, their problems, their concerns, their welfare have always been in the center of the countrys policy. Salaries and pensions have increased by 7-8 times over the last 15 years and this policy will be continued further, he added.

The head of state went on to add that Azerbaijan has turned into a cosmic state over the past years.

We bring the most advanced technologies to our country and apply them. The technological and scientific development will be one of the main priorities for our future activity as well, said the president.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan is implementing huge energy and transport projects.

With our initiative and active participation, Eurasias energy and transport maps are re-drawn in accordance with those projects, added the head of state.

President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has never been as strong as today.

We have built a strong state. We should make Azerbaijan even stronger and I am confident that we will do that. The path we are going on is a glorious path. It is a path of victory and success. I am confident that we will always go on the path of victories. Go forward to new victories!"
Details added (first version posted on 17:31)

Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

As of 17:00, 69.93 percent of voters, 3,716,135 persons cast their ballots in Azerbaijan's presidential election, the Election Information Center of Azerbaijans Central Election Commission (CEC) said in a message.

The highest voter turnout was observed in the 14th Khazar constituency. In this constituency, 40,588 (79.4 percent) out of 51,117 people took part in the voting.

The lowest activity was observed in the 30th Surakhani constituency #1, where 19,224 (51.67 percent) of 37,205 people voted in the election.

A total of 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of which are women and 49.22 percent are men.

Eight candidates were registered at the presidential election. Six candidates of them were nominated from political parties, one was a self-nominee and one candidate was nominated from the Initiative Group.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The state guarantee for loans granted for realization of the South Gas Corridor (SGC) project can be replaced, Azerbaijan's Finance Minister Samir Sharifov told reporters in Baku on April 11.

"The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) CJSC is engaged in financing the SGC project. The company was created especially for this purpose. To finance the company's share in the consortium, we borrowed loans under a state guarantee," the minister said.

He explained that according to international practice, lending requires a bank guarantee, but since the company was new, the guarantee was provided by the state.

"However, after the full operation of the gas pipeline, we can consider replacing state guarantees with private ones," Sharifov said.

The minister said that loans issued by various international financial organizations also demonstrate the success of the SGC project.

"Such international financial organizations as the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) have allocated funds for this project, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) has also decided to grant a loan for the SGC project," he said.

Presently, the SGC CJSC continues negotiations with MIGA on the loan agreement, Sharifov added.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority projects for the EU and provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

At an initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.

As part of the Shah Deniz Stage 2, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The process of privatization of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) requires some preparation, Azerbaijans Finance Minister Samir Sharifov told reporters in Baku April 11.

We have already completed the process of the banks recovery and restructuring of toxic assets that are on the IBA balance. The completion of this process increased the relevance of the banks privatization. But at the same time, the IBAs privatization requires some preparation, noted the minister.

Sharifov assessed the banks financial state as stable.

The bank will issue its audited financial statement for 2017, and everyone will be sure that the bank has become a profitable financial institution. This means that we can start preparing the bank for privatization. This is a long process. We need to consider several options and choose one of them. After that, the relevant state bodies, and first of all, the State Committee on Property Issues, which deals with privatization processes, as well as the banks management and other state structures, will deal with this issue, added the official.

The minister also added that the IBAs privatization will not affect the activity of the processing center Azericard, which is a subsidiary of the bank.

This structure will continue to operate, he added.

The International Bank of Azerbaijan was founded in 1992. On July 15, 2015 the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on the measures for rehabilitation related to the preparations for privatizing the state-owned shares of the International Bank of Azerbaijan JSC.

The shortcomings in the management, investment and loan policy of the International Bank of Azerbaijan in recent years, as well as financing of less efficient, risky investment projects worsened the bank's financial state, caused increase in the share of distressed assets and reduced its liquidity, said the decree.

In order to overcome the current situation, restore the bank's financial position and ensure its sustainability, the distressed assets of the bank were transferred to the state-owned Aqrarkredit CJSC non-banking credit organization. Bonds for three billion manat were issued under the state guarantee to ensure IBA's liquidity instead.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The route of the passenger train Baku-Kharkov No.369-370 will be extended to the Kiev-Passenger station from April 21, 2018, Azerbaijan Railways CJSC said in a message on April 11.

Thus, the Baku-Kharkov train will become the Baku-Kiev train from April 21. The train will pass Kharkov, Poltava, Mirgorod and Lubny cities of Ukraine.

The train will leave from Baku once a week, on Thursdays at 01:35 [local time], and arrive in Kiev on Monday at 11:46 [local time]. On the same day, at 14:37 [local time], the train will return back.

The train will arrive in Baku on Thursday at 04:10 [local time].
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Assets of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) increased by about $2 billion in 1Q18, SOFAZ Executive Director Shahmar Movsumov told reporters in Baku April 11.

He said that oil prices are at a higher level than in the Funds forecast.

This, of course, will affect the funds that SOFAZ will receive until the end of the year. The volume of this growth depends on oil prices. If prices remain at the same level as in the first quarter, then revenues will be high, Movsumov noted.

The budget of the Oil Fund was projected at an oil price of $45 per barrel for 2018 as compared to $40 per barrel in 2017.

SOFAZ budget revenues are expected to total 11.56 billion manats in 2018.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

BP and Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR continue to work together to provide a long-term future for oil and gas production in Azerbaijan, BP said in a message April 11.

The company said that the first gas from Azerbaijans Shah Deniz field will be delivered to Turkeys Eskisehir soon as part of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project.

Turkey's state-owned crude oil and natural gas pipelines and trading company BOTAS and Azerbaijan's state-owned national oil and gas company SOCAR are undertaking work to deliver first gas to Eskisehir, Turkeys Anatolian city in the middle of 2018 as part of the TANAP project, says the message.

SOCAR holds a 58-percent interest in TANAP, BOTAS has a 30-percent share while BP owns a 12-percent stake.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority projects for the EU and provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

At an initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.

As part of the Shah Deniz Stage 2, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
Oil hit its highest in more than three years on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to fire missiles at Syria in response to a suspected chemical attack last week, Reuters reports.

Some major airlines were re-routing flights on Wednesday after Europes air traffic control agency warned aircraft flying in the eastern Mediterranean to exercise caution due to possible air strikes on Syria.

Trump has criticized Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, he wrote in a post on Twitter on Wednesday.

Brent crude jumped to a high of nearly $72 a barrel, its strongest since early December 2014, after Trumps comments, while gold XAU= rallied for a fourth day as investors ditched risk-linked assets such as equities.

Brent rose 60 cents on the day to $71.64 a barrel by 1341 GMT, while U.S. crude futures CLc1 rose 58 cents to $66.09, down from a session peak of $66.44.

The United States and its allies are considering air strikes against Assads forces following a suspected poison gas attack last weekend.

Syria is not a significant oil producer, but any sign of conflict in the region tends to trigger concern about potential disruption to crude flows across the wider Middle East, home to some of the worlds biggest producers.

There are also concerns that the United States could renew sanctions against Iran.

The focus right now is definitely on a possible military strike against Syria, said Commerzbanks head of commodity research, Eugen Weinberg.

We think the fundamentals do not justify the current price, but unfortunately the market is focusing more on the politics and ignoring some of the warning signs, especially the hike in U.S. oil production.

Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Wednesday that his country would not sit by and let another supply glut surface, implying that the de-facto leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would continue to withhold supply.

Not all oil market indicators suggest the price will continue to rally strongly, analysts said.

U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.8 million barrels to 429.1 million barrels in the week to April 6, according to a report by the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday, compared with analysts expectations for a decrease of 189,000 barrels.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday that it expects domestic crude oil production in 2019 to rise by more than previously expected, driven largely by growing U.S. shale output.
Kazakhstan will continue boosting ties with Russia both at bilateral level and on the international stage, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said at a ceremony to receive credentials from foreign ambassadors on Wednesday, TASS reports.

New Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexei Borodavkin was one of those presenting his credentials to Nazarbayev.

"Kazakhstans relations with Russia are a perfect example of interstate ties, strategic partnership and alliance," Nazarbayev said, adding that "thanks to our close cooperation, the Eurasian Economic Union [EAEU] has been successfully operating."

The Kazakh president pointed out that both countries people supported the further strengthening of ties.

"I very much value good personal relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and believe that his convincing victory in the recent election is just another proof of the Russian peoples support of his policy aimed at ensuring Russias prosperity and strengthening the countrys political role, as well as of his selfless dedication to the country," Nazarbayev went on to say. "Kazakhstan is determined to continue boosting ties with Russia both at bilateral level and on the international stage for the greater good of the two countries people," he stressed.

New Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexei Borodavkin clarified cooperation priorities while talking to reporters after the credentials ceremony. He particularly mentioned security issues, the EAEU integration projects, as well as economic, scientific and cultural matters.

"We have an infinite agenda of cooperation with Kazakhstan, which is aimed at boosting our alliance and economic ties," he said. "This includes joint efforts to protect our borders from common security threats and boost integration within the EAEU, created at Nursultan Nazarbayevs initiative, as well as economic, trade, investment, scientific and technical cooperation - first and foremost, in the area of space research, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, information technologies and digital economy," Borodavkin said.

The Russian ambassador also emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges and youth cooperation. "We need to fill this infinite agenda with practical content, solve issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual interest in boosting our alliance," Borodavkin stressed.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 11

By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is holding the workshop in Ashgabat for Turkmen media representatives, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

The event was organized jointly with the Turkmen government in accordance with the previously approved plan of actions.

The role of the media outlets in preventing human trafficking, cooperation of international organizations, civil servants and non-governmental organizations in the field of irregular migration will be discussed. The journalistic approaches will be also discussed to cover the abovementioned topics.

The main goal of the workshop conducted by international experts is to learn from the world practice of covering the abovementioned global problems of the current times, as well as prevent such cases through the media.

During the event it was stressed that Turkmenistan has an experience of cooperation with IOM. In early 2014 a working group on combating human trafficking was created in the country. This group also worked out the National Action Plan of Turkmenistan on Combating Human Trafficking for 2016-2018.

Turkmenistan sees the issues of migration, granting asylum, ensuring the rights of refugees and stateless people as key vectors for cooperation with authoritative organizations.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 12

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

A draft federal law on ratification of strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Turkmenistan has been submitted to the lower house of the Russian Parliament, the lower house said in a statement.

The strategic partnership agreement between Turkmenistan and Russia was signed following Russian President Vladimir Putins official visit to Ashgabat in early October 2017.

The agreement establishes that long-term and stable relations of strategic partnership between the two countries are based on the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each others internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, peaceful coexistence and mutual trust.

The agreement also stipulates that the strategic partnership of the sides is aimed at expanding cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres, creating favorable conditions for ensuring mutual security, countering global threats and challenges, as well as strengthening regional stability.

The agreement provides for the expansion and deepening of cooperation in the fight against terrorism and other manifestations of extremism, various forms of transnational organized crime, corruption, trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, weapons, smuggling and illicit export of cultural property, other manifestations of new threats and security challenges.

Russia holds a leading position in the ranking of the biggest foreign trade partners of Turkmenistan.

About 190 companies with Russian capital operate in Turkmenistan. ARETI International Group (former ITERA) has been operating in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea on the basis of a production sharing agreement since 2009.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Gazenfer Hamidov  Trend:

Irans non-oil exports, including condensates have witnessed a 6.6-percent increase during the last fiscal year (ended March 20).

Iran's Customs Administration said that the countrys non-oil exports, including gas condensate, reached $46.93 billion during the last fiscal year compared to $44.42 billion of exports in the preceding year.

The volume of the exported goods reached 132.3 million tons in the 12-month period.

The country includes gas condensate and some raw hydrocarbon products, like propane, butane, etc. in its non-oil export basket.

During the period, the country exported $7.079 billion worth of condensate, 3.28 percent less year-on-year.

Irans petrochemical exports also witnessed a fall by 8.3 percent in terms of value, meanwhile export of industrial products registered an increase by 22.3 percent year-on-year.

Liquefied natural gas ($2.495 billion), liquefied propane (worth $1.475 billion), light oils and products (excluding gasoline) worth $1.327 billion and methanol (worth $1.178 billion) were among Irans top exported goods in the 12-month period.

China was the main importer of the Iranian goods during the period. Irans non-oil exports to China registered a rise by 8.3 percent and stood at $9.065 billion.

The United Arab Emirates ($6.764 billion, fall of 9.6 percent), Iraq ($6.425 billion, 4.8 percent increase), South Korea ($4.38 billion, rise of 52.3 percent) and Turkey ($3.99 billion, an increase of 22.88 percent) were other top importers of Iranian non-oil goods during the last Iranian fiscal year.
The head of Lukoil, Russia's oil-producing giant, Vagit Alekperov said he expects to sign contracts with Iran to develop the country's oil fields in 3-4 months. These are the oil fields of Mansuri and Shanguleh, the development of which the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) announced a tender in the summer of 2017, Sputnik reported.

Lukoil has presented Iran with its plan for the development of the Mansuri project. But on par with that Iran is also taking into consideration the plan submitted by the Indonesian firm Pertamina, which has also applied for the tender to develop this field.

What are the chances of Lukoil winning the tender? What will these contracts be like: unilateral or with the creation of consortium, and what benefit could the Russian oil giant receive from these projects? Sputnik discussed the issue with Omid Shukri Kalehsar, an Iranian independent expert on energy security from Washington.

According to his estimates, Lukoil is the favorite to win the tender, but the potential threat of the breakdown of all oil contracts is coming from the possibility of US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

Last August, Lukoil presented Iran with a project to develop the Mansuri oil field with the goal that in March 2018 the parties would sign the final version of the agreement, Kalehsar explained.

According to the expert, during the meeting, Alekperov expressed interest in the development of the Iranian energy sector and noted the priority of investments in the development of oil fields in the country. Given the total volumes of Iranian oil, Alekperov said that the company would not be able to work on all Iranian oil fields, only concentrating on two of them  the Mansuri and the Abe Teimur fields. Both oil fields are located in Khuzestan province in west-central Iran.

According to preliminary calculations, the minimum amount of oil in the Abe Teimur field is 15 billion barrels. One-day production from the Bangestan oil well amounts to 60,000 barrels.

Iran is expected to find many foreign investors for the development of its oil and gas fields. At present, contracts have been signed for the development of the 11th phase of South Pars (The South Pars gas field is the largest in the world, with reserves of 14 trillion cubic meters of gas and 18 billion barrels of gas condensate, which is 8% of the world's total reserves) with France's Total and China's CNPC, as well as a contract for the re-development of the Aban and Paydare Qarb oil fields with the Russian company Zarubezhneft. If a contract is signed to develop the Mansuri and Shanguleh fields, it will be the first serious contract with foreign companies this year, Kalehsar said.

According to Kalehsar, Iran needs foreign investment to search and increase the production potential of its oil and gas fields, since the production capacity of Iranian oil wells annually falls by 8%.

Russian companies are actively working in Iraq's energy industry. Gazprom is seeking to expand its presence in the Mediterranean region and invest in the oil and gas industry of this region, take part in gas production and transportation in this region, according to the expert.

The Iranian National Oil Company has reported that after taking into consideration the previously submitted proposals for the development of two of its fields, it has been decided to accept the Indonesian firm Pertaminas proposal. Although no official reports have been received from Iran's Ministry of Petroleum the Indonesian company recently reported that it had been provided with 80% of the package for the development of the Mansuri field, while the remaining 20% belongs to the Iranian side, accordingly, Lukoil will not participate in the development of this field.

As for the Shanguleh field, Lukoils role is still unknown. In addition, according to the expert, in the event of the US withdrawing from the JCPOA, the issue of the development of the Bangestan oil well will arise. If the events develop this way, the Indonesian company will have to decide whether to continue its activities in Iran under American sanctions or to abandon their interests in Iran in favor of promoting cooperation with the US energy sector.

If the US does not withdraw from the JCPOA, and the possibility of their withdrawal has recently increased significantly due to the changing situation in the country, and unless new sanctions are introduced against Iran's energy sector and those who want to invest in it, the role of Russian companies in various areas of the oil and gas sector may increase, Kalehsar noted.

Do not forget that during the sanctions, Russian companies left the oil and gas industry of Iran. If Russian companies have projects with US companies in the US or joint projects with this country, we need to see to what extent they will oppose pressure and sanctions against Iran, and whether they will prefer their interests in Iran's industry to US markets.

The impact of US sanctions on Iran's energy sector, as well as on the participation of Russian or Chinese companies in this sector will be known in the near future, Kalehsar concluded.
Tehran, Iran, April 11

By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend:

The recent slump in the value of the Iranian rial against the US dollar has contributed to a rise in the volume of the exports of livestock form the Islamic Republic, a union official told Trend.

Ali Asghar Maleki, the head of Iranian union for livestock keepers, has said that the recent developments in the currency market have led to a surge in Irans exports of livestock to Iraq and the UAE.

Asghar Maleki also added that normally in this period of the year Iran imports mutton from Iraq but surprisingly the trend has been reversed this year.

Irans exports of livestock over the first 11 months of the last fiscal year (ending March 21) grew by 16.1 percent to hit 606,000 tons.

The Iranian national currency, rial, gave up some 20 percent against the US dollar in two weeks. Many in Iran over the past weeks rushed to hedge against depreciation of their assets amid fears over an imminent collapse of the nuclear deal and the return of economic sanctions.

First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri on Monday evening announced the government's decision to unify the countrys official and open market exchange rates.

Jahangiri, after an emergency cabinet meeting, appeared on TV to announce that from Tuesday the price of the US dollar would be 42,000 rials in both markets, and for all business activities.

The decision was made following recent fluctuations in the country after the rial declined to an all-time low and fell to 6,460 by Monday afternoon on the unregulated currency market.

Psychological behavior, growth in demand, getting assets out of the country, political and diplomatic tensions, as well as security concerns and risk of military confrontation, are believed to be among the main reasons behind the sharp plunge of the value of Irans national currency.

Back in February, the US dollar for the first time breached 50,000 Iranian rials when police in collaboration with the Central Bank of Iran arrested at least 90 currency traders, whom it blamed for deliberately driving the devaluation in order to profit from it.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has decided to turn to euro in making its financial statements.

The governor of the CBI, Valiollah Seif, has said that the country will use euro as reporting currency, IRNA news agency reported.

Changing the reporting currency from US dollar to euro is a rational decision, which has a major impact on the countrys economy, he said.

The Iranian national currency, rial, gave up some 20 percent against the US dollar in two weeks. Many in Iran over the past weeks rushed to hedge against depreciation of their assets amid fears over an imminent collapse of the nuclear deal and the return of economic sanctions.

First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri on Monday evening announced the government's decision to unify the countrys official and open market exchange rates.

Jahangiri, after an emergency cabinet meeting, appeared on TV to announce that from Tuesday the price of the US dollar would be 42,000 rials in both markets, and for all business activities.

The decision was made following recent fluctuations in the country after the rial declined to an all-time low and fell to 6,460 by Monday afternoon on the unregulated currency market.

Psychological behavior, growth in demand, getting assets out of the country, political and diplomatic tensions, as well as security concerns and risk of military confrontation, are believed to be among the main reasons behind the sharp plunge of the value of Irans national currency.

Back in February, the US dollar for the first time breached 50,000 Iranian rials when police in collaboration with the Central Bank of Iran arrested at least 90 currency traders, whom it blamed for deliberately driving the devaluation in order to profit from it.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday reiterated the importance of preserving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) while at the same time criticizing Tehran's missile program, IRNA reported.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Paris with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman after signing trade and economic deals worth 18 billion dollars, Macron said the differences of opinion between Paris and Riyadh over the JCPOA is tactical.

Claiming that there are some flaws in the JCPOA, he said France agrees with Saudi Arabia that Iran's ballistic missile program and its expansionist policies should be restricted.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian police in the capital city of Tehran have arrested 12 traders whom it blamed for deliberate depreciation for profits.

Tehran City Police Chief Brigadier-General Hossein Rahimi has said that the police seized cash money from the detainees on Tuesday, IRNA news agency reported.

Meanwhile, police in collaboration with Central Bank of Iran sealed 16 unauthorized exchange shops.

The move came as the Iranian national currency, the rial, gave up some 20 percent against the US dollar in two weeks.

Many in Iran over the past weeks rushed to hedge against depreciation of their assets amid fears over an imminent collapse of the nuclear deal and the return of economic sanctions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian presidential office has denied reports suggesting that President Hassan Rouhani had a meeting with Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri to discuss a possible decision on blocking messaging app Telegram.

No meeting and negotiation between the attorney general and the president on blocking Telegram has been held and the published reports in this regard are the sheer lie, a presidential office official told IRNA.

In addition to political purpose, the rumor makers are after creating discord among the officials of the country and provoking the nation, he added.

The official further added that no decision on blocking Telegram has been made by the government.

A number of media outlets have reported that Telegram, the most popular social media app in Iran, will be blocked nationwide.

Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, the telecommunications minister, has said that the app is used by an estimated 40 million users in the country, almost the half the population.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the Uruguayan president stressed the need for promoting bilateral ties in all fields, Irna reports.

During the meeting, Zarif pointed to traditional and regular ties between Iran and Uruguay based on mutual respect, stressing the necessity for all-out ties and diversifying cooperation.

Given presidency of Uruguay over Mercosur, he called for Irans further communications with the bloc through cooperation with the country and Brazil.

Mercosur is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asuncion in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Cooperation in the banking sector, agriculture, dam construction and knowledge-based companies were among the other topics discussed during the meeting.

The Uruguayan president, for his part, welcomed deepening of ties between Iran and Uruguay, calling for promotion of economic ties in all fields.

The Iranian foreign minister and his accompanying delegation arrived in Montevideo Wednesday morning as part of his tour of Africa and South America which already took him to Senegal and Brazil.

During his visit to Uruguay, Zarif is slated to hold talks with the countrys Senate chief and speaker of House of Representatives and vice president.

An economic meeting will also be held between the two countries foreign ministers.

After meeting with Uruguayan officials, Zarif will leave for Namibia.
The Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who is visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE), says that Georgia and UAE have high potential to further enhance bilateral ties, Agenda reports.

"Georgia and the United Arab Emirates enjoy growing investment opportunities. Local businesses are interested in investing in Georgia. Trade turnover between the two countries has also increased, the President of Georgia press office reported after Margvelashvilis meeting with Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi today.

The press office stated that the prince praised Georgias geopolitical location, linking western countries with the east, the countrys role in protecting international peace and the high level of security in Georgia.

During the meeting Margvelashvili also spoke about Russias illegal actions on the territory of Georgia and emphasized the importance of peaceful resolution to conflict.

The president is scheduled to end his visit in the Emirates tomorrow.
U.S. leading aerospace manufacturer Boeing Company (Boeing) announced Tuesday it had completed a deal on selling 50 of its new 737 MAX 10 airplanes to an Indonesian low-cost airline, XInhua reported.

Boeing said the latest deal with the Indonesian Lion Air Group, the country's largest privately run airline and the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia, is the largest incremental order to date of the MAX 10 variant worth about 6.24 billion U.S. dollars.

"This airplane delivers a new level of fuel efficiency and operating economics and fits with our fleet of modern airplanes," said Lion Air President Director Edward Sirait.

The 737 MAX 10, which is the largest variant in the family with a length of 43.8 meters, can transport a maximum of 230 passengers and offer airlines the lowest seat-mile cost ever in a single-aisle aircraft.

The 737 MAX model is the largest narrow-body airplane produced by Boeing that offers about 130 to 230 seats, with the ability to fly up to 7,130 kilometers.

Lion Air Group, also the second largest airline of Indonesia, was the first in the world to put the 737 MAX 8 into service and the first to order the 737 MAX 9. It became the first to receive the delivery of a 737 MAX 9 last month.

Boeing said the 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in history, accumulating more than 4,400 orders from 96 customers worldwide.

The Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer said in its first-quarter report Tuesday that it sold 132 Boeing 737 passenger jets in the first three months of 2018, a year-on-year increase of 16.8 percent.
The head of Air France KLM on Wednesday denounced trade unions demands for a 6 percent pay increase as unrealistic, as the airline braced for the start of a seventh day of strikes that have hurt its financial performance, Reuters reports.

Late on Tuesday, Air France doubled the 1 percent immediate pay increase previously offered to unions and proposed talks on a deal for the 2019-21 period, in response to union demands for a 6 percent wage hike.

The offer made by the management of Air France is both strong and reasonable, Air France KLMs chairman and chief executive Jean-Marc Janaillac told Europe 1 radio on Wednesday.

It would be irresponsible if the trade unions did not enter into talks, now that the management has held out its hand to them, said Janaillac, who also reiterated that the unions demands for a 6 percent rise were unrealistic.

The strikes have so far cost Air France 170 million euros ($210 million), and have contributed to travel disruption in France since they have coincided with railway strikes, held in protest against plans to reform the SNCF state rail firm.
ASL Airlines France is trying to grab a share of the market for direct flights between Tel Aviv and Paris by offering an especially low price: $275 for a round-trip flight. ASL will begin operating two weekly flights to Israel on July 3, competing with a range of rivals on direct flights to Paris, including El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL), Air France, Transavia Airlines, XL, Arkia Airlines, and easyJet, Globes reports.

Passenger traffic on the Tel Aviv-Paris route totaled over 855,000 passengers in 2017, 4% more than in the preceding year. Paris is the second most popular destination for Israelis after Istanbul, from where over 85% of passengers continue to other destinations.

This is a high-volume route with lively traffic. Despite the large number of airlines, there is still a shortage of seats, Jean-Francois Dominiak, who has been CEO of ASL since 2000, told Globes. Competition is a spur, not something that deters us. It's clear to us that we'll be able to take market share away from El Al, whose prices are double ours.

ASL is part of the ASL group, founded in Ireland, which includes a number of airlines from countries in Europe (Belgium, Spain, Ireland, and others). The group finished 2017 with a 1 billion turnover. The carrier's air fleet contains 140 airplanes and 2,500 staff from 52 countries. ASL France has a fleet of 15 airplanes and a turnover of 150 million. The company is in the midst of changing and adapting to a dynamic market. The low cost airlines are growing in France, too, as they are all over the world, Dominiak says. The adaptation includes extending its portfolio of charter flights to regular flights like the one on the route to Israel. The company began mostly as a cargo airline with an emphasis on passenger flights. Its business is now equally divided between cargo and passengers. ASL has also developed a plane that can be converted from a cargo plane to a passenger plane in 20 minutes.

El Al faces growing competition. Our strong point is service, and that's how we want passengers to distinguish us. It sounds like a slogan, but it's something that we apply in practice, Dominiak declares. The company's planes are narrow-bodied with 150 seats, including 14 in business class. The small airliner enables us to achieve full occupancy, and reflects a streamlining model that is expressed in the ticket price, he explains.
Israel held top-level security consultations on Wednesday amid concern it could be targeted by Syria if the United States strikes Syrian government forces over an alleged poison gas assault, Reuters reports.

A member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet and Israeli strategic affairs experts voiced doubt that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, embroiled in a protracted civil war, would risk direct conflict with Israel.

But they said Israel - which has the regions most powerful military - was taking seriously an Iranian threat to respond to a strike on Monday on an airbase on Syria which Damascus, Tehran and Moscow have blamed on Israel.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied carrying out the attack.
At least 20 people were killed on Tuesday when inmates attempted to escape from a prison in northern Brazil, official sources said, Xinhua reported.

The event took place at 1 p.m. local time in the Santa Izabel Prison Complex, in the northern city of Belem, capital of the state of Para, when a group of armed men attacked the prison and sought to help some prisoners escape, according to public security officials.

Nineteen of the dead have been identified as prisoners and their supporters trying to rescue them from outside. One prison guard also died. Four other guards were injured, one severely, said public security officials of Para state.

According to the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Defense of Para, a group of prisoners began a riot with kidnapping six security guards. Meanwhile, their allies outside attacked one of the gates with explosives, to which the guards reacted by opening fire.
Two flight recorders have been found at the crash site of a Mil Mi-8 helicopter in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, a crisis team source told TASS.

"Two flight recorders have been found and handed over to investigators," the source said.

Search activities at the crash site have been completed, an investigation is underway.

The Mi-8 helicopter, owned by the Vostok air carrier, crashed during a training flight, killing all six crew members on board. The helicopter caught fire upon impact, wreckage was spread across an area of about one kilometer.

A criminal case was launched into the accident.
A potential conflict between Russia and the United States in Syria may turn the tide in the entire Middle East region, Turkish National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli told 24TV television on Wednesday, TASS reports.

"If an attack occurs against the forces [in Syria] backed by Russia or there is an attack by the US-supported forces, Russia wont be able to stay away, otherwise it will lose its influence. So, serious clashes may start," the minister said, noting that this threat has existed for a long time and will be relevant in the future.

"Just one spark may set the entire region on fire and open the door for the conflict. So, we are calling on the parties [Russia and the US] to act with restraint and on the regime [of Bashar Assad] to stop supporting terrorist organizations," Canikli said.

Tensions mounted amid the alleged April 7 chemical attack in Douma, in Eastern Ghouta. The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected the report as fake news, and representatives of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties visited Douma on April 9, but did not find any traces of chemical weapons there.

The United States is deploying to the Mediterranean Sea a strike group of US warships, led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. The strike group also includes the USS Normandy guided-missile cruiser and four guided-missile destroyers.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would decide on whether to respond militarily in the wake of the alleged chemical attack in Syria within the next 24-48 hours.
The Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has stated its readiness to send experts to Syria at the end of the week, Russias OPCW Envoy Alexander Shulgin said in a live broadcast of Rossiya 1 TV Channel on Wednesday, TASS reports.

"Yesterday we turned together with our Syrian partners to the OPCW Technical Secretariat with a call to immediately send OPCW experts to Damascus without any delay to make it clear what happened there. The Syrians promised to create all the necessary conditions for the experts work while we promised to take care of the experts security. The Technical Secretariat stated its readiness to send experts at the end of this week," the envoy said.
The defense lawyers of the messenger Telegram have asked Moscows Tagansky court to postpone pre-trial consideration of the lawsuit filed by the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, lawyer Pavel Chikov, who represents the companys interests said in his Telegram channel, TASS reports.

"Telegram has been identified as a participant in the trial. Its representatives are asking the court to postpone the interview till a later date, which will give them the time to see the case files and get ready. A corresponding request has been dispatched to the Tagansky court," the lawyer said.

Chikov said that lawyer Ramil Akhmetgaliyev would represent Telegrams interests in court on Thursday.

"The interview is a rather formal stage. The court will set a date for preliminary hearings or for considering the case on the merits. No important matters will be decided tomorrow," Chizhov said.

Earlier, Roskomnadzor set a 15-day deadline for the messenger to provide the source codes required for reading suspicious users messages. The watchdogs press-service said in a statement that otherwise it would go to court to press for imposing restrictions on access to the messengers Internet resources in Russian territory. The Tagansky court received Roskomnadzors lawsuit on April 6.
Turkeys Metcap Energy Investments and Qatars Fusion Dynamics will invest a total of $5.2 billion in Turkey, the companies said in a joint statement, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

The 50-50 percent held joint venture, Metcap Petrochemicals, will build and operate a $4 billion natural gas-based chemical facility in the Thrace region.

The venture will also invest $1.2 billion in natural gas power stations in the northwestern Krklaraeli province and the central Karaman province.

These power stations will meet some 5 percent of Turkeys total electricity need when they become operational, according to the statement.

The companies, which inked the deal in Ankara, pledged to complete all investments until 2023.

Metcap Energy Investments reached 5,000 megawatts (MW) installed power in wind, solar and natural gas power stations in the last five years, according to the statement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Turkey on April 16, the Turkish media reported April 11.

Stoltenberg is expected to meet with the Turkish officials during the visit.

During the meetings, a number of regional issues, including the settlement of the Syrian crisis, the Operation Olive Branch in Syrias Afrin district will be discussed.

On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.

On Aug. 24, 2016, Turkish Armed Forces, with the support of the Syrian opposition, launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against the IS militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11

Trend:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences to the President of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika over the heavy loss of human life in the crash of a military transport plane near Boufarik airdrome.

The President of Turkey wished the families of the victims, as well as the "brotherly Algerian people" patience and endurance.

"In case of invincibility, we are ready to provide any support to our Algerian brothers," says Erdogan's condolences sent to President Bouteflika.

The crash of an Ilyushin-76TD military transport plane in Algeria on Wednesday claimed 257 lives, Algerias government-run television said. The Algerian Air Forces transport plane, en route from Boufarik via Tindouf to Bechar, in the countrys southwest, crashed minutes after taking off from the airdrome of a military base in Boufarik, 50 kilometers south of the capital Algiers. The plane crashed on a farm field and caught fire.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 12

Trend:

A telephone conversation was held between the Presidents of Turkey and the US Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump, Turkish media reported.

The parties discussed the latest developments in Syria during the talks.

The territory of the T-4 airfield in the Syrian province of Homs was subjected to a missile attack on Monday, during which the citizens of the SAR were wounded and killed. The authorities of the affected country blamed Israel for a massive blow.
Governor Greg Abbott is boosting the number of Texas National Guard stationed on the US southern border to more than 1,000, the state's Military Department said in a press release on Tuesday, Sputnik reported.

"Abbott announced his commitment of additional National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border in support of the Trump Administration's call to enhance security along the US border," the release said.

The governor said the increase will push the number of Texas state military personnel at the border to more than 1,000, according to the release.

"The addition of National Guard on the border has proven to have a meaningful impact to reduce the flow of people and illegal activities coming across the border," Abbott was quoted as saying in the release.

On Monday, the US state of Arizona increased its National Guard presence on the southern border to 338 troops. The Arizona national guard said the troop deployment would help US federal border agents by providing air support and reconnaissance capabilities to counter criminal cross-border trafficking in drugs, humans, and arms.

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced the federal government would ask Governors from border states to deploy between 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border to support border patrol agents.
Russia should get ready to shoot down missiles fired at Syria, US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, TASS reports.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope that "all countries will refrain from steps that, on the one hand, would be totally unwarranted and on the other hand, may exacerbate the already fragile situation in the region."

He added that Russia called for an unbiased investigation into allegations about Syrian chemical weapons.
Relations between the United States and Russia are currently worse than they have ever been, US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, adding that the current arms race needs to be stopped, TASS reports.

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?" the tweet reads.

Since taking office, Trump has been emphasizing the need to improve relations with Moscow but bilateral relations have been deteriorating in the past year. Washington several times imposed sanctions on Russia and expelled Russian diplomats twice. Besides, Russias consulates in San Francisco and Seattle were closed.

The US president said earlier on Wednesday that Russia should get ready to shoot down missiles fired at Syria.
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KYODO NEWS - Apr 11, 2018 - 07:24 | All, World

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday voted against a U.S.-drafted resolution that would have established a new body to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

While the United States and 11 other countries backed the resolution, Russia vetoed it at a meeting of the 15-member council. Bolivia also opposed it while China abstained.

(Getty/Kyodo)

The development came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he is considering a military response against Saturday's alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria's Douma.

The Security Council also turned down a Russia-drafted resolution to launch an expert body to ascertain responsibility for Syria chemical attacks. Six voted in favor of the motion, seven voted against it and two abstained. Another Russian resolution welcoming an international investigation of the latest attack was rejected, too.

In Paris, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe called for a strong and resolute reaction from the international community to the attack in a unified manner.

He said in a speech in parliament that the use of chemical weapons is a violation of international law and accused the regime led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Philippe did not mention a possible military response against the chemical weapons attack being reportedly considered by the United States and some other nations including France and Britain.

(Getty/Kyodo)

In the meantime, the international chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said it will send a fact-finding mission to Douma to investigate the reported attack.

The watchdog said it has requested the Syrian government to make the necessary arrangements for such a deployment. Syria and Russia have also asked the OPWC to send a mission.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 11, 2018 - 20:00 | Arts

The Kasumigaseki Building, known as the first skyscraper in Japan, held a lighting-up ceremony Wednesday in Tokyo marking the 50th anniversary of its completion, operator Mitsui Fudosan Co. said.

The 36-story office building with a height of 147 meters was completed on April 12, 1968, in Kasumigaseki -- home to a number of government ministries -- in the wake of deregulation on buildings' heights in the 1960s. The building became a harbinger of the current high-rise area in the capital.

Japanese digital artist Akira Hasegawa, a supervisor of the event, and Japanese actress Yu Aoi were among the guests at the ceremony.

Visitors can observe the lighting-up on weekdays between Thursday and May 31 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 11, 2018 - 21:54 | Urgent, All, Japan

A massive landslide engulfed houses in a tourist spot in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Oita early Wednesday, leaving one person dead and five others unaccounted for and severing a road leading to the site, local authorities said.

While landslides are often triggered by heavy rain or earthquakes, none were reported in the area at the time. Geological experts later attributed the landslide to weathering of the bedrock.

In a news conference later in the day, a team made up of such experts and officials sent by the government revealed the landslide was triggered by a crack on the surface of the bedrock due to weathering, and believes underground water had limited effect.

A mountain slope collapsed behind a group of houses at around 3:50 a.m. in the area of Yabakei, located in the scenic Yabakei valley. The collapsed slope, covered in cedar, was about 200 meters in width and 100 meters in height, police said.

Yoshinori Iwashita, 45, was confirmed dead after rescue workers found him in the debris, according to the municipal government of Nakatsu. The Yabakei area is under the jurisdiction of Nakatsu city.

Five women aged between 21 and 90 remain unaccounted for. Iwashita and the five were living in three of the four houses hit by the landslide.

Some 200 police officers and firefighters are searching the area, while the Self-Defense Forces also launched a rescue mission at the site after the Oita prefectural government called for help.

A local meteorological observatory said it recorded no rainfall of 0.5 millimeters or over in the area in the 24 hours to 4 a.m.

"I'm worried because all the residents are acquaintances," said a 76-year-old man living some 2 kilometers from the landslide site, adding he felt that the ground in the area had loosened after major earthquakes struck Kumamoto and Oita prefectures in 2016.

"Although it's rare, a landslide could occur even without rainfall immediately before," said Hiroyuki Ono of Sabo & Landslide Technical Center, citing previous cases where past rainfall and underground water were factors that may have played a role in triggering a landslide.

Ono suspects there may have been several small landslides rather than one large one.

Yasuhiro Mitani, a professor of geotechnics at Kyushu University, said the slope may have been eroded by rain and "a crack on the mountain surface may have collapsed with the passage of time."

The area has been designated by the prefectural government as a special area in which potential landslides could damage buildings and threaten the lives of residents.

While the prefectural government built fences to prevent rocks from falling down the mountain after wind struck down trees there in 1991, the fences do not prevent landslides.

Large rocks measuring several square meters crushed the fences and rolled down in the latest landslide.

The area is part of the Yabahitahikosan quasi-national park and is in the scenic Yabakei valley, which attracts about 800,000 tourists yearly, according to the municipal government.
Homeo preventive drug against COVID-19 for Kerala school students

The nitty-gritty of the distribution of the homeo preventive medicine in schools would be taken after a meeting with Education Minister V Sivankutty.
Description

Investors Bank Presents The Art of Thriving Conference for

Professionals at Nonprofits in Queens and on Long Island

Keynote presentation will address the topic of How to Manage in Turbulent Times

New Hyde Park, New York (March 26, 2018)  Investors Bank is presenting the Art of Thriving Not-for-Profit Conference on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., at the Inn at New Hyde Park, which is located at 214 Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park. The keynote speaker is Edward Henry, President and CEO, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and his presentation is titled How to Manage in Turbulent Times. The Conference program will also include a panel discussion and a session on the new tax law as well as time for networking and opportunities to meet with the Investors Bank team.

Admission to the Conference is free, and pre-registration is recommended, since seating is limited. Leaders and professionals from not-for-profit organizations in Queens and Long Island are invited to attend the Conference. Frequently, the Conference attendees includes executive directors, development staff, board members, program managers, and volunteers from not-for-profit sector. Professionals from nonprofits can register by visiting the following website: myinvestorsbank.com/nynfp.

Providing resources for nonprofit organizations is a large part of who we are as a bank, said Jennifer Smith, Investors Banks Community Development Officer. The Conference is an opportunity for us to reach out to community organizations within the Banks footprint in New York and New Jersey. Our goal is to facilitate networking opportunities while providing access to experts in fundraising, financial management, operations and nonprofit tax law.

The speakers during the panel discussion will provide case studies and guidance about how nonprofits can develop strategic plans to achieve their visions. The panelists include key executives from local not-for-profit organizations:

David M. Rottkamp, CPA, Partner-in-Charge of the New York City Office and the Not-for-Profit Practice Leader at Grassi & Company, will discuss the impact of the recent Federal tax reform legislation.

For more information or details about the Conference, contact Investors Bank Community Development Officer Jennifer Smith at 718-330-3830 or by email at jlsmith@investorsbank.com. More information is available at #ArtofThriving.

Investors Banks website is www.myinvestorsbank.com, and the Bank can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

Contacts:

Scott Agnoli, Investors Bank Bob Rinklin, Essential Public Relations

973.924.5175, sagnoli@investorsbank.com 973.768.2425, Rinklin@comcast.net
Description

The YMCA of Long Island is excited to announce that registration for the Run for a Cause: YMCA 5K Series, has officially opened. The series of three 5K run/walk events, which will take place between April and June, are intended to help encourage Long Islanders to participate in events throughout Long Island; including Patchogue, Huntington, and Great South Bay; bringing all YMCA branches and their greater community together for a variety of great causes.



The Run for a Cause: YMCA 5K Series will kick off on April 8th with the Patchogue Family YMCA race at ShoreFront Park, benefitting the Ys Diabetes Prevention Program in honor of Brendan Barrett of the Sayville Running Company. The second installment of the series, at the Huntington YMCA on April 22, raises funds to support child abuse awareness, protection, and recovery programs, and services for children in need. The final event will be held at the Great South Bay YMCA facility on June 2, with proceeds benefiting cancer survivors through financial assistance. The final event will also pay tribute to Sharde Lamneck, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer back in September. Lamneck worked as the Director of Membership Sales & Engagement at Great South Bay YMCA.
Defense

Transcom head warns of cyber risks to civilian infrastructure

Air Force Gen. Darren McDew, head of the U.S. Transportation Command, told lawmakers at that the commercial companies the military depends on to move troops and material are too vulnerable to cyberattacks.

The U.S. military relies heavily on the commercial transportation sector when it comes to large-scale troop mobilization, McDew said at an April 10 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. McDew said that commercial carriers supply 90 percent of the capacity to take troops to war, and 40 percent of material movement is accomplished with vendors in the cargo industry.

While the Department of Defense is able to impose strict cybersecurity standards on its own systems, it has limited capacity to bring contractors up to those same security levels.

"The ones most vulnerable are the ones I don't own," McDew said. "Thats commercial industry."

Cyberattacks don't have to knock planes out of the sky or incapacitate cargo ships to be successful. Even attacks that appear to simply have nuisance value can harm the U.S. military's ability to respond in a time of war.

"The reality of our time is that adversaries no longer have to stop us with bombs or bullets; all they have to do is slow us down with ones and zeroes," McDew said. He went on to specify that "every one of our potential adversaries understands our vulnerabilities in rail."

McDew noted that Transcom has the authority to inspect cyber defenses at contractors. "That's a relatively new one that we've not exercised yet," he said. But McDew noted that without national cybersecurity standards, the command may have problems attracting vendors who are willing to commit to securing their systems.

"We put cyber standards in every one of our contracts. They're not as stringent as we want them to be, but we're trying to work with industry to bring them along," McDew said. "If we push them too fast and too hard, without the help of Congress and a national standard, I'm not sure they'll stick with us."

U.S. Transcom is also taking a leadership role in cloud computing. In his written testimony, McDew said that already 25 percent of Transcom programs and applications are in the cloud and that the command is serving as a "pathfinder" for the Defense Department. The command "is setting conditions for success for the rest of the DOD," McDew said. "We'll proudly continue to serve as the pathfinder for defense cloud computing. Moving to the cloud not only improves security, it is also a key requirement in harnessing the power of data."

McDew did not mention and was not asked about a recent Pentagon move to scale back a $950 million cloud contract with Amazon reseller REAN Cloud. The deal was made under "other transaction authority," but it was protested by Oracle and eventually rescoped.

Cloud adoption is just one piece of a larger technological transformation planned for Transcom. The agency has partnered with the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), the Defense Digital Services and the Strategic Capabilities Office to plan an enterprise "data lake" and tap artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous systems.

"Focusing on these technologies will also allow the enterprise to pursue a future in autonomous systems -- trucks that drive themselves, ships that can navigate oceans without human inputs and wide-body aircraft that can land on their own," McDew said.
Netflix's latest original series is a true-life spy story. The Spy chronicles Eli Cohen, who lived in Damascus and was spying for Israel in the '60s, according to Deadline. Cohen's cover was blown and he was publicly hanged in 1965. Writing and directing duties are being handled by Gideon Raff, who created the program that Showtime's Homeland series was based upon. As for who's in front of the camera, Sacha Baron Cohen will play the lead role.

If you're worried that this will be another series that Netflix will run into the ground, well past its logical conclusion point, don't fret. Deadline reports that The Spy is a limited event, with six episodes total. There isn't a specific release date, but Netflix promised to offer 700 new original shows and movies in 2018. So, maybe we'll see it sooner rather than later.
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U.S. Supreme Court. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi / ALM [/caption] The FBI search of Trump attorney Michael Cohens office triggered widespread speculation about the contours of the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege. But dont look to the U.S. Supreme Court for much enlightenment. Four years ago, the justices passed on an opportunity to fill in the blanks left open by the court's last substantive ruling on the crime-fraud exceptionthe 1989 decision in United States v. Zolin. Communication between a lawyer and a client that is intended to further a crime or fraud is not protected by the attorney-client privilege. President Donald Trump bemoaned the death of the attorney-client privilege after the Cohen raid, to which one critic replied: "Long live the crime-fraud exception." Since 1989, federal district and appellate courts have taken a variety of sometimes conflicting approaches to open questions concerning the exception: When can a judge interview a lawyer in chambers to evaluate whether the crime-fraud exception applies, and what is the ultimate standard of proof for applying the crime-fraud exception? Attorneys from Blank Rome in 2014 filed a petition for review in In re Grand Jury Subpoena, No. 14M14, urging the court to take up the crime-fraud exception. They argued that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in its approach to the crime-fraud exception, had significantly eroded the attorney-client privilege. Blank Rome's petition arose from a grand jury investigation into alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The grand jury served a subpoena on the attorney for the clientthe corporations presidentand the company itself, a Pennsylvania consulting firm. The government moved to enforce the subpoena based on the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege. After questioning the attorney in chambers, the district court found the exception applied and required the attorney to testify. The client and corporation appealed to the Third Circuit, challenging the judge's interview of the lawyer, the procedures the district court used for the examination and the ultimate finding that the exception applied. The Third Circuit affirmed the district court. The attorney had advised the client not to make a $3.5 million payment to a foreign bankers sister to ensure that the banker, who worked for a bank owned by several foreign nations, moved swiftly on the financing of three projects. The attorney had informed the client about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, but the client insisted his proposed payment would not violate the law. The Third Circuit held that the district court properly applied the Supreme Courts test for in camera examination of documents to determine whether the crime-fraud exception applies. In 1989, the justices in the Zolin case said district courts should require the government, using nonprivileged evidence, to make a showing of a factual basis adequate to support a good faith belief by a reasonable person that in camera review of the materials may reveal evidence to establish the claim that the crime-fraud exception applies. But what about an in camera live interview of the attorney? The Supreme Court did not exclude oral communications and also did not address them. The Third Circuit, despite acknowledging different concerns than with examination of documents, rejected requiring a higher showing by the government and said the same Zolin standard should apply. In its petition to the Supreme Court, Blank Rome asked the justices to determine the appropriate threshold standard that must be met before a judge can conduct an in-chambers interview with a lawyer about unrecorded oral communications. Some scholars report that although Zolin did not specify the amount of proof needed to trigger in camera review, all the courts that have addressed the issue agree it is very low. The Supreme Court in Zolin also declined to clarify the amount of proof the governmentor the moving party in a civil actionmust produce to compel the ultimate disclosure of the privileged information.

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Michael Cohen

Not surprisingly, the Blank Rome petition also asked the justices to decide what was the ultimate standard that must be met before the government could overcome the attorney-client privilege by alleging a crime or fraud. The Justice Department's solicitor general office waived a response to the case, and the justices denied the petition, without comment, in November 2014. No one knows yet what role, if any, the crime-fraud exception will play in the Cohen investigation. But it has already been used in Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation. On Oct. 30, Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed an order granting Mueller's motion to compel former counsel to Paul Manafort Jr. and a business associate, Richard Gates, to testify before a grand jury regarding certain aspects of her prior representations. Howell rejected their former counsels assertions of attorney-client privilege and attorney work product protection, finding that the information sought by the special counselsources relied on by the attorney for two Foreign Agent Registration Act submissionsfell within the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege. Read more: Crime-Fraud Exception Raises Questions for Cohen Raid After FBI Raid, Squire Says It Severed Ties to Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen FBI Raids the Offices of Trump's Personal Attorney, Michael Cohen Akin Gump Lawyer Was Compelled to Testify at Manafort Grand Jury Ex-King & Spalding Partner Robert Hur Follows Rosenstein as Maryland US Attorney
FILE PHOTO: The exterior of a Barnes & Noble Booksellers store is seen in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., June 17, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court revived a lawsuit seeking to hold Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS.N) responsible for customer losses from a 2012 data breach, where fraudsters tampered with payment verification machines known as PIN pads at 63 bookstores in nine U.S. states.

In a 3-0 decision on Wednesday, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said victims deserved a chance to seek damages for buying credit monitoring services, losing access to their money while banks reversed unauthorised charges, and spending time to set matters right.

Circuit Judge Frank Easterbrook said a lower court judge wrongly concluded that the plaintiffs, Heather Dieffenbach of California and Susan Winstead of Illinois, lacked legal standing to sue over the "skimming" of credit and debit card data, including PIN numbers.

But he said they face challenges, because state laws did not expressly make retailers liable for failing to "crime-proof" their payment systems, and it was "far from clear" that customers' claims were similar enough to justify a class action.

The breached PIN pads were in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Barnes & Noble spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating declined to comment. Erich Schork, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he was pleased with the decision and looks forward to further litigation.

The case was returned to U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood in Chicago, who dismissed the lawsuit last June.

The case is Dieffenbach et al v Barnes & Noble Inc, 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 17-2408.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Diane Craft)
Last October, I took Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) to task for launching an attack against Bombardier, Inc. (OTCMKTS:BDRBF).

Boeing complained that Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) ordering Bombadiers CSeries jets unfairly hurt Boeing. As a result, a 220% tariff was placed on the Canadian-made jets.

I said then that this action would hurt the much smaller Canadian aircraft manufacturer in the short-term but would end up hurting Boeing stock in the long run.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

In the past, Ive defended Boeings right to protect the best interests of the company.

However, in the case of the 220% duties, I felt as though the fight with Bombardier was beneath it. Youre Boeing, I thought to myself; the worlds biggest manufacturer of commercial aircraft. Why do you feel the need to kick sand in the face of a 90-pound weakling?

Boeings Childish Actions

In my opinion, Boeings actions were over-the-top and unnecessary, and as a result, I recommended investors back away from Boeing stock. I wrote on October 9, 2017:

Today, Im having major doubts about the company and its stock. Because what its doing to Bombardier reeks of cronyism; in fact, Boeing is acting a lot like a spoiled child wanting his or her way. For that reason, Im recommending that if you own BA stock you should reconsider your position and, if you dont, I think you should stay away until the company resembles a world-class business and not a petulant child.

It wasnt easy for me to say as Id been very supportive of Boeing stock as far back as 2013 when I called it an excellent long-term buy.

It was trading at $75 when I said that.

Thankfully, Boeing came to its senses March 23, confirming that it would not appeal the decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission who overturned the Commerce Departments heavy-handed tariffs and duties against Bombardier.

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Boeing Stock Heading to the Clouds

Just as I didnt know Boeing stock would hit $365, a compound annual growth rate of 37% when I recommended it in January 2013, I dont know when it will ascend into the clouds, but dropping its petty fight is the beginning of what should be a long runway to growth.

James Brumley, my InvestorPlace colleague, recently explained why Boeing would weather a trade war with China. If you want to read a balanced analysis of how Boeing may or may not be affected by a trade war, you should take the time to check out his piece.

For me, Im going to stick with what I know to be true about Boeing and not conjecture or speculation. Sure, its possible that Boeing will end up getting burned by a trade war  23% of its planes are sold to Chinese carriers  but its equally possible that its 777X and 737 MAX aircraft will be bigger successes than industry predictions.

In business, like in life, we tend to exaggerate both the negative and positive things happening around us. We work and live somewhere in the middle.

As Brumley alluded to, investors waste a lot of energy worrying about things that never happen.

Bottom Line

Now that Im back on Boeing wagon, I do believe that Boeing stock could deliver 20%-25% compound annual growth over the next five years. If it does, a $1,000 stock price is not out of the realm of possibility.

A lots got to go right mind you, but with $11.5 billion in free cash flow, by far its best result in the companys history, good things can happen if it stays away from the schoolyard shenanigans.

As of this writing Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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When the chip and pin credit cards took over, they added security to a famously insecure system. Instead of a magnetic strip, the chip provided much-needed encryption to combat fraud. But the signature part of the process has remained  until now.

Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express will stop requiring signatures for credit card transactions. Target and Walmart both plan to get rid of the process as well, the New York Times recently reported.

The calculus for these networks is simple: no one actually looks at these signatures, and even if a person signed, Please help me get out of this awful date, the server or bartender would never notice. Coupled with credit card chips security features, getting rid of signatures is not even really a trade-off, but rather a trimming of the fat.

But theres a big boon here for stores and customers: check-out times should drop and lines should get shorter.

Chip cards already are slow, and processing companies have been hard at work to make sure a long wait when you insert a chip card doesnt sully the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. Square has gotten the chip card processing time down to 3.6 seconds, for example.

We just keep iterating and making it as fast as we can, Square (and Twitter) CEO Jack Dorsey told Yahoo Finance last year. Most of our competitors are 11 seconds right now. Its just bad engineering. The chip card wait time is terrible.

Getting rid of signatures on low-value transactions under $25 has been more common as a way to further trim the wait. At no-cash establishments that usually dont have charges over $25  coffee shops and fast casual restaurants, for example  the signature-free process is impressively fast. Its close to the speed in the Life Takes Visa commercials.

Not everyone will be participating, however. Retailers could always go the extra step and ask customers to sign, even if Visa doesnt require it. In fact, Square is not planning on providing the signature opt-out for retailers, unless the transaction is under $25  the policy thats currently in place.

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Square told Yahoo Finance that the move to keep signatures for now isnt out of love for signatures, suggesting they may decide to make a change in the future.

Were encouraged by the current industry shift around signature requirements, as anything that improves the checkout experience is important to our sellers, a Square spokesperson said.

The line may be getting faster, but there could be a line-free world soon enough. Experimentation and innovation in the checkout process isnt just around the corner  its already here thanks to Amazon Go stores and other technology that could shake up the entire experience. But for now, consumers in line can get a little bit of their lives back.



Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Confidential tip line: FinanceTips[at]oath[.com].

Read more:

Why Mexico wont ever pay for Trumps wall: treason

Mexican business leaders have already moved on from Nafta

Trumps blustery tweets could undermine his China negotiations
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

By Kevin Yao and Elias Glenn

BOAO/BEIJING, China (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping promised on Tuesday to open the country's economy further and lower import tariffs on products like cars, in a speech seen as an attempt to defuse an escalating trade dispute with the United States.

While much of his pledges were reiterations of previously announced reforms that foreign businesses say are long overdue, Xi's comments sent stock markets and the U.S. dollar higher on hopes of a compromise that could avert a trade war.[MKTS/GLOB]

Xi said China will widen market access for foreign investors, addressing a chief complaint of its trading partners and a point of contention for U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which has threatened billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese goods.

Trump struck a conciliatory tone in response to Xi's speech, saying in a post on Twitter that he was "thankful" for the Chinese leader's kind words on tariffs and access for U.S. automakers, as well as his "enlightenment" on the issue of intellectual property.

"We will make great progress together!" Trump tweeted.

Washington charges that Chinese companies steal the trade secrets of American companies and force them into joint ventures to get hold of their technology, an issue that is at the centre of Trump's current tariff threats.

The latest comments from both leaders appear to reinforce a view that a full-scale trade war can be averted, although there have been no talks between the world's two economic superpowers since the U.S. tariffs were announced.

"President Xis speech appears to have struck a relatively positive tone and opens the door to potential negotiations with the U.S. in our view. The focus now shifts to the possible U.S. response," economists at Nomura said.

"But of course actions speak louder than words. We will keep an eye on the progress of those opening-up measures."

The speech at the Boao Forum for Asia in the southern province of Hainan had been widely anticipated as one of Xi's first major addresses in a year in which the ruling Communist Party marks the 40th anniversary of its landmark economic reforms and opening up under former leader Deng Xiaoping.

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Xi said China would raise the foreign ownership limit in the automobile, shipbuilding and aircraft sectors "as soon as possible" and push previously announced measures to open the financial sector.

"This year, we will considerably reduce auto import tariffs, and at the same time reduce import tariffs on some other products," Xi said.

He said "Cold War mentality" and arrogance had become obsolete and would be repudiated. His speech did not specifically mention the United States or its trade policies, which have been assailed by Chinese state media in recent days.

Vice Premier Liu He had already vowed at the World Economic Forum in January that China would roll out fresh market opening moves this year, and that it would lower auto import tariffs in an "orderly way".

Chinese officials have promised since at least 2013 to ease restrictions on foreign joint ventures in the auto industry, which would allow foreign firms to take a majority stake. They currently are limited to a 50 percent stake in joint ventures and cannot establish their own wholly owned factories.

Tesla's Chief Executive Elon Musk has railed against an unequal playing field in China and wants to retain full ownership over a manufacturing facility the company is in talks to build there.

"This is a very important action by China. Avoiding a trade war will benefit all countries," Musk tweeted after Xi's speech.

Foreign business groups welcomed Xi's commitment to reforms, including promises to strengthen legal deterrence on intellectual property violators, but said the speech fell short on specifics.

"Ultimately U.S. industry will be looking for implementation of long-stalled economic reforms, but actions to date have greatly undermined the optimism of the U.S. business community," said Jacob Parker, vice president of China operations at the U.S.-China Business Council.

EASING OF TENSION

Jonas Short, head of the Beijing office at Everbright Sun Hung Kai, said the market was cheered by Xi's speech because it was framed in more positive terms which could ease trade tensions, but he voiced caution about promised reforms.

"China is opening sectors where they already have a distinct advantage, or a stranglehold over the sector," Short said, citing its banking industry, which is dominated by domestic players.

Xi's renewed pledges to open up the auto sector come after Trump on Monday criticised China on Twitter for maintaining 25 percent auto import tariffs compared to the United States' 2.5 percent duties, calling such a relationship with China not free trade but "stupid trade."

Analysts have cautioned that any Chinese concessions on autos, while welcome, would be a relatively easy win for China to offer the United States, as plans for opening that sector had been under way well before Trump took office.

But Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming said at the forum on Tuesday that China's economic reforms were driven by domestic factors and not due to external pressures.

Xi said China would accelerate opening up its insurance industry, with Shanghai Securities News citing a government researcher after the speech saying foreign investors should be able to hold a controlling stake or even full ownership of an insurance company in the future.

Trump's move last week to threaten China with tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods was aimed at forcing Beijing to address what Washington says is deeply entrenched theft of U.S. intellectual property and forced technology transfers from U.S. companies.

Chinese officials deny such charges, and responded within hours of Trump's announcement of tariffs with their own proposed commensurate duties.

The move prompted Trump last week to threaten tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goods, which have yet to be identified. None of the announced duties have been implemented yet, offering room for negotiation.

Beijing charges that Washington is the aggressor and spurring global protectionism, although China's trading partners have complained for years that it abuses World Trade Organization rules and practices unfair industrial policies that lock foreign companies out of crucial sectors with the intent of creating domestic champions.

While U.S. officials, including Trump, have recently expressed optimism that the two sides would hammer out a trade deal, Chinese officials in recent days have said negotiations would be impossible under "current circumstances".

Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan, on a visit to Beijing, said he was optimistic that very few if any of the proposed tariffs by the United States and China announced in recent weeks will actually be implemented.

"I think its so clearly in the interest of both countries that we have a constructive trading relationship and that we have substantive talks to redress these issues.

(Additional reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu, Shu Zhang, Adam Jourdan and Makini Brice in Washington; Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Sam Holmes, Kim Coghill and Bernadette Baum)
Russia has boasted it is practising shooting down missiles as the countrys parliamentary hardliners demanded a military response to any US air strike on Syria. (Reuters)

Russia doesnt have the financial capability to retaliate to a military intervention in Syria by the US.

Thats according to a former senior aide to Vladimir Putin, who has told Yahoo Finance UK that threats from Moscow of a backlash against the US are completely unfounded.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump warned  in a tweet  that military action in Syria would be is imminent, declaring missiles will be coming.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

That follows a round of provocative statements from both Washington and Moscow that has made the prospect of any diplomatic solution increasingly unlikely.

The President said: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

He added: Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

US President Donald Trump today warned Russia about supporting Bashar al-Assad in Syria and said US missiles will be coming. (AP)

Trump has been in talks with Britain and France to secure a joint response to the suspected chemical weapons attack in the rebel- held town of Douma.

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But Russia has warned against military action and said it will shoot down rockets fired at its ally.

Alexander Zasypkin, Moscows ambassador to Lebanon, warned that the federations military will shoot down missiles and even the sources that launched them.

And Russias UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia said Washington would bear responsibility for any illegal military adventure it carries out.

However, according to Andrei Illarionov, Putins senior economic adviser for six years, Russias warning against US military action will not be backed up with military might.

Dont take seriously all the statements, he told Yahoo Finance UK. Its part of a propaganda campaign.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with his former chief economic advisor Andrei Illarionov (Getty)

What kind of backlash? I dont see it. The military expenditure of Russia is about $60bn. The military expenditure of the United States is up to $700bn. With all military expenditure with NATO the relation is maybe one to 20.

How many battleships does the US and Nato have in the Mediterranean compared to Russia. Its incomparable.

The UKs position

Theresa May has agreed with her American and French counterparts that the international community needs to respond.

The Prime Minister spoke to Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday and Downing Street said the three leaders agreed that the international community needed to respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

Theresa May held separate calls with the two leaders on Tuesday. (Getty)

A spokeswoman said Mrs May held separate calls with the two leaders on Tuesday and that they agreed the reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria were utterly reprehensible and that they would continue working closely together.

However, on Wednesday, General Sir Richard Barrons, Commander Joint Forces Command from April 2013 until April 2016 said any strikes needed to be at scale, with allies and if necessary repeated until conditions change.

He said: Well I think the likely outcome is that action will be taken because it must be taken.
There is no doubt that the new tax law has been a big positive for railroads and should be instrumental in driving growth for the industry. The new tax law apart, other factors like a buoyant U.S. economy and intermodal growth act as major tailwinds for this key sector.

These positives notwithstanding, there are a few factors that raise concerns for railroads. Lets dig deep on the subject.

Sluggish Automotive Production  A Key Challenge

Weakness in the automotive sector has been hurting railroads for quite some time, with domestic production declining substantially. The scenario was not vastly different in the final quarter of 2017 as well. Results of major railroad operators like Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) were hurt by soft automotive volumes.

Whats worse is that the situation is unlikely to improve in the current year.

Union Pacific on its fourth-quarter conference call said that light vehicle sales for full-year 2018 are projected at 16.9 million units, reflecting a 2% decline from the 2017 levels. Norfolk Southern, meanwhile, said that it expects automotive volume to lag vehicle production in the United States.

These disappointing commentaries on the automotive sector do not bode well for railroads. As a significant portion of revenues is accounted for by this key sector, weakness pertaining to automotive production in the United States is a major headwind for railroads.

Service Issues

CSX Corporation (CSX) was plagued by service disruptions last year, which severely dented its operations. However, the railroad took measures to combat the issue. The Precision Scheduled Railroading system, implemented by the company's former CEO, E. Hunter Harrison, seems to be paying off. The system generated efficiency-related savings to the tune of $460 million in 2017.

However, service issues now seem to be hurting Canadian railroad operator, Canadian National Railway Company (CNI). In fact, the company has been facing a number of challenges related to network congestion for the past few months, which have hurt its operational performance. Further, oilfield service major, Halliburton Company's (HAL) statement issued in February 2018 that Canadian Nationals service delays have been affecting its bottom line, underlines the gravity of this situation.

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Additionally, rival Canadian Pacific Railway Limiteds (CP) commentary about its increasing network fluidity highlights the fact that these operational issues might affect Canadian Nationals customer base and adversely impact its growth prospects, unless resolved quickly.

Canadian National announced a change at its helm, in March 2018, in order to primarily address the service issues. The new CEO (interim) has apologized to its customers for the service woes. He has promised an improvement on the service front. However, in the event of management change failing to yield the desired results, the stock would be hurt further.

You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

NAFTA

NAFTA refers to the trade pact inked in 1994 between the United States, Canada and Mexico in a bid to secure better terms for domestic workers. NAFTA has basically done away with almost all tariffs among the three nations. However, President Trump has in fact threatened to withdraw from the agreement, if the negotiations, which are currently in progress, fail to yield the desired results. He believes that it is a bad deal, not in favor of American workers.

The uncertainty over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continues to hurt railroads, especially the ones like Kansas City Southern (KSU). A significant portion of Kansas City Southerns revenues come from U.S.-Mexico shipment. In fact, many railroads including Kansas City Southern are not in favor of the U.S. scrapping NAFTA. They believe that such a move might put pressure on supply chains, jobs and consumers apart from having adverse political implications.

However, the President has stuck to his guns and imposed a deadline of May 1 pertaining to the NAFTA negations. Beyond that date, there will be imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

Railroads would be hoping for a favorable resolution to the issue as an unfavorable development on this key issue might dampen their prospects severely.

Other Headwinds

President Trumps plans to shift focus to traditional energy businesses such as coal is aimed at benefiting the coal industry and therefore railroads. This is because the fortunes of railroads are tied to coal.

However, even if the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP) is repealed, as wished by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), coal revenues might not pick up. In the current year, the EIA predicts coal production to be 736 million short tons (MMst), down 5% year over year.

Moreover, many are not in favor of repealing the CPP due to fears of environmental hazards among others. Furthermore, the process of repealing CPP is time-consuming. With uncertainty regarding CPPS fate, a major overhang on railroad shares would remain until there is clarity on this key issue.

Even if legislative and regulatory measures hindering the coal industry come into effect more vigorously, the commoditys long-term competitive position has materially been weakened by the abundant and largely cheap natural gas supplies. In other words, railroads will benefit from some incremental improvements in coal shipments, but the long-term trend is in the opposite direction.

Check out our latest Railroad Industry Outlook for more news on the current state of affairs in this market from an earnings perspective, and how the trend looks ahead for this important sector at the moment.



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Attorney Michael Cohen arrives at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (Photo: John Taggart/Bloomberg)[/caption] Squire Patton Boggs said Monday that it had ended its formal working relationship with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, following an FBI raid on Cohen's offices in New York. "The firms arrangement with Mr. Cohen reached its conclusion, mutually and in accordance with the terms of the agreement," the firm said in a statement. "We have been in contact with federal authorities regarding their execution of a warrant relating to Mr. Cohen. These activities do not relate to the firm and we are in full cooperation." Cohen, a longtime personal lawyer to the president, formed a strategic alliance with Squire Patton in April 2017. Details of the business partnership between Cohen and Squire Patton were sparse, however, the firm announced that Cohen would help "advance the interests" of the firm's clients and work with its notable lineup of lobbyists. As recently as Feb. 15, the firm indicated to The National Law Journal that its strategic alliance with Cohen was still in place. As of Monday afternoon, the firm's press release trumpeting the partnership last year was no longer visible on the firm's website. The firm did not answer questions about exactly when its alliance with Cohen finally ended, or whether Monday's FBI raid took place at the firm's offices. FBI officials on Monday reportedly swarmed Cohen's offices at Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan, as well as a hotel where Cohen was staying. Squire Patton is one of several law firms with offices at Rockefeller Center. Cohen is involved in multiple ongoing legal controversies involving Russian meddling into the 2016 election and a porn star claiming to have received hush money to keep quiet of her affair with President Donald Trump. Cohen's attorney, Stephen Ryan of McDermott Will & Emery, blasted the raid, which he said was motivated by a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. Read More:FBI Raids the Offices of Trump's Personal Attorney, Michael CohenSquire Patton Boggs Strikes Alliance With Trump's Lawyer
The British pound rallied a bit against the Japanese yen during the session on Tuesday, as we are starting to see a bit of calming the US-China relations, which is exactly what the markets need to see so that they can continue to rally.

The British pound rallied against the Japanese yen during the trading session on Tuesday, reaching towards the 152 handle. This was in reaction to the Chinese looking likely to try to defuse the situation between the Chinese and the Americans as far as trade relations are concerned, and I think that should continue to be good for risk appetite overall. The stock markets a course have their influence on the pair also, considering that the market has such a high correlation to risk appetite. I think that the 150-level underneath is the floor in the market, and perhaps even the previous uptrend line that we have now broken above could act very much the same. I believe that the 155 level above is a target, which has been resistance in the past.

I expect to see a significant amount of noise, but overall, I think that short-term pullbacks will be buying opportunities, unless of course we get some type of negative headlines coming out of the trade negotiations or worse yet, the headlines. The market will continue to be very jittery, but I think if you build up slowly, you could get a nice sized position for a larger move. The alternate scenario of course is that we break down below the 150 handle, which would be a negative turn of events, sending this market down to the 148.50 level. The markets will be susceptible to headline risk, so be careful as to your position size and make sure that you have stop loss is in place.

GBP/JPY Video 11.04.18

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs (GS) is making a big push for Main Street to open savings accounts with them by toutings its significantly higher annual percentage yield.

On Wednesday, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, the 149-year-old firms young online consumer lending and savings arm, is rolling out its first traditional advertising campaign for U.S. deposits.

The video ads depict typical bank savings accounts as storage facilities that dont generate meaningful returns for customers. The genesis of the idea came from a recent survey conducted by Marcus of more than 1,000 Americans that found that approximately 74% of respondents said it would be accurate to describe their bank as a place that stores their money, while only 22% said their bank is a place that makes them money.

Marcus By Goldman Sachs offers a 1.6% annual percentage yield for their savings accounts, which have no fee and no minimum balance. At 1.6%, the Goldman APY is considerably higher than the current national average of 0.07%. Its also higher than other large consumer banks where most households keep their money.

Marcus: By Goldman Sachs offers a significantly higher APY compared to other large banks.

Marcus rate is also higher than other online deposit competitors. Synchrony High Yield Savings, CIT Bank Premier High Yield Savings, and Barclays Online Savings offer a 1.55% rate, while Discover Bank and Barclays Online Savings offer a 1.5% APY, according to the latest data from NerdWallet.

In its survey, Marcus learned that 56% of Americans opened a savings account without looking at other options. Whats more, approximately 60% of those surveyed were unaware of their APY on their savings account, and 52% didnt know how much they made off interest in the last year.

One of the reasons Marcus can offer better rates is it doesnt have the major expenses associated with operating a consumer banking business, which includes brick-and-mortar bank branches and ATMs.

The consumer banking business is still relatively new for Goldman. Traditionally, Goldmans clients have included corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals. During the 2008 financial crisis, Goldman was required to convert from a broker-dealer to a bank holding company to gain access to the Federal Reserves discount window, a source of liquidity. In that time, there were internal discussions on how to grow the consumer side of the business. In 2016, the bank made the first move in that direction when Goldmans GS Bank acquired GE Capitals online deposit platform.

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During that time, Goldman also built out its online lending platform Marcus by Goldman Sachs as part of that effort. Marcus, which gives out personal loans up to $40,000 for credit-worthy borrowers, recently surpassed the $2 billion milestone for loans.

In December, the U.S. deposits integrated into the Marcus brand. Across lending and deposits, Marcus is now serving 500,000 customers. Marcus has about $20 billion in deposits and has given out $2.3 billion in loans as of December.

Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
* Trump could pull out of deal next month

* Rouhani says Iranian response would be strong (Adds quotes on missiles, currency weakness)

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - Donald Trump will regret it if he pulls out of the nuclear deal with Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday, warning the U.S. president that Tehran's response would be stronger than he thinks.

U.S. sanctions that were lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of 2015 will resume unless Trump waives them again on May 12. Trump has effectively set that as a deadline for European powers to "fix the terrible flaws" of the deal.

"The new U.S. president - who has big claims and many ups and downs in his words and actions - has been trying for 15 months to break the JCPOA ... but the structure of the JCPOA is so strong that it has not been shaken by such quakes," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television.

"Iran will not violate the nuclear deal, but if the United States withdraws from the deal, they will surely regret it. Our response will be stronger than what they imagine and they would see that within a week."

Iran has warned that it would ramp up its nuclear programme if the JCPOA collapses, to achieve a more advanced level than before the deal.

Rouhani was speaking as Tehran marked National Nuclear Technology Day and unveiled what it said were its latest nuclear achievements including a nuclear battery and centrifuges for the oil industry.

Rouhani said Iran has been preparing for every possible scenario, including a JCPOA without the United States - which would still include European signatories, China and Russia - or no deal at all.

France, Britain and Germany are seeking to persuade their EU partners to back new sanctions on Iran, as a way to persuade Trump to stick with the nuclear deal curbed on Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.

Those sanctions would not involve measures that were lifted under the nuclear deal but would target individual Iranians that the EU believes are behind Irans ballistic weapons programme and its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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Rouhani said on Monday that Irans missile capabilities were purely defensive.

"We will produce any weapons necessary to defend our country in such a volatile region. But we will not use our weapons against our neighbours," Rouhani said.

Iran's currency hit a new low on Monday on continued concerns over a return of crippling sanctions if Trump carries out his threat.

The U.S. dollar jumped in a day from 54,700 rials to 58,000 rials in the open market in Tehran, local media reported. A dollar was 36,000 rials in mid-September. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
The U.S. Justice Department has just given Bayer permission to buy Monsanto in a $62.5 billion deal.

The approval (with some conditions) was the last big hurdle for the deal, which has been in the works since May 2016. DOJ approval follows European Union approval in March and a productive meeting between Bayer and President Trump in January. Its the largest all-cash buy-out on record and the largest deal ever by a German company.

But not everyone is over the moon about the tie up that will let one company control more than a quarter of the worlds seeds and pesticides.

Heres what you need to know:

1. Whats the Deal?

In May 2016, Bayer made an unsolicited offer to buy Monsanto at $122 a share, or about $66 billion. (The deal is now valued at $62.5 billion.) Bayer is a German drug and chemical maker; Monsanto is an agricultural juggernaut based in St. Louis, Mo. Together, they represent the pinnacle of data-driven industrial agriculture, which the companies say will be necessary to feed a planet that hosts 10 billion people. Werner Baumann, the CEO of Bayer, and Hugh Grant, Chairman and CEO of Monsanto, emphasized their companies ability to invest more in innovation once joined, pledging to spend $16 billion on research and development worldwide over six years. However, Business Insider points out that this is only a total of $500 million more than the companies are spending on R&D right now.

2. What Did DOJ Approve?

With such a big tie-up inevitably comes anti-trust concerns. Although Bayer and Monsanto are ostensibly function in different sectors, there is some crossover between their products. To satisfy the DOJ, Bayer will sell off some of its assets to German competitor BASF before the merger. These include the companys soybean and cottonseed businesses as well as its glufosinate weedkiller, which is a direct competitor to Roundup, a central element of Monsantos business.

3. Why Are Farmers So Worried?

For all Baumann and Grants bluster about innovation and feeding the world, many farmers worry that this merger is motivated by profit alonewhich will be much easier to make after the tie-up. Mark Connelly, an agriculture analyst, told Business Insider, These companies want to make more money, they want to raise prices. No company in this industry needs these deals in order to innovate. Moreover, research from the Farmers Business Network shows a positive correlation between a companys market share and its seed price. Market share is also an indicator of yield, but the gains taper off quickly. If this pattern holds, farmers could be paying a whole lot more money for not much more yield.

4. What Will It Mean for Consumers?

If farmers fears come to fruition, consumers could see prices go up not only on agricultural products, but also on the umpteen products that hide corn and soybean inputs such as gas. The Bayer-Monsanto deal is big enough on its own to create cause for concern. Its even more worrying in the wake of the ChemChina-Syngenta takeover and Dow Chemicals merger with DuPont.
By Eric Auchard

LONDON (Reuters) - WorldRemit will be the exclusive money transfer partner for international call provider Lebara under a deal announced on Tuesday by the London-based brands, which are popular among immigrants to Europe.

Lebara offers mobile phone services via shops in six European countries, while WorldRemit enables immigrants to use digital remittances to send money home to families and friends, offering an alternative to more expensive options from firms such as Western Union (WU.N) and MoneyGram (MGI.O).

More than 3 million users of Lebara's calling and mobile money services will now have access to WorldRemit payment services on Lebara's site and mobile app. The company operates in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

For WorldRemit, the partnership promises to accelerate its growth by giving it access to Lebara's network of 275,000 franchises and independent retailers, WorldRemit Chief Executive Ismail Ahmed told Reuters. It had 2.7 million active users in the last year and aims to reach 10 million by 2020.

The deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, follows months of restructuring by Lebara, which has faced competition from free messaging services such as Facebook's WhatsApp.

It was acquired last September by Swiss family office Palmarium, a private equity and real estate investment firm.

"We can bring something to WorldRemit and WorldRemit can bring something to us," Graeme Oxby, who joined Lebara as its CEO following the Palmarium acquisition, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Oxby is a telecoms veteran who served as managing director of both Virgin Mobile and Three in Britain before becoming head of Liberty Global's European operations.

Lebara has been the subject of recent media reports that questioned the departures of former executives and its progress in disposing of non-core businesses.

In its 2017 results last week, Lebara updated previously announced plans to exit its non-mobile businesses and to build up repeat customers rather than one-off pay-as-you SIM card buyers. Oxby said the partnership, under with most of Lebara's existing remittance customers will be transferred to WorldRemit, demonstrates the progress Lebara is making.

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"We see the WorldRemit services really being the dominant portion of our money-related activities," Oxby said.

WorldRemit is paying Lebara an upfront fee to complete the partnership, a spokesman said. The deal involves paying Lebara for referring customers its way and an incentive scheme for Lebara shop owners to sell the co-branded remittance services.

WorldRemit has raised $220 million since its founding in 2010 from investors including Accel Partners, LeapFrog Investments and Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV). William Blair acted as a financial adviser to WorldRemit.

(Reporting by Eric Auchard in London; Editing by Alexander Smith)
* Airline looking for 20-30 widebody jets -source

* Airline lists 787, Airbus A330neo, A350 for consideration-source

* Had signed non-binding deal for 8 Boeing 787s last year

By Jamie Freed

SINGAPORE, April 10 (Reuters) - Malaysia Airlines has launched a fresh tender process for 20-30 widebody jets that could supersede a deal with Boeing Co agreed during a high-profile U.S. visit by the country's prime minister last year, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Its non-binding memorandum of understanding with Boeing to buy eight long-range 787 jets, valued at $2.25 billion at list prices, had come as a surprise given that the national carrier already had an all-Airbus SE widebody fleet.

While the Boeing 787 is included in the airline's latest request for information, it has also listed the Airbus A330neo and A350 for consideration, the source with knowledge of the new widebody tender process told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The carrier already has A330s and A350s in its fleet.

An Airbus spokesman declined to comment.

A Malaysia Airlines spokeswoman said it was "premature" to comment on whether it planned to firm up the Boeing deal.

"As an airline, we constantly engage with our partners to review scenarios and options with respect to our network and fleet as a matter of course," she said. "Malaysia Airlines will update once something material develops."

Boeing Senior Vice President Asia-Pacific and India Sales Dinesh Keskar last month told media it was up to the government and the airline to take the lead on firming up the 787 deal.

A Boeing spokeswoman declined to comment further.

The provisional Boeing deal was announced during Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's U.S. visit in September.

The visit, ahead of elections in Malaysia in 2018, was important for Najib as a way to show he was welcome at the White House despite a criminal probe by the U.S. Justice Department into a fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad that he founded.

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U.S. President Donald Trump had praised Malaysia's Boeing deal but steered clear of the 1MDB probe.

Malaysia's election commission on Tuesday set May 9 as the poll date. Najib announced the dissolution of parliament on Friday, paving the way for a tough campaign where he faces off against rival Mahathir Mohamad, who last year questioned the merits of the Boeing deal in a blog post.

Malaysia Airlines has been trying to transform its operations and return to profitability as it recovers from two tragedies in 2014, when flight MH370 disappeared in what remains a mystery and flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

The carrier's new CEO, Izham Ismail, last month said the company had issued a request for information for new generation widebody planes, without specifying the number or model type, with a request for proposal expected to follow.

The 787 deal was signed by the previous CEO Peter Bellew.

"They have flexibility to not convert the 787 MOU to a firm order if they decide it makes sense to go with Airbus for the full requirement," CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said.

"It's best if they limit their number of widebody types as their fleet is not that big to begin with and having just six or eight aircraft of a particular type is subscale." (Reporting by Jamie Freed in SINGAPORE; additional reporting by Liz Lee and Praveen Menon in KUALA LUMPUR and Aradhana Aravindan in SINGAPORE; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
meghan markle

Charles McQuillan / Getty

Meghan Markle recommended psychic Richard Win to her makeup artist Spencer Barnes, who credited her via Instagram for the connection.

Win is a psychic who Barnes says charges $250 per session, although it's unclear whether Markle has used his services.

Markle, who is getting married to Prince Harry on May 19, has been the subject of numerous psychic predictions about the success of her marriage.





It may have been difficult for even a psychic to see how successful Meghan Markle was to become.

The "Suits" star has had a strong acting career and is now preparing to enter Britain's royal family as her wedding to Prince Harry is scheduled for May 19. Meanwhile, Markle's makeup artist, the Los Angeles-based Spencer Barnes, revealed in an Instagram post that his high-profile client recommended a psychic for him to use.

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In his post, Barnes thanks Markle "for introducing me to someone who has become a powerful friend over the last couple years. His name is Richard Win."

Barnes' post did not make it clear whether Markle had used Richard Win for his psychic ability or she knew him in another context and decided to connect the two.

The Observer sent a direct message to Barnes over Instagram to find out more about Win. Barnes told the Observer that his psychic usually charges $250 a session but would offer a discounted rate of $200 if a client mentioned the makeup artist's name.

The 72-year-old Win has no online presence "because he has so many high-profile clients and their privacy is important to him" Barnes told the Observer.

Barnes notes in his post that although everyone eventually has power over their destiny and decisions, "at times  an illuminated perspective is just what we need to assist us in navigating those paths with greater confidence, focus & clarity."

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He wrote that Win "proved to be a guiding light and a key support in helping me" and called his psychic "the real deal."

Barnes also seemed to imply in his post that he would not be doing Markle's makeup for her wedding, despite his work with celebrities like Julianne Hough and Laura Prepon, who are featured on his Instagram account.

Although it is not known what Win may see about Markle's impending marriage to Prince Harry, other psychics have weighed in.

Australian psychic Kerrie Erwin appeared on television last year shortly after the couple announced their engagement in November. While Erwin predicted a royal pregnancy for Markle within the next year, she does not see the marriage as long-lasting. She says that the couple will be together for "maybe five years," citing strong individual personalities.

We'll see.

NOW WATCH: Prince Harry gave a brilliant response to a 9-year-old who asked him if he'll ever be king

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markles former makeup artist has revealed the one beauty rule the future royal always insists on  and she has a prediction for her wedding hairstyle

DON'T MISS: Megan Markle's father once won $750,000 in the lottery  and paid tuition at her private school with part of his winnings
By Nichola Saminather

TORONTO, April 11 (Reuters) - Hydropothecary Corp, Canopy Growth and Aphria Inc are among six companies that have signed agreements with Quebec's liquor board to supply the province with marijuana when Canada legalizes its recreational use this year, the companies said in separate statements on Wednesday.

MedReleaf Corp, Aurora Cannabis and private equity firm Privateer Holdings-backed Tilray Canada are the other companies to sign the deal to supply the province's cannabis board, which will be created as a subsidiary of the liquor board to oversee marijuana sales.

The companies will supply as much as 62,000 kg (136,687 pounds) of marijuana in total to the province in the first year. Most of the agreements are for at least three years.

Hydropothecary would be the biggest supplier, with a five-year agreement and agreed sales of 100,000 kg in the first three years. The province plans to open 20 government-run stores upon legalization.

Canada's senate is set for a final vote on legalizing marijuana on June 7, with sales expected to start in the fall. Provinces, including Quebec and Ontario, plan to open government-run stores, while others such as Alberta and Saskatchewan will allow private ones. British Columbia plans to have both. (Reporting By Nichola Saminather; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO: Aluminium ingots are seen stored at the foundry shop of the Rusal Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, July 27, 2016. Picture taken July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin//File Photo

By Eric Onstad

LONDON (Reuters) - International financial groups took action on Wednesday to distance themselves from the shares, bonds and metal of Russian aluminium giant Rusal after the United States imposed sanctions on the company.

In Moscow, the government pledged to provide Rusal with short-term liquidity and offer other assistance while it also considered hitting back by looking at U.S. goods or goods produced in Russia by U.S. companies.

Shares of United Company Rusal, one of the world's biggest aluminium producers, will be deleted from global equity and debt indexes while its metal will not be allowed on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the CME Group.

The U.S. Treasury on April 6 announced sanctions against seven Russian oligarchs and 12 companies they own or control, saying they were profiting from a Russian state engaged in "malign activities" around the world.

This included Oleg Deripaska and his Hong Kong-listed company Rusal and his newly created holding company En+ Group

The two companies will be deleted from FTSE Russell's equity indexes effective from the open on April 13, the index provider said in a statement.

Bloomberg users in Europe told Reuters that Bloomberg had stopped displaying share prices of Rusal, En+ Group and Swiss pumpmaker Sulzer, all of which are subject to the sanctions. Bloomberg declined to comment.

Rusal's shares in Hong Kong have slumped by half since the sanctions were imposed on Friday and gave up another 1.9 percent on Wednesday.

The new sanctions were an attempt to capture global markets for U.S. companies, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told Russia's lower house of parliament.

"Measures in response should be well thought-out," he said. "There are quite a lot of products ... in our markets that we get from the USA."

Russia imported $12.5 billion worth of U.S. products in 2017, according to official Russian customs data. That included aircraft, machinery, pharmaceutical and chemical products.

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DEBT, METAL EXCLUDED

On the debt front, Tradeweb, one of the world's largest bond platforms which is majority owned by Thomson Reuters Corp, said on Wednesday it no longer carried Rusal debt prices.

"The bonds have been removed from the platform," a Tradeweb spokeswoman said.

Rusal will be excluded on April 30 from JPMorgan's CEMBI index group of emerging market corporate bonds, the U.S. bank said.

The exclusion will be done as part of the end-of-month rebalancing of the indexes, it added.

As of Friday, April 6, Rusal has a weight of 0.12 percent and 0.15 percent in the CEMBI Broad Diversified and CEMBI Diversified indexes respectively, JPM said in a statement seen by Reuters that was sent to clients late on Monday.

Moody's said it was withdrawing all ratings for Rusal due to its own business reasons.

"At the time of withdrawal the ratings were: corporate family rating of Ba3 and probability of default rating of Ba3-PD At the time of withdrawal these ratings had a positive outlook," it said in a statement.

Rusal's aluminium brands are being excluded from the LME, the world's biggest market for industrial metals, and the U.S. Comex exchange owned by the CME.

The CME revoked approved status for Rusal's metal for delivery against CME aluminium futures contracts, effective from April 10, a notice on the CME website said.

The London Metal Exchange said late on Tuesday Rusal's aluminium would be suspended from its list of approved brands from April 17 after some members raised concerns about settling contracts with sanctions-hit companies.

Trader Glencore, which markets Rusal metal, is planning to declare force majeure on some aluminium supply, a source close to the matter told Reuters. [L8N1RO5U2]

Aluminium prices extended their rally on Wednesday to a sixth straight session, hitting an 11-week peak, amid persistent worry about shortages.

Analysts at CRU say Rusal accounts for 14 percent of aluminium supplies outside top producer China. Global output this year is estimated at 65 million tonnes.

"There's a lot of panic and uncertainty. Buyers are scrambling to try to replace where they can, to plug the gap left by not having Russian-origin metal," said Robin Bhar, head of metals research at Societe Generale in London.

The sanctions have had knock-on impact on precious metal palladium, which has surged 6 percent this week on the back of concerns about supply from number one producer Russia.

Although the supply pipeline of the metal, more than two-fifths of which is sourced in Russia, has not been directly hit by the sanctions, the market has been rattled by the inclusion of Deripaska on the blacklist.

Deripaska's Rusal owns a 28 percent stake in Norilsk Nickel, the world's biggest palladium producer.

(Additional reporting by Claire Milhench, Sujata Rao-Coverley, Jan Harvey and Pratima Desai in London; Polina Devitt, Polina Nikolskaya, Darya Korsunskaya and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow, Swati Verma in Bangalore and Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Richard Balmforth and David Evans)
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) spent her portion of today's epic-length questioning of Mark Zuckerberg getting the CEO to squeeze himself deeper and deeper between a rock and a hard place. He didn't reveal anything particularly damning, but he also  with her help  made himself look ineffective and clueless.

Her questioning had Zuckerberg contradicting himself on a serious topic: how the decision was made in 2015 to not inform the 87 million users that their data had been improperly sold off. If he didn't know about how that decision was made, what kind of leadership was that? But if he did know, then how could no conversation have taken place about the decision before it was made? It was one of the few times in the hearing where Zuckerberg's prepared remarks proved wholly insufficient.

Harris, who sounded bored  as well she might be after some of the softballs that had been lobbed in Zuckerberg's direction  began by saying that she was "concerned" by what she'd heard.

"During the course of this hearing these last four hours you've been asked several critical questions for which you don't have answers," she began.

We were also tracking the many, many times Zuckerberg declined to answer clearly or deferred with the standard "we'll follow up." For the record, Harris listed that Zuckerberg did not address:

Whether Facebook tracks users after they log out (his answer to this, "I know that people use cookies on the internet, and that people can probably correlate activity between sessions," was a monumental eye-roller considering we know this is a crucial capability Facebook deploys.)

Whether Facebook can track activity across devices

Who is Facebook's biggest competitor (Senator Graham pursued this with vigor)

Whether Facebook "may store up to 96 categories of user information" (I would be surprised if it is that few)

Whether he knew about Aleksandr Kogan's terms of service or whether Kogan could sell or transfer data under them

But her main issue, aside from informing Zuckerberg that these points had not been forgotten, was to bring up the specific occurrence that in 2015, Facebook learned that the data of millions of users had been abused, and yet did not inform those users.

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"A concern of mine is that you, meaning Facebook, and I'm going to assume you personally as CEO, became aware in December of 2015 that Dr Kogan and Cambridge Analytica misappropriated data from 87 million Facebook users. That's 27 months ago," she said. "However, a decision was made not to notify the users. So my question is did anyone at Facebook have a conversation, at the time that you became aware of this breach, have a conversation wherein the decision was made not to contact the users?"

Here Zuckerberg attempted the defense of not being able to know every conversation at Facebook "because I wasn't in a lot of them... I mean, I'm not sure what other people discussed."

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 10: Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. Zuckerberg, 33, was called to testify after it was reported that 87 million Facebook users had their personal information harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm linked to the Trump campaign. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Harris did not take the bait and when Zuckerberg attempted to steer the conversation towards the known facts of how Facebook responded in 2015, she pressed on:

"Were you part of a discussion that resulted in the decision not to inform your users?"

"I don't remember a conversation like that," Zuckerberg responded, and attempted to expand with "for the reason why" only to be cut off by Harris again.

"Are you aware of anyone in leadership at Facebook who was in a conversation where a decision was made not to inform your users," she asked, "or do you believe no such conversation ever took place?"

This was an excellent move. She'd limited Zuckerberg's options to either admitting he was unaware of conversations among leadership choosing to withhold news of this data abuse from users (unrealistic), or admitting that leadership did not have those conversations (deeply troubling). Both reflect poorly on him, his executives, and the company. Zuckerberg prudently chose to plead ignorance.

"I'm not sure whether there was a conversation about that," he said, yet immediately hit on a prepared line. "But I can tell you about the thought process at the time, of the company, which was that in 2015 when we hard about this, we banned the developer and we demanded that they delete all the data and stop using it, and the same with Cambridge Analytica. They told us they had"

But Harris had no intention of allowing him to run out the clock with recycled, irrelevant statements, as he had many times in the previous hours.

"I've heard your testimony in that regard," she cut in before finally taking her chance to bear down on him.

"But I'm talking about notification of the users. This relates to the issue of transparency and the relationship of trust  informing the user about what you know in terms of how their personal information has been misused. When you personally became aware of this, did you or senior leadership do an inquiry to find out who at Facebook had this information, and did they not have a discussion about whether or not the users should be informed, back in December of 2015?"

Zuckerberg was faced again with a poor choice, and instead opted for a show of humbleness.

"Senator, in retrospect I think we clearly view it as a mistake that we didn't inform people, and we did that based on false information that we thought that the case was closed and that the data had been deleted."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify before a joint hearing of the US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Harris jumped on this admission that "we did that": "So there was a decision made on that basis not to inform the users, is that correct?"

"That's my understanding, yes. But in retrospect I think that was a mistake and knowing what we know now we should have handled a lot of things here differently," he continued, abjectly.

Harris politely dismissed this sad act ("And I appreciate that point") and returned to business for one last question on this: "Do you know when that decision was made not to inform the users?"

"I don't," Zuckerberg said simply.

So to sum up: in 2015, it became clear to Facebook and certainly to senior leadership that the data of 87 million people had been sold against the company's terms. Whether or not to inform those users seems like a fundamental question, yet Zuckerberg claimed to have no recollection of any discussion thereof. That hardly seems possible  especially since he later said that they had in fact had that discussion, and that the decision was made on bad information. But he doesn't remember when this discussion, which he does or doesn't remember, did or didn't take place!

While this poor showing likely doesn't rise to the level of falsity, this blatant dissimulation by Zuckerberg results in him coming off looking like a liar and a sap. For a hearing where the Senators themselves were often the ones making fools of themselves, it was nice to see the shoe on the other foot. I look forward to Senator Harris's continuing attentions  her parting shot was telling Zuckerberg and everyone else how subpar their answers to her 50 (!) written questions from a previous hearing were. Here's hoping she gets answers.

You can watch the full video below (courtesy of ABC):
By Greg Roumeliotis

(Reuters) - Sprint Corp (S.N) has restarted talks to merge with T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS.O), people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, the latest effort to bring together the fourth and third largest U.S. wireless carriers.

The combined company would have more than 127 million customers and could create more formidable competition for the No. 1 and No. 2 wireless players, Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) and AT&T Inc (T.N), amid a race to expand offerings in 5G, the next generation of wireless technology.

T-Mobile's and Sprint's previous round of negotiations ended in November over valuation disagreements. Since then, Sprint's shares have lost more than a fifth of their value amid questions about how the company can compete effectively under the weight of its long-term debt of more than $32 billion.

Sprint's majority owner, SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), has been looking to trim its debt, which reached 15.8 trillion yen ($147 billion) as of the end of December. It has said it is planning to raise cash by taking its Japanese mobile phone unit public this year.

Sprint and T-Mobile decided to restart talks partly because they want to share the financial burden of investing in their networks, the sources said. The negotiations are at an early stage, the sources added.

A key consideration in the talks is Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG's (DTEGn.DE) ability to consolidate T-Mobile's earnings, one of the sources said. Deutsche Telekom owns 63 percent of T-Mobile, which has emerged as one of its more prized assets. Deutsche Telekom would likely have to put in new money toward a merger for its stake to remain above 50 percent.

The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. Sprint declined to comment, while T-Mobile did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Shares of Sprint closed off their intraday high but still up more than 17 percent at $6.02, giving the company a market capitalization of $25 billion, after the Wall Street Journal first reported on the new talks.

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Shares of T-Mobile gained 5.67 percent to $63.13, giving it a market capitalization of $54 billion.

Failure to clinch an agreement last November left SoftBank Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son, a dealmaker who raised close to $100 billion for his Vision Fund to invest in technology companies, in search of other options for Sprint.

"SoftBank has to change the way they approach this," Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner said. "Unless they have changed their minds, (and admitted) that they are indeed the junior partner, nothing has changed."

Even though Sprint's customer base has expanded under CEO Marcelo Claure, growth has been driven by heavy discounting. Analysts have said that, without T-Mobile, Sprint lacks the scale needed to invest in its network and to compete in a saturated market.

"It is impossible for Sprint to sustain on its own, and the same problems still exists with SoftBank and Sprint not comfortable with a minority stake," MoffettNathanson LLC analyst Craig Moffett said. "But ultimately you have to believe that these two companies will end up together even if the path to get there is torturous."

T-Mobile has fared better than Sprint, even if it remains a distant third to Verizon and AT&T. It has managed to score sustained market share gains, as innovative offerings, improving network performance and good customer service attract new customers, according to Moody's Investors Service Inc.

T-Mobile became the first major U.S. carrier to eliminate two-year contracts, a shift quickly embraced by consumers and copied by competitors. The company has also badgered rivals with its unlimited data plans.

REGULATORY CONCERNS

Another roadblock to the deal could be regulatory hurdles. Sprint's and T-Mobile's first round of merger talks ended in 2014 after the Obama administration expressed antitrust concerns about the deal. The big four wireless providers have been heavily discounting their cellphone plans in a battle for consumers, and consumer advocates fret that a merger of T-Mobile and Sprint could reverse that trend.

It was not immediately clear how the Trump administration would view the combination. AT&T agreed to acquire U.S. media company Time Warner Inc (TWX.N) in October 2016 for $85 billion. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued to block the deal over concerns about the companies' pricing power in the media market. AT&T and Time Warner are currently defending their deal in court.

Caroline Holland, a veteran of the Justice Departments Antitrust Division who is now a Mozilla tech policy fellow, said that Sprint and T-Mobile would likely argue that their combination would mean more effective competition for Verizon and AT&T.

"They are probably betting that they can make a competent and convincing argument that it's more important to have a stronger No. 3. They'll make a case that Sprint hasn't been a strong competitor," she said.

"I have a very healthy skepticism. I think four competitors has benefited consumers."

Analysts have in the past said a combined company would cut costs by reducing cell-tower sites; shares of operators American Tower (AMT.N), Crown Castle International (CCI.N) and SBA Communications (SBAC.O) fell on the news.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis and Sheila Dang in New York and Munsif Vengattil and Laharee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Tom Brown)
Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom, speaks on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly before the opening bell in New York, U.S., February 12, 2018. Picture taken February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Average CEO pay at the biggest U.S. companies was up 5 percent in 2017.

But increases in executive compensation don't always reflect company performance.

Newly reported figures show how much CEOs make compared with employees, but it's complicated.

Early indicators suggest 2017 was another big year for corporate executives' compensation. The median pay for CEOs at the biggest U.S. companies was $15.7 million in fiscal 2017, up from $15 million the year prior.

That's according to executive compensation firm Equilar's early reading of data filed with the SEC. The annual Equilar 100 study looks at CEO pay for the 100 largest companies by revenue, that have filed their proxy statements in the first quarter.

Leading the list is Broadcom AVGO CEO Hock Tan with a total compensation package over $103 million. Much of that consisted of a one-time stock award allotted to Tan, but he won't receive it for years, according to the filing . The company has a complex incentive program tied to total shareholder return, and the amount Tan could actually receive in 2021 depends on company performance compared with the broader S&P 500 .

Broadcom completed its move from Singapore to San Jose, California, this month, just weeks after President Donald Trump blocked the company's $117 billion takeover of rival chipmaker Qualcomm QCOM .

The value of Tan's total compensation package was more than double that of the next CEO on the list, AIG's AIG Brian Duperreault. Duperreault's nearly $43 million package included more than $14 million in bonuses and $11 million in stock awards. Following him were Oracle ORCL co-CEOs Mark Hurd and Safra Catz, whose compensation packages totaled $40 million each.

CEOs on the list saw a median pay increase of 5 percent in fiscal 2017, a slight slowdown from the 6 percent growth the previous year. Because the list is made up of the biggest companies by revenue, the constituents change slightly year to year.

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In a repeat performance, Berkshire Hathaway BRK.A was the biggest company by revenue, earning $242.1 billion, up 8 percent from the previous year. But Berkshire chief Warren Buffett was again at the bottom of the list in terms of CEO pay. The Oracle of Omaha takes a base salary of just $100,000. Apple was the only other company with total revenue in the same ballpark, at $229.2 billion.

The other half

For the first time this year, companies are required to report the compensation for their median employee, and a ratio of that figure compared with their CEO's. The regulation has been criticized for lacking a specified measurement methodology, making comparisons between companies next to meaningless.

For example, the company on Equilar's list with the widest gap in CEO-to-median employee pay was ManpowerGroup , a workforce solutions firm. The company's pay ratio was 2,483:1, meaning the CEO earned thousands of times more than the median employee. But it's less about CEO Jonas Prising's pay than the company's structure: It has over 600,000 employees worldwide, many of whom are "associates" who work on a temporary basis.

The company identified its median employee as an associate in the United Kingdom who earned $4,828 from the company. Focusing just on permanent staffers, the company's median employee is a junior sourcing consultant in Belgium who earned $43,344. Compared with the CEO, that gives a pay ratio of 276:1, much more in line with the overall norm.

Buffett, with his $100,000 salary, had the smallest CEO pay ratio at 2:1.





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It is commonly known that insider buying, management purchasing stock in the own firm, is an optimistic signal. Insiders have valuable insights into the companys current operations and opportunities, so they are best placed to benefit from a timely, and legal, trade. Though it is certainly not enough to base your investment decision merely on these signals alone, below Ive put together three stocks you should examine further.

PHX Energy Services Corp. (TSX:PHX)

PHX Energy Services Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides horizontal and directional drilling technology and services to oil and natural gas producing companies in Canada, the United States, Albania, and Russia. The company employs 668 people and has a market cap of CAD CA$115.04M, putting it in the small-cap category.

PHX Energy Services Corp (TSX:PHX) is one of Canadas small-cap stocks that saw some insider buying over the past three months, with insiders investing in 168,600 shares during this period. In total, individual insiders own over 9 million shares in the business, which makes up around 15.2% of total shares outstanding.

Insiders that have recently ramped up their holdings are: John Hooks (management) . and Michael Buker (management and board member) .

With revenues predicted to grow at 11.72% next year driving an impressive earnings growth of 62.60%, insiders may be buying based on PHXs optimistic outlook which they believe are not yet priced into the stock. More on PHX Energy Services here.

TSX:PHX Insider_trading Apr 11th 18

Cara Operations Limited (TSX:CARA)

Cara Operations Limited operates and franchises full service restaurants. Founded in 1883, and headed by CEO William Gregson, the company employs 11,600 people and with the companys market capitalisation at CAD CA$1.76B, we can put it in the small-cap category.

Cara Operations Limiteds (TSX:CARA) insiders have invested more than 3 million shares in the large-cap stocks within the past three months. In total, individual insiders own over 2 million shares in the business, which makes up around 2.48% of total shares outstanding.

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The entity that bought on the open market in the last three months was

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. Although this is an institutional investor, rather than a company executive or board member, the insights gained from direct access to management as a large investor would make it more well-informed than the average retail investor. In this specific instance, I would classify this investor as a company insider.

Cara Operationss share price traded at a high of CA$29.60 and a low of CA$23.51 in the past three months. This indicates some volatility with a share price change of of 25.9%, which could potentially be large enough to warrant insiders to accrue their shares. Interested in Cara Operations? Find out more here.

TSX:CARA Insider_trading Apr 11th 18

The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS)

The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various financial services in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and the Asia-Pacific. Established in 1832, and headed by CEO Brian Porter, the company size now stands at 89,755 people and with the companys market capitalisation at CAD CA$92.76B, we can put it in the large-cap group.

The Bank of Nova Scotias (TSX:BNS) insiders have invested 2,000 shares in the large-cap stocks within the past three months. In total, individual insiders own less than one million shares in the business, or around 0.03% of total shares outstanding.

The insider that recently bought more shares is L. Thomson .

Bank of Nova Scotias share price traded at a high of CA$82.53 and a low of CA$76.22 in the past three months. This signals a trivial share price movement, with a change of 8.28%. This may mean insiders motivation to trade may not be driven by the share price but rather other factors such as their belief in company growth or their personal portfolio rebalancing. Continue research on Bank of Nova Scotia here.

TSX:BNS Insider_trading Apr 11th 18

For more stocks with high, positive trading volume by insiders, explore this interactive list of stocks with recent insider buying.



To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.



The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.
Trump issues threat after Moscow vows to shoot down US missiles in Syria

Donald Trump has lobbed back at Russia via Twitter, promising to fire missiles at Syria in response for a recent chemical weapons attack allegedly carried out by the Syrian government.

"Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!,'" Trump tweeted.

The tweet comes one day after a senior Russian official vowed Russia's military would shoot down any U.S. missiles entering Syria and target launch sites.

Donald Trump lobbed back at Russia via Twitter Wednesday morning, promising to fire missiles at Syria in response to a recent chemical weapons attack allegedly carried out by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!,'" Trump said.

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Tweet1

This latest tweet comes after Trump took aim at Russia's government in a rare rebuke on Sunday, directly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow's support of Assad and vowing a "big price to pay."

Amid rumors that Washington may take military action over the chemical attack, a Russian senior official Tuesday threatened that Russia's military would shoot down any U.S. missile that entered Syrian airspace, including targeting launch sites.

"If there is a strike by the Americans then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Russia's ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin told local media.

Early Wednesday morning, European air traffic control issued a public warning to airlines over the danger of air-to-ground strikes or cruise missiles when flying over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Eurocontrol said that air strikes into Syria could take place over the next 72 hours.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman responded to Trump's tweet: "Smart missiles should fly toward terrorists, not legal government."



Forty minutes after his initial tweet, Trump posted a follow-up, describing America's relationship with Russia as "worse now than it has ever been," adding that "there is no reason for this." He ended the tweet with what may be interpreted as a quick attempt at de-escalation: "Stop the arms race?"

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Tweet2

Stock index futures dropped ahead of the open Wednesday after Trump's hint of possible intervention. The Dow is expected to drop more than 200 points on the back of the news.

Trump's "smart" missiles line was likely in reference to Putin's claim in early March that Russia's military had developed a new prototype missile that can reach any point in the world. The claim has not been independently verified.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense told CNBC: "We do not comment on potential future military operations. The president has a wide variety of tools available at his disposal. I am not going to comment on or speculate as to what those options are or what decision the president might ultimately make."

CNBC's Amanda Macias contributed to this article.





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The ruble has been hit hard following the warning from Donald Trump that Moscow should get ready for missiles to be fired into Syria.

As Russia faces accusations over complicity in an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, near Damascus, the ruble fell for a third day in a row and is heading for its worst week since 1999, eclipsing the slump it suffered in 2014 when Moscow annexed Crimea, the Financial Times reported.

It dropped 2 percent in early European trade Wednesday with one dollar buying 64.5 rubles, down almost 10 percent since the start of the week.

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RTX5LO4X

REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

Russian markets continue to reel from U.S. sanctions which have wiped off billions of dollars off the value of Rusal, the worlds second biggest aluminum producer and headed by Oleg Deripaska.

The company said that two of its directors who were among the 26 people named on the American sanctions list, Maksim Goldman and Daniel Lesin Wolfe, have resigned.

Moodys said it would withdraw its rating of Rusal due to its own business reasons.

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Metals giant Mechel, BTB Bank and Norilsk Nickel also lost value as investors sold off Russian assets. Oleg Tinkov, founder and chairman of Tinkoff Bank, lost $250 million on Monday.

Dmitry Polevoy, INGs chief economist for Russia told the FT it was hard to assess the long-term impact of sanctions on the country.

The direct impact on the Russian economy through the sanctioned entities doesnt look too biting. Yet, as was the case in 2014, the indirect effects are the primary focus."

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The expulsion of Russian diplomats and the U.S. blacklist of sanctioned Russian officials have sunk ties between Moscow and the west to an all-time low. Trump tweeted, referring to U.S. missiles: Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!

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Meanwhile, another tweet by Trump calling on Russia to stop the arms race, was met with derision by Moscow.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook: Great idea! There is a proposal to start with the destruction of chemical weapons. The American ones.

Russia insists the chemical attack in Douma, Syria, was a provocation with Zakharova saying the aim of western strikes would be remove the traces of the attack. Russia has vowed to respond to any U.S. strikes in Syria.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
* Wisconsin Republican has had bumpy relationship with Trump

* Ryan instrumental in passing Republican-backed tax cuts

* Retirement could boost Democratic electoral prospects (Adds more Ryan comments, Feehery, Hubbard, Brettell comments, background)

By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan will not seek re-election and will leave his post at the start of 2019, dealing a blow to fellow Republicans and President Donald Trump ahead of fast-approaching congressional elections.

By triggering a House leadership struggle when the party should focus on defending its congressional majorities and advancing Trump's agenda, Ryan dismayed some Republicans already concerned about their prospects with U.S. voters in November.

Its going to set off an intramural war among Republicans on who is going to be the next speaker. It will take the eye off the ball of keeping a majority in the House, said one Republican veteran who asked not to be identified.

Trump's 2018 agenda, including construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and an infrastructure proposal, has gained little traction. Ryan's departure will not likely improve the outlook, said John Feehery, a Republican lobbyist who worked as spokesman for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

"Realistically, the chances were low of anything getting done anyway, Feehery said.

The Republicans' biggest policy win since Trump took office almost 15 months ago has been the tax overhaul approved in December, an achievement in which Ryan played a major role despite his sometimes strained relationship with the volatile president.

Asked how much Trump and his conduct influenced his decision not to seek re-election for his seat representing a district in southeastern Wisconsin, Ryan told reporters: "Not at all."

Politico later quoted Ryan as saying in an interview that he had a good rapport with Trump, but wished the president tweeted less. "It works better to have private conversations than public disputes," Ryan said.

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Ryan's announcement was the latest upheaval in Washington in Trump's second year as president, after the resignations and firings of numerous White House officials and Cabinet members.

In 2016, Trump slammed Ryan as a "very weak and ineffective leader." On Wednesday, Trump wrote on Twitter: "Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!"

Ryan, who was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012, poured cold water on speculation he could be eyeing a presidential campaign in 2020 or beyond.

"Im not going to run for president. Thats not my plan," he said on CNN.

Ryan was scheduled to dine with Trump and other Republican congressional leaders on Wednesday evening at the White House.

CITES TAX OVERHAUL

Ryan became speaker in 2015 after fellow Republican John Boehner quit amid clashes with right-wing Republicans.

While Ryan cultivated a reputation as a fiscal conservative, the December 2017 tax law and later federal spending deals he helped negotiate will help rack up $11.7 trillion in federal deficits over the next decade, according to recent estimates by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

Among names circulating as a possible Ryan replacement were House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who was wounded by a gunman last year. The two are expected to wage a furious effort to raise campaign funds for fellow House Republicans to shore up support for their potential leadership aspirations.

Mark Meadows, who heads the conservative House Freedom Caucus that helped prompt Boehner's departure, told reporters the top House Republican job was not on his list of goals.

Although not on a par with Ryan, both McCarthy and Scalise are strong campaign fundraisers, a crucial talent in any contest for congressional leadership in both parties.

Stanley Hubbard, a billionaire Republican donor who owns the radio company Hubbard Broadcasting, said fundraising skill "absolutely" would be a key to choosing the next speaker.

McCarthy raised $8.75 million in the first quarter of 2018, sending $2.9 million of that to the National Republican Campaign Committee, which helps fund Republicans' campaigns.

Scalise has not yet made public his fundraising totals for the first three months of the year. Ryan brought in $11 million in the first quarter.

"Ryan's retirement wasn't a huge shock to the political establishment and he leaves behind two prolific fundraisers in Scalise and McCarthy," said Joe Brettell, a Texas-based Republican strategist.

TRUMP AND RYAN

Ryan was criticized by Democrats for what they saw as his failure to stand up to Trump over his attacks on U.S. law enforcement and his alienation of U.S. allies.

In 2016, Ryan hesitated to endorse Trump after it became clear the wealthy New York real estate developer would become the party's presidential nominee, but eventually did so.

Ryan voiced unease at candidate Trump's call for banning Muslims from entering the United States and his criticism of a Mexican-American U.S. judge. A month before the 2016 election, Ryan said he was "sickened" by Trump's remarks about groping women captured on a 2005 audiotape.

After Trump won the presidency in November 2016, Ryan's words softened as he expressed annoyance at being asked to respond to the president's incendiary Twitter messages, but rarely offered direct criticism.

In stepping down, Ryan may have boosted Democratic prospects in November. Democrats need to pick up at least 23 seats in the 435-member House to regain the majority.

Another Republican House member, Dennis Ross of Florida, said on Friday he would not seek re-election. Forty-five House Republicans now have either resigned or announced plans not to seek re-election, compared with 20 Democrats. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Ginger Gibson, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)
LONDON, April 10 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Tuesday Russia was holding the Syrian people to ransom by failing to back a U.N. resolution that would have created a new inquiry to ascertain blame for alleged chemical weapons attacks in the country.

Twelve council members voted in favour, while Bolivia joined Russia in voting no, and China abstained. A Security Council resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States to pass.

"Hugely disappointing that Russia vetoed the proposal at the UN for an independent investigation into Syrian chemical attacks," Johnson said on Twitter.

"Russia is holding the Syrian people to political ransom by supporting a regime responsible for at least four heinous chemical attacks against its people."

(Reporting by Kate Holton, editing by Larry King)
(Adds comment from senators and context)

By Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice

NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - Five Republican senators on Monday called on President Donald Trump to temporarily halt the use of biofuels policy waivers for small oil refineries, after reports the Environmental Protection Agency had issued a recent wave of such exemptions.

The group of lawmakers, which includes Senators Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa and John Thune of South Dakota, said the EPA waivers are "undermining" the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard, a law that requires biofuels like ethanol to be added to the nation's fuel, which Trump has said he supports.

"We therefore urge you to call on the EPA to cease all RFS waiver action until the agency's administration of the RFS can proceed in a more transparent and impartial manner," the senators said in a letter dated April 9.

The request comes as Trump is scheduled to meet with EPA head Scott Pruitt and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on the issue later on Monday.

An EPA source told Reuters last week that the agency had issued 25 small refinery exemptions, relieving the plants of their requirements to blend biofuels last year.

Reuters also reported that Andeavor, one of the country's largest refiners, also received EPA exemptions from the biofuels law for three of its smallest refineries.

In the past, the EPA has issued between six and eight waivers from the RFS per year to small refining operations of less than 75,000 barrels per day that can demonstrate they are struggling financially to comply, according to a former official familiar with the waiver program under past administrations.

But refiners have applied for the waivers in larger numbers after a federal appeals court ruling last year that said the EPA must expand the guidelines for approving them.

They have also been encouraged to apply by the Trump administration's recent efforts to broker a deal between the oil and corn industries to reduce the costs of the RFS, industry sources said. Those talks have not yielded a deal.

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"The EPA is using its small refinery waiver in an unprecedented manner to benefit some of the largest refineries in the nation, including Andeavor, which posted profits of approximately $1.5 billion last year," the senators wrote.

White House spokeswoman Kelly Love did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The RFS requires refiners to blend biofuels, or purchase blending credits from other companies - a policy intended to help farmers, and cut pollution and fuel imports. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; writing by Chris Prentice; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Chizu Nomiyama)
gun store

Scott Olson/Getty Images

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, is offering new investment products that exclude gun manufacturers and retailers.

It has been in discussions with these companies since March, in the wake of the fatal Parkland high school shooting.

The decision is directly related to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink's declaration in January to only do business with companies that are taking into account their impact on society.

This post is part of Business Insider's ongoing series on Better Capitalism.

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager with roughly $6.3 trillion in assets under management, is taking an active role in America's gun debate. And its clients will soon have more gun-free investment options to choose from, including retirement plans.

In a statement released April 4, BlackRock announced that in response to customer demand, it would offer two new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a line of pension plans that do not include companies that manufacture or sell civilian firearms.

It will also remove gun manufacturers and retailers that make either 5% or $20 million of total sales from gun-related purchases from its existing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ETFs (i.e. those that include companies with a socially conscious strategy), though these gun manufacturers and retailers have accounted for a very small portion of these funds.

BlackRock also announced it would be reducing annual fees for its two flagship ETFs.

That means it will now be easier for BlackRock customers to avoid investing their money in guns. The move will also make investing in companies deemed socially conscious a more attractive choice.

The announcement follows BlackRock's statement in March that it was reevaluating its relationship with the gun industry in the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school shooting that left 17 dead.

BlackRock said in March that it would be making more gun-free investment options available to clients, and would be holding discussions with gun manufacturers and retailers, with an emphasis on evaluating the types of products being offered and how they are distributed to consumers.

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These decisions are not isolated to the Parkland tragedy, but are part of BlackRock CEO Larry Fink's highly influential declaration in January that his company would now only invest in companies that can adequately outline their long-term plans for value creation  as opposed to maximizing profits quarter to quarter  and that are working to have a positive impact on society.

BlackRock is not ending all ties with gun manufacturers and retailers but is instead urging them to consider their role in the US's gun violence problem. An example of such a move is how Dick's Sporting Goods (which is one of the excluded companies in BlackRock's new offerings), stopped selling guns and ammunition to people under 21 beginning in late February, and no longer sells assault weapons.

"Society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose," Fink wrote in his January letter. "To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society. Companies must benefit all of their stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and the communities in which they operate."

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Steel Dynamics (STLD) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  April 11, 2018  Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A, SM Energy Company SM, Kinder Morgan Inc. KMI, Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. CRZO and SeaDrill Limiteds SDRL.

Here are highlights from Tuesdays Analyst Blog:

Oil & Gas Stock Roundup: Shell, SM Energy, Kinder Morgan and More

It was a week where both oil and natural gas finished lower.

On the news front, supermajor Royal Dutch Shell plc and upstream player SM Energy Company struck separate divestment deals, while energy infrastructure provider Kinder Morgan Inc. said that it is halting most activities and associated spending on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

Overall, it was a dismal week for the sector. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost around 4.4% to close at $62.06 per barrel, while natural gas prices fell 1.2% to $2.701 per million Btu (MMBtu). (See the last Oil & Gas Stock Roundup here: Concho Strengthens Permian Hold, Tallgrass to Buy MLP)

The U.S. oil benchmark closed in the red last week on escalating trade tensions with China and uptick in the rig count.

Announcements of duties and counter duties by Washington and Beijing on a wide range of imports have led to apprehensions of a full-blown trade battle between the worlds two biggest economies. Market participants fear that the dispute could potentially hamper global growth and harm oil demand.

A rise in the oil drilling rig count  pointing to a increase in domestic output  also played spoilsport. An early gauge of future activity, rigs drilling for oil in America totaled 808 in the week to Apr 6, as per the latest weekly report by Baker Hughes, a GE Company. That's much higher than the year-ago tally of 672, indicating a drilling resurgence  a big concern for oil investors.

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Natural gas prices also moved southward last week despite a larger-than-expected decrease in supplies. The fall was triggered by a mild weather outlook (translating into tepid demand for the fuel) amid strong production. As it is, investors are expecting near-term consumption to dip following the end of the winter heating season.

Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories

1. Royal Dutch Shell recently divested its entire stake in Omans Mukhaizna oilfield to Indias largest oil company, Indian Oil Corporation. The European oil giant sold its entire 17% interest in the oil field to IOCL Singapore PTE Ltd  a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indian Oil  for a total consideration of $329 million.

Mukhaizna oilfield, being the largest oilfield in Oman, accounts for 13% of the total oil production of 120,000 barrels per day in the nation. The deal marks the first upstream acquisition of Indian Oil in Oman that is likely to enhance its global footprint and growth opportunities in the Middle East region, along with bolstering Indias energy security.

The move will help Shell proceed with its $30 billion divestment program. The deal provides the company with a major uplift in its drive to decrease debt, following the acquisition of BG Group for $47 billion. The divestment is expected to reduce the companys cost and enhance cash flow, as well as return to capital. The deal will also help the company to upgrade and streamline its upstream portfolio. (Read more Shell Sells Stakes in Mukhaizna Field to Indian Oil)

2. SM Energy Company has inked two definitive agreements for the sale of assets in the Williston Basin and Upton County. The company did not reveal the buyers. A cumulative amount of $292.3 million is expected from the transactions. The transactions are expected to close in the second quarter of 2018, with effective date of Jan 1, 2018.

The first agreement relates to the sale of remaining assets in the Williston Basin located in Divide County, ND. This comprises net acreage of about 119,400, which are primarily contiguous. It also includes net proved reserves as of year-end 2017 of 28.8 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), of which 52% are proved undeveloped. In December 2017, net production from the assets to be sold was about 6,100 Boe per day, of which 83% was oil.

The second transaction is for the sale of its third-party operated assets known as Halff East located in Upton County, TX. The assets likely to be sold in Upton County comprises a 60% working interest in third-party operated assets, a net acreage of about 5,400 and 1.6 MMBoe net proved reserves as of year-end 2017, of which 0% is proved undeveloped. In December, net production from these assets was about 1,025 Boe per day, of which 72% oil. (Read more SM Energy to Divest Assets in Williston Basin & Upton County)

3. Kinder Morgan states that it has deferred bulk of work on its C$7.4-billion ($5.8 billion) Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and is likely to abandon the project if Canadas provincial and federal governments cannot reach an agreement by May 31.

Per Kinder Morgan Chairman Steve Kean, the plans to nearly triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which carries crude from Alberta's oil sands to a facility in the Pacific province of British Columbia, are likely to be scrapped if the ongoing legal disputes are not resolved by May 31. The Government of Canada approved the Trans Mountain expansion project on Nov 29, 2016. Since then, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company is struggling with approval issues and oppositions from various groups. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The pipeline expansion has been facing antagonism from various provincial governments of British Columbia as well as municipalities, native groups and environmental activists. These emphasize the uncertainty over the key energy projects in Canada.

The shortage of pipelines and rail transportations has disrupted the production schedule of the companies in Western Canada. The companies had to slow their activities due to obstruction in crude transportation. In view of this, Alberta's provincial government supports the project that has also received approval from Canada's federal government. (Read more Kinder Morgan to Abandon Trans Mountain Expansion)

4. Private-equity firm Kimmeridge Energy Management Company has recently boosted its stake in Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. to put pressure on the company, for pursuing asset sales and other strategic initiatives to buoy its staggering financials and share price. Activist Investor Kimmeridge increased its stake in Carrizo to 8.1%, reflecting a 65% jump from the previously held 4.9%. Post the development, shares of Carrizo have moved up 11.5%.

Carrizo is burdened with a heavy debt pile of around $1.63 billion, which is even higher than the companys market capitalization. Notably, the companys debt levels witnessed a year-over-year increase of 22.5% in 2017. Carrizo currently carries a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 81.5% that limits its growth and restricts financial flexibility. The low liquidity of the company, which stands at 0.33, also raises concern over its asset-management practices, considering it as a small-cap company.

Kimmeridge wants the company to divest its assets in the Eagle Ford Shale to de-lever its balance sheet. The private equity company either wants Carrizo to exit entirely from its Eagle Ford Holdings for debt reduction or if not all, then part of its holdings to use the proceeds for share buyback purposes. (Read more Activist Investor Plans Carrizo Shake-Up, Hikes Stake)

5. SeaDrill Limiteds shares increased 15.12% to eventually close at 23.6 cents on Apr 9, reflecting investors optimism after the company received virtually unanimous backing for its reorganization plan.

The companys financial restructuring plan received approval from 99.8% of the creditors. Per the restructuring agreement, the international offshore drilling company will witness capital injection of $1.08 billion that would comprise $880 million of secured loans and $200 million equity.

SeaDrills restructuring plan will now have to be approved on a confirmation hearing scheduled to commence on Apr 17, 2018. Following the approval of the plan, existing shareholders will receive 1.9% stake in the post-restructuring equity.

Being one of the worst sufferers of the downturn and burdened with massive debt, the company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sep 12 to restructure its balance sheet amid volatile oil prices.

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An official decision to grant unfiltered Internet access to 100 handpicked reporters in Iran threatens to backfire, with journalists and editors blasting it as discriminatory and a transparent effort to curry media favor beyond the already extensive reach of state censors.

Some critics also complained that Internet use under the Iranian government's aegis could jeopardize their personal privacy or security, hinting at public mistrust of homegrown apps and the clerically led regime.

The governmental Working Group to Determine Instances of Criminal Content issued the call for applications from journalists for the 100 spots following a request by the press office of the Culture Ministry, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported on April 4.

Journalists could apply by sending their name, ID number, contact information, and the name of their media organization to the Office of Press and Domestic News Agencies by April 20, the report said.

It was unclear what the criteria for approval would be.

Journalists took to Twitter to blast the invitation, adopting the hashtag #Man_nistam (#_), or "I'm not in."

"Internet without filter is the right of everyone and not only journalists and not only 100 journalists!" tweeted reporter Yeganeh Khademi.

Journalist Sonita Sarabpour, who covers technology for Peivast Monthly, reacted similarly, saying in a tweet that "#Imnotin because access to the free flow of information is everyone's right and separating 100 people and giving them unfiltered Internet is against citizens' rights."

Anti-Filtering Tools

Sarabpour added that she feels "safer" using a so-called virtual private network (VPN) to access the Internet.

Iran has one of the world's toughest Internet censorship regimes, and many Iranians are forced to use anti-filtering tools and VPNs on a daily basis to circumvent official blocks on a wide array of social media and many websites.

But senior state officials are believed to enjoy largely unrestricted Internet access. Communications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said in January that he and some other senior officials were allowed, because of their duties, to browse the Internet freely without anti-filtering tools.

Journalists and others have been harassed, summoned, and even imprisoned over their online writings and social-media posts.

"#Imnotin because access to free Internet is everyone's right. In the name of journalists, we should not be given a right that many have been deprived of in the form of a bribe and join this unjust lawlessness," tweeted Hossein Norouzi, the editor in chief of the Iranian publication Cinema.

Blocking Telegram

The offer comes amid a state push to promote homegrown messaging apps to replace the wildly popular Telegram believed to be used by around half of Iran's 82 million people.

An Iranian lawmaker said earlier this month that Telegram would soon be blocked for security reasons and replaced by a similar local service.

The announcement has met with criticism from Iranians expressing their lack of trust in domestic apps due to what they suspect is state surveillance. Many have vowed to continue using Telegram via anti-filtering tools.

Some journalists suggested they would similarly distrust unrestricted Internet provided by the state.

"We don't trust the unfiltered Internet provided by the Culture Ministry as much as we don't trust domestic messaging apps," a journalist identified as Zahra told the daily Ebtekar on April 7. "As a journalist, I'm prepared to access the Internet with an anti-filtering tool and search with difficulty for information rather than use an unfiltered Internet that would put my security at risk."

Another journalist, identified as Ali told Ebtekar, said he would not use unrestricted Internet provided by the government even if it were offered free of charge.

"I'm routinely being monitored on Twitter. Now imagine what would happen if I became active in a platform that can be fully monitored by some special bodies," he said.

Iranian satirist Hooman Jafari reacted to the offer by noting that many Iranians don't know exactly what unrestricted Internet is, as they are so used to accessing the Internet via proxy servers.
Pakistan has launched a nationwide polio-vaccination drive to try to reach 38.7 million children and eradicate the paralyzing and potentially deadly virus in one of the last countries on Earth where it is found.

Nearly 260,000 volunteers and workers fanned out across Pakistan in an effort to vaccinate every child below the age of 5 in a weeklong campaign, Pakistan's national coordinator on polio, Mohammad Safdar, said on April 9.

He said the authorities hoped a similar campaign will soon be launched in Pakistan's tribal regions.

"We're really very close to eradicating the disease," Safdar told Reuters, calling on Pakistani citizens to cooperate with the door-to-door effort.

Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, that suffers from endemic polio, a childhood virus that can cause paralysis or death.

In 2018, Pakistan has had just one polio case, which was reported last month, Safdar told Reuters. The number of cases has steadily declined since 2014, when 306 were reported. Last year, there were only eight cases, he said.

Efforts to eradicate the disease have been undermined by opposition from the Taliban and other Islamist militants, who claim that immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies.

In January, gunmen killed a mother-and-daughter vaccination team working in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where the year's only case so far was later reported.

Three years earlier, 15 people were killed in a bombing by the Pakistani Taliban outside a polio-vaccination center in Balochistan.

Polio teams on April 9 were working undeterred.

"Yes, we feel threatened, but our work is like this," Bilquis Omar, who has served on a mobile vaccination team for the past six years in the southern port metropolis of Karachi, told Reuters.

"We are working for the children," she said.

Aziz Memon, who heads the Rotary Club's PolioPlus program that funds many of the immunization teams, said this year the drive was also making a renewed effort to reach migrants who come back and forth from Afghanistan.

"Mission No. 1 is to get to zero cases and eradicate polio," Memon said.

A country must have no cases for three consecutive years to be declared free of polio by the World Health Organization.

Pakistan has to contend with extra suspicion of immunization drives because of the 2011 U.S. Special Forces raid inside the country that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, architect of the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

A Pakistani doctor was accused of using a fake vaccination campaign to collect DNA samples that the CIA used to verify bin Laden's identity. The doctor remains jailed in Pakistan, convicted of waging war against the state.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Army plans Robotics Innovation Center

The Army is considering opening a Robotics Innovation Center at Fort Benning, Ga.

Don Sando, deputy to the commanding general at the Maneuver Center of Excellence, announced the plan at the Ground Robotics Capabilities Conference hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association.

Whether physical or virtual, the Robotics Innovation Center will be a chance for the Training and Doctrine Command's Maneuver Robotics and Autonomous Systems Office to work with other Defense Department groups, academia and industry. The center might not bring these groups together physically, Sando told GCN, but its goal is to unites them around a shared purpose  integrating robotics and autonomous systems into current and future combat teams.

Within the year, details will be available on the Robotics Innovation Center launch and membership, Sando said.

One of the first opportunities to bring these groups together will be at an industry day the Army plans for June. When the event is announced it will include a challenge related to autonomous systems, and if you think you can be a part of the solution to that problem come on down [to the industry day] and lets talk, Sando said.

A second event is being planned for October, aptly named Bot-tober Fest, that will include two challenges: directed or kinetic energy and underwater operations. Shooting robots and swimming robots, Sando explained. Itll be neat.

The Army demonstrated robotic systems' potential at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany this week when remote-controlled vehicles breached a barricade, Sando said.

We did a robotic breach today, which has never been done before. This is a historic moment, 1st Lt. Cody Rothschild told Stars and Stripes. The demonstration involved using remote-controlled U.K. Terrier engineering vehicles to clear a simulated minefield and breach a tank trench. The Robotic Complex Breach Concept demonstration also used unmanned aerial vehicles for observation, targeting and sensing of air conditions.

There are already plans for a second demonstration this fall at Fort Benning and a third a year from now at Fort Lewis in Yakima, Wash. These demonstrations will be informed by the results of the exercise in Germany, Sando said.

The Defense Department has developed an Unmanned Systems Roadmap that is currently undergoing review before its release, according to Jose Gonzalez, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.

Autonomy and robotic systems are both listed as priorities in the National Defense Strategy, a summary of which was released earlier this year.

The drive to develop new technologies is relentless, expanding to more actors with lower barriers of entry, and moving at accelerating speed, the summary said. New technologies include advanced computing, 'big data' analytics, artificial intelligence, autonomy, robotics, directed energy, hypersonics, and biotechnology -- the very technologies that ensure we will be able to fight and win the wars of the future.
Election security means much more than just new voting machines

This article was first posted on The Conversation.

In late March, Congress passed a significant spending bill that included US $380 million in state grants to improve election infrastructure. As the U.S. ramps up for the 2018 midterm elections, that may seem like a huge amount of money, but its really only a start at securing the countrys voting systems.

A 2015 report by the Brennan Center law and policy institute at New York University estimates overhauling the nations voting system could cost more than $1 billion -- though the price could be partially offset by more efficient contracting. Most voting equipment hasnt been updated since the early 2000s. At times, election officials must buy voting machine hardware on eBay, because the companies that made them are no longer in business. Even when working properly, those machines are not secure: At the 2017 DEF CON hacker conference, attackers took control of several voting machines in a matter of minutes.

Securing electoral systems across the U.S. is a big problem with high stakes. This federal money being provided to states now may not be the last of its kind, but its whats available right away, and it must be used as efficiently as possible.

1. A reliable backup system: Paper ballots

The security community has been clamoring for paper ballots for years. Now, with evidence of election hacking in 2016 and the vivid demonstration of voting machine vulnerability, the idea is gaining traction.

Paper ballots arent perfect -- remember hanging chads? -- but they provide a physical record that can be compared to electronic records. And if there are discrepancies between the two, paper provides a way to track down the source of the problem. Even if votes are counted electronically, keeping paper ballots provides a way to validate and verify the results if theyre in question -- rather than just hoping the electronics are secure.

2. Examining the whole problem

Discussing the Senate Select Committee on Intelligences investigation into Russian efforts to manipulate state election systems, Chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, said, Its clear the Russian government was looking for vulnerabilities. U.S. election officials should do the same: Probe election systems to identify weaknesses, but then also fix them.

And like the Russians, the U.S. must think about the entire electoral system. Beyond the machines that tabulate votes, which have been at the center of the conversation, there are many other pieces in the system. These include the ways people register to vote, where their records are kept, and how they are verified at the polls as legitimate voters. And theres what happens after votes are tabulated, as theyre being reported from individual polling places to central municipal records and up to state election officials.

At least 10 states voting registration systems were compromised, most likely by the Russians in the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Despite relief that votes themselves were not changed, these registration systems dictate who is allowed to vote and where, and how voting materials (like referendum information and absentee ballots) are distributed. Elections are often determined by small margins. Selectively disenfranchising a small percentage of voters could very well swing the results.

3. Securing voters, not just machines

Election security isnt a problem that will be solved just with technology. Democracy depends on people -- specifically, their trust that the system is valid and secure. If that trust continues to erode, fewer of them will participate in elections, and some may begin to reject officially reported results.

In 2016, voter turnout was at a 20-year low, with only 55 percent of eligible citizens casting votes. Younger voters have lower turnout than older voters -- for example, while more than 70 percent of eligible voters over the age of 60 cast votes in 2016, only 43 percent of people in the 18-to-29-year-old bracket did so.

The government must not only act, but also reassure the electorate that those actions reflect how seriously officials are taking public concerns. States may want to consider something similar to the Hack the Pentagon program, which has been publicly visible as well as effective in flushing out security issues in specific Defense Department systems. Whether youre a well-funded government like the U.S. or anyone else, you have to work with the hacker community, said Katie Moussouris, who helped start Hack the Pentagon and also created Microsofts bug bounty program. Its a bold move, but inviting white-hat hackers to publicly probe election systems -- and paying them for information on the vulnerabilities they find -- would show voters that states are serious about solving problems.

There is a lot of work to do to secure U.S. elections, but $380 million is a good way to start. If states spend it in the most meaningful ways -- patching both their machines and the populations trust -- they will build a system thats secure, trustworthy and works for all the people.
LONDON, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Performance Horizon, the leading global provider of partner marketing software for global brands, has more than doubled its revenue in the Netherlands in the past 12 months, the company announced today.



Over the past year, Performance Horizon has scored a long list of noteworthy new client wins, including Catawiki and Werkspot. To ensure outstanding support of this growing client base, Performance Horizon has also implemented a technical and customer success organization specifically focused on the needs of the market in the Netherlands.

We are excited to be fostering the growth of partner marketing in the Netherlands, said Sean Sewell, Performance Horizon co-founder and VP of Revenue, EMEA. Brands in this dynamic market are on the cutting edge and looking to fuel their partner marketing with the richest possible data and insights, which is exactly what Performance Horizon excels at providing.

Said Mark Tiemens, Affiliate Manager for Catawiki, Performance Horizon is one of the leading platform providers in affiliate marketing, with an easy-to-use platform, granular insights, and transparency across conversions and commissions. Additionally, they offer an upgraded tracking tool that allows Catawiki to implement a new commission model based on sales and user activity. With Performance Horizon we expect to continue our growth as we will be able to work towards a Partner Network with a focus on self service.

Flexibility and transparency were key reasons why we chose to work with Performance Horizon, said Martijn Mik, International Online Marketing Manager at Werkspot. Performance Horizon worked closely with our team to ensure the platform delivered on our unique needs. The rich data and insights available in the platform enable us to fully implement a data-driven marketing strategy for our partner marketing efforts.

About Performance Horizon

Performance Horizon helps the world's leading brands build powerful business partnerships that drive extraordinary business growth. The Performance Horizon Partner Management Platform (PMP) is an end-to-end, SaaS-based solution for forming, managing, analyzing, and predicting the future results of partner marketing programs using artificial intelligence. Hundreds of the worlds largest brands leverage our real-time technology to drive and manage more than $6B in sales across 214 countries and territories worldwide. To learn more about Performance Horizon and partner marketing, visit performancehorizon.com.

Media Contact:

Diane Anderson, WIT Strategy for Performance Horizon

415.254.9086

danderson@witstrategy.com
saicharan1191 wrote:

Hi @CHARAN, you are smart to be starting now to make MBA preparations! It takes time to do it well.



And also if you want more specific guidance on your profile-- set up a consult with us at this link: With the 710 GMAT from India-- Ross, Haas, Kellogg, Stern, McCombs will be tougher. I think you could have a shot at Kelley, Goizueta and Tepper. But just saying this without really understanding more is not enough to say you are a slam dunk at any of these. In terms of your profile-- you have some interesting work and you may be able to leverage your research background or your telecom industry expertise to make a transition to consulting. Don't overlook how important it is to get to know the programs well-- and you can do this even from afar--https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com/5-tips-connecting-dream-mba-program-india/And also if you want more specific guidance on your profile-- set up a consult with us at this link: https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com ... b-visitor/ and if you have any trouble getting that scheduled reach out to me via private message and I will help you get connected.

Hi,My name is CHARAN. I am writing to you for your valuable advice, as I plan to apply for my MBA later this year for 2019 intake.My profile:Current Job: Analyst (Telecom sector) in a multi-national Market research & Advisory companyWE: 48 months ( mostly in Market Research & product development domains in Education, Risk & Due diligence, Background verification and Telecom Industries)Aim: To pursue career in Management consultingMy main motivation to pursue MBA:Need a transition from market research industry to strategy consulting. I love solving business problems and implementing strategies more than just writing writing reports, analysing trends or suggesting recommendations.Education: UG: Chemical Engineering, NIT Bhopal (premier institution), IndiaGPA: 7.4/10GMAT: 710Target colleges: Ross, Haas, Stern, kellog, Tepper, Goizueta, McCombs, Mays, Kelly.Please evaluate my profile and tell me whether I am headed in the right direction.Do you think my profile is way too diverse or is it appealing enough for my aspirations to be a Generalist consultant post MBA?Do I stand a chance in the above mentioned colleges?Thank you!Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
The Indian Male MBA Application Guide



BUT Before You Go On: Please note that NONE of my analysis are quite backed by extensive data mining.

you might find merit in following some of my approaches. It is entirely up to you to believe my hypotheses, and I will certainly not entertain questions such as "What is your source?" - the evidence is anecdotal and I leave it up to you to believe/trust my judgement. Having said that, I have been helping people on GMAT Club for almost five years now. I would not just say things Please note that NONE of my analysis are quite backed by extensive data mining. Narenn does that stuff and while I think most of my findings are anecdotal,you might find merit in following some of my approaches. It is entirely up to you to believe my hypotheses, and I will certainly not entertain questions such as "What is your source?" - the evidence is anecdotal and I leave it up to you to believe/trust my judgement. Having said that, I have been helping people on GMAT Club for almost five years now. I would notsay things

Top Schools That Have Predictable Admissions Processes



Favourable Stats for Indian Males

GMAT - 740 or above.

- 740 or above. Undergrad - IIT top 5-7, non IIT universities include - BITS, NITs, Delhi University, SRCC, JU, ANNA U. These are universities I know[/i. Of course there are MANY others, and if your GMAT is 740+ your undergrad pedigree may not matter as much. Of course it will help if you are from these universities or some other well known ones (think top 25 in India)

- IIT top 5-7, non IIT universities include - BITS, NITs, Delhi University, SRCC, JU, ANNA U. These are universities I GPA - does not REALLY matter in my honest opinion, unless you have a visible Fail grade in your transcript. I have a very strong suspicion that Indian undergrad GPAs are not weighed in the same way as other geographies because the grading scale is completely non standard. Even for a low GPA, I would not bother writing an optional essay to explain

- does not REALLY matter in my honest opinion, unless you have a visible Fail grade in your transcript. I have a very strong suspicion that Indian undergrad GPAs are not weighed in the same way as other geographies because the grading scale is completely non standard. Even for a low GPA, I would not bother writing an optional essay to explain Experience - Blue chip companies will help a LOT. Especially if your company is F100 or even F500 (unless you are in a dead end IT back support role), you have a very clear chance of being taken seriously. For smaller companies, working with international clients will help, as will having foreign work experience  client work and what have you. For non profit roles, make sure to explain the scale and capacity of your nonprofit. I worked in nonprofits for five years - both big and small so I had an extra hurdle to overcome.

My Predictability Rankings

School Specific Tips



Wharton

MIT Sloan

Chicago Booth

UC Berkeley

really

Dartmouth/Tuck

Michigan Ross

(I can keep adding a few more schools in the future based on demand)

Which schools to apply to:



Allstar 760+ Indian male with top undergrad and bluechip experiences/saving the world nonprofits/strong leadership in a new sexy industry type

maybe

achievable schools

730-750 GMAT, top undergrad, great experiences

maybe

achievable schools

730-750 GMAT, top 30-40 undergrad, lack of bluechip/worldsaving nonprofits/strong leadership in a new sexy industry

Less than 730 GMAT, top 40 undergrad, no bluechip experience/strong leadership in a new sexy industry

Some Additional Notes and Theories



1. My observations may be completely flawed. Of course, I do not think that, but I am sure there are numerous examples that are exceptions to my observations.

2. I have a sneaky feeling that essays do not matter much in the interview invitation process (saving schools such as Haas, Anderson, Tuck etc). I think interview invites are mostly based on stats, pedigree, branding etc. Once the candidates are interviewed, the essays matter a lot more - this theory makes sense from an ROI of reading thousands of essays of people who don't stand a chance at all = BAD for business perspectives. Plus schools such as Yale, Kellogg, and some others issuing invites within a day of deadlines make me nervous.

3. Some schools such as Kellogg have a fairly random process of issuing invites to Indians. I am not going to share my thoughts except the fact that I am not a fan. Definitely messes up my predictability theories.

4. Schools with ED rounds are MUCH more predictable and Indian-friendly (especially Fuqua, Tuck, and maybe Columbia) than later rounds. I think Fuqua RD round is harder to get into than any R1 peer school. Period.

As some of you may know, I have dabbled in the application process more than the average Joe (or the average Indian Ram). I have applied to schools for 2 years, had tremendous ups and downs, and finally, had reasonable success this year. I am not going to go into details as to which program I got into and which program did not deem me fit for their class, but through extensive conversations and observing 6-8 rounds of this process, I have come up with a reasonably sound explanations of Indian-friendly MBA programs.This is what I mean by predictable - If you have hit top 80-90%ile of their class stats - you should expect an interview invite unless you have written really crappy essays. These B Schools have had a traditional way to of selecting candidates for interviews and it could be reasonably assumed that if you hit these stats, you are in a good place for an invite. These are the stats that one would have to hit to score an invite (although note that predictability will vary based on schools as I mentioned in the graph below).These are just the schools I have some idea about. Either I interviewed or know tons of people who did. As usual, take my advice with a bucketload of seasoning.- While I did not score an invite myself, I know plenty who did. I think if you an Indian female with top scores and great pedigree in experience, you have a fairly decent shot here. However if you are an Indian male, I would be nervous unless you have a 750+ GMAT with a big name work ex and some international chops. Wharton has consistently kept its essays same over the last few years. I feel you can get away with mediocre school research (Wharton's website is overwhelmingly crowded so you will find something). I don't think networking will help a lot in Wharton. Wharton is a big school and it is not as insecure as a few others, so you don't have to work hard on build a pre existing network to the school. Also, culture is not really a thing a Wharton (Man, if a Wharton alum/current is reading this, I am sure he/she is rolling their eyes), so hard to go too deep there too.- I did interview at Sloan and had the liberty to a lot of research. I feel if you have innovation screaming from your resume, you have a decent shot at scoring an invite as long as you hit the basic stats of course. I would recommend reading/learning about their experiential labs and provide clear examples of how they will help you in your cover letter. Also, I am fairly confident with Sloan's trajectory of moving away from any video to mandating web cameras, they don't give a lot of significance to production quality. My video was basically an audition for the Blair-witch project.- I think Booth is really [i]really Indian friendly. 8-10 % of the class is Indian and that's saying something considering a pretty sizeable class size. I think Booth is pretty achievable for an interview invite if you hit ALL the stats - that means GMAT, Undergrad and Work Experience Pedigree. One additional insight I would recommend is really nail the Chicago Approach (I don't think essays matter as much before the interview stage - but more on that later) and that you are not afraid to challenge the status quo. But I think the picture collection that Booth uses gets worse every year so it might be tricky to fit that in at times. Booth also is trying very hard to push the image of its culture as one that fosters collaboration so if you are that type, perhaps Booth will like you even more!- I think Haas is one of the schools whichreads your entire application before calling for interviews. So essays are crucial here. I think stats will help here, but not as much. Your essays need to be top notch and you definitely have to show your well-roundedness more to woo Haas than other schools. I hope they do not bring the song essay back from the grave, but if they do, it would be an annoying glitch. Haas essays end up being pretty behavioural so lots of scope to flesh out strong ideas. I would recommend essays that talks about persuading others, leading people, resolving conflict through EQ. I also think Haas (in a tie with Ross) has the friendliest student community. I had a really good time talking to Haas ambassadors and they even volunteered to look at my essays. Unfortunately the class at Haas has 3-5 Indians, so unless you are super lucky, you will not get in.- This schools is all about outreach. In my reapplication feedback I was explicitly told by a certain Associate Director to show up for events/chats/classes to stand out. I also think Tuck may be a bit more lenient to GMATs (I mean a 730 might cut it), and I do think essays matter more here to score invites than other schools. I also feel that if you can successfully convey that you will live and breathe the culture at Tuck, certain weaknesses in your profile might get overlooked. I would network like crazy with Tuck, current students, admissions, mock classes, coffee chats and everything else they do.- Ross is BIG on culture too, and you have to show that that you love them. That means - attend events - network, show up at team exercise, ask for suggestions. Ross was REALLY kind to me and I fell in love with the school. I reached out to one kind admissions director after getting rejected last year and instead of giving me generic encouragement, he went through my file to give me specific feedback - a nonstandard practice at Ross. Also, I reached out to 2 current students and they proactively connected my to 10 more. I could not be more grateful. I really felt they were my partners in the process.Hard: HBS, Stanford, SloanMaybe: Booth, Kellogg, ColumbiaAchievable: Ross, Darden, Duke, Tuck, SternIf "in" at theandConsulting Goals - I would recommend Kellogg, Booth, Tuck, Columbia, Ross, Duke, Stern, Darden in that orderTech Goals - I would recommend Booth, Ross, Kellogg, Columbia, Tuck, Duke, Stern, Darden in that orderOther Goals - You are Indian. Don't flatter yourself.Hard: HBS, Stanford, Sloan, Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, DardenMaybe: Ross, Duke, Darden, Tuck, SternAchievable: McCombs, UCLA, Emory, UNC, FosterIf "in" at theandConsulting Goals - I would recommend Tuck, Ross, Duke, Stern, McCombs, Emory, UNC, Foster in that orderTech Goals - I would recommend Ross, McCombs, UCLA, Stern, Tuck, Darden, Foster, UNC, Emoory in that orderOther Goals - You are Indian. Don't make me repeat myself!Hard: Ross, Duke, Darden, Tuck, SternMaybe: Stern, UCLA, UNC, McCombs, TepperAchievable: Top 30-40 - I would recommend Kelley, Emory, FosterConsider recalibrating your expectations. If you want to get into the top 25 US programs, I would recommend retaking the GMAT, seek leadership opportunities at work and definitely reexamine your career goals._________________
Many of us old-timers in the industry still remember when whey was the nuisance by-product of cheesemaking. It has only been in the past two or three decades that whey has come into a world of its own.



We have seen whey drive Class III prices up almost $3 per hundredweight when international demand spiked upward in 2014. The past year has seen NASS whey prices peak at 52 cents per pound in April 2017 followed by a slow bleed downward to 5 cents per pound this February.

The table shows the movement of monthly average NASS whey prices from January 2017 through February 2018 along with forecasted levels through December 2018. National and international production of whey and whey products have climbed as cheese production grew in 2017. At the same time, demand for whey declined as countries like China backed off its purchases.



Robert D. Wellington

Sr VP of economics, communications, and legislative affairs, Agri-Mark Inc.



DRIVES OTHER SOLIDS

The market appeared to have hit its bottom in the last month or two, but it will still be a slow climb up. Whey inventories must be worked off, plus the huge surplus of nonfat dry milk production and inventories here and in Europe are also having a depressing impact on whey prices.The price of whey has a direct impact on farm prices through the other solids component pricing in federal orders. The table also shows those other solids prices announced by the Market Administrators Offices of USDA. Federal orders use a direct calculation to get that component price. USDA subtracts the predetermined costs of making the dry whey from the NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service) price and adjusts the difference by a small yield factor to get the other solids price.

The costs to make the whey is often referred to as the make allowance and is based on actual plant costs given at federal order hearings more than a decade ago. Its value is 19.91 cents per pound and the yield factor is 1.03. If you subtract about 19 cents from the whey price, you can estimate the other solids price.



This make allowance can also result in negative prices for other solids if the dry whey price is determined to be below 19.9 cents per pound. This happened in several months in 2003, 2008, and 2009 when farmers received a deduction from their milk checks for the negative other-solids value. Fortunately, this has not happened since 2009 . . . although we fell dangerously close to that situation this winter.

The other solids price was about 50 cents per pound in July 2014 and was a significant factor is driving farm milk prices to record levels. In 2017, the price peaked at 33.5 cents per pound in April but reached a low of 5.5 cents per pound in February 2018. Forecasts expect a small rebound up to 10 or 11 cents per pound by the end of this year, but any change in supply or demand could alter that.



FACTORS INTO CLASS III

The impact of whey and the other solids prices on Class III prices is also shown in the table. When calculating the Class III price, the federal orders use an other solids level of 5.7 pounds in the announced Class III price of a hundredweight of milk. This is much the same way that they use a butterfat level of 3.5 pounds in that same announced price.

Those 5.7 pounds of other solids enhanced the Class III price by $1.91 in April 2017, but did so by only $0.31 in February 2018 due to lower whey prices. That impact on the Class III price was the major factor in why the Class III price was $15.22 in April 2017, but only $13.40 in February 2018. Whey values can have a huge impact on Class III prices and farm milk prices, and they have in recent years.



A LEADING PROTEIN

We live in a severely protein deficit world where literally hundreds of millions of people do not consume the levels of protein needed for healthy bodies and lifestyles. Dairy protein has proven to be one of the best forms of protein available. Whey products are highly digestible and desirable as can be seen by their growing use in elderly nutrition, baby formula, and even bodybuilding products. Hundreds of products in your grocery store, from soups to hot dogs to face creams, include whey products.



While the potential market for whey products is much greater than current production, it remains limited by the income of those people most needing it. As incomes grow and countries decide to provide better food for their populations, that whey demand will be realized. Its only a matter of time.
I dont actually know how to fix the dairy industry. I know that it will be a multistep process. I know that it wont be easy, but I know exactly where we start.

If youre part of any dairy farmer Facebook groups, you know that it doesnt take long for the conversation to turn hostile. We fight about farm size; we fight about politics; we even fight about how to treat different illnesses. How did we get here?

Dairy farming is hard, that may be the only thing we can actually agree on. So why cant we support each other instead of putting each other down? I have a friend who actively advocates for the dairy industry and is amazing at it. The videos that this person posts get tons of views and give the public a realistic picture of what modern dairy farms are like.

Some of the meanest comments are from fellow farmers. I get that not every farmer wants to put their farm and farming practices on social media. It can be a scary thing. But are we really in a position to alienate the farmers who are willing?

Everywhere we look, were being told to share our story with consumers. If youre not willing to do that, perhaps you should be more than willing to support the farmers who do. If you have a problem with something theyve said, maybe, instead of publicly calling them names and telling them their way of doing something is stupid, you could send them a private message. Or, I dont know, scroll on and ignore it. How does the saying go? If you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all.

If we have any tiny hope of changing this industry, we need to start supporting each other. Im not saying you cant ever disagree with someone, but its not that hard to find a way to do it in a constructive, nonthreatening way.

I may not know how to fix the industry, but how can we expect to get anywhere if we cant get along? Its a lesson most parents are teaching their kindergartners, and apparently social media has turned us all back into toddlers. Maybe the saying should go more like this: If you dont have anything nice to type, dont hit send.

The author dairies in partnership with her parents and brother at Spruce Row Farm in Pennsylvania. Jessica is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, and since 2015, she has been active in promoting dairy in her local community. You can find her and her 250 Jersey cows on Facebook at Spruce Row Dairy or on Instagram at @seejessfarm.
Did a man named Jiang Chunhua take pictures of his penis next to the embalmed corpse of Mao Zedong, former Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party? And does he now face execution for this "crime"? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a satirical website that invents fake stories all the time.

World News Daily Report published an article on April 11, 2018 titled "China: Man faces execution after rubbing his penis on Mao Zedong's corpse" (archived here) which opened:

Beijing | A Chinese man faces execution after he took several pictures of himself and his genitals next to the embalmed corpse of Chairman Mao Zedong, reports the Beijing Express.

Jiang Chunhua, an employee of the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, had been working at the facility for the past sixteen years before his arrest this week. Camera footage allegedly showed the former janitor desecrating the embalmed body of Mao Zedong, according to authorities. Chunhua admittedly took pictures of his genitals next to the leader "as a joke" and to "impress his friends" an official of the mausoleum told the press.

We were unable to locate a newspaper named Beijing Express so at least that part of the story can't be true. In addition the man pictured in the image that accompanied the article is actually Zhang Weiqiang, a Chinese scientist who got sentenced to prison over the theft of GMO rice recently:

Chinese scientist gets 10 years in U.S. prison over theft of GMO rice A Chinese scientist in Kansas was sentenced on Wednesday to more than 10 years in a federal prison for conspiring to steal samples of a variety of genetically engineered rice seeds from a U.S. research facility, the U.S. Justice Department said.

The website World News Daily Report is a well known satire website specialized in posting hoaxes and made up stories. The disclaimer on their website is pretty clear about that even though you have to scroll all the way down the page to find it:

World News Daily Report assumes all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content. All characters appearing in the articles in this website - even those based on real people - are entirely fictional and any resemblance between them and any person, living, dead or undead, is purely a miracle.

It is run by Janick Murray-Hall and Olivier Legault, who also run the satirical Journal de Mourreal, a satirical site spoofing the (real) Journal de Monteal. Very often their stories feature an image showing a random crazy mugshot found in a mugshot gallery on the internet or on a stock photo website superimposed over a background of flashing police lights or crime scene tape.

Articles from the site are frequently copied (sometimes even months or years later) by varous fake news websites that omit the satire disclaimer and present the information as real.

We wrote about worldnewsdailyreport.com before, here are our most recent articles that mention the site:
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
Image Credits: Photo courtesy of Nicole Estaphan

Washington, Apr 11 (IBNS): Each new season brings change. Seasonal change on land is something that were familiar with and adjust to regularly.

But what happens to billions of plankton in the ocean each season? How do they adjust to changing sunlight patterns and mixing of the water column? And what impact do these tiny critters have on us, so far away on land?

To answer those questions and others, NASAs North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) mission began its fourth and final deployment, making it the first research mission to conduct an integrated study of all four distinct phases of the worlds largest phytoplankton bloom in the North Atlantic and how they impact the atmosphere.

Most scientists studying the bloom head to sea during its climax in late spring and early summer. We did that, but we also went out during the other seasons to fully capture the minimum and transitions of the bloom. said NAAMES Deputy Project Scientist Rich Moore.

This thoroughness pays off as our ship-based scientists use these data to fully describe the entirety of the plankton bust/boom cycle, he said. No one has done this before, and we're excited about the science findings that are beginning to trickle out now.

NAAMES research challenges traditional ideas about bloom dynamics and species succession. Findings from three deployments have already confirmed a distinct shift in the annual cycle of the phytoplankton bloom and researchers have noted a clear lack of larger-sized plankton during the peak of the bloom. The implication of these findings will be presented in a series of journal publications over the coming year.

During previous NAAMES deployments, researchers completed 220 research hours aboard an instrumented C-130 aircraft along specific tracks and maneuvers over the North Atlantic, including fly overs of the Woods Hole Oceanic Institutes (WHOI) Research Vessel Atlantis, which carries more than 50 researchers and crew members.

The ongoing ship deployment is currently collecting observations of ocean biological composition and stocks, aerosol measurements and optical properties of the North Atlantic study area.

Satellites such as CALIPSO, a joint NASA and CNES mission, also help to study the ocean and the atmosphere  from the depths of the phytoplankton bloom, to the clouds and atmospheric particles in the sky above.

This final NAAMES study researches the ascending transition of the bloom, which occurs after the phytoplankton minimum in February. In the March-April phase, the plankton are growing steadily, with their abundance in the water continuing to increase or accumulate toward the maximum of the bloom between May and July.

This final NAAMES campaign provides a unique opportunity for researchers aboard Atlantis to do experiments that study growth and decay of the phytoplankton population.

For scientists watching the rates of growth, this is the exciting time, because the accumulation rate is expected to be going through the roof and stay high for the next few months, Moore said. Rates of phytoplankton accumulation are critical for understanding the ocean conditions that lead to phytoplankton growth and its timing, a key to unlocking the environmental drivers and controls of biological dynamics.

Because scientists are also interested in the link between the ocean, atmospheric particles and clouds, theyve conducted meteorological balloon launches from the ship on a regular basis to capture information relevant to cloud formation processes.

By combining global data from NASA satellites with the ship, aircraft, and autonomous assets such as floats, along with laboratory research and balloon data, scientists are able to not only understand the current state of the atmosphere, but also how it is evolving over time.

At this point in the study, we're using the logistical lessons learned from the first three deployments to execute what is needed to fill in the last piece of the science puzzle about what drives the accumulation phase for phytoplankton growth, Moore said. "Then the real fun starts," he said, referring to the ongoing analyses of the data and publication of findings in scientific journals.




UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday called for an end to the recurring cycles of violence and instability in Africas Great Lakes region, as a senior UN official reported that some armed groups are continuing attacks on civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The negative forces, including the Allied Democratic Forces, continue to attack and terrify the population, causing suffering and displacement, and fuelling mistrust between the countries of the region, said the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Said Djinnit.

The UN has long been engaged in efforts to bring peace and stability to the vast region, stretches across Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

It has been plagued by decades of political instability and armed conflicts, porous borders and humanitarian crises, as well as tensions over natural resources and other potentially destabilizing factors.

A key step has been the adoption of a UN-brokered accord in February 2013 aimed at stabilizing the DRC and the region.

In todays briefing, Mr. Djinnit told the Council that while implementation of this accord, formally known as the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, has been slow and requires greater political will, it remains a vital tool to bring stability to the region.

One of the root causes of conflict in the region is exploitation of natural resources from the DRC.

Continued illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources from the DRC contributes, as we know, to financing negative forces and deprives the country of critical sources of growth and development, he said.

He also said that in the DRC, tensions persist between the Government and the opposition despite progress in preparations for the elections.

Djinnit noted that in Burundi, the political and human rights situation remains of great concern as the country heads towards a referendum for constitutional changes.

Further, human rights violations and impunity remain central to the instability across the region, he added, stressing that the humanitarian situation there also requires greater attention.

In a press statement issued after the briefing, the Council reaffirmed that the accord remains an essential mechanism to achieve durable peace and stability in the DRC and the region, and called on all signatories to fulfil their respective commitments to address the root causes of conflict and promote lasting regional development.

The accord was signed by 11 countries, namely Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The UN, the African Union (AU), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) act as guarantors of the accord. In early 2014, Kenya and Sudan became the 12th and 13th signatories of the accord, respectively.




New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): Armed groups in Libya are holding thousands of people in detention where they are being submitted to torture and other human rights violations, according to a United Nations report published on Tuesday.

The study, by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, and the UN Support Mission in the country, known as UNSMIL, estimates that some 6,500 people are being held in official prisons while thousands more are in facilities nominally under the authorities or that are directly run by armed groups, some of which are affiliated with the State.

This report lays bare not only the appalling abuses and violations experienced by Libyans deprived of their liberty, but the sheer horror and arbitrariness of such detentions, both for the victims and their families, said Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

One facility, believed to be the largest of its kind in western Libya, houses 2,600 people who face torture, unlawful killing, denial of adequate medical treatment and poor detention conditions.

Men, women and children across Libya are arbitrarily detained or unlawfully deprived of their liberty based on their tribal or family links and perceived political affiliations, the report stated.

Victims have little or no recourse to judicial remedy or reparations, while members of armed groups enjoy total impunity.

The reports findings are based on first-hand accounts and other information gathered from sources inside Libya.

Some detainees have been held since 2011 in relation to the armed conflict that led to the overthrow of former President, the late Muammar Gaddafi, and a surge in armed groups.

The report further stated that since renewed hostilities broke out in 2014, armed groups on all sides have rounded up suspected opponents, critics, activists, politicians and others, while hostage-taking for prisoner exchanges or ransom is also common.

Rather than reining in armed groups and integrating their members under State command and control structures, successive Libyan governments have increasingly relied on them for law enforcement, including arrests and detention; paid them salaries; and provided them with equipment and uniforms, the report said.

The authors are calling on the Libyan authorities to condemn torture, ill-treatment and summary executions of those detained, and to ensure accountability for these crimes.

These violations and abuses need to stop  and those responsible for such crimes should be held fully to account.

UNHCR/Iason Foounten
UN Photo/Loey Felipe

New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): Days after alleged chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma, the United Nations Security Council failed to adopt two competing resolutions that would have established a mechanism to investigate use of such weapons in Syria, as well as another concerning a fact-finding mission in the war-torn country.

Had one of the two mechanisms proposed in the drafts been approved, it could have filled the vacuum left by the Organisation for Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) when its mandate expired last November.

The first draft considered today  penned by the United States  which would have established a new investigative mechanism for one year, as well as identify those responsible for the use of chemical weapons, was rejected owing to a negative vote from Russia.

The draft received 12 votes in favour, two against (Bolivia and Russia) and one abstention (China).

A negative vote  or veto  from one of the Council's five permanent members  China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States  blocks passage of a resolution.

Todays meeting marked the twelfth time Russia has used its veto to block Council action on Syria.

Similarly, a competing draft  penned by Russia  which would have established the mechanism for one year as well but would have given the Security Council the responsibility to assign accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, was also not adopte.

This draft received six Council members vote in favour (Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan and Russia), seven against (France, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) and two abstentions (Cote dIvoire and Kuwait).

The Council rejected a third text  also proposed by Russia  which concerned the work of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM).

The draft received five votes in favour (Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Russia), four against (France, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States), and six abstentions (Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, and Sweden).

Ahead of the Security Council meetings today, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had repeated his call on 15-member body to find unity on the issue of use of chemical weapons in Syria and ensure accountability.

The norms against chemical weapons must be upheld. I appeal to the Security Council to fulfil its responsibility and find unity on this issue, he said.

I also encourage the Council to redouble its efforts to agree on a dedicated mechanism for accountability.
Washington, Apr 11 (IBNS): US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke over phone on the recent alleged chemical attacks in Syria which killed several people, the White House confirmed on Wednesday.

Slamming Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, both the leaders agreed not to allow use of chemical weapons in future.

A statement published by the White House said: "Both leaders condemned Syrian President Assads vicious disregard for human life. The President and Prime Minister agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue."

US President Donald Trump earlier said his government is going to take a 'major decision' on the crisis in Syria after an alleged chemical attack.

"We are studying that situation extremely closely. We are meeting with our military and everybody else, and well be making some major decisions over the next 24 to 48 hours," Trump told reporters.

"We are very concerned when a thing like that can happen. This is about humanity. Were talking about humanity. And it cant be allowed to happen," he said.

He said: "So if its Russia, if its Syria, if its Iran, if its all of them together, well figure it out and well know the answers quite soon. So were looking at that very, very strongly and very seriously."

Russia has invited for a fair investigation into the alleged Syrian chemical attack incident.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was quoted as saying by TASS: " We are in total support of a fair and immediate investigation, when they ask for it. However, when the investigation is intended to come at a predetermined point - that is, it was done by Assad with Putins support - there are no grounds for a serious discussion."

US President Donald Trump earlier attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the suspected chemical attack.

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!."

The White House earlier issued a statement where it said that Trump spoke to President Emmanuel Macron of France and both the leaders condemned the attack.

Meanwhile, days after alleged chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma, the United Nations Security Council failed to adopt two competing resolutions that would have established a mechanism to investigate use of such weapons in Syria, as well as another concerning a fact-finding mission in the war-torn country.

Had one of the two mechanisms proposed in the drafts been approved, it could have filled the vacuum left by the Organisation for Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) when its mandate expired last November.

The first draft considered on Tuesday  penned by the United States  which would have established a new investigative mechanism for one year, as well as identify those responsible for the use of chemical weapons, was rejected owing to a negative vote from Russia.

The draft received 12 votes in favour, two against (Bolivia and Russia) and one abstention (China).

A negative vote  or veto  from one of the Council's five permanent members  China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States  blocks passage of a resolution.

Todays meeting marked the twelfth time Russia has used its veto to block Council action on Syria.

Similarly, a competing draft  penned by Russia  which would have established the mechanism for one year as well but would have given the Security Council the responsibility to assign accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, was also not adopte.

This draft received six Council members vote in favour (Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan and Russia), seven against (France, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) and two abstentions (Cote dIvoire and Kuwait).

The Council rejected a third text  also proposed by Russia  which concerned the work of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM).

The draft received five votes in favour (Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Russia), four against (France, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States), and six abstentions (Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, and Sweden).

Ahead of the Security Council meetings today, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had repeated his call on 15-member body to find unity on the issue of use of chemical weapons in Syria and ensure accountability.

The norms against chemical weapons must be upheld. I appeal to the Security Council to fulfil its responsibility and find unity on this issue, he said.

I also encourage the Council to redouble its efforts to agree on a dedicated mechanism for accountability.

Images: Donald Trump Facebookpage and Wikimedia Commons
Iraee, who was sentenced to six years in prison for peaceful activism in April 2015, was sent to hospital from her prison cell on April 3, after suffering medical complications related to her hunger strike. An anonymous source told HRW that Iraee had lost a significant amount of weight.

Authorities prevented her family from visiting until April 9. When her family arrived in Varamin on April 3 to visit her in prison, they were told shed been transferred to a Tehran hospital, but authorities refused to say what prison or why shed been sent there.

Iraee began her hunger strike on February 3 after she and another human rights defender Atena Daemi were transferred from Evin prison in Tehran to Qarchak prison in the city of Varamin. Qarchak is used for housing dangerous prisoners and put the peaceful activists at further risk of attack  this is a common method of torture by the Regime.

Daemi ended her hunger strike on February 26, but Iraee continued hers until April 3.

Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW, said: There is nothing to suggest that Iraee has committed any genuine crime and keeping her one more day behind bars is illegal. She should be released immediately.

Iraees crimes

Iraee was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Service on September 6, 2014, along with her husband and fellow human rights defender Arash Sadeghi, and two other people.

Iraee was charged with insulting the sacred and creating propaganda against the state for writing an unpublished fictional story against the practice of stoning that the IRGC found on her laptop.

HRW has documented many, many problems with the case, from a lack of access to legal representation (common in trials in Iran) to the biases of Judge Abdolghassem Salavati who presided over the case and has sentenced dozens of activists to unfair prison sentences.

There are, of course, many other peaceful human rights defenders serving long prison terms (or currently under house arrest) in Iran, including Narges Mohammadi, Abdolfatah Soltani, Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Zahra Rahnavard,

Whitson said. Iranian authorities are apparently so threatened by human rights defenders that they imprison them for years. Instead of making prison conditions worse, Iran should start listening to defenders demands for more rights and freedom for all citizens.
Their protesters can be seen chanting anti-regime slogans as the suppressive security forces tried to disperse them, in videos posted on social media.

According to Irans Meteorological Organization, 97% of Iran is suffering because of the current drought, which has lasted for several years already.

This is not a new phenomenon. Three-quarters of Iran sees less 8 inches of rain a year, most of which evaporates on the surface rather than seeping into the soil.

It has, however, been made worse by the inaction of the Iranian Regime, who will divert money into foreign wars rather than tackling environmental issues that affect the health of its people.

This drought has sparked several protests across the country, but they have been especially prevalent in Isfahan, as farmers claim that the government officials have diverted water from Isfahan to its neighbouring province Yazd for years.

This is either incredible mismanagement, according to the farmers, or the result of bribery and corruption, but either way its evidence that the Iranian Regime has been depriving the farmers of their access to regional water sources, which the farmers have the right to use.

Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, told Reuters: 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.

The government promised to pay compensation to help the struggling farmers, but nothing has yet come of it and many suspect nothing will ever come from the Iranian Regime. Even if compensation was paid, that doesnt fix the overarching problem of drought or Regime corruption.

Indeed, the levels of corruption from the Iranian Regime are worse than the drought. No one can help an environmental disaster, but they can make efforts to help the people who suffer because of it and try to prevent the disaster from happening again. The Iranian Regime will not do this.

The mullahs dont care about the people of Iran; they are far too busy trying to spread terrorism across the Middle East in order to destabilise the neighbouring countries and try to take power.

Simply the only solution to the drought, the corruption, and the multitude of other problems currently facing the Iranian people is regime change.
This response is presumably far different from what the administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hoped to encounter. Rouhani was elected in 2013 and reelected in 2017 on promises of loosening some of the restrictions on Iranian society, especially by altering Irans status as one of the most heavily censored countries in the world, with some of the most restrictive access to the internet. Contrary to those campaign promises, Iranian authorities have continued to enforce existing restrictions while putting forward proposals for more of the same.

Last week, it was reported that Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the Iranian parliaments committee on national security and foreign policy, had announced that the decision had been made at the highest levels to permanently ban the popular Telegram instant messaging app, which is used by an estimated 40 million Iranians and was blamed for significantly contributing to the rapid spread of anti-government protests in December and January.

On Sunday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran reported upon that prospective ban and suggested that the proposal had confronted the clerical regime with a sort of catch-22. A nationwide ban on Twitter was previously implemented after the weeks-long Green Movement protests in 2009, so a ban on Telegram would be typical of the regimes response to public unrest. But the NCRI highlighted evidence that authorities were backing down from announcement of that ban, likely because the public reaction threatened to spur still more unrest.

Also of issue in Tehrans decision-making on this issue is the knowledge that the young and tech-savvy population routinely circumvents the ban on Twitter and would likely do the same with Telegram. In the interest of discouraging this, Iranian officials floated the idea of promoting domestic alternatives to the existing service, but this proposal met with a predictably chilly response, largely because of the inherent insecurity of apps that are created or supported by the regime.

The controversy over those domestic alternatives was repeated in the context of the offer of uncensored internet to those journalists who first submitted identifying information to the Ministry of Culture. As one journalist explained in remarks to CHRI: Even ordinary people have an issue with domestic messengers and dont have much trust in them, so if someone is in the journalism profession with a lot more complicated issues and connections than other people and has no job security, she/he will certainly not use an internet line that can be easily monitored.

To the extent that this easily monitored internet was intended as a display of diminished censorship, it underscores the lack of seriousness within the Rouhani administration when it comes to opposing hardline pressures. The NCRI noted that it was all but necessary for Rouhani to oppose the would-be ban on Telegram, in light of his campaign platform. But this is not to say that he would have opposed the pressure for adoption of domestic alternatives in the event that they had gained any traction among the public.

In other areas of public debate, such as the continued detention of Green Movement leaders and other political prisoners, Rouhani has quickly drawn back from the progressive promises associated with his campaign, deferring to hardline institutions such as the purportedly independent judiciary. With regard to issues of cyberspace, the NCRI notes that Supreme Council of Cyberspace held no meetings in the midst of the debate over Telegrams future, thereby providing Rouhani with plausible deniability in the aftermath of the dubious announcement that it would be blocked.

By means such as this, the president has kept himself relatively distant from matters of domestic policy even as those matters face increasingly hardline pressures. Since he took office, those pressures have already resulted in expansions of gender segregation throughout much of Iranian society, empowerment of the basij militia to enforce mandatory veiling and other religious laws, and recurrent crackdowns on persons with supposed ties to foreign entities or sympathies for foreign lifestyles.

At various times during the past few years, those hardline pressures have been evident in the public statements of high-ranking clerics. And on Sunday, Iran Human Rights Monitor highlighted one such statement, by Hassan Mosleh, the Friday prayer leader for the town of Borozjan. In the sermon, delivered locally and published in at least one newspaper, Mosleh took aim at music, reiterating and expanding on religious criticisms that have resulted in numerous concerts being cancelled even after receiving initial approval from the Ministry of Culture.

Mosleh blamed non-religious music for a laundry list of personal and social ills, including hypertension, hearing problems, blindness, insanity, and simply sudden death. And while such over-the-top statements are amusing on their surface, they are also representative of the tremendous mismatch between the sorts of opinions that are criminalized and given public outlet even under the current censorship laws.

The other side of this double standard is illustrated by the various prison terms and even death sentences meted out in recent years for the expression of opinions deemed insulting to Islam or to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The Iran Human Rights website recalled attention to one such case on Monday, reporting that Tehran resident Sina Dehghan had recently appealed his death sentence on the charge of insulting the prophet.

The charges, which also resulted in a death sentence for co-defendant Mohammad Nouri and a multi-year sentence for Sahar Elyasi, stemmed from content shared in 2015 on the Line messenger app. As well as showcasing the governments willingness to execute Iranians for their opinions, the case speaks to the roots of popular backlash against that same governments proposal to shift online activities away from the comparatively secure Telegram and toward domestic apps or even a domestically isolated internet.
The Second Amendment: Obstacle or

Catalyst to Sensible Gun Legislation?

By James M. Maloney. April 2018

The Background

For almost my entire adult life before I reached the age of 50 (in 2008), I lamented that the United States Supreme Court had never given any substantive interpretation to the Second Amendment, which became a part of our Constitution in 1791. The Court would not even take a case to answer that most fundamental question: does the Second Amendment provide for an individual right or for a collective one? (The Amendments opening phrase, [a] well-regulated militia, seems to have allowed reasonable minds to differ for 217 years on that point.)

It was precisely because the Second Amendment had NOT been interpreted, I reasoned as a young adult, that sensible gun legislation was so difficult to enact in the United States. One side of the debate felt that the Second Amendment conveyed an inviolable right to individuals, while the other side believed that, at most, it allowed the states to arm their own national guards. There was no room for compromise, and, most importantly, no assurance to law-abiding pro-gunners that they would be protected against eventual total disarmament by the anti-gunners.

In June 2008, the Supreme Court decided District of Columbia v. Heller, and in a 5-to-4 majority opinion, written by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, held that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right rather than a collective one. At last, I thought, we are on a path toward sensible legislation that can strike a reasonable balance between the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms and the recalcitrant plague of gun violence in America. But nearly ten years have gone by since then, and we seem no closer.

Part of the problem comes from the fact that the Supreme Court moves slowly, and that, as a result, there is still no well-developed jurisprudence of the Second Amendment. The Court has spoken only twice since Heller, once in 2010 in McDonald v. Chicago, which held that the Second Amendment is applicable as against state laws as well as federal ones, and again in 2016, in a case called Caetano v. Massachusetts. Caetano was a per curiam1 opinion that was issued without the case being briefed and heard first (a relatively unusual step for the Court to take). The Court simply reviewed the case record and issued a decision, in which it found that the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts had made errors in its determination that a stun gun was not a protected arm for purposes of the Second Amendment. Specifically, the Supreme Court found that the Massachusetts high court had gotten it wrong on three counts when it said that stun guns were not a covered arm on the basis that: (1) stun guns were not in common use at the time of the Second Amendments enactment; (2) stun guns are dangerous and unusual, the latter because they are a thoroughly modern invention; and (3) there was nothing in the record to suggest that [stun guns] are readily adaptable for use in the military. For a particular weapon to give rise to Second Amendment protection, the Supreme Court explained in Caetano, it need not have been in existence at the time of the Second Amendments enactment, nor need it be related in any way to military use.

1 Latin for by the court, that is, with no named author.

Two observations about Caetano are worth making here. The first is that the decision created no new lawit simply applied principles that had been articulated in Heller, eight years earlier. The second observation, which is the more important for present purposes, is that there was no dissent in Caetano. Although Justice Samuel Alito wrote a concurrence joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, not a single Justice registered any direct disagreement with the substance of the Caetano per curiam opinion.

While it is far from clear where the Supreme Court will go in its next Second Amendment case, the lack of any dissent in Caetano makes it clear that the current Court is not about to reverse Heller and/or McDonald by declaring that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual right that is applicable as against both federal and state laws. Therefore, attempts to overturn those cases, or to enact legislation that is inconsistent with the basic principle that such a right exists, is not a wise allocation of resources. Far better to work on legislation that is consistent with those principles.

The Current Situation

In the wake of the Parkland High School shootings, a national movement is underway that may result in legislation that bans all semi-automatic firearms, or at least severely restricts or eliminates access to them by ordinary citizens. Two questions emerge: (1) Could such a law be passed on the national level (where it is needed if it is to be effective, since passing such laws at the state level is like trying to plug one hole in a leaking vessel while many others remain open)? and (2) Would such a law be held constitutional by the United States Supreme Court?

The passage of such a law at the national level would obviously require a majority in both Houses and, if vetoed, equivalent supermajorities. Leaving aside the role of the President, it is clear that to obtain a majority, especially in the Senate, the representatives of the lawful owners of firearms across America (whether or not they own semi-automatics) must be convinced that banning semi-automatics (or any class of weapons) would NOT be a first step toward banning ALL weapons. And, so far, Heller, McDonald, and Caetano are the closest thing we have to a solid assurance of that sort. In short, the Second Amendment is a catalyst for sensible legislation rather than an obstacle.

As to question (2), the seeds of a finding of constitutionality were sown in Heller, and perhaps watered and tended a bit in Caetano. In order for a weapon or class of weapons to be beyond Second Amendment protection (and therefore subject to a complete ban), it matters not whether the weapon was around in 1791, or whether it has military use. What does matter, then? Under Heller, it appears that a weapon may be banned altogether if it is dangerous and unusual, but Heller is far from clear as to the exact criteria for that. I would think (and indeed hope) that such criteria would relate primarily to the mass destructive capacity of the weapon, i.e., how easily it can be used for multiple homicides.

Unfortunately, the term dangerous and unusual is thrown about indiscriminately by state authorities in defense of just about any weapon ban, as Massachusetts did with regard to stun guns in Caetano, and as the Nassau County District Attorney is doing in my own federal case (which is now captioned Maloney v. Singas and which has been going for over 15 years now). In Maloney v. Singas, I have long been seeking nothing more than the right to possess a martial-arts weapon known as nunchaku or nunchucks in my own home.2 (New York banned any and all such possession back in 1974.) Of course, neither stun guns nor nunchucks have ever been used for (nor would they be very effective in committing) mass homicides at schools, movie theaters, airports, etc. But by indiscriminately seeking to label such devices as dangerous and unusual and thus subject to total bans with no Second Amendment protection at all, Massachusetts and Nassau County are actively feeding the fears of voters who worry about total disarmament but would, if secure against the threat of such a possibility, be inclined to support effective firearms-related legislation, even a total ban on semi-automatics. James M. Maloney, April 2018

2 Further details and updates about Maloney v. Singas are available at www.nunchakulaw.com.

James Maloney is admitted to practice law in the states of New York and New Jersey, and before numerous federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits, the Court of International Trade, the Court of Federal Claims, and the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York, Northern District of Florida, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Illinois, District of Connecticut, and District of New Jersey.

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An important part of language learning is trying to find the right words to communicate correctly in every situation.

This can be difficult for several reasons. Sometimes, a language may not have a comparable word with the exact meaning that you are looking for. Cultural differences and context also affect which words are right to use.

And sometimes the way a word looks can trick us. There is a term used to describe words in different languages that have the same spelling - or look very similar - but have completely different meanings. The term is false friend.

Bryan Lynn: Today we will discuss some examples of false friends in English and Spanish. To do this, I have invited Alejandro Escalona, from Voice of Americas Spanish service. Thanks so much for being here, Alejandro.

Alejandro Escalona: Bryan, a pleasure, thanks for having me today.

BL: As someone who speaks both English and Spanish, you must have had your own experiences with false friend words.

AE: Oh yeah, since I started learning English when I was a little boy in my country, Venezuela, in South America. You start learning of words that you dont even know. At least the way they are spelled, your tendency is to think that they mean the same thing, and they mean something totally different.

BL: Using false friends can of course lead to some very interesting situations. But it can also have funny or even embarrassing results.

AE: Sometimes, yes.

BL: Can you think of some words that might have fooled you and could also trick other people?

AE: Well for example, when you say in Spanish, constipado. In Spanish, it means when youre constipado, you have a cold. That's when you're constipado, but in English, it's totally different.

BL: Okay, and the English word that is very similar is the adjective constipated.

AE: In English it means, you know, you cant go to the bathroom.

BL: Yes, and that could lead to all kinds of interesting misunderstandings.

AE: Oh, absolutely. In Spanish it's only that you have a cold.

BL: So that one would be considered a very common false friend mistake.

AE: That one and the word embarrassed. Of course we know what embarrassed is in English - when you are either confused or you feel foolish in public in front of other people. But when you first look at the word embarrass in English - and youre learning English as a second language - it sounds so much like embarazada, when a woman becomes pregnant. Because that's what it is, embarazada is pregnant, a pregnant woman. But it's embarrassed, of course, in English means only that you are confused.

BL: Right, another example of a false friend word that can put someone in  and heres the word again  an embarrassing situation. Lets talk about some other ones. Theres the English word bizarre, which, as an adjective, means very strange or unusual.

AE: It's used a lot in English, very often compared to Spanish. Because in Spanish, what it means, the word bizarre (bizarro) is someone who is valiant, or brave. But then in English, it's like so odd and so bizarre. Like remember that song - how bizarrehow bizarre.

BL: Lets take another one, the English word educated. As an adjective, it means having some kind of education. In Spanish, what is the word?

AE: When you say that someone is educado, means that he is a gentle person - with very good manners  like the description they used to use to describe Clark Kent (Superman).

BL: Heres an interesting one too, the word exit. In America, the word exit can be a verb  meaning the act of leaving a place. Or it can also be a noun to describe the opening used to leave a building. So a lot of times you will see the word exit on a sign.

AE: But the word exito in Spanish means success. So the words sound very much alike, exit and exito. When someone does something so remarkably well, he has a lot of success at whatever he's attempting to do. So he has success in his life, in his profession.

BL: So it must be difficult for some people to understand why they would see a sign with that meaning in a public place, such as a movie theater.

AE: When you go to a movie theater, oh, this is interesting. In the U.S., they wish you good luck whenever you leave the theater. So it's actually, oh exit, okay.

BL: Heres another one that is interesting  the English word library, which is a place where people go to borrow books and study.

AE: Oh, thats a classic, as well, library. In Spanish, we have libreria, that's like bookstore, where they sell books. And we have biblioteca, its library in English.

BL: How about the English word salad. This is something you eat, usually made up of lettuce and other vegetables.

AE: The most similar word would be salado. Salado means that its very salty. Also in Spain, when someone is either salado or salada  but this is only in Spain that I know of  it means that they have continuous episodes of bad luck.

BL: Uh-huh.

AE: In Spain, yes. Oh, that guy or that person is salado, meaning oh, you really have it rough, my friend, you are salado.

BL: So not something you would want to order in a restaurant.

AE: No, no, no, no, no. Definitely not.

BL: Another example is the word sensible, an English adjective meaning to do something with good judgement.

AE: Sensible, the spelling is exactly the same. But in Spanish, when you say that someone is sensible, its like he or she is very sensitive to something. For whatever reason, maybe a sentimental reason, or something that that person holds very dear to himself or herself.

BL: Lets also talk about the word actual. In English, this means real or existing in fact. The Spanish word is also spelled exactly the same.

AE: Actual in Spanish, what it means is present. Its actual, something that is in the present tense. Also, its... when you say that something is up-to-date, oh thats very actual.

BL: So actual is a very good example of a false friend because both words are spelled exactly the same, both are adjectives, but they have completely different meanings.

AE: Actually, youre right.

BL: So Alejandro, would you have any general tips for people trying to avoid false friends in language learning?

AE: The only way is to become exposed to these words as you learn them. Because you understand that even the same words mean different things in different Spanish-speaking countries.

BL: This can also be the case in different English-speaking countries, or even within the United States itself. Different areas use the same words, but they can have very different meanings.

AE: So its very interesting. Language is like, it never stops. Its a cycle of things that are twirling in your head 24/7 until theres nothing else. Because language - at the end - is all you have. You're name, Bryan. Alejandro here, those are the things. Everything else you lose in life  material things, money, this and that  but what you learn, no one can take that away from you.

BL: Okay. Thank you again Alejandro for joining me today.

AE: Anytime.

BL: Of course I hope the two of us will be more than just false friends.

AE: I certainly hope so.

BL: So maybe you can return to Learning English again in the future for another discussion.

AE: It will be my pleasure, Bryan, and thanks again for having me.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Quiz

Quiz - Dont Be Fooled by False Friends in English and Spanish Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

context  n. words that are used with a certain word or phrase to help explain its meaning

tendency  n. a quality that makes someone likely to think or behave in a particular way

embarrassing  adj. something causing someone to feel confused or foolish in front of other people

confused  adj. unable to understand or think clearly

valiant  adj. very brave

manners  n. polite ways of behaving with other people

sensitive  adj. aware of and understanding the feelings of other people

sentimental  adj. related to positive feelings and memories

expose  v. make something visible or known

twirl  v. to turn or spin around again and again
United States President Donald Trump has tweeted that Russia should be ready for a missile strike in Syria.

In the message on the social media service Twitter, Trump said, You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

He said the missiles would be new and smart!

The comments come after Russias ambassador to Lebanon said on Tuesday that Russian forces would shoot down any missile fired at Syria.

A spokesman for the Russian government, Dmitry Peskof, said U.S. missiles should target terrorists and not the legitimate government in Syria.

Peskov also said that all parties involved in Syria should refrain from actions that could destabilize the area.

The Syrian state news agency called the threat of a missile strike reckless escalation.

Suspected chemical attack and heightened tensions

Tensions rose in Syria after reports of a suspected chemical attack in the town of Douma on Saturday. At least 40 people are said to have died.

The World Health Organization said Wednesday it had received reports from its partners about the victims. The WHO said 500 people who sought treatment Saturday showed signs and symptoms of coming in contact with toxic chemicals. A WHO spokesman said, however, the agency cannot say the deadly incident was a chemical attack because it cannot get into the area.

The WHO said it had reports that as many as 70 people may have died.

The U.N. agency demanded that it be given the immediate, unhindered ability to meet with people injured in the attack.

The United States and several allies have centered blame on military forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. But Syria and Russia have denied that charge.

Trump also has blamed supporters of Assad in Iran and Russia for the attack.

Soon after the suspected gas attack, Trump said those responsible would pay a big price. The U.S. president has spoken with the leaders of Britain and France about a possible answer.

French President Emmanuel Macron said a decision on a possible strike would be made in the coming days.

The United Nations Security Council met on Tuesday for an urgent discussion on Syria. Russia vetoed a U.S.-proposed measure to create a commission to investigate the attack.

The Associated Press reports that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will send a fact-finding group to Douma shortly. The OPCW is based in The Hague.

The AP says the Syrian government and Russian supporters requested the mission. However, it is unclear if such a mission might affect U.S. or allied military action in the area.

The U.S. has more than 2,000 troops in Syria, and the U.S.-led coalition has launched thousands of airstrikes against the country. Most have been against the Islamic State terror group.

President Trump has cancelled a planned trip to Latin America, which was to begin Friday. The administration said that Trump would oversee the American response to Syria.

Im Mario Ritter.

Mario Ritter adapted this story from VOA News for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

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Words in This Story

legitimate adj. permitted or recognized by rule or law

refrain v. to keep from doing something

destabilize v. to cause to change in an unorderly or unplanned way

escalation n. to take to a higher level, to become more severe

unhindered adj. to restricted in any way

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, says he will not seek another term in Congress.

Ryan is the top Republican Party lawmaker in the House. His announcement came as Congressional Republicans face worries over losing their majority in elections later this year.

All 435 members of the House are required to seek re-election every two years. Republicans currently hold 237 House seats. The Democratic Party controls 192 seats.

Ryan joined a growing list of lawmakers who have decided against seeking re-election. Thirty-seven Republican House members are leaving office when their term ends in January 2019. On the Democratic side, 17 House members chose not to seek another term.

The Democratic Party was more popular among likely voters in recent opinion studies. The survey data found that the Democrats are between 5 to 11 percentage points higher than the Republicans.

Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, Ryan said his decision to retire was not based on a fear of losing his partys majority in the House. He said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and three children.

Ryan said that he has accomplished a lot in a short time as speaker. He added, Were going to have a great record to run on. Ryan will leave Congress when his term ends.

Years in the House

Ryan was first elected to Congress in 1998. At the age of 28, he became known as one of the Young Guns in the Republican Party.

In 2012, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney asked Ryan to serve as the partys candidate for vice president. They lost the election to then-President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Three years ago, Ryan accepted the job of House Speaker after the sudden retirement of speaker John Boehner.

Ryan has long sought for tax cuts and reforms to government entitlement programs. He also wants to overturn the Affordable Care Act, which expanded the nations health care system. In 2010, President Obama signed the act into law. Today, both supporters and opponents of the law call it Obamacare.

Late last year, Ryan and the Republican-controlled Congress approved tax cuts, but were unable to end Obamacare.

The house speaker announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of Republican lawmakers Wednesday morning. Ryan told them that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him.

Ryans spokesman said in a statement, After nearly 20 years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father.

The Associated Press reported this story. Hai Do adapted the AP report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

survey  n. a study in which many people are asked a question or series of questions

accomplish  v. to bring about; to carry out or complete

entitlement  n. a government program designed to help one or more groups

proud  adj. very happy or pleased because of something you have done

devote  v. to give or direct attention on someone or something

professional  adj. of or related to a job or work
President Donald Trump tweeted a message one day after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) took action against his lawyer.

Trump tweeted, Attorney-client privilege is dead.

The statement came a day after the FBI raided the New York office and hotel room of Trumps attorney Michael Cohen.

The FBI reportedly took emails, tax documents and other records. The records are believed to be related to Cohens alleged payment to two women who say they had sexual relations with Trump. One is the adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The other is a model, Karen McDougal.

The raid angered the president and his supporters.

Commentator Laura Ingraham tweeted: If by raiding the office of @realDonaldTrumps attorney, the FBI violated Trumps attorney-client privilege, this is about to get really ugly.

Michael Frisch is a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington. He said, like much of American law, the attorney-client privilege is rooted in English common law. Common law comes from the decision of judges and courts over time.

Exceptions to rule

The American Bar Association says, Without such a privilege, clients may not feel they can speak openly with their attorney.

But Frisch says the privilege is not absolute.

It has exceptions, and if the exceptions are met, evidence can be seized and admitted in a court, he said.

One exception is the crime-fraud special case in which an attorney and his client commit a crime or try to hide a crime, said Frisch.

Attorneys can also be searched when they are a suspect in a criminal investigation. Cohen is reportedly being investigated for fraud, and campaign finance violations.

Frisch said such cases are rare. But he said getting a search warrant for an attorneys home or office happens often enough that the Justice Department has created rules for the action.

The rules are strong. Prosecutors are asked to use search warrants as the last possibility and only after they have used all other legal ways of getting the information they want from an attorney's office.

In Cohen's case, it is not clear why prosecutors believed they could not get the records they needed for their investigation without searching his office.

Unnecessary seizure'

Stephen Ryan is an attorney for Cohen. He said the prosecutors' use of a search warrant was "completelyunnecessary and said they resulted in the seizure of protected attorney-client communications.

The U.S. Attorneys office rules for such searches include setting a high-level approval process and a process of storing information that is still privileged.

A U.S. attorney or the head of the Justice Departments criminal division must agree with the request for a search warrant before the request goes to a federal judge for approval.

In Cohens case, prosecutors reportedly got the approval of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, the Justice Departments second highest official.

To lessen the possibility that privileged material will be taken, the search warrant must be written as specifically as possible.

FBI Agents responsible for the searches are given special procedures to follow to be sure prosecutors do not get any privileged material.

To further protect the process, a privilege team of agents and attorneys who are not part of the investigation is set up. The team's job is to advise agents during the search and to point out communications that cannot be taken.

Eric Jaso is a former federal prosecutor. He said, if an agent takes privileged information by mistake and reads it, that agent is removed from the investigation. The team also could be considered corrupted by seeing the privileged information.

Frisch said that Trumps tweet that the attorney-client privilege is dead is unfair.

It is not an absolute protection, he said.

Jaso said that he understood Trumps anger.

I think the president issimply saying, 'Hey, this is my lawyer,' he said. He added that no one would want government investigators looking at their attorneys records without a good reason.

Im Susan Shand

Masood Farivar reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

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Words in This Story

attorney  n. a person whose job is to guide and assist people in matters relating to the law

client  n. a person who pays a professional person or organization for services

privilege  n. a right or benefit that is given to some people or circumstances

alleged  adj. accused of having done something wrong or illegal but not yet proven guilty

hush  adj. to prevent people from knowing the truth about (something, such as a crime)

violate  v. to do something that is not allowed by (a law

absolute  adj. never changing

fraud  n. the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person

warrant  n. a document issued by a court that gives the police the power to do something

prosecutor  n. a lawyer who represents the side in a court case that accuses a person of a crime and who tries to prove that the person is guilty

client n. a person who pays a professional person or organization for services

specifically  adv. in a definite and exact way
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Srinagar, April 11: Three civilians and an army soldier were killed during a gunfight and ensuing clashes in south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Wednesday.

An official said that the gunfight broke out in Wani Mohalla area of Khudwani at 11 pm after forces launched a cordon-and-search operation.

During the search operation, some gunshots were heard after which an encounter started. The gunfight is still underway, he said.

He said that three forces personnel were wounded in the firefight. The injured were shifted to Army Base Hospital where a soldier succumbed.

Two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba are believed to be trapped inside a house.

Authorities on Wednesday suspended Internet services in twin districts of Kulgam and Anantnag.

Clashes erupted near the site of the gunfight as the youth tried to disrupt the anti-militant operation and help the militants escape.

Forces fired live ammunition, pellets and tear gas to disperse the protesters, resulting into death of two civilians, reports said.

The deceased civilians were identified as Sharjeel Ahmad Sheikh (28), Bilal Ahmad Dar (16) and Faisal Illahi of Sangam.

Dar of Kujjar village in Qaimoh tehsil of the district was declared brought dead at sub-district hospital Qaimoh.

A doctor at the hospital said that the boy had suffered a bullet injury.

Sheikh was killed after being hit by a bullet during clashes near the site of gunfight in Wani Mohalla of Khudwani. He succumbed at District Hospital Anantnag.

Faisal Illahi, a resident of Sangam area, succumbed at SDH Qaimoh.

Reports said that dozens of civilians have been injured in the clashes. At least two with pellet injuries in eyes have been shifted to a hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment.
Proposed amendments to the taxi service regulations indicate that taxis should run under licenses owned by registered companies in charge of the management of all processes as well as the application for individual licenses for each of the cars.

The Executive Council (ExCo) said during yesterdays announcement that the ExCo has concluded the analysis of the amendments, which will now proceed to the Legislative Assembly (AL) to be voted upon.

ExCos spokesperson Leong Heng Teng explained that the proposal results in few licenses being in the possession of the taxi drivers, necessitating a system in which drivers enter into an employment deal with a large-scale company. Leong said the plan came after studying and comparing the two kinds [of existing licenses], arriving to the conclusion that is best to opt for the company-owned ones.

It is not only the finance capacity that is on the line but also the management capacity, he added, noting that according to the few details of the proposal that were able to be revealed, such companies, in order to apply for public tender, will have to be properly registered and have a share capital of at least MOP5 million.

Questioned as to whether the government thinks this is the most adequate measure, Leong said: This is only a proposal; it is a duty of the AL to evaluate if this [proposal] is or not appropriate. What we are trying to do is to seek solutions that are according to the development of the society.

In the same section of the proposal it is also noted that the government reserves the right to select the license buyers on public tender according to the established selection criteria, a topic of which Leong said it was not the right time to disclose the details, promising to reveal all those when the bill reaches the AL.

Regarding the same licenses, the government also proposes to forbid any kind of transfer, temporary or permanent, paid or not, of the licenses between companies, after they have been acquired by public tender.

Another of the measures proposed by the bill relates to the enforcement of actions that aim to prevent unlawful activities by the taxi drivers, namely trying to ease the means of obtaining evidence. In this sense, the government proposes that taxis should be mandatorily equipped with a Global Positioning (and Navigation) System by Satellite (GPS) as well as with a sound recording device, the installation and maintenance of which will need to be done by Transport Bureau (DSAT) approved entities.

Contrary to what was previously aired during the public consultation document back in 2014, the voice recording system will be of mandatory use and not optional, a change justified by the DSATs director Lam Hin San as a more effective way to exercise the rule of law.

The proposal also establishes a timeframe of one year after the law enters into force for the taxi owners to perform the necessary changes and equip the cars with the required new devices.

Dropped was the idea of operating undercover agents to witness the misconducts, as the responsible authority from the Public Security Police Force (PSP) who was also present at the meeting, noted, the Macau law does not allow us to try to simulate actions in order to try the drivers, he said, noting, but we will operate in an indirect way, since the new law will allow both PSP officers and DSAT inspectors to report [and act] immediately when they find any unlawful conduct.

Increased fines on serious offences by taxi drivers

The bill that the government announced yesterday, which will make amendments to the Taxi Law, proposes an increase to the fines applicable to instances of unlawful conduct, but also proposes a more lenient system relating to serious offences that result in the cancelation of a drivers license, the Executive Council spokesperson Leong Heng Teng announced at a press conference.

Drivers who infringe the law in regards to this misconduct will be liable to pay increased fines that total from MOP600 to MOP30,000 depending on the severity of the situation. Nevertheless, and contrary to what had been aired during the public consultation period, the number of serious offences committed by one driver that will lead to the cancellation of his or her drivers license remains four offences, but over a period of five years, and not over one year as was previously proposed.

Questioned on the topic at the governments headquarters yesterday, the government spokesperson said that the proposal follows the laws and examples of neighboring regions and takes into consideration the efforts of the sector to try to improve on their service. There is only a small percentage [of drivers] that commit these infractions that affect the image of Macau, Leong said, stating that such facts have weighed on the decision over enforceable sanctions.

Among the examples of conduct which will be considered serious are: the refusal of providing transportation and selection of costumers, the bargaining of the fare and the overcharge of the taxi fare.

In case a driver gets caught in four of these serious offenses within a period of five years, his taxi driver license will be cancelled and he or she could only apply for a new license by taking the driving course again, and only after a period of suspension of three years.

Heavily raised was the fine for the operation of vehicles providing transportation services without a taxi license, moving from the previous MOP25,000 to MOP90,000 in the new law proposal. Although not clearly mentioned, it is clear that such a penalty hike aims to deter the appearance of transportation services such as Uber and other similar services, leading Leong to say, If the fines are not high, they do not produce deterrent effects.

The ExCo also proposed that new law enter into force 60 days after the approval by the Legislative Assembly, although the spokesperson failed to forecast when the government expects that this will happen.
The Chief Executive, Chui Sai On, was in Hainan for yesterdays opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018, where President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech.

During his visit to Hainan Province, Chui discussed with Guangzhou and Hainan officials potential ways to advance cooperation on tourism and youth entrepreneurship.

On Monday, the CE met with the Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, Liu Cigui, and the Governor of Hainan Province, Shen Xiaoming. Later, he held a meeting with deputy secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and Secretary of Guangzhou CPC Municipal Committee, Ren Xuefeng.

In discussions with the CPC Hainan Secretary, Chui said that he saw great potential for Hainan and Macau to cooperate on tourism, and in the way that the development of Hainan  as a holiday island attracting international tourists  complemented Macaus position as a world center of tourism and leisure.

In a separate meeting with the CPC Guangzhou Secretary, the CE stressed that Guangzhou and Macau have been developing closer ties, adding that Macaus role as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese- speaking countries would create fresh opportunities for young people from each region.

According to a statement, Chui also said that he looked forward to leading a delegation to Guangzhou to gain a better understanding of its policies for youth entrepreneurship, and to assist Guangzhou in sending delegations to visit Portuguese-speaking countries.
President Xi Jinping promised yesterday to cut Chinas auto tariffs and improve intellectual property protection in possible concessions aimed at defusing a worsening dispute with Washington over trade and technology that investors worry could set back the global economic recovery.

Speaking at a business conference, Xi made no direct mention of his American counterpart, Donald Trump, or the dispute. He promised progress on areas that are U.S. priorities including opening Chinas banking industry and boosting imports but didnt address key irritants for Washington such as a requirement for foreign companies to work through joint ventures that require them to give technology to potential local competitors.

Private sector analysts saw Xis speech as an overture to help end the biggest trade dispute since World War II. It has fueled fears the global economic recovery might be set back if other governments are prompted to raise their own import barriers.

Xi tried to position China as a defender of free trade and cooperation, despite its status as the most-closed major economy, in response to Trumps America first calls for import restrictions and trade deals that are more favorable to the United States.

Chinas door of opening up will not be closed and will only open wider, said Xi at the Boao Forum for Asia on the southern island of Hainan.

Xi said Beijing will significantly lower tariffs on auto imports this year and ease restrictions on foreign ownership in the auto industry as soon as possible.

Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods worth USA50 billion in response to complaints Beijing pressures foreign companies to hand over technology in violation of its World Trade Organization market-opening commitments. Beijing fired back with its own $50 billion list of U.S. goods for possible retaliation.

The Chinese leader promised to encourage normal technological exchange and to protect the lawful ownership rights of foreign enterprises.

President Xis speech could create a very good platform to launch U.S.-China dialogue at the WTO to find a deal on intellectual property rights, said economist Rajiv Biswas of IHS Markit in a report. This would be a victory for the world trading system and an important step away from the abyss of rising global protectionism.

The dispute is likely to end with a concession from China, said Larry Hu of Macquarie Group in a report.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the Boao event, welcomed Xis promises on finance, investment, intellectual property and auto imports.

We look forward to seeing these strategies elaborated, implemented and bearing fruit, said Lee, according to a transcript issued by his office.

Also yesterday, China filed a WTO challenge against Trumps earlier tariff hike on steel and aluminum in a separate dispute.

Beijing, which has issued a USD3 billion list of U.S. goods including pork and apples for possible retaliation, requested 60 days of consultations as a first step. If that fails, the Chinese government can ask for a ruling from a WTO panel of experts.

Chinese officials deny foreign companies are compelled to hand over technology, but business groups say joint venture and licensing rules make that unavoidable. The United States filed a WTO complaint last month accusing Beijing of violating its trade pledges by imposing unfair contract terms and allowing companies to use foreign-owned technology after licensing periods expire.

Foreign companies complain Beijing is squeezing them out of promising parts of the state-dominated economy to promote the ruling Communist Partys plans to create Chinese global competitors in fields including robotics, electric cars and pharmaceuticals.

Xi gave no details on how those conditions might change, leaving it unclear whether that might mollify Washington.

Easing rules that limit global automakers to owning no more than 50 percent of a joint venture with a Chinese partner might help to address Trumps complaints about technology as well as giving them more flexibility in their biggest global market.

Jake Parker, the vice president for China of the U.S.-China Business Council, which represents companies that deal with China, welcomed Xis announcement but expressed hope for additional steps such as ending requirements for joint ventures and technology licensing.

Ultimately, U.S. industry will be looking for implementation of long-stalled economic reforms, but actions to date have greatly undermined the optimism of the U.S. business community, Parker said in an email.

Xi repeated pledges to open Chinas finance industries to foreign investors but gave no additional details.

Chinese regulators announced that intention in November, just after Trump ended a high-profile visit to Beijing, but gave no timeline or details. Business groups welcomed the commitment but said breaking into Chinas state-dominated financial industries would be hard for new competitors and Beijing might impose restrictions that would make such an effort unprofitable.

The biggest beneficiaries of a cut in Chinas 25 percent tariff on most auto imports will be the small number of automakers such as electric car brand Tesla that have no factory in China. Other automakers such as General Motors and Volkswagen that assemble vehicles in China with local partners could offer additional models.

More broadly, Xi repeated official promises to expand imports and to narrow Chinas trade surplus, another irritant for Washington. China reported a global trade surplus of $423 billion last year  about two-thirds of that with the United States.

China does not seek a trade surplus, said Xi to an audience of Chinese and foreign businesspeople. We have a genuine desire to increase imports and achieve a greater balance of international payments.

The president promised to make faster progress toward joining the WTOs Government Procurement Agreement, which extends the WTOs free-trading principles to purchases by governments. That can make a significant difference in developing countries, where the government often accounts for most sales of computer software, medical equipment and other high-value goods.

The bulk of Xis 40-minute speech was devoted to Chinas vision for economic development and its global role following a ruling party congress in October that confirmed him as the most dominant Chinese leader since at least the 1980s.

Xi sounded a conciliatory note toward neighbors with which Beijing has territorial disputes, saying China wants to pursue peaceful cooperative development.

We will not bully our neighbors, the president said.

Cold war thinking and zero-sum games are increasingly obsolete, he said. Arrogance or self-righteousness can only bump into walls at every turn. Joe McDonald and Gillian Wong, Beijing, AP
Yesterday morning, a group of Wynn employees organized a demonstration calling on Wynn to more strictly control smoking activities.

The group consisted of around 200 Wynn employees. Their appeals included requesting Wynn Macau to close one smoking area, and to ask the government to implement Macaus tobacco control laws in a stricter way.

According to a report by TDM, one of the participants, surnamed Ip, said that the relevant government department sent inspectors to the casino, but before their arrival, the casino informs customers that someone is about to come.

Ip also noted that Wynn Macau keeps ignoring situations in which its employees are exposed to second-

hand smoking. He then accused the company of allowing customers to smoke inside VIP rooms.

Ip also said that when a worker tries to ask a customer not to smoke, the worker is scolded by his or her superior.

We work in a really narrow space. Even around a bus stop smoking is banned within ten meters of it. Then why do they smoke within several square meters [in the VIP rooms], an interviewee questioned.

The participants believe that their company should not interfere with supervision works conducted by the law enforcement authority concerning air quality, and that their company should establish an internal reporting mechanism over tobacco control.

Choi Kam Fu, director general of the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staffs Association, who also attended the demonstration, said that despite the Wynn employees having expressed their appeals to the company several times, the company has not responded. He expressed his wish for Wynn to respond to the dissatisfied staff soon. JZ
Starting this year, Chinas national College English Test Band 4 (CET4) and Band 6 (CET6) will both be held in Macau, according to a statement released last week by the Tertiary Education Services Office (GAES).

Three local universities  the University of Macau (UM), Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST), and the City University of Macau (CityU)  signed an agreement with GAES and the test center of Chinas Ministry of Education regarding preparations for both tests.

Students from these three universities, as well as the Macao Polytechnic Institute, Institute for Tourism Studies and the Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, will all be able to take the exams in Macau.

CET4 and CET 6 are held every June and December. The same schedule will apply to Macau.

The exams will take place in UM, MUST, and CityU, with the application fee fixed at MOP280. The first exam to be organized in Macau will take place on June 16.

CET4 and CET6 are two national standardized English tests organized by the tertiary education division of Chinas Ministry of Education.

The exams were first established in 1987. Since their inception, they have drawn criticism in the mainland for being part of Chinas exam-oriented education system. In the past, a mainland university student would have to pass CET4 to obtain their degree.
Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, in prepared testimony for the U.S. House of Representatives, said all of Facebooks problems are his mistake.

The worlds largest social-media company didnt do enough to prevent its tools from being used for harm, especially in terms of fake news, foreign interference in elections, hate speech, developer policies and data privacy, Zuckerberg, Facebooks co-founder, said.

It was my mistake, and Im sorry, Zuckerberg added, according to a copy of the prepared testimony ahead of his appearance in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here.

Zuckerberg is due to testify to Congress today and tomorrow [Macau time] in the midst of the worst privacy crisis in Facebooks history. He will try to explain how much Facebook contributes to the world, while saying he didnt take a broad enough view of the consequences of the companys technology.

The prepared testimony recounts many of the updates Facebook has made to improve security since revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultant with ties to President Donald Trumps campaign, obtained information on as many as 87 million users without their consent. It also confirms Facebook knows little about what Cambridge Analytica did with the data, or even whether it still has the information. Facebooks timeline about the incident relies on outside news reports, not the Menlo Park, California-based companys own investigation.

Ive directed our teams to invest so much in security  on top of the other investments were making  that it will significantly impact our profitability going forward, Zuckerberg said in the prepared testimony. But I want to be clear about what our priority is: protecting our community is more important than maximizing our profits.

Zuckerberg is also ready to take more questions about the use of Facebook by Russian operatives to manipulate the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In Mondays prepared testimony, he summarized investments the company is making to prevent fake accounts and monitoring activity around elections.

My top priority has always been our social mission of connecting people, building community and bringing the world closer together, Zuckerberg said. Advertisers and developers will never take priority over that as long as Im running Facebook.

Congress will likely make the point that Facebook is a company, not a philanthropy, and has made decisions based on incentives that dont align with helping users, especially with regards to privacy. Facebook relies on profits from precision targeting of ads and engaged users, which is hard to balance with demands to protect user privacy and stamp out content thats deceptive or false.

This is at the core of a lot of questions Zuckerberg can expect. Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, who wants to know more about the algorithms Facebook uses for what posts to show, said Sunday he fears privacy issues and the propagandist issue are both too big for Facebook to fix.

Zuckerberg met with lawmakers Monday on Capitol Hill, including Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce committee, and Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican and chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee.

After an hour-long meeting with Zuckerberg, Nelson said the CEO was forthright and promised changes. But Nelson sees the need for lawmakers to do something to protect privacy and counter adversaries like Russia.

If we dont watch out, with social media and platforms like Facebook and the mistakes that they made in the past, then no American is going to have any privacy, Nelson said. You cant protect our privacy just on the basis of somebody telling you theyre going to protect it. Does that mean law? Yes. Does that mean regulation? Yes.

Nelson, however, isnt confident regulations will be passed under the Trump administration, while noting that Facebooks business model requires data to target ads. The senator is more concerned immediately about data getting into the hands of people who intend to do harm.

My sense is he takes it seriously because he knows theres going to be a hard look at regulation, Nelson said of Zuckerberg. If its going to undermine ultimately our democratic institutions were going to have to do something to protect ourselves.

Criticism of Zuckerberg wasnt limited to Congress. Trumps top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, told reporters Monday that he hoped Zuckerberg would present himself professionally. Is he going to wear a suit and tie and clean white shirt? Kudlow said. Thats my bigger question. Is he going to behave like an adult, as a major corporate leader? On his way to the meeting with Nelson, Zuckerberg was in a suit. Sarah Frier, Steven T. Dennis, Bloomberg
Alarm bells were ringing last week over the apparent drift of a large quantity of concrete structures intended to protect the edges of two artificial islands that form an undersea link along the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

Aerial photographs published by several news outlets showed that the concrete structures, which usually protect the islands from erosion caused by weather and the sea, were set in an unusual, random arrangement and mostly underwater.

This prompted concern in neighboring Hong Kong regarding the structural integrity of the undersea tunnel that links the two artificial islands.

However, officials from the mainland authority responsible for overseeing the bridge project have spoken out and insisted that the concrete blocks are arranged as intended; submerged and scattered in a random manner.

The deputy director of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macau Bridge Authority, Yu Lie, told the South China Morning Post late last week that the arrangement of the concrete structures was by design.

We have our ways to do it, and you [Hong Kong] may have your ways to do it. You seem to presume that part of the structure has sunk, has collapsed. But this has been designed as such. We do not think there is any problem with that. There are rules and standards for us to follow, he said.

But Yus comments were not sufficient to allay public fears that a bad weather event like last years Typhoon Hato could damage the underwater tunnel.

Hong Kongs Highways Director Daniel Chung visited the bridge authority on Monday to investigate the rumors. According to Hong Kong media, Chung said that there was no evidence that the concrete blocks have drifted. He said that their current placement had not changed from the blueprint design.

However, the bridge authority has not released the blueprint to the public, despite calls from engineers to do so.

He also said that, although the blocks have been arranged in a semi-random manner, they are required to meet a density of at least 14 pieces within a 25-square-meter area.

Hong Kongs chief executive Carrie Lam argued that the bridges stability had been scientifically proven and that the quality of the projects construction was not in doubt.

Aerial photographs released by the bridge authority last year  in order to prove the islands had withstood the onset of Typhoon Hato  show a similar arrangement of the concrete blocks as today.

However, digitally rendered images of the bridge prior to its construction show a consistent, non- random arrangement of the blocks, suggesting that it had not always been a part of the design.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un briefed top ruling party officials on his vision for the future direction of dialogue with the United States and his upcoming summit with South Koreas president, the Norths official media reported yesterday.

Kim gave his profound analysis and appraisal of the prospects for North Korea-U.S. dialogue at a meeting of the Politburo of the ruling partys Central Committee, the Korean Central News Agency reported. The meeting was held on Monday.

The KCNA report did not specifically mention plans for Kim to hold a summit with President Donald Trump, expected in May or June, but it suggests Pyongyang is actively preparing for the meeting and is ready to let North Koreans know big events may be ahead.

The Norths official media has thus far made virtually no mention of the series of stunning diplomatic overtures Kim has made toward Seoul and Washington since January, though it did trumpet Kims visit to Beijing last month to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

That was the first time Kim has left the North since assuming power in 2011 and was also his first meeting with another head of state.

North Koreas parliament, called the Supreme Peoples Assembly, is scheduled to convene today. The assembly generally convenes once a year to approve the national budget and other policy and personnel issues that have already been decided on by Kim and the party leadership.

According to the KCNA report, the party leaders who met Monday approved a budget for this year that will be presented to the parliament.

It said Kim outlined in detail his analysis on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and mentioned the North-South summit, which will be held on the south side of the DMZ on April 27.

He then discussed the prospect of the DPRK-U.S. dialogue and set forth the strategic and tactical issues to be maintained by the party.

Though the report did not explicitly mention plans for the summit with Trump, it was the most concrete suggestion to date that Pyongyang is preparing for what would be the first-ever summit between a North Korean leader and a sitting U.S. president.

Trump said Monday their meeting might be in late May or even in June. The location has yet to be announced.

The main issue at the summit will be North Koreas nuclear program.

Speaking at the White House yesterday [Macau time], Trump expressed hope that a deal to get Pyongyang to denuclearize might be made. Administration officials say the North has communicated that Kim is ready to discuss his nuclear weapons program.

Questions remain about what conditions Kim might tack on to any denuclearization agreement.

Todays parliament meeting could provide further clues as to what approach Kim might intend to take for the negotiation. Eric Talmadge, Tokyo, AP
Srinagar, April 11: Indian troops in their fresh anti-rebel operation killed four protesters including a teenage boy in Kulgam district, today.

According to reports and eyewitnesses, four civilians were killed when the troops opened fire on people protesting near a gunfight site in Khudwani area of the district. Troops blasted the house where they believe rebels were trapped, however no militant bodies were retrieved from the debris of the blasted houses..

A 13-year-old Bilal Ahmad is among the slain. Slain were identified as 1. Sarjeel Sheikh s/o Ab Hameed of Khudwani. 2. Sohail Dar s/o Bashir Dar of Redwani. 3. Bilal Tantrey s/o Nazir Tantrey of Mishipura, Hawura. 4. Faisal Illahi, s/o Gh Rasool Illahi of Melhur, Shopian. Over eighty protesters were injured in firing of bullets and pellets by the troops. Many youth with pellet injuries were shifted to Srinagar hospitals.

The troops were backed by gunship helicopters. One army man was killed and two others were injured in the gunfight.

The killings triggered widespread anti-India protests and clashes between the troops and protesters in across the Valley. Hundreds of students of Kashmir University and colleges raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans hit the streets in all major cities and towns of the territory. Student in district Baramulla and Kupwara held protest and clashes with police against killings.

Tomorrow, the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for a shutdown across the valley to condemn the killings of civilians in Kulgam. Police arrested Muhammad Yasin Malik when he tried to lead a march towards Lal Chowk in Srinagar. The authorities continued to place Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest.

Internet services speed in Srinagar was reduced while train service was suspended in the Valley. The authorities have ordered the closure of all schools and colleges.
China is entitled to strengthen its defenses on islands in the disputed South China Sea but those measures arent directed at any specific countries, a defense ministry spokesman said yesterday, amid the latest surge in tensions in the crucial waterway.

Chinas military deployments are the natural right of a sovereign nation that helps safeguard national sovereignty and security, Ren Guoqiang said in a statement posted on the ministrys website.

They also help protect navigation safety, serve to ensure regional peace and stability and are not directed at any country, Ren said.

Ren gave no details, although his statement was a reply to a question about whether Chinas deployments were a response to missions by the U.S. Navy to challenge Beijings claim to virtually the entire South China Sea.

That followed the U.S. Navys dispatching of three aircraft carriers to the South China Sea and a report in the Wall Street Journal newspaper on Monday that China has installed military jamming devices on two islands in the area.

Chinas military buildup has focused on several islands in the Paracel group and seven that it built atop reefs in the highly contested Spratly group, topping them with airstrips, barracks and other defense infrastructure.

China has also reportedly been holding large-scale naval exercises in the area featuring its sole operating aircraft carrier, while its air force says it recently sent some of its most advanced fighters and bombers for joint combat patrols over the sea.

Those included H-6K long- range strategic bombers that carry DH-20 long-range land- attack cruise missiles, giving them the ability to hit targets as far away as Australia, along with Russian-made Su-35 fighters.

Chinas claims in the South China Sea overlap in whole or in part those of Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and U.S. treaty partner the Philippines.

Washington doesnt take a formal position on sovereignty claims in the area but regards the South China Sea largely as international waters in which its navy has the right to operate within legal confines. AP
The British government is to allow the island colony of Singapore to govern itself under a new constitution agreed in London.

The Singapore Constitutional Conference ended today after four weeks of talks when Chief Minister of Singapore Lim Yew Hock and Alan Lennox-Boyd, secretary of state for the Colonies, signed an agreement.

The constitution comes into effect some time after 1 January 1958 when the colony will become known as the State of Singapore.

Britain will remain in charge of external affairs and defence.

There was, however, one major pre-condition that the Singapore delegation would not agree to  that persons known to have been engaged in subversive activity would be barred from standing for the Legislative Assembly.

This demand is aimed at excluding extremist left-wing activists in the Peoples Action Party (PAP), some of whom have been detained for inciting anti-British riots last year.

At the signing ceremony at Lancaster House, Mr Lim rejected this demand as a departure from normal democratic practice but agreed to put it before the Legislative Assembly.

Under self-government, the office of Governor will be abolished and replaced with a Malayan-born representative of the Queen known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara.

An internal security council preventing subversion is to be set up under the chairmanship of the UK Commissioner charged with safeguarding British affairs in the territory.

Last April, David Marshall, first Chief Minister of Singapore, led a delegation to London to ask for internal self-government with the aim of achieving independence or merdeka in Malay.

The talks failed, and as a result Mr Marshall resigned as Chief Minister last June. He was succeeded by Lim Yew Hock.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

A few days later former Chief Minister David Marshall resigned from the governing Labour Front in protest at the agreement which he felt did not go far enough. He called it a pock-marked beauty shrouded in chloroform.

The Constitutional Agreement was finally signed in London on 28 May 1958 and self-government achieved after Singapore held general elections in 1959.

The first government of the State of Singapore was sworn in on 5 June with Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister.

It joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 and became totally independent in 1965, nearly 20 years after it was made a British crown colony.

The Peoples Action Party (PAP) has been the dominant political force since independence.
Embattled casino mogul Steve Wynn is selling several works by Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso estimated at more than USD150 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

The billionaire former chief executive officer of Wynn Resorts Ltd., who stepped down in February amid sexual harassment allegations that hes denied, is the anonymous seller of at least three paintings offered at Christies next month, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Another of Wynns paintings was sold last month at Art Basel Hong Kong, one of the people said. Wynn and Christies declined to comment.

The most valuable of the group is Picassos 1943 self-portrait in a striped sailor shirt, Le Marin. Estimated at about $70 million, it will be offered during Christies evening sale of Impressionist and modern art on May 15, according to the auction house. Also on the block that night will be the Spanish masters 1964 portrait of a woman with a cat, Femme au chat assise dans un fauteuil, estimated at $25 million to $35 million. It fetched $18 million at Christies in 2010.

Warhols 1963 Double Elvis [Ferus Type], depicts Elvis Presley dressed as a cowboy and shooting from the hip. Its estimated at more than $30 million and will be part of a postwar and contemporary evening sale on May 17, Christies said. The painting last appeared at auction in 2012 when it fetched $37 million at Sothebys. At the time it was bought by the Mugrabi family, which owns one of the worlds largest private Warhol collections.

Wynn, 76, one of the top U.S. collectors of modern and contemporary art, had already parted with Warhols 1981 Superman. The painting was exhibited by Acquavella Galleries at Art Basel Hong Kong. The asking price was $19.5 million and the work sold during the fair, according to the New York gallery, which declined to identify the consignor. Superman fetched $14.4 million at Sothebys in 2015. Katya Kazakina, Bloomberg
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Srinagar, April 11: A civilian was killed during clashes near the site of the gunfight in Khudwani area of south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Wednesday.

Reports said that youth took to streets and clashed with the forces to disrupt the anti-militant operation going on since late last night in Wani Mohalla of Khudwani.

They said that a youth, identified as Sharjeel Ahmad Sheikh (28) was injured during the clashes. He was shifted sub-district hospital Qaimoh where from he was referred to District Hospital Anantnag. A doctor at the facility said that Sheikh succumbed there.

He had suffered a bullet injury in his abdomen, said the doctor.

Meanwhile, the authorities have ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in Kulgam district in view of the ongoing gunfight and the clashes.

The gunfight that broke out at 11 pm has left an army trooper dead and two forces personnel injured so far.

Two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba are believed to be trapped in a house which has been surrounded by the forces.

An army soldier was killed and two others, including a CRPF man, injured in an ongoing gunfight with militants in south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Wednesday.

An official said that the gunfight broke out in Wani Mohalla area of Khudwani at 11 pm after forces launched a cordon-and-search operation.

During the search operation, some gunshots were heard after which an encounter started. The gunfight is still underway, he said, adding three forces personnel wounded in the firefight were evacuated to an army hospital.

An army official confirmed that an army man wounded in the firefight succumbed at the hospital.

Two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba are believed to be trapped inside a house.

Authorities on Wednesday suspended Internet services in twin districts of Kulgam and Anantnag.
Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc provides engineered solutions for the users of industrial and commercial steam systems, electrical heating and temperature management systems, and pumps and fluid path technologies. It offers industrial and commercial steam systems, including condensate management, controls, and thermal energy management products and solutions for heating and curing, cleaning and sterilizing, hot water generation, space heating, and humidification; electrical process heating and temperature management solutions, such as industrial heaters and systems, heat tracing, and various component technologies for industrial processes, heaters, and systems; and peristaltic and niche pumps and associated fluid path technologies, including pumps, tubing, and specialty filling systems and products for single-use applications. The company serves food, beverage, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, oil, gas, chemical, healthcare, power generation, buildings, mining and precious metal processing, water and wastewater, and pulp and paper, as well as original equipment manufacturers. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors. It operates in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; the Asia Pacific; and the Americas. Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Cheltenham, the United Kingdom.

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A study of 135 SF State University students found that the heaviest smartphone users were the most depressed, anxious and lonely. Credit: San Francisco State University

Smartphones are an integral part of most people's lives, allowing us to stay connected and in-the-know at all times. The downside of that convenience is that many of us are also addicted to the constant pings, chimes, vibrations and other alerts from our devices, unable to ignore new emails, texts and images. In a new study published in NeuroRegulation, San Francisco State University Professor of Health Education Erik Peper and Associate Professor of Health Education Richard Harvey argue that overuse of smart phones is just like any other type of substance abuse.

"The behavioral addiction of smartphone use begins forming neurological connections in the brain in ways similar to how opioid addiction is experienced by people taking Oxycontin for pain reliefgradually," Peper explained.

On top of that, addiction to social media technology may actually have a negative effect on social connection. In a survey of 135 San Francisco State students, Peper and Harvey found that students who used their phones the most reported higher levels of feeling isolated, lonely, depressed and anxious. They believe the loneliness is partly a consequence of replacing face-to-face interaction with a form of communication where body language and other signals cannot be interpreted. They also found that those same students almost constantly multitasked while studying, watching other media, eating or attending class. This constant activity allows little time for bodies and minds to relax and regenerate, says Peper, and also results in "semi-tasking," where people do two or more tasks at the same timebut half as well as they would have if focused on one task at a time.

Peper and Harvey note that digital addiction is not our fault but a result of the tech industry's desire to increase corporate profits. "More eyeballs, more clicks, more money," said Peper. Push notifications, vibrations and other alerts on our phones and computers make us feel compelled to look at them by triggering the same neural pathways in our brains that once alerted us to imminent danger, such as an attack by a tiger or other large predator. "But now we are hijacked by those same mechanisms that once protected us and allowed us to survivefor the most trivial pieces of information," he said.

But just as we can train ourselves to eat less sugar, for example, we can take charge and train ourselves to be less addicted to our phones and computers. The first step is recognizing that tech companies are manipulating our innate biological responses to danger. Peper suggests turning off push notifications, only responding to email and social media at specific times and scheduling periods with no interruptions to focus on important tasks.

Two of Peper's students say they have taken proactive measures to change their patterns of technology use. Recreation, Parks and Tourism major Khari McKendell closed all of his social media accounts about six months ago because he wanted to make stronger face-to-face connections with people. "I still call and text people but I want to make sure that a majority of the time I'm talking to my friends in person," he said.

Senior Sierra Hinkle, a Holistic Health minor, says she has stopped using headphones while out walking in order to be more aware of her surroundings. When she's out with friends, they all put their phones in the center of the table, and the first one to touch theirs buys the drinks. "We have to become creative and approach technology in a different way that still incorporates the skills we need but doesn't take away from real-life experience," said Hinkle.

Explore further Walking with good posture can ease depression, study finds

More information: Digital Addiction: Increased Loneliness, Anxiety, and Depression, Digital Addiction: Increased Loneliness, Anxiety, and Depression, www.neuroregulation.org/article/view/18189
Jonathan Kipnis (from left), James C. Cronk and Christopher C. Overall, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, have done what was thought impossible: find a way to get immune cells known as macrophages into the brain without the need for radiation. Credit: Josh Barney / UVA Health System

The University of Virginia neuroscience lab that discovered that the brain connects directly to the immune system now has found evidence that doctors could load up the brain with custom blends of immune cells to battle genetic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

The UVA researchers were able to "engraft," or establish, immune cells known as macrophages inside the brains of lab mice without the need for radiation. Until now, many scientists had believed this impossible - the damaging radiation, they thought, would be vital to allow the immune cells to travel past the brain's natural defenses.

"There are certain diseases where we already know that [the presence of macrophages] is clearly beneficial, but irradiation is a massive barrier clinically," said researcher James C. Cronk, PhD, of the UVA School of Medicine's Medical Scientist Training Program. "This supports the idea that you could do this and get these cells in the brain without having to irradiate, which is a huge step forward in terms of making it feasible."

Immune Cells and Neurological Diseases

The new research not only definitively establishes that macrophages can engraft into the brain without irradiation, but reveals what becomes of them once there. Previously, scientists had been uncertain if they would simply turn into another type of immune cell, known as microglia, that are abundant in the brain. The discovery that they remain a unique cell type suggests that doctors might be able to manipulate the mix to create custom immune responses to battle different diseases and disorders - and maybe even brain trauma.

"There are groups [of scientists] that have gone back and forth publishing papers on Alzheimer's or ALS debating whether during the normal disease process these cells are coming in and replacing not all but some of the microglia," Cronk said. "If you find out that engraftment is detrimental and we figure out what's bringing them in, you might block it. Or you might want to increase engraftment, depending on the condition."

Recognizing Immune Cells in the Brain

As part of their work, the researchers identified a "gene signature" to recognize and distinguish the enigmatic macrophages from other cell types, said researcher Christopher C. Overall, PhD, a computational biologist in UVA's Department of Neuroscience and its Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG). "We identified a core set of genes for both the engrafting macrophages and microglia," he said. "Now, importantly, we can recognize engrafting macrophages as compared to microglia, and microglia really compared to anything."

Lead researcher Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, chairman of the Department of Neuroscience and director of the BIG Center, noted that the ability to detect the cells may eventually allow doctors to predict patients' risk of neurological disease. "It is very possible that these cells somehow get into the brain and then either predispose the brain to disorder or protect the brain from disorder," he said. "One day we may be able to say you probably will not have Parkinson's because you have these cells in that area."

Kipnis noted that the work represents an important interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together scientists at both UVA's School of Medicine and UVA's School of Engineering and Applied Science. "The researchers in BIG had a fascinating image-analysis problem that no existing off-the-shelf software could solve," said Scott Acton, PhD, of the Engineering School's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "If you think of microglia as resembling an octopus in shape, the BIG researchers needed to track the ends of the tentacles, the microglia processes, and to measure their velocities and find their destination. We were able to provide an algorithm and a computer program that we can now make available to other researchers through this publication."

Cronk noted the collaboration has found answers to some major questions that have plagued brain researchers. "There is a very, very active area of research in terms of whether these macrophages are already present in neurodegenerative disease and whether they're beneficial or not," Cronk said. "We're establishing that yes, this is a unique cell type. ... The next step is, OK, what are they doing in the physiology? Can they be artificially put there, or removed, as a therapeutic strategy?"

The findings have been published online by the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

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More information: James C. Cronk et al, Peripherally derived macrophages can engraft the brain independent of irradiation and maintain an identity distinct from microglia, The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2018). Journal information: Journal of Experimental Medicine James C. Cronk et al, Peripherally derived macrophages can engraft the brain independent of irradiation and maintain an identity distinct from microglia,(2018). DOI: 10.1084/jem.20180247
Credit: University of Copenhagen

The so-called good cholesterol, HDL, is associated with infectious disease, new research from the University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen University Hospital shows.

Most people recognize that there is a relationship between cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. But new research from Copenhagen University Hospital and University of Copenhagen shows that a certain kind of cholesterol might affect our health differently, through a role in the immune system. The concentration of HDL cholesterol, which is often called the "good" cholesterol, seems to matter with respect to acquiring infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis or pneumonia.

"Surprisingly, we found that individuals with both low and high HDL cholesterol had high risk of hospitalization with an infectious disease. Perhaps more importantly, these same groups of individuals had high risk of dying from infectious disease," explains professor and chief physician Brge Nordestgaard of the University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen University Hospital.

The results were based on data from 100,000 individuals from the Copenhagen General Population Study who were followed for more than six years using national Danish health registries, and have just been published in the highest ranking journal within cardiovascular diseaseEuropean Heart Journal.

Possible role in the immune system

"Numerous studies in animals and cells indicate that HDL is of importance for the function of the immune system and thereby the susceptibility to infectious disease, but this study is the first to examine if HDL is associated with the risk of infectious disease among individuals from the general population," explains Ph.D. student and physician Christian Medom Madsen from University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen University Hospital.

The authors cannot conclude based on this study that very low or very high HDL is the direct cause of the increased risk of infectious disease, but conversely, they cannot rule out a direct causal relationship either, as data from the genetic part of the study indicates that this might be the case. "Our findings indicate that, in the future, research into the role and function of HDL should not narrowly focus on cardiovascular disease, but rather focus on the role of HDL in other disease areas, such as infectious disease," says Brge Nordestgaard.

Facts

The 21 percent of the population with the lowest concentrations of HDL cholesterol and the 8 percent of the population with the highest concentrations of HDL cholesterol had high risk of infectious disease.

Individuals with very low HDL cholesterol had a 75 percent higher risk of infectious disease as compared to the reference group and the risk was 43 percent higher in those with very high HDL cholesterol.

Explore further Researchers link high levels of 'good' cholesterol with excessive mortality

More information: Christian M Madsen et al, U-shaped relationship of HDL and risk of infectious disease: two prospective population-based cohort studies, European Heart Journal (2017). Journal information: European Heart Journal Christian M Madsen et al, U-shaped relationship of HDL and risk of infectious disease: two prospective population-based cohort studies,(2017). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehx665
Credit: University of Southern California

An American, a Brit and a Dutch guy go for a walk. That may sound like the beginning of a joke, but it's actually the end of a USC-led study that could impact future research on physical activity.

With the help of fitness-tracking devices, an international team of scientists studied how physically active people consider themselves to be, versus how physically active they really are.

The research has revealed that no one gets it right. The American responses suggest they are as active as the Dutch or the English. Older people think they are as active as young people. In reality, though, Americans are much less active than the Europeans and older people are less active than the young.

Does this mean Americans are liars about their physical activity, or the Dutch and the English humbly underestimate theirs?

"It means people in different countries or at different age groups can have vastly different interpretations of the same survey questions," says Arie Kapteyn, the study's lead author and executive director of the Center for Economic and Social Research at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Kapteyn believes the differences in fitness perceptions are driven by cultural and environmental differences.

For instance, Americans are largely dependent on cars while the Dutch frequently walk or ride bicycles to work and for simple errands, Kapteyn says.

The study was published on April 11 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Perception vs. reality

For the study, the scientists tracked 540 participants from the United States, 748 people from the Netherlands and 254 from England.

Men and women in the study, ages 18 and up, were asked in a survey to report their physical activity on a five-point scale, ranging from inactive to very active. They also wore a fitness-tracking device on their wrist (an accelerometer) so that scientists could measure their actual physical activity over a seven-day period.

The researchers found that the Dutch and English were slightly more likely to rate themselves toward the "moderate" center of the scale, while Americans tended to rate themselves at the extreme ends of the scale, either as "very active" or "inactive." But overall, the differences in how people from all three countries self-reported their physical activity was modest or non-existent.

The wearable devices revealed hard truths: Americans were much less physically active than both the Dutch and English. In fact, the percentage of Americans in the inactive category was nearly twice as large as the percentage of Dutch participants.

Reality bytes by age group

A comparison of fitness tracker data by age group reveals that people in all three countries are generally less active as they get older. That said, inactivity appeared more widespread among older Americans than participants in the other countries: 60 percent of Americans were inactive, compared to 42 percent of the Dutch and 32 percent of the English.

The researchers found that, in all three countries, the disparities between perceived and real activity levels were greatest among participants who reported that they were either "very active" or "very inactive."

"Individuals in different age groups simply have different standards of what it means to be physically active," said Kapteyn. "They adjust their standards based on their circumstances, including their age."

Kapteyn says that since physical activity is so central to a healthy life, accurate measurements are important to science. The findings indicate that scientists should proceed with caution when interpreting and comparing the results of international fitness studies that have utilized standardized questionnaires.

"When you rely on self-reported data, you're not only relying on people to share a common understanding of survey terms, but to accurately remember the physical activity that they report," says Kapteyn. "With the wide availability of low-cost activity tracking devices, we have the potential to make future studies more reliable."

Explore further 31 million older Americans aren't getting enough exercise

More information: Arie Kapteyn et al. What they say and what they do: comparing physical activity across the USA, England and the Netherlands, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (2018). Journal information: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health Arie Kapteyn et al. What they say and what they do: comparing physical activity across the USA, England and the Netherlands,(2018). DOI: 10.1136/jech-2017-209703
This human liver organoid gives researchers hope that animal-based studies about drug safety will be a method of the past one day. Credit: Dr Helmuth Gehart/ TOXANOID

Testing the safety of medicines and chemicals on organ-like structures developed from various types of stem cells could reduce the reliance on animal testing and streamline chemical and drug development, according to scientists in the Netherlands who are in the early stages of developing such technology.

Tissues such as the intestine and liver typically take up and degrade pharmaceutically active compounds, or inactivate them. But before the efficacy of drugs can be tested in humans, scientists must assess whether they are safe for human consumption, which is largely determined by toxicity studies in lab animals such as mice and monkeys.

Ethical issues aside, this is a somewhat flawed system as many drugs-in-development have proved safe in animals only to fail in human trials.

Researchers associated with the TOXANOID project are evaluating whether a 3-D-culture system that allows for the expansion of stem cells from the intestine and liver into so-called organoids  structures grown in a lab that largely mimic the functions of their respective tissues  can be used to reduce the dependence on animal-based toxicity studies.

"Any in-vitro assay (laboratory test) is always a reductionist assay  we're looking at the intestines and the liver but the interconnections and interplay between organs is something that is very difficult to test in an in-vitro set up," said Dr. Helmuth Gehart of the Hubrecht Institute in the Netherlands, who manages the activities of the TOXANOID project.

"Nevertheless, we strongly believe that by using these kind of assays in human cells, the need for testing in animals could be greatly reduced."

The TOXANOID project, which will be completed later this year, is an offshoot of a parallel project called ORGANOID, which developed this culture system. Currently, the researchers are testing whether their approach supersedes those currently used for in-vitro drug and chemical testing, namely cell lines and primary cells.

Proliferate

Cell lines, which are laboratory-grown cultures of cells that are derived from one original cell, are advantageous because they can proliferate indefinitely in the right environment. However, they are derived from cancerous tissue and eventually do not resemble healthy tissue, leaving open questions of how well results will transfer.

Primary cells, on the other hand, are cells taken directly from living tissue, but conversely are harder to acquire because they must come from healthy donors, which can be ethically questionable and expensive. Moreover, since these cells are short-lived, researchers also inevitably end up having to return to donors for more, leaving their sample subject to batch-to-batch variability.

"In principle we combine the best of both worlds in our organoid approach," said Dr. Gehart, adding that if successful, their approach could reach industry partners in as quickly as two years.

Another approach to bypass the use of animal testingwhich has been banned in the EU cosmetic industry since 2013is the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for toxicity testing. This technology, pioneered in a Japanese lab in 2006, allows for mature human cells to be reprogrammed such that they can self-renew indefinitely and give rise to every other cell type in the body, a competence previously limited to embryonic cells.

The in3 project aims to differentiate hiPSCs from the same genetic background into tissues including the brain, lung, liver and kidney, and expose them to several chemical compounds. The data generated will be used to develop safety assessment approaches by integrating biological and computational methods.

"Once the induced pluripotent cells have been generated we can expand the cell numbers, thus creating a virtually unlimited source of the donor's cells with their unique genetic code," said Professor Paul Jennings, coordinator of in3. "These cells can then be differentiated into different cell and tissue types."

Prediction

The proof-of-concept study, which will be completed by 2020, is focused on developing testable prediction models, by incorporating information about how the test chemical likely gets around the body and is absorbed and eliminated, which tissues are more involved in its toxicity and which biological pathways are disturbed or activated upon exposure.

Then, computational techniques can be used to 'link all the data from the different tissues into a virtual human subject," said Prof. Jennings, who also leads the molecular and computational toxicology division at the chemical and pharmaceutical department of VU Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Prof. Jennings cautioned the project was fairly early in the scientific process.

Adoption of non-animal methods in any industry will depend on whether there's an uptake by regulators, he says.

"I think the science is catching up quickly, but we still need to do a better job in interacting with our regulatory colleagues."

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Credit: Monash University

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a city dweller that breeds in puddles and stagnant drains  the female likes to feast on human flesh. In the tropics it regularly spreads disease, then is blasted with insecticides, only to reappear with the monsoons.

Since 2011, Aedes aegypti has also been recruited to eradicate the viruses it spreads. Mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacteria, don't transmit illnesses such as dengue, chikungunya and the Zika virus. The beauty of this method of disease prevention is that the mosquitoes themselves spread the Wolbachia down the generations; insecticides aren't necessary.

Gordonvale, south of Cairns in North Queensland, was the first place Wolbachia-implanted Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were let loose to breed with wild mosquitoes. The released mosquitoes have since gone on to breed generations of mosquitoes that also carry Wolbachia.

Professor Scott O'Neill is the scientist who discovered the good that Wolbachia can do. He now heads the not-for-profit World Mosquito Program (WMP) that has its headquarters at Monash University. He's reluctant to say his program has ended the threat of dengue in North Queensland  he'll wait on "a classic epidemiological trial" before making that claim. But he will say that as far as he's aware, local dengue transmission hasn't occurred in north Queensland in areas where Wolbachia has been deployed for the past five years.

On March 20, the Mexican city of La Paz, in Baja California Sur, announced it would be the first Mexican city to implement the self-sustaining program, taking the total number of WMP project sites to 12. Earlier in March, New Caledonia also signed up, joining Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Vanuatu and Kiribati. The program is also working with the Indian Council of Medical Research in Puducherry to prepare for the release of Wolbachia-implanted mosquitoes in India  the country is believed to have more cases of dengue than anywhere else in the world.

In two years, the program aims to operate in 20 countries. The task ahead is enormous. About 390 million people are infected by dengue each year, and 84 countries are affected by the Zika virus. Since its debut in Gordonvale, the World Mosquito Program is close to reaching two million people. "It is going to take a lot of effort, and more people than just us to roll out this intervention globally," Professor O'Neill says.

Gaining community acceptance

He still feels a debt of gratitude to the North Queenslanders who were willing to embrace the new approach. "You could imagine the people there would be a little suspicious of scientists releasing things into the environment," he says. "Not only that, but the mosquitoes were going to bite people  The release required a lot of trust in the community to accept what at first might seem to be this counter-intuitive intervention that scientists were talking about."

He explained his method at "town hall-type meetings" with local people whom he describes as "amazingly unselfish". "Their motivation for being part of the program was quite altruistic. It was not only to protect themselves from dengue, but to help people in other countries."

Credit: Monash University

Community support has been important to the program from its inception. "It felt right," Professor O'Neill says. "We have always, in all our work, indicated that if communities are not accepting of it, then we will not push it on to people."

This means that about a quarter of the WMP's budget "or more" is spent on community engagement, he says. "If you're starting from the premise that you will only do work if the community accepts it, then the onus is on you to engage the community and get the acceptance."

As far as he can recall, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is the only city where a small number of people organised to reject the program. (Indonesia was the third country where Wolbachia-implanted mosquitoes were released.) Yogyakarta has 38 universities, and an "amazing number of students and academics", he says. "So, people there are maybe more questioning than in other communities. One university academic was fairly critical of what we were doing  so we didn't release our mosquitoes in one area. Interestingly, some years later, the community has asked us to come back and do the releases. The opposition was fairly short-lived."

As the program progresses, its successes become more evident, and the roll-out more efficient. The program not only consults with local communities, but works with local health authorities to disseminate the Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. The aim is for the program to cost $US1 per person for its approach.

The program already has the backing of philanthropic organisations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the Tahija Foundation in Indonesia, the International Community Foundation  Candeo Fund, the Gillespie Family Foundation, the Rotary Foundation and local clubs. It's also supported by the governments of Australia, Brazil and the UK, and USAID and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in the US.

Professor O'Neill has been working with Wolbachia since he was a Ph.D. student at the University of Queensland. "I knew nothing about Wolbachia," he recalls. "My professor was interested in the evolutionary biology of mosquitoes, not about Wolbachia in disease control."

Explainer: the World Mosquito Program's Wolbachia method

Professor O'Neill went on work at the University of Illinois as a post-doctoral researcher, where he continued to work on Wolbachia. From Illinois, he spent a decade at Yale, where he was "fascinated by the potential of Wolbachia's ability to spread into insect populations".

"At that time, lots of people were talking about how we could genetically engineer, or intervene with mosquitoes, to stop them transmitting disease agents," he recalls. Malaria was his focus in those days, because it's responsible for more childhood mortality than any other mosquito-borne disease. "The idea was that we could put a genetically engineered cargo inside Wolbachia like a Trojan horse, which, once it had spread into the mosquito population, could stop them transmitting the disease."

Credit: Monash University

While he was at Yale considering mosquitoes, Seymour Benzer at Caltech was researching fruit flies. Benzer was a celebrated molecular biologist and behavioural geneticist. In his later years, he became interested in the science of ageing and longevity, and as part of his research was investigating fruit flies with particularly short lifespans. Benzer's lab discovered that fruit flies who died young carried Wolbachia.

At Yale, Professor O'Neill read Benzer's research and thought "Whoa, there is something here he hasn't realised". A mosquito's lifespan is "really critical for how effective it is in transmitting malaria, or dengue, or other disease. If Wolbachia could shorten the lifespan, that could be enough to stop disease transmission. So, we could throw out the whole genetic engineering thing. If we could get this strain of Wolbachia into the mosquito, we were on to something."

The breakthrough

Professor O'Neill returned to the University of Queensland. By this stage his research focus had switched from malaria to dengue fever, for the pragmatic reason that he believed he was more likely to "get results" with dengue. While at Queensland, his talented research student, Conor McMenamin (the brother of Wallabies rugby player Hugh McMenamin and Diamonds netballer Clare McMenamin), became the first person to successfully microinject life-shortening Wolbachia into the eggs of a female mosquito.

"We had to make glass needles to do it," Professor O'Neill recalls. "And we had to take those needles with the Wolbachia preparation and get the needle into the egg before the egg is more than an hour old, before it has formed cells  If you can imagine taking a really coarse knitting needle and putting it into a balloon full of water, and then pulling it out without the balloon breaking, that will give you a sense of the technical difficulty."

Professor O'Neill says he's not a big believer of 'Eureka' moments in science, but Dr. McMenamin's success with the glass needle was one of the turning points in his Wolbachia research. "The way it happens in science is that you're working on something for months and years and everything is always failing, and sometimes you get a positive result," he says. "You don't believe it. And then you repeat it. And then you repeat it again after a month's time, and you still don't believe it. And then it has to be repeated a third time, and that takes another month "

There's always the possibility the Wolbachia method may not suppress dengue and Zika forever  it's impossible to predict how long it will work. But the method is certainly working now  it's saving lives and will continue to ease the amount of suffering in the world into the future.

"As a scientist interested in applied outcomes, 80 per cent of what everybody does fails," Professor O'Neill says. "I think I've been incredibly fortunate to be at the right time, in the right place, asking the right questions, to stumble onto something that can have a very large impact. And even more lucky to be able to position myself to follow it through."
Credit: Oxford Science Blog

What are the new 'one-stop shops' for less obvious cancer symptoms, and how is this service being developed and evaluated in Oxfordshire? GP and Clinical Researcher Dr. Brian D Nicholson, from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, is part of the team who developed the region's pilot site, one of ten across the country, and explains why understanding non-specific symptoms is important.

Last week, the New Scientist reported 'around half of people with cancer have vague or non-specific symptoms, such as loss of appetite or weight. As a result, they can end up being referred to several specialists before receiving a diagnosis.'

The Telegraph added "new one-stop shops" to speed up cancer diagnosis are being trialled across the country for the first time. GPs can refer patients suffering from "vague" symptoms to undergo multiple tests for different cancers.'

Cancer Research UK's director of early diagnosis, Sara Hiom, was quoted: 'We're confident that these ten pilot centres will give us a much better understanding of what's needed to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of people with less obvious symptoms, improve their experience of care and, ultimately, survival.'

The public response was mixed, ranging from outrage over another postcode lottery of NHS resource allocation, to reminders about the initiative's nature as a pilot which is subject to evaluation before being rolled out nationally.

I'm part of a team of GPs and health researchers at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences (NDPCHS) who conduct research into non-specific cancer symptoms and developed the "one-stop shop" pilot site for Oxfordshire. Known as the Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway, we've developed this in close collaboration with clinicians, researchers, commissioners, and heath care professionals from the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH).

Our site is one of 10 diagnostic centre pilot sites set-up by local health care teams as part of the Accelerate Coordinate Evaluate (ACE) programme, funded by NHS England, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan.

Why non-specific symptoms?

Specific cancer symptoms point to cancer of a specific body location. For example, coughing up blood can be linked with lung cancer, while difficulty swallowing can be linked with cancer of the oesophagus. Specific symptoms give a clear signal to GPs about where in the body to perform tests for cancer, and the NHS provides GPs with rapid access to tests.

Non-specific cancer symptoms can be more challenging for GPs and include tiredness, loss of appetite, tummy pain, feeling generally unwell and weight loss. They are more common and are linked with several non-cancer (benign), long-term and short-term conditions seen by many GPs. What is more challenging is that non-specific symptoms can also be linked with cancer of more than one part of the body, making it more difficult for GPs to choose the most appropriate investigation to perform first.

The NHS, until now, has not been set-up to provide GPs with access to rapid tests to urgently investigate these non-specific symptoms across different parts of the body.

Weight loss, for example, is linked with 10 different types of cancer and is the second most common symptom of colorectal, lung, pancreatic and kidney cancer. Our latest research on weight-loss shows that in the over 60s, the risk of cancer in patients presenting with weight loss is higher than previously thought (BJGP Link), so systems that fast-track investigations of unexplained weight loss to either diagnose or rule-out cancer earlier are urgently needed.

Ten centres, ten different approaches

The newly-launched cancer diagnostic initiative has been developed to evaluate what sort of 'one-stop shop' could be effective at diagnosing cancer in the NHS, building on similar clinics used in Denmark. This has taken a lot of time and careful organisation as each of the ten pilot sites have developed a unique "one-stop shop" approach that can be provided in their local areas. To learn the most about what makes an effective "one-stop shop", the pilot sites were chosen in urban and rural locations, richer and poorer areas, they use different combinations of health professionals and local services, accept a range of non-specific symptoms, and use a variety of different tests.

Oxford's one-stop-shop for cancer diagnosis

Our local pilot, SCAN, allows all GPs in Oxfordshire to refer patients aged 40 years or over if there is no other urgent referral pathway available, and if they are concerned about cancer or serious disease following a face-to-face consultation for a range of non-specific symptoms. These include: unexplained weight loss, severe unexplained fatigue, persistent nausea or appetite loss, new atypical pain, or unexplained results from a laboratory test. GPs may also refer if they have clinical suspicion of cancer or serious disease, or a 'gut feeling' that their patient warrants investigation.

All patients referred to SCAN undergo a broad panel of laboratory blood and faecal tests and low-dose Computed Tomography (CT) imaging of the chest abdomen and pelvis. Depending on the results, they may then be referred to the SCAN clinic, where clinicians with expertise in evaluating non-specific symptoms evaluate them in more depth  they'll be guided through the process by a specialist radiographer, known as the SCAN navigator. Depending on the results of the initial tests, the patient may otherwise get a rapid referral to another cancer pathway, or for a different serious disease.

Evaluating effectiveness, first and foremost

Importantly this initiative is collecting data, with patients' consent, to evaluate each "one-stop shop" comprehensively. As more patients referred to these pilot sites grows and we collect more data, we will be able to determine what an effective service for patients with non-specific symptoms could look like in the NHS. Once the model has been refined, these one-stop shops will be expanded and made available right across the NHS so that all patients have the opportunity to access rapid investigation via their GP to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of their non-specific symptoms .

Explore further Weight loss is an important predictor of cancer

More information: Brian D Nicholson et al. Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis, British Journal of General Practice (2018). Journal information: British Journal of General Practice Brian D Nicholson et al. Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis,(2018). DOI: 10.3399/bjgp18X695801
Kulgam: At least 4 civilians were killed and around 82 people were wounded with some of them critically during clashes which erupted near the gunfight site in Khudwani area of Kulgam district.

An army man identified as S. Gunakar Rao was killed in the gun fight while two others suffered injuries. All the militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba managed to escape from the spot.

It was mayhem in Khudwani Wanimohalla. Bullets and pellets rained everywhere in response to the stones hurled by protesters who were hell-bent to move towards the gun fight site to help militants escape, an eyewitness told news agency CNS.

The gunfight started had on Tuesday night after the forces received a tip off and cordoned the area. Three militants were trapped in a house. After initial exchange of fire, the operation was halted till dawn while all arrangements were put in place to prevent militants from escaping.

As the exchange of fire started on Wednesday morning, large number of people from adjoining areas hit the roads and clashed with armed forces.

The protesting youth resorted to massive stone-pelting while forces fired bullets and pellets leaving scores of people injured. Medical sources said that at least 82 people suffered injuries out of which Four civilians succumbed to their injuries.

However the police in a statement said that the civilians were killed in crossfire. The deceased were identified as Sharjeel Ahmed Sheikh, Bilal Ahmed Dar, Ajaz Ahmed Pala and a minor boy Faisal Illahi.

Sixty injured were shifed to PHC Qaimouh while 18 were admitted in Kulgam and Anantnag hospitals out of which 8 were referred to Srinagar hospitals.

Forces blasted the houses in which militants were trapped. Locals said that five houses and three shops were completely damaged that belonged to Ghulam Muhammad Wani, Bashir Ahmed Lone, Bilal Ahmed Dar, Muhammad Yousuf Wani and Muhammd Latif Wani.

To fight the trapped militants, Army had even used helicopter gun ships. Huge blasts were heard after helicopter gunships fired at the house, they said.

Sources said that all the three militants managed to escape from the gunfight spot. Sources identified those militants as Muhammad Azad Pala alias Zaid, Bilal Ahmed alias Asim and Suhail Ahmed Dar of Redwani,

(CNS)
Women die in childbirth at alarming rates. Maternal death is an excellent example of what the famous economist and philosopher Amartya Sen calls a "remediable injustice" a condition that is fundamentally unfair and within our capacity to change.

Access to health services is better in more affluent, developed countries, so women die of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications at much lower rates than their counterparts in developing countries.

Better access to health services and skilled practitioners nurses, midwives, medical doctors is one of the keys to improving maternal mortality ratios in the developing world.

The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) indicates the number of maternal deaths that occur for every 100,000 live births. In 2015, the world average was 216.

The highest MMRs are found in Sub-Saharan Africa (547) and in low-income countries (496). Conversely, the lowest rates of maternal death are found in high-income countries (10), the European Union (eight) and North America (12).

Scarce resources

These numbers reveal much about the disparities that cause high rates of maternal death in poor countries and low rates in affluent countries. Resources are scarce in developing countries, and those that are available in the form of medical expertise, facilities and supplies are distributed unevenly.

According to the World Health Organization, the leading causes of maternal death include "haemorrhage, hypertension, infections, and indirect causes, mostly due to interaction between pre-existing medical conditions and pregnancy."

Most of these causes are treatable with simple procedures and medicines. Most maternal deaths are preventable if women have access to skilled providers and health clinics during pregnancy, childbirth and in the immediate post-partum period.

But the truth about maternal death is not that simple. While it's true that better access to health care before, during and after childbirth will reduce incidents of maternal death, there are other, more complex factors to consider.

Barriers to access to health services go beyond the lack of hospitals and doctors to implicate social and cultural dynamics. In other words, women struggle to access available resources due to the realities of poverty, racial discrimination, gender inequality and the criminalization of abortion.

Furthermore, women are vulnerable to complicated pregnancies through the practices of child marriage (and adolescent pregnancy), high fertility rates (which increases the potential for obstructed labour), patriarchal customs that make women's health, nutrition and education unimportant and policies that fail to respect human rights.

The horrifying case of Shanti Devi

For example, in 2010 in India, a woman named Shanti Devi was denied medical care, to which she was formally entitled through the Indian Constitution, because she was from an "untouchable" group and pregnant with her third child.

India maintains both official and unofficial elements of a two-child policy in accordance with its population-control objectives.

She was turned away from the hospital and died in a ditch. Her death sparked global outrage and a court case that assigned responsibility to the Indian government and provided a clear definition of the right to maternal health.

Shanti Devi's status as Dalit and racialized conspired to further increase her chances of maternal death. This case demonstrates the paradox of India, a country that is both economically strong and technologically advanced but also plagued by poverty and inequality.

India's overall MMR is 174, which is lower than regional and country classification standards. However, in some areas of the country, the MMR is as high as 300, according to India's own estimates.

The problem of inequality for different populations in India persists, although in all regions and among all populations in that country, MMRs are declining.

Maternal death rates rise in North America

Unfortunately, this is not the case in North America, where MMRs have increased in recent years. In Canada, maternal death rates went from six in 1990 to 12 in 2010, likely due to an increase in caesarean sections, IVF births, older mothers and other health conditions.

In 2015, the MMR had returned to seven, although the maternal health crisis has not abated, as there is evidence that death rates for Indigenous women are disproportionately high.

In the United States, maternal death rates vary according to place and social status and are getting worse, not better. While maternal death rates have been declining around the world in most countries, they have been rising steadily in the U.S.

In 1990, the MMR in the U.S. was 12; in 2015 it was 14. The increase is even more dramatic in Texas, where the MMR went from around 17 in 2010 to 35.8 in 2014. What's more, when MMRs are disaggregated to account for race, maternal death rates are substantially higher for African-American women than for white women in Texas and across the nation.

Rates up for all women in Texas

In Texas, while rates increased for all women, the MMRs roughly doubled over the period of 2006-2015 from 19.4 to 38 for non-Hispanic white women, and from 41.6 to 85.6 for non-Hispanic Black women.

The MMRs for Hispanic women were lower as raw scores, but this population experienced the highest rate of increase in death rates 62 per cent over this period.

In 2013, I had the privilege of conducting research in south Texas with women of Mexican origin living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Some were American citizens, others had more precarious immigration status.

All revealed that they had few options for maternal health care, and that they were restricted, by virtue of their immigration status, language and health insurance entitlements, from asking questions and gaining a full understanding of what was happening to them during pregnancy and childbirth.

Some women said that they had undergone caesarean sections without knowing why, and some had been encouraged to have a surgical birth followed by immediate sterilization, for complex reasons that appeared to be both beneficial and oppressive.

The conclusion to be drawn, from both my own research and the current rise in maternal death rates in Texas, is that low-status of women, especially racialized women, and punitive public policies, particularly in areas of health care and immigration, are a deadly combination.

Governments must act

The crisis in maternal health is the focus of broad global campaigns and detailed targeted initiatives. Much of this focus is devoted to generating increased attention and resources for maternal health.

However, global agencies and individual countries must do more to address the complex contextual factors that undermine maternal health.

Maternal death rates will only continue to decline if there are broad societal changes for all women. Governments play a leading role in perpetuating maternal death and will have to assume greater responsibility to reduce it.

Explore further Maternal mortality rates are on the rise, but more accurate estimates are needed

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Iran ground forces to hold military exercises on Azerbaijan border

Armenia government approves draft state budget for 2022

Armenia government provides another funding to Artsakh

Azerbaijan, Belarus discuss collaboration between their missile, artillery troops

What Armenia National Security Service looked for in home of ex-defense ministers elderly mother?

Armenia PM: Our goals in 2022 budget are ambitious, realistic

Hayko's compositions are played at Yerevan subway stations (VIDEO)

1,022 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Protest being staged outside Armenia government building

Senator Menendez to US Ambassador to Turkey nominee: In past you voted against resolutions recognizing Armenian Genocide

What are Armenia former defense minister, arms supplier charged with?

World oil prices falling

Hraparak.am: Armenia former minister of defense released on signature bond

Newspaper: Opposition Armenia Faction in parliament plans to go to Constitutional Court to challenge bonuses legality

Newspaper: Armenia PM Pashinyan had promised now-detained ex-defense minister new position

Amazon introduces home robot of its own production

French authorities close 650 Islamist propaganda centers since 2017

The Vatican to require all employees to provide proof of coronavirus vaccination

Hraparak.am: Motions filed with court to arrest Armenia ex-defense minister and weapons supplier

Slovenia terminates vaccination with Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after death of 20-year-old girl

30 prisoners killed in Ecuadorian prison

Armenia court to examine appeal against decision on arrest of ex-Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan

Armenia minister, Kazakhstan Ambassador consider prospects for cooperation in space technology

Karabakh representative: Armenia citizens who hosted families from Artsakh received financial assistance

Date of Requiem Service for Armenian singer, Honored Artist of Armenia Hayko announced

EU calls on Kosovo and Serbia to resolve their disputes through dialogue

Working consultation over to-be-established patrol service in Armenia's Gyumri, attended by Deputy PM

Georgia, Azerbaijan sign several agreements

Newspaper: Armenia army official: National Security Service summons Armed Forces General Staff's deputy chief

Ukraine, Turkey sign memorandum on construction of UAVs maintenance center

US and EU to begin consultations on technical regulation, trade and China

Newly appointed Ambassador of France presents copies of credentials to Armenia FM

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 4 Armenian servicemen found in Jrakan

Armenia ex-president Robert Kocharyan expresses condolences over death of singer Hayko

US Ambassador on Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs' talks in New York, normalization of relations with Turkey

Garibashvili says he had 'wonderful' meeting with Aliyev

Putin-Erdogan meeting in Sochi lasts nearly 3 hours

Over 40% of Americans are in favor of reducing US military presence in world

To-be Ambassador of United States to Turkey announces intention to recognize Armenian Genocide

Armenia Deputy PM, Iran Ambassador discuss situation created on Goris-Kapan motorway

Digest: Armenian soldier wounded in Azerbaijan provocations, 3 Armenia soldiers bodies found

Armenian analyst: Azerbaijan's offensive resources were almost used up on November 9, 2020

Armenia Embassy in Georgia: There are accumulations of trucks in detour section of Tbilisi

Armenia Revenue Committee chief on question whether Azeris will stop Armenian truck drivers or not

Artsakh representative to Armenia: Armenian statehood cannot have prosperous future without Karabakh

Armenia Public Services Regulatory Commission chair: There will be some increase in water fee

Hraparak: Armenia ex-defense minister detained

Azerbaijanis launch construction in Vorotan section of Armenia's Goris-Kapan motorway

Armenia President expresses condolences over untimely death of singer Hayko

Dollar rising in Armenia

3,626 foreigners granted Armenia residence status in first half of 2021

Peskov says Putin and Erdogan won't discuss Crimea during talks in Sochi

Man, 81, dies of coronavirus in Karabakh

Erdogan is certain that peace in Middle East depends on Turkey-Russia relations

Taliban rise to power in Afghanistan drives up opium prices on the black market

Azerbaijan President and Georgia PM meet in Baku

Armenia FM receives Bulgaria Ambassador

Putin: Russian-Turkish ceasefire monitoring center on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is guarantee for regional stability

Erdogan's spokesperson states the case when Turkey will normalize relations with Armenia

Yerevan State University holds event in memory of its students killed in 44-day war (PHOTOS)

Biden's aide meets with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

PM: Hayko was one of bright representatives of contemporary Armenian art of music

Military expert: What happened a year ago is terribly dangerous game against Armenias ally Russia, friendly Iran

Armenia FM, Red Cross delegation head discuss issue of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan

Karabakh representative to Armenia: Artsakh historical, cultural heritage under Azerbaijan occupation is under threat

Artsakh representative to Armenia: Initial damage from war is about 42m AMD

Karabakh representative to Armenia: Azerbaijanis killed 80 Artsakh civilians during 44-day war

North Korea tests newly developed hypersonic missile

Silvio Berlusconi turns 85

Armenia national detained in Georgia for selling counterfeit excise stamps

Lava from erupting volcano in the Canary Islands reaches ocean

Armenia Iranologist: Azerbaijan faces a number of challenges

Trump urges Congress to investigate circumstances of US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan

896 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sergei Parajanov's son, director Suren Parajanov, dies aged 63

Russia peacekeepers in Artsakh conduct comprehensive exercise to prevent possible violations

Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander compares Azerbaijan president to small child

Man, 61, jumps from Yerevan bridge

World oil prices dropping

Georgia PM hopes to contribute to normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Newspaper: Armenia PM terrified again

Newspaper: Armenia new ambassador to US cannot find common ground with local Armenian community

WHO chief expects China collaboration in 2nd phase of studies into coronavirus origins

Aliyev rules out possibility of granting any autonomy to Armenians of Karabakh

TRT Haber: Erdogan and Biden to meet on sidelines of G20 Summit in Rome

France and Greece announce signing of nearly 3 billion-euro defense deal

Armenian opposition MP to UK Ambassador: Azerbaijan's encroachments on Armenia's territory are inadmissible

Armenia justice minister meets with students of Yerevan State University, discusses justice reforms

Armenia Ombudsman: Azerbaijan bears liability for injuring Armenian serviceman in Kut village today

Deputies of opposition "Armenia" faction meet with UK Ambassador

Karabakh emergency situations service: Azerbaijan transfers remains of 3 servicemen to Armenian side in Shushi

Armenia Security Council Secretary receives US Ambassador

Armenia Investigative Committee launches case on soldier wounded from Azerbaijani army's gunshot in Kut village

Digest: PACE adopts report on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, 125 Armenian POWs reportedly detained in Baku

Aliyev says he is ready to meet with Armenia's Pashinyan and work on a peace treaty

Azerbaijan MOD receives new commander of Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh

Armenian analyst: Armenia's recognition of Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan isn't in Moscow's favor

Head of Armenia's Verin Shorzha village: Fire set by Azerbaijanis was put out this morning

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Freedom House concerned about criminal case against Facebook user who insulted Armenia PM in a comment
The United States, together with France and Great Britain, is considering launching a military strike against the Syrian government for an alleged chemical weapons attack on the town of Douma, The National Interest reported.

It was clear by press time that the UN Security Council would not adopt the Russian resolution, and it would seem that the Trump administration is leaning heavily towards the military option in conjunction with France and Britain in anycase.

Indeed, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley indicated that the United States would respond to the chemical attacks in Syriaregardless of what happens in the Security Council.

Haley did not specify how the United States would respond exactly, but President Trumps rhetoric indicates that Washington is strongly considering a military option. Moreover, the president canceled a long planned trip to South America to deal with the situation in Syria.

Trump reiterated that the United States has many military options to strike at the Assad regime. He also suggested that the American people would only find out about a strike on Syria after the United States had acted. We have a lot of options, militarily, Trump said. And well be letting you know pretty soon. Probably after the fact.

While the United States has the ability to act alone, the French and British are likely to join Washington in conducting an attack on Syria. If the chemical attack on Douma is confirmed, the British and French have promised to take coordinated action with the United States.
2018 Everest season starts with fresh hopes, dreams

The 2017 Everest climbing season ended with a mix of triumphs and tragedies: deaths, injuries, record crowds, frauds and other controversies. That was last year.
The Armenian parliament on Wednesday unanimously adopted the bill on ratification of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

In a statement following the ratification, the EU delegation to Armenia said the European Parliament is expected to give its consent to the agreement in mid-May and declared EU's readiness to support Armenia on its reform path.

The US President Donald Trump told Russia to get ready for a missile attack on Syria after Russian ambassador to Lebanon said any US missiles fired at Syria would be shot down.

Trump said Russia has to get ready for nice and new and smart! missiles and warned Moscow against being partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people. Later on Trump tweeted: Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

In response to Trumps tough statements, the spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova said the smart missiles might destroy evidences of chemical attack in Syria.

Deputies from the opposition Yelk faction on Wednesday carried out a protest action at the sessions hall of the National Assembly.

MP Ararat Mirzoyan said it is time for the Armenian citizens to break Serzh Sargsyans rule for a third term and to build the Armenia of our dreams. He called to join them at Liberty Square on Friday burn the torch of our freedom. Subsequently, Mirzoyan pulled colored smoke bombs out of his pocket and lit them.

Several children were injured in two separate car accidents in Armenia on Wednesday.

Five children were injured in a car accident on one of Armenia's motorways. Eight people, including five children, sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.

Two children were injured in Yerevan as a car collided with a bus that was transporting children.

Armenia, together with other Eurasian countries, is at risk of falling into authoritarianism, a new report by Freedom House suggests.

Armenia is described as a country semi-consolidated authoritarian regime with poor results in the national democratic governance and electoral processes. The reports says Armenias corruption rating declined because of the solidification of systemic corruption and accumulated evidence of government unwillingness to root out high-level abuse of office.

At least 247 bodies were found at the site of a military plane crash in Algeria.

The incident happened in Blida province on Wednesday. The plane crashed soon after takeoff from the military airport.

The rate of Russian ruble against Armenian dram continues falling on Wednesday. The rate of one Russian ruble made up AMD 7.52.

The American dollars (USD) exchange rate against the Armenian dram (AMD) comprised AMD 483.12/$1. The exchange rate for one euro was AMD 597.96.
YEREVAN. - No improvement should be expected in the relations between Russia and the West, political scientist, the Director of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute, Alexander Iskandaryan told reporters on Wednesday.

"Now we are witnessing a rather sharp Russian-American conflict, which journalists have already dubbed "Cold War". Perhaps, the use of this expression in the context of these relations is incorrect. But today, relations between Russia and the West are in a state when steps are not being taken to resolve various issues. At the beginning when it came to Ukraine, it seemed that it was possible to find some clues for negotiations, but now the situation is different and one should not wait for something to change in the near future," the political scientist said.

According to him, sanctions were imposed on Russia, and become even tougher.

He further noted that the impact of these conflicts on Ukraine was large and will remain so.

"Armenia can cooperate with both sides of the conflict and thus will take a neutral position. After all, Armenia is not a state, because of which Russia and the countries of the West want to confront with each other, at least in the way they fought for Ukraine. That is why both sides allow Yerevan to behave neutrally. And from the economic point of view, the impact of the conflict has not been particularly felt," Iskandaryan said.
The UN Office in Geneva held on Wednesday a debate on the fulfillment of Azerbaijan's international obligations. The event took place in the framework of Universal Periodic Review, contact.az reported.

The last time such discussions were held in 2013 and then official Baku made certain recommendations in the field of human rights. Now it was estimated how the authorities fulfilled them and what the current situation is, Turan was told by one of the participants in the discussion, civil activist Najmin Kamil.

"The purpose of civil society participation in this event is to assess the situation and inform the international community about the real situation," he said.

The themes of the speeches of representatives of civil society were: pre-election situation, media freedom, human rights, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience, corruption, environmental problems, etc.

"Our message to the international community was this: no progress was made in all these areas over the past five years. On the contrary, the situation has worsened even more, especially in the sphere of human rights, freedom of assembly, fair and transparent elections, solving the problem of political prisoners," Najmin Kamil said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have discussed the situation in Syria over the phone. The Russian leader called for refraining from the actions destabilizing the situation in that country, the Kremlin press service reported on Wednesday, TASS reported.

"A conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated by the Israeli side has been held. [The two sides] discussed the Syrian issue, including in light of the recent missile strikes by the Israeli Air Force on the T-4 airfield in the Homs province. Vladimir Putin stressed it was fundamentally important to respect Syrias sovereignty and urged to refrain from any moves that further destabilize the situation in that country and pose a threat to its security," the press service said.

"In light of Holocaust Remembrance Day marked on April 12, the two sides again stressed that attempts to falsify history and review World War Two results are inadmissible. In this context, Benjamin Netanyahu drew attention to the fact that Israel will officially celebrate Victory Day on May 9 this year for the first time," the Kremlin added.

The press service also noted that the parties agreed to continue contacts.
Building activities hint reopening of Tatopani

The Tatopani transit point on the Nepal-China border may be reopened soon as the Chinese government has started reconstruction work in the area, officials said. The border crossing northeast of Kathmandu has been closed since the April 2015 earthquakes due to extensive damage to the infrastructure.
As a clinical psychologist working in the juvenile court system, Shelly Grabe was eager to help youth. She wanted to make a lasting difference in their lives. But she felt like she was doing little more than putting a Band-Aid on a gaping societal wound.

That's when a fateful trip to Nicaragua in 2005 changed her life. Grabe, now an associate professor of psychology, met women who were organizing to fight domestic violence, and she saw what real and lasting social change looked like.

These women were combatting domestic violence by helping women claim ownership of land to which they were entitled. Becoming property owners empowered the women, and that had ripple effects: rates of domestic violence dropped, the women asserted their rights to birth control, and they began to raise their daughters differently, insisting they attend school.

Grabe was captivated by the social psychological benefits of what was, in essence, a human rights campaign. "As one woman put it, she felt like she went from being property to owning property," said Grabe.

Feeling compelled to document the profound social change that was unfolding before her eyes, Grabe secured a $9,000 research grant and proceeded to interview more than 300 womenthe kind of large-scale, data-collection effort the World Health Organization undertakes with hundreds of thousands of dollars, Grabe points out now, her laughter tinged with irony.

Strikingly, Grabe noted that the social transformation wasn't rooted in the economic value of the land, most of which was not productive agricultural land. Rather than greater economic well-being, owning property gave the women greater statuspersonal and social.

The women in Nicaragua were organizing at a grassroots level to enforce property-rights laws that had been on the books since the 1979 revolution. "It's not unlike pay-equity laws in the United States," noted Grabe. "The law can be on the books but nobody follows it."

Using land ownership as a structural indicator of gender inequity, Grabe documented a greater sense of "agency" among women property owners. "It shifts the gender ideology and changes assumptions about women's roles," she said. "Women talk about themselves differently, and husbands respect their wives more."

As a social psychologist, Grabe explores the links between social and political conditions that determine how, why, and under what circumstances resistance emerges. If her career path had unfolded more traditionally, Grabe said she might have chosen sociology rather than psychology, which takes an "individual focus rather than a structural one" to phenomena like domestic violence. But social psychology allows her to focus on the impact of social structures on individuals, and she has carved out a niche for herself in what she calls the "sub field" of feminist psychology.

"That's why UC Santa Cruz was such a perfect fit for me," she said. "Nobody else would hire a psychologist looking at land use! The department gave me a long leash and said 'Go for it.' "

Grabe has overcome challenges in the field, including the language barrier. She doesn't speak Spanish well enough to conduct in-depth interviews, so she hired local women, which is in keeping with her commitment to participatory research.

"I was upfront about my shortcomingsI don't speak Spanish, I don't have expertise in Latin American history or politics, and I don't have a background in feminist studies," she said. But what she brought to the project was a determination to "follow" the grassroots activists and document their work, letting them set the agenda rather than impose her own research program on the community.

Word of her scholarship, and her research approach, has traveled around the globe. Members of a grassroots organization in Tanzania engaged in a similar land-rights effort reached out to Grabe, who has documented reductions in violence against women there, toodespite significant cultural differences, including a pastoral system and polygamy.

A year ago, Grabe published Narrating a Psychology of Resistance: Voices of the Companeras in Nicaragua (Oxford University Press, 2016), which presents first-hand accounts from members of the Nicaraguan women's movement.

"Humans are complex beings, and our psychological responses to sociopolitical oppression can lead to gendered justice that brings about lasting social change," said Grabe. "It's important to recognize and understand that phenomenon if we want a more just and equitable world."

In November, Grabe followed that book with the edited volume, Women's Human Rights: A Social Psychological Perspective on Resistance, Liberation, and Justice (Oxford University Press, 2017). Contributing authors, including Grabe's colleague Heather Bullock, a professor of psychology who specializes in economic justice, write about violations of women's human rights that occur around the worldrape, sexual orientation, homelessness, civic participation, violenceto highlight the relevance of psychology to the defense of women's rights.

The book represents a "radically different approach to women's rights" than the typical legal framework, Grabe writes in the introduction. By using social psychological theory as a framework to defend women's human rights, it provides a path to understand how violations operateand, importantly, offers strategies that extend beyond changing laws or monitoring international human rights treaties.

As a "scholar-activist," Grabe takes satisfaction in having documented the ways in which women working at the grassroots level have resisted marginalization and implemented social change. Demonstrating the efficacy and transformational power of their work has been personally and professionally gratifying, and she looks forward to growing the community of scholars who are building what she calls a "feminist psychology of resistance."
Home | Showtime | Celebrities | No Amount Of Harrasment & Intimidation Can Stop #AuditCOSON  Efe Omorogbe

Controversy surrounded Innocent Idibias manager, Efe Omorogbe, when news broke out that the Founder and CEO of Now Muzik Limited was arrested and arraigned before Igbosere Magistrate court in Lagos.

SATELLITE TIMES reported that Mr. Omorogbe alongside one Mr Joel Ajayi, were accused of forgery which had to do with Copyright Society of Nigeria Limited (COSON).

However, Mr. Omorogbe has officially released an official statement to the public to set the record straight.

In his statement, Efe made it clear that no amount of intimidation would deter them from achieving their goal which is to Audit COSON. He also stated that the recent attacks by Chief Tony Okoroji and his agents have proven that there is a growing desperation to avoid being probed.

Read complete statement here;

NO AMOUNT OF HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION CAN STOP #AuditCOSON. Recent orchestrated attacks on the persons and reputation of members of our Board by Chief Tony Okoroji, his acolytes and agents have more than anything else, provided proof of a growing desperation to avoid probe, cover the truth and perpetuate the illusion of his purported reinstatement as chairman of the governing board of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON). The widely reported arrest of our substantive and duly elected chairman Mr Efe Omorogbe and another Board member Mr Joel Ajayi and subsequent arraignment and bail on charges of impersonation, forgery, conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace and threat to life are the latest steps in a series of desperate and futile moves by Okoroji to harass, intimidate and coerce them into abdicating the leadership of the board, mislead the law enforcement agencies and the populace as a ploy for dumping the call for a full forensic audit of accounts and operations of COSON. Following receipt of the directive of the industry regulator, Nigerian Copyright Commission in a letter dated February 19, 2017, declaring Okorojis reinstatement and sack of elected board members as null and void, the Board proceeded to act in substantive capacity and carried out the following actions: 1. A board meeting was called on March 6, 2018, at the COSON House wherein all 11 directors (including Tony Okoroji, John Uduegbunam, Azeezat Allen and Ras Kimono), management and the Nigeria Copyright Commission were duly notified. Okoroji and co absented themselves from the meeting and directed his agents to lock the other board members out. Having formed a quorum with 6 directors present, we proceeded with the meeting at the entrance of the locked office with representatives of the commission, an officer from the Public Complaint Bureau, Lagos Police Command and reporters all present.  It is this meeting that has been fraudulently reported to the office of the IG as the mobilization of thugs to disrupt an Okoroji meeting with intent to cause a breach of public peace and threat to life! 2. We wrote to COSON bankers to formally communicate a directive from the duly elected board to stop honouring all cheques signed by Okoroji who has continued to parade himself as chairman along with others who may have been fraudulently listed as directors of COSON and on-boarded as signatories to the accounts. For the avoidance of doubt, we members of Coson Board wish to use this medium to reiterate with emphasis that Tony Okoroji remains sacked and that Mr. Efe Omorogbe remains chairman of the board of COSON. We will also like to assure members of the society and concerned members of the public that the phantom charges do not hold any water and that no amount of grandstanding, threat, attacks, intimidation, abuse of power or abuse of court processes will stop a full forensic audit of COSON account and operations.

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Chinas Xi urges Asian unity for prosperity

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Asian unity and shared prosperity in his address to the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 that opened in Boao, Hainan, on Tuesday.
Home | News | General | The shortest way to Igbo presidency is to support Buhari in 2019 - SGF

- Secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha has urged the Igbos to support President Muhammadu Buharis re-election bid in 2019

The SGF said a second term will pave way for an Igbo man to become president

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has urged the Igbo to support President Muhammadu Buharis re-election bid as its the shortest and surest way for an Igbo man to become president, The Cable reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that Mustapha noted this while speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, April 10, while he received a delegation of the Ebonyi state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that visited him.

Preach it to the other south-east states that the shortest way to Igbo presidency is to support Buhari in 2019, Mustapha said.

READ ALSO: 7 reasons Buhari may win re-election in 2019

He added: This is the time to open your arms and your doors to even those that are perceived as enemies, you must have a large heart to receive them.

That is why Mr President himself specifically directed the party to consider the provisions of waiver as provided for in our constitution.

Why is he saying that? It is because in this game there are no permanent enemies or friends.

The dynamics of politics can change and people that you perceive today are not with you, will be with you tomorrow. So, your ability to receive them with grace will determine whether they will feel welcome or isolated.

He said with Buharis declaration, the APC needs to open its doors to others knocking.

According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, April 9, in Abuja declared his intention to seek re-election in 2019. Malam Garba Shehu, the presidents senior special assistant on media and Publicity confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

He said that the president made the declaration at a closed-door meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

The presidential aide quoted President Buhari as saying that he was responding to the clamour by Nigerians to re-contest in 2019, adding that he wanted to give the NEC, the honour of notifying them first.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) on NAIJ.com TV.

[embedded content]

Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Forum lambasts Abia group for faulting Ikpeazus achievements

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has been working hard to turn around the fortunes of Abia State for the better and there are visible achievements on ground to prove this. It is most uncharitable for any group or party under whatever guise to try to discredit the good works of the governor and deliberately mislead the people in the process all in the name of politics.

Ikpeazu

This much was stated in a communique issued at the end of the Abia Youth Forum convened by Mr Jude Ndukwe in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on Monday, April 9, 2018, to dispassionately assess the state of the State.

That part of the communique was obviously reacting to a statement credited to a group of professionals in the All Progressives Congress, APC, under the auspices of Abia Rebirth who had earlier faulted a national newspaper for consistently featuring advertorials of the Abia State governors achievements on its front page, describing them as propaganda.

But in its own reaction, Ndukwe, on behalf of the Forum, said the APC group was only playing politics with the collective destiny of Abia people by embarking on such needless and vain tirade against the governor.

Having exhausted all their lies, the Abia Rebirth group could not even deny the existence of these projects embarked upon by Ikpeazu but merely ended up claiming that the projects highlighted in the advert were used to siphon the collective resources of Abians.

In one breath, they claimed that the projects did not exist and in another, they claimed the projects were being used to siphon State resources. There is no way such confusion would not befall peddlers of falsehood and harbingers of chaos as the Abia Rebirth group.

The question is, what resources are there to siphon in Abia when the revenues of the state are even hardly enough to meet the basic demands of governance which have since grown in monumental proportions recently if not for the prudent and pragmatic management of scarce resources by the governor?

Rather than embark on this path of ignominy, the Abia Rebirth group should actually commend Governor Ikpeazu for bringing about the real Rebirth of Abia, a State that was left desolate and nearly obliterated by a chieftain of the APC, who was the first governor of the state in this current republic.

The communique concluded by urging the people of Abia not to allow themselves to be swayed by the false hood of political hirelings working for their distraught political godfathers who are bitter because they have been perpetually dislodged from looting the state dry without any result to show for it except infrastructural decadence, social dysfunction and economic impoverishment of the people, all of which Ikpeazu is working hard to reverse.

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Home | News | General | Church building collapse: Reactions trail govt rejection of white paper

By Chioma Onuegbu & Harris-Okon Emmanuel

UyoVICTIMS of Reigners Bible Church building collapse, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, have expressed mixed reactions to the white paper released by the state government on Monday which exonerated the General Overseer of the church, Apostle Akan Weeks.

One of the victims, Mr. Akan Akpanuwa and businessman from Nkim Itam village in Itu LGA of the state, who reacted angrily based on what was published in the newspapers, wondered why government rejected the indictment of Akan Weeks by the commission of inquiry.

Akpanuwa said: From the brief extract I read in newspaper, I see that the commission of inquiry set up by the state government indicted the pastor, but I am surprised why the governor exonerated him.

I think the appropriate body to indict or exonerate people from the Reigners building collapse is the commission of inquiry that was set up by the state government and I believe their integrity was tested before they were assigned to carry out that responsibility. So I expected that the recommendations of the commission should have been taken seriously.

I was in the hospital (Alma Clinic) for 11 months going through series of surgical operations. My hip bone was pulled out completely, so I went through surgery for another bone to be fixed. Also my ankle bone was totally damaged and about three major operations have been carried out on the ankle, but you can see that the wound on my leg is still not healed due to lack of funds to continue treatment.

 The doctor that was managing my case told me that the state government, through the Commissioner for Health, paid less than 50 percent of my hospital bill. I paid part of the bill for my surgery. The state government paid less than 50 percent of the bill and I still have outstanding bill to pay.

Also Processor Chris Ekong of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Uyo, who lost his brother in the building collapse said he would comment on the matter later, as he will soon issue a statement where he will state his position on the white paper released by government .

However, a member of Reigners Bible church who also lost her sister and a close relative and spoke to Vanguard in confidence on Asutan Street Uyo, said her family members had already left everything in the hands of God.

But reacting yesterday, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, assured Akwa Ibom people, including victims of the collapsed Reigners Bible Church, that the state government will prosecute all those whose activities led to the collapse of the church building.

Nwoko who promised to liaise with the police authority in the state to ensure a thorough investigation of those indicted by the report of the commission to ensure that justice was done in line with due process, appealed to Akwa Ibom people to remain calm and patient.

Also, some members of the church who spoke with Vanguard, expressed joy that the whole saga had come to an end following the clean bill of health given to their General Overseer by the state government, saying that he should not be held liable for the incident.

A member of the church, Oto-Obong, who sustained injury during the tragic incident said: We are still keeping quiet to see how the whole thing will go. As a member of the church, we cant really say much.

Another victim of the church collapse, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: I am fine. The injury has gone and I am back on my feet. The building collapse was not the fault of the pastor as such the blame should not be on him. He was not the engineers. The thing happened in churches and only God knows why it happened.

Meanwhile, a lawyer and human right activist, Inibehe Effiong, expressed dismay over the rejection of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry which nailed the pastor.

The lawyer had dragged the government to court under the Freedom of Information Act to compel it to release the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and the white paper on the matter.

Effiong said I read the white paper released by the state government and I am not surprised by the decision. It is a bit embarrassing that the government of Akwa Ibom has not treated the matter with the seriousness it deserves.

Government constituted the Commission of Inquiry following public pressure. According to the government, the essence was for the Commission to come out with the facts of what led to the collapse of the church building and make appropriate recommendations to the government.

After intensive deliberation, public hearing and receiving testimonies and evidences from members of the public and interested parties, Uyo Capital Development Authority, the Commission as part of its findings indicted the founder of the church and the reasons for the indictment were clearly stated as seen from the white paper.

The government is rejecting the recommendation that Akan Week should be referred to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution, claiming that facts available to government show that Akan relied on advice he received from professionals.

In summary that cant be correct, because no professional advised him not to receive government permit and necessary approval before embarking on the construction. It is a criminal offence. Failure to obtain the necessary government permit and approval before embarking on the project is a criminal offence.

The Commission also found out that he interfered with the project by reviewing some of the components of the structure that support it and he did that against professional advice.

It is sad that the government has rejected the recommendations of the Commission relating to the principal culprit. And if no action is taken against Akan Week, there is no justification to take action against any other person indicted in the report. Week refused to even apologise out of his arrogance and that is not the kind of person that should be shielded by the government.

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By Prisca Sam-Duru

The Goethe Institute Nigeria Mobile residency set to take artists to DakArt in Dakar, Senegal, commenced their journey on Monday April 9, from Lagos, Nigeria. Stretched Terrains Molue mobile museum departs Nigeria for DakArt

The Molue Mobile Museum of Contemporary Arts, MMMoCA project titled Stretched Terrains according to Goethe-Institute Nigeria Director, Friederike Moschel, involves a group of young artists from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Germany.

Moschel who spoke during a press conference in Lagos, said the bus which has been changed into a mobile museum would go from Lagos via Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali and arrive Senegal right at the opening of the 13th International Biennial DaKArt in May.

Stretched Terrains is an intensive Mobile artist residency project in a bus which has been transformed into a rolling art space. It examines diverse public spaces as communication zones of social, economic and political interaction as it travels the approximately 10,000 kilometers road trip via some west African countries to the 13th edition of Dakar Biennale in Senegal.

From Lagos, Joining Berlin-based Nigeria artist, Emeka Udemba, who is the curator of the project are Monsuru Alashe and Gabriel Goller (Germany), who is also in Lagos. The other artists will be picked up on the way as the journey progresses.

Moschel hinted that during the trip, artistic ideas will be developed while finished projects will be presented on the return journey at the Goethe-Institute offices along the way.

Moschel further said that everything has been done to make the trip as comfortable for the artists as possible. Goethe-Institute insisted that each of the artists travelling has health insurance, food has been provided and a mechanic for the vehicle, as well. She however said that it is an adventure and the artists travelling would expectedly meet some challenges. They, will, for instance, be expected to cook their own food.

Indeed , Alashe, who made the first trip, said they had met with some challenges but he said that from all indications, this would definitely be a much better trip.

Presenting an overview of the project, Udemba, said MMMoCA stands for Molue Mobile Museum of Contemporary Arts and came to being in 2004.

He said the concept of the museum is to interrogate the idea of having a space within the Lagos metropolis that is not restricted to a certain part of the city but creating a platform where contemporary art can be seen and enjoyed everywhere in the city.

He disclosed that two years ago, it was decided that the MMMoCA would be used as a platform to connect artists along the West African coast. The first trip, he said, was successful with artists connecting across West Africa.
Home | News | General | Buhari, Osinbajo, govs, others eulogise Adebanjo at 90

By Daud Olatunji & Adeola Badru

Ijebu-Ogbo PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Governors of Ogun, Oyo and Osun States, Ibikunle Amosun, Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola and other eminent Nigerians, yesterday, eulogised Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who turned 90 years old yesterday.

*Adebanjo

Venue of the event was agog as past and serving top political office holders, friends and associates were among scores of people that converged on Isanya -Ijebu-Ogbo to honour Adebanjo.

ROLL CALL

Notable Nigerians present at the event include former governors of Ogun and Ondo States, Messrs Gbenga Daniel, Olusegun. Mimiko; Afenifere chieftains, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Olu Falae; Oba Adadapo Tejuosho, Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark; former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa; Senator Femi Okurounmu; General Alani Akinrinade; Senator Adegbenga Kaka. the Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams and former Minister of Industries, Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande,

Others are a former deputy of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele; the founder, Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare and wife, Olayide and wife of the former chairman, Punch Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Iyabo Ogunshola.

Hes committed to nation building  Buhari

President Buhari, in a message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in Abuja, thanked God for the grace that had taken Adebanjo to this landmark age.

The president, who noted with delight that Adebanjo had clocked 90 years, believed the politician and lawyer had contributed to national development through his profession and commitment to nation building.

Hes a true nationalist Osinbajo

Commending Adebanjo, the Vice President described him as a true nationalist and icon that is committed to national unity.

Osinbajo said this during the thanksgiving service held in commemoration of Adebanjos 90th birthday celebration at St. Philips Anglican Parish Church, Isanya Ogbo- Ijebu, Ogun State.

The Vice President said: Baba Ayo Adebanjo is a true Nigerian, a nationalist and an icon. He has shown that there is value in consistency.

He suffered with Baba Awolowo during the Action Group days. He was as the preacher said accused number 30 in the treasonable felony trial. He was with the National Democratic Coalition and now in the Afenifere.

He believes in a true and just Nigeria, those are the ideals he has stuck to. He believes in a true federalism where everyone would have equal rights. We salute you for your commitment to national unity and the nation.

Many of you know that he is a consistent fellow. He was one of the founding fathers of Afenifere. He believes in true and just Nigeria.

He is one of the strong voice advocating for true federalism, that our federation should be fairer and just. He has continued to show commitment to national unity. No one can deny the fact that he is a true nationalist.

Hes a true believerAmosun

In his remarks, Governor Ibikunle Amosun said: Pa Adebanjos life captures the essence of service to humanity. He is a true believer in an egalitarian society, where there is social equality.

Aregbesola, Ajimobi, Gani Adams laud Adebanjo

Also speaking, Gov. Ajimobi described Adebanjo as a quintessential and loyal man, who had lived his life for the service of humanity.

He noted that Chief Adebanjo, despite not holding any political office, remains an influential man who holds sway in the socio-political development of the country.

Similarly, Governor Aregbesola described the Afenifere chieftain as a fearless, courageous and incorruptible man, noting that we were proud of his Spartan lifestyle and discipline.

On his part, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams said: Babas life cut a picture of a true disciple of the late sage, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. As an Awoist, Pa Adebanjo has been a strong advocate of restructuring and true federalism. At 90, he is still a bastion of hope to young Nigerians, who believe in his ideology of true federalism.

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Home | News | General | NANS Senate President wants FG to stop Zamfara killings

By Kelechukwu Iroma

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has condemned the killing of people by armed bandits in Zamfara State, noting that Federal Government should overhaul the security system in the state.

It also urged the government to establish a special military base in the state so as to guarantee a quick response to distress calls.

A statement by NANS Senate President Comrade Bashir Gorau condoled with the state governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari over the killings.

His words: We condole with the government and good people of Zamfara State over the recent killings of citizens by armed bandits at Bawar-Daji. We pray to Almighty Allah to have mercy on the departed souls and grant their loved ones the fortitude to bear the loss.

These continuous wanton killings have compelled NANS as a body to once again call on the Federal Government to revisit its security architecture across the country. It is evident that whatever module the government is using has not been effective in tackling the menace that has stained the Nigerian soil with innocent citizens blood and has cut short the stories of many promising souls across the country.

While doing this, we also want to remind the government for the umpteenth time that many stakeholders have called for the establishment of a permanent military base in Zamfara State in order to provide swift response to distress calls and curtail the successive recurrence of these killings. These calls have now become louder as it is evident that the government is fast losing its sovereignty over some parts of the country to armed bandits who carry weapons of destruction in the open.

It is unfortunate that the entire security personnel deployed to Zamfara State have become spectators who allow illiterate arm-bearing criminals to operate with so much confidence and efficiency. This is the lowest we can ever go as a country.

We are calling on the government to conduct a thorough probe of the activities of its security agencies in Zamfara State especially and re-energize them to deliver on their mandate.

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Congress CWC panel convenes next week

The Central Working Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress, which was postponed for the time being due to the demise of CWC member Khum Bahadur Khadka, will resume on April 20.
Home | News | General | CARS45 signs deal with Rensource on renewable energy

NIGERIAS pioneer used-car buying service has signed a deal with Rensource, a renewable energy firm on power supply through renewable energy sources.

The deal will see Rensource deploying renewable power solution infrastructure to over 100 Cars45 inspection centres across Nigeria.

The signing of the agreement has already seen implementation of the first phase of the deal which saw the supply of power infrastructure to 30 centres in Lagos. The implementation of the second phase is set to commence soon.

Speaking on the partnership, the Chief Executive Officer of Cars45, Etop Ikpe, said: While Cars45 looks to partner with outstanding and innovative agencies, we are also building on our foundation; a legacy that will soon overwhelm the automobile market. This partnership with Rensource is guaranteed to create a lasting landmark in Nigeria, talk about working without the fear of being cut short soon by electricity companies.

Also speaking, Consumer/Sales Marketing Manager, Cars45, Carol Ofem, said: In view of this partnership, Cars45 continues to distinguish itself as an innovative player and it positively motivates us to do more. We are determined to maintain our stance as the best and we are not resting on our oars anytime soon. With this, we have become Nigerias first company to partner with an independent energy organisation.

On his part, General Manager, Rensource, Anu Adasolun, said: This partnership further affirms the growing consensus that renewable-based distributed energy is the future of Nigerias power industry.

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Home | News | General | Buhari check reactions to your declaration  PDP

By Clifford Ndujihe & Charles Kumolu

Buharis one term offer in 2011 no longer applies

Buharis one term offer in 2011 no longer applies

We are not bothered by his one term promise  Babatope

Buhari didnt sign one term social contract with Nigerians Chekwas Okorie



LAGOSSPECIAL Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said yesterday that his principals 2011 statement that he would be president for one term was not applicable anymore.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Adesina said Buhari entertained pleas to re-contest as president for the past one year before declaring his intention.

He said: The other one of running one term was in 2011. When he was running in 2011, he said, yes, he would be a president for only one term but did he win in that year? No. The victory came in 2015. So what is being quoted from 2011 is not applicable again.

There were a lot of convincing and appeals. I sat in different meetings with different groups involving the President and the reason all of them came was that they wanted him to run for a second term in office.

Do you know that whenever the President reacted to these groups, he will speak on every other thing but on the issue of a second term; he will not say a word and that has been in the past one year. These calls have started coming and he didnt say a word. That reinforced my opinion that for him, it is not a do-or-die affair, it is just a matter of serving the country.

The declaration and governance

Noting that the Presidents declaration for a second term would not affect governance, Adesina said: I think the President had just picked the right time to make his intentions known, whether it will affect governance or not depends on the personality of who is the president.

Dont forget that under Obasanjo, when the process was affecting governance, he read a riot act and said lets concentrate on governance. President Buhari is just somebody like that, he will never allow politicking to affect governance.

He said the President may be re-elected based on his achievements in security, reviving the economy and fighting corruption.

There are certain things that he set out to do. Normally, it comes up under three broad umbrellas. One is securing the country, two is fighting corruption, three is reviving the economy and I have said it in all three areas, there are successes. The willfully blind will never see, even if you put the thing right in front of his eyes. We are not talking to the willfully blind or deaf, Adesina said.

Mr Adesinas comments immediately drew reactions from some politicians, who said it was immaterial to the 2019 election.

Were not bothered by his one-term promise  Babatope

Former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said: Let us not fault Buhari on that statement because this is a democracy. And in a democratic system, he has the right to two terms in office. For us in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the number of terms he wants to spend does not matter. We are confident that we will defeat him in 2019. All we are saying is that Nigerians should join us to send them out because the APC government has failed. They promised to fight corruption but corruption lives in them. They failed to fulfill any of the promises they made.

Its the end of the road for Buhari, APC  Okorie

National Chairman of the United Progressive Party, UPP, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said with Buhari as the candidate, the APC will lose power, next year noting that whatever commitment President Buhari made on single term is between him and the APC because it is not a social contract with Nigerians. Afterall, former President Jonathan had such promise and denied it.

He continued: President Buharis party does not feel he has an obligation to keep. They are the ones urging him to re-contest. What concerns Nigerians is whether the man who has given Nigerians nightmares and his government has been a disaster should be allowed to continue.

I sympathise with the APC for the misfortune of having to grapple with the political liability of presenting President Buhari to the Nigerian electorate for the 2019 Presidential Election. Buharis presidency is both a nightmare and a monumental disaster. It is the end of the road for him and the APC. I foresee a devastating political humiliation to Buhari and his party. The battle line is drawn.

The opposition is negotiating a grand coalition, which the UPP is part of. Buharis government, if allowed to continue, will kill Nigeria. He does not believe in restructuring and growing the economy. His attitude to governance is dictatorial and he has aroused ethnic, regional and religious consciouness once again, which will influence the 2019 election.

Buhari has to prove he deserves re-election  Osuntokun

On his part, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, former Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said President Buharis aspiration was still a speculation. When he has the courage to confirm the speculation, he would tell us what he has done to merit re-election. He would be required to clearly enunciate the record on which he wants to run for second term. He would have to clarify how his incumbency and the APC government have proven a better alternative to the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan with whom they steadfastly compare record of failures-not achievements.

He would be reminded how a non partisan credible international organisation-Transparency International, has rated his governments record on corruption worse than his much maligned predecessor.

Above all, we would acknowledge that he has done his best but that best is demonstrably below par. We would encourage him that at the realistic estimated age of 80 years or above, he should heed the charitable advice of his doctor to return to Daura not later than May 29, 2019, to eat more and sleep more, he said.

Osuntokun continued: The President publicly confessed that old age is a drag and limitation on his capacity to function. How does this old age debility factor support his aspiration for second term? Beyond what he said is the evidence of the health crisis that kept him away for over four months-and the numerous half or a third a day schedule he was forced to keep by ailing physical health. The resurgence of Boko Haram and the escalating herdsmen militia crisis are the main evidence you need to rate his success in security.

He should check reactions of Ngerians to his declaration  PDP

Reacting to the comments of the Presidency, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, urged the presidency to read the mood of Nigerians.

They should read or check the reactions and inclinations of Nigerians to President Buharis declaration to go for second term. I wont say more than this, he said.

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Home | News | General | 2 police inspectors, 3 sergeants nabbed in Lagos over alleged robbery attempt

- The arrest of the suspects was confirmed by the spokesperson of the police in Lagos, Chike Oti

- The suspects, currently serving as policemen, allegedly attempted to rob Immanuel James

- A police inspector earlier mentioned in the matter was found innocent

The Lagos command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has confirmed the arrest of five of its serving policemen over the alleged robbery attempt on one Immanuel James at the Ago-Palace way area of Okota, a suburb of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspects, two inspectors and three sergeants, were identified to be operatives attached to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), Ipakodo.

READ ALSO: 7 reasons Buhari may win re-election in 2019

SP Chike Oti, the spokesperson of the command, who confirmed their arrest to journalists on Tuesday, April 10, said that the men were not operatives from the federal SARS, Ikeja unit as reported.

Oti, however, said that one Inspector Jude Akhoyemta, who was earlier mentioned in the matter among suspects, was found to be innocent.

In line with the directive of the commissioner of police Lagos state, the command hereby informs the general public that further enquiry into the allegation of harassment of one Immanuel James Ibe-Anyanwu by SARS operatives at Ago-Palace way, Okota revealed the true identity of officers involved in the highly regrettable incident.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Those involved are currently undergoing interrogation at the commands X-Squad section and would be marched before an adjudicating officer at the police provost department for the commencement of their orderly room trial, Oti said.

Lagos Police Commissioner parades suspected criminals (Nigeria News) | NAIJ.com TV

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Buhari 2019: We are not worried by presidents declaration - Atiku Group

- President Muhammadu Buhari's decision to seek re-election in 2019 is still a trending topic in Nigeria

- Reactions continue to trail the decision of the president 24 hours after it was announced

- An opposition group says it is unfazed by the president's declaration

A political group, Atiku Abubakar Grassroots Ambassadors of Nigeria, has said there was nothing unusual about the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare to run for a second term in office.

The groups national president, Mr Ferguson Okpala, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday, April 10.

Okpala said the Atiku movement was not worried by the announcement as it would only make the next general election a keen and interesting contest.

President Buhari declared his intention to see re-election in 2019 at his party's last NEC meeting in Abuja. Photo credit: State House

READ ALSO: 7 factors that may work against Buhari in 2019 presidential election

He said the opposition must nominate the right candidate if it wished to have a robust contest in the next election.

For us, the decision of President Buhari to seek re-election is a good one, it is his personal decision and right; nobody should deny him that.

But we are not worried about that, it is even good for us because we know one of our likely opponents.

Nigerians are wise enough to elect the leader they want.

What we are asking for now is that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should do the right thing by giving Atiku the partys presidential ticket because he is the only one that has the reach, credibility and capacity to face Buhari, he said.

Okpala, who believed that power belongs to God, said that performance and not incumbency would determine the 2019 elections.

I dont think incumbency will play big role in the coming election because the electorate will compare performance with promises which the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) made before they took over government, he concluded. (NAN)

READ ALSO: 7 reasons Buhari may win re-election in 2019

Meanwhile, a youth movement under the aegis of Jagaban Movement, has thrown its weight behind the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election in 2019.

In a statement sent to NAIJ.com by its national coordinator, Mr. Bashir Adegboyega, the group said the president's re-election bid tilted towards the path of a safer tomorrow and massive employment of human and non-human resources in Nigeria.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on NAIJ.com TV

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Moisturisers: Quest for consumer satisfaction triggers product innovation

By Princewill Ekwujuru

The quest to satisfy customers desire for more value have triggered upsurge of innovative product changes by producers of moisturising creams in the health and beauty market.

This is reflected in the intense marketing strategies adopted by producers to rekindle consumer loyalty to their various brands.

The manufacturers have also accelerated research on different skin types in a bid to reformulate and produce more skin-friendly products.

This became necessary when market insight showed a sustained rise in population and growing desire for smooth and healthy skin, all in a bid maintain youthful look. The result is an upsurge in demand for moisturising creams, which defied the adverse macroeconomic situation of the country.

Consequently, to remain relevant in the market, the manufacturers have started to adopt critical marketing measures such as repackaging, redesigning of product shape, colour and size, including additional fragrance for increased customer attraction and patronage.

These developments have however, narrowed contenders to local and imported moisturising creams of Dove, produced by Unilever Nigeria Plc; Olay, manufactured by Procter and Gamble. Others are imported brands that have helped to heighten competition for market share which include, Nivea, Aveeno, CeraVe AM, ACCA Kappa, Palmers Cocoa Butter, Bliss Body Butter, Aqua Phor, Amlactia, Rosen cream among others.

Vanguards Companies and Markets, C&M, findings reveal that consumer indifference towards the various products in the market, compels them to be attached to a particular brand.

Consumers reaction

However, majority of the consumers and distributors who spoke to C&M, indicated preference for Nivea, Dove, Aveeno, Olay, CeraVe and Aqua Phor for their gentleness on the skin.

A consumer, Ms. Josephine Ibekwe, who indicated preference for Olay said: It goes on smoothly; works well under makeup, and can even moisturise combination skin type without leaving you looking shiny. This product is non-comedogenic (will not block your pores) and also comes in oil-free and fragrance-free formulas to suit oily or sensitive skin types, respectively.

Another consumer, Tayo Adepetu, said: Depending on your skin type, if you are able to find the cream that suits you, you may say the cream you are using is the best. Most creams are good. I believe no company will like to put out bad product for consumers to buy.

Mrs. Joan Iheukwumere, who operates a cream shop in Surulere, said: If you have sensitive skin, fragrance-free CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion is one of the few sunscreen-containing products that probably would not cause any irritation or redness. Its broad-spectrum protection can also help prevent sun damage and reduce your risk of skin cancer. Meanwhile, CeraVe AM as a lotion does a beautiful job of moisturising and soothing your skin. Thanks to moisture-boosting, skin-nourishing ingredients like ceramines, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.

Distributor speaks

A distributor, Omeje Onovo of Omeruibe Enterprises, said that majority of the moisturising creams in the market are doing well, especially those products which address skin irritation.

He, however, noted that Nivea, Dove, Aveeno, Olay, CeraVe AM are the preferred moisturising creams in the market today.

Expert speaks

A dermatologist, who simply gave her name as Arinke, who is into private practice, said: Taking care of your skin does not have to mean a complicated beauty routine: For many people, using a good facial cleanser, followed by a quality face moisturiser at least once a day, makes a huge difference. If you can cleanse and moisturize a second time at night, that is even better.

This type of routine is not only for women, men should follow essentially the same simple routine. Although some face creams and other products are marketed specifically to men, anybody can use any product.

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Home | News | General | Pandemonium in Benin as drivers protest death of 4 in accident

By Simon Ebegbulem & Gabriel Enogholase

BENINTHERE was pandemonium yesterday morning at Siluko road Benin City when angry commercial drivers took to the streets protesting the death of four persons in a ghastly motor accident.

It was learnt that the accident occurred Monday night when a commercial bus, Toyota Vanette, with number plates Delta AYB 549 XP, rammed into a white tipper lorry with the inscription: Chief Vincent Petroleum and with number plates: Edo BEN 677 ZN.

It was also gathered that the driver, whose name was given as Victor, and three passengers reportedly died at the spot.

An eye witness disclosed that the bus driver was coming from the Ring Road end of the Siluko Road before ramming into the faulty tipper lorry at about 8 pm.

The eye witness noted that the tipper lorry developed some faults at the traffic light by Oliha market around 6 pm, but regretted that the commercial bus which was on speed rammed into the tipper lorry.

It was about 6 pm when the tipper stopped at the traffic light. When it was supposed to move, it developed a fault, and the driver came out, placed caution signs on the front and the back of the lorry.

But it was obvious that the commercial bus driver was on speed and rammed the lorry.

However, the angry drivers, who were protesting, destroyed the windscreen of the lorry and set the tipper ablaze.

One of the drivers, Osamudiame Ehigiator, who spoke to journalists, blamed the government and the lorry drivers for the death of their colleague and his passengers.

Another driver, Ikpomwosa Omosefe, said: This tipper developed fault here since yesterday afternoon.

When it rains, we driver hardly see far. I believe the boy thought that the lorry was on motion that was what led to the accident.

The states Police Commissioner, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, confirmed the accident, but said it was only the driver that lost his life.

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Home | News | General | Buhari writes Senate, seeks confirmation of 23 NPC nominees, others

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has written three letters to the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of 23 nominees for National Population Commission, NPC, one national commissioner for Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and two new non-legal practitioners for Federal Judicial Service Commission.

President Buhari

President Buhari in the first letter addressed to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, dated March 27, 2018, is seeking the confirmation of the appointment of Mr Festus Okoye as a Federal Commissioner for INEC, representing the South East geo-political zone.

In the second letter dated March 27, 2018 and received by the office of the Senate President, April 10, 2018, the President is seeking the confirmation of membership appointments into the Federal Judicial Service Commission as non-legal practitioners.

The two nominees include Senator Abba Ali from Katsina State for the North West geo- political zone and Mohammed Sagir from Niger State for the North Central geo- political zone .

In the third letter, which has the same date, President Buhari sought the confirmation of 23 newly appointed commissioners for National Population Commission, NPC.

Buhari also forwarded a letter of condolence to the Senate over the deaths of Senators Ali Wakili (APC Bauchi South) and Mustapha Bukar (APC Katsina North).

While Senator Wakili died on March 17, 2018, Senator Bukar died eight days ago.

Their death explains the reason the Senate adjourned yesterday till today, immediately after adoption of its votes and proceedings of Thursday, March 29, 2018, when it embarked on Easter recess.

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Home | News | General | GTBank shareholders move against AMCONs continuity plan

By Peter Egwuatu

Shareholders of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, GTB, yesterday, moved against the proposed plan to elongate the existence of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, from the initial 10 years plan as stated by the Act establishing it, saying it has outlived its usefulness.

The shareholders equally commended GTBank management for the efficiency in curtailing cost as well as its drive in growing deposit base, which resulted to increase in the banks Profit Before Tax, PBT, to N200.24 billion for the financial year 2017, from N165.1 billion in 2016.

We will resist every plan by AMCON to elongate its existence. We are begging on the National Assembly not to consider any plan by AMCON to increase its lifespan. How can AMCON continue to impose huge fine on corporates that are trying to survive given the harsh operating environment. These fines affect the returns that these companies would have reported. We also call on corporate entities to fight against the plan by AMCON to increase its lifespan, they stated.

Addressing shareholders, Managing Director/CEO of GTBank, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: 2017 was a pivotal year for the bank. We delivered a strong result in a challenging environment; achieving record growth in earnings, carefully managing cost margins and leveraging our digital-first customer-centric strategy to deliver world-class services that are simple, cheap and easily accessible. He further stated: The result demonstrates the fundamental strength of our franchise as well as the progress we are making in transforming our organization into a platform on which our customers could build their businesses, connect with their consumers and access all the resources that they need to.

A review of the results shows positive performance across major financial indices, reaffirming the banks position as one of the most profitable.

Gross earnings for the year grew by 1.1% to N419.2 billion in 2017 from N414.6 billion reported in 2016, driven primarily by growth in interest income as well as e-payment revenues.

Profit before tax stood at N200.2 billion, representing a growth of 21.3% over N165.1 billion recorded in 2016. The banks loan book dipped by 8.9% from N1.590 trillion recorded as at December 2016 to N1.449 trillion in 2017, while customers deposits increased by 3.8% to N2.062trillion from N1.986trillion in 2016.

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Home | News | General | Abuja court dismisses IGP Idris suit against Senate

- A federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed IGP Idris' suit against the Senate

- The presiding judge, Abba Bello Mohammed, said that the Senate had not infringed on the fundamental rights of Idris

- He said Idris right to fair hearing has not been infringed upon by the Senate to warrant the intervention

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit on enforcement of fundamental human rights filed by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, against the Senate.

Daily Trust reports that Justice Abba Bello Mohammed declared on Tuesday, April 10, while delivering judgment in the suit that the Senate had not infringed on the fundamental rights of Idris by merely inviting him for investigation by its ad-hoc committee.

READ ALSO: Report on Buharis one-term Presidency a misquote - Adesina

NAIJ.com gathered that he held that Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution empowered the National Assembly to investigate any matter and summon any persons.

He added that the mere fact that Senator Isa Misau raised allegations against Idris on the floor of the Senate cannot influence the decision of the committee set up by the Senate, since Misau is not a member of the committee.

Justice Mohammed thereafter held that Idris right to fair hearing has not been infringed upon by the Senate to warrant the intervention of the court and thereby dismissed the suit.

The judge had also earlier ruled that an application brought by Idriss counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN), seeking to stay further proceeding in the matter pending the decision of the Court of Appeal, was an attempt to arrest judgment.

He held that the proceedings in the matter brought by Idris were completed on February 1, when the case was reserved for judgment, thereby holding that as of the time the application for stay of proceeding was filed, there was no other proceeding for the court to stay.

IGP Idris had filed the enforcement of fundamental human rights suit against the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, the Senate, Senators Hamman Isa Misau; Francis Alimikhena; Binta Masi Garba, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Duro Faseyi Samuel; Ogba Joseph Obinna; Nelson Effiong and Abdulaziz Nyako.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris has lost his bid to stop the contempt charge brought against him by the Peace Corps of Nigeria over his alleged persistent flouting of court orders.

President Buhari on 2019 presidential election: will you vote for him? | - on NAIJ.com TV

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Dhalkebar substation to be completed in six weeks

Telmos Electronic, the Indian contractor working on the Dhalkebar substation, is on track to complete the construction within one and a half months, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) said.
Home | News | General | Ebonyi APC drags Governor Umahi to FG over alleged victimisation

- The Ebonyi state chapter of the APC accuses Governor Umahi of deceiving President Buhari on his second term bid

- Spokesperson to the governor says Umahi has rescued the state from the fangs of poverty

- Youth movement declares support for President Buharis re-election bid

The Ebonyi state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor David Umahi of victimising opposition in the state.

Daily Trust reports that the leadership of the party in Ebonyi made the accusation on Tuesday, April 10, in Abuja when they visited the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The APC chairman in the state, Nwachukwu Eze, who led the delegation, accused Governor Umahi of deceiving President Muhammadu Buhari on his second term bid and also victimizing opposition in the state.

READ ALSO: Presidency says protesters in London are agents of looters

Governor Umahi pretends to support President Muhammadu Buhari by openly backing his re-election bid. The same governor secretly signed a document on stopping the President with other PDP members, he said.

However, the spokesperson to the governor said from all available records, Governor Umahi has rescued the state from the fangs of poverty and underdevelopment and has never been found wanting in the discharge of his official duties.

Pastor Nwachukwu who is a factional chairman of APC in Ebonyi State is notorious for his lies and penchant in seeking cheap publicity but unfortunately, this one has hit the woodwork as it has failed to attract the sentiment he sought for, he said.

Meanwhile, a youth movement under the aegis of Jagaban Movement, has thrown its weight behind the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election in 2019.

In a statement sent to NAIJ.com by its national coordinator, Bashir Adegboyega, the group said the president's re-election bid tilted towards the path of a safer tomorrow and massive employment of human and non-human resources in Nigeria.

According to Adegboyega, the second term bid of the president has become necessary considering his unwavering commitment to anti-graft war and massive infrastructure programmes with the attendants employment generation.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | WOTCLEF calls for full implementation of child labour laws to protect children

Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) has called for full implementation of laws protecting children against abuses in the country.

The Executive Director of WOTCLEF, Mrs Imabong Ladipo-Sanusi made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ladipo-Sanusi decried the rate at which under-aged children were used in worst forms of labour, describing the situation as worrisome.

It is observed that children are often engaged in the worst forms of child labour like quarrying granite and gravel, commercial sexual exploitation, forced begging and armed conflicts.

She noted that people seeking cheap labour have continuously exploited children by engaging them in domestic activities and paying them stipends not commensurate to the services rendered.

According to her, anyone that wants to employ house help should engage adults not children below the age of 14.

I want the Federal Government to re-activate these laws to protect the children and also urge the states that have not domesticated them to do so in the interest of the children.

Traditional rulers and Civil Society Organisations must rise up to their responsibilities to protect these innocent children, she said.

Ladipo-Sanusi attributed the growing cases of child labour to poverty and said government should make education affordable and compulsory for all at all levels.

Newsmen recall that the Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme under the National Social Protection Programme is providing money monthly to some extremely poor households on condition that they allow their children attend school.

NAN

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Home | News | General | Police arrest council boss for demolishing nonagenarians home in Ebonyi

By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKIEBONYI State Police Command yesterday, said it had arrested the co-ordinator of Ezeukwa Development Centre in Onicha Local Government Area of the state, Chukwuma Igwe for his alleged role in the demolition of a building and fence belonging to a 94 year old man, Pa Omabe Obini in the community.

The incident which occurred at Uwani Anike village in the area was allegedly carried out by nine suspected hoodlums under the supervision of the co-ordinator.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, ASP Loveth Odah explained that Igwe had been arrested and was undergoing interrogation. She noted that police would investigate the matter before charging the suspect to court.

There was an arrest on alleged case of malicious damage involving one Chukwuma Igwe, she said.

Narrating his ordeal before newsmen in Abakaliki, Pa Omabe Obini alleged that suspected thugs in company of Igwe invaded his compound with axe, digger and cutlass and chased away members of his family before embarking on the demolition of his building and a section of his perimeter fence.

The victim who showcased a 30 minutes video clip to journalists to prove his story added that the development was the second time the co-ordinator was sponsoring such level of attack against his property in the village.

Pa Omabe who said he had reported the matter to the police, appealed to the state government and human right activists to come into the matter for justice to reign.

My health condition has worsened following the demolition of my home. There is no basis for the action considering that I have no land dispute with members of the community or Igwe, he lamented.

In his reaction, Igwe who said he was the chairman of Anike General Assembly said what was demolished was Pa Obinis perimeter fence which constituted boundary between him and Umu Anike.

According to him, the role he played was to ensure justice prevailed in the community as he was not against Pa Omabe Obini.

The decision to demolish the building was taken by the Anike General Assembly following Pa Obinis refusal to appear before it for violating the resolution on the disputed boundary, he alleged.

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Home | News | General | Listen! We pushed propaganda against Winnie and set her up  Paul Erasmus, Former Satcom officer

On the eve of the Screening of the documentary Winnie, Former apartheid-era state security police officer Paul Erasmus who worked for Stratcom, says they were tasked to deal and neutralise Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

He explained that during the apartheid era there were people who they could deal with and those they had to neutralise.

We were given a list of namesof people the Nationalist government saw they could deal with. And there were people who had to be eliminated and Mama Winnie was on it.

 Paul Erasmus, Former Satcom officer

I can tell you that 90% of that stuff was utter rubbish and figments of my very fertile imagination.

 Paul Erasmus, Former Stratcom security police officer

Erasmus says he was nervous when he met Winnie as he could not hide the truth from her. He says from that moment they reconciled and he became close to her family.

Erasmus states that rumours emerged that he was having an affair with her.

READ: She was human, she made mistakes and she was the epitome of imbokodo

Unfortunately, Im not proud of it. If could turn the clock back I would do it. I have spent many years trying to correct the perception about Mama Winnie.

 Paul Erasmus, Former Stratcom security police officer

Erasmus further states that he went to Soweto to ask about the Stompie Seipei case. He says no one could provide the evidence.

Collaborating his story, Foreign editor at Independent Media, Shannon Ebrahim says it is crucial that the Winnie documentary is aired tonight.

The very sad thing is that when you look at headlines in the Western media today  US, Britain, and Australia  they are still calling Winnie Mandela a murderer and the abuser of children.

 Shannon Ebrahim, Foreign editor at Independent media

The struggle stalwart will be laid to rest this Saturday in Orlando, Soweto

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Home | News | General | BREAKING NEWS: 200 people dead as military plane crashes in Algeria

A plane crash in has reportedly left more than 200 people dead, local media reports. The military aircraft reportedly went down near an airport at Boufarik  less than 20 miles from the capital Algiers.

It had been transporting dozens of troops and equipment when it crashed just after 8am local time. State media reports that the Soviet-designed Il-76 plane was headed for Bechar in southwest Algeria, and the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Footage captured by witnesses shows a huge plume of black smoke billowing from an area near the runway. As many as 14 ambulances and ten fire engines were dispatched to the horror blaze and dozens of bodies were pulled from the wreckage, according to local reports.

Emergency services have been dispatched to the site of the crash.

Television footage showed black smoke billowing near a motorway and a crowd of security officials and others standing in a field next to the crash site.

All roads around the airport were closed to help emergency services carry out a desperate rescue mission.

The tail fin of a plane could be seen above olive trees, with smoke and flames rising from the wreckage.

Boufarik is located in northern Algeria, near the Mediterranean sea, some 20 miles from the capital.

But an Algerian military source told local news broadcaster Al-Hadath that there are no survivors.

Just in February 2018, a plane crash in Iran killed all the 66 passengers on board, including a child. The plane crashed into the snow-covered Dena mountain in central Iran.

The Aseman Airlines plane  which had reportedly made an emergency landing earlier in the month  was flying from the capital Tehran to Yasuj when it vanished from radar about an hour after take-off.

It was reported that all 60 passengers and six crew members on the ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop plane were killed.

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Home | News | General | Yemi Osinbajo presides over FEC meeting in Buharis absence

- Federal ministries of information and culture brief Federal Executive Council (FEC) on their activities since November 2015 till today

- The council chamber receives presentation from the ministries of defence and transportation

- President Buhari makes 23 key appointments

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday, April 10, presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as the federal ministries of information and culture as well as women affairs brief the council on their activities since November 2015 till date.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting of the council which started at about 11am at the council chamber of the presidential villa would also receive presentations from the ministries of defence and transportation.

All heads of agencies under the ministry of information and culture including the managing director of News Agency of Nigeria, Bayo Onanuga, were at the venue of the meeting to support the ministers presentation.

READ ALSO: Presidency says protesters in London are agents of looters

The meeting is attended by the secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha and the national security adviser to the president, retired Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno.

Others attending the meeting are the chief of staff to the president, Malam Abba Kyari, cabinet ministers and some presidential aides.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has made 23 new appointments in agencies in the Federal Ministries of Health, Information and Culture, Education, Power, Works, and Housing, and Resident Electoral Commissioners in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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Premium Times reports that the president urged them to reinvigorate the agencies in the delivery on their mandates through a renewed commitment to transparency, accountability, and service delivery with integrity.

The approval also included appointment of some rectors to some federal polytechnics.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | After 7 months, US removes Chad from Trump's travel ban list

- The Trump administration announced that Chad has been removed from its travel ban list

- The central African nation was added to the list because it ran out of passport paper which prevented it from supplying the homeland security department with samples

- The ban still encompasses two Muslim-majority African countries namely Libya and Somalia along with Iran, Syria and Yemen

US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation announcing Chad has been removed from the administrations travel ban list, Times reports.

The White House on Tuesday, April 10, said that citizens of Chad would be able to receive visas to the United States again.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary said President Trump had signed a proclamation announcing Chad had improved its identity-management and information sharing practices enough to be taken off the list.

READ ALSO: Hilarious moment Nigerians spotted a self-driving car for the first time in Lagos (video)

Last September, Chad was put on the list because of an office supply glitch that prevented it from supplying homeland security officials with recent samples of its passports.

U.S. officials also added that the African nation was unable to adequately share public safety and terrorism-related information with who screen foreigners seeking to enter the country.

The State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, said the travel restrictions placed on Chad will be terminated Friday, adding that the improved practices by Chad demonstrate a clear off-ramp for countries placed on the travel restriction list.

These improvements will improve security for the people of Chad and the United States.

Chadian leaders criticized the U.S. for putting it on a list that includes North Korea, Iran and Venezuela.

Chad has been a key U.S. counterterrorism partner in the fight against threats to Africas Sahel region posed by al-Qaida affiliates like Boko Haram and the newly designated West Africa wing of the Islamic State group.

The State Department and the Pentagon had pushed for Chads removal from the list, noting the strategic U.S. interest in maintaining close ties with the counterterrorism partner.

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According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, the United States government under the administration of Donald Trump on Monday, January 29, announced it was lifting the ban on refugees from 11 high-risk countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past.

Applicants from the 11 countries which were unnamed but believed to be Muslim-dominated nations and North Korea will now be allowed to enter the US but under a strict immigration scrutiny.

Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, said: Its critically important that we know who is entering the United States.

How Trump's strange covfefe tweet, Biafra @50 celebrations lit up the social media - on NAIJ.com TV.

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Home | News | General | Navy in top form, seizes, hands over vessel full of refined Automated Gasoline Oil to EFCC in Bayelsa

- The Nigerian Navy has left a vessel of illegally refined Automated Gasoline Oil (AGO) in the care of the EFCC

- The FOB commanding officer of the force, Captain Adamu Yahaya, reported that the vessel was seized in May 2017

- Abdullahi Musa, a senior detective of the commission promised the Navy that the truth about the ownership of the vessel will be investigated

The Nigerian Navy, Forward Operation Base (FOB) in Brass local government area of Bayelsa on Wednesday, April 11, handed over impounded Barge Podium of vessel to the officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The FOB commanding Officer, Navy Captain Adamu Yahaya, who handed over the vessel to EFCC in Formoso, Egwuama of Brass area of the state, said the vessel was laden with unspecified quantities of products, suspected to be illegally refined Automated Gasoline Oil (AGO), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

READ ALSO: Report on Buharis one-term Presidency a misquote - Adesina

Yahaya also said the vessel was seized in May 2017 at a creek in Alaki area of Rivers, adding that the suspects on board fled when they sighted the Navy gunboat.

He said the handing over of the vessel to the commission was in compliance with the naval headquarters directives.

Yahaya said: The Nigerian Navy has been given the mandate to apprehend any ship suspected to be carrying out illegalities in the Nigerian maritime domain, however, by law, we are not allowed to carry out prosecution of offenders.

We are directed to handover seized vessels to the EFCC for further investigations and possible prosecution.

Abdullahi Musa, a senior detective superintendent and leader of the EFCC team from Port Harcourt zonal office received the vessel and promised the force that EFCC would carry out thorough investigation into the matter.

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Musa remarked: We will carry out thorough investigation with a view to determining the level of involvement, content of the vessel and prosecution of those involved.

NAN reported that officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) took samples of the content of the vessels for further laboratory analysis.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that the Nigerian Navy said it had discovered six new illegal refineries with combined capacity to refine four million litres of crude oil daily in Alakiri, Asari Toru local government area of Rivers state.

NAIJ.com gathered that that the executive officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) pathfinder Port Harcourt, Captain Victor Choji, disclosed this while destroying one of the illegal refineries on Friday, March 30, in Alakiri, Asari-Toru.

Nigerian Air Force winged 10 flying officers - On NAIJ.com TV

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DoSM loses power to inspect markets

The Department of Supplies Management (DoSM) has become almost functionless with the government in the process of merging the DoSM with the Department of Commerce. The department is also being relieved from the task of market monitoring which will now be handled by the provincial and local governments.
Home | News | General | Turkey urges Russia, U.S. to exercise restraint amid tension in Syria  Defence Minister

Turkey urged Russia and the U. S. to exercise restraint amid media reports about the possible U.S. strike on Syria in response to the alleged chemical attack in the city of Duma,

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President- Donald Trump

Turkish Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli said Wednesday.

On Saturday, reports emerged alleging that the Syrian government forces used chlorine in an attack in Duma killing up to 70 people.

The U.S. blamed Damascus for the alleged chemical weapons use and said that it was considering all potential options in response to it.

If the Syrian troops backed by Russia confront the US-backed forces, Russia will not be able to stay away 

As a result, a serious clash may occur. This threat has been present for a long time, and will continue to exist, which means that one spark may ignite the entire region.

Both Russia and the U.S. are in the wrong positions.

Turkey calls for restraint and refusal from supporting terrorist groups, Canikli said, as aired by the 24 TV broadcasters.

Newsmen report that President Donald Trump warned Russia of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles will be coming.

He lambasted Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump was responding to a Russian warning on Tuesday that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over the assault on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it! Trump said, referring Moscows alliance with Assad.

In response, Russias Foreign Ministry said smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government.

Damascus and Moscow refer to rebels fighting Assad as terrorists.

The Syrian government and Russia say the reports of a poison gas assault on the Syrian town of Douma are bogus.

NAN

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Home | News | General | IPMAN to NNPC: Restore operations in Ore, Ilorin depots

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to expedite the rehabilitation of Ore and Ilorin depots to ease petroleum distribution within the axis.

Alhaji Dedo Ahmed, the Chairman, Western Zone of IPMAN, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.

Ahmed said the restoration of operations at the depots became necessary to reduce the stress of marketers going to Lagos depots to load which, he said, posed serious risks and additional charges.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN)

He said Ilorin and Ore depots that had about 20 million litres of storage capacity, had been moribund for over eight years.

The IPMAN boss said the supply of products to these depots had been a serious challenge over the years, impacting negatively on the operations of marketers.

Ahmed urged the management of NNPC to intensify efforts on the rehabilitation to boost the distribution network in the regions to address shortage in the hinterlands.

He said full rehabilitation of the depots would ease loading and distribution activities within the western axis.

We are very happy about the massive supply of petrol to depots within the western zone which has the biggest depots in the country.

The supply of petrol to depots has improved in the western zone. We appeal to NNPC to maintain the tempo.

All depots within the western zone now sell petroleum products at government-regulated prices compared to when petrol was sold above ex-depot prices.

Only Ilorin and Ore depots are facing challenges with products in the South-West which has affected marketers greatly by coming down to Lagos depots to load, he said.

Ahmed assured that his members would partner with NNPC officials to ensure the protection and surveillance of petroleum product pipelines, as well as to curb incessant vandalism.

He commended the Federal Government for resuscitating NNPC depots in the western zone and praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his concern about easing fuel distribution and supply to every part of the country.

The chairman said the rehabilitation of moribund depots became necessary to address loading challenges encountered by western zone marketers in Lagos and the risk of transporting the product in trucks by road to Ilorin and Ore.

We are happy for the ongoing rehabilitations of depots because most of them had been moribund for years, while some are under dispensing due to lack of maintenance which had been affecting loading, he said.

NAN

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Home | News | General | Bloggers in Tanzania may be forced out of operation as government requires them to pay $930 annual licence fee

- Bloggers in Tanzania are facing new online regulations that may force some of them out of operation

- Bloggers and other content creators in the country are mandated to pay $930 in licence fees per year to be approved by the government

- The regulations affect all individuals and organisation classed as online content creators in the country

With Tanzanias new online regulations, bloggers and other online content creators in Tanzania now have to pay $930 in licence fees per year to be approved by the government.

The government will certify all bloggers and charge them an annual fee before they are allowed to start or continue operating online, The East Africa Monitor reports.

NAIJ.com notes that the government reserve the right to deny or revoke the permits for any site that causes annoyance, threatens harm or evil, encourages or incites crimes or deemed to threaten national security.

READ ALSO: Brazilian judge denies ex-president Lula privileges in prison, except for television set

It was learnt that $930 license fee demanded by the government will force most independent bloggers to cease operation with the gross national income per capita in Tanzania being just $900.

When the regulations were first proposed in 2017, there were criticisms that the law violated individual privacy and freedom of speech.

With the regulations in place, officials can also force administrators to remove any piece of content within 12 hours. Publishers who does not comply could face a minimum of $2,210 in fines or a year in prison.

These regulations are binding on all individuals and organisation classed as online content creators in Tanzania  including online radio stations, podcast publishers, online forums and people using social media as a content publishing platform.

Online content creators need to provide documentation that states the financial details of their organisation, any directors and stakeholders involved, projected revenue and future plans for growth, before they could be given license.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that a court in Tanzania sentenced a Tanzanian opposition member of parliament to five months in prison after being found guilty of defaming President John Magufuli.

It was reported that the sentence was passed on Joseph Mbilinyi, popularly known as Sugu, by a magistrate's court in the southwestern town of Mbeya. The lawmaker belongs to the opposition Chadema party.

His co-accused, Emmanuel Masonga, was handed a similar prison sentence. The court found them guilty of committing hate speech against President Magufuli at Mwenge Primary School in Mbeya on December 30, 2017.

Which country would you leave Nigeria for? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Governor Masari begs Nigerian accountants to join Buhari's anti-corruption war

- President Muhammadu Buhari's war against corruption has been consistent in the last three years

- Governor Aminu Masari is seeking support for the resident's war against graft

- The governor sought the support of the Association of Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) to ensure the president succeeds

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state has urged accountants in the country to intensify efforts toward exposing the Chief Executive Officers of ministries, departments and agencies involved in corruption.

Masari made the call on Tuesday, April 10 while receiving Alhaji Shehu Ladan, the national president, Association of Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), who paid him a courtesy call in Katsina.

The governor said that the chief executive officers could not just dip their hands into the public treasuries without the roles of accountants who were custodians of public funds.

President Buhari is known for his tough stance against corruption. Photo credit: State House

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Masari further explained that the process of nation building was a collective responsibility of all and sundry.

He charged the accountants to live above board so as to prevent massive looting by unpatriotic officials in line with President Buharis anti-corruption war.

Earlier, ANAN president told the governor that they were in the state for the second session of the 2018 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPD).

Ladan said that during the programme, new members would be orientated and inducted.

He said that theme of the programme is: Enhancing Proficiency in Professionalism in Public and Private Sectors. (NAN)

Meanwhile, Nigeria has been elected into the global steering committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) alongside France, Argentina and Romania for a period of three years beginning in October 2018.

This was announced on Tuesday, April 3, by the OGP in Washington DC, United States of America.

Reacting to the news, minister for justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), stated that the Nigerian government is grateful for the opportunity and is determined to advance the open government agenda.

The government of Nigeria is excited at the opportunity to serve as a member of the OGP Steering Committee. Nigeria is committed to improving anti-corruption measures on asset recovery and the establishment of beneficial ownership register as well as citizen engagement through the use of technology. We look forward to working with other countries, particularly in Africa, to further the OGP principles, Malami said.

READ ALSO: Opinion: Open Government Policy and Liberias political future, by Uche Igwe

The EFCC stage a walk against corruption on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | OAU VC reacts to kerewa-for-mark scandal

- The vice chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University has reacted to the sex-for-mark scandal involving a lecturer of the institution

- The VC said university has set up a committee to investigate the allegation and submit its report within one week

- He said anyone found culpable in the scandal will be dealt with accordingly

The vice chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University has finally reacted to a leaked audio that shows Professor Richard Akindele, a lecturer in the institution demanding sex from a female student to help her pass her examination.

In a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, April 11, the vice-chancellor, Eyitope Ogunbodede, said the university has begun the process of identifying the person involved, Premium Times reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that Ogunbodede said the act is a breach of regulations of the universitys code of conduct and anti-sexual harassment policy.

READ ALSO: London protesters against Buhari are agents of looters - Presidency

The statement in part: In full compliance to all applicable laws, the university has set up a high powered committee to investigate the allegation and submit its report within one week. Anyone found culpable will be dealt with decisively.

The university considers sexual harassment as an offence punishable contrary to the code of conduct and anti-sexual harassment policy. The university will never condone such act by any staff or students.

Also, the chairman of Congress of University Academics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Niyi Sunmonu, said if it is established that the leaked audio is true, the perpetrator is not fit to be in the academic environment.

Sunmonu said: Lecturers are expected to mould the lives of students.

Also, the national coordinator of Educational Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Soweto, condemned the act, saying previous sexual harassment cases in the university were not properly dealt with.

While speaking on a radio program, Frank Talk, on Rave 91.7 FM, Osogbo, the activist, a former student of the university, called for an independent panel that should include elected representatives from staff unions, students and women NGOs.

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NAIJ.com previously reported that Professor Akindeles church members confirmed that the male voice in the leaked sex-for-mark audio is that of the professor.

Several members and a reverend of the Anglican Diocese of Ife, Osun state who spoke to Premium Times on Tuesday, April 10, said they had listened to the audio and could confirm it was Professor Akindele who was heard demanding sex to pass a female student in the recording.

Why do single ladies prefer to date married men? (Nigerian Street Interview) | NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Federal High Court frees two alleged Boko Haram members

- Two Boko Haram members identified as, Ibrahim Ahmed and Sani Argungu, have been discharged by a Federal High Court in Abuja for lack of diligent prosecution

- The defendants who have been in detention since 2012 and 2013 were arraigned for alleged ties with Boko Haram

- Justice Binta Nyako added that the defendants, would be monitored

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, April 11, discharged two persons, Ibrahim Ahmed and Sani Argungu, arraigned for alleged ties with Boko Haram, for lack of diligent prosecution.

Discharging the defendants, Justice Binta Nyako noted that Ahmed had been in detention since 2013 while Argungu had been detained since 2012 and the prosecution had yet to call its witnesses.

The defendants have been in custody with no trial because the prosecution cannot bring its witnesses to court. So, I discharge the defendants and the suit is hereby struck out, she said.

READ ALSO: Alleged video of Offa, Kwara bank robbery surfaces days after many were killed

Nyako, however, said that whenever the prosecution was able to get its witnesses to attend court, the defendants could be re-arraigned.

The judge added that the defendants, although discharged, would be monitored and warned them not to associate with any person of questionable character.

Ibrahim, who said in his statement that he was a security guard at the Government House, Sokoto, was alleged to have been responsible for giving passage to Boko Haram members.

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Earlier, NAIJ.com reported that troops of the Nigerian military in collaboration with their Cameroonian colleagues killed 35 Boko Haram members, Vanguard reports.

The terrorists were killed during the Operation Deep Punch established by the army to eradicate Boko Haram members from the northeast, the Lake Chad Basin and Sambisa forest.

Senior operatives of the Operation Lafiya Doyle said troops launched an attack on the terrorists in the enclaves Kusha-Kucha, Surdewala, Alkanerik, Magdewerne and Mayen villages, all situated along the Nigerian - Cameroonian border.

Survivors of Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV.

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Home | News | General | Best tips on how to write excellent introduction letter for your visa application

When you want to travel somewhere, you often have to apply for a visa. Many people are confused by all the visa application hassle because they need to collect a lot of documents, one of which is a letter of introduction to embassy. In this article, we will show you the most common way how to write a letter of introduction for visa application.

Writing a self-introduction letter to embassy: best tips

First of all, you should know there are a lot of visa types, which mostly depends on the country you are visiting, and the occupation of the traveler. Most often, people apply for either travel visa, which means they want to see a new country with tourist purposes, or business visa when you have some important business in this country that you need to complete. A visa can also be temporary or permanent, which depends on whether you want to live in this country or just visit it temporarily. Either way, you will have to write a letter of introduction for visa application, and this is a really important part. So, you need to make sure that your letter of introduction contains all the necessary information about you, which the embassy workers need to know.

The visa application requirements are different in every embassy, so the introduction letter rules can also vary from each other. However, we will provide you with some of the most common rules that you will need to know if you want to apply for a visa and are required to write a letter of introduction. These are just the common guidelines. If you want more information, you should clarify all the necessary questions with the particular embassy workers. Keep in mind that the letter has to be written in a formal style, so you will need to find some basic guidelines about formal language and memorize them.

If you want to apply for travel visa, you should include the following aspects in your introduction letter:

The recipients address, which should be in the upper right corner. Your personal address and contact details, which are active if the embassy decides to contact you. Current date. Your objective, which is no longer than one full sentence. You will need to turn to the person you are writing to Dear (full name). For example Dear Mr. Johnson, or Dear Sir/Madam if you do not know their name. Then, you will need to start with I, (your full name), and then formally describe where you are going and for which purpose, when the trip supposedly starts, and when it ends. Next, you will have to clarify the full duration of your trip. Afterwards, you will need to mention that you have gathered all the necessary documents for your visa, and are requesting the application for a visa for your mentioned duration. The letter needs to be closed with Yours sincerely, your full name, and signature.

READ ALSO: South Africa visa processing time in Nigeria

Sometimes, you will have to apply for the business visa. The process is slightly different in this case but no less easy and quick.

The letter should be from your employer and written on behalf of the company. There need to be references to the name, address, and company that you will be visiting in the foreign country, and the place where you will be staying. The nature of your business and the duration of your trip need to be clarified. The business company, where you work, should also guarantee that they will cover all the financial expenses for you. In the end, there has to be a signature from your employer. An invitation letter from the company that you are going to visit would also be a benefit. Quite often, you will also need to write your own introduction letter along with the one from your employer.

Of course, there are different versions of introduction letters  every embassy provides their own form that the applicants need to fill in. However, in most cases, there is the same information. If you are applying for a particular visa, you should find out everything about the specifics of documentation for it, and have a look at the sample of introduction letter. It is better to do it before the deadline comes.

We hope you will write an excellent introduction letter and good luck on your trip!

READ ALSO: Requirements for Schengen visa application in Nigeria

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Govt bent on imposing communist regime

Nepali Congress (NC) leader Shekhar Koirala has said that the decisions made by the ruling coalition of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) are features of a typical communist regime.
Home | News | General | Tony Elumelu Foundation: entrepreneurship program that changes people's lives

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is a special organization that helps new entrepreneurs to reach success and supports the promising enterprises. They offer a lot of programs and grants for those who want to promote their businesses. What about Tony Elumelu Foundation grants 2018? Do they have any this year?

Briefly about Tony Elumelu Foundation

This organization was founded in 2010 by the entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Elumelu. Nowadays, it is one of the leading companies that support the entrepreneurship not only in Nigeria but in the whole Africa. Every year, they keep growing and expanding, and their projects help more and more people. Tony Elumelu Foundation is investing into entrepreneurship funding in Nigeria and on the African continent, so lots of new Nigerian businessmen and businesswomen take up the opportunities offered by them.

Tony Elumelu Foundation grants 2018

Tony Elumelu Foundation has a special $100 million entrepreneurship development program that they hold every year. Of course, in 2018 this program was opened again to give more chances to the new entrepreneurs. Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP) was designed to help the creative entrepreneurs submit their ideas.

Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship program

This program gave the entrepreneurs a chance to work together with Tony Elumelu Foundation 2018. It provided them with such aspects:

Professional training  the applicants had twelve weeks of online training, which helped them to learn how to create and manage their own business.

 the applicants had twelve weeks of online training, which helped them to learn how to create and manage their own business. Mentoring  the participants got their own mentor of world-class, who guided them through the early business stages.

 the participants got their own mentor of world-class, who guided them through the early business stages. Funding  originally, the participants are given $5000 (paid at the current Naira exchange rate) to prove their concept. Later, they can receive access to the further funding of their project.

 originally, the participants are given $5000 (paid at the current Naira exchange rate) to prove their concept. Later, they can receive access to the further funding of their project. Network  the applicants will get exclusive access to the Tony Elumelu Foundations global contacts, and their network of start-ups in Africa.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is planning to find, train, fund, and support about 10,000 entrepreneurs from Africa by 2024. The founder of the company, Tony Elumelu, said that when they have launched the foundation and spent $100 million on establishing it, they never had an idea how big will be the impact of their organization. Since they started their program, they started the movement of young and ambitious entrepreneurs along with it. Now, they are becoming more and more influential in Africa with every year, and Tony Elumelu believes that they will change Africa for the better one day.

The 2018 program has already selected 1,000 entrepreneurs for the training. They were chosen based on their idea and its viability, which included the market potential, scalability, financial understanding of the business, and the leadership/entrepreneurial skills based on the information in the application. People were only eligible for this program by the following criteria:

The business had to be based and developed in Africa. The business had to be only for-profit  non-profit businesses could not qualify. The business had to be relatively new, which means from 0 to 3 years. The applicant has to be at least 18 years old. Also, the applicant also had to be a legal citizen or resident of the African country.

Except for that, there were no important limitations. The Tony Elumelu Foundation encouraged all people who possess a small business to apply for this program. Perhaps, some of them will become household names in the future.

READ ALSO: Tony Elumelu Foundation chooses 1000 talented people in 2018

Tony Elumelu Foundation application form

You will read everything about Tony Elumelu foundation application 2018 here. The deadline for applying was March 1st, so it has already expired. However, you are more than encouraged to read these rules and keep them in mind so you can apply for the same program next year.

To apply for the program, you need to go online because all the applications have to be submitted through the special application portal on the official website of Tony Elumelu Foundation. The application form contains a lot of compulsory questions that you will have to answer, and you also will need to upload some documents along with materials of identification. When you submit your application, you will receive an e-mail which will confirm your participation in this program.

If your company is a partnership, you should be aware that only one person from this business venture can participate in the program. Also, applying offline is not possible  every application needs to be submitted on the website. If you have an unstable internet connection or are unable to submit your application for other reasons, you should go to the Internet cafe or borrow the laptop from your friends.

The applicants are chosen by the following criteria:

Feasibility  the contestant is picked based on how feasible is the business project. Market potential  the contestant must have understanding and knowledge of the market, competition, and customers. Financial understanding  the participant needs to understand the basics of financial requirements that support the business, for instance, the costs that will be spent on the development of the project, and how to operate them. Scalability  the participant must have room for growth and background for the expansion of the business. Leadership/entrepreneurial skills  the person needs to have everything to attract the customer base and lead the co-workers.

Even though the Tony Elumelu Foundation is situated in Nigeria, they usually do not give preference to the Nigerian businessmen and businesswomen  they are open to the new and fresh business ventures from all the African countries, and they review thousands of applications before choosing the best ones.

Usually, the participants who have won the opportunity to join the program are notified about it in a few weeks. For example, the deadline this year expired on March 1st, and the successful participants have been notified about their win on March 22nd, by e-mail and post on the website.

When the participant has been offered the place in Tony Elumelu entrepreneurship, the following documents have to be provided:

The filled self-declaration form. Valid ID document. Personal bank statement for the last six months. List of personal debts. Reference from the bank, institution, and employer. Bank account details (in the countries where UBA works, it must be the UBA account).

If your application was not chosen, you should not give up. Remember that out of over 65,000 business applications, only 1,000 are chosen for the program every year, so that you can try your luck next year. Perhaps your application was not complete, your business is older than three years or not Africa-based, you have not clarified a certain aspect in the application, or you have received a low score in one of the selection criteria or more. Next year, if you are planning to participate, review the criteria thoroughly and make sure to give a complete description of your business plan, as well as work on the weak aspects and improve them.

There is a waiting list, which means that if the entrepreneurs who got in the chosen 1,000 do not claim their spots by the certain deadline, their spots will be given to the next best applicants.

Every year, the application admission starts on January 1st. If you were not lucky this year, you can always try your best in 2019. The program is held annually, and you have plenty of time for preparations. Tony Elumelu Foundation enjoys helping young people who are making their first steps in business.

You should not worry if English is not the first language for you. The portal functions on some international languages, which are English, Portuguese, and French. In case you are not fluent in these, you can ask someone who knows these languages to help you with translation.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship is absolutely free, which means you will not have to pay anything for the application. So, basically, every small business can apply for this program.

If you are a business entrepreneur and dream of making it big, you will definitely want to apply for this program in 2019. It has already helped lots of people whose businesses are now successful, and perhaps it will be useful for you, too. Good luck next year!

READ ALSO: Business grants available in Nigeria 2018

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Home | News | General | Why it is easy to defeat Buhari in 2019 - Senator Baba-Ahmed

- A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he will defeat President Muhammadu Buhari

- He said deafeating the president is possible if he emerges the flag-bearer of the PDP

- Baba-Ahmed was elected in April 2003 to the Federal House of Representatives for the Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna state and became a senator in 2011

Datti Baba-Ahmed, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he has a chance to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari if he emerges the flag-bearer of the PDP.

Baba-Ahmed who revealed this in a statement in Abuja said I have never been afraid of incumbency".

Datti Baba-Ahmed was elected in April 2003 to the Federal House of Representatives for the Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna state. He ran on the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) platform and was there till 2007.

READ ALSO: Alleged video of Offa, Kwara bank robbery surfaces days after many were killed

In 2007, he took the Independent National Electoral Commission to court over conduct of past elections. He was known for speaking out against corruption.

However, in the April 2011 elections, Baba-Ahmed polled 366,398 votes to win the contest for senator for Kaduna north.

I am a Nigerian and I am contesting on the same Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, unless they are going to violate it, which we shall challenge.

Muhammadu Buhari is welcome to contest for the Presidency in 2019 and I think it is a healthy practice to have a gentleman of his age, his mould and people who have been in power for the past 50 years contest.

But as for popularity, it is highly arguable. I think the support of many Nigerians has been taken for granted.

And I think the average Nigerian has now become more intelligent politically and more aware. That political awareness is what I think leaders who have been in power and think automatically that without people making recourse, they will just endorse them and support them.

That is the awareness that they are taking for granted. What I have learnt in my few years in life is that never take people for granted, he said.

Going further, he said President Buhari will not find it easy in 2019.

Absolutely, he will not have it easy. Do not forget that President Buhari had contested three elections and lost until a certain action by the PDP made many members to exit the party and go to the APC, and made him to win. APC is practically PDP.

Even Buharis best, his very best, he won by only 2.5 million. Now, he is in about his worst, with the economy on its knees, the insecurity, the herdsmen issue that he has not attended to, the educational system and millions of jobs lost, while the peoples awareness is on the increase, he added.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant and chief of staff to the Imo state governor, Uche Nwosu declared that Igbo's support to President Muhammadu Buharis re-election in 2019 is the best option for the southeast.

Nwosu declared that Igbo will turn down the offer of vice president by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in 2019 adding that the zone cannot afford to scuttle its chances because of a Greek gift from the PDP.

Is working well and what needs improvement in Nigeria? - On NAIJ.com TV:

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Home | News | General | Marketer, 19, arraigned for allegedly defacing public wall

Ikeja  A 19-year-old old networking marketer, Samuel Ogunyando Olaitan, who allegedly

defaced a public wall, on Wednesday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates Court.

Samuel was also accused of conducting himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by defacing the wall of a property by writing on the wall, New workers needed at Millennium Hotel.

The accused, who lives on Santo Street, Abule-Egba, a Lagos suburb, is facing a charge of breach of peace.

According to the Prosecutor, Police Sgt. Hafsat Ajibode, the accused committed the offence on March 31 at 11.50 p. m. at Santos Avenue, Abule-Egba.

Ajibode said the accused, who sells GNLD products hid under the umbrella of Millennium Hotel to advertise and invite passersby to GNLD meetings.

The prosecution alleged that one of the residents in the area, Mr Mobolaji Sanusi, who is the Managing Director of Lagos State Signage of Advertisement Agency (LASAA), caught the accused while defacing the wall and handed him over to the Police.

He said the Lagos State Government frowned at public walls defacement and had spent a lot of money on advocacy meant to dissuade such inimical acts.

The act is prohibited by LASAA enabling laws. It is also against the law and environmental aesthetics of Lagos State.

The apprehension of the accused had revealed that some companies are behind the illegal defacement of public walls, Ajibode told the court.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty, while the Magistrate, Mrs G. O. Anifowoshe, granted him a bail of N5, 000 with one surety in like sum.

The offence contravened Section 168 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The section prescribes a six months imprisonment or a fine of N90, 000 for offenders.

Anifowoshe adjourned the case until April 16 for mention. (NAN)

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Home | News | General | Money laundering charge: Court admits fresh evidence against ex-PDP chairman, son

grants him permission to travel abroad for treatment

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA  The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Wednesday, admitted fresh set of evidence the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, tendered against former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Haliru Bello who is facing money laundering charge alongside his son, Abba.

Trial Justice Ahmed Mohammed admitted four documents which detailed how funds were transferred and withdrawn from an account the defendants operated with Ecobank Plc, and marked them as exhibits PL-11, PL-11a, PL-11b and PL-11c.

The said account belonged to their firm, Bam Projects & Proparties Ltd, which was charged as the 3rd defendant in the case.

EFCC had in the four-count charge it filed before the court, alleged that the defendants had through the firm, received the sum of N300million from an account the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The fund was said to have been transferred to the defendants 11 days to the 2015 presidential election, by the detained former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd, under the guise that it was meant for Safe Houses.

Meanwhile, the documents the court admitted into evidence on Wednesday included a letter from Ecobank in response to EFCCs enquiry, the statement of account of the company, the account opening statement, as well as the Certificate of Identification.

Justice Mohammed dismissed objections the defendants raised against the admissibility of the documents.

The defendants had through their lawyers led by Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, and Mr. Solomon Umoh, SAN, queried the admissibility of the documents which they argued was not frontloaded by the EFCC as prescribed in section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

The prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, however urged the court to dismiss the objection, even as he contended that admissibility of documents in a criminal trial was guided by the Evidence Act and not the ACJA which the defendants relied upon.

In a short ruling Justice Mohammed said he was minded to admit the documents into evidence since they are relevant to the charge against the defendants.

The non-compliance to section 379 of the ACJA is not enough ground to make a relevant document irrelevant, the court held.

In another ruling, the court granted an application the former PDP boss filed to be allowed to travel to the United Kingdom for medical checkup.

EFCC did not oppose the application which was filed on April 10.

Though Justice Mohammed directed the deputy registrar of the court to release the international passport the defendant surrendered as part of his bail conditions, he held that Bello should not travel out of the country till May 22 which is the next adjourned date.

The court noted that documents before it showed that Bello was billed to see his Doctor in London on June 5.

At the resumed hearing on the case after the ruling, the 11th prosecution witness, PW-11, Mr. Chidi Eboigwe, told the court that the sum of N300m was paid into account of the defendants firm, Bam Projects Properties Ltd, on March 17, 2015.

The witness who identified himself as a Compliance Officer at Ecobank, said he did not know the origin of funds that flowed into the defendants account.

He told the court that out of funds that entered into the account, the sum of N137. 2m was transferred the next day into the account of another firm, Kumu Gomo Company Ltd.

The witness however maintained that the entire transaction followed normal and regular banking procedure.

My lord there was no instruction from anyone for the transactions to be concealed, he added.

The court had earlier granted the defendants bail to the tune of N600m with two sureties each, in like sum.

EFCC maintained that the offence the defendants committed was contrary to sections 15(2) (d), 17(a), and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section (15) (3) of the same Act.

The offence attracts a maximum of 14 years imprisonment upon conviction.

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Home | News | General | Alleged recruitment at NABDA false, misleading- DG

ABUJA THE Overseeing Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, Oguntunde Abayomi, Wednesday, described the alleged recruitment going on at the agency as false and misleading.

This was contained in a statement signed by the management of NABDA reacting to a recent publication made by some civil society groups on one of the national dailies, which alleged that irregular recruitment and other corrupt practices being were carried out by the management of NABDA.

They also called on the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the ODG management over the purported employment racketeering ongoing at the agency.

He said the information contained in the report lacks credibility as there is no fact attached or evidence to prove the baseless claim. It is a petition with no facts.

The ODG of NABDA refuted the claims and said, There is no recruitment taking place in NABDA. The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) has said that there is no any employment going on at the agency.

The allegation against me that I am recruiting new staff at the agency is not true, but a deliberate attempt to tarnish my image and that of the entire management.

The information contained in the report lacks credibility as there is no fact attached or evidence to prove the baseless claim. It is a petition with no facts as published on Monday, 9th April 2018 by Vanguard Newspaper, Online Edition, that a coalition of Civil Society Organizations has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) to investigate alleged irregular recruitment and other corrupt practices being done by the management of NABDA.

According to the report, In a report jointly signed by Comr. Suleiman Musa, Co-Convener of Civil Society Advocacy Groups for Accountability and Probity and Comr. Jonathan Owoichoechi, Executive Director Independent Public Service Watch, the groups accused the ODG of the Agency, Mr. Oguntunde Abayomi to have perpetrated the Act in connivance with the Director in charge of Administration and Finance.

He also urged the public not to believe such groups and their sponsors, because they are out to cause disaffection among Nigerians in order to rise up against government institutions for them to score cheap political points on the platter of blackmail.

Therefore we want Nigerians to be wary of such groups who have been paid and sponsored to tarnish the image of public officers and government establishments for their selfish purpose. We also want to state that we are open for anybody to check, he stated.

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Home | News | General | Obaseki assures of robust health care with insurance scheme

As the Edo State government intensifies work on the reform of the health sector, the governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has reiterated that the soon-to-be-unveiled state health insurance scheme and construction of 500 primary healthcare centers (PHCs) across the state will guarantee accessible and affordable healthcare.

OBASEKI

The governor said there is a nexus between the health insurance scheme and the PHCs as the symbiotic relationship will ensure health needs are met with minimal cost and effort, across the different parts of the state.

He stressed that the revamp of the healthcare sector is on course and that government will ensure that relevant institutions and policies are put in place to drive the reforms and sustain gains to be recorded.

According to him, we are undertaking a holistic revamp of the health sector to ensure that the people are best served and that they do not have to spend so much to get quality healthcare. All of these reforms are interconnected and we are doing this because we have a big plan; we wont do things in tokens. Every aspect of the health sector is covered. So, much as our focus is on primary healthcare, we are not oblivious of the need for tertiary and specialist care. So, all of these are captured in the reforms we are pursuing.

The governor said that the focus on primary healthcare is responsible for the construction of the 500 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) across the state, noting that the state government intends to work with the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA) in addressing challenges facing primary health care system in the state.

The 500 PHCs will cater to the health care need of those in rural areas, contribute to strengthening the states healthcare sector and engender speedy response to health emergencies.

He added that the primary health insurance scheme, the legislation for which has reached advanced stage at the Edo State House of Assembly, will bring succor to our people.

It is a scheme that will be open to all Edo people, as against being just for civil servants. This scheme will ensure that people access health care with minimal cost and even when they get to the health centers, they would be assured of quality health care, he said.

The super health centres, according to him, are to be sited in the three senatorial districts of the state and will serve as reference centres for the General Hospitals across the state.

He added, The three super general hospitals will serve as a rallying hub for tertiary healthcare needs of the people, and will be properly equipped to serve this purpose. Our super hospitals will attend to complex health cases which Nigerians and Africans travel to other continents to treat.

Medical tourism is a very big business in some Asian countries and most of their patients are Nigerians. More worrisome is the fact that some of the hospitals abroad are not as good as they make us believe. We will change this trend by providing world class health care facilities in Edo State and partner with experts to run them.

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Home | News | General | Falana urges ECOWAS members to reject Morocco

Human rights activist and lawyer Femi Falana SAN has urged the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reject request by Morocco to join the body, adding that, the ECOWAS should not be deceived and misled to admit Morocco as a member state of the West African body.

Moroccos King Mohammed VI

Falana said this today in a paper titled Deploying the ECOWAS legal architecture for addressing impunity in West African sub region, he presented at the multi-stakeholders consultative meeting on Strengthening the ECOWAS Court of Justice and enhancing Access to justice in the West African sub region.

Falana stated that, Despite the so called Moroccos strong ties with ECOWAS member states, trade between them remains low as it is less than USD 1 billion a year. This is insignificant as West Africa has a GDP of $345 billion. Even then, the volume of trade is expected to reduce as some of the trade agreements between Morocco and ECOWAS member states are illegal to the extent that they relate to the mineral resources in Western Sahara.

According to him, Both the European Court of Human and a High Court in South Africa have ruled that Morocco lacks the legal capacity to mine the mineral resources in the territory of Western Sahara.

The paper read in part: Having been frustrated in its bid to re-colonize the ECOWAS sub-region, the European Union decided to encourage Morocco to apply to join the ECOWAS. It is my humble view that if Morocco is admitted to ECOWAS the European Union would have achieved its objective as it has signed an Association Agreement with Morocco which is similar to the EU-ECOWAS Partnership Agreement in every material particular.

In other words, if the request is granted, Morocco will take advantage of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of people and goods to serve as a gateway for EU goods entering into West Africa and thereby destroy the infantile industries in the sub region.

The principal aim of the ECOWAS is the promotion of economic development and regional integration leading to the establishment of an economic union in West Africa in order to raise the living standards of its peoples, and to maintain and enhance economic stability, foster relations among Member States and contribute to the progress and development of the African Continent. Although the ECOWAS is 43 years old it has failed to establish a viable economic union and raise the living standards of community citizens.

Indeed, regional integration has been frustrated by economic policies imposed on the member states by an unjust international economic order. In spite of the ruination of the economy of the member states through the imposition of the Structural Adjustment Programme by imperialism the ECOWAS is under pressure by the European Union to sign the so-called EU/ECOWAS partnership Agreement.

Through the cancellation of tariffs the neo-colonial economic agenda is designed to allow the industrialised members of the European Union to flood the region with manufacture goods and thereby destroy the infantile industries in the member states of ECOWAS.

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Home | News | General | Ekiti political murder: Fayose pardons APC leader, Jide Awe

Directs A.G to withdraw case against him

Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose has consented to the appeal by well meaning Nigerians to withdraw an alleged murder case against the state chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Jide Awe and others of the party. Fayose

Awe, his aide, and other members of the APC have been on trial for alleged murder of late Madam Juliana Adewunmi, and Murphy Jeje, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2013. Late Madam Adewunmi was the mother of Mr. Segun Adewunmi, current Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State.

Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kolapo Kolade, at the High court 7, Ado Ekiti, before Justice Bamidele Omotosho, filed an application for the withdrawal of the case against Awe on Wednesday.

He said the state was withdrawing the case in order to promote peace and brotherliness among the people of Erinjiyan Ekiti, which is the community where both the complainant and the defendants in the matter hailed from. He also said governor Fayose consented to the withdrawal of the case in spite of political differences because of his belief in posterity, peace and welfare of the people of the community which was said to have been divided over the court case.

Justice Omotosho, while granting the nod for the A.Gs application said the court supported the development because it was to promote peace.

Speaking with newsmen on the development, Kolade said: What happened in court today is far beyond politics, the governor in his usual characteristic manner of promoting peace and brotherliness in all communities in Ekiti and across party lines has intervened.

 In this matter, so many good people across Nigeria, even the defendants in this matter, has appealed to his Excellency to intervene in this matter, particularly in Erijinran, more so as the defendants and complainant are of same family, the complainants has given the to ahead and said the matter should be withdrawn. This development equally supports the cause of justice. One of the cardinal principles of justice is promotion of peace.

 The major beneficiaries is Chief Jide Awe, the APC chairman in Ekiti State. He, alongside his aide and other party members were alleged to have murdered late Madam Juliana Adewunmi, mother of the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State and Murphy Jeje, a member of the PDP 2013.The complainant is the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

One of the defense counsel on the matter, Ibrahim Kunle Olanrewaju, said: reason seems to have prevailed today; the Attorney General himself came to court to withdraw the charge. And by the provision of our law, the court was left with no option, than to discharge and acquit the defendants. This simply means that this charge cant be filled in any court again. Like you all know the genesis of the case. We are not saying that somebody was not killed or murdered, but we all know that it is more of political fight than looking for justice. Taking from the words of the attorney general himself, he said that they are trying to allow peace to reign in the community and to promote good neighborliness and we support it. In the defendants have no business to be charged. But we salute the state for doing this, we salute the courage of the attorney general for the bold step and we salute the courage of our lord Justice Omotoso for discharging and also acquitting the defendants. He could have just discharge without acquitting them.

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Home | News | General | London high tech coy says internet services critical to Africas development

ONEm Communications, a London-based high tech firm on Wednesday said it planned to expand its internet service to Africa to ensure connectivity among rural people without internet services.

Media Officer Myhoa Tien made this known in a statement made available on its website in Abuja on Tuesday.

ONEm Communications is bringing internet-like services to millions of people without the internet.

This will enable ordinary mobile system users engage in group communication with each other like people do on the internet.

The London high-tech firm plans expansion in Africa through licensing and local partnerships.

African business concerns are currently discussing licensing rights and partnerships. The move will see advanced services for rural Africa spread throughout the continent.

Africa is a very big and diverse continent. Reaching all rural areas needs significant funding and formidable technical challenges.

However, the ONEms solution utilises existing infrastructure to deliver innovative services to rural communities.

Tien said the mobile internet would allow people share, exchange information anywhere, and help them interact with applications for content and services.

He also said that the organisation had developed a block chain that would encourage internet communication with mobiles, it would enable people create, own their own content.

Africa has the talent and resources to develop services that reach all rural areas today and half of the worlds population is without internet.

ONEms technology lets applications interact with mobiles without the internet. The technology transforms ordinary voice and Short Message Service (SMS) into powerful interactive tools.

ONEms framework lets developers create interactive applications for content and services which are relevant in the local market.

ONEm has also developed a block chain technology accessible over SMS to support unique applications. There are countless block chains SMS applications that will usher in life changing innovations, he said.

He added that governments were keen to deploy ONEm platform as a way to provide rural access to critical services.

Tien said that ONEm could provide nationwide interactive services in security, health, education and commerce, adding that users needed a basic mobile and could get access to vital information interactively using SMS, voice.

ONEm is currently in discussions with Mobile Operators to deploy ONEm services to make their core voice and SMS more internet-like.

This innovation enriches the users experience and gives these core assets greater values. More than 20 mobile operators have connections with ONEm with many more in the pipeline.

NAN

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Home | News | General | Looters list: Accused still presumed innocent until . lawyers

Some lawyers on Wednesday advised the Federal Government to presume suspected treasury looters innocent until found guilty, in an efforts to uphold the rule of law.

Looters

The lawyers gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

They reacted to the recently released list of the alleged looters by the government.

A lawyer and social critic, Mr Spurgeon Atene, said that the release of the list before pronouncement of guilt from the court did not promote the principle of separation of powers of the three arms of government.

Atene, the Head of Civil Litigation Department of Lavocat Legal Practitioners, said that the release could `gag independent decisions that should be taken by the court.

Atene noted that Nigerias Constitution provided for presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Therefore, the list can only be alleged.

Newsmen report that the Federal Government recently released a list of some persons who allegedly looted the nations treasury.

The list contained names, amounts involved, date the amount was allegedly collected and where it was allegedly taken from.

Atene noted that some of those on the list, including former governors, ex-ministers and ex-bankers, were already undergoing trial for alleged corruption.

Atene said that the list could tarnish the image of the alleged looters, some of whom might not be found guilty at the end.

Before such a list can be released, there must be a conclusion that they have been found guilty by a competent court of law.

Even if they have been arraigned, it cannot amount to a verdict of guilty.

In the court of public opinion, it appears they have been pronounced guilty, he told newsmen.

Ataene called on the Federal Government to allow the alleged looting to go through legal process.

Legal process should roll without unnecessary impediments and disruption.

A rights activist, Mr Olusegun Williams, said that the release of the list was unnecessary.

He said that many persons on the list were already being prosecuted or interrogated by anti-graft agencies.

Williams also appealed to the Federal Government to allow the court to give a verdict before releasing such a list.

NAN

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Govt committed to complete Upper Tamakoshi Hydro project on time: PM

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has remarked that the government is committed to complete the work of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project within the stipulated time. PM Oli directed the concerned stakeholders to directly inform him if there was any delay or negligence on the part of government bodies.
Home | News | General | British envoy says Nigeria not as bad as being portrayed globally

- The British deputy high commissioner to Nigeria, Laure Beaufils, describes Nigeria as a beautiful country with people that are creative and dynamic

- The envoy calls for efforts to be made to change the general perception of Nigeria across the globe

The British deputy high commissioner to Nigeria, Laure Beaufils, has said that Nigeria was not as bad as being portrayed in the eyes of the international community.

The Independent reports that the diplomat made the statement on Tuesday, April 10, when she paid a courtesy visit to the management of a private radio station in Ado-Ekiti.

Beaufils described Nigeria as a beautiful country with people that are creative and dynamic. The envoy called for efforts to be made to change the general perception of Nigeria across the globe.

She urged politicians and their supporters to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner in the build-up to the 2019 election.

I believe the primaries should be open even though it will definitely be a tense period, people all over the country are looking forward to it.

Politicians should dwell on issues, policies and manifestos rather than on personalities. The coming Ekiti election is a signal to the February 2019 general election," she said.

Meanwhile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerias former finance minister has stated that there cannot be growth and development in any country that has loopholes in its foreign exchange rates.

Apparently, she was reacting to a promise made by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, that the nations ailing economy will be out of recession by the end of the third quarter of 2017.

We gathered that Emefiele said CBN will not dictate where the foreign exchange convergence will be, but hopes the rate will head southwards rather than remain on the high side.

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Home | News | General | Archbishop Welby speaks to President Buhari about herder-farmer conflict

The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look at the rising insecurity in Nigeria particularly the Boko Haram crises and the herders-farmers clash.

This was contained in a post on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, April 11.

READ ALSO: Alleged video of Offa, Kwara bank robbery surfaces days after many were killed

He told President Buhari to intensify effort for the release of 14-yearold Leah Sharibu who has not been released by Boko Haram terrorists in the wake of Dapchi girls attack.

The archbishop also emphasized the need for the development of education in Nigeria and said he will continue to pray for the country.

Read statement below:

It was an honour to meet President Buhari of Nigeria in London today. We discussed the complex security situation in Nigeria and their governments efforts to address it, and I offered support in seeking a sustainable solution to the herder-farmer conflict.

I expressed deep concern about the suffering resulting from raids on Christian communities and villages as far south as Delta State. We discussed the causes of such depredations, which have led to very many deaths and threaten an escalation of violence. I urged measures to restore confidence in the neutrality of the state, and spoke of the suffering of the poor in such tragedies.

I also raised the urgent situation of Leah Sharibu  the 14-year old Dapchi Christian school girl still held captive by Boko Haram for refusing to convert to Islam  and urged the President to do everything possible to secure her release.

I briefed President Buhari about my pastoral visit to Nigeria in 2014 following the abduction of the Chibok girls, and assured him of my continued prayers for the release of all those still in captivity. The President promised that the Government would do all in its power to secure their release.

No country or society can flourish without excellent education  so it was good to speak with the President about how education helps tackle poverty. I highlighted the vital role that churches in England play not just in educating a million children, but in providing them with values, identity and purpose.

Please join me in standing prayerfully with those suffering from the herder-farmer conflict, Boko Haram insurgency, and all those mourning the loss of loved ones. Its so important that we pray for the peace and progress of Nigeria  and particularly for the liberating peace of Jesus to be with all those held in captivity.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari spoken about his announcement on Monday, April 9 to seek presidential re-election saying it was to clear the air as a lot of people had been speculating whether he would run or not.

This was contained in a statement by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity on Wednesday, April 11.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on NAIJ.com TV

[embedded content]

Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Why I decided to declare for presidency now - Buhari gives details

President Muhammadu Buhari has spoken about his announcement on Monday, April 9 to seek presidential re-election saying it was to clear the air as a lot of people had been speculating whether he would run or not.

This was contained in a statement by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity on Wednesday, April 11.

READ ALSO: Alleged video of Offa, Kwara bank robbery surfaces days after many were killed

The president said he wanted to get the declaration away with so that his administration could focus on more important like agriculture and security.

On the war against insurgency particularly the fact that Boko Haram terrorists were still holding on to Leah Sharibu, the school girl from Dapchi, President Buhari said his administration was working hard for her return.

Read statement below:

President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why he declared his intentions to run for another term in office on Monday, April 9, 2018, during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Receiving the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby in London Wednesday, President Buhari said:

"I declared before leaving home because Nigerians were talking too much about whether I would run or not. So, I felt I should break the ice. We have many things to focus on, like security, agriculture, economy, anti-corruption, and many others. We needed to concentrate on them, and politics should not be a distraction. The majority of Nigerians appreciate what we are doing, and that is why I am re-contesting."

The President recounted some successes of the administration to his guest, with whom he has built a deep friendship in recent times, and was quite particular about strides in agriculture.

"We have cut the importation of rice by about 90%, saving billions of dollars in the process. People who rushed into petrol money have now gone back to agriculture. Even professionals have gone back to the land. Nigeria should be able to feed itself comfortably soon. I am so pleased," the President said.

On the war against insurgency, he stressed the need for continuous education of the people, "so that they can be free from religious manipulation," adding that no true religion advocates the hurting or killing of the innocent.

Responding to his guest's comment on the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in different parts of Nigeria, the President submitted:

"The problem is even older than us. It has always been there, but now made worse by the influx of armed gunmen from the Sahel region into different parts of the West African sub-region. These gunmen were trained and armed by Muammar Gadaffi of Libya. When he was killed, the gunmen escaped with their arms. We encountered some of them fighting with Boko Haram. Herdsmen that we used to know carried only sticks and maybe a cutlass to clear the way, but these ones now carry sophisticated weapons. The problem is not religious, but sociological and economic. But we are working on solutions."

President Buhari lamented that "irresponsible politics" has been brought into the farmers/herders crisis, but assured that enduring solutions would be found, and justice done to all concerned.

On Leah Sharibu, the schoolgirl from Dapchi still being held by insurgents, reportedly because she refused to renounce her Christian faith, the President said:

"We are managing the matter quietly. Making noise would not help. We are collecting as much intelligence as possible, working with the Red Cross and other international organizations. There are too many fraudulent people around, who claim they can do this and that. We won't deal with them. That was how we got the Dapchi girls back, and the Chibok girls."

Archbishop Welby said it was always a delight to see President Buhari, "whom I have tremendous respect for," adding: "You have my best wishes on your recent decision. I read your declaration speech. We are neutral as a church, but we will pray for you. Great statesmen are those who run for the good of their country. We will be praying for you."

The Archbishop presented President Buhari with a copy of his recent book, 'Reimagining Britain. Foundations for Hope.'

NAIJ.com had reported that the archbishop of canterbury, Justin Welby and Nigerias high commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), George Adesola Oguntade, have paid President Muhammadu Buhari a visit at the Abuja House in London.

This is not the first time Justin Welby would be paying the president a visit at the Abuja House in London.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on NAIJ.com TV

[embedded content]

Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Oil marketers using NNPC to defraud Nigerians  DPR

By Michael Eboh

The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Wednesday, raised an alarm that some unscrupulous marketers are using some NNPC Retail outlets to defraud unsuspecting motorist through under-dispensing of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.



Addressing newsmen in Abuja, DPRs Zonal Operations Controller in charge of Abuja Zone, Mr. Abdu Misau Abba, said the agency is aware of efforts by the NNPC to ensure products availability at the right prices, but noted that some unscrupulous marketers are sabotaging the efforts of the NNPC.

He called on the corporation to check the activities of its marketers and ensure that those found wanting are called to order.

Abba was speaking on the backdrop of a NNPC Retail station in Wuse II, Abuja, operated by Iluobe Petroleum Limited, which was sealed by the DPR for the fourth time, Wednesday, over a space of a couple of months, for under-dispensing of petrol to motorists.

He said, I want to appeal to the NNPC, because they are using its name to cheat the public. We know NNPC is doing everything possible to make this product available at government controlled price.

I want to appeal to the NNPC not to allow a businessman that does not have conscience to continue using their names and logo to cheat the public. The NNPC has to look into this issue and see how they can solve the problem, because we cannot continue to allow such marketers operate.

Abba disclosed that the NNPC Retail outlet in Wuse II, Abuja, had been consistent in its fraudulent activities and had been punished severally, yet, it continued in its acts.

He explained that out every ten litres purchased in the retail outlet, motorists are being cheated by two litres, translating to motorists purchasing the products at N181 per litre.

He said, This station we have sealed four times. The last was done last week. We just opened it on Friday and they went back to the same action. What they normally do is that in the morning, they rectify the pumps, but, when they are sure that we are closed from work, they will just under-dispense.

This is the worst under dispensing I have ever seen in my career. They are cheating the public two liters in every ten liters they sell to the public  which translates to selling one litre of PMS at N181. We cannot just close our eyes and allow them continue with this sort of activity.

What we are going to do now, we have sealed them severally and we have put penalties, which they paid and are comfortable paying, because they would eventually transfer the penalty to the public. We cannot continue to allow them to do that. This time, we would apply the maximum sanction. The station would remain sealed for the next four months, after which, we can now take a decision on them.

He said the fact that the station had paid a sanction of N400,000 to the Federal Governments coffers last week, did not deter the management of the company because they eventually transfer the sanctions to unsuspecting motorists that patronises them.

Abba commended members of the public for their collaboration and for providing information of fraudulent petrol stations to the DPR, vowing that the agency would continue to carry out its responsibilities of ensuring sanity in the industry.

He said, We want to appeal to the public and thank them for their collaboration and information they normally give to us. We want them to continue giving us information and we want to assure them that DPR is alive to its responsibilities.

It is not only that we would come out during the day, we would work both night and day time and also early in the morning, because that is the time the unscrupulous marketers carry out their nefarious activities of cheating the public.

The public should bear with us and we want to thank them; let them continue to give us information wherever they feel cheated. We know there is fuel available everywhere, the only way they can cheat the public is by adjusting their pumps and DPR responsibility is to make sure the right quantity is being sold to the public at the correct price.

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Home | News | General | Agege LG renames building after Lagos Speaker, presents budget

By Adekunle Aliyu

Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State has renamed its Legislative Arm Building, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, after the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who hails from the area.

From Left to Right: Executive Chairman, Alh. Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Council Leader, Mr. Muyideen Kola Anigbajumo, Acting Chairman. Finance Committee Lagos State House of Assembly Hon.Oluyinka Ogundimu, and Orile-Agege LCDA Chairman, JS Babatunde

The dedication of the building to Hon. Obasa was held after the Executive Chairman of the council, Alh. Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi presented N2.33 billion budget to the Legislative Arm.

Egunjobi said the Speaker was deserving of the honour having cut his teeth in lawmaking in the Council as a councillor and at a time, the Deputy Leader of the House.

The Chairman explained that Hon. Obasa contribution to the development of the area was enormous and unparalleled.

He said, A poster boy for rising through the ranks, he had a humble political background. At one time, inside this same building, he was a Councillor and later a Deputy Leader of the House.

Today, he is the Speaker of the vibrant 8th Lagos State House of Assembly, and also a lawyer. So on eligibility, there is no issue. And there should be no division in Agege on this matter!

The Council boss added that the people of Agege were enamoured of Hon. Obasa owing to his achievements and supports for the community.

His word, A man, who has excelled in his chosen field, and who has brought much pride and honour to Agege, prompting the expression, Agege One Obasa One.

We gathered here today, to help historians who will 100 years from now, record that Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa was recognised in his community by his folks, who were truly impressed and inspired by his achievements, and contributions to the development of Agege.

Egunjobi presenting the budget to The Leader of the House, Hon. Anigbajumo

Responding, Hon. Obasa expressed gratitude to the Council for finding him worthy of the honour.

According to him, Im happy and elated and Im equally surprised at this very great honour. Nobody informed me that this is what Im coming. I thought it was only for the budget presentation but indeed this is a very pleasant surprise.

Earlier, Egunjobi presented N2.33bn budget for 2018 fiscal year to the Councils Legislative Arm.

The Chairman, while presenting the budget tagged, Budget of Sustainable, Social Economic and Infrastructural Development, Egunjobi announced that N633m was capital expenditure while N1.7bn was for recurrent, adding that his administration was determined to walk its talk by making the budget highlights a reality.

The leader of the House, Hon. Muyideen Kola Anigbajumo, promised that the House will expedite action on it.

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Home | News | General | 2019: I declared because Nigerians `re talking too much- Buhari

Says Nigerians appreciate his govt

-Says influx of gunmen from Libya worsens herdsmen/farmers clashes

Explains why Christian abducted girl not released yet

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said that he decided to declare his intention to seek re-election in 2019 because Nigerians were talking too much about whether he would run or not.

President Buhari

President Buhari who gave the explanation while receiving the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby in London said, that majority of Nigerians appreciate the strides his administration has so far recorded.

He said the declaration would reduce distractions and help the government focus on key sectors like security, agriculture, economy, anti-corruption, and so on.

The President further explained that the influx of armed gunmen from the Sahel region to different parts of West Africa has worsend the herdsmen/farmers clashes.

President Buhari also said that his government was trying to be careful in order not to fall into the hands of fraudsters while trying to secure the release of the abducted Christian Dapchi school girl, Leah Sharibu who was not released by the Boko Haram because she refused to renounce her faith and joined Islam as was demanded by her abductors.

Recall that the President on Monday, April 9, 2018, during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , declared his intention to seek re-election.

Nigerians`re talking too much

Buhari in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina said, I declared before leaving home because Nigerians were talking too much about whether I would run or not. So, I felt I should break the ice.

We have many things to focus on, like security, agriculture, economy, anti-corruption, and many others. We needed to concentrate on them, and politics should not be a distraction. The majority of Nigerians appreciate what we are doing, and that is why I am re-contesting.

Whiling reeling out his achievements since he took over the mantle of leadership to his guest, whom he had built a deep friendship in recent times, especially in agriculture, he said that Nigerians with what he had done should be able to feed themselves.

According to him, We have cut the importation of rice by about 90 percent, saving billions of dollars in the process. People who rushed into petrol money have now gone back to agriculture. Even professionals have gone back to the land. Nigeria should be able to feed itself comfortably soon. I am so pleased.

On the war against insurgency, he stressed the need for continuous education of the people, so that they can be free from religious manipulation, adding that no true religion advocates the hurting or killing of the innocent.

Responding to his guests comment on the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in different parts of Nigeria, the President submitted:

The problem is even older than us. It has always been there, but now made worse by the influx of armed gunmen from the Sahel region into different parts of the West African sub-region. These gunmen were trained and armed by Muammar Gadaffi of Libya. When he was killed, the gunmen escaped with their arms.

We encountered some of them fighting with Boko Haram. Herdsmen that we used to know carried only sticks and maybe a cutlass to clear the way, but these ones now carry sophisticated weapons. The problem is not religious, but sociological and economic. But we are working on solutions.

President Buhari lamented that irresponsible politics has been brought into the farmers/herders crisis, but assured that enduring solutions would be found, and justice done to all concerned.

Commenting on Leah Sharibu, the schoolgirl from Dapchi still being held by insurgents, reportedly because she refused to renounce her Christian faith, the President said that efforts were being made to secure her release, adding that government had decided to keep the efforts to itself.

He said, We are managing the matter quietly. Making noise would not help. We are collecting as much intelligence as possible, working with the Red Cross and other international organizations. There are too many fraudulent people around, who claim they can do this and that. We wont deal with them. That was how we got the Dapchi girls back, and the Chibok girls.

Speaking earlier, Archbishop Welby said it was always a delight to see President Buhari, whom I have tremendous respect for, adding: You have my best wishes on your recent decision. I read your declaration speech. We are neutral as a church, but we will pray for you. Great statesmen are those who run for the good of their country. We will be praying for you.

The Archbishop presented President Buhari with a copy of his recent book, Reimagining Britain. Foundations for Hope.

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Home | News | General | ICRC sues for speedy resolution of ports concession disputes

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) says there is need to urgently resolve disputes relating to concession agreements at Nigerian ports, toward making them more effective and efficient.

The Acting Director General of the ICRC, Mr Chidi Izuwah, made the assertion on Wednesday during a monitoring visit to the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos which is being operated by Josepdam Ports Services (JPS) Limited.

Izuwah said the concession agreement entered between JPS and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 2006 had not yielded the desired results due to some challenges.

Sea port

He said the JPS had listed the challenges to include third party (Honeywell Group) plant and equipment occupying more than 25 per cent of the terminal land mass and litigation filed against the company by the third party.

According to him, they also include problem of access road to the port, 100 per cent physical examination of containers which has resulted to undue delays in cargo clearance and multiplicity of government agencies around the port area.

Izuwah said that the NPA had also raised concerns against JPS, including delay/partial payment of lease fees which were agreed in the concession agreements and not fully implementing the port development plans.

It is on this premise that the ICRC decided to embark on this monitoring exercise to brainstorm with your management and the NPA on the way forward.

As the regulator of the lease agreement, we cannot fold our hands and leave you to struggle it out alone.

Under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, there is a will to address this issue and effort is being made to resolve it to create a win-win situation for all parties,  he said.

Izuwah maintained that all disagreements relating to concession exercises at the ports must therefore be resolved in order to make Nigerian ports the hub for international shipping trade in the West and Central African sub-region.

In his speech, Mr Simon Travers, Managing Director, JBS, urged the commission to assist in finding an amicable settlement on the issue of the third party presence at the terminal which was hindering its operations.

He recommended that the NPA should review and extend the lease agreement for years lost due to the third party interference and also appealed to the government to repair the access road to the port.

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I have already resigned from party responsibilities: Speaker Mahara

Newly elected House Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has said he has resigned from all responsibilities of the CPN (Maoist Centre).
Home | News | General | Nestle Nutrition Institute Africa empowers health care professionals on World Health Day 2018

Abeokuta Nestle Nutrition Institute Africa, NNIA, commemorated World Health Day 2018 in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Health by training primary healthcare professionals in Abeokuta on Friday. World Health Day is celebrated annually on 7 April. The theme for 2018 is Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere.

According to the World Health Organisation, the focus for this year is to ensure that everyone can get quality health services, where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship.

Addressing the press at the Ogun State Secretariat, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye said: Currently, about 800 million people, which constitutes 12 per cent of the worlds population, spend at least 10 per cent of their household budget on health needs. Of this number, about 100 million suffer financial hardship because of out-of-pocket health expenditure.

He added that half of the worlds population is unable to obtain essential health services due to poverty. Dr. Ipaye said that the World Health Day 2018 provided another opportunity to strengthen the health care system in Ogun State in partnership with stakeholders like NNIA which supported the states efforts by delivering a capacity building training to primary Health Care Professionals, HCPs, on Friday.

110 Primary Health Care Professionals from Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State participated in the training on Malnutrition in the First Years of Life: Its Assessment and Management. Giving the welcome address at the flag-off of the training at the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA House in Abeokuta, the NNIA representative, Dr. Omotayo Omoteso shed light on the objectives of the training.

Global studies have shown that malnutrition is an underlying factor in 55 per cent of all child deaths, with Nigeria largely affected by the scourge. Each year, about one million Nigerian children die and more than half of these deaths are traceable to malnutrition. This situation calls for urgent multi-stakeholder action, he said.

Nestle Nutrition Institute Africa is, therefore, happy to collaborate with the Ogun State Government in its efforts to address malnutrition in the first 1,000 days of life. This is in line with our commitment to bridge the gap between science and the practical application of nutrition to ensure a healthier, brighter future for children. We therefore welcome this opportunity to contribute through the development of the capabilities of Primary Health Care Professionals here in Ogun State. The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye revealed some of the measures that the state has put in place to improve maternal and child health. One of these is a state funded social insurance scheme popularly called Araya.

Since its inception in 2014, the scheme has enrolled over 23,000 people. The commissioner expressed his appreciation to NNIA for providing support towards the delivery of the health mandate of the administration.

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Home | News | General | 2019: Kogi youths urge Buhari to ensure total independence of INEC

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Kogi chapter, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure total independence for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of 2019 general elections.

Chairman of the council in the state, Mr Oladele Nihi, told newsmen on Wednesday in Lokoja, that as the umpire for the 2019 polls, scope of INECs independence would determine its efficiency and effectiveness in conducting the exercise.

Youths

Nihi commended Buhari for the successes his administration had achieved so far in providing security, anti-corruption fight, economic development and social welfare.

He, however, urged the President to, as a matter of importance, assent to the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill to give room for more youth participation in the electoral processes.

According to Nihi, democracy is all about inclusion and collective bargaining; it will take the involvement of all to guarantee a sustainable democracy.

We are using this medium to call on our President to append his signature to the all important Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill as soon as the bill is transmitted to him.

He also appealed to the President to reconsider his decision on the Peace Corps Bill, and see what could be done in order for the bill to get his assent.

The Peace Corps Bill is one which, when signed into law, possesses the capacity to accommodate thousands of the unemployed youths in the country.

The Bill will also complement the efforts of other security agencies in the fight against crime and insecurity which the Buhari government is very serious about.

We appeal that the President and other stakeholders should sit and iron out the grey areas in the Peace Corps Bill to the benefit of all stakeholders especially the youths, Nihi said.

He also commended Buhari for his recent declaration of intent to seek re-election in 2019, saying that it was a welcomed development.

According to him, the Presidents declaration has put to rest the speculations on whether he would run in the 2019 elections or not, which had created some form of palpable tension in the polity.

We are happy that the uncertainty has been brought to an end by the presidents decision.

What is left now is for all interested parties to return to the drawing board to strategize for the way forward and let the people decide what they want.

Although we are optimistic about free, fair and credible elections in 2019, youths must remain steadfast and avoid being used as tools to propagate disunity among ourselves.

It takes the collective effort of all of us to achieve a better Nigeria, Nihi said.

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Home | News | General | Midwifery School withdraws 50 students

The School of Midwifery in Minna, Niger, has rusticated 50 students during the 2016/2017 session as a result of academic incompetence. 

The Provost of the school, Mrs Aisha Maikudi, disclosed this in an interview in Minna on Wednesday. 

She said the students were withdrawn because they were not academically competent to cope with the academic and professional standard of the institution.

Maikudi however noted that the action did not go down well with some parents and guardians as they claimed that their wards finished from the best schools in the country.

We want parents, guardians and the general public to understand that we cannot cope with incompetence in the midwifery profession as that will be catastrophic.

Many a time they bombard us with different questions on why should we admit students and withdraw them within a short time.

It is a situation we cannot help, it is better that we keep complaining that we do not have midwives than to have midwives that do not know their jobs.

Some of them that were withdrawn could not even read temperature how can we keep such students, that would be against the ethics of midwifery profession and humanity will not forgive us.

We want the general public to understand that midwifery school is a professional training institution and we are dealing with lives.

Pregnant women can be carrying multiple pregnancies, any mistake will be multiple tragedy.

That is why we will not compromise in our standard by keeping students that are not competent, she said.

The provost said that the internal screening of students by withdrawing the incompetent ones had helped the school in achieving a success rate of 98 and 100 per cent, respectively.

As I speak with you 51 students that were presented for the external examination 50 passed, and 21 students that were also presented for the same examination all passed.

She however said that the measure they were taking to withdraw incompetent students had helped a lot in charting a better part for the students, school and the state.

According to her, mass failure at the external examination will have been catastrophic for the school and the state but for the internal screening via the internal examination.

Maikudi therefore called on parents and guardians to believe in the measure they were taking as they had to go by standard via examination to sanitise the system.

She also urged parents and guardians to encourage their children and wards not to compromise their studies, saying that their bright future lies in education. (NAN)

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Home | News | General | FG takes major action on infrastructure; approves N47bn for 3 road projects

- The minister of works, power and housing, Babatunde Fashola, has stated that the federal government has approved the sum of N47bn for 3 road projects

- The projects include the Baban Lamba-Sharam Road in Plateau state, Lagos- Otta- Abeokuta Road and the EnuguPort Harcourt Road

- Fashola said the design on the Enugu-Port Harcourt road needed to be changed so it would not fail

The sum of 47 billion naira has been approved for three road projects by the federal government, Leadership reports.

The development was disclosed at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, April 11, by the minister of works, power and housing, Babatunde Fashola.

READ ALSO: Herdsmen allegedly kill 75-year-old man, 14 others in fresh Benue attack

NAIJ.com gathers that Fasola gave the breakdown of the projects to include Baban Lamba-Sharam Road in Plateau state at the cost of 19.2bn, Lagos- Otta- Abeokuta Road for 22bn and the EnuguPort Harcourt Road for 6.309bn.

He said: The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing got approval for three memos. One was for Baban Lamba-Sharam Road in Plateau state for the contraction of 44.625 kilometers for N19.392 billion.

The second was for Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta Road, 81 kilometers. That road was first awarded in year 2000 and it has since been left uncompleted because there was no budgetary provisions for it. This administration in trying to move this contractor to site, stated the revision of the rate.

So the revised rate were brought to council today and a revision of N22 billion was approved for the 81 kilometers road, bringing the total contract price to N56.701 billion.

The third approval was for the section four of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, the part between Abia and Port Harcourt, particularly in Port Harcourt that has been problematic and has failed severally.

We have a contractor there but we needed to change the design because of the storm water drainage needs and the high water tables there, so that the road does not fail. So that requires a revision of the scope of work to include retaining side-lanes and also drainage facilities in the sum of N6.309 billion.

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Recall that NAIJ.com previously reported that Babatunde Fashola, the minister of works, power and housing, unveiled plans by the federal government to build a better network of roads and bridges across the country.

Fashola said that the intention was to connect states, drive economy, move fuel, food and the import and export of goods.

He unveiled a plan for the construction of 44 federal highways, 63 roads and an emergency intervention across the country, to give relief to Nigerians, subject to appropriation.

What does Nigeria need right now? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on NAIJ.com TV:

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | Attackers invade Nasarawa community; shoot everyone on sight - Police

- Suspected herdsmen attacked a community in Nasarawa

- Five persons were reportedly killed although three persons have been arrested

- The suspects reportedly shot at everyone on sight in the attack

The Police Command in Nasarawa State has confirmed five persons killed in a fresh attack on Kadarko village and environs in Obi Local Government, on Tuesday, April 10.

Mr Kennedy Idirisu, the commands spokesman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, April 11 in Lafia that the attackers invaded the village at night and shot everyone on sight.

READ ALSO: Why I decided to declare for presidency now - Buhari gives details

He said the command had deployed adequate personnel to quell the attacks, adding that relative normalcy had returned to the area.

He said that the command had arrested three suspects in connection with the Kadarko attacks, but explained that the situation was a bit tense.

According to him, the State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ahmed Bello, is already on his way to the affected areas for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

A resident of Kadarko village, who spoke on the Tuesday attack, told NAN that the trouble started when a 17- year-old boy had his arm chopped off by unknown persons suspected to be herdsmen.

The source, who craved anonymity, said that the attackers later stormed the village at night, shooting sporadically at anyone on sight.

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Even the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp was not spared, he said, adding that many people were injured in the stampede as women and children scampered for safety.

NAN recalled that Kadarko village was attacked on Jan. 29 by gunmen that killed seven persons.

Meanwhile, the National Food Security Council warned that if efforts are not intensified to create cattle ranches or provide better security against rustling in the country, the deadly clashes between farmers and herdsmen could worsen by 2019.

According to The Nation, the warning was given on Monday, April 9, during a meeting at the Presidential Villa which was chaired by the Kebbi state governor, Atiku Bagudu.

Nigerian herdsmen vs Nigerian farmers - on NAIJ.com TV:

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | FG clears air on whereabouts of recovered loots

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA  The Federal Government has made clarification on the confusion trailing the whereabouts of recovered loots, insisting that they were being paid into dedicated accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The N10m exhibit displayed by the EFCC.

Vanguard reports that discrepancies in the figures released to the media by the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, and the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, have raised suspicions over the whereabouts of the recovered funds.

Magu had announced the sum of N739bn as the amount recovered in the first two years of his stewardship. While, Adeosun said records available to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, OAGF, had only N91.4 billion as amounts recovered since 2015. She consequently requested the EFCC to clarify where the cash recoveries were deposited, with documentary evidence.

But the Special Assistant to the President on Justice Reform, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku, speaking at press conference in Abuja, said all stolen public funds recovered so far; were paid into special asset recovery accounts with the CBN, which in turn, transfers such funds into the Federation Account, from where they have been utilised to fund the budget since 2017.

Ibekaku-Nwagwu, who is also the coordinator of Nigerias Open Government Partnership (OGP), said: As many of you may be aware, government has made significant efforts in asset recovery. A recent MoU on the co-monitoring of the expenditure of Abacha loot repatriated from Switzerland has been described by stakeholders as model for other countries on how to utilize looted funds when they are returned to their countries of Origin.

However, when the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari began the recovery of looted funds, the President personally authorized the issuance of guidelines on the channeling of the looted funds. He specifically directed that all recovered fund be kept at special asset recovery accounts in the CBN.

From there, the funds should be moved to the Federation Account for the purpose of funding the national budget. That was the case last year. We can see that even the 2017 budget was partly funded with the recovered loot.

As we speak, the President has appointed auditors to examine all the CBN asset recovery accounts. So, there should be no doubts over the whereabouts of recovered funds, she added.

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Khanal duo appointed police chiefs

The government has decided to promote DIG Sarbendra Khanal as the 26th Inspector General of Nepal Police and to appoint AIG Shailendra Khanal to the top post of the Armed Police Force.
Home | News | General | REPs discovers how NEMA boss, Maihaja awarded N1.6bn contracts to non-existing companies

The House of Representatives has said that its investigation revealed that the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, has allegedly been breaching Public Procurement Act by awarding contracts worth N1.6bn to non existing companies and others that do not meet legal requirements.

House of Representatives

At its resumed investigative public hearing by the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness on NEMA, the House of Reps said the fund in question was released to the NEMA boss by the Federal Government in July 2017 for relief intervention to flood victims in 16 states.

The huge sum was said to have been expended on contracts awarded to 216 companies that were not qualified for contract awards in the country.

Maihaja was found to have spent the N1.6bn on contracts he awarded to the companies who have no tax clearance and other prerequisite qualifications as demanded by the Nigerian laws.

At the investigative hearing presided over by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ali Isa, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), in their reports submitted to the committee, revealed that the NEMA boss violated the law on tax and other breaches in the contracts to the companies.

The FIRS, ITF and PENCOM, in their separate reports adopted by the Committee during the hearing, specifically stated that the NEMA boss did not carry out due diligence and financial regulations on the companies to know their qualifications and their status before awarding the multi-million Naira contracts to them.

Apart from the tax laws, Maihaja was also indicted of breaching the Public Procurement Act 2007 in his refusal to follow the relevant laws of procurement in the ways and manners he awarded the controversial contracts to the benefitting companies.

At the explosive investigative hearing, the committee was told that the governing council of NEMA, inaugurated on April 3, 2018 on the same day, suspended six directors of the agency who were said to have kicked against the ways and manners the NEMA boss was implementing contracts awards in breach of due process.

The suspended officers are Director of Finance and Accounts, Akinbola Gbolahan; Ag. Director, Special Duties, Mr. Umesi Emenike; and Director, Risk Reduction, Mallam Alhassan Nuhu. Others are pilot in charge of Air Ambulance and Aviation Unit, Mr. Mamman Ali Ibrahim; the Chief Maintenance Officer, Mr. Ganiyu Yunusa Deji; and the Director of Welfare, Mr. Kanar Mohammed.

The Committees acting Chairman, Hon. Isa, however, ordered the NEMA boss to produce the suspended NEMA officials before the committee tomorrow for continuation of the investigation and to enable the directors give evidence in the interest of fair hearing.

The suspension of the officers was said to be arbitrary and suspicious especially in the ways and manner it was purportedly carried out by the governing council the same day the council was inaugurated.

The committee had queried Maihaja in his claim that the report of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recommended the suspension of the officers while the DG who was also facing investigation along with directors was left out of the suspension in the purported EFCCs report.

During the hearing that lasted several hours, Maihaja who resumed in April, 2017, was said to have failed to respond to the distress occasioned by floods in 16 states in which several lives were lost and properties worth billions of Naira damaged.

In some of the reports submitted by the affected 16 states, the NEMA boss was said to have delivered emergency relief materials to Kwara, Enugu and Ebonyi States to the flood victims a year after the flood disaster occurred, while others complained that the items delivered to them were less than N50mn as against the N100mn approved to each of the affected states by the Federal Government.

Apart from the three states, other 13 states could not received the emergency relief materials six month after they suffered losses, prompting the house committee to agree that the purpose of the federal government in releasing the sum to the affected states for emergency relief had been defeated by the action of the agency.

Specifically, the committee lambasted NEMA boss for misleading the President to release the huge sum in the name of emergency situation and ambush Nigerians by refusing to act on emergency situations as demanded by the law that established the agency.

Meanwhile, the house committee adjourned further investigation till tomorrow April 12, 2018 to enable the NEMA boss to produce the six suspended officers. He is also expected to shed light on how intervention to victims of Boko Haram in North-East and how he managed the 6776metric tonnes of rice donated by Chinese government for relief purposes.

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Mediciti, Premier launch cashless health insurance scheme

Nepal Mediciti Hospital has partnered with Premier Insurance to provide a cashless medical insurance scheme for the inpatients of the hospital. On Tuesday, Nepal Mediciti Hospital Chief Executive Officer Sudhakar Jayaram and Premier Insurance Chief Executive Officer Sudhumna Prasad Upadhyaya inked an agreement to the effect.
State Bank of Pakistan, the countrys central bank, has recently banned cryptocurrency trading and initial coin offerings (ICOs). The rash decision of the bank could become a major mistake for Pakistans economy moving forward.

Mistake

Throughout 2018, many of the major economies internationally including South Korea, Japan, and the US have embraced the cryptocurrency market. The three countries have imposed practical regulations for cryptocurrency exchanges and investors, and Japan has already introduced its intention to legalize initial coin offerings (ICOs).

The South Korean government and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) released its plans to legalize domestic ICOs once again, as soon as taxation policies for token sales are drafted and passed by the government. While the US and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are cracking down on unregulated iCOs, the SEC clearly stated that it is open to regulating private iCOs if it goes through the agency. So far, the SEC has stated that not a single ICO has applied to the SEC.

Earlier this year, Kakao, South Koreas largest internet conglomerate which manages KakaoTalk, KakaoPay, KakaoTaxi, KakaoStory, and other massively popular applications in the country, teased its plan to launch a blockchain venture and an ICO outside of the country, due to the strict policies of South Korea. Consequently, the South Korean government stated that it may allow domestic ICOs, if they are approved by local financial authorities.

While major economies are scrambling to regulate the cryptocurrency market, small economies like Pakistan and Vietnam have completely shut out the cryptocurrency market, rejecting users, investors, and businesses, and possibly billions of dollars.

On April 6, the State Bank of Pakistan announced that local financial institutions, banks, and credit card service providers are not allowed to be involved in the cryptocurrency market in any way, and are not allowed to process cryptocurrency transactions, promote, and invest in the cryptocurrency market. It completely dismissed its local cryptocurrency market.

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In hindsight, Pakistans ban on cryptocurrencies has virtually no impact on the global cryptocurrency market, given that the Pakistan cryptocurrency market does not even account for 0.1 percent of the global cryptocurrency market. But, Pakistan has made an error in dismissing overseas blockchain companies that could potentially expand into or relocate to countries like Pakistan for cheaper resources.

Case of Malta

Malta has taken the opportunity to appeal to the blockchain sector and companies within it. This week, Changpeng Zhao, the CEO at the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, stated that 20 large market cap companies, mostly billion-dollar companies, are planning to move to Malta, following the roadmap of Binance.

In the last 2 weeks, I am aware of 20+ large cap crypto projects confirm establishing/moving/investing in Malta. There are probably more that I am not aware of. Lets build a healthy and vibrant blockchain economy in Malta. https://t.co/1zXGcceutP  CZ (@cz_binance) April 5, 2018

In its official statement, Binance also revealed that it will hire 200 full-time employees in Malta to oversee its cryptocurrency exchanges, which are expensive positions to fill given most of the openings are for full-time developers. Tron and other multi-billion dollar companies may do the same and move to Malta, while blockchain startups disregard countries with impractical regulations, such as India, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Thailand.

Featured image from Shutterstock.



The post Opinion: Pakistan Made a Big Mistake by Banning Cryptocurrencies and ICOs appeared first on CCN.


oil bitcoin

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has revealed that the countrys state-owned companies may start charging for exports in the countrys oil-backed cryptocurrency, the Petro (PTR). According to the countrys Cuatro F newspaper, even real estate is set to be purchasable with the cryptocurrency.

In a piece published in the newspaper, Maduro stated the Petro came to revolutionize the global cryptoeconomy. The piece revealed the cryptocurrencys pre-sale receive over 200,900 buy offers, from 133 different countries. As previously covered by CCN, it claimed the pre-sale raked in $5 billion.

Notably, the piece states that as of April 20, it will be possible to use the Petro to buy products throughout the country, as well as real estate. As part of the move, Maduro informed the countrys interior minister, Nestor Reverol, to make it so that these transactions can be made through the countrys Autonomous Service of Registries and Notaries (Saren).

It also reveals that state-owned companies will start creating Petro wallets, so they can start charging for exports in the oil-backed cryptocurrency. The Venezuelan leader reportedly specified PDVSA, a state-owned oil and natural gas company that was targeted by the US sanctions. Cuatro Fs piece adds (roughly translated):

This means that Venezuela will be able to charge in petros its oil, gas, steel, aluminum, petrochemical products, cocoa, among other goods exported by the South American nation. Likewise, the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) was authorized by decree to collect in petros for the export of gold from small mining and handcrafted items.

Additionally, the piece notes, private companies will be able to pay taxes in Petros including the huge debt they have for their operations during the years 2016 and 2017.

Petro pre-sale details

According to the newspaper, 52.7 percent of contributors intend to pay with USD, while 22.59 signaled they would pay using yens. 15.9 percent are set to pay in EUR, while 7.9 percent will use ETH. Interestingly, it claims only 0.7 percent will use BTC.

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Addressing the criticism the Petro has drawn  from the century-old think tank Brookings Institute, Venezuelas National Assembly, US senators, and others  Maduro stated (roughly translated):

I ask the world for respect. We do not get involved in the financial initiatives of other countries, whether they are powerful or not. Why does Venezuela have to be persecuted for trying to create a source of financing for its development, its happiness, for peace and economic expansion?

He added that the Petro will continue its course and nobody will be able to stop our cryptocurrency.

Featured image from Shutterstock.



The post Venezuela May Charge for Exports in Oil-Backed Cryptocurrency Petro appeared first on CCN.


Baku (AFP) - Likened in leaked US diplomatic cables to the fictional mob boss Michael Corleone, Azerbaijan's strongman Ilham Aliyev is expected to secure his fourth term as president in snap polls on Wednesday.

The 56-year-old took over in 2003 after the death of his father Heydar Aliyev, a former KGB officer and Communist-era boss.

Extending into a third decade his family's firm grip over the oil-rich Caspian state, Ilham Aliyev was re-elected in 2008 and 2013 in polls that were denounced by opposition parties as fraudulent.

Supporters have praised the Aliyevs for turning a republic once thought of as a Soviet backwater into a flourishing energy supplier to Europe.

But critics argue they have crushed the opposition and used their power to amass a fortune that funds a lavish lifestyle for the president and his family.

"For decades, the Aliyevs have been appropriating Azerbaijan's national riches, they have amassed an immense hidden wealth," Khadija Ismayilova, an anti-corruption crusader, told AFP.

"They cling to power to continue looting the country's resources," said the award-winning journalist who spent 17 months in jail in 2014-2016 after she exposed official graft.

In 2009, Aliyev amended the country's constitution so he could run for an unlimited number of presidential terms, in a move criticised by rights advocates who say he could become a president for life.

In 2016, Azerbaijan adopted controversial constitutional amendments, extending the president's term in office to seven years from five.

The changes drew criticism from Council of Europe constitutional law experts as "severely upsetting the balance of powers" and giving the president "unprecedented" authority.

"Ilham Aliyev redrew Azerbaijan's constitution so that he could concentrate in his hands unlimited power for an indefinite time," independent political analyst, Alesgar Mammadli, told AFP.

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- Caucasian Corleone -

In 2017, the president appointed his glamorous wife Mehriban Aliyeva as first vice president.

Born into the powerful Pashayev family, Mehriban is sometimes seen as a possible successor or even rival to her husband.

The next generation of the Aliyev dynasty seems set to continue the family's leading role in Azerbaijani politics.

In 2010, The Washington Post reported property worth $75 million (55 million euros) in Dubai in the names of the president's young son Heydar and his daughters Arzu and Leyla.

Often spotted at lavish red carpet events abroad, Leyla, 32, and Arzu, 28, are thought to control substantial businesses interests of their own.

Bolstered by billions in oil money, Ilham has overseen years of steady economic growth and followed a pragmatic foreign policy agenda, treading carefully between Russia and the West.

That calculating approach saw him likened in one US diplomatic cable to the coldblooded fictional character of Michael Corleone from "The Godfather" movies.

At the same time, Aliyev's heavy-handed treatment of dissent at home inspired comparison to another character from the Corleone clan -- Michael's hotheaded brother Sonny.

"His goal appears to be a political environment in which the Aliyev dynasty is unchallenged," said the cable, released by whistleblowing organisation WikiLeaks.
Stockholm (Sweden) (AFP) - Swedish prosecutors on Wednesday charged a 49-year-old Chinese man with espionage for allegedly gathering intelligence on Tibetan refugees in Sweden and Norway for China.

The man, identified in the charge sheet as Dorjee Gyantsan, is accused of infiltrating the Tibetan community to pass information on their personal and political activities to Chinese officials in exchange for money.

His lawyer, Mikael Soderberg, told AFP his client -- who faces up to four years in prison -- denied all charges.

Dorjee acquired resident status as a refugee in Sweden in the early 2000s, and posed as a supporter of Tibetan independence, prosecutors said.

He also attended Tibetan anti-China protests in Norway, and covered a visit of the Dalai Lama to Norway as a reporter for the pro-Tibetan Voice of Tibet, in order to collect information on Tibetan refugees.

The espionage is believed to have taken place from July 2015 to February 2017, when he was arrested.

"This is a very serious crime. The espionage has affected very vulnerable people," prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist told AFP.

"People who have fled to Sweden from totalitarian regimes must be able to feel safe and feel that they can exercise their constitutionally-protected freedom to protest against a regime without fear of persecution or attacks on themselves or their families."

Some 130 Tibetans live in the Scandinavian country, according to the organisation Tibetan Community in Sweden.

Prosecutors believe Dorjee met repeatedly with a Chinese embassy secretary in Poland to pass on information, receiving thousands of dollars (euros) in exchange.

The suspect had also contacts with a person in Finland believed to be connected to the Chinese regime.

The meetings were held outside Sweden "to make it more difficult to uncover the operation", the charge sheet said.

At the time of his arrest, Dorjee had just returned from a trip to Warsaw and was carrying $6,000 in cash, which prosecutors believe was payment for his information.

Story continues

The prosecution's evidence includes witness testimonies about his contacts with the Tibetan community, as well as the suspect's phone and travel records.

Beijing says it "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1951 and considers it an inseparable part of China.

Regimes often spy on refugees to find out who has fled the country, why, and where they are now -- or to put pressure on family members who have stayed behind.
Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife.
#ChunLi Thursday 10amPst 1pmEst everywhere. A post shared by Barbie (@nickiminaj) on



Apr 10, 2018 at 11:30am PDT



Not to be overshadowed by Drake and Cardi B releasing new music, Nicki Minaj is readying up for new music releases.She released the single artwork for her new single "Chun-Li" on her Instagram. The title "Chun-Li" appears to be referencing the iconic Street Fighter character and Minaj mirrors her iconic hairstyle in the art while some fans found the styling and choices to be questionable.Some fans were quick to call this out as cultural appropriation and there was a hot debate in regards to homage or appropriation.Her new music is expected to be released on Thursday.
Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.
lmao mte

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LMFAO

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YAS oprah

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nnn she looks just like ha

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lmao this thread of Oprah gifs is EXACTLY what I was hoping for tbh.

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freak

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You can see the full video at martinbjork on instagram and he interviews famous Swedish people and smell their armpits at the end of the video  pic.twitter.com/LteUlG2O4U  ebba (@mirrorsxniall) April 10, 2018



https://instagram.com/p/BgOxBppnITU Indeed. Apparently the interviewer does it to all of his guests

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ugh that would make me so uncomfortable

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Well then.

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antoni from queer eye

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he's so cute. got a john mayer thing going on

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That Oprah gif is so versatile.

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Loves it! Just BRO doin BRO things

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smell them pheromones

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into it

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sweaty

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lmao

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screaming

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LMAO

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homer is here for this!!

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HE got that arm up so fast. Bless.

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he's basically begging people to keep on calling him gay

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Call Me By Your Name (2017)

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Call Me By Your Stage Name (2019) confirmed.

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U know where them peaches are going

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THIS is the type of gay pandering we deserve.

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i was just about to say ontd better not be acting like they wouldn't have asked the exact same shit!!!

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I would like to be excluded from this narrative.

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lol fuck no

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idk, ask for a taste if you're going to ask at all

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Raw Fuck Club teas

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STOP IT LMAO

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OMG this post

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scream

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Mte Oprah

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My fav after massage porn

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well that's not creepy at all

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They're such an obvious band-aid on a bulletwound. Everyone who said "Well, we'll do mandatory interviews, that'll fix it!" knew that people would simply be coerced or threatened into giving a good interview. It doesn't take a genius to suss that out but no one wants to ACTUALLY regulate the industry because they like being able to fap to whatever they see fit =/

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The porn industry is damaging to women and inherently upholds the patriarchy. No porn performer deserves to be in danger or have his/ her stipulations ignored, but I just cannot see how we are trying to pass off this business as anything remotely feminist when it's not only rampant with exploiting people who are struggling somehow (for every "I am a college-educated woman from an amazing family who does porn just because I genuinely love it" there are 10,000 women who were coerced by money, the idea of acceptance, fame or a sense of family that doesn't really exist).



Women CAN choose to perform in porn for any reason they want, but should we be encouraging this as any other choice of her autonomy, as if it were choosing between which school to go to or which hairstyle to wear?



Edited at 2018-04-11 03:51 pm (UTC)

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what I cannot wrap my mind around is that some people actually get aroused by those kind of shitty things and pay for them, hence why they keep doing them. abuse/rape porn should be considered a crime too

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IA. Look, I understand fetishes and kinks and believe they can even be healthy ways for consenting partners to deal with potentially difficult things that may impinge on their sexual comfort. However-- and it's a big however-- I cannot for the life of me understand why it is so easily accessible on ANY porn website to see these ROUGH hardcore scenes that imitate rape and violence of women, that impressionable children and teens can watch with no context or mental maturity to understand in what realm this may be acceptable or healthy. To them, what you see is what you get, and the porn sites and companies don't give a flying fuck. In fact, let them explore their sexuality with slapping, choking, spitting and gang rape-simulating as far as the sites are concerned: they're merely future desperate customers.



I say this as someone who is 28 that had internet access in my formative preteen/ teen years. Porn undoubtedly fucked me up, at least a little-- and I wasn't seeing half the graphic, rough shit that is on the front page of every big site today. I just cannot in good conscience support this, but of course I wish no harm on performers like Nikki.

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we live in a culture that fetishizes violence. It doesn't surprise me.

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This is why I'm a firm believer in "kinkshaming" lmao. Look, if you like feet, or spitting, or whatever you're into that doesn't involve hurting another person, we're good, we're fine. But if your kink is pretending to rape other people, if your kink is seeing other people in pain... I don't really want to have sex with you and I, as a general rule, avoid men who get off on seeing women in pain.



The whole time I was watching Mindhunter, they kept talking about "This guy likes to tie up women and beat them." or "This guy likes to see women in pain." and these things were considered an indication that the man in question should be a murder suspect. All I could think is "Nowadays, this stuff is considered totally normal and actually encouraged." LOL. Sorry I can not trust a man whose dick gets hard at the thought of beating the shit out of me or wrapping his hands around my neck to cut off my air supply.

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As long as we say women's bodies can be bought, we are saying women are objects. People don't like hearing that, because it stings, and it gives them less access, and it makes them feel guilty, but it's true. Dressing up the patriarchy in new clothes doesn't make it feminist.

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YEP.



I cannot stand how so many feminists try to pretend like porn is ok.



Nah. The entire industry is rotten to the core.

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I agree so much with this, same goes for sex workers. We can say it is empowering but We dont really know what is going on behind the scene, as it is sex trafficking is still rampant. I can only go behind it if it is a safe environment and convinced that the women who do it are not under any violence or pressure to say yes.

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omg, that was beyond disgusting. hope those motherfuckers go to jail

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Just as a general comment on the porn industry, can we take a moment to talk about how horrible and unregulated cam sites are?



I was able to sign up and do camming from ages 13-15 on several different websites and there was NOTHING there to stop me, zero safe guards, nothing to make me confirm my age at all. I'm guessing I wouldn't have been able to do it for money since I didn't have a bank account or credit card, but to assuage my pubescent low self esteem for free?



Sure - sign up, click the button and boom, thousands and thousands of men fapping to my underage self and now I have to live with knowing some of the videos are likely still out there. It's one of my biggest fears that those videos will come back to haunt me.



Edited at 2018-04-11 03:59 pm (UTC)

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That's good if it's true. This would've been quite a few years ago (I'm 23 now). That said, I know sites like ChatRoulette and Omegle still do nothing to confirm your age even though they have 18+ sections specifically for adult camming =/

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I had to show ID. Maybe theyre more regulated than they used to be. Idk.

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JFC

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oh my gosh. stuff like this makes me never wanna watch porn again. even if the actresses are supposed to be consenting, there seems to be even more room for sexual violence/harassment behind the scenes than there is in non-pornagraphic films. porn workers deserve to be safe.

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at the very least i hope that people listen to this and give her the respect she deserves despite the fact that she's a porn star



idt porn will ever go away and idk if i think it should but the amount of violence and exploitation means the entire thing needs to be broken down and rebuilt from the bottom up

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fuck porn.

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I think youre thinking of ThinkGeek. Im not going to risk googling the other company.

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http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/10/mindgeek_porn_monopoly_its_dominance_is_a_cautionary_tale_for_other_industries.html Yeah, you're probably thinking of ThinkGeek. MindGeek is a rather infamous organization in Luxembourg that owns... basically all of the porn. All of it.

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The porn industry needs to die.

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This is fucking awful

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holy shit that's terrible

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wow. i hope she takes them for all they are worth

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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The sex industry is a fucking mess. I don't harbor any ill will towards sex workers themselves, I understand why they're there. We need to dismantle the system that forces so many women into sex work, though.





It wasn't until recently that I started looking into things and it's so disheartening to see how many former sex workers are no platformed for not praising the sex industry. So many famous names, people who praised while they were still in it because they had to, because it was life or death, and then finally got out and said "I lied, I hated what I was doing" but these stories are never given the same attention. The shit that happens in porn isn't any less real because it's filmed.

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Yes! I go to my local NYPL at least once a week.



I owe like 10 bucks in fines, though. Going to pay that this week :)

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I'm currently reading Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. So far (about 15% in) so good! After that I have Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips and Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama lined up. Thanks Free Library of Philadelphia! lol



Edited at 2018-04-11 03:50 pm (UTC)

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Love libraries!! I use my local library's ebook lending all the time, and am all set up to watch movies on Kanopy via my local library as well.



I volunteered at a library a for few months before I moved to LA. Shelving is thankless, dry skin inducing work, but it's also sort of meditative. Plus I was waaaaay faster than all the other old lady volunteers who mostly used shelving books as an excuse to get together and talk.

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lol I used to work in a public library, and I kind of miss shelving now. IA it was good mediation time, and I occasionally found an interesting book I'd check out for myself later.

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Shelving is never ending. I enjoy it sometimes but I weep when it's summer reading program because it explodes to ridiculous heights. On one hand, I'm so happy kids are reading. On the other, SO. MANY. TINY. BOOKS.

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Ahaha, and crawling on your knees because the shelves in the children's section are much shorter. But at my library someone went over the section at least once a day, so it was reasonably organized. I once shelf-read the art section (Dewey Decimal 700!)- lots of skinny picture books like in the kid's section, and it was a mess because no one had properly checked the area in forever.

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I used to listen to music as I shelved. It was such a nice, quiet job.

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I fucking hate shelving lol.

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I love the ask a librarian hashtag on twitter. I get amazing recommendations

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I love browsing that tag!



The NYPL does something similar every Friday morning on Twitter.

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I love public libraries. I'm at mine about once a week. <3



I just wish our ILL service was a little faster. I know books are coming from all over the country, but I'm usually waiting like a month for mine to come in. By the time I get the pick-up notification, I've totally forgotten I even requested it lmao.

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Absolutely I do. I WORK in a library. We're about to celebrate our 10th anniversary on Saturday with a HUGE party and we've gotten over 15,000 new books.

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I was thinking about how if libraries were a new idea in 2018 they would never happen. Most politicians and city officials would say hell no. They're so important and librarians often do far more than their job requires - from helping the homeless to carrying narcan. Growing up we used to have a school librarian that would always make extra lunches for students. Recently I found out she is still working there and still doing that <3 I feel like libraries are one of the most important things created. Not just for educational purposes/access, but it's often such a safe space for people in lots of different communities.



Here is a great piece on what I was mentioning above about librarians helping those struggling with addiction if you're curious I love going to the library. Not just to read but even just to sit there on my laptop. Sometimes I need an environment away from my apartment to get focused and get things done or I just go there to do the shit I'd do at home but want a different environment.I was thinking about how if libraries were a new idea in 2018 they would never happen. Most politicians and city officials would say hell no. They're so important and librarians often do far more than their job requires - from helping the homeless to carrying narcan. Growing up we used to have a school librarian that would always make extra lunches for students. Recently I found out she is still working there and still doing that <3 I feel like libraries are one of the most important things created. Not just for educational purposes/access, but it's often such a safe space for people in lots of different communities.Here is a great piece on what I was mentioning above about librarians helping those struggling with addiction if you're curious https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/nyregion/librarians-opioid-heroin-overdoses.html

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Working at a public library really opened my eyes to just how much they provide for their communities. It's not just circulating books and movies and music; My local library did classes to teach people basic job skills they could put on a resume, provided tax assistance, did food drives, children's events, occasional college-level lectures for adults, provided meeting spaces for local activist organizations, ESL volunteer classes, etc. etc., just all kinds of stuff that was totally free and served the whole community. It actually makes me kind of emotional to think about it tbh lol.



ty for the article link!

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I remember this dude wrote that there's no need for libraries anymore and it went so viral that he had to hold up his white flag lol



Hang tight folks, because I am about to drop some necessary knowledge on you. First off, library usage is on the RISE motherfuckers. https://t.co/reWrJj3XCo  The Hangriest Librarian (@HalpernAlex) October 23, 2017



mte they really do so much and it's incredible to think about. Libraries and those who work there help shape the community. They often change lives even if it's helping someone with a resume, language skills, how to use a computer, helping kids have the confidence to read, and all of the other stuff you've mentioned. Recently I took a class on how to use a 3D printer at the library which was super informative.I remember this dude wrote that there's no need for libraries anymore and it went so viral that he had to hold up his white flag lol https://mashable.com/2017/10/25/librarian-guy-shut-down-twitter/

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my dream is to work in a library like that

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As someone who is a social worker and having worked in libraries for many years too as a library assistant, i dont know why having social workers offficially in public libraries havent been more of a thing

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libraries truly are an important part of the community, they offer so many resources to all different age groups that without it, i think the community will deteriorate. plus i think they're the biggest champions for the community offering different things to do, having guest speakers, along with being there whenever there's a community event (i know my community has a book mobile & always is involved in anything the city does with events). i remember a library my grandma used to take me too & it ended up closing & honestly it's rly sad bc it provided her respite from taking care of me, it also helped me learn new things & do different cool activities.

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I work at a public library, it's never a dull moment. 

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I have so many war stories. It's funny because people think working at a library is a quiet, boring job.

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My family asks me, "So what happened at the library today?" every single week.

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It really is way more chaotic than people would think lol. We just had to deal with a patron returning a book with bedbugs 

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I love libraries. I used to work at one, and I want to again. They are so vital, and Toronto has such a great public library system. I love that I can get pretty much any book I need from any branch delivered to mine.

school libraries are also so important. My mom took me to the public library a lot, but I also spent so much time in my school library. It really helped me become a book lover.

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I miss working in libraries! I worked in art libraries all through college, it was the best job ever.

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Omg art library?

shook

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Yeah!! It is such a great job. I'm hoping to apply for library school soon. I would really love to work for the public library.

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That sounds like a dream tbh. 99% of my ILL requests are "The Art of [movie title]" books and art/animation books.

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Art libraries are amazing. I visited the central saint martins one once and omg they had an entire room for fabric alone that you could go through. It was beautiful

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We lent out art books in my college library for the art/art history students. They were SO heavy and I felt so bad for the backs of those students.

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shoutout to the TPL too <33333 this system is amaaaazing, omg.

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I love the library (and support it through all my fines, LOL).



My mom was almost a librarian and she instilled in me a deep love of the library. So much free knowledge!

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LOL I always told my parents that I am donating to the library through my frequent late fees.



Edited at 2018-04-11 05:10 pm (UTC)

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OR make friends that can make you library cards in different counties.





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Do you love and support libraries, ONTD?

Yes! I have 6 library cards from 6 different boroughs lmao. I'm considering making up a new address so I can sign up to this nice one near my work. The UK is such a flop and doesn't have a universal library system smh

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I have 4 cards from 4 different counties! Haha. I'm about to get a fifth next week. lol. The best part of public libraries is that you just have to live in the state to get a card in various counties and not that city.

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Honestly it's like a Pokemon game for me, I gotta catch them all lol. Counties sounds a lot bigger than boroughs! Much nicer. In London you have to either live, work or go to school in the borough where you want to sign up.

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LOL that's impressive. I have one for Brooklyn and NYPL. I almost never go to Brooklyn libraries anymore tho bc of work, which sucks bc i have one right around the corner from my house :(

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i loove libraries but tbh my library while it has a lot of books theres a lot thats not there (like newer stuff) also one my travel to do list is to visit iconic libraries

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I work in one too. I'm the youngest by far and considered a computer genius (i'm not). Keep losing my best workmates to retirement lol. So today before opening my coworker says a patron told her porn came up on our computers during an innocent search.

Me: lmao fkn bs

Coworker: but he was adamant

Me: ugh i can check if safesearch is off

*goes into google images,searches for bareback, gets a bunch of horse pix*

Me: we're good guys

Coworker: bareback? What were you looking for?

Other coworker: what's that mean?

Yet another coworker, from across the room: DON'T YOU DARE TELL US ZAZIE I DON'T WANNA KNOW!!

Lmfao i love them

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lmaoooooo omg that's cute

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OMG lol

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Omg. That's ridiculous.



My coworker and I once considered making a romance display and naming it 'Bare backs and six packs'. We had SO many types of those covers. Sadly, it never came to fruition but it still makes us laugh.

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Nice lol

I kept trying to vote down us buying the avalanche of post 50 shades porn but was always told we needed to stock what the ppl want. So one valentine's day i made a huge display of all those shitty softporn books. It was v popular

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You got: The Harry Potter universe



You're extremely conscientious about making the world a better and fairer place  and there's no better place for you than to be fighting the darkness alongside Harry and co.



https://www.buzzfeed.com/piekhe/which-cinematic-universe-is-your-home?utm_term=.qqJmanBgd#.bpKK5MDy0 : The Harry Potter universeYou're extremely conscientious about making the world a better and fairer place  and there's no better place for you than to be fighting the darkness alongside Harry and co.

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You got: The Star Wars universe

Your commitment to justice can often lead to rather grandiose conclusions  which is why you belong in the zany, awesome world of Star Wars.

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You got: The James Bond universe

You live for dramatic scenes and excellent style  so of course, the James Bond universe is where you'd feel at home.

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samesies

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me toooooo

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You got: The Fast and the Furious universe



um NO

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You got: The James Bond universe

You live for dramatic scenes and excellent style  so of course, the James Bond universe is where you'd feel at home.



The fuck? LOL

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You got: The Harry Potter universe



YAY!

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You got: The Star Wars universe

Your commitment to justice can often lead to rather grandiose conclusions  which is why you belong in the zany, awesome world of Star Wars.



fuck yea

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You got: The James Bond universe



You live for dramatic scenes and excellent style  so of course, the James Bond universe is where you'd feel at home.

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You got: The Fast and the Furious universe



No thank you.

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You got: The James Bond universe

You live for dramatic scenes and excellent style  so of course, the James Bond universe is where you'd feel at home.





Uh okay.

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Star Wars

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You got: The James Bond universe

You live for dramatic scenes and excellent style  so of course, the James Bond universe is where you'd feel at home.



Excellent style? lol I don't think so, but thanks Buzzfeed.

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You got: The Harry Potter universe

You're extremely conscientious about making the world a better and fairer place  and there's no better place for you than to be fighting the darkness alongside Harry and co.

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Harry Potter, lol.

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You got: The James Bond universe





You live for dramatic scenes and excellent style  so of course, the James Bond universe is where you'd feel at home.





What is this bullshit

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Star Wars.... Brb retaking this test bc I prefer like any other result.

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You got: The Fast and the Furious universe

If hanging out with your best friends and surrounding yourself with flashy things is your cup of tea, you'd definitely be at home in the Fast and the Furious world.



It is but...lol

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You got: The James Bond universe



You live for dramatic scenes and excellent style  so of course, the James Bond universe is where you'd feel at home.



"You live for dramatic scenes" Well, that part is accurate.

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You got: The Star Wars universe

Your commitment to justice can often lead to rather grandiose conclusions  which is why you belong in the zany, awesome world of Star Wars.





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You got: The Fast and the Furious universe



If hanging out with your best friends and surrounding yourself with flashy things is your cup of tea, you'd definitely be at home in the Fast and the Furious world.



Not. Even. Close.

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Wtf, were they lawyers for a window company or something? What does the strength of their windows have to do with anything? Why even temp fate like that? So many questions...

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idk why but this made me think of the picture of that young woman who committed suicide from the empire state building back in the 30s or 40s. she was dressed nicely and landed on her back on a car..i'll never forget that pic. evelyn mchale is her name if you're interested

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the thought of this made my stomach flip D:

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I could NOT get to sleep last night. By 1:45, I took some pain pills because I knew they'd make me sleepy.



I feel hungover now.

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I think I've finally figured out what I want to do for a career for the rest of my life. I'm glad it only took almost all of my 20s to figure that one out.. but it at least is quite a weight off my chest with having to worry about my future.

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Hah, well congrats on figuring it out in your twenties! I'm in my thirties and still working on it, tbh.

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what is it? maybe it will magically be what i want too

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good for you! I'm not there yet lol, hopefully one day

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Seeing St Vincent for the first time ever tonight! I can't wait. We're in the balcony, but it's the front row so I am choosing to feel very #blessed about that.

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I liked her when I saw her a few years ago ! Super taleneted, but a bit weird lol

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Aww, that's awesome!! I saw them live a couple years ago (right before Gavin and Gwen called it quits) and they sounded great. The opener was another story, lol.

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Wow, that's so generous. I'm always glad to hear stories of celebs being kind to people lol.

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jealoussssssss!!!! glad you had fun

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OMG that is so awesome. I bet it was a good show. Drink lots of fluids and get hydrated.

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Thank you for posting this 

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I am a lawyer and have worked in immigration law in NYC before (including before Judge Mulligan)  I do not see what would motivate anyone to become an ICE attorney, but there are some who take pleasure in causing others pain. I have a few guesses who the ICE attorney in this case was...

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counting down the minutes until i go for japanese food with a co-worker!!!

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Soooo pretty

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the queens we both need and deserve

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can you believe we're living in the age of tessa/janelle? the generations that come after us are gonna be so jealous

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<3



Why was the post about them responding deleted tho...There was some good discussion going on from what I read earlier 

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Omg this is lovely. They're lovely.

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total babes!! what happened to the post though? i went to click into it and it was gone :(

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I have my first session with a new therapist tonight. I'm excited and nervous but it's been a long time coming.

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The consensus of my book club is that the shifting first-person POVs in Children of Blood and Bone were not effective. I feel like this is really hard to pull off, to the point that I can't think of an example of a book where it's done well.

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I agree!

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Yeah, I guess it does work in ASOIAF in part because of who he chose to be POV characters, and because usually those characters aren't in the same place or are describing events from a totally different perspective.

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it's not first person though, is it? it's been a long time since i read the first two books. the first person + multiple POV combo is really impossible to do well imo.

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it is extremely hard to pull off! I haven't started that book yet so I can't speak on that obvs but yeah. I just finished Slade House, which has 5 chapters and each chapter is narrated by a different character. The author did pull it off and that was one of the things I loved about the book. Just goes to show how hard writing well really is.

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i'm about 100 pages in and i was so disappointed when i found out it was first person with multiple POVs that i almost regret buying it. the thoughts and voices of the characters need to be really distinct to justify it and i also can't think of a single case where first person AND shifting POV together worked well. it's honestly why i avoid YA as a genre because it seems really common and just reminds me of bad fanfic.

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It is hard to pull off. I haven't read Children of Blood and Bone yet but I recently read The Wind-Up Girl which had shifting 3rd-person POVs and I found it frustrating because there were some characters that I just did not care about at all and they really dragged the book down. I wished the author had told the story from one (or at most two) of the characters' POVs, which would have shortened and streamlined the story. GRRM is the only author I can think of who has done this really well. (EDit: although, ASOIAF is also 3rd person narrated, which is slightly easier than 1st person)



Edited at 2018-04-11 05:45 pm (UTC)

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Ive just started reading it. First POV is rarely done well :/ im really into the world though so I hope I end up liking it. Its the authors first published book? so I hope the series gets better!

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whaaat

That's not constructive feedback. And also fuck them.





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What the fuck kind of vague feedback...?!? They are the problem, not you!!

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HDTGM is the best

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why

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this one objectifies women too much imo

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The ladies aren't in sync and it bugs me

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Meghan flipping out when Joy said Ryan enabled tr*mp gave me life. She's such a delusional nut job.

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They raided Cohen to get info on the Billy Bush tape!

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I was hoping that Sunny or Whoopi would throw in the word "Complicit" when they talk about the Republicans.

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sunny's FACE during meghans flip out oh my godddd i love her

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gah i want a paul ryan post so bad, this is close enough

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Meghan is more delusional than usual with her worship of Paul Ryan. He's scum. He's the one who enabled Nunes to put out his fake memo defending tRvmp and Russia, going against the FBI. He's complicit in all this Russia stuff, going back to him shushing another GOP Congressman who voiced the opinion that Dana Rohrbacher was being paid off by the Russians by saying, "don't talk about that, it's a family matter."



He's currently working with Nunes on holding the FBI in contempt of Congress over not turning more secret documents over to Nunes. He's known all along and is just as corrupt at tRvmp. He needs to be in prison.

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Paul Ryan's cowardly ass retiring is so very him. It's the political equivalent of letting out a nasty fart in a room and then leaving, shutting the door behind you.



He did the one thing his Koch overlords wanted him to do the most (pass that awful tax bill) and now he's getting the fuck out (to prep for an eventual presidential run???).

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Don't let the door hit you on the way out because I don't want ass prints on my door.

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Billy Long: "Do you recognize these folks?"

Mark Zuckerberg: "I do."

Long: "Who are they?"

Zuckerberg: "I believe  is that Diamond & Silk?" pic.twitter.com/TVxALG4Rgd  Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) April 11, 2018



This is all really getting out of hand.

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They are really trying to say that fb is against conservatives when i can't get posts deleted that have the n word in them, that have photoshopped pictures of minors with Hitler saying the parkland students are Hitler, and other nasty hate speech.

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this. they keep saying, "oh, thanks for informing us, but it doesn't go against one of our specific policies." yes, yes it does.

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I reported specific threats of violence (littered with racial slurs) against specific people and they saw nothing wrong with it.

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the republicans are now turning this hearing about facebook selling info to help trump into "you liberal assholes keeps removing conservative content on facebook!"

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Diamond & Silk? Really? Geezus.

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Oh my God CNN is trying to pretend to sympathize with Spineless Ryan by bringing up that his own father died when he was a teenager so OF COURSE Ryan is leaving to be a good father to his kids.





Hopefully Randy Ironstache Bryce can beat that Nazi who's going to run in Paul Ryan's place.

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And used his father's Social Security death benefits to go to a good college. Ok for him, not for anyone else, apparently. A$$hole.

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while i'm glad to see ryan go, the dems still have a battle in front of them in that district, so it's too soon to really celebrate.

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"The district is rated R+5 by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, and Democrats are averaging an 8-point advantage in the generic ballot. Given a surprise Democratic victory in the recent Pennsylvania congressional special election in a deeply red district that was rated R+11, Democrats are feeling very good about their chances in 2018."



https://www.salon.com/2018/04/11/with-paul-ryan-leaving-will-it-be-randy-bryce-or-paul-nehlen/ Really? You don't think Randy Bryce can beat a literal nazi?"The district is rated R+5 by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, and Democrats are averaging an 8-point advantage in the generic ballot. Given a surprise Democratic victory in the recent Pennsylvania congressional special election in a deeply red district that was rated R+11, Democrats are feeling very good about their chances in 2018."

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I thought Hillary could beat a fascist reality show clown yet here we are.

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Ding dong paul ryan is gone



Fucking coward took his loot and ran and people still trying to paint him as some policy wonk as opposed to the reality- hes a fucking con artist who couldnt govern or make any legitimate policy aside from looting the poor to feed the rich. Mcconnell should be next. And john mccain. Yes i said it, I dont give a shit that hes sick

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On the on hand about Ryan leaving, hasuffer.gif. On the other hand about Ryan leaving, god what a chickenshit.

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Ps some of the info on Comey's ABC interview was leaked to Axios

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Can't watch The View anymore. It's become the Meghan McCain show.



She talks over everyone, purposefully talks the loudest so that she can be the only one heard, and takes EVERYTHING personally. She's rude, immature, and is Elisabeth Hasselbeck Part 2.



It's one thing to have shitty politics and have different opinions than people, but it's another to be constantly disrespectful. I rarely agreed with Jed but she at least knew how to talk to people and be respectful. Sheesh.

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But her dad has Cancer!

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when he dies i hope she ducks off the show tbh

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MAGAn really does take everything personally. With political topics, it's natural for voices to be raised and stuff but she is just on another level. She's infuriating

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Well Whoopi is the moderator and her function is to stop people from overtalking/rudeness but she doesn't do shit. I know when Bill Gedde was a producer he was very adamant about letting Hasselbeck have her say because Gedde is a Nazi himself.

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I legitimately cackled when I read Ryan wasn't running for re-election.

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YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - they searched Cohen's office for info on that infamous Billy Bush tape!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Why tho?

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The deal with Stormy was "agreed" upon on the 12th - 3 days after the infamous tape came out. I can't remember when the McDougal deal was done but I think it was within the same time frame so it's safe to say that Cohen was acting in an attempt to thwart even more coming out about Trump's infidelities and assaults. It's hard to remember now with everything that happened but when that tape came out pretty much everyone was calling for him to withdraw from the race - even Paul Ryan - though once he won they pretended it never happened. This is just my pet theory - I'm sure what they are investigating is much more complex and there are aspects of it where obvious crimes have been committed.



What I find most interesting is the fact NBC had sat on this tape for so long and they only were going to released a highly edited version but someone went rogue and leaked the unedited version to WaPo. The protection of Billy Bush was clearly at the heart of why they wanted to do the edits (he had just signed on to like a $20 million deal with the Today show) but given that NBC had an established and mutually beneficial relationship with Trump in the past opens up the possibility that someone at NBC was looking to protect more than just Billy Bush. There was an episode of Law & Order based on Trump's scandals that was supposed to air but it got scrapped and has never been released despite the episode having been shot and it involved a major guest star. I've watched that damn show for years and I can't recall any time when they ever shied away from an issue no matter how controversial it was.

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The FBI sought records on the Access Hollywood tape in its raid and any evidence that President Trumps lawyer suppressed damaging reports https://t.co/jj5xfLbaUL  The New York Times (@nytimes) April 11, 2018



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I hope this exposes NBC trying to cover this shit up!

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They are so heading towards a really big ship of crap if they are caught covering anything up.



I believe Comcast would have no choice but to shake up the brass. If Andy Lack was involved I could see him and many others getting the boot. Keep in mind Brian L. Roberts the CEO of Comcast is a Democrat and close buddy of Barack Obama. Steve Burke is a moderate Republican and CEO of NBCU could be replaced if he or any of his administration has their fingerprints on any of this.

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oooh, I'm here for an Old Hollywood post!



Fave movies:

"Stage Door" and "The Women" are two longtime favorites.

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Aww those are some of the first old hollywood films I saw. Love them.

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I LOVE PRE-CODE Hollywood!! Esp 1930-1934. I have tracked down many rarities with Jean Harlow, Norma Shearer, Clara Bow, etc...



The Divorcee with Norma Shearer was super hard to find. I ended up doing the free 30day trial for Netflix BY MAIL (lol) just to copy some rare pre-code flicks.

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Sunset Boulevard And Cat On A Hot Tin Roof <3

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Some of those pre code movies are wild. My sister and I always have a wine night where we just sit back and watch pre code. While theyre not as blatant as movies now, its fun to recognize the innuendo.

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I love Pre-code talkies!! (and some silents) My faves are Red Headed Woman (I love Jean Harlow) and The Divorcee with Norma Shearer. Both were SUPER hard to find, I ended up using a free 30 day trial of Netflix by MAIL (haha!) just to get those DVDs and watch them.



I highly rec a silent of Clara Bow that was free to stream for Amazon Prime called My Lady of Whims. That see-thru dress was DIVINE and she looked smashing. Wearing see thru 100 years before Beyonce! lol!

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I've only seen a photo of that dress! I had no idea Prime had it, I thought it was gone forever.



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ugh Ive heard that Red Headed Woman is like the ultimate film from that era! But brb, tracking down the Clara Bow film.

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Baby Face is one of my favorite precodes -- they really treaded thin with a lot of the "suggestive" scenes.

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i will always really respect the priorities of the catholic church

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Now we have 3 billion superhero movies a year.

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i wish

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lol when I was a kid, my church would always post some newsletter on the bulletin board that had movie reviews a lot like these, and that was like my favorite thing to read through while waiting for my parents to finish socializing and take me home already.

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were they behind that dumb rule that bad guys couldn't get away with their crimes? The Bad Seed's ending was sooooo stupid

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Immoral deeds must be punished!!

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do you mean the curtain call thing? IA. talk about tonal whiplash smh

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The catholic church is one of the most evil institutions out there and I dont get why people continue to support them

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Because it's basically a cult. Organized religions are glorified cults. It's also the main source of why the world is so misogynistic but no one wants to say it.

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Oh it is absolutely a fucking cult. My elementary school was catholic but not strict at all about it. But then my high school was run by racist ass nuns and they would try and push their beliefs on us one tried to tell us that the homosexuals are called to lead a single life and since most of my class was gay it started a whole argument.

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pretty much. racism too was justified by christian beliefs

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most christian institutions are fucked up, but the catholic church might be the worst

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ever since i saw that cult documentary 'mother!' i never answer the fucking door......

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Pre code films are where its at. My favorite film is probably Sunset Boulevard but I like alot of the lesser known films as well.

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My fave pre codes are Red Headed Woman (love jean H!) and The Divorcee with Norma Shearer.



But Sunset Blvd (1950) is AMAZING!!!!!

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I fell in love with Jean Harlow after watching Dinner at Eight

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And they still dont allow me to partay on Good Friday or shopping after 8 pm and then they take 9% of my salary every month. Putas

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omg 9% ?! in tithes? where do you live

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Germany. Its 8% in most states but its 9% in Mine and I would like to leave the church but then I have to go find the time to see a priest to get the final chat and shit and I aint got no time for that cuz lazy lol

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holy shit, I had no idea this was a thing still.

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im glad our catholic churches here don't do that shit lol

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In the US they want 15%, but it's not mandatory. As far as I know.

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I'm still mad about those missing seconds during that dance number between Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in "Singin' in the Rain" because they were deemed too racy. I'm also mad that voodoo number he did with Judy Garland in "The Pirate" is lost... damn Hays Code.



Anyway, I've been watching a bunch of non-musical movies from the 40s/50s lately (last year I was all about musical films) but idk if I can pick a favorite yet. But my recent fave was "The Apartment". I was also positively surprised by "The Defiant Ones" which no one seems to be talking about (and conversely, I was pretty disappointed with "To Kill a Mockingbird" and how lamely it addressed racism in comparison).

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I have been watching a lot of romcoms from the 60s and such, and The Apartment is so amazing! Billy Wilder is one of the best (if not the best) filmmakers in history.

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Yes, it's sooo good! I'll be working my way through his oeuvre now. It also reminded me of The Shop Around the Corner, I really need to catch up on Ernst Lubitsch's filmography as well.

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ugh I would've loved to see the Voodoo number. it was probably amazing, and I'm sure it wouldn't even be racy by today's standards lol.

I'm mad that Lena Horne didn't get to be in Show Boat because of it too 

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Idk why I didnt have high expectations for The Apartment, but I loved it sooo much when I finished.

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defiant ones is flawless

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"Rape shall never be the subject of comedy.



Hey, that rule doesn't seem that bad!

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One of the few good things in that code.

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Probably Sunset Blvd. I just watched Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf tho and it was amazing. Didnt know the plot so it was kind of sad

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Ill google more about this tonight because the USA has never had that much Catholic influence compared to other parts of the world, seems puzzling

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lmao well until the whites tried to use religion here as a way to justify colonialism and why women cant have reproductive rights also used it to justify slavery. #america It wasnt Catholism exactly, but they used God as an excuse.

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Yeah most people have those thoughts before God enters the picture. Then they just take a skim through the Bible to find supporting evidence. Or else wildly misinterpret context and the meaning of words. A lot of the Bible is straight up MEANT to be figurative.

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Roman Holiday

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Edited at 2018-04-11 09:38 pm (UTC) flawless taste

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Audrey is everything.

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One of the best romantic movies ever.

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I love that movie so much.

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My fav Audrey film!

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No interest in The Rock's? Too old for? Let this week's indie release post help you make informed moviegoing decisions.Note that the movies listed are in their first week of limited release, so it may take them a few more weeks to show up in your local arthouse theater. Check out last week's post for more movies that may have just opened near you: Indie Releases from April 6th (opens today): Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris, Shea Whigham: Brad Anderson: Drama, Thriller: Caught in the crossfires of civil war, CIA operatives (Pike, Norris) must send a former U.S. diplomat (Hamm) to negotiate for the life of a friend he left behind.: Jon Hamm is competing with himself in limited release movies this weekend - he is a lead in both this film and: Zachary Quinto, Jenny Slate, Jon Hamm, Sheila Vand: Brian Shoaf: Drama: Emily Milburton is a therapist who is struggling with personal problems. Things change when she meets her new patient, Josh Norman, who is mentally ill. Josh starts to develop feelings for Emily but things get intesting when Emily falls for Josh's brother, Craig.: This is writer/director Brian Shoaf's first feature.Braeden Lemasters, Uriah Shelton, Isaac Jay, Dylan Riley SnyderGregory Caruso: Adventure, Drama, ComedyFour best friends search for a legendary jazz musician on Central Avenue, Los Angeles in 1959.: Also stars the late Reg E. Cathey.Rosario Dawson, Nick Robinson, Filliam H. Muffman, Kathy Bates: William H. Macy: Comedy, Drama: A young man living a sheltered life develops a crush on a stripper and joins her Alcoholics Anonymous group just so he can be in the same room with her.: Nick Robinson does a southern accent.: Ben Kingsley, Hera Hilmar, Peter Serafinowicz, Robert BlytheBrad SilberlingDrama, Thriller, WarAn infamous war criminal and former general spending his life on the run from international authorities is suddenly moved to a new hideout, where he develops a relationship with the maid that looks after him.: The director of this movie also directedandBrady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly JandreauChloe Zhao: Drama: Based on his a true story,stars breakout Brady Jandreau as a once rising star of the rodeo circuit warned that his competition days are over after a tragic riding accident. Back home, Brady finds himself wondering what he has to live for when he can no longer do what gives him a sense of purpose: to ride and compete. In an attempt to regain control of his fate, Brady undertakes a search for new identity and tries to redefine his idea of what it means to be a man in the heartland of America.: This is Zhao's second feature.won the C.I.C.A.E. award at Cannes 2017, and the Bonnie Award at this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards.James McAvoy, Alicia Vikander, Alexander Siddig, Jannik Schumann: Wim Wenders: Drama, Romance, Thriller: In a room with no windows on the eastern coast of Africa, a Scotsman, James More, is held captive by jihadist fighters. Thousands of miles away in the Greenland Sea, Danielle Flinders prepares to dive in a submersible to the ocean floor. In their confines they are drawn back to the Christmas of the previous year, where a chance encounter on a beach in France led to an intense and enduring romance.: Based on the novel of the same name by J.M. Ledgard.Source 1
Three members of the Ricky Barrios kidnapping syndicate arrested by the PNP-AKG

MANILA, Philippines  Three members of the Ricky Barrios kidnapping syndicate were arrested by the personnel of Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) in yesterdays follow up operation.

One of the arrested suspects is SPO2 Leo Leal Pamonag who is assigned at Calabarzon police.

PNP-AKG director PSSupt. Glen Dumlao said Pamonag was the supplier of police uniforms, ammunition, firearms and grenade that were being used by five slain kidnappers in San Pablo, Laguna.

Apart from Pamongay, Glen Tancingco who rented the vehicles used by the suspects was also arrested.

Lalaine Barrios, sister of the groups leader, was also among those arrested.  UNTV News & Rescue

The post 3 kidnappers nabbed in PNP-AKG op appeared first on UNTV News.
A long-running dispute over a property development in central China escalated into violence on Sunday as police clashed with urban management officials accused of intimidating people into leaving their homes, according to a news report.

Four police officers were taken to hospital and four others were also hurt in clashes with more than 100 urban management officials in the city of Shangqiu, Henan province, The Beijing News reported on Wednesday.

The incident happened as the plain clothes officials  known as chengguan in Mandarin  were trying to evict people from a residential area slated for redevelopment, the report said.

One homeowner, identified only by her surname, Wang, filmed the incident from inside her property, footage of which was later shared by the newspaper on Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like service.

Bulldozers stopped outside in front of our courtyard. Ours was the first door they started to break down, she said. I kept reporting it to the police, phoning continuously. By the time we had phoned they had already broken the door down and come in.

Baby born four years after Chinese parents death in road crash

She said that by the time the police arrived, the officials had left a trail of destruction.

They were carrying batons and started to smash the windows of our house  I told the police to make them leave  there wasnt anything left that they hadnt smashed.

A police report issued on Tuesday said that eight officers from Shangqiu had been injured in the conflict. It did not say if any urban management officials had been injured in the skirmishes or detained for their actions.

The newspaper report said the officials did not have permission to evict any of the residents, but said the incident was related to the proposed redevelopment, plans for which were approved in 2011.

Chinese food courier shows hes a whizz, by winning first prize in a poetry quiz

The proposal involved the relocation of 500 households, though an undisclosed number of them had refused to move.

Story continues

The local Communist Party committee is investigating the incident, the report said.

Chengguan have a reputation for using violence to enforce order. In 2013, a watermelon vendor in central Chinas Hunan province was beaten to death for selling the fruit without a licence, while later the same year a university graduate in the east China city of Nanjing was beaten up for attempting to video the officers demolishing a house.

This article Eight Chinese police officers hurt in clashes with 100 eviction officials first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
South Korea and Japan on Wednesday vowed to work closely together on North Korea ahead of the looming inter-Korea summit, but their foreign ministers remained divided over long-standing issues of Japan's wartime crimes and disputed islands. Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono made a rare visit to Seoul armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of the April 27 summit between North and South Korea. At a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in northeast Asia -- the North's Kim Jong Un is due to meet with the leaders of both South Korea and the US -- Japan has largely remained on the sidelines. Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, sparking security fears. Kono and his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha vowed "close communication and cooperation" to disarm the North and build peace on the flashpoint peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said after their meeting in Seoul. The Japanese envoy also met with President Moon Jae-in, who said working together on North Korea was "more important than ever" ahead of the summits, the South's Yonhap agency reported. It was the first visit to South Korea by a Japanese foreign minister in more than two years. But the top diplomats remained divided on two thorny historical issues still unresolved. The hugely emotional matter of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II has soured ties between the South and Japan for years. Seoul has urged Tokyo to take legal and moral responsibility, while Japan says that the issue was resolved when the two nations reached a deal in 2015 to offer compensations to the victims. South Korea and Japan have also locked horns over Seoul-controlled islets in the sea between the two countries called Dokdo in the South and Takeshima in Japan. "Kono expressed Japan's stance on 'comfort women' and Dokdo, and Kang explained our stance over 'comfort women' and made clear that the South cannot accept any argument by Japan over Dokdo," the ministry said in a statement. Moon said last month that Japan cannot unilaterally declare the wartime issue "over," while Japan says any attempt to modify or scrap the deal, signed by Moon's predecessor Park Geun-Hye, could hurt relations. Kono, before the Seoul visit, also said he would try to ensure that the "abduction issue will be talked about in the North-South summit", as well as Pyongyang's "nuclear and missile issues". He was referring to Japanese citizens abducted by the North's agents in the 1970s and 80s in a bid to train spies in Japanese language and customs before overseas missions. But a statement on the meeting from Seoul's foreign ministry did not mention the topic -- a key issue in ties between Japan and the North, which habitually spats out angry threats of attack against "Japanese reactionaries."
Protecting the vulnerable

Despite the fact that Nepals constitution contains multiple security arrangements, rights and legal provisions to safe guard the interests of Nepali women, the status of females has shown no marked improvement, and instead can be seen to be deteriorating.
Tens of thousands of university students marched in cities across Bangladesh on Wednesday in one of the biggest protests faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power. Students fighting against a controversial policy that sets aside government jobs for special groups have united in mass protests rarely seen on such a scale in Bangladesh. In Dhaka chanting mobs of students blockaded major roads and swarmed Dhaka University, bringing traffic to a standstill in the congested capital of 15 million. Police were deployed to the university where clashes in recent days left more than 100 students injured by tear gas and rubber bullets. "There are more than 5,000 protesters at the DU," a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer told AFP, referring to Bangladesh's most prestigious university. Police in Savar, northwest of Dhaka, said an estimated 7,000 students had descended on a major highway linking traffic to the capital, causing chaos. "They completely blockaded the road," police inspector Abdul Awal told AFP. In Chittagong, the second-largest city, some 4,000 students blocked a railway track and roads, police said. Protesters also caused disruptions in the major cities of Khulna, Barisal, Kushtia, Comilla, Mymensingh and Gopalganj. The prime minister told parliament she had instructed her cabinet secretary to review the quota system and try to resolve the situation. "Why should the people suffer? she said in a speech to parliament as reported by private broadcaster Ntv. She condemned the violence and said in the past three civil service tests, more than 70 percent of the posts were recruited on merit. Protests intensified Wednesday after allegations circulated widely on social media of a violent confrontation between a ruling party activist and a student protest leader. Demonstrators want the share of top government positions set aside for minority groups and the disabled significantly reduced. They are also particularly irate that 30 percent of government positions are reserved for descendents of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war. The government has promised to review the quota system but that caused a rift among demonstrators, with some accepting the assurance and others rejecting it. A pro-government faction of the student movement had postponed its protest action but left-leaning groups pledged to keep up the fight. "These job quotas are discriminatory. We want equal opportunities for all," said protestor Nur Mohammad, who said he missed out on a coveted government job because of the allocation system. Hasina -- whose father was the architect of the Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan -- has in the past rejected demands to slash the quotas.
Fuxianhuia protensa from an event bed (EB) and a background bed (BGB) of the Chengjiang Fossil Lagerstatte, showing typical differences in preservation. (a) EB fossil (ELI-JS721) showing excellent preservation of the external anatomy (e.g. the head shield, trunk tergites, antennae and stalked eyes). (b) BGB fossil (ELI-JS327A) preserving only remains of the gut and very faint segmentation in the partly decayed cuticle. Scale bar equals 5 mm. Credit: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2018). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0051

A small team of researchers from Germany and China has found evidence that suggests ancient preserved circulatory and nervous systems found in Chengjiang, China, are actually the remains of biofilms. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes their study of hundreds of fossils collected from the Chengjiang site and what they found.

Approximately 10 years ago, researchers studying remains uncovered at the Chengjiang site started making claims that they had found samples of nervous systems and veins in some of the fossils they were studyingsuggesting that such soft material had somehow survived intact for approximately 520 million years. They further claimed that the material had survived due to the unique nature in which they had been preserved. The ancient creatures were covered with mud almost immediately after death, sealing them away from decaying elements. The researchers with this new effort disagreethe material resembling brains and soft body parts, they suggest, is much more likely to be biofilm remains.

The researchers came to this conclusion by studying over 800 fossils uncovered at the Chengjiang site. As part of their investigation, they looked at differences between the fossils, noting that they should look somewhat the same. Brains, they note, from two different fossils should look quite a bit alike, regardless of the preservation methodbut they found a lot of variation. They noted also that some of the fossils with so-called soft remains had come from what are deemed event bedswhere a creature was covered with mud almost immediately after death. But some also came from what are known as background beds, in which the creature was covered more slowly, and tellingly, a very unlikely scenario for long-term preservation. They also noted some examples in which the hard shell of an ancient creature had been lost, but its soft inner material had still been somehow preserved, a very difficult proposition to swallow.

The researchers then conducted some reenactments with modern creatures such as shrimp, noting how they decayed when covered with mud soon after death. Even under such conditions, they note, the soft tissue was always the first thing to decay.

The researchers conclude by suggesting that the material thought to be brains or other nervous system parts, or veins, is instead more likely the remains of biofilms.

Explore further Fossilized brains of ancient sea creatures found in northern Greenland

More information: Jianni Liu et al. Microbial decay analysis challenges interpretation of putative organ systems in Cambrian fuxianhuiids, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2018). Jianni Liu et al. Microbial decay analysis challenges interpretation of putative organ systems in Cambrian fuxianhuiids,(2018). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0051 Abstract

The Chengjiang fossil Lagerstatte (Cambrian Stage 3) from Yunnan, southern China is renowned for its soft-tissue preservation. Accordingly structures in fuxianhuiids, radiodontans and great appendage arthropods have been interpreted as the nervous and cardiovascular systems, including brains, hearts and blood vessels. That such delicate organ systems survive the fossilization process seems remarkable; given that this mode of preservation involves major taphonomic changes, such as flattening, microbial degradation, chemical alteration and replacement. Here, we document a range of taphonomic preservation states in numerous articulated individuals of Fuxianhuia protensa. We suggest that organic (partly iron mineral-replaced) bulbous structures in the head region, previously interpreted as brain tissue, along with sagittally located organic strands interpreted as part of the cardiovascular system or as nerve cords, may be better explained as microbial biofilms that developed following decomposition of the intestine, muscle and other connective tissues, forming halos surrounding the original organic remains. Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B

 2018 Phys.org
Gosses Bluff impact crater in the Northern Territory. Credit: NASAs Earth Observatory

Our planet has had a few close encounters with asteroids of late.

Asteroid 2018 CC came within about 184,000km of Earth on February 6 this year. A few days later asteroid 2018 CB came within 64,000km, which is less than one-fifth the distance of Earth to the Moon.

Thankfully, both asteroids were relatively small (estimated between 15m and 40m). Neither posed a risk to Earth (this time), but Earth has not been so lucky in the past.

Research in Australia and other countries indicates that, in the distant geological past, asteroids as large as Eros (about 34.4km long and 11.2km wide) have impacted Earth. These have triggered major changes in the structure and evolution of the crust and mantle, as I've written about before.

The impact of asteroids on the Australian continent and marine shelves is examined more closely in my new book, Asteroid impacts, crustal evolution and mineral systems, with special reference to Australia, co-authored by Franco Pirajno.

Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH

In the firing line

The terrestrial planets of the inner solar system  Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury  are all affected by asteroids deflected from the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, and by comets falling off the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune.

Many of these impact craters are clearly seen on Mars and Mercury as well as on our Moon. Venus too has its craters, but its thick atmosphere obscures these.

When Earth is viewed from space, it displays little or no cratering despite also being located in the trajectory of these asteroids and comets.

But this impression is apparent rather than real. Many of the impact scars are covered or masked due to the dynamic nature of Earth and the oceans that extend over some two-thirds of the planet's surface. The masking processes include the accretion and subduction of tectonic plates as well as intensive erosion processes.

It was not until about 1981 that the scientific community began to recognise the significance of extraterrestrial impacts for the mass extinction of species about 66 million years ago, which wiped out the dinosaurs and many other groups.

Asteroid Eros. Credit: NASA

The American scientists Louis and Walter Alvarez and their colleagues had unearthed a telltale iridium-rich sedimentary layer around the 66 million-year-old Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary at Gubbio, Italy. The element iridium, typically enriched in asteroids, is a signature within sediments for material from a meteorite impact.

The discovery re-established the idea that catastrophes shaped much of Earth's history, a theory originally promoted by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier.

Impacts on the Earth

Beyond forming craters, the impact of large asteroids on Earth resulted in the formation of structural domes due to elastic rebound of the crust. Examples include the Vredefort dome in South Africa and the buried Woodleigh dome under and east of Shark Bay in Western Australia.

The impacts also caused major seismic activity and faulting, large tsunami events, ejection of masses of particles and dust, and  as mentioned earlier  in some instances the mass extinction of species due to rapid environmental changes.

The asteroid impact record on Earth is thus to a large extent concealed and the subject of an extensive search using structural, geophysical, geochemical and other methods.

The cratered surface of Mercury. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Since many impact records are covered by the oceans or were eroded, old stable parts of the Earth crust, named "cratons", are the best places to look. This is where the scars of ancient asteroid impacts are preserved and can be found, including craters and their deep-seated roots and rebound dome structures.

Australian impacts

The criteria applied for recognition of asteroid impact structures and meteorite craters allowed the identification of at least 38 confirmed impact structures on the Australian continent and surrounding continental shelf.

There are an additional 43 examples of exposed and buried circular ring and dome features, many of which are of possible or probable impact origin.

Examples of exposed confirmed impact structures include Gosses Bluff in the southern Northern Territory, Shoemaker in central Western Australia, and Acraman and Lawn Hill in northwestern Queensland.

Earth doesnt look very cratered from space. Credit: NASA

The impact record of Australia thus includes exposed impact structures, buried impact structures, meteorite craters and geophysical ring anomalies of unproven origin.

Examples of large geophysical multi-ring features  total magnetic intensity anomalies, circular gravity anomalies and seismic domes  include probable buried twin impact structures in the Warburton Basin in northeast South Australia, a confirmed buried impact structure at Woodleigh in WA, and confirmed buried impact structures at Tookoonooka and Talundilly in the Eromanga Basin in southwest Queensland.

The red circles show confirmed impact structures, green circles are impact craters, the yellow circles are possible-to-probable ring structures, red outer rings are impact structures larger than 100km in diameter, and outer white rings are impact structures less than 50km. Credit: Google Earth/Andrew Glikson, Author provided

Fallout of asteroid impacts

Structures and craters caused by asteroid impacts are not the only thing we find. In the Australian landscape there are also the rock fragments and melt drops derived from clouds ejected from the impact craters.

The melt drops, condensed from impact-ejected vapour, are termed "microkrystites". These are recognised by their radiating quench (cooling) textures and abundance of platinum group element anomalies.

In at least one instance the evidence suggests that an impact by a cluster of large asteroids resulted in an abrupt transformation of crustal structure on the Pilbara, northwestern Australia, as well as the Barberton greenstone belt in South Africa, from a granite/greenstone system to semi-continental crustal environment.

Between 3.26 and 3.24 billion years ago these impacts caused a sharp tectonic uplift and magmatic activity, leading to to an onset of semi-continental crustal conditions.

Seismic tomographic (identified 3-D images) anomalies of the Warburton twin structures, South Australia, representing probable impact structures, and the Woodleigh impact structure, Western Australia. Credit: Saygin and Kennett 2010/Andrew Glikson, Author provided

Thus, far from being free from impacts, the Australian landscape has been shaped many times over millions and billions of years by asteroids falling to Earth.

As studies of Australian impact structure and impact ejecta progress, the critical role of asteroid impacts in the early evolution of the Earth and in the development of the Australian continent are becoming clearer.

Explore further World's largest asteroid impact site could be in Australia

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Scientists annotated and assembled the fish genome of Seriola dorsalis, AKA Californa Yellowtail, using big data and supercomputers. Closely related Seriola lalandi shown. Credit: Fishbase

If you eat fish in the U.S., chances are it once swam in another country. That's because the U.S. imports over 80 percent of its seafood, according to estimates by the United Nations. New genetic research could help make farmed fish more palatable and bring America's wild fish species to dinner tables. Scientists have used big data and supercomputers to catch a fish genome, a first step in its sustainable aquaculture harvest.

Researchers assembled and annotated for the first time the genomethe total genetic materialof the fish species Seriola dorsalis. Also known as California Yellowtail, it's a fish of high value to the sashimi, or raw seafood industry. The science team formed from the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Iowa State University, and the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico. They published their results on January of 2018 in the journal BMC Genomics.

"The major findings in this publication were to characterize the Seriola dorsalis genome and its annotation, along with getting a better understanding of sex determination of this fish species," said study co-author Andrew Severin, a Scientist and Facility Manager at the Genome Informatics Facility of Iowa State University.

"We can now confidently say," added Severin, "that Seriola dorsalis has a Z-W sex determination system, and that we know the chromosome that it's contained on and the region that actually determines the sex of this fish." Z-W refers to the sex chromosomes and depends on whether the male or female is heterozygous (XX,XY or ZZ,ZW), respectively. Another way to think about this is that in Z-W sex determination, the DNA molecules of the fish ovum determine the sex of the offspring. By contrast, in the X-Y sex determination system, such is found in humans, the sperm determines sex in the offspring.

It's hard to tell the difference between a male and female yellowtail fish because they don't have any obvious phenotypical, or outwardly physically distinguishing traits. "Being able to determine sex in fish is really important because we can develop a marker that can be used to determine sex in young fish that you can't determine phenotypically," Severin explained. "This can be used to improve aquaculture practices." Sex identification lets fish farmers stock tanks with the right ratio of males to females and get better yield.

Assembling and annotating a genome is like building an enormous three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The Seriola dorsalis genome has 685 million piecesits base pairs of DNAto put together. "Gene annotations are locations on the genome that encode transcripts that are translated into proteins," explained Severin. "Proteins are the molecular machinery that operate all the biochemistry in the body from the digestion of your food, to the activation of your immune system to the growth of your fingernails. Even that is an oversimplification of all the regulation."

Severin and his team assembled the genome of 685 megabase (MB) pairs from thousands of smaller fragments that each gave information to form the complete picture. "We had to sequence them for quite a bit of depth in order to construct the full 685 MB genome," said study co-author Arun Seetharam. "This amounted to a lot of data," added Seetharam, who is an associate scientist at the Genome Informatics Facility of Iowa State University.

The raw DNA sequence data ran 500 gigabytes for the Seriola dorsalis genome, coming from tissue samples of a juvenile fish collected at the Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute in San Diego. "In order to put them together," Seetharam said, "we needed a computer with a lot more RAM to put it all into the computer's memory and then put it together to construct the 685 MB genome. We needed really powerful machines."

That's when Seetharam realized that the computational resources at Iowa State University at the time weren't sufficient get the job done in a timely manner, and he turned to XSEDE, the eXtreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment funded by the National Science Foundation. XSEDE is a single virtual system that scientists can use to interactively share computing resources, data and expertise.

Credit: TACC

"When we first started using XSEDE resources," explained Seetharam, "there was an option for us to select for ECSS, the Extended Collaborative Support Services. We thought it would be a great help if there were someone from the XSEDE side to help us. We opted for ECSS. Our interactions with Phillip Blood of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center were extremely important to get us up and running with the assembly quickly on XSEDE resources," Seetharam said.

The genome assembly work was computed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) on the Blacklight system, which at one point was the world's largest coherent shared-memory computing system. Blacklight has since been superseded by the data-centric Bridges system at PSC, which includes similar large-memory nodes of up to 12 terabytesa thousand times more than a typical personal computer. "We ended up using Blacklight at the time because it had a lot of RAM," recalled Andrew Severin. That's because they needed to put all the raw data into the computer's random access memory (RAM) so that it could use the algorithms of the Maryland Super-Read Celera Assembler genome assembly software. "You have to be able to compare every single piece of sequence data to every other piece to figure out which pieces need to be joined together, like a giant puzzle," Severin explained.

"We also used Stampede," continued Severin, "the first Stampede, which is another XSEDE computational resource that has lots and lots of compute nodes. Each compute node you can think of as a separate computer. " The Stampede1 system at the Texas Advanced Computing Center had over 6,400 Dell PowerEdge server nodes, which later added 508 Intel Knights Landing (KNL) nodes in preparation for its current successor, Stampede2 with 4,200 KNL nodes.

"We used Stampede to do the annotation of these gene models that we identified in the genome to try and figure out what their functions are," Severin said. "That required us to perform an analysis called the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), and it required us to use many CPUs, over a year's worth of compute time that we ended up doing within a couple of week's worth of actual time because of the many nodes that were on Stampede."

"This experiment started with a collaboration with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of NOAA," Severin explained. He said the project originally set out to complete a large RNA-seq project, and it turned out that there was sufficient funding to also do a genome assembly. "That resulted in a long-term collaboration with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center," Severin said. "With the recent advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing, we're now able to generate terabytes of sequencing data. This tends to be short, 100-150 base pair reads that we have to put together like a very large puzzle and figure out where all the pieces go," he added.

Severin and Seetharam's team have completed the basic picture of the genome for Seriola dorsalis, but they say there's still room for refinement. "The genome that we assembled is not perfect, in the sense that it is still in many pieces. We weren't able to fully piece together entire chromosomes," explained Seetharam. "We have many scaffolds representing each of those chromosomes, and we are missing a lot of information that is needed to fill in the gaps." Sequencing technology advancements can address these gaps, Seetharam said, through the advancement of sequencing technology that can produce longer DNA reads.

"We also hypothesized in the paper," said Severin, "of this deletion that's upstream of a gene that converts estrone into estrogen, that's part of the sex-determination pathway. That may be responsible for sex determination. But since it's just a hypothesis based on computational methods, this needs further investigation in the lab. We could certainly follow that up with a CRISPR-like experiment to test this mutation."

Severin also mentioned data collection for a larger genome-wide association study experiment to find locations and variants in the genome associated with jaw deformities. "We're currently collecting those samples," said Severin, "but we'll be able to use that genome to provide markers to the farmers to select against fish that have these propensities for jaw deformity."

Both Severin and Seetharam are resolute in their conviction that big data can solve problems in sustainable food production. "I believe the public is going to see more of this type of big data utilization and to see why science is so important for our future," Severin said. Gene annotation, he feels, is just the tip of the iceberg. "We're going to start comparing genome assemblies with each other and start getting at what a genome is and how it works; and how for a particular genome does the presence or absence of genes or its context with regard to its three-dimensional structure, how does that make a species," Severin said.

"Big data keeps getting bigger, and we're finding answers to really interesting questions." Severin concluded. Seetharam added that "There will be more studies using big data that will have significant impactful for the general public. This level of research will foster even larger studies in the future."

The study, "Insights into teleost sex determination from the Seriola dorsalis genome assembly," was published January of 2018 in the journal BMC Genomics.

Explore further Technologies for analyzing gene expression at the genomic scale

More information: Catherine M. Purcell et al, Insights into teleost sex determination from the Seriola dorsalis genome assembly, BMC Genomics (2018). Journal information: BMC Genomics Catherine M. Purcell et al, Insights into teleost sex determination from the Seriola dorsalis genome assembly,(2018). DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4403-1
"Rare earths" are found in several high tech products including mobile phones

Japanese researchers have mapped vast reserves of rare earth elements in deep-sea mud, enough to feed global demand on a "semi-infinite basis," according to a fresh study.

The deposit, found within Japan's exclusive economic waters, contains more than 16 million tons of the elements needed to build high-tech products from mobile phones to electric vehicles, according to the study, released Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports.

The team, comprised of several universities, businesses and government institutions, surveyed the western Pacific Ocean near Minamitorishima Island, Japan.

In a sample area of the mineral-rich region, the team's survey estimated 1.2 million tons of "rare earth oxide" deposited there, said the study, conducted jointly by Yutaro Takaya, researcher with Waseda University and Yasuhiro Kato of the University of Tokyo, among others.

The finding extrapolates that a 2,500-square kilometre region off the southern Japanese island should contain 16 million tons of the valuable elements, and "has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world," the study said.

The area reserves offer "great potential as ore deposits for some of the most critically important elements in modern society," it said.

The report said there were hundreds of years of reserves of most of the rare earths in the area surveyed.

The team has also developed an efficient method to separate valuable elements from others in the mud.

The world relies heavily on China for rare earths, with Beijing producing most of the elements currently available on the market.

But Beijing has severely restricted exports of these products at times of diplomatic tension.

In 2010, for example, Japanese manufacturers faced serious supply shortages as China limited the valuable exports.

That came after Japan arrested the captain of a Chinese trawler that was involved in a run-in with Japanese coastguards near the disputed Senkaku Islands, claimed by China as the Diaoyus.

The Japanese study stressed the importance of the efforts to develop efficient and economic methods to collect the deep-sea mud.

"The enormous resource amount and the effectiveness of the mineral processing are strong indicators that this new (rare-earth rich mud) resource could be exploited in the near future," the study said.

Explore further Japan to survey Pacific seabed for rare earths

More information: Yutaro Takaya et al. The tremendous potential of deep-sea mud as a source of rare-earth elements, Scientific Reports (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports Yutaro Takaya et al. The tremendous potential of deep-sea mud as a source of rare-earth elements,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23948-5

 2018 AFP
Biogenic manganese oxide-coated coir fiber collected from the coal mine drainage treatment system in Glasgow, Pennsylvania. Credit: Penn State

Researchers at Penn State have developed a water filtration system that removes contaminants and reduces toxicity in hospital wastewater.

Contaminants, including antibiotics, pharmaceuticals and steroids, are increasingly being detected in surface waters and drinking water sources. These contaminants can have a huge impact on both human and aquatic health, so effective removal is essential to protect the health and safety of water resources.

"There have been a number of urban sewer inventories that have identified hospitals as a major contributor of drugs and hormones and other contaminants that end up at wastewater treatment plants," said Bill Burgos, professor of environmental engineering at Penn State.

In fact, hospitals may contribute upwards of half the total load of contaminants carried to regional wastewater treatment plants, said Burgos. Once there, elimination can be difficult because the chemicals become diluted, yet they still pose a health threat due to their high biological potency.

"One way to destroy these compounds is through chemical oxidation," Burgos said. "Manganese oxides are very powerful oxidants and are known to be nonselective, so they are highly reactive with just about any oxidizable organic compound, including those found in hospital wastewater."

Conceptual artwork of research project using biogenic manganese oxides produced in coal mine drainage treatment systems for point-of-entry treatment of hospital wastewater. Drawing by Audrey Stallworth, graduate student in environmental engineering. Credit: Penn State

To test the effectiveness of manganese oxides (MnOx), the researchers collected wastewater samples from the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and obtained biogenic MnOx-coated coir fiber from a metal removal unit in Glasgow, Pennsylvania operated by EcoIslands LLC. The MnOx-coated fiber was then reacted with the hospital wastewaters to evaluate performance.

Chemical analyses showed that biogenic MnOx-coated coir fiber filters were very effective at removing contaminants from hospital wastewaters. Of the 36 organic micro-pollutants detected, 21 were removed by more than 94 percent after a 24-hour reaction period.

Consistent with these results, bioanalytical assays, which test the potential toxicity of the wastewater to humans, also revealed that biologically active compounds were removed below detection levels.

"Not only do we have chemical evidence that these filters remove these contaminants, we also have biological evidence that the potential human toxicity was dramatically reduced," Burgos said.

Metal removal units operated by EcoIslands, LLC set up as a demonstration project at the coal mine drainage treatment system in Glasgow, Pennsylvania. Coir fiber was used to fill all of the reactors to promote biological removal of dissolved manganese. Credit: Penn State

In addition, the MnOx used was formed as part of a coal mine drainage treatment system, and its reuse converts a waste product into a commodity.

The team's next steps include reducing treatment times, testing a flow-through configuration, screening different biogenic MnOx sources, and beginning field studies.

Explore further Anaerobic microfiltration membranes for wastewater could slow the spread of antibiotic resistance
Louisiana 1, a state highway, abruptly ends in open water at the now-coastal community of Leeville, Louisiana in the Mississippi Delta. A new highway (overhead) has been constructed to connect a major industrial port (Port Fourchon) and communities below Leeville with the mainland. Credit: Elizabeth Chamberlain

Although river diversions that bring land building sediment to shrinking coastlands are the best solution to sustaining portions of the Mississippi Delta, a new Tulane University study concludes that the rate of land building will likely be dwarfed by the rate of wetland loss.

The study, published in the open-access journal Science Advances, used optical dating to measure how fast the delta shoreline migrated seaward under natural conditions.

"Optical dating determines when sediment grains were deposited by measuring their last exposure to daylight," said Elizabeth Chamberlain, lead author and recent Tulane PhD graduate. "This method allowed us to date the shoreline of the Lafourche lobe in the central Mississippi Delta and to calculate that it advanced at a rate of 300-500 feet per year for almost 1,000 years."

Prior to human influence, the Mississippi Delta grew at a rate of 2 to 3 square miles per year. But these rates fall far short of the rates of land loss in coastal Louisiana, which have averaged 15 to 20 square miles per year over the past century, the researchers said.

Tulane Vokes Geology Professor Torbjorn Tornqvist, a co-author of the study, said that given the accelerating rates of sea-level rise that will likely continue long into the future, even the best designed river diversions won't be able to prevent more land loss.

Zhixiong Shen (left) and Elizabeth Chamberlain (right) collecting a sample for optical dating along Bayou Lafourche in Louisiana, an abandoned course of the Mississippi River. Credit: Anjali Fernandes

"Therefore difficult choices will have to be made about where to locate these diversions," he said.

With limited federal and state funding, positioning river diversions in areas that have the greatest land building potential and protect the largest population centers, as opposed to multiple diversions targeting the entire shoreline, is the only viable option.

Chamberlain, now a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University, and Tornqvist conducted the research with colleagues from Coastal Carolina University, the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom and Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

Justin Lawrence, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research, said the results of the study are striking. "The findings will inform coastal policy and management in this low-lying U.S. region."

Explore further Mississippi mud may hold hope for Louisiana coast

More information: E.L. Chamberlain el al., "Anatomy of Mississippi Delta growth and its implications for coastal restoration," Science Advances (2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar4740 , Journal information: Science Advances E.L. Chamberlain el al., "Anatomy of Mississippi Delta growth and its implications for coastal restoration,"(2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar4740 , advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/4/eaar4740
Credit: University of Nottingham

Researchers at the University of Nottingham who developed groundbreaking technology which was used to create the first country-wide land motion map of Scotland, have scored another first by creating a new UK-wide ground motion map.

Using thousands of satellite radar images, the technology was applied under license by Geomatic Ventures Limited (GVL), an innovative University spin-out company, to create a complete land motion map of the UK as a natural progression from the first country-wide map of ground motion in Scotland.

The new UK-wide map covers a two-year period from 2015 to 2017 and was created using an Intermittent Small Baseline Subset (ISBAS) analysis, a novel satellite remote sensing data processing algorithm. It offers the most detailed look ever at the UK's shifting topography and highlights areas of hazards due to coal mining, soil compaction, landslides, coastal erosion, landfill subsidence and tunnelling for the London Underground.

This unique ground motion surveying system offers a host of advantages. It can obtain measurements over all urban and rural areas and therefore provides a full picture of the moving UK land surface, which is of significant interest to policymakers and a wide range of industries. These include onshore oil and gas, civil engineering, insurance, mining and carbon trading.

Dr. Stephen Grebby, Assistant Professor in Earth Observation, explained, "With the new map we are able to better understand how the entire UK landscape is being affected by various natural and anthropogenic processes. Whilst providing us with detailed information to study the individual mechanisms of these processes, the technique also offers a means of identifying and mitigating any potential risk that these may also pose to infrastructure, society and the environment."

Dr. John Kupiec, Innovation Manager at the Environment Agency commented, "The Environment Agency has supported GVL in this innovative development and is delighted to see the product released as an online interactive map. The Environment Agency and other government and public sector organisations will be able to make use of the rich information for a variety of applications in monitoring both the natural and built environments for the benefit of people and to promote sustainable development."

Large civil engineering projects such as the works at Kennington Park, London, part of the Northern Line Extension, lie at the heart of a large subsidence bowl (red/brown on the map) measuring more than 500m across, just east of the Oval. This is most likely due to the sinking of a shaft which was completed in November 2017. The map also shows that parts of the proposed HS2 route go through some of the most dynamic areas of coal mining subsidence in England.

Coal mining areas contain large regions of surface rebound (uplift  blue on the map) which is a common occurrence as the underground workings flood after closure, but there are also many instances of collapsing mines deep underground that may still lead to surface subsidence (red/brown on the map) decades after closure. The examples of such effects can be seen extensively over former coalfields such as Leigh, Greater Manchester; North Nottinghamshire; South Yorkshire; Stoke-on-Trent; and Midlothian. Even though the map shows ground movement in these and other areas, there is very little cause for concern, as the rates are typically very low (only a few millimetres per year) and would be barely noticeable in most cases.

The new map easily identifies subsiding areas (in red/brown) in Scotland's Flow Country, which is the largest blanket bog in Europe and the largest single terrestrial carbon store in the UK, thus ensuring that the extent of the damage can be assessed. This key information can contribute towards international reports on emissions which are submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the European Union. It also provides useful evidence on the success of restoration campaigns which are important for reporting on carbon sequestration.

Dr. Andy Sowter, Chief Technical Officer of GVL said, "This is truly the first of its kind. No one has ever mapped land motion across the whole of the UK quite like this before, encompassing the complete rural and urban landscape, and all from a satellite orbiting 800km above us. This unique image has revealed a dynamic, shifting, collapsing landscape dominated by unnatural, man-made activities such as our heritage in coal mining, agricultural practices and peatland management. It has implications for a whole range of industrial and governmental bodies including those in energy, infrastructure, environmental management and climate change but also demonstrates that a low-cost, operational solution to the monitoring of land surface dynamics at this scale is possible."

About the UK-wide land motion map

The map was produced from over 8TB of radar data (more than 2000 images) acquired over two years by the Sentinel-1 satellite mission, which is part of the European Union's Copernicus programme. Sentinel-1 data was downloaded for free from the European Space Agency website. The data was analysed using the novel (patent pending) ISBAS Interferometric SAR (InSAR) method developed by the University of Nottingham and exclusively licensed to GVL, which is uniquely able to survey both rural and urban areas. The images were processed by GVL.

About the ISBAS method

The Intermittent Small Baseline Subset (ISBAS) method was first tested in 2012 in collaboration with the British Geological Survey. In 2014, it was the overall winner of the prestigious Copernicus Masters Competition, also known as the 'Space Oscars,' awarded by the European Union and the European Space Agency. Since then it has been fully validated and is the subject of a growing number of high-ranking peer-reviewed journals. It is also the subject of a patent application by the University of Nottingham.

Explore further First coast-to-coast land motion map of Scotland derived from satellite radar images
When a natural disaster strikes, major disaster databases tend to compile information about losses such as damages to property or cost of repairs, but other economic impacts after the disaster are often overlookedsuch as how a company's lost ability to produce products may affect the entire supply-chain within the affected region and in other regions.

Without using the right model to study these losses, the data may give an incomplete picture of the full financial impact of the disaster as it doesn't fully portray business interruptions incurred locally, or by trade partners, after the event. As a result, a locality may receive less than it should in state or federal government recovery support.

In a recent study, published in Earth System Dynamics, an interdisciplinary journal devoted to the study of Earth and global change, economists at the University of Illinois partnered with atmospheric scientists and hydrologists from U of I and UCLA, and with the Army Corps of Engineers to capture the characteristics of an atmospheric rivera transporter of water vapor in the skythat hit the western part of Washington State in 2007. This event resulted in record flooding (a 500-year stream peak event in some parts of the river) and record damages.

The team hopes to show that carefully selecting the characteristics of the extreme weather event under study and the correct model to estimate lossesbased on characteristics of the disaster and the affected region, and on the interdependence between one area and anothercan help in determining vulnerability and preparing for future disasters, from an economic standpoint.

"This is quite different from what insurance companies do," explains Sandy Dall'Erba, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at U of I, and a co-author of the study. "After a disaster, when an insurance company comes, they basically say that your building has been destroyed by this particular amount. And because you were out of the building for, say, a week, you couldn't produce anything for a week. What insurance companies forget, and what our paper is trying to demonstrate is that the total amount of economic losses is much greater."

The ripple effects from a disaster can be significant if major industrial chains are disrupted when infrastructure is comprised. For instance, while the study finds that intersectoral and interregional linkages add up to around 10 percent in standard economic damage estimates in the small rural area chosen in this study, that share could go up to 50-70 percent for a major metropolitan area like Houston, Texas, because of its enormous transportation system and interregional trade.

"Let's say for instance that a company producing tires is flooded. Obviously, no tires are coming from that company," Dall'Erba explains. "The car company, which could be located in a place that wasn't flooded, suddenly is expecting a delay in the tires that are not coming on time anymore. There are all of these connections from one city to the next that are traditionally not accounted for after a disaster."

In his U of I lab, the Regional Economic Applications Laboratory (REAL), Dall'Erba studies very specific disaster events using a technique called input-outputa technique that shows the interdependencies between the sectors within a region and across different regions. He also teaches this technique in his home department (ACE) on a regular basis.

"We look at each industry. What kind of products and services do they buy? To whom do they sell their goods and services? In the case of Chehalis, Washington, that was flooded in 2007, it was mainly companies selling to other companies, not to individual households. Those are the kinds of links that we try to include in the work we do in REAL, how to understand that level of dependence between one location and other places. We also provide measurements that are very specific to each locality," Dall'Erba says.

Using the input-output technique helped the researchers calculate the actual losses after the event in Chehalis. "We rely on a huge amount of data to do it. We have information from each locality about how each industry is connected to every industry within that locality and outside of that locality so we can understand how dollars flow," he adds.

In addition, they must account for the timing of the event. "While the affected area is very agricultural, the luck it had is that the flood took place in December, way ahead of the growing season of the crop the locality depends the most on, corn. If it had taken place a few months later, the local economy would have experienced much larger losses," Dall'Erba says.

Finally, Dall'Erba's team is particularly careful to account for the location of the companies in charge of reconstruction. "Most of the literature assumes without evidence that reconstruction will dampen the local losses and boost employment. It turns out that for small rural communitieslike the one in our studyno local construction company is present or is large enough to be in charge of reconstruction. As such, reconstruction efforts are delivered by companies outside of the affected economy and it is these other localities that see an increase in output and construction jobs," Dall'Erba adds.

The latter part of their study focuses on the future. Assuming that climate change will result in 15 percent more streamflow (water from rivers or streams) for all return periods, the authors find that the total losses would increase from $6.2 million, the figure seen during the actual event, to $8.6 million (a 39 percent increase).

"Adaptation strategies could include, among others, larger floodplains in upstream locations, levees close to critical buildings, and/or developing a more resilient supply-chain," Dall'Erba says. "However it is particularly hard for small rural communities as they do not always have the budget necessary to implement large adaptation projects; yet they have already been more frequently affected by floods than urban areas over the last few decades."

The study, "Tracking an Atmospheric River in a Warmer Climate: from Water Vapor to Economic Impacts," is published in Earth System Dynamics.

Explore further Climate change will affect farmers' bottom line

More information: Francina Dominguez et al, Tracking an atmospheric river in a warmer climate: from water vapor to economic impacts, Earth System Dynamics (2018). Francina Dominguez et al, Tracking an atmospheric river in a warmer climate: from water vapor to economic impacts,(2018). DOI: 10.5194/esd-9-249-2018
Credit: Massey University

While celebrating the Department of Conservation's announcement of a New Zealand sea lion (rapoka) breeding colony on Stewart Island, a Massey University marine mammal specialist is calling further action to protect the endangered species.

Beginning with a two-person team eight years ago, Massey University's Associate Professor Louise Chilvers has been visiting the island each year to make pup counts.

"Getting up to 55 pups this year was an exciting find for us, but it doesn't make up for the 1500 pups that are no longer born at the Auckland Islands. The main human impact at the Auckland Islands is local fisheries interaction, so the establishment of this new little population away from that interaction is so important for the endangered New Zealand sea lion."

"When it comes to the five sea lion species of the world, ours is the least abundant. South American, Californian, and Steller sea lion populations range in the hundreds of thousands, while the New Zealand and Australian barely break 10,000. These pups and colony are extremely special, so hopefully now there will be an increase in efforts to ensure their protection, and that of the others in the south, and that means not only DOC, but all of New Zealand."

"These are our own New Zealand sea lions, only found here and they are unique. Take their forest-dwelling for example, none of the other sea lion species around the world do this. The more we know, the more we can do to protect them."

Dr. Chilvers recently returned from undertaking the count on Stewart Island, working with a team of five from the Stewart Island and Southland Department of Conservation areas and Auckland Zoo.

Sea lion pup enjoying a creek in the forest. Credit: Massey University

"Stewart Island is an important place to focus efforts on research to better inform their management, as has been outlined in the DOC Threat Management Plan, but equally sea lion populations around the rest of New Zealand's mainland and the sub-Antarctics are still threatened by human activity."

"Last year we tagged the pup of a female that we tagged as a pup on Stewart Island from five years previously. It was pretty special to see the generations are staying in the area.

"This work is pretty full-on though, and over the eight-day trip we were working very hard. Sea lions can grow to weigh around 400-500 kilograms, as pups at the age we are tagging them they are 30 to 50 kilograms so not an easy task. But we would never have even been there to do the work if it wasn't for the community's help in the beginning."

That community help came in the form of sightings and photos eight years ago. There had been reports of sea lions breeding on Stewart Island, but never any photos to confirm pupping. So information sheets were sent out with hunting block permits for the island because people would often spot the sea lions when hunting or hiking on the island.

"This wasn't intended to be an accurate count because females actually raise pups mostly in the forest, not the beaches like people assume. It's also hard to tell the difference between a juvenile male and an adult female, so we needed to go ourselves  but we could only make the trip if we knew they were there. "In the end, people sent back information about sea lions they saw  and we had three females and five pups reported and shown in one photo, so that gave us all the information we needed to start the counts and research.

"That community engagement was so crucial for us to make a case about heading to Stewart Island and it has resulted in this exciting announcement eight years on of the first New Zealand sea lion colony on the New Zealand mainland in over 150 years."
Revamp justice bodies rights groups suggest

The Accountability Watch Committee (AWC), a network of conflict victims and civil society members, has raised its concerns over the continuous delay and lack of transparency in the transitional justice process of the country.
Dedication Ceremony at St. Theresa secondary school in Lira, Uganda, 2009. Students were forced to move away from a region taken by the Lords Resistance Army. Credit: Jesse Awalt/Flickr, CC BY-ND

I conduct research on wartime sexual violence. But hold on.

My work focuses on the non-cases: armed political actors which have committed little sexual violence and have a history of disciplining their members' sexual behaviour.

This effort seems ridiculously extraneous in the current climate. Just in the last years, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Daesh) in Syria and Iraq have systematically abducted and abused thousands of women and girls.

However, as researcher Elisabeth Jean Wood has demonstrated, sexual violence patterns vary because armed groups are different. And their diverse politics, strategies and institutional "DNA" is evident in their varied wartime conduct.

In another context, the #MeToo reckoning has uncovered the wide, wide array of sectors that have ignored complaints about perpetrators, while nurturing hostile and abusive climates of impunity. Humanitarian actors in particular, seem to be making innovative reforms. Even as new allegations arise, agencies of the United Nations (UN), for example, are establishing new measures. The UN has disseminated information about its zero-tolerance policy to its field personnel and established a task force to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse. It has increased transparency, and we now know more about incidents inside the UN. In the last quarter of 2017, reporting mechanisms have received 40 allegations across the organisation.

But for all that to have an impact, the UN and other actors must also embrace fresh ideas about gender norms and sexuality, and translate these into behaviours that can be modelled and transmitted to new recruits, middle-managers and old hands. That's stopping sexual predation before it happens. That's prevention.

After all, ragtag rebel armies in poor countries, with unequal gender relations and limited resources, have done it.

During my research in Burundi and Uganda, I have learned that sometimes rebel and insurgent groups arise in societies with dreadful levels of gender inequality, and yet train their fighters to scorn sexual coercion. To them, rapists should be shunned or executed.

Bring Back Our Girls: the world remembers the 276 girls abducted in 2014 from school, in Chibok, Nigeria, by Boko Haram. Credit: Tim Green/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Learning from ragtag armies

In Burundi, the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu PeopleForces for National Liberation (FNL) was rarely associated with wartime rape or similar abuses during or after the civil war. This is particularly striking if we consider that the coinciding and bordering genocide in Rwanda, between similar "ethnic" groups and with comparable causes of conflict, included widespread sexual violence against Tutsis committed by Hutus, by the then government-sponsored militia group known as Interahamwe. Palipehutu-FNL also attacked Tutsi civilians. However, its fighters did not permit or order sexual violence.

Civil war research contends that armed actors that do not rely on civilians for support are likelier to abuse them. This is an important clue, also demonstrated by scholars such as Jeremy Weinstein. Movements that prevent sexual violence may be motivated to ensure good relations with the local population for pragmatic, operational reasons. They need shelter, food, information and recruits. But going further, how do they achieve sexual discipline over their fighters?

In the 1980s, Uganda's National Resistance Army (NRA) launched a rebellion with a handful of weapons and very few men. It defined itself as a people's army, and depended heavily on support from the country's peasant population. It is believed to have committed little to no acts of sexual violence. Commanders and civilians I have interviewed tell me that the group's leaders presided over justice on behalf of civilians and exercised discipline against its fighters. The NRA code of conduct instructs members to refrain from shouting at, abusing or insulting the public, while also asserting that rape was punishable by death.

'Many women are wives or daughters of somebody, somewhere'

Over 30 years later, former NRA members have recited to me the saying they learned in the bush: "Many women are wives or daughters of somebody, somewhere".

Let's pause here. Other armed groups have allowed rape as a practice and/or committed it as a strategy for war purposes. Erin Baines has convincingly explained how another rebellion (also in Uganda), the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) used forced marriage and policed sexual relations by its members as a way to give birth to its own ethnically based nation. And other armed movements can be indiscriminate and opportunistic. They may not order sexual violence, but it is still a pronounced part of their conduct. For these types of rebel groups, women's bodies are the staging ground for advancing the insurgency, or just part of the spoils of war.

But according to the code of the NRA, all women deserved the same treatment as their own sisters or daughters or wives. The leadership sought to nurture a sense of empathy based on these roles, to get its fighters to relate to females through this lens. Rape would not only harm women and girls but rupture important relationships with the local population and the wider community. (This is not particularly empowering for women's sexual autonomy, since it still positions female bodily integrity in relation to kinship bonds. But that is another matter.) The emphasis on "family" makes sense across diverse cultural contexts in many parts of the world.

Indeed, this command had an important impact. It shaped minds and hearts and helped the men remain true to an ideal of sexual discipline not seen in everyday life. They could not engage in unsanctioned relationships or sexual predation. It was reinforced by specific notions of masculinity, particularly that a "real man" would not coerce sex, and in relation to a political ideology of liberation of Ugandans.

Footage taken in 1985 showing Yoweri Museveni who became president of Uganda in 1986.

The NRA's war took place before the current existing data-collection efforts and parameters of the Sexual Violence in Conflict Dataset. Still, I doubt we would have been able to add it to today's list of armed actors with a pattern of sexual violence. Nevertheless, we can learn something about preventing sexual violence from such actors.

Religion as a preventive tool

Strikingly, the FNL fighters in Burundi also developed confessional practices. Cohorts would name and shame one another in group prayers, for instance.

Fighters who engaged in sexual activity were viewed as weak or opportunistic, and this coincided with a culture of Christian purity. The majority of Burundians practice some form of Christianity, and the political elite in the country often have been vocal proponents of this faith. The leaders of FNL were no different, and they and their followers were born-again Christians of one conviction or another. Its members referred to themselves as God's army. Commanders as well as foot soldiers were held equally accountable to values, often formulated and practised within a religious context.

Finally, in the hierarchy of the group's gender norms, the best men were those that could cast aside sexual conquest in the service of chivalry and their brotherly bond to the group. And a new ideal was born.

Stigmatizing sexual predation

My research shows that prevention is possible, even in the most startling contexts. The rebel armies I've examined have not had perfect track records. They used capital punishment and fell well short of my feminist standards. They promoted masculinities that continued to position women as dependant on male protection. Moreover, without active and persistent stigmatisation of sexual coercion, it seems that the longevity of prevention was short-term.

I do not doubt there are survivors of abuse by members of these groups. But the pattern is of institutional prevention, not predation. These insurgents crafted masculine norms of soldiering that emphasised empathy for women and girls, and respect for wider societal bonds. Life in these rebel armies included value-based measures for shaming and punishing predators, not promoting them.

Stopping sexual violence before it happens is possible. Despite other factors that could induce these armed groups to permit their fighters' assaulting civilians (and co-combatant females), they chose to invest in creating new norms and behaviours, and ultimately, preferences for sexual discipline. And it worked.

Imagine then, the depth of change that is possible elsewhere.

Explore further Why we need to end impunity for sexual violence in armed conflict

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
A new AI tool created to help identify certain kinds of substance abuse based on a homeless youth's Facebook posts could provide homeless shelters with vital information to incorporate into each individual's case management plan. Credit: CC0 Public Domain

One Silicon Valley star witness, 44 media-hungry senators, and five hours of mostly tough questions and often ambiguous answers.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg officially ran the congressional gauntlet on Tuesday during a joint committee hearing in which nearly half the Senate grilled the social media executive about his platform's ability to protect Americans' personal data and ferret out foreign meddling in U.S. elections.

Here are six takeaways from Tuesday's bruising session:

Zuckerberg would not commit to a proposal that would require the social media giant to automatically let users "opt out" of having their data collected or shared. Right now, users must manually choose privacy settings that block such data sharing.

"I think that's the right principle," Zuckerberg said in response to a question about opt-out legislation from Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a fierce privacy advocate. "The details matter."

That was Zuckerberg's answer to many questions about what kind of regulation of legislation Facebook would support to beef up Americans' privacy in their use of social media platforms.

"This deserves a lot of discussion," he said about a privacy bill of rights for children.

"Everyone in the world deserves good privacy protection," Zuckerberg said when asked if the U.S. should adopt the kind of stringent protections embraced by the European Union.

"I'm committed to getting this right," he said when asked why lawmakers and the American public should trust Facebook to police itself.

Zuckerberg said Facebook officials are working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. But he hedged on the details of that cooperation.

Zuckerberg answered "yes" when asked if Facebook had been served any subpoenas from Mueller. And he said "yes" again when asked if anyone at Facebook had been interviewedthough Zuckerberg said he personally had not talked to Mueller's team.

But then, Zuckerberg added a few caveats: "I want to be careful here, because thatour work with the special counsel is confidential," he said. "I actually am not aware of a subpoena. I believe that there may be, but I know we're working with them."

Zuckerberg said he wasn't comfortable sharing some of his own personal information in the setting of a televised Senate hearing.

"Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?" asked Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

"Um, no," he responded.

Zuckerberg was similarly squeamish when Durbin asked if he would share the names of everyone he messaged week. "I would probably not choose to do that," he said.

Political score at the end of that round: Durbin 2, Zuckerberg 0.

Zuckerberg was also unable to answer several questions about how the company would stop foreign meddling in U.S. elections and the extent to which the Russians used Facebook to sway the 2016 elections.

Facebook has promised it will now verify the identity of political groups that place campaign ads on the social media platform. For example, Zuckerberg testified Tuesday that Facebook would check a group's location so a Russian company can't pretend to be based in the U.S.

But when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., asked how they would investigate a shell corporation or nonprofit, Zuckerberg did not have a firm answer.

He was also unable to say what connection Facebook had found, if any, between the Russian-linked company that purchased ads in the 2016 election and Cambridge Analytica, the data mining firm that improperly accessed up to 87 million Facebook users' private information.

"We're investigating that now," Zuckerberg said. "We believe it is entirely possible that there will be a connection there."

The best questioner during Tuesday's session: Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who seemed to catch Zuckerberg flatfooted when he asked about the terms of service that Facebook agreed to when it allowed Alexander Kogan to download Facebook users' data with an app he developed.

Kogan and that app were at the center of the data breach, with Kogan later selling that Facebook users' data to Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm used by the Trump campaign in the 2016 election. Facebook officials have said the selling of that data was unauthorized, but Blumenthal showed a blow-up poster of Kogan's terms of service, which said the data could be used for commercial purposes.

Zuckerberg said he had not seen the terms of service, and his app team would have been responsible for reviewing it. Has anyone in that division been fired, Blumenthal asked.

"Not because of this," Zuckerberg answered.

Best Facebook defender: Several lawmakers lobbed softballs at Zuckerberg, but Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, seemed the most primed to help the Facebook CEO make his case.

Hatch seemed to poke his congressional colleagues for saying they were "shocked, shocked" that companies like Facebook use Americans' data to sell ads.

"Nothing in life is free," Hatch said. "And these great websites that don't charge for accessthey extract value in some other way. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as they're up-front about what they're doing."

Explore further Zuckerberg prepares another apologythis time to Congress

2018 USA Today

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NASAs Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida no earlier than April 16, 2018. Once in orbit, TESS will spend about two years surveying 200,000 of the brightest stars near the sun to search for planets outside our solar system. Credit: NASA

Satellite developed by MIT aims to discover thousands of nearby exoplanets, including at least 50 Earth-sized ones.

There are potentially thousands of planets that lie just outside our solar systemgalactic neighbors that could be rocky worlds or more tenuous collections of gas and dust. Where are these closest exoplanets located? And which of them might we be able to probe for clues to their composition and even habitability? The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will be the first to seek out these nearby worlds.

The NASA-funded spacecraft, not much larger than a refrigerator, carries four cameras that were conceived, designed, and built at MIT, with one wide-eyed vision: to survey the nearest, brightest stars in the sky for signs of passing planets.

Now, more than a decade since MIT scientists first proposed the mission, TESS is about to get off the ground. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, no earlier than April 16, at 6:32 p.m. EDT.

TESS will spend two years scanning nearly the entire skya field of view that can encompass more than 20 million stars. Scientists expect that thousands of these stars will host transiting planets, which they hope to detect through images taken with TESS's cameras.

Amid this extrasolar bounty, the TESS science team at MIT aims to measure the masses of at least 50 small planets whose radii are less than four times that of Earth. Many of TESS's planets should be close enough to our own that, once they are identified by TESS, scientists can zoom in on them using other telescopes, to detect atmospheres, characterize atmospheric conditions, and even look for signs of habitability.

"TESS is kind of like a scout," says Natalia Guerrero, deputy manager of TESS Objects of Interest, an MIT-led effort that will catalog objects captured in TESS data that may be potential exoplanets.

"We're on this scenic tour of the whole sky, and in some ways we have no idea what we will see," Guerrero says. "It's like we're making a treasure map: Here are all these cool things. Now, go after them."

A seed, planted in space

TESS's origins arose from an even smaller satellite that was designed and built by MIT and launched into space by NASA on Oct. 9, 2000. The High Energy Transient Explorer 2, or HETE-2, orbited Earth for seven years, on a mission to detect and localize gamma-ray burstshigh-energy explosions that emit massive, fleeting bursts of gamma and X-rays.

To detect such extreme, short-lived phenomena, scientists at MIT, led by principal investigator George Ricker, integrated into the satellite a suite of optical and X-ray cameras outfitted with CCDs, or charge-coupled devices, designed to record intensities and positions of light in an electronic format.

"With the advent of CCDs in the 1970s, you had this fantastic device ... which made a lot of things easier for astronomers," says HETE-2 team member Joel Villasenor, who is now also instrument scientist for TESS. "You just sum up all the pixels on a CCD, which gives you the intensity, or magnitude, of light. So CCDs really broke things open for astronomy."

In 2004, Ricker and the HETE-2 team wondered whether the satellite's optical cameras could pick out other objects in the sky that had begun to attract the astronomy community: exoplanets. Around this time, only a handful of planets outside our solar system had been discovered. These were found with a technique known as the transit method, which involves looking for periodic dips in the light from certain stars, which may signal a planet passing in front of the star.

"We were thinking, was the photometry of HETE-2's cameras sufficient so that we could point to a part of the sky and detect one of these dips? Needless to say, it didn't exactly work," Villasenor recalls. "But that was sort of the seed that started us thinking, maybe we should try to fly CCDs with a camera to try and detect these things."

A path, cleared

In 2006, Ricker and his team at MIT proposed a small, low cost satellite (HETE-S) to NASA as a Discovery class mission, and later on as a privately funded mission for $20 million. But as the cost of, and interest in, an all-sky exoplanet survey grew, they decided instead to seek NASA funding, at a higher level of $120 million. In 2008, they submitted a proposal for a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) Class Mission with the new nameTESS.

At this time, the satellite design included six CCD cameras, and the team proposed that the spacecraft fly in a low-Earth orbit, similar to that of HETE-2. Such an orbit, they reasoned, should keep observing efficiency relatively high, as they already had erected data-receiving ground stations for HETE-2 that could also be put to use for TESS.

But they soon realized that a low-Earth orbit would have a negative impact on TESS's much more sensitive cameras. The spacecraft's reaction to the Earth's magnetic field, for example, could lead to significant "spacecraft jitter," producing noise that hides an exoplanet's telltale dip in starlight.

NASA bypassed this first proposal, and the team went back to the drawing board, this time emerging with a new plan that hinged on a completely novel orbit. With the help of engineers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Aerospace Corporation, the team identified a never-before-used "lunar-resonant" orbit that would keep the spacecraft extremely stable, while giving it a full-sky view.

Once TESS reaches this orbit, it will slingshot between the Earth and the moon on a highly elliptical path that could keep TESS orbiting for decades, shepherded by the moon's gravitational pull.

"The moon and the satellite are in a sort of dance," Villasenor says. "The moon pulls the satellite on one side, and by the time TESS completes one orbit, the moon is on the other side tugging in the opposite direction. The overall effect is the moon's pull is evened out, and it's a very stable configuration over many years. Nobody's done this before, and I suspect other programs will try to use this orbit later on."

In its current planned trajectory, TESS will swing out toward the moon for less than two weeks, gathering data, then swing back toward the Earth where, on its closest approach, it will transmit the data back to ground stations from 67,000 miles above the surface before swinging back out. Ultimately, this orbit will save TESS a huge amount of fuel, as it won't need to burn its thrusters on a regular basis to keep on its path.

With this revamped orbit, the TESS team submitted a second proposal in 2010, this time as an Explorer class mission, which NASA approved in 2013. It was around this time that the Kepler Space Telescope ended its original survey for exoplanets. The observatory, which was launched in 2009, stared at one specific patch of the sky for four years, to monitor the light from distant stars for signs of transiting planets.

By 2013, two of Kepler's four reaction wheels had worn out, preventing the spacecraft from continuing its original survey. At this point, the telescope's measurements had enabled the discovery of nearly 1,000 confirmed exoplanets. Kepler, designed to study far-off stars, paved the way for TESS, a mission with a much wider view, to scan the nearest stars to Earth.

"Kepler went up, and was this huge success, and researchers said, 'We can do this kind of science, and there are planets everywhere," says TESS member Jennifer Burt, an MIT-Kavli postdoc. "And I think that was really the scientific check box that we needed for NASA to say, 'Okay, TESS makes a lot of sense now.' It'll enable not just detecting planets, but finding planets that we can thoroughly characterize after the fact."

Stripes in the sky

With the selection by NASA, the TESS team set up facilities on campus and in MIT's Lincoln Laboratory to build and test the spacecraft's cameras. The engineers designed "deep depletion" CCDs specifically for TESS, meaning that the cameras can detect light over a wide range of wavelengths up to the near infrared. This is important, as many of the nearby stars TESS will monitor are red-dwarfssmall, cool stars that emit less brightly than the sun and in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

If scientists can detect periodic dips in the light from such stars, this may signal the presence of planets with significantly tighter orbits than that of Earth. Nevertheless, there is a chance that some of these planets may be within the "habitable zone," as they would circle much cooler stars, compared with the sun. Since these stars are relatively close by, scientists can do follow-up observations with ground-based telescopes to help identify whether conditions might indeed be suitable for life.

TESS's cameras are mounted on the top of the satellite and surrounded by a protective cone to shield them from other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Each camera has a 24 by 24 degree view of the sky, large enough to encompass the Orion constellation. The satellite will start its observations in the Southern Hemisphere and will divide the sky into 13 stripes, monitoring each segment for 27 days before pivoting to the next. TESS should be able to observe nearly the entire sky in the Southern Hemisphere in its first year, before moving on to the Northern Hemisphere in its second year.

While TESS points at one stripe of the sky, its cameras will take pictures of the stars in that portion. Ricker and his colleagues have made a list of 200,000 nearby, bright stars that they would particularly want to observe. The satellite's cameras will create "postage stamp" images that include pixels around each of these stars. These images will be taken every two minutes, in order to maximize the chance of catching the moment that a planet crosses in front of its star. The cameras will also take full-frame images of all the stars in a particular stripe of the sky, every 30 minutes.

"With the two-minute pictures, you can get a movie-like image of what the starlight is doing as the planet is crossing in front of its host star," Guerrero says. "For the 30-minute images, people are excited about maybe seeing supernovae, asteroids, or counterparts to gravitational waves. We have no idea what we're going to see at that timescale."

Are we alone?

After TESS launches, the team expects that the satellite will reestablish contact within the first week, during which it will turn on all its instruments and cameras. Then, there will be a 60-day commissioning phase, as engineers at NASA and MIT calibrate the instruments and monitor the satellite's trajectory and performance. After that, TESS will begin to collect and downlink images of the sky. Scientists at MIT and NASA will take the raw data and convert it into light curves that indicate the changing brightness of a star over time.

From there, the TESS Science Team, including Sara Seager, the Class of 1941 Professor of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, and deputy director of science for TESS, will look through thousands of light curves, for at least two similar dips in starlight, indicating that a planet may have passed twice in front of its star. Seager and her colleagues will then employ a battery of methods to determine the mass of a potential planet.

"Mass is a defining planetary characteristic," Seager says. "If you just know that a planet is twice the size of Earth, it could be a lot of things: a rocky world with a thin atmosphere, or what we call a "mini-Neptune"a rocky world with a giant gas envelope, where it would be a huge greenhouse blanket, and there would be no life on the surface. So mass and size together give us an average planet density, which tells us a huge amount about what the planet is."

During TESS's two-year mission, Seager and her colleagues aim to measure the masses of 50 planets with radii less than four times that of Earthdimensions that could signal further observations for signs of habitability. Meanwhile, the whole scientific community and public will get a chance to search through TESS data for their own exoplanets. Once the data are calibrated, the team will make them publicly available. Anyone will be able to download the data and draw their own interpretations, including high school students, armchair astronomers, and other research institutions.

With so many eyes on TESS'S data, Seager says there's a chance that, some day, a nearby planet discovered by TESS might be found to have signs of life.

"There's no science that will tell us life is out there right now, except that small rocky planets appear to be incredibly common," Seager says. "They appear to be everywhere we look. So it's got to be there somewhere."

TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. George Ricker of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research serves as principal investigator for the mission. Additional partners include Orbital ATK, NASA's Ames Research Center, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. More than a dozen universities, research institutes, and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission.

Explore further NASA prepares to launch next mission to search sky for new worlds

More information: TESS Mission TESS Mission www.nasa.gov/tess/ TESS at MIT tess.mit.edu/
Aerial view of Sulawesi Indonesia . Credit: Shutterstock

An Oxford University collaboration has shed light on the origins of some of South East Asia's most iconic and unique wildlife; the 'deer-pig' (Sulawesi Babirusa), 'warty pig' and the 'miniature buffalo.' In doing so, the research has revealed that Sulawesi, the island paradise where they were discovered, is younger than previously thought.

Sitting in a region called Wallacea (named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who discovered the island), at the interface of Eurasia and Australiatwo vastly different eco-zones, the island of Sulawesi is home to hundreds of unique plant and animal species. The origin of these species has fascinated generations of Naturalists since the 1700s.

To better understand the ancestry of Sulawesi's extraordinary fauna, a team of researchers from Oxford's Department of Archaeology and Queen Mary University of London, used a combination of morphological and genetic data, alongside geological reconstructions of the island. Their analysis, which makes use of over one thousand samples, many of which were collected during the 19th and 20th century, represent the largest genetic study of these species.

The results reveal that though each species most likely arrived on what is now the island of Sulawesi at different times over the past 13 million years, all of them began to spread across the island simultaneously about 1-2 million years ago. This timing exactly coincides with geological evidence for the emergence of the arms of the island from the ocean. This coincidence indicates that the highly biodiverse and endemic ecosystems of Sulawesi have been assembled over a far more recent time frame than previously thought.

Credit: University of Oxford

Professor Greger Larson, Director of Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network at Oxford and senior author of the study, said: 'Sulawesi is an amazing island, unlike any other on Earth. The key link between the three large mammals in this the study is that none of them fly. Sulawesi has been an island for a long time so however they arrived, they have been evolving in isolation.

'Understanding their evolutionary history was only possible by looking not only at their genetic signatures but also the geologic history of the island. The whole region is highly tectonic and we were able to reconstruct how much of the island was under water and when.

'Using a molecular clock we were then able to date the time of the expansion of all three species and by correlating those dates with the appearance of the different land masses that make up Sulawesi, we found a perfect temporal match.'

Laurent Frantz, Lecturer in Molecular Genetics and Informatics at the Queen Mary University of London said: 'Following his famous explorations, Alfred Wallace described Sulawesi as anomalous, first noting the merging of two immensely different worlds on this island. For a long time, we thought these anomalous ecosystems slowly assembled over tens of millions of years, as continents drifted. Yet, we now know that very recent geological processes, over only the last few million years, dramatically shaped this singular tropical paradise.

'This research relied not only on state-of-the-art technologies, but also the efforts of 19th and 20th century naturalists and museum curators, who meticulously collected and preserved specimens for future generations.'

More information: Laurent A. F. Frantz et al, Synchronous diversification of Sulawesi's iconic artiodactyls driven by recent geological events, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Laurent A. F. Frantz et al, Synchronous diversification of Sulawesi's iconic artiodactyls driven by recent geological events,(2018). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2566
Half of young East Europeans living in England and Scotland who were surveyed by researchers said they had experienced an increased level of racism and xenophobia since the Brexit vote.

Academics from the universities of Strathclyde, Plymouth and Durham surveyed or spoke to 1,120 people aged 12-18 from Eastern Europe who have lived in the UK for at least three years.

The British Sociological Association's annual conference in Newcastle heard today that that 49.3 percent said that they had experienced more racism and xenophobia since the Brexit referendum in June 2016 than before it. Also, 23.6 percent said they had seen about the same amount of racism, and 4.7 percent had seen less (the rest were uncertain).

Three out of four of those surveyed (77.8 percent) said they had experienced racism since moving to the UK.

An 18-year-old Polish woman told the researchers that she had experienced "incidents of being called a prostitute based on my background, being told to go back to my own country  a couple of more severe incidents included having rocks thrown at me and me being chased down the street by a group of teenage boys."

A 17-year-old boy from Poland said: "I moved here when I was six years old, and even though I speak English with a British accent as a result of using it for over 11 years, when people find out I am Polish, I often face racism and discrimination. I find that I belong as long as no one finds out my nationality."

The researchers working on the project were: Daniela Sime, Naomi Tyrrell, Claire Kelly, Christina McMellon and Marta Moskal. Dr. Sime, of the University of Strathclyde and project leader, told the conference: "Young people commented that the result of the Brexit referendum had altered their feelings of belonging to the UK and sense of security because of increasing hostility towards migrants being expressed openly by people they knew."

The researchers, who also talked to 22 groups of young people in schools and youth clubs in Scotland and England and 20 families, found that despite the increase in racism and xenophobia, most of those interviewed felt they belonged in the UK and wanted to stay here in future.

They found that 29.4 percent said they 'definitely' felt that they belonged in the UK, and 33.2 percent said that they felt they belonged 'most of the time'. Only 3.9 percent of survey respondents said that they 'definitely did not' feel that they belonged in the UK.

One 16-year-old Polish girl said: "I very much feel like a part of the UK, which is why Brexit makes me sad. They're cutting away from the EU, so people who move here after Brexit will feel like they don't belong or are intruding, and no one should feel that way."

A 15-year-old Lithuanian girl said: "I feel like England is a country I belong in, the identity I created here is something I don't want to change."

"Here to Stay?" is a research project that explores the lives of young people who arrived in the UK as migrant children from Central and Eastern Europe after 2004. The survey took place between October 2016 and April 2017. In total, 1,120 young people completed the survey, with 806 full completions.

Those surveyed were almost all white (96.7 percent). Over half of the respondents were Polish (56 percent), and other large groups were Romanian (10.4 percent) and Lithuanian (9.1 percent) nationals. Over a third said they had lived in the UK for 10 or more years.

The sample was recruited through schools, youth clubs and social media and the data is not necessarily representative of all young Central and East Europeans in the UK.

Other quotes:

"I am considering moving to the EU after finishing university, despite the fact I enjoy living in this country." (male, 18, Latvian)

"I feel like I belong in the UK, however I am fearful of what will happen now. I'm scared for my future and how the referendum will affect me." (female, 17, Poland)

"I feel like a European more than anything. The Brexit referendum has me severely worried for the future of this country, its people and foreigners living here." (male, 16, Czech Republic)

"Although the EU referendum has made the futures of many European migrants uncertain, I love this country and will do anything in my power to stay here as it is my home."
Singha Durbar runs on solar power

The countrys administrative hub Singha Durbar started receiving power from the China-funded Solar Photovoltaic Project which kicked into operation on Tuesday.
April 11, 2018 in Games (E)

[prMac.com] Seattle, Washington - piderweb Software, Inc., makers of fine indie games for 24 years, have announced Avernum 3: Ruined World HD for iOS. A tale of desperate exiles and their battle for a land to call their own, Avernum 3 is an epic fantasy role-playing adventure coming to the iPad on April 18th.



At last, your people are free. You broke out of the underworld prison of Avernum. You emerge onto the surface, finally back into the sun, only to find that the world is being destroyed. Plagues of horrifying monsters scourge the surface. If you don't stop them, you will have no home to escape to.



Avernum 3: Ruined World is the conclusion to the epic Avernum saga and a full remaster of Spiderweb Software's greatest hit. It is a huge fantasy role-playing adventure in an enormous world, with over 60 hours of gameplay spanning an underworld and a gigantic surface continent. Fight the plagues of monsters that are destroying your home. Explore a world that evolves as time passes. Towns are destroyed. Refugees flee. Disasters happen.



Fight to save the world. Or don't! Do odd jobs. Become a bounty hunter or a merchant. Buy a house. Explore a multitude of towns and dungeons. Master over 60 spells, battle disciplines, and hunt for hundreds of magical artifacts. Explore one of the biggest, most unique worlds in computer games!



Avernum 3: Ruined World is out for Windows and Macintosh now and will be out for the iPad on April 18th. Avernum 3 has no in-app purchases. Pay once and get the entire game!

Spiderweb Software, Inc., an Indie game company based in Seattle, WA, is fanatically dedicated to creating fun, exciting fantasy role-playing games for Windows, Macintosh, and the iPad. Past titles include the award-winning Exile, Geneforge, Avernum and Avadon series. Copyright (C) 2018 Spiderweb Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Youth critically injured in bear attack

A youth was critically injured when a bear attacked him while fetching grass at Marsyangdi Rural Municipality in Lamjung district.
" " Could towing icebergs to drought-stricken areas of the world work as a stop-gap method of water replacement? LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

Cape Town, South Africa is suffering from a severe water shortage after a sustained drought, so here's an idea: Send tankers down to Antarctica, lasso a giant iceberg and haul it north off the shores of Cape Town. Chip off the ice, filter it and use it as fresh water.

That's a proposal that has been floated in various forms multiple times when regions in Africa and the Middle East have been faced with drought. Now, a conglomeration of engineers, including salvage master Captain Nicholas Sloane of Sloane Marine Limited, best known for his salvage operation of the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship, has suggested harnessing and towing an iceberg to a location off the shore of Cape Town.

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Tow It, Filter It, Pump It

Peter Johnston, a climate scientist at the University of Cape Town, reports that while city officials are not currently considering the plan, he thinks it could be worth a shot. As he says, an iceberg about 100 million tons (91 million metric tons) in size, could ideally be found within a thousand miles (1,610 kilometers) of Cape Town. The iceberg, according to the plan, would be harnessed with a big belt and slowly towed by tanker, aided by ocean current and, perhaps, kite sails. Once the iceberg was moored offshore, a lattice steel structure lined with plastic would capture fresh water, pumping it into pipes that would carry the water to shore. After filtering, it could be channeled into the parched city's water supply system at, according to Sloane, an overall expense that would be half the cost of desalinization.

"If we did get one of these medium-sized icebergs, we're looking at supplying about 20 percent of the city's water needs per day at a cost of about a dollar per each 100 gallons (378 liters)," Johnston says.

A similar proposal about a year ago by an Abu-Dhabi-based firm, suggested relieving water shortages in the United Arab Emirates by towing an iceberg holding 20 billion gallons (76 billion liters) of fresh water to the coast of Fujairah, on the east coast of the Gulf of Oman. According to the firm, once anchored here, the iceberg could meet the needs of a million people for five years, as well as offer a tourist attraction and change the local climate to spur more rainfall. Here's a video presentation outlining the proposal:

But run an iceberg-towing scheme by a glaciologist and you're likely to have some very cold water splashed on your face.

"The scale is just really daunting," says Ted Scambos, lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. "Even tiny little icebergs are huge and most of the mass is below the water. It dwarfs the ship, so the idea of dragging it seems unrealistic."

In fact, there are Canadian companies that specialize in moving icebergs away from offshore platforms where they might strike and damage facilities. But those efforts, which use massive cables that are then nearly eaten away by friction, involve smaller-sized icebergs and the distances they are towed are miniscule compared with the distance that icebergs would need to be hauled to relieve areas with water shortages.

The shape of the iceberg is another factor. As Grant Bigg, a professor of Earth systems at Sheffield University in the U.K. and author of the 2015 book, "Icebergs", points out, an irregularly shaped iceberg "might roll over or break up," so you'd be better off selecting a tabular-shaped iceberg, with vertical sides and a flat top, like the ones more commonly found in the Southern Ocean.

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Wouldn't It Melt Along the Way?

Tabular icebergs may be better shaped for towing, but they also present drainage issues, according to Scambos. A drainage system would need to be installed on the iceberg, he says, otherwise, as the ice is hauled to warmer climates, water pooling at the top of the giant ice mass could penetrate the ice mass, weaken it and cause it to fracture. That's what happened to the 1,250-square-mile (3,237-square-kilometer) Larson-B ice shelf when it collapsed in 2002.

So say you've found the ideal tabular-shaped iceberg and installed a drainage system. Then as Bigg puts it, "There's a scale issue to be solved."

A medium- to large-sized iceberg of about a hundred billion tons (90.7 billion metric tons) could certainly solve someone's freshwater problems for quite a while, but, as Scambos says, "all the navies in the world wouldn't have enough power to move the massive icebergs around." Some proposals have suggested ways around the melting issue when it comes to transporting smaller icebergs.

In 2009, for example, a French software firm called Dassault Systemes, created a simulation of an iceberg towing project that would wrap smaller icebergs with insulating skirts. The coverings could reduce melting and keep an iceberg intact during transport. But, according to Phys.org, their calculations showed that after traveling at a rate of about 1 knot, a small iceberg tugged from Newfoundland to the Canary Islands would lose 38 percent of its ice during the five-month journey. The cost: $10 million.

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What Is Kedging?

Since it may be difficult to get your money's worth from tugging smaller icebergs, Scambos suggests there could be another approach to transporting bigger icebergs. "I think the way to go would be kedging," he says. For the non-sailors among us, kedging is an 18th-century nautical concept that takes advantage of natural tidal forces.

As originally proposed by glaciologist Doug MacAyeal and his colleagues at the University of Chicago, engineers could anchor a massive iceberg using a base slab and cables. When the tide is pushing the iceberg away from its destination, the anchor would hold it in place. Then, when the tide shifts a half day or so later toward the desired direction, the anchor would be released and the berg would be pulled naturally toward its destination.

"This could move a large mass without nearly as much motor power as the more simplistic idea of going down there with a big ship," Scambos says. "You're not going to move the iceberg very fast, but it could work."

Currently there are no iceberg kedging plans in place and, for that matter, Cape Town officials have yet to sign onto any iceberg-towing plan. Johnston says he doesn't believe the city is seriously considering any iceberg plan at this point, but while he acknowledges it's a risky, controversial proposal, he argues iceberg towing could offer a viable short-term solution to Cape Town's pressing water needs. He also acknowledges there would be a significant carbon footprint involved in the project  mainly in the fuel required to transport the iceberg. There's also the question of what effect introducing a freshwater iceberg to oceans around Cape Town might have on local marine ecosystems.

So, while Cape Town residents are making strides in their water conservation efforts, Johnston believes any negative impacts of a freshwater iceberg may be less than those associated with other proposals and, he argues, it's critical to consider all options.

"We're basically on survival water rations now," Johnston says. "I don't think we can conserve any more water than we are already. If we don't see sufficient rainfall by September, we'll need a contingency plan."

Now That's Expensive So-called "iceberg cowboys" in Canada use guns to blast chunks off icebergs. The ice is then melted and used to create Iceberg Vodka. If alcohol isn't your thing, Norwegian-based Svalbardi sells bottled water melted from icebergs at the breathtaking price of around $100 per bottle.
5 Southeast Asian restaurants with views to take your breath away

Picture, if you can, a delicious plate of food prepared by seasoned chefs and a glass of fine wine on top of an immaculate table set-up.

Surrounding you, is a well-decorated interior worthy of a mention on Instagram.

In front of your eyes, a view of the citys mesmerising skyline.

Five hotel rooms with views you wont forget

Does it sound like music to your ears? If the answer is Yes, then you wont want to pass up a chance to dine at any of these five restaurants that we have picked out here.

With their own uniqueness, each of them promises an unforgettable dining experience that will leave you wanting more.

Luxury beach clubs in Bali and Phuket make for the best of both worlds

1. Tangerine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Sitting on the 51st floor of The Face Suites, this classy fine dining restaurant is where youd want to have dinner while enjoying the beautiful urban sunset illuminating the city skyscrapers.

On top of the sophisticated all-marble interior and floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the dining space with natural daylight, the new kid on the block  it just opened its door last December  prides itself for using only quality imported ingredients to create all the modern Western dishes on its menu.

From bak kwa to biryani: here are the 5 best private kitchens in Singapore to visit right now

2. Stellar, Singapore

If youve ever searched best restaurants with a view in Singapore, this wouldve been high up on the rankings.

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So, dont leave without making your way to Raffles Place, the islands centre of the financial district, and savour some progressive Australian cuisine  as the award-winning restaurant calls it  with one of the best views of The Lion City, 62 levels above ground (thats 282 metres, or 925 feet above sea level).

Headed by executive chef Christopher Millar, whose impressive resume includes Melbournes legendary Windsor Hotel), the restaurant is known for highlighting a star ingredient and its flavours and textures in each dish.

3. Above Eleven, Bangkok, Thailand

Looking for the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the Thai capital?

This rooftop bar and restaurant atop Fraser Suites may just be it.

The venue, which serves an adventurous menu of Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine in a bold and hip setting, aims to excite everyones taste buds, including vegetarians.

Mile-high gourmet: Etihad and other airlines that are stepping up their in-flight meal game

4. Sorae Restaurant & Lounge, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This sleek restaurant and sake bar, on level 24 of a 25-storey high-rise building in Ho Chi Minh City, does not disappoint.

Its authentic and elegant Japanese fare is prepared using the finest and freshest of ingredients sourced locally and from Japan.

Top 10 foodie spots revealed  and the winner is surprising

Yet, it is not only the opulent decor thats to die for  theres also the view of the glistening city that keeps both locals and tourists coming back again and again.

5 Deva, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Kick back, let your hair down and chill with a cocktail in one hand and canapes in the other at this stylish, barely one-year-old rooftop lounge, bar and restaurant in central Phnom Penh.

Although not located as high as the four others on the list  its only on the 9th floor  this glamourous establishment still manages to mesmerise the crowd with its unobstructed sunset view, relaxing ambience and spacious interior.

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A Singaporean historian attacked for challenging the official narrative of the city-state's history during parliamentary hearings on "fake news" has won backing from over 130 academics from universities around the world. In an open letter, they accused the panel conducting the hearings of seeking to discredit Thum Ping Tjin, who has questioned claims by Singapore's long-ruling party about communist activity in the 1960s. Thum, an Oxford University research associate, was quizzed last month by the 10-member parliamentary committee, which is examining possible steps -- including legislation -- to tackle what it describes as online falsehoods in the tightly controlled city-state. The government says steps are needed as fake news can threaten national security but some observers have raised fears the committee is laying the ground for new laws which could be used to stifle free expression. The letter was signed by 133 academics from countries including Britain, the United States and Australia. "Your committee's conduct suggests that the government of Singapore is more interested in restricting civil liberties than defending them against so-called 'fake news'," read the letter addressed to the panel's chairman. "The clear objective was not to establish the extent of the threat from 'fake news', but to attack and discredit a prominent critic of the historical narratives used by Singapore's ruling People's Action Party." The party has governed Singapore since 1959. The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During the fake news hearings, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam quizzed Thum over his research, which has cast doubt on claims that there was a conspiracy by communists in the 1960s seeking to overthrow the government. During heated exchanges, Shanmugam insisted there was such a conspiracy. Over 100 people were detained in 1963 in Singapore in an operation that authorities said was aimed at defusing the communist threat. Last week, several people questioned in the hearings including Thum accused the committee of misrepresenting their views. Sixty-nine witnesses, including internet giants Facebook and Google, gave evidence to the committee and it will present a report to parliament based on the hearings in May. el/sr/sls Facebook GOOGLE
By Maayan Lubell

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel is finalising a deal to deport thousands of African migrants to Uganda under a new scheme after agreements with Rwanda and the U.N.'s refugee agency to find homes for those expelled fell through.

About 4,000 migrants have left Israel for Rwanda and Uganda since 2013 under a voluntary programme but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under pressure from his right-wing voter base to expel thousands more.

In January, Israel started handing out notices to male migrants from Eritrea and Sudan giving them three months to take the voluntary deal with a plane ticket and $3,500 or risk being thrown in jail.

The government said from April it would start forced deportations but rights groups challenged the move and Israel's Supreme Court has issued a temporary injunction to give more time for the petitioners to argue against the plan.

Government representatives told the court on Tuesday that an envoy was in an African country finalising a deportation deal after an arrangement with Rwanda to take migrants expelled under the new measures fell through.

The representatives did not name the country in court sessions open to the public though Israeli lawmakers have previously said the two countries it was planning to deport migrants to were Rwanda and Uganda.

Israeli Deputy Foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely also identified the countries it was seeking to strike new deportation deals with as Uganda and Rwanda in closed-door comments leaked to Israeli Army Radio.

After the Rwanda deal fell through, the government struck an agreement with the U.N.'s refugee agency (UNHCR) to relocate 16,250 migrants to Western countries but Netanyahu scrapped it after an outcry from right-wing politicians furious that thousands more would be allowed to stay in Israel. [nL5N1RG2CO] [nL5N1RF1FB]

The fate of tens of thousands of migrants who entered Israel illegally through its desert border with Egypt and were granted temporary visas has posed a moral dilemma for a state founded as a national home for Jews and a haven from persecution.

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Israeli rights groups say the country can absorb the estimated 37,000 migrants still there, or should find them safe destinations such as those agreed under the defunct UNHCR deal.

The rights groups have accused Netanyahu, who is under police investigation for corruption, of playing political games to appeal to his right-wing supporters.

The government calls the migrants "infiltrators" and says they have come to find work. The migrants and rights groups say they are asylum seekers fleeing persecution.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

The U.N.'s refugee agency and rights groups are also concerned because many of the Africans who left previously for Rwanda and Uganda voluntarily did not get the protection they were promised and some ended up back on the migration trail.

Both countries have denied having any deals with Israel to resettle migrants. Uganda, a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in East Africa, also denied there were discussions about accepting deportees under the new scheme.

"We are not aware of any Israeli envoy here. Let Israelis tell you who that envoy here is going to sign an agreement with, sign with who? With the foreign affairs, with the president, minister of internal affairs, with who? On what date are they signing?" Okello Oryem, Uganda's junior foreign affairs minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

At the Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem, one of the three judges asked the state representatives why Uganda was denying the deal, if indeed there was one. The state said it would provide the court with an explanation in a closed session.

Five migrants interviewed by Reuters said they had been told by immigration officials this year that they could go either to Uganda or Rwanda, if they chose to avoid detention.

Ristom Haliesilase, an Eritrean migrant living in Tel Aviv, said he was given until April 15 to decide whether to be deported, or detained.

"My mind is full of worries. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. The first thought I have in the morning is what will they do to me today?" said Haliesilase. "It's heartbreaking. It breaks the people. It breaks the community."

Many migrants live in cramped apartments in poor parts of Tel Aviv where eateries serve Eritrean food, clothing stores with signs in Tigrinya display traditional garb, and abandoned warehouses have been converted into makeshift churches.

'IT'S ALL A SCAM'

Rights groups such as the International Refugee Rights Initiative have been documenting the plight of Eritrean and Sudanese men who have left Israel for Rwanda and Uganda for several years.

In the past few months UNHCR has also documented at least 80 cases of Eritreans who found none of the protection promised upon their departure from Israel, prompting them to go on a perilous trail through conflict zones to reach Europe.

Along the way they were subjected to arrests, torture and extortion before trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Italy, UNHCR said. Israeli rights groups have documented dozens more such cases.

Under the voluntary scheme, asylum seekers say they were given the option of going back to their country of origin, remaining in detention in Israel or flying to a third country where they were promised they could stay and work legally.

Sajir, 27, an Eritrean now living in Uganda, told Reuters by telephone that he flew there in January after spending five months in Israeli detention.

"They said that my life would be sorted there," Sajir said, speaking in Hebrew. "But it's all a scam."

Notices handed out this year to migrants already in detention or those trying to renew their visas have promised residency and work permits in their destination country. "A local team that will meet you at the airport will provide guidance in the first few days," the document says.

Sajir said when his flight landed in Uganda, he and 10 other migrants were not taken through passport control. "We were taken out the back. Then someone loaded us onto a bus and took us to a hotel," he said.

The group was met by a man who offered to set them up with traffickers to take them to Sudan, Kenya or Ethiopia - for a price, he said.

"We got no visa, no papers. There is no work here. It is no good. I cannot stay here. I will try to go to Sudan soon or somewhere, to Libya and then to Europe," Sajir said.

Israel's Immigration Authority and the prime minister's office did not respond to requests for comment.

(Additional reporting by Elias Biryabarema in Kampala, Steve Scherer in Rome and Corinna Kern in Tel Aviv; writing by Maayan Lubell; editing by David Clarke)
China will send a Communist Party official with an art troupe to North Korea for a festival celebrating the country's founder, state media said Wednesday, as the neighbours seek to heal battered relations. The delegation will leave on Friday to attend the April Spring Friendship Art Festival at the invitation of North Korea's Workers' Party, China's official Xinhua news agency said in a brief report. Song Tao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's international department, will lead the mission. Song had visited Pyongyang late last year to brief officials about the party's October congress. The festival is held in Pyongyang as part of the commemorations for the anniversary of the birth of the North's founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, 1912. Both North Korean and foreign artists take part, and this year's week-long event includes concerts, dance performances and acrobatics. China has sent art troupes to every festival since 1986, except in 2016. Beijing is North Korea's sole major ally, an alliance dating back to the 1950-1953 Korean War, but relations deteriorated after China backed United Nations sanctions to punish Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons programme. Both sides have since sought to improve ties, with North Korea's Kim Jong Un meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping last month in Beijing -- the young leader's first known official trip abroad. Kim's visit was seen as an attempt by both leaders to shore up a key alliance ahead of the North Korean leader's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in this month and US President Donald Trump in the following weeks. Song's trip "is an important cultural exchange activity to follow through on the consensus reached by the two heads of state," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing. "I think this will play a positive role in the deepening the cultural exchanges between China and the DPRK," Geng said, using the North's acronym. Baik Tae-hyun, a spokesman for South Korea's unification ministry, said Seoul believes the Chinese delegation's trip is "part of the efforts to strengthen friendly cultural exchanges between North Korea and China following their summit". Seoul, Baik added, "will watch with interest whether it will lead to a performance in China by North Korean artists that was cancelled in December 2015".
(L-R) Former Workers Party chief Low Thia Khiang, Lows successor Pritam Singh and Aljunied MP Chen Show Mao.

It is almost a given that photographs never quite give us the full picture. All the smiles and conviviality at the doorstop after Pritam Singh was elected as the new secretary-general of the Workers Party on Sunday (8 April) hid the shadows hovering over the new leadership.

As Singh himself said, Low Thia Khiangs shoes are not easy to fill. For 27 years, first as a Member of Parliament and then as WP chief, the former Opposition leader has displayed an uncanny understanding of the Singaporean voter and a shrewd sense of political timing. He knew what to say to appeal to the masses and when to make that strategic move for a big killing at the polls.

Low became a political folk hero after he led his team to victory against former Foreign Minister George Yeo and his Peoples Action Party team in Aljunied in 2011  a feat that must have embarrassed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as a Group Representation Constituency had never been lost under the two previous prime ministers. It is that long shadow Low casts that will follow Singh as he tries to run the party. Despite all the talk of leadership renewal, the adjustment wont be easy.

The party will be considerably distracted with the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) court case posing the possibility  some say a remote possibility  of bankrupting Low and Chairman Sylvia Lim, rendering them ineligible to stand for the next election. Low must have done his sums. Better step down now rather than be forced by circumstances at the last minute and leave the partys election plans in disarray. It is this kind of an uncertain future that Singh has been thrust into. How he manoeuvres out of this tricky situation will define his leadership.

Perhaps, he might want to take a leaf out of former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tongs book. When he became PM in 1990, Goh decided to carve for himself a position that was very different from that of the late Lee Kuan Yew. He said he wanted to build a gentler and consensus-building society. Although it was more style than substance, Goh managed to make himself very popular. The new WP leader might well take this route as he spoke about wanting to reach out to party members to get a sense of their views of and wishes for the party.

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Internal tensions

Chen Show Mao speaks at the Workers Party rally on 2 September 2015. Yahoo News Singapore file photo

Then there is the shadow of Singhs fellow Aljunied MP Chen Show Mao, which is always lurking in the background. He made the politically right move by not challenging Singh for the top post so as not to muddy the waters during a crucial transition, but indicated immediately after the party election what line the new leadership should take. He said in a Facebook post that he hoped for a more forward looking progressive leadership which is more open to new ideas, people and ways to doing things. The message was clear: let us move away from the shadow of Low. And the subtle threat was also clear: if things dont change, expect a leadership challenge again.

The air was filled with excitement when the Harvard-Oxford-Stanford educated Chen joined WP to fight the 2011 elections. Many expected that he would be an intellectual heavyweight for the WP in Parliament. That fizzled out as he hardly spoke in the Chamber, turning out to be a pussycat in the process. There were some who felt that Low was a stumbling block as their ideologies and styles clashed. Then came the direct challenge to Low for the secretary-generals post in the WP leadership election two years ago. It was a contest Chen lost, only after Low brought 28 new cadres into the voting ranks.

Finally, WPs performance at the next general election might just be the tipping point for an opposition party that has made tremendous strides in the last few years. If Low and Sylvia are unable to contest and if the party loses the prized seat of Aljunied GRC, it will be a big blow for Singh, the party and the Opposition at large. When people are pushed into a corner, as Singh will be, the best or worst parts of their character will emerge. What will happen in Singhs case?

P N Balji is a veteran Singaporean journalist who was formerly chief editor of Today, as well as an editor at The New Paper. He is currently a media consultant. The views expressed are his own.

Related stories
Ethiopia's incoming Prime Minister Abiye Ahmed delivers his acceptance speech after taking his oath of office during a ceremony at the House of Peoples' Representatives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia April 2, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

By Aaron Maasho

AMBO, Ethiopia (Reuters) - Ethiopia's new prime minister pledged on Wednesday to address grievances in his native Oromiya region, centre of violent unrest that threatened the ruling coalition's hold on Africa's second most populous nation.

Abiye Ahmed was sworn in as premier on April 2. His predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn resigned in February, signalling divisions in the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, in power since 1991, over how fast to pursue reforms.

The 42-year-old former army officer faces the challenge of calming the anger of young members of his own Oromo ethnic group, Ethiopia's largest, who complain they are politically and economically marginalized.

Abiy was met by thousands of cheering locals, some of whom held his portrait aloft, when he arrived on Wednesday in Ambo, a town at the heart of protests and clashes with security forces since 2015.

Protests began in opposition to a development plan for the capital Addis Ababa that critics said would expropriate land for farmers in Oromiya province, which surrounds the capital. Demonstrators later began protesting for political rights.

Hundreds of people were killed between 2015 and 2017.

"You have expressed your grievances and have made demands. We give you our unwavering commitment to resolving them," he said in a speech, a group of spear-wielding Oromo horsemen in colourful capes and baboon skin headdresses looking on.

"But for us to succeed, we also need your unwavering support," Abiy said, after blessings from traditional leaders and a moment of silence in memory of those who died.

Some said the new leader must respond swiftly to their demands.

"He could start with releasing every single prisoner jailed for political reasons and lifting emergency rule," said Kumasa Fituma, a lab technician at the local university in the town, 130 km (82 miles) from the capital.

"If he implements his pledges, I am confident there will be peace. If not, then we will be back to the old ways (of violence)," he said.

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Since January the government has released thousands of prisoners who included dissidents and journalists in a bid to calm discontent.

On Friday, it shut down a detention facility in Addis Ababa known as "Makelawi", where rights groups have alleged that torture has taken place.

Another resident said the town and region needed investment.

"We did not only protest for our rights," said Gemechu Garuma, 25, a university student. "This city needs roads and clean water, while our schools need books and materials. He has to change all that."

Wednesday's trip was the prime minister's second outside the capital since he was sworn in nine days ago. At the weekend he visited the Somali region where violence has displaced nearly a million people in the past year and also pledged to find solutions to unrest there.

(Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
(PHOTOS: Bata Ni Susan/Facebook)

Close to $4,000 has been raised so far from a crowdfunding campaign for a four-year-old girl who fell four storeys from a flat in Tampines last Friday evening (6 April).

The campaign, which was set up by an Aaron Isidro on YouCaring.com to cover the girls medical expenses, has been shared 7,000 times on Facebook as of 6.30pm on Wednesday.

A total of $3,786 of the goal amount of $20,000 has been raised so far.

According to a description of the campaign, the girl was visiting her mother in Singapore, where she is currently working, when the incident occurred.

She fell from their units window after opening it herself and fell on the ground with her upper back receiving the most impact, it said. As per her doctors, she has fractured her arm and lumbar spine, and has internal haemorrhage in her liver and lungs. She is still scheduled for several medical procedures and tests, one of which is MRI.

It added that the family has been asked to pay a downpayment of $7,000 as of Monday while the total medical bill is still accumulating.

Facebook user Bata Ni Susan shared photos and updates on the condition of the 4-year-old girl, whom she identified as Sachi Santelices, on Tuesday.

In her post, she wrote that the girl, who is currently at KK Womens and Childrens Hospital, had miraculously survived the fall with no head trauma.

She also currently suffers a broken shoulder, though she is lucid, can move her arms and feet but however cant sit due to her injuries, she added.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force told Yahoo News Singapore that it had received a call of assistance at 9.15pm at Blk 836, Tampines Street last Friday.

A four-year-old child was conveyed to Changi General Hospital and the hospital was alerted on standby, it added.

Other Singapore stories:

Hazy conditions expected over parts of Singapore on Wednesday evening: NEA

Driver in AYE hit-and-run accident jailed five months and two weeks
French Ambassador to the United Nations Francois Delattre speaks during a news conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., October 2, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Files

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - France will propose the first names to be blacklisted by the United Nations Security Council for violating or obstructing Mali's 2015 peace deal, French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said on Wednesday.

Anyone added to the blacklist would be subjected to a global travel ban or asset freeze. Proposals for designations are submitted to the Security Council's Mali sanctions committee, which operates by consensus.

The 15-member council last September established a Mali sanctions regime that allows the body to blacklist anyone who violates or obstructs the 2015 peace deal, hinders the delivery of aid, commits human rights abuses or recruits child soldiers.

But so far it has not designated anyone.

"There have been considerable delays and a lack of implementation (of the peace deal) which prompts us to go further; we no longer have time to wait," Delattre told the council.

"France together with its partners will in the weeks to come ... engage in work to identify those who obstruct the implementation of the peace agreement and this work will lead to designation proposals," he said.

A 2015 peace deal signed by Mali's government and separatist groups has failed to stop violence in northern Mali by Islamist militants, who have also staged assaults on high-profile targets in the capital, Bamako, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.

French forces intervened in 2013 to drive back Islamist fighters who had hijacked a Tuareg uprising to seize Mali's desert north in 2012. The U.N. Security Council then deployed peacekeepers to the country.

Attacks on U.N. troops have made it the world body's deadliest peacekeeping mission. Anyone who attacks peacekeepers could be blacklisted by the Security Council.

Five countries - Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Mali and Mauritania - backed by France, also launched a new task force last year to tackle Islamist militants in West Africa's arid Sahel region.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Singapore skyline (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

Hazy conditions are expected over parts of Singapore over a few hours on Wednesday evening (11 April), said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

This is due to a hotspot with dense smoke plume in the southeastern part of Johor which was detected in the afternoon, said the agency.

The smoke haze from the hotspot is being blown by the easterly winds towards Singapore, and members of the public may also detect a burning smell, it added.

The 24-hour PSI is forecast to be in the higher end of the Moderate range. As at 5pm, the 24-hr PSI reading was 48-57, in the Moderate range.

NEA is monitoring the air quality closely and will provide updates on any changes in the situation.
At least 21 people died Tuesday in an attempted breakout from a prison in northern Brazil aided by an armed group on the outside trying to blow up a wall, officials said. The Para state security service described the mass escape attempt at the Santa Izabel Penitentiary Complex, near the Amazon rainforest city of Belem in Para state, as a military style battle in which both prisoners inside and associates on the outside were armed. "In the rescue attempt, explosives were used against one of the walls," the agency said in a statement. "The attempt was supported by an extremely heavily armed group. According to preliminary reports, the prisoners also had weapons inside the prison," the statement said. Prison guards fought back in "an intense exchange of gunfire," it said. The confirmed dead so far included 20 prisoners and outside attackers, plus one guard. Another five guards were injured, including one seriously. A headcount was underway to establish whether anyone escaped, while a police SWAT team was reinforcing security. Police had recovered two rifles and five handguns at the scene, the statement said. - Deadly reality - Brazil is one of the world's deadliest countries, with around 60,000 homicides a year, and the prisons are notoriously overcrowded and violent. There were 726,712 inmates as of June 2016 and capacity for only 368,000, according to the most recent official statistics. Powerful drug gangs routinely take their turf wars from the streets of Rio de Janeiro and other big cities into penitentiary facilities. In the worst cases, security staff are reduced to bystanders as criminal bosses run daily life. In one of the bloodiest episodes, 56 people were killed in an uprising in a prison in the city of Manaus in Brazil's Amazon in 2017. In January, fighting between gangs at a prison in northeastern Ceara state left 10 dead. That bloodshed took place in the Itapaje Public Prison, about 78 miles (125 kilometers) from the state capital Fortaleza. A few days earlier, at least 14 people had been gunned down at a nightclub in Fortaleza. Local media reported that the massacre, conducted by armed men who arrived in three cars, was related to disputes between rival drug traffickers. Adding to Brazil's security woes, the police force is regularly accused of breaking the law in carrying out extrajudicial killings, falsifying evidence and failing to investigate its own officers. Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that police had killed 4,224 people in 2016 -- the last available figures -- about 26 percent more than in 2015. The streets are also deadly for police: 437 were killed in 2016, the report said.
A Myanmar minister on Wednesday toured one of the Bangladesh camps struggling to provide for some one million Rohingya Muslims, the first such visit since a Myanmar army crackdown sparked a massive refugee crisis. Social welfare minister Win Myat Aye met with Rohingya leaders at the giant Kutupalong camp near the border city of Cox's Bazar, where a group of refugees tried to stage a protest during his visit. It is the first time a Myanmar cabinet member has visited the fetid and overcrowded camps since a military crackdown that began last August in response to a spate of insurgent attacks forced some 700,000 of the Muslim minority to flee across the border. They added to the 300,000 Rohingya refugees already in Bangladesh after previous bouts of violence. An official said a group of refugees were prevented from unfurling a banner detailing a list of demands from the Rohingya. "We cleared them out," said Nikaruzzaman, a senior government official at nearby Ukhia township, who goes by one name. A Rohingya leader, Abdur Rahim, said protests were held in roughly a dozen locations timed with the minister's visit. Win Myat Aye met with some 30 Rohingya community leaders and was briefed on the situation in the sprawling refugee camps by Bangladeshi and United Nations officials, he added. The minister declined to answer questions from reporters after the briefing. The leaders from the displaced minority group handed a statement to the Myanmar minister saying "it was not safe for them to return". Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement in November to repatriate some 750,000 refugees. Myanmar has approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to go back, but so far, not a single one has returned. "The military is still abusing the Rohingya population in Arakan, there are many restrictions on Rohingya who still live there," the statement said, using a local name for Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine state. "There has been no punishment for soldiers and security officers who committed abuses," it continued. The Rohingya have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar but the most recent crackdown has forced them to flee in unprecedented numbers. The UN and United States have called Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya in the past eight months "ethnic cleansing". - Fear of return - Syed Ullah, a Rohingya community leader who met the minister, said the group were upset that Win Myat Aye referred to them as "Bangladeshis". "We showed my parents' national verification card, saying that they are Rohingya who lived in Myanmar. Yet the minister said I'm a Bangladeshi. That's completely illogical," he told AFP. Myanmar does not regard the Rohingya as citizens but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Rahim, the community leader, said the minister offered the Rohingya a residency status akin to that given to foreign migrants. "We demanded full citizenship," Rahman said, adding the Rohingya leaders outlined a detailed list of preconditions for their return. "But the minister quietly disagreed." Win Myat Aye is the deputy head of a task force led by Myanmar's de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the crisis in Rakhine state, and has overseen the stalled agreement with Bangladesh to repatriate three-quarters of a million refugees. Nikaruzzaman, the Bangladeshi official, said the Myanmar minister delivered a speech saying he wanted "to see the conditions of the Rohingya". Win Myat Aye still has two days left in Bangladesh where he will meet with the country's senior officials including Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali in the capital Dhaka on Thursday. Many displaced Muslims have said they fear a repeat of the persecution that forced them off their lands if they go back under the repatriation deal. Refugees are demanding recognition as a minority, access to health and education and an assurance they can return to their ancestral villages rather than being shunted into resettlement camps in Rakhine.
Cheung Man-li was a 28-year-old man poised to buy his first home with his girlfriend when had his life brutally cut short on March 4, 2016. His body was fused into a slab of concrete in a private residence in Tsuen Wan.

The trial of three men accused of murdering Cheung began on Tuesday, a little more than two years after his death, with prosecutors alleging that Tsang Cheung-yan, 28, Keith Lau, 23, and Cheung Sin-hang, 25, killed him together at a flat the three shared.

But who actually initiated the attack on Cheung Man-li?

In the early stages of the investigation all three defendants pointed the finger of blame at each other.

It was alleged Tsang owed money to the victim. The prosecutors also said Tsang told the others they stood to gain financially if they killed Cheung.

Police believe the unemployed trio attacked Cheung, known as Ah J, in Flat 9D of the DAN6 industrial building. The prosecution argue the victim had his mouth covered with panties soaked in chloroform before being injected with alcohol.

His body was encased in moulded concrete and the defendants used air-freshener to mask the smell in the flat.

On Tuesday, as well as laying out their case, prosecutors revealed more of what happened before the trial began.

The three defendants, seated behind the dock and separated by a single prison officer each, had not presented a united front when they were first arrested and interviewed by police.

This, according to prosecutors, is what they said:

Tsang Cheung-yan, nicknamed Ah T

Tsang, who said he and Cheung had known each other for almost a decade, admitted to having done business with the victim in the past and that they had a dispute over some loans.

On the day of the murder, Tsang said, he was on the second floor of the flat when Cheung Man-li arrived, and stayed there until he heard Cheung Sin-hang swearing at someone.

At that point, Tsang said, Cheung Sin-hang asked him to go downstairs, which he did.

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Tsang said he saw Lau lying on top of Cheung Man-li, with Cheung Sin-hang underneath. Lau covered the victims mouth with chloroform and told Tsang to fetch a syringe and bottle of alcohol from the second floor.

Tsang accused Lau of asking him to inject Cheung Man-li with alcohol and said Lau was behind the whole thing.

He admitted the trio had bought various objects in the days that followed, such as nails, wooden boards and air-freshener.

He said he realised the killing had caused huge trouble but was too afraid to report the matter to police.

Keith Lau, Ah Ho

In his interview, Lau claimed it was Tsang and Cheung Sin-hang who killed Cheung Man-li and he had only helped afterwards because he was afraid of facing the same charges.

On March 4, Lau said, he saw the victim struggling with Cheung Sin-hang. Lau said it was Cheung Sin-hang, lying below the victim, who administered the chloroform.

He said Tsang, who he accused of buying the chloroform, then came down from the second floor with a syringe and a bottle of alcohol and injected the victim in the knee about four times.

Lau said since he had to go to Singapore for a dance competition the following day, he asked the others to deal with the body.

When he returned on March 7, he said, the cement was almost dry. However, Lau recalled blood kept dripping out of the coffin.

On March 8, Lau said, they tried to remove the cement block from the flat but it was too heavy to go in the lift. He said at that point they bought electric drills to break it up.

Cheung Sin-hang, Ah K or KK

Cheung said that before Cheung Man-lis death, the trio had talked about robbing him by hitting him on the head near a pier in Kwun Tong.

He said he and Lau had challenged Tsang over the point of killing Cheung Man-li if there were no financial gains.

He said Tsang told them they would be rewarded with a hefty sum by an international criminal gang.

On the day of the killing, he said, the victim was looking at some documents when Lau attacked him. He admitted helping Lau, but stressed it was Lau who covered Cheung Man-lis mouth with chloroform while sitting on top of him.

He recalled Tsang coming down from the upper floor to help and said it was Tsang who injected the victim with alcohol.

Cheung Sin-hang claimed he was the only one who had tried resuscitating Cheung Man-li, although he admitted he had prepared the panties by pouring chloroform on them.

This article Who really killed Hong Kongs body-in-cement murder victim? first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
By Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Tom Perry

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles "will be coming" and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The White House pushed back against suggestions that Trump had broadcast his plans for military strikes via Twitter, saying he had not laid out a timetable for action, that all options were still on the table and he was assessing how to respond.

Trump's tweet was reacting to a warning from Russia that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over the deadly assault on the rebel enclave of Douma near Damascus would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

His comments raised the prospect of direct conflict over Syria for the first time between the two world powers backing opposing sides in the seven-year-old civil war, which has aggravated instability across the Middle East.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump tweeted, referring to Moscow's alliance with Assad.

In response, Russia's foreign ministry said: "Smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not towards the lawful government".

Damascus and Moscow have denied any responsibility and say the incident is bogus.

Dozens of people in Douma died and hundreds were injured in the attack, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, striking a cautious tone after Trump's threat of missile strikes, said the United States was assessing intelligence about the suspected attack.

Asked if he had seen enough evidence to blame Assad, Mattis said: "We're still working on this."

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The U.S. military was ready to provide military options, if appropriate, he added. It was unclear if his remarks reflected unease about Trump's apparent move toward military action.

Two U.S. government sources told Reuters the United States still did not have 100 percent solid evidence of what nerve agent was used in Syria and where it came from. However, there is some evidence it was sprayed from helicopters, they said.

In Moscow, the head of a Russian parliamentary defence committee, Vladimir Shamanov, said Russia was in direct contact with the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff about the situation.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said pro-government forces were emptying main airports and military air bases. The Syrian military has also been repositioning some air assets to avoid possible missile strikes, U.S. officials told Reuters.

The Russian military said it had observed movements of U.S. Navy forces in the Gulf. Any U.S. strike would probably involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defences. A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

The Syrian foreign ministry accused the United States, which has supported some rebel groups in Syria's conflict, of using "fabrications and lies" as an excuse to hit its territory.

"We are not surprised by such a thoughtless escalation by a regime like the United States regime, which sponsored terrorism in Syria and still does," the state news agency SANA cited a ministry official as saying.

After the Douma attack, the insurgent group dug in there, Jaish al-Islam, finally agreed to withdraw. That sealed a huge victory for Assad, crushing a long rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near the capital Damascus.

BRITAIN READY

In London, British Prime Minister Theresa May said all the indications pointed to Syrian government responsibility for the attack and such "a shocking and barbaric act" could not go unchallenged.

The BBC reported that May was ready to give the go-ahead for Britain to take part in military action. She would not seek approval from parliament, the BBC said, despite calls from the opposition Labour Party for parliament to be given a say.

She also ordered British submarines to move within missile range of Syria in readiness for strikes against the Syrian military that could begin as early as Thursday night, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.

Oil prices jumped to their highest level in more than three years on Wednesday after Trump's warning, and U.S. stock index futures fell sharply due to alarm about a possible Russian-U.S. conflict over Syria.

HIGHLY TOXIC

The WHO said 43 people had died in Saturday's attack on Douma from "symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals", and more than 500 had been treated.

The WHO cautioned that it has no formal role in forensic inquiries into the use of chemical weapons. International inspectors are seeking clearance from Damascus to visit Douma under safe conditions to determine whether globally banned munitions were used, though they will not assign blame.

Moscow and Washington blocked attempts by each other at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Moscow's threat to down U.S. missiles came from its ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said it was based on previous statements by President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assad's most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large areas of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations".

Putin spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to do nothing to destabilise Syria.

AIRLINES BEWARE

With tensions growing, however, European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Both Russia and Iran, Assad's other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria on Monday would "not remain without response".

Israel held top-level security consultations on Wednesday on the possibility it could be targeted by Syria or Iran if the United States strikes Syrian government forces.

Syria's Russian-supplied air defences shot down an Israeli F-16 jet in February during a bombing run against what Israel described as Iranian-backed positions in Syria.

Last year, the United States carried out strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base after another toxic gas attack on a rebel-controlled pocket.

(Additional reporting by Dahlia Nehme in Beirut, Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Andrew Osborn and Maria Kiselyova in Moscow, William Schomberg in London, Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Mark Hosenball, Phil Stewart, Jeff Mason and Yara Bayoumy in Washington, Jamie Freed in Singapore and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Mark Heinrich, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Alistair Bell)
Ryanair is canceling all its Italian flights until April 8

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair on Wednesday said it would shut down its base on the popular Greek tourist island of Crete to protest airport charges.

The Dublin-based group said it would also reduce its domestic Greek flights from June 1, the start of the busy travel season.

"Regrettably, current airport charges at the majority of Greek airports encourage peak-only services in the summer on international routes, which require (fewer) aircraft in Greece," Nikolaos Lardis, Ryanair sales manager for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in a statement.

No specific detail was given on the charges in question.

"Two aircraft will therefore be transferred from Greece to Germany where they can achieve superior utilisation on a year round basis," Lardis added.

Ryanair will continue to operate Athens services to top tourist island destinations Mykonos and Santorini during the summer, in addition to Thessaloniki, but all other Greek services will be cancelled.

This will affect connections from Athens to Chania airport on Crete and Rhodes, and Chania to Thessaloniki, the company said.

Four low frequency flights from Chania to Katowice, Memmingen, Venice Treviso and Vilnius will also be scrapped, the no-frills airline said, noting that it remained open to talks with airport operators to sustain year round services.

Chania airport is run by German operators Fraport, who said on Wednesday that Ryanair is a "strategic partner" in nine of out of the 14 airports managed by the company under a 2015 privatisation deal.

"Fraport Greece respects Ryanair's operational needs and choices," said George Vilos, executive director of commercial and business development.

Fraport's holdings include the airports of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu.

burs-jph/bmm
Saudi Aramco on Wednesday announced a $44-billion deal to build a giant refinery complex in India with three Indian firms that will become a crucial new outlet for the world's biggest supplier. The refinery at Ratnagiri on the west coast will be able to process up to 1.2 million barrels of crude a day, the Saudi company said after signing a memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. Ratnagiri will be among the world's largest "refining and petrochemicals projects and will be designed to meet India's fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand. The project cost is estimated at around $44 billion," said a statement. "Saudi Aramco is the only company that can undertake (a) project of this scale," company president Amin Nasser said in Delhi. The Indian accord is just the latest in a string of deals -- with French, US and Asian companies -- announced by Aramco as it seeks secure markets for its oil and to move away from being just a producer. Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top three oil producers with Russia and the United States, while Aramco is the biggest company putting oil on the world market currently awash with product. It will provide half of the oil to be processed at the new refinery, Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters. Iraq has in the past year overtaken Saudi Arabia as India's main oil supplier so the refinery would be a major boost. - India is 'key' - "Investing in India is a key part of our company's global downstream strategy, and another milestone in our growing relationship with India," said Aramco president Nasser. "Participating in this mega project will allow Saudi Aramco to go beyond our crude oil supplier role to a fully integrated position that may help usher in other areas of collaboration, such as refining, marketing, and petrochemicals for India's future energy demands," he added. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have set up a joint venture for the deal with Aramco, called Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. Aramco said it may "seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the mega refinery". The Saudi giant and French firm Total this week announced a $5-billion deal to build a refinery at Jubail in Saudi Arabia. Last month, Aramco awarded more than $8 billion worth of contracts to American firms to boost its US refinery operations. Aramco has also pledged billions of dollars for deals in Malaysia and Indonesia in the past year. In each case, supply deals have been a condition of refinery investment. Aramco is also carefully planning a huge stock market listing, ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, amid the turbulence of the world oil market. The hotly-awaited stock market debut will happen in 2018 or 2019, depending on the market, the kingdom's finance minister told AFP on Tuesday. "If the market is ready in 2018, we will go in 2018. If not, we will wait until 2019," Mohammed al-Jadaan said of the giant initial public offering. "We are not desperate for listing. We will only list when the market is right," he said. Jadaan said the government had not yet decided whether to list Aramco on the Saudi exchange alone, on a stock market abroad or seek a dual listing. Saudi authorities plan an initial listing of five percent of Aramco, that would bring in more than $100 billion and would value the company overall at $2 trillion.
A video screen shot of Yan Jun being arrested after staging a one-man protest outside Raffles Place MRT on 3 July 2017.

Recalcitrant demonstrator Yan Jun was sentenced to six and a half months jail and fined $5,000 on Wednesday (11 April) for staging a one-man protest outside Raffles Place MRT in February.

Being handed the punishment did not stop him from declaring in court, however, that he would continue to stage his demonstrations at the same location upon his release.

Just last week, Yan had claimed trial to one count of taking part in a public assembly without a permit, one count of behaving in a disorderly manner by shouting in the face of a police officer, and one count of ignoring a police order to leave an area for a period of 24 hours. Yans trial lasted less than two days before Tan convicted him on all his charges.

All the charges stemmed from the incident outside Raffles Place MRT on 22 February this year when Yan held two placards to protest against the corruption of Singapores judicial system and call for Lees resignation.

The 42-year-old Singaporean was also convicted a total of seven times over the past two years for staging demonstrations outside of official buildings such as the Istana, Parliament House, the US embassy and the British High Commission and outside Raffles Place MRT Station.

He was handed the maximum fine of $5,000 on each of the last five occasions that he protested in 2016 and 2017. Yan has not paid any of the fines imposed on him but served a total of 15 weeks and 37 days jail in default.

Yans numerous brushes with the law were noted by District Judge Luke Tan, who described them as Yans sorry antecedent record. He had shown a lack of remorse during the trial and had brought the same abhorrent behaviour from his protest into court, said Tan.

In court last week, Yan accused the police of corruption and had his back turned to the judge throughout the proceedings after claiming that Tan had refused to accept his case.

Tan noted on Wednesday that Yan had reoffended within a short time from his most recent release from prison and went to lengths to plan his latest offence, even e-mailing the police about his impending protest.

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When asked if he had anything to say, Yan asked for the maximum 30 months jail sentence and said he was not inclined but determined to continue protesting at Raffles Place. He disagreed with the prosecutions jail sentence of seven months and a $5,000 fine, and flung his court documents onto the ground at the end of the hearing.

In seeking a jail sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) G Kannan noted that Yan had promised to reoffend upon his release.

(Yan) has shown utter defiance and a complete contempt for proceedings he persists in making a mockery of out laws and criminal justice system and our criminal justice system must stand up to him, said Kannan.

The prosecution also submitted an Institute of Mental Health report which concluded that Yan was not of unsound mind and had no mental disorder. However, the same report placed him at a high risk of reoffending.

Yan has one more outstanding charge of refusing to answer to a police officer authorised to question him four days after his February protest which he is also claiming trial to.
Serb academic turned far-right leader Vojislav Seselj won notoriety during the 1990s Balkan wars for his incendiary rhetoric and remains defiant since his provisinal release from more than a decade in detention in The Hague. UN war crimes judges in The Hague are due to give an appeal verdict on Wednesday against the shock 2016 acquittal of the stocky, ruddy-faced former deputy prime minister, 63. Prosecutors had accused Seselj of poisoning the minds of volunteer forces who committed atrocities in the 1990s, in a quest to forge a "Greater Serbia" as Yugoslavia fell apart. Judges found there was not sufficient evidence to prove he was guilty on nine counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the murder, torture and deportation of non-Serbs in large areas of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia. "I do not feel guilty of anything," Seselj declared triumphantly at a press conference in Belgrade after his acquittal ruling in late March 2016. The Serbian Radical Party leader has since stuck to his nationalist line. "We will never give up the idea of a Greater Serbia," he told AFP in an interview. Prosecutors have appealed against his acquittal, saying he is is "spreading politics seeking to unite all 'Serb territories' in a homogeneous Serb state". Seselj spent more than a decade in detention before and during his trial. He was excused from attending the 2016 judgement having returned to Serbia two years earlier on medical grounds. After the acquittal ruling, he was elected as an MP in Serbia. Since his return, ill health has not prevented Seselj from appearing on reality television, publicly burning EU and NATO flags and firing up far-right rallies. He said he will not be in The Hague for the appeal verdict by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which is wrapping up the last legal cases from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which was closed in December after 24 years. - 'Counter-revolutionary' - Born in Sarajevo in Bosnia in 1954, Seselj studied law and obtained a doctorate, going on to lecture in political science at Sarajevo University in the early 1980s. The nationalist ideas he developed were not appreciated by the communist regime, and he was convicted of "counter-revolutionary activities" and spent two years in jail during that period. He then moved to Belgrade where, after communism collapsed, he formed the Serbian Radical Party in 1991. He quickly became an MP, known for his shocking antics in parliament -- from swearing to drawing pistols. Among his ill-famed comments as the conflicts in Croatia and Bosnia broke out, Seselj once boasted on a television talk show that Serbs would "slaughter Croats with rusty spoons". From 1998 to 2000 he was Serbia's deputy prime minister under the autocratic regime of Slobodan Milosevic, who died during his own war crimes trial at The Hague in 2006. After giving himself up to the court in 2003, Seselj forced the cancellation of his first trial three years later by going on a hunger strike to demand the right to represent himself. A second trial opened in 2007 in which he cast himself as a martyr and a victim of an anti-Serb conspiracy. He said he regretted that the tribunal did not allow for the death sentence, "so that proudly, with dignity, upright like my friend Saddam Hussein, I could put the final seal on my ideology." Among his angry outbursts, he once said he smelled the odour of gas when a German judge arrived in the courtroom, and also compared the proceedings to a "satanic ritual". - Breaking with allies - His party was Serbia's largest until 2008, when Seselj's close allies Tomislav Nikolic and Aleksandar Vucic broke ranks and formed the ruling pro-European Serbian Progressive Party. Vucic is now president while Seselj's anti-Western and pro-Russian rhetoric holds less sway, despite his attention-grabbing tactics. He briefly benefited from public attention following his acquittal and with the Radicals became the second strongest single party in the parliament at elections two years ago. But last month he was on the verge of political disappearance when his party won only two-percent support in local Belgrade polls. Political analyst and columnist Cvijetin Milivojevic said that since returning from The Hague, Seselj has toned down his criticism of his now-powerful former ally Vucic as he bids for electoral success. "Seselj is a serious, calculating politician who has rarely improvised things," Milivojevic said. "In that sense, he has not changed."
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A U.N. war crimes court on Wednesday overturned an acquittal of Serbian politician Vojislav Seselj on charges of persecution and inhumane acts but the ultra-nationalist said he remained proud of what he did.

Judges in the Hague sentenced Seselj to 10 years on charges including deportation but since he spent 12 years in pre-trial detention the penalty was considered already served. He was given permission in 2014 to return to Serbia for cancer treatment.

"I am proud of all my war crimes and crimes against humanity and am ready to repeat them," Seselj told Reuters by telephone from Serbia, adding that the fresh verdict is not valid and the appeals court should only have had the power to order a retrial.

Seselj, 63, said he still wanted a Greater Serbia uniting all parts of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia where Serbs live.

Seselj founded the Serbian Radical Party and was deputy prime minister under Slobodan Milosevic during the wars that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s in which more than 100,000 people were killed.

The case is one of the last to come before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ITCY) set up to prosecute major crimes resulting from the wars and closed last year.

The court acquitted Seselj in 2016 of charges including murder for stoking ethnic hatred at the start of the wars.

But appeals judges in a special chamber to handle outstanding ICTY cases ruled that Seselj was criminally responsible because of a speech he gave in Hrtkovci, Serbia, in May 1992, for "instigating deportation (and) persecution ... as crimes against humanity".

Prosecutors had called on the judges to reverse the acquittal or order a retrial.

The appeals chamber did not find a strong enough link between Seselj and other members of an alleged joint criminal enterprise to drive out non-Serbs from parts of Croatia and Bosnia.

"The initial verdict could have not been turned into conviction. The appeals court could have ordered retrial only," he said.

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Serbian anti-war organisation "Women in Black" said the verdict gave partial satisfaction to families of victims.

"Fighting hate speech and facing the past is a pre-condition for progress in Serbia and the region," it said in a statement.

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Additional reporting by Maja Zuvela in Sarajevo and Ivana Sekularac in Belgrade; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
New Zealand ordered a top-level inquiry Wednesday into allegations its special forces killed six civilians, including a three-year-old child, during a botched 2010 raid on an Afghan village. The New Zealand military vehemently denies the accusations, which were first made in a book "Hit and Run" published last year. The book alleged an elite SAS squad staged the raid as a "revenge attack" after a New Zealand soldier was killed, but faulty intelligence meant it targeted villagers rather than insurgents. It also claimed the military covered up the raid's failure, falsely saying nine insurgents had died when it knew otherwise. The centre-left Labour Party called for an independent inquiry while in opposition and Attorney-General David Parker reviewed the case following last year's election win. Parker on Wednesday appointed former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer and Supreme Court judge Terence Arnold to head the probe. "Bearing in mind the need for the public to have confidence in the NZDF, I have decided in the public interest that an inquiry is warranted," he said. Parker said he had seen video of the raid suggesting there were "armed individuals" in the village but the footage was not conclusive, hence the need for the inquiry. It will examine the conduct of troops during the raid, whether those killed were insurgents or civilians and the accuracy of military briefings given to the public and the government. It is expected to take up to a year. The New Zealand Defence Force chief, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, said he stood by earlier statements about the raid. "At all times throughout this operation our NZSAS acted professionally and conducted themselves to the high standards expected of our special forces," he said. New Zealand sent a reconstruction team and a small special forces contingent to join the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan in 2003. In early August 2010, Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell became the first of New Zealand's 10 military deaths in Afghanistan when his patrol was hit by a roadside bomb. The SAS raid in the northern province of Baghlan, carried out with US helicopter support, took place about two weeks later on August 22. In the following days Mohammad Ismail, a district chief for Tala Wa Barfak, where the incident occurred, told AFP that eight people died in the raid, all civilians. The New Zealand military initially kept silent about its involvement, then said nine insurgents were killed and no civilians harmed.
Climate Science Denial Explained

Posted on 11 April 2018 by DPiepgrass

Lonnie Thompson, a climate scientist, was told by his doctor that he needed a heart transplant.

He denied it. Youre crazy! Ive been climbing the highest mountains in the world for he paused, mentally counted the decades.

Lonnie loved his job. He hiked up to mountain glaciers at 20,000 feet, to retrieve ice cores with the help of a solar-powered drill. He felt fine??its just asthma, he told himself??and as long as he needed a heart transplant, he wouldnt be allowed to go on any more expeditions. Logically, then, his heart must be fine.

He fought his doctor for two years, and kept going on expeditions. Then while drilling in the Alps in 2011, he couldnt get up from his tent. He couldnt breathe. Luckily he was able to go down from the mountain, and return to the U.S. where he was admitted to an emergency room, and put on a heart pump.

Truth.

Truth has been a lifelong interest of mine: at first, to find out what the truth was, and then later, to figure out what techniques are useful for distinguishing truth from falsehoods.

My interest in questions of truth started with my religion. How can we be sure whether there is a God? If there is, why is it so hard to figure out which religion is true? If he exists, is He good? Would a good God behave the way we have observed? To me, these questions seemed staggeringly important, yet strangely neglected.

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts - a quaint quote from a bygone era

Now my interest in truth has shifted, to the flows of misinformation and disinformation in society.

Last year I encountered a group on Facebook calling itself Friends of Science, buying ads with a simple message:

CO2 does nothing. Why not buy another SUV?

This led me to speak to a series of people who believe humans dont cause (significant) global warming, to study climate science for over two months straight, to write anti-denial articles, and finally, to take a course in Global Warming Denial.

The Consensus

During a global cooling trend in the 1970s, climatologists came to a consensus of roughly 84% that CO2 was about to warm up the world. Today that consensus may be as high as 97%, at least among experienced climate scientists.

Consensus among expert climatologists. Consensus numbers are lower among novices and non-climate scientists.

Skeptics can easily brush those numbers aside using myths that theres not really a consensus. Here are some typical arguments against the consensus:

the Doran 2009 study asked only 77 climate scientists if humans were a significant contributing factor??any amount could be called significant: well, other studies explicitly asked if humans caused  most  of the warming, or asked if humans cause at least half, or more than half of warming. Changing the question doesnt lower the consensus very much, nor does asking more climate scientists of similar experience.

 of the warming, or asked if humans cause at least half, or more than half of warming. Changing the question doesnt lower the consensus very much, nor does asking more climate scientists of similar experience. but theres this petition of 31,000 scientists denying human-caused global warming yes, but only 0.1% of those who signed it are climate scientists. The only requirement to sign it is to be an American with a science or engineering degree. Only 0.44% of roughly 7.2 million people eligible to sign it have signed it, despite a mass-mailing campaign by the OISM, the scale of which has been kept secret.

in the Cook 2013 study, almost 2/3 of papers examined gave no opinion on AGW (man-made or Anthropogenic Global Warming), so this consensus thing is a dishonest manipulation of data. Why would every single paper have to express an opinion about that? 37% of abstracts since 1990 endorse AGW (at least implicitly) and 1% reject it (at least implicitly), and those numbers reflect a real consensus. Whether humans cause warming is not relevant in most climatology papers, so it need not be mentioned, and if a paper doesnt express an opinion on AGW, it doesnt mean the scientists who wrote it dont have an opinion. In fact, often the same author publishes several papers, and only one of them indicates an opinion on human causation. For example, Cooks study examined 5 papers by the contrarian Roy Spencer, and only one rejects AGW (and only implicitly, at that). The 3 papers by Lonnie Thompson (our heart-condition denier) are all classified as No Position, but his actual opinion is clear. If you don't like this study, look at other studies that gather scientists opinions directly. They show a clear consensus, too.

Its just peer pressure: surveys answered anonymously have similar results to surveys of public statements by climate scientists.

You have to agree with AGW or your funding will get cut off: Almost 2/3 of climate science papers dont express an opinion on human causation, so this argument doesnt hold water; scientists can and do get funding without publicly addressing the causation question. Plus, contrarians are typically government-funded. It seems impossible to convince some people of whats actually going on: to keep the funding going, you must be able to publish papers in a respectable journal, and to do that you must back up all claims with quantitative evidence, and use sound reasoning.

get funding without publicly addressing the causation question. Plus, contrarians are typically government-funded. It seems impossible to convince some people of whats actually going on: to keep the funding going, you must be able to publish papers in a respectable journal, and to do that you must back up all claims with quantitative evidence, and use sound reasoning. So what? global warming isnt harmful: Scientists disagree! In a Pew survey, 77% of domain experts who are Earth scientists say it is a very serious problem  and another 17% say it is  somewhat serious . Another study found that 41% of scientists believe global climate change will pose a very great danger to the earth in the next 50 to 100 years, compared to 13% who see relatively little danger. Another 44% rate climate change as moderately dangerous .

People typically talk about the study on consensus, when in fact there have been numerous studies, all showing a consensus, generally above 90% (In Talking to Climate Skeptics I summarize most of the studies and give links to them). Academies of science in 80 countries endorse the consensus position. None reject it.

Telling doubters about the consensus (and dispelling anti-consensus myths) often helps them change their mind about global warming. It may also help to point out that dealing with climate change will improve the economy, that it doesnt have to be expensive or difficult if everyone chips in a little, and that various Republicans support a carbon tax.

But I'm not here to write about doubters. This is about vocal skeptics.

You can explain all the above facts to a self-professed skeptic and it never changes their mind: they simply ignore you and/or move the goalposts. For instance, I was speaking with a guy who said he agreed with the consensus. I quoted consensus studies saying humans cause most of the observed warming, but as the discussion continued he repeatedly changed the word most to some, so he could keep saying he agreed with the consensus. After I repeatedly called him out for this, his new position was that climate scientists are all dishonest (initially he denied that this was his position, but later called them scumbags), and said that consensus studies prove climate science isnt a real science. Why? He says real scientists dont conduct surveys. Months later I caught him pretending to agree with the consensus once again.

Once youve proven beyond any doubt that there is a consensus, their ultimate comfort is that science isnt done by consensus.

Since truth does not depend on anyones opinion, they figure their opinion about what is true outweighs thousands of climate scientists. For them, consensus scientists, no matter their country or background, are incompetent at best, and part of a global conspiracy at worst. For them, the only thing that makes a scientist credible is having the right opinions.

Denial101x

Denial 101x is an actual 6-week course about climate science, denial techniques and denial psychology, which you can take free online.

This 3-part series is basically Denial101x for busy people.

For a couple of months now Ive had a personal goal of converting one of these guys. I wanted to know, how much evidence does it take to convince them? I learned to take a tactful and nonpolitical approach, with as much friendliness as I could muster??which often wasnt that much, admittedly. After learning the science inside and out, and spending dozens of hours talking to specific people who deny AGW, the answer seems to be Its virtually impossible. Dont bother. While I talked to about a dozen of these guys, I worked harder on 6 of them. My final score: 1 out of 6. My one success story? A Canadian. And it wasn't 100% success. Just sorta-kinda.

Heres what Ive learned by talking to these guys:

They dont like the word denier (and denialist)

You would think that AGW denier is a sensible shorthand for person who denies human-caused (Anthropogenic) Global Warming is real, or a real problem.

But getting offended whenever someone says denier is a smart strategy. Either they can force you to use the word they choose, which is skeptic, or they have an excuse to ignore your arguments, by claiming denier is a slur which makes you untrustworthy for saying it. (Despite this concern about labels, they still call mainstream climate scientists alarmists.)

The word skeptic is inaccurate, though, since their skepticism is selective. They were taught to be skeptics using a series of anti-science myths. They not only believe the myths, but when I try to debunk them, they often act as though I hadnt said anything at all. Instead they change the subject or respond only to something else that I said. Real skeptics are evidence-driven, and do not simply ignore information that refutes their position.

Science is not a democracy. Its a dictatorship, and its the evidence that does the dictating - John Reisman

Some have suggested other terms, such as pseudo-skeptic and citizen scientist. Originally this article used the term denier, but Ive decided to switch the text to use pseudo-skeptic in an effort to increase neutrality. Ive reserved the word contrarian for those rare individuals who have credentials in climate science, but still disagree with the consensus. (Edit: George Marshall suggests dissenters; others have suggested dismissive.)

It's a political debate dressed up as a science debate

Most Americans live in the Eastern U.S., which warmed less than the global average. This may help denial, but political beliefs matter far more.

Left side in red: votes for Trump. Right side in brown: states where people do not believe most scientists think global warming is happening.

A Pew poll asks if Earth is warming due mostly to human activity? Only 15% of Republican voters agree (22% in another poll), compared to 79% of Democrat voters. Its a testament to the power of propaganda on this issue that even Democrats show a lower consensus than climate science experts.

Graph by John Cook

The Denial Community

There are two climate scientists who publish contrarian blogs: Roy Spencer and Judith Curry, both American conservatives. The pseudo-skeptic community rallies around them as beacons of truth. Both of them want to minimize the appearance of human influence, but neither claim that there is no human influence.

Spencer wrote a book on free-market economics, and once said I view my job a little like a legislator, supported by the taxpayer, to protect the interests of the taxpayer and to minimize the role of government. Spencer emphasizes his own UAH dataset, which shows the smallest warming trend out of all available datasets (four different compilations of land and sea data by three countries, as well as weather balloons and RSS data, show more warming). Curry pushes an uncertainty angle??that we dont know enough about whats going on and climate scientists cant be trusted to tell us. Pseudo-skeptics may combine such contrarian opinions with myths theyve seen elsewhere to build a more complete story for themselves.

The tiny minority of credentialed contrarians are propped up by an enormous web of denial blogs written by non-climate scientists and non-scientists, such as ClimateDepot (by the Washington DC conservative outfit CFACT), the conservative Heartland Institute, WattsUpWithThat (headed by conservative TV meteorologist Anthony Watts), RealClimateScience (not to be confused with RealClimate.org, a blog by real climate scientists), NoTricksZone (with writers such as Kenneth Richard who I have examined before), Tony Heller (a longtime conspiracy theorist who used to go by the alias Steve Goddard), JoNova, and Friends of Science. Even publications like Washington Post and Forbes have published articles from professional pseudo-skeptics like James Taylor (Heartland Institute), and the New York Times recently hired conservative pseudo-skeptic Bret Stephens.

Next time: Tactics of Denial
On its 50th anniversary, the Fair Housing Act remains the most spectacularly successful disappointment in civil rights history.

As an anti-discrimination statute, the FHA has triumphed beyond the wildest dreams of its framers. Housing discrimination was routine and ubiquitous in 1968; now, according to the most comprehensive surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, it affects only a small percentage of home sales and apartment rentals to black Americans, and in home sales has ceased to exist for Latinos.

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But as an anti-segregation effort, the FHA has failed miserably. Scholars estimate segregation by the dissimilarity index, which measures how many members of one race in a neighborhood or metro area would have to move to achieve complete integration: 1 is complete segregation, and 0 is complete integration. Although dissimilarity indices have decreased in many metro areas (particularly in the Sun Belt), they remain stubbornly high in areas with high black populations, approaching and sometimes surpassing .85 in areas such as Milwaukee; Gary, Indiana; Detroit; New York; Chicago; and Newark, New Jersey.

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Whether youre looking at employment, out-of-wedlock births, earnings, test scores, or just about any other measure, outcomes for black families living in integrated neighborhoods are far better, even controlling for factors like income and wealth. Its extremely important, then, to understand how and why integration is (and isnt) happening now.

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Searching for housing is complex, difficult, and costly. Few among us have the time and the resources to look at every house or apartment in every potential neighborhood throughout a metropolitan area, so we fall back on heuristics: Whats close? Where do people I know live? People search in the easiest and most convenient places. In the 1990s, HUD started the Moving to Opportunity program, which gave mostly black public housing tenants vouchers to move to middle-class and affluent neighborhoods. The idea was to allow them to take advantage of the resources such neighborhoods would provide, like better schools and job opportunities. But researchers found that many tenants moved to poor, predominantly black neighborhoods close to where they livednot because they really wanted to, but because these were the neighborhoods they knew. These tenants were not unique: All people of whatever background use these heuristics to help guide their choices.

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Even small amounts of discrimination can have an effect on integration. Black Americans very reasonably do not want to face discrimination in their housing searches, and they might not be eager to be the first black families in a neighborhood. Even if most whites would welcome them, it doesnt take many negative interactions to diminish ones quality of life. Little wonder, then, that the metropolitan areas doing the best job on integrationamong them Riverside, California; San Antonio; and Seattleare those with a larger number of black pioneers, better-educated men and women who travel to new cities in search of new employment. These pioneers have fewer connections to traditional black neighborhoods and are thus more open to majority-white areas.

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Does class fuel segregation? Yes, although less than is commonly supposed. In our new book Moving Toward Integration, Richard Sander, Yana Kucheva, and I examined restricted census data and found that while a significant portion of segregation can be explained by housing affordability, an even greater portion of the effect cannot be. Put another way, racial segregation is about race. This should not be too surprising. Some of the places where it is the easiest to build housing, such as Chicago, remain highly segregated, whereas some markets with extremely high housing costs, such as San Diego, have managed to greatly reduce their dissimilarity indices.

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What can be done to decrease housing segregation more broadly? My co-authors and I propose a menu of policy choices, but perhaps the most important concept is the mobility grant. The idea is that people would get assistance in buying a home or moving to an apartment when their presence would help integrate the neighborhood. This would hold for blacks who move to a predominantly white neighborhood and for whites who move to a predominantly black neighborhood. These grants carry the explicit goal of integration, unlike Section 8 vouchers, which do not focus on integration and in any event rely on landlords to accept them (two major reasons why they have had little impact on racial integration).

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Mobility grants cannot eliminate all segregation all at once, but they could take a big whack out of hypersegregation in metro areas such as New York, Chicago, Cleveland, and Gary, Indiana, where the dissimilarity index is near or above .80. By giving potential movers a financial incentive to integrate, we hope to overcome the sociological barriers that keep too much of the country segregated.

A $10,000 grant to buy a house or pay for 10 months rent might induce people to examine overlooked neighborhoods, particularly if accompanied by appropriate advertising and counseling programs. It would not need to be a massive program but rather something well within the parameters of a normal (i.e., non-Trump) HUD budget. It could be piloted in a midsize metro area to gauge its effects. In the book, we estimate that a program for metropolitan Buffalo, New York, would require 10,400 pro-integrative moves to reduce the dissimilarity index below .60, at a cost of roughly $285 million. The subsidy would decline and ultimately vanish once the dissimilarity index falls below a certain level.

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Constitutional issues emerge with these grants because they are race-conscious. But current doctrine does not forbid race-conscious policy; it simply requires that it be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling governmental interest. Indeed, this is about as narrowly tailored as possible, for everyone who uses the subsidy increases integration. Since it is open to all, it is, if not race-neutral, perhaps race-global. Conservatives who hate affirmative action as a racial entitlement should find nothing to object to.

Such a program would increase gentrification, if whites take advantage of it. From an integration perspective, however, that is a good thing: We want whites to move into black neighborhoods just as we want the converse. Most major studies find, though, that gentrification displaces far fewer people than is normally thought (mainly because low-income people move frequently regardless of gentrification). My co-authors and I also propose mechanisms for ensuring gentrification does not go too far. As stated above, the subsidy declines as integration increases, so low-income people would not be fully pushed out. Moreover, we advocate establishing an affordable housing trust in neighborhoods affected by gentrification. Cities would use the higher property taxes generated by gentrification to purchase affordability easements over existing low-income housing. These easements would be contracts, put into deeds, specifying that the housing must remain affordable to the poor and working classan instrument common to federally supported housing across the country. Such a tactic would use gentrification to maintain integration, not undermine it.

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Shortly before being elected president, Franklin Roosevelt noted that the country needs and  demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. The millions who are in want will not stand by silently forever while the things to satisfy their needs are within easy reach. The question of how to fix racial segregation has vanished from policy discussion for decades. It now needs to return, with an explicit commitment to integration itself. Ending hypersegregation is within reach. Reaching that goal will generate truly fair housing in America.
As Mark Zuckerberg prepares for another day of Congressional testimony, many Americans are asking themselves if it was really such a great idea to voluntarily sign up for an online panopticon to begin with. Unfortunately, Facebook is so integrated into our daily lives now that outright quitting seems unthinkable. But as this PSA from Conan OBrien shows, you dont have to change your lifestyle just because you gave up Facebook. Most of the things youve come to love can still be done in real life, from keeping up with people you barely know to broadcasting your political opinions to people who dont want to hear them.

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The sketch gets at a larger truth about Facebook: Even before getting into the privacy issues, most of what people use it for ranges from the pointless to the outright creepy. Earlier generations do not seem to have felt a great sense of loss because they werent able to get into inane political debates with high school acquaintances who turned out to be racists. Nor did they spend a lot of time wondering what their co-workers were eating for lunch or wishing they could give their food choices a thumbs-up. But that little dopamine hit from receiving a like or satisfying your curiosity about the current life of someone you parted ways with many years ago is a difficult addiction to kick, even when its clear that youre using the technology to do things youd never contemplate wasting your time on in real life. Maybe we should all quit Facebook and take up smoking.
Spoilers for Season 8 of HBOs megahit Game of Thrones are hard to come by, but it was only a matter of time before someone let the direwolf out of the bag. Assistant director Jonathan Quinlan recently posted a revealing photo related to the upcoming season to Instagram, and though he has since removed the post, its been preserved by fan site Watchers on the Wall. The photo shows a note from the Game of Thrones producers thanking the crew for enduring 55 straight nights in the cold and mud while filming an unspecified battle scene in Northern Irelands Toome and Maghermorne.

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When tens of millions of people around the world watch this episode a year from now, they wont know how hard you worked, the note continues. They wont care how tired you were or how tough it was to do your job in sub-freezing temperatures. Theyll just understand that theyre watching something thats never been done before. And thats because of you.

55 consecutive nights isnt just long for a single shootit also shatters a Game of Thrones record. The showdown between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton took 25 days to shoot in Season 7s Battle of the Bastards episode. If we assume a direct relationship between shooting time and how epic the resulting battle is, then the mystery battle in this Season 8 episode should be almost twice as cool. Thats just math.
If you believe that children are the futureand in 2018, no one will blame you for desperately clinging to this optimistic visionthen the Broadway incarnation of Mean Girls, which marked its official opening on Sunday, just might be the show for you. The basic premise of the 2004 film on which its based, in which teenager Cady Heron returns to the states with her parents after being homeschooled in Africa most of her life, remains. The students are still meanespecially the Plastics, a trio of popular girls led by Queen Bee Regina Georgeand still divided into clearly defined cliques. (Though this time their categories have been slightly updated for modern sensibilities to include woke seniors concerned with intersectional veganism.)

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Yet by the end of Act II, the show has tap-danced and belted its way to an effusive declaration of Be who you are and Be kind to others that never seemed so stark in the film, and with an earnestness that sometimes feels like it could only come from an after-school special or the writers for Glee. (It didnt: Tina Fey returned to adapt her screenplay into the shows book, with music and lyrics from her husband Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin, respectively. Casey Nicholaw directed and choreographed.) Mean Girls the musical has got something the original didnt have much of at all: sweetness. Depending upon how you feel about having the moral of the story hammered into your psyche for the last 20 minutes, your mileage will vary.

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Many of the softened and cheesier edges work, particularly in the first act. Erika Henningsen plays Cady as effervescent and cheerfully naive when we first meet her (as opposed to pre-punchline Lindsay Lohans mutedly upbeat-but-leery interpretation in the original), making her transformation into a backstabbing, power-hungry clone of the Plastics midway through even more remarkable than it was before. The moment when she falls for Aaron Samuels is rendered via a playfully cute song in which she laments being smart with math, but stupid with love, set to a rhythm that feels dropped out of Paul Simons Graceland. (Because Africa, duh.) Her gay friend Damian (Grey Hanson) is now a more acutely drawn musical theater nerd with two of the shows musical highlights, Where Do You Belong? and the delightful second-act opener Stop, in which he implores Cady not to succumb to the perils of social media obsession. (The latter includes a rousing, 42nd Streetinspired tap break and the reveal that he once cyberstalked a crush from theater camp.)

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But a broad approach is less successful in Taylor Loudermans take on Regina, whose leader of the pack lacks the nuanced, unsettling nature of Rachel McAdams characterizationwhich wouldnt be so bad if it werent substituted with a cartoonish, vampy portrayal and a sexy baby voice. Barrett Wilbert Weeds Janis gets in some nice dry zingers in the spirit one would expect, but her Linda Perryinspired anthem of self-love during the trust fall scene (Id Rather Be Me) is grating and bland, undercutting the subversiveness at the core of the character. It doesnt help that the song is constructed to be performed almost entirely as a full-throated belt.

The politics of girl world still seem daunting onstage, but its nothing that cant be stamped out with a bit of compassion and a well-wailed song.

Somewhere in between these varying degrees of success lies the most interesting and funniest character in this new Mean Girls: Ashley Parks Gretchen Wieners. The so fetch sidekick to Regina is given more dimensionality and hints at the darker, edgier path the show mightve taken. Her big solo is Whats Wrong With Me? in which she interrogates her own unhealthy, unfailing devotion to Regina and her every need and want. Sometimes I feel like an iPhone without a case, she laments. I know Im worth a lot and Ive got good functions, but at any moment I could shatter. She senses the fragility of their relationship and knows that it will likely end in an ugly, bitter betrayal. Park imbues Gretchen with a sense of utter sadness that isnt as readily apparent in the movie, and the character serves as the plays most tragically realistic figure: a young person so desperate to be liked and admired, but incapable of pulling herself out of a toxic situation due to the outside pressures of adolescent girlhood. (She also has impeccable comedic timing and delivery, earning some of the biggest laughs at the preview performance I attended.) Its worth noting that Park is Asian American, and it wouldve been interesting to see what the creative team might have done to comment upon this sadness through that lens. But save for a throwaway lineRegina refers to Gretchen as exotictheres no indication that the role was written specifically with an Asian American performer in mind. (The current standby for the role is a white actress.)

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Gretchen seems to fade into the background in Act II, which overall feels more lackluster and dependent upon less compelling songs than the first act. (Did the Mathletes competition really need a full-on musical number?) But theres still much to delight in, including the Halloween costume party in which the charmingly dumb Karen gets to shine while singing about girls dressing up as Sexy Corn and Sexy Rosa Parks. The staging is inventive, relying heavily on bright, bold image-projection for background scenery, and features some very clever and seamlessly executed onstage costume changes.

One might expect an updated version of the fan favorite would be even more biting and bitchy, considering the existence of social media and all the negatives that accompany it (cyberbullying, image obsession) seem only to magnify the difficulties of being a teen today. At the end of the movie, all of the kids in school have taken the message of being oneself and demonstrating empathy to heart, but its slyly undercut by the implication that where one clique of mean girls has been disbanded and transformed, a younger batch of regulation hottie clones are poised to step up and take their place. Not so in this adaptation, which ends with Cady referring to everyone as all stars (hey now) at the spring fling in a song-and-dance number straight out of an 80s high school movie. The politics of girl world still seem daunting onstage, but overall its less an insidious, corruptive force than an issue that can be stamped out with a bit of compassion and a well-wailed song.

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Most audience members who would venture to Mean Girls in the first place will likely come away pleased with the overall experience. The original has not been ruined, and in updating the time period, theyve found new ways of appealing to modern sensibilities while acknowledging the fans. I suspect, however, that this nicer version will hit closer to home for those who are not yet jaded by the current state of the world, those who might have been mere toddlers when the movie was first released. If, like me, you remember being in or around high school in 2004 and arent fully convinced that being a teen is any simpler, however more woke they may be than we were at that age, then you may find this new take almost too sweet to function.
One of the prominent leaders in American evangelicalism resigned abruptly Tuesday night in the wake of a series of accusations of sexual misconduct. Citing confusion about the accusations, which span decades, Bill Hybels announced from the stage at his suburban Chicago church that he was retiring effective immediately. It has been extremely painful for us to see this controversy continue to be a distraction, he said, referring to himself and his wife, Lynne. Church members in the audience gasped, and some shouted, No!

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The accusations against Hybels come from multiple women, including several former employees who spoke on the record with the Chicago Tribune as a part of a major investigation published in March. They accuse the pastor of behavior including flirtatious comments, lingering hugs, and an unwanted kiss. The claims were noteworthy in part because of who made them: multiple employees who went on the record were highly respected within Willow Creek and in some cases had high profiles outside the church. Nancy Beach, the churchs first female teaching pastor, told the Tribune that Hybels repeatedly initiated inappropriate conversations with her over the years and invited her to one-on-one meetings in his home and hotel rooms with no clear professional agenda. Vonda Dyer, another employee, also said Hybels invited her to a hotel room more than once; on a work trip to Sweden, she said, he told her she was sexy and kissed her. (One woman, not named in news reports, said she had a long-term affair with Hybels but later recanted her claim in full.)

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If Hybels is not a household name outside of evangelicalism, its because he is more interested publicly in spiritual topics than politics (although he did serve as a spiritual adviser to President Bill Clinton). But within evangelicalism, his fame and influence are hard to overstate. He founded Willow Creek in 1975, and it has since become one of the largest churches in America. The church now has multiple locations in the Chicago area that together draw 25,000 worshippers every weekend. Hybels also founded a related network of thousands of churches worldwide, and an annual leadership summit that has featured Clinton, Colin Powell, and President Jimmy Carter as speakers.

Hybels has been a longtime champion of women at the highest levels of Christian ministry.

The accusations against him may sound like relatively minor offenses compared with others made against prominent men over the past six months. But theres a reason so many of President Donald Trumps prominent evangelical defenders excused his behavior by saying were not electing a pastor: Pastors are generally still held to high standards of personal behavior by their congregations. Just last month, the president of the Southern Baptist Conventions executive committee stepped down over a morally inappropriate relationship. If even the milder accusations against Hybels are true, many church members would consider them disqualifying.

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Hybels had announced in 2012 that he would retire in October 2018, and the church had been working on transition plans for years. That means his sudden departure will not be as disruptive to Willow Creek as it might have been. But the larger impact will surely be felt within evangelicalism more broadly, where Hybels has been a longtime champion of women at the highest levels of Christian ministry, including preaching, leading churches, and serving as elders. Female leadership in these arenas is a subject of theological dispute between Christians, and many large nondenominational megachurches fall on the conservative side of the debate. Last fall, Willow Creek became one of the largest churches to name a female head pastor, when Hybels announced that thenexecutive pastor Heather Larson would co-lead the church when he departed. According to Christianity Today, Larson and co-pastor Steve Carter would make Willow Creek the only major evangelical megachurch to have a co-ed pair of pastors who arent married to each other. When we saw this shaping up, we had to ask ourselves, Can our congregation have a lead pastor thats a woman?,  Hybels said when he announced the leadership plan. And because this is a deeply held value in our church, we said, No problem. 

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In a congregational meeting after the Tribune story was published in March, Hybels discussed the allegations against him in detail and vigorously denied them, pointing out that he had been cleared by an investigation overseen by the churchs board of elders. But several former Willow Creek leaders have spoken publicly about their frustrations with that investigation. Meanwhile, Dyer posted a more detailed description of her story this week, in which she said Hybels often spoke with her about difficulties in his marriage and denigrated her own husband to her. A founding elder of the church, Betty Schmidt, backed her up with a new statement that accused Willow Creeks current leadership of misrepresenting her in its attempts to protect Hybels.

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In the second congregational meeting on Tuesday night, an emotional Hybels confessed only to placing himself in unwise situations, to interactions that were perceived in ways I did not intend, and to reacting in anger to the initial set of allegations. He said that some of the stories are misleading and that some are false. But that is very different from saying none of them were true at all. He also did not say he has always been faithful to his wife, whom he barely mentioned. If clear-eyed listeners were hoping for a reason to believe Hybels is beyond reproach, they would have been disappointed.
On Tuesday night, with reports circulating that he was furious about both the raid on the offices of his lawyer, Michael Cohen, and the gathering force of the Mueller investigation, President Donald Trump dined with famed law professor and pundit Alan Dershowitz. Though he still self-identifies as a Democrat, Dershowitz has emerged as one of the presidents highest profile defenders; he appears frequently on cable news programs the president watches, and just criticized the seizure of documents from Cohens office. (He recently referred to Mueller as a zealot.) Dershowitz also speaks frequently on Mideast politics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the ostensible reasons for his visit to the White House on Tuesday.

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Dershowitz and I have spoken once before, but this conversation took place after Dershowitzs dinner with the president. Our chat, edited and condensed for clarity, is below.

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Isaac Chotiner: Just to make sure: Did you have dinner with the president?

Alan Dershowitz: I spent much of the day in the White House today. This was a pre-scheduled meeting to talk to the White House staff members about ongoing efforts to come to an agreement on the Middle East. This is the third time I have met about the Middle East, and I hope to continue to have some input on the Middle East. This is the fourth president I have advised on the Middle East. And thats the reason I came to the White House.

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After this was all scheduled, the president then invited me to join him and others for dinner tonight, which I did, and we continued to discuss the Middle East and Syria and Iran and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Did you discuss anything about the Mueller investigation or the raid on Michael Cohens office?

All Im prepared to say on that is that I did not give the president legal advice. I dont give anybody legal advice unless I am their lawyer. I am not his lawyer. Im not in a lawyer-client relationship with him. I had no kind of legal conversation with anybody in the White House, or give legal advice to anybody in the White House, about the ongoing investigation.

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Is there a distinction between giving someone legal advice and talking to them about their legal matters in a way they could find helpful?

Well, I talk to the president on television all the time. Apparently he listens. I get on television and I state what I think is going on. And anybody can listen, and I very purposely do it publicly so nobody mistakes it for legal advice. And I will continue to do that. I feel strongly about whats going on and I share my views widely, publicly, and I know the president sometimes listens. He has said to me that sometimes he agrees with what I said and sometimes he disagrees.

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Did you give any advice or talk about that tonight?

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I cant tell you what I talked about. I can just tell you I didnt give any legal advice.

Do you think the president is going to fire Rod Rosenstein or going to try to fire Robert Mueller?

I have no idea, but I think it would be a mistake to do that.

Why?

Because I think that it would be perceived as political and I think a lot of Republicans would be concerned about that. I think it would be a political mistake to do that. I think his much better course is to proceed with the investigation, and tell the truth. He shouldnt testify unless he has to. Nobody ever should. Nobody who is the subject of an investigation should ever testify. It never does you any good. They are not asking you to testify to help yourself; they are asking you to testify to help the prosecution. But he may have no choice because they can subpoena him.

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But if you were advising himpretend this is a television showyou would advise him not to fire them and cooperate?

I would say not to fire. I have already said it on television. My advice would be dont fire, dont pardon, dont tweet, and dont testify.

What was your sense of the presidents state of mind tonight?

I cant judge that. He seemed upbeat about the Middle East when we talked about it.

Upbeat about the Middle East? Really?

Yeah.

Hes maybe the only one. But you are a smart guy.

Im not a psychologist. Im a lawyer.

You are smart enough to know that the best way to talk to him is via television.

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It might not be the best way; its the way I want to do it. I want to maintain my independence. I want to be critical of him when its warranted, and supportive of him when its warranted. Im a liberal Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton and I praise him when he deserves praiselike when he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israeland I criticize him when I think he deserves criticism, as when he had the travel ban, and other actions which I disagree with.

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There are a lot of reports that the president is furious, he is seething

I didnt see that. I didnt see fury, seething. But remember, Im a stranger, he wouldnt show that to me.

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The president has been, in an unprecedented way, attacking the Justice Department, the FBI, law enforcement officials

Sounds like me. I have been doing this for 53 years. The only thing that has changed is that now conservatives have become civil libertarians, and liberals have become strong supporters of law enforcement, the Justice Department, and the FBI. I have been consistently a critic of law enforcement and the FBI for 53 years.

Professor, we both know why conservatives are criticizing the FBI right now, and its not because they have become critical of law enforcement, and we both know liberals are not defending everything that has gone on with the law enforcement community.

Yes, they are.

They think the independence of the Mueller investigation should be upheld.

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I dont agree with that at all. I think everybody is taking sides. Let me put it this way: If President Hillary Clintons lawyers office and hotel room had been raided like President Trumps was yesterday, the ACLU would be up in arms, the liberal bar would be up in arms, privacy advocates would be up in arms. The silence of the ACLU and others is deafening. Im sorry, I dont agree with you.

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Its just that it is Trump. Whats happened is that the world is now divided and you have to choose sides.

Im excited to hear the president start to speak out against police shootings of unarmed African Americans now that he has become such a civil libertarian. Any day now.

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Well I havent said that.

You said everyone has switched sides.

Everyone has become hypocritical when it serves their interests. They are fair-weather civil libertarians or fair-weather supporters of Justice and the FBI.

You say you have been criticizing aspects of the criminal justice system for 53 years. I think the president doing it when there is an investigation about him is different.

I agree with you, and I think there was a difference when Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton did it when he was being investigated.

Uhhhh

I am a neutral, non-political observer.

So, you are not at all worried about the ways that the president is attacking the Justice Department?

Of course I am. It bothers me and it bothered me when Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton did it as well. I think selected, targeted, nuanced criticism of the Justice Department is very healthy. I think criticism of yesterdays raid is a very healthy thing. It should not have been a first resort. It should have been a last resort. Many of the materials they could have obtained through other

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You dont know all this.

Well I know quite a bit about it. I know they went after bank records, for example. Bank records could be gotten from banks. I am told they went after tax records. Tax records could be gotten from the tax authorities. And I know they went after conversations between a lawyer and a client, and if that had happened to anyone else but Trump, I think we would be seeing a lot of people concerned about that.

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Why do you think that a Republican FBI director and a Republican deputy attorney general, if everyone has switched on this issue, would okay this given the high standards you need for such a warrant?

Because I think that prosecutors, particularly prosecutors to a special counsel, tend to become zealots. And I dont believe that Mueller is partisan. I dont believe that the deputy attorney general is partisan. I dont believe that Comey was partisan. I believe they were zealous prosecutors. And zealous prosecutors often compromise civil liberties, and I think we should call them on it whether they are going after Republicans or Democrats.

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Do you feel like we are at a dangerous moment for American democracy right now?

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I do. We are. I wrote a book about it.

I mean involving the man in the White House and the decisions he might make.

I think we are generally in a dangerous place on all sides. I think we are seeing overzealous prosecution. Look, I didnt vote for Donald Trump and he wouldnt be my choice for president, but Im a civil libertarian first, and my interest in politics comes second.

Does Trump ever ask you for advice?

He certainly has never asked me for legal advice. He has asked me for advice, obviously, about the Middle East.

He doesnt think Jared can handle it on his own?

I mean, thats really a snotty question. You think that if two people ask for advice about the Middle Eastits like the old joke: A mother buys the son two ties and he wears one of them, and she says, Whats the matter? You didnt like the other one?

I was making a joke.

Well thats fine. But its better to seek advice from many people. And Jared also asked my advice. And Jason also asked my advice.

Jason Greenblatt, [the Middle East envoy]?

Yeah. And President Obama asked my advice. And Obamas national security people asked my advice. And Bill Clinton asked my advice. And Bill Clintons national security people asked my advice. And President Bush asked my advice.

If President Trump moves this week to fire people in the Justice Department or end the Mueller investigation, are you planning to speak out against that as a mistake and say it is something that should not have happened?

Of course I will. Yeah.
As President Trump prepares to order a missile attack on Syria, its worth asking ahead of time just what he intends to accomplishwhat goals are feasible, at what levels of risk.

The attack itself is nearly a fait accompli. Wednesday morning, in response to a warning from a Russian official that Russia would shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at Syria, Trump tweeted, Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

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Quite apart from the poor grammar and the juvenile giddiness about high-tech weapons and military force (an attitude that American military officers almost certainly find disturbing), its hard to imagine that Trump would put so much on the line, then pull back and thus look weak. Its also a bit nerve-racking to wonder what Putinno less obsessed with projecting a strongman imagemight do as a follow-up if his air-defense weapons fail to blunt Trumps attack.

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In other words, the next few days could unleash a spiraling escalation of tension, not just among the myriad combatants in and around Syria but also between the United States and Russia.

This new round of violence was sparked by chargeswhich Russian and Syrian officials have unconvincingly deniedthat Syrian helicopters attacked civilians with chemical weapons. One year ago, after a similar attack, Trump, then just a few months in office, ordered U.S. warships in the Mediterranean to fire 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian air base. The strike had no effect; the next day, Syrian planes attacked more civilians (albeit with conventional weapons) after taking off from the very same air base. Craters on runways can be filled pretty quickly.

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Almost certainly then, this next attack will be biggeror at least planned in such a way to be more consequential. What kind of attack might this be?

The first question that the generals are probably posing to Trump is what consequences he would like to see. Presumably, the main desire is simply to punish Assad for killing civilians with chemical weapons, in violation of international law and the most basic standards of decency.

One could ask why Trump is so agitated when dozens are killed by Assads poison gas yet so blase when tens of thousands are killed by the Syrian regimes bullets and bombs. But chemical weapons do cross a line; theyve been outlawed for nearly a century, and it would be horrible if their use were suddenly normalized. Reports that Trump is recruiting France, Britain, other EU countries, and Saudi Arabia to join in on the attackor in somehow holding Assad accountableare encouraging, for political and humanitarian reasons.

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But, again, what kind of attack is appropriate? One year ago, 59 cruise missiles had little effect on Assads behavior or on the support from his allies, principally Russia and Iran. Its doubtful that 69 or 89 or 100 cruise missiles would have more potency.

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One year ago, 59 cruise missiles had little effect on Assads behavior. Its doubtful that 69 or 89 or 100 cruise missiles would have more potency.

Theres another problem with simply dropping bombs for their own sake. Most of Syrias air bases and other military facilities now host Russian planes, combat vehicles, and personnel. Destroying Russian assets or killing Russian soldiers would have two dreadful effects. First, it would put the United States in direct military conflict with Russia, even though its not clear that Russians were complicit in Assads use of chemical weapons, except to help cover it up afterward. Second, it would further embroil the U.S. military in Syria, just days after Trump said he wanted to pull the U.S. military out of the country once they finished destroying the last remnants of ISIS, leaving other countries to clean up the rest of the mess.

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Shortly before Trump fired 59 cruise missiles at a single air base one year ago, Russian officers were alerted so they could evacuate their planes and personnel. Its likely that the Russians also alerted the Syrians, which may be why the attack had so little effect.

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In other words, the Pentagons war planners are probably trying to develop options that inflict enough damage to stun Assad into altering his behaviorbut not enough damage to draw us into a deeper and wider war. Thats a tight wire to walk.

Another approach to this sort of pressure campaign might be to damage or destroy some asset that Assad or his allies dearly value. Presumably, U.S., European, Israeli, and Sunni Arab intelligence agencies have been scanning intercepts and interrogating sources for just such a magic ring. Theres a long history of wartime spies and commanders searching for these rings. Rarely does such a thing exist; still more rarely is it found. If they think theyve found one here, and if its a target of the attack, well know in fairly short order.

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One caution, which the generals have no doubt conveyed to Trump, is that airstrikes alone rarely accomplish muchcertainly not one-off strikes against some specific, limited set of targets. Airstrikes are most effective when theyre followed up by assaults on the ground. Trump has made clear, with good reason, that hes not ramping up troop levels for such assaults. Nor are the leaders of Britain, France, and Saudi Arabia keen to send in troops, regardless of how keen they might be to support missile strikes or even launch a few rounds themselves.

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Trump blames the current situation on President Obamas failure to follow through on his own threats to bomb Syria if Assad crossed the red line of using chemical weapons against his own people. According to a former official who saw the attack plan, which Obama nearly carried out, it would have been a fairly elaborate strikedestroying all of Syrias airplanes and disabling, at least for a while, Assads military command control systems. A military officer who considered, and supported, the attack plan told his colleagues, Maybe its a good message to say you cant have an air force if you use chemical weapons. At least one official thought there was a small chance that the strike could galvanize CIA-backed rebels in southern Syria to topple Assads regime. (Others disagreed.)

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Obama ultimately backpedaled for two reasons. First, he thought, for political and legal reasons, that he couldnt and shouldnt do this aloneand he would have had to do that, after the British Parliament voted not to get involved and after the U.S. Congress declined to grant him the authority. Second, he thought that Russia and Iran, not wanting to lose their most valued ally and foothold in the region, would come to Assads rescue, repairing the damage, replacing the planes, and possibly escalating the conflict. At that point, Obama figured, he would have to back down or raise the stakesi.e., to admit defeat or throw in tens of thousands of troops, neither of which he wanted to do.

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Whatever the merits of Obamas inaction, the same option is not open to Trump. He cant launch an all-out attack on Syrias air force without also attacking Russia, and he cant do that without risking a very dangerous new war.

Finally, there is the politico-diplomatic question: To the extent the attack gives the U.S. and its allies any leverage, will they follow it up with pressureor diplomatic overtures of any sortto wind down the tension, end the war, move toward a political settlement? Trump did not do any of thatas far as we know, it wasnt even part of the conversationafter his missile strike one year ago. If he fails to do so again this time, it will again be a bit of theatrics: sound and fury, signifying nothing.
For years and years, Rep. Paul Ryans self-projected thing was that he was a geeky budget wonk who was gravely, gravely concerned about the American governments unsustainable fiscal future. Liberal critics, meanwhile, have claimed for almost as long that Ryans vaunted plans to balance the budget were baloney and that his only actual interest was in passing massive tax cuts for high earners and corporations. Now that hes leaving Congress after having just passed major tax legislation and a budget as Speaker of the House during a period of total Republican control over the federal government, we can finally determine who was right. Did Paul Ryan really care about reducing the deficit once he attained the power to do so, or not?

Lets see:

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Welp!

Thanks to stimulus spending, the 2009 budget deficit was the largest in U.S. history in absolute terms at $1.4 trillion; remarkably, the Congressional Budget Office projects that under a certain set of reasonable assumptions, Ryan-McConnell-Trump tax and budget policiesenacted during a time of relative economic prosperity!will actually create a $1.5 trillion deficit by 2028. (See page 91. By the way, in terms of percentage of GDP, the largest U.S. deficit ever occurred in 1943.)

Ah, well, at least he tried. (He didnt try.)
Randy Bryce saw the same reports everyone else did on Wednesday morning: House Speaker Paul Ryan will retire at the end of the year. The first thought I had was, I have to see him say these words for myself,  Bryce told me by phone, after months of rumors that Ryan wouldnt run for re-election.

Once Ryan made it official? It feels like the first day of spring, said Bryce, the mustachioed steelworker who had previously been waging a long-shot campaign to unseat Ryan this fall. The birds are singing; the sun is shining.

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Ryans announcement will have far-reaching impacts on the midterms. As my colleague Jim Newell points out, its going to be difficult to ask Republican donors to keep cutting checksand to convince other weary Republican lawmakers to stick aroundnow that the speaker himself has decided to call it quits. But nowhere will it have a more immediate impact than in Ryans home district, where Bryce emerged as a progressive darling in large part because he was taking on the sitting speaker.

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The Cook Political Report on Wednesday reclassified the race from Likely Republican to Lean Republican, signaling that Ryans exit creates a legitimate opening for Democrats despite the districts GOP tilt. Wisconsin Republicans redrew the district in 2010 to make life easier for Ryan, who was then the chairman of the House Budget Committee and a rising star in the party, and with Ryan on the presidential ticket in 2012, Romney won the district by 5 points despite losing Wisconsin by 7. Four years later, Trump won the district by 10 points while winning the state by less than a single point. That built-in GOP advantage was on display yet again last week, when a Republican-backed candidate for the state Supreme Court carried Ryans district by 5 points despite losing the statewide race by 11.

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Its a comfortable advantage, but Republicans still need to find a suitable replacement for Ryan on the ballot. Their choice today is between Paul Nehlen, an avowed white nationalist who is too far right for even some white nationalists, and Nick Polce, who began the year with about $4,000 in his campaign bank account. (Remarkably, Nehlen would not be the Republicans only anti-Semitic nominee.*) But with the filing deadline not until the start of June, Republicans still have time to go shopping, possibly for someone like Robin Vos, the speaker of the Wisconsin state Assembly. Conservatives will then need to decide how much time and money to pour into the race now that they wont be defending Ryan.

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For Bryce, the question will be whether he can remain an avatar of the #Resistance now that hes not running against the man responsible for much of the GOPs legislative agenda. Bryce found early success with a viral campaign ad calling out Ryan by name and quickly turned that into frequent appearances on MSNBC. He was one of the first congressional candidates to get a coveted endorsement from Bernie Sanders this year, and he has since paired that progressive badge of honor with the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

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On Wednesday, Bryce was quick to claim credit for vanquishing the speaker. I would credit our campaign a lot. We had quite a bit to do with it, he told me, pointing out that he spent months challenging Ryan over his legislative agenda and his support of Donald Trump. [Ryan] was going to have to fight, for a changesomething he hasnt done since the first time he was elected.

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While Bryce raised an impressive $2.1 million in the past three months, Ryan began the year with $9.3 million more in the bank than Bryce and also had the luxury of knowing that if the race did get close, the conservative cavalry of special-interest groups and super PACs wouldnt be far behind. The two parties disagree on just how tight the race was, but no one disputes Ryan was the clear favorite. According to internal Democratic polling, Bryce trailed Ryan by 6 points in December, and the same survey suggested that the Democrat remained mostly a blank slate to respondents; according to internal GOP polling shared with reporters Wednesday, Ryan had a 21-point lead in March. Ryan, then, was probably less motivated to pack it in by a fear that hed lose to Bryce than by the reality that he could win in November and still likely lose his speakers gavel, given the current political headwinds blowing against his party.

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Bryce had framed his race as a head-to-head matchup with Ryan, but in fact, he still has to win the Democratic nomination. His opponent, former teacher and school-board member Cathy Myers, has seized on some of Bryces missteps, including a couple tone-deaf tweets that read as sexist. Likewise, his attempt to build a national followingincluding his purchase of fake Twitter followers before he launched his campaign and his decision to air ads in places like San Francisco and Seattlehave opened him up to attacks from Republicans portraying him as out of touch and inauthentic. And his past personal financial problems, which include late child support payments and a 1999 bankruptcy, are sure to provide attack-ad fodder of their own.

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Bryce declined to speculate about whom he might face if he moves on to the general election, but he said his message would be the same as it is now, because any GOP candidate would be just another version of the same ones running elsewhere. We started out in June wanting to repeal and replace Paul Ryan, Bryce said. The repeal part is out of the way, but we still have a lot of work to replace him.
No one person bears singular blame for the current state of American politics. It took many different choices, from many different people, to produce President Donald Trump. And it took even more choices, from an even greater range of people, to produce the present-day Republican Party, so caught in the grip of entrenched interests, hard-right ideology, and social revanchism that it was primed for the racist, authoritarian, and kleptocratic politics of a Trump. But some people bear more responsibility than others, and Paul Ryan bears more than most.

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Ryan announced on Wednesday that he will not seek another term in the House, making him the highest rankingand highest-profileRepublican to call it quits this cycle, a major setback for those trying to save the partys majority from a wave of Democratic enthusiasm. His retirement is a vote of no confidence, and it could prompt other GOP lawmakers to follow his lead.

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Despite his obvious misgivings, the speaker backed Trump when it mattered.

Ryan is leaving in the wake of his signature legislative accomplishment: a $1.5 trillion tax cut with long-term gains for large corporations and big benefits for the wealthiest Americans. It is, perhaps, his only accomplishment. Ryan, along with the rest of the Republican Party, failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and hes done little to shrink the national debt despite years of dire warnings around the threat of heavy debt loads. In fact, hes done just the opposite. His tax cuts will supercharge annual deficits, according to a new projection from the Congressional Budget Office. Red ink will dominate the U.S. budget ledger, and by 2028, the debt will approach 100 percent of gross domestic product. And instead of accelerating growth, the CBO projects a substantial slowdown in the years ahead.

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Ryans fiscal hypocrisy is typical of Republicans, who exploded the debt with major tax cuts in 1981, 2001, and 2003. To the extent that he has innovated on the GOP approach, its in merging anti-tax policy with extreme cuts to the social safety net. If Ryan has a particular skill, its presenting this radical departure from the present order as nothing more than simple book-balancing reform.

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This is Ryans legacy. Or it would have been, had he retired at any point before 2016. Now, his legacy resides squarely in his decision to enable Donald Trump and his rise to power within the Republican Party. Brutal, corrupt, and shamelessly demagogic, it was clear from the moment he announced his campaign that Trump was unsuited for the White House. There were times when Ryan felt compelled to acknowledge this. He doesnt speak for the Republican Party, and I think his comments were extremely disrespectful, and I dont think thats the way to have an immigration conversation, said Ryan after Trump accused Mexico of sending rapists to the United States. When Trump tried to issue his Muslim ban, Ryan said, What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for. And, more importantly, its not what this country stands for. Ryan said he was sickened by the Access Hollywood tape and called Trumps remarks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel the textbook definition of a racist comment.

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And yet, despite his clear distaste for Trump, Ryan ultimately stood by him once the reality television star became the partys nominee for president. He never withdrew his endorsement, never did anything that might jeopardize Trumps ability to win the vast majority of Republican voters to his side. With Trump and a Republican Congress, Ryan could achieve his dream of radical cuts to the welfare state and an end to the New Deal order. Faced with evidence that Trump tried to improperly influence of the Department of Justice, Ryan shrugged, Hes just new at this. And when it was clear that Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was running a countercampaign against the investigation into Russian election interference, Ryan all but stood with Nunes as he tried to discredit FBI officials.

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Before Trump seized the reins of the Republican Party, Ryan was the closest thing to a bona fide party leader. He had been the partys vice presidential nominee in 2012, and his strong backing from most factions within the GOP made him a consensus candidate for the speakership. A strong objection from Ryan during Trumps campaign, a move to withdraw his endorsement, a true rejoinder to Trumps authoritarian impulsesthese may have made a difference in stopping Trumps rise, or at least raised barriers to his success. But Ryan, a lifelong ideologue, was willing to risk the constitutional order for the sake of his agenda. Which is to say, tax cuts.

Ryan told reporters on Wednesday morning that the speakership is a job that does not last forever You realize you hold the office for just a small part of our history. So you better make the most of it. I like to think Ive done my part, my little part in history, to set us on a better course.

It will be up to historians to decide whether Paul Ryan played such a little part in Donald Trumps rise and whether, together, they set the country on a better course. Theres no reason to think that verdict will be kind.
Pope Francis came out against single-issue anti-abortion activists on Monday in a document about holiness in modern society. Our defence of the innocent unbornneeds to be clear, firm and passionate, he writes. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged.

The document, titled Gaudete et Exsultate (a Latin phrase that means rejoice and be glad), is an apostolic exhortation, which carries less authority than an encyclical, but more than most other papal declarations. In it, the pope scolds Christians who dismiss social activism as superficial, worldly, secular, materialist, communist or populist, and who claim that the only thing that counts is one particular ethical issue or cause that they themselves defend. In addition to the poor, the pope names victims of human trafficking and elderly people at risk of covert euthanasia as deserving of the same ardent advocacy that anti-abortion groups offer to fetuses.

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An optimistic pro-choice reading of the document would hold that the pope is tired of the mainstream Catholic activists preoccupation with abortion in a world full of living, breathing humans in urgent need. Gaudete et Exsultate side-eyes those Catholics who would put the plight of migrants below that of embryos, going so far as to use scare quotes when it mentions those grave bioethical questions. He likens that kind of moral ranking to a politicians pandering. That a politician looking for votes might say such a thing is understandable, but not a Christian, for whom the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their lives to offer a future to their children, he writes.

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Anti-abortion activists arent exactly pleased with the popes constructive criticism. It is impossible to equate the moral weight of abortionthe direct killing of innocent unborn children occurring on a daily massive scale, here in America and abroadwith any other social justice issue, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, to LifeSiteNews. The right to live predates or precludes every other right.  Todays exhortation blurs lines and causes confusion. At the American Conservative, a writer challenged the pope to put his money where his apostolic exhortation is: If he really believes what he is saying, let him open the gates of Vatican to as many migrants as want to come. Let him offer permanent residency to them, and provide them and their families with financial assistance. He went on to argue that European Christians must keep Muslim immigrants out if Christians intend to continue practicing their faith.

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In response to the popes exhortation, anti-abortion Catholics are raising the concept of prudential judgement, the churchs teaching that because the world is nuanced and imperfect, it is not always possible to do pure good in all ways. There can be many approaches to achieving justice for immigrants, they say, but only one acceptable Catholic response to abortion: End it. The executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference told a Catholic news site that a 1998 letter from U.S. bishops provides the correct guidance on the topic. Being right in such matters as poverty, anti-racism, and health care can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life, it read. Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the rightness of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community.

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This interpretation explains why so many Catholics continue to support politicians that stand against pretty much every church teaching besides the one on abortion. In the most recent presidential election, Hillary Clinton won narrowly among Catholics, but only by 3 percentage points; millions still voted for Donald Trump, who said during his campaign that abortion should be banned and women who seek them should be punished. Trump has been such a widely visible representative of anti-immigrant cruelty, its worth wondering whether the pope had him specifically in mind when he wrote Gaudete et Exsultate.

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Another point of evidence in favor of that reading comes a few paragraphs down from the abortion bit, where Pope Francis accuses Christians of getting caught up in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forums of digital communication. These people look to compensate for their own discontent by lashing out at others, he writes. Huh! Rather on the nose, but good point. It is striking that at times, in claiming to uphold the other commandments, they completely ignore the eighth, which forbids bearing false witness or lying, and ruthlessly vilify others, the pope continues, in what can only be a pointed critique of Twitter. Here we see how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by hell, sets all things ablaze.
After the feds raided the office and hotel room of President Trumps longtime personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, on Monday afternoon, the president responded with a noticeable public escalation in his rage toward Robert Muellers investigation. Although the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New Yorks office carried out the raid, Mueller reportedly referred the case. That was enough for Trump to entertain a question about why he doesnt just fire Mueller.

Well  well see what happens, Trump told reporters. And many people have said, You should fire him.  He transitioned from there to a recollection of his firing of former FBI Director James Comey last year. I turned out to do the right thing, he said. He then issued some criticism of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who signed off on Cohens raid and oversees the Mueller investigation. It was almost as if he was talking himself into it.

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This prompted the fourth or fifth occasion over the past year that Capitol Hill reporters have surveyed senators about whether they worry Trump might fire Mueller and whether Congress should pass legislation protecting the special counsel. With few exceptions, the responses from Republican senators were No and No, respectively. At least on the surface, Trumps most eye-popping words yet havent moved the needle.

South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds acknowledged that these were Trumps most intense comments on the matter. But should Congress pass legislation?

No, Rounds said. I think we need to allow the president to make that decision on his own, but I think he understandshe doesnt need to be told its a bad idea. He understands its a bad idea.

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Senators were either indicating that they had private information about how the president knows the consequences and wouldnt do it, or they were just pretending to indicate that they had such information.

Hes just not going to do it, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch told reporters. But how could he be so confident? Im quite sure he wont do it.

Unless theres something else really bad that happens, he volunteered. Hatch was also against taking up any legislation to protect the special counsel, because, again, he didnt think Trump would fire Mueller.

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The most noticeable shift of the day was North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, the co-author of one of two bills introduced to protect Mueller. Despite introducing the legislation alongside Delaware Sen. Chris Coons last year, Tillis had seemed to back off from pushing for its enactment. Even in an out-of-nowhere joint statement that he and Coons introduced over recess calling on Trump to allow the Special Counsel to complete his work without impediment, the senators mentioned their bill but didnt call on Congress to pass it. On Tuesday, though, Tillis told reporters that hes urging Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley to move such legislation through committee so it can be sent to the floor.

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Tillis has few Republican allies. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, whos retiring at the end of the year, told reporters that he would be on board if the Judiciary Committee wants to move it. He didnt exactly seem to be pushing, though. And Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, another retiring senator and frequent critic of the president, said he had concerns that legislation protecting the special counsel might not pass constitutional muster.

Georgia Sen. David Perdue, meanwhile, had moved in the opposite direction. When asked whether further action needed to be taken to protect Mueller, Perdue seemed surprised.

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To protect Mueller? he said. I think its about time we get to the end of [the] investigation. This looks like an investigation thats spiraling out of control. Perdues position might be an outlier within the Senate Republican caucus, but it could be gathering favor within the White House.

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Republicans appetite to pass legislation that would truly irritate a president of their own partywho, for some reason, really wants to retain that removal power!just isnt there. Instead, they just hope that Trump doesnt do it and express confidence that they cant quite substantiate.

I havent seen clear indication yet that we need to pass something to keep [Mueller] from being removed, because I dont think thats going to happen, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. When asked a follow-up about what gives him that confidence, McConnell said that he wouldnt answer a hypotheticalhuh?because I dont think hes going to be removed.

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Senate Democrats, of course, are deeply concerned that Mueller will be canned and want to pass that legislation immediately. But they have their own awkward politics on the issue. Despite warning Trump that firing Muelleror Rosenstein, for that matterwould mark the apocalypse, or at least a constitutional crisis, they cant bring themselves to say that the requisite response would be impeachment. Thats because Democrats in Congress, as a general rule, cant bring themselves to say the word impeachment.

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Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said he wouldnt discuss remedies for the firing while noting that such an action was a red line that cant be crossed. And what are the consequences for crossing a red line that cant be crossed? Whos to say? It would be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency, Warner said, quoting a line that South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has been using. Not 10 minutes later, when I asked Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine if firing Mueller was an impeachable offense, Kaine too mentioned that it would be the beginning of the end of Trumps presidency.

I asked Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer at his weekly press conference if he thought firing Mueller, or Rosenstein, would be an impeachable offense. He didnt seem to love the question. Look, he said, we hope we can avoid it. And we hope that Congress will pass legislation to make sure it doesnt happen. Thats as far as were going to go right now.
In July 2017 New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Michael Schmidt asked Donald Trump a leading question about whether an investigation of his personal finances by special counsel Robert Mueller would constitute a red line.

SCHMIDT: Last thing, if Mueller was looking at your finances and your family finances, unrelated to Russia  is that a red line? HABERMAN: Would that be a breach of what his actual charge is? TRUMP: I would say yeah. I would say yes.

Presumably, someone who crosses a red line should be punished in some way, such as by being fired. Monday, when Trump was expressing displeasure about the Mueller-connected raid on his personal attorney Michael Cohens office, a Fox News Radio reporter named Jon Decker brought that very idea up to Trump in a casual way, like, hey, what if you just fired this son of a bitch?

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DECKER: Why dont you just fire Mueller? TRUMP: Why dont I just fire Mueller? DECKER: Yeah, just fire the guy.

For her part Haberman noted that her sources believed Mueller had, in fact, crossed the vaunted Line.

But both Trump and Cohen believe this is really Mueller and that farming it out to SDNY was a fig leaf. Both sources say that this has crossed the "red line" that Trump laid out for Mueller going outside his purview in intvw w @nytmike @peterbakernyt and me last July  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 10, 2018

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Today CNNs Jim Acosta tracked down Trump somewhere in the White House and pestered him further about firing some other people, namely attorney general Jeff Sessions and deputy A.G. Rod Hot Rod Rosenstein.

Just asked Trump whether he plans to fire Sessions, Rosenstein and whether he has spoken with Cohen. No response.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 10, 2018

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There was no response because you were shouting questions at a cardboard cutout of Donald Trump in your dingy one-room apartment, Jim! Get a grip! Do your laundry!

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Guess what came up at press secretary Sarah Sanders afternoon news briefing?

Q: Does Trump believe he has the power to fire Robert Mueller as special counsel?



.@PressSec: He certainly believes he has the power to do so.  Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) April 10, 2018

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A different reporter asked whether the president has had any conversation about firing Jeff Sessions or Robert Mueller in the past 24 hours, and a third asked whether Sessions risk[s] being fired right now.

Mr. Trump, Ben Mathis-Lilley from Slate here. How could you let Mueller and his henchmen humiliate you and your family in this way? And are you going to do anything about it, or are you scared, like a chicken?

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Jokes about a haggard, wild-eyed Jim Acosta aside, Donald Trump reportedly tried to fire Robert Mueller as early as last June (at about the same time, incidentally, that he said he would 100 percent be willing to testify in Muellers investigation). He is going to think a lot in the coming days about firing Robert Mueller with or without reporters asking him about it. Still, it is a little embarrassing that this single questionwhich is pointless to ask, given how little relation Trumps responses to hypotheticals have to his future actionshas become this much of an an obsession of the press, especially when reporters could have used their face time with the president/his spokeswoman today and yesterday to inquire about such Cohen-adjacent issues as why Stormy Daniels should be expected to abide by a contract with Trump that he didnt sign and claims not to have known about, whether Cohen colluded improperly with Karen McDougals attorney, why the alleged conflict of interest that taints Democratic prosecutors working for Mueller isnt mitigated by the reality that the investigation is supervised entirely by Republicans Trump appointed himself, and more.

In summary, when it comes to questions about firing Robert Mueller, I say, Youre fired! (Like on The Apprentice.)
Details are very sparse on this one so far, but whoa:

The F.B.I. on Monday raided the office of President Trumps longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, seizing records related to several topics including payments to a pornographic-film actress.

Thats via the New York Times, which reports that the warrant for the raid was obtained by federal prosecutors in New Yorks Southern District, not by special counsel Robert Mueller . The Times does, however, quote an attorney representing Cohen as saying that he had been advised by federal prosecutors that the New York action is, in part, a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller. Bloomberg reports that the raid came about because Mueller brought information hed uncovered to deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who determined that further investigation should be handled by the Southern District. (Rosenstein is the Department of Justice official responsible for determining what matters fall under Muellers legal mandate.)

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CNN says the office that was searched was in the 30 Rock building in Midtown Manhattan. Vanity Fair, meanwhile, reports that a hotel room where Cohen has been staying at the Loews Regency on New York Citys Upper East Side was raided, while CBS says his residence was searched. Its not clear whether his hotel room and his residence are different locations.

Cohens attorney says the raids were inappropriate and unnecessary and that Cohen has cooperated with all previous requests for evidence and testimony made to him by government entities. He also says that the materials seized include communications between Cohen and his clientstypically privileged material whose seizure by federal authorities can only be undertaken under special circumstances.

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A Times source says, vaguely, that the Southern Districts investigation concerns many topics. Among the stories with potential (potential!) criminal implications that Cohen is involved in:

 Non-disclosure payments to alleged Trump paramours Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, which could conceivably have involved the violation of campaign finance law.

 Daniels accusation that an individual she believed to have been connected to Trump threatened her in 2011.

 The (as-yet-uncorroborated) assertion in the infamous Steele dossier that Cohen met with Russian operatives in Prague in 2016.

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 A 2015 attempt to launch a Trump Tower Moscow project.

 A 2017 attempt to broker a Ukraine-related agreement with Russia.

 Potential aughts-era money laundering involving Trump properties. (Cohen has represented the Trump Organization as well as Trump personally.)

 Trump real-estate deals in Azerbaijan and Georgia.

To be clear, Cohen might not even be federal authorities ultimate target in investigations of these or any other situations; they might believe, rather, that he has (or had) evidence related to potential prosecutions of other individuals. Or maybe he himself is the target. We dont know!

Wild!

This post has been updated with new information.
President Trump, enraged by reports of a new round of subpoenas from the Robert Mueller investigation, instructed aides in December to fire the special counsel and shut down the Russia investigation, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Previously, the only known attempt to sack Mueller was in June of last year, but it was derailed when White House counsel Donald McGahn threatened to resign instead of carrying out the presidential directive.

Trump aides were ultimately able to talk the president down from firing Mueller in December after conferring with Muellers team and determining the reporting that the subpoenas were targeting Trump and his familys business dealings with Deutsche Bank was inaccurate, according to the Times. The incident showed Trumps tendency to react negatively to the most personally and financially invasive aspects of the Mueller investigation, which he deems beyond the red line demarcating the special counsels remit, and his propensity to lash out against the investigation in response.

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In both instances, Trump backed down from his initial instinct to get rid of Mueller, which would technically require Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to pull the trigger, since his office appointed Mueller as special counsel. The news that Trump has tried to relieve Mueller not once, but twice, before being talked out of it, shows the president appears to believe the fallout from such a move would be manageable, a view many of his advisers do not appear to share. Republicans in Congress, like Sen. Lindsey Graham, have warned Trump that firing Mueller would be the beginning of the end of his presidency. The news of Trumps second attempt to end Muellers tenure is particularly relevant given the federal raid of Trump lawyer Michael Cohens office, house, and hotel room Monday in an apparent effort to gather more information about hush payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels and payments to two other women. Trump responded testily, condemning the investigation, signaling another potentially turbulent period for the special counsel, where his longevity may again be tested.
On Wednesday morning, President Trump sent out a series of tweets that appeared to warn Russia that strikes against Syria are coming.

The first tweet, sent out around 7 a.m. Wednesday, was in response to a statement, reported Tuesday, from the Russian ambassador to Lebanon, who warned that missiles fired by U.S. allies at Syria in response to an alleged April 7 chemical weapons attack would be shot down.

Get ready Russia, Trump warned, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!

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Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

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The surprisingly aggressive tone toward Russia was contradicted roughly 40 minutes later, when Trump shot out another tweet wondering just how things got so bad between the two nations.

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Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Its unclear what happened between the two statements, the first of which told Russia off for being partners with a Gas Killing Animal and the second of which can be read as a plaintive plea. Stop the arms race?

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And then, an hour later, he tweeted again, just to spread the blame around a little more. In an apparent attempt to answer an unspoken question in the preceding tweet, Trump explained that the bad blood between the U.S. and Russia originated not in their backing of a war criminal, but in domestic politics.

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

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But it appears it was the first tweet that was met with the most immediate outrage by critics who remembered Trumps statements, repeated often during the campaign, blasting President Obama and other past presidents for saying what military actions they were planning to take. Twitter users were quick to dig up relevant Trump tweets from 2013:

Why do we keep broadcasting when we are going to attack Syria. Why can't we just be quiet and, if we attack at all, catch them by surprise?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

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What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

The statements come four days after a suspected chemical attack, which activists say killed dozens of people. Syria and Russia have denied that the attack occurred.

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Trump cancelled a trip to Latin America to deal with the response to the attack, which crossed what Trump and Obama have called a red line. Around a year ago, a similar suspected chemical attack prompted the U.S. to order airstrikes on Syria, in the first direct military action targeting the Assad regime.

After the more recent suspected chemical attack, the Trump administration reportedly discussed a joint military response with France and the U.K., according to the Associated Press. Russian politicians warned the U.S. that an airstrike against Syria would be viewed as a war crime and could lead to a direct military conflict.

On Sunday, Trump on Twitter blamed Putin for backing Animal Assad, in what appears to be his first instance of criticizing Putin by name. At the same time, he blamed Syrias actions on Obamas policies in office, and in particular on his failure to order strikes on Syria after a chemical attack during his presidency.

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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

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

Despite the aggressive nature of Trumps earliest tweet on Wednesday, his words should not be taken as a guarantee of military action. As Slates Joshua Keating noted, Trump has had a notably unpredictable, shifting Syria policy since the beginning of his presidency.
While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before Congress this week over the companys data-security policies, the company has received a criticism from the right for an entirely different scandal. Diamond and Silk, the on-video aliases of sisters Lynette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, are accusing the social network of unfair discrimination and censorship after it labeled their pro-Trump videos unsafe to the community.

Diamond and Silk have a shared Facebook page with 1.4 million mostly conservative followers. There, the vlogging duowho emerged during the 2016 campaign as supporters of and then surrogates for Donald Trump, who remains a fanregularly share videos with their fans. Diamond is more vocal of the two, typically attacking Trump critics in long tirades. Silk shares her support of her sisters thoughts mostly by saying thats right and nodding vigorously. The duo has also been known to rail against dubious Democratic scandals like the Uranium One story and once appeared on the radio show of a white nationalist. There was also a weird incident last summer in which the pair visited the Commerce Department to discuss ways they could grow their small businesseven though their business was a political blog and online store that sold Trump-branded pins.

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Beginning in September, the two began noticing that Facebook was limiting the reach of their posts and preventing them from alerting followers to new videos on their page. After months reaching out to Facebook for an explanation with no firm response, they say they received an email from the company last week saying that their content and [their] brand has been determined unsafe to the community, and that Facebooks decision was final and not appeal-able in any way.

They gave us no rationale, the sisters said on Fox News Fox & Friends on Sunday. The only thing they told us is that we are unsafe for the community. We are two women of color, how are we unsafe? We dont sell drugs, we dont belong to no gangs. Its offensive, its appalling, it taints our brand. Why are you censoring two black women? Why are you not allowing our viewers to view our content? They also posted a video shared by a follower in which he wasnt able to adjust his page settings to see Diamond and Silk content first in his news feed. The women called this an undercover bias tactic and censorship by Facebook.

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The issue came up during Zuckerbergs first appearance on Capitol Hill Tuesday, during a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas included Diamond and Silk among a coterie of conservative entities he said has been wronged by Facebook, including CPAC, Mitt Romney, Chick-fil-A, and Glenn Beck.

Responding to Fox News earlier Tuesday, Facebook confirmed it did label Diamond and Silks content as unsafe to Fox News before admitting fault in the way it handled the situation. Facebook has since reconsidered the unsafe for community tag it dropped on the duo.

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We have communicated directly with Diamond And Silk about this issue, a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. The message they received last week was inaccurate and not reflective of the way we communicate with our community and the people who run Pages on our platform. We have provided them with more information about our policies and the tools that are applicable to their Page and look forward to the opportunity to speak with them.

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Diamond and Silks situation joins a growing trend of conservatives not just distrusting much of the media for purported liberal bias, but lumping in social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google into that group, too. Facebook faced a Senate inquiry over supposed anti-conservative bias in its Trending News section in 2016. The idea was again popularized in January when Google memo author James Damore sued his former employer for discriminating against conservative white men (the suit was dropped in February after a federal agency lawyer found his memo didnt qualify under collective action protections in the workplace). Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter face a difficult balance in balancing users rights to free speech while preventing the spread of hate, abuse, and misinformation. Its possible that, in Diamond and Silks case, moderators found that their rhetoric veered from impassioned to hatefulbut without greater transparency on Facebooks part, its impossible to know.
From 144974, an association of market towns and cities along the Baltic coast in Europe known as the Hanseatic League waged an on-again, off-again war with England over maritime trading privileges. Hanseatic man-of-war ships, including the feared Peter von Danzig, raided the English coast. The Anglo-Hanseatic War ended with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1474, which gave the Hanseatic League access to many British ports and ownership of the London Steelyard until it sold the property in 1853. At its zenith in the 15th century, the Hanseatic League boasted about 200 cities across seven countries, flexing its economic might across Europe, imposing blockages to promote its interests, and even waging wars.

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Today, cities may not need security from marauding bands. But they have to join together to maintain autonomy over their streets and communities in the face of rapidly emerging technologies being deployed by powerful corporations. This is most evident with the swift rise of autonomous vehicles in cities across the U.S. and beyond.

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From Uber and Waymo (a subsidiary of Googles parent company, Alphabet) to Intel and General Motors, massive corporations with a global reach are using city streets to experiment with and run real-life tests of their self-driving technology. The spoils to be gained by those able to demonstrate technical effectiveness and business value are significant: Industry analysts say the market could be worth $126.8 billion by 2023. As these companies test their technology on public streets, they have shown little interest in operating in cities and communities that have expressed a desire for certain regulatory conditions, tight oversight, or substantive data sharing. Instead, Uber and others have shown a preference for cities and states, like Arizona, that declare they are open for business and, for now, have taken a more laissez-faire approach to the industry. As the recent fatal collision of a self-driving Uber with a pedestrian, Elaine Herzberg, here in Tempe, Arizona demonstrates, this power asymmetry has real consequences for cities and their citizenswho have had little opportunity to weigh in on whether or how these cars should be tested on their streets.

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This dynamic is exacerbated by the competing interests of actions taken at the state and federal levels. Some states, like California, have permitted driverless vehicles to operate while cities themselves are left to take a wait-and-see approach. At the federal level, autonomous vehicles need only comply with basic automobile-safety standards. Beyond that, cities see only uncertainty around regulatory developments.

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But the example of the 12th century could help helpless cities from the 21st. To counter the political and economic clout of the autonomous-vehicle industry and the regulatory vacuum left by the state and federal levels, cities should take a cue from their medieval counterparts and once again band together in a new Hanseatic Leaguecall it an Association for Urban Autonomy. This time, the purpose is to generate the collective power to push back against industry and determine the rules by which autonomous vehicles will operate in our cities. Cities need to take control of the discussion and make it clear that testing on city streets cannot be just for the benefit and profit of corporations.

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Cities need to take control of the discussion and make it clear that testing on city streets cannot be just for the benefit and profit of corporations.

A new association of cities would join in a common cause for engagement, transparency, data sharing, and collaborative experiments to make autonomous vehicles work for cities. To date, unless a city or state commits to minimal oversight of autonomous-vehicle operations, corporations have displayed little to no tolerance for substantive engagement with city governments and local communities. As Bill Peduto, the mayor of Pittsburgh, said in September 2016, You can either put up red tape or roll out the red carpet. If you want to be a 21st-century laboratory for technology, you put out the carpet. Less than a year later, when Pittsburgh pushed back against Uber on its lack of follow-through on commitments related to data sharing and hiring practices, the city and company clashed. Though Waymo has cooperated with public-safety and emergency-response teams in Chandler, Arizona, these engagements avoid hard discussions about how the public feels about autonomous-vehicle testing. Do local communities feel comfortable with driverless Waymo vehicles riding by schools at morning drop-off? The answer could be yesbut there havent been enough opportunities for people to express that.

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The absence of meaningful collaboration between cities and industry as well as the recent autonomous-vehicle crashes have exposed another key element in a new association platform: the need for transparency on autonomous-vehicle safety and performance. At the federal level, only voluntary reporting requirements exist for self-driving-car safety. At the state and city level, there are either no or minimal reporting requirements. In California, companies are required to report incidents. Elsewhere, disengagementsthat is, when a driver takes over from the autonomous driving systemare reported. These coarse categories do not capture how vehicles are performing under different weather conditions, at different times of day, and in different street and infrastructure settings. Yet, this more detailed performance data is available. Engineers and computer scientists working for driverless companies undoubtedly analyze it and run simulations of problematic situations to enhance performance. Yet we, the public, who are bearing the risks that these new technologies present, have no way of knowing how companies are performing until there is a tragic accident.

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As autonomous vehicles use our city streets as labs, they are generating all kinds of data about road conditions, traffic safety and congestion, and how people move around. This is already happening as ride-shares alter how people get from one place to anotherlike using Lyft Line instead of the public bus. How people and things move around, changing traffic patterns, and transportation mode usage are critical information for transportation planners. However, much of this data is not shared with city policymakers and planners, creating a massive blind spot as new technologies and business models reshape mobility in our cities. An association of cities would demand a quid pro quoyou want to experiment on our city streets? We want your data so we can make informed decisions.

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Currently, the only clear benefit of this testing to the city and its citizens is some vague notion of being viewed as innovative. But cities do have real infrastructure and public policy problems that autonomous vehicles might be able to address. For example, how can they be used to provide mobility access to communities without good public transit services, or to those who are unable to drive because of a disability? If the autonomous-vehicle industry wants a communitys implicit help in testing their product, an association of cities could require that they help address some of each communitys pressing problems.

It may seem unlikely that an Association for Urban Autonomy would actually come into existence. Indeed, there are some barriers to this happening. For example, some cities may not want to draw the ire of politicians who have set permissive policies for the industry. Others may not have the city-staff capacity to engage in discussions about issues that seem remote relative to their day-to-day concerns.

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But just because it will be difficult does not make it any less important. Furthermore, an exhaustive set of cities probably isnt necessary for the association to be effective. Instead, we just need a diverse set of citiesnot just economically and geographically, but also in terms of a mix of approaches to transportation systems. Boston, Portland, Oregon, and Sacramento, California, for instance, have developed relatively progressive initiatives to deal with self-driving cars. These cities should work with others like Houston, Atlanta, and Phoenix, which have incredibly different transportation-system demands and different initial approaches to autonomous vehicles. These cities can join others from Seattle to Gainesville, Florida, that have either developed initiatives or pilot programs to generate a shared platform that they might then ask a larger network of cities to sign on to. This could be enough to send a clear signal to the industry about how to approach and work with cities.

Seven hundred years ago, cities from London to Novgorod, Russia, were united by a set of standards and expectations around trade and the provision of collective security against pirates and hostile neighbors. Alone, cities do not have the economic and political clout to set the terms for how new technologies are developed and deployed. But theres strength in numbers today, just as there was when the Hanseatic League was born.
When addressing a veteran or active-duty member of the U.S. military, its common for government officials to begin by thanking them for their service. And when Republicans address an American business tycoon, its apparently good form to congratulate them on their massive riches before attempting any sort of critique of the harm theyve wrought in society.

Sen. John Thune, the South Dakota Republican who chairs the Senates Commerce Committee, set the tone for the Mark Zuckerberg hearings in his opening remarks Tuesday. Mr. Zuckerberg, he said, in many ways you and the company you createdthe story that you createdrepresent the American dream. Having thus flashed his patriotic capitalist credentials, Thune went on to politely encourage Zuckerberg to do a better job of protecting peoples privacy.

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Wednesdays House hearings opened with an even greater flourish of pro-Facebook rhetoric, courtesy of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, an Oregon Republican. His lavish praise of the company is too long to quote here in full, so lets just go with an excerpt (yada yadas mine):

You and your co-founders started a company in your dorm room thats grown to be one of the biggest and most successful businesses in the entire world. Through innovation and quintessentially American entrepreneurial spirit, Facebook and the tech companies that have flourished in Silicon Valley join the legacy of great American companies who built our nation, drove our economy forward and yada yada yada.

The memo apparently also reached Thune and Waldens Republican colleagues. Youre a great American success story, said Rep. Gregg Harper of Mississippi. Youre a real American success story, clarified Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio. Texas Joe Barton ventured a variation, calling Facebook a success story in anyones book.

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Rep. Pete Olson, a Texas Republican, went right ahead and explicitly equated Zuckerberg to a military leader. When the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke, Olson noted:

You were quoted as saying, I started Facebook, I run it, Im responsible for what happens here. You said those same words in your opening statement an hour and a half ago. I know you believe that in your heart. Its not just some talking point, some canned speech. Because, my nine years in the Navy, I know the best commanding officers, the best skippers, the best CEOs have that exact same attitude.

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For the most part, Zuckerberg stoically soaked up the praise. After all, it played into his case that regulating Facebook and other social media companies would stifle American innovation. (It also helped run down the clock on each questioners four minutesa key part of Zuckerbergs evasion strategy.)

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And Zuckerberg wasnt above raising the specter of competition from China himself. While Facebook is open to some regulation on features like face recognition, he said at one point, We still need to make it so American companies can innovate in those areas or else well fall behind Chinese competitors and others around the world.

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But Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska got so smarmy at the outset of his questioning that even Zuckerberg recoiled. Mr. Zuckerberg, quite a story, right?, Sullivan intoned. Dorm room to the global behemoth you are. Only in America, would you agree with that? To Zuckerbergs awkward silence, Sullivan prodded: You couldnt do this in China, right? Errwhat you did? Zuckerberg, who has long aspired to launch Facebook in China, demurred: Well, senatorthere are some strong Chinese internet companies. Sullivan laughed: Right, but youre supposed to answer yes to this question. Im trying to help you. Give me a break. (Side note for anyone still wondering: Hes not running.)

Even Republicans who took a tougher line felt the need to begin by paying homage to Zuckerbergs business acumen. I think you have built an extraordinary company, Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, assured Zuckerberg, shortly before telling him, Your user agreement sucks.

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Few Democrats felt the same compulsion to affirm their capitalist bona fides before grilling Zuckerberg. I dont have much faith in corporate America, grunted New Jerseys Frank Pallone, the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in his opening remarks. Rep. Anna Eshoo, a California Democrat whose district includes parts of Silicon Valley, said, I believe that American companies owe something to America. One exception was Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush, who began an otherwise critical line of questioning by saying, Mr. Zuckerberg, you should be commended that Facebook has grown so big so fast. (He shouldnt.)

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Its not exactly a scandal that members of Congress said some complimentary things to Zuckerberg in the course of eight-plus hours of questioning. But it is striking the degree to which its an article of faith among Republicans that Facebooks enormous success in an unregulated marketwhich it achieved in part by hoodwinking users into giving up more privacy than they could possibly anticipate or understand, potentially in violation of an FTC settlementrequires exaltation and thanksgiving from the nations lawmakers. Their view of Facebook as an embodiment of the American dream may also hint at what will happen when the Republican-led Congress takes up the task of regulating the company and its peers: probably not much at all.
Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican from Oregon, is MCing the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday where Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying about his companys data-sharing practices and other issues.

Its an important hearing and a rare opportunity for members of the House to demand answers about how his company works and insist on accountability for how careless Facebook has been with their constituents personal dataas well as whatever other issues strike them as important, from Russian manipulation to fake news to, apparently, Diamond and Silk. But a handful of representatives in the room may have a good reason to hold their fireincluding Walden, the hearings chairman.

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Thats because Walden represents a district where Facebook does a lot of business. In Prineville, Oregon, which is within Waldens district, Facebook runs three data centers and in December, according to a report from Oregon Public Broadcasting, the company announced plans to build two more. The agreement to build those facilities came with a promise to add more employees to the 200 people Facebook already has in the area; it came with tax breaks for Facebook from the city.

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Walden isnt the only member of Congress from Oregon questioning Zuckerberg this week with a conflict of interest with the company. Roll Call reported last week that Rep. Kurt Schrader, a democrat from Oregon, owns stock in Facebook with at least $15,000 invested in the social media company. Thats a small amount when compared with the stock that Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, a Democrat from Massachusetts, owns in Facebook. Roll Call reports that Kennedy has $80,000 invested in the company. And on the Senate side, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and questioned Zuckerberg on Tuesday, reportedly owns at least $30,000 in Facebook stock.
Senators grilled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for five hours on Tuesday, but the big takeaway was hard to pin down. Thats because Zuckerberg was, too. Summoned to testify about Facebooks role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, he shrewdly gamed a flawed format to wriggle out of tough questions, while taking advantage of bad ones to expose the lawmakers shaky understanding of his companys products. In the process, he implicitly made the case that Facebooks users might be no better off with Congress making decisions about their online privacy than they are with Zuckerberg controlling the knobs.

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Did we learn, at least, that Facebook cant be trusted to fully protect its users data, no matter how many times it apologizes and promises to do better? Maybe, but anyone who didnt already know that just hasnt been paying attention.

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In what could have been a defining moment, Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, cited a recent Wired story about the companys 14-year history of apologizing for ill-advised decisions, then asked Zuckerberg how Tuesdays apology was any different.* The pointed question exposed an obvious weakness in Zuckerbergs position as he tries to convince legislators and the public the company does not require heavy-handed government oversight. But, like several such questions in Tuesdays hearingthe first of two, with a Housing Energy and Commerce Committee hearing to come on Wednesdaythe moment was too fleeting to really discomfit the Facebook chief or to elicit much candor from him.

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Thats partly because Zuckerberg came both well-prepared and rigorously trained to stick to his script. We made mistakes; need to take a broader view of our responsibilities; were already taking action; started in a dorm room: Reporters whove been covering Zuckerbergs latest media blitz could have written much of his testimony on a bingo card before the hearing began. (One Twitter user actually attempted it.) Though Zuckerberg hasnt quite shaken a reputation for awkward, sweaty public appearances, hes actually become rather adept over the years at conveying earnestness while skirting tough questions. He did that with Thunes question about his history of apologizing: Were going through a broader philosophical shift in how we approach our responsibility as a company, he said, adding, We try not to make the same mistake multiple times.

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Reporters whove been covering Zuckerbergs latest media blitz could have written much of his testimony on a bingo card before the hearing began.

Another culprit in Tuesdays snore-athon was that many lawmakers clearly lacked a firm grasp of how Facebook works. So, how do you sustain a business model in which users dont pay for your service? asked Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican. Zuckerberg could hardly contain a smirk as he replied: Senator, we run ads.

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Lawmakers fumbling allowed the Facebook chief to show off another tool in his evasion arsenal: Exploiting flaws in the question, or weaknesses in the questioners understanding, to parry uncomfortable lines of inquiry. Sen. Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican, asked a question about how many categories of data Facebook collects on its users. Some astute folks on Twitter inferred that she was trying to press him on media reports about the many different types of user data that go into Facebooks ad targeting. Taken literally, however, it was a nonsensical question, and Zuckerberg was happy to treat it as such. Multiple senators made the mistake of asking questions premised on the claim that Facebook sells users data to advertisers. It doesnt really do that, and Zuckerberg seized on that point each time. The Washington Posts Alexandra Petri summed up these portions of the hearing aptly:

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senator: my aides have given me this complex multi-part question to read to you in a halting and uncertain voice

zuckerberg: oh no don't worry about that, our new motto is 'we fixed it'

senator: that sounds wrong but i don't know what to ask  Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) April 10, 2018

But the biggest obstacle to productive questioning was the format of the hearings themselves. The joint hearing of the Senates Commerce and Judiciary committees featured questions from 44 different senators, a frustrating number of whom asked Zuckerberg questions that others had already asked. Each was allotted just a few minutesample time for a bit of grandstanding, but not nearly enough for a sustained line of follow-up questioning on complex topics.

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Make no mistake, there was some decent grandstanding. Some of the most entertaining came from Sen. John Kennedy, a plainspoken but sharp-witted Louisiana Republican, who told Zuckerberg, Heres what everybodys been trying to tell you today, and I say this gently: Your user agreement sucks. Kennedy went on to suggest that Zuckerberg go home and rewrite it so that it actually informs users of their rights rather than simply covering Facebooks behind. Its a fair suggestion, albeit one that neither Facebook nor any other online service provider seems likely to heed unless compelled to do so. But it neither demanded nor really even allowed for an illuminating response.

One of the only senators to throw Zuckerberg off-script was Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat. He asked the CEO whether hed be comfortable sharing with the committee what hotel he stayed in last night. After an awkward laugh and pause, all Zuckerberg could manage was a sheepish no. Durbin proceeded to ask whether Zuckerberg would share the names of people hes messaged in the past week. Zuckerberg demurred again. I think that may be what this is all about, Durbin said. Point: Durbin.

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Perhaps if Sens. Durbin or Kennedy had been granted more than a few moments, they would have followed up their zingers with tough questions.

Perhaps if Durbin or Kennedy had been granted more than a few moments, they would have followed up their zingers with tough questions.

More likely, someone like California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris could have used additional time to grill Zuckerberg on some of the holes in his testimony. A prosecutor by trade, Harris made the most of her time interrogating Zuckerberg on what the Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed about Facebooks priorities. A decision was made not to notify the users when Facebook learned in 2015 that Kogan had leaked users data to Cambridge Analytica, Harris noted. Were you part of a discussion that  resulted in a decision not to inform your users? Zuckerberg claimed feebly that he didnt remember such a conversation. That wasnt a gaffe by any measure, but it certainly didnt help the CEO re-earn anyones trust.

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But even on the rare occasions, like that one, when he was cornered, Zuckerberg had only to stall for a minute or two and hed be saved by the bell.

The most notable instance came when Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, pressed him on whether Facebooks handling of user data had violated a 2011 settlement with the FTC. That FTC decree required Facebook to obtain users express consent via clear and prominent notice before sharing their data in new ways. Blumenthal noted that tens of millions of Facebook users had their data shared with researcher Aleksandr Koganand, ultimately, with Cambridge Analyticanot through their own consent, but through that of their friends. Zuckerberg weakly murmured the companys official stance that those users had in fact somehow technically consented given its policies at the time. It was a baffling and barely defensible claim, but one that Facebook clearly feels it must make lest it face steep fines as part of a new FTC investigation. He then quickly pivoted to his broader view of responsibilities line to run out the clock. An intriguing foray into questions of monopoly and competition from South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham was similarly abandoned in the face of a Zuckerberg filibuster.

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That the hearings failed to yield any dramatic moments of truth may disappoint critics, but it shouldnt surprise us. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the ranking Democrat on the Commerce Committee, correctly predicted on Monday that the sprawling format would thwart attempts at substantive interrogation.

Its too soon to say that Facebook has escaped unscathed. Its possible that one or more of his answersor non-answerscould come back to haunt him. And several senators made it clear they intend to pursue at least some form of legislation aimed at Facebook and other social networks. More, and perhaps more astute, questions will come Wednesday when the House gets it turn.

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But a few awkward moments in the course of five hoursand a handful of (mostly Democratic) senators motivated to pursue modest privacy legislationwas close to Facebooks best-case scenario entering Tuesdays hearings. Facebooks stock leapt 4.5 percent on the day, if that tells you just how worried its investors are now.

Humility and charm may not come naturally to Zuckerberg, but finding the loopholes in a system and exploiting its flaws certainly does. And the Senate committee hearing, it turns out, was ripe for hacking.

*Correction, April 11, 2018: This article originally misspelled Sen. John Thunes first name.

Read more from Slate on Cambridge Analytica.
Mark Zuckerberg may have been unwilling to reveal what D.C. hotel he is staying in this week, but he surely didnt come to his Capitol Hill interrogation Tuesday expecting to enjoy a great deal of personal privacy. Whatever he was thinking, he somehow left the notes he brought with him laying out long enough for a journalist to snap a photo for all the world to see.

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Zuckerberg obviously came prepared. His notes cover how to respond to all kinds of questions, from substantive policy issues (like whether Facebook is a monopoly) to more sensational queriesfor example, he knew what to say if a senator asked if he planned to fire people over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. (Answer: That was my responsibility. Not going to throw people under the bus.) The cheat sheet reveals the breadth of subject matter Zuckerberg was prepared to address. The Facebook CEO had come packing a lot of spin.

Here are six of the most interesting things Zuckerberg had jotted down:

 Under the heading Business Model: Lets be clear: Facebook doesnt sell your data. You own your information. We give you controls.Its true that Facebook has given its users an ever-finer degree of control of their privacy settings over the years. The problem is that its often buried those settings or made them indecipherableand that Facebooks business model doesnt really work unless a substantial number of its users cant be bothered to think about them.

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 Theres a section on diversity, and the first canned answer places Facebooks particular workforce diversity problem within the context of a broader problem in the industry: Silicon Valley has a problem, and Facebook is part of that problem. The second talking point includes Facebooks diversity numbers: 3% African American, 5% Hispanic. These numbers cover the entire company and are much lower if you look at technical roles and leadership roles at Facebook.

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 There are talking points about Apple CEO Tim Cooks recent critique of Facebooks ad-targeting business model, many of which sounded a little like fighting wordslike Lots of stories about apps misusing Apple data, never seen Apple notify people and Important to hold everyone to the same standard. Ouch!

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 The notes include a section on the EUs General Data Protection Rule, or GDPR, which is the new comprehensive data privacy legislation going into effect across Europe next month. Facebooks public relations team has found a way to spin Europes robust consumer protection requirements into a talking point against the need for similar laws in the United States. GDPR does a few things, the cheat sheet says. Provides control over data usewhat weve done for years. Requires consentdone a little bit, but now doing more in Europe and around the world, read two of the bullet points. Those statements carry the suggestion that Facebook doesnt need American regulations on top of European ones.

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 Theres a header on competition, where Zuckerberg has written down that Facebook is a small part of the ad market: advertisers have choices too$650 billion market, we have 6%. Its an interesting talking point, because while it may be true for all of advertising, when looking at the online ad market, Facebook made up 20 percent of U.S. revenue in 2017, while Google accounted for 39 percent that year, according to the digital research firm eMarketer. Together the two companies accounted for nearly 60 percent of online ad revenue in the U.S. in 2017.

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 Zuckerberg was even prepared to defend himself in case a senator suggested he throw in the towel: Resign? Founded Facebook. My decisions. I made mistakes. Big challenge, but weve solved problems before, going to solve this one. Already taking action. Dramatic.

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The photo only shows two pages in a folder with many pages behind them, so just because something isnt addressed here doesnt mean Zuckerberg was unprepared for the question. Still, there were some exchanges when the Facebook CEO did seem unsure how to answer. Like when Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, asked Zuckerberg about Facebook board member Peter Thiels Silicon Valley company Palantir and its connection to Cambridge Analytica.

But perhaps the main takeaway from this surreptitious shot of Zuckerbergs notes, for me anyway, is how to write an efficient cheat sheet when prepping to give a talk. The notes are clearly organized and loaded with pithy phrases that tease just enough information to encourage the reader to riff and sound natural. And as familiar as Zuckerberg may have sounded on Tuesday, he did stay on script.

Read more from Slate on Cambridge Analytica.
At Tuesdays joint hearing Senate hearing, members from the Judiciary and Commerce committees questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about exactly how and why his company let so many app developers, including Cambridge Analytica, take so much user data for so long without alerting users. One person who stuck out, though, was Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington state, who made some particularly incisive points.

She opened with a question about Palantir, a firm that Facebook board member Peter Thiel co-founded and is now the chairman of. Palantir, in broad strokes, works on large-scale data analysis. Its been used by police departments, the National Security Agency, the U.S. military, and even Home Depot, which temporarily hired the firm following a credit card customer data breach in 2014.

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Most recently, the company has been caught connected to Cambridge Analytica. In March, whistleblower Christopher Wiley testified at a U.K. parliamentary hearing that Palantir employees worked with Cambridge Analytica to turn the wrongfully obtained Facebook data into models for its voter ad-targeting work. Palantir told the New York Times that one of its employees helped Cambridge Analytica in a personal capacity. But its worth noting that Thiel has been an outspoken supporter of Trump, worked as an adviser on the presidential transition team, and sits on Facebooks board.

Cantwell jokingly asked Zuckerberg whether hes aware that sometimes Palantir is referred to as Stanford Analytica. An unamused Zuckerberg said he had not heard that before. Then she got down to business. First, she asked Zuckerberg about what he knows about whether Palantir worked with Cambridge Analytica. She also questioned whether Facebook board meetingswhere Peter Thiel would likely be in attendanceever featured conversations about the networks data being used in adversarial ways by opposing political forces. Basically, Cantwell seemed to be hinting that given Thiels presence on the board, she found it hard to believe Facebook wasnt aware its data was being misused by political operatives. She further wanted to know what Facebook is doing to make sure its platform and data arent weaponized in malicious ways in the future.

And to that, Zuckerberg only said that issues around election interference and data privacy are issues his company has discussed at their board meetings, and its something they want to get right.

Read more from Slate on Cambridge Analytica.
Orban will now create a system where there is no more need to win an election

Lessons from the Hungarian elections: Stick with a proportional electoral system, says leading Hungarian intellectual.

After his sweeping victory, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban is likely going to transform Hungary into a Putinesque presidential republic, change the election law, and strip the judiciary of its remaining independence, predicts Miklos Haraszti.

Both Viktor Orban and the opposition branded this election as the one that would change the character of the country. So how will the character of Hungary change now?

Miklos Haraszti (MH): This whole pseudo-ideological quasi-identity political talk about migration was just a smokescreen. The real worry of the inside and outside criticism of Orbanism was about his getting rid of checks and balances, the transformation of the constitution, of the electoral system, of the media landscape, of the oversight bodies, and the total elimination of the separation of power, driving absolutely everything under the executive branch and personally under Orban within the executive. The smokescreen simply served to feed the poor of Hungary with a new version of xenophobia.

Miklos Haraszti is a former Hungarian dissident, journalist, human rights activist, diplomat, and writer. He was a key figure in the democratic transformation of the country. He served as the OSCE Representative on Media Freedom between 2004 and 2010.

So that smokescreen was meant only for the poor?

MH: Orbans bloc consists of two parts: one is the nouveau riche, the bureaucratic new middle class that he nurtures and which in exchange for political fidelity receives beneficial tax exemptions as well as good jobs and business. On the other hand, the losers of the system are fed with a convenient new version of xenophobia, which psycho-politically transforms the well-entrenched hatred towards Roma into anti-migrant feelings and tops it with an un-outspoken anti-Semitism of the anti-Soros propaganda. Thats what the poor get. Of course, none of the middle class buys it, its just convenient. I believe the so-called Christian nature of the country is part of the smokescreen. It also serves on the international scene to fight those who criticise the demise of the rule of law and democracy, as if they were attacking something pristine in the country. The revival of Hungarian vindictive nationalism is being used, the notion that we are always attacked, always the victims, and the reason why we get all this criticism is anti-Hungarian, anti-Christian liberal internationalism.

Did this election show Hungarians are more xenophobic than previously thought?

11. Apr 2018 at 9:23 | Lukas Ondercanin
New health minister: I'm a doctor first of all

While some praise the fact that the Health Ministry was taken over by an insider, others question Andrea Kalavskas professionality and morality.

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The image of the recent health ministers has not been very good and many of them faced several problems and suspicions of conflicts of interest when serving in the post.

Ivan Uhliarik of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) was criticised for his ties to the Penta financial group, while his successor Zuzana Zvolenska, nominee of the Smer party, is from the Dovera health insurer (which also belongs to Penta) and had to leave after the scandal with the overpriced purchase of the CT scanner by Piestany hospital. Another health minister, Viliam Cislak (Smer nominee), had to explain his ties to Penta.

At the same time, the sector faced several problems, including the dilapidated state of hospitals and demands for salary hikes and improvements to working conditions. Tomas Drucker came in as a crisis manager, who was supposed to solve the problems in health care. After changes to the government and his departure to the Interior Ministry, the department was taken over by Andrea Kalavska, who served as a state secretary.

While some praise the fact that she comes from the ministry, knows Druckers agenda and wants to continue in the initiated projects, the others are critical of her approach while serving as state secretary.

She didnt create space for professional arguments and was instead influenced by interest and financial groups, which was the problem of previous ministers, Iveta Lazorova, chair of the Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, told The Slovak Spectator.

However, she hopes that the minister will see the criticism as constructive and try to adopt decisions based on arguments and the demands of practice.

Opinions differ

Even though Im health minister, Im a doctor first of all, so I want patients, as well as doctors, nurses and other medical workers, to feel positive changes, Kalavska told The Slovak Spectator.

Dusan Zachar, analyst of the INEKO think tank, believes it is good that the health department will be taken over by Kalavska, who as state secretary has been present at the ministry and is acquainted with the agenda.

11. Apr 2018 at 12:01 | Radka Minarechova
Bratislava airport records increase in passengers in Q18

BTS processed 19 percent more people compared to the same period last year.

M.R. Stefanik Airport in Bratislava processed 353,714 passengers in the first quarter of this year, which was 19 percent more than a year ago, the TASR newswire learnt on April 10.

The first quarter of the year with nearly 354,000 passengers was the third best in the airports history, and its also the highest number of passengers dealt with at the airport over the past ten years, airport general director Jozef Pojedinec said, as quoted for TASR.

Pojedinec attributed this growth to regular international transport. We processed 339 regular flights more than last year over the first three months of the year, with increasing interest mainly in, for example, connections to Skopje and Kiev, Pojedinec added.

During the first three months of this year the airport in the Slovak capital also posted growth in the total number of flights, while air cargo transport swelled by 12 percent when compared to the same period last year.

The highest numbers of passengers travelled from Bratislava Airport to London, Dublin, Moscow and Milan.

11. Apr 2018 at 13:54 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Kiskas visit to South Korea is the first one in history by a Slovak president

The countrys economic success depends on investment in education, young people and innovation, Andrej Kiska said during the very first visit of a Slovak president to South Korea, where he met with his counterpart.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) shakes hands with Slovakia's President Andrej Kiska ahead of a summit at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 10, 2018. (Source: TASR/YONHAP )

South Korea is an extremely important partner for Slovakia, Slovak President Andrej Kiska said on April 10, after meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Seoul as part of his official visit to the country. More than 50 percent of investments from non-European countries have come from South Korea, with over 2.5 billion invested and more than 100 companies having created thousands of jobs, said Kiska, adding that Slovakia is also viewed as a successful and reliable partner for South Korea.

In order for the country to be among the worlds most advanced economies, investments in education, young people and innovation are needed, the Slovak president stated, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Fifty years ago, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world while now its among the eleven most developed global economies, Kiska said. We profoundly discussed how to achieve this.

Inter-Korean dialogue

Regarding the upcoming Inter-Korean summit due to take place later in April, Kiska and Moon Jae-in concurred that dialogue is extremely important in this regard. No intimidation, but dialogue and the seeking of peaceful solutions, said the Slovak president.

His South Korean counterpart welcomed the fact that in the short history of bilateral relations, Slovakia and South Korea have managed to developed these relations consistently. Moon Jae-in expressed satisfaction that many Korean companies, including Kia Motors and Samsung Electronics, have been actively doing business in their home country while achieving positive economic results in Slovakia as well.

After joining NATO and the EU, Slovakia was able to achieve political stability and rapid economic growth, Moon Jae-in noted. You have been nicknamed the Tatra Tiger, and your country contributes to international peace and security, he added.

After their meeting, Kiska honoured the soldiers killed in the Korean War by laying wreaths at the National Cemetery in Seoul.

11. Apr 2018 at 14:03 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Minister Druckers wife ends her businesses

After political attacks by the opposition and media pressure, Interior Minister Tomas Drucker (ex-health minister) announced on April 11 that his wife would end all her business activities.

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The wife of the Interior Minister (until recently, the health minister, a non-partisan Smer nominee) Tomas Drucker, will end all her business activities, Drucker announced on April 11 after the cabinet session. It was his response to accusations of opposition OLaNOs leader Igor Matovic, the Sme daily wrote.

After Matovic published the information on Druckerovas shady and extremely cheap purchase of land, Drucker reacted on April 9 by saying that a company called Logaro, owned by his spouse, acquired land in Spacince at the end of 2016 for 8.94 per square meter, VAT-free.

The bone of contention

During 2017, preparatory work was carried out on these plots of land, while during the process another developer company expressed interest in buying the land, whose purchase price was 37 per square meter at that time, the minister alleged, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The entire area, including the land owned by Logaro, was sold off at the end of 2017.

Matovic pointed out that if Logaro had expenditures related to cabling and plumbing work, these would have been listed in its statement of finances, but nothing of the sort can be found there. If its not in the statement, they violated the law  or it was paid in cash. If not, who paid those expenditures, then? the OLaNo leader asked. He also believes that Logaro, which owned the plots of land for a year, made a profit of more than a quarter of a million euros from their subsequent sale.

Read also:

Read also: New interior minister Drucker rejects accusations of murky land deals Read more

However, Matovic does not even find the sum of 37 VAT-free, as declared by Drucker, to be plausible. He pointed to statements by Spacince mayor Julius Zemko (Smer), according to whom the price per square meter there stands at 100-120.

The OLaNO leader also cast doubt on another purchase of land in Trnava, which Drucker claimed is agricultural land because the Land Plan does not allow any construction work. This plot was purchased at 0.85 per square meter, the regular market price for the given location and state of the land, Drucker reacted.

Offer by Matovic

In his response, Matovic pointed to Logaros statement of finance, which indicates that the company purchased the land for construction purposes. If they maintain that these plots of land have a market value of only 90 cents per square meter, then Im extending a public offer: Ill give them 1.80 per square meter. I know that well be able to sell it off for at least 40 per square meter. And let the public decide about the distribution of the 3 million profit, the leader of opposition party suggested.

Another opposition party, SaS, announced on April 10 that if Drucker fails to explain the serious suspicions, the party is ready to initiate the convening of an extraordinary parliamentary session aimed at ousting him.

Explanation

Logaro, owned by Druckers wife, bought the land in Spacince from a firm called Mlynske Pole. Drucker denies accusations of any affiliation between Mlynske Pole and Rempo, the latter firm concluding contracts with the Slovak Post when Drucker served as its SPs CEO. Mlynske Pole is run by the son of Rempos owner.

Both Drucker and representatives of Mlynske Pole called Matovics claims sensation- and scandal-seeking. The minister responded positively to his public offer of buying out the land in Trnava, owned by Druckers wife, for twice the price she paid for it, TASR learnt on April 10.

The next day, however, interior minister announced that his wife would end her enterprises, saying, as quoted by the SITA newswire, that the reasons are not the fabricated accusations of Igor Matovic but rather his own public position, which he wants to perform in peace, and without slanted accusations. Drucker added, as cited by SITA, that he would not further react to Matovics statements.

11. Apr 2018 at 14:11 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Comenius University accepted plagiaristic works from Germans

German media reported on suspicions of plagiarism and the difficulty of stripping people of Slovak degrees.

This is a gross plagiarism, said German law professor Gerhard Dannemann about a dissertation thesis approved by the Faculty of Management of the Comenius University in Bratislava.

The thesis, discussing the financing of hospitals, was filed by the head of a German charity organisation, Andreas Schubert and resulted in him being awarded a PhD in Slovakia.

The suspicious thesis came to the notice of the German media after the German website VroniPlag pointed to it in 2016. The website keeps track of the theses of German post-graduates which have a suspiciously large percentage of text copied from other sources.

It found plagiarism on 76 out of the 185 pages of Schuberts thesis. Of them, 12 pages include 50 to 75 percent of copied text, and 47 pages contain more than 75 percent copied text.

Since then, the Germans of the VroniPlag website had not picked up on plagiarism on Slovak sites, until the beginning of this year.

Since mid-January 2018, two more suspicious theses that secured a grade for German students from the Comenius University (UK) have appeared on this website. One of them also stems from the Faculty of Management, while the other one is from the Faculty of Arts.

Thanks to incentives from VroniPlag, several famous people have been investigated in the past, including politicians  and some have even been stripped of their degrees.

The UKs Faculty of Management accepted the suspicious theses at a time when Slovak control software did not function, its Dean Jozef Komornik claims. Theses in German cannot be checked to this day, he added. We will have to introduce this, although it is expensive, Komornik noted.

11. Apr 2018 at 22:37 | Roman Cuprik
The court turned down Okolicanys appeal against the verdict of the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok.

The Supreme Court gave a life sentence to Robert Okolicany, considered the boss of the eastern-Slovak mafia, on April 11. The verdict is effective, and no appeals are possible.

Aside from Okolicany, the Supreme Court also gave life sentences to Robert Nigut and Jaroslav Potucko, the TASR newswire reported.

A total of 16 defendants faced charges relating to 20 crimes, including the creation and support of a criminal and terrorist group, multiple murders, the possession of concealed weapons, robbery, blackmail, theft, property damage and others.

Another 12 defendants received sentences ranging from 18 months to 24.5 years in jail, whereas Roman Dunak was acquitted.

Long protracted case

The original indictment against the criminal group was filed on April 27, 2007, with approximately 130 court sessions held until the most recent one.

In August 2016, the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok sentenced Okolicany, Nigut and Potucko to life sentences but they contested the verdicts and the Supreme Court changed some of them, while confirming others, the Sme daily wrote, adding that Dunak was the only one fully acquitted. Apart from evidence, the testimony of a key witness who also participated in the crimes helped convict the gang members from the east of the country.

UPDATE: Robert Nigut could not be found to be sent to prison as of April 12, according to TASR. Also Robert Okolicany, although being monitored by police, has allegedly escaped abroad, the Dennik N daily wrote on that day.

11. Apr 2018 at 21:58 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Slovak family in UK enslaved Czechs and Slovaks

This case has been deemed one of the worst examples of human trafficking and modern slavery by regional daily The Northern Echo.

Seven members of a gang that made a family business of importing homeless people from Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the UK was convicted of human trafficking and forcing people to work in poor conditions.

Members of the Slovak family living in the city of Newcastle purchased and sold their victims for sums that sometimes amounted to just 200, a Middlesbrough court found.

All defendants face charges of forced labour, money laundering and complicity focused on human trafficking aimed at their exploitation, the TASR newswire wrote.

British media apalled

In its April 10 verdict, the court found seven family members, including one teenager, guilty while acquitting an eighth relative of all charges, TASR cited the BBC and regional media in northern England.

In their story published on April 11, The Northern Echo regional daily called this case one of the worst examples of human trafficking and modern slavery ever in northeastern England.

The convicts of three generations  aged between 17 and 58  imported homeless people, as well as the unemployed and vulnerable people from the Czech and Slovak Republics into the UK, according to the charge. They were promised food, work and accommodation but ultimately, they were forced to live in cellars and received just a fraction of the money they actually earned cleaning and working in packaging plants.

The victims were in fact imprisoned, as they did not speak English, and were stripped of their ID cards and bank cards so that they had no access to the money they had earned. These activities surfaced when one man escaped from a house in Newcastle, and turned to police.

The defendants operated a family business and the family business was slavery, prosecutor John Elvidge suggested. Those responsible for this slavery led a life in luxury, enjoying holidays abroad and parties financed from money they had stolen from their victims, Sally MacDonaldova added for the British police.

The final sentence will be announced April 27.

11. Apr 2018 at 22:11 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Eurocontrol warns airlines of possible airstrikes in Syria

Departures from M. R. Stefanik Airport in Bratislava will not be affected for now.

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The European air traffic control agency, Eurocontrol has warned airlines and recommend them to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean over fears that airstrikes could hit Syria in the next 72 hours. For now, there is no information about changes in air transport in Slovakia.

This warning will not affect departures of aircraft from the M. R. Stefanik Airport in Bratislava, said Veronika Sevcikova, the Bratislava airports spokesperson, for the SITA newswire.

The airport in Kosice does not have any information on whether departures from Kosice airport will be cancelled.

This is rather a question for airlines, said Juraj Toth, marketing manager of the airport in Kosice.

The warning

On Tuesday, April 10, Eurocontrol warned airlines of the risk of possible military action in the region, including the use of air-to-ground and cruise missiles, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment. It did not specify where the missile threat might originate.

Due to the possible launch of airstrikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, proper consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area, it said, as cited by Politico.

The statement came after US President Donald Trump announced on Monday, April 9, he would decide within 48 hours how to respond to Saturdays alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria by the Syrian regime in Douma.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a similar warning.

Airlines are taking the issued warnings into consideration.

We take recommendations of EASA as binding; we are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East, Vladka Dufkova, spokesperson of Travel Service told SITA.

11. Apr 2018 at 22:29 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Sanchez Energy Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of U.S. onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources. It engages in the horizontal development of resources from the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. It also holds an undeveloped acreage position in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) in Mississippi and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2017, the company had assembled approximately 285,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford Shale; and owned approximately 37,000 net acres in the TMS. Sanchez Energy Corporation was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN.

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Billie Faiers and Sam Faiers are back for a fourth series of The Mummy Diaries on ITVBe.

Fresh from their latest run just earlier this year, ITV have already signed up the pair for another series.

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In the new eight part series the sisters plan for Billie and Greg's big day - from finding the wedding dress to going on the hen party in Ibiza but things get difficult when Greg's many stag dos cause family tensions.

Sam is back to work juggling business with breastfeeding baby daughter Rosie, Sam and Paul are getting their dream mansion in Hertfordshire ready for Summer and with Billie's hen do in sight, Sam is trying to get her body back after baby number 2.

Son Paul is now a toddler, he's still sleeping with Daddy and Sam wants her bed back so she's making drastic changes to the family night time routine.

Meanwhile, Billie and Greg are making plans for their dream wedding whilst preparing daughter Nellie for her first day at school and son Arthur is learning to talk. Nellie, Arthur and Greg all have their first modelling jobs - Nellie is flown to Chicago as Billie starts to worry about her diva tantrums. The family jet off to Marbella for their last holiday before school starts.

The new series also features the rest of the Faiers family including Mum Sue, Dad Dave and Sams mother-in-law Grandma Gaynor. Viewers will see the Faiers sisters travel to exclusive sun-soaked destinations for both hen celebrations and luxury family holidays.

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Sam and Billie Faiers: The Mummy Diaries begins Wednesday, October 31 at 9PM on ITVBe.

According to Sam, ITV have already given the green light to series 5 and 6 into next year.
Surveillance Economy

A Warning Call to K12: NEPC Turns Off Facebook Account

As Mark Zuckerberg faces Congress this week, the National Education Policy Center, which reports on "schoolhouse commercialism," has deleted its Facebook account in order to break ties with an organization that has become known for its "invasive data mining and the third-party targeting of users inherent in its business model." Will school districts follow NEPC's lead?

So far, the answer appears to be no.

The center works out of the University of Colorado Boulder and is known for its piercing (and sometimes-scathing) reviews of education-related research projects.

Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger, who co-direct the organization's Commercialism in Education Unit, have been studying how advertising targets students for three decades. More recently, that research has explored digital marketing and the use of software that incorporates data tracking in schools.

Calling Facebook a "multinational advertising agency" and "social control mechanism," the co-directors in a recent brief referred to the social media company as a "self-referential social house of mirrors" serving up a "bespoke reality crafted out of their hopes, fears and aspirations."

According to the researchers, the data scraping practices being pinned on Cambridge Analytica, at the heart of Facebook's current woes, are no different from what's going on every day in schools as "student personal data are scooped up by digital platforms with little oversight or accountability."

Molnar warned that the United States is now underpinned by a "surveillance economy constructed by corporations that relentlessly, invisibly and very profitably gather information and create profiles on hundreds of millions of people." The digital platforms being used by educators, in particular, he added, "feed children into this surveillance economy."

While Facebook maintains the illusion of acting as a "public square," the report stated, in reality, the company is using Facebook posts "to help advertisers shape their messaging."

"Rather than letting users engage freely in its environment, Facebook's algorithms silo users and present them with a distorted reality that is then used by advertisers to influence and manipulate them," noted Boninger. "This is not a 'mistake,'" she added in a prepared statement. "It is what Facebook is designed to do."

The researchers are especially concerned about the involvement of children in these machinations. "Targeted marketing, facilitated by Facebook, manipulates children and influences their developing worldviews and interests, as well as their understandings of their families, friendships, romantic relationships, environment, society and selves," they stated. "These practices are harmful to adults, and when deployed against children they are intolerable."

NEPC isn't alone in calling out for schools and educators to show much greater caution in their use of social media and digital tools. EdTech Strategies, a consultancy that researches education technology, innovation and policy, recently published a six-part series intended to "shed light" on the use of websites by schools and state departments of education.

According to President Doug Levin, while Facebook and similar social sites have found pickup among schools and districts to show their connectivity to their communities, that use comes at a price. Many education sites have implemented tracking services that simplify sign-on and thereby integrate with popular platforms, including Facebook, as well as Google and Twitter. All of these, he pointed out, are advertising companies that pride themselves on facilitating targeted advertising and messaging "with incredible precision."

While NEPC is leading the charge for turning off social sites such as Facebook, Levin offered more restrained guidance. Among his suggestions: Install ad blockers such as uBlock Origin, modify how browsers handle cookies and stop using proprietary ad trackers and online surveillance tools on school websites. "If a need for the functionality provided by these tools is identified, assess whether there are more privacy-respecting options available," he advised.
Big: 'Norwegian Bliss'

Alaskas largest cruise ship, The Norwegian Bliss holds 4,004 passengers and 1,716 crew members, and features some grandkid-friendly firsts for an Alaska cruise including an open-air laser tag course and the largest go-kart track at sea. Adults can check out the Cavern Club, modeled after the legendary Liverpool hot spot and featuring a Beatles cover band. If you're more intrigued by the scenery, the ship offers a 20,000-square-foot observation lounge.

Cost: The lowest prices are $949 per person for an inside room (an ocean view starts at $1,249; a balcony at $1,549) for a seven-night cruise departing in late September 2020, for example. It departs from Seattle, and stops include Juneau, Skagway and Glacier Bay. On any cruise, prepare for hidden charges: Taxes, fees, and port expenses can cost from $150 to $250 per person.



Midsize: Royal Caribbean Internationals 'Radiance of the Seas'

Big views are plentiful on this 2,466-passenger ship, which features floor-to-ceiling windows, glass elevators and a nine-story glass-enclosed atrium. You always have a front-row seat to the Alaskan wilderness on this ship, says Don Bucolo, editor in chief of EatSleepCruise.com. Radiance of the Seas was refurbished in 2016 and boasts an outdoor movie screen and a rock-climbing wall. Travelers can choose a northbound or southbound route, departing from Seward or Vancouver. The ship passes through the Inside Passage (a habitat area for wildlife such as eagles, sea lions and whales) and along the 76-mile-long Hubbard Glacier.

Cost: The cheapest fare for a 7-night southbound (Seward to Vancouver) cruise at the end of August 2020 starts at $829 per person for an interior cabin (an ocean view is $1,009; the balcony is $1,699).



Midsize: 'Coral Princess'

This 2,000-passenger Princess Cruises ship has won lots of kudos in CruiseCritic.coms 2018 recent Cruisers Choice Awards, including best shore excursions, best value, and best overall cruise for the midsize category. The shore excursions include not only the usual wildlife tours, but cultural activities  such as watching a lumberjack competition  and fishing trips. The seven-day cruises depart from Anchorage and Vancouver. Another good midsized option for Alaska cruising: the Holland America Westerdam, a 1,916-passenger ship that like Holland Americas other modern, midsized ships evokes the golden age of ocean liners, says Anne Vipond, author of Alaska by Cruise Ship, with nostalgic touches such as teak promenade decks lined with steamer chairs.

Cost: The best prices are in May: A seven-day cruise on the Coral Princess departing from Anchorage at the end of August 2020 starts at $1,149 per person for an interior room ($1,699 for an ocean view; $2,249 for a balcony).
Russia is keen on fostering its collaboration in various areas with Vietnam, which the former regards as a promising market, a Russian official said at the Vietnam-Russia Business Forum in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday.

A number of Russian industrial products are expected to be exported to the Southeast Asian country, said Robert Kurilo, head of the Vietnam-based representative office of Russian Export Center  an institute run by the Russian government aimed at supporting its exporters.

He said the countries markets provide numerous opportunities for investment cooperation in diverse fields like logistics, biomedicine, laser technology, robot technology, production of medical and audio-visual devices, and surveillance equipment.

Kurilo also supposed that Russia, with its many beautiful and clean cities, is a potential tourism market for Vietnam.

Russia has favorable conditions in working with Vietnam in oil exploration and national defense, he said.

He added that the Southeast Asian country is completely able to increase its agricultural imports into Russia.

Representatives from Vietnamese and Russian firms discuss at the Vietnam-Russia Business Forum in Ho Chi Minh City, April 10, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Many Russian produce export enterprises have high expectations of Vietnams demand for their high-quality food products, according to Gostevskikh Mikhail, CEO of Siberia Company.

Vietnam has different types of produce and seafood which Russia desires to buy  something that is conducive to the countries mutual commerce, he commented.

The nations have been trying to lift their two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2020.

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Vietnams government inspectorate is set to examine the management of agricultural land on Phu Quoc, a tourist island off the southern province of Kien Giang, following a recent land fever.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has tasked the government inspectorate with the mission and reviewing the responsibility of those in charge of land management on the island.

Violations regarding the use of agricultural land have become highly complicated, threatening to ruin the islands master plan, while authorities have yet to come up with any effective solution.

According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, forests along the route between An Thoi Town in the southern part of the island and Ganh Dau Commune in the north have disappeared.

Only empty land plots remain in the areas now.

On some pieces of land, people have built prefabricated houses in order to prove their ownership.

The sale of land and related projects is widely advertised in leaflets stuck on tree trunks and utility posts as well as billboards along the roads.

Phan Van Tan, a local land broker, stated that land plots in the center of the island have become much more valuable.

A sign advertising the sale of land is erected a long a street in Duong Dong Town on Phu Quoc Island. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Buyers are getting increasingly interested in agricultural land, which is sold per unit of about 1,000 square meters.

In Duong To Commune, the type of land is offered at around VND18 billion (US$792,000) per 1,000 square meters. The price was only VND2.5 billion ($110,000) in mid-February.

Land prices are feverishly discussed at local cafes, restaurants, and offices.

Aside from tourists, well-off people now visit Phu Quoc daily to seek for prime land.

Traveling on their automobiles, these wealthy speculators search the whole island for potential pieces of land in droves.

Statistics of local authorities showed that about 6,000 cars and 80,000 motorbikes have been registered by local residents, along with a large number of vehicles transported from the mainland to the island for non-locals travel demand.

The situation has resulted in traffic jams during rush hours at several locations.

People carry out procedures for land transactions at a notary public office on Phu Quoc. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Who benefits?

According to Dang Duc Gioi, director of a land office in Duong Dong Town, not many locals will benefit from the current land fever as they already sold their properties in the first fever a decade ago.

Others have given up their land to the construction of resorts and hotels, Gioi continued.

Only land speculators will earn the most profits. Brokers can also pocket a decent amount, he remarked.

H., who lives in Cua Can Commune, said he had sold about 22,000 square meters of his land at VND3.9 billion ($171,600) per 1,000 square of meters via a broker.

A few days later, H.s buyer resold the land for VND4.2 billion ($184,800) per 1,000 square meters.

However, speculators have been more cautious following information regarding the upcoming inspection, said M., a young broker.

Despite the high number of buyers, not many successful transactions have been made lately.

According to M., it is not that simple for brokers to strike a deal and obtain commission, as they are required to spend tens of millions of dong (VND10 million = $440) buying and updating the planning maps of the island.

Many buyers want to be certain about the legality of any land plot before making their payment.

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Read what is in the news today, April 11!

Politics

-- Vietnamese Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong is determined to continue a nationwide crackdown on corruption among state officials as he told those who feel intimidated to step aside so others can take over during a meeting of the Central Party Committee on Tuesday.

-- Vietnam will soon introduce a Law on Coast Guard to provide a legal framework for the force to perform their duty at sea in the context of increasingly unpredictable activities in Vietnamese waters, the government said.

Society

-- A former customs officer in Ho Chi Minh City has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars for receiving bribes from 50 enterprises with a total amount of nearly VND542 million (US$23,800).

-- The administration of Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam has pledged to tighten management of its forests following recent serious cases of illegal logging discovered there.

-- Ho Chi Minh City Police are investigating a 33-year-old Nigerian man, Obiora Walter Chime, for his involvement in a transnational hi-tech fraud ring that has conned multiple Vietnamese victims out of over VND10 billion ($440,000).

-- Mobile network operators in Vietnam have promised to protect subscribers personal information following concerns that submitting portraits to the carriers, as required by a new regulation which will take effect on April 24, would increase their risk in case of a data breach.

-- Vietnam was among ten countries with the largest number of visitors to Singapore in 2017, as over 531,000 Vietnamese tourists visited the city-state last year, according to statistics from the Singapore Tourism Board.

-- Residents along the bank of the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City as well as near many of its smaller waterways are living in fear of subsidence, with the local administration reporting 40 high risk spots citywide.

Business

-- Competition among delivery services in Vietnam is getting tougher as online retailers compete for customers in the countrys booming e-commerce market by reducing delivery time to under two hours from purchase.

-- Government inspectors are looking into the recent land fever on Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam as multiple violations in construction and land management have been found in the island district.

-- Vietnams listed enterprises scored the lowest among six countries in Southeast Asia in terms of corporate governance in 2017, according to a report by the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum.

-- Users of ride-booking app Grab in Vietnam have complained about increased fares by 20-25 percent since the company took over its rival Ubers Southeast Asian operations last month to dominate the regional market.

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A customs officer in Ho Chi Minh City has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for taking bribes.

The Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court announced its final ruling regarding the violation of Nguyen Truong Duy, former public servant of the control team under the municipal Department of Customs, on Tuesday evening.

Duy was given a 12-year jail term for abusing his power to receive bribes totaling VND541.9 million ($23,843) from 50 businesses.

The money Duy had illegally pocketed was also confiscated and added to the state budget.

During the two-day trial, the defendant did not plead guilty, but the jury had sufficient evidence proving his offenses.

According to the indictment, from January to December 2015, the ex-customs officer asked local businesses to pay him a certain amount of money in order for their imported goods not to be inspected.

The inspection is mandatory when a firm declares their imports to the customs department.

Duy picked his own house, located on Tran Khac Chan Street in District 1, and his office in Cat Lai Port (District 2) as the places where the illicit transactions were carried out.

He also asked his mother to help him collect the bribes from the firms.

The businesses that agreed to pay the bribes were not criminally charged as they had been willing to provide necessary information for the investigation.

No penalty was imposed upon Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhien, Duys mother, as she was not considered an accomplice.

The jury asked competent authorities to investigate the involvement of Bui Thanh Chung, former deputy chief of the customs control team, who is now deputy head of the customs department in Linh Trung Export Processing Zone in Thu Duc District.

Chung was accused of signing false documents of customs inspections to abet Duy.

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Nguyen Tri Phuong, police chief of Thanh Khe Dong Ward in Thanh Khe District, denied giving special favor to his nephew and said he would have done the same to protect any citizen under his duty.

The nephew, 22-year-old Nguyen Tran Vinh Khang, got into trouble on Sunday when he violently assaulted a woman at an eatery in the central city.

The two of them had been engaged in an argument over the order of service they received, after Khang complained about not being served first despite having arrived earlier.

The woman, 33-year-old Tran Thi Quynh Nhu, reportedly told Khang he could have her dish if he felt so hungry, sparking a heating exchange between the two.

An earlier report said Nhu had politely given up her dish, but it is now understood that she had made the offer in a mocking manner.

In the heat of the moment, Khang landed repeated kicks on Nhu, leaving her with a bruised eye, broken teeth, and a sinus fracture from which she is still recovering at a local hospital.

An eatery in Da Nangs Son Tra District where an assault took place on April 8, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Police of An Hai Dong Ward in Son Tra District, where the assault took place, brought Khang in on the same evening for questioning over the attack.

The man was later escorted back to his home in a police car from Thanh Khe Dong Ward, where his uncle is police chief.

According to Tran Thanh Hai, police chief of Thanh Khe District, the use of public vehicles for personal purposes is against the law.

As the incident did not take place in Thanh Khe Dong Ward, the appearance of its police car at another police station is questionable, Hai said, adding that he had demanded a report from the wards police chief, Nguyen Tri Phuong, on the issue.

On his part, Phuong said it was his duty to respond to an incident involving one of the wards residents, the victim Nhu.

He explained that he had used the police car to escort his nephew home because there was a group of people waiting outside the police station to get revenge on the man.

Phuong said he would have done the same to any other citizen who needed protection.

A police car of Thanh Khe Dong Ward is parked outside the police station of An Hai Dong Ward in Son Tra District, Da Nang City in central Vietnam on the evening of April 8, 2018.

Son Tra District Police are evaluating Nhus level of injuries to decide whether to prosecute Khang for his action.

The assailants father, Nguyen Huu Chinh, who is a retired military colonel, took to social media on Tuesday to apologize for his sons violence.

Attacking people is wrong, especially when its a man hitting a woman, Chinh wrote in a post to a public group about Da Nang.

I have explained to my son the rights and wrongs of his action, and he is old enough to take full responsibility for what he does.

Chinh also promised to take his son to visit the victim in the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, but it is not clear whether the visit actually took place.

A screen grab of the Facebook post by Nguyen Huu Chinh, father of the attacker Nguyen Tran Vinh Khang, making an apology for his son's actions.

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There are no trains centrestage this time but Michael Portillos Abandoned Britain on SBS will visit mysterious buildings that hold the key to some of Great Britains biggest secrets.

This is a 4 part series which aired in the UK in November.

In this series, Michael Portillo will unlock the doors to four extraordinary abandoned locations to reveal his hidden history of Britain; The Royal London Hospital, a 400-year-old prison, a ghost village, and a top-secret military base. What is justice for? How did Britain pioneer a health system for everyone? How do they weigh up the rights of the individual against the needs of the State? And how much should the people know about what their government does to keep them safe?

Series One, Episode Four:

Hidden away in the heart of the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire is the abandoned shell of Imber. A thousand-year-old-village was once a vibrant community before a series of extraordinary events transformed it into a desolate ghost town.

Wednesday, 18 April at 7.30pm on SBS.
A former SKY News executive editor has blamed the pressures of television for alcohol use which led to him assaulting his wife.

Rob Raschke, who resigned from SKY last month after consenting to an apprehended violence order and entering a guilty plea, appeared at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney this morning.

His lawyer said Raschke was attending weekly counselling sessions with a psychologist and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He added his client had grown to rely on drinking as a way to cope with high stress levels suffered as a consequence of a heavy workload.

All these years, hes relied on alcohol to some extent to get away from the pressures of life in journalism, lawyer Michael Bowe told the court.

The former Seven News director pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife, Rachel, in February. He has also been the subject of an apprehended violence order that states he must not approach or be in the company of his wife for at least 12 hours after drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs.

The Australian reports understood that wife Rachel Raschke sought to withdraw the charges against her husband, but that the police pressed ahead with them.

The court adjourned for sentencing after requesting further evidence of documentation to support the claim that Raschke was seeking professional help.
Film Victoria has updated the Victorian Screen Industry Code of Conduct and funding terms and conditions in line with recent industry standards, including by Screen Australia.

The updated Code reflects Film Victorias zero tolerance approach to unsafe workplace practices and behaviours including discrimination, harassment and bullying.

Initially released in 2012 the Code offers heightened clarity about workplace standards that reflect the current needs of the Victorian screen industry and the issues and policies that impact its practitioners.

Changes have also been made to Film Victorias Terms of Trade, contracts and associated agreements.

From 2 April:

/ Film Victorias Terms of Trade has a new section on Safe Workplaces with an expectation that employers comply with all legislation (state and federal) relating to providing a safe workplace.

/ Contracts for Film Victorias Assigned Production Investment programs include a requirement that funded projects comply with all applicable laws, legislation regulations and the Victorian Screen Industry Code of Conduct.

/ Funding acquittal forms require evidence of compliance with the Victorian Screen Industry Code of Conduct as it relates to sexual harassment legislation.

/ An addition made to the Assigned Production Investment program guidelines that refer to the safe workplace requirements in the Terms of Trade.

/ Communication about safe workplace behaviour included on all invitations to Film Victoria events and on other relevant channels.

All employers and businesses working with Film Victoria will be supported to understand and apply the Code.

Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher said It is our strong intent to see every practitioner, actor, crew member and associated service business understand their role and obligations in complying with Victorian and Australian legislation which contributes to a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace, and that these obligations are adhered to in all circumstances.

Every individual is responsible for playing their part in helping to provide and work in a safe and supportive environment, however employers must lead the way by providing training, resources, regular communication and respectful and responsive processes for handling any form of complaint.

Our industry often sets a leading example for societal change which makes Film Victorias zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment all the more important. I call on everyone in the industry to support and ensure the Codes effective execution across the full spectrum of sectors and individuals we support and represent.

Victorian and national government agencies, screen industry bodies and practitioners have assisted in the development and refinement of this document.

www.film.vic.gov.au
US President Donald Trump is now cancelling his first official visit to South America in order to focus all of his attention on the rising problems with Syria and its crooked leader Bashar al-Assad. Many revelations have been coming out recently about the evil misdeeds of the Assad regime, including the tracking down and killing of journalist Marie Colvin, who had been reporting their war crimes to the world. The whole incident was captured in a harrowing digital video thats been circulating around the internet in the past couple of days.

Also, the Syrian government has been accused of being behind the chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region that was launched last Saturday.

Activists allege that the Assad regime dropped a bunch of bombs filled with deadly chemicals on the town, killing 40 people (some of them children), although the regime denies that the attack even happened, and certainly that it was their doing, but who are you more inclined to believe? On the whole, the Assads attacks on the Eastern Ghouta area of Syria going back to February are reported to left a total of more than 1,700 civilians dead.

Trump taking the week to monitor developments around the world

The reason that Trump has decided to make this change and cancel his trip in favour of handling the US response to the escalating crisis in Syria was that he needs to monitor developments around the world as other national leaders respond to the situation.

He will also oversee the American response to Syria in the time that he had previously allocated to his first official visit to Latin America (seriously, its taken him this long to get that together  and its not even going forward anymore).

Trump is also annoyed that the FBI investigators have raided the office and hotel room of his personal lawyer, which the President said was disgraceful of them, although they were just doing their jobs and they do have cause to suspect this lawyer of various wrongdoings.

The planned South America trip was intended to see Trump attend the Summit of the Americas in Lima, the capital city of Peru. The United States will still be represented there, but with Vice President Mike Pence taking his place.

The South America tour was also supposed to include a stop over in Colombia for a face-to-face meeting with the countrys leader, President Juan Manuel Santos, but some sources are saying that this will be canned altogether and not even Pence will go in Trumps place.

Hopefully this will all be worth it, since the US President has pledged to have come up with a solution to the Syria crisis and worked out what the American response will be within just a few days. Finally, leaders across the world are taking action on the Assad regime and well see this happening over the course of the next couple of weeks.

French President Emmanuel Macron will play a huge role in the Syria response

Since Trump has spoken to him twice since the chemical attack by the Assad regime to talk strategy, French President Emmanuel Macron will likely play a large role in the American governments response to the crisis. Trump values his European allies and has often said so. Anyway, it seems like America will be making huge strides forwards in their handling of the Syria crisis, even if it means Trump missing an important summit in South America.

That summit was expected to mark an important turning point in Trumps relationship with Latin American nations, but people close to him have said that he wasnt all that enthusiastic about the trip and is glad to have found a legitimate reason to call it off. He can work on his relationship with South America later, when he can stomach meeting its leaders.
LONDON, April 10 (Reuters) - Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has named its chief operating officer, Mark Thompson, as its interim director, pending the appointment of a permanent successor to outgoing head David Green.

The SFO, which prosecutes cases of high-level fraud and corruption in British business, said on Tuesday it had identified a candidate to take on the permanent role and will announce that person "when it is possible to do so".

The SFO has come under political pressure in recent years, with Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party proposing ahead of last year's election that the SFO be folded into the National Crime Agency.

The SFO appeared to win a reprieve when the pledge was removed from a two-year plan the government issued after the election.

In 2017, the SFO reached settlements with Rolls-Royce and Tesco (Frankfurt: 852647 - news) to end investigations into, respectively, bribery allegations and an accounting scandal. (Reporting by Lawrence White Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
* STOXX 600 ends down 0.6 pct

* Tesco (Frankfurt: 852647 - news) leads gainers on profit beat, strong outlook

* Deutsche Telekom (IOB: 0MPH.IL - news) lifted by U.S. unit merger hopes (Updates prices at close, adds detail)

By Danilo Masoni and Kit Rees

LONDON/MILAN, April 11 (Reuters) - European shares fell on Wednesday in a broad-based pullback as rising tensions over Syria added to market worries, although solid results from Tesco (Swiss: TSCO.SW - news) and strength among telecoms stocks were a bright spot.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended the session down 0.6 percent. This follows gains on Tuesday when the mood was buoyed by a speech from Chinese President Xi Jinping which soothed worries over a possible trade war with the United (Shenzhen: 000925.SZ - news) States.

The Syrian tensions intensified on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles "will be coming".

"Market sentiment has turned sour again... as investors are becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility of a military response by the United States to the suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma (Syria) last weekend," said UniCredit (EUREX: DE000A163206.EX - news) in a note.

Europe's air traffic control agency warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in the next 72 hours.

Still, investors found comfort in some good earning updates and merger and acquisition activity.

Tesco was one of the top STOXX gainers after the British supermarket group beat guidance with a 28 percent rise in full-year profit, helped by a strong end to the year in its home market, underlining the recovery under CEO Dave Lewis. Its shares jumped more than 7 percent.

Jefferies affirmed its buy rating on the stock, highlighting Tesco's strong outlook. The company, which competes with Sainsbury (Amsterdam: SJ6.AS - news) 's, Walmart's Asda and Morrisons, said it was firmly on track to deliver its medium-term targets.

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"The visibility of strong earnings delivery appears well supported by an improving UK backdrop and Booker synergies," Jefferies said.

Deutsche Telekom rose 2.2 percent after reports that Sprint had restarted talks to merge with the German group's U.S. unit T-Mobile US Inc.

"(This is a) clearly positive trigger for battered Deutsche Telekom shares. A chance to strike a deal revives the fantasy for huge synergies," a Frankfurt-based trader said.

Its gains lifted the telecoms index 0.1 percent, making it one of just three European sectors in positive territory.

However Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut (IOB: 0QO7.IL - news) was the biggest faller, down 8.4 percent and giving up early gains after saying that it expected growth to slow after a robust first half.

Overall, STOXX 600 earnings are expected to rise 3.4 percent in the first quarter with sales up 1.1 percent, according to Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) data. First (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -quarter earnings growth for the S&P 500 in the United States is seen up 18.5 percent. (Reporting by Danilo Masoni and Kit Rees; editing by David Stamp)
A woman holds a banner reading

Thomson Reuters

By Angel Krasimirov

SOFIA (Reuters) - Thousands of people in Bulgaria protested on Wednesday against a planned disability welfare reform which the government says will combat widespread abuses of the system.

Disability welfare payments in Bulgaria, the poorest country in the European Union, costs the government 1.7 billion levs ($1.08 billion) each year. But official statistics show that around 900,000 payments are made each year to 500,000 recipients, and this discrepancy has given rise to accusations of fraud.

The reform bill has sparked fierce opposition, with critics arguing it would result in benefit cuts and leave recipients of disability payments, many of whom are already living under the poverty line.

In an attempt to avert Wednesday's protest, the cabinet withdrew particularly contested details of the bill, including the introduction of stricter criteria in disability assessments, but the rally in the capital Sofia went ahead.

"It is not a modern reform at all but a revocation of rights," said Hristo Antonov, a protester from the northwestern town of Montana.

The government says the proposed reform is based on the World Health Organization's guidelines which aim to get disabled people back into the work place.

"The intended reform aims to take away a disability-compensating income and send (disabled) people to the labor market to seek for jobs which don't exist," Adriana Stoimenova, deputy chair of the National Council for the Integration of People with Disabilities, said.

A recent survey, conducted by Bulgaria's second-largest trade union Podkrepa showed that 41 percent of disabled Bulgarians rely solely on their disability benefits while more than 83 percent of them live below the poverty line of 321 levs ($203) a month.

Labour Minister Biser Petkov said he would meet representatives of disability groups on Thursday for discussions of the reform plans.

"The aim of the changes the government is proposing is not to reduce the support for disabled people but to achieve a fairer distribution and fraud prevention," he said.

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(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

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By Nailia Bagirova

BAKU (Reuters) - Ilham Aliyev won a fourth term as president of Azerbaijan on Wednesday in an election boycotted by major opposition parties, who accused him of authoritarian rule and suppressing political dissent.

The former Soviet republic's huge energy reserves and strategic location on the Caspian Sea make it an important alternative for Europe to Russian oil and gas.

"Ilham Aliyev is leading ... He got 86.09 percent of votes," Mazahir Panahov, the Central Election Commission chairman told a news conference.

The partial results were based on the 65 percent of the ballots counted, he said.

"I am grateful to my people for voting for our achievements and success," Aliyev said on state television, soon after the election commission announced the first results. "People voted for stability, security and development."

The ruling New Azerbaijan Party claimed Aliyev's victory two of hours after polls closed.

"Voters have made the right choice, and this choice is Ilham Aliyev," said Ali Akhmedov, the party's senior official.

"According to exit polls results, 80 to 85 percent of voters have voted for Aliyev, which means that Ilham Aliyev has won the election," he said.

Dozens of cars honking and carrying the flags of Azerbaijan and Aliyev's ruling party cruised down Oilman Avenue, a central Baku thoroughfare whose high-priced boutiques have come to symbolise the massive oil revenues enjoyed by the Azeri elite.

The election commission said turnout was about 75 percent and there were no complaints about irregularities.

Aliyev, 56, and his supporters deny allegations of voter fraud and say dissent has not been suppressed.

Aliyev was first elected in October 2003, two months before the death of his father, Heydar Aliyev, who ruled for 10 years. He cemented his position with two referendums, one in 2009 that scrapped a two-term presidential limit and another in 2016 that extended the presidential term to seven years from five.

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Aliyev brought forward the date of the vote to April 11 from Oct. 17, a move his allies said was necessary to avoid presidential and parliamentary elections clashing in 2025.

Seven candidates ran, but critics questioned whether they were actual opponents. Monitors, including the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe, were watching the vote.

The OSCE monitors will present their observations at a news conference on Thursday.

Aliyev has tried to strike a balance between Azerbaijan's former Soviet master Russia and the West, notably on energy policy. He has benefited from a boom fuelled by oil exports, but a slump in global crude prices in the last three years has weakened the Azeri currency and shrunk the economy.

(Additional reporting and writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Larry King)
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Bolivia has asked for the United Nations Security Council to meet on Thursday "on the escalation of rhetoric regarding Syria and these threats of unilateral military action," hours after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of missile attacks.

"There's a consistency in these threats, so we are concerned because any unilateral action would be a violation of the principles and purposes of the (U.N.) charter," Bolivia's U.N. Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorentty Soliz told reporters.

Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected deadly poison gas attack, declaring that missiles "will be coming" and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Dozens of people died and hundreds were injured in the attack, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The 15-member council failed on Tuesday to approve three draft resolutions on chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia vetoed a U.S. text, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get a minimum nine votes to pass.

"Whatever happens next has to abide by international law," Swedish U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog told reporters on Wednesday, referring to U.S. plans for military action.

Some diplomats said there were several arguments to justify bombing Syria over the suspected chemical weapons attack.

It could be argued a strike is being carried out in support U.N. Security Council resolutions, as was the case in 1998 when a U.S. and British bombing campaign hit Iraqi weapons research and storage facilities to retaliate for the Iraqi government's refusal to cooperate fully with U.N. weapons inspectors.

Alternatively, a Syria strike could also be justified as action to stop the use or spread of weapons of mass destruction taken because the U.N. Security Council has been unable to act.

Any countries that carry out a strike on Syria over the chemical weapons attack could also defend their action under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which covers an individual or collective right to self-defence against armed attack.

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"The use of chemical weapons, once allowed to spread, is a threat to everybody and if that takes hold and becomes a routine part of fighting, then we are all at risk," said Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In September 2014, the United States defended the start of its military action against Islamic State militants in Syria under Article 51. Washington argued it was attacking Islamic State in Syria to eliminate a threat to Iraq, the United States and its allies.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Bernadette Baum)
Casper Klynge is not a conventional diplomat. And serving as Denmark's, and indeed the world's, first tech ambassador required him to rewrite the international relations playbook.

SEE ALSO: He fooled an entire nation with a fake Facebook profile. Then I tracked him down.

The role of tech ambassador was created by the Danish government as a response to two main trends. One is that technology is now a driving force shaping the world  think the Trump-Russia scandal, Cambridge Analytica, etc. The other is that a small number of tech companies are the main catalysts for that change  enter Facebook.

"Were taking diplomacy back to its roots," Klynge said. It's "about exercising national interests and trying to influence the direction of change on a global scale." To carry out this unusual mandate, Klynge moved on from his post as the Danish ambassador in Indonesia, and arrived in Silicon Valley with the goal of putting "techplomacy" on the political map.

He cycles to work when he can, taking advantage of the predictably sunny weather in Palo Alto, lining up podcasts like "The Exponential View" and "Governing the Future" to get him started on his way to the embassy. Other days, Klynge tweets from NASA's Kennedy Space Center just moments after the latest SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch, or from Microsoft HQ where he was recording a podcast on regulation and data ethics.

At a first glance, the role of tech ambassador seems more about PR than politics  and it's something that has underlined previous reporting about Klynge's appointment. Because the role is experimental and unconventional, it seemed at first that Klynge's main tasks would be to play nice with the tech giants and lobby them on behalf of the Danish government.

But given the ever-deepening scandal surrounding Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, and the fact that 87 million users of the social network had their data scraped without their consent, Klynge is adamant the job isn't just for show.

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As tech ambassador, he is there to rethink the relationship between the private and the public sector in a particularly mercurial global arena that seems to be more akin to the Wild West years than the structural certainty of the Cold War.

Protests against Mark Zuckerberg creeped into the annual Easter Parade along 5th Ave. on April 1.

Image: Getty Images/Stephanie Keith

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg still mentions in interviews the sense of "idealism" the company had of building an unprecedented global community 10 years ago. But today, Facebook and other tech companies are setting another, much more real precedent  when they mess up, the authenticity of entire democratic processes, like elections, come under question.

"Techplomacy" is an unprecedented approach, too and its main task is responding to the changing contours of the international arena and engaging with the most influential actors  which now, seemingly, includes the big tech companies.

"The timing couldnt have been better for the Danish Foreign Ministry to appoint a tech ambassador," Klynge said. "The developments weve seen with Cambridge Analytica, Facebook, etc.  I think thats a confirmation that you do need to have techplomacy. You do need to have direct dialogue with tech companies."

Interview med @mashable om rollen #TechPlomacy ma og kan spille i forholdet mellem tech, samfund og myndigheder. De seneste dages afslringer understreger mildt sagt behovet for tt dialog og dataetiske standarder. @DKTechAmb pic.twitter.com/Pvf1txTYMF  David Tarp (@TarpCPH) March 20, 2018

Two of the most important aspects of this dialogue have to do with regulation and enforcing data ethics standards. Klynge said that his team's main assessment after six months on the job is that, on the global scale, they don't see anyone stepping forward, "picking up the bill" and proposing implementation of new standards on the right boundaries for technology.

And that's certainly their goal, as well as the official foreign policy goal of Denmark and the European Union. In fact, techplomacy is one of the pillars of Danish foreign policy  it joins Brexit, the Arctic, as well as terrorism, instability, and migration.

"When we meet with the big tech companies here in Silicon Valley or elsewhere in Europe and Asia, of course we do hear quite a lot of criticism of European Union regulation and privacy laws. But when you ask them the same question, 'Whats your response to that?', then their answer is always the same, 'We will implement it fully,'" Klynge said.

It's part of a very deep misconception about big tech  "that all these companies are interested in is this sort of unregulated vacuum where they can do whatever they want," Klynge said. "A lot of the companies are, quite desperately, looking for a conversation partner representing a country or region to define the right way forward for technologies."

It makes practical sense that Denmark in particular and the EU as a whole are taking the lead in this. At the centre of the discussion about Facebook and privacy is the EU privacy law, called GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It's been in the works for a long time, but it will just happen to be the first major international crackdown to come into force post-Cambridge Analytica.

The GDPR comes in force May 25 and, at its core, it's a law written to protect the privacy of all citizens of the Union's 28 member states. All companies across the world will need to comply with this law and make sure all users consent to the data collected and shared about them. It's a notable attempt at regulating that Wild West of big tech, and it's setting the tempo for the rest of the world. "The EU is basically setting the global standards in the technology ecosystem in a very fundamental way," Klynge said.

The pixelisation of the nation state

Image: mashable/bob al-green

That's the kind of dialogue he and his team are most concerned about and interested in precipitating with their partners in tech. "Were not here to sugarcoat the technology companies," Klynge said. "We're here to try influence issues that we dont necessarily agree with the tech companies about. That could be about misinformation or the accusation of influencing election campaigns  both of which go to the core of democracy."

It's exactly the same playbook of using dialogue with other embassies to solve problems and conflicts on the ground. The key difference here is the actors  the recognition that tech giants do not only wield power because they are ridiculously wealthy. They are becoming superpowers, to use classic Cold War jargon, in their own right. And Klynge is there to treat them as such, but also offer them a helping hand and opportunity to join the grown-ups' dinner table.

It's important to note that Klynge fully recognises that neither Denmark, nor the EU, can push through change on their own. But he also understands the importance of leverage. Cambridge Analytica is the key to shifting the narrative. It's a chance to get a critical mass going at a time when big tech seems ready to strike a responsible balance between commercial interests and ethical rules.

"Thats why youre seeing companies like Microsoft proposing a digital Geneva convention  companies are beginning to realise they cannot be left alone to self-regulate some of these big, big issues," Klynge said.

This seems to underline Denmark's prioritisation of techplomacy  an area where "we punch above our weight" among the 28 EU member states. Now France has an equivalent appointment, too, with the Council of Ministers announcing the position of a French ambassador for digital affairs in November, 2017. Klynge is sure others others follow suit, too.

For him, this is a necessary response to underlying changes in global affairs. Denmark may be a relatively small country compared to, say, Germany, but those metrics no longer weigh up in the same way. States and the governments they appoint have ceased to dominate people's existence in the same way they did a century ago. Instead, it's a new era dominated by cross-national identity politics, (mis)information and data.

Klynge has found himself in the hotseat of this new era where the main actors are not primarily states. And more importantly, where material forces or wealth are not the most important trump card  data and information is. "Tech will define the winners and losers of tomorrow and whether countries, including developing economies, will be able to reap the benefits of the digital age," he said.

Klynge's portfolio (which includes a stint as a lecturer of international relations in 2001) is constantly expanding. Currently, his office contains a staff of 16, but his mandate is not entirely U.S.-centred. "Were probably going to be opening up in Africa in the not so distant future," he said. Klynge is also keeping his hand on the pulse in Asia with a office which opened up in Beijing.

These are undoubtedly uncharted waters because there are no defined rules to this new game, but Klynge is already setting the trend for others to follow. He has only been doing it for six months, so it's too early to gauge the success of the role. But, as we have learned in the past, if Denmark's doing it, everyone wants to follow suit.
Donald Trump has told Russia missiles will be coming as part of the US response to a suspected chemical attack by the Assad regime in the Syrian town of Douma.

The US President tweeted: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!'

The tweet went on: You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

The Syrian government has said threats from the US are reckless and endanger international peace and security. Russian military police would enter Douma on Thursday, the Russian defence ministry said.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Shortly after the first tweet, Mr Trump sent a second one saying the relationship between the US and Russia was worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War.

He wrote: There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

The Russian Foreign Ministry responded saying smart missiles should be aimed at terrorists, and not at the Syrian government.

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Smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, and not towards the lawful government which has been fighting international terrorism on its territory for several years, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, wrote on Facebook.

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The US, UK, France and allies have been weighing up retaliatory action after an alleged chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which is believed to have killed 40 people and left more than 500  mostly women and children  injured.

The Syrian government denies responsibility for the attack but on Monday Mr Trump said he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame.

Prime Minister Theresa May also said all the indications were that the Syrian authorities were responsible for the attack.

The chemical weapons attack that took place on Saturday in Douma in Syria was a shocking and barbaric act, Mrs May said. The use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.

All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible.

The Prime Minister, however, sidestepped questions over whether Parliament would be recalled and whether there would be a vote on military action.

The Guardian reported that Syrian planes had been flown to Russian air bases while senior Syrian government officials had been moved to safe houses in anticipation of a possible strike.

We are attentively tracking the situation unfolding around Syria and in the whole region, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

A child is treated in a hospital in Douma, eastern Ghouta in Syria, after what a Syria medical relief group claims was a suspected chemical attack (White Helmets/Handout via REUTERS)

The US President, who cancelled a foreign trip to deal with the crisis, has previously said the attack would be met forcefully but had not given a time-frame for any retaliatory action.

He has been in consultations with Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron about possible military strikes in Syria.

Russia has urged the US to avoid taking military action, warning Washington that it will: bear responsibility for any illegal military adventure.

Moscows ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, said: I would once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that youre currently developing.

The comments by Trump are unusual to say the least, partly because he has previously criticised previous presidents for telling their enemies a planned response.

During an interview on Fox Friends 12 months ago, he said: I dont want to telegraph what I am doing or what I am thinking.

I am not like other administrations, where they say, We are going to do this in four weeks. It doesnt work that way. Well see what happens.

The Pentagon has said it doesnt comment on plans for military action.

The Syrian government branded the threats reckless and said they endanger international peace and security.

The foreign ministry said Washington is using the alleged attack to target Syria and the threats are hindering the governments efforts to fight terrorism.

Syria and its ally Russia have rejected allegations by activists and rescuers that a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma over the weekend killed more than 40 people.

A statement via state media said: We are not surprised by this reckless escalation from a regime like the one in the United States, which has and continues to sponsor terrorism in Syria.

It added that recent statements from Washington show (the Trump administration) lacks not only principles and values but also wisdom and logic and that in itself endangers international peace and security.

The pretext of a chemical attack has become well known to everybody and is a flimsy and unsubstantiated excuse to target Syria, the statement said.

(Top picture: AP)
Masazo Nonaka is officially the worlds oldest living man (PA)

The worlds oldest living man has been named as Masazo Nonaka, who is still going strong at the grand old age of 112 years and 259 days.

The Japanese supercentenarian received the certificate from Guinness World Records in a ceremony at his home in Ashoro, on Japans northern main island of Hokkaido, and celebrated with a big cake.

Mr Nonaka was born on July 25 1905, and grew up in a large family that has run a hot springs inn in northern Japan for four generations

The record-breaker succeeded his parents running the 105-year-old inn but it is now run by his granddaughter Yuko.

He regularly soaks in the springs and also enjoys eating sweets, especially cakes.

The 112-year-old celebrated his record by tucking in to some cake (PA)

Mr Nonaka, wearing a knit cap and a kimono-style jacket, flashed a smile and posed for a group photo with his family, making a victory sign with his right hand.

He dug into the cake after it was cut and served, describing it as delicious, according to NHK public television.

Mr Nonaka still moves about by himself in a wheelchair, family members said.

He reads a newspaper after breakfast every morning, and loves to watch sumo wrestling and samurai dramas on TV.

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But his favourite pastime is to soak in the hot springs and relax.

Mr Nonaka has outlived all seven of his siblings, as well as his wife and two of their five children.

Guinness said Mr Nonaka replaced Francisco Olivera of Spain, who died earlier this year aged 113, as the worlds oldest man.

A 117-year-old Japanese woman, Nabi Tajima, who is currently the oldest living person in Japan, is expected to be certified as the worlds new oldest person, replacing Violet Moss-Brown of Jamaica, who died in September at the age of 117.
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Strictly Come Dancing judge, Craig Revel Horwood, chats to Kate about how his drag alter ego "Lavish" was born out of the need to escape from his abusive, alcoholic father and to worship his idol, Joan Collins. He also hints that she may soon be returning to the stage White Wine Question Time with Kate Thornton is the podcast that brings together well-known guests to answer three thought-provoking questions over three glasses of wine. Discover the friendships behind the entertainment headlines, and listen in on their conversations for a side to the celebrities you've never heard before. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and follow on Instagram (@whitewineqt) & Twitter (@WhiteWineQT) to keep up to date with the latest guests, news and more!
Facebook is in an arms race with Russia, its CEO told senators as he faced questions about a huge data breach and election meddling.

Mark Zuckerberg appeared before senators in Washington DC after as many as 87m users of the social network had their data used by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working on the Trump 2016 election campaign.

The 33-year-old took the blame for the massive data breach , and said that the company had failed to understand the tools could be used for harm as well as good.

Although he faced little direct questioning about the potential role of Russia in the election meddling, he did claim he was in an "arms race" with the nation.

Mr Zuckerberg said that Facebook believes that it is "entirely possible" that the individuals whose data was improperly obtained by Cambridge Analytica could have been used by the Kremlin-linked troll factory, the Internet Research Agency, to attempt to influence the US Presidential election in 2016.

He said: "There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well.

"So this is an arms race.

"They're going to keep getting better at this, and we need to invest in making sure we keep getting better at this too.

"Which is why we are going to have more than 20,000 people by the end of this year working on security and content review across the company."

He later added: "As long as there are people in Russia whose job it is to interfere with elections around the world, this is going to be an on-going conflict."

:: How to check if your Facebook data was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica

Facebook deleted tens of thousands of fake accounts and will investigate tens of thousands of apps that use the platform to identify any other potential breaches.

Mr Zuckerberg frequently admitted to making mistakes, including not informing users as soon as they knew about the data breach.

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Senators mostly focused their lines of questioning on privacy, and how Facebook uses and looks after the data it takes from its users.

Sen John Kennedy told Mr Zuckerberg "your user agreement sucks" and Sen Dick Durbin asked if the Facebook CEO would share details of the hotel room in he was staying in.

Mr Zuckerberg answered: "Senator, no, I would probably not choose to share that here."

:: Mark Zuckerberg's mea culpa and the generation gap

Sen Durbin said: "I think that maybe is what this is about. Your right to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy, and how much you give away in modern America in the name of quote 'connecting people around the world'."

Mr Zuckerberg was also challenged about Facebook's claim it was deceived by a university researcher when he sold user data to Cambridge Analytica. Aleksandr Kogan's ability to do so was in fact signed off by Facebook in its contract with him.

Senator Richard Blumenthal showed the terms of service that Mr Kogan provided on a large placard and said: "Facebook was on notice that he could sell that information. Have you seen these terms of service before?"

Mr Zuckerberg said he had not seen them, and they were the responsibility of the app review team.

Sen Blumenthal asked: "Has anyone been fired from that app review team?"

Mr Zuckerberg replied that no one had been dismissed.

Facebook's shares are down 11% since the news of the breach, though wider recovery in the markets helped them bounce back by 4.5% on Tuesday.

The breach has not severely impacted user figures however, despite a 'delete Facebook' movement on other social networks.
By Jean Paul Arouff

Port Louis (Reuters) - Mauritius has frozen bank accounts and suspended business licenses linked to Quantum Global Investment Management, a firm through which Angola's sovereign wealth fund invests much of its cash, according to a court document and a regulatory source.

Quantum Global, which said it was cooperating with authorities, is run by Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, a business partner of Jose Filomeno dos Santos. The son of Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Angola's former president, Jose Filomeno dos Santos was until recently the head of the national sovereign wealth fund.

The younger dos Santos has been charged with fraud against Angola's central bank, involving the transfer of $500 million in the United Kingdom. The funds were frozen and then returned to Angola's central bank.

The moves at Quantum Global came after Angolan officials visited Mauritius last week, a regulatory source on Mauritius told Reuters.

Following a Mauritius Supreme Court ruling, seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the island's Financial Services Commission suspended the licenses for seven Quantum Global funds, according to the source, and froze 25 of its bank accounts.

On Monday, the Mauritian newspaper Le Mauricien reported that a further 33 bank accounts had been frozen, bringing the total to 58.

"There was a reputational risk on our jurisdiction, therefore we had to act promptly," the Mauritian regulatory official told Reuters, adding that the steps had been taken in collaboration with investigations by Angolan authorities.

In a statement, Zurich-based Quantum Global said it was cooperating with the relevant authorities. "We remain confident and resolute in our ability to defend ourselves vigorously against the unwarranted attacks on our reputation," Quantum said in the statement.

It has denied any links to the $500 million transfer that was frozen in Britain.

Angola's Finance Ministry, which has led previous investigations of financial malpractice, did not respond to a request for comment.

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Dos Santos is the highest-profile figure to be investigated for corruption since President Joao Lourenco took power last September, vowing to combat years of endemic graft in Africa's second-largest oil producer.

His half-sister, Isabel dos Santos, has also been removed as chair of state oil company Sonangol.

(Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff in Port Louis, additional reporting and writing by Stephen Eisenhammer in Luanda, editing by Larry King)
The Russian military has reportedly gone on high alert in anticipation of a potential U.S. attack on the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Moscow ally accused of using chemical weapons in a seven-year civil war.

Leading Russian politicians and military officials reacted to President Donald Trump's promise Monday to respond "forcefully" within "the next 24 to 48 hours" to the Syrian military's alleged use of toxic gas earlier this week in rebel-held Douma, a suburb of Damascus.

Vladimir Shamanov, head of the lower parliamentary house's defense committee and a former airborne troops commander, said Russia had an obligation to protect its ally. Syria has denied the chemical weapons charges and has called for the U.S. to withdraw from the country.

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"The politics of double standards have hit rock bottom. And here the United Russia party conscientiously states that all political, diplomatic and military measures if necessary will be taken. No illegal action will remain unanswered," Shamanov said, according to the state-run Tass news agency.

"They should not pin their hopes on their naval task forces and their deceptions. We are a sovereign country, and we have allies and guarantors for those events taking place in Syria. We wont let the Americans hammer nails on someone elses anvil," he added.

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LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images

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Trump said Monday he "had a lot of options militarily" and would probably discuss a potential operation only "after the fact." Meanwhile, at least one U.S. guided missile destroyer was already near the Syrian coast on Tuesday, according to The Wall Street Journal, and a second, the USS Porter, could arrive sometime soon. U.S. Naval Forces Europe announced Tuesday that the USS Donald Cook had departed from nearby Cyprus, but did not say where it was headed.

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An Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the Donald Cook is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the same launched against a Syrian air base after reports of a deadly chemical weapons attack in rebel territory a year ago. An airstrike hit a Syrian air base in the central Homs province Sunday, but the Pentagon has denied responsibility for the attack, which killed Iranian and Syrian personnel. Russia, Iran, Syria and Lebanon have blamed the attack on Israel, which has declined to comment but has struck Syrian targets before.

Shamanov, who said local investigators found no trace of chemical weapons at the site of the reported attack, condemned Israel's unilateral airstrike. Russia has maintained a working relationship with Israel despite allying with Iran to help Assad overcome a 2011 uprising by insurgents and jihadis, including the Islamic State militant group (ISIS). It has also helped build up Syria's air defenses, which reportedly intercepted a number of missiles Monday and shot down an attacking Israeli jet in February. The Israeli incursion reportedly came in response to an Iranian drone crossing into Israeli airspace.

ABC News reported Tuesday that the Syrian military deployed missile defense systems near Assad's presidential palace in Damascus and that the U.S. destroyer was in striking distance of the country. Russian Beriev A-50 early-warning aircraft were deployed to the coast, according to Iran's semiofficial Fars News Agency. The elite Black Sea Fleet has declared a state of alert, according to Al Jazeera.

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INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR/REUTERS

Last month, Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, warned that his armed forces would "target both the missiles and their delivery vehicles" if a U.S. strike endangered the lives of Russian personnel, who were present at a number of Syrian military installations.

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The U.S. and a number of allies initially supported the 2011 rebellion against Assad, but the Pentagon later focused on battling ISIS as the jihadis swallowed much of the Syrian opposition. As the militants lost territory nationwide in the years since, the multinational battle against them has taken a back seat to renewed tensions among local, regional and international forces, especially the U.S., Russia, Iran and Turkey. The Syrian government recognizes only Russia and Iran's military presence as legitimate.

Turkey, an ally of both the U.S. and Russia, launched a major incursion in January aimed at dislodging U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters, many of whom have since fled the U.S.-led battle against ISIS to take on the Turks and their Syrian rebel allies. The offensive has brought the Kurds closer to Assad and was followed by clashes between pro-Syrian government forcesincluding Russian citizensand the mostly Arab remnants of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the east.

On Monday, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he "would not rule out anything" in terms of a U.S. military response in Syria. Last month, Mattis said that a sequel to the clashes between pro-Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces was avoided when U.S. military leaders contacted their Russian counterparts via a de-confliction line.

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U.S. Navy/Reuters

Asked if the de-confliction lines were being used to currently inform Russian military officials of any potential U.S. action, the U.S.-led coalition said it was speaking to Russia specifically about strike operations within the al-Tanf area, a southeastern desert outpost. It has been the setting for violence between U.S.-backed and pro-Syrian government forces in the past, and Russia has accused the U.S. of using the site to shield remaining ISIS fighters, a charge the Pentagon has dismissed.

"The de-confliction lines for air and ground operations are professional discussions that have successfully ensured continuous communication, preventing accidental targeting or needless escalation in tensions between Russian-backed Syrian regime forces and Coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and vetted opposition groups," the coalition told Newsweek in a statement.

As a potential crisis continued to develop, the White House said Trump would not attend the Summit of the Americas or make his debut Latin American tour and would instead "remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world." The statement said Vice President Mike Pence would go in his place.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, a step that could trigger a major escalation in the Syrian war.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, in comments broadcast on Tuesday evening, said he was referring to a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria, targeting any missiles and launchers involved in such an attack. Russia is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally.

The United States and its allies are considering whether to hit Syria over a suspected poison gas attack that medical relief organisations say killed dozens of people in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus on Saturday.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then...the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic. He also said a clash "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations".

Russia and the United States blocked attempts by each other in the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.

(Reporting by Dahlia Nehme; writing by Tom Perry; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Childbirth is messy and some aspects are more dreaded than others. But a growing number of health experts are making the case that even the most cringeworthy parts of delivery have a necessary role in infant health, and should be celebrated rather than dreaded.

Scientists note that the array of bacteria inside the gut of infants is becoming less diverse, especially in developed countries, such as the U.S., where cesarean section deliveries are on the rise. One bacterium, Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis, also known as B. infantis, appears to be particularly affected, Dr. Annette Fineberg, an obstetrician at Sutter Health in David, California, told Newsweek.

Now, some researchers are looking into how to make sure babies experience the traditional benefits of birth no matter the delivery method.

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According to the Center for Disease Control and Preventions latest figures, 31.9 percent of all U.S. childbirths in 2016 were delivered via C-section. In 1991, C-sections only made up about 23.5 percent of births in the U.S.

The U.S. is not alone in its high percentage of C-section deliveries from 1990 to 2014 there has been a 12.4 percent increase in the global average C-section delivery rate, a 2016 study found. This increase may be driving the decrease of B. infantis in newborns guts.

It's an icky subject but here's how it works: B.infantis is typically found in the mouth and the gastrointestinal tract. This particular bacteria also loves to live in airtight places, and is found in abundance in the colon. For this reason, newborns born in vaginal births are typically exposed to B.infantis when mothers pass a bowel movement while delivering, putting the child in contact with fecal material.

Eileen K. Hutton, of the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the midwifery education program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, told Newsweek that due to the basic physiology of how babies are delivered, there is a large chance that they will come in contact with some of this fecal bacteria.

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The vast majority of babies are born face down, so we are designed to be exposed to the bacteria of the rectum, Hutton told Newsweek.

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Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

More C-section deliveries mean less babies are initially exposed to not just B. infantis but a wide range of healthy bacteria passed on from mother to child. A 2011 study from the University of Florida found increasing rates of cesarean section delivery are concurrent with an epidemic of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, Crohns disease and multiple sclerosis, as well as allergies and asthma.

A study last year suggested that certain components in breast milk may also play a role in the transfer of healthy bacteria from mother to child. Of the 107 mother-child pairs in the study, infants who got at least 75 percent of their nutrition from breast milk during the first month of life received more healthy bacteria from their mothers than infants who did not. While the CDC reports that breastfeeding rates in the U.S. continue to rise, American mothers are still not breastfeeding for the recommended time period of at least 12 months.

It turns out the human body is constantly covered with an array of bacteria referred to as microbiome. We acquire many of these bacteria at birth. But we still don't know much about it. Our ability to understand microbiology, a branch of science that focuses on microorganisms, dramatically shifted in recent years when scientists developed a way to identify the DNA of different bacteria. This allowed them to better understand which bacteria lived where in the body and what functions they might have.

Noel Mueller, an assistant professor in the department of epidemiology at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland, told Newsweek that the association between C-section birth and lack of good bacteria colonization is well noted.

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We have found in some of our observational research that cesarean delivered children have a slower colonization by certain bacterial groups, including bacteroides genus and also bifidobacterium and lactobacillus, said Mueller. Whether or not those bacteria have a causal effect with C-section associated diseases is still unknown as most of the research to this point has been observational.

Mueller's research team hopes to reintroduce bacteria to babies through a different process called vaginal seeding. This involves taking vaginal fluids and applying them to a newborn. So far the results of a large randomized clinical trial have been positive in suggesting the reintroduction aids with bacteria colonization in a baby.

Related: Probiotics: Panacea of Just A Big Fad?

Others are mulling different potential solutions.

Rather than suggest mothers forgo certain health practices, medical professionals need to figure a way to introduce the bacteria to babies who may not have been exposed to it at birth, according to Tracy Shafizadeh, a scientist who works at Evivo, a probiotic company for infants. Evivo that specifically adds B.infantis back into the digestive system of babies. Fineberg was involved in the products clinical trials.

We dont know if adding the B. infantis back will take care of this epidemic of autoimmune diseases, but we do know that babies that have it [B.infantis] are at lower risk, Shafizadeh told Newsweek.

A viable solution, however, may be far off.

Hutton, who is not associated with the Evivo probiotic, explained that while some research does seem to suggest that lack of certain bacteria in the microbiome is associated with health outcomes, it's not clear if adding the bacteria post birth is the answer. Hutton cautioned that our understanding of the human microbiome is still relatively new and limited.

I think we are really at the beginning stage, said Hutton. People are leaping to solutions before we know what the problem."

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
By Charlotte Greenfield

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's Attorney General David Parker on Wednesday announced his government was launching an inquiry into a 2010 operation in Afghanistan involving New Zealand special forces to determine whether any civilians were killed.

The year-long review would also look into how the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) handled reports of civilian casualties from the raid in northern Afghanistan, according to an emailed government statement.

The raids became a hot public issue in New Zealand in 2017 after two journalists published a book about the operation, alleging six civilians were killed and more than a dozen injured.

The NZDF had said in response to the book that civilian casualties stemming from the raid were a possibility, but denied any misconduct.

The operation under scrutiny was carried out by New Zealand special forces, alongside U.S and Afghan armed forces, in Baghlan province when around 150,000 foreign troops were stationed in the country supporting Afghan security forces against the growing Taliban-led insurgency.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force investigated the incident soon after it happened and concluded that civilian casualties were possible due to the malfunction of a weapons system, according to an NZDF media briefing in 2017.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Labour-led government, which took the helm in October, had promised it would consider an inquiry into the allegations during its election campaign.

The attorney-general said in the statement that he had viewed video footage provided by the NZDF when deciding whether to conduct the review and that it did not seem to match with "some key aspects" of the books' claims, but was not conclusive.

"In light of that, and bearing in mind the need for the public to have confidence in the NZDF, I have decided in the public interest that an inquiry is warranted," he said.

Defence Force Chief Lieutenant General Tim Keating said the NZDF would co-operate fully with the inquiry.

"At all times throughout this operation the NZSAS acted professionally and conducted themselves to the high standards expected of our special forces," he said in a statement.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Michael Perry)
Super-budget hotel owner, developer and operator easyHotel updated the market on its trading for the six months ended 31 March on Wednesday, reporting that it had continued to significantly outperform the budget market over the course of the period.

The AIM-traded company said total system sales were up 33.6% to 16.10m, with revenue per available room (RevPAR) at owned hotels ahead 11.2% to 36.60.

Owned hotels RevPAR outperformed its competitive set by 11.7%, the board claimed, citing data from STR Global.

Like-for-like revenue for franchised hotels increased by 13.5%.

This strong performance reflects the continued impact of easyHotel's new booking engine and yield management systems, the growing strength of the easyHotel brand and continued expansion of the network of hotels in key UK and European destinations, the companys board explained in its statement.

The period saw the opening of a new owned 78-room hotel in Liverpool, and the acquisition and opening of a 104-room leased hotel in Newcastle.

Both hotels traded strongly, in line with the performance trend of the hotels opened during the last financial year, easyHotel said.

The group also expanded its franchise portfolio with the opening of the 87-bedroom easyHotel The Hague, Scheveningen Beach in March 2018.

Those openings increased the group's footprint to 2,430 rooms across 27 hotels in 18 cities.

EasyHotel said the 1.5m refurbishment of its hotels in Croydon and Glasgow was completed in March, bringing both hotels into line with the new easyHotel brand look.

As it had previously announced, the board planned to retain a 92-room hotel at Old Street, refurbishing it in line with the new brand format.

Planning permission was being sought to add an additional floor to the building and increase the net internal area of the building, for use as office accommodation, which the board said should maximise value from this freehold property.

On Wednesday, easyHotel also announced that it agreed to acquire the freehold of a central site in the city of Chester for the development of a new-build 109-bedroom hotel.

The acquisition was subject to planning permission.

Located on Forest Street, the site was said to be ideally situated 500 meters from Chester railway station and close to the centre of the historic walled city.

A popular tourist destination, Chester was well known for its well-preserved Roman forts, walls and amphitheatre with a number of major leisure attractions nearby including Chester Zoo, Chester Racecourse, Chester Castle and Tatton Park.

The city was also a busy shopping destination with a thriving business park, well-known as a specialist hub for financial services and biotech businesses.

EasyHotel said the brownfield site would be developed into a purpose-built hotel that was expected to open in 2019.

The hotel was being delivered to easyHotel as a turnkey development, and the total expected cost for acquisition and construction was approximately 7m.

Since 1 October last year, the group said it had added a further 453 rooms to its owned hotel development pipeline with plans for new hotels in Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Cambridge and Chester.

All four hotels were anticipated to open in 2019.

Other new hotel projects currently under construction included Leeds at 93 rooms, Sheffield at 131 rooms, Ipswich at 89 rooms, and Barcelona at 204 rooms, which were all expected to open in the current calendar year.

In November last year the group announced a further two franchised hotels for a total of 162 rooms, currently under development in The Hague, Scheveningen Beach, which opened in March, and Maastricht, scheduled to open in the second half of 2018.

In March, the group also announced that it had signed an agreement for the development of a 146-room hotel in Malaga, Spain.

Other new franchise hotels currently under construction included Lisbon at 101 rooms, Bernkastel-Kues at 100 rooms, Belfast at 81 rooms, Reading at 54 rooms, and Bur Dubai at 300 rooms, which were all planned to open in the current calendar year as well.

The group said it also had hotels under development in Istanbul at 300 rooms, Iran at 500 rooms, and Sri Lanka at 200 rooms beyond 2018 which would, on completion, enhance its position as a super budget hotel brand of scale in the UK, Europe and Middle East.

On 22 February, the group announced a placing of new ordinary shares to raise 50m before expenses.

The company said the proceeds of the placing would primarily be used to fund the acceleration of the group's owned hotel development pipeline.

Since completion of the placing, the group had already announced the acquisition of a 100-bedroom leased hotel in Cambridge and a 109-bedroom owned hotel in Chester - its first two sites to be funded by the proceeds.

easyHotel has traded strongly over the first half of the financial year, outperforming the wider market in both our owned and franchised hotels, said chief executive Guy Parsons.

We are mindful that consumers in the UK will continue to be cautious, given the wider macro-economic and political uncertainty, but believe our super budget offer positions us well, as consumers become increasingly discerning and value conscious.

Parsons also said the company was continuing to make good progress with its growth strategy.

The Chester transaction marked the firms second investment following the successful fundraising announced in February 2018, taking the pipeline of owned and leased development projects to 1,150 rooms, in addition to the 1,857 franchise rooms currently under development.

The proceeds from our successful fundraising will enable us to accelerate our growth and take advantage of the significant opportunities within our markets, creating shareholder value and underpinning the long-term growth of the easyHotel brand.
US President Donald Trump has warned Russia to "get ready" for a strike against Bashar al-Assads Syrian regime with "nice and new and smart" missiles.

Trumps tweet, which described Assad as a "gas killing animal", follows an alleged chemical weapons attack this weekend, which has sparked the latest outburst in increasingly bitter relations between Russia and the West, with the US and its allies such as the UK and France having agreed to work together.

Yet Moscow has warned that any missiles launched that threaten its forces in that theatre will be shot down and their launch sites targeted in response.

Russia and Iran have both backed the Assad regime militarily and have also been identified as potentially culpable for the chemical attack in the rebel held Syrian city of Douma.

Tuesday night saw a heated showdown between Russia and the US at the UN Security Council, which failed to pass any measures in response to the attack after Moscow wielded its veto power.

Haley said: "Russia has trashed the credibility of the council. Whenever we propose anything meaningful on Syria, Russia vetoes it."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has demanded unhindered access to the site to verify reports that 500 people suffered difficulty breathing, irritation of mucous membranes, and disruption to the central nervous system following the attack.

As an aside, heightened tensions in the region contributed to a spike in oil prices on Tuesday.

As of 1319 BST, front month Brent crude oil futures were rising by 0.99%, adding to a greater than 3% surge on Tuesday to hit their highest level since late 2014 at $71.74 per barrel, while similarly-dated US WTI crude futures were up by 0.99% to $66.16 a barrel.

Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia Pacific at Singapore futures brokerage OANDA, said: "Oil prices are towering on the heightened tension in the Middle East."

Furthermore, there are concerns that prices could be further affected by renewed US sanctions on major oil producer Iran, after Reuters reported on Monday that Washington supported moves "by some" EU nations to toughen sanctions on Tehran.
UK mall owner says will talk about bid that 'properly reflects value'

Hammerson said it had received and rejected a second bid offer from French shopping mall owner Klepierre valuing the company at 5.04bn, although it remained "open" to further talks.

The revised offer, made on April 9, was 635p a share, made up of 50% in new Klepierre shares and the rest in cash.

"The board has considered the revised proposal from Klepierre carefully. At 635p, it is only a 3% increase on the previous proposal and continues very significantly to undervalue the company," said Hammerson chairman David Tyler, adding that the his firm "remains open to discuss any proposal from Klepierre which properly reflects the value of the company".

Tyler said the new offer was made at a meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Jestin.

The UK shopping center owner rejected a 615 pence-a-share bid from Klepierre in March, three months after it set out to buy smaller rival Intu in a 3.4bn tie-up.
Geopolitical jitters weighed on European markets on Wednesday, with traders treading cautiously given the mounting tensions around Syria and the possibility of a military strike by the US over coming days, amid multiple other concerns.

Also possibly weighing on risk appetite was news out on Monday that some EU states were pushing for further sanctions on Iran, alongside headlines that the White House has affirmed its authority to fire special counsel Robert Mueller if necessary.

It was against that backdrop that traders were also keeping an eye out for any fresh movements out of Beijing or Washington on the global trade front even as news broke that US House of Representatives's majority speaker Paul Ryan would not run for re-election in the 2018 midterms.

By the closing bell, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was dipping 0.59% or 2.24 points lower at 376.18, alongside a drop of 0.83% or 103.35 points to 12,293.97 for the German Dax and a decline of 0.56% or 29.62 points to 5,277.94 on the Cac-40.

In parallel, euro/dollar was little changed, edging just 0.03% higher to 1.2357.

Further afield on the other hand, the Russian rouble was trading little changed at 0.016 US dollars, having bounced back from another round of sharp selling earlier, while the yield on the benchmark 10-year Russian government bond was six basis points lower at 7.53%, having earlier climbed as high as 7.53%.

Commenting on the market action, David Madden at CMC Markets UK said: "Traders are tetchy over tensions surrounding the US, Russia and Syria, with the possibility of the US launching missiles in Syria causing concern. Equity markets are off the lows of the session, but sentiment is from bullish."

Economic data out in the euro area on Wednesday was uninspiring, with ISTAT reporting that retail sales in the Mediterranean country fell by 0.5% month-on-month (consensus: 0.3%).

Further north, in France, the country's central bank reported that its industrial confidence gauge slipped from a reading of 105.0 for February to 103.0 for March (consensus: 105.0).
Theresa May will convene a 'war cabinet' on Thursday in order to seek pre-approval for the UK to join a tripartite attack on the Syrian regime in response to its alleged use of chemical weapons.

The military action, which might start within hours of Cabinet approval, would be led by France and the US and be aimed at Syrian president Bashar al Assad's chemical weapons infrastructure, Sky reported.

According to the broadcaster, indications were that Parliament would not be consulted before the attack, despite calls from the main opposition parties for Westminster to consult MPs before British participation in any punitive action was decided.

Pointing to a lack of strategic objectives, according to Sky a number of Conservative lawmakers had also urged caution.
An influential UK parliamentary committee has called for an antitrust investigation of the digital advertising market and for the government to review whether competition law "is appropriate for the 21st century digital economy".

Fresh off the back of Mark Zuckerberg's testimony to Congress, the Lords Communications Committee has called for an antitrust investigation of the digital advertising market and for the government to review whether competition law "is appropriate for the 21st century digital economy".

The committee on Wednesday published a report 'UK advertising in a digital age', recommending the online ad industry "should take greater steps to self-regulate through independent bodies".

The committee called for the Competition and Markets Authority should undertake a market study of the digital advertising market "to ensure that it is working fairly for businesses and consumers" and the government to review whether competition law is appropriate for the 21st century digital economy.

The UK is a global hub for advertising which added 120bn to the UK's economy and supported over 1m jobs in 2016.

"Individuals from all communities and backgrounds, regardless of ethnicity, gender, class and ability, should have access to employment in the advertising industry, the report said.

"The industry should discontinue informal working and recruitment practices, such as unpaid internships, which present a barrier to groups from lower socioeconomic groups."

The government should introduce a creative industries' freelancer visa and also seek to negotiate reciprocal agreements with other countries under which international workers with a job offer in the advertising industry will have the right to work in the UK.
Budget airline EasyJet said late on Tuesday that it had submitted a revised expression of interest for a restructured Alitalia as part of a consortium.

"Given the nature of the process, the content of the expression of interest is subject to confidentiality," it said.

The airline added that there is currently no certainty that any transaction will proceed and that it will provide a further update in due course if and when appropriate.

Although the company did not say who was part of the consortium, reports suggested that Air France-KLM and Cerberus Management were in the frame.
BCA Marketplace motored to the top of the FTSE 250 risers on Wednesday as the Webuyanycar.com owner said full year trading was ahead of expectations with strong profit growth and with a net debt position lower than market forecasts.

The second-hand car dealer said the positive outlook reported at the half year in November had continued during the second half of the financial year.

Vedanta Resources shares were also in favour as the company reported record annual production from its Zinc India and aluminium arms, and was eyeing significant growth from oil operations that could lead to a possible reversal of previous impairments.

Reporting on the year to 31 March 2018, the FTSE 250 company said it was reviewing the carrying value of its oil and gas assets in light of recent projects that have been awarded, which directors expect to improve levels of mineral resources that be extracted.

If there any impact is calculated from these changes, Vedanta said it will be reflected in the 2018 financial year results as a non-cash reversal of previous impairment charges. In 2015 the company took a $6.6bn in impairment charges at its oil and gas business and in 2016 took an impairment of $3.3bn, largely related to the oil & gas business which was adversely impacted by the lower crude prices.

On the downside, Hammerson fell after saying it had received and rejected a second bid from French shopping mall owner Klepierre. The revised offer, made on April 9, was 635p a share, made up of 50% in new Klepierre shares and the rest in cash, valuing the UK outfit at 5.04bn

Retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone dropped after reporting a 52% decline in half-year pre-tax profit, while recruiter PageGroup retreated despite delivering record quarterly gross profit, as the UK was a sore spot.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,254.23 -0.17%

FTSE 250 (MCX) 19,588.63 -0.44%

techMARK (TASX) 3,350.90 -0.41%

FTSE 250 - Risers

BCA Marketplace (BCA) 177.20p 8.45%

Tullow Oil (TLW) 216.50p 5.87%

Hunting (HTG) 710.50p 4.41%

Vedanta Resources (VED) 729.80p 3.14%

Inmarsat (ISAT) 363.10p 3.04%

FirstGroup (FGP) 97.35p 2.69%

RHI Magnesita N.V. (DI) (RHIM) 4,082.50p 2.58%

Cairn Energy (CNE) 222.68p 2.33%

Alfa Financial Software Holdings (ALFA) 353.50p 2.32%

Card Factory (CARD) 218.80p 2.24%

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Telecommunications provider Toople has won another significant contract, this time with a Southern England based tyre company.

Toople announced on Tuesday it had inked a 24-month contract with the commercial mobile service van fleet operator to provide the unnamed customer with all its mobile connections and had already switched the client from Vodafone, its existing provider, to Toople using the 02 network.

Andy Hollingworth, Toople's chief executive, said, "It's great to see that the Toople approach of fixed prices and transparent costs has again been attractive and successful in winning a customer from one of the big carriers. What particularly appealed to this customer was unlimited calls, unlimited texts and a great monthly data allocation for a fixed monthly cost."

This builds on the March contract win for Toople with an unnamed London based bakery, providing full telecom services across its 52 retail sites and its company headquarters.

Toople if focused primarily on the UK SME market, offering services including business broadband, fibre, ethernet data services, business mobile phones, cloud PBX and traditional services, all delivered and managed through its proprietary software platform.

As of 0830 BST, shares had jumped 18% to 0.88p.
Over the last 24 hours, Donald Trump has been forced to tackle several issues as president. In her best attempt to defend the president, Sarah Huckabee Sanders took questions from reporters at the most recent press briefing.

.@PressSec: "We certainly hope that Republicans will continue to remain in the House, especially those that support the president's agenda."



24 Republican House retirements have been announced thus far this cycle: https://t.co/lFztRg3DIm pic.twitter.com/3oD8SYdCfd  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 11, 2018

Sanders on Paul Ryan

The news cycle constantly changes and for Donald Trump and his team, it means the creation of new talking points as part of their defense to push back against media coverage that sheds a negative light on the administration.

Since Tuesday's press briefing, new information has been revealed about the recent FBI raid of Michael Cohen, the president's lawyer who is accused of paying "hush money" to adult film star Stormy Daniels in regards to her reported affair with the president. In addition, questions continue to be raised about the Russian investigation and the status of special counsel Robert Mueller, the president's stance on Syria, as well as the news of House Speaker Paul Ryan not seeking reelection.

Press Sec. Sanders tells @jonkarl that Pres. Trump is not telegraphing military moves with tweets.



"The president has not laid out a timetable and still leaving a number of other options on the table...a final decision on that front hasn't been made." https://t.co/1zZQbmqnBx pic.twitter.com/HSmRYZb7Bs  ABC News (@ABC) April 11, 2018

These issues and more were addressed during the April 11 press briefing at the White House with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

On the president's thoughts on Paul Ryan not returning to Congress, Sanders replied, "We certainly hope Republicans will remain in the House, especially those who support the president's agenda." "The president has been very clear about how he feels about Speaker Ryan. He knows he's a truly good man who will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question." she added.

"The president has been clear he has concerns about the direction of the special counsel. This investigation started off as Russian collusion, of which there was none," @PressSec says on special counsel Mueller straying from initial Russia investigation. https://t.co/Pz3PNmDhGV pic.twitter.com/dARxXDIz0N  CBS News (@CBSNews) April 11, 2018

Sanders on Russia

Sarah Huckabee Sanders was then asked abut Russia in regards to their support of Syria following the country's chemical attack on civilians, as well as the president's tweets hinting at military action.

"The president has not laid out a timetable and still leaving a number of other options on the table," Sanders said in response to whether or not Trump would take military action against Syria and Russia, before adding, "a final decision on that front hasn't been made." "Russia has proven themselves to be responsible in part for this. They guaranteed that the use of chemical weapons by Syria would not happen again, they failed at that," Sanders stated.

Reporter: Does the president now believe that Russia has firmly established itself as an enemy of America?



Sanders: We think they have proven to be a bad actor and we hope that will change. https://t.co/Pz3PNmDhGV pic.twitter.com/2O839bcFK5  CBS News (@CBSNews) April 11, 2018

When pressed on the Russian investigation, Sarah Huckabee Sanders hit back.

"The president has been clear he has concerns about the direction of the special counsel," she said, while adding, "This investigation started off as Russian collusion, of which there was none." Sanders continued to push back at the press, with the rift between the White House and the media continued.
On Wednesday morning, news broke of House Speaker Paul Ryan announcing that he would not seek reelection in November and will retire from Congress. In response, Donald Trump had a few words to say on Twitter.

Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump on Paul Ryan

For over 20 years, Paul Ryan has represented the Republican Party in Congress, most recently being named Speaker of the House following the retirement of John Boehner back in 2015.

Since then, Ryan has been tasked with helping bridge the gap in the GOP between those who support Donald Trump and those who oppose him, creating a difficult and stressful job for himself in the process. Last year, rumors speculated about whether or not Ryan would soon step down due to the constant controversy in the Trump administration, but he insisted that he would stay on for the foreseeable future.

JUST IN: Paul Ryan officially announces he will not seek reelection https://t.co/RMhvrfI1Zq pic.twitter.com/ccRB5gQ8Q4  The Hill (@thehill) April 11, 2018

In a report by The Hill on April 11, Paul Ryan made the decision to announce his retirement which led to a tweet by Donald Trump just moments later.

"Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question," Trump tweeted, before adding, "We are with you Paul!" As expected, Trump's tweet didn't go over well with critics who made sure to hit back with thoughts of their own.

Twitter on Ryan retirement

Following Donald Trump's tweet about the retirement of Paul Ryan, those who oppose the administration and the Repubican Party chimed in. "I hope you are with him and don't run for re-election," one tweet read.

He achieved F. all, leaving because you've made Republicans unelectable.  MwanS (@Mwan1987) April 11, 2018

Hes leaving because you destroyed the Republican Party you daft Russian puppet.  djkocisi politics (@djkocisi2) April 11, 2018

Hes leaving cuz of you! You have caused destruction to all who are around you! No one can take your obnoxiousness for very long!  twistedankle (@maestomaes) April 11, 2018

"Hes leaving because you destroyed the Republican Party you daft Russian puppet," a Twitter user wrote.

"Except, oops, his legacy is appalling. But nice try!" a tweet went on to add. "He achieved F. all, leaving because you've made Republicans unelectable," an additional tweet noted.

Are you so sure he's a "good man"? He's part of the problem in our government and seems to be unwilling to use his power and leverage to undo that problem - how is that "good"?  Rick Russell (@RicksNats) April 11, 2018

One of the lowest approval ratings in a speaker ever, one of the worst speakers ever, one of the most universally disliked speakers ever. yup he has a legacy all right.  Kodiak T The real griz (@KodiakT) April 11, 2018

Now if only Mitch McConnell will do the same thing!  Maxi_VI (@maximktvi) April 11, 2018

"Now if only Mitch McConnell will do the same thing!" a social media user suggested.

"One of the lowest approval ratings in a speaker ever, one of the worst speakers ever, one of the most universally disliked speakers ever. yup he has a legacy all right," a follow-up tweet went on to read. "Are you so sure he's a 'good man'? He's part of the problem in our government and seems to be unwilling to use his power and leverage to undo that problem - how is that 'good?'" a tweet wondered. The backlash continued as the opposition to Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, and the Republican Party showed no signs of coming to an end at any point in the near future.
The White House reported Tuesday that President Donald Trump will not be attending the Summit of the Americas in Peru, citing the need to monitor the US response to a suspected chemical attack that occurred in Syria. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that, The president will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world, Sanders also stated that Vice President Pence would be traveling in the presidents stead. President Trump vowed Monday that the US would be making some major decisions in the next 24 to 48 hours. (Washington Post)

The statement seemed to have taken some officials by surprise  Mr.

Trumps top economic advisor Larry Kudlow had been speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt about his plans to travel with Mr. Trump to the summit, seemingly unaware of the new plans. The change comes amid a tumultuous week for the White House  an FBI raid Monday targeted the Manhattan office and hotel room of Michael Cohen, the presidents personal lawyer. Mr. Trump called the raid a witch hunt, a disgraceful situation, and an attack on our country in a true sense. The raid was separate from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. (New York Times, Washington Post).

First time visit

The trip to Peru and following visit to Colombia would have been the presidents first visit to Latin America, and had already been pulled back from five days to three.

Mr. Trump had planned to use the summit to seek consensus on how to handle the crisis in Venezuela, and press for better trade deals with countries in the region. As reported by The Telegraph, Mr. Pence has previously served as Mr. Trumps envoy to the region and met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Colombia is an important US ally in the fight against the drug trade.

Many Latin American leaders had hoped to have their first face-to-face encounter with the US President. The last summit, held in April of 2015, was attended by former US President Barrack Obama, who stated, The days in which our agenda in this hemisphere presumed that the United States could meddle with impunity, those days are pastAs you work for change, the United States will stand up alongside you every step of the way." Mr.

Trumps America First agenda, however, was expected to be met with less enthusiasm by attendees.

Trump's Syrian strategy

When speaking on Monday, Trump stated that "nothing is off the table," in dealing with Syria following the chemical attack. The amount of parties involved in the Syrian conflict, both on the opposition and governmental sides, make retaliation against a chemical attack incredibly complicated. While it is not outside the realm of possibility, the use of ground troops is unlikely. Currently, the US has approximately 2,000 ground troops in Syria. In a meeting with his national security team last week, Mr. Trump agreed to keep US troops in Syria for an undetermined amount of time in order to defeat ISIS, but emphasized his desire to end US involvement in the conflict as soon as possible, according to a senior administration official (NBC).

The official stated, ""He wasnt thrilled about it, to say the least," and that, "The president made his displeasure clear about any kind of long-term presence in Syria," (NBC).

Given the complexity of the crisis, only time will tell just how long "long-term" will be. In the meantime, the president will also have to answer to the countries slighted by his absence at the Latin American conference, and be prepared for whatever comes from the FBI raid.
British royal weddings are usually grand affairs of state, where presidents and prime ministers rub shoulders with obscure European monarchs. Not so, the nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle because it wont feature President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama or British Prime Minister Theresa May. According to Daily Mail, it will include Markles fellow cast members from the USA Network series Suits.

Why is this so?

The former President of the United States, Barack, and Michelle Obama did not make Meghan Markle's list because of their past positions in the White House.

Daily Mail revealed that no political leader from the United States or the United Kingdom are invited to the impending nuptials that is taking place on May 19 at the .St. Georges Chapel.

The decision was made based on the churchs size and the fact Prince Harry is only fifth in line to the throne. And also the fact that, the wedding is being treated as a family wedding rather than a state occasion.

While Harry and Meghan have become close to the couple, their guest list is being reserved for long-standing friends they have known for years because the wedding is classified as a private event. Even though Barack and Michelle have plans to visit with the couple in the near future. Both the couple look forward to seeing each other soon, adds People Magazine.

Prince Harry and the Obama's share an interest through mutual work

Prince Harry and Michelle Obama have become close as a result of their mutual work on behalf of veterans. Barack Obama has also supported Harrys Invictus Games, an event for injured service men and women Toronto that was started by the UK royal in 2014.

By contrast, the invitation list for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, included political dignitaries such as the foreign royals, ambassadors, commonwealth governors, and many politicians from around the world.

More information on the royal wedding

According to Kensington Palace, 1,200 members of the public will be among the crowds allowed into the grounds to share in the atmosphere of the May 19 wedding at St. Georges Chapel. Prince Harry and Ms. Markle have said they wanted their wedding day to be shaped to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding will, therefore, take place before 600 guests who have been invited because they are family and friends.
There has been plenty of speculation on who will make it to the guest list of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Since the bride comes from an American background, there were possibilities of former president Barack Obama being present. However, the final list of invitees to the Royal Wedding does not include anyone with political links. This is an indication of the mindset of the Royal couple.

Sky News reports that names of British politicians like Prime Minister Theresa May, and Jeremy Corbyn do not appear in the list. According to a Royal source, the invitees are individuals who enjoy a direct relationship with one or both of the couple.

This wedding will be unique

The official spokesman of Prince Harry has confirmed that political leaders of Britain and leaders from other countries are not on the list of the Royal wedding. This decision has been accepted by all concerned authorities. Incidentally, the venue of the wedding is smaller than Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate got married. At that time, a number of heads of state had been invited including the then Prime Minister David Cameron.

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is, no doubt, an important national occasion, but Harry is not in the immediate line of succession. The criterion for selection of guests to the Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel on 19 May was simple  they must have some direct relationship with either Harry of Meghan or both.

They want to be different

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have always tried to maintain their separate identities. He had spent time in Afghanistan as a fighter pilot of Apache helicopters. She had been an actress in Hollywood and had become famous because of her TV drama series Suits. Obviously, their outlook on life is different as are their circle of friends.

According to BBC, the decision to eliminate politicians from the list of invitees to the Royal wedding was due to the size of the church. Among members of the public who will be present on the occasion is a young girl who was injured in the Manchester terror attack. She had seen the bombing of the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 and suffered damages to her vocal cords from screaming in horror.

The 12-year-old girl will be accompanied by her grandmother.

The list of invitees was drawn up based on the specific request of the couple. They wanted to have people from a wide range of backgrounds and ages, and for some of the guests, the invitation came as a real surprise.
Ready for the arrival of their second son, Seth Meyers and his wife were about to head to the hospital with the help of their midwife for delivery. Alexi Ashe, Meyers' wife, informed the two she would not be able to make it even as far as the car. It was just about a few minutes later that baby boy, Axel Strahl, made his way into the world. Most of the information for this article comes from reports by CNN and CBS News.

Apartment lobby turns into the delivery suite

Mr. and Mrs. Meyers share a New York apartment with their oldest son. The apartment lobby became a delivery suite when Meyers wife barely made it there to give birth to her second child.

While Seth fed his son, Ashe, lunch that day, his mother-in-law abruptly came downstairs informing him of the urgency to get to the hospital. After waiting for his sister-in-law to arrive to watch Ashe, Meyers, his wife, his mother-in-law, and their doula friend headed to the lobby to take the elevator downstairs.

The group barely made it to the steps leading out of the lobby before Alexi realized she could not wait any longer to deliver her next born child. She started out by saying the baby was on his way, only to change the narrative to the baby is out, in what seemed like just a few moments. After their midwife checked, it was clear their second son could wait no longer. His head was already crowning.

Alexi made the decision to go and lay down in the lobby where she proceeded to give birth quickly. Meanwhile, the Uber meant to take them to the hospital awaited them right outside the door.

The 911 call

Meyers immediately got on the phone with 911 to inform them of the situation. Within roughly a minute-long conversation, he informed them his baby was on the way, it was coming then, and that he had arrived.

Minutes later the fire department and New York police officers arrived on scene to provide further assistance.

Dramatic delivery stories for both babies

Little Axel topped his brothers birth, who also had a dramatic story himself. Meyers revealed on his show just two years prior that he and his wife had to take an Uber to the hospital to deliver their first son.

With contractions coming very quickly together, the pair was afraid they would welcome their first born child into the world, not only in a vehicle but an Uber rental. Baby Ashe held off and was born roughly 20 minutes later in a traditional hospital room. His new sibling had other plans.

Meyers revealed the news on television during the Monday episode (April 9) of his after-hours talk show, "Late Night With Seth Meyers." He commended his doormen for their efforts, as they had to turn other residents away so the situation could be handled without prying eyes. He also went on to thank the firefighters, policeman, EMTs, his wifes doctor, and all other professionals and staff members who assisted on the eventful day of his second sons birth.
Tristan Thompson has seemingly done Khloe Kardashian wrong -- in a big way. Not only was he recently caught kissing a mystery woman at a nightclub in New York City on Saturday night, he also reportedly took that woman back to his hotel room for a late-night rendezvous on Sunday morning.

After the Daily Mail's initial report on April 10, which included video and photos of Thompson chatting with a brunette woman before appearing to make out with the unnamed lady, TMZ shared video footage of the moments that seemingly followed the couple's nightclub outing.

In the clip, Thompson and the woman were caught standing outside of the Four Seasons hotel together before a security guard led them inside. The apparent couple was then seen walking around inside the venue by photographers who filmed through the windows.

Tristan Thompson was in town for a basketball game

According to TMZ, the video was filmed around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, hours after Tristan Thompson and the woman were seen getting cozy with one another at the PH-D Lounge. As the outlet explained, Thompson is staying at the Four Seasons hotel along with the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers team.

Following their alleged rendezvous at the hotel, Tristan Thompson's mystery woman was seen making her way out of the venue with a Louis Vuitton overnight bag, which seemed to suggest she had spent more than just a few hours with the athlete.

Khloe Kardashian is ready to give birth any day now

Since the start of her romance with Thompson nearly two years ago, Khloe Kardashian has been spotted out and about in Cleveland, Ohio on numerous occasions and has expressed many times that she enjoys being in town away from the paparazzi. That said, she's likely not doing too well at the moment as she prepares to welcome the child of her potentially cheating boyfriend.

Adding insult to injury when it comes to the recent allegations regarding Thompson's NYC outing is the fact that TMZ also shared video footage of Thompson taken in October of last year, when Kardashian was three-months-pregnant, which featured the athlete getting frisky with two women at the same time. As the outlet explained with the clip, the video was shot at a hookah lounge near Washington D.C. and showcased Thompson as he made out with one of the women and motorboated the chest of another. Thompson also had one of the women feel his private part in the shocking clip.
A World Bank report issued last year noted that cities across the globe threw away 1.3 billion tons of solid waste. This equates to a pile of 1.2 kilograms of waste per person per day.

The situation is said to worsen by 2025 when the rapidly growing population and urbanization are set to put 2.2 billion tons of weight on the worlds total waste.

When this happens, it is the urban poor in low- and middle-income earning countries who will take the crucial hits. Because effective solutions are high-priced, some of these nations resort to practicing poor management measures, such as open burning and use of unregulated landfills, which adds to the problem rather than resolve it.

Poorly managed waste serves as a breeding ground for disease vectors, contributes to global climate change through methane generation, and even promotes urban violence, the World Bank report noted.

As more countries grow aware of the threats of piling solid wastes in the community and the economy, governments around the world have long started putting aside a sum to resolve the problem. Although some municipalities have allotted 20 percent to 50 percent of its budget to address this environmental issue, many still find it a challenge when it comes to adopting the most effective waste management technologies available.

Solutions to emerge in 2018

This year, however, may be different, according to Rubicon Globals VP of Sustainability David Rachelson, who expects the emergence of innovative technologies that can ease todays solid waste problem.

In 2018, we can expect to see further advancement and real-world implementation of these innovations across the public and private sectors, Rachelson said in an interview with Rubicon Global.

Indeed, several solid waste management providers are seeing 2018 as a favorable year to save the environment. Atlanta-based Rubicon, for its part, recently launched the RUBICONMethod which serves a guide for organizations that aim to cut their waste volume.

The firm banks on the adoption of this method to help states achieve its sustainability goals in the long-term.

Another known biotechnology company, Greenbelt Resources Corp. (OTCMKTS:GRCO), has a waste-to-bioproduct technology that has been drawing international attention. The company expects 2018 to be a banner year, as well.

Last year, the firm inked a memorandum of understanding with an Indonesian conglomerate, which was celebrated by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Indonesia Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Prior to this, the firm has counted among its customers and purchasers of its proprietary systems to include the University of Florida and an Australian agribusiness in New South Wales.

The firm has been receiving recognition because of its innovative technology which converts food, beverage, and agriculture industry wastes into fuel, fertilizer, feed, filtered water and a solvent for cannabis extraction. The technology can be the solution to several municipalities, which have food waste making up a chunk of its environmental problem.

Citing data from the United Nations, The Washington Post said one-third of the food produced in the world is wasted.

The United States solid waste is set to reach more than 400 million tons by 2024, throwing away, by far, the largest amount of food. As such, Greenbelt Resources will play a significant role in reducing the countrys food waste generation.

Overall, the solid waste management industry is poised to have a $340 billion value by 2024, according to the projections of Delaware-based market research and consultancy service provider Global Market Insights, Inc.

Ongoing adoption of optimized treatment techniques coupled with rising environmental concerns will drive the solid waste management market size. Increasing generation of municipal solid waste owing to large-scale urbanization will stimulate the industry growth, the report said.
When Michael Moehler was an undergraduate at the London School of Economics, the work of Amartya Sen was already considered so classic that Moehler assumed the man behind the theories had long ago departed the earth. Imagine his shock, then, when he learned that Sen was scheduled to speak on campus the following week.

Sen will soon be speaking on campus again, but this time it will be at Virginia Tech  and at the invitation of the Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) that Moehler now directs.

Sen, the Thomas W. Lamont University Professor at Harvard University, will deliver the 2018 PPE Distinguished Public Lecture on April 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. His topic will be Democracy and Elections.

Its such an honor to have Professor Sen speak at Virginia Tech, said Moehler, who is an associate professor of philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Professor Sens work has had such an impact on the fields of philosophy, political science, and economics that its difficult to imagine a better speaker for this event.

In 1998, Sen received the Nobel Prize in Economics for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory. His work has led to a new understanding of the catastrophes that plague societys poorest members and helps to explain the economic mechanisms that underlie famine and poverty.

Contemporary notions that development should not just be measured by economic variables stem to a large extent from Professor Sens work and advocacy, said Sudipta Sarangi, head of the Department of Economics, which is part of the College of Science. He has been instrumental in arguing that development should include notions of freedom, well-being, and quality of life.

Sarangi, who served as a research assistant on Sens 1996 book, India: Social and Economic Opportunities, coauthored with Jean Dreze, noted that Sen played a significant role in the creation of the United Nations Development Programmes monthly Human Development Report, which has, since 1990, focused on expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of economies.

Sen, who is also a senior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows, has served as an economics professor at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, the Delhi School of Economics, and the London School of Economics, as well as the Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford University. In 1999, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India, and, in 2017, he received the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science for his work on democracy and its potential power to redress and relieve human deprivation.

Sen will be only the second speaker in the history of the PPE Distinguished Public Lecture. Martha Nussbaum, an internationally celebrated philosopher based at the University of Chicago, delivered the inaugural lecture last year.

The goal of our lecture series is to foster dialogue among faculty, students, and the public about important problems that our contemporary societies face, said Moehler, who is also an affiliate associate professor in the Department of Economics.

The Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Virginia Tech trains students to take comprehensive, interdisciplinary approaches to complex issues, to create solutions that are not only economically sound, but also socially, ethically, and politically informed. The program offers a major and a minor for undergraduates and integrates research, teaching, and outreach to advance the well-being of individuals and societies.

No tickets are required for the lecture, which will take place in the Haymarket Theatre at the Squires Student Center. Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend, as are members of the community. A public reception will follow the talk.
Cheetahs in Serengeti National Park adopt different strategies while eating to deal with threats from top predators, such as lions or hyenas.

A new study, published in Springers journal, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, shows that male cheetahs and single females eat their prey as quickly as possible. Mothers with cubs, on the other hand, watch out for possible threats while their young are eating in order to give them enough time to eat their fill.

The research was led by Anne Hilborn of Virginia Techs College of Natural Resources and Environment, who completed her doctorate in fisheries and wildlife sciences in December 2017.

Cheetahs are medium-sized carnivores that live alongside large carnivores, such as lions and spotted hyenas. These large carnivores are known to not only attack cheetah cubs but also steal prey in an act called kleptoparasitism.

Cheetahs do not have the strength to haul their kills up into trees to keep them safe from scavengers as a leopard does, nor can they physically defend themselves against a lion. Therefore, they tend to hunt when larger predators are away or less active.

Hilborn and her colleagues studied 35 years of observations from more than 400 hunts involving 159 cheetahs in the Serengeti in northern Tanzania to find out how cheetah behavior while eating is altered by threats from larger predators.

The researchers established that the tactics cheetahs use depend on which type of threat they face from large carnivores. The primary threat to male cheetahs and single females without cubs is having their kill stolen. They therefore spend little time watching out for attacks and instead eat their prey as quickly as possible before it can be snatched away from them.

Mothers with cubs, however, must first ensure the safety of their offspring and that they get enough to eat. Cubs can eat quite slowly because of the size of their mouths and their tendency to take regular breaks to rest or play.

Instead of speed, mothers use vigilance to minimize risk, Hilborn explained. They spend more time paused before eating, perhaps also to catch their breath, and are more vigilant. This increases the amount of time they spend eating, which in turn increases their overall handling time.

The research team believes that the behavior of a cheetah after a hunt depends on the territory it finds itself in. Cheetah mothers might, for instance, be less vigilant in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Kalahari region of South Africa and Botswana, where lion densities are three times lower and spotted hyena numbers are 100 times lower than in the Serengeti.
Student and local musicians share their music with the community during Virginia Tech Music Day. Organized by Virginia Tech students, this third annual event will feature over 20 musicians performing in various outdoor locations throughout campus on Friday, April 13, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Organized by the Moss Arts Center Student Ambassadors, a student group that represents the center and helps promote its events to other students, the event is designed to celebrate the music-making of area performers and share their sounds with the university community.

With the motto Ut Musica Faciam (That I May Make Music), Virginia Tech Music Day began in 2016 under the leadership of student Emily Barritt, a current junior neuroscience and chemistry major, member of the Honors College, Moss Arts Center ambassador, and musician who plays bassoon with the New River Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Barritt developed the concept for Music Day with Virginia Tech chemistry professor Gordon Yee, who described a similar event he had attended at another university in his introductory chemistry class offered through the Honors College. Barritt took the lead and, with help from her fellow Moss Arts Center ambassadors, coordinated the first Virginia Tech Music Day two years ago. She spearheaded efforts to recruit student and community musicians, identify key outdoor spaces across campus for performances, and schedule performances in each of the areas throughout the day.

A different Moss Arts Center ambassador leads Music Day each year. This year, the event leader is Jamie Lindsay, a senior majoring in theater arts and public relations.

Below is a schedule including locations and times of some of the Virginia Tech Music Day performances:

Drillfield

Keith Rosenborough, acoustic guitar and voice, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Kappa Kappa Psi, pep band, 3-3:30 p.m.

Lavery Hall Plaza

Dr. Moon, acoustic guitar and voice, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Kat Mills, acoustic guitar and voice, 12-1 p.m.

Scott Gong, acoustic guitar and voice, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Newman Library Plaza

Emory Meyers, acoustic performer, 4-5:30 p.m.

Matthew Chan, John Crawford, and Ginger Cope, string musicians, 6-6:30 p.m.

Owens Dining Center, Hokie Grill & Co. entrance

Laurel Romoser, acoustic guitar and voice, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Sagacious Mountainwalker, psychedelic blues, 5-6:30 p.m.

Squires Student Center, main entrance

Chance Messer, harp, 1-2 p.m.

Tonic Barbershop Quartet, 6-7 p.m.

War Memorial Hall Plaza

Jared Stout, acoustic guitar and voice, 4-4:30 p.m.

Zachary McDonald, solo bass guitar, 5-5:45 p.m.

Rodrigo Sarlo, Latin jazz, guitar/vocals, 6-7 p.m.

West End Market

Mason Lavinder, acoustic and voice, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Banana Split, indie rock band, 5:30-6 p.m.

Moss Arts Center, near the Alumni Mall entrance



Panda Bag, rock and blues band, 1-2 p.m.

Abhinuv Pitale, keyboard, 2:30-3 p.m.

The Sundogs, folk and psychedelic rock, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Chinquapin Hunters, regional and folk band, 5-6 p.m.

DJ King Kumo, 6:30-7 p.m.

Please note that the performance schedule is subject to change.

Virginia Tech Music Day is presented in conjunction with the Virginia Techs XL-Student Experiential Learning Conference.
Army project could be Orolia's lever to grow DOD work

Orolia's goal was simple when it started pursuing a contract to design a new rescue beacon for Army pilots and air crews.

We wanted to be one of the four selected to build a prototype, said CEO Jean-Yves Courtois. That would demonstrate our ability to be a trustworthy supplier.

The company has been intent on penetrating deeper into the U.S. defense market as a prime and two years ago moved its management team to Lanham, Maryland from France. A majority of its U.S. defense business is from subcontracts with large integrators who need Orolias positioning, navigation and timing technology for command and control and ISR systems.

But the rescue beacon job would be as a prime, so getting into the pilot would be a big step toward that goal.

As they worked on their device, they quickly realized they had the capability to win against the other three competitors: Boeing, STS International and BriarTek Inc.

And that is what Orolia has done. They landed the $34 million Personnel Recovery Support System contract to supply rescue beacons to the Army.

The contract begins with fielding testing of the companys solution before it moves on to full production. The expectation is that Orolia will eventually supply as many as 40,000 devices, he said.

This award follows a 2016 contract to supply 16,000 personal locator beacons to the Coast Guard. But the Army product is different from the ground up, Courtois said.

The device for the Army is much more rugged, smaller and lighter. It also more security features such as the ability to transmit the location of a downed pilot over a secure signal.

The device doesnt come with a pre-determined waveform, Courtois said. The Army has complete control.

That means that the frequency can be changed depending on the mission and the location. This can be done easily because it is software defined.

Orolia also had to make it smaller and lighter so the device can be kept in a pocket in the pilots clothing and not impact how the uniform fits or restrict pilot movement.

A pilot or aircrew personnel simply push a button to activate the signal, which bounces off a satellite and then back down to those who can rescue them.

The idea is that you just dont leave anyone behind, he said.

As the work with the Army moves forward, Orolia will also use the contract to pursue business with other parts of the military. The contract can be used by the other services.

We expect this to extend our reach across the market, Courtois said.

The company also is establishing itself as an independent U.S. company with a proxy board to separate it from its European ownership. That process will be complete this summer, he said.

Orolia also recently announced its pending acquisition of Talen-X to bring in more secure positing, navigation and timing technology. Talen-X also has a facility clearance.

The acquisition and the Army win open up new possibilities for us, Courtois said.

The company expects to hit about $140 million in revenue this year and has 450 employees with 40 percent of them based in the U.S.

We are going to leverage these opportunities as much as we can to demonstrate our capabilities as a supplier, he said.
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En espanol | For the last three years, Max Mozell, 88, has sat down to play chess nearly every Monday during the school year, trying to win  but hoping hell lose.



Thats because Mozell, a retired college dean and former neuroscience professor, faces opponents nearly one-fifth his age through an intergenerational chess program run by a Manhattan-based nonprofit. I sort of enjoy losing, he says. I try to win, because otherwise it isnt a real game. But when I get beaten, its fun to see a kid being so nice about it. They take a certain pride in winning, and they learn that if they really play hard, they can win.

As Mozell describes it, the benefits of his multiage chess program go to both sides of the board. "You get to my age, and you sort of forget that there are kids in the world, Mozell says. But then every Monday I find out that there are. Not only that, but theyre thinking kids  and its fun to be with them.

Studies show that spending time with the younger set just might improve your health, too. One recent study showed that, for seniors, spending time with kids had cognitive benefits, as well as emotional and physical health benefits, says Jennifer Crittenden, assistant director of the University of Maine Center on Aging. Doing so also can provide older adults with a sense of purpose, Crittenden says, which can be an important factor in mitigating or minimizing depression. Another study on older people volunteering with youth found they had higher rates of life satisfaction compared with their peers who were not volunteering with kids.

While many programs focus on the benefits to children from interactions like having older volunteers read to them, bringing two generations together gives older adults an opportunity to learn from children, as well. It isnt just a one-way flow of information and experience, Crittenden says.

Read on for a few expert tips on how to add more kid power to your own life.
An Albuquerque judge awarded more than $10,000 to Jeremy Dear on Tuesday for the citys violations of the state Inspection of Public Records Act.

The former Albuquerque police officer was at the center of the controversial April 2014 killing of 19-year-old Mary Hawkes, who was suspected of stealing a vehicle.

Dears attorney filed a records request in October 2016 seeking access to documents related to a citizen police complaint filed against him with the citys Police Oversight Agency. Judge Clay Campbell said Tuesday that the documents were not made available until February 2017, and he awarded a portion of the damages Dear requested saying that the situation was unnecessarily complicatedby conduct on both sides.

Tom Grover, Dears attorney, estimated the total award would be close to $10,600, which includes attorneys fees and a $100 per day penalty the maximum allowed under statute  applied to 31 days of Dears wait for the records.

Campbell found that a 60-day delay because of the size of the request was reasonable, but that Dear should not have been left to wait an additional 31 days.
SANTA FE  Public Education Department Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski has affirmed the Public Education Commissions December decision to revoke the charter of New Mexico Connections Academy, an online charter school based in Santa Fe.

The school had appealed the commissions decision. The commission outlined substantial evidence that the school has failed to meet standards, said a PED news release.

Connections Academy is New Mexicos largest on-line charter school, with about 2,000 students. The school had received two straight F grades under the states school grading system.

The school is part of Connections Education LLC, a Baltimore operation with schools in 30 states. Ruszkowskis decision can be appealed to state court.
It came over the city during the night, hovering eerily over the Capitol. Some people saw a spooky cloud, while others saw a haze of sorts, appropriately tinged yellow. But as it moved over the Capitol dome, everyone heard the same thing  a terrifying crunching sound. One by one, congressional leaders had spines removed.

The first person to be filleted was Paul Ryan, speaker of the House. He was averse to Donald Trump but has subordinated the larger agenda of opposing an antidemocratic president to a smaller one of tax cuts and regulatory reform. He would make a splendid chamber of commerce president.

The other leaders have been similarly de-spined. They chortle among themselves as Trump says in the morning that he will veto this or that bill  and in the afternoon signs it. They say nothing about the rhetorical mugging of Mexico or his long-held and mysterious adulation of Vladimir Putin. They stay silent while being soaked in a rain of lies, dignity running off them and splashing into the Washington gutter.

So maybe its foolish to think they might speak up when the president uses his office to attack the free press. He calls stories he doesnt like fake news, as he did with reports he would fire national security adviser H.R. McMaster  just before he did. The incessant barrage of bogus criticism from the White House, the constant attack on the impartiality and professionalism of the press, has taken a toll. A recent Monmouth poll confirmed the term fake news has been widely accepted. Republicans see it in stories critical of Trump; Democrats in those that arent.

This division is not entirely new. For years, major American cities had Democratic and Republican newspapers. In Chicago, the Tribune was unabashedly Republican. In New York, the Daily News was once Republican, and The Post once Democratic. Still, Democrats read Republican newspapers and the other way around. Now, though, a Fox News viewer is likely to watch only Fox. Too bad. Fox & Friends has the ratings, but it is to journalism what pornography is to sex.

Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other GOP congressional leaders surely do not for a minute believe CNN, The New York Times or The Washington Post invent stories critical of Trump. They not only know better, they rely on these organizations to stay informed. Moreover, they appreciate why freedom of the press is embedded in the Constitution  No. 1 among amendments.

These leaders can probably all cite John Adams on the subject and certainly Thomas Jefferson, who said that if he had to choose between a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, hed prefer the latter. Hannah Arendt, the philosopher who fled Nazi Germany, put it this way: The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. And Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., after being freed as a POW in North Vietnam, first asked for a decent meal and then newspapers. Of all the privations and injustices suffered in undemocratic nations, lack of a free press is among the worst, he later wrote in a preface to David Halberstams The Best and the Brightest, a journalists account of government deception in Vietnam.

Of course, Trumps defenders would say he doesnt want an unfree press, he just wants a fair one. Not so. What Trump actually wants is a servile press, one that offers praise, withholds criticism and refrains from reporting awkward truths. Thats probably the reason he has criticized Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Post. That might also be a reason the Justice Department is trying to block the Time Warner-AT&T merger. Time Warner owns CNN, which Trump loathes.

If America emerges from the Trump years with a corrosive distrust of the press and a less vigorous democracy, then Republican congressional leaders will have to take some credit. Instead of protesting, they protected their political fortunes, played to the basest part of their base and remained meekly mute. They lack spine. Trump took them all.
Michael Brasher has served capably on the state Board of Finance since 2012. A former Bernalillo County Commissioner with a good feel for budgets and a commitment to saving money for taxpayers  something too rare at the local level in this day of ready, fire, aim tax hikes  he also would be an excellent regent at the University of New Mexico.

The question is should he serve on the Board of Finance and the UNM governing board at the same time. The answer: No.

No one questions Brashers ability or integrity, but there is just too much crossover between the positions  both appointments of fellow Republican Susana Martinez. Brasher has served on the Board of Finance for more than five years and was named by the governor last month to the UNM post. The dilemma is the Board of Finances role in higher education.

Colleges and universities must get Board of Finance approval to issue revenue bonds, purchase real property, construct new buildings, do remodeling projects or add graduate programs. For example, the board approved New Mexico State University proceeding with a $21.5 million dorm project.

The board also recently approved several UNM projects, but it also has been a high-profile obstacle to a UNM proposal to build a new hospital costing more than $200 million  a decision that has UNM re-thinking its proposal.

Its not that hes not a great guy. Hes got an impeccable record, says Viki Harrison, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico. Youre putting him in a position where hes got conflicts of interest right off the bat.

Harrison and Rep. Patti Lundstrom, D-Gallup, and chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, both say Brasher should recuse himself from anything affecting UNM. Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, and chair of Senate Finance, goes further and says Brasher should abstain from any higher ed vote. Quite frankly, I think his vote would be tainted just by the position hes in for all of higher education.

Sen. Steven Neville, R-Aztec, says Brasher would be walking a difficult tightrope. Im not saying its impossible, but hes going to have to be very cautious.

Bottom line? This is a balancing act the state doesnt need. Neither does Brasher. No one is suggesting he would conduct himself improperly. But the appearance of conflict is just too strong. He should pick one.

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.
Bernalillo County commissioners on Tuesday ordered a ban on the use of open fires, campfires and smoking in unincorporated areas of the county.

The order prohibits smoking except in enclosed buildings, within vehicles equipped with ashtrays, and on paved or surfaced roads, developed recreation sites, or while stopping in an area that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. It also prohibits campfires and recreational fires and bans heating and cooking fires except cooking or heating devices that use kerosene, white gas or propane as a fuel in an improved camping area that is cleared of flammable vegetation for at least 30 feet and has a water source.

A National Weather Service forecast outlook indicates that precipitation in April and May in central and northern New Mexico will most likely range from slightly below to below average, and temperatures will mostly likely range from above to well above average.

Forecasters expect critical fire weather conditions today and Thursday as an upper level trough approaches the central Rockies from the west. Winds on Thursday could gust as high as 55 mph.
District Attorney Raul Torrez met with public safety officials from city, state and federal agencies Tuesday to begin an effort for the city to join a national network of cities that fight street crime and gun violence.

Torrez said the project is one of several steps hes taking to try to fight gun crime in Albuquerque. Another step, he said, is to restructure his office so theres a unit focused specifically on prosecuting gun crimes.

Albuquerque in 2017 had its highest-ever number of homicides with 75, and there have already been 29 homicides this year.

Were well ahead of the record-setting pace for homicides that we had last year, Torrez said. We have to do something different.

Hes pitching that the city bring together the needed groups so Albuquerque could join a list of about 35 other cities who are in the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College. One of the networks focuses is Group Violence Intervention, or GVI.

That type of intervention means bringing together respected community leaders, social services providers and law enforcement who will hold an intervention of sorts with people believed to be part of criminal groups, Torrez said. That collection of people then offer services and support to those who are willing to change their ways, according to the networks website.

If (they) want to put the gun down, there are other people at the table that can make that happen, Torrez said.

If the city gets accepted, Torrez said, a team of researchers then study the citys violent crimes dating back five years and try to connect particular groups of people who are responsible for most of the citys violent crime.

The GVI approach to law enforcement was launched in Boston in 1990s and has reportedly helped reduce crime in cities around the country, Torrez said.

In addition to trying to take that approach to fighting crime, Torrez said hes restructuring his office to focus on targeting people who use guns illegally.

He said four experienced prosecutors will be part of a new unit that focuses specifically on gun crime. Eventually, Torrez said theyll all be cross-commissioned and can, if the case is accepted by federal law enforcement, try certain cases in federal court, which often can lead to longer prison sentences than state court.

Deputy District Attorney Thomas Outler, who will be part of that team, said carjacking, felon in possession of a firearm, and robberies that interfere with interstate commerce are the most common crimes that the group will focus on.
WASHINGTON  In a move lawmakers from both parties warn could trigger a constitutional crisis, CNN reported late Tuesday that President Donald Trump is considering firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Trump was visibly agitated Monday evening as he lashed out after a federal raid of the office and temporary residence of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

The idea behind firing Rosenstein  who is overseeing special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs probe of Russias 2016 election meddling, possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, and whether the president obstructed justice  is to install an official who will manage Mueller with limits on the scope of his investigation, CNN reported.

A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Its a disgrace, Trump said Monday evening, after reportedly spending most of the afternoon watching cable news coverage of the raid. Its an attack on our country, in a true sense. Its an attack on what we all stand for.

The president was asked by a reporter why he didnt just fire Mueller, given his strong opinions about the investigation.

Well see what happens. But I think its really a sad situation when you look at what happened, Trump responded. And many people have said, You should fire him.  He went on to say he did the right thing by firing FBI Director James B. Comey last year because all of the things that hes done and the lies.

Trump has admitted that halting the Russia probe was on his mind as he considered firing Comey.

On Tuesday, Democratic members including Senate Judiciary member Richard Blumenthal called Trump unhinged in his Monday rant and expressed concern he might fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Rosenstein and Mueller. Some GOP senators agreed; others, like early Trump backer David Perdue of Georgia, said the outburst reveals a president frustrated by an out-of-control probe.

Trump certainly believes he has the legal authority to fire Mueller, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday.

While declining to comment on Trumps next steps, she cryptically told reporters that White House officials have been advised by unidentified figures that the president had the legal authority to fire a special counsel.

Preet Bharara, whom Trump fired as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York reportedly over fears he would be disloyal and whose successor carried out the Cohen raid, told CNN on Tuesday evening the special counsel statue does not give the president power to terminate Mueller.

But a sitting president can fire a deputy attorney general, putting Rosenstein in play.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox Business on Tuesday that it would be suicide if Trump fired Mueller. Democrats said as much, with Virginia Sen Tim Kaine, his partys 2016 vice presidential nominee, telling Roll Call multiple Justice Department terminations would be akin to President Richard Nixons Saturday Night Massacre during the Watergate probe that eventually led to his resignation.

But there was no consensus on Capitol Hill on what would happen if Trump limited his actions to Rosenstein. To that end, however, CNN reported multiple sources questioning if that firing alone would assuage an irate president.



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PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): Rod Rosenstein

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Vs. Las Vegas, 6:35 p.m.

Radio: 610 AM/95.9 FM

Probable starters: Isotopes RHP Matt Flemer (1-0, 3.00) vs. 51s TBA

Tuesday: The Isotopes bats didnt disappoint in a 7-3 win over Las Vegas in the home opener. The Isotopes pounded out 13 hits; Derrik Gibsons three-run home run was part of a five-run sixth inning that gave the Isotopes the 7-3 lead. Shane Broyles, who pitched two innings, earned the win and was part of a bullpen that shut out Las Vegas.

This and that: Tuesdays was manager Glenallen Hills 434th game with the Isotopes. Only Dean Treanor (715 games) has more with Albuquerque.

 The Isotopes have had players from 20 countries over their 16-year history. The number grew on Sunday when South Africa native Anthony Phillips made his Albuquerque debut.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Take two.

The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education approved new plans Tuesday to restructure and redesign its three worst-performing schools.

Three requests for applications will be sent to the New Mexico Public Education Department today, the due date.

The board approved three almost identical proposals on a 5-1 vote, with member Peggy Muller-Aragon voting no. She said she wanted the applications to be individualized for each school and wanted changes in the compensation and recruitment efforts.

Board member Elizabeth Armijo was absent.

Changes to the applications came after PED denied the districts initial plans for Los Padillas, Whittier and Hawthorne elementary schools in March. All three schools have received five or six consecutive years of F school grades and were identified by the PED as in need of more rigorous interventions, or MRI schools.

Board member Barbara Petersen applauded the superhuman efforts of the boards Policy and Instruction Committee.

People had little time for reviewing these documents, she said.

But PED Secretary-designate Christopher Ruszkowski disagreed, saying the schools had several months to create the plans and were given two extensions.

He added that the adoption of the new plans marks the conclusion of a six-year waiting period for kids and families in our communities.

Ruszkowski didnt comment specifically on the plans, but he wrote in an email to the Journal that PED looks forward to reviewing the final submissions.

Some of the changes in the new applications include increased compensation for principals and teachers, a teacher recruitment effort that will increase the number of highly rated teachers and a modification in how longer school days will be handled.

Gabriella Blakey, associate superintendent of leadership and learning for Zone 1, where two of the three schools are located, told the board the new plans will make the principals among the highest paid in the district. Their pay will average $20,000 more than peers on their same tier levels.

The extra money will come from APS operational budget, Blakey said.

The principals at all three schools were recently replaced and will not be eligible to transfer for three years.

Compensation for teachers at the three MRI schools will be increased to an average of $15,000 more than other teachers.

Blakey said that money will come from additional funding requested by the district from PED.

Ellen Bernstein, Albuquerque Teachers Federation president, said the union has no problem with the extra compensation because the expectations for the teachers at the three schools will be different than for other APS teachers.

What they are doing with these schools is appropriate and actually doesnt violate the negotiations with the union, she said.

The original proposals called for staffing the three schools with teachers ranked as effective or higher. But the new applications reflect an intention to hire teachers ranked as highly effective and exemplary.

We agree and the principals agree the schools should have the best teachers, Blakey said.

The goal is to have the schools fully staffed by highly effective or exemplary teachers by the fall or winter of this year.

The plans also made alterations to a proposed genius hour, an extra hour of instructional time for students, because of PEDs concerns the period wouldnt be taught by teachers.

Enrichment opportunities should be in addition to, not a substitute for, increased instructional time with the schools highest performing teachers, Ruszkowski wrote in a letter to the district in March.

APS is now planning to staff the genius hour with teachers and community members who might have some experience or expertise for a particular lesson.

The school day for the students at the three MRI schools will be increased from the current 5.5 hours a day to 6.5 hours. And the school year for the schools will begin 10 days before others in the district.

Blakey is confident the new plans will get PEDs approval, saying her team has had good conversations with the agency and the two came to a good understanding.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump insisted that all was very calm and calculated at the White House, even as he vented Wednesday about the Russia probe, complained about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and served noticed that nice and new and smart' missiles will be coming down on Syria.

Trump, who was so incensed by the FBIs raid of his personal attorneys office and hotel room that hes privately pondered firing Rosenstein, let loose on Twitter Wednesday against the deputy attorney general and special counsel Robert Mueller. He said the Russia probe was headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!

Trump also tweeted: No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD! And he insisted the White House was Very calm and calculated.

The raid, in which agents seized attorney Michael Cohens records on topics including a $130,000 payment to a porn actress who alleges she had sex with Trump, left the president more angry than advisers had seen him in weeks, according to five people familiar with the presidents views but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Nervous White House aides expressed new fears about the presidents unpredictability in the face of the Cohen raid, which he viewed as an assault on a longtime defender and a sign that Muellers probe into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was going too far.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, for his part, tried to douse speculation Trump might fire Rosenstein or Mueller, saying: I have no reason to believe that thats going to happen. I have assurances that its not. He added that he had been talking to people in the White House about it.

Trump has canceled plans to attend the Summit of the Americas over the weekend as well as an overnight visit to Colombia, citing the need to monitor the situation in Syria.

But the president had been telling confidants for weeks that he was not eager to make the three-day trip, according to two people who have discussed it with him in recent weeks but were not authorized to disclose the private conversations. And privately, Trump said he didnt want to be away from the White House amid developments in the China trade dispute and in the Mueller investigation.

Trump also expressed confidence in the loyalty displayed by Cohen, his longtime personal and professional fixer, who ascended to one of the most powerful roles at the Trump Organization not filled by a family member. Cohen has steadfastly denied wrongdoing in his $130,000 payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and has publicly defended Trump, but he has confided in associates that he is fearful of being a fall guy, according to a person familiar with his thinking but not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions.

Cohen has said he took out a personal line of credit on his home to pay Daniels days before the 2016 election and without Trumps knowledge. The raid of his office was overseen by the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan and based in part on a referral from Mueller.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear that White House officials have explored Trumps authority to fire Mueller.

He certainly believes that he has the power to do so, she said at Tuesdays press briefing.

Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

On Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of four senators moved to protect Muellers job.

Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing, according to two people familiar with the legislation. They were not authorized to discuss the bill ahead of its release and requested anonymity.

Trump spent Monday evening calling associates to vent and gauge their reaction to the news. He bitterly complained that the raids were meant to ruin Cohens life and expressed frustration that it was another front from which to attack his presidency, according to a person familiar with the conversations but not permitted to discuss them publicly.

Trump also revived his broadsides on Rosenstein as well as Rosensteins boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he belittled to confidants for recusing himself from the investigation and, in turn, delivering him to Mueller.

The White House insisted Trump was focused on the response to Syria following the countrys apparent use of chemical weapons on civilians over the weekend, killing more than 40 people. A military strike would mark Trumps second retaliatory strike against Syrian President Bashar Assads government at a time when Trump is seeking to reduce the U.S. footprint in Syria.

The discussions come as Trumps newest national security adviser, John Bolton, stepped into the job this week. He encouraged Trump to skip the trip to South America to manage the Syria strategy.

Bolton, a seasoned bureaucratic operator, has been expected to put his stamp on the National Security Council staff. NSC spokesman Michael Anton resigned over the weekend, with two people familiar with the situation saying Anton resigned after learning he would be fired. Trumps homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, exited Tuesday. Bossert had overseen the administrations response to the 2017 hurricane season and was credited by his colleagues for leading the administrations efforts to bolster cybersecurity resiliency across government and private industry.

There is growing concern in Trumps orbit that the turmoil will only continue following the release next week of former FBI director James Comeys book, which promises to reveal new details about his conversations with the president and the Russia probe. An administration official said the White House would largely defer to outside surrogates to push back on Comey, but there was concern as to how the directors interviews could rile up the president.

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Lemire reported from New York City. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Russia to get ready for a missile attack on its ally Syria, suggesting imminent retaliation for last weekends suspected chemical weapons attack. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis took a more measured tone, saying the U.S. and its military coalition partners were still studying intelligence on the attack.

At stake is the potential for confrontation, if not outright conflict, between the U.S. and Russia, former Cold War foes whose relations have deteriorated in recent years over Moscows intervention in Ukraine, its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and, most recently, its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russian lawmakers have warned the United States that Moscow would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime and that it could trigger a direct U.S-Russian military clash. Russias ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted  a stark warning of a potential major confrontation.

Trump, who has often said a commander in chief should never telegraph his military intentions, apparently did so himself, tweeting that missiles will be coming in response to the suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people near Damascus.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria, Trump wrote. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Defense Secretary Mattis, however, indicated that evidence of what happened was still being studied. At a photo-taking session during a Pentagon meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Mattis was asked by a reporter whether he had seen enough evidence to blame the Syrian government.

Were still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies, Mattis said. Were still working on this.

Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syria was to blame, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which the U.S. government had video and other evidence of certain aspects of an actual attack by Syrian aircraft, which involved the use of sarin gas. Trump responded then by launching dozens of Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

Asked whether the U.S. military was ready to conduct an attack in Syria if ordered, Mattis replied, We stand ready to provide military options if theyre appropriate, as the president determined.

Mattis was to meet with Trump later Wednesday.

In the past, Trump has condemned others for forecasting military plans, repeatedly blistering President Barack Obama during the 2016 campaign. During one speech, he said, We must as a nation be more unpredictable. We are totally predictable. We tell everything.

Asked about Trumps tweet about an impending attack on Syria, former Defense Secretary William Cohen, who ran the Pentagon for President Bill Clinton, said on CNN that it compromises the mission somewhat.

Trump did not detail what a strike on Syria would look like, or whether these would be U.S. missiles. U.S. officials have been consulting with France, Britain and other allies on a possible joint military operation, but the timing remained in doubt Wednesday. Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Assad.

Shortly after his tweeted warning to Russia, Trump took a more conciliatory tone in lamenting that the U.S.-Russia relationship is worse now than it has ever been. There is no reason for this, he wrote, adding that Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together.

Syrias Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Trumps threats to attack are reckless and endanger international peace and security.

Trumps administration has sought to show toughness on Russia, with a series of economic and diplomatic actions, including new sanctions last week against government officials and oligarchs. Trump has largely avoided criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, though he singled him out in a tweet over the weekend for supporting Assad.

The U.S., France and Britain have been in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, U.S. officials have said. A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the U.S. in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syrias political and military support from Russia and Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called for a strong and joint response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the U.S.-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS terror attacks have targeted France, including one last month.
The streamflow forecast for April to June in the Rio Hondo Basin has decreased to 25 percent of average as measured at the Hollywood gauge between the village of Ruidoso and city of Ruidoso Downs.

The dismal number was reported in the April 1 New Mexico Basin Outlook Report compiled by snow survey hydrologic technician Chris Romero and state soil specialist Rick Strait of the Natural Resources Conservation Service based in Albuquerque.

The men wrote that water year-to-date precipitation has dropped slightly to 86 percent of average in the basin that includes the Rio Ruidoso, with March only receiving 23 percent of the average rainfall for the month. Snowpack in the basin has melted out and is at zero percent, despite seeing traces on the slopes.

Most of the annual streamflow in the western United States originates as snowfall that has accumulated in the mountains during the winter and early spring, they noted. As the snowpack accumulates, hydrologists estimate the runoff that will occur when it melts, factoring in other phenomena.

The weather patterns that dominated the Southwest since the beginning of the water year continued through the month of March, they wrote.

Typically, a month which helps kick-start the growing season left eastern New Mexico and areas of southern Colorado in severe drought, they stated. Additionally, as we move toward summer these deficits have become difficult, if not impossible to recover from. With shortages in water year-to-date precipitation ranging from 2 to 3.5 inches in eastern New Mexico, and up to 9 inches in the Four Corners and higher elevations, it is unlikely that this will be made up prior to the monsoon season. Fire danger continues to be a major concern, especially for those areas that saw a much wetter than average summer and now have fuel which has been exposed to long stretches of dry and windy days.

The time period of peak snowpack has come and gone, leaving behind some of the lowest streamflow forecasts on record. Furthermore, during a time when we can expect low elevation melt off and a bump in runoff, we are not. This is an indicator that these low elevation sites did not yield as much snow as expected. This is also an indicator that the upper elevation snowpack is not melting as of yet and that over the next several weeks we can expect a slight increase in runoff as the rest of New Mexicos snowpack begins its decline.

The month of April will be an important time for New Mexico as staff evaluates how much of the snowpack goes to runoff, infiltrates the soil, and makes its way to reservoirs, they said. Water users and managers should continue to monitor conditions to determine the extent of drought impacts across the state, they cautioned.

The April 1 snowpack ranged from a high of 82 percent in the Zuni/Bluewater Basins to a low of 4 percent in the Canadian River Basin. Three of New Mexicos southern basins already melted out, having been continuously exposed to exceptionally dry and warm conditions throughout the water year.

While copious amounts of precipitation fell across much of the western United States in late March, little to no water made its way to New Mexico during this event, the report stated. As a result, statewide monthly precipitation is just 39 percent of the average, which is 43 percent for the water year-to-date. The deterioration of conditions throughout the month has led to a southward extension of D3 drought conditions into west-central and east-central New Mexico. Above average temperatures continue to dominate the state creating a high evaporative demand situation and degrading soil moisture quality, the reports authors wrote.

Our states reservoirs which have been storing moisture from this past fall and early snowmelt this winter will quickly become depleted without timely major spring precipitation events, they observed. Based on the current long-range forecasts water users and managers should expect shortfalls in water supply this spring. 

The April 1 forecast numbers from the NRCS show that all of New Mexico is significantly below average for all forecast points across the state. The headwater of the Rio Grande has the highest forecast streamflow volumes at just 50 percent of average.

The writers noted that Robust rain events skewed the 30 day to 90 day departure from normal values, however, these events have not been enough to satisfy the long-term moiisture demands and deficits in the hydrologic system.



2018 the Ruidoso News (Ruidoso, N.M.)

Visit the Ruidoso News (Ruidoso, N.M.) at www.ruidosonews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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FARMINGTON, N.M.  Authorities say a man wanted in a Texas murder case has been arrested in New Mexico.

New Mexico State Police officers in Farmington say they assisted a U.S. Marshals Service task force with the apprehension of 44-year-old Gabriel Delgado.

They say Delgado had a warrant for his arrest in connection with a homicide in Fort Worth, but details werent immediately released Tuesday.

State Police say Delgado was located at a house in Nageezi, New Mexico and was taken into custody without incident.

Hes been booked into the San Juan County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.

It was unclear Tuesday night if Delgado has a lawyer yet.
SolAero Technologies Corp. will begin producing solar panels for the worlds largest low-earth-orbit satellite constellation next month at the companys newly-refurbished Albuquerque factory.

SolAero invested $10 million to convert about 40 percent of its 100,000-square-foot facility at the Sandia Science and Technology Park into a one-stop-shop for making fully-assembled solar panels for spacecraft, making it the first company to combine all solar cell, composite structure and final panel assembly into one continuous factory process at a single location.

Impetus for the factory upgrade came from a contract signed last year with Airbus OneWeb Satellites, which plans to launch 900 satellites into low-earth orbit over the next two years, making it the largest such satellite constellation to date. SolAero will provide solar panels for 700 of those satellites, with production slated to begin in May, said SolAero President and CEO Brad Clevenger.

Well ramp up slowly over the summer, Clevenger told the Economic Forum on Wednesday. By September, well be manufacturing the equivalent of two satellites (of solar panels) per day.

The company ramped up its Albuquerque workforce from about 250 people early last year to 310 to prepare for its small-sat solar-panel production, Celevenger said.

The factory upgrade and workforce build-out reflects a fundamental change in business focus for SolAero, which formed in 2014 after buying Emcore Corp.s solar space division. SolAero continues to make robust solar cells for all types of spacecraft, including the geostationary satellites that orbit 22,000 miles above earth and supply most global telecommunications signals today.

But the industry is moving rapidly toward low-earth-orbit satellite constellations, which hover at less than 1,000 miles up and can supply much faster communications across the globe at a fraction of the cost. Thats critical for todays massive data communications needs, and OneWeb is just the first of many planned projects.

Today, OneWeb is the largest satellite project in the world, but in six months it will only be the fifth largest, Clevenger said. There are 10 other companies now with constellation aspirations.

SolAero is now set to dominate that emerging market, which attracted about $10 billion in global investment over the past five years.

SolAeros new, semi-automated production facility reduced its solar panel production time cycle by 80 percent, preparing it for mass manufacturing on future projects.

It will be a high-volume business, so were pushing efficiencies even more, Clevenger said.

The company continues to make solar arrays for other spacecraft, supplying power for 40 of NASAs last 41 missions. Its also expanded into solar panels for unmanned aircraft.

It reached $100 million in revenue in 2017, up from $71 million in 2016.
Residents of a historic Albuquerque neighborhood, which has roots predating the Mexican-American War, are taking their fight with City Hall to the federal government.

In the shadow of the 102-year old San Ignacio Catholic Church, members of the Historic Neighborhood Alliance and the Martineztown Working Group announced Wednesday that they had filed a Civil Rights Act complaint against the city of Albuquerque, claiming its zoning laws are discriminatory and perpetuate the erosion of the Santa Barbara-Martineztown neighborhood.

Its unfortunate that the city is allowing one of Albuquerques oldest and most culturally rich neighborhoods to be destroyed in exchange for industrial facilities, said Diana Dorn-Jones, founding member of the Historic Neighborhood Alliance. The residents of Martineztown are fighting to have a voice in the zoning process because it can save this culturally rich neighborhood.

The complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the agency tasked with making sure recipients of federal funds do not discriminate on the basis of race, under Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act.

Residents are asking HUD to launch an investigation into the citys comprehensive plan and zoning code. Theyre also calling on the city to fix what they say is a decades-long problem in its most recent restructuring of zoning laws.

The complaint claims that Martineztown has suffered from a lack of zoning protections that the city has instituted since the 1950s in more affluent and less diverse neighborhoods.

Loretta Naranjo Lopez, a life-long resident of Martineztown who retired as a city planner in 2003, said inequitable zoning laws have resulted in deterioration of the social fabric of the mostly-minority neighborhood.

Many of the commercial uses are not safe or orderly and is not harmonious in a well-established residential area, Lopez said. This historical trauma, by allowing incompatible commercial and heavy commercial uses in historic neighborhoods, has created an environment that has a high level of noise and air pollution. The integrated development ordinance ideal just perpetuates this condition.

The filing of the complaint comes almost one year after the citys adoption of the comprehensive plan and amid last weeks council approval of the Integrated Development Ordinance, which will become effective on May 17.

The mayor is also concerned about historical equity issues in underserved neighborhoods, said Alicia Manzano, spokeswoman for the mayors office. We encourage all sides to work together to resolve concerns in a way that doesnt jeopardize critical HUD funding for housing and homelessness initiatives.

Wednesdays announcement also came on the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act.
LAS CRUCES  U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a gathering of border sheriffs, We have a crisis here. We know it. The president knows it and were determined to do something about it.

In his speech before the Southwest Border Sheriffs Coalition meeting in southern New Mexico on Wednesday, Sessions said, Weve got your back. And he promised the Trump administration would crack down on transnational gangs and drug smugglers, and would have zero tolerance for illegal border crossings.

You might even say weve got a new sheriff in town, said Sessions, followed by applause.

His visit comes as the first of 4,000 National Guard troops begin to arrive on the border. Gov. Susana Martinez is sending 250 New Mexico National Guard soldiers to the border with 80 arriving this week. The Trump administration also touted new construction of a border barrier in Santa Teresa as a border wall, which replaces 20 miles of vehicle barriers with the massive steel fencing already used in Sunland Park.

Before his public comments, Sessions met privately with members of the coalition, which includes sheriffs from 31 departments in counties located within 25 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. Our Sheriffs need to be heard by the cabinet members, said Clint McDonald, executive director of the Southwest Border Sheriffs Coalition.

While McDonald welcomed the visit and support from Sessions, he said, I dont see a crisis as Washington says theres a crisis.

Views of the border vary among members of the coalition.

The issues are the same but the solutions are different, said Enrique Kiki Vigil, Sheriff of Dona Ana County. He said while cities near the border are safe, his deputies sometimes encounter incidents of human smuggling and drug trafficking in more remote areas.

But Vigil prefers that the federal government use technology to help secure the border instead of a wall.

I will tell you a fence alone wont do it, said Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot of Arizona.

You have to have a combination of tactical infrastructure, electronic infrastructure, boots on the ground and the prosecution side to it, said Wilmot.

During his trip to New Mexico, Sessions also met with the U.S. Attorneys offices in Albuquerque and Las Cruces and vowed to increase prosecutions of people who cross the border illegally. If you break into our country, we will prosecute you, said Sessions.

At their conference, sheriffs discussed the need for more federal money for local law enforcement to deal with the opioid crisis, mental illness and school violence, according to Vigil. We need more funding out here to address issues internally here in the states, he said.

I would like to see our officers better equipped for tomorrows future, said Sunland Park Police Chief Javier Guerra, who also attended the conference.

Guerra said his small police department deals more with crime that crosses state lines rather than the border. His officers recently helped break up a burglary ring storing stolen goods from nearby El Paso in Sunland Park.

Border cities in the U.S. consistently have some of the lowest crime rates in the country.

Our community is very safe. Were one of the safest regions in the country, said state Rep. Angelica Rubio of Dona Ana County. She was among a group of border lawmakers who asked to meet with Sessions during his visit to Las Cruces. He rejected our offer, said Rubio.

Before Sessions speech, nearly 150 protesters gathered outside a hotel in Las Cruces.

We get to claim who we are as a border and nobody else gets to do that for us, certainly not Jeff Sessions or the Trump administration, said Johana Bencomo, community organizer with New Mexico CAFE, a faith-based, nonprofit group.

A small group of demonstrators tried to enter the banquet hall but were turned away chanting No Justice. No Peace.
MOSCOW  When the U.S. fired Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airfield a year ago after a chemical weapons attack, the Pentagon gave Moscow advance warning to get its personnel out of harms way.

Since then, U.S.-Russian relations have soured, and the two nuclear powers have raised the ante, getting dangerously close to a potential military clash in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump has taunted Moscow to get ready for nice and new and smart' missiles coming to punish Syria for a purported chemical attack on Saturday that killed at least 40 people. The tweet followed Russias warning that it will strike at incoming U.S. missiles and their launch platforms.

The defiant posture leaves both the White House and the Kremlin with fewer options to respond without losing face.

A stern statement last month by Russias top military officer effectively drew a red line on any U.S. strike. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian militarys General Staff, said Russian military officers are at Syrian facilities throughout the country and warned that if a threat to our servicemen emerges, the Russian armed forces will take retaliatory measures against both missiles and their carriers.

Some say the U.S. could launch a limited strike like it did in April 2017, when it hit Syrias Shayrat airfield with cruise missiles after warning Russia. Such a scenario would allow Washington to claim it made good on its promise to punish Syrian President Bashar Assad without triggering a clash with Russia.

A pinpoint U.S. strike on Syrian targets that does not harm Russian personnel will allow Trump to say that the Assad regime has paid a heavy price  and Russia in its turn will be able to limit itself to ringing statements, said Fyodor Lukyanov, the head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policies, an association of top Russian political and security experts.

He added, however, that the U.S. would be unlikely to warn Russia of the coming strike this time.

The context of the relations has changed radically in the past year: Were in a state of a real and tangible Cold War, Lukyanov said.

Moscows hopes of warmer ties with Washington under Trump have been shattered by the ongoing U.S. investigations of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and its potential ties with the Trump campaign. The Trump administration has ramped up sanctions against Russia and expelled dozens of diplomats. Tensions between the two countries have escalated on a broad range of issues  from the crisis in Ukraine to the war in Syria to the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain, which triggered the massive diplomatic war.

President Vladimir Putins top adviser, Vladislav Surkov said in an article released earlier this week that Russia has abandoned its centuries-long aspirations of integrating into the West and is bracing for a new era of geopolitical loneliness. Surkov warned that its going to be tough, but added cryptically that itll be fun.

Opinions vary about what may happen in Syria.

The situation is pretty bad, but it shouldnt be overdramatized, Alexei Malashenko, a leading Russian expert on Syria said in televised remarks. I dont believe that a clash between Russia and the U.S. is possible.

Washington and Moscow both have said that a hotline established in 2015 to prevent incidents between their militaries in Syria has worked well, but the rising stakes make the situation more unstable than ever during the Syrian conflict.

Under one possible scenario, Russia may try to use its sophisticated electronic warfare systems deployed in Syria to make U.S. missiles veer off course without shooting them down. If that softer option doesnt work, the Russian military could use an array of its state-of-the-art air defense assets in Syria to target the U.S. cruise missiles or drones.

Vyacheslav Nikonov, a senior lawmaker in the Kremlin-controlled lower house of parliament, said in televised remarks that the Russian military was getting its electronic countermeasures and air defense assets ready for action. He added on a combative note that the situation offers a good chance to test them in conditions of real combat.

An even more threatening situation may evolve if the U.S. and its allies use manned aircraft, and the Russian strike results in casualties.

Such a scenario could trigger a quick escalation, leaving Russia and the U.S. on the brink of a full-scale conflict  a situation unseen even during the darkest moments of the Cold War.

Retired Lt. Gen. Yevgeny Buzhinsky, the former chief of the Russian Defense Ministrys international department, warned that Russia has thousands of military advisers in Syria practically in every battalion, and a strike on any Syrian facility could jeopardize their lives. He warned that Russia and the U.S. will quickly find themselves in a major conflict if they allow a collision in Syria to happen.

I have an impression that Americans survival instincts have grown numb, if not vanished completely, Buzhinsky said. They seem not to really believe that Russia will give a tough military response and expect some sort of a local brawl, exchanging some minor blows. Its a miscalculation. Any clash between Russian and U.S. militaries will expand beyond a local conflict and an escalation will be inevitable.

Andrei Klimov, the head of an upper house committee that investigates foreign meddling in Russian affairs, proudly said on the top talk show on Russian state TV that his relative, a Soviet pilot, won a medal for combat duty in Vietnam. Klimov pointed to heavy U.S. losses from Soviet missiles and jets in Vietnam, adding that Russia stands ready to counter any possible U.S. strike.

Unlike the Vietnam War, where Soviet advisers helping North Vietnam supposedly werent directly engaged in combat, the potential clash in Syria would pit Russia directly against the U.S.

Fears of war swept Russian newspaper headlines and TV news, with commentators discussing the darkest possible outcomes, including a nuclear war.

What if the war starts tomorrow? the front page of Moskovsky Komsomolets clamored on Wednesday. Russias best-selling newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda wondered: Is macho Trump going to start World War III?

Even former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev weighed in. The 87-year-old former president compared the tensions to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and said he feels great concern.
After operating as a successful independent agency for 8 years, Scarecrow Communications has been acquired by international network, M&C Saatchi. Now rechristened Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, the agency will retain its own identity but there will be an integration with the global financial processes and compliance practices.

Speaking on the development, the 3 founders of Scarecrow  Raghu Bhat, Manish Bhatt and Arunava Sengupta  in a joint statement admitted that theyve had many suitors in the past few years. But after meeting Moray MacLennan, David Kershaw and Jeremy Sinclair in London, we were clear that M&C Saatchi is the perfect partner for Scarecrow. Why? Because they have entrepreneurship in their blood. The culture of M&C Saatchi, that sprung from the personalities of the brothers themselves  irreverence, low tolerance for jargon, challenging the established order and the history of many larger-than-life campaigns  are qualities we identify with, they added.

Adgully spoke to Richard Morewood, CEO, M&C Saatchi, Asia, as well as Raghu Bhat, Manish Bhatt and Arunava Sengupta to know more about the implications of such an acquisition, the strategy going forward, assimilating into a global team, moving ahead as a combined entity and much more. Excerpts:

Its a good day to do business: Richard Morewood

What led to this association with Scarecrow?

We are well aware of the fact that India is a very important market in the global network and a market where we need to have our significant presence. We have our presence in New Delhi. We have two approaches: the primary approach is to be associated with start-ups as we are a start-up based company. We began that way 23 years ago and have built most of our offices that way. But where there is a critical market where we need presence and we cant find that, we need to get the best talent and when we cant find the best talent to do a start-up, we see if the best talent has the potential for acquisition and thats what happened with Scarecrow Communications. We wanted to know the guys and hence, the courtship began. Although the conversation took a little time but it happened, not because just they were busy, but also because we had to understand each other and see if the network will work in the cultural alignment.

Its been likeminded people working together on the quality of work and quality of thinking, but sometimes things take time but these guys are really passionate about their work.

How did you zero in on Scarecrow Communications for this collaboration?

I came in at a time when this deal was already being discussed, but I think we probably did look at other agencies. However, as I said, its all about being in line with cultural alignment and the quality of work and being likeminded. Thats what attracted us to Scarecrow Communications.

Is this the first time that M&C Saatchi has associated with an Indian agency for creative establishment?

We have been present in the Indian market before. But we have been associated with various start-ups. One challenge with them is that some work and some dont. But this is the first significant move in the company, where we have partnered with a big established agency thats doing some great work. But we are still developing further through these guys, helping them expand their current offerings and giving them some different offerings.

What are the major changes that will be working at Scarecrow M&C Saatchi post this acquisition?

We are not really looking at a lot of change. We are here to help them grow and flourish and grow them into an even bigger business. However, that does not mean that we need to change them. We just need to give them more opportunities, resources and help them tap into more opportunities to let them grow organically. Then, we have these group offerings that we dont have expertise and presence in the Indian market, where Scarecrow can help us integrate with. It just means opening up the opportunities for both sides.

What kind of clientele would now be open to Scarecrow and vice-versa?

From the client perspective, we have a huge experience in Telecom, Banking, Tourism, Airlines, etc. So, there are various sectors and case studies that can be used by Scarecrow. From a digital point of view, we have better digital capabilities from which they can leverage the strengths from the network.

With such big investment done in this merger, how do you plan to put the big sum to good use?

It is an investment in growing our businesses, which we dont do very often. Some of the other big groups like WPP and Publicis have spent their lifetime doing acquisitions. Thats how they build the business. You do investments to get the returns, but our investment is aimed at the future as India is very critical, we want to work with the best people and we have found the same in Scarecrow Communications. I think its a good day for everybody and a good day to do business!

Well continue to add more bricks to this foundation: Manish Bhatt, Raghu Bhat & Arunava Sengupta

What has been the sole reason behind this merger after three years of contemplation with M&C Saatchi? What are the changes that you expect with this merger?

You dont just start to fly, there is a wind and then you flutter and begin to fly. So, a few years ago some of the other networks had approached us for mergers, like Dentsu, Cheil, etc. Then we considered an association like this. The way we structured our management, we dont think about everything only in terms of encashing money. What we like here is the fact that there is endearment in creating this association. It took us time to come to consensus for the three of us as we scrutinised the deal too. So, putting together, one thing that we wanted was the creative legacy. Saatchi is a great name in the creative field. To partner with such a brand name and interacting with their management, we pretty much got convinced with the deal they offered. It took time to finalise everything. Besides this, the entire DNA of simplicity, the entrepreneurship and freedom that comes with this merger, who would not like to get into such a relationship and we saw a match and then we tick-marked!

What are the structural changes that will come with this merger?

They will be according to the SHA  the Share Holding Agreement. Besides that, we have been the intrinsic face of Scarecrow and we will remain to be there this way in full throttle. However, now we have two brand names that are trying to help each other and then the expertise that we both will help each other with. In the end, we both believe in simplicity of ideas, and we work on the fundamentals of not doing mere lip-service, we genuinely work behind something and if that works, only then do we talk about it.

With more international clientele being open to you, how do you plan to strategise your planning with them?

The international world of business is changing; clients seek value wherever they find it. We are not rigid anymore, which means we are open to working with multinational agencies. But with this association, we think that our core creativity will get new wings now. It will get new allies, new expertise and because of that we will now be able to make more number of pitches and will be able to present different kinds of propositions to the clients.

What are the other areas of expansion that you are looking at?

We believe that its very important that you stick to your core. Its, therefore, critical to identify which areas and fields you will enter where you can offer your core. Our outlook towards expansion is our traditional offerings. We want to do more in our traditional area of TVCs as our USP is the quality of messaging with creativity. One is, we want to increase the breadth of new offerings. Also, using creativity with the help of technology to enter into a few other new areas. We dont want to just start with five new offerings from tomorrow, but underline and reinforce our core offerings and one or two areas where we can use technology to improve our offerings.

Scarecrow began as an independent entity. How much of independence do you see being retained by you post this merger?

It is like a marriage, a bride sees various prospects and can even reject them all; we saw only four-five. The reason it took time is because it cannot be rushed. It has to take its natural time and during this relationship building period, you identify the strengths and details of your partner. During these three years, we observed the ways that M&C Saatchi works and now there will be no rude surprises for us later.

How much do you believe in Maurice Saatchis philosophy of Brutal Simplicity of Thought?

We resonate with the thought a lot as the idea demands simplicity. But our differentiator is going to be the hard word that we put in the work; we dont presume that things are going to happen automatically. We were not shopkeepers when we began and there was no automatic customer pull. There is a commonality between us and M&C Saatchi in that we put our philosophy first.

Also, when we started, we were rebels. We were rebelling against jargons, structures based on egos and unnecessary complications of things. M&C Saatchi represents simplicity and the way things can be than the way things are. Simple things reach your mind faster and stay for a longer time and that is the commonality of our communication process as well. Apart from the logo change, rest of the things at Scarecrow will remain the same and simple. We are what we are! That is the true essence of it all.

What kind of projects are you more willing to take after this merger?

Our core area of brand building and communications remains the same. We also look at this as an opportunity to learn as we have various interest areas where we may not have the capabilities like sports, mobile, etc. This partnership will help add capabilities at play. It is all about keeping your mind young and keep learning new things.

How are you planning to boost your creative processes post this merger?

One of the biggest challenges in the industry today is talent retention. With M&C Saatchi offerings, we will probably become attractive to young talent who might know M&C Saatchi more than Scarecrow Communications. There will be a certain aspect of glamour and aspirations, giving them bigger impetus to join and stay with us.

What kind of revenue-based boost are you looking at?

From day one, we have been financially a very conservative agency. That is one of the reasons for relative stability of Scarecrow Communications. We are all simple and down-to-earth people and thats why we have been able to keep our expenses under control and we will continue to do this. If need be, we will invest, but we will not take any undue risks as the business environment is highly uncertain. For instance, demonetisation had impacted the industry; we dont know what is going to happen in the 2019 elections. So, we would like to maintain the culture of Scarecrows eight years of steady growth.

We would like Scarecrow to exist ideally forever, but this will only happen if there is a big spike in growth. However, we are not going to aggressively chase growth at the expense of our values, principles and happiness. Why M&C Saatchi tied with us is because they realised that we are a solid company and there is solidarity between us three co-founders and they seek certainty with us. We will continue to add more bricks to this foundation than making any other major changes.

Unveiling the identity of SCARECROW M&C SAATCHI

Richard Morewood, CEO, Asia, M&C Saatchi also unveiled the new identity of SCARECROW M&C SAATCHI in the presence of Scarecrow employees, small group of Scarecrow's clients and well-wishers. Approach to design this identity : When Pope saw Michelangelo's statue of David, he asked the artist, "how do you know, what to cut away from the stone?" Maichelangelo replied, "It's simple. I just removed everything that just doesn't look like David." Similarly, when we had to design the new identity of Scarecrow, we took inspiration from Lord Maurice Saatchi's book 'Brutal simplicity of thought'. But, how do you know to make Scarecrow brutally simple? It's easy. By cutting away everything that's not simple.
The British Council - UKs international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities has roped in Carat India, the flagship media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, to handle their media duties in the country. This win comes on the back of Carats new business wins such as Franchise India Holdings (FIHL) and Fossils group in the recent past.

Commenting on the partnership, Nirupa Fernandes - Director Marketing, British Council India said, We are very pleased to associate with Carat in India following a close association with Carat in UK. 2018 marks 70 years of the British Council in India and we have been inspired by India every day of the last 70 years. This year, we want to share the stories of the great things weve done together, make new connections and new stories, and inspire millions of young people to develop relationship and connections for the next 70 years. We are excited that working with Carat and the extended Dentsu Aegis Network will help us position our brand effectively across all channels.

Speaking about the win, Rajni Menon - CEO, Carat India added, It really feels great having British Council on board. British council has been a part of many Indians lives through some form of their services starting from improving English skills, courses for teachers, preparing for IELTS exams, helping students to study abroad, etc. With Dentsu Aegis Networks integrated approach and capabilities of delivering end to end solutions, we are confident of enabling a strong connect with the young and dynamic audiences across platforms.

British Council has offices in nine cities across India and continually work towards creating opportunities for young people to develop new skills, become better qualified, introduce an international dimension to their learning or profession and develop a better understanding of other cultures. Their work in India covers arts, sports, higher education, English language, training solution and library.

For more related stories visit here.
Coca-Cola India, one of the countrys leading beverage companies, today announced the launch of Thums Up Charged No Sugar, the companys first home-grown beverage to be offered in a no sugar variant with the same strong taste and extra thunder. The introduction of the new variant is a step towards Coca-Cola Indias commitment to promote moderation and offer people the choice of regular, low-sugar and no-sugar options to choose from. Consumers can now enjoy their favourite Thums Up taste with the same taste while staying conscious of their sugar intake.

Commenting on the launch, Ishteyaque Amjad, Vice President, Public Affairs & Communication at Coca Cola India & South West Asia, said, Coca-Cola India is accelerating its strategic evolution to become a total beverage company by offering innovative and localized beverage choices to consumers. The launch of Thums Up Charged No Sugar not only marks the expansion of our product portfolio but also demonstrates our efforts to innovate products locally that meet changing consumer tastes and preferences. This is a significant milestone for us in our sugar reduction strategy and I am delighted to announce that leading this journey is our very own home grown brand Thums Up.

Vijay Parasuraman, Vice President-Marketing at Coca-Cola India & South West Asia said, Last year, we introduced Thums Up Charged to celebrate the forty thunderous years of the iconic brand Thums Up and were elated to see the love amongst our consumers. We are now eager to take the iconicity of this brand to the next level with Thums Up Charged No Sugar and recruit more consumers in our journey to make Thums Up the first home-grown billion-dollar beverage brand. The no-sugar, no-calorie variant is aimed at consumers who want to balance their sugar intake and enjoy their favorite drink as well. Additionally, we are supporting the brand by going beyond the traditional marketing practices and directly engaging with the consumers through interactive platforms and innovative formats.

To connect with its core drinkers, Coca-Cola India has unveiled a creative and innovative marketing campaign in association with Marvel. The cans and PET bottles of Thums Up Charged No Sugar feature illustrations of four Marvel Avengers Super Heroes namely Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Black Widow. These superheroes share the attributes with the brand which is constantly challenging themselves to unleash their true potential. This association is expected to deepen the companys engagement with millennials and youth.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We are constantly seeking fun new ways to make our stories and characters a part of the everyday lives of our fans, said Bikram Duggal, Executive Director and Head  Studios & Chief Marketing Officer, Disney India. We couldnt be more excited about collaborating with Coca-Cola India in preparation for our historic release -- Avengers: Infinity War, he added.

The multi-faceted campaign includes TV Commercials featuring the Avengers, along with promotions on the brands social media pages across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thums Up, the flagship brand, encourages Never Settle For Less and epitomizes the Go get the superior attitude. This grit and will personifies the strength of the strong-tasting cola. The company is also undertaking on-ground activations including sampling across 14 cities, exclusive movie previews and in-store branded displays across modern trade.

Commenting on the TVC, Sainath Saraban, Creative Head, Leo Burnett, said, Just like the effervescence that rises to the top in a bottle of Thums Up Charged No Sugar, the heroes too rise when it is time to prove themselves. Thums Up Charged No Sugar is a metaphor for the display of inner strength that superheroes demonstrate. Through this TVC, we have tried to achieve this in a visually gripping manner. The film is an association between two huge and exciting brands - Marvel Avengers and Thums Up Charged No Sugar. There is a palpable excitement, energy, action and joy that both bring to their fans.

Creative Team on the new Thums Up Charged No Sugar campaign:
Samsung India has launched a digital campaign showcasing its new Digital Inverter Refrigerators through a heart-warming story of the relationship between a mother and a daughter.

Conceptualised by Cheil, the campaign film, which shows a modern, young, evolved working woman gifting her mother a refrigerator that runs on both inverter and solar power for a better, improved and hassle-free life, has gone viral with over 50 million views on YouTube in the first 20 days of its launch.

This heart-warming campaign shows the strong bond between a mother and daughter. The campaign showcases the brand ethos of Samsung of caring about consumers at every step and bringing in innovative technologies to solve real life problems. Through this emotional story, we wanted to communicate how our new refrigerator line runs non-stop on the home inverter, making life better for a modern young Indian women. The campaign crossing 50 million views on YouTube in India is a testimony of consumer love and trust in brand Samsung, said Mr. Ranjivjit Singh, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung India.

In the film, the mother is seen entering the daughters house while she is away at work. The mother brings with herself kheer that she has prepared lovingly for her daughter. She keeps it in her daughters fridge for her to enjoy when she is back from work. Just as she is leaving, there is a power cut. When the daughter returns home the power outage is still there but she is elated to see the kheer in the fridge. She calls her mother to appreciate her love but the mother is concerned that the kheer might have gone bad because of the long power cut. It is here that the daughter tells her not to worry because her new refrigerator even works on the home inverter.

The 60-second film focuses on a real life situation, of the difficulty faced by individuals when food gets spoilt due to power cuts during summer months. The film captures a young working woman in conversation with her mother that touches hearts with different emotions of joy, love and care.

The end of the film shows the daughter buying a similar refrigerator for her mother, hoping that the refrigerator takes care of her mother like her mother takes care of her.

Samsung is a brand that stands for innovation. The task at hand was to show how this offering of a refrigerator that runs on an inverter can make a world of a difference in the consumers life, in a very real way. This film is crafted in a way that makes the viewer feel that this is a situation straight out of their lives. The narrative beautifully connects the ad to its viewers and we are seeing a lot of positive response to the campaign. We hope to garner more brand love through this emotional campaign, said Mr. Aneesh Jaisinghani, Executive Creative Director, Cheil India.
Triton Communications has announced that it has won the creative mandate for Dainik Bhaskar group of publications including Divya Bhaskar (Gujarati) and Divya Marathi (Marathi) which is a part of the DB Corp Ltd.



The account was won after a multi-agency pitch involving 5 agencies and a comprehensive round of presentations.



Over the last couple of years, Dainik Bhaskar has evolved significantly in order to keep pace with the changing times. The product offering has been contemporized and the editorial stance has shifted towards giving the reader a unique perspective which is not available from other sources. The brief was to communicate this in a vivid manner and tie it in with a consumer benefit.



Having helped launched Divya Bhaskar in Gujarat, Triton understood the ethos of the Dainik Bhaskar Group of putting the reader first. This helped the agency come up with a campaign which brought out the benefit of Smart Soch which in turn was the result of the knowledge which the newspaper delivered to its readers.

To Read More Visit Here.

Talking about the Dainik Bhaskar win, Mayur Rana, Executive Director (Ahmedabad) says, "Having worked closely with the team at Dainik Bhaskar during the launch of Divya Bhaskar in Gujarat we understood the ethos of the Bhaskar Group. They have always believed in putting the readers interests first and doing their duty in promoting a positive environment. When they explained to us the how the newspaper has evolved in the recent past and in order to respond to the changing media environment we realized there was a story waiting to be told. The group focuses on providing 'knowledge' that can be used, and this is what makes them different. We are excited to be partnering with them to take this message to the world."



Mr Atul Purohit, Executive Creative Director, Triton Communications says, When news is packed with knowledge it widens the readers outlook and enables them to think smart. The concept of Smart Soch for Dainik Bhaskar was a perfect fit. Dainik Bhaskar is a leader in its market because it always thinks about its reader in a way that equips them to think and lead the way. The use of hand paintings also stems from the idea that when the reader holds this newspaper in his hand, he is empowered with the power of knowledge and smart thinking. He firmly believes, Kyunki samay ki ek seema hoti hai, paiso ki bhi ek seema hoti lekin soch ki koi seema nahi hoti....aur wahi soch deta hai Dainik Bhaskar.



Mr. Munawar Syed- Director of Triton Communications says, In todays digital world, newspapers are not the primary source of information. In addition there is now awareness about fake news. We recognized that DB has a high credibility factor amongst readers who look to DB for intellectual enrichment and individualism. The perception shift from the source of information to source of knowledge was therefore a natural move. It was now only a matter of presenting this thought as a Smart Soch with simple relatable icons for visual drama.



This path breaking campaign conceived by Atul Purohit & Vinayak Pattar and was shot by Daboo Ratnani with hand paintings by Deelip Khomane.



The campaign which was launched across the country on April 2, 2018 is being rolled out across all media including digital.

To Read More Visit Here.
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On April 4, the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey met in Ankara to hold a trilateral summit within the framework of the Astana process to discuss the latest developments in Syria. It was the second round of high-level talks between the three heads of government after their first meeting in Russias Black Sea resort of Sochi on Nov. 22, in which they agreed to continue their contacts in order to facilitate the process of finding a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict.

The second summit came as the situation on the ground in Syria has undergone significant developments over the past four months. On the one hand, Ankaras military operation in northern Syria against Kurdish groups has resulted in the taking over of Afrin by Turkey and its local partners, with the possibility that Turkey may extend the scope of its operation further to the west still on the horizon. On the other hand, the Syrian army, with the direct help of Russia and Irans tacit support, has managed to gain almost full control of the strategic Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta.

Having been identified as standing at the two opposite ends of the Syrian conflict, Russia and Iran on the one hand and Turkey on the other showed an unprecedented level of restraint toward each others latest military moves in the war-torn country. While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear that Ankara and Moscow have no disagreements over Turkey's Operation Olive Branch, some reports even suggested that Russia was actually helping Turkey to reach its goals in Afrin. For its part, while expressing concern over the situation in eastern Ghouta, Turkey stopped short of directly condemning the Russian-backed military moves in the area. Meanwhile, Iran apparently preferred to keep a low profile regarding both cases.

Taking into account the above-mentioned developments, one could reasonably argue that the three Astana partners have reached a meaningful level of mutual understanding of their main goals and interests in Syria. However, a deeper look at the recent trilateral summit in Ankara could provide us with a better understanding of the exact areas of agreement and disagreement between the three guarantors of the truces in Syria.

First, it seems that the three parties do not have a unified view of the exact role and status of the Astana process. While referring to the Astana format as the only effective international initiative that has helped reduce violence across Syria, the joint statement issued after the summit introduces the Geneva process as the ultimate format for finding a lasting political solution to the Syrian conflict. This is in line with the repeated insistence by Ankara and Moscow that Astana and Geneva are not competing but rather complementary formats for a Syrian settlement.

Like before, however, Iranian officials present in Ankara didnt make any reference to Geneva, insisting solely on the role of the three Astana partners in bringing stability to Syria. The Astana peace process and the efforts of the three countries have resulted in the best successes in the war on terrorists, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said during his bilateral meeting with Erdogan on April 4. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said upon his arrival in Ankara that the Astana peace process has been the only successful initiative for Syria, while criticizing foreign governments trying to make decisions for the Syrian people.

Mindful of the bottom line of the recent statements made by high-ranking Iranian officials, it seems that Iran is trying to introduce the Astana process as a successful example of regional cooperation without any Western presence or influence to solve regional problems and a template for regional political-security dialogue. In this vein, Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami, who was in Russia on April 3 to attend the Moscow International Security Conference, said foreign plans to enhance security in the region would inevitably fail, underlining that any plan made for this purpose must originate within the region. In this vein, reports suggesting that Iran had rejected the idea of French President Emanuel Macrons presence at the recent Ankara meeting makes more sense if being considered in this context.

Second, the three leaders emphasis in their joint statement that they would continue cooperation to combat terrorist groups in Syria clearly shows that none of them intend to cease their military presence in the country. However, Rouhani for the first time clearly defended the idea of drawing up and amending a new constitution for Syria, as well as speeding up the political process. This could mean that Iran  after eyeing the current situation on the ground and in particular the recent achievements of the Syrian army  is gradually shifting its focus toward defining a role for itself in the postwar political scene of Syria, trying to have a say in shaping the new political structure in the country.

Third, while attempting not to alienate Turkey by directly condemning Ankaras military plans in Syria, Tehran appears to become increasingly concerned about Turkeys plans in the north of the country. In what could be considered Irans most explicit criticism of Operation Olive Branch, Rouhani expressed concern that the situation in Afrin might lead to the violation of Syrias territorial integrity, asking Ankara to hand over the city to the Syrian army. In fact, this issue seems to have the potential to appear as a hurdle in the way of further development of the trilateral format.

Finally, the five principles of the sovereignty, independence, unity, territorial integrity and nonsectarian character of Syria, underlined by the three parties in their joint statement, might be a sign of a compromise between Iran, Russia and Turkey over the nature and structure of the future Syrian government. If the latter is truly the case, it could be argued that Moscow is no longer pursuing the idea of federalism in Syria, while Tehran and Ankara, respectively, have agreed not to seek the establishment of Alawi-dominated or Sunni-dominated governments in the country.

In the event of the above, the most probable result would be a unitary political system based on the principle of power-sharing between various ethnic and religious groups, like the models currently operating in Lebanon or Iraq. Nonetheless, whether or not this is welcomed by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian opposition is a different issue that only time will tell.
The war of words between Russia and the United States has escalated following the recent suspected chemical attack on Douma and the Israeli airstrike on the T4 air base in Syria, which left seven Iranians dead. Iranian media are extensively covering and analyzing these developments.

While conservative outlets generally opine that a US military attack on Syria is likely, Reformist media and figures are urging Iranian officials to be cautious in case a war erupts.

Javan newspaper, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, believes that the United States is preparing itself for a strike on Syria. The hard-line daily wrote April 11, The process of studying the case of the alleged chemical attack in Douma  and the accusations by the West against Russia for supporting the Syrian government has increased the possibility of a direct US-Russian military conflict in Syria. Given that the crisis in Russian-US relations has intensified, it appears that Washington is preparing itself for a possible attack on Syria.

Moreover, ultraconservative Kayhan newspaper, whose chief editor is appointed by Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also argued that a US attack on Syria is likely.

A limited US attack on a number of areas in Syria is possible, and if Trump becomes satisfied with this scope of [the attack], he can put this crisis behind him [and save face], and convince public opinion that he has fulfilled his threats. But if the scope of the attack, as he has said, becomes 'wider and strong,' the current crisis will turn into a dangerous war that will swallow Trump. Nonetheless, we should not ignore [the fact] that even a [limited] attack can [lead to] a decisive answer by Russia and its allies, wrote Kayhan April 11.

Meanwhile, in an interview with conservative Tasnim news agency, Hossein Sheikholislam, Irans former ambassador to Syria, stated that a US attack is likely. He said April 11, The Americans may increase their military movements in Syria and attack the country; however, in our opinion, such actions [may be] destructive, but will be ineffective on the political and practical scenes.

He added, The Americans know that they dont have the courage and guts to deploy their forces in Syria, and if [they] deploy forces, they will leave Syria as corpses.

The Iranian diplomat continued, A US military strike on Syria can turn into their last defeat in Syria. It seems that the Americans will resort to military action as the last way to say 'America is effective in Syria,' but this plot as the last solution will have no results.

In the meantime, Qassem Mohebali, a former Iranian diplomat, urged Iranian officials to be cautious and not to trust Russian promises in case of eruption of a war in Syria following a US attack.

He told the moderate Entekhab news site April 10, Iran should be cautious. Iran is one of the targets of the United States, and now the Americans, Israelis, Arabs and Turks are keen to [see] Iran withdraw from Syria. He added, It is not unlikely that America and Russia may reach an agreement based on which America will target Iranian positions and that Russia would then ask Iran to leave Syria.

Mohebali emphasized, Iran must be cautious  and should not be deceived by the radicals of the region and the verbal support of the Russians and if any action is supposed to happen, [Tehran should] let Russia pioneer [such action] and not Iran.

He also noted, It is unlikely that the United States will directly target Russia's positions [in Syria]. In case of war, the United States is likely to primarily target Syrian positions and then Iranian positions [in Syria], though the possibility of attacks on Iranian positions is less likely.
The cruel April 8 chemical attack in Syria attributed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad nearly coincided with the commemoration in Israel of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which began the evening of April 11. This proximity in timing led many in Israel to call on the state to act in the name of morality and a Jewish obligation not to stand aloof in the face of such horrors. It was in fact impossible to remain indifferent to the terrible photos of dead babies in the Syrian city of Douma that traversed social networks and appeared across Israeli media.

This, again, shows what we unfortunately already know  a sort of ongoing failure by organizations and apparatuses established by the international community after World War II and the Holocaust to prevent crimes against humanity, Avner Shalev, chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Center, said on April 10 at a conference. Shalev called on the world to provide humanitarian aid to the victims and remarked, [The] shocking sights that we have witnessed, here beyond the border, are enabled and continue as a result of the apathy of the world.

Israels chief Sephardic rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, went further, calling for real activism on the part of the Jewish state, which he believes has a moral obligation not to remain silent: As Jews who have experienced a 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.

Amos Yadlin, retired general and former head of army intelligence, also connected Holocaust Remembrance Day to the murder in Douma. As we approach Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah, Israel should clarify that it takes a moral stance against killers who use weapons of mass murder against civilians, Yadlin tweeted.

Official Israel discharged its duty with a sharply worded statement of condemnation from the Foreign Ministry, in which it accused the Assad regime of the repeated use of chemical weapons. Aside from that condemnation, Israel did not commit to or threaten to respond to the chemical attack at Douma, appearing to reserve its growing military involvement in Syria to affairs directly concerning sovereignty and security.

In fact, as concerns past incidents of genocide, Israel also did not take active steps, despite its historical and moral obligation as the state of the Jewish people, who experienced the most terrible of horrors of the modern era. Along with the rest of the international community, Israel did not act to save those murdered in Rwanda in 1994, whose horrors were known, or the murdered in Darfur since 2003. The same holds for events in regions geographically closer to Israel, for instance, the systematic murder of the Yazidis by the Islamic State in Iraq. Acts of rape, abuse and murder were reported almost in real time on social media, yet official Israel, like every other nation of the international community, was shocked but did not intervene.

Indeed, the international community, including Israel, has time and again tolerated the murder of civilians, failing to act. In 1948, after the extent of the murder of the Jews by the Nazis was revealed, the United Nations adopted a convention to prevent genocide. Israel joined the convention in 1949, but to little avail.

In actuality, diplomatic considerations and political interests prevent intervention in real time in cases of crimes against humanity. They are also in play in connection to a genocide that took place about a hundred years ago. Israel, for fear of harming relations with Turkey, avoids recognizing the Armenian genocide, which took place during World War I (1915-18). That mass killing along with the Herero and Nama genocide in South West Africa are considered the first of their kind in the twentieth century. Regarding the more well-known Armenian genocide, no one disputes its horrors and scope. According to estimates, between a million and a million and a half Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman regime.

Israels refusal to recognize the Armenian genocide is not a source of national or Jewish pride. In 2015, the centennial of the Armenian genocide was commemorated, and debate once again arose in Israel over the question of recognition. In an essay in Haaretz, former Minister Yossi Sarid related how as prime ministers both Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak avoided recognizing the Armenian Holocaust. Sarid, who tried to change this official position, quoted Peres as saying to him, We should leave the Armenian genocide to the historians. Even with Israeli-Turkish relations having deteriorated under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel has not strayed from this policy.

In 2015, Knesset Chair Yuli Edelstein surprised everyone when he declared at a Knesset session marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide that the time had come for the State of Israel to recognize the episode. Edelstein said of the mass killing, This is one of the most despicable and most dramatic incidents that happened in the beginning of the last century. He also noted, It is no secret that the State of Israel has until now taken an ambivalent stand on the Armenian genocide. A thicket of constraints, diplomatic and other, created a state of affairs in which the Israeli position was too hesitant, too restrained, and as a result, it appears to have diminished the importance of this powerful event.

Despite these words, Israel has not changed its outlook. A year later, the Knesset Education Committee renewed debate on the issue and recognized the genocide, but the action has no official, diplomatic weight.

In the case of the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar, Israel did offer humanitarian aid. At the same time, several publications have reported on Israel supposedly supplying weapons to the regime in Myanmar, and Israel did not champion any significant international response to the crisis.

Will Israel act against Syria in response to its use of chemical weapons? The chances are slim. A military response is possible by the United States, which has signaled that it intends to act. President Donald Trump, who recently spoke about withdrawing US troops from Syria, has sounded resolute in recent days and has not spared condemnation or blame toward Assad, whom he called an animal in a tweet. There may now be a higher degree of expectation that Israel will respond, given the combination of calls to act in Syria in light of the horrors of Douma, memory of the Holocaust and Israel's security interest in preventing Iran's entrenchment in Syria.
We know that were alone in this fight, a very senior source in the Israeli defense establishment told Al-Monitor this week. Still, we have no choice but to carry on.

The April 4 phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump made it clear to the Israeli leadership that the friendliest president to Israel ever has no plans to change his strategic decision to withdraw US forces from Syria and leave the arena to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reportedly, Netanyahu did try to explain to Trump what the implications of such a withdrawal would be. But according to Israeli sources informed about the content of the call, while Trump expressed his understanding of the Israeli position, he made it clear to Netanyahu that he will not change his mind. The two men agreed that the United States would continue to grant Israel widespread international support, but the United States is unwilling to continue being bogged down in the Syrian quagmire. Trump apparently told Netanyahu that now that the Islamic State has been defeated and eliminated, the United States has no reason to remain there. At the same time, Trump promised Netanyahu that the United States would stand beside Israel and provide it with assistance if needed.

This was a major disappointment for Netanyahu. It undermined the idyllic romance between him and Trump, replacing it with the kind of tension that left a bitter taste. Netanyahu knows that Trump is his best card; when it comes to Israeli interests, he makes a point of saying all the right things. The problem is that the president does not always follow up on his statements with actions on the ground.

Right now, the most critical issue for Israels national security is the fact that Iran is pouring every effort into establishing its presence in Syria. Yet this is the very issue in which Trump stubbornly refuses to provide Israel with the goods. The president has completely reversed US policy on Iran. He thinks the exact opposite of his predecessor, Barack Obama. In other words, Trump sees Iran as a liability rather than an asset and describes it as a state exporter of terrorism and violence. The president is even giving serious thought to the possibility of pulling out of the nuclear agreement signed between Iran and the superpowers. That's because Trump sees the Iranians as posing an immediate and severe threat to American interests in the Middle East and the stability of the Sunni regimes, considered Americas main allies in the region. The problem is that when it comes to putting words into action, the president tends to show reluctance. When it comes to what happens in Syria the day after, the president is silent.

Ostensibly, when it comes to the situation of Iran along our northern border, there is no difference between his [Trumps] position and that of Obama, a senior Israeli Cabinet member told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. In the end, they both made the same decision to get out of here [the region] as fast as they can and not allow the Middle Eastern quagmire to cost America more than it already has.

Despite the fact that it is all but alone, Israel will not blink. The massive aerial attack on the Tiyas (T4) Air Base near Homs has been attributed to Israel, and this was confirmed by official US sources. Israel has remained completely silent about it. On April 10, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said, I dont know what happened or who attacked T4, while emphasizing that Israel is absolutely unwilling to allow Iran to continue establishing itself in Syria, whatever the cost. Liberman added, Accepting Iranian entrenchment in Syria would be to accept Iranians putting a chokehold on us. We cannot allow that."

Liberman could not be clearer about Israeli policy. It seems that over the past few months, Israel has gotten past the threshold of fear and come to terms with the fact that it is on a collision course with Iran and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (in the best scenario); with Iran, Assad and Hezbollah (in a bad scenario); or with Iran, Assad, Hezbollah and Russia (in the worst scenario).

Israels defense establishment is usually the one to define the boundaries of the military arena for the countrys political leadership and curb any adventurist attitudes that politicians might have. In this case, however, they see eye to eye with Netanyahu, Liberman and the other bellicose Cabinet members. Such unanimity of opinions between Israels war Cabinet and the top brass of the Israel Defense Forces and defense establishment has not been seen in a very long time. The policy is simple: Under no circumstances can Israel afford to blink in Syria. It must not allow Iran to establish air or ground bases in Syria, nor can it allow Iran to put military infrastructures in place. Anyone who blinks now will wake up a year from now  or maybe three years from now  and find themselves in an intolerable situation. And what if this policy leads to war in the region? So be it. Israel has stopped worrying about that, at least for now.

The aerial assault on the Syrian air base was much more massive than any previous attack attributed to Israel. Despite statements that the Syrian defense system shot down some of the eight missiles fired by the F-15s involved in the assault, Western sources with access to intelligence reports told Al-Monitor that dozens of missiles were actually fired at the northwest quadrant of the base, where Iran established its own independent airfield for military drones. According to reports reaching the West, the base was completely destroyed, and at least seven Iranians were killed. The incident resulted in an unprecedented wave of responses, including a very blunt and firm condemnation from Russia. The Russians even summoned Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Gary Koren for talks with the deputy foreign minister to clarify what happened. Meanwhile, Iran described the action attributed to Israel as a crime and promised revenge.

Once again, Jerusalem refused to show any sign of fear. On April 10, Liberman told anyone who would listen that if Iran takes action against Israel from Syrian territory, Israel will respond with massive force. Sources in the Israeli defense establishment noted that if Iran makes good on its threat, Israel will take the necessary steps to topple the Assad regime and eliminate Assad himself. In other words, it was sending a very explicit warning to Tehran, Damascus and Moscow that the landlord, i.e. Israel, has gone wild  anything can happen now. Israel may be alone, but that does not scare her. On the contrary, it only underscores the existential need to show gumption by sticking firmly to the red lines that it set for itself.

The ball is now in Tehrans court. Israel believes that Putin will hold back in response to Israels aggressive policy. Given the chaotic situation in the region, no one in the Israeli leadership has any plans to fold now. If Iran is willing to risk an open war with Israel just so that it can establish military infrastructure in Syria, it must also realize that Israel is willing to go all the way in response. What we are now witnessing is a regional game of chicken, involving many conflicting forces with complex and often contradictory interests. It is within this situation that Israel is trying to introduce a new deterrent. Over the next few weeks, we will see if it succeeded.
News that Moammar Gadhafi's most prominent son, Saif al-Islam, intends to run for president is raising fears and hopes that the old regime could return to power in Libya through the ballot box.

He could have a reasonable chance to win, especially now that Gen. Khalifa Hifter  the leader of the Libyan National Army who has hinted that he could run for president  was reportedly admitted to a hospital in Paris after suffering a stroke on April 11.

On March 19, Saif al-Islam announced through his lawyer that he plans to run as the head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, a political party with a stated mission to unify the country. However, many Libyans still dont know what to make of his candidacy.

There are even rumors that Saif al-Islam could be dead. Since militias from the northwest city of Zintan ostensibly released him in June 2017, he hasnt issued an announcement himself or made a public appearance.

But Khaled Mohammad, who belongs to the same Qadhadhfa tribe as the Gadhafis, claims to have secret information that confirms he is alive. Mohammad is one of more than 2 million people signed up to vote in the next election, and he insists that Saif al-Islam is running for office at the request of the tribes and communities who support him.

Nobody has the right to be mad if Saif al-Islam becomes Libyas ruler through the ballot box, said Mohammad, who lives in a Cairo suburb, to Al-Monitor over the phone. The Qadhadhfa tribe was expecting him to run. We need Saif al-Islam to pull Libya out of chaos.

The Warfalla tribe could also be a source of significant support for Saif al-Islam. Their stronghold is in the western town of Bani Walid, where Saif al-Islam sought refuge in the winding days of the Libyan uprising. And like most tribes who supported Gadhafis regime, the Warfalla have been marginalized by Libyas competing authorities since the revolution.

Some of Gadhafis opponents nonetheless stress that Saif al-Islam shouldnt be eligible to run for president until he is sent to The Hague, where he is wanted for committing crimes against humanity during the popular uprising in 2011. But Libyas weak institutions would have to adopt an electoral law that bars suspected war criminals from campaigning in the elections, otherwise Saif al-Islam could become the head of state regardless of outstanding charges against him.

Thats been the case in Sudan, where Omar al-Bashir still reigns since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in July 2009. The difference, of course, is that Bashir was firmly in power when he was indicted.

Saif shouldnt technically be allowed to run in elections while he is an international outlaw, said Jaber Elobidy, whom the elder Gadhafi threw in prison for 12 years in 1977 for belonging to a student union. [Saif al-Islam] should be handed a fair trial, which Libya isnt equipped to give him right now. Thats why he needs to be handed over to the International Criminal Court.

Alice Alunni, a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University in England and an analyst on Libya, doesnt believe that Saif al-Islam is a real threat to win the elections. The only way he could be a serious contender, she said, is by making a public appearance.

If he made a public appearance, it would be a game changer, she told Al-Monitor. But he would have to demonstrate the same charisma and personality that he had during the 2000s. Only then would he rally support beyond the tribes that traditionally back him.

However, appearing in public poses great risks. Tarek Megerisi, a Libyan analyst and a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, noted that lots of people would like to kill or arrest Saif al-Islam, which is probably why he never discloses his whereabouts. Despite his absence, Saif al-Islam still has a chance to win.

Libyan elections arent different to other Arab elections; people often vote for the personalities that they know, Megerisi said, over the phone. But there are so many grievances against Saif al-Islam that some parties wont accept the result if he wins. Some people might not mind him anymore, but others maintain a visceral hatred for [Saif al-Islam].

Before the revolution, Saif al-Islam was branded a reformer. He acquired a degree from the London School of Economics despite allegations of plagiarizing his dissertation, and he was embraced by the likes of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. But many Libyans turned against him after he denounced the rebellion and promised to spill rivers of blood in a televised speech on Feb. 21, 2011.

Public resentment has subsided since the overthrow of his father in 2011. For the last seven years, militias have hijacked the country by killing and kidnapping civilians with impunity. The anarchy has hampered service provisions and plummeted the value of the Libyan dinar, spurring a growing nostalgia for Gadhafis era that many Libyans associate with a period of stability.

But not everybody is yearning for the past. Laila Moghrabi, who participated in demonstrations against Gadhafis regime, said she wont vote for Saif al-Islam since he shoulders much of the blame for the mess that Libya is in today.

Saif al-Islam was one of the main figures in the old regime, she told Al-Monitor. And if he failed to improve the country before [the revolution], then he wont succeed today.

Elobidy, the political prisoner from Gadhafis era, adds that Saif al-Islam may have his own scores to settle if he rises to power again. Those deemed responsible for killing his father could be the first target, continuing the cycle of revenge that has doomed Libya since the revolution.

Can Saif al-Islam forget about the hatred that so many Libyans had toward him and his father in 2011? pondered Elobidy. I doubt it. I think Saif al-Islam still views most Libyans as the people who killed his dad.
The decision by the Union of Journalists in Israel, chaired by Yair Tarchitsky, to send Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot a letter regarding the death of a Palestinian journalist is not, by most accounts, a big deal. Nevertheless, the April 7 letter, which Tarchitsky delivered to Eizenkot, has been welcomed in Palestinian media. It was prominently featured by the widely read Maan News on April 7.

The unions spokesperson, Noah Zlotnik, provided Al-Monitor with a copy of the letter in Hebrew, in which the syndicate requests that the army investigate the killing of Yasser Murtaja, by Israeli soldiers. He was shot on April 6 and died the following day. We are convinced that the IDF share democratic values, including the importance of freedom of the press, the letter reads.

Speaking to Al-Monitor by phone, Zlotnik reiterated that the union is concerned about freedom of expression, not only the rights of journalists as professionals. Regarding the latter, she stressed the belief that journalists, no matter their background, should not be targeted by the army. No matter where they are from, be they Israeli, Palestinian or Norwegian, soldiers should know how to act and behave toward them.

Ori Nir, the spokesperson for Americans for Peace Now and a former Israeli reporter who covered the occupied Palestinian territories during the first intifada, told Al-Monitor that the photos and videos coming out of Gaza cannot be disregarded. The video and images clearly show six or seven journalists dressed as reporters [wearing vests marked 'PRESS'] and were shot on the same day. One of them was shot dead, Nir remarked.

An Israeli reporter who requested anonymity told Al-Monitor that the reason why journalists were targeted that particular week, unlike the previous week during protests, might be connected to concerns about being targeted by international institutions.

In an April 8 statement, International Court of Justice (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said, It is with grave concern that I note the violence and deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip in the context of recent mass demonstrations." The reporter said that the photographers who were shot were using long-range camera lenses. The soldiers were probably afraid of being recognized and eventually questioned. They perhaps fired in the hope of deterring photographers from coming too close and taking pictures, the reporter noted.

Jack Khoury, a senior reporter with the Israeli daily Haaretz, told Al-Monitor that while the letter to the army is important, the union is not the main body representing journalists. The main union, the Israeli Journalists Union, has remained silent about the attacks on Palestinian journalists, Khoury said.

A number of international press organizations issued strongly worded statements, demanding an official Israeli investigation into the April killing and injury of journalists. The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) called on April 9 for Israel to look into Murtaja's death. (Full disclosure: The author of this article is a member of the IPI executive board.)

Ravi R. Prasad, the head of advocacy for IPI, remarked in a statement, We urge the government to set an example by investigating the killing of Murtaja and charging those responsible for the reprehensible act. It is unacceptable that journalists are being targeted for doing their duty.

On April 9, IPI reported that based on its Death Watch project, which tallies journalists killed while working, As many as nine journalists have been killed in Palestine in the last six years. All these journalists were either killed in artillery fire or shot while on assignment. In most cases no investigations have been conducted and as a result no one has been charged with these killings.

The Foreign Press Association in Israel has also called on the Israeli army to properly investigate the shootings. The association issued a release on April 7, stating, The FPA expresses its deep sympathy over the death of Gaza journalist Yasser Murtaja, who was fatally shot while covering a border demonstration in Gaza yesterday. We urge the army to show restraint in areas where journalists are operating and to conduct a fast and open investigation into this incident.

Not a single Israeli soldier or civilian has been reported injured since the Palestinians' campaign began on Land Day, March 30, in Gaza.

The Israeli army temporarily assumed responsibility for the shootings of unarmed Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza, asserting that its soldiers had acted in an appropriate, measured way. The IDF spokesman tweeted on March 31, Yesterday we saw 30,000 people; we arrived prepared and with precise reinforcements. Nothing was carried out uncontrolled; everything was accurate and measured, and we know where every bullet landed. The tweet was later deleted, but not before being saved by the Israeli human rights organization BTselem.

Under pressure, Israel announced on April 7 that it planned to investigate Murtaja's death. Few Palestinians believe the investigation will be neutral. In September 2016, BTselem published the report Whitewash Protocol: The So-Called Investigation of Operation Protective Edge. BTselem concluded that Israeli army investigations main concern is with creating the false appearance of a functioning system which allegedly strives to get at the truth, while in fact, the investigations are perfunctory examinations of isolated, decontextualized incidents, while the people who are truly responsible for the violation are never investigated.

Shooting at unarmed civilians violates Israels own standing orders and is also a violation of international humanitarian law. Israel does not recognize Palestinian journalists as professionals and does not distinguish between demonstrators and photographers.

In the eyes of Israel, all Palestinians are perceived the same. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said on April 8 that there are no innocent people in Gaza. Libermans office later said that he had been misquoted and that he intended to convey that there are no naive people in Gaza.

In more than 50 years of occupation, the state of Israel has never recognized Palestinian journalists to be practicing a profession. Although Israel issues press cards to Israeli and international journalists, an IPI report has documented that Israel has no category for Palestinian journalists. A first step toward rectifying the existing situation would be for Israel to recognize the legitimacy of Palestinian journalists and institute clear guidelines to ensure their protection during a military presence.
SHIRQAT, Iraq  Along the Tigris River cutting through the town of Shirqat, where attacks from Islamic State fighters occupying the eastern section were frequent until late last year, taillights of vehicles heading to buy bootleg liquor now light up the western bank at dusk.

The eastern side of the city was retaken in late September, roughly a year after the western bank. Recent attacks near Shirqat on the family of a local sheikh and others, however, underscore persisting risk.

Several of the men in the local Sunni-majority Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) told Al-Monitor in an interview at their base that they had left the local police forces to fight under their tribal sheikh. They said they would not go back to being part of the Interior Ministry police forces.

The PMU was incorporated into the national security forces and officially answer to the prime ministers office, but often much power remains in individual leaders hands.

Lt. Col. Salah Hassan Zalit, the deputy commander of the local Brigade 51  also known as Liwa Salahaddin  told Al-Monitor during a March 31 interview in his headquarters in Shirqat in the north of Salahuddin province that "IS has mostly been defeated." He said the PMU was responsible primarily for providing security at checkpoints outside of cities and conducting anti-IS operations, often in collaboration with PMUs from the south called "when we need them."

The commander mentioned the Shiite-led Jaysh al-Muammal, Harakat Nujaba and Badr as those with whom they had conducted some of the most recent joint anti-IS operations. A large poster of PMU commander Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes greets visitors to the local PMUs headquarters.

He stressed that though there are still dangers, especially unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices, IS fighters "hiding in the Makhoul and Hamreen mountains come down to get food and we strike them when they do," implying that those with the terrorist group that until last year controlled vast swaths of terrain in the country are now limited to minor attacks and scavenging to stay alive.

Last year, just as the nine-month battle for Mosul was winding down in early July, IS fighters managed to retake the town of Imam Gharbi and cut a key highway between Shirqat and Qayyarah, which houses an air base used by the international anti-IS coalition.

Al-Monitor reported from that front on July 15 at a time when significant terrain was still under the insurgents control. The land was retaken July 20 only after a US-trained SWAT team from another province was called in and numerous coalition airstrikes were conducted, pushing IS fighters back to the eastern side of the river, where they would remain until the battle for Hawija in adjacent Kirkuk province in October.

Many US air assets have been moved to Syria and Afghanistan since the end of major operations in Iraq, and "with fewer coalition troops on the ground, Iraqi forces are not getting the large amounts of intelligence they did at the height of the fight against IS," the Associated Press reported late last month.

Security in Shirqat is now under joint control of the police and the local PMU, most of whose fighters are from the dominant Jabouri tribe and answer to Sheikh Asham Subhan Khalaf al-Jabouri.

The sheikh told Al-Monitor in an interview last year that during Saddam Husseins regime, he had been in exile in countries that included Syria, the Netherlands and the United States but had chosen to return to Iraq. He said there was a prewar population of 240,000 people in the city and a total of around 4,000 local PMU fighters in Salahuddin province.

In an interview with a number of the fighters March 31, Al-Monitor was told that those who had left the police forces when the PMU was formed now have no intention of returning to their previous jobs.

Battalion commander Anas Malek Subhan al-Ashem said while puffing on a hookah in his office that they are "no longer police" and that they would not go back to being ones even if the government stopped paying PMU salaries: "We are fighters now."

Several of the men under him said that they regularly drank alcohol but referred to themselves as "muhajedeen," laughing at the apparent discordance.

In numerous trips to the front during the nine-month battle to retake Mosul, Al-Monitor stayed on Iraqi federal police bases and traveled with recruits from Baghdad several times. Some of the young ones had previously fought as part of PMUs and only later joined the federal police, while the opposite seems to have occurred in Salahuddin: Many who had been in the police left to join PMUs under a local sheikh.

One local dignitary, Sheikh Wennas al-Jabouri, leads Brigade 88 from al-Alam. His area of control reaches from the eastern bank of the Tigris to the restive Hamreen mountains area south of Shirqat and Iraqs largest, and heavily damaged, oil refinery in Beiji.

Regional loyalties seem to have shifted significantly in the area, where many former officers and those who translated for US forces in the post-2003 period speak fondly of US support for them in their fight against al-Qaeda but are now looking elsewhere for backing.

Sheikh Wennas told Al-Monitor in an interview in early April that though he had been part of the US-backed "Sahwa" during the fight against al-Qaeda, he no longer trusted the American government. "In the beginning, I asked them for help. But all I got were promises and no action," he said. "Iran helped us immediately."

Another former member of both the police forces and the Sahwa, Husssein Ali Najm al-Jabouri, commands the 56th PMU brigade in Hawija, on the other side of the Hamreen mountains.

Meanwhile, the current interior minister is Qassim al-Araji, who spent years in exile in Iran and is believed to still be close to the Islamic Republic.

"Our leaders know who helped us  whether it was Iran, how much. We dont care. We just want our families safe, food, services. They will decide what countries to have friendly relations with," PMU battalion commander Ashem said.

Both the families of PMU fighters and those of the police now receive compensation for deaths in battle, one fighter who worked for years as a translator for the US forces said. Asking to be referred to as Omar, he lamented, "The [Iraqi] government only cares about us when we are dead," claiming that the monthly payout for the families of fighters and police who die is higher than the fighters salaries when they are alive.

His father ordered all his six sons to join up to avenge an uncles death at the hands of IS, he said, claiming that "the vast majority of the work against IS" was done by the PMUs.

What is certain is that belonging to the tribal PMUs seems a more coveted role in the province than belonging to the police forces.
The limits of Turkeys balancing act in Syria are being exposed as the prospects of a military confrontation between the United States and Russia over Syria continue to grow.

Ever since last Saturdays suspected chemical weapons attack by regime forces in Douma, Turkish leaders have made a series of conflicting statements mirroring the tension between what Ankara defines as its strategic interests in Syria and its institutional ties to NATO and the West.

Ankaras immediate response to the gruesome images coming out of Ghouta was unequivocally in favor of intervention.

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin declared on Monday, The Syrian regime will have to pay a price. Government spokesman Bekir Bozdag chimed in via Twitter with calls for retaliation. Bozdag wrote, We hope that the Syrian regimes chemical attack will not be left unanswered this time, and in a veiled swipe at Russia and Iran, he added, Those who did not obstruct this barbarity, these attacks, these deaths are as responsible as the regime itself.

But following a statement from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and a telephone exchange between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara abruptly changed its tune. Within hours of Kalins comments, Lavrov suggested that Russian acquiescence for Turkeys military occupation of Afrin, a mainly Kurdish enclave in northwestern Syria, had evaporated. Lavrov said he expected Turkey to hand over Afrin to the regime. The details of the Putin-Erdogan conversation held later that day remain vague, but the effects were immediate: Bozdag said the allegations of a chemical attack needed to be assessed by experts. Erdogan told members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in parliament yesterday, I curse those who carried out the massacres in eastern Ghouta and Douma. Whoever committed them will pay a heavy price. Erdogan stopped short, however, of assigning blame. When reporters pressed him to comment on a likely US strike against the Syrian regime, he twice responded, We are following events.

Today, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called on the United States and Syria to work toward healing wounds in Syria. They are fighting like street brawlers  the time is not for competing. It is time to heal the wounds of the region, he said.

Yet even as Ankara made a U-turn, its diplomats at UN headquarters in New York backed a US-sponsored draft resolution to investigate the claims of a chemical attack before it was promptly vetoed by Russia.

Meanwhile, in a fresh burst of defiance, Erdogan declared, We know full well to whom we will give back Afrin.  We will decide this, not Mr. Lavrov.

Mehmet Acet, a columnist for the pro-government  and virulently anti-American  Yeni Safak newspaper, defined Turkeys dilemma as follows today: This [new] period may present a difficult test for Ankara. On the one hand, there is the United States, which has built its policy on assuring Turkeys defeat in Syria for the past five years, and on the other, there is Russia, whose cruelty has been tested and confirmed, but with whom partnership in the field and at the table has allowed for progress.

Acet was alluding to the United States partnership with the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the Peoples Protection Units (YPG). Turkey insists the group is no different from the Kurdistan Workers Party fighters it's battling at home and is incensed at the Pentagons continued support for them. In January, Turkey mounted a massive offensive against the YPG in Afrin, partly to kneecap Washington into re-evaluating the cost of doing business with Ankaras enemies. The YPG was forced to pause its contribution to the US-led coalitions ongoing campaign to destroy pockets of Islamic State fighters in eastern Syria and to redeploy thousands of militants to Afrin. The Turkish operation dubbed Olive Branch was only made possible after Moscow, which controls the skies over northwestern Syria, gave it the nod.

Turkeys deepening ties with Russia that include a controversial deal to purchase a multi-billion dollar missile defense system has set off alarm bells in Washington, where policy-makers are split over whether to woo Turkey back by dumping the YPG, among other things, or to punish it with sanctions. So far Turkey has managed to strike something of a balance, exploiting the constellation of world and regional power and ethnic and confessional rivalries in Syrias constantly evolving battle space to its own advantage. Thus, for example, the United States sat on its hands and Iran and the regime fumed as Turkish troops and their Free Syrian Army allies took over Afrin, displacing tens of thousands of civilians on March 18, and forcing the YPG to withdraw without a fight.

On April 16, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is due to travel to Ankara, where he will meet with Erdogan and other top Turkish officials. He is expected to discuss Syria and to also urge Turkey to scrap the Russian S-400 missile deal.

But as tensions between Russia and the United States escalate over Syria, Turkey may find itself forced to pick sides. Acet offers a way out: When the United States intervenes in Syria, he opined, Turkey should assume a position of support  without directly antagonizing Russia. And if the United States military intervention in Syria does not pave the way for regime change, the result could be a wedge between Turkey and Russia. This immeasurable prize from the United States vantage point, hinted Acet with stock conspiratorial flourish, might be the point of the whole exercise.
Tensions over Aegean airspace continue to grow as Turkish and Greek aircraft have been involved in several confrontations this month. One unique encounter, however, was particularly interesting.

As Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar on April 6 was inspecting his country's Aegean army, two Greek F-16s began pursuing a Turkish-made ANKA-B drone that had just entered service with the Turkish navy and was testing its reconnaissance and surveillance flights over the Aegean Sea. As the drone, which was launched from Turkey's Dalaman Naval Air Base, was operating at an altitude of 6,600 meters (21,600 feet) off the Greek island of Rhodes, it was approached by the F-16s from Kastelli Air Base on Crete. According to a report in Greece's Ekathimerini newspaper, the planes flew alongside the drone for a while before handing over the intercept mission to two other F-16s.

Both Ankara and Athens were satisfied with the outcome. Ankara was pleased for having compelled the Greek air force to consume thousands of dollars' worth of fuel to pursue the ANKA-B  manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. of Ankara  on its first flight over the Aegean Sea, panicking the Greek side. Greece was pleased with its successful intercept of the drone. The first incident of this nature between Greece and Turkey in their enduring power struggle over Aegean Sea airspace has the potential to radically alter the character of the decades-old struggle.

Greece claims 10 nautical miles of national airspace over the sea from its coasts; Turkey rejects that claim. For Turkey, the basic aspects of this dispute are Greece's persistent abuses of its flight information region responsibility, and the unique Greek claim of 10 miles of airspace, when the width of its territorial waters is 6 miles. Ankara thinks Greeces claim to 10 miles of airspace violates international law and that four of those miles are actually international airspace.

The Turkish drone's reconnaissance flight could be categorized as Ankara's retaliation for Greeces militarization of disputed islets very close to Turkey.

Sources in Ankara told Al-Monitor this was the first time Turkey had carried out reconnaissance over Rhodes to collect important intelligence data.

The navy was the last of Turkey's forces to acquire medium-altitude, long-endurance class ANKA drones, which were already in the arsenals of the Turkish army, gendarmerie command and National Intelligence Service (MIT). The ANKA series includes several types of drones. ANKA-A was the first model, with 18 hours of flight endurance and 23,000 feet of altitude capability. It has been used by Turkish Aerospace Industries since 2010 and although that model is not in the Turkish Armed Forces inventory, the military uses it when needed.

ANKA-B has optional Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which is multidimensional and can fly at 30,000 feet with 24-hour endurance. It made its maiden flight in 2016 and is the model now supplied to the Turkish navy and is already in use by the gendarmerie. When needed, it can be armed.

ANKA-C is the armed drone Turkey procured last year. How many of this particular model are in inventory is confidential information.

ANKA-S is satellite-controlled and can carry radio relays. Because of its encrypted radio communications, it can be used far beyond the countrys borders. Turkey's state-run news agency reported April 8 that the air force received two ANKA-S models.

ANKA-I is the version supplied to the MIT. It's an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance craft that can monitor signal intelligence (SIGINT).

Why deploy ANKA-series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance and patrolling on the Aegean Sea? The answer is simple: As Turkish air force combat aircraft are engaged in anti-terror operations in Iraq, Syria and Turkey, Ankara wants to overcome its shortage of warplanes in the Aegean by using drones. Then there are the financial aspects. An ANKA drone can fly 24 hours and consume only $3,000 worth of fuel, while it costs far more than that just to keep a single F-16 in the air for only an hour. In other words, Ankara compelled Athens to lose the financial dogfight miserably during the confrontation over the Aegean.

Of course, drones don't risk human casualties, which can't be said of piloted aircraft. These are the aircraft various governments have shot down in the Mediterranean-Syria theater in past five years: a Turkish RF-4E (2012), Russian Su-24 (2015), Syrian Mi-17 helicopter (2013), Syrian MiG-23 (2016) and Syrian Su-22 (2017).

Aeronautics expert Hakan Kilic thinks that in coming days there will be frequent confrontations between Turkish drones and Greek F-16s in the Aegean. He said: There are reports that Greece will purchase Heron UAVs from Israel. [But] until those UAVs are procured and begin flying over the Aegean, it appears the notorious and risky Turkish F-16 versus Greek F-16 dogfights in the Aegean have been replaced by Turkish UAV vs. Greek F-16 dogfights.

He said, Both countries are vulnerable to provocations nowadays." He cited an energy alliance composed of Greeks, Greek Cypriots, Israelis and Egyptians in the eastern Mediterranean, "which is seen as a gang by Turkey." Ankara "is keeping its cool because of the superpower US task force in the region. But there is no US presence in the Aegean, only Turkey and Greece."

Shooting down a drone is technically easier than shooting down a piloted plane and there's less risk of a war breaking out, he said. "This is why I personally think that Greece may even react to ANKA flights by shooting them down. I especially think Greece, which wants to put Turkey in a difficult position in the Aegean, may opt for such a provocation.

Similarly, when low-cost and low-risk drones are in play, Turkey may decide to respond in kind to Greek provocations.

The number of drones flying over the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean is increasing. Kilic thinks drone flights nowadays can pose a bigger threat to an enemy than piloted warplanes.

Can Athens risk shooting down a Turkish-made ANKA drone? If it does, how will Ankara react? I hope we wont have to find out the answer anytime soon. If such a situation develops, at a time when drone warfare is increasingly transforming military strategy, there will be a new chapter opening in the power struggle between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean.
International Criminal Court to decide on the appeal to overturn the 2016 acquittal of Serbian leader Vojislav Seselj.

Bring me back my son and my family. Ill give you my entire fortune! Kada Hotic, a mother from Srebrenica shouted out to Vojislav Seselj, leader and founder of the Serbian Radical Party.

Surrounded by journalists, Seselj stood outside the Higher Court in Belgrade two weeks ago where a hearing was about to start against eight former Bosnian Serb policemen accused of killing some 1,300 Bosnian Muslims from Kravica, a village near Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia.

Seselj had arrived to support the accused and follow the hearing from the gallery.

Speaking to reporters, Seselj stated that the murder of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica was a made-up crime.





Hey, Im holding a press conference here, Seselj replied nonchalantly.

What can I do? Maybe your son was killed as an innocent  maybe, maybe not. I dont know who your son was, Seselj told Hotic.

But there was no genocide and 7,000 to 8,000 werent killed, rather, 1,200 were killed  that story doesnt pass any more, Seselj reiterated.

Hotic lost 56 members of her family in Srebrenica including her husband, son, two brothers and brother-in-law in July 1995, when Serb forces took over the UN-declared safe area and systematically killed over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys within a few days.

What happened in Srebrenica has long been internationally recognised as an act of genocide, including by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice.

Yet, for Serbs both in Serbia and Bosnias Republika Srpska (Serbian Republic) semi-autonomous entity, genocide denial is common, both among the public and officials.

On Wednesday, the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague, Netherlands will rule on an appeal and deliver its second-instance verdict for Seselj.

Prosecutors argued that Seselj allegedly recruited paramilitary groups and incited them to commit atrocities against non-Serbs.

Seselj has long refused to return to The Hague and attend the hearing, having called it an illegitimate, anti-Serbian court.

A fundamental failure





In March 2016, in a 2-to-1 vote, the UN war crimes tribunal found Seselj innocent of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia during the war in the 1990s, which left more than 100,000 dead. After spending 13 years in detention, Seselj was acquitted of all charges.

The judgement ruled that the Greater Serbia project was a political plan as opposed to criminal and that Seseljs deployment of paramilitary volunteers was to protect civilians.

The decision shocked many. Human rights groups and legal experts questioned the ruling.

The Economist described his acquittal as a victory for advocates of ethnic cleansing.

Prosecutors appealed for a guilty verdict or a retrial, arguing that the majority of judges made so many errors that they invalidate the judgment as a whole.

There has been a fundamental failure by the Majority to perform its judicial function, wrote prosecutor Serge Brammertz.

People walk past posters of Seselj and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in 2017 [File: Reuters]

Dream for Greater Serbia continues

Seselj was granted temporary release from detention in The Hague in November 2014 for cancer treatment and received a heros welcome by hundreds upon arrival at the Belgrade airport.

Less than a month after the verdict ruled him innocent, Seselj leads his partys return to parliament after an absence of eight years, having won eight percent of votes in the 2016 elections.

His Serbian Radical Party still remains committed to the Greater Serbia ideology that fuelled the bloodshed in the early 1990s.

The idea of a Greater Serbia is just as strong with or without me. The idea of a Greater Serbia will live on without me; its immortal, Seselj told local media after news of his verdict broke.

Serbias resurgence in right-wing nationalism in recent years has caught the international communitys attention.





Convicted war criminals and allies of the late Slobodan Milosevic  one of the indicted architects of the Greater Serbia plan  have been returning to hold official positions in Serbia as well as Republika Srpska.

After serving two-thirds of his 14-year sentence for war crimes committed during the military campaign in Kosovo, news broke last October that Vladimir Lazarevic  former chief of staff of the Yugoslav Armys Pristina Corps  will be teaching cadets at the Military Academy in Belgrade.

Serbian Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin told a local newspaper it was a way to correct the injustice that was inflicted on them in the past years.

The time of shame has passed; this is the time to be quietly proud.

Those who have been convicted and released from The Hague make frequent appearances in Serbian media. But the media fails to mention their past, leaving the public largely uninformed about alleged complicity in war crimes.

According to an IPSOS poll conducted in October 2011, only 15 percent of residents believed that more than 7.000 people were killed in Srebrenica.

For Hotic, try as she might, her words fall on deaf ears.

Serbia embraces its charged and convicted [criminals]; it doesnt consider them to be criminals, Hotic said.





We expect [Seselj] to be convicted; that would bring justice for victims  but I know for Seselj, punishment will never touch him. His Serbs wont allow him to be arrested.

Hotic lives in the suburbs of Sarajevo, unable to return to her hometown, which is now largely Serb populated. Its Serb mayor also denies that genocide took place in Srebrenica.

In my building, only one Muslim returned and he was beaten three times. He died in the end. The people that moved into my building are people that I wouldnt like to meet, Hotic explained.

If war criminals are freed, then we survivors would not have freedom any more. Theyll be able to provoke, commit crimes if theyre given this kind of support  with acquittals. Really, all thats left then is Gods punishment.
New Delhi, India  Political parties in India are now exempt from scrutiny of their past foreign fundings. They can now receive political donations from Indians living abroad as well as foreign companies with subsidiaries in India.

A controversial amendment to a law on foreign donations, with retrospective effect, was rushed through parliament by the government last month without any debate.

The key amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, which in its previous version banned political parties from receiving foreign funding, has drawn criticism from activists.

Indias two main political parties  the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress Party  were found guilty of breaking the law by a Delhi court in 2014. In its ruling, the court had said that the two parties accepted funds from companies owned by London-listed mining group Vedanta Resources between 2004 and 2012.

We have been saying for the sake of transparency, we have to make it compulsory for political parties to disclose all their donations, down to the last rupee Prashant Bhushan, lawyer

A New Delhi-based election watchdog, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), was litigant in the case.

The sole purpose of this latest move is to save the two major parties of the country from the humiliation of being pronounced guilty of violating the foreign funding law, Jagdeep Chhokar, founder of ADR, told Al Jazeera.

If foreign entities can donate money to political parties that means they wield control over the governance of the nation. No country with any self-respect would want its political parties to be controlled by foreign money, Chhokar said.

Protection from legal consequences

This is not the first time the law has been changed to ensure political parties are given protection from legal consequences of breaking foreign funding rules.

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Effectively, the law as it stands today is that any foreign company can donate any amount of money to Indian political parties through their subsidiaries in India. They can do so by purchasing electoral bonds which makes it anonymous, Prashant Bhushan, senior Supreme Court lawyer, told Al Jazeera.

Electoral bonds are promissory notes that can be encashed by a registered political party through a designated bank account. Bonds would allow anonymous, digital donations to parties.

Any foreign company can now come and buy a political party here, Bhushan said.

With the latest amendment, the government has, in effect, ensured that funds received by political parties since 1976 cannot be investigated.

No country with any self-respect would want its political parties to be controlled by foreign money Jagdeep Chhokar, founder of ADR

Under the old law, foreign donations received by political parties before September 26, 2010, were open to investigation by law enforcement agencies.

This is blatantly unfair said former chief election commissioner of India Shahabuddin Yaqoob Qureshi.

This will make Indian elections and Indian politics vulnerable to foreign influence and pressure. The logic for banning it in the past was that foreigners should not influence Indias politics, Qureshi told Al Jazeera.

Now that logic is being altered and that, too, with retrospective effect. Retrospective effect means maybe there are some skeletons in the cupboard of these parties.

Defending the amendment, the ruling BJP party said it was committed to ensuring transparency.

This amendment has been passed with the consent of all the political parties in India, said Syed Zafar Islam, the BJP spokesperson, adding that his government brought transparency in political funding.

Earlier, loads of black money was coming into political parties. But now, with the kind of restrictions like a 2,000 rupees ($30) ceiling on cash donation by any individual to a party, there is much more transparency, he told Al Jazeera.

Crackdown on NGOs

Activists and rights groups point out that Prime Minister Narendra Modis right-wing government has used the same foreign funding law to harass and target non-profit groups.

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More than 20,000 non-government organisations in India have had their FCRA licences  that is required to receive foreign donations  cancelled or suspended since 2014, when Modi assumed office.

The government claims some non-profit groups had violated the law by not disclosing donation details or by using foreign funds to engage in anti-national activities.

In 2015, the home ministry put the Ford Foundation on a watch-list and suspended Greenpeace Indias FCRA license.

Activists say if the government is going to restrict foreign cash, then those restrictions need to apply across the board.

This is double standards. Why is foreign funding legal for some and illegal for others? asked former election commissioner Qureshi.

The logic given while using this law against NGOs was that this can be abused by foreign powers to destabilise India and interfere in our polity. If that logic holds, then how is it permissible to give foreign funds directly to political parties who run the government? For discrimination alone, this law can be challenged at the courts, he said.

The government crackdown on NGOs, activists say, was aimed at silencing advocacy groups that opposed government policy on forest rights, mining and environment.

Many countries have laws against foreign donations. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is under investigation for allegedly accepting funding from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Clean up of election financing in the worlds most populous democracy remains a daunting task as the bulk of the electoral funding still comes from anonymous sources.

Donations disclosure system

Indias donations disclosure system is weak, warns former election commissioner Qureshi.

There are no free lunches. If somebody funds the election of a political party they are looking for something in return. Thats why we need transparency of political funding, even domestic funding. Anonymous electoral bonds make the process opaque, says Qureshi.

Political parties spent over $5bn on campaigning for the 2014 parliamentary elections  a threefold rise in expenditure compared with the 2009 polls, according to the Centre for Media Studies, which tracks spending.

The two major parties have cornered most of the political funding, including the corporate donations, leading many activists and election watchdogs to call for public funding of elections.

The ruling BJP is the richest among Indias seven national parties, having declared assets worth 1,034 crore rupees ($161m) in 2016-17, said a report released by the ADR. The opposition Congress Party, that declared assets to the tune of 225 crore rupees ($35m) in the same period, is a distant second on the list.

This will make Indian elections and Indian politics vulnerable to foreign influence and pressure SY Qureshi, former chief election commissioner

Indias newly formed Aam Admi (Common Man) Party had promised to change the opaque nature of political funding in India. Details of their funding were made public initially. But after being voted to power in the state of Delhi, they removed that information from their website citing pressure and harassment of their donors by the BJP government.

Activists say public funding of elections will ease some of the pressure on political parties to continuously chase corporate funds.

Those parties which are in power have an uneven advantage. Because they are in power they get a lot of donations, most of which is in the nature of quid pro quo. So whoever is in power does not want to let go of this advantage, said Supreme Court lawyer Bhushan.

We need political parties to go cashless. Right now, the vast bulk of their donations come through petty cash where donors are anonymous. More than 75 percent of funds of the BJP and Congress come through cash.

We have been saying for the sake of transparency, we have to make it compulsory for political parties to disclose all their donations, down to the last rupee, he added.
Mental health crisis unfolds in the country after years of drug wars and little psychological help.

Acapulco, Mexico  Francisco plays with the tissue after wiping his tears. He folds it, unfolds it. He looks at it, but he doesnt see it.

There was a moment that  I cant remember  The news  Her body laying at the morgue  I lost track of everything, he says.

Francisco does not want to give his full name. He lives with pain and grief, but also with fear.

His wife had a vendors stand on Acapulco beach in southwestern Mexico. Last year, she was caught in the crossfire between gangs fighting over the territory in which they extort local businesses. She was one of the 834 Mexicans killed in this tourist resort in Guerrero state during 2017, according to national statistics.

Francisco has four children and an internet cafe in one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods of Acapulco  Zapata. He is one of the 1,224 people who attended Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials, MSF) mental health programme last year. The NGO has given psychosocial assistance to more than 11,000 people and therapy for nearly 200 victims of sexual violence.

Therapy has been very useful for us. If you dont have it, its as if the ground moves under your feet, Francisco says. Ive learned to have time to grieve.

Not everyone is so lucky to have mental health assistance, however. Francisco says he knows about 20 people who have suffered similar tragedies and he is the only one who receives therapy.

The last National Survey of Psychiatric Epidemiology that included post-traumatic stress disorder found that 68 percent of Mexicos 100 million people have been exposed to a traumatic event and one-third of the population have been exposed to three or more stressful events.

The study was conducted from 2001 to 2002 and has not been updated. Since then Mexico has suffered through the ongoing drug war. More than 120,000 people have been killed and there are 30,000 missing, according to official statistics.

Al Jazeeras request for an interview with federal authorities was not answered.

In the line of fire

The first Acapulco area where MSF begin working in 2013 has become a battlefield.

Huge shoot-out at Colonia Jardin Caution! #Acapulco.

Police say roundabout at Jardin has become a battlefield.

Thousands of people have no public transportation in western Acapulco because theyre threatening to kill drivers and burn their buses if they go to Jardin.

Social media networks lit up with messages warning about the Jardin neighbourhood on February 7. A statement from the Guerrero prosecutors office said it found a taxi with two high-powered rifles inside, and a corpse with his throat cut in the boot.

Weeks prior, buses were burned in that quarter. Residents talked about strange movements of men with weapons and hawks  local slang for criminal informants  who went house-by-house announcing a curfew. The killing of a gang leader had triggered a battle for power.

More than 120,000 people have been killed and there are 30,000 missing due to Mexicos ongoing drug war [File: Javier Verdin/Reuters]

Lupe, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, has received therapy from MSF at the Jardin clinic for months after her husband was killed. Four months later, her former husband and the father of her two children were also murdered.

The 32-year-old says she feels extremely nervous.

But she is very strong and resilient. She keeps her business, a salon, open and takes care of her family, Delia Sandoval, her therapist, tells Al Jazeera.

Lupe and her daughters witnessed her husband being shot dead in front of their home.

Psychological damage in the girls is difficult to estimate at this moment, Sandoval adds. The children loved him very much.

After the murder of her step-father, Lupes teenage daughter decided to move in with her father who lived in another state. Shortly after, though, he was also killed.

Social fabric destroyed

According to the head of MSFs Mexico mission, Bertrand Rossier, the scale of violence in some states is as high as in a war-torn country.

The violence gets to such a level that the social fabric is destroyed, Rossier says.

Experts agree it is hard for someone with such a high level of pain to live a healthy life if they dont receive any help. The effects of the tragedy increase. Low self-confidence and feelings of guilt can degenerate into chronic mental illness, or turn victims into criminals. We have to stop that, Rossier says.

Both experts and victims agree.

Boys can become criminal or addicts. Girls can end up on the street and this situation just continues, Francisco says. All those violent people come from broken families.

The social fabric is so destroyed that it cannot be healed in one generation or two because wounds become deeply embedded. Elena Azaola, Centre for Social Anthropology High Studies and Research

He says that is his biggest fear: that his children could end up this way.

Experts say mental health illness caused by trauma is an invisible problem.

No one pays attention to it. No one is aware of the aftermath, and no one can visualise its magnitude, psychoanalyst Elena Azaola, from the Centre for Social Anthropology High Studies and Research, says.

Sometimes victims do not think they need help, especially men, because Mexico has no mental health culture.

Francisco remembers his friend asking him, Are you a little mad? when he said he was going to therapy.

Azaola says the entire Mexican population is an indirect victim of the gang violence. The social fabric is so destroyed that it cannot be healed in one generation or two because wounds become deeply embedded.

An example is the normalisation of violence. Franciscos wife was killed in daylight at a tourist spot, but he says the danger is greatly reduced if you dont go out after dark.

Government help?

After years of violence, there is no a comprehensive federal programme dedicated to psychological support for drug-war victims, only isolated efforts.

The present National Mental Health Program is small, it is not accomplished, and it is far away from reality, Azaola says.

NGOs such as MSF help, but they cannot do the job on their own.

Dr Carlos Beristain says its imperative to find new strategies to deal with the grief process for victims.

Beristain, who was one of the international experts investigating the 2014 case of 43 missing Ayotzinapa students, remembers the impunity and lack of justice for victims who became stigmatised instead of helped.

In 2013, Maria Elena Medina-Mora, currently the National Psychiatry Institutes director, complained about the lack of money and specialised staff. Nothing has changed since then.

Mexico puts large amounts of money into its security forces, but only two percent of the countrys health budget is earmarked for mental health.

Nowadays, the army is ordered to watch over schools in Acapulco, but it doesnt arrive to all of them. Aquiles Serdan elementary school has no soldiers out front. It is located close to a tiny stream on a hill, and the military only shows up if there is an anti-crime operation.

Dalia Romero, the schools director, recalls a riot last July in a prison a couple of streets away from the school: 28 inmates dead, their loved ones crowded at the entrance to get any news, and the huge deployment of security forces.

Mexico has a humanitarian tragedy and we have not grasped how big it is. Elena Azaola, Centre for Social Anthropology High Studies and Research

Romero remembers the childrens horror when the military raid on the prison began.

The school has been surrounded several times [by security forces] because at the back of it there are safe houses [used by criminal gangs], Romero tells Al Jazeera.

Its walls isolate the schoolyard outside, but students can hear everything that is going on. They become distressed and they cannot learn in that condition, she says.

Romero, 43, became acquainted with MSFs staff when her husband tried to disfigure her face with a fork and she asked for help. Now she is a close ally of the NGO. It organises meetings to train teachers how to detect when a child is in trouble.

Some children suddenly disappear from the school because all the family has had to run away and we have no more news from them, says Romero.

MSF says the authorities must be pushed to prioritise mental health disease caused by years of drug-related violence.

Mexico has a humanitarian tragedy and we have not grasped how big it is, Azaola says. And we have a powerless, incompetent, overwhelmed government that doesnt react, maybe not because of bad intentions but to try to minimise the situation.

Time does not heal everything, Beristain adds.
A recent surge in fighting has plagued the northeastern territory of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a wave of attacks beginning in December of 2017, tens of thousands of members of the Hema community have fled the Djugu territory of Ituri to evade Lendu aggressors.

More than 40,000 Congolese have fled the country to seek refuge in neighbouring Uganda, while tens of thousands more have travelled north towards the town of Mahagi and south towards the provinces capital, Bunia. This new fluctuation in displacement is but a mere fraction of the estimated 4.5 million Congolese displaced across the country.

Tensions between the Hema and Lendu communities, who have shared the land currently recognised as Ituri, has existed since Belgian colonial rule. The Hema people benefitted from a disproportionate access to education and wealth that ended up creating a socioeconomic gap that has remained prominent to this day. Despite this, the geographical proximity of the two tribes has allowed for inter-marriage and even in some areas a common language.

Sparked by the Second Congo War, fighting between the two tribes shook the region between 1999 and 2003, during which an estimated 60,000 people were killed and 500,000 displaced.

Violence continued in the region until 2007 after which Ituri has enjoyed a relative peace.

Though it has been generally understood that Lendu groups have instigated the recent violence, armed with machetes, spears, bows and arrows and some with guns, their motives behind the sudden attacks and whether they were acting autonomously has remained unclear.
The people of Gaza rose up not because of Palestinian political factions, but despite them.

The ongoing popular mobilisation on the Gaza border is a reminder of previous historical events where the Palestinian people rose in unison to challenge oppression and demand freedom.

Palestinian popular resistance is neither a new phenomenon nor is it an alien one. General mass strikes and civil disobedience, challenging British imperialism and Zionist settlements in Palestine, started nearly a century ago, culminating in the six-month-long general strike of 1936.

Since then, popular resistance has been a staple in Palestinian history, and it was a prominent feature of the First Intifada, the popular uprising of 1987.

It goes without saying that Palestinians need no lectures on how to resist the Israeli occupation, combat racism and defeat apartheid. They, and only they, are capable of developing the proper strategy and the tools that will eventually lead them to freedom.

Today the need for that strategy is more urgent than any other time, and there is a reason for that.

Gaza is being suffocated. Israels decade-long blockade, combined with Arab neglect and a prolonged feud between Palestinian factions, have all served to drive Palestinians to the brink of starvation and political despair. Something had to give.

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On Friday, March 30, tens of thousands of Palestinians massed at Gazas eastern border to begin a series of protests and vigils that are expected to last until May 15.

On that date, 70 years ago, Israel declared its independence, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into exile. For most Palestinians, Israels declaration of independence, which resulted in the destruction of their homeland, was an unforgivable crime. For Israelis, May 15 is a celebration; for the Palestinian people, it is our Nakba, our catastrophe.

But the ongoing act of mass mobilisation is not just about underscoring the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees (as enshrined in international law), nor is it just about commemorating Land Day, an event that has united all Palestinians since the bloody protests of 1976. The protest is about reclaiming the agenda, transcending political infighting and giving voice back to the people.

There are many historical similarities between this act of mobilisation and the context that preceded the first Intifada of 1987.

Back then, Arab governments in the wider region had largely relegated the Palestinian cause to the status of someone elses problem. By the end of 1982, having already been exiled to Lebanon, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) along with thousands of Palestinian fighters, were pushed even further away, to Tunisia, Algeria, Yemen and various other countries. This geographic isolation left the traditional leadership of Palestine irrelevant to what was happening on the ground, back home.

With little pressure on Israel to end its illegal occupation of East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank, the Israeli military occupation slowly became the status quo. Palestinians had become little more than inmates in a series of sprawling, urban prisons  checked at every major street corner, subjected to house raids on a predictably irregular basis, and watched day and night from land, air and, in the case of Gaza, sea.

But, in that moment of apparent hopelessness, something snapped. In December 1987, people (mostly children and teenagers) took to the streets in a largely non-violent mobilisation that lasted over six years. But the Palestinian leadership failed to harness its peoples massive energy. Worse, it exploited it, leading to the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993.

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Today, the Palestinian leadership is in a similar state of increasing irrelevance. Isolated again by geography (Fatah holding the West Bank and Hamas holding Gaza), but also by ideological division.

It is true, of course, that political and ideological divisions are par for the course of any anti-colonial struggle. From India to Algeria to South Africa, internal division was the norm, not the exception, in mass movements fighting for liberation.

But never before has this internal division been weaponised so effectively by the causes opponents, and used as an argument against the original cause, to delegitimise an entire peoples claim for basic human rights: The Palestinians are divided, so they must stay imprisoned.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah is rapidly losing its credibility among Palestinians, thanks to long-standing accusations of corruption, with many calling for PA leader Mahmoud Abbas to resign (his mandate having technically expired in 2009).

Last December, the new US President Donald Trump compounded the isolation of the PA, recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in defiance of international law and UN consensus. Many see this as only the first in a series of steps designed to further marginalise the PA.

The Authority is not the only Palestinian faction that is becoming increasingly more isolated.

Hamas  originally a grassroots movement born out of the refugee camps in Gaza during the first Intifada  is now similarly weakened by political isolation.

For over a decade, since its bloody takeover of Gaza in 2007, the Hamas leadership has made countless political manoeuvres to break the siege on Gaza but repeatedly failed. Eventually, it began to acknowledge that it could not serve that cause in political isolation and started taking initiatives towards reconciliation with Fatah. Most recently, the two parties signed a reconciliation deal in Cairo in October last year.

Like previous attempts, this attempt at reconciliation began to falter almost immediately. The main hurdle came on March 13, when the convoy of PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah was the target of an apparent assassination attempt. Hamdallah was on his way to Gaza through an Israeli border crossing. The PA quickly blamed Hamas for the attack. The latter vehemently denied it. Palestinian politics went back to square one.

But then, March 30 happened. As thousands of Palestinians walked into the deadly buffer zone along the Gaza border, that is to say, walked peacefully and knowingly into the sights of Israeli snipers, their intention was clear: to be seen by the world as ordinary citizens, who until now have been unseen behind the politicians.

Gazans pitched tents, conversed, sang together and waved Palestinian flags  not the banners of the various factions. Families gathered, children played, even circus clowns turned up and entertained. It was a rare moment of unity.

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The Israeli armys response was, shall we say, in character. By shooting dead 17 unarmed protesters and wounding thousands of people in a single day, using the latest technology in exploding bullets, they thought they could teach the Palestinians a lesson. It was prison guard handbook 101: beat them, beat them again. Kill them. Kill them again. Even journalists who merely attempted to convey that heroic but tragic moment to the world were shot, wounded and killed.

Condemnations of this massacre flooded in from respected figures around the world like Pope Francis and organisations like Human Rights Watch. This glimmer of attention may have provided Palestinians with an opportunity to elevate the injustice of the siege up the global political agenda, but it will be little consolation to the families of the dead.

Aware of the international spotlight, Fatah jumped at the opportunity to take credit for this spontaneous act of popular resistance. Deputy chairman, Mahmoud al-Aloul, said that the protesters mobilised to support the PA in the face of pressure and conspiracies concocted against our cause, referring no doubt to Trumps strategy of isolation towards the Fatah-dominated PA. Hamas has similarly tried to take credit.

But nothing could be further from the truth. This time, it is the Palestinian people, the brave boys and girls of Gaza who are fashioning their own strategy, independent from the factions, in fact, in spite of factionalism. And this time, we must listen, quit lecturing, and perhaps learn from these young men and women as they stand bare-chested before snipers and murderers with only their chants for freedom and their faith in certain victory.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Experts give their assessments of what comes next after US vows to carry out missile strikes against the Syrian regime.

The United States has vowed to respond to the Syrian governments alleged use of chemical weapons against the rebel-held town of Douma with missile strikes.

Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has pledged to retaliate if the Pentagon does carry out strikes for what it described as a fabrication chemical gas attack.

Analysts answered five key questions about what to expect next.

What types of US missiles could be fired?

Lawrence Korb, former US assistant secretary of defence, told Al Jazeera the US military is likely to use Tomahawk missiles.

Tomahawks were used in previous US attacks in Syria last year in response to the use of chemical weapons in the rebel-held Khan Sheikhoun town of Idlib province.

The Pentagon said 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from two warships in the Mediterranean at the Shayrat airfield in Homs province, targeting a Syrian airbase from where US officials alleged the Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack had been launched. Six Syrian military personnel were killed.

This time the Tomahawks may be relied on again, analysts said.





According to unofficial sources, the US deployed several carriers with cruise missiles in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, said Fuad Shahbazov, a security and military expert based in Azerbaijan.

Also possible attacks with fighter jets should be considered as the US has huge airbases in the Gulf countries, he added.

What are the likely targets?

The US will most likely strike the Syrian armys command and control headquarters, as well as its chemical weapons storage, according to Shahbazov.

Judging by the current location of US cruise missiles aboard its naval vessels, pro-Assad strongholds along the Mediterranean, in Latakia province, may face attacks from the sea, he said.

But Afzal Ashraf, from the Centre for Conflict Security and Terrorism, told Al Jazeera US President Donald Trumps tweets specifically saying smart missiles will be used likely werent appreciated by his military commanders, and a new strategy may be devised.

They usually dont like to declare what theyre going to do and how theyre going to do it beforehand, said Ashraf. So the US military may decide to use a different method.

What is the objective of the attack?

The main goal of the attack would be the prevention of any further use of chemical weapons, said Korb.

But it remains unclear if the US knows where these are stored in Syria, Ashraf noted.

If we know where the chemical weapons are then they can be destroyed. If they do attack chemical weapon installations, the question has to be asked why they havent attacked there before. I doubt there are any chemical weapon installations that the West knows about. So these attacks will be general military targets, he said.

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Ashraf suggested the US would likely keep its warplanes and naval vessels out of proximity to Russian forces.

What does appear to be coming out is what is known as a standoff attack involving cruise missiles and other missiles to avoid the possibility of engagement between Russian and US-backed aircraft and ships.

If that happens, a very big red line is crossed and were into some very difficult territory involving war between Russia and the US, and thats something nobody is really ready for, Ashraf said.



What is Russias likely response?

Moscows reaction will most probably be limited to public condemnation, if the US does not target the Russian military, according to Korb.

However, Shahbazov said the Russian defence ministrys warnings about retaliation should be noted.





[Russias response] will include missile attacks against opposition forces and military positions of the US special forces, he said, adding a long-term ground operation against the rebels was highly unlikely.

Comparing the April 2017 US Tomahawk strikes, Ashraf noted it was likely the Russians gave the Syrians a warning that the attack was coming.

The only real difference from last time is that the Syrians were given a tipoff via the Russians and they were able to disperse their assets, so not many people were killed and not much equipment destroyed. This particular case, it sounds as though a warning is not going to be available, he said.

What type of anti-missile systems does Moscow have in Syria? Can they counter US strikes?

Shahbazov said Russias main anti-missile system in Syria, the S300 Gladiator, was deployed in the country at the end of 2016.

However, it is also possible that Russia will use its modern S400 system that also has been deployed in Syria for more than a year. This system may challenge all modern fighter jets. But Russia has not used this system in Syria yet, he said.

Korb said it was unlikely that Russia would be able to counter the US attacks.

Ashraf agreed, saying many of the US targets in Syria would likely be hit.

If the Russians are true to their words, some of those missiles will be intercepted. No air-defence system is full-proof, so I would guess a fairly significant proportion would get through to their targets, he said.
At least 257 dead after Russian-made military plane crashes near Boufarik airbase near Algiers, state TV reports.

At least 257 people have been killed after a military plane crashed near the Boufarik airbase outside the Algerian capital, Algiers, according to Algerian state television.

The plane, an Ilyushin Il-76, mostly carried soldiers when it went down shortly after takeoff on Wednesday morning, state TV reported.

Algerias defence ministry was quoted as saying that 247 passengers and 10 crew members were among the dead following the crash.

Ennahar TV quoted an Algerian ruling party official as saying that 26 people onboard were members of the Polisario Front, a separatist movement in West Sahara  a territory also claimed by Morocco.

The cause of the crash remains unclear and an investigation has been opened.

The defence ministry expressed condolences to families of the victims, and government officials observed a minute silence.

In this painful ordeal, the government members offer their deepest condolences to the families of the victims, a cabinet statement said.

Algerie24, a local news website, said the plane was heading to the western Algerian city of Bechar.

Images posted on an Algerian website showed thick smoke billowing from the site of the crash, as several people rushed to help.

#DIRECT  #Algerie

L'avion militaire etait a destination de Bechar et s'est ecrase quelques minutes apres son decollagehttps://t.co/Uxe6HUFi4X pic.twitter.com/LZpTKEDszH  Algerie 24 (@Alg24net) April 11, 2018

The crash at Boufarik would be the worst in Algeria since 2003 when an Air Algerie jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Tamanrasset, killing 102 people.

In 2014, more than 70 off-duty military personnel and their family members were killed when a C-130 plane crashed into the Djebel Fertas mountain shortly before it was to land in the northern city of Constantine.

In December 2012, two military jets conducting routine training operations collided in mid-air near Tlemcen, in Algerias northwest, killing the pilots of both planes.

A month earlier, a twin-turboprop CASA C-295 military transport aircraft, which was carrying a cargo of paper for the printing of banknotes in Algeria, crashed in southern France.

That plane was carrying five soldiers and a representative of the Algerian central bank, none of whom survived.
Argentinas Congress begins debate on legalising abortion

A growing demand for changes in the law has led conservative President Mauricio Macri to soften his anti-abortion stance.
Deported Afghan migrant: Journey to Europes border big mistake

One returnee tells Al Jazeera that the young Afghans who are trying to go to Turkey are committing a big mistake because they dont understand the pain of going through illegal routes.
French President Macron and Saudis Mohammed bin Salman also agreed on the need to curb Irans expansionism.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman concluded a three-day visit to France after securing 19 draft contracts between French and Saudi companies worth more than $18bn.

According to a statement by the French-Saudi Business Forum, the memorandums of understanding cover industrial sectors such as petrochemicals and water treatment, as well as tourism, culture, health and agriculture.

Saudi national oil company Aramco and French oil giant Total also announced a deal worth $9bn that would see the construction of a petrochemical complex in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Before the trip, Saudi and French officials stressed that cultural ties, as well as new business opportunities, would be at the heart of the talks between government and private-sector figures from both countries.





At a joint news conference with the Saudi prince on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would visit Riyadh at the end of 2018 to sign the contracts.

He also said the two sides agreed on the necessity to respond to the chemical attack on the Syrian city of Douma, in addition to the need to reduce Irans ballistic activities and expansionism in the region.

This marked a change of direction for Macron, who had previously clashed with Saudi Arabia after expressing he was committed to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

Bin Salman said Iran would build a nuclear bomb in a year or two if it restarted its nuclear programme.

The French president also expressed concern for the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which has been under bombardment by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition for the past three years.

We will continue to be extremely vigilant on this point, Macron said. It is obvious that we will not tolerate any ballistic activity that threatens Saudi Arabia.

Macron hosted a gala send-off dinner for the crown prince at the Elysee Palace. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is in Paris, also attended.
Eurocontrol cautions airlines to avoid Syria due to possible launch of air strikes within the next 72 hours.

The international air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within that period and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.

US President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action after they blamed Syrias President Bashar al-Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on a rebel-held town that long had held out against government forces.

Trump on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on responding to the Syria incident, the White House said. Trump had on Monday warned of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the Syria attack was established.

The Eurocontrol warning on its website did not specify the origin of any potential missile threat.

Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area, it said, referring to the designated airspace.

UN deadlock

The statement came after rival draft resolutions by the US and Russia to set up a new expert body to probe chemical weapons attacks in Syria both failed to pass at the United Nations Security Council.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macaron said on Tuesday that after further discussions with the US and UK, a decision to execute military strikes will be taken within days, stressing that the strikes will target Syrian chemical weapons facilities.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said during a joint press conference with Macaron in Paris that there was a possibility that his country would take part in strikes against the Damascus if necessary.

Aviation regulators in countries including the US, UK, France and Germany have previously issued warnings against airlines entering Syrian airspace leading most carriers to avoid the area.

The only commercial flights above Syria as of 01:15 GMT on Wednesday were being flown by Syrian Air and Lebanons Middle East Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The Eurocontrol statement included a broader area outside the airspace controlled by Damascus.
US President Donald Trump has praised his countrys ties with Qatar as he welcomed the Qatari emir to the White House.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his ties with Qatar were working extremely well as he welcomed Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the White House for bilateral talks.

Below a transcript of the conversation that took place at a news conference after their meeting.

President Trump: Thank you very much. Its a great honour to have the Emir of Qatar with us.

Hes a friend of mine  knew him long before I entered the world of politics. Hes a great gentleman.

Hes very popular in his country. His people love him. Were working on unity in that part of the Middle East, and I think its working out very well. There are a lot of good things happening.

Also, we have a gentleman, on my right, who buys a lot of equipment from us. A lot of purchases in the United States, and a lot of military airplanes, missiles  lots of different things.

But theyve been great friends in so many ways. Were working very well together, and I think its working out extremely well.

So, Emir, thank you very much for being here. Appreciate it.

We have a gentleman, on my right, who buys a lot of equipment from us. President Trump

Emir Al Thani: Thank you very much, Mr President.

President Trump: Thank you.

Emir Al Thani: Im very happy and honoured to be here, and thanks for this invitation.

Our relationship between Qatar and the United States has been more than 45 years. Its a very strong, solid relationship. Our economic partnership is more than $125bn, and our aim and goal is to double it in the next coming years.

Our military cooperation is very solid, very strong. As everybody know, that the heart of fighting terrorism is from Al Udeid Base. And, thank God, its been a very successful campaign against the terrorist groups around our region.

Lately, before I come here, I was in Tampa. I visited the CENTCOM, and we met with the generals. And it was a very important visit, and it shows how strong our cooperation is between the armed forces.

Of course, we speak today and we see the suffering of the Syrian people.

And me and the President, we see eye to eye that this matter has to stop immediately. We cannot tolerate  with a war criminal, we cannot tolerate with someone who killed more than half a million of his own people. And this matter should end immediately.

Thank you very much, Mr President.

Our economic partnership is more than $125bn, and our aim .. is to double it. Emir Al Thani

President Trump: Thank you. And Tamim and I have been working for a number of years now  actually, even before the fact  on terrorism.

And were making sure that terrorism funding is stopped in the countries that we are really related to  because I feel related. But those countries are stopping the funding of terrorism, and that includes UAE; it includes Saudi Arabia; it includes Qatar and others.

A lot of countries were funding terrorism and were stopping it. Its getting stopped and fast. Very important. And youve now become a very big advocate, and we appreciate that.

Emir Al Thani: Thank you, President. I want to make something very clear, Mr President:

We do not and we will not tolerate with people who fund terrorism. Weve been cooperating with the United States of America to stop funding terrorism around the region. We do not tolerate with people who support and fund terrorism.

I would like to also thank the President for him being involved personally in solving the GCC crisis. Hes been very helpful.

Hes been supporting us during this blockade.

And I would like to also thank the American people for being very supportive. And his role is very vital to end this crisis in our region.

Thank you, sir.

President Trump: Thank you very much. Thank you.
Haftar reportedly slipped into a coma after suffering a stroke, but a spokesman denies the claims and says hes well.

Khalifa Haftar, a veteran military commander in Libya, has reportedly been admitted to a hospital in France after suffering a stroke and slipping into a coma. His spokesman denied the reports, however.

Touted as a possible future leader of Libya, Haftar was hospitalised in Jordan on Tuesday after suffering breathing difficulties and a possible heart attack, sources told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

According to French journalist Huguex Vincent, Hatar was then sent to Paris and admitted on Wednesday to Val-de-Grace, a military hospital in the French capital, and his health condition is serious, he said on Twitter.

But associates of the former military commander disputed the reports. The spokesman for Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) in eastern Libya, Ahmed al-Mismari, told al-Nabaa TV the general was well and news of his deteriorating health was untrue.

Liberate Libya

A former ally of Muammar Gaddafi, Haftar, 75, returned to Libya seven years ago from the United States to join the NATO-backed revolution that ended four decades of one-man rule.

After a protracted military campaign in Libyas second city, Benghazi, he promised to liberate the capital Tripoli, which split from the east in 2014.

Elections, which the United Nations says could be organised by the end of the year despite major obstacles, may provide another route to power.

Haftar has cast himself as the person who can bring stability to Libya after years of conflict, ridding the OPEC member of armed groups and reining in migrant smuggling to Europe.

Some of those who have worked with him describe Haftar as a divisive military man with little time for politics, who could try to reinstate authoritarian rule and bring more violence to the country by targeting the array of armed groups.
Facebook founder and chief executive answers questions about the companys use and protection of user data.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, has appeared before a US Congress committee to answer questions about the social media giants policies in the wake of a massive data privacy breach.

During a five-hour testimony on Tuesday, the tech mogul said he was sorry about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the private information of more than 87 million people was collected illegally.

He was also asked about the alleged abuse of the social media platform by Russian groups to interfere in the 2016 US presidential elections.

The 33-year-old Facebook founder confirmed his company is working with a special counsel investigating the alleged meddling, while warning of an arms race against Russian efforts seeking to exploit social media.

In the high-stakes joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, several Congress members voiced their dismay over Facebooks actions or lack of action.

Among the possible outcomes of the testimony are new rules on data protection that could limit Facebooks ability to make money.

Mark Zuckerberg spent the entire day in Washington, DC, preparing for this meeting and you could tell, said Al Jazeeras Alan Fisher, reporting from the US capital.

He ditched his normal grey t-shirt for a suit and it was a solid performance from the Facebook CEO.

Below are some of Zuckerbergs quotes during, as well as some of his exchanges with senators.

Im sorry

Mark Zuckerburg (MZ): We didnt take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. And it was my mistake, and Im sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here.

ANALYSTS VIEW: Ian Sherr, executive editor for the West Coast at CNET News What we learned from that hearing is that the US Senate does not understand technology very well. This is not new, but it is a critical piece of information when you consider whether or not they are going to try and regulate this industry, that is on its own the third largest economic power in the world, behind the US and China, so that is a really important moment. What was really shocking about todays testimony was that how obvious it was. If these senators walked into this room, fired up, ready to regulate this company, and they made it very clear that they didnt know what they are talking about, what do we end with? How do we deal with the next step? It was very unclear what the next steps are  the most clear thing that the Senate asked for was that they asked for Mark Zuckerburgs own help crafting legislation to regulate himself. This company is facing scandals on multiple fronts. This is one of the most critical weeks that Facebook has ever had and the people who were supposed to be standing up to them, the US Senate, clearly just fell down on the job.

MZ: When we heard back from Cambridge Analytica that they had told us that they werent using the data and deleted it, we considered it a closed case. In retrospect, that was clearly a mistake. We shouldnt have taken their word for it. Weve updated our policy to make sure we dont make that mistake again.

It will take some time to work through all the changes we need to make across the company. Im committed to getting this right. This includes the basic responsibility of protecting peoples information, which we failed to do with Cambridge Analytica.

Were investigating every single app that had access to a large amount of information in the past. And if we find that someone improperly used data, were going to ban them from Facebook and tell everyone affected.

Arms race

MZ: One of my greatest regrets in running the company is that we were slow in identifying the Russian information operations in 2016.

MZ: There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems. So this is an arms race. Theyre going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too.

Limits of right to privacy

Senator Dick Durbin (DD): Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?

MZ: Um, uh, no.

DD: If you messaged anybody this week, would you share with us the names of the people youve messaged?

MZ:: Senator, no, I would probably not choose to do that publicly here.

DD: I think that may be what this is all about: your right to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy, and how much you give away in modern America in the name of connecting people around the world.

Special probe

Asked if Facebook executives have been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the US election, Zuckerberg said: Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I actually am not aware of a subpoena. I believe there may be, but I know were working with them.

I know we did help out the Trump campaign overall in sales support in the same way we do with other campaigns.
Northern Ireland marks 20 years since Good Friday Agreement

The deal helped end decades of violence, but Northern Ireland remains in a prolonged state of political uncertainty.
Brent rises to its highest level since December 2014, amid possibility of US-led strikes on Syria.

Oil prices have soared to their highest level since December 2014 amid the possibility of the US carrying out air strikes against Syria.

Brent Crude rose to $71.33 per barrel late on Tuesday, marking its highest level since December 3, 2014, markets showed.

American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to as much as $65.86 a barrel at 19:15 GMT  its highest level since March 27.

Although Syria is not a key oil producer, the wider Middle East is the worlds most important crude exporter and tensions in the region tend to disrupt oil markets.

US President Donald Trump and Western allies are discussing possible military action against Syria after they blamed President Bashar al-Assad for a suspected poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus.

The Syrian government has put its forces on high alert amid the looming threat after Trump pledged to respond forcefully.

Syrias government and its ally Russia have denied the chemical attack took place, but rescuers and medics have said dozens of people, including many women and children, were killed.

The US, France, and the UK have ramped up pressure on Syrias government by pledging strong reactions to the alleged gas attack, with France warning it would retaliate if evidence emerged that the red line of chemical weapons had been crossed.

Speaking to Europe 1 radio, French President Emmanuel Macron said intelligence shared with Trump in theory confirms the use of chemical weapons.
Suspension set for three months starting April 25 mirrors similar temporary ban announced by Venezuelan government.

Panama will prohibit Venezuelan airlines from operating in the country for 90 days, the government has said, in retaliation for diplomatic and trade bans announced recently by Venezuela.

The office of President Juan Carlos Varela said on Tuesday that the ban on cargo and passenger flights will begin on April 25.

The move affects 10 Venezuelan companies.

It comes after Venezuela banned key Panamanian companies from operating on its territory after Panamas government put Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on a list of Venezuelan officials deemed at high risk for laundering money.

Venezuelas ban included businesses related to Varela himself, as well as one of the few airlines still operating within Venezuela, Copa.

Panama pulled its ambassador from Venezuela and asked Venezuela to recall its emissary.

Panama is keeping its embassy in Caracas open with a skeleton staff.

Many international airlines have pulled out of Venezuela, citing economic and security concerns.

The few left flying include Air France, American Airlines, Cubana, Iberia of Spain, Swift Air from the US and Turkish Airlines.

A meeting of Latin American leaders in Peru later this week is expected to sharpen the tone and actions against Maduro, who has not been invited.
The DOJ plans to temporarily defund two programmes that help 53,000 immigrants in US courts every year.

The US Department of Justice announced the temporary end of funding for two programmes designed to assist undocumented immigrants in immigration courts and detention centres.

The decision was confirmed on Tuesday by officials from the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrants and implemented the two DOJ-funded programmes: The Legal Orientation Program (LOP) and the Immigration Court Helpdesk.

Vera works with a national network of legal service providers throughout the US to provide undocumented immigrants and their families with access to the help desk and LOP programmes.

The LOP is a lifeline for the more than 40,000 immigrants who face complex deportation proceedings from remote detention facilities every day, Mary Meg McCarthy, executive director of the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), which works alongside Vera to administer the programmes, said in a statement.

The statement added that the programmes jointly assist 53,000 immigrants per year, mostly in immigration courts.

Backlog

The US has suffered from a backlog in immigration court cases for years.

The US Government Accountability Office released a report in June 2017 that found a twofold increase in the immigration court case backlog from fiscal years 2006 to 2015.

Cases rose 30,000 during the first two months of the fiscal year 2018, which begins in October, to almost 660,000 according to a count of case records conducted by Syracuse University.

The DOJ announced on April 2 it will begin evaluating immigration court judges based on how many cases they close and how fast they close them, effectively enacting a quota system.

McCarthy called the quota system unreasonable.

Due Process

US President Donald Trump initiated a crackdown on undocumented immigrants after assuming office in January 2017.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has conducted deportation raids that have increased internal removals.

These actions are an affront to basic principles of due process and equal access to justice, Rebecca Lightsey, executive director of American Gateways (AG), an immigrant advocacy group, said in a statement sent to Al Jazeera.

AG is the LOP provider to three immigrant detention centres in central-south Texas and is the help desk service provider to the San Antonio Immigration Court.

The LOP and ICH programs insured that our team of attorneys and legal professionals were on the ground, providing basic services for thousands of the most vulnerable in our community, including asylum seekers and survivors of human trafficking, Lightsey continued.

The government wants to conduct efficiency reviews, which they claim have not taken place for six years, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the DOJs immigration courts, told the Washington Post.

Still, Lightsey said AG will not be deterred. In the coming hours, days, and weeks we will be working to respond to this challenge and continue the fight for immigrant justice.
Russian ambassador to Lebanon says his country will respond if US and allies strike Syria, amid heightening tensions.

Russias ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin has said that his country would respond to any US missiles fired at neighbouring Syria by shooting them down and targeting their launch sites.

In an interview with Hezbollah-owned al-Manar TV on Tuesday, Zasypkin said that if there is a US missile attack, we  in line with both Putin and Russias chief of staffs remarks  will shoot down US rockets and even the sources that launched the missiles.

The Russian envoy was referring to comments made by the Russian chief of staff, General Valery Gerasimov, who in March warned that Moscow would shoot down missiles fired towards Syria and would target their launch sites if the attacks threatened members of the Russian army.





Gerasimov said his country would use its weapons against the US if it decided to attack Syrian bases in response to a chemical attack, and if US action endangered Russian army personnel in the country.

In his interview with al-Manar, Zasypkin also said his country made some progress in Syria, including the almost-full liberation of Eastern Ghouta near the capital, Damascus, from armed opposition groups.

Zasypkins remarks come as the US and several European countries threatened to use military action against the Syrian government and its main ally, Russia, in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town.

Saturdays attack on the town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta has killed dozens of people, mostly women and children, according to activists and local medics.

The Syrian government and Russia have denied that a chemical attack took place.

On Tuesday, rival draft resolutions by the US and Russia to set up a new expert body to probe chemical weapons attacks in Syria both failed to pass at the United Nations Security Council.

James Mattis, US defence secretary, did not rule out any military action against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, warned Washington was ready to respond to the attack regardless of whether the Security Council acted or not.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government has put its forces on high alert amid the looming threat of a US military response.

With Russian military assistance, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched a bloody offensive on Eastern Ghouta, which had been under rebel control since mid-2013.

Since the start of the aerial bombardment campaign on February 18, the offensive has claimed more than 1,600 civilian lives, and has, through a series of deals reached with rebel groups, internally displaced more than 45,000 people according to the United Nations.
Somalia said it seized several bags of money containing $9.6m in cash from a plane arriving from the UAE.

Somalia has disbanded a United Arab Emirates programme to train some of its troops in a new sign of rising tensions in bilateral relations.

The Somali government announced on Wednesday that it will take over paying and training the soldiers in the programme, Defence Minister Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman told Somalias state news agency Sonna.

Somalia will fully take over [its troops] trained by the UAE Those forces will be added to the various battalions of the Somalia National Army, Abdirahman said, adding the soldiers would be integrated into other units on Thursday.

The UAE has trained hundreds of troops since 2014 as part of an effort boosted by an African Union military mission to defeat an al-Shabab uprising and secure the country for the government, which is backed by Western nations, Turkey and the United Nations.

There was no immediate comment from the UAE government.

Rising tensions

The move came after the government of Somalia said on Sunday it had seized several bags of money containing $9.6m in cash from a plane arriving from the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.

On Tuesday, the UAE denounced the seizure of the money, which it said was destined to pay the soldiers.

Money allocated to support the Somali army and trainees was seized at gunpoint by Somali security personnel, who disrespected some members of the UAE forces, it said.

The money was found in three unmarked bags on a Royal Jet plane, according to the Somali interior ministry, and its seizure resulted in an hours-long standoff between airport officials and UAE embassy staff in Mogadishu.

Royal Jet is an airline based in Abu Dhabi, servicing the luxury market between the UAE and Europe.

The seized money is worth $9.6m. Security agencies are currently investigating where the money came from, where it was going, the individuals involved and the reason for bringing money worth this amount into the country, Somalias interior ministry said in a statement late on Sunday.

Relations between Somalia and the UAE have been frosty since June last year.

Mogadishu resisted Emirati and Saudi pressure to cut ties with Qatar following a dispute between the Gulf neighbours. Somalia said it was neutral in the Gulf diplomatic rift.

Last month, Abu Dhabi agreed to train security forces in Somaliland  a region in northern Somalia seeking to secede from the country. The UAE has also signed with Somaliland a 30-year concession to manage Berbera Port in the semi-autonomous region. It has also started building a military base in the port city.

Somalia dismissed the agreement between Abu Dhabi and the northern Somali region as non-existent, null and void and called on the UN to take action.

Speaking at the UN Security Council last month, Abukar Osman, Somalias ambassador to the UN, said the agreement between Somaliland and the UAE to establish the base in Berbera is a clear violation of international law.

Osman called on the Security Council to take the necessary steps to put an end to these actions.

The federal government of Somalia strongly condemns these blatant violations, and reaffirms that it will take the necessary measures deriving from its primary responsibility to defend the inviolability of the sovereignty and the unity of Somalia, he said.
An entire generation of Syrians has lost the opportunity of getting an education because of the war.

Geneva, Switzerland  Muzoon Almellehan would be an ordinary Syrian girl from Deraa, south of Damascus, dreaming of a future as a journalist, if war hadnt forced her family of six to flee her home country in 2013.

But Muzoon, 20, is no ordinary girl. For the past five years, living as a refugee, she spearheaded a campaign to promote the right of refugee children to an education. She kicked her mission off at the age of 14 in a refugee camp in Jordan, after several of her schoolmates dropped out of school to be married off as child brides.

When we fled Syria, we had to leave everything behind. My father told me to take only what I needed the most. I took my books, they were my only hope, Muzoon told Al Jazeera.

I thought: Wherever we go, what will happen if I cannot go to school? My books were the only thing that could give me a future.

Her pale, inquisitive face, encircled by a hijab, shows a calm determination as she steps into the meeting room. She is in Geneva to speak about the right of refugee children to choose and shape their future, a right only education can grant, she said.

Education is the only thing that matters. It is the only thing that can empower us and change our condition. Without education we cannot have any future, Muzoon said.

We need to be educated if we want to rebuild our country. We owe it to Syria.

A short leather jacket and jeans betray a youth cut abruptly short for a girl who today represents more than five million Syrian children who have been displaced over seven years of conflict. Like many of them, Muzoon has witnessed too much, too early for her age.

When you lose everything, from your beloved ones to your home, it is difficult to think that education matters. But it does. Especially for us girls who are the most vulnerable of all.

40 percent out of school

According to the UN agencies, some 43 percent of Syrian refugee children in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq are out of school.

Poverty and dwindling financial means are making it almost impossible for families to get by in these countries. In a recent study conducted by UNICEF Jordan, more than 85 percent of refugees outside the camps  in host communities  live in poverty, struggling to meet their basic needs, including providing education for their children.

But it is difficult to envisage an improvement in the life and prospects of Syrian refugee children. As the war becomes further protracted, the prospect of returning to a normal life for the 2.6 million Syrians in neighbouring countries and the 2.8 million internally displaced remains unrealistic. An entire generation of Syrians has apparently lost the opportunity to receive an education because of the war.

There has been a total disregard for the protection of children by all sides in this conflict, said Christophe Boulierac, UNICEF spokesperson, on Tuesday. We keep calling upon all the parties in the conflict to do what they must to protect children as per the international law.

{articleGUID}

The first two months of this year have been especially bloody for children in Syria. UNICEF received reports of more than 1,000 children killed and seriously wounded since the year began. In 2017 alone, UNICEF registered 1,271 verified child casualties in Syria, of which 361 were injuries and 910 deaths.

Some 961 children were recruited in combat.

Meanwhile, in refugee host countries nearly 10,000 Syrian refugee children are either unaccompanied or separated from their families. Many of these children are vulnerable to exploitation and child labour, because of a lack of legal documentation.

Left without any hope, as Syrians find themselves displaced multiple times, many families marry off their daughters as child brides to protect them from being kidnapped and abused, or to save them from poverty and starvation. Child marriage was uncommon in Syria before the war started, Muzoon said.

I remember a 17-year-old girl, who came to tell me that she was to marry a man older than her father. I told her to convince her parents that an education would have given her a better future than a husband, she recalled. I told her to be brave. She didnt get married in the end and went back to school.

Muzoon campaigned relentlessly for three years in the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps in Jordan, where her family had fled to from Deraa after their neighbourhood was caught in the middle of clashes between government forces and the Free Syrian Army.

In Syria, we had a normal, happy life. We had everything. Suddenly we found ourselves in a refugee camp. I hated it.

Nobody would tell us to go to school

Life in the camp was difficult, recalled Muzoon. Her family had to squeeze into a small tent with no running water or electricity. But she didnt want to be negative, she said, so she looked for a school in order not to miss ninth grade.

Nobody would tell us to go to school. It was totally voluntary, so many kids were not going or dropped out. So I started visiting the tents of the camps to publicise the school and encouraging children to join.

She was often scorned and sent away by parents and children alike, who thought marriage was their only way out of poverty.

I knew how they felt, the horror and pain they had gone through, the events they witnessed are something they couldnt forget. For many of them education seemed an irrelevant thing.

{articleGUID}

But many children went back to school thanks to her encouragement. UNICEF supported Muzoon in her mission and made her the agencys youngest goodwill ambassador last year.

Geert Cappelaere, UNICEFs regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, has called on those fighting inside Syria and all those who have influence over them to put their arms down and stop the war on children.

The children of Syria have been waiting for way too long. The world has failed the children of Syria so many times, it cannot keep failing them. History will judge us all if we do, Cappelaere said.
US officials say the removal of the travel restrictions will take effect on Friday.

US President Donald Trump has lifted travel restrictions on Chad, saying the Central African country had improved its identity-management and information sharing practices.

Trump signed a proclamation on Tuesday, removing Chad from the controversial travel ban list, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Chad nationals will again be able to receive visas for travel to the United States, Sanders said in a statement.

The US Department of Homeland Security said the removal of the travel restrictions will take effect on Friday.

The removal of the restrictions is the result of close cooperation conducted with Chad during a required 180-day review of the administrations enhanced global security measures, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chad was placed on the list last September because of an office supply glitch that prevented it from supplying homeland security officials with up to date samples of its passports, according to US officials.

US officials also said Chad was unable to adequately share public safety and terrorism-related information with US officials who screen foreigners seeking to enter the country.

Chad said at the time that the ban undermined its image and the good relations between Washington and Ndjamena.

The ban prevented Chad nationals from obtaining business and tourist visas to the US.

Last December, the US Supreme Court said the latest travel restrictions could take effect even as legal challenges against it make their way through the courts.

The ban has been widely criticised for appearing to target Muslim-majority countries. It currently applies to Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and North Korea. Restrictions have also been placed on certain individuals from Venezuela.
Trump tweets warning after Russia vowed it would shoot down any US missiles fired at Syria.

US President Donald Trump told Russia in an early morning tweet to prepare for nice and new and smart!' missile attacks in Syria after an alleged gas attack on the last rebel stronghold in the country.

The tweet came after the Russian ambassador to Lebanon said in an interview on Tuesday with Hezbollah-owned al-Manar TV that if there is a US missile attack, we  in line with both Putin and Russias chief of staffs remarks  will shoot down US rockets and even the sources that launched the missiles.

Trump further chided Russia for its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Wednesdays tweet, saying it shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to Trumps tweet saying: Smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not [Syrias] lawful government, which has spent several years fighting against international terrorism on its territory.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

The warnings come as the United States and several European countries threatened to use military action against the Syrian government and its main ally, Russia, in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack on the rebel-held town of Douma.

Saturdays attack in Eastern Ghouta has killed dozens of people, mostly women and children, according to activists and local medics.

The Syrian government and Russia have denied that a chemical attack took place.

Reports emerged late on Wednesday that military hardware was being moved from Syrian bases.

We dont have any open source information which can verify Syrian movement [of military equipment], but we are supposing this is true, said Ruslan Leviev, a Moscow-based military researcher with Conflict Intelligence Team, a research organisation which investigates conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

They moved some of their equipment to Hmeimim. This is a logical step, said Leviev.

Russia currently operates Hmeimim airbase, located in Latakia province, where it has deployed ground troops and warplanes.

On Tuesday, rival draft resolutions by the US and Russia to set up a new expert body to probe chemical weapons attacks in Syria both failed to pass at the United Nations Security Council.

James Mattis, US defence secretary, did not rule out any military action against Assads forces, while US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, warned Washington was ready to respond to the attack regardless of whether the Security Council acted or not.

Vladimir Shamanov, chairman of the defence affairs committee in Russias lower house of parliament, told Russias Ria Novosti news agency on Wednesday that Russia would retaliate.

Russia has a decent weapon. If there are attempts to test it out, they will get a worthy response, he said.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government has put its forces on high alert amid the looming threat of a US military response.

With Russian military assistance, President Assad launched a bloody offensive on Eastern Ghouta, which had been under rebel control since mid-2013.

Since the start of the aerial bombardment campaign on February 18, the offensive has claimed more than 1,600 civilian lives, and has, through a series of deals reached with rebel groups, internally displaced more than 45,000 people according to the UN.

Trump later tweeted that Russian-US relations are worse now than ever before.

The president concluded by opening the possibility of a detente: There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?
Sanders: Trump can fire Mueller

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has warned President Trump against firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller after the FBI raided his lawyers office and home on Monday.
UN court sentences Serbian Vojislav Seselj to 10 years in prison for persecution of Croats during Balkans war.

UN court sentences Serbian Vojislav Seselj to 10 years in prison for persecution of Croats during Balkans war.
I Knew Idi Amin

An insight into the life of one of Africas most notorious leaders through the eyes of people who knew him and met him.
If there was any doubt that Robert Mueller's Ahab-like goal is the unseating of President Trump at all costs and by any means, it was erased by the thuggish FBI raid he orchestrated on the home and office of Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen.

Can't find any collusion between Trump and Russia? Hey, why not look for collusion between Cohen and professional whore and porn star Stormy Daniels? Was she paid to go away with campaign funds? Even so, that's an FEC violation punishable by a fine and something that does not require a SWAT team.

It certainly does not compare with money funneled by Team Hillary and the DNC though a law firm to Fusion GPS and British foreign agent Christopher Steele to put together a fake dossier on Trump using Russian sources. But where were the raids on the offices of the DNC, the Hillary Clinton campaign, and Fusion GPS?

This is the FBI of Andrew McCabe, Lisa Page, and Peter Strzok, whose mission was to keep Hillary Clinton out of prison and Donald Trump out of the White House. They never raided the home and office of Cheryl Mills, did they? They never raided Hillary's house or seized the acid-washed server, did they? But Michael Cohen is a threat to our democracy warranting brute force? Why wasn't Michel Cohen offered the immunity deal given to Cheryl Mills and other Clinton cronies?

The FBI gave partial immunity to Hillary Clinton's former State Department chief of staff Cheryl Mills and two other staffers during the investigation of Clinton's private e-mail server, according to a member of Congress. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, who has been looking into the Clinton's e-mail practices, said federal investigators were given access to Mills' computer but only on the condition that the findings could not used against her. "No wonder they couldn't prosecute a case. They were handing out immunity deals like candy," Chaffetz said. He said the others granted immunity were John Bentel, then-director of the State Department's Office of Information Resources Management, and Clinton aide Heather Samuelson.

Let us get this straight. Clinton's attorney (Cheryl Mills) gets immunity and is allowed to decide which of Hillary's emails to delete and which to hand over, but Michael Cohen has his office raided because he might be hiding something? If they were worried Cohen might be destroying evidence, then what about the 33,000 emails destroyed by Team Hillary? Michael Flynn was convicted of false statements to investigators, but Andy McCabe, who, according to Rep. Jim Jordan, lied four times to investigators, walks?

Hillary's attorney Cheryl Mills was given an immunity deal despite smashing up myriads of laptops and cell phones. Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen does nothing and has his home and office raided as though he were Al Capone. The FBI never raided Cheryl Mills's house, office, and hotel room when Hillary Clinton compromised our national security, but it raid Michael Cohen's because there might be an illegal campaign contribution? Never mind the $145 million that poured into the Clinton Foundation as Hillary shepherded 20 percent of our uranium supply into Russian hands.

According to the Daily Caller, Robert Mueller is interested in a $150,000 donation made to a Trump charity in 2015 by a Ukrainian businessman:

The donation, from steel magnate Victor Pinchuk, pales in comparison to contributions he gave to the charity Bill and Hillary Clinton set up. The billionaire has contributed $13 million to the Clinton Foundation since 2006 and had access to Hillary Clinton while she served as secretary of state. But Special Counsel Robert Mueller is not investigating The Clintons. Instead, he is conducting a broad investigation of Donald Trump, including the flow of foreign money into various Trump-controlled entities. Mueller began investigating the Pinchuk donation after receiving documents in response to a subpoena issued to the Trump Organization  the real estate company Trump ran before entering politics. In September 2015, Trump appeared via video link at a conference Pinchuk hosted in Kiev. Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, negotiated details of the event with Douglas Schoen, a former consultant for Bill Clinton, according to The New York Times. Trump did not initially request payment for the appearance, but Cohen contacted Schoen at one point to request a $150,000 honorarium, The Times reported.

Yet there are no raids of the offices of the Clinton Foundation. Mueller is not interested in justice or in fighting Russian meddling in our elections. He is on a mission to get Donald Trump, the truth and the evidence be damned.

We may be thankful to Alan Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter professor of law emeritus at Harvard Law School, for reminding us of the delicious irony of an investigation that began with "reports" of collusion with the Russians by Team Trump and charges of Russian hacking of our elections, now reverting to the tactics of Russia's most murderous tyrant, Josef Stalin. As Dershowitz writes in the Washington Examiner:

Special counsel Robert Mueller was commissioned to investigate not only crime but the entire Russian "matter." That is an ominous development that endangers the civil liberties of all Americans. Federal prosecutors generally begin by identifying specific crimes that may have been committed  in this case, violation of federal statutes. But no one has yet identified the specific statute or statutes that constrain Mueller's investigation of the Russian matter. It is not a violation of any federal law for a campaign to have collaborated with a foreign government to help elect their candidate[.] ... One does not have to go back to the Soviet Union and Lavrentiy Beria's infamous boast to Stalin, "Show me the man and I will show you the crime," in order to be concerned about the expansion of elastic criminal statutes. There are enough examples of abuse in our own history. From McCarthyism to the failed prosecutions of Sen. Ted Stevens, Rep. Thomas DeLay, Gov. Rick Perry and others, we have seen vague criminal statutes stretched in an effort to criminalize political differences.

Yes, Virginia, this is a witch hunt. Robert Mueller III was appointed special counsel after his friend, the vindictive James Comey, committed a federal crime by leaking a memo, which was a government record, to the press. Mueller has picked staff and prosecutors as if he were stocking Hillary Clinton's Department of Justice. He has picked a bevy of Clinton donors, an attorney who worked for the Clinton Foundation, a former Watergate assistant prosecutor, and even a senior adviser to Eric Holder. Objective professionals all.

Mueller is in fact colluding with Comey and the rest of the Deep State to enact revenge on President Trump for his victory and Comey's firing, something even Comey said Trump was constitutionally entitled to do. There is no evidence of collusion with Russia or obstruction of justice. It is not obstruction of justice for a president to exercise his legal and constitutional authority.

The facts and the lack of an actual crime will not stop Robert Mueller. Just show him the man, or woman, and he will show you the crime, whether it be Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, or now Michael Cohen. As with the pre-investigation exoneration of Hillary Clinton by Comey, the facts don't matter. Neither does, apparently, attorney-client privilege. Sentence first, trial later. These individuals are merely collateral damage in Mueller's vendetta against Trump.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
Earlier this year, Clare Lopez, vice president for research and analysis at the Center for Security Policy, reported that Gulftainer seeks to acquire cargo container terminal leases for dozens of other ports in the United States. Her alarming statement is holding true.

In a unanimous vote, the board of directors of Diamond State Port Corporation moved forward with preparations for a 50-year lease of the Port of Wilmington (Delaware) to GT USA Wilmington, a subsidiary of Gulftainer, on April 6, 2018. Gulftainer has already acquired a 35-year lease in Port Canaveral, Florida, as reported by investigative journalists Mary Fanning and Alan Jones.

In their first occasional paper, Gulftainer's co-ownership between the Emir of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the brother of Jafar Dhia Jafar, Saddam Hussein's top nuclear scientist, is revealed. In their second report, they expose a joint venture between Gulftainer and a Russian company that produces a cruise missile launch system called the Club-K  which appears identical to a standard 40-foot shipping container on the exterior. This is immensely disturbing, as "we are only able to scan less than one percent of the incoming containers," according to Van Hipp in The New Terrorism and How to Defeat It.

Inside any one of the 3,000 containers a ship could transport into our country, is there potential for a Trojan horse operation? The answer is yes. There's always a chance one could find four or more cruise missiles armed with biological, chemical, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), nuclear, or conventional payloads. Lopez asserts that "you would never know the difference between the Russian Club-K container cruise missile launch system and an ordinary standard ocean container. They look exactly alike."

With a new lease on the way in a Delaware port, Gulftainer is said to have gone through a vetting process performed by multiple federal Cabinet departments and federal agencies. The corporation's CEO, Peter Richards, claims that the deal is not a threat to national security, nor does it have any ties to Russia.

Similarly, the trepidation of Gulftainer's ties to the United Arab Emirates were addressed by Richards. He said, "I object to people lying about us. I can't believe people can be so simple-minded to believe the trash out there."

Dr. Joseph King, a former U.S. Customs special agent and supervisor for 33 years, believes otherwise. "To imply that it's not a national security threat is not the least bit believable," says King. "If you've been to the ports, the operators are the ones who control everything. It's a myth to believe the government is there to enforce or control anything. It's ridiculous."

He goes on to say "It's a fallacy to think Customs and the Coast Guard are shoulder to shoulder at the front line, stopping and checking everything coming into the country. It's easily detectable. Look at the amount of illegal aliens that come into the country. Look at the amount of heroin and cocaine that comes into this country." He notes how the U.S. has spent billions of dollars trying to fight illegal immigration and drug-trafficking, yet we still haven't been able to come even remotely close to preventing either problem.

If we can't keep illegal immigrants and shipments of drugs from entering our country at rampant rates, are the American people supposed to believe we are capable of keeping out a 40-foot container housing hidden cruise missiles that can be deployed domestically or simply be held somewhere until one of our enemies decides to use it?

It makes sense that the person who does the hiring is the one who controls the port. One of his responsibilities is hiring the I.T. people, for example. This includes those who actually set up the I.T. system. King says a certain number of foreign workers can be "brought in on H-1 visas  and be put in control." It raises the question: can we always trust this process?

King continues, "The fact of the matter is that you can bring in anything you want. It can be controlled however you want, if you're the operator. You can take a seal off the 40-foot container and replace it with another seal. You can take a document number and change it around. You can change a container from foreign to domestic. Customs wouldn't even take a second look at it. This could include anything you want, whether it's drugs, guns, people, or nuclear bombs. The supply chain is ultimately controlled by the operator of the port, not by a U.S. government official or an American corporation."

Apart from the Trojan horse possibilities that could wreak havoc in our country, the other end of the spectrum deals with intelligence-gathering. Both the port in Florida and the port in Delaware are ideal places for intelligence-gathering, human and electronic, according to King. "Regardless of whether it's being used to bring in humans or nuclear weapons," King concludes, "both are great places to be used as bases for intelligence operations."

Before it's too late, it's time for our congressmen and our federal Cabinet departments and agencies to seriously consider and address all the possibilities. The facts are beyond dispute. There is an association among Gulftainer, Russia, and the potential for nuclear weapons entering the country unbeknownst to the American people. Undoubtedly, there are many around the world who would love to bring America to her knees by taking advantage of the smallest crack in the system, so let's sure up our ports and not give them an avenue to do so.

J.M. Phelps is a Christian activist and journalist based in the Southeastern U.S. He is also editor and publisher of the website Lantern of Liberty.
There are organizations whose purpose is to save us from impending catastrophes. I'm not talking about the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Red Cross. I'm thinking of the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the World Wildlife Fund, the National Geographic Society, The National Audubon Society, The Environmental Defense Fund, The Population Connection, and many more. These organizations depend on impending catastrophes for their lifeblood, to say nothing of their revenue. So a shortage of real impending catastrophes is a problem. The solution has been to manufacture impending catastrophes.

A catastrophe is not manufactured out of thin air. Rather, one starts with a more or less scientific finding and inflates it into an impending catastrophe. The best made up catastrophes are speculative and resistant to clear analysis. Global warming is a catastrophe that happens 50 or 100 years in the future. You can't argue decisively against it without waiting for 50 years.

It doesn't seem to matter if a catastrophe defies common sense. When I lived in Chicago, young people would approach me on the street and ask me to contribute to fight the problem of a water shortage. This was three blocks from Lake Michigan, an inland sea 300 miles long; 70 miles wide; and, on average, 280 feet deep. The impending water shortage, like global warming, was presumably based on computer projections supported by dubious theories.

Genetic modification of plants, often considered an impending catastrophe for various exaggerated reasons, has produced wonderful products  for example, herbicide-resistant corn that enables no-till planting. Rather than plowing under last year's corn crop to prevent weeds, the new crop is simply planted through the refuse from last year's crop, and any weeds that emerge with the corn are killed with an herbicide, to which the corn plant is resistant. This saves a vast amount energy and prevents topsoil erosion from plowing. The resulting corn is perfectly good. Almost every Midwest farmer is now doing no-till corn. But genetically modified corn is subjected to hysterical attacks. The Sierra Club calls for a ban on the planting of all genetically engineered crops until such time as regulatory procedures are improved. One suspects that the Sierra Club will be satisfied when fear of genetic modification reaches its expiration date and loses its utility as a fundraising tool.

Sometimes impending catastrophes fight each other. The 1947 book The Road to Survival recounts the 1939 testimony before congress of Dr. Hugh H. Bennett. He said 282 million acres of cropland had been destroyed by topsoil erosion and that an additional 775 million acres were in the process of being destroyed. Genetically modified corn and no-till agriculture provides a solution to soil erosion. So the new impending catastrophe fights the old impending catastrophe.

Fracking is a technique of fracturing rock to release natural gas and oil. The environmentalists hate it, mostly because burning natural gas and oil adds CO2, the supposed cause of global warming, to the atmosphere. But fracking helps with the former impending catastrophe of running out of oil. So that is another example of a new impending catastrophe fighting an old impending catastrophe. It also works in reverse. Running out of oil would fight global warming.

DDT, a safe insecticide, uniquely effective against mosquitos, was banned on dubious impending catastrophe grounds. That created a new catastrophe that was real: the death of millions of children in Africa from malaria. Fortunately, after many years, the World Health Organization rehabilitated DDT.

Here is a short list of impending catastrophes: soil erosion, running out of minerals, running out of oil, the ozone hole, biological diversity, radon, death of coral, acid rain, global warming, global cooling, sea level rise, extreme weather, species extermination, air pollution, polar bear death, clear cutting forests, plutonium, dioxin, nuclear power, coal power, mountaintop mining, the many supposed causes of cancer, food additives, genetically modified organisms, water pollution, overpopulation, chickens in cages, cows fed grain, plastic bags, mid-ocean floating garbage, super-hurricanes, droughts, floods, environmental refugees, pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers.

Science has been thoroughly corrupted by the parade of impending catastrophes. An impending catastrophe allows scientists to elevate their importance and funding. So the scientists, like the environmental organizations, jump on the bandwagon of the latest impending catastrophe. Climate scientists, formerly toiling in nerdy obscurity, have become important heroes in the fight against global warming. Their funding has gone through the roof. They even get lucrative research contracts to perform computer crystal-ball hocus-pocus for cities anxious to prepare for the warmer future.

I don't claim that the climate scientists are faking belief in the global warming catastrophe. Who wouldn't believe in something that is the equivalent of winning the lottery?

The situation gets out of control when the promoters of an impending catastrophe go beyond blaming the catastrophe on capitalism and take the next step of recommending national policies to ameliorate an impending catastrophe. It is important to realize that the managers of the impending catastrophe organizations are promoters rather than practical engineers or economists. Their ignorance concerning practical matters is boundless. The former president of the Sierra Club wrote a book in which his explanation of the mechanism behind the supposed global warming showed not only that he didn't understand elementary science, but that he didn't know that he didn't understand elementary science.

The Sierra Club wants the nation to run on renewable energy  basically, wind power and solar power. That idea is not only extremely expensive, but entirely impractical due to the erratic nature of wind and solar. If the object is to reduce CO2 emissions, there are better ways than windmills and solar panels  for example, nuclear energy. But of course, nuclear energy is one of those impending catastrophes that was lucrative in the 1970s and 1980s. Ironically, the U.S. leads the world in CO2 reduction due to fracking and the resulting increased usage of carbon-lite natural gas to generate electricity. That is another example of one impending catastrophe fighting another impending catastrophe.

In the P.R. fight between the promoters of an impending catastrophe and the debunkers of the supposed catastrophe, the promoters have a huge advantage. A catastrophe is sexy and a story too good to check. Patiently explaining that there is no catastrophe is boring and involves a lot of hard to understand science and statistics. Scaring people is a much better way of getting attention than giving them a short course on science. The media people, like the catastrophe-promoters, don't understand science and thus are unable to spot phony science. On the other hand, they do understand that sensational stories drive readership and revenue.

The courts do not provide an A team, B team setup, with each presenting its own arguments to an impartial observer, for resolving scientific arguments. For one thing, most judges are not scientists, and, by and large, the courts have ruled that judging scientific disputes is outside their jurisdiction. Further, court cases take years.

It is not necessary to have a jury to definitively resolve a scientific issue. If each side were to write up its arguments and get an opportunity to question the other side, that would go a long way toward shedding light on the substance of an impending catastrophe. Because the reports of the teams would be important, both sides could not avoid participating. Currently, the promoters of global warming have a policy of never debating or giving credibility to the skeptics. This is an effective tactic for suppressing the skeptics' arguments.

A practical system would be to establish a government-sponsored organization in charge of recruiting the teams, moderating the questions and answers, and publishing the results as print and videos. Blue ribbon committees are not a substitute for an A team, B team debate, because blue ribbon committees are almost always stacked to ensure a predetermined outcome. Further, the members of the committee usually consent to a result determined by the staff. With an impartial fact-finding process, on the other hand, the organization in charge would retain credibility by a policy of not judging the result or otherwise taking sides.

At any rate, something needs to be done  or else we can add the death of science to the long, long list of impending catastrophes. Unlike the others, we can actually see this one coming.

Norman Rogers writes often on environmental and political matters. He has a website: climateviews.com.

Image: Scott Cutler via Flickr.
It seems that Russia, in its search for a suitable method of collective suicide, has decided to compensate for America's supposed superiority in anti-missile defense systems with an enormously expensive one-sided arms race.

Russia decided to create missiles capable of almost 100% penetration of not just the existing, but also any future missile defense of the United States. Of course, the Pentagon only shrugged  they know perfectly well about Russia's tiny military budget. Well, if Russia wants to go bankrupt unilaterally, so be it. Trump's administration will not interfere. It will even help.

The fact is that the nuclear missiles currently in service in Russia can overcome any U.S. missile defense. Not all of them, of course, but even a small percentage of missiles that penetrate are capable of wiping America off the face of the Earth many times over. Conversely, U.S. missiles can overcome Russia's missile defense. It's called parity, also known as "guaranteed mutual destruction." It is a confirmation of the old military adage: in a confrontation between the armor and the projectile, the projectile always wins.

The self-destruction of Russia in the form of a one-sided arms race is happening in broad daylight. Russia never concealed its intentions. In the West, all this was understood a long time ago. Western politicians are also not hiding the results of their analysis. The autocrat Putin is no longer invited to important international forums, and no one among prominent heads of states visits him. Why should they? The country under his leadership has become an outcast, and everything Russian has become politically toxic  but, strangely enough, at the same time, a convenient scapegoat.

Democrats are blaming Russia for the loss in the 2016 election. The special prosecutor Robert Mueller investigates activities of Paul Manafort at the time when Manafort worked for Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. But Mueller himself also worked with Yanukovych during the same time. Democrats accuse Russian hackers of hacking DNC emails, but for some reason, they refuse to provide the FBI with their servers for investigation.

Now, a year and a half after the election, it is safe to say that Russia played the same role in the American election of 2016 as it has been playing since the mid-1930s  none. That is, efforts to destabilize America as the main adversary, of course, are underway. They were conducted, starting from the time of Stalin, and with the same indispensable result: zero.

Of course, Tsar Putin does not want the destruction of America. After all, the West is where he and his courtiers keep their billions. He merely wants to destabilize America and thereby weaken the main oil and gas rival of Russia.

Republicans have other scores with Russia. Under the leadership of Donald Trump, America has charted the course for complete energy independence. The war against American mining and oil industries, initiated by Obama, had been canceled. The United States has been the world's number-one producer of natural gas for several years (Russia is second). And six months ago, America reached a production level of 10 million barrels of oil per day. That places it second in the world. Russia is in first place with 12 million barrels of oil per day.

If things progress as they are, it will take ten years for America to catch up with Russia's oil production. And if Trump steps up the pace, as he has apparently decided to do, it will take only three years, no more  just in time for Trump's re-election. For Republicans, Russia is just business as usual, nothing personal. However, the Democrats, who are openly anti-Russian, meet the anti-Russian demarches of Trump with enthusiasm.

Trump sees Russia not as a political adversary, but as an oil and gas competitor who has determined its own method of self-destruction. Even so, who needs an adversary's help when on a course of self-destruction?

Did Russia hack the email of the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign? Maybe. But nobody is looking for an answer to this question, because no politicians need it. They also do not need an answer to the question of who used chemical weapons in Syria. Why look for one if nobody needs it? Perhaps it was Russian chemical weapons, and perhaps not. Did the Russian intelligence services poison their former spy, Sergei Skripal, in the United Kingdom? Perhaps they poisoned him, or perhaps not. No one is interested in the correct answer from the political standpoint.

After the aggression against Georgia and Ukraine, after disconnecting Europe from its natural gas supply during winter, after the downed Malaysian Boeing, after the formation of the caliphate and the annexation of Crimea, Russia practically gave carte blanche to all other countries to write off all their failures and all their problems. As a result, the majority of international scandals in the world are now associated with Russia regardless as to whether Russia is in fact involved or not. Even the U.N. has stopped accusing Israel on a daily basis (now the U.N. does this every other day). The hostility the Axis countries  Russia-Iran-Syria-North Korea  to the West exists, if not de jure, then de facto, and is a convenient target.

For many years, Russia has acted thoughtlessly and become vulnerable to various false flag operations. Without question, it is a self-inflicted wound. It sounds irrational, but Russia methodically works toward self-destruction on all fronts  internationally, economically, and militarily.

Concurrently, Russia is trying to appeal to the common sense of the world community and to use international judicial procedures. But the situation into which Russia has driven itself is not legal, but political. Therefore, rhetorical questions from the Kremlin such as "Where is the evidence?" will not be useful. After all, this is not a jury trial or a military tribunal; rather, it is international politics, which is apparently poorly taught at the KGB school.

Russia's behavior over the next several years will be viewed by the West only as the caprices of a prisoner going to the gallows, who has already enjoyed his last supper provided to him by law.

Gary Gindler is a conservative Russian-American blogger at Gary Gindler Chronicles.
Even at age 90, Helga Lustig vividly remembers when she first heard the news that her father had been taken away by the Nazis.

It was 1938, and she was safely ensconced in a boarding school in Holland just across the border from Germany. Her parents had never planned to send her and her sister to any school so far away, but they did it as a precautionary measure. Just in case. Just in case the local Nazis in her hometown of Wesel, Germany expelled the girls from school or made their lives so unbearable that they couldn't attend.

Her parents knew they couldn't shield them from the Nazi encroachment, so they sent them out of Germany. They were totally defenseless against the Nazis, and when they finally came, they came first for Helga's father.

Kristallnacht, the Night of the Broken Glass, spread like a wave across Germany. It was the first major salvo in state-sponsored terror by the German government against Germans, specifically German Jews. In one night, Nazi paramilitary hordes destroyed over 1,000 synagogues and 7,000 Jewish businesses, murdered around 100 Jews, and carted off 30,000 or more Jewish men to concentration camps. Helga's father was among them.

By the time the Nazi Party launched a concerted nationwide attack upon the Jews, there was nothing the Jews could do. The time for defending themselves had long since passed.

Helga's father certainly couldn't fight back. A year before, they had come for his guns. Since he had been a German officer in the Kaiser's army in the Great War, the Nazis assumed, erroneously, it turned out, that he had at least kept his sidearm. They relented on his traditional officer's sword, reasoning that it was no match for bullets anyway.

The Nazis had in their possession a national registry of gun-owners. When they came to power in 1933, they knew exactly who had what kind of gun and how many. And they didn't even have to compile the registry themselves. A few years earlier, the Interior Minister of the German Weimar government had started the gun ownership registry as a way of keeping tabs on extremist groups in Germany, such as the communists...and the Nazis. The national registry was thorough, precise, and extensive. But not public. The Weimar interior minister was wary of it falling into the wrong hands, like those of the Nazi extremists he warned of.

Shortly afterward, with the Nazis finally coming to power, he and his staff either neglected to destroy the list or ran out of time. So in one of their first acts after Hitler was elected to govern Germany  yes, he really was elected by the German people  the Nazis quickly went about confiscating the guns through the German gun-owner registry.

The gun confiscation was highly selective. The Nazis allowed their loyal minions to keep their guns and even encouraged them to get more. Those Germans deemed suspect, or declared enemies of the state, had their guns confiscated. After the Nazis disarmed the rival communists, they targeted the Jews. Within a year they had visited the homes and shops of every Jewish gun owner in Germany and taken away their guns.

The Nazis were nervous about any of their real or imagined domestic enemies shooting back at them. They were especially nervous about the Jews, paranoid to the point where even after they confiscated the guns of all the registered Jewish gun-owners, they still went after the Jewish war veterans. This is why they ended up at Helga's home in Wesel in 1937.

Thus, when the Kristallnacht rampage happened a year later, the Jews didn't shoot a single bullet in self-defense because they didn't have any guns to shoot with. The Nazis had made sure of it.

Of the 30,000 defenseless Jewish men rounded up that night, only a few survived to the end of the war. How many would have lived had they been armed when the Nazis came for them? We can never know. Yet we can a least surmise that it would have been more than a few, probably many more.

The Nazi security forces certainly had an endless supply of firearms and the power of the state behind them. But picture an armed German Jewish resistance network in 1938. Word gets around that the Nazis are coming for the Jews. They load their guns and concoct a last ditch-effort to fend them off, allowing more Jews to escape through an Underground Jewish Railroad type of network. They shoot a lot of Nazis in the process and buy enough time for the rest to make it the borders of those still at peace neighboring countries.

Even if the Jews weren't so organized, it's still infinitely better to go down shooting, taking as many Nazis with them as possible. And there'd always be some who'd live to tell the tale.

That's exactly what happened in the Warsaw Ghetto five years later.

Poland, like Germany, saw most of the Jews  and the general population  disarmed when the Nazis rolled in. So they rounded up the nearly 3 million Jewish population with ease.

The Warsaw Ghetto was a big holding pen for the Jews awaiting transport to the Auschwitz death camp. The Nazis would routinely and openly corral the Jews and ship them off to the gas chambers. Then one day, to their utter astonishment, the Jews fought back. Fiercely. Using mostly handguns and rifles, they held the Germans at bay when they came to collect more Jewish victims. Up to 300 German soldiers were killed in the month-long siege. Most of the Jewish fighters were eventually killed, but more than a few escaped under cover of the long battle, while the rest went down fighting, with honor and dignity.

Word of their heroism spread and inspired similar armed revolts in a few other ghettos and even some extermination camps. Yet these were rare.

In the end, Nazis killed nearly six million Jews in the Holocaust, starting with the German Jews.

Helga was lucky. She survived the war. Her father was even luckier. He survived the Buchenwald concentration camp.

Luck was how Jews survived the Holocaust  missing the last transport to Treblinka; jumping in another line after selection; or, in the case of Helga, miraculously securing a visa to America three months before the Nazis invaded Holland and murdered every Jewish girl at her boarding school. The tragic historical reality is that the overwhelming majority of Europe's Jews perished in the Nazi genocide. Without any means of fighting back, they were utterly defenseless when the Nazis came for them, and went to the gas chambers like sheep to the slaughter.

Tom Mountain is a member of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee. Helga Lustig lives in Newton, Mass. and will serve later this month as a delegate to the Massachusetts Republican State Convention.

Image: Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1970-033-04 via Wikimedia Commons.
A University of Tennessee senior posted her graduation pictureon Twitter that featured her wearing a "Women for Trump" T-shirt and a gun in her waistband.

Writing, "I don't take normal graduation photos," Brenna Spencer immediately felt the wrath of gun control advocates.

Washington Times:

All it took for University of Tennessee senior Brenna Spencer to spark a viral gun debate was a Women for Trump shirt and a personal handgun. Gun control advocates were none too pleased this week when a 22-year-old Volunteer attracted nearly 75,000 likes to her graduation picture. Reactions to the pro-Second Amendment image also garnered the attention of media outlets ranging from ABC News to The New York Post. I did think that it would get a little attention but not to this degree, Ms. Spencer told ABC for an interview publishedMonday. It was really, really surprising to see the amount of hate that I got. The photo was taken Saturday outside the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga. I dont take normal college graduation photos, a caption with her tweet says.

That she got 75,000 "likes" is also significant, and no doubt drove her detractors batty. Some of those detractors are in serious need of professional counseling.

Female Trump supporters are hurting the cause of empowering women by supporting Trump, who has zero respect for women or their rights.

The only thing that looks right in this pic is if youre thinking of jumping [off the bridge].

White privilege at its finest!

This picture screams #walmart #peopleofwalmart.

Looking like her Dad and Mom are second cousins.

Yet her white ass would still bash [people of color] for gun violence. I fg hate trump America.

I dont agree with just supporting women blindly just because theyre women. Female Trump supporters couldnt care less about womens rights.

It wouldn't do any good to tell these people to lighten up, it's only a picture. They think they have pro-Second Amendment supporters on the run with fallout from the school shooting in Florida and the rise of the pro-gun control movement. In truth, I think it makes the critics look silly. Ms. Spencer is carrying the gun legally and it is her Constitutional right to own one. To pretend that it's close to the end of the world that a picture with an attractive woman carrying a gun is posted on a popular social media platform only makes the critics look hysterical - which, of course, they are.

The fact that Ms. Spencer's picture went viral may encourage other young women to follow suit. If that happened, it would be worth all the criticism endured by this brave young woman.
We're still a few weeks away from heavy campaigning, but Robert O'Rourke is always ready to prove that he's liberal.

First, he said he wants AR-15s banned. My guess is that this statement got him a few contributions from outside Texas. It may have also improved his chances of getting an invitation to play the late Bobby Kennedy in a movie. Wonder how long before he starts speaking with a Boston accent...

Second, he is talking impeachment. I woke up this morning and saw this on the Dallas Morning News:

El Paso Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the Democrat hoping to defeat Sen. Ted Cruz in November, said Monday that he would support impeaching President Donald Trump if a vote were held today. Asked by KFYO Radio conservative radio host Chad Hasty in Lubbock if he's "seen enough yet to where you'd vote to impeach the president," O'Rourke said, "The answer is yes."

Beto did admit recently that the political conditions are not "ripe" for impeachment. In other words, Beto understands that the votes are not there. He couldn't prove that President Trump committed any crimes.

So why is Beto going liberal so early in this campaign? What additional votes is he going to get by calling for AR-15 bans or impeaching President Trump? Doesn't he already have those votes?

What's up with Beto? I think Beto is looking beyond November and positioning himself for a future that does not include being Senator O'Rourke. For example:

1. Governor in 2022? We will have an open seat, more than likely.

2. V.P. in 2020? It sounds crazy today, but it makes more sense than anybody else in Texas.

3. A leadership role in any action against the NRA or an executive position with Planned Parenthood.

4. He may be trying to motivate turnout or just remind all of those liberal in Texas that the polls are wrong about Senator Cruz.

It's all speculation, I understand. However, Mr. O'Rourke is not doing anything that will make him electable in Texas 2020.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Bradley Smith has thoroughly debunked one of the rationales for the seizure of attorney-client privileged communications in attorney Michael Cohen's office on suspicion of violation of federal election laws. One[i] of the allegations is that the hush money paid to Stormy Daniels amounted to an in-kind campaign contribution, far exceeding the amount permitted an individual to contribute. Smith demonstrates that this is nonsense in his Wall Street Journal column, titled "Stormy Weather for Campaign Finance Laws."

Campaign-finance law aims to prevent corruption. For this reason, the FEC has a longstanding ban on "personal use" of campaign funds. Such use would give campaign contributions a material value beyond helping to elect the candidate  the essence of a bribe. FEC regulations explain that the campaign cannot pay expenses that would exist "irrespective" of the campaign, even if it might help win election. At the same time, obligations that would not exist "but for" the campaign must be paid from campaign funds. If paying hush money is a campaign expense, a candidate would be required to make that payment with campaign funds. How ironic, given that using campaign funds as hush money was one of the articles of impeachment in the Watergate scandal, which gave rise to modern campaign-finance law. When the FEC adopted these regulations, it specifically rejected a rule under which campaign contributions could fund an expenditure "related to" a candidacy. The FEC was concerned that would make it too easy for candidates to use campaign funds for personal benefit. Personal debts, for example, are "related to" the campaign  if unpaid, the candidate's reputation might suffer. A Rolex watch, a new suit, or a haircut might help a candidate look good on the trail.

This makes it clear that the payment to Stormy Daniels, which has many non-campaign justifications (for instance, concealing the purported affair from Trump's wife and children) cannot by law be paid by campaign funds.

This must be taken seriously, because Smith was not only a law school professor earlier in his career, but also chair of the Federal Election Commission that enforces campaign finance laws.

As a friend emailed me:

It appears that Mueller, the US Attorney from the Southern District, the senior Justice Department officials who apparently had to approve the raid, and the judge who issued the search warrant either do not understand the theory behind the campaign finance laws or have abused their authority in the same way as the electronic surveillance of Carter Page via the FISA court warrant did. It is a truly unbelievable situation. And this is with Republicans in power. The Deep State is for real.

I find the possibility that the U.S. Attorney's Office and judge did not understand the law highly unlikely.
After the FBI conducted its search of Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer, the entire press, both Republicans and Democrats, demanded decisive actions by President Trump. Fire Mueller! Fire Rosenstein! Where is Attorney General Sessions?! Everyone called for Trump's response.

But the FBI's search of Cohen was the response of the Washington swamp to a short television interview with Sessions about two weeks ago, followed by an official letter to the key Republican members of Congress, in which he casually noted that he had appointed a prosecutor to investigate what is known as "Clintonistas."

It turns out that the prosecutor, Huber from Utah, has been working in tandem with the inspector general of the Department of Justice, Michael Horowitz, for more than six months. They are investigating not just the abuses of the Obama's FBI and Obama's Department of Justice (wiretapping Trump, the infamous "Russian dossier" concocted by Hillary Clinton's order), but also the uranium case, the corruption in the State Department, and the Clinton Foundation.

Trump's impeachment has never been the primary task of the special prosecutor, Mueller; Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein; and other Clintonistas. Impeachment is not a criminal, but a political process, and the impeachment process formally does not require a violation of the law. Impeachment is a no confidence vote when a politician is removed from his official post for some shameful, unworthy (but not criminal) deeds.

Why, then, does this whole investigation of Mueller exist, if such an inquiry of Trump's criminal conspiracy with Putin does not help the Washington swamp to achieve the impeachment goal?

The task of Mueller is to keep Trump in suspense, precisely until the moment when the criminal prosecution of Clintonistas becomes impossible due to the statute of limitations.

The Sessions interview served as a trigger for the attack. The "Demsheviks" felt that they were losing control of the situation. They realized that they might be running out of time, so they decided on this extraordinary step. It was a move designed to make Trump start raging and make a lot of political mistakes.

It took them about two weeks to master their tactics and to get permission from all the necessary authorities. Of all the possible options, they chose what everyone was talking about two weeks ago  a porn star, Stormy Daniels, interviewing about sex with Trump 12 years ago. Their imagination did not go any farther.

The searches of Cohen once again prove that there was no collusion between Trump and Putin. If there had been a conspiracy, after two years of investigations, this information would have been leaked a long time ago. And the Clintonistas would not have had to resort to the stripper, merely used as an excuse for searching Cohen to fight Trump.

But leftists are looking for the "Hand of Moscow" everywhere. The last absurd example is the investigation by Mueller's guys of how one Ukrainian billionaire, Victor Pinchuk, paid Trump's charitable foundation 150 thousand dollars for his short lecture in 2015. But they ignore the fact that the same billionaire paid Hillary Clinton more than $10 million.

Trump should not be twitching. Firing these Clintonistas right now minimizes the potential effect of the investigation by Inspector General Horowitz of abuses in the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice. The most significant political impact will be produced if these creatures of the Washington swamp still occupy their official posts on the day when the Horowitz report will be made public.

They could have been fired by Trump a long time ago, and justice would have triumphed, but Trump needs not just justice. Trump needs not a victory by points. Trump needs a political knockout.

The status of the inspector general does not allow him to directly refer the case to the court, although he has the right to recommend it. For such cases, there are prosecutors, such as the prosecutor Huber. The lawyer from provincial Utah understands that this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Prosecutor Huber, like all of us, knows that the position of deputy attorney general of the United States will soon be available.

The search of Cohen is not a sign of the winning position of the Clintonistas. It is the reaction caused by despair. It is possible that this is their last card. The amusing thing is, they were not caught by using multi-dimensional chess, but by the simple, age-old good cop-bad cop trick.

Gary Gindler is a conservative Russian-American blogger at Gary Gindler Chronicles.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons.
Mark Zuckerberg has big plans for regulating "hate speech" on Facebook. And he's stepping up artificial intelligence (A.I.) operations to silence those he deems hate-speakers, to keep the community "safe." He forecasts that it will be a done deal in five to ten years. Asked how he evaluates hate speech and where he draws the line on it at Facebook, by Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota during testimony in the Senate yesterday, Zuckerberg replied:

YES, MR. CHAIRMAN. I'LL SPEAK TO HATE SPEECH, THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT ENFORCING OUR content POLICIES MORE BROADLY. SO ACTUALLY, MAYBE IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH IT, I'LL GO IN THE OTHER ORDER. SO FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE COMPANY, IN 2004, I STARTED IN MY DORM ROOM, IT WAS ME AND MY ROOMMATE, WE DIDN'T HAVE AI TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD LOOK AT CONTENT that PEOPLE WERE SHARING. SO WE BASICALLY HAD TO ENFORCE OUR CONTENT POLICIES REACTIVELY. PEOPLE COULD SHARE WHAT THEY WANTED, AND THEN IF SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY FOUND IT TO BE OFFENSIVE or against our POLICIES THEY WOULD FLAG IT FOR US AND WE WOULD LOOK AT IT REACTIVELY. NOW INCREASINGLY, WE ARE DEVELOPING AI TOOLS THAT can identify certain classes of bad activity proactively and FLAG IT for our team AT FACEBOOK. BY THE eND OF THIS YEAR by the way WE'LL HAVE MORE THAN 20,000 PEOPLE WORKING ON SECURITY AND CONTENT REVIEW WORKING ACROSS ALL THESE THINGS. SO WHEN CONTENT GETS FLAGGED TO US WE HAVE THOSE PEOPLE LOOK AT AND IF IT VIOLATES OUR POLICIES THEN WE TAKE IT down. SOME PROBLEMS LEND THEMSELVES MORE EASILY TO AI SOLUTIONS THAN OTHERS. SO HATE SPEECH IS ONE OF THE HARDEST BECAUSE DETERMINING IF SOMETHING IS HATE SPEECH IS VERY LINGUISTICALLY NUANCED. YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS A SLUR AND WHETHER SOMETHING IS HATEFUL. NOT JUST IN ENGLISH, BUT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK USE IT IN LANGUAGEs that are DIFFERENT ACROSS THE WORLD. CONTRAST that FOR EXAMPLE WITH AN AREA LIKE FINDING TERRORIST PROPAGANDA WHICH WE'VE actually BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT DEPLOYING AI TOOLS ON ALREADY. TODAY AS WE SIT HERE 99% OF THE ISIS AND AL QAEDA content that WE TAKE DOWN on Facebook, our AI systems FLAGS BEFORE ANY HUMAN SEES IT. SO THAT'S SUCCESS IN TERMS OF ROLLING OUT AI TOOLS THAT CAN PROACTIVELY POLICE AND ENFORCE SAFETY ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. HATE SPEECH, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT OVER A FIVE TO TEN YEAR PERIOD, WE'LL HAVE AI TOOLS THAT CAN GET INTO SOME OF THE NUANCES, the LINGUISTIC NUISANCES, OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTENT TO BE MORE ACCURATE IN FLAGGING THINGS FOR OUR SYSTEMS but TODAY WE ARE just NOT THERE on that. SO A LOT OF THIS IS still REACTIVE. PEOPLE FLAG IT TO US. WE HAVE PEOPLE LOOK AT IT. WE HAVE POLICIES to try to make as not-subjective as possible. BUT UNTIL WE Get it MORE AUTOMATED THERE IS ERROR RATE I'M NOT HAPPY WITH. >> THANK YOU.

I corrected the transcript and highlighted the money quotes. Here is a C-SPAN video clip of the same:

Thune wasn't able to follow up on the key thing, which is finding out how Zuckerberg defines "hate speech," and the only information Zuck provided was "slurs" and speech that "is hateful." Does he mean that anyone who criticizes President Obama or Hillary Clinton is a practitioner of hate speech? And as for slurs, if he really meant it, shouldn't this mean that quite a few Democrats would get shut down as avid practitioners? Hard to believe. They don't even get shut down for assassination talk.

Apparently, Zuckerberg enforces his hate-speech policies based on "if someone found it offensive," meaning that a lot of snowflakes are in business. Snowflakes find everything offensive. Will he go by the snowflake standard? We all suspect what the answer will be.

He's vague about "bad activity," and that is worth noting, too, given that groups such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference consider pretty much anything conservative "hate speech" and brands it as such. SCLC is a vaunted institution of the establishment, oh, so respectable, and yet it does that because the establishment is extremist and hates Republicans with a passion. Is Zuckerberg going to be listening to people like that? Don't bet on him not listening to them.

He's also hiring a big police force to police speech, and while many of them will be policing foreign-language posts, it should have been asked how many of them would be policing American posts written in English. The number contrast would be interesting. One guy for the Telugu desk and 15,000 for the Republicans? Lucky us.

Zuck does note that policing hate speech is one of the hardest issues for his company, without quite saying why. Yet it contrasts easily with Facebook's A.I. detecting terrorist activity, probably because all you need are keywords for that, and you are targeting a specific entity, not a "nuanced" person you don't know who lives a normal life in the community and just doesn't like Eric Holder or Hillary Clinton. I'll give him some pointers here as to why it's hard: it's because censoring Republicans brings bad publicity, does it not? And we know that's what he has in mind.

He gets more Orwellian when he talks about enforcing "safety" in speech, and that immediately calls to mind the Facebook shadowbanning or "deplatforming" of Diamond & Silk, two pro-Trump Republican women whose content was censored out of their subscribers' news feeds because, as Facebook put it, they were "unsafe to the community." Someone should have asked him point-blank if he considers the two black women who love Trump "terrorists."

He then pays lip service to making his so-called hate speech enforcement as non-subjective as possible. Coming from a leftist such as Zuckerberg who considers left-wing shibboleths on everything from global warming to Obamacare to illegal aliens having more rights than U.S. citizens as absolute truths, this doesn't inspire confidence.

The bottom line here is that Zuckerberg is planning to deploy artificial intelligence tools, programmed by their human programmers, into censorship of Republican speech, in the name of left-wing truisms about what truth is. If that's not a direct campaign contribution to Democrats, and evidence of an edited published platform that needs to be regulated for content, as newspapers are, then what is? Regulate them. Zuckerberg flunked his Senate testimony and deserves nothing less.
"We are at a boiling point," House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes told Laura Ingraham last night on Fox News. He went on to reveal a plan to hold FBI director Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in contempt if a two-page document they have been seeking since August last year is not produced today.

News of the plan to hold in contempt and impeach two senior officials was first revealed in a tweet by Washington Post writer Robert Costa:

House Intel Chair Devin Nunes privately told several colleagues today that it's time for House GOP to hold Rosenstein and Wray in contempt of Congress, should they refuse to hand over requested docs, according to two people familiar with the discussions...  Robert Costa (@costareports) April 10, 2018

I strongly suspect that this came from one of the "several collegaues," and this forced Nunes to go on The Ingraham Angle to follow up.

It was the Costa tweet that prompted Ingraham's questioning.

The document was an "electronic communication" (E.C., as it is dubbed in D.C.-speak) from the State Department to the DOJ and/or the FBI, which was used to open the counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign by the FBI during the presidential campaign.

I infer that this was the foundational document for all that followed: the FISA warrant applications, the use of the Steele dossier, and the wiretapping of Trump Tower that President Trump referred to (to almost universal media ridicule) but actually happened, we now know. All of this was thanks to the FISA warrants being granted and renewed.

The entire eight-minute interview of Nunes by Laura Ingraham is embedded below. The salient points are that the House issued a subpoena in August last year for the two-page E.C. document, and Chairman Gowdy of the House Oversight Committee went to the FBI or DOJ to view it in a secure room and discovered that it was entirely redacted. During a second visit by Gowdy, small portions of the document were unredacted, but they were not on point.

Nunes made the point that the FBI has said the E.C. named a May 2016 conversation in a bar between George Papadopoulos and Australia's senior diplomat in London but has refused to let the House see the document itself.

The continuing stonewall strongly suggests embarrassing information being withheld. The chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee have security clearances enabling them to see anything classified, so there is not official excuse to withhold anything on the basis of classification.

Needless to say, Democrats and the media are freaking out.

The continual attacks by some extreme Republicans on law enforcement are becoming shameful and wildly out of touch with reality. https://t.co/DPtvxAT0NG  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 11, 2018

An actual move to impeach the two officials would trigger protests that it is aimed at removing the person who appointed and is supervising Robert Mueller's investigation. If Rosenstein were removed, it would open the door to a newly appointed official to rein in the drift far afield from Russia collusion that has seen Mueller spending taxpayer money investigating an affair that took place many years before Trump even declared his candidacy, among other excursions.

But the more fuss over impeachment, the more attention focused on the stonewalling of documents to which the House committees are entitled.
A Russian diplomat speaking to Hezb'allah TV said Russia will shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at Syrian targets and then attack the "sources where the missiles were fired."

The threat of retaliation by Russia changes the calculations in U.S. plans to respond to the poison gas attack on civilians over the weekend, presumably carried out by Syria.

NBCNews:

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then we refer to the statements of President [Vladimir] Putin and the chief of staff that the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV. The envoy's comments came after the U.S. heaped condemnation on Syria and its main backer Russia since images emerged of the suspected poison gas attack that allegedly killed dozens in Douma on Saturday. Trump canceled a trip to Latin America to focus on the Syria incident, the White House said. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also canceled plans to travel to California in the coming days. Trump told reporters all options were on the table regarding Syria. The USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, left a port in Larnaca, Cyprus on Monday. The guided missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, which were used a year ago after an alleged sarin gas attack on Syrian civilians.

Russia has sophisticated anti-ship missiles that would make short work of the Cook. But some analysts believe that Trump is going to do much more than simply lob a few cruise missiles at Syrian targets.

Eurocontrol, the pan-European air traffic control agency, warned airlines Tuesday to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to possible airstrikes in the next 72 hours. Retired Adm. James Stavridis, a former head of NATO and an NBC News analyst, warned that any U.S. strike on Syria would likely require manned aircraft and characterized it as a "high-risk operation." "Last year was about sending a signal," Stavridis said, referring to the April 2017 strike ordered by Trump. "This year its [sic] about destroying actual Syrian capability."

To destroy "Syrian capability," we are going to have to destroy the Syrian air force. We may not know where all of Assad's chemical weapons are located, but we know where his planes are. Apparently, Russia is thinking the same thing and will not allow that to happen.

How seriously should we take this threat? We can't afford not to take it seriously. We should be watching to see if Russia begins moving military assets to the expected targets to deter the U.S.  and especially France and Great Britain  from killing a lot of Russians in the strikes. Putin will seek to divide the allies over the severity of the strikes, as France and Great Britain may not have the stomach for a confrontation with Russia.

You have to believe that Putin is itching for a chance to humiliate the U.S. Sanctions over Crimea and Ukraine have hurt the Putin regime, and the West's constant criticism of human rights in Russia has Putin seething.

But how far would he go to exact his revenge? If Putin decides on a major confrontation in the Middle East, it could set off a series of regional conflicts in the region that would be hard to contain. Also, war in the Middle East would drive up the price of oil worldwide, filling Putin's coffers and alleviating some of the pain from sanctions.

Do you trust both Putin and Trump to keep a lid on any confrontation and not allow it to spiral out of control?
Puerto Rico should be granted its independence from the United States as soon as possible.

How may this be done? In 1934, the United States Congress passed the Tydings-McDuffie Act that freed the Philippine Islands from American control. This act provides the legal framework to grant Puerto Rico independence.

P.R. should not be simply released and told to go its own way. Though it is a complicated goal, the U.S. government can detach the island and yet give its people a fair chance for independent success. Independence for P.R. begins in Congress.

Puerto Rico owes approximately $70B to its various creditors. Before it is granted full independence, P.R. should take specific steps to resolve its debt. How can this be done? Oil. This Caribbean island is surrounded by oil and natural gas. Though the industry is not well developed, with wisdom and good planning, it can be in a few years. The U.S. government can place taxes and fees on these resources. The monies collected would go directly to P.R.'s creditors. Once these debts are resolved, Puerto Rico would be free to develop its oil and gas industry as it wishes without U.S. government interference. A reasonably developed oil and gas industry gives P.R. a good chance to stand as a nation on its own.

The Puerto Rican people must redevelop its national agriculture in order to feed itself. In the time between legislation and release from American government control, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's immense resources can help P.R.'s agricultural industry get on its feet. During the transition period, the USDA can give dedicated aid and training to Puerto Rican farmers and food-processors. Similarly, American ag schools could set aside quotas dedicated to Puerto Rican student farmers and agribusinesses. How would this education be financed? Oil and gas.

Lastly, the U.S. government should retain ownership of existing naval port facilities and an active airfield to support these facilities. Though the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base is closed, it could be reopened on a limited basis. The docks and shipyard should remain in the control of the U.S. Navy. The various weapons systems and military equipment presently on the island would be removed. After independence, the Puerto Rican people would choose what sort of security forces they wish to employ.

Puerto Rican independence is more complicated than a simple four-step plan. Still, the major steps for freedom may not be much more complex than those contained in this plan.
When Donald Trump fired his secretary of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin, and named his personal physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, to replace him, red flags went up on Capitol Hill and among some veterans groups who oppose privatizing the V.A.

Indeed, in a parting shot to his detractors within the administration, Shulkin wrote an op-ed in the New York Times warning against forces inside the White House that want to privatize the entire agency.

The Hill:

In an op-ed published in the New York Times just hours after he was removed, Shulkin blamed his ouster on forces within the administration that he said are pushing hard for privatization[.] "The advocates within the administration for privatizing V.A. health services ... saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed," Shulkin wrote. Dismantling the department's health care system "is a terrible idea," Shulkin wrote, adding that the private sector "is ill-prepared to handle the number and complexity of patients that would come from closing or downsizing V.A. hospitals and clinics." Groups like the Koch brothers-backed Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) are pushing to loosen current restrictions on veterans receiving private sector care.

Very few veterans groups want to eliminate the V.A. or downsize it. But it's a convenient red herring for liberal groups and Democrats in Congress to bash Trump:

"There is no effort underway to privatize VA, and to suggest otherwise is completely false and a red herring designed to distract and avoid honest debate on the real issues surrounding veterans' health care," the agency said in a statement. Democrats and veterans' advocacy groups have been wary of Republican efforts to privatize the VA since before Trump took office. In a 2016 campaign rally in Virginia Beach, Trump called the VA corrupt and inefficient. "Veterans should be guaranteed the right to choose their doctor and clinics, whether at a VA facility or at a private medical center," Trump said. "We must extend this right to all veterans." Senate Democrats and veterans groups have not yet drawn any hard lines in the side [sic  a line in the sand...? DJB] against Jackson, partly because they said they don't know what his positions are. Verna Jones, the executive director of the American Legion, said she would have to sit down and speak with Jackson before passing judgment on his nomination. "It seems like people are putting the cart before the horse. Jackson hasn't had a confirmation and none of us know his views," Jones said. "To be clear, the Legion opposes privatization. How all this ties into Jackson  we owe it to him to wait and see."

That's a rare sentiment in these partisan times. But Democrats will also look to diminish Jackson by claiming he is unqualified to lead such a large agency:

Jackson is an active-duty Navy admiral who has worked as the White House physician for three presidents. Lawmakers have expressed skepticism over whether Jackson, who doesn't have experience working with the VA or managing a health care organization, has the qualifications to run the agency. Senate Democrats on the Veterans' Affairs Committee said they also don't know where Jackson stands on privatization. Still, they don't trust the administration's motives and are gearing up for a fight.

AT contributor Ed Timperlake, a former V.A. assistant secretary, weighed in on Jackson's qualifications:

The selection of Admiral Jackson is being attacked on the issue of his lack of significant command qualifications. In fact, Jackson's immediate experience will ultimately prove to be a boon for the VA. Navy doctors are trained professionals for big-deal thinking. I would never typecast a Navy doctor with the rank of Admiral as someone who doesn't understand how to take command of an organization the size of the VA.

As for privatization of the V.A., it's not going to happen. Every major veterans group is opposed to privatizing the agency, and most Republicans oppose it, too. But the scandals in recent years involving unacceptable wait times for veterans who need care have begun the process of much needed reforms that include some care being supplied in certain circumstances by the private health care industry. As Mr. Timperlake points out, there may be issues with timely payments by the government to private providers, which he recommends an agency-wide audit to discover. But with so many returning veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat zones who have serious health issues, it seems that an expansion of choices for veterans is logical and necessary.

How this impacts Jackson's confirmation isn't clear, except that Democrats will seek any opportunity to damage the president, and the Jackson nomination is setting up to give them exactly what they want.
Cambridge Analytica acting Chief Executive Officer Alexander Tayler is stepping down amid the Facebook privacy scandal that kept the company in the center of the news cycle in recent weeks, the American political consulting and data research firm said Wednesday. The move is formally a demotion, with Mr. Tayler being set to return to his old position of Chief Data Officer so as to focus on the various technical investigations and inquiries, according to Cambridge Analyticas Board of Directors. The comment references numerous probes that are presently targeting the New York City-based business which purchased data of tens of millions of Facebook users in the summer of 2014, having been accused of leveraging it in order to create political profiles of Americans and attempt influencing the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, a notion that Cambridge Analytica repeatedly denied, claiming it deleted the improperly mined data over a year earlier.

Mr. Taylers short stint as the companys CEO started three weeks ago after the firm suspended its full-time chief Alexander Nix who has been personally implicated in the 2014 incident. No new acting CEO has been named and the current state of day-to-day operations at Cambridge Analytica remains unclear, with its board only describing recent developments as a challenging time for doing business. The consulting service provider purchased data of up to 87 million Facebook users, mostly Americans, from one Aleksandr Kogan, a data scientist that created a quiz app which mined information from both its players and their Facebook friends, with the latter group not being aware of that practice or giving consent to be subjected to it.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the social media giant is considering suing Mr. Kogan during a congressional hearing but the Menlo Park-based Internet juggernaut has yet to clarify its plans for dealing with Cambridge Analytica, save for financing an independent audit of the companys servers to verify whether it truly deleted the controversial data in 2015 like it claims it did. The incident may have widespread consequences for digital advertising businesses in the country and could lead to new regulations that will place a lot more scrutiny over large-scale data collection practices employed by the likes of Facebook and Google.
Facebook co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg refused to commit to default Facebook settings that would be maximally privacy-oriented, i.e. have all of the companys optional data collection programs disabled unless users specifically opt into them. During a Wednesday hearing with the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, the multi-billionaire was asked whether hes prepared to make that commitment with a yes or no answer which he repeatedly refused to give, having asserted that the issue in question is a complex one that cannot be clarified with a one-word answer and requires a more in-depth discussion that the event doesnt allow for due to its time-constrained nature.

As part of the same hearing, the 33-year-old said he doesnt consider Facebook to be a media company when Congressman Greg Walden inquired about the matter. While he acknowledged Facebook pays for some content to be produced, Mr. Zuckerberg said he doesnt believe that makes it a media company any more than creating planes to help connect people makes it an aerospace company. While the Congressmen suggested Facebooks chief is evading the question with false analogies, the hearing didnt allow for enough time to do follow-up questions, with lawmakers only being provided four minutes with Mr. Zuckerberg each. When Congresswoman Anna Eshoo asked the entrepreneur whether hes willing to change Facebooks business model in an effort to protect the privacy of the firms individual users, Mr. Zuckerberg said hes not sure what that means.

The hearing in question is still ongoing and can be watched live by referring to the embedded YouTube window below. The overall contents of the questioning are similar to yesterdays joint Senate committee hearing that revealed little new information about Facebooks business practices and future plans, save for what the company already disclosed in the past. Mr. Zuckerbergs visit to Washington is a direct consequence of the Cambridge Analytica scandal thats still ongoing after it came to light that one Aleksandr Kogan shared data improperly harvested by one of his apps with the American political consulting firm in question four years ago, thus compromising up to 87 million users, according to the social media giants internal estimates.
Facebook may sue the man who sold data one of his personality quizzes harvested from tens of millions of users to Cambridge Analytica in 2014, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday. During todays hearing with the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Eliot Engel asked the multi-billionaire whether the firm is planning to litigate against one Aleksandr Kogan, a USSR-born psychologist and data scientist who collaborated with the American political consulting firm at the center of Facebooks latest scandal and broke the social media platforms Terms of Service in the process of doing so. Its something were considering, Mr. Zuckerberg responded, without elaborating on the matter.

Mr. Kogan recently asserted hes being used as a scapegoat for the controversy, having claimed Cambridge Analytica assured him that harvesting user data and using it for commercial purposes is something that thousands of other app developers on Facebook are doing or have been doing up until four years ago. The social media giant forbade that practice a year later and asked the consulting firm to delete the improperly harvested data, after which it received legal assurances Cambridge Analytica complied with the request, according to Mr. Zuckerberg and a last weeks statement from COO Sheryl Sandberg. Recent reports indicate the firm may not have purged all of the data until this year, with Cambridge Analytica now being set to be subjected to a voluntary forensic audit of its servers meant to investigate those claims. While Mr. Kogan said he only sold data on some 30 million Facebook users to Cambridge Analytica, Facebook itself claims that number goes up to 87 million, with Mr. Zuckerberg revealing his own data was harvested and used for profit as part of the incident.

The issue stems from the fact that while only around 270,000 users gave Mr. Kogans quiz the permission to scrap their profiles for information, the app also did so for all of their friends, thus harvesting data on tens of millions of users who had no knowledge of that activity and havent consented to it. Whistleblower Christopher Wylie who used to work for the consulting firm accused it of taking advantage of the mined data to assist the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election but the company repeatedly denied that notion. As part of the same hearing, Mr. Zuckerberg refused to label Facebook as a media company and said he doesnt understand what changing the firms business model to protect the privacy of its individual users means when asked about the matter by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.
Google Assistant is available on a host of different devices, both smartphones and tablets alike, but as of today Mountain Views own Pixel C has finally been given the go-ahead for support. The report comes from 9to5 Google, which notes that although the artificial intelligence-aided search assistant responds to voice or type as per usual, there is a curious omission of the Lens feature, which makes use of a devices camera to provide a visual alternative to traditional search-input methods.

The Pixel C tablet released in December of 2015 and has since been discontinued as of December 2017. The device represented what was  at the time  a curious naming convention for it made use of the Pixel moniker  something that had previously been reserved exclusively for Googles home-made, high-end Chromebooks. 2015 also saw the launch of both the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X, which made the situation all the more confusing, and it was rumored at the time, that Google might have been seeking to merge Android and Chromebooks into a single OS. It was not until the following year  2016  that the Pixel name would be used for smartphones and other devices by the company. To this day it remains unclear as to if Google was actually planning to merge the two different OS platforms or if the Pixel C tablet was an attempt to increase market awareness of the brand name in and of itself, to better insulate 2016s phones from their lack of Nexus naming.

The Pixel C also represents what would appear to be the conclusion of Googles Android tablet ventures, which also saw the HTC Nexus 9, Samsung Nexus 10, and two years of ASUS-made Nexus 7 devices. No new device was announced last year or the year prior, with instead 2017 seeing an update to the Chromebook line instead. Indeed now that Chrome OS supports Android applications, there is seemingly less need for a stand-alone Android tablet, especially as high-end Android tablet support has all but stopped from OEMs, and tablet sales, on the whole, continue to decrease due to the ever-expansive nature of smartphone screens. While there are certainly enough big-screen device fans who continue to pine for Googles releasing a new tablet, the chances of such a product making a debut at the upcoming I/O 2018 event, or even this years presumed Pixel product event later this year are quite slim.
Update: AT&T has reached out with the following statement  We have a good relationship with our unions and a long history of bargaining  including five fair contracts we reached, and CWA members voted to ratify, last year and early this year. Those contracts cover nearly 70,000 of our union-represented employees. Each includes annual wage increases and solid benefits, and we expect those covered to be better off financially. A strike vote is a common and not unexpected step in negotiations of this sort. Were continuing to bargain with the union and were confident that an agreement will be reached. End of update

AT&T just got over what amounted to an all-out war between its employees and its corporate arm, and now a new round of strikes is set to begin if the new terms for two expiring contracts are not satisfactory. While no concrete plans to strike are laid out yet, workers and advocates have essentially let the company know in no uncertain terms that they do not plan to tolerate subpar terms. The specific contracts in question are AT&T Midwest, which covers employees in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, and Legacy T, which covers certain classes of employees under certain terms nationwide. As with the previous strikes and rebellions, this latest preparation for a potential battle is being made in partnership with the Communication Workers of America. The CWA is a coalition that represents a wide swath of ground-level communications employees across industries in the United States, including installers, outdoor salespeople, and call center workers, to name a few.

According to CWA District 4 Vice President, the crux of what AT&T workers and the CWA are looking for in this renegotiation is for AT&Ts investment in its workforce to reflect tax breaks granted in a fairly new bill introduced by the Trump administration. The bill, much like other economic policies under Trump, follows trickle-down economics by granting massive tax breaks to large corporations and individuals who earn large amounts of money, among other effects. As such, the new bill stands to save AT&T a substantial amount in taxes, which workers and the CWA hope to see reflected as pay raises for ground-level employees, more jobs filled, and better job security.

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AT&T had a long and drawn out struggle with its workers and the CWA last year, culminating in what would become one of the largest strikes in the history of the wireless industry, which finally spurred the carrier to approve new contract terms for workers. With the memories of those battles fresh in minds high on the AT&T ladder, things are likely to be far less forceful this time around. This goes double since the contracts in question are expiring, leaving them ripe for seamless negotiation and change without having to interrupt anything, prorate changed pay or fees, or otherwise go through any of the hassles that are normally associated with changing or cancelling a contract thats currently active on a massive scale.
Nubia has just announced its very own gaming brand, and its called Red Magic. If you take a look at the provided image, you will be able to see an official logo of the brand, and this announcement probably indicates that Nubias gaming smartphone is right around the corner, in order to compete with both the Razer Phone and the upcoming Xiaomi Black Shark gaming smartphone.

The Xiaomi Black Shark gaming handset will be announced on April 13, while the Razer Phone has been available out in the market for quite some time now. Nubia did not exactly chare all that much info about this new brand, it only shared an image that you can see down below, with a short explanation as to what it is. That being said, Nubias gaming smartphone is expected to be announced before the end of this month, at least if rumors are to be believed, which means that both the Black Shark and Nubias gaming smartphone will be announced in April, though were still waiting for a confirmation from Nubia. It is possible that the company may announce some other products under this brand, other than its gaming smartphone, maybe some accessories, or something of the sort. Nubia did say that it is planning to provide a more complete gaming experience for the masses.

Nubia did show off its gaming smartphone concept designs at this years Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona back in February, and weve seen three different designs being showcased during the tradeshow. Were still not sure whether the company plans to use either of those designs, or did it change its mind in the meantime, but chances are that the Black Magic-branded smartphone will look different than any phone released by Nubia to date. We are also not sure what the phone will be called exactly, but it will probably ship with the Snapdragon 845 64-bit octa-core SoC. The phone will also include plenty of RAM, probably 6GB or 8GB, though both variants are a possibility. You will also get a rather large display on this handset, as this is a gaming smartphone after all.

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Huawei is presently in the process of laying off employees across the board in the United States, a source familiar with the matter told AndroidHeadlines. The information hasnt been verified independently and the company has yet to provide an official confirmation. The insider speculates the job cuts are a result of Huaweis recent issues with Washington, having also reiterated recent reports that Best Buy dropped the Chinese tech giant last month and wont be retailing its products after its existing stock runs out later this spring. The extent of the layoffs remains unclear but the atmosphere at Huawei USA is understood to be less than ideal, with a group of employees also quitting the company last week, the source said.

Huawei employs approximately 1,200 people in the U.S. across thirteen offices and six R&D centers, according to the firms official website. The stateside branch of the tech giant cut just under two-percent of its workforce or 20 positions last August, having described the move as part of normal resourcing changes which wont impact its long-term commitment to the U.S. No systematic layoffs have been announced by Huawei USA ever since. The company recently released its Mate 10 Pro smartphone in the country but on a much smaller scale than it originally hoped for as it failed to secure a partnership with a U.S. wireless carrier which ultimately forced it to resort to offering its new Android flagship through Amazon and Best Buy, the latter of which wont be retailing it for long, according to the aforementioned reports.

While Huawei was said to have agreed to a retail deal with AT&T, the second largest mobile service provider in the U.S. dropped the planned collaboration approximately a day before the thereof was meant to be announced at Las Vegas-based CES in January, industry sources said earlier this year, adding that the wireless carrier was effectively forced to walk away from Huawei due to pressure from American lawmakers and intelligence agencies who still believe the Chinese firm poses a national security threat due to its close ties to Beijing, a notion that Huawei has been publicly dismissing for nearly a decade now. Huaweis Americas unit shrunk by 10.9-percent over the course of the last year, according to the companys latest annual performance report which attributes that decline to a decrease in network spending in Latin America, suggesting the trend was expected due to the cyclical nature of telecom investments.

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AndroidHeadlines has reached out to Huawei for comment and will update this article with any new information when it becomes available.
BarcelonaIt is curious that five days after a German court ruled that the violence attributed to Carles Puigdemont was not sufficient to extradite him for the crime of rebellion, the Guardia Civil arrested a member of Catalonias Committees for Defense of the Republic (CDR) under the accusation of wait for it terrorism and rebellion. Spains justice seems to be rushing unstoppably towards its own discredit, with excesses unbecoming of a European democracy. And all with one objective: to criminalize the Catalan independence movement, which since the beginning of the process in 2012 has been characterized by the strictest civility and pacifism. Even when this criminalization brings with it a trivialization of terrorism.

Since October 1st the CDR have led protests against the imprisonment of separatist leaders and, in general, against the judicial persecution suffered by hundreds of people for this same reason. And in this context there have been highways cut off, occupation of roadways, and actions like the raising of barriers at some toll booths on the AP-7 during the return from Easter Week. Any observer, and that is not to say any jurist, can clearly see that to accuse the organizers of these demonstrations of terrorism and rebellion (which carry sentences of up to 30 years) is totally outrageous. The scandal has been so great that the journalists covering the European Commission grilled its spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, with questions, to which he replied with a laconic "The last time that we checked, Spain was a democracy". Yesterday the Catalan police arrested six people for incidents on January 30th at the Parc de la Ciutadella, the day planned for the inauguration of Carles Puigdemont. They have been accused of public disorder nothing to do with terrorism or rebellion.

However, Catalonias independence movement should make no mistake: there is a plan behind these actions by the Spanish State. It is the strategy of the self-fulfilling prophecy: it is trying to elicit a violent outburst that would justify, after the fact, the false story that the independence bid is violent, a narrative that is very present in the writings of Justice Pablo Llarena and in reports from the Guardia Civil. It was not by chance that Ciudadanos and the PP spoke yesterday of "commandos" and "kale borroka (Basque urban guerrillas): it was an attempt to connect Catalan protests with ETA violence. From this perspective, yesterday's arrest is a provocation, an effort to draw the CDR out of their peaceful, non-violent resistance and push them to take direct action.

The movement must not fall into this trap. It must stay firm, through conviction and its own interest, in pacifism and civility especially now that it is winning the battle for the international public opinion with Puigdemont's release. For the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia, the Spanish government is on the defensive. Pablo Llarena knows that he needs something more substantial to support his unbelievable narrative of violence in the face of the forthcoming European legal battle. And he is desperately seeking it in the CDR. We can't afford to make it easy for him.
How to Maintain a Bald Head

Keep Your Chrome Dome in Tip-Top Shape

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

You might not realize it from watching most movies or television shows, but according to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of men will experience significant hair loss by the age of 35. That's a whole lot of men who have to cope with genetic reality at some point, and it's caused an explosion in tonics, pills, laser light helmets and other gadgets designed to help combat hair loss.

In the past, many men have hidden their personal heart- and headaches under elaborate wigs, toupees and weaves  or had iffy treatments such as hair plugs or transplants  and not always gaining convincing results.

RELATED: Scared of Going Bald? These Guys Prove It's Not a Big Deal

Now there are Reddit baldness support groups, and nearly three million head-shaving inquiries on Google and YouTube. While male celebrities including Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey and Robert Pattinson are all rumored (or admitted) to have worn hairpieces or had some sort of thatch enhancement; many other Hollywood celebs  Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Ben Kingsley, for instance  have fully embraced the look. These days its looking more and more like 1970s television character Kojaks Bald is beautiful, baby, mantra is coming back in full force.

Skincare Issues to Consider When Going Bald

Outside of vanity purposes, some serious health and skincare issues can arise with a bald head. Be careful and protect your scalp to avoid these conditions.

Allergens: A bare pate draws more irritants than one with hair.

A bare pate draws more irritants than one with hair. Breakouts: Scalp acne differs from that typically developed during puberty for it occurs when hair follicles clog and form red bumps.

Scalp acne differs from that typically developed during puberty for it occurs when hair follicles clog and form red bumps. Dandruff: Failure to take care of the scalp creates a flaky situation, even without wool on the top.

Failure to take care of the scalp creates a flaky situation, even without wool on the top. Sunburn: In case you didnt know, that yellow dot in the sky projects damaging rays capable of fricasseeing your melon faster than hot dogs at a summertime cookout.

In case you didnt know, that yellow dot in the sky projects damaging rays capable of fricasseeing your melon faster than hot dogs at a summertime cookout. Razor burn: Something all too familiar for men choosing to keep a smooth, hair-free mug.

How to Shave a Bald Head

Prepping is very important, says Ungrey. Both for shaving the beard and the scalp. Shaving after a shower is best, as steam opens up the follicles for an easier shave. I prep the skin on a customers head the same way I do the face.

If you want to go fully bald from a full head of hair, buzz your hair down first with clippers and a number one guard, Ungrey recommends. Youll want at most a quarter-inch of hair on top to soften up with a shave cream  like Schick Xtreme Foam  for an easier glide and less irritation. If you are already going bald or have a very short cut, you can skip the clippers and go straight in with a razor.

While Ungrey recommends Schicks Xtreme Foam for the actual shave, we like something a little more old-school. Squeeze out a portion of an old school shaving cream whip it up with a little water and a shave brush (your hands will do fine in a pinch) to create a lather. Spread that around on your head, being sure to cover your entire scalp, the back of your neck, and your face if thats in the plan.

Best Shaving Cream for Bald Men

Triumph & Disaster Old Fashioned Shave Cream

You won't want ot use a cheap shaving cream on your dome, since any nicks and cuts there will be extremely visible and even painful. Opt for this top-drawer option from Old Fashioned, which combines coconut oil extracts and fatty acids to offer a safe, close, soothing shave.

$19.90 at Amazon.com

Trim Down Excess Hair

You can find a great set of clippers with any number of guards and attachments, but you might as well throw away most of them if youre truly committing to the bald look. We prefer a rechargeable, cordless feature because it allows for a bit more flexibility when trimming. Plus if youre kicked out to the back porch for the first shearing, you wont have to bring an extension cord. Use multiple passes across the head and be sure to clean up the neck, too. This is a good point to grab a friend to help with the places you cant see.

Best Electric Trimmer for Shaving Your Head

WAHL Hair and Beard Rechargeable Clipper Trimmer

This jack-of-all-trades trimmer comes with all the attachments you'll need to tackle hard-to-see hairs on your head and neck, and keep your dome clean and ready for a close shave. It's well-made and durable, and feels comfortable and easy to handle in the hand, giving you maximum control while you shave off your head hair.

$22.26 at Amazon.com

Prep Your Head

Just like shaving the face, we also recommend using a pre-shave oil to further soften and lubricate the hairs on your head and protect your skin. Before shaving, rub a few pumps of good quality pre-shave oil onto your head, lightly covering (not saturating) the scalp and remaining fuzz. Look for one made from all-natural and organic oils and ingredients such as Vitamin E, safflower, castor and grapeseed oils to protect and lubricate the skin, providing a consistently smooth shave.

Best Pre-Shave Oil

Taconic Unscented Organic Pre-Shave Oil

A good shave oil can save you a lot of pain and suffering post-shave, so opt for this Taconic offering, made from organic oils and enriched with vitamin E.

$14.99 at Amazon.com

Best Razor for a Bald Head

A clean razor is a must, says Ungrey. Always start off by going with the grain for an easier glide and to reduce irritation. After every other passing of the razor on the scalp, be sure to rinse out the blade to get the hairs off before the next glide. Then I recommend warming the head (and face if youve done a full shave) with a steamed towel or another warm shower.

Best Razor for Shaving Your Head

Schick Xtreme 3 Pivot Ball Disposable Razors

The pivoting head of the Schick Xtreme 3 gives you maximum flexibility when shaving the contours of your face or head, and you'll need that range of motion to get those hard-to-reach places on your neck or behind your ears.

$10.01 for 3 at Amazon.com

Post-Shave Treatment and Preventative Measures

Post shave, do what you can to minimize clogged pores that can lead to painful ingrown hairs (which can even happen on your head). As Ungrey points out, another shower or steaming hot towel treatment will help, but then splash on a post shave face tonic to comfort skin, reduce oily shine, redness, clogged pores and razor bumps. A good tonic uses a mild astringent and salicylic acid to target excess oil, gently remove pore-clogging dead skin cells.

Best Post-Shave Tonic

Jafra Royal Men Post Shave Face Tonic

An important part of your shaving routine is the post-shave tonic, which helps soothe your damaged skin, keeping it free of unsightly irritations and clogged pores. The Royal Men from Jafra is an ideal choice, as it also exfoliates, cleaning your skin and reducing the dreaded oily glow.

$19 at Jafra.com

If you know you have sensitive skin or very curly hair, go a step further and use something for ingrown hairs. Look for a product that incorporates glycolic and salicylic acids to exfoliate dead skin cells, clarify skin and help free trapped hairs. If, despite your precautions, youve managed to have a nick or two in the process, use a good styptic pen to stop the bleeding.

Best Post-Shave Tonic for Fighting Ingrown Hairs

Anthony Ingrown Hair Treatment

If your usual efforts at shaving your head result in ingrown hairs, you might need to switch up your post-shave routine. We suggest incorporating this Ingrown Hair Treatment from Anthony, which clarifies and exfoliates skin, freeing trapped hairs.

$34 at Amazon.com

Bald Head Moisturizer

Ungrey points out that moisture is essential post-shave. It will also help reduce irritation. Also, always put on sunscreen when you go outside for more than 15 or 20 minutes. In fact, wed suggest that, if this is the first time youve shaved your head  or the first time in a while  treat this like your first day at a nude beach: cover all those previously covered spots with a good sunscreen.

Best Moisturizer for Shaved Heads

Art of Sport Skin Armor SPF 50

Bald heads are susceptible to sun damage and dry skin, and that means you'll need a powerful combination of moisturizers and sun screens to keep you safe. Opt for this great 2-in-1 from Art of Sport, and your head willt hank you.

$11.95 at Amazon.com

Keeping Up Bald Appearances

Now that the bald look is working for you, youll want to maintain it. Upkeep is easy  just repeat the process a couple times a week. Use a combination shampoo-plus-conditioner in the shower, skipping a step while keeping that dome clean and moisturized. Ungrey recommends shaving a couple times a week to avoid stubble.

Ive had clients in the past who were balding and decided to shave it all off. It can be intimidating and scary at first, but shaving your head can be a very liberating feeling and can help you exude a confidence that you didn't know you had.

Every Man Jack 2-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner

$19.99 at Amazon.com

If you are really looking to keep that chrome dome in tip top shape, incorporate something a little extra for sweat and shine. Add a dab of powder based cream and keep a top-notch wipe on hand to fend of flashy foreheads. The right products should aim to remove topical shine and oil, minimizes the appearance of large pores and remove dirt and sweat if possible.

Menaji Liquid Powder Shine Eliminator

$36 at Amazon.com

Oars + Alps Cooling and Cleansing Wipes

$16 at Amazon.com

Concerned that you may have gone too far and you just want your hair back? Well, the good news is, if you have it, it will grow back. The bad news? It all boils down to genetics. Growing hair varies from person to person, says Ungrey. If you do want to go back [to having hair], biotin is a good natural supplement to help grow and thicken your hair. Either way, wearing whatever you have with confidence is the key to smooth  or shaggy  success.

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MQB

TDI

Confirmed to go into production in the second half of 2018 in Hungary, the second-generation Audi Q3 will arrive in the United States for the 2019 model year. And from this set of reader-submitted spy photos from Autokult.pl , the German automaker appears to have put in the effort to make the cabin feel more luxurious.The highlights are the all-digital Virtual Cockpit and large-diameter infotainment system, but theres more than meets the eye on this occasion. Audi, which is known for being cheeseparing with in-car connectivity, built this near-production prototype of the Q3 with an USB port for smartphone/tablet charging and an AUX IN jack.Underpinned by themodular platform, the 2019 Audi Q3 will be offered with both manual and automatic transmissions. Coming as standard with front-wheel-drive and available with quattro as an option, the Q3 will rely on a peppy turbocharged engine in its most spartan configuration.The 2.0-liter TFSI andwill be joined by the 2.5-liter turbocharged straight-five in range-topping RS flavor, and theres a case to be made for some sort of hybridization as well. An all-electric model isnt likely to happen because the MQB's electric potential is oboslete now that the MEB platform is ready to roll out.A compact crossover that can be described as a jacked-up A3, the 2019 Audi Q3 will borrow driver-assistive and active safety features from the all-new A8, A7, and A6. It remains to be seen if Level 3 self-driving technology will be made available at launch, though the A8 full-size sedan is a better application for it than the Q3.The Q3 starts at 29,350 euros in Germany for the 1.4 TFSI with the six-speed manual. At the other part of the spectrum, the 2.0 TFSI quattro with the seven-speed S tronic transmission is 42,850 euros in both Sport and Design configurations. And yes, the RS Q3 is even more than that.
AMG

We'll quickly go over the mid-engined delight that is the 718 Boxster Spyder, since we discussed this earlier today. That's when we brought you a spy clip delivering a sample of the limited edition's aural might.And while the German automotive producer has confirmed that the 718 Boxster Spyder and the 718 Cayman GT4 will maintain the naturally aspirated flat-six tradition, we still have no confirmation on the rumors talking about the pair being animated by downtuned 4.0-liter 991.2-generation 911 GT3 engines.As for the 2019 Macan, the tester we have here can be seen following a Panamera Sport Turismo, but we're not sure about the details of the latter.Regardless, the mid-cycle revamp for Porsche's smaller crossover can't land soon enough and there are at least two reasons for that.We'll start with the more reasonable perspective, namely the one regarding the platform of the Macan. You see, the Cayenne's little brother rides on a first-generation Q5 architecture, while Audi has already introduced the second generation of the Q5. Sure, Porsche engineers will still have to work on the old platform, but this pressure should only ensure that they make sustained efforts and we expect the result to be nothing short of brilliant. After all, the outgoing Macan is one of the best-handling crossovers on the market.As for the not-so-reasonable point of view, this involves the Macan Turbo range-topper. You see, while the Performance Package gives the crossover 440 hp, the segment is now loaded with offerings whose output starts with a "5".We're referring to the 510 hp Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, as well as to the Mercedes-GLC63 and GLC63 Coupe, with the last two packing the same output as the Italian when coming in S trim.Oh, and let's not forget the 550 hp Jaguar F-Pace SVR and the imminent BMW X3 M and X4 M - admittedly, the Bavarian models might sit closer to 450 hp.Visually speaking, the facelift will bring minor tweaks, with these including revised headlights and taillights connected through an LED strip (the last element is masked on this prototype).As for the cabin of the revised Macan, a larger infotainment screen will see the central air vents migrating to the base of the central dash, with these going for a vertical to a horizontal layout.Both the 2019 Porsche Macan facelift and the 2019 718 Boxster Spyder are set to land this year.
SUV

Created to be a cinematic installation, the 007 Elements location, as it is officially called, will allow users to visit a series of galleries dedicated to the Bond movies.The experience should be immersive, the owners say, as all the rooms have been designed together with Neal Callow, art director for all the latest Bond movies.Although usually James Bond is associated with Martini, shaken, not stirred, and Aston Martin cars, this time visitors would be treated with vehicles wearing a badge from one of the other former major Premier Automotive Group brands: Jaguar Land Rover.The star of the carmakers lineup on site will be, of course, the I-Pace , which will be shown in all its electric glory alongside the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover Sport SVR Even the C-X75 concept used on the Spectre installment will be on site, although not really so. A wireframe model on the car will be presented, powered by the lithium-ion battery of the electricFrom one British icon to another, Jaguar Land Rover is proud to be part of 007 ELEMENTS, the new James Bond experience, said Mark Cameron, JLR marketing director.We have collaborated with EON Productions and Cable Car Companies Solden to showcase our Bond vehicles and latest technologies in this unique installation overlooking the Otztal Alps.Jaguar Land Rover cars have been featured in nine of the 26 Bond movies shot so far. Usually, JLR cars are siding with the bad guys, but at times, as was the case in Spectre, they are used by the main character as well.
The official teaser was released hours after an alleged leak of the new ES sedan hit the web on Tuesday, increasing the chances that the car presented by the Japanese is the model which will replace the GS.On Lexus Europes Twitter account the new vehicle is described as more than just a pretty face. Whatever the car will bring to the market when it is unveiled, the carmaker promises the car will radically transform the concept of comfort for luxury consumers all over the world.A replacement for the GS model has been rumored for more than a year, and that replacement is said to come in the form of the new generation ES.The reason behind this decision is the fact that the two models are similar in size and price. Whats more, the ES is very close in term of design and technologies with the Toyota Camry, making the idea of going the ES way a financially-sound one for the Japanese.According to available information, the new ES will use Toyotas New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform that underpins various models starting with the Prius introduced in 2015.The fact that the carmaker says the new model will be a global car hints to the model selling in Europe as well, a market where the GS has gained little traction and from where the Camry is absent.The ES has been present in the Lexus lineup since the brands inception in 1989. The current version, the sixth, has been introduced in 2015 as a facelift to the 2012 model year.More details about the possible new ES is likely to be released as the official launch date approaches.
The Department of Transportation's PUV (Public Utility Vehicle) Modernization Program is easily one of the most controversial transport initiatives of the government, especially since many PUV drivers lack the resources to simply give up their old jeepneys for a modern but far more expensive replacement.

But the benefits to the riding public are very clear: safety, security, reliability, and comfort are just to name a few. And given the far better Euro-4 emissions standards, these new PUVs emit far less noxious gases. All of these are significant steps forward from the design that hasn't changed much since local mechanics started converting surplus World War II jeeps.

At the Isuzu Truck Fest that happened this past weekend at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) has revealed their three contenders, each customized by independent truck body builders. All of them comply with the new standards set forth by the DOTr's PUV Modernization Program.

The three models you see here use Isuzu's QKR77 cab and chassis as the base truck. The QKR77 features a strong steel chassis and a 4JH-1 TC engine; an engine that falls under the same J engine family like the ones used in the mu-X and D-Max. The 3.0-liter Euro4 BluePower direct injection turbo intercooler makes 106 PS with 230 Nm of torque and gets a 5-speed manual gearbox. The powertrain and reinforced frame enable the QKR77 to move a maximum weight of 4000 kilograms.

For safety, all these PUV prototypes are limited to 80 kilometers per hour and have a variety of CCTV cameras to monitor the cabin and the road ahead. There are emergency doors at the back; the primary doors are on the right side of the vehicles. All are airconditioned and all will have WiFi as standard.

PUV Class 2 Prototype - Centro Manufacturing Corporation

First up for the trio is the version of the QKR77 PUV made by Centro Manufacturing Corporation. Unlike the other two which have removed the original single cab in favor of a more bus-like body, Centro's version looks more similar to the L300 FB, but in a much larger scale.

Upon entry into the main cabin, what was surprising was the presence of a Beep wireless payment terminal; a reloadable prepaid value card that you can also use to pay your bills, buy stuff at 24/7 convenience stores, and even ride the light rail transit systems in Metro Manila.

The body and rear cab are actually now a single cabin and fully airconditioned, though there is an LCD television screen that separates the forward cab and the main passenger cabin. The main cabin has two side-facing benches (peripheral seating) similar to a jeepney and mind you, the seat padding is soft for better comfort. Two passengers can also sit in front with the driver.

What sets this apart from the jeep is the height of the ceiling. My height at 5'6 (168cm) can easily walk about the cabin, though our Managing Ed at 5'10 (178cm) is just barely touching the ceiling. There are also plenty of poles and grab handles to steady yourself if you happen to be standing as the PUV gets going.

Being a PUV Class 2 model, this vehicle can accommodate more than 22 passengers both seated and standing.

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PUV Class 2 Prototype - Almazora

The version from Almazora, by our eye, appears to be the largest of the trio. And it's arguably the best looking: they put a D-Max/mu-X inspired grill up front made out of what seems like fiberglass. Just because it's public transport doesn't mean it can't look proper.

Like the Centro model, this Almazora PUV prototype has peripheral, side-facing seating, along with plenty of standing room. There are two more forward facing individual seats up front. There is also an LCD TV behind the driver that shows the route and perhaps some advertisements. Unlike the Centro example, this one did not have a Beep terminal fitted.

With the average height of most Filipinos being around 5'6, walking about the cabin is easy. One thing I did notice that could be changed is the locked lid to access the engine from the main cabin. Surprisingly, the engine compartment's lid isn't covered in softer material or rounded for safety; hopefully they can correct that, especially since sharp edges can present a danger under emergency hard braking.

Being a PUV Class 2 model, this vehicle can accommodate more than 22 passengers both seated and standing.

PUV Class 3 Prototype  Santa Rosa Motors

The third and final PUV prototype in Isuzu's expo is quite different from the other two. Unlike the examples displayed by Centro and by Almazora, the one made by Santa Rosa Motors was built to PUV Class 3 specifications.

The version built by Santa Rosa doesn't seem to use any exterior body parts from the QKR77 base truck; even the headlights are of the classic round lamp variety. Like the Almazora, this version has a minibus shape, and entry is at the side.

What sets the Santa Rosa PUV apart are its forward facing seats as opposed to the peripheral seating of the other two. This configuration would make this PUV more suitable for longer trips. Also notable is the presence of a roof-mounted airconditioning unit with vents for each row for comfort.

Unlike the two PUV Class 2 models that can take more than 22 passengers seated and standing, the Class 3 from Santa Rosa can take on 22 people, all of which have to be seated.

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The three prototypes displayed by Isuzu and their truck body builders are indeed promising examples of how public road transport will move forward in the near future. We do wish we could have seen other examples that fit into the other classes like Class 1 with a capacity of 9-22 seated passengers and Class 4 with more than 22 seated passengers and with provisions for cargo space, making it effective for longer, provincial routes.

Without a doubt, the new PUV prototypes from Isuzu that comply with the new program definitely prioritize passenger comfort, safety, convenience and security above all. There are some things that we feel were overlooked like making anti-lock brakes (an essential crash-preventing feature) standard, but perhaps the most important is the pricing.

Isuzu hasn't released the pricing of the actual PUV units, but given that the bare QKR77 cab and chassis already costs PhP 1,095,000 before all the custom PUV work that could bring the price closer to PhP 2 million, it's difficult to see how an average driver can manage the costs. That has become the sticky issue about the PUVMP.

Hopefully costs can be brought down and financing and/or subsidies from the government can make them more attainable because really, this is the long overdue future of public transport in the Philippines.
Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria came one after another last fall. Wildfires burned in the western states. Then came winter storms.

Thanks to donors, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation was able to step up with more than $200,000 in grants over six months to help animals and veterinarians in the wake of the recent onslaught of natural disasters.

St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey airlifted 786 animals from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. The center received a $38,902 grant from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation for the first round of medical supplies necessary for the emergency intake and care of the animals.(Photos courtesy of St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center)

Among the grants, the AVMF had given more than $50,000 in disaster funding for victims of Hurricane Harvey as of mid-March. The total includes a $10,000 donation to the Texas A&M Foundation for the care of search-and-rescue dogs as well as pets, horses, cattle, and other livestock that were injured or separated from their owners. Disaster reimbursement grants of up to $5,000 went to veterinarians who provided medical care and boarding to animal victims of the storm, and disaster relief grants of up to $2,000 went to veterinarians who lost homes.

Dr. Sam G. Miller Jr., immediate past president of the Texas VMA, lost his home to flooding after Harvey and received a grant from the AVMF toward his expenses.

Dr. Miller wrote a note thanking the AVMF for reaching out to individuals in the veterinary community personally affected by the disaster. He wrote: "So much of the focus and support is placed on help for the animals but the individuals that provide that care and are yet impacted personally by the disaster are often overlooked. Thank you for recognizing that it is just as important to support the health care team that provides the medical care for those animals."

When Hurricane Irma struck, the AVMF gave a $10,000 grant to Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. The team there moved animals from shelters that were in harm's way. The team and other volunteers assisted in distributing medications for 800 animals.

After Hurricane Maria, the AVMF gave two $10,000 grants to the Puerto Rico VMA for disaster relief on the island. St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey received a $38,902 grant from the AVMF for the first round of medical supplies necessary for the emergency intake and care of 786 animals that the center airlifted from Puerto Rico to New Jersey. Members of the New Jersey VMA volunteered their time and expertise for the center's efforts.

In October 2017, wildfires swept across Northern California. Volunteers from the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine performed search-and-rescue efforts for animals and provided emergency treatment. The AVMF gave a $10,000 grant to the school toward the response.

Wildfires also burned across Montana in fall 2017. The AVMF gave $5,000 to the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation to purchase hay following the wildfires. Winter storms in Montana again created a shortage of hay. The AVMF gave $25,000 toward hay to feed cattle and horses on the Fort Belknap, Northern Cheyenne, and Blackfeet tribal reservations.

Details about donating to the AVMF and applying for grants are at www.avmf.org.

The AVMF Veterinary Care Charitable Fund program continues to grow. Practices in all 50 states and Puerto Rico participate in the program, which helps veterinarians provide charitable care. As of late March, the AVMF had distributed $283,359 in grants to help 892 animals.

Related JAVMA Content

AVMA donates $100,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts (Oct. 1, 2017)

Veterinarians defy Hurricane Harvey (Oct. 15, 2017)

Aiding animals after Irma (Nov. 15, 2017)

Devastation in Puerto Rico (Nov. 15, 2017)

Rescuing animals across fire lines, inside shelters (Nov. 15, 2017)
Site of the Month March has been scooped by Merci-Michel for the gallery of emerging species. Read more about their colorful, playful 3D project here. Thanks to everyone who voted and tweeted, the winner of the Pro Plan can be found at the end of the article.

Play-Doh presents The Gallery of Emerging Species.

The Project

In a world where 1 animal species disappears every 20 minutes, the concept of "emerging species" was a way to underline the incredible power of creation that Play-Doh offers. Dozens of species, all born from imagination, hand-made in modeling clay, were showcased in a funny museum of natural history.

Hand-made characters

Technologies

We created this website from the agency vision (DDB Paris), all in webGL realtime 3D technology, where the user can move across the space, and discover each species and their story in the form of an audio voice over. We also produced all the animations. Each character has been animated, in order to bring life to those cute & fun little monsters.

With regards to hosting, were using the Google Cloud platform solutions as for many of our projects. This is a cost efficient and scalable solution, which is really flexible and powerful at the same time, we love to use it.

The scripts are deployed on Google App Engine enabling us not to worry about the server architecture. It is a platform that provides easy application versioning, monitoring, horizontal and vertical scalability. We also have a Google Cloud Storage where we could provide the assets used on the website. Due to the amount and size of the assets files, we needed a powerful storage solution that could deliver those assets across regions.

Ice cream bear

For the back-end and front-end technologies we used PHP, HTML5, CSS3, Javascript and WebGL. We use our home made framework on most of our projects and we used it along popular tools and libraries such as gulp, webpack, PreloadJS, Twig, three.js and of course GSAP. For handling this huge amount of images we designed tools that create slices, put them in atlases and packed them into bundles. One last thing - don't forget to press C on your keyboard once, while browsing the website to enjoy the free camera mode ;).

To everyone who voted and tweeted - thanks for showing the love, the winner of the Year's Pro Plan in our Directory is @tpsathas please DM us your username to activate your prize!
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
In January, Amazon attracted intense attention when it opened Go, its cashless convenience store in Seattle. And it's poised to open six more of them on the U.S. west coast, according to Recode. But that still leaves the e-commerce giant far behind its Chinese rivals, which are already staking out new ground in retail.

Why it matters: The future of retail in the world's leading economies is increasingly expected to be not online shopping, but a melding of e-commerce and physical stores. And Chinese Big Tech appears to be in the vanguard of how to pull this off. The research firm Sanford Bernstein calls it the "digitization of retail."

What's happening: Go arrived about five months after the appearance of such stores in China, where tens of thousands of shoppers have already tried them out. They are part of a dizzying transformation in which Chinese internet giants led by Alibaba are becoming online-offline behemoths, investing in or acquiring some 30 physical retailers in the nation since the fall, according to Sanford Bernstein.

"It would be like Amazon buying a stake in every major offline retailer in the U.S.," Bernstein's Bhavtosh Vajpayee tells Axios.

"Whoever gets their online and offline stories right will become a gravitational black hole sucking up everybody else."

 Vajpayee

Walmart and Amazon are the leading contenders to play this role in the U.S.

In Europe, it's not clear who has the inside track.

Driving the news: Like Americans, a majority of Chinese people shop in physical stores. About 850 million Chinese, or 60% of the population, shop in stores, according to a note to clients last month by Wells Fargo. E-commerce comprises just 16% of total Chinese retail sales.

Hence, Alibaba reckons it will grow the fastest and largest by merging with those stores. That's why it has spent $6.7b on brick and mortar since the end of 2016.

It has focused on groceries, with its Hema fresh food stores, Sun Art, Sanjiang, Lianhua and the online grocery Yiguo.com.

Alibaba has also invested in Easyhome, a home improvement chain, and InTime, a department store operator.

This month, Alibaba bought out the remaining shares of Ele.me, a food delivery company.

JD.com has invested $1.5 billion in physical groceries, including 7FRESH, Better Life and Yonghui. It is a partner with Walmart in both China and the U.S. In China, they operate more than 400 stores.

Go deeper: Alibaba and Tencent vie to dominate Chinese supermarkets
House Speaker Paul Ryan is the latest GOP leader to announce he'll exit Congress.

Why it matters: The Republican party already saw a record number of retirements from chairmen this year, and will now need to work quickly to find a new leader. Meanwhile, there will be at least 58 vacated House seats up for grabs by the time the November 6 midterm elections roll around, and 39 of those are Republican seats.

Notable names out:

Orrin Hatch (UT), Chairman of Senate Finance Committee, assumed position in 2015, member of Congress since 1977.

Chairman of Senate Finance Committee, assumed position in 2015, member of Congress since 1977. Gregg Harper (MS), Chairman of House Administration Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 2009.

Chairman of House Administration Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 2009. Diane Black (TN), Chairwoman of Budget Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 2011.

Chairwoman of Budget Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 2011. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ) , Chairman of Appropriations Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 1995.

, Chairman of Appropriations Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 1995. Bob Goodlatte (VA) , Chairman ofJudiciary Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 1993.

, Chairman ofJudiciary Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 1993. Trey Gowdy (SC) , Chairman of Oversight Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 2011.

, Chairman of Oversight Committee, assumed position in 2017, member since 2011. Jeb Hensarling (TX) , Chairman of Financial Services Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 2003.

, Chairman of Financial Services Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 2003. Ed Royce (CA) , Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 1993.

, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 1993. Bill Shuster (PA) , Chairman of Transportation Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 2001.

, Chairman of Transportation Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 2001. Lamar Smith (TX), Chairman of Science, Space, and Technology Committee, assumed position in 2013, member since 1987.

A majority of retiring committee leaders have been the result of term-limits, as Republican rules limit House chairmen to six years. However, it's difficult to say whether these members would have run again had they had the option to keep their leadership posts.

Between the lines: As Axios' Mike Allen has previously reported, losing the House could have big implications for the White House. "If Dems take the House and there's a Speaker Pelosi, President Trump faces endless subpoenas and perhaps impeachment proceedings," he wrote.
Technology pioneer Jaron Lanier delivered a blistering indictment of the ad-supported Internet model on Tuesday, calling for a paid model to support Facebook and Google.

Why it matters: Lanier's talk comes just as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before Congress.

The companies aren't social networks, he said, but rather "behavior modification empires."

Lanier, considered one of the founders of virtual reality, said that the fundamental problems we are dealing with today stem from a decision made in the 1990s that the Internet technologies were so important that it would be wrong to charge for them.

While understandable, Lanier said that decision ignored other alternatives. Books, he noted were also important, but we have libraries rather than making them free.

Placing blame: Lanier said he thinks most of the people at the companies are well-intentioned.

"I think this is a matter of a globally tragic, astoundingly ridiculous mistake rather than a wave of evil," he said during his TED talk, part of the weeklong conference's opening session.

But, but but: He said society itself is at risk unless we make the painful and likely time consuming choice to go back and revisit that early decision.

" I dont believe our species can survive unless we fix this," he said.

As an alternative, he recommended most users pay a Netflix-like monthly fee while the lowest income people have their search and social network services subsidized.
Russian President Putin spoke today on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned against further Israeli military strikes in Syria.

The backdrop: Putin made the demand three days after an airstrike on T4 airbase near the city of Homs in Syria killed at least 14 people among them seven members of the Iranian revolutionary guards corps (IRGC). Israel never took responsibility for the airstrike but Russia, Syria and Iran announced officially that Israeli jets fired the missiles that hit the base.

According to several reports in the Israeli media the target was a compound inside the Syrian base which was controlled by Iran and hosts a special IRGC unit in charge of flying drones in Syria.

in the Israeli media the target was a compound inside the Syrian base which was controlled by Iran and hosts a special IRGC unit in charge of flying drones in Syria. In the call, Putin stressed "the fundamental importance of respecting the sovereignty of Syria" and asked Netanyahu to "refrain from any actions that further destabilize the situation in this country and pose a threat to its security," according to a statement by the Kremlin.

"the fundamental importance of respecting the sovereignty of Syria" and asked Netanyahu to "refrain from any actions that further destabilize the situation in this country and pose a threat to its security," according to a statement by the Kremlin. According to the Israeli Prime Minister's office, Netanyahu pushed back on Putin and stressed that Israel will not allow Iranian military entrenchment in Syria.

In the last two years, Netanyahu and Putin have maintained a good working relationship and consulted regularly on the Syrian issue. But the harsh message from Putin in the phone call with Netanyahu is a signal that the Russians are losing their patience for Israeli military action in Syria.

Yesterday, the Israeli ambassador to Moscow was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry over the Israeli strike, and the Russians issued several very critical press statements.

the Israeli ambassador to Moscow was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry over the Israeli strike, and the Russians issued several very critical press statements. In the last three years, Israel launched around 100 airstrikes in Syria to prevent the transfer of sophisticated weapons from Iran to Hezbollah or to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syria. The Russians turned a blind eye to most of the Israeli airstrikes, at least publicly. This time the Russians decided to react and communicate their displeasure in the open.

Go deeper: Netanyahu expecting Trump to strike in Syria.
Reddit has found 944 user accounts on its service it believes were linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency that made about 14,000 posts, CEO Steve Huffman said on Tuesday.

Yes, but: As Huffman said last month, most of those accounts were banned prior to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, largely in 2015. Only 7 with a minimal level of influence were discovered after the election. As Huffman had pointed out in March, most of the propaganda dissemination happened through real American users who unwittingly shared the content.
Russias military is deploying troops to Douma, Syria, the site of the chemical weapons attack that occurred this weekend, per the AP.

Why it matters: Russia has said it will take retaliatory measures when its troops are attacked. Meanwhile, President Trump taunted Russia this morning by threatening a military strike on Syria. By sending troops to the site of the attack, Russia is firing back.
Since the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria, on April 7, President Donald Trump has reiterated that he will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons.

The international response to these latest attacks will likely influence how Syrian President Bashar al-Assad eliminates remaining rebel strongholds in Syria. The regime would likely take a non-military response as license to end the civil war through any means necessary. In this regard, Trump was correct when he told Cabinet members that the issue is about humanity.

The big picture: The U.S. reputation is also at stake. When the president says there will be a big price to pay for the chemical attack, he must be true to his word  or risk acquiring a reputation for strong rhetoric followed by inaction.

Although a more abstract concern than Syrian lives, the United States' reputation for keeping its word can deter other nations from breaking international law in the first place.

Like Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin has also taken U.S. inaction as license for acts of aggression, including interference in U.S. elections, disinformation campaigns in the Baltic states and alleged chemical weapon use on U.K. soil. Beyond Russia, the U.S.'s reputation might affect whether North Korea denuclearizes, Iran exacerbates sectarian tensions in Iraq or China continues to steal U.S. technology.

The bottom line: To be sure, a U.S. military response would risk unsettling both Assad and his backers, Russia and Iran. But the Trump administration has made clear it has no appetite for expanding military action in Syria, and previous U.S. strikes have not led to escalation. Once the U.S. issues a hard warning, it must maintain a reputation for resolve.

Andrea Taylor is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.
After days of hinting at military action in response to a chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria, President Trump made that threat explicit on Wednesday morning in a message aimed at Russia:

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Why it matters: Trump is denouncing Russia in a way he never has previously  and foreshadowing possible military action on Twitter.

Yes, but: In a follow-up tweet, he wrote: "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War." But he also offered a carrot: the U.S. could help Russia economically if Russia would help in foreign policy. "Stop the arms race?" he added.

Between the lines: Russia has said it will retaliate against any strike that risks Russian lives, so the biggest remaining question is whether Trump limits his response to Assad regime targets or hits all three actors he has said share responsibility for the attack  Assad, Iran and Russia.

3 options for striking in Syria

Pinprick strikes on the Assad regime, like those he ordered last April after a previous chemical attack. The downside: Those strikes failed to deter Assad. More damaging strikes targeted at the Assad regime, for example striking "numerous regime airfields and military bases, and warning the Russians in advance," says Jennifer Cafarella of the Institute for the Study of War. The downside: "It will not harm Assad's backers and therefore is unlikely to weaken his resolve." Strikes that would affect all three actors Trump named, hitting targets like joint Russian-Iranian bases or command and control centers. The downside: Russia has said it will retaliate to strikes that endanger Russian troops.

The bottom line: Cafarella says if Trump chooses option number 3, Russia, Iran, and Assad might limit their response to attempting to shoot down the U.S. missiles or aircraft. More dangerous is the possibility of a counter attack, perhaps on a U.S. warship in the Mediterranean.

An improvised "vow"?

Meduza provides the context behind President Trump's tweet:

"Russias ambassador to Lebanon has unveiled what appears to be a major policy shift : Moscow will shoot down any U.S. missiles fired at Syria (not just the missiles fired at Russian soldiers) and it will target the launch sites . The escalated threat may have been unintentionally improvised, per The Guardian."

: Moscow will shoot down fired at Syria (not just the missiles fired at Russian soldiers) and it will target the . The escalated threat may have been unintentionally improvised, per The Guardian." "How is Zasypkins rhetoric different? On March 13, Valery Gerasimov, the head of Russias General Staff, said, 'Russias armed forces will take retaliatory measures against the missiles and launchers used in attacks that pose a threat to the lives of our servicemen.'

Trump's new tone

As Axios' Jonathan Swan notes, Trump still believes the U.S. and Russia have plenty of shared interests and has long believed it would be important to have a warm personal relationship with Vladimir Putin.

Even as he declares a new low in relations, Trump is trying to keep that possibility alive: "There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together," he writes.

Last month, Trump invited Putin to meet to discuss the arms race. Russia has recently tested what it calls an "unstoppable" nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

Worth noting: As a candidate, Trump repeatedly mocked Barack Obama for telegraphing his moves in the Middle East.

Sign up for the Axios World newsletter to get more stories like this.
In the latest example of Turkey's brazen expansionism into Kosovo, it secured the extradition of six Turkish teachers it has accused of belonging to the Gulen movement, which President Erdogan blames for the failed 2016 coup. Kosovo's Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, has since fired his interior minister and intelligence chief for deporting the Turkish nationals without his knowledge.

Why it matters: Transparency and the rule of law are necessary for Kosovo to gain greater global recognition. But Turkey continues to treat Kosovo like a vassal state, impinging on its sovereignty while expanding its cultural and commercial influence inside its neighbor's borders.

Erdogan has belittled Kosovo's status as an independent nation, maintaining that the two countries "belong to a common history, common culture, common civilization Turkey is Kosovo, Kosovo is Turkey!

Turkish firms have won contracts for large public projects and services, including management of the Pristina International Airport and ownership of the utility company KEDS. Such privatization is rife with corruption: The former CEO of one of the companies that acquired KEDS, for example, is Erdogans son-in-law. Without more oversight in the commercial sector, Kosovo won't be seen as a credible destination for foreign investment.

Turkey also exports Islamism under the guise of cultural cooperation, through the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA). Since 2012, TIKA has restored scores of Ottoman religious structures and built dozens of new mosques across Kosovo. On behalf of Turkey, Erdogan pledged funds for a mega-mosque in Pristina. Overt symbols of religiosity have not historically been characteristic of Kosovars.

The bottom line: Kosovo is at a crossroads: It can either entrench the rule of law and progress with Euro-Atlantic integration by investigating matters like the recent extradition, the financing of Turkish corporate acquisitions and the operations of TIKA  or it can succumb to Erdogan's Islamist and anti-Western agenda.

David L. Phillips is director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University and a former senior adviser to both the UN Secretariat and the U.S. Department of State.
Two opposition deputies set off smoke flares during a session of Armenias parliament on Wednesday in a bid to attract public attention to their Civil Contract partys upcoming demonstrations against Serzh Sarkisians continued rule.

The Civil Contract leader, Nikol Pashinian, began touring the countrys northern and central regions on foot on April 2 in advance of the daily rallies in Yerevan that will start this Friday. The two other opposition parties making up the Yelk alliance, the third largest parliamentary force, have refused to join the protests, saying that they will not pull large crowds.

The parliament controlled by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) is widely expected to appoint Sarkisian as prime minister on April 17, just over a week after the end of his second and final presidential term.

Free citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the time has come to prevent Serzh Sarkisians third term in office, put an end to HHK rule and build Armenia of our dreams, Civil Contracts Ararat Mirzoyan declared from the parliament rostrum.

Armenians should join Pashinians party in lighting our torch of freedom in Yerevans Liberty Square on Friday evening, Mirzoyan said before setting off a flare. He was immediately joined by another Civil Contract parliamentarian, Lena Nazarian, holding two other flares.

The parliament auditorium was quickly filled with green and yellow smoke. Looks like the show has failed, deputy speaker Eduard Sharmazanov, who chaired the session, said moments later.

Parliament speaker Ara Babloyan condemned the Civil Contract action later in the day, saying it threatened to set the parliament building on fire and forced lawmakers to inhale poisonous substances. Im talking not just as chairman of the National Assembly but also as a citizen and a physician, said Babloyan. I consider that action unacceptable.

The unprecedented action was also criticized by two other Yelk deputies who are affiliated with the Bright Armenia party increasingly at odds with Pashinian. One of them, Gevorg Gorgisian, demonstratively covered his nose with a handkerchief during the incident and demanded that Sharmazanov interrupt the session.

The vice-speaker refused to do that. Let the public see who does what in the parliament, he told Gorgisian.

We are partners here and it would have been right to discuss that action with partners [beforehand,] said another Bright Armenia deputy, Mane Tandilian. This was not a partner-like attitude. We should not have been taken by surprise on the parliament floor.
The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) confirmed late on Wednesday that it will nominate its chairman, former President Serzh Sarkisian, to be the countrys next, more powerful prime minister.

The Armenian parliament, in which the HHK has a solid majority, is scheduled to vote for the new prime minister on April 17. It will thus complete the countrys transition to a parliamentary system of government initiated by Sarkisian.

The latter completed his second and final presidential term on Monday. The controversial constitutional change allows him to extend his decade-long rule.

The HHK spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov, made the widely anticipated announcement following a meeting of the ruling partys Executive Body. He said the partys larger Council will formalize the nomination on Saturday.

I think it is clear who our prime ministerial candidate will be because we did not discuss any other names, Sharmazanov told reporters. No other opinions were voiced or, I think, crossed anybodys mind.

We all unanimously trust the chairman of our party, and [outgoing Prime Minister] Karen Karapetians proposal was approved by all members of the Executive Body, he said.

Sarkisian and Karapetian met on Saturday to discuss their political future. The outgoing premier said afterwards that they decided to propose to the HHK leadership to nominate Sarkisian for prime minister.

Karapetian, who is also the HHKs first deputy chairman, cited the need for a smooth and effective transition to the new system of government. He is expected to become the number two government figure in his new capacity as first deputy prime minister.

Sarkisian promised in April 2014 he will not aspire to the post of prime minister if Armenia becomes a parliamentary republic as a result of his constitutional changes. He downplayed that pledge and signaled his plans to hold on to power last month. He cited the increased risk of renewed fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and other security challenges facing Armenia.

The Armenian opposition accuses Sarkisian of failing to keep his word. Some opposition and civic groups are planning to launch later this week daily demonstrations against his continued rule.

Several dozen anti-government activists blocked a street adjacent to the HHK headquarters in Yerevan during Wednesdays party leadership meeting. They marched through the city center later in the evening. Riot police stopped the small crowd from approaching the former presidential palace that will serve as the seat of the next Armenian prime minister.
By Trend

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) under the State Agency for Special Communication and Information Security of the Special State Protection Service of Azerbaijan has published a rating of state websites for the number of visits in 1Q18.

TOP-10 official internet resources of state structures For the number of visits For the number of unique visits 1.idmantv.az

2.edu.gov.az

3.mia.gov.az

4.mlspp.gov.az

5.aztv.az

6.stat.gov.az

7.asan.gov.az

8.migration.gov.az

9. mfa.gov.az.az 10. scwra.gov.az 1. idmantv.az 2.azal.az

3.edu.gov.az

4.aztv.az

5.mia.gov.az

6.mod.gov.az

7.gov.az

8.mfa.gov.az

9.dq.mia..gov.az

10. bpqmi.gov.az TOP-5 internet resources of local executive bodies For the number of visits For the number of unique visits 1.binegedi-ih.gov.az 2. quba-ih.gov.az 3. qebele -ih.gov.az 4. khatai-ih.gov.az 5. qazax-ih.gov.az 1. binegedi-ih.gov.az 2. lachin-ih.gov.az 3. qebele-ih.gov.az 4. agcabedi-ih.gov.az 5. khatai-ih.gov.az TOP-10 countries in terms of the number of visits to official information resources of state structures 1.Azerbaijan

2.USA

3.Russia

4.Turkey

5.Germany 6.The United Kingdom 7.Estonia

8.The Netherlands 9.Iran 10.Turkmenistan

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan Union of Cinematographers has announced a screenwriting competition for short films "Yeni nfs-3", timed to the 120th anniversary of national cinema.

The contest aims at the development of the creative activity among young cinematographers, the identification and support of talented screenwriters, the enrichment of the national cinema with new ideas.

The competition accepts scripts written in various genres, including feature films, documentary and animation, Trend Life reported.

Persons under 35 can take part in the contest.

All works should be new and authored, with an original storyline. The scripts should be not previously screened.

The volume of the material should not exceed 20 pages (format - Courier New, font -12), printed in triplicate and also provided on a CD-disc.

Together with the script, one should send his autobiography.

Everyone can submit more than three scripts. The works must be submitted until September 25. The winners will be selected by the competent the jury.

The first place will get a prize in the amount of 2,500 manats. The winner of the second place will get 1,500 manats, while the third place winner will receive 1,000 manats respectively.

The results will be announced in October, 2018.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Rashid Shirinov

Armenian officials are turning into a political speculation the paragraph of the agreement signed between the European Union (EU) and Armenia concerning the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Karen Nazaryan has recently expressed hope in the Armenian parliament that the European Union will also note this position in the agreement with Azerbaijan.

Armenian officials at various levels are trying to speak on behalf of the European Union and turn into political speculation and propaganda the agreement signed between Armenian and the EU, Hajiyev told Trend on April 10 commenting on this attempt of Armenia.

He firstly noted that the EU does not have a mandate and authority to deal with the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Despite the groundless claims of the Armenian side, the principles noted in the preamble of the agreement on cooperation between the EU and Armenia referring to the Helsinki Final Act do not have the nature of a legal obligation. The official EU message to the Azerbaijani side notes that according to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the preamble of the above agreement does not bear a legal obligation, the spokesman said. Thereby, the EU only once again confirms that Yerevan is one of the sides of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He stressed that the EU has repeatedly, at a high level, expressed support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within the framework of internationally recognized borders and sovereignty of the republic.

President of the Council of the European Union Donald Tusk in February 2017 in Brussels during a joint press conference with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stressed that the EU supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Azerbaijan, Hajiyev noted.

He added that Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at a press conference held with the Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov within the 15th meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council in February this year in Brussels, noted that the EU fully supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Azerbaijan.

Hajiyev also noted that the Joint Declaration of the EU Eastern Partnership Summit held in Brussels on November 24, 2017, once again expresses unequivocal support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of the Eastern Partnership countries.

It should be specially emphasized that the Joint Declaration refers to the EUs Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, where the territorial integrity of EU member states and their neighbors is noted within internationally recognized borders, the spokesman said.

He mentioned that another paragraph of the Joint Declaration emphasizes that all conflicts that have occurred in the territory of the Eastern Partnership countries should be resolved on the basis of norms and principles of international law.

The resolution of the European Parliament adopted in 2013 notes that the occupation by one country of the Eastern Partnership of the territory of another member country violates the fundamental principles and objectives of the Eastern Partnership and stresses that the conflict must be resolved on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions No. 822, 853, 874 and 884, Hajiyev stressed.

Thus, the full and unequivocal support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan was repeatedly stressed both in the statements of high-ranking EU officials and in the EU documents, the spokesman concluded.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Rashid Shirinov

The settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will continue to be discussed in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary Committee on International and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Samad Seyidov told Trend on April 11.

He noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a big tangle of problems, and discussions on this issue have never stopped.

There are two types of discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. One of them is direct discussions on the conflict, which are conducted in the OSCE. But there are so-called indirect discussions related to refugee problems, humanitarian aspects, issues of the Sarsang reservoir and access to water, Samadov noted.

He said all these problems are connected with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and they were, are and will be discussed at PACE meetings.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Laman Ismayilova

Baku Zoo will open its doors for guests with new animals after the major reconstruction work. One pair of Dagestan tours, three pheasants, three mandarins, a carpet python were brought to Baku from Moscow Zoo

The director of Baku Zoo Azer Huseynov said that a major reconstruction work is carrying out in zoo.

Huseynov stressed that if there's additional room after reconstruction, new animals may arrive in Baku Zoo.

Meanwhile, being members of the Eurasian regional association of zoos and aquariums, Baku Zoo signed a contract with foreign zoos.

Under an agreement signed with Tashkent Zoo, a lama, a maned sheep, a pink pelican, a crow and large eagle-owl were brought to the Zoo.

After the reconstruction Baku Zoo's territory will double in size - up to 4.25 hectares. The conditions will be improved and will be close to animals' natural habitat.

The Baku Zoo was first opened in 1928. A number of zoos were then opened in the different parts of the city in the search of the ideal location.It has a lot to offer tourists taking them through some of the most distinctive global wildlife habitats in the world. The zoo keeps both animals living in Azerbaijan and those that not indigenous to the country.

So far, the Zoo has been a home to over 1,200 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, providing exciting wildlife experiences to visitors for over 80 years.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

The high turnout was observed in the presidential election in Azerbaijan at such an early hour, Tadeusz Iwinski, professor, observer from the Civil Initiative for Free and Democratic Elections NGO, told Trend April 11.

Iwinski, who is also former member of the Polish parliament and PACE Monitoring Committee former co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, has managed to visit three polling stations since the beginning of the voting process.

"Then we will go to Sumgait city and monitor the polling stations on the Absheron Peninsula, he said. I have visited Azerbaijan many times. Therefore, I would like to observe the election outside the capital, it is always more interesting."

Iwinski added that in general, up to 10 polling stations are planned to be visited.

"I can say that I am very impressed by the high turnout, although it is still early, he said. A lot of people came to vote, especially many women."

In Azerbaijan, 5,309,434 people are entitled to vote, 50.78 percent of them are women, 49.22 percent - men.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Kamila Aliyeva

Azerbaijan continues taking consistent steps towards strengthening relations and expanding cooperation in various spheres with Arab countries in the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain.

In this regard, political talks between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Bahrain were held on April 10.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the current cooperation between the two countries, and exchanged views on the cooperation prospects.

Welcoming the delegation of Bahrain, Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov spoke about the successes achieved in many areas, the economic reforms implemented in the country in recent years, as well as the work done to develop the oil and gas sector, regional and global projects.

He went on to say that Azerbaijan attaches special importance to the development of relations with the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, emphasizing that Azerbaijan is interested in further development of relations with Bahrain.

Speaking about diversification of the Azerbaijani economy, Khalafov noted that there are great opportunities for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bahrain in the trade and economic sphere, investment, agriculture, oil and gas, industrial, tourism, banking, information technologies and others.

During the meeting, Khalafov informed the guest about large-scale transport and energy projects implemented upon the initiative and with the participation of Azerbaijan, further adding that the North-South and East-West transport routes will create favorable opportunities for the companies of Bahrain.

Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Undersecretary for International Affairs, expressed deep gratitude for the detailed information and noted that there is a great potential for expanding the bilateral trade and economic ties.

He expressed interest in developing all-round cooperation with Azerbaijan and thanked the Azerbaijani government for organizing high-level ministerial conference of the Non-Aligned Movement and hospitality.

In this regard, he said that Azerbaijans holding of a number of large-scale events within the framework of international organizations deserves a positive assessment.

Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa noted that the existence of direct air communication and the possibility of Azerbaijani citizens' obtaining a visa at the airport of Manama using a simplified visa regime are a clear example of the development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Bahrain on an ascending line.

He underlined that Bahrain supports the speedy settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of respect for sovereignty of Azerbaijan and its territorial integrity and that this position is stable and unchanged.

Khalafov highly appreciated Bahrain's support for Azerbaijan's fair position in the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is the main obstacle to peace and stability, integration process, and development of the region as a whole.

The sides also exchanged views on cooperation within the framework of international organizations, creation of a joint intergovernmental commission for the development of trade and economic relations and on other issues of mutual interest.

Tourism can be considered the main sphere of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Arab countries, which established their diplomatic relations in 1996. This can be explained by the fact that Azerbaijan has lately turned into the most favorite place for travel of many Arab tourists.

In all international airports of Azerbaijan, a simplified visa processing system was introduced, which caused a growth of the tourist flow mainly from Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and other countries.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Azerbaijani polling stations are similar to British ones, David Campbell Bannerman, chairman of the observation mission of the European Parliament and member of the Conservatives and Reformists Group, told Trend April 11.

It is curiously enough that the Azerbaijani polling stations look very familiar, very similar to the British ones. Modern technologies are used here, there is strict registration of voters and a group of local observers monitor the election process. Everything takes place as in the UK, added David Campbell Bannerman.

He noted that the delegation intends to visit several more polling stations.

We dont have an exact schedule of these visits. We expect to have a meeting with the Central Election Commission, he said adding that the delegation expects to visit a few more polling stations to finally fix the transparency of the election.

The member of the European Parliament added that this is his first visit to Azerbaijan and he admires the architecture of Baku.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Some internet resources and social media campaigns specialize in spreading of fake news, fraud and slander, with the sole aim of undermining the presidential election, which is taking place in a free, democratic and open atmosphere, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesperson of Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry told Trend April 11.

Hajiyev said these websites continue to disseminate fake news in biased and deliberate manner.

In the photos and videos shared by such websites, discrepancies between the numbers of the alleged and actual polling stations, insertion of photoshop elements into the pictures or providing interviews of unidentified persons, attempts to misinterpret active electoral turnout in another form - prove the fakeness of such information, Hajiyev said.



By means of such fraudulent information, they seek the futile goal of misguiding and misleading the international and local observers who function in an open, free and democratic environment and affecting the final reports which will be prepared by observers as an outcome of the election, noted the spokesperson.



All conditions have been provided for the international and local observers to monitor the elections freely, in a democratic, transparent manner and they have the opportunities to get acquainted with the situation on the ground, added the Azerbaijani official.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

The presidential election is being held in a favorable atmosphere in Azerbaijan, a member of the observation mission of the Ukrainian parliament, Maxim Kuryachiy, told Trend April 11.

The presidential election in Azerbaijan is being held in a favorable atmosphere, in peace and with an optimistic mood of voters. There is a clear increase in citizens activity and a great desire to take part in the election. There have been no violations so far. I hope that the voting process will continue in the same rhythm, he said.

The Ukrainian MP especially emphasized the conditions created for people with disabilities at polling stations.

All conditions have been created for them at the polling stations, including the ballots with Braille alphabet. Moreover, I want to separately note the presence of video cameras and all kinds of modern technical equipment. This is a very significant factor for conducting transparent elections. I hope that the voting process will be held in normal mode, and we will sum up its results after the closure of the polling stations and announce the results of the voting at the briefing, Kuryachiy added.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

It is especially pleasant to be in Azerbaijan as an observer from Kyrgyzstan, member of the Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation, monitoring the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Taalaibek Sabirov told Trend April 11.

Presidential election in Azerbaijan is the most impressiveof those I have observed, he said. The observation mission is very important, especially taking into account very close friendly relations with Azerbaijan.

According to Masabirov, it is especially pleasant that people are voting with pleasure.

"No violations have been observed during the voting process, he said. The high voter turnout was observed in all polling stations which we visited. I am sure that the election will give positive results and the Azerbaijanis will choose a worthy candidate. On behalf of our mission, we would like to wish prosperity and peace to the Azerbaijanis.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates are registered for participating in the elections.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies are operating in the country.

Web cameras have been installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process can be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election is observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

The process of organizing and holding the presidential election in Azerbaijan can be compared with the best international practice in this field, Jerry Landy, a member of the Irish Council, told Trend April 11.

He said the polling stations provided all the necessary assistance and services to Azerbaijani citizens.

There have been no violations at the polling stations, added Landy.

The election is being held transparently, efficiently and professionally. Being an Irishman, I can say that I saw here the same respect for the European standards of elections as at home, he noted.

The member of the Irish Council also wished good luck to all citizens of Azerbaijan with the presidential election.
By Trend

Presidential election in Azerbaijan was held absolutely democratically, Peter Marcek, representative of the Slovak parliamentary group of observers, head of the Azerbaijan-Slovakia friendship group, said at a press conference in Baku April 11.

The election was held in a very organized manner, and the people democratically voted for their candidate, Marcek said. I would like to congratulate the winner on being elected absolutely democratically, and on the other hand, I would like to appeal to the opposition. The votes given for the opposition show that it must obey the will of the people of Azerbaijan, the will of the majority.

Azerbaijan held a presidential election today, on April 11. Eight candidates were registered for the election.

A total of 5,314,365 people in Azerbaijan have the right to vote, 50.78 percent of which are women and 49.22 percent are men.

On the voting day, 5,426 permanent polling stations and 215 temporary polling stations in 125 constituencies operated in the country.

Web cameras were installed in 1,000 polling stations in 119 electoral districts. During the day, the voting process could be observed online from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The election was observed by 894 international observers (61 organizations, 59 countries) and 58,175 local observers.
By Trend

President Ilham Aliyev has appealed to the nation to express his gratitude to the people of Azerbaijan for the confidence demonstrated in him.

Azerbaijani people have again demonstrated great confidence in me and I would like to express gratitude to my native people for this confidence and this great support, said President Aliyev in his appeal.

I always feel the support of Azerbaijani people. This support gives me strength. This support is the main condition for our development. The unity of people and government is the main factor of our development in Azerbaijan, said the head of state.

Ilham Aliyev noted that in this election, the Azerbaijani people voted for stability, security, development and progress and appraised the work done over the last 15 years.

We have achieved all this success together with you. The unity of people and government, our expedient policy have today turned Azerbaijan into a strong country, added Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state pointed out that Azerbaijans international reputation is improving.

We have managed to gain a worthy place on a global scale. Today, Azerbaijan enjoys great respect, sympathy and support in the world. We are a reliable partner, we are reckoned with and we have managed to significantly strengthen our position on international arena, said Ilham Aliyev.

We havent made even one step back from our principled position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Our principled position is even more strengthening. This conflict should be resolved within the territorial integrity of our country and there is no other way. Over the recent years, many influential international organizations have adopted several decisions and resolutions supporting our position, the justice. We have gained great diplomatic victories. At the same time, we have gained great victory in the battlefield. The Azerbaijani soldier, the Azerbaijani army, the Azerbaijani state have liberated a part of our occupied territories from occupants. A part of Aghdere, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts were cleared from occupants and today the Azerbaijani flag is flying on those lands. Life is returning, people are returning to the lands liberated from occupation. Presidential elections are held on those lands, said the head of state.

President Aliyev noted that time will come when Azerbaijani flag will fly on all the lands that are still under occupation today, presidential elections will be held in those lands to elect the Azerbaijani president.

We should be even stronger. We should build even stronger economy in order to be strong. No other country has developed as much as Azerbaijan in the economic sphere over the last 15 years. Our economy has grown by 3.2 times. Today, Azerbaijan is among the most competitive countries in the world. We rank 35th in terms of competitiveness, he added.

President Aliyev said that Azerbaijani citizens, their problems, their concerns, their welfare have always been in the center of the countrys policy. Salaries and pensions have increased by 7-8 times over the last 15 years and this policy will be continued further, he added.

The head of state went on to add that Azerbaijan has turned into a cosmic state over the past years.

We bring the most advanced technologies to our country and apply them. The technological and scientific development will be one of the main priorities for our future activity as well, said the president.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan is implementing huge energy and transport projects.

With our initiative and active participation, Eurasias energy and transport maps are re-drawn in accordance with those projects, added the head of state.

President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has never been as strong as today.

We have built a strong state. We should make Azerbaijan even stronger and I am confident that we will do that. The path we are going on is a glorious path. It is a path of victory and success. I am confident that we will always go on the path of victories. Go forward to new victories!"

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Rashid Shirinov

The leading Russian service for booking accommodation online Tvil.ru compiled the ranking of the most popular cities of the CIS for traveling on May holidays among the residents of Russia. As usual, Azerbaijani capital Baku was one of the most popular destinations chosen by the Russian tourists.

The ranking is based on the analysis of requests and bookings of hotels and apartments for the period from April 29 to May 10, 2018.

Thus, Belarusian capital Minsk ranked the first, followed by Kazakhstans Astana, and Azerbaijans Baku. The ranking says that tourists booking accommodation for four nights will spend about $52 per day in Baku, $44 in Minsk and $50 in Astana.

In another research recently conducted by Skyscanner, Azerbaijan entered the Top 10 most affordable tourist destinations for Russian tourists. It said that a two-week trip to Azerbaijan for two will cost the Russian travelers about $1,616, and some $426 of this figure is the cost of the flight. Experts calculated that the average daily budget for two in Azerbaijan is about $85.

Over the past year, the country received up to 2.7 million tourists, 31.6 percent of whom were guests from Russia. Taking into account the opening of more and more new flight routes between Russia and Azerbaijan, this figure will further increase in the near future.

Today Azerbaijan can accommodate about 40,000 tourists in its 575 hotels, which include a series of luxury ones  Excelsior, Hilton, Four Seasons, Fairmont, JW Marriott  as well as sufficient number of budget hotels for cost-conscious travelers. Moreover, 25 hostels and 92 apartments for tourists operate in Baku. The provided accommodation establishments are of any price range, starting from just $6-7 per night in hostels and $25 in hotels.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Oil jumped to the highest since 2014 as China struck a conciliatory tone on trade and Saudi Arabia was said to seek higher prices.

Futures in London jumped by almost 4 percent on Tuesday as equities also climbed. Chinese President Xi Jinping said zero-sum mentalities were "out of place" and backed dialogue to resolve disputes, dissipating fears of a trade spat with the U.S. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is said to want to get prices near $80 to fund spending and support the valuation of its state oil giant's initial public offering.

"It's a risk-on type day," said Bob Yawger, director of futures at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York. "The biggest correlation is to the equity markets."

In two days, the oil market dispelled the pessimism of two weeks largely dominated by concerns over U.S.-China tensions and a buildup of stockpiles at America's largest distribution hub in Oklahoma.

Brent for June settlement climbed as much $2.69 to $71.34 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, the highest since December 2014, after settling at $71.04.

West Texas Intermediate for May delivery rose $2.09 to settle at $65.51 a barrel, the highest in two weeks, on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

'Opening Up'

The Chinese leader pledged a "new phase of opening up" in a long-planned speech that was closely watched by traders for any response to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to hit hundreds of Chinese products with duties. Following Xi's speech, Asian stocks and U.S. futures jumped.

In conversations with OPEC delegates and oil market participants, Saudi officials had been careful to avoid pinpointing an exact price target. Yet people who have spoken to them said the inescapable conclusion from the conversations was that Riyadh is aiming for $80.

"The day-to-day price action that we've seen is really about risk appetite and not so much fundamentals," said Michael Wittner, the head of commodities research at Societe Generale SA in New York.

The S&P 500 Energy Index climbed as much as 4 percent, the biggest intraday advance since November 2016. The best performers include Devon Energy Corp., TechnipFMC Plc and Newfield Exploration Co., all posting gains of more than 6 percent.

In the U.S., crude inventories probably fell by 1.25 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg survey ahead of government data that will be released on Wednesday. That would follow a surprise decrease of 4.6 million barrels a week earlier. Stockpiles held at the key Cushing, Oklahoma, pipeline hub likely rose by 2 million barrels last week, a forecast compiled by Bloomberg showed.

The industry-funded American Petroleum Institute will release its weekly tally of inventories later on Tuesday.

Other oil-market news:

Gasoline futures rose 2.9 percent to settle at $2.0409 a gallon, the highest level since August. U.S. crude production is set for a swing higher next year, according to the Energy Information Administration, which raised its average output forecast for 2019, yet lowered it for this year, reiterating that crude production would still top 11 million barrels a day in October. Saudi Arabia to keep crude exports below 7 million barrels a day in May, the Energy Ministry said in an emailed statement.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Partly cloudy in the morning. Increasing clouds with periods of showers later in the day. High near 90F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 68F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
Suzanne Kibodeaux dreamed about a brand new house, complete with a white picket fence and sparkling granite countertops. That is, until she fell in love with a 103-year-old home in Sour Lake with few modern fixtures but many stories to tell.

Built by oil tycoon Miles Frank Yount in 1915, Sunnyside, with its sliding pocket doors and wallpapered 12-foot ceilings, carries guests away to the time of the second Spindletop oil boom in 1925.

Located on Texas 105 West, Sunnyside now has its eighth owners - Suzanne and Michael Kibodeaux of A1 Filter Service.

PHOTOS: Historic homes of Southeast Texas

Michael, 63, said walking on original pine and walnut floors or sitting on antique furniture is sometimes like "living in a museum," but after two years at Sunnyside, he said it "just felt like home."

Now more than a century old, Sunnyside will receive a historical marker on May 19 from the Hardin County Historical Commission.

After seeing Sunnyside's golden tin ceilings and antique light fixtures, Suzanne said she realized her home wish list was "so cookie cutter."

She has since become captivated with scouting for period furniture pieces and making Sunnyside her own while maintaining the home's original grandeur.

RELATED: Texas Historical Markers in Jefferson County

Beaumont native and historian Greg Riley said the original Sunnyside featured Austrian rugs, a leopard skin "pliant as a lady's glove" and San Domingo mahogany furniture, according to a newspaper article from the time.

While some furniture is original to the house, like two bookshelves belonging to Frank Yount himself, most are period-style pieces.

"As long as it looks the part," said Suzanne, 48. Otherwise, she said she tries to "keep everything as old as possible."

Upkeep is no small task, said Suzanne, who vacuums every inch of the 3,768-square foot home daily with a cordless Dyson cleaner.

PHOTOS: Historic pictures of Texas oil fields and gushers

Yount and his wife, Pansy, lived at Sunnyside until Yount found his fortune near the site of the Lucas Gusher in 1925.

Both historian Fred B. McKinley and Suzanne were unsure about why the home was nicknamed Sunnyside, but Suzanne said she likes to think the Younts believed they were "living on the 'sunny side' of life."

The year before, the couple had relocated to a mansion known as El Ocaso, meaning "sunset," on "Millionaires' Row," as Suzanne called it, otherwise known as Calder Avenue.

Once located on 1376 Calder Ave., El Ocaso no longer stands after Pansy had the home demolished, saying she didn't want it to become a museum or funeral home after their deaths.

Yount deeded Sunnyside to his sister, Ima Belle, who turned it into a boarding house, renting the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home to oil workers and pipeliners for $1 a day.

The Yount-Lee Oil Co. took off and was sold after Yount's death in the 1930s in the country's third-largest financial transaction at the time, according to McKinley, 74, who co-wrote a book with Riley about the Yount family.

The Yount-Lee Oil Co. was nicknamed the "Financial Gibraltar of Beaumont," and Yount was referred to as the "Godfather of Beaumont."

Yount never laid off any workers, McKinley said, and twice loaned the city of Beaumont money to ensure city officials, policemen and firemen were paid.

"The human kindness of this man was unbelievable," McKinley said.

Phoebe.Suy@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/PhoebeSuy
Southeast Texas counties would receive more than $500 million in federal funds for Harvey recovery to cover homeowner assistance, buyouts, road and bridge repair and business revitalization under a state plan released Tuesday.

The Texas General Land Office's Action Plan accounts for the spending of more than $5 billion allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for disaster recovery. It will be submitted to HUD for approval after a public comment period, which ends April 26.

The money, which is the first allocation from the department, can be used for repairing, elevating or buying out homes, offering loans to small businesses and repairing and improving local infrastructure, including streets, bridges, and water and drainage systems.

If approved, the money will be funneled from HUD to the GLO, which will release it to regional councils, including the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, which represents Hardin, Orange and Jefferson counties, and the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, which is made up of 11 counties including Jasper, Newton and Tyler.

Those councils, though not government agencies, operate on behalf of associations of city and county governments whose officials serve on their boards. They will develop distribution

plans for the money, which will be submitted to the state for approval.

If the plan goes forward, the SETPRC is set to receive $361,720,085, and DETCOG would receive $171,215,283 - about 10 percent of the total $5,024,215,000.

Harris County and the City of Houston, which will administer their own programs instead of going through the GLO plan, would each receive about $1.1 billion. The remainder would go to other Gulf Coast areas hit by Harvey, including Port Aransas.

According to the plan, Orange County has the highest amount of unmet need for housing per person of all the affected counties in the state, at an estimated $8,077 per person. Hardin, Jefferson, Chambers and Aransas counties were also among the highest per capita.

"We will fight for every dollar that our people deserve to rebuild from this effort," said State Rep. James White, R-Hillister, whose district includes Hardin, Jasper and Newton counties. "We know that there's more folks in the Houston area, we know what comes with that as far as leverage," he said.

White pointed to more than $30 million in HUD funding that Newton County received after flooding in 2015 and 2016 that also affected Harris County and surrounding areas as proof that local leaders can get the region its fair share of money. He and other state legislators, who do not have control over the money, will be involved in advocating for Southeast Texas, he said.

The plan calls for more than half of the local money to go toward a Homeowner Assistance Program, to be used to rebuild and repair owner-occupied single family homes. Another $87 million would be allocated to local government to offer buyouts, aimed at removing homes from places that are likely to flood again to reduce future risk. For both housing programs, which would run for three years, 80 percent of the money is required to go to areas identified as "most impacted and distressed," which include Jefferson, Orange and Hardin Counties and certain zip codes in Tyler, Jasper and Newton Counties.

Harris County's infrastructure needs were highest in the state, making up more than 90 percent of the "total need," followed by Jefferson County, estimated at more than $60 million.

In previous conversations, county and city officials have pointed to needs for improved drainage systems, elevated water pumps and street repairs.

The GLO has also allocated more than $100 million for economic revitalization, which would provide up to $50,000 to small businesses impacted by the storm, and $250 million for the repair or new construction of affordable multi-family housing.

According to the plan, developers could receive up to $25 million for developing housing complexes if more than half the units are designated for low- or moderate-income people.

The state also would spend $50 million for "homelessness prevention," by running a program to help with short-term mortgage payments, utility payments and rental assistance, and $100 million for reimbursing homeowners up to $50,000 for certain repairs they've already paid for.

The $5 billion in federal funds designated for Harvey is part of more than $7 billion allocated to HUD for long-term recovery this fall.

The agency announced Tuesday that Texas will be eligible for another $4.7 billion in grants for mitigation projects, part of almost $28 billion of disaster recovery funds allocated by Congress in February. That also includes money that will go to California, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for disasters in 2017.

"I have assurances from Austin and from Washington D.C. that rural communities will have a seat at the table" and have access to that money when it reaches Texas, said state Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont.

Phelan said local governments are putting together their mitigation plans and should be communicating with each other to ensure that they "flow together," especially in developing better drainage systems.

While the housing assistance money may come too late for many Southeast Texans who have already scraped their savings to rebuild, he said, the mitigation money should improve confidence that their repair work won't be undone by the next storm.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/LizTeitz
Wichita, Kan.-based Mid-Continent Anesthesiology filed a lawsuit against two of its former presidents alleging fraud, The Wichita Eagle reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. The practice alleged former presidents Gerard Bassell and Robert McKay stole $4 million through "threats and intimidation."

2. Both Mr. Bassell and Mr. Mckay filed motions to dismiss the case.

3. An attorney for the practice alleged Mr. Bassell ran the practice as a "benevolent dictatorship." A court filing claims Mr. Bassell met shareholder requests for financial data with intimidation.

The suit said, "Mr. Bassell made it clear such requests would be met with consequences."

4. The practice also alleged Mr. Bassell extorted more than $4 million from funds, which was concealed as compensation, bonuses or administrative salaries.

5. Mr. Bassell claimed the practice was in dire financial need in 2012. To correct that, Mr. Bassell determined shareholders' salaries and vacation time would need to be cut. At the same time, Mr. Bassell allegedly increased his vacation time and raised his own pay by $85,000. Mr. Bassell retired, and appointed Mr. McKay as his successor in direct violation of corporate bylaws.

6. Mr. McKay allegedly paid himself an extra administrative salary and loaned himself money through the corporation, later forgiving the loan after several payments.

7. Mr. McKay was unanimously dismissed in August 2017.

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NueHealth shakes up leadership team & more  9 ASC company key notes

Pain Specialists of Southern Oregon to open new ASC: 4 key points




State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-Calif.) is pushing legislation that would make California the first state to require physicians to inform patients if they are on probation for wrongdoing, including sexual misconduct, KSBW 8 reports.

Here are five things to know.

1. The measure follows in the wake of Larry Nassar's sentencing for sexually abusing women and girls under the guise of medical treatment. Several Olympians abused by Mr. Nassar spoke in support of the proposed legislation.

2. Sen. Hill pointed to the national conversation around the #MeToo movement in advocating for the measure.

3. The proposal has not yet been heard by a committee; versions of the bill have failed twice before.

4. The California Medical Association opposed past versions of the bill, arguing that it would be unfair to physicians.

5. According to Sen. Hill, 124 doctors are placed on probation every year in California for misconduct such as sexual assault or serious medical errors.

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Casper-based Wyoming Medical Center struck a deal to acquire Mountain View Regional Hospital, a surgical-only facility, Wyoming Business Report reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. The hospital opened as a full-service facility in 2008. In 2011, the hospital made the decision to convert to a surgical-only facility.

2. Wyoming Medical Center entered into a deal to acquire the facility from Brentwood, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners.

3. Wyoming Medical Center CEO and President Michele Chulick said, "At Wyoming Medical Center and Mountain View Regional Hospital, we are dedicated to ensure the highest quality and [most] exceptional patient and family experience possible for everyone who walks through our doors. We are very excited about the additional services and presence that we will be able to offer through this acquisition."

4. Mountain View Regional Hospital will begin operating as part of Wyoming Medical Center in the first half of 2018.

5. Mountain View currently performs both inpatient and outpatient surgery.
Healthcare marks the only industry where insider threats are more prevalent than those from the outside, according to a Verizon report.

For the report, Verizon analyzed 53,000-plus cybersecurity incidents from the past 12 months, including more than 2,200 breaches, across 67 contributing organizations in 65 countries. The organizations were from nine key industries, including healthcare, which comprised 750 incidents and 536 breaches.

Across industries, analysts detected ransomware in 39 percent of malware-related incidents in the past 12 months. The analysts determined ransomware represented the most prevalent type of malware in 2018, up from the fourth most common type of malware in Verizon's 2017 report.

In healthcare, 56 percent of incidents were attributed to internal threats. The most common cause of a cyberattack was human error (35 percent), followed by misuse (24 percent). In 13 percent of incidents related to system misuse, employees attributed the breach to "curiosity"  for example, if a celebrity had recently been a patient.

The most frequently targeted types of data in the healthcare industry were medical (79 percent), personal (37 percent) and payment (4 percent).

To access Verizon's 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, click here.
A registration employee at Miami-based West Kendall Baptist Hospital exploited patient credit card information to make personal purchases, the hospital discovered March 9.

Patients who were treated at West Kendall between August 2014 and March 2018 and made a payment with a credit card via the registration employee  whom the hospital did not name  may be at risk. Potentially compromised information includes names, addresses and credit card information.

The hospital said it immediately reported the individual to local authorities at the Miami-Dade Police Department and terminated the employee. Hospital officials notified the patients they believe were affected and offered them one year of identity protection and credit monitoring.

When Becker's Hospital Review reached out to West Kendall Baptist Hospital for comment, a hospital spokesperson referred to the public notice on the organization's website.

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Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, a 14-hospital network, plans to eliminate more than 400 of its staffed hospital beds in the next two to four years as part of a realignment strategy, a health system spokesperson confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review.

The health system's preliminary bond offering statement, which was published the week of April 9, outlined the bed-count changes. Altogether, Jefferson has 2,509 staffed beds and expects to eliminate about 16 percent of the beds to fewer than 2,100.

"All across the country we're seeing a decline in inpatient beds due largely to technology and other advancements that are reducing the need for overnight stays," John Brand, Jefferson Health's vice president of media relations, told Becker's. "For example, there was a time when a cardiac catheterization procedure resulted in an overnight stay and now they're largely done on an outpatient basis. Inpatient beds are declining all across the country, including Philadelphia."

It is unclear how many employees will be affected by this realignment strategy. In reference to job reductions, however, a spokesperson told Becker's, "We believe the investments in innovation we are making today could very well mean even more jobs in the region in the future, despite the reduction in inpatient beds."

The bond offering statement, which seeks to raise $485 million, also outlines the proposed structure of Jefferson Health as it works to expand, according to The Inquirer. Jefferson Health plans to support a single academic medical center comprising Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Hospital of Neuroscience, both based in Philadelphia. The bond issue did not include details on the nonbinding letter of intent for Jefferson Health to merge with Philadelphia-based Einstein Healthcare Network.

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A Fort Myers, Fla., man got two different bills for separate but similar CT scans of his abdomen; however, one cost $268, while the other cost $8,897, according to an NPR report.

The difference between the scans is where Benjamin Hynden received them: The cheaper one took place at Summerlin Imaging Center in Fort Myers, while the more expensive one was done in an emergency department at Gulf Coast Medical Center near the same city. Gulf Coast Medical Center is a part of Lee Health, also based in Fort Myers.



Mr. Hynden's physician referred him to Summerlin for the first CT scan, which was inconclusive, after Mr. Hynden came in with abdomen pain and discomfort. The second scan happened three months later, when Mr. Hynden's pain persisted and a nurse practitioner  his physician was unavailable  told him to go to the hospital due to possible appendicitis. There, a triage nurse determined it probably wasn't appendicitis, but recommended another CT scan.



Gulf Coast Medical Center's $8,897 CT price was nearly 33 times that of the outpatient imaging center's. When NPR asked Lee Health why Gulf Coast Medical Center charged so much more for the same test, the system declined an interview.



Mary Briggs, a Lee Health spokesperson, told NPR in an emailed statement, "Generally that it is not unusual for the cost of providing a CT scan in an emergency department to be higher than in an imaging center. Emergency department charges reflect the high cost of maintaining the staffing, medical expertise, equipment, and infrastructure, on a 24/7-basis, necessary for any possible healthcare need  from a minor injury to a gunshot wound or heart attack to a mass casualty event."

The second image came back inconclusive again. After Mr. Hynden's insurer, Cigna, negotiated its in-network discount with Lee Health, Mr. Hynden ended up with a $3,394.49 bill.

Rick Davis, a co-owner of Summerlin Imaging Center, told NPR his small, independent practice doesn't have as much bargaining power as larger health systems in Florida. This leaves insurers with more say in how much Summerlin can charge for a scan. An office manager at Summerlin also told NPR the most it bills for a CT scan is $1,200, but usually the negotiated rate is less than $300.

Gerard Anderson, PhD, a health policy and management professor at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University, told the publication the higher price could result from Lee Health's large pricing power in Fort Myers.

"Anybody who's in Fort Myers is going to want to get care at these hospitals. So by having a dominant position, they have great bargaining power," Dr. Anderson said. "So they can raise their rates, and they still do OK."



Mr. Hynden's two CT scans didn't reveal what was causing the pain. Several weeks after the second test, he went to an urgent care center run by Lee Health. There, an ultrasound test that cost him about $175 revealed he had benign cysts.
Nurses at Greenfield, Mass.-based Baystate Franklin Medical Center began their 24-hour strike April 11.

Here are six things to know.

1. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents about 200 nurses at the hospital, said in a statement nurses went on strike at 7 a.m. and will be picketing outside the hospital throughout the day with community members and elected officials. There are also planned rallies at noon and 5 p.m.

"The nurses are coming throughout the day in various shifts, all with the message that Baystate must improve patient care conditions," the statement reads.

2. The strike comes amid contract negotiations between the nurses and Baystate Franklin. Both sides have been in negotiations since November 2016. Most recently, nurses authorized a potential one-day strike Feb. 8, and subsequently set the April 11 strike date.

3. Earlier this week, Baystate Franklin urged the union to hold a contract vote. Hospital officials said current proposals include a 4.9 percent salary increase over the duration of the contract, health insurance options requested by the union, written staffing commitments and various other benefits.

4. Baystate Franklin officials previously said the hospital will be open and operational during the strike, with exceptions such as the cardiac rehab unit, preadmission clinic, tuberculosis clinic and intensive care unit. They noted ICU patients will receive care at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Additionally, Baystate Franklin is bringing in experienced temporary nurses, who will begin work at 7 p.m. April 10 and finish shifts at 7 p.m. April 13. Striking nurses will not be able to return to work until the temporary nurses leave due to the hospital's contract terms with the temporary workers.

5. The union and hospital confirmed April 11 that those plans were put in motion. Ron Bryant, interim president of Baystate Franklin said in an updated statement to Becker's Hospital Review: "We remain focused on providing quality care and will not be distracted by the disruptive and divisive tactics orchestrated by union leadership. The experienced temporary nurses are at the hospital now, providing the seamless quality care our patients deserve."

6. This is the second time Baystate Franklin nurses have gone on strike in the last year. Nurses also participated in a one-day strike in June.

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University of Washington students protested April 9 against the possible closure of the consolidated laundry facility that serves Seattle-based UW Medicine's UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center and Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, reports The Seattle Times.

The protesters, represented by UW United Students Against Sweatshops, took their issues straight to the office of Paul Ramsey, MD, CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the school of medicine. Nearly 20 student protesters occupied Dr. Ramsey's office, expressing concerns about proposed outsourcing of roughly 115 laundry jobs, according to The Seattle Times. The student protestors reportedly stayed inside while about 100 students and labor leaders remained outside the building where Dr. Ramsey's office is located.

Tina Mankowski, spokesperson for UW Medicine, attributed the proposed outsourcing to the outdated condition of the consolidated laundry facility in Seattle, but noted various options are on the table.

"We value the work of our loyal staff and are carefully reviewing all of our options for the consolidated laundry," she said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "Our 30-year-old facility is no longer state-of-the-art and would require significant capital costs to bring it up to current standards."

She said UW Medicine plans to solicit bids from other market suppliers this spring, which will help leadership make final decisions. "In the interim, we are keeping our employees and their union representatives apprised of all developments," she added.

Ms. Mankowski told The Seattle Times UW Medicine would help affected workers try to find other jobs within the system if the laundry jobs were outsourced.

The proposed outsourcing is part of overall cost-savings efforts by UW Medicine. According to the report, the system had a $75 million budget deficit last year, and earlier this year laid off 15 laundry workers after Seattle veterans hospitals and Skagit Valley Hospital stopped sending patients' linens to the consolidated facility.

Students, meanwhile, are lobbying for upgrades to the facility.

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A former employee at Dallas-based Parkland Memorial Hospital will agree to plead guilty to illegally disclosing the protected health information of roughly 100 patients who were inmates at Dallas County jails for personal financial gain, court documents reviewed by Dallas News show.

Krystal Ann Hodge, 38  who is expected to enter her guilty plea before a federal judge next week  is one of 11 defendants who used the patients' PHI in a large tax refund case in which they were indicted in January 2017. Some of those co-defendants are accused of using their jobs to steal personal information as part of the same fraud scheme.

As part of the scam, the defendants allegedly filed fake tax returns and deposited the refunds into various accounts they opened. In Ms. Hodge's case, that entailed accessing the "prisoner-patient files," including computer records that contained Social Security numbers and dates of birth, and sharing that data with her boyfriend, Keith Washington  another co-defendant in the case.

"Washington told Hodge that they could get a 'lick,' meaning they could make some quick money using the information," the plea documents read, according to Dallas News.

Mr. Washington pleaded guilty April 10 to conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S.

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A former nurse at Tyler, Texas-based Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital and Christus Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler was charged with murder in a patient's death and is a suspect in at least two other care interventions that left patients in vegetative states, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

The 34-year-old man, William George Davis, is in custody at the Smith County (Texas) Jail with a bond of $2 million. Mr. Davis was a registered nurse whose license was suspended effective March 16, according to an order from the Texas Board of Nursing obtained by the Telegraph.

During a meeting in Austin, Texas, March 16, the board upheld four charges against Mr. Davis all based on incidents that happened while he was a registered nurse with Christus Mother Frances Hospital and on assignment at the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital.

Mr. Davis engaged in "unskilled and/or unnecessary and/or inappropriate" interventions with three patients, one of whom died, according to court documents.

For each of these three patient situations, the patient's condition immediately deteriorated from a stable condition and resuscitative measures were required shortly after Mr. Davis intervened, the Telegraph reported. The first patient ultimately died and the latter two patients entered persistent vegetative states.

An autopsy of the first patient found they suffered a cortical acute ischemic infarction from an air embolism that contributed to their death, according to the charges.

In each of the first two cases, Mr. Davis did not communicate his intervention to the patient's assigned nurse and/or document the event, according to the formal charges.

The last incident occurred in January when Mr. Davis told Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital officials he entered a patient's room and silenced a beeping IV, the Telegraph noted. Mr. Davis later admitted to resetting a beeping IV, flushing the arterial line and pumping up the pressure bag.

Mr. Davis was terminated from the hospital Feb. 15, "related to his falsification of care events and his unethical practice related to failure to disclose interventions provided that may have impacted the outcome" of a particular patient, the charges read.

The Tyler Police Department, which arrested Mr. Davis, planned a news conference for 2 p.m. April 11 "to announce details about a major ongoing investigation."
A West Virginia woman faces criminal charges for allegedly posing as a nurse at a skilled nursing facility for about four months, reports WSAZ.

The woman, 33-year-old Ashley Monday, misrepresented herself as a registered nurse while working at Charleston, W.Va.-based Eastbrook Center from Nov. 28, 2017, to March 13, 2018, according to a criminal complaint cited by WSAZ.

"A few weeks ago, the leadership of Eastbrook became aware that a woman with a history of deceptive behavior had posed as a registered nurse using another person's license number," the skilled nursing facility said in a statement to WSAZ. Eastbrook leadership immediately fired Ms. Monday and reported her actions to the appropriate legal and regulatory authorities.

"We do not believe resident care was adversely affected during her employment," Eastbrook said. "Our management team is reviewing hiring and background check procedures to ensure a situation like this does not occur in the future."

Ms. Monday received about $12,580 during her employment at the facility. Police charged her with obtaining money, property and services by false pretenses.

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The Louisville Health Department cut the price of hepatitis A vaccinations from $65 apiece to $25 apiece as the city combats a hepatitis A outbreak and prepares for the Kentucky Derby May 5, according to WDRB.

Louisville has been grappling with a severe hepatitis A outbreak, which has affected more than 115 patients since November. Health department officials hope the lower vaccine price tag will encourage vaccinations and put a halt to the outbreak.

However, the timing of the price cut is no coincidence, according to the report.

"We're getting prepared for the Kentucky Derby," said Ruth Carrico, PhD, RN, associate professor with the University of Louisville School of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. "The last thing we want to happen is for someone to come to Louisville from out of town, become ill, and then take that back to their community. This is how nationwide outbreaks occur."
Orthopedic surgeon Gregory Shankman, MD, pleaded guilty April 10 to stealing more than $86,000 in Worker's Compensation funds, WKTV reports.

Here are five things to know.

1. Dr. Shankman pleaded guilty in Oneida County (N.Y.) Court to two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree. According to New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott, Dr. Shankman will be expected to pay the full restitution of $86,896.31 when he is sentenced in June.

2. Dr. Shankman was indicted on charges of operating an ongoing scheme defrauding the Workers' Compensation system by more than $50,000 in February. He was also arrested in August 2017 for $14,000 worth of fraud cases.

3. On more than 150 days between January 2015 and August 2017, Dr. Shankman defrauded the system by submitting claims for medical exams performed at his Utica office when he was actually traveling in western N.Y., out of state and out of the country.

4. According to the Inspector General, Dr. Shankman performed Worker's Compensation exams in offices across upstate and western New York while simultaneously billing for services at his Utica office that required his presence under state law. Patients at his Utica office were frequently seen only by a physician's assistant, who was not authorized to examine Worker's Compensation patients without Dr. Shankman's direct supervision.

5. Dr. Shankman remains released pending his June 5 sentencing.

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The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons honored 33 surgeons with the 2018 Senior Achievement Award Winners and 73 surgeons with the 2018 Achievement Award Winners.

The Senior Achievement level requires 30 credits, which encompasses at least 10 years of volunteer service in the orthopedic surgery profession. Credit categories include teaching, publications and research, and service and advocacy. Winners include:

1. Michael T. Archdeacon, MD

2. Frederick M. Azar, MD

3. Eric M. Bluman, MD, PhD

4. Joseph A. Bosco III MD

5. John J. Callaghan, MD

6. Henry D. Clarke, MD

7. Ronald Emilio Delanois, MD

8. Gregory Della Rocca, MD

9. David M. Dines, MD

10. Matthew Barrett Dobbs, MD

11. Howard R. Epps, MD

12. Christopher H. Evans, PhD

13. Jeffrey S. Fischgrund, MD

14. Richard J. Friedman, MD

15. Leesa M. Galatz, MD

16. Theodore J. Ganley, MD

17. Kevin L. Garvin, MD

18. Mitchel B. Harris, MD

19. Martin Joseph Herman, MD

20. William A. Jiranek, MD

21. Guido Marra, MD

22. Joel Mayerson, MD

23. James J. McCarthy, MD

24. Carol D. Morris, MD, MS

25. Mary I. O'Connor, MD

26. Christopher L. Peters, MD

27. Thomas P. Sculco, MD

28. Kevin G Shea, MD

29. Robert T. Trousdale, MD

30. Eeric Truumees, MD

31. Stephen C. Weber, MD

32. Gerald R. Williams Jr., MD

33. Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD

The Achievement Award requires 10 credits. Winners include:

34. Michael S. Aronow, MD

35. Charles J. Banta II, MD

36. Robert H. Bell, MD

37. Robert Shay Bess, MD

38. Richard E. Bowen, MD

39. Travis C. Burns, MD

40. Michael T. Busch, MD

41. Louis W. Catalano III, MD

42. Manuel F. DaSilva, MD

43. Marlene DeMaio, MD

44. Andrew A. Freiberg, MD

45. David L. Glaser, MD

46. Mark Glazebrook, MD

47. Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, MD

48. Jeffrey A. Greenberg, MD

49. Carlos Guanche, MD

50. Steven B. Haas, MD

51. Brian R. Hamlin, MD

52. Samer S. Hasan, MD, PhD

53. Syed Ashfaq Hasan, MD

54. Michael R. Hausman, MD

55. Jose A. Herrera Soto, MD

56. Dolfi Herscovici Jr., DO

57. Paul M. Huddleston, MD

58. Thomas B. Hughes Jr., MD

59. Mark R. Hutchinson, MD

60. Joshua E. Hyman, MD

61. Stephen T. Imrie, MD

62. Stephen J. Incavo, MD

63. David Joseph Jacofsky, MD

64. Kay Kirkpatrick, MD

65. Joon Yung Lee, MD

66. Martha K. Lenhart, MD, PhD

67. Bruce A. Levy, MD

68. Scott J. Luhmann, MD

69. ChunBong Benjamin Ma, MD

70. Ormonde M. Mahoney, MD

71. Randall Evan Marcus, MD

72. David F. Martin, MD

73. John J. McGraw, MD

74. Menachem M. Meller, MD

75. Michael Meneghini, MD

76. Thomas Edward Mroz, MD

77. Thomas F. Murray Jr. MD

78. Sumon Nandi, MD

79. Kevin M. Neal, MD

80. Daniel Atherton Oakes, MD

81. Patrick M. Osborn, MD

82. Mark A. Palumbo, MD

83. Michael J. Patzakis, MD

84. Laura Phieffer, MD

85. Kornelis Andries Poelstra, MD

86. John D. Polousky, MD

87. Steven I. Rabin, MD

88. Karl E. Rathjen, MD

89. Peter C. Rhee, MD

90. Christopher James Roach, MD

91. Karl C. Roberts, MD

92. Rachel S. Rohde, MD

93. Thomas G. Sampson, MD

94. George T. Shybut, MD

95. Klaus Siebenrock, MD

96. Robert R. Slater Jr., MD

97. John K. Sontich, MD

98. Julie A. Switzer, MD

99. Ruth Lourdes Thomas, MD

100. David B. Thordarson, MD

101. Marc Evan Umlas, MD

102. Klane K. White, MD

103. Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, MD

104. Brian R. Wolf, MD

105. Elizabeth M. Yu, MD

106. Robert D. Zura, MD

Here is more information on the AAOS Achievement Awards.

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Belfast City Council is looking for new sponsors for its Belfast Bikes scheme

Belfast Bikes is seeking a new sponsor following the end of a three-year contract with Coke Zero.

A bidders' event will be held at Belfast City Council's offices, Adelaide Street on April 26.

Lord Mayor, councillor Nuala McAllister, is encouraging businesses large and small to consider backing the scheme.

Businesses can either get together as a consortium to submit a proposal or make bids individually for branding on the Belfast Bikes panels or on the 40 station terminals.

Coke Zero had sponsored Belfast Bikes since its launch in April 2015.
A technology company developing a digital loyalty app has won a competition run by Techstart NI and Danske Bank.

The Open Banking Challenge gave tech entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland the chance to pitch for 60,000 of funding. Proposals were required to make the most of new banking technology with apps, products or services to benefit consumers or businesses.

Winner loyalBe aims to replace paper loyalty cards with a single mobile app. It uses Open Banking technology to collate loyalty points without having to scan QR codes or involve the retailer.

Danske Bank and Techstart NI will now work in partnership with loyalBe to develop the app and commence testing with customers. LoyalBe's founder Cormac Quinn left his job at Kainos to launch the company earlier this year.
Mark Hamill has paid tribute to his Star Wars co-star Daisy Ridley, saying she is a delight to work with.

The Luke Skywalker actor shared a collage of pictures of himself with Ridley, and Ridley in character as Rey in the sci-fi franchise.

He wrote on Instagram: SHOUT OUT to #DaisyRidley for no particular reason other than she is a brilliantly natural, instinctive actor, a delight to work with & the best piggy-back ride in the business!

Luke should be so lucky to have had such a lovely daughter. #DarlingDaisy.

Hamill, 66, and Ridley, 26, have appeared together in the two most recent Star Wars films  The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Fans have shared their own theories that heroine Rey is the daughter of Luke, as it has so far been revealed in the series that her parents were nobodies.

British actress Ridley has won a number of industry accolades since appearing as scavenger Rey in the Star Wars movies, including two Empire Awards and an MTV Movie Award.
In the early 1990s, in a humble terrace house in Artana Street in the Holy Land area of South Belfast, a series of unusual - to say the least - experiments were carried out by renowned engineer Dr WJ Crawford to prove claims by a local family that they were in contact with the spirit world.

The Goligher family - mother, father, four young daughters and a son-in-law - regularly organised seances in their home.

But it was 16-year-old Kathleen, the most "mediumistic" of the siblings, whose psychic powers (and possibly more besides) particularly intrigued Dr William Crawford.

Kathleen was a serious-looking, bespectacled young girl, her flowing locks tied back in long curls.

Her psychic party piece was the production of ectoplasm, which may sound like something dreamt up by the Ghostbusters movie-makers, but was actually the subject of heated debate in Victorian times - as far back as the mid-1800s.

It was around that period that a revival in spiritualism gripped the nation. By the time Kathleen was born, in 1898, seances involving levitation and spirit rapping, a crude form of ghostly communication, of which more later, were fairly commonplace.

Kathleen's family, although poor, did not charge for the seances held in their home. And reports of the young girl's psychic proficiency had obviously spread since they eventually attracted to the Goligher's door Dr Crawford, at that time a lecturer in mechanical engineering at Queen's University.

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A respected academic, the New Zealand-born Crawford was author of two highly regarded text books then used in schools.

On the face of it, he did not seem like a man who would be taken in by fraud, trickery or supernatural viscous substances.

And yet, sensationally for readers of the day, having carried out his series of experiments, he was to write three books claiming that Kathleen was genuinely in touch with the spirit world, that she could levitate tables and produce the aforementioned ectoplasm.

Some 17 years older than Kathleen, it is hard to believe that he was only interested in her ectoplasm.

Many scientists and, interestingly, the magician Harry Houdini, had heard of Kathleen's "powers" but dismissed them as trickery.

The "rigorous" experiments Crawford carried out had to be conducted in low light. Conveniently enough, ectoplasm could not be photographed in bright light. Most mediums produced it through various orifices; the nose, the ears, the mouth.

Expand Close The 'Goligher Circle' with Kathleen Goligher and what Dr Crawford believed to be ectoplasm exuding from her body, but which was later dismissed as a trick using muslin cloth / Facebook

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Whatsapp The 'Goligher Circle' with Kathleen Goligher and what Dr Crawford believed to be ectoplasm exuding from her body, but which was later dismissed as a trick using muslin cloth

In Kathleen's case, Crawford insisted the ectoplasm came originally from her womb. His photographs show the young girl seated with what appears to be a swathe of white gauze or muslin emanating from her skirt.

It looks like gauze or muslin, because it most likely was gauze or muslin.

At a later date a physicist, the impressively named Edmund Edward Fournier d'Alba, pointed out that during a seance with Kathleen which he had attended, he had noted a piece of muslin lying between her feet.

Another scientist who'd also studied the case wrote of "the superabundant exposure of the massive credulity and total defect of logical power displayed by Dr Crawford".

Which is a roundabout way of saying he thought Crawford was a bit gullible.

Or was it something more carnal?

The intelligent Crawford must have been aware that the ectoplasm, the levitation, the spirit rapping, were all trickery.

His reasons for playing along may have had more to do with his own strange proclivities. Apart from anything else, he was obsessed with underwear.

Tragically, he took his own life - his body was found at the rocks near the Girls' School in Bangor on July 21, 1920.

But before his demise he'd spent all his money on a massive consignment of underwear which he left to his family, ensuring, posthumously, that they would not be short of drawers for many years to come.

A year after his death, Kathleen's psychic powers were to be debunked by d'Alba and shortly after that she retired from the psychic business.

Her story ends well, however. She later married, becoming in the process a Lady G Donaldson.

It's a weird tale and, not surprisingly, the first story collected by writer and musician Reggie Chamberlain-King which inspired his book Weird Belfast (Blackstaff Press).

And this week, the ghosts of Kathleen and Dr Crawford walk again, so to speak, in a new play "A True and Attested Account" which is being staged nightly at the Engine Room, Portview Trade Centre in East Belfast until April 14.

The play's full, Victorian-esque title is "A True and Attested Account of Certain Mysterious Events which have recently Occurred at Mersey Street" and while it's a work of fiction by writer Fintan Brady, it draws heavily on the Goligher story.

Whereas my reaction to the tale was to sneer at the gullibility of all concerned, and the perhaps darker motives of Dr Crawford, Fintan points to a genuine human pathos behind the events.

"This was 1914", he explains, "the First World War had just broken out. There had been a massive flu epidemic. It was a difficult time. A time of great uncertainty. To some extent I think, yes, they colluded with each other. But there was a belief in the idea of experimentation.

"You have personalities that are fragile and delusional and they collude with each other and what you end up with are collusions in delusions.

"I don't think they would have necessarily seen the seance as a fake. It was more as a sort of comfort to people who, at that time, would be in need of and searching for comfort."

The main characters in Fintan's play, which stars Carla Bryson and James Lecky, are the fictional Ruth Gallagher and Dr George Dawson, and the action has been relocated across the city into Mersey Street in the east.

Fintan and the Partisan Productions team have spent the last 18 months developing ideas for the show and working on it with locals, in particular the Ballymacarrett Community Association.

"It's a very vibrant community and it's been great working with them," Fintan says. "Everybody has joined in. It's been a real community effort.

"The best stories", he adds, "are those that connect directly with people's lives, that surprise and delight them; stories they can relate to".

And amid this tale of ghostly doings, flying furniture and strange matter expelled from bodily orifices, there is a genuinely human story of vulnerable, kindly people trapped in their own, ever-more elaborate circle of self-deception.

"I don't believe they were out and out frauds," says Reggie Chamberlain-King, for whom the Goligher case was "pretty much the first story I happened upon when I was writing Weird Belfast".

Despite being poor, they didn't charge for the sittings, he points out. (One reason why Crawford was initially inclined to regard them as genuine.)

"They came from a background of Presbyterianism mixed with spiritualist faith and once they started with the seances they had to continue producing effects to keep it going."

Effects such as spirit rapping. This laborious method of contacting the other side involved repeating the alphabet until the spirit present would rap on the table to signal a particular letter. Then they'd have to start all over again for the next letter in the word.

They'd be there all night surely?

They had nothing else to do, says Reggie.

As musical director for "A True and Attested Account" he and his band will be playing some compositions written specially for the show, plus what he describes as "a rousing selection of hymns".

The cast have also been working on ectoplasm simulation, creating a spookily realistic effect.

The ghosts of Kathleen Goligher and Dr Crawford, should they be hovering around in the ether, would surely applaud.

A True and Attested Account by Partisan Productions is showing at The Engine Room, Portview Trade Centre, Newtownards Road until April 14.
Eimear O'Keeffe (17) is chairperson of Belfast Youth Forum and Youth Advocate for Youth@CLC. She says:

I was born two and a half years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, and I believe it affects me more than any other political agreement in recent history.

The Agreement established the political institutions for the north of Ireland, providing devolution and the chance of power sharing in a deeply divided society.

It is almost impossible for me to make comparisons between pre-1998 and now. Life after the signing of the GFA is my 'normal', it is all that I have known. Normality for anyone of my age is so different from that of the generation before me.

Without the GFA, I believe we would still be living in a society with paramilitary violence in the streets and listening to the news each night and morning, just as my parents did, wondering who was next to be killed, where the last shooting had happened, if there were any security alerts that would affect their day-to-day lives. Coming from a nationalist background, I was lucky that I was brought up in a fairly mixed area of north Belfast.

I was encouraged by my parents to keep up-to-date about current affairs and I watched the news with them every night.

My parents were not the type to tell me what I should or shouldn't think politically, but rather through my education and learning about politics in the north, I was able to learn about Ireland's past and make up my own mind. With media outlets and programmes like The Top Table I have been able to voice my own opinion.

I have also been able to explore social issues with groups such as the Belfast Youth Forum and NI Youth Forum. Without the GFA, I would not have the opportunity to do these things.

For example, the Equality Commission exists as a direct result of the GFA. This Commission provides protection against discrimination, helping ensure equal opportunity to everyone living in the six counties, regardless of religion, gender or sexuality, just to name a few examples.

Without the GFA, young people like myself would not get the same protection of laws and rights.

In some ways the GFA has enabled more young people to become involved in politics here, though there is much to be done to help ensure young people take up this opportunity. With powers devolved from the British Government to the local Assembly, young people have had the chance to be closer to political life, seeing how the institutions work. With decision-making brought to a more local level there is much greater opportunity for youth to actually influence the decision-makers - local representatives that they know, that they can approach and (I hope!) will listen.

Local representatives have the chance to make decisions that will affect people here - it is a two-way process. A youth assembly would, in my opinion, bring young people into even greater contact with the political process. Without the GFA, many more young people would be even more detached from the political process here, seeing it only as a remote activity on a television screen at Westminster, far away in London.

It is also extremely important to mention that the GFA removed the Army from the border and encouraged cross-border healthcare, trade and socialising. Free movement across this border is normal for me, but I am worried that Brexit threatens this. Without the GFA, so many people's lives, both young and old, would be completely different if the border was still covered in checkpoints.

As a 'young person' is defined as anyone under the age of 25, most young people today were born after the Troubles. Yet we still face the impacts of life in a post-conflict society.

The GFA gave young people the opportunity to grow up with those from other backgrounds, without the daily roll-call of incidents and checkpoints.

We have had lots of opportunities to get to know and understand each other's cultures and to finally move on from the North's troubled past. Without the GFA, I believe many youth would still be in an 'us and them' mindset, failing to see across the barricades.

To truly move forward, I believe that all politicians and decision-makers must make devolution work, while respecting the rights and integrity of all citizens living in the six counties.

Devolution is realistic and achievable, and young people from all parts of our society will have a part to play in this.

The Top Table, tonight on BBC One NI at 10.40pm, will feature key figures from the time of the signing of the Agreement, including Senator George Mitchell. An audience of 200 sixth form pupils from schools across Northern Ireland will be in the studio as a panel of young people aged 17-21 debate the peace process and the current political situation with leading politicians and commentators

Thomas Copeland (19) is a former pupil of Methodist College Belfast and co-founder of the blog, ChallengesNI. He says:

I was born in December 1998, just a few months after the Good Friday Agreement was overwhelmingly ratified by referenda across Ireland. Now, as I approach my twenties, I have read innumerable reflections, analyses and appraisals of an Agreement that has, without doubt, re-shaped the world in which I grew up.

Some of these sentiments have treaded with undue reverence, others with ignominy, and many treat the Agreement as if it is merely an artwork, to be critiqued and interpreted, but rarely to be viewed as a framework for change.

The Good Friday Agreement is certainly flawed. The last 20 years provide all too much evidence of that.

The petition of concern is vague and communal designation can breed division.

The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing and these criticisms are definitely valid.

However, I often wonder if I could have been so vocal about these pitfalls had I been around the table in 1998, trying desperately to secure some sort of future for my children and grandchildren.

The Agreement alone cannot and will not solve the malaise that afflicts Northern Ireland. Those who expect it to generate the answers to contemporary dilemmas will be digging for solutions for far longer than we can afford.

What the Agreement did provide, however, was something much more valuable than quick-fix resolutions to deep-seated problems. It gave the people of Northern Ireland the space we needed to forge our own future.

It gave us the tools, rather than the instruction manual, with which to build a society where every person can live, learn and grow together.

Progress, like anything worth having, is hard to achieve and even harder to maintain.

Even the most optimistic observer would admit that the "hand of history" certainly isn't guiding us now as we enter our 15th month of political stalemate.

For 20 years we have known how to achieve the future we desired, but we still live in a society where peace walls are commonplace and children who attend integrated schools are a social anomaly.

We still live in a world where paramilitary control masquerades as community safeguarding and where the victims of our history are begging just to get by.

We have been gifted the legislative mechanisms to tear down the barriers of our past, unshackle ourselves from the chains of sectarianism and right the wrongs of the past. The door to societal integration has been opened and we have failed to step through.

The Good Friday Agreement isn't dead because it was never alive. It was the people of Northern Ireland who have taken us this far. By calling out the faults of the Agreement we do not absolve ourselves from the responsibility of writing our own instruction manual. Resting on the laurels of a 20-year-old mediation will not create the future that I believe is possible.

I appeared on The Top Table on BBC NI last May, days before the General Election.

Despite that programme airing less than a year ago, political fatigue has rendered it a hazy recollection. Since then, many more young people have been given the chance to appear on the show.

The Good Friday Agreement shows its influence, not under the lights of a studio, but amongst the young people on the panel, and indeed the audience.

I have watched these panellists laughing, joking and becoming friends backstage, before taking their seats at The Top Table and enjoying a battle of political debate.

Notwithstanding this progress, I have also witnessed some hateful abuse plaguing social media, berating young panellists for either regurgitating the politics of their parents or abandoning their roots; for being too reactionary, or perhaps too progressive. It is disappointing that some would hide behind a keyboard and criticise young panellists on the show as if they were nothing more than one-dimensional caricatures who are so immature that their political beliefs characterise their entire existence. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Stephen Nolan's The Top Table show is giving young people the chance to engage, across a table rather than across a peace wall, in the debates which dominate their existence.

It is a huge privilege for me to now work on the show and play my part in offering hundreds of young people the chance to prove to the world that they are passionate, that they can present solutions and that they have a vision for Northern Ireland which is ambitious and inclusive.

Whatever the future might hold, unionism will not evaporate in a United Ireland, and nationalism will not be quelled in a province of the United Kingdom.

As ever, the journey is more important than the destination, and more important still is that we travel together.
We asked our online readers to reveal if they would vote differently now. Here are some of your responses.

Walton Dallton (68), Belfast

In 1998 voted: For

Vote same way again? Yes

Why? I dont ever want to go back into the past, it was horrible. One had to live through it to know it.

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Gerard Trainor (60), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? I think back to what it was like before  endless funerals, riots, shootings and bombings, plastic bullets, British Army and RUC harassment. The peace is just great and I look forward to the GFA being implemented in full, ie bill of rights, equality and a referendum on the constitutional issue.

Terry McWilliams (67), Lurgan

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? The peace isnt brilliant but it is a lot better than it was over 20 years ago.

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Jimbo Patterson (70), Ballymena

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? At the time I thought SF got far too much for far too little in return. Murderers are out walking our streets after cowardly murders. As Gerry (Adams, right) said in Germany, he believes that the gun and bomb is the way to obtain political advantage. So a leopard will never change its spots. What has SF given to Protestants? Absolutely nothing. Instead they are trying to take it all away from us. I would like to remind Gerry that unionists did not surrender, it was him who waved the white flag.

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Patricia Mullan (63), Derry

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? A shared future in a contested space where all are respected is the only way forward.

Iris Alexander (58), Ballyclare

In 1998, voted: for

Vote the same way again? no

Why? I wanted peace for our children and although not happy at the price of killers being released I thought if we could live together it was one worth paying. It wasnt.

As a liberal unionist Ive no issues with same sex marriage or abortion rights but I cannot stomach the glorification of the terrorists who tainted my childhood and the frankly bizarre rewriting of history. We are in worse sectarian ghettos of the mind than we were before.

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Martin Anderson (46), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Extremists on both sides have too much say, mostly people aged 60-plus.

Carmel Tohikl (64), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? As a teen during the Troubles Id wake up thinking I wonder how many were killed last night? Often thered be at least one death. I remember one time going to the back door crying and praying Please let it all end. It was terrible. The GFA brought us wonderful peace even though it was hard for many to see prisoners released.

Richard Craig (65), Bangor

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? At least the GFA stopped the almost daily carnage of bombs and bullets happening. However, we must never forget the families of loved ones left to grieve over the deaths of sons, daughters. Its a very fragile peace agreement and in a terrible way Protestants and Catholics are as divided and intransigent as ever. This is clearly highlighted by the two parties at Stormont and their unwillingness to run this country together. Although I voted for the GFA I am not optimistic for its future. In my estimation it will take generations  three or four perhaps  to have a full peace here.

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John Kennedy, cartoonist, (53), Belfast/Strabane

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? For the sake of a lasting peace we hope from afar that the land we grew up in and loved focuses on the endgame not the violent past that has caused so much hurt and pain.

Alan Lamont (64), Newtownards

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? no

Why? Far from bringing the perceived both sides closer together, the result of the Belfast Agreement has been to polarise the nationalist and unionist communities and to increase in popularity the more extreme parties which is to the great shame of the population of this little pimple on the backside of Europe. The nationalist community in particular have voted en masse for a party inextricably linked to 30 years of murder, mutilation and mayhem, which has been encouraged, whether intended or not, by successive governments on both sides of the border with endless and ongoing concessions.

There is no doubt that those who do believe in violence and have actively participated in such violence have been massively rewarded both politically and financially and those who neither believe in, participated in or threatened to participate in violence have been completely ignored.

Its to the enduring credit of the vast majority of the unionist community that theyve never given active support or voted for those so-called political parties that are associated with loyalist paramilitarism, but sad and shameful that so many of our nationalist neighbours seem to have no reservations about voting for a party whom despite their rhetoric proclaiming themselves to be proud republican activists, seem intent on rewriting history on a daily basis.

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Yvonne McAuley (63), Larne

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? I voted against as I felt it hard to reconcile that those who committed horrendous crimes were to be freed from prison. Much of the population voted for as they were blackmailed to believe it would create peace. This didnt really happen with dissident IRA violence and paramilitary activities, such as kangaroo courts and drug dealing ongoing. The Agreement tried to artificially create a government whereby nationalists and unionists were equal.

Unfortunately safeguards to keep the unionist majority in check have led to the present situation where Sinn Fein are trying to hold the country to ransom with their never-ending shopping lists, alienating unionists. The constant lack of respect for unionism makes it difficult to see any way forward. An overhaul of Stormonts structures and rules is essential to prevent the present impasse in the future.

Edward Doherty (50), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Despite depressing politics and politicians this place is much better than the one I grew up in and people should never lose sight of that. The sad truth is that Orange and Green feed off each other, and that is a culture of uneducated bigotry and fear. If the malcontents who are incapable of happiness could for a second see that we are all living in a world of privilege that our forefathers could never have even imagined they might start to relax and realise how lucky we all are.

Melanie Brown (51), Carrickfergus

In 1998, voted: against

Vote the same way again? yes

Why? The GFA brought nothing to the unionist community. I am sickened with our Crown forces being made to pay the price. Terrorism has won.

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Mark Watson (41), Crossgar

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Ive watched the disintegration of my community and my traditions. Im tired watching republicans get it all their way. I feel there is no room for Protestants like myself in my home country.

Geoff Graham (36), Newtownabbey

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? We still have long way to go. I also believe that given that only two parties walked out, Stormont should have continued to run regardless.

Andrea Brown (48), Derry

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? I remember the Troubles. We should not be allowed to go back to that and all forces that want to go back to that should be faced down, regardless of who or what they are.

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Scott Hamilton (46), Portadown

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? The GFA provided a mandate, platform and opportunity for NI to move forward and consign the Troubles to where they belong  history. The current generation of politicians have almost destroyed this.

The darkest times leading up to the Agreement led people to the realisation that we could not put the next generation through the same thing.

When you look at what has happened across the majority of our society  better integration and improved integrated education, more mixed marriages/relationships and millennials with no sectarian agenda  the Agreement has worked on many levels.

Unfortunately, our self-serving and, at best, stubborn representatives are too narrow-minded and selfish to realise how out of touch they are with mainstream society. However, they are the guardians of the GFA and are responsible for delivering on it. This and future generations deserve better. If history shows that the opportunity is hindered or destroyed by childish bickering over language acts, then I hope they realise their grandchildren and great grandchildren will be ashamed.

The GFA is not lost yet but it does not look good. Its not too late but we need better or different leadership.

Colin French (50), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Twenty years on we now have a new society who have grown up in peace. When I voted for the Agreement I expected the middle ground to expand and for the communities to come together.

Unfortunately this has not been the case. Segregated education continues to create a divided community made only more separate by Irish medium schools.

The continued calls for so-called equality and the introduction of an Irish Language Act serve only to drive our society further apart. There are currently no political parties that represent my views. However, I find myself voting for parties who I feel protect my interests from those who try to rewrite history.

Niall Dolan (50), Fairfield

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? United Ireland within a United Kingdom and Europe.

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Tony Conway (54), Craigavon

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? I could spend a long time describing how the system in Stormont is putrid or why I find politicians have failed the people, but we have relative peace and thats worth plenty. I havent voted since the GFA and wont until things change. Give me a party who will reject wages when not in office and Ill vote for them. Disgraceful that families struggle to pay debts and these failed politicians live lavishly off their taxes.

Charlie Chensee (59), Omagh

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? no

Why? Despite the cessation of random violence, our people are still subject to dissident terrorist acts. The Agreement has not released the appropriate forces to counter this threat but has only empowered a group of self-aggrandising politicians to grasp power and hold the province to ransom by their selfish antics. I despair. Direct rule from Westminster may be a wake-up call.

Alan Finn (47), Lisburn

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? At the time I believed the Belfast Agreement was spun as a vote for peace. Many commentators referred to it as the Good Friday Agreement and do so to this day. Anyone in their right mind wanted peace and a safer future for the next generation. However, releasing unrepentant terrorist murderers was a step too far. The threat of a return to violence is still being used as leverage today. Sinn Fein have never wanted the institutions at Stormont to work unless to their agenda and do not even recognise Northern Ireland. The continual airbrushing, rewriting of history and glorification of terrorist acts is repulsive.

Loyalist paramilitaries are no better  strange how after their gangsters and racketeers were released, their support for the Belfast Agreement dwindled. I would like to see a proper government at Stormont, one which is stable and cannot be brought to its knees (along with the country) by someone throwing their toys out of the pram. It is sickening that their salaries and expenses still continue regardless.

Mark Campbell (58), Newtownabbey

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Its been a disaster: terrorist murderers on both sides set free, the destruction of the finest police force in the world (the RUC) for purely political reasons, allowing the rewriting of history to suit a republican agenda, allowing for the prosecution of elderly soldiers for only doing their duty ... Its clear Sinn Fein dont want NI as a country to work and they still cant bring themselves to even say the countrys proper name. The GFA has failed and needs replaced ASAP.

Simon Lee (39), Carryduff

In 1998, voted: against

Vote the same way again? no

Why? Just watched the Patrick Kielty documentary about the Good Friday Agreement 20 years on. Very moving. We owe it to all those who have been hurt and lost loved ones in the Troubles to keep building the peace. Im glad my children werent born in the NI I was born in, but I still dream of a better future.

Tracy Rutherford (47), Bangor

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? It signalled the start of the Sinn Fein appeasement policy with continued dismissive attitudes towards unionist values and traditions; the involvement of the Republic of Ireland in matters of Ulster which should have no standing; the weakening of our border; the rewriting of IRA history; and, above all, an unparalleled unjust attitude toward legacy issues.

David Nimick (49), Antrim

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? A complete and utter Tony Blair con job. He sold a pup to people. We have no peace, we are more divided than ever. The vote itself was a nationalist vote. All it required was the Alliance and nationalist voters with a handful of tired unionist voters to get the yes vote.

John McCloskey (64), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

The quality of life for ordinary people is extraordinary compared to what we lived through. The choices are now available for the positive future of this island by people who are now free of fear. Its a simple choice of continued division or unity, it is not rocket science.

Ian Clarke (48), Comber

In 1998, voted: for

Vote the same way again? yes

Why? Sectarianism is no way forward. Borders dont matter... theyre man-made.

Fintan Cronin (65), Dublin

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? The Agreement brought peace to Northern Ireland. It ensured there would be no return to complete unionist domination in Northern Ireland whilst ending the Republics territorial claim. It enabled the Provisional republican movement to abandon violence, thereby bringing stability to the politics of both states on the island of Ireland. My one regret is that an earlier version of the agreement, at Sunningdale in 1973, didnt succeed. I am reminded of Seamus Mallons quip that the Good Friday Agreement was Sunningdale for slow learners. The great tragedy is that thousands lost their lives in pointless violence between 1973 and 1998.

Barry Magee (60), Lisburn

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? no

Why? I voted for the GFA because at the time it seemed like the lesser of two evils, thanks mainly to the propaganda of Tony Blair. It also coincided with my daughters acceptance into an integrated secondary school, which I believed was one of the solutions to sectarianism. Alas, the education system here still requires taxpayers to fund segregated schooling.

The early release of criminals was one big regret, reinforced by the triumphalism of their cronies in west Belfast following the result of the vote. At first, the new Assembly was led by the moderate unionist and nationalist parties: later, however, it became polarised between the two extremes. No further election seems likely to alter the current impasse. We need a new sheriff to clean up the town.

Gerry Moane (50), Brookeborough

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? This was and still is a great deal/agreement for everyone in Ireland, north and south. It falls down because the British government did not carry out all they signed up to do and is now letting the DUP off the hook when it comes to moving on and sorting out the past etc.

Irene Bell (69), Enniskillen

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? It was never a Good Friday for the families who lost innocent victims. Little respect was given to us for our loss and there were shameful scenes upon the release of prisoners. The majority of victim funding is available to prisoner and political groups. The future is bleak and I fear for young people that the example set by politicians is wrong on every level. Paramilitary groups have flourished as has bigotry and intolerance. Every aspect of our lives have been changed and no-one cares. So sad. Thank you for permitting me a voice.

John Nesbitt (62), Holywood

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? no

Why? Like many, when I voted for the Good Friday Agreement I believed it was a new dawn for Northern Ireland and we could jointly look to the future. However, virtually every day we hear of yet another request for an inquest into past events, many of which were over 50 years ago. What we should be doing is drawing a line through all this and using the money for health, education, protecting the futures of all our children and looking after the elderly. In my view the Agreement has failed.

Malcolm Beattie (57), Craigavon

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? I thought it was a sop to republicans and terrorists generally and this has been proven by events since, including the erosion of British status within Northern Ireland and the rise of Sinn Fein, who are anti-British generally and have no intention of having justice and equality on this island. Also, the release of terrorists was too high a price to pay. They should not have been released, on either side.

Ciaran McCrink (39), Newry

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? The GFA in its very essence was a compromise. Everybody was to win and nobody was ever going to be 100% satisfied. But still after 20 years the cross-community agreement hasnt been put in place. It is undoubtedly DUP foot-dragging that has ensured this. This in turns angers republicans and nationalists and they cry again for a united Ireland. Why dont the DUP just put the Agreement in place and then we can decide how good we have it, rather than not having what was promised and as a consequence wanting more than what was agreed?

Peter McCreadie (66), Bangor

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? I am saddened and frustrated that all the hope and optimism generated when the Good Friday Agreement was signed has been replaced by cynicism and hatred. Our politicians have forgotten, or choose to forget, the Agreement was to be the foundation stone upon which to build a new and unique pluralistic society where all identities would be respected and where leaders in all aspects of the community would be empowered to help individuals, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation and so on, to create a society with equality at its core.

Instead our current leaders pursue their own narrow political agenda designed to promote their insular view of how the majority should live their lives. Many members of our society were deeply hurt by 40 years of conflict. Political leaders of the two major parties seem to be determined to continuously pick at this sore to score small victories rather than lead their constituents to a new understanding based upon mutual respect. These same politicians now suggest that the Good Friday Agreement is an irrelevance with each side blaming the other for its demise. We once again live in a political vacuum with the impending Brexit placing the affairs of Northern Ireland far down the priority list of the British (and Irish?) government. There seems to be no hope for the pluralism promised by the GFA.

Thomas Lawrence (52), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? no

Why? The GFA had failed to bring reconciliation to NI and the communities are further polarised.

William Woods (58), Whiteabbey

In 1998, voted: for

Vote the same way again? no

Why? My parents where murdered by the IRA. My dad was a policeman and mum died a year later, leaving six kids behind. Prisoners got out of jail, soldiers are being hounded through the courts and what have families like mine got? Nothing will recompense my brothers and sisters who grew up without parents. The GFA was a reward to the terrorists for all the murders and damage they did.

James Johnston (64), Carrickfergus

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? We must look to a positive future not the past.

Patrick Joseph Cassidy (54), Spain

In 1998, voted: didnt vote

Vote same way again? yes

Why? I left Belfast in 1987. Id had enough. I needed a breath of fresh air so I packed my bags, like many more before me. Ive never forgotten my home town. But living in Belfast during the 70s and 80s took a toll on me. When the GFA came along it excited me, the idea that our people, Catholic/nationalist, would finally have a say in the day-to-day running of the province; it was almost Utopian in thought. Further, that the Irish government would also be active in Northern Irish affairs was a breathtaking concept. I prayed for the success of the campaign. I kept my thoughts and feelings to myself for it could well have been an emotional release that I wished to remain private.

It was staggering when it happened and took me a while to digest what it meant  things would never be the same. Ian Paisley (right) played a key role and even though Im not a supporter of him or the DUP I recognised he did the right thing. The unionist leaders of today could perhaps learn something from Dr Paisleys final years in power. He showed true leadership at a monumental time but the sharing of power with nationalists was too much for some unionists and still is today. There is no going back though: embrace and make the best of what the GFA has to offer.

Paul Griffin (45), Belfast

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Peace  why would you want to go back to the old days where you were continually looking over your shoulder? The country has prospered significantly since then. The only downside is the continuance of the loyalist paramilitaries with racketeering, drugs and religious intimidation and the emergence of the dissident IRA. The middle class have integrated well but the continual harping on of the past by certain working class cultures isnt giving their own children a chance of a post-Troubles society. A flag doesnt pay a mortgage. Its time people need to realise that Christian life is about family and getting on with our neighbours and to stop hating people for the reason of because.

Those who have been positive and integrated with other religions will have been happy with how their children are growing up. Those who still hate others because cant be happy and will continue to complain about what they gave up rather than what a better life they could be experiencing now. If you are in a backward area, get out of it, move somewhere else and stop being governed by paramilitaries. Make the decision for your kids. You only live once, dont be hitting 60/70 years and then having loads of regrets about why didnt I engage with my neighbour, why did I hate them, why was I so negative?. Life is too short.

*Donna Rice (25), Belfast

In 1998, voted: didnt vote

Vote same way again? no

Why? The Union has failed. It has caused nothing but animosity and division and its time for Irish unity.

James OKane (68), Ballymena

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? no

Why? I thought I was voting for peace and reconciliation, and not the enhanced sectarianism that we now have. I thought I was voting for a permanent coalition of the UUP and the SDLP as they then were. As a Catholic I would no longer feel comfortable voting for either of those parties. I would welcome direct rule if it meant competence in health and education and justice. With Britain and Ireland both in the European Union I didnt think the border would ever matter again. Again, as a Catholic I am extremely happy not to be living in the Republic at the present time but if it meant that the likes of Arlene would go away I would be the first to vote for a united Ireland.

Margaret McMaster (55), Belfast

In 1998, voted: didnt vote

Vote same way again? yes

Why? It has caused more division and its been proven, as was said then, to be unworkable and would bring inequalities. Thats all weve seen from it in 20 years  terrorists are still murdering people. The reason I didnt vote, like many others, is because no leaflet or referendum voting papers were sent out to me.

Dave Davis (41), Newcastle

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Release of convicted murderers. Today they promote their terror as some sort of righteous liberation movement and feel no shame for the thousands of lives they destroyed. The republican movement should be made to feel the guilt of all those they killed and injured.

Marc Crawley (46), Newtownards

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? Its been good for our country. Less trouble. Also good for the tourist, movie and TV industries good.

Richard Crawford (55), Belfast

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? yes

Why? The GFA was always a fudge, built on constructive ambiguity  which means telling everyone what they want to hear in the hope that the bright future to follow would change everyones minds.

The minds of those who had invested themselves in murder would not change. The GFA would only create a pause while those seeking forced political change regrouped, reorganised and restructured their strategy. The SF intention of forcing unionists into a united Ireland has not changed. Not once, since the GFA, have I heard an SF representative try to offer a persuasive argument for a united Ireland aimed at changing a unionists mind. Im from a unionist background, and Im ready to listen.

But nothing  just the insistence that history demands a united Ireland. The unionist response to this has been to circle the wagons and get ready for the siege. So actually, were no further on. Worse, the paramilitary organisations have been legitimised by the well-meaning intentions of politicians seeking to persuade them to lay down their arms. Theyre still around, theyre still functioning, theyre still shooting people in the kneecaps. Worse still, the two governments (and the EU) are terrified of a return to violence following Brexit  which in itself shows that the GFA solved nothing, just shoved the problem further downstream. The only possible way forward from here is to draw a big black line under the Troubles: no more inquests, no more trials, no more inquiries. It was awful, its over, lets move on. Unless we, as a people, are prepared to sign up to that, then were only going to hand more ammunition to those who want to create political change through the threat of force.

Declan OReilly (54), Belfast

In 1998, voted: against

Vote same way again? no

Why? I believe the GFA has created a society where people realise there is no longer a need for violence. I grew up in a period where the conflict was at its worst and I gladly can say those times will never return because of the GFA. I voted no originally because I believed at the time  and to an extent, my view has proved to be right  that the unionists did not want to share power. My view was that Paisley would never sit in power with SF and how wrong was I. For years during the conflict unionists called on republicans to put away their guns and come to the democratic table and now we see them block democracy at every opportunity.

Catherine Cummings (55), Rathfriland

In 1998, voted: for

Vote the same way again? yes

Why? We need to leave Irelands troubled history behind and look to the future. Atrocities were committed on both sides and like many conflicts across the world over the centuries, we need to learn from them and not remain bitter and resentful.

Tom Hume (71), Ballyclare

In 1998, voted: for

Vote same way again? yes

Why? By the time 20 years had passed, I thought that would have been further down the road of reconciliation than at present instead of being stuck in the past. It takes hearts and minds to change instead of words.
An estimated 2,400 lives have been saved by ending of the Troubles

An estimated 2,400 lives have been saved in Northern Ireland since 1998 after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

The figure comes following research by news website The Detail.

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The number has been calculated as the number of potential lives saved since the ending of the Troubles by extrapolating the number of deaths recorded between 1969 and 1998 and then estimated how many people would have died since 1998 if the Troubles had continued.

The research estimates that if violence had continued in Northern Ireland 360 paramilitaries, 680 security forces and 1,350 civilians would have lost their lives.

By the time of the Good Friday Agreement more than 3,500 people were dead and at least 50,000 injured as a direct result of the conflict.

Despite the political impasse at Stormont putting the institutions created by the Good Friday Agreement in jeopardy a number of events were held in Belfast on Tuesday to mark the 20th anniversary of the agreement.

Many of the key architects of the deal attended an anniversary on the campus of Queen's University.

An opening address was given by Senator George J. Mitchell, followed by a three panel discussion with the figureheads in attendance.

Senator Mitchell was joined by former US President Bill Clinton, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern - all of whom were in office when the deal was signed.

Other notable figures in attendance were former SDLP deputy first minister Seamus Mallon, former chief of staff to Tony Blair Jonathan Powell, former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, former leaders of the UUP Lord David Trimble and Sir Reg Empey, former DUP leader Peter Robinson, and Professor Monica McWilliams.

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney were also at the event.

Former US President Bill Clinton made a heartfelt plea to "save the peace" as he and Senator George Mitchell accepted the Freedom of Belfast at a ceremony later on Tuesday evening.

If there had been no #BelfastAgreement - 2,400 reasons why Im glad I voted yes. #GFA20 pic.twitter.com/RNUN0wDZR1  Doug Beattie (@BeattieDoug) April 11, 2018
The Grand Opera House is to have 110,000 slashed from its income

The Grand Opera House's chief executive has said he was "extremely disappointed" after the shock revelation that 110,000 will be slashed from its annual funding.

The cut - representing a 22% reduction in its subsidy - is a hammer blow to the Belfast venue, which only learned of its magnitude in a letter from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Ian Wilson said he and chair of the Grand Opera House Trust Colin Loughran have requested an urgent meeting with the Arts Council to discuss the rationale behind the decision".

Mr Wilson voiced his concerns yesterday just moments after the Arts Council publicly announced annual funding worth 13.1m for 100 arts groups, down from 107.

His fears were echoed by the CEO of the Playhouse in Derry, which faces a cut of 20,000, and the West Belfast Festival, which has been told it will suffer a 21,000 loss.

The Arts Council said that "of the 100 organisations offered annual funding, the majority (57) received standstill funding or uplifts while the remainder received reduced funding".

It added: "This year's budget allocation for the arts from government follows a pattern of successive reductions in public funding for the arts of 23m over the last six years."

The big winners in the 2018/19 round of funding were the Ulster Orchestra Society, which gets a boost of 393,000, and The MAC in Belfast, with a hike of 198,000 to its annual subsidy.

Other organisations given a financial lift include the Ulster Youth Choir (up 21,000), Ulster Youth Orchestra (10,000), and Moving on Music (with 29,000).

In response to the cut faced by the Grand Opera House, Mr Wilson said that "although a reduction in funding was expected", there was no indication as to its extent.

"It's extremely disappointing that Arts Council has resolved to reduce its annual subsidy to the Grand Opera House Trust by 108,407 to 375,880 for the 2018/2019 financial year. This represents a 22% cut in funding compared to 2017/18," he said.

"The Arts Council did not give the Grand Opera House Trust advance notice of the scale of the cut and the news was received by letter.

"In spite of this cut, the Grand Opera House Trust will continue to prioritise the presentation of world-class live theatre appealing to the widest possible range of audiences, alongside creating a community engagement programme involving all its constituent communities and providing top-quality opportunities for the development of Northern Ireland talent and potential."

Feile an Phobail director Kevin Gamble said he feared its 21,000 reduction in funds "will negatively impact on the local community".

"We are very disappointed to hear the news today that many organisations, including ourselves, have received a cut in funding from the Arts Council for the incoming financial year," he said.

"We are particularly disappointed that we are facing such a cut in this, our 30th celebration year.

"This will undoubtedly have a detrimental impact in our programme delivery."

Playhouse CEO Niall McCaughan said he was "sincerely disappointed that their grant offer from Arts Council of Northern Ireland for 18/19 has been reduced by 20,000".

"This represents an 8% cut in our annual budget and a cut on an already diminished baseline Northern budget, which has shrunk by 30% in the last five years alone," he added.

"This cut may signal the final blow for some organisations and have a serious detrimental effect on the output of others.

"We simply cannot continue to 'do more with less'."

Arts Council chair John Edmund said the 13.1m total "includes an additional allocation from the Department for Communities who responded to business cases made in 2017 to directly support two key arts organisations, the MAC and the Ulster Orchestra, both of which successfully demonstrated they are structurally underfunded".

He added that "within the context of reducing public funding across government, the board had to make the difficult decision to reduce the number of annually funded organisations while protecting the balance of arts forms for the year ahead".

Mr Edmund also said that "all applications received for annual funding this year were eligible, but there simply weren't the resources to fund all that was asked for. The majority of organisations were offered standstill funding or strategic uplifts, while the remainder received cuts".

In response to a Belfast Telegraph question about a perceived shift in resources from popular arts to highbrow, such as The MAC and Ulster Orchestra, a spokeswoman said "elitism is a charge the Arts Council refutes".

She added: "We aim to ensure that everyone has access to the arts, from popular arts to classical music. All of our funded organisations are held to account in order to demonstrate their outreach and inclusivity and to increase access to audiences."
An inquest into the death of child killer Robert Black is due to take place in December this year.

At a preliminary hearing yesterday it emerged that Black's next of kin had still not been traced to give them the opportunity to participate in the inquest, although enquiries are ongoing.

Coroner Patrick McGurgan also called it "totally unbelievable" that the paedophile and serial child killer's GP records had not been found.

Progress on both issues will be addressed in a further preliminary hearing on June 29, with the inquest provisionally set to run for a week starting on December 3.

Black (68) died in Maghaberry Prison on January 12, 2016, after suffering from heart disease.

The lorry driver's first known victim was nine-year-old Jennifer Cardy from Ballinderry, whom he abducted and murdered in 1981.

In 1994 he was jailed for the murders of Susan Maxwell (11) from Northumberland in 1982, Caroline Hogg (5) from Edinburgh in 1982, and Sarah Harper (10) from Morley, near Leeds, in 1986.

His conviction for Jennifer 's murder followed in 2011.

He was further charged with a failed abduction attempt in 1988 on Teresa Thornhill, then aged 15, in Nottingham.

After his death detectives said they had only been days away from charging him with the 1978 abduction and murder of Genette Tate in Devon. Her body has still to be found.

It's suspected that he may have murdered up to 15 more young girls.

His killing spree finally ended in 1990 in the Scottish village of Stow when police caught him with a six-year-old girl who was close to death.

She had been sexually assaulted and was stuffed into a sleeping bag in the back of Black's van.

No family members attended his funeral service at Roselawn Crematorium and the Northern Ireland Prison Service scattered his ashes at sea after it was revealed no one had come forward to claim them.
Rail enthusiasts have launched an appeal to ensure that it's not the end of the line for the train that transported travellers throughout the Troubles.

Downpatrick & County Down Railway chairman Robert Gardiner said the old 80 Class is a symbol of Northern Ireland's resilience.

"The 80 Class may not be a steam train, but they are still fondly loved by railway workers and the public alike," he said.

"They're unique to Northern Ireland. There's nothing else like them in the world and they defined Northern Irish rail travel for four decades."

In the mid-Sixties, huge swathes of the rail network were axed in Warrenpoint, Dungannon, Omagh and the West and it looked as if the rest of the network would follow suit.

But the tide turned when Northern Ireland Railways ordered the first of the 80 Class trains. Dubbed the 'Thumper' due to the distinctive engine sound, the 80 Class trains - which had maroon and blue livery and a large white diamond symbol on the front - first took to the tracks in the early Seventies.

Despite bombs and hijackings, they became the trains that would get through the Troubles, reliable and strong enough to keep the people of Northern Ireland moving, and safeguard what was left of our rail network. In the Nineties they were used for the Peace Train movement, running between Belfast and Dublin.

The majority of 80s were withdrawn between 2004 and 2006 with the arrival of the 23 CAF 3000 trains.

"Sadly, the last of the 80 Class, used by Translink as leaf-busting trains during the autumn until last year, has now been withdrawn from service and without your help their last stop could be the breaker's yard, leaving no trace of their important legacy," said Robert.

For the Thumper to be saved, donations are needed by the end of April. Mr Gardiner said even the smallest amount is welcome, but that there are rewards for larger donations - such as cab rides, or even the chance to actually drive the train. He added: "And we've a challenge for you - for every pound you donate, one of our volunteers will match it pound for pound up to 4,000. We know you can do it, but we don't have long to make this happen."

To make a donation log on to www.downrail.co.uk/80class, pick up a leaflet from any of the major Translink stations, or send a cheque to Downpatrick & County Down Railway (80 Class Appeal), Market Street, Downpatrick, BT30 6LZ
Former First Minister Peter Robinson has rejected claims from DUP MLA Jim Wells that he was promised he could return to his job as Health Minister after resigning.

Mr Wells resigned in 2015 following allegations of inappropriate remarks about homosexuals which were later proved to be false.

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In a hard-hitting interview in the Belfast Telegraph on Monday, Mr Wells said he believed the DUP bosses had no time for a "traditional, old-fashioned" party member like him.

Mr Wells stepped down as Heath Minister on his 58th birthday, April 27 three years ago, after a meeting with former DUP leader Robinson.

"I did so on the understanding that after the dust settled I'd return as Health Minister," said the South Down MLA, who added that Mr Robinson advised him the resignation would "let the heat die down" in the run-up to polling day.

However, former DUP stalwart Robinson told BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show "I did not make that promise, those are not the words I used. I was much more careful."

Mr Wells said he decided to resign for the good of the party.

"In fact, it was me who offered that (to resign)," he said.

"I said to Peter: 'We can't afford the risk of maybe one of our MPs losing their seat over this so I'll step aside, take the flak and when it's all sorted I want to be vindicated by returning for a brief period as Health Minister and then resign to look after my ill wife'.

"But that never happened. Three times I asked for that to be redeemed. Twice (in writing) I was ignored - and, at a meeting with party officers, I was told: 'You're not coming back'."

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Speaking on the Nolan Show Mr Robinson stressed he made no promise to Mr Wells that he would get his job back.

"That's not the way I would characterise, it but I'm not going to get involved in those kind of issues and it wasn't my decision to make," he said.

"I did not make that promise, those are not the words I used. I was much more careful.

"I indicated that he was capable of coming back as a Minister and thats very different."

Mr Robinson said he felt the South Down MLA did a good job as Health Minister.

"I thought Jim was a good Minister did a tremendous job in the Department of Health, he was engrossed in it and genuinely wanted to help with the issues involved, I had no problem with him.

"I think Northern Ireland lost out by Jim having to stand down.

"There were several issues all converging at the one time, electoral politics weren't kind to us at that point."
Shots were fired in the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Shots were fired in the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Shots were fired in the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Shots were fired in the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Shots were fired in the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Shots were fired in the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

The scene after a car was burnt on the old Westland Road following a shooting incident in Tyndale area of Ballysillan on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

The scene after a car was burnt on the old Westland Road following a shooting incident in Tyndale area of Ballysillan on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police carry out a search in Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road after a number of shots were fired on April 11th 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police have appealed for information after a shooting in north Belfast believed to be linked to the UDA.

On Tuesday night sources told the Belfast Telegraph the loyalist paramilitary group was responsible for the gun attack on the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road.

It comes just a day after loyalist paramilitaries issued a combined statement rejecting criminal activity.

Police received a report of the shooting at around 8.10pm.

Detective Inspector Rachel Wilson said: We believe that a number of shots were fired at a man who was out walking in the Ballysillan / Tyndale Drive area, just after 8pm last night. A further shot was discharged as the gunman ran from the scene.

The man was not injured in the incident.

We are appealing to anyone who saw any suspicious cars or activity in the area around the time of the shooting to get in touch with us.

We would particularly like to hear from anyone who saw a tall male in his 30s or 40s in the area, who was dressed in a dark coat with his hood up and carrying a bag. We believe that he left the area in a car.

We are also investigating whether there is a link between this shooting and a black Vauxhall Vectra that was found burned-out in the Old Westland Road a short time later.

"Given the positive steps taken by paramilitaries, this is just repulsive," said DUP councillor Dale Pankhurst, who lives on the street.

"The people don't want this, those behind it need to go away and anyone considering reprisals should just cease it."
Politicians have swept the victims' issue under the carpet, a teacher whose husband was badly injured in an IRA bombing said.

Jan Crawford's partner Gary (50) lost his trade as a joiner when his left side was "shattered" by the attack on a minibus of workmen at Teebane crossroads in Co Tyrone in 1992.

Eight died and six were injured. The firm was targeted because it carried out work for the security forces.

Twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement Mrs Crawford (52) said they had been given the runaround by politicians unable to agree on measures to address the past.

She said: "It is very miserable, there is not much humanity in any of that, I could not do that to someone but seemingly they can live with that and they get paid for doing nothing.

"I don't know how they live with their consciences, they need to dig deeper into themselves."

Some measure of agreement on dealing with the past was found during recent sets of political negotiations. However, the deal foundered on calls for an Irish Language Act.

Mrs Crawford voted against the Good Friday Agreement because she felt it was built on "sinking sand" but, in retrospect, believes there was no alternative.

"I just find that too many politicians are working from their own agenda and are refusing to see the bigger picture, and I also feel they have put the victims on the back burner, they want us to go away - it is almost like sweeping all the problems under the carpet."

Northern Ireland Victims' Commissioner Judith Thompson has said the Agreement was a huge piece of "unfinished business".

She understood Mrs Crawford's frustration at the lack of progress. Twenty-six years after Mr Crawford was severely injured and left unable to work for the rest of his life, they are still waiting for a pension that is blocked by political disagreement.

While thousands of lives were saved by the 1998 accord, around 1,700 deaths have not been properly dealt with by the justice system, she said.

Mechanisms to reinvestigate unresolved Troubles deaths, information recovery and hold inquests has not been delivered because Stormont power-sharing has stalled.

There have been 150 Troubles-related deaths since the Agreement was signed, and Northern Ireland has the highest level of post-traumatic stress disorder in Europe.

Some provision had been made for healthcare: 55 voluntary and community groups exist to support those harmed and annually 13m of public funds is devoted to it.

Ms Thompson said the legacy of the past "has been kicked down the road ever since the Good Friday Agreement and we have learned that it is not a can they are kicking, it is a snowball, and the further you kick it down the road the bigger and more corrosive it gets".

Chief Constable George Hamilton has said the PSNI cannot police the past and the present, while Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan has called for more money for Troubles inquests.

Ms Thompson said the justice system was losing goodwill because of outstanding reforms.

The Agreement, she continued, was still "unfinished business for our peace process, unfinished business not just for victims and survivors but for all of us".

"We have all those issues which are desperately painful and difficult, they cause ongoing grief and anger," Ms Thompson added.
Bill Clinton and George Mitchell after they received the Freedom of the City of Belfast at a ceremony in Ulster Hall yesterday

Former US President Bill Clinton made a heartfelt plea to "save the peace" as he and Senator George Mitchell accepted the Freedom of Belfast at a ceremony on the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement yesterday.

The ceremony, which took place in the Ulster Hall, celebrated peace and included readings of the Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's poetry and music from Londonderry choir Codetta.

The US politicians became the 83rd and 84th recipients of the Freedom of the City in recognition of their services to peace, and for the role they played in helping to negotiate the 1998 accord.

Addressing the crowd, Mr Clinton urged every citizen to honour their "obligation" to "do something now to preserve what is good and decent, not just the peace, but freedom, democracy, shared opportunities".

He added: "Thank you for the Freedom of the City, thank you for giving freedom to the children of this city. Do not give up the freedom that the peace agreement has brought.

"Honour this 20th anniversary. Time happens to everyone. There are no permanent victories in politics, there are no permanent victories in life.

"The only thing certain is that the river of time will flow.

"Make the right decision. Save the peace. Tomorrow start claiming the freedom of the city for every child yet unborn."

Mr Clinton said that he had fallen in love with Belfast.

"We were still in the beginning of this whole process in 1995 when I was invited here to flip on the Christmas tree," he recalled.

"I was terrified that the lights would short out and the whole thing would be a metaphor for failure. But in front of tens of thousands of people who wanted a different tomorrow, the lights came on.

"The lights came on in Belfast and the lights stayed on. Through thick and thin and ups and downs and setback and disagreements, governments in and out of Stormont.

"For 20 years the lights have stayed on. I am glad to finally have the freedom of a place which I did my small part to make free."

Mr Clinton acknowledged concerns caused by the Stormont stalemate and Brexit, and said he had been "moved" by Monday's statement by loyalist terror groups that they would support the rule of law, saying it "sounded sincere to me".

He said he would "always be grateful I came to Belfast when peace had been made but the city was still troubled".

He added: "When wise and good and decent people actually had to make a decision to do the right thing, to be the right sort of person, to give children the right sort of future.

"The least George and I can do with our freedom is to plead with you to give the same gift to generations yet to come. Receiving the Freedom of the City - especially alongside Senator George Mitchell - is an honour I'll cherish as long as I live.

"The honour of the peace, however, belongs to all the people of Northern Ireland, including the women and young people who pushed to end the violence, the courageous leaders who took the risks to forge peace, and all those who have strengthened it since."

Mr Mitchell, who chaired three sets of talks in Northern Ireland over a five-year period before serving as chancellor of Queen's University for 10 years, added: "Thanks to the courage, strength and vision of the then-political leaders of NI, who are the real heroes of the process, we were able to get an agreement. I'm honoured by this award.

"A large part of my heart and my emotions will always be here with you, the people of Northern Ireland."

Mr Mitchell told the Belfast Telegraph he was "not frustrated" by the Stormont impasse, and hoped today's political leaders would "deal with the current problems in the same manner and spirit that the leaders of 1998 did, with mutual respect and vision of what's best for the whole of society".

He added: "It's a mistake to think that any agreement can solve for all-time every problem in a society. People change, societies change, new problems arise.

"And you have to meet them with the same spirit of cooperation and effort that occurred in 1998.

"It's up to the political leaders to find a way to get the Assembly up and running and bring back self-government that the people so badly need and want."

Belfast Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister said she was "absolutely delighted" to mark the 20th anniversary and the "very significant contribution" of President Clinton and Senator Mitchell in peace-building.
Mary Lou McDonald has said that she wants to build a united Ireland that DUP leader Arlene Foster could live in.

Writing in today's Belfast Telegraph, the Sinn Fein president said she wanted "an Ireland in which you can comfortably be Irish or British, or both or neither".

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The Dublin TD was speaking after Mrs Foster told a documentary that she might leave in the event of a border poll delivering reunification.

"If it were to happen, I'm not sure that I would be able to continue to live here, I would feel so strongly about it," Mrs Foster said.

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"I would probably have to move."

Ms McDonald said "privately many unionists acknowledge that change is coming".

She added: "I am an Irish republican, a United Irelander. The united Ireland I seek is not simply adding the north on to the south. It is about a new and agreed Ireland.

"An Ireland in which you can comfortably be Irish or British, or both or neither.

"The united Ireland I want to build has to be home for my family and for Arlene Foster and her family.

"We will not repeat the mistakes of the past.

"We cannot countenance the exclusion or discrimination of any section of our people in a new Ireland."

She also said that "the unionist veto is gone".

"The notion of a perpetual unionist majority is gone, lost in the last two elections," she said.

"I write these things not to be triumphant or provocative, but because they are signposts of change.

"Nothing stands still. Change is coming."
Back row from left, Jonathan Powell, Lord John Alderdice, Lord David Trimble, Sir Reg Empey, Lord Paul Murphy of Torfaen. Front row from left, Professor Monica McWilliams, Seamus Mallon, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Senator George Mitchell, Gerry Adams, at an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, at Queen's University Belfast

Their hair may have been a little greyer; their walking slower and their voices somewhat weaker, but most of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement were still looking healthier than their stalled 20-year-old peace deal at a remarkable anniversary reunion in Belfast yesterday.

And the politicians who bravely took risks for peace two decades ago were yesterday putting brave faces on it as they talked up the prospects for a renewed Stormont power-sharing executive, a Good Friday resurrection, so to speak.

Even former US President Bill Clinton flew in for the 20th anniversary of the historic Agreement which he supported in what Tony Blair said were 'call-a-friend' phone calls from Washington during the tense negotiations which ended in an unexpected compromise pact 7,305 days ago.

And in a stirring rallying cry at Queen's University Belfast, Mr Clinton said the gift of peace from 1998 was "a precious one".

He added: "Make the most of it. And in the process remind the world that democracy is better than dictatorship.

"Remember, you inspired the world 20 years ago. You can do it all over again today. The rest of the world continues to do foolish things. You do smart things.

"Save the peace; save the freedom; save the democracy."

He said the Good Friday Agreement was "a work of genius" that was still relevant and applicable if people cared at all about preserving democracy.

He added: "It called for real democracy - majority rule; minority rights; individual rights; the rule of law and the end of violence; shared political decision-making; shared economic benefits."

Joining Mr Clinton on stage were his former special peace envoy to Northern Ireland, Senator George Mitchell, ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who all urged the new breed of politicians here to find a way out of the current impasse.

Mr Blair recalled the pain of the past and the daily news bulletins filled with terrorism, deaths and destruction.

Mr Blair's message to the politicians was: "Give it your all. Don't stop working at it. Never give up on it, and realise that what you're doing is vital, it's important for the people of Northern Ireland.

"And this Good Friday Agreement, for all its faults, is something that was worth doing and it's worth keeping."

He added: "I know that the tensions are still there; the divisions are still there; the difficulties are still there.

"But don't cast this (Agreement) aside because where we are may not be where we want to be but it is a world better than where we were."

Mr Ahern said nothing was more important in Northern Ireland than stopping people being killed and he outlined the statistics of terror which faced politicians during the 1998 negotiations - 3,700 deaths; 15,000-plus bombings; 28,000 shootings and 47,000 violent events.

He added: "All I say respectfully to the politicians is that big issues were resolved not by the four of us but by everybody."

Mr Ahern said those issues were bigger than the issues facing politicians today and he hoped that "sooner rather than later" they would see the peace process through to the next phase.

In his keynote address, Senator Mitchell - who got a standing ovation from the packed audience - echoed the calls and he urged Britain and the European Union to honour their pledges to not have a hard border after Brexit.

Throughout the day tributes were paid to several of the significant players who were involved in bringing about the Agreement but who were missing from the gathering at Queen's yesterday.

Death had robbed the proceedings of former Secretary of State Mo Mowlam and two rival paramilitary protagonists turned peacemakers: Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness who died last year after pulling the plug on the Stormont Assembly he'd fought for, and the late David Ervine of the PUP, who passed away in 2007.

And too ill to attend was the SDLP's John Hume, hailed as one of the greatest political leaders in Ireland by Senator Mitchell who, after brokering the Agreement, became Vice-chancellor of Queen's where the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice was set up in his name in 2016.

The Institute organised yesterday's event which wasn't officially fanfared as a celebration.

Sources said they didn't call it that because one of the longest works in progress has, in reality, regressed - sent spiralling back to the drawing board by the hiatus in the Stormont government it helped to establish.

Given that no one was quite sure how to brand the event, the organisers obviously struggled to find the word to describe its participants too. In the end they settled on 'influencers'.

And while there wasn't a party yesterday, it wasn't a wake either as many of the speakers accentuated the positives of what had been achieved over the last two decades.

Optimism was the byword and Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and former DUP First Minister Peter Robinson both predicted that their successors, Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster, would eventually go back into government.

"We're in a bit of an ebb at the moment, a bit of stagnation," said Mr Adams. "That's temporary. That will pass. And we'll be back to sorting these issues out."

Mr Robinson commented: "I am one of those who travels in hope. I believe it is possible for us to get an agreement even with the difficulties that we face at the present time.

"What is required is the political will to do it. And if there's political will there, I don't care what the problem is, it can eventually be overcome."

However, a passionate Seamus Mallon, the former Deputy First Minister, didn't bite his tongue.

He furiously lashed out at Sinn Fein and the DUP over the current Stormont stalemate. He said: "Am I angry? Yes. Very angry. I watch the hypocrisies which are unbelievable and the untruths which are believable. Politics has been debased and diminished by these two political silos which have almost Balkanised the Northern Ireland that I live in."

However, Tanaiste Simon Coveney later insisted that yesterday was all about remembering, renewing and reconciling.

And so massive were the numbers of politicians taking part in the event that organisers had to split them into smaller, more manageable, groups to appear at a series of news conferences before the main Agreement panel group discussions in the Whitla Hall, where not so long ago the headlines were all about rows over the playing of God Save the Queen at graduation ceremonies.

The class of '98 posed outside the university's striking Lanyon Building, itself undergoing refurbishment work, for a class photograph which probably won't live in the memory as long as the iconic pictures of the happy clapping dealmakers inside Castle Buildings 20 years ago.

But the most eye-catching contrast between the smiling faces of yesterday and yesteryear was the fact that, while in 1998 the Agreement was struck mostly by men, apart from the Women's Coalition, today, women have soared to positions of political leadership.

Another difference was also obvious. Twenty years ago, reporters and TV crews from around the world flocked to Belfast to herald the watershed dawn of a peace accord in what had seemed like a war without end.

Yesterday however, the media interest wasn't quite on the same global scale, even though several speakers said the Agreement was still held up as a conflict resolution blueprint which continues to be replicated in other trouble hotspots.

Not everyone at Queen's University yesterday had come to laud the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) however.

TUV leader Jim Allister stood on the steps of the Whitla Hall and handed out leaflets to the guests as they went in. The two-page leaflet listed 'deceptions' in the Agreement which Mr Allister labelled a "failure".

Another long time opponent of the Agreement, Willie Frazer, attended another GFA event at Queen's. He said his attempts to put questions to the 'pro-Agreement' panel were ignored.

Back in the Whitla Hall, several speakers said they hoped the anniversary commemorations might help kickstart negotiations between the DUP and Sinn Fein at Stormont towards getting an Executive up and running again.

But it has to be said that the euphoria which engulfed Castle Buildings 20 years earlier was nowhere to be seen yesterday at the Whitla Hall.
A Co Tyrone community has been left in shock after a mother-of-three was crushed to death by a car.

The tragic accident happened on Monday evening in Altamuskin near Sixmilecross.

It is understood that the woman, named locally as Anne McCann, was killed after a car she had been travelling in rolled toward her as she closed a gate over her driveway.

It has been reported that Mrs McCann was due to celebrate her daughter Tanya's wedding in the coming weeks, and the family are also understood to have welcomed their first grandchild in recent months.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Sinn Fein MLA Declan McAleer said the local community was in shock at the devastating news.

"The community of Altamuskin and Drumquin are stunned this morning to learn of the tragic passing of one of their own," he said.

"Altamuskin is a very strong community and the woman killed and her family are very much part of the community and of Errigal Ciaran GAA club.

"This is the second tragedy to hit the club and community this year.

"A neighbour of the deceased, Kathleen McGarvey, was killed in an accident on the A5 in January.

"I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to the family at this terrible time."

Posting on social media, West Tyrone SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan wrote: "Very sad and tragic news from Altamuskin.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the McCann and McGale families."

Heartfelt tributes were also paid on the Drumquin Through The Years Facebook page, which extended "deepest sympathies" to Anne's husband Colm, children Darren, Tanya and Ciaran, parents Seamus and Kathleen, and 11 siblings.

Yesterday, Errigal Ciaran GAA cancelled all its club activities, citing Mrs McCann's "untimely and tragic passing" as the reason.

Another sympathy message appeared on the social media page for the film A Bend In The River.

It stated: "The cast and crew of A Bend in The River would like to offer our sincere condolences to Colm McCann and the family of beloved Anne McCann.

"Our hearts are heavy today for Colm, Darren, Tanya, and Ciaran, their extended family and the whole of the Altamuskin community. God bless Anne. Rest in Peace."

Another mourner wrote on Facebook: "Very sad and tragic news.

"May she rest in peace and may God give them strength to carry the heavy cross."

The PSNI confirmed that officers had attended the sudden death of a woman aged in her 50s in the Altamuskin Road area of Sixmilecross shortly before 8pm on Monday.

Speaking yesterday, they said that a post mortem was due to take place to determine the cause of Mrs McCann's death, but that it was not being treated as suspicious at this time.

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it had received a call at 7.45pm on Monday following reports of an incident involving a pedestrian on Altamuskin Road, Sixmilecross.

"One rapid response vehicle paramedic and one emergency ambulance crew were dispatched to the incident," they said.

"No one was transported from the scene."

Mrs McCann's remains were brought home for her wake last night, and her Requiem Mass will be held at 11am on Friday in St Mary's Church, Dunmoyle, with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
'Witnesses said a number of shots were fired at an individual in the street. There were no reports of any injuries' (stock photo)

Sources in Belfast last night claimed the UDA was behind a gun attack in the north of the city.

Shots were fired in the Tyndale area off the Ballysillan Road at around 9pm.

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Witnesses said a number of shots were fired at an individual in the street. There were no reports of any injuries.

The attack comes just a day after loyalist paramilitaries issued a combined statement rejecting criminal activity.

"Given the positive steps taken by paramilitaries, this is just repulsive," said DUP councillor Dale Pankhurst, who lives on the street.

"The people don't want this, those behind it need to go away and anyone considering reprisals should just cease it."

PUP councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnson said a lot of people were dismayed at the "violent incident".

She added: "Whilst there is considerable speculation, it is at this stage too early to determine who was behind it."
Mike Nesbitt has spoken out to clarify a number of remarks he was said to have made which were reported in an Australian newspaper - including that unionists "would not be worse off in a United Ireland" compared to a post-Brexit UK.

The former UUP leader was reported to have said the unionist majority here will not last long, and called Brexit an "existential threat to the UK".

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Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Nesbitt addressed the three points, and said it was in fact unionist friends, and not him, who had suggested they would not be worse off in a united Ireland after Brexit.

In the article, published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Nesbitt was quoted as saying: "Some of my unionist friends are saying for the first time to me: 'Exactly how would I be worse off in a united Ireland (compared to Britain after Brexit)?' The answer is they wouldn't be worse off."

However, yesterday the politician insisted this was not his view.

"The reality is I've been surprised to hear a small number of my unionist friends asking questions about a united Ireland and saying they don't believe they'd necessarily be any worse off," he said.

"But for one thing, where would the 12.6bn block grant come from? The annually managed expenditure budget? I have said this a few times before, and it's still my position."

Mr Nesbitt, who led the UUP for five years until the party took a hammering at last year's Stormont and Westminster elections, was also quoted as saying that the "unionist majority will not be around for very much longer  nationalism is now energised."

He explained: "That's an issue of the population figures - the demographics are there for everyone to see.

"But my position on this is that this means we must become persuaders of the benefits of remaining in the UK.

"We must make the United Kingdom a comfortable place for the people of Northern Ireland to live, make our health and education systems and everything else work for the people. If that's the case, if people are comfortable in their lives, then the constitutional question goes off the agenda."

The Strangford MLA said his comments on Brexit were intended as a warning, particularly if Northern Ireland's position was not handled properly.

He said: "What I was saying, as a unionist who supported Remain, is that we don't know what Brexit is going to look like.

"I accept that Britain joined up as one unit, and we will leave that way. But unless the negotions are well-handled and the particular needs of Northern Ireland - and Scotland, for that matter - are met, then there is a risk of this becoming an existential threat to the UK.

"I do have concerns, and the fact we have no functioning Executive to act for Northern Ireland does not help the situation."

Mr Nesbitt added: "The Union can and will be stronger with the right leadership that understands the threats and how to overcome them."

Elsewhere in his interview with the Australian paper, marking the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Nesbitt said Northern Ireland had improved in the years since the deal was signed on April 10, 1998 - but said the high hopes of the time had not been fulfilled.

"Despite the politics, people are just getting on with it," he said.

"Northern Ireland is a much more peaceful place.

"The Good Friday Agreement was an attempt to resolve a tension suffered on this island for centuries. The tension between an individual's sense of who they are, their identity, and territorial identity, where they are living.

"Has it worked? I am afraid it has not. For unionists this was a final settlement. For nationalists it's a staging post on an incomplete journey towards a united Ireland."
Speeches by President Clinton and Senator Mitchell on the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement were a "challenge" to today's politicians to deliver a lasting peace, members of the audience have said.

While some of those who listened to the American politicians' oratory in the Ulster Hall hadn't even been born when the 1998 accord was signed, others recalled hoping that their own children would grow up in a peaceful society.

Regardless of age, all agreed that it was now time for current politicians to finally deliver on the hope inspired by the two decades-old deal.

Project Children worker Monica Culbert (68), whose organisation used to send children from Northern Ireland to America and now runs an internship programme for students, said the speeches were a "challenge for people to keep going with the peace process".

"It's not finished, we've had ups and downs," she said. "President Clinton was challenging us. Hopefully it will inject new momentum into the talks."

Fellow Project Children worker Sally Brennan (69) added: "Put some momentum into the peace process and let's get back around the table. We're 20 years on, let's finish it now, don't be coming back here in another 20 years and listening to the same thing."

For 18-year-old Methody students Connor Kelly and Owen McElhinney, born two years after the agreement, the speeches were an insight into the history of the peace process.

Connor said: "It's very interesting to see President Clinton's involvement in how great it was in what did happen and how important he was in the peace process.

"I think it definitely brought some enthusiasm, it will definitely reinvigorate the talks."

Fellow student Owen said the Stormont impasse made him feel "frustrated".

He added: "It really puts things into perspective and shows how hard people had to work to bring Belfast and Northern Ireland into what it is today. People just need to work hard, set differences aside, because that's how the Good Friday Agreement came about.

Father-of-two Michael Mulhern (42) said there was a "need to recapture some of the spirit they had when they were forging the Good Friday Agreement".

Belfast woman Siobhan Martin commented: "The speeches brought back the enormity of what was achieved 20 years ago. I'm just hoping that our politicians today are taking note and will move us another step forward again."
A woman has sustained injuries after being beaten in the face with a hammer during a break-in in Belfast.

The aggravated burglary happened in the Moyard Parade area in the west of the city on Tuesday evening.

It was reported at around 6.15pm a man carrying a hammer forced his way into the property and attacked the female occupant.

The woman, aged in her 40s, was cut to the face and sustained bruising below her left eye after reportedly being struck with the hammer.

The intruder is reported to have damaged a wardrobe and light during the incident.

A 25-year-old man was arrested a a short time later on suspicion of a number of offences, including aggravated burglary.

Detective Sergeant Keith Wilson is appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact police at Musgrave Police Station on 101, quoting reference 1071 10/04/2018.

The public can also contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The father of a man murdered by loyalist paramilitaries has said victims have been betrayed by politicians, 20 years after the Good Friday peace agreement.

Raymond McCords son Raymond Jnr was beaten to death by the Ulster Volunteer Force in North Belfast in 1997 and his body left in a quarry.

He alleged those behind this weeks events marking the 1998 landmark deal which largely ended the Troubles were frightened of hearing the truth.

I think it has been an absolute disgrace, it has really annoyed me.

These events have been full of political people, middle-class people and academics.

A conference at Queens University Belfast on Tuesday brought together Agreement architects ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair, US President Bill Clinton, former talks chairman George Mitchell, ex-Irish

premier Bertie Ahern and former political leaders in Northern Ireland.

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Mr Clinton, Mr Blair and other political leaders have explicitly referred to victims of the conflict during anniversary events.

There is a degree of accord between the DUP and Sinn Fein on dealing with the legacy of the 30-year conflict but efforts to restore the devolved powersharing institutions have foundered over an Irish language Act.

Mr McCord has declined an invitation to a conference at Queens next month.

Speaking generally he said: These events have practically excluded victims from Northern Ireland, I am not talking about victims from the unionist community, this is all victims.

Twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement victims have been betrayed by politicians.

He is pressing for an inquest into his sons death, adding: Why should we be doing this 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement?

The victims campaigner voted against the Agreement in 1998 because of the early release of prisoners.

The #GoodFridayAgreement was one time when politics worked as politicians stopped acting like politicians and started acting like people. Tony Blair @InstituteGC #GFA20 pic.twitter.com/LEphLMe1NK  Queen's University Belfast  (@QUBelfast) April 10, 2018

He said: Certainly these days are better now for the majority of people but for those that suffered nothing has changed for us, we are still having to fight for justice.

He also criticised aspects of this weeks loyalist announcement that the paramilitaries would support the rule of law.

The whole week has been a disgrace for victims, it has just been a repeat of what has happened over the years.

They are all telling us what to do and what is best for us.

He claimed the main victims issues had been ignored.

Why dont they sit down with ordinary working-class people like myself?

What is the Government and organisers frightened of?

Why are they frightened of victims sitting on a panel, they dont want the truth to be said, they are frightened.
Normand Larose (pictured) and Rosalyn Joy Few died in the accident in Co Kerry

The family of a US tourist killed with his partner in a freak horse and cart accident at an Irish beauty spot have spoken of their deep shock.

Normand Larose (62) and Rosalyn Joy Few (64) were killed on Monday afternoon in an accident at the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry.

The couple had travelled to Ireland from their home in Phoenix, Arizona at Easter with Ms Few's daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.

They had been enjoying a family holiday and were staying in the Killarney area.

Niece Maude Larose said Normand, who was originally from Quebec in Canada, will be sorely missed.

She said: "My uncle was a very happy person who loved life very much.

"He always took care of the people he loved, the whole family is shocked by this tragedy.

"I know he would want us to remember him with his smile and his jokes."

A Garda investigation has been launched into the tragedy, with officers still attempting to establish the exact cause of the crash.

A source said early indications are that the horse became startled and bolted.

As a result, the couple were thrown from the cart and fell 20ft down steep terrain, suffering catastrophic injuries.

It is understood that family members - who were close behind on another pony and trap when the tragedy happened - travelled from their Killarney hotel to Dingle to identify the bodies of the couple.

Lord Mayor of Killarney, Niall Kelleher, said that they must let the investigation into the accident take its course, but lessons may have to be learned.

"When we get the findings of the investigation, if there's lessons to be learned then it is incumbent on us to act upon it," he said.

"Anything that is being said about it is just hearsay, so we have to wait for the investigation," he added.

Mr Kelleher opened a book of condolence in Killarney yesterday, with dozens of locals arriving to pay their respects.

He described the accident as "absolutely tragic".

None of the horse and carts were in operation at the Gap of Dunloe yesterday. However, many tourists followed the trail by foot.

The horse-drawn carts are a big tourist attraction at the Gap of Dunloe - the oldest route for such trips in Kerry.

The route is immensely popular, with one local saying that thousands may have taken it last week during the Easter break.

The bodies of the two victims were transferred by hearse to Kerry General Hospital on Monday evening.

The office of the Republic's state pathologist was notified and post-mortem examinations took place yesterday afternoon.
The UK has deployed a third navy warship to the Asia-Pacific as diplomatic tensions with North Korea continue to rise.

HMS Albion will join HMS Sutherland and will help enforce UN sanctions against North Korea, as well as take part in joint training and exercises with regional allies.

The Ministry of Defence previously announced that HMS Argyll would also be deployed, arriving in the region later in the year to take part in an exercise with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: Our Armed Forces are at the forefront of Global Britain, and the deployment of HMS Albion, Sutherland and Argyll demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our international responsibilities and to maintaining peace, security and prosperity in the region.

Until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions, the UK will continue working closely with partners and allies to keep up pressure and strictly enforce existing sanctions, ensuring not only regional security but that of the UK as well.

HMS Albion, alongside HMS Sutherland, will monitor prohibited sea trading by North Korea, which the Government believes provides a major source of funding for its illegal nuclear programme.

The deployment will mean the Royal Navy will have a vessel in the Asia-Pacific region for the first time since 2013, maintaining an almost constant presence there this year.

A UN Security Council resolution bans ship-to-ship transfers of goods destined for the North Korean capital Pyeongchang, but some vessels have broken the sanction.

In October last year, a Hong Kong-registered ship was seized by South Korea after it was suspected of transferring 600 tonnes of oil to a North Korean ship.

US president Donald Trump tweeted his disappointment at the incident, which he pinned on China.

In February, the US Treasury Department cited 50 ships for evading US and international sanctions against North Korea.

Mr Trump told reporters in the White House that if North Korea did not comply with the sanctions, that a phase two might be the next step.

Phase two may be a very rough thing, may be very unfortunate for the world, he said.
Theresa May has agreed with her American and French counterparts that the international community needs to respond following the suspected Syria chemical weapons attack.

The Prime Minister spoke to Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, as speculation mounted about what action will be taken.

Mr Trump has said the apparent poison gas attack in Syria will be met forcefully, but did not give a time-frame for any retaliatory action, and he cancelled a foreign trip on Tuesday to manage the crisis.

Downing Street said Mrs May and the two leaders agreed that the international community needed to respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

A spokeswoman said Mrs May held separate calls with the two leaders on Tuesday and that they agreed the reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria were utterly reprehensible and that they would continue working closely together.

Hugely disappointing that Russia vetoed the proposal at the UN for an independent investigation into Syrian chemical attacks. Russia is holding the Syrian people to political ransom by supporting a regime responsible for at least 4 heinous chemical attacks against its people  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 10, 2018

The Associated Press reported that US officials and counterparts in Britain and France had been discussing a possible joint military response, with sources saying the allies had been weighing up a strike as early as the end of the week.

Meanwhile Europes aviation watchdog issued an alert to airlines operating in the Eastern Mediterranean of a possible strike with air-to-ground or cruise missiles into Syria.

On Tuesday the Kremlins ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, repeated his warning to the West against military action in Syria.

Boris Johnson criticised Russia after it vetoed a US draft resolution at the United Nations which sought to create a new body to determine responsibility for the attack.

The Foreign Secretary said the move was hugely disappointing and accused Russia of holding the Syrian people to political ransom by supporting a regime responsible for at least four heinous chemical attacks against its people.

Karen Pierce, the UK ambassador to the UN, said it was a sad day for the Security Council and for the people of Douma, adding that Russias credibility as a member of the council is now in question.

Ms Pierce said: By vetoing, Russia has crossed the line in the international order and worse, if possible, history is repeating itself one year on from Khan Shaykhun.

Russia was joined by Bolivia in voting no at the Security Council in New York on Tuesday afternoon, while China abstained.

Mr Nebenzia said threats of US military action should make us seriously worried, all of us.

Amid speculation over whether Britain will take action against Syria, Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee Julian Lewis said airstrikes can only be effective when they are in support of ground troops.

And he warned that Britain would be helping al Qaida if it assists with a military campaign against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

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Mr Lewis told BBC Twos Newsnight: What weve got here in Syria is a choice between monsters on the one hand and maniacs on the other, and it is absolutely untrue to say that apart from the Kurdish-led forces, the Salafists and the Jihadists are not in control of the opposition groups.

They are and we will be helping al Qaida if we help them to do a sustained military campaign against the brutal Assad regime.

The United States is looking to the UK and France for support as it finalises its response to the assault on the rebel-held town of Douma.

President Trump and his French counterpart Mr Macron had already agreed to co-ordinate a strong, joint response after talks by telephone.

Mrs May sidestepped questions about whether Britain would be involved in military action during a visit to Cambridge earlier on Tuesday.

She is expected to comment on the situation again on Wednesday during a visit to Birmingham.

A #WhiteHelmet expresses his grief with a heart and message of love and solidarity reading #Douma In My heart in the wake of the heinous chemical massacre on Douma. #Assad_Bombing_Douma_Chemical pic.twitter.com/HPxfDOGzGK  The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) April 8, 2018

The attack in Douma happened 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 taken to medical centres with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth and burning sensations in the eyes.

The attack comes almost exactly a year after a chemical atrocity 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.

Russia and Syria have blamed Israel for an attack on a Syrian military airport on Monday that reportedly killed at least 14 people.
Alfie Evans, taken with permission from the Alfies Army Official Facebook page (PA)

A High Court judge has raised concern about images of a 23-month-old boy who has been at the centre of a life-support treatment battle being posted on the internet.

Tom Evans and Kate James, who are in their 20s and from Liverpool, have lost fights over their son Alfie Evans in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.

In February, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors at Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool.

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The judge was on Wednesday analysing a number of follow-up issues at a hearing in London.

He said the hearing was being held so that he could help Alfies parents and doctors decide exactly when treatment should stop.

Mr Justice Hayden said it would not be possible for Alfies parents to make further applications.

He said he was concerned that images of the little boy were continuing to be posted online.

It is impossible to escape images of Alfie on the internet, said the judge.

He has no say on whether these photos are taken.

Mr Justice Hayden said he was concerned that the images were intrusive and suggested that in the fullness of time Alfies family might regret their publication.

Alfies parents were not at the hearing, which is continuing.

Last week bosses at Alder Hey said they had been unable to reach agreement with Alfies parents about exactly when treatment should stop.

They said they would ask the judge for guidance .

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Judges have heard that Alfie, who was born on May 9 2016, is in a semi-vegetative state and has a degenerative neurological condition doctors had not definitively diagnosed.

Specialists at Alder Hey said life-support treatment should stop and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile.

Court of Appeal judges upheld Mr Justice Haydens ruling.

Supreme Court justices and European Court of Human Rights judges have refused to intervene.

The couple have complained that the state is wrongly interfering with their parental choice.

They want to move Alfie to a hospital in Rome or Germany.
Theresa May has summoned an emergency meeting of the Cabinet to discuss the crisis over Syria as Donald Trump signalled the United States was ready to launch air strikes against the regime of Bashar Assad.

The Prime Minister called senior ministers to gather in Downing Street on Thursday after declaring all the indications were that the regime was responsible for a chemical strike on its own people last weekend.

Mrs May has said Britain will co-ordinate its response to the incident in the rebel-held town of Douma  where at least 40 people are reported to have been killed  with the US and France.

But in a sign of his growing impatience for action, Mr Trump tweeted a warning that air strikes were imminent, saying the missiles will be coming.

At the same time Mrs May is under pressure to give Parliament the chance to vote before committing UK forces to any new action in Syria, amid fears it could draw the West into direct conflict with Assads main backer, Russia.

Speaking during a visit to Birmingham on Wednesday, Mrs May again said the use of chemical weapons by the regime cannot go unchallenged as she reaffirmed her intention to continue working with the UKs closest allies.

We have been working to get an understanding of what happened on the ground. We are rapidly reaching that understanding, she said.

All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible and we will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account.

The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.

Russia has warned against military action and said it will shoot down rockets fired at its ally.

In a tweet responding to the threat, President Trump said: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.

Get ready, Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Russias ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkinhad, warned that the federations military will shoot down US rockets and even the sources that launched the missiles.

Later however, US defence secretary General James Mattis suggested that discussions about military action were still ongoing

Were still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies. Were still working on this, he said.

Mr Trumps decision to announce in highly inflammatory language on Twitter that missile strikes are imminent, rather than retaining an element of surprise, raised eyebrows among military chiefs.

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former commander of Joint Forces Command, said Russias warnings that launch platforms could be targeted in response to air strikes meant they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky  thats war.

Meanwhile Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the Government must seek the support of Parliament if it was to join any action against the Assad regime.

Parliament should always be given a say on any military action, he told the BBC.

What we dont want is bombardment which leads to escalation and leads to a hot war between Russia and America over the skies of Syria.

His call for Parliament to be given a say on military action was echoed by the SNP and the Liberal Democrats as well as a number of Conservative MPs.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: The use of chemical weapons is a clear red line, and there must be consequences for crossing it.

There must be a debate and vote in the House of Commons ahead of any military action.

The attack in Douma happened 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 that more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were taken to medical centres with breathing problems, foaming at the mouth and with burning sensations in the eyes.

It comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That assault prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.
Theresa May spoke about the situation in Syria on a visit to Birmingham (Joe Giddens/PA)

Theresa May has said all the indications are that the Syrian regime was behind a chemical attack on its own people as the United States prepares to launch air strikes.

The Prime Minister did not indicate whether Britain will be involved in the military campaign but insisted continued attacks cannot go unchallenged as she pledged to continue working with the UKs closest allies on how the dictatorship is held to account.

Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that airstrikes are imminent in Syria, declaring missiles will be coming.

Bashar Assads regime has called the threats reckless and Moscow said dropping missiles would destroy evidence of a chemical attack.

Mrs May said: All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible and we will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account and how we can prevent and deter the humanitarian catastrophe that comes from the use of chemical weapons in the future.

The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.

The Prime Minister sidestepped questions over whether she was concerned about the US presidents tweet.

She told reporters during a visit to Birmingham that she was appalled but not surprised by Russias decision to veto a draft resolution at the United Nations on Tuesday which sought to create a new body to determine responsibility for the attack.

There can be no role now for investigations by the United Nations, Mrs May said.

She faces pressure to secure support from the Commons, which is currently in recess for Easter, for involving Britain in air strikes but has the power to take the decision without the backing of MPs.

Russia has warned against military action and said it will shoot down rockets fired at its ally.

In a tweet responding to the threat, President Trump said: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria.

Get ready, Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Soon afterwards, however, he suggested it was time to stop the arms race and said there was no reason for the low in relations between Russia and the US.

He tweeted: Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this.

Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?

Russias ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkinhad, warned that the federations military will shoot down US rockets and even the sources that launched the missiles.

Mr Trumps decision to announce in highly inflammatory language on Twitter that missile strikes are imminent, rather than retaining an element of surprise, will raise eyebrows among military chiefs.

Soon after the tweets, Russias foreign ministry said that smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not legal government.

If Russia shoots down US missiles, 'that's war' - retired Gen Sir Richard Barrons in response to Russia's ambassador to Lebanon saying any US missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted #r4today pic.twitter.com/e5X6qvAdcu  BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) April 11, 2018

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned whether the idea behind military action was to use the smart missiles to sweep the traces of the provocation under the rug.

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former commander of Joint Forces Command, said Russias warnings that launch platforms could be targeted in response to air strikes meant they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky  thats war.

Former soldier Johnny Mercer, who sits on the Commons Defence Select Committee, said Britain played a calming role as he criticised the unhelpful rhetoric tweeted by the US president.

The attack in Douma happened late on Saturday amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce with the Army of Islam rebel group.

This is the reason why we must build, influence, and yes, lead coalitions. To make a calm but very robust stand for what we believe in, whilst tempering unhelpful rhetoric so we don't repeat the mistakes of the past. There is a balance; and therein lies Britain's role in this. https://t.co/3RLtOul9RG  Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) April 11, 2018

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 that more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were taken to medical centres with breathing problems, foaming at the mouth and with burning sensations in the eyes.

It comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That assault prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.
A wealthy Russian businessman suspected to have been poisoned vomited after eating a fish dinner the night before his death, his secret girlfriend has said.

Ukraine-born Elmira Medynska, 28, had been on a romantic break with married Alexander Perepilichnyy in November 2012, staying at the five-star Bristol hotel in Paris.

She told an inquest he appeared very stressed about his work and was on another planet when they went shoe shopping together.

He complained about the food during their last evening together, and sent back his tempura prawns, then vomited when they got back to the hotel, she said.

On his return home to Weybridge, Surrey, the next day, his wife made him his favourite traditional sorrel soup before he went jogging, the inquest has heard. He later collapsed and died.

I was very shocked and afraid about this news. I thought it was like a bad joke happened to meElmira Medynska

Mr Perepilichnyy, 44, had been helping Bill Browders Hermitage Capital Investment to expose a 230 million dollar money-laundering operation, the court has heard.

A month before his death, he had fought off a legal challenge by a debt recovery firm allegedly led by the prime suspect in the Alexander Litvinenko poison case.

Coroner Nicholas Hilliard QC is examining if Mr Perepilichnyy died of natural causes or was murdered.

Ms Medynska, who works in fashion, appeared at the Old Bailey by video link from Paris.

She told how she met Mr Perepilichnyy through a dating agency and he paid for their dates, staying in smart hotels in Kiev, Nice and Paris over eight months.

The inquest heard he changed hotels and used a false name, keeping the relationship secret.

Describing their date on November 8 2012 in Paris, the former model said: When I met him in hotel he was smile, he was calm, relaxed but when we went out at lunchtime he was a little bit nervous.

I think he was nervous about his work or business. I did not ask him questions about if something happened, I just want to have relaxing time with him. I talked him about subject to make him relaxed because he was very stressed when I met him.

At lunch in a bistro, she said his hands were shaking so much he spilt his red wine.

She said they went back to the hotel before having a late dinner at a restaurant where he had soup and more red wine.

The next day, he spoke on his phone and was on another planet.

She said: I think maybe he was a businessman. He have his own secrets but I never asked him.

Peter Skelton, counsel for the coroner, asked: Did he seem stressed or more relaxed?

Ms Medynska replied: Sometimes I have feeling he is somewhere else because he is not very communicate with me.

She said he took her shopping for shoes because she was not in a nice mood.

She said: He was on another planet. I was little bit upset and he said lets make shopping together. When I was shopping shoes he was not looking at me. He was watching his phone. I was upset because he gave me no attention and I was not in very good mood.

Mr Skelton asked if he might have been distracted by work.

She said: Maybe he missed some mails. I respect him as a businessman. I understood he has a job to do even if he is spending time with a woman in Paris.

On November 9 they went out to the Buddha Bar for dinner but he sent back his tempura prawns because it was not nice, she said.

The restaurant specialised in Chinese and Japanese food and he ate either sushi or tempura, the inquest heard.

Ms Medynska said: He said he did not like the taste. He was very irritated. He was very mad about the quality of the food.

As they walked back to the hotel, he told her he felt better in the fresh air, but when they got back in their hotel suite, she said he vomited three times in the bathroom, the inquest heard.

She said: I think maybe he vomited because it was not good food in the restaurant. I did not knock on the door because I did not want to make him feel uncomfortable.

The witness said he looked clean when he came out of the bathroom and by the morning he was in good shape.

In the morning of November 10, she said he was looking very nice, good mood, smile.

They ate a classic French breakfast of eggs and hot chocolate before going to the airport together, for Mr Perepilichnyy to return to London and Ms Medynska to Ukraine.

She said: He told me he wanted to see me. He said he want to meet in December in Switzerland.

Later the same day, Mr Perepilichnyy died near his home.

The witness said she received a call from a British number and was told Mr Perepilichnyy had been in a car accident.

She said: I was very shocked and afraid about this news. I thought it was like a bad joke happened to me.

She told the inquest she found out about his death from the internet on New Years Eve 2012.

The witness said she was scared because I know nothing about this man, and had no idea he was married with children.

Later, she said she received a threatening message from Mr Perepilichnyys email to say she would die soon from Aids.

Later, the court heard that Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev had been in Paris between November

10 and 13, but the witness did not know it at the time.

During their shopping trip, Mr Perepilichnyy bought his girlfriend a Prada bag and pair of Louis Vuitton shoes.

Two days after his death, Ms Medynska said she received two calls from people who purported to be from a hospital where Mr Perepilichnyy was taken after a car accident.

They told her his phone was broken but text messages appeared to show she was the last person to see him.

Mr Browder sat in court for the second day of the resumed inquest which began last summer.
Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned alongside her father in Salisbury last month, said she has found herself in a totally different life as she continues to recover from the nerve agent attack.

A diplomatic battle has been raging between the UK and Moscow about whether the Russian embassy should be allowed access to the 33-year-old daughter of ex-spy Sergei Skripal.

Ms Skripal, found critically ill alongside her 66-year-old father Sergei Skripal on a bench last month, was discharged from a hospital in Salisbury, Wiltshire, this week, and said she does not wish to avail herself of the Russian embassys services.

Statement issued on behalf of Yulia Skripal who continues to receive police support following her release from hospital https://t.co/uIhxQPUbSw pic.twitter.com/0rIyWkPRgI  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 11, 2018

In a statement, issued by Scotland Yard, Ms Skripal said: I have specially trained officers available to me, who are helping to take care of me and to explain the investigative processes that are being undertaken.

I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can.

At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them.

I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time beingYulia Skripal

Most importantly, I am safe and feeling better as time goes by, but I am not yet strong enough to give a full interview to the media, as I one day hope to do.

Until that time, I want to stress that no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves.

I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being.

Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my fathers.

Ms Skripal said she was treated with such kindness at Salisbury District Hospital, and is missing the staff there.

I have left my father in their care, and he is still seriously ill. I too am still suffering with the effects of the nerve agent used against us.

I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago, and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects, whilst also recovering from this attack on me, she said.

It is believed that British authorities immediately spirited Ms Skripal away to a secure location when she was discharged from hospital.

Embassy Press Officer's comment on interaction with the @foreignoffice on the investigation of the Salisbury incident: urge UK authorities to act in a transparent way and try fixing the damage they have caused to the international image of their country.https://t.co/B4Q17IGl7x pic.twitter.com/7oPIhtyALl  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) April 10, 2018

The Russian embassy reacted angrily, suggesting in a series of tweets that the Russian national had been taken against her will.

Russia remains the prime suspect for carrying out the attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter.

The embassy is perturbed by a refusal from UK authorities to grant Ms Skripals cousin Viktoria a visa to visit her family.

We congratulate Yulia on her recovery. Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free willRussian embassy spokesman

It escalated the war of words on Tuesday, saying in a series of statements posted on social media: Secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation.

Ms Skripals release from hospital was met with a similar broadside from the embassy, which has repeatedly criticised the handling of the investigation into the attack.

In a statement, a spokesman said: We congratulate Yulia on her recovery.

Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will.

On Wednesday morning, it suggested reports Ms Skripal had turned down consular assistance actually revealed she is being held hostage by the same people who destroy evidence and fail to come up with a single official account of the crime.

Former double agent Mr Skripal was jailed in Russia for selling secrets to MI6 but was released as part of a spy swap deal in 2010 and settled in the UK.

It is hoped he will soon be fit for release from hospital, despite grave fears that the exposure to military-grade nerve agent Novichok on March 4 would prove fatal.

Britain has said Russian state involvement is the only plausible explanation for the attack and has led a worldwide reaction involving the expulsion of more than 100 diplomats.

The international chemical weapons watchdog is to publish its report into the Salisbury nerve agent attack on Thursday, the Foreign Office has said.

A spokesman said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has now completed its investigation, which it carried out at the invitation of the UK Government.

The spokesman said that as the requesting state, Britain had asked them to release an executive summary of its findings at midday on Thursday.

This transparent and open approach, which we have pursued from the outset, is in sharp contrast to the Russian states ongoing tactics of obfuscation and distraction, the spokesman said.
'Police in Hesse State said it is unclear why the dog attacked the seven-month-old. The pet was taken to an animal shelter, where it was described as aggressive' (stock photo)

A baby boy has died after being bitten on the head by the family's dog in southern Germany.

Police in Hesse State said it is unclear why the dog attacked the seven-month-old. The pet was taken to an animal shelter, where it was described as aggressive.

The baby's 23-year-old father called emergency services immediately after the attack, police said. The boy was taken to hospital where his condition was initially stable, but he died later that evening.

Less than a week earlier, two people were killed in a separate incident in northern Germany. A 52-year-old woman and her 27-year-old son were killed by a Staffordshire terrier they owned, on April 3 in Hanover.

Hesse police said the breed of the dog in the latest attack was unclear, but it appeared to be a mix including Staffordshire terrier features.

Germany's 16 states each have different rules for keeping certain dog breeds, though many require a special permit if people want to own pit bull terriers, bull terriers or Staffordshire bull terriers.
Members of the Security Council vote on resolutions to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria (Julie Jacobson/AP)

Rival US and Russian resolutions to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria suffered defeats at the United Nations, a result that the Russian ambassador said the Trump administration wanted so it can justify the use of force against Syria.

The Security Council also rejected another Russian-drafted resolution that would have welcomed an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of allegations of a weekend chemical attack in the suburbs of Syrias capital.

The US, Britain and France opposed the measure, saying that the investigators are already headed there and that the text did not include a new way to assess blame for chemical attacks.

The council has met four times in the past week on chemical weapons in Syria, with the US, Britain and France facing off against Russia, Syrian president Bashar Assads key ally that insists no chemical attack took place in the Douma suburb.

As tensions escalate over possible US-led military reprisals for the suspected attack, the UNs most powerful body remained paralysed, unable to overcome its deep divisions that have been a hallmark of its debates during the seven years of conflict in Syria.

Swedens ambassador, Olof Skoog, who tried unsuccessfully to find a compromise solution, told the council after the third vote that he was disappointed.

I just hope that we do not consider this the end when it comes to ensuring that the facts are established and that there is a true accountability and no more impunity for the horrendous use of chemical weapons in Syria and elsewhere, Mr Skoog said.

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After the defeat of Russias second resolution, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said to US ambassador Nikki Haley: I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that youre currently developing for Syria.

The threats of US military action against Syria should make us seriously worried, all of us, Mr Nebenzia said.

In Tuesdays first vote, Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have condemned the suspected Douma attack in the strongest terms and established a new independent and impartial investigative body to determine responsibility for Syrian chemical attacks.

Hugely disappointing that Russia vetoed the proposal at the UN for an independent investigation into Syrian chemical attacks. Russia is holding the Syrian people to political ransom by supporting a regime responsible for at least 4 heinous chemical attacks against its people  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 10, 2018

The vote was 12 in favour, with Bolivia joining Russia in voting no and China abstaining.

History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people, Ms Haley said, referring to Syrian president Bashar Assad.

She said the United States went the extra mile to get Russian support for the resolution to ensure that a new investigative body would be impartial, independent and professional  provisions she said were not in the rival Russian resolution.

Ms Haley said the Russian draft would have allowed Russia to choose the investigators and assess the outcome of the investigation. Does any of that sound independent or impartial?

Mr Nebenzia accused the United States of trying to mislead the international community and said it is taking one more step toward confrontation.

He said the US and its allies did not need a resolution to determine responsibility because it was already blaming Syria and Russia.

You do not want to hear the fact that no traces of a chemical attack were found in Douma, Mr Nebenzia said. You simply have been looking for a pretext and want the resolution to fail to justify the use of force against Syria.

"This is a sad day for #UNSC, a sad day for universal norms, a sad day for the non-proliferation regime but above all, a very sad day for the people of Douma who now are without the protection that the international system was set up to provide for them."



 @KarenPierceUN pic.twitter.com/Qx10O2sTZN  UK at the UN  (@UKUN_NewYork) April 10, 2018

A joint UN-OPCW investigative team accused Syria of using chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015 and the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others. The latter attack led to a US airstrike on a Syrian airfield.

The team also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas twice in 2015 and 2016.

Russia rejected the findings on Syrias culpability and vetoed a Western-backed resolution in November that would have renewed the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).

Mr Nebenzia told the council the US resolution was trying to recreate the JIM, which he said became a puppet in the hands of anti-Damascus forces.

The rival Russian resolutions  on a new accountability body and the OPCW fact-finding mission  both failed to get the required nine yes votes needed for adoption. The US, Britain and France voted against both measures but did not have to use their vetoes.

Mr Nebenzia and Syrian ambassador Bashar Jaafari said that despite the councils failure to welcome the OPCW fact-finding mission, its investigators are heading to Syria with support from both Russia and Syria.

Mr Nebenzia said two groups of OPCW experts could be on the ground as early as this week.
Donald Trump has spoken with other world leaders about a possible joint military response to the attack in Syria (Evan Vucci/AP)

Trump administration officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syrias alleged poison gas attack, as President Donald Trump cancelled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian president Bashar Assad.

Mr Trump spoke with other world leaders, and other US officials said the US, France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week.

None of the three countries leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials.

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the US in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syrias political and military support from Russia and Iran.

President Emmanuel Macron said France, the US and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days.

He called for a strong and joint response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the US-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month.

.@POTUS Trump condemns the heinous attack on innocent Syrians with banned chemical weapons. #Syria pic.twitter.com/qiEahlL3Ah  Department of State (@StateDept) April 9, 2018

Mr Trump suggested on Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence.

Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which US intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Mr Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the US, France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April.

That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Assad from further use of chemical agents. So the three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

Asked whether France would take military action, Mr Macron said his country will continue discussing technical and strategic information with US and British allies and in the coming days we will announce our decision.

He said any action would target chemical weapons stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

"Russias credibility as a member of the Council is now in question.



We will not stand idly by & watch Russia continue to undermine the global norms which have ensured all our security including Russias for decades."



 Amb. @KarenPierceUN speaks to #UNSC after vote #Syria pic.twitter.com/VNvcW4Zz7s  UK at the UN  (@UKUN_NewYork) April 10, 2018

Mr Trump spoke by phone with Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was utterly reprehensible and that the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

Mr Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Mr Trump see eye to eye on the Syria problem.

We cannot tolerate with a war criminal, the emir said, adding, This matter should end immediately. Qatar hosts the United States main air operations centre for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it will send shortly a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit would delay or avert U.S. or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Mr Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, or travel to Bogota, Colombia, as planned. She said he will stay home to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.
Prince Harry is obviously a man who likes to do things differently.

The decision to pack his wedding guest list with local heroes rather than high-profile politicians or diplomats shows that he and bride-to-be Meghan Markle have a common touch more in line with their European counterparts than traditional British royalty.

It is right that people like Londonderry mother and daughter Catherine Cooke and Julie-Anne Coll should be recognised for their sterling community work, and that former Ballymena soldier Phillip Gillespie, who lost a leg while serv ing in Afghanistan, should have his courageous service to his country acknowledged.
Members of the PSNI and the Garda join thousands of people as they take part in the annual Belfast Pride event last year

The hand of history on Tony Blair's shoulder, Bertie Ahern returning to talks having buried his mother. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in deep conversation, pacing the car park, John Hume, David Trimble, Monica McWilliams, Mo Mowlam, John Alderdice - all putting in the long hours and making the hard calls.

Hope and history rhymed.

Senator George Mitchell wisely counselled that the hard work starts now. How right he was.

The partition of Ireland in 1922 created two conservative states, rife with inequality and intolerance. In the south, Home Rule became Rome Rule, just as so many unionist and Protestant people had feared and predicted. It was a cold house for Protestants, women, children and our invisible LGBT community.

It has taken generations to confront this cold, hard state but it has been confronted, challenged and transformed.

The peace and stability brought by the Good Friday Agreement has been accompanied by momentous social advancement over the last 20 years.

Dublin is a modern European capital city. While we face big challenges to build a national health service, to eradicate inequality, to safeguard rights and to ensure fairness, we are on our way, on the right path.

The northern state, a cold house for Catholics since partition, likewise has changed. The institutionalised repression and discrimination of the past is gone.

The violence which marked every decade since partition up to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement is gone.

We now have peace.

While we still have big challenges - community segregation, a denial of rights to sections of our people, the unacceptable destructive potential of Brexit - we are on our way, on the right path.

The unionist veto is gone. The notion of a perpetual unionist majority is gone, lost in the last two elections.

I write these things not to be triumphant or provocative, but because they are signposts of change.

Nothing stands still. Change is coming. It can be disorganised and chaotic, or it can be planned and organised. I believe we need to plan for change together. That is why the Good Friday Agreement, twenty years on, is central to our future. It provides a set of rules, principles and values that govern what we do today and how we shape the future.

The Agreement at its essence is about managing change; About the primacy of politics, the equal rights of citizens and a peaceful and democratic pathway to constitutional change.

I have been involved in the many negotiations following the signing of the Agreement.

Twenty years on from the signing of the Agreement, I lead Sinn Fein, a party to the Agreement. As such, I carry the responsibility, not only of protecting it, but more importantly to fully realising its potential.

There are some in the leadership of political unionism that have never supported the Agreement, who walked out of the process and who have never embraced genuine power-sharing, equality and respect.

Privately many unionists acknowledge that change is coming, that there can be no return to unionist majority rule; who understand that the Union is conditional and dependent on the consent of the people and that modernity beckons; change is upon us.

Our society is more than green and orange, we have a whole rainbow of colours and diversity of identities that make up Ireland.

The largest political parades in the North have been Pride, An Dream Dearg and the Right to Truth. Our LGBT community are not going to go away, Irish language speakers are not going to go away and victims of the conflict are not going away. These issues need to be resolved and I believe we will all be better for that.

I am an Irish Republican, a United Irelander. The united Ireland I seek is not simply adding the north on to the south. It is about a new and agreed Ireland.

An Ireland in which you can comfortably be Irish or British, or both or neither.

The united Ireland I want to build has to be home for my family and for Arlene Foster and her family.

We will not repeat the mistakes of the past. We cannot countenance the exclusion or discrimination of any section of our people in a new Ireland.

The Good Friday Agreement is relevant today for its basis of respect, equality and power-sharing.

These are the pillars of our new, united Ireland; it commits us to: "rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions and shall be founded on the principles of full respect for, and equality of, civil, political, social and cultural rights, of freedom from discrimination for all citizens, and of parity of esteem and of just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos, and aspirations of both communities."

These principles must underpin governance in the north, in a newly-formed Executive, and in the political, social and economic life across Ireland.

These principles will underpin our new and united Ireland.

Honouring and delivering on these principles is the only way to get the power-sharing Executive up and running. Twenty years on, let's honour the Good Friday Agreement by being true to it and by implementing it in full.
Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye speaks with Rohingya Minara Begum and her son Abdul Haque during his visit to the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, April 11, 2018.

Updated at 2:55 p.m. ET on 2018-04-11

In an unprecedented interaction with Rohingya refugees in southeastern Bangladesh, a Myanmar government minister urged them to return to the country, a call rejected by Rohingya protesters who called him a collaborator in genocide.

Under tight security, Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye and his entourage visited a camp housing hundreds of thousands of people who had fled violence in his countrys Rakhine state, and met separately with officials from the United Nations and other international groups.

Nearby, Bangladeshi police used batons to disperse more than 200 protesters who gathered by the camps main road.

I am very glad to meet you, Aye told a group of about 30 men, women and children gathered in a pavilion under tight security.

First I would like to talk about our government. We are responsible to protect all the people living in our country. We will solve all the problems to have peace and stability.  Just cooperate with us, and return. In order to return, you should do so in a systematic fashion, he said, speaking in Burmese.

Aye approached some of the refugees and assured them he was addressing their problems.

Abdul Haque, 5, started crying as Aye put his hand on the boys head, causing his mother to cry as well.

The minister asked him about his father. His father, Yousuf, was slaughtered, Minara Begum told BenarNews.

We sympathize with you

Aung Tun Thet, chief coordinator of the Myanmar governments Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine, told the group Myanmar wants all the people to come back.

In addressing the group, he used neither the term Rohingya, an ethnicity not officially recognized in Myanmar, nor the derogatory term many there substitute for it, Bengali.

We will start working to accept you as fast as possible. We understand you have many difficulties and we sympathize with you too. ... Please, those who want to return home, work together with us. But we do not suggest you to come back by force. Please return by your own will, he said.

Afterward, Aye told reporters that the hour-long meeting with refugees had been a success and added, The most important thing is to start the repatriation process as soon as possible.

Some participants gave a different account of the interaction.

He told us that we have to go to the camps in Arakan. If so, why will we go there? We want to get back to our homes, Rohingya man Zahid Hossain told BenarNews, using another term for Rakhine state.

Participant Taslima Begum claimed that the minister did not listen to them.

They only talked. They have not heard us. What is the sense of coming here? she asked.

Denier of genocide

Earlier, as Aye and his entourage headed toward the pavilion to meet the Rohingya under police escort, a group of men, women and children suddenly appeared along the path.

Some of the protesters unfurled a banner calling him a collaborator in and denier of genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, and chanted calls for justice. Police tried to disperse them, but others, including children, joined the protest.

This man is one of the people responsible for our sufferings. He safely passed by us without listening to us. We do not want to see him here, protester Mohammad Idris told BenarNews.

They killed our brothers, fathers, children and husbands. Now, he has come to show us sympathy. We protest his visit, said another demonstrator, Mahmuda Begum.

The situation turned tense as police shouted and snatched a mobile phone and refugees attacked the officer-in-charge of Ukhia police station, Abul Khayer. Other police, armed with batons, started striking protesters, forcing them to leave the area.

Closed-door meeting

Aye and the dozen members of his entourage landed in Coxs Bazar around 10 a.m. after arriving in Bangladesh hours earlier.

Police and Bangladeshs Rapid Action Battalion provided tight security on his trip to the Kutupalong camp in Ukhia, a sub-district of Coxs Bazar. All shops near the camp entrance were closed and police blocked areas to prohibit Rohingya from gathering.

After arriving, Aye and Thet met behind closed doors with officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration and other stakeholders.

Bangladeshs refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam gave a presentation focusing on the challenges Bangladesh faces because of the influx of about 700,000 refugees since August 2017. At that time, members of the insurgent group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) allegedly attacked Myanmar police and army posts, provoking a military crackdown on the Rohingya concentrated in the Rakhine state.

Aye did not say much during the meeting, which BenarNews attended, while Thet answered questions about Myanmars plan for the refugees.

Without using the term Rohingya, he said his country was not only focusing on return of the people, but was looking at ways to make their return sustainable.

Thet said the group came to Bangladesh to let refugees know what preparations are being made for their return, adding that returnees would be taken to a reception center and then relocated. He told the meeting that Myanmar as not setting up camps to house the Rohingya.

He also spoke about what he said were misconceptions tied to Myanmars national verification card (NVC), adding the returnees must accept an NVC as a first step before applying for citizenship.

The Rohingya see the NVC as unnecessary, a Bangladeshi diplomat told BenarNews.

The displaced Myanmar nationals do not want to take the NVC; they demand citizenship as their forefathers had been Burmese citizens, Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury told BenarNews after the meeting.

Chowdhury said Aye was scheduled to meet in Dhaka with Bangladeshs foreign and home ministers on Thursday.

In November 2017, the two countries agreed to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to Rakhine state. The deal called for the process to begin in late January, but the two countries have yet to repatriate any Rohingya.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh authorities gave their counterparts a list of 8,000 Rohingya for verification by Myanmar. Only a few hundred had been authorized to return and none have started the process.
Gerindra Party leader Prabowo Subianto (right) rides horses with Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo at Prabowos home in West Java, Oct. 31, 2016.

Indonesias main opposition party on Wednesday officially endorsed Prabowo Subianto for the 2019 presidential election, setting up a possible rematch of the 2014 race won by Joko Jokowi Widodo.

Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) announced the endorsement during its national coordination meeting in West Java attended by leaders of other political parties that could potentially support Prabowos candidacy.

As long as I get the trust from Gerindra, I will do it. With all my energy, with all my soul and body! Prabowo said in accepting the endorsement.

Party secretary general Ahmad Muzani said Prabowo has strong support from party leaders for the April 17, 2019, election.

They convey the aspirations of constituents who want Prabowo to run, Muzani said.

He dismissed concerns that Prabowo is not a strong candidate based on losing to Jokowi four years ago.

Jokowi, who defeated Prabowo by more than 6 percentage points in the popular vote, has received but has not officially accepted the endorsement of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Potential support from other parties

Gerindra falls 39 seats short of meeting the requirement of filling at least 112 seats in the 560-seat DPR (House of Representatives). Other parties have signaled potential support for Prabowos candidacy, including two Islam-based political parties, National Mandate Party (PAN), which has 49 seats; and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which has 40 seats.

PANs Chairman Zulkifli Hasan and Honorary Council Chairman Amien Rais, along with PKS President Sohibul Iman and Secretary General Mustafa Kamal, attended the meeting.

Jokowis coalition represents 290 DPR seats through a combination of 109 from PDI-P, 91 from Golkar Party and dozens from the United Development Party, Nasdem Party and Hanura Party.

Like an old movie, analysts say

Some analysts questioned the nomination.

Pangi Syarwi Chaniago, executive director of the Jakarta-based Voxpol Center Research and Consulting, said Prabowos candidacy can be a setback for Gerindra.

Because we can say that people are tired already, he told BenarNews, adding he predicts a repeat of the 2014 election.

Prabowo is like an old movie and it is not interesting to watch again, he said.

Yunarto Wijaya, a political analyst with the Jakarta-based Charta Politika, offered a similar opinion.

Prabowos electability is still below Jokowis, which is around 65 percent to 70 percent, he said.

Prabowo, a retired general and a former son-in-law of former President Suharto, the late dictator who ruled 32 years, has faced alleged human rights violations during his military career.

A former Kopassus commander, Prabowos forces were accused of killing civilians in Dili, the capital of East Timor, in 1983, according to Human Rights Watch. He also was accused of abducting a couple of pro-democracy student activists in 1998.

He has denied both allegations.
A tattered Philippine flag flutters near the dome of the destroyed Grand Mosque in downtown Marawi as a lone soldier stands guard, April 7, 2018.

Updated at 2:59 p.m. ET on 2018-04-11

President Rodrigo Duterte has told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Philippine soldiers used China-made rifles in killing militant leader Isnilon Hapilon in October while ending a five-month siege of southern Marawi city, a claim discredited in the past.

Duterte met Xi briefly for bilateral talks Tuesday on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan, China, during which the two leaders discussed cooperation efforts in broad terms, a statement from the Philippine leaders office said Wednesday.

Duterte assured Xi of his countrys fullest cooperation in fighting terrorism, and emphasized the two countries growing bilateral ties. These have been on the mend following a bitter spat spurred by overlapping claims over several islands in the South China Sea.

Duterte underscored that bilateral relations had been promoted to a higher level of friendship, the Philippine presidential palace said.

Duterte expressed his gratitude to Xi for Beijings help in ending the Marawi siege, explaining that China had supplied the sniper rifle used to shoot dead Hapilon  the leader of the Philippine branch of the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

It spelled the difference between victory and defeat, at least on a shorter term, that we are able to put down the terroristic activities that have perpetuated in Marawi, Duterte said, according to the palace transcript.

Duterte noted that it was a Chinese rifle that killed Isnilon Hapilon, the number one terrorist in the Marawi siege.

How and where Duterte was basing his account, however, was not clear. China donated more than 6,000 rifles in two shipments in June and October last year, but the firearms were sent to the police, not the military, which spearheaded the assault in Marawi.

The Philippine Armys 8th Scout Ranger unit had earlier given a detailed account of the operation that led to Hapilons death. They claimed he was felled by a heavier weapon mounted on a military vehicle. The rangers did not specify whether they used Chinese-made weapons.

Spokesmen for Duterte, as well as the military, were not immediately available to comment.

In China, Duterte also told Xi that his government would like the fullest cooperation with Beijing in battling transnational crime and terrorism.

China and the Philippines can do more to boost military and defense cooperation, Duterte said, citing a 2004 framework agreement on defense cooperation.

It was not clear, however, whether Duterte raised the issue of Marawis rehabilitation with Xi. A Chinese-led consortium had submitted a proposal to rebuild 250 hectares in Marawi, in areas where much of the heavy fighting was concentrated.

A technical team is currently evaluating the project proposal, costs and other details of the consortium led by the China State Construction Engineering Corp. LTD, according to the Task Force Bangon Marawi.

Hapilons pro-IS group, along with Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern fighters, held Marawi for five months beginning in May last year. More than 200,000 of the citys residents fled, as the IS-linked fighters carried out killings and held dozens hostage.

He was killed in late October, ending a battle that killed more than 1,200 people, most of them militants. But about 200 other fighters are believed to have escaped and sought refuge in other remote areas of the southern Philippines controlled by pro-IS extremist groups.

Since taking office in June 2016, Duterte has publicly shown his efforts to gravitate closer to China, while publicly chastising the United States, the countrys main supplier of military equipment and weapons, for what he called Washingtons hypocrisy and for treating the Philippines like a dog.

In January this year, Americas ambassador to Manila, Sung Kim, announced that the United States Agency for International Development had set aside another U.S. $6.6 million (332.3 million pesos), bringing to $20.9 million (more than 1 billion pesos) the total funds allocated to help Marawi residents recover from the vicious fighting that left the local economy in tatters.

Froilan Gallardo from Cagayan de Oro City contributed to this report.
Alleged members of the pro-Islamic State group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) hand over their rifles to regional army chief Maj. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, as police and local officials look on, during a news conference in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, April 11, 2018.

At least 13 pro-Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in three days of sporadic clashes that displaced hundreds of families in remote towns in the southern Philippines, the military said Wednesday.

Artillery and ground operations against members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were raging in the remote towns of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Datu Saudin Ampatuan, Datu Salibo, Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak, officials said.

The BIFF, a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), has pledged allegiance to the IS, but has not sent fighters to the southern city of Marawi, which has been reduced to rubble last year after five months of gun battles and airstrikes that killed 1,200 people, mostly militants.

Capt. Arvin Encinas, local army spokesman, said nine other BIFF fighters also surrendered amid the heavy gun battles, which began on April 9. Two government soldiers were also wounded in the fighting, he said.

We have two militants dead based on our troops information, while our civilian intelligence units reported 11 enemy deaths, Encinas said. Their identities are still being validated on the ground.

The military said it was checking whether among those killed were BIFF commanders Kagi Karialan, who was the original target of the offensives, and Abu Turaife, a man believed by Filipino intelligence operatives as the likely new IS leader in the southern region following the death of Isnilon Hapilon in Marawi.

Militants led by Hapilon  the acknowledged Filipino leader of IS Philippines  took over Marawi and engaged security forces in five months of vicious fighting that ended in October after Hapilon along with several Filipino militant leaders were killed in a clash.

Maj. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, regional military commander, on Tuesday said troops also recovered some 20 rifles used by the gunmen in the latest three days of clashes.

We have captured their two lairs. Our troops utilized all available air assets, artillery, as well as armor assets in support of the ground operations of the different field units, Dela Vega said.

We will continue our pursuit of terror groups like the BIFF that threaten the peace and security of communities, he said.

Encinas said the nine BIFF fighters surrendered through the MILF, the countrys largest insurgent force that signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014.

Officials said about 405 families have been displaced in the operations.

Mark Navales in Cotabato City contributed to this story.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 86F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
- Located in Guwahati.

- First sub-dealership in North East India and in the country.

- Will provide test rides, after sales support and accept bookings.

Indian Motorcycle has inaugurated their first touch point in North East India in Guwahati, Assam. Called the Indian Motorcycle Riders Stop, it is also the first such facility for the manufacturer in the country.

The facility is located at Precision Powersports, House No. 7, Pankaj Nagar Hatigaon Road. The IMRS is a sub-dealership that will provide test rides, after sales support and will also accept bookings. It will also retail Indian Motorcycle accessories and apparel.

The IMRS is part of the manufacturers expansion plans in India which currently has 10 dealerships across the country. With the opening of this facility, Indian Motorcycles aims to increase their presence in the country and plans on following suit with other cities as well.

The American manufacturer recently dropped prices of its entire range by up to Rs 3 lakhs. The move is a result of the reduced duties applicable on CBU motorcycles from 75 per cent to 50 per cent.
Dr. Renu Swarup also holds charge of Managing Director, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

Dr Renu Swarup has been appointed as the Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) after Prof K Vijay Raghavan. She had been previously serving as the Senior Adviser to DBT. After his retirement as DBT Secretary, Prof Vijay Raghavan has been appointed as the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

Dr. Renu Swarup also holds charge of Managing Director, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) incorporated by the Government of India to nurture and promote innovation research in the Biotech Enterprise with special focus on Start-ups and SMEs. Through Biotechnology translational research and industry academia partnerships she has supported more than 1000 Start-ups and Entrepreneurs and nearly 500 small companies for innovation research and product development.

A PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding, Dr. Renu Swarup completed her Post Doctoral at The John Innes Centre, Norwich UK, under Commonwealth Scholarship and returned to India to take up the assignment of a Science Manager in the DBT, Ministry of Science and Technology, in 1989.

As a Science Manager, issues related to policy planning and implementations are a part of her assignment. She was actively engaged in formulation of the Biotechnology Vision in 2001, National Biotechnology Development Strategy in 2007 and Strategy II, 2015-20 as the Member Secretary of the Expert Committee.
Akshay Tritiya 2021: Execute Your Plans For Assured Success Festivals oi-Staff

Akshaya Tritiya 2018:         | Boldsky

Here comes one of the most awaited festivals of not only India but also Nepal, not only for the Hindus but also for the Jains, and not only for one reason but for many.

Significance Of Akshay Tritiya

Lord Parashuram was born on this day. He was the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Lord Parashuram is worshipped by the Vaishnavites. The day is also known as Parashuram Jayanti. This year the festival will be celebrated on 14 May.

On the same day, many also worship Vasudeva avatar of Lord Vishnu as well.

Also on the same day, Maharishi Ved Vyas had begun reciting the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha. Mata Madhura was married to Lord Sundresha, the incarnation of Lord Shiva on this day.

And in Jainism, the day is considered to be the one on which Lord Rishabhdeva had broken his month-long fast.

Auspiciousness Of The Day

Akshay Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, falling on 18th April, 2018, is a festival celebrated with immense religious fervor. Every year, it falls on the third day that is on Shukla Paksh of the Vaishakh month. This year, there is the Sarvasiddhi Yog, which lasts 24 hours, done on this day. The last time this yoga was witnessed was 11 years back.

This day is known for its importance and also because it is believed to be a highly auspicious day. It is believed that the day carries Aboojh muhurt, that is, it is considered auspicious for every new task that you'd want to begin. Ranging from purchasing gold and property to starting new businesses and marriages, the day is believed to be very auspicious. For the marriages scheduled on this day, there is no need of getting the horoscopes matched. The effect of the Grahas or the planets automatically gets reduced this day.

Along with this, people even consider this day for fasting. They observe a day-long fast and pray for the well-being of their families.

Girls fast on this day for the well-being of their beloveds. Women pray for the good health of their life partners. Many even pray for the peace of the departed souls.

Fasting

If you want to observe a fast on this day, this should be the procedure for that, which is as mentioned below.

Get up early before sunrise and take a bath. This early morning bath is called the Brahma Snaan. One should wear yellow clothes on this day. Thereafter, a puja before the idol of Lord Vishnu has to be performed.

One can offer gangajal, tulsi, yellow flowers, dhoop, deep and sweets to the deity. Thereafter, the prasad can be distributed. Sprouts and fruits can be given as prasad.
Family members of a man brutally murdered in Brandon had to excuse themselves from a courtroom on Tuesday as the victims final breaths played out on a video captured by a security camera mounted in the hallway outside of his apartment.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 11/4/2018 (1268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Family members of a man brutally murdered in Brandon had to excuse themselves from a courtroom on Tuesday as the victims final breaths played out on a video captured by a security camera mounted in the hallway outside of his apartment.

The silence of the video was jarring as Bradley Dean Harriss lips can be seen moving as he screams for help, while his former partner of 22 years, Corinne April McKay, beats him to the ground with a folding camping chair.

CHARLES TWEED/THE BRANDON SUN Ann Marie Green speaks with Brandon Sun court reporter Erin Debooy on Tuesday following the sentencing of a woman who pleaded guilty to killing Green's brother Brad Harris. Green is surrounded by Jesse Green, who is Brad's nephew and is recording the conversation and Richard Harris, who is Brad's brother.

Harris, who only had one leg and wasnt wearing his prosthetic, struggles to push himself against the wall while simultaneously holding his arms up to protect himself. He tries a couple of times to grab the chair from McKay and stop her from swinging it, and in response she starts kicking him in the side.

McKay then disappears to Harriss apartment for a moment and returns with silver 13-inch blade, stabbing Harris a couple of times until he lies still. Harris suffered a fatal stab wound to his left chest, which cut into his aorta. He also received a defensive stab wound that went right through his left forearm.

McKay can be seen stepping over Harris to go back into his apartment while neighbours nervously try to come to the mans aid, only to back away when she emerges again, still holding the knife in her hand.

"She came out of the apartment and said, Yeah, help him, and they felt intimidated  (one witness) said he heard Ms. McKay say to the deceased as he was lying there You deserved it," Crown attorney James Ross told the Brandon Court of Queens Bench.

"She didnt put the knife down until police arrived and she made no effort to help the deceased."

McKay pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in November. On Tuesday, Justice Robert Cummings sentenced her to life in prison, with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Holding up a photo of Harris in the direction of McKays seat in court, family members took turns reading out their victim impact statements  describing Harris as a kind, loving man with a good sense of humour, who was looking forward to a promising future creating his artwork.

"When I think of Brad and how he was murdered, I feel deep sadness, anger, loneliness, fear, hate  the emotions I feel change constantly," said Ann Marie Green, Harriss sister.

"I try to remember him laughing and joking  because I know thats how Brad would want to be remembered  but its always images of Brads painful, horrific and brutal death that take control and replay over and over in my mind."

Harriss killing was motivated by jealousy, Ross said, as well as McKays inability to accept that their relationship was over.

In the months leading up to his death, on March 16, 2015, McKay and Harris had separated from their common-law relationship, and Harris had told his family they were making that separation final despite McKay not wanting the relationship to formally end, Ross said.

Harris was living alone at Westman Youth for Christs U-Turn project home on the 100 block of Fifth Street, and McKay would frequently show up uninvited, sometimes letting herself in with his passcode before smashing his artwork inside, Ross said.

At one point, police had come to his apartment searching for a gun, Ross said, and Harris told his family he suspected McKay had reported something to police.

His suspicions were correct, Ross said, as McKay reported to police that Harris kept a rifle by his front door and had told her "He was not afraid to use it." She also told police he was "using crack."

Police found no gun, no evidence there had ever been a gun, nor did they find evidence of any drug use in the home, Ross said.

"There was no evidence to support those claims 10 days before his murder," Ross said.

During the same time frame, Harris had befriended a young woman 30 years his junior and maintained a non-romantic relationship with her, Ross said.

On one afternoon, McKay let herself into Harriss apartment while the younger woman was visiting for tea, and was quite upset to find her there, Ross said.

"Im drunk, I caught my hubby with a woman. I havent drunk in 10 years," McKay wrote in a Facebook message to her cousin two weeks before Harriss murder.

Additional Facebook messages detail McKays obsession with their relationship, her anger, and her mental instability, Ross said.

"I think I might be having a breakdown or something," McKay wrote in another Facebook message the day before the killing. "I think I might have to admit myself to the hospital."

Due to these messages, the Crown got an early forensic order and McKay was seen by a Crown forensic psychiatrist almost right after the event, Ross said, in which she was determined to be criminally responsible.

The forensic psychiatrist did find that McKay struggled with some mental health issues, defence lawyer Zilla Jones told the court, and that she most likely did experience some sort of a breakdown or disassociation due to trauma.

McKay was surrounded by violence and alcohol abuse all her life, experiencing physical, sexual and emotional abuse as a child, Jones added.

While in custody, McKay has participated in every program she can in order to better herself, Jones said, and has expressed significant remorse for her actions.

"She certainly has had a very difficult time with the aftermath of this offence," Jones said. "She still had a lot of love for Mr. Harris."

In a letter to the court read out by Jones, McKay apologized to the court and Harriss family for her "dreadful offence."

"If I were able to trade places with him, I would  without any hesitation," McKay said through her lawyer. "I will live the rest of my life in shame, remorse, guilt and loneliness."

In speaking with The Brandon Sun outside the courthouse, Green said that although she feels relieved the sentencing is over, the family has yet to find closure.

"I would still like to have seen her charged with first-degree murder  What she actually committed was first degree murder of a disabled, defenceless man," Green said. "Thats something that should have been stressed more strongly, about how disabled he was  he didnt have a chance."

The family came to Brandon and attended every court hearing, Green said, adding she travels from British Columbia while other family members drive in from Winnipeg.

"We still havent put Brads ashes away yet. We were waiting for this court sentence to be over. So now we can lay him to rest, too," said Richard Harris, Brads older brother. "Its been a long three years. We all put our lives on hold."

Green said the family is planning on having a summer get-together to celebrate Harriss life and start healing.

"Brad was always happy, always in an upbeat mood  nothing ever got him down," his sister said. "He always saw the positive and had a great sense of humour ... He had a big heart."

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
Chinese company Sanpower Group has announced that it has created a pathway for premium Chinese brands to enter the global market through House of Fraser.

The new supply chain programme was launched at the first Sanpower Global Supplier Conference in Nanjing, China yesterday.

The global supply chain management platform aims to spur local premium brands and products to expand into new markets. The initiative supports the Chinese Government's 'Belt and Road' vision, which is designed to boost trade and stimulate economic growth across Asia and beyond.

Under the programme, the new Sanpower Supply Chain and Branding Management Centre will undertake and manage House of Fraser's trade orders, increasing the breadth and depth of in-house products and shorten product development cycle and delivery.

Kong Jun, Sanpower's New Commerce Industry Group CEO, said: "This is a great platform for premium Chinese products to reach the UK and further afield across Europe.

Chinese manufacturing has transformed in recent years from extensive processing and production into a new era marked by independent designs, proprietary brands and innovation."

A House of Fraser's UK Global Product Sourcing spokesman, said: "The traditional image associated with Made in China is changing. Increasing numbers of high-quality Chinese products are becoming popular with British and European consumers.

"Once these products enter House of Fraser's sales channel, they will be able to access Europe and the greater global market, given quality and credit endorsement from House of Fraser."

- Press Association
Changes in Irish alcohol labelling law will create cross-border barriers for the drinks trade, the industry has warned.

Reforms include proposals for mandatory cancer warnings and a requirement that health information takes up at least one third of the label.

The Ireland Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, which is currently before the Dail, would require businesses to produce bespoke descriptions for alcohol products sold in the Republic.

Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill said: "The Republic of Ireland is the key export market for the majority of Northern Ireland's alcohol producers.

"If the Irish Government introduces this particular element of its planned legislation, it would represent a significant impediment to the growth of those businesses, including a number of craft distillers.

"With the challenges that Brexit has created and the commitment to regulatory alignment in key areas, it is incumbent on all parties to ensure that they do not create new barriers to trade on the island of Ireland."

He urged the Irish Government, the UK and the EU to ensure that policy introduced now and in future does not affect the free movement of goods across the island.

Northern Ireland has seen a resurgence in the number of microbrewers and small craft distillers in recent years.

Around 40 will be affected by legislation which the industry said would place a significant financial burden on their businesses by creating new barriers to trade on the island.

County Down-based Echlinville Distillery, which produces gin and whiskey, is concerned about the planned law.

Finance director Jarlath Watson said: "Our exports south of the border have played a major role in that success with our bottling, packaging and labelling systems being streamlined across all our markets and based on the long-standing premise that regulatory requirements within the EU will be aligned.

"The implementation of the Irish Government's planned legislation would require us to deliver a major upheaval to our production systems costing time and money, reducing our margins within a key export market and putting future job creation at risk.

"In short, it will create an unnecessary barrier to trade at a time of considerable uncertainty."

PA
Shares in LVMH  the Louis Vuitton, Moet, Christian Dior, and Hennessy Cognac group  hit record highs and the rally extended to its luxury goods rivals, after it signalled strong momentum with better-than-expected first quarter sales growth.

The upbeat start to the year for LVMH, the industrys biggest company, sets an encouraging tone for peers and points to enduring demand from Chinese consumers, which sustained strong earnings at many luxury firms last year.

Trade tensions between the US and China, meanwhile, could have a knock-on effect on the sector if they hurt Chinese consumer sentiment, analysts at BNP Paribas said earlier this week.

LVMH, which derives the biggest slice of sales from its mega-brand Louis Vuitton, reported a 13% sales rise from a year earlier on a like-for-like basis, which strips out currency swings and sales and acquisitions. That beat expectations for an increase of around 9 percent in the January to March period.

LVMH shares surged 4.5%, valuing the group at almost 138.2bn.

The shares of its French rival Kering, owner of Italian fashion brand Gucci, also briefly touched record highs at 54bn, while Britains Burberry also rose, valuing it at over 8.2bn.

LVMHs results confirm the ongoing strong underlying trends in the market, analysts at Berenberg said in a note.

Rebounding Asian appetite for luxury goods, especially from a younger generation of shoppers comfortable with buying big-ticket items online, is a major motor for the industry.

But headwinds still lurk and investors have been seeking reassurance that the sectors revival was not running out of steam, especially as earnings comparisons against a strong 2017 may not be as favourable.

A strong euro is still a disadvantage, as it can put off foreign shoppers and can hurt sales made in other currencies and converted back into euros.

Currencies had a 10% negative impact on LVMHs sales in the first quarter, more than some analysts had expected, although some added that the company should be able to mitigate this risk in future by hiking prices.

 Reuters, additional reporting Irish Examiner
Broker Samsung Securities woes deepened as South Koreas biggest pension fund stopped using the broker to trade stocks in the wake of a fat finger error that has prompted a huge public outcry and calls for change in the industry.

Anger over the accidental issuance of 2.8 billion shares to employees  more than 30 times the number of its outstanding shares and theoretically worth some 80 billion, has only gained momentum after it was discovered that 16 workers quickly sold off shares.

Authorities have launched an investigation into Samsung Securities, the countrys fourth-biggest broker by market value, as well as into the stock trading across the sector.

Samsung should quickly recognise this situation as a crisis. This is not just a problem of 16 employees, it is a company and industry-wide issue, said Kim Tae-gi, an economics professor at Dankook University.

The company issued the shares in error last week when it was supposed to pay dividends to employees under a stock ownership plan, with a worker entering shares into a computer.

It took the firm 37 minutes to realise the error and halt trading by its employees.

During that time, some employees sold off the stocks mistakenly given, ignoring warnings from the company, the Financial Supervisory Service said. Since then, Samsung Securities stock has lost 10%, wiping about 270m from its market value.

An official with the National Pension Service, the worlds third-biggest pension fund, declined to disclose the volume of the funds stock trading done through Samsung.

It had 136 trillion won (103bn) of its assets invested in the local stock market as of January.

The fund will continue to outsource fund management to Samsung until regulators announce results of the ongoing investigation, the official added.

The Financial Supervisory Service urged domestic brokerages to strengthen their internal control systems and work to rebuild investor trust, saying the error was a massive shock but also an opportunity to build a solid trading environment.

Over the last three days, more than 200,000 people have signed a petition on the presidential Blue Houses website, calling for employees who sold off the shares to be severely punished.

Separately, Samsung SDI has said it would sell shares worth 582 billion won in affiliate Samsung C&T Corp to resolve cross-shareholding ties and secure funds for investment.

The announcement comes after the countrys antitrust agency said in December that SDI would have to sell Samsung C&T shares in order to comply with stricter guidelines on cross-shareholdings.

Reuters
Dancing with the Stars host Amanda Byram has shared a series of photos online to celebrate her wedding anniversary, writes Sally Gorman.

The 44-year-old took to social media app Instagram to share a string of photos with her 60k followers and she looked just as good as you'd expect.
A market which has been held every Saturday for the last 100 years in Dublin city centre is under threat of being shut down.

Dublin City Council is not expected to renew licences for Cumberland Street traders, because of problems with illegal trading and waste management.
By David Raleigh

Update 9.10pm: A man had a miraculous escape after his car was impaled with a large rod in a horrific two-car collision, in Co Limerick. Wednesday.

The man, aged in his early 30s, was driving a navy blue BMW which was in a collision with a light blue Opel car, gardai said.

The large rod  believed to have been part of one of the vehicles impact bars  sheared through the mans car above a front wheel, before it came to a rest, wedged underneath the steering wheel at the drivers seat.

The man was airlifted from the scene by an Irish Air Corps air ambulance to University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

It is believed the man suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the Opel, a woman in her early 20s, was brought to UHL by an HSE ambulance.

Her condition is believed to be stable.

Both drivers were being treated for severe shock.

Theyre lucky to be alive by the looks of it. They were both cut out of the wreckage by the fire service, said a source.

The roofs of both cars had to be cut out in order to extract the two casualties, they added.

A Garda spokesman said the incident occurred at around 4.20pm on the Newcastle West to Dromcollogher Road (R522), a short distance from Dromcollogher village.

Gardai said they believed both drivers were being treated for "non life threatening" injuries.

Two HSE ambulances and two units of Newcastle West Fire Service attended the scene.

The road was closed and traffic diversions put in place before the scene reopened Wednesday night.

Gardai at Newcastle West are investigating the collision.

They have appealed for witnesses to contact them on 069-20650.

Earlier: Appeal for witnesses after man airlifted to hospital following two-car crash in Limerick

By David Raleigh

Update 7.40pm: A man was airlifted to hospital this evening after sustaining injuries in a two-car collision in Co Limerick.

The man, aged in his 30s, was driving a vehicle which was in a collision with another car, driven by a woman in her early 20s, gardai said.

The incident occurred at around 4.20pm on the Newcastle West to Dromcollogher Road (R522), a short distance from Dromcollogher.

Gardai said both casualties were taken to University Hospital Limerick for "non life threatening" injuries.

The man was airlifted to hospital by the Irish Air Corps air ambulance.

Two HSE ambulances and two units of Newcastle West Fire Service also attended the scene.

The road was closed and traffic diversions put in place.

Gardai at Newcastle West have appealed for witnesses to contact them on 069-20650.

Earlier: Air ambulance requested to attend two-car collision in Limerick

By David Raleigh

Update 6.30pm: The Irish Air Corps air ambulance has been requested to attend the scene of a serious two-car collision in Co Limerick this evening, gardai said.

The two-car collision occurred shortly before 5pm, a few kilometres outside Dromcollogher, along the Newcastle West to Feoghanagh road.

Gardai said a man and a woman who were the drivers of both vehicles, were injured, however their injuries, while believed to be serious, are not thought to be life-threatening.

There are no reports of any other persons involved in the collision.

Gardai said the road has been closed and diversions have been put in place.

Two HSE ambulances and two units of the Newcastle West Fire Service are attending the scene.
The father of a man murdered by loyalist paramilitaries has said victims have been "betrayed" by politicians, 20 years after the Good Friday peace agreement.

Raymond McCord's son Raymond Jnr was beaten to death by the Ulster Volunteer Force in North Belfast in 1997 and his body left in a quarry.

He alleged those behind this week's events marking the 1998 landmark deal which largely ended the Troubles were frightened of hearing the truth.

"I think it has been an absolute disgrace, it has really annoyed me.

"These events have been full of political people, middle-class people and academics."

A conference at Queen's University Belfast yesterday brought together Agreement architects ex-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US President Bill Clinton, former talks chairman George Mitchell and former political leaders in Northern Ireland.

Mr Clinton, Mr Blair and other political leaders have explicitly referred to victims of the conflict during anniversary events.

There is a degree of accord between the DUP and Sinn Fein on dealing with the legacy of the 30-year conflict but efforts to restore the devolved powersharing institutions have foundered over an Irish language Act.

Mr McCord has declined an invitation to a conference at Queen's next month.

He said: "These events have practically excluded victims from Northern Ireland, I am not talking about victims from the unionist community, this is all victims.

"Twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement victims have been betrayed by politicians."

He is pressing for an inquest into his son's death, adding: "Why should we be doing this 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement?"

The victims' campaigner voted against the Agreement in 1998 because of the early release of prisoners.

He said: "Certainly these days are better now for the majority of people but for those that suffered nothing has changed for us, we are still having to fight for justice."

He also criticised aspects of this week's loyalist announcement that the paramilitaries would support the rule of law.

"The whole week has been a disgrace for victims, it has just been a repeat of what has happened over the years.

They are all telling us what to do and what is best for us.

He claimed the main victims' issues had been ignored.

"Why don't they sit down with ordinary working-class people like myself?

"What is the Government and organisers frightened of?

"Why are they frightened of victims sitting on a panel, they don't want the truth to be said, they are frightened."

- PA
Update - 11.05am: A former captain of Ireland and the Lions has told the 'Today with Sean O'Rourke' programme on RTE Radio 1 that Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding should be "back to doing what they do best and that is playing rugby".

Paddy Jackson, 26, and Stuart Olding, 25, were unanimously acquitted in Belfast Crown Court last month of raping the same woman at a party at Jackson's south Belfast home in June 2016. Jackson was also found not guilty of sexual assault.

Today, a Belfast court is to consider whether reporting restrictions imposed during the Belfast rape trial should now be lifted.

Also today, an ad was placed in the Belfast Telegraph calling for Jackson and Olding to be reinstated to the Ulster rugby team.

Willie John McBride, President of the Official Supporters Club of Ulster Rugby, said this morning that while he does not know the men at all, he felt that it was time they were allowed back to the game, having been found not guilty.

He said: "As far as I'm concerned, these young men have learned their lesson. It's time they got back to doing what they do best and that is playing rugby."

We've all done silly things.

The former Ireland international told Sean O'Rourke that, while he does not understand WhatsApp, he found it very sad and silly that they got involved in this.

"There's no question about it', Mr McBride said "that these WhatsApp messages brought the game into disrepute".

When put to Mr McBride the amount of alcohol taken by Olding, he laughed saying "he's some drinker", before adding that he did not believe that that was the amount he had that night, even though that was the evidence given.

Mr McBride, referring to past Lions Tour controversies that were not taken as seriously or given the same amount of exposure, then said: "Alcohol is one of the biggest problems in all of these things."

He also said that Ulster Rugby should not have to apologise for the behaviour of the two men, but they should be reprimanded.

Willie John McBride.

He said: "You can't be held responsible for their conduct in off-time, if you want to put it that way.

However, he said that they both conducted themselves very well while on camera every day throughout the trial.

He said: "They carried themselves very well through that, hopefully people will see that these are not bad young men."

6.26am: Court to consider reporting restrictions as new ad calls for Jackson and Olding to be reinstated

A Belfast court is to due to consider whether reporting restrictions imposed during the Belfast rape trial should now be lifted.

The move comes as an advertisement has been placed in today's Belfast Telegraph calling for Ulster Rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding to be reinstated.

Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were acquitted of raping the same woman at Jackson's home in Belfast in June 2016.

However, the media were banned from reporting on legal arguments that took place in the absence of the jury.

A hearing on whether that order should be lifted is due to be heard today before the trial judge Patricia Smyth.

An advertisement placed in today's Belfast Telegraph and funded by more than 100 supporters, described the backlash against the men as "cyber prosecution".

Morning readers! Stay with @beltel for all your breaking news. Here's a look at the front page of the Belfast Telegraph this morning pic.twitter.com/3ccwSj8Y14  Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) April 11, 2018

It follows a similar crowdfunded campaign in the paper last week calling for the players to be sacked.

- Digital Desk
Seven public representatives received donations that exceeded 600 last year.

Under the Standards in Public Office legislation, public representatives may not accept donations of more than 200 in cash or 1,000 from a single source and must disclose donations exceeding 600 from a single source.

SIPO says that all public representatives complied with these requirements, but some filed returns after the deadline.

The seven representatives who were required to disclose their donations were Fianna Fail's James Lawless, Micheal Martin, Michael McGrath and Darragh O'Brien, Fine Gael's Kate O'Connell, Labour's Alan Kelly and Padraig MacLochlainn from Sinn Fein.

The disclosed donations they got came to 6,360 in total.

In 2017, 229 public representatives were required to make donation statements by January 31, 2018. They were 158 TDs, 60 Senators and 11 MEPs.

There were no donations disclosed that exceeded the maximum limit of 1,000.

- Digital Desk
By Ann O'Loughlin

A solicitor who admitted professional misconduct, including giving false information to a financial institution to help his sister obtain a mortgage, has been struck off by the High Court.

Patrick E Callanan (53), formerly practising in Wells & O'Carroll Solicitors, Main Street, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, had in 2015 been prevented from practising as a solicitor for ten years by the court after he admitted providing false certificates in relation to the earnings and employment of his sister to Permanent TSB in 2004.

He also admitted giving multiple solicitor's undertakings to lending institutions registering first charge in their favour in relation to a property in Carrickmacross.

Mr Callanan, who wanted to remain on the Roll of Solicitors on his undertaking not to practise again, appealed the 2015 High Court decision to ban him from practising for ten years. He argued the court had no jurisdiction to impose such a ban.

The Court of Appeal found in his favour and sent the matter back to the High Court for reconsideration

The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, rejected Mr Callanan's plea not to strike him off on the basis that he would never practise again.

Mr Callanan, who has not practised since 2009, obtained alternative employment in 2015 assisting a government department to organise a new programme. He said if he was struck off this employment might come under threat or cause difficulties in advancing his new career.

He said there was a stigma attached to being a struck-off solicitor and believed lesser sanction was sufficient to maintain confidence in the solicitors' profession.

Mr Justice Kelly said to refuse to strike him off would be to "endorse the notion he is a fit and proper person to remain on the Roll."

While Mr Callanan had sold off property in China he had bought to ensure there was no financial loss, including to his partner in the Wells and O'Carroll legal firm, the judge also said the case involved "serial acts of dishonesty", were premeditated, and were protracted over a number of years.

He had provided the false certificates for his sister because he said he was under extreme emotional pressure to assist her in buying a property following her return from the USA in 2004, the judge said.

This might be explained by a "misplaced sense of loyalty" to his sister but was nonetheless dishonest, the judge said.

A Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) had correctly characterised the misuse of multiple undertakings to financial institutions on the same property as the more serious matter, the judge said.

The SDT had recommended he be given only a limited practising certificate, but the Law Society wanted him struck off when the case first came before the High Court in 2015. Then High Court president Nicholas Kearns instead imposed the ten-year ban which was appealed.

In his decision, Mr Justice Kelly said he also did not believe the SDT recommendation should be followed. He took into account Mr Callanan's efforts to ensure nobody suffered financial loss.

He also took into account his age, that he had not practised for ten years, the possible effects on his future career if struck off, and his perpetual undertaking not to practise again.

He was fully conscious of the necessity to ensure the penalty was proportionate and appropriate but, notwithstanding arguments made on Mr Callanan's behalf, "I am unable to conclude that he should not be struck off". It would be a disservice to the profession if his name remained on the Roll, he added.
Thirty out of 166 Garda Superintendents are under investigation by the Garda Ombudsman.

The Association of Garda Superintendents (AGS) says some of these are for their own alleged shortcomings, while others are investigated by association with their subordinates.

The AGS is also calling for a review of what additional resources will be needed in border areas in the event of a hard Brexit.

The Association of Garda Superintendents is holding its annual conference, where the focus is on the ever-increasing demands on members time.

They say that as many as 90% of GSOCs investigations are carried out by superintendents.

AGS President, Noel Cunningham, said it is a huge drain on their resources, as well as impacting on the independence of such investigations.

Supt Cunningham said: "It's unfair on the public who make complaints against a member of An Garda Siochana, because they expect an independent investigation to be carried out."

He also revealed that 30 out of the countrys 166 Superintendents are under investigation themselves.

He said: "We are in a new area of accountability which is very important, it is very important that superintendents are held to account for their stewardship.

"But it is very important that if we are held to account, that we are dealt with fairly in the process, and that's why GSOC needs to be resourced."

Another major area of concern is the challenges that Brexit will pose, with the AGS calling for a full review of what resources will be needed in the event of a hard border.

Supt Cunningham said: "It is criminality which will fund, we believe and will help to fund, dissident activity. So it is very important that we are in there early and we identify what kind of a policing model we need."

The Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan will be attending the conference this afternoon.

- Digital Desk
By Gordon Deegan

A motorist who was four times over the drink driving legal limit when he knocked down two musicians at Doolin in March 2015 has walked free from court.

In the case at Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Gerald Keys has imposed a six month suspended jail term on Graeme Griffin (30) of Doolin Village, Doolin.

Judge Keys also imposed a four year driving ban and a 500 fine on the tiler.

In the case, Mr Griffin pleaded guilty to drink driving and careless driving causing serious bodily harm to the two men, Liam Joyce (55) and Liam Lyons from Cork (39) on March 1st 2015.

In the incident, Mr Joyce from Burnfoot, Co Donegal, who suffered life changing injuries in the incident, told the court that he has no bad feelings towards Mr Griffin.

The collision took place just over the hump-back bridge that separates McGanns and McDermotts pubs in the Clare coastal village with the pedestrians coming from the direction of McGanns.

In sentencing, Judge Keys said that that Mr Griffin accepted that he made a serious error of judgement to driving on the night and apologised to his victims.

Judge Keys said that Mr Griffin has no previous convictions and has expressed remorse for his actions.

The judge said that the two victims were not wearing reflective gear at the time; that the night was very dark and wet and that Mr Griffin was travelling at 20km per hour.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Joyce said that he was grateful to be still alive from what he called the accident.

He said: I have a positive outlook on the future and I want to put all of this behind me and move on. I have no bad feelings towards Graeme Griffin and I hope that he has learned from his mistake.

In his statement, Mr Joyce said that he suffered compound fractures in his leg bones, the tibia and fibula.

He said that the year after the accident, he had six operations on his right leg. He said: My prognosis is that I am going to have arthritis in my right leg and its painful on a daily basis.

He added that he has an intermittent limp. He said: At the time of the accident, I was working but I havent worked since and its unlikely I will due to the severity of my injuries.

Mr Joyce said that he had no memory for two days after the accident.

He said: I spent the next eight weeks in three different hospitals and a nursing home as I was incapable of independent living.

Mr Joyce said that he had 12 pins inserted in the bone of his right leg. Mr Joyce said that he also had a bone graph due to a bone infection which stopped all the healing for a time.

Mr Joyce said that he sustained a fractured jaw in the Doolin incident. He said: I couldnt eat solids for eight weeksI still have permanent swelling on my right jaw.

Mr Griffins second road victim, Liam Lyons suffered a broken collar bone, severe bruising on his left leg and a broken bone in his right foot.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Lyons from Victoria Rd, Cork said: I would like to say that I dont wish Graeme Griffin any ill will. I know that he didnt do it intentionally.

The two victims have ongoing civil proceedings against Mr Griffin and counsel for Mr Griffin, Pat Whyms BL has stated that the two will be fully compensated in the civil cases.
Nearly 600 people are waiting for hospital beds today, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation's trolley watch.

The INMO says 595 patients are waiting on trolleys at hospitals nationwide today.

The hospitals with the highest numbers today are Cork University Hospital with 64, University Hospital Galway with 58 and 50 at University Hospital Limerick.

The INMO says overcrowding for the first three days of this week was 46% up on the same three days last year.

Their figures show for the first three days of this week, 1,718 patients were waiting in Emergency Departments and in overflow wards. For the same three days last year there were a total of 1,173 awaiting a bed.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: These figures confirm that hospitals cannot cope, the system is unable to manage patient flow and the burden is falling on nursing and medical staff who are forced to work in intolerable conditions.

Staff are constantly apologising to patients for the inhumane conditions in which they are forced to care for them and they cannot see any reprieve as we leave the winter period.

"We are now in the second week of April and the figures are getting higher."

Ms Ni Sheaghdha said the Government has to recognise that the health service is in crisis.

She said: "These numbers are the equivalent of three whole hospitals of patients for whom there are no beds. This is a national emergency inflicting indignity and unnecessary suffering on patients and subjecting nursing and medical and other staff to extraordinary health and safety risks.

"The INMO is again calling for the protocol applying to any emergency to be applied immediately. This should include utilisation of the private sector, cancellations of all elective day and inpatient procedures and concentration on de-escalation procedures.

"There must be an immediate focus on realistic recruitment and retention measures for nursing staff to prevent this situation continuing to deteriorate.
Israeli authorities are investigating how the Lord Mayor of Dublin Micheal Mac Donncha arrived in the country despite instructions to bar his entry.

Interior minister Arieh Deri ordered an inquiry after Mr Mac Donncha announced he was in the West Bank city of Ramallah for a conference after landing at Israel's Ben-Gurion airport.
By Louise Roseingrave

The family of a 24-year-old man who died after neglecting his diabetes have warned others to take greater care.

The parents of Graeme Skerrett, from Belgard Heights, Tallaght, Dublin 24 believe he died because he was not aware of how serious his condition was.

Graeme was a really popular lad, his friends loved him, he is missed," Graemes father Anthony Skerrett said.

We dont want anyone else to die like this.

"It is so important to look after this condition properly.

The young man, who loved GAA and worked at a hotel in Newlands Cross, died after his blood sugars rose to high levels because he was not taking his insulin.

He had been diagnosed as an insulin-dependent diabetic at age six, Dublin Coroners Court heard.

In the months leading up to his death he had been neglecting his condition, the court heard. He had experienced highs and lows but "nothing too extreme," his father said.

He was managing as he went along. He wasnt consistent. We were onto him, myself and his mother, encouraging him to get the insulin pump therapy but he didnt want the inconvenience of it, Mr Skerrett told the court.

He drove his son to a friends home on Sunday, September 18, 2016. It was the last time he saw him alive.

He was in good form. His plan was to come home that night or the next day he wasnt 100% sure, his father said.

The young man was socialising and drinking with friends that night and continued the following day.

On the following Tuesday, his breathing was laboured and he stayed in bed all day. A friend said he was not sure what he consumed that Tuesday, but he thought it was a bottle of coke and some water.

Friends tried to rouse him on Wednesday, September 21, but Graeme did not respond. An ambulance was called at 12.25pm and he was rushed to Tallaght Hospital where he arrived in cardiac arrest.

He was pronounced dead at 1.07pm. The cause of death was diabetic ketoacidosis according to a post-mortem report.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a potentially lethal condition. It is the result of diabetes going out of control, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said.

In order to use sugar, the body needs insulin. If theres no insulin, the body breaks down fat and the by-product of this is acid. As your blood becomes more acid, your system begins to break down, the coroner said.

Sugar lows are more commonly known than sugar highs, the coroner said, but highs are equally dangerous.

The problem with insulin-dependent diabetes is you have to be disciplined and its very hard, the coroner said, returning a verdict of death due to natural causes.
By Tom Tuite

A judge has described as an embarrassment the lack of spaces in a juvenile detention centre as he was forced to grant two youths bail including one accused of a ransacking the home of a man in his eighties.

An engagement ring belonging to the pensioners deceased wife was allegedly stolen during the incident.

Judge John OConnors comment came following two bail hearings at the Dublin Childrens Court today.

In one case, the seriousness of the allegations was cited by gardai in their objection to the 17-year-old boy getting bail.

He was accused of burglary at an elderly mans home on April 6 on the Stillorgan Road in south Dublin. It was alleged that 1,300 cash was taken along with jewellery including an engagement ring which had belonged to the mans late wife.

The elderly man was not present at the time but arrived when raiders were leaving. Gardai at Blackrock station were alerted.

A second juvenile was refused bail earlier this week and remanded in custody in connection with the incident.

However, in the boys case today the court indicated that bail was also being refused.

However, Judge OConnor could not proceed with making that order after learning there were no places available in the Oberstown detention centre, a problem frequently faced by the Dublin Children's Court.

The youth, who was accompanied to court by family members and his barrister, was released on bail with conditions compelling him to sign on twice daily at his local garda station, to obey a curfew and to remain out of several districts in south Dublin.

The boy, who has not yet indicated how he will plead, was ordered to appear again later this week.

The same issue arose in a different case at the same court today involving a 16-year-old boy facing a total of 28 charges including allegations of driving offences and burglary.

He had skipped court earlier and was in England when he was due to face the court. A bench warrant was issued and when it was executed today gardai successfully objected to bail.

However, the court was also forced to release that teenager due to the shortage of detention spaces available at the Oberstown detention campus. The boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, was remanded on bail to appear again later this month.

Neither of youths can be named because they are minors.
Update 5.55pm: The National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) says the Irish Pharmacy Union's contraceptive proposal is flawed.

The NAGP is calling for a comprehensive and holistic approach to the prescribing and dispensing of contraceptives.

"The NAGP are appealing for more integration of health care in Ireland," said Dr Maitiu O Tuathail, President of the NAGP.

"We should strive for primary care that is patient-centred, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, accessible, and focused on quality and safety of our population. This IPU proposal will lead to the further disintegration of our health service and that is neither good for the patient nor the health service as a whole."

Prescribing and administration of medical procedures, vaccines, etc. should be co-ordinated and managed centrally in a primary care setting, the NAGP argues.

"The provision of contraceptive services encompasses far more than just prescribing the pill. The patients sexual health, sexually transmitted infections, education, and the patients own physical and mental health are addressed," said Dr OTuathail.

"As the patients primary care provider General Practitioners are best placed to provide this service, both now and into the future. Continuity of care remains of paramount importance to us as GPs."

Earlier: Pharmacists propose to provide free contraception service

Update 8.01am: Pharmacists are pushing to provide a free contraception service to women in chemists around the country which will be funded by the State.

According to the Irish Times, the pill, patches and rings would be made available free and without a prescription.

It is believed GPs will strongly resist the plans.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) proposal made to the Department of Health stipulates that pharmacists would have to get extra training along international guidelines to be able to supply free hormonal contraceptives to women.

The IPU also proposes that girls under the age of 17 would not be allowed access to the scheme but women would not be required to have previously been prescribed a contraceptive.

The IPU said: Given the professional input and the time involved in providing the service, consultation fees in line with those already paid for the EHC consultation to GMS patients (currently 11.50 plus ingredient cost and standard dispensing fee) would be appropriate.

- Digital Desk
Update: 12.08pm: A public meeting in opposition to the repeal of the 8th amendment will take place at Clontarf Castle in Dublin at 7.30pm tonight.

Niamh Ui Bhriain has claimed that momentum is building behind the Save the 8th campaign and other groups campaigning for a No vote.

She said: We see it every day, we hear it from our people on the ground, we see it in the panic of the Yes campaign.

More and more people are waking up to the fact that this legislation is much more extreme than they imagined.

People think that this is just about the hard cases, but that is not true.

"The public are being asked to vote on a proposal that would legalise abortion for healthy mothers and healthy babies and would legalise abortion up to 24 weeks in the case of a mental health issue, or up to birth in other scenarios.

"This is much too extreme for the Irish electorate. It just goes too far. And people will reject it.

Niamh Ui Bhriain

The meeting will from a range of speakers including businessman Declan Ganley, journalist John Waters, and Vicki Wall, from Every Life Counts.

12.08pm: 12-week proposal 'addresses needs of women ordering abortion pills,' says Together for Yes

Access to early abortion care in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy will address the needs of women in Ireland who are currently ordering online abortion pills, according to the Together For Yes campaign.

The group published their position paper this morning clarifying why they think removal of the Eighth Amendment is needed to regulate the use of abortion pills in Ireland.

Ailbhe Smyth, Campaign Co-Director said: Women need regulated doctors care, not unregulated abortion pills. As a country we need to start accepting that abortion pills are a reality, but that they need to be regulated."

Figures released by online provider, Women Help Women, show that 878 women in Ireland used its service in 2017, an increase of 190% since 2016.

In the first three months of this year 323 women ordered pills online, a 90% increase on the same period last year.

Dr Cliona Murphy, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in the Coombe Womens and Infant University Hospital and Tallaght Hospital, said: Women in Ireland who use abortion pills do so without any medical supervision whatsoever. They are also less likely to seek out medical help from a doctor if they experience any complications, due to fear of prosecution.

There should never be a situation whereby someone who needs healthcare is denied it.

"The 8th Amendment is denying women and girls this access and it needs to be removed.

Dr Aoife Mullally, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in the Midlands Regional Hospital and the Coombe Womens and Infant University Hospital, said: We need to provide safe and legal access to abortion in Ireland and removing the 8th amendment from the Constitution is the only way to do that.

"By removing the 8th, we will provide a safe alternative to - and eliminate the risks that arise from - the use of online abortion pills outside the law in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

10.18am: Together for Yes group claims 'two women a day are taking abortion pills in Ireland'

At least two women a day are taking abortion pills in Ireland, according to Together for Yes.

The pro-choice group says new figures show a 90% increase in the number of women ordering abortion pills online in the first quarter of the year.

Online provider Women Help Women are one of the two main abortion pill suppliers and say 878 Irish women used their service last year.

Co-director of Together for Yes Ailbhe Smyth says it shows abortion in Ireland is a reality.

Ms Smyth said: "At least two women a day in Ireland are taking an abortion pill in secrecy, in very bleak circumstances in their bedrooms, in their bathrooms.

"I heard of a woman the other day renting a hotel room through fear and a sense of anxiety."

- Digital Desk
By Gordon Deegan

A 37-year old Co Clare man told a parish priest that he would cut his throat in the grounds of a Church last month.

At Ennis District Court today, Judge Patrick Durcan jailed Jamie OConnor for three months for the assault on the popular Ennis parish priest, Fr Tom Hogan, at the St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ennis on March 22nd last.

In a statement to Gardai on the assault, Fr Hogan said that "I was fearful for my own safety in a way that I have never been before during my 20 years in Ennis.

The assault by Mr OConnor on Fr Hogan was only defused when another local priest, Fr Ger Fitzgerald came on to the scene and helped pull Mr OConnor away from a shaken Fr Hogan.

In sentencing the homeless chronic alcoholic, Judge Durcan said that the words spoken by Mr OConnor to Fr Hogan were particularly vile.

Along with imposing the three month prison term, Judge Durcan has also banned Mr OConnor from the St Peter and Paul Cathedral and its environs in Ennis for two years.

He said: That means you are not authorised to attend any funerals of relatives, masses, weddings, baptisms or go to pray at this Church during this time.

Judge Durcan said that Mr OConnor had displayappalling behaviour when assaulting and haranguing Fr Hogan.

Giving an outline of the facts, Insp Kennedy said that around 6.30pm on March 22nd Fr Hogan came into the Church grounds and saw three homeless people at the time including Mr OConnor.

Insp Kennedy said that Mr OConnor was eating and drinking Ruby wine he had stolen earlier from ALDI.

Insp Kennedy said that Fr Hogan went about his business in the porch area of the Church when minutes later, Mr OConnor bursts through the door of the church and tackles Fr Hogan hurling abuse at him and threatens to cut his throat.

Insp Kennedy said that Mr OConnor was living in a nearby tent in the church grounds for the previous three months.

The inspector said that Fr Hogan had asked Mr OConnor to remove the tent and seek alternative accommodation as there were works going on by a contractor.

Insp Kennedy said that Fr Hogan and a caretaker had removed the tent and stored Mr OConnors belongings and discarded quite a deal of rubbish in the area from Mr OConnors occupation at the site.

Insp Kennedy said that when Mr OConnor confronted Fr Hogan over the tent removal, Mr OConnor prevented Fr Hogan from putting the key in the door of the priests house 10 metres distance from the church.

Insp Kennedy said that Fr Hogan was very afraid and fearful that Mr OConnor was going to throw a punch at him.

Mr OConnor placed his hand very forcibly on the upper arm of Fr Hogan and he was very fearful he was going to be punched and harmed. This went on for a number of minutes. Mr O'Connor was very threatening and physical towards Fr Hogan."

Insp Kennedy said that luckily another priest came along, Fr Ger Fitzgerald by placing his arms around him and physically removing him from the area and called the Gardai.

Insp Kennedy said Fr Hogan was asked to come to court yesterday but Fr Hogan didnt wish to add anything further.

Insp Kennedy said that he knows Mr OConnor from his time in court and was surprised to hear of Mr OConnors actions.

He said: It was a very nasty incident.

Solicitor for Mr OConnor, Stiofan Fitzpatrick said that Mr OConnor apologises unreservedly to Fr Hogan.

He said: Mr OConnor has been coming to the Cathedral for a number of years and knows Fr Hogan and Fr Fitzgerald and they have always looked after him and they have extended their assistance to him in the various states he was in.

Mr Fitzpatrick said that all of Mr OConnors belongings were in the tent and he got frustrated when he saw it removed.

He said: Mr OConnor is extremely embarrassed because at all times, he has had a good relationship with priests in the Cathedral and they have always assisted him.

Judge Durcan back-dated the prison sentence to March 28th. Judge Durcan told Mr OConnor to get to grips with his alcoholism, take control of his life and refrain from further criminality.
Top crime writer Liz Nugent has spoken of how her family was held hostage at knife-point when she was a child.

Joining Maura and Daithi on The Today Show sofa yesterday she revealed how as a child, a neighbour broke into her family home and hel her brother and sisters at knife-point.

"I was in bed, I slept through it I was a child but my older brothers and sisters were all there," she told Maura and Daithi.

"That was a harrowing thing to happen but its only in retrospect that I realise that;s probably why I was so scared during the 80's."

She said that the neighbour demanded money while he held her family at knife-point.

"I think there was a fiver in the house, that's all he got."

She said her family didn't know the neighbour and that he lived in the house behind theirs.

"I think he might have had issues," she said.

Thankfully, her family were unharmed and "everyone was safe".

"We all got compensation. I think the judge awarded us 1000 which was a huge amount of money at the time. So I got 200 quid and I slept through the whole thing."

Ms Nugent went on to reveal that growing up in Ireland in the 80's influenced her dark style of writing.

Speaking about the release of her latest book, Skin Deep, she said the psychological effect of the event influenced her style of writing, as well as other dark periods of the 80's including the Ann Lovett story where Ms Lovett died ashamed and alone in childbirth under a Catholic grotto.

Please come to the book launch of #SkinDeep on 17th April @Hodges_Figgis 6.30pm and email ajohnston at penguinrandomhouse dot ie to confirm. All welcome! pic.twitter.com/rrsEEdbXIN  Liz Nugent (@lizzienugent) March 20, 2018

Skin Deep is the latest of Ms Nugents' three books and is available to purchase now.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has told US senators that the social media giant is in an arms race with Russia.

The 33-year-old CEO appeared before lawmakers in Washington DC after as many as 87m users of the social network had their data harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working on the Trump 2016 election campaign.

Although he faced little direct questioning about the potential Russia election meddling, he did claim he was in an "arms race" with the nation.

He admitted it is "entirely possible" that the data improperly obtained by Cambridge Analytica could have been used by the Kremlin-linked troll factory - the Internet Research Agency  in an attempt to influence the US Presidential election in 2016.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well, he said.

"So this is an arms race.

"They're going to keep getting better at this, and we need to invest in making sure we keep getting better at this too.

"Which is why we are going to have more than 20,000 people, by the end of this year, working on security and content review across the company."

He later added: "As long as there are people in Russia whose job it is to interfere with elections around the world, this is going to be an ongoing conflict."

The Facebook CEO said his company will investigate "tens of thousands" of apps to discover if any other companies have accessed data in a similar way to Cambridge Analytica (CA).

The social network says it is in the process of letting up to 87 million users know that their information may have been accessed by CA, and in a packed room on Capitol Hill, Mr Zuckerberg repeated his admission that the company "didn't do enough" to stop its tools "being used for harm".

After a torrid few weeks for the company's share price investors rewarded Mr Zuckerberg for appearing on the Hill.

Facebook stocks rose 4.5% on Tuesday, which is said to have swelled the entrepreneur's fortune by several billion dollars.

Speaking to the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, the tech entrepreneur apologised that Facebook had not taken a "broad enough view" of its responsibility for people's public information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here," he said, in words from a prepared statement.

Mr Zuckerberg said its audit of third-party apps would highlight any misuse of personal information, and said the company would alert users instantly if it "found anything suspicious".

When asked why the company did not immediately alert the 87 million users whose data may have been accessed by Cambridge Analytica (CA) when first told about the "improper" usage in 2015, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook considered it a "closed case" after CA said it had deleted it.

"In retrospect it was clearly a mistake to believe them," he said.
An 80-year-old man died in a Wales hospital after waiting 23 hours for an ambulance and a further seven hours before being admitted, his son has said.

Darren Williams, 48, said his father John Williams died on Sunday, four days after being admitted to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, South Wales and five days after he fell at home, last Tuesday.

Mr Williams said he called 999 that morning but an ambulance did not arrive for 23 hours.

His father was then forced to wait another seven hours in the back of the ambulance outside the hospital before he could be admitted.

"I can't help thinking that all this has contributed to my father's passing," he said.

"What should have happened in my view is a rapid response paramedic should have been with my dad within 40 minutes to an hour.

"He should have been assessed on the kitchen floor and they could have made the call from there.

"He might still be with us. It is just unbelievable.

"How many people are going to lose their lives through this? Sooner or later it is going to be a child."

The Welsh Ambulance Service has said a full investigation will be carried out into the incident while Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, which runs the hospital, said Mr Williams had been taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Mr Williams said he went to his parents' home in Gowerton, Swansea, after his mother phoned to tell him his father had fallen in the kitchen and was on the floor.

Mr Williams dialled 999 at about 8.25am, expecting a wait of an hour or so.

He said he called again two and a half hours later, and twice more, but an ambulance did not arrive until 7.30am on Wednesday.

Mr Williams said his father was conscious but confused while lying on the floor and after 11 hours there, they decided to move him.

He said: "Myself and my brother decided enough is enough, so against obviously medical wishes we picked him up because it was ridiculous.

"We sat him in his chair and he went to sleep.

"Obviously he hadn't had medication when he was admitted to hospital, that would have been about 36 hours, which equates to probably over 30 tablets.

"We were told not to give him any medication."

Handout photo issued by Darren Williams of Leigh and Darren Williams. Photo: Press Association.

Mr Williams believes this could have contributed to his father's death because some of the tablets were for his heart.

After his father died, Mr Williams said he was told it was due to lack of oxygen and his heart "gave up".

He said the ambulance crew, when they arrived, were "brilliant" and "just trying to do their job in a very difficult situation".

Mr Williams said that about two hours after his father was admitted, the hospital wanted to discharge him.

He said: "I said 'I want it put on the record that he is not right, he has obviously fallen for a reason, we'll be back here tomorrow and we'll have the same scenario again'."

Mr Williams said he went to collect his vehicle but while he was gone his father fell again and the decision was made to keep him in.

"He seemed fine," he said.

"I was with him Saturday night and on Sunday morning when I saw the no-caller ID on my phone I thought it's obviously a phone call to arrange to come and pick him up on Monday morning, not to be told 'get here fast he is short of breath'," he said.

Mr Williams said his father died at the same time the call was made, 9.45am on Sunday.

Of the ambulance service he added: "Those crews are doing two calls a day because they are stuck outside the hospital.

"It is shocking."

Claire Bevan, director of quality, safety and patient experience for the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "We would like to extend our sincere condolences to Mr Williams' family at this very sad and difficult time.

"We want to ensure a full investigation is carried out into the wait that Mr Williams experienced and we will be communicating with Mr Williams' family."

An spokeswoman for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board spokeswoman said with the permission of Mr Williams' family, she was able to explain a bit about Mr Williams' condition and care.

She said: "Mr Williams was brought to Morriston Hospital with minor injuries after a fall at home.

"Following a thorough assessment and observations in the Emergency Department, doctors couldn't identify a reason for this fall.

"However, later on, Mr Williams' general condition began to deteriorate and due to this doctors then decided to admit him to a ward for further tests and observation.

"Unfortunately, Mr Williams' health continued to deteriorate; staff did all they could to treat him but sadly he died a few days later."

She urged the family to contact the health board with further queries or concerns about his care and added: "We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mr Williams' family and friends."

- Digital Desk and Press Association
A United Nations war crimes court has sentenced a Serbian ultranationalist to 10 years in prison, partially overturning his acquittal over crimes against humanity and other charges dating to the Balkan wars in the 1990s.

Vojislav Seselj, who leads the Serbian Radical Party and is a politician in the Serbian parliament, was acquitted in 2016 of nine war crimes and crimes against humanity charges because of insufficient evidence.

Because he had already spent nearly 12 years in tribunal custody since surrendering in 2003, today's sentencing in The Hague, the Netherlands, had no practical impact on him.

Seselj told the Associated Press just prior to the reading of the verdict: "I don't care about the ruling. Now I'll go and have a siesta."

Afterwards, he told the AP the ruling was "illegal", adding that he was "proud of all the war crimes and crimes against humanity that were attributed to me, and I am ready to repeat them in the future".

Prosecutors accused him of crimes including persecution, murder and torture and had demanded a 28-year sentence for his support of Serb paramilitaries during the bloody wars in Croatia and Bosnia.

The far-right leader won notoriety for rhetoric that incited ethnic hatred among the ex-Yugoslav nations.

In one of his speeches to his supporters during the war, he had called for eyes of Croats to be gouged out.

The prosecution had said that acquitting Seselj would have damaged the legacy of the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

VIDEO: UN appeal judges quash decision to acquit radical Serb politician Vojislav #Seselj of crimes against humanity pic.twitter.com/a0UAM8dpG8  AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 11, 2018

Seselj surrendered to the court in The Hague in February 2003.

He was released late in 2014 on compassionate grounds due to ill health, and continued with his ultranationalist stand in the Serbian parliament.

"Seselj's sentence has been served in view of the credit that shall be given for his detention," Judge Theodor Meron said.

Wednesday's sentence centred on one speech Seselj gave in the Serbian village of Hrtkovci close to the Croatian border on May 6th, 1992, which resulted in dozens of ethnic Croats being deported.

Judge Meron said the court found him guilty of "instigating persecution, forcible displacement, deportation, and other inhumane acts" in Hrtkovci, in Serbia's Vojvodina province.

Seselj said judges "lied that there were systematic attacks" on Croats in Serbia.

Amnesty International Europe director Gauri van Gulik called the ruling "a welcome development which delivers long-delayed justice to thousands of victims of the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia".

The appeals court did not fully overturn Seselj's 2016 acquittal, but Van Gulik said Wednesday's decision showed "there was indeed a 'widespread or systematic attack against the non-Serbian civilian population in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina'".

- Digital Desk and Press Association
US House Speaker Paul Ryan has announced he will not run for re-election and will retire next year, injecting another layer of uncertainty as Republicans face worries over losing their majority in the autumn.

The Wisconsin Republican cast the decision as a personal one, saying he did not want his children growing up with a "weekend dad".

He told reporters he believes he is leaving with strong accomplishments his party can sell to voters ahead of November elections.

"I have given this job everything I have," he said. "We're going to have a great record to run on."

Mr Ryan's plans have been the source of much speculation and will set off a scramble among his lieutenants to take the helm.

A self-styled budget guru, Mr Ryan had made tax cuts a centrepiece of his legislative agenda and a personal cause, and Congress delivered on that late last year.

House Speaker Paul Ryan: I have given this job everything that I have Today, I am announcing that this year will be my last one as a member of the House. https://t.co/xQwme4fNHc https://t.co/RptA5tS9x0  CNN (@CNN) April 11, 2018

Mr Ryan, 48, first announced his plans at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans this morning.

His tone was sombre, and he read directly from prepared remarks.

Representative Mark Walker said an emotional Mr Ryan "choked up a few times trying to get through" his remarks to colleagues and received three standing ovations.

Moments later, Mr Ryan told reporters that if he were to stay for one more term, his children - now all teenagers - would only know him as a weekend father.

"I can't let that happen," he said.

The Speaker called extended family and a few close friends on Tuesday night and alerted a few staff.

Today, he called the president and the vice president and informed the rest of his staff before going to the conference meeting, officials said.

Mr Ryan, who has had a difficult relationship with President Donald Trump, thanked the president for giving him the chance to move the Republican party ahead.

Mr Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998.

Along with Representatives Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy, he branded himself a rising "young gun" in an ageing party.

He became presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012.

Mr Ryan was pulled into the leadership job by the abrupt retirement of House Speaker John Boehner in 2015.

Mr Boehner had struggled to wrangle the chamber's restless conservative wing and failed to seal the big-picture deals on fiscal policy he sought.

Mr Ryan had more trust with the hardliners in the House but had no more success in brokering fundamental reform of entitlement he sought.

He ultimately had to wrestle with another unexpected challenge: Mr Trump, a president with little of Mr Ryan's interest in policy detail or ideological purity.

The two have had not had a close working relationship.

House Majority Leader McCarthy, a Republican from California known to be closer to Mr Trump, is expected to seek the Speaker post.

He is likely to compete with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, for the job.

Both men spoke at the closed-door meeting, delivering tributes to Mr Ryan.

In Wisconsin, the most likely Republican candidate is state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, multiple Republicans in the state said.

Another Republican mentioned as a potential candidate is longtime Ryan family friend and Ryan backer Bryan Steil, a lawyer and member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

BREAKING: WE JUST REPEALED PAUL RYAN



Now it's time to replace him. Chip in to help us build this campaign and give #WI01, for the first time in 20 years, some real representation.https://t.co/SgSfzooZOR  Randy Bryce (@IronStache) April 11, 2018

Democrat Randy Bryce, a colourful ironworker who has cultivated an IronStache moniker, had been Mr Ryan's best-known challenger, drawing liberal support from around the country.

He had nearly $2.3m in the bank at the end of the first quarter.

Janesville teacher Cathy Myers was also running on the Democratic side.

The only declared Republican was Paul Nehlen, who was banned from Twitter for a series of posts criticised as racist or anti-Semitic.

- Digital Desk and Press Association
National Australia Bank chief executive Andrew Thorburn says the bank is the real victim of an alleged multi-million dollar corporate fraud.

Police raided a number of properties on Tuesday over allegations NABs former chief-of-staff to Mr Thorburn, Rosemary Rogers, obtained kickbacks for approving grossly inflated invoices from an executive events firm, Human Group.

The offices of the Human Group, its director Helen Rosamond, and the office of its accountant were searched by police, who seized a number of documents as well as electronic storage devices. No charges have been laid.

Mr Thorburn said claims of corporate fraud had deeply impacted the bank.
Argumentative, blame-dodging, arrogant It wasn't just an off day for Blankfein, it was a pattern. At a hearing three months earlier, he said banks failed to predict something like a fluke of multiple hurricanes hitting the East Coast in the same year. That prompted this reaction from the head of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission: "Acts of God we'll exempt. These were acts of men and women." That's quite a zinger. In short, Blankfein's star turn in Congress made him seem like an argumentative, blame-dodging, arrogant jerk. Zuckerberg needs to do the opposite. Take the blame, even if he thinks he doesn't deserve it. Don't get hung up when lawmakers misstate how Facebook's business model works. Like Blankfein, Zuckerberg has a tendency to be married to nuance. He and other Facebook executives repeatedly chafe at the shorthand -- a wrong shorthand, to be clear -- that Facebook sells user account information to advertisers. That's not how Facebook works. Facebook builds dossiers on nearly everyone online and gives advertisers the option to slice and dice that information, combine it with other data and construct complex buckets of people most likely to respond to their marketing pitches. The truth is even more creepy than "Facebook sells data to advertisers," so perhaps Zuckerberg shouldn't fixate on this simplification. "I was dead wrong": JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon Credit:AP

Dimon didn't consistently cover himself in glory during his multiple runs through the congressional hearing grinder after his bank booked a $US2 billion trading loss through its London office in 2012. And the differences between JPMorgan's and Goldman's business models made the latter more vulnerable. But Dimon helped himself by being contrite when he needed to be and pointing to changes the company had made to punish bad actors. "I was dead wrong" and "the buck stops with me," he told a Senate panel about his initial dismissal of concerns about the bank's big trading bets. It already appears that Zuckerberg and Facebook have been taking a Dimon-esque approach in the last two weeks of lead-up to this week's congressional sessions. After Zuckerberg's days of deafening silence following reports that the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica siphoned information from tens of millions of Facebook users, Zuckerberg has repeatedly apologised. Trickiest task

Loading He has also explained what Facebook has done to make up for its past lax data policies and to prevent future lapses and taken responsibility to prevent future breaches of users' trust or manipulation of voters around the globe. All of these, including the apologies, would have been impossible to imagine from Zuckerberg 18 months ago. Even three weeks ago, Facebook didn't get it. Fortunately for Zuckerberg, the bar for his success is very low. He is so famously awkward that if he comes off like a human and not a cyborg in front of Congress, it's a victory. His trickiest task, however, went far beyond what tie to wear. He has to apologise for not doing enough in the past to police Facebook and refusing to deal seriously with repeated misuses of the social network, but he also can't give any room to pierce the heart of Facebook's data-reliant advertising business model. That is a fine line. He also needs to welcome regulation that Facebook can live with, including by offering fuller disclosure of political ads, without opening the company to further regulations. That was something even Dimon couldn't prevent.
The back-to-back religious-themed projects have left the actor  raised a Roman Catholic, who drifted from the church in his teens  with a new perspective on faith.

"Who knows? Perhaps," the British actor says. "Certainly I have been having to engage very, very heavily with faith and religion and Christian faith, specifically."

The Oscar-nominated star of 12 Years a Slave has gone from playing Peter the apostle in the upcoming biblical drama Mary Magdalene to playing a contemporary Pentecostal pastor in the midst of a religious crisis in Come Sunday. Could this be pure coincidence?

If Pablo Picasso had a blue period and the Beatles went through a psychedelic phase, then Chiwetel Ejiofor is currently going through his religious period.

"Honestly, I had very limited engagement with it when I was growing up. But it's been really powerful to reconnect," he says. "Inevitably, you see faith differently."

In Come Sunday, Ejiofor explores the fall from grace of renowned Oklahoma evangelical Carlton Pearson, who comes to believe that there is no such thing as hell. The implications are shuddering for that branch of faith: Without hell, everyone is saved, regardless of belief or behaviour. There's no need to go to church.

"Whether or not somebody individually believes in hell or doesn't is just a simple personal decision of limited consequence to the outside world. Obviously it's important to that person. But if you're a preacher and you're preaching that there's no hell, well, that's a very, very different thing," Ejiofor says. "It's heresy."

Viewers watch the anguish Pearson endures, caught between church doctrine and his own beliefs. The bulk of his flock leave and he is forced to downsize his life. Ejiofor compares Pearson's journey to that of a Shakespearean tragedy and commends the preacher for "a very certain, very specific kind of bravery".

"It was just a very powerful push and pull, a very powerful sort of torment," he says. "That was what the story represented to me  a man finding out how to think differently."
Ambulance

Ten, 7.30pm

This compelling BBC series about the London Ambulance Service joins an already vast list of observational documentaries about emergency services, but what makes it stand out is the level of detail and the unflinching acknowledgment of the ramifications. "Seconds feel like minutes, minutes feel like hours," says an operator as 999 calls come in  386 ambulance crews have to cover approximately 5000 calls in a day, and the prioritisation of calls, not all of which are responded to, is just the first of many difficult decisions. Maps chart the progress of ambulances through London's traffic and failure is a very real option, with one crew spending 45 minutes trying to revive a cardiac arrest sufferer to no avail as his sister watches on. A conscious gunshot victim is rushed to hospital and paramedics reflect on their personal philosophies, allowing Ambulance to document life and death from multiple angles. CM

Margin Call (2011)

Eureka, starring Gene Hackman. Credit:Kerrie O'Brien

SBS Viceland, 8.30pm

During the American sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2007-09, investment banks went into freefall and untold thousands lost their homes, jobs and futures. The banks were bailed out by governments using taxpayers' money, but individuals were not. Novelist Dana Vachon predicted chaos like this in his 2007 book Mergers & Acquisitions, but American cinema generally dragged its feet for a few years, until, most notably, J. C. Chandor's Margin Call (2011). It is a rivetingly honest and knowingly insider exploration of Wall Street capitalism, with everyone seemingly complicit in some way. (Chandor's father worked at Merrill Lynch for 30 years). As chief executive John Tuld (Jeremy Irons) exclaims: "It's just money, it's made up  pieces of paper with pictures on it so we don't have to kill each other just to get something to eat." This is a remarkable first film from Chandor, with truly claustrophobic tension. You won't see a better-acted film or a more eloquent one. SM
Tidbinbilla Sanctuary is a testament to the ability of the Australian landscape to bounce back from devastation, now marking a decade since it reopened after the bushfires.

It took five years for the sanctuary to reopen after the devastation of the 2003 Canberra bushfires, and Wednesday marked the 10 year anniversary of its reopening by former chief minister Jon Stanhope in 2008.

ACT parks and conservation manager Brett McNamarara at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Wednesday. The wildife sanctuary marks 10 years since it reopened after the bushfires.

ACT Parks and Conservation manager Brett McNamara is proud to show the sanctuary in its renewed, robust form, protector and home to thousands of animals, in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Authorities have included artworks and design in the sanctuary, with subtle little design elements ... paying homage to the past, Mr McNamara said.
First came the apartments. Then the bridge. After that, the bus to cross the bridge. And then some more apartments. But perhaps no longer all the buses.

The vexed issue of the order in which services and development are delivered in Sydney  whether schools and transport should come before the apartments  has long bedevilled the unit blocks that have sprung up along the western end of the Parramatta River.

And the issue will continue to emerge at Wentworth Point, the former Olympic site once known as Homebush Bay West, which remains part-way through an eventual development scheme.

For the past two months, property developer Billbergia has been providing free shuttle buses for some 11,000 Wentworth Point residents to use to cross to Rhodes train station.
A south-east Queensland man has drowned while bodyboarding with his son at a northern New South Wales beach.

The man, who lived in the Moreton Bay region, and his son were body boarding and surfing at Main Beach in Yamba on Friday morning.

Main Beach at Yamba. Credit:Google Maps - Srdjan Serge Komadina

New South Wales police said the victim "disappeared under waist-deep water" about 9.20am.

Northern New South Wales lifeguard co-ordinator Scott McCartney said the victim's son saw his father floating face down in the water.
A remorseful young man now knows it is illegal to collect someone else's money from a poker machine after he pleaded guilty to cashing out more than $400 at Brisbane's Treasury Casino.

Jayke Cameron Howie Broome told Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday he "didn't know it was a crime" to collect money from an unmanned machine.

The 20-year-old confessed to police on Tuesday, March 13, and his father then repaid the entire amount. Credit:John Woudstra

The court heard another man, who'd been playing the poker machine, had momentarily walked away.

About a minute later Broome pushed the collect button and cashed in the $402 ticket.
A drug-affected driver in a minibus hit three cars and tried to ram two others - one of them a police vehicle - in the space of one hour in Melbourne's inner suburbs, according to court documents.

Police allege David William Roles tried to ram into a couple's car in Burnley about 2pm on Tuesday after verbally abusing them and was arrested an hour later when he tried to drive into a police vehicle in Swanston Street in Melbourne's CBD.

A taxi driver prevented Mr Roles from driving into the couple's car, documents released by Melbourne Magistrates Court allege, by steering his cab in between the minibus and the couple's car.

Mr Roles is alleged to have driven away from that scene and hit two parked cars in Richmond soon after, and then reversed into a car that was driven by a man who was trying to get a look at the number plates of the minibus.

The minibus was seen speeding and running a red light in Fitzroy about 2.45pm, police say, and then drove along the tram tracks on Swanston Street about 3pm, when heavily armed police blocked the van and arrested the driver.
Former Greens leader Greg Barber reached a $56,000 settlement with a female staff member over sexual discrimination and bullying allegations, and quit politics two days after the claims were aired within his party.

The settlement was reached in July 2017 after the woman threatened to take Mr Barber to the Federal Court alleging she had been subjected to sex discrimination, bullying and victimisation during her five-year employment in the politicians office.

Mr Barber denies the allegations, and paid $9000 of the confidential payout from his own pocket on the condition there would be no apology to the woman.

The state government's Department of Parliamentary Services paid the remaining $47,000.
A Perth blockchain technology company is launching an investment service for cryptocurrencies as well as websites devoted to news and education about digital assets.

Seeing a gap in the market, DigitalX Ltd created DigitalX Investments to give investors access to cryptocurrencies that often flew under the regular trading radar.

The company's managing director Leigh Travers said the fund would target leading crypto assets while also looking for special trading opportunities like initial coin offerings (ICOs).

Cryptocurrencies are multiplying.

We believe cryptocurrencies are under-researched by mainstream asset managers and there is an opportunity to leverage our expertise in blockchain technology and crypto-asset investment to create value for our clients, he said.
Fraser will take in a large part of Mr Shortens Maribyrnong electorate, which he holds with a margin of more than 12 per cent, cutting the oppositions notional advantage there to about 10 per cent.

The new Victorian seat, which is proposed to be named after Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, looks set to be created in Melbournes north-west to keep pace with the areas soaring population.

Labor Leader Bill Shorten is considering walking away from his Melbourne seat at the next election to take up a newly created ultra-safe Labor electorate just next door.

But Fraser is anticipated to be a very safe Labor seat with a electoral margin approaching 20 per cent, based on voting patterns from the most recent election.

The proposed redistribution, which has not been finalised yet, might deliver Labor up to three more seats in Parliament including Fraser, another new seat in Canberra and the Frankston-based seat of Dunkley, currently held by the Liberals, which would see an influx of voters from the next-door Labor stronghold of Isaacs.

Elsewhere, the Greens are not happy at the prospect of large numbers of their voters in the Labor seat of Batman, which Greens want to win, being moved across the electoral boundary into Melbourne, which they already hold.

Responding to reports on Wednesday that he was being urged to jump electorates at the next election, Mr Shorten did not rule out the move.

Every six years the Electoral Commission redraws the lines on the map, he told Perth radio station 6PR
A leading conservative think tank says an unprecedented pledge made to the Senate by the Business Council if company tax cuts were passed is damaging to economic freedom, as business chiefs prepare to face a grilling days before the May budget.

The pledge, made as part of a last-minute lobbying blitz in March by the nation's largest companies, including Qantas and BHP, committed them to reinvesting savings that resulted from tax cuts in the hope of eventually stimulating wage growth.

But conservative economists at the Centre for Independent Studies are incredulous the Business Council made such a promise, warning conditional cuts are a step in towards central economic planning and corporatist economic management.

The Institute of Public Affairs has also condemned the Senate's response to the pledge, labelling a taxpayer-funded inquiry into the commitment an abuse of government power.
Privacy to us is a human right. Its a civil liberty, Mr Cook declared , just a tad sanctimoniously, in an interview aired in the US this week.

On Wednesday morning I got in my car to drive to work. As I turned the key in the ignition the radio news was documenting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs testimony to US Congress about data breaches that have happened on the companys watch.

But as I put the car into neutral in the driveway to get out and close the garage door (my beeper is broken) what I saw next made me think tech CEOs in glass houses should probably refrain from throwing stones.

Now I dont use Apple maps. Im a creature of habit and never quite got over those stories about Apples dubious launch of maps in Australia. So when I need directions, I use Google Maps.

But Apple Maps remained on my phone, surviving numerous app purges, for one reason: I thought I couldnt delete it. (Turns out I was wrong - you cant delete Apples Health, Wallet and Photos apps, but you can delete the pre-installed Maps app).

But even though it survived on my phone, it sat on the fourth screen as you swiped right from the home screen - in other words, at the furthest reaches of the phone solar system. From there, though, it clearly continued hoovering up my data in the background.

To be honest I had noticed some of these seemingly random traffic notifications before, and shaken my head at Apples misguided attempts to be useful. I no doubt could have done something about them but, by definition, they always arrived when I was on the move - literally in the car, about to drive somewhere. More often than not Id only see them after I arrived at my destination.
Among the notable exchanges was one in which Democrat Senator Richard Durbin, demanded of Zuckerberg: "Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?" No, Zuckerberg would not. Durbin emphasised that the loss of control of such personal details by Facebook users necessitated the hearing. They drilled down on privacy invasions and other issues dogging Facebook, such as foreign operatives using the platform to influence elections, a proliferation of hate speech and calls for ethnic violence in Myanmar, and its vulnerability to discriminatory marketing practices. Again and again, Zuckerberg was asked how the data of 87 million unsuspecting Facebook users landed in the hands of Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that worked on the Donald Trump campaign. Cardboard cut outs of Mark Zuckerberg welcome him to the US Capitol where he testified for five hours on Tuesday. Credit:New York Times "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said in his opening statement. Senator Dianne Feinstein demanded to know why Cambridge Analytica wasn't banned when Facebook learned it had abused the platform years ago. Senator Kamala Harris demanded to know why Facebook waited until the media learnt of the abuse  only months ago  to inform its users about it.

"In retrospect, we clearly view it as a mistake that we didn't inform people," Zuckerberg said. "Knowing what we know now, we should have handled a lot of things differently." If the tech icon who favours hoodies and grey t-shirts felt out of place in his Washington attire of a dark suit and bright blue tie, it didn't show. Zuckerberg, who is also scheduled to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, confidently answered questions and rarely stumbled. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees. Credit:Bloomberg Pressed on whether Facebook should be regulated more, Zuckerberg said he would support the "right regulations" that "capture the nuances of how these services work". Working in Facebook's favour is the reluctance of Republicans to impose rules more strict than those the company already seems to be embracing. But even they warned they are tired of the company's long history of abusing the trust of users, publicly apologising and then repeating the cycle again.

"I don't want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God I will," said Republican senator John Kennedy. I just don't feel like we are connecting. There are going to be a whole bunch of bills introduced to regulate Facebook. It is up to you whether they pass or not." Loading The company has been on the defence since it downplayed the effect of Russian interference on its platform during the 2016 presidential election. The widening Cambridge Analytica scandal has also resulted in a new Federal Trade Commission investigation into whether Facebook violated a 2011 consent decree requiring the company to properly inform users about changes to their privacy settings. The biggest threat to Facebook, however, would be new regulations that challenge the company's lifeblood: access to increasing amounts of personal data from its two billion users.

Such access is necessary, Zuckerberg argued, to support Facebook's ad-driven business model. "We want to offer a free service anyone can afford," Zuckerberg told the lawmakers. "It's the only way we can reach billions of people." Rather than wait for regulation, Facebook in recent days has announced a slew of changes aimed at boosting transparency for users and limiting how much data is accessible to outside apps. Zuckerberg has also expressed support for the Honest Ads Act, a bipartisan proposal to apply the same disclosure rules to political ads online as those on television or print media. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington. Credit:AP Republican senator Lindsey Graham, however, challenged Zuckerberg on the issue of competition, asking the executive if he thought Facebook was a monopoly.

"It certainly doesn't feel that way to me," Zuckerberg said, eliciting chuckles in the room. Asked if new privacy rules introduced by European regulators were appropriate, Zuckerberg was less than specific in his response. "I think they get things right," he said, drawing even more laughter. After the hearing, Graham said the "dark side" of Facebook needs to be addressed, and the government may not have the tools to address it. "It could possibly take the creation of new laws and regulations to deal with this platform," he said in a statement. An attendee at the congressional hearing wears a hand made "Delete Facebook" t-shirt. Credit:Bloomberg Some Democrats are ready to impose them immediately. Democrat senator Richard Blumenthal said Facebook's business model would always favour data collection over user privacy and security, and new laws are needed to keep it in check.

"We've seen the apology tours before," Blumenthal said. "I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are specific rules of the road." He and Democrat senator Ed Markey pressured Zuckerberg to support their Consent Act, which would require tech companies to get explicit permission from users before using or sharing their personal data. Zuckerberg said he supports the principle of consent but declined to endorse any such bill, saying "the details matter a lot." Markey retorted that the act is a carbon copy of the new European regulation Facebook is going to have to live with starting next month. But the measure has limited traction in a Congress conflicted about how to oversee a tech powerhouse that has had a profound effect on democracy but which operates in a way many still struggle to understand. The platform is so widely used by voters that any unintended consequences of regulations could have considerable political fallout. One of the few senators able to rattle Zuckerberg was Republican senator Ted Cruz, who complained the platform was censoring conservative content.

"There are a great many of Americans deeply concerned Facebook and other tech companies are engaged in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship," Cruz said. Among his complaints: The muting of a Chick-fil-A appreciation page and the page of Trump supporters Diamond and Silk. Zuckerberg said Facebook was a platform for all ideas and dismissed a suggestion from Cruz that conservatives were not getting hired at the company. He said Facebook did not fire Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey because of his political ideology, but would not elaborate on the reason for the termination. Concerns that the company is also failing to police at the fringes were also fired at Zuckerberg. Senators pressed him about the spread of misinformation and hate speech in Myanmar that has fuelled additional violence against the Southeast Asian nation's Rohingya minority group. Democrat senator Christopher Coons asked why the onus always seems to be on users to flag problematic content rather than the company itself. He relayed an anecdote involving an erroneous photograph he discovered of himself that was being shared on Facebook.
Despite being on a plane out of the US, Ms Abdel-Magied said officials still had her passport and would not return it until she arrived in Amsterdam. "Roughly three hours since touch down in Minneapolis, Im on a plane back," she tweeted. "Well, guess that tightening of immigration laws business is working, despite my Australian passport. Were taking off now. What a time." Fairfax Media has contacted Ms Abdel-Magied for comment.

The former Queensland Young Australian of the Year was due to appear at two events for the PEN America World Voices Festival. The first talk, titled The M Word: No Country For Young Muslim Women, was set to feature Ms Abdel-Magied and US author Amani Al-Khatahtbeh discussing the difficulties of being young Muslim women in Western countries. Yassmin Abdel-Magied posted an Instagram story after being put on a plane out of the US. Credit:Instagram The second event is a panel discussion about how to counter online hate and the womens experience with it. PEN America chief executive Suzanne Nossel said festival organisers were "dismayed" Ms Abdel-Magied had been denied entry to the US.

"We call on Customs and Border Patrol to admit her to the US so that she can take her rightful place in the urgent international conversation to take place at the festival next week." Ms Abdel-Magied on the wrong visa, US Customs says US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said all travellers must have a valid visa to enter the US, but that did not guarantee entry into the country. A CBP officer at the port of entry will conduct an inspection to determine if the individual is eligible for admission under US immigration law and possesses valid documents for their purpose of travel, the CBP said in a statement. During the inspection, CBP officers determined this individual did not possess the appropriate visa to receive monetary compensation for the speaking engagement she had planned during her visit to the United States.

As such, she was deemed inadmissible to enter the United States for her visit, but was allowed to withdraw her application for admission. The CBP said Ms Abdel-Magied was not banned from entering the US in the future and could reapply for a visa for later visits. According to the US Department of State, activities allowed on the B1/B2 visitor visa include consulting with business associates, attending a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference or holidaying. Paid performances are not permitted on that visa. However, Ms Nossel said Ms Abdel-Magied had travelled on that visa previously.

"We understand that Yassmin was travelling on a type of visa that she had used in the past for similar trips without issue," Ms Nossel said in a statement. Ms Nossel said the very purpose of the festival - to promote open expression around the world - was "in jeopardy". "Efforts at visa bans and tightened immigration restrictions threaten to choke off vital channels of dialogue," she said. So far, Ms Abdel-Magied has been able to see the lighter side of her deportation situation. "Funniest thing is that throughout this whole ordeal all I am thinking about is what a good story this would make," she tweeted.

"We all have ways of dealing with situations." Abdel-Magied's case unusual: minister Australia's Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge, told Sky News that, while he did not know exactly why Ms Abdel-Magied had been denied entry, deportation of Australian citizens was rare. "Obviously these are decisions of the United States government, but at the end of the day it is unusual for an Australian citizen to not be granted a visa to go into the United States," he said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the department was aware of the incident. "The decision on who can enter the United States is a matter solely for the US Government," they said in a statement. "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stands ready to offer consular assistance to any Australian citizen should they request it." Ms Abdel-Magied moved to London after her Anzac Day social media post, "Lest We Forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine ...)" led to a massive public backlash. In November last year, in her first Australian television appearance since she moved overseas, she told The Projects hosts the reaction was surreal.
Latest News MyState makes strongest play yet for broker channel with two key hires 30-year channel expert and ex-NAB and St George exec to bolster broker offering in NSW and Victoria

Meet Coposit, the start-up that could revolutionise how first home buyers save for a deposit The traditional method of getting onto the property ladder might be about to be seriously disrupted

ANZ has announced its Deputy Chief Executive Office will retire next month.

Graham Hodges will retire in early May after a 27-year career with the bank. He has held the position as Deputy CEO since May 2009.

Hodges has held a wide range of senior executive roles since joining ANZ in 1991, including CEO ANZ New Zealand, Group Managing Director Corporate Banking and Chief Economist.

ANZ Chief Executive Officer Shayne Elliott said: Graham has made a significant contribution to ANZ over many years, working tirelessly across a diverse portfolio of responsibilities. He can be proud of the positive impact he has had not only on our relationships with our customers and key stakeholders, but also for the way he has mentored our next generation of leaders.

Personally, I want to thank him for his efforts in helping reshape ANZ into the bank it is today as well as the support and advice he has provided to me over many years. I know everybody at ANZ wishes him every success in the next phase of his life.

Hodges was last in the spotlight in October when he appeared at a public hearing with the CEO and Alexis George, Group Executive, Wealth Australia, in a review of the banking sector.

The lender itself was also in the news last week after agreeing to an enforced undertaking, where it must pay $3m to community organisations.

Despite this, the latest AFG Competition Index showed the bank holds third place in the share of the home loan market.

Hodges will continue to represent ANZ on the Board of AMMB Holdings.

Related stories:
Latest News MyState makes strongest play yet for broker channel with two key hires 30-year channel expert and ex-NAB and St George exec to bolster broker offering in NSW and Victoria

Meet Coposit, the start-up that could revolutionise how first home buyers save for a deposit The traditional method of getting onto the property ladder might be about to be seriously disrupted

A fintech company has launched tools to help brokers and borrowers face potential changes to the industry after the Royal Commission.

CashDeck, part of the InvestmentLink group, wants to offer the technology to not only maintain engagement with customers but to make the whole process easier.

The Royal Commission has caused lenders to scrutinise the way brokers and loan applications currently work, particularly when it comes to estimating the cost of living for borrowers. Because of this, it is expected borrowing power will be greatly reduced if new changes come out.

With many brokers reassessing business processes such as cost of living assessments, CashDeck suggests that brokers will have to work harder and engage more clients to get the same results they are getting today.

In response, the company has a set of tools called Credit Ready, for both brokers and clients. For brokers, the software will retrieve bank statements and provide a detailed living expense analysis, which is exportable to Excel.

Owen Joyce, CCO of CashDeck, said: A typical analysis costs as little as $5, will save many hours for the broker and immediately let the borrower know where they stand. We also offer a branded money management app that brokers can provide free to their clients to help them get their finances in order. Its a great way to communicate and build a database of future clients in a new era of lending where doing nothing is no longer an option.

As the system tightens, borrowers will realise that they need to do the hard yards up front. Theyll need to tighten their belts, theyll need to really understand their spending and theyll need to save. The best kind of borrower is one who can demonstrate they can live with their mortgage  long before they have a mortgage.

For more information visit www.cashdeck.com.au

Related stories:
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78th Precinct

Park Slope

Rough ride

Somebody drove off with a mans 27-year-old Honda Accord he parked on 13th Street on March 3.

The victim told police he parked his 1991 sedan between Fifth and Sixth avenues at 10:30 pm, and returned the following morning to find his antique Japanese import car stolen.

Bad break

A thief broke into a mans car he parked on Fourth Street on March 25, taking his cellphone and Judo gear.

The victim told police he left his car between Sixth and Seventh avenues at midnight, and returned later that morning to find some rascal had shattered his rear passenger-side window, and made off with his gym bag, along with the phone and martial arts suit inside.

Winded

Cops busted a man who they say strangled another guy inside a Butler Street inn on March 28.

The victim, 47, told police he was chatting on his phone inside the hotel between Nevins Street and Third Avenue at 2:20 am, when the 25-year-old suspect wrapped his fingers around his neck and started squeezing.

Paramedics discovered bruising along the victims neck when they treated him following the attack, while police nabbed their suspect on strangulation that morning, cops said.

Seeing red

Police arrested a man accused of breaking a door in the process of stealing $35 worth of Red Bull from a Fourth Avenue bodega on March 30.

An employee told police he caught the suspect stuffing cans of the energy drink into his jacket and a canvas bag inside the deli between Sixth and Seventh streets at 10:30 am.

The worker went to intercept the man before he could flee with his ill-gotten energy booster, but the suspect saw hed been spotted and kicked his way out through the stores glass door, destroying it, cop said.

Police arrested the 27-year-old man that day after spotting him in possession of the stolen Red Bull  and a crack pipe, as it happens  and he was charged with criminal mischief, cops said.

 Colin Mixson
As the world's largest brick-and-mortar retailer Walmart and online e-commerce giant Amazon battle it out for a controlling stake in India's largest e-tailer, everyone wants to know which US-based giant is likely to offer a better deal to lure Flipkart investors.

According to a Bloomberg report, the country's biggest e-commerce company is leaning toward selling a controlling stake to Walmart rather than Amazon, because of the 'greater certainty' in such a deal.

The Jeff Bezos-founded e-commerce behemoth is keen on buying Flipkart at a time when US retail giant Walmart is closing in on a $21-billion deal for a 55 per cent stake in Flipkart. For Amazon, India has been a major growth market, more so, after it was compelled to give up on its China ambitions.

The report quoted sources saying that Flipkart's board recently met to discuss the competing proposals and thinks Walmart could close a deal more quickly and smoothly. Flipkart founders Sachin and Binny Bansal also favour Walmart because they would continue to help lead the business, it said.

Flipkart's deal with Walmart is likely to encounter fewer regulatory hurdles because it has no online retail presence in India. While a deal with Amazonn, the second-largest e-commerce player in the country, is likely to come under the scanner of antitrust watchdog CCI.

Walmart has been trying to buy a stake in the Flipkart since 2016. Back then, the US retailer wanted to acquire 25-51 per cent in Flipkart through a $7 billion deal.

In March, news reports said that SoftBank was planning to sell a part of its stake in Flipkart to Walmart. The Japanese company had pumped in $2.5 bn in Flipkart in August 2017, in addition to the $1.4 million infusion by Microsoft, Tencent and eBay. SoftBank could pocket about $2 billion if it sells part of its stake to Walmart.

Besides SoftBank, Flipkart counts New York-based Tiger Global, Accel Partners, Naspers and IDG Ventures as its backers. All the investors are looking to sell a portion of their holdings in Flipkart.

Flipkart and Amazon controls over 75 to 80 per cent of the Indian ecommerce market. A merger of this magnitude can have its own benefits. "There are 1.2 million shipments happening in ecommerce every day. Consumerism in India is growing fast. But it is very difficult for a brand like Flipkart, even if you have the money," Sreedhar Prasad, partner and head of consumer markets, KPMG India, told FactorDaily.

India has close to 100 million online shoppers comprising the aspirational middle class. According to government figures, between 2004-05 and 2011-12, the lower middle-class population almost doubled from 237.8 million to 446.3 million, the middle middle-class zipped to 108.5 million from 45.4 million, while the upper middle-class population was up from 21 million to 49.5 million. The next generation shoppers, especially the younger ones, will book everything from mobiles to fashionwear on e-commerce sites, said Prasad.
Shareholders of Fortis Healthcare Ltd (FHL) finally have cause to celebrate, with Manipal Health Enterprises (MHEPL) upping the merger offer on the table by 21 per cent. The revised proposal values the hospital business of FHL at Rs 6,061 crore, which is Rs 1,058 crore more than its equity valuation.

Manipal first offered to buy Fortis last month in a deal that would combine its 14 hospitals with Fortis portfolio of 34 hospitals, creating a formidable rival to Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. But the previous bid, which offered shareholders 10.83 shares in the combined company for every 100 Fortis shares held, was panned by investors. Investors, including East Bridge Capital and Elliot Management, objected to the valuation of Rs 5,003 crore for FHL and Rs 6,070 crore for Manipal Hospitals. It knocked Fortis stock down over 13 per cent on the day the deal was announced.

According to the company, in its revised binding offer, existing Fortis shareholders will roughly own half of the new company. That's not all. The revised terms, as spelt out in the letter that MHEPL sent to FHL's board of directors yesterday, also dangles a rights issue as a carrot. MHEPL said that it will "look to undertake a rights issue for an amount of up to Rs 4,000 crore after completion of the demerger" to provide an opportunity to all shareholders to infuse fresh capital into the company.

MHEPL has also dropped the idea of purchasing equity shares of SRL Diagnostics from FHL, so it will continue to be the latter's subsidiary. The earlier plan was to purchase 20 per cent stake from it. However, MHEPL is still looking to acquire a 30.9 per cent stake in SRL from its existing private equity investors. "A new shareholders agreement shall be entered into between FHL and the Acquirer (Dr Ranjan Pai) ... pursuant to which the Acquirer shall inter alia have the ability to appoint a majority of the directors [on SRL's board]," said the letter. The earlier plan of a Rs 3,900 crore infusion in MHEPL by the Manipal promoter and US private investment firm TPG - which was supposed to fund the purchase of SRL Diagnostics' equity shares - has also been scrapped.

"We continue to believe in the compelling prospects from the combination of the hospital business of Manipal and Fortis," said Ranjan Pai, chairman, Manipal Education and Medical Group, which is the parent company of MHEPL. "We hope our revised offer addresses the concerns raised by certain Fortis shareholders."

Significantly, the letter adds that the revised proposals will only remain valid for seven days - six days to go now, since the letter was issued yesterday - post which all bets are apparently off. Moreover, it makes it clear that "FHL shall not be entitled to accept the revised proposals piece-meal and rejection/non-acceptance by FHL of any of the revised proposals shall be considered a rejection of the all the revised proposals".

If successful, the merger would create one of India's biggest healthcare providers and help resolve an uncertain outlook for FHL, which has had a rough time of late as authorities investigate whether its founders siphoned funds out of the company. Given that the deal spells greater access to India's burgeoning healthcare market - which Deloitte estimates will grow three-fold to $372 billion by 2022 - Manipal will be hoping that FHL takes bait this time round.
The Centre is planning to take full control of the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), which handles the tech side of the indirect tax system, by increasing its shareholding in the network in an attempt to protect the sensitive data of companies registered on it.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has written to Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia to look into the the possibilities of making GSTN a government entity with its stake going up to 100 per cent. The move is being taken into account after the alleged data leakage cases worldwide, including those at Facebook.

The indirect tax was rolled out on July 1, 2017 and over one crore businesses have registered themselves on the GSTN portal.

"GSTN is working like a state-owned company with grants and capital from the government. It is under the CAG purview for audit. So why not make it a wholly owned public sector undertaking?" a government official was quoted in Hindustan Times.

GSTN is registered as a Section 8 company under the new Companies Act and is a not-for-profit entity. At present, private financial institutions have 51% stake in GSTN, which was incorporated in March 2013 in the UPA regime. These institutions are HDFC, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, NSE Strategic Investment Co and LIC Housing Finance Ltd. The rest is with the Centre and the state governments.

"The current setup is not desirable as GSTN has gathered a lot of sensitive data of business entities across the country. This is of strategic importance to the country. Also, the public sector banks have more than a 70 per cent share in credit lending in the country. Whereas, GSTN is dominated by private banks," the core committee had said earlier.

Jaitley had initially turned down the committee's suggestion and defended keeping GSTN as a private entity. The government's share was kept at 49 per cent in order to "allow adequate flexibility and freedom" to GSTN, sources quoted by Business Standard said.

But now the government is rethinking about hiking the stake as the GST is fully operationalised and the e-way bill has also being implemented. Currently, the GSTN's authorised share capital is Rs 10 crore, with equal contribution from the Centre and states. "Private shareholders will be happy to sell their shareholding as it is a non-profit entity and there is no ploughing back of profit," the source added.

After mulling all the possibilities, the proposal will be sent to GST Council, which is headed by Jaitley and his state counterparts. After getting a go-ahead from the Council, the proposal would go to the Union Cabinet for approval.
Pensioners under the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) can now submit their life certificates without the Aadhaar cards or the fingerprint verification, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) clarified on Tuesday.

While issuing alternate instructions to the banks and post offices, EPFO said that pensioners facing problems in submitting Jeevan Pramaan due to non-availability of 12-digit unique identity number or failed fingerprint verification, should be allowed to give paper life certificates so that the monthly payment is not affected.

Jeevan Pramaan is an Aadhaar-based digital life certificate for pensioners under central, state governments or any other government organisation. Many pensioners have reportedly complained that they are facing problems in getting the Jeevan Pramaan due to non-availability of Aadhar cards or wearing out of their fingerprints.

EPFO has also listed a couple of alternative mechanism for those who don't have a Jeevan Pramaan:

Arrangements will be made so that pensioners without Aadhaar cards can get their cards made. Unique Identification Authority of India has asked the concerned banks to set up Aadhaar enrolment centers. The details for these centres are available on the UIDAI website.

Under Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations 2016, the banks should make special arrangements for the beneficiaries who are bedridden, differently-abled, or senior citizens and cannot come to the enrolment centres.

Till the Aadhaar card-related formalities are complete, pension can be disbursed after submission of a paper life certificate.

In case where fingerprint verification fails, banks can get IRIS scanning done for the beneficiaries.

In case of both fingerprint scanning and IRIS authentication are not possible, an entry should be made in the Exception Register with all details and reasons. A paper life certificate with a copy of physical Aadhaar card or E-Aadhaar card of the pensioner after due verification as deemed fit by the bank.

For E-Aadhaar cards, QR Codes are downloadable. A QR code scanner can be scanned even offline and that will provide the basic details of a person.

The EPFO circular added that the exception register, which should have all the details of exception granted along with paper life certificate, Aadhaar number or Aadhaar enrolment ID etc, may be reviewed and audited periodically by senior management of the bank to check discrepancies.
Tata Group is unlikely to consider a bid for Air India as the government's terms are just too onerous, Reuters reported today. The report suggests three terms - merger with existing airline, job security of staffs and ownership of debts - that may have deterred the Tata Group from buying the national carrier.

Tata Group till few months ago was seen as a potential bidder for the national airline. Last month, the government came out with a detailed preliminary information memorandum on the national carrier's stake sale. As per the memorandum, the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses and they will also have to bear the responsibility of a massive debt.

Given that the Tata already owns stakes in two airline joint-ventures, the group is clueless how a deal would be workable under such conditions, the report said citing a source. According to the source, Air India has too much debt and there is little clarity on what a buyer would be allowed to do with the airlines large workforce. "Anyone who puts money upfront ... even for Tata to put in that kind of money, it would want complete control," Reuters quoted another source as saying.

The government in its proposal has included some really tough clauses such as the winning bidder would be required to stay invested in the airline for at least three years, the bidder should have a minimum net worth of Rs 5,000 crore, each bidder should have positive profit after tax in at least three of the immediately preceding five financial years.

Within days of the memorandum, IndiGo and JetAirways opted out of the race. First, IndiGo President and whole time Director Aditya Ghosh put out a statement, saying: "From day one, IndiGo has expressed its interest primarily in the acquisition of Air India's international operation and Air India Express. However, that option is not available under the government's current disinvestment plan for Air India."

And days after, Jet Airways Deputy CEO & CFO Amit Agarwal in a statement said: "We welcome the government move to privatise Air India. It is a bold step. However, considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on our review, we are not participating in the process." There were quite a few aviation players who were interested before the government put out the detailed memorandum that included Tata as well.

Last year in October, Tata Sons Executive Chairman N Chandrasekaran in an interview had said that the group was interested in buying Air India but was waiting for the details.

Speaking in detail about what he thinks on Air India privatisation, he said: "We still don't have all the details. Every business proposal will be very seriously looked at and we will look at that (Air India). Definitely. But currently we don't have the data... there are so many different groups within Air India and then there is real estate, there is debt, there is liabilities and we got to look at all of that, but we will definitely look at it."

Air India was founded by JRD Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932 which was nationalised in 1953.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told the US Congress multiple times that Facebook users have enough control over their data on Facebook. He was testifying before the US Congress on matters of data privacy and misinformation for the second day on Wednesday.

He told the panel that everyone has enough control over the data they share on Facebook in response to several questions from the House panel. "Giving people control of their information and how they want to set their privacy is foundational to the whole service," he said during the testimony before the panel.

Earlier, Zuckerberg said that his own personal data was among that of 87 million users on his social network website that was allegedly sold by Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg told the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee that his own data was included in the Cambridge Analytica breach in response to Anna Eshoo, a US Representative for California.

On the question from Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Illinois, about how many companies did Kogan sell the data from Facebook to, Zuckerberg said that there are a handful of companies who got the user data harvested by Cambridge Analytica and he will follow up.

The Facebook chief executive also said that the social media network does not store data against the users' consent. Users can view and remove their data stored with us and can also stop us from doing so, said Zuckerberg.

Every Representative was given four minutes to question Zuckerberg during his second grilling by the US Congress, covering everything from Facebook's C-Suite, to political campaigns on the social media platform, and even possible regulating legislation. Zuckerberg visibly had to face more difficult questions today than his tryst with the US Congress yesterday.

Facebook has been under fire after a massive data breach threatened personal information of 87 million of its users. This data was scooped up when some 270,000 users took a personality quiz. Even the data of their Facebook friends was accessed by an outside app.

Cambridge Analytica then obtained this data and is said to have used it to try to influence elections around the world.

Zuckerberg says he believes it is "inevitable" that there will be regulation of his industry.

Lawmakers in both parties have floated possible regulation of Facebook and other social media companies amid privacy scandals and Russian intervention on the platform. It's not clear what that regulation would look like.

Zuckerberg said at a House hearing today that it is "inevitable that there will be some sort of regulation." But he warned that lawmakers should be careful in what they propose. He noted that larger companies like Facebook have more resources to comply with regulations than small startups.
Google has appealed against a ruling by India's competition watchdog that found it guilty of "search bias", while the website that brought the case also challenged the outcome, complaining the online search giant had got off too lightly.

In February, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google Rs 136 crore, saying it was also abusing its dominance by giving its own online airline flight search product an unfair advantage over rivals.

Google, the core unit of US firm Alphabet Inc, said on Tuesday it had filed an appeal.

"We disagree with aspects of the CCI's decision, so we have filed an appeal and sought a stay on those findings," a Google spokesman told Reuters.

After the February ruling, Google had referred to the issues raised by the Commission as "narrow concerns". It noted the order indicated that on the majority of issues the CCI examined, Google's conduct complied with Indian competition laws.

However, a lawyer with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday that Matrimony.com, the Indian matchmaking website that had filed the case against Google was dissatisfied with the outcome and had lodged its own appeal.

Matrimony.com, according to the lawyer, has appealed against both the size of the fine, which it says is too small, and the CCI's ruling that neither Google's specialised search design or its advertising service, AdWords, were breaking competition rules. Google did not comment on that development.

A CCI official called the watchdog's judgement "robust" and said it would defend its ruling at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

"Google was found to be indulging in practices of search bias and by doing so, it causes harm to its competitors as well as to users," the CCI had said in its 190-page ruling.

Search bias refers to the propensity for a search engine to favour certain websites over others in response to user queries, due to biases in their search algorithms or other factors. This can unduly hurt businesses that often rely on search engines to draw customers to their portals.

The appeal filed by Matrimony.com will be the latest anti-trust headache for Google, which remains mired in similar cases elsewhere in the world.

Last year, the European Commission imposed a record 2.4 billion euro ($3 billion) fine on the company for favouring its shopping service and demoting rival offerings. Google has appealed against the verdict.
WhatsApp is planning to appoint someone to head its operations in India. This is the first time that the instant messaging application is going to appoint a head in the country. The vacancy is for a senior-level designation for somebody who can "lead our (WhatsApp) efforts in India including products for people and businesses along with our interest in peer to peer payments." The India head will be based in Mumbai and will report to WhatsApp's Chief Operating Officer in California.

WhatsApp holds a global user base of 1 billion strong, while it has 200 million monthly active users in India as on February 2017.

"This is a senior leadership position that requires product experience as well as a track record of success leading partnerships and business development in India. This leader will need to build a close partnership with product and engineering teams to influence direction and to effectively represent WhatsApp's long term strategy," a job advertisement on WhatsApp's website.

Coming to responsibilities, the WhatsApp India head will be required to shape and direct the messaging app as a product; represent WhatsApp's product strategy in country and drive alignment with partners and stakeholders; lead partnership efforts in market, acting as a cross functional leader across WhatsApp and Facebook teams; build relationships with key partner, and other constituents at senior levels.

Regarding qualifications, WhatsApp is looking for someone with at least 15 years of experience in product driven companies and more than five years of experience with payment technologies in India. The aspiring WhatsApp India head must have a Bachelor of Science or Master of Science degree in Engineering, Sciences or Business and should be a "heavy user of WhatsApp's products."

WhatsApp wants its India head to coordinate with product and engineering leaders as well as negotiate and build relations with partners. "You should also expect to handle day-to-day operations to support your team's efforts with key partners in market, develop and execute on strategic partner initiatives and build relationships with other key constituents in market and within Facebook," the WhatApp advertisement read.

Going by the advertisement, WhatsApp is looking for a candidate that can work on its recent rollouts in India - WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Payment. WhatsApp is rolling out its UPI-based payments feature in India which has faced criticism from other players in the sector. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma has bashed the payment platform of WhatsApp on account of probable security risk for users and not complying with the guidelines. The new India head will have to work with the new WhatsApp Payments platform as well as brave criticism and competition in Indian market.

Moreover, WhatsApp plans to make a senior level appointment is one of their biggest markets amidst rising concern over data privacy. Its parent company Facebook is embroiled in a massive data breach affecting 87 million users. The messaging application has recently clarified that it collects very little data and every message is end to end encrypted.

The position is based in Mumbai and the chosen executive will report to WhatsApp's Chief Operating Officer in California.

Also Watch:




An Algerian military plane with more than 100 military personnel onboard crashed near Algiers. According to reports, the incident happened near the military base Boufarik. The Algerie Presse service agency said the Iliouchine-type plane was headed for Bechar in south-western Algeria.

Although initially no casualties were confirmed, the Algerian state radio said that more than 100 people were dead. "There are more than 100 deaths. We can't say exactly how many at this point,'' Mohammed Achour, chief spokesman for the civil protection agency, told The Associated Press.

According to reports, the flight had just taken off from Boufarik and was scheduled to make a layover in Tindouf, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco.

As visible in the footage, black smoke is emanating from the crash site, while emergency services officers stand next to it.

Dozens reportedly killed after military plane crashes into a residential area in #Algeria pic.twitter.com/9F59j76kr9 - Press TV (@PressTV) April 11, 2018

According to a Defense Ministry statement, the cause of the crash remains unclear and an investigation has been initiated. The crash of the Soviet-designed Il-76 military transport plane happened in an agricultural zone with no residents, Achour mentioned.

(With agency reports)
British Finance Minister Philip Hammond told a German newspaper that it would be a "catastrophe" for the situation in Ireland if Britain and the European Union failed to find a solution during talks on Brexit.

Northern Ireland, which will become Britain's only land frontier with the EU after Brexit in March 2019, remains the most difficult issue in talks between Brussels and London and a threat to peace in the British province.

"The worst result for the Good Friday Agreement would be no solution between the EU and Britain, that would be a catastrophe for the situation in Ireland," Hammond told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) in an interview published on Wednesday.

Hammond did not say whether he was referring specifically to a solution to the Irish border question, or to a comprehensive deal for Britain's divorce from the European Union.

Britain and the EU are committed to keeping a free flow of people and goods over the Irish border without returning to checkpoints which would be a reminder of the three decades of violence largely ended by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

However, no solution has yet been found for any customs checks needed after Brexit and a backstop plan could effectively isolate the Northern Ireland economy from mainland Britain.

Hammond also said Britain would honour its financial obligations to the EU after its departure and the payments could total up to 39 billion pounds.

"The payments extend over a very long period of time because they also include pension entitlements," Hammond, who met German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz this week, told the FAZ.

London and Brussels have agreed on the rules to calculate Britain's payments after Brexit without establishing a fixed sum. Asked what the bottom line would be, Hammond added: "We'll end up somewhere between 35 and 39 billion pounds."

Britain and the EU have agreed a transition period of 21 months that will follow Britain's departure from the bloc during which firms will have unchanged access to the bloc's markets.

Hammond said the British people's decision to leave the EU would not be reversed.

"It would be best if we remained in a close relationship with European partners which would allow us to continue to put on a united front in international trade issues," he told the German daily.

Free trade and open markets have brought "huge wealth" for Europeans, Hammond said, adding: "We should continue to defend this."

Hammond said he hoped that trade talks between Washington and Brussels would lead to an agreement in which the United States would permanently exempt the EU from U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs announced last month. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 in Boao, South Chinas Hainan province. Photo: IC

*Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated promises to open up the countrys economy to foreign investors, saying change would come as soon as possible

*Analysts said his speech showed China is willing to address U.S. concerns over trade

(Beijing)  President Xi Jinping on Tuesday promised lower tariffs on car imports, harsher punishment for intellectual property rights violators and a faster financial opening-up, in a speech seen by analysts as an olive branch to U.S. President Donald Trump to ease bilateral trade tensions.

In the speech  which never mentioned the trade spat between the countries  Xi said China will cut tariffs on different imports this year, with levies on foreign-made automobiles to be reduced by significant margins this year as the country truly hopes to increase imports to balance trade with other countries. China has since 2006 maintained a 25% tariff on car imports.

Meanwhile, the long-discussed policy of loosening restrictions on foreign investors shareholding in car manufacturing joint ventures and other sectors such as aircraft and ship manufacturing will be implemented as soon as possible, he said at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, an economic event held in the countrys southern province of Hainan. Currently, foreign companies are required to tie up with a local partner to make vehicles in China, with their ownership capped at 50%. Each foreign company can have a maximum of two joint ventures making the same category of vehicles in the country.

The national bureau specializing in intellectual property rights affairs will be revamped this year with the aim of strengthening law enforcement and sharply raising the costs of infringement as the government steps up efforts to protect foreign firms intellectual property rights, he said.

The country will also expedite the promised opening of the insurance sector, relaxing limits on foreign firms establishment of subsidiaries in China and allowing them a greater business scope, Xi said. He also promised to make sure measures announced late last year to reduce restrictions on foreign investors shareholding in their China joint ventures in the banking, securities and insurance sectors will be implemented this year.

I would like to emphasize that we will implement these major opening-up measures as soon as possible  so that their effects will benefit Chinese companies and Chinese people as well as firms and the people of different countries at an early date, he told the audience.

Conciliatory China

Although what Xi said marked no major shift in the policies he and other Chinese officials have promoted in recent years, it signals areas in which the country is willing to address U.S. concerns amid heightened bilateral trade tensions, analysts said.

Promises made by the top Chinese leader have very solid political legitimacy  and chances for their implementation are much higher than before, Larry Hu, an economist with Macquarie Capital Ltd. in Hong Kong, told Caixin.

He set a market-friendly tone for negotiations with the U.S., he said.

Xis speech came after Trump on Sunday tweeted that China will take down its Trade Barriers to make taxes reciprocal and strike an intellectual property deal. The remarks came as tensions between the worlds top two economies intensified following escalating tit-for-tat tariff threats.

The U.S. government on April 3 unveiled a list of Chinese products worth around $50 billion that will be subject to a proposed 25% punitive tariff for alleged unfair trade practices such as intellectual property theft. Beijing quickly responded with a plan to levy potential retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods worth a similar value, including aircraft and soybeans.

Trump on Thursday raised the stakes by claiming that he was considering a new round of tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese imports, prompting China to vow to fight back at all costs.

But he predicted a great future for both countries in the Sunday tweet, which has been seen as an indication that trade tensions between the two countries may be de-escalating.

Xis comments suggested that he prefers a cool-headed approach toward the trade spat rather than a nationalist confrontation, Hu said.

As such, our baseline remains that the dispute will end with concessions from China, he wrote separately in a report.

He also downplayed concerns that China would devalue the yuan as a tool to gain an upper hand in the row. A Bloomberg News report that Beijing was considering the tactic was followed by the Chinese currency weakening by as much as 0.2 percent to 6.3186 against the U.S. dollar in the onshore market on Monday.

The fact that Xi set a timeline for the completion of some key reforms within this year indicated the government might accelerate the change, Zhu Chaoping, a global market strategist with J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said in a note.

Investors certainly welcomed Xi reaffirming Chinas commitment on these fronts, Zhu said. It is possible that measures announced today could help relieve global trade tensions even though more negotiation will be required to solve the Sino-U.S. trade spat.

Contact reporter Fran Wang (fangwang@caixin.com)

To read more about China-U.S. trade tensions, click here
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

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Okanagan business and development organizations are banding together in an attempt to pressure the provincial government to scrap its planned speculation tax.

Announced as part of the latest provincial budget, the tax would see homeowners in specific regions of B.C. (including Kelowna and West Kelowna) who arent using their homes as primary residences hit with a yearly tax.

The Scrap the Speculation Tax coalition says it wants the provincial government to do away with the tax. Its members include the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Victoria, The Canadian Home Builders Association Okanagan Chapter, UDI Okanagan, the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce, and others.

While the government wants to address housing affordability, this patchwork tax will do the exact opposite. It will kill jobs, hurt the B.C. tourism industry and make the housing affordability issue worse, the coalition said in a recent press release.

For more on the coalition, check out the full story on Castanet's sister business news website, Okanagan Edge.
Wild nature and population hubs

Published 11 April 2018

Following the successful installation of a 12.5km overland conveyor through challenging terrain at Sichuan Yadong Cement Co in Penghzhou, China, the cement producer awarded a second project for two additional overland conveyors, with an overall length of 13.7km, to BEUMER Group. This time through populated areas subject to stringent noise regulation. By BEUMER Group, Germany.

A traditional Chinese proverb says that the roads in Sichuan are hard, harder than climbing to heaven. Depending on the destination, there are rivers and valleys to be crossed and mountains to overcome.

The southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan is the source of the majority of different ores in the country, such as titan, lithium and silver, and plays a major role economically. Key companies are located in the area and one of these is Sichuan Yadong Cement Co Ltd, near Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan. The company is a member of the Asia Cement Group, headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan.

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Lafarge Africa records sales increase in 2017

11 April 2018

A NGN33bn (US$105m) write-down on Lafarge Africas operations in South Africa and Nigeria resulted in a wider loss for 2017, according to Reuters.



The one-off impairment charge resulted in a pretax loss of NGN34.03bn, a 32.9 per cent fall from the loss of the previous year. However, the companys chief financial officer, Bruno Bayet, said that he expected 2018 to bring growth and that Lafarge Africas sales rose 36 per cent last year.



"The operations in Nigeria are still very robust and we have maintained strong performance," said Mr Bayet.



A NGN12.5bn part of the impairment charge was for a road project in Calabar, Nigeria, which had taken too long to construct. The rest covered restructuring costs associated with merging its Nigerian operations, and its loss-making assets in South Africa.



Lafarge Africa board changes

Guillaume Roux, vice-chairman of the board, has resigned his position with effect from 6 April 2018. Alongside this, Dr Adebayo Jimoh and Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga, non-executive directors, have also tendered their resignation.



Sylvie Rochier, currently a non-executive director, has been appointed vice-chairman of the board with effect from 7 April 2018. Furthermore, Geraldine Picaud, Christof Hassig and Grant Earnshaw will become both non-executive directors and members of the board from the same date.

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Dangote lured by coal reserves in Zimbabwe

11 April 2018

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has renewed interest in pursuing his US$1.5bn investment in Zimbabwe, according to Naija 247 News.

An advance team of geologists have been sent to Zimbabwe for 10 days to locate and survey potential coal deposits. The delegation is expected to meet President Mnangagwa and Mines and Mining Development Minister, Winston Chitando. Dangote is importing coal from Zimbabwe for its cement industry needs.



Dangote Industries local representative, Josie Mahachi, confirmed that the technical team was back in Zimbabwe and were hopeful things would work this time, having not succeeded in a 2015 visit when Robert Mugabe was Zimbabwe's president.



"With the new dispensation, things are going to move on smoothly. This is the team that the president of Dangote Holdings, Mr Dangote, has sent to Zimbabwe to do the groundwork before his major visit in the few weeks to come."





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Landed petcoke prices could increase by 6% in India

11 April 2018

In India the landed cost of petcoke could increase by 5.6 per cent as a result of the import duty hike, reports Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities. The import duty on the fuel was raised in December 2017, increasing from 2.5 to 10 per cent.

The price of petcoke imported from the US reached a multi-year high of US$117/t in March 2018 and is expected to rise further.

The increased prices may not significantly change the demand for petcoke, since alternatives are equally expensive. However, the pace of demand growth for the fuel could begin to slow, according to Mint.

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What does it mean to be rich? Well, that all depends on where you live.

There is no all-encompassing definition for what it means to be rich or even middle class in America. But one thing thats not up for debate  where you live matters when it comes to calculating wealth. A $40,000 annual household income in San Francisco is not equivalent to making that same amount in Detroit.

About 20% of Americans have an average household income of $118,080, which is considered rich on a national level. That amount is about double the national average for middle-class earners, which was $59,039 per household in 2016. However, even earning that much wont make you feel affluent in some expensive cities.

Business Insider compiled census data to determine just how much it takes to be rich in 15 major US cities. Here is what they found, from lowest to highest salaries.

15. Los Angeles, California  more than $131,900

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in California: $453,772

Median income in Los Angeles: $65,950

Its hard to believe that a city full of film directors and A-list actors is 15th on the list, but still, it takes well over the national average to be considered well off in the City of Angels and just south of half a million per year to make it into the top 1%.

Next: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania



14. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  more than $131,992

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Pennsylvania: $360,343

Median income in Philadelphia: $65,996

Theres a lot of old money in Main Line Philadelphia, which is part of what makes this area so affluent. The median household income is well above the national average in this East Coast city.

Next: Chicago, Illinois



13. Chicago, Illinois  more than $132,040

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Illinois: $416,319

Median income in Chicago: $66,020

There arent too many Midwestern cities that made it onto this list, but Chicago did. This major metropolitan hub has plenty of high earners, which drives up the cost of living, housing prices, and just about everything else, too.

Next: Portland, Oregon



12. Portland, Oregon  more than $137,352

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Oregon: $312,839

Median income in Portland: $68,676

It isnt cheap to live in the Pacific Northwest. In Portland, youd need to earn well over six figures to be considered wealthy.

Next: San Diego, California



11. San Diego, California  more than $141,648

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in California: $453,772

Median income in San Diego: $70,824

So many California cities cost a lot to live in. San Diego isnt the priciest, but to be considered wealthy youd need an annual household incoming totaling $141,648, and nearly half a million per year to join the top 1%.

Next: Austin, Texas



10. Austin, Texas  more than $142,000

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Texas: $424,507

Median income in Austin: $71,000

The houses that Chip and Joanna Gaines like to flip are cheap  but those are miles away from Austin, one of the most popular and expensive cities in Texas. A healthy $142,000 household income is what it takes to live the good life in Austin.

Next: New York City



9. New York City  more than $143,794

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in New York: $517,557

Median income in New York City: $71,897

The divide between rich and poor in New York City is extreme  youre just as likely to encounter a homeless person on the street as you are to rub elbows with a celebrity or Wall Street tycoon. In order to be in the top 1%, youd need to amass more than half a million per year.

Next: Denver, Colorado



8. Denver, Colorado  more than $143,852

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Colorado: $410,716

Median income in Denver: $71,926

Denver residents love to brag about their 300 days of sunshine, which is no doubt part of what makes this such a popular place to live. The only way youll afford that sprawling ranch with all the windows is if you make a hefty salary, however  youll need more than $143,852 to be considered rich.

Next: Minneapolis, Minnesota



7. Minneapolis, Minnesota  more than $146,462

How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Minnesota: $411,022

Median income in Minneapolis: $73,231

There are more high-paying jobs in Minnesota than you may think. The top 1% in the state earn over $400,000 and the median income for Minneapolis is higher than average at $73,231.

Next: Baltimore, Maryland



6. Baltimore, Maryland  more than $153,576

How much it takes to be in the top 1% in Maryland: $421,188

Median income in Baltimore: $76,788

Baltimore is one of the few East Coast cities on the list. There are some high profile companies headquartered in the area, including McCormick & Company and Under Armour. Youll need a salary greater than $153,576 to be considered rich here.

Next: Seattle, Washington



5. Seattle, Washington  more than $157,224

How much it takes to be in the top 1% in Washington: $387,854

Median income in Seattle: $78,612

So many rich people live in Seattle  its a quick ride across the lake from Medina-based billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. Thats part of the reason why it takes more than $157,224 to be considered rich in this city.

Next: Boston, Massachusetts



4. Boston, Massachusetts  more than $164,760

How much it takes to be in the top 1% in Massachusetts: $539,055

Median income in Boston: $82,380

With an insanely high median household income, you shouldnt move to Boston without having a high-paying job lined up. Want to be considered rich in this historic town? Make sure your income tops $164,760.

Next: Washington, D.C.



3. Washington, D.C.  more than $191,686

How much it takes to be in the top 1% in Washington, D.C.: $544,719

Median income in DC: $95,843

There are lots of top earners in the nations capital, and that fact is reflected in what it takes to be considered rich in this city. Youll need to finagle a salary higher than $191,686 just to be rich, and more than half a million dollars to make it into the top 1%.

Next: San Francisco, California



2. San Francisco, California  more than $193,354

How much it takes to be in the top 1% in California: $453,772

Median income in San Francisco: $96,677

People are going to extreme lengths to find affordable housing in San Francisco. One guy lived in a cardboard box in his friends living room and others are trying house sharing tiny houses, and living on boats. If your salary clocks in at close to $200,000, you should have no problem finding a decent place to live. But if your closer to the median income at $96,677, you may get stuck with an itty bitty apartment.

Next: San Jose, California



1. San Jose, California  more than $220,080

How much it takes to be in the top 1% in California: $453,772

Median income in San Jose: $110,040

Dont bother moving to San Jose  nicknamed the capital of Silicon Valley  unless youve got plenty of scratch. The median household income is a whopping $110,040, and youd need to earn almost half a million per year to make it into the top 1%. Blame it on the plethora of high-paying technology jobs and Google headquarters being just a stones throw away.

Read more: 15 Worst States in America to Make a Living

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A major change is brewing in the U.K. After almost seven decades on the throne, all eyes are on Queen Elizabeth II as she is expected to step down in the near future, and finally turn the throne over to her eldest son, Prince Charles. The Prince of Wales has been waiting to become the King of England since he was a small boy, but a series of scandals, a terrible marriage, and a tricky public image hasnt exactly made him the most beloved person in England.

With his parents, the queen and Prince Philip stepping back and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, stepping forward to take on more responsibility, it seems that Prince Charles is more than ready to step in when he is called. However, many people, including his father, dont think hes quite prepared for the crown.

Could Prince Philip be plotting against Prince Charles becoming King of England?

A difficult childhood

Prince Charles and Prince Philip always had a difficult relationship. The war-hardened and fearless Duke of Edinburgh had very little patience for his son whom he felt was too coddled and pampered by the Queen Mother and his royal upbringing.

In his novel, Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion, and Defiance of Prince Charles author Tom Bower writes, Philip believes that his son will never forgive him for his apparent sins when Charles was a boy. These include ordering him to wear corduroy trousers to a birthday party; even as a middle-aged man, he still felt the sting of the trivial humiliation of being the only boy in cords.

Next: The slow developer

A late bloomer

Charles has never been in his fathers good graces. As a youth, he wasnt the active, boyish son that Prince Philip might have expected. He was colicky, frequently sick, and his parents referred to him as a slow developer. According to the New Yorker, His mother, whom he would later describe as not indifferent so much as detached, worried that he was a slow developer. His father, Prince Philip, thought him weedy, effete, and spoiled.

Next: A very long life

A thousand years

Both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth are well into their 90s, and for the most part, both of them are in good health.

In Rebel Prince, Bower explains, At a recent dinner with friends in Mayfair, Philip joked about his determination to live beyond 95. The reason for his and the Queens longevity, he explained amid his friends laughter, was to keep Charles from the throne.

Next: A ton of doubts

Little confidence

Throughout his life, Prince Charles, with all of his eccentricities, has truly troubled his father. From his humiliating affair with Duchess Camilla Parker Bowles to his meddling in the government, the prince has often gone against the royal grain.

According to Bower, Philip has little confidence in Charles ability to rule the United Kingdom and doubted whether his son, who had barely come to terms with the 20th century, could unify the country in the 21st.

Next: Does he even want it?

The fear of duty

Prince Charles himself previously stated that being the king was a possible horror for him. When he turned 21, he was asked to describe how he felt when he first realized he would one day bear the responsibility of kingship. Charles replied, I think its something that dawns on you with the most ghastly inexorable sense  and slowly you get the idea that you have a certain duty and responsibility.

Next: Skipping over Prince Charles

An interesting rumor

As the queen and Prince Philip continue to age, there has been a rumor swirling that the monarch would simply skip Prince Charles and place Prince William on the throne ahead of his father. For many folks in the U.K., this would be ideal. The young, thriving prince and his wife, Duchess Kate Middleton, are beloved across the globe and walk that fine line between being regal and completely approachable.

However, Prince William skipping ahead is just a rumor. Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine explained to People, The Queen herself doesnt have the power to make those sort of decisions. The 1701 Act of Settlement says that Parliament determines who sits on the throne and that this person must be the monarchs direct successor.

Next: The worst royal role

An unwanted position

Even if Prince William were able to skip ahead of his father to become the King of England, he wouldnt want the job. In fact, in 2017, Prince Harry told Newsweek that no one wants to sit on the throne. Seward explained that the role of a monarch is quite straining.

She revealed to People, [Prince Charles] wants his son to have the chance of a family life before he takes up the burden of kingship  a King has no family life as it is so restricting. William doesnt want to be King before his father, no way.

Next: Who does the media love?

Misplaced media focus

Charles has been worried for some time that the media focuses much more on Kate Middleton and Prince William than himself and Camilla. Charles saw Kate and William as the new stars and feared hed be in trouble, the chief executive of Charles charity foundation in America told Tom Bower.

Next: Damaging the monarchy

Keeping Charles at bay

Since Prince Philip nor the U.K. can actually keep the Prince of Wales away from the throne, the Duke of Edinburgh seems determined to make his sons tenure as the King of England as brief as possible.

Bower writes, At 91, he said, the queen was in robust healthand, he implied, could well live for another 10 years. That, in turn, would mean Charles might be king for only a brief periodand would, therefore, have little opportunity to damage the monarchy.

Next: A failed plot

Propping up Camilla

Not only is the public wary about Prince Charles, but his wife, Duchess Camilla Parker Bowles, isnt exactly beloved. In fact, when the prince and duchess finally married in 2005, they tried to calm the public by saying that that the Duchess of Cornwall would never be the Queen of England.

However, in Rebel Prince, Bower talks about a plan that was orchestrate to cast Duchess Camilia in a more favorable light after the death of Princess Diana. As you would imagine, the plan failed spectacularly. A recent poll found that only 14% of Britons want Camilla as queen.

Follow Aramide on Twitter @midnightrami.

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Additional reporting by John Wolfe
Christian Missionary Details His Time in Sudanese Prison, Sharing a Cell With ISIS Members 11 April, 2018 by Samuel Smith/CP , |

VIENNA, VA.  Czech missionary Petr Jasek shared Saturday how God spared him from waterboard torture at the hands of Islamic State extremists and eventually used him to lead fellow inmates to Christ during his 14-month imprisonment in Sudan.

For the first time since he was released from a Sudanese prison last year, the Africa regional director for Voice of the Martyrs detailed the horrifying story of his detainment at one of the mission organization's all-day conferences in the United States.

Jasek was among a handful of Christians who shared their testimonies before hundreds gathered at the McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia for the VOM Advance Conference.

Jasek told the audience that he is "living proof that our Lord answers our prayers."

Jasek was accused of espionage and treason by the government when he traveled to Sudan in December 2015 to document persecution faced by Christians in the nation.

Although Jasek originally planned to be in Sudan for just four days, he wound up being imprisoned for 445 before his release in 2017. During that time, Jasek was placed in five different prisons.

Jasek recalled the first couple months in prison, when he was placed in a cell with members of the Islamic State.

"Immediately, they found out about me that I was a Christian. They started to gradually tease me in very bad ways. Essentially, I became like their slave," he explained. "I was really [made] to wash their clothes, wash all the dishes, clean the toilet with my bare hands. They were just making fun of me. I did not resist."

The extremists did more than just make fun of Jasek.

"They became more aggressive. They were inventing ways for how they could [torture] me in a very bad way," he stated. "Eventually, they decided to do waterboarding to me. It's a way of torture where a person lays on his back and they cover his mouth and pour water, which gives you the feeling that you are getting drowned. They told me that Czechoslovakia allows the CIA to waterboard Al Qaeda members, which was not true."

In order to perform the torture, Jasek said that they had to move him and the extremists into a different cell with running water.

"The problem with these Sudanese prisons is that the Sudanese guards, even though it could be the most prestigious prison, they are afraid of these [extremists]," Jasek said. "Because it is [thought] that if these Islamists get released they will get revenge on those guards."

The day before the waterboarding was to occur, Jasek explained that the jihadis interrogated him to find out where VOM was operating in Sudan. Every time they didn't like his answer, he said, they would beat him with a wooden stick.

"Supernatural peace"

"I was on my knees and the Lord showed me a [thought] that He came before us in this way. He was once ridiculed, spit upon and beaten with a wooden stick," Jasek recalled. "The Lord gave me the strength to go through all that with a supernatural peace in my mind."

Read more about Christian mission on The Christian Post.
'Imprisoned' Palestinian Christians Down to Last 1,000 in Gaza; Priest Pleads for Prayers Christian Post Contributor | 11 April, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov

A Roman Catholic priest in the Gaza Strip has said that the Christian population there has dwindled to its last 1,000 inhabitants, and he's asking the global Church to pray for them as believers face threats from Islamic radicals and harsh living conditions.

Gazans "live like it's an open air prison since we can't leave. We can't visit relatives, look for work, medicine or good hospitals on the outside," Fr. Mario da Silva told ACI Prensa, according to a translation by the Catholic News Agency on Tuesday.

The Christian population in the troubled region has been rapidly declining, down from 4,500 six years ago, the priest said.

With Gaza being ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas, Egypt and Israel have imposed an economic blockade, leaving many of the 1.8 million inhabitants without basic necessities and the means to support themselves.

Silva explained that many Gazans are unemployed; have only three hours of electricity a day; and face a shortage of drinking water.

"It's really a prison. People don't have any money and the situation is terrible. There is widespread poverty," the priest said.

Read more about Palestinian Christians on The Christian Post.
Leprosy Victims Come to Faith After Watching Christ Heal Diseases in 'Jesus' Film Christian Post Contributor | 11 April, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov

Leprosy sufferers without fingers and toes in South Sudan are coming to faith after watching depictions of Christ healing people with diseases in the "Jesus" film project.

Staurt Bowman of Partners in Compassionate Care told Mission Network News last week that the 1979 film was recently screened in a small leper colony in the Junglei state.

"Just to see the reaction of Jesus healing people  I think it leaves a lot of questions, but when we talk about the healing that God brings inwardly towards people, and how He can restore them in a relationship where they can praise and worship Jesus because of their sins being forgiven, it was a real experience to sit down with them and to pray and have almost every single person there accept and just commit their life to the King," Bowman shared.

Although leprosy has been cured in much of the world, those who live in sections of deeply impoverished countries, such as South Sudan, still suffer from it.

Sufferers are often ostracized and live apart from the rest of society, where they deal with violence between tribal groups, hunger, sickness, and homelessness.

Sharing more on his recent trip to the leper colony, Bowman said that his missionary team met with 35 people.

"These people, many of them don't even have fingers. They don't have toes," he recalled.

Read more about the Jesus film on The Christian Post.
Only 47 Percent of Americans Identify as Protestant, Atheism Growing: Gallup Christian Post Contributor | 10 April, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov

Church attendance by Roman Catholics in the United States has hit a new low, according to a study released on Monday by Gallup, while Protestants are seeing a big drop in their demographic.

The study, based on aggregates from surveys conducted in 1955, 1965-1966, 1975, 1983-1986, 1995-1996, 2005-2008 and 2014-2017, found that overall Catholic attendance hit a 39 percent low last year, which is the lowest since Gallup began recording.

That number was down from the 45 percent attendance rate in 2005-2008, which was actually the highest rate of Catholic attendance recorded.

The study data found that young people make up much of the decline. While 73 percent of those aged 21-29 attended church on a weekly basis in 1955, that number was down to 25 percent in 2017.

Protestants, on the other hand, enjoyed more mixed fortunes. The attendance rate for 2014-2017 was 45 percent, which was also the lowest ever recorded, but down by only 1 percent from the 46 percent attendance rates of the past several decades, meaning it has stood largely stable.

The percentage of Americans identifying as Protestants, however, offered a different story. That number was as high as 71 percent of the country back in 1955, and down in 2017 to 47 percent.

Catholics, on the other hand, despite their declining church attendance, have remained a stable slice of the American demographic  representing 22 percent of the population in 2017, compared to 24 percent in 1955.

Two groups that have seen a major rise include those identifying as "Other," up to 11 percent of the American population in 2017, and those who say they have no religion, up to 20 percent from a complete minority of 1 percent in 1955.

"A troubling sign for both religions is that younger adults, particularly those aged 21 to 29, are less likely than older adults to identify as either Protestant or Catholic," Gallup explained.

"This is partly because more young people identify as 'other' or with other non-Christian religions, but mostly because of the large proportion  33 percent  identifying with no religion."

Read more about Christianity statistics on The Christian Post.
The Universe Is So Big ... Therefore God Doesn't Exist? Christian Post Contributor | 10 April, 2018 by Richard Klaus

O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth,

who have displayed your splendor above the heavens!

....

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have ordained;

what is man that you take thought of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than God,

and you crown him with glory and majesty!

Psalm 8: 1, 3-5

In Psalm 8 the writer meditates on the vastness of the created order and he recognizes his smallness in light of the grandeur of the universe. This leads him into a deeper expression of praise of the living God. Not everyone who contemplates the cosmos enters into such worship. Rather, there are some who look at the bigness of the universe and conclude there must be no God at all! Recently some philosophers have attempted to formulate this idea into an argument against the existence of God.

Statement of Argument

Emily Thomas, assistant professor of philosophy at Durham University, has a recent article in which she summarizes this newer argument for atheism. Her article, "Does the Size of the Universe Prove God Doesn't Exist?" articulates the argument in the following manner:

"Over the last few decades, a new way of arguing for atheism has emerged. Philosophers of religion such as Michael Martin and Nicholas Everitt have asked us to consider the kind of universe we would expect the Christian God to have created, and compare it with the universe we actually live in. They argue there is a mismatch. Everitt focuses on how big the universe is, and argues this gives us reason to believe the God of classical Christianity doesn't exist.

"To explain why, we need a little theology. Traditionally, the Christian God is held to be deeply concerned with human beings. Genesis (1:27) states: "God created mankind in his own image." Psalms (8:1-5) says: "O Lord ... What is man that You take thought of him ... Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!" And, of course, John (3:16) explains God gave humans his son out of love for us.

"These texts show that God is human-oriented: human beings are like God, and he values us highly. Although we're focusing on Christianity, these claims can be found in other monotheistic religions, too.

"If God is human-oriented, wouldn't you expect him to create a universe in which humans feature prominently? You'd expect humans to occupy most of the universe, existing across time. Yet that isn't the kind of universe we live in. Humans are very small, and space, as Douglas Adams once put it, "is big, really really big".

After a discussion of the empirical data regarding the size of the universe, Thomas concludes:

"Clearly, there is a discrepancy between the kind of universe we would expect a human-oriented God to create, and the universe we live in. How can we explain it? Surely the simplest explanation is that God doesn't exist. The spatial and temporal size of the universe gives us reason to be atheists.

"As Everitt puts it:

"The findings of modern science significantly reduce the probability that theism is true, because the universe is turning out to be very unlike the sort of universe which we would have expected, had theism been true."

Analysis of Argument

Note that the argument seeks to posit a tension between the Christian worldview and the state of the world (i.e., the empirical facts regarding its size). In light of this it is important to recognize that the argument needs to take into account the full resources of the Christian worldview and accurately note the relevant background features that impinge upon the discussion. This is something the argument, at least as so far formulated, does not do.

Read more about Christianity and science on The Christian Post.
This Group Slaughtered 225 Christians in March Alone but World Is Silent Christian Post Contributor | 10 April, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov

A shocking 225 Christians were massacred in Nigeria in March by the radical Fulani herdsmen, according to a watchdog group. Yet the Nigerian government and Western media are failing to take adequate notice of the severity of the escalating crisis, the group said.

International Christian Concern, which monitors attacks on Christians around the world and has been shining a focus on Nigeria, said last week that followers of Christ suffered 27 attacks by the Fulani in March alone.

The raids, mostly in the Plateau and Taraba states, led to the deaths of 225 Christians, along with the destruction of homes and and displacement of thousands of families.

Despite the ongoing, years-long carnage, the attacks by the Fulani  who are largely nomads  are not receiving as much coverage as those by Boko Haram, the other major terror group in Nigeria, ICC told The Christian Post.

Yet in comparison, Boko Haram killed a total of 37 people in March, many of whom were Nigerian military personnel.

"There are several reasons that the West doesn't say much about Fulani-led violence. First is that they already spend a lot of time and effort covering the Boko Haram situation. This is a far more attractive discussion to the West because it has the terrorist designation tied to it. The Fulani have not been designated as such since 2014 when the designation was assigned and then quickly taken away," ICC Regional Manager Nathan Johnson told CP Friday.

"Second is that the West believes that this is either just a socioeconomic conflict between herdsmen and farmers or an ethnic conflict between clashing ethnic groups. Many are not willing to call it more than that," Johnson added.

"Finally, the Nigerian government isn't speaking about it. They do not want to bring attention to this problem as it would attract more negative media aimed at their government. All of these factors combined lead to silence among most Western media outlets."

The watchdog group listed on its website the various attacks on Christians by the Fulani in March.

While fewer Fulani attacks were recorded in February, January was also a very deadly month.

Read more about Christian persecution in Nigeria on The Christian Post.
Many of us have seen the Academy Award-winning film Schindlers List, about how one courageous man rescued thousands of Jews from the Nazis. But there are dozens and dozens of lesser-known stories, including one of a man who led the second largest rescue of Jews during the Nazi era.

Chiune Sugihara was born in what is now known as Mino City in Japan. His ambitious father wanted him to become a doctor, but Sugihara instead studied English at Wasida University. It was here that he had his first exposure to Christianity: He joined a Christian fraternity in order to improve his command of English.

Sugihara was recruited by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and while stationed in Manchuria, was baptized into the Russian Orthodox Churchan unusual move for a Japanese.

By 1939, with the Nazis on the march, Sugihara was assigned to the Japanese consulate in Lithuania. As the war raged in Europe, thousands of Polish Jews escaped into Lithuania. In June of 1940, the Soviets annexed Lithuania, and ordered all embassies closed. It was now too late for Lithuanian Jews to escape, but the Soviets agreed to allow Polish Jews to emigrate through the Soviet Union provided they could obtain the necessary travel documents.

Sugihara and his wife awoke one morning in July to the sight of hundreds of desperate Polish Jews gathered outside the consulateCould Sugihara grant them visas?

Sugihara needed permission from Tokyo. At that time, the Japanese government would only authorize visas to people who had another visa for somewhere other than Japan. This was a nearly impossible qualification to fulfill, as most countries refused to accept Jewish refugees escaping Europe. Which is why, when Sugihara wired Tokyo about providing transit visas to Polish refugees, the governments answer was absolutely not.

Remember, Imperial Japan was an ally of Nazi Germany.

Sugihara faced a difficult decision. If he defied his government, he faced the loss of his job, disgrace, and financial ruinmaybe even death. What would happen to his family? Sugihara told his wife, I may have to disobey my government, but if I do not, I will be disobeying God.

Dr. Glenn Sunshine tells this story, and what happened next, in his Christians Who Changed Their World series at BreakPoint.org.

Sugihara obtained permission from the Soviets to keep the embassy open for another 20 days. He and his wife frantically wrote and signed visas by hand, 300 a day. As the deadline for leaving approached, they sacrificed food and sleep so that others might live.

When they were finally forced to close the consulate and leave Lithuania, Sugihara continued signing visas from the train, throwing them out the window even as the train left the station.

Sugihara paid a high price for his heroism. He was drummed out of the diplomatic service, and his family lived in squalor for years as Sugihara worked at odd jobs, unsure for most of his life if any of his efforts on behalf of the Jews even made a difference.

Well, it did. Thanks to Sugihara, between six and ten thousand Jews survived. As sociologist Hillel Levine writes in his book, In Search of Sugihara, thousands of Jews . . . were packed on trains bound not for forced labor camps and gas chambers but for freedom.

And today, there are some 40,000 descendants of those that Sugihara saved. In 1985, Israel gave both him and his wife its highest honor, Righteous Among the Gentiles.

The story of Chiune Sugihara is a reminder of the Christian duty to love our neighbors, and of the high price we may have to pay in doing so.

This is just one of the stories in Glenn Sunshines excellent series Christians Who Changed Their World. To find the rest, come to BreakPoint.org.

BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on todays news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions.

John Stonestreet, the host of The Point, a daily national radio program, provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: April 11, 2018
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In one of the small wars in Africa that receives no coverage by the news media, Somali Ethiopians have been battling the Hararghe Oromo Ethiopians. Tragically many have died and the conflict has produced one million refugees  mostly Somalis being sheltered inside Ethiopia.

"This situation is making it extremely difficult for our team to do the work God called them to, but it certainly hasn't stopped them," says Erik Laursen, executive director of New Covenant Missions. He recently returned from a trip to the region.

"I wish I could share all the stories with you, but there is just too much risk as Somali people are under Sharia Law even in Ethiopia," he notes.

Laursen recounted the story of one Somali who traveled regularly to a city in Ethiopia east of Addis Ababa to trade khat. Khat is a plant native to the Horn of Africa that contains an amphetamine-like stimulant. Chewing the leaves of the plant is a custom going back thousands of years, similar to the use of coca leaves in South America.

The khat dealer visited several churches during his visits, but he didn't speak enough of the Amharic language to understand what was being taught.

"One day, he met one of our team who is Somali and speaks his language and you can guess what happened! He gave his life to Jesus!"

A team member stayed with the new convert for three months of training and the man is now ministering in one of the refugee camps.

MORE
Are the winds of war blowing into Gaza?

While the world focuses on the horrors in Syria, trouble is once again brewing elsewhere in the Middle East.

In Israel, the defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has caused outrage by praising the Israeli soldiers who filmed themselves shooting at an unarmed Palestinian protester behind the border fence to Gaza, saying the sniper 'deserved a medal'.

Lieberman has form. The secular and very right-wing Moldovan-born West Bank settler has called in the past for the execution of Israeli Arabs who meet Hamas leaders.

And Israeli strategists have form when it comes to colourful and outrageous comments about Gaza, such as Dov Weisglass, the former henchman of Ariel Sharon, who said the point of withdrawing settlers in the Strip was to put the peace process in 'formaldehyde'.

And only last week, amid the ongoing clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, Lieberman was reported as saying in a radio interview that 'there are no innocents in Gaza', and that everyone living in the occupied territory had some connection to Hamas, the Islamist group which governs the Strip.

After this remark made headlines around the world, his office sought to clarify that he meant 'naive': the word in Hebrew can mean both 'innocent' and 'naive'.

Hebrew expert Dr Irene Lancaster confirms that the word, 'tamim', 'is used at the seder to mean the "innocent, naive child who doesn't know how to ask". So Lieberman is absolutely correct.'

But she adds: 'Hebrew is a very sparse and direct language which is often used incorrectly by those of Russian origin for whom it is incredibly difficult.'

It should be said that Lieberman is not representative of all of the pluralist country he supposedly serves. The Israeli human rights agency B'Tselem has urged soldiers to disobey orders to shoot at unarmed civilians. And the highly important, under-reported group of anti-occupation former Israeli soldiers, 'Breaking the Silence', collects testimonies of the grave effects  including on the soldiers  of such incidents.

But in a move typical of the Israeli leadership's disregard for accountability, the Israeli Defence Force has since confirmed the authenticity of the footage, which it says was filmed on December 22  amid protests over the US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital  and has pledged disciplinary action over its leaking, while the shooting itself has been deemed exemplary.

More recently, at least 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the protests. Last Friday, video-journalist Yasser Murtaja, 31, was shot dead despite wearing a flak jacket with clear press markings as he filmed in thick black smoke from burning tyres set alight by protesters in Khuzaa, east of Khan Yunis.

There looks to be trouble ahead in Gaza, after the wars of 2008, 2012 and 2014  bouts of what Israeli strategists have in the past called 'mowing the grass' in the enclave.

The current protest is currently set to continue until May 15, Nakba Day or 'day of catastrophe' marking the 70th aniversary of the creation of the State of Israel when many Palestinians were forced to flee their homes  the protests are partly about the 'right of return'. The next day Trump is scheduled controversially to defy Palestinian protests by transferring the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

That could be the point at which a deadly climax is reached in this particular chapter of the world's most intractable conflict.

According to The Observer, one Hamas source said an attempt to encourage a break across the border on Nakba day is being discussed, but no decision has been taken.

Much would then depend on how Israel under prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responds.

On the one hand, Israel could ease the decade-long blockade of Gaza.

On the other  and if the likes of Lieberman have their way  another war cannot be ruled out.

But what is clear, when the defence minister calls for a soldier who shot an unarmed Palestinian to be awarded a medal, is that the world cannot turn a blind eye to the mass prison camp that is Gaza for much longer.
Bill aimed at banning abortions after 20 weeks passes Missouri House

A bill that would outlaw abortions after 20-weeks into pregnancy has been approved by the Missouri House of Representatives.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, also known as H.B. 1266, was passed by a vote of 117-31. The bill is based on claims that the unborn baby can feel pain by 20 weeks gestation.

Under the legislation, abortions will only be allowed in cases when a woman's life is in danger or at "serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions," according to the Associated Press (AP).

Critics have argued that abortion would be the more humane option in the event that there's an issue with the development of the fetus. Democratic lawmakers further contended that women should be allowed to choose whether or not to terminate their pregnancies, especially when the unborn baby develops abnormalities.

Democratic Rep. Barbara Washington recalled the time when her sister was pregnant and was expecting a healthy baby. However she gave birth earlier than expected and doctors said that the infant would never be able to hear, talk or see.

Washington noted that Medicaid health care was withheld from her sister and that the baby passed away at 19 months old. She called on other lawmakers to vote against the bill, arguing that more money should be spent on children in need after birth.

"No one's saying that they have to have an abortion. We're saying that a woman has the statutory, Supreme Court right to choose," she said.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Donna Lichtenegger, has previously stated that unborn babies who are nearly formed and can already feel pain must be protected by the state.

"If a nervous system is fully functional, it feels pain, so that's why we are wanting to not have an abortion after 20 weeks," she said at the committee hearing in January, as reported by Life News.

Republican Rep. Chrissy Sommer said a doctor had told her when she was pregnant that her unborn child was not developing properly. The doctor reportedly suggested that she could opt for an abortion, but she chose to go ahead with the pregnancy. She later found out that the physician had mistakenly given her the results of another woman's medical tests.

"I could have literally terminated my son, who is now 20 and beautiful," she said, according to AP.

A total of 18 states have enacted a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy as of the end of 2017, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Earlier this year, a federal 20-week abortion ban was approved by the U.S. House but failed in the Senate.
Ealing abortion protest ban: Campaigners eye nationwide buffer zones banning prayer outside clinics

Pro-abortion campaigners are hoping to see a nationwide ban rolled out on prayer vigils outside clinics.

Ealing Council voted unanimously to impose a public spaces protection order (PSPO) last night on a Marie Stopes abortion clinic in west London. The measure means that no group, either pro-life or pro-choice can demonstrate within 100 metres of the centre on Mattock Lane.

It comes after The Good Counsel Network, an anti-abortion group, was accused of intimidation and harassment of women entering the clinic. Director Clare McCullough categorically denies any abuse or intimidation.

But now campaigners are hoping to see a ban on prayer vigils rolled out across the country.

Richard Bentley, managing director at Marie Stopes UK, hailed Ealing's decision as a 'landmark' one that spelled 'the beginning of the end' for anti-abortion groups' protests.

'We know other councils have been watching this process and some are exploring similar measures to increase protection outside clinics in their areas.

'Ultimately, we believe every woman in the UK should be able to access abortion services without harassment and we hope this decision marks the beginning of the end of the harassment these groups undertake nationwide,' he said.

'This was never about protest. It was about small groups of strangers choosing to gather by our entrance gates where they could harass and intimidate women and try to prevent them from accessing healthcare to which they are legally entitled. Ealing Council has sent a clear message that this kind of behaviour should not be tolerated, and that these groups have no justification for trying to involve themselves in one of the most personal decisions a woman can make.'

Sister Supporter, an Ealing based pro-choice lobby group, added the decision was 'an important milestone'.

'This is only the start of the journey to bring this 22 year legacy of harassment to a close,' a statement read. 'We hope that other councils and eventually the Government will follow, in protecting women from harm when accessing healthcare.'

However Elizabeth Howard from Be Here for Me, an anti-abortion group of mothers who say they were helped by protestors outside abortion clinics, told Christian Today the vigil offers help and support to desperate women.

'This is about supporting women who want to keep their baby. If you are a woman who does not have a visa you do not have recourse to state funds. The only thing the state will offer you is a free abortion,' she said, adding the Good Counsel Network had given housing, food and support to women who had felt pressurised into have a termination.

If a ban on abortion vigils was rolled out across the country 'it would mean that women who have no other alternative are forced into having an abortion,' she told Christian Today. 'It would mean a massive increase in coerced abortions. Many women who go to the abortion centre are being forced into it.

'It it simply naive to think they are about to find help on the internet or from a vigil which is 100 metres down the road.'

She added: 'It is an extremely dangerous precedent to ban a group because you do not agree with what they are saying or because you do not agree with what they think. Are we going to stop anti-fox hunting protestors or people protesting against animal research? Just because you disagree does not mean you stop them expressing their view.'

The Home Office is conducting a review on abortion protests and is looking into new laws that could see buffer zones preventing protests outside clinics.

Home secretary Amber Rudd said: 'While everyone has a right to peaceful protest, it is completely unacceptable that anyone should feel harassed or intimidated simply for exercising their legal right to healthcare advice and treatment.

'The decision to have an abortion is already an incredibly personal one, without women being further pressured by aggressive protesters. Let me be clear, this review is about ensuring the police, healthcare providers and local authorities have the right powers to protect women making these tough decisions.

'But this isn't to kick the issue into the long grass. The review will collect the detailed evidence and firm recommendations that allow us to take the right action to tackle this problem.'
French president Macron faces backlash from secularists after calling for closer ties between church and state

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has come under fire from political and secularist critics after calling for the country's notoriously divided church and state to 'mend' their 'damaged' relationship.

The issue is particularly sensitive in historically Catholic France, where the division was written into law in 1905 and which is now home to Europe's largest Muslim and Jewish communities.

Macron began a one-hour speech on Monday night to church dignitaries in Paris by saying that just arranging such a gathering was an achievement in itself.

'If we've done so, it must be because somewhere we share the feeling that the link between church and state has been damaged, that the time has come for us, both you and me, to mend it,' he said.

'I consider it my responsibility to stop the erosion of confidence among Catholics with regards to politics and politicians,' Macron added.

However, hardline leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, a candidate in the election that brought Macron to power last May, said: 'It took three centuries of civil war and struggle to get to where we are and there's absolutely no reason to turn the clock back...because of an intellectual whim of the president's.'

Former prime minister Manuel Valls and Socialist Party head Olivier Faure said the separation of church and state must remain a mainstay of political life, in a country where public service employees are banned from wearing Muslim veils and other dress with religious connotations.

Gay rights groups, who fought a bitter campaign against the Catholic Church over the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2013, were also critical.

Meanwhile, Macron came under attack from the right, too. Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, tweeted: 'We expect a president, we get a little priest.' Lydia Guirous, of the conservative Republicans party, said Macron 'is playing a dangerous game and does not understand the republic'.

Raised in a non-religious family, Macron was baptised as a Catholic at his own request when he was 12.

Around 55 per cent of French people define themselves as Catholic but fewer than five per cent attend church regularly.

Some French secularists are driven by a scepticism towards hard-line Islam, following a spate of terrorist attacks that have killed around 240 people since early 2015.

Macron is under mounting pressure to address voter fears that its influence may spread via mosques and prisons that reportedly offer fertile ground for radical proselytisers.

Prime minister Edouard Philippe responded in February by introducing prison isolation zones and more stringent licensing rules for faith-based schools.

France's guiding principles also hold that religious observance is a private matter, for all faiths.

Catholic leaders present for Macron's speech seemed less persuaded than his political detractors that they might soon again be exerting influence on government.

Cardinal Georges Pontier, who met the president on Monday night, told CNews TV he read the remarks as nothing more than an invitation to more open dialogue.

'Some people imagine the Church wants to take power over people's minds and more, but that's not true,' he said.

Additional reporting by Reuters.
Kensington Temple pastor barred from Morocco calls for religious freedom

A British pastor is calling for genuine freedom of religion in Morocco after he was refused entry to the country and interrogated regarding informal meetings with Moroccan Christians.

Colin Dye, senior leader of Kensington Temple, a multiracial Pentecostal church in Notting Hill, London, arrived in Fez-Sais from London on Friday, April 6 but was stopped, held overnight and put on a plane to Rome the following day despite the intervention of three Moroccan human rights lawyers. He was told he was barred from entering the country.

Dye has been meeting with evangelical house church leaders in Morocco for prayer and encouragement and has spent a few days each month there for the last three months with no hindrance.

Morocco officially has freedom of religion, but in practice it is a conservative Muslim country. Although spontaneous conversion from Islam to Christianity is not illegal, the criminal code prohibits attempts by non-Muslims to 'shake the faith' of citizens from Sunni Islam and punishes anyone who 'employs enticements' to undermine the faith of a Muslim or to convert a Muslim to another religion with six months to three years imprisonment.

However, Dye  who also teaches on an Arabic TV channel called Kingdom Sat  told Christian Today he was there to minister to the church leaders.

According to human rights organisations and local Christian leaders, the government has occasionally detained and questioned Moroccan Christians about their beliefs and contacts with other Christians, and there have been reports of the authorities pressurising Christians to renounce their faith.

Dye told Christian Today: 'I am asking for Morocco to put its own constitution into practice and allow freedom of religion.'
Ministers formally abandon plans for Ofsted to inspect Sunday schools

Ministers have abandoned plans to inspect Sunday schools following widespread public opposition, the education department announced on Tuesday.

The government received more than 18,000 responses to a consultation in 2015 on proposals to allow Ofsted to inspect 'out-of-school' settings, such as Sunday schools or Muslim madrassas, that taught children above 6-8 hours a week.

In February the Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman raised the possibility again, insisting rogue practices in a small segment of out-of-school education settings 'need to be tackled' and rebuking the Church of England for opposing the plans after the archbishop of Canterbury personally intervened.

Now ministers have formally dropped the proposals, with three-quarters of respondents to the consultation saying out-of-school settings should not be forced to register with their local authority and should not face Ofsted inspections. Instead they said the government would focus on targeting out-of-school settings that do pose a threat to children, rather than a blanket approach.

'The primary cause for concern was around the effect that the proposed regulation would have on out-of-school settings being able to exercise religious and other freedoms,' the government's report on the consultation said.

'Many of the correspondents commented that the proposed policy would result in the state becoming a regulator of religious teaching in these settings and that the enforcement of fundamental British values may inhibit the religious teaching that currently takes place within them.'

Among the proposals was the suggestion that Ofsted inspectors could examine whether out-of-school setting complied with British values, which include 'mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs'. However concerns were raised by some Christian groups that this could lead to churches being told they couldn't preach against same-sex marriage or that Jesus was the only true God, as it would not be seen as tolerant.

'Respondents who disagreed with the question stated that they believed the terms "undesirable teaching", "fundamental British values" and "extremist views" are too ambiguous,' the report said. 'Many expressed concerns that without fixed or specific definitions, the scope of these terms could be used to prohibit teaching of some of the views and beliefs of mainstream religious groups. Some argued that focusing prohibited activities on such subjective terms could lead inspectors to abuse their powers and turn the inspectorate into the state regulator of religious instruction.'

The Evangelical Alliance, an umbrella body for evangelical Christians, was one of 1,687 faith groups to respond to the consultation. It welcomed the decision and said ministers had 'rightly seen that churches and the activities they provide are a positive force for society and not a threat they need to regulate'.

Dr David Landrum, director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said: 'These proposals would have had a profound effect on religious freedom and fundamental human rights, and consequently we welcome the news that the Government are listening to the concerns of those who responded.'
Pro-life prayer vigils banned from outside abortion clinic in landmark decision

Pro-life protesters will be banned from gathering outside an abortion clinic in west London after Ealing council unanimously voted to impose a safe zone last night.

A 100m 'buffer zone' will be set up around the Marie Stopes clinic, meaning both pro-life and pro-choice groups are prohibited, after a regular prayer vigil held by the Good Counsel Network was accused of intimidation.

The Home Office is considering responses to its own consultation on buffer zones and Ealing Council's decision to impose a public spaces protection order (PSPO) could set a precedent leading to a more widespread ban. Over the past six months, local authorities in Birmingham, Manchester, Portsmouth and two other London boroughs, Lambeth and Richmond, have also discussed taking action.

The council denied it was criminalising prayer as it considered a report on the results of a consultation.

'It should be clear from the order that the only 'prayer' which is prohibited is that which amounts to an act of approval/disapproval of issues relation to abortion services,' the report considered on Tuesday night said. 'It is not a general ban on prayer and it applies only within the "safe zone" defined by the order.'

The Good Counsel Network denies the accusations of harassment after more than 300 people wrote to the council accusing pro-life protestors of 'intimidating and harassing' women. John Hansen Brevetti, the clinical operations manager at the clinic on Mattock Lane, claimed women had been told the ghost of their foetus would haunt them, had been told 'mummy mummy don't kill me', had holy water thrown on them and rosary beads thrust at them.

Outside the town hall before the vote a group of mothers who had decided against having an abortion after talking with protesters outside the clinic gathered to oppose the decision. They sung hymns and held signs reading 'don't criminalise help' and 'no censorship zones'.

Elizabeth Howard, spokeswoman for the Be Here for Me campaign, said Ealing Council had 'swallowed the pro choice narrative without question'.

Writing for Christian Today she said: 'It is the most vulnerable women who will suffer from this draconian measure. Women who have nowhere else to turn, who feel that abortion is their only choice but do not want to have to take that choice, women under pressure from partners, family or personal circumstances. There is practical help available for these women which is not on offer elsewhere, and the council wishes to take this away.'

Following a campaign against the vigil, Ealing Council launched a consultation, the results of which were considered in the report last night. It recommended imposing a PSPO and found that between 85 per cent and 90 per cent of respondents were supportive. Labour councillor Binda Rai stressed that that of those who responded to oppose the PSPO, only 6.6 per cent actually had an Ealing postcode. In contrast, those who supported it were overwhelmingly local residents, according to the Guardian.

Richard Bentley, Marie Stopes UK managing director, hailed the decision, which was greeted by applause in the council room, as 'a landmark decision for women'.

He said: 'This was never about protest. It was about small groups of strangers choosing to gather by our entrance gates where they could harass and intimidate women and try to prevent them from accessing healthcare to which they are legally entitled.'

Council leader Julian Bell said he felt the cabinet had done 'absolutely' the right thing.

He said: 'I believe that this is something that's long been needed, so it feels good that we are actually breaking the ground with this and leading the way.

'I'm personally a practising Christian myself and so I think it's important to recognise that this is about protecting women from harassment and intimidation.'

However Howard from Be Here for Me added: 'It's what we expected, after really what can only be described as a sham consultation by the council.

'We're here to support women who maybe feel they don't have any other choice than abortion and don't want an abortion.'
A leap into space: Malevichs Suprematist Composition

A 1916 canvas that was included in every major survey of Malevichs Suprematist works mounted during his lifetime, and revolutionised modern art  sold in the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale in New York on 15 May

On 17 December 1915, a series of new paintings by the Russo-Polish artist Kazimir Malevich (1878-1935) was exhibited in the Dobychina Art Bureau in the recently renamed city of Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). Unlike anything Malevich  or indeed any other modern painter  had done before, these geometric, completely abstract works were a shock to everyone who saw them. Indeed, they were so radically new that they seemed to many to announce the end of painting, and perhaps of art itself. Malevichs Suprematist Composition, painted in 1916, is one of the finest and most complex of these first revolutionary pictures. Composed of numerous coloured, geometric elements, it epitomises the artists vision of the world as he believed it would be experienced in a state of higher-dimensional, or supreme, consciousness. As in his other so-called Suprematist pictures, this work does not seek to suggest a real or readily understandable image, but to articulate its own universe, brought into being purely through the act of painting.

Property from an Important Collection. Kazimir Malevich (1878-1935), Suprematist Composition, 1916. Oil on canvas. 34 x 28 in (88.7 x 71.1 cm). This work was offered in the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on 15 May at Christies in New York and sold for $85,812,500

Malevich was enthralled, like so many in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, by the relatively new development of aviation. As he wrote in 1916, his paintings reflected the fact that, In man, in his consciousness, there lies the aspiration toward space, the inclination to reject the earthly globe. It was this aspiration that Malevich sought to awaken in his viewers through his Suprematist pictures. The flat suspended plane of pictorial colour on the white canvas immediately gives us a strong sensation of space, he wrote. Through them, he added, I feel myself transported into a desert abyss in which one feels the creative points of the universe around one. It is clear from the frequency with which Malevich exhibited Suprematist Composition that he valued it highly: it was included in every subsequent major survey of his Suprematist works mounted during his lifetime. These exhibitions ranged from his first major retrospective, in Moscow in 1919, to a 1927 retrospective that travelled to Western Europe. The extraordinary group of paintings featured in that exhibition, in Berlin, would become the cornerstone of Malevichs creative legacy.

Malevich pushed the boundaries of painting, forever changing the advancement of art and providing a gateway for the evolution of Modernism  Loic Gouzer
Every good bar, it is said, has a great backstory. And The Cottonmouth Club, the new bar opening April 13 at 108 Main downtown, has more than one.

Which might not be neither here nor there to the average bar-goer looking for a good cocktail to drink in an inviting atmosphere. But the inspirations behind Cottonmouth might explain how the bar is positioning itself as something unique to the city's expansive drinking scene while also creating a everyman's drinking lair that the owners say will be the "least cocktail-y cocktail bar" they could devise.

Let's dig in.

The project is a partnership between Reserve 101 co-founder Mike Raymond and bartender Michael Neff working with designer Greg Swanson. Raymond oversees one of the most serious whiskey programs in town at Reserve 101. He met Neff eight years ago at the spirits industry summit Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. Neff is no stranger to the cocktail biz; he opened Ward III and the Rum House in New York as well as the storied Holiday Cocktail Lounge in the city's East Village.

About four years ago Raymond and Neff began talking in earnest about opening a bar together centered around music of 1970s-era New York downtown scene, a hotbed of arts, politics and cultural shakeup. Punk rock, Andy Warhol's Factory, CBGB, Blondie, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, the Ramones  all part of an East Village stew of new sound and iconography that intrigued the partners.

They weren't necessarily tied to bringing a bar fronted by this guiding aesthetic to Houston. They had entertained Nashville, Detroit and Charleston, all ripe for new cocktail bar ideas.

But their ideas eventually coalesced in Houston where they were able to secure a spot, a historic downtown building that formerly housed Barringer Bar. The location, a stone's throw from Allen's Landing, provided other narratives for the project  the beginnings of Houston's commercial industry, historic architecture, and the moody bones that an original 1890 structure can offer. Swanson has added layers of dialogue (vintage wallpaper, a riot of mirrors, eclectic pieces of furniture, homey bric-a-brac) that were still coming together as the bar nears completion. Think of it as a celebration of the avant-garde, Houston roots and an East Village milieu set to a soundtrack of '70s-era rock.

"That's the prevailing ideology," Raymond said of his set piece. "But it doesn't mean it's about the drinks of that era."

Ah, but there will be drinks.

Neff is creating a cocktail menu that celebrates both classic cocktails and familiar drinks with a twist, emboldened by house-made sodas, tinctures, bitters and garnishes. And, owing to Raymond's love of whiskey, there will be a wide varieties of brown spirits, including proprietary bottles and barrel program.

"We're confident this is unlike other bars in Houston or in the country," Raymond said.

You can see for yourself when The Cottonmouth Club opens Friday. The bar's second level is a private event space sporting a wall of eight-foot-tall acrylic paintings that Raymond has done of Houston music makers including Lightnin' Hopkins, Billy Gibbons and Kam Franklin.

And if you walk in hearing the Clash, Lou Reed, Blondie or Springsteen, you'll know where that's coming from.

The Cottonmouth Club, 108 Main, cottonmouthhouston.com; will be open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Shakeib Mashhood pushed out the first message on WhatsApp at 3:59 p.m. on Aug. 27, just as Hurricane Harvey whirled into Houston with torrential rains, thunderstorms and tornadoes.

The director of Mashhoods mosque would lose his home in one of the twisters. Neighbors on the other side of a placid park at the end of his cul-de-sac in Katy would be trapped in flooded houses. Rescue helicopters would descend on a grassy hill just down the street.

In two days, the National Guard would come knocking, urging Mashhood and his family to evacuate, warning that the sandbags, plastic trash bags and wooden planks he had piled by the front door would be useless against the water rushing through the streets of the Grand Lakes subdivision.

But Mashhood did not yet know that. He just wanted to make sure his friends were safe.

How are you all doing? the 49-year-old wrote that Sunday afternoon in a message sent to about 20 others. Inshallah we will together help each other.

Within hours, responses came flying in: cries for help from families surrounded by rising floodwaters; offers of shelter from others willing to host evacuees; and calls for supplies, donations and meals for those in need.

Within days, the circle widened from 20 to 50 to more than 100, from friends to acquaintances to strangers.

At homes ravaged by Harvey, Mashhoods WhatsApp crew worked alongside volunteers from Christian churches, Hindu temples and Mormon groups, ripping out mold-infested walls, carting dank and sodden furniture to curbs, making countless Home Depot runs for dehumidifiers and fans.

It was all new to Mashhood, a manager at Accenture who immigrated from India more than 20 years ago. He had never before run a rescue operation, never rehabbed houses, never organized a network like this.

Yet, somehow it all worked. By the time the immediate crisis from Harvey was over, 17 houses had been cleaned out, 50 displaced families matched with shelters, dozens others fed and comforted.

And Mashhood, who says he shares credit with many others, including his wife Salma Khan, Farrukh Shazad, Muhammad Waseem Anwer, Saleem Ghori and Syed Sarwar, marvels at the way hardship united the community.

Many in the WhatsApp group had never met before the storm. Now they call themselves Harvey friends.
A Virginia police chief is warning parents to be vigilant of 10 different apps that could potentially groom their teenagers for human trafficking.

"Parents, the World Wide Web is the modern day equivalent to the Wild Wild West," Chesterfield County Police Chief, Col. Jeffrey Katz wrote in a Friday Facebook post. "There are bad actors out there who will leverage your child's desire for privacy to groom them for exploitation while using otherwise legitimate apps. Do not give them this space or opportunity! Monitor lovingly & unapologetically!"
Geopolitics gripped crude markets from New York to London, pushing prices to levels last seen in 2014.

Futures in New York jumped 2 percent on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, intercepted a missile attack over the kingdom's capital just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump warned American missiles soon may strike Syria. A U.S. government report on expanding domestic oil inventories barely fazed traders caught up in the rush of world events.

"People are paying attention to geopolitical risks," said Matt Sallee, who helps manage $16 billion in oil-related assets at Tortoise in Leawood, Kansas. Traders "are more interested in the big picture."

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile over Riyadh and shot down two drones in other parts of the country. A measure of oil market volatility jumped to levels last seen in mid-February.

"The geopolitical risk has jacked the market up to three-year highs. This is the first day in a long time that the direction of the crude market and the direction of the stock market have diverged," said Thomas Finlon, director of Energy Analytics Group LLC in Wellington, Florida. The correlation "stops with heightened geopolitical risk."

West Texas Intermediate for May delivery surged $1.31 to settle at $66.82 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Total volume traded on Wednesday was about 74 percent above the 100-day average.

Brent for June settlement climbed $1.02 to end the session at $72.06 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude traded at a $5.32 premium to June WTI.

Yemen Conflict

Loud blasts were heard in the sky above Riyadh on Wednesday. Two other missiles were intercepted over the southern areas of Jazan and Najran, authorities said. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it also downed a drone targeting an airport in the southwestern province of Abha and another in Jazan.

In the U.S., Energy Information Administration data on Wednesday showed swelling surpluses at the biggest domestic storage complex as well as nationwide last week. American crude production also climbed, while exports of American oil declined to 1.21 million barrels a day.

"If you look through what drove the weekly build, it's pretty much explained by the fact that exports were the second-lowest they've been all year," Sallee said.

Other oil-market news:

Gasoline futures added 1.3 percent to settle at $2.0676 a gallon on Wednesday, the highest level since August. The state of the world is cause for concern though Russia hopes "common sense will prevail," President Vladimir Putin said at a Kremlin ceremony to receive credentials of new foreign ambassadors. Saudi Arabia sees "strong fundamentals" and "reasonable"' balance in the short term, according to Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih.
Three generations of the Hegman family will dress in period costume to participate in the battle reenactment at the San Jacinto Day Festival April 21, the same date in 1836 that Texas won its independence from Mexico during the crucial 18-minute Battle of San Jacinto.

This year Mark Hegman, a Baytown resident, plays Sam Houston, the general who led the Texian army to victory. His son-in-law is a soldier. His wife, daughter-in-law and 4- and 5-year-old grandchildren help portray what happened during the Runaway Scrape, when Texas residents gathered their possessions and fled upon learning Mexican President Santa Anna was progressing on Gonzalez.

Hegman said kids who watch the reenactment, part of the all-day, free festival, love the action of the 400-cast-member presentation. Galloping horses, cannon fire, pyrotechnics, weaponry and the commotion and confusion that were part of the day serve as a theatrical hands-on educational lesson, he said  like a Texas History classroom come to life.

The actors stay in character all day. Festival goers can stroll through the Mexican and Texian camps to take in what life was like in 1836. Theyll view tools used for daily chores and see how the soldiers prepared for war. Hegman said his family goes so far to eat only what would have been available in the time period.

Im always amazed how in depth these children get into what we do in the camps, Hegman said. Theyre very inquisitive.

The festivals other family-friendly attractions include a petting zoo, hands-on snake exhibit, archery, a medicine show wagon and camel rides. And, yes, the camels are historically relevant. For a brief period, the U.S. Army used camels to usher supplies across West Texas.

Teachers from Deer Park ISD will man the crafts station where children can try writing with a feather dipped in ink, make bolo neckties, finger-paint bluebonnets and create bobcat face masks. There is country-western music, a mariachi performance by The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, zydeco music, flamenco dancers, Native American performances and a show by the Mixteco Ballet Folklorico. Larry Spasic, president of the San Jacinto Museum of History, said he hopes the performances represent the spectrum of musical tradition in Texas.

Food vendors at this years festival will offer a more diverse variety, Spasic said, in an effort to represent Houstons long-standing immigrant population. Blacksmiths, weavers, spinners and quilters are also on hand. Spasic said the different forms of historically-accurate living history help children remember vividly the importance of the fight for Texas independence.

For his part, Hegman will travel with his family travel across the state to be part of similar reenactments this year. Its the 14th year hes been part of this particular Battle of San Jacinto reenactment, but only the third time hes played the role of Sam Houston, posing with families who wait their turn to take a picture with the pivotal player in Texas history and ask questions of his bravery. I feel like Spider-Man, he said.
Courtesy photo

The Harris County Historical Commission (HCHC) has recognized the new Memorial Villages Heritage Trail, constructed to commemorate the early Texas pioneer communities of Piney Point and Spring Branch, by awarding five Harris County historical markers for placement along the trail.

The designations honor the important role that the Piney Point and Spring Branch communities played in the growth of Houston and Harris County, and were sponsored by a variety of local organizations and city governments, including the cities of Hedwig Village, Hunters Creek Village, and Piney Point Village, as well as members of the St. Peter Church cemetery association in Houston.
This year's National Water Dance hopes to bring attention to protecting and conserving water resources. Two dance performances are slated for 3 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at the water feature at the Houston Museum of Natural Science as well as beginning at the corner of Montrose Boulevard and Allen Parkway.

The national event was founded five years ago by dancer and choreographer Dale Andee and brings together people to promote important water issues. Dancers will take part in events across the country from as far as New York to Hawaii and Alaska to Puerto Rico. Based in Houston and Atlanta, Core Dance is the contemporary dance organization that commissioned this year's two Houston performances.

"National Water Dance is an artist-driven collective of dancers and educators confronting critical water issues facing the United States," said Core Dance Artistic Director Sue Schroeder. "National Water Dance believes that our environment is the most pressing issue of this generation, and as dancers we are using our bodies to create a community that reached out for action."

Lydia Hance, founder and artistic director of Frame Dance Productions, choreographed "3 p.m. at the Oasis," which is scheduled for the water feature at HMNS at 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston. Schroeder said the performance works to answer the question, "Where does our water come from?"

Hance said the inspiration for the dance came from spending time with her young son.

"Since the weather had been nice, I've been playing outside with my 2-year-old son quite a bit. We've been watering plants, pouring water, running in the sprinklers. He never wants to stop," she said. "So I've been trying to think of ways to explain to him that our water doesn't just come out of the hose. It's an important resource that we must use wisely. That has driven my creation of this piece."

The modern dance show features five dancers and will run for 30 minutes as children do water activities.

"The dancers, with all of their finesse, will navigate around the space with bowls of water filling tubs with the water for children to then play with. The percussionist is making beautiful layered music that sounds a lot like water falling," Hance said.

Meanwhile, "Procession H20" will begin on the Allen Parkway side of Buffalo Bayou Park on the walking path between Taft Street and Montrose Boulevard and continue down the path. Jhon Stronks, founder and artistic director of There in the Sunlight, choreographed the dance.

"'Procession H2O' is a walking movement choir that follows the walking paths and bridges along Buffalo Bayou Park using gesture to generate small dances inspired by the efforts along the Buffalo Bayou to prevent the recurring presence of trash, debris and pollutants that degrade water quality and negatively impact the ecosystem," Stronks said.

The dancers will wear costumes created by Clair Hummel using a variety of recycled materials including plastic bags, flat wear and bottles. Stronks said he is looking forward to having an event that takes dance out into the community.

"What we are most excited about is bringing this experience to a people. Normally we are asking people to come to us, but with "Procession H2O," we are coming to the people," he said.

Both events are expected to draw lots of people because they coincide with the weekend crowds outside the museum and the 31st Annual Art Car Parade.

Schroeder said like "3 p.m. at the Oasis," the procession will invite community participation.

"Jhon will have a merry bunch of dancers, but he fully anticipates and welcomes people to join him in moving and dancing to convey the importance of keeping water a clean, fresh resource and to celebrate those who protect our bayous," Schroeder said.

National Water Dance is important, she said, because it shines light on a crucial resource that many people often tend to overlook and encourages them to think about it and begin to protect it.

"We all take our source of fresh, clean water for granted. We just need to look to the experience of people during Hurricane Harvey, as to how important it is to have access to clean water," Schroeder said. "These performances will draw attention to this need for all Americans, all global citizens, to protect this natural resource."

The two performances are free and open to the public. To learn more about National Water Dance or the two Houston events, visit https://nationalwaterdance.org. For more information about Core Dance, visit www.coredance.org.
A new Rice University study is showing what happens to high school seniors in Houston's largest school district years after graduating.

According to the research report, which tracked the lives of three groups of HISD graduates, only 31 percent earned a degree within six years of high school.

In addition, researchers said they found a high rate of idleness, with one-third of the graduates neither studying nor working after high school.

RANKED: Texas' top colleges, according to the Wall Street Journal

On the other hand, students who entered college immediately after high school saw higher rates of certificate, diploma and degree completion, the study showed.

To conduct the study, Rice University tracked high school seniors from the classes of 2006-08 using data provided by HISD.

One predictable finding from the research: College enrollment appeared out-of-reach for students with frequent absences and poor to mediocre test scores and grades.

Researchers also found a gap in college completion rates for students of different backgrounds.

"There are gaps across race and ethnicity but when you account for other background characteristics like limited English proficiency, socioeconomic status, achievements, school characteristics, a lot of those relationships disappeared and for blacks the relationships actually reversed," Brian Holzman, an author of the report, said in a news release.

SALARY DATA: What Houston-area school districts pay their teachers

Researchers said HISD has since implemented and expanded its college advising program to help curb the gap.

You can read the full study here.

Above: See which Houston high schools have the highest graduation rates.

Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93.
With only 10 minutes before the deadline to register for a place on the Oak Ridge North municipal election ballot, 81-year-old Dan Broyles was quickly filling out his application to run for mayor.

Although he filed his candidacy papers with only minutes to space, Broyles hadnt decided to challenge incumbent Mayor Jim Kuykendall on a whim. Broyles, a retired used care dealer, said his interest in politics had been piqued as early as 2014 when he attended a city debate about whether to widen Robinson Road and tear down homes adjacent to it.

But funding the project would cost a lot of money the city didnt have, Broyles claimed. The Robinson Road widening is a topic that still gets a lot of residents into heated discussions, Broyles said.

Broyles has lived in the Oak Ridge North community for nearly half a century and said he likes the way it was before all the traffic and debates about Robinson Road.

Forty-seven years after he picked a plot of land and built a house on it, the Palestine, Texas, native said hes not happy with how he claims the current administration is handling city funds to build what he calls superhighways.

Now (the current city administration) is talking about this master thoroughfare plan with the same idea, Broyles said. Its to open up Robinson Road for major truck traffic. Their respect for property values is nothing

The Army veteran claims that the current City Council and mayor are unconcerned about property values in Oak Ridge North and just want to make the city a thoroughfare aimed at attracting businesses, instead of keeping the bedroom community residents know and love.

Broyles worked for 22 years as a used car dealer. He said he is one of the founding members of the South Montgomery Fire Department, which began in 1974 and was originally known as the Oak Ridge North Volunteer Fire Department.

Broyles, who has been married for 52 years and has one daughter, met his wife-a schoolteacheron a blind date. The two of them decided in 1971 to buy a home in the Oak Ridge North community where they plan to continue living.

michelle.iracheta@chron.com
New Year's Eve 2018 at the 30-story Hyatt Regency was set to be a massive party, complete with a balloon drop and Champagne toasts at one of downtown Houston's most unique high-rise hotels.

But less than 24 hours before the festivities for hundreds of expected revelers, 49-year-old Russell Lawrence Ziemba, who reeked of alcohol and slurred his speech after drinking at the hotel bar, was told he he had to leave the hotel. Police showed up around 1:30 a.m. and escorted him to his room to retrieve his belongings, and spotted several shotgun shells and a magazine for an assault rifle on a desk - they eventually found a shotgun, a semi-automatic handgun and a military-style assault rifle.

That troubling combination of factors led prosecutors to petition a Harris County magistrate judge to hold Ziemba without bail, fearing he was planning a repeat of the earlier October massacre of 58 people in Las Vegas. In that mass shooting, a retired IRS agent opened fire from a high-rise hotel window on hundreds of fans attending a nearby music festival before killing himself.

This week Ziemba, a Gulf War veteran awarded a Bronze Star, was cleared of felony charges after a grand jury saw the surveillance video and determined there was not enough evidence to continue prosecuting him.

So on Wednesday, state District Judge Brad Hart ordered police to return Ziemba's 12 gauge shotgun, a semi-automatic Glock .380 pistol and his AR-15 assault-style rifle, confirmed Ziemba's defense attorney, Danny Easterling.

READ ALSO: Hearing continues for ex- deputy, husband charged with murder in choking death

"The surveillance video from the Hyatt Regency showed insufficient evidence that Mr. Ziemba kicked the officer when he was being arrested for trespassing," Easterling said. "Everybody looked at it, homicide looked at it, and there was zero evidence of bad intent. He was just having a good time in a hotel, drinking."

Easterling also secured the release of two magazines and 54 bullets that were confiscated.

At the time of his arrest, the situation apparently escalated when Ziemba got back downstairs and allegedly refused to leave the hotel. In the lobby, authorities would later say, he refused to put his hands behind his back and struggled with police. Police claimed he kicked one of the officers who finally subdued him, commotion recorded by on surveillance cameras in the lobby.

Because police saw he had weapons in a room that commanded a vantage point from the 28th floor, they investigated further. A background check found he had twice been convicted of driving while intoxicated, and was out on bond for a weapons charge brought a month earlier. Then police found what prosecutors called "cryptic notes" scattered across his hotel room, including one that simply said "f*** it."

READ ALSO: DA, County Treasurer spar over handling of dominatrix case

"Local and federal investigators are investigating defendant to determine if firearms & ammo possessed in hotel room with a high vantage point for purpose of inflicting casualties," prosecutors wrote in court documents the day Zeimba was arrested.

In the end, it is a Texas-style resolution to a case that began with police sounding the alarm about an apparently drunk and belligerent Gulf War veteran with an arsenal of guns in his hotel room. It concluded with authorities deciding it was merely a hotel guest who brought his three guns to his room, worried they might be stolen from his truck, and then had too much to drink.

"He legally owned the guns and didn't like keeping them in his truck. There was no intent to do anything with the guns," Easterling said. "He's just a good ol' guy who was drinking a lot because he has PTSD. Typical story of a veteran who is depressed and out of a job and starts drinking."

Easterling said Ziemba, a resident of Tomball, is now in drug and alcohol treatment with the Veterans Administration. He still faces misdemeanor charges of trespass, and notes in the court file indicate that case would be resolved after the grand jury action.

The weapons case is also still pending, and court records show he is accused of driving with a gun in plain sight in his vehicle without it being in a holster, a misdemeanor.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office confirmed the grand jury action and the pending case, but declined to comment on the events surrounding Ziemba's the New Year's Eve arrest.

Prosecutors with the district attorneys office first asked that he be held without bail, then said $500,000 would be adequate. The magistrate judge set bail at $105,000, and judge Hart lowered it to $20,000, which he was able to raise.

As part of his release conditions, he was barred from drinking alcohol or possessing firearms. He was also be put under house arrest and required to wear an ankle monitor.
Houston and Harris County each would receive more than $1 billion under Texas' first major Hurricane Harvey recovery spending plan, but relief remains far off for residents in need of housing help.

The state intends to send roughly half of its initial $5 billion in Harvey aid to Houston and Harris County, according to the draft document released Tuesday. The rest would be spent on housing and infrastructure programs elsewhere in Texas.

The announcement came as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said it would be sending another $5 billion to Texas to fund recovery and mitigation projects tied to Harvey and other recent flooding, bringing the state's funding total to roughly $10 billion.

Mayor Sylvester Turner and county leaders lobbied aggressively to control how disaster relief money is spent in the region. Poised to win such authority, they now will have to develop their own plans for the money, a process that could take several months.

"We're thrilled with the response by the state to allow for the local control that the mayor asked for, and we think that this is essential for the kind of recovery that we're looking for," Houston Housing Director Tom McCasland said. "This is an opportunity to think big. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the kind of city we want to be moving forward, and to have the resources to make those changes."

Daphne Lemelle, Harris County's community development director, echoed McCasland.

"We've always believed local control is best," she said. "We're ready to get the funding and to put the projects on the ground that are necessary to recover."

The Texas General Land Office, which is managing Harvey housing recovery, plans to collect public feedback on the proposal through April 26, before submitting the plan for federal approval..

State officials initially intended to publicize their action plan for this round of Harvey spending last month, but reversed course after Turner accused the land office of hogging the $5 billion and cutting the city out of planning talks.

Houston, initially only given control over single-family housing programs, wanted greater oversight over all categories of recovery initiatives, among other changes.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush responded by visiting the mayor, and, in mid-March, city, county and state officials traveled to Washington, D.C. to resolve the conflict.

"It went really well, very productive, great exchange of ideas, concepts and tweaks that we're going to take a deeper look at on the action plan," Bush said after meeting with Turner.

Houston and Harris County walked away with a revised action plan that grants them the control they wanted, leaving officials to plan how to spend their $1.2 billion and $1.1 billion allocations, respectively.

Managing the funds will be no easy task. This allocation alone amounts to roughly half of Houston's annual general fund budget.

Lemelle said the county has completed a draft proposal that she expects to release within the next three weeks.

McCasland, meanwhile, said he intends to release the city's action plan this summer and provide ample opportunity for public feedback.

"We intend to have a very broad and deep consultation process in our community to make sure that the action plan reflects where the community is in terms of how we're moving this forward," he said, adding that he does not think drafting a separate action plan will delay spending.

Amanda Timm, executive director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Greater Houston, cheered the development.

"I think people are served better the closer the money is managed to where the people who need the help are," Timm said, adding that she views the additional planning time as worthwhile. "Appropriate planning on the front end means that when you do get the funds, you can deploy them really effectively."

The land office will have to repeat the planning process for the additional $5 billion allocated to Texas on Tuesday. Roughly $4.7 billion of that is designated for Harvey recovery and mitigation projects, with the remainder to be used for mitigation in response to previous floods.

"The additional Community Development Block Grant funds ... will inject billions of dollars that are desperately needed to help restore our communities," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. "As the recovery process from Hurricane Harvey continues, the state of Texas is continuing to work as quickly as possible to ensure affected regions have the resources they need to fully recover."

rebecca.elliott@chron.com

twitter.com/rfelliott
Two elected Harris County officials squared off Tuesday over a bizarre case in which a top treasury official was charged in a $35,000 check kiting fraud to meet the financial demands of a dominatrix.

Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez was critical of how District Attorney Kim Ogg handled the criminal case against a top administrator in the countys treasurers office, after he was arrested last week for an alleged check fraud scheme and claimed he was being blackmailed by a financial dominatrix.

Whats disturbing to me is that the district attorney knew about the investigation six months ago, Sanchez said Tuesday. Neither the sheriff or the district attorney gave me a phone callas a heads up without going into the specifics of the investigationthat there was somebody in my office being looked at.

Last week Gregory Wayne Lueb, the second highest official at the Harris County Treasurer's Office, was charged with theft, accused of stealing about $35,000 in a check-kiting scheme that left the Harris County Credit Union on the hook for the money.

No county money was involved in the check scheme. Sanchez complained during a Friday press conference that Ogg held left the public with the incorrect impression that county money was in danger or could have been in jeopardy.

I need to correct the perception that has been laid out initially by the district attorney, Sanchez said. Several people commented to me that the perception was that county funds were involved. Thats incorrect.

Lueb told investigators he met a dominatrix a woman who punishes men in sexual situations  named "Mistress Cindy" on a sadomasochism website in 2016, and she began blackmailing him for money. Prosecutors have said they are skeptical of Luebs excuse, but even if there was a dominatrix, it was Lueb who is accused of writing hot checks.

He was fired less than an hour after Sanchez was told that charges were about to be filed, but Sanchez said he should have been alerted earlier.

On Tuesday, Ogg defended the way her office handled the six-month investigation and when they alerted Sanchez.

Because it was an ongoing investigation, we did a lot of work before any witnesses were talked to, said said. And that kind of investigation is never made public otherwise it is impossible to know who might be involved.

The countys top prosecutor said she phoned Sanchez minutes after confirming that her office was filing charges against Lueb.

Ogg, a Democrat, said she had been told that Sanchez, a Republican, has said her actions may have been politically motivated.

In response to County Treasurer Sanchezs comment that the prosecution of Mr. Lueb is political, I strongly deny that, she said. Instead of us pointing fingers at each other and claiming bad motives, I think the important thing for Harris County taxpayers is to get to the bottom of this issue and that means taking a look at every account Mr. Lueb had access to.

brian.rogers@chron.com
A shooting victim called 911 while rushing himself to a Houston fire station in Magnolia Park on Tuesday night, police said.

The victim called police shortly after 9 p.m. to report that someone in a Chevrolet Silverado was waiving a gun at him along Wayside Drive north of Harrisburg Boulevard in Houston's Greater East End. At some point after the man called 911, he was shot, police said.
The Texas Education Agency announced Tuesday it would create five-year benchmarks to allow schools and districts to better demonstrate progress toward meeting the states academic standards, a welcome change for educators who have complained the state too often moved the goal posts when it came to assigning its accountability ratings.

The change was one of several announced as the TEA begins implementation of an A-through-F letter grade rating system for individual schools and districts mandated by Texas lawmakers. Districts will receive the letter grades this fall, while individual schools will be given the new ratings in fall of 2019.

Districts that earn an A, B, C or D will have met the state's academic standards, while those earning F marks will not. The vast majority of campuses still will be rated on the existing two ratings: met standard or improvement required.

In calculating those new grades, cut scores  or the lowest acceptable scores  will remain mostly static for five-year stints. Previously, the agency tinkered with some of those scores every year from 2013 to 2017, according to TEA Accountability Manuals.

For example, the cut scores for passing a student achievement measure rose by 10 percentage points from 2013 to 2015. The TEA said keeping the minimum scores the same will allow for easier year-over-year comparisons and will make it possible for all campuses to earn an A in the new A-through-F rating system.

Linda Macias, associate superintendent for curriculum & instruction and accountability in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, said her district sets its own higher standards to soften any potential changes.

In the past, its been a year-to-year, we havent really known what were shooting for, Macias said. When we look at standards the state sets for STAAR assessment, its based on 60 percent passing, but we never set our district standard to 60. Its always been 70 to 75 percent and higher. Were going to set a standard higher than that and keep pushing toward that standard.

Perhaps nowhere are the accountability changes more consequential than in the Houston Independent School District, where 10 of the districts more than 280 schools are at risk of triggering a state takeover of the district. If those 10 schools do not improve their academic performances this year, they could be closed by the state or cause the state to appoint a board of managers to take over operations of HISD. The district is pursuing a third option that would allow those schools to stay open if they are operated by a third-party partner.

If the cut scores for a measure gauging post-secondary readiness had stayed the same from 2015 to 2017, HISDs Kashmere High school, which has been rated as improvement required for seven years, would have met the states standard in 2017. Instead, it missed the higher mark by 3 percentage points last year.

Officials in Houston and across the Gulf Coast also had hoped TEA Commissioner Mike Morath would grant a temporary accountability reprieve to districts and schools affected by Hurricane Harvey, essentially giving HISD another year to improve scores at its 10 longest struggling schools. The TEA announced Tuesday that decision would not be made until June.

Bob McPherson, dean of the University of Houston College of Education who has a PhD in counseling psychology, said thousands of local teachers and students who bore the brunt of the storms wrath have been exposed to chronic stress since September.

The ambiguity about the situation creates a new level of stress for teachers and principals in schools impacted by Hurricane Harvey, McPherson said. Whether chronic stress affects educational outcomes is a question we need to address.

The state's new accountability system will measure academic performance in three areas: student achievement, school progress and closing achievement gaps. The previous system included an additional measure on post-secondary readiness. Instead, the TEA rolled it into the other three measures in the new grading scheme.

Measuring student achievement in elementary and middle schools will be based solely on how well students score on the STAAR test. At the high school level, STAAR scores will count for 40 percent of a school's accountability rating. Another 40 percent will be based on college- and career-readiness, and 20 percent will be based on graduation or dropout rates.

School progress will be measured by how much students improved their STAAR scores from the previous year or how well schools maintained passing scores. High school ratings also will take into account student progress in terms of college- and career-readiness.

The final measure will calculate how well historically disadvantaged groups, such as racial minorities, English-language learners and economically disadvantaged students, perform on STAAR tests and college- and career-readiness measures.

HD Chambers, Superintendent of Alief ISD, applauded the added measures for college-and-career readiness, but said he worries the state did not give districts enough funding to carry out those new goals.

Next year, the district will open the $63 million, 200,000 square-foot Alief ISD Center for Advanced Careers in hopes of better preparing high school students for careers, post-secondary education and the military. The school was built with money from the districts 2015 bond, but Chambers said the annual costs associated with hiring skilled teachers and equipping the school will take a chunk out of his districts operating funds.

Those goals are very meaningful goals, but theres not resources to implement or meet them, Chambers said. Youre seeing districts, like Alief and large districts, putting money into workforce and military training, but weve used all the money weve had, and were not even close to meeting all the demands.

shelby.webb@chron.com

twitter.com/shelbywebb
A Texas man best known for his hateful social media presence as a Nazi and Neo-confederate has been arrested by federal authorities.

Heon "Hank" Jong Yoo, 24, was arrested Friday by U.S. Marshals, jail records show.

According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service said Yoo's arrest related to a false statement he made during a firearms purchase. The warrant for Yoo's arrest was issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Yoo, a Korean-American from Tyler and self-described Neo-Confederate, became well-known on the internet due to his now-deleted Facebook and Twitter accounts.

HATE IN ACTION: Houston nurse, 31, victim of Islamophobic stabbing, civil rights group says

In one Facebook post, Yoo asked Europeans and East Asians immigrants to leave their "sh**ty ass culture behind" and to "assimilate to American culture or get the f*ck out of our country."

A Snapchat of Yoo showed him saluting the American flag with the caption: "Long live America. Death to Jews and Muslims. Death to all enemies of the republic! Hail Washington!

Other photos showed Yoo performing a Nazi salute or holding a firearm in front of a swastika.

The hate-filled posts and images earned Yoo the nickname "Asian Nazi" on social media.

Yoo was previously arrested in 2016 on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Tyler Police said Yoo and three other men attempted to enter a property and became involved in an altercation with the homeowner in the front yard. Police said the group traveled to the wrong residence to confront a person whom they believed had taken their vehicle.

See the active hate groups in Texas above.
A man is in jail months after a 17-year-old accused him of sexually assaulting her and then promising to buy her a car, San Antonio police said.

Santos Reveles, 42, was arrested Monday on suspicion of sexual assault of a child. A judge set his bail at $100,000.
Harris County is planning a billboard campaign to encourage residents to buy flood insurance, hoping to drive home one of the costliest lessons from Hurricane Harvey.

It is a drumbeat long sounded by public officials seeking to prepare the region for floods, but the message has taken on new significance after Harvey, in which 83 percent of the 1.4 million buildings in Harris County lacked flood insurance when the storm hit, according to estimates from the flood control district.

We should make people aware of the facts, said Ataul Hannan, planning division director for the Harris County Flood Control District. You cannot take away risk.

READ ALSO: Army Corps of Engineers extends deadline for Addicks, Barker excavation proposals

To do that, the district wants to put up two dozen billboards along some of Harris Countys most-traveled roadways, reminding residents of the importance of flood insurance.

The flood control district gave Commissioners Court small mockups of some of the proposed billboard messages. One encourages residents who live outside the flood plains to buy flood insurance. Another shows that the average flood claim is $43,000 while the average premium is $60 per month. A third emphasizes that while hurricane season lasts from June to November, flood season lasts all year.

Were trying to cut all the myths, Hannan said.

READ ALSO: Nonprofit group sues Harris County over voter registration records

Twelve billboards, most of them 14 feet by 48 feet, would be located around the county. Five are proposed for Interstate 45, mostly north of downtown. Two more would be placed along Highway 6, and two others along Highway 290.

A dozen other smaller billboards  11 feet tall by 23 feet wide  would be similarly scattered.

Anyone in Harris County can buy flood insurance, but it is required by federally backed mortgages for homeowners living in the 100-year flood plain, an area around bayous, rivers and streams where floodwaters would spill out during a 100-year storm.

A 100-year storm has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year and equates to 12 to 14 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period across the county.

A recent Houston Chronicle analysis found that almost three-quarters of the 204,000 homes and apartment buildings in Harris County that flooded during Harvey were outside the 100-year flood plain.

That number was more than 67 percent during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

Meanwhile, 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.

The regions existing flood plains are outdated as rainfall estimates have not changed in more than a decade. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration currently is conducting a study that is expected to increase estimates of 100-year rainfall, possibly by several inches. Area flood plains are expected to grow, as a result.

The billboards can help remind people of the danger even as their memories of the last severe storm fade as the months go on, said Jo Ann Howard, a former FEMA executive who ran the National Flood Insurance Program 20 years ago.

Its important to try to remind people now of flood risk and that its very real, said Howard, who now runs an Austin-based firm that helps state and local officials prepare for floods. Its not an isolated event in Houston.

The flood control district estimates the billboards will generate 31.2 million impressions to adults who are 18+ years of age over the span of four weeks.

The move is part of a larger initiative by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to double flood insurance policies over the next five years.

Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of seeking $75,000 in federal grant funds to put up the billboards.

Hannan said the flood control district expects to hear whether it is approved for the grant this summer.

mihir.zaveri@chron.com

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated the year Tropical Storm Allison hit the Houston area. It was 2001.
Google is in talks to acquire Nokia Oyjs airplane broadband business as the Alphabet Inc. unit seeks to tap into new services and reach more users by offering in-flight high-speed internet, people familiar with the matter said.

Nokias technology could help Google offer a faster alternative to existing Wi-Fi on airplanes, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Talks are advanced and an agreement may be reached soon, the people said.

A final decision hasnt been made and the companies could still decide against a deal, the people said. Representatives for Alphabet and Nokia declined to comment.

Nokias LTE A2G cellular-based system also creates a direct link between an aircraft and the ground instead of just bouncing the signal off of a satellite, enabling in-cabin high-speed internet services using Wi-Fi, according to its website.

Onboard internet has been a consumer pain point for years, with spotty service and weak bandwidth. Yet travelers often pay handsomely for any connectivity on flights. Thats a business opportunity and also a chance for Google to expand its services.

The move could create a wealthy new competitor to Gogo Inc., an existing provider of in-flight internet service. Shares of Chicago-based Gogo pared gains Tuesday on news of the Google-Nokia talks, finishing with an advance of 2 percent to $8.86 in New York, giving the company a market value of $769 million. Alphabet rose 1.6 percent to $1,036.5.

Nokia rose 1.2 percent to 4.55 euros as of 10:18 a.m. in Helsinki Wednesday, bringing the value of the company to 25.6 billion euros ($31.7 billion). The company, which has been battling a slowdown in spending by cellphone network operators, could benefit from a more diversified product portfolio than Swedish rival Ericsson AB, analysts at Berenberg said, advising clients to buy Nokia shares.

Nokia Technology

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While Nokia has been developing its in-flight internet technology, the project is a lesser priority than its work on 5G telecom equipment.

Googles communications group is exploring ways to spread mobile connectivity as strong internet service is crucial to its search engine, YouTube video service and the ads that generate almost 90 percent of the companys revenue. The business, part of a long-term effort to share wireless spectrum in new ways, oversees existing offerings like the Project Fi wireless business, the Google Voice calling service and a large Wi-Fi network in Starbucks coffee shops.

--With assistance from Niclas Rolander and Hanna Hoikkala

2018 Bloomberg L.P.

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One of the highly watched cases of the Supreme Courts current session, Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31, has sparked such passion that some 73 interested parties have filed amicus briefs in the matter. Among the most unusual is a brief by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urging the court to rule against Mark Janus, an Illinois state employee who claims that a law requiring him to pay AFSCME an agency fee violates his rights. In an unusual move, a prominent bishop, Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, has publicly disavowed the conferences position, arguing that no consensus exists among Catholics regarding an issue on which reasonable people can disagree. Several Catholic scholars have also contested the bishops arguments, especially the prelates startling suggestion that a ruling for Janus would marginalize the churchs voice on public-policy debates in the same way that the Courts decisions on abortion and same-sex marriage have done. The Court heard arguments in Janus on February 26 and will issue a ruling before the end of its term in June.

A social worker, Janus has sued to overturn a state law requiring him to pay AFSCME a fee to represent him, even though he had declined to join the union. He has asked the court to reverse a 1977 decision, Abood v. Detroit Federation of Teachers, which upheld state laws that give government unions the right to collect fees from nonmembers in a workplace where collective bargaining is in place. Janus contends that the activities of a government union, including collective bargaining, are political by their very nature, and that the union fee compels him to finance ideas with which he disagrees. If Janus prevails, it would likely mean the institution of right-to-work lawsprohibiting labor unions and employers from making union membership a condition of employmentacross the public sector in the United States.

The bishops brief begins by citing the Catholic Churchs longstanding commitment to protect both the poor and vulnerable from exploitation. Unions, the brief observes, accomplish those aims by defending worker rights. In America, the church has a long history of supporting private labor unions, especially those composed of immigrant Catholic workers, such as the nineteenth-century Knights of Labor. At a time when many within the Church feared unions as secret societies, Baltimore Cardinal James Gibbons, a staunch supporter of the Knights, is thought to have persuaded the Vatican that unions could be instrumental in Church efforts to help the poor. Pope Leo XIII subsequently defended unions in his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum. To enter into a society of this kind is the natural right of man, he maintained.

The Janus case, however, applies only to public-sector unions. Januss fundamental argument is that, unlike dues paid by a worker to a private union to support bargaining between laborers and an employer, the fees that he must pay subsidize AFSCMEs efforts to compel the State of Illinois to bend to the unions will. That makes the act of collective bargaining political in nature, as Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito observed in Knox v. SEIU: [A] public-sector union takes many positions during collective bargaining that have powerful political and civic consequences.

The bishops justify their interest in Janus by contending that the lawsuit is somehow meant to lay the foundation for extending right-to-work nationally to private-sector unionsa dubious claim for which the brief offers no legal rationale. Bradley Lewis, a political philosopher at the Catholic University of America, observes that while the bishops brief cites many passages in classic [social] encyclicals . . . none of them refer to public-sector unions nor do they concern mandatory agency fees.

What seems like the bishops effort to bend over backward to support AFSCME rankles critics like Bishop Paprocki because government unions are among the most socially liberal labor organizations, using their considerable resourcesgenerated by compelled duesto fight against the church on issues that have little to do with representing workers. I dont know specifically what Janus objections are regarding the unions political work, but the public-sector union supports abortion and donates to Planned Parenthood, Paprocki has said. In 2014, the union gave $400,000 to the organizations PAC, which works to elect pro-abortion candidates.

The Catholic bishops surely know that teachers unions around the country have opposed programs that would provide children with vouchers to attend Catholic schools. And government unions have been significant contributors to campaigns to oppose traditional definitions of marriage and promote same-sex unions, including their opposition to Proposition 8, a 2008 California referendum that sought to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The bishops most controversial argument is that if the court rules in favor of Janus, it would constitutionalize the issue of agency fees, meaning that it would foreclose further debates in the states on the issue. The bishops complain that the court has already done something similar in Roe v. Wade, which disallowed many state restrictions on abortion, and in Obergefell v. Hodges, which declared same-sex marriage a fundamental right beyond state legislation. The argument comes dangerously close to moral equivalencethe bishops seem to be suggesting that something as trivial as agency fees is commensurate in importance with teachings that go to the heart of Catholic doctrine, like the nature of marriage. It is at least a bit grotesque for the [bishops] to conflate such questions, wrote economist Charles W. Baird, author of Liberating Labor: A Christian Economists Case for Voluntary Unionism.

Catholic social teaching reminds church members that they must be morally coherent in their religious and secular beliefs. One might reasonably ask the same of the bishops after reading their Janus brief.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Save the Children UK over concerns about its handling of serious allegations of misconduct and harassment by senior staff members in 2012 and 2015.

The Commission said it engaged with the charity in 2015-16, after the charity reported a serious incident relating to allegations of misconduct and harassment against a senior staff member.

It said it also received an anonymous complaint about the charitys response to further allegations against senior staff members.

The regulator said it met Save the Children UKs chair at the time and instructed the charity to provide it with the findings of its independent review.

It said it received direct assurance from trustees that all of these recommendations had been accepted and were being urgently acted upon.

The Commission then re-engaged with the charity in February 2018 when they were responding to further public scrutiny about the 2015 issues.

In February, Save the Children confirmed that concerns were raised about inappropriate behaviour and comments by Justin Forsyth in 2011 and 2015, who was chief executive at the time.

Also that month, allegations against former employee Brendan Cox, husband of MP Jo Cox who was murdered in her constituency in 2016, were made public.

At this time, the charity announced a new review into workplace culture at the charity, which amongst other things will assess whether recommendations from a previous review have been fully and effectively implemented.

Scope of investigation

The Commission said it has fresh concerns following its recent engagement with the charity including:

whether the charity adequately reported the full extent and nature of allegations to the Commission in 2015/16

how the charity handled complaints in 2012 and 2015 and, as a result, the extent of any reviews conducted at the time by the trustees into the charitys response to the allegations

the charitys decision making since February 2018 on its public position regarding these allegations

As a result, the Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity on 4 April, which will examine, among other matters, whether trustees have:

adequately discharged their duties in handling the allegations at the time, and in fulfilling their duty of care towards their employees

ensured the charity has implemented measures about operating to appropriate standards of work place conduct and staff safeguarding - including testing staffing misconduct allegations, complaints or incidents received by the charity since 1 January 2016

made decisions around public handling and reputation management on the historic allegations appropriately

disclosed fully, frankly and accurately, serious incidents relating to staffing matters to the Commission

The inquiry will only consider safeguarding issues related to Save the Children staff, not the charitys beneficiaries.

Michelle Russell, director of investigations and enforcement at the Charity Commission, said: This inquiry centres specifically on how the charity handled complaints in 2012 and 2015 about senior members of staff, and how the charity responded to and managed public and media scrutiny of those events in 2018.

Opening a formal investigation does not necessarily mean that we have concluded that there has been wrongdoing by the trustees of The Save the Children Fund.

However, we do have questions that must be answered, and we need to hold the charity formally accountable for providing them in a clear and timely manner.

Charity response

Save the Children said it would co-operate fully with the Charity Commission and act swiftly on any lessons that emerge.

Peter Bennett-Jones, the charitys chair, said: It is critical that Save the Children works with the Charity Commission to examine whether mistakes were made in the past.

If mistakes were made they will be fully acknowledged and properly addressed. We are committed to working with the Charity Commission to establish a truthful and accurate account of events and the charitys response. If mistakes were made, we will act swiftly and decisively to address them.

We are unequivocally committed to building a workplace culture based on mutual respect  a culture in which all of our staff feel protected, supported and listened to.

In February 2018 we established an independent review led by Dr Suzanne Shale, an expert in organisational ethics, aimed at strengthening our workplace culture.

With a new leadership team in place we have strengthened of staff protection systems through mandatory training and other measures. Save the Children UK has a policy of zero tolerance towards any form of bullying or harassment.
The government has announced a requirement for its largest suppliers to report on their spend with charity subcontractors.

From 1 May, suppliers with government contracts worth over 5m per annum will have to report to government on the type and value of all subcontracts over 25,000 they advertise and award.

They will have to report on how much they spend on subcontracting, and how much they spend directly with SME or voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in the delivery of the original contract.

Suppliers will be required to advertise all subcontracting opportunities on a government website. There are separate websites for contracts being tendered in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, suppliers will only have to report subcontracts worth over 100,000 if they consider the 25,000 threshold overly burdensome for a particular contract.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said suppliers will be excluded from major government procurements if they cannot demonstrate fair and effective payment practices with their subcontractors.

He said: This government is listening to the business community and is committed to levelling the playing field for smaller suppliers to win work in the public sector.

We have set a challenging aspiration that 33 per cent of procurement spend should be with small businesses by 2022 - and are doing more than ever to break down barriers for smaller firms.

Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and play a key role in helping us to build a strong, viable private sector that delivers value for taxpayers and jobs for millions all over the UK.

Sector response

Michael Birtwistle, Public Services Manager at NCVO, said: The problematic supply chain management by prime contractors is pretty well documented and the voluntary sector has been particularly affected by so called bid candy practices, which I think were most prominent as part of the Transforming Rehabilitation programme.

We very much welcome efforts to improve the longstanding situation around subcontracting supply chain management.

"I think the compulsion to advertise subcontracting opportunities through Contract Finder is a very practical proposal that is also going to help improve the data on how much contract spend is going to VCSE and SME organisations.

However, Birtwistle said the new requirements should be supported by a push from Cabinet Office to improve how commissioners advertise tenders on Contracts Finder.

Nick Davies, associate director at the Institute for Government, and former public service manager at NCVO, tweeted a thread on the impact of these new measures.

[THREAD] Govt has today announced a package of measures to increase the transparency of its supply chains.



This is good news as, believe it or not, the govt currently has very little idea about which orgs ultimately deliver the services it pays for 1/https://t.co/pQltNqigJf  Nick Davies (@NJ_Davies) 10 April 2018
Last Wednesday night, the evening news anchors on Sinclairs flagship station, WBFF in Baltimore, introduced the 10pm broadcast with the story of a double murder. Over the course of the hour-long program on the Fox affiliate, anchors Kai Jackson and Jennifer Gilbert presented segments on the state legislature, a drop in Baltimores homicide rate, a doggie field trip to Disneyland, and weather. So. Much. Weather.

To anybody who lives in Baltimore, WBFFs Fox45 News at 10 looks like any other local newscast in Americaa fact largely lost in the recent furor over the must-run segments with political agendas aired by Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns the Baltimore station and 192 others around the country.

Jackson and Gilbert, the WBFF anchors, were two of the dozens of Sinclair journalists who stared into the camera last month and read from a script handed down by their corporate bosses, criticizing biased and false news. The must-run read-throughs, featured in a Deadspin video that launched a news cycle 10 days ago, restarted a long-running media critique of Sinclair. The company hasnt been shy about picking up the anti-press talking points of the president as it seeks antitrust approval from Donald Trumps Justice Department for a major acquisition.

ICYMI: The story of a journalist who became a killer

That most Sinclair broadcasts look neutral, says Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan, is what makes Sinclair all the more insidious. In a way, the fact that it looks normal most of the time is part of the problem, she argues. What Sinclair is cynically doing is trading on the trust that develops among local news people and their local audience. The controversy surrounding Sinclair is about more than partisanship, media consolidation, and government oversight. Its about the very manner in which the American public understands where their news comes from and how its made.

Last week, Jackson and Gilbert didnt do any editorializing. Their broadcasts stories came in staccato bursts rarely lasting more than a minute, and what national reporting existed was factual and seemingly untainted by political slant one way or the other. No one would confuse the program with the pro-Trump cheerleading of Fox Newss primetime hours. When Boris Epshteyn, a sort of low-energy Sean Hannity who serves as Sinclairs chief political analyst, did appear, it was at the tail end of the 10pm broadcast. His segment wasnt introduced by the affiliates anchors, and in fact seemed disjointed from the rest of the program.

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David Zurawik, who has covered Sinclair for nearly three decades as The Baltimore Suns television critic, says that lack of a blatant political slant isnt surprising. Its not a cartoon right-wing operation; [it looks] like local news, he says of the stations coverage. [Its] very aggressive in covering police and schools and City Hall. The problem is when [it does] something political, [it drags] you back to realizing [its] approach. Thats whats frustrating as a critic, because you want to be fair, but at some point youve seen it enough that you say, Theres an agenda here, Im sorry. Its my duty to remind viewers of that, that even when it looks clean and down the middle, it might not be, because we dont know what were not seeing.

Zurawik and his former Sun colleague David Folkenflik, now NPRs media correspondent, point to a number of moments over the last two decades to explain how Sinclair arrived at its current status as the ideologue of local news. There was the time, shortly after the September 11 attacks, when Sinclair mandated that all stations run an editorial supporting President Bushs approach to fighting terrorism. In 2004, the network sent reporters to Iraq to find positive, untold stories that the liberal media wasnt covering. Later that year, Sinclair refused to air a Nightline episode in which Ted Koppel read aloud the names of the American soldiers killed in battle because it was motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq. In 2012, WBFFs then-evening news anchor recorded a robocall phrased in a way that might be damaging to [Marylands] Democratic governor. More recently, Frederick G. Smith, a member of the family that owns Sinclair, made a donation to Montana Congressman Greg Gianfortes campaign the day after he assaulted a Guardian reporter.

Neither WBFF nor Sinclair management responded to CJRs attempts to contact them for this story. In a public statement, Sinclair attributed the controversy surrounding the recent must-run message to our opponents, and claimed the message is not a political statement.

Over the past two decades, Sinclair has gone from controlling a few dozen broadcasters to being the countrys biggest owner of local stations. The companys ideological approach is especially relevant because its stations devote more of their time to national news than competitors owned by other companies. A recent study by two Emory University political scientists found that stations bought by Sinclair reduce coverage of local politics, increase national coverage and move the ideological tone of coverage in a conservative direction relative to other stations operating in the same market.

Related: Sinclairs Orwellian attack on the press

Sinclair isnt used to being in the spotlight. It has come under greater scrutiny since it proposed acquiring Tribune Media last May, a $3.9 billion purchase that would land the company stations in New York and Chicago, and place its programming in nearly three-quarters of American homes. Months after Sinclair announced its intentions, the FCC voted to approve rules that allowed television broadcasters to greatly expand the number of stations they own. While recent negotiations between Sinclair and regulators have thrown up some obstacles to the Tribune purchase, the realization that there existed a media behemoth most Americans had never heard of led to increased scrutiny of Sinclair.

Though reporters like Zurawik, Folkenflik, and The Washington Posts Paul Farhi have been covering the company for years, the dispersed nature of its holdings and the lack of national focus on local news have allowed it to fly more or less under the radar. Folkenflik acknowledges the role of the Deadspin video in stripping away the veneer of independent thought and [revealing] the inorganic-ness and insincerity propelling the whole enterprise. At the same time, he argues, if Sinclair owned 40 stations, wasnt involved in some big deal, and hadnt been cut an incredible break by the administration, I dont think people would be blinking about this.

Since the Tribune deal was proposed just under a year ago, reporters at major publications have been devoting more time to unpacking Sinclairs history, slant, and business plan, while HBOs John Oliver took satirical aim at the company last summer, exposing its practices to a new audience. That coverage, argues Zurawik, is a silver lining to all the controversy surrounding Sinclair. One thing thats coming out of this, is that we all say look, longterm the only way were going to be able to deal with the revolutionary change in media and information is media literacy education, he says. We need to become more sophisticated about the information we consume. And perhaps thats the best we can hope for out of this saga: that consumers learn a bit more about how their local news is made.

Viewers understand, to some degree, what theyre getting when they turn on Fox News or MSNBC. But local news is a whole different beast. Many of the anchors are seen as members of the community, and viewers may expect them to represent the concerns of that community rather than the national corporation that employs them.

Folkenflik argues that the current attention to Sinclair provides an opportunity to reflect on larger questions about who controls the news. Its a chance for people to get involved, to be aware. Were seeing a moment when local news is on the precipice: Is news going to be meaningful? Are news organizations going to be able to hold local institutions and local political figures accountable? Do they have the mission, the resources, the resolve to do that? he asks. This is a moment where consumers have to decide [which] institutions they want to support and how they want to support them. Sinclair is perfectly capable of doing good news, but if consumers see things that offend them, they need to show it. It doesnt have to be people in the streets; they just have to make smart choices.

Related: Sinclairs Orwellian attack on the press

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Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
The out-of-state driver of a charter bus full of high school students that crashed into a low-hanging overpass on a Long Island parkway was using a non-commercial GPS device that didnt warn him about the hazard in time to prevent an accident that left two passengers seriously injured, police said Monday.

State police Major David Candelaria said the driver never slowed down before slamming into the overpass on Sunday night on the Southern State Parkway, where buses, tractor-trailers and other commercial traffic are banned.

There was no signs of braking, stopping, anything like that, Candelaria said.

The driver also didnt have the benefit of a high-tech warning system being installed by the state Department of Transportation that uses electronic sensors that emit invisible beams to detect any trucks or buses heading toward low overpasses along parkways built in the 1930s and 1940s for cars alone. The devices were recently installed near the site of the wreck but were still being tested, Department of Transportation spokesman Joseph Morrissey said.

Safety is our top priority, and while we cant comment on an ongoing investigation, throughout this area there is signage indicating height restrictions and making clear that commercial vehicles are prohibited from driving on parkways, Morrissey said.

A roadside sign posted by the state on the overpass in Lakeview, just east of New York City, says the clearance at its lowest point is 7 feet, 7 inches (2.3 meters). The height of the bus was believed to be about 12 feet (3.7 meters).

Police hadnt determined whether the driver, Troy Gaston, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, would be charged, Candelaria said. Though it was the first time in recent memory that a bus had hit an overpass on the parkway, there have been several accidents involving tractor-trailer drivers who are unfamiliar with the route, he said.

Two 17-year-old girls remained hospitalized on Monday with serious injuries from the crash. They were part of a group of 38 students and five chaperones who had arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport after a spring break trip to Europe and were heading to a drop-off location in Huntington Station. The bus was operated by Irvington, New Jersey-based Journey Bus Lines.

Passengers reported hearing someone yell Duck! as the bus approached the overpass, Candelaria said, but it was unclear if it was the driver.

Gaston showed tremendous remorse and is very upset over the accident, the police official added.

In 2010, a double-decker bus driver with a personal GPS crashed into an overpass near Syracuse, killing four passengers. He was using the device to find his way to a bus station and passed 13 low-bridge warning signs, some with flashing yellow lights, before the wreck, authorities said.

On Monday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration urged truck drivers on Twitter to always use a PROFESSIONAL-GRADE GPS that provide critical route restrictions, such as low bridge overpasses.

In 2012, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer held a news conference at the same overpass calling for tougher safety standards. On Monday, he demanded answers.

Why, why, why in Gods name would the systems that were available to avoid this accident not be in place on this bus? Schumer said.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
With scandals and pseudo-scandals swirling at Facebook, Tesla and Amazon, CNBC's Jim Cramer wanted to inspect each household company to gauge the potential negative impacts. "With all three names rebounding nicely today along with the rest of the market, ... I think we need to conduct a damage assessment," the "Mad Money" host said on Tuesday. "Can these three titans keep bouncing or should you be afraid that they're going to get clobbered all over again?"

Facebook

A data scandal involving political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica has rocked Facebook's stock since it came to light, sending shares down 11 percent from where they were trading before the news broke in mid-March. According to Facebook, the firm harvested data from an estimated 87 million users without their permission. The issue has led Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress. "The question here is how much any of this will actually impact the numbers," Cramer said. "Because at the end of the day, ... Facebook's a good earner." Facebook has a 26 percent long-term growth rate, but its stock sells for 22 times earnings, a fairly cheap valuation, Cramer said. But if lawmakers place regulations on Facebook's business, particularly on the sale of user data, it could hurt the company's earnings results. "I think the stock is probably a bargain, but you can't buy this unless you're prepared for the fallout if the company disappoints when it earnings are reported in a couple of weeks ... and you can't handle the scrutiny that Zuck's getting," the "Mad Money" host advised. Even so, Facebook's stock had its best day in two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 percent at $165.04 a share.

Tesla

Automaker Tesla, with shares down 15 percent from their January highs, has come under fire in recent weeks for a fatal accident in California involving a Tesla Model X that was on autopilot. But the crisis called more than just the autopilot feature into question, raising concerns among investors about the company's financials, ability to meet production goals and need for capital, Cramer said. Shares of Tesla have been churning since the accident, falling on news of the crash, recovering slightly, falling again on CEO Elon Musk's April Fool's joke about the company going bankrupt, then bouncing last week on better-than-expected production guidance. "Short-term, if Tesla ends up needing to raise capital, and Goldman Sachs says they will even as Musk says otherwise, then you'll get slammed if you own this thing," Cramer warned. But, he continued, "long-term, my friend Jim Stewart just published an incredibly positive review of the Model 3 in the New York Times. The stock ran up huge today with the Chinese president talking about lowering tariffs on American cars, [a] big win for Tesla. Nevertheless, I think it's too risky to bet on at the moment."

Amazon

Since Axios published a story titled "Trump Hates Amazon, Not Facebook," Amazon has been the target of a firestorm launched from President Trump's Twitter account. Trump has railed against the e-commerce giant for its tax treatment and what he considers to be an unfair deal with the U.S. Post Office, but most market-watchers assume his frustration stems from his hatred of the Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Shares of Amazon are down 11 percent from its early 2018 highs and down roughly 4 percent from when the retail colossus came under fire from Trump. "Even though the company's facing intense criticism from the leader of the free world, I think the stock's a buy, plain and simple," Cramer argued. "At the end of the day, it's hard to see how this will impact Amazon's earnings." The "Mad Money" host reminded viewers that Amazon started collecting state and local sales taxes years ago, and that if the Post Office pushed back on their deal, Amazon could simply take its business to FedEx or UPS. "Long story short, the punishment of Amazon's stock doesn't fit the non-existent crime," he said. "This is not a real scandal. I think it's a buy into any additional weakness."

Conclusions

"The bottom line? Looking at these three damaged tech titans, Amazon is obviously in the best shape. ... Tesla? Too risky for this guy," Cramer said. "As for Facebook, ... you've got my permission to speculate on it, but please be careful. There's a real chance Congress could take action to force the company to be more up-front about the way it takes your data and routinely matches it with advertisers. Because believe me, if there's another big breach, it's not going to be enough for Zuckerberg just to say, that's the business model."

WATCH: Cramer does a damage assessment on top tech stocks
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg brought notes to his U.S. Senate hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

The notes give insight into how Facebook prepared for Zuckerberg's first congressional hearing. They go beyond his answers to senators' questions, providing Facebook's latest official positions on big topics like succession and corporate restructuring.

Facebook did not officially release the notes. A photojournalist with the Associated Press, Andy Harnik, snapped a picture of two pages of the notes, and a CBS editor, Stefan Becket, shared them on Twitter hours after the hearing began. The notepad appears to be the same one that Zuckerberg was clutching during the hearing.

tweet

Here's a rundown of what was in them:

GDPR response. While Zuckerberg did talk about the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation rules, which go into effect next month, the notes instructed Zuckerberg not to suggest the company is covered. "Don't say we already do what GDPR requires," the notes state in comments set in bold.

China threat. The notes gave Zuck a convenient response to any questions about whether Facebook ought to be broken up. "US tech companies key asset for America; break up strengthens Chinese companies," the notes say.

The ad market is huge. The notes also offered Zuckerberg a way to combat any suggestions that Facebook is the only place to go for companies that want to reach lots of people through advertising. "Advertisers have choices too -- $650 billion market, we have 6%," the notes say.

What about Apple? The notes additionally contained references to Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook -- presumably to be used in case senators ask about Cook's recent comments that presumably concerned Facebook. "Lots of stories about apps misusing Apple data, never seen Apple notify people," Zuckerberg's notes say.

The emergency go-to statement. There was also a go-to statement that Zuckerberg could use in the event of especially strong criticism of Facebook. "If attacked: Respectfully, I reject that. Not who we are," the notes say.
There's a new breed of entrepreneurship programs turning to Asia for their next big ideas.

These accelerators, which groom early-stage tech companies, see Asia as a hotbed for technological innovation. That's demonstrated in part by the region's explosive growth in financing activity last year.

Total annual funding activity in Asia increased by 117 percent in 2017 compared to the prior year, according to a report released by intelligence platform CB Insights. There was $70.8 billion invested across 2,847 deals in 2017  up from $32.7 billion the year before, according to the report.

Of particular note, start-up accelerators see potential in Singapore and Hong Kong, primarily because of strong reserves of tech experts.

Entrepreneur First, a London-headquartered start-up accelerator that fosters companies from inception, launched in Hong Kong last month. That's on top of its offices already in London, Berlin and Singapore.

Backed by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman among others, the company has helped more than 500 people build over 120 companies with a cumulative valuation of over $1 billion. It counts Magic Pony Technology, a developer of machine-learning approaches for visual processing on web and mobile platforms, as one of its most successful endeavors to date. It was acquired by Twitter in 2016 for a reported $150 million.

Speaking with CNBC's "Squawk Box," Entrepreneur First Singapore Managing Director Alex Crompton highlighted the challenges of building a high technology company "wherever you are in the world." He cited the proximity to research centers, universities and a high-quality talent base as crucial factors to success.

"The things that we see in both Singapore and Hong Kong [are] an extraordinary number of ambitious and talented people," Crompton said. "The advantage of the [Entrepreneur First] model is that we're able to take those people as individuals and take them from being a person into someone who has something the best investors in the world are willing to fund."
Michael Cohen, personal attorney for U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives to appear before Senate Intelligence Committee staff as the panel investigates alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. September 19, 2017.

President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen said Tuesday that FBI agents were respectful and professional when they raided his home and office on Monday.

Speaking to CNN in his first public comments since the raid, the attorney said "[he] would be lying" if he said he wasn't worried about the search, which is reportedly related to payments made to two women who claim to have had affairs with Trump.

"Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No," Cohen said.

Federal prosecutors in New York obtained a search warrant to carry out the raid. It followed a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.

Cohen's description of the search clashes with what Trump said on Monday. The president said agents "broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys."

The lawyer told CNN he would reconsider the payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels, which came on the eve of the 2016 election, because of the fallout has affected his family.

Read the full CNN report here.
President Donald Trump demanded in December that special counsel Robert Mueller be fired and the former FBI director's investigation shut down, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

At that time, the president was angry over reports that Mueller's latest subpoenas were related to Trump's business interactions with Deutsche Bank, the newspaper said, citing interviews with White House officials.

The Deutsche Bank reports were inaccurate, the special counsel's office told Trump's team, and the president did not act on his desires  but it was the second time that Trump is known to have considered firing Mueller, according to the Times.

The White House did not immediately answer CNBC's request for comment and the special counsel's office declined to comment.

Mueller's office has been focused on investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Moscow by Trump campaign officials. The team, which has subpoenaed the Trump Organization, is also believed to be examining whether there was obstruction of justice related to the probe.

Trump has spoken about potentially firing the special counsel as recently as this week.

"Why don't I just fire Mueller? Well, I think it's a disgrace what's going on. We'll see what happens," Trump said Monday in response to a question. "Many people have said, 'You should fire him.'"

If the president were to fire Mueller, financial markets would likely take a tumble.

Read The New York Times' full story on the December episode.

CNBC's Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
Although recent scrutiny has "clearly hurt" Facebook's mission, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said there has not been a dramatic decline in usership.

Zuckerberg spoke on Tuesday at a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees, where he was questioned for more than four hours about Facebook's treatment of user data. The company has been under pressure after March media reports revealed that a researcher sold Facebook user data to an outside firm, Cambridge Analytica, which has been associated with President Donald Trump's campaign.

But the negative press hasn't deterred users, Zuckerberg said, in response to a question from a Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

Johnson: With all this publicity, have you documented any kind of backlash from Facebook users? I mean, has there been a dramatic falloff of the number of people that utilize Facebook because of these concerns? Zuckerberg: Senator, there has not. Johnson: You haven't even witnessed any? Zuckerberg: Senator, there was a movement where some people were encouraging their friends to delete their accounts. I think that got shared a bunch? Johnson: So it's kind of safe to say that Facebook users don't seem to be overly concerned about all these revelations, although obviously Congress apparently is? Zuckerberg: Well Senator, I think people are concerned about it and I think these are incredibly important issues that people want us to address. And I think people have told us that very clearly. Johnson: It seems like Facebook users still want to use the platform, because they enjoy sharing photos. They share their connectivity with their family members. That type of thing. And that overrides their concerns about privacy.

Prior to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook was already struggling to address the fallout around the 2016 presidential election. Critics blamed Facebook for the spread of misinformation during the election, and Russian agents also used fake social media accounts to share divisive content in the U.S.

In January, Zuckerberg said that Facebook took action to reduce deceptive content, and that those changes had already reduced time spent on the site by 50 million hours per day, or 5 percent.
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang has a big goal for a relatively unknown business person: to reach the White House. And he's aiming to get there by selling America on the idea that all citizens, ages 18-64, should get a check for $1,000 every month, no strings attached, from the U.S. government. Yang, 43, who was born in upstate New York in 1975, will be running as a Democrat, according to his campaign website. "People who think the antidote to Donald Trump is a boring generic Democrat missed the point. He is a sign of massive institutional failure. On both sides," Yang said on Reddit on April 2. A universal basic income (UBI) payment, which Yang calls "the Freedom Dividend," is one of his major policies.

Finally, $1,000 is low enough to help assuage a common criticism of UBI: that it will discourage people from working. "It's virtually impossible to do more than just survive on a thousand dollars a month around the country," Yang tells CNBC Make It. "It would make a huge difference for families, but it's not a level that would lead one not to work." Automation is driving an urgent need for cash handouts UBI is necessary, according to Yang, because automation is replacing human workers in manufacturing and threatens jobs in retail, food service and preparation, customer service, transportation, insurance, accounting, medicine and law, he says in a campaign video. Indeed, some reports are concerning. By 2030, 75 million workers around the globe will need to change occupational category due to automation, according to a December 2017 study by McKinsey Global Institute, and 400 million jobs could be potentially displaced. These estimates are based on analysis of 46 countries that include 90 percent of global gross domestic product and a mid level pace of adoption of automation. A report published in March by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts 14 percent of the jobs measured in 32 OECD countries, or about 66 million jobs, are "highly automatable," which the report defines as having a probability of being automated over 70 percent over the next 15 to 20 years. Another 32 percent have a risk of being automated at 50 to 70 percent, the report says.

Yang says he is uniquely positioned to see both sides of the automation story in the United States thanks to his work with Venture for America. "I'm usually highly exposed, where most people in my line of work have not spent six years marching around Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, like Missouri," Yang tells CNBC Make It. "Most people haven't spent six and a half years working in these regions with the businesses and entrepreneurs there. And most people probably do not directly know people in Silicon Valley who are working on automating away millions of jobs and know it." Paying for UBI Under Yang's plan, the UBI payment would be funded by a "new tax on the companies that are benefiting most from automation," he says in a video on his campaign's website. That tax, he explains, would be a value-added tax (VAT) of 10 percent on goods and services a company produces. (Europe already has a VAT, with rates ranging from 17 percent in Luxembourg to 27 percent in Hungary as of Jan.1, 2018, according to the European Commission.) The idea of a VAT will become ever more important, according to Yang's campaign, "because you cannot collect income tax from robots or software." "Because our economy is so vast, this would generate between $700 and $800 billion in revenue," said Yang on Reddit. Yang points to a 2012 estimate published by Bloomberg that a 10 percent VAT would raise $750 billion. And a 2010 estimate by Eric Toder and Joseph Rosenberg of the Washington, DC-based Tax Policy Center, predicted the United States could have raised $356 billion in 2012 through a 5 percent VAT. At the time, that $356 billion in VAT was equal to 2.3 percent of GDP. Yang doubled the VAT in this estimate for a 10 percent tax, which equals $712 billion. Eric Toder tells CNBC Make It a 10 percent VAT in the United States could raise anywhere from $500 billion to $1 trillion, depending on how broadly the tax is applied. "I made a rough calculation that a 10 percent VAT with the same coverage as the average in other countries would raise about $500 billion per year," says Toder. A typical VAT is levied on 50 percent of total spending on consumption in a country, according to Toder (who references "The VAT Reader: What a Federal Consumption Tax Would Mean for America" published in 2011). Under Yang's plan, current welfare and social program beneficiaries in the United States would be able to keep their existing benefits if they prefer. As for getting a VAT passed, Yang says, "If I become president then there will likely will have been a blue wave, and so we would have a majority Democratic Congress." But he also sees evidence that Republicans can support a cash handout to the North: "The only state right now with a universal basic income equivalent is Alaska and that's a deep red state." Indeed, Alaska has a state-wide version of UBI, and has since 1982, when the state distributed the Alaska Permanent Fund check. The goal was to share the oil riches with future generations. Today, Alaskan residents still get cash handouts from the fund, called the Permanent Fund Dividend. When Zuckerberg visited Alaska in the summer of 2017 as part of his "Year of Travel challenge," the Facebook executive observed the state's cash handout program "provides some good lessons for the rest of the country."
Oil may be rocketing to its highest level in more than three years, but an ominous pattern forming in the energy sector has one strategist feeling cautious.

"We're very close to a death cross in the XLE," Matt Maley, equity strategist at MillerTabak, told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Tuesday. "In the XLE, it is usually, almost always, a very compelling move.  The last time we've had death crosses it's been followed by 10 to 20 percent sell-offs."

A "death cross" charts when a 50-day moving average crosses below a 200-day moving average. The technical indicator can be used to forecast potential downside in an asset.

While Maley says he's not a devotee of the indicator, it does historically portend trouble for energy stocks when it happens in the XLE energy ETF. When the 50-day moving average crossed below the 200-day toward the end of 2014, the XLE ETF did not find a bottom until it had dropped by more than 40 percent.

Energy stocks can avoid such a fate this time if they manage to rally and hold any gains, says Maley.

"If we can get a nice breakout here, we can avoid the cross and that would be quite positive," he said. "I've been quite bullish on the group and think it will play catch up, but that one little technical development is starting to get me a little bit worried."

The XLE's 50-day moving average fell below its 200-day at the beginning of the week. The ETF is currently trading around 4 percent above its 50-day and 3 percent above its 200-day.

Another analyst says the unknowns in the industry are still far too great for him to be optimistic on energy stocks.

"There's too much uncertainty surrounding the sector right now as well as a lot of volatility in general markets due to geopolitical concerns," Michael Bapis, partner and managing director at the Bapis Group at HighTower Advisors, said on "Trading Nation." "That's going to weigh on the oil and the whole industry."

Crude oil prices, and energy stocks, have spiked this week as President Donald Trump considered the degree of U.S. military intervention in the Syrian civil war, especially after an alleged chemcial weapons attack by the government. Separately, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted three ballistic missiles headed to Riyadh on Wednesday in a suspected attack from Yemen's Houthis. The threat of broader contagion from both conflicts in the Middle East could choke off oil supply in the region.

The XLE ETF is up nearly 5 percent this week, while West Texas Intermediate crude has added more than 7 percent. The XLE remains 2 percent lower for the year even though crude has increased 10 percent.
Americans fed up with gun violence now have the chance to speak with their purses. Last week, BlackRock, the world's largest investment manager, said it was creating several options for investors who want to avoid AR-15 rifles and other civilian firearms.

Gunmakers and most gun retailers will now be excluded from BlackRock's broader socially responsible mutual and exchange traded funds. Such funds have historically excluded companies that make cluster bombs, nuclear reactors and cigarettes, while favouring companies that are rated socially responsible. BlackRock's institutional investors will be offered an even more targeted option: they can screen gun stocks out of their endowments and include gun-free index funds in their employees' pension plan choices without going the whole hog on ethical investing.

This level of pointed shunning is unprecedented for BlackRock. The investment manager began looking at the issue after the February massacre of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida sparked widespread protests against the US's lax gun laws. The move also comes shortly after BlackRock's chief executive, Larry Fink, warned companies that financial performance was not enough  they must also "make a positive contribution to society".

That is a noble idea, but investors have long been wary about the potential impact on their portfolios of trying to do good, while also doing well financially.

"Sin stocks"  companies that sell alcohol, tobacco, weapons and gambling  have historically done better than the broader market. And Norway's recent experience tends to back this up. Its sovereign wealth fund began excluding such stocks from its broad based equity investments in 2004. That decision has cost it about 0.1 percentage points a year. On the other hand, the fund calculated that excluding individual companies over specific environmental, human rights and other ethical issues had boosted its returns by 0.04 percentage points annually. Over a 12-year period, the fund estimated that ethical investing cut returns by 1.6 per cent compared with its equity benchmark.

Norway believes that pressing its ethical agenda has been more than worth the small amount of lost earnings  the finance ministry expanded its ban to include big coal producers in 2016. It is debating whether to add oil companies to the list for financial reasons.

More and more investors are starting to follow their lead. The Global Sustainable Investment Alliance's last review found, in 2016, that nearly $23tn in assets were being managed under environmental, social and governance criteria, up 25 per cent from 2014.

These "ESG" strategies are not only becoming more popular, but also more sophisticated. For investors who want to follow their principles, but also track an index, portfolio managers are finding ways to "optimise" ESG funds by replacing excluded companies with additional exposure to groups with similar characteristics, but which do better on ethical and governance scorecards.

BlackRock found that it could improve a portfolio's ESG rating by one level (from triple B to A) and keep the tracking error below 10 basis points. A two-level increase to AA led to a 50 bps tracking error. And a 2017 study by Robeco, another asset manager, found sin stock outperformance could be replicated by screening for other kinds of investment factors, such as high profit margins.

In the case of US firearms stocks, investors who want to follow their principles and avoid the sector may be taking less risk than they once feared. After all, the US retail sector is struggling, including some of the most prominent owners of stores that sell guns: shares in Walmart, Kroger and Camping World are each down more than 15 per cent since the Parkland shooting, and Remington, a prominent gunmaker, declared bankruptcy in March.

More from the Financial Times:

US inflation climbs at fastest pace in more than a year in March

Trump believes he has power to fire Mueller, says White House

Lawyer in Mueller probe sentenced to 30 days jail
Boeing's venture capital arm invested outside the U.S. (again), putting funds behind a space company (again).

The U.S. industrial giant joined Rolls-Royce and defense company BAE Systems in a $37.6 million fundraising round for U.K.-based propulsion company Reaction Engines. This is both the second foreign investment and the second space investment for Boeing HorizonX Ventures, which contributed to the $15 million funding round for Australian satellite company Myriota last month.

Reaction Engines' advanced propulsion "could change the future of air and space travel," according to Boeing HorizonX vice president Steve Nordlund.

"We expect to leverage their revolutionary technology to support Boeing's pursuit of hypersonic flight," Nordlund said in a statement.

Reaction Engines, which has now raised more than $140 million over the last three years, is developing a hybrid jet and rocket engine. In theory, the company's SABRE engine will be capable of operating as a jet at take-off and transitioning to a rocket at higher altitudes.

The company estimates that SABRE, or "Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine," will be capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5 while operating as a jet, using Reaction Engine's "air-breathing" technology. Then SABRE will flip to rocket power, taking the spacecraft to low Earth orbit and reaching speeds of Mach 25  more than 19,000 miles per hour.

"Reaction Engines [is] an innovative UK company that is helping push the boundaries of aviation technology," Rolls-Royce chief technology officer Paul Stein said in a statement.

With about 150 employees, the firm is testing engine components, with the aim of a ground-based test of a SABRE engine core in 2020. Reaction Engines has a contract with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency for airflow testing and is building a new facility in the U.K. for further tests.

The investment comes at an opportune time in the United Kingdom, which put into law the Space Industry Bill on March 15. The new legislation is part of the country's effort to establish a legal basis to bring the global space industry to U.K. soil, especially looking to attract the space tourism and satellite industries to new spaceports.
Oil prices hit new 2018 highs as missile strikes on top crude exporter Saudi Arabia added to the market's worries about escalating conflict between the United States and Russia in Syria.

Brent, the benchmark for international oil prices, earlier climbed to its highest level in more than three years after President Donald Trump earlier warned Russia to "Get ready" for a U.S. missile attack on Syria, whose government Moscow has backed during its seven-year civil war.

The threat came after the Russian ambassador to Lebanon said his nation's military would intercept American missiles and potentially target the U.S. craft that fired them. The potential American strike follows a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held city of Douma, allegedly by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

@realDonaldTrump: Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ended Wednesday's session up $1.31, or 2 percent, at $66.70, its best settle since Dec. 3 2014. During the session, WTI rose as high as $67.45, a peak going back to Dec. 4, 2014, when it touched $68.22.

was at $72 a barrel, up 96 cents, or 1.4 percent, shortly before its settlement. The contract earlier rose to $73.09, the highest level since Nov. 28, 2014, when it hit $73.41.

John Kilduff, founding partner at energy hedge fund Again Capital, earlier on Wednesday said U.S. crude prices could be heading to $70 after breaking through the previous 2018 high of $66.66.

The morning price spike was completely due to the Trump tweet, which left the market to parse the president's meaning, according to Kilduff. The question, he said, is whether Trump will order the military to solely target Syrian assets, or take aim at Iran, which also backs Assad and has a significant presence in Syria.

Such an attack would come just one month before Trump faces a deadline that could see him restore sanctions on Iran, OPEC's third largest oil producer.

"That's the crux of the matter. Is it a pin prick or is it something that sets us up for escalation?" said Kilduff.

Saudi Arabia's air defense forces intercepted at least three ballistic missiles fired at Saudi cities by Yemen's Houthis, who claimed to have targeted the defense ministry in Riyadh and a Saudi Aramco distribution facility in Najran on Wednesday.

Three rockets were intercepted in the capital and the southern cities of Jizan and Najran, according to state media and the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent scans the U.S.-Mexico border while on a bridge over the Rio Grande on March 13, 2017 in Roma, Texas.

California Gov. Jerry Brown agreed Wednesday to mobilize up to 400 National Guard personnel at the request of the Trump administration but in doing so rejected any use of them for immigration enforcement or to help build a new border wall.



"Your funding for new staffing will allow the Guard to do what it does best: support operations targeting transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearms and drug smugglers along the border, the coast and throughout the state," Brown wrote Wednesday in a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.



Specifically, Brown said the state "will accept federal funding to add approximately 400 Guard members statewide to supplement the staffing of its ongoing program to combat transnational crime." He said the statewide program currently has some 250 Guard personnel, including 55 troops at the California border.

In authorizing the state Guard, though, Brown stated: "This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws."

Last week, Mattis requested up to 4,000 Guard troops from several states. Arizona, New Mexico and Texas already responded and have begun to send several hundred personnel to the southern border. That followed President Donald Trump signing a proclamation ordering the deployment of National Guard troops to defend the U.S.-Mexico border against unlawful immigration and drug trafficking. Trump also has expressed a desire to use the troops to help build a new border wall.

The presidential document Trump signed said the Guard action was needed because the "situation at the border has now reached a point of crisis."

The California governor took issue with the administration's claim that there's a border crisis.

"Here are the facts: there is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California," Brown said in the letter to the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security. "Overall immigrant apprehensions on the border last year were as low as they've been in nearly 50 years (and 85 percent of the apprehensions occurred outside of California)."

Playing out in the background, too, is California's controversial "sanctuary state" law, which is being challenged in the courts by the Trump administration. The state law bars local and state authorities from asking about the immigration status of people during routine interactions or participating in federal enforcement actions.



The Guard was deployed in 2006 under President George W. Bush and again in 2010 by President Barack Obama. As in those cases, Trump ordered the deployment under a federal law known as Title 32, which means the Guard personnel will be operating under the command and control of their state's governor.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that "illegal" crossing attempts from the Southwest border tripled in March compared with a year ago.

So far this year, the most apprehensions have been recorded in the Rio Grande sector in Texas, followed by the Tucson and Yuma sectors in Arizona, according to the government. The Rio Grande sector accounted for about 60 percent of the apprehensions on the southern border last year.

The U.S.-Mexico border spans almost 2,000 miles, with the Texas share representing 1,241 miles, Arizona nearly 373 miles, New Mexico about 180 miles and California 140 miles.




Ahead of the chance to grill Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg on Capitol Hill, Rep. Michael Burgess made a disclosure that played into the hands of critics who say lawmakers don't know enough about technology.

"I don't want to speak for the rest of the committee, but I will be the first to confess that the degree of technological sophistication that I possess is probably somewhat significantly less than the average 12-year-old," the 67-year-old Texas Republican told CNBC.

Burgess, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, also said he's like many users who didn't pay too much attention to the Facebook terms of service he agreed to. "I'm the same as any other consumer. I downloaded the app; yeah, yeah, yeah, get me to the reason I downloaded the app. I don't want all these legalese."

However, Burgess, who was a practicing ob-gyn for over 25 years before politics, said technology, like it or not, is playing an increasing role in everyone's lives. "If there's nothing else that's achieved in these hearings yesterday and today is to make the consumer a little bit more educated about just what exactly they're sharing."

Zuckerberg was questioned on Tuesday before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees about the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. He is scheduled to go before Burgess' committee at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday.

"The problem is the senators, in a lot of cases, weren't prepared to ask follow-up questions. So he was able to stick to his talking points," said Michael Wolf, CEO and co-founder of technology consultancy Activate. He also was formerly president of MTV Networks.
As thin trading sent stocks lower and oil prices soaring into the close on Wednesday, CNBC's Jim Cramer searched for non-oil-related action that defined the tape.

"It's always weird when you look at the non-oil standouts on a day like today because the most glaring one happened to be the stock of Facebook. For the second day in a row, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg dazzled by not dazzling," the "Mad Money" host said. "He almost made you believe that he's the conscience of social media."

Facebook's stock closed at $166.32 a share on Wednesday, gaining 0.8 percent on top of its 4.5 percent rise the day prior after a calm and collected testimony from the Facebook chief.

But even though Zuckerberg's testimony was largely well-received, Cramer warned investors not to be too forgiving with the embattled social media giant.

"We simply can't like Facebook as much as we used to," Cramer said, adding that his charitable trust has been selling shares of Facebook. "You don't like a company more after its CEO gets grilled by lawmakers, you like it less."

Congress' inclination to regulate Facebook could also reflect poorly on the stock, particularly when much of Congress seemed to have a weak grasp on the core aspects of the business, Cramer said.

The "Mad Money" host added that he didn't get what he wanted from Facebook: an independent investigator who could review Facebook's practices and try to prevent another situation like the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

"If there is another situation like this, Congress is going to take a pretty dim view of Zuckerberg's testimony," Cramer said. "He needs to get out ahead of the next scandal."

That, and not the earnings results, is why shares of Facebook are trading at such a low price-to-earnings multiple, Cramer argued.

"It's why we've been selling it for my charitable trust," the "Mad Money" host said. "I love the numbers, but I think the numbers could come down. This stock is a lot more risky than it was a month ago."
Investors who want to understand why the market's top technology stocks are so misunderstood need only to watch Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Congress, CNBC's Jim Cramer said on Wednesday. "They're the perfect microcosm for how many investors really view these stocks," the "Mad Money" host said, referring to FAANG  his acronym for the stocks of Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google, now Alphabet. "Here's the fundamental problem: most people over the age of 40 don't even know what these companies do," Cramer continued, pointing to Congress' seemingly weak grasp of Facebook's business model. But for Cramer, the generational divide was only part of the problem. The other part was people being too skeptical about the tech giants because of their ever-changing stories. "The truth is, FAANG is hard to understand because these companies are constantly evolving. They change the business models all the time," he said. "I'm not urging to you embrace their seemingly sky-high market capitalizations. ... I'm simply saying that they have these valuations for a reason, with many different parts of their businesses firing on all cylinders."

Not so fast with the Facebook "likes"

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing regarding the companys use and protection of user data on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 11, 2018. Leah Millis | Reuters

As thin trading sent stocks lower and oil prices soaring into the close on Wednesday, Cramer searched for non-oil-related action that defined the tape. "It's always weird when you look at the non-oil standouts on a day like today because the most glaring one happened to be the stock of Facebook. For the second day in a row, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg dazzled by not dazzling," Cramer said. "He almost made you believe that he's the conscience of social media." But even though Zuckerberg's testimony was largely well-received, Cramer warned investors not to be too forgiving with the embattled social media giant. "We simply can't like Facebook as much as we used to," Cramer said, adding that his charitable trust has been selling shares of Facebook. "You don't like a company more after its CEO gets grilled by lawmakers, you like it less."

Gap CEO talks big data benefits

Art Peck, CEO of Gap Inc. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

As retailers turn their focus to reaching consumers in the most effective ways possible, big data is becoming a key tool for companies like The Gap, Inc., President and CEO Art Peck told CNBC. "We've really been building back-end big data analytic capabilities now for a couple of years, and data is a huge asset for us," Peck said on Wednesday in an interview with Cramer. "It's surprising to me that more people in our space aren't talking about it." Gap, the parent company of Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta, among other brands, handily beat earnings estimates in March thanks in part to the strength of its brands, Peck said. The retail giant, which sees two billion customer visits a year between its websites and its stores, also gets a boost from using the data it collects to market to consumers.

Big bank boost?

A Bank of America branch in New York. Scott Mlyn | CNBC

On Friday, earnings season will kick off in earnest with reports from four big banks  Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo and PNC Financial  and Cramer thinks it'll be just what this market needs. "This is the most important earnings season for the big banks in years," the "Mad Money" host said. "Some good performance by the financials [is] one of the few things that could get us back on track." Equities have been particularly volatile in 2018, with the down roughly 8 percent from its January highs. After a major sell-off in early February, stocks have struggled to find lasting tailwinds. "For months now, the bulls have been desperate for any kind of positive catalyst," Cramer said. "The banks get the first bite at the apple and they're in a particularly enviable situation."

Taylor Morrison CEO on the state of housing

Sheryl Palmer, CEO, Taylor Morrison Home Corp. Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Even with low unemployment and steady labor participation, demographic tailwinds are really what's driving business at homebuilder Taylor Morrison, Chairman and CEO Sheryl Palmer told CNBC in an interview with Cramer. "The average age of the millennial buying today ... is somewhere around 30, 31," Palmer said. "The largest group of millennials is turning 29, 30, so we have so much runway ahead. And then you think about the financial security of the boomers, so I'm very bullish about where we're going." Following the excitement of Equal Pay Day, Palmer also shared her thoughts on women in business and the idea of pay parity. "The way I think about it is people make different amounts of money for different reasons, and we can look at titles and say, simply speaking, somebody with the same responsibilities doing the same job with the same education managing the same book of business, they should make the same amount of money. But finding those that match is next to impossible," Palmer said. The CEO added that at her company, some women make more than men in the same roles and some men make more than women in the same roles. "I think the real question we have to ask, though, is do we have enough women and do we have diversity, not just in our business, but across?" she said. "That's really where the challenge lies. Then we can talk about equal pay."

Lightning round: When headlines aren't enough
With Tesla's Model 3 production behind, Elon Musk is so busy he doesn't even have time to go home and shower. And he's sleeping on the floor of the factory.

Tuesday, Musk talked to "CBS This Morning" host Gayle King about the stress he is under as Tesla works to get on track.

"I definitely feel stress, yeah. It's like  we've been incredibly difficult and painful the last several months," Musk said.

"Painful?" King asked, according to an excerpt of the CBS interview, which airs Thursday.

"Absolutely, of course. Yeah, I'm sleeping on the factory floor, not because I think that's a fun place to sleep. You know. Terrible," he said.
Lt. Emily R. King checks the controls of a Boeing EA-18G Growler on the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier. The carrier conducted strikes from the eastern Mediterranean in February 2017.

"Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the eastern Mediterranean/Nicosia FIR area [control center in Cyprus]," the warning reads.

Eurocontrol said that air strikes into Syria could take place over the next 72 hours. The pan-European agency issued the "rapid alert notification" on its site early Wednesday .

The air traffic control agency that oversees Europe has warned airlines to consider the danger of air-to-ground strikes or cruise missiles when flying over the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The alert to airlines makes no reference to any source of the threat, but the U.S. and its allies the U.K. and France have said that those responsible for an alleged chemical attack in Syria should be held to account. President Donald Trump has met with military commanders to consider the reported chemical weapons attack, allegedly carried out by the Syrian Army. Trump has pledged a "forceful response."

Trump then canceled a trip to South America this week, sending Vice President Mike Pence instead. The White House told reporters Tuesday that Trump will stay in the U.S. in order to "oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world."

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May has said the international community must respond to the attack in order to "uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons."

French President Emmanuel Macron said that if military action was taken, it would target "the regime's chemical capabilities," and not the forces of its allies, Russia or Iran.

Russia, which provides military support to Syrian leader Bashar Assad, has said there is no evidence of a chemical attack and has vetoed a U.S. request at the United Nations to investigate the cause.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returns to Capitol Hill on Wednesday a day after answering questions from the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees.

In an hours-long grilling Tuesday, the questions ranged from the social network's role in the 2016 presidential elections to how the company handles data. Here are the key moments.

Facebook did not notify FTC about data leak

Zuckerberg said Facebook did not notify the Federal Trade Commission about the Cambridge Analytica data leak from 2015 because the company "considered it a closed case." The profiles of 87 million Facebook users were harvested by a quiz app with the data being sold to political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, which supported Donald Trump in the election. Facebook demanded the maker of the quiz app as well as Cambridge Analytica delete the data. The social network was assured that this was done in 2015, but recent reports suggest that the data still exists. Cambridge Analytica denies this.

Facebook admitted it hadn't checked the data was erased after it made the request to Cambridge Analytica to do so. "We considered it a closed case. In retrospect that was clearly a mistake. We shouldn't have taken their word for it," Zuckerberg told the senators.

Contact with Mueller

Facebook is "working" with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, according to Zuckerberg. He said he had not been personally interviewed by Mueller's team, but that others in the company had.

"I want to be careful here, because that work is confidential. We are in open session and I don't want to reveal anything that is confidential," Zuckerberg said.

'You don't think you have a monopoly?'

There was a heated exchange between Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Zuckerberg over whether Facebook is a monopoly or not. Graham asked Zuckerberg to name competitors and he cited Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft. The senator then kept probing and eventually asked, "You don't think you have a monopoly?" Zuckerberg said: "Doesn't feel like that to me." Read the full exchange here.

How will Facebook handle future election meddling?

Confidently. That's the message from Zuckerberg who said he feels the social network is well equipped to handle upcoming votes such as the 2018 U.S. midterms and elections in countries like India and Brazil. "This is an arms race. They're (potential groups that want to intervene) going to keep on getting better at this. And we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this too," Zuckerberg said. "I have more confidence that we're going to get this right," he added.

Regulation

Zuckerberg walked a fine line showing that he was open to regulations, but nothing that would fundamentally blow apart Facebook's business model. "My position is not that there should be no regulation," Zuckerberg said.

"I think the real question, as the internet becomes more important in people's lives, is what is the right regulation, not whether there should be or not."

A paid version of Facebook?

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg told NBC News last week that users could have to pay to completely opt out of their data being used to target them with advertising. Zuckerberg clarified this, saying that "there will always be a version of Facebook that is free." The CEO explained that an ad-supported model is "most aligned with our mission of trying to connect everyone in the world, because we want to offer a free service that everyone can afford."

'Your user agreement sucks'

Facebook has come under fire for not having a clear explanation of how data it collects are being used. Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana highlighted this point with a frank comment. "Here's what everyone's been trying to tell you today  and I say it gently  your user agreement sucks," Kennedy said. "The purpose of a user agreement is to cover Facebook's rear end, not inform users of their rights." Zuckerberg said he imagines that "most people do not read the whole thing," but they have the "opportunity" to.

Facebook: Tech firm or publisher?

The debate on whether Facebook is a publisher or merely a technology platform continues and was brought up in the testimony. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, asked Zuckerberg how he classed Facebook. "When people ask us if we're a media company or a publisher, my understanding is  what the heart of what they're really getting at is  do we feel responsibility for the content on our platform?" Zuckerberg said.
"To my mind, the only way we will close the trust gap is through legislation that creates and empowers a sufficiently oversight agency with rule-making authority to protect the digital privacy and ensure that companies protect our users data," Rep. Michael Doyle, D-Pa., said during questioning. "Why should we trust you to follow through on these promises when you have demonstrated that you're willing to flaunt your internal policies and government oversight when the need suits you?"

Representatives repeatedly tested Zuckerberg's knowledge of the company, questioned appropriate boundaries within which Facebook should be allowed to collect data on users, and expressed frustration that Zuckerberg  despite years of public apologies  does not appear to prioritize user protection.

Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee grilled Zuckerberg for nearly five hours about his company's legal obligations, guiding principles and his own philosophies as steward of the largest social media platform in the world.

Mark Zuckerberg faced a harsher crowd Wednesday on Capitol Hill in the second day of congressional hearings for the Facebook founder and CEO.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees on the protection of user data in Hart Building on April 10, 2018.

Wednesday's hearing stood in contrast to a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees Tuesday, which frequently devolved into questions about basic Facebook functionality and its business model.

Members of the House were more prepared, with both a detailed primer and Tuesday's testimony to help them.

"Some things are striking during this conversation," Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. , said during her questioning. "As CEO you didn't know some key facts. ... You didn't know how many other firms have been sold data by Dr. Kogan other than Cambridge Analytica and Eunoia Technologies, even though you were asked that question yesterday  and yes, we were all paying attention yesterday."

Facebook and its top executives are facing questions and government probes following reports that research firm Cambridge Analytica purchased the personal data of as many as 87 million Facebook users from app developer Aleksandr Kogan.

Facebook has said it first learned of the leak in 2015 and demanded Cambridge Analytica delete the data then, but has come under fire for failing to notify the public or the Federal Trade Commission before last month when a pair of news reports revealed Cambridge Analytica may still have the data in its possession.

The FTC is investigating the social media company to determine whether it violated a consent decree it signed in 2011 requiring that Facebook notify users if their personal data is shared beyond their specified privacy settings.

Facebook's history with the regulatory agency became a particular point of tension during Wednesday's hearing.

"We continue to have these abuses and these data breaches, but at the same time, it doesn't seem like future activities are prevented," Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., said. "So I think one of the things that we need to look at in the future, as we work with you and others in the industry, is putting really robust penalties in place in case of improper actions."

DeGette's call for greater penalties followed a heated back-and-forth in which the congresswoman became visibly exasperated that Zuckerberg did not have more information about his company's history.

Representatives also challenged Zuckerberg on censorship of conservative information, tracking pixels that monitor non-Facebook users and Facebook users who aren't logged in, and the social media site's role in the nationwide opioid epidemic.

The Food and Drug Administration earlier this month said social media companies could do more to combat the country's worsening drug problem. CNBC found in November countless illegal listings for opioids on Facebook.

"Your platform is still being used to circumvent the law and allow people to buy highly addictive drugs without a prescription," Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., said. "With all due respect, Facebook is actually enabling an illegal activity, and in so doing, you are hurting people."

McKinley suggested the company has the information necessary to take down the listings, but has yet to do so.

Watch the full video of Zuckerberg's second testimony here.

 CNBC's Ingrid Angulo contributed to this report.
With President Donald Trump deliberating U.S. involvement in Syria, commodity markets already see the rising tensions as a boon to oil, says RBC's Helima Croft.

Days after a suspected Syrian chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, Trump directed a tweet toward Moscow on Wendesday saying that missiles "will be coming."

Tweet

"This geopolitical backdrop is occurring against a tightening market right now," Croft, head of commodity strategy, told CNBC's "Futures Now" on Tuesday. "We think it could be the upside for prices. As long as we don't think we're going into a trade war, we think the risks are weighted to the upside right now."

A push-pull in the market in recent weeks has kept crude prices in a range, says Croft. Prices have been caught between escalating risks in the Middle East providing upside and the threat of a trade war presenting downside pressure.

Now that fears over a trade war are easing, the likelihood that increased conflict in the Middle East will choke off supply is providing the next big breakout for crude oil prices. Market attention will be focused on developments in Syria and the potential for "imminent U.S. military action" in the region, says Croft.

"Do we potentially get into a confrontation with Russian and Iranian forces in Syria?" she asked. "Do we have something that has a contagion risk in the broader Middle East?"

It's not just Syria, she notes  increasing conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia will likely also boost oil prices. Yemen could prove the "tripwire" in the region as it directly strikes Saudi Arabian energy targets, Croft said.

"This proxy war issue in the Middle East really could seize market attention," said Croft. "Last week we had an attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and I think there will be a perception that the Middle East is getting a bit of a rougher neighborhood for oil."

If conflict in the broader Middle East region escalates, and the U.S. becomes more involved in the quagmire, global oil prices could retest recent highs and even move beyond $71 in Brent crude and $66 in West Texas Intermediate, predicts Croft. WTI briefly topped $66 a barrel at the end of January but has not exceeded $67 since December 2014.

Outside of geopolitical pressures, efforts to rebalance markets through production limits have worked to tighten the global supply-demand picture. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has had an output agreement in place since late 2016. The bloc could extend the deal once it expires at the end of the year.

"The market has been rebalancing," said Croft. "We've had a situation where the OPEC cuts have proven to be very effective. We have demand looking constructive and as we approach summer we are seeing this rebalancing really taking hold."

WTI crude rose Wednesday a day after surging amid receding fears of a trade war. As of Tuesday, prices have risen 1 percent this month were up 8 percent this year.
French President Emmanuel Macron could soon see his hopes of flagship labor market reforms derailed by trade union protests, according to one political strategist.

Ahead of his first anniversary as France's premier, Macron is facing rolling strikes by rail workers over a shake-up of the debt-ridden state-owned SNCF, student protests over higher education reform and escalating levels of discontent among pensioners over higher social security charges.

"I think there has never been such a fertile environment for reform. Macron knows this and I think trade unions know this," Antonio Barroso, managing director of Teneo Intelligence, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Wednesday.

"In isolation, (trade union) actions do not create a considerable risk for Macron. Rather, the main problem would be the coalescence of different protests into a bigger movement against his policies, thus undermining his political capital to pass reforms in other areas such as pensions," he added.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC.

What to do when the person who founded a company has done something to bring his creation into disrepute, especially when this individual personifies the company's image?

This is the question facing British-based WPP, the world's largest advertising company, after the board asked an independent law firm to investigate alleged wrongdoing by its chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell. The nature of the allegations has not been disclosed, but Sir Martin has "unreservedly" denied any wrongdoing.

Unlike many large corporations run by charismatic chief executives, the head of WPP controls no more than 2 per cent of the equity. Sir Martin has frequently stated that the board can sack him at any time as there are no contractual obstacles to prevent this; he may now regard the pride he has taken in this state of affairs to be an act of hubris.



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What cannot be denied is that WPP would not be the company it is today without him. The same could be said of many companies founded by strong personalities and dominated by them.

But what happens when directors believe that their continuing presence is a liability and force them out? The fate of The Weinstein Company, once one of Hollywood's most powerful film studios, provides a cautionary example of meltdown in the wake of the sex scandal engulfing one of its founders, Harvey Weinstein.

The Wynn betting conglomerate, founded by Stephen Wynn, may yet go the way of The Weinstein Company after Wynn was forced out following a mini-avalanche of sex allegations. As matters stand, Wynn Resorts, the listed company, has survived and found a way of replacing Wynn, in part with Hong Kong entrepreneur Allan Zeman as non-executive chairman of Wynn Macau, although highly damaging lawsuits are pending.

In different ways, all these charismatic leaders managed to be successful without being popular. Sir Martin was often viewed as a miserly bean counter by the so-called creatives at WPP, Weinstein was foul-mouthed and prone to bullying, while no one has ever seriously suggested that Wynn gained success through charm. Yet they all created very impressive companies, run in a highly personal manner. Without them, there is a void or, in the case of Weinstein, ignominious bankruptcy.

But what of other tycoons who have created even bigger and more impressive companies and personified their very existence? Tesla's Elon Musk quickly comes to mind, not least because of his micromanagement style but also because of his notable failure to grant autonomy to other executives.

It might be argued that a company pushing new boundaries and having boundless aspiration as its core DNA cannot afford a democratic management style. It needs the vision and determination of a single boss, yet that boss is now thinly stretched and fighting rearguard actions on a number of fronts. Is it time for his board to insist on some delegation? It is not clear whether the board is in a position to do this.

Musk owns about 20 per cent of the company's shares, while Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, owns around a quarter of the equity but controls over 50 per cent of the votes. As recent events have shown with Facebook plunging deeper into a data disclosure scandal, Zuckerberg is much stronger on the tech side than he is at managing what might be described as the political affairs of one of the world's biggest companies. As the scandal escalated, the boss retreated into the background, only to emerge briefly enough to aggravate, rather than placate, Facebook's critics. Zuckerberg was grilled by US lawmakers on his handling of Facebook users' data at a Congressional hearing today.

Zuckerberg, however, appears to be immovable as Facebook's CEO and it seems that no one in the company has the ability to tell him how to handle the current debacle, so what are the independent directors to do?

The dictatorial and highly personal management style is, incidentally, the norm, rather than the exception among Asia's biggest companies, not least because so many of them are still in their first or second generation. This is one reason these companies tend to follow the practice of dynastic succession, which solves one problem but creates others.

Self-confidence is an obvious personality trait among successful tycoons, almost equally counterbalanced by a reluctance to listen to criticism. The famous checks and balances that are supposed to be the hallmark of sound business practice are notably missing in companies dominated by single personalities.

So there is a circle to be squared: how are companies created by the sheer force of personality and ability of their founders to survive if they are pushed out? The obvious answer is a viable succession plan, yet these company founders are rarely keen to let go and the companies they have established possess few means of forcing them to do so.

Stephen Vines runs companies in the food sector and moonlights as a journalist and a broadcaster

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Chiefs far too big to fail





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Gold, oil and Treasury prices jumped on Wednesday after President Donald Trump warned Russia that missiles "will be coming" to Syria via Twitter.

Trump said in a tweet: "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Tweet

The precious metal rose to its high of the day on the news, trading 0.7 percent higher at $1,355.30 per ounce as of 9:39 a.m. ET. Investors often hide out in gold during conflicts for safety.

Oil also hit its session high following the tweet, with West Texas Intermediate futures trading 0.9 percent higher at $66.09 per barrel.

U.S. Treasurys caught a bid as well, pushing yields lower, in another bid for safety. The two-year note yield fell to 2.307 percent while the benchmark 10-year yield slipped to trade at 2.775 percent.

The president's threat comes after Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said Tuesday that Russia would shoot down American missiles headed Syria's way. This follows an apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria that left dozens dead over the weekend.
House Speaker Paul Ryan will not run for re-election this fall, throwing another wrench into Republican efforts to hold a House majority in November.

The GOP faces a tough fight to keep the House in this year's midterms amid Democratic enthusiasm and opposition to some policies pushed by President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. The speaker's move raises the prospect that more GOP lawmakers could decide not to run for re-election.

At a Wednesday morning news conference, Ryan said he retired so he could see more of his teenage children. He also said the prospect of Democrats winning the House had no effect "whatsoever" on his move to retire.

"Today, I am announcing that this year is my last one as a member of the House. ... I will be retiring in January, leaving this majority in good hands with what I believe is a very bright future," he said.

In a statement announcing Ryan's decision earlier, advisor Brendan Buck said Ryan told colleagues Wednesday that he will serve out his full term and leave office in January. The congressman "is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father," Buck said.

Ryan achieved his long-held goal of overhauling the U.S. tax code in December. Once he did so, he felt comfortable leaving a job that had become taxing due to Trump's behavior, according to the Axios report.
They're landing better jobs and higher salaries. They're getting married and having kids. And they're tired of living in their parents' basements.

Now, here's another reason Millennials are itching to buy a house: They see photos of homes on Instagram and Facebook that their friends bought, and think: "What about me"?

This "FOMO"  fear of missing out  has become one of the forces spurring many Millennials to finally buy a home, according to a Bank of America survey of 2,000 adults early this year.

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"I think it's motivating them to think about home ownership," says D. Steve Boland, head of consumer lending for Bank of America. "Their interest level is high and it's driven by what they see."

While social media has some influence on first-time home buyers generally, it has a particular hold on Millennials, or those born between the early 1980s and early 2000s. Millennials make up 65% of all first-time buyers, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Asked how they feel when they see pictures of homes purchased by other people on social media:

 A third of Millennials (and 27% of all first-time buyers) think, "If they can buy, why can't I"?

 A quarter (and 21% of all first-time buyers) fear they're missing out.

 Nearly a quarter (and 18% of first-time buyers) mutter to themselves: "it's time to grow up and buy."

 And 23% (and 16% of first-time buyers) are jealous of the homes bought by their friends and acquaintances.

Jordan Mangalindan, 21, of Las Vegas, recently bought a three-bedroom house in town for $286,000. Mangalindan, a senior in college, says she was partly moved by pictures of houses posted by other young adults on Twitter, as well as a desire to live on her own and make a profitable investment.

"If they can do it, I can do it," says Mangalindan, who plans to launch an e-commerce business when she graduates. "I'm ambitious." She says the photos did make her feel she was missing out, "but it was more inspirational" than jealousy.

Ethan Kross, a professor of social psychology at the University of Michigan, says social media postings can often stir up strong emotions that affect behavior.

"If other people are doing better than we are, that can get us to feel bad," he says. "It reminds us of what things could be like." He adds that many people tend to present unrealistically optimal images of themselves online.

Millennials have been joining the home-buying bandwagon anyway.

Thirty-six percent of adults under 35 owned a home at the end of 2017, up from 34.1% in early 2016, according to research firm Veritas Urbis and the Census Bureau. And more than a third of all home purchases were made by Millennials in the 12 months ending last July, making the group the most active generation of buyers, according to an NAR survey.
Spanish lender CaixaBank made the right choice in changing headquarters during the Catalonian crisis, the bank's chairman said Wednesday.

Spain's third largest bank decided in October to move its legal headquarters out of Catalonia. This was due to an ongoing call for a referendum that could have made the region independent from Spain.

"There was some uncertainty in October," Jordi Gual told CNBC's Joumanna Bercetche. "We moved quickly because at any point in time our duty to shareholders, and to our clients, and to our employees is to ensure the continuity of the business. This was guaranteed by the change of domicile."

If Catalonia were to become independent from Spain, it would, consequently, also be outside of the European Union. To prevent against the risk of finding itself in a legal vacuum, CaixaBank relocated its legal offices to Valencia.

"It was the right move because in the banking business you have to ensure, always, that you preserve the savings and the stability of bank," Gual said.
In the wake of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony on Capitol Hill, John Zimmer of Lyft chimed in on the subject of user privacy.

"I think within any company, user trust, and therefore user privacy, has to be a top priority," said the Lyft president.

Speaking to CNBC's Akiko Fujita on Wednesday at the New Economy Summit in Tokyo, Zimmer emphasized that user trust is paramount for companies.

"Companies today, because of technology, have the power to impact so many more people than companies ever did in the past," Zimmer said.

Saying that it is "incredibly important" for companies to get their privacy issues in order, Zimmer added that "there are repercussions" to not taking them seriously. Using Facebook as an example, Zimmer said the social media giant is addressing the problem because "they know that business will be affected if they don't."

While acknowledging that he didn't know if he was "the expert on how to regulate a company like Facebook," Zimmer said rules for the safekeeping and use of data would be welcomed by him and others.
House Speaker Paul Ryan's retirement, which comes after his momentous two-decade run as the representative for Wisconsin's 1st District, may soon leave his big store of campaign cash up for grabs, and many fellow Republicans in Congress will be eager to get their hands on it. The Ryan campaign, one of the most prolific and battle-tested finance juggernauts in politics, will decide how to hand off the keys to a war chest worth millions of dollars, a Republican strategist close to leadership circles told CNBC. Ryan's announcement that he won't seek another term comes after Team Ryan, a joint fundraising committee, reported it raised a record $11 million in the first quarter of 2018, according to a press release provided by the campaign on Tuesday. Team Ryan also raised $55 million throughout the 2018 election cycle, according to the Federal Election Committee, with large portions of that total being transferred to the National Republican Congressional Committee, or NRCC, a group dedicated to helping Republicans get elected to the House of Representatives.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) Aaron P. Bernstein | Reuters

A separate Republican source close to Ryan, who declined to be named, told CNBC that the committee transferred more than $40 million to the NRCC, meaning that the funds could be used in other ways beyond just helping campaigns. Kevin Seifert, Team Ryan's executive director, told CNBC in a statement that Ryan intends to assist Republicans running for House seats and will be traveling throughout the year with a goal of maintaining his party's majority in the chamber. "Speaker Ryan is committed to retaining the House Majority and he plans to continue traveling on behalf of our members and candidates throughout the 2018 midterms," Seifert said. "He has an ambitious travel schedule planned for the months ahead and will keep touting our conservative reform agenda across the country," he added. Separately, a campaign aide told CNBC that Team Ryan will continue to raise funds for the speaker's political action committee, Prosperity Action, and the NRCC, while continuing to host individual events around the country.

Ryan's independent campaign committee, Paul Ryan for Congress, is also a source of major campaign reserves for anyone running for public office. During the past year, the group raised in excess of $11 million and currently has more than $9 million on hand, the most for any lawmaker in the House, records from the Center for Responsive Politics show. The campaign has already begun the process of refunding contributions, an aide told CNBC.

How the money could be split up

Where the money goes will come down to what the campaign wants to do with it, and there are two typical ways in which Ryan could divvy up the funds. His campaign could offer to return donors' contributions, as it has started to do. If donors choose to decline the refund, it's up to the campaign to decide where the money goes, strategists said. The Federal Election Commission makes this clear in its rules and regulations. The Ryan campaign could also use the money to wind down offices, pay for moving expenses, pay committee staff and even give gifts to supporters, an FEC spokeswoman said. The FEC representative also reinforced that the campaign can use the leftover money for "transfers to any national, state or local political party committee."

Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images
Democrats had already set their sights on Paul Ryan's House seat.

But the House speaker's retirement announcement Wednesday makes winning in Wisconsin's 1st District a more realistic notion for Democrats as they try to take a House majority in November.

Ryan's decision not to seek re-election leaves no clear GOP candidate backed by the party. Republicans have time to figure out a plan: the state's filing deadline is not until June.

Still, nonpartisan election handicappers think Ryan's absence gives Democrats a better chance in the district in November. Sabato's Crystal Ball moved its race rating from "likely" Republican to "toss-up" on Wednesday.

Kondik tweet

Meanwhile the Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from "solid" Republican to "lean" Republican.

In a statement, Kevin Seifert, executive director of Ryan's political operation called Team Ryan, said the House speaker has no plans to endorse a candidate for the seat. However, he said the congressman will "work tirelessly so Republicans keep this seat."

Ryan, who has served in the House since 1999, likely would have won a re-election bid easily. But he probably would have faced a better-funded opponent than he is used to in Democrat Randy Bryce, who appears to be the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for the seat.

House Democrats' campaign arm has backed Bryce, a former iron worker and union member, as part of its high-profile "red to blue" effort to flip Republican-held seats. On Tuesday, Bryce's campaign said it outraised Ryan's by $1.75 million during the first quarter of 2018. Still, Ryan likely would have had more money at his disposal when his joint fundraising committee with the GOP and outside support were taken into account.

Bryce tweet

Bryce seized on the news of Ryan's retirement Wednesday and blasted out a fundraising appeal to supporters on social media. "WE JUST REPEALED PAUL RYAN," tweeted the candidate, who goes by the nickname "Iron Stache," referring to his trademark facial hair.

Bryce tweet 2

In a statement, Seifert said Bryce and fellow Democratic candidate Cathy Myers, a small business owner, "wouldn't stand a chance" against Ryan. He called it "laughable" that Democrats would claim they had something to do with Ryan's decision, and said polling showed the speaker with a significant advantage over either of them.

One Republican candidate, Paul Nehlen, has previously challenged Ryan but is unlikely to gain traction with the party because he has espoused white supremacist views. Seifert said Nehlen's "bigoted rhetoric and his reprehensible statements should disqualify him from holding any public office."

Democrats likely face an uphill battle to win the seat, despite Ryan's retirement. Trump won the district by more than 10 percentage points in the 2016 election.

Cook's Partisan Voter Index, which gauges how areas voted in recent presidential elections relative to the country as a whole, rates it as a Republican +5 district.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is confident that Ryan will pitch in during the midterm campaign. NRCC Chairman Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, said the effort to keep the House "continues unabated."

"I'm thankful for all Paul has done for the NRCC and am confident he has set us on a path to keep our majority," Stivers said in a statement. "Paul is also a man of follow-through and I know he will continue to be an asset to us this fall."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee contended Ryan's decision showed he did not want to defend the GOP agenda. In a statement, DCCC spokesman Tyler Law said Ryan "sees what is coming in November."

"Stay tuned for more retirements as Republicans increasingly realize that their midterm prospects are doomed," Law said.
The Portuguese government could soon end 25 consecutive years of budget deficits  a historic moment for the indebted economy. Portugal has been in financial trouble since the sovereign debt crisis of 2011. Several years of economic mismanagement led to very high debt levels and raised market fears that the country would not be able to repay its loans. The difficulties in getting money from the market forced Portugal to ask for financial assistance that same year. But four years after ending a bailout program, the Portuguese government is now forecasting a budget surplus  when state expenditure is lower than revenues. According to the Finance Ministry, there will be a surplus of 0.25 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020  a year ahead of schedule. This is, according to the European statistics office Eurostat, an accomplishment that the southern European nation has never managed since records began in 1995. Eurostat will confirm the final 2017 figures in late April.

Analysts claim the Portuguese projections are "realistic" for 2020 as Lisbon has managed to reduce its deficit over the last few years. But cautioned against potential risks. "Portugal shows today its best economic and financial performance in several decades," Finance Minister Mario Centeno said in late March, when presenting the current state of the country's finances.

What's the recipe for success?

A worker inspects Helix cork stoppers, which can be opened by hand and re-sealed, during quality control checks at the Amorim & Irmaos SA, factory, Paulo Duarte | Bloomberg | Getty Images

"The upgrade of Portugal's credit rating by S&P and Fitch, combined with the already-large reduction in Portugal's budget deficit and its exit from the EU's fiscal watchlist, are reducing Portugal's borrowing costs and interest payments, and this will help it reach its budget target sooner," Ben Robinson, senior economist at the think tank OMFIF (Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum), told CNBC in an email. Data from the Portuguese Finance Ministry showed that the country paid less than 300 million euros ($368.49 million) in interest on its sovereign debt between 2016 and 2017 due to the increasingly optimistic views from the ratings agencies.

The improvements in Portugal's general budget balance have been rather remarkable. Maartje Wijffelaars Economist at Rabobank

Fitch and S&P joined DBRS at the end of 2017 in giving Portugal's debt an "investment grade" after years of considering it "junk." They recognized that after the bailout program, which ended in 2014, the economy has recovered and is set to continue growing over the coming years. The employment rate has improved as well as its debt levels, the credit rating agencies said at the time. Portugal's structural deficit  which does not include one-off hits  is expected to be 1 percent of GDP in 2017, according to the latest government figures. In 2016, this had been 1.8 percent of GDP. Such an improvement has made investors more confident on Portugal's ability to repay its debts.

'Remarkable' Centeno

"The strong improvement of the budget balance in 2017 was to a large extent the result of the improving economic environment," Maartje Wijffelaars, an economist at Rabobank, told CNBC via email. Such improvement, she said, "has led to higher social contributions and tax revenues and lower spending on unemployment benefits for example."

Portugal grew 2.7 percent in 2017, according to data from the Finance Ministry. The positive momentum across the euro zone boosted confidence among the Portuguese. However, employment growth  it rose 3.2 percent in 2017, high foreign investment in the real estate market and strong tourism figures have also led to a strong domestic demand. "Centeno and his government should get credit," Wijffelaars said about the way Portugal has managed to keep a cap on the increase in public sector pay. "The improvements in Portugal's general budget balance have been rather remarkable," she said. "Going forward it's important that the government does more to also improve the structural budget balance. It can't depend on everlasting strong economic growth to improve its fiscal balance."

Too early to claim 'mission accomplished'

The Portuguese economy has improved but analysts believe there are still several risks that cannot be excluded. "Structural reform has been quite slow," Robinson from OMFIF told CNBC, in reference to the past few years following the end of the bailout and when the ruling socialist party took office. When compared with the rest of the euro zone, Portugal still has one of the highest levels of non-performing loans in its banking sector. This ratio stood at 14.6 percent in the third quarter of 2017; from 17.7 percent in the same period of 2016.

Horacio Villalobos | Corbis | Corbis | Getty Images
"We're at the pivot point. It's a binary outcome. If it's a pinprick in Syria, we've seen the price gains. We'll sell off afterwards. If Iranian assets, in particular in Syria, get hit, it's a game changer," said John Kilduff, energy analyst and founder of Again Capital.

The U.S. is set to strike Syria in the very near future because of its chemical attack on civilians, and both Russia and Iran have said they stand with Syria.

With oil prices at a three-year high , it's possible prices could flare up even more if hostilities spread beyond Syria or Yemen, two hot spots that are seen as proxy wars pitting Iran against both Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The missile attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis aimed at Saudi Arabia's civilian areas and oil facilities have proven unsuccessful, but they are a provocation at a time when the Middle East is already at risk of a widening conflict.

Huthi rebel fighters inspect the damage after a reported air strike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition targeted the presidential palace in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on December 5, 2017.

U.S. oil prices are up nearly 8 percent this week so far, as tensions rose surrounding Syria. West Texas Intermediate futures temporarily rose above $67 per barrel, and Brent crude futures were above $72 per barrel.

"Now you're talking about $75 WTI being on the table, and $80 Brent," said Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC. She said oil would rise much higher if the proxy war escalates to a real war between Iran and Saudi Arabia or Israel.

Trump said the U.S. would respond in Syria, after its government allegedly again used chemical weapons against civilians Saturday, killing dozens and wounding hundreds more. Syria has denied it.

"If this is all contained to Syria we've probably seen the bulk of the rise. The issue you get into is if there's a strike on Iranian assets in Syria, a direct hit on Saudi, or a scenario where the Saudis and Israelis team up to take it to Iran directly, that's where you get into triple-digit oil price land," said Kilduff.

Meanwhile, Houthis in Yemen continued to step up a campaign to lob missiles at Saudi targets, including an oil tanker in international waters last week. Three missiles were intercepted by Saudi defense forces Wednesday, before they could hit targets in Najran or Riyadh. The Houthis claimed to have targeted the Saudi Defense Ministry and a Saudi Aramco distribution facility in Najran.

"To me, I was more worried about the tanker. ... That raises the whole prospect of that critical waterway not being viewed as secure. Five million barrels of crude and refined product [per day] now has to be considered at risk," said Croft. "That's what goes through the strait."

Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter, and now the third-largest producer after the U.S. since it has cut back on production as part of a broader deal between OPEC and Russia to boost oil prices.

"Certainly geopolitical risk is back in the price, and what happens to Syria could certainly stoke prices. It's not only Syria. It's also the May 12 deadline on reviewing the Iran deal," said Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit. "But it's not only the Mideast. It's this new tension between the United States and Russia, two of the world's three biggest oil producers."

The U.S. imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia this week for its election meddling, and Russia has been a blunt critic of Trump's planned attack on Syria.

The president has also been opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on the country in return for Iran ending its nuclear program. With the addition of former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton as national security advisor just this week, it seems more likely the deal will be abandoned by the U.S.

"When you look at the Middle East, you have more fault lines that could erupt than you or I could count," said Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. "[The Saudis] see the Iranian hand behind everything that's happening in Yemen. Iran is their sworn enemy so I don't think the Saudis are going to let up. I think they ought to look for a way to get out. This has the potential to be their Vietnam. ... It's hard to see how with the current course of action the Saudis are on is going to end, or end well for them."

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, known as MBS, led the kingdom into the regional war after the Houthi rebels forced Yemen's president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, into exile

"The main theaters that Iran is playing in right now remains Syria and Iraq, and this is to a certain extent ancillary to that. They're trying to embarrass MBS, and they're trying to highlight the Saudi war in Yemen to make sure it gets public attention," said Henry Rome, Iran researcher at Eurasia Group. "The more attention it gets, the worse publicly it is for the Saudis, especially at a time when they're trying to put on a different face for the West."

The Houthis, in fact, ramped up their missile attacks just as MBS arrived in the U.S. on a tour to promote his Vision 2030, an effort to attract investments and diversify the kingdom away from its dependence on oil.

"In terms of a major escalation, we're not at that point yet, especially if we're talking about a major escalation between Saudi and Iran," said Rome, adding the 'X' factor would be a hit on Saudi civilians. That would require a more major response from the Saudi government.

As for the Iran nuclear deal, If the U.S. drops out, it would again impose sanctions on Iranian oil and its financial sector, including insurance, and shipping. It's unclear how Europe and other parties to the deal would respond.

"Our base case here is European trade and investment basically collapses. Oil imports to Korea and Japan drop significantly and Iran will be looking to lash out in the region," said Rome. "It could be in terms of the Houtis in Yemen, but there are a lot of options. In any case, the decision will be made by the supreme leader and it will be strategic and thought out."

Rome said it's likely European companies back away from deals with Iran so as not to lose access to the U.S. market, if Trump drops out of the nuclear agreement.
Steve Huffman CEO, Reddit, delivers remarks on 'Redesigning Reddit' during the third day of Web Summit in Altice Arena on November 08, 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Reddit has banned almost 1,000 accounts linked to a controversial Russian firm accused of using online propaganda to influence the U.S. presidential election.

The firm found 944 accounts on the platform with ties to Russia's Internet Research Agency (IRA), a so-called "troll farm" based in St. Petersburg, CEO Steve Huffman said in an announcement Tuesday.

The development follows Facebook's efforts to purge IRA-related accounts from its network. Last week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the social network was removing more than 270 pages and accounts operated by the IRA.

Zuckerberg was faced with intense grilling by Congress on Tuesday, over the sharing of 87 million users' personal information with data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. Facebook's co-founder is due to appear before U.S. lawmakers again on Wednesday.

Facebook and Reddit differ, however, in that the latter lets users create anonymous accounts. Both have content policies that restrict what users can post online, and Reddit has said it is doing more to tackle content violations.

In October, the site implemented a ban on content that "glorifies, incites, or calls for violence or physical harm against an individual or a group of people." This led to the shutting down of Nazi communities, or "subreddits," including r/NationalSocialism, r/Nazi and r/Far_Right.

Last year, Huffman told CNBC that users misbehaving on Reddit were a minority. One subreddit, r/The_Donald became surrounded in controversy during the 2016 election battle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The community is devoted to supporters of the president.

Huffman said that IRA-linked accounts made 316 posts to r/The_Donald. He said in March that the company was cooperating with Congressional inquiries related to possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

The chief executive also included a link in the announcement to all of the 944 IRA-linked accounts "to allow moderators, investigators, and all of you to see their account histories for yourselves."

Reddit and Facebook aren't alone in being troubled by Russia-linked accounts that are accused of attempting to sway the U.S. election. In February, NBC News published a database of more than 200,000 Twitter posts that could be traced back to Russia's IRA.

In February, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office announced that a federal grand jury had indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities. Mueller's office also alleged that the IRA was controlled by Yevgeny Progozhin, a wealth ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Spanish renewable energy business Acciona Energia is to build a new wind farm in Texas.

The Palmas Altas facility will be located in Cameron County and have a capacity of 144.9 megawatts, the company said in a statement Tuesday.



Around $200 million will be invested in the project, which will generate roughly 524 gigawatt-hours of energy annually. Acciona Energia said this output was equivalent to the consumption of 43,000 U.S. homes.

Some 170 people will be employed during the peak construction phase of the project, which will use Nordex turbines with a rotor diameter of 125 meters.

Rafael Esteban, CEO of Acciona Energy USA Global, said that the new project "confirms our commitment to grow in a controlled and profitable manner in a market that continues to offer very interesting opportunities for the renewables sector."

The U.S. is home to "one of the largest and fastest-growing wind markets in the world," according to the Department of Energy. On its website, the American Wind Energy Association describes Texas as "a national leader in the wind energy industry" that has more than 12,000 wind turbines and employs over 22,000 people in the sector.



Acciona Energia currently owns and operates eight wind farms in the U.S. Grid connection for the Palmas Altas project is scheduled for November 2019.
U.S. stock futures were lower this morning, indicating a giveback of part of the Dow's 428-point surge on Tuesday. The Dow has posted triple-digit moves, either up or down, in 18 of the past 22 trading sessions. (CNBC)



President Donald Trump lobbed back at Russia via Twitter this morning, promising to send missiles to Syria in response for a recent chemical weapons attack allegedly carried out by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. (CNBC)

Shares of Facebook (FB) were relatively flat in premarket trading after logging their best one-day gain in nearly two years. Investors were reacting positively to co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Senate appearance. He goes before a House panel today. (CNBC)



* Zuckerberg's Senate testimony: Here are the key points (CNBC)

* Zuckerberg's notes for his Senate hearing, revealed (CNBC)



Facebook added $21 billion in stock market value for a total of nearly $480 billion with Tuesday's gain. Zuckerberg, according to the Forbes real-time wealth rankings, saw his paper fortune surge by $2.8 billion to $66 billion.

Following Tuesday's March producer price index, investors get more inflation figures this morning with the release of the March consumer price index at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Fed releases the minutes of its most recent policy meeting at 2 p.m. ET. (CNBC)



Demand for mortgages weakened last week, despite a brief respite from rising rates. Total mortgage application volume fell 1.9 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Refis fell to the lowest level in 10 years, down 2 percent for the week. (CNBC)

Industrial products maker Fastenal (FAST) is among the few companies releasing quarterly earnings this morning. Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) tops the short list of after-the-bell profit reports. (CNBC)
The war in Syria has changed dramatically over the last seven years, rapidly morphing into much more than a battle between those who are simply for and against President Assad.

A Syrian man carries two girls covered with dust following a reported air strike by government forces on July 9, 2014 in the northern city of Aleppo. ZEIN AL-RIFAI | AFP | Getty Images

World leaders continue to weigh up military action in response to a suspected poison gas attack in Syria over the weekend. Top officials in the U.K. are scheduled to convene on Thursday after British Prime Minister Theresa May called for talks to work out the country's response to the situation in Syria. The scheduled meeting follows reports Westminster has ordered submarines to move within missile range of the war-torn nation in readiness for potential strikes. The prospect of British military action comes less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump taunted Russia with the threat of imminent missile strikes in Syria. The Kremlin immediately responded to the U.S. president, saying missiles "should fly toward terrorists," and not its own legal government bases in the Middle Eastern country. CNBC takes a look at how a peaceful uprising in Syria seven years ago has turned into a full-scale civil war.

Trump to Russia: 'Get ready'

In an incendiary tweet on Wednesday, Trump said Russia should "get ready" for missiles to be fired into Syria. The move comes on the back of a recent suspected chemical attack on Douma, the last rebel-held town in the Eastern Ghouta region of Syria. Opposition activists, rescue workers and medics working in the country said that more than 40 people were killed after bombs filled with toxic chemicals were dropped by Syrian government forces. President Bashar Assad, who receives military backing from Moscow, has denied being responsible for any chemical attack.

US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the APEC leaders' summit on November 11, 2017. Mikhail Klimentyev | AFP | Getty Images

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said late Tuesday that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would not only be shot down but the launch sites of those missiles would also be targeted. The prospect of a retaliatory response from Russia on U.S. "launch platforms" could subsequently prompt a dramatic escalation in the Syrian war.



Responding to the Russian ambassador's comments, General Richard Barrons, who led the U.K.'s Joint Forces Command from 2013 to 2016, told BBC's Radio 4 "Today" program on Wednesday: "I hope the ambassador has chosen his words very carefully He's saying they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky  that's war."

Why is there a war?

The war has changed dramatically over the last seven years, rapidly morphing into much more than a battle between those who are simply for and against President Assad. Several countries and groups are involved  each with its own agenda while collectively making the situation extremely complex. Key supporters of Syria's administration include Russia and Iran, while the U.S., Turkey and Saudi Arabia all back government rebels. Last month, Amnesty International urged world leaders to double down on their efforts to urgently end the suffering of millions of Syrian citizens and bring an end to the "bloody assault" that has been raging for more than seven years.

Smokes rise after Assad Regime forces carried out airstrikes in Eastern Ghouta's Douma town in Damascus, Syria on April 07, 2018. Halil el-Abdullah | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

"The international community's catastrophic failure to take concrete action to protect the people of Syria has allowed parties to the conflict, most notably the Syrian government, to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity with complete impunity, often with assistance of outside powers, particularly Russia," Lynn Maalouf, Middle East research director at Amnesty International, said in a statement on the group's website. "Every year, we think it is just not possible for parties to the conflict to inflict more suffering on civilians, and yet, every year, they prove us wrong," she added.

How have Syrian people been impacted?

By March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had documented the deaths of over 350,000 people  including 106,000 civilians. The figure, gathered by the U.K.-based monitoring group's network of sources in the war-torn country, does not include 56,900 people who it said were missing and presumed dead. The group also projected about 100,000 deaths had not been documented.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Joseph Eid | AFP | Getty Images

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that around 11 million Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of the civil war in March 2011, with the majority seeking refuge in neighboring countries or within Syria itself. The pre-war population of Syria was roughly 22 million, meaning so far around half of the country has been displaced.

What is the UN doing about the alleged chemical attack?

Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) met Tuesday evening in an attempt to agree on a concerted international response to the alleged use of chemical weapons. However, rival draft resolutions by Washington and Moscow to try and set up a new expert body to properly assess the attack both failed to pass. Russia first vetoed a U.S.-drafted text to create a panel that would have the authority to assign blame for any chemical attacks in the Middle Eastern country. The resolution received 12 votes in favor but Russia and Bolivia both voted against it  while China abstained. The U.S.-drafted resolution required nine votes in favor and no vetoes by any of the UNSC's permanent members. These include Russia, China, the U.K., France and the U.S. It was the 12th time Russia had used its veto powers to block action against the Assad government. Later, Russia failed to pass with its own bid to create a new inquiry after it only received six votes in favor.

What happens next?

The U.S. is widely expected to respond to the recent alleged chemical attack with missile strikes. Last year, the Trump administration authorized the launch of 59 Tomahawk missiles on a government airfield in Syria after it said the targeted airfield had launched a chemical attack. Russia has vowed to shoot down any missiles that enter Syrian airspace and even suggested targeting missile launch sites.

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) conducts strike operations while in the Mediterranean Sea which U.S. Defense Department said was a part of cruise missile strike against Syria on April 7, 2017. Ford Williams | Courtesy U.S. Navy | Reuters
Venture capitalist Tim Draper defended Mark Zuckerberg as the Facebook co-founder and CEO testified on Capitol Hill.

"This guy is a hero, let's face it. It's awesome what he's done," said Draper, a longtime tech investor.

Draper also suggested that the intense scrutiny around Facebook's handling around user data was hypocritical. "All of a sudden we're worried about privacy. My God, we put all our pictures up there," he said at Tuesday's LendIt Fintech conference in San Francisco.

CNBC reporter Deirdre Bosa, who interviewed Draper at the conference, asked the attendees if they agreed with Draper or thought that Facebook had violated their trust in terms of privacy. The crowd of more than 200 was approximately evenly split.

Draper also implied that Facebook's privacy concerns were relatively minor compared with other tech giants.

"If you have your credit card up on Amazon, you should be a little bit circumspect about all this attack going on on Facebook," said Draper. "They've got your credit card. Facebook's just got pictures of you, and maybe they've analyzed that you like cats. Who cares?"

The founding partner of Draper Associates and DFJ discussed the possible fallout from government involvement, saying that "more regulation leads to more corruption." Another risk, said Draper, is that entrepreneurs may leave the U.S. for friendlier markets.

"I got a message for all the guys in Washington. We want these people. Bezos can live anywhere else in the world," Draper said, referring to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.

Draper, a backer of Elon Musk's SpaceX and Tesla as well as Skype and other tech firms, is also a big believer in bitcoin.

Zuckerberg appeared before a joint Senate committee on Tuesday and the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
Doing business with Cuba has been historically tricky, with complex U.S. rules to untangle, lack of direct bank transactions and an often unreceptive Cuban government.

President Raul Castro's retirement next week  marking the first time in nearly 60 years Cuba will be ruled without a Castro  was long expected to pave the way for increased business between the U.S. and Cuba.

But, as it turns out, it may not make much of a difference. Recent policy changes under President Trump and a series of standoffs between Washington and Havana have made that process thornier than ever.



More from USA Today:

Cuba will soon be without a Castro as leader for first time in nearly 60 years

Cuba, once bustling with heavy-spending Americans, sees steep decline in U.S. travelers

Stock market wavers after Trump tweets about Syria strike and tensions rise with Russia

"The climate has certainly changed," said Jay Brickman, vice president of Jacksonville-based Crowley Maritime Corp., which transports shipping containers full of chicken from Florida to Cuba. "The optimism that was there has been dampened. People are investing less time to see how they could enter the Cuban market until they see where the relations are going."

When the two former Cold War foes announced warmer relations in December 2014, U.S. businesses were hopeful they could start doing business with Cuba, just 90 miles away. Policy changes under President Obama encouraged Americans to travel to the island and seek out business opportunities.

But Obama's changes didn't go far enough to undo restrictions under the U.S. embargo against Cuba, provisions in place since 1960 that severely restrict doing business with the communist island, said John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade & Economic Council, a New York-based non-partisan business group that provides information and analysis on doing business in Cuba.

On the flip side, the Cuban government also resisted opening up Cuba too much to private enterprise, he said. In August, it placed a temporary halt on new licenses for bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants and other privately owned businesses. Last year, it balked on an offer by Google to expand Internet across the island through Wi-Fi connections and cellphones.

"They're skeptical," Kavulich said. "The re-emergence of the United States' presence in Cuba is, by definition, disruptive and uncertain."

Since taking office, Trump has unraveled some of Obama's historic changes, including barring Americans from providing money to certain Cuban businesses run by the military and doing away with "people-to-people" visas that thousands of Americans used recently to travel there.

Last year, relations took a sharp turn for the worse when U.S. officials accused Cuba of "sonic attacks" on U.S. diplomats on the island. In September, the State Department issued a travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to Cuba in lieu of the mysterious attacks. It downgraded the notice four months later.

And in February, a task force ordered by Trump announced it was brainstorming ways to expand Internet access and improve access to information on the island, despite a formal protest by the Cuban government, which viewed it as an attack on Cuban sovereignty.

All this has had a chilling effect on U.S. travel to Cuba and business prospects between U.S. and Cuban companies, said Richard Feinberg, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy.

"The hopeful scenario was that with the Castro brothers either gone or in the background some of the vile in U.S.-Cuba relations will have been drained," he said. "But I don't see any interest in improving U.S.-Cuba relations in the short term."

Brickman, the shipping executive, said he hears the concerns from his Cuban counterparts when he travels to the island on business. Cuban officials and business leaders want to know how the Trump administration will impact long-term relations with the island.

The new developments haven't hurt his current business but his firm, like others, has put on hold any expansion plans in Cuba until relations stabilize, Brickman said.

Meanwhile, Cuba, with the economy of ally Venezuela in free fall and prospects for improved relations with the U.S. dim, will look to other countries, like Iran and China, for help, he said.

"If the U.S. door for right now is not as open, perhaps there are other doors with more benefits for them," Brickman said.
Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom Lucas Jackson | Reuters

Early indicators suggest 2017 was another big year for corporate executives' compensation. The median pay for CEOs at the biggest U.S. companies was $15.7 million in fiscal 2017, up from $15 million the year prior. That's according to executive compensation firm Equilar's early reading of data filed with the SEC. The annual Equilar 100 study looks at CEO pay for the 100 largest companies by revenue, that have filed their proxy statements in the first quarter. Leading the list is Broadcom CEO Hock Tan with a total compensation package over $103 million. Much of that consisted of a one-time stock award allotted to Tan, but he won't receive it for years, according to the filing. The company has a complex incentive program tied to total shareholder return, and the amount Tan could actually receive in 2021 depends on company performance compared with the broader .

Broadcom completed its move from Singapore to San Jose, California, this month, just weeks after President Donald Trump blocked the company's $117 billion takeover of rival chipmaker Qualcomm. The value of Tan's total compensation package was more than double that of the next CEO on the list, AIG's Brian Duperreault, who took the helm in May 2017. Duperreault's nearly $43 million package included more than $14 million in bonuses, $11 million in stock awards and $16 million in options. Most of the options vest in increments and only have value if the company's share price increases from $61.82, the closing price the day Duperreault's appointment was announced. Following him were Oracle co-CEOs Mark Hurd and Safra Catz, whose compensation packages totaled $40 million each. CEOs on the list saw a median pay increase of 5 percent in fiscal 2017, a slight slowdown from the 6 percent growth the previous year. Because the list is made up of the biggest companies by revenue, the constituents change slightly year to year. In a repeat performance, Berkshire Hathaway was the biggest company by revenue, earning $242.1 billion, up 8 percent from the previous year. But Berkshire chief Warren Buffett was again at the bottom of the list in terms of CEO pay. The Oracle of Omaha takes a base salary of just $100,000. Apple was the only other company with total revenue in the same ballpark, at $229.2 billion.

The other half

For the first time this year, companies are required to report the compensation for their median employee, and a ratio of that figure compared with their CEO's. The regulation has been criticized for lacking a specified measurement methodology, making comparisons between companies next to meaningless. For example, the company on Equilar's list with the widest gap in CEO-to-median employee pay was ManpowerGroup, a workforce solutions firm. The company's pay ratio was 2,483:1, meaning the CEO earned thousands of times more than the median employee. But it's less about CEO Jonas Prising's pay than the company's structure: It has over 600,000 employees worldwide, many of whom are "associates" who work on a temporary basis. The company identified its median employee as an associate in the United Kingdom who earned $4,828 from the company. Focusing just on permanent staffers, the company's median employee is a junior sourcing consultant in Belgium who earned $43,344. Compared with the CEO, that gives a pay ratio of 276:1, much more in line with the overall norm. Buffett, with his $100,000 salary, had the smallest CEO pay ratio at 2:1.

WATCH: WFC announces new executive compensation actions
President Donald Trump's tweets are White House statements and should be carefully considered, former diplomat Richard Haass told CNBC on Wednesday.

"The president would be wise to put down his phone or only to do it after the potential tweets have been reviewed the same way that any White House statement would be," Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations said on "Power Lunch."

He believes Trump is a "neophyte when it comes to foreign policy."

The president, who has a habit of tweeting about various issues, took to Twitter earlier Wednesday to warn Russia to "get ready" for a potential U.S. strike against Syria. Moscow has backed the Syrian government during the country's seven-year civil war.

Trump Syria tweet

In response, Haass tweeted that national security issues are "much too serious and dangerous" to conduct on Twitter.

Haass tweet

Haass told CNBC that Trump's "confrontational rhetoric" toward Russia and China ought to give people pause, whether he means what he says or not. If he doesn't mean it, "people start to discount what he has to say."

"Either way I don't think he's doing himself or his country any good by his use of his cellphone," said Haass, who was a principal advisor to former Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2001 to 2003. He also was a special assistant to former President George H.W. Bush and served in the State Department during the Reagan administration.

Haass' comments echoed those of Nicholas Burns, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, who told CNBC earlier Wednesday that "this is not a video game."

"The president of the United States needs to be calm and needs to act presidential," said Burns, who has advised Republican and Democratic presidents and is now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "The tweet this morning was irresponsible. And it wasn't presidential. It wasn't effective."

The Kremlin responded to Trump's tweet by saying it did not engage in "Twitter diplomacy."

Trump's threat came after the Russian ambassador to Lebanon said his nation's military would intercept American missiles and potentially target the U.S. craft that fired them. The potential American strike follows a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held city of Douma, allegedly by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
This latest tweet comes after Trump took aim at Russia's government in a rare rebuke on Sunday, directly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow's support of Assad and vowing a "big price to pay."

"You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

"Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!,'" Trump said.

President Donald Trump lobbed back at Russia via Twitter Wednesday morning, promising to fire missiles at Syria in response to a recent chemical weapons attack allegedly carried out by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with senior military leadership in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, April 9, 2018.

Amid rumors that Washington may take military action over the chemical attack, a Russian senior official Tuesday threatened that Russia's military would shoot down any U.S. missile that entered Syrian airspace, including targeting launch sites.

"If there is a strike by the Americans then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Russia's ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin told local media.

Early Wednesday morning, European air traffic control issued a public warning to airlines over the danger of air-to-ground strikes or cruise missiles when flying over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Eurocontrol said that air strikes into Syria could take place over the next 72 hours.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman responded to Trump's tweet: "Smart missiles should fly toward terrorists, not legal government."



Forty minutes after his initial tweet, Trump posted a follow-up, describing America's relationship with Russia as "worse now than it has ever been," adding that "there is no reason for this." He ended the tweet with what may be interpreted as a quick attempt at de-escalation: "Stop the arms race?"

Tweet2

Stock index futures dropped ahead of the open Wednesday after Trump's hint of possible intervention. The Dow is expected to drop more than 200 points on the back of the news.

Trump's "smart" missiles line was likely in reference to Putin's claim in early March that Russia's military had developed a new prototype missile that can reach any point in the world. The claim has not been independently verified.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense told CNBC: "We do not comment on potential future military operations. The president has a wide variety of tools available at his disposal. I am not going to comment on or speculate as to what those options are or what decision the president might ultimately make."

CNBC's Amanda Macias contributed to this article.
Hardly. There's nothing selfless about the payment or the claim he never disclosed it to the president. Indeed, according to many who know him, there may not be a selfless bone in his body.

Even if it turns out that the payment was permanently slated to come out of Cohen's own pocket, it most likely represents an investment in his immediate future as a close ally of the man who stood days away from the presidency and also as a means of protecting and expanding his own set of Russian real estate deals.

What's more, entering into an agreement on behalf of a client without disclosing it to the client violates the code of attorney conduct.

As if to prove that his loyalty runs straight to himself, in his first public statement following the FBI's collection of his files, Cohen abandoned his tough-guy persona and praised the FBI for the politeness of its raiders.

The feeling one gets is that they must have the goods on him and he calculates that his best bet now is to cooperate with the investigation, which would make him special counsel Robert Mueller's biggest catch to date and help explain the president's sky-high anxiety over the raid.

Weighing against the decision to cooperate is the prospect that, should Cohen be successfully prosecuted for this or that, he'll ultimately be pardoned by the president, and that, by Cohen talking nicely about the FBI and exacerbating the president's concern that Cohen will flip, Trump will be pushed over the line, fire Mueller, and everyone now under suspicion will live happily ever after.

Anyway, so much for noble loyalty.

By contrast, the price of Brougham's loyalty  to the country and, in addition, to himself in provoking the King's wrath  was born of his admirable loyalty to the principle of due process for his client and his willingness to sacrifice for it.

And if you'd prefer a more contemporary version of the price of noble fidelity to the interests of those one represents, look no further than the lawyer who's holding the president and his cronies' feet to the fire as he himself endures ruthless, partisan condemnation and faces imminent, unceremonious dismissal: Robert Swan Mueller III.

We don't have to like the outcome of a case  think here O.J. Simpson or Casey Anthony  to appreciate that counsel's noble loyalty to her or his client is what stands between us and the many systems in which basic legal rights exist only on paper.

It's a lesson passed on to us as kids when we learned that John Adams, widely vilified at the time for his tenacious and largely successful representation of the eight Redcoats who fatally shot colonists in the Boston Massacre, represents a symbol of the rule of law.

Mueller's career teaches another lesson in faithfulness to the process: fidelity to principle is not an act that one performs on a particular occasion. It is, instead, a quality that is demonstrated over time  and which, over the course of his investigation, demonstrates the old adage that "no good deed goes unpunished."

It is true that, in the end, both Michael Cohen and Robert Mueller are paying high prices for their contrasting forms of client loyalty. Cohen, though, has suffered an additional and substantial loss: that of the ability to be proud of who he sees in the mirror each morning.

Commentary by Jay Sterling Silver, a law professor at St. Thomas University School of Law.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is slated to field reporters' questions on Wednesday, following a major disruption in House leadership and a fresh crop of hawkish tweets from President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday morning, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced that he will not seek re-election at the end of his current term. The 20-year veteran of Congress said he wanted to spend more time with his three children, all of whom were born after Ryan entered politics.

Trump thanked Ryan for his service in a tweet shortly following the speaker's press conference.

trump tweet ryan

Ryan's announcement was preceded by a string of tweets from Trump, who touched on subjects including special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian election meddling and a possible U.S. military response to a suspected chemical attack in Syria.

Ten minutes later, Trump warned Russia not to shoot down U.S. missiles fired at Syria "because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!'"

Trump said the FBI's Monday morning raid of the office and residence of his longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, was "unthinkable" considering there is "No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back)."

He then added that there is "no reason" for the deteriorating relationship between the U.S. and Russia, which is "worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War." Trump blamed "much of the bad blood with Russia" on Mueller's investigation, contending that "Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter)."

Trump's increasingly aggressive stance against Mueller trickled down to the White House press briefing yesterday, when Sanders told reporters that the administration has "been advised that the president certainly has the power" to fire the special counsel.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Trump attempted to fire Mueller in December before backing down  the second known instance of Trump trying to fire the special counsel.
The Republican Governors Association says Greitens has stepped down from its executive committee, and the firm representing the former husband of the woman with whom the governor admitted having an affair says his client would like never to hear Greitens' name again.
Types of obituaries

The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries  family obituaries and life stories.

A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries

A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
In the elections for the metropolitan boroughs the Conservatives have little to lose  which is why the focus will be on Trafford

Margaret Thatcher declared, on the night of the Conservatives General Election victory in 1987:

We must do something about those inner cities, because we want them too.

Yet in electoral terms the Conservatives find the challenge has become not just the inner cities but entire metropolises.

Broadly speaking, the Conservatives perform much more strongly in our towns and villages. Much of the territory outside the cities is covered at an upper tier level by county councils and at a lower tier by the district councils. The Conservatives dominate in both types of authority. In some counties there are unitary authorities in place and here the Conservatives also tend to be strong  Cheshire, Shropshire and Wiltshire.

The local elections this year are mainly about the cities, in other words, Labour territory. While a handful of metropolitan boroughs have all their seats up for election  notably Birmingham, which I wrote about earlier  most have a third of their seats up for election. In several there is no possibility of the Conservatives losing any seats  since we dont have any. This dire state of affairs applies in Gateshead, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sandwell, Sheffield and South Tyneside.

Only a couple are Conservative councils. Solihull has a big Conservative majority and so is not at risk.

That leaves Trafford which has 34 Conservative councillors with 26 for Labour and three for the Lib Dems. Its high profile was confirmed by Jeremy Corbyn going there to launch Labours national campaign for the council elections. The contest is particularly important as the Council not only has a Conservative label but has applied distinctively Conservative policies. That is how it provides excellent services while setting the lowest Council Tax in the north west. Its leader, Cllr Sean Anstee, set out his stall for us on this site last month.

It is not the only close contest, of course. Calderdale, Dudley, and Kirklees each have minority Labour administrations. There is also Walsall which is run as a Labour/Lib Dem coalition. If Labour fail to achieve the modest goal of winning overall control in all of them it will be harder for Jeremy Corbyn to claim he is on his way to Downing Street.

But the result in Trafford will be hard to spin. The Conservatives have held it since 2004  losing it would be a blow. But for the Conservatives to retain it would mean that Labour will be struggling to show that under Corbyns leadership they are capable of advancing outside London.
Priti Patel is MP for Witham, and a former Secretary of State for International Development.

From the end of 2020, when Britain withdraws fully from the European Union, we will finally be able to set our immigration policy according to our own national interests.

Regaining control of our borders and immigration policy was a crucial factor in the the referendum, and the British public called for change.

For many who voted remain, immigration policy was also a concern, which is why David Cameron sought to renegotiate the EUs immigration rules.

As a country, we recognise the immense benefits that migration has brought to our economy and society. As the daughter of a migrant, I know the sanctuary, welcome and opportunities that Britain provides. Regaining control of our borders does not mean slamming the door shut and as we approach the final year of our membership if the EU, Britain can show leadership by mapping out a positive future for our immigration system.

Britain must always be fair, and give refuge to refugees from conflicts and humanitarian crises. We have always had a strong record in this area, and this is the ultimate test of our civility and our humanity as a nation.

In our new report about a post-Brexit migration policy, Iain Duncan Smith and I argue that, after regaining control of our borders, we should have an immigration system that genuinely supports our economic needs, with numbers at a level that supports economic and investment in our public services.

Such a system should be the central objective of a post-Brexit migration policy, and the paper explores a way to reduce migration pressures on jobs and wages whilst at the same time reducing the pace of population growth to sustainable levels.

This way we can control the numbers looking to settle here for economic reasons and ensure that skills shortages in the UK labour market are filled. Such a scheme should cover the EU and the rest of the world because, as the Government repeatedly states, global Britain looks beyond our near neighbours.

The next century will be the global century. The countries that succeed will be those that are nimble, and able to use their human capital to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Those businesses in Britain that invest in skills, training and salaries are growing our future domestic skills supply.

Flexibility would also be brought into this new system so that occupations and key services that experience shortages, such as in the agricultural and healthcare sectors, can recruit quickly from overseas, and we would expect economic migrants to have a job waiting for them upon arrival. A cap and visa system that accommodates our economic needs would help restore public confidence in immigration policy.

Reforms to welfare entitlements must also go alongside this system. We must finally put an end to people being able to come into Britain with no job or on low wages that require significant levels of benefits to support their living costs. Billions of pounds could be saved and reinvested into frontline services, instead of on handouts to recent migrants.

Post-Brexit and after the transition period, we must recognise that some form of free movement should remain in place for particular activities. For example, we would not want to place visa requirements on tourists who want to visit Britain or onerous requirements on students looking to study here for a fixed period before returning. Likewise people from the EU who are self-sufficient, and thus not competing for jobs, and entrepreneurs wanting to set up businesses and create jobs should be able to benefit from a presumption in favour of being able to come to the UK as well.

In post-Brexit, global Britain we want an immigration that helps us attract the brightest and the best from across the world.

The recent debates about our future immigration system have been dominated by the arguments relating to the rights of EU nationals already in the UK. The Prime Minister has been clear about those being protected, and those who have been casting doubt on this have been scaremongering and doing a disservice to our country.

We now need to move the debate forward and decide how we have an immigration system that works for our country when we regain control.
Lets think through what would be necessary to halt the use of chemical weapons in Syria. We know from experience that air strikes do not guarantee it. Donald Trump loosed 59 cruise missiles against Assads regime after sarin, or a variant of it, was used in Khan Shaykhun last spring. But now it has apparently been used again in Douma. To stop the attacks, boots on the ground would be necessary to unearth the Governments chemical stocks, plus anyone elses, which would mean these taking control of much if not all of the country. The attempt to build up the Free Syrian Army has not been a success and, even if stronger, it would not have the capacity to act in such a way for the forseeable future.

That would mean western ground troops. The use of these would be opposed not only by the Syrian Government but by its Iranian and Russian allies. That could well mean a wider conflict between a United States and its allies, on the one hand, and Russia and Iran, on the other. Even if did not, Syria could not be ruled indefinitely as an imperial satrapy. Having gone into it with his troops, Trump would have responsibility for its government. Parts of the country are in the hands of extreme Islamist groups, such as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, now a member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Is it seriously be proposed that such organisations could play a part in governing Syria? Are they morally better than Assad? Would giving them political power be in the wests interests?

If they were to be barred from government in Syria, and this confined to members of the Syrian National Coalition, how would their exclusion be enforced? Western forces would presumably provide the means. This would expose the latter to the kind of hit-and-run terror attacks that targeted our armed forces and others in Iraq. There might or might not be public support for this in France. There would not be in Britain. The Iraq experience is too recent and too bitter. So there would be no strategic logic for such a venture, no democratic support and arguably, given the nature of parts of the Syrian opposition, no clear-cut moral basis for it either. And all this would apply even were conflict with Russia not to be sparked. Were this Conservative Government to seek such an adventure, Jeremy Corbyn would oppose it, and Labour suddenly be gifted a heap of political capital. Tory backbenchers would see this coming and stop it happening. The Prime Ministers recent recovery would be undermined and her recent progress reversed.

Neither Donald Trump, for all his unpredictability, will risk such a course, and nor will Theresa May. Indeed, the President has recently been pushing to withdraw troops from Syria in the wake of the folding of ISIS. A response to Douma is likely to be confined to missile strikes. This mornings reports suggest that there is confusion within the Government even about participation in these. One report claims that RAF bombers in Cyprus are on standby; another says that May is resisting calls to use them. The whips will surely be taking soundings from Conservative MPs, and not all these will be as supportive of action as, say, Tom Tugendhat or Johnny Mercer  or, for that matter, Boris Johnson and the Foreign Office.

As James Gray wrote on this site yesterday, the Prime Minister is under no constitutional obligation to consult Parliament before approving participation in a missile strike. Our judgement is that if she can convince the Commons that Assad was responsible for Douma, and that any strike would be strictly limited, she could take such a course of action and hold Tory backbench support  all without a vote in advance. This would be more than justified. But what if chemical weapons are used afterwards again? Would a cycle of further chemical attacks and further missile responses follow? What if Assad and his allies are not deterred now, any more than they were last year? What would Trump and Macron and May do then?
CORNWALL, Ontario  Izaiah-Justice Seguin, 19, of Cornwall was arrested on April 2, 2018 and charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

It is alleged on March 24, 2018 the man was operating a motor vehicle in a dangerous manner in the area of Water Street East. On April 2, 2018 the man attended police headquarters to deal with the matter. He was charged accordingly and released to appear in court on May 3, 2018.

THEFT UNDER, BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  Symphony Pierce, 24, of Cornwall was arrested on March 29th, 2018 and charged with theft under and breach of undertaking for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on March 24th, 2018 the woman attended a Second Street East store and removed property making no attempt to pay for the items as she left the store. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. On March 29th, 2018 the woman was located and was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.

CORNWALL, Ontario  Marc Racine, 42, of St. Andrews was arrested on March 29th, 2018 and charged with theft under, breach of recognizance for failing to remain in his residence when not accompanied by his surety, as well as breach of undertaking for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on January 31st, 2018 and February 5th, 2018 the man attended a Second Street East store and removed property, making no attempt to pay for the items as he left the store. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. On March 29th, 2018 the man was located and was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.

THREATS, BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  A 26-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on March 30th, 2018 and charged with threats and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on March 28th, 2018 the man threatened to harm his ex-common-law wife and police were contacted to investigate. On March 30th, 2018 the man attended police headquarters to deal with the matter. He was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  Jeffrey Berube, 53, of Cornwall was arrested on March 30th, 2018 and charged with breach of recognizance for communicating with someone known to have a criminal record and for associating with someone known to be a member of an organized motorcycle club. It is alleged on March 18th, 2018 the man was seen in breach of his conditions by a member of the Cornwall Community Police Service and an investigation ensued. On March 30th, 2018 the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.

CORNWALL, Ontario  Jason Larose, 40, of Cornwall was arrested on March 30th, 2018 and charged with breach of recognizance for failing to notify a change of address to police. It is alleged the man was found to be in breach of his conditions when police attended his residence to investigate an unrelated matter. He was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.

WARRANT

CORNWALL, Ontario  Jordon Pharand, 26, of Cornwall was arrested on March 31st, 2018 on the strength of a warrant. It is alleged while investigating an unrelated matter, police took the man into custody on the strength of a warrant for a fraud that occurred between March 4-5th, 2018. He was charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.

ASSAULT, BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  A 32-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on March 31st, 2018 and charged with assault. He was also charged with breach of undertaking for being within 50 metres of his girlfriend, for communicating with his girlfriend, for failing to notify police of a change of address, and failing to keep the peace. It is alleged during an argument on March 30th, 2018 the man assaulted his girlfriend and police were contacted to investigate. On March 31st, 2018, he was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  Damian Heasler, 27, of Kingston was arrested on March 31st, 2018 and charged with breach of recognizance for being out past curfew and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on March 31st, 2018 while investigating a suspicious person call, police found the man in breach of his conditions. He was taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on May 1st, 2018.

ASSAULT

CORNWALL, Ontario Caitlin Cameron, 33, of Cornwall was arrested on March 31st, 2018 and charged with assault. It is alleged on March 31st, 2018 the intoxicated woman assaulted a man and woman who were known to her and police were contacted to investigate. During the investigation the woman was taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on May 1st, 2018.

BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  Richard Massia, 28, of Cornwall was arrested on April 1st, 2018 and charged with failing to attend for prints, as well as breach of recognizance for failing to report to police. It is alleged the man failed to attend for prints on March 19th, 2018 and also failed to report to police between February 1st, 2018 and March 15th, 2018 despite his conditions. On April 1st, 2018 the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.
NORTH STORMONT, Ontario  The North Stormont Fire Department responded to a fire in a garage at a residence on Hwy 138 on the afternoon of Monday, April 2, 2018.

The fire was reported around 4:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon in a garage at a residence near Warina Rd. on Hwy 138.

The North Stormont Fire Chief Dan Gauvin told Seaway News that they have not yet determined the cause of the fire, but said that a family of seven has been temporarily displaced. Gauvin said that there were no injuries to report.

The fire caused delays on Hwy 138 for a few hours while fire crews fought the blaze. Gauvin said that the fire was out by around 7 p.m.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Much discussion was generated on social media on Tuesday evening as the Canadian Forces conducted night training over and in the Cornwall area.

Most conspicuous were at least two low-flying helicopters, which were reported as far west as Lunenburg.

However, foot soldiers in full-gear were also sighted in Lamoureux Park.

Cornwall Community Police Service dispatch confirmed to Cornwall Seaway News that this was indeed a military training exercise and asked the public to avoid the park.

The Ministry of National Defence could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday, April 10.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Jody Burgess, 49, of Cornwall was arrested on April 10, 2018 and charged with uttering counterfeit money and breach of probation for attending a certain location and failing to keep the peace.

It is alleged on January 2, 2018 the man attended a Water Street business, despite his conditions, and gave clerks two counterfeit $20 American bills. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. On April 10, 2018 police located the man. He was taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on May 15, 2018.

THEFT UNDER, BREACH

CORNWALL, Ontario  Sarah Bombardier, 25, of Cornwall was arrested on April 10, 2018 and charged with theft under $5,000, breach of probation and breach of undertaking for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on April 10, 2018 the woman attended a Ninth St. store and removed merchandise making no attempt to pay for the items as she left the store. She was stopped by the Loss Prevention Officer and police were contacted to investigate. The woman was taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on May 3rd, 2018.

POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, BREACH, POSSESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAFFICKING A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

CORNWALL, Ontario  Adam Lacoste-Marshall, 26, and Brittany Mussgnug, 28, of Cornwall were both arrested on April 10, 2018 and charged with possession of methamphetamine (speed) and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. The man was also charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine. It is alleged they were found to be in possession of a quantity of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on April 10, 2018. Both were taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on May 1, 2018.

WARRANT

CORNWALL, Ontario  Ryan White, 31, of Cornwall was arrested on April 10, 2018 on the strength of a warrant. It is alleged the man failed to appear for prints on November 16, 2017 for a break and enter charge and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On April 10, 2018 a member of the Kingston Police Service located the man and had him in custody on the strength of Cornwalls warrant. He was transported to Cornwall and held for a bail hearing.

There were 54 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.
AKWESASNE  On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne welcomed the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, to the community of Akwesasne.

In February 2018, the Prime Minister announced the launch of a national engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Metis people that will assist in the development of a Recognition and Implementation of Rights Framework. Minister Bennett, who is leading this engagement, will meet with various Indigenous groups on legislative and policy changes to reform government policies and practices and to ensure that the federal government action recognizes Indigenous rights.

Grand Chief Abram Benedict invited Minister Bennett to discuss the framework that the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne has begun to develop, to highlight some of the accomplishments within our community and to also identify some of the challenges we face.

During the gathering on Kawehno:ke, several members of Council discussed the Akwesasne Self-Government Agreement and discussed our current governing structures.

District Chief of Tsi Snaihne, Connie Lazore noted that, Canada needs to respect and honor our rights. Only then can a framework be developed. She also added that Each First Nation community is unique. There are over 634 communities and we should not be made to fit into a Rights Framework developed by Canada. We have been doing that long enough; Canada now needs to fit into our framework.

Representatives from the Mohawk Nation also presented on Iroquois Wampum Belts and provided a historical snapshot on principled self-governance. The Aboriginal Rights and Research Office (ARRO) provided an overview on the History of Akwesasne. Additionally, Minister Bennett provided information on this national engagement on the recognition of Indigenous rights, and what she hopes to accomplish.

Grand Chief noted that Akwesasne is already in a self-government process with Canada, but we welcome other initiatives and framework discussion that will complement the work we doing here in Akwesasne, particularly in our multi-jurisdiction community. I hope this commitment to a partnership from the federal government will only advance our community priorities.
HP's Latest Moves

HP Inc. is looking to make sure that its growth in both of its core markets, PC and print, doesn't slow down any time soon. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company this week is unveiling a number of new products in both segments, including A3 multifunction printers, Pavilion x360 convertible laptops and Pavilion notebooks. HP also announced several new initiatives to enhance its printer security offering by integrating with technologies from vendors including Microsoft and McAfee. The company is unveiling the new products and integrations in conjunction with its Executive Forum 2018 event, which is being held this week in Las Vegas with 400 partners from the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

What follows are five product launches announced by HP this week.
Scanship announced it has been awarded a contract by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the supply of total clean ship system for four Viking Ocean Cruises newbuilds.

The newbuilds will enter service from 2021 to 2023 and Scanship will deliver equipment starting 2019 through 2021.

The Scanship contract includes a total clean ship system with garbage handling, waste incineration, food waste processing and advanced wastewater purification, according to the company.

The advanced wastewater purification system will treat all grey water streams and the black water to the highest industry standard to date being MEPC 227(64) with chapter 4.2 including nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

"These will be the seventh, eight, ninth and tenth newbuilds with Scanship total clean ship system built by Fincantieri for Viking Ocean Cruises. We are thrilled to continue our long-time cooperation with Fincantieri and Viking Ocean Cruises for environmental sustainability at sea," said CEO Henrik Badin in a statement.
Thanks to a flaw in popular emergency alert systems, hackers with knowledge of radio frequencies could remotely hijack the system with as little as a laptop and a $35 two-way radio and activate the sirens, trigger false alarms, or even broadcast any audio of their choosing.

The vulnerability, dubbed SirenJack, is in emergency alert systems manufactured by Acoustic Technology Inc., aka ATI Systems. It was discovered by Balint Seeber, a researcher at security firm Bastille, after he determined that the RF signals used in San Franciscos emergency alert system were not encrypted; the activation commands were sent in the clear.

Where ATI emergency alert systems are used

ATI emergency alert systems are used in cities such as San Francisco and Wichita, Kansas, as well as other large urban and rural communities, military installations, universities, and industrial sites including oil and nuclear power generation plants, potentially affecting millions of people.

Bastille added, Featured customers on the companys website include One World Trade Center, Indian Point Energy Center nuclear power station, UMass Amherst, and the West Point Military Academy. Bastille originally found the SirenJack vulnerability at the ATI installation in the City of San Francisco, and confirmed it at a second installation, and urges all ATI customers to contact ATI to investigate whether their system is affected.

Ninety days after notifying ATI Systems and San Francisco of the vulnerability, Bastille told the public about the vulnerability. The firm even created a website and logo for SirenJack. According to the FAQs, A bad actor can find the radio frequency assigned to a deployment, craft malicious activation messages, and transmit them from their own radio to set off the system. All that is required is a $30 handheld radio and a computer.

In the video below, you can see the SirenJack proof-of-concept demonstration, which includes an explanation, an audio warning test of the vulnerability, as well as Rickrolling via an emergency alert system.

Seeber told Wired that if he were to send those (RF) signals within a range of as much as two miles from a powerful repeater near the center of ATI's siren networks, then it would be broadcast out to all the sirens in the system. ATIs security for the system depended not upon encryption but on the idea that the radio signals were too obscure to decode. This looks like it was security through obscurity, and in this day and age that approach is really not valid.

Bastille pointed out that false warning siren alarms could cause widespread panic, like what happened near midnight in Dallas in 2017 when 156 emergency sirens wailed out warnings for 90 minutes. Dallas promptly blamed hackers for the attack on the citys siren system. The firm also reminded us of the needless panic due to the false ballistic missile alert blasted out to Hawaii.

During emergencies, cell tower-based public alert systems have been shown to fail, Seeber said. Many citizens have cut the cord and cannot be contacted via a reverse 911-phone system. Consequently, warning sirens play a crucial role as they are the only truly reliable method to alert a population en-mass of a public safety event. The SirenJack vulnerability underscores the need to make emergency alert systems stronger than ever, as hackers are constantly probing critical infrastructure, especially those using insecure RF-based protocols, to infiltrate and carry out potential attacks.

ATI downplays vulnerability in its emergency alert systems

Despite the coordinated disclosure, ATI is downplaying the flaw by calling it largely theoretical. ZDNet uploaded a copy of ATIs response to the vulnerability, which included a claim that Bastilles research was against the law due to violating FCC regulations about intercepting and divulging the existence of radio communications without authorization.

Wired added, But in a statement it sent to Bastille after the researchers warned ATI about its security flaws, ATI wrote that Bastille's findings are likely true and that its testing a software update it plans to roll out soon.

Before customers panic too much, please understand that this is not a trivially easy thing that just anyone can do, that earlier statement notes. At the same time, a certain level of concern is justified. As technology evolves, the level of threat evolves.

The advisory issued by US ICS-CERT reads, ATI has created a patch which adds additional security features to the command packets sent over the radio. ATI is testing this patch, and it will be available upon request. Many systems are engineered to meet specific user needs and users need to make sure any upgrades are appropriate for their systems. ATI recommends that, where feasible, simple voice radios be replaced with digital P-25 (APCO) radios, which provide highly secure encrypted links.
A tiny pink puppy named Piglet only recently celebrated his first birthday, but hes already a local celebrity. The Dachshund Chihuahua mix was rescued last year from a hoarding house in Georgia. He now lives with a Westport family and has over 20,000 followers on Facebook. Hes deaf and blind from birth due to irresponsible breeding between two dapple-colored dogs.

Piglet is one of three Connecticut dogs that have been nominated to compete for the American Hero Dog title.

The prize recognizes courageous working dogs, according to its website. The American Humane Hero Dog Awards is an annual, nationwide competition with seven different categories  law enforcement/arson, service, therapy, military, search and rescue, guide/hearing and emerging hero.

Piglet is competing in the emerging hero category. After months of severe anxiety, the puppy became more confident, mapping out his living space, playing in the family yard, and taking walks in his neighborhood, according to his veterinarian owner Melissa Shapiro. He now goes on house calls with her every day, and many follow his progress on social media.

Piglet is an inspiration to everyone who meets him both in person and on social media, Shapiro said. He is a hero to many across the world and will continue in his mission to educate, inspire, and make people smile.

Delilah, an 8-year old Chihuahua with a big heart from Hope Academy in Orange, was also nominated for the 2018 Emerging Hero Award.

Jeremiah Barrett, a student at the school, said Delilah deserves the award for helping students with a variety of disabilities.

Hope Academy in Orange is a private special education program that teaches grades 1 through 12. The school also offers a transition program for students aged 18 to 21.

She is a very gentle dog that does not get tired of seeing students. All the students want to be around her, Barrett said. Delilah may be small, but she has a big heart.

The schools principal, Sarah Wilcox, adopted her from a former school psychologist about four years ago. She said Delilah assists students who are having a difficult time in class.

Contributed photo

He/she will ask to spend time with Delilah and usually brings her to class, Wilcox said. The students are very respectful in sharing time with Delilah and are always sure to be gentle with her.

A 2-year old German shepherd puppy named Blaze is also competing for the Emerging Hero Award. Blazes owner Michael Burns of North Branford said his dog helped his teenage daughter Erin who suffers from severe anxiety and panic attacks.

It only took one look at him and my daughter fell in love, said Michael Burns, a retired New Haven police officer and K9 handler. Blaze is more than a dog to her; he is what keeps her going when times get rough.

Burns wrote that Blaze helps his daughter overcome her panic attacks and wakes her up every morning to make sure she is okay.

"When I go into a panic attack I don't really know what's going on, [and] he's been there for me every time." Erin Burns said. "He's always right by my side."

Dog lovers can vote for their favorite dogs online. Votes can be made daily until polls close at 12 p.m. Pacific Time on April 25.
Im sure youve read lots of articles about content promotion before. In fact, Ive written quite a few myself. The fact is, theres already an article -- or dozens (or more) -- on pretty much any aspect of content promotion you can think of.

But while the amount of content published has increased rapidly over the years, content views have fallen, according to Buzzsumos 2018 Content Trends report. Why? Because competition is fierce and the industry is only getting more and more saturated and competitive.

Related: Why Most Companies Fail at Content Promotion

So, if you think you were doing a great job six months ago, the bar has already risen. Everything you think you know about content promotion, you need to reevaluate.

In 2017, I promoted over 100 articles for 20-plus websites. Along the way, I picked up a few strategies for content promotion that actually get results. These are my top three.

1. Piggyback on popular topics.

When something is done well, theres hype around it. By piggybacking off of a popular topic, you already know theres a demand for it. Plus, you can leverage the original article and engage the people who worked on it.

When Glassdoor published its list of the best small and medium companies to work for, we knew we wanted to create a guest post based on that list. To promote it, we reached out to those same 50 companies, plus Glassdoor.

We used the piece as a way to open doors and build relationships. That way, we were able to aggregate information to create a well-rounded article, and at the same time, connect with people who could share it with their personal networks.

Related: When, How and Where to Promote Your Content on Social Media

As a result, it ended up with 32,000-plus visitors and 152 back links.

2. Look for content gaps.

Most topics have been written about over and over again. But every once in awhile, you can find an area that hasnt yet been covered. That gap is what your content should aim to fill.

In 2015, I noticed that when I looked at the topic of buyer personas, there was something missing. There were plenty of articles about why personas are important and plenty of recommendations about talking to your customers, but no one was talking about what to say when you actually get your customers on the phone.

By identifying that content gap, I found a need and was able to go deep on the topic. I ended up creating an article called "150 Buyer Persona Questions You Must Ask."

Once you come up with a great topic, the next thing you should be thinking about is how to promote it. I didnt wait until I was done with my article to start thinking about promotion. Instead, promotion was happening at the same time as creation.

I started by Googling buyer persona and looking for people writing about the topic and those who were experts on it. Then, I reached out to those people and asked them to contribute to my article.

Out of the hundreds of people I contacted, about 30 or 40 people actually contributed to the article, and we got about 15,000 visitors. This article took longer to create than a typical blog post, but to create content thats promotable, sometimes this is what it takes -- and its worth it in the end.

3. "10x your content."

This phrase, coined by Moz founder Rand Fishkin, means content that is 10 times better than whats out there. On the Moz blog, Fishkin wrote that, because of content saturation and overload, standing out is hard.

"We can't just say, Hey, I want to be as good as the top 10 people in the search results for this particular keyword term or phrase," Fishkin wrote. "We have to [ask], How can I create something 10 times better than what any of these folks are currently doing?

Creating 10x content, then, is about creating content thats promotable. And, when the result is something thats epic or great enough, you can promote it like a product.

Thats what we did when with our Email Outreach Playbook. Our aim was to get customers from this piece of content. We used five or six different approaches, including launching on Product Hunt and promoting in Facebook and LinkedIn groups. We ran promotions for nine months.

We ended up getting 40,000 visitors, and have acquired 400 customers over the last year and a half. And the content continues to get shared today.

Related: 5 Smart Ways to Integrate Cross-Promotion With Online Marketing

The key, though, is to not create 10x content too often. Instead, you should be creating stellar content, using it as a pillar every so often and focusing most of your attention on promotion.

How do you promote your content? What are your favorite tactics? Let me know in the comments:

Related:

My Top 3 Favorite Content Promotion Tactics for 2018

Why Content Marketing Needs To Be At The Heart Of Your Customer Acquisition Strategy

Here's the Trick to Writing Blog Posts People Genuinely Want to Read



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Following a series of scathing exposes from employees at Google, Uber and many more companies, "bro culture" took the hot seat last year. The companies at the center of the conversation were, by and large, tech-based organizations where men (literally and figuratively) dominated entire workforce. Most recently, the women of Hollywood proclaimed with the highly publicized #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns that they would be silenced no more and harassment would not be tolerated. But, if everyone recognizes genuine disparity within these industries, why is it that the problem persists without a sweeping overhaul?

Related: 10 Signs You've Got a Toxic Workplace Culture, Bro

Bro culture has only been discussed as an epidemic affecting certain industries instead of an industry-blind, culture-killing pandemic. This significantly narrows the scope of business leaders who feel the need to take a good, hard look for cracks in their company foundations. In many cases, major overhaul of fundamental principles is the antidote for correcting long-lasting problems. Allowing your company to be marred by an exclusionary culture "scarlet letter" is not only damaging, it could spell doom down the line.

Here are actionable steps that every business leader can take now, not when it's convenient, to ensure an inclusive, positive company culture runs through their organizations.

Own your company culture from Day One.

Manifesting a healthy company culture requires a top-down approach. Inequality in the workplace is everyone's problem, but it's the charge of leadership to define standards of what good company culture is and isn't for every employee. It's in the interest of management to guarantee a comfortable work environment for all employees so people from all walks of life can work productively and harmoniously together.

Starting off, many companies practice what I like to call "calculated recklessness" -- cutting corners to get a competitive edge while trying to get your name out there. But if you try to cut corners and don't define company culture from Day One, your company will gain notoriety for all the wrong reasons. Making healthy culture a company cornerstone from Day One is the only way to create something lasting that will leave the impact and legacy you truly desire.

Related: 7 Ways Silicon Valley Could Transform Its Toxic Culture

Accountability starts with open lines of communication.

When building something from the ground up, hours are long, deadlines creep up and projects pile on, causing tensions to run high. A silent office is not an office without corporate culture issues. I always say, people leave managers and teams, not companies. Showing genuine concern for individuals keeps them engaged and nurtured so they feel their investment is matched by their manager, as well as their company. Open lines of communication are only productive if everyone within a team, including managers, feels comfortable enough to participate. Regular check-ins also provide opportunity to proactively address challenges that truly matter to individual employees.

This also means managers have to be ready, and willing, to hear constructive feedback. To keep this sentiment from the bottom to the top, we schedule weekly one-on-ones between team members and managers to keep communication open and ensure employees have a firm grasp on ever-evolving company expectations and best practices.

Related: Is 'That' Sexual Harassment? How to Tell, Using 'Cooper's 6 Levels.'

Be conscious of normalization in your workplace.

Normalization describes the effect of the expected and the ideal blending together to form a new perspective in a certain group of individuals, in this case, a workplace. What is "normal" in your office is not always in line with what is conventional, or what should be accepted as good company culture. Company culture needs to be constantly re-evaluated, and if the principles you founded your company on no longer serve your employees, change them.

The dangers of normalization in the workplace create echo chambers where everyone becomes so used to the standard operating procedures that small infractions go unnoticed and unaddressed. Managers need to not only allow but also encourage their employees to voice their concerns about company practices, especially when not in line with their moral code. At the end of the day, it costs far less time and fewer resources to solve problems in real time than to replace employees who left because concerns raised about company culture infractions fell on deaf ears.

Related: These Companies Are Battling Sexual Harassment By Teaching Employees to Recognize Unconscious Bias

It's not too late for your company.

Creating diverse and dynamic teams is priority No. 1 for any business leader focused on innovation and positive growth. High-quality people know that life's too short to dedicate time to a company that isn't aligned with their personal values and won't hesitate to leave. By throwing up your hands and declaring it's too late for your company to evolve and create a better company culture for your employees, you become complicit in toxic culture, and it will inevitably lead to your downfall.

Starting from the top down, business leaders of companies -- large and small, spanning every industry -- can only benefit from holding themselves accountable, revisiting the foundations of corporate culture and ensuring an even playing field for all employees where every voice is heard.

Related:

Shut It Down, Bro: How to Avoid Toxic Culture at Your Company

Inside Shopify's Intoxicating Distillery-Turned-Office Space

Why I Only Hire People With 'Alligator Blood'



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
In this series, YouTube Icon, Entrepreneur speaks with the individuals behind popular YouTube channels to find out the secrets of their success.

Mark Wiens's goal after graduating from college was twofold: travel the world and earn enough money so he could continue traveling.

Ten years later, Wiens still embarks on trips throughout the world, including to China, Mexico, Laos, Turkey, Dubai, Austria and dozens of other countries, eating dishes such as jacuzzi chicken, poop fish chilli dip and Oaxacan mole negro -- and it's all thanks to YouTube.

"It was my goal to earn money in any way that I could," Wiens says. "However, my goal was never to be a YouTube person."

Since joining YouTube in 2009, Wiens, who was born in America and now lives in Bangkok, has amassed nearly 1.8 million subscribers and racked up nearly 373 million views. He also has another channel focused on accommodations. He initially started out just blogging -- his site is Migrationology -- but then saw the growth potential of video.

Related: This Former Marketing Student Turned Her Knack for Life Hacks Into 6 Million YouTube Subscribers

"I knew video was only going to get more popular as the internet improved, so I committed to making videos on a regular, consistent basis," he says. "I especially love street food and showing the food and the atmosphere and a little bit of the cooking."

Entrepreneur spoke with Wiens about his content strategy and what he would advise people who want to get started with YouTube now.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you get your start with YouTube?

I went to Arizona State University and graduated with a degree in global studies, with an emphasis on culture and art. But I really had no idea what I was going to do with that degree or with my life. I didn't really know what I was interested in, but I knew I loved cultures and traveling and global issues. So right after graduating in 2008, I set off. I traveled for almost a year before I pretty much ran out of money, but I didn't want to return to the States. I ended up teaching English for a year in South America. It was that year when I really started to blog a lot. I was going to attempt to make a living blogging or doing something online.

I was taking photos of everything that I would eat, and I was writing about the food. But then I wanted to start making videos, because I wanted to show more. You can look at a photo of food, but you can't see that much emotion, you can't feel the atmosphere. So I decided to just start making really short, really easy point-and-shoot videos of the food I was eating. It took me years to actually be able to earn a living, but I was able to live on a real serious budget living in Thailand, where the cost of living is much lower than in the United States, so that I could buy myself time to invest in online projects.

Were you always kind of an adventurous eater all your life?

Yes, actually, all the way from when I was a child. I grew up living in a variety of different countries. Both of my parents are American, but we lived in France, Democratic Republic of Congo and then Kenya until I graduated high school. So throughout my childhood, I was introduced to a lot of cultures. I got to sample a lot of food from the places that we lived or visited and during my middle school and high school years in Nairobi, Kenya, where I went to an international school. People at my school were from all over the world, and I would have friends who would bring in Korean or Ethiopian or Chilean food. That might have been a reason why I was so interested experiencing food from different countries.

How much of your time do you spend on a video, and what does that entail?

Things have changed quite a lot now, but when I first started out, it was really just walking down the street and eating anything visible. But now that things have grown and progressed and I've also grown as a person, I do a lot more research. Also, now that I have a family and they come with me, it involves a lot more planning the whole trip. Usually I reach out on social media to people if they have any recommendations. I try to meet up with locals.

Compared to a real production, it's still very little planned. Once I come up with the idea, I want to just keep it random. I have a couple of common themes that I do: a full food tour plus sites and attractions in one video, then I like to do a home-cooking type of video.

Filming usually takes an entire day, and editing one single video probably takes 10 to 20 hours. Sometimes I can do it in one day if everything's going well and I can find the right music and all of the little things like that.

Related: What I Learned From Getting Ripped Off by a Bangkok Tailor

What's your content strategy and how do you decide what and when to post?

Back five or six years ago, I decided on two videos a week: Sunday and Wednesday night. At first it was a challenge, but I've stuck with it.

As for content strategy, things have been changing. You have to know your audience. But I try to plan videos that are not too similar next to each other -- mixing up the content. If you have a street-food tour, then next maybe have a village cooking video, then next possibly a higher-end-restaurant video. Every destination is unique, so sometimes you gotta go for something that's really popular that you know is going to perform well, that's famous. It's a combination of all of that. The strategy is a mix of keeping viewers entertained but also providing quality information in quality videos. I also really focus in on some of the unique foods and aspects of each destination.

How do you leverage your YouTube channels, and to what extent do you monetize them?

I include Google ads on all my videos, and that's still the biggest earner as of now. But I also have a couple products, some ebooks as well as T-shirts and caps that I sell. That's all linked to the videos. I occasionally have done some paid-for sponsorships, but not very often. Finally, some affiliate links, if it's something that I really use and recommend.

Another way I've leveraged it is because I started off as a blogger. So the website was the first thing I created. But videos go so well with a blog or with a website, because you can type up all that information in a blog post, then link it to your video. When you have your own website, you can have your products on it, so it can be a better marketing tool for actually selling product or affiliate commissions.

What advice do you have for other people who want to build brands on YouTube?

Looking at it from the algorithm standpoint right now, YouTube loves long content, but the number-one metric for ranking videos is watch time, which means the amount of minutes watched. So if two videos have the same title, for instance, the longer video, if it gets more watch time, will rank higher than a shorter video.

My recommendation is to create longer content, but it has to be very good content and has to be very engaging. That's the first part. The second part is to commit to publishing regularly, consistently, and to also be your own personality in your videos. People want me to review their travel videos, but it's just a series of beautiful landscapes with no story or personality. [You have to be] a host even if you don't think you're up for it. I never wanted to be a host. I still don't. I'm still learning. But you've got to try it. Then, there are all these side things, like following the trends and doing challenges and that stuff, which can be a boost.

Related: YouTube Star and 'The Older Sister of the Internet' Anna Akana Explains How She Found Her Honest Voice

What's a misconception many people have about YouTube?

My biggest misconception that I get all the time is that people think I don't have a real job or that I just have fun and eat all day long. I'm fully grateful for what I'm able to do, and I am having fun for sure. I post two videos per week, so that means two days of filming per week, but then the other four days of the week I'm probably sitting at my computer for 14 hours either editing or marketing or researching. That's the part that is not publicized. You're always thinking about it.

It takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of effort, but it is possible [to make it on YouTube]. Every person has a unique personality and unique ideas, so if you are someone with an idea and you want to make videos, the number-one thing to do is to just do it. A lot of people might make excuses about making videos, or publish one video and see that it doesn't do anything and then give up on it. But I'd encourage you to, if you believe in it, just go for it and keep doing it.

See below for Wiens's picks of five videos that he believes represents his brand.

"I've loved to eat all my life, but street food, because of the action and energy and being able to see the cooking before you eat it, has always fascinated me. In China, the giant portions, and the smells and colors, add to the delicious excitement."

"This restaurant is legendary, and I love to experience restaurants and street-food stalls that prepare unique recipes and dishes."

"One of my goals is to share authentic local culture through food. Having the opportunity to visit a Balinese palace to first watch the cooking, and then eat the traditional Balinese way, was special."

"There are few places in the world with as much significant history as Jerusalem, and having the chance to show the ancient city through its food was an honor."

"Again, there's nothing in the world I think that's more exciting than street food. This taco tour of Mexico City shows the variety of tacos available and how to truly have fun eating, while providing practical food information for those who want to eat at the same places."

Related:

This Man Makes Money Off YouTube Traveling the World and Eating Street Food and Other Local Delights

This Former Marketing Student Turned Her Knack for Life Hacks Into 6 Million YouTube Subscribers

This Self-Taught Cook Shows More Than 2 Million Subscribers How to Make the Snacks and Meals You See on Screen



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
WESTON  In the days before Weston existed as a separate municipality, when the lands of Weston and Easton were jointly known as Norfield Parish, the entire region was dedicated to agriculture.

Although the towns water power brought industry beginning in the 18th century agriculture continued and the vestiges of it remain in the landscape today. In some cases, as with the large barn and cattle shed of the Coley homestead on the Weston Historical Society property the structures are vintage and have been preserved. The barn was built circa 1880 and it is listed on the Historic Barns of Connecticut website, a project of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, along with three other barns in town.

In the case of the property at 25 Fanton Hill Road the colonial house originated in the early 19th century while the barn is not vintage. The house was built in 1818 and remodeled in more recent years to keep up with todays lifestyle. But the post and beam barn is a modern day structure made to look like it belongs in the past. Past, present or future, the next owners of this country retreat will find excuses to hang out in this custom-milled barn.

It was recently built by Vermont craftsmen and assembled in Connecticut. The front portion of it houses the two-car garage but the back contains a cavernous two-story family room with a cathedral ceiling, an impressive floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and hand-hewn beam mantel, exposed trestle beams, a large loft and a walk-out lower level. The barn is a great place for entertaining.

The 3,674-square-foot house is equally great for entertaining, and lost none of its charm in the updating. The white clapboard house with black shutters sits behind a fieldstone wall on a 2.09-acre level and sloping property. Its front door is flanked by sidelights. More often than not people enter the house from the rear, the path and stairs to which are accessed from the long driveway, which is lined with a row of individual fieldstones.

Inside, the entrance foyer at the front of the house is spacious enough to accommodate furniture to create a sitting area. To the left is a library with a fireplace and a wall of built-in bookshelves. This part of the house also contains a guest suite. This bedroom has a door to a covered side porch and its bath has an old-fashioned claw-foot tub. To the right of the foyer step down into the spacious formal living room, where there is a fireplace, built-in cabinetry with glass doors, walk-in area, and French doors to a large slate deck with a retractable awning. The deck can also be accessed from two separate doors in the formal dining room and from the chefs eat-in kitchen.

From the foyer there is a pass-through area into the kitchen with pantry cabinets and a built-in desk area that could serve as a home command center or even a homework station. The updated kitchen features a long center island topped in granite, perimeter countertops in the same stone, tumbled marble backsplash, and high-end appliances including a Viking Professional six-burner range with a griddle and refrigerator. The island serves as a breakfast bar for three. There is also a sizable eat-in area for casual dining. The mudroom off the kitchen has a Dutch door into the laundry room.

There are three bedrooms on the second floor. The spacious master suite has a dressing room and its bath features Carrera marble on the floors, backsplash and double vanity. The other bedrooms share a hall bath.

While its location feels remote, this house is only five minutes from the Merritt Parkway and one hour from New York City. Residents of Weston have access to the towns award-winning public school district and beach rights in neighboring Westport.

For more information or to make an appointment to see the house contact Paula Kroll of Halstead Property at 203-253-2248 or pkroll@halstead.com.
A credit union employee alerted police that a Texas public official allegedly stole more than $35,000 to pay off a blackmailing dominatrix mistress.

Gregory Lueb, 56, a former Harris County first assistant treasurer was charged with felony theft last week, according to Harris County prosecutors in Houston. He appeared in court on Tuesday and did not enter a plea.

In September 2017, Rhonda White, a collections manager for the $162 million Harris County Federal Credit Union in Houston, reported a suspected credit card fraud scheme to the Harris County Sheriffs office, which launched an investigation.

Lueb, a credit union member, opened a credit card account with HCFCU in September 2016.
Child tax credit extension: What we know about if it'll last until 2025

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The situation is coming to a boil in some parts of Tamil Nadu. Political parties are organising protest marches and some followers are taking extreme steps like attempting self-immolation. The reference here is not the protests following the Supreme Court judgment on the Cauvery issue, but protests against one of Indias most ambitious science projects proposed to be built in the West Bodi hills in Tamil Nadus Theni district.

The Rs 1,600 crore project involves the construction of an underground laboratory called India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO). It has been recently granted environmental clearance by the Union government, after five years of wrangling with the Centre and the state government and the National Green Tribunal.

Delays apart, whats surprising is the propaganda against the project unleashed by state political parties and other vested interests. They are spreading rumours that the lab will be used for burying nuclear waste and making nuclear weapons.

But, the fact is that the project has nothing to do with nuclear energy or radioactive waste, and instead deals with a fundamental science subject which has won Nobel prizes.

Neutrinos are harmless particles, billions of which keep bombarding us every second. Detecting them is a scientific and technological challenge and INO will have a massive detector that can detect neutrinos naturally produced in the atmosphere.

Protests against mega-science projects are neither surprising nor unique to Theni.

Thousands of kilometres away in Hawaii, the $1.4 billon (Rs 9,000 crore) Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) has been stalled for years now. A group of opponents feel that the Mauna Kea mountain, where the giant telescope is to be constructed, is a sacred Native Hawaiian place and the telescope will disturb sacred sites.

It is relevant for us because India is a part of the consortium that is building TMT, with some key parts of the telescope being built in India. The lawsuits against TMT are now before the Hawaiian Supreme Court.

The mega science complex of Indian Institute of Science, ISRO and DRDO in Chitradurga district of Karnataka had faced a similar fate because of secrecy maintained by the institutions involved. India is now on the verge of embarking upon other mega-science projects like the LIGO arm, which will come up in Maharashtra.

One of the generic reasons for the situation in Theni (and elsewhere) is the information and communication gap between scientists and the society. The outreach and communication effort by scientists and funding agencies is almost absent. Local politicians and other elements take advantage of this and dish out misinformation. As it is, critical appreciation of science among people is poor.

On top of this, they are fed with conspiracy theories like the ones floating in Theni. Scientists and agencies involved in projects wake up only when protests begin or PILs are filed. In order to gain the trust of people, scientific institutions and agencies will have to work hard, engage with people and the society all the time, and not just when projects are stalled.

Theni is a wake-up call for everyone concerned.

(Courtesy of Mail Today)

Also read: How much does Facebook know about you?
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There are not many things that are more disheartening to an investor than seeing the value of a particular holding move down sharply. And it can be even more concerning when downward price action coincides with a downgrade from the analyst community. However, just as an analyst upgrade is not always as bullish as it may first seem so too an analyst downgrade is not always an indicator of bearish sentiment.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Lloyds Banking Group: A G Finance Ltd, A.C.L. Ltd, ACL Autolease Holdings Ltd, ADF No.1 Pty Ltd, Addison Social Housing Holdings Ltd, Alex Lawrie Factors Ltd, Alex. Lawrie Receivables Financing Ltd, Amberdate Ltd, Anglo Scottish Utilities Partnership 1, Aquilus Ltd, Automobile Association Personal Finance Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services 2 Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 2) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 3) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland)) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 1 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 2 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 3 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 4 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 5 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 6 plc, BOS (USA) Fund Investments Inc., BOS (USA) Inc., BOS Edinburgh No 1 Ltd, BOS Mistral Ltd, BOS Personal Lending Ltd, BOSSAF Rail Ltd, Bank of Scotland (B G S) Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland (Stanlife) London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Branch Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Central Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Equipment Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Foundation, Bank of Scotland LNG Leasing (No 1) Ltd, Bank of Scotland London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Nominees (Unit Trusts) Ltd, Bank of Scotland P.E.P. Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Structured Asset Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Transport Finance 1 Ltd, Bank of Scotland plc, Bank of Wales Ltd, Barents Leasing Ltd, Barnwood Mortgages Ltd, Birchcrown Finance Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Financial Services Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Land Development Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Mortgage Services Ltd, Black Horse (TRF) Ltd, Black Horse Executive Mortgages Ltd, Black Horse Finance Holdings Ltd, Black Horse Finance Management Ltd, Black Horse Group Ltd, Black Horse Ltd, Black Horse Offshore Ltd, Black Horse Property Services Ltd, Boltro Nominees Ltd, British Linen Leasing (London) Ltd, British Linen Leasing Ltd, British Linen Shipping Ltd, C.T.S.B. Leasing Ltd, CBRail S.A.R.L., CF Asset Finance Ltd, CF1 Ltd, CM Venture Investments Ltd, Cancara Asset Securitisation Ltd, Capital 1945 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 12 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 3 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 5 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 9 Ltd, Capital Bank Property Investments (3) Ltd, Capital Personal Finance Ltd, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2018-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2019-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Cardnet Merchant Services Ltd, Cashfriday Ltd, Cashpoint Ltd, Caveminster Ltd, Cedar Holdings Ltd, Celsius European Lux 2 S.A.R.L., Central Mortgage Finance Ltd, Chariot Finance Ltd, Cheltenham & Gloucester plc, Cheltenham II Securities 2020 DAC, Cheltenham Securities 2017 Ltd, Chepstow Blue Holdings Ltd, Chepstow Blue plc, Chester Asset Options No.2 Ltd, Chester Asset Options No.3 Ltd, Chester Asset Receivables Dealings Issuer Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings No.2 Ltd, Chiswell Stockbrokers Ltd, Clerical Medical Finance plc, Clerical Medical Financial Services Ltd, Clerical Medical International Holdings B.V., Clerical Medical Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Clerical Medical Managed Funds Ltd, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Spanish Prop Co SL, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Prop Co SA, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Property Company S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Funding S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Investments S.A.R.L., Conquest Securities Ltd, Corbiere Asset Investments Ltd, Create Services Ltd, Credit Card Securitisation Europe Ltd, Dalkeith Corporation, Deva Financing Holdings Ltd, Deva Financing plc, Deva One Ltd, Deva Three Ltd, Deva Two Ltd, Dunstan Investments (UK) Ltd, Edgbaston RMBS 2010-1 plc, Edgbaston RMBS Holdings Ltd, Elland RMBS 2018 plc, Elland RMBS Holdings Ltd, Eurolead Services Holdings Ltd, First Retail Finance (Chester) Ltd, Fontwell Securities 2016 Ltd, Forthright Finance Ltd, France Industrial Premises Holding Company, General Leasing (No. 12) Ltd, General Reversionary and Investment Company, Gresham Nominee 1 Ltd, Gresham Nominee 2 Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 1) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 10) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 11) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 12) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 13) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 14) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 15) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 16) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 19) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 20) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 21) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 22) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 23) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 24) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 25) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 26) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 27) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 28) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 29) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 3) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 30) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 31) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 32) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 33) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 34) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 35) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 36) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 37) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 38) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 39) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 40) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 41) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 44) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 45) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 46) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 47) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 48) UK Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No 3) Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No.11) UK Ltd, HBOS Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS Final Salary Trust Ltd, HBOS Financial Services Ltd, HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Ltd, HBOS International Financial Services Holdings Ltd, HBOS Investment Fund Managers Ltd, HBOS Social Housing Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS UK Ltd, HBOS plc, HSDL Nominees Ltd, HVF Ltd, Halifax Credit Card Ltd, Halifax Financial Brokers Ltd, Halifax Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Halifax Financial Services Ltd, Halifax General Insurance Services Ltd, Halifax Group Ltd, Halifax Investment Services Ltd, Halifax Leasing (June) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (March No.2) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (September) Ltd, Halifax Life Ltd, Halifax Loans Ltd, Halifax Ltd, Halifax Mortgage Services Ltd, Halifax Nominees Ltd, Halifax Pension Nominees Ltd, Halifax Premises Ltd, Halifax Share Dealing Ltd, Halifax Vehicle Leasing (1998) Ltd, Heidi Finance Holdings (UK) Ltd, Hill Samuel Bank Ltd, Hill Samuel Finance Ltd, Hill Samuel Leasing Co. Ltd, Home Shopping Personal Finance Ltd, Horizon Capital 2000 Ltd, Housing Association Risk Transfer 2019 DAC, Housing Growth Partnership GP LLP, Housing Growth Partnership LP, Housing Growth Partnership Ltd, Housing Growth Partnership Manager Ltd, Hyundai Car Finance Ltd, IBOS Finance Ltd, ICC Enterprise Partners Ltd, ICC Equity Partners Ltd, ICC Holdings Unlimited Company, Inchcape Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Software Ltd, International Motors Finance Ltd, Kanaalstraat Funding C.V., Katrine Leasing Ltd, LB Healthcare Trustee Ltd, LB Motorent Ltd, LB Quest Ltd, LB Share Schemes Trustees Ltd, LBCF Ltd, LBG Brasil Administracao LTDA, LBG Capital Holdings Ltd, LBG Equity Investments Ltd, LBI Leasing Ltd, LDC (General Partner) Ltd, LDC (Managers) Ltd, LDC (Nominees) Ltd, LDC GP LLP, LDC I LP, LDC II LP, LDC III LP, LDC IV LP, LDC Parallel (Nominees) Ltd, LDC V LP, LDC VI LP, LDC VII LP, LDC VIII LP, LTGP Limited Partnership Incorporated, Legacy Renewal Company Ltd, Leicester Securities 2014 Ltd, Lex Autolease (CH) Ltd, Lex Autolease (VC) Ltd, Lex Autolease Carselect Ltd, Lex Autolease Ltd, Lex Vehicle Finance 2 Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing (Holdings) Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing Ltd, Lime Street (Funding) Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I Holdings Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I plc, Lloyds (Gresham) Ltd, Lloyds (Gresham) No. 1 Ltd, Lloyds (Nimrod) Specialist Finance Ltd, Lloyds America Securities Corporation1, Lloyds Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Branches) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Colonial & Foreign) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (I.D.) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (International Services) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Stock Exchange Branch) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Asset Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Scotland Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (HP) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.4) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Wertpapierhandelsbank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (LM) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds LLP, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 7) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 9) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Holdings Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 11) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 20) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 5) Ltd, Lloyds Bank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Hill Samuel Holding Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank International Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 6) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 8) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank MTCH Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 10) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 13) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No.16) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Offshore Pension Trust Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 1) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 2) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pensions Property (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Properties Ltd, Lloyds Bank Property Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank S.F. Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Subsidiaries Ltd, Lloyds Bank Trustee Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group Pensions Trustees Ltd, Lloyds Capital GP Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Properties Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Property Investments Ltd, Lloyds Corporate Services (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Engine Capital (No.1) U.S LLC, Lloyds Far East S.A.R.L., Lloyds General Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Group Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Hypotheken B.V., Lloyds Industrial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds International Pty Ltd, Lloyds Investment Bonds Ltd, Lloyds Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Lloyds Investment Securities No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Leasing (North Sea Transport) Ltd1, Lloyds Leasing Developments Ltd, Lloyds Nominees (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Offshore Global Services Private Ltd, Lloyds Plant Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Portfolio Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Premises Investments Ltd, Lloyds Project Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 3 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 4 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Secretaries Ltd, Lloyds Securities Inc., Lloyds TSB Pacific Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Rentals Ltd, Lloyds UDT Hiring Ltd, Lloyds UDT Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Ltd, Lloyds Your Tomorrow Trustee Ltd, Loans.co.uk Ltd, London Taxi Finance Ltd, London Uberior (L.A.S. Group) Nominees Ltd, Lotus Finance Ltd, MBNA, MBNA Direct Ltd, MBNA Europe Finance Ltd, MBNA Europe Holdings Ltd, MBNA General Foundation, MBNA Global Services Ltd, MBNA Indian Services Private Ltd, MBNA Ltd, MBNA R & L S.A.R.L., MBNA Receivables Ltd, Mainsearch Company Ltd, Maritime Leasing (No. 19) Ltd, Membership Services Finance Ltd, Mitre Street Funding S.A.R.L., Molineux RMBS 2016-1 plc, Molineux RMBS Holdings Ltd, Moor Lane Holdings Ltd, NFU Mutual Finance Ltd, NWS Trust Ltd, Nominees (Jersey) Ltd, Nordic Leasing Ltd, Ocean Leasing (July) Ltd, Oystercatcher Nominees Ltd, Oystercatcher Residential Ltd, PIPS Asset Investments Ltd, Pacific Leasing Ltd, Penarth Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Penarth Funding 1 Ltd, Penarth Funding 2 Ltd, Penarth Master Issuer plc, Penarth Receivables Trustee Ltd, Pensions Management (S.W.F.) Ltd, Peony Eastern Leasing Ltd, Peony Leasing Ltd, Peony Western Leasing Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 1) Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 2) Ltd, Permanent Holdings Ltd, Permanent Master Issuer plc, Permanent Mortgages Trustee Ltd, Permanent PECOH Holdings Ltd, Permanent PECOH Ltd, Perry Nominees Ltd, Prestonfield Investments Ltd, Proton Finance Ltd, R.F. Spencer And Company Ltd, Ranelagh Nominees Ltd, Retail Revival (Burgess Hill) Investments Ltd, SARL Coliseum, SARL Hiram, SAS Compagnie Fonciere De France, SCI Astoria Invest, SCI De LHorloge, SCI Equinoxe, SCI Rambuteau CFF, SW Funding plc, SW No.1 Ltd, SWAMF (GP) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (1) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (2) Ltd, Saint Michel Holding Company No1, Saint Michel Investment Property, Saint Witz 2 Holding Company No1, Saint Witz 2 Investment Property, Salisbury II Securities 2016 Ltd, Salisbury II-A Securities 2017 Ltd, Salisbury III Securities 2019 DAC, Salisbury Securities 2015 Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 Holdings Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 plc, Sandown Gold 2012-1 Holdings Ltd, Sandown Gold 2012-1 plc, Savban Leasing Ltd, Scotland International Finance B.V., Scottish Widows Administration Services (Nominees) Ltd, Scottish Widows Administration Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Annuities Ltd, Scottish Widows Auto Enrolment Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Europe, Scottish Widows Financial Services Holdings, Scottish Widows Group Ltd, Scottish Widows Industrial Properties Europe B.V., Scottish Widows Ltd, Scottish Widows Pension Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Property Management Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth (ACD) Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Wealth Holdings Ltd, Scottish Widows Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Funds Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd, Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society, Seabreeze Leasing Ltd, Seaspirit Leasing Ltd, Share Dealing Nominees Ltd, Shogun Finance Ltd, Silentdale Ltd, St Andrews Group Ltd, St Andrews Insurance plc, St Andrews Life Assurance plc, St. Marys Court Investments, Standard Property Investment (1987) Ltd, Standard Property Investment Ltd, Sussex County Homes Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Ltd, Swan Funding 2 Ltd, Syon Securities 2019 DAC, The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Plc, The British Linen Company Ltd, The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Mortgage Business plc, Thistle Financing Holdings Ltd, Thistle Investments (AMC) Ltd, Thistle Investments (ERM) Ltd, Thistle Leasing, Three Copthall Avenue Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (10) Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (7) Ltd, Tranquility Leasing Ltd, Trinity Financing plc, UDT Budget Leasing Ltd, UDT Sales Finance Ltd, Uberior (Moorfield) Ltd, Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, Uberior ENA Ltd, Uberior Equity Ltd, Uberior Europe Ltd, Uberior Fund Investments Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments (No.2) Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Uberior Investments Ltd, Uberior Nominees Ltd, Uberior Trading Ltd, Uberior Trustees Ltd, Uberior Ventures Australia Pty Ltd, Uberior Ventures Ltd, United Dominions Leasing Ltd, United Dominions Trust Ltd, Universe The CMI Global Network Fund, Upsaala Ltd, Vine Street IX LP, WCS Ltd, Ward Nominees (Abingdon) Ltd, Ward Nominees (Birmingham) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees (Bristol) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees Ltd 1, Waverley  Fund II Investor LLC, Waverley  Fund III Investor LLC, Waymark Asset Investments Ltd, West Craigs Ltd, Wetherby II Securities 2018 DAC, Wetherby III Securities 2019 DAC, Wetherby Securities 2017 Ltd, Wood Street Leasing Ltd, and Zurich Insurance Group - UK Workplace Pensions and Savings Business.
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Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; and Capital Markets. The company offers chequing, savings, and business accounts; mortgages; loans, lines of credit, student lines of credit, and business and agriculture loans; investment and insurance services; and credit cards, as well as overdraft protection services. It also provides day-to-day banking, borrowing and credit, investing and wealth, specialty, and international services; correspondent banking and online foreign exchange services; and cash management services. The company serves its customers through its banking centers, as well as direct, mobile, and remote channels. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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Transat A.T. Inc. operates as an integrated international tourism company in the Americas and Europe. It develops and markets holiday travel services in packages, including air travel and hotel stays, and air-only formats to 60 destinations in approximately 25 countries. The company also operates as an outgoing tour operator to purchase various components of a trip locally or abroad and sell them separately or in packages to consumers in their local markets, through travel agencies, or through the Web. In addition, it is involved in the retail distribution activities, such as providing advice to travelers. Further, the company provides air transportation services; and value-added services at travel destinations. Additionally, it offers destination services, such as hospitality and representation, passenger transfers, excursions, tours, sports and other activities; and specialty services, including destination weddings, teambuilding, etc. The company operates under the Transat and Air Transat brands in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and in approximately 10 other European countries. Transat A.T. Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in MontrAal, Canada.

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Deutsche Lufthansa AG operates as an aviation company in Germany and internationally. The company's Network Airlines segment offers passenger services through a route network of 273 destinations in 86 countries. Its Eurowings segment provides passenger services through a route network of more than 210 destinations in 60 countries. The company's Logistics Business segment offers transport services for various cargoes, including living animals, valuable cargo, post and dangerous goods, and temperature-sensitive goods serving approximately 300 destinations in 100 countries. Its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Services (MRO) segment provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for civilian commercial aircraft serving original equipment manufacturers and aircraft leasing companies, operators of VIP jets, and airlines, as well as develops and manufactures cabin and digital products. The company's Catering Business segment engages in-flight sales and entertainment, in-flight service equipment, and the associated logistics services, as well as consulting services; and operates airport lounges. As of December 31, 2020, it had a fleet of 757 aircraft. Deutsche Lufthansa AG was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Cologne, Germany.

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The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Advisors S.r.l., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe (Services) Limited, AIG Europe Holdings S.a.rl., AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Insurance Company (Switzerland) Ltd, AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG Shared Services Corporation, AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE EOLA LLC, AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American Home Assurance Company Escritorio de Representacao no Brasil Ltda., American International Group Inc., American International Group UK Limited, American International Overseas Association, American International Overseas Limited, American International Realty Corp., American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A., American Security Life Insurance Company Limited, Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Avondhu Limited, Blackboard Customer Care Insurance Services LLC, Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Services LLC, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., Chartis Takaful Enaya B.S.C. 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I thought about this idea of protection and empowerment as I continue to pray about those being impacted by Covid-19. What came to mind first was the song No Weapon by Fred Hammond. Its always been one of my favorite worship songs because it reminds...
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The fair trade watchdog's majority order came after a detailed probe into the complaints filed against the Internet major in 2012.

New Delhi: Google has filed an appeal against the Competition Commission's ruling which imposed Rs 136 crore fine on the Internet major for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search.

In February, Competition Commission of India (CCI) penalised Google for "infringing anti-trust conduct".

"We disagree with aspects of the CCI's decision. So, we have filed an appeal and sought a stay on those findings," a Google spokesperson said.

Appeals against CCI orders are filed with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

The fair trade watchdog's majority order came after a detailed probe into the complaints filed against the Internet major in 2012.

It was alleged that Google was indulging in abuse of dominant position in the market for online search through practices leading to search bias and search manipulation, among others.

"The Commission is cognisant of the fact that any intervention in technology markets has to be carefully crafted lest it stifles innovation and denies consumers the benefits that such innovation can offer.

"This can have a detrimental effect on economic welfare and economic growth, particularly in countries relying on high growth such as India," the regulator had said in its order.
New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel on Tuesday met Reserve Bank governor Urjit Patel and top bankers to discuss the revised NPA framework. Lenders are seeking respite from the new bad loan norms that threaten to raise their NPA levels which would require higher provisioning. They say the new guidelines also disrupt many other resolutions process of bad loans.

The meeting came in the backdrop of banks having already written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seeking changes in the new framework of NPA recognition and classification.

With one stroke in February, RBI got rid of the CDR (corporate debt restructuring) scheme, flexible restructuring of existing loans for long-term project loans, strategic debt recast (SDR), change of control outside of SDRs and Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A) and also the joint lenders forum (JLF).

The panel is expected to mediate between banks and the RBI over each others tough stand on a set of disclosures under the new framework, particularly in the SMA (special mention account -- zero category) where one-day delay in payment of loans can make create defaulters.

Bankers argue many power companies could come under this category of defaulters and going to face the defaulter tag. This could prove to be dangerous in the SMA -- zero category, which would be not be beneficial to the industry per se under this revised format of disclosure and recognition of bad loans.

And also older resolutions schemes like S4A and SDRs have been put to use by many corporates and bankers together to reschedule loans which RBI scrapped in February to make Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) as the default resolution mechanism.

Now bankers demand seek forbearance for these two schemes along with continuation of JLF mechanism for another six months till they reach a resolution stage rather than suddenly switching to another (IBC) mechanism.

The government earlier had started discussions with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on relaxation of banking regulators bad loan identification and reporting guidelines under which even a one-day default can lead to classification of a loan as a special mention account (SMA).

The classification as special mention accounts would mean that the loan has the potential to become a non-performing asset (NPA). Early identification of such loans has been necessitated for addressing bad loans as early as possible.

The finance ministry had reasoned that the RBI directives appear to be very harsh and industry and even bankers have demanded its review.

One-day default is too harsh. At least give the defaulter full 180 days without any further conditions to bring in a promoter, equity, take personal loans and correct his account. There are representations on this, let the regulator decide, said an official source, indicating that the one-day rule could be done away with.

As per the current RBI reporting norm for stressed assets identification, if either principal or interest is overdue, even partly for one day, the loan gets classified as SMA. This sort of strict monitoring is expected to reduce actual NPAs as banks now will keep track of such accounts from an early stage of deterioration.

The ministry is worried about another flip side of the one-day default norm. It would unnecessarily raise the provisioning by banks. Besides, it will affect defaulting companies market capitalisation and ratings, which would make their borrowings or even resolutions more difficult.
New Delhi: UK-based Cambridge Analytica is learnt to have denied using data of Facebook users in India even as the social media giant has admitted that 5.62 lakh people in the country were potentially affected by the data breach, according to official sources.

After contradictory replies from the two companies on potential data breach of Indian users, the government now plans to seek additional clarification from them, the sources said.

The government had sought a reply from Cambridge Analytica (CA) over data breach charges by April 7. The UK-based firm had sought additional time and is believed to have submitted its reply recently.

"Cambridge Analytica has denied using any data of Indians from Facebook. There are discrepancies when replies of CA and Facebook were matched. Government will write to both the companies for further clarification," an official source told PTI.

CA has been accused of mining personal information of millions of Facebook users illegitimately to help political campaigns and influence polls in several countries.

The Indian government had sent notices to both the companies seeking detailed explanation on any possible misuse of profile data of Indians to influence their voting behaviour.

The US-based Facebook last week admitted that 5.62 lakh people in India were potentially affected by the global data leak, involving CA. Facebook has over 20 crore users in India. Facebook has said it is "investigating" the specific number of people whose information was accessed, including those in India and also emphasised that the CA's use of such data did not have its consent.

Facebook had admitted that data of about 87 million people  mostly in the US  may have been improperly shared by research company GSR with CA. The UK-based firm, however, has denied the allegation saying that the company licensed data for no more than 30 million people from GSR.

"Our contract with GSR stated that all data must be obtained legally, and this contract is now a matter of public record. We took legal action against GSR when we found out they had breached this contract. 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," CA said in response to Facebook's announcement.
The Cabinet on Wednesday relaxed rules for state-owned Coal India Ltd for extraction of natural gas.

New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday relaxed rules for state-owned Coal India Ltd for extraction of natural gas lying below coal seams in its blocks in a bid to quickly boost production.

Till now, Coal India Ltd had to apply to oil ministry for a licence to extract coal-bed methane (CBM) from its coal blocks. Now, the world's largest coal producer does not need such a permission.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved an amendment to the November 2015 regulations issued by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas under Section 12 of the Oil Fields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 (ORD Act, 1948).

"Due to this amendment relaxation is granted under the Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules 1959 (PNG Rules, 1959), to Coal India Ltd (CIL) and its subsidiaries for not applying for grant of licence/lease under the PNG Rules, 1959 for extraction of CBM under their Coal Bearing Areas," an official statement said.

Stating that the decision is in line with the government's initiatives of 'ease of doing business', it said the move will expedite the exploration and exploitation of CBM, enhance the availability of natural gas and reduce the demand-supply gap.

"The increased development activities for exploration and exploitation of CBM gas reserves in-and-around the block will generate economic activities which in turn has potential to create employment opportunities in CBM operations and in the industries," the statement said.

The government issued a notification on November 3, 2015 granting rights to CIL and its subsidiaries for exploration and exploitation of CBM from all coal bearing areas for which they possess mining lease for coal. Clause 3(vi) of the Notification provided that the "Lessee shall submit application under the P&NG Rules 1959 for grant of Mining Lease (ML) for CBM to Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas along with detailed recommendations of Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL)."
Sebi in 2014 had released norms that had clubbed different categories of foreign investors into a new class called FPIs.

New Delhi: Markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday came out with a detailed framework in order to identify and verify beneficial owners of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).

Beneficial owner (BO) is the natural person, who ultimately owns or controls an FPI.

Under the framework, beneficial ownership of FPIs having structure of company or trust should be identified on controlling ownership interest and control basis.

In case of partnership firm and unincorporated association of individuals, BOs should be identified on ownership or entitlement basis, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a circular.

In order to bring consistency, Sebi has asked Category II and III FPIs to provide list of their BOs in a prescribed format.

Besides, they need to disclose to Sebi about name and address of the beneficial owner; whether they are acting alone or together through one or more natural persons as group, with their name and address; tax residency jurisdiction; BO group's percentage shareholding capital or profit ownership in the FPIs.

According to Sebi, this list should be certified by FPI and such overseas investors should also certify that there are no other BOs other than those referred in list.

The existing FPIs should provide the list of BOs within six months.

The regulator said that non resident Indians (NRIs), overseas citizen of India (OCI) cannot be BO of FPIs. However, if an FPI is Category II Investment manager of other FPIs and is non-investing entity, it may be promoted by NRIs or OCIs. Further, it said that that resident Indian cannot be a BO of FPI.

Clarifying on KYC documentations required for category III FPIs, which are high risk investors, Sebi said that audited annual financial statement or a certificate from auditor certifying networth need to be obtained from such overseas investors.

In case of new funds, companies, family offices, the audited financial statement of promoter person may be obtained.

In respect of exempted documents, concerned FPIs should submit an undertaking to designated depository participant, custodians that upon demand by regulators or law enforcement agencies, the relevant documents would be provided. Further, since category III FPIs are high risk investors, Sebi said that 'declaration on letter head' be provided by them.

Such high risk investors have been exempted from furnishing certain supporting KYC documents depending on risk involved.

In a major revamp, Sebi in 2014 had released norms that had clubbed different categories of foreign investors into a new class called FPIs.

Under the regime, FPIs have been divided into three categories as per their risk profile and the KYC (know your client) requirements, while other registration procedures have been made simpler for them.
Mumbai: Ever since Salman Khan is back post his bail release, he has been in the news for getting back on Race 3 sets.

The team recently celebrated Saqib Saleems birthday, and it is believed they are shooting for a song, which will wrap up by the month end.

But the month end might also bring one more surprise  in the form of the trailer release, that too with Avengers: Infinity War.

@BeingSalmanKhans #Race3Trailer might be attached to #AvengersInfinityWar from Apr 27th. If not, definitely will be out by May 1st week, tweeted trade analyst Ramesh Bala.

. @BeingSalmanKhan 's #Race3Trailer might be attached to #AvengersInfinityWar from Apr 27th..



If not, definitely will be out by May 1st week.. pic.twitter.com/nfbImRy5iN  Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) April 10, 2018

Directed by Remo D'Souza, also starring Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem, Anil Kapoor and others, 'Race 3' is slated to release on Eid.
She had been threatening to expose the bigwigs who used her in exchange for work in films and she seems to have kept her word.

Actress Sri Reddy from Tollywood has been hitting the headlines with her scathing remarks on Twood personalities, the existence of a casting couch and a public demonstration in which she appeared semi-nude on the street in Hyderabad in front of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce.

She just got bolder with her act now in releasing pictures to support her claim that a prominent film person had sexually exploited her. She had been threatening to expose the bigwigs who used her in exchange for work in films and she seems to have kept her word.

She had claimed that the son of a top producer had lured her to a government-owned studio and that she would reveal his name and put out photos soon. Sri Reddy kept her word and is now accusing Abhiram Daggubati of exploiting her. Pictures in which the duo is seen in intimate poses are making their rounds in the social media.

Abhiram is the brother of Rana Daggubati, who shot to international fame with Baahubali. They are sons of Suresh Babu who runs the family owned banner Suresh Productions. Top actor Venkatesh is Abhirams uncle.

The actress was quoted saying to a Telugu channel, Suresh Babus son cheated me so badly. The studio belongs to the government and it is meant to help and support talented people. They have to use it in a proper way. This Suresh Babus son took me to the studio.
A ten-year old wonder girl writes a 72-page book The Mysterious Virus just to gift to her friends and teachers. In the process, she becomes one of the youngest authors in India to come up with a book on science fiction. Vipanchi Nayak had a simple wishlist  she wanted to do something different for her 10th birthday and she came up with the idea of a book and of devoting it to causes close to her heart.

For someone that young she had a good business sense too. She wanted money for the causes she espouses, one of which is to feed the poor people she sees at the temple waiting for food and alms. She was told authors get royalties on books and she wanted that money so she could feed the poor and also look after animals.

Her mother Chitra P. Torvi and father Vinayak Nayak were sources of her inspiration. They encouraged her in her writing adventure and even found a publisher for it in Chennais Norton Press. The book came out as early as last year but was formally launched only on February 1when Puducherry celebrated its heritage and held the Pondicherry Heritage Festival.

The Nayaks were born and brought up in Bengaluru and moved to Puducherry only three years ago and that was to find the best education for their daughters Vipanchi and Viyona at The Study, a school located in a calm place of absolute peace. Their elder daughter seemed to flourish in the atmosphere.

The young author was welcomed as the chief guest of the Womens Day celebration at Idhaya womens college of arts and science in Pondicherry. She gave an inspirational speech on women empowerment while addressing 1,600 college students. During the Childrens Day celebration at the Raj Nivas, she was felicitated by Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Dr. Kiran Bedi.

In a series of such events celebrating a young author, she was invited by a book store in Puducherry and a school in Cuddalore district where she addressed children about her experience as an author. The Rotary club of Bangalore came to hear about her and arranged two events, where too she received standing ovations after her speeches.

The young author had a dream to become a Paleontologist. It was while browsing the internet that she realised her inherent love for animals. Her creative urges had also seen her writing poetry and her first book was actually a collection of her poems. The sci-fi book came handy to focus her varied interests and she thought up the tale of two friends who were colleagues working with the CBI.

The storyline depicts a sudden virus outbreak in an imaginary city and the CBI agents dedicated efforts to solve it. Funa and Mynah, Mr. George, Mr. David Brown and Ms Alice are the characters in the book. The author brings a riddle to the climax on whether to punish the least expected person who seems to be the culprit.

Her book is set in a town she may have imagined out of her experience after visiting places like Bengaluru, Pondicherry, and some places in Europe, explains mother Chitra, who is the girls friend, philosopher and guide. Before, I used to write on superheroes, the author shared while explaining her capability now as a more mature writer looking back at her kiddish comic book writing.

She is an promising reader too. Write something related to your past and what happened with you because, you can explain it better, Vipanchi says as advice to potential authors. Among her ambitions is to meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and her favourite movie star Salman Khan and gift them her books.

The Study lecole Internationale gave her the space for learning and how to explore the creative power of each and every human and feel the motivation to do something really effective. Apart from fun games, the treasure hunts around Mahabalipuram beaches, library periods, puppet shows, designing sessions, tete-a-tete sessions were what constituted her school background from which she drew motivation to become a writer. A related activity, which has also become a hobby for her, is to collect attractive bookmarks and to design more of them from her imagination.

Her previous school stint at Presidency, where Vipanchi studied until the second standard, left an emotional scar as she was separated from her best friend Ashmita, who was twice as tall as she was. Removing the virus of sadness from the mind is indeed in her thoughts even as she is into the process of writing her next book, the topic for which is still secret to the young author.
Hyderabad: A teacher, principal and director of Krishnaveni Talent School in Hyderabad's BN Reddy Nagar were arrested by Meerpet police station after parents and child activists lodged a complaint over a four-year-old boy being beaten up. Director Gopal Reddy, principal Padmaja Raj and teacher Swaroopa were arrested on Tuesday after a nursery student Nikhil was allegedly beaten up by teacher Swaroopa for a delay in payment of fees as his parents were hard-pressed for money. According to his parents, Nikhil was thrashed by her teacher all over his back and legs with a long stick.

A video shared by child rights activists showed the boy wincing and crying as his parents filmed the bruises on his body, and touched the red marks because of the beatings. This incident would traumatise the child for a long time, they said. The school should be closed as it failed to provide care and protection to the child, said Balala Hakkula Sangham president Achyuta Rao, who lodged the complaint against the school along with the childs parents.

Sub-Inspector A. Raju said, We received the complaint on Monday from the father, Jala Shanker, who works as plumber, stating that his son was beaten by the school teacher for not paying the fees on time. Based on this, we have booked a complaint against the school management and arrested the principal, director and teacher from the Krishnaveni Talent School. Three of them have been sent in judicial remand.

Hundreds hit the road in protest

Angry family members, activists and hundreds of student leaders staged a protest outside the Krishnaveni Talent school premises in BN Reddy Nagar on Tuesday morning, as the boy received severe injuries. Members of Student Federation of India raised slogans against the school and demanded the arrest of the teacher and the school management.Apart from the student leaders, even members of the Hyderabad School Parents Associations (HSPA) raised voices against corporal punishments, mainly because of school fees.

Mr Pavan Reddy, member, Hyderabad School Parents Associations (HSPA), said, Those who committed this crime are not at all fit to be called humans. I deplore the absolute indifferent attitude of the education department officials and the state government who failed miserably in protecting the basic rights of children and parents.
Hyderabad: The Rein Bazaar police issued a notice to Goshamahal BJP legislator, T. Raja Singh, asking him to appear before them in connection with a hate speech case registered against him. The Rein Bazaar police had registered a case under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and Section 295 (Injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult religion of other class) of the IPC following "hate speech."

T. Raja Singh had early last month said that he would remove the loudspeakers of the Mecca Masjid if the police tried to interfere in the Sree Ramanavami celebrations.

Following his remarks, some individuals lodged a complaint with the Rein Bazaar police who registered a case. DCP (South), Mr V. Satyanarayana, said that the legislator has been asked to appear before the police within ten days.

"If he fails to appear before the police, a charge sheet will be filed against him and he could be arrested," the official said.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh delivers lecture on '70th Anniversary of our Independence-Strengthening the Roots of our Democracy' during the Ist Prof. S.B. Rangnekar Memorial Oration at Punjab University in Chandigarh on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Chandigarh: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said atrocities against minorities and Dalits were increasing in the country and such incidents, if unchecked, could harm democracy.

Delivering the first SB Rangnekar Memorial lecture at the Panjab University, his alma mater, in Chandigarh, Dr Singh also said a "dangerous and false binary" of choosing between freedom and development was surfacing in the country's political discourse and that it must be rejected.

He expressed concern over the alleged attempts being made to divide people.

"I need not dwell long on the current deep concern that attempts are being made to divide the Indian people on the basis of religion and caste, language and culture. Atrocities against minorities and Dalits are increasing. If unchecked, these tendencies can only harm our democracy. As a people, we must strongly reject divisive policies and politics," he said.

Also Read: Widespread worry over poll system undermining by money, muscle power: Manmohan Singh

The former prime minister asserted that freedom of a country did not just mean the freedom of its government. "It is the freedom of people, which, in turn is not the freedom only of its privileged and powerful, but the freedom of every Indian."

"Freedom is, the freedom to question, the freedom to express one's views, howsoever troubling they may be for others. The only constraint to freedom must be the freedom of others. In other words, the freedom of one person or a group should not be used to constrain the freedom of other individuals or groups," he added.

He stressed that without a firm commitment to this idea of freedom, democracy would not survive.

Invoking BR Ambedkar, he said there was a need to reassert commitment to maintain India's freedom and Independence.

"We must preserve strategic autonomy in decision-making processes and resist the temptation of rich rewards gained by becoming a tool in the great games of big powers in the pursuit of their imperial ambitions. We need to rebuild our commitment to maintaining India's freedom and Independence, based on individual freedom and independence of every Indian citizen," Dr Singh said.

A dangerous and false binary "that we have to choose between freedom and development" was surfacing in the Indian political discourse, he said, "which must be firmly rejected".

"The argument was put to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation, that good governance and development are better than swaraj (self rule)," he said, adding, that the people of the country firmly rejected the idea advanced by colonial forces.

"It (freedom) is, as our founding fathers proclaimed early in our freedom struggle, 'our birth right' on which we shall never compromise. Growth, wealth and development are fruits of democracy, not substitutes," he said.

The noted economist also said it was important to maintain strong focus on containing growing economic inequality.

"While economic growth remains a high priority for the country, there is now a growing concern that the concomitant commitment to ensuring that disparities and inequality do not grow is weakening. This can be a serious potential threat to our democracy.

"What is required is stronger social and political reawakening to the principle of equality - social, economic and political - for the sake of equality and as a mark of our commitment to democracy. In the short term, pro-equality policies may make growth more expensive, but the growing inequality is, in the long term, a far greater danger to economic well being and sustained growth."

Dr Singh was addressing the gathering on the topic: The Seventieth Anniversary of our Independence - Strengthening the roots of our Democracy. Rangnekar was one of the founders of the economics department of the university.
The woman alleges that she was raped by UP BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother last June but the family's efforts to bring them to book were repeatedly foiled. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Lucknow: An 18-year-old girl who has alleged rape by Uttar Pradesh BJP MP and tried to kill herself outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's house describes prison-like conditions in the name of security as she talks about being confined to a hotel room, without a phone or water and guards at every corner.

I appeal to CM Yogi Adityanath to provide justice. The DM (District Magistrate) has confined me to a hotel room, they are not even serving me water. I just want the culprit to be punished, news agency ANI quoted the victim saying.

I appeal to CM Yogi Adityanath to provide me justice. The DM has confined me to a hotel room, they are not even serving me water. I just want the culprit to be punished: Unnao rape victim pic.twitter.com/swZkXRk7O3  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

The woman and her family was taken to a hotel in Unnao near her village after her father died in custody on Monday, days after being beaten up by ruling lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar's brother.

Read: UP: 6 cops suspended after father of woman raped by BJP MLA dies in jail

I can't charge my mobile, there is no TV, no water. We are told we can't go outside, the 18-year-old said.

The father of the Unnao rape victim was arrested after he was assaulted. The postmortem report details 14 severe injuries that underline the severity of the attack. After his death, Jaideep Singh, the brother of the MLA, was arrested for the assault.

Also Read: They are of low class, trying to malign me: Unnao BJP MLA on rape allegation

The postmortem report lists multiple abrasions near his abdomen, buttocks, thighs, knees and arms. It, however, listed blood poisoning due to perforation of colon as the cause of death.

Also Read: Postmortem of Unnao rape victim's father reveals 14 brutal injuries

The 55-year-old rape victims father was allegedly beaten by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengars men last Tuesday, after he refused to withdraw the complaint of rape by his daughter.

We are told we can't go outside, there are guards at every corner. When we ask them for help, they say it isn't their job. Is this justice? the rape victim said.

I want justice, why are they pressuring me for an apology? Do they want my uncle to be killed too? the victim added.

The woman alleges that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother last June. But the family's efforts to bring them to book were repeatedly foiled, she said.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar has accused the family of maligning him since he tried to protect four young men whom the girl had accused of rape. He has also refused to resign and attributed the beating of the girl's father to a "family divide".

The rape victim is demanding the case to be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and alleged that the administration has done little to ensure the security of women in the state.

"Yogiji had promised to make Uttar Pradesh crime-free. But, this has not happened in reality. He always makes lofty statements. Is this justice of Yogiji?" If the government doesn't support us, we will commit suicide," said the victim.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident of alleged rape of an 18-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and subsequent death of the victim's father in police custody. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident of alleged rape of an 18-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and subsequent death of the victim's father in police custody.

The victim has accused UP BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother for raping her in June last year. The lawmaker's brother Atul Singh has been accused of thrashing the victim's father, who died in custody on Monday.

Read: BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengars brother Atul held for assault

Rahul Gandhi cited the rape case to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the fast he plans to hold on Thursday, April 12, along with his ministers over the recent disruption and wasted parliament session.

The Hindi tweet roughly translates to: "The atrocities committed on a father who was seeking justice for his daughter in Uttar Pradesh has put mankind to shame. I hope that the Prime Minister will soon hold a fast over the violence against women, the failure of law and order and growing anarchy under the BJP rule."

Rahul Gandhi's party has blamed the Yogi Adityanath government of shielding the accused MLA.

Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "The Unnao rape victim cried for justice and pleaded with Yogi Adityanath for eight-nine months. However, the Yogi government did not budge because the MLA was protected by him."

Intensifying the attack on Modi and his government, the Congress spokesperson said, "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" (save the girl child, educate her) -- a campaign close to PM Modi's heart -- should be renamed "BJP se beti bachao" (Save girls from BJP).

The 18-year-old -- whose family has been running from pillar to post for justice ever since the heinous crime allegedly took place in June, 2017 -- tried to commit suicide outside Yogi Adityanath's home on Sunday. The next day, her father died at a local hospital, where he was admitted hours before with severe stomach pains.

The 55-year-old was arrested last week on a complaint by his attackers.

Also Read: They are of low class, trying to malign me: Unnao BJP MLA on rape allegation

According to reports, a video from the hospital, where the victim's father underwent a routine medical check-up before being sent to jail, shows him naming BJP MLA's brother Atul Singh as his attacker. His face bore multiple bruise and lacerations.

The postmortem report said the man had died due to blood poisoning from a perforated intestine. It also listed 14 bruises all over his body.

Also Read: Postmortem of Unnao rape victim's father reveals 14 brutal injuries

Kuldeep Singh Sengar's brother Atul was arrested on Tuesday over the assault. He has been remanded in judicial custody for a fortnight.

BJP MLA Sengar's wife Sangeeta met the UP police chief on Wednesday, demanding justice for her husband, who she claimed, was facing a media trial.

Also Read: My husband has isolated himself in room: Wife of BJP MLA accused in Unnao rape
What could make or break their fortunes is the huge floating population in Dasarahalli, a relatively new constituency.

BENGALURU: For those who thought that Bengaluru was all about IT companies and techies, Dasarahalli in the north of the city, home to Peenya Industrial Area, one of the largest industrial clusters in Asia, is a stark reminder that it is not. As elections near, Peenya which has over 6,000 industries and a workforce of around 15 lakh, employed in units manufacturing engineering and electrical goods, is teeming with activity with all the three political parties keen on capturing this prestigious industrial hub.

What could make or break their fortunes is the huge floating population in Dasarahalli, a relatively new constituency. Formed during the 2007 delimitation exercise, it went to polls for the first time only about a decade ago in 2008.

Comprising of eight wards and around ten villages, Dasarahalli has received its share of attention due to its proximity to Kempegowda International Airport, the Yeshwanth pur railway station, and the recently developed metro stations. It is located on the National Highway (NH-4) which connects to Pune, with many educational institutions and garment industries situated on the highway route.

A BJP stronghold since its formation. Dasarahalli has been sending S Muniraju of the party to the Assembly since 2008. His winning margin was huge- 22,155- in 2008 but it fell by almost half to 10,838 in the 2013 elections when Congress senior leader B.L. Shankar was his rival. Of the eight BBMP wards in the constituency, the BJP had won five, the Congress two and the JD(S), one.

Vokkaligas and SC/STs form the bulk of voters in Dasarahalli though there are a large number of migrants too, employed in large and medium scale industries like Shahi Exports and those of the Jindal group. Many of these migrant employees, hailing from different states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, who run into thousands, will be casting their votes for the first time.

Muniraju is the frontrunner no doubt after winning here twice but anti-incumbency could be a major hurdle for him. Though his votes decreased in 2013, the KJP merger with the BJP has made him confident of a hat-trick win.

But victory depends on the people and they have been facing a multitude of problems here like elsewhere in the city- water scarcity, lack of footpaths, bad roads and badly maintained lakes. Pushpa, a resident of Sonnappa Layout said, The road from Kereguddahalli to Chikkabanavara is a nightmare for any citizen who has a backache like me. The road is full of potholes for the past two years and no agency is willing to asphalt it.

Burning of garbage and dumping trash on the street is another major issue which has added to air pollution levels. Shiva Prasad, a resident of Abbigere said, There is no proper collection of garbage and so people burn it adding to air pollution. We are left choking either because of the stench of left over garbage or burnt garbage.

In the Peenya Industrial area which should have been a model for industrial areas elsewhere, there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure over the decades. Malyadi Reddy, president of the Peenya Industries Association said, We continue to face issues like untreated sewage, poor garbage collection and lack of streetlights.

However, not everyone is blaming Muniraju, there are some who appreciate the work carried out by him over the last 10 years in the constituency. Nagaraj, a resident of Chikkabanavara said, Several single lane roads were converted into two-lane roads helping to ease the traffic flow, several parks were developed in the constituency, we now have a good sewage system unlike before.

Both the BJP and JD(S) have already announced their candidates and if the Congress fields an equally strong leader, a tough fight is on the cards. Winning Dasarahalli, its heterogeneous population and getting industry with their burgeoning demands on ones side is no easy task-something Muniraju and his poll rivals know better than anyone else.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF manifesto had promised to ensure a people-friendly police, which will not commit excesses and carry out custodial torture. Two years down the line, recurring incidents of police highhandedness and now custodial death, clearly point to the government's failure to rein in rogue cops within the force. The alleged custodial torture of Sreejith in Varapuzha who died of severe internal injuries points to serious human rights violation. Within 24 hours of Sreejith's death, another shocking incident was reported from Pallatheri in Palakkad district.

A dalit youth committed suicide with his relatives holding constant police harassment responsible for his death. The youth was an accused in a case of stone pelting on KSRTC bus and he was being repeatedly harassed by police to pay the compensation running into hundreds of rupees. Nine months ago another dalit youth Vinayakan committed suicide a day after he was released from custody of Pavaratty police station. The boy's father says the family has not received justice yet and they would soon start indefinite agitation in front of the secretariat.

Despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's repeated warning to cops not to take law into their hands and torture suspects in cases, a section of police seems to be totally defiant. Sharp differences had emerged within the LDF over the police policy. Many LDF leaders say some of the cops have not reconciled to the fact that there's been change in government and police policy. While the top cops often term these incidents as isolated, there is a clear pattern emerging which is disturbing to say the least.

There are reports of blatant violation of arrest and detention laid down by the apex court. These norms also form part of the amended section 41 of CrPC. Human rights allege that there isn't enough vigil on the functioning of the police in the wake of repeated incidents of custodial torture. The government has not been able to send out a strong message to defiant cops that human rights violation will be dealt with sternly.
Supreme Court agreed with the contention that the identity of the woman and her family members, who had forced her into the marriage, be not revealed. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to annul a 26-year-old womans marriage only on the ground that it was performed without her consent, but asked the Delhi police to grant her protection from her family as she feared honour killing.

The court was informed that the womans marriage was performed in Gulbarga in Karnataka on March 14, 2018 without her consent in a politicians family. As she refused to live with her husband, she faced threat to her life from her family and she had come down to Delhi and was staying in the custody of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Kanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud told senior counsel Indira Jaising, who argued for the girl, that under the Hindu law a marriage cannot be annulled for lack of consent. The petitioner will have to seek remedy in a civil court for divorce and lack of consent can be a ground for seeking divorce, which is based on facts, the CJI observed.

The bench while restricting the scope of the petition to providing security asked the Delhi police to give her protection during her stay and asked the police officers concerned to serve a copy of the petition on the girls parents, brother and husband for their response.

Referring to the petitioner `X (name withheld by court) plea that there must be a declaration from the court that a marriage performed without consent is invalid, the CJI pointed out that any marriage performed with consent obtained by coercion or force or fraud can be a ground for divorce. It cannot be a ground for annulment of marriage and the provision will not become ultra vires.

The CJI citing a love jihad Hadiya judgment delivered on Monday told the counsel only recently we have held that the Kerala High Court entertaining a writ petition cannot annul a marriage. While so how can we entertain your prayer? We can only grant police protection.

Justice Chandrachud pointed out that once the law says that if consent is obtained by coercion the marriage becomes void, it is implicit that there must be consent for marriage. We cannot declare a provision unconstitutional merely because you say you did not give consent to the marriage, he added.

Counsel argued that there is lack of clarity in law that woman has to give her consent to the marriage and the court should clarify this provision. She pointed out that even prior to the marriage, both the bridegroom and her family were informed that she was not consenting to the marriage. On the date of marriage, she sent SMS to the Additional Superintendent of Police seeking his intervention. Though the police came she was threatened by the family not to oppose the marriage. She came out of the matrimonial home within three days of marriage and had taken shelter in Delhi, counsel submitted.

The CJI told the counsel if you (petitioner) dont want to go to Bengaluru to stay with your family, nobody can compel you. Court will not be an impediment for her to stay in Delhi and let her go wherever she wants to go.

Petitioner said her fundamental right to choose her life partner, has been brazenly trampled by her family members, who in connivance with each other have coerced, threatened, blackmailed, harassed, pressurized, abused, compelled and tricked her into getting married to Respondent No. 6 (name withheld), against her wishes and free consent.

The Petitioner challenges the constitutional validity of Sections 5(ii) and 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, in as much as `valid consent is absent and the same are in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, arbitrary and discriminatory in nature. The Petitioner has escaped from the clutches of her abusive family in Karnataka and has reached Delhi.

She sought a direction to concerned authorities to provide her adequate security in order to safeguard her life, liberty and limb which is under threat from her own family members who are politically active in the State of Karnataka, whose conduct is indicative of resulting in the ghastly act of honour killing as she wanted to get married to a person outside her caste.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on May 4.
The statement comes in the backdrop of potential bidders opting out of the Air India sale process, one after another, since the government came out with the terms of offer in the information memorandum. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: Alleging that the probable bidders are using "arm twisting tactics" to force the government sell the national carrier cheap, a forum of 10 Air India unions said that it will take up the issue with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the civil aviation ministry, among others.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the forum also reiterated its opposition to the privatisation of the loss-making airline, saying that "it (Air India) is our national pride and it served the nation many a times in need."

The statement comes in the backdrop of potential bidders opting out of the Air India sale process, one after another, since the government came out with the terms of offer in the information memorandum.

Read: No buyers for Air India? After IndiGo, Jet Airways says 'not participating' in bid

"The so-claimed probable buyers are using arm twisting tactics so as to put pressure on the government to succumb to change the terms and conditions best suited to them and the Air India is sold for a song," the Joint Forum of Air India Unions/Guilds/Association said in the statement.

The forum comprises Air Corporations Employees Union, All India Service Engineers Associations, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers Association, All India Aircraft Engineers Association, Air India Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, All India Cabin Crew Association and All India Airline Retired Personnel Association.

On March 28, the civil aviation ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India's strategic disinvestment, as per which, the government plans to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control.

The proposed transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services, which is an equal joint venture between the national airline and Singapore-based SATS.

"The joint forum as stated many times has strongly opposed the privatisation of Air India and its subsidiaries as the Air India is our national pride and served the nation many a times at needs," the forum said.

"This statement is issued by the joint forum to safeguard the national interest. A detailed letter in this regard will be sent to the prime minister's office, ministry of civil aviation and Air India management," it added.

Budget carrier IndiGo, which is struggling with Pratt & Whitney engine issues in its A320 Neo planes, had initially evinced interest in acquiring Air India's international operations, but later backed out, saying such an option was not available under the disinvestment plan.

Also Read: IndiGo pulls out of race to acquire national carrier Air India

Days later, Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways also said it had decided not to participate in the Air India sale process considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on its review.

The forum had held a protest meeting also at the national carrier's Kalina office in Mumbai's Santa Cruz on Tuesday against the government's privatisation move.

The government is giving the Air India to private players at a time when the carrier is improving its operational and financial performance, the forum had alleged, stating that the move amounts to "socialising losses and privatising profits."
Union MInister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress President Rahul Gandhi should apologise and promise not to manipulate voters and divide the society in future. (Photo: AP | File)

Mumbai: Hours after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised over the hijacking of its user data by Cambridge Analytica, Union Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress President Rahul Gandhi should also apologise for allegedly using the leaked data to swing poll results in India.

Taking to Twitter, the Union minister said that Cambridge Analytica's role in manipulating elections is clear and Facebook has given an assurance "to stop it and maintain integrity of India's elections".

Now that Cambridge Analyticas role in manipulating elections is clear & Facebook has assured to stop it and maintain integrity of Indias elections, probity demands that @RahulGandhi should apologise & promise not to manipulate voters and divide the society in future! https://t.co/xo4iJUJsBw  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 11, 2018

On Tuesday, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told the US Congress that he took personal responsibility for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, and assured the senate that his company will do "everything" to ensure the upcoming elections in India and other countries are safe.

"2018 is an incredibly important year for elections. Not just in the US mid-terms, but, around the world, there are important elections -- in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan and Hungary -- and we want to make sure we do everything we can to protect the integrity of these elections," the Facebook founder and CEO said.

Also Read: Will ensure fair elections in India, says Zuckerberg at senate hearing

The Facebook chief has been under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultant firm.

Cambridge Analytica is reported to have been involved in "all kind of projects" in India and had major political parties like Congress as it clients. Christopher Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee, had told a British parliamentary committee that the British firm even has an office in India.

"I believe their client was Congress. But I know that they have done all kind of projects. I don't remember any national project, but regionally... India is so big that one state can be the size of Britain. They do have offices there, staff there. I believe I have some documentation on India which I can provide if you're interested," 28-year-old Mark Zuckerberg said.

There have been allegations that Cambridge Analytica data has been used by other parties in India too.

(With inputs from PTI)
Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi alleged a conspiracy to eliminate her and her family members. (Photo: File | PTI)

Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday returned her state security cover in a protest after the Nitish Kumar-led government withdrew guards from her residence in Patna. Her two sons, Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, also returned their security cover.

However, the state government officials and the ruling Janata Dal (United) defended the recall of security from Rabri Devi's house on Tuesday night, saying the house guards had been provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys 'Z' category security.

The guards were asked to return as the RJD supremo is currently in jail, they said.

Expressing anguish over the withdrawal of guards, Tejashwi Yadav in a tweet said, "Just now at the stroke of midnight, Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of the two ex-CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby CM of the country."

"Returning the security (covers) provided to my mother Rabri Devi as ex-CM, to my brother as an MLA and to me as Leader of the Opposition. Hope Nitish Kumar gives up acting spitefully and concentrates on doing something constructive," he added.

Earlier, Rabri Devi, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said the recall of house guards has left the security of her residence and family in "tatters".

"As soon as my husband went to jail on December 23, all the security personnel deployed in his security were withdrawn by the state government. Those who remained were part of the security cover provided to me and the residence allotted to me in the capacity of former chief minister," she wrote.

Rabri Devi said she did not see any point in retaining the security personnel as an "eyewash". "I am therefore returning herewith all security personnel and escort vehicles deployed at my residence. If anything untoward happens to me or my family members, the state Home Department and the minister in-charge of the same shall be responsible," she said.

The Bihar chief minister has kept the Home portfolio with himself.

"The safety of myself and my family would be ensured by the workers of my party and the people of Bihar. Many congratulations to you and your government for taking such a step," the RJD national vice-president said in the letter.

Talking to reporters outside her residence on Wednesday, Rabri Devi alleged a conspiracy to eliminate her and her family members.

"The state government's action is a conspiracy to eliminate me and my family members, hatched at the behest of Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi," she said.

Meanwhile, a top police official said it is common to recall security personnel when the VIP, they are attached to, is physically absent.

"Those security personnel were part of Prasad's security cover and there was no point in keeping them at 10, Circular Road," he said.

JD(U) spokesman and MLC Sanjay Singh told reporters hat there is no provision of law under which a person serving sentence in a jail can be provided security cover by the state government. "

The RJD leaders are trying to garner public sympathy by playing the victim card," Singh said.

Strongly criticising the move, RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary said, "I wonder whether Nitish Kumar has lost his sense of discretion. Only on Tuesday Bihar witnessed so much of violence by those opposed to reservation for Dalits and backwards. Leaders like Lalu and his family members face a heightened threat in such an environment."

(With inputs from PTI)
The petition was heard by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday has rejected a plea to frame fresh guidelines on the allocation of cases in the top court.

The bench said the Chief Justice of India is the first among equals and has the authority to decide allocation of cases and setting up of benches.

The plea was filed after four top judges held an unprecedented press conference in January, saying things were not in order in the apex courts administration. They had attacked the Chief Justices discretionary powers in assigning cases and constituting benches.

The judges said the Chief Justice was the highest authority in this matter, an institution in himself and that such a plea was scandalous.

The petition was heard by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra, Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice D Y Chandrachud.

Lawyer Asok Pande had filed the petition soon after the judges press conference in January. His petition said, Unfettered power is being exercised by the Chief Justices in the matter of formation of benches, and so, the same is liable to be regulated through specific rules.

The petition also said three-judge benches in the Chief Justices court should include the two senior-most after him. It also prayed that the Constitution bench should have the five senior-most judges  that is, the CJI, Justices Chelameshwar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph.

The last four judges had spoken to the media in January, reportedly angry that a case that sought probe into the death of CBI judge B H Loya, was assigned to a judge who was number 10 in the apex court hierarchy.
The attack came after the family's failed attempts to get justice for their 18-year-old daughter, who was allegedly raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Atul Singh in June, 2017. (YouTube | Screengrab)

Lucknow: Days before he died, the father of Unnao rape victim, who accused Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape, had named his attackers: the brother of the "vidhayak" (lawmaker). The 55-year-old man, who was arrested by the police last week following complaints by the attackers, died in police custody on Monday.

Read: UP: 6 cops suspended after father of woman raped by BJP MLA dies in jail

The attack came after the family's failed attempts to get justice for their 18-year-old daughter, who was allegedly raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Atul Singh in June, 2017.

On Sunday, the rape victim attempted suicide outside the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Also Read: Woman attempts suicide outside UP CMs house, claims BJP MLA raped her

The same day, the 55-year-old father was admitted to a local hospital after his condition worsened.

According to NDTV, a video from the hospital has now surfaced, which shows him answering questions about the attack during his initial medical check-up on April 3, before he was sent to jail.

"Atul Singh, the brother of the lawmaker thrashed me. He kept on beating me. Nobody tried to save me," he is heard saying. "Police waale (police men -- perhaps the security personnel of the lawmaker) were standing there. They did nothing," says the man, bruises plainly visible on his face and chest.

While the postmortem report said the cause of death was blood poisoning due to perforation of colon, a part of the intestines. But it also listed 14 horrific injuries -- multiple abrasions near abdomen, buttocks, thighs, above and below knee joints and arms.

Also Read: Postmortem of Unnao rape victim's father reveals 14 brutal injuries

Atul Singh was arrested for the assault last evening, days after police attempts at a cover-up. Though he was named in the complaint filed by the family, his name was dropped from the FIR (First Information Report) filed in the case.

Also Read: They are of low class, trying to malign me: Unnao BJP MLA on rape allegation

On Wednesday morning, Kuldeep Singh Sengar's wife Sangeeta met a top police officer in Lucknow, saying she wanted "justice for her husband" who was being given a media trial.

She said, "He has isolated himself in his room and is feeling helpless. We want the truth to come out. Just by using words like 'balatkaari' (rapist), nothing will be proved."

Also Read: My husband has isolated himself in room: Wife of BJP MLA accused in Unnao rape
Chennai: About 20 US companies will participate in the DefExpo 2018 which opens at Thiruvidanthai on East Coast Road, near here on Wednesday. They will radiate their presence at the USA Partnership Pavilion, organised by Kallman Worldwide, Inc., in coordination with numerous government agencies, including the US departments of commerce, defence and state.

Kallman has represented DefExpo in the United States since 2012, and this is its first under the "USA Partnership Pavilion" banner, which President and CEO Tom Kallman says reflects a global trend. Located prominently in the show's Exhibition Hall 3, the Pavilion is a full-service business destination: an efficient location for buyers to meet more US suppliers, an on-site operations center for exhibitors to maximise their exposure and impact at the show, and a networking hub for all to share ideas and insights.

Now more than ever, success in international trade comes from partnership and teamwork. The new USA Partnership Pavilion sharpens our focus on helping advance America's national security and economic interests by building stronger relationships with our international customers, Kallman said. Many of our exhibitors already have significant business partnerships and operations in India and across the Indo-Pacific region. In the years to come, many more will.

The four-day biennial event to be held from April 11, will demonstrate the collective presence of major American manufacturers, technology innovators, supply-chain leaders and even firearms producers exhibiting at this year's edition, displaying a strong indication of how important India is to the United States, and that buyers and influencers throughout the region are looking to the U.S. for innovative solutions and partners to help ensure their economic and homeland security.

This is a dynamic period in our bilateral relationship as the United States and India develop the Major Defense Partner relationship and increase cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, said Patrick Santillo, US. Department of Commerce Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs.

India has purchased more than $15 billion in U.S. defense equipment in the past decade, and U.S. companies are cooperating closely with the Indian armed services to deploy these systems to enhance military capabilities and improve interoperability, he said. The U.S. defense industry has demonstrated its commitment to partnering with India to provide the highest quality, most reliable, and most technologically advanced defense equipment and systems in the world, he added.

10th edition of DefExpo starts today, Public to be allowed on April 14

The four-day DefExpo, which will manifest the Indian defence manufacturing capability and shape the Indian defence exports ambition, is set to kickstart in Thiruvidanthai near Mahabalipuram, on Wednesday.

Although the biennial event would commence on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely to inaugurate the event formally on Thursday (April 12).

According to the defence sources, unlike previous nine editions of the DefExpo that mostly concentrated on procuring foreign weapons and technologies, the tenth edition would boost India as an arms exporter.

While showcasing strengths of India's substantial public sector, it will also uncover the country's growing private industry and spreading MSME base for components and sub-systems, the organisers said.

Apart from holding a business seminar and signing of MoUs, the Indian defence forces would also conduct live demonstrations of land and flying systems.

But no public will be allowed to enter the DefExpo from April 11 to April 13, the organisers told. However, the public can visit the expo on April 14 and they should possess valid identity card and have to pay `100. The visitors should present one hour before the opening of the shows. The show will open at 9 am.

The DefExpo also would extend to Chennai Harbour, as the organisers had anchored Indian warships - Sahyadri and Kamorta. These ships will be opened for the inboard public view. Those who want to visit warships should report at Island grounds, organisers said.

According to organisers, more than 50 countries have confirmed their participation in the expo and around 700 exhibitors have confirmed their participation.
Mumbai: Just days after actor Anupam Kher started shooting for his upcoming film based on Manmohan Singh, 'The Accidental Prime Minister', first clip of the film from the sets in London is out. And going by the 9 seconds clips, one can say that the actor is the right choice for the part.

Anupam Kher seems to have really gotten into the skin of Manmohan Singh and it is evident in the way he walks as could be seen in the video clip.

Anupam Kher had earlier said, The opportunity of portraying a contemporary personality like Dr Manmohan Singh in 'The Accidental Prime Minister' is an immense challenge for me as an actor. He is part of a 24/7 media era where world knows his persona minutely. I have been internalising this character for the past few months. I look forward to translating that effort into cinematic reality.

On April 5, the 63-years-old actor shared his first look from the film, which left people stunned by the actors uncanny resemblance to Manmohan Singh.

Based on Sanjay Barus book of the same name, the film is being directed by debutant Vijay Ratnakar Gutte.

The film also features Akshaye Khanna as Sanjaya Baru, the former media advisor to the prime minister, and Aahana Kumra who will be seen playing Priyanka Gandhi.

'The Accidental Prime Minister' is slated to release on December 21.
Visakhapatnam: A 24-year-old jawan Sada Gunakara Rao was killed along with four civilians in an encounter between militants and security forces in Khudwani area of Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning.

He belonged to AS Kaviti village of Patapatnam mandal in Srikakulam district.

According to village sarpanch Ampolu Bhaskara Rao, there had been clashes between militants and government forces near Srinagar from the past three days.

Gunakara Rao was driving the jeep along with some civilians after counter-insurgency operations. He was the first to be hit by a militant bullet during the crossfire. Army officials immediately informed his parents about the death, the sarpanch said.

The Defence Ministry paid tributes to the young soldier at Badami Bagh Cantonment on Wednesday evening. His mortal remains would be shifted from Srinagar to New Delhi and from there to Vizag.

The last rites were likely to be performed at his native place by Thursday evening. The soldier joined the Army in September 2012. He leaves his father Sada Malleswara Rao, an agricultural labourer, mother Jayamma, a homemaker and three married elder sisters.

He was planning to get married this year, the sarpanch said.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir police identified three civilians who died in clashes as Sarjeel Sheikh of Khudwani, Bilal Ah Tantray of Frisal and Faisal Ilahi of Melhoora Shopian. Several persons injured in the cross-fire were admitted into nearby hospitals.
Eighty-six-year-old JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda has returned to his fitness regimen to keep himself fighting fit for the Assembly election campaign.

The former PMs daily routine starts at around 5:30 am and ends at around 2 am the next morning with hardly three hours of sleep squeezed in. The octogenarian politician is working hard and burning the midnight oil to bring back his party to power and make his son, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy the next chief minister.

Come elections, Mr Gowda becomes hyperactive criss-crossing the entire state to mobilize support for his party. Having quit non-vegetarian food almost four decades ago, he survives on 'Ragi Mudde' and 'Soppina Saaru' in south Karnataka and relishes 'Jolad Rotti and salad' of north Karnataka during his tour in the North-Karnataka region. If nothing is available, he eats a few pieces of papaya and hits the bed.

Sources close to Mr Gowda told Deccan Chronicle that the JD(S) chief goes to bed and gets up early. He then does yoga for 30- 40 minutes to keep himself fit for the grilling schedule of the day. He learnt yoga from an instructor a few years ago and has been doing it daily without giving it a miss.

By 6 am, people from across the state gather in front of his house at Padmanabha Nagar in Bengaluru South. Mr Gowda spends some time addressing their grievances pertaining to the party or constituencies. He then has breakfast and sets off from his house.

Once he is on an election campaign, Mr Gowda is not too concerned about the timing of his lunch and has whatever is available around 3:30 pm. There are days when he has had his lunch at 5 pm too. His food is simple and without much masala. Knowing his love for ragi balls and soppina saaru, local party leaders get it prepared and supplied from their homes.

The JD(S) supremo prefers to drink hot water to avoid throat infections as he has to save his voice to address public meetings. Occasionally, he sips a cups of hot tea or two to keep himself awake.

"Being a vegetarian, it's easy to arrange food for him in any part of the state. While travelling, he has a look at all English and Kannada dailies to keep abreast of developments in state, national and international politics. Dinner time is flexible depending on the situation. It gets delayed if the public meeting ends very late. His dinner comprises of a little rice, plain dal and vegetable salad. Many a time, he has gone to sleep after having two or three slices of papaya", sources revealed.

After hectic electioneering, he hits the bed between 2 am and 3 am.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday sentenced the Chief General Manager (HRD) of the AP Southern Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (APSPDCL) and the superintendent engineer of the Kadapa Operation Circle to one-month imprisonment in a case of contempt.

Justice P. Naveen Rao allowed the contempt petition filed by Shankraiah and five others working as security guards at APSPDCL. He directed the contemnors to pay Rs 2,000 each as a fine, and an additional Rs 20,000 to the petitioners as costs.

The petitioners had previously approached the court seeking regularisation of their services, and the court had directed APSPDCL to consider their cases for absorption as security guards as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of two months from the date of receipt of the order. The petitioners told the court that though the order had been passed in June 2017, the authorities had not considered their case. They submitted that though the APSPDCL had approached a division bench, the order had not been stayed.

While holding that the respondent authorities had wilfully disobeyed the order, the judge awarded the conviction. He also stayed the operation of the conviction order for four weeks to enable the contemnors to appeal against it.


Hyderabad: Latest reports relating to the Indian family missing in the US since April 5 indicated that their car might have got washed away in floods. According to the local media, a car similar to that in which Sandeep Thottapilly and family were travelling while on their way from Portland in Oregon to San Jose in California had been found from the flood waters.

Sandeep, his wife Soumya and children Siddhant and Saachi were on their way to San Jose in a maroon colour Honda Pilot car when they suddenly stopped communicating with relatives in Valencia.

William Wunderlich, California Highway Patrol Officer, said that police was still working to find whether the car was indeed the one that the family was travelling in. He said police received reports on April 6 of a vehicle collision near the Eel River.

The news of the incident sent the relatives of the family into shock, while were efforts on to confirm what happened to the four. Meanwhile, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that she had sought a report on the incident from the consul general in San Francisco.
Hyderabad: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday rejected a petition for the constitution of an inquiry commission to look into the environmental clearances obtained by the Telangana state government for the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project.

The petition was filed by Hayat Uddin, a farmer from Vemulaghat village of Medak district. The village will be submerged due to the construction of Mallanna Sagar Dam as part of the Kaleshwaram Project.

The state government has submitted all the Project-related details sought by the NGT in a 5,000-page report.

The petitioner pointed out that there had been a 22-day delay in the submission of details regarding the environmental clearances. He sought the establishment of a commission to conduct an inquiry into the issue. He also sought time to go through all the details contained in the report.

The NGT made it clear that there is no need for a commission to be set up to conduct an inquiry into the environmental clearances as the government had already submitted a comprehensive report containing all the relevant details.

Granting the petitioner time to go through the report, the NGT posted the case for hearing on May 10.
Former Bihar CM and RJD leader Rabri Devi talks to the media after security was withdrawn from her residence, in Patna on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: Hours after former Bihar CM Rabri Devis house was raided by the CBI, the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar ordered the removal of security cover from her official residence on Tuesday.

Rabri Devi feels that the action was part of a conspiracy to kill her husband Lalu Yadav, who is currently serving jail term in connection with fodder scam cases.

This action prompted her to write a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in which she said that the home ministry will be responsible if anything happens to me or my family.

Rabri Devi and her two sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav, returned their state security cover in protest.

State government officials and the ruling Janata Dal (United) defended the recall of security from Rabri Devi's house last night, saying the house guards had been provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys Z category security.

Accordingly, the guards were asked to return as the RJD supremo is currently in jail, they said.

Just now at the stroke of midnight, Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of the two ex-CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby CM of the country, Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet.

Returning the security provided to my mother Rabri Devi as ex-CM, to my brother as an MLA and to me as Leader of the Opposition. Hope Nitish Kumar gives up acting spitefully and concentrates on doing something constructive, he added.
Hyderabad: People living in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have contributed Rs 5.46 crore (officially) to the Bharatiya Janata Party, according to data on contributions to party funds. Kakinada Seaport Ltd, located in Gayatri Nagar, Vijayawada, is the highest contributor from the two Telugu states with Rs 5 crore. From Telangana, Navayuga Engineering Company, Hyderabad, is the highest contributor with a donation of Rs 30 lakh.

The funds from the two states will be higher if amounts under Rs 20,000 are taken into consideration. These names from TS and AP, have surfaced in the donation list (all above Rs 20,000) submitted by the BJP to the Election Commission for the year 2016- 17.

The BJP has emerged the richest political party in India with `1,034 crore income. Over `997.13 crore was received from grants/donations/contributions which formed 96.41 per cent of the total income of the party during 2016-17.

The Indian National Congress (INC) followed with Rs 225.36 crore income.

Out of 1,194 donors pan India, a handful were from the South Indian states (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh). From Telangana, Navayuga Engineering company donated `30 lakh.

Going by the Donation List, Telugus in AP gave more (Rs 5.11 crore) to the BJP than those in Telangana (`35 lakh).

The biggest contributor to the BJP coffers was a New Delhi based trust called Satya Electoral Trust located in Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, which gave Rs 200 crore in various cash break-ups in a span of one year. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysed and audited the accounts of the BJP and six other national parties, for 2016-17. Seven national parties declared a combined income of Rs 1,559.17 crore in 2016-17, with the BJP having the highest share of Rs 1,034.27 crore, says the report.

The data has been compiled from income tax returns filed by political parties across the country. The seven national parties declared a total expenditure of Rs 1,228.26 crore, the report added.
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will reportedly contest the forthcoming Assembly elections from two seats  Chamundeshwari in Mysuru district and Badami in North Karnataka, said sources, who were privy to the latest internal discussion in the Congress party on the short listing of candidates.

Contrary to speculation that Siddaramaiah has developed cold feet over Chamundeshwari in the wake of overwhelming popularity of the JD(S) MLA and friend-turned -political foe - G.T. Devegowda, he is firm that he would fight the forthcoming elections from Chamundeshwari, where he knows practically every voter. He has convinced the party high command that Chamundeshwari is his choice even though he has been advised otherwise. He has been given the second option of fighting from Badami, which is dominated by the Kuruba community to which Siddaramaiah belongs and he is likely to agree to the proposal in the screening committee and the central election committee meeting this Saturday in Delhi, said a well placed source, who requested anonymity.

Sources close to the developments said his decision to contest from Chamundeshwari is not political hara-kiri as much as a 'gamble'. With an internal party survey giving a tally of 90 to 100 to the Congress, the JD(S), which is likely to rope in 35 to 40 seats, is reportedly agreeable on supporting Congress with the caveat being that the H.D. Deve Gowda led party is only willing to back senior party leader Mallikarjuna Kharge as the next chief minister.

"Siddaramaiah wants to anoint his son - Dr Yathindra - a greenhorn - as his political successor and has given him, his constituency Varuna. If he loses Chamudeshwari, and the party fails to get a simple majority, he can make a 'dignified' exit from coalition politics rather than have to face being shown the door by the father-son duo of the JD(S), who would leave no stone unturned to demean the man they dub the 'traitor.' On the other hand if the Congress is able to win 110 seats, then he will retain his chief ministership for the second time. More than the Lingayat issue, his social welfare schemes will stand him in good stead," said the source.

A paler shade of saffron? BJP may get only 70 seats, says internal survey

The number tally for the BJP in the forthcoming Assembly polls has reportedly nose-dived to a dismal count of 70 as per an internal and Intelligence survey after the party announced its first list of 72 candidates a couple of days ago. "There are quite a few challenges that the party is facing - from the rebels, who have already started protesting, the dilemma to dump or repatriate the Reddy brothers to the party, who between them alone control 15 to 20 seats; lack of active campaigning, old school politicians, who are out of tune with the politics of today and the wait for the Modi magic to deliver," said a reliable source, unwilling to be named.

PM Narendra Modi, the BJP's star campaigner is likely to hold extensive and back to back rallies in the State but will it translate into votes will be decided on May 12 alone, informed sources said. "These elections will either nail or resurrect BJP State president and chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yedyurappa's political career. The fact that Modi is taking time to rally in Karnataka itself is an indication of his understanding of the ground reality on the inability of the BJP state leaders to form the government. He would not like to have to take responsibility for the results," he added.
Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Itteha-dul Muslimeen (MIM) chief and Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi described Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to observe a days fast as a mark of protest against disruption of Parliament by opposition parties as a cheap trick.

Will he sit on fast for thousands of farmers who lost their lives, for atrocities on Dalits and for not being able to fulfil two crore jobs every year as promised by him? Why doesnt Mr Prime Minister sit on a fast to atone for his false promises? Mr Owaisi asked on Wednesday.

Mr Owaisi said that the BJP had more than 270 MPs in the Parliament and they could have easily moved the motion and suspended the MPs who were in the well. The AIDMK is their ally and the BJP wanted them to obstruct the House. They wanted the House not to function so that the failures of the government are not discussed, he remarked.

Mr Owaisi asked the PM and the BJP to spell out their stand on the kidnapping, drugging, rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in a temple in Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir. Important issue is PM talks about Beti Bachao Beti Padao. He proudly claims he stands for protecting the girl child and stands for empowerment of girl child. Here is a classic example of hypocrisy. Here his party is sharing power and where his own MLAs have taken out a protest rally in support of the accused. I want to know from the PM and BJP what is their stand on this poor eight-year-old girls kidnapping, rape and subsequent death, he said.

Mr Owaisi added, "I want to know from the CM of Uttar P the truth. He claims he has done so many encounters and I say there were cold-blooded murders. Will Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh do justice to the poor girl? You have a Chief Minister who meets the MLA and the MLA meets the CM as if he is the king of the world. An MLA who is nonchalant about the criminal act done by his brother."
On Monday, April 9, the leaders and workers of the Indian National Congress, led by party president Rahul Gandhi, observed a day-long fast all over India to protest against the rising incidents of atrocities against dalits and minority communities. By doing so, he was invoking a connection with the Gandhian principles of fasting not merely as potent political tool against oppressors, but also as symbolism to spread the message of peace and communal harmony.

Fasting as a means of political protest is an age-old practice that was mastered by Mahatma Gandhi in his struggle for Indias freedom from colonial rule. In his own words  fasting is a potent weapon in the satyagraha armoury  something that he used with great effect, but sparingly. The Mahatmas fasts were not merely aimed at the British, he also undertook fasts as a penance when he felt that disruptive forces were going against the principles of satyagraha  the dual arsenal of truth and non-violence that shook the foundation of the mightiest colonial empire of the time, and which inspired many global leaders in later decades who too used the principles of satyagraha to fight against tyranny in their own homelands.

Other Indian freedom fighters too used hungerstrikes as a means of protest. While on trial, Jatin Das and Bhagat Singh undertook one of the longest fasts in history, for 116 days, in order to improve conditions in which prisoners were held in India. It ended with Das death from starvation in September 1929. The wave of public sympathy set off by his hungerstrike forced the British jailers to concede some demands for improving the living conditions of prisoners.

Fasting  or in the parlance of political protests, hungerstrikes  is a practice that dates back to millennia. According to Wikipedia: Fasting was used as a method of protesting injustice in pre-Christian Ireland, where it was known as Troscadh or Cealachan. It was detailed in the contemporary civic codes, and had specific rules by which it could be used. The fast was often carried out on the doorsteps of the home of the offender. Embedded in the culture of Ireland, this practice of hungerstrikes was practised by Irish republican prisoners in British jails and continued to be sporadically used till as late as 1981 by members of the Irish Republican Army.

In India, there is reference to fasting as a means of persuasion in the Ramayan. When Bhagwan Ram left for his 14 years of exile, Bharat tried to stop him by saying that he would go on a fast-unto-death unless Ram changed his mind. Ram had to dissuade Bharat by citing the Shastras, saying that only brahmins were entitled to undertake such fasts, and had to strike a bargain with Bharat by offering him his sandals as his symbol, on whose behalf Bharat would rule in Rams absence. In Kalhans Rajtarangini that chronicles the rulers of Kashmir in the 12th century, there are a lot of references to the use of hungerstrikes by brahmins against King Jayasimha because they felt that the ruler had allowed the kingdom to fall into ruin due to his weakness and inaction against corrupt officials.

Centuries later, the fast by Anna Hazare against institutional corruption had stirred the nations imagination, bringing the issue of corruption into the forefront of public discourse. Not limited by caste as fasting was no longer the prerogative of brahmins in modern, democratic India, thousands supported the protest that was to become the largest anti-corruption movement in post-Independent India, forcing the incumbent government to pass the Lokpal Bill. However, unless the motive behind the fast catches the public imagination, or is backed by huge popular support that is usually political in nature, even a prolonged or well-publicised fast also may not get the desired results. When Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao started to sink after 11 days of fasting, the Centre conceded the long-pending demand for a separate state of Telangana.

But Irom Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years seeking repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958, had to end it in 2016 without achieving her desired goal. Nevertheless, she became an icononic figure (though later condemned by some people and organisations in her home state for giving up fasting), symbolising the struggle of a common citizen protesting peacefully against the mighty power of the State.

While Mahatma Gandhi became the most famous exponent of fasting as a tool of protest in the modern era, and he also gave it a touch of moral endorsement by linking it to satyagraha, there were others before and after him who have used it effectively. In Britain, a decade before Gandhi, Marion Wallace Dunlop, seeking the right to vote for women, went on fast in prison to assert her right to be treated as a political prisoner. Emmeline Pankhurst, a political activist and a leader of the British Suffragette movement, who fought for the right of women to vote and for equality, along with other colleagues in similar movements in different countries, often used hungerstrikes as a means of protest.

Hungerstrikes remain a powerful tool of political protest. It gives every citizen a powerful weapon to challenge even the mightiest power. However, for it to become really effective, it must be used sparingly. Mahatma Gandhi had warned that fasting cannot be undertaken by everyone. It must have strong ideological and moral conviction that must come from the depths of ones soul. The truth behind this statement was perhaps best underlined in the recent fast by Anna Hazare. The same Anna Hazare, who had ignited the nations imagination just a few years ago, became a tragic farce when he ended his latest fast within just four days, ostensibly satisfied by some vague promises by the Narendra Modi government to look into his demands. People must be aware of their own strengths and limitations, not just physical, but also ideological and moral, when they undertake a serious fast, lest in Kalhans words pronounced centuries ago, they become intoxicated with their own knavery.
It was the more volatile elements among the countrys dalits that called for a Bharat Bandh on April 2 (for the first time in history), and the upper castes exacted revenge on Tuesday, exactly eight days after, signalling a downward push to social equilibrium and harmony. The communal situation in parts of India, meaning the unease created by right-wing political elements between majority Hindus and the minorities  mainly Muslims  is already undesirably brittle.

It is time that the government took stock of this social reality and initiate active steps to regenerate a happier state of affairs. In the absence of this, any national cause is bound to suffer and any national purpose will be difficult to nurture  and this includes a return to a restored and stable economic trajectory, which has been elusive for the past two years.

Fortunately, the Union home ministry learnt a lesson from its lackadaisical approach to the April 2 bandh call when state governments were caught napping in the face of violence that erupted in various parts of the country on that occasion, leading to a dozen deaths. To meet the challenge of the Tuesday Bharat Bandh, the Centre sent out advisories to the state governments, making it explicit that district magistrates and superintendents of police would be held personally responsible if the situation got out of hand in within their jurisdiction.

Thus, the handling was much better. That is reassuring. At least no deaths were caused in the pretty intense violence that erupted in some places, especially in Bihar. The scene in Bihar was especially grim on Tuesday, but while Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh remained tense, the situation was reasonably well contained.

No political party or caste outfit claimed authorship for the bandh call of the upper caste elements. It appears that all the mobilisation occurred through the social media, which by now seems to be fast turning into a platform that can incite violence with ease. Except for cutting off the Internet for a limited period, as they do frequently in Kashmir, it is not clear how the authorities can cope with this menace.

Even with the Centre showing alertness, we should keep in mind that in addition to the state police, Rajasthan had to deploy the BSF and the CRPF to deal with the bandh call of the upper castes.

The dalit groups had struck in response to the dilution of the law that deals with atrocities against the SC/ST communities. The upper castes mobilised themselves against reservations in education and jobs in retaliation  and retaliation it was. The action of both sides seems not unrelated to shrinking economic opportunities for young people in recent times and the sense of injustice rising.
When the incidences of Jesus resurrection is told to his disciples by those who had seen him alive, despite having heard and experienced him, they refuse to believe them and not just doubt. This happens often. But Jesus doesnt punish anyone.

"I would like to ask forgiveness from God for questioning him and doubting his word and his promises, is what I get to hear often in my profession as a priest. While on the one hand they are surprised hearing my response that it was absolutely fine to question, doubt or even sometimes fight with God, on the other hand they also go back consoled to have found a confirmation to their own experience of questioning the divine.

There are undoubtedly many paths to God and to faith. Every religion proposes a path to its followers of discovering God and/or arriving at deeper faith. Hinduism probably offers the widest spectrum in the area of ones search for the divine. A normal person, not well versed in such matters, however, may feel that doubting and questioning God is heretical and needs total avoiding. Nay, one even begs Gods forgiveness when doubtful thoughts arise in ones searching or pleading heart. Such doubts become even stronger when, putting all our trust in God, our prayers are either not immediately answered or not answered the way we would have liked it to be.

Interestingly the Bible has several references to how people often doubted and questioned Gods prophets, his words and his promises. But even more interesting to note is that in such situations, instead of God punishing them, except sometimes with a gentle smack on the knuckles as it were, he comes to their aid. He helps them overcome their doubts by revealing himself to them. This is seen particularly in the Bible readings that Christians are exposed to in the current Easter season.

For instance, when the incidences of Jesus resurrection is told to his disciples by those who had seen him alive, despite having heard and experienced him, they refuse to believe them and not just doubt. This happens often. But Jesus doesnt punish anyone. Apart from understanding their doubts (since no one had either risen from the dead or indeed claimed so), he takes the time and opportunity to show himself to them again. The most famous example is of Apostle Thomas, who when told that they had seen the Lord, responded obstinately: Unless I see the marks of the nail in his hands and unless I put my finger in his side, I would not believe.

The Lord Jesus does oblige him. Appearing again he tells him: Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe, adding: Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

So instead of feeling guilty about our doubts and questions, let us then through them discover and deepen our faith.
In 2018, India has an effective or real defence budget of about $44 billion which, at 1.49 per cent of GDP, is the second lowest since 1950. Another $18 billion is spent on pensions under the heads of MoD Misc (Rs 16,206 crores) and defence pensions (Rs 1,08,853 crores). By comparison, the Russian defence budget for 2018 is $46 billion (2.8 per cent of GDP), while the Americans and Chinese have allocated $750 billion and $175 billion respectively. Can India emulate some aspects of the Russian model as today Russia has the capability to deter both the US and China due to its technologically advanced and innovative nuclear arsenal with associated delivery systems.

Few people are aware that India built up a formidable defence capability between 1962 and 1991 despite a low defence budget because we got a large amount of diverse weapons for the armed forces at friendship prices with repayment spread over 18 years at two per cent simple interest, courtesy the erstwhile USSR (Pakistan is getting something similar from China now). This, along with a powerful and decisive Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, resulted in Indias greatest-ever military victory in the 1971 war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Post-1971, the Indian politico-bureaucratic leadership decided to sideline the military and keep the three service chiefs out of military decision-making while successive Pay Commissions reduced the pay and parity of the military vis-a-vis the civil bureaucracy. The decline really set in with the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and matters further deteriorated with nuclear parity between India and Pakistan after the 1998 nuclear tests, and Chinas phenomenal economic-cum-military rise, its supply of conventional and nuclear delivery capabilities to Pakistan along with the well-known presence of Chinese Navy warships, submarines and new bases in the Indian Ocean.

India is upset over the growing Chinese influence in the Maldives and is expecting a hot summer when the snow melts along the disputed India-China border post the Doklam standoff of 2017. Growing Chinese military infrastructure (roads, 14 airfields in Tibet, military reorganisation, a defence budget of $175 billion, etc) and new missile tests by Pakistan Navy of Chinese copies have created some justified unease among the strategic community despite statements that India is ready to fight a two-front war while its Army is importing basic infantry weapons like rifles, carbines and light machine-guns and its Air Force is facing drastic shortages in combat jets. Even the Navy, which has prided itself in designing and building ships and submarines for over 50 years, is facing a funds crunch with well-known shortages in submarines, mine counter-measure vessels, ship-borne helicopters and amphibious warfare capability.

In the meantime, Russia, with a landmass about five times larger than India, and a declining population of 150 million, has managed to hold its own against the United States. In 2009, during a submarine seminar in the US, where I spoke, I recall a US admiral saying that despite the breakup of the USSR, its successor state Russia was still the only nation capable of destroying the US in a single day due to its nuclear arsenal. Today, an impoverished North Korea, having tested a 11,000-km range nuclear-tipped ICBM which can reach the US mainland, has found itself in a position to plan a Kim-Trump summit meeting.

Media reports indicate that Russia under President Vladimir Putin has developed new long-range ballistic missiles with multiple re-entry vehicles (nuclear-tipped MIRVs), which can reach any target on earth and cannot be intercepted by existing ballistic missile defence systems (BMDS). To this arsenal, the Russians have added a long-range hypersonic nuclear-tipped cruise missile system, propelled by a miniature nuclear engine, and also a new long-range underwater high-speed nuclear-tipped drone, which when launched from a submarine can destroy large coastal cities. And knowing how the Russians defeated Napoleon in the early 19th century and Hitler in the mid-20th century, neither the US nor China has any doubts about Russias political will to respond to any threat. In addition, Russian scientists, unlike our DRDO, have produced a new generation of stealth combat jets (SU-57), strategic nuclear submarines (SSBNs) and tactical nuclear submarines (SSNs). Given its poor economic state, Russia cannot be termed a global superpower, but it cannot be ignored or threatened.

The Indian soldier, as always, will fight the enemy to the death to defend Indias territorial integrity, even when using totally obsolete weapons, but raw courage alone or only diplomacy cannot deter or defeat a ruthless enemy, as the disastrous 1962 India-China war showed. Political vision, leadership, resolve, along with a scientific-industrial base and a relevant higher defence management organisation are essential. Sadly, India is lacking in all these.

What then can India do, given that a localised border conflict (Doklam repeated along multiple points of the disputed LAC) or even a clash at sea (in case India ever decides to intervene in the Maldives) cannot be ruled out? Appeasing China will only embolden it further to keep testing Indian resolve and is not recommended, but needless provocation can be avoided. The obvious answer is an increase of the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of our GDP, but this is highly unlikely given the glacial pace of military modernisation and our ostrich-like attitude to growing threats from China, Pakistan and terror. Reorganisation of the higher decision-making system is unlikely given that little has happened since 2014 and new elections are due in 2019. The much vaunted Make in India has not taken off, while FDI in the military-industrial complex has been almost zero. Getting into military alliances is ruled out, though some form of intelligence-sharing with like-minded nations is feasible, especially in the maritime domain, and should be done.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very little time before the nation swings into general election mode. The only possible options available to India could include a tweak of its No First Use (NFU) nuclear doctrine, which needs to actually deter any misadventure by two nuclear-armed neighbours, by introducing ambiguity that nuclear weapons maybe used by India in rare cases if some red lines are crossed.

Since the DRDO cant be expected to emulate the latest Russian technological advances in missiles, we can at least ramp up domestic production of our Agni ICBMs and nuclear submarines. Having joined the MTCR, India could get some cruise missiles from Russia. Also, hopefully, before the next general election is announced, the government (always busy with numerous state elections) makes available the minimum additional funds to make up for the well-known critical shortages of conventional operations in the three services. This process will take over a decade, if unspent funds are not allowed to lapse annually, and may require the defence budget to increase to at least two per cent of GDP. Finally, there is no alternative to Make in India pioneered by the Indian Navy, which should be provided to continue with its path to become a builders navy.
During some five hours of Senate questioning on April 10, Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures. (Photo: AP)

Under fire for the worst privacy debacle in his company's history, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg batted away often-aggressive questioning from lawmakers who accused him of failing to protect the personal information of millions of Americans from Russians intent on upsetting the US election.

During some five hours of Senate questioning on April 10, Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures, disclosed that his company was "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference and said it was working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private data by a data-mining company affiliated with Donald Trump's campaign.

Seemingly unimpressed, Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said Zuckerberg's company had a 14-year history of apologizing for "ill-advised decisions" related to user privacy. "How is today's apology different?" Thune asked.

"We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company," Zuckerberg conceded, and Facebook must work harder at ensuring the tools it creates are used in "good and healthy" ways.

The controversy has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the company's stock value plunging, but Zuckerberg seemed to achieve a measure of success in countering that: Facebook shares surged 4.5 percent for the day, the biggest gain in two years.

In all, he skated largely unharmed through his first day of congressional testimony. He'll face House questioners on April 11.

The 33-year-old founder of the world's best-known social media giant appeared in a suit and tie, a departure from the T-shirt he's famous for wearing in public as well as in private. Even so, his youth cast a sharp contrast with his often-elderly, grey-haired Senate inquisitors. And the enormous complexity of the social network he created at times defeated the attempts of legislators to hammer him on Facebook's specific failures and how to fix them.

The stakes are high for both Zuckerberg and his company. Facebook has been reeling from its worst-ever privacy failure following revelations last month that the political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica, which was affiliated with Trump's 2016 campaign, improperly scooped up data on some 87 million users. Zuckerberg has been on an apology tour for most of the past two weeks, culminating in his congressional appearance Tuesday.

Although shaky at times, Zuckerberg seemed to gain confidence as the day progressed. An iconic figure as a billionaire entrepreneur who changed the way people around the world relate to each other, he made a point of repeatedly referring back to the Harvard dorm room where he said Facebook was brought to life.

At times, he showed plenty of steel. After aggressive questioning about Facebook's alleged political bias from Sen. Ted Cruz, for instance, Zuckerberg was asked if he was ready to take a break. No need. "That was pretty good," he said of the exchange with Cruz.

For the most part, his careful but generally straightforward answers, steeped in the sometimes arcane details of Facebook's underlying functions, often deflected aggressive questioning. When the going got tough, Zuckerberg was able to fall back on: "Our team should follow up with you on that, Senator."

As a result, he found it relatively easy to return to familiar talking points: Facebook made mistakes, he and his executives are very sorry, and they're working very hard to correct the problems and safeguard the users' data. As for the federal Russia probe that has occupied much of Washington's attention for months, he said he had not been interviewed by special counsel Mueller's team, but "I know we're working with them." He offered no details, citing a concern about confidentiality rules of the investigation.

Earlier this year Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a social media propaganda effort that included online ad purchases using US aliases and politicking on US soil. A number of the Russian ads were on Facebook. Much of the effort was aimed at denigrating Democrat Hillary Clinton and thereby helping Republican Trump, or simply encouraging divisiveness and undercutting faith in the US system.

Zuckerberg said Facebook had been led to believe Cambridge Analytica had deleted the user data it had harvested and that had been "clearly a mistake." He said Facebook had considered the data collection "a closed case" and had not alerted the Federal Trade Commission. He assured senators the company would handle the situation differently today.

Separately, the company began alerting some of its users that their data was gathered by Cambridge Analytica. A notification that appeared on Facebook for some users Tuesday told them that "one of your friends" used Facebook to log into a now-banned personality quiz app called "This Is Your Digital Life." The notice says the app misused the information, including public profiles, page likes, birthdays and current cities, by sharing it with Cambridge Analytica.

In the hearings, Zuckerberg is trying to both restore public trust in his company and stave off federal regulations that some lawmakers have floated.

Democrat Bill Nelson of Florida said he believes Zuckerberg was taking the congressional hearings seriously "because he knows there is going to be a hard look at regulation."

Republicans have yet to get behind any legislation, but that could change.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Zuckerberg if he would be willing to work with lawmakers to examine what "regulations you think are necessary for your industry."

Absolutely, Zuckerberg responded, saying later in an exchange with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, that "I'm not the type of person who thinks that all regulation is bad."

Ahead of the hearing, John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said, "This is a serious matter, and I think people expect us to take action."

At the hearing, Zuckerberg said: "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He outlined steps the company has taken to restrict outsiders' access to people's personal information. He also said the company is investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014 - actions that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.

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Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg returns to Capitol Hill for more questioning by lawmakers who have a rare chance to air grievances about the company directly to the head of the worlds largest social media network.

The internet magnate is scheduled to testify before the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, a day after he appeared for nearly five hours before a US Senate hearing.

Zuckerberg, wearing a dark suit instead of his usual grey T-shirt, navigated through the first hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years, closing up 4.5 per cent on Tuesday.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users personal information were wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US President Donald Trumps election campaign among its clients. The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway US politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from hearing expressing confidence in the social network.

I dont want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will, Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg. A lot of that depends on you.

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get peoples permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

In principle, I think that that makes sense, and the details matter and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out, Zuckerberg said.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Washington: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg disclosed Tuesday his company is working with special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign  and working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users private information by a Trump campaign-affiliated data-mining company.

The founder of the social media giant publicly apologized for his companys errors in failing to better protect the personal information of its millions of users, a controversy that has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the companys stock value plunging. He seemed to achieve a measure of success: Facebook shares surged 4.5 per cent for the day, the biggest gain in two years.

Zuckerberg told the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees that he has not been personally interviewed by Muellers team, but I know were working with them. He offered no details, citing a concern about confidentiality rules of the investigation.

Earlier in 2018, Mueller charged 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies in a plot to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a social media propaganda effort that included online ad purchases using US aliases and politicking on US soil. A number of the Russian ads were on Facebook. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says his company is working with special counsel Robert Mueller in his probe into Russian interference.

During Tuesdays at-times-contentious hearing, Zuckerberg said it had been clearly a mistake to believe the data-mining company Cambridge Analytica had deleted user data that it had harvested in an attempt to sway elections. He said Facebook had considered the data collection a closed case because it thought the information had been discarded.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (Photo: AP)

Facebook also didnt alert the Federal Trade Commission, Zuckerberg said, and he assured senators the company would handle the situation differently today. He began a two-day congressional inquisition with a public apology for the way Facebook handled the data-mining of its users data. He took responsibility for failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica, which was affiliated with Donald Trumps presidential campaign, from gathering personal information from 87 million users.

Separately, the company began alerting some of its users that their data was gathered by Cambridge Analytica. A notification that appeared on Facebook for some users Tuesday told them that one of your friends used Facebook to log into a now-banned personality quiz app called This Is Your Digital Life. The notice says the app misused the information, including public profiles, page likes, birthdays and current cities, by sharing it with Cambridge Analytica.

Zuckerberg had apologized many times already, to users and the public, but this was the first time before Congress. He also is to testify Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the Commerce Committee chairman, told Zuckerberg his company had a 14-year history of apologizing for ill-advised decisions related to user privacy. How is todays apology different? Thune asked. We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company, Zuckerberg responded. I think its pretty much impossible, I believe, to start a company in your dorm room and then grow it to be at the scale that were at now without making some mistakes.

Zuckerberg said Facebook is going through a broader philosophical shift in how we approach our responsibility as a company. He said the company needs to take a more proactive role that includes ensuring the tools it creates are used in good and healthy ways. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Zuckerbergs appearance marked the most intense hearing for a tech company since entrepreneur and businessman Bill Gates testified before Congress in March 1998.

Many of the senators questions seemed to focus on Facebooks basic functions, such as its privacy settings and what it does and doesnt do with user data. Because each of the 44 senators had just 5 minutes to ask questions, there was little time for tough follow-ups. On some subjects, that allowed Zuckerberg to tell the lawmakers that his people would get back to them with more information.

In the hearings, Zuckerberg is trying to both restore public trust in his company and stave off federal regulations that some lawmakers have floated. In his opening statement, he also apologized for his companys involvement in facilitating fake news and Russian interference in the elections.

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said he believes Zuckerberg was taking the congressional hearings seriously because he knows there is going to be a hard look at regulation. Democrats like Nelson have argued that federal laws might be necessary to ensure user privacy. Republicans have yet to get behind any such legislation, but that could change. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Zuckerberg if he would be willing to work with lawmakers to examine what regulations you think are necessary in your industry.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (Photo: AP)

Absolutely, Zuckerberg responded, saying later in an exchange with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, that Im not the type of person who thinks that all regulation is bad. He called for a full conversation about what is the right regulation not whether it should be or shouldnt be.

And Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Judiciary panel and the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, appeared open to regulation in a speech ahead of the hearing. Cornyn said apologies are not enough and suggested legislation could eventually be needed to give consumers more control over their data privacy. This is a serious matter, and I think people expect us to take action, Cornyn told reporters after his speech.

At the hearing, Zuckerberg said, We didnt take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and Im sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and Im responsible for what happens here.

After resisting previous calls to testify, Zuckerberg agreed to come to Capitol Hill this month after reports surfaced  and the company confirmed  that Cambridge Analytica had gathered Facebook users data. Zuckerberg said his company has a responsibility to make sure that doesnt happen again. He acknowledged that the company was too slow to respond to Russian election interference and said it was working hard to get better. The company has said that as many as 146 million people may have received information from a Russian agency thats accused of orchestrating much of the cyber meddling in the election.

He outlined steps the company has taken to restrict outsiders access to peoples personal information. He also said the company is investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before the company moved to prevent such access in 2014  actions that came too late in the Cambridge Analytica case.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify before a House Energy and Commerce hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 11, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election and data privacy. (Photo: AP)

Washington/San Francisco: Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday told lawmakers that his own personal data was included in that of 87 million or so Facebook users that was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

But he pushed back on congress members' suggestions that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook in the wake of the privacy scandal at the world's largest social media network.

"Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook ... there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there," the 33-year-old internet magnate told the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Also Read: Will ensure fair elections in India, says Zuckerberg at senate hearing

Once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual gray T-shirt, the hearing was Zuckerberg's second in two days. On Tuesday, he took questions for nearly five hours in a US Senate hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 per cent. They were down 0.7 per cent in early trading on Wednesday.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users' personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted US President Donald Trump's election campaign among its clients.

Zuckerberg faced broad concerns from members of Congress about how Facebook shares user data.

"How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?" asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce committee.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway US politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday's hearing expressing confidence in the social network.

"I don't want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will," Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. "A lot of that depends on you."

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people's permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

"In principle, I think that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out," Zuckerberg said.
The police found the girl in a deserted street in an unconscious state with burns all over her body (Photo: AFP)

Lahore: An eight-year-old girl was burnt alive after being raped in Pakistans Punjab province, a brutal incident which triggered protests in the province.

A large number of people of Chichawatni, Sahiwal district, some 200-km from Lahore, held a demonstration and blocked the main GT Road for several hours to lodge their protest against the brutal incident.

After the assurance of police that claimed to have arrested a suspect, the protesters dispersed.

According to police, the grade-II student of the government girls high school Chichawatni went missing on Sunday after she left home to buy some sweets from a grocery shop. When she did not return after a while, her family members and neighbours held a search.

They found her in a deserted street in an unconscious state with burns all over her body. Initially she was shifted to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Chichawatni from where she was brought to Lahores Jinnah Hospital.

She succumbed to her burns today as doctors could not save her life despite efforts, Jinnah Hospital spokesman Dr Abdul Jabbar said.

He said the girl had received more than 70% burns.

Police official concerned Atif Ikram told reporters that police had arrested a suspect who is being interrogated. He said it was suspected that the girl was set on fire after being raped.

However, autopsy report would confirm it, he said, adding that an FIR has been registered against the suspected person(s).

There has been an upsurge in rape incidents especially in Punjab province in 2018. The murder of seven-year-old girl in Kasur district of Punjab earlier in 2018 had shocked the whole nation.
SALT LAKE CITY  When asked about some of the best and worst punishments he's received on the hit show Impractical Jokers, Salvatore Sal Vulcano had to reflect on nearly 200 episodes of dares and punishments.

It's almost a traumatic thing because I have to reflect on, like, seven years of being punished, Vulcano jokingly told the Deseret News. Just so many things. Just so many terrible, terrible things.

Vulcano mentioned when his buddies made him go to a casino bingo hall, with more than a thousand senior citizens in attendance. His dare was to keep yelling out bingo when he didn't actually have it.

And I almost started like a mob, he recalled. I think they actually had to pull me out of the casino because they were going to literally kill me. These old people  they take their bingo very seriously.

https://youtu.be/guuJe5dKctY

While not in front of the hidden cameras, Vulcano and his Impractical Jokers costars/longtime friends Joseph Joe Gatto, James Murr Murray and Brian Q Quinn regularly tour the world as The Tenderloins. According to Vulcano, the group's Santiago Sent Us tour, which comes to the Maverik Center on April 14, will showcase a more personal side of improv group than seen on TV.

Having all grown up together in Staten Island, the foursome have established a tight and profitable  if only a little unhealthy  bond that is palpable in whatever format you choose to see them.

According to the Washington Post, the group practiced four times a week in a basement for six months before they found success with truTV. Their filmed skits soon became popular in online social circles, and after winning a $100,000 grand prize on NBCs Its Your Show, they went on to have one of their pilots picked up by truTV.

Making a full-length live-show has had its own challenges and rewards, according to Vulcano. Writing them will take months, and the group will use small venue shows twice a night roughly 15 or 20 times as jumping off points for their larger shows. Between television and live performance, Vulcano struggled to choose one over the other.

Both have different payoffs I guess, he said. On TV, you can kind of craft and edit how you want the tone and the vibe and the beat to go, and it's a late payoff. Live, it's so much different. Live is just in the moment. It's you and them. It's instant gratification or failure. The energy is completely different, like the feel of our shows. Because it's four of us, people feel very familiar with us, and also people have, like, a horse in the race.

Considering their punishments after lost challenges, watchers may easily empathize with the jokers. The tendency to pick favorites even materializes in their live shows, where, Vulcano said, attendees will sometimes dress as the four comedians, ready to support their favorite. Vulcano describes the vibe almost as a music concert or a rock show.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naTxsJRrf\\\_M\](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naTxsJRrf\_M)

And if their performances scream rock show, the foursome certainly have the personalities to match. Vulcano, who has had the most punishments out of the four, describes himself as the mush of the group  meaning the sensitive one.

He added, Quinns got a laissez-faire attitude that people take to  and then Joe's a nutcase. If people like seeing a train wreck, Joe is definitely a nutcase, and people take to that.

Murray, who Vulcano said could be polarizing amongst fans, can also be figuratively thought of as the music manager. According to Vulcano, although the four enjoy Utah, Murray is particularly partial to the state and is welcomed by many Utahn friends.

In fact, Vulcano said Murray was the catalyst for the group's Utah visit when Murray noticed they hadn't performed in Utah for a while.

After they complete the last legs of their tour, the group still has big plans for the future. Recently announced is a feature-length film produced by Funny or Die. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film, which is set to go into production this spring, will be truTVs first ever feature-length film.

Whatever fame brings, Vulcano said he is still grateful for his position in life. He also finds comfort in his and his friends' willingness to laugh at themselves.

My job is literally to write jokes and to laugh, he said. Like, I just got a mortgage and it's from that. So I can't believe that. It's what people say to us the most, both in celebration of the fact that we did it and in resentment that we're doing it.

But I think that's it, he continued. Daily success on our show is measured by how much we laugh.

If you go 

What: truTV's Impractical Jokers, Santiago Sent Us tour

When: Saturday, April 14, 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Maverik Center, 3200 Decker Lake Dr., West Valley City

How much: $52.50-$153

Tickets: maverikcenter.com

Note: Maverik Center parking is $10 per vehicle

Content advisory: Recommended for ages 16 and older

Correction: The previous headline for this story listed "Impractical Jokers" member Joe Gatto as the interview subject. It is actually Sal Vulcano.
SALT LAKE CITY  Salt Lake County filed a lawsuit Tuesday against pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals, alleging the scourge of opioid addiction in the county "stems directly from a callously deceptive marketing scheme that was spearheaded by certain opioid manufacturers and perpetuated by prominent doctors they bankrolled."

That alleged scheme, according to the 97-page complaint the county filed in 3rd District Court, "has exacted a foreseeable financial burden on Salt Lake County," which has spent millions of dollars "on addiction treatment and other programs aimed at curbing the crisis" of opioid addiction.

"Our jail facilities, our public health facilities, our community treatment centers, our youth treatment centers' resources are all being overburdened and overwhelmed," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill during a press conference Tuesday announcing that the lawsuit had been filed.

"And they require a further investment from our community and our tax dollars as we struggle to meet this overwhelming need of (addiction) treatment now for our citizens and into the future. ... The enormous burden on the taxpayers should not  will not  be borne by Salt Lake County's taxpayers alone," Gill continued.

He later added, "What we're really saying is enough is enough."

With the filing, Salt Lake County becomes the third county in the state to sue pharmaceutical companies this year over of the accusation that manufacturers and marketers of prescription opioids have long deceived the public about the risks inherent in their products.

Summit and Tooele counties have already filed lawsuits, while Utah and Weber counties have declared they will do the same.

Aim of the lawsuit

Gill wouldn't comment on precisely how much money the county could seek in the lawsuit, except to estimate it would "go into the millions of dollars." Damages received would go toward helping the county fight the opioid crisis using a "therapeutic justice model," he said.

Asked what the strategy is behind the county's decision to file its own lawsuit, Gill responded that "the emphasis here is to recognize this problem has bled down to a local level."

"We have a unique story to tell, that is unique to us," he said. "We couldn't wait for the state. We have the legal authority and independence to (sue)."

Utah Attorney General Reyes said in January that Utah is participating in a 41-state push to negotiate a settlement with opioid makers and is preparing to sue if the terms of an agreement reached in that effort are unsatisfactory.

"Should we feel that at any time during the process leading up to settlement that the manufacturers and distributors aren't cooperating with the states, then we wanted to have the gun loaded, figuratively, ready to pull the trigger on a lawsuit," Reyes told reporters in January.

With only one dissenting vote, state lawmakers passed a nonbinding resolution last month that urges Reyes to "immediately and publicly commit to directly filing suit against prescription opioid manufacturers, instead of joining a suit with other plaintiffs, in order to seek the maximum award for damages from prescription opioid manufacturers for the citizens of the state."

House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, has vocally urged the same of Reyes and of each county statewide.

Gill's office hired several outside attorneys from multiple law firms to handle the case, including former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods. Gill said he did so because "this is a national issue. We need people who have the subject matter expertise, (who are) what I call our all-star team."

Woods told reporters Tuesday that there's reason to believe curbing opioid addiction could be as successful as efforts to hamper the tobacco industry and reduce substance dependence across the country.

"It's a lofty goal. We want to solve the opioid problem in the United States and in this county. I think we can do it," he said.

Woods praised Gill for filing the lawsuit, saying "It takes some courage to take on the big guys."

"I don't have much sympathy for them.  They need to pay the price here. And we're going to make them pay the price," Woods said. "We're confident that we'll win our case. If they want to resolve it, they can resolve it, but they're going to have to be serious about it."

Defendants push back

Defendants listed in the lawsuit, some of them under the names of multiple entities that make up different parts of their wide-reaching business operations, include Purdue Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and pharmaceutical organizations Allergan and Actavis. Dr. Lynn Webster and Dr. Russell Portenoy are the two named individual defendants in the complaint.

Johnson & Johnson, a parent corporation to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, is also named as a defendant.

A handful of the defendants responded Tuesday in emails to the Deseret News.

"We are deeply troubled by the prescription and illicit opioid abuse crisis, and we are dedicated to being part of the solution," Purdue Pharma said in a statement. "As a company grounded in science, we must balance patient access to FDA-approved medicines, while working collaboratively to solve this public health challenge."

The statement from Purdue Pharma said the company "developed three of the first four FDA-approved opioid medications with abuse-deterrent properties" and that it has worked with police to ensure better access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone. The company's statement didn't specifically address the allegations in the lawsuit.

Allergan said in a statement that its three opioid products "account for less than 0.04 (percent) of all opioid products prescribed in 2017 in the U.S." The company called the products "legacy acquisitions" and said that they "have not been promoted"  one of them since 2013, and the other since 2003.

"Allergan has a history of supporting  and continues to support  the safe, responsible use of prescription medications," the company said in a statement. "This includes opioid medications, which when prescribed and used responsibly, play an appropriate role in pain relief for millions of Americans."

Janssen Pharmaceuticals spokeswoman Jessica Castles Smith said in a statement that "Our actions in the marketing and promotion of these medicines were appropriate and responsible."

"The labels for our prescription opioid pain medicines provide information about their risks and benefits, and the allegations made against our company are baseless and unsubstantiated," Smith said. "In fact, our medications have some of the lowest rates of abuse among this class of medications."

Efforts to reach the other defendants for comment were not immediately successful.

Webster defended his own promotion of opioids in an in-depth article about painkillers that the Deseret News published in October 2017.

"Almost all of what you hear about today is about the harm of opioids. And there is a lot of harm. It's tremendous, it's terrible," Webster said then. "But in that narrative the people in pain are being forgotten."

Magnitude of addiction

But Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams contends that what opioid companies have forgotten is the plight of an unthinkably high number of Utahns whose lives have been ruined by addiction  whether by their own dependence, or that of a loved one.

"Every family is touched by the greed and the harm that has been perpetrated by individuals looking to make a profit off of opioids," McAdams told reporters.

The mayor said that opioid addiction kills more people in the United States under the age of 50 than anything else. In Salt Lake County, he said, the need for addiction treatment is overwhelming.

"Every treatment bed we're able to open is immediately filled," McAdams said.

The lawsuit details many of the opioid statistics that Gill, McAdams and other public officials say they find appalling. Among them are the studies that show nearly 80 percent of heroin addicts first got hooked on prescription opioids, a number that McAdams said has been determined to be even higher among the indigent population in the Rio Grande neighborhood of downtown Salt Lake.

"The pathway is through prescription medicine," Gill said.

Gill also said almost 60,000 people currently could stand to benefit from opioid addiction treatment in some form or another in Salt Lake County.

"The numbers are striking," the lawsuit states. "Nearly half of all fatal opioid overdoses in Utah annually occur in Salt Lake County; here, 531 opioid overdoses occurred in 2014 (and) 2015 alone  roughly one every 33 hours."

Gill also said that prescription rates in Salt Lake County are higher than the state average almost every year.

The magnitude of the burden in dealing with widespread addiction, and "the devastation it has caused to the infrastructure of Salt Lake county," Gill said, are ultimately the driving reason behind his desire to hold pharmaceutical companies and others accountable.

Part of the strained infrastructure is the county jail, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said Tuesday. The number of arrested drug abusers has ballooned in recent years, she said, severely burdening the facility.

"Our jail staff spend up to six hours per day just to provide treatment and care for drug users who are going through withdrawals," Rivera said.
SALT LAKE CITY  The First Presidency of the LDS Church weighed in Tuesday on Utah's proposed marijuana ballot initiative.

A prepared statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says: "We commend the Utah Medical Association for its statement of March 30, 2018, cautioning that the proposed Utah marijuana initiative would compromise the health and safety of Utah communities."

That statement the First Presidency is referring to is the recent lengthy release by the Utah Medical Association, in which the trade organization stated it "unequivocally" opposes the ballot initiative campaign seeking medical marijuana legalization in Utah, arguing that "the initiative is not medical."

"The initiative  allows various non-physician practitioners to recommend marijuana for clients," the association said on March 30. "The clients with a recommendation would visit a dispensary, staffed by non-medically trained personnel who would be tasked with deciding what product would be best for the clients condition."

The Utah Medical Association has criticized the ballot initiative as a de facto recreational marijuana bill. Multiple Republican state legislators have said the same thing, contending that the measure would make it very difficult for police to enforce laws on recreational use.

The church's First Presidency said Tuesday: "We respect the wise counsel of the medical doctors of Utah. The public interest is best served when all new drugs designed to relieve suffering and illness and the procedures by which they are made available to the public undergo the scrutiny of medical scientists and official approval bodies."

Shortly after advocates first filed ballot initiative paperwork with the state last year, LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said in a prepared statement, "We believe that society is best served by requiring marijuana to go through further research and the FDA approval process that all other drugs must go through before they are prescribed to patients."

Tuesday marks the first time since then that the church has weighed in on the issue, and the first time that it has expressed support for the arguments made by any of the parties that have debated over the merits of the initiative.

The ballot initiative campaign, called the Utah Patients Coalition, is pushing for Utah voters to adopt a law called the Utah Medical Cannabis Act at the ballot box in November. They are expected to gather enough petition signatures by the April 15 deadline to get it on the ballot.

The ballot initiative would allow people with one of several illnesses to apply for a medical cannabis card. Someone who suffers chronic pain could also get a card under certain conditions.

The Utah Patients Coalition has previously criticized calls for additional research and federal clearance for marijuana prior to legalization for medical use, saying robust studies into marijuana's health benefits are plentiful worldwide.

Reaction

The Utah Patients Coalition responded to the church's statement Tuesday with a statement from Dr. Dan Cottam, who is a medical adviser for the campaign.

"As a member of the Utah Medical Association and its legislative policy committee, I was never consulted about my position on the medical use of cannabis," Cottam said. "Like many of my physician colleagues, I look forward to having the option of getting my suffering patients legal access to this remedy. There is a vast body of scientific literature which supports its use."

Cottam added that the Utah Medical Association's position "reflects nothing more than the opinion of its board.

"Far from being based on research or science, let alone on the consensus of the doctors they purport to represent, it is a position that does not speak for many doctors like myself who are prepared to provide this medicine to our patients."

Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education, or TRUCE, said Tuesday that it is disappointed at how much weight is given to the Utah Medical Association's stance by the LDS Church.

"It is essential that both the church and the voters of Utah understand that the UMA does not represent all of the physicians in this state," said Dr. Andrew Talbott, the group's medical director.

"In fact, less than one-third of all licensed physicians and surgeons in the state of Utah are members of the UMA," he said. "As such, the UMA is not qualified to purport that they are the voice for Utahs medical providers and should not make decisions that have such a great impact on the patients of Utah."

DJ Schanz, director of the Utah Patients Coalition campaign, said in a statement Tuesday that the initiative being sought includes the medical oversight that the LDS Church is concerned about.

"The LDS Church should be commended for its concern with public health and safety  laudable goals we are pursuing with our proposal," Schanz said. "Too many patients face criminalization and unrelated, dangerous products as they pursue their own health. Oversight from regulators and doctors, as provided by the Utah Medical Cannabis Act, would increase public health and safety while providing safe access to patients who need this treatment option."

The Utah Medical Association's statement from March 30 says that, from the ballot initiative campaign's arguments, "people assume that physicians would have some idea of how to recommend it safely, for which diagnoses, and understand  dosing guidelines for a plant that is wildly diverse and inconsistent in active ingredients."

"None of this is the case with what is being proposed in the (initiative). Physicians cannot prescribe it at all," the association said at the time.

The association's statement was issued in a series of reactions to Gov. Gary Herbert's announcement last month in which he promised to "actively oppose" the initiative, which he said "would potentially open the door to recreational use."

The Utah Patients Coalition responded at the time by saying Herbert's stance was an example of "politicians standing between patients and their physicians." The Utah Medical Association then published its March 30 statement, specifically rebutting the campaign's statement about patients and physicians, saying none of "backers of this initiative speak for the physicians of Utah, nor for the majority of their patients."

The group Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education then said last week that the Utah Patients Coalition's rebuttal statement represented "brazen attempts to muddle and deceive."

What initiative does

The initiative allows patients with several enumerated illnesses, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, HIV, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder, to apply for a medical cannabis card "with the recommending physician while in the  physician's office."

Additionally, a person with an exceptionally rare disease, as those are defined under the law, would be able to qualify. A person with chronic pain could also get a medical cannabis card if their doctor "determines (they are) at risk of becoming chemically dependent on, or overdosing, on opiate-based pain medication" or are medically unable to take opioids for another reason.

The initiative also sets up an appointed "Compassionate Use Board," made up of five physicians, who would have the authority to give approval for use of a medical cannabis board to "an individual who is not otherwise qualified  if the individual offers  satisfactory evidence that the individual suffers from a condition that substantially impairs the individual's quality of life and is intractable."

Doctors would not be allowed to recommend cannabis to more than 20 percent of their patients, though oncologists, anesthesiologists, neurologists, psychiatrists and gastroenterologists are among those exempted from that regulation.

Some state legislators have heavily criticized a provision in the initiative which states that, before July 1, 2020  a few months after the state would be ready to issue medical cannabis cards  it is a valid defense against criminal charges for a person to demonstrate that they would have been eligible for such a card, but don't physically have one.

Initiative opponents said that portion of the measure makes enforcement of laws against recreational use of marijuana almost impossible. Legalization advocates have characterized it as a responsible way to safeguard legitimate patients before cards are available.

Marijuana polls

Multiple polls conducted on behalf of Utah Policy have shown a majority of LDS Church members who self-identify as "very active" have indicated support for the poll question: "Do you support or oppose legalizing doctor-prescribed use of non-smoking marijuana for certain diseases and pain relief?"

The most recent Utah Policy poll, conducted in February, found that 66 percent of such church members were in support, compared to 61 percent who were in favor in response to the same poll question in November.

Of all Utah registered voters who answered the survey in February, 77 percent said they strongly or somewhat support legalizing medical marijuana as posed in the question.

The polls did not ask about specific support of the ballot initiative.
Separation of powers is an elementary concept in American government, known to everyone from grade schoolers to Supreme Court justices. In recent years, however, its become as well-ignored as it is well-known  perhaps more so. Thats why the Yemen War Powers Resolution (S.J. Res. 54) and the coalition surrounding it was so remarkable.

The bipartisan team of Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced a joint resolution that calls for a vote in the full chamber within weeks on removing unauthorized U.S. armed forces from hostilities in Yemen. That vote happened and revealed which legislators want to protect Congress constitutional responsibility to declare war and which legislators are willing to neglect the Constitution in favor of political expediency.

Ironically, however, opponents of the resolution have also made use of the Constitution, contending that these senators are pretending to be commanders in chief  a role delegated to the president in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution. But those who make these claims ignore a key stipulation made in that definition. The president is commander in chief when  and only when  called into the actual Service of the United States.

Who calls U.S. military into the actual Service of the United States? Per Article I, Section 8, Congress  and only Congress  can declare war. This resolution is not an attempt by senators to be commanders in chief. Rather, it simply reinforces that the Constitution delegates the power to declare war to Congress.

Those supportive of this unauthorized military action accused the senators supportive of S.J. Res. 54 as being indifferent to these strategic stakes (of U.S. support to the Saudi-led coalition) as they try to enfeeble executive war powers. Here again, however, theyre completely wrong: The resolution is entirely agnostic on strategy. If the strategy of U.S. involvement in Yemen is so important that it must continue, the resolution allows Congress ample time to debate and authorize these measures.

Indeed, you would think that the Department of Defense would leap at the opportunity to make its case directly to the deliberative chambers of Congress to request a true authorization for a worthwhile conflict, defending the intervention in Yemen as a crucial part of U.S. strategy. But it has not.

Instead, the Department of Defense took extraordinary pre-emptive measures to combat this resolution  penning multiple letters to the Senate, making unsettling assertions at hearings and holding closed-door member briefings. The department's unwillingness to make an honest case for authorization of this conflict to Congress is a clear indication that the department knows it has overstepped its constitutional bounds and is worried about its power being stripped away by the Senate.

If the Department of Defense's intervention in Yemen is legal, as it claims, such backlash to the resolution would have been unwarranted. To prove this point, Defense Secretary James Mattis acknowledged the unauthorized nature of the conflict in a March 14 letter to the Senate, stating explicitly that Neither President Obama nor President Trump authorized the use of U.S. military force against the Houthis.

Instead of recognizing this admission of unconstitutionality, however, those who attacked these senators focused on the Pentagons subsequent argument  and highly questionable legal stance  that the U.S. aid to the Saudi coalition is within the scope of the presidents Article II powers and does not constitute hostilities as such. They contend that for conflict to be considered hostilities, our armed forces must be in active combat on the ground.

This notion is completely incompatible with the way modern military conflicts work. Whats more, it also flies directly contrary to existing law. Section 8(c) of the War Powers Act of 1973, which S.J. Res. 54 invokes, defines the level of military involvement necessary to invoke its restraints as the assignment of members of such armed forces to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany the regular or irregular military forces of any foreign country or government where such military forces are engaged. Intelligence sharing, midair refueling of Saudi planes used to bomb Yemen and actual targeting assistance in these airstrikes  all these steps undoubtedly qualify as hostilities.

The most pernicious argument of all, however, claims that passing this resolution would have been a gratuitous gift to Iran. Again, the resolution did not touch the issue of strategy. Congress was and still is perfectly at liberty to support continued action in Yemen  a fact Lee and Sanders are well aware of. These men were simply attempting to hold our leaders accountable to the Constitution and force a responsible conversation on military intervention, which they will undoubtedly continue to do. This kind of accountability and responsibility is a gift to members of our armed forces, our allies and, above all, our citizens. It is in no imaginable way a gift to Iran.

James Madison once wrote, In no part of the Constitution is more wisdom to be found than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the Legislature, and not to the executive department. Lee and Sanders, unlikely duo though they be, are doing their rightful duty by requiring Congress to answer to the Constitutions question of war or peace.
KAYSVILLE  The Kaysville Police Department says it has received an outpouring of love and support from its citizens, businesses and police agencies over the past several days.

People are showing support for the department with six officers who were treated by doctors after suffering injuries last week when they tried to help a man who they say set himself on fire.

Kaysville police detective Michael Martinez said the department is getting calls every day from people who want to know how they can help. He said people of all ages are coming in and saying hello and thanking officers.

People started showing up to the police department with drinks and food and more carbs than you can handle, Martinez said.

Then, there are the cards.

Coming back the following day and seeing some of the cards that people had left, it really made me smile, he said. I really like this one: Thank you for protecting us. Do-nut go into the fire again. That was accompanied by a box of donuts.

Another card came from fifth-grader Amara Dibb, who likes drawing things, especially animals like flamingos. She heard the sirens on Thursday.

I heard that four police officers got hurt, so I drew four police officers and I told them that they were really brave and that I appreciate them, she said.

Her card ended up on a wall at the department, and Tuesday, Amara got to meet several police officers and police K-9 Rex. Police say moments like this remind them why they put on the uniform.

Nice to meet you, Amara. I'm Sergeant Owens. This is from the police department for you, said Sgt. Jeremy Owens as he handed Amara a Kaysville Police Department challenge coin.

It's a little token of, Hey I really appreciate and admire what you did," Martinez said.

Thanks a lot, we appreciate you. It's nice to know that people are out there watching out for us just as much as we're watching for you, K-9 officer Matt Thurgood said, shaking Amaras hand.

When someone like Amara is able to brighten a dark stretch, it makes all the difference to officers like these. We wish we could thank everyone individually who has reached out to us, Martinez said.

On its Facebook page on Friday, the department gave an update on the officers conditions.

We are pleased to announce that Sgt. Shawn McKinnon and officer Lacy Turner, who received minor burns in the fire on April 5, 2018, are back to full duty," the department posted on its Facebook page.

The statement went on to say that officer Cade Bradshaw, who received more severe burns, is home recuperating with his family, and that officer Robert Jackson is recovering from his injuries at University Hospital.

Two other officers drove themselves to a hospital last week and were checked for smoke inhalation.

Officers were called to Chevron Top Stop, 320 W. 200 North, Thursday after police say a man purchased a gas can, went outside to fill it up, then returned inside the store, doused himself with the gasoline and threatened to light it. The man who allegedly lit the fire, Tyler Ivison, remains at University Hospital with severe burns.

The Kaysville Police Injured Officers Charitable account has been set up at America West Credit Union for those who wish to donate to help the injured officers.

Contributing: Viviane Vo-Duc
SALT LAKE CITY  Utah fourth- and eighth-graders outperformed their U.S. peers in math and reading in 2017, but nationally, 40 percent or less of U.S. students were proficient in either subject according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress results.

The results, released nationwide on Tuesday, shows that Utah students, much as the nation at large, held steady in math and reading proficiency since the last round of testing in 2015.

The NAEP report shows Utah students are performing well compared to the majority of states, but not well enough, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson.

Every other year, the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests a sampling of fourth- and eighth-graders in all 50 states in math and reading. Only statewide or national results are reported, although scores for demographic subgroups are also part of the so-called "Nation's Report Card."

Students are categorized as below basic, basic, proficient and advanced. Students in the proficient and advanced groups are both considered proficient.

Utah's top-performing students outperformed their peers nationally, but Dickson said she is "deeply concerned about gaps in achievement among various student groups.

For fourth-graders, 36 percent of U.S. students are proficient in reading compared to 41 percent of Utah students; 40 percent of U.S. students are proficient in math compared to 45 percent of Utah students.

Just 35 percent of eighth-grade U.S. students are proficient in reading compared to 39 percent of Utah students; 34 percent of U.S. students are proficient in math compared to 39 percent of Utah eighth-graders.

"We will be working closely with our local school districts and charter schools to ensure every student has the knowledge and skills needed to ensure they have choices about their future, Dickson said.

For example, the average score reading among fourth-graders who are Hispanic was 31 points lower than that of white students in 2017.

"This performance gap was not significantly different from that in 1998," the results say.

Meanwhile, fourth-grade girls in Utah had an average score that was nine points higher than their male counterparts in reading, in 2017.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch and considered low income had an average score 26 points lower than that for students who were not eligible.

On the fourth grade math assessment, the boys' average score was four points higher than the girls' score.

Hispanic students' average scores were 21 points lower than that for white students and students from low-income households had an average score 20 points lower than students not considered low income.

"This performance gap was not significantly different from that in 2000," which was 19, according to the results related to income.

According to eighth-grade reading results, students from low-income households had an average score 20 points lower than students not eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch.

"This performance gap was not significantly different from that in 1998," according to the results.

Hispanic students had an average score that was 22 points lower than that of white students, again not significantly different from that in 1998, the results say.

Female students' average score was 8 points higher than their male counterparts.

In eighth-grade math results, the average score among Hispanic students was 31 points lower than that of white students.

Students from low-income households had an average score 26 points lower than students who do not qualify for free or reduced price school lunch.

The average math scores for female and male students "was not significantly different," the results say.
SALT LAKE CITY  Utah's senators were just two among the dozens that questioned Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg Tuesday in a joint Senate committee hearing. Their respective lines of questioning took markedly different approaches.

The hearing was the first of two scheduled this week before congress following revelations that an app developer, with permission to operate on the Facebook platform, inappropriately resold data gathered on 87 million Facebook users to Cambridge Analytica, which later leveraged the data in outreach conducted on behalf of the campaign of President Donald Trump.

For his part, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, expressed bewilderment that social media users could be functioning without the recognition that their free access to platforms came with some other, less obvious, costs.

"Some have professed themselves shocked  that companies like Facebook and Google share user data with advertisers," Hatch said. "Did any of these individuals ever stop and ask themselves why Facebook and Google don't charge for access? Nothing in life is free, everything involves trade offs. If you want something without having to pay money for it you're going to have to pay for it in some other way, it seems to me.

"These great websites that don't charge for access, they extract value in some other way. And there's nothing wrong with that as long as they're up front about what they're doing."

Hatch went on to ask Zuckerberg what type of legislative changes, aimed at preventing any future versions of the Cambridge Analytica data mishandling, he'd be comfortable with. The Facebook leader seemed open to the possibility of new transparency requirements in his response.

"I think that there are a few categories of legislation that make sense to consider," Zuckerberg said. "Around privacy specifically, there are a few principles that I think it would be useful to discuss and potentially codify into law."

Zuckerberg went on to detail those areas, including regulation of user agreements  which he admitted were hard for most people to understand when "written out in a long legal document"  and giving users more specific control over how their personal data is used.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, took a more aggressive approach with Zuckerberg, seeming to follow the thread, which has been forwarded previously by some pundits, that Facebook actively suppresses conservative political viewpoints and speech on its platform.

When Lee asked if the company was putting its "thumb on the scale" of communication categories outside the hate speech, terrorist organizing, nudity, threats of physical violence and bullying that Facebook regularly seeks out and removes from its site, Zuckeberg replied simply, "Senator, no."

Lee also attempted to press Zuckerberg into revealing two examples of data collection conducted by Facebook that may be "surprising" to people, but the world's fifth-wealthiest person just outlined that the two types of data collected were the content that people posted and their online behaviors, both of which Zuckerberg said was under users' control.

While it's not clear whether additional government regulation is a likely outcome following the Senate's questioning Tuesday, or Wednesday's House hearing, some local industry watchers predicted little is likely to change.

Weber State University professor and data security expert Randy Boyle said he believes Facebook executives will do whatever it takes, in terms of internal policy changes, to stave off further government regulation.

"Zuckerberg and his team will rush to make changes and address the issues," Boyle said. "His appearance before Congress is evidence of that."

Boyle also underscored the adage that, "If you're not paying for a product, then you are the product," and encouraged users to understand what they were dealing with when engaging social media platforms.

"First of all, it may be Facebook that we're talking about now, but the concern applies to almost all free platforms," Boyle said. "These are intelligence gathering companies that are self-branding as social media."

The leaders of two Salt Lake City public relations firms also expected that little substantive change would come from the Cambridge Analytica inquiries, and highlighted that Facebook is a powerful tool for clients looking to sell products, services or themselves.

Tom Love, president of Love Communications, said his agency has seen a slight dip in the volume of people engaging via Facebook. However, he believes the decrease will be temporary, and he has not heard concerns from any of his clients.

"Facebook's impact is staggering," Love said. "Some data suggests it plays a role in half of all purchase decisions. It is, and I expect it will remain, one of the most powerful tools in mediating targeted messaging. There's nothing more efficient for impacting actions and purchases  and there isn't a client in the world who doesn't want to be more effective."

Love also expressed his disbelief that there were still social media users who haven't figured out why the services are offered for free.

"There should be no expectation of privacy by Facebook users or any other social medial user," Love said. "If you don't expect it to be mined or used then you're terribly naive."

Redirect managing partner James Roberts said he wasn't expecting any big regulatory changes coming out of the Facebook hearings and, like Love, was not hearing any forward concerns coming from clients. He does, however, believe the energy swirling around the Cambridge Analytica inquiry will elevate social media users' awareness of what's going on behind the curtain.

"I think the biggest 'ah-ha' really is that Facebook is a single player in a group of companies that are mining data that no one likes to talk about," Roberts said. "Everybody is out there mining tons of data and, in theory, we would all like to belive that they're behaving well. But, we really don't know if they are."
Editor's note: Deseret News and Church News writers are chronicling the ministry of LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson as he and other church officials travel to Europe, Africa and Asia during the next two weeks. Tad Walch reports today from London.

LONDON  British Mormons here found the faith's recent international general conference riveting, as new LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson presided for the first time and made announcement after announcement.

Now 10 days later, President Nelson is coming here to see them.

He will speak Thursday night at Hyde Park Chapel in the midst of London's vast melting pot with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They are joined by their wives, Sister Wendy Nelson and Sister Patricia Holland. The event will be broadcast throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland to church meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Anticipation crackled this week through the church's Hyde Park Building, home to the chapel, a visitors' center and the offices of the England London Mission.

"I think they have a message for the U.K., and we're excited to hear it," said Richard West, a Mormon leader in Chelmsford. "I thought general conference was electric. I was very impressed with the prophet's sincerity and the love he has for all members of the church. I think that shone through."

West worked past midnight on Monday, cleaning the Hyde Park Chapel's carpets in preparation for Thursday. It was a 14-hour day. He spent another nine hours with his small work crew on Tuesday, scrubbing the metal edges of each stair at day's end.

They were back at it again Wednesday morning, ensuring the building would be shipshape for the first stop on President Nelson's tour, during which he is scheduled to speak in eight countries in 11 days.

Emotional anticipation

"When I heard he was coming, I started to think about seeing him in person and my heart started to beat so fast in anticipation," said Sister Chang Chiang, a young missionary from Taiwan who is looking forward seeing President Nelson in person when he meets with the 170 missionaries in the England London Mission on Thursday afternoon. "I think I'll be too emotional."

Sister Minerva Narcizo Quichiz of Castellon, Spain, is at the very start of her mission. She has been in London for one week, and she was honest about her new English vocabulary.

"I'm scared because I don't understand much," she said. "I want to understand because it's very important for me to see the prophet in person. I want to receive the answers in my life and the guidance I need."

Local church leaders are distributing free tickets to the Thursday night event. Sister Kristiina Kai Koiv, a young missionary from Tallinn, Estonia, watched the process with curiosity because she knew most members are like Chang; they've never been in the same room with their prophet before.

"I saw many members go up to the bishop and say, 'I would love to go, but I think that person should go instead,'" Koiv said. "I saw them act with real charity."

Global Ministry Tour

Follow the Deseret News as we chronicle President Russell M. Nelson's travels through seven countries around the world.Historic week

England London Mission President Mark Stevens looked forward to what he said would be "a targeted message to the Saints in the British Isles. To have the prophet of God here to deliver a message of strength to these missionaries and members is energizing."

"This is going to be a historic week for us," said his wife, Sister Jean A. Stevens, former first counselor in the Primary General Presidency, "and it means so much to all our missionaries."

President Nelson's counselors in the First Presidency added to the sense of history surrounding his first overseas trip as the church's 17th president. President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring surprised him at the airport to bid him farewell.

President Stevens said President Nelson's conference announcements created a combined Elders Quorum priesthood group and emphasizing ministering among church members are vital in England.

"Combined Elders Quorums are powerful for units that are smaller here," he said. "All of that just strengthens the church and provides the feel of a vibrant organization moving ahead, that there is power and energy moving forward and there is a living prophet, and God speaks to man today."

'What else?'

West is a stake patriarch, a lifetime priesthood calling in which he provides patriarchal blessings  once-in-a-lifetime messages of life purpose and guidance. He has Thursday off work. He'll pick up the parents of his son's fiancee earlier in the day, but he wouldn't miss the broadcast.

"We'll watch it at our building," he said, "because I can't wait to see what the prophet and Elder Holland have to say. From what we saw from the prophet so far at just one conference, there is huge enthusiasm. People wonder, what else is coming?"

The church has dubbed President Nelson's trip a "global ministry tour," noted West, who said the title is in sync with what he's heard from the church president in a January broadcast announcing his new position and at general conference.

"What he's saying is not just for the members," West said, "it's for the whole world. It appears he has a message for the world.

"It's exciting, isn't it? He's very exciting."

Correction: A caption in a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the Chelmsford 2nd Ward is located in Sussex, England. Chelmsford is, in fact, located in Essex, England.
SALT LAKE CITY  To lead a holier life, put down your phone, according to Pope Francis.

His latest apostolic exhortation, released April 9, is a letter offering guidance to Catholics around the world, taking aim at modern life and reminding readers that their relationships with God and loved ones matter more than mean tweets and Facebook posts.

"When we allow ourselves to be caught up in superficial information, instant communication and virtual reality, we can waste precious time and become indifferent to the suffering flesh of our brothers and sisters," the pope writes.

The 98-page document explores modern problems like social isolation and smartphone addiction, which affect more than the Catholic community.

Titled "Gaudete et Exsultate," which translates to "Rejoice and Be Glad," it instructs believers to stop gossiping at the grocery store and do more kind things for neighbors.

"'Gaudete et Exsultate' is a powerful meditation on what it means to think about holiness not only as an abstract goal  but about what it means for each of us to live holiness in our everyday lives," tweeted Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago.

The letter celebrates simple, special acts, offering inspiration to anyone worried about how to navigate political and social drama.

"Oftentimes, when someone reads these papal encyclicals, they don't understand how they apply to their lives," said the Rev. Mark Morozowich, dean of the school of theology and religious studies at Catholic University of America, to The Washington Post. "This was written very much to a common parishioner in the parish."

Being kind online

Pope Francis  or, to be more exact, his communications team  is active on social media, so he experiences its benefits and pitfalls. Sites like Twitter connect him to Catholics he'll never have the opportunity to meet in person, but also to haters who despise his work.

Replies to his tweets "are often filled with vulgarities, attacks on Catholicism or even condemnations from other Catholics," America magazine reported. It's no wonder that the pope worries about "verbal violence" online.

In his new letter, Pope Francis reflects on how easy it is to be mean on social media sites, where people receive more attention for extreme opinions than fair commentary.

"Things can be said there that would be unacceptable in public discourse, and people look to compensate for their own discontent by lashing out at others," the pope writes.

Catholic leaders aren't immune from the temptation to be rude, he explains, noting that "even in Catholic media, limits can be overstepped, defamation and slander can become commonplace and all ethical standards and respect for the good name of others can be abandoned."

The pope didn't offer specific examples, but many commentators noted that they were well aware of the phenomenon.

"In North America alone, there are many well-funded Catholic sites and numerous Catholic blogs whose aim is often to slander and malign fellow Catholics," America reported.

Pope Francis encourages Catholics to be more mindful of how their online activities interfere with holiness. He reminds them to log off from time to time in order to draw closer to God and to look for ways to serve others, instead of searching for the perfect comeback.

"He's over and over again calling people to be in the moment, be present, really engage, really see one another," the Rev. Mark Morozowich said.

A new approach to politics

Pope Francis also urges better understanding in the political realm, which is increasingly plagued by polarization. Too often, people criticize social programs or policies they don't feel passionate about, rather than praising any effort to build a better world, he notes.

A "harmful ideological error is found in those who find suspect the social engagement of others, seeing it as superficial, worldly, secular, materialist, communist or populist," he writes. It's wrong to act as if "the only thing that counts is one particular ethical issue or cause that they themselves defend."

Some observers, such as Mark Silk at Religion News Service, believed these sentiments were aimed, at least in part, at some conservative Catholics in the U.S. who sometimes care more about limiting abortion rights than serving refugees and immigrants in need of help.

"'Rejoice and Exult!' is the title of the latest apostolic exhortation from Pope Francis, but it will elicit no rejoicing or exultation from the Catholic right in this country," Silk wrote.

During a global refugee crisis and ongoing struggles to solve homelessness and other social issues, Catholics can't be solely focused on abortion, Pope Francis says. Holiness involves working to uphold human dignity in all contexts.

"Our defense of the innocent unborn  needs to be clear, firm and passionate," he writes. "Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged."

Celebrating everyday saints

One of the overarching messages of the pope's new letter is that holy living is for everyone, not just those who've joined a monastery or become a nun.

His "vision of holiness is expansive, touching on the actions of everyday people in situations from family life to politics," The Washington Post reported.

Pope Francis praises "middle class" holiness, noting that God doesn't require showy displays or perfection.

"Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbors, those who, living in our midst, reflect God's presence," Pope Francis writes.

Holy living involves discovering the unique ways God has called on you to serve others, a process that's easier when your phone is turned off.

"The presence of  new gadgets, the excitement of travel and an endless array of consumer goods at times leaves no room for God's voice to be heard," the pope writes. "How can we fail to realize the need to stop this rat race and to  carry on a heartfelt dialogue with God?"
SALT LAKE CITY  When Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda spoke at the Qualtrics X4 Summit in Salt Lake City last month, he told the crowd, We live our life, we do what we can  but we dont get really a say in what people say about us when we die.

Thanks to Miranda, people will have a lot of good things to say about Alexander Hamilton for the foreseeable future.

Mirandas Tony Award-winning Broadway phenomenon makes its Utah debut Wednesday night at the Eccles Theater, where it will run through May 6. But before Hamilton ever came to Utah, it seems Utah came to Hamilton  and quite quickly. The show has a few notable ties to the Beehive State. If theres ever been a time for Hamilton to come here, its now.

An unlikely hit

Eric Hinderaker, a history professor at the University of Utah, spoke with the Deseret News about Hamilton and how it has impacted his curriculum. (Additional comments from Hinderaker and other local professors will be included in a story being published by the Deseret News next week.)

Its always great just to see early American history break through to a popular audience like this, Hinderaker said. Theres something so amazing about having a character like Alexander Hamilton, who I teach about year after year and nobody much cares about, to see him suddenly become this kind of pop culture icon is really something.

Joseph Morales plays that icon in one of Hamiltons two touring casts. Speaking to the Deseret News for a story on how Hamilton was created, Morales said, I think (audiences) think, Oh, this is going to be an upbeat show about history and rap and its going to be really fun, which it is, and at the same time, it really hits you with the true things in life and I dont think that people really expect that.

Actor Thayne Jasperson, who was born and raised in Utah, has been involved with Hamilton from practically the very beginning. In the shows initial auditions, Jasperson landed a part in the ensemble, stayed with Hamilton from its initial workshop in 2014 through its official Broadway debut the following year, and still performs in the show's New York cast.

When he first heard the shows pitch  a rap musical about Americas first Secretary of the Treasury  Jasperson said he was skeptical. But he quickly changed his tune.

Its crazy because right from the get-go, hearing the music and going through the whole story in our first workshop,  I thought, This is incredible. This is going to be a huge hit, Jasperson told the Deseret News. I dont think anybody knew the way that it would become this outlandish show that everyone is dying over now.

Loved in London

After its 2015 Broadway debut, Hamilton went on to win 11 Tony Awards. It has since gone overseas, making its London debut last November. That London production was nominated for 13 Olivier Awards (Britains equivalent of the Tonys), winning seven.

A few of Britains well-known theater critics spoke with the Deseret News in March about the shows warm reception overseas.

It was the most feverishly anticipated show of the last decade  riding a bigger wave of hype than anything else I can recall, said Henry Hitchings, who covers theater for The Standard.

Hitchings gave the London production five stars, saying it made 18th-century politics seem as explosively immediate as a rap battle.

Theater critic Ann Treneman, who writes for The Times, told the Deseret News that British theater critics loved the shows line, immigrants do all the work, and its accompanying sentiment.

While her fellow critics didnt necessarily know every single reference (this is American history, after all), the key to getting Hamilton, she said, really is the music and the sense of an outsider trying to make his mark.

A musical education

Tickets for the Utah production sold out within the first four hours of being made available. Like Hamilton himself, hopeful Utah audiences may, too, have felt like outsiders while trying to secure their tickets.

In early February, the Deseret News reported on a local program aimed at getting Utahs high school students tickets to the in-demand show. The program, titled the New Nation Project, was run by Utahs Department of Heritage and Arts. Nearly 250 tickets were available to Utah students via a raffle, which students could enter once they wrote a letter to one of their legislators describing an issue and proposing a solution.

We didnt want to make this a competition, Josh Loftin, public information officer for Utah's Department of Heritage and Arts, told the Deseret News. Its a random drawing.  Our goal is not to reward the best person  we just want everybody to have a chance to win because we want to reward civic engagement generally.

The Hamilton Education Program, also known as EduHam, launched in the Salt Lake area in October with a visit from Miranda's father, Luis A. Miranda Jr. The program, which has previously been used in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, has been incorporated into the U.S. history curriculum for more than 2,000 Utah students and teachers. Students in the program study the lives of Alexander Hamilton and other Founding Fathers and gain admittance into a matinee performance of Hamilton, where they can participate in a post-show Q&A with the cast.

Luis A. Miranda Jr. was on hand at the Eccles Theater in October for a press conference announcing EduHams Utah launch, along with Utah native Tim Bailey, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History's director of education who helped create the program.

For me personally, its incredibly exciting when I saw that I got to come home, and to see a program that I got to write come to my home state, Bailey told the Deseret News.

A perfect storm

When Hamilton performer Joseph Morales spoke with the Deseret News, he praised the productions creative team, saying it was a perfect storm of all these brilliant people coming together.

It takes the history off the books and off the page, he said, and it turns it into something that people can relate to.

Now, those in the Beehive State are getting ready to see that history come to life, taking to social media to express their excitement for the highly anticipated production.

Yessss finally got my #hamiltonslc tickets in the mail. That was a stressing inducing few weeks waiting. #hamilton @HamiltonMusical pic.twitter.com/MY5XGOtDNl  Erin Papworth (@TwoMoreSeconds) March 26, 2018

Contributor: Lottie Peterson Johnson
SALT LAKE CITY  With House Speaker Paul Ryan's announcement Wednesday that he won't run for re-election, there's no longer any chance that Senate candidate Mitt Romney will serve in Washington, D.C., with his former running mate.

It's not clear what, if any, impact the speaker's decision to leave Congress will have on Romney's current race for the Senate seat held by retiring Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, even though it's seen as signaling trouble for Republicans in the midterm elections.

Romney's campaign had no comment Wednesday, but the candidate took to Twitter to praise Ryan.

"Love of country compelled Paul Ryan to accept the speakership, a role he alone could fill at a critical time. He unified the House, passed scores of bills, and led with integrity, honor and dignity. The country will miss Speaker Ryan," Romney tweeted.

In the 2012 presidential race, Romney was the Republican Party's nominee for president and chose Ryan, a leading conservative congressman from Wisconsin, to join him on the GOP ticket.

Three years later, Ryan somewhat reluctantly took over the top congressional leadership spot when then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, abruptly resigned.

While Romney was one of now-President Donald Trump's harshest critics during the 2016 race for the White House, there have been some complaints that Ryan hasn't stood up to the often controversial president.

Ryan's departure should be seen as a "red alert" to Republican candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, said Chris Karpowitz, co-director of BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy.

But Karpowitz, a political science professor, said Romney could be an exception.

"This is sort of a pre-emptive warning shot for how difficult the environment is for Republicans right now. Is this going to affect Mitt Romney's prospects in the state of Utah? Not really," he said, calling Romney a "heavy favorite" to win in November.

Romney qualified Wednesday for a place on the June primary ballot through gathering voter signatures, but will face off against the 11 other Republican candidates in the race at the Utah GOP state convention April 21.

Earlier this year, shortly before Romney got in the race in mid-February, Gov. Gary Herbert mused about the possibility of his party's 2012 presidential ticket presiding over the U.S. House and Senate.

"In my wildest dreams, I can see (Romney) becoming the majority leader in the Senate and Paul Ryan still being speaker of the House. Think about it, Romney and Ryan leading in the Congress, the governor said then.

While many Utah Republicans shared Herbert's hopes, Karpowitz said they were never likely to come true.

"It's not clear how much they would have worked together," he said. "The notion that Romney was going to partner with Ryan to pass legislation was probably more wishful thinking than reality."

As a freshman senator should he win, Romney would have little chance to be elected to Senate leadership or to replace Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Karpowitz said.

Still, he said, Ryan's decision would not diminish the role Romney would play.

"No matter what, he will be a prominent voice just given the fact that he was the Republican standard-bearer in 2012. Whether or not Mitt Romney holds a leadership position, Romney will be someone who will be a strong voice," Karpowitz said.

Members of Utah's all-Republican congressional delegation reacted quickly Wednesday to Ryan's decision to leave Congress at the end of his term.

"I think it's bittersweet," said Rep. Mia Love, who was assigned Ryan as her congressional mentor. Ryan "calls himself my (LDS Church) home teacher here in Congress. He knows what that means," she said on KSL Newsradio's "The Doug Wright Show."

She said Ryan "is anything but a lame duck speaker" and his announcement will allow him to "call out the president when he disagrees" and stay more separated from the GOP administration.

Rep. John Curtis, elected last November to replace former Rep. Jason Chaffetz after Chaffetz resigned and became a Fox News contributor, brought up that Ryan said he chose not to run for re-election and then step down before his next term expired even though that might have been politically expedient.

"Few people, if any, are more genuine than Paul Ryan," Curtis told Wright.

Chaffetz, who briefly sought the House speakership in 2015 but deferred to Ryan, said he didn't take Ryan's remarks personally even though he left office six months into his fifth term.

"Good for him. I'm glad he's doing that. But my life situation changed over time and I made the decision that was right at the time," Chaffetz said.

He also said he believed Ryan's leaving wouldn't impact Romney's race.

"I think (Romney) would have truly enjoyed having Paul Ryan as speaker while he was the senator. They're obviously friends and work well together," Chaffetz said. "But Mitt Romney won't have any trouble making new friends."

Rep. Chris Stewart said Ryan "is one of the most decent men Ive ever met."

He said Romney's Senate bid shouldn't be affected by Ryan leaving.

"I think Mitt feels the same way that all of us just feel. We are going to miss Paul and we have tremendous respect for him," Stewart said. "But I don't see that it would impact either his race or really, what he would hope to accomplish."

Rep. Rob Bishop, appointed by Ryan last year to head up the Speaker's Task Force on Intergovernmental Affairs, said, "Right now, I'm in a state of denial. I hate to see him go."

Bishop said Ryan "led the House through some of the most momentous accomplishments in recent history" including the $1.5 trillion tax cut passed just before Christmas and increased military spending.

Hatch said in a statement that Ryan "has been a dear friend for a number of years, and Im proud of everything we have been able to accomplish together. He didnt ask for the job he has; he answered the call to serve and led us from one legislative victory to another. Our nation is better off today because of Paul Ryan."
A tender family reunion in China is touching countless hearts across the globe.

Nearly 24 years ago, the young daughter of Wang Mingqing and his wife Liu Dengying's went missing. But years and years of distributing thousands of photos paid off this week when father and mother were reunited with their daughter and her own family, according to CNN.

"The family cried as Wang and Kang embraced, with Kang telling his daughter, 'daddy loves you,'" CNN reported.

The daughter, who was named Qifeng but renamed Kang Ying by her adoptive family, went missing in 1994 while the couple sold fruit in the city of Chengdu. She was found crying on the side of the road and raised by another family, CNN reported.

Her parents searched for her to no avail, but they never gave up hope of finding their daughter.

Eventually, Wang began working for a ride-sharing service as a way to distribute thousands of photos of his daughter's sister to see if anyone noticed a resemblance. He hoped that one day she might open the door and get into his car.

His story was picked up by the local media. A police sketch artist volunteered to draw an age-advanced drawing of what the daughter might look like as an adult.

"That image made its way to Kang Ying," according to CNN.

Kang, now a wife and mother of two children, saw the sketch and was amazed at the resemblance. After reaching out to Wang, their family connection was confirmed through a DNA test, kicking off an emotional reunion.

"It's a remarkable story thanks to the sheer determination of Wang Mingqing, the father who just wouldn't give up," CNN reported in a video.

Read the entire story and watch a video at CNN.
With an important election ahead of us, and the legislative session behind us, now is a good time to think about the top issues and priorities facing Utah policymakers and residents. What are those opportunities and challenges  those big gears that will propel the state forward, or hold it back?

Its important to put that question into proper context, remembering that Utah is doing very well compared to many states. Our economy is strong, and we enjoy a great quality of life.

Still, the regional, national and global competition is fierce. We cant take anything for granted. If we dont focus intently on solving Utahs challenges, improving our economy, and investing in human and social capital, along with physical infrastructure, we will be overtaken.

So what is the agenda that will keep Utah ahead and take our state to the next level?

Working in conjunction with UtahPolicy.com and LaVarr Webb, we replicated an unscientific survey that we did a couple of years ago, asking about 40 Utah leaders in business, government and nonprofits to list and prioritize the projects and issues of highest importance in Utah. We provided a list of about two dozen issues and invited leaders to add their suggestions.

Far and away, the No. 1 issue, concern and opportunity was education  preparing Utah young people for the jobs of the future with adequate education funding, and by matching skills development to the jobs available.

Its clear that Utah leaders fully understand that if our young people are adequately prepared, many other problems in society will be lessened, and many great opportunities will arise.

It is instructive that two of Utahs top economic development leaders, Theresa Foxley, who directs the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, and Val Hale, who directs the Governors Office of Economic Development, both listed education as Utahs top issue.

Foxley wrote, The long game of economic development is education, education, education, with a lot of infrastructure built in.

Clearly, Utah should aspire to be the nations No. 1 education state. If we are successful, many other problems will take care of themselves. The legislature and governor made good progress in the last legislative session, but we still have much work to do.

The No. 2 issue identified by Utah leaders was continuing efforts to improve air quality. Positive steps are being taken, and it is gratifying that air quality is improving in the face of rapid growth, more vehicle travel and more economic activity. But air quality is still a big concern and the easy steps have been taken. All of us will need to alter our lifestyles a bit to make further progress.

Leaders mentioned three big interrelated infrastructure and development projects as major opportunities for Utah. Ive lumped them together as the No. 3 top issue. They include capitalizing on the new $3 billion-plus international airport currently under construction, developing an inland port and related opportunities in Salt Lake Citys northwest quadrant, and moving the state prison to allow the Point of the Mountain area to further developed as part of Utahs remarkable high-tech corridor.

These three projects/developments could produce thousands of high-paying jobs and boost Utahs economy for decades to come. Thankfully, we have wise and forward-thinking leaders providing support and oversight.

Other key issues included:
Sibirajs Next With Kamalakannan Will Be Shot In Coimbatore

Sibiraj is riding high on the success of his last film Sathya which released in December last year. The actor is currently occupied with the shooting of his upcoming Tamil RomCom action thriller film, Ranga. After the success of Sathya, the actor is on a signing spree and has signed his next film after Ranga.





If reports are to be believed, the actor will play the lead role in filmmaker Kamalakannans next. The director is known for film Madhubaanakadai. The title of the film is yet to be revealed.





Kamalakannan made his debut with Madhubaanakadai. This will be the filmmakers second outing. His debut film hit the theatres in 2012 which was a socio-political satire. Touted to be an out-and-out commercial venture, the film will be extensively shot in Chennai and Coimbatore. An official announcement is yet to be made in this regard.





For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App.





Source: www.cinepunch.in
Rakul Preet Still Stands By Her Casting Couch Remark

The ongoing issue of casting couch is getting intense day by day. Actors Sri Reddy and Madhavi Lathi alleged that they faced this in the industry and are protesting against it. However, one of the most popular faces of Tollywood Rakul Preet gave her opinion about this and said that she never experienced such a thing in her entire career.





After her comment went viral, the actress received a lot of backlash from the many actresses. She was criticised by actors Sri Reddy and Madhavi Lathi. They even accused her of lying and said that Rakul is giving such statements to be in the industry.





Talking about all this, the actor said, If I have not experienced casting couch, then how can I talk about it? And if they think I am lying, then I have nothing to say. I still stand by what Ive said. She further added that she does not even know who these actresses are and have never seen them in any movie.





For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App.





Source: bollywoodrush.com
A federal court in Texas has ordered Apple to pay $502.6 million to VirnetX Holding Corp over a patent dispute that has been reportedly going on for eight years. Bloomberg reports that that the jury reported that found Apple to be infringing upon four patents related to secure communications. VirnetX claimed that features in Apples FaceTime, VPN on Demand and iMessage infringes upon these patents.

As per the report, the dispute has bounced between the district court, patent office, and Federal Circuit since 2010. However, it also adds that this victory might be short lived as the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has claimed the patents to be invalid, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington is currently reviewing such cases.

VirnetX is based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada and reported just over $1 million in revenues last year. Following this news, the companys stock rose by as much as 44 percent. By contrast, the report notes that Apples stock saw little change as the $502.6 million award is quite miniscule as compared to the companys profits.

However, VirnetX is not the only company that is in the processes of taking Apple to court. It was recently reported that health technology startup, Omni MedSci had filed a lawsuit against Apple for the heart rate sensing technology used in the Apple Watch. The lawsuit claims that the sensor technology infringed upon patents belonging to Omni MedScis Founder and CTO, Dr. Mohammed N. Islam. As per the report, the heart rate sensor on the Watch infringed upon four patents. Each of which is said to reference a wearable device that uses a source of light and a receiver to capture non-invasive blood measurements. Omni MedSci claimed that the Apple Watch uses this technology to measure a users heart rate.
With the launch of the Google Home and Google Home Mini in India, Amazon is now offering discounts its own Alexa powered Echo and Echo Dot smart speakers. Under the offer, if buyers purchase two Amazon Echo Dot speakers in the same order, they can avail Rs 1,000 off on the total bill. If you buy any Two Amazon Echo speakers, you get Rs 3,000 off on the total amount. There is no discount offered on the Amazon Echo Plus. Amazon's move to discount the Echo range of speakers seems like a direct response and reaction to the launch of the Google Home and Home Mini speakers which offer similar, but not same voice-assisted services.

Currently, the Amazon Echo Dot is priced at Rs 4,499, whereas the Amazon Echo is priced at Rs 9,999, and the Amazon Echo Plus is priced at Rs 14,999. To put things into perspective, Google has priced the Google Home at Rs 9,999 and the Google Home Mini at Rs 4,499 in India, giving direct competition to the Echo Dot and Echo. Google hasnt launched its Google Home Max in India which is currently available in the US. The Google Home family of speakers bring support for Google Assistant-powered voice commans and in India, Home users can currently access services such as Google Play Music, Netflix, Gaana, Saavn, and YouTube. It is expected that more services will be added in the coming days.

The Amazon Echo speakers, on the other hand, are integrated with Alexa, Amazons own smart assistant. Using the Echo, users can listen to the news, shop online, play music, call cabs, order food and more using voice commands. Using the Google Home speakers, one can currently only play music, stream content on a TV and ask the speaker to bring up information from the web with the help of the Google Assistant. Google did announce India-specific 'Actions' for the Assistant late last year, but they are still not available to users. Google's 'Actions' are similar to Alexa's 'Skills' and once introduced, will help users access more locally relevant services in the country.

Talking about the Amazon Echo devices that are currently discounted, the Echo Dot is the smallest of the smart speaker family and is best used when paired with another set of speakers at home. The larger Echo is louder and offers better sound quality with dual speakers powered by Dolby, while all the other features remain largely the same as the Echo Dot. The Echo Plus, although not on sale, is the most expensive of them all because it is also a smart home hub and showcases a taller design and more powerful speakers when compared to the Echo and Echo Dot. One good thing about the Echo speakers is that users can connect them to their any other speakers of their choice via 3.5mm Aux Out port. This is not possible on the Google Home.

We got our hands on the Google Home and you can read our impressions of the device here. You can also check out our in-depth analysis of the Amazon Echo Plus speaker here.
If you want your name to travel through the Sun's atmosphere, braving brutal heat and radiation conditions, here comes your chance. NASA is inviting people around the world to submit their names online to be placed on a microchip aboard its historic solar probe launching this summer.

"This probe will journey to a region humanity has never explored before," said Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

"This mission will answer questions scientists have sought to uncover for more than six decades," Zurbuchen added.

In May 2017, NASA renamed the spacecraft from the Solar Probe Plus to the Parker Solar Probe in honour of astrophysicist Eugene Parker.

The US space agency on Tuesday said it would accept submissions until April 27, 2018.

The spacecraft, about the size of a small car, will travel directly into the Sun's atmosphere about four million miles from the star's surface.

The primary science goals for the mission are to trace how energy and heat move through the solar corona and to explore what accelerates the solar wind as well as solar energetic particles.

The mission will revolutionise our understanding of the Sun, where changing conditions can spread out into the solar system, affecting Earth and other worlds, NASA said.

The spacecraft speed is so fast, at its closest approach it will be going at approximately 430,000 mph.

That's fast enough to get from Washington, DC, to Tokyo in under a minute, NASA said.

"Parker Solar Probe is, quite literally, the fastest, hottest -- and, to me, coolest -- mission under the Sun," said project scientist Nicola Fox of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, US.

"This incredible spacecraft is going to reveal so much about our star and how it works that we've not been able to understand," she added.
Passenger bounced off IndiGo flight over mosquitoes in aircraft

A probe has been ordered by the government into the allegations of a doctor who accused staff of IndiGo airline of manhandling him and forcing him to deboard a flight to Bangalore on Monday.

I have ordered an enquiry into the incident of off-loading passenger Dr Saurabh Rai, a cardiologist, by IndiGo at Lucknow Airport, tweeted civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu.

Cardiologist Rai has alleged that the crew of IndiGo manhandled him after he complained of mosquitoes on board the aircraft that was to fly from Lucknow.

The passenger, who was to fly to Bangalore where he works at a hospital, said the cabin was full of mosquitoes and even though he asked the staff to remove them, they did nothing.

He persisted even after the doors were closed and claims he sought some mosquito repellant. But the crew allegedly dragged him from the aircraft and downloaded him, he claims.

The plane then took off without him and he was forced to buy a new ticket. The airline staff also allegedly deleted photographs he had taken inside the aircraft.

The airline, however, has a different version of the incident. It was the passengers belligerent behaviour, and concerns raised by other passengers about his actions that led to his being deplaned, said the airline.

Rai had initially raised concerns about mosquitoes on board the flight, but before they could be addressed by the staff he turned aggressive and used threatening language and also tried to instigate other passengers, said the airline.

Some other passengers also complained about his behaviour, claims IndiGo. And since his actions had resulted in the flight being delayed, some of them felt he should be deboarded.
Saudi Aramco, Total sign MoU to build giant petrochem complex in Jubail

State-run Saudi Aramco and French oil major Total have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a giant petrochemical complex in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, alongside the SATORP refinery, which is a joint venture between Aramco (62.5 per cent) and Total (37.5 per cent).

The Saudi oil giant signed eight deals worth $10 billion with French firms on Tuesday, during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans visit to that country.

The move in Jubail, in a move designed to fully exploit operational synergies. This world-class refinery, whose capacity increased from 400,000-barrel-per-day at its start-up in 2014 to 440,000-barrel-per-day on Tuesday, is recognised as being one of the most efficient in the world.

Located next to the SATORP refinery in the same industrial area, the complex will comprise a world-size mixed-feed steam cracker (50 per cent ethane and refinery off-gas) with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year of ethylene and related high-added-value petrochemical units. The project will represent an investment of around $5 billion. The two partners are planning to start the front-end engineering and design (FEED) in the third quarter of 2018.

The cracker will feed other petrochemical and specialty chemical plants representing an overall amount of $4 billion investment by third party investors.

In total, $9 billion will be invested, creating 8,000 local direct and indirect jobs. The project will produce more than 2.7 million tonnes of high value chemicals.

The agreement deepens the exemplary relationship enjoyed by our two companies over many decades. It is one that has evolved from a standard buyer-seller arrangement to one imbued with common interests to further develop and diversify our businesses, commented Amin H Nasser, president and chief executive officer of Saudi Aramco. Our joint venture SATORP is a remarkably successful model of industry partnership and we are keen to build on this success to further underpin Saudi Aramcos strategy to expand its capacity in the chemicals sector by 2030.

This project illustrates our strategy of maximising the integration of our large refining and petrochemical platforms and of expanding our petrochemical operations from low-cost feedstock, to take advantage of the fast growing Asian polymer market," commented Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and CEO of Total. Furthermore, this project will enable us to strengthen our ties with Saudi Aramco, with whom we successfully operate our biggest and most efficient refinery in the world. Finally, it will contribute to the Vision 2030 of the Kingdom by creating 8,000 jobs and bringing in new high-added-value technologies, he added.

The company finalised the accords on Tuesday, at a Saudi-France economic forum during the official visit to Paris by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Aramco is a leading global integrated energy and chemicals company, producing approximately one in every eight barrels of the worlds oil supply.
Melting of Arctic mountain glaciers unprecedented in the past 400 years

Glaciers in Alaska's Denali National Park are melting faster than at any time in the past four centuries because of rising summer temperatures, a new study from the American Geophysical Union reveals.



Scientists spent a month in Denali National Park in 2013 drilling ice cores from the summit plateau of Mt. Hunter. The ice cores showed the glaciers on Mt. Hunter are melting more now than at any time in the past 400 years / Credit: Dominic Winski

New ice cores taken from the summit of Mt. Hunter in Denali National Park show summers there are least 1.2-2 Celsius (2.2-3.6 Fahrenheit) warmer than summers were during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

The warming at Mt. Hunter is about double the amount of warming that has occurred during the summer at areas at sea level in Alaska over the same time period, according to the new research.

The warmer temperatures are melting 60 times more snow from Mt. Hunter today than the amount of snow that melted during the summer before the start of the industrial period 150 years ago, according to the study. More snow now melts on Mt. Hunter than at any time in the past 400 years, said Dominic Winski, a glaciologist at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and lead author of the new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

The new study's results show the Alaska Range has been warming rapidly for at least a century. The Alaska Range is an arc of mountains in southern Alaska home to Denali, North America's highest peak.

The warming correlates with hotter temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, according to the study's authors. Previous research has shown the tropical Pacific has warmed over the past century due to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The study's authors conclude warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean has contributed to the unprecedented melting of Mt Hunter's glaciers by altering how air moves from the tropics to the poles. They suspect melting of mountain glaciers may accelerate faster than melting of sea level glaciers as the Arctic continues to warm.

Understanding how mountain glaciers are responding to climate change is important because they provide fresh water to many heavily-populated areas of the globe and can contribute to sea level rise, Winski said.

"The natural climate system has changed since the onset of the anthropogenic era," he said. "In the North Pacific, this means temperature and precipitation patterns are different today than they were during the preindustrial period."

Assembling a long-term temperature record

Winski and 11 other researchers from Dartmouth College, the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire drilled ice cores from Mt. Hunter in June 2013. They wanted to better understand how the climate of the Alaska Range has changed over the past several hundred years, because few weather station records of past climate in mountainous areas go back further than 1950.

The research team drilled two ice cores from a glacier on Mt. Hunter's summit plateau, 13,000 feet above sea level. The ice cores captured climate conditions on the mountain going back to the mid-17th century.

The physical properties of the ice showed the researchers what the mountain's past climate was like. Bands of darker ice with no bubbles indicated times when snow on the glacier had melted in past summers before re-freezing.

Winski and his team counted all the dark bands  the melt layers  from each ice core and used each melt layer's position in the core to determine when each melt event occurred.

The more melt events they observed in a given year, the warmer the summer.

They found melt events occur 57 times more frequently today than they did 150 years ago. In fact, they counted only four years with melt events prior to 1850. They also found the total amount of annual meltwater in the cores has increased 60-fold over the past 150 years.

The surge in melt events corresponds to a summer temperature increase of at least 1.2-2 degrees Celsius (2.2-3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) relative to the warmest periods of the 18th and 19th centuries, with nearly all of the increase occurring in the last 100 years.

Because there were so few melt events before the start of the 20th century, the temperature change over the past few centuries could be even higher, Winski said.

Connecting the Arctic to the tropics

The research team compared the temperature changes at Mt. Hunter with those from lower elevations in Alaska and in the Pacific Ocean. Glaciers on Mt. Hunter are easily influenced by temperature variations in the tropical Pacific Ocean because there are no large mountains to the south to block incoming winds from the coast, according to the researchers.

They found during years with more melt events on Mt. Hunter, tropical Pacific temperatures were higher. The researchers suspect warmer temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean amplify warming at high elevations in the Arctic by changing air circulation patterns. Warmer tropics lead to higher atmospheric pressures and more sunny days over the Alaska Range, which contribute to more glacial melting in the summer, Winski said.

"This adds to the growing body of research showing that changes in the tropical Pacific can manifest in changes across the globe," said Luke Trusel, a glaciologist at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey who was not connected to the study. "It's adding to the growing picture that what we're seeing today is unusual."
US public companies have increasingly shorter lifespans: research

At a time when more Americans are living longer, the companies where many people spend their working lives have increasingly shorter lifespans, according to research from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.

A paper by two Kelley professors, due to appear in the Academy of Management Annals, found that the odds of a company surviving more than five years has declined dramatically since the 1960s and that this trend also holds for firms lasting 10, 15 and 20 years.

Companies emerging as publicly listed firms in the 1960s had a 50-50 shot of making it to their 20-year anniversary. By the 1990s, that percentage fell to 20 per cent. Similarly, such companies used to have an 80 per cent chance of being around after 10 years, but those odds were down to 50 per cent for firms established after 2000.

These findings are based on an empirical analysis of nearly 32,000 US publicly listed companies between 1960 and 2015 by Rene Bakker, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship, and Matthew Josefy, assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship.

The researchers believe that long-held views about the age of companies have changed as organisations have become increasingly temporary in nature. Research on firm age dates back to the mid-1960s, but little has been done since the early 1990s. Bakker and Josefy question whether firm age today is anything more than a number and suggest that it may no longer predict organisational success.

"We believe this trend reflects an important shift in our understanding of the very DNA of what constitutes an organisation," the researchers wrote. "Short-lived, temporary organisations that rapidly accomplish a complex task and disband on its accomplishment are increasingly common across a broad range of industries."

In the previous century, many businesses were run with the expectation that they'd be taken over by the next generation of a family.

"The history of American businesses was centered around these family enterprises," Josefy said. "The whole reason of incorporating was so the organisation would live longer than the founder, giving them a sense of immortality. Here's the irony: These large corporations aren't even going to live as long as the founder, much less get passed down to the next generation of owners."

Classic management theory suggests that firm age is positively associated with learning, reliability and legitimacy. But today it may have more negative connotations in certain contexts, such as the tech sector, which rewards novelty and youthfulness.

In their paper, Bakker and Josefy raise the question of whether the American corporation is becoming more disposable, reflecting the temporary nature of other aspects of our society. They suspect that the diminishing lifespan of US companies is partly due to more active merger and acquisition activity in recent years. But they also attribute it to a culture that encourages start-ups.

"We live in an environment where starting and liquidating a business is quite easy," Bakker said. "Many young firms today seem destined to become 'organizational supernovas,' which burn brighter but die quicker."

Once a start-up reaches its desired objectives, it may be acquired or morph into another entity with new goals.

"While society is often concerned to see businesses fail, sometimes it may be better for a company to die to free up resources and allow people to go on and do something else, rather than persist with uncertainty and stagnation," Josefy said. "Apparent failure of one entity may actually be the precursor to success of another."
New class of drugs could help tackle treatment-resistant cancers

Researchers have discovered a new class of drug that has the potential to help cancer patients who no longer respond to existing therapies.

The drug may not become available to patients for a number of years yet, but researchers believe that if clinical trials are successful, it could be used to tackle a variety of treatment-resistant cancers.

Patients with breast cancer for example frequently become resistant to existing hormone-based treatments, leading to the disease becoming fatal.

In a bid to come up with new forms of treatment that work in a distinct way from established ones, chemists, biologists and clinicians at Imperial College London collaborated on creating a new drug, the properties of which are reported in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

The team of scientists at Imperial was funded by Cancer Research UK. The drug was then developed by Imperial, in collaboration with Emory University in the USA.

Early lab-based tests of ICEC0942 were successful in targeting resistant breast cancers and indicated minimal side effects. ICEC0942 was then licenced to Carrick Therapeutics, which developed it into a molecule named CT7001, and taken it to early-stage clinical trials in less than two years.

The first patient was given the drug in November 2017 as part of Carrick's Phase I clinical trial to assess its safety and how well it can be tolerated. The trial is still underway, and therefore, results are not available yet.

Professor Charles Coombes, from the Department of Surgery & Cancer, says, "Treatment-resistant tumours represent a significant threat for patients, as once a cancer stops responding to treatments there is increasingly little clinicians can do.

"Drugs such as these could help to shift the balance back in favour of the patients, potentially providing a new option to patients for who existing treatments no longer work."

Professor Tony Barrett, from the Department of Chemistry, says, "This work is the result of extensive collaboration between chemists, biologists and clinicians, which has helped to bring a new treatment from discovery to clinical testing in record time, streamlining the process."

The drug targets an enzyme called CDK7, involved in directing cells through their lifecycle, which consists of growth, DNA replication and cell division. CDK7 is also involved in the process of transcription, a vital step in gene expression  the creation of proteins to carry out cell functions. Particular cancers, such as treatment-resistant breast cancers, have a unique dependence on transcription, meaning targeting CDK7 may be particularly effective.

By inhibiting transcription, ICEC0942 shuts down the ability of the cancer to spread. As well as breast cancers, cancers such as acute myeloid leukaemia and small-cell lung cancer are particularly transcription-dependent, so ICEC0942 may work well for these too, especially where they have become resistant to other treatments.

The discovery of the drug was spurred by an initial meeting between Professor Anthony Barrett, from the Department of Chemistry, and oncologist Professor Charles Coombes from the Department of Surgery & Cancer.

Professor Simak Ali, also from the Department of Surgery & Cancer, was working on understanding the action of CDK7 in treatment-resistant breast cancer. Professors Coombes and Ali suggested CDK7 as a drug target, leading the collaboration to attempt to design a molecule that would inhibit its action.

From early attempts, a large collaborative team was eventually founded for drug discovery from 'bench to bedside', directed by Dr Matthew Fuchter in the Department of Chemistry. Possible compounds for CDK7 inhibition were modelled using computational drug design, aided by collaboration with Emory University.

Ultimately, a candidate molecule called ICEC0942 supressed tumour growth in a wide range of cancer types in lab tests. In addition, laboratory studies showed ICEC0942 worked better in combination with traditional hormone therapies for estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells, which have not yet become resistant.

It is this molecule, in oral pill form, that was taken forward by Carrick as CT7001 and is currently in Phase I clinical trials. If the Phase I trial proves successful, the compound must pass further stages of trial over the next few years before it becomes available to patients.

Early funding for the study came from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and a major contribution of whole-project funding was from Cancer Research UK. Licensing of the technology to Carrick Therapeutics was led by Cancer Research UK's Commercial Partnerships Team and Imperial Innovations, the Technology Transfer Office of Imperial, with support from Emory University.

Dr Iain Foulkes, Cancer Research UK's executive director of research and innovation, said, "It's exciting to see how Cancer Research UK's partnerships with both academia and industry are bringing urgently needed new tests and treatments to patients.

"Drug resistance continues to be a major challenge across many cancer types so it's vital that we explore new ways to tackle tumours that have stopped responding to standard therapies. We hope that this promising new class of drug will offer more options to patients who have few left available to them, and help more people survive their cancer."
Audi's 12.3-inch digital instrument display is paired with two stacked centre touchscreens, a 10.1-inch top screen which controls the infotainment and navigation while an 8.6-inch bottom screen manages the climate, comfort and text input functions.

A suite of safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control which folds in semi-autonomous functions by braking and accelerating for corners, roundabouts and reads speed limits. An emergency assist function is also included, which registers if the driver has had no input and offers a series of warnings before bringing the vehicle to a stop in its lane.

Audi will offer a range of petrol and diesel engines, which if it mimics the sedan range will offer a 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine, a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol and diesel unit and a 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine.
A local resident in Inniskeen has once again highlighted the potholed state of some of the roads in the area.

Sandra Hoey took to Facebook yesterday with a selection of images of roads in and around Inniskeen.

On the accompanying past she said:

"In and around the lovely picturesque Inniskeen Village, famous for being the home of one of Ireland's most celebrated Poets Patrick Kavanagh.

"Bus loads of tourists come to visit and at the minute, thanks to the maintainence, or should I say lack of it from Monaghan County Council, tourists might even find some of the original "Cart track's" mentioned by Kavanagh in his Poems.

"Potholes everywhere (and) we're paying road tax for this?"

Many agreed with Sandra's statement, with one commenting that they too had previously highlighted the issue.

"I posted photos like these two months ago (and it) made no difference," said one social media user. "The roads are just disappearing. You take your life in your hands driving out the Dundalk road out of the village."
The parkrun initiative celebrated its 1,000,000th run in Ireland over the weekend  and almost three years after the movement came to Dundalk, the local group are growing ever bigger and stronger as Dundalk natives come out in force every week.

While parkrun, a flagship initiative from the Department of Health and Healthy Ireland, has been running in Ireland since 2012, the event in Dundalk will celebrate its third birthday this coming June.

At its peak, over 100 people come to Dundalk Institute of Technology to take part in the weekly event. Whether you are a runner, jogger or walker  all are welcome.

Infact, on a very special weekend for Parkrun, 117 people turned out on Saturday morning at DkIT  16 of whom were newcomers and 19 of which earned personal bests.

Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat on a landmark weekend for the initiative, the aptly named Michael Parks explained what its all about.

Its free and its not supposed to be competitive. Its just a run, walk or jog, he said. Its you against yourself. We provide the course, courtesy of DkIT who are landlords. We provide the timing facilities and the results on the website.

Its about encouraging people to come out and get a bit of exercise and socialise. We try once a month to serve tea and coffee to encourage people to stay around afterwards because typically the walkers never see some of the faster runners!

It gives people the opportunity to mix. Its as much social as it is a run or walk, he added.

The parkrun events are timed weekly, but its not a race as Michael stresses. Its purely you against you and everyone is considered equal.

The ethos of Parkrun is that its an inclusive thing, he said. We dont single people out for any one reason, particularly around speed.

Even though its Parkrun  and run is in the name, we get a lot of walkers, people who take their kids or dogs. Faster guys get done in 20 minutes and some of the walkers come in close to an hour. Everyone gets treated the same.

Inclusivity is also a big theme. At the weekend, members from the Fairview parkrun came to Dundalk to provide an awareness session on how to how guide people with visual impairments to take part.

Our course doesnt suit wheelchair access, its very narrow in parts, Michael explains. But we feel we could probably support visually impaired runners. Parkrun within Ireland are facilitating the training as people request it.

It gives us one more way we can support people.
Ardee Community Schools All-Ireland winning GAA team could be in line for a civic award later this year, it has been revealed.

The school could be set to be honoured by the Ardee Municipal District with councillors in the Mid-Louth area being asked to nominate one awardee each ahead of a civic awards bash to be held later in 2018.

Fine Gael councillor Dolores Minogue proposed that Anthony Durnins team, who won an All-Ireland C title last week, were honoured for their efforts.

Cathaoirleach Liam Reilly suggested the nominees could each be brought forward to the Corporate Policy Group meeting for review and potentially approval.

Independent councillor Jim Tenanty suggested former Ardee Tidy Towns chairman Brendan Matthews be awarded.

Louth County Council cathaoirleach Colm Markey said that the number of nominees should be kept to the minimum to uphold the prestige that comes with the honour.

The award will hold more value if were careful of who we give them to, Markey told the meeting.

If you end up giving loads out every year, it will end up devaluing them.
There has been no definitive plan drawn up for a park-and-ride bus facility to operate along the M1 Motorway in Dundalk.

Green Party councillor Mark Dearey said last week that he welcomed Louth County Councils efforts to get a park-and-ride facility off the ground  despite a location not having been decided on.

He said that a number of unofficial areas, where motorists park their car before taking public transport or car pooling to work in Dublin, have sprung up in recent times creating a number of issues.

They are an eyesore  the unofficial ones, he said. I welcome the initiative, whoever started it.

A feasibility report is currently with Transport Infrastructure Ireland while the local authority have sought the support of the National Transport Authority for the facility.

Weve looked at a number of possible locations, primarily adjacent to the motorway.

Theres no definitive plan, no particular spot, engineer Pat Finn, speaking at his last Dundalk Municipal meeting, said.

The issue was also raised at Thursday's Ardee Municipal District meeting by councillor Jim Tenanty. He asked whether Ardee or the Mid-Louth area had been earmarked as a potential site for any park-and-ride facility.

In response, engineer Frank McGee confirmed that Junction 17 and Junction 16 were being considered, as well as at Ardee.

However, he said it was likely that only one location in Louth would be selected.

Fundamentally, there may be just one site selected, he said. It's more than likely. Transport Infrastrcture Ireland currently operates seven park-and-ride facilities in Ireland - all of which are located in Dublin. All of these are in conjunction with the Luas service around the city and county
NEW YORK  A collaboration between cellulosic fibre producer, Lenzing and textile technology firm, Jeanologia has yielded the latest Sustainable Denim Wardrobe capsule collection which will be showcased at this months Kingpins in Amsterdam.

Lenzing says the collection has been conceived to showcase the potential of collaboration between environmentally-minded companies which seek to meet the escalating appetite for sustainable denim products.
By Ben Jervey

A coalition of conservative groups, many with close ties to the Koch brothers, is calling for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to strip California of its right to set stricter greenhouse gas limits for personal vehicles.

Not satisfied with Pruitt's decision to rewrite the Obama-era emissions standardswhich had been written cooperatively with the automakers, state of California, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and EPAthe American Consumer Institute (ACI) organized a letter to Pruitt calling "for the revocation of California's waiver from the Clean Air Act, which allows the state to decouple from federal policy and impose strict emission standards on automobiles."

When asked about this threat on the sidelines of the BNEF Future of Energy Summit, the chair of the California Air Resources Board, Mary Nichols, told Desmog, "I don't think they're going to do that."

Commenting on the conservative organizations requesting that Pruitt revoke the waiver, Nichols told Desmog, "They're the same groups that've been supporting Pruitt through all this other stuff."

In the weeks leading up to his announcement about the emissions standards, Pruitt had taken a more antagonistic tone towards California, signaling that he might attempt to revoke the waiver that was granted by the Obama administration, per legal mandate, in 2009.

"California is not the arbiter of these issues," Pruitt told Bloomberg News in March, adding that the state "shouldn't and can't dictate to the rest of the country what these levels are going to be."

With the waiver in hand, California can continue to enforce current greenhouse gas emissions standards, despite whatever the EPA sets as the new national standards for model years 2022-2025. On top of that, any other state can choose to adopt California's standards, which 13 other states and the District of Columbia currently have.



Because these states represent roughly one-third of the country's personal vehicle market, automakers would have to decide whether to set up two different production lines for states following the California standards and the rest of the country, or whether to treat California's targets as a de facto national standard.

Predictably, the automakers, through the powerful Auto Alliance and Global Automakers trade groups, are calling for one national regime, which could result from a grand bargain like the one that Pruitt just scrapped, or could be delivered by Pruitt stripping California of its waiver.

Any attempt at such a repeal would be hugely controversial, and possibly illegal, due to many nuances in the Clean Air Act and the history of its application and enforcement. A waiver granted to California under the Clean Air Act has never been revoked, and has only been denied once.

Notably, that lone denial came in December 2007 when William (Bill) Wehrum, who ran the EPA's clean air division at the time, convinced then-EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to reject the state's request to set its own greenhouse gas standards for vehicles, the very issue at hand today.

(California was later granted that same waiver in 2009 under the Obama administration, after the state sued the EPA, and after the Supreme Court had held in 2007 that the EPA was required to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. For a much more comprehensive background on California's waiver and Wehrum's opposition, see this recent Desmog article.)

Today, Wehrum is again the air chief at the EPA, and is again in a position to attempt to strip California of its unique authority to set its own air pollution limits. As Wehrum, Pruitt and EPA policymakers work to figure out the new national emissions standards for cars and light trucks, they are hearing from groups including the American Consumer Institute and its Koch-tied coalition on the importance of revoking the California waiver.

Who Are the Groups Fighting California's Clean Air Act Waiver?

The ACI letter to Pruitt, dated March 28, 2018, was signed by representatives from 11 groups, eight of which have known ties to the Koch network, and all of which are routine commenters on conservative issues.

The American Consumer Institute (ACI) is credited with organizing the coalition, and the letter is signed by its President Steve Pociask. The group is best known for opposing net neutrality efforts while being funded by a major Internet service provider lobby, as journalist Lee Fang detailed for VICE. More recently, Pociask has turned his attention to attacking electric vehicles, writing on Forbes that "the science on electric vehicles does not support continuing California's waiver."

Less Government is an "organization dedicated to reducing the power of government and protecting the First Amendment from governmental assault," which was founded and run by Seton Motley, who is also listed as a policy adviser to the climate science-denying Heartland Institute. Though Motley and his Less Government organization have their roots in telecom and media issues, he has in recent years engaged more on climate and energy issues, signing some anti-wind energy letters organized by the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity and writing a bit on electric vehicles.

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is part of the network of front groups funded by the Koch brothers and their donor network through the Center to Protect Patient Rights (now called American Encore) and Freedom Partners. As the Energy and Policy Institute has described, "TPA essentially exists as a shell for its advocacy, based on its own IRS form 990s: 'The Taxpayers Protection Alliance has given control of the management duties and the daily activities of the organization to MLM Consulting, LLC (MLM). MLM will be responsible for managing the organization and work to support the exempt purposes of TPA. The President of TPA, David Williams, is the sole owner of MLM Consulting LLC.'" Williams signed the ACI letter to Pruitt. TPA has fought clean energy policy in the past using the website SolarSecrets.org and has published white papers arguing against solar energy tax credits.

Consumer Action for a Strong Economy is run by Matthew Kandrach, and has been linked to a number of coalition efforts stemming from the FreedomWorks organization, which was born of a merger between the Koch-founded Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) and Empower America.

American Commitment is run by Phil Kerpen, a former vice president of Americans for Prosperity. The organization was founded by Sean Noble, a right-wing operative with close ties to the Koch brothers who also runs the Center to Protect Patient Rights (American Encore), a major funnel for Koch donor network money to front groups.

FreedomWorks was, as mentioned above, born of a merger between the Koch-founded Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) and Empower America, though it has no known Koch ties at present day. The group was described in a 2012 article in Mother Jones as "one of the main political outfits of the conservative movement and an instrumental force within the tea party." It pushes free market policies and has questioned the well-established science linking human activity to a warming planet.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a conservative advocacy group dedicated to "economic freedom" that has received funding from ExxonMobil, Texaco and the family foundations of the Koch brothers.

Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is an anti-tax group that has received funding from the oil and gas lobbying group, the American Petroleum Institute, along with various groups in the Koch network such as the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation and the Center to Protect Patient Rights, as well as DonorsTrust.

The 60 Plus Association describes itself as the conservative alternative to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and receives significant funding from groups connected to the Koch brothers. The group has also received funding from the American Petroleum Institute, and was created by Sean Noble (see American Commitment above). Noble was until recently a consultant for the Arizona Public Service utility company, and has led efforts in Arizona to kill solar-friendly legislation.

Frontiers of Freedom, run by George Landrith, has received significant funding from Exxon, the Koch brothers and dark money organizations like Donors Trust. In 2015, Landrith launched the Energy Equality Coalition to battle against the federal electric vehicle tax credit. The coalition also includes David Williams of the Taxpayer Protection Alliance and Horace Cooper, a senior fellow at the Heartland Institute. Landrith is also a director of the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR).

The Center for Freedom and Prosperity was once funded by the Charles Koch Foundation and has actively lobbied for more liberalized tax laws, and for less scrutiny towards offshore tax havens.

Seven of the organizations that signed this letter to Pruittand five of the actual representatives who signedalso recently penned a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration defending "electronic and heat-not-burn" tobacco products (or vaping products), indicating that this network is defending the tobacco industry as well as oil and gas companies.

California and Partner States Fight Back

Nichols has signaled that California will not be retreating from its strong standards.

"California will not weaken its nationally accepted clean car standards, and automakers will continue to meet those higher standards, bringing better gas mileage and less pollution for everyone," Nichols wrote in a statement emailed to reporters. "This decision takes the U.S. auto industry backward, and we will vigorously defend the existing clean vehicle standards and fight to preserve one national clean vehicle program."

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has also said that California is prepared to sue if the EPA moves to weaken the vehicle emissions standards.

"We are going to do everything that can been done to defend these standards," Becerra told Reuters last week. "So far, when we have been challenged on environmental standards we have had a good record in court. We haven't lost a case."

Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA is required to grant California a waiver on air pollution emissions standards if the state has "compelling and extraordinary circumstances," which California argued a decade ago, and which the Obama administration agreed that it does. To revoke the waiver, the EPA would legally have to prove that those circumstances are no longer there. To satisfy the courts in California's inevitable legal challenge, this would require a comprehensive and scientifically rigorous analysis.

At the BNEF Future of Energy Summit on April 10, Nichols said, "The document that came out a week ago from the administrator did nothing to change the nature of the debate. It expressed Mr. Pruitt's view but there was absolutely nothing new in the way of data or analysis to support that view."

She did indicate that she would be willing to sit down with the EPA and automakers to look at some "minor adjustments" to the technical changes measuring how companies could comply, but not the targets themselves. She provided an example related to electric vehicles. "Under the 2012 rules [car companies are] responsible for upstream emissions of power plants for charging EVs [electric vehicles]. I don't think that's a great idea. I didn't think so at the time."

However, "if the whole system is up for reexamination," said Nichols, "then that's a whole different story  That's a different fight. And we would win it."

It's also clear that other states would have California's back and join a legal fight, or start their own. Attorneys general from 11 states said last week in a statement that they would defend California's right to set firm standards.

"By cooking the books on its review of national auto emissions standards, the Trump administration is putting special interests ahead of New Yorkers' health and wallets," said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. "We stand ready to take legal action to block the Trump administration's reckless and illegal efforts to reverse these critical standards and the gains we've made in ensuring cars are more fuel-efficient and less polluting."

Reposted with permission from our media associate DeSmogBlog.
By Keith Gaby

Given the tenuous hold Scott Pruitt has on his job leading the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), attention has now turned to the pending nomination of coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to become the embattled agency's deputy administrator.

In the event Pruitt were forced from office by the avalanche of scandals swirling around him, Wheelerif confirmed as the agency's number twowould suddenly be running the EPA.

His tenure as acting administrator could be lengthy, too, given the closely divided Senate and the controversial policies of the Trump administration in this area.

And things are moving fast: Wheeler's nomination is scheduled to come before the Senate this week. It is critically important that Americans get educated on his career to date.

Wheeler spent years as an energy industry lobbyist.

Here's the bottom line: Andrew Wheeler running the EPA would go far beyond having an administrator overly influenced by lobbyists. If he's confirmed, the head of the EPA would, in fact, be an energy industry lobbyist.

On Wheeler's client list was Murray Energy, one of the worst corporate citizens in America.

Working for a big lobbying firm, Faegre Baker Daniels, Wheeler lobbied on behalf of energy companies for nearly a decade, including Murray. He earned more than $3 million in income for his firm from the large coal mining company.

His coal mining client paid millions in fines.

Since Wheeler began lobbying for Murray Energy, the company has paid millions in fines and penalties for contaminating waterways in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania with coal slurry and discharge.

In 2010, Murray Energy contaminated the Captina Creek in Ohio for the fourth time since 2000, with coal slurry. According to the Columbus Dispatch, coal slurry from Murray Energy spilled into the creek in 2000, 2005 and 2008.

In 2015, federal regulators accused Murray Energy of attempting to silence whistleblowers and said that "Murray Energy chided 3,500 workers for making too many confidential safety complaints to regulators andat one of the minesthreatened to retaliate by closing down operations."

As Wheeler's client, Murray Energy created an "action plan" for the EPA that called for overturning rules limiting mercury pollution, carbon pollution and air pollution that crosses state lines. It also called for cutting the EPA "at least in half."

Insider knowledge could make him dangerous.

Wheeler's lobbying list of clients regulated by the EPA is extensive. It also includes corporate names such as Bear Head LNG Corporation, Celanese Corporation, Domestic Fuel Solutions Group, ICOR International and the Nuclear Energy Institute.

He's devoted his career to defending the interests of the nation's largest polluters, as a lobbyist and in jobs on Capitol Hill. As deputy administrator, Wheeler would likely use his bureaucratic knowledge to continue to work for the goals of his past clientswith tragic results for our air, water, kids and heath.

That could make him even more dangerous than Scott Pruitt.
By Ingrid Abramovitch

Last summer, when wildfires burned out of control in Montana and other western states, Richard M. Parrish responded the best way he knows how: by creating artwork to document the devastation. Parrish, an internationally acclaimed glass artist, ascended over the parched landscape near his studio in Bozeman, Montana, in a small propeller plane. He then used these aerial observations to create a series of fused-glass works based on topographical mapsthree of which are currently on view in The Tipping Point: Artists Address Climate Change, a group exhibition at the Rockland Center for the Arts in West Nyack, New York.

In one Parrish piece, On the Edge, the contours of the land appear in bas-relief against a background that appears to be ablaze. "It speaks to the idea that we are on the edge of a precipice regarding climate change," said Parrish in an interview from Australia, where he is teaching a series of workshops on his kiln-formed glass techniques. "It conjures up images of the severe fires that most recently destroyed thousands of acres, hundreds of homes and businesses, and the livelihoods of unknowable numbers of people. The smoke and ash in the air where I live was horrible."

Another artwork, Slide, with its earthy palette and sense of vertical movement, refers to the mudslides that often occur after wildfires. A third piece, Red Line, depicts from above the movement of rivers and eroding land features while alluding to the "line we likely have crossed, where we cannot reverse the damage of climate change," Parrish said.

"Slide" Jessie Moore

Barbara Galazzo, the co-curator of "The Tipping Point," chose Parrish's work for the show because it is as visually arresting as it is topical and timely. "I have followed his mapping series for years and think it is brilliant and relevant," she said. "While you can physically feel climate change in temperature and in the number of hurricanes, droughts, and severe snowstorms, you can only see physical changes in the earth from above."



Parrish's unique fused-glass technique combines the three-dimensionality of sculpture with the painterly qualities of a work on canvas. It is also especially well suited to his subject matter. "By layering the colors on glass and then grinding away to reveal all the layers," Galazzo noted, "it begins to resemble an X-ray of the earth while showing a topography of the land."

The artist attributes his interest in environmental themes to his childhood on a farm in eastern Idaho. "It was my first connection to the land and landscape of the West, and I still draw on that," he said, "from the colors and textures to the spatial qualities of the sky and horizon. We were near Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, Craters of the Moon and the Sawtoothsall amazing and powerful places."

"Red Line" Jessie Moore

Trained as an architect, Parrish taught architecture and design at the University of Michigan and Montana State University. He established a glasswork kiln in Bozeman in the early 1990s and began to experiment there with his original fused glass techniques. Since 2001 he has been creating glass art full time and exhibiting and teaching around the world. "His work functions as a continuation of the rich American landscape tradition," said Kirsty Buchanan, curator of collections and exhibitions at the Rockwell Museum, the Smithsonian affiliate in Corning, New York, which in 2016 hosted "Aerial Perspectives of the American Landscape," a solo show of Parrish's mapping pieces.



Several were bird's-eye views of the patterns created by center-pivot irrigation systems. "Something I think about a lot is the Jeffersonian grid over most of the United States west of the Mississippi," Parrish said. "To me it is the imposition of human will over the land and the 'natural' environment. I'm aesthetically interested in the way drainages, topography, and geology interact with and interrupt the geometric impositions."

In addition to the pieces in "The Tipping Point," Parrish's artwork will be on view this spring when "Aerial Perspectives" travels to Bullseye Projects in Portland, Oregon (May 2June 16). He is also helping to organize a group exhibit opening in May at the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle.

An energetic proponent of the art of glass, Parrish enthuses about its artistic qualities. "Beyond the obviouslight, color, transparency, opacity, and reflectionI'm attracted to the myriad ways it can be transformed through heat, cutting, grinding, polishing, and breaking to create art," he explained. But even more powerful is its ability to bring clarity to its subject matter. "I hope that my work can bring attention to the beautysometimes the result of devastating eventsof the landscape environment."

The Tipping Point: Artists Address Climate Change is on display at the Rockland Center for the Arts in West Nyack, New York, through May 25.

Reposted with permission from our media associate onEarth.
More than two years after the Every Student Succeeds Act passed, only a handful of states are considering taking advantage of the testing flexibility the law offersdespite long-standing calls by many state officials for a freer hand on assessments.

ESSA lets states take new approaches to measuring student learning. But it doesnt appear likely that those new opportunities will make a deep national impact on assessment anytime soon.

The law invited up to seven states, or groups of states, to participate in an innovative assessment pilot aimed at using performance tasks and other types of student work instead of states previous tests. But only Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico submitted applications by the April 2 deadline.

ESSA also says states can allow individual districts to drop their states high school exam and use a nationally recognized high school test such as the SAT or ACT instead.

But only three states have embraced that idea. North Dakota recently won federal permission to let districts substitute the ACT for the state high school test. Arizona is planning something similar. Oklahoma dumped its required end-of-course exams in high school and this spring is letting districts choose between the SAT and the ACT. But the Education Department has notified Oklahoma that it needs one main high school testnot just a choice of twoand has not yet approved its ESSA plan.

Local Choice on High School Tests

Georgia and Oregon are thinking about giving districts a choice. Florida considered it, too, but a report the state commissioned warned of potential problems, including a lack of alignment between the college-admissions exams and its own academic standards. If Florida is to move forward with that option, the legislature would have to act, and there are no such bills pending, said Cheryl Etters, a state department of education spokeswoman.

One California lawmaker has introduced legislation that would force the state to let districts have that choice. And a Colorado law requires the state to investigate the option. Georgia is awaiting the results of two studies it commissioned to see if the SAT and ACT fully cover its content standards and whether scores from those exams would be comparable to scores from Georgias end-of-course tests.

Allison Timberlake, Georgias assessment director, said the state wants to give districts every opportunity to choose assessments that best meet the needs of students and the communities. But it first needs to be sure that no student or district is disadvantaged or advantaged by the tests they use, she said.

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If one test produces higher proficiency rates than another, for instance, that schism could translate into problems for some schools and students. Schools are held accountable for their proficiency rates, and high school tests in Georgia count for 20 percent of a students grade, Timberlake said.

ESSA says that states dont have to give assessments in one end-of-year session; they can administer interim tests during the year and roll those results together into one summative score. No state appears to be seriously considering that option.

Pennsylvania decided against it, said state education department spokeswoman Casey Smith. Officials there worried that using interim tests to report a summative score would be more time-consuming and expensive than giving one exam at years end, and that it could undermine efforts to maximize instructional time.

The state decided to ease the assessment burden in other ways: by cutting testing time by 20 percent and by moving tests later in the year to carve out more teaching time, Smith said.

What ESSA Didnt Change

The main framework of required standardized teststhe stuff many activists and educators hate the mostis unchanged in ESSA.

States still must give yearly math and English/language arts exams to all students in grades 3-8 and high school. During the run-up to the laws passage, some federal lawmakers pushed for testing students only three times during their K-12 years, the same way science tests are handled, but that didnt fly. Some also pushed unsuccessfully to adopt matrix sampling, a testing approach that produces national data by giving pieces of a test to a representative sample of students. But ESSA retained the requirement that states test 95 percent of all students.

A national backlash against standardized testing drove the debate about the testing flexibilities in ESSA. In a bid to reduce overall testing time, the new law also encourages states to audit their bevy of tests and eliminate unnecessary ones.

And it stepped up its welcome for something that was already permitted in federal law: It invited states to embrace the SAT or ACT as their statewide high school achievement tests. While most states seem reluctant to let individual districts make that choice, many are embracing it themselves, adopting a college-admissions exam as their statewide high school test. Twelve states use the SAT or ACT as their high school tests for accountability. That trend had been taking shape several years before ESSA was passed.

Experts who track state policy say there are many reasons states havent rushed to commit to ESSAs testing flexibilities.

Were seeing states starting to look at these, but the operative word is look,  said Jeremy Anderson, the president of the Education Commission of the States.

There are many new faces in state superintendents chairs since ESSA passed, and more than 30 states are now facing gubernatorial contests, Anderson said. He predicted more action on ESSAs testing options once the dust settles on those leadership changes.

I dont think well see a sea change, like 40 states making big moves, Anderson said. But I do think well see 10 or 12 making significant changes over the next couple of years.

Flexibility Comes With Burdens

ESSAs testing flexibilities arent easy to adopt. Each one poses technical challenges, and that isnt something many states relish right now, said Chris Domaleski, the associate director of the Center for Assessment, which provides technical assistance to states on assessment.

Psychometricians have warned, for instance, that combining interim assessments into one summative score might not produce valid results. States that let districts use a college-entrance exam instead of the statewide high school test must wrestle with how to factor those scores into their accountability systems. Not to mention the question of whether any new test fully reflects a states academic standards.

All of these flexibilities come with new burdens that are nontrivial, Domaleski said.

After the profound changes many states went through with the Common Core State Standards and related tests in the past seven years, most are placing a high priority on minimizing disruption and preserving longitudinal trends in their test scores, he said.

Kirsten Carr, who works with states on assessment and accountability issues as a senior program director at the Council of Chief State School Officers, said that a big chunk of states bandwidth in the past two years has been consumed by drafting and submitting their ESSA plans. With those out of the way, theyre just now turning to the nuances of the testing options in ESSA.

For the most part, Carr said, states are wrestling with the technical implications of those choices, such as how offering multiple tests at once will affect the validity and comparability of the results. States are now diving into the legwork needed to understand those issues, she said.

Carr rejected the idea that states slow response to ESSAs testing flexibilities represents a lost opportunity to innovate, a view U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has expressed publicly.

Theyre being thoughtful and deliberate in their process, engaging with stakeholders to see what makes sense and what is required  as part of the statute, she said.
The Every Student Succeeds Act calls for states to continue testing students annually, and to look out for vulnerable groups of students. But it includes some new features aimed at providing local leaders more flexibility on testing, spending, school improvement, and more. Here is a look at some of the most important new programs and policy twists in ESSA:

Title IV: ESSA scrapped many smaller programsaimed at things like elementary and secondary school counseling and Advanced Placement course feesin favor of a new, flexible $1.6 billion fund that districts can use for health, safety, arts education, college- and career-readiness, and more. Districts can also transfer the funding to Title II, the main federal teacher-quality program. But this school year, Congress only provided a quarter of the funding for this program in its most recent spending bill. Some school districts received only $10,000 and are using the money to make up for reductions in Title II, not to create new programs. Congress, though, recently upped the programs budget to $1.1 billion, which could help pay for some new initiatives.

Weighted Student Funding: ESSA allows up to 50 districts to participate in a weighted student funding pilot, meaning that they can combine federal, state, and local dollars. The move is intended to help districts ensure that students from high-needs populations, such as English-language learners and students in special education, get their fair share of funding. Four districts and Puerto Rico applied to join the program in the 2018-19 school year.

Innovative Assessment Pilot: ESSA allows up to seven states to try out new forms of testing in select districts, with the goal of eventually using the new tests statewide. The deadline to apply for the pilot was April 2. Before that deadline, four statesArizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, and New Hampshireexpressed formal interest in the opportunity.

Title I Set-Aside for School Improvement: States must set aside 7 percent of their Title I funding to improve the lowest-performing schools. Ninety-five percent of that money must be distributed to districts, either through a formula or using a competition. Schools that receive these funds must choose a school improvement strategy that has at least a promising level of evidence to back it up. At least 14 states will distribute the money competitively, according to an analysis from Results for Americas Evidence in Education Lab, a nonprofit research organization.

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Title I Set-Aside for Direct Student Services: ESSA allows states to set aside up to 3 percent of their Title I money for so-called direct-student services, including course choice, tutoring, and dual enrollment. Only two statesLouisiana and New Mexicoare taking advantage of this opportunity.

Indicators: ESSA requires states to look beyond test scores in rating schools by choosing at least one indicator of school quality or student success. At least 33 states picked chronic absenteeism as their additional indicator, and another 35 choose college- and career-readiness. Other choices included discipline data, science, school climate, and even physical education.

Low-Performing Schools

Comprehensive Support and Improvement: This category includes the bottom 5 percent of Title I schools in the state, plus schools where fewer than two-thirds of students graduate. The district must come up with a plan to improve these schools, monitored by the state. If the school fails to improve, the state must step in with a more rigorous plan.

Targeted Support and Improvement: This category includes schools where particular subgroups of students are consistently underperforming, a term every state defines differently. Schools must come up with a plan to fix the problem, monitored by the district. If the subgroup fails to improve, the district can step in.

Additional Targeted Support: These are schools where any subgroup of students, on its own, is doing as poorly as the students in the bottom 5 percent of schools. Schools must develop a plan to fix the problem, monitored by the district. The plan must include a resource review of the school to make sure these students are getting their fair share of resources. If subgroup performance at these schools continues to lag, they may end up being identified for comprehensive support and improvement.

Deadlines: States begin identifying schools for comprehensive support and improvement and additional targeted support in the 2018-19 school year. And states could begin flagging schools for targeted support in the 2019-20 school year.
Anstey unlikely to race in 2018 due to illness

12-time TT race winner Bruce Anstey is battling an illness that is expected to prevent him racing during 2018.

The New Zealander's partner Anny Ramsey revealed in a Facebook post that Anstey has multiple tumours in his lungs and one on his spine, as well as a blood clot on the lung.

The 48-year-old, who has previously beaten testicular cancer, is currently waiting for a treatment plan.

Isle of Man TT organisers have wished Anstey the speediest recovery, while Padgetts Racing, who Anstey has ridden for for several years, also wished him well.
Police urge motorists to keep vehicles locked

Police are urging Manx motorists to make sure their vehicles are locked when not in use.

The Isle of Man Constabulary says it's recently dealt with a number of jobs overnight where vehicles have been entered and moved.

Officers want drivers to keep their cars locked when unattended to deter thieves.
2018-04-11

Maeci

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, said: I express my personal and the Italian Government's deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences for the victims of the air accident that happened today at the Boufarik Air Base in Algeria. Our sympathy goes to the families hit by this immense sorrow, to the Algerian people and to the local authorities.
Four recipients of the Shire/ACMG Foundation Next Generation Fellowship Awards were announced during the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) 2018 Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. The four awards were the second set of awards given after Shire made a $1.65 million commitment in 2017 to support the training of future medical geneticists.

Bruce R. Korf, MD, PhD, FACMG, president of the ACMG Foundation said, "The Shire Awards represent a critical investment in the future of our field by helping to train the next generation of clinical and laboratory geneticists. This remains a vital need, and we are grateful to Shire for their commitment to medical genetics training."

The Shire/ACMG Foundation Genetics and Genomics Residency Fellowship Residency Program will provide funding for two different specialties in 2018: one Clinical Genetics and Genomics Residency Training (2 years) Award and three Clinical and Medical Biochemical Subspecialty Fellowships (1 year).

Clinical Genetics and Genomics Residency Fellowships:

1. Ali Zaidi, DO, Children's National Medical Center

Dr. Zaidi received his DO from Midwestern University in 2016. Graduating Summa Cum Laude, he received his Bachelors of Science in Cell and Developmental Biology and Genetics from ASU in 2011. His research interests included synthesizing small molecule inhibitors for epilepsy and hepatocellular carcinoma and assessing various roles of mi-RNAs and protein expression in the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).

Upon receiving this award, Dr. Zaidi says, "The Shire Next Generation Fellowship Award is an incredible resource that allows individuals like me desiring to enter the field of medical genetics a source of funding for our training. Without the generosity of awards like these, there may be no source of funding for fellowship training, and therefore limited training opportunities."

Medical Biochemical Genetics Subspecialty Fellowships

1. Irene J. Chang, MD, FACMG, University of Washington, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics

Dr. Chang recently completed her Medical Genetics Residency and is currently a senior fellow in the Division of Medical Genetics at the University of Washington. Her research under the mentorship of Dr. Sihoun Hahn utilizes the immuno-SRM platform to detect tryptic peptides in dried blood spots and predict immunogenicity to enzyme therapy in patients with infantile Pompe disease and other lysosomal storage diseases. Dr. Chang received her MD from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She completed an intern year in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Hawaii prior to starting her Medical Genetics residency at the University of Washington. Dr. Chang has received numerous awards including the NIH Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) Scholars Program and the NIH Fogarty Global Health Fellowship. She has published two book chapters and authored or co-authored a dozen peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Chang said of receiving the award, "I am incredibly honored to be granted the ACMGF Shire Genetics Fellowship Award, which will help me pursue Medical Biochemical Genetics training with the phenomenal team at Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington. In the setting of expanding newborn screening, this timely opportunity will allow me to provide the best possible care for patients with inborn errors of metabolism and continue translational research on the diagnosis of lysosomal storage diseases."

2. Nina Beth Gold, MD, Boston Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Dr. Nina Beth Gold is currently completing her fourth year in the combined Pediatrics-Medical Genetics residency at Boston Children's Hospital where she is Chief Resident in the Division of Genetics and Genomics. She earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. As a recipient of the 2018-2019 Shire/ACMGF Next Generation Medical Biochemical Subspecialty Genetics Training award, Dr. Gold will continue her training at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as a fellow in medical biochemical genetics. During this fellowship she will devote her time to understanding the variable expressivity of metabolic disease phenotypes under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Rader and Dr. Rebecca Ganetzky.

"I am honored to be a recipient of the ACMGF/Shire Genetics Fellowship Award. It is an incredibly exciting time to be training in clinical genetics and medical biochemical genetics. I deeply appreciate the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Rader and Dr. Rebecca Ganetzky, both of whom have supported my clinical and research goals. We hope that our proposed study will lead to a greater understanding of the genetic and environmental factors that affect the expression of metabolic disease phenotypes," said Dr. Gold after receiving this award.

3. Jean-Leon Chong, PhD., University of Utah

Dr. Jean-Leon Chong obtained a PhD in Molecular Genetics at Ohio State University (OSU) with subsequent postdoctoral training at the Comprehensive Cancer Research Center also at OSU. He studied normal development and tumorigenesis using genetically modified mice and published his findings in very high impact journals. He then joined the Newborn Screening Laboratory of the State of Ohio where his interest in Biochemical Genetics started. He is currently completing a Fellowship in Clinical Biochemical Genetics at the University of Utah and ARUP Laboratories.

Upon receiving this award, Dr. Chong said, "I am thankful to receive this training award that will enhance my knowledge in clinical biochemical genetics, advance our understandings of the interactions among different metabolic pathways, and set up a foundation for developing new standards of practice in biomedical genetics. This fellowship will provide me an opportunity to become an independent clinical biochemical geneticist."

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The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (ACMGF) is a community of supporters and contributors who understand the importance of medical genetics and genomics in healthcare. A non-profit organization established in 1992, the Foundation supports the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) mission to "translate genes into health"; to foster charitable giving, promote training opportunities to attract future medical geneticist and genetic counselors, to share information about medical genetics, to sponsor important research and much more.

To learn more and support the ACMGF mission to create "Better Health through Genetics", please contact Nicole O. Bell, ACMG Foundation Manager, at nbell@acmg.net or (301) 718-9604 or visit acmgfoundation.org.
Amanda Freed, MD of University of Washington Medical Center and Seattle's Children's Hospital University of Washington School of Medicine and Kim Ng, MD of Duke University are the recipients of the Pfizer/ACMG Foundation Next Generation Clinical Genetics and Genomics Residency Fellowship Award, announced at the 2018 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The objective of this fellowship is to provide an in-depth clinical research training experience at a premier medical center with expertise and significant clinical volume in the area of biochemical genetics, including lysosomal storage diseases, as well as in therapeutics and clinical trials involving patients with these and other metabolic diseases and, thereby, to increase the number of medical geneticists with interest, knowledge, and expertise in this area.

This Award grants $75,000 per year to the recipients, via their respective institutions, selected by the ACMG Foundation through a competitive process and will provide a two-year sponsorship for the trainee's clinical genetics subspecialty in translational genomics following residency.

Dr. Freed is a Medical Genetics and Genomics resident at the University of Washington. She received her bachelor's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at University of Michigan before receiving her M.D. from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. While at UCLA, she did research in the genetics of hyperlipidemia and was active in the Medical Genetics Student Interest Group. She then completed a Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency at Yale New Haven Hospital. There, she developed an interested in transitional care for young adults with genetic disorders. She is also interested in teaching and mentoring undergraduate and medical students.

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Freed said, "I am so grateful for this trainee award which will allow me to continue my residency training at University of Washington. Clinical genetics is so meaningful because I am able to take care of patients at every age and stage of life and often the entire family as well."

Dr. Ng Kim was born and raised in Singapore and attended the Duke University-National University of Singapore Medical School. She came to North Carolina in 2017 to pursue a Medical Genetics Residency at Duke University. It is her dream to be able to treat patients with rare diseases, and hopes that one day, she is able to take her passion from the bedside to the scientific bench and find a treatment for some of these disorders.

"I am extremely honored and grateful to receive the two-year Pfizer Clinical Genetics and Genomics Residency Fellowship Award. With this support, I will be able to pursue genetics training under the dedicated and brilliant mentors here at Duke, and aim to provide the best care for our patients. I hope that this training will provide me a solid foundation for which I can base my career as a physician-scientist on, and continually contribute to the rapidly expanding world of genetics and genomics," said Dr. Ng when she received the award.

"We are delighted to be able to partner with Pfizer in awarding the Pfizer/ACMG Foundation Clinical Genetics Combined Residency for Translational Genomic Scholars. There are unprecedented opportunities to translate advances in genetics and genomics to clinical practice, and training geneticists in this area will be critical to bringing new approaches and discoveries to the clinic as quickly as possible," said Bruce R. Korf, MD, PhD, FACMG, President of the ACMG Foundation.

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The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (ACMGF) is a community of supporters and contributors who understand the importance of medical genetics and genomics in healthcare. A non-profit organization established in 1992, the Foundation supports the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) mission to "translate genes into health;" to foster charitable giving, promote training opportunities to attract future medical geneticist and genetic counselors, to share information about medical genetics, to sponsor important research and much more.

To learn more and support the ACMGF mission to create "Better Health through Genetics," please contact Nicole O. Bell, ACMG Foundation Manager at nbell@acmg.net or by phone at 301-718-9604 or visit acmgfoundation.org.
It sometimes can be hard to find toothpastes, soaps and other toiletries without antibiotics. Their popularity has caused an increase in environmental levels of antimicrobial substances, such as triclocarban (TCC), which end up in the water and soil used to grow crops. Scientists report in the ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that TCC and related molecules can end up in food, with potentially negative health effects.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently banned TCC from soaps because of questions about its safety and efficacy. Yet, TCC remains in many other products. It's also found in high concentrations in treated wastewater that is sometimes used to irrigate crops. The impact of TCC on human health remains unclear, but it may act as an endocrine disruptor. One obstacle to better understanding the risks of environmental TCC exposure is uncertainty about how much of it ends up in plants, and how plants metabolize the substance. So, Dawn Reinhold and colleagues undertook a study with jalapeno peppers to address this knowledge gap.

To track the antibiotic's journey from water to pepper, the researchers labeled TCC with radioactive carbon (C14). They grew the pepper plants hydroponically and, after 12 weeks, sampled the C14 content in the roots, stems, leaves and fruit. While the pepper fruit itself had relatively low levels of TCC, it contained a hefty portion of C14 in molecules that started out as TCC but then were converted to other molecules by the plant. According to the researchers, this finding indicated that the plant was metabolizing the antibiotic, and the health impact of these metabolites would need to be taken into account to fully assess the safety of TCC consumption.

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The authors acknowledge funding the National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation and the Vietnam Education Foundation.

The paper's abstract will be available on April 11 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b06150.

The American Chemical Society is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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Recent findings in a Baycrest-University of Arizona study suggest that one method the brain uses to counter neurodegenerative diseases is the reassigning of tasks to different regions

The brain continues to put up a fight even as neurodegenerative diseases like dementia damage certain areas and functions. In fact, recent findings in a Baycrest-University of Arizona study suggest that one method the brain uses to counter these diseases is the reassigning of tasks to different regions.

Patients diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), a rare form of dementia that robs a person of the ability to communicate, tapped into a different brain region to process the meaning of words, according to an article published in the journal Neuroimage: Clinical. Typically people rely on the left side of the brain to comprehend words we read or hear, but PPA patients showed more brain activity on the right. These findings could be used to help develop targeted treatments to preserve brain function.

Previous studies have shown that this preservation tactic is used after brain damage, such as traumatic brain injury or stroke, but this is one of the first studies to demonstrate the phenomenon in a neurodegenerative disease.

"These findings offer hope since it demonstrates that despite the brain's degeneration during PPA, it naturally adapts to try and preserve function," says Dr. Jed Meltzer, the senior author, a scientist at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute (RRI) and Canada Research Chair in Interventional Cognitive Neuroscience. "This compensation suggests there are opportunities to intervene and offer targeted treatment to those areas."

The study captured brain imaging of 28 adults between the ages of 58 and 83, 13 of whom were diagnosed with PPA. While having their brains scanned, research participants were asked to read sentences that appeared on the screen, some of which had grammatical errors or mismatched words.

When a healthy adult processes the sentences with mistakes, there's a spike in brain activity since the brain needs to work harder to make sense of it, says Dr. Meltzer, who is also an assistant professor in the departments of psychology and speech language pathology at the University of Toronto. People with PPA had greater difficulty detecting the mistakes and demonstrated a slower and smaller spike in brain activity when picking up on incorrect words, which could mean they weren't processing them as thoroughly, says Dr. Meltzer. Those with PPA who performed better showed a larger response in the opposite side of the brain, the right, compared to healthy adults.

"We were able to identify regions of the brain that allowed the patients to compensate for the dying of neurons in the brain," says Dr. Aneta Kielar, assistant professor of speech, language and hearing sciences and of cognitive science at the University of Arizona, who did the work as a part of a postdoctoral fellowship at the RRI. She said knowing which areas of the brain people with PPA use to understand language may help in developing treatments.

The slower brain responses could also be used by doctors to assess the disease's severity and lead to treatments being started even earlier, adds Dr. Meltzer. As next steps, scientists are using this brain activity data to help treat PPA patients with targeted brain stimulation. Their work will also explore the short- and long-term effects of this intervention.

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This work was supported by the Ontario Brain Institute, the Alzheimer's Association, the Ontario Research Coalition and the Sandra A. Rotman Program in Cognitive Neuroscience. The research team also included Dr. Regina Jokel and Tiffany Deschamps.

About Baycrest Health Sciences

Now in its 100th year, Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti - a free online memory assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory. Founded in 1918 as the Jewish Home for Aged, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: http://www.baycrest.org

About Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute

The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences is a premier international centre for the study of human brain function. Through generous support from private donors and funding agencies, the institute is helping to illuminate the causes of cognitive decline in seniors, identify promising approaches to treatment, and lifestyle practices that will protect brain health longer in the lifespan.

For media inquiries:

Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf

Baycrest Health Sciences

416-785-2500 ext. 5527

alevy-ajzenkopf@baycrest.org

Michelle Petch Gotuzzo

Baycrest Health Sciences

416-785-2500 ext. 6932

mpetchgotuzzo@baycrest.org

Mari N. Jensen

University of Arizona

520-626-9635

mnjensen@email.arizona.edu
(Boston)--Nina Gummadi, a third-year medical student at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), has received a Fulbright Scholar Award to India. A Fulbright Scholar Award is one of the highest honors the federal government gives with regard to scholarship and international exchange. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Born and raised in the metro Atlanta area until she was 10, Gummadi moved to India, living with her grandparents and siblings until she was 14. She then returned to Georgia to attend high school. Her four years in India were critical to her decision to pursue a Fulbright and spend a year in her parents' homeland.

Gummadi attended Boston University and received her undergraduate degree in medical sciences with a minor in anthropology. While interning at the Access Campaign at Doctors without Borders in Geneva, Switzerland, Gummadi was inspired by the global advocacy efforts for equitable health systems. As a medical student, she has served as a student leader for the Pediatrics Education & Development Society and PumpStart, a service learning group that teaches community CPR to Boston's high school students. In addition, Gummadi was the founder of the service learning branch of CALM (Cuddling Assists in Lowering Maternal and Infant Stress) a project to provide non-pharmacological care to infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome when caregivers are unavailable. Gummadi is also the BUSM delegate to the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Pediatrics Trainees.

Her Fulbright research aims to characterize mental health issues, as well as barriers to mental health care, in orphaned or otherwise abandoned children in India. The project will provide a basis on which screening protocols and interventions can be created for this at-risk population.

As part of her project, Gummadi has partnered with HEAL (Health and Education for All), a community organization that provides shelter, healthcare, education and support to underserved children in South India. The organization runs an orphanage that cares for more than over 1,000 children in the village of Thotapalli, where Gummadi will stay and complete her Fulbright research.

The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries, and it is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Since its beginnings in 1946, more than 360,000 Fulbrighters have participated in the Program, of whom a great number has resumed high leadership positions at university, state, community and industry levels.

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Scientists have developed a new way to improve how computers "see" and "understand" objects in the real world by training the computers' vision systems in a virtual environment.

The research team published their findings in IEEE/CAA Journal of Autmatica Sinica, a joint publication of the IEEE and the Chinese Association of Automation.

For computers to learn and accurately recognize objects, such as a building, a street, or humans, the machines must rely on processing huge amount of labeled data, in this case, images of objects with accurate annotations. A self-driving car, for instance, needs thousands of images of roads and cars to learn from. Datasets therefore play a crucial role in the training and testing of the computer vision systems. Using manually labeled training datasets, a computer vision system compares its current situation to known situations and takes the best action it can "think" of -- whatever that happens to be.

"However, collecting and annotating images from the real world is too demanding in terms of labor and money investments," wrote Kunfeng Wang, an associate professor at China's State Key Laboratory for Management and Control for Complex Systems, and the lead author on the paper. Wang says the goal of their research is to specifically tackle the problem that real-world image datasets are not sufficient for training and testing computers vision systems.

To solve this issue, Wang and his colleagues created a dataset called ParallelEye. ParallelEye was virtually generated by using commercially available computer software, primarily the video game engine Unity3D. Using a map of Zhongguancun, one of the busiest urban areas in Beijing, China, as their reference, they recreated the urban setting virtually by adding various buildings, cars, and even different weather conditions. Then they placed a virtual "camera" on a virtual car. The car drove around the virtual Zhongguancun and created datasets that are representative of the real world.

Through their "complete control" of the virtual environment, Wang's team was able to create extremely specific usable data for their object detecting system -- a simulated autonomous vehicle. The results were impressive: a marked increase in performance on nearly every tested metric. By designing custom-made datasets, a greater variety of autonomous systems will be more practical to train.

While their greatest performance increases came from incorporating ParallelEye datasets with real-world datasets, Wang's team has demonstrated that their method is capable of easily creating diverse sets of images. "Using the ParallelEye vision framework, massive and diversified images can be synthesized flexibly and this can help build more robust computer vision systems," says Wang.

The research team's proposed approach can be applied to many visual computing scenarios, including visual surveillance, medical image processing, and biometrics.

Next, the team will create an even larger set of virtual images, improve the realism of virtual images, and explore the utility of virtual images for other computer vision tasks. Wang says: "Our ultimate goal is to build a systematic theory of Parallel Vision, which is able to train, test, understand and optimize computer vision models with virtual images and make the models work well in complex scenes."

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Fulltext of the paper is available: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=8283979

IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica (JAS) is a joint publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Chinese Association of Automation. The objective of JAS is high quality and rapid publication of articles, with a strong focus on new trends, original theoretical and experimental research and developments, emerging technologies, and industrial standards in automation. The coverage of JAS includes but is not limited to: Automatic control,Artificial intelligence and intelligent control, Systems theory and engineering, Pattern recognition and intelligent systems, Automation engineering and applications, Information processing and information systems, Network based automation, Robotics, Computer-aided technologies for automation systems, Sensing and measurement, Navigation, guidance, and control. JAS is indexed by IEEE, ESCI, EI, Inspec, Scopus, SCImago, CSCD, CNKI. We are pleased to announce the new 2016 CiteScore (released by Elsevier) is 2.16, ranking 26% among 211 publications in Control and System Engineering category.

To learn more about JAS, please visit: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=6570654

http://www.ieee-jas.org
Can we know the color of a 200-million-year-old insect? Some people will say we can only imagine its actual color. But no! Scientists from China, Germany and the UK have new evidence to reveal the "true color" of fossil insects. The research was recently published in Science Advances.

Structural colors have evolved in a myriad of animals and plants and result from the wavelength-selective scattering of incident light. Such colors are typically more vibrant and visually arresting than those produced via pigmentation and are often multifunctional, playing important roles in intraspecific sexual signaling, aposematism and crypsis.

Lepidoptera exhibit in their scales some of the most diverse structural colors produced by insects, with this diversity undoubtedly having contributed to the evolutionary success of the order. Despite sustained interest in the structure, development, and photonic and other biomimetic properties of lepidopteran scales in neontological studies, as well as recent research into structural colors in fossil beetles and feathers, the deep evolutionary history of scales and structural colors in lepidopterans is poorly understood.

Recently, researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology (NIGP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their colleagues from Germany and the UK reported scale architectures from Jurassic Lepidoptera from the UK, Germany, Kazakhstan and China and Tarachoptera (a stem group of Amphiesmenoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.

They used optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to reveal the gross morphology and ultrastructure of the scales.

Using the ultrastructural parameters identified in Jurassic specimens, they demonstrated the use of optical modeling to describe the theoretical optical properties of the type-1 bilayer scale arrangement, thus providing the earliest evidence of structural colors in the insect fossil record.

The Jurassic lepidopterans exhibit a type?1 bilayer scale vestiture: an upper layer of large fused cover scales and a lower layer of small fused ground scales. This scale arrangement, plus preserved herringbone ornamentation on the cover scale surface, is almost identical to those of some extant Micropterigidae. Critically, the fossil scale ultrastructures possess periodicities measuring from 140-2000 nm and are therefore capable of scattering visible light.

Optical modeling confirms that diffraction-related scattering mechanisms dominate the photonic properties of the fossil cover scales, which would have displayed broadband metallic hues as in numerous extant Micropterigidae.

The fossil tarachopteran scales exhibit a unique suite of characteristics, including small size, elongate-spatulate shape, ridged ornamentation and irregular arrangement, providing novel insight into the early evolution of lepidopteran scales. Combined, these new results provide the earliest evidence for structural coloration in fossil lepidopterans and support the hypothesis that fused wing scales and the type?1 bilayer covering are fundamental features of the group.

"These findings have broader implications," said Prof. WANG Bo from NIGP, the leader of the research group. The widespread occurrence of wing scales in Jurassic lepidopterans and in tarachopterans strongly suggests that wing scales (including some possibly unknown morphotypes) were widespread in stem Amphiesmenoptera prior to their apogee in the Lepidoptera.

Given the presence of structural coloration in these basal fossil lepidopterans, the advent of major lepidopteran clades by the Cretaceous raises the possibility that this taxonomic radiation may have been accompanied by increased diversity in scale shape, microstructure and optical effects.

Future studies will characterize the optical response of scale nanostructures in other fossil specimens and will provide evidence for the presence of scale pigments in fossil lepidopterans in order to inform models of the evolution of structural colors in lepidopterans.

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This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra and Cialis have been identified as having the potential to be repurposed for use in cancer treatment

The class of drugs currently prescribed to treat male erectile dysfunction has been flagged for its potential to be included in new trials for anti-cancer drugs, in a new clinical study published today in the open access journal, ecancermedicalscience.

The paper is the latest publication from the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) project, an international collaboration between the Anticancer Fund, Belgium, and USA-based GlobalCures.

With the high cost of new cancer drugs a huge political issue faced by governments across the world, the mission of the Anticancer Fund is to identify which commonly (and cheaply) available existing drugs have untapped life-saving potential.

In their paper, the researchers have identified that selective phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors have the potential to be used in new drug trials. These PDE5 inhibitors are a class of drugs that include sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil (more commonly known by their brand names Viagra , Cialis  and Levitra).

"In many respects sildenafil is the ultimate repurposing success story," says Dr Pan Pantziarka of the Anticancer Fund. "It was originally developed for angina, repurposed for erectile dysfunction and then again for pulmonary arterial hypertension, and now it has the potential to be repurposed again as an anti-cancer drug."

Like many of the other drugs that the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) Project has profiled in publications in ecancermedicalscience, PDE5 inhibitors show a wide range of mechanisms of action in different cancer types, such as glioblastoma multiforme - a rare disease where clinically meaningful advances are desperately needed.

"Checkpoint inhibitors have radically altered the landscape in oncology, but there remain significant challenges in terms of increasing the number and duration of responses," Pantziarka explains.

"Emerging evidence, summarised in this paper, suggests that PDE5 inhibitors may be one mechanism for achieving this."

"It would be ironic if the key to improving outcomes from some of the most expensive drugs in oncology comes from repurposing some of the cheapest non-oncology drugs."

The paper also explores the issue that finding new agents able to cross the blood-brain-barrier is a challenge which severely limits the range of drugs available to treat brain tumours. There is some evidence that drugs not currently licenced for cancer treatment like the PDE5 inhibitors, are able to increase permeability so that drug delivery to brain tumours is improved - thereby potentially opening the door to new therapeutic options for patients.

The paper includes a broad range of data, pre-clinical and clinical, has been summarised and presented to make the case that these commercially available and widely used PDE5 inhibitors are very strong candidates for repurposing as anticancer agents.

These low-cost, low-toxicity drugs show potential to be included with current and emerging standard of care treatments in oncology.

The researchers' hope is that this paper will bring the potential of this class of drugs to the attention of more clinicians and researchers engaged in clinical trials. A number of small, early phase trials are on-going, but the ReDO group believe that it is time for much larger efficacy trials to begin, so that the promise of these cheap repurposed medications can be fully realised.

Previous papers from the ReDO project have explored how inexpensive, common drugs such as beta-blockers and anti-fungal remedies can be "repurposed" and used as part of cancer treatments.

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Editor's Notes

This paper was authored by Pan Pantziarka, Vidula Sukhatme, Sergio Crispino, Gauthier Bouche, Lydie Meheus and Vikas P Sukhatme.

Pan Pantziarka is available for comment.

Citation information and links

Pantziarka Pan, Sukhatme Vidula, Crispino Sergio, Bouche Gauthier, Meheus Lydie and Sukhatme Vikas P (2018) Repurposing drugs in oncology (ReDO)--selective PDE5 inhibitors as anti-cancer agents ecancer 12 824

https://ecancer.org/journal/12/824-repurposing-drugs-in-oncology-redo-selective-pde5-inhibitors-as-anti-cancer-agents.php

https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2018.824

About ecancermedicalscience (ecancer.org)

ecancermedicalscience (ecancer) is the official open access journal of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) and the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milan.

The journal was established in 2007 by Professor Umberto Veronesi and Professor Gordon McVie with the mission to break down the financial barriers to accessing cancer research and education.

The journal is not for profit and only charges authors an article publication fee if they have specific funding for publishing. So far over 2000 authors have published for free. The journal is funded by the Swiss based ECMS foundation, educational grants, sponsorship and charitable donations.
11 April 2018, Paris, France: Two independent studies have today reported that alcoholic liver disease has now replaced hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as the leading cause of liver transplantation in the USA in patients without HCC. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is also on the increase, now ranking second as a cause of liver transplantation due to chronic liver disease.

Chronic HCV infection has remained the leading indication for liver transplantation in the USA for the last two decades.1 However, the availability of second-generation direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in late 2013 led to a decline in the number of HCV-related liver transplant waiting list registrations and surgeries from 2015 onwards.2,3 Alcohol consumption began to increase markedly in the US during the 1990s and early 2000s, with data highlighting dramatic rises in alcohol use and high-risk drinking in recent years.4

The two studies presented this week at The International Liver Congress 2018 in Paris, France, were conducted to evaluate recent trends in the aetiology of liver disease among liver transplant recipients in the USA in view of the changing landscape of potential risk factors. In the first study, data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) between 2005-2016 were analyzed, looking at four indications for chronic liver disease: alcoholic liver disease (ALD), NASH, HCV infection, and HCV/ALD combined. According to the results of the study, the number of liver transplant recipients with HCV peaked in 2014 (1,905 individuals) and has been declining ever since. In contrast, the number of liver transplants due to ALD and NASH has been steadily increasing and, in 2016, there were 1,624 liver transplants performed as a result of ALD, compared with 1,535 due to HCV, 1,334 due to NASH, and 424 due to HCV/ALD.

'Although we found that, overall, alcoholic liver disease became the leading indication for liver transplantation in the US in 2016, NASH was not far behind', said Dr Jennifer Wang from the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, USA, who presented the study findings. 'Importantly, NASH is now the leading cause of liver transplantation in women, which is not entirely surprising given the higher rates of metabolic syndrome in women and the resultant increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease'.

'In African Americans and those with hepatocellular carcinoma, HCV remains the leading cause of transplantation and a major burden'.

The second study presented today also evaluated data from the UNOS registry, looking at first liver transplants performed in individuals without HCC between January 2012 and October 2017. As in the first study, HCV infection remained the leading aetiology for liver transplant recipients until 2016, when ALD surpassed it, accounting for 24% of liver transplants performed compared with 19% for NASH and 18% for HCV. In 2017, ALD, NASH, and HCV were responsible for 24%, 18%, and 17% of liver transplants, respectively, according to the results of this study.

'One of our most worrying findings was that patients with ALD are being listed for liver transplantation at a much younger age and with more severe disease than patients with either HCV infection or NASH', said investigator, Dr George Cholankeril from Stanford University Medical Center, California, USA. 'These are very ominous trends and we need to take aggressive action to address these rising rates of liver transplantation in patients with alcoholic liver disease'.

'So far, alcoholic liver disease has received much less attention with regards to clinical and basic research than either hepatitis B or C',5 said Prof. Helena Cortez-Pinto from the University Hospital of Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal, and EASL Governing Board Member. 'It is time to change and turn our attention to ALD, both in research and of course in policies that have been shown to reduce consumption, such as increases in taxation, in order to decrease affordability'.

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About The International Liver Congress

This annual congress is the biggest event in the EASL calendar, attracting scientific and medical experts from around the world to learn about the latest in liver research. Attending specialists present, share, debate and conclude on the latest science and research in hepatology, working to enhance the treatment and management of liver disease in clinical practice. This year, the congress is expected to attract approximately 10,000 delegates from all corners of the globe. The International Liver Congress 2018 will take place from 11-15 April 2018 at the Paris Convention Centre, Paris, France.

About The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)

Since its foundation in 1966, this not-for-profit organization has grown to over 4,000 members from all over the world, including many of the leading hepatologists in Europe and beyond. EASL is the leading liver association in Europe, having evolved into a major European association with international influence, and with an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education and promoting changes in European liver policy.

Contact

For more information, please contact the ILC Press Office at:

Email: press@easloffice.eu

Telephone: +41 (0) 22 807 29 88

Onsite location reference

Session title: Poster presentations Time, date and location of session: Poster area (Hall 7.2) Presenters: Jennifer Wang and George Cholankeril, USA Abstracts: Alcoholic liver disease surpasses hepatitis C virus in 2016 to become the leading indication for liver transplantation among adults without hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States (13 April 2018 9:00-17:00) and Alcoholic liver disease replaces HCV infection as the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States (14 April 09:00-17:00)

Author disclosures

Jennifer Wang: None reported

Robert Gish: Dr. Gish has received Grants/Research Support from AbbVie, Benitec Biopharma, Gilead Sciences, and Merck & Co. Dr. Gish has performed as Consultant and/or Advisor to AbbVie, Akshaya Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Hoffman-LaRoche, Ltd., Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Merck & Co., Nanogen Biopharmaceutical, and Presidio Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Gish has current activity with the scientific or clinical advisory boards of AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Merck & Co., and Nanogen Biopharmaceutical. Dr. Gish is a member of the Speakers Bureau for AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, and Merck. Dr. Gish is a minor stock shareholder of Cocrystal Pharma.

Benny Liu: None reported

Taft Bhuket: None reported

Robert Wong: Dr Wong receives research funding from Gilead Sciences and AbbVie, has served as a consultant and member of the advisory board for Gilead Sciences, and serves on the speaker's bureau for Gilead Sciences, Salix, and Bayer. Dr Wong is also funded by an AASLD Foundational Clinical and Translational Research Award in Liver Diseases.

George Cholankeril and co-authors: None reported

References

1. Cholankeril G, Ahmed A. Alcoholic liver disease replaces hepatitis C virus infection as the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017; doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.11.045 [Epub ahead of print].

2. Goldberg D, et al. Changes in the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and alcoholic liver disease among patients with cirrhosis or liver failure on the waitlist for liver transplantation. Gastroenterology. 2017;152(5):1090-9.e1.

3. Flemming JA, et al. Reduction in liver transplant wait-listing in the era of direct-acting antiviral therapy. Hepatology. 2017;65(3):804-12.

4. Grant BF, et al. Prevalence of 12-month alcohol use, high-risk drinking, and DSM-IV alcohol use disorder in the United States, 2001-2002 to 2012-2013: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(9):911-23.

5. Ndugga, N, et al. Disparities between research attention and burden in liver diseases: implications on uneven advances in pharmacological therapies in Europe and the USA. BMJ Open. 2017;7(3):e013620; doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013620 [Epub ahead of print].
How do you measure a chemical compound that lasts for less than a second in the atmosphere?

That's the question atmospheric chemists have been trying to answer for decades. The compound: hydroxyl radicals -- also known as OH radicals. These oxidizing chemicals are vital to the atmosphere's delicate chemical balance, acting as natural air scrubbers to remove organic compounds and greenhouse gasses such as formaldehyde and methane from the atmosphere. But OH radicals also initiate reactions leading to secondary pollutants that affect human health and climate, such as organic particulate matter and ozone.

Researchers have been debating whether pollutants emitted from human activities, in particular nitrogen oxides (NOx), can affect levels of OH radicals in a pristine atmosphere, but quantifying that relationship has been difficult. Now, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have quantified the effect of NOx pollution on OH radicals in the Amazon rainforest.

The research is published in Science Advances.

While a remote and seemingly sparsely populated rainforest might seem like a strange place to study the effects of human pollution, the Amazon is actually home to one of the fastest growing cities in the world: Manaus, Brazil. Manaus, with more than 2 million people, has seen a boom in a range of industries from petroleum refining and chemical manufacturing to mobile phone manufacturing, ship building and tourism.

That growth has led to substantial amounts of pollution released into the atmosphere and when it moves downwind and meets the pristine air from the rainforest, it creates a real-world laboratory for atmospheric chemists. That laboratory is the perfect spot to study the impact of pollution on OH concentrations, as it is easy to distinguish unpolluted regional air, from air that had passed over Manaus.

"Because we were able to contrast unpolluted air with polluted air, this research has given us a great opportunity to understand how pollution from human activity will affect the atmospheric chemistry, especially with continued urbanization of forested areas," said Yingjun Liu, a former graduate student at SEAS and first author of the paper.

The researchers measured levels of isoprene, a chemical compound naturally emitted by trees, as well as levels of major OH oxidation products of isoprene. As OH concentration increases, the ratio of oxidation products to isoprene increase in the atmosphere. The researchers were able to infer OH concentrations from the measured product-to-parent ratio, using a delicate model that took many confounding factors into account.

The researchers collected data in the rainforest region, about 70 km downwind of Manaus, during the wet and dry seasons of 2014. The researchers found that accompanying the increase of NOx concentration from urban pollution, daytime peak OH concentrations in the rainforest skyrocketed, increasing by at least 250 percent.

"Our research shows that the oxidation capacity over tropical forests is susceptible to anthropogenic NOx emissions," said Scot Martin, the Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at SEAS and senior author of the paper. "In the future, if trends of deforestation and urbanization continue, these increased levels of OH concentrations in the Amazon atmosphere could lead to changes in atmospheric chemistry, cloud formation, and rainfall."

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This research was co-authored by Roger Seco, Saewung Kim, Alex B. Guenther, Allen H. Goldstein, Frank N. Keutsch, Stephen R. Springston, Thomas B. Watson, Paulo Artaxo, Rodrigo A. F. Souza and Karena A. McKinney. It was supported in part by the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Amazonas State Research Foundation and the Sao Paulo State Research Foundation.
Karger Publishers has acquired Health Press Ltd to strengthen its clinical decision support business.

On March 29, Karger Publishers acquired the information service Health Press Ltd, Abingdon/UK in a move to strengthen its clinical decision support business. This acquisition complements Karger's German-based activities in translating knowledge from scientific research to clinical practice. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Health Press Ltd is an award-winning, multi-platform information service for the medical community, providing premium content to improve medical practice. Founded by Sarah Redston in 1993, Health Press has since established three brands: the medical handbook series Fast Facts, illustrated guides to medical conditions and concerns Patient Pictures, and the consumer web product http://www.embarrassingproblems.com. All three brands serve the goal of promoting health through communication with a global network of medical practitioners and patients.

"This acquisition is a perfect addition to Karger and fully supports our strategy. It provides us with the opportunity to expand our clinical decision support business to the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and, more generally, English-speaking audiences worldwide," says Daniel Ebneter, CEO of Karger Publishers.

Sarah Redston, the former owner of Health Press, said: "I am delighted to have found such a good home for Health Press Limited, its talented staff and its three brands. Together with Karger, we have created a match within the field of health and science publishing at its best that will facilitate finding cures, improving clinical decisions, and increasing prevention."

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About Karger Publishers

Karger Publishers in Basel, Switzerland, is a globally active medical and scientific publishing company. Independent and family-run in the fourth generation by Vice Chairwoman & Publisher Gabriella Karger and Chairman Thomas Karger, the company is dedicated to serving the information needs of the scientific community with publications of high-quality content, covering all fields of medical science. The publication program comprises 35 new books per year and 108 peer-reviewed journals with a growing number of open access publications. Karger content is published predominantly in English, with a strong focus on basic and clinical research, and is generally available online. S. Karger AG consists of the publishing company Karger Publishers (est. 1890) and the International Subscription Agency Karger Libri (est. 1960).

Further information about Karger Publishers: http://www.karger.com
APRIL 11, 2018, NEW YORK -- A Ludwig Cancer Research study has shown that an entirely new type of personalized cancer vaccine induces novel, potent and clinically effective immune responses in patients receiving a combination of standard therapies for recurrent, stage III and IV ovarian cancer.

Led by Lana Kandalaft, George Coukos and Alexandre Harari of the Lausanne Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the study also found that the vaccine--made from a processed sample of a patient's tumor and delivered via that patient's own immune cells--is well tolerated, safely administered and can be made in sufficient quantities with relative ease. Further, the researchers show that the immune responses it elicits are vigorous and target both known cancer antigens as well as a broad variety of the unique antigens, or "neoantigens", expressed by each patient's cancer cells.

"This is the first time ever that a personalized vaccine made from the contents of whole cancer cells has been shown to produce immune responses against neoantigens," says Kandalaft, who is an adjunct researcher at Ludwig Lausanne. "We've also shown that these immune responses are not just any responses, but the type that kill tumor cells, and that they correlate with better progression-free survival and better overall survival of patients."

The study, reported in the current issue of Science Translational Medicine, addressed a longstanding conundrum of ovarian cancer treatment. Ovarian tumor cells are known to express neoantigens, which are randomly mutated proteins expressed by cancer cells that can be detected as signs of disease by the immune system. Yet the malignancy has so far proved largely resistant to immunotherapies, including traditional cancer vaccines, that stimulate an attack by killer T cells--immune cells that detect and destroy sick and infected cells.

Coukos, who is director of Ludwig Lausanne, has shown that this is at least partly because a factor secreted by tumors, VEGF-A, keeps killer T cells from infiltrating the tumor. Ovarian tumors also harbor T regulatory cells (Tregs), whose job it is to suppress killer T cells.

Many researchers are trying to computationally predict the neoantigens expressed by a patient's tumors and synthesize the bits--or neoepitopes--recognized by T cells to make personalized vaccines. But, while promising, such approaches are labor intensive and time-consuming, and thus, relatively expensive.

Kandalaft and colleagues wondered if, alternatively, the contents of cancer cells taken from tumor samples--or "whole tumor lysates"--might suffice to make vaccines that train the body to detect the neoepitopes expressed on tumors.

"This would be the cost-effective way of producing an individualized cancer vaccine," says Kandalaft.

Kandalaft and Coukos devised a novel method for making a vaccine of this sort while still at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania--one in which the lysate from cancer cells is gently treated with acid to turn its antigens into more potent stimulators of immune responses. The researchers applied the method to tumors taken from each patient in the study.

Next, they collected certain immune cells from each patient and coaxed them to turn into dendritic cells, which gobble up suspicious biological detritus and "present" antigens to T cells to help stimulate an immune response.

For the clinical trial, which was conducted at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the researchers pulsed the dendritic cells from each patient with her tumor lysate to generate living and personalized dendritic cell vaccines. These vaccines were then injected into the lymph nodes of each corresponding patient. "The lymph nodes," explains Kandalaft, "are the headquarters where dendritic cells meet T cells."

One cohort of patients received just the personalized vaccine. A second received vaccine along with bevacizumab, a standard therapy that blocks blood vessel formation in tumors by targeting VEGF-A--the same factor that bars killer T cells from entering tumors. The third got, in addition to bevacizumab, low doses of cyclophosphamide. This chemotherapy, another standard of care for recurrent ovarian cancer, also happens to suppress Tregs--which are recruited into tumors to shut down killer T cells.

"The regimen used for the third cohort really made a difference--first in eliciting an immune response in patients who received it, and then in the progression-free survival and the overall survival of those patients a year and even two years after receiving the therapy," says Kandalaft.

Extensive immunologic analyses, led by Harari and Kandalaft and conducted at Ludwig Lausanne, show that the vaccine stimulated the immune response in unique ways: The T cells elicited by the vaccine not only recognize a broad spectrum of neoantigens but are far more sensitive to lower levels of those antigens, and more fiercely activated.

Although the study met all of its endpoints, it was not a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The researchers did, however, compare their results with historical patient data of ovarian cancer recurrence and the outcomes recorded in their practice. "At one year, 100% of the patients in cohort 3 were alive, as compared to 60% when patients receive just bevacizumab and cyclophosphamide but no vaccine," says Kandalaft.

Their therapeutic strategy, Kandalaft notes, would also be eminently suited to swift implementation if it passes muster in larger, randomized and placebo-controlled trials.

"We aren't giving patients any completely new drugs in combination with this personalized vaccine," she points out. "Bevacizumab and cyclophosphamide are routinely used to treat recurrent ovarian cancer. All we did was add the vaccine. This means that we should be able to easily integrate this personalized immunotherapy into the current standard of care for recurrent ovarian cancer."

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The study was supported by Ludwig Cancer Research, the US National Institutes of Health, the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, the Marcus Foundation, the Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy Initiative, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Ovacure Foundation and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.

In addition to his Ludwig post, George Coukos directs the Department of Oncology UNIL-CHUV at the Lausanne University Hospital as well as the Swiss Cancer Center Leman. Alexandre Harari is also Director of the Immune Monitoring Core at the Center of Experimental Therapeutics at UNIL-CHUV. Lana Kandalaft is an Assistant Professor at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Director of the Center of Experimental Therapeutics within the Lausanne University Hospital.

About Ludwig Cancer Research

Ludwig Cancer Research is an international collaborative network of acclaimed scientists that has pioneered cancer research and landmark discovery for more than 40 years. Ludwig combines basic science with the ability to translate its discoveries and conduct clinical trials to accelerate the development of new cancer diagnostics and therapies. Since 1971, Ludwig has invested $2.7 billion in life-changing science through the not-for-profit Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the six U.S.-based Ludwig Centers. To learn more, visit http://www.ludwigcancerresearch.org.

For further information please contact Rachel Reinhardt, rreinhardt@lcr.org or +1-212-450-1582.
Novel net nearly halves malaria infection rate in Tanzanian children compared to standard long-lasting pyrethroid nets; 'game-changing' trial prompts WHO to recommend wider use of nets that can overcome resistance

In a two-year community randomised trial involving more than 15,000 children in Tanzania, a long lasting insecticidal net treated with piperonyl butoxide (PBO LLIN) reduced the prevalence of malaria by 44% and 33% in the first and second year respectively, compared to a standard long lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) treated with pyrethroid only.

The study, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), also showed unprecedented malaria control through indoor residual spraying (IRS) with the insecticide pirimiphos methyl, which after a single spray round reduced malaria infection by 48% for an entire year.

LLINS and IRS are the cornerstones of malaria control in sub-Sahara Africa, and have been estimated to reduce malaria disease by 41% and malaria deaths by 62% between 2000 and 2015 globally. Despite this public health success, malaria still kills nearly half a million people annually, and for the first time in many years the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an increase in malaria cases and no change in the number of malaria deaths in 2017.

There is concurrent evidence that resistance to pyrethroid insecticide is growing in the Anopheline mosquitoes which transmit the disease. Only a limited range of alternative insecticides are available, particularly for LLINs for which pyrethroids are the only class of insecticide fully recommended by the WHO.

Anticipating the possible failure of current control tools due to resistance, WHO and LSHTM have been collaborating with the chemical industry for almost 20 years to develop new types of LLIN and new insecticides for IRS. One of these is a novel LLIN which incorporates piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a chemical which blocks the natural defence mechanisms of insects - the oxidase enzymes that would otherwise metabolise insecticide - which means the pyrethroid on the LLIN remains potent against mosquitoes despite resistance. This chemical synergist stops insects from breaking down the pyrethroid within their bodies, so the insecticide stays toxic to the insect.

Dr Natacha Protopopoff from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine who led the field research operations in Muleba, Tanzania, said: "It's imperative we try and remain one step ahead of insecticide resistance which threatens to reverse the great gains made in combating malaria. We must develop an improved strategy based on new classes of LLIN to control malaria transmitted by pyrethroid resistant mosquitoes."

This new study involved randomly selected children aged six months to 14 years from villages in Muleba district of North West Tanzania, where high levels of resistance to pyrethroids have been reported. In 2015, 48 villages were randomised into four groups with different preventative measures. Altogether 45,000 standard LLINs and 45,000 PBO LLINs were distributed. Children were then tested for malaria at the end of each rainy season.

After nine months, malaria infection was considerably lower in the group that received just the net treated with piperonyl butoxide - PBO LLIN - (31.1%, 275/883) and the group that received indoor residual spraying and standard LLIN (28.7%, 252/877), compared to the group that received standard LLIN alone (55.3%, 515/932). Twelve months later, the PBO LLIN effect was still persisting relative to the standard LLIN.

To strengthen the evidence for the interventions, mosquito traps were placed in each study arm. The number of malaria infected mosquitoes captured in the PBO LLIN villages was reduced by 87% and 67% during the first and second years respectively compared to the standard LLIN villages.

Professor Mark Rowland from LSHTM and Principal Investigator, said: "This project is a game-changer. The trial is the first clear evidence that nets treated with piperonyl butoxide can significantly improve personal and community protection from malaria compared to standard pyrethroid-only nets in areas where there is high pyrethroid resistance. It also demonstrated that pyrethroid resistance is now a significant problem in some areas and standard LLIN are less effective than before, and that the new IRS controlled malaria for an entire year before needing to be re-sprayed."

As a direct consequence of the trial, WHO revised its reccomendations on LLIN in September 2017, giving an interim policy recommendation to PBO LLIN as a new class of LLIN1.

Dr Jan Kolaczinski, Coordinator for Entomology and Vector Control in the WHO Global Malaria Programme said: "WHO recommends PBO LLINs should be deployed for malaria prevention in areas where mosquitoes are pyrethroid resistant, provided that full coverage is maintained. This would include many endemic areas in Africa where standard LLINs are currently used."

Professor Rowland said: "We are pleased that the WHO has already revised policy on the basis of this trial. This will ensure insecticide treated nets will remain an effective intervention for malaria control, and justifies the continued investment and research on alternative insecticides for use on nets."

The authors acknowledge the study does have limitations, including the short buffer distance between villages; however, any spill-over between villages would tend to underestimate the intervention effect rather than increase it.

The authors also stress that it is important to always sleep under a bed net in areas of malaria transmission, and until PBO LLIN are deployed more widely in areas of resistance, standard pyrethroid-only nets will be more protective than non-use of nets and should continue to be used.

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The study was funded by the Joint Global Health Trials Scheme of the Department for International Development, the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.

For more information or to arrange interviews with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, please email press@lshtm.ac.uk tel+44(0)207 9272 802.
New Rochelle, NY, April 11, 2018--A new study spanning 45 years has shown that while Alaska Natives have a similar incidence of thyroid cancer as the U.S. white population, their tumors at the time of diagnosis tend to be larger and to have spread beyond a localized area. The data, culled from the National Cancer Institute's Alaska Native Tumor Registry, are described in an article published in Thyroid, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers and the official journal of the ATA. The article is available free on the Thyroid website until May 11, 2018.

The article entitled "Occurrence of Endocrine and Thyroid Cancers among Alaska Native People, 1969-2013 " was coauthored by Sarah Nash, PhD MPH, Anne Lanier, MD, MPH, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage and Molly Southworth, MD, MPH, Alaska Native Medical Center, Anchorage. The researchers searched the registry to identify cases of endocrine cancer diagnosed over a 45-year period, focusing their comparison specifically on thyroid cancers, more than 85% of which were papillary tumors.

"This is the first detailed examination of thyroid cancer in the Alaska Native population. Although further research is needed, the findings suggest that differences in access to healthcare may have contributed to the observed discrepancies with the white U.S. population," says Peter A. Kopp, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Thyroid and Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL. "The similarity in outcomes suggests that the increase in the detection of small, typically indolent thyroid cancers observed nationally may be a result of improved detection methods, a phenomenon described as 'over-diagnosis' by some authors."

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Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Number HHSN26100005. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About the Journal

Thyroid, the official journal of the American Thyroid Association, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with open access options and in print. The Journal publishes original articles and timely reviews that reflect the rapidly advancing changes in our understanding of thyroid physiology and pathology, from the molecular biology of the cell to clinical management of thyroid disorders. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Thyroid website. The complete Thyroid Journal Program includes the highly valued abstract and commentary publication Clinical Thyroidology, led by Editor-in-Chief Jerome M. Hershman, MD and published monthly, and the groundbreaking videojournal companion VideoEndocrinology, led by Editor-in-Chief William B. Inabnet III, and published quarterly. Complete tables of content and sample issues may be viewed on the Thyroid website.

About the Society

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement, understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. ATA is an international membership medical society with over 1,700 members from 43 countries around the world. Celebrating its 94th anniversary, the ATA delivers its mission -- of being devoted to thyroid biology and to the prevention and treatment of thyroid disease through excellence in research, clinical care, education, and public health -- through several key endeavors: the publication of highly regarded professional journals, Thyroid, Clinical Thyroidology, and VideoEndocrinology; annual scientific meetings; research grant programs for young investigators, biennial clinical and research symposia; support of online professional, public and patient educational programs; and the development of guidelines for clinical management of thyroid disease and thyroid cancer. The ATA promotes thyroid awareness and information through its online Clinical Thyroidology for the Public (distributed free of charge to over 11,000 patients and public subscribers) and extensive, authoritative explanations of thyroid disease and thyroid cancer in both English and Spanish. The ATA website serves as the clinical resource for patients and the public who look for reliable information on the Internet.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Journal of Women's Health, and Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's more than 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.
A multi-institutional research team has identified what may be a novel mechanism underlying acquired resistance to CDK 4/6 inhibitor treatment for breast cancer. In their report published in the Annals of Oncology, the team - led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Institute Gustave Roussy in Paris, and Texas Oncology-Baylor Sammons Cancer Center/U.S. Oncology in Dallas - reports their discovery of new mutations in the RB1 gene, a key part of the pathway targeted by CDK 4/6 inhibitors, in women with hormone-receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer whose tumors had progressed on CDK 4/6 inhibitor treatment. Proofs of this study were made available online in December 2017, ahead of print publication in March 2018.

"CDK 4/6 inhibitors have changed the treatment landscape for HR-positive breast cancer, and it is estimated that more than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been treated with palbociclib, the first of three such drugs to receive FDA approval," says Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, of the MGH Cancer Center, co-senior author of the study. "However, after months of responding to treatment, patients' tumors eventually progress. The mechanisms governing the development of resistance have been unknown, and this first report of the emergence of RB1 mutations by our collaborative team will hopefully lead to additional research and development of therapeutic strategies to target and perhaps even prevent clinical resistance."

The tumor suppressor RB1 (retinoblastoma) gene regulates the cell cycle - the process leading to cellular division - and the CDK4 and CDK6 enzymes block RB1 activity, which can lead to uncontrolled cellular proliferation and growth. CDK 4/6 inhibitors target this process, but as with many targeted therapy drugs, resistance develops after several months of treatment response. Bardia and his colleagues report on three patients who received CDK 4/6 inhibitor treatment for invasive HR-positive, HER2 negative breast cancer at the MGH Cancer Center, Institute Gustave Roussy or at U.S. Oncology.

All three had developed metastases after several types of previous treatment, and their tumors had been genotyped before CDK 4/6 inhibitor treatment - either palbociclib (Ibrance) or ribocliclib (Kisqali) - was initiated. When their tumors progressed after treatment with a CDK 4/6 inhibitor, repeat genotyping identified several new RB1 mutations that had led to loss of RB1 function and consequently resistance to CDK 4/6 inhibitors. The authors note that, while their findings do not prove the mutations caused resistance, the detection of these mutations by investigators at three different institutions supports their potential role in clinical resistance and validates observations from other centers' studies in cell lines and animal models that reported the loss of RB1 function in CDK 4/6-inhibitor-resistant cells or tumors.

Addressing whether resistance to CDK 4/6 inhibitor can be prevented or delayed, Bardia says, "Preclinical studies have shown that adding a PI3K inhibitor to combined CDK 4/6 inhibitor and hormone treatment could prevent or delay CDK 4/6 inhibitor resistance; however, that needs validation in clinical studies. While combination therapy can enhance efficacy, it can also enhance toxicity. We are eagerly awaiting results from ongoing clinical trials evaluating triple combination treatment with endocrine therapy, a CDK 4/6 inhibitor and a PI3K inhibitor - or downstream mTOR inhibitor - in metastatic breast cancer." He is the director of Precision Medicine at the Center for Breast Cancer of the MGH Cancer Center and an assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School

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Fabrice Andre, MD, PhD, Institute Gustave Roussy, is co-senior author of the Annals of Oncology paper; and the co-lead authors are Rosaria Condorelli, Institute Gustave Roussy, and Laura Spring, MD, MGH Cancer Center. Additional co-authors are Jon Dubois, MD, and John Iafrate, MD, PhD, MGH Cancer Center; Ludovic Lacroix, Caroline Bailleux and Veronique Scott, Institute Gustave Roussy; Joyce O'Shaughnessy, MD, Texas Oncology-Baylor Sammons Cancer Center/U.S. Oncology; and Rebecca Nagy and Richard Lanman, MD, Guardant Health, Inc. The study was supported by Susan G. Komen grant CCR15224703.

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $900 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, genomic medicine, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2017 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."
Satellite developed by MIT aims to discover thousands of nearby exoplanets, including at least 50 Earth-sized ones.

There are potentially thousands of planets that lie just outside our solar system -- galactic neighbors that could be rocky worlds or more tenuous collections of gas and dust. Where are these closest exoplanets located? And which of them might we be able to probe for clues to their composition and even habitability? The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will be the first to seek out these nearby worlds.

The NASA-funded spacecraft, not much larger than a refrigerator, carries four cameras that were conceived, designed, and built at MIT, with one wide-eyed vision: to survey the nearest, brightest stars in the sky for signs of passing planets.

Now, more than a decade since MIT scientists first proposed the mission, TESS is about to get off the ground. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, no earlier than April 16, at 6:32 p.m. EDT.

TESS will spend two years scanning nearly the entire sky -- a field of view that can encompass more than 20 million stars. Scientists expect that thousands of these stars will host transiting planets, which they hope to detect through images taken with TESS's cameras.

Amid this extrasolar bounty, the TESS science team at MIT aims to measure the masses of at least 50 small planets whose radii are less than four times that of Earth. Many of TESS's planets should be close enough to our own that, once they are identified by TESS, scientists can zoom in on them using other telescopes, to detect atmospheres, characterize atmospheric conditions, and even look for signs of habitability.

"TESS is kind of like a scout," says Natalia Guerrero, deputy manager of TESS Objects of Interest, an MIT-led effort that will catalog objects captured in TESS data that may be potential exoplanets.

"We're on this scenic tour of the whole sky, and in some ways we have no idea what we will see," Guerrero says. "It's like we're making a treasure map: Here are all these cool things. Now, go after them."

A seed, planted in space

TESS's origins arose from an even smaller satellite that was designed and built by MIT and launched into space by NASA on Oct. 9, 2000. The High Energy Transient Explorer 2, or HETE-2, orbited Earth for seven years, on a mission to detect and localize gamma-ray bursts -- high-energy explosions that emit massive, fleeting bursts of gamma and X-rays.

To detect such extreme, short-lived phenomena, scientists at MIT, led by principal investigator George Ricker, integrated into the satellite a suite of optical and X-ray cameras outfitted with CCDs, or charge-coupled devices, designed to record intensities and positions of light in an electronic format.

"With the advent of CCDs in the 1970s, you had this fantastic device ... which made a lot of things easier for astronomers," says HETE-2 team member Joel Villasenor, who is now also instrument scientist for TESS. "You just sum up all the pixels on a CCD, which gives you the intensity, or magnitude, of light. So CCDs really broke things open for astronomy."

In 2004, Ricker and the HETE-2 team wondered whether the satellite's optical cameras could pick out other objects in the sky that had begun to attract the astronomy community: exoplanets. Around this time, only a handful of planets outside our solar system had been discovered. These were found with a technique known as the transit method, which involves looking for periodic dips in the light from certain stars, which may signal a planet passing in front of the star.

"We were thinking, was the photometry of HETE-2's cameras sufficient so that we could point to a part of the sky and detect one of these dips? Needless to say, it didn't exactly work," Villasenor recalls. "But that was sort of the seed that started us thinking, maybe we should try to fly CCDs with a camera to try and detect these things."

A path, cleared

In 2006, Ricker and his team at MIT proposed a small, low cost satellite (HETE-S) to NASA as a Discovery class mission, and later on as a privately funded mission for $20 million. But as the cost of, and interest in, an all-sky exoplanet survey grew, they decided instead to seek NASA funding, at a higher level of $120 million. In 2008, they submitted a proposal for a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) Class Mission with the new name -- TESS.

At this time, the satellite design included six CCD cameras, and the team proposed that the spacecraft fly in a low-Earth orbit, similar to that of HETE-2. Such an orbit, they reasoned, should keep observing efficiency relatively high, as they already had erected data-receiving ground stations for HETE-2 that could also be put to use for TESS.

But they soon realized that a low-Earth orbit would have a negative impact on TESS's much more sensitive cameras. The spacecraft's reaction to the Earth's magnetic field, for example, could lead to significant "spacecraft jitter," producing noise that hides an exoplanet's telltale dip in starlight.

NASA bypassed this first proposal, and the team went back to the drawing board, this time emerging with a new plan that hinged on a completely novel orbit. With the help of engineers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Aerospace Corporation, the team identified a never-before-used "lunar-resonant" orbit that would keep the spacecraft extremely stable, while giving it a full-sky view.

Once TESS reaches this orbit, it will slingshot between the Earth and the moon on a highly elliptical path that could keep TESS orbiting for decades, shepherded by the moon's gravitational pull.

"The moon and the satellite are in a sort of dance," Villasenor says. "The moon pulls the satellite on one side, and by the time TESS completes one orbit, the moon is on the other side tugging in the opposite direction. The overall effect is the moon's pull is evened out, and it's a very stable configuration over many years. Nobody's done this before, and I suspect other programs will try to use this orbit later on."

In its current planned trajectory, TESS will swing out toward the moon for less than two weeks, gathering data, then swing back toward the Earth where, on its closest approach, it will transmit the data back to ground stations from 67,000 miles above the surface before swinging back out. Ultimately, this orbit will save TESS a huge amount of fuel, as it won't need to burn its thrusters on a regular basis to keep on its path.

With this revamped orbit, the TESS team submitted a second proposal in 2010, this time as an Explorer class mission, which NASA approved in 2013. It was around this time that the Kepler Space Telescope ended its original survey for exoplanets. The observatory, which was launched in 2009, stared at one specific patch of the sky for four years, to monitor the light from distant stars for signs of transiting planets.

By 2013, two of Kepler's four reaction wheels had worn out, preventing the spacecraft from continuing its original survey. At this point, the telescope's measurements had enabled the discovery of nearly 1,000 confirmed exoplanets. Kepler, designed to study far-off stars, paved the way for TESS, a mission with a much wider view, to scan the nearest stars to Earth.

"Kepler went up, and was this huge success, and researchers said, 'We can do this kind of science, and there are planets everywhere," says TESS member Jennifer Burt, an MIT-Kavli postdoc. "And I think that was really the scientific check box that we needed for NASA to say, 'Okay, TESS makes a lot of sense now.' It'll enable not just detecting planets, but finding planets that we can thoroughly characterize after the fact."

Stripes in the sky

With the selection by NASA, the TESS team set up facilities on campus and in MIT's Lincoln Laboratory to build and test the spacecraft's cameras. The engineers designed "deep depletion" CCDs specifically for TESS, meaning that the cameras can detect light over a wide range of wavelengths up to the near infrared. This is important, as many of the nearby stars TESS will monitor are red-dwarfs -- small, cool stars that emit less brightly than the sun and in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

If scientists can detect periodic dips in the light from such stars, this may signal the presence of planets with significantly tighter orbits than that of Earth. Nevertheless, there is a chance that some of these planets may be within the "habitable zone," as they would circle much cooler stars, compared with the sun. Since these stars are relatively close by, scientists can do follow-up observations with ground-based telescopes to help identify whether conditions might indeed be suitable for life.

TESS's cameras are mounted on the top of the satellite and surrounded by a protective cone to shield them from other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Each camera has a 24 by 24 degree view of the sky, large enough to encompass the Orion constellation. The satellite will start its observations in the Southern Hemisphere and will divide the sky into 13 stripes, monitoring each segment for 27 days before pivoting to the next. TESS should be able to observe nearly the entire sky in the Southern Hemisphere in its first year, before moving on to the Northern Hemisphere in its second year.

While TESS points at one stripe of the sky, its cameras will take pictures of the stars in that portion. Ricker and his colleagues have made a list of 200,000 nearby, bright stars that they would particularly want to observe. The satellite's cameras will create "postage stamp" images that include pixels around each of these stars. These images will be taken every two minutes, in order to maximize the chance of catching the moment that a planet crosses in front of its star. The cameras will also take full-frame images of all the stars in a particular stripe of the sky, every 30 minutes.

"With the two-minute pictures, you can get a movie-like image of what the starlight is doing as the planet is crossing in front of its host star," Guerrero says. "For the 30-minute images, people are excited about maybe seeing supernovae, asteroids, or counterparts to gravitational waves. We have no idea what we're going to see at that timescale."

Are we alone?

After TESS launches, the team expects that the satellite will reestablish contact within the first week, during which it will turn on all its instruments and cameras. Then, there will be a 60-day commissioning phase, as engineers at NASA and MIT calibrate the instruments and monitor the satellite's trajectory and performance. After that, TESS will begin to collect and downlink images of the sky. Scientists at MIT and NASA will take the raw data and convert it into light curves that indicate the changing brightness of a star over time.

From there, the TESS Science Team, including Sara Seager, the Class of 1941 Professor of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, and deputy director of science for TESS, will look through thousands of light curves, for at least two similar dips in starlight, indicating that a planet may have passed twice in front of its star. Seager and her colleagues will then employ a battery of methods to determine the mass of a potential planet.

"Mass is a defining planetary characteristic," Seager says. "If you just know that a planet is twice the size of Earth, it could be a lot of things: a rocky world with a thin atmosphere, or what we call a "mini-Neptune" -- a rocky world with a giant gas envelope, where it would be a huge greenhouse blanket, and there would be no life on the surface. So mass and size together give us an average planet density, which tells us a huge amount about what the planet is."

During TESS's two-year mission, Seager and her colleagues aim to measure the masses of 50 planets with radii less than four times that of Earth -- dimensions that could signal further observations for signs of habitability. Meanwhile, the whole scientific community and public will get a chance to search through TESS data for their own exoplanets. Once the data are calibrated, the team will make them publicly available. Anyone will be able to download the data and draw their own interpretations, including high school students, armchair astronomers, and other research institutions.

With so many eyes on TESS'S data, Seager says there's a chance that, some day, a nearby planet discovered by TESS might be found to have signs of life.

"There's no science that will tell us life is out there right now, except that small rocky planets appear to be incredibly common," Seager says. "They appear to be everywhere we look. So it's got to be there somewhere."

TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. George Ricker of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research serves as principal investigator for the mission. Additional partners include Orbital ATK, NASA's Ames Research Center, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. More than a dozen universities, research institutes, and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission.

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RELATED LINKS

TESS Mission https://www.nasa.gov/tess/

TESS at MIT https://tess.mit.edu/

George Ricker http://space.mit.edu/people/ricker-jr-george-r

Sara Seager http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/faculty/seager_sara.html

Twitter: @NASA_TESS | @TESSatMIT | https://twitter.com/profsaraseager?lang=en

TESS mission to discover new planets moves toward launch http://news.mit.edu/2017/tess-mission-discover-new-planets-moves-toward-launch-0804

NASA's TESS mission cleared for next development phase http://news.mit.edu/2014/nasa-tess-exoplanets-mission-cleared-next-development-phase-1110

NASA selects MIT-led TESS project for 2017 mission http://news.mit.edu/2013/nasa-selects-tess-for-mission-0405
A platform bringing together world-leading diagnostic resources and expertise to develop new and innovative technologies to improve patient health and wellbeing has been launched.

Diagnostics North East will support researchers, clinicians and industry to position the region at the forefront of technology and innovation in medical diagnostics.

The platform aims to support both industry and academia and addresses the need for robust research, development, evaluation and adoption when it comes to the introduction of new patient diagnostic tests and devices.

Exciting initiative

More than 200 industry representatives and healthcare professionals attended the platform's launch to hear of the exciting new initiative, which is unique in providing concentrated expertise across all key elements of the diagnostics pathway - discovery, development, evaluation, adoption into the NHS, and advanced horizon scanning for future opportunities.

The partnership is built upon strong collaborations and access to the outstanding clinical facilities in the North East and will result in better diagnostic tests being more rapidly available to patients.

Diagnostics North East is a collaboration between the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC), Newcastle University, and The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Professor John Simpson, Dean of Translational Research and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Newcastle University, said: "The unique diagnostics infrastructure in the region allows us to address every requirement in bringing better diagnostic tests to patients more rapidly. Our joined up approach in a single region provides industry and academia with unrivalled access to diagnostics expertise tailored to their individual needs.

"Our strong collaboration, allied to first class clinical facilities and a strong culture of clinical research, is ideally placed to accelerate the pathway from innovation through to patient benefit."

The launch provided industry representatives and healthcare professionals with opportunities to meet key experts and to discuss how they can support the development, evaluation and adoption of technologies into healthcare systems. Delegates left with information about how they can partner with and access the world-class resources available.

Collaborative working

Dr Michael Wright, Deputy Medical Director of Newcastle Hospitals, said: "We welcome this very exciting initiative which will help us to provide even better services for patients in the North East and across the whole of the NHS. This will help us to develop even stronger collaborations with colleagues in Newcastle University, the AHSN NENC and industry."

Professor Julia Newton, Medical Director at the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC), said: "Diagnostics North East represents the effective partnership between NHS, academia and the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria.

"I am delighted that our enthusiasm for this collaborative work was recognised at the launch of Diagnostics North East."

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The launch included guest speakers from a variety of renowned organisations including: Newcastle University, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NIHR, MHRA, NorthStar Ventures, Innovate UK and NHS Improvement.

For more information on Diagnostics North East visit: http://diagnosticsnortheast.org.uk/

For more information on AHSN NENC visit: http://www.ahsn-nenc.org.uk
A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that high-quality cervical cancer screening can be done effectively using a completely automated approach. The researchers involved in the study indicate that automated technology could increase cervical screening coverage in underserved regions.

Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with carcinogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV). HPV vaccination to control transmission is the ultimate prevention strategy; however, vaccination remains a long-term solution due to still-limited coverage and the long latency between infection and cancer development

The main goal of cervical screening is to detect potentially premalignant conditions, which can be treated to prevent cervical cancer. Cervical screening programs include two procedures: screening of the general population and the separation of screen-positive women to focus treatment on potentially premalignant conditions. For the general screening phase, HPV testing for the carcinogenic types of HPV is gradually replacing cytology (Pap testing), because HPV testing is more sensitive for detection of precancer malignancies. It is also more reproducible and adaptable to increasingly HPV-vaccinated populations.

The leading treatment strategy in higher-resource regions combines partial HPV typing (to identify the highest-risk types) and Pap tests (used in this case as a second test among HPV-positive women). Conventional Pap tests, which are currently combined with HPV testing in most US screening programs to determine which women should receive treatment, is labor-intensive.

Use of computer-interpreted Pap tests for triage would permit the automation of the whole screening process. Here researchers report the design and evaluation of such a fully automatable cervical screening strategy to determine whether an automated algorithm could separate and prioritize HPV-positive women for treatment as accurately as conventionally interpreted Pap tests.

The researchers here developed a novel risk score algorithm based on computer-scanned liquid-based slide features to separate HPV-positive women to target potentially premalignant conditions using a slide scanner that performs a high-speed image capture to detect features of the Pap test slide such as the presence of different cell types, nuclear size, and nuclear contour. The severity rank is designed to identify the most innocuous slides in a batch, to reduce and/or guide treatment decisions.

Researchers compared it with abnormal Pap test results in predicting precancer among 1839 women testing HPV positive in 2010 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Precancer outcomes were ascertained by record linkage. As additional validation, they compared the algorithm with Pap test results among 243,807 women screened at Kaiser Permanente.

Among HPV-positive women, the algorithm matched the triage performance of abnormal Pap test results. Combined with HPV testing, the automated approach referred 91.7% of HPV-positive cases to immediate treatment while deferring 38.4% of HPV-positive women to one-year retesting (compared with 89.1% and 37.4%, respectively, for typing and Pap test triage). In the 2016-2017 validation, the predicted risk scores strongly correlated with Pap test results.

The results of this study showed that a computer algorithm matches or exceeds Pap test performance, suggesting that totally automated cervical screening without Pap tests is feasible and can improve cervical screening coverage in underserved regions.

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The paper, "Automated Cervical Screening and Triage, Based on HPV Testing and Computer-Interpreted Cytology," will be available at https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/jnci/djy044

Direct correspondence to:

Kai Yu

Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics

National Cancer Institute

9609 Medical Center Dr, Room 7E630

Rockville, MD 20850

yuka@mail.nih.gov

To request a copy of the study, please contact:

Daniel Luzer

daniel.luzer@oup.com

Sharing on social media? Find Oxford Journals online at @OxfordJournals
Study shows increasing cigarette prices would add to years of life lived, and cut billions of dollars in treatment costs for families globally

TORONTO, April 11, 2018 - Higher cigarette prices would save millions of people from extreme poverty and poor health around the world, while also cutting health treatment costs for families across the globe, suggests a comprehensive study published today in The BMJ.

The analysis, led by Dr. Prabhat Jha and Patricio V. Marquez, concludes that those with lower incomes would benefit the most from higher cigarette prices. Examining 500 million male smokers in 13 countries, they found that a 50 per cent price increase in cigarettes would result in 67 million men quitting smoking, with the biggest benefit in low-income men.

The higher price would also lead to 15.5 million men avoiding catastrophic health spending in the seven countries studied without universal health coverage. This would result in 8.8 million men avoiding extreme poverty, half of whom are in the bottom income group.

"Our study debunks the current narrative that higher cigarette prices would negatively impact the poorest among us," said Dr. Jha, director of the Centre for Global Health Research of St. Michael's Hospital. "This analysis shows the opposite - a higher price would encourage cessation, lead to better health, and save money much more strongly for the poor than the rich."

Cessation would result in 449 million years of life gained, the study showed. Higher tobacco costs would also benefit households globally, with about $157-billion USD averted to treat the four main tobacco-attributable diseases examined: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, heart disease and cancer.

Despite more awareness of the risks, Dr. Jha said, if we don't deflect the current trends, smoking will be responsible for one billion deaths in the 21st century. Most of these will be in low and middle-income countries. Previous research by Dr. Jha, who is also a professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, has shown that raising taxes on tobacco is the single most effective intervention to lower smoking rates and to deter future smokers.

Building on his earlier research, Dr. Jha and the team undertook this new analysis to understand the true impact of higher cigarette prices around the world. They conducted an assessment across 13 middle-income countries with diverse socioeconomic characteristics, tobacco use and health care coverage. Focusing on male smokers - who make up 90 per cent of smokers in the selected countries - the researchers used mathematical models to quantify the effect of a 50 per cent increase in prices.

"The findings of our new analysis will have a far-reaching impact," said Marquez, lead health specialist at The World Bank. "Not only does increasing tobacco taxation reduce smoking and its health consequences, but the study's findings are also relevant to the United Nations sustainable development goals to reduce poverty and improve health."

This study will add to a growing body of knowledge that higher cigarette pricing, though not yet universally adopted, has significant health benefits. Small steps taken by governments can lead to unprecedented health gains and poverty reduction, Dr. Jha said.

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This study was supported by the Fogarty International Center of the US National Institutes of Health; the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Canadian Institute of Health Research; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the International Development Research Centre.

Additional media material (PowerPoint, Video) at http://www.cghr.org/smoking

About St. Michael's Hospital

St. Michael's Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding medical education to future health care professionals in more than 29 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, care of the homeless and global health are among the Hospital's recognized areas of expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael's Hospital are recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

About the World Bank Group Global Tobacco Control Program

The World Bank Group's Global Tobacco Control Program assists countries in designing tobacco tax reforms as a win-win policy measure to: (i) achieve public health goals by increasing prices, reducing smoking, and preventing initiation among youth, and (ii) raise domestic resources for investments that benefit the entire population. In addition, it supports countries in fighting the illicit tobacco trade by strengthening customs systems.

For publications, videos and blogs, visit:

http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/tobacco

http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/tobacco/brief/taxing-tobacco-a-win-win-for-public-health-outcomes-mobilizing-domestic-resources

Media contact

For more information, please contact:

Ana Gajic

Senior Communications Advisor

St. Michael's Hospital

Phone: 416-864-5960 or 416 458 0629

Gajica@smh.ca

Inspired Care. Inspiring Science.

a target="_blank" href="http://www.stmichaelshospital.com">http://www.stmichaelshospital.com

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stmikeshospital
A research team of Shinshu University, Japan, has developed robust reverse osmosis membranes that can endure large-scale water desalination. The team published their results in early February in Scientific Reports.

"Since more than 97 percent of the water in the world is saline water, reverse osmosis desalination plants for producing fresh water are increasingly important for providing a safe and consistent supply" said Morinobu Endo, Ph.D., corresponding author on the paper. Endo is a distinguished professor of Shinshu University and the Honorary Director of the Institute of Carbon Science and Technology. "Even though reverse osmosis membrane technology has been under development for several decades, new threats like global warming and increasing clean water demand in populated urban centers challenge the conventional water supply systems."

Reverse osmosis membranes typically consist of thin film composite systems, with an active layer of polymer film that restricts undesired substances, such as salt, from passing through a permeable porous substrate. Such membranes can turn seawater into drinkable water, as well as aid in agricultural and landscape irrigation, but they can be costly to operate and spend a large amount of energy.

To meet the demand of potable water at low cost, Endo says more robust membranes capable of withstanding harsh conditions, while remaining chemically stable to tolerate cleaning treatments, are necessary. The key lays in carbon nanotechnology.

Endo is a pioneer of carbon nanotubes synthesis by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. In this research, Endo and his team developed a multi-walled carbon nanotube-polyamide nanocomposite membrane, which is resistant to chlorine--one of the main cause of degradation or failure cases in reverse osmosis membranes. The added carbon nanotubes create a protective effect that stabilized the linked molecules of the polyamide against chlorine.

"Carbon nanotechnology has been expected to bring benefits, and this is one promising example of the contribution of carbon nanotubes to a very critical application: water purification," Endo said. "Carbon nanotubes and fibers are already superb reinforcements for other applications in materials science and engineering, and this is yet another field where their exceptional properties can be used for improving conventional technologies."

The researchers are working to stabilize and expand the production and processing of multi-walled carbon nanotube-polyamide nanocomposite membranes.

"We are currently working on scaling up our method of synthesis, which, in principle, is based on the same method used to prepare current polyamide membranes," Endo said. He also noted that his team is planning a collaboration to produce commercial membranes.

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This study was carried out as a part of the Shinshu University Global Aqua Innovation Center for Improving Living Standards and Water-sustainability supported by the industry-academia collaborative R&D programs, COI- STREAM, of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

For more information about the Global Aqua Innovation Center & COI STREAM, please visit: (Web) http://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/coi/english/

About Shinshu University

Shinshu University is a national university in Japan founded in 1949 and working on providing solutions for building a sustainable society through interdisciplinary research fields: material science (carbon nanotubes, fiber, composites), biomedical science (for intractable diseases, preventive medicine), and mountain science. We aim to boost research and innovation capability through collaborative projects with distinguished researchers from the world. For more information, please see: http://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/english/
(New York, NY- April 11, 2018) --Researchers from Mount Sinai and Sema4, a health information company and Mount Sinai venture, have discovered that giving metastatic bladder cancer patients simultaneous chemotherapy and immunotherapy is safe and that patients whose tumors have certain genetic mutations may respond particularly well to this combination approach, according to the results of a clinical trial published in European Urology.

Though chemotherapy and immunotherapy have become standard options for the treatment of metastatic bladder cancer, it was previously unknown whether these therapies could be given together and whether chemotherapy's side effect of weakening the immune system would inhibit immunotherapy. The phase 2 trial was conducted at six cancer centers, and patients in the trial did not show any additional or more severe side effects than patients given chemotherapy or immunotherapy alone, a finding that showed the combination therapy is a safe alternative.

Researchers also generated evidence showing that immunotherapy could boost immune cells in the blood of patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy, allaying previous concerns that chemotherapy might counteract the effects of immunotherapy.

"Because chemotherapy and immunotherapy are the two pillars of treatment for metastatic bladder cancer, we sought to better understand how these treatments might be best given together," said Matthew Galsky, MD, Director of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Professor of Urology, Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Principal Investigator of the study. "Already the results of this trial have inspired the creation of two more trials that seek to better the treatment of bladder cancer patients by combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy."

One of the new trials, which Dr. Galsky is heading at Mount Sinai and other centers, gives chemotherapy and immunotherapy to a subset of patients with earlier-stage bladder cancer to determine if this combination can head off the need for surgery to remove the bladder, a standard treatment but one with quality-of-life-altering implications that include wearing a urostomy bag outside the body to collect urine. The other trial combines two different chemotherapy regimens with immunotherapy to determine the best types of chemotherapy drugs to combine with immunotherapy.

Dr. Galsky said that the current trial epitomizes the importance of team science. Dr. Galsky, as well as Andrew Uzilov, PhD, Director of Cancer Genomics for Sema4, and Huan Wang, PhD, Sema4 bioinformatics scientist, and other researchers hypothesized that patients with tumors with particular genetic mutations might respond best to the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. And indeed, they found that certain types of mutations in DNA damage response (DDR) genes were associated with better response to the combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy. If validated in subsequent studies, these findings could add a novel biomarker to the "precision oncology toolbox" and refine the selection of patients who might benefit from concurrent administration of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

"Our work is an example of using genomics to enable precision medicine. By looking for loss-of-function mutations in DDR genes, we may be able to predict who will do well on a combined chemotherapy plus immunotherapy regimen," explained Dr. Uzilov. "In our study, we looked at a pool of 55 DDR genes as predictive biomarkers. We are now exploring further which of these genes, and what types of mutations within them, best predict treatment response, as well as the interplay of DDR status with other predictors of immunotherapy response."

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This study was supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cancer Research Institute Clinical Strategy Team Grant, and National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant P30 CA196521.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in six out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and 50th for Ear, Nose, and Throat, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About Sema4

Sema4 is a health information company founded on the idea that more data, deeper analysis, and increased engagement will improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. A Mount Sinai Health System venture based in Stamford, Conn., Sema4 is enabling physicians and consumers to more seamlessly engage the digital universe of health data, from genome test results and clinical records to wearable sensor metrics and more. The company currently offers advanced genome-based diagnostics for reproductive health and is building predictive models of complex disease. Sema4 believes that patients should be treated as partners, and that data should be shared for the benefit of all.

For more information, please visit sema4genomics.com and connect with Sema4 on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
With limited federal and state funding, the only viable option is positioning river diversions in areas that have the greatest land-building potential

Although river diversions that bring land building sediment to shrinking coastlands are the best solution to sustaining portions of the Mississippi Delta, a new Tulane University study concludes that the rate of land building will likely be dwarfed by the rate of wetland loss.

The study, published in the open-access journal Science Advances, used optical dating to measure how fast the delta shoreline migrated seaward under natural conditions.

"Optical dating determines when sediment grains were deposited by measuring their last exposure to daylight," said Elizabeth Chamberlain, lead author and recent Tulane PhD graduate. "This method allowed us to date the shoreline of the Lafourche lobe in the central Mississippi Delta and to calculate that it advanced at a rate of 300-500 feet per year for almost 1,000 years."

Prior to human influence, the Mississippi Delta grew at a rate of 2 to 3 square miles per year. But these rates fall far short of the rates of land loss in coastal Louisiana, which have averaged 15 to 20 square miles per year over the past century, the researchers said.

Tulane Vokes Geology Professor Torbjorn Tornqvist, a co-author of the study, said that given the accelerating rates of sea-level rise that will likely continue long into the future, even the best designed river diversions won't be able to prevent more land loss.

"Therefore difficult choices will have to be made about where to locate these diversions," he said.

With limited federal and state funding, positioning river diversions in areas that have the greatest land building potential and protect the largest population centers, as opposed to multiple diversions targeting the entire shoreline, is the only viable option.

Chamberlain, now a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University, and Tornqvist conducted the research with colleagues from Coastal Carolina University, the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom and Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

Justin Lawrence, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research, said the results of the study are striking. "The findings will inform coastal policy and management in this low-lying U.S. region."

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Additional funding was provided by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana.
A recent study published in an esteemed academic journal indicates that volcanic eruptions in the mid 500s resulted in an unusually gloomy and cold period. A joint research project of the Chronology Laboratory of the Finnish Museum of Natural History and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) suggests that the years 536 and 541-544 CE were very difficult for many people.

An extended period of little light may make it difficult for humans to survive. The level of production of plants is dependent on the amount of available sunlight. Food production, i.e, farming and animal husbandry, rely on the same solar energy. Humans, meanwhile, become more prone to disease if they are not exposed to enough sunlight to produce vitamin D.

"Our research shows that the climate anomaly, which covered all of the northern hemisphere, was the compound result of several volcanic eruptions," says Markku Oinonen, director of the Chronology Laboratory.

The aerosols that were released into the atmosphere with the eruptions covered the sun for a long time.

The exceptionally poor climate conditions were significantly detrimental to farming and reduced the production of vitamin D among the populace. This means that the people who were already weakened by hunger also had to grapple with a compromised immune system.

Trees are a record of the past

The study is based on dendrochronology or tree-ring dating. The series of annual growth rings from subfossil - or intact - tree deposits covers the past 7,600 years. The trees are often found on the bottom of small lakes, and Luke has been taking samples and recording the findings since the 1990s.

"Researchers have put together an annual growth ring calendar of treeline pine spanning more than 7,600 years. Various historical events can be contrasted with the calendar. The growth ring calendar is an important indicator of global climate change," says researcher Samuli Helama from Luke.

The samples in the recent study were dated with the help of the growth ring calendar at Luke, and sample shavings were carved out of them for each calendar year. The Chronology Laboratory then conducted isotope analyses on the samples.

Carbon isotopes indicate summer weather

The results of the study are based on the analysis of the variation of carbon isotopes in the annual growth rings of trees. The variety in carbon isotopes reflects the photosynthesis of the trees, which in turn is largely dependent on the amount of solar radiation available during the summer.

The new study tracks the correlation of carbon isotope variation and volcanic eruptions from the 19th century until recent years, and shows the dramatic reduction in available sunlight in 536 as well as between 541 and 544 CE. The variation of summer temperatures was similarly reconstructed on the basis of the density of the trees' annual growth rings.

Hard times brought the plague

The unusually poor years coincide with the bubonic plague epidemic that devastated the Roman Empire. The epidemic caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium began in 542 CE and killed approximately half, or more, of the inhabitants of what was then considered the Eastern Roman Empire. The plague spread through Europe, from the Mediterranean, possibly as far north as Finland, and had killed tens of millions of people by the 8th century.

The study was conducted as a consortium project by the University of Helsinki and Luke, with participation from researchers of the University of Eastern Finland, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Geological Survey of Finland and the University of Turku. The research was funded by the Academy of Finland.

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The study was published in the international series Scientific Reports: Helama S, Arppe L, Uusitalo J, Holopainen J, Makela H M, Makinen H, Mielikainen K, Nojd P, Sutinen R, Taavitsainen J-P, Timonen M and Oinonen M 2018. Volcanic dust veils from sixth century tree-ring isotopes linked to reduced irradiance, primary production and human health. Scientific Reports 8, http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-19760-w.

Further information:

Annual growth rings of trees

Stable isotope determinations
URBANA, Ill. - When a natural disaster strikes, major disaster databases tend to compile information about losses such as damages to property or cost of repairs, but other economic impacts after the disaster are often overlooked--such as how a company's lost ability to produce products may affect the entire supply-chain within the affected region and in other regions.

Without using the right model to study these losses, the data may give an incomplete picture of the full financial impact of the disaster as it doesn't fully portray business interruptions incurred locally, or by trade partners, after the event. As a result, a locality may receive less than it should in state or federal government recovery support.

In a recent study, published in Earth System Dynamics, an interdisciplinary journal devoted to the study of Earth and global change, economists at the University of Illinois partnered with atmospheric scientists and hydrologists from U of I and UCLA, and with the Army Corps of Engineers to capture the characteristics of an atmospheric river--a transporter of water vapor in the sky--that hit the western part of Washington State in 2007. This event resulted in record flooding (a 500-year stream peak event in some parts of the river) and record damages.

The team hopes to show that carefully selecting the characteristics of the extreme weather event under study and the correct model to estimate losses--based on characteristics of the disaster and the affected region, and on the interdependence between one area and another--can help in determining vulnerability and preparing for future disasters, from an economic standpoint.

"This is quite different from what insurance companies do," explains Sandy Dall'Erba, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at U of I, and a co-author of the study. "After a disaster, when an insurance company comes, they basically say that your building has been destroyed by this particular amount. And because you were out of the building for, say, a week, you couldn't produce anything for a week. What insurance companies forget, and what our paper is trying to demonstrate is that the total amount of economic losses is much greater."

The ripple effects from a disaster can be significant if major industrial chains are disrupted when infrastructure is comprised. For instance, while the study finds that intersectoral and interregional linkages add up to around 10 percent in standard economic damage estimates in the small rural area chosen in this study, that share could go up to 50-70 percent for a major metropolitan area like Houston, Texas, because of its enormous transportation system and interregional trade.

"Let's say for instance that a company producing tires is flooded. Obviously, no tires are coming from that company," Dall'Erba explains. "The car company, which could be located in a place that wasn't flooded, suddenly is expecting a delay in the tires that are not coming on time anymore. There are all of these connections from one city to the next that are traditionally not accounted for after a disaster."

In his U of I lab, the Regional Economic Applications Laboratory (REAL), Dall'Erba studies very specific disaster events using a technique called input-output--a technique that shows the interdependencies between the sectors within a region and across different regions. He also teaches this technique in his home department (ACE) on a regular basis.

"We look at each industry. What kind of products and services do they buy? To whom do they sell their goods and services? In the case of Chehalis, Washington, that was flooded in 2007, it was mainly companies selling to other companies, not to individual households. Those are the kinds of links that we try to include in the work we do in REAL, how to understand that level of dependence between one location and other places. We also provide measurements that are very specific to each locality," Dall'Erba says.

Using the input-output technique helped the researchers calculate the actual losses after the event in Chehalis. "We rely on a huge amount of data to do it. We have information from each locality about how each industry is connected to every industry within that locality and outside of that locality so we can understand how dollars flow," he adds.

In addition, they must account for the timing of the event. "While the affected area is very agricultural, the luck it had is that the flood took place in December, way ahead of the growing season of the crop the locality depends the most on, corn. If it had taken place a few months later, the local economy would have experienced much larger losses," Dall'Erba says.

Finally, Dall'Erba's team is particularly careful to account for the location of the companies in charge of reconstruction. "Most of the literature assumes without evidence that reconstruction will dampen the local losses and boost employment. It turns out that for small rural communities--like the one in our study--no local construction company is present or is large enough to be in charge of reconstruction. As such, reconstruction efforts are delivered by companies outside of the affected economy and it is these other localities that see an increase in output and construction jobs," Dall'Erba adds.

The latter part of their study focuses on the future. Assuming that climate change will result in 15 percent more streamflow (water from rivers or streams) for all return periods, the authors find that the total losses would increase from $6.2 million, the figure seen during the actual event, to $8.6 million (a 39 percent increase).

"Adaptation strategies could include, among others, larger floodplains in upstream locations, levees close to critical buildings, and/or developing a more resilient supply-chain," Dall'Erba says. "However it is particularly hard for small rural communities as they do not always have the budget necessary to implement large adaptation projects; yet they have already been more frequently affected by floods than urban areas over the last few decades."

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The study, "Tracking an Atmospheric River in a Warmer Climate: from Water Vapor to Economic Impacts," is published in Earth System Dynamics (impact factor = 4.15). Co-authors include Francina Dominguez, Sandy Dall'Erba, Shuyi Huang, Andre Avelino, Ali Mehran, Huancui Hu, Arthur Schmidt, Lawrence Schick, and Dennis Lettenmaier.

Dall'Erba is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. Since 2016, he has served as the Director of the Regional Economic Applications Laboratory at the U of I.

Funding for the study was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ANN ARBOR--In an advance that could grime-proof phone screens, countertops, camera lenses and countless other everyday items, a materials science researcher at the University of Michigan has demonstrated a smooth, durable, clear coating that swiftly sheds water, oils, alcohols and, yes, peanut butter.

Called "omniphobic" in materials science parlance, the new coating repels just about every known liquid. It's the latest in a series of breakthrough coatings from the lab of Anish Tuteja, U-M associate professor of materials science and engineering. The team's earlier efforts produced durable coatings that repelled ice and water, and a more fragile omniphobic coating. The new omniphobic coating is the first that's durable and clear. Easily applied to virtually any surface, it's detailed in a paper published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Tuteja envisions the new coating as a way to prevent surfaces from getting grimy, both in home and industry. It could work on computer displays, tables, floors and walls, for example.

"I have a 2-year-old at home, so for me, this particular project was about more than just the science," Tuteja said. "We're excited about what this could do to make homes and daycares cleaner places, and we're looking at a variety of possible applications in industry as well."

He says the new coating is the latest result of the team's systematic approach, which breaks with the traditional materials science "mix-and-see" approach. By mapping out the fundamental properties of a vast library of substances, they're able to mathematically predict how any two will behave when they're combined. This enables them to concoct a nearly endless variety of combinations with very specifically tailored properties.

"In the past, researchers might have taken a very durable substance and a very repellent substance and mixed them together," Tuteja said. "But this doesn't necessarily yield a durable, repellent coating."

They discovered that even more important than durability or repellency is a property called "partial miscibility," or the ability of two substances to mix together in exactly the right way. Chemicals that play well together make a much more durable product, even if they're less durable individually.

Tweaking the miscibility of this particular coating posed a special challenge. To make a versatile coating that's optically clear and smooth enough to repel oils and alcohols, the team needed to find a repellent ingredient and a binder with exactly the right amount of miscibility, as well as the ability to stick to a wide variety of substrates. They also needed a coating that would stay smooth during processing and drying.

"You can repel water with a rough surface that creates tiny pockets of air between the water and the surface, but those surfaces don't always repel oils or alcohols because of their lower surface tension," Tuteja said. "We needed a very smooth surface that interacts as little as possible with a variety of liquids, and we also needed ingredients that mix together very well, because too much phase separation between ingredients will scatter light."

Ultimately, the team discovered that a mix of fluorinated polyurethane and a specialized fluid-repellent molecule called F-POSS would do the job. Their recipe forms a mixture that can be sprayed, brushed, dipped or spin-coated onto a wide variety of surfaces, where it binds tightly. While the surface can be scratched by a sharp object, it's durable in everyday use. And its extremely precise level of phase separation makes it optically clear.

"The repellent and binder mix together well enough to make a clear coating, but there's a very small amount of phase separation between them," said Mathew Boban, a materials science and engineering graduate researcher and an author on the paper. "That separation allows the F-POSS to sort of float to the surface and create a nice repellent layer."

Tuteja believes that the coating will be inexpensive by the time it sees the mass market--fluorinated polyurethane is an inexpensive, common ingredient. And while F-POSS is rare and expensive today, manufacturers are in the process of scaling it up to mass production, which should dramatically lower its cost.

The research team is also doing further studies to ensure that the coating is nontoxic for use in places like daycare centers. Tuteja estimates that the coating could go to market within the next two years, and he believes childproof coatings are just the beginning.

The coating could also be used in refrigeration, power generation and oil refining--all industries that depend on the condensation of liquids. The new coating could enable equipment to slough off condensed water and chemicals more quickly, increasing efficiency by up to 20 percent. That's a game changer, as those industries are some of the world's most high-volume and energy-intensive.

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The paper is titled "Smooth, All-Solid, Low-Hysteresis, Omniphobic Surfaces." Support for the research was provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research and National Science Foundation. U-M and the U.S. Air Force have jointly filed patent applications related to the technology.
ANN ARBOREnergy-efficient lightbulbs are more expensive and less available in high-poverty urban areas than in more affluent locations, according to a new University of Michigan study conducted in Wayne County.

U-M researchers explored disparities in the availability and price of energy-efficient bulbs by surveying 130 stores across Michigan's most populous county.

They found that the cost to upgrade from a conventional incandescent bulb to a highly efficient light-emitting diode, or LED, was twice as high in the highest-poverty areas. At the same time, the price for less-efficient incandescent and halogen lamps (IHLs) decreased as the poverty level increased.

According to the authors, those disparities could lead residents of poorer neighborhoods to continue buying IHLs and thereby miss one of the simplest ways to cut home energy bills: residential lighting upgrades.

"The lightbulb price and availability patterns we found point to potential barriers to the adoption of energy-efficient lighting in higher-poverty neighborhoods," said study lead author Tony Reames, assistant professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and director of its Urban Energy Justice Lab.

"The ability to benefit from the transition to more energy-efficient lighting is not equitably distributed, and those disparities raise energy justice concerns."

The study is scheduled to appear May 15 in the print edition of the journal Applied Energy.

In the U.S., lighting accounts for about 20 percent of the average household's energy bill, and residential lighting is undergoing a rapid transition to increased energy efficiency. But for many householdsespecially the poorthe upfront costs of upgrading from an incandescent or halogen bulb to more efficient compact fluorescent lamps or LEDs is a significant barrier, the researchers say.

High-poverty neighborhoods often lack large retail chains that sell products at lower prices and are instead associated with small retailers that generally sell at higher prices, they say. And households in high-poverty areas often have less access to personal vehicles so are more dependent on the offerings of nearby stores.

In their Wayne County study, the U-M researchers looked at residential lighting prices and availability at five store types: large retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot, hardware stores, variety stores such as Family Dollar and Dollar General, pharmacies, and small retail stores such as mini marts, corner delis and liquor stores.

They surveyed stores in 18 Wayne County zip codes, stratified by the percentage of households living below the federal poverty level. They found that energy-efficient lighting availability and price varied across the county, with limited availability and higher prices disproportionately present in high-poverty areas.

Large retail stores, primarily in areas with less poverty, had the least-expensive compact fluorescent lamps and LEDs. The most expensive CFLs and LEDs were found at pharmacies and small retail stores.

In fact, none of the small retail stores in the poorest sector (40 percent or more of the households living below the federal poverty level) carried LEDs, while 92 percent of them carried less-efficient incandescent and halogen bulbs.

In the poorest areas, there was a $6.24 mean price difference between IHLs and LEDs, "a huge upfront cost in areas where 40 percent or more of the households live in poverty and roughly 27 percent do not have access to a personal vehicle," according to the authors.

Wayne County has a population of 1.8 million. Overall, 22.4 percent of its households live below the federal poverty level. The county includes a major central city, Detroit, with surrounding affluent communities and suburbs such as the Grosse Pointe communities and the sizeable suburban cities of Dearborn, Livonia and Canton.

Co-authors of the Applied Energy paper are Michael Reiner, a graduate student at U-M's School for Environment and Sustainability and at the College of Engineering, and M. Ben Stacey, a graduate student at the School for Environment and Sustainability and at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

The study was first published online March 7.
An Oxford University collaboration has shed light on the origins of some of South East Asia's most iconic and unique wildlife; the 'deer-pig' (Sulawesi Babirusa), 'warty pig' and the 'miniature buffalo.' In doing so, the research has revealed that Sulawesi, the island paradise where they were discovered, is younger than previously thought.

Sitting in a region called Wallacea (named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who discovered the island), at the interface of Eurasia and Australia -- two vastly different eco-zones, the island of Sulawesi is home to hundreds of unique plant and animal species. The origin of these species has fascinated generations of Naturalists since the 1700s.

To better understand the ancestry of Sulawesi's extraordinary fauna, a team of researchers from Oxford's Department of Archaeology and Queen Mary University of London, used a combination of morphological and genetic data, alongside geological reconstructions of the island. Their analysis, which makes use of over one thousand samples, many of which were collected during the 19th and 20th century, represent the largest genetic study of these species.

The results reveal that though each species most likely arrived on what is now the island of Sulawesi at different times over the past 13 million years, all of them began to spread across the island simultaneously about 1-2 million years ago. This timing exactly coincides with geological evidence for the emergence of the arms of the island from the ocean. This coincidence indicates that the highly biodiverse and endemic ecosystems of Sulawesi have been assembled over a far more recent time frame than previously thought.

Professor Greger Larson, Director of Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network at Oxford and senior author of the study, said: 'Sulawesi is an amazing island, unlike any other on Earth. The key link between the three large mammals in this the study is that none of them fly. Sulawesi has been an island for a long time so however they arrived, they have been evolving in isolation.

'Understanding their evolutionary history was only possible by looking not only at their genetic signatures but also the geologic history of the island. The whole region is highly tectonic and we were able to reconstruct how much of the island was under water and when.

'Using a molecular clock we were then able to date the time of the expansion of all three species and by correlating those dates with the appearance of the different land masses that make up Sulawesi, we found a perfect temporal match.'

Laurent Frantz, Lecturer in Molecular Genetics and Informatics at the Queen Mary University of London said: 'Following his famous explorations, Alfred Wallace described Sulawesi as anomalous, first noting the merging of two immensely different worlds on this island. For a long time, we thought these anomalous ecosystems slowly assembled over tens of millions of years, as continents drifted. Yet, we now know that very recent geological processes, over only the last few million years, dramatically shaped this singular tropical paradise.

'This research relied not only on state-of-the-art technologies, but also the efforts of 19th and 20th century naturalists and museum curators, who meticulously collected and preserved specimens for future generations.'

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Notes to editors:

The full paper citation is Synchronous diversification of Sulawesi's iconic artiodactyls driven by recent geological events, Proceedings of the Royal Society B. By Laurent A. F. Frantz1,2,, Anna Rudzinski3,, Abang Mansyursyah Surya Nugraha4,},, Allowen Evin5,6,, James Burton7,8,, Ardern Hulme-Beaman2,6, Anna Linderholm2,9, Ross Barnett2,10, Rodrigo Vega11, Evan K. Irving-Pease2, James Haile2,10, Richard Allen2, Kristin Leus12,13, Jill Shephard14,15, Mia Hillyer14,16, Sarah Gillemot14, Jeroen van den Hurk14, Sharron Ogle17, Cristina Atofanei11, Mark G. Thomas3, Friederike Johansson18, Abdul Haris Mustari19, John Williams20, Kusdiantoro Mohamad21, Chandramaya Siska Damayanti21, Ita Djuwita Wiryadik, Dagmar Obbles22, Stephano Mona23,24, Hally Day25, Muhammad Yasin25, Stefan Meker26, Jimmy A. McGuire27, Ben J. Evans28, Thomas von Rintelen29, Simon Y. W. Ho30, Jeremy B. Searle31, Andrew C. Kitchener32,33, Alastair A. Macdonald7,, Darren J. Shaw7,, Robert Hall4,, Peter Galbusera14, and Greger Larson2,

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2566

URL after publication: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/lookup/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.2566

Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6mtoedyy6vqvvm6/AAB8LKbL-xK1PxUV7ebfS_Kja?dl=0

For further information please contact Lanisha Butterfield, Oxford University Media Relations Manager, 01865-280531 or email lanisha.butterfield@admin.ox.ac.uk

About Queen Mary University of London:

Queen Mary University of London is one of the UK's leading universities with 25,332 students representing more than 160 nationalities.

A member of the Russell Group, we work across the humanities and social sciences, medicine and dentistry, and science and engineering, with inspirational teaching directly informed by our research. In the most recent national assessment of the quality of research, we were placed ninth in the UK amongst multi-faculty universities (Research Excellence Framework 2014).

As well as our main site at Mile End - which is home to one of the largest self-contained residential campuses in London - we have campuses at Whitechapel, Charterhouse Square, and West Smithfield dedicated to the study of medicine and dentistry, and a base for legal studies at Lincoln's Inn Fields.

Queen Mary began life as the People's Palace, a Victorian philanthropic project designed to bring culture, recreation and education to the people of the East End. We also have roots in Westfield College, one of the first colleges to provide higher education to women; St Bartholomew's Hospital, one of the first public hospitals in Europe; and The London, one of England's first medical schools.
If you eat fish in the U.S., chances are it once swam in another country. That's because the U.S. imports over 80 percent of its seafood, according to estimates by the United Nations. New genetic research could help make farmed fish more palatable and bring America's wild fish species to dinner tables. Scientists have used big data and supercomputers to catch a fish genome, a first step in its sustainable aquaculture harvest.

Researchers assembled and annotated for the first time the genome -- the total genetic material -- of the fish species Seriola dorsalis. Also known as California Yellowtail, it's a fish of high value to the sashimi, or raw seafood industry. The science team formed from the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Iowa State University, and the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico. They published their results on January of 2018 in the journal BMC Genomics.

"The major findings in this publication were to characterize the Seriola dorsalis genome and its annotation, along with getting a better understanding of sex determination of this fish species," said study co-author Andrew Severin, a Scientist and Facility Manager at the Genome Informatics Facility of Iowa State University.

"We can now confidently say," added Severin, "that Seriola dorsalis has a Z-W sex determination system, and that we know the chromosome that it's contained on and the region that actually determines the sex of this fish." Z-W refers to the sex chromosomes and depends on whether the male or female is heterozygous (XX,XY or ZZ,ZW), respectively. Another way to think about this is that in Z-W sex determination, the DNA molecules of the fish ovum determine the sex of the offspring. By contrast, in the X-Y sex determination system, such is found in humans, the sperm determines sex in the offspring.

It's hard to tell the difference between a male and female yellowtail fish because they don't have any obvious phenotypical, or outwardly physically distinguishing traits. "Being able to determine sex in fish is really important because we can develop a marker that can be used to determine sex in young fish that you can't determine phenotypically," Severin explained. "This can be used to improve aquaculture practices." Sex identification lets fish farmers stock tanks with the right ratio of males to females and get better yield.

Assembling and annotating a genome is like building an enormous three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The Seriola dorsalis genome has 685 million pieces -- its base pairs of DNA -- to put together. "Gene annotations are locations on the genome that encode transcripts that are translated into proteins," explained Severin. "Proteins are the molecular machinery that operate all the biochemistry in the body from the digestion of your food, to the activation of your immune system to the growth of your fingernails. Even that is an oversimplification of all the regulation."

Severin and his team assembled the genome of 685 megabase (MB) pairs from thousands of smaller fragments that each gave information to form the complete picture. "We had to sequence them for quite a bit of depth in order to construct the full 685 MB genome," said study co-author Arun Seetharam. "This amounted to a lot of data," added Seetharam, who is an associate scientist at the Genome Informatics Facility of Iowa State University.

The raw DNA sequence data ran 500 gigabytes for the Seriola dorsalis genome, coming from tissue samples of a juvenile fish collected at the Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute in San Diego. "In order to put them together," Seetharam said, "we needed a computer with a lot more RAM to put it all into the computer's memory and then put it together to construct the 685 MB genome. We needed really powerful machines."

That's when Seetharam realized that the computational resources at Iowa State University at the time weren't sufficient get the job done in a timely manner, and he turned to XSEDE, the eXtreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment funded by the National Science Foundation. XSEDE is a single virtual system that scientists can use to interactively share computing resources, data and expertise.

"When we first started using XSEDE resources," explained Seetharam, "there was an option for us to select for ECSS, the Extended Collaborative Support Services. We thought it would be a great help if there were someone from the XSEDE side to help us. We opted for ECSS. Our interactions with Phillip Blood of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center were extremely important to get us up and running with the assembly quickly on XSEDE resources," Seetharam said.

The genome assembly work was computed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) on the Blacklight system, which at one point was the world's largest coherent shared-memory computing system. Blacklight has since been superseded by the data-centric Bridges system at PSC, which includes similar large-memory nodes of up to 12 terabytes -- a thousand times more than a typical personal computer. "We ended up using Blacklight at the time because it had a lot of RAM," recalled Andrew Severin. That's because they needed to put all the raw data into the computer's random access memory (RAM) so that it could use the algorithms of the Maryland Super-Read Celera Assembler genome assembly software. "You have to be able to compare every single piece of sequence data to every other piece to figure out which pieces need to be joined together, like a giant puzzle," Severin explained.

"We also used Stampede," continued Severin, "the first Stampede, which is another XSEDE computational resource that has lots and lots of compute nodes. Each compute node you can think of as a separate computer. " The Stampede1 system at the Texas Advanced Computing Center had over 6,400 Dell PowerEdge server nodes, which later added 508 Intel Knights Landing (KNL) nodes in preparation for its current successor, Stampede2 with 4,200 KNL nodes.

"We used Stampede to do the annotation of these gene models that we identified in the genome to try and figure out what their functions are," Severin said. "That required us to perform an analysis called the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), and it required us to use many CPUs, over a year's worth of compute time that we ended up doing within a couple of week's worth of actual time because of the many nodes that were on Stampede."

"This experiment started with a collaboration with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of NOAA," Severin explained. He said the project originally set out to complete a large RNA-seq project, and it turned out that there was sufficient funding to also do a genome assembly. "That resulted in a long-term collaboration with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center," Severin said. "With the recent advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing, we're now able to generate terabytes of sequencing data. This tends to be short, 100-150 base pair reads that we have to put together like a very large puzzle and figure out where all the pieces go," he added.

Severin and Seetharam's team have completed the basic picture of the genome for Seriola dorsalis, but they say there's still room for refinement. "The genome that we assembled is not perfect, in the sense that it is still in many pieces. We weren't able to fully piece together entire chromosomes," explained Seetharam. "We have many scaffolds representing each of those chromosomes, and we are missing a lot of information that is needed to fill in the gaps." Sequencing technology advancements can address these gaps, Seetharam said, through the advancement of sequencing technology that can produce longer DNA reads.

"We also hypothesized in the paper," said Severin, "of this deletion that's upstream of a gene that converts estrone into estrogen, that's part of the sex-determination pathway. That may be responsible for sex determination. But since it's just a hypothesis based on computational methods, this needs further investigation in the lab. We could certainly follow that up with a CRISPR-like experiment to test this mutation."

Severin also mentioned data collection for a larger genome-wide association study experiment to find locations and variants in the genome associated with jaw deformities. "We're currently collecting those samples," said Severin, "but we'll be able to use that genome to provide markers to the farmers to select against fish that have these propensities for jaw deformity."

Both Severin and Seetharam are resolute in their conviction that big data can solve problems in sustainable food production. "I believe the public is going to see more of this type of big data utilization and to see why science is so important for our future," Severin said. Gene annotation, he feels, is just the tip of the iceberg. "We're going to start comparing genome assemblies with each other and start getting at what a genome is and how it works; and how for a particular genome does the presence or absence of genes or its context with regard to its three-dimensional structure, how does that make a species," Severin said.

"Big data keeps getting bigger, and we're finding answers to really interesting questions." Severin concluded. Seetharam added that "There will be more studies using big data that will have significant impactful for the general public. This level of research will foster even larger studies in the future."

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The study, "Insights into teleost sex determination from the Seriola dorsalis genome assembly," was published January of 2018 in the journal BMC Genomics. The authors are Catherine M. Purcell, Owyn Snodgrass, and John R. Hyde of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service; Arun S. Seetharam and Andrew J. Severin of the Genome Informatics Facility, Iowa State University; and Sofia Ortega-Garcia of the Instituto Politecnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Departmento de Pesquerias. Funding came from NOAA's Office of Aquaculture ICAF program and XSEDE MCB140217.
Researchers from the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) have helped discover the first subglacial lakes ever found in the Canadian High Arctic.

The two new lakes are a potential habitat for microbial life and may assist scientists in the search for life beyond Earth. The findings, published in the April 13 edition of Science Advances, were made possible by airborne radar data acquired by UTIG and NASA and represent a new collaboration between Canada and the United States. Lead author Anja Rutishauser is a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta who will join The University of Texas at Austin as a postdoctoral fellow when she finishes her degree.

While there are more than 400 known subglacial lakes in the world, concentrated primarily in Antarctica with a few in Greenland, these are the first found in the Canadian Arctic. And unlike all the others--which are believed to contain freshwater--these two appear to consist of extremely salty water. All subglacial lakes are good analogues for life beyond Earth, but the hypersaline nature of the Devon lakes makes them particularly tantalizing analogues for ice-covered moons in our solar system, researchers said.

In 2011, researchers from UTIG showed that Jupiter's icy moon Europa, likely contains hypersaline lakes of liquid water within an ice shell that floats atop of a global ocean. The new lakes observed in Canada are very similar to these potential lakes locked inside Europa's icy shell. An analysis of radar data, show that the lakes discovered in Canada are located beneath 550 to 750 meters of ice underneath the Devon Ice Cap, one of the largest ice caps in the Canadian Arctic. They are thought to be the first isolated hypersaline subglacial lakes in the world, having no contact with an outside environment for thousands of years.

"If there is microbial life in these lakes, it has likely been under the ice for at least 120,000 years, so it likely evolved in isolation," Rutishauser said. "If we can collect a sample of the water, we may determine whether microbial life exists, how it evolved, and how it continues to live in this cold environment with no connection to the atmosphere."

By evaluating the airborne survey data and, eventually, samples from the lake, scientists can better prepare for NASA's forthcoming Europa Clipper mission, which plans to deploy similar remote sensing techniques to characterize Europa's ice shell, said co-author Donald Blankenship, a UTIG senior research scientist. Blankenship is leading the development of the ice penetrating radar sounder for the Clipper mission, an instrument very similar to the one used to discover the Canadian lakes.

Researchers with Montana State University, Stanford University, and the Cambridge University Scott Polar Research Institute also worked on the project. In addition to Blankenship, UTIG researchers Jamin Greenbaum, Cyril Grima and Duncan Young worked on the study. UTIG is a research unit of the UT Jackson School of Geosciences. The same research team is currently planning a return to the Canadian Arctic in spring 2018 for additional data acquisition over the lake area and surrounding ice caps with support from Canada's W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

"It's amazing how the trilateral collaboration between Canadian, U.S. and UK universities to understand ice cap response to climate change evolved into a paradigm shift in our perspective on potential terrestrial analogs for extraterrestrial habitats," Blankenship said.

###

UTIG's data acquisition and processing were supported by NASA's Instrument Concepts for Europa Exploration Program, the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation and the National Science Foundation; additional data used in the research were acquired by NASA's Operation Icebridge Mission. Blankenship was supported by the Fulbright Scholar Program for data interpretation and synthesis activities. The project was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, the CRYSYS Program (Environment Canada), and the UK Natural Environment Research Council.
MADISON - The Greenland Ice Sheet is melting, discharging hundreds of billions of tons of water into the ocean each year. Sea levels are steadily rising.

To better understand and anticipate changes in sea level rise, scientists have sought to quantify how much snow falls on the ice sheet in any given year, and where, since snow is the primary source of the ice sheet's mass. This has proven to be a challenging problem.

However, a new study from a team of researchers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center scientist, Claire Pettersen, describes a unique method involving cloud characteristics that could help answer some big questions about the Greenland Ice Sheet and its snowfall. The study is published today in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

"There are a lot of theories about how the precipitation processes over the ice sheet will change in the future," says Pettersen. "Will it gain more as a result of increased precipitation or will it gain less due to decreasing precipitation?"

Pettersen's approach involved studying the types of clouds that result in snow on the ice sheet, and examining the distinct paths these clouds take before they produce snow at Summit Station, a longstanding research station located in the middle of Greenland.

Regions of higher elevation on the ice sheet do not receive an abundance of precipitation, and Summit Station tends to be drier still. However, the precipitation it does receive is critical, Pettersen says, "because it is the only available source for building up mass on the ice sheet."

Greenland is more than twice as large as Texas and if the entire ice sheet melted, scientists estimate global sea levels would rise roughly 24 feet.

Pettersen and her team developed a tool that aggregated and processed five-year's worth of data from the Integrated Characterization of Energy, Clouds, Atmospheric state, and Precipitation at Summit (or ICECAPS) experiment, relying on an array of ground-based, remote sensing instruments - from Doppler radar to an ice particle imaging camera - to collect atmospheric information.

Pettersen took advantage of a wealth of data from an instrument typically used to measure characteristics like temperature and humidity, called a microwave radiometer, and from it gathered information about cloud liquid water and ice within clouds above Greenland.

She discovered that precipitation at Summit came from two distinct cloud types. The first, mixed-phase clouds, hold water vapor, supercooled cloud liquid droplets, and ice particles. They are common across the Arctic.

The second type, ice clouds, contain only ice crystals and no cloud liquid water. These clouds tend to be deep, with cloud top heights reaching as high as 10 km above sea level, Pettersen explains.

Snow-producing mixed-phase clouds originate along the southwest coast of the Greenland Ice Sheet, where the upward slope to Summit is gentle and unimpeded. Pettersen found they produce 51 percent of the snow accumulation observed at Summit.

Ice clouds, on the other hand, are a feature more common to the southeast coast of Greenland, where they face a unique obstacle: To reach Summit Station from the North Atlantic, they must overcome a steep ridge.

"If you have a strong storm system, it can generate enough uplift to pull moisture from near the ocean's surface up over the ridge, and traverse the high plateau of the central Greenland Ice Sheet," Pettersen explains.

Though a rather intense process, it is an effective way to transfer moist ocean air into the center of Greenland, she adds. The team found these types of clouds account for 35 percent of the snow that builds up at Summit.

Together, these two processes - from two different directions that follow distinct northern-bound tracks - help provide key mechanisms to account for snowfall at this region of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The atmospheric dynamics responsible for the distinct snow types could be an important piece of the Arctic climate puzzle, says Pettersen.

Unlike prior studies, which relied on models or indirect data, her team was able to use observations gathered directly from the study region, yet they are consistent with earlier findings. Pettersen is hopeful that, with more data analysis over longer periods of time, researchers will find more answers yet to account for the melting ice sheet and the subsequent sea level rise that has already had an impact on regions across the planet.

"Understanding the processes that create precipitation at Summit Station will help us to further understand the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is directly tied to changes in sea level rise," says Pettersen.

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-- Jean Phillips, jean.phillips@ssec.wisc.edu, 608-262-8164

Study collaborators include researchers from Vanderbilt University, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science at University of Colorado, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory, and Washington State University. This study was supported by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation.
Scientists at the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, NMR for Life, at Chemical Biological Centre at Umea University in Sweden have introduced a highly advanced technique for tracking the carbon metabolism of plants

Due to their worldwide distribution, trees have an extraordinary role in removing excessive amounts of CO 2 released by our highly industrialized and mobile modern societies from the atmosphere. So far however, no tool exists which would enable scientists to precisely calculate the carbon dioxide uptake of trees over their whole lifetime. Using a decade-long sequence of annual growth rings from pine trees, scientists at the NMR Centre at Umea University's Chemical Biological Centre, (KBC) have introduced a highly advanced technique for tracking the carbon metabolism of plants and its environmental controls. This technique lays the foundation for much improved parameterizations of climate change and global vegetation models, which will tell what the future holds in store.

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) uptake by plant photosynthesis is generally seen as a way to counteract steadily increasing concentrations in atmospheric CO 2 and climate change. In short-term experiments, elevated CO 2 has been found to increase photosynthesis, but it is uncertain if this fortuitous effect will persist over the coming decades and under changing climates.

Researchers at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umea University have been working during the last years to develop methods that allow for refinement of climate models, to assess the role of plants to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, and also to elucidate how plant metabolism is affected by climate change. These questions cannot be answered using short-term experiments, therefore the Umea researchers use archives of plant material, and search for traces of processes over decades. In previous publications, the research group of Juergen Schleucher showed that vegetation models should consider the entire metabolism of the plants. They previously used historic plant material in herbariums to study the development of photosynthesis and metabolism in plants over a longer period of time and thus were able to make predictions for the future under changed climate conditions.

With their latest publication in the journal Scientific Reports, Thomas Wieloch and his colleagues in Umea, Austria, Switzerland and the US report an innovative method to look into a tree's metabolism over its whole lifetime. In analogy to using a microscope instead of a magnifying glass, the NMR specialists measured carbon isotope (13C / 12C) ratios at all six individual C-H positions in photosynthetic glucose. This is in contrast to conventional techniques, which do not resolve individual C-H positions, but determine an average value over all glucose positions. In a tree-ring series of Black Pine (Pinus nigra), the team found in addition to the well-known CO 2 uptake signal several novel signals that report on subsequent metabolic processes. Thus, the new approach extracts more well-defined signals, and multiplies the information content of plant archives such as tree rings.

The scientists then looked at tree-rings of 11 different tree species distributed all over the globe. "Our results from 11 trees species show that the 13C / 12C ratios at individual C-H positions leave a fingerprint of the regulation of metabolism, which seems to be similar for all species" commented Thomas Wieloch.

"We detected several so far unknown 13C signals in the cellulose molecules of our annually-resolved tree-ring samples. This means that besides CO 2 uptake, other metabolic processes also influence 13C / 12C ratios at individual C-H positions, and signals reporting on these processes can be retrieved from tree-ring series. Tree-ring series can cover thousands of years, so even questions on this timeframe can be tackled" explains Thomas Wieloch.

"This study shows that we are able to look into the metabolic history of trees with much higher resolution, so that we possibly can detect if trees acclimate under changing climates.", says professor Juergen Schleucher, one of the two directors of the NMR Center in Umea.

"We really hope that our discovery that 13C / 12C ratios vary among the individual C-H positions of tree-ring cellulose will yield improved interpretations of 13C / 12 C isotope signals for the global carbon cycle."

"Based on this recent study we will now go on to propose physiological mechanisms for the origins of the new metabolic signals, so that eventually we can decipher how increasing CO 2 in combination with changing climate affect tree growth - over decades"

"This newest NMR research results from Umea could be very relevant to forestry because it could give climate researchers better background facts for their models and give decision-makers new ideas on how to adapt their forest management plans and make estimates of tree production more realistic," says Juergen Schleucher.

###

Original Publication: Wieloch Thomas, Ehlers Ina, Yu Jun, Frank David, Grabner Michael, Gessler Arthur, Schleucher Jurgen. Intramolecular 13C analysis of tree rings provides multiple plant ecophysiology signals covering decades. Scientific Reports 8, 5048 (2018).

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23422-2

Contact:

Jurgen Schleucher, professor

Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics

Umea University

jurgen.schleucher@umu.se

phone: +46 90 786 5388

Thomas Wieloch, Research Assistant

Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics

thomas.wieloch@umu.se
For more than 40 years, frog populations around the world have been declining. Now, a new study reports that some Central American frog species are recovering, perhaps because they have better defenses against a deadly fungal pathogen.

"It's a hopeful, optimistic chapter," said Louise Rollins-Smith, PhD, associate professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and a co-author of a study recently published in the journal Science.

A collaborative group of investigators at multiple institutions showed that the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis continues to be as lethal now as it was more than 10 years ago. The antimicrobial defenses produced by frog skin, however, appear to be more effective than they were before the fungal epidemic began.

Rollins-Smith and her colleagues began studying how frogs combat B. dendrobatidis in Panama in 2004. For several years, Douglas Woodhams, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow on her team, and laboratory manager Laura Reinert made multiple trips to Central America to collect samples of frog skin secretions.

At the time, the fungal disease was spreading eastward from Costa Rica through Panama.

"There was a predictable wave of pathogen moving to new populations," said Rollins-Smith, who also traveled to Panama in 2010. "It gave us the opportunity to collect samples from populations of animals that had already encountered the epidemic and from the same species in places where the epidemic had not yet occurred."

The researchers found that skin secretions from frogs in areas with endemic (established) disease were more effective against the fungus compared to skin secretions from frogs that had not been exposed to the disease.

They also compared early samples of the fungus to current samples, evaluating fungal genetics, growth patterns, infectability and production of substances that inhibit frog immune responses.

"By all of these criteria, the pathogen is not different," Rollins-Smith said.

The findings were surprising, she said.

"We expected that frogs were recovering because the pathogen had become less virulent. Instead, the pathogen seems to be just as virulent and the frog defenses appear to be better."

Rollins-Smith said it is not clear whether frogs that survived and are recovering already had better skin defenses or if the presence of the irritating fungus in the skin caused the skin defenses to change.

Understanding how amphibian species recover from an epidemic may hold clues for improving conservation strategies and confronting emerging diseases in other species.

Rollins-Smith hopes to explore how the skin secretions have changed by defining and comparing the peptides (small protein pieces) in pre- and post-epidemic secretions.

Her team previously showed that frog skin secretions block HIV infection, and in recent work they have studied the effectiveness of frog skin secretions against a pathogen similar to the bacterium that causes gonorrhea.

"Frogs are a rich source of potentially useful molecules that might work against human pathogens," Rollins-Smith said.

She noted the critical role played by the National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama in supporting these and other studies of amphibian populations.

###

Vanderbilt colleagues who contributed to the current studies included Reinert, Shawna McLetchie and Florence Ann Sobell. Jamie Voyles, PhD, at the University of Nevada, Reno, was the lead author of the Science paper.

Additional funding for the research was provided by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the National Institutes of Health (grant GM103451).
this news is not available
The government has named Jean-Philippe Gaudin as new head of the Swiss intelligence service.

The 56-year-old Gaudin has had a long career as member of the armed forces, notably as an instructor, and led the military intelligence unit between 2008 and 2016, after which he became military attache with the Swiss embassy in France.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Defence Minister Guy Parmelin commended Gaudin for his professional experience both in Switzerland and abroad as well as for his network of international contacts.

Gaudin, who will officially take over his new post in July, described Islamic terrorism as the main threat faced by Switzerland and other European countries.

He declined to comment on a report by a parliamentary control committee strongly criticising the intelligence service for mishandling spy activities in Germanyand a massive data theft over the past few years.

But Gaudin said he would try to improve public knowledge about the tasks of the service, adding that current staff levels were adequate.

The Federal Intelligence Service has everything it needs. But it must be able to develop and adapt to future challenges, he said.

Gaudin replaces Markus Seiler who took over a senior position in the foreign ministry last year.
Since 2001, the Swiss Council for the Elderly (CSA, according to its French initials) has given this ever-larger sector of the population a means of speaking out and being heard. But challenges still lie ahead.

Before, politicians made the decisions affecting the elderly. There were various retirement organisations, but no national group. Now, the Council represents and fights for the interests of this community before the federal parliament and government, says CSA co-director Michel Pillonel.

The CSA has about 200,000 members, but as spokesperson for the retired community it represents a much larger number: 1,800,000. It works to safeguard their dignity, quality of life, and social and political participation, especially when it comes to decisions affecting them. As their motto puts it, we dont want to be spoken about, we want to be spoken with.

Among the groups main concerns are the precarious living situation of a third of retired people, the constant increases in health insurance costs, and the limbo-like situation of a growing section of society: unemployed people over 50 years old.

+ In depth: caring for the elderly in an aging society

Since the birth of the CSA, things have much improved, says Pillonel. But this doesnt mean that we give up the struggle. The organisation must keep fighting, he says. We cannot accept people saying that the retired are too expensive, that keeping them healthy is leading us to ruin. This is a current trend, and it is despicable.

Avoid backsliding

Roland Grunder, the other co-head of the CSA, agrees on the necessity of remaining vigilant to avoid backsliding. He explains this using an analogy:

Vehicular traffic is increasing at an exponential rate, just like the elderly, he says. Transport is regulated, just like the administration of themes related to old age. Many drivers respect the rules, but not all. The placing of radars and traffic police is necessary to avoid bad situations. And for the elderly, the absence of associations could lead to chaos.

Pillonel and Grunder together represent the two tendencies of the CSA. While the former comes from a trade union background, the latter comes from business. Their opposing visions converge in a singular objective: the well-being of the elderly in Switzerland.

The set-up of the CSA has remained the same as when it was founded almost 17 years ago, when then-interior minister, Ruth Dreifuss, brought together the two largest Swiss associations of the elderly with the aim of creating a single interlocutor that would be acceptable to trade unions and both sides of the political divide.

Convergence and compromise

We cannot speak about the elderly in general just as we cannot speak about the youth in general, said Dreifuss at the opening session of the CSA in November 2001. These are not homogenous categories. Therefore, it seems sensible to bring together political forces from diverse horizons in order to try to make progress together.

Does this uniting of forces succeed without too many setbacks? Now, more than at the beginning, says Pillonel. Back then, both camps were strongly positioned between right and left. Nevertheless, hardened by a long trade-union career, the co-director of the CSA has managed to keep a path of consensus open through his 12-year tenure.

Now, the more extreme sides leave their differences aside and most delegates participate in the search for compromise, something which is working very well, says Pillonel, who in an earlier career negotiated the first collective agreement for the workers of state telecoms giant Swisscom. In negotiating, you learn to make compromises without selling your soul, he says.

On the other hand, Grunder came to the CSA a few years ago after a diverse career in positions including communications chief with SwissPost and later with his own company, three decades in the hotel industry, and leading the centre-right Radical party in canton Valais.

When there is a case of mistreatment in an elderly care home, we dont think about the political leanings of those involved. The mistreatment is what matters, he says. Politics has nothing to do with it. We have to think in terms of ideas, not ideologies.

The leading idea of the CSA underlines the importance of greater respect for the inter-generational contract in the law. Its not about creating privileges for senior citizens; its rather about shaping regulations that take due consideration of their needs, says Grunder.

Autumn of precarity

These needs are considerable, given estimations that the elderly and retired will account for some 22% of the Swiss population by 2030. The precarity faced by a third of retired people is the first concern raised by the CSA heads.

Pillonel mentions the cost of healthcare as one of factors contributing to the increasing impoverishment of senior citizens. We cant keep going on like this, he says. I think that many elderly people have fallen into poverty because of the cost of health insurance.

He says that conditions for the retired improved somewhat in 1985 with the introduction of the second pillar system. From then on, they could benefit from their standard state pension coverage plus that of the new pillar. However, for the oldest  those covered only by state pension payments  the situation is not so cosy.

Around 500,000 people find themselves in such a situation, and with some 300,000 of them receiving supplementary benefits, the remaining 200,000 live solely from their AVS basic pension income. I dont know how they manage, says Grunder.

To live without much more than CHF2,000 ($2,076) per month is extremely difficult, he says, before also alluding to the crisis of unemployed over-50-year-olds, whose chances of finding a new position are paltry.

We talk about working longer in our lives, and from a physical point of view, sure, this is possible. But when companies lay off people at the age of 50 they increase the length of time of unemployment and prolong the problem of aging by effectively beginning it at an earlier stage.

The golden years?

This 50-year-old segment of the population, however, is not represented by the CSA. Associations do not exist to serve them because  as Grunder underlines  the age of retirement is 65, and it is only at this age that people are considered.

But the situation has changed and we must look after their needs also, he says.

This represents a new social challenge about which Pillonel is scathing. The situation has been stretched to its limit, he says. Switzerland enjoyed a plentiful period during the so-called 30 glorious years between the 1960s and 1990s. Switzerland was socially fairer then, before the Thatcherite and Reaganite tendencies came along to poison everything in the economic sector.
Publicity-shy Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg is again attracting the type of headlines he could do without. Vekselberg has been named on a list of United States sanctions targets, which is bad news for the Swiss firms part-owned by his holding group Renova.

The Russian is currently worth more than $13 billion (CHF12.4 billion), making him the ninth wealthiest person in Russia according to Forbes. He has risen from selling scrap metal in Russia to owning the worlds largest collection of Faberge eggs. He nominally resides in Switzerland for tax purposes, but travels the world extensively, and calls himself a world citizen.

Vekselberg has a long association with Switzerland through his commodities trading enterprises, but first caused a stir in 2007 when he started buying large stakes in traditional Swiss industrial firms such as Sulzer, Oerlikon and Schmolz + Bickenbach.

At around the same time he bought a property in Zurich, but later moved to Zug to take advantage of preferential tax rates for rich foreigners. He is also said to own, or to have owned, personal properties in Russia and the US.

Sulzer move

Renovas hostile takeover of pumps manufacturer Sulzer was a particularly stormy affair, as the company unsuccessfully tried to resist a double-pronged attack from Renova and the Austrian Victory group. Then, in 2010, Vekselberg was fined CHF40 million ($42 million) for alleged stock market manipulation involving the buyout of Oerlikon, but he had the fine overturned on appeal.

Media stories have frequently linked the Ukranian-born businessman to the Kremlin and to Russian President Vladimir Putin, connections he has denied.

We are confronted in Switzerland with comments that Renova is in the hands of the Kremlin. My meetings with the president have been understood as me receiving instructions, Vekselberg told the Swiss Economic Forum in 2008. This is just total nonsense. Our investments in Swiss products have nothing to do with the Russian government or Russian state capital.

In the last few years, Vekselberg has enjoyed more peace and quiet, managing his global business empire that includes property, retail, energy, commodities, industrial and communications interests. He also regularly appears at the World Economic Forums showcase gala in Davos, indicating acceptance in such rarified circles.

The US sanctions have put paid to this period of relative obscurity, linking Vekselberg once again to the Kremlin and shining a negative spotlight in his direction.
Swiss engineering company Sulzer said Wednesday that its bank accounts in the United States had been partially frozen after one of its top shareholders was targeted by US sanctions.

Spokesman Rainer Weihofen told AFP that banks, not the US authorities, had ordered the partial freeze.

The bank accounts have not been frozen by the authorities but by the banks. There is no order from the Treasury, he said.

The move by the banks comes despite moves by Sulzer, which specialises in industrial pumping systems, to limit the influence of one of its top investors, Russias Renova, which has been targeted by US sanctions.

Weihofen also highlighted the partial nature of the freeze.

The good news is that we can still pay the salaries and our suppliers and all contracts made before Friday can be executed, he said.

But he acknowledged that there was bad news: We are not allowed to make new contracts or do any transactions in US-dollars beyond the allowed ones.

Sulzer said Monday it was buying back five million of its shares from Renova to guard against disruptions after Washington slapped both the Russian company and its billionaire chairman Viktor Vekselberg with sanctions.

The purchase, expected to be finalised this week, will reduce Renovas stake in Sulzer to below 50 percent, the company said in a statement.

In practice, Sulzers factories in the United States can continue to run for as long as the company is able to pay its employees and suppliers.

They will meanwhile only be permitted to complete orders logged up until last Friday.

And the partial freeze risks impacting the companys activities not only in the United States but also in other markets, since a large portion of its international transactions is conducted in US dollars and runs through its US accounts.

Sulzer on Wednesday saw its share price fall 8.54 percent to 97.40 Swiss francs, after plunging nearly 16 percent on Monday.

Washington unveiled the sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putins inner circle last Friday.

President Donald Trumps administration has said the measures were aimed at punishing Russia for a range of actions, including election interference and support of the Syrian government.

The measures targeted seven oligarchs, 12 companies they own or control, 17 senior Russian officials and the state-owned arms export company Rosoboronexport.

noo/nl/bs/jh
A German aid worker kidnapped by armed men in western Niger on Wednesday was taken north, sources told AFP, one of whom said he was believed to be in neighbouring Mali.

Joerg Lange, employed by the aid group Help, was abducted in the Ayorou area of Tillaberi, an unstable border region abutting northern Mali.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday the kidnappers have already taken him to northern Mali.

They are probably subcontractors for terrorist groups, he said.

The kidnapping has thrown the spotlight on the volatile swathe of northern Africa known as the Sahel, where poor semi-desert countries are fighting jihadist insurgents and criminal gangs.

The prefect of Ayorou, Jando Rhichi Algaher, told AFP on Wednesday that investigators found Lange had been taken to the north of his administrative area, close to Mali.

Lange and his colleagues had informed the official in the morning of their intention to make the trip.

According to the aid workers driver, it was when they were coming back that they were intercepted by armed individuals on four motorbikes, the official said.

They beat them, they took the white (aid worker) and they burned the vehicle, he added.

Jihadists, including those supporting the so-called Islamic State, have established a presence in western Niger near the border with Mali, where they have carried out bloody bombings, shootings and kidnappings.

In October 2017, 12 Nigerien paramilitary police were killed in Ayorou, 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of the capital Niamey, and four US and four Niger soldiers were killed.

US aid worker Jeffery Woodke, reportedly in his 50s, was seized at gunpoint from his home in October 2016 in the Tahoua region. His fate remains unknown and his kidnappers have still not been identified.

Germany has built a military support base for the UN Military Mission (MINUSMA) which fights jihadists in Mali and supports Niger with military equipment, training and financial aid.

Wednesdays kidnapping coincided with the start of the annual US-led Flintlock military exercise, with over 1,500 African, US and European personnel deployed at multiple locations in Niger.

The April 9-20 exercises will unfold in the Tillaberi, Tahoua and Agadez regions and also in parts of Burkina Faso and Senegal.
Throughout most of World War II, Allied bombers tried repeatedly to sink the Tirpitz, Germany's biggest battleship and a bete noir of Britain's wartime leader Winston Churchill, who took to calling it 'the beast'.

On Wednesday, tree experts at the annual meeting of the European Geosciences Union showed why they failed to do so until late 1944

The story was in the tree rings, said Claudia Hartl, a researcher at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.

The unlikely evidence of WWII battles was uncovered during the summer of 2016, when Hartl led students on a routine survey of forests around Kafjord, one of dozens of fjords along the northern coast of Norway.

We got back to the lab and measured the tree rings, and saw that they were very narrow  in some cases nearly absent  for 1945, she told AFP.

The forests, in other words, had been hit by an environmental cataclysm.

Of course we wondered, why is that?

The first suspect was insect infestation, which can come suddenly and have severe impacts, especially in high-latitude boreal forests.

Driven north of their historic range by climate change, mountain pine beetles, for example, have recently devastated large swathes of forests in Canada, sometimes in a single year.

But there were no known insect in northern Scandinavia that could have delivered that kind of environmental shock in the middle of the 20th century.

It wasnt until we spoke to a local scientist based in Tromso that we made the connection to the Tirpitz, said Scott St. George, a geographer at The University of Minnesotas Institute on the Environment who took part in the research.

The Tirpitz and its crew of 2500, it turned out, had retreated into northern Norways watery labyrinth to escape detection. In the pre-satellite era, even a 250-metre (820-foot) behemoth wasnt that easy to spot.

But Allied aerial scouts finally found it, and the attacks began.

The Germans, however, had a counter-plan: producing vast quantities of artificial fog, enough to hide the ship and surrounding area from aerial view.

And thats where the tree rings come in.

 Arboreal casualties 

The smoke drifted into the forests surrounding the fjord and damaged nearby pine and birch trees, leaving behind a distinctive and unusual fingerprint, St. George told AFP.

The study of tree rings  called dendrochronology, literally, timeline of trees  is used by climate scientists to trace changes in temperature, rainfall or river flows reaching back hundreds, even thousands, of years.

The concentric circles found in temperate zone tree trunks can also date the age of buildings, shipwrecks, musical instruments, painting frames or anything else made from temperate-zone wood.

Because trees in the tropics grow continually, they generally do not produce rings, which show growth spurts during spring and summer.

To investigate further, Hartl returned last summer to the scene of the battle, to see how far the damage had spread.

She established five test sites ranging in distance from a few hundred meters from the fjord where the Tirpitz was berthed, to about ten kilometres.

Near where the ship once lay, more than 60 percent of the trees showed virtually no growth in 1945. All of them were affected to some degree.

Gaps in the forest where young trees sprouted up in the 1950s suggest the chemical fog caused arboreal fatalities too.

As far as four kilometres away, more than half the tree were severely affected, taking eight years on average to fully recover.

Pine trees  which keep their needles for up to seven years  were hit hardest. Being stripped bare would have been a more difficult challenge for that species, St. George explained.

The artificial fog that denuded the trees was likely made from chlorosulphuric acid which, when mixed with water, produces a thick, white vapour.

German ships has special teams equipped with gas masks to generate the smoky shroud.

Despite its firepower, the Tirpitz never saw much action.

In October 1944, the German naval command moved it to Tromso, where it served as a moble artillery platform until a squadron of 32 British Lancaster bombers sent it to the bottom of the harbour the following month.
Ukraine on Wednesday rejected a natural gas transit proposal by Russian energy giant Gazprom as an unacceptable and unprofitable proposition for Kiev.

Gazprom on Tuesday had said it could continue pumping reduced volumes of gas to western and central Europe through an existing Ukrainian trunk pipeline.

The suggestion came after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a deal for the Nord Stream 2 project Gazprom has been pushing was impossible without clarity about the Ukrainian transit role.

Nord Stream 2 is a proposed expansion of an existing link that connects Russia directly to Germany via the Baltic Sea.

Ukraine has bitterly opposed the project because it fears it will undermine its traditional role as the main transit country for Russian gas exports to Europe.

Gazprom chief Alexei Miller said his company had never raised the prospect of stopping all Ukrainian transit and it could maintain volumes of 10 to 15 billion cubic metres per year.

But Ukrainian Energy Minister Igor Nasalyk said those amounts were too small to make Russian gas transit economically viable.

Our country will not accept such volumes. For Ukraine, this is unprofitable, Nasalyk was quoted as saying by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Nasalyk said Ukraine would have to invest its own resources to keep Russian gas pumping at the levels offered by Gazprom.

He added that Russia needed to pump at least 40 billion cubic metres per year to make it economically profitable for Kiev.

On Wednesday Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak discussed the issue during a phone call with the European Commission vice president for energy, Maros Sefcovic.

It was decided to hold a bilateral meeting at a date to be agreed later, the energy ministry said in a statement.

Gazprom and Ukraine gas company Naftogaz regularly do battle in the Stockholm arbitration court. Last month the Russian energy giant was ordered to pay $2.6 billion to Naftogaz to settle all of their legal disputes and ordered to resume deliveries of Russian gas to Ukraine.

The gas wars have sometimes affected supplies to European nations.

The volumes mentioned by Gazprom are a fraction of those Russia hopes to supply to Germany and other parts of Europe by routes bypassing Ukraine once its existing transit contract with Kiev expires in 2019.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has urged Germany to abandon plans to build Nord Stream 2, saying it would amount to an economic and energy blockade of his crisis-torn country.

In 2017, 93.5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas transited Ukraine to the rest of Europe  about half of EU nations total purchases from Gazprom.

The United States has cautioned Germany against signing up Nord Stream 2, arguing that it would only increase Europes energy dependence on Russia.

More than a third of the gas consumed in the European Union is supplied by Gazprom.

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University authorities in Spain said Wednesday they suspected "serious irregularities" over the awarding of a masters law degree to the conservative president of Madrid's regional government as pressure mounted for her to resign.

When leading politicians say they have a masters they should be in a position to guarantee they do and if they say they do but do not  that is grounds to resign, said the chairman of Spains conference of university rectors, Roberto Fernandez, without naming Cristina Cifuentes.

Along with the ongoing political stalemate in Catalonia, the issue helped to overshadow a weekend conference of the ruling Popular Party (PP).

The rectors said in a statement if it transpired that Cifuentes masters award from Madrids King Juan Carlos University was bogus it would be a very serious matter.

Cifuentes has been caught in a media storm amid accusations she obtained the diploma without taking all the required exams and rarely attending lectures. Further allegations have been made that documents allowing her to receive the diploma were falsified.

The public prosecutor is investigating the claims.

Cifuentes, touted by the PP as a new broom in a party tainted by scandal in recent years, has denied any wrongdoing and refused to resign despite some in her own party opposing her staying in her post.

The PPs centre right ally Ciudadanos, a key backer in the regional parliament, is among those urging her to go while the leftist opposition is preparing a motion of censure.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who initially swung behind his party colleague, has urged the affair be resolved as quickly as possible with as much common sense as possible fearing it could taint PPs image as the government looks to next years municipal, regional and European elections.
The Congolese government skirted requirements of the International Monetary Fund in 2003 through a financial fiddle created by French oil giant Total, the French daily Le Monde reported Tuesday.

Total denied the report, saying in a statement that it did not help the Republic of Congo escape the oversight of its international creditors.

Le Monde based its report on a deep dive into the trove of confidential documents published in 2016 and 2017 by the whistle-blowing International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) that have become known as the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers.

It said Total developed an impenetrable offshore scheme that enabled Congo in 2003 to sell an oil concession to Congolese firm Likouala, which Le Monde called a front for the Congolese government.

The arrangement allowed Brazzaville to spend cash at a time when the heavily indebted country was barred from going further into debt with oil projects, Le Monde said.

Likouala, created in September 2003, was an empty shell without expenditures or revenues, without staff or a bank account in its name and managed by Total, the report said.

The company, which ceased to exist in 2011, was owned by a front company called Montrow International Limited, registered in the British Virgin Islands, Le Monde said.

To buy the oil concession, Likouala borrowed $70 million (roughly 60 million euros at the exchange rate in late 2003) from French banking giant BNP Paribas.

Contacted by AFP, BNP Paribas said banking regulations prevented it from discussing the matter.

Total, for its part, said: The Republic of Congo decided to monetise its interests in the Likouala field by ceding them to the Likouala SA company and asked Total for help setting up this transaction with the most reputable financial establishments.

Its statement added: The IMF was kept informed of the operation by the authorities of the Republic of Congo, notably with a letter dated November 17 that attests to it.

The online statement included a link to the letter, posted on the IMF website.

Total ceded the oilfield to Congo in 2003 under an accord aimed at normalising strained ties.

Congos public debt represents 117 percent of its GDP, the IMF said last year.

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International airlines said Wednesday they were modifying their flight plans after a warning from Europe's air safety watchdog about potential military strikes on Syria in the coming days.

The European Aviation Safety Agency alerted airlines on Tuesday of the possible launch of air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, urging them to take precautionary measures.

Air France has taken the EASA information into account and modified its flight plans for affected destinations, mainly Beirut and Tel Aviv, the airline said, adding that it was monitoring the situation.

Lebanons Middle East Airlines will also be changing flight paths for planes heading to Beirut, an official at the citys airport told AFP.

The decision includes all arriving and departing flights starting from tomorrow morning (Thursday) following the warning from the European Aviation Safety Agency, the official said.

Flights from the Gulf will be affected more than others, with expected delays of 30 to 40 minutes, because instead of flying over northern Syria they will travel over Egypts Sinai Peninsula and then on to the Gulf.

The EASA cited a risk of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment for commercial flights in the region in case of military action.

Most international airlines no longer fly to Damascus since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war more than seven years ago.

The heightened tensions follow reports of a new chemical attack in the rebel-held city of Douma, not far from Damascus, which has prompted a global outcry against the heavy civilian casualties from the Syrian regimes bombing campaign in the area.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that missiles will be coming in response to the alleged chemical attack.

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Syria's army has evacuated key defence buildings in Damascus over fears they might be targeted by Western strikes in response to an alleged chemical attack, a monitor said Wednesday.

The United States and France have warned of a strong response after an alleged deadly chemical attack by the regime on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday.

The buildings of the ministry of defence and the army headquarters have been empty for two days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Regime forces have also evacuated military airports as well as the bases of the elite Fourth Division and Republican Guard outside the capital, the Observatory said.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Damascus regime.

A source with pro-regime forces told AFP: The Syrian army has taken protective measures especially for military airports and bases.

The source said they expected the Americans would inform the Russians before any strike.

US President Donald Trump said missiles will be coming in response to the alleged chemical attack, which rescuers say killed more than 40 people.

Last year, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the United Nations later pinned on Assad.

More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syrias conflict since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

It has since spiralled into a complex war involving world powers.
Portugals Prime Minister is in London for two days to visit Theresa May and leaders of community groups representing some of the 400,000 Portuguese living and working in the UK.

The concern is about Brexit and the impact Britains withdrawal will have on Portuguese people in the UK and on bilateral trade.

Community representatives are concerned that their rights and status should be protected after the UK leaves the European Union.

Costas meeting with Theresa May will be one of support and encouragement but in the knowledge that there is little that can be done by Portugal to effect a smoother Brexit for Britain, especially as Costa reports to Brussels, not London.

Common ground has long existed between the two nations with the Treaty of Windsor establishing a pact of mutual support in 1386 and reinforced in 1386, 1643, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1703, 1815 and by a secret declaration in 1899.

How the text of the original Treaty translates into modern political times remains largely academic as immediate pressure from Portugals controllers in Brussels will overcome any rose-tinted historical document.
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday criticised as "appalling" Russia's veto on a UN resolution for setting up an international investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria.

Im appalled by that but Im not surprised, she said.

Russia on Tuesday vetoed a US-backed motion which would have re-established an international Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to probe chemical strikes in Syria and identify culprits.

Washington also dismissed a Russian motion relating to the alleged chemical attack in the rebel-held city of Douma on Saturday.

Weve been working with our allies and partners and were rapidly reaching an understanding of what happened on the ground. All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible.

The use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged We will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are taken to account, May said.

US President Donald Trump has warned that missiles will be coming in response to the suspected chemical atrocity. Russia has scrambled to deflect blame from its ally, President Bashar al-Assad.

May, Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Tuesday to discuss the international communitys response to the attack.
Three Russian journalists were injured in Syria when their vehicle was shot at Wednesday after an assignment in the former rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, the Russian defence ministry said.

The incident happened in the early evening after the journalists had investigated the situation in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, which Syrian regime and allied forces have recently retaken.

They were targeted by unknown assailants firing light arms, the Russian army said in a statement.

The journalists received medical attention and their lives are not in danger, according to the statement, run by Russian news agencies, which added that three men had received leg injuries.

The journalists were working for the NTV channel, owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, as well as the Rossiya-1 state television channel and Russian army channel Zvezda.

Russia is the Syrian regimes biggest international ally.

Last July a journalist with the Arab service of Russian state-owned channel RT was killed in an attack by Islamic State jihadists in the western Syrian province of Homs.

The Eastern Ghouta region, hit by a devastating offensive launched in February by the Syrian regime, was the last rebel enclave near the capital Damascus before being retaken by Syrian forces in early April.

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Relations between the West and Russia, which face another crisis after US, French and British air strikes against the Moscow-backed Syrian regime on Saturday, have hit many lows since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

The aftermath of the fall of the USSR initially saw a rare period of cooperation, including over the NATO military alliance, but strains appeared soon afterwards.

Here is a reminder of a difficult relationship that has been key to world affairs.

 Kosovo war 

In 1999 NATO launches a 78-day bombing campaign on Yugoslavia to force its republic of Serbia to withdraw forces from Kosovo where it is accused of repressing separatists.

Russia, an ally of Serbia, had threatened a return to a Cold War-style freeze in relations if NATO acted.

Two days after the strikes start, Russia kicks out NATOs representative and suspends military cooperation.

Tensions resurface after Kosovos 2008 declaration of independence, not recognised by Russia.

 NATO grows east 

In March 1999 NATO admits three former members of the Soviet-era Warsaw Pact  the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

Moscow warns NATO against allowing former Soviet republics to join but in 2004 it welcomes Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, along with ex-communist states Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Their eventual inclusion into the European Union also annoys Russia.

 Missile shield 

Moscows suspicions towards NATOs tilt eastwards deepen with plans launched in 2010 for a European missile shield to counter a perceived threat from Iran.

To be operational by 2020, it includes the deployment of missile interceptors and powerful radars in Poland and Romania.

 Georgia conflict 

In August 2008 Russia bombs the Georgian capital Tbilisi after it intervened in the Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia, and occupies a large part of the former Soviet republics territory, provoking a Western outcry.

A peace accord negotiated by French president Nicolas Sarkozy leads to the withdrawal of Russian troops. However Moscow recognises separatist South Ossetia and Abkhazia and maintains a heavy military presence in both.

After the war, NATO freezes relations with Moscow until the following June. Moscow then suspends its military cooperation with NATO.

 Ukraine crisis-

Russia in 2014 annexes Ukraines Crimea peninsula and is accused by the West of backing separatists waging an insurgency.

Washington and Europe impose painful economic sanctions.

NATO suspends civilian and military cooperation with Moscow and the allies put their troops on a state of alert, with battalions deployed in Poland and the ex-Soviet Baltic states.

 Suspicions of US vote meddling 

Accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election sour relations between the two countries.

The claims include suspicion of collusion between Donald Trumps campaign and the Kremlin.

In February 2018, 13 Russians are indicted by Washington for using online posts to influence opinion in favour of Trump.

 Spy poisoning in Britain 

London blames Moscow for the March 8, 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter in England.

Moscow strongly denies involvement.

Western allies back Britain and expel more than 150 Russian diplomats; Moscow responds by expelling the same number of Western envoys.

 Syria 

Russia and the West are on opposing sides in Syrias seven-year war, with Moscow supporting President Bashar al-Assad while Western-backed rebels are seeking to unseat him.

Russia uses its veto 12 times against UN Security Council resolutions on the Syrian crisis.

Since 2015 it has carried out a campaign of air strikes in support of Assad.

In 2017 US President Donald Trump orders air strikes against a Syrian airbase after a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.

It leads Russia to suspend a hotline with the US army on Syria operations.

In February 2018 the US-led coalition bombs pro-regime fighters in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor, reportedly killing several Russian mercenaries.

The United States, Britain and France carry out a wave of strikes against Assads regime on April 14, a week after a suspected deadly gas attack on the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.

The US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the targets of the strikes were chosen to avoid hitting Russian military assets.

However Russias ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, warns of unspecified repercussions, adding that insulting Putin was unacceptable.
US President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday that missiles would be launched at Syria following a suspected chemical attack, virtually ensuring a military strike against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The question now becomes what the United States, probably with France and Britain, will hit in war-torn Syria, and what are the risks of escalation and miscalculation with Assad allies Russia and Iran.

 What will it target? 

The United States and its allies France and Britain want to send a clear and definitive message to Assad that the future use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

One way to ensure Assad cannot use such weapons is to conduct strikes on his chemical infrastructure, including by targeting factories and weapons holding areas.

However, such an action carries risks, including the possibility of unintentionally unleashing a cloud of toxic gas into the environment.

The strike could also target what is left of Assads air force and air defenses, though the delay between Saturdays attack and an eventual retaliatory strike means he likely will have moved his warplanes to safety.

Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst for the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, told AFP that one potential target would be Dumayr military airport northeast of Damascus, from where regime aircraft used in Saturdays attack may have launched.

Moscow has two air bases on the Syrian coast, Tartus and Hmeimim, protected by S-300 and S-400 air missile defense systems.

 How big will the strike be? 

Trump last year ordered a strike against Assad following a deadly sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.

The US Navy launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, targeting Shayrat air base, its aircraft, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radars.

But the strike was limited and designed to not draw America into the chaos of Syrias bloody civil war.

Since then, the regime is alleged to have repeatedly used chlorine and other chemicals, forcing Pentagon planners to consider broader action.

Cafarella said the United States must decide how far it wants to go in terms of hitting Iranian proxy forces near US positions in eastern Syria, or even targeting Russian-supported facilities.

The president has publicly stated that he intends to hold not just Assad but his backers accountable as well, she noted.

 How will it be launched? 

A strike against Syria will likely come in the form of missiles, as was the case last year.

The United States would not want to risk putting manned fighters over Syrian air defenses  a shoot-down would send the conflict spiraling in unforeseeable new directions.

The USS Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, is within easy striking range of Syria, as is a French frigate with its own cruise missiles.

These two ships, possibly aided by a US submarine, are likely to play a role in a strike.

The US also has B-2 bombers at its disposal. These stealth planes were used in 2017 against the Islamic State group in Libya, having flown all the way from America on a 34-hour round trip.

 What are the risks? 

The reaction from Assad backer Moscow is unpredictable and Russia has threatened retaliatory action against the United States if missiles are fired at Syria.

The Russian army on Wednesday accused the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging a chemical weapons attack in Douma, where observers say more than 40 people died in a gas attack.

NBC News reported Tuesday that Russia has learned how to use GPS jammers to limit the capabilities of US drones operating over Syria.

The US has to be very careful not to accidentally strike Russian targets or kill Russian advisors, Ben Connable, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, told AFP.

That significantly limits the number of options available to the United States, because the Russians are embedded in many cases with the Syrians.

Connable warned that if the US accidentally or purposefully kills uniformed Russian soldiers, there would potentially be a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear powers.
Five traders accused of rigging the Euribor lending rate "gamed the system" to get bigger bonuses, prosecutors said on Wednesday at a trial into a scandal that has led to hefty fines for banks.

The five defendants include one former trader at Deutsche Bank and four from Barclays, a British bank. One of the Barclays traders, a French citizen, has refused to attend the trial.

They are accused of manipulating the process used to set the Euribor, the euro interbank benchmark rate.

During this case you will learn how a few individuals gamed the system to rip off a lot of people they did business with, prosecutor James Waddington told the court.

There are various reasons for these people behaving the way they did but money was at the heart of it, he said.

Jurors heard that the rates were only shifted by a few hundredths of a percentage point but this had a major effect on a banks day-to-day trading because of the large sums involved.

A sixth defendant has pleaded guilty and five more people charged, who live outside Britain, have arrest warrants against them.

The trial in London, which is expected to last three months, is the first for Euribor-rigging.

But several banks have already had to pay hefty fines over Euribor-rigging in Britain and the United States, and the European Union has tightened legislation against market manipulation.
British artist Tracey Emin has unveiled her latest artwork: a bright pink homage to Europe at St Pancras station in London -- Britain's rail gateway to the continent.

Emin, one of countrys most famous living artists, said she conceived the 20-metre-long text-based work, I Want My Time With You, as a response to Brexit.

The installation  bright neon letters spelling out the phrase  is suspended from the ceiling inside the cavernous Victorian era station facing trains arriving from continental Europe.

Essentially, it is a great subliminal message sent out to the rest of Europe I want my time with Europe, she told reporters at Mondays unveiling.

Im deeply saddened that Britain is going to be demoted to a tiny island floating around in the North Sea.

Emin, 54, who first rose to fame with her 1999 exhibit My Bed  a stained bed surrounded with detritus  said she is not against people who voted to leave the European Union.

What Im worried about is the people who voted Brexit who didnt understand what they were voting for, she added.

The people who did understand, that was their prerogative.

The contemporary artist said the work also aimed to evoke the romance of stations, and being met by someone after getting off a train.

She revealed the project proved a health and safety headache.

The main consideration is the train drivers coming in. They mustnt be shocked, added Emin, who is known for her raw openness and often sexually provocative work.

She first emerged more than two decades ago as part of a wave of young, bold, British artists and has gradually become a staple of the art world establishment.

The installation will remain on display at St Pancras until the end of the year.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Jack walked across the showroom floor at Ferrari of Los Gatos and greeted a middle-aged gentleman peering through the window of a Ferrari 308 GTSi. One of the dealerships top salespeople, Jack pointed out some features of the car, let the customer sit in the drivers seat, and quoted the list price.

The gentleman said, Im very interested in this Ferrari. Id like to come by tomorrow and show it to my wife. I think shell like it and then we can work something out.

Sure. No problem. See you then, Jack replied.

Jack wasnt sure the man would come back, but if he did, hed be ready to convince his wife the Ferrari was a great deal.

The gentleman returned the next day.

Wheres your wife? asked Jack.

Shes at home. Can we bring the car by for her to see? We live in the condominiums over on Lark Avenue, a couple of miles from here.

Jack nodded. Let me get the keys.

Jack pulled the Ferrari out of the showroom and onto the street. The two of them got in, and the engine roared as Jack started the car. He shifted through the gears, accelerating as they drove towards Lark Avenue.

As they pulled up and parked at the condominium complex, the gentleman got out and said, This Ferraris great. Ill go get my wife.

A Gun Hidden Under a Newspaper

As Jack relaxed near the car, another gentleman approached him. Jack started to say hello, but, before he could, the stranger pushed a newspaper into his side, exposing a gun hidden underneath.

Okay, now dont give us any trouble. We dont want to hurt you, said the gunman.

Youve got to be kidding me, Jack thought. Im getting robbed while Im waiting for a customer and his wife.

Jack hadnt made the connectionthere was no wife, there was no customer, and the men were working together. They werent robbing him; they were stealing the Ferrari.

The gunman walked Jack to an isolated area in a nearby park. Jacks heart was beating so fast he thought it would pop out of his chest, and he thought, hes going to kill me.

Go stand up next to that tree mister, the gunman said.

He told Jack to take off his pants and handcuffed him tightly to the tree. Making sure the handcuffs were tight, the gunman said, Dont make a sound for 20 minutes and nothing will happen to you.

A few minutes later, Jack listened as the roar of the Ferraris engine drove away.

How to Escape when Handcuffed to a Tree

When he couldnt hear the car anymore, he tried to get out of the handcuffs. They were tight. As he struggled, to his surprise, the tree came right out of the ground, roots and all. Lucky for him, the small tree turned out to be partially dead and hollow, but the handcuffs were still too tight to get off the tree. He was free to walk, but the tree was coming with him.

Jack and the tree walked awkwardly down Lark Avenue. He stopped at the first apartment building to ask for help.

The two girls that opened the door got quite a surprise. There was Jack, with no pants, handcuffed to a tree. They closed the door quickly and said theyd call the police.

It didnt take long for the police to arrive and give Jack a ride back to Ferrari of Los Gatos. He explained what happened, but the police were unable to find the car. These car thieves knew what they were doing. Everything, including them, vanished.

However, the story didnt end there.

Four years later the phone rang at Ferrari of Los Gatos, and the manager of a storage facility in Bakersfield, California said, Do you guys own a Ferrari with dealer license plates? After a quick vehicle identification number check, Brian realized that the storage facility manager had found the car stolen from Jack.

The caller explained that for years, some guy came in and paid cash for the storage charges, but he hadnt shown up for several months. When they opened the unit, they found nothing inside except the Ferrari.

When Brian asked how they knew to call Ferrari of Los Gatos, the manager answered, Your name and phone number are on the sticker glued to the window on the car.

After four lost years, the car returned to Ferrari of Los Gatos.

All it took was a little dust removal to get the car back to showroom condition. Not long after that, some lucky customer was able to buy a five-year-old Ferrari 308GTSi with only 300 miles on it.

In the next post, Ferrari of Los Gatos stumbles across a classic car collectors dream find.
From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Laura Gagliardone. For about twelve years, I have worked for the UN System and NGOs as Program Development and Evaluation, and Communications Specialist; and galvanized the international community on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Relevance: Among all Global Goals, there is one  Goal 5: Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment  which we all are called to prioritize as we need womens support to implement the SDGs by 2030.

Hot Tip: Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. When women and girls are provided with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes, they become empowered and happier colleagues, partners, mothers, sisters, and daughters.

Hot Tip: Question yourself on how women live their life and spend their time daily. Conduct research and analyze Time Use Surveys (TUSs): irregular national surveys conducted to collect information about how people use their time. Find out the areas of womens employment and evidence on how including them in the labor market would benefit the economy. Prepare recommendations focusing on: paid and unpaid work, program design, policy development, and psychological factors for mentality and behavior changes.

Lessons Learned: In 2015, I have conducted a research and prepared a study on the Womens Allocation of Time in India, Indonesia, and China since time is a direct source of utility, and how people spend it impacts economic growth, gender equality, and sustainable development. Through TUSs, the report presents data which can be utilized as basis for understanding, measuring and monitoring the society over which policies can be formulated, assessed, and modified. In India, the findings show that womens work is often scattered, sporadic, and poorly diversified, and they spend long hours on unpaid work. Therefore it is recommendable to (1) reduce and redistribute unpaid work by providing infrastructures and services; (2) design programs to improve womens skills and enable them to access better jobs and enter new sectors as wage earners and entrepreneurs; and (3) design policies to improve the management of natural resources. In Indonesia, the lessons learned suggest that (4) mentality and behavior changes are to be encouraged and promoted. Women are meaningfully engaged in all three areas of work (productive, reproductive and community) and the opportunity for additional economic interventions targeted to them has great economic and social transformative potential. In China, there has been a reduction of poverty incidence and the private sector, through job creation and income generation, has assisted this process, while support within families and strong work ethics have made further invaluable contributions. Yet, womens poverty still exists and is chronic in some rural areas.

Report available through EmpowerWomen.org (funded by the Government of Canada and facilitated by UN Women):



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. Hello, I am. For about twelve years, I have worked for the UN System and NGOs as Program Development and Evaluation, and Communications Specialist; and galvanized the international community on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).: Among all Global Goals, there is one  Goal 5: Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment  which we all are called to prioritize as we need womens support to implement the SDGs by 2030.: Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. When women and girls are provided with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes, they become empowered and happier colleagues, partners, mothers, sisters, and daughters.: Question yourself on how women live their life and spend their time daily. Conduct research and analyze Time Use Surveys (TUSs): irregular national surveys conducted to collect information about how people use their time. Find out the areas of womens employment and evidence on how including them in the labor market would benefit the economy. Prepare recommendations focusing on: paid and unpaid work, program design, policy development, and psychological factors for mentality and behavior changes.: In 2015, I have conducted a research and prepared a study on the Womens Allocation of Time in India, Indonesia, and China since time is a direct source of utility, and how people spend it impacts economic growth, gender equality, and sustainable development. Through TUSs, the report presents data which can be utilized as basis for understanding, measuring and monitoring the society over which policies can be formulated, assessed, and modified. In, the findings show that womens work is often scattered, sporadic, and poorly diversified, and they spend long hours on unpaid work. Therefore it is recommendable to (1) reduce and redistribute unpaid work by providing infrastructures and services; (2) design programs to improve womens skills and enable them to access better jobs and enter new sectors as wage earners and entrepreneurs; and (3) design policies to improve the management of natural resources. In, the lessons learned suggest that (4) mentality and behavior changes are to be encouraged and promoted. Women are meaningfully engaged in all three areas of work (productive, reproductive and community) and the opportunity for additional economic interventions targeted to them has great economic and social transformative potential. In, there has been a reduction of poverty incidence and the private sector, through job creation and income generation, has assisted this process, while support within families and strong work ethics have made further invaluable contributions. Yet, womens poverty still exists and is chronic in some rural areas.Report available through EmpowerWomen.org (funded by the Government of Canada and facilitated by UN Women): Womens Allocation of Time in India, Indonesia, and China 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.


LAREDO  A supervisory Border Patrol agent is facing capital murder charges after being accused of killing both a woman with whom he was romantically involved and her 1-year-old son.

Ronald Anthony Burgos Aviles, 28, was being held Tuesday in the Webb County Jail on two counts of capital murder.

Burgos Aviles called 911 around 11:30 a.m. Monday to report he had found a womans body near the riverbanks in northwest Laredo. Officers who responded to the scene near Father Charles McNaboe Park said they found the body of a child in addition to the womans body. The bodies had not been there long, police said.

Related: Corrupt Texas sheriff soon to be released from prison

Within an hour after he called 911, Burgos Aviles became the primary person of interest. Police learned that he and the slain woman, 27-year-old Grizelda Hernandez, had been in a romantic relationship.

Police have declined to say how Hernandez and her son, Dominick Alexander Hernandez, died, but they said there were clear signs of foul play.

The victims had visible signs of violence, which is now part of the official investigation. Due to the sensitivity of the case and the magnitude of the ongoing investigation, were not going to state the exact nature of the matter of death at this time, Laredo Police Department Chief Claudio Trevino Jr. said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

LPD spokesman Joe Baeza said the investigation will determine whether Dominick was Burgos Aviles child.

This investigation is just barely getting started, he said.

Police would not say whether Burgos Aviles spoke to investigators when they questioned him at LPD headquarters.

Online jail records do not indicate an attorney for Burgos Aviles.

Police said he is a nine-year veteran who was assigned at the U.S. Border Patrol Laredo North Station.

Its very important that the public knows that this represents an anomaly, said Jason D. Owens, acting chief patrol agent for Laredo Sector Border Patrol. If true, this is not indicative of the men and women that go out and do this job day in and day out.

READ ALSO: FBI: No evidence of attack in death of Border Patrol agent

The actions of this individual, if true, are both inexcusable and reprehensible. No one is more sickened than we are at the thought of someone wearing this uniform committing such a heinous act, he added.

Webb County District Attorney Isidro Chilo Alaniz said his office has not yet determined whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

We will be waiting to collect all the evidence and make the decisions as to what the direction the case is going to go, Alaniz said.

Baeza said investigators are working to learn more about Burgos Aviles relationship with Hernandez and many other aspects of the case, such as whether the suspect acted alone or had help.

If prosecutors do not seek the death penalty, Burgos Aviles faces life in prison without parole if convicted of capital murder.

Alaniz added that the case will be given extreme priority and importance and said he will personally oversee the prosecution.

Its a very sad case for law enforcement today, Alaniz said. We keep in mind that were celebrating National Crime Victims Rights Week  Its ironic that this happens during this week.

The last capital murder case in Webb County occurred in 2012, when Demond Bluntson killed his ex-girlfriends two children in a hotel room. In 2016, jurors sentenced him to death. That marked the first time in 25 years that a jury in Laredo had sentenced someone to death row.

The Border Patrol expressed condolences to those affected by Mondays tragedy.

On behalf of the men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol and Laredo Sector, were truly saddened by this tragedy, Owens said. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the victims family and friends.

Criminal action by our employees is something that simply will not be tolerated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About 500 fewer mail carriers were attacked by dogs on their routes nationwide last year compared with the previous year, but the 6,244 bitten in 2017 were still too many, U.S. Postal Service officials say.

San Antonio is tied for sixth place with Baltimore in the Postal Services annual list of 30 major cities with dog attacks against mail carriers. Houston topped the list with 71 reported attacks; San Antonio and Baltimore had 44 each.

Knowledge is power when it comes to dog bite prevention, said ACS director Heber Lefgren, noting that responsible pet ownership starts with education.

To that end, Animal Care Services has partnered with the U.S. Postal Service to spotlight dog safety tips during National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

Assistant ACS director Shannon Sims said shelter staff has developed a series of free five-minute videos with support from the postal service. The videos outline basic canine behavior, and provide dog safety and bite prevention tips for bicyclists and walkers.

Its just one more avenue of us being able to reach out and educate people, Sims said. Its allowing us to reach a larger market. They can train at their leisure, use it as reactive or preventative training or remediation to refresh peoples memories at any interval that they see fit.

The videos are available at www.saacs.net under the Resources tab.

Each year, more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs in the United States. An average of 3,500 people are bitten annually in San Antonio, officials said.

San Antonio Postmaster Robert Carr pointed out that many of the local attacks came from dogs whose owners often used the phrase, my dog wont bite. He said that in addition to postal carriers, children and older adults are the most frequent victims of canine aggression.

Lefgren said encouraging residents to be learn about canine behavior is key.

We hope our education videos help our community become safer for everyone  those with and without pets, he said.

The videos include Understanding Dog Body Language, Dog Bite Defense and Being a Good Pet Parent. The series also has a review of dangerous/aggressive dog laws along with the investigative process and legal definitions.

vtdavis@express-news.net
Advertisements from the official-sounding Federated Mint are urging thousands of people to act fast and buy silver bars in the shape of $100 bills for the low, low price of $99.

But the Federated Mint isnt part of the U.S. government  its a private company based in Ohio.

And the Texas State Silver 100 bars being sold for $99 arent actually solid silver. According to a company representative and the fine print in the advertisement, the bars are comprised of a base metal covered by one ounce of silver veneer.

At a time when silver is worth more than $16 an ounce, there are far better options available for customers looking to buy silver, said Richard Grazier, general manager of Royalty Coins in San Antonio.

Its sad, said Grazier. Customers occasionally come into his store with products sold by similar companies, Grazier said, and hes had to give them the bad news that the items simply arent worth as much as they believed.

The Federated Mint is the trade name for an Ohio company called the United States Reserve incorporated by Andrew Kutscher, according to business records on file with the Ohio Secretary of States office.

Efforts to reach Kutscher were unsuccessful Tuesday. John Becker, an Ohio lawyer who said he represented the company in the past, declined to comment.

The advertisement, which has been published in newspapers that include the San Antonio Express-News, is designed to look like a legitimate news section. But disclaimers of paid advertising are written across the top of the page and different font is used in the text and headlines.

Elsewhere in the advertisement, another disclaimer notes that Federated Mint is not affiliated with the U.S. Government.

As far as the accuracy of the ad, we rely, when necessary, on (Better Business Bureau) alerts, complaints or readers who write directly to us regarding ads that are misleading or inaccurate, said Ray McCutcheon, executive vice president of advertising at the Express-News. We do pass on that information to the account or agency that is placing the advertisements.

The advertisement contains quotes from Ohio resident Mary Ellen Withrow, a former U.S. treasurer under President Bill Clinton.

You better hurry because these full one-ounce Texas State 100s are struck in high relief .999 solid silver proof finish and will always be a valuable precious metal, Withrow is quoted as saying.

Reached by phone, Withrow said shes unfamiliar with the advertisement or the names Federated Mint and United States Reserve. Withrow said she used to be paid by a different company that published similar advertisements, but that company was later acquired by a new firm.

I have not seen this ad, said Withrow, who declined to say how much shes been paid to endorse the companys products.

But Withrow insisted she trusted the people shes dealt with in the past, and she wasnt concerned about the current advertisements claims.

Theyre a reliable company, Withrow said.

John Tedesco is a San Antonio Express-News investigative reporter. Read more of his stories here. | jtedesco@express-news.net | @John_Tedesco
STARR COUNTY  On a cliff overlooking the Rio Grande, a group of at least six Texas National Guardsmen, toting M4 carbines and binoculars, spotted a raft illegally crossing the river.

The guardsmen contacted law enforcement partners who responded to the scene. Operationally it was exactly what the troops, deployed to the southern border in response to President Donald Trumps request to support federal agencies, are there to do.

Were like an extra pair of eyes and ears for our local law enforcement partners, a captain with the Texas National Guard said. Were here as a visual deterrence.

Trump has called for a force of as many as 4,000 troops in four states following a spike in immigrants caught entering the country illegally in March. The president described the troops as a virtual and personnel wall that would remain on the border until a wall is built.

So far, around 150 troops have arrived on the border since Friday, joining the 100 soldiers and airmen deployed there under a program led by Gov. Greg Abbott called Operation Secure Texas. Abbott has said Texas will send more than 1,000 troops to the border at a clip of about 300 per week.

The guardsmen have set up 24-hour surveillance from operational posts in Starr County, a sparsely populated county in the Rio Grande Valley that local U.S. Border Patrol has referred to as the most volatile stretch of border with Mexico. There is no border wall in Starr County  yet.

Early Tuesday afternoon, a group of around a dozen soldiers checked their gear as they prepared to head out to posts along the river in Starr County. The posts are scattered through the area. Each one is staffed with 6-12 soldiers and a Humvee equipped with a long-range optical system.

Meanwhile, back at the Guard armory in Weslaco, a few dozen of the latest soldiers to arrive were briefed on their mission.

Texas National Guard members are no strangers to the border region. Former Gov. Rick Perry and Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have also deployed guardsmen to the southern border. In 2010, Obama launched Operation Phalanx with 1,200 soldiers, and in 2006 Bush sent 6,000 troops to the border under Operation Jump Start.

The guardsmen keep a low profile while commuting to their posts in Starr County, driving in rented pick-ups. Over the years, the guard have sought to engage with local communities, and yet not everyone is pleased with the most recent deployment.

Our federal agencies are intentionally misusing information to justify a strategy based in political rhetoric, said U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen. I am disappointed to see Defense Secretary James Mattis deploy the National Guard under a false pretense.

Gonzalez called the deployment of troops a decision rooted in the fiction that the border is overrun with illegal immigration. While the number of immigrants attempting to sneak into the country illegally did increase sharply in March, the rise includes people who arrived openly at international ports to seek asylum, according to Gonzalez.

Though Abbott has the authority to empower troops to make arrests, the guard rarely acts in law enforcement roles, and they arent permitted to apprehend immigrants. But they are armed for self-defense if confronted by someone dangerous.

We want our trips to be safe out here, the Texas Nation Guard captain said. Thats why they carry personal side arms.

National Guard forces under state authority are not covered by the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids GIs serving under federal authority from making arrests, searches or seizures in the U.S. unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act.

With each deployment the guardsmen learn valuable lessons that support the mission, said the captain who was not authorized to give his name for security purposes.

As a Texan, when Im called up to do my duty Im a Texan helping Texans, the captain said. Im sure the majority of the troops feel the same way.

anelsen@express-news.net | Twitter: @amnelsen
Bexar County commissioners this week approved about $116,000 to fund five months of the probate courts guardianship program for people with incapacitating mental or physical conditions, carrying the initiative through the end of the fiscal year.

Judge Kelly Cross, who runs one of the countys two probate courts, said that while the program still lacks adequate staffing to meet the countys guardianship needs, she was pleased commissioners approved the funding.

Any kind of help is good help, so you know what they say, beggars cant be choosers. Im OK with it, she said. Were powerless.

About 96 percent of the funding goes toward the salaries of four guardianship employees: the program manager, an office assistant and two guardians. David Marquez, executive director of the Bexar County Economic & Community Development Department, recommended adding a third guardian in the fiscal 2019 budget.

That funding could be requested from the (county budgets) general fund, or we may approach the probate court to see if they would be willing to fund some, or part, or all of the additional guardian capacity that we would add, Marquez told the commissioners Tuesday.

The money approved Tuesday brings the guardianships total funding to about $255,000 for the final 11 months of the fiscal year. In October, the court approved $139,000 for six months of the program, from November through April, after initially omitting the program from its annual budget.

The fund that the probate judges administer had covered costs in October, the first month of the fiscal year. Marquez acknowledged in an interview Monday that the funding exclusion was a funding miscue and misunderstanding on my part, as he was new to overseeing the program.

Related: Judge disputes claim made by county clerk

Marquez added that the program would be funded through the countys fiscal 2019 budget next year, conditional on the commissioners approval. Commissioners Court makes the countys budgetary decisions, and they set a $1.76 billion budget for the 2018 fiscal year.

Cross and the countys other probate judge, Tom Rickhoff, have complained of poor communication with the commissioners, even claiming that they werent made aware the commissioners planned to consider the funding until Monday.

Otherwise, Cross appeared to see two aspects differently than Marquez and the commissioners: the appropriate caseload per guardian, and whether the program should be designated as one of last resort.

The 2014 memorandum of understanding establishing the guardianship pilot program, signed by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, several other county officials and both probate judges  Rickhoff and then-Probate No. 1 Judge Polly Jackson Spencer  signifies the program will be a Guardianship Program of Last Resort. It also allotted about $291,000 for the 2015 fiscal year.

But Cross said Monday the program is not a guardian of last resort.

Thats very important. What it means is, the court can give you anybody, it can give you an illegal alien, head-injured person, no benefits, no housing, no Medicaid. Thats the guardian of last resort, she said.

Related: A 'breakdown of process' in mental health court

She further added the guardianship program could not feasibly be one of last resort because we have no ability, except through charitable sources, for someone who is not a citizen of the U.S. and would not qualify for benefits.

The Texas Judicial Council unsuccessfully recommended in 2014 that the Legislature establish a statewide public guardianship office, which currently does not exist.

A public guardianship office serves as the guardian of last resort when no other appropriate guardian can be located. Texas currently does not have a guardian of last resort, and judges are oftentimes faced with the difficult task of locating an appropriate guardian for an individual, the councils 2016 Elders Committee Report & Recommendations reads.

Some court members, including Wolff and Precinct 2 Commissioner Paul Elizondo, have urged state involvement because the county lacks the resources to adequately provide guardianships for enough people.

In his presentation, Marquez said the program was designed for each guardian to handle 25 wards, and for the program manager to handle 15, for a maximum of 65. But Cross said each guardian should be assigned 20 wards, noting that some cases are particularly hard and time-consuming. She also said five guardians would be an ideal amount, not two. The program currently handles 45 wards.

On Tuesday, Wolff pointed to the services the court already contributes funding to, saying the county already is very much involved in helping people with mental and physical issues.

There is an array of services  Meals of Wheels is one of them  that we fund, and I think those wraparound services are important, Wolff said. And I think it's important to also understand that that is the key point of helping these people. And we fund a number of those that do that.

Read more: Probate judge will face colleague she fired two years ago

During his presentation, Marquez outlined the duties a guardian performs, including many tasks the guardians are precluded from doing. He said guardians cannot prevent a ward from making a bad decision, use force to make a ward take medication or place a ward in a mental health facility.

Guardians also do not supervise a ward around the clock and are not responsible for a wards illegal acts or for funding the wards expenses, he said.

I think there needs to be greater clarity about what kinds of cases we can and cant take, Marquez said. These are social workers, theyre not mental health professionals. So they have limitations on the types of cases they can take.

Jasper Scherer is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jscherer@express-news.net | @jaspscherer
WASHINGTON - A new Veterans Administration policy offering mental health assistance to veterans discharged for misconduct is being praised as a life-saver for vulnerable and even suicidal veterans with nowhere to turn for treatment.

But veterans advocates in Texas see challenges ahead for the troubled agency when it comes to dispensing care to even more Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffering from PTSD.

Congress last month directed the VA to immediately offer screenings and care to ex-service members with bad paper discharges, a step that advocates believe could open the door to wider care to tens of thousands of ex-service members denied VA services because of how they separated.

Provisions tucked into a catch-all spending bill were the product of a bipartisan compromise after House members and senators weighed mounting proof of the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and bad conduct discharges.

The VA is required to provide an initial mental health assessment for veterans in question who deployed in a combat zone, including drone operators, or who took part in a contingency operation. Victims of sexual assault dismissed from the military also could get help.

Then, based on those assessments, the VA would be required to treat the veterans conditions.

Related: San Antonio part of study finding speedier PTSD therapy

Services would remain unavailable for those with dishonorable discharges or discharges by court-martial.

Its going to save lives, said U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke, D-El Paso, who helped engineer the legislation. Its going to allow those who have been unable to get any care at all to see a provider who can literally make a life or death difference to them.

ORourke, a U.S. Senate candidate, said he began hearing from veterans with misconduct discharges about their plights and learned of their alarming suicide rate - roughly twice that of veterans discharged honorably.

He authored legislation that drew support from Republicans with similar sentiments and also held a Facebook town hall along with others pressing for change, among them Vietnam Veterans of America.

Last year, the Government Accountability Office reported that 62 percent of 91,000 service members who left the military for misconduct over a recent four-year period had been diagnosed with PTSD, traumatic brain injury or other problems that might be associated with misconduct.

Overall, as many as 300,000 veterans may have been wrongly dismissed from the military, the VA has said, leaving them especially vulnerable given a lack of VA health services.

Last year, David Shulkin, the recently fired VA secretary, declared that the VA would take steps to tackle the problem. But advocates persisted, contending that what the VA promised was too limited and consisted primarily of emergency counseling.

A Harvard University study two years ago found that the rate of other-than-honorable discharges had increased six-fold since 9/11. A study at Brown University in 2017 referred to denial of benefits and services to this growing population of veterans as one of the most invisible and devastating costs of wars in the new century.

Read more: Ketamine could help veterans with PTSD, but clinics may be jumping the gun

The Brown study contended that bad paper discharges have increasingly become a tool to get rid of service members who exhibit symptoms that may stem from mental and physical conditions associated with combat and military service.

Bobby Ehrig, executive director of the San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families, sees the change at the VA as a great opportunity, because its thinking outside the box, and because theres a lot who were probably kicked out because of PTSD.

But Ehrig said hes concerned that no administrative process exists at the VA to continue that care long-term. And he worries about enough care to go around in an already overburdened system.

If you start letting all the discharges in, what are you doing secondarily to solve the problem? he asked.

Gabriel Lopez, founder and former director of South Texas Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans Association, based in Laredo, said he thinks it might be difficult to determine who deserves care.

Bad discharges are there for a reason, he said. What worries me is the fact that theres really no way to know which discharges are due to mental health.

Kristofer Goldsmith, founder of High Ground Veterans Advocacy, which trains service members to be advocates and leaders, noted that he his attempted suicide had resulted in a less than honorable discharge.

He was able to get a PTSD diagnosis and VA treatment, though the discharge barred him from the GI bill.

Goldsmith observed that most politicians are reluctant to take up the cause of those with bad paper discharges, an issue he believes that most Americans dont want to hear about.

But, he said, what Congress achieved with the little-known provision in a 2,000-plus page bill will be significant to thousands of veterans, he said.

A PTSD diagnosis for veterans discharged for misconduct pretty much opens up a full battery of health care. There is no doctor who would diagnose a veteran and then say, well recognize your PTSD, but were not going to let use the VA. This bill may seem like a small step, but actually its a giant leap, he said.

blambrecht@express-news.net
After an 18-candidate first round where speaking time at forums rarely lasted longer than a minute or two, Matt McCall and Chip Roy  two Republicans in a runoff for the GOP nomination in the 21st Congressional District  faced off in a 90-minute debate at Tuesday.

The incumbent, Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, has announced he is retiring at the end of his term.

The event hosted by the local chapter of the Texas Young Republicans was held at the Bexar County Republican Party headquarters.

Roy and McCall largely agreed on matters of policy and ideology, with differences emerging in style and, as McCall put it, who owns dirt in the congressional district.

I live here in the district, and I can vote for myself, McCall said. And yes, I do bring up that my opponent has spent his whole career in the government and cant even vote for himself.

Roy brushed off McCalls reference to his residency as a matter of geography, and later explained that he previously lived in the district, and his kids play Little League and participate in gymnastics in the district.

Later asked what committees they would angle for in Congress, the candidates also differed in their responses. McCall, who has an economics degree, said he would like to focus on banking, seeming to indicate preference for the House Committee on Financial Services.

He said community banks have been destroyed in the United States, pointing out that small businesses  key to growing the economy  depend on the support of small banks.

We have gone from 27,000 small banks to less than 7,000 small banks. And so, weve had a recovery that was a jobless recovery under (former President Barack) Obama because only big business was recovering, McCall said.

Roy said the House Judiciary Committee would be of interest to me, having once served as senior counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee. But he preceded that by urging against taking some plum committee-ship from leadership.

If you go to Washington and your first thing is to try to figure out which committee youre going to be on, youre now playing the establishment game, Roy said. At the end of the day, my view is, the most important thing to do as a congressman  is to view your vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as the most important thing you have. And to leverage that vote, and to leverage the procedural power of that vote, to force leadership to listen to you.

McCall, who lives in Boerne and owns a human tissue bank that distributes to the military overseas, has twice challenged Smith in the primary. Smith has endorsed Roy in the runoff.

I didnt get into this race 30 minutes after Lamar Smith decided to retire, McCall said near the beginning of the debate.

At one point, McCall praised Sen. Ted Cruz for the role he played in the 2013 government shutdown. But he sought to downplay Roys role as Cruzs chief of staff.

I never saw Chip standing on the floor, McCall said. I saw Ted Cruz, the senator, standing on the floor.

Responding, Roy said he had played a part in Cruzs actions; Cruz has also endorsed Roy and even actively campaigned for him in February.

We had a 65-person office that we were trying to fight for the people of Texas, defending and supporting the values that Sen. Cruz was expounding on the floor of the Senate, Roy said. So, while Matt might want to dismiss the work that was done, understand what goes into operating in Washington so that you can actually function.

During the debate, McCall pointed out, I dont have any Washington endorsements. I have endorsements from people who live here in the district.

Both candidates said they opposed the omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in March. They also generally advocated for less foreign aid and supported strict immigration controls.

McCall said he supports building a wall and does not believe in a new path to citizenship whatsoever.

Its not just about immigration. Its about nationhood and whether it means something to be a nation or not. And whether it means something to be a citizen or not. And we are way off track, McCall said.

He added: Were told that we need mass immigration for our labor force. But what we need is to put Americans back to work.

Roy cited a number of different studies finding upward of $130 billion of costs coming from those who are here illegally. He explained the studies included children who are citizens but whose parents immigrated to the U.S. illegally.

Thats a problem. That is a massive amount of cost on the backs of Texans, Roy said. We can get reimbursements from the feds, but thats not the problem. The federal government is $21 trillion in debt.

He invoked a saying from free-market economist Milton Friedman: There aint no more free lunch.

Jasper Scherer is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jscherer@express-news.net | @jaspscherer
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it will be sending another $5 billion to Texas to fund recovery and mitigation projects tied to Harvey and other recent flooding, bringing the states funding total to roughly $10 billion.

The news came as a draft document outlining the states first major Hurricane Harvey recovery spending plan was released. According to the proposal, Houston and Harris County each would receive more than $1 billion, roughly half of its initial $5 billion in Harvey aid. The rest would be spent on housing and infrastructure programs elsewhere in Texas.

Mayor Sylvester Turner and county leaders lobbied aggressively to control how disaster relief money is spent in the region. Poised to win such authority, they now will have to develop their own plans for the money, a process that could take several months.

Were thrilled with the response by the state to allow for the local control that the mayor asked for, and we think that this is essential for the kind of recovery that were looking for, Houston Housing Director Tom McCasland said.

The Texas General Land Office, which is managing Harvey housing recovery, plans to collect public feedback on the state proposal through April 26, before submitting the plan for federal approval.

State officials intended to publicize their action plan for the first round of Harvey spending last month, but reversed course after Turner accused the land office of hogging the $5 billion and cutting the city out of planning talks.

Houston, initially only given control over single-family housing programs, wanted greater oversight over all categories of recovery initiatives, among other changes.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush responded by visiting the mayor, and, in mid-March, city, county and state officials traveled to Washington, D.C., to resolve the conflict.

It went really well, very productive, great exchange of ideas, concepts and tweaks that were going to take a deeper look at on the action plan, Bush said after meeting with Turner.

Managing the funds will be no easy task. This allocation alone amounts to roughly half of Houstons annual general fund budget.

The land office will have to repeat the planning process for the additional $5 billion allocated to Texas on Tuesday. Roughly $4.7 billion of that is designated for Harvey recovery and mitigation projects, with the remainder to be used for mitigation in response to previous floods.

The additional Community Development Block Grant funds  will inject billions of dollars that are desperately needed to help restore our communities, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. As the recovery process from Hurricane Harvey continues, the state of Texas is continuing to work as quickly as possible to ensure affected regions have the resources they need to fully recover.

Washington Bureau Staff Writer Kevin Diaz contributed to this report.
Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood shot back at county commissioners for hesitating to fund his legal fees when he goes before the state Commission on Lawyer Conduct for a hearing to decide a misconduct complaint filed against him.

The commissioners on Tuesday approved local Republican attorney Wade Shelton  who is waiving compensation  to defend LaHood two weeks after Ed Schweninger, the civil division chief of the DAs office, recommended county taxpayers fund LaHoods legal defense.

If I would have won the primary, they would have been tripping over themselves paying for it, LaHood said of the commissioners. I feel for the next DA, and I wonder if the next DA is going to spend the next four years looking over his shoulders, wondering if someones going to make some false allegation against them ... to try to control their action. I think that's a slippery slope.

Two sources indicated the commissioners were worried about funding LaHood's legal fees but did not necessarily plan to vote against approving county funding. But when presented with the option to skirt what County Judge Nelson Wolff admitted was a difficult decision, the commissioners quickly accepted Sheltons pro bono offer.

Mr. Shelton indicated, look, if the court feels uncomfortable paying, they don't want to pay it, it doesn't matter. I'm going to represent the DA anyway, Schweninger said.

Related: LaHood upset at commissioners' reluctance to fund legal fees

Wolff declined to comment on LaHoods accusations. Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Wolff said he had planned to vote against the funding, but had expected to be the lone opposing vote on the matter. Other commissioners were not immediately available for comment Tuesday evening.

Schweninger had estimated fees would run between $10,000 and $15,000. But he told commissioners in court that Shelton had offered to take the case pro bono after Schweninger discussed with him the idea of a conditional payment, in which the county would only pay Shelton if LaHood received a favorable outcome in a closed hearing. LaHood waived his right to a trial in district court, a source told the Express-News last month.

LaHood, who lost re-election in the Democratic primary last month, said he believes the commissioners should have decided to fund his legal defense without hesitating. He also reiterated his belief that he is being falsely accused of making threats in a judges chambers during a murder trial, though District Judge Lori Valenzuela testified under oath that LaHood had made the threats.

LaHood lost his re-election bid to defense attorney Joe Gonzales, one of the lawyers LaHood is accused of threatening in a judges chambers during a murder trial. Mark Stevens, a local defense attorney, filed a complaint against LaHood over the incident, in which LaHood allegedly threatened to shut down the law practices of Gonzales and Christian Henricksen.

Opinion: The public should not be funding LaHood's legal defense

Gonzales has told the Express-News that he does not believe county funds should be appropriated for LaHoods legal defense.

Expanding on his concerns about precedent, LaHood said the funding shouldnt even be a topic of conversation, explaining that he was acting in his capacity as a public elected official. Schweninger made the same argument to commissioners at the previous court meeting.

So, if you don't like a prosecutor for prosecuting someone for sexual assault of a child, murder or whatever else, all you do is you file a grievance against them and they're on their own, LaHood said. He later added: What that does, in any community, that makes the elected official paranoid or hesitant to do their job. You want every elected official to make a decision in good faith. ... The only thing unique in this situation is that I didnt win the primary. And I think its a shame.

Shelton was unavailable for comment Monday when the Express-News contacted his law office. He also declined to comment Tuesday following the courts approval.

A mediator with the San Antonio-based Shelton & Valadez law firm, Shelton represented former Sheriff Susan Pamerleau in December 2016 when a state district judge tossed out a temporary restraining order that prevented her from making personnel changes before Sheriff Javier Salazar took office in January 2017.

Wade Shelton is a well-recognized attorney, Wolff said during the court meeting. He has a great reputation.  We're fortunate that he is willing to do that. It's out of great respect that I thank him for doing that. And I think Nico's in really good hands, and he will give him an excellent defense.

Wolff also thanked Schweninger for doing everything you can to make sure this is handled in a professional manner.

Shelton had not contributed to LaHoods last two political races, a review of LaHoods campaign finance reports shows.

Read more: Inside the ground game and Soros effect that took down LaHood

The dispute in the murder trial originated when, shortly after the arrest of Miguel Martinez in connection with the slaying, Assistant District Attorney Jason Goss gave another prosecutor a case file to read. The next day, the prosecutor informed Goss shed had a sexual encounter three years earlier with a crucial witness for the state who could place Martinez at the crime scene.

Goss instructed the prosecutor to have nothing more to do with the case and told no one else about the relationship for nearly two years. LaHood later announced he would prosecute the case himself. Before trial, Goss told LaHood about the prosecutors sexual encounter with the witness.

Senior District Judge W.C. Kirkendall of Seguin later found that LaHood engaged in an unprofessional rant that might be subject to sanction by another tribunal. But Kirkendall also found the case didnt constitute a Brady violation  case law that requires a prosecutor turn over exculpatory information to the defense before trial  because Goss had revealed the evidence to the defense before the jury was sworn, according to a ruling. Although Goss didnt reveal the prosecutors name, doing so was unnecessary because it would not have added material information at that time, Kirkendall said.

Jasper Scherer is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jscherer@express-news.net | @jaspscherer
He walked onstage to the strains of the Chambers Brothers 1967 psychedelic-rock classic, Time Has Come Today.

That tune is a favorite of Ron Nirenberg, who handpicked it for Tuesdays United State of the City address, his first as San Antonio mayor. Its an emphatic, if open-ended, call for action that ultimately concludes, Cant put it off another day.

Standing in front of this citys titans of business and politics, Nirenberg also made an emphatic, if open-ended, call for action. And he continually assured his Convention Center audience that this city cant put it off another day.

In other words, urgency was the big theme of Nirenbergs 30-minute speech, the chorus that he came home to after each verse about transportation or economic development.

Now is the day and now is the hour.

The future will not wait.

A crisis is fast approaching.

Its easy to compare Nirenberg with Julian Castro, the mayor with whom hell end up bookending this decade in San Antonio. After all, they both came to office as young men brimming with big commitments and ambitious plans.

Read more: In first State of the City address, Nirenberg unveils creation of transit nonprofit

In his first State of the City address, in 2010, Castro promised to deliver 20,000 net jobs that year. On Tuesday, Nirenberg pledged to help create more jobs than any mayoral administration in San Antonio history, setting a goal of 70,000 over the next two years.

Of course, job creation is a natural preoccupation for any mayor, particularly one speaking at an event organized by the chambers of commerce. But Nirenberg and Castro approached it from different angles.

For Castro, education was the foundation.

We have to make sure we build up terrific brainpower, he said in 2010. In that speech, Castro previewed an early education program that would become his signature achievement, Pre-K 4 SA, and a college-admittance counseling center that would become Cafe College.

He emphasized social and cultural change, talking about art and the need for beautiful open spaces that would improve the aesthetics of San Antonio. He talked about the need to address teen pregnancy.

Castro wanted to pull the city toward a revitalized urban core, secure in the belief that it would make individual San Antonians healthier, more fulfilled and feeling a greater sense of community. With a city that appealing, he argued, the jobs would follow.

For Nirenberg, transportation is the foundation.

Read more: The next million

On Tuesday, he unveiled ConnectSA, a nonprofit devoted to crafting a multimodal transportation system that can go before voters in 2019. It will likely focus on rapid transit corridors to reduce commute times throughout the city, rather than the kind of downtown streetcar starter project championed by Castro.

He also called for $110 million in street maintenance funding in next years city budget.

Essentially, its what Nirenberg described last year, at a League of Women Voters forum, as an all-of-the-above strategy to transportation.

District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval will be one of ConnectSAs directors.

I think weve really been missing an advocate, a voice for equalizing transportation, Sandoval said, after hearing Nirenbergs speech. For decades, weve invested in roadway projects and thats not a full-blown infrastructure. You also need the public-transportation infrastructure. I think its about time we had a group advocate for that.

Manny Pelaez, who succeeded Nirenberg last year as the councilman for District 8, said: Hes a big-idea mayor. Today he articulated important goals for the city we want to be. What struck a chord with me is his reminding us that being the 7th largest city isnt the same as being a top-10 economy.

Like the Chambers Brothers, however, Nirenberg, left us Tuesday to speculate about the specifics behind all that urgency.

Related: Transit plan would transform San Antonio

His new Blue Chip Jobs Council will bring together some of the citys best business minds  including Graham Weston, Johnny Hernandez and Elaine Mendoza  to brainstorm on methods to stimulate investment, but what that group will produce is a big question mark.

Nirenbergs goal of alleviating San Antonios affordable-housing crunch is admirable, but we dont yet know how itll be executed. And we all know that a state-of-the-art multimodal transportation system, while much needed, wont come cheap.

Those uncertainties, at least for the moment, faded away as Nirenberg left the stage to the opening riff of the Rolling Stones Start Me Up.

Just in case you hadnt figured it out, the mayors in a hurry.

Gilbert Garcia is a San Antonio Express-News columnist. Read more of his stories here. | ggarcia@express-news.net | @gilgamesh470
BRIDGEPORT  As the black 2016 Nissan Murano zoomed into the Bullard Haven Technical High School automotive shop bay, some 64 prospective mechanics were there to welcome it.

You going to hand me the keys? Roxanne Amoit, head of the automotive department shouted over the claps and whistles.

Ben Foss, a dealer technical specialist for Nissan North America obliged. And thus began a partnership this week between a tech school hungry to give students the latest technology and an auto manufacturer in need of more experienced technicians.

It benefits everybody, said Foss, who grew up in Milford, and now works for the Nashville, Tenn.-based U.S. division of the Japanese car maker.

Until now, students have had about eight used vehicles on lifts in the auto shop, some rusty. None with tire pressure monitoring systems, program navigation or advance electrical or climate control systems on which to work.

We still build the same vehicle, the same technology as our 2018s, Foss said of the fully-functional SUV, that boasts about 25 computers on board and just 29,000 miles on the odometer.

The donation is said to be worth about $30,000.

Now we can teach the technology they talk about, Amoit said. Its a wonderful thing.

One of Bullard Havens more popular shops, the automotive program prepares some students for jobs right out of high school and others for higher education.

On Wednesday, students at the shop were treated to a career fair where 13 area car dealers, manufacturers, and auto repair shops interviewed students for potential jobs and internships.

Foss got the students ready the day before, advising them how to go into interviews with confidence.

Make it clear you want to become master technician, Foss told them. You have to sell yourself, but they have to sell it back. Ask them what kind of advancement and continuing education they are willing to provide.

Prisila Barroso, a senior from Bridgeport, said she is a little jealous underclassmen will get to work on the Nissan but she is also looking forward to perhaps getting a job at a local dealership.

Im ready, Barroso said.

Brandon Spinks, 16, a sophomore from Bridgeport, said he cant wait to get under the hood of the new acquisition.

I love to learn the different mechanical things about it, said Spinks. Its like putting together a puzzle.

Foss said Nissan likes to give used cars to technical high schools where students graduate with a much higher skill set than traditional automotive programs. It has previously donated vehicles to Platt Tech in Milford.
WOOSTER, Ohio  The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold an informational meeting and hearing to discuss the permit-to-install application for the Wiles Storage Pond, April 17 at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster.

The 10 million gallon structure is intended to hold anaerobically digested municipal waste and biosolids after they leave the Quasar Energy plant at the OARDC in Wooster. The material would later be land applied to EPA-approved fields.

The information session will begin at 6 p.m. at Fisher Auditorium, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster. A hearing will follow to provide an opportunity for the public to submit comments on the permit application.

Buckeye Biogas, a subsidiary of Quasar, is proposing to build its lagoon in Canaan Township, Wayne County, east of the intersection of Friendsville and East Pleasant Home Road.

Concerned residents

The project has drawn the attention of local residents and some farmers, who are concerned about the potential for environmental impact, decreased home values and odor.

Supporters of the project say its an EPA-approved product that is good for the soil, amounting to another form of organic fertilizer.

A Ohio EPA spokesperson said the public does not have to submit questions or comments before the meeting. However, if there is a large volume of comments, the EPA staff may ask people to write their question on an index card, which will be provided. Similar questions are then grouped, in the interest of time.

The spokesperson said there is typically an informal question-and-answer session following staff presentations, followed by the hearing.

The EPA reviews the comments following the meeting, and responses are issued in the following weeks.

The EPA will accept written comments on the permit application through April 24. Anyone can submit comments or request to be on the mailing list for information.

To comment or receive information on the permit application, write to: Ohio EPA-DSW, Permits Processing Unit, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049 or email epa.dswcomments@epa.ohio.gov. Write the PTI permit number 1211412 on each comment sent.

Related coverage:
Police in Gloucestershire are using DNA testing methods to identify people behind sheep worrying incidents.

It follows news of a Cotswold farmer having to shoot a dog dead after it ran loose on farmland and attacked sheep.

According to Gloucestershire police, the farmer tried to catch the large dog first but failed to do so. The farmer had no other option left but to shoot the dog.

The police are now to carry out DNA tests to find the dogs responsible for sheep attacks. Swabs will be used on bite marks on the sheep to compare against dog DNA.

The force said there have been as many as 40 attacks in the past five weeks and have said this is not acceptable.

Police Constable Ashley Weller, rural and economic crime officer for the Cotswolds, said: "Every year farmers suffer the consequences of irresponsible dog owners, with many of their sheep being attacked and killed or losing their unborn young.

"Once again I am appealing to all dog owners to keep their pets on leads when they are near any livestock, no matter how much you trust them. This is for your own sake as well as the farm animals.

"It is an offence to allow your dog to worry livestock and farmers have legal rights, under certain conditions, to shoot the dog if they feel the livestock is in danger."

DNA from sheep

A Welsh police force has used DNA evidence to secure a conviction against a man charged with handling stolen sheep.

It is the first time evidence of its kind has been used in a conviction in Wales.

Dyfed-Powys Police acquired the crucial evidence thanks to the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA), which used forensic techniques to take the DNA from the sheep, a process usually reserved for humans.

Andrew Paul Thomas, aged 39, of Bryncethin Road, in Garnant, admitted the charge of handling stolen property, having previously pleaded not guilty on the first day of a trial at Swansea Crown Court. He is due to be sentenced on April 11 last year.
What should farmers consider if affected by new cycle routes?

Advice given to farmers who may be affected
People Are Making False Accusations On Them!

"From the last 4-5 days we are witnessing a lot of people making FALSE ACCUSATIONS on us. Probably the easy way out would have been us reacting in the same manner or our legal team u/ur representatives a Defamation notice since even you know there is no Truth/Proof to these allegations." - (sic)

Neetis Open Letter To Kapil

"Especially when you yourself have not just messaged or called us many times (in a sober condition) asking us to come back and help you out in a situation where you feel stuck, helpless But have also visited our house Last month and met our entire family who got emotional seeing your state. We, as in the ENTIRE team and family, were working a way out to get back to you and sort everything." - (sic)

Kapil Knows As To How They Tried To Help Him!

"Hum aapki bahut fikr karte hai, and we all Have moved on since a year accepting things as destiny. We have been blamed for ur depression, whereas yeh baat sirf Aapko pata hai Bhaiya that how much we have tried and are still trying to help u in this past one year." - (sic)

Neeti Requests Kapil To Come Out In Open

"Since we are not sure if u even remember the allegations put against us, We request you to come out in open (We will Neither react NOR accept your tweets as we r not sure in what state of mind u r in)." - (sic)

Neeti Has A Condition

"We would like to meet and help you - in the presence the Media/Police/Our Legal Teams - (only to avoid further false allegations and miscommunications). Our Only condition being that you don't come under the influence of alcohol." - (sic)

Kapil Cried & Said He is Trapped!

"We believe right now, you are not in the right state of mind to make any Judgements or allegations And are being Mislead by 'friends' around u. Like u said to us and Cried last month 'u are trapped'. Let us help you cos We love u and we truly want u to be happy. Regards Neeti."
This was the first action by the Air India forum against government's privatisation move following the Civil Aviation Ministry seeking expression of interest (EoI) from potential bidders for a 76 percent stake sale in the loss-making carrier as well as divestment of two of its subsidiaries.

Mumbai: A group of Air India employees on Tuesday held a lunch-hour meeting at the airline's Kalina office to protest against the sale of the carrier to private players. During the half-an-hour protest meet, the union - Joint forum for Air India unions-guild-associations against privatisation - functionaries made the staffers aware of the "perils" of privatisation and its consequential impact on the employees jobs, one of the member of the forum said.

This was the first action by the Air India forum against government's privatisation move following the Civil Aviation Ministry seeking expression of interest (EoI) from potential bidders for a 76 percent stake sale in the loss-making carrier as well as divestment of two of its subsidiaries.

"Nine trade unions participated in our protest meeting during the lunch hour. The privatisation is in no way going to safeguard the employees interest. And for this reason we are totally opposed to it," the member said.

"With such meetings, the various unions are trying to create an awareness among the employees about the impending job losses," he added.

Air Corporation Employees Union, All India Service Engineers' Association, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers' Association, All India Aircraft Engineers' Association, Air India Engineers Association and United Air India Officers Association and Aviation Industry Employees Guild are the part of the forum. Together, these unions represent over than 10,000 Air India employees.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has sought EoIs from potential bidders for a 76-percent stake sale in loss-making Air India as well as divestment of Air India Express and AI-SATS.

On 28 March, the ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India's strategic disinvestment.

As per the memorandum, the government plans to offload 76 percent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control.

The proposed transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd, which is an equal joint venture between the national airline and Singapore-based SATS Ltd.

Eight of these unions had earlier also in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the possibility of retrenchment of workforce in case of privatisation, citing job losses in the aftermath of the the previous NDA government's decision to sell two Centaur Hotels properties in Mumbai.

"The private lobby is talking about Rs 30,000 crore bailout package to Air India for over 10-year period as a waste of tax payers money and has sought its privatisation. But the same people are keeping quite on the default of over Rs 8 lakh crore of government-owned banks by the private corporate/companies only," the member alleged.

The debt-ridden national carrier is staying afloat on little over Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime.

"Moreover, the government is selling the airline at a time when its making operating profit and is on the way to financial and operational improvement. That way, is it not trying to socialise the losses and privatise the profit? " the member asked.

Air India has been "consistently improving" its overall performance and more than doubled its operating profit to Rs 298.03 crore in 2016-17 financial year, junior minister for civil aviation Jayant Sinha had informed Parliament earlier this year.
India and Pakistan's inability to maintain peace along their disputed border has wreaked havoc on the livelihoods of villagers living along the border.

The rattle of machine guns and mortar-shell blasts had become almost routine for Chunni Lal, 62, who lives near the Pakistan border in the Arnia sector of Jammu. But that was until September 2017, when his wife was blown apart by a shell that exploded inside his compound. It was a terrible shock and cost him his livelihood too. His four buffaloes were killed in the blast and, as they werent insured, he was left destitute.

Lal says he had approached several banks for a loan to buy the cattle. Several agents also offered to help him get a loan for a commission. When he failed to get one, Lal sold a piece of land for Rs. 3.5 lakh and bought four buffaloes worth Rs. 76,000 each. The shelling not only ruined me personally but also financially, he says, sobbing.

For farmers along the border, in towns and villages in Ranbir Singh (RS) Pura taluk like Arnia and Suchetgarh, this is a familiar story. They are victims not just of indiscriminate firing from Pakistani border posts but also the apathy of government-owned banks they hoped would support them. Forced to shelter from the intermittent firing, they are often unable to tend to their crops and suffer huge losses as a result. With no support from banks or insurers, farmers have become indebted to local moneylenders.

Few farmers approach banks

Khazan Chand, 80, of Mahashe-de-Kothe village in RS Pura has lost four members of his family to cross-border firing. In October 2014, bullets hit five buffaloes and two cows tied outside the house, killing them all. Chands story is quite similar to Lals. His son had sought a bank loan several times but couldnt meet their documentation requirements.

We used to have two buffaloes, one of which died in 2012 due to disease, and the other had become too old. In the same year we decided to buy six buffaloes and two cows and tried to get a loan from J&K Bank and Punjab National Bank, but couldnt manage it because of their complicated procedures, says Chand. He then borrowed Rs 2,40,000 from a money lender and raised an equivalent amount by selling a piece of land. As the buffaloes were bought without a bank loan, they couldnt be insured. I lost everything when they all died, says Chand, who had planned to set up a dairy business.

Narender Kumar, manager of Jammu & Kashmir Bank at Arnia, admits that very few people seek loans from his branch. Documents for issuing loans are necessary and the bank also needs a guarantee. Farmers dont approach us perhaps due to the fear of documentation, he says. Loan applications require six or seven documents, including know-your-customer (KYC) forms, land titles and security-related documents, to be submitted. I havent received a single application for a cattle loan in this area for the past three years, he says.

Birds bring more trouble

As if the bullets werent problem enough, flocks of migratory birds that descend on these valleys pose a headache for the farmers. RS Pura is world famous for its aromatic Basmati rice, but its also home to the Gharana wetlands that attract thousands of wildfowl each winter. Although the Jammu & Kashmir wildlife department arranges feed for them, the birds voracious appetites devastate the fresh Basmati fields.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir provides crop-insurance cover to apple growers in the Kashmir Valley and Basmati growers in Jammu for weather-related losses. But it offers no protection whatsoever against crop losses caused by shelling along the border or the damage caused by the birds.

Hazara Singh, 60, from Gharana in RS Pura, had to sell his land to repay debts he owed the local money lender after his crops were destroyed by birds. Singh used to grow Basmati rice on a two-kanal (quarter-acre) plot. I borrowed Rs 25,000 in 2011 from a local moneylender to buy seeds, manure and other inputs. But the birds destroyed my crop. I convinced the moneylender Id pay him the next year. However, my crop failed again, says Singh. Distressed over the repeated crop failures, he decided to sell the four kanals he owned for Rs 3 lakh. He now owns two buffaloes and sells milk for a living.

No guarantee of harvest

Avinash Sharma, executive manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) in Jammu, says no bank will deny a farmer a loan if all legal formalities are met. If a farmer comes with all the required documents, why would a bank not give him a loan? he asks. But as Virender Koundal, an economics professor at the University of Jammu, points out, Banks give loans to farmers when theyre sure that theyll get back the principal as well as the interest. In these areas along the international border, there is no guarantee a farmer will even be able to harvest his crop.

This is compounded by the smaller land holdings that farmers own along the border belt of Jammu when compared to other parts of the state. Those with very small holdings are forced to rear cattle and sell milk to supplement their earnings. Koundal says farmers in safer areas are doing well unlike those along the border who are buried under a mountain of debt. Without a bank loan, their cattle cannot be insured. These farmers actually live in a high-risk zone where not only their lives but even their financial condition depends on security provided by the government.

Amol Kumar Verma, spokesman for the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), says that while NABARD doesnt directly lend to farmers, it refinances rural banks farm loans. It is a fact that farmers in the border belt often take loans from moneylenders instead of banks as it is easier. But, they forget that taking a loan from a moneylender could be a trap.

India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement in 2003 that committed both sides to maintain peace along their disputed border. But their failure to keep their word has cost the lives of thousands of innocents and wreaked havoc on the livelihoods of many more.

(The author is a Haryana-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
The current trend in Indiawhere a lion share of funds for parties come from anonymous sourcessignals danger as it will inevitably strengthen the infamous political-corporate nexus, black money generation and corruption in the economy.

A political party in power at the centre certainly will get more money from donors than those in the Opposition. Hence, an 81 percent jump in the income of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2016-17 shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone, and also a 14 percent decline in the Congress partys income during the period.

Take a closer look at the income figures of the two major national parties---BJP and the Congress--for a point of comparison. According to the latest report from election watchdog Association of democratic reforms (ADR), the ruling party has seen its income rising from Rs 570.86 crore during FY 2015-16 to Rs 1,034.27 crore during FY 2016-17, while the income of Congress party decreased by 14 percent (Rs 36.20 crore) from Rs 261.56 crore during FY 2015-16 to Rs 225.36 crore during FY 2016-17. Since it came to power in 2014, BJPs moneybag has expanded by about 53 percentfrom Rs 673.81 crore in 2013-2014 to Rs 1034.27 crore in 2016-2017. The Congress party, during the period, has actually seen its income declining by 62 percentfrom Rs 598.06 crore to Rs 225.36 crore.

Income in Rs crore Year BJP % growth Congress % growth FY14 673.8 598.1 FY15 970.4 44.0 593.3 -0.8 FY16 570.9 -41.2 261.6 -55.9 FY17 1034.3 81.2 225.4 -13.8 Source: ADR

Now look at the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The partys income increased by 266.32 percent (Rs 126.195 crore) from Rs 47.385 crore during FY 2015-16 to Rs 173.58 crore during FY 2016-17, while the income of NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) increased by 88.63 percent (Rs 8.098 crore) from Rs 9.137 crore during FY2015-16 to Rs 17.235 crore during FY 2016-17, said the report.

If we look at the whole picture, the seven national parties have collected close to 75 percent (Rs 1,169.07 crore) income from voluntary contributions for FY- 2016-17. In contrast, the parties have received 60 percent (Rs 616.05 crore) of their income from voluntary contributions during FY- 2015-16. But most of the funds are from anonymous sources.

As mentioned in the beginning, there is nothing surprising about the sharp rise in the income of the ruling BJP and fall in the Congress income for obvious reasons. But, the point of worry here is the chunk of funds political parties have received from anonymous sources. The ADR has not released the figures on funding from unknown sources so far, but according to Prof Jagdeep Chhokar, founder Member of ADR, on an average 75-80 percent of the total political funding continues to remain from anonymous sources. In other words, the promise to bring transparency remains a promise. This certainly doesnt augur well for India and for BJP in particular, since transparency in political funding was one of the key promises from the party initially.

In fact, various policies from the Narendra Modi government has only made political funding even more opaque. The last such move came in the Finance Bill 2018 when the Lok Sabha quietly amended a law to protect political parties from any kind of scrutiny with respect to the foreign funds they may have received from 1976. This was only one among the 218 amendments Lok Sabha cleared without even a debate.

What does it do? The law, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, that prohibited foreign funding for Indian political parties, has now been amended to exempt parties from any scrutiny. In effect, no questions will be asked and no answers given on such funding, including possible illegal transactions. The point is, if no questions can be asked on foreign political funding, it may even lead to external influence in India's election process. That's a possibility one cannot rule out.

The importance of this clause can be understood only if one looks at the past record of political parties. As this NDTV report points out, in 2014, both Congress and BJP were found guilty by the Delhi High Court of accepting foreign funds following a petition by the Association of Democratic Reforms. The report cites that between 2004 and 2012, Vedanta Resources Plc, then a London-based group, had allegedly donated Rs 879 lakh to Congress and Rs 790 lakh to the BJP through its Indian subsidiaries. The latest amendment effectively frees both parties from this verdict.

In fact, the Finance Bill, 2017 too came with some good news for covert funding of political parties. It did so with two key changes in the law: First, it has scrapped a ceiling that earlier restricted a corporate entity from donating more than 7.5 percent of its average net profit in the three immediate preceding fiscal years to a political party. And second, the government proposed to cancel an existing rule that required corporate entities to disclose, in the profit and loss account, the name of the political party to which the funding is made. Both made it easier for political parties to make their election funding more opaque.

Even the recently announced electoral bonds do not make things any better. A donor can purchase these bonds from specified branches of State Bank of India (SBI) in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1 crore and donate it to any registered political party. In the first phase, Rs 222 crore worth bonds were sold. The second tranche was issued this month. The party can encash these bonds in its account like a bearer cheque. This instrument is such that it seeks to promote cashless political donations since these bonds can be purchased either through cash or cheque. But, the big negative of this instrument is the anonymity it promises to political parties and donors. No one knows which hands are exchanging the money at the end of the day. This anonymity factor in political donations is a big problem as political observers and analysts have been pointing out for long.

Political parties need money to function in any democracy. But, the current trend in Indiawhere a lion share of such funds come from anonymous sourcessignals danger as it will inevitably strengthen the infamous political-corporate nexus, black money generation and corruption in the economy.
The study by Microsoft and IDC, titled Unlocking the economic impact of digital transformation in Asia Pacific', said there has been a dramatic acceleration in the pace of digital transformation across India and Asia-Pacific economies

New Delhi: Digital transformation in the country is expected to contribute about $154 billion to India's GDP by 2021, tech giant Microsoft on Wednesday said.

The study by Microsoft and IDC, titled Unlocking the economic impact of digital transformation in Asia Pacific", said there has been a dramatic acceleration in the pace of digital transformation across India and Asia-Pacific economies.

"In 2017, about 4 percent of India's GDP was derived from digital products and services created directly through the use of digital technologies like mobility, cloud, internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI)," Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari told reporters here.

He added that within the next four years, it is estimated that nearly 60 percent of India's GDP will have a strong connection to the digital transformation trends.

"India is clearly on the digital transformation fast track. Organisations are increasingly deploying emerging technologies such as AI, and that will accelerate digital transformation-led growth even further," he said.

The study conducted with 1,560 respondents from mid and large-sized organisations across 15 economies.

The report found that digital transformation efforts for organisations range between 11 percent and 14 percent.

"Business leaders expect to see more than 40 percent improvements in key areas by 2020, with the biggest jump expected in productivity, customer advocacy as well as profit margin," Maheshwari said.
Till now, only the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister had the powers to approve award of an block or area for exploration and production of oil and gas

New Delhi: In a bid to quicken award of licences, the Cabinet on Wednesday allowed ministers of finance and petroleum to award oil and gas blocks to their winners in the ongoing auction, bids for which are due on 2 May.

Till now, only the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister had the powers to approve award of an block or area for exploration and production of oil and gas.

"In line with the Government initiative of ease of doing business, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for delegating the powers to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Finance Minister to award the blocks/contract areas to successful bidders," an official statement said.

The two ministers will approve the award based on the recommendations of a panel of secretaries, called the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECS).

The delegation of power is for Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bid rounds under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP). Presently, the first round of OALP is underway, with bids for 55 exploration blocks on offer for prospecting of oil and gas due on 2 May. These blocks are to be awarded by July.

"Under HELP, blocks are to be awarded twice in a year. Therefore, this delegation of powers will expedite the decision making process on awarding blocks and give a boost to the initiative of ease of doing business," the statement said.

India had, in July last year, allowed companies to carve out blocks of their choice with a view to bringing about 2.8 million sq km of unexplored area in the country under exploration. Under this policy, called HELP, companies are allowed to put in an expression of interest (EoI) for prospecting of oil and gas in any area that is presently not under any production or exploration licence.

The EoIs can be put in at anytime of the year but they are accumulated twice annually. The blocks or areas that receive EoIs at the end of a cycle are put up for auction with the originator or the firm that originally selected the area getting a 5-mark advantage.

HELP replaced the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) where government carved out areas and bid them out.

Under the NELP policy, ECS make recommendations to Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for award of blocks after considering the bid evaluation criteria (BEC) and conducting negotiations with the bidders wherever necessary.

"The entire process, including inter-ministerial consultations (IMC) is quite lengthy and time consuming. In consonance with the Government initiative of 'Ease of Doing Business', it is desirable to shorten the duration of time taken for award of the blocks/contract Areas," the statement said.

Under HELP, the competitive bidding will be continuous and blocks will be awarded twice a year.

HELP offers revenue sharing contract, single licence for exploration and production of conventional as well as unconventional hydrocarbon resources and marketing and pricing freedom.

OALP under HELP, is main innovative feature wherein investor can carve out blocks of their own interest and submit an Expression of Interest (Eol) throughout the year. Based on the areas for which expression of interest has been expressed bidding will be conducted every 6 months.

"Government received an overwhelming response in first Eol cycle of OALP which started on 1 July, 2017 and closed on 15 November, 2017. In the first Bid round, 55 blocks, having an area of 59,282 sq km spread across 11 states have been offered for bidding. The bidding process is being handled through a secured and dedicated e-bidding portal," it added.
EPFO has asked banks not to deny monthly pension to people for want of biometric national ID, Aadhaar, and said that alternate means for identification should be used if needed

New Delhi: EPFO has asked banks not to deny monthly pension to people for want of biometric national ID, Aadhaar, and said that alternate means for identification should be used if needed.

The Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), in a circular to all heads of pension disbursing banks and postal services on Monday, listed out alternate mechanism of handling pensioners who do not possess Aadhaar or those whose identity cannot be authenticated due to wear out of finger print.

It asked banks to ensure that pensioners are facilitated for Aadhaar enrolment and a paper life certificate is accepted, in place of a digitally generated one, for pensioners who have enrolled for Aadhaar.

For those whose finger print wear out has made authentication difficult, banks will make provisions for IRIS scanner along with the fingerprint scanner in bank branches, it said.

EPFO said the agreement it signed with banks for disbursement of pension lays down the duties and responsibilities of banks including collection of Life Certificate/Non-re-marriage certificate in November every month from pensioners and forwarding the same to EPFO field offices for necessary action.

Concerned branches of the banks were doing this by collecting Life Certificate in paper form.

But since 2016, the Life Certificates are being obtained from the pensioners digitally as Jeevan Pramaan in place of the Life Certificate in paper form being submitted by the pensioners to the bank earlier. Submission of Jeevan Pramaan digitally has been facilitated through UMANG APP in the mobile phones also.

"Some complaints have been received from pensioners who are being turned away and denied pensions for want of Aadhaar or Aadhaar fingerprint authentication not being successful due to poor fingerprint of the beneficiary or due to network/ connectivity or other technical reasons. Because of this, pensioners are not able to get and submit Jeevan Pramaan," the circular said.

For giving pension to the pensioners who cannot get and submit Jeevan Pramaan on account of not possessing Aadhaar, EPFO asked banks to ensure that such pensioners are facilitated for Aadhaar enrolment. "Banks should also make special arrangement for the bed-ridden, differently abled, or senior citizens who are unable to visit the Aadhaar involvement Centre," it said.

Till such time Aadhaar is assigned to such pensioners, a paper life certificate may be accepted after collecting Aadhaar enrolment application receipts from such pensioners. "After due verification through alternate identification documents as deemed necessary by the bank, pensions may be disbursed," it said.

An entry with necessary details such as paper life certificate, Aadhaar enrolment application receipts and the like may be recorded "in an exception register which should preferably be maintained in an electronic form". it said.

For giving pension to the pensioners whose fingerprint authentication fails for any reason, EPFO asked banks to may make provisions for IRIS scanner along with the fingerprint scanner in bank branches.

"It has been observed that in many cases IRIS authentication is successful even though finger print authentication may have failed. This is particularly true for many senior citizens. In such cases, digital life certificate may be generated on the basis of IRIS authentication and pension may be given," it said.

In case where finger print or IRIS authentication is not feasible for any reason, an entry should be made in the exception register with reasons and pension may be provided on the basis of paper life certificate and physical Aadhaar card or E-Aadhaar card of the pensioner after due verification as deemed fit by the bank.

"The exception register which would contain the details of exception granted alongwith paper life certificate, Aadhaar number or Aadhaar enrolment ID etc, maybe reviewed and audited periodically by senior management of the bank," the circular said.
GSK has started a strategic review of Horlicks - a malt-based drink brand popular in India  and some of its smaller products, after buying Novartis out of their consumer healthcare venture for $13 billion on Tuesday.

London/New York: Food giants Nestle, Kraft Heinz and Unilever are expected to bid for GlaxoSmithKlines Horlicks health nutrition business, which could fetch more than $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

GSK has started a strategic review of Horlicks - a malt-based drink brand popular in India  and some of its smaller products, after buying Novartis out of their consumer healthcare venture for $13 billion on Tuesday.

The main asset on the block is GSKs 72.5 percent stake in its Indian subsidiary GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. The sources said the stake was worth $3.1 billion at current market prices but GSK wanted a premium in any sale. They estimated the consumer health nutrition business, which also has smaller operations in Nigeria and Bangladesh, could fetch more than $4 billion.

Nestle, the worlds biggest packaged food company, has previously told GSK privately of its interest in Horlicks on several occasions, the people said.

Nestle already owns the malt drink Milo, but it is not a big-seller in India. The Swiss company declined to comment. Unilever, the worlds largest tea company, and Kraft Heinz, which sells the powdered drinks Crystal Light and Kool-Aid, also declined to comment.

Horlicks is more than 140 years old with origins dating back to 1873, when two British-born men, James and William Horlick, first founded a company in Chicago to manufacture the drink. It was introduced to India by Indian soldiers who had fought with the British Army in the First World War.

Associated British Foods, which owns the malt drink brand Ovaltine, could look at the business to scale up in a key emerging market, the sources said, although the size of the GSK business could be a deterrent. An ABF spokesman declined to comment.

The Indian business has an enterprise value of about 29 times core earnings, said one of the sources, meaning any deal premium will value it well above what many packaged food and drink brands fetch. The valuation is inflated by the high growth rates seen in the Indian market.

Nestle and Unilever could purchase the asset through their local Indian subsidiaries, Nestle India or Hindustan Unilever.

Other potential suitors might include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo , Suntory , Mondelez International and JAB, the coffee business owner that recently agreed to buy Dr Pepper Snapple, one of the sources said.
Maharashtra is one of six states  Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh  that have announced farm debt waivers this fiscal

The Maharashtra government has finally agreed to certain critical demands raised by protesting farmers, putting an end to the farmer agitation for now. A 12-member farmer delegation agreed to instantly call off their protest after Fadnavis government agreed to most of their demands, including the transfer of forest land to tribal farmers.

But in all likelihood this truce may not last long. The reason is simple. The burden on the state exchequer on account of the farm loan waiver promise is much higher than what was originally estimated. The Fadnavis government will have to struggle to put together the resources needed to meet the additional burden.

In June 2017, Fadnavis first announced a roughly Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver packager, after the Uttar Pradesh government announced a similar loan package. Of the promised sum, Fadnavis has managed to waive only about Rs 13,700 crore thus far. The roll out has been a mess as a Firstpost investigation revealed). The state had to raise about Rs 20,000 crore to meet the loan waiver demand leading to a higher fiscal deficit. In this context, one needs to wait to see if Fadnavis manages to fulfil commitments made this week.

However, Maharashtra isnt the only state that has faced the burden of a farm loan waiver impacting its balance sheet.

Maharashtra is one of six states  Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh (MP)  that have announced farm debt waivers in the ongoing financial year, which ends 31 March, 2018, following a spate of farmer suicides in these states. While farm loan waivers announced by the UP and the Punjab governments are part of their respective FY18 Budgets, those announced by Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka are outside their budgets.

Ahead of state elections, due later this year, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, in February, announced a Rs 8,000 crore farm loan waiver package for small and marginal farmers in the desert state.

In September 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government rolled out the first-phase of its loan waiver package, which is worth Rs 7,371 crore. According to the government, loans of over 11 lakh small and marginal farmers will be waived. This follows a promise made in April 2017, when the then newly elected BJP regime there said it will waive Rs 36,359 crore worth of crop loans of 21.5 million farmers.

Elsewhere, the state government of Punjab, in June 2017, waived of crop loans of over a million small and marginal farmers, and the move is estimated to cost the state exchequer some Rs 10,000 crore.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis announced a Rs 34,022 crore farm loan waiver in June 2017. The package is estimated to help 5.6 million farmers.

Also in June 2017, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah announced a waiver of Rs 8,165 crore worth of crop loans, doled out by cooperative banks. His move is expected to benefit over 22 lakh farmers in the southern state

Earlier in June, the Madhya Pradesh government announced a loan waiver package to cover some six lakh farmers with accumulated dues of around Rs 6,000 crore.
CBI questioned three officials from foreign branches of Indian banks for extending credit facilities to companies of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi

New Delhi: The CBI on Wednesday questioned three officials from foreign branches of Indian banks for extending credit facilities to companies of absconding billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, officials said.

Two officials of Canara Bank's branch in Bahrain, including its branch manager, and an official of Bank of India's branch in Antwerp in Belgium were questioned by a CBI team in Mumbai, they said.

The cases pertain to issuance of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and credit facilities of more than $2 billion to companies of Modi and Choksi.

The branches of Canara Bank and Bank of India in Bahrain and Antwerp respectively had extended credit facilities to the companies on the basis of the LoUs from Punjab National Bank's Brady House branch in Mumbai, the CBI FIR has alleged.

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

The court's move came following the CBI's request as both the diamond traders, who left the country in January, refused to join the investigation in cases related to the scam.

The CBI on Sunday 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".

With inputs from agencies
A civilian was killed and three security forces personnel injured during an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials said.

Srinagar: An Indian Army jawan was killed during a gunbattle with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district and four civilians, including two teenagers, died in clashes between locals and security forces that followed, officials said.

Local residents started pelting security personnel with stones, leading to clashes in which around 20 civilians were also injured, they said.

Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the district's Khudwani area on Tuesday night, following information about presence of militants there,the officials said.

They said a gunbattle broke out between the militants and the security forces in the early hours.

Three security force personnel were injured in the initial exchange of firing. Later one of the them, an army jawan, succumbed to injuries, the officials said.

Sarjeel Ahmad (25), Faisal Ilahi (14) and Bilal Ahamad Tantray (16) succumbed to injuries at a hospital, they said.
Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta commenced his arguments on the Aadhaar-PAN linkage under Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act.

On Day 26 of Aadhaar hearings, Attorney General KK Venugopal concluded his arguments for the State, arguing that the privacy invasion via Aadhaar is minimal and is within the reasonable expectation of privacy requirement. Next, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta commenced his arguments on the Aadhaar-PAN linkage under Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act.

He argued that this offers significant advantages, such as enabling deduplication, preventing fraud and widening of the tax base. Further, this section had in effect been cleared of privacy tests through the Binoy Viswam judgement followed by the Puttaswamy judgement.

Informed consent under Aadhaar enrolment forms

The Attorney General first argued that Section 59 of the Aadhaar Act grants retrospective validity to governmental acts prior to the passing of the Act. Next, he turned to the issue of the voluntary nature of Aadhaar enrolment and consent. The current Aadhaar enrolment form was shown to the Court, which states that Aadhaar enrolment is free and voluntary. Further, it was stated that the enrolment form contained the requisite provisions for informed consent.

The Bench, however, pointed to the fact that the first two enrolment forms did not contain provisions on the issue of collecting biometrics, which is a key factor to establish informed consent of the people for their collection. The Attorney General argued that the first two forms were hardly used, since then the enrolment of only 1 crore individuals had been mandated.

The state collects biometrics for individuals benefit alone

Arguing further on the issue of informed consent, the Attorney General next discussed the extent of the invasion of privacy caused by Aadhaar. He cited the instance where the CBI approached the Bombay High Court to obtain biometrics from the UIDAI in connection with an investigation, which the UIDAI refused to do without the individuals consent. The Attorney General argued that the State had no interest in collecting biometrics except for the benefit of the individual himself.

Governments actions taken in the absence of the right to privacy

Next, he argued that even when there was no right to privacy, the government acted in a bona fide manner in enacting Aadhaar. This action, he argued, could not be made void by retrospective action. To this, the Bench cited the several judgements affirming the right to privacy prior to the Puttaswamy judgment, stating that while privacy was an irrelevant question in the MP Sharma case, the Kharak Singh case, had affirmed that there was a right to privacy. Subsequent judgements, they stated, had relied on this affirmation to establish the right to privacy. The Attorney General, however, did not agree with this interpretation.

The reasonable expectation of privacy

Lastly, the Attorney General cited discussions in the Puttaswamy judgement on an individuals reasonable expectation of privacy, this was to be judged taking into consideration the totality of circumstances, which includes the nature of privacy interests implicated by state action, and factors more directly concerned with the expectation of privacy, both subjectively and objectively viewed, in relation to those interests. The Attorney General argued that Aadhaar met this requirement and that the invasion of privacy was minimal.

Aadhaar-PAN linkage addressed in Binoy Viswam judgement

Next, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta commenced his arguments on the Aadhaar Pan linkage, arguing that these issues had already been dealt with extensively by the Supreme Court with respect to Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution in the Binoy Viswam case. On the remaining issue of the right to privacy, he stated that in the Puttaswamy judgement, it was held that privacy could be subject to reasonable restrictions.

Tests to be met for a law to be invalid

He argued that for a law to be invalid, it must fail the tests of proportionality or manifest arbitrariness, and Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, which enables Aadhaar PAN linkage, had been cleared by the Supreme Court of these two tests with respect to Article 19. A valid ground of restriction, he argued, was of larger public interest, and this could be found through the benefits of Section 139AA in preventing income tax fraud, black money, and terrorism.

Demographic information of PAN holders being collected since 1989

Next, he argued that since 1989, obtaining a PAN number was mandatory, and demographic information that is now being collected under Section 139AA was already being collected then, including the collection of the left hands thumb impression. The Bench, here, pointed out that this was only collected for people who could not sign. Further, it was taken only on the form, and there was no authentication at the time. To this, the Additional Solicitor General submitted that his argument was that with respect to the issue of privacy, this regime had already been in place since 1989.

The deduplication advantage of Aadhaar-PAN

The requirement of Aadhaar, he further argued, was to ensure deduplication through a robust technological regime. Aadhaar, being unique and with almost 99 percent coverage, the deduplication is more systematic. Further, almost 11.35 lakh fake PAN cards had been found. Multiple PAN cards, he argued, enabled money laundering, tax fraud and shell companies. Ensuring only one PAN per individual via Aadhaar could resolve this. The use of biometrics, further, will prevent the forging of IDs, as was previously done to obtain Aadhaar. Duplicate Aadhaars, he stated, were almost non-existent.

The Additional Solicitor General then read out various factors to show issues which Aadhaar PAN linkage could resolve  such as the instance of the creation of 3,000 fake demat accounts using photographs of others and the difference between the number of PAN cards and the tax base. The Court, here, observed that this difference may not be due to duplicates alone since PAN cards are nowadays required for various purposes. Further, the same ingenuity which was seen with PAN-based frauds can also happen with Aadhaar.

The Additional Solicitor General, to this, stated that no system was foolproof, and efforts were being made to make it better. He further discussed the tax to GDP ratio, which is very low. He argued that ours is a non-tax compliant society, made possible through the predominance of cash.

Binoy Viswam and Puttaswamy judgements together clear Section 139AA

He further argued that even though the Supreme Court had not dealt with the issue of privacy in the Binoy Viswam judgement, all the tests for testing privacy violations had been applied by the Court. Further, the Puttaswamy judgement, in effect, retrospectively ratifies the Binoy Viswam judgment.

The arguments will continue on 11 April.

Sources of the arguments include live-tweeting of the case by SFLC.in and Gautam Bhatia.

You can read out coverage of the Aadhaar Supreme Court case 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.
The Marathahalli Police on Wednesday traced Atreyee Majumdar, an anthropologist who went missing on 4 April, to Hotel Taj Vivanta on MG Road in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru: The Marathahalli Police on Wednesday traced Atreyee Majumdar, an anthropologist who went missing on 4 April, to Hotel Taj Vivanta on MG Road in Bengaluru.

The hotel staff informed the local police station (Halasuru) about Atreyee Majumdar, who in turn, informed us. We reached Hotel Taj Vivanta at 11 am and took her to hospital for medical check up, said Marathahalli police inspector Sadiq Pasha. The police have not yet pieced together information on how she ended up the Vivanta.

Majumdar, 35, a resident of Bellandur in Bengaluru, had been missing for a week, prompting colleagues and friends to form search parties.

She became untraceable on 4 April, the day she arrived in the city from Toronto, where she is pursuing a post-doctoral fellowship. She stayed at Novotel Hotel on 4 April and her last known location was obtained from CCTV footage that showed her checking out of the Marriot Hotel on 6 April. She was alone, Pasha said

Her parents Biplab Majumdar and Paramati Majumdar were "happy to know" that their daughter was found safe. I cannot say much now. I am happy to have found my daughter, said Biplab.

According to her parents, Majumdar went incommunicado in Toronto and did not respond to their calls until 3 April, but she informed them on 4 April that she'd landed in New Delhi. She flew to Bengaluru the same day. Her father received her at the airport and brought her home around 4.30 pm. Majumdar left the house at 9 pm, and her parents said they did not know where she went.

I am very happy. My daughter is fine, her mother Paramati told Firstpost.

The police could not reach Majumdar on social media as she'd not carried her phone. The police had distributed pamphlets with her photo, informed hospitals, paying guest (PG) accommodations and hotels and asked them to inform Majumdar's parents if they spot her.

Majumdar is an alumna of National Law School in Bengaluru and Yale University. She was in Toronto pursuing a post-doctoral research with a fellowship from the Andrew W Mellon Foundation.

Y Maheshwara Reddy is a Bengaluru-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article quoted police inspector Sadiq Pasha's assessment of Majumdar's health condition. That portion of the piece has been edited out as Pasha is not qualified to offer his opinion about aspects related to medicine.
The Congress, on Tuesday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to observe a day-long fast on Thursday to protest the washout of the Budget Session of Parliament was a 'farce', adding that the prime minister should instead apologise to the youth, Dalits and other sections of the society, who were allegedly let down by his government.

New Delhi: The Congress, on Tuesday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that he, along with Bharatiya Janata Party MPs, would observe a day-long fast on Thursday to protest the washout of the Budget Session of Parliament was a "farce", adding that the prime minister should instead apologise to the youth, Dalits and other sections of the society, who were allegedly let down by his government.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also said the BJP-led central government should be blamed for the Parliament washout.

"This is a farce of a fast by the Modi government. The BJP should apologise to the nation and hold a fast for disrupting Parliament for over 250 hours. The Lok Sabha, where the BJP has a majority, functioned for only one percent of its time and the Rajya Sabha functioned for six percent of its time," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Surjewala also alleged that the government had "disrespected" and "degenerated" the Parliament.

Holding the government responsible for the CBSE papers leak and the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Congress spokesperson said the prime minister should "hold a fast to apologise to the country for the 13 banking scams, where people like chhota Modi that is Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi ran away with over Rs 61,000 crore".

He added that the BJP should also apologise to the country for not revealing the details of the Rafale deal and thereby, compromising on issues of national security.

The Congress' reaction came after the BJP announced that the prime minister would observe a day-long fast on Thursday, along with the party MPs, to protest the recent washout of the Budget Session of Parliament, while party chief Amit Shah would hold a sit-in at Hubli in poll-bound Karnataka on the same day.
India's mega defence exhibition  the DefExpo  began in Thiruvidanthai on Wednesday with participation of major global and domestic military firms

Thiruvidanthai: India's mega defence exhibition  the DefExpo  began in Thiruvidanthai on Wednesday with participation of major global and domestic military firms, which are eyeing billions of dollars of contract as part of the country's military modernisation programme.

The NDA government is trying to project the 10th edition of the event as first serious attempt to transform India  the largest importer of military platforms and weapons  into a hub of military manufacturing.

India is expected to spend close to $ 300 billion in the next five years in procuring defence equipment and almost all major global defence firms are eyeing a slice of it.

Though the four-day-long DefExpo, on the outskirts of Chennai and close to the temple town of Mahabalipuram, began from Wednesday, it will formally be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a tweet, said For the first time, India will be showcasing its defence export potential at @DefExpoIndia.

According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms, including 154 foreign manufacturers, are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware.

While showcasing strengths of India's substantial public sector, it will also uncover the country's growing private industry and spreading MSME base for components and sub-systems, the organisers said.

Indigenously developed military helicopters, aircraft, missiles and rockets, capabilities to manufacture submarines, frigates and corvettes would be showcased at the event.

The tag line of DefExpo this year is India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub to showcase India's capability in export of defence systems and components.

Indian participation include private and public giants like Tata, L&T, Kalyani, Bharat Forge, Mahindra, DRDO, HAL, Ordnance Factories, and many others.

It is being attended by official delegations from over 47 countries, including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam.

The theme of the expo is India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub.

Major international companies, which are participating at the expo include Lockheed Martin, Boeing (US), Saab (Sweden), Airbus, Rafael (France), Rosonboron Exports, United Shipbuilding (Russia), BAE Systems (UK), Sibat (Israel), Wartsila (Finland) and Rhode and Schwarz (Germany).

The weapons and platforms being displayed include the Tejas fighter jets, advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS) designed by the DRDO Arjun Mark 2 tank and Dhanush artillery guns.

The DRDO's exhibits include the Nirbhay missile system with launcher, autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (AUGV), MBT Arjun Mk-I tank, Astra missile, low level transportable radar (LLTR) system, medium power radar (MPR) system and Varunastra  heavy weight anti submarine electric torpedo.

Described as the "largest" to be conducted so far, the 10th edition of DefExpo was being organised over 2.90 lakh square feet at Thiruvidanthai, located on the scenic East Coast Road (ECR).

Live demonstration of large platforms, flying display by HAL and IAF and various business sessions have been scheduled.

Further, Indian Navy ships will be available for onboard viewing on Chennai harbour on 13 and 15, according to officials.
Prakash has challenged the privilege committee notice directing him to appear before it for skipping a meeting on 20 February,

New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly Speaker told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has no right under the law to challenge the enquiries conducted by House committees and the bureaucrat has levelled reckless, unfounded, mala fide and defamatory allegations on the members of the panels.

Prakash has challenged the privilege committee notice directing him to appear before it for skipping a meeting on 20 February, which was scheduled a day after he was allegedly assaulted by two AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, both of whom are now out on bail.

The Speaker, the Question and Reference committee and the privilege committee, in a joint affidavit, contended that the chief secretary's plea was not maintainable saying that notice was issued to him by the panel in accordance with law and powers vested with the committee.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher listed the matter for further hearing on 31 July.

The affidavit said that the legislative assembly was free to make its own rules of procedures for conducting its work in the assembly and by the panels and the chief secretary has "no right available under law to challenge the meetings and/or enquiries conducted by the committees of the legislative assembly".

It said the notice was only for the meeting and does not in any manner violate any fundamental right or breaches the provisions of Articles 19 or 21 of the bureaucrat and therefore, he was precluded from questioning it.

The assembly said the chief secretary's stand that the panel has no authority under the law to issue him a meeting notice was liable to be rejected out rightly and no interference was required from the court.

"The Constitution specifically deals with the doctrine of Separation. The transgression by one authority in the exclusive domain of the other authority is not permitted except where the judicial review is necessitated on the breach of any fundamental right of a party which is not at all the case here. It is well settled that the jurisdiction of the House over its own internal proceedings is exclusive and absolute and cannot be interfered with by the courts.

"It is to be presumed by the courts that the assembly discharges its functions in accordance with law and properly, cognisance in the matters arising within the walls of the assembly cannot be questioned before the courts in any manner whatsoever, except for certain exceptions...," the affidavit said.

It added that in this case nothing has been decided as of now and the meeting of Privilege Committee was yet to be undertaken and the chief secretary (CS) instead of appearing before the panel, approached the court on frivolous and non-existent grounds and alleged violation of rights.

It claimed that the petition was not only an abuse of process of law but was in a manner of putting impediments before the committee of the legislative assembly and it was not proper on his part.

"The petitioner (CS) has levelled reckless, unfounded, mala fide and defamatory allegations on the members of the committee. The committee has taken note of the said unfounded, reckless, false, mischievous, and mala fide allegations and shall proceed in accordance with law against him for violation of its privileges. The present writ petition is thus not maintainable and liable to be dismissed with exemplary cost," the assembly and its panel said.

It claimed that the panel was conducting inquiry since 2017 but the officers were cooperating on one or the other fallacious ground and there was "no vendetta or any malice with the committees either against the CS or any other person".

However, due to the alleged incident of February 19-20, the CS in connivance with the other officers had decided not to attend any meeting called by the ministers or committees, it alleged.

Regarding the other two IAS officers  JB Singh, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, and Shurbir Singh, chief executive officer DUSIB, who were also asked by the privilege committee to appear, the assembly said that they had submitted their reply stating that they cannot appear before the panel till they receive instructions from the CS.

"Thus, for one frivolous reason or the other the officers are not appearing before the committees and the same is nothing short of the contempt of the committees," it said, adding that the petition be dismissed.

The assembly denied the allegation that notice was a culmination of attempts made by the House and its panels to arm-twist the CS.

It said the assembly and its panels were taking these allegations against them "very seriously" and were calling upon him to withdraw the allegations forthwith and there was no basis for leveling such irresponsible allegations on the Speaker of the legislative assembly and the committees formed by him.

The court had earlier asked both the panels not to take any coercive action against CS for the time being.

The CS had also not attended the subsequent meetings on 21 and 23 February, following which the notice was issued on March 1.

In his plea, the chief secretary has submitted that he was summoned to appear before the privilege committee for inquiry without being provided any copy of the complaint or opportunity to respond to the same.

The court had sought responses from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Lieutenant Governor, the AAP government, office of the Delhi Assembly Speaker, its privilege committee and the Question and Reference committee.

The CS in his plea filed through advocate Vivek Chib has sought quashing of the notice issued to him by the committee. He had said the CS has a right to free and fair investigation and he has been asked to appear before the committee which has Khan as one of its member.
A Maharashtra farmer ended his life by consuming poison in his farmland in Maharashtra's Yavatmal.

Yavatmal: In a major embarrassment for the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Maharashtra farmer on Tuesday ended his life by consuming poison in his farmland, blaming the ruling NDA government for his step.

The 50-year old farmer has been identified as Shankar Bhaurao Chayre, from Rajurwadi village in Yavatmal district, among the worst-hit in the country due to the agrarian distress.

Nearly 12 hours after the incident, the family refused to take over his body from the Vasantrao Naik Medical College Hospital morgue for the last rites.

Stunned by the development, Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (SNSSM) President Kishore Tiwari announced he will visit the bereaved family on Wednesday morning.

"We shall provide an immediate relief of Rs 100,000 to the family. Chayre leaves behind his wife, their three daughters (including one married) and a son. We have decided to adopt them by providing them full education, or if they are already qualified, with gainful employment to help the family survive," Tiwari told IANS.

According to information available, the distraught Chayre went to his farmland this morning and attempted to hang himself from a tree.

However, the rope snapped, so he consumed poison and fell unconscious, even as some workers rushed him to a local hospital in a serious condition.

The medicos there informed that the case was critical and advised them to seek help from Yavatmal town. He was taken to a hospital there but doctors declared him dead.

In a crumpled two-page handwritten suicide note recovered by police, Chayre narrated how he had sought help from various officials in the government, including MPs, MLAs, state ministers and others but was ignored.

He narrated that he had a nine-acre farm on which he had planted cotton, for which he availed a loan of Rs 90,000 from a local cooperative society and Rs 300,000 from a private party.

However, due to the bollworm infection on cotton crops in many parts of Vidarbha, his crop was destroyed and he experienced extreme crises in repaying his loans. The farmer blamed the NDA government for failing to address the agrarian crisis in the state.

VNSSM's Tiwari said that owing to the completely casual approach of the government and the public sector banks, the farm loan waiver scheme announced in June 2017 has yet to reach a vast majority of the beneficiaries.

Besides, other interim aid measures announced in December have also yet to reach the poor farmers, "creating a crisis of mega-proportions in the Maharashtra farmlands".
Three non-BJP ruled southern states and Union Territory Puducherry came out against the Terms of Reference stipulated by the Centre in the 15th Finance Commission for devolution of funds to states.

Three non-BJP ruled southern states and Union Territory Puducherry came out against the Terms of Reference stipulated by the Centre in the 15th Finance Commission for devolution of funds to states. At a conclave of finance ministers of southern states held in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry said that the Terms of Reference (ToR) was in contradiction to the principles of Federalism enshrined in the Constitution and also would result in revenue loss to performing states.

The ministers from the four southern states also strongly opposed the ToR recommendation to use the 2011 Census to calculate population for allocation of Union tax revenue in place of 1971 Census, which was used by previous Finance Commissions.

However, AIADMK-ruled Tamil Nadu and TRS-ruled Telangana opted out of the conference, hosted by Kerala to discuss issues of common concern with respect to the 15th Finance Commission. Briefing reporters on the deliberations of the conclave, Kerala finance minister TM Thomas Isaac said a similar conference would be held at Visakhapatnam either in April end or May first week to finalise a memorandum seeking changes in the ToR.

"We will see that Tamil Nadu and Telangana along with more states like West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab and Delhi attend that conference," Isaac said. Stating that all states would be affected, he said BJP-ruled states were also welcome to the conference.

However, he expressed doubt about their participation as ToR was drawn up by the BJP government at the Centre. The memorandum would be submitted either to the President or to 15th Finance Commission Chairman, he said.

Since its formation in November 2017, the 15th Finance Commission has been a matter of contention among the southern states. The Finance Commission is a crucial constitutional set-up which decides every five years the ratio in which Central tax revenue should be divided among the different states.

All the states and Union Territories in India are collectively allocated 42 percent of the Central taxes collected each financial year. The remaining 58 percent is for the Centre to use for national purposes. But the ratio in which the 42 percent gets divided among the different states is decided by the Finance Commission. On 27 November, 2017, the Ministry of Finance issued a notification constituting the 15th Finance Commission under the chairmanship of NK Singh.

In the same notice, one of the ToR stated that the "Commission shall use the population data of 2011 while making its recommendations". Traditionally, the previous Finance Commissions used population data from the 1971 Census as a standard. In fact, Lok Sabha constituencies were also divided based on this data and are set to remain frozen this way until 2026. The reason the 1971 Census was used as the standard is as it was the last Census before aggressive family control initiatives were implemented.

After Tuesday's meeting, there were few who thought that there was an attempt to reduce the Centre's share to states through the 15th Finance Commission, he said. "If this is allowed to succeed, states would become glorified municipalities," Isaac said. The 15th Finance Commission is expected to visit the state in May, he said. Issac also said the conclave was the beginning of a debate on Centre-State relations.

The North-South debate

The decision to include 2011 Census was first introduced in the 14th Finance Commission, which gave a 10 percent weightage to the 2011 Census while allocating the Central tax revenue. Like this piece in The Wire noted, the political consensus was that the ratio of distribution cannot be arrived at based on current population after asking states to implement family planning measures.

The argument the southern states are making is that in the decades between 1971 and 2011, these states saw a steady decline in population growth rate, whereas northern states showed no such sign. The contention made by leaders like MK Stalin and Siddaramaiah is that using the 2011 Census data would result in a much-reduced flow of Central funds to the state, which they term as "punishment" for investing in education and health schemes to reduce the fertility rates and see an uptick in literacy rates.

"We are all aware that the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission have created apprehension about principles of fairness and equity in the distribution of national resources for development," Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday while inaugurating the conclave. Attacking the BJP-led NDA government, he said ToR was unprecedented in asking the Commission to consider proposing performance-based incentives beyond those relating to fiscal responsibility, population and devolution to local bodies.

"This reflects the viewpoint and ideological inclinations of the Central government and are attempts to micro-manage the fiscal domain of states'," he said. Andhra Pradesh finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said they were not blaming the Finance Commission or its composition. They were against ToR 'unilaterally' stipulated by the Centre without consulting states, he said and demanded that it be reframed after discussions.

One of the ToR asks the Finance Commission to incentivise "efforts and progress made in moving towards replacement rate of population growth". Joint secretary of the 13th Finance Commission V Bhaskar noted in The Economic and Political Weekly that the replacement level fertility rate is defined as the total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.1. Out of the 29 states in India, 18 have already achieved the desired replacement rate of 2.1 or less, including all the southern states.

Female literacy rates in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu are much higher than in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This shows a correlation between education and health; states with better literacy seem better prepared to implement family planning measures.

As The Wire noted in its report, between 1971 and 2011, Tamil Nadu and Kerala showed an absolute population growth of 56 percent and 75 percent respectively  the lowest among all the states. Most other states showed an increase in the population growth exceeding 100 percent. Uttar Pradesh's showed an absolute population growth of 138.02 percent, while Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest at 171.82 percent.

When the 14th Finance Commission introduced the change in ratio by including the 2011 Census data, it translated to a revenue loss of Rs 6,000 crore for Tamil Nadu, 19 percent compared to the 13th Finance Commission's allocation ratio, making it the worst affected state. If the 2011 Census data is solely used by the 15th Finance Commission, it could result in a loss of nearly 70 percent of Central tax revenue it was allocated by the 13th Finance Commission, the report further stated.

In a statement on Wednesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed the controversy over the finance commissions recommendations needless. The Union finance minister pointed out that the 14th Finance Commission, which increased the share of states revenue to 42 percent from 32 percent, had already set a precedent by giving 10 percent weightage to the 2011 census data. He added that the ToR of the 15th Finance Commission includes a provision for rewarding with special incentives states that have done well in terms of population control. "There is no inherent bias or mandate in the ToR of the 15th Finance Commission which can be construed as discriminatory against the states which made good progress in population control," Jaitley said.

With inputs from agencies
Two days after the dean of JJ Hospital confirmed Indrani Mukerjea overdosed on an antidepressant, she was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, according to reports.

Two days after the dean of JJ Hospital confirmed Indrani Mukerjea overdosed on an antidepressant, she was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, according to reports.

However, the chemical analysis report by the forensic science laboratory (FSL) on Wednesday ruled out drug overdose and said her ill health could be due to some "other medical ailment", CNN-News18 reported. This report will be submitted to the hospital on Thursday.

When asked by reporters outside the hospital if she feared for her life, she said, "Yes, there is a threat to my life."

On Monday, JJ Hospital dean SD Nanandkar said, "Overdose of benzodiazepine was suspected and that is what has come out positive in the test."

Indrani, the former INX Media chief underwent an MRI scan and other tests after she was rushed to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai due to an alleged drug overdose. Indrani  in custody since August 2015 as one of the prime accused in the April 2012 disappearance and subsequent murder of her 24-year old daughter Sheena Bora  was rushed to the hospital around 11 pm on Friday from Byculla Jail. She was reported to be in a semi-conscious and delirious state.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy alleged that the overdose was an attempt to "eliminate" Indrani, who happens to be the key witness against Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram's alleged INX Media money laundering case.

Indrani, the key witness against Chidambaram and son poisoned in jail. Who is behind it? Attempts to eliminate her? https://t.co/V8AtGnendQ via @PGurus1  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) April 9, 2018

On Monday, Byculla Jail authorities in Mumbai ordered a probe on Monday to find out if there was any foul play by jail authorities while administering the medicines to Indrani after JJ Hospital's "basic-level provisional diagnosis" pointed to a drug overdose.

Indrani's daughter, Sheena Bora (24), was abducted and killed on 24 April, 2012 allegedly over a financial dispute and her body disposed off in a forest in the adjoining Raigad district, according to the police.

Indrani, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested for the crime. Rai later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case.
Responding to allegations of violation of reservation policy in JNU, the administration said it was adhering to the policy.

New Delhi: Responding to allegations of violation of reservation policy in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the administration on Tuesday said it was adhering to the policy, as prescribed in the constitution, in both admissions and recruitments.

The university also blamed its schools and centres for not providing information on vacancies despite repeated reminders.

In a statement, JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said, "Reservation policy as per the constitution and related rules framed in parliament are followed in admissions as well as recruitments. Regarding vacant seats that could not be filled during previous year, it was clarified that the schools and centres did not provide complete information despite several reminders".

Responding to the claims, a faculty in the Centre for Linguistics, JNU  Ayesha Kidwai said, "The JNU administration did not listen to the centres on the intakes. Then it was their policy (50 percent cutoff, 100 percent viva, no relaxations for quota seats, no deprivation points etc) that kept seats vacant. If there were more seats, your policies would have just let those seats be vacant".

The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) had petitioned the Lok Sabha regarding the matter. Over 30 parliamentarians have written to Union HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar to look into the alleged violation of reservation policy at the varsity.

The JNU Teachers Association had also announced that it would approach the president, the visitor of the varsity, and the prime minister, seeking their intervention in the matter.
A sessions court rejected the bail pleas of three owners of '1 Above' pub and a co-owner of the adjacent 'Mojo's Bistro' in the Kamala Mills fire case, but granted bail to two employees.

Mumbai: A sessions court rejected the bail pleas of three owners of '1 Above' pub and a co-owner of the adjacent 'Mojo's Bistro' in the Kamala Mills fire case, but granted bail to two employees.

A devastating fire at the two rooftop pubs in Kamala Mills Compound in central Mumbai had claimed 14 lives on 29 December.

Additional Sessions judge S V Yarlagadda refused bail to `1 Above' owners Kripesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Mankar, and Mojo's Bistro co-owner Yug Pathak.

The judge, however, granted bail to `1 Above' managers Kewin Baba and Libson Lopez.

The court had last month refused bail to Mojo's Bistro co-owner Yug Tulli.

The police had arrested 14 persons in the case, including owners of the two restaurants and officials of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), for alleged negligence.

The fire started because of charcoal embers flying from hookah, served illegally at Mojo's Bistro, and spread quickly, said a report of the MCGM's fire department. Patrons could not escape because illegal alterations had blocked exits, it alleged.
An FIR was registered against lawyers who tried to prevent the police from filing chargesheet in the Kathua rape and murder case in Jammu and Kashmir, as the investigation came close to a conclusion

On Tuesday, an FIR was registered against lawyers who attempted to prevent the police from filing chargesheet in the Kathua rape and murder case in Jammu and Kashmir, as the investigation came close to a conclusion.

"The FIR has been lodged into the incident wherein some lawyers tried to obstruct the presenting of the chargesheet by the crime branch in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Kathua on Monday. Action under law will be taken against those found involved in the incident," Director-General of Police SP Vaid said.

In response, the Jammu High Court Bar Association (JHBA) called for a bandh in the Jammu region on Wednesday in support of various demands, including CBI probe into the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl. Claiming mass support to the call for a strike, JHBA said more than two dozen social, religious and political groups besides commercial transport and tanker unions have pledged support

The Congress and CPM also condemned the lawyers' protest, alleging that Monday's protests were part of a well-thought-out conspiracy to polarise communities in the state by giving a criminal act a communal colour.

Here is the full text of the chargesheet filed by the police:

Brief facts of the case are that on 12.01.2018 one Mohd. Yousuf S/o Sahib Din (caste-Bakarwal) R/O Rasana, Tehsil Hiranagar, District Kathua lodged a complaint in P/S Hiranagar to the effect that his daughter namely Miss Xxxxx, Aged 8 years, had gone for grazing horses in the nearby forest at about 1230 hrs and she was seen with the horses at about 1400 hrs on 10.01.2018. On the same day horses returned back in the dhera at about 1600 hrs but Xxxx did not return back. On this the complainant along with others started search in the forest area but Xxxxx could not be traced out. He further alleged that he had a suspicion that some miscreants might have kidnapped his daughter. On this report case FIR No 10/2018 U/S 363 RPC was registered in PS Hiranagar and investigation was taken up.

In the course of investigation the investigating officer made efforts to trace out the missing girl with the help of VDC members and respectable of the area but did not get any clue about the victim. Subsequently, on 17.01.2018 dead body of (the victim) was recovered on the basis of information provided by one Jagdish Raj S/o Desu R/o Dugaan Bani who had been same while in search of his missing horses in the nearby forest. The body of the deceased was taken into custody for conducting autopsy. The postmortem of the deceased was conducted by a team of doctors at District Hospital Kathua on the same day at 1430 hrs. During investigation conducted by P/S Hiranagar one individual namely Shubam Sangra S/O Om Prakash R/O Hiranagar, Ward No. 10, A/P Rasana, residing with his maternal uncle Sanji Ram in village Rasana, was taken to police station Hiranagar for questioning. During questioning he divulged that his father is working as a peon in Hr. Sec. School Chagral and his mother is a housewife.

He further divulged that he used to take alcohol, cigarettes, gutka and other intoxicants and had been expelled from Modern Public School Sikdi Hiranagar, because of his unruly behavior with girls of his school. Fed up with his conduct the family shifted him to the house of his maternal uncle, some three months back, where he used to take care of their cattle by getting leaves, etc from the nearby forests. In the forests he had met a girl of Bakarwal community 7/8 times and most of the times she used to enquire about the whereabouts of her horses which she usually would take to the forest for grazing. On 10-01-2018, the same Bakarwal girl met him in the forest area near a Bahari Balish tree and he asked her to accompany him on the assurance that he would help her in tracing out her missing horses. Around 1830 hrs he took her to a shed of his maternal uncle meant for keeping the cattle where he gagged her with a handkerchief and also tied her hands with a rope which was already lying in the shed.

He further divulged that he took out the drawstring (Nara) from her trouser and tied up her legs with the same. Thereafter, he locked the door of the shed and proceeded to his home. After an hour he took some meals for her secretly and on reaching the shed un-gagged her and made her to eat the food that he had brought for her. Next he again gagged her with the same handkerchief, locked the shed again and went home. He continued doing the same till 16-01-2018. On 16-01-2018 at about 6:30 PM he reached the shed in question and untied the girl. Thereafter, he knotted her trouser with a rope and told her that he will drop her home. He took her through the same route, wherefrom, he had brought her to the shed and on way he unknotted her trouser and attempted to rape her. The said girl reacted by saying that she will narrate the whole incident to her family members. Apprehending that Bakarwals residing in the area will kill him he strangulated her with a chunni that was worn by her. Blood mixed spitting oozed from her mouth and thereafter he took her in his lap to another place and threw her on the ground where he hit her head twice with a stone.

Subsequently he waited for about 10 minutes and then left for home. On the next day he took the drawstring of her trouser and the handkerchief to the cowshed and burnt them. As per the investigations conducted by P/S Hiranagar, JCL further revealed that he used to take the victim to nearby fields for attending natures call, discreetly, in late hours and used to wash her private parts with his hands using water from the hand pump. He also stated that he used to give her toffees of the Milky Way brand. He further divulged that during the captivity of said girl he did not make any attempt to rape her. Accordingly said JCL S/o Om Prakash Sangra R/o Ward No.10 Hiranagar was arrested in the above said case on 19.01.2018 by the Police Station Hiranagar. On the basis of the confessional statement of the accused a stone, weighing around 1 kg, used by him to hit the deceased girl was recovered and seized. He was subsequently produced before the Ld. Chief Judicial Magistrate Kathua who ordered him to be sent to juvenile home.

Subsequently, in pursuance to PHQ Order No 374 of 2018 Dated 22-01-2018, the investigation of above referred case was transferred to Crime Branch and Crime Headquarters J&K vide Order issued under endorsement No CHQ/FIR/10/18-Hiranagar1083-92 Dated 23-01-2018, constituted a team of officers/officials headed by Shri Naveed Peerzada, ASP Crime Branch, Kashmir for carrying out further investigation of the case. However, the case dairy file was formally handed over to Crime Branch Jammu by Shri Adil Hamid Ganai, ASP Samba, Incharge of earlier SIT constituted by IGP Jammu Zone on 27-10-2018 at 19.00 hrs in person at Crime Branch, Jammu.

In the course of investigation conducted by the Crime Branch the Ld. CJM was requested to handover the custody of Shubam Sangra for questioning. The examination of the juvenile was carried out in the presence of a social worker and his father. On the basis of the inputs provided by the Juvenile and other accused who were arrested and questioned in custody and the evidence collected in the course of investigation it transpired that somewhere in the first week of January, accused Sanji Ram decided to put a plan to dislodge the Bakarwal Community from Rasana area, which had been brewing in his mind for quite some time, into operation and in pursuance to that he made accused Deepak Khajuria, an SPO in Police Department and JCL as part of conspiracy and assigned them tasks separately and individually.

In furtherance of said conspiracy accused Deepak along with his friend Vikram went to Bitu Medical shop at Kottah Morh on 07th of January 2018 evening and purchased one strip of Epitril 0.5 mg containing 10 tablets by showing the prescription of his (Mamu) maternal uncle namely Kamal who had a psychiatric problem and is under treatment with Dr. Mukul at Kathua. Although the medicine as per the prescription was not available with Bitu he gave him Epitril 0.05 mg instead of the medicine written on the prescription.On4th January, 2018 accused Sanji Ram Maternal uncle of JCL provoked and induced said JCL to take revenge from the Bakarwals who had earlier beaten him.

On 7th of January, 2018 Sanji Ram told JCL to kidnap the Bakarwal girl namely Xxxxx D/o Yxxxxx Bakarwal who often comes to the forests behind the house of accused Sanji Ram for grazing her horses. Investigation further revealed that on 8th of January, 2018 while JCL was busy working in the field another accused namely Deepak Khajuria called him near tube well and offered him cigarettes. Said Deepak lured him to kidnap Yxxxxxs daughter on the assurance that he would help him in passing the board exams (through cheating). Subsequently, JCL shared the entire plan worked out by Sanji Ram and Deepak Khajuria with Parvesh Kumar @Mannu, his close friend and asked for his help and assistance in executing the plan on ground. The investigation further revealed that accused Sanji Ram had directed the JCL to execute the plan of kidnapping and to give some intoxicant to the girl and thereafter confine her at Devisthan in the first instance. On 9th of January, 2018, JCL along with another accused Parvesh Kumar @Mannu went to Hiranagar and purchased 04 Manars from Rampals shop, situated near auto stand Hiranagar, out of which one was consumed by him and kept other 3 in his pocket and returned back to Rasana.

On 10th January, 2018 thes aid JCL heard the voice of the girl who was enquiring from one Veena Devi about her horses when he was on the roof of his Mamu (accused Sanji Rams) house. He immediately rushed down stairs, took 03 Manars and keys of Devisthan and told Xxxxx that he had seen her horses. He led her to jungle and also called accused Mannu who was already waiting for his signal. Sensing some trouble the victim tried to flee away.The JD stopped her by catching hold of her neck and covered her mouth with one of his hands and pushed her and she fell on the ground. Accused Mannu held her legs and the JCL administered Manars one by one forcibly to the victim. The victim fell unconscious and was raped by JCL. Thereafter, Mannu also attempted to rape her but could not do it. Later on, they took the girl and kept her inside Devisthan under the table over two Chatayees (plastic Mats) and then covered her with two Darees (cotton thread Mats).

Thereafter, both JCL and accused Mannu left Devisthan after locking it. On the next day, parents of Xxxxx reached Devisthan and enquired from accused Sanji Ram about the whereabouts of her missing daughter and in reply the accused Sanji Ram told her that she will be back as she might have gone to some relatives house. At 12:00 noon the accused Deepak Khajuria @Deepu came near the house of accused Sanji Ram and signalled JCL, who took keys of Devisthan and both of them left for Devisthan as per the plan. Both of them reached Devisthan, opened the lock and accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu directed JCL to fetch water from a tap outside Devisthan.

Thereafter, accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu took out a strip of sedatives containing ten (10) tablets. While the JCL lifted the head of the girl the accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu opened her mouth, put two tablets out of the strip in her mouth and made her to drink water and rubbed her throat with his fingers. Then accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu left from Devisthan and the JCL locked the door and hid the strip under a heap of dry grass nearby. In the evening at about 5.00 p.m. the JCL went to Devisthan for lighting jyoti and checked the girl again and found her unconscious. Thereafter, on 11th January JCL informed another accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma about the kidnapping of the girl telephonically and asked him to return from Meerut in case he wanted to satisfy his lust.

On 12th of January, 2018 accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma reached Rasana from Meerut at 06:00 a.m. JCL narrated full details to Vishal about kidnapping and confinement of the girl in Devisthan. At about 8:30 a.m. the JCL again went to Devisthan and administered 3 sedative tablets to the girl while she was unconscious with empty stomach. On the same day the Police party along with Bakarwals started search of the missing girl and accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu came to the house of accused Sanji Ram with another police official namely Iftikar Wani. The accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu asked for water and at the same time advised the juvenile to ensure administering of sedatives to the victim in time. During investigation it transpired that accused Sanji Ram had already taken the accused police officials into confidence and settled the deal with them to take care of the things which would ensue in the process of culmination of the conspired plan. In pursuance of the settled deal accused HC Tilak Raj, who was also accompanying the search party, took accused Sanji Ram to cow shed and reiterated that necessary payments have to be made to the investigating officer of the case i.e. accused SI Anand Dutta in order to save him and other accused from the clutches of law with respect to kidnapping and also not to conduct further searches.

During investigation it has been found that on 12th of January JD Shuboos mother, Tripta Devi, reached accused Sanji Rams residence at Rasana. It has been found that the accused Sanji Ram narrated JCLs involvement in kidnapping and confinement of the girl to the JCLs mother. Further that accused Sanji Ram gave his sister (i.e. JCLs mother) a packet containing Rs. 1.5 lacs with the direction to hand over the same to accused HC Tilak Raj as accused Sanji Ram had to attend some work. It has been found during investigation that JCLs mother was a close friend of accused HC Tilk Raj as both were classmates in Govt. Primary School at Damiyal. The money was subsequently handed over to accused Tilak Raj by Tripta Devi.

During the course of investigation it has been found that at about 8:30 a.m. on 13th January 2018 JCL, accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma and accused Sanji Ram left for Devisthan, where JCL and Sanji Ram performed rituals. In the meantime, accused Mannu also reached Devisthan. The accused Sanji Ram left Devisthan from back gate for performing some rituals and met Deepu who was waiting for him. The accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma raped Xxxxx. Thereafter, JCL also raped the girl in presence of the accused Mannu. The investigation also revealed that after committing the rape, JCL directed accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma and accused Mannu to leave Devisthan. JCL again took out 03 tablets out of the strip which he had kept under a heap of garbage near an electric pole outside the Devisthan and gave the same to the girl and again covered her with mats and dropped the utensil container in front of her in order to hide her. The remaining two tablets were hidden by the juvenile delinquent under a heap of garbage near electric pole.

During investigation the said strip containing two tablets was recovered from near the Devisthan on the disclosure and at the instance of JCL. During investigation it has been found that after distributing Lohri to relatives in the evening JCL informed accused Sanji Ram that he and accused Vishal Jangotra had committed gang rape with Xxxxx inside Devisthan. Accused Sanji Ram directed JCL that the time was ripe to kill the girl so as to achieve the ultimate goal of criminal conspiracy hatched among the accused. On the direction of accused Sanji Ram at Devisthan the accused Mannu, Vishal and JCL removed the Victim from Devisthan and took her to a nearby culvert situated in front of Devisthan. In the meantime accused Deepak also reached there. On the spot accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu told JCL to wait as he wanted to rape the girl before she is killed.

As such once again the little girl Xxxxx was gang raped firstly by accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu and then by JCL. After committing the barbaric act of rape on minor victim the accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu kept her neck on his left thigh and started applying force with his hands on her neck in order to kill her. As accused Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu was unsuccessful in killing her another accused JCL killed her by pressing his knees against her back and strangulated the girl by applying force on both the ends of her Chunni. Thereafter, accused JCL, in order to make sure that the victim is dead, hit her twice on head with stone. As per the conspired plan the dead body was to be transported and disposed of in the Cannal at Hiranagar, however, as the vehicle could not be arranged in time, the accused on spot decided to dump the body at Devisthan being the safe place till its disposal and accordingly the four accused namely JCL, Vishal, Deepak and Mannu lifted the body and dumped it in Devisthan while Sanji Ram was keeping watch outside Devisthan. Thereafter, all the accused left for their homes. The investigation conducted further revealed that on 15th January 2018 accused Sanji Ram told JCL and his son accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma that Kishore had refused to bring the car hence they cannot throw the dead body in the Cannal and accordingly directed them to throw the dead body in the jungle as it was not safe to keep it inside Devisthan anymore as the people were likely to visit Devisthan on the following day for Fanda which was to be performed by accused Sanji Ram himself.

During investigation it came to light that JCL went to Mannus house and found that he was not present at home. Accordingly, JCL and accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma decided to execute the plan without Mannu. As per plan JCL along with accused Vishal Jangotra @Shamma went to Devisthan. Accused Vishal Jangotra @Shamma opened the door while JCL lifted the dead body on his shoulder. The accused Vishal Jangotra @Shamma locked the door and JCL disposed of the dead body by throwing it inside the jungle while accused Vishal Jangotra @Shamma was guarding outside bushes. After throwing the body JCL and accused Vishal Jangotra @Shamma returned home. At around 4.00 pm JD Shuboo went to Samadiya near the court Hiranagar where other village boys were playing and met his friend, namely Amit Sharma S/o Narayan Shanker R/o W. No 10 Hiranagar, and informed him about the murder of victim. A fact corroborated by friends of Amit. Thereafter, JCL accompanied accused Vishal to Ghagwal railway station wherefrom accused Vishal left for Meerut. Pertinently, another installment of Rs 1.5 lakhs was given to accuse Tilak Raj by accused Sanji Ram at his residence for SI Anand Dutta.

Investigations revealed that next day on 17th January 2018 dead body of Xxxxx was recovered on the basis of information provided by one Jagdish Raj S/o Desu R/o Dugaan Bani who had seen the same while in search of his missing sheep in the nearby forest. The body of the deceased was taken into custody by police for conducting autopsy. The postmortem of the deceased was conducted by a team of doctors at District Hospital Kathua on the same day at 1430 hrs. Investigation revealed that in the evening accused HC Tilak Raj, who was in knowledge of entire game plan, met accused Sanji Ram at home where he requested the accused Sanji Ram to handover one of the accused as things have gone beyond their control due to massive agitation by Bakarwals. Instead of handing over any accused to him accused Sanji Ram paid an amount of Rs 1.00 lakhs to accused SI Anand Dutta through said Tilak Raj which Tilak Raj readily accepted. Investigations also revealed that on the following day JCL was apprehended and taken to Police Station for questioning.

The accused Sanji Ram visited JCLin P/S Hiranagar and directed him not to disclose the involvement of his son accused Vishal Jangotra @ Shamma and promised him that he will get him cleared from the charges at the earliest. It has been found that accused SI Dutta in order to pave way for clearing JCL of the charges directed him to implicate one Gadee, who had also been lifted by police for questioning, in the killing case of the girl Xxxxx. Instead of implicating the Gadee, JCL admitted the charges of kidnapping and murder of the victim before SSP Kathua. During investigation it has been found that accused SI Dutta again warned JCL and asked him to stick to the tutored version given by him and to take the entire blame on to himself.

During investigation it transpired that on 19th January, 2018, the accused SI Dutta along with his PSOs took JCL to the jungle where from the dead body had been recovered and accused SI Dutta told JCL to hold a stone in his hand and took his photograph. He also prepared a Disclosure Memo showing the Stone to have been recovered on the disclosure of JCL. Thereafter, he took the Juvenile to a cow shed and again took his photographs in the dry grass shed and Machine room respectively. Then accused SI Dutta took JCLs photograph near the ashes of wood. This all was being done by the accused SI Dutta in order to attach an element of truthfulness to his concocted story and in the process to create false evidence so that other accused could be screened from the grave criminal charges for which he had received Rs 4.00 lacs out of the settled amount of Rs 5.00 lacs from accused Sanji Ram. During investigation it surfaced that accused Sanji Ram had kept a good amount of cash available with him well in advance.

However, investigations regarding the complete financial trail are underway. During investigation conducted by Crime Branch it has been established on the basis of oral, scientific as well as documentary evidence that the victim was neither kept in captivity at Cow shed nor had she been killed on the spot from where her dead body was recovered thus rendering the entire story created by accused SI Dutta as farce and far from truth. The investigation has established, on the strength of evidence both oral as well as scientific, that the accused SI Dutta and Tilak Raj have in furtherance of Criminal Conspiracy hatched between themselves and the principal accused Sanji Ram washed the clothes worn by the deceased at the time of her death with the intention to remove the clay and blood stains/sperms etc and thereafter forwarded the same to FSL for expert opinion. This apart the accused SI Dutta deliberately did not conduct the search of Devisthan for tracing out the missing girl. The said accused has not even searched the premises and other suspected installation/houses in the vicinity where from the innocent girl had gone missing and was lastly seen by the witness namely Veena Devi.

Moreover during the course of investigation of such a sensational case the said accused as an I.O has remained very casual and has left serious criminal lapses deliberately in order to give undue benefit or to expunge the accused involved in the case. The accused while investigating the case has deliberately not seized Dupatta, hairband and neckless of the deceased girl as well as clothes of the juvenile after his confession which is evident from the seizure memos prepared by the accused during the course of investigation. The Chunni used for strangulating the victim has been seized later on by SIT CBJ from P/S Hiranagar along with Hair band. These vital pieces of evidence were deliberately left out by the said accused to confer undue benefit to the accused. The necklace worn by the victim (as seen in the photographs of victim) was also not seized and has been destroyed as the same could not be traced and accused was unable to justify that as to why these items were not seized as a piece of evidences in this case. Similarly the accused SI Anand Dutta has not even collected the blood sample of victims from the board of doctors who conducted autopsy of victim at District Hospital Kathua. Keeping in view of the facts, circumstances, call details confessional statements, statements of official of P/S Hiranagar, FSL report and other evidences, the involvement of accused SI Dutta and HC Tilak Raj was found involved in commission of offence punishable u/s 201/RPC, r/w 343,376-D,302,120-B/RPC.

In the course of investigation, it transpired that Sanji Ram S/o Des Raj R/o Rasana was against the settlement of Bakarwals in Rasana Kootah, and Dhamyal area, and always kept on motivating the members of his community of the area not to provide land for grazing or any other kind of assistance. One Harnam Singh s/o Darbara Singh R/o Kootah had sold land to one Bakarwal and he (Sanji Ram) had started acampaign against said Harnam Singh.He also utilized the services of ex- Sarpanch of Kootah and Rasana area against said Harnam Singh and managed to stop the payment on account of installation of telephone towers in his land through the concerned tehsildar on the plea that the land in question was a state land. Ultimately, said Harnam Singh approached the Honble High court and got the impugned order of Tehsildar quashed.

He had also seized goats of one Rashid D/o Chandia Bakerwal in the month of December, 2017 for watering his cattle at a pond near his house and Rs. 1000/- was taken from him as fine for releasing the goats. Apart from this he had also charged Rs. 1000/- as fine from Mohd. Yousaf Bakarwal for grazing his cattle inthe forest pasture situated near his house. HC Tilak and SPO Deepak Khajuria were also against the settlement of Bakarwals in Rasana, Kootah and Dhamyal area who had already discussed this issue with Sanji Ram to Chalk out a strategyfor dislodging the Bakarwals from the area. They were blaming the Bakarwals on one pretext or the other and used to threaten them. Accused Tilak Raj and Deepak Khajuria also had some serious issues with Bakarwals over the land occupation and crop damage being residents of the same area. Besides, accused Deepak Khajuria had already had few scuffles with Bakarwals. This apart during investigation it transpired that a particular community had a general impression that the Bakarwals indulge in cow slaughter and drug trafficking and that their children were turning into drug addicts.

This rivalry between the two communities in the area has already resulted into registration of various FIRs and counter FIRs at different adjoining police stations of the area between the two communities. Thus during investigation it has become abundantly clear that the accused had a reason to act against the Bakarwal Community and hence the conspiracy ultimately resulting into the gruesome rape and brutal murder of an innocent budding flower, a child of only 8 years of age, who being a small kid became a soft target.

In the course of investigation statements of more than 130 witnesses were recorded under section 161and 164- A CrPC. All the witnesses examined have unequivocally corroborated the facts that emerged in the course of investigation as detailed out hereinbefore. The statements of all these witnesses form part the Challan.

In the course of investigation, the potency test of the JCL, Vishal Jangotra and Pravesh Kumar was conducted and the report obtained has been found positive. The report makes it clear that the accused including Juvenile are capable of performing sexual intercourse. In respect of accused Deepak Khajuria the experts have sought his reexamination for the potency test which shall be done after seeking permission from the court.

In the course of investigation the SIT members along-with FSL experts and Naib Tehsildar, Executive Magistrate 1st class Kootah again visited the scene of occurrence and tried to reconstruct the Scene of Crime. The minute examination of these locations led to the recovery of various items including blood stained wooden sticks and hair strand, which were seized, packed and sealed/resealed by Executive Magistrate 1st Class. The sealed packets containing the exhibits collected in the course of investigation were sent to FSL for analysis and report. Besides, few hair strands recovered from Devisthan and nearby forest where the dead body was dumped by the accused were forwarded to the experts in New Delhi for DNA profiling. On the basis of opinion furnished by the experts one of the hair stands recovered from the Devisthan matched with the DNA profile of Victim Xxxxx which confirmed that the victim was kept in captivity at Devisthan which is exclusively manned by accused Sanji Ram to the exclusion of any other person of the area.

Similarly as per the expert opinion in respect of hair strand recovered from place of recovery of dead body, it matched with the DNA profile of JCL. Notwithstanding the fact that accused police officials SI Datta and Tilak Raj had made all efforts to destroy the evidence by washing the clothes worn by the deceased and FSL Srinagar could not frame any opinion on the basis of examination of the washed clothes but to the ill luck of accused the FSL Delhi with updated technology was able to confirm the presence of blood stains on the Frock-Shalwar of the victim which matched with the DNA profile of the victim. DNA profiling also established presence of victims blood on the vaginal smears. During investigation the opinion on various exhibits referred to FSL has been obtained. Besides, post mortem report of dead body was also obtained. On the strength of opinion furnished by the experts it has been confirmed that hymen of the deceased was not found intact and lacerations on vulva of the vagina were also observed, besides blood stained discharge was found inside vagina of the deceased.

As per the report of medical experts the victim was found prima-facie raped before being killed. Furthermore, investigations in this regard have established that the victim was raped by more than one accused with common intention. Accordingly, section 376-D RPC was added in the case. The Medical opinion also established the fact that the victim had been kept without food and administered sedatives and her cause of death was Asphyxia leading to cardio-pulmonary arrest. The expert opinions and Post Mortem report forms part of challan.

During investigation call details of mobile phones used by the accused persons were obtained from concerned quarters. The CDRs obtained have prima facie established the individual and common locations of all the accused in and around the scene of crime on crucial dates of occurrence. The analysis of CDRs of accused Deepak Khajuria revealed that he had remained in constant touch with one Surinder Kumar, who two is posted as SPO along with accused Deepak Kumar in Police Station Hiranagar from the date of kidnapping of the victim. This necessitated the questioning of said Surinder Kumar who was summoned and questioned but he could not give any plausible and tangible explanation regarding his telephonic conversation with accused Deepak Khajuria and a sudden spike in their frequency despite of the fact that accused Deepak Khajuria had disclosed that he had send Surinder Kumar to ascertain the movement of Bakarwals in and around Devisthan on 14-01-2018 and also to inform him regarding the condition of victim who then was held in captivity in Devisthan. In response to which said Surinder Kumar visited the Devisthan and conveyed to him regarding the movement of Bakarwals and condition of the victim. Besides, some of the witnesses examined under section 161CrPC corroborated regarding the movement/presence of Surinder Kumar in and around said Devisthan. Said Surinder Kumar was accordingly arrested and is presently in judicial custody. Further investigation in respect of his involvement in the case is being conducted which may include his narco- analysis for which his consent has already been obtained.

In the course of investigation it transpired that accused Vishal Jangotra who is a student of BSc Agriculture at Akansha College Mirapur, UP and actively took part in the rape and murder of the victim, has tried to create an alibi by resorting to manipulation of records and creation of false evidence with the connivance and assistance of his father (Sanji Ram) and one Kishore S/O Prem Nath (his relation) R/O Chanmorian, Hiranagar, R.P Singh, Chairman, Akansha College Mirapur, UP and some other employees of Choudhary Charan Singh University Meerut, who as per the inputs received during investigation have received huge amount as a kick back from the accused Sanji Ram. This aspect needs further investigation as records are to be collected from concerned college/university and in respect of some documents expert opinion from FSL is awaited. Besides, Digital Video Recorder of the Examination Centre where accused claimed to have appeared in examination at Khatoli, Muzaffarnagar has also been seized and has been sent for forensic examination for expert opinion. After conducting further investigation supplementary charge sheet shall follow.

Whatever surfaced in the course of investigation leads to the irresistible conclusion that the accused namely Sanji Ram S/o Des Raj R/o Village Rasana, Hiranagar, Shubam Sangra @ Chuboo S/o Om Parkash Sangra R/o Ward No. 10, Hiranagar A/o Village- Rasana Hiranagar; Deepak Khajuria @ Deepu S/o Updesh Khajuria R/o Dhamiyal Hiranagar;;Parvesh Kumar @ Mannu S/o Ashok Kumar R/o Village -Rasana, Hiranagar; Vishal Jangotra s/o Sanji Ram R/oi Rasana, Hiranagar;;Tilak Raj S/o Amir Chand R/o Dhamiyal, Hiranagar;Anand Dutta S/o Shanti Swaroop Dutta R/o Village Dharmal P/o Muthi, District Jammu and Surinder Kumar S/o Sain Das R/o Satura, Hiranagar have undoubtedly committed offences Punishable under section 363/343/376-D/302/201 r/w 120-B RPC. Accordingly, the Charge sheet in respect of above named accused person is produced before the Honble Court for judicial determination in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act. For the other accused persons involved in the above mentioned FIR, a separate charge sheet is being submitted in the Ld. Court of JMIC, Hiranagar.

List of the witnesses which the prosecution proposes to produce before the Honble Court for deposition and the documents relied upon forms part of Charge Sheet as PART-1 and PART-2.

Sr. Superintendent of Police,

SHO P/S Crime Branch,

Jammu.

Firstpost has not edited the text of the chargesheet for style or grammar.
Horrific details have emerged in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Kathua district in a chargesheet filed by the state police.

Editor's note: This piece contains graphic details. Reader's discretion advised.

Horrific details have emerged in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Kathua district, that has had Jammu and Kashmir on edge since last month, in a chargesheet filed by the state police's crime branch on Monday.

The minor was abducted, raped and murdered in Rassana village in Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua district in January. The body of the girl, from the Bakarwal community, was recovered from Rassana forest in Kathua on 17 January, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area.

According to the chargesheet, the victim was gang-raped multiple times at a prayer hall after the accused had carried out certain 'rituals', while they kept the girl in captivity for seven days. It said that one of the rapists was called from Meerut to "satisfy his lust". The girl was given sedatives and held captive, strangled, raped and hit on the head twice with a stone "in order to make sure" she was dead. All this was done in an attempt to dislodge a group of Bakarwal Muslim nomads from Rasana village in Kathua near Jammu, the chargesheet said.

Details of the heinous crime

According to the chargesheet, the accused Sanji Ram, in an attempt to dislodge the Bakarwal community from the Rasana area, had hatched a conspiracy along with co-accused Deepak Khajuria, an SPO from the police department, and a juvenile.

The chargesheet states that the accused Khajuria went to a medical store at Kottah Morh on 7 January and purchased one strip of Epitril 0.5 mg containing 10 tablets using his uncle's prescription. He then instructed the juvenile to intoxicate the girl after abducting her.

According to the chargesheet, on 7 January, Sanji told the juvenile to kidnap the Bakarwal girl, who often came to the forests behind the house of the accused to graze her horses.

The chargesheet quoted the minor, who was residing with his maternal uncle in village Rasana, as saying that he had met the victim some seven-eight times before he lured her on the assurance that he would help her in tracing out some of her horses that had gone missing recently.

He told her that "he had seen her horses and led her to the jungle". "He also called accused Mannu. Sensing some trouble, the victim tried to flee but the juvenile stopped her by catching hold of her neck and covered her mouth with one of his hands and pushed her and she fell on the ground," the chargesheet said.

He then took her to a shed of his maternal uncle and tied her hands with a rope lying in the shed, the chargesheet said. "The victim fell unconscious and was raped by the juvenile (in the jungle). Thereafter, Mannu also attempted to rape her. They took her and kept her inside the Devasthan under the table over two plastic mats and then covered her," it said.

On 11 January, the juvenile informed another accused Vishal Jangotra about the kidnapping of the girl and asked him to return from Meerut in case he wanted to satisfy his lust. The next day, Jangotra reached Rasana at 6 am. "At around 8.30 am, the juvenile again went to the Devasthan and administered three sedative tablets to the girl while she was unconscious," the chargesheet said.

On 13 January, the chargesheet said: " accused Jangotra, the juvenile and accused Sanji went to the Devasthan where he performed rituals". Later, Jangotra "raped the nomad girl. Thereafter, the juvenile also raped the girl".

They held her captive for almost a week, after which the juvenile untied her. "He took her back through the same route, wherefrom, he had brought her to the shed and on the way, he unknotted her trouser and attempted to rape her. The girl reacted by saying that she will narrate the whole incident to her family members. Apprehending that Bakarwals residing in the area will kill him, he strangulated her with a chunni that was worn by her. Blood oozed from her mouth and thereafter he took her in his lap to another place and threw her on the ground, where he hit her head twice with a stone," the chargesheet said.

"Khajuria told the juvenile to wait as he wanted to rape the girl before she is killed. As such once again the little girl was gang-raped, first by accused Khajuria and then by the juvenile. After committing the barbaric act, Khajuria kept her neck on his left thigh and started applying force with his hands on her neck in order to kill her," the chargesheet states.

The body was dumped inside the prayer hall after Sanji directed the other accused to "throw the body in the jungle."

Lawyer's attempt to block chargesheet

The Jammu and Kashmir Police's crime branch faced resistance from local lawyers while filing the chargesheet in the case as they allegedly tried to prevent them from filing the documents before the court on Monday.

An FIR was registered against lawyers who tried to block the presentation of a chargesheet in a court in Jammu and Kashmir in the rape and murder of a minor girl, police said on Tuesday.

"The FIR has been lodged into the incident wherein some lawyers tried to obstruct the presenting of the chargesheet by the Crime Branch in the court of a Chief Judicial Magistrate at Kathua on Monday. An action under the law will be taken against those found involved in the incident," Director General of Police SP Vaid told IANS. The chargesheet against seven accused was finally filed in the court after police intervened to control the lawyers' protest.

Political parties slam protests

The Congress and CPM condemned the lawyers' protest, alleging that Monday's incident was part of a well-thought-out conspiracy to polarise communities in the state by giving a criminal act a communal colour.

Lashing out at the lawyers, Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief GA Mir described the incident as "politically motivated, obnoxious and a conspiracy to achieve something out of this heinous crime for those hindering the process of justice".

CPM state secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik said some vested interests were trying to derive political mileage out of a brutal and inhuman act. "It is a shameful act and against the human values on part of these lawyers and their political masters, who instead of helping the victim's family to get justice, behaved like hooligans," he said.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who criticised the lawyers who tried to prevent the filing of the chargesheet, welcomed the registration of the FIR. "Good. Lawyers who have no respect for law deserve to have the full weight of the law books crash down on them," he tweeted.

National Conference general-secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said it was "unheard of" in the history of the country that white-collar professionals came out in support of those accused of such a crime. "We demand the case be shifted out of Kathua to any other place where the trial can be held without any interference," Sagar said, adding a fast-track court should be set up to ensure speedy justice to the victim.

Demanding strict action against those involved Monday's protests by lawyers, he lashed out at those who have called for a Jammu bandh on Wednesday and urged the people of Jammu to defeat the nefarious designs of fringe elements.

The case so far

According to a report in The Print, a post-mortem report indicated damage to the girl's uterus and death due to asphyxiation. The police will present this as evidence that she was raped, and that she died after being strangulated with her shawl. A separate report by The Print also says that the DNA of a hair strand found at the site where her body was dumped matches with the DNA of one of the accused.

Available evidence is also said to have confirmed that the girl was held captive inside a temple before the murder, police officials said. Top sources in the state police crime branch said that the DNA of hair strands found inside the temple matched with those of *****.

Nine accused, including Sanji, a police head constable, two special police officers (SPOs) and a sub-inspector of police have been arrested in the case.

Political posturing

Political temperatures in Jammu and Kashmir escalated after the arrest of Khajuria, a police officer who allegedly abducted the victim, kept her in confinement for seven days, and then murdered her. The Hindu Ekta Manch in the state has claimed Khajuria to be their member.

Soon after the incident, members of the Hindu Ekta Manch marched through the streets of Kathua with the tricolour to press for the release of the arrested persons. The protesters later changed their demand and sought a CBI inquiry after severe criticism from different quarters, including the chief minister. Two BJP ministers  Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga  visited the protesters and supported their demand for a CBI probe.

The BJP has 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".

On 8 March, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had rejected the demand for a CBI probe and said the probe was almost 95 percent complete.

Separatist groups in the state also expressed rage over the rape and murder. At a joint protest rally, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik demanded death penalty for those responsible for the crime.

Read the full text of the chargesheet in the Kathua rape case here

With inputs from agencies
An FIR was registered against lawyers who tried to block the presentation of a chargesheet in a court in Jammu and Kashmir in the rape and murder of a minor girl

An FIR was registered against lawyers who attempted to prevent the police from filing chargesheet in the Kathua rape and murder case in Jammu and Kashmir, as the investigation drew to a close.

"The FIR has been lodged into the incident wherein some lawyers tried to obstruct the presenting of the chargesheet by the crime branch in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Kathua on Monday. Action under law will be taken against those found involved in the incident," Director General of Police SP Vaid said.

In response, the Jammu High Court Bar Association (JHBA) called for a bandh in the Jammu region on Wednesday in support of various demands, including CBI probe into the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl. Claiming mass support to the call for a strike, JHBA said more than two dozen social, religious and political groups besides commercial transport and tanker unions have pledged support, Greater Kashmir reported.

"Pursuant to our meeting with civil society and leaders of different political parties on Saturday, we decided to observe a general strike on 11 April in the entire Jammu region," JHBA president BS Slathia was quoted by the report as saying.

Political parties slam protests

The Congress and CPM condemned the lawyers' protest, alleging that Monday's incident was part of a well-thought-out conspiracy to polarise communities in the state by giving a criminal act a communal colour.

Lashing out at the lawyers, Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief GA Mir described the incident as "politically motivated, obnoxious and a conspiracy to achieve something out of this heinous crime for those hindering the process of justice".

CPM state secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik said some vested interests were trying to derive political mileage out of a brutal and inhuman act. "It is a shameful act and against the human values on part of these lawyers and their political masters, who instead of helping the victim's family to get justice, behaved like hooligans," he said.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who criticised the lawyers who tried to prevent the filing of the chargesheet, welcomed the registration of the FIR. "Good. Lawyers who have no respect for law deserve to have the full weight of the law books crash down on them," he tweeted.

National Conference general-secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said it was "unheard of" in the history of the country that white-collar professionals came out in support of those accused of such a crime. "We demand the case be shifted out of Kathua to any other place where the trial can be held without any interference," Sagar said, adding a fast-track court should be set up to ensure speedy justice to the victim.

Demanding strict action against those involved Monday's protests by lawyers, he lashed out at those who have called for a Jammu bandh on Wednesday, and urged the people of Jammu to defeat the nefarious designs of fringe elements.

The case so far

In January, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, raped and murdered in Rassana village in Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua district. The body of the girl from the Bakarwal community was recovered from Rassana forest in Kathua on 17 January, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area.

According to a report in The Print, a post-mortem report indicated damage to the girl's uterus and death due to asphyxiation. The police will present this as evidence that she was raped, and that she died after being strangulated with her shawl. A separate report by The Print also says that the DNA of a hair strand found at the site where her body was dumped matches with the DNA of one of the accused.

Available evidence is also said to have confirmed that the girl was held captive inside a temple before the murder, police officials said. Top sources in the state police crime branch said that the DNA of hair strands found inside the temple matched with those of *****.

Sanji Ram, a retired official of the revenue department is believed to have masterminded the heinous crime to create fear among the nomad 'Bakarwal' (goatherd) community in the village so that they could be pushed out. He is the custodian of the temple where the girl was allegedly held in captivity.

Nine accused, including Ram, his son Vishal Kumar, a police head constable, two special police officers (SPOs) and a sub-inspector of police have been arrested in the case.

Political posturing

Political temperatures in Jammu and Kashmir escalated after the arrest of Deepak Khajuria, a police officer who allegedly abducted the victim, kept her in confinement for seven days, and then murdered her. The Hindu Ekta Manch in the state has claimed Khajuria to be their member. A report by Sameer Yasir on Firstpost said that Khajuria was among those appointed to trace the victim after she went missing.

Soon after the incident, members of the Hindu Ekta Manch marched through the streets of Kathua with the tricolour to press for the release of the arrested persons. The protesters later changed their demand and sought a CBI inquiry after severe criticism from different quarters, including the chief minister. Two BJP ministers  Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga  visited the protesters and supported their demand for a CBI probe.

The BJP has 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".

On 8 March, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had rejected the demand for a CBI probe and said the probe was almost 95 percent complete.

Separatist groups in the state also expressed rage over the rape and murder. At a joint protest rally, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik demanded death penalty for those responsible for the crime.

With inputs from agencies
Sreejith's case shows that Kerala police seem to be under the grips of a malignant trend to willfully resort to physical abuse with brute force on citizens

The police in Kerala seem to be under the grips of a very malignant trend  to willfully resort to physical abuse with brute force on the citizens, and with every passing day, it seems to have no respite.

The suspected custodial death of 26-year-old Sreejith who was initially accused of trespassing and assault in Varapuzha in Kochi on Monday is the latest episode to rock the state's home department, which is presided over by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself.

What makes matters worse is the news which had emerged when this copy was being filed that it was a case of mistaken identity and that the Sreejith, who allegedly died under police custody, was not the person against whom a family in Varapuzha had filed a police complaint.

On Friday, 6 April, a group of 14 people had attacked the house of one 55-year-old Vasudevan over a local spat leading to his suicide a day later. But Vasudevan's son Vineesh said that the Sreejith who died under police custody was not among those who attacked his house.

"We have not registered any complaint against this particular Sreejith neither do we know whether he had any role in the attack on our house. Our complaint was against another Sreejith, who is the son of one Sasi. I have not even seen the Sreejith who died under police custody. No idea why the cops picked him up," Vineesh told Firstpost.

The presumably iron handed chief minister and his departmental top brass are now struggling to find answers to not just the alleged killing in police custody but also how an innocent young man got branded as a criminal and finally ended up in the cold mortuary of a government hospital.

It also throws the police version out of the window that the grave internal injuries suffered by Sreejith were from a scuffle at Vasudevan's house. If Sreejith was not present in Vasudevan's house, then who could have inflicted the wounds on him? Could it have happened while trying to get a confession out of Sreejith while in police custody?

The jury is still out as far as fixing the responsibility of Sreejith's death is concerned. But the events running up to his death has left a definite imprint of police excess.

This has forced the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to file a suo motu case on the issue and condemn what it calls the barbarity of the force in unequivocal terms.

"This is an absolutely inhumane act. Just because you wear the uniform does not mean you cannot be humane. I had personally visited the hospital and talked to the doctor who treated Sreejith. The doctor clearly said that 75 percent of Sreejith's small intestine or the jejunum had been ruptured, forcing whatever food he ate to spill into other body parts leading to septicemia. Such an injury can only be caused by extreme force in the abdominal region. This is a clear case of custodial torture," said P Mohana Das, acting chairperson of the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC).

The commission is not alone in pointing fingers at the men in khaki (police uniform). Sreejith's family said in one voice that the police had used brute force on the young man.

Shyamala, Sreejith's mother is unable to hide her tears as she recounts the events of Friday night when a police team picked up Sreejith from his home without even saying what wrong he had done.

"They beat him and kicked him in front of us when they came to take him into custody. From then on, we were scared that something will happen to him. Later on, when I went to the station the next morning, I saw him sitting on the bench clutching his tummy. He even asked me water. I tried to give it to him but the inspector did not allow it. Later on, we were told that he was in the hospital. I am certain the cops killed my son," a wailing Shyamala said.

Violations all the way

The postmortem report which was out by Tuesday evening clearly states that Sreejith had died due to septicemia, developed after his intestines had ruptured following intense pressure on his abdomen or in medical parlance 'blunt trauma to abdomen'  something that will make it very tough for the cops to wriggle out of the case. The report had also suggested that the cause of death was cardiac arrest due to immense stress.

The SHRC, which had asked the state director general of police (DGP) to file a report at the earliest had also pointed out the gross violation of Supreme Court guidelines by the policemen while taking Sreejith into custody.

For starters, there is no clarity when or whether Sreejith's arrest was ever recorded. He was picked up around 10:45 pm on Friday and till he was taken to the hospital in the wee hours of Sunday morning with acute pain in the abdomen, police had kept Sreejith inside the station  a detention of well over 24 hours without an arrest, as per the findings of the Commission.

"This is a clear case of violation of all possible norms which need to be followed when an individual is taken into police custody. Why did the police not take him to a hospital for medical examination, something that needs to be done before an arrest? Why were his relatives not informed about his condition if at all they were planning to arrest him? And above all, why did they not produce him before a magistrate even after 24 hours? So, it is an illegal detention which is a violation of basic human rights," the commission pointed out.

Meanwhile, a visibly shaken DGP who met media persons at Thiruvananthapuram has said that the case is a very serious and would be probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

"I have complete empathy for the mother of Sreejith and what she has said. It is a very serious allegation against the police which will be investigated threadbare by a team that has a track record of very high credibility. We will get to the bottom of this and will not spare anyone," said Lokanath Behera, DGP, Kerala Police.

The police, meanwhile, is doing everything it can to counter the claim of mistaken identity. It even brought up a counter-claim late into Tuesday evening that Vineesh's statement was recorded in the presence of Sreejth and that Vineesh had identified him as well, something which the latter said is baseless.

Political fallouts

The political ramifications of Sreejith's custodial death could be highly damaging for the ruling Left Front. For one, he is a BJP local worker and secondly, as of now, he seems innocent having nothing to do with the crime that he has been accused of.

With the Chengannur bypolls to be held soon, the BJP will for sure make this an election issue.

"Obviously, this will be an election issue in Chengannur. The people should know the real face of Vijayan and his police. Never in the history of the state has a situation come where a junior officer and policemen do whatever they want in spite of the DGP's orders for restraint. It shows that police stations across Kerala are run by local CPM leaders who are Vijayan's men and not by the system. This is atrocious," MS Kumar, state BJP spokesperson, said.

BJP's allegations find echo inside the CPM as well. In the last state conference of the party at Thrissur, Vijayan, considered the numero uno in the party, himself took tremendous flak for the way the home ministry had been conducting itself.

Even inside the Left Front, the coalition partners have been highly critical of the conduct of the men in uniform and the inability of the chief minister to successfully apply the Left's policy of governance in the home department. But nothing has changed since then, nor anyone has raised dissent to the police's functioning.

"See, not just in the CPM's state conference but even in the CPI state conference there was strong criticism from within the party on how the home department was being run. But the issue here is who will bell the cat? Vijayan is still the omnipotent force who has created a structure in the party where hardly a voice is raised against his style of functioning. Even the CPI, apart from making a few noises, shies away from an open debate. Add to this the gross inefficiency of Vijayan as an administrator, you have this terrible state of affairs," Joseph C Mathew, noted political commentator told Firstpost.

The Congress too is on a war path regarding the police excesses in the state. Thrice the party-led Opposition had stalled the state Assembly over various issues related to the state police's excesses, forcing the chief minister to concede on more than one occasion that that the police had indeed gone overboard with their highhandedness.

"Since this government came to power, police brutality has become the order of the day. But hardly any action has been taken. That is why the Congress party strongly feels that the need of the hour is to investigate Sreejith's death with help of an independent agency. There is no trust in a police investigation," said VD Satheesan, vice-president of the Congress party in Kerala.

The latest update in the case is that three policemen, who had gone to take Sreejith into custody, have been suspended. This raises the suspicion whether the action was being taken against the cops for taking into custody the wrong person and is the police finally acknowledging that a mistake was made?

That no action has been taken against the sub-inspector or others present in the station while he was allegedly tortured is being explained with the excuse of an ongoing investigation.

One will have to wait for the detailed investigation to start to see in which direction this case will go.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday expressed grief at the loss of lives near an encounter site in Kulgam district

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday expressed grief at the loss of lives near an encounter site in Kulgam district.

Four civilians were killed and 20 injured as protesters clashed with security personnel in Kulgam district of the state while an encounter was on with militants that left one soldier dead and two others wounded.

"There is an urgent need to get together to get Jammu and Kashmir out of this vicious cycle of violence and killings," Mehbooba Mufti said.

She has also paid tributes to the army jawan who lost his life during the encounter.

Mehbooba has conveyed her sympathies with the families of those killed, an official spokesman said.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has donated 3,500 books from his personal library to his alma mater Panjab University (PU), a university official said.

Chandigarh: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has donated 3,500 books from his personal library to his alma mater Panjab University (PU), a university official said on Wednesday.

Singh, who was in Chandigarh on Wednesday, announced his wish to donate the books.

University authorities said that arrangements would soon be made to transport books and memorabilia, photographs and paintings from New Delhi to the university campus.

The books and other objects will be kept in the Guru Teg Bahadur Bhawan on the university campus.

Singh, also a noted economist, was a student of the university in the 1950s and later joined the Department of Economics as a faculty member.

He became a professor at the age of 32 years and continued teaching in PU till the mid-1960s before moving to other international assignments. He was the prime minister from 2004 to 2014.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him the security situation in the state and how to bring back normalcy

New Delhi: Amidst the recent spurt in violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him the security situation in the state and how to bring back normalcy, officials said.

During the 20-minute meeting, the two leaders discussed the initiatives taken by the Centre's representative Dineshwar Sharma in holding talks with a wide cross section of society.

The chief minister briefed the home minister on the prevailing law and order situation and the steps taken to restore peace in the Valley. The situation along the border with Pakistan, which often witnesses attempts of infiltrations by militants and cross border firings, also came up for discussion, the home ministry official said.

The meeting came in the wake of growing demands for a CBI probe into the gangrape in Kathua and incidents of militant violence and encounters with security forces.

They also discussed how to ameliorate the misery of the civilian population, who often face firing from across the border, and the implementation of the prime minister's development package, another official said.

There has been a spurt in the violence perpetrated by militants in the Kashmir Valley.

As many as 60 incidents of terrorist violence have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir from January till mid-March this year, killing 15 security personnel and 17 terrorists, according to data provided to Parliament.

Last week, an officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was badly injured in a stone-pelting incident in Srinagar.

On Wednesday, the Concerned Citizens Group, including former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and former National Commission for Minorities chairperson Wajahat Habibullah, had said that the violence in the Kashmir Valley shows no signs of abating and is, in fact, being stoked by "talk of revenge" and "unrestrained public statements" from various actors.

The group, expressing deep anguish over the escalation in violence, said the solution to the present crisis lies in political dialogue.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh recently opposed any dialogue with separatists who "stay silent when innocent people are killed and give a call for strike when terrorists are eliminated".
When confronted by the media, the MLA said that he had come to enquire whether his name had appeared in any of the First Information Reports (FIRs) in Unnao rape case.

In a midnight drama that unfolded after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah returned to national capital from Lucknow, the rape-accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar reached the Senior Superintendent of Police's (SSP) office with two dozens supporters in tow.

When confronted by the media, the MLA said that he had come to enquire whether his name had appeared in any of the First Information Reports (FIRs).

"Hum to ye pata lagaane aaye the ki kahin hamara naam kisi FIR me hai ya nahi (I just came to find out whether I was named in any FIR)," he said. Sengar showed up at the SSP's office at around 11.40 pm.

He told mediapersons that naming him an "absconder" was not fair. On their way back, Sengar and his aides got into a scuffle with reporters.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its report to the government. The team, headed by Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow zone), visited Makhi village from where the rape survivor hailed. The report, sources say, holds Sengar guilty of conspiracy that led to the death of the rape survivor's father.

Also, the Allahabad High Court took suo motu cognisance of the case, and said that the body of survivor's father, who had died in police custody, should be kept safe and not be sent for cremation, according to CNN-News18.

The chief justice division bench of the High Court will hear the case on Thursday.

On Tuesday, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.

The petition, filed by advocate ML Sharma, also sought a compensation of Rs 3 crore and protection to the family of the girl.

Sharma said the case must be handed over to the CBI for a "fair investigation and prosecution".

"Custodial death of the victim's father is a clear case of torture by police at the behest of the state's ruling party... (the case) is now against the UP Police and UP Police cannot investigate against themselves," he said.

The Supreme Court said that it will hear the plea for a CBI probe into the case next week.

With Inputs from Saurabh Sharma
Bengaluru resident and PhD research student Atreyee Majumdar who had been missing since 4 April has been found.

A Phd student who went missing in Bengaluru on 4 April has been found after a city-wide search, according to several media reports.

The student, Atreyee Majumdar was found staying at a Bengaluru hotel, The News Minute. Hotel staff informed the police about her presence after they recognised her from pictures which had been shared by her friends and family on social media, NDTV reported. Pamphlets were distributed and the police conducted searches in hospitals and hotels.

DCP Whitefield Abdul Ahad, who was in-charge of the search operations told News18, "Our search teams were looking out for her in various hotels around the city, as her last known movements were around hotels. We managed to locate her at a 5-star hotel in the city, but I cannot comment on her mental state at this point."

Majumdar, an anthropologist, was last seen at the Marriot at Bellandur in Bengaluru, reported ANI. An alumnus of the National Law School in Bengaluru, she'd just returned from Toronto, where she is an Andrew W Mellon Fellow at the Jackman Humanities Institute. She has a PhD in Anthropology from Yale University and has also taught at the School of Development at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.

Majumdar recently arrived in Bengaluru and had been staying with her parents. Her parents said she went out on the night of 4 April and had not returned, The Free Press Journal reported. The police found CCTV footage in which she was seen visiting two hotels: The Novotel and the Marriot at Bellandur.

Her father Biplab filed a police complaint on 5 April.
Accusing the BJP-led Maharashtra government of not keeping the promises it had made to farmers in March, the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) announced it would hold another protest march on 1 June.

Pune: Accusing the BJP-led Maharashtra government of not keeping the promises it had made to farmers in March, the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Tuesday announced to organise another protest march on 1 June.

The AIKS had led the long march of thousands of farmers from Nashik in north Maharashtra to Mumbai in March for demands like a complete and unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of the forest land rights to tribals who have been tilling them.

"A similar march will be organised on 1 June," said AIKS general secretary Ajit Navle while addressing a press conference.

After the state government agreed to accept almost all demands of the agitating farmers when they reached Mumbai, the AIKS withdrew the protest.

Navle said the government failed to act on the assurance it had given to agriculturists.

"The government had announced that a committee would be formed to look into the issue of the loan waiver. It had announced to give fair price for farm produce. The government had also assured that forest rights would be given to tribal farmers, but so far they have not acted on any of their promises," he alleged.

Navle said AIKS members would visit farmers in 24 districts in the state for evoking their support for the proposed march.

"We are aiming to collect 20 lakh signatures of farmers to get their support for the march. We will also create awareness among them about their own rights," he said.

Navle said the agitating farmers would gherao the government offices for their demands.
Narendra Modi will on Thursday inaugurate Def Expo-2018 in Tamil Nadu, besides several public infrastructure projects

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday inaugurate Def Expo-2018 in Tamil Nadu, besides several public infrastructure projects.

He will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai and will inaugurate a variety of infrastructure projects there, including a palliative care centre, day care centre and nurses quarter during his day-long visit, an official statement said.

Modi is observing a day-long fast on Thursday along with other BJP MPs to protest the washout of Parliament's budget session.

Sources had on Tuesday said that while observing the fast, he will not disturb his daily official routine.

The tag line of DefExpo this year is India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub to showcase India's capability in export of defence systems and components, the statement said.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday slammed the Karnataka government over its action plan on Bengaluru's Bellandur lake and formed a committee to inspect the lakes in the city.

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday slammed the Karnataka government over its action plan on Bengaluru's Bellandur lake and formed a committee to inspect the lakes in the city. A bench headed by NGT acting chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim said the report submitted by the state government was "incorrect and misleading" and was bereft of the actual action taken on the ground.

"This is not what we expected from the state authorities. The action plan submitted by the state contains incorrect and misleading information. The report submitted by the state does not convince us. There has been a default in compliance with the order of the tribunal.

"We are not here just to read files and close them. Compliance with the order has to be done, Do you want us to call the army for compliance," the bench observed. The green panel, which stopped short of imposing a fine on the state and its instrumentalities, formed a committee comprising senior advocate Raj Panjwani, a professor from Indian Institute of Science- Bangalore, a senior scientist from Central Pollution Control Board, the commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the secretary of Bangalore Development Authority and a lawyer to be chosen by the senior advocate.

The committee would inspect Agara, Bellandur and Varthur lakes in Bangalore on 14 and 15 April. The committee has been directed to submit a detailed report after conducting an inspection of the lakes and inform the tribunal about the quantum of municipal solid waste generated by the apartments and other agencies in the vicinity of the water body.

"The committee shall inform the tribunal about the extent of hydrophytes in the lakes along with the incidents of fire which have taken place till 10 April, 2018, the condition of treatment plants around the lake, if any, and whether the apartments have obtained the occupancy certificates from authority," the bench said. Hydrophytes are aquatic plants that grow in or near water and provides cover for fish and other aquatic organisms.

The tribunal had earlier rapped the state for not removing weeds and macrophytes from Bengaluru's Bellandur lake at regular intervals despite specific orders and directed it to submit monthly compliance reports.

The tribunal had directed the state government to produce sufficient material proof of the action taken in this regard and posted the matter for hearing on 11 April. On 29 January, the green panel had directed Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to carry out a pilot study on the visible aquatic plants.

"Considering the role of macrophytes in rendering the quality of water in lakes below acceptable levels, it is necessary that the macrophytes menace is terminated once and for all," the NGT had said. Earlier, the green panel had come down heavily on the Karnataka government for not taking active measures to prevent recurring incidents of fire at the severely polluted Bellandur lake.
Pakistani troops on Wednesday again violated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri and Poonch districts

Jammu: Pakistani troops on Wednesday again violated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, two days after two jawans were killed in heavy mortar shelling and firing along the LoC in Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said.

The Indian Army is giving a befitting reply, the official said.

Paksitani troops initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars along the LoC from 14.00 hours in Nowshera sector of Rajouri and from 16.45 hours in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district, the spokesman said.

The Indian army is retaliating strongly and effectively and the exchange of fire between the two sides in both the sectors was going on when last reports were received.

However, there was no immediate report of any casualty from this side, he said.

The latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan came after two soldiers, rifleman Vinod Singh and rifleman Jaki Sharma, were killed in cross-border firing by Paksitan in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri on Monday.
A plea was moved in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the gangrape of a woman in Uttar Pradesh allegedly by a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and his associates and the death of her father in police custody on Monday.

New Delhi: A plea was moved in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the gangrape of a woman in Uttar Pradesh allegedly by a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and his associates and the death of her father in police custody on Monday.

The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma alleged that the rape victim's father was tortured and killed in police custody at the behest of the "ruling party".

Sharma, in his PIL, has sought a direction to the CBI for probe and prosecution under various provisions of the IPC against the alleged kidnapping and rape of the woman in July last year "by the BJP MLA and his companion and custodial death of her father via torture" on 9 April.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator "under political pressure" and the state police would not carry out a "fair investigation under compulsion", it said in these circumstances, the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

The petition also alleged that according to the statement of the victim, the sitting BJP MLA from Bangarmau constituency in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, was the main accused of her rape in July last year and the custodial death of her father after her protest against the legislator.

It said that the legislator's men had also attacked her father on 3 April and were continuously harassing them.

The plea said that on 8 April, the victim, accompanied by four women of her family, had staged a protest against police inaction against the MLA and attempted self-immolation outside the residence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

It said the district hospital of Unnao had issued a statement that the victim's father had died on 9 April. The PIL also sought compensation as provided in the Nirbhaya gangrape case and protection to the rape victim.
Objecting to the tweet, Chairman of the Shirdi Trust Suresh Haware said the devotees of Sai Baba were hurt by Gandhi's remarks.

New Delhi: A tweet by Rahul Gandhi targeting Railway Minister Piyush Goyal over his family's business interests in Shirdi Industries triggered a controversy on Wednesday with the trust managing the famous Saibaba temple in Shirdi demanding an apology from the Congress president for "insulting" devotees across the world.

The Congress later said that it respects Sai Baba and his devotees, but asked the 'Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi' to urge the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulatory body for stocks exchanges, to ensure that no company misuses the name of 'Shirdi' and its goodwill.

"Friends... 'The miracles of Shirdi' have no 'seema' (limits)," Gandhi tweeted, tagging a news report claiming growing investments of Piyush Goyal and his wife Seema.

He also used the hashtag "PiyushGhotalaReturns" along with his tweet. Objecting to the tweet, Chairman of the Shirdi Trust Suresh Haware said the devotees of Sai Baba were hurt by Gandhi's remarks. "Rahulji, it is painful to see the name of 'Shirdi' being dragged into a political slugfest. Sai devotees from the country and abroad are deeply hurt. We condemn this on behalf of all Sai 'bhakts'. You should apologise to 'Sai Bhakts' for this insult," Haware tweeted in Hindi.

"The reference was politically motivated. He wanted to make allegations against the railway minister and his family, but his tweet suggested something else. We are not bothered about what he does politically. But he cannot immaturely refer to Sai Baba and hurt the sentiments of devotees," Haware told PTI.

The Congress had on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Goyal alleging that his family has business interests in companies which are in default.

Hitting back, the BJP had said the Congress was making "false", "sensational" and "scurrilous" statements to divert attention from the many scams committed by it.

Asked at the AICC briefing here, Congress Communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said today that Rahul Gandhi holds the Shirdi Trust, Sai Baba and also every saint in great reverence.

"Unfortunately, the name of the company affiliated to Shri Piyush Goyal is Shirdi Industries Ltd.' I wish Shirdi Trust will now in hindsight take action and ban such people from using the name Shirdi' who use such pious name and then consequently malign by swindling away public money," Surjewala said.

He said the attribution was to Shirdi Industries Ltd and not to the Trust' or Sai Baba' in any fashion. "We can't even imagine that or think of that. So, I think this question should be directed at Piyush Goyal and his friends who are actually maligning such pious and holy name by swindling public money.

"I hope that Shirdi Trust' will take up this matter both with SEBI as also with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the prime minister to consider deleting the name Shirdi' from every Public Ltd.' or Private Ltd.' company which they cannot use and then misuse by swindling money," he said.

Surjewala also said that "if need be, we are with Shirdi Trust if they lodge a case for misusing Shirdi's name" in the said case.

He also alleged that there was a 'conflict of interest' in the case and the continuation of Goyal as a minister in the Union cabinet has become 'untenable'.
The rains lashed most of Punjab and parts of Haryana on Wednesday, leaving farmers a worried lot over the fate of their wheat crop nearing the harvesting stage.

Chandigarh: The rains lashed most of Punjab and parts of Haryana on Wednesday, leaving farmers a worried lot over the fate of their wheat crop nearing the harvesting stage.

According to the India Meteorological Department office, Punjab had widespread rains on Wednesday, covering almost the entire state, while Haryana had it in places like Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Kaithal, Jind, Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Hisar.

Chandigarh too received some rainfalls on Wednesday morning.

The rains, which lashed the two states on Monday too, have increased the worries of wheat farmers as heavy showers are harmful for ripening wheat crop.

Both Punjab and Haryana are the key wheat producing states in the country.

The rains, which are unusual during this time of the year for Punjab and Haryana, were caused by western disturbances.

Farmers say the rainy conditions are detrimental for their wheat harvest.

"The rains are unusual during this time of the year. During the past three days, the weather has been either rainy or overcast, which may delay the wheat harvest," said Santokh Singh, a farmer from Jalandhar district.

Another farmer from Kurukshetra said some agriculture experts have suggested that they should not harvest their crop for a week, so that the moisture content subsides.

There were reports that the winds accompanying the rains have slightly flattened the crop at a few places in the two states.

A IMD official, meanwhile, said that weather will be clear from Thursday and temperatures, which have fallen around two to four notches due to rains, would start rising from Friday.
Dismissing a PIL seeking the framing of guidelines for allocation of cases, the Supreme Court has declared that the CJI is an institution himself and cannot be distrusted.

Dismissing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the framing of guidelines for allocation of cases, the Supreme Court has declared that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is an institution himself and cannot be distrusted. The petition asked the court to frame guidelines for rational and transparent allocation of cases and constitution of benches to hear them.

Calling the petition scandalous, the court said that the CJI is the highest authority in the court and cannot be distrusted, reported NDTV. The court said that the CJI is the first among equals and has authority to decide allocation of cases and setting up of benches.

The judgment was delivered by a bench comprising CJI Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud. The petition was filed by Ashok Pande, a Lucknow resident who had asked that Constitution benches constituted by the Supreme Court should comprise the five senior-most judges, according to Hindustan Times. He had also asked for specialised benches to hear matters pertaining to PILs, tax, criminal, land and service matters.

The peition also asked the CJI should consult the two senior-most judges while allocating work, reported The Times of India.

Unfettered power is being exercised by the Chief Justices in the matter of formation of Benches, and so, the same is liable to be regulated through specific rules, the petition said, according to The Hindu. It also asked that the three-judge bench in the CJI's court should consist only of the CJI and the court's two senior-most judges.

The PIL was filed in the backdrop of the 12 January press conference held by senior-most apex court judges including Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph.

Another petition on a similar issue had been filed by Shanti Bhushan but that is still pending before the court. Bhushan had sought direction that the exercise of authority as a master of roster by the Chief Justice of India in allocating the cases to different benches should be done in consultation with senior judges who are part of top court collegium.

In his PIL, he said that the authority of Chief Justice of India as a master of roster is not an "absolute, arbitrary, singular power" which may be exercised in his "sole discretion" and the CJI "must" exercise his authority in consultation with other senior judges who are also part of collegiums.

Pointing to the "extremely disturbing trend" of listing matters "subjectively and selectively" only before certain benches, the PIL says that trend reflects "serious erosion of independence of the judiciary" by resorting to the method of "favoured listings". "As a result, justice appears to be skewed and in many cases justice may even stand denied," it said. It has said that the powers being exercised by the Chief Justice and the concerned Registry officials clearly reflect a "pattern of favouritism, nepotism and forum shopping".

Though the listing of politically sensitive matters appears to be "routine", they seem designed in a particular direction to exclude other benches from hearing them, it said.

Describing such selective listing as "unwarranted and unjustified", the PIL says that "such listings and/or allocations are not happening on account of computer allocation but appears due to human interference in the system".

With inputs from agencies
Fake news has become like cancer and there is need for surgery to deal with it, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has said.

New York: Fake news has become like cancer and there is need for surgery to deal with it, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has said.

Swamy was in the city to address the 14th Annual India Business Conference at Columbia Business School hosted by the South Asia Business Association.

Fake news has become a kind of cancer and we have to have some kind of surgery. In a democratic country, the balance has to be drawn between freedom of expression and permitted restrictions that the Constitution allows. That is where the line drawing has become a major problem for the governments, Swamy said.

He said the media has now genuinely become mass media, the cyber world has made it possible to get instantaneous news but it has become very difficult to keep track of contradicting information that spreads fast.

Swamy also referred to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's recent guidelines, which were later withdrawn, journalists would have lost their accreditation if it was confirmed they published fake news.

Swamy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi correctly pointed out that the power in this regard had already been given to the Press Council of India.

He added that competitiveness in the media has reached a high point. He said he does not think that journalists are putting out fake news out of negativity but they are motivated by enemies of one politician against the other politician to defame by making it look like genuine news.

Swamy said explosion of fake and incorrect news has to be dealt with in a sophisticated manner, adding that if an accusation is made against somebody, then the news organisation must also print his or her simultaneous and concurrent rebuttal.

The issue of fake news has to be dealt with because it damages reputation, Swamy added.
Xi Jinping wants China-centric Asia which requires subjugating India. Instead of getting mesmerised by the serpent's gaze, New Delhi should focus on its fangs

Two signals from China caused an eclectic change in Indias outlook towards China. In December 2017, Chinas Special Representative Yang Jiechi delivered Chinese president Xi Jinping's message to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that both countries should aspire to become "friends for generations" and "partners in rejuvenation".

The second signal was Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi briefing media in Beijing (March 2018), "Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationship continues to grow. ...China is upholding its rights and legitimate interests.... Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other.... If China and India are united, one plus one will become eleven instead of two. With political trust, not even the Himalayas can stop us from friendly exchanges.

Indias response was erratic, to say the least. A government memo asked leaders and government functionaries not to attend Tibetan diaspora events marking 60 years of Dalai Lamas exile and thanking India for giving shelter to Tibetans. With External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attending foreign ministers meet in China before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Qingdao (June 2018), which will be attended by Modi, it's all the more reason to interpret Chinese signals cautiously. Besides, the fact that Tibetan prime minister Lobsang Sangay was invited for Modis swearing-in ceremony, wouldn't it have been prudent to quietly orchestrate postponing the 'thank you' event to the end 2018, giving time to observe the Chinese behaviour?

India also cancelled the annual Asian Security Conference by Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) citing administrative reasons, this years theme being "India and China in Asia: Making of a New Equilibrium". Whether or not there was fear of discussions that could displease Chinese participants, the cancellation does indicate undue appeasement; a sign of weakness.

Significantly, while Yang delivered Xi's message to Modi, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was permanently establishing itself in north Dokalam. Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman eventually admitted Chinese presence in the region but efforts continue to play it down. A post on social media talked of PLA shivering in minus 17 degrees in temporary shelters. Another talked of satellite photographs misinterpreted and that China had no Plan B at Dokalam, which must have tickled the Chinese pink. Incidentally, Yang was a state councilor under Chinese premier Li Keqiang in 2013 when the latter visited India in the wake of the 19-kilometre deep PLA intrusion at Raki Nala in the Depsang Plains of eastern Ladakh.

Yis call for tango too raises many questions. Dance to whose tune  Chinas? Doesnt his statement about upholding Chinas rights and legitimate interests imply all illegal claims (Dokalam, Arunachal Pradesh, and other areas), and isnt this a threat? What is the basis of trusting China  a call to Tango? Where was China when Russian president Vladimir Putin was pushing for stronger India-China-Russia relations over a decade ago? Would Yi call that 1+1+1 equals 111?

The Chinese excel in attacking the leadership of target country  witness Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, and even Indonesia. This is extremely easy in politically divided India. That is why Ambassador Luo Zhaohui was parleying with the Opposition and threatening India during the Dokalam standoff, while Indian communist leaders  welcomed and funded by Beijing and the Communist Party of China  are now sending "heartfelt congratulation and best wishes" to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Quite apparently, China wants India to join CPEC, something the Indian Opposition may have promised to do if they come to power, surrendering the sovereignty of India notwithstanding.

Chinese are also past masters in winning over diplomats posted in Beijing. Remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel deploring then ambassador to China, KM Panikkar, in his letter to Jawaharlal Nehru on 7 November, 1950. Another former ambassador to China serving as National Security Advisor of India during the UPA II rule was building perceptions for India to withdraw from the Siachen area that would enable China and Pakistan to join hands in Ladakh at an immense strategic disadvantage to India.

Vijay Gokhale, Indias present Foreign Secretary has also served in Beijing albeit he has red-flagged Chinas connectivity push.

But all said and done, dont we understand that China is behind the increased belligerence of Pakistan, turning the Maldives and Nepal against India; Pakistan targeting Indian villagers to increase pressure on the Modi government; or the Pakistani prime minister rushing to Nepal to coordinate a joint China-Pakistan-Nepal pressure group against India, and the like. With absolute power, Xi is challenging the US on multiple fronts. Chinese protege North Korea is testing nuclear reactors for making weapons-grade plutonium.

Some views are being expressed that the India-China rapprochement would wean the communist nation away from Pakistan, which is naive considering China uses Pakistan against India, employing the ancient strategy to 'kill with a borrowed knife'. Besides, Pakistan is already a Chinese province and strategically vital for China. The view that the Chinese are constrained to team up with India because of the downturn in the Chinses economy too is flawed because the Chinese economy is four times that of India, and India will hardly terminate trade relations in case of border clashes; considering we havent even withdrawn the most favoured nation status to Pakistan.

India needs to remain steadfast, even though the NDA II has continued with the UPA policy of deliberately keeping India armed forces ill-equipped. India still has surprises for China in case of larger conflagrations while in small-sized conflicts, the military can be counted upon to blunt PLA intrusions. The obsolete weapons dont mean they dont fire, and Xi knows this from Chinas invasion of Vietnam in 1979. But if India wants peace, it must prepare for war. In geopolitics, no negotiations work from the position of weakness. Xi wants China-centric Asia which requires subjugating India. Instead of getting mesmerised by the serpent's gaze, we should focus on its fangs.

Finally, there is no reason for India to be obsequious to Beijing as China will mount all-round pressure in trying to force New Delhi to join CPEC and install a government that dances to Xis tune. At the same time, relations that dont impinge Indias national interests must be pursued.

The author is a retired lieutenant-general of the Indian Army
Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that his government will soon introduce NCERT syllabus in state-run schools.

Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said on Tuesday that his government will soon introduce National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus in state-run schools.

The BJP leader also alleged that the previous Left government had spread Marxist propaganda over the last 20 years, according to The Indian Express.

When I say education, I mean quality education and not just numbers. The Communists only wanted the people of Tripura to study Mao (Zedong) and forget our Hindu kings. They removed Mahatma Gandhi from textbooks in government-run schools. I am going to implement NCERT syllabus in all these schools which will also have chapters on Tripuras history, the report quoted Deb as saying.

In March, the BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) scripted history in the Assembly election by ending the 25-year reign of the Left Front. The alliance won a two-thirds majority in the Tripura elections.

The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPM, which won only in 17 Assembly constituencies.

On 9 March, Deb took oath as chief minister. Governor Tathagata Roy also administered the oath of office to BJP leader Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including IPFT chief NC Debbarma.

The swearing-in ceremony held at the Assam Rifles ground was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.

With inputs from PTI
Kuldeep Singh Sengar, BJP MLA accused of raping an 18-year-old from Unnao, has earned the reputation of being a political turncoat.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Bangarmau district in Unnao, has been caught in controversy ever since he was accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in 2017.

The four-time lawmaker and his brothers allegedly gang-raped the girl in Unnao  who attempted suicide outside Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow on Sunday  and are also accused in the custodial death of the victim's father. A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the alleged rape and killing.

But the BJP MLA has since rejected the charge as a conspiracy by his opponents. His brother Atul Singh, meanwhile, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the alleged custodial killing.

Sengar, a political turncoat

Sengar, seen as Brahmin-dominant Unnao's most prominent Thakur leader, has earned the reputation of being a political turncoat. He is known for siding with whichever party is in power and has regularly changed parties and Assembly constituencies.

According to MyNeta, Kuldeep passed his Class 12 exams from Raja Shankar Sahay Inter College in Unnao in 1982. The leader has one criminal case registered against him related to the disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant (IPC Section-188) and assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty (IPC Section-353).

His political career started in 2002 when he was elected as a BSP MLA from Unnao Sadar. Ahead of the 2007 Assembly elections, he switched allegiance to the Samajwadi Party. He contested from Bangarmau as SP candidate and won.

Kuldeep again changed his seat to Bhagwant Nagar in Unnao in the 2012 elections and contested on an SP ticket. Then, before the 2017 Assembly election, he joined the BJP and once again won from the Bangarmau seat.

Kuldeep passed his Class 12 exams from Raja Shankar Sahay Inter College in Unnao. He started his political career with the Congress and became the pradhan of Makhi village in Unnao in 1997-98.

In 2002, he contested Assembly elections as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Unnao Sadar constituency and won.

#WATCH: BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, against whom a woman has leveled rape allegations, says 'Arrey wo nimn star ke log hain, apradhiyon ki saazish hai.' pic.twitter.com/vTJT6KMfL7  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 9, 2018

Family's political clout

Sengar's family has also been involved in politics. His wife Sangeeta was elected chairperson of the Unnao Zila panchayat during the SP regime, a position she still holds. His brother Manoj Sengar had won a local-level election.

A report in The Indian Express quoted a BJP leader as saying that Sengar is considered close to independent MLA (Kunda) Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya. "Sengar also gets votes of Muslims. He is the most influential Thakur leader in the entire district. With the combination of Muslims and Thakurs and some other upper castes, he wins the polls. While Brahmins are divided here, Sengar keeps the Thakurs united in his favour by helping them," he said.

The report said that the MLA is known to help local people financially. Another BJP leader quoted by The Indian Express said he offers Rs 10,000 as minimum cash gifts to brides in his constituency.

A Hindustan Times report quoted Unnao-based political analyst Shailendra Shukla as saying: "Kuldeep has positioned himself as a prominent Thakur leader in Brahmin-dominated Unnao. He has a good hold on Muslim votes and also enjoys the support of other upper castes. He has considerable support among lower caste voters too. His formula to win the election is through high social presence."

The report quoted a police officer posted in Unnao as saying that while Sengar is a full-time politician, his brothers Manoj and Atul work to maintain his image of a 'bahubali' leader. Both brothers have criminal cases against them.

"His family is feared in the region because of Manoj and Atul, who manage the muscle and money power of the family," the police official told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity.

According to another report in The Indian Express, such is the clout of Sengar and his family, that the girl who accused him and her family have refused to return home, saying they fear for their lives.

The girls mother was quoted by the report as saying: "We will not return to the village until the situation is normal. The MLA and his associates must be planning something. No one in the village will dare support us. No one will raise his voice against the MLA and his family. They hold all administrative posts in the village."

On Monday, two police officers and four constables were suspended after the death in police custody, following which Adityanath summoned the accused BJP MLA. This came only a day after the woman had tried to commit suicide outside the chief minister's residence in Lucknow on Sunday, saying no action has been taken against the accused yet.

Later on Monday evening, Sengar arrived at the secretariat to offer his explanation to the chief minister, but reportedly could not meet him. The state's home department said the girl had not named the MLA in her first complaint lodged last year. "It is an unfortunate incident. ADG (Police) Lucknow has been asked to probe the matter thoroughly. Those at fault  whoever they might be  will not be spared," Adityanath said.

Briefly addressing the media after meeting Adityanath, Sengar ruled out the possibility of resignation. "Does one tender resignation upon being accused? Will you resign if your name comes up?" the MLA asked the reporters.

#WATCH Kuldeep Singh Sengar, BJP MLA from Unnao against whom a woman leveled rape allegations,rules out resignation. Says 'Naam kisi ka aane se koi isteefa de deta hai?' pic.twitter.com/G3ZttjIE4g  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 9, 2018

"There is no allegation against me  I'm open to any kind of investigation. Strict action should be taken against the real culprit," ANI quoted him as saying.

However, the woman had alleged that she was raped in June 2017 by Sengar. She also accused the police in Unnao of not taking any action or registering a case on her complaint, Vijay Sen Singh, in-charge of the Gautam Palli police station, said.

With inputs from agencies
Allahabad High Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the Unnao Rape Case. Directs that the body of victim's father not be sent for cremation.

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the Unnao rape case. The court also said that the body of the victim's father, who had died in police custody, should be kept safe and not be sent for cremation, according to CNN-News18. The chief justice division bench of the high court will hear the case on Thursday.

On Tuesday, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged gangrape of a girl by a BJP legislator in Uttar Pradesh and the subsequent death of her father in police custody. The petition by advocate ML Sharma also sought Rs 3 crore compensation and protection to the family of the girl.

Sharma said the case must be handed over to the CBI for a "fair investigation and prosecution". "Custodial death of the victim's father is a clear case of torture by police at the behest of the state's ruling party... (the case) is now against the UP Police and UP Police cannot investigate against themselves," he said.

The Supreme Court said that it will hear the plea for a CBI probe into the case next week.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh Police had set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the rape accusations against Unnao MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger and other accused, and the death of the girl's father. Police had suspended six of its personnel, including station house officer of Makhi and five constables, and arrested Senger's brother Atul Singh and four of his aides  Baua, Vineet, Shailu and Sonu  for allegedly beating the girl's father to death.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also taken cognizance of the case and said that the allegations, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim's family. The commission has issued notice to the state's chief secretary and director general of police, calling for a detailed report in the matter, including action taken against the delinquent police officials, who refused to register an FIR. "All the reports, including health screening report of the deceased at the time of his admission in the jail and medical treatment provided by the jail authorities, are to be sent. They have been given four weeks to respond," the NHRC said.

The incident has triggered a political storm and public outrage in the state. A magisterial probe has also been ordered by the district administration.

With inputs from agencies
BJP MLA accused in Unnao rape case is likely to be arrested following reports holding him responsible for conspiracy in the case of assault on rape victim's father.

Amid protests from the Opposition, BJP MLA accused in Unnao rape case Kuldeep Sengar is likely to be arrested following reports holding him responsible for conspiracy in the case of assault on rape victim's father, CNN-News 18 reported. The news comes soon after the Special Investigative Team (SIT) in the case submitted its report to the Uttar Pradesh government.

#BREAKING -- SIT in Unnao rape case submits report to UP government. Sources say action likely to be taken against BJP MLA Kuldeep Senger. #UnnaoHorror pic.twitter.com/xKqpkpBCbs  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 11, 2018

#BREAKING -- #UnnaoHorror: Sources say report holds BJP MLA of conspiracy in the case of assault on rape victim's father. Arrest most likely to take place. Sources in BJP say, subsequent to legal action party is also likely to act against the MLA #Viewpoint @bhupendrachaube pic.twitter.com/n1CxjwZrSp  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 11, 2018

Earlier on Wednesday, Sengar was defended by his wife Sangeeta who said both the woman and her husband should undergo a narco test. Sangeeta Singh also told the media after meeting Director General of Police OP Singh in Lucknow that her husband, Kuldeep Singh Senger, was a victim of "political conspiracy" and was innocent of the crime he is supposed to have committed.

On Tuesday, Sengar's brother Atul Singh and three others were arrested in connection with the case, a day after father of the woman, who was allegedly raped by Sengar and his accomplice in 2017, died in police custody. The same day, the NHRC had issued a notice to the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the custodial death of the Unnao rape victim's father and related allegations.

On 9 April, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had summoned Sengar after the woman had tried to commit suicide outside the chief minister's residence in Lucknow saying no action has been taken against the accused yet.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it will hear a plea for CBI probe into the case next week. The plea alleged that the rape victim's father was tortured and killed in the police custody at the behest of the "ruling party" in the state.

With inputs from PTI
The custodial killing of the father of a rape victim in Unnao is just the latest example of how governance gets brutalised when the states chief executive gives a carte blanche to the police to brand anybody a criminal and kill at will.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath can be singularly credited for borrowing the phrase, 'thok denge', from Bollywood flicks and introducing it right in the mainstream governance discourse.

The phrase is a Bollywood euphemism for eliminating somebody.

Yogi used this expression last year ("Agar aparadh karenge to thok denge (if they commit crime, they will be bumped off"). He was sending what seemed like a stern message to criminals operating in Uttar Pradesh  either to mend their way or face the threat of being eliminated by the police. And the Uttar Pradesh administration, particularly the police, seemed to have internalised Yogi's message too literally.

The custodial killing of the father of a rape victim in Unnao is just the latest example of how governance gets brutalised when the states chief executive gives a carte blanche to the police to brand anybody a criminal and kill at will. Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a powerful Rajput legislator from the ruling BJP, ensured that the law enforcement agencies abetted the crime when his men carried out the killing of the man whose daughter had accused him, the legislator, of raping her. The police at best was a conspirator to the crime.

Mondays incident is far beyond an ordinary crime. It is indicative of a deeply criminalised polity which has further worsened with the ascension of Yogi as chief minister. The reasons for this criminal conduct of the state is not far to seek. The Uttar Pradesh police have staged a series of dubious encounters in the past one year or so  ostensibly to eliminate criminals, thus assuming powers which are extrajudicial. And they are acting as a law unto themselves.

How else would one explain the killing of a hapless man whose family is the victim of a powerful legislators misdeeds? In normal circumstances, the legislator and his brother should have been arrested immediately after the woman accused them of molestation and rape. But Sengar was seen sauntering around the office of the chief minister and thumbing his nose at the rule of law by describing the rape victim and his family as "nichle istar ke log (low-level people)". Can any other rape accused be given such a liberty in a civilised society? (The MLAs brother, Atul Singh Sengar, was arrested finally on Tuesday  only after the media cried foul.)

How has this situation come about? The fact that governance in the countrys largest state cares two hoots to be held accountable to the rule of law is a grim reality. What complicates the situation is the impression that Yogi is a Rajput chief minister who is incapable of taking along the diverse social groups. Given his saffron robe and his past utterances, Yogi did little to allay the apprehension of the Muslims. He rather reaffirmed it when he needlessly said that he would not celebrate Eid as he is a Hindu. Apart from the communal divide, Yogi does not appear to be astute enough to accommodate varied caste groups which formed a sizeable support base for the BJP in the 2017 assembly elections. This is very well reflected in the Yogi governments penchant for picking up Rajput officers to be posted in prime positions in the administration and the police. This practice of running the government is not different from his predecessor Akhilesh Yadavs style of functioning except for the fact that Yogi has introduced unfettered machismo in the statecraft.

It would have been instructive if Yogi had tried to look at the record of an earlier predecessor, VP Singh, who assumed the chief ministership of the state in the early eighties. The erstwhile Raja of Manda, soon after taking over the charge, vowed to end the menace of dacoits in the Chambal ravines and launched an aggressive muscular policy against brigands. VP Singh soon realised that his approach was counterproductive. The police operations proved to be much oppressive for OBCs and scheduled castes while dacoits continued to operate with impunity.

The Unnao incident must serve as a warning signal to the chief minister whose fascination for a macho state may prove to be equally counterproductive as it was for VP Singh. It would be good for the state and its people if Yogi realises sooner rather than later that the adherence to the rule of law is sine qua non for the evolution of a civilised and just society. The overt or covert protection of people like Sengar is a sure recipe for a chaos that will ultimately prove to be his undoing.
The Unnao rape case, in which a BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brothers are accused of gang raping a young woman in Unnao, lurched forward midnight Wednesday as the Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath decided to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In addition, an FIR will be filed against Sengar and others on the basis of a special probe team's report submitted to the state government Wednesday.

The Unnao rape case, in which a BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brothers are accused of gang raping a young woman in Unnao, lurched forward midnight Wednesday as the Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath decided to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In addition, an FIR will be filed against Sengar and others on the basis of a special probe team's report submitted to the state government Wednesday.

In Unnao, about 50 km from Lucknow, four-time BJP MLA Sengar and his brothers allegedly gang-raped an 18 year old who later attempted suicide outside Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow on Sunday, demanding justice. Sengar and accomplices are also accused in the custodial death of the victim's father. A special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the alleged rape and the victim's father's death reportedly found serious lapses by police and doctors in Unnao.

Two doctors - D.K. Dwivedi and Prashant Upadhyay -have been suspended and disciplinary proceedings initiated against three other doctors "for laxity in giving proper medical care to the victim's father, both prior to judicial custody and on referral from jail to the district hospital while in judicial custody", according to an official statement, reports ANI.

The victim's father died of septicaemia in judicial custody on Tuesday; an autopsy revealed multiple injuries on his body.

The Allahabad High Court will be taking up a Public Interest Litigation plea Thursday by senior advocate Gopal S. Chaturvedi pressing for a court-monitored probe of the Unnao rape case.

Late Wednesday night, Sengar, BJP MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Bangarmau district in Unnao, drove to a senior Lucknow city police officer's house along with a gang of supporters after reports surfaced that he may surrender.

"Hum to ye pata lagaane aaye the ki kahin hamara naam kisi FIR me hai ya nahi (I just came to find out whether I was named in any FIR)," he said. Sengar showed up at the SSP's office at around 11.40 pm.

WATCH: Scuffle between media persons and supporters of Unnao BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger outside SSP office in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/jxJevmRmj4  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

Decisions of UP govt on Unnao rape case: FIR to be lodged under appropriate sections considering allegations of rape on Kuldeep Sengar&others. Case to be handed over to CBI for further investigation. 2 doctors & 1 CO to be suspended. Family of victim to be given adequate security pic.twitter.com/uKEQj6tNIn  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

#BREAKING -- Unnao district judge has ordered a judicial inquiry into the custodial death of Surender Singh, father of Unnao rape survivor. #UnnaoHorror pic.twitter.com/iWEaiKNO6Q  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 11, 2018

On Tuesday, Sengar's brother Atul Singh and three others were arrested in connection with the case, a day after the rape victim's father died in police custody. On the same day, the National Human Rights Commission issued notice to the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the custodial death of the Unnao rape victim's father.

Reports of Sengar's likely surrender surfaced after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the rape case and the victim's father's death in custody submitted a preliminary report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Wednesday evening.

"The custodial killing of the father of a rape victim in Unnao is just the latest example of how governance gets brutalised when the states chief executive gives a carte blanche to the police to brand anybody a criminal and kill at will," writes Ajay Singh on the perils of Yogi Adityanath's thok denge statecraft.
The Supreme Court will hear next week here a plea for CBI probe into the Unnao gangrape case allegedly involving a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear next week a plea for CBI probe into the Unnao gangrape case allegedly involving a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it would hear the plea which has also alleged that the rape victim's father was tortured and killed in the police custody at the behest of the "ruling party" in the state.

The petition, filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, sought the court's direction to the CBI to probe the alleged kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in July, 2017 "by the BJP MLA and his companion and custodial death of her father via torture" on 9 April.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator "under political pressure" and that the state police would not carry out a "fair investigation under compulsion", it said the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

Referring to the victim's statement, the petition also alleged that sitting BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar from Bangarmau constituency in Unnao district was the main accused in cases of the girl's rape in July, 2018 and custodial death of her father after her protest against the legislator.

The public interest petition also sought protection and compensation to the victims' kin, as was provided in the Nirbhaya gangrape case.
The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, directed the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board to produce documents bearing the signature of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim of ownership over the Taj Mahal.

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, directed the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board to produce documents bearing the signature of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim of ownership over the Taj Mahal.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the court granted the board a week's time to submit the documents.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had petitioned the court in 2010 against the Wakf boards July 2005 decision ordering that the Taj be registered as the latters property. There is a stay on the order.

While hearing the petition filed by the ASI in 2010, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, told the board, Who in India will believe it belongs to the wakf board? These kind of issues must not waste the time of the Supreme Court.

When was it given to you? When did you come in? For over 250 years, the East India Company was in possession. After that it passed to the Central government. The ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) has been in charge of managing it. It had the right of administration, the chief justice added, while tracing the history of the monument.

When senior advocate VV Giri, who is representing the Wakf board, told the apex court that Shah Jahan had executed a wakfnama in favour of the board, the bench demanded that the board place the "original deed executed by Shah Jahan" before the court.

The chief justice also questioned the board on how Shah Jahan had signed the wakfnama. How did he (Shah Jahan) sign the wakfnama? He was in jail and used to view the monument while in custody, Misra asked, according to the Hindustan Times.

ADN Rao, the ASIs advocate, told the Supreme Court that there was no such wakfnama. Under the 1858 proclamation, the properties taken from the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, were vested with the Queen, Rao said, according to reports. By a 1948 Act, the buildings were taken over by the Indian government, he added.

The matter reached the Supreme Court after a resident of Uttar Pradesh moved the Allahabad High Court seeking to be appointed as caretaker of the Taj Mahal, as a Mughal descendant. The high court had refused to intervene and asked him to make a representation to the Wakf board.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) removed Kumar Vishwas as the in-charge of its Rajasthan unit, and replaced him with Deepak Bajpai.

The political affairs committee (PAC) of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) removed Kumar Vishwas as the party in-charge for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, and appointed its national treasurer Deepak Bajpai as his replacement.

"Bajpai will be the in-charge of the Assembly elections in Rajasthan. Vishwas was not able to devote time for election preparations due to his preoccupations,"AAP national spokesperson Ashutosh said on Wednesday. He said the AAP will contest the Assembly polls in Rajasthan  which are due later in 2018  with full strength.

He added that Bajpai will prepare the list of candidates for the polls in the state and it would be finalised by the PAC.

The sudden development comes against the backdrop of an internal conflict between Vishwasa senior leader and party founderand the party's top leadership.

Recently, Vishwas refused to follow other AAP leaders embroiled in a defamation suit against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and tender an apology.

Jaitley filed the case in the Delhi High Court against six AAP leaders: Vishwas, Bajpai, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Raghav Chadha, Ashutosh, and Sanjay Singh.

While Kejriwal began issuing apologies for the remarks made by him against his political opponents in March, Vishwas said he would contest the defamation cases against him.

However, reports of a rift first emerged in June, 2017 when Vishwas skipped an iftaar party organised by the Delhi government. He also stayed away from campaigning in Punjab in 2017, and Rajasthan in January.

A controversial video further strained the relationship between Kejriwal and Vishwas, who were once close. "If, in Delhi, you form a government on the anti-corruption plank with the promise of freedom from corruption and fall silent and try to protect your own people when they come under the scanner, you will be questioned by people", Vishwas said in the video.

While Kejriwal publicly gave Vishwas the thumbs up for the candid talk, a source told Firstpost that privately, the Delhi chief minister was extremely upset. Another source also revealed that when Vishwas continued with his principled talks with party workers, Kejriwal purportedly told him: "I will finish you but I will not turn you into a martyr".

In January, AAP had also denied Vishwas a seat in Parliament.

With inputs from agencies
Ravi Shankar Prasad has sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi for using Cambridge Analytica's services to boost Congress's reach in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted to his mistake of "not doing enough" to prevent misuse of user data in his testimony before the United States Congress on Monday. This confirms Facebook's links with data mining firm Cambridge Analytica (CA) and the fact that CA took private data of millions of Facebook users to plan electoral campaigns campaigns for various political parties and leaders across the globe. Following Zuckerberg's testimony, India's IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has sharpened his attack on Congress and demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi for allegedly using the firm's serviuces to help boost Congress's reach in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Now that Cambridge Analyticas role in manipulating elections is clear & Facebook has assured to stop it and maintain integrity of Indias elections, probity demands that @RahulGandhi should apologise & promise not to manipulate voters and divide the society in future! https://t.co/xo4iJUJsBw  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 11, 2018

Earlier, Prasad had accused Congress of having strong links with CA which led it to map voters and spin its political campaign around the data provided by it. My question to Congress party is whether to win elections, Congress will depend on data manipulation and theft of data. What is the role of Cambridge Analytica in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi?, Prasad had asked. Congress, however, had denied BJP's allegations. News about Congress engaged/engaging with Cambridge Analytica is absolutely false, Divya Spandana, Congress social media cell in-charge had tweeted.

I reiterate, the Congress party has never engaged with Cambridge Analytica, nationally or regionally.  Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) March 27, 2018

The blame game started after Congress minister Manish Tewari raised an alarm over CA's work in India and asked the Election Commission to enquire into its alledged role.

https://t.co/wBcEWwltON - In this report on Cambridge Analytica there is an ostensible claim by them or the jurnos that they have worked on Indian elections/campaigns. Election Commission should enquire/recommend investigation what services & to whom they were offering in India  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) March 21, 2018

Post this, Prasad came to fore and pointed fingers at Congress. He addressed a press conference to direct his attack at Congress and also warned Zuckerberg of strict action if Facebook was found guilty of data breach in India. He sought answers from Congress as to how much data trade it has made with CA considering the recent elections in North East and Gujarat and the upcoming polls in Karnataka.

Speaking to NDTV, Prasad said, "The company (CA) is known for aggressive fake news, below standard campaign. Do I need to record before you the language of Rahul Gandhi, Gabbar Singh Tax and the whole social media campaign?"

Following which Congress president Rahul Gandhi too launched a stinging attack on BJP alledging that the govt invented a story on data theft involving the Congress and CA to divert attention from the death of 39 Indians in Iraq. He accused the government of 'baiting' the media.

Problem: 39 Indians dead; Govt on the mat, caught lying.

Solution: Invent story on Congress & Data Theft. Result: Media networks bite bait; 39 Indians vanish from radar. Problem solved.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 22, 2018

Later on, though, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala denied that Congress party has taken any services from CA. Instead he quoted information from the data mining firm's website citing BJP and JD(U) involvement with it for electorate analysis in the Bihar Assembly election in 2010. Hitler had an associate called Goebbels, Modiji has an associate called Ravi Shankar Prasad. BJP Govt has become a manufacturer of fake news. Sabse bade data chor macha rahe hain sabse zyada shor (the biggest data thieves are making loud noises)", Surjewala had remarked. "Also, the firms Indian partner Ovlene Business Intelligence (OBI) is being run by the son of a former Rajya Sabha MP of the JD(U), referring to India head of OBI Amrish Tyagi, son of JD(U) leader KC Tyagi, whose services were used by Rajnath Singh in 2009, he added.

The JD(U)- BJP angle came to the fore after Christopher Wylie, the data leak whisleblower, said that his former employer CA had an Indian arm and conducted election research on behalf of some parties including the Janata Dal United JD(U), now a BJP ally, for "desired outcome".

But BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra denied these charges. The BJP has nothing to hide we have seen that the company has pulled down its website after an allegation that it was carrying the name of BJP. As far as Cambridge Analytica is concerned, it was formed in 2013, so it could not campaign for any elections in 2013-14. Congress has outsourced its campaign for 2019 in a big way. The government is going to investigate, he had said.
BJP president Amit Shah will tour northern parts of the state from Thursday on his sixth round of campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka, where the saffron party is going all out to unseat the Congress.

Bengaluru: BJP president Amit Shah will tour northern parts of the state from Thursday on his sixth round of campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka, where the saffron party is going all out to unseat the Congress.

During his two-day trip, the BJP chief will take part in campaigns, protests and meet Lingayat and Veerashaiva seers.

Shah will hold a sit-in at Hubballi joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party MPs to protest the recent washout of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Modi and other BJP leaders are slated to observe a day-long fast tomorrow to protest the washout due to disruptions by the Opposition.

The BJP chief will travel to Dharwad, Bagalkote, Belagavi and Gadag.

He will be accompanied by BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa and Union minister Ananthkumar and other senior party functionaries.

Shah will also participate in the "Musti Dhanya Abhiyan," a campaign of collecting a fistful of foodgrains from farmers to show solidarity with them.

As part of the campaign, a feast would be arranged from the foodgrains collected from the farmers where BJP will promise to the farmers that it will support them if the party comes to power, BJP sources said.

Shah will call on pontiffs of Lingayat and Veerashaiva community including the head of Mooru Savira Math at Hubballi and visit some prominent temples too, the sources said.

The BJP president has been travelling to various Mutts and visiting seers of Lingayat and Veerashaiva community ever since chief minister Siddaramaiah played the Lingayat card recommending to the Centre on granting religious minority status to the Lingayat sect.

During his previous trips, Shah had called on Siddaganga Math's senior pontiff Shivakumar Swamiji, who is said to be 111 years old, and a revered pontiff for Lingayats and Veerashaivas.

Shah's visit is seen as an attempt to reach out to Lingayats and Veerashaivas who form a strong base for BJP, after the Siddaramaiah government's recent move to accord separate religion and minority status for Lingayat sect.

Click here to follow detailed coverage of the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018
Taking a dig at the BJP over its 'double standard' on the ban of cow slaughter, Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy alleged that the country's beef export was flourishing under Narendra Modi's regime

Bengaluru: Taking a dig at the BJP over its "double standard" on the ban of cow slaughter, Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday alleged that the country's beef export was flourishing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime.

Recalling the statements of BJP president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during their visits to Karnataka that they would ban cow slaughter in the state after coming to power, Reddy said killing of any animal was not right.

"They (BJP) say that they will ban cow slaughter if they come to power in Karnataka, while our country exports cow meat, beef to other countries...it has been four years since they came to power, why have they not stopped these exports," he asked.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, the state home minister noted, "If they have real love for cows, they will have to first stop the exports."

Reddy also alleged that under Modi's regime, the country has attained the second position in the global beef exports, from the third place it enjoyed earlier. Brazil currently holds the first position, while Australia is third.

The Congress minister said the income earned by the country during 2015-16 from beef exports stood at Rs 26,682 crore.

"Does this mean for Rs 26,000 crore, they (BJP) are exporting beef and not banning it? If their sentiment about the cow is true, let them stop it," he said.

Citing data by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy data, Reddy said under the Modi regime, beef exports have seen a growth of about 14 percent every year.

BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have a large number of beef processing and exporting companies, he said, adding there were allegations that BJP leaders were partners in these beef exporting companies in Uttar Pradesh.

The Karnataka minister said in BJP-ruled Goa, 30 to 50 tonnes of beef is used every day, adding in many northeastern states where the BJP is in power, they are not ready for a ban on cow slaughter for "political reasons".

"...they (BJP) are playing a drama...if they want to ban, let them ban everywhere and all animals. I will completely support it...let them first leave their double standard out," he said.

Reddy also termed Shah's visit to temples, Swamijis (seers) and the royal family of Mysuru in Karnataka as "politically motivated" ahead of the 12 May state Assembly election.

Hitting out at Shah's statement that BJP would bring the culprits involved in killings of RSS and BJP activists to justice, Reddy asked, "Who are they to bring them to justice when we have already done the job."

He said the state government has already put the culprits behind bars and in many cases, charge-sheets have been filed, adding "the BJP claimed that 23 activists were killed, while the truth is only 10 of them belonged to the BJP or Sangh Parivar. The rest were all different cases, including that of personal rivalry."

Accusing the BJP of indulging in false propaganda about the killing of 'Hindu activists', he questioned as to why the party leaders were not speaking about the killings of PFI and SDPI activists.

Regarding party ticket to his daughter Soumya Reddy to contest from Jayanagara constituency in Bengaluru for the assembly polls, Reddy said, "If she is given the ticket, she will contest from Jayanagara, if someone else is given, we will support that candidate".

About reports that she was looking at Bommanahalli constituency as a second option, the home minister clarified that his daughter would not contest from any other constituency.
Hitting back at the Congress over its allegations against Union minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP said the party was making 'false', 'sensational' and 'scurrilous' statements.

New Delhi: Hitting back at the Congress over its allegations against Union minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP on Tuesday said the party was making "false", "sensational" and "scurrilous" statements to divert attention from the many scams committed by it.

The BJP, in a late night statement, said the Congress was misrepresenting the income earned by Goyal through professional consultancy.

"The Congress continues its past record of making false, sensational and scurrilous statements to divert attention from huge scams of Congress party and its leaders which are in public domain," the statement said.

It said while Goyal was a preeminent chartered accountant and financial advisor in the country before May, 2014, he wound up all professional activities after becoming a Union minister.

"From July, 2014, Goyal resigned from the board of the company and it effectively started functioning as an investment company managing its own investments," the BJP statement said.

The saffron party also said that though as a professional, Goyal was running his businesses through a number of firms, he fully dissociated himself from all these companies during 2014.

It said while Goyal was on the board of Shirdi Industries Ltd from 25 April, 2008 to 1 July, 2010, he had nothing to do with it or its associated companies since then.

"A cursory scrutiny of their statutory filings also discloses that the statements made by Congress about the alleged loan amount was totally incorrect, false and a malicious attempt to defame Goyal," it stated.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Pawan Khera demanded the immediate sacking of Goyal, alleging that his family has business interests in companies that are in default. The party also demanded a judicial investigation by a sitting Supreme Court judge to see if there was conflict of interest in the case.
Here is the programme list of different ministers and leaders for Thursday, the day BJP will observe daylong fast over disruptions during the Budget Session of the Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will observe a day-long fast on Thursday over disruptions during the Budget Session of the Parliament. All BJP MPs will observe fast in their respective constituencies, the party said. Here is the programme of different political leaders and ministers who would take part in the fast.

Modi will observe the fast but that would not stop him from continuing routine official work including inaugurating 10th edition of Defence Expo in Chennai at Tiruvidanthal, in Kancheepuram district that has been on edge due to protests over Cauvery water issue.

"The prime minister will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai. He will unveil the plaque inaugurating the diamond jubilee building, palliative care centre (Mahvir Ashray) at Shriperumbadur, Daycare centre and nurses quarter at the Adyar Cancer Institute," an official statement from PMO said on Wednesday.

Amit Shah will observe a hunger strike in Hubli in poll-bound Karnataka, while party MPs will fast in their constituencies. While Union information and technology minister Ravishankar Prasad will observe the fast at Gardani Bagh in Patna, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will be in New Delhi. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari may be out of India but Giriraj Singh will be in Nawada and Mahesh Sharma will be in Noida.

Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal will be in Delhi observing the fast while attending to official work; Union health minister JP Nadda will be in Varanasi.

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javdekar will be in Bengaluru. Union ministers Suresh Prabhu, Maneka Gandhi and Minakshi Lekhi will be at Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place in Delhi staging the protest and observing the fast. Union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will observe the fast in Chennai while Union minister Thawerchand Gehlot will be in Indore at the time of the protest.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in Chennai that she would also fast to protest the disruption of Parliament by the opposition during the just-concluded Budget Session. "I will be fasting. PM Modi is also fasting. Fasting is not going to stop him from coming here," Sitharaman said, after opening the DefExpo 2018 that showcases India's capability to manufacture arms and weapons platform systems.

Union Minister Vijay Goel said that he will join the nationwide fast on Thursday morning at Shastri Park here against the divisive politics of Opposition especially the Congress, IANS reported.

According to sources, the party will also observe the birth anniversary of Jyotiba Phule, a social reformer from a backward caste, on Wednesday as Samta Divas (equality day). While observing fast, Modi will not disturb his daily official routine of meeting people and officials, and clearing files, sources said. The prime minister will address the MPs and interact with some of them on the occasion, they said.

In a statement, the BJP said that Prime Minister Modi along with all the party MPs will observe fast on Thursday, to reveal the "undemocratic and anti-development face of the Congress party, which stalled the proceedings of Parliament during the Budget Session".

The Congress, on Tuesday, said Modi's day-long fast was a "farce", adding that the prime minister should instead apologise to the youth, Dalits and other sections of the society, who were allegedly let down by his government.

With inputs from agencies
Congress MLC from Raebareli Dinesh Singh and his brother Rakesh (who is also the Congress MLA from Raebareli) quit the party.

In a political blow to Congress, its MLC from Raebareli Dinesh Singh and his brother Rakesh (who is also the Congress MLA from Raebareli) quit the party on Wednesday.

#JustIn -- In a major setback to Congress ahead of the 2019 General elections, Raebareli MLA, MLC leave the party accusing the party high command of being indifferent to local leaders. pic.twitter.com/waaYyjTfkV  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 11, 2018

CNN-News18 reported that the two leaders were apparently unhappy with local leaders not being given credit for their work. They also complained about how local leaders were not allowed to grow.

The news channel quoted sources as saying that the now former Congress leaders are in talks with BJP.

In April 2017, the disciplinary committee of Uttar Pradesh Congress had issued a show-cause notice to Dinesh Singh, who had been suspended from the primary membership of the party.

The chairman of the committee, Ram Krishna Dwivedi, had issued the notice to Singh for "anti-party" activities and had asked him to reply within five days.

In the notice, Dwivedi had stated that at a time when it was essential for all the party men to remain united, Singh had created "chasm" within the organisation and given rise to "infighting".

"Your undignified behaviour against the party line is a very serious issue and has made a negative impact," the notice had stated.

The action against the MLC was taken as he had allegedly misbehaved with the local leaders of Raebareli and passed objectionable comments against senior party leaders.

With inputs from PTI
In a dramatic turn of events ahead of the 2019 General elections, Congress' Raebareli MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh and his brother Rakesh Singh have quit the party. The duo accused the party high command of being indifferent to local leaders.

In a dramatic turn of events ahead of the 2019 General Election, Congress' Raebareli MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh and his brother Rakesh Singh have quit the party. The duo accused the party high command of being indifferent to local leaders.

They are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of party chief Amit Shah, reports said.

#JustIn -- In a major setback to Congress ahead of the 2019 General elections, Raebareli MLA, MLC leave the party accusing the party high command of being indifferent to local leaders. pic.twitter.com/waaYyjTfkV  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 11, 2018

Singh is believed to share a close relationship with Congress president Rahul Gandhi and senior party leader Sonia Gandhi. He is also known to be a close aide of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

He was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council from the local body quota. The MLC's third brother, Rakesh, was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on a Congress ticket in the 2017 Assembly election.

In April last year, the MLC was suspended from the primary membership of the Congress for an indefinite period for 'anti-party' activities. The MLC was accused of misbehaving with the general secretary of the Raebareli Congress committee and some of the local party leaders.

Singh was served a suspension notice by Raebareli District Congress Committee president VK Shukla. In the notice, the MLC was accused of physically assaulting Manoj Paswan, general secretary of the district Congress committee, and abducting panchayat members who had moved a no-confidence motion against his brother Awadhesh, a district panchayat president in Raebareli.

Local Congress leaders also alleged that Singh and his brother Awadhesh were trying to unseat AICC general secretary and Sonia Gandhi's constituency representative Kishori Lal Sharma.

In a press conference, the MLC had hinted at his strained relationship with Sharma, saying that he and KL Sharma could not coexist in Raebareli and in Congress. Charges of nepotism were also levelled against the MLC.
The Congress on Sunday slammed the Modi government's foreign policy, saying it was 'confused' and conducted in a 'cavalier manner' which has damaged India's profile globally

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday slammed the Modi government's foreign policy, saying it was "confused" and conducted in a "cavalier manner" which has damaged India's profile globally.

The party, in a resolution adopted at its 84th plenary session, accused the NDA government of pursuing a foreign policy "bereft of focus and direction.

The resolution, moved by senior party leader Anand Sharma and seconded by party MP Gaurav Gogoi, said the prime minister has pursued a personalised foreign policy and his foreign engagements have been reduced to merely being transactional.

"Congress expresses its concern over the conduct of foreign policy in a cavalier manner, which has damaged India's profile globally and undermined national interest," the resolution on foreign policy said.

"Foreign policy has always been marked with continuity with the backing of a strong national consensus. Unfortunately, the BJP government has disrupted it, and its ill-advised actions have unravelled the national consensus," it said.

The resolution also alleged that the government was carried away by its own propaganda, and has "mismanaged" India's relations with major partner countries.

"Its (government's) foreign policy is confused and bereft of focus and direction," it said.

Sharma said that the BJP government has pursued a foreign policy away from the Nehruvian vision. He also claimed that the government's foreign policy has lacked coherence and a futuristic vision.

The Prime Minister of India is making disparaging remarks against his predecessors and expects us not to question or challenge what is being done. He is the first prime minister who has undermined the country," Sharma said, while proposing the resolution.

It is a matter of shame that the present government did not acknowledge India's achievements on foreign policy front in the past before he came to power. I condemn the prime minister for this, who has insulted the country. This is not an insult of the Congress, but of the country, which will never forgive him, he said.

Sharma said the time had come for India to think and go in for course correction.

The resolution said that India has a strategic relationship with its major partner countries and each relationship was special, and must remain independent.

Relations with one country should not be at the cost of India's relations with another strategic partner. India's strategic outlook must be shaped by the rapidly unfolding political and economic changes across the world," the resolution said.

"Given its size, resources and being a large economy, India is a significant power pole in the multi-polar world. Its ambition to become a leading power, rather than a mere balancing power, is legitimate, the resolution said.

It also said that the present power configuration and the government's handling of ties with major capitals of the world, does not create the necessary space to assert India's leadership position globally.

There is an urgent need to re-calibrate equations with the US, arrest the slide in relations with Russia and improve communication and trust with China, the resolution said.

Congress remains of a firm view, that diplomacy must have depth and gravitas. Grand events and photo opportunities cannot be a substitute to effective diplomacy. There should be credibility and a ring of sincerity in India's international engagements, the resolution said.

It also said that India has long enjoyed international respect as a country deeply committed to multilateralism and a rule-based world order, even while zealously safeguarding its vital interests.

Sharma said the time has come to correct things and asserted that "India shall change".

"India will correct its foreign policy, India will return to the enlightened world view of Nehru under Congress and its allies and that charge will be led by Rahul Gandhi," Sharma said.

"We shall remove the incompetent government which has damaged our international engagements, damaged our policy, damaged our credibility and we reassure our friends that we stand with you as Congress always did," he said.

The resolution said that the plenary session of the Congress conveys its concern, that the broader vision of India and its humanist responses have "dimmed" in the recent past.

The concept of enlightened self-interest, that was Nehru's legacy, must be upheld and strengthened, the resolution said.
BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura Assembly constituency, the party's Central Election Committee announced on Sunday

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

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.

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

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.

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

He will be up against GT Deve Gowda of the JD(S). Gowda is the sitting MLA and also a one-time close associate of the chief minister. Siddaramaiah wants to pitch his decision to contest from his erstwhile constituency as the return of the prodigal son in what is being spoken of as his 10th and final electoral battle. But Gowda labels Siddaramaiah as someone who "abandoned" Chamundeshwari for Varuna after his skip-a-heartbeat 2006 victory.

With his desire to see his son, Yathindra take a plunge into electoral politics, Siddaramaiah has given up on his safe Varuna seat to risk it in Chamundeshwari. The odds are stacked against Siddaramaiah in this constituency that is named after the hilltop Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru.

G T Devegowda, the JD(S) MLA from Chamundeshwari constituency, said that Congress workers were not happy with Siddaramaiahs leadership and were defecting only because they intend to see HD Kumaraswamy as chief minister. JD(S)s claim may not prove to be a setback for the Congress, but it is bound to impact partys campaign strategy.

The Janata Dal (Secular) which holds the Chamundeshwari seat, is trying to dent his chances of victory by roping in Congress party workers. On Wednesday, the JD(S) announced that 20 Congress workers in the constituency, including block-level leaders like Kaling Naik, Angadi Manju, and MH Rajashekar were joining the party.

The RSS is also of the opinion that Modi is their best bet and he should lead the campaign against Congress.

PM Modi is our biggest weapon. We want him to create a Modi wave closer to the election. In Gujarat, he single handedly rescued the party from a certain defeat. The situation is not so favourable even here. We are hopeful that Prime Minister will do the magic, he said.

The state BJP has requested Modi to address at least 15 public meetings. According to a spokesman of the party, depending on the situation Modi may spare more time for Karnataka addressing over a dozen meetings.

Our campaign so far has been lacklustre. We have failed to put the Congress on back foot. Actually, they are setting the agenda and we are being forced to react to them. The party high command has taken a serious note of it and they seem to have decided to take direct charge of the campaign, said a senior state BJP leader.

The former chief minister also announced that he would file his nomination from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district on 19 April.

The BJP's Karnataka unit chief B S Yeddyurappa today said the second list of party candidates for the May 12 assembly election in the state was likely to be announced on 11 April.

Most of them are sitting legislators and a few of them also served as ministers in the past. Guttedar, a six-time MLA and OBC leader, had yesterday joined the party, hours before the first list was announced.

Those who have made it to the list include P Rajeev (Kudachi), A S Patil Nadahalli (Muddebihal), Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal (Bijapur City), Malikayya Guttedar (Afzalpur), Mallikarjun Khuba (Basavakalyana) and Dr Shivaraj Patil (Raichur).

Most of the party-hoppers, who joined the BJP ahead of the May 12 assembly polls in Karnataka, have made it to the party's first list of candidates. In the list of 72 candidates for the high-stakes contest to the 224-member Assembly that was released last night, at least 11 recently joined the BJP, including some who had deserted it earlier.

According to S Yogeshwar, returning officer of Yashwanthapura constituency, the incident occurred when a special drive in booth number 74 of the constituency was going on at a school.

Miscreants today snatched away about 450 applications pertaining to the addition, changes and deletion of names from the voter list at Yashwanthapura in Bengaluru.

JD(S) is not the BJPs B team as alleged by the Congress. On the contrary, leaders who were with Janata Pariwar migrated to the Congress and formed a B team, sidelining seniors like Mallikjarjuna Kharge and Parameshwara," he said.

Janata Dal (Secular) state president HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday sought to reply to Rahul Gandhi's charge that his party was in cahoots with the BJP. Terming both two sides of the same coin he said they share a one should beat and another would weep agreement, The Times of India reported.

"This is the work of one or two Swamijis and I am not at all bothered. Almost everyone in the community is with us and we are going to win about 150 seats and form the government," The Times of India quoted him as saying.

Yeddyurappa said that it is just a few of them who have made these statements, while the entire Lingayat-Veerashaiva community is with the BJP.

Gehlot, a former chief minister of Rajasthan, was recently appointed the AICC general secretary in charge of organisation and training of party cadres.

Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot has been appointed a member of the party's central election committee, the apex body for selection of candidates during elections.

BJP has also refused to field his daughter Shambhavi from Rajarajeshwarinagara Assembly seat in Bengaluru. Neither the state BJP, nor its national leadership is giving him any importance. He is actually a nobody in BJP. It has hurt him deeply. He has been sending the feelers to Congress for the past two months, a senior Congress leader told News18 .

State Congress sources claim that the former external affairs minister is now interested in rejoining the party as he is disillusioned with the BJP. He feels that the saffron party has humiliated him by giving no importance to him.

Senior politician and former Congress stalwart SM Krishna is considering returning to his mother party merely a year after he joined the BJP in a surprise move, calling the Congress a party in rapid decline.

"This has been mentioned in the divisional commissioner's report.. The report is under scrutiny," he added.

"The mother of the deceased person had earlier given some statement before some television channel, but she has changed her version now. She is now saying, neither has she received any cheque nor has she been given an assurance in this regard," he told reporters here.

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjiv Kumar today said the report on alleged violation of model code of conduct by BJP President Amit Shah for giving Rs five lakh to the family of a deceased party worker is under scrutiny.

The AICC secretary in charge of Karnataka and former MP Madhu Yashki Goud directly blamed the BJP IT Cell responsible for it. Threatening a criminal action against the BJP, he said that the saffron party had mastered the art of fake news to misguide the people".

The fake list not only showed Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as a candidate, but had senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandis' signature. However, the makers of the list were perhaps unaware of the fact that Fernandes is unwell and is undergoing treatment in Delhi. He no longer is the authorised signatory for such lists.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said the Congress party had not yet finalised the list of candidates for the upcoming state assembly polls and that a "fake" list was in circulation to create confusion.

Each EVM consists of a control unit and a balloting unit. As of date, there are 89,206 balloting units and 76,192 control units in the state. "These units are enough for the 58,546 polling stations across 224 assembly segments in the state," Kumar added.

Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) will be supplying these advanced election machinery to used in the city for the ensuing elections on a pilot basis. "The new machines, which will be used for the first time in the state, will be deployed in the constituencies of Bengaluru," Kumar said.

A total of 5,000 advanced EVMs and VVPATs which can automatically detect errors and any tampering with the vote will be used in Bengaluru for the May 12 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, the state's Chief Electoral Official said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile BJP and Congress have been accusing each other of poll code violations. While Congress filed a complaint against Amit Shah for offering Rs 5 lakh to the family of a deceased BJP worker, the saffron party claimed that Siddaramaiah had given a "bribe" of Rs 2,000 each to two women who welcomed him during his visit to Chamundeshwari.

Freebies for voters worth over Rs 9.96 crore were also seized by the poll officials. About 10,500 litres of liquor valued at Rs 46 lakh was also seized by the state's Excise Department.

Since 27 March, when the Model Code of Conduct came into effect in Karnataka, Rs 4.69 crore cash has been seized in the state by the surveillance teams for violation of the poll code.

According to a report by The Times of India , reeling off statistics of Muslim population, leaders from the community say that the Muslim candidates can win as many as 28 seats with the support of a sizeable 12 percent population.

A group of Muslim leaders from Karnataka on Tuesday demanded that the Congress party reserve at least one constituency in each district of the state for Muslim candidates.

BJP president Amit Shah will tour northern parts of the state from Thursday on his sixth round of campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka, where the saffron party is going all out to unseat the Congress. During his two-day trip, the BJP chief will take part in campaigns, protests and meet Lingayat and Veerashaiva seers. Shah will hold a sit-in at Hubballi joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party MPs to protest the recent washout of the Budget Session of Parliament. Read more here.

Congress and BJP are all set to release the list of candidates on Sunday. While the Congress is expected to release its first list of candidates by 3 pm, according to sources, BJP will release its second list later on Sunday night.

"I made the comments in emotion. Let them (BJP) protest against me, but shouldn't Uttar Pradesh do something about the Unnao victim? Don't compare Yogi ADityanath to swamijis in Karnataka. They are respectable people." KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao told India Today in response to BJP's demand for an apology for his remarks on the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

"The EC squads and police authorities have so far seized cash over Rs 22.34 crore, besides 7.5kg gold valued at Rs 1.76 crore, unspecified amount of silver worth over Rs 12 lakh, 10 sarees and 160 laptops, among other items, for violation of the model code of conduct in force for the May 12 state legislative Assembly election," said CEO Sanjiv Kumar in a statement in Bengaluru. - IANS

The Election Commission's surveillance squads and police officials have seized over Rs 22 crore illegal cash since the model code of conduct was put in force on 27 March in poll-bound Karnataka, the state's Chief Electoral Officer said on Saturday.

BJP leader Prakash Khandre of Bhalki constituency in Bidar and his supporters called for a Bhalki bandh on 17 April after they suspected that Khandre would not be given a ticket. Input from Lakshmi Bhavge/101reporters

Congress MLA NA Haris from Shanti Nagar has not been given a ticket. A month before, his son Mohammad Nalapad, was arrested in connection with an assault case. - Input by Prabhu Mallikarjunan/ 101 Reporters

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday has announced its second list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled for 12 May 2018.While the BJPs first list of candidates included seasoned politicians like five-time MLA S Angara, an MLA from Sullia, it has fielded new faces from other constituencies in the state. The party's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa is slated to contest from Shikaripura. ( Read more here )

The BJP's second list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections on 12 May contains at least five names with a tainted past. The list, comprising 82 names, has candidates, who were acquitted in corruption, forgery, cheating and rape cases. At least two of them had spent quite some time in jail on charges of cheating and forgery.PTI ( Read more here)

Disgruntled with the party high command's first list of candidates in the upcoming Assembly Elections in Karnataka, Congress party workers took to streets on Monday to express their anger. Media visuals showed party workers chanting anti-Siddaramaiah slogans, burning tyres, effigies etc on the streets. ( Read more )

Congress MLA NA Haris from Shanti Nagar has not been given a ticket. A month before, his son Mohammad Nalapad, was arrested in connection with an assault case. - Input by Prabhu Mallikarjunan/ 101 Reporters

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday has announced its second list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled for 12 May 2018.While the BJPs first list of candidates included seasoned politicians like five-time MLA S Angara, an MLA from Sullia, it has fielded new faces from other constituencies in the state. The party's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa is slated to contest from Shikaripura. ( Read more here )

The BJP's second list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections on 12 May contains at least five names with a tainted past. The list, comprising 82 names, has candidates, who were acquitted in corruption, forgery, cheating and rape cases. At least two of them had spent quite some time in jail on charges of cheating and forgery.PTI ( Read more here)

Disgruntled with the party high command's first list of candidates in the upcoming Assembly Elections in Karnataka, Congress party workers took to streets on Monday to express their anger. Media visuals showed party workers chanting anti-Siddaramaiah slogans, burning tyres, effigies etc on the streets. ( Read more )

I have come to file my nomination & I am going to get a minimum lead of 30,000-40,000: BJP's CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa before filing nomination from Shimoga's Shikaripura #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/ehwD9V8CUH

I urge you to provide an opportunity to @BSYBJP ji and he'll work towards making Karnataka no. 1 state: Shri @AmitShah https://t.co/Um6D19tMGF

While addressing a public gathering in Bagalkot, Amit Shah said that BJP will form a government in Karnataka and urged people to give an opportunity to Yeddyurappa.

Editor's Note: Voting in the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 will take place on 12 May, with the results to be declared on 15 May. Three parties  Indian National Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular)  are in the fray. This live blog will attempt to collate major news breaks which are pertinent to the upcoming elections and get crucial information related to the state Assembly election on one page.

Karnataka Assembly polls 2018 Latest Updates: Congress party sources say that a final decision on the first list of candidates is only likely to come by 12 April. Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah will tour northern parts of the state from Thursday on his sixth round of campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka, where the saffron party is going all out to unseat the Congress.

BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa appeared unfazed despite Lingayat seers lending support to the Congress. He said that the community members remained firmly behind BJP and "only one or two swami jis" seem to have said such a thing. Meanwhile the Congress party has expressed confidence that Siddaramaiah will get a second run as Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Yeddyurappa said that the party could release its second list of candidates by 11 April.

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 12 May. 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.
Congress stuck to the 'one family, one ticket' rule in last year's Punjab & Uttarakhand Assembly polls but it's not willing to take that route in Karnataka.

Bangalore: Dynasty politics is not going to leave the Congress and the Congress is not going to leave dynasty politics anytime soon. The party followed the "one family, one ticket" policy in last year's Assembly elections in Punjab and in Uttarakhand. However, it's not willing to take that route in the crucial Karnataka election (scheduled for 12 May) despite state chief G Parameshwara's suggestion to stick to the rule.

"In electoral politics, the winnability factor is most important and the party cannot ignore somebody just because he or she is a dynast or has an MLA, MP, or minister for a relative," said Santosh Lad, Karnataka minister for labour and Ballari district in-charge. His cousin Anil Lad is also a Congress MLA from Ballari.

In December, Parameshwara mooted the "one family, one ticket" formula for the Karnataka polls as many Congress leaders, including chief minister Siddaramaiah, were demanding tickets for their family members. The chief minister shot down the idea immediately.

Tragically, his elder son Rakesh, who was planning his political debut this election, died of a heart attack in Belgium in June 2016. After the incident, Siddaramaiah's second son Yathindra, a pathologist, reluctantly decided to carry his fathers legacy forward.

Yathindra is almost certain to contest from the chief minister's current constituency, Varuna, while his father will contest from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru. Interestingly, the BJP is likely to field chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa's son BY Vijayendra from Varuna.

However, Dr Sandeep Shastri, a political analyst and pro-vice chancellor of Jain University, said, "Parameshwara's suggestion met with huge opposition from within the party, not just from the chief minister. Also, I don't think the party leadership endorsed this suggestion."

The Congress office bearers claim to have received over 1,700 applications seeking party tickets in the state. The first list is likely to be announced by 15 April.

Other Congress leaders in queue

Siddaramaiah is not the only Congress leader who's sacrificing his current seat for his son. PWD minister Dr HC Mahadevappa has expressed his desire to the party high command to move to CV Raman Nagar in central Bengaluru so that his son Suneel Bose can contest from his constituency, T Narasipura, in Mysuru district.

Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy, vice-president of the Congress state youth wing, is a likely contender for Jayanagar constituency in Bengaluru. Reddy represents the adjacent BTM Layout Constituency. The worrying factor for her is that former Union minister K Rahman Khan is lobbying for his son Mansoor Ali Khan to contest from the same seat.

Santosh Jayachandra, son of Karnataka law minister and seven-time MLA TB Jayachandra from Sira in Tumakuru district is eyeing the Chikkanayakanahalli constituency in the same district. Similarly, Tumakuru's Madhugiri MLA KN Rajanna is trying to get a ticket for his son R Rajendra from Tumakuru Rural constituency.

Kolar MP KH Muniyappa's daughter Roopa Shashidar is also set to enter the electoral race from KGF constituency. Chandra Singh, the son-in-law of the former chief minister N Dharam Singh is a strong contender for Bidar South.

Congress veteran Margaret Alva, who has made a comeback to the party fold, has been demanding a ticket for her youngest son Nivedith Alva from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district. During the 2008 state Assembly polls, Alva hit out at Prithviraj Chavan, Digvijaya Singh, and Vayalar Ravi by alleging that party tickets were being sold.

Former Union law minister Veerappa Moily, who was trying to get a ticket for his son Harsha Moily from Karkala constituency, landed in trouble last month because of a tweet. "INC needs to solve money in politics. We can't afford to have road contractors and their nexus with the state PWD minister determine how candidates are selected for the upcoming Assembly elections," read a tweet from Moilys unverified account.

Moilys son also posted the same tweet and was issued a notice by the state Congress. With his hopes of getting a ticket for Harsha dashed, Moily said, "My son and I have decided that he will not contest the election this time. We have decided to work for the victory of Congress party in Karkala and all other places."

State urban development and Haj minister R Roshan Baig, the sitting MLA in Shivajinagar Assembly constituency in Bengaluru, was asking the Congress to nominate him to the Rajya Sabha and give his son Rehan Baig a ticket from his vacated seat. However, he failed to get the party's backing on the matter. Both father and son have now filed nomination papers for Shivajinagar.

Former railway minister and Congress veteran CK Jaffer Sharief's grandson CK Abdul Rehman Shariff is reportedly out of the race. The Congress stalwart was lobbying for Hebbal constituency in central Bengaluru for his grandson. In the last election, Rehman lost to BJP's YA Narayana Swamy by a margin of 19,149 votes in Hebbal.

Housing minister M Krishnappa is set to contest from Vijayanagar constituency, while his son Priya Krishna, an MLA, is seeking re-election from Govindaraj Nagar constituency in Bengaluru. Shamanuru Shivashankarappa and his son SS Mallikarjun will likely contest from their current constituencies, Davangere South and Davangere North, respectively. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge will also seek re-election from Chittapur in Kalaburagi.

'One family, one ticket rule' not to Congress' advantage in Karnataka

Congress rebel Shehzad Poonawalla is of the opinion that giving tickets to dynasts and members of the same family sets a wrong precedence. "Today, Rahul (Gandhi) is implementing two principles: 'Loyalty and dynasty over merit' and 'promotion without performance'. This has demoralised not just the ordinary worker but has put off young voters between 18-35 years. They hate this 'entitlement raj'. In Tripura, he (Rahul) was campaigning with some former royal family princeling  Congress got zero. In Delhi, he preferred a non-performing asset like Ajay Maken (who stole the legacy of Lalit Maken)  Delhi gave him a big zero!" Poonawalla said.

Poonawalla added that the policy was implemented in a few states because the Congress leadership wanted to "undercut a powerful political family or legacy" so it would not be "a future challenge for the Gandhis or the local leader they were backing."

Shastri added that dynastic politics is not limited to the Congress alone. "It is a malaise in all political parties across the country. The reason behind this is that political parties in India lack internal democracy and decision-making is done by a small coterie of leaders. Nepotism and dynastic politics are the byproducts of this phenomenon," he said.

Political observers are of the opinion that in Karnataka, where the Congress is fighting a do-or-die battle ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it is doing right by focussing only on the winning criteria. "At the end of the day, the winnability factor counts more, since it's going to be so crucial for the immediate future, ie the next year. The Congress needs to be flexible and relax these rigid rules," said senior journalist TS Sudhir.

With the Congress' first list of candidates due soon, it will be interesting to see how the party accommodates the dynasts.

The author is a Bijapur-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.
Siddaramaiah said the Congress had not yet finalised the list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls and that a 'fake' list was in circulation.

New Delhi: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the Congress party had not yet finalised the list of candidates for the upcoming state Assembly polls and that a "fake" list was in circulation to create confusion.

"I am told that a list of Congress candidates for Karnataka election is under circulation. The AICC has not approved the list of candidates yet. The list under circulation is fake," he said in a tweet.

The senior Congress leader said the fake list has been circulated to create confusion among the masses. "Please don't patronise products of the fake news factory," he said.

The Karnataka chief minister was in the national capital to attend the party's steering committee meeting to screen the candidates for the state polls.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara, state in-charge KC Venugopal and senior leader Madhusudan Mistry among others were present in the meeting.

According to sources, the deliberations could continue for the next two days and a list for 224 constituencies would be placed before the central election committee for the final approval on 13 April.

After the steering committee meeting, Siddaramaiah left for Bengaluru and is likely to visit the national capital again on Friday to finalise the list.

The BJP has already announced its first list of candidates for the Karnataka polls to be held on 12 May.
If Narendra Modi truly wants to hit the heart of the masses he needs to do something tangible instead of observing a token fast to score a few political brownie points.

As India tucks into breakfast Thursday morning Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be at the table. He is undergoing a days fasting as a mark of protest against the forced shutdown of the Budget Session of Parliament. Not a days work was done in the second leg of the Budget Session which started on 5 March and ended on 6 April with the daily litany of disruptions leading to adjournments making a mockery of the bastion of democracy. The prime minister's party workers will do likewise in a show of solidarity.

We Indians have used the fast (and the hunger strike option) effectively over the centuries. Wives fast for the long lives of their husbands. Politicians fasting unto death and lesser goals have been constant in our history and our leaders have been quick to sit down on a white sheet with marigold garlands for company and turn not eating into a flint-edged weapon. Rebels with and without a cause, religious leaders, even efforts to propitiate the gods they all go for it.

But this exercise seems a bit superfluous and while the Congress opposition can critique it in great measure it has been the Rahul Gandhi-led party that was instrumental in blocking Parliaments functioning. Consequently, labelling Modis decision as a farce and asking him to apologise for denigrating the House seems self-indulgent. If anything the Congress conduct has been farcical and it should apologise to the people and the House. In fact, all 545 members of the Lok Sabha and the 250 members of the Rajya Sabha (including celebs who dont attend sessions) should apologise to the 1.2 billion Indians who are being taken for a ride.

There was a time perhaps when a fast such as this would have been impressive and the people would have nodded at the wisdom in it. No more. There is something uneasy and not so edifying about a sitting prime minister engaging in a fast along with his team. Thats okay for sadhus and gurus and out of the limelight opposition figures and Anna Hazare and the like. Your status and your official standing do not permit acts of orchestrated self-deprecation and what exactly is the point of it all. Even though the media will dutifully carry the coverage the optics are dreary.

India is a lot smarter now.

If the prime minister truly wants to hit the heart of the masses do something tangible. Go to the president and ask him to place the Lok Sabha on warning, something he should have done much earlier in the session. That if there is any more disruption the president will be so advised by his prime minister to dissolve the House before its five-year term. Article 85(2)(b) gives the power to the President to dissolve the lower house of Parliament before the expiry of the five year period.

Now that is worth doing and also indicates Modi means business. A lot more than missing lunches.

If such a step is too drastic then extend the session by the same number of days that were wrecked and compensate for it. If they can do it in schools and colleges and a thousand workplaces why not the House that represents the people.

There is a third option. By extraordinary decree cancel all perks, privileges, allowances, subsidised meals, gratis accommodation, free flights and especially the Rs 75,000 laundry allowances. Now, that makes sense and will earn Modi brownie points form a gleeful public.

Go a step further. All that money saved on those who reneged on their duty can be shared with the Indian Commonwealth Games contingent for representing India with more grace and dignity than our elected representatives.

Have your breakfast prime Minister and get real.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Opposition on Wednesday saying, 'The people who couldn't gain power in 2014, don't want the country to move forward.'

Addressing party MPs through an audio conference call ahead of the protest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Opposition on Wednesday saying, "The people who couldn't gain power in 2014, don't want the country to move forward," ANI reported. Talking about Thursday's fast organised by him and Amit Shah, Modi said, "They didn't let Parliament work for a single day. They killed democracy and we will observe fast to bring their crime in front of world. I will also hold a fast. But I will continue my work."

BJP's fast is a bid to protest against the washout of the second part of Parliament's Budget Session due to continuous disruptions, which the BJP blamed on the Congress. All BJP MPs will observe fast in their respective constituencies, the party said.

Modi will observe the fast but that would not stop him from continuing routine official work including inaugurating 10th edition of Defence Expo in Chennai at Tiruvidanthal, in Kancheepuram district that has been on edge due to protests over Cauvery water issue.

"The prime minister will also visit the Cancer Institute, Adyar in Chennai. He will unveil the plaque inaugurating the diamond jubilee building, palliative care centre (Mahvir Ashray) at Shriperumbadur, Day care centre and nurses quarter at the Adyar Cancer Institute," an official statement from PMO said on Wednesday.

With inputs from agencies
Despite receiving a fractured mandate, Meghalaya will see a coalition government taking oath on Tuesday under the leadership of Conrad Sangma

Meghalaya's first non-Congress government in 15 years will be sworn in on Tuesday morning, with Conrad Sangma set to take charge as chief minister, following an Assembly election that threw up a fractured mandate and disagreements within the various factions of the alliance that ultimately joined hands.

With support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly, National People's Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma met Governor Ganga Prasad in Shillong on Sunday to stake his claim to form the next government in the state.

"We met the governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs: Two of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 19 from the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two from the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), and one Independent," Sangma said.

The regional parties  UDP, HSPDP and PDF  had extended their support to NPP on the condition that Conrad, the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, would be chief minister.

"NPP has agreed to the condition set by the three regional parties and I will be the chief minister," Conrad said following the negotiations.

Conrad, who will be a non-elected member of the 60-member Assembly, will be administered oath of office and secrecy along with his Council of Ministers. He will become the state's 12th chief minister.

This will be a day after the HSPDP said the BJP should have been kept out of the alliance as the regional parties had the required number without the saffron party's support. A party meeting also decided that its two MLAs will not take part in the swearing-in ceremony, HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit said.

"Our stand right from before the election was to have a non-Congress-non-BJP government. We now see there is a possibility to have such a government where the NPP-led coalition could have easily been formed with 32 MLAs," Basaiawmoit said.

The party also objected to Conrad Sangma as the next chief minister. "A pre-poll alliance was forged between the UDP and HSPDP, but they (UDP) did not consult us when they proposed the name of Conrad Sangma to be chief minister," Basaiawmoit told journalists.

The ruling Congress, which emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats in the elections, could not stitch a post-poll alliance with the regional parties to retain power. Meghalaya is the second state, after Manipur and Goa, where the Congress has not been able to forge a post-poll alliance to form a government despite emerging as the largest single party.

Outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma, who had submitted his resignation letter to Governor Ganga Prasad, had been asked to continue in the office till the formation of new government.

With inputs from IANS
Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and her two sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav, on Wednesday 'returned' their state security cover, protesting withdrawal of guards from her residence.

Patna: Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and her two sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav, on Wednesday "returned" their state security cover, protesting withdrawal of guards from her residence. State government officials and the ruling Janata Dal (United) defended the recall of security from Rabri Devi's house last night, saying the house guards had been provided to her husband Lalu Prasad, who enjoys 'Z' category security.

Accordingly, the guards were asked to return as the RJD supremo is currently in jail, they said. "Just now at the stroke of midnight, Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of the two ex-CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby chief minister of the country," Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet.

"Returning the security (covers) provided to my mother Rabri Devi as ex-CM, to my brother as an MLA and to me as Leader of the Opposition. Hope Nitish Kumar gives up acting spitefully and concentrates on doing something constructive," he added.

Rabri Devi, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said the recall of house guards has left the security of her residence and family in "tatters". "As soon as my husband went to jail on December 23, all the security personnel deployed in his security were withdrawn by the state government. Those who remained were part of the security cover provided to me and the residence allotted to me in the capacity of the former chief minister," she wrote.

Rabri Devi said she did not see any point in retaining the security personnel as an "eyewash". "I am therefore returning herewith all security personnel and escort vehicles deployed at my residence. If anything untoward happens to me or my family members, the state Home Department and the minister in-charge of the same shall be responsible," she said. The Bihar chief minister has kept the Home portfolio with himself.

"The safety of myself and my family would be ensured by the workers of my party and the people of Bihar. Many congratulations to you and your government for taking such a step," the RJD national vice-president said in the letter.

Talking to reporters outside her residence today, Rabri Devi alleged a conspiracy to eliminate her and her family members. "The state government's action is a conspiracy to eliminate me and my family members, hatched at the behest of Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi," she said.

Meanwhile, a top police official said it is common to recall security personnel when the VIP, they are attached to, is physically absent.

"The security personnel were part of Prasad's security cover and there was no point in keeping them at 10, Circular Road," he said. JD(U) spokesman and MLC Sanjay Singh told reporters here that there is no provision of law under which a person serving sentence in a jail can be provided security cover by the state government. "The RJD leaders are trying to garner public sympathy by playing the victim card," Singh said.

Strongly criticising the move, RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary said, "I wonder whether Nitish Kumar has lost his sense of discretion. Only yesterday, Bihar witnessed so much of violence by those opposed to reservation for Dalits and backwards. Leaders like Lalu and his family members face a heightened threat in such an environment."
By exploiting a decisive public mandate to bulldoze a statue, the BJP has only made a complete mockery of the very ethos of electoral democracy.

On 6 March, just days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in the Tripura state Assembly elections, a mob of saffron party workers bulldozed a statue of Vladimir Lenin in Belonia. The celebratory act was undertaken with much fervor to mark the right-wing partys decisive victory over the 25 years-long left-wing government in the state, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Within Indias postcolonial polity, the dismantling of the statue in Belonia was a public spectacle unlike any other. Not that statues of political leaders havent been vandalised in the past, but such festive destructions in the wake of a sweeping election victory have been rare. Not many mainstream political parties have dared to ride majority public mandates to swiftly vandalise statues.

It is not hard to comprehend the motivation behind Lenins Tripura fall: the BJPs foot soldiers rode the victory wave to do what theyve probably been wanting to do since the very idea of re-capturing Tripura from the communists took shape in the partys high command i.e. raze CPMs legacy to the ground and start afresh. A standard part of this design is to erase public memory of Tripuras Communist past, and statues are a convenient place to start. What more, Lenins controversial (and somewhat disturbing) political legacy makes him the perfect game meat.

In an objective sense, the Belonia destruction represents an all-too-familiar project of political iconoclasm. History is replete with ample instances of legacy destructions across the board: from Bamiyan to Kiev. These were often done in contravention of the law, straddling the broader framework of resistance politics. After all, in a democracy, erecting a certain statue is as legitimate or illegitimate as bringing it down. Toppling statues, kicking police barricades: no big deal in the restive milieu of democratic struggles.

As American journalist and current dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Steve Coll, wrote last year in an article on New Delhis attempts to reconcile with colonial stone relics: "One difference between democracies and dictatorships is that the constructing and revising of public spaces is not a propaganda opportunity for the ruler but a realm of democratic discourse, influenced by popular opinion and competitive electoral politics."

But, history cannot be a veneer on political disruptions when it comes to partisan offensives. It is imperative to call out the Belonia act for what it was: violent. It is also important to note what the BJP did and did not do. The BJP did destroy the statue. The BJP did not relocate it out of public view when it had the option of doing so.

Thus, Lenins nth fall in a far-flung corner of India had a peculiar tenor to it. The statue was bulldozed not in active resistancelike in the cases of American Confederate statues being brought down to protest against Trumps racismbut as an aggressive mark of all-encompassing victory. BJP did not need to bring Lenin down - they had already won the popular mandate. In that sense, Belonia 2018 mirrors Baghdad 2003 where US forces brought down Saddam Husseins statue simply to mark a wildly successful invasion and usher in a new era. The parallel drawn here isnt really between Lenin and Saddam (thats for the jury to decide), but between the aggressors warlike pathologies.

The critical difference here, though, is that while Baghdad 2003 happened in the thick of a full-blown military invasion, Belonia 2003 unraveled in the immediate aftermath of a free, fair, and peaceful election. Herein lies the menacing quality of Lenins Tripura fall.

By exploiting a decisive public mandate to bulldoze a statue, the BJP has only made a complete mockery of the very ethos of electoral democracy. Its leaders would do well to note that poll victories in a democracy are not free passes to take unilateral action, especially when that action directly impacts a publicly-owned space. Any belief otherwise is taking the electorate for granted.

If the BJP does actually believe that the Tripura victory carries a de facto public tender to destroy statues, then it might want to wash the murk off its eyes. Communism did not come to the state just the other day: it was the political status quo for 25 long years, a large part of which saw socio-economic stability and peace. To tinker with this entrenched legacy, in a particularly dramatic fashion, would be to push the fresh election mandate over the edge.

The BJP should also remember that the quest to erase history is a futile one, and more often than not, an endeavour at self-destruction. A better template for revisionist politicssomething that the saffronites seem to be doping on at the momentis to permit problematic relics to remain as they are and contextualise them within democratic values of debate and dissent.

On this, the Director of the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture, Lonnie G. Bunch III, offers a blunt take: I am loath to erase history. For me its less about whether they [statues] come down or not, and more about what the debate is stimulating.

Fact remains that the BJPs bulldozing of Lenins statue will go down as the partys reckless attempt to violently insert itself into Tripuras rich history. Not unlike the destruction of the Babri Masjid by Karsevaks in 1992, the Belonia bulldozing will also go down as a patent marker of right-wing exclusionist politics in this country, which banks upon total homogenisation of political belief systems to ensure its own survival.

The author is researcher and coordinator, South East Asia Research Programme at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.
Sinha, in his letter also highlighted the 'casual, uncaring and arrogant attitude' of the accused MLA and urged Adityanath to take prompt action in Unnao rape case

The Unnao gang-rape case which has put focus on the state of law and order in Uttar Pradesh has also spurred voices from within the Bharatiya Janata Party to urge for prompt action from the Yogi Adityanath-led state government.

The case, in which a BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar is being named by the victim as one of the main accused, has put the BJP on the back foot and has made for some unsavoury press coverage throughout the week.

BJP leader and author Tuhin A Sinha wrote a letter to Chief Minister Adityanath raising concern about the "disturbing visuals" emerging out of the case and sought early intervention from the chief minister.



"For a party that believes in VIP free culture, and has zero tolerance towards crime, this is an unnecessary controversy where we are being pushed on the back foot, while this should not have been the case at all. The visuals emerging out of UP violate our prime minister's idea of New India," Sinha told Firstpost.

Sinha, in his letter also highlighted the "casual, uncaring and arrogant attitude" of the accused MLA and urged Adityanath to ask Sengar to surrender. Pointing out that the attitude of the accused in case is making it "difficult to defend", Sinha also requested Adityanath to set an example in the Kathua rape case by taking strict and prompt action against the accused, notwithstanding his political clout.

"We have a social responsibility in such cases. Besides, politics is also about perception among other things. But over here the perception that is building up through media reports is that nothing has been done for the last ten month are so," Sinha, who has been party's Mumbai spokesperson told Firstpost.

He expressed "full faith and confidence" in Adityanath but acknowledged that an early intervention from the chief minister was the immediate need.

"When people tell me that they did not expect this from the BJP, it puts me on the defensive, whereas this shouldnt have been the case at all," Sinha said explaining what prompted him to write the letter.

Sinha told Firstpost that the BJP is a party that "stands for women's rights" and security through the years and the Unnao case seems to be an "aberration".

"I am aware that there are anomalies in the case and that the MLA was not named in the first FIR in the case. Even so the onus is on the MLA to prove himself innocent. He should immediately surrender himself to the police," Sinha said.

Sengar, seen as the most prominent Thakur leader in Brahmin-dominant Unnao, has earned the reputation of being a political turncoat over the years.

Sinha refused to comment when asked whether the state government should have ensured the security of the victim's family when the accused was known to be from a politically influential family.

Reports said that Sengar is considered close to independent MLA and muscleman Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya. His family is also involved in politics and police sources say that while Sengar is a full-time politician, his brothers Manoj and Atul work to maintain his image of a 'bahubali' leader. Both brothers have criminal cases against them.

Adityanath had summoned the accused BJP MLA but he could not meet him. The state's home department said the girl had not named the MLA in her first complaint lodged last year, however, a Special Investigation Team has been formed to investigate the case. "It is an unfortunate incident. ADG (Police) Lucknow has been asked to probe the matter thoroughly. Those at fault  whoever they might be  will not be spared," Adityanath said.

The case came to light when the rape survivor tried to set herself on fire outside the chief minister's residence on Sunday, claiming inaction in the gang rape case. Later on Sunday, her father was picked up by police and allegedly roughed up by Atul Singh and his aides after which he died.

The incident triggered a political storm and public outrage in the state. A magisterial probe has also been ordered by the district administration.
The Congress on Wednesday demanded the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, dubbing his government a 'Ravan' regime which has failed to protect women, after an 18-year-old alleged she was gangraped and her father died in police custody in the state's Unnao district.

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday demanded the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, dubbing his government a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women, after an 18-year-old alleged she was gang-raped and her father died in police custody in the state's Unnao district. "Yogi Adityanath government is a government of Ravan, which has failed to protect women," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

"Yogi Adityanath has no right to continue as the chief minister. He should be immediately dismissed," Surjewala said. The 18-year-old woman has alleged she was raped by Bangermau BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brothers. The victim's father died in custody in Unnao on Tuesday, prompting the woman to charge that he was killed inside the district jail at the behest of the BJP legislator.

The police yesterday arrested Atul Singh, brother of the BJP legislator, in connection with the gangrape.

In a separate tweet, the Congress party said: "It is shocking that the Yogi Govt has withdrawn a rape case against a former BJP minister. This move will further embolden criminals and jeopardise women's security in a state that has witnessed a sharp rise in crimes against women."

The party attached a news report with the tweet about the Uttar Pradesh government deciding to withdraw a rape and kidnapping case against former Union minister Swami Chinmayananda. In Lucknow, the state government spokesman Siddhartnath Singh told reporters on Tuesday that though the government has taken a decision to withdraw the case, the matter will finally be decided by the court.

The FIR against Chinmayananda was lodged on 30 November, 2011, on the complaint of a girl who had spent several years at his ashram.
Reuters

Alphabet Incs Google is in talks to buy Nokia Oyjs airplane broadband business, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Nokias technology could help Google offer a faster alternative to existing WiFi on airplanes, the report said, adding that talks were advanced and a deal could be reached soon.

A final decision, however, had not been made and the companies could still decide against a deal, Bloomberg said.

Google did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment, while a Nokia spokesman declined to comment.
IANS

Taking on Amazon 's Alexa-powered smart speakers, Google on 11 April brought its voice-activated speakers Home and Home Mini to India that can help people with their commute, play favourite songs and videos, plan daily schedule and lots more.

Powered by Google Assistant, Home and Home Mini are priced at Rs 9,999 and Rs 4,499, respectively, and will be integrated with Hindi language support by the end of this year.

"We will launch Hindi language support later this year so that users can choose the language they are comfortable with. Both the devices understand Indian accents and will respond with uniquely 'desi' contexts," Rishi Chandra, vice president of Product Management and General Manager of Home Products, Google, told reporters in New Delhi.

The smart home speakers will be available for purchase online on Flipkart and at over 750 retail stores.

"We have been working with many local partners to customise Google Home for India. We will offer free six months of Google Play Music  a music and podcast streaming service  and special offers from commercial music streaming service Gaana," Chandra added.

Google "Home Mini" is available in two colours  chalk and charcoal  while Google "Home" will be available initially in chalk only  with coral coming soon).

Google "Home" or Google "Home Mini" on Flipkart will come with a free Jio-Fi router along with special offers on music subscriptions.

"When buying a Google 'Home' at Reliance Digital or MyJio stores, you get a free JioFi router with 100 GB of high-speed 4G data (worth Rs 2,499)," the company said in a statement.

The top surface of the devices has LEDs that light up when Google "Home" recognises "OK Google".

Google "Home" has been designed with two microphones that utilise a technique called "neural beamforming" to enable accurate far-field voice recognition.

Google has simulated hundreds of thousands of noisy environments and applied Machine Learning (ML) to recognise patterns that allow it to filter and separate speech from noise.
AFP

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg accepted personal responsibility on 10 April for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, while warning of an "arms race" against Russian disinformation during a high-stakes hearing with US lawmakers.

In his first formal congressional appearance, the Facebook founder and chief executive answered questions for nearly five hours as he sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the social media giant that have angered lawmakers and the network's two billion users.

Under mounting pressure over the hijacking of its user data by a British political consultant, Zuckerberg reiterated his apology for the historic breach, before being grilled over how Facebook collects and protects people's personal information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," Zuckerberg said about the improper sharing of 87 million people's information by Cambridge Analytica, a firm working for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

"I started Facebook, I run it and I'm responsible for what happens here."

He added that Facebook fell short in protecting the platform, noting: "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."

The 33-year-old CEO spoke of a constant struggle to guard against Russian manipulation of the Facebook platform to influence elections in the US and elsewhere.

"There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well," he said.

"So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."

Zuckerberg has previously acknowledged the social network failed to do enough to prevent the spread of disinformation during the last US presidential race.

The Senate hearing, ahead of another appearance in the House on 11 April, featured several tense and some friendly exchanges on Facebook's security, hate speech and other topics.

Of the hundreds of questions he faced, none appeared to flummox him more than Senator Dick Durbin's pointed query about where he slept the previous evening.

"Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?" Durbin asked.

Zuckerberg paused for a full eight seconds, chuckled, grimaced and ultimately demurred.

"Um, uh, no," he said.

And "if you've messaged anybody this week, would you share with us the names of the people you've messaged?" the Illinois Democrat persisted.

Again, a similar unwillingness to answer.

Perhaps more than any other senator during five hours of questioning, Durbin's everyman tactic put a finger on the crux of the issue surrounding Facebook's handling of its users' private data.

Open to regulation

Zuckerberg said he was open to regulation, but cautioned against complex rules that might impact emerging social media firms.

"I think the internet is becoming increasingly important in people's lives and I think we need to have a full conversation about what is the right regulation," he told the hearing.

"You need to be careful (a new regulatory policy) doesn't cement in the current companies that are winning."

Zuckerberg also revealed that Facebook is cooperating with the US special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said.

Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data.

"I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them," he said.

Swapping his customary T-shirt for a business suit and tie, the Facebook chief appeared somber as he fielded tough questions over Cambridge Analytica's massive data breach.

"We've been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said in his prepared remarks.

But the show of contrition fell short for several lawmakers.

"We've seen the apology tours before," Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told Zuckerberg.

"And so, my reservation about your testimony today is that I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are specific rules of the road."

Paid-for Facebook?

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Congress before the hearing wearing Zuckerberg masks and #DeleteFacebook T-shirts.

Inside the jammed hearing room, activists from the Code Pink group wore oversized glasses with the words "STOP SPYING" written on the lenses, and waved signs that read "Stop corporate lying."

Testifying was a new step for Zuckerberg, who started Facebook as a Harvard dropout in 2004, and built it into the world's largest social media company worth more than $450 billion.

During questioning, Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

"The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people, ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said.

Zuckerberg also said the company believed in an ad-supported business model, but appeared to leave open the possibility of a paid version.

"There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," Zuckerberg told the hearing.
AP

Even Mark Zuckerberg has limits on what hes willing to share.

In a rare light-hearted exchange during his public grilling before US senators on 10 April, the Facebook CEO told Senator Dick Durbin that no, he would rather not share personal details of his life with the US Congress.

Mr. Zuckerberg, would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night? asked Durbin, an Illinois Democrat.

Um... no, Zuckerberg said after pausing, then smiled as the room laughed.

If youve messaged anybody this week, would you share with us the names of the people youve messaged? Durbin continued.

Senator, no, I would probably not choose to do that publicly here, Zuckerberg replied.

I think that maybe is what this is all about, Durbin said. Your right to privacy. The limits of your right to privacy and how much you give away in modern America in the name of quote, Connecting people around the world.

Durbin was among many senators who grilled Zuckerberg on what the social network collected on its users, following revelations that the Donald Trump-affiliated data mining firm Cambridge Analytica scooped up data on millions of Americans without their knowledge.
AFP

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told lawmakers Tuesday that he does not believe his company is a monopoly. Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion in a Senate hearing that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.

"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," he said when asked by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham if he thinks Facebook has a monopoly.

"The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people. Ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said. Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon all do some of the things that Facebook does, he told Graham.

But Zuckerberg, under attack for leaks of the personal data of tens of millions of users, said he was open to some government regulation. "My position is not that there should be no regulation," he told the panel.

"I think the real question as the internet becomes more important in people's lives is what is the right regulation," he said.

He said he was willing to work with Congress on what types of regulation would be necessary for the social media industry, pointing to Europe, where there are tighter rules on companies harvesting and marketing user data. "I think they get things right," he said of the Europeans.
Kuhu Singh

Tuesday was a must-watch-cable-television-kind-of-day. I cant remember any other congressional testimony in recent times, apart from former FBI Director James Comeys, that folks here in the US were more eagerly waiting to see and hear. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who, after remaining silent for months while the controversy raged over whether Facebook intentionally or unintentionally helped Cambridge Analytica in gathering Facebook users data that ended up benefiting the Trump campaign during the 2016 elections, offered a written statement to lawmakers before the hearing. "It was my mistake, and I'm sorry," he said.

Is this too little, too late or does this really affect Facebook usability in any way? This has been a buzzword within the Desi community here in the USA. Certainly, the anger is there. Satyan, a veteran entrepreneur from Silicon Valley, California, feels that Facebook has always been fully aware of what was going on with the privacy issue and its impact. Rather than face the music early on, they made it a business decision to shove it under the rug. Their apologies are meaningless, he says, adding that Facebook has not only impacted US Elections but might have caused Brexit too. We advertise our products on Facebook and know very well how their advert system works, he adds.

Donald Trumps 2016 win is still too raw for many. Babu Chimata, an IT Executive in Minneapolis, blames Facebook entirely for Donald Trumps win. These guys are the ones who made Trump, who changed the dynamics of this country. For me its not a privacy issue anymore  they harvested our data and targeted a segment that pushed his win by using behavioral analytics  Thats why Trump was consistently hitting on this segment, generating controversy that was picked up and mass-circulated by a very willing media. The Russian bots targeted Twitter too, but the impact through Facebook was much, much more, Chimata feels.

Nimish Singh, a Silicon Valley IT Executive, holds an interesting point of view. From a technical angle, the users have never been the customers of Facebook. We, the users, are their products and their customers are the advertisers. This is their business model, which has always been to lure advertisers with data provided by us, he says. It was not obvious to us then but thats how they made money, he adds. Facebook now needs to make sure boundaries are clearly drawn and defined around what is private and personal data  make it transparent and understood to the users on what they are signing up for, Singh says.

What Ill be waiting and watching is what steps Zuckerberg is going to be taking so this doesnt happen again, says a Search Engine Marketeer here in Minneapolis, who has started advising her clients to stay away from Facebook advertising. Advertisers will start shying away from Facebook and that will affect their bottom line, she feels. Citing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniaks decision to delete his Facebook account, she believes this is just the beginning. Unless big changes are made by Zuckerman, more famous names will start following this exodus, she says. Her name has been withheld at her request.

According to Saji Salam, a tech-angel investor living in Texas, after a series of hacks, including the one at Equifax that impacted 145 million credit card holders in the US, all you can now expect if your data is breached is an apology from the custodians of your data, he says. The optics of the testimony and the public relations exercise currently underway may provide a temporary relief from the nosebleed to Facebook stock, he feels.

According to Salam, this may just be the beginning of a series of regulatory scrutiny measures that Facebook may face across the globe, including from the European Union, which has a tougher stance on data privacy and other transgressions by US based tech giants. Remember, Google was fined $2.7 billion recently by the European Union in an anti-trust conflict and Facebook a $100 million in the context of WhatsApp acquisition, he says.

The long-term impact of global regulatory review on Facebooks business model is yet to be seen.

The highlights from Zuckerberg's testimony before the senate committee can be found here.
tech2 News Staff

Social media platform Twitter has officially announced its support for the Honest Ads Act, that could help in preventing foreign interference in the elections and increase transparency standards of online political advertisements.

The Acts brings all the political ads in line with ads seen on TV, radio and satellite. This comes after Facebook, Twitter and Google were accused of meddling in the US Presidential election 2016.

Twitter in a tweet on 10 April mentioned, "Twitter is pleased to support the Honest Ads Act. Back in the fall, we indicated we supported proposals to increase transparency in political ads."

The company also announced its new Ads Transparency Center (ATC) platform to be launched by the company in summer this year.

According to Twitter, it goes beyond the requirements of the Honest Ads Act and provides increased transparency to all advertisements on the platform.

Moreover, the ATC will dramatically increase transparency for political and issue ads, providing people with significant detail on the origin of each ad. We have a dedicated team that is fully resourced to implementing the ATC and are committed to launching it this summer.  Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) April 10, 2018

The social media platform will provide "significant" details on the origin of each ad.

Twitter is pleased to support the Honest Ads Act. Back in the fall we indicated we supported proposals to increase transparency in political ads.  Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) April 10, 2018

Twitter is moving forward on our commitment to providing transparency for online ads. We believe the Honest Ads Act provides an appropriate framework for such ads and look forward to working with bill sponsors and others to continue to refine and advance this important proposal.  Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) April 10, 2018

The support for the Honest Ads Act that came hours before Mark Zuckerberg went for the first congressional hearing.

Full Text of the Honest Ads Act:
Nimish Sawant

With the ongoing Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal being dissected under a microscope by government agencies from around the world, the questions around data privacy have become an everyday conversation. While Facebook is dealing with the issue of data sharing and data scraping, one is forced to look at its other properties which also have a massive following. Among them, Instagram and WhatsApp stand out.

WhatsApp, in particular, is important in the Indian context, as this is the go-to messaging app in India with a significant number of users. Over 200 million, to be precise. With WhatsApp features such as calling, group chats and more recently payments, it is slowly but surely on its way to becoming a Super App. But even though WhatsApp promises end-to-end encryption and complete protection of your data, questions have been raised.

According to Vivek Wadhwa, a Distinguished Fellow at the Carnegie Mellon University of Engineering at Silicon Valley, WhatsApp is not as secure as it claims to be.

According to report on VentureBeat, Wadhwa referred to a draft paper by a group of researchers from Switzerland clarifying that the vulnerability lies in the implementation of the WhatsApp groups. The draft paper talks about how anyone on the internet can get invite links of open WhatsApp groups and join them to check on all the new messages and phone numbers of the group members.

WhatsApp clarified its stand stating, "The privacy and security of our users are incredibly important to WhatsApp. Whenever a new member joins a group all members receive a notification that includes whether the person was added via group link or by an administrator directly. Group members can always see everyone in the group including their phone number and their name. We make it easy to leave a group or block unwanted messages with one tap."

We spoke to Wadhwa about WhatsApp's clarifications and also asked him if a #DeleteWhatsApp movement was actually possible in India, considering the user base.

WhatsApp has released a statement saying that its Group Chats feature is safe, saying that invite links are an optional feature available to group admins and must be shared with trusted sources. Your comment on this.

The WhatsApps spokesperson said, invite links were an optional feature available to group administrators but it must be used only with trusted individuals. But this is Facebook doing more of the same: blaming their users for their products flaws and their unscrupulous methods of marketing information. The fact that links are public is a huge security risk. I have a friend who had his family join a group which grew over time. There would be new members added all the time and they had no idea who they were. But they believed WhatsApps claim that chat group that messages are secured with end-to-end encryption and assumed that all was good. That was until his children started getting SMSs and calls from strangers based on messages they sent to the group.

People are not aware that they are putting their families at risk by joining groups in which they do not know every participant. Why do I say at risk? Because anyone can watch the postings on the platform and contact people directly on their mobile phones. WhatsApp also displays the status of the person so you know when someone is active on the platform. This is far worse than what Facebook and other social media sites enable.

This is a serious design flaw. Either they should not have groups or keep sensitive information such as phone numbers private.

With the 'Group Chats' feature being not so secure, how can malicious actors use that to manipulate voters in general elections next year?

Lets say that you joined a group that was discussing local or national politics. Or that you joined a group discussing sensitive topics such as your sexual preferences or health. Anyone in this group could learn about your views and target you based on your phone number. Facebook makes it easy to take that phone number and access a persons profile and friend lists. WhatsApp shares details of your phone and unique device information with Facebook. You see the problem?

Indians already get inundated with SMSs from marketers. Imagine if they were profiled by malicious players and threatened or encouraged to do bad deeds. This is all possible.

Indian online users are heavily invested in WhatsApp and given the lax nature of most Indians when it comes to data and user privacy, do you believe that people will actually delete WhatsApp and look at alternatives. Especially when everyone they know and care about are on this platform?

India users have not had their elections hacked yet, they have not experienced what the Rohingya refugees did, with the spread of misinformation and hatred against them. They will learn over time what dangers are posed by the compromise of their personal information and lax regulation of social media companies. Americans are waking up to the horrors only now.

Considering India is approaching general elections next year, what according to you are the key concern areas and how must Facebook go about tackling these issues?

Facebook/WhatsApp must be held liable for every news story that is clearly false that is propagated on its network. Perhaps a fine of Rs 50 lakh for every post that isnt deleted within 2 hours. It must not be allowed to sell political ads or any other ads that create communal disharmony or hatred. It must disclose who has purchased an ad and how the information it has gathered is being used.

WhatsApp should also not be allowed to share any type of information with Facebook  or any other company. It is the backbone of Indian person to person communications now.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is used extensively to spread fake news as has been experienced in past in India, and since it is end-to-end encrypted, it adds another layer of complexity. So what are the challenges must be addressed?

End-to-end encryption is only on the communications lines, it is an excuse for inaction. The fake news is spread in groups and shared messages. As you have seen, there is no real security in these. The company can certainly develop the tools to prevent the spread of hatred otherwise it should not exist. India can also develop its own alternative technologies  just as China did.

Will merely using artificial intelligence and increasing the security team strength help mitigate the spread of false propaganda in India?

It can surely help but human intervention is needed to supplement this.
An Algerian military plane carrying around 100 military personnel crashed on Wednesday near Boufarik airport.

According to Algeria's defense ministry, 257 people have died in a military plane crash on Wednesday near Boufarik airport.

BREAKING: Algeria's defense ministry says 257 people have died in military plane crash  The Associated Press (@AP) April 11, 2018

Civil protection agency spokesman Farouk Achour told The Associated Press that some passengers were "extracted with deep burns caused by the fuselage catching fire." He informed that more than 300 emergency workers are working at the scene. The crash site is close (30 kilometres) to the capital city of Algiers in northern Algeria. Emergency services have been sent to the crash site. The Algerie Presse service agency said the Iliouchine-type plane was headed for Bechar in south-western Algeria.

Local media reported that the plane crashed just after taking off. Emergency services converged on the area near the Boufarik military base after the crash. Footage from the scene showed thick black smoke coming off the field, as well as ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles arriving at the site. The flight had just taken off from Boufarik, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the capital Algiers, for a military base in Bechar in southwest Algeria, Achour said. It was scheduled to make a layover in Tindouf in southern Algeria, home to many refugees from the neighboring Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco.

In the past four years, the North African nation has witnessed a number of planes crashes, mostly of military aircrafts. For instance, four people had died in a helicopter crash in the Douira neighborhood of Algiers in August last year. While in June, a military helicopter crashed in the province of Naama, 700 kilometres southwest of Algiers, leaving one soldier dead.

In April 2015, a military helicopter crashed in the southern province of Illizi, killing two soldiers. In November 2014, an Algerian Air Force MIG-25 'Foxbat' fighter crashed, but the pilot managed to eject himself out of the plane and survived.

However, the most fatal plane crash was reported in February 2014, when a C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Algerian Air Force crashed in Oum El Bouaghi province, 400 kilometres east of Algiers, killing 77 soldiers.
The White House insisted that Trump can fire Mueller, stoking fears that the president may try to kill an investigation inching ever-closer to the Oval Office

Washington: The White House insisted on Tuesday that Donald Trump has the power to fire special prosecutor Robert Mueller, stoking fears that the president may try to kill an investigation inching ever-closer to the Oval Office.

After months of denying Mueller's removal is under consideration, the change in tone came as Trump reacted furiously to an FBI raid of his private lawyer's offices on Monday.

Special counsel Mueller was appointed in May to investigate Russian efforts to tip the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor.

Over the last year, he has increasingly dug into evidence of alleged money laundering, fraud and obstruction of justice inside Trump's inner circle.

Four Trump aides  including his 2016 campaign chair Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Michael Flynn  have already been indicted or pleaded guilty.

Now, Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen  who holds secrets about many of the president's personal and financial dealings  is in the crosshairs.

"We have been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said of the possibility to remove Mueller.

"I think that the president has been clear that he thinks that this has gone too far."

Trump hunkered down at the White House, canceling a first trip to Latin America that was due to start Friday and stewing on a move that could throw America into a constitutional crisis.

At the same time, Trump faced a momentous decision about whether to carry out military strikes in Syria.

'Total witch hunt'

Trump has pledged to decide by the end of Tuesday how to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held suburbs of Damascus, blamed on the Syrian regime and its allies.

But while much of his national security team debated whether strikes would be effective in deterring future chemical attacks, and how to limit the risk of escalation, Trump met his lawyers Jay Sekulow and Ty Cobb to discuss the Cohen raid.

His anger showed no signs of abating.

"A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" the president blasted on Twitter amid news that FBI agents had seized documents pertaining to his dealings with Cohen. "Attorneyclient privilege is dead!"

In a phone call with CNN, Cohen admitted the raid was "upsetting to say the least."

Asked if he was worried, Cohen said, "I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No."

On Capitol Hill, Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged Trump to allow Mueller to do his work.

Democrats wanted to go one step further and pass legislation protecting the Republican former FBI director.

"If the president is thinking of using this raid to fire Special Counsel Mueller or otherwise interfere with the chain of command in the Russia probe, we Democrats have one simple message for him: don't," top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.

"The investigation is critical to the health of our democracy, and must be allowed to continue."

Trump's fellow Republicans said that would not be necessary, with Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley stating it would be "suicide" for the president to fire Mueller.

The raid on Cohen's offices came amid allegations he paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the election to keep a tryst with Trump quiet.

After months of silence, Trump last week offered a flat "no" when asked if he knew about the payment.

Plans dashed

Trump's decision to scrap his trip to Colombia and Peru surprised even some White House staff.

"The president will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world," Sanders said.

Trump had already cut the visit short  from five days, to three and, finally, to none.

The combative US president had been expected in Peru for the Summit of the Americas, where he was likely to face protests and awkward meetings with leaders who have bristled at his repeated portrayal of Latino immigrants as rapists and thugs.

Vice-President Mike Pence will represent the United States in Lima instead, his aide Jarrod Agen said, adding that he would also meet Venezuelan dissidents.

Trump is still expected to travel to his Mar-a-Lago holiday home in Florida on Monday, where a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will go ahead.
President Donald Trump warned Russia about supporting Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and said US missiles 'will be coming' in retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.

Washington: President Donald Trump warned Russia about supporting Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and said US missiles "will be coming" in retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.

Trump tweeted:

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump's message comes one day after Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution at the United Nations Security Council to set up a panel to identify the perpetrators of Saturday's alleged toxic gas attacks in Douma.

Russia has said its military specialists found no evidence of a chemical attack, and suggested that rebels staged or spread rumours of an attack to pin the blame on Damascus.

In an earlier tweet, Trump said that there was "so much Fake News about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria".

Just before Trump's tweets, the Kremlin urged restraint in Syria, saying that countries should avoid taking action that could further destabilise the war-torn country.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is telling US lawmakers during his testimony on the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal that his Facebook data was included in the personal information sold to 'malicious third parties'.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is telling US lawmakers during his testimony on the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal that his Facebook data was included in the personal information sold to "malicious third parties". He also said he believes it is "inevitable" that there will be regulation of his industry.

Facing his second day of questioning from members of Congress on Wednesday, Zuckerberg was answering a question from Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from California.

Facebook has said that 87 million people's personal data was scooped up when some 270,000 users took a personality quiz and had not just their data, but the data of their friends to be accessed by an outside app. Cambridge Analytica then obtained this data and is said to have used it to try to influence elections around the world.

Lawmakers in both parties have floated possible regulation of Facebook and other social media companies amid privacy scandals and Russian intervention on the platform. It's not clear what that regulation would look like.

Zuckerberg said at a House hearing Wednesday that it is "inevitable that there will be some sort of regulation." But he warned that lawmakers should be careful in what they propose. He noted that larger companies like Facebook have more resources to comply with regulations than small startups.

The US House hearing examining the company's privacy policies and the role Facebook played as Russians intervened in the 2016 election began 10 am EST Wednesday. Zuckerberg testified for around five hours in a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

In that hearing, Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures and disclosed that his company was "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference.

He also said Facebook was working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private data by a data-mining company affiliated with Donald Trump's campaign.

Zuckerberg disclosed Tuesday that his company is "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian election interference.
The Senators were clearly out of their depth, and in some cases it resulted in hilarious exchanges between them and Zuckerberg

It was oddly empowering as a user to see the chief of a tech platform that is so intimately integrated with our lives being put through the grind by lawmakers over breach of trust and privacy. Mark Zuckerberg's testimony and joint hearing before the US Senate's Commerce and Judiciary committees on Tuesday is an important marker in technology's evolutionary journey and growing power to shape the future of human lives.

There might have been some amount of Capitol Hill political theatre involved but there's no harm in a bit of a spectacle. The process of subjecting high and mighty Silicon Valley tech influencers to well-publicised grilling is essential for democracies. It simultaneously warns people against believing in tech nirvana and restores faith in democracies' ability to protect the rights of the people.

Sitting in India, where these rights are not even clearly defined  leave alone enforcement  the spectacle carried an added significance, showing us the distance that we still have to travel. Yet we dont have enough time. India is already Facebook's largest market with the highest number of users.

It was gratifying to see the 33-year-old billionaire show contrition, deference and remorse for his lapses and promising a reformation in Facebook's handling of users' privacy. More so because in trading our privacy for convenience, networking and community bonding, we really hadn't understood or cared for the underlying risks. It is only when these digital ecosystems started taking over our lives that we woke up to the fact that so much of our data has been handed over to the platforms that we made ourselves vulnerable to being manipulated.

Given technology's integration with human lives, it is impractical to suggest a return to utopian innocence. Yet clearly there is need for an urgent change. Does the answer lie in a more regulated platform, a thorough change in privacy rules, or transformation of the business model?

The grilling was partly an effort to search for answers. The room in the Senate Office Building packed with Congressional staff members, the wider public lined up outside and millions more watching on live television with Zuckerberg perched on the hot seat became an arena for a futuristic battle.

The Facebook CEO had dressed for the part. He also appeared calm and composed under relentless, hours-long questioning though the nervousness was betrayed by the occasional reaching out for a gulp of water. Here, he was a Silicon Valley representative  a new age Yoda of 21st century technology  and those around him trying to at once to question him and getting educated in return.

And that is also where the grilling failed in its primary purpose. For all their stated and unstated hostility the senators of US  the world's most tech-aware nation  appeared as tech-challenged dinosaurs. Barring a few, most elderly members had zero knowledge of technology with the result that most questions failed to dive beneath a surface understanding of Facebook's machinations.

The Senators were clearly out of their depth, and in some cases it resulted in hilarious exchanges. Senator for Utah Orrin Hatch wanted to know how Facebook sustains a business model while running as a free service. Zuckerberg, struggling to retain composure, responded: "Senator, we run ads." "I see, that's great," replied Hatch.

Mark Zuckerberg is now living out every young person's worst nightmare: trying to explain how tech stuff works to the nation's elderly  Robby Soave (@robbysoave) April 10, 2018

Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the better prepared ones, wanted to know if Facebook runs a monopoly but his analogy of car manufactures fell woefully short of understanding the digital ecosystem that Facebook straddles. It resulted in another bewildering exchange.

Senator John Kennedy had a number of suggestion for Zuckerberg on tightening of data privacy, only to be told in return that all those options were already available.

Kennedy: Are you willing to go back and and work on giving me a greater right to erase my data?

Zuckerberg: Senator, you can already delete any of the data that's there, or delete all of your data.

Kennedy: Are you willing to expand that, work on expanding that?

Zuckerberg: Senator, I think we already do what you're referring to

Kennedy: Are you willing to expand my right to know who you're sharing my data with?

Zuckerberg: Senator, we already give you a list of apps that you're using. And you signed into those yourself, and provided affirmative consent.

Kennedy: Are you willing to give me the right to take my data on Facebook and move it to another social media platform?

Zuckerberg: Senator, you can already do that.

Lost in the translation were crucial questions on why Facebook had been casual about data protection which led to Cambridge Analytica gaining private information of 87 million users worldwide (5.6 lakh Indians), abuse of privacy and specific steps that Zuckerberg plans to take on a range of issues that are involved in Facebook's process of collecting data and monetizing it. Between the lawmakers' stated intention on grilling Zuckerberg and their inability to understand the workings of Facebook, there was enough space for the 33-year-old billionaire to exploit and escape by peddling homilies.

For instance, when Senator Dean Heller wanted to know what are Zuckreberg's core principles in trading off users' data with advertisers for monetisation, the Facebook CEO replied that his company doesn't "sell" data at all, and proceeded to give an explanation on the differences between the way sellers and app developers access Facebook's data.

Senator Heller: Have you ever drawn the line on selling data to an advertiser?

Zuckerberg: Yes, Senator. We don't sell data at all So the way the ad system work is advertisers can come to us and say, I have a message that I'm trying to reach a certain type of people. They might be interested in something, they might live in a place, and then we help them get that message in front of people. But this is one of the... it's widely mischaracterised about our system that we sell data. And it's actually one of the most important parts of how Facebook works is that we do not sell data. Advertisers do not get access to people's individual data."

As CNN's Dylan Byers writes: "Whenever a lawmaker pointed out something Facebook had done wrong, he spoke about what the company was doing to make it right. Whenever he couldn't answer a question, he simply promised to get back to lawmakers later."

If Zuckerberg's intention was to obfuscate from the real issue  Facebook's corrosive business model that puts advertisers' interest ahead of users  and steer conversation towards "making his company better" (a subjective and vague position) then he made a fabulous job of it. He set the tone during the testimony ahead of the hearing.

Zuckerberg focused on Facebook's stated purpose: to connect people and build businesses and communities but he didn't talk explicitly about the motivation behind that purpose  which is to monetise users.

"Facebook is an idealistic and optimistic company. For most of our existence, we focused on all the good that connecting people can bring." What he didn't say was that Facebook isn't a philanthropic platform that seeks only to bring people together but a program that seeks to harness the power of data. If we note his testimony carefully, it becomes evident that Zuckerberg has no plans to revamp the business model.

"It's not enough to just connect people, we have to make sure those connections are positive. It's not enough to just give people a voice, we have to make sure people aren't using it to hurt people or spread misinformation."

In other words, Facebook still wants to be the custodian of data when developments over the years clearly show that it has done a terrible job of it. Zuckerberg did not say that he will prioritise users over advertisers, only insisted that he will try to ensure that it is not misused. But when the custodian itself is under scrutiny, such evasive tactics do not do enough to address the heart of the problem.

The prospect is scarier in India, Facebook's largest market where politicians have failed to ensure even a rudimentary framework for data protection. Facebook revelation in India has triggered a lot of debate but those have been restricted to largely political bickering among parties. Not a single policy issue has been taken up for discussion. Zuckerberg promised to uphold the sanctity of elections in India but we only have his word to go by. From what we have learnt, that doesn't account for much.
A Myanmar minister on Tuesday toured one of the Bangladesh camps struggling to provide for some one million Rohingya Muslims, the first such visit since a Myanmar army crackdown sparked a massive refugee crisis.

Kutupalong: A Myanmar minister on Tuesday toured one of the Bangladesh camps struggling to provide for some one million Rohingya Muslims, the first such visit since a Myanmar army crackdown sparked a massive refugee crisis.

Social welfare minister Win Myat Aye visited the giant Kutupalong refugee camp near the border city of Cox's Bazar, part of a three-day trip to Bangladesh, officials said. It is the first time a Myanmar cabinet member has visited the fetid and overcrowded camps since a military crackdown that began last August in response to a spate of insurgent attacks forced some 700,000 of the Muslim minority to flee across the border.

They added to the 3,00,000 Rohingya refugees Bangladesh already hosted from previous bouts of violence.

Win Myat Aye was "meeting officials at the camps," local police chief Abul Khaer told AFP, adding that International Organisation for Migration representatives were involved in the talks. Rohingya leaders in the camps said they would welcome the opportunity to meet the minister in person.

"We would like to meet face-to-face with the minister," one leader, Mohibullah, told AFP.

Sources told AFP he was due to meet some 40 Rohingya community leaders while in Kutupalong camp. The Rohingya have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar but the most recent crackdown has forced them to flee in unprecedented numbers.

The United Nations and United States have called Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya in the past eight months "ethnic cleansing". Win Myat Aye is deputy head of a task force led by Myanmar's de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the crisis in Rakhine state.

He has overseen a stalled agreement with Bangladesh to repatriate some 7,50,000 refugees. Myanmar has approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland but no one has yet crossed back.

Many displaced Muslims have said they fear a repeat of persecution that has forced them off their lands if they go back.

Refugees demand recognition as a minority, access to health and education and an assurance they can return to their ancestral villages rather than being shunted into resettlement camps in Rakhine.
Pakistan's parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir

Islamabad: Pakistan's parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and demanding the UN Human Rights Commission to send a fact-finding mission to the Valley.

The resolution moved by Pakistan's Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir in the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, appealed to the international community to implement the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.

The resolution urged the government to request the Human Rights Council in Geneva to send a fact-finding mission to the Valley to investigate the alleged human rights violations, Radio Pakistan reported.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Pakistan is "strongly highlighting" the Kashmir issue at international fora including the UN, Human Rights Commission and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Amid student protests, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday announced she will be abolishing the quota system for government jobs.

Dhaka: Amid student protests, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday announced she will be abolishing the quota system for government jobs.

Students and job-seekers have been demonstrating on the streets demanding reforms to the quota system that entered the fourth day on Wednesday and brought key roads in Dhaka to a standstill, bdnews24.com reported.

"The quota system will be abolished," Hasina said while addressing Parliament in the afternoon when thousands of students blocked many major roads in parts of capital Dhaka.

Hasina said the protests were "irrational" after the government had already made assurances regarding the demonstrators' demands.

She questioned the rationale of the students and job-seekers continuing with the demonstrations even though the government promised to examine the quota system and give a decision in the wake of their demands.

The Prime Minister also condemned the attack on the Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor's residence and said those who masterminded and perpetrated the assault would be punished accordingly.

"We must have justice for this vandalism and looting. We will find out those who were involved and the students must help us do so," she said.

In line with the Bangladeshi government's existing quota system, 56 percent of jobs in the public sector are reserved for children of freedom fighters, women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and citizens of some backward districts, a quota which protesters want to be reduced to 10 percent.

"We believe this is injustice. These special groups represent only two percent of the population while the remaining 98 percent of people fight for 44 percent of jobs," said student leader Nayeem Khan.

Khan added that while the main demand of the students was that only 10 percent of the jobs be reserved for disadvantaged groups, they also wanted there to be similar passing marks for all job applicants and that an applicant not be given the privilege of a quota more than once.

The protests began on Sunday when hundreds of students came out on the streets of Dhaka and the police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas, leaving close to a hundred people injured, according to police.
Three resolutions on investigating the alleged chemical attack in a rebel-held area of Syria failed in the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Tuesday

United Nations: Three resolutions on investigating the alleged chemical attack in a rebel-held area of Syria failed in the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Tuesday amid reports that the United States (US) was preparing to attack facilities of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

US president Donald Trump has cancelled a trip to the Summit of the Americas in Peru's Lima, citing the Syrian developments and on Tuesday conferred with National Security Adviser John Bolton and defence officials. He also discussed with British Prime Minister Theresa May the preparation for a strike on the Syrian government, which it blames for the chemical attack.

Even as the Security Council wrangled over a resolution to confer the Council's authority on the probe, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced it was sending a fact-finding mission to Douma, where the chemical weapon attack is said to have taken place. On Monday, Russia and Syria had told the Council that they were inviting the OPCW to send investigators and they would provide them protection and facilities.

Last Saturday a chemical attack was reported to have taken place in Douma, where the rebel group Jaish al-Islam controls territory. The US says 89 people were killed and several hundred injured by chemical weapons used there. The rival resolutions that paralysed the Security Council had small differences that Russia and the West hoped to score points with rather than act on Syria.

Russia vetoed the first resolution sponsored by the US and its supporters calling for an independent investigative mechanism into the use of chemical weapons, after it got 12 votes for, two against and an abstention by China. The next two offered by Russia failed to get a majority, avoiding the need for a Western veto.

The first Russian resolution also called for the creation of the independent investigation mechanism but would have required it to take into account the OPCW data as well as information provided by the Syrian government on the rebel organisations, which met with Western objections. It received six votes, seven voted against it and two abstained.

Condemning Moscow's veto, US permanent representative Nikki Haley said, "History will record that, on this day, Russia chose to protect a monster over the lives of the Syrian people."

After a break for consultations to try for a compromise, Russia introduced another resolution similar to its previous one, except that it did not include the independent investigation mechanism proposal. Five countries voted for it, four against it and six abstained. China supported both the Russian resolutions.

Since the two Russian resolutions did not get a majority, none of the Western permanent members  the US, France or Britain had to veto them. After vetoing the US resolution, Russia's permanent representative Vassily Nebenzia said it would have recreated the joint investigative mechanism that lapsed in November 2017, because of a Moscow veto and a similar new body would take a long time to become active. He accused the US of introducing the resolution knowing it would not pass so they could use it as a pretext to attack Syria.

Later, Nebenzia, addressing Haley directly, said, "I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that you are currently developing for Syria." While Haley had insisted on an independent investigation mechanism in addition to the OPCW fact-finding mechanism, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert praised the Hague-based organisation that won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2013. "They're the gold standard in collecting this type of information (about chemical weapons use), and we would certainly rely upon them, as we have in other instances, to take a look at that," she said.
A furious Trump, who in the past month has escalated his attacks on Mueller's Russia investigation, said Monday from the White House that it was a 'disgrace' that the FBI 'broke into' his lawyer's office. He called Mueller's investigation 'an attack on our country,' prompting new speculation that he might seek the removal of the Justice Department's special counsel.

The federal agents who raided the office of President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, were looking for records about payments to a former Playboy playmate and to porn actress Stormy Daniels, who both claim to have had affairs with Trump.

That's according to a report Tuesday from The New York Times. The newspaper, citing several people briefed on the investigation, reported that FBI agents were looking for records of payments to ex-Playmate Karen McDougal and also information related to the publisher of The National Enquirer.

The raid prompted a new blast Tuesday from the president, who tweeted that "Attorney-client privilege is dead!" And White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the president thinks he can fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but isn't taking that step now.

McDougal has said she carried on an affair with Trump in 2006 after the birth of his son. The Enquirer's publisher, American Media Inc., paid McDougal $150,000 but never published her story. AMI has said she was paid to become a fitness columnist.

The Associated Press has confirmed that agents on Monday also seized records related to a $130,000 payment made to Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump in 2006.

A furious Trump, who in the past month has escalated his attacks on Mueller's Russia investigation, said Monday from the White House that it was a "disgrace" that the FBI "broke into" his lawyer's office. He called Mueller's investigation "an attack on our country," prompting new speculation that he might seek the removal of the Justice Department's special counsel.

On Tuesday, Sanders said Trump believes the raid on Cohen's office went "too far," but she also said that it's a separate investigation from Mueller's probe. Still, Trump "certainly believes that he has the power" to directly fire Mueller, she said, and he has been advised that he has that authority. She did not say where the advice came from.

Justice Department guidelines say only Deputy Attorney Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller last May, has the authority to fire him and only for specific cause. Rosenstein has repeatedly said that he has not seen any reason to dismiss Mueller

The raid was overseen by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan and was based in part on a referral from Mueller, said Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan.

"The decision by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York to conduct their investigation using search warrants is completely inappropriate and unnecessary," Ryan said in a statement. "It resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney client communications between a lawyer and his clients."

The raid creates a new legal headache for Trump as he and his attorneys weigh whether to agree to an interview with Mueller's team, which in addition to investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign is also examining whether the president's actions constitute obstruction of justice.

And the law enforcement action will almost certainly amplify the public scrutiny on the payment to Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump in 2006. The payment was made just days before the 2016 presidential election. Trump told reporters last week that he did not know about it.

Search warrants are a fairly standard, though aggressive, law enforcement tool and are often sought in cases where authorities are concerned someone may hide or withhold evidence. To obtain one, agents must convince a judge they have probable cause of criminal activity and they believe they'll find evidence of wrongdoing in a search. A warrant requires high-level approval within the Justice Department, and agency guidelines impose additional hurdles when the search target is an attorney.

In this case, Mueller opted to refer the matter to federal prosecutors in Manhattan. Besides Cohen's office, agents also searched a hotel room where he's been staying while his home is under renovation.

Under Justice Department regulations, Mueller must consult with Rosenstein when his investigators uncover new evidence that may fall outside his original mandate. Rosenstein then will determine whether to allow Mueller to proceed or to assign the matter to another U.S. attorney or another part of the Justice Department.

A spokesman for Mueller's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The U.S. attorney's office had no comment. Monday's raid was first reported by The New York Times.

Ryan did not elaborate on the documents taken from Cohen's office but said he has cooperated with investigators, including meeting last fall with lawmakers looking into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Cohen has more recently attracted attention for his acknowledgment that he paid Daniels out of his own pocket shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Cohen has said neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Daniels and he was not reimbursed for the payment.

Several former officials at the Federal Election Commission have said the payment appears to be a violation of campaign finance laws, and multiple Washington-based groups have filed complaints with the FEC, urging it to investigate.

There have been few signs that Mueller was interested in investigating the payment, though. One Mueller witness, former Trump aide Sam Nunberg, recently connected the special counsel with the payment, saying in an interview on MSNBC last month that prosecutors had asked him about payments to women.

Trump answered questions about Daniels for the first time last week, saying he had no knowledge of the payment made by Cohen and he didn't know where Cohen had gotten the money. The White House has consistently said Trump denies the affair.

Daniels has said she had sex with the president in 2006. She has been suing to invalidate the nondisclosure agreement she signed before the election and has offered to return the money she was paid in order to "set the record straight."

Daniels argues the agreement is legally invalid because it was signed by only Daniels and Cohen, and was not signed by Trump.

Last month, Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, sent letters to the Trump Organization demanding the business preserve all of its records relating to the $130,000 transaction.

The letter demanded they preserve all emails by Cohen that mention Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, as well as any emails and text messages related to the alleged relationship. He sent similar demand letters to two banks, City National and First Republic, asking they preserve documents connected to the transaction.

Avenatti also enclosed an email showing Cohen had used his Trump Organization email address in correspondence with a representative from First Republic. In the email, the representative said funds had been deposited in Cohen's account.
A US aircraft carrier sailed through the South China Sea in the latest display of America's military might after China built a string of islands to assert its claims.

Aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, South China Sea: As fighter jets streaked overhead, a US aircraft carrier sailed through the South China Sea on Tuesday in the latest display of America's military might after China built a string of islands with military facilities to assert its claims in the strategic waters, sparking regional alarm.

The US Navy flew a small group of Philippine generals, officials and journalists to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, where fighter jets landed and took off by catapult with thunderous blasts. The nuclear-powered carrier, and its 65 supersonic F18 jets, spy planes and helicopters, was en route to Manila.

Recent US deployments of aircraft carriers, backed by destroyers, to perform freedom of navigation exercises to Beijing's territorial claims are reassuring allies but also prompting concerns with China's own show of force in the busy waterway.

"It's a showcase of the capability of the US armed forces not only by sea but also by air," Philippine army Lieuteanant General Rolando Bautista said after joining a tour of the 97,000-ton carrier. "The Americans are our friends. In one way or another, they can help us to deter any threat," Bautista said, adding that the American military presence helps secure vulnerable Philippine waters.

At least twice in 2018, the US Navy has deployed destroyers in freedom of navigation sail-bys near Chinese-occupied Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing wrestled from the Philippines in 2012, and Manila-claimed Mischief Reef, which Chinese forces occupied in 1995. Another US carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, patrolled the contested waters in March, taking part in anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea with Japanese forces and visiting Vietnam with its 5,000-strong crew, the largest such US military presence there since the Vietnam War ended in 1975.

China has protested those moves, calling it US meddling in an Asian conflict, and renewed warnings to Washington to stay away. Beijing has also reportedly been holding large-scale naval exercises in the area featuring its only operating aircraft carrier, while its air force says it recently sent some of its most advanced fighters and bombers for "joint combat patrols" over the sea. Those included H-6K long-range strategic bombers that carry DH-20 long-range land-attack cruise missiles, giving them the ability to hit targets as far away as Australia, along with Russian-made Su-35 fighters.

"What we see now is a show of force and a counter show of force in the South China Sea," said Roilo Golez, a former Philippine national security adviser and congressman. While the moves could increase the risks of miscalculation and accidental clashes, Washington's superior naval power could serve as deterrence to Chinese aggression, Golez said.

The Philippine ambassador to Beijing, Chito Sta. Romana, recently warned that the risks of a miscalculation and armed conflict have risen in the disputed region with a militarily stronger China now able to challenge the US. Sta. Romana compared the two powers to elephants fighting and trampling on the grass and said, "What we don't want is for us to be the grass."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's policy of befriending China has worked, Sta. Romana said, citing Beijing's decision to lift its blockade around Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal. China also allowed Filipino fishermen back into disputed Scarborough Shoal after Duterte visited Beijing and raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2016.

Despite such fears and occasional exchanges of rhetoric, US Rear Admiral Steve Koehler told reporters on board the Roosevelt that it has been smooth sailing so far, with US, Chinese and other forces engaging each other professionally. "I haven't seen any dangerous interaction," Koehler said, adding that problems could be avoided "if all the navies are operating in accordance with the international norm and law."

Washington stakes no claims in the territorial disputes but has declared that their peaceful resolution and the maintenance of freedom of navigation are in its national interest. American officials have said US Navy ships will continue sailing close to Chinese-occupied areas without prior notice, placing Washington in a continuing collision course with China's interests.
Just because you work in a circus doesnt mean youre a prostitute. This is a statement of feminist support, a denial of the received wisdom, from an audience member for Saraswoti and Sheetal, founders and performers in Nepals Circus Kathmandu. Its an expression of an enlightened, go-girl attitude, exactly the sort of thing that the two women have been fighting for and struggling toward for the six years during which the extraordinary documentary Even When I Fall has been following them. It is a moment of small triumph when we witness this declaration, late in the film, and yet, that such a statement is necessary, that it feels like huge progress, and that it seems like something that not everyone would agree with are all very telling of how much more work Saraswoti and Sheetal have ahead of them.

When we talk about how women are marginalized, how our voices are not heard, it doesnt get much more horrific than what has led Saraswoti and Sheetal to create Circus Kathmandu, Nepals very first such performing troupe. (Its more Cirque du Soleil than Ringling Bros., acrobats and dancing, not lion tamers and clowns.) Both were trafficked to India as small children and sold into slavery  slavery!  in circuses there, and they meet in 2010 at a refuge back in Nepal for rescued circus slaves. Later, the women will speak in hushed tones about sexual abuse in their circuses. Sheetal feels lucky to have escaped that, but it isnt clear whether Saraswoti considers what happened to her to have been wrong: she was married at 14 to the circus owners son, and was mother to three children by the time she was 17.

Saraswoti and Sheetal are two of the most amazing women Ive ever met onscreen, simply absolutely vital role models for girls and women everywhere.



Directors Kate McLarnon and Sky Neal do not linger on the explicit horrors of the slave circuses, though one set of photos they offer us haunts me: after a handful showing exhausted, dead-eyed children in sad circus costumes and contortionist poses, the last shows a mob of men eager for the show. But more insidious horrors abound. When we first meet Sheetal, soon after her rescue, we learn that she was trafficked at such a young age that she doesnt know where shes from, and isnt even sure of her actual age. (Shes 16 she thinks.) When we are introduced to Saraswoti during her rescue, she is at first reluctant to leave the circus: Who will feed me if I go? Later, the desperation of poor parents and the guile of traffickers is examined, and it becomes plain that the sale of children into slavery is not something that will be easily stopped. (See the 2016 film Sold for a fictionalized look at a Nepalese girl trafficked into sex slavery in India.)
Two races, three high-profile unsafe releases from pit stops. Perhaps it's no surprise then that the FIA have vowed to investigate, with the governing body's F1 Race Director Charlie Whiting saying the incidents are looking less and less like a coincidence.

Its looking like less and less like a coincidence...

Ferrari were fined 50,000 for releasing Kimi Raikkonens car in an unsafe manner during the Bahrain Grand Prix, which resulted in the Finn inadvertently knocking over and breaking the leg of one of his mechanics.

It marked the third race in the last four seasons in which Raikkonen has retired due to unsafe release, and the second time over the weekend that Ferrari suffered such a problem, with the 2007 world champion also forced to stop in second practice in Sakhir with a loose wheel.

And it came after Haas, who use the same rear-wheel components as Ferrari through their technical partnership with the Italian outfit, suffered two unsafe releases during the Australian race, which cost them 22 points.

Its looking like less and less like a coincidence but the two incidences in Melbourne were quite clearly wheelgun operator error, said Whiting. They cross threaded the nuts and thought it was tight, came off and then realised a little too late it wasnt.

[With the incident in Bahrain], the guy hadnt even taken the wheel off, which is slightly perplexing.
After the recent SemiAccurate report, Kotaku has investigated the possibility that a PlayStation 5 could be coming in 2018 or 2019, ruling it out based on the different sources it was able to communicate with during and after the GDC.

A recent online rumor got people buzzing about a possible 2018 release of PlayStation 5, but thats probably not going to happen. In fact, from what weve heard, the next PlayStation is a ways awayit may not arrive until 2020, the website claims, which is more in line with other predictions from the industry.

There is information about the PlayStation 5 floating around at both first- and third-party companies, but its far more limited than it would be if the consoles release was imminent.

Interestingly, Kotaku also touched the point of the devkits possibly being already in the hands of several major first party developers, explaining that usually, this equipment has multiple iterations and that the first are generally shipped around 12-24 months before the release of the proper console.

One person who worked in a high role at a major game developer said that their company had received proper PS4 devkits, then code-named Orbis, about a year before the console launched in November 2013. Another person who worked for a major game studio said they were working with PCs dressed up as development kits around 18-24 months before the PS4 came out. () If these early PS5 devkits are out at game studios now, they are likely extremely well-hidden.

So, its quite obvious a PlayStation 5 is in an engineering phase, whatever that actually means in terms of when the console gets announced. Considering that Xbox One X released just six months ago and that Microsoft is therefore at least a couple years away from the reveal of a new hardware, that PS4 has a strong lineup ahead and sales are still very good, we dont feel Sony has any will to rush things up.

Source: Kotaku
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Fuckup nights is coming to Tbilisi - Famous Georgian entrepreneurs unveil their stories - GeorgianJournal
The Independent on Svaneti: How to hike through most remote region in Georgia - GeorgianJournal
Apple ordered to pay $502.6 mn after losing a patent lawsuit News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Apple loses a patent lawsuit to VirnetX.

Apple has been ordered to pay $502.6 million to VirnetX Holding Corp. after the company lost a patent infringement lawsuit. The verdict was announced by the grand jury in Texas after finding that Apple infringed patents that were related to secure communications, reports Bloomberg.

The legal battle between the companies has been going on for past eight years. VirnetX makes most of its money from licensing patented technology that powers virtual private networks over the web. The company filed three lawsuits against Apple back in 2010 alleging that Apple's FaceTime, iMessage, and VPN on Demand are already patented by VirnetX.

In February 2016, Apple was ordered to pay $625.6 million in damages after two of the lawsuits were combined, but the verdict was later voided by a federal judge saying that combining two lawsuits would be unfair to Apple.

Later in October 2017, a federal judge in Texas ordered the company to pay $439.7 million, which was almost $140 million more than what the company was asked to pay VirnetX in yet another lawsuit.

VirtnetX spokesman Greg Wood believes that the verdict "fair and appropriate," but the judgment had a little impact as the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled the patents invalid in 2016.

Apple is yet to respond on the matter.

Speaking of patents, this doesn't seem to bother Apple a lot. The company recently filed a patent for an AR adaptive display for self-driving cars. The patent comes under the moniker 'Adaptive vehicle augmented reality display using stereographic imagery.'

The patent reveals details about the display system that includes an AR system that will be capable of using a pre-generated 3D model of the surroundings. The patent also suggests that the system will offer even more details about the world around them, while on the move.

The pre-generated 3D model could also include data about landmarks, points of interest, and other areas that might be useful to the drivers. This data could also be stored remotely on the cloud. The 3D model could be collected in bits and pieces, as seen on online mapping services. Relevant sections will then be provided to the car's AR system when required.

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Ahead of official launch, Samsung India leaks the specs of Galaxy J7 Duo News oi-Karan Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo will be the first budget smartphone from Samsung to come with Bixby support. Now the phone has been listed on the official Samsung India online Shop with images and specification

A few days back Samsung Galaxy J720F Duo had surfaced on the benchmark indicating its arrival to the smartphone market. In India, the smartphone will arrive as Galaxy J7 Duo. Ahead of its official launch, the company has listed the smartphone on its official Samsung India online Shop along with the images and specifications.

The listing discloses all the key features of the smartphone and confirms that this new arrival will come with dual-camera setup and Bixby support. This would be the first budget smartphone from Samsung to come up with Bixby support.

According to Samsung official website, the Galaxy J7 Duo will sport a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED 2.5D curved glass HD display with a standard aspect ratio of 16:9. The images also confirm that the smartphone will come with a dual-camera setup with the combination 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel camera sensors with f/1.9 aperture, placed vertically on the rear panel along with a LED flash. On the front, the smartphone houses an 8-megapixel front-facing selfie camera.

The biometric scanner is embedded on the home button at front and also come with a removable back cover design. However, it doesn't come with dedicated Bixby hardware button.

As far as specifications are concerned, the Galaxy J7 Duo is powered by an octa-core 1.6 GHz processor is the CPU on the year-old Exynos 7870 Octa chipset, paired with Mali T830 GPU. According to the listing, the device will come in one variant with 4GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage which can be expandable up to 256GB via microSD card.

The Galaxy J7 Duo is backed by a 3,000 mAh battery which does not sound so impressive, but Galaxy A5 (2017) also comes with the same chipset and power cell and it showed an excellent result of 95h endurance rate. The smartphone will run on Android 8.0 Oreo and comes with the latest Samsung Experience 9.0 user interface.

On connectivity part, the smartphone comes with 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth v5, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio. The all new Samsung Galaxy J7 is expected to launch in one color variant that is Black. Moreover, there the company haven't disclosed any information on the pricing of the phone.

Hope we will get to know about the pricing on the launch date which will be sometime later this month since April 23 as mention on the pictures of the J7 Duo.

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BlackBerry future smartphones will have wireless charging support News oi-Vishal Kawadkar BlackBerry has a new wireless charging tech in development.

BlackBerry is still struggling to keep up with other major smartphone manufacturers, but that doesn't stop the company from being ambitious and bring the latest tech to its products. According to the known tipster Evan Blass, future BlackBerry Android smartphones will have support for wireless charging. The leak also suggests that the company will also launch a Samsung DeX-like phone-to-PC solution.

The device is said to be under development at Optiemus Infracom, one of BlackBerry's product partners that holds the rights to manufacture products with BlackBerry's branding in the sub-continent including India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

The gadget seems to shaped like company's signature style, featuring a single port that will power it, designed to used as a pad, with wireless charging capabilities being the most logical explanation for the device.

Given BlackBerry's focus on the enterprise segment and the fact that it designs the best-in-class security solutions for mobile devices for business clients, a phone-to-PC solution sounds like something the company would fancy.

Though the company doesn't manufacture smartphones itself anymore, it does contribute to the process to help grow its ecosystem.

Few of company's upcoming smartphones are doing rounds of the rumor mill for quite some time now. The devices have already made several appearances including Geekbench, configuration files, and even in European device registration database.

The company has already confirmed that two new keyboard smartphones will see the light of day in 2018. But, if the reports are to be believed, there might be a third smartphone in works as well. The information points towards three new codenames - Athena, Luna, and Uni.

As per the information, Athena will have a keyboard-based design and will be backed by 6GB / 8GB of RAM alongside 64GB of internal storage. The device is said to have bigger keys compared to BlackBerry KEYone.

Other highlights include a dual camera setup that will be able to create a bokeh effect for pictures. It is also said to boast Snapdragon 660 processor.

Uni is said to be a device identical to the BlackBerry Priv. Although the patent is more about the camera then the device, it sure does give us a glimpse of what to expect.

Google Home Unboxing and Setup process - GIZBOT

The patent comes with a moniker 'Electronic device and method of controlling same for capturing digital images,' that suggests a camera system that would work on a smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY, just like the BlackBerry Priv.

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LG to launch premium LG G7 ThinQ on May 2 in New York News oi-Priyanka The LG G7 ThinQ is an evolution of the foundation laid by the LG V30S ThinQ, the first LG smartphone to embrace AI as part of its core features.

LG Electronics (LG) today announced that it will formally unveil its premium LG G7 ThinQ smartphone on May 2 in New York City and May 3 in Seoul. The company also said that it will host media events to introduce the LG G7ThinQ on May 2(EDT) at the Metropolitan West in New York and on May 3 (KST) at I'PARK Mall in Seoul.

This will be the first G series smartphone to adopt the ThinQ name, created to identify all of LG's consumer electronics, home appliances and services that utilize artificial intelligence to deliver practical, consumer benefits.

Now is the time when manufacturers have to pay close attention to what customers actually need and want for their smartphones," says Hwang Jeong-hwan, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

Hwan said, "LG is continuing to deliver on its promise to enhance core technologies to meet customers' real-life needs by incorporating AI technologies that are more than features, they are part of the user experience."

The LG G7 ThinQ is an evolution of the foundation laid by the LG V30S ThinQ, the first LG smartphone to embrace AI as part of its core features.

The V30S ThinQ incorporated AI technologies which enhanced the most frequently used features including voice recognition and Vision AI to improve camera convenience. The LG G7 ThinQ will offer improved interconnectivity with LG devices such as home appliances, TVs, and more.

LG G5 Tips & Tricks

LG G7 ThinQ is likely to support dual rear cameras at its back and the company is also planning to introduce a feature called "SuperPixel" which can capture better images in low-light conditions.

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Google to resolve Android Oreo Multi-touch issue in June update News oi-Sandeep Sarkar Google has fixed the android multi-touch it will be rolling out the update in June as the security updates for the month of May has been already been locked down.

Google is at last working on fixing the issue with Android Oreo Multi-touch which has been troubling the users for quite some time now. The multi-touch issue in Android 8.1 Oreo resulted in irregular touch behaviour while using it with two or more finger's on the display.

As per some sources from the web, the issue seems to be widespread and users from all around are experiencing this issue. Now that Google has fixed the issue, it will be rolling out the update in June as the security updates for the month of May has been already been locked down.

However, the Pixel 2 users who have rooted their devices can flash a Magisk module to resolve the issue on their own. The same was reported by XDA-developers last week. As mentioned earlier the fix will be rolled out for the rest of the users by June, it seems like the users have no other option than to wait if their device is not rooted. That said about the Multi-touch issue fix that is being rolled out by Google. We will keep you posted with further updates to the same and other tech-related information, so stay tuned with us.

Google Home Unboxing and Setup process - GIZBOT

Also, in one of our recent articles related to Google, we covered that the tech-giant has recently taken off the Google Pixel and Pixel XL from the company's website. As per some reports from the web the first generation Google Pixel and Pixel Xl have been pulled from the Google store and it seems that the device will no longer be sold on the company's website. Read the complete story here.

In our other article related to Google we also covered that the tech giant has recently added inline answers from the stack Overflow in Search results. Now it seems like the company is working towards building similar carousel results from Quora. You can read the complete story by clicking on this link.

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Contributed Photo / Stamford Police Department / Contributed Photo

STAMFORD  City cops extradited a New Jersey man suspected of being involved with a phone scam that defrauded a 90-year-old Stamford woman out of $9,000.

On Tuesday, the Stamford police went to Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, N.J., and took custody of Luis A. Hiraldo-Fernandez, 31 and returned him to Stamford, where he was charged with second-degree larceny.
GREENWICH  A Greenwich therapist accused of having an illicit sexual relationship with a client, and charged with a felony, had surrendered his license as a social worker last summer as a result of disciplinary action taken by state health authorities.

Allegations against Kevin Root, 62, of Riverside were made to the state Department of Health last year, and he voluntarily surrendered his license.

His license is inactive, and he was under prior discipline, according to Christopher Stans, a spokesman for the state Department of Health.

The voluntary surrender of his license took effect June 23, 2017.

The form that Root signed when he surrendered his license said, While admitting no guilt or wrongdoing ... the allegations contained in (the disciplinary petition filed against him) shall not be contested.

In August 2017, police received a complaint about Root and opened an investigation. It was unclear whether the police investigation involved the matter that led to disciplinary action and the surrender of Roots license.

According to Greenwich police, a victim contacted police about an inappropriate relationship involving Root, one that involved sex. Root was charged with second-degree sexual assault, a felony, which covers sexual contact in which the alleged perpetrator is a psychotherapist, according to police.

His defense lawyer says the facts of the case are still being determined.

More News Greenwich therapist charged with sexual assault

Judgment in this matter should be reserved until all the facts and circumstances are known, lawyer Eugene Riccio said.

Root posted $75,000 bond and was freed from custody.

He studied at New York University and the Carl Jung Institute in New York. He has been a license mental-health practitioner since 1992, according to state health departments records.

Root specialized in dream analysis, and he ran a dream group in which people discussed their nighttime visions. He also works in marriage counseling and other forms of mental-health services. His office was on East Putnam Avenue.

He is also musician who plays the cello at venues around the region.

Root does not currently have a website, but listing sites refer to him as a licensed clinical social worker.
Can you juggle? Can you solve a Rubiks cube? Can you solve three Rubiks cubes at once -- while juggling?

A 12-year-old Chinese boy named Que Jianyu is one of an elite few individuals who occupy the center of that Venn diagram, after he successfully performed the stunt on a reality show called Dream of China late last year.

Chinese news site Shanghaiist posted a video of Ques five-minute, six-second demonstration on its Facebook page on April 10.

On the show, a couple of Guinness World Records judges were present to acknowledge Ques obscure feat: He broke the record for fastest time recorded juggling and solving three Rubiks cubes.

Related: 5 Lessons From Kid Entrepreneurs Making More Money Than You

Mind you, this was not Ques first world record. Five years ago, at age 7, he became the youngest person to solve a 3-by-3 Rubiks cube while blindfolded. It took him four minutes and 49 seconds.

You can look at it in a couple of different ways. For one, this kids multitasking skills put yours to shame. Isnt multitasking supposed to be a myth, anyway? Not to mention, the kid is 12. What have you mastered, with years if not decades more time on earth to hone your craft?

Or, you might think, this kid is impressive, but his skills are impractical. Maybe so, but hes got the makings of a great personal brand going for him. Hes also been on an Australian reality show solving three Rubiks cubes at a time with his feet, CNET reports. Hes literally going places.

Watch the video below to see this dexterous 12-year-old at work.

Related:

Brain Break: Watch This 12-Year-Old Boy Solve 3 Rubik's Cubes While Juggling Them

5 Smart Ways to Do More in Less Time

Como Jeff Bezos pasea a su 'perro'



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
We have all heard the political conversations around the walls, borders and policies. Activities, community groups, and politicians all fall on different sides of the spectrum about solutions and opinions.

But even as walls are contemplated by some, there are opportunities arising. These opportunities are borderless, because the internet is leveling the playing field. The internet is providing people of all ages, races and genders the chance to build something and make real money doing what they value. This opportunity is manifesting more and more on the border between Mexico and the United States. Put simply, entrepreneurship on the southern border is happening, in spite of walls or borders, and with or without policies to encourage it.

Through a combination of co-working spaces and national and international events, progress is happening every day.

Related: What Global Entrepreneurship Week Teaches Us About The World

One such effort was a two-day, bi-national event called RESET. In partnership with Transtelco, Fundacion Axcel, Tech Hub, Blacklabs and other 60 international sponsors, the event brought together thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs, students and leadership experts for learning, sharing and networking. Symbolic of the border-based collaboration, these partners live and work between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, where the event was held.

Carlos Castaneda, CEO of Blacklabs and one of the founders of RESET, shared some relevant online and offline insights about entrepreneurship on the border.

Technology is changing rapidly, and we have no choice but to keep up with it, Castaneda said. "Robots, artificial intelligence and virtual reality are all here. But for entrepreneurs on the border, in addition to learning the technological skills required, soft skills like networking, emotional intelligence, negotiation and personal branding are also critical, and educational systems are not preparing students for the real and current trend and challenges of our time."

The conference was a perfect representation of modern technology, the future of business and the internationalization of entrepreneurship.

Related: Generation Z and the Future of Business

In the morning, I listened to Jody Medich, director of design at Singularity University speak about becoming a "superhero." I then left the room to learn about creative process from the Marvel man himself, Joe Rubinstein. I finished my morning by learning the ins and outs of a brand story creation from CEO of Thinktopia, Patrick Hanlon. The afternoon was jam-packed with empowering stories from Martha Edith Hernandez, international speaker and author of How I Stopped My Slow Suicide, where she focused on the importance of mental health and wellness. The National Geographic Explorer Guillermo de Anda taught us about exploration and getting out of comfort zones. The day concluded with a panel from inspiring leaders like Maria Fernanda Gandara, founder of the Millenia Group and Griselda Gomez, the lead of the MIT-Mexico program. More than 3,000 young entrepreneurs benefited from such messages, and the day concluded with a stunning piano performance from Daniela Liebman, one of the 40 most creative Mexicans in the world, according to Forbes.

After an evening of crossing the border, day two was spent in El Paso, Texas, where 500 students and many media channels assembled for more conversations about virtual reality, blockchain and robotics with Juan del Cerro, the founder of Disruptivo TV, and Salvador Chacon, founder and CEO at FAScomedy.

After serving thousands of students and entrepreneurs, Carlos had a concluding talk with me. He was excited about the technology, knowledge and content but still concerned. He wanted to make sure he took setting the students up for success to another level. He wanted to know what he could do to train them to deal with the real-life business occurrences. How do you deal with rejection, get up from a loss, collaborate, build teams, treat people well?

Related: Mexico Joins Canada In Making Cannabis Legal, Leaving the US Far Behind in Marijuana Policy.

Carlos wanted RESET to be more than a technology event. He aspired to train the next generation to be ready for technology, mindset and humanity. He wanted to build a mindset that empowered its participants. The intention to change mindset multiplies, one young leader at a time, by leveraging action today, tomorrow and the day after that.

RESET is the future of entrepreneurship south of the border. It is a future unchained from fear, barriers and localization to achieve abundance, collaboration and a prosperous global economy -- from north to south.

Related:

Entrepreneurship Has Created a New Mindset for Youth on America's Southern Border

6 Founders Share What Still Scares Them About Entrepreneurship -- and How They Push Past These Fears

Unleashing the Power of an Innovative Mind



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
TORRINGTON  Roland Lehmann graduated from Torrington High School in 1961. Soon after, he went swimming at Mount Tom and lost his newly earned class ring.

I didnt have the ring no time before I lost it after graduation. Id say within two months after I graduated I lost that ring, Lehmann said.

Decades later, Torrington resident Jennifer Lucia and her family went swimming at Mount Tom, where they go every year on the Fourth of July. Her little cousin and son found something shining in the water  a class ring, bearing mysterious initials and the year of its origin, from her city.

Her cousin wanted to sell it, but Lucia had other plans  she wanted to find the owner.

Im like, no, its a class ring, Lucia said. If it was a normal gold ring in the water, yes, its yours. But this is sentimental to somebody.

But before she could do that, the ring was lost again.

Lucia misplaced it on her way home, and after racking her brain trying to remember where she put it, figured it was gone for good. But two years later, earlier this month, it turned up in her desk  a mystery once again.

This past weekend, I was cleaning out my desk, and I found it  it was just right there, Lucia said. I have no idea how it wouldve gotten in my desk, because it wasnt like I put it in there ... for safekeeping. I dont even know how it showed up there.

Lucia then began to search for the owner.

She called Torrington High School, and a secretary reported there was one member of the Class of the 1961 with those initials and offered the contact information of the class president, who, in turn, had an address for Lehmann. She found several phone numbers with that information online  most were disconnected, but one went straight to voicemail.

Unsure whether that line was still good, she turned to Facebook and found a recently opened account for Roland Lehmann, a Torrington native now living in Alabama, as well as his wife. Through Facebook and the number that went to voicemail, she ended up getting in touch with Roland and his wife, Mona. It was a match.

Lehmann said he was surprised that someone had found his ring and was offering it back to him  someone likely would have pocketed it over the years, he said.

Lucia was happy to help, she said  if it had been her, she would have wanted the ring back.

I struggle in life, and Im a single mom, and I go through a lot, Lucia said. And I cant help people a lot, like financially or anything like that. A lot of people help me out. (It) makes me feel good that I can actually help somebody out and change their life, like these people.

Lehmann said hes glad to get the ring back  his wife, Mona, has just about claimed it from him already  although, given the years, it doesnt carry as much meaning.

He was more struck by Lucias efforts to give it back to him  theyre going to stay in touch, he said.

I think most people, if they found a ring like that, theyd either keep it for themselves or pawn it or something like that, Lehmann said. I think shes a great person, to do all that she did. I just think a lot of her for what she did. And were going to stay in contact ... we havent decided exactly what were going to do there, but she hasnt heard the last of us.

Lucia said she considered all of this unlikely, given all that could have occurred, and what needed to happen for her to find the owner. But it all fell into place.

I never would in a million years think, especially after all these years  I mean, five years, 10 years, maybe, but 57 years? Lucia said. Im still in awe that its actually happening.

william.lambert@ hearstmediact.com

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified where the ring was found. Lehmann and Lucias families both visited Mount Tom in Connecticut, not Massachusetts.
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They had a good run, but now it is time to retire  the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are no longer available through Googles official store. The first Pixels, replacements of the Nexus line, launched in October 2016, meaning they were on sale for a year and a half.

Google committed to 2 years of software updates for these two, meaning they will enjoy fresh software for another six months. This means that Android P will be the last version the original Pixels receive. They will get security updates fro another year, though, so its not like you have to chuck them in the trash come October.

Anyway, if you were thinking about buying a first gen. Pixel, nows your last chance  non-Google stores should still have some units left, but once theyre gone, that would be the end of it.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2018/04/10

It's hard to imagine there was once a time when I was genuinely enthralled with the brisk pacing in this drama. Time was we were always getting new, meaningful revelations about Moo-han and Soon-jin's backstory. Now they just keep having moments over whether or not they should be breaking up or moving out or whatever. There's only so many times a couple can have that argument before their entire relationship starts to come off as incredibly fickle.

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But then the relationship between Moo-han and Soon-jin does not actually matter anymore, since all the drama is now tied up in the trial. I still can't figure out why "Shall We Kiss First" thought it was a good idea to drag an evil candy company into the story. The entire idea is just too absurd to take seriously. I mean sure, candy companies do evil things, but their evil is a very banal one, involving impersonal exploitation. Here we've got a big shot executive mocking a guy with a dead daughter and threatening to destroy love.

I mean geez the whole thing with the recording is just plain stupid. I don't see how evidence like that would be admissable at trial. And even if it was, the recording benefits the plaintiff's argument. If Moo-han was aware of the candy company's unethical practices while they were still ongoing, that suggests any current testimony he can offer to that effect is consistent with his past beliefs. That Moo-han's current motivation has changed a bit does not alter his credibility as a whistleblower.

The subplots remain quite weak. Mi-ra is now incredibly insecure about her relationship with In-woo for reasons that aren't clear to me. At first I thought the whole incident with the bow and arrow was just some kind of weird game they were playing. But it turns out that everything ties back to Moo-han, as it always does, just in generally convoluted ways that appear to imply that no other character in "Shall We Kiss First" has a life of their own.

Seok-yeong being the most obvious example. When Moo-han attacks the whole idea of I-deun living with him, saying that I-deun already has a father...uh, isn't that totally correct? Why is Seok-yeong so interested in her ex-husband's welfare all of a sudden having been so disinterested for the last decade? Is it just because he's dying? Because really, it's no mystery why Moo-han prefers the company of Soon-jin when she wanted to do what was best for him before finding out about that.

Review by William Schwartz

"Shall We Kiss First" is directed by Son Jeong-hyeon, written by Bae Yoo-mi and features Kam Woo-sung, Kim Sun-ah, Oh Ji-ho, and Park Si-yeon.

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Published on 2018/04/10 | Source

On the latest episode of the SBS drama "Shall We Kiss First", Son Moo-han (Kam Woo-sung) went to see his ex-wife, Kang Seok-yeong (Han Go-eun).

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Although he loved Ahn Soon-jin (Kim Sun-ah), he broke up with her. Soon-jin tried to change his mind. "When I tried to be with my daughter, someone told me it wasn't my fault and that comforted me a lot. I want to tell you the same thing. It's not your fault and I wish you'd get rid of your guilt".

However, Moo-han didn't change his mind. Soon-jin left saying, "I guess it was love. I can't stay here anymore. I'm leaving".

Meanwhile, Kang Seok-yeong returned from the States and asked Moo-han to continue is cancer treatments there. However, he was firm. "I have done everything in the past 6 years. I have no place to go. I didn't give up, I made a decision..

Kang Seok-yeong begged, "Please think about it again for your daughter. Take her with you, she's going to get hurt anyway, but let's push that back a little. Does your woman know?" Moo-han asked her not to tell Soon-jin because she was already suffering too much.

Kang Seok-yeong met Soon-jin and told her Moo-han was preparing for death. She asked her to stay with him until the end.
Justin Ardoin, a junior from Great Falls High School, moves connecting wires around a test circuit board during the automotive service technology contest Tuesday on Montana State University-Northern's campus.

Students from high schools across Montana and two Universities are spending the first half of this week at Northern in the 47th Annual SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, the 46th time Northern has hosted the event.

SkillsUSA is a career and technical service organization aimed at complementing technical skills training provided by high schools and colleges.

SkillsUSA state association director Cassie Huntley said that this year students from 32 schools and Montana State University-Northern and Montana State University Billings are at the conference.

Since 1972, the SkillsUSA's Montana chapter has held their state conference at Northern, Huntley said.

Contests this week included business procedure, photography, extemporaneous speaking, architectural drafting, carpentry, welding, job skills demonstrations, diesel equipment technology and a quiz bowl.

The three days of competitions then culminate in an awards ceremony, held this morning, where winners in each competition received a gold medal.

Winners in each category are then able to compete at the national level against students from chapters in the other 49 states and four U.S. territories at the national conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in June, she said,

Huntley added that she thinks of the state conference as the last qualifier before the Olympics, and it provides the students a chance to get exposure and showcase their skills.

Kassidy Geehan, a senior at Billings Career Center and first year SkillsUSA member, said since September when she decided to compete in the prepared speech category she has been practicing for it.

Monday she gave a seven-minute speech in front of three judges about what SkillsUSA has done for her.

She said that she would practice after school anywhere from 30 minuets to three hours. Geehan said that during the months before the competition, she would practice writing her speech, also maintaining eye contact, speaking clearly and how to present herself.

She said that the seven minutes went by quick.

"It really goes by quick because of that adrenaline rush," Geehan said.

At Billings Career Center she mostly takes medical classes, but SkillsUSA has also opened other career possibilities in welding, diesel technology and other areas, she said.

Throughout the week, 20 students were in a hands-on competition for automotive technology, seven college students from Northern and MSU Billings were also competing.

The competition consists of eight work stations based on the eight ASE areas of automotive technology including suspension, steering, breaks, electrical, manual transmissions and automatics.

Northern diesel and automotive technology Professor Kevin Ruby said activities include taking accurate measurements and using scan tools to diagnose a problem.

Students are judged based on how many correct answers they get on a station, he said. At the end of the contest, the person with the most points wins.

Contestants spend 10 minutes per station and they rotate to the next station.

Caden Hilliard, a junior from Great Falls who takes classes in automotive technology, competed in the automotive technology contest and is a first-year SkillsUSA member.

He said the competition was tougher than he thought.

"So far, I am having a lot of fun, learning some new stuff, too." Hilliard said.

He said the competition has given him the chance to work with transmissions, something he did not get to do before.

Ruby said the skills are those meant for professionals.

"These are basically your advanced-type skills, things that your normal person off the street would not necessarily be aware of," he said.

The national competition also provides rewards for champions, such as scholarships or $10,000 to $20,000 worth of tools.

He added that it also looks good on a resume.

Winning a competition requires more than just completing a task or successfully diagnosing a problem.

Contestants typically must document their project through photographs and writing, laying out what procedures they used, explaining the creative and technical decisions they made, how they reached their conclusion, a list of materials used and how much they cost, Huntley said.

She said the competition aims to prepare students to get a job in their technical area after they graduate from high school, attend a two-year community college or a four-year college.

SkillsUSA is also about giving competitors the soft skills needed that employers are currently seeking such as social skills and customer service skills, speaking clearly, punctuality and a strong work ethic, she said.

To compete in a given category, contestants must be registered and meet a host of guidelines, requirements, specifications and objectives.

"We are providing the future workforce," Huntley said.

She said the motto for this year's state conference is Job-Ready Day One.

The work force is in need of employees with technical skills, and those jobs pay well, she said.

The competitions are just part of what SkillsUSA offers.

Individual chapters throughout a given academic year work within the framework of career and technical education to meet the SkillsUSA goals, Huntley said. Other chapter activities include fundraising and community service projects.

Huntley said projects show students that their community is important, and they should give back.

Huntley said Northern's 46-year partnership with SkillsUSA benefits both.

Northern has the equipment and facilities to do the competition, and some of the competitors have already enrolled at Northern or could be drawn to Northern for the programs, she said.

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Siera Gallagher, a junior at Bozeman High School, uses a welding torch during an intermediate welding contest Tuesday on Northern's campus. The contest, hosted by SkillsUSA Montana, was one of 24 that were going on that day.

"It's a recruitment tool for them to have us here," Huntley said.

Not all who are at the competition are competing in an event.

Some students, like Jeremiah Stinson, a freshman at Butte High School, had other duties. Stinson stood off to the side in the welding workshop, taking pictures of his chapter members working.

This year is his first as a SkillsUSA member. Stinson said he joined SkillsUSA because his older brother had been a member and encouraged him to join.

"He thought it would help me with a lot of different activities and it would influence me to do different things, like step out of my comfort zone," Stinson said.

Stinson said he is interested in auto tech, but this year is at the competition to offer support to his chapter by taking pictures of their work and offering constructive critiques. The pictures will then be made into a slideshow.
Students walk into Havre High School this morning as they head to classes. The school board heard reports Tuesday about high school graduation and about the implementation of the Montana Behavioral Initiative at the school.

At its monthly meeting Monday, Havre Public Schools District Board of Trustees approved a request by Cottonwood School District, heard about what Havre High School's implementation of the Montana Behavioral Initiative has done for the school and discussed the district mobility/transiency report.

Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson presented the request from Cottonwood School District 57 to cross boundaries into the Havre School District. Carlson said that the Cottonwood district requested to cross boundaries to do an elementary school bus pick-up near First Lutheran Church Preschool. Carlson said that he sees "no reason not to allow it." The motion was passed by the board.

During the superintendent's report, Havre High Assistant Principal Ed Norman presented the area report which featured the Havre High School MBI Club. Norman said MBI is an approach that strives to create a positive social culture that "reinforces positive behavior."

It "creates clear lines" between teachers, staff, students and community, Norman said.

HHS MBI President Taylor Gopher showed the board his "Leave Your Print" shirt which features the words "Pony Pride" surrounded by the words "Safe, Respectful, Responsible, and Educated." Gopher said that these are the schoolwide expectations and standards they would like students to demonstrate at school.

Gopher added that the MBI group is teaming up with the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce to put up these "Pony Pride" signs in local businesses to remind students to also show positive behavior while out in the community.

Gopher and the high school's MBI club advisor Mandy Nitz presented a video the club made to demonstrate their first quarter theme "Respect" in the hallways and classrooms of school.

The board also heard the district mobility/transiency report. This report discusses the rate of students transferring in and out of the school district as well as students who move schools or districts often.

Carlson said that student numbers are down; he added that he can see student numbers declining as far away as Great Falls. Carlson said that he cannot seen anything clearly and directly creating this. He said he is going to keep searching to "find the additional pieces" about why the district numbers are down.

The board also announced that Havre High School graduation is set for Sunday, May 27.

The board meeting finished with a closed session which ended with the board voting on the expulsion of a student from Havre Public Schools District.
Then a few hours later received an email that obviously was not meant for me, Sharp wrote on TripAdvisor. It was in fact an email from the lady we saw, the manager of the day, to her mum, the manager, about me and our visit.

The email reportedly called the bride-to-be a cow, adding that shed p****d off the employee.

In response, the embarrassed owner of the restaurant Karen Williams wrote that she was mortified by the email scandal. Writing on TripAdvisor, she said: I am absolutely mortified, horrified and completely embarrassed that you had sight of such an email. It is completely unprofessional and indefensible.

I did telephone you as soon as I found out what had happened to offer my profuse and sincere apologies and did apologize repeatedly to you.

You were adamant that you did not want to get married at The Mulberry Tree, completely understandably so after the email you were sent so I did not wish to insult you by attempting to make amends after such a catastrophic mistake on our part, especially when it is your wedding day involved.
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as dexamethasone can have harmful side effects on the skin, bones and metabolism. Structural biology research from Emory University School of Medicine has implications for the long-standing quest to separate these drugs benefits from their side effects.

The findings were recently published in Nature Communications (open access).

Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid hormone, used to treat conditions such as allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases and cancer. It mimics the action of the natural hormone cortisol. Both cortisol and synthetic hormones act by binding the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein.

GR can bind DNA in two modes. At some sites, it pairs up or dimerizes  turning genes on. At others, it binds one at a time, turning genes off. For GR-targeting drugs, the side effects are thought to come from turning on genes involved in processes such as metabolism and bone growth, while the desired anti-inflammatory effects result mainly from turning inflammatory and immune system genes off.

In their new paper, Eric Ortlund, PhD, and colleagues report that GRs ability to directly bind DNA extends more broadly than previously appreciated. The first author is Will Hudson, PhD, previously a graduate student with Ortlund and now a postdoctoral fellow in Rafi Ahmeds lab at Emory Vaccine Center.

GR was known to interfere with another important DNA-binding protein called NFkB, a master regulator of inflammation. Ortlunds team found that GR can directly bind one at a time to many of the same stretches of DNA that NFkB interacts with.

This type of interaction, where GR is acting one at a time  we think its druggable, says Ortlund, who is associate professor of biochemistry at Emory University School of Medicine.

He adds that the papers findings could lead to the reinterpretation of several studies in the field of inflammatory gene regulation. GR was previously proposed to interact with NFkB sites by tethering, based on protein-protein interactions.

Ortlund notes that mutations that interfere with the ability of GR to dimerize do not affect its ability to turn down inflammation. On the other hand, mutations that disrupt its ability to bind DNA foil both its activating and repressing functions.

The researchers measured the affinity between GR protein and DNA at NFkB-binding sites and showed that it was similar to other hormone-driven interactions GR was well-known for. They also probed the mode of interaction between GR protein and NFkB -binding sites, using both X-ray crystallography and NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). They showed that GR binds those sites one at a time, in a region that is actually in between the two stretches of DNA contacted by NFkB itself.

Are the same kinds of interactions happening in cells? Hudson, Ortlund and colleagues re-analyzed data from others to show that direct one-at-a time DNA binding by GR could be responsible for repression of many inflammation genes.

Collaborators at University of Colorado and Scripps Research Institute, Florida contributed to the paper.

The research was supported by the American Heart Association (13PRE16920012, 14GRNT20460124), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (F31GM113397, R01GM114420), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK095750, R01DK101871), Howard Hughes Medical Institute (52006923), and the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Emory University
Training center divides District 4 candidates

Sheriff Charlie McDonald wants to build a firing range and training center on 99 acres on Macedonia Road.

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Sheriff Charlie McDonalds effort to build a firing range and law enforcement training center has become an issue in his own campaign and in a county commission race.

Don Ward, the two-term commissioner running against Rebecca McCall for the open District 4 seat, came out against a law enforcement training center, including the lower-cost version in Saluda the Board of Commissioners endorsed last week.

I am in opposition to any current proposal for a new training center in Henderson County at this time, at any cost, Ward said. It is unnecessary as adequate facilities in both county and state are already available. Training is always imperative; however, law enforcement has access to the North Carolina Justice Center locally as well as access to other state training facilities.

Like Lowell Griffin, McDonalds opponent in the May 8 Republican primary, Ward favors spending the money on school security.

As a commissioner, I could not justify a $6 million plus tax expense on currently unnecessary training facilities, Ward said. There are more immediate needs to insure safety and security in our schools that must be met.

Ward's opponent in the May 8 primary, Rebecca McCall, said she supports a training center, although she did not endorse the Macedonia Road site necessarily.

I do support that we need to build a facility," she said. "Its been proven that the Justice Academy is not adequate with type of training law enforcement to provide the scenario or different types of training they need to be aware of. I never did support the $20 million version of that.

"I really have nothing to say about the location because I have not been involved with the location of that or anything. I have read some of the information on Facebook and one thing I havent seen noted in the concern about the sound from the gunfire is that I am aware that silencers can be used so there wont be interference (in the neighborhood). Its kind of a double-edged sword because if you want to eliminate sound, it has to be enclosed and if its enclosed the cost is going to go up. But I think they have found a location thats away from the majority of the population. Youre never going to satisfy everyone.



The abrupt action by the Board of Commissioners last week to endorse the Saluda property  the fourth try at siting a law enforcement training center  tipped the scales for Rocky Hyder, the retired county emergency management director. Hyder announced he was endorsing Griffin.

Examine Lowells platform and then compare that with recent actions by the county commissioners, Hyder said. I have never seen a group of commissioners scramble so hard to save face for a sitting sheriff.

He also sides with Griffin on equipping deputies with body cameras.

I cant imagine a future where video, possibly even live video streams from law enforcement officers are not standard practice, Hyder said.

Yorke Pharr, who has opposed McDonalds efforts for shooting ranges at now four different sites, said its fitting that the sheriff's primary comes up in less than a month.

This should be a political referendum, he said at a Saluda town board meeting Monday. Theres one sheriff that is for it and one candidate for sheriff that is not and I hope people that do not want this thing will understand which one they need to vote for on this matter.
Helen Dixon has agreed to appear before the committee. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photo Agency

Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon is to be quizzed by TDs and senators about an alleged data breach at Independent News and Media (INM).

Ms Dixon has agreed to appear before the Oireachtas Communications Committee next week to discuss claims that data - including the emails of journalists, executives and other staff at the country's largest media publisher - may have been taken abroad and accessed by external companies in October 2014.

Her appearance will come a day after the High Court is scheduled to hear an application from the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), which wants High Court inspectors to investigate corporate governance matters at INM.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the alleged data breach was "hugely concerning on a number of levels, regarding journalists' right to privacy, and the power of media owners to influence public debate".

Opportunity

"We want to question the DPC on the role her office has in addressing the data breach and the committee hearing next week should provide such an opportunity," he said.

"We know that the DPC considered reports of a data breach at INM in August 2017. We need to know what investigations took place on the back of that and why any investigation that did take place failed to uncover the true scale of the data breach."

Details of the suspected data breach emerged in an affidavit prepared by the ODCE.

It alleged that a so-called "data interrogation" was directed by former INM chairman Leslie Buckley and that invoices associated with it were paid by a company owned by INM's largest shareholder, Denis O'Brien.

Mr Buckley has claimed the data interrogation was part of a "cost-reduction exercise".

He says he intends to robustly defend his position.

Mr O'Brien has declined to comment.
Yulia Skripal, who was targeted along with her father in a nerve agent attack in England, has been discharged from the hospital.

"This is not the end of her treatment but marks a significant milestone," said Dr Christine Blanshard, medical director of Salisbury District Hospital.

She said she would not provide details about Ms Skripal's condition for reasons of privacy.

The 33-year-old daughter of ex-spy Sergei Skripal (66) has been taken to a secure location.

Dr Blanshard said Sergei Skripal, the apparent target of the attack, is recovering more slowly than his daughter but continues to improve.

"Both patients have responded exceptionally well to the treatment we've been providing. But, equally, both patients are at different stages in their recovery," she said.

The doctor said no date has been set for the elder Skripal's release from hospital.

The two were poisoned on March 4, and spent weeks in critical condition, in an attack that has led to a prolonged confrontation between Russia and Britain, and revived Cold War tensions.

The British government, which accuses Russia of carrying out the attack, is likely to keep details about Ms Skripal's location secret, given the sensitivity of the case.

If she is well enough, she is likely to be extensively questioned by British security officials and police about her recollection of events leading up to her poisoning.

The Russian embassy congratulated Ms Skripal on her release in a tweet but said pointedly that Russia needs "urgent proof" that "what is being done to her is done on her own free will".

Recover

Russia says it had no role in the attack and has demanded consular access to Ms Skripal, who has Russian nationality.

It is not clear where the Skripals will live if they recover enough to resume normal activities. British officials may feel Sergei Skripal would not be safe to live in the open any longer.

Bob Ayers, a security analyst who used to work with the CIA, said it is possible Sergei and Yulia Skripal would be given new identities in Britain or the US under a scheme like those used to protect witnesses in high-profile criminal trials.

They could also choose to live in the open under the assumption that Russia would not attack a second time, he said.

"They may not want to go into hiding," Ayers said.

"Now that the assassination attempt has been uncovered, the odds are pretty good the Russians won't take another run at them. They'll be under surveillance, the cops will put cameras up, they'll keep good track of the Skripals."

He said he would not expect Yulia Skripal to return to Russia despite her Russian nationality.

British police say the lethal nerve agent Novichok was placed on the door handle of Sergei Skripal's house.
Ruth Negga and ex-boyfriend Dominic Cooper together at a fashion show before their split. Photo: Getty

Irish actress Ruth Negga is set to be reunited with her ex Dominic Cooper on-screen when the third season of their show Preacher airs in the summer.

US network AMC has confirmed the drama has been renewed for a new batch of episodes that will premiere in America on Sunday, June 24.

English actor Dominic (39) portrays series lead Jesse Custer, a southern preacher who becomes possessed by a supernatural entity.

Ruth (36) stars as Tulip O'Hare, his "volatile" ex-girlfriend. Joseph Gilgun also stars as an Irish vampire named Cassidy.

Grudges

AMC has also released the first images for the new series, which include Limerick woman Ruth walking down a deserted, tree-lined road.

The upcoming third series will follow the three main characters as they return to Jesse's hometown Angelville and find old grudges waiting for them.

Ruth and Dominic were said to have split in recent weeks after dating for more than eight years.

A source close to the couple said the break-up was down to their relationship simply running its course.

They first met while starring together in the 2009 National Theatre's production of Phedre in London.

Aside from Preacher, they have also worked together on the 2016 film Warcraft.

Oscar nominee Ruth previously told Harper's Bazaar magazine that she loved working with her former flame as "he's got my back and I've got his".

Both being actors, the former Love/Hate star said it made things easier, explaining the complexities of the job.

"People say, 'Never go out with an actor'. But if you were with someone with a normal job and one of you had to go away, how would that work?"

She later admitted the idea of starting a family is often on her mind.

"By the time you're in a great relationship, it's like, 'Oh, I'm 35. S**t.' So there is part of your thinking that is, 'Do I want kids? When? If? How?' It's there, all the time, preoccupying me," she said.

The notoriously private couple were last pictured together in November 2017, looking uncharacteristically loved-up while attending the Harper's Bazaar Woman of the Year Awards, where Ruth was honoured with the top gong.
Utah murder totals soared in 2020, FBI data illustrates

Utah police agencies reported a surge in murders and aggravated assaults in 2020, reflecting a national trend, but numbers in various jurisdictions were more nuanced, driven by COVID-19 or demographic trends. The FBI on Monday released its annual crime report, built on data submitted by police agencies around the nation. The agency said 9 out of 10 Utah agencies participated in the annual program and numbers in non-participating locations were estimated. Utah police catalogued 81 homicide incidents in 2020, up from 62 the year before and 54 in 2018. Utah had 43 homicides in 2010, in ...
Fewer people working, but unemployment rate drops anyway

The number of people without jobs and the number of those with work both fell during August in Washington County.
Artist Tracey Emin is addressing Brexit with her latest public artwork, suspended from the ceiling of Londons St Pancras Station. The 20-metre (65-foot) neon-pink message reading I want my time with you was unveiled at the terminus for Eurostar trains between London and continental Europe.

Emin said it was inspired by the romance of being met at the end of a train journey, but is also a great subliminal message about Britains upcoming exit from the European Union. I am utterly ashamed of the fact that our tiny island is leaving Europe, so I want my time with Europe, she said. I want to be part of Europe and a lot of people in Britain do.

One of the Young British Artists who burst onto the art scene in the 1990s, the 54-year-old Emin is renowned for her provocative and confessional art. Her most famous works include a recreation of her dishevelled bed and an appliqued tent entitled Everyone I Have Ever Slept With.

She also created a series of works involving brightly lit messages  most of them heartfelt, some of them rude. Emin said her latest piece, which will hang at the station until the end of the year, would provide this great, beautiful pink glow at night as the trains come in.

It is just going to make people feel really sexy, really warm, and it is going to make London look really raunchy, and really happening, she said. So that is another good thing when people arrive in from Europe. They are going to realise that some of us are warm and loving and have a great sense of humour as well.

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Madhya Pradesh government is all set to scrap objectionable sections from five separate acts which discriminate against leprosy patients. Some of these acts are over five decades old and were framed at a time when stigma against leprosy patients was high and does not allow them to live a life of dignity.

The decision follows a PIL filed in the Supreme Court in December which pointed out the existence of the discriminatory provision and the SC asked the governments to change these laws, said Arun Garg, standing counsel for Madhya Pradesh in the SC.

In India, there are 119 laws which have discriminatory sections against leprosy patients and five of them are still in-force in the state.

The discriminations included detention, arrest without warrant, disqualified from holding office in panchayats and civic bodies, stopping them from attending schools and libraries and stopping them from working as teacher, doctors, midwives etc, said Garg.

For example Section 26 of the Madhya Pradesh Bhikshavritti Nivaran Adhiniyam, 1973, allows the detention of a beggar suffering from leprosy and discharging him only if he is allowed by the medical officer.

Social Justice department principal secretary Ashok Shah said, The act was clearly discriminating against lepers. When the act was formed, leprosy was an incurable disease but now it curable so changes are must. We have changed the laws and sent it to the law department for their vetting.

Four other departments have also initiated the process amended the acts included Madhya Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1961s section 35, Madhya Pradesh Panchayat Raj Avam Gram Swaraj, Adhiniyam, 1993 section 36, MP Public Health Act 1949 section 81 and 82 and Inland Steam vessels MP rules 1962.

The doctors also feel that with the medical advancement the acts needs to be changed.

Joint director health (Leprosy), BN Chauhan said, With World Health Organisations multidrug therapy (MDT), leprosy is a curable disease but people still ignorant and believe leprosy is incurable and discriminate against the patients. The change in law will give a new lease of life to the patients and return their fundamental rights.
Alia Bhatt is only 25, but her filmography is good enough to make even veterans jealous. Though she started as a child actor with Sangharsh (1999), but her debut in Bollywood happened with Karan Johars Student Of The Year in 2012. After six years and 10 films, she is now among the favourites of the filmmakers who look beyond regular roles for women.

The trailer of Meghna Gulzars Raazi, which sees Alia as an Indian spy who marries a Pakistani soldier for the love of her country has again proved the actors skills. She looks determined yet extremely vulnerable in the trailer -- showing a person caught in a difficult place but refusing to give up. The audience loved the Raazi trailer and Alia spent Tuesday accepting accolades from colleagues and fans alike.

What makes Alia Bhatt even more special is her ability to strike a balance between the commercial and offbeat roles, or so to say, her desire to find a middle ground. Here, we chart her astounding career graph with the roles she has done.

From Student of the Year to Highway

Just two years after Student of The Year, which was a regular starry launch, she was seen as a girl coping with the trauma of sexual abuse during her childhood in Highway. Portraying a character with a hint of Stockholm Syndrome made the role even more tough, but she lifted the Imtiaz Ali film and her credibility.

This was the right kind of beginning for a star-kid looking for attractive opportunity and challenging roles.

There were debates about nepotism in Bollywood, but none actually pointed towards Alia Bhatt as she proved her calibre film after film.

2 States and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania released in the same year, 2014, and they demonstrated how Alia was exploring the potential of every regular role with the keenness of an ambitious performer. She not only stood her ground in both these films, but also emerged as the pivotal force behind these projects.

Shaandaar, a rather heavily promoted film got lost in the translation, but gave the hint of seriousness that Alia could bring to her roles. Later, Kapoor And Sons exploited that latent potential. In a way, Kapoor And Sons was the film that made even her ardent critics sit and notice Alias talent.

Then released Udta Punjab, a film that challenged Alia on every front. It was a totally non-glamorous role of a Bihari migrant, and acing the accent was going to be the key to success. She not only owned the film, but rose above the crowd of actors. It was a performance that showed how mature can she be on-screen.

None of her contemporaries were experimenting as much as Alia. From a village belle to a glamorous social butterfly, she was donning every character with finesse.

Dear Zindagi and Badrinath Ki Dulhania turned out to be an extension of her range.

With Raazi, she is once again ready to take the world by storm, and if the trailer is anything to go by, she has already started on a winning note.
Shah Rukh Khans Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) may have lost to MS Dhonis Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai on Tuesday night but the actor sure found a way to win the internet. At the CSK versus KKR IPL 2018 match in Chennai on Tuesday, Bollywoods Badshah was seen happily posing with the bonny little daughter of MS Dhoni, Ziva.

The two were in their elements -- making a smiley face towards the camera. Shah Rukh Khan was his sweet self, indulging the little one to the hilt. The one person missing from action was his younger son, AbRam though. While Shah Rukh was seen sporting a black T-shirt, Ziva had a Canary yellow sleeve-less dress on and looked pretty as a pet. Her expressions are as sunny as her dress. In the frame is another young boy but we cant identify him.

In more pictures of Ziva, we see her posing with her mother, Sakshi. In some, both are making faces. There is another picture with her daddy dearest as they leave for Chennai.

A post shared by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) on Apr 10, 2018 at 12:24pm PDT

A post shared by ZIVA SINGH DHONI (@zivasinghdhoni006) on Apr 10, 2018 at 12:19pm PDT

off to chennai A post shared by ZIVA SINGH DHONI (@zivasinghdhoni006) on Apr 8, 2018 at 12:58am PDT

While Shah Rukh Khan is obviously a hit on Instagram, what many wouldnt know is that three-year-old Ziva is quite big a hit on the photo/video sharing platform as well. The video clips of her singing Malayalam bhajans, taught to her by her nanny, have gone viral always. In another video, Dhonis little girl is busy showing off her roti-making skills.

Meanwhile, CSK versus KKR match saw massive protests over Cauvery issue.

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With his film Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS) crossing the Rs 100-crore benchmark, actor Sunny Singh finally feels that he has arrived in the industry. Talking in terms of the masses, yes, I feel that I have arrived. In Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, there were six of us [actors], but here in SKTKS, we had good songs and dance numbers, everything was larger-than-life, so the feeling that is there after the films release gives me motivation to work harder, says the actor, who is now rumoured to be a part of director Mohit Suris next.

Post the release, his SKTKS co-stars  Kartik Aaryan and Nushrat Bharucha, too, have been enjoying the limelight and its quite natural to feel that your colleagues are getting more attention. However, Sunny doesnt feel anything like that. People, who know me well know that I belong to the old school, where your hard work made people like you. The limelight is more of the sort, people coming up to me and saying they loved me. I have been getting messages directly from actors who didnt even have my number, praising my work! Everybody has a different journey. I dont believe in limelight, because every character is different. I am very happy and secure with the attention I am getting. Things will happen with the flow, he says.

Sunny is ecstatic with the response he has been getting for the film. Asked if he anticipated such kind of reaction from the very first day, he confesses, Honestly, I still dont realise whats happening. You can react when something either bad or good happens  something this good is yet to sink in. I knew the film was going to be a hit, but had no idea about 100 crores. Its because of Luv [Ranjan; director] sir that we are here, and the hard work we have all put in. I am busy with a lot of narrations and meetings for new films now.

Interact with the author on Twitter/ @RishabhSuri02
Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, who has joined Kangana Ranaut for her ambitious period drama - Manikarnika, looks every bit the Maratha warrior he plays in the pictures that appear to have leaked online from the sets. Directed by Krish, Manikarnika will see Ankita Lokhande as a Maratha soldier Jhalkarbai while Sonu is essaying the role of Sadashiv. Kangana is playing the titular role of Rani Lakshmibai and Atul Kulkarni will be seen as Tatya Tope.

Clad in a black bandgala and paired with a black and golden pagdi, Sonus look is completed with golden jewellery and black mojris. Sonu looks royal, confident and quiet impressive in the pictures that are going viral online.

Talking about his role in the project, Sonu had earlier said in a press statement, Its challenging to play a real life character because you know that it existed in the history and you have certain parameters to follow and stay within. Im sure when youre working with a brilliant director like Krish, a huge ensemble and a brilliant technical team, there is no way to go wrong. So we are all on our toes to give our best.

Manikarnika: Leaked pics show Kangana Ranaut sporting two gorgeous new looks for film

The film faced some resistance earlier in February when a group Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha from Rajasthan alleged that the film features a romantic scene between Rani Lakshmibai and a British East India company agent. Reacting to the protests, Kangana had said, It is very lowly (neech baat) to even think like that about Rani Laxmibai. We cannot even think like that, the kind of things they are saying. What they are saying is actually defaming. There is nothing like that. It is idle talk and I dont know why it is being said.

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Author Margaret Atwood has said that she believes the 9/11 terrorists attacks may have been inspired from a plot point of the sci-fi classic Star Wars.

Atwoods dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale is enjoying a cultural resurgence as a TV adaptation has resonated strongly with feminist movements in the Donald Trump era.

In an interview with Variety, the author discussed how an opera based on the novel that premiered in Denmark in 2000 had showed various things blowing up, including the Twin Towers.

Atwood, who was recognised as one of Varietys Power of Women honorees, said when the opera was staged again, they had to take it out because it was no longer in the future. She asked the interviewer whether this gave him a creepy feeling and when he said, Yes, it does, she replied, They didnt get that idea from my opera, dont worry. They got the idea from Star Wars.

Remember the first one? Two guys fly a plane in the middle of something and blow that up? The only difference is, in Star Wars, they get away. Right after 9/11, they hired a bunch of Hollywood screenwriters to tell them how the story might go next. Sci-fi writers are very good at this stuff, anticipating future events. They dont all come true, but there are interesting what if scenarios, she added.

Talking about The Handmaids Tale, which is set in a future where women have no rights and are used for their womb, Atwood said she began writing the book in West Berlin in 1984.

The wall was still in place. Because I was Canadian, we could go across to East Berlin, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, which we did. They were all Iron Curtain countries at the time. That definitely had an influence on the book, most particularly the feeling that people were very reluctant to talk to you until they absolutely trusted you and you were in a place that wasnt bugged.

I had been thinking about this book for a while. I had been collecting newspaper clippings, which one did in those days. There was no internet. So my rule for it was, nothing goes in that didnt have a precedent in real life - somewhere, sometime, she said.

Asked whether she was surprised by Trumps win in the US presidential race, the author said she was not.

Im too old to really be surprised. Think of how long Ive been on the planet. Ive seen a lot of regime changes in different countries. The people who were devastated were young people who had never experienced anything of the kind. And some of them were quite upset. But its not the end of the world, although its pretty bad for the environment, she said.

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Manipal Hospitals Enterprises Private Ltd raised its offer to buy rival Fortis Healthcare Ltds hospital business by about a fifth in an attempt to win over minority shareholders opposed to the deal.

The new offer values Fortis hospital business about 21% higher at Rs 60.61 billion ($933.3 million), or Rs 116 per share, Manipal Hospitals said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Manipal first offered to buy Fortis last month in a deal that would combine its 14 hospitals with Fortiss portfolio of 34 hospitals, creating a Rs 150 billion company and formidable rival to Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

But the previous bid, which offered shareholders 10.83 shares in the combined company for every 100 Fortis shares held, was panned by investors. It knocked Fortis stock down 14% on the day the deal was announced and prompted chief executive Bhavdeep Singh to make conciliatory comments about keeping minority shareholders concerns in mind.

The old offer met with disapproval from shareholders including major Indian equity investor, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, an english business daily reported.

Manipal said as per the new offer, existing Fortis shareholders will roughly own half of the new company.

Under the previous terms, Manipal Chief Executive Ranjan Pai would have owned about 38% of the new company, which would be listed on Indian stock exchanges. US buyout firm TPG was expected to hold 20.7%.

Manipals statement on Tuesday did not mention how much of the new company Pai or TPG would own.

We hope that our revised offer addresses the concerns certain Fortis shareholders had raised and believe this offer is in the interests of all stakeholders, including Fortis shareholders, Pai said.

A deal will take some pressure off Fortis, which has been under a cloud as authorities investigate whether its founders, brothers Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, who are no relation to the CEO, took funds from the company. The brothers have denied the allegations.

For Manipal, a deal would mean greater access to Indias burgeoning healthcare market, estimated by Deloitte to grow three-fold to $372 billion by 2022.

Private Indian healthcare companies have grown rapidly in recent years, boosted by increasing demand for better healthcare in an under-resourced public health system.

Manipal also said on Tuesday it expects to buy a 30.9% stake in Indian diagnostics chain SRL Ltd, which is partly owned by Fortis. Manipal plans to fold SRL into the new company.
A loan of Rs 5,280 crore extended by a consortium of 31 banks led by ICICI Bank to the companies of absconding billionaire jeweller Mehul Choksi has come under the scanner of the CBI, officials said on Wednesday.

The agency questioned three officials from foreign branches of Indian banks, which had given credit facilities to the companies of absconding billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, on the basis of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by Punjab National Banks Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The USD 2 billion scam became public in January after the CBI registered an FIR in the matter, but by that time both the high-profile jewellers had left India with family, they said.

Two officials of Canara Banks branch in Bahrain, including its branch manager, and an official of Bank of Indias branch in Antwerp in Belgium were questioned by a CBI team in Mumbai, they said.

Meanwhile, the agency officials said that while their focus remains on the fraudulent LoUs, the loan of Rs 5,280 crore to the companies of Choksi in 2016 will come under its probe at a later stage.

They said whether a fresh FIR will be registered in the case or the ambit of an existing FIR will be expanded, will be decided before proceeding with action in the matter.

The agency in February had examined a senior ICICI Bank functionary too, they said.

It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) of USD 2 billion issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

The accused PNB officials did not enter the instructions for these LoUs in their internal software to avoid scrutiny.

They were sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds.

An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.

In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit-giving bank along with the accruing interest.

The PNB officials allegedly sent these messages to Indian banks  Canara Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of India, Axis Bank, Allahabad Bank  located in Antwerp, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Mauritius, Frankfurt without making entries in the banking software about the LoUs.

Upon receiving the messages from PNB under SWIFT, the banks abroad transferred these amounts into Nostro account of PNB with them.

A Nostro account is an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank to enable foreign trade by its clients.

(This story has not been modified from its original version.)
Fifty-four legislators in Uttarakhand, including chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, have failed to submit the details of their movable and immovable property with the state Vidhan Sabha secretariat, information sought under Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed.

The defaulters include parliamentary affairs minister Prakash Pant, Leader of the Opposition Indira Hridayesh, and Congress president Pritam Singh.

In the house of 70, excluding one nominated Anglo-Indian MLA, 76 per cent of the legislators had not provided property details until March 28 this year, the Vidhan Sabha secretariat said in reply to a RTI application by activist Nadimuddin.

Even the nominated Anglo-Indian member is among the defaulters.

As per the Uttar Pradesh Ministers and Legislators (Publication of Assets & Liabilities) Act 1975, which Uttarakhand has adopted, members of the state assembly are required to submit details of their assets and liabilities within three months of getting elected. Similarly, members have to provide an updated list for the last financial year by June 30.

The elections for the state assembly were held in February last year.

Even as the lawmakers debate and promise transparency and clean governance, the long list of defaulters in the assembly speaks otherwise, said Nadimuddin.

Only three cabinet ministers in the Rawat government, Speaker Prem Chandra Agarwal and 13 other MLAs have filed details under the Act. The ministers who furnished property details include Satpal Maharaj (tourism), Yashpal Arya (transport), and Harak Singh Rawat (forest).

Chief minister has repeatedly made claims about maintaining transparency in the state. But most of the elected representatives are not following even basic rules, said Nadimuddin.

The chief ministers office said they will furnish details in due time.

Chief ministers affidavit on the movable and immovable property is already available in the public domain but we will provide it to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat as well, said Darshan Rawat, CMs media coordinator.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pant said he could not provide details as it slipped from his memory.

I made a mistake and will correct it soon, he added.

Congress MLA Manoj Rawat, whose name figures in the defaulters list, also made a similar comment.
The ongoing crisis over the hike in fee structure for medical courses deepened further Wednesday with a private college refusing to rollback the decision despite the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical Education University (HNBUMEU) asking it to.

The Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences has hiked the fee for the MD (doctor of medicine) courses by more than 300 per cent, sparking an outrage among the students and the parents.

The HNBUMEU, through a letter, Wednesday asked the Himalayan Institute to roll back the hiked fee as the fee fixation issue was sub-judice. The HNBUMEU has jurisdiction over all the medical, dental, nursing and para-medical colleges in the hill state. The Himalayan Institute is affiliated to it.

In the letter to the Himalayan Institute, which is an arm of Swami Ram Himalayan University, the government university said that it has received several complaints.

We have received complaints from several students that those seeking admission in the post graduate courses are being asked to submit an affidavit that they are okay with the revised fee, wrote Vijay Juyal, registrar HNBUMEU. Juyal also asked institute to roll back the fee hike decision till the time the Uttarakhand high court gives a verdict.

While the state governments fee fixation committee had decided upon Rs738,835 as the fee for the MD courses, the Himalayan Institute is asking for Rs 30 lakh per annum for the two year course.

The move by Himalayan Institute comes days after Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, also a private medical institute, decided to hike the fee by upto 300 percent. However, it latter rolled back the decision after chief minister Trivendra Rawat intervened.

Meanwhile, chairman and vice-chancellor of Himalayan University said there was no question of rolling back the fee hike as they were simply following the due procedure.

We have adopted transparency in the admissions. Through an interim order, the high court has allowed the university to decide the fee. We have even uploaded the court orders on our website, Dhasmana said.

He, however, said that the Himalayan Institute will abide by the verdict that the high court delivers on the various writ petitions that are sub judice.

Dhasmana said there are 16 private universities in the state running professional courses. These universities are empowered to fix the fee for respective courses they offer, he said, adding the state governments fee fixation committee has no role to play there.

Then why only those running medical courses are being targeted, he asked.

A controversy had erupted after the Uttarakhand assembly cleared a bill giving free hand to the private medical colleges and universities on the fee structure for undergraduate and post-graduate courses. When Guru Ram Rai Institute hiked its MBBS tuition fee from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 19.76 lakh for the first year, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat justified it by saying that the government does not provide any monetary help in setting up a private medical college, which often requires capital to the tune of Rs 700 crore.

As students and parents took to the streets, Rawat announced that his government will not let Guru Ram Rai Institute charge tuition fee as per their wish. I made a mistake, he told media. After CMs intervention, the Guru Ram Rai Institute management had rolled back the decision.

After facing backlash, the state governments fee fixation committee headed by additional chief secretary Ranbir Singh met last week and recommended higher slabs of tuition fee for the students enrolled in MD courses from the new session. The committee will again meet next week.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday pulled up the Delhi administration for their complete insensitivity in controlling vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, and said it would impose fines and imprison for up to six months officials if their negligence led to an outbreak.

Twenty-five dengue cases have been treated in Delhi hospitals this year till the week ending April 7, with public health experts predicting a spike following the spell of unseasonal rain this week. Hindustan Times had reported on March 6 that epidemiologists have predicted cases may rise before the monsoons this year because the temperature last winter did not drop under 16 degrees Celsius for long enough to end mosquito breeding and virus transmission.

It is high time that the people responsible for hygiene and clean environment are held responsible for their actions we see no reason as to why, in the event of death resulting from a vector-borne disease, the persons who are responsible be not charged with Section 269, said the oral order of the bench comprising acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and justice C Hari Shankar.

Under Section 269, a person can get up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine for unlawfully or negligently committing an act that may spread a life-threatening disease.

The courts order came while hearing public interest litigations by lawyers Arpit Bhargava and Gauri Grover seeking directions to municipal bodies and other state and Central authorities to take steps to prevent the spread of dengue, chikungunya and malaria.

Rainwater and fresh water collected in containers, tanks, buckets, vases and bottle caps is the breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes that spread chikungunya and dengue. The two diseases, and malaria, together sickened 9,271 people and led to 10 deaths in 2017, according to data from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which maintains annual records for vector-borne diseases. Many infections possibly go unreported since the number of hospitalisation and deaths is far fewer.

Dengue causes flu-like illness, with symptoms of headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash lasting for two to seven days. Death, though rare, is from potentially fatal complications, such as dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.

The most common symptoms of chikungunya are fever and joint pain, and patients may report headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rashes.

SDMC officials say they have started measures to control mosquito breeding and track infection a month ahead of schedule this year. We have finalised a comprehensive action plan in March, which includes information, education and communication material for people, including students. From April 1, mosquito-breeding checkers started visiting houses, commercial areas and challaning the defaulters, said Dr. BK Hazarika, medical health officer, South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Health department officials said that the civic agencies were not the only ones to blame for the spread of disease.. The trouble is civic agencies can intervene only up to a point, but eventually people need to be proactive for breeding to stop and dengue to not reach epidemic proportions. People need to change their behaviour  how difficult is to not let water collect in and around their house? said Yogendra Mann, director, press and information at the SDMC.

We always get cases about a week after a spell, and if the showers continue, there may be a spurt in cases from next week, says Dr Srikant Sharma, consultant, medicine department, Moolchand Hospital.
New Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to kick off the fist phase of an ambitious expansion drive to meet rapid traffic growth that has already made it Asias seventh busiest.

The airports operator, the GMR Group-led Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), has started the process by appointing a design consultant and inviting expressions of interest for the expansion of Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 and construction of a new runway and taxiways. Roads leading to the airport will be widened and new approach roads built, according to tender documents seen by Hindustan Times.

DIAL expects the expansion, to start with Terminal 1, to be completed by 2021, taking the overall handling capacity of the airport to 85 million passengers per year from the current 70 million. That will be followed by Phase 2 of the expansion which includes construction of another brand new terminal.

DIALs expansion drive follows data released at the weekend by Airports Council International, the trade grouping of world airports, showing that Delhi, the countrys busiest airport by passenger traffic, grew 14.1% year on year to 63.45 million last year. It was the first time it breached the 60 million passenger mark.

This year, it is expected to exceed the 70-million mark. The new air traffic control (ATC) tower, to open in 2018, and the fourth runway, to be launched in 2020, would help it reduce air congestion and handle more flights.

DIAL hadnt responded as of press time Tuesday to an email sent to it on Monday seeking comment.

The expansion work is in right direction but DIAL should start reviewing progress of (plans for) Terminal 4. The growth in aviation sector is beyond expectation and instead of stop gap arrangement, DIAL must look at concrete solutions. Along with the expansion of passenger terminals, work on the new general aviation terminal has also started and is right on schedule, said Mark Martin, founder and CEO of Martin Consulting, which is Dubai-based aviation consulting firm.

The master plan for expansion will be implemented in three modular phases- phase 3A (2018-21), 3 B (2021-25) and Phase 4 (2026 onwards). Terminal 1 of IGI airport handles the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) domestic traffic of the airport. These carriers have registered a phenomenal growth during the last few years, calling for an expansion of the terminal. Delhi Metro under its Phase 3 programme, is connecting this terminal to the catchment areas of central and south Delhi, making it quicker and easier for commuters from these localities to access terminal 1. Since T1 is operating beyond its capacity, the expansion will begin from there and cover the airside, terminal building and city side, said a DIAL official, quoting the tender documents, who asked not to be identified.

Departure Terminal T1D and arriving Terminal T1C, will be merged and expanded to accommodate 40 million passengers per annum. As per the Master Plan, the capacity of T1 will increase from 20 million to 40 million and the capacity of Terminal 3 will rise from 34 million to 45 million.

Inter-terminal connectivity through the Airport Metro between T1 and T3 is also part of the expansion plan.

The expansion work will be carried out alongside flight operations at T1. Certain areas of T1 and city side will operate at a lower capacity due to shifting of (around 1/3rd) part of traffic to Terminal 2 to ease the operational pressure slightly for facilitating construction works. However, despite the measures to ease the pressure, construction phasing would have to be properly planned to ensure that the remaining operations are smooth. Temporary facilities, as may be necessary in any project area, would have to be constructed to ensure smooth operations, the DIAL official added.

DIAL has appointed AECOM, a design and development consultant for infrastructure projects, to complete the preliminary design for the expansion works. These will be handed to the selected contractor who will then develop these further and undertake the works on EPC (engineering, procurement & construction) turnkey basis. The preliminary designs fully capture the design intent and broad specifications to enable an experienced international contractor to tender for the EPC works. The contractor would do the detailed designing necessary for the preparation of the detailed construction drawings and execution of the works. The contractor would deploy the latest technology including building information modelling system for achieving clash-free environment for all areas of construction works, whether airside, landside or terminal, the document reads.

DIAL has put in a condition that the contractor minimise inconvenience in an operational airport environment at the time of execution of the designed works. VIP and VVIP movements is another critical area at the airports which has to be carefully factored. Mapping of operational constraints will be extremely important to arrive at realistic timelines and cost, the DIAL official said.
The Telugu Desam government is planning to formulate a Happiness Commission headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu that will take up State-sponsored programmes to push up the happiness quotient in Andhra Pradesh. Earlier this month, the state became the second in the country to introduce an exclusive ministry for happiness, after Madhya Pradesh. The commission is expected to take up activities that promote a healthier lifestyle, foster a livelier work environment and plan outdoor activities with the potential to improve the psychological well-being of people. Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are following the example of Bhutan, which was the first place to evolve a happiness index and link it to development, otherwise based on GDP numbers, way back in the 1970s. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government even set up the Anand Vibhag (Department of Happiness) in 2016.

Can mere setting up of departments or commissions ensure that Indians in these states will begin to feel happier? A United Nations study on happiness, released in March, suggests otherwise. India ranks 122nd out of 155 countries, the worst in South Asia, with only the poorest African nations below us.

The United Nations gauges happiness on six parameters: per capita GDP; healthy life expectancy; freedom; trust; social support; and generosity. We fare worse than our neighbours Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Even if generosity, trust and freedom can be perceived as intangible measures, expecting a high score on social security and healthy life expectancy in a country where access to even basic medical services is elusive for many, is being ambitious. Madhya Pradesh features in the list of socioeconomically backward states with severe malnutrition, according to the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative report 2017, along with Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh. Although life expectancy in Andhra Pradesh has improved in the past decade, according to the same study, lifestyle diseases are leading to many more disabilities and deaths in the southern state. In case Mr Chouhan and Mr Naidu are actually serious about making their people happier  once access to roti, kapda, water and broadband has been ensured  they should invest in creating jobs and a robust rural medical infrastructure. Mr Chouhan was last in the news for reportedly asking the police to break the backs of those found harassing women outside colleges. And Mr Naidu was caught on camera rebuking a farmer in a public meeting in February. Ensuring that the personal freedoms of its citizens are not restricted and the State wields a gentler, humane touch could also be steps towards making them feel more generously disposed towards themselves and the world.
Indias reported outreach to China on its bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group during the bilateral Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue in Beijing is a significant development, coming as it does in the wake of efforts to reboot relations between the two Asian giants. Officially, the focus of the fifth round of the dialogue on Tuesday was global security and disarmament in outer space, but reports suggest that India engaged China on dropping its objections to New Delhis membership of the elite club controlling access to nuclear technology. It is now becoming apparent that India is pursuing a new path in its ties with China under foreign secretary, Vijay Gokhale, an old China hand who played a crucial role in resolving last years military standoff at Doklam while serving as the envoy in Beijing. This is reflected in Indias new stance on issues such as Tibet that have the potential to irk China. Beijing too has displayed some amount of flexibility in its position on issues that are crucial to India. For instance, China did not oppose a US-backed move at the Financial Action Task Force in February to place Pakistan, its iron brother ally, on a terror financing watch list. There have also been suggestions that India and China, with their massive economies, could play a greater role in shaping debate on global issues as the US cedes its leadership position. Provided the two countries can build on such developments, there could be greater scope for cooperation between them.

It must be remembered that China is not the only country opposing Indias application to join the NSG. However, getting China to change its position could certainly help to swing the other naysayers such as Turkey and Ireland. India also believes its hands have been strengthened by its membership of three key multilateral export control regimes, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Wassenaar Arrangement for controls on dual use technologies and the Australia Group.

China has proposed a two-step approach for making countries that havent signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty members of the NSG. This involves forging a universal formula for such countries and then taking up their applications. Detractors say this was done with an eye to helping Pakistan gain membership of the NSG alongside India. However, with India becoming a member of the three other export control regimes and continuing questions about Pakistans non-proliferation record, such an approach could even work to New Delhis advantage provided Beijing is willing to play ball.
Consistency has never been West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees strong point. Her reactive quicksilver politics has led to political opponents describing her as an opportunist who is willing to throw all ideology to the winds if it means garnering popular support. But after having espoused the cause of the minorities for years  they form about 27% of Bengals 9.13 crore population  Ms Banerjee seems to have plunged into a dangerous round of competitive communalism, taking on the saffron forces which have been gaining ground in the state, albeit slowly, in recent times. The BJP, which has been a fringe force, is edging forward in vote share. That explains why these local elections have been so violent and keenly fought.

The communal politics we see today actually began in 2017, when the Sangh Parivar enthusiastically organised Ram Navami processions in Bengal with participants brandishing weapons  most visibly in the chief ministers constituency of Bhawanipore in south Kolkata. The success of these events egged on other outfits (mainly the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal) to go for a bigger exercise this year.

Ms Banerjee, canny politician that she is, then decided to match the opposition with Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations of her own. In different districts and Kolkata, ruling party leaders and ministers organised religious processions, but without the weapons. Last year, she told the police to beat up anyone who created mischief. But this year she said old Ram Navami processions that have been carrying weapons for years will be exempt from police action. The message could not have been clearer. Over the past few weeks, she also stopped criticising the BJP for importing Hindutva that is distinctly different from the liberal Hindu culture of Bengal. The art of wooing the majority community started aggressively in January when the Trinamool district units in Birbhum and West Midnapore organised a conference of Hindu priests. The political element was party leaders telling the priests that Bengalis did not need learn Hinduism from anyone. Ms Banerjee has her political compulsions. She has to protect her turf against the saffron onslaught. She needs to focus her energies on pulling together an anti-BJP front before the 2019 elections. She knows that in order to compensate for anti-incumbency in other states, the BJP will focus its resources and energy in Bengal that offers 42 Lok Sabha seats. But her response may drown Bengal in a communal cauldron. If the Ram Navami clashes in Raniganj and Asansol towns are any indication, competitive communalism may not be a constructive way forward for a party that claims that its main focus is development.
The Philippines is looking to shorten the closure period for its most popular holiday hotspot, Boracay, to four months from six. But the number of visitors allowed when it reopens will be slashed, the tourism minister said on Wednesday.

A masterplan to redevelop Boracay, which has turned into a cesspool due to pollution, according to President Rodrigo Duterte, into a liveable and greener community will be finalised after its rehabilitation, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said. I think we can do it in four months. Thats why we wanted it (to be) total closure, for us to do it fast, she said in an interview with ANC news channel.

Boracay, which will be closed to local and foreign tourists from April 26, has joined other beach resorts across Southeast Asia facing growing pressure due to a surge in visitors. The government wants to save the tiny island that generated 56 billion pesos, or over $1 billion last year, but cannot cope under the strain of two million tourists a year.

When it is reopened, Teo said the number of visitors to Boracay, which a decade ago was found to be capable of accommodating only about 25,000, will be limited. The number of people on the island now tops as high as 75,000, she said. The environment is undertaking a study to determine the islands carrying capacity, she said. The rehabilitation involves the demolition of more than 900 illegal structures, improvement of waste management, and expansion of drainage and sewage systems.

Boracay, on the northern tip of the central Panay island, is home to more than 30,000 people and about 1,800 businesses, including global hotel chains like Shangri-La and Movenpick, and locally listed companies Megaworld Corp and Manila Water Co Inc. Boracay is popular for its sugary white sand and lively night scene, but some 195 businesses there were found to be discharging untreated waste water into the sea, resulting in increased concentration of human faeces along the beaches.

Boracay generates 90 to 115 tonnes of trash a day, of which only 30 tonnes are shipped out regularly to a landfill on a nearby island, Teo said. Teo expects foregone revenues from the shutdown to be at around 7 billion pesos, or even lower if the closure period is shortened to four months, she said.

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He is a proclaimed offender, has escaped thrice from a detention centre in Rajasthans Alwar, did not stay in touch with anyone from his family for four years to avoid getting caught and he is 19 years old.

The elusive criminal, Gajender alias Gajju, was caught by the Gurugram polices anti-snatching team on April 7 after a sustained investigation and raids at his numerous hideouts in Bhiwadi.

The accused has been involved in five burglaries in Gurugram alone, and several others in neighbouring districts of Rajasthan.

The police first zeroed in on Gajender when the anti-snatching cell was investigating a case of burglary. They saw similarities between the modus operandi of this case and a series of other crimes Gajender had committed.

We decided to track him and went to his village, Ucchapur, in Alwar. We came to know that he is not in touch with his family, and has no friends. He maintains a low profile, and does not use a mobile phone. All this made it very difficult for us to track and catch him, anti-snatching cell in-charge sub-inspector Sandeep Kumar said.

Kumar added that the accused started his criminal activities in 2012, when he was just 12 years old.

As Gajender kept changing his location, the anti-snatching cell made a special team to nab the elusive criminal, who allegedly burgled shops at night and took cash, mobile phones and laptops.

On his trail, the Gurugram police went to Alwar, Kishan Garh and Rewari, among other places, gathered information on him and developed contacts with persons with whom he had made contact in the past.

He committed crimes alone, and before carrying out a hit, he would recce the place and area, and carry out the heist the very next night, ACP (crime) Shamsher Singh said.

Police also said the accused used to sleep on pavements and outside shops he planned to loot.

What made him difficult to nab, police said, was the fact that he did not have many friends.

We have found that he led a frugal life. He spent the money he looted on his daily needs. He kept shifting his locations every week, to avoid detection and capture, Kumar said.

The accused was taken on a five-day police remand on April 8, during which time he was questioned, and will be presented before the court again on Friday. The accused has escaped three times from the detention centre in Alwar. The last time he was under detention was in March 2015. The Rajasthan Police has since been on the lookout for Gajender.
The state forest department has approved construction of an animal treatment centre at the Sultanpur National Park, around 15 kilometres from the city. The department is expected to float tenders for the same by the end of this month.

Currently, the state only has one treatment facility for animals, and that is in Rohtak, nearly 80 kilometres from Gurugram, and the distance often proved to be costly in emergencies situations.

The new animal treatment centre will be spread across three acres behind the Sultanpur rest house. It will have three rooms, cages, open space for treated animals, a doctors room, medical equipment such as a portable X-ray machine, portable coloured ultrasound machine, operation theatre and a pharmacy.

The facility will have a staff strength of 10 people, including a veterinary doctor, an assistant to the doctor, an animal handler, an animal keeper and guards.

Forest and wildlife minister Rao Narbir Singh has sanctioned a fund of 65 lakh for the construction of the centre and purchase of equipment, officials said.

The centre will be a boon to wild animals in distress. Animals rescued in the region can be treated at the centre and attempts would be made to rehabilitate them in the forest, Singh said.

Last year, the chief conservator of forest, wildlife Gurgaon, Vinod Kumar, had written to

the state government to allot space and funds for building another animal treatment centre in Haryana.

A second animal treatment centre is the need of the hour, as there are several rescue operations in the district and we are facing challenges as we need to send the injured animals to

in Rohtak, which is the only facility in the state with a treatment room, Singh said.

There have been several incidents of man-animal conflict in the district and injured animals are brought to the city from Aravalli forest areas for first-aid and then sent to Rohtak.
George Clooney has already told the rom-comesque story of how he met his wife, Amal - she came over for dinner with a common friend and the two got along and developed a friendship over email - but now it was Amals turn to tell her side of the story. The renowned human rights lawyer spoke at length about her relationship with George in a spread in the May issue of Vogue.

She confirmed Clooneys story of how the two began talking over emails and added the important detail that Clooney responded with a clownish gambit, writing her repeated notes in the voice of his dog Einstein, who claimed to be trapped in various places and in need of legal rescue.

She said that while things were under control early on, they became overwhelming after a trip the two took to London, where they were greeted by 50 paparazzi. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, she said of falling for George. Before that experience, I always hoped there could be love that was overwhelming and didnt require any weighing or decision-making.

Love, she said, its the one thing in life that I think is the biggest determinant of happiness, and its the thing you have the least control over. Are you going to meet this person? I was 35 when I met him. It wasnt obvious that it was going to happen for me. And I wasnt willing or excited about the idea of getting married or having a family in the absence of that.

The Clooneys are now parents to twins Ella and Alexander - Ella looks like Amal and Alexander looks like George, according to the Vogue article. They married in Venice, Italy in 2014. Their nuptials involved gondolas and mega-paparazzi. Weve had some Mamas and Dadas,  Amal said, talking about her childrens first words. George was very careful to ensure that Mama was the first word.

See more pictures from the spread here:

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, who escaped the Nabha jail in Punjab on November 23, 2016, was on Wednesday awarded three-month imprisonment by a Delhi court for assaulting public servants and attempting to fire at police officials to prevent his rearrest a day later. The 51-year-old had fled the jail with five other inmates but was nabbed from the Nizamuddin railway station here.

Additional sessions judge Sidharth Sharma sentenced him for three months, a term he has already undergone, after Mintoo pleaded guilty and sought leniency. Mintoo, wanted in 10 terror cases, had been arrested by Punjab Police after he was deported from Thailand in November 2014. He continues to be in jail as other trials continue.

As for this case, the prosecution said that when Mintoo found himself surrounded by the police, he took out a pistol and tried to fire at them but was apprehended. The chargesheet was filed against under sections 186 (obstructing public servant) and 353 (assault to deter public servant from duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Arms Act.

The court, in its order, said the accused was also chargesheeted for the offence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act but, because he was already facing trial under this law in a court in Patiala, he was not eventually charged. According to the police, a loaded pistol and six live cartridges were seized from Mintoo. He was earlier a member of Babbar Khalsa International and later floated his own group, police had said.

Mintoo had sought leniency from the court, contending he remained in custody for the last 15 months and was a heart patient. Record shows that the convict is in custody since November 28, 2016, and thus he remained in custody for more than 15 months till date. Considering the punishment provided for the offences, considering that the convict is a heart patient, aged 51 and considering that he has been convicted on his pleading guilty, I sentence him to three months imprisonment, the judge said.

Earlier, the police had told the court that the role of insiders and outsiders who assisted Mintoo and five others in escaping the Nabha jail in Patiala had to be ascertained. It had said the role of Pakistans spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence and some terror organisations was required to be probed as Mintoo had also visited Pakistan.
The Allahabad high court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Islamic preacher Zakir Naik challenging the 2010 order of a local court in Jhansi, which summoned him on several charges, including waging war against the state, and the subsequent order of a non-bailable warrant against him.

The interim order earlier granted in his favour now stands vacated with the dismissal of the petition.

Justice Amar Singh Chauhan had reserved the judgement on March 28, 2018, on the petition filed by Naik, president of Islamic Research Foundation.

A person called Mudassir Ullah Khan had filed a complaint on January 9, 2008, before the chief judicial magistrate X in Jhansi alleging that Naik had allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community in a television programme telecast on January 21, 2006.

Khan said that Naik had published and distributed a pamphlet to incite hatred and ill will among different communities.

The judicial magistrate summoned Naik on April 30, 2010, before the court for waging war against the state and other sections of Indian Penal Code and issued a non-bailable warrant against him. A person can be punished with death or life imprisonment for waging a war against the government of India or attempting to wage such war or abetting it.

Naiks plea was that he is president of an organisation that clarifies Islamic viewpoints and clears misconceptions about Islam and the allegations against him were baseless.

The high court had on June 6, 2011, directed that till the next date of listing no coercive action should be taken against Naik following the April 30, 2010, order by the judicial magistrate.

And, the Bombay high court on Monday refused to restore his passport, saying no relief can be granted to a proclaimed offender absconding from India. The court adjourned the petition by two weeks on his lawyers request.

Naik landed in trouble when reports emerged that terrorists who attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 20 foreigners on July 1, 2016, were his followers. The 51-year-old has denied the charges and claimed that he never incited communal disharmony and his lectures are doctored.

The Union ministry of home affairs banned Naiks Islamic Research Foundation and Peace TV. The National Investigation Agency booked him under sections 153A of the IPC and sections 10, 13 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Four civilians and a soldier were killed in Kashmir on Wednesday, the latest in a spate of deadly gunfights that threaten to push Kashmir into a spiral of protests for the third straight summer.

Officials said the civilians were killed in crossfire as security personnel engaged a group of militants in the southern village of Khudwani.

A senior state police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said two militants escaped. Soon after the incident, more retaliatory protests were held in the region.

With Wednesdays incident, Kashmir has recorded 29 deaths  civilians, security personnel and militants included  since April 1. Official accounts and news reports analysed by HT show that since the beginning of 2018, 48 militants, 22 civilians and 21 security personnel have died in gunfights, protests and targeted killings.

The state police chief rejected concerns that these incidents foretell more conflict. The summer will be fine. Our network to tackle militancy wont stop but we give due consideration to any civilian death. We are working on that parameter, said inspector general of police, Kashmir, SP Pani.

But another senior police official, who did not want to be identified since he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said such deaths trigger more anger.

The re-emergence of local militancy is very a dangerous trend. People are emotionally involved with local boys who are in the age group of 16 to 22. Their deaths trigger more anger and prompt more youth to join militancy, said the officer, a senior superintendent of police.

Since the beginning of a drawn-out unrest since July 2016  when local militant leader Burhan Wani was killed by security forces  Kashmir has recorded a spike in young men joining the militancy.

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti told the state assembly in February this year that in 2017, 126 men from the region joined outfits such as the Hizb-ul Mujahideen  an increase of 44% compared to the year before and highest in the seven years since such records have been compiled.

According to an official in the Jammu and Kashmir police who did not want to be named, of an estimated 240-250 militants active in the region, 140-150 are locals.

Wednesdays deaths add to the problems of the administration led by Mufti, who is currently trying to quell anger over the gangrape-murder in Kathua. The Kathua incident is complicated by the fact that the suspects have found support from groups connected to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Muftis coalition partner.

(with inputs from Abhishek Saha in Srinagar)
A dissident Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament, Savitri Bai Phule, has accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of a conspiracy to end reservation in jobs for Dalits and alleged that atrocities against Dalits were at an all-time high under the present regime.

Phule used Dalit icon and social reformer Jyotiba Phules birth anniversary on Wednesday to launch her scathing attack on the Centre. We demand a caste-wise population census should be undertaken immediately to ascertain the percentage of various castes and to allocate the job quota accordingly, she said. The BJP MP said a special session of Parliament should be convened to debate the issue.

A similar demand was made by Samajwadi Party (SP) national President Akhilesh Yadav at a function in Lucknow last Saturday. The former UP chief minister had advocated enumeration of the caste-wise break up of the population with the help of Aadhaar.

A socio-economic and caste census was conducted in 2011 and the initial findings were released by the Centre in 2015.

The BJP MP from Bahraich alleged the Centre had remained a mute spectator to atrocities against Dalits during the Bharat Bandh and the Uttar Pradesh government had failed to check the continuing vandalisation of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkars statues. Her criticism came around the time BJP chief Amit Shah was paying tribute to Jyotiba Phule in Lucknow.

The violence unleashed during the Bharat Bandh was state-sponsored and meant to divert the attention of the people from the real issue, she said.

We have decided to observe April 2 every year as Bahujan Swabhiman Diwas in memory of those killed during the protest, she said and demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation each and a job for a member of the victims families.

Our campaign and protest would continue till we get justice and rightful share in not only government jobs but also in the private sector, she said. Clad in saffron, the disgruntled BJP MP, however, refused to name the perpetrators of the violence. Instead, she blamed the petitioner who filed the public interest litigation in the Supreme Court on the SC/ST Act and said that a case of treason should be lodged against him.

Phule parried the question when asked whether she would be meeting Shah to raise the issues concerning the community. We will see, was her cryptic reply. As an MP who represents a parliamentary constituency reserved for schedule castes, it is my duty to voice my concern and fight for their rights, she said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday took the fight for the Dalit votes to the memorials built by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati during her stint as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2007 to 2012.

BJP national president Amit Shah, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP state unit president Mahendra Nath Pandey and other senior leaders paid homage to Dalit icon Jyotiba Phule on his 191th birth anniversary by offering floral tributes at his statue at Lucknows Samta Mulak crossing.

BJP leaders had so far been avoiding visits to Dalit memorials and parks constructed by Mayawati.

These memorials had remained the exclusive domain of BSP leaders and workers who used to visit them on the death and birth anniversaries of Dalit icons. The BJP, the SP, the Congress and the RLD, meanwhile, used to confine such events to their party offices.

By organising the birth anniversary programme of Phule at Samata Mulak crossing, the BJP has not only surprised the BSP but also succeeded in sending a message to the Dalits that they will not hesitate in adopting the Dalit memorials and parks built by Mayawati to get their support, said RK Gautam, a Dalit activist.

Ironically, during Mayawatis earlier stint in 1995, the BJP leaders had launched a movement to protest the construction of Parivartan Crossing in Lucknows Hazratganj area and the installation of idols of Dalit icons there.

The BJP had threatened to launch a statewide movement over the BSP governments decision to install the statue of Dravida movement ideologue RV Ramasamy Naicker, who was popularly known as Periyar.

Since the BJP was extending support to her government, Mayawati buckled under pressure and scrapped plans to install the statue.

The fight for Dalit votes is going to heat up in the coming days as the BSP has planned a statewide programme on the birth anniversary of Ambedkar.

Mayawati has mandated participation for party leaders and workers in programmes at the memorials.

Rebellion by four Dalit MPs -- Savitri Bai, Ashok Dohrey, Chhotelal Kharwar and Yashwant Singh --had shaken the BJP. The BJP leaders visiting memorials and statues of Dalit icons is only a damage control exercise, said RK Mishra,a political observer.

Aware that the BJP making inroads into Dalit votes had cost Mayawati dearly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2017 assembly elections, the BSP will do all to counter the BJP strategy for 2019 Lok Sabha election, he said.

Mayawati has already launched an attack on the BJP governments  both at the centre and the state  on the sharp rise in cases of atrocities on Dalits.

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath as anti-Dalit, Mayawati had alleged that the reservation policy for the Dalits in government jobs had been made ineffective. She also charged the Yogi government with harassing Dalits who participated in the Bharat Bandh on April 2.

To counter the attack by Mayawati, the BJP directed its leaders to spend a night in the Dalit-dominated villages and launch a Gram Swaraj drive in Dalit villages on the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar (April 14).

The government has also directed officials to provide free power connections to Dalit households. It has also asked officials to speed up the process of alloting houses to Dalits under the Prime Ministers housing schemes and provide new ration cards to people below the poverty line.
When Somnath Waghmare moved back to Mumbai last year, his heart was filled with hope. A first-generation college student, the 28-year-olds parents had moved back to Sangli during the waves of mill closures in the 80s that crushed many weaker-caste working class families. Now, armed with a college degree and dreams to last a lifetime, he was ready to make his mark in the maximum city.

But standing between him and his goal was one thing: The institutional caste divide and bias that weaved itself into the fabric of every institution he enrolled in.

Caste is your first identity in the college, the classroom is more a caste-room, Waghmare says.

Throughout his graduation and post-graduation, Waghmare faced a torrent of casteism  both covert and overt.

Professors made quota students stand up in class and identified them publicly, students often formed caste-exclusive groups, even at elite institutions such as Pune University and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and there was little help available for new students to surmount the difficulty of English-medium instruction.

Once, I was even told, you dont look like a Dalit. So what is the image of a Dalit you have in your mind? Waghmare asks.

A generation ago, students such as Waghmare would have been intimidated by the hostile conditions that ensure that higher education in India remains a caste minefield. Data from the latest round of the National Sample Survey Office show upper-castes with almost five times as many post graduates as scheduled castes.

But today, armed with a phalanx of fresh blood and rising Ambedkarite discourse in universities, many Dalit students strike a confident note.

I never got scared because of the Ambedkarite movement. Earlier Dalit students were scared, now no more. This is the Rohith moment, he says.

Waghamre is referring to Rohith Vemula, a PhD student at the University of Hyderabad who hanged himself after months of alleged caste discrimination. His death uncorked pent-up anger and frustration that lashed campuses across India and galvanised students from marginalised backgrounds.

Ambedkars call for education unshackled the minds of Dalits, who had been conditioned to believe their low-status was karma, explains Amit Thorat, a professor at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University. Sociologist Kalpana Kannabiran agrees. A professor at the Hyderabad-based NALSAR University of law, Kannabiran details the hostility she faced in class, from upper-caste students whenever reservation or caste came up  even from top-performing students. Atrocity means many things, it also means complicit neglect, she says.

Dalit students have much to be angry about. A 2017 study by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung of 6,000 people between 15 and 34 years of age showed that graduate Dalits faced the highest frequency of caste discrimination among social and age groups. More than 40% of upper-caste youth reported themselves as students, but just 25% of scheduled caste respondents said so.

Read | Rohith Vemulas death anniversary: Education still a Dalit dream

This is not all. Young Dalit graduates face discrimination while appearing for their first job interviews  in 2007, professors Sukhadeo Thorat and Paul Attewell found that young Dalits stood a significantly less chance of being called for an interview when compared with equally-qualified general category candidates. Shaming and public humiliation over reservation is common.

The resentment isnt limited to some campuses. At Uttar Pradeshs Allahabad University, Dalit students often find themselves squeezed out during hostel placement or classroom teaching.

Last year, I was taking classes when another upper-caste research scholar barged into the classroom, hurled casteist abuses at me and forced me to leave, said Arun Kumar, a research scholar pursuing DPhil in medieval and modern history. Sachin Ben, a student of MSc chemistry at Sagars Dr HS Gour Central University in Madhya Pradesh, said scheduled caste students had complained of being given less marks during practical examinations.

We know that such type of discrimination subtly exists, he added.

Students have opened up various avenues to resist such attitudes. At places like the UoH and JNU, Dalit students have formed separate organisations  distinct from both left and right-wing groups. This, they say, helps deal with the everyday discrimination. Sometimes the hostel authorities ask us, you dont even get two meals a day at home, how dare you question the quality here, alleges Venkatesh Chouhan, a research scholar. Earlier, the students were silently suffering discrimination. Now, they have been able to come out openly, he says, referring to the Ambedkar Students Association.

At JNU, the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association publicly dissociated itself from left-wing groups that have dominated the campus and claimed to speak for Dalits for decades.

Here was an academic culture in which students speak fancy English and use academic jargon. Many students from marginalised communities do not know such jargon. Therefore they are sidelined. The way politics was done was also exclusive. Thus students coming from the margins do not identify with it, explains Bidyanath Karam, a member.

Many universities are unpleasant even for Dalit teachers. At Delhi University, a professor who has taught for a decade says he has witnessed students and even teachers hurl caste abuses and single out quota students for bias. To many of my colleagues, I was the SC teacher for a long time, he says. The liberal intelligentsia present in these spaces was of little help, he adds, as their tone was patronising and they wanted to assume control. The Dalit activism on campuses is a mirror of the wider churning across India that has seen the commuitys anger spill into the streets and take control of the national narrative. Shraddha Kumbhojkar, a professor at the University of Pune, believes it is logical that universities are acting as the cradle for Dalit consciousness. This is a field where ideological mentors are available. Once Dalit students see the promise of egalitarianism, they become aware that things are rightfully theirs and being denied, she adds.

She is right. Countless Dalit students are resisting caste bias in myriad ways today: From student politics and organising themselves against fee hikes at Lucknows Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, to organising film screenings and talks by prominent anti-caste thinkers in UoH, JNU and TISS.

Waghmare himself is now a budding filmmaker and busy shooting his latest feature on the lives of two anti-caste stalwarts, having finally tasted success after years of repelling casteism.

One thing Ambedkarite movement has done is made everyone say they are against caste. Even if it is lip service. Thats a start.

(With inputs from Srinivasa Rao Apparasu in Hyderabad, Rajeev Mullick in Lucknow, K San deep Kumar in Allahabad and Anupam Pateriya in Sagar)
A 55-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday in Maharashtras Yavatmal district of Vidarbha allegedly over mounting debts and failed crop and blamed the Narendra Modi government for his plight, officials said on Wednesday.

I am committing suicide due to the loan burden and Narendra Modi government is responsible for my suicide, Shankar Bhaurao Chawre of Rajurwadi village in Ghatanji tehsil of Yavatmal said in his six-page note.

Chawre also asked Union minister Hansraj Ahir, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Raju Todsam and others to help his family.

Yavatmal superintendent of police Raj Kumar said a purported suicide note was recovered.

It mentions the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holds him responsible (for the suicide), but we are yet to verify its authenticity and the actual cause of the death, Kumar told PTI.

He said the post-mortem report was awaited and that the authenticity of the purported suicide note would be verified after the autopsy document is ready.

Chawre owned nine acres of barren land and owed Rs 1.40 lakh to the banks and private money lenders. He was frustrated due to the red bollworm attack on his cotton crop and the liabilities arising out of his childrens educational expenses and family obligations.

He had earlier attempted suicide by hanging from a tree on his farm in the morning but failed after the rope with which he had tied himself snapped. He then consumed pesticide and collapsed. He was rushed to the local government medical college and hospital in a critical condition but died in the hospital at 1.30pm on Tuesday.

Chawre, who belonged to the Gowari community, is survived by wife Alka (47), school and college going children  daughters Jayashree (19), Bhagyashree (18), Dhanshree (17) and son Akash (14).

His wife and children have said they will not claim his body and perform his last rites unless a criminal offence is registered against Prime Minister Modi. They have also demanded a Rs 1 crore as compensation from the government.

Kishore Tiwari, the chairperson of the state agriculture mission, expressed grief over Chawres suicide and assured all the possible financial support to his family.

We will ensure that the family gets an adequate compensation and his children get a good education, Tiwari said.

Tiwari, who is scheduled to visit Rajurwadi village on Wednesday to meet the bereaved family, alleged that some politicians are trying to take a mileage from the tragedy.

They (political rivals) are also misleading the family members, he added.

Hundreds of farmers have committed suicide in Vidarbha, continuing the more than a decade-long trend of despair and distress in the face of agrarian uncertainties.

There could be several reasons behind the suicides but the pink bollworm attack, which has destroyed standing cotton crop across nearly 15 lakh hectares in the region, is the latest trigger in the vicious cycle, experts and officials have said.

Another farmer, Vishal Namdev Pawar of Ner, also committed suicide, leaving behind a suicide note addressed to then district guardian minister Sanjay Rathod.

Debt-ridden farmer Prakash Mangaonkar killed himself in Titvi village of Ghatanji tehsil in the district and left a note on the leaves of a plant alleging that he had taken the extreme decision as the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state failed to fulfil assurances given to the farmers.

The government told Parliament in March that Indias high suicide rate among farmers  a national problem attributed to agrarian distress and debt traps  fell 10% in 2016.

The number of farmers who committed suicide in 2016 was 11,370, compared to 12,602 the previous year. According to the 2011 census, the suicide rate among farmers is 47% higher than the national average.

Maharashtra accounted for the highest number of farmer suicides in 2016, at 3,661. This was a fall from 4,291 in 2015.

(With inputs from PTI)
The government brushed aside on Wednesday concerns about a looming financial crisis that could cripple Indias combat capabilities, saying things are happening in the defence ministry and resources are adequate to modernise the armed forces.

Speaking to journalists on the opening day of DefExpo-2018, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the National Democratic Alliance governments focus was on prioritising weapon purchases that had not progressed during the last 10 to 20 years, and ensuring maximum utilisation of funds.

She was responding to a Hindustan Times query on a recent parliamentary report in which the army had painted a grim picture of how poor budgetary outlay was coming in the way of emergency purchases, procurement of critical ammunition, and the construction of strategic road projects on the Chinese border.

The parliamentary standing committee on defence has said that (fund crunch) and it has also said a lot more. I wish anyone who is present here has read the entire report. Read the report in full to know what is really happening in MoD, the minister said at DefExpo-2018, a biennial military systems exhibition being attended by close to 680 Indian and foreign firms.

She said the ministry had just signed a Rs 639-crore contract with an Indian firm for supplying 1.86 lakh bullet proof jackets to the army, and progress on that project wasnt made after the panel tabled its report in Parliament in March. The panel looks at the defence ministrys functioning and consists of MPs from different political parties.

I want to remove doubts in anyones mind that nothing is happening in the ministry, she said.

The army had told the panel that even as neighbouring China and Pakistan were modernising their militaries at a lightning pace, lack of resources was hurting the force at a time it should be prepared for a two-front war.

Army vice chief Lieutenant General Sarath Chand told the panel that Budget 2018-19 had dashed the armys hopes and overall shortage under the capital head stood at Rs 12,296 crore.

Responding to another question on the militarys budget and how it has been on the decline measured against Indias gross domestic product (GDP), defence secretary Sanjay Mitra said, Let me assure you resources are adequate at this point of time. Nearly 33% of the governments capital expenditure is reserved for defence.

In February, India allocated Rs 2.95 lakh crore for military spending during 2018-19, a modest hike of 7.8% over last years budget of Rs 2.74 lakh crore. The budget includes a capital outlay of Rs 99,563 crore for buying new weapons and systems, up from Rs 86,488 crore.

The budget breached the Rs 4 lakh crore-mark factoring in defence pensions (Rs 1.08 lakh crore). The pension outlay exceeds capital expenditure. This year the budget has slipped to a mere 1.57% of the GDP.
The attempts of the newly sworn-in Progressive Democratic Alliance government in Nagaland to remove the states director general of police Rupin Sharma have sparked a controversy.

The office of deputy chief minister Y Patton, who also holds the home portfolio, released a statement on Tuesday saying the state governments efforts have been misinterpreted by the press, a day after a letter written by Patton to Union home minister Rajnath Singh seeking a replacement for Sharma found its way to social media platforms.

Patton said it was very unfortunate that the confidential correspondence of the highest level has been leaked in social media in an unauthorised manner.

Patton, in a letter to Singh on March 28, had requested that the Union ministry of home affairs consider posting an officer of sufficient seniority from other cadre as DGP Nagaland.

He said Sharma, a 1992 batch Indian Police Service officer of Nagaland cadre, was made the state police chief as a stop-gap arrangement since the elections were due and that he did not have the requisite experience of serving in the state.

Patton recommended the name of Lungriading, an IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre from the 1990 batch, for the top police post in the state.

It later emerged that chief minister Neiphiu Rio and state chief secretary Temjen Joy also wrote similar letters to Singh. Rio asked for Lungriadings appointment and Joy did not recommend any name.

The letters said while in other states an experience of 30 years is necessary for the police chiefs post, in Nagaland, those with an experience of 28 years have been considered in the past.

The opposition Naga Peoples Front launched an attack against Pattons attempts as his letter was picked up by the media, calling it a case of malafide intentions and said, rather than look into the number of years an officer has served, he should consider the performance index of the officer.

Patton has a track record of flouting all norms and procedures to get his candidates appointed or allotted contract and supply works, the party said in a statement.

His wayward behaviour whilst running the administration was a major source of embarrassment to the last ministry and he was dropped from the ministry, albeit at the fag end of the tenure, and severely reprimanded, it added.

Patton served as the home minister in the previous government as well before he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

On his part, Patton said it is the responsibility of the elected state government to maintain law and order and to select a suitable officer in the overall interest of the Public of the State contrary to what has been portrayed in the media.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked BJP lawmakers to ensure that benefits of government schemes reach poor and farmers in villages, a party release said. The PM has prescribed a 8-point action plan beginning with the April 12 hunger strike against Parliament disruption and followed by the party plan to connect with Dalits on April 14  Ambedkars birth anniversary through the gram swaraj campaign.

Modi spoke to BJP MPs and MLAs through audio-bridge and listed out a series of events that the party will undertake during Gram Swaraj Abhiyan between April 14 and May 5. The programme will launch with BR Ambedkars birth anniversary on April 14, on which PM Modi will be in Chhattisgarhs Bijapur to take part in the launch of the his scheme to provide health cover to about 50 crore people, the release said.

The PM would now re-connect with the party lawmakers through a video conferencing on April 22. It was great to talk to Modiji, the leader whom the world looks up to. It was a great feeling to receive a call from him, said Brajesh Prajapati, the BJP MLA from Tindwari assembly segment. Prajapati was among several BJP lawmakers to have received Modis call that came at 11.05 pm during which the PM also took three queries from party lawmakers from various parts of the country including Maharashtra.

From April 14 to May 5 the Uttar Pradesh BJP has already decided to launch a door to door campaign. Free gas connections will be distributed at LPG panchayats in different villages on 20 April. April 24 will be observed as Panchayati Raj Diwas and PM Modi will be in Jabalpur to address a event. Under Gram Shakti Abhiyan on April 28, BJP leaders will enroll BPL families in a scheme for free power connection poor and LED bulbs will be distributed.

April 30 will be observed as Ayushman Bharat day to popularize the recently announced health care scheme, also known as Modicare.
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the Congress party had not yet finalised the list of candidates for the upcoming state assembly polls and that a fake list was in circulation to create confusion.

I am told that a list of Congress candidates for Karnataka election is under circulation. The AICC has not approved the list of candidates yet. The list under circulation is fake, he said in a tweet.

The senior Congress leader said the fake list has been circulated to create confusion among the masses.

Please dont patronise products of the #FakeNews factory, he said.

The Karnataka chief minister was in Delhi to attend the partys steering committee meeting to screen the candidates for the state polls.

Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara, state in-charge KC Venugopal and senior leader Madhusudan Mistry among others were present in the meeting.

According to sources, the deliberations could continue for the next two days and a list for 224 constituencies would be placed before the central election committee for the final approval on April 13.

After the steering committee meeting, Siddaramaiah left for Bengaluru and is likely to visit Delhi again on Friday to finalise the list.

The BJP has already announced its first list of candidates for the Karnataka polls to be held on May 12.
The National Democratic Alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party are embarking on separate but related large-scale efforts to reach out to Dalits, an electorally important grouping.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to all 324 Members of Parliament and more than 1,350 Members of Legislative Assembly (MPs and MLAs) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through teleconference, as the party launches its three-week-long outreach effort aimed at Dalits.

On April 11, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon and social reformer Jyotiba Phule, the party will launch a Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and will conduct door-to-door activities till May 5 to reach out to poor and marginalised sections of the society in over 20,000 villages, according to a BJP leader who asked not to be named.

On April 14, the birth anniversary of another Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, the government will hold camps in more than 21,000 villages where Dalits make up a substantial part of the population to distribute income and caste certificates to members of socially disadvantaged communities, an official from the ministry of social justice and empowerment said on condition of anonymity.

Dalits have been at odds with the government over issues ranging from the 2016 suicide of Dalit student Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad, the flogging of Dalit workers by self-styled cow vigilantes in Una, Gujarat, in 2016, and the perception that the government didnt represent their interests well enough in the Supreme Court, resulting in a dilution in a law addressing crimes against Dalits.

Even some of the BJPs own Dalit MPs and NDA allies have raised this issue within the party as well as with the prime minister.

Union minister and veteran Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan said in interview to HT that the Narendra Modi government suffers from a perception problem that it is insensitive to Dalits.

PM Modi will give a pep talk to lawmakers on policy and good governance initiatives of his government, speak about future programmes and will reiterate his commitment to poor and backward communities, a BJP office-bearer said on condition of anonymity.

Modi will observe a day-long fast on April 12, as a mark of protest against what the BJP terms the Congresss obstructionist politics during the second half of the budget session of Parliament. The Congress has said that it was keen on having the House function and discuss important issues, including several no-confidence motions against the government, and claims that the BJP encouraged smaller parties to disrupt the House. On April 9, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi observed a symbolic fast against caste and communal violence.

Theres more to the BJP and the governments Dalit outreach. Each BJP unit has been asked to celebrate Ambedkars birth anniversary. And between April 14 and May 5, BJP leaders will spend at least one night in villages where at least 50% of the population is made up of people from the scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs). Union ministers have been asked to spend two nights.

The criteria for the selection of villages where the caste and income certificates are to distributed is the same. The certificates that will be handed out are mandatory for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to avail benefits offered under central- and state-sponsored schemes, including admissions to educational institutions, scholarships and quotas in jobs.

As part of the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, piloted by the ministry of rural development ,from April 14 to May 5, officials will travel to villages to ensure that income and caste certificates are provided to those who need them and to open bank accounts linked to Aadhaar so that benefits of schemes are transferred to them, the official from the social justice and empowerment ministry said.

Dalit activist Chandrabhan Prasad said the governments outreach is unlikely to impress the communities.

The Dalit community is now led by youth who have access to smart phones, English alphabet and jeans, they will be less than impressed, he said.

The process of distributing income and caste certificates has been largely streamlined in the southern state where gram panchayats have been able to digitise the records and efforts are underway to replicate the effort across the country.

These villages that have been identified by the rural development (ministry) in collaboration with the Registrar General of India have been picked for universalisation of seven schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, under which free gas connections are given to the rural poor; Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana to promote financial inclusion; the Mission Indradhanush health initiative; the Ujala Scheme to promote efficient lighting and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, a government-backed life insurance scheme.

D Shayam Babu, a senior fellow at the centre for policy research, said the government did not do much in the past four years for the communities and even if they take steps out of genuine concerns, they will seem election motivated.
MBBS graduates found guilty of accepting money to block post-graduate (PG) seats in medical colleges will face legal action, said a notice issued by Union health ministry on Wednesday.

While blocking of seats post counselling is a common complaint  3,000 of the 5,000 PG seats under the 15% all India quota (AIQ) with the Centre were not taken and went back to the states  this is the first time the health ministry has warned of legal action, including forfeiting the security deposit and become ineligible for counselling from second round onwards.

We have received several complaints of candidates blocking seats with no intention of doing the course. This is sort of cartelization and unacceptable. Since money is involved, it becomes a criminal offence and candidates found guilty can be booked under the Indian Penal Code, said a senior health ministry official.

The ministry is tracking the more than 1,000 students who have not joined after being allotted colleges in the first round of counselling that was held between March 17 and April 5.

Sometimes, theres a genuine reason for a student to opt for the second round of AIQ counselling  for example, if they dont like the college  but we are focusing on those who are blocking seats despite having secured admission under the state quota, said the official.

Anxious students are flooding health ministry with email queries on counselling, with the ministry receiving 800 emails over 10 days.

The counselling schedule was revised to ensure admissions in all colleges except deemed universities gets over by May 18. Counselling for AIQ seats will not be postponed even if the states dont complete counselling. Also, there will be no exemption whatsoever from common counselling.

Antiquated software was adding to the confusion. The dates of all India counselling were revised to upgrade the software to remove glitches and give candidates the option of revising their choice.

A common software is being used by health ministry for admission to all medical colleges this year and its been proposed that the ministry admit for counselling three times the number of seats available to ensure the unfilled seats dont go back to the state, he said.

Students who are dependents of NRIs can get admission under the NRI quota in deemed universities after furnishing relevant documents.

Experts say implementing a project of such large scale perfectly can take time. We have to maintain the quality of doctors, and common entrance exam and counselling will go a long way in achieving that, says Dr KK Talwar, former chairman Medical Council of India.
Taking a swipe at the Prime Ministers proposed hunger strike over the non-functioning of Parliament, Congress president Rahul Gandhi wondered on Wednesday if PM Narendra Modi would observe a fast on the Unnao incident which, he said, has shamed humanity.

The barbarism inflicted on a father seeking justice for his daughter in Uttar Pradesh has shamed humanity. Hope the prime minister will soon observe a fast over atrocities against women, failed law and order and increasing anarchy under the BJPs watch, Gandhi said on Twitter.

In Unnao, a 50-year-old man, whose daughter had accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape, had died in custody earlier this week.

The Congress president also posted a purported video in which the womans father is seen speaking against the BJP MLA, whose brother has been arrested in connection with the incident. The purported video, in which the man alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLAs brother and others, was shown by several TV channels.

The 18-year-old woman has alleged that her father was killed at the behest of the lawmaker.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: The Unnao rape victim cried for justice and pleaded with (UP CM) Yogi Adityanath for eight-nine months. However, the Yogi government did not budge because the MLA was protected by him.

Gandhis dig at Modi came against the backdrop of the PMs proposed fast on Thursday against the washout of the second leg of the budget session of Parliament that ended on April 6 due to protests by opposition parties. This will be part of his BJPs day-long hunger strike on the issue.

HC takes stock

In the Unnao case, the Allahabad high court sought on Wednesday the Uttar Pradesh governments stand, asking the advocate general or one of the additional advocates general to remain present during the course of hearing to apprise the court about the case and action being taken .

The court also ordered that the body of the victims father should not be cremated, if not done so. The body was, however, cremated on Tuesday.

Human rights group Amnesty International India, for its part, demanded an immediate and impartial investigation into the case.

The reported failure of the Uttar Pradesh Police to register an FIR against the accused, the harassment faced by the survivor and her family, and the death of her father in custody paint a chilling picture.

There must be an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into these violations, and authorities must take all steps to ensure that the survivor and her family are protected from any further harassment, Amnesty International Indias programme director Asmita Basu said.
Dineshwar Sharma, the Centres special representative to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), will visit the winter capital of the state on Thursday in the backdrop of protests held against the arrest of and subsequent charge sheet filed against eight people accused of raping and murdering an 8-year-old girl in January, senior home ministry officials said.

Sharma, who was visiting Srinagar on Wednesday, is supposed to spend an entire day in Jammu and return back to Delhi where he will brief the ministry of home affairs (MHA).

Sharmas latest visit gains significance owing to the strike called by the Jammu High Court Bar Association against the state police crime branch, which is probing the gang rape-murder case.

While speaking to HT over the phone, Sharma did not comment on Wednesdays strike but when asked about lawyers from the Jammu bar association trying to block the filing of the charge sheet against the eight accused, he said, All I can say at this moment is that the case has been investigated by the state police. It is my understanding that the investigation is complete and now the law should be allowed to take its own course.

I will be addressing all prevailing issues in Jammu, confirmed Sharma who did not elaborate on his plans when asked if he will visit the disturbed Kathua region of Jammu.

Sharmas Srinagar visit comes on a day when J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti met Union home minister Rajnath Singh at his residence in Delhi to discusses the security situation in the valley. Atleast three MHA officials confirmed to HT that security arrangements in Kashmir were discussed.
The eight-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by six men in Jammus Kathua district was kept sedated and sexually assaulted once again before being bludgeoned to death, reveals the chargesheet filed in the case. The accused had held her in captivity in a small village temple for a week in January.

The abduction, rape and killing of the Bakherwal girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area, reveals the 15-page chargesheet filed by Jammu and Kashmir Polices Crime Branch in the chief judicial magistrates court in Jammu on Monday.

It lists the caretaker of Devisthan, the small temple in Rassana village in Kathua, where the incident took place, as the main conspirator. Sanji Ram was allegedly joined by special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu, a juvenile, and Rams son Vishal Jangotra alias Shamma.

The chargesheet also names investigating officers  head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta  who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence. A separate chargesheet was filed on Tuesday on the role of the juvenile, who cannot be publicly named according to law.

All eight are under arrest. Lawyers in Jammu on Wednesday struck work in support of the accused.

How the crime unfolded

On January 11, six days before the childs body was recovered from the Rassana forest, the juvenile phoned his cousin Jangotra and asked him to return from Meerut where he was studying if he wanted to satisfy his lust, the chargesheet stated.

The eight-year-old had gone missing on January 10 while grazing horses in the forest. Investigators said the accused abducted the girl on the pretext of helping her find her horses. The day after, parents of the girl went to Devisthan and asked Ram about her whereabouts. He said she may have gone to a relatives house.

The juvenile, a school dropout, turned out to be a major player in the abduction and murder, raping the child repeatedly along with Jangotra and Khajuria.

Khajuria lured the juvenile to kidnap the girl on the assurance that he will help him in passing the board examination (through cheating). Subsequently, he shared the plan, worked out by Ram and Khajuria, with Parvesh, and asked for his help in executing the plan, the chargesheet stated.

Jangotra reached Rassana from Meerut after his cousins call and raped the sedated girl along with the juvenile and Mannu. Ram and his nephew performed the usual rituals to avoid suspicion. It was on Rams direction that the child was removed from the temple and taken to a a culvert in the nearby forest by Mannu, Jangotra and the juvenile with the intention of eliminating her.

According to investigation, Khajuria also reached the spot and told them to wait as he wanted to rape her before she is killed. The chargesheet said the girl was once again gangraped and later killed by the juvenile.

The juvenile hit the girl twice with a stone on her head and later dumped her body in the forest after their plan to throw the body in a canal could not materialise due to failure to arrange a vehicle, it said.

On January 23, about a week after the body was discovered, the government handed over the case to the Crime Branch, which formed a Special Investigation Team.

... in the course of investigation, it transpired that somewhere in the first week of January, accused Sanji Ram decided to put a plan to dislodge the Bakherwal community from Rassana, which had been brewing in his mind for quite sometime, into operation and in pursuance to that, he made accused Deepak Khajuria, a special police officer, and his nephew (juvenile) part of the conspiracy and assigned them tasks separately and individually, the chargesheet said.

Police help

Ram surrendered on March 20 after his son was arrested from Uttar Pradesh a day earlier. Investigations revealed that Ram gave Rs 4 lakh to the police officers investigating the case in three installments.

After the body was recovered, head constable Raj, who knew about the conspiracy, met Ram at his home and requested him to hand over one of the accused as things had gone out of control due to agitation by the Bakherwals. However, Ram paid Raj Rs 1 lakh to be passed on to sub-inspector Dutta.

The investigation explained in detail how the accused police officials destroyed crucial evidence by washing the clothes of the victim before sending them to the forensic laboratory and created false evidence at the scene.
The gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl from the nomadic Muslim community of Bakarwals in Jammus Kathua district has polarised the region on communal lines and once again exposed fault lines in the ruling coalition between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two BJP ministers in the state government led by chief minister Mehbooba Mufti questioned the role of the police, which has filed a charge sheet against eight people in the case, naming a retired revenue department official as the mastermind of the plot. According to the charge sheet, the accused wanted Bakarwals to move out of his village, Rasana in Kathua.

Read | Kathua chargesheet reveals chilling details of how 8-year-old was raped, bludgeoned

On Wednesday, the Jammu high court bar association organised a Jammu bandh (shutdown) to protest against the targeting of minority Dogras in the case. The two BJP leaders  industries and commerce minister Chander Parkash Ganga and forest minister Lal Singh  hit out at the police for arresting one or the other person at will and demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They also took part in the ensuing protest.

The girl disappeared close to her home in the forests next to Rasana village on January 10. Her body was found a week later, with the police saying she had been repeatedly raped.

PDP has bent over backwards to allow ministers, legislators and proxy support groups of the BJP the space to obstruct justice and shield the culprits, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said, reacting to the news of the protests surrounding the charge sheet.

A group called the Hindu Ekta Manch recently held a rally with the Tricolour, opposing the settlement of Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes in Kathua. It also demanded the release of a police officer accused of involvement in the rape and murder of the girl. Reports said the BJPs state secretary was part of the march. The BJP, however, distanced itself from the group.

Chief minister Mehbooba has reacted sharply to the rally: Appalled by the marches and protests in defence of the recently apprehended rapist in Kathua. Also horrified by their use of our national flag in these demonstrations, this is nothing short of desecration, she tweeted.

The PDP has lost some of its sheen in the Kashmir valley after forming an alliance with the BJP in 2015. While much of Mehboobas tenure has been spent trying to douse violence, she has pushed the Centre for talks with Kashmiri separatists in the hope of assuaging the anger of locals. She met home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday to discuss the security situation in the state.

Senior PDP minister Altaf Bukhari had said that his party would end the alliance with the BJP if it fails to deliver justice in the rape and murder case, soon after the National Conference trained its guns on the PDP for the ministers participation in the rally. Junaid Mattu, a spokesperson for the NC, attacked Mehbooba in a tweet.. Knowing all the facts - and seeing how her Cabinet Colleagues openly tried to shield the rapists and murderers of (the girl) - If Mehbooba Mufti still sits with these people in the Government  it will be the lowest ebb of her political career.
Four days after the deadline for stakeholders to submit their comments and suggestions for a uniform civil code (UCC) ended, the Law Commission of India revived the exercise on Tuesday setting a new cut-off date of May 6.

The Law Commission is examining changes in various personal laws to come up with a uniform civil code.

Earlier on March 19, the commission had issued a public appeal seeking views and objections to UCC by April 6. In a fresh notice on Tuesday, the commission said the deadline was extended following requests from stakeholders and an overwhelming response to the earlier notice. A commission official said more than 60,000 responses have been received by the panel on the UCC.

The commissions term ends in August.

The UCC has been a long-standing poll promise and ideological position of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but many minority groups have opposed it because they see it as an effort to erase their cultural and religious identities.

Last month, it said it will steer clear of most personal laws relating to Muslim marriage and divorce.

In June 2016, the law ministry sent a reference to the commission asking it for an in-depth examination of matters in relation to the Uniform Civil Code and whether the time was ripe for bringing it in.

In October that year, the commission had sought responses from political parties, religious groups and the public at large for comments and suggestions on the issue.

The commission issued an appeal on March 19 asking stakeholders and the public at large to send in their suggestions and comments on the issue of the UCC. The appeal also said that suggestions related to triple talaq should be excluded because a bill to criminalise the practice of Talaq-e-biddat or instant triple talaq is pending in Parliament.
Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of diverting peoples attention from his inability to resolve contentious issues with a day-long fast on April 12.

This is ridiculous and an attempt to run away from the crucial issues raised by the Opposition parties in the just-concluded Parliament session, Naidu, the BJPs friend-turned-foe said in a chat with media persons on the sidelines of a dinner hosted for delegates attending the three-day Happy Cities Summit that began in Amaravati.

The Prime Minister will fast in New Delhi on April 12 to protest against the disruption of Parliamentary proceedings by opposition parties. Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah will sit on fast in Karnataka while party MPs will do so across the country.

Who is responsible for the logjam in Parliament? Was it not the NDA government which was behind the AIADMK MPs, who stalled the proceeding of Lok Sabha, to avoid facing the no-confidence motion proposed by the Opposition? Naidu asked.

He felt if the Centre really wanted, it could have constituted the Cauvery Board as demanded by the AIADMK. The Supreme Court ordered that the Cauvery Board be constituted and the Centre could have done to do it to resolve the decades-long dispute (between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu). Who stopped Modi from doing it? he said.

The chief minister said it was wrong on the part of the Prime Minister to blame it on the Opposition for the Parliament logjam. Our MPs thoroughly exposed the deceit of the NDA government in not fulfilling the promises made in AP Reorganisation Act, including granting of special category status to AP, he said.

The TDP pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March over the Centres refusal to grant special category status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh after 14th Finance Commission removed the SCS concept.

Reiterating his governments commitment to continue the developmental programmes in the state with or without the central governments assistance, Naidu said the Centre had granted a pittance to the state for the construction of Amaravati, the new capital city of the state.

The farmers had voluntarily surrendered 34,000 acres of their land worth over Rs 55,000 crore for building the capital. But the Centre had given just Rs 1,500 crore, he said.

Naidu said the state was going ahead with the construction of the capital involving private sector without waiting for the Central assistance. If the Centre extends help, we will welcome it. Even otherwise, we would go ahead with the works with peoples cooperation. Several NRIs are coming forward to contribute their might for creating a world-class capital city, he added.

Asked why the Centre had not come forward to help Andhra Pradesh overcome the bifurcation blues, the chief minister said the BJP, perhaps, thought of gaining political mileage by weakening the state and forcing the TDP government to surrender before it for funds.

They wanted to gain control over the state by weakening the allies. But the TDP is a very strong party. That is why they have started looking for weak allies. They are joining hands with a party which is tainted with corruption and targeting us, he alleged.

But Naidu did not name any party.
Indias national security adviser Ajit Doval will travel to Russia later this week in a bid to reassure Moscow that the ties between the two countries are important to India and that they remain key defence, security and nuclear partners, officials familiar with the development said.

Doval will meet his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev on the trip, which was initially meant to be held before the NSA went to the US in March.

This visit is aimed at reassuring them that India places highest importance on the relationship with Russia, a time-tested strategic partner, said an official on condition of anonymity. During the trip, he will tell the Russians that India is keen on signing a commercial contract for acquiring a submarine  a Russian Navy Akula-2 which will be modernised to meet Indias needs -- for approximately US$ 2 billion later this year, the official added.

India and Russia are working on ways to step up defence ties, too, particularly through the joint production of spare parts.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had travelled to Russia earlier this month. Indias renewed focus on strengthening ties comes in the backdrop of a sense that the two countries were drifting apart -- with India getting closer to the US, and Russia getting closer to China and opening channels with Pakistan.

This partnership (Russia) has become even more relevant today as the world is readjusting to the emergence of new powers.

The partnership between India and Russia is multi-dimensional. It runs deep and is a fundamental pillar of Indias foreign policy. We have mutual trust and strategic convergence, the Indian ambassador to Russia, Pankaj Saran, told Russian newspaper Nizavisimaya Gazeta in a recent interview.

The official quoted above said India had a definite roadmap for nuclear cooperation with Russia. It has key components of localisation, partnering for setting up reactors in third-world countries that are made in India, he said.
Odishas ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday accused the Centre of delaying formation of Mahanadi river water disputes tribunal, alleging that this was being done with an eye on Chhattisgarh polls this year.

BJD legislators turned the heat on the BJP-led central government in the assembly, where the budget session resumed after an 11-day break, and said it was conspiring against Odisha.

House proceedings were adjourned following din over the tribunal and BJD legislators trooped out for a demonstration on the assembly premises.

The terms of reference (for forming the tribunal) have not been communicated yet to the chief secretary. Why is the Centre dilly-dallying on forming the tribunal? We will continue our fight to safeguard Odishas interests, said BJD chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy.

Last month, the Centre announced a three-member tribunal headed by Supreme Court judge Justice AM Khanwilkar would be formed to adjudicate the equitable sharing of Mahanadi water between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. In January, dismissing the Centres arguments, the SC had asked it to form the tribunal.

The river, which runs 851 km before draining into Bay of Bengal, fuels lower riparian Odishas economy and agriculture. The river courses through at least 20 of Odishas 30 districts.

BJD MLA Samir Das said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power at the Centre and in upper riparian Chhattisgarh, and it was evident why Odishas interests were being ignored. The Centre is trying very hard to help Chhattisgarh in the Mahanadi case. Why are the terms of reference taking so much time?

BJD leaders are gearing up to discuss the issue with Union minister of state for water resources, Arjun Ram Meghwal, at a meeting on inter-state river disputes on April 16.

Meghwal is scheduled to meet representatives of five states, including Odisha and Chhattisgarh, at the meeting. A day before meeting Meghwal, the BJD has convened a meeting of all elected representatives of the districts affected by drying up of Mahanadi after Chhattisgarh closed gates of Kalma barrage.

BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said Chhattisgarh had closed 66 gates of Kalma barrage leaving Mahanadi extraordinarily dry in early summer. This has severely affected the Mahanadi-dependent districts in Odisha, said Acharya.

BJD leaders are also opposing Chhattisgarhs move to construct a barrage on Maini river. It will adversely affect Ib river, a tributary of Mahanadi, and lead to water scarcity in Odisha, said Acharya.

Former Odisha water resources minister and BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra too said the delay over the tribunal was not helping the state. The Centre has already taken enough time to constitute a tribunal. Now, it should immediately announce the terms of reference and try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, he said.

Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik said even though the Supreme Court asked the Centre to take quick action, it was dragging its feet. This shows it has no concern for Odisha and is only trying to favour Chhattisgarh, said Patnaik, a former state Congress president.

BJP legislator Pradip Purohit, however, said BJD was resorting to drama over the tribunal.

Reacting to the days developments in the assembly, BJP general secretary and the partys Odisha in-charge, Arun Singh, said the Mahanadi issue could not be resolved as long as the BJD was in power. Once we come to power, the Mahanadi issue can be resolved in six months, Singh, who reached Bhubaneswar for a party meeting, told journalists.

Told about the developments in Odisha and BJDs allegation that the Centre was deliberately going slow on the tribunal, Chhattisgarh water resources minister Brijmohan Agrawal said, We do not do politics over water.

He added, One gate is open at Kalma barrage. There is less rainfall, so there is less water.

(With inputs from Ritesh Mishra, Raipur)
With the BJP in a damage control mode following the Dalit agitation and the Unnao gang rape case in which the survivor has named an MLA, the Uttar Pradesh unit of the party has asked all its 311 lawmakers to remain alert for a phone call from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

All the BJP lawmakers have been asked to keep their phones on from 11 am, the time around which the Prime Minister could talk to them, Vijay Bahadur Pathak, the general secretary of the state unit of the BJP confirmed.

There was no clarity if Modi would speak to all the MLAs on a conference call or to just a few of them.

We have no idea what the Prime Minister would like to talk to us about. Lets see, a BJP lawmaker said.

Modis phone call has been timed hours before BJP chief Amit Shah begins a day long visit to Lucknow to take stock of Yogi Adityanath governments rule in Uttar Pradesh. Shahs visit is taking place amid growing discontent from within the party over the handling of Dalits in the state.

Shah would garland the statue of Dalit icon Jyotiba Phule that was built during the rule of BSP chief Mayawati on Phules birth anniversary.

The optics apart, Shah is also scheduled to meet BJP allies like Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, an OBC, who has been accusing the Adityanath government of bias towards allies. Three Dalit MPs of the BJP have recently written to the PM alleging caste discrimination by the Adityanath government and in general.

Rajbhar is also scheduled to hold a rally in Deoria later in the day where his speech would indicate if discussions with Shah were fruitful, an SBSP leader said.

While Dalits and OBCs are showing increasing signs of restlessness under the Adityanath government, it is the gang rape of an 18-year-old woman allegedly by Unnao MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his aides and the death of her father in judicial custody has pushed the state government on the backfoot.

The rape survivor had made an immolation bid outside the chief ministers residence in Lucknow on Sunday alleging that she had been denied justice. The matter escalated when her father who had been arrested after being beaten allegedly by the MLAs brother and his aides died in judicial custody on Monday.

His body bore several injury marks indicative of brutal beating.

The chief minister has ordered the police to submit a preliminary report of the Special Investigating Team set up to probe the case by Wednesday evening itself. The BJP lawmakers brother has been arrest in connection with the assault and death of the man whose daughter has levelled rape allegations on the MLA, an official of the chief ministers office said.

The UP Police insists that it will get to the bottom of the case, but Kuldeep Singh Sengar has not yet been questioned by the police.
Two militants escaped from the scene of a gunbattle in south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Thursday even as a soldier and four civilians caught in the crossfire were killed, police and army officers said.

The two militants escaped amid intense protests and one of them is probably injured, said a senior state police officer, on condition of anonymity.

Separatists have called for shutdown on Thursday to protest the deaths of the civilians that included two teenagers.

They were pelting stones while being in the firing arc, with terrorists firing heavily from the other side. It was not an usual law-and-order situation because the forces were on one side of the river Jhelum and the protesters on the other side. They were hit in the crossfire, the officer quoted above said.

The deaths, coming about a week after 13 militants, four civilians and three soldiers died on a single day, left the Valley tense with authorities suspending high-speed internet in several areas, including Srinagar.

Cordon and search operations were launched in Kulgam after inputs of militant presence in the Khudwani area, a police spokesperson said early this morning. Search operations were continuing Wednesday evening.

The slain soldier, Sada Gunakara Rao (24) was hit by bullets during the operation, Srinagar-based defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said. He was from Andhra Pradesh and had joined the army in 2012, Kalia said.

A police spokesperson identified three of the dead civilians as 28-year-old Sharjeel Ahmed Sheikh of Khudwani and Bilal Ahmed Tantray of Frisal and Faisal Ilahi of Melhoora, Shopian, both around 16 years old. The fourth civilian was identified as Aijaz Ahmed Palla from Bijbehara in Anantnag, said to be around 30 years old.

The police spokesperson said that 12 people were injured in the crossfire and were being treated at different hospitals. However, data available from hospitals in south Kashmirs Anantnag and Kulgam districts reveal that over 60 protesters were injured.

Protesters took to the streets across the Valley, including several educational institutes. Several areas in the restive south Kashmir region saw a spontaneous shutdown. Educational institutions in Kulgam were closed over fears about a deterioration in law and order.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday took up with her Georgian counterpart Mikheil Janelidze the issue of Indian students being denied entry into that country despite having valid visas.

Janelidze assured me that he would look into the matter personally and resolve it, Swaraj said in a tweet.

@SushmaSwaraj Why Georgian Government denying entry for Indian students in Georgia even after having valid D3 visa. Deported Students and their parents want to meet you. Please suggest the time and place where we can meet to discuss the issue. #SOS, said a tweet by one Prashant Kamlakar.

Responding to the tweet, the external affairs minister said that she was aware of the issue and the Indian Embassy had taken up the matter.

I have spoken to His Excellency Mr Mikheil Janelidze, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. He assured me that he will look into this matter personally and resolve this, Swaraj said in a late evening tweet.

Reacting to another tweet on a missing Indian family in the US, the Union minister said she has asked for a report in the incident from the Indian Consular General in San Francisco. The family was on a road trip from San Francisco to Portland.
The three Indian nationals hailing from Himachal Pradesh who were kidnapped by pirates in Nigeria have been released, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

All three worked in the merchant navy and hailed from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.

We have secured the release of Sushil Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Kumar who were abducted in Nigeria, Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

We have secured the release of three Indian nationals Sushil Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Kumar - all from Himachal Pradesh who were abducted in Nigeria. I appreciate the efforts of Shri B.N.Reddy Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria. @jairamthakurbjp pic.twitter.com/hDZVqWSKRi  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 11, 2018

She also appreciated the efforts of Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria BN Reddy in this regard.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed gratitude to the Centre for the safe release of abducted Himachali men. All three are safe and will reach India in another three days, the CM said.

Union health minister JP Nadda also thanked the external affairs minister for their safe release. I thank Honble @SushmaSwaraj Ji and officials of Indian Embassy for their painstaking efforts in securing the safe release of three youths of Himachal Pradesh from captivity in Nigeria, he tweeted.

I thank Honble @SushmaSwaraj Ji and officials of Indian Embassy for their painstaking efforts in securing the safe release of three youths of Himachal Pradesh from captivity in Nigeria.  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) April 11, 2018

Families delighted, thank government

Raghuvir Singh, father of one of the kidnapped men Sushil Kumar, expressed delight and thanked the Central government for securing safe release of his son and two others.

Our legislator Arjun Singh called me around 2pm and informed that Sushil, Pankaj and Ajay have been released. I also had a word with former chief minister and BJP MP Shanta Kumar. I am very thankful to the government. Our agony has ended and we are happy, said Singh.

Singh was first to raise the matter in media.

(With agency inputs)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengars wife Sangeeta Sengar met Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) on Wednesday and demanded a narco-analysis test on her husband as well as on the woman who has accused him of rape.

I have demanded an independent inquiry into the allegations as my husband is unnecessarily being framed in a rape case. It is a conspiracy to end his political career, she told media in Lucknow.

She was accompanied by BJP MLA Shailesh Kumar Singh Shailu, who also led five other party member of legislative assemly (MLA) to meet chief minister Yogi Adityanath in support of Sengar .

There is a feeling that the MLA is being framed. An independent probe, along with a narco test, should be undertaken to ensure the genuineness of allegations, Shailesh Kumar Singh Shailu said.

He was accompanied by at least five other MLAs. The CM has assured us that justice will be done, an MLA said after the meeting on the condition of anonymity

Sangeeta Sengar said her husband confined himself in a room and was not speaking to anybody. My family wants the truth to come out before the media and the people. Those behind the conspiracy should be exposed, she said.

Sangeeta said the media had already declared her husband guilty of raping the woman. Sengar has denied the charges.

The woman and her family have not presented any evidence against my husband till now. One should not be projected as a rapist without any evidence, she said.

The victim has alleged Sengar and his aides raped her on June 4 last year and that attempts to register a complaint were thwarted by the local police. The victims father was allegedly attacked by Sengars brother on April 3 and he died of injuries in jail last Sunday. A special investigation team is probing the case.
Uttar Pradesh BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar made a midnight visit to the Lucknow police on Wednesday as pressure mounted for his arrest over allegations that he raped a teenager last year and that his brother fatally assaulted the girls father to force the family into dropping the case.

But instead of arresting him, as media reports suggested prior to his visit, a policeman at the office of the senior superintendent told Sengar that he will be contacted if needed.

When there is an arrest warrant, call me, Sengar was heard telling the police, minutes after he insisted to reporters that he was being framed.

I just came here to prove that I have done no wrong and would be here anytime the police wants me, he told reporters as he was leaving.

The rape and the fathers death triggered widespread anger and strong criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party state government led by Yogi Adityanath, who held a meeting with party boss Amit Shah in Lucknow hours earlier.

Late evening, a special team of state police also submitted a report.

On Wednesday, the Allahabad high court took cognisance of the case and asked the state government for a response.

Earlier in the day, the 18-year-old woman said that she and her family had been placed under house arrest and told a social worker she met that Sengar had also sexually harassed other girls.

We are not allowed to move out, we are constantly guardedthey want us to break down, the woman told media. The administration denied the charges and said the family had been put up in a local hotel and several police personnel deputed for their security.

The woman has accused Sengars brother Atul of attacking her father, who was later arrested for allegedly illegally possessing firearms, and died in judicial custody.

The alleged rape took place on July 4 last year but the MLA has not been formally named in the investigation. A day before the girls father died, she attempted to commit suicide in front of CM Adityanaths residence to force the police to prosecute the MLA.

Kuldeep Sengar raped me at his house, he promised me a job then and threatened to kill my family, the woman told media. He didnt allow us to study, kept my family under his thumb.

An activist with the Left-affiliated All India Democratic Womens Association (AIDWA), Madhu Garg, who met the woman for an hour, said the victim had told her that Sengar would lock female students of a school he owned, and sexually harassed them. This created fear among the girls. Many stopped going to school. Even this girl dropped out after class 8, said Garg.

Sengars wife, who met the Uttar Pradesh additional director general of police on Wednesday, claimed he was being framed and demanded a narco-analysis test.

It is a conspiracy to end his political career, she told media in Lucknow. She was accompanied by BJP member of the legislative assembly (MLA) Shailesh Kumar Singh Shailu, who also led five other party legislatorst o meet chief minister Yogi Adityanath in support of Sengar .There is a feeling that the MLA is being framed, he said.

But the high court took cognizance of a letter written by a senior advocate, citing a Hindustan Times report, and converted it to a public interest litigation. The next hearing of the case is on Thursday and the HC asked the advocate general or one of the additional advocate generals to remain present during the hearing and apprise the court of the case and action taken.

We fail to understand why the investigating agency instead of arresting accused persons, arrested complainant, in connection with this case, the HC bench of chief justice DB Bhosale and justice Suneet Kumar observed, referring to the arrest of the womans father.
An 18-year-old woman, who has alleged rape by Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, on Wednesday accused the district administration of keeping her and her family in confinement.

The woman and her family have been staying at a hotel near Unnao since Monday when her father, who was allegedly thrashed by the MLAs brother, died.

I appeal to chief minister Yogi Adityanath to provide me justice. The district magistrate has confined me to a hotel room. They are not even serving me water. I just want the culprit to be punished, she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The woman has said that Kuldeep, the MLA from Bangarmau, and his aides raped her last year and accused the police of not probing her allegations. She also said that the police did not name Kuldeep in an official document which recorded her complaint later.

Read | All that has happened in Unnao rape case, a timeline

She attempted suicide in front of Adityanaths residence on Sunday, saying the police did not hear her out despite her repeated efforts to lodge a complaint.

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Kuldeeps brother Atul Singh Sengar on Tuesday for assaulting her father, who died of his injuries on Monday, and the state set up a special investigation team to look into the case amid pressure to act on the case.

The woman alleged that when her family returned to Unnao from Delhi earlier this month to file a petition seeking Kuldeeps name be included in the rape complaint, his brother and his aides assaulted her father. She also claimed that her father was killed at the behest of the BJP MLA inside the jail.

Read | SC to hear plea for CBI probe into Unnao gang rape and victims fathers death

He died on Monday, hours after he collapsed in prison where he had been detained after being assaulted by men purportedly connected to the MLA. The father too had accused Kuldeeps brother and his men of accosting him in Makhi and forcing him to withdraw the complaints.

The fathers autopsy report revealed that he died of shock and septicaemia from the beating and had 14 injury marks on his body.

SIT starts probe

The special investigation team (SIT), headed by additional director general of police (Lucknow zone) Rajeev Krishna, arrived at the womans house in Unnao to investigate the case.

I will send the interim report to the state govt by this evening. All the angles are being investigated. There is no pressure on the SIT. It is working independently, Krishna was quoted by ANI.

#Unnao: Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by ADG Lucknow zone Rajeev Krishna, arrived at the residence of Unnao rape victim. pic.twitter.com/t5WsglQMwg  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2018

The family will be provided full security. They have a relative in Delhi, now it is their decision if they want to live here in Unnao or in Delhi, he added.

Kuldeep has rejected the charge as a conspiracy by his opponents and said the complainant belonged to a low class.

Kuldeeps wife Sangeeta Sengar met director general of police OP Singh in Lucknow to plead for justice for my husband.

My husband is innocent. If he is proven guilty, the entire family will give up their lives. The way evidence is being hidden, it is not correct. We want justice, ANI quoted her as saying.
The 18-year-old woman, who has accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Bangarmau constituency Kuldeep Singh Sengar of raping her last year, said on Wednesday that she and her family have been put under house arrest in Uttar Pradeshs Unnao district.

I am seeking justice for the last one year; it is being denied to me, the BJP is saving the MLA. We are not allowed to move out, we are constantly guarded, she said, adding, we havent been given food or water. They want us to break down.

The administration denied the charges and claimed four rooms had been kept in a local hotel to ensure the safety of the woman and her family.

Four inspectors and 12 police constables stood guard in the hotel hall. Six policewomen were on the floor where the woman was given a room.

Kuldeep Sengar raped me at his house, he promised me a job then and threatened to kill my family, she told media. He didnt allow us to study, kept my family under his thumb.

An activist, Madhu Garg, who met the woman for an hour, said the survivor had told her that Sengar would lock female students of a school he owned, and sexually harass them.

Read | BJP legislator Kuldeep Sengar finally named in Unnao rape case, UP govt calls for CBI probe

This created fear among the girls. Many stopped going to school. Even this girl dropped out after Class 8, Garg said.

On June 4 (last year), when the girl was taken to the MLA with a job promise, he raped her. When she pleaded with the MLA to let her go, he wiped her tears and said that he would ensure her a job  if she stayed quiet and did not talk about the rape to anyone, the activist added.

Garg said the four-time MLAs influence ensured no one spoke against him. No police (officer) would tolerate any complaint against Sengar, said Garg, quoting her conversation with the complainant. The woman has now complained of fatigue and high levels of stress. Her relatives say she has fainted a number of times since Tuesday night.

The woman has alleged that Sengar and his aides raped her on June 4 last year. She has also said the police did not name Sengar in the official document that recorded her complaint.

On April 3 this year, her father was allegedly assaulted by the MLAs brother, Atul Singh Sengar. She said that three people barged into her house, tied her father to a tree and thrashed him before handing him over to the police, which registered a case against him for allegedly possessing an illegal firearm.

The father died in judicial custody last Sunday. Chief medical officer of Unnao Dr SP Chaudhary has said that there were 14 injuries found on his body and that he died of shock and septicaemia caused due to perforation in the intestine.

The state government has set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the charges, while six policemen have been suspended in this connection.

If Kuldeep Sengar is not hanged, I have reached a point where I will kill myself, she said, adding that all she wanted was a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He had assured me of justice when I met him in August last year; this government is doing nothing.

Her uncle said the family had no faith in the SIT and claimed it could be easily influenced.

We want the CBI to investigate this case. The government should order a CBI inquiry, he said. The woman had attempted self-immolation in front of Adityanaths residence on Sunday, saying the police did not hear her out despite her repeated efforts to lodge a complaint.
Maiden flights from Kota-Delhi commenced from Kota airport today.

Kota airport, established by Ex Royals of Kota, prior Independence, had landing facility for VIP flights or charter plains till August last year, when to and fro flights between Kota and Jaipur were started on the initiative of the Rajasthan government.

Amid the growing demand, a direct commercial flight service between Kota and Delhi was flagged off today.

Member of Parliament from Kota, Om Birla, who made regular efforts to start flight operation from Kota airport inaugurated the flight to be operated by Supreme Airlines.

Flights between Jaipur and Kota has been extended to Delhi where the aircraft would leave from Jaipur airport at

6am and each Kota at 6.45am and later would depart from Kota airport for Delhi at 7 am and would reach Delhi at 8.30 am, he said.

On the return leg, the aircraft would depart from New Delhi for Kota at 5 pm and reach Kota airport at 6.30 pm and later fly from Kota airport at 6.45 pm for Jaipur and reach Jaipur at 7.30 am.

Birla further added that efforts were underway to expand air connectivity from Kota to other cities including Indore and Ahmedabad.

A one-way trip from Kota to Delhi will cost 5,499. The air service from Kota to Delhi will be available six days a week -- from Monday to Saturday.

One of the passengers of Kota-Delhi flight, Rakesh Jain said, There was a great demand for flight service from Kota to Delhi. It is matter of great pleasure that the government has finally started flights from Kota to Delhi from today.

Lokesh Nirvan, Airport Officer, Kota said, that presently, Kota-Jaipur flights are also operational in the afternoon which would discontinue from April 16, as Kota-Delhi flights is an extension of the Kota-Jaipur flight and Kota-Delhi flights would run via Jaipur.
The Madhya Pradesh governments decision to purchase wheat from farmers at 2,000 per quintal by offering a special incentive of 265 higher than the Centres minimum support price (MSP) is proving to be headache for the Rajasthan government.

Farmers in Kota, Sikar and other parts of the state, are demanding similar prices for wheat. The Rajasthan government, however, is purchasing wheat at MSP of 1,735 for every quintal fixed by the Centre.

Madhya Pradesh has announced a special incentive of 100 every quintal for chana, masoor and mustard in the 2018 rabi marketing season.

According to an official order issued by the Madhya Pradesh government, wheat and other crops, including chana, mustard and masoor, will be eligible for the cash incentive irrespective of the rate at which it is sold in the market.

The state hasnt termed the scheme as a bonus to circumvent a central order that curbs state governments from declaring a bonus over the MSP.

Upset at lower prices prevailing in Rajasthan, farmers in Kota division are planning a jail bharo andolan on April 12, to protest against what they call lower MSP and inadequate arrangements for purchase of wheat and other rabi crops at the mandis.

At most mandis, farmers are being forced to sell wheat at 1,500 every quintal. Farmers are also getting lower prices for chana, which is being sold at about 1,000 every quintal lesser than the MSP, said Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sangarhsh Samiti convener Fatehchand Bagla.

We will stage protest at the Kota collectorate on Thursday and also court arrest, he said.

Kisan Mahapanchayat president Rampal Jat said since Madhya Pradesh was a neighbouring state it was natural that farmers in Rajasthan will expect similar prices. When MP government can purchase wheat at 2,000 per quintal, there is no reason why the Rajasthan government cannot do the same, he said.

State agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini said MSP was fixed by the Centre and the new norms prohibit declaring a bonus over and above the MSP.

In Rajasthan, the Food Corporation of India is purchasing wheat at 207 designated centres at 1,735 every quintal. Rajasthan is the fifth largest wheat producer in the country.

Rajasthan, which goes to the polls in the next few months, has faced a series of farmers agitations in the past one year due to crash in prices and crop damage.

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje in her last budget before the elections announced a farm loan waiver of up to 50,000 for small and marginal farmers that will cost the state exchequer more than 8,000 crore.

Besides, the farm loan waiver, the state government has constituted a permanent farm commission and has allocated 5,000 crore interest-free loans to the Rajasthan State Co-operative Marketing Federation for procuring mustard and gram.
The battle for control on Bengals panchayats may have shifted to the courts but If the ongoing violence is being described by all opposition parties and even intellectuals as unprecedented in respect to rural polls in recent history then it is BJPs fast growth that can be cited as one of the catalysts.

While, Congress and the Left parties bled profusely in recent years, BJPs vote share rose steadily to pose threat to opposition parties and Trinamool Congress. Despite its small presence in most districts, BJP is now being accused of inciting violence by even heavyweights of the ruling Trinamool who, till the other day, almost refused to acknowledge its presence.

Read: Shah kicks off booth chalo drive in Naxalbari with lunch at villagers hut

Results of some recent elections explain why BJP is no more the shadow boxer it had been during the 34-year-long Left regime in Bengal.

In the Uluberia Lok Sabha by-poll- the last big contest held in Bengal in February 2018 - BJP lost to Trinamool but emerged second with 23.29 per cent vote against the CPI(M)s 11.04 per cent and the Congresss 1.84 per cent. BJP also came second in the Noapara assembly by-poll held during the same time.

In August 2017, the CPI(M) could not win even one out of 148 wards in seven urban civic bodies where by-elections were held. Trinamool Congress swept the polls held at Dhupguri, Haldia, Panskura, Durgapur, Coopers Camp, Nalhati and Buniyadpur municipalities. Shocking all parties, BJP wrested six seats and emerged second in the race, keeping Left parties behind in the final tally in most of the civic bodies. With one seat, the Forward Bloc was the only Left Front partner to score.

Read: TMC virtually unopposed in zilla parishad, nominations for Bengal rural polls extended

The civic body results came barely four months after BJP state leaders started working on the strategy party president Amit Shah prepared during a three-day trip to Bengal in May 2017.

Taking on the organisational strategy of the Marxists, Shah asked Bengal BJP leaders to spread out to the states 77,000 odd polling booth areas.

To strengthen the organization and fortify it, Shah told party leaders at a closed-door meeting that the process of purchasing land and property for setting up Karyalayas or party offices in all districts should be completed by June 2017, senior state BJP leaders said on condition of anonymity.

We will strengthen our presence at the booth level. To achieve this, party workers across Bengal will undergo training. The panchayat polls will be the quarter-final, the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 will be the semi-final and the Assembly polls in 2021 will be the final match, Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh announced at a party meeting days after Shah left.

Read: Party workers being killed in Bengal as TMC is disturbed by our growth: BJP

Having witnessed the effectiveness of Shahs strategy in the Lok Sabha, assembly and civic by-polls, CPI(M) should now have more reasons to worry about the coming panchayat polls than Trinamool. Clearly, BJPs vote share in Bengal is growing at the cost of Lefts losses.

The civic polls proved that despite allegations of electoral malpractice, even by the BJP, voters chose BJP as the main opposition, rejecting CPI(M) and Congress.

Had the last election been free and fair, we would have done much better. Our main job in the panchayat polls will be to counter state-sponsored violence, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said a few days ago.

BJP president Amit Shah and the partys Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh having lunch at a scheduled tribe couples hut in Naxalbari in north Bengal in May 2017. (HT Photo)

If our men are beaten up we will not watch quietly. We also know how to adopt the right counter measures, Dilip Ghosh thundered after the first shots were fired allegedly to stop opposition candidates from filing nomination papers.

As reports of violence poured in from villages across Bengal, statements by ruling and opposition parties only helped BJP hit the headlines.

Hours after CPI(M) central committee member and former Lok Sabha MP Ramchandra Dom suffered head injury in a clash at Birbhum district on Thursday, CPI(M) Politburo member Biman Bose alleged that in several districts Trinamool and BJP leaders had joined forces to drive Left parties out of the race. Democracy is in peril, quipped Bose.

Read : Bengal poll panel scraps overnight order extending deadline for nominations in panchayat elections

Faced with endless allegations, even Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee alleged on Thursday that BJP leaders, and not those from his own party, were spreading violence. The canards are baseless. For zilla parishad seats, BJP has filed more nominations than Trinamool, Chatterjee said.

Till Monday, the last day for filing nominations, the BJP managed to field candidates for around 50 per cent seats in the state although the target was 100 per cent.

Read: SC asks BJP to approach Calcutta HC over WB panchayat polls grievances

This is not the last election in Bengal. Another one is coming next year. People will see what we are capable of, said Ghosh, reacting to Mondays Supreme Court order that asked the BJP to move the state election commission with its demand for deployment of Central forces, extension of deadline for filing nomination and provision to file nomination papers online.
Dalit students of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) have threatened to launch a massive agitation on campus from April 14 if the university administration does not remove the iron grills surrounding the statue and bust of Dr BR Ambedkar.

In view of the recent vandalisation of Ambedkar statues in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, the statues and busts of the dalit icon are being secured with iron grills. Authorities at BBAU Lucknow have also encaged Ambedkars statue and bust with an iron grill and a collapsible channel gate.

On behalf of all dalit students, Basant Kanaujiya, a research scholar of the university, has given a representation to vice chancellor RC Sobti, saying that if by April 14, the 127th birth anniversary of Babasaheb, the university does not get the iron grills removed, they will launch a massive agitation on campus.

If the university does not remove the iron grills around Babasahebs statue, dalit students will be forced to do so. If in that process any untoward incident takes place, the university administration will be held accountable and responsible, Basant said.

Dalit students of the university said they would patiently wait for the university to remove the iron grills till the eve of Ambedkars birth anniversary.

Kanaujiya said dalits were pained to see the statue and bust of Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, encaged on the campus.

He said this was not the first time the university had taken such steps. In the past, the university attempted to change the logo of the university and prevented dalit students from celebrating Ambedkars jayanti. The varsity also changed Ambedkar Bhawan into administrative block.

According to the students, the university is spread over 256 acres and 140 retired army personnels have been recruited to guard the campus with the support of innumerable CCTV cameras. Hence, there is no need to encage Ambedkars statue and bust for security reasons.

Officials not willing to be named said the statue was been surrounded by an iron grill to keep trouble-makers away as any damage could lead to law and order problems.

The university administration, however, maintained that there was no threat to the statue and the step had been taken in view of maintenance work of the entire platform.

There is no history of damage to statues of any iconic leader on the campus. The statues have been surrounded with iron grills as maintenance work is in progress, said university spokesperson Rachna Gangwar.

It is just a coincidence that maintenance work of Ambedkars statue platform is taking place on the campus at a time when incidents of vandalism have come to light, she said.
Deserted roads, villagers confined to their houses and heavy police force outside the alleged rape victims house.

This was the scene in the victim girls village in Unnao on Tuesday as an uneasy calm prevailed there after the death of the girls father in judicial custody on Monday morning.

Anger against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Atul Singh Sengar, who were accused by the girl of raping her along with their aides, is simmering among villagers but nobody was ready to speak against him due to fear of the legislator and his henchmen.

The MLAs sprawling house is barely at 100 meters from the victims dilapidated house, where heavy police force has been deputed after her fathers death to avert any further trouble in the village.

Who will speak against vidhayak ji (the MLA) when we have to spend our whole life in the same village, said a local not willing to be named. He said he felt that this matter was going to escalate as the girls family members were not willing to succumb before the MLA.

Another villager said the MLA and his aides almost control the area for last many years and nobody could dare to speak against him. He said the MLAs aides often thrash and harass families living in the village.

Enough police force, including provincial armed constabulary, has been deployed in the village to avert any trouble as well as safety of the victims family, said Circle Officer (CO) of Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh, who is camping in the village since Monday.

The victims family, too, is staying in a hotel in Unnao city area since Monday and had not returned to the village till late Tuesday evening.

The victims uncle said he had received multiple calls from the MLA and his aides to settle the issue since the matter was highlighted in the media. He said district magistrate of Unnao Ravi Kumar and superintendent of police Pushpanjali Devi have assured him and his family safety but he was cautious and preferred staying in Unnao city area, around 20 km from his village.

He said he and his entire family will stay in Unnao city area and move to the village only after full safety is ensured.
In fresh trouble for actor Salman Khan, a city sessions court has issued a bailable arrest warrant against him after he did not turn up for substitution of a bail surety in the 2002 accident case.

A surety is a person who promises to the court to supervise an accused who is out on bail.

A police official said Salmans lawyer had filed an application in the Supreme Court to replace a surety in February.

The apex court asked the actor to name the new surety before the concerned trial court. Salmans lawyer told the SC that one of the sureties had required discharge and needed to be replaced, said a police official.

Read | I wasnt drunk, didnt drive car: Salman Khans statement to court

Following the order, the sessions court issued a notice to Salman, after which the Bandra police visited his house in the first week of March. The police handed over the notice to actors father Salim Khan. During the first notice, the actor was in Dubai, said another official.

However, Salman and his lawyer did not appear before the court, the judge issued another notice and asked the police to specifically hand over the notice to the actor. The notice was given to him in the last week of March, but this time neither Salman nor his lawyer approached the court, said the official.

Read | 2002 hit-and-run case: Five things Salman Khan said in Mumbai court

On April 4, additional session judge MG Deshpande issued a bailable arrest warrant against the actor and asked the Bandra police to submit the report on April 11.

Salman still awaits the final verdict in the accident case as the appeal filed against his acquittal by the Bombay high court is yet to come up for hearing before the apex court. The actor was accused of driving his Toyota Land Cruiser under the influence of alcohol and running over five people sleeping on the pavement. One person was killed and four injured. The incident took place outside a bakery in Bandra in the early hours of September 28, 2002.

The actor was sentenced to five years in jail by a sessions court under the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in May 2015.

But he was acquitted of all charges by the Bombay high court in December 2015. The Bombay high court set aside the conviction of the actor, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove that the actor was driving the vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
In the backdrop of the killing of two local Shiv Sena leaders in Ahmednagar late last week, the party mouthpiece Saamana has attacked the state government and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis raising question over the existence of the home minister.

The newspapers editorial, while citing the recent atrocities against women in Mumbai, has termed it a failure of the law and order in the state.

The newspaper, whose editor is party chief Uddhav Thackeray, has slammed Bharatiya Janata Party for its strategy of inducting politicians with criminal backgrounds into its fold ahead of the 2014-Assembly elections for political gain.

The mouthpiece said that Shivaji Kardile was one of them. The people of Maharashtra know who has been mentoring these goons and who is standing firm by these criminals. The BJP leaders who bent before these elected representatives just to ensure the claim over power in the state, are responsible for these deterioration of the law and order, it stated.

Kardile, local BJP MLA from Ahmednagar district, has been arrested for the killing of two Sena leaders. His son in law, Sangram Jagatap, and his father, Arun Jagtap, (both are Nationalist Congress Party legislators) are also behind the bars in the case along with their supporters.

Shiv Sena has been staunchly criticising the state government for the violence in the Ahmednagar district, which believably erupted as fall out of the rivalry between candidates in the fray for by polls of civic body held last week. It has been criticising BJP for joining hands with Congress and NCP in Ahmedsnagar politics to keep away Shiv Sena from the fray.

BJP president Amit Shah had likened the opposition with snakes, mongooses, dogs and cats in his speech during partys foundation day last week. But these same animals (from opposition) were given shelter in 2014 for political benefits and now they are posing threat to the law and order. The Ahmednagar killing is a blot on the image of the state, the editorial says.

Saamana has questioned whether the government has home minister in existence. During the public interview with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by Saamanas executive editor Sanjay Raut on Monday, the former was questioned if the state should have an independent home minister.

In response the CM had said, Most of the administrative powers related to the police force lie with the chief minister. Even the then home minister RR Patil used to tell me that the home department should be handled by the CM as powers of transfer or suspension and clearing crucial cases are bestowed with the head of the government. I dont think there should be a separate home minister or the department has failed in controlling crime. The crime rate has dropped and the conviction rate has improved, he said.
The sessions court convicted a cleric for performing black magic on a 25-year-old woman on the pretext of doing pooja and subsequently, sexually abusing her.

The cleric Navil Malik has been sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years for sexually abusing the woman, who he promised to treat for sade sati dosh (astrological phase generally referred as evil period).

The court has also sentenced him to three years in prison for performing black magic on the victim.

The victim, a married woman, claimed that her family knew Malik as they used to visit the same mosque.

She said that she married into a Hindu family, but had moved back to her fathers place in August 2015 over financial problems at her husbands place.

The victim further claimed that Malik convinced his family that they were suffering from sade sati dosh for which, he agreed to perform a pooja.

She claimed that Malik would come to their place and write some words on pieces of paper, move them and get them burned as a treatment.

He also used to give them water and drinks while chanting some prayers.

Public prosecutor Sulbha Joshi said that when the victim shifted to her fathers house, the cleric claimed that the victim also suffered from the same dosh.

On September 2, 2015, he asked her parents to wait downstairs while he took her to a room claiming that he had to perform a pooja on her.

The victim claimed that on the pretext of performing the pooja, he asked her to get a glass of water, and then made her sit in front of him.

He put some tablets in the water and asked her to drink it.

He then wrote some prayers in Urdu, moved the pieces of paper around her head and burnt them. He placed his hand on her head and read out some prayers. He then blew some air on her face after which, she started feeling giddy and became unconscious.

When she regained consciousness, she realised that the accused had sexually abused her.

The woman immediately informed her family members and they lodged a complaint.

Malik was then booked for rape and performing black magic on the womans family members.
Louis Berger, part of DB Engineering-led consortium, has bagged a contract for project and construction management services for the Metro-4 (Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavli) corridor. As part of the consortium that includes DB Engineering and Hill International, Louis Berger will prepare, package and finalise tender documents for system contracts.

The 32.32-km-long Wadala-Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarvadavli Metro will connect Wadala in central Mumbai and the neighbouring Thane district via the Eastern Express highway. The elevated metro corridor will have 32 stations.

In July 2015, the US-based firms India unit was under scrutiny, after senior officials of the company allegedly admitted to bribing ministers to bag consultancy projects in Goa and Assam. A month later, the state ordered an inquiry into consultancy contracts awarded to the firm.

Louis Berger self-identified, self-investigated and voluntarily self-reported improper payments made in 2010 and prior by former managers who were separated from the company following the results of our early investigations, a company spokesperson said.

Stating that they have not been barred by any government agency from tendering, they said, As a company based in the US, we reported these issues to the US Department of Justice and supported their investigations, finally resulting in a settlement with the US government in 2015. We remain committed to cooperate fully with Indian authorities in their investigation. Louis Berger, operating under the new leadership in India, is committed to ethical business practices, having invested more than $25 million over seven years to bring in world-class compliance systems, policies and ethical standards.

This latest win highlights Louis Bergers commitment and contribution to Indias strategic growth, said Jim Bach, president of Louis Bergers International division, in a release.

The firm has also been named as consultant for the Versova-Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) project and a package of the 701-km Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway.

Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, The company has not been blacklisted and it is a part of a consortium. Even if the state government takes action now, we can ask the consortium to look for a different partner.

The corridor is expected to provide connectivity between the eastern expressway, central railway, monorail, proposed Metro 2B (D N Nagar and Mandale), proposed Metro 5 (Thane to Kalyan), proposed Metro 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli) and Metro 8 (Wadala to GPO). The total estimated cost of the construction is 15,549 crore ($2.26 billion USD).
If we were to take Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his well-chosen words on protecting and conserving environment, weneed not worry at all. But the truth lies at a considerable distance from the politicians words, never mind his intentions.

The latest is the uproar over the Mahim Nature Park, the 37-acre oasis of flora and fauna abutting the Mithi river and Dharavi slum. Created by dedicated conservationists with help from state authorities in the 1990s, the Mahim Nature Park has been coveted by the citys avaricious builder lobby. In early March, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, which is the nodal agency for the redevelopment of Dharavi, invited objections to including the Park in its Dharavi Redevelopment Plan.

Environmentalists were up in arms and the Shiv Sena uncharacteristically threw in its weight. Fadnavis was forced to clarify that The Mahim Nature Park was included in the DRP because of its proximity to the area. But this does not mean any construction will be allowed on it. Despite this and the objections received, the Park continues to be a part of the Dharavi Redevelopment Plan. The Slum Rehabilitation Authority has stuck to its guns. Who heads it? Fadnavis, of course.

Parallel to this is the continuing storm over Mumbais salt pan land spread across nearly 5,300 acres. Fadnavis first mooted three years ago that the salt pans could be rezoned to divert them for affordable housing; then, his government asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to prepare a detailed plan. He has since then worked in step with the central government  the authority for the salt pans  to tweak law so that the land is excluded from wetlands, thus opening it up for construction. He seems to have ignored that the salt pans act as a natural buffer along Mumbais coastline and protect the city from flooding. Reclaiming them, constructing on them, may well spell danger.

Then, there are heavy infrastructure projects planned in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the only forest in an urban setting anywhere in the world. Spread over 103.84 sq km, the SGNP is home to a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, it is Mumbais source of water, and its natural air purification eco-system.

The staggering list of projects planned or approved there includes an underground tunnel from Borivli to Thane, a nearly 10-km tunnel for Mulund-Goregaon Link Road, a ropeway connecting Borivali and Thane, and a multi-modal corridor. Other projects that will cut across or skirt it include widening of the national highway connecting Mumbai-Ahmedabad and construction of the Mumbai-Delhi corridor. Add to this the land taken from the nearby Aarey forest for the car depot of Metro III.

Do we know the cumulative impact of all these projects on the citys environment? No, because there is no mechanism that estimates it. If all the projects are implemented, the SGNP will simply die, said Bittu Sahgal, among Indias foremost environmentalists. It may be a good idea for Fadnavis to meet Sahgal, and committed environmentalists like him, to understand the impact of his decisions.

Then theres the coastal road which too will change the citys western coastline forever and alter the citys relationship with the sea. And theres the eastern waterfront where coastal land is sought to be monetised for business and leisure activities.

So when we place Fadnavis statements such as the government is committed to a green and clean Mumbai or environment conservation must become a part of our lifestyle against the relentless series of anti-green decisions, his exhortation to Mumbaiites to celebrate Diwali in a pollution-free manner against his unwillingness to review his decisions which adversely impact the environment, the gap between the talk and walk is very wide, indeed.

The conflict between development and environment is a false one, created by those who push for a certain kinds of big-ticket projects at all costs. These should not be undertaken without respect for natural eco-systems. And Mumbais reality is that it is a complex system of estuaries, wetlands, mangroves and rivers abutting the sea. The wise would not indiscriminately play with it.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has put its plan on hold to build Mumbais first crocodile park at artificial Powai lake until the Metro-6 corridor is built by 2022.

In 2016, Congress former corporator Pravin Chheda had proposed to ban fishing and discharge of sewage in the lake. In a notice of motion, Chheda had also proposed to convert part of the lake into a crocodile park.

Two years later, in its standing committee meeting on Wednesday, the BMC announced that although it had invited tenders to beautify the lake promenade and build separate basking areas for crocodiles, it decided to suspend any new project at the lake owing to Metro-6 (Lokhandwala complex-Kanjurmarg-Vikhroli) work which will start this year. An official said the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) may beautify the promenade after Metro work. Chheda said, My plan included a resting area for crocodiles at one corner of the lake with a viewing point for citizens. Caretakers would have been appointed for crocodiles. I do not understand why the BMC could not work on this proposal in the last two years. It could have been finished before the Metro-6 work.

Although Powai residents had welcomed the move, Elsie Gabriel, founder of Young Environmentalists Programme Trust (YEPT), said crocodiles already have a natural habitat. We cannot keep a tab on all crocodiles and segregate their living space for show. However, now, the new Metro line along the promenade will upset the natural habitat of the lakes fauna.

Gabriel added, The lake has naturally formed islands where the crocodiles come up to rest.

Meanwhile, to save the aquatic life of the lake, the civic bodys hydraulic engineering department had planned two projects.

In a week, we will install aeration and dissolved-oxygen monitoring systems at suitable locations to help restore aquatic life.Work to divert sewage discharge will start in two weeks, said the official.

Corporators on Wednesday demanded that apart from the waste flowing into the lake, net fishing be stopped.
Three months after the completion of reconstructing a public swimming pool in Chembur, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to reopen the pool for public use due to refusal of its hydraulic department to supply water.

The hydraulic department has expressed concerns over supplying water to the pool. It is estimated the pool will need 20 lakh litres of water on a monthly basis. Civic officials were not willing to speak on record.

A senior civic official from the hydraulic department said, The water supply to be provided to the swimming pool has not been decided yet. We are looking at several factors considering the amount of water supply it will need. There is no water shortage problems for now but we cannot take an immediate decision when it comes to supplying bulk water.

The General Arun Kumar Vaidya Swimming Pool near Natraj Cinema in Chembur was shut down for repairs in 2007 and the BMC allocated Rs12 crore for revamp only in 2011. Majority of the repair work of the swimming pool was completed only by January this year. The delay has not only left citizens waiting but has also led to cost escalation. The total cost for the reconstruction of the swimming pool has shot up Rs19 crore.

A senior civic official said, Nearly 90% of the repair work has been completed. We have not received any replies from the water department for the supply. The cost increased as several new components were added later.

The BMC has seven public pools in the city  one in Dadar and the rest in the suburbs. It has also proposed eight new swimming pools. Tenders for three pools at Worli, Malad and Vikhroli have already been floated while remaining pools will be located at Andheri East and West, Dahisar and Govandi.

Local Shiv Sena corporator, Anil Patankar, blamed the contractor for the delay in reconstruction of the pool. The contractor has skipped three deadlines of completion and has been fined by the BMC previously. I have been following up with the work for the past five years. This is the only public pool that will cater to a larger population, he said.

The swimming pool area is around 1,338.82 square metres. The pool, into which 10 people can dive at the same time, has a spectators gallery that can hold 120 people. There is also parking facility for two and four-wheelers.

Rajkumar Sharma, coordinator of NGO AGNI from Chembur, said, Not everyone can afford membership in gymkhanas. There has to be public swimming pools in all areas so that everyone gets access to it. The BMC has been giving us vague replies for taking a decade to reconstruct the swimming pool. Also, they have no reason for shutting down the parking facility at the swimming pool, which has created traffic chaos near Chembur railway station.

While there are two swimming pools in the central suburbs of Mulund and Ghatkopar, the swimming pool in Chembur is the only one that caters to a larger population in the eastern suburbs. The pool is expected to cater to people from Mankhurd, Govandi, Trombay, Mahul and Chembur.
Citing low classroom attendance, a Kandivli college has barred 105 first-year Bachelor of Commerce (FYBCom) students from appearing for semester examinations that start today.

Officials from Kandivli Education Societys (KES) Shroff College said of the students barred from giving exams, 75 have less than 50% attendance while the rest have an attendance rate between 50% and 60%.

There were originally 200 students [with less than 60% attendance]. But after considering medical records of individual students and weighing the merits of allowing them to appear for examination, the list was finally brought down to 105 students. Most of these students have no medical records to justify their absence. For those who do, these records either pertain to the days they were actually present in college or dont cover their absence sufficiently, said Lily Bhushan, principal, KES Shroff College.

Last year too, the college had barred more than 100 FYBCom students from taking tests for low classroom attendance. When the students grievance redressal committee (SGRC) at the University of Mumbai (MU) directed the college to allow these students to appear for the exams, the college moved Bombay High Court (HC), which, in February, upheld the colleges decision.

KES Shroff College has set 60% as the cut-off rate of attendance for its students. We have a legacy [of strict attendance discipline] since 1998, the principal said.

Parents of the students have been requesting the college to let their children take the tests, but to no avail. Why is the college being so harsh? Its a degree college, not a school. All the other colleges allow low attendance, said Dilip Panchal, father of a student.

The parents sought an intervention from the varsity and SGRC. While the former rejected the request, the latter asked the college to review its decision.

However, the college has refused to change its decision. The SGRC has no locus standi to give a verdict in this matter. We reviewed the cases of individual students, but couldnt find a single case where student could be allowed to appear for exams, said Bhushan.

Last year, the court allowed Mithibai College, Vile Parle, to bar 97 TYBCom and 20 TYBA students from appearing for their final examinations.

However, on Tuesday, the court allowed three students of Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, Vile Parle, to appear for their BCom examinations despite low attendance, as one of them, a FYBCom girl, suffers from blood cancer, while two boys from SYBCom could not attend college as they were seriously injured in road accidents.

As per MUs ordinance 6086, which lays down rules for attendance, a student can only be allowed to keep terms if he/she maintains at least 75% average attendance in lectures, practicals and tutorials. It also requires a minimum of 50% attendance for each subject. However, the principals and heads of the institutes and departments can allow an additional 25% absence.
Wait a minute. Did that statue just move? Of course it did. At religious processions, temples, community celebrations, even at weddings, animatronic statues are more popular than ever. Gods will bless. Shivaji will wave. Sai Baba will stir a pot of food while a child picks morsels of his meal. Devotees will play instruments, complete with sound. Saraswatis peacock will shake his head.

One family has been responsible for bringing them to life. Santosh Kambli, better known as the man whos sculpted the Lalbaugcha Raja for 16 years, is also a third-generation creator of chalchitra or moving tableau. He operates out of a studio in Lalbaug.

Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in Shivaji Park included an idol that turned at the waist. (Rachel Lopez/HT photo)

The mechanics are simple. The mannequins are hollow and we use rods, plates, gears and small motors to get parts of the statue to move, says Kambli, 36. But what makes it interesting is the story these movements tell and how realistically they do it. We focus on creating scenes that are beautiful and spread a message.

Kambli and his team have created stages with elaborate scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, fashioned Vishnus ten avatars, mythological heroes vanquishing villains, and devotees bowing to gods and saints. Sai Baba iconography is the most popular  no surprise when you realise the Kamblis are followers too.

Santosh Kamblis studio in Lalbaug has mechanised idols of Sai Baba stirring a pot of food. (Rachel Lopez/HT photo)

We have one scene, in which Sai Baba is preparing food and people of all faiths are sitting down to a meal together, Kambli says. Its one of his most rented set. People like the message of togetherness.

The ones that draw the most crowds, however, are what Kambli calls trick scenes. In one, Ram shoots an arrow, and a trail of bulbs light up one after the other to follow the arrow into the chest of his enemy. In another, Sai Baba reanimates the heart of a man presumed dead. It brings tears to viewers eyes, Kambli says.

You see a lot of these stories on TV and people know the miracles are all computer-aided. Seeing it live is a more moving experience.

In 2003, Kambli and his uncle, Venkatesh, created their most complicated automata yet.

For Shirdis Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, they fashioned one scene in which the saint wakes up from sleep. It looked simple, but took many micro-movements, the eyes opened, the arms helped carry the torso from horizontal to vertical position, the body swiveled into sitting position and the legs swung towards the floor, Kambli says. It would have made his grandfather, Madhusudan, proud. Kambli claims that when King George V visited Bombay in 1911, his grandfather decorated a vehicle to look like an elephant. He also created the first moving idols, using hand-drawn pulleys and levers to operate heavy plaster idols. By the 90s, when sculptors switched to lighter, more loadbearing fiberglass, the animatronics had greater freedom to move.

Statue of a child eating is popular at wedding feasts. (Rachel Lopez/HT photo)

Kamblis idols have been exported to South Africa, Switzerland and the US, with moving sculptures of Krishna and Saraswati at a museum in Amsterdam. Back home, however, theyre most popular at wedding and community celebrations. Weve even done likenesses of our clients, Kambli says. But some he just wont do  like Shivajis attack on Afzal Khan. Why worsen the religious divide?

Rachel.Lopez@htlive.com
The long-standing question of who will be number one in Maharashtra within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) seems to have been anaswered. Supriya Sule, party MP and daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, on Wednesday said that the party in the state will go ahead under the leadership of Ajit Pawar.

Sule was speaking at a public rally Pune on Wednesday as part of NCPs Halla Bol (raise voice) agitation. I have come here to ask party workers to give up their lethargy. Henceforth, Maharashtra will go ahead under the leadership of Ajit dada, she said.

Seen as a leader of the masses, Ajit Pawar has already served as deputy chief minister in the previous NCP-Congress government. On Tuesday, Sule had asked party workers to work hard to see Ajit Pawar as the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

Sules remarks are significant as in the past, NCP had several aspirants for the top post in the state, with many viewing Sule herself as a top contender. The demise of RR Patil and the arrest of Chhagan Bhujbal has now reduced the list.

NCPs Halla Bol agitation reached Pune on Wednesday for its last leg, as the party sharpened its attack on the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine.

Sule gives govt 8-day ultimatum to withdraw Class 10 text book

Taking on CM Devendra Fadnavis, Supriya Sule at the rally, gave the government an ultimatum of eight days to withdraw the changes made in the history and political science textbooks for Class 10. She said they will not allow the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to move out of the Mantralaya if the changes were not withdrawn within the given deadline.

The recently released textbooks by Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production & Curriculum Research (Balbharati) stoke controversy after it was found that the content of the books favoured the BJP and Shiv Sena and criticised Congress and Communist Party of India, Marxist (CPM).

This is for the first time in Maharashtra that a government is trying to change history. We will not allow you to teach distorted history to the students. If the state government doesnt decide to withdraw such books for rectification then we will not allow the CM Fadnavis to move out of Mantralaya, said Sule.

According to the snapshots of the textbook released by state Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant, the textbooks make reference to family politics twice. Family monopoly in politics is a major problem before democracy in India. Monopoly of just one family in politics reduces democratic space. Common people cannot participate in the public sector, the textbook reads, which has been seen as a direct attack on Congress.

The state government is trying to instill the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by distorting history and political science textbooks. The use of education for political benefits is really dangerous and uncalled for. This is similar to the strategy adopted other BJP ruled states such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Its time for the BJP to ponder that they will not remain in the government forever, Sawant said.
A Mumbai-based NGO busted an online prostitution racket operating from Chembur in a span of three months.

In March, the Chembur police had registered a case and held seven people and rescued three women. During the raid, they seized 24 mobiles phones used for dealing and Rs18,500 in cash.

Sampeter Nadar, founder and president and Nitin Mungekar, chief investigation officer of Debo Rescue Foundation and NGO started surfing the internet for different websites that provide call girls and along with his team busted the racket and approached the police. Chembur police have registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and Immoral Traffic Prevention Act.

Yeshwant Rao Shinde, API , Chembur police station said two main accused operating the website portal are absconding. We have arrested seven people who are in custody now.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to use the trial-and-error method to ensure no potholes appear on Mumbais roads this monsoon.

In a first, the civic body is manufacturing a mixture in-house from ingredients imported from Germany, which will be used to fix potholes on a trial basis. Depending on the success, it may be used to resurface entire roads.

An official from the roads department said, We have imported material to make around 10 tonnes of mixture. But this is only a sample. It is an additive that will be mixed with asphalt to fill up potholes. If successful, we will order 2,500 metric tonnes of the material, which will then be used to maintain and resurface roads.

The whole order, if placed, will cost Rs127 crore.

Experts, however, are sceptical. Nikhil Desai from NGO AGNI (Action for Good governance and Networking in India), said, There is no point fixing potholes during a dry spell of the monsoon. If the pothole is even slightly wet, the mixture will not stick. If BMC really wants to tackle potholes, it should start fixing them between April and June. They should have tested the sample earlier.

DM Sukthankar, chief secretary of the state government who also represents NGO AGNI, said, Mumbais weather is very different from across the world. Any mixture that has worked elsewhere is unlikely to work in Mumbai. Using trial-and-error is a welcome move, but it may not reduce the number of potholes this year.

Earlier, the civic body had imported pothole-fixing mixtures from Israel and Austria, but they proved to be unsuccessful in preventing potholes. While the new mixture will contain the same ingredients, it will be manufactured in-house at BMCs Worli plant. The official said, The only difference is the cost. This will cost BMC Rs28 for a kg, compared to the Rs170 for a kg we paid for the mixture from Israel. Also, as we will make this mixture in-house, we will cut cost there.

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Traces of metallic debris have been found at 10 places in Vasai creek within 50m of the spot where assistant police inspector (API) Ashwini Bidres body was allegedly dumped, said police.

According to the police, Bidre was hacked to pieces by her lover and senior police inspector Abhay Kurundkar in April 2016 and her mortal remains were disposed of in an iron trunk. The accused kept 25kg weight in the trunk to prevent it from surfacing, said police. Although the metallic objects are still to be retrieved, investigators are hoping to find the trunk, which can give them conclusive proof that she was murdered.

Last week, the Navi Mumbai police roped in a private company and got gradiometers, used by oceanographers, to find the trunk. Gradiometers are used to measure underwater magnetic field (or gravity) and can trace metal objects upto 10m under the seabed.

A top source in the Navi Mumbai police told HT, The gradiometers have recorded metallic debris. The debris could be of boats or vehicles that plunge into water after accidents on the bridge or the trunk we are looking for. We will deploy divers to examine the debris.

The search, meanwhile, entered its second phase this week and is expected to continue for the next one week, amid oceanographers assessment that the trunk could have travelled a maximum of 200-250m from the spot (in any direction) where it was dumped more than two years ago.

So far, four people, including key accused Kurundkar, have been arrested for the murder, including Pune banker Mahesh Phalnikar, who revealed that she was murdered. Kurundkar, who was in a relationship with Bidre, wanted to get rid of her as she was pressing for marriage, Phalnikar alleged. Phalnikar told the police he had helped Kurundkar dispose of the body in the creek. Kurundkars driver Kundan Bhandari and Raju Patil, nephew of politician Eknath Khanse, are the other arrests in the case.
In a first, the Pydhonie police on Wednesday arrested the leader of the 10-member thak-thak gang and also recovered the stolen booty by threatening him to reveal his nature of work to his son, who is a doctor in Navi Mumbai.

The 45-year-old, arrested for the first time in his 30-year-old stint as a robber is also wanted in an ATM van robbery of Rs1.5 crore at Dharavi in March last year.

According to police, Ravi Chandran Mudiyaar is a native of Ramji Nagar village in Trichirapally in Tamil Nadu and claims that he did not know any language except Tamil. However, police officers found that it was not true, which prompted them to check his background.

At the age of 15, Mudiliyaar had come to Mumbai and since then had been part of several thak-thak gangs, which knock on the drivers window and divert his attention to rob the belongings in his car.

Avinash Kanade, senior police inspector of Pydhonie police station said that a few days ago, a South Mumbai-based jewellery designer had lodged a complaint stating that five men had approached her car. One of them knocked on her window and told her that oil from her car was leaking. The woman got off to check, when the other men opened the door of the back seat and robbed a bag containing ornaments and cash worth Rs2.17 lakhs. Later, police received a tip-off that the gang members were going to assemble at one place to plan their next theft, when the police arrested four men including Mudiliyar.

Mudiliyar was remanded to police custody for four days, but he pretended that he did not know or understand Hindi. We applied for extended police custody when we found that his grocery store keeper and iron man told us that he spoke fluent Hindi. He was staying on rent at a slum in Govandi, said Kanade.

Once the police knew Mudiliyar was lying, they checked his call records and found that his second wife and sons stayed in Mumbai.

We found that his eldest son was a doctor at Raheja Hospital from where, he had shifted to DY Patil hospital in Navi Mumbai. His younger son works in Merchant Navy, said Kanade.

The police officers used this information to threaten Mudiliyar to reveal the nature of work to his sons, after which he not just started speaking Hindi, but also revealed the place, where he had hidden the stolen gold jewellery,

We have recovered the gold worth Rs1.42 lakh from the accused, who has now been remanded to judicial custody, said Kanade.

Kanade said that there are several people from Mudiliyars village, who are members of the thak-thak gang across the city and country.
Bogie prefers to travel in the ladies compartment; Periappas favourite foods are idli and dosa; Captain from Shivaji Park loves racing. These are some of the strays youll be introduced to in My City, My Dogs, a homage to Mumbais community canines.

The picture book targeted at children and released last month by Pratham Books stands out for its evocative and whimsical illustrations by Sumedha Sah, combined with and based on photographs by Hashim Badani. The text, mainly about the characteristics and idiosyncrasies of each stray, is by animal lover and activist Abodh Aras, who also heads the NGO Welfare of Stray Dogs.

I loved the idea from the moment I first heard it, says Sah, who has four dogs herself, back home in Nainital. She was approached by Bijal Vachharajani, consultant editor at Pratham. Bijal saw my work on Instagram and wanted someone who also loves dogs, someone who could capture the emotions well.

The cover of the book.

Those emotions are exactly what make My City a treat for adults and little ones alike  the expression in the eyes, which ranges from confused to loving to doleful; the eager faces; the lazy stretching and cosy curled-up naps.

Abodh had already written the book. For the book, he took me and Hashim on a walk around the city so we could meet the dogs, Sah says. We went to Matunga and met Periappa. He sits outside Anand Bhavan and is truly a foodie. Captain is blind in one eye but always prancing around. These details were very helpful when it came time to draw.

Each illustration is part cityscape, part painting. We wanted the city to serve as the backdrop of the story, to make it more relatable, Badani says.

Theres a touch of the humorous and the surreal to the book too, in the sense of scale and the distinct mood of each page.

Ive always wanted to write about the street dogs of Mumbai. In the past 22 years, Ive gotten attached to many of them and know their stories, says Aras. From the Azaad Maidan dog looked after by a sugarcane seller to the one at Fort who always stands on duty with the traffic policemen, I wanted others to get to know them too.

My City, My Dogs is part of Prathams Storyweaver series launched in 2015 to host tales in multiple languages and build a community of storytellers and readers who would read, create, translate and download content via the website.

The initial response to this book has been very positive, says Vachharajani. We wanted the book to also be a city book, she says. For a city child, their early animal interactions are generally with crows, cats or dogs. We want this book to help kids look at Mumbai with a fresh eye, as a city not just of people but of animals too.

Its been a journey of discovery for Sah and Badani already.

Mumbais dogs are its nicest, smartest and the friendliest occupants, Badani says.

The book is available for free download on storyweaver.org.in. A first print run is scheduled for the end of the year.
Delay in announcing results has already forced the University of Mumbai (MU) to postpone 30 exams from the current semester by a few weeks. Students are worried that the delay might affect their academic plans, especially those who will be appearing for exams in other professional courses simultaneously.

After receiving complaints from second-year BCom students about their fourth semester examinations clashing with Chartered Accountancy (CA) exams, students of Bachelors in Commerce-Accounting and Finance (BAF) have raised similar issues. Although their final-year exams were supposed to start on April 19, the same will now begin from May 15 and the last exam coincides with a CA paper.

Majority of students from the commerce department also pursue CA or Company Secretary (CS) exams simultaneously with their degree. Year after year, the university ends up announcing the examination schedule without checking the schedule for other exams, said a final-year BAF student.

Along with results of various law courses, MU is yet to announce the results of BAF which constitutes for less than 9,000 students. Last week, close to 150 students had protested at the universitys Kalina campus, demanding clarity on their results.

MU announced results of Bachelors in Commerce-Financial Management (BFM) on Tuesday, and many students were not happy especially because they will be appearing for their current semester exams in a weeks time. This leaves us with no time to apply for photocopy of answer booklets and apply for re-evaluation. We wont get to see those results until after our exams get over, said another student.

HT had recently highlighted the plight of final year students of Bachelors in Mass Media (BMM) after their exams got rescheduled. While those students who have to appear for ATKT exams over the next few weeks were relieved off the torture of appearing for two exams in a day, semester 6 exams will now be conducted over a period of three weeks and this irked students.

We have exactly seven subjects and this can easily be conducted within ten days. However, in their effort to not overlap our exams with ATKT papers, we will now have to wait for three weeks to finish seven papers, said a student from a Malad college. She added that BMM semester 6 students will now have exams from April 18 to May 7, which will their last examination.

List of exams that have been postponed:

Bachelors in Commerce-Accounting and Finance (BAF) (semester 6)

Bachelors in Mass Media (semester 5 & 6)

LLM (Semester 1)

LLM (semester 3)

MA Honours in Sociology (semester 3)

MA Honours in Sociology (semester 1)

MSc Forensic Science (Semester 1)
The Ghaziabad police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Amarpal Sharma and two others on charges of extortion and criminal intimidation.

The FIR was lodged at the Sahibabad police station on the complaint from a man, Virpal SIngh, who alleged that Sharma allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh from him and also threatened him.

The former MLA is presently lodged in jail in connection with the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gajendra Bhati. He was gunned down by two bikers in Khoda on September 2, 2017 and Sharma was charged with criminal conspiracy. The BSP had expelled Sharma just ahead of the assembly polls and he had joined the Congress.

Although an FIR of extortion has been lodged, police said they are not convinced about the extortion angle alleged by the complainant.

We have come to know that there was some business dispute between the two. Sharma is in jail and had come for a court hearing on April 10 to the Ghaziabad court. The complainant and Sharma used to be business partners, Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police, Ghaziabad, said.

Singh, in his complaint, alleged that Sharma called him from a cellphone number and asked him to pay Rs 10 lakh, else face consequences. He provided police the number from which the call was made to him. He also mentioned the names of two others, Baba and Afzal, who allegedly provided his mobile number to Sharma.

Following the announcement of a Rs 25,000 reward for his arrest, Sharma surrendered before a Ghaziabad court on October 17, 2017, in connection with Bhatis murder.

Bhatis wife Reena and Sharmas wife Mohini had also contested the local body election for the seat of chairperson of Khoda nagar palika and Reena had emerged the winner.

In connection with Bhatis murder, the police also arrested Narendra Gurjar alias Fauji. The special cell of the Delhi Police also arrested the second alleged shooter, Raju Kumar alias Pehalwan. The two are alleged to have killed Bhati at Sharmas behest.
A late evening order to withdraw house guards of Bihar Military Police-II (BMP-II) from Rabri Devis residence has set the first family of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on a confrontation course with the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government.

Former chief minister Rabri Devi was quizzed by the CBI on Tuesday morning in connection with the alleged IRCTC hotel scam during the tenure of her husband Lalu Prasad Yadav as railway minister. Shortly after midnight the house guards were gone.

Protesting what they alleged a conspiracy to endanger their lives, Rabri Devi and her son, Tejashwi who is also the leader of the opposition, on Wednesday surrendered the entire familys security guards including those provided to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devis elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav .

Besides withdrawing guards from Lalus house, which was allocated to the RJDs first couple as ex-CMs, authorities also served a notice to Tejashwi asking him to vacate his 5 Deshtratan bungalow. A furious Tejashwi described the decision an act of political vendetta.

Just now at the stroke of midnight Nitish Kumar has called back 18 house guards deployed in the security of two ex CMs. Surrendering our security to Nitish Ji so that he can increase his own security as he is the most namby-pamby CM of the country, Tejashwi tweeted minutes after the development.

Though NDA leaders are tight-lipped on the issue, inspector general of police (IGP) (security) Bachhu Singh Meena said security of former chief minister Rabri Devi and opposition leader Tejashwi had not been curtailed.

But a senior police official refusing to be named said only those house guards deputed for Lalu as ex-chief minister had been withdrawn.

It is a conspiracy by Nitish, Sushil Modi and their government to get me and my family killed. I dont have any fear. I go out among the public and the public will protect us, an angry Rabri told reporters at her residence.

Laluji is in jail and dying every day. We dont know if hes dying due to disease or being killed using medicines. His sugar level is rising. How do I trust the government? If the government asks us to vacate our house were ready to follow.

Lalu Prasad who was serving his sentence in the Birsa Munda Jail in Jharkhand after being convicted in fodder scam cases, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on March 29 after he complained of discomfort and uneasiness. He is still undergoing treatment.

Rabri also shot off a letter to chief minister Nitish Kumar stating that all house guards provided to Lalu as ex-chief minister were withdrawn after he went to jail on December 23, 2017 and only few were left to man posts inside the 10 Circular road residence.

The way BMP-2 house guards were withdrawn by a sweeping order at midnight on Tuesday has totally paralysed my security and my family. I do not want to keep guards or any other facility at my disposal just for the sake of showpiece. This is why, I am taking a conscious decision to surrender all my security and cars to the government. If anything happens to me and my family, the entire responsibility would be on the home department and home minister, said Rabri Devi.

Her decision has put the entire onus of her and her familys security on Nitish Kumar who holds the home portfolio.

A close aide of the opposition leader, Sanjay Yadav said all the security guards of Tejashwi, Rabri and Tej Pratap had been sent back to the state police headquarters. The 10, Circular road residence of Rabri and Tejashwis 5 Deshratan Marg residence allotted as deputy chief minister in the previous grand alliance government wore a deserted look on Wednesday.

It is an irony that state government has curtailed Tejashwi and Rabri Devis security when there was a demand for enhancing Tejashwis security for last one month. Now, RJD workers would protect their leaders, said Manish Yadav, another aide of the opposition leader.

It is not the first time curtailment of security cover to RJDs first family has triggered a political row. Last November, the central governments decision to downgrade Lalus security cover from Z plus category had seen angry reactions with Tej Pratap threatening to skin the Prime Minister.
Two thieves took away deity ornaments worth Rs 20,000 from Chandigarhs Sita Ram temple in Sector 19 on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

Interestingly, the damage was minimised by proactive priests, who after multiple cases of temple thefts in the tricity, had replaced the silver ornaments, worth Rs 2 lakh, with artificial ones a month ago.

The thieves stole nine artificial chhattars and 10 mukuts from the idols. We got them made recently at an expense of around Rs 20,000, while the original silver ornaments, costing around Rs 2 lakh, were secured for use only at our annual function, said Vijaynand, head priest of the temple, adding that the silver ornaments were safe.

Police said the two thieves entered the temple by simply breaking open the gates lock around 1:30am. After picking all ornaments that they could lay their hands on, they were fleeing when one of them hit a coin box, waking up the priest on night duty.

There was no security guard, but one priest on the temple premises when the thieves struck. According to the priest on duty, one of the accused appeared to be 30 years old, while the other was in his mid-twenties. The hard disc of the CCTV camera is broken, so there is no surveillance footage, Vijayand said.

Sector 19 station house officer (SHO) Ashwani Kumar said a case under Section 380 (theft) had been registered against the two unidentified men. So far we havent got any lead in the case. But investigation is underway, he added.
An ugly spat is raging in the top echelons of Punjab Police. The trigger was a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court last week when director general of police ( human resource development) Siddharth Chattopadhyaya accused his boss DGP Suresh Arora and DGP ( intelligence) Dinkar Gupta of gunning for him in a suicide case because he was investigating their role in a drug-related case. A public spectacle of an all-out tussle in what is expected to be a disciplined force has left the state government red-faced.

In a damage-control exercise, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has set up a panel to resolve the issue and even summoned all top police officials on Wednesday. At the centre of this conflict, many say, is the jockeying for the top police job that falls vacant in September when Arora hangs up his boots. HT takes a look at the cast of characters in an internal feud that threatens to open a can of worms and is fraught with serious repercussions for the image and morale of the states police force.

Suresh Arora, DGP, Punjab police chief

A 1982-batch IPS officer, he is known for his professional integrity and unruffled temperament. A battle-tested cop who earned his spurs during the terrorism era in the 1980s, he was elevated as police chief in October 2015 by the SAD-BJP government. His credentials weighed in even with Capt Amarinder Singh who retained him after the Congress came to power in March last year. Aroras continuation after the change of guard dashed the dreams of many officers who were angling for the top post. Known for having a good equity with central agencies, he earned Amarinders praise for successes in busting the cases of targeted killings and a crackdown on gangsters in the past six months. But Arora seemingly stumbled in managing the ego battles of frontline officers. The ongoing turf war has raised questions over his leadership and may even cast a shadow on his otherwise sterling legacy.

Dinkar Gupta, DGP (intelligence)

Low-profile but professionally competent, Gupta is known to be obsessively a career-minded cop adept at networking with the right people at the right places. He is a right-hand man of Arora with whom he shared the plaudits for recent successes against terror modules and gangs. The intelligence portfolio has given leg up to is profile, and to his ambition. He fancies his chances for an out-of-turn shot at the top job because he is in Amarinders good books, belongs to Patiala, and is an alumnus of Yadavindra Public School patronised by the erstwhile Patiala royal family. Willy-nilly he has been dragged into cloak-and-dagger games. A lobby in the CMO wants to see him as Aroras successor, but Chattopadhyayas allegations against him in the high court hardly augur well for him.

Raj Jit Singh Hundal, senior superintendent of police, Moga

A controversial but effective PPS officer, he finds himself at the centre of this controversy after ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu-led special task force raised questions about his role in the drug case busted with the arrest of since-dismissed inspector Inderjit Singh. But, Hundal survived the drug charge, thanks as much to his proximity to the Arora-Gupta duo as to his political connections. He moved to Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that Sidhu is biased against him and wants to frame him in the drug case. Thereafter, the high court formed a special investigation team ( SIT) headed by Chattopadhyaya, who, in his initial reports to the court, is understood to have hinted at Hundals culpability in the drug allegations.

Mohd Mustafa, DGP (human rights commission)

A 1985-batch IPS officer, he is considered close to Amarinder and a section of the Congress high command. With a barely masked ambition for the top job, he was sure of his elevation when the party came to power last year. The CM had other plans and attempted placating Mustafa by inducting his wife Razia Sultana, MLA from Malerkotla, into his cabinet as PWD minister. But, Mustafa , who also played a key role in fighting terrorism in the 1980s, has seemingly not reconciled. He now senses his chance when two of his seniors, Sumedh Singh Saini and Arora, retire in June and September. Then, he will be the second seniormost officer in the force after Samant Kumar Goel, who is on central deputation. A consummate schemer, Mustafa is aligned with the Chattopadhyaya-Sidhu camp in the cold war against the Arora-Gupta lobby.

S Chattopadhyaya, DGP (human resource development)

The 1986-batch IPS officer dropped a bombshell in the high court by stating that he was also investigating the role of DGPs Arora and Gupta in the drug case against SSP Raj Jit Singh Hundal. That was seen as a counter blast after another SIT formed by Arora wanted to question Chattopadhyaya for his alleged role in the suicide of Inderpreet Singh Chadha, an Amritsar businessman who killed himself after his father and the then head of Chief Khalsa Diwan was arrested in a sleaze scandal. Chattopadhyaya charged both Arora and Gupta with conspiring to frame him. He had a non-controversial career until his name cropped up in the suicide case, which he suspects as a conspiracy to spike his ambition to be Aroras successor. In Capt Amarinder Singhs first term as CM (2002-07), Chattopadhyaya led the vigilance probe into corruption allegations against the Badal family. In the following 10 years of the Badal government, Chattopadhyaya found himself in the doghouse. When Amarinder returned to power last year, his hopes for a plum posting came a cropper due to his testy equation with Arora who enjoys the CMs confidence.

Harpreet Sidhu, ADGP (special task force)

The 1992-batch IPS has made a name for himself by leading CRPF operations in Naxal-hit Chattisgarh during his deputation, before he made a high-profile landing in Punjab Police when Amarinder picked him to lead his war on drugs. For special task force work, he was made to report directly to the CM and was subsequently made ADGP (border) too. But as STF chief, from Day 1, he locked horns with Arora and Gupta. In this bitter fight among top brass, Sidhu is seen as a bull in a china shop. Due to his  my-way-or-highway style of functioning, the CM clipped his wings and put the STF under Arora. To add insult to the injury, he was later divested of charge as ADGP (border). Many in the force believe the seeds of the current ugly war among top police officials were sown when he targeted SSP Hundal for his alleged drug nexus, a move that didnt go well with Arora and Dinkar, and took the bad blood to the court.
Actor Sri Reddy, who had on Saturday protested against casting couch by stripping in front of the Movie Artistes Association office, alleged that producer Suresh Babus son had sexually exploited her. In an interview with News 18, the actor claimed, Suresh Babus son cheated me so badly. The studio belongs to the government and it is meant to help and support talented people. They have to use it in a proper way. This Suresh Babus son took me to the studio and f****d me so badly in the studio only.

Suresh Babu is the father of Rana and Abhiram Daggubati. While Sri Reddy initially did not reveal who she was accusing, just hours later she appeared on a Telugu news show and alleged that it was Abhiram who had exploited her. It was in this interview that intimate pictures of Abhiram and herself were flashed.

Whoever leaked these, wait for my turn for #SriReddyLeaks Coming Soon.. I won't forgive you people this time !!!!!!! #SriReddy #SriLeaks pic.twitter.com/W8C0ZsJnly  Sri Reddy (@srireddyleaks) April 11, 2018

At the show, she said, This is Suresh Babus son Abhiram and I havent revealed his name anywhere so far. Abhiram! Dont you feel ashamed? You know how you behaved in the studio. Everyone asked for proof, so here is the proof. See this photo, which clearly shows him kissing my face. Now start a rally. Let all Dalit and women associations come forward, fight and give me justice. Because of men like this, many lives are being ruined.

Since the show was aired, the pictures have surfaced on social media as well and have since gone viral.

Sri Reddy had earlier claimed that many producers, directors and actors had asked her for sexual favours, and even upon having submitted to such requests she did not get an opportunity.

After her protest, MAA decided to ban Sri Reddy for her actions. MAA members called a press meet on Sunday in Hyderabad where actor Meka Srikanth said, She has appeared on several TV channels and commented a lot on Twitter and Facebook. Her act has come as a rude shock to many younger-generation stars in the film industry and created a fear among them.

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Hordes of tourists clamber across the white sand with selfie sticks as Thai park rangers wade into turquoise waters to direct boats charging into the cliff-ringed cove. Made famous by the 2000 movie, The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Maya Bay on the western Thai island of Koh Phi Phi Ley is now a case study in the ruinous costs of runaway tourism, swamped by up to 4,000 daily visitors.

There is too many people here, its bad, lamented Saad Lazrak, a 61-year-old from Morocco, as crowds around him swallowed the stretch of sand encircled by an amphitheatre of limestone cliffs. Across the region, Southeast Asias once-pristine beaches are reeling from decades of unchecked tourism as governments scramble to confront trash-filled waters and environmental degradation without puncturing a key economic driver.

Boracay beach resort in the Phillipines. (Youtube)

Thailands Maya Bay will be off limits for four months from June to September, officials announced last month, in a bid to save its ravaged coral reefs. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered this month the Boracay beach resort closed to tourists for up to six months from April 26, describing the destination as a cesspool tainted by sewage dumped directly into the sea.

Indonesian officials, meanwhile, declared a garbage emergency last year swamping a six-kilometre stretch of coast along the island of Bali. The islands grim coastal pollution was highlighted in March by British diver Rich Horners viral video of swimming through a dystopia of trash swirling off shore.

Plastic bags, more plastic bags, plastic, plastic, so much plastic! Horner said in a Facebook post that has been viewed more than a million times.

Breathing space

Conservationists and governments are worried about the health of coral reefs, which are in a dire state globally due to climate change and rising sea temperatures. When exposed to warmer waters, they shed the algae that dazzle the eye and are vital to marine eco-systems, leaving the corals diseased or bone-white in a process called bleaching.

Environmental stress, including pollution, human contact and exposure to plastics that comes with mass tourism are also major threats to reefs that are part of the draw for snorkellers and scuba-divers. Tourism has a series of detrimental effects on coral health, said Eike Schoenig, a Thailand-based marine biologist at the Center for Oceanic Research and Education.

Indonesian officials declared a garbage emergency last year swamping a six-kilometre stretch of coast along the island of Bali. (Shutterstock)

Countries in Southeast Asia are looking to stem the threats without cutting off the cash flow of a regional tourism boom, led by China, the top source market for travellers to the region. Thailand received 35 million tourists last year, of whom nearly 10 million hailed from China, according to official data. But what is good for business can be bad for beaches.

Songtam Suksawang, Thailands National Park Office Director, said that he personally inspected the beach at Maya Bay and said it must definitely be (temporarily) closed in order to rehabilitate it. He said authorities are discussing new rules once the shut-down is lifted, such as restrictions on the number of daily visitors, better regulation of boats and a higher entrance fee.

Tourism costs

Thailand is also conducting studies on six other marine parks, while the Philippines is weighing action on other top destinations buckling under mass tourism. But governments are wary of curtailing an industry that creates jobs and buoys economies. Spending on travel and tourism contributed nearly $136 billion to the regions GDP in 2017, a figure forecast to rise to $144 billion this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

The cost of the closures is already being felt in the Philippines, where hundreds of Boracay hotels and tour companies are facing steep losses from cancelled rooms, flights and other bookings. But some countries are not taking such dramatic steps. In Indonesia, the tourism ministry said there were no plans to close Bali or any other holiday destination in the archipelago, although it acknowledged that pockets of the tropical paradise were under strain from heavy tourism.

Shut down Bali? I dont think we will need to do that yet, said ministry spokesman Guntur Sakti. Bali is the centre of Indonesian tourism. In fact, Indonesia has identified 10 other destinations where it is trying to boost visitors and replicate Balis success, including neighbouring island Lombok and Lake Toba in Sumatra. Experts are also scetpical that short shut-downs will have lasting effects.

Bottom line is that temporarily closing the beach is probably not the optimal solution to these problems. It only take a day for a bunch of incompetent snorkellers to trash a small reef, said Andrew Baird from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia. In Thailand, the government hopes to draw people to lesser known beaches. We are working very hard to spread people out, not to go to one condensed area, said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine expert working with the parks and tourism authorities.

Travellers to Maya Bay might like the idea. Its very touristy. There wasnt a patch of sand that didnt have people laying down on it, taking photos, Oliver Black, a 22-year-old tourist, said of his afternoon at the destination. As for his thoughts on the looming closure? It would not really upset me if I wasnt able to go to (back to) Maya beach, he said.

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Ready Player One star TJ Miller has been charged with making a fake bomb threat while travelling on a train headed for New York, the FBI said on Tuesday.

Miller, 36, who played the egotistical tech entrepreneur Erlich Bachman on the HBOs Silicon Valley, a satire about the high tech community,could face up to five years in prison if convicted, the FBI and the Connecticut US District Attorneys office said in a statement.

Representatives for Miller, who left the television show last year, did not immediately return a call for comment.

The statement said the incident took place on March 18 and that Miller made an initial appearance in U.S. federal court in New Haven, Connecticut, on Tuesday where he was released on a $100,000 bond.

The actor was charged with intentionally conveying to law enforcement false information about an explosive device on a train.

According to the criminal complaint, Miller was travelling from Washington DC to New York on March 18 when he called 911 and reported that a female passenger has a bomb in her bag.

Amtrak officials stopped the train when it got to Connecticut, told passengers to get off and bomb squad officers searched the train but found nothing.

Miller had earlier been removed from the train in New York because he was drunk, an Amtrak attendant told investigators. The actor had also been involved in hostile exchanges with a woman who was sitting in a different row in the first class car.

TJ Miller attends the premiere of Netflix's Okja in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Investigators contacted Miller by phone in New York and asked if he suffered from mental illness, the complaint said.

Miller replied, No, absolutely not. This is the first time Ive ever made a call like this before. I am worried for everyone on that train. Someone has to check that lady out.

Miller left Silicon Valley last year after four seasons for what were described at the time as creative differences with the shows producers.

He recently appeared in Steven Spielbergs movie Ready Player One and will next be seen in superhero movie Deadpool 2 due out in May.

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Indian shuttler Jwala Gutta wants celebrities to acknowledge that sexual harassment at workplaces exist, and only then can the society overcome such inequalities. In a series of tweets last night, Jwala Gutta targeted an actor, who had said in some recent press interviews that she hadnt faced a casting couch situation in her career.

Just saw an interview of a popular actress..two things struck my mind...she says she can only speak for herself as she has not experienced casting couch it has been a wonderful journey!!

And this is an opportunist world..its upto us as women what to accept and what not to!!  Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) April 10, 2018

So my question..

There is a lot of crime against women in general in our society..but if u havent experienced it..do we deny it?? Do we only speak when we experience something like that? Dont we belong to this society where we r a minority gender??  Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) April 10, 2018

Dont u think u being in a powerful position can make a change for women who r being harassed at work place?  Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) April 10, 2018

Second question...opportunities..

How many people get it?

If got an opportunity why a sexual favour should be an option?

Yes talent will last hard work will last blah blah blah...but why should there be an option of sexual favour at work place??  Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) April 10, 2018

We as https://t.co/xkV0sbxeM9 position where our voices r taken seriously should speak responsibly

Sexual exploitation at workplace is https://t.co/dzSlwOOvb0 exists.we have to admit it..only then we can find a solution to this problem!  Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) April 10, 2018

Maybe today u n me havent faced such crimes..but doesnt mean our daughters wont!!

Let us make this world a safe place for our children   Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) April 10, 2018

Why should anyone have an advantage or disadvantage over each other when it comes to opportunities??? Let there be the RIGHT opportunity and then let the talent take its course!!!  Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) April 10, 2018

Just saw an interview of a popular actress..two things struck my mind...she says she can only speak for herself as she has not experienced casting couch it has been a wonderful journey!! And this is an opportunist world..its upto us as women what to accept and what not to!! So my question.. There is a lot of crime against women in general in our society..but if u havent experienced it..do we deny it?? Do we only speak when we experience something like that? Dont we belong to this society where we r a minority gender?? Dont u think u being in a powerful position can make a change for women who r being harassed at work place? (sic) she wrote on Twitter.

While Jwala refrained from naming the actor, actor Rakul Preet Singh had given recent interviews on similar lines. Also, with due respect to everyone, I can only talk about my experiences. If I have not experienced casting couch, then how can I talk about it? And if they think I am lying, then I have nothing to say. I still stand by [what Ive said]. Ive had a great experience so far. I feel blessed, Rakul had told us recently.

However, without taking any names, Jwala says she was angry at the interview. I dont want to take names, but I was really angry after reading the interview. If you are a famous personality, you should talk responsibly. I thought her comments were very insensitive, because everyone knows it (casting couch) exists. Yes, it might not have happened to her, but that does not mean that it doesnt exist. I mean, just because you werent raped doesnt mean that rape culture doesnt exist or that rapes dont happen, she says.

Hollywoods Me Too campaign was massive. Do you think only those women who were harassed or sexually exploited were a part of the campaign? No. Everyone was a part of it, because until and unless you unite for a cause like this, nothing will change. These kind of things shouldnt happen. Crimes against women should stop, Jwala adds.

Interact with the author on Twitter/@sammysamarth

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Pakistans parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and demanding the UN Human Rights Commission to send a fact-finding mission to the Valley.

The resolution moved by Pakistans Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir in the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, appealed to the international community to implement the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.

The resolution urged the government to request the Human Rights Council in Geneva to send a fact-finding mission to the Valley to investigate the alleged human rights violations, Radio Pakistan reported.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Pakistan is strongly highlighting the Kashmir issue at international fora including the UN, Human Rights Commission and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

This story has not been modified from its original version
Commuters planning a ride on the first metro line in the Chinese city of Urumqi in Xinjiang will have to show identification documents to buy tickets, the latest addition to a long list of intrusive restrictions in the restive region, according to rights activists.

Though mandatory for long-distance train rides across China, Urumqi is the first city where real name registration will be required to buy a ticket for an intra-city train ride when the new line is fully operational later this year.

Home to millions from the Uyghur Muslim community, the province is under a tight security blanket in response to what Chinese government say are incidents of militancy and religious extremism.

Hundreds have been killed in Xinjiang, the largest province in China, in ethnic violence between Uyghurs and the majority Han community. Government offices and police stations have been targeted.

The government blames extremists for the violence and says separatist forces are at work in the province.

For provincial authorities, the requirement of identity papers will add another layer of security.

According to the Associated Press, the rule - passed by the Xinjiang legislature on Sunday - allows for fines of up to 200 yuan ($32) for those without valid tickets or who use others IDs to buy tickets once the train begins running.

The new rule, activists say, will apply to all who decide to take the metro  and not just Uyghurs. But the regulation indicates a tightening of surveillance in the province.

Its for everyone who rides the Urumqi subway. The Chinese government generally is careful to phrase their policies and laws in ethnic-neutral manner on paper, thus you cannot find policies that apply to Uyghurs. The Communist Party of China is all about ethnic unity around one single nation, so its forced assimilation policies are worded in terms that promote ethnic harmony, said Maya Wang, a Hong Kong-based China researcher for Human Rights Watch.

Besides deploying thousands of armed personnel across the province, especially in Uyghur-majority areas, the government has put in place an electronic surveillance network that includes facial recognition.

Wang added: The Chinese governments restrictions on Islam in Xinjiang go even further and are often intrusive and personal. The authorities prohibit certain forms of Islamic dress - such as burqa for women and abnormal beard for men. They also ban dozens of names with religious connotations common to Muslims around the world, such as Saddam and Medina, on the basis that they could exaggerate religious fervour.

Thats not all.

According to Wang, traditional customs such as religious weddings, burials or pilgrimages are prohibited or heavily restricted. Uyghur traditional celebrations, revolving around Islamic holidays such as Ramzan, are increasingly restricted.

The authorities have prohibited certain categories of Muslims - governments officials, students and teachers - from observing the fast during Ramadan. There are also reports that restaurants in some locations were ordered to stay open. Uyghurs are also being pressured to partake in Han Chinese holidays and their traditions, such as the Chinese New Year, Wang added.
Trump administration officials consulted with global allies Tuesday on a possible joint military response to Syrias alleged poison gas attack, as President Donald Trump cancelled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump spoke with other world leaders, and other US officials said the US, France and Britain were in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week. None of the three countries leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorised to discuss military planning by name.

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the US in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syrias political and military support from Russia and Iran.

President Emmanuel Macron said France, the US and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days. He called for a strong and joint response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the US-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS attacks have targeted French soil, including one last month.

Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of Sarin gas. Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the U.S., France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April. That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Assad from further use of chemical agents. So the three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

Asked whether France would take military action, Macron said his country will continue discussing technical and strategic information with U.S. and British allies and in the coming days we will announce our decision. He said any action would target chemical weapons stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

Trump spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was utterly reprehensible and that the international community must respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Trump see eye to eye on the Syria problem.

We cannot tolerate with a war criminal, the emir said, adding, This matter should end immediately. Qatar hosts the United States main air operations center for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it will send shortly a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit would delay or avert U.S. or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis canceled plans to travel to California this week, indicating his focus on Syria. He was expected at a White House meeting Wednesday for further consultations on Syria.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, or travel to Bogota, Colombia, as planned. She said he will stay home to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.

The presidents new national security adviser, John Bolton, urged Trump to skip the trip, an official said. This reflects a view in the White House that deeper Russian and Iranian involvement in Syria have complicated calculations about a response to any U.S. military attack, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Moscow has cautioned the U.S. not to launch a military attack.

Amid the tough talk from the White House, the U.S. military appeared to be in position to carry out any attack order. A Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, got underway in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday after completing a port call in Cyprus. The guided missile destroyer is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria following an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians.

Also, the Navy said the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group will depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe. The Navy does not currently have a carrier in the Persian Gulf.

___

Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris, Edith M. Lederer in New York and Jill Colvin, Ken Thomas, Catherine Lucey and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump said relations with Russia are worse than they have ever been and warned the country to get ready because a volley of US missiles would soon be sent into Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, Trump wrote on Twitter. You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

A strike that hits Russian assets in Syria -- even if unintentionally -- could result in a dangerous game of one-upmanship, potentially dragging the US further into a conflict the president wants to leave. Russia has strengthened Syrias air-defence capabilities, deploying S-400 missile batteries after US strikes a year ago hit a Syrian base.

The most important thing about a US strike is the potential for Russian casualties as a result of any military activity there, said Ayham Kamel, head of Middle East and North Africa research at Eurasia Group. That is where theres a risk of an escalatory cycle that would be much more meaningful than attacking Assads forces.

Russian Response

Russias ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, told Hezbollahs Al Manar TV that any rockets that threaten Russian forces will be downed as well as the sources of those rockets. In March, Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russias General Staff, warned that in the event a threat arises to the lives of our servicemen, the Armed Forces of Russia will take retaliatory measures against both missiles and the carriers that use them.

Trumps remarks weighed on investors already concerned about war. Oil prices surged to the highest level in two weeks in New York. Turkey, which has troops in Syria, saw its currency weaken to a record, while the Borsa Istanbul 100 Index for stocks reversed gains to drop as much as 3.3 percent. Saudi Arabias main stock index also extended its decline.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told CNN on Wednesday that while there is no question Putin is culpable, shes concerned there is no strategy.

It is one thing to take action about this really egregious issue of this chemical attack, Albright said. We need a strategy of some kind and I hope there is work going on on that.

For the second time in less than a year, Trump is weighing a military response to a gas attack. This time, hes under pressure to hit harder and take bigger risks. The attack Trump ordered last year was limited to a single Syrian base and left little lasting damage. A new retaliatory strike will almost certainly inflict greater damage and probably hit more targets important to President Bashar al-Assads regime.

Its unlikely that another set of one-off strikes will deter Assad, said Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington. Trump needs to establish a more effective deterrent by inflicting greater costs on Assad and perhaps his backers.

The prospect of direct participation by France -- and possibly other allies such as the UK -- would provide greater legitimacy for a large operation that otherwise would risk criticism as violating international law, said Andrew Bell, an assistant professor at Indiana University who focuses on international security and the law of armed conflict. A broader coalition helps build the case for a humanitarian mandate, he said.

Finding Partners

French President Emmanuel Macron indicated on Tuesday he believes Syria used chemical weapons in violation of United Nations resolutions and that a decision on how to respond would come from France and its allies in the coming days. Macron said any attack would be aimed at the regimes chemical capabilities and not at its Iranian and Russian allies.

Saudi Arabia too could participate in any strike if our alliance with our allies requires it, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at a press conference in Paris.

Smart missiles should be aimed at terrorist, not the legal government, which for several years has been fighting international terrorism on its territory, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook in response to Trumps tweet. She suggested real purpose of the strike might be to cover up evidence related to the chemical attack, which Russia alleges was a fake.

Eurocontrol, a European air traffic agency, asked airlines to apply caution on flights to the eastern Mediterranean region because of possible air strikes in Syria over the next 72 hours.

One problem the US faces is that a more forcible response could upset the delicate balance of groups operating in the country. The situation on the ground is a patchwork of competing and loosely aligned interests, including Russia, Iran, Turkey and the US, which has about 2,000 troops there advising the Syrian Democratic Forces in a fight against Islamic State militants.

Long-Range Missiles

Any US-led attack almost certainly would rely heavily on long-range, precision-strike missiles launched from naval vessels or manned aircraft outside Syrian airspace even as US or allied forces attempted to neutralize Syrias well-known integrated air-defence system.

The Tomahawk missile, made by Raytheon Co., would probably play a prominent role in such an attack. It has been fired in most conflicts since its initial use in 1991 against Iraq, when 288 were launched. In last years attack, two U.S. destroyers fired 59 Tomahawks.

The latest version of the Tomahawk, which both the US and UK navies have, can loiter over an area for hours, beam target images and battle damage assessments to commanders and be programmed to attack new stationary targets while overhead.

To contact the reporters on this story: Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.net, Gregory Viscusi in Paris at gviscusi@bloomberg.net, Donna Abu-Nasr in Beirut at dabunasr@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Alan Crawford at acrawford6@bloomberg.net, Andrew J. Barden, Elizabeth Wasserman

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Appointment

10 April 2018

Mr. Amit Biswas has been appointed as Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing for the hotels - Hyatt Regency Dubai & Galleria and Hyatt Place hotels in Dubai. In his new role, Amit will execute strategies to drive business performance, revenue, brand awareness in key markets and segments to support business goals and profitability for the three hotels.

Amit began his hospitality career as part of the pre-opening team at the Ritz-Carlton, Doha in 2002. He subsequently joined Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre and Le Meridien Fairway, Dubai in 2003 and held several positions there including Complex Director of Sales until 2017. Amit has completed his education with Bachelors in Business Administration from Les Roches Hotel Management School, Switzerland. In his spare time, Amit enjoys travelling, eating gourmet cuisine and keeping fit.
Appointment

11 April 2018

A seasoned hospitality veteran, Dees joins Marcus Hotels & Resorts from Crescent Hotels & Resorts, where he most recently served as vice president of operations for the third-party hotel management company. His tenure with Crescent Hotels & Resorts began in 2006 after he joined the company as general manager of the Livonia Marriott in Livonia, Mich. He then moved on to become general manager of The Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. and was promoted to regional director of operations in 2011. His 35-year hospitality career also includes positions with HEI Hotels & Resorts, Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Richfield Hospitality.
Appointment

11 April 2018

Highgate, a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company, has appointed Cheryl Williams as regional vice president of sales and marketing in Hawaii. Williams will oversee Highgate's expanding portfolio of Hawaii properties.

Williams has served as a leader in the hospitality industry for more than three decades, most recently as the general manager of The Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki. Previously, she was the vice president of sales and marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii and French Polynesia.

In 2010, after 28 years in Hawaii, Williams moved to Starwood's corporate headquarters in Stamford, Conn., where she led leisure sales and distribution for the North America division. She was selected as one of 25 women to serve on the company's Women's Leadership Group. She returned to Hawaii in 2013.

Williams has earned numerous recognitions in the hospitality industry. She was named by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International as one of the world's "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality & Travel Sales & Marketing." She also helped launch the Aloha Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and has since been honoured with the MPI Aloha Chapter Founders Award. She was a finalist for the Pacific Business

News Businesswoman of the Year in 2014 and was recently honoured by Pacific Edge Magazine for her contributions to Hawaii's visitor industry.

Williams serves on the boards of the Oahu Visitors Bureau, Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, and the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, and she chairs the Hawaii Tourism Authority MCI Strategic Planning Committee. She is also an advisory trustee of ALS Golden West Chapter and is a board member of Susan G. Komen Hawaii.
By Benjamin Jumbe.

The former president of Zanzibar Abeid Karume is expected in Uganda today for a 4-day state visit.

Karume is set to arrive in the country this afternoon and will be received by the minister for Public Service MuruliMukasa who is also the Coordinator of the Global Peace Leadership Conference National organizing committee.

On arrival the former president will head to Speke Resort Munyonyo for a joint strategic meeting with the Interreligious Council of Uganda and UNDP where discussions will focus on the objectives of the conference and expected outcomes among other matters.

Tomorrow he hold a strategic meeting with 21 of Ugandas top corporate Chief Executive Officers before heading to statehouse Entebbe where he is to hold a joint press conference with his host President Museveniand launch of the Global Peace Leadership Conference mobile App and website.

The Global peace Leadership Conference is scheduled for 1-2 August 2018 in Kampala.
It looks like Childish Gambino is adding on a couple more dates to his upcoming joint tour with Rae Sremmurd. On Tuesday, Billboard reported that Donald has added 5 new shows to his tour, and also recruited Tyler The Creator to join him for those shows.

Following the 13 initial shows, Gambino and friends will hit five new cities in October, including San Jose, Los Angeles (the second LA stop on the tour), Phoenix, and Denver. Donald will then wrap up the tour in Nashville, Tennessee on Oct. 12, right before the Atlanta director heads to New Zealand in November for his second PHAROS festival.

The upcoming tour will conclude what will be another monstrous year in 2018 for Gambino. His show on FX, Atlanta, is currently in its second season of airing and once again is a cultural favorite & hit. He will also be the voice of Simba in the live-action remake of The Lion King and has a prominent role in the upcoming Solo: A Star WarsStory film as well.

Check out the additional dates for Childish Gambino's tour below and purchase your tickets on his official website right here if interested.

10/2 - San Jose, CA

10/3 - Los Angeles, CA

10/5 - Phoenix, AZ

10/9 - Denver, CO

10/12 - Nashville, TN
It appears Meek Mill had a couple more famous supporters pay him a visit while behind bars on Tuesday. Just days after Philadelphia 76ers guards Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons paid the MMG rapper a visit, 76ers owner Michael Rubin & Patriots owner Robert Kraft decided to follow in suit, and visit the Philly rapper in prison on Tuesday.

Thanks to TMZ who captured the footage, the two men were at the State Correctional Institute in Chester, Pennsylvania, to reportedly offer some words of encouragement to Meek, who was sentenced to two to four years in jail in November for violating the terms of his probation.

"Amazing young man. I know how Id feel if I was in the situation he is," Kraft said. "Every time I see him, I just come away more impressed. Hes very intelligent. And makes it clear to me we have to do something with criminal justice reform. Kraft added that he thinks Meek is a "great guy" and the situation he's in is "just sad.

Kraft & Rubin join a list consisting of James Harden, Joel Embiid, Rick Ross, and Rev. Al Sharpton, among others whove already visited Meek in prison so far, and I'm sure they wont be the last.

Last month, the Philly rapper's legal team filed a motion to have Judge Genece Brinkley removed from his case, stating she "exceeded the judicial role by sometimes essentially acting as a prosecutor and, at other times, taking an unusual interest in, and trying to inject herself into, [Meek Mill's] personal and professional life."

Well continue to keep you posted on all the latest moving forward. In the meantime, check out the clip of Robert

[Via]
Safaree Samuels is likely best known for his connection to Nicki Minaj as the two were romantically linked for 12 years. He has attempted to build a career as a musician which has not entirely panned out as well as he had hoped but Safaree is still making plenty of money. If his music career does not go as well as he hopes, he can always turn to pornography as he has already received some lucrative offers to film scenes with well-known porn stars. Linking up with HOT 97 this morning, Safaree spoke to Ebro and company about all things Nicki Minaj, his unfortunate robbery and, of course, the now infamous nude photos.

Beginning around the 21-minute mark, Safaree speaks about entertaining offers to film porn, saying he was approached by a well-known actress in the industry who offered him $50K to shoot a scene. While Safaree ultimately declined, he is considering a move into the adult toy landscape, disclosing that he had a meeting with a company that wants to make a mold of the rapper's you-know-what. While he insists that he did not leak his own nudes, the prospect of a Safaree sex toy slightly intrigues him. "I don't know because I'm thinking about the future of me actually having a wife one day and her being okay with [it,]" said Safaree.

Although he is reluctant about making a move to the adult industry, he shares that he still has love for Nicki Minaj earlier in the interview but that they have not spoken in four and a half years. Check out the full interview below to catch him speaking about his recent robbery.
WASHINGTON  Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized early and often for his companys mishandling of users data in his debut appearance before Congress on Tuesday, but strongly defended the companys core business model of making money from the personal information its customers post on their accounts.

Zuckerberg issued several variations on his opening-statement mea culpa that Facebook hadnt done enough to prevent the social network from being used for harm. He insisted, however, that there was no fundamental flaw in the way Facebook lets users limit the spread of their data.

After squirming for a moment before collecting himself, the 33-year-old Internet billionaire did confess to an extraordinary joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees that he would not want to share publicly the name of the hotel where he stayed the night before.

Everyone should have control over how their information is used, Zuckerberg said, responding to a question by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who sought to frame the storm over the misuse of user data in terms personal to the Silicon Valley mogul.

But Zuckerberg added, Every day people come to Facebook to share photos and other information about their lives. Every time they choose to share something, they have a control right there about who they want to share it with  referring to privacy controls on the social media platform that allow users to determine whether their posts go to friends, or to friends of friends, or to the public at large.

Zuckerberg was called to Capitol Hill to respond to revelations that the Russian government used Facebook to try to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, and that the personal information of as many as 87 million Facebook users was accessed without their knowledge by a political firm that did work for Donald Trumps campaign. The Facebook CEO found himself challenged by senators from both parties about whether the public can trust the company to patrol itself.

Both Republicans and Democrats clearly wrestled with how to oversee a social network whose more than 2 billion users worldwide make up a population larger than any country in the world. The tenor of deep skepticism over Facebooks actions indicated that Washingtons hands-off approach to the company  and Silicon Valley generally  may be nearing an end.

You have built an extraordinary American company ... some things youve been able to do are magical, said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. But our promised digital utopia, we have discovered, has minefields. There are some impurities in the Facebook punchbowl, and theyve got to be fixed.

Zuckerberg sought to avoid direct answers about whether he would submit to regulation similar to policies going into effect in the European Union to enforce users privacy and platforms transparency. He said he would be open to working with Congress on the issues, but said the details matter.

He frequently ducked on specifics, repeatedly saying his team would follow up with the senators.

Frustrated senators said Facebook has become more than just an innocent way to connect people, as Zuckerberg insisted remains the companys intent, but instead a business model that exploits users personal data to sell ads.

Let me cut to the chase, said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.. If you and other social media companies do not get your act in order, none of us are going to have any privacy anymore.

Zuckerberg strongly defended Facebooks advertising model, deflecting a question from Nelsonabout whether the company would charge a fee to users who do not allow the service to use their information to sell ads. The companys chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said in a recent interview that Facebook has considered such a charge. But Zuckerberg said charging would go against its mission to reach as many people as possible.

He said most users choose to allow Facebook to use their information to target them with ads. I think thats a good level of control to offer, Zuckerberg said.

As for making people pay for using Facebook without ad targeting, Zuckerberg said that without the money ads bring in, we would still need some sort of business model.

As for misuse of the service for terrorist plots, hate speech, foreign election interference or other unwelcome content, Zuckerberg said artificial intelligence would soon offer the ability to sort through billions of posts to flag potential problems. In the meantime, he touted a plan to hire 20,000 people to sort through the information to ensure such content is removed.

But that prompted sharp questions from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., who asked whether Facebook intends to become a political censor. He challenged Zuckerberg to say whether it claims to be a neutral public forum that can be regulated, or an entity protected under the First Amendment guarantee of free speech.

Our goal is certainly not to engage in political speech, Zuckerberg said. Asked later by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, if Facebook has become the worlds largest publisher, Zuckerberg sought a middle ground, saying he views it as a tech company.

This is a really big question, Zuckerberg said, making the distinction between being responsible for its content but not creating it.

Amateur Twitter comedians mistook some senators probing questions as technological ignorance. In a question that evoked much ribaldry, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked, Is Twitter the same as what you do?

But Grahams point  that Twitter is a different social media beast and not direct competition for Facebook  was no joking matter for Facebook. Monopolies are subject to antitrust law, and if Facebook lacks direct competitors, regulators can argue that antitrust rules should apply.

You dont think you have a monopoly? Graham asked, noting that Facebook bought Instagram, along with WhatsApp and other companies edging into its territory.

It certainly doesnt feel like it to me, Zuckerberg replied.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and strong ally of the tech industry, expressed amazement that anyone was shocked that Facebook makes money by leveraging its user base with advertisers. Nothing in life is free, Hatch said.

Hatch, leading Zuckerberg on, asked him, How do you sustain a business model if users dont pay?

Zuckerberg, smiling, replied, Senator, we run ads.

The Facebook CEO returns to Capitol Hill Wednesday for a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
CEO pay is up - yet again. A booming stock market and bulging equity awards propelled the median 2017 compensation for CEOs of the 100 largest companies to the highest figure in 11 years, according to a new analysis.

The report, released Wednesday by executive compensation and governance research firm Equilar, examines pay of the 100 largest public companies by revenue, and comes in advance of broader CEO pay rankings that typically arrive later in the spring and analyze the companies of the entire Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. While the median pay increase for CEOs was slightly lower than the year prior, at 5 percent instead of 6 percent, the median CEO pay package was valued at $15.7 million, the first time it notched above 2016's previous high of $15 million. Equilar has run the analysis since 2007.

Dan Marcec, Equilar's director of content and communications, said the number was not surprising given that the majority of CEO pay is made up of stock grants and 2017 was a banner year for market performance: The S&P 500 index saw a nearly 20 percent climb.

"The number shows us, frankly, that we're seeing more of the same," he said. "We've seen continued increases over the past seven or eight years and it's consistent with a bull market. The higher stock prices are on the whole, the higher CEO compensation is going to be."

New to Equilar's analysis is the inclusion of a CEO-to-worker pay ratio for each company, thanks to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule that went into effect this year. The rule requires publicly traded companies to release a ratio of what their CEOs make in comparison to their median paid worker. For the 100 largest companies, the ratios tend to be far higher than the broader market, with a median of 235-to-one, compared with 72-to-1 for companies in the Russell 3000 index that have reported their 2017 numbers so far.

In other words, CEOs of the largest companies tend to get paid a lot more than others. "This list is always kind of the high water mark for what we see," Marcec said. "Most of these are fairly recognizable, multinational companies that are complex. It doesn't seem surprising that they would be on the high end of the pay scale for these jobs."

Each year, the list produces some eye-popping numbers in part because CEO pay packages are valued on the date new stock awards are granted. As a result, multi-year grants that CEOs only get access to over time can bulk up the size of a CEO's pay package one year, only to see the number plummet - albeit still to relatively high numbers - the following year.

The highest-paid CEO in this year's study is Broadcom's Hock Tan, for example, which has been in the news after President Donald Trump blocked the company's $117 billion bid for Qualcomm and, weeks later, for changing its legal domicile from Singapore to the United States. Tan's 2017 package was valued at $103.2 million. While that is a massive number, it includes a new stock grant valued at $98.3 million that will pay out over a period of several years only if Broadcom meets certain total shareholder return performance thresholds.

Meanwhile, the CEO who saw the biggest drop in pay was Charter Communications' Thomas Rutledge, whose 2017 compensation was $7.7 million, 92 percent lower than in 2016, when his haul was valued at $98.5 million. The 2016 payment included a $78 million equity award connected to a new employment agreement that will be paid out over five years.

Other names at the top of the new list include American International Group CEO Brian Duperreault ($42.8 million); Oracle's co-CEOs Mark Hurd and Safra Catz (each of whom received packages valued north of $40 million); and Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger, whose pay was valued at $36.3 million.

Many of the companies on this list with the highest CEO pay ratios, meanwhile, employ large groups of retail, temporary or foreign workers whose lower annual wages can make the ratio look particularly high. At ManpowerGroup, the staffing provider, the ratio of CEO to worker pay is 2,483-to-1; at retailer Kohl's, the ratio is 1,264-to-1. (Manpower notes in its proxy that 95 percent of the employees used in that calculation are "associates" employed at client firms in 80 countries, a majority of which are in temporary roles; if it calculated the ratio using just the 5 percent that are permanent staff, the ratio would be 273-to-1.)

And who was the lowest paid CEO in this ranking of the 100 largest companies? That would be the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, whose stock holdings may number in the billions but whose annual compensation from Berkshire Hathaway, where he is CEO, is limited. According to the company's proxy, he received a $100,000 salary the same salary he has received for more than 25 years - but no bonus or new stock awards; Berkshire also provided security services for Buffett that cost $375,000 in 2017. The CEO pay ratio at Berkshire is 1.87-to-1.
The competency hearing for a 34-year-old East Montgomery County man accused of murdering his girlfriend with a machete continued for a second day Tuesday in front of a panel of jurors who listened to testimony to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

John Dee Weter, Jr., of New Caney, has made claims during the ongoing hearing that he worked with the Drug Enforcement Agency and that his alleged victim was an FBI informant.

Weter claims that claimed a conspiracy between the Republican and Democratic parties has led to his previous arrests in the Austin area and contributed to his newest charge of murder.

SENTENCED: Man gets life in prison for strangling, burning victim

The jury of nine men and three women were selected Monday followed by the start of the competency hearing in Judge Claudia Laird's County Court-at-Law 2.

Weter is accused of killing Michelle Becker, 33, while her two young children were in the home.

According to witness statements given to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Weter and Becker were seen arguing outside their home at a New Caney RV park off FM 1485 shortly before 9:45 p.m. Aug. 6, 2015, when he allegedly assaulted her with a machete.

Deputies were called to the home and found the woman with multiple injuries related to a machete attack. Becker was rushed to Kingwood Hospital where she later died.

The suspect drove away in a car before he was spotted by an officer with the Roman Forest Police Department and arrested, police said.

According to witnesses and police, the couple and the children had moved to the RV park recently from the Austin area.

Since Weter's arrest in 2015, numerous motions have been filed in the court, including a motion to dismiss letter submitted to 359th state District Court Judge Kathleen Hamilton where he stated, "the defendant feels like the FBI's record is a critical line to his defense ... the defendant is accused of murdering an FBI informant (Becker) while being protected by the FBI."

Additionally, Weter requested a change of venue on March 20, 2017, which was denied by Hamilton.

When Weter was first arrested, attorney Joseph Krippel was his appointed as his attorney. However, Weter filed a motion to dismiss Krippel citing "unreconsilable [sic] violations and several heated arguments." Attorney Dennis Yates, who previously was appointed as secondary counsel, was appointed as the primary.

Attorney Kristen Brown was appointed as Weter's secondary counsel.

Yates, Brown and prosecutor Andrew James had the opportunity to ask Weter questions to show his competency to the jury which included his criminal history and whether he felt he is competent to stand trial.

"Earlier, you said that it is human instinct to deny," James said.

Weter replied to this comment, stating, "No, I said, it's human instinct to defend themselves. I want to be shown that I'm competent because I want to take this to trial to defend myself. I will not accept a plea agreement or choose an insanity defense. I was competent at the time of the said offense; it's my right to speak the truth and it's my right to trial. I just want the truth out there."
The Texas Education Agency released the framework for how it will use State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores and other measures to dole out accountability ratings to schools on Tuesday, the same day students across the Lone Star state began taking the state-mandated battery of tests.

The state's accountability system will measure academic performance in three areas: student achievement, school progress and closing achievement gaps.

Measuring student achievement will be based solely on how well students scored on the STAAR test in elementary and middle school. At the high school level, STAAR scores will count for 40 percent of a school's accountability rating. Another 40 percent of high school accountability will be based on college- and career-readiness, and 20 percent will be based on graduation or dropout rates.

School progress will be measured by how much students improved their STAAR scores from the previous year or how well schools maintained passing scores. High school ratings also will take into account student progress in terms of college- and career-readiness.

The final measure will calculate how well historically disadvantaged groups, such as racial minorities, English-language learners and economically disadvantaged students, perform on STAAR tests and college- and career-readiness measures.

The changes come after lawmakers approved a new accountability rating system in the 2017 legislative session, which mandates the TEA assign A-through-F letter grades to schools and districts statewide. Districts will receive the letter grades in fall, while individual schools will be given the new ratings in fall of 2019.

Districts that earn an A, B, C or D will have met the state's academic standards, while those earning F marks do not.

The TEA also announced that it will not decide whether to grant accountability waivers to districts affected by Hurricane Harvey until June.

shelby.webb@chron.com

twitter.com/shelbywebb
By Benjamin Jumbe.

This is according to the state minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees Musa Ecweru who was speaking at the launch of the first run for refugees and host communities.

His remarks follow reports that refugees were asking government for more land.

However addressing journalists, Minister Ecweru said what the refugees were asking for was some more land to produce more food for themselves from the current 2.5 acres each household receives.

The minister however says the land they are being given now will be reverted to the owners when the refugees get back to their home countries.

The Run scheduled for 20th May and 10th June in Arua and Kampala respectively is organized by the Run for Refugees, a national multi stakeholder initiative and will be under the theme Water for Refugees
WASHINGTON  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sought to assure angry lawmakers Tuesday that the social media giant is taking steps to protect users' privacy after revelations that Cambridge Analytica  a data mining firm employed by the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz  improperly accessed information from up to 87 million users.

The Texas senator, meanwhile, kept the focus on allegations of liberal political bias on Facebook, which Zuckerberg denied.

The 33-year-old Internet entrepreneur, facing lawmakers for the first time since the privacy scandal erupted last month, also sought to highlight the social benefits of "connecting people" on the web, pointing to online organizing efforts behind the #metoo movement and fundraising for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

But he also noted Facebook's downside of suspected Russian trolling, false stories, and the unauthorized use of people's personal information for commercial and political profiling by outside web developers and data mining firms.

Top on the list of Zuckerberg's  and lawmakers'  culprits was Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm that was initially bankrolled by conservative fundraiser Robert Mercer, a top Cruz benefactor.

"It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well," Zuckerberg said in a packed, televised hearing. "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy. We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."

In one of the most anticipated public hearings of the current Congress, Zuckerberg faced skeptical questioning from Democrats and Republicans on a joint panel of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees, including Cruz and senior Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate.

The 44 members of the two Senate committees represented nearly half of the Senate. The Facebook billionaire founder also is scheduled to appear Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

But as many of the lawmakers, including Cornyn, focused on Facebook's acknowledged privacy lapses, Cruz bore down on allegations of "bias and political censorship" by Facebook and other modern tech companies that appear to be out of favor with some hard-right digital activists.

Much of the furor surrounding the data mining revelations has focused on Cambridge Analytica's ties to the Trump campaign. But the firm also did an estimated $5.8 million worth of business with Cruz's presidential campaign, starting from its launch in March, 2015, until June, 2016, a month after he dropped out of the Republican primaries.

Cruz, facing reelection in November, has come under attack from Texas Democrats over his ties to Mercer and Cambridge Analytica. His political organization said last month that it was assured in 2015 that there was nothing illegal about the data his presidential campaign was being provided by the firm, which was also initially led by eventual Trump adviser Steve Bannon.

Government officials are now looking into whether Facebook's role in the data collection violated a 2011 consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission designed to protect users' privacy. Facebook, which reaches 2 billion people a month, has repeatedly denied it violated the deal.

Cruz, as one of Cambridge Analytica's prime customers when the privacy concerns first came to light in 2015, pursued a singular line of questioning with Zuckerberg. He opened with a question about whether Facebook is a "neutral public forum" entitled to legal protections under the 1996 Communications Decency Act.

"There are a great many Americans who I think are deeply concerned that Facebook and other tech companies are engaged in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship," Cruz said, citing reports of conservative viewpoints being blocked or restricted on Facebook.

The charge of "political censorship" repeated Cruz's line of questioning at a separate hearing in January in which he pressed officials from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube about alleged restrictions or "shadow banning" of conservative opinion on their social platforms. Officials from all three companies testified that their terms of service are politically neutral.

Zuckerberg followed suit, though he allowed that Silicon Valley, the company's home, is "an extremely left-leaning place," and that he has sought "root out" political bias in the company's operations.

"I'm committed to making sure that Facebook is a platform for all ideas," Zuckerberg said. "That is a very important founding principle of what we do."

Cruz also questioned the political affiliations of Facebook's estimated 15,000-20,000 "security and content review" workers who are supposed to weed out hate speech, indecency, terrorist propaganda and other potentially harmful social media content.

"We do not generally ask people about their political orientation when they're joining the company," Zuckerberg said.

Pressed on whether Facebook's determinations of what content is "good" and "positive" could amount to "censorship," Zuckerberg replied, "I think you would probably agree that we should remove terrorist propaganda from the service."

Texas Democratic Party Deputy Executive Director Manny Garcia slammed Cruz's focus on political bias, which avoided mention of Cambridge Analytica, a vendor to his 2016 presidential campaign.

"Once again, Ted Cruz showed the world he'll say anything to avoid accountability and cling to power," Garcia said. "Cruz would rather crawl over broken glass to protect his billionaire donors like Robert Mercer."

Calls for Tuesday's congressional hearing focused on Zuckerberg and the company's relationship with outside developers who are sold or given access to Facebook's data. Critics complain that Facebook users are vulnerable to a variety of web designers and data mining companies like Cambridge Analytica.

Zuckerberg, long wary of calls for new government regulations, said his company is taking responsibility for its mistakes and working to ensure that they are corrected.

"Over the past few weeks, we've been working to understand exactly what happened with Cambridge Analytica and taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said. "We took important actions to prevent this from happening again today four years ago, but we also made mistakes, there's more to do, and we need to step up and do it."

He also expressed openness to laws governing transparency to protect the privacy of personal data on the Internet. To combat Russian social media meddling and hate speech, he said he could support some form of the proposed Honest Ads Act, which would require technology companies to verify the identities of political and issues advertisers.

Zuckerberg also sought to assure lawmakers that the company is investigating apps that had access to a large amount of Facebook user data before the company tightened its rules in 2014. By then, however, a Cambridge University researcher named Aleksandr Kogan had already shared earlier Facebook data with Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook didn't learn of the data sharing arrangement until 2015, according to Zuckerberg. Facebook has since demanded that Cambridge Analytica formally certify they deleted the improperly acquired data, which he believed they ultimately did.

Facebook learned later through press reports that Cambridge Analytica may not have deleted the data as they had certified. Those questions led to Cambridge Analytica being kicked off Facebook.

"In retrospect, it was a mistake to believe them," Zuckerberg said.

Cambridge Analytica still maintains it has deleted the data and has agreed to a forensic audit by a firm Facebook hired to investigate. Zuckerberg said Facebook also is working with the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office, which has jurisdiction over Cambridge Analytica through its British parent company.

Facebook did not initially inform its users, but has since created a way for people to check to see if their data was swept up by Cambridge Analytica.

Campaign finance records show that Cambridge Analytica was one of several data analytics firms Cruz used in his 2016 campaign. Sources close to the campaign said it made up only a small part of the campaign's data operation. They added that the bulk of the campaign's payments to the firm were for digital media buys, not voter profiles.

Using data analysis firms like Cambridge Analytica, combined with their own data work, the Cruz campaign was widely credited with running one of the most advanced data operations in the 2016 campaign. "Psychographic" models compiled from various lists and voter files allowed the campaign to micro-target digital ads by specific interests and regions and give field workers the tools to make individually-tailored campaign pitches to potential activists and supporters based on political, religious and personality traits.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, noted that Cambridge Analytica's data sweeping was not new in the 2016 election. Other campaigns, notably the 2012 re-election campaign of President Barack Obama, helped pioneer "data scraping" apps now increasingly common in politics.

As Facebook investigates Cambridge Analytica and a number of other firms for allegedly misusing data, the company itself is being subjected to increasing scrutiny by privacy advocates on both sides of the Atlantic.

A lawsuit was filed Tuesday against Facebook by people who have used Facebook and had their information shared with Cambridge Analytica. The lawsuit, the second in two days, is seeking class action status.

With the privacy crisis undergoing a pair of high-profile congressional hearings, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak announced Monday that he is shutting down his Facebook account altogether.

In an email to USA Today, Wozniak said Facebook "profits are all based on the user's info, but the users get none of the profits back."

Wozniak says he'd rather pay for Facebook, an idea that has gained increasing attention as users realize that when it comes to free social media web sites like Facebook, they are the product.

Related content: Cruz campaign says it was assured Cambridge Analytica's Facebook data was legal
WASHINGTON  Texas Republican U.S. Rep. John Culberson, targeted by Democrats in his upscale district in west Houston and Harris County, raised $549,078 for his reelection campaign in the first three months of 2018, his campaign reported Wednesday.

Culberson's take, the largest fundraising quarter of his nine-term career in Congress, edged out the $500,000 haul of his top Democratic challenger, Houston attorney Lizzie Pannill Fletcher.
WASHINGTON  The sudden exit of U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan set off a scramble for the top leadership posts in the GOP ranks Wednesday, a shakeup that could change life for a number of ranking Texas Republicans.

Among those analysts are watching closely is House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady of The Woodlands, who has been a close ideological ally of Ryan as his wing man on tax cuts and trade.

Brady, in his 11th term, is not generally considered a candidate to replace Ryan. But a potential contest between House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and GOP Whip Steve Scalise could present the well-liked Texan with a chance to slip into the third leadership spot.

Brady, in a Chronicle interview, declined to speculate about the change of leadership, saying "today is really all about Paul Ryan."

Like many other Republicans, Brady praised Ryan's record on getting tax cuts and military spending increases through Congress. "No Speaker of the House in history has achieved more in such a short time as Paul Ryan," he said.

A few other powerful Republican committee chairmen from Texas' influential delegation also are seen as possible contenders for higher leadership positions. They include the Houston region's Michael McCaul, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Dallas' Pete Sessions, who chairs the Rules Committee, and Midland's Mike Conaway, chairman of the Agriculture Committee and the current head of the House committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

McCaul, a regular TV news show guest, has shown ambition in toying with a possible Senate run. Conaway is considered more comfortable spearheading this year's major multi-year farm bill. Sessions, for the time being, faces a spirited reelection battle in a district that fell to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

At least two other powerful committee chairs from Texas, Lamar Smith of San Antonio and Jeb Hensarling of Dallas, are set to retire this year. One who is not retiring is Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry of Amarillo, though he has gained little national profile.

While Brady is the closest to Ryan, he is seen more as a policy driver than a political player.

"If you're looking for a legislative leader, he's a good option," said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political scientist at the University of Houston. "If you're looking for a political leader, he's not your best option."

Amid the tumult, Ryan's departure also could be bad news for Brady and others close to the GOP leadership ranks if it signals the ascendancy of the party's hard-right Freedom Caucus, a bloc of three-dozen tea party-inspired lawmakers who long have been clamoring for more influence in the Republican leadership.

While Brady symbolizes the Chamber of Commerce wing of the GOP, a handful of Texans in the Freedom Caucus represent a group that has been able to exert more rightward pressure on Ryan and his predecessor, former Speaker John Boehner.

In the Houston region, those with the strongest affinity for the Freedom Caucus include Randy Weber of Friendswood, Brian Babin of Woodville, and Louie Gohmert of Tyler. But other than Gohmert, who appears frequently as an outspoken conservative on Fox News, none of those Texans have their own power centers in the Republican conference.

"Texas certainly has its share of folks in the Freedom Caucus, but they're not the leaders of the Freedom Caucus," said University of Texas political scholar Sean Theriault.

The uncertainty surrounding the coming leadership struggle could confer advantages or disadvantages to those already clinging to the rungs of power, depending on who wins. A changing of the guard provides no guarantees. As for the current crop of Texans running major committees, Theriault said, "all of them could be more powerful with Ryan around than without Ryan around."

Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said that no matter who wins the battle to succeed Ryan, the basic fault lines in the House will remain the same.

"I don't think this really changes the House as an organic whole," he said. "You still have the various factions and interest groups, people with different places on the ideological spectrum. It's still going to be, for his successor, a challenging balancing act between sort of the main street Republicans and the Freedom Caucus and everything in-between."

Democrats, meanwhile, sense blood in Ryan's departure, which comes in the midst of a difficult midterm election year for Republicans who will be tied to an embattled President Donald Trump.

"The fact that you've got a captain of the ship bailing out midway through the sinking of the ship is not a good sign," Rottinghaus said. "Even if it's not a harbinger of losses in the House, the optics make it look so much worse."

To the extent that Ryan's departure might augur poorly for Republicans' chances of holding the House in November, it could raise the stakes for several potentially endangered Texas Republicans.

Besides Sessions, Houston's John Culberson and San Antonio's Will Hurd have been targeted by Democrats because they represent districts that went to Clinton. Democrats believe all three could be vulnerable in a big enough wave election.

"The blue wave is rising while the Trump Republican Party is in full chaos," said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa. "The Republican Speaker of the House leaving Congress shows the rats are jumping off the sinking ship."

Brady, Cornyn and other prominent Republicans say there is nothing more to read into Ryan's departure besides his stated desire to leave a job he took reluctantly and to now pursue "new priorities" in his life: his family.

"Having been a seat mate with Paul Ryan on Ways and Means together for 16 years, and following him (to chair) the Ways and Means Committee," Brady said, "he is exactly who he appears to be, which is an optimistic, bold thinker who cares deeply about his family in Janesville, Wisconsin."

As for the party's future  and his own  Brady demurred repeatedly. "Today's all about Speaker Ryan," he said. "He's going to run through the tape. We've got a strong record to run on in November, and so I'm just focused on finishing this year out and preserving this majority."

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While the future of the Houston Independent School District remains in flux, it is worth pointing out that those hoping for a state takeover to help solve student performance problems are almost certain to be disappointed.

The Texas Education Agencys limited history with taking over urban school districts suggests the process is more akin to firefighting than engineering. An appointed board of managers can deal with immediate threats, but its not designed for rebuilding damaged structures.

The largest district taken over by TEA to date was the El Paso Independent School District in 2013. The district was wracked by a cheating scheme masterminded by the superintendent and abetted by a school board that abandoned its oversight responsibilities. Then-Education Commissioner Michael Williams stripped the elected seven-member board of its powers and replaced it with an appointed five-member board of managers.

EDITORIAL: Carranza bails on Houston. Good luck, New York.

The appointed board, made up of four El Pasoans and a longtime education administrator from San Antonio, had some clear successes in its two years. It focused on straightening EPISDs finances and hiring a new superintendent.

The managers did little to improve student performance, however, and faced criticism from some community members and teacher union leaders for lacking transparency at times. Thats a risk of a board that isnt answerable to voters.

The appointed boards term expired in 2015 and EPISD voters elected seven new trustees. Five years after the state took over EPISD, it is a better district than it was, but it still struggles to improve student achievement and build public trust.

The challenges at Houston ISD are different than those faced by EPISD in 2013, but the El Paso experience offers valuable lessons.

The most important: It is better for the current elected trustees to fix the problems rather than leave things to a state-appointed board. An appointed board might create a couple of years of breathing space, but it is unlikely to have the political credibility to address the academic challenges facing many Houston schools. A state-appointed board likely would delay necessary reforms.

EDITORIAL: HISD supporters should prepare for the worst case scenario

One significant change that Houston ISD should consider is changing the way it elects school board members. Currently, the nine trustees are elected from single-member districts, rather than by voters from throughout the school district.

Texas law allows a couple of alternatives. One would be a board made up of a mix of single-member and at-large trustees. This is similar to how Houstons City Council is elected. Sixty smaller school districts across Texas use this governance system, according to the Texas Association of School Boards.

Another alternative would be to switch to cumulative voting, where voters across the school district would be allowed to cast as many votes as there are candidates. This option has been available to Texas school districts since 1995 and is used by a number of smaller school districts for at-large trustee elections.

Changing the governance model could help address one of the biggest challenges facing the school board: Members are concerned about struggling campuses in their own electoral district, but not necessarily in the districts of other trustees.

OPINION: Go bold, go big in search for next HISD superintendent

Single-member districts have played a major role in assuring more diversity on school boards. They help ensure that multiple voices are heard in the development of education policy. But they also can result in a balkanized school district, with trustees focused on their individual parts rather than the whole.

In fact, thats the exact problem that the takeover law was crafted to address. State Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, the politician behind the law that allows for a TEA takeover, told the editorial board that he spent years trying to improve underperforming schools in his east Houston district only to get pushback from HISD board members who didnt specifically represent the campuses. So he promoted a legislative solution  House Bill 1842  that would force the entire board to face consequences for a single failing school.

Without a gun to their head, I dont think anything is going to change, Dutton told the editorial board.

OPINION: Students should have say in next HISD superintendent

But it shouldnt take a mortal threat to force the HISD board to think in district-wide terms. Simply changing the way voters elect the board could ensure that board members care about each campus as if their own kids were students.

A fundamental shift to the election process could also be a signal to the Texas Education Agency that the district is serious about finding new ways to address challenges. Inaction would be an invitation to TEA to seize control of the district. A state-appointed board likely would further delay needed reforms.

Houston ISD should learn the lesson of El Paso. Its better to fix your own problems now rather than wait for state intervention.
Only a state as big as Texas could have to deal with the simultaneous crises of both rampant floods and devastating drought.

The destruction of Hurricane Harvey and the massive infrastructure needs that it exposed along the Gulf Coast soaked up most of our attention recently, but vast swaths of the Texas Panhandle suffer from extreme drought, and the northern tip qualifies for the worst possible category: exceptional drought.

The problems our state is having with water  too much of it along the coast and too little of it in the Panhandle, West Texas and parts of Central Texas  should set the stage for next legislative session.

Last session saw only a handful of water bills, and it has become increasingly clear that Gov. Greg Abbott has little interest in calling a much-needed post-Harvey special session.

HOUSER: Texas faces a new normal under neutered EPA

So during the next session, lawmakers should focus not only on flood mitigation efforts such as the coastal spine and preserving the Katy Prairie, but also desalinization plants, aquifer storage and recovery systems to aid parched areas and keep Texas land from drying up into cracked wasteland.

Texas needs to start planning now for a future in which our state is home for more than 50 million people. Within that time, the water supply is expected not only to fail to keep up with population growth, but actually decline by about 11 percent according to the states own plan.

In addition to infrastructure, the Legislature should concentrate on water management needs such as promoting water conservation (such as new state performance standards for water loss in state utility systems and limitations on unnecessary outdoor landscape watering), fostering more effective drought management measures (including earlier implementation of drought contingency plans and coordination of drought contingency plans among local water suppliers in a region), the use of green infrastructure (incentives for low-impact land development and water-conserving landscape choices) and floodplain development limitations.

EDITORIAL: Conserving water is a smart strategy to employ before the next drought

Groundwater deserves specific attention. Its too late for the Ogallala aquifer underlying the Texas Panhandle. Growers are taking more water than can be recharged, shortchanging future agricultural needs.

Other Texas aquifers will be next if the Legislature doesnt act.

Ground water conservation districts have been created to prevent overdrafting and mining, but the Legislature needs to provide more resources and technology so these districts have the ability to manage resources efficiently and to avoid the higher water costs, land subsidence, lower quality water and depletion that comes from groundwater reduction.

EDITORIAL: A warning to water hogs

Ignoring the looming issue of water scarcity is no more an option than ignoring the inevitability of the next Gulf Coast hurricane. If the Legislature fails to enact sensible water measures, Texas can look forward to a future in which approximately one-third of the states municipal water users have less than half of the water supplies that they require to live and work.

Conservatives who wish to preserve the rural areas of Texas should work alongside environmentalists who are focused on keeping our rivers, streams, bays, estuaries and habitats healthy, to create smart water policy for Texas. The Houston delegation should extend a hand to its rural counterparts and fashion water policies that serve our entire state. In the not too distant future, water is going to be more valuable than oil, and Texas should be prepared.
By Shamim Nateebwa.

Women that are struggling with infertility related challenges will only have to wait a few more months to find relief as the Mulago Womens Fertility Hospital is expected to start operating in July this year.

This has been revealed by the Mulago hospital spokesperson Enoch Kusaasira who notes that the move is meant to have the hospital budgeted for in next financial year.

Kusaasira says construction and equipping of the facility is complete but it cannot operate without funds.

This will be the first public health facility that provides fertility-related services; the other five in the country are all private and located within Kampala.

This hospital will provide assisted reproductive technologies to enable infertile women bear children through a process known as In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

The IVF is a process that increases the efficiency of human reproduction, in cases where it is often not efficient naturally.
"We really want to equip HR professionals with up to date information to review HRs obligations and look at how WorkSafe is approaching enforcement and sentencing in relation to breaches of the Act" said event organiser Sarah Holden.

Holden is urging HR professionals to book early to avoid missing out on a seat at the event.

"Following another sell-out success in Auckland last month, the Employment Law Masterclass will be held next in Wellington and Christchurch. Discounts are available for group bookings" said Holden.

More information about the program is available here.
One quarter of employees say that their boss doesnt care about their health, or that fact that their stress is affecting their productivity.

The most anxious employees are those who work in cubicles (37%), followed by open plan offices (32%), closed offices (31%), with the least being staff who work remotely (17%).

Almost half of employees working from home said that theyre not regularly impacted by stress or tiredness. Which begs the question  should your HR department opt for a remote and flexible workforce?

It is important to keep in mind that not everybody operates in the same way and being flexible with your staff can often mean creating a better working environment and increased engagement, explained Paul Avis, marketing director of Canada Life Group Insurance.

For example, flexible working not only has the benefit of improving work-life balance but can also have a positive influence on overall employee health. People want to give their best, but we are all leading increasingly busy and always-on lives.
Zac Horgan joined IKEA four and a half years ago in a logistics role in one of the Melbourne stores. After six months he showed an interest in an IT specialist role. Despite having no IT background, Horgan was successful and was appointed to the role.

Through on the job training and his own leadership ability, Horgan supported numerous IT projects, travelled around Australia and also to France within the role.

Today, Horgan is Sydney-based and works in the multichannel team, leading sales and operations within the e-commerce team.

Where his career journey takes him next in IKEA really is in his hands, said Prosser.

In this way, we genuinely offer a broad range of opportunities for everyone to grow within IKEA because we believe that when our co-workers grow, IKEA grows too.
In the world of public relations, silence is a double-edged sword. Silence can be, as the saying goes, golden. But it can also be deadly--a real reputation killer. So far, for Amazon's Jeff Bezos, silence is working out just fine.

President Trump recently went on a six-tweet spree railing on Bezos for how Amazon pays taxes and uses--or, Trump would say, abuses--the U.S. Postal Service. He also questioned the editorial integrity and profitability of The Washington Post, which Bezos owns. Bezos, who has been critical of Trump in the past, has said and tweeted zilch in response.

Here's why: He doesn't need to.

Bezos's reputation is solid. So far. Amazon and The Washington Post aren't being affected. Yet.

You can bet that Bezos has an army of PR pros with a slew of media tracking and headline monitoring tools that show the president's tweets and the corresponding news coverage have had a "neutral" affect on Bezos and his empire. You can be sure that if the tone in media coverage shifts to "negative," we'll be hearing from Bezos.

Does that mean that when you come under fire, silence will be your best strategy, too? Not necessarily.

It's risky either way.

Perhaps the biggest job of PR is maintaining and safeguarding reputations--companies', brands', and individuals' good names. One bad or tone deaf tweet can ruin a company's reputation, cost businesses consumers, and cost employees or spokespeople their jobs.

But staying silent is equally risky. The problem with keeping mum on an issue or outright saying "no comment" is that, often, others will fill that vacuum. Bloggers, opinion writers, and editorial boards. Network news channels. The "other side," and the its PR machine. If you don't tell your story, others will do it for you, and you might not like the results.

So how do you know what to do? Respond or stay silent? Tweet or sit on your hands?

I reached out to Amanda DeWeese, a former president of the Charlotte, North Carolina, chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, who gave me a very succinct answer: "You don't. This isn't a science."

All you or anyone in a situation like Bezos can do is hire smart, savvy PR pros, make a decision or follow a recommendation, and be nimble enough to adjust if and when the headlines demand it, DeWeese adds.

I'd be willing to bet that Bezos's PR pros have pre-written communications at the ready--and that all of the words are spelled correctly and only proper nouns are capitalized.

Know your audience.

PR is also about knowing your audience, reading the room, and having the pulse on the story or stories of the moment. Bezos's PR pros are likely discounting Trump's tweets, which have made for plentiful Saturday Night Live fodder and become a source of head shaking on both side of the political aisle.

In other words, if any other leader was attacking Bezos, it might warrant a response.

Keep in mind--as I'm sure Bezos's team has--that Amazon's chief has plenty of company when it comes to CEOs and business leaders who have been attacked by or have sparred with Trump. Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier and Disney CEO Bob Iger, among others, resigned from Trump's business advisory councils in the early days. And let's not forget Trump's public upbraiding of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who'd resigned as CEO of ExxonMobil to join the administration.
One word could help Facebook users understand why there is so much at stake when it comes to data privacy and leaked information. At a hearing yesterday in front of the Senate Judiciary & Commerce Committee in Washington, Mark Zuckerberg spoke about how the biggest social media company on the planet leaked reams of user data. The culprit? It was a simple personality test, a third-party plug-in, that lured in users like ants to a picnic.

They're called psychographics, and they definitely catch your eye. Sen. John Thune from South Dakota called them a "quiz" during his opening statements. At the heart of the issue is that this data trap for 300,000 users led to the misuse of data from their friends and family on the social network, and--it must be said--the data trap worked. Quite famously.

A psychographic is like a personality test. You've probably seen them many times in your Facebook feed, and maybe even completed a few. They tap into a basic human need to be understood, to share our identity, to become known. When we answer a few simple questions to let our friends and family know which Muppet character we're the most like or which car we'd drive if we had our pick, we're sharing a digital piece of our analog lives. It's why so many people participate in surveys, and why your feed is so filled with the results from all of the people you follow. It's all about connection.

And, it is also the root cause for how a company called Cambridge Analytica managed to collect the personal preferences for as many as 87 million Facebook users. We like sharing. Many of us fall for these personality tests because they tap into a basic human craving to reveal a lot about our own desires and dreams. It built Facebook.

From a security standpoint, there's a clear lesson here. Security and privacy go hand in hand, and Facebook will have to figure out how to balance the need for privacy and how their business model depends on access to as much data as possible. The most important company in tech is helping users connect with each other all over the world; now we know they are also helping themselves to our data and not protecting it. The business model will only work if Facebook can figure out how to assure the user base that their data is safe.

That could take years. I'm still a Facebook supporter and user, mostly because I know this business model is better than the alternative (that is, not having the services at all). I also know there's a lot at stake here. We've been running along fine for the past decade sharing data and assuming the companies that process that data know how to manage it. We've been wrong. These are multi-billion dollar companies, but the profit has come from using and abusing our data like it is a treasure chest they found on a sunken ship.

But these are real users. The data is not a treasure chest to exploit, it is something Big Tech needs to place as a priority above all else. We need a sea change. Our data is more like a set of jewels, a rich collection of information that is a goldmine for advertisers but also contains the memories, personal details, and insights of the public.

Here's the rub. Facebook is beholden to their advertisers. That much is clear. The ads you see in your feed pay the salary of every employee at Facebook. Yet, the company needs to make a shift. Are the users more important? If you don't protect the data, you are not protecting the users, and the advertisers will move on to the next app or service.

This is true of almost every Big Tech company, including Apple. When you treat user data like it is not that important, you suddenly become a data monster.

So what do we do about the word psychographic?
Edward G Robinson was undoubtedly one of the great stars of Hollywoods golden age. In 1944 the actor played Keyes in Double Indemnity, a landmark performance unsurpassed in any subsequent film noir.

The same year he starred in Fritz Langs The Woman in the Window, a different kind of noir but one with much to recommend it.

Netflix has rightly received criticism in some quarters for a perceived lack of interest in classic cinema. So what a pleasant surprise it is to find an underrated gem by one of the mediums finest directors on the streaming service.

Robinson plays psychology professor Richard Wanley, a man who has spent the bulk of his adult life pondering the notion of murder in a purely theoretical sense. At the start of the film, his wife and children head off on holiday and he spots a painting of a beautiful woman in a shop window. Much to his surprise, the subject of the painting appears behind him and introduces herself. Before the night is over, he has killed her lover in self-defence and set off a chain of events involving blackmail, poison and characters in over their heads.

This was the first project of International Pictures, an independent production company set up by scriptwriter Nunnally Johnson in the wake of his success penning John Ford films like The Grapes of Wrath. The Woman in the Window is often viewed as a precursor to Langs Scarlet Street, a film released the following year. Robinson plays a similar role in both films while Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea co-star and Milton R Krasner provides the cinematography. This is no mere practice run, though, and suggests the director responsible for the massively influential noir masterpiece M had lost none of the magic a decade or so on.

Langs film is almost perfect but let down by a denouement that adheres to the moralistic production code of the time rather than the bleak, fatalistic conclusion that seems inevitable.

The Woman in the Window is in refined company since it was released in France in 1946, the same year as The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Laura and Murder, My Sweet. French film magazines of the era first used the term film noir to refer to these five releases, and this one, while probably the least acclaimed, is a minor masterpiece that deserves to be remembered as more than merely a footnote in cinema history, regardless of its ending.
Margaret Atwood  the famed author of dystopian classic The Handmaids Tale  has claimed Star Wars helped inspire the terrorists behind the World Trade Centre bombings.

Atwood made the connection while discussing an operatic adaptation of The Handmaids Tale, which started in Denmark in 2000. The stage production featured faked footage of various famous buildings being blown up, including the Twin Towers.

Following the 9/11 attacks the following year, the footage was removed from the opera because it was no longer in the future.

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. 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They didnt get that idea from my opera, dont worry, the 78-year-old told Variety. They got the idea from Star Wars.

Questioned further about whether she really believes that Star Wars inspired the terrorists behind the attack, Atwood continued: Remember the first one? Two guys fly a plane in the middle of something and blow that up? The only difference is, in Star Wars, they get away.

Atwood seems to be referring to the final moments of the original Star Wars  now known as A New Hope  where the leading protagonist, Luke Skywalker, with help from Han Solo, blows up the villainous Death Star during the movie's climax.

Parallels between the 9/11 atrocity and the movie would appear limited however, as Skywalker shoots torpedoes into a vent to trigger a catastrophic explosion of the Death Star rather than fly his fighter into the space station to cause its destruction.

Atwood added: Right after 9/11, they hired a bunch of Hollywood screenwriters to tell them how the story might go next. Sci-fi writers are very good at this stuff, anticipating future events. They dont all come true, but there are interesting what if scenarios.

Atwoods representatives have been contacted by The Independent for further comment.

The author has made various controversial comments recently, including publishing an where questioned whether she was a bad feminist for asking whether the #MeToo movement had gone too far.
Ibiza is renowned for its hedonistic drink-and-drug-fuelled club nights, where revellers from all over the world come together to party into the early hours, and lose their inhibitions. The Middle East, on the other hand, could hardly be further from this way of life. And yet Ibiza club night, Paradise, has just held its first event in Dubai.

This is a place where its technically illegal to stay in the same room with your partner if youre not married, a place where women are encouraged to keep their skin covered despite the scorching heat, and a place where drug use can land you with a prison sentence or worse. How on earth do you take Ibizas leading club night and make it work in this city?

In fact, Dubai already has a developed and increasingly vibrant nightlife scene. In a city associated with wealth, extravagance and ridiculously ostentatious building design, its perhaps no surprise that global restaurant and club chains are taking note and moving in. The likes of Burger and Lobster and upmarket French eatery Bagatelle now call Dubai home, alongside bars such as the infamous Parisian club Buddha Bar and Ibizas Blue Marlin.

However, the bulk of Dubais bar and club scene is to be found nestled within the citys plethora of hotels and resorts, from the extremely high-end Armani/Prive in the Armani Hotel to ex-pat favourite, People by Crystal in the Raffles Hotel.

Dubais nightlife acts as an indulgent escape, albeit one that attempts to strike a balance between the conservatism of the Middle East and the intoxicating headiness of club culture. However, with tourism on the up, an emerging electronic music scene, and more and more globally renown club nights making their way over to the UAE, the balance between pleasure-seeking and conservatism could well be shifting.

Paradise at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE (Jure Ursic)

Paradise is one such night. A sybaritic stalwart of the Ibiza clubbing scene, in Dubai it was held at the aptly named Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE, curated by Hot Creations boss and electronic heavyweight Jamie Jones.

Drawing some of the worlds best electronic DJs, the likes of Stacey Pullen, Richy Ahmed and TIGA took to the decks to entertain a crowd made up of tourists, expats and locals  not unlike the crowd youd see in Ibiza. Speaking to a barman about why Dubai natives were coming down, he attributed their attendance to a love electronic music rather than a particular desire to go clubbing or party. But this may change as the scene establishes itself.

Stacey Pullen, the Detroit native whos climbed to the top of the electronic music world over the past few years, certainly believes that Dubai is moving forwards as a destination.

When I first came here, all this way to what I thought was the desert, I was surprised, he says. When you arrive, you see this whole new world of prosperity and prospects, dance, life, and culture. Its come a long way since I first came back in 2014.

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Its attracting big names too: in the past five years, the likes of Carl Cox, Seth Troxler and Marco Carola have all played in Dubai.

But how can the hedonism of Ibiza be truly replicated within a Middle Eastern culture? Pullen is optimistic. I think that the fact that you have so many other different cultures here in Dubai helps to replicate the togetherness and energy that Ibiza nights are famous for. The fact that you have influencers from all walks of life combined with those that live here is aiding the notion that Dubai is a legitimate clubbing destination. And its only going to get better.

Stacey Pullen plays Paradise at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE (Jure Ursic)

Ryan Snr is the general manger at Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE. Dubai may not be as louche and full of naughty glamour as Ibiza, he concedes. However, we have managed to find the balance between respecting and embracing the Middle Eastern culture and successfully creating the bohemian, Ibiza-spirited vibe.

Attending their opening night, the relaxed daytime pool party atmosphere and the nighttime revelry both felt distinctly familiar, while the environment was one that could have easily been mistaken for Miami or Ibiza.

However, there are still some people who treat Dubai with apprehension. For me, a gig just came up and I said yes, it was as simple as that, says Pullen. It wasnt something I was afraid of. However, some of my DJ friends were a bit more uneasy because of things like cultural politics.

As a clubber at Paradise, the cultural attitudes to drink, drugs and sex were in evidence throughout the night. To not be able to even kiss your partner for fear of reprisal at a club night is rather strange for Western ravers; to not see anyone hooking up at all at a night attempting to recreate the hedonism of Ibiza is even stranger.

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But while it may hardly be debauched, there is a lot of local love for this growing scene. The locals and expats that call the UAE their home love and support the fast-growing electronic music scene here, claims Snr. They are all very electronic music-savvy, lifestyle-conscious and well-travelled. The scene here is ever evolving, as it is in the rest of the world. It will be just in the right place in five years.

To my mind, the first ever Paradise in Dubai was a huge success in terms of the quality of the music on offer, the mood of the crowd and in creating an idyllic setting. However, the night failed to showcase the local music community in Dubai.

This is a wider issue within this rapidly expanding city: more money, more tourism, more attractions, and more fame are coming at a cost, which is the loss of a certain homegrown identity.

This will hopefully change in time. More money and renown will strengthen the scene, which should in turn provide new opportunities for emerging DJs from Dubai to take the lead, Pullen suggests. Im waiting to hear artists from Dubai. Its still early, but itll be interesting to see how the scene cultivates the electronic artists here. You have the clubs, you have the people, you have the infrastructure. We just need the artists.

Who better, after all, to ensure that the spirit of Ibiza takes on a distinctly Middle Eastern flavour?
Ariana Grande is set to release her first new music since the Manchester terror attack, it has been reported.

The pop star revealed she was working on new material at the end of last year, and Variety now reports that she will release the first single from her new album - which is rumoured to feature collaborations with the likes of Pharrell, Max Martin and Savan Kotecha - on 27 April.

The album is reportedly deeply personal and shaped by her experiences over the past two years. It will be her first full-length release since 2016's Dangerous Woman.

Those experiences include the tragedy where 22 people were killed and around 500 more were injured after a suicide bomber detonated a device in the foyer of Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May.

Just a few weeks later, Grande rallied dozens of high profile supporters to help organise the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which raised money for victims and their families, and raised the spirits of the city. Performers included Grande herself, plus Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Little Mix, Katy Perry, Take That, Pharrell, Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher. The concert raised more than $13m.

One Love Manchester Show all 12 1 /12 One Love Manchester One Love Manchester Concert goers queue outside Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester Music fans embrace outside the Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester A woman sunbathes as police officers patrol around Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester Manchester residents cheer as survivors walk to Old Trafford cricket grounds for the concert @AlexScapensMEN/Twitter One Love Manchester Women wearing I Love MCR T-shirts arrive at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert in Manchester. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester Armed police look-on as fans begin to arrive at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the One Love Manchester tribute concert. AFP/Getty Images One Love Manchester One Love Manchester Benefit Concert fans. One Love Manchester One Love Manchester Benefit Concert. One Love Manchester The crowd at the 'One Love Manchester' benefit concert. One Love Manchester AP One Love Manchester Gary Barlow has tweeted a picture of Take That backstage with Ariana Grande. Grande said she wanted to return to the "incredibly brave city" to spend time with her fans and to "honour and raise money for the victims and their families". One Love Manchester Take That with Robbie Williams - Music fans have said they had to attend the Manchester benefit concert to show they were determined to "stay strong and carry on", despite recent attacks.

Grande recently appeared at the March For Our Lives pro-gun-control rally in Washington DC last month where she performed her song "Be Alright", as well as a September benefit concert in Charlottesville, Virginia.

She told the March For Our Lives crowd: "This is for those brilliant students here today that are leading this march and for everybody participating today. Thank you so much for fighting for change and for love and safety and for our future."
British record labels have seen their fastest rate of revenue growth since the height of Britpop in the mid Nineties, according to industry association the BPI.

Combined revenue from streaming, downloads, physical sales and licensing for use in films, TV and video games rose by 10.6 per cent to 839m in 2017.

Thanks in part to the boom in subscription services such as Spotify, which increased by 41.1 per cent, the rate in growth for music industry income was the fastest since 1995 when revenues saw a 10.7 per cent bump as bands like Oasis, Blur and Pulp enjoyed immense popularity.

Revenues from streaming reached 388.8, overtaking physical formats - which took 310.4m - for the first time.

Revenue from vinyl sales also rose by 24 per cent, which means the market for vinyl is now one fifth of the size of the CD market.

Record companies are aiming to build on major UK success stories such as Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Rag'n'Bone Man. Eight of the UK's 10 best-selling albums of 2017 were by homegrown talent, with Drake and Pink being the only outside entries. Sheeran's third album Divide was the most popular record across all formats last year and broke several industry records.

 Top ten albums of 2017

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI and the annual Brit Awards, said: "The changes labels have made to their business models and their investment in new talent have borne fruit with rapid revenue growth in 2017.

"We are likely to see a continuing rise in 2018, with increasing awareness among consumers about the benefits of music streaming, and new developments that are likely to encourage the uptake of subscriptions, such as the launch of YouTube's premium music service and the growing popularity of smart speakers in the home."

Following predictions that streaming would overtake physical sales in the UK last year, Taylor said that while the British music sector was in rude health, the government should prioritise creative industries in a post-Brexit world.

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"It means making sure that UK artists can tour freely in EU markets and that UK businesses can access the best talent. It means taking firm action against illegal websites that deny artists a living, and it means making clear in UK law that huge online platforms must pay fair royalties for the music they use."

"If we do this, the future for British music, which is already one of our leading exports, will be very bright," he said.
Besides having a disastrous impact on sea levels and weather, a warming climate could also trigger catastrophic volcanic eruptions across the planet

Volcanic eruptions alter the climate by spewing smoke and ash into the atmosphere, but scientists now also think the opposite might be true  changes in climate could actually cause volcanic eruptions.

According to Gioachino Roberti, a PhD student at the University of Clermont Auvergne, glaciers can suppress volcanic eruptions by providing mountains with structural stability.

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As the climate becomes warmer, ice melting from these mountains removes support from their slopes, potentially leading to landslides and collapse.

Imagine the ice like some sort of protective layer  when the ice melts away, the mountain is free to collapse, said Mr Roberti.

If your mountain is a volcano you have another problem.

Volcanoes are a pressurised system and if you remove pressure by ice melting and landslide, you have a problem.

Presenting his work at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Mr Roberti explained a case study he and his collaborators had investigated in Canada.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Though not famous for its volcanic activity, Canada is home to hundreds of potentially active volcanoes. The scientists chose to focus on Mount Meager, a glaciated volcano north of Vancouver.

Mount Meagers last eruption was over 2000 years ago, but Mr Roberti chose to focus on Mount Meager for a more recent natural disaster that took place there.

In summer 2010, the largest landslide in Canadian history occurred on the southern part of the volcano.

The glacier base of the slope retreated and during the hottest part of the summer, the slope catastrophically failed  the whole mountain started to move at a very high velocity, said Mr Roberti.

This was followed in 2016 by the formation of ice caves in the glacier as hot volcanic gases seeped out of the volcano.

This is the first time this has happened there  so the equilibrium of the mountain is changing, said Mr Roberti.

To understand these events, the scientists used numerical modelling of the volcano to examine the link between melting ice on the glacier and changes to the magma plumbing system inside it.

They found that landslides had the potential to destabilise the magma chamber and trigger an eruption  a phenomenon that can be linked directly to a warmer climate.

We see a correlation between high temperature, ice melting and landslides, said Mr Roberti.

 Japanese volcano featured in James Bond film erupts

Todays increasing temperature is likely to cause other large landslides.

Other scientists welcomed the research by Mr Roberti and his colleagues, although they noted the complexity of the systems involved and the difficulty in making direct links between climate change and eruptions.

This new research nicely demonstrates that if you change the load on a volcanic mountain  for example by removing some ice  the likelihood of a mechanical collapse and possible ensuing eruption will be slightly increased, said Professor David Rothery, a geoscientist at The Open University who was not involved in the research.

Eruptions are triggered by a complex array of factors. I suspect that many eruptions caused by glacial melting might happen eventually anyway, given enough time  but this research shows that warming could increase the chances of those eruptions happening sooner rather than later.

Dr David McGarvie, another researcher at The Open University who was not involved with the research, said that evidence is still lacking for ice-capped volcanoes like Mount Meager erupting due to ice melting. However, he noted this was not the case for volcanoes buried under ice sheets in Iceland and Antarctica.

There is more and better evidence across Iceland that when the ice sheet underwent major reduction at the end of the last glacial period, there was a large increase in both the frequency and volume of basalt erupted  with some estimates being 30 times higher than the present day, he said.

However, he said the scale of ice melting currently being seen is not on the same scale as the end of the glacial period.

Presenting his research alongside Mr Roberti was Matthias Schlogl, a PhD student at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, whose studies also focused on climate change-driven landslides.

As landslides tend to be caused by heavy rainfall  which is expected to increase due to climate change  these events are likely to become more common in the future.

Mr Schlogls research has explored the impact such landslides will have on Europes transport network.

Landslides are an important issue today, and we expect that climate change  particularly changes in rainfall patterns and changes in temperature  will increase, and will furthermore affect the slope stability and trigger additional landslide events in the future, Mr Schlogl said.

Scientists are becoming increasingly confident in attributing the rise in frequency and severity of natural disasters to climate change.

The drought currently affecting Cape Town has been linked with climate change, as was Hurricane Harvey when it struck the south east US at the end of 2017.

The new results presented by these researchers suggests that geological phenomena as well as weather events are being fundamentally altered by the changing climate.
According to a survey by Taylors of Harrogate, more than a fifth of Britons believe its more important to have good coffee in the house than it is to have good wine. Thats a hell of a statement for a nation so devoted to its booze.

And as the out-of-home coffee industry has grown, consumers become more educated and curious about coffee, which translates into becoming more discerning about the coffee they drink at home.

Were no longer content with a basic instant white  in fact, 10 per cent of survey respondents said they would even judge their friends if they served bad coffee at home.

Forget Instagrammable art, avolattes and glitter cappuccino  2018 is the year were going to get really serious about our joe.

The Independent caught up with Rombouts coffee expert Jonathan Wadham and Rick Tingley, coffee specialist at Taylors of Harrogate and Gennaro Pelliccia, master of coffee for Costa, to find out which big trends are percolating for the year.

Quality filter coffee

Wadham says that filter coffee continues to regain more fans due to its potential to taste great, be served fast, and the health benefits  as its preferably drunk black.

The experts all predict that more coffee shops will offer high quality filter coffee this year.

The Precision Brewer, the worlds first 1.8L drip coffee maker with the precision required to brew craft filter coffee automatically, will be shown for the first time at the London Coffee Festival this April.

Milk alternatives

Wadham explains that the reduction or substitution of cows milk is leading to a rise in smaller milk drinks.

Part healthy lifestyle, part taste; the availability of smaller milk drinks will continue to increase; more flat whites, cortardos and piccolos.

The popularity of almond milk and soy shows no sign of abating, but we predict that vegan-friendly oat milk is going to take over the milk alternatives market this year.

Espresso tonic

Nope, not an elaborate prank. This is a very real (and surprisingly delicious) hot-weather drink trend, made from quality espresso, tonic and ice, took over Instagram last year.

What fresh hell? The bastard child of a cocktail and a coffee is the espresso tonic (iStock)

We think this variation on the iced coffee is going to move from hipster photo trend into the mainstream, and skyrocket in popularity once the sun comes out.

Processed coffee

According to Tingley, There is a rising trend for natural processed coffee, which is when coffee cherries are dried with the fruit on the bean at origin. It results in extraordinarily fruity and berry-like flavour characteristics.

The method itself, originating from places such as Ethiopia and Panama, has been around for hundreds of years, but its something that consumers are becoming more aware of and would now consciously consider when purchasing a coffee.

Coffee-cherry tea

Coffee-cherry tea, or Cascara, is made from the discarded skin of coffee cherries  the fleshy outer casing that houses the coffee bean.

Commonly consumed in Bolivia, where it is known as sultana, it has similar levels of caffeine to regular coffee, but is drunk as a tea and can even be used in cocktails.

Tingley says hes seen a rise in demand for this coffee due to consumers becoming more environmentally conscious, because the drink uses skins that would otherwise be thrown away.

That said, its not technically legal in the UK yet  and its a powerful laxative, so mind how you go.

Cold brew

Cold brew is brewed slowly for up to 24 hour, in cold water, then diluted to taste. Its more mellow and sweeter than traditional filter coffee, says Wadham, and very easy to make.

By brewing the coffee in cold water, it helps draw out the acidity in the coffee, giving it a new flavour profile. Brewing over a period of hours rather than minutes creates a a very gentle extraction resulting in a sweeter, brighter cup.

Nitro brew

Nitro brew is the next step  essentially, cold brew on tap infused with Nitrogen. The result is a rich creamy cold coffee, that has the mellow, sweeter taste of cold brew but has the velvety mouthfeel that can be compared to Guinness.

Both these drinks offer something different, says Wadham, and they can also help boost coffee shop menus throughout warmer months where hot drinks as less in demand.

Recommended Starbucks launches Nitro Cold Brew Coffee to their UK stores

Tingley, too, believes that nitro cold brew coffee is set to be the next big thing. Even Starbucks brought it to their UK stores, having had great success across the pond.

Speciality coffee shops are investing in kits worth thousands of pounds to produce this kind of coffee for their customers  theyre also beginning to put this on retailers shelves in cans, Tingley says.

This is something we anticipate becoming much more prominent in the UK speciality coffee scene over the coming years.

Smart coffee makers

As coffee becomes more sophisticated, so too does the technology to produce it.

And then there are the coffee machines, like the luxury Swiss Jura range, which are smart connected. Just think of the possibilities  you could order your latte from your phone in bed, to be ready for when you finally have to depart from the duvet.

The luxury market will innovate, and the budget brands will follow. Stay tuned...

Flat what? The trends we shall be ignoring...

Pelliccia, reminding us that Costa was the first branded coffee shop to introduce the flat white in 2010, says they have now added a whole flat family.

So black is the new white  you can now order a flat black and even a flat mocha. If you can stand the mocha-ry.

And we know millennials are going crazy for the avolatte, but frankly wed rather drink our coffee out of compost.

Weve partnered with Kahlua to celebrate National Coffee Week and you could win an overnight stay at the Hoxton Hotel, Holborn, plus cocktails and dinner for two. To be in with a chance of winning, tell us which Kahlua cocktail youd most like to try by clicking here*.

*Terms Apply: 18+. Enter before 23.59 on 22 April 2018. Please read full Terms before entering.
A mother has revealed what it felt like when her son was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease at just 11-years-old.

Sarah Hill, from Folkestone, Kent, recalls that her son, Alex, experienced unusual symptoms from the age of eight when he would complain about his legs hurting for days after PE lessons and often dragged one leg whenever he was tired.

But after taking her son, now aged 24, to the GP, her initial concerns were dismissed.

However, as Alex grew older he developed more odd symptoms.

He didn't want to leave me, even though he loved going to school. He also became quite obsessive. He had to pack loads of pairs of underpants in his bag and we weren't allowed to leave the house without them, Hill told BBC.

On another occasion she reports that Alex opened his bedroom window and shouted at the birds to shut up.

Concerned about his unusual behaviour, Hill thought he may need to see a psychiatrist and so returned to the GP before being dismissed once again.

Some months later, Alex experienced a fall and his mother noticed he had developed a slight tremor but the GP laughed at the suggestion that he could have Parkinson's disease at such a young age.

Instead, a paediatrician treated him for epilepsy and put him on medication which had no impact.

Around five per cent of people experience symptoms of Parkinson's disease before they reach the age of 40 (BBC)

At this stage, Hill reported that Alex would fall as many as 28 times a day and became so bruised that he would have to lie on his front.

After years of uncertainty, Alex was referred to the Evelina Children's Hospital in London where he was finally diagnosed with juvenile-onset Parkinsons disease.

A diagnosis that Hill said made her feel like she was falling into a black hole.

Within a year, Alex was mostly using a wheelchair and eventually moved to a school for children with special needs while his mother gave up work as a fitness instructor to become his full-time carer.

At the age of 14 he stopped responding to medication and had to undergo surgery to reduce his tremors but, as his condition slowly declined, Hill struggled to cope.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. 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Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. 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The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. 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I felt like I was fighting Parkinson's on my own because at Alex's age it's so unusual, she said.

After much deliberation, she decided it would be best for her and Alex if he moved to a care home down the road.

It means I can be his mum again, not just his carer. We can play games and have fun, she explained.

Hill ensures that Alex remains fully involved in family life and makes the effort to visit him every other day as well as making video calls in-between.

Alex describes his mother as the best mum in the whole wide world and the pair are hoping to go on holiday to Wales this summer.

While Parkinsons disease is more common in older people it can affect anyone, with around five per cent experiencing symptoms before they reach the age of 40.

As such, it is vital to recognise the symptoms, of which there are more than 40, including vomiting and changes in mood.

The NHS states that the main symptoms of Parkisons affect physical movement and can vary from tremors to slowness and muscle stiffness.

In addition it lists balance problems, loss of sense of smell, nerve pain, problems with urination and dizziness as signs to look out for.

If you are concerned you or someone you know may have symptoms of Parkinsons disease you should see your GP.
Mark Zuckerberg has sat through his first questioning at Congress  and there were some very strange moments.

The hearings had been described in advance as a pivotal moment for Facebook, at which he would be intensely questioned in ways that could make or break the company. But in the end the hearing was largely friendly, with most of the questions being relatively easy for Mr Zuckerberg to answer.

Numerous commentators remarked on the fact that much of the hearing was taken up with Mr Zuckerberg explaining the internet to the older senators who were questioning him. And some of that moved into vaguely embarrassing moments, during which he was forced to deal with questions about the very basics of how modern computers work.

How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Show all 9 1 /9 How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Lock your profile down If you havent done this already, do it now. In Settings, hit the Privacy tab. From here, you can control who gets to see your future posts and friends list. Choose from Public, Friends, Only Me and Custom in the dropdown menu. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Limit old posts Annoyingly, changing this has no effect on whos able to see your past Facebook posts. Instead, on the Privacy page, you have to click on Limit Past Posts, then select Limit Old Posts and finally hit Confirm on the pop-up. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Make yourself harder to find You can stop completely random people from adding you by selecting Friends of Friends from the dropdown menu in the Who can send you friend requests? section of the Privacy page. Its also worth limiting who can find your Facebook profile with your number and email address. At the bottom of the page is the option to prevent search engines outside of Facebook from linking to your profile. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Control access to your Timeline You can limit who gets to post things on your Timeline and who gets to see posts on your Timeline too. In Settings, go to Timeline and Tagging and edit the sections you want to lock down. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Block people When you block someone, they wont be able to see things you post on your Timeline, tag you, invite you to events or groups, start conversations with you or add you as a friend. To do it, go to Settings and Blocking. Annoyingly, you have to block people on Messenger separately. You can also add friends to your Restricted list here, which means theyll still be friends with you but will only be able to see your public posts and things you share on a mutual friend's Timeline. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Review tags One of Facebooks handiest privacy features is the ability to review posts youre tagged in before they appear on your Timeline. Theyll still be visible on the News Feed while theyre fresh, but wont be tied to your profile forever. In Timeline and Tagging, enable Timeline review controls. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Clean up your apps You can view a list of all of the apps youve connected to your Facebook account by going to Settings and Apps. The list might be longer than you expected it to be. Its worth tidying this up to ensure things you no longer use lose access to your personal information. If you dont want to log into websites and apps with your facebook account, scroll down and turn Platform off. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Change your ad preferences You can view a list of everything Facebook thinks youre into and tinker with your ad preferences by going to Settings and Adverts. A lot more information is displayed on the desktop site than the app, so wed recommend doing this on a computer. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Download your data Facebook lets you download all of the data it has on you, including the posts youve shared, your messages and photos, ads youve clicked on and even the IP addresses that are logged when you log in or out of the site. Its a hell of a lot of information, which you should download to ensure you never over-share on the social network again.

As well as very basic questions about his business that seemed to suggest that some senators don't even fully understand how Facebook actually works, the committee also asked bizarre questions about other products.

At one point, Senator Orrin Hatch  who said that it was the most intense scrutiny he'd seen for a tech hearing since the Microsoft case, which he was involved in  appeared to be confused about how exactly Facebook works.

Recommended Mark Zuckerberg finally answers whether Facebook is listening to you

"Well, if so, how do you sustain a business model in which users don't pay for your service?" he asked Mr Zuckerberg.

"Senator, we run ads," the Facebook boss replied.

Mr Hatch seemed to accept that explanation, nodding approvingly. "I see. That's great," he said.

At another point, Brian Schatz appeared to ask a bizarre question about WhatsApp.

"If I'm emailing within WhatsApp, does that ever inform your advertisers?" he asked the Facebook boss.

As well as the fact that WhatsApp messages are encrypted  so the content of them cannot possibly be read by Facebook or its advertisers  it is not actually possible to send an email from within WhatsApp.

At another point, while discussing whether Facebook was a monopoly, Senator Lindsey Graham asked a strange question about what Facebook actually is. "Is Twitter the same as what you do?" he said.

Many of the questions posed to Mr Zuckerberg were of this type, focusing on the business's fundamental business model and asking him to explain it. The Facebook boss himself appeared to have prepared for much more difficult questions  his private notes were revealed during proceedings, and showed that he expected to be asked whether he should be fired and if people should be paid compensation for having their data abused.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told the US Congress that it "doesn't feel like" the social network has a monopoly.

Mr Zuckerberg made the remarks during his appearance before legislators as part of a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees, which is seeking answers in the wake of the data scandal surrounding Facebook and the UK data firm Cambridge Analytica.

Around 87 million Facebook users had their personal information improperly shared with the UK firm. The data was then used for the purpose of political profiling during the 2016 US presidential elections and the UK's EU referendum that same year.

When asked whether he thought that Facebook has a monopoly, Mr Zuckerberg replied: "It certainly doesn't feel like that to me."

Facebook has more than 2.2 billion users worldwide and dwarfs any other online social network.

Beyond its core social network business, Facebook and its various subsidiaries now have direct influence over almost half of all internet traffic.

A recent #DeleteFacebook campaign in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal highlighted the lack of significant competition to the social network, with platforms like Vero and Minds only serving a small fraction of the users that Facebook serves.

Privacy conscious users, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, have already joined the campaign by removing themselves from the social network.

More than half a million people have also signed an online petition calling for Mr Zuckerberg to treat privacy more seriously.

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. 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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

Before the Facebook CEO took his seat before Congress, privacy advocates were already warning that his testimony would skirt around the social media giant's real issues.

Digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) tweeted a list of language to watch out for, and for lawmakers to pick Mr Zuckerberg up on. They include "bad actors," "idealistic and optimistic," and "hacking."

The EFF said: "Mark Zuckerberg will no doubt weave word games and roundabout language into his answers to Congress this week to distract from the real problem."
After navigating nearly five hours of questions from 44 US senators on Tuesday about the abuse of citizen's data, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has done it all again on Wednesday.

Once again, he was attacked on a range of fronts: as well as the company's failure to protect its users data, politicians questioned the site's perceived bias against conservative voices, and its use for selling illegal materials like drugs.

The billionaire Facebook boss will testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, which was seeking answers following revelations that Cambridge Analytica harvested personal information from 87 million Facebook profiles for the purpose of voter profiling.

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Energy market regulator Ofgem has launched an investigation into UK gas company over concerns about whether it maintains an efficient pipeline system and adequate records.

Cadent said that it had identified incomplete records regarding gas pipes (known as risers) on high-rise buildings.

The discovery came as a result of a request for information from a council, prompted by the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 71 people last year.

Recommended Ofgem temporarily bans energy company from taking on new customers

Cadent said it had full records about its pipes in Grenfell Tower.

Ofgem said on Wednesday that it was investigating whether Cadent has kept and maintained appropriate records for its risers, had appropriate systems in place to do so and, as a consequence, whether its system is economical and efficient.

Cadent owns, operates and maintains four of the eight regional gas distribution networks in the West Midlands, North-west, east of England and north London, and has a responsibility to keep records of these, Ofgem said.

A spokesperson for Cadent said: Between January and February 2018 Cadent identified that just some of our records regarding high-rise buildings  buildings of six storeys and above  were not contained on our digitised records and were therefore not part of our regular 10-yearly survey programme.

As a consequence, we informed Ofgem at the earliest opportunity in early February and have continued regular progress briefings to date.

Alongside this, we immediately implemented a survey recovery programme to resolve the issue as quickly and effectively as possible."

Gas and electricity network companies are largely unknown by consumers, but they perform a vital role in maintaining the infrastructure that transports energy around the country.

The firms have come under fire from consumer groups for making billions in unjustified profits for their shareholders and adding hundreds of pounds to household bills.

Wednesday's announcement comes a day after British Gas hit customers with a 5.5 per cent price hike, taking the cost of its standard tariff to 1,161 for a typical dual fuel customer.

Last year research by Citizens Advice found that gas and electricity network companies were on target to make an average 19 per cent profit margin over eight years, handing an average 10 per cent return back to shareholders, despite the fundamentally low risk nature of the business.

Customers have overpaid by 7.5bn  an average of 285 per household  over the last eight years because of errors in judgment made by Ofgem in pricing the network contracts, Citizens Advice found. It said the money should be refunded to customers.
A geriatric semi-captive rhino died in Kenya recently. Sudan, a 45-year-old northern white rhino was put to sleep as vets decided, after months of ill health, that his condition had deteriorated to the point where the levels of pain and quality of life were unacceptable.

From a conservation perspective, this does not sound like a big deal. Sudan was one old rhino. He was well past breeding age. So why did his death make headlines?

Sudan was the last surviving male northern white rhinoceros, a subspecies known to scientists as Ceratotherium simum cottoni that went extinct in the wild about 20 years ago thanks to poaching. He was captured and removed from the wild in 1975, the last wild-caught northern white rhino. Sudans daughter Najin, and granddaughter Fatu, are now the only two left, and they are both old and incapable of reproduction even if they had a mate.

It is a strange situation. On the one hand, it matters a lot. The northern white rhino is extinct, it just doesnt know it yet. Conservationists refer to such populations as the living dead.

On the other hand, does it really matter? Despite persistent misreporting in the media (and some debate among scientists) the northern white is generally recognised as only a subspecies of the white rhinoceros. It is survived by its relative the southern white rhino, Ceratotherium simum simum, around 20,000 of which remain. The species as a whole is not currently endangered.

The importance of Sudans actual death remains unclear, partly because it seems increasingly possible to bring his subspecies back to life. The northern white rhino may be resurrected by Jurassic Park-style technology. That would require conservationists to collect eggs from the remaining females and develop IVF techniques that are as yet unproven on rhino.

Hand-rearing orphaned baby southern white rhino, South Africa (Alamy)

DNA has been stored from 13 northern white rhino that died in recent years, including Sudan, and it would be combined with similarly frozen eggs and sperm. The embryos produced would then be implanted within surrogate female southern white rhino. I recently spoke to Thomas Hildebrandt of the Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, a global leader in conservation reproduction and pioneer of this technique. He is confident it would work.

If these optimistic plans play out, the first northern white rhino calf born since the year 2000 could be produced before the death of the two remaining females. An alternative would be to produce a genetically engineered baby rhino that is a hybrid of both northern and southern species. If plans to resurrect the extinct woolly mammoth via hybridisation with Indian elephants are possible, then a white rhino hybrid is not unachievable.

Nevertheless, we are not talking not about saving a subspecies from extinction, but resurrecting an extinct subspecies  a much more challenging proposition.

The second issue, that clouds the importance of the almost certain extinction of the northern white rhino, is that the white rhino survives through its southern subspecies which may (with help) be able to replace the northern white rhino in its historical range across central Africa. In doing so, it could fill the vacant ecological niche.

Most southern white rhino are found in South Africa where they are under sustained pressure from poaching for their horn (Alamy)

We, as a society, have to be pragmatic and economic with the resources available to protect wild animals. Can we justify spending an estimated 7.1m (US$10m) to try to bring back to life a subspecies from stored DNA with limited genetic diversity? Even if the animals were all alive and breeding, there would still be fears of the founder effect that can occur when a population is started from just a few individuals, with some traits lost and others dominant within the resulting population.

As a near-extinct subspecies, the conservation argument for continued investment to save the population is based upon whatever adaptive genetic diversity it holds that differentiates it from the other subspecies. But it is not clear exactly what genetically useful traits are found in the sample of 13 northern white rhinos that are not also present in the southern white.

To be direct, if millions of pounds can be raised to try and resurrect the northern white rhino, should it not instead be invested in protecting the southern white rhino (still at risk from poaching)? Or alternatively, direct the money towards even more vulnerable Asian rhinos.

It is easy to see why cutting-edge reproductive technology is so appealing now that the planets sixth mass extinction crisis is well under way.

A greater one-horned rhino in a zoo. Only about 3,500 individuals remain in the wild in Asia (Alamy)

But the only economic and practical long-term solution to biodiversity loss is to conserve wildlife in the wild and to prevent it from reaching the sorry state of the northern white rhino. After all, if humans cannot save a species in nature while it is alive, what future for animals that we manufacture? My worry is that they would simply be living museum exhibits, destined to live out their lives in zoos, with habitat loss or poaching preventing life in the wild. Where would this end? Do we want to repopulate the world with lab-produced engineered organisms?

It is difficult to be positive about our ability to manage these incredible animals to survival. We have already failed the northern white rhino, let us ensure that we do not let down the remaining rhinoceros species and all the other endangered animals out there that need our help.

Jason Gilchrist is an ecologist at Edinburgh Napier University, This article was first published in The Conversation.
A wealthy Russian whistleblower vomited repeatedly after eating in a Paris restaurant the night before he died in mysterious circumstances, an inquest has heard.

Businessman Alexander Perepilichnyy appeared very stressed about his work and on another planet earlier in the day, his secret lover Elmira Medynska told a London court.

Ms Medynska, a Ukrainian national, and married Mr Perepilichnyy, 44, were on a two-day break in the French capital in November 2012, staying at the five-star Bristol hotel in Paris.

They went shopping for a Prada bag and Louis Vuitton shoes before going for dinner in the evening.

He complained about the food during their last evening together and sent back his tempura prawns, then vomited repeatedly when they got back to the hotel, Ms Medynska said.

On his return home to Weybridge, Surrey, the next day, his wife made him his favourite traditional sorrel soup, the inquest has heard. He later collapsed and died while out jogging.

The businessmans death was originally attributed to natural causes, but traces of a chemical that can be found in the poisonous plant Gelsemium elegans were later found in his stomach.

Before he died he had been helping to expose a 160 million money-laundering operation involving Russian tax officials, the court has heard.

Ms Medynska only learned of his death from the internet on New Years Eve 2012 and later received a threatening message from his email saying she would die soon from Aids.

Peter Skelton, counsel to the coroner, asked if the email could have been sent by Mr Perepilichnyys widow.

She said: Maybe. I dont know.

Ms Medynska, 28, who works as a fashion designer, appeared at the Old Bailey by video link from Paris.

She told how she met Mr Perepilichnyy through a dating agency and he paid for flights, hotels in Kiev, Nice and Paris, and meals together over eight months.

The inquest heard he changed hotels and used a false name, keeping the relationship secret.

Describing their date in Paris on 8 November, two days before the businessmans death, Ms Medynska said when she met him at the hotel he was smiling.

But when they went out at lunchtime, "he was a little bit nervous," she said.

I think he was nervous about his work or business. I did not ask him questions about if something happened, I just want to have relaxing time with him. I talked him about subject to make him relaxed because he was very stressed when I met him.

At lunch in a bistro at the George V Hotel, Mr Perepilichnyys hands were shaking so much he spilt his red wine, the former model said.

She added they went back to their hotel before having a late dinner at a restaurant where he had soup and more red wine.

The next day, he was on another planet when they went shopping together.

She said: He was watching his phone. I was upset because he gave me no attention and I was not in very good mood.

Mr Skelton asked if he might have been distracted by work.

She said: Maybe he missed some mails. I respect him as a businessman. I understood he has a job to do even if he is spending time with a woman in Paris.

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. 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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. 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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. 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On 9 November they went out to the Buddha Bar for dinner but he sent back his tempura prawns because it was not nice, and ate sushi or sashimi instead.

Ms Medynska said: He said he did not like the taste. He was very irritated. He was very mad about the quality of the food.

Afterwards, he felt better in the fresh air, but when they got back in their hotel suite he vomited three times in the bathroom, the inquest heard.

She said: I think maybe he vomited because it was not good food in the restaurant. I did not knock on the door because I did not want to make him feel uncomfortable.

On the morning of 10 November, she said Mr Perepilichnyy was looking very nice, good mood, smile.

They ate a breakfast of eggs and hot chocolate before going to the airport together, for Mr Perepilichnyy to return to London and Ms Medynska to Ukraine.

She said: He told me he wanted to see me. He said he want to meet in December in Switzerland.

Later that day, Mr Perepilichnyy died near his home.

Ms Medynska said she received a call purporting to be from a British hospital and was told Mr Perepilichnyy had been in a car accident.

She said: I was very shocked and afraid about this news. I thought it was like a bad joke happened to me.

On learning of his death months later, the witness said she was scared because I know nothing about this man, not even that he was married with children.

In light of publicity around the case, Ms Medynska was worried people would wrongly connect her to Russian mafia.

She said it had affected her shoe fashion business and she had lost a deal with a Jimmy Choo executive in London.

His friends said he did not like people from Russian mafia so I lost a very good partner in my business. I was very upset about that," she said.

Mr Perepilichnyy had been helping Bill Browders Hermitage Capital Investment to expose a 160 million money-laundering operation, the court has heard.

A month before his death, he had fought off a legal challenge by a debt recovery firm allegedly led by the prime suspect in the Alexander Litvinenko poison case.

The court heard that Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev had been in Paris between 10 November and 13 November, but Ms Medynska did not know it at the time.

Mr Browder attended the inquest, which is examining whether Mr Perepilichnyy died of natural causes or was murdered.
Flowers left for an intruder stabbed during a botched break-in have been torn down again as tensions remain high in the street where he died.

An angry local destroyed a shrine to Henry Vincent on Thursday as a stand-off between the suspected burglars family and residents of Hither Green, south-east London, continued for a third day.

Vincent, 37, was killed during a struggle with Richard Osborn-Brooks, 78, whose house he had broken into with an accomplice while armed with a screwdriver on Wednesday last week.

Mr Osborn-Brooks was arrested on suspicion of murder but later released without charge.

Vincents family have left bouquets, cards and balloons on a fence close to where he died.

They said they should be allowed to grieve and pay tribute, but some neighbours have described the makeshift memorial as inappropriate and in poor taste.

A hooded man ripped some of the flowers down on Tuesday, prompting Vincents family and friends to pin more bouquets to the fence.

But the shrine was pulled down again by local man Iain Gordon early on Wednesday afternoon.

As he angrily ripped down the bouquets and threw them to the floor, he shouted: These people are scumbags, scumbags, scumbags. Weve had enough in this country of scumbugs.

He told journalists: If you dont know why I pulled the flowers down then you arent a human being.

Would you go around allowing someone to stab your parents? Would you allow someone to come round with a screwdriver? And then be considered human beings?

It is the fourth time the flowers have been ripped down since they were first laid on Monday.

Henry Vincent was killed during a break-in (Kent Police)

Vincents relatives have pledged to keep restoring the memorial if it is torn down. The family, who have identified themselves as Gypsies, say they are being stigmatised because of their background.

The original shrine included hand-written cards from his children and aunt. One read: To my daddy, no words can describe the pain and heartache we are going through. These people wont put us down. We love you dad. We miss you so much.

The tributes were laid opposite the house of Mr Osborn-Brooks, who has yet to return home since he was freed by police. Neighbours suggested he may never return out of fear of a revenge attack.

One resident, who gave his name only as Peter, said: Will he ever be able to come back and live here? I doubt it. Its sad.

On Thursday afternoon firefighters fitted new smoke alarms in the pensioners house, where he lives with his wife who is disabled.

Fire crews declined to comment but there have been fears of reprisals since Vincents death. CCTV was installed at the house last week, and it has been boarded up since the break-in and remains behind police tape.

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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

There is growing frustration among locals at the drama that has engulfed a usually quiet area.

One elderly woman, who did not want to be named, said: This has really gone too far. What happened last week was bad enough, but all this which has gone on since had made it even worse.

This is usually a very quiet area, we sometimes have problems like anywhere else, but nothing like this.

A passer-by, who also asked not named, added: The situation is getting out of hand now. The people leaving tributes have lost a family member but just look at the circumstances.

This probably isnt the best place to leave flowers and things. What did they expect would happen?

A local taxi driver even suggested Hither Green was in danger of becoming a no-go area.

He said: I get both sides of the argument, but this is escalating too fast.

Ive been a cabbie for almost 20 years now, and Ive seen everything. I know when not to go somewhere, and its going to kick off properly in Hither Green.

Its becoming a no-go area  you couldnt pay me to go there. I reckon theres definitely going to be some serious trouble.
Scotland Yard is considering closing its investigation into Stephen Lawrences murder after admitting it has no leads left to pursue.

Londons Metropolitan Police admitted the probe was unlikely to progress further unless detectives receive new information.

Stephens mother Doreen Lawrence suggested last week that the investigation into the 1993 killing should close.

His father Neville Lawrence said he remained hopeful that publicity around the 25th anniversary of his sons murder, as well as a BBC documentary, would drive a crucial witness to come forward.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death in an unprovoked racist attack at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, on 22 April 1993.

At least five white youths took part in the killing but only two have been convicted, following a trial in 2012, despite the case becoming one of the most high-profile murders in British criminal history.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: Despite previous public appeals, rigorous pursuit of all remaining lines of enquiry, numerous reviews and every possible advance in forensic techniques, the Met investigation team is now at a stage where without new information the investigation is unlikely to progress further, and this was explained to the family earlier this year.

Failings in the initial police investigation in 1993 led to Stephens suspected killers being freed after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction.

It took the discovery of new DNA evidence and changes in the law for Gary Dobson and David Norris to be found guilty of murder nine years later and jailed for life.

Stephens mother has campaigned tirelessly to bring all her sons killers to justice, and her 25-year fight led to her being appointed as Labour peer in 2013.

In 1999, in a watershed for the British justice system, Sir William Macphersons inquiry into the initial murder probe concluded the Met was institutionally racist.

 Stephen Lawrence murder: Doreen Lawrence reacts to Gary Dobson and David Norris guilty verdict in 2012

Last week Baroness Lawrence called on the force to be honest and close the case if detectives had nothing left to investigate.

I dont think they have any more lines of inquiry, she told the Daily Mail. They say theyre carrying on the investigation, but carrying on doing what? 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.

She added: As Stephens mother I think all of them should be behind bars spending time for murder, but its six years now since those two convictions and Im very conscious that the money for the investigation is coming out of the public purse.

Had [the police] done their job properly in the first place we wouldnt be here. But they were incompetent and racist.

Neville Lawrence said he hoped a three-part BBC documentary being broadcast to coincide with his sons murder next week would prick the consciences of potential informants.

Speaking after the Met admitted it had no more leads, he said: Im hoping that somebody somewhere that may have some information might just come forward. Im hopeful.

The threat of anything happening to them now isnt as great as it was in the early days. Im pleased that [the police] tried all different options and are still trying after all these years.

Chris Le Pere, the senior investigator in the case, said: We understand that 25 years is a poignant anniversary of the tragedy of the murder of Stephen, and our thoughts remain very much with those who loved him, and feel his loss.

With the approaching anniversary and airing of a documentary, Stephen: The Murder That Changed A Nation, there is still the opportunity for someone who knows what happened that night to have a conscience and come forward. I would say to you, it is never too late to do the right thing.

We continue to speak to Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Dr Neville Lawrence to update them on the current Met position.

The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence Show all 7 1 /7 The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence SU-50-Lawrence-1-REUT.jpg Neville Lawrence addressing the media last week Reuters The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence SU-50-Lawrence-2-PA.jpg The now iconic family handout photo of Stephen PA The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence SU-50-Lawrence-3-BBC.jpg Doreen Lawrence on Panorama last week BBC The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence SU-50-Lawrence-4-GETTY.jpg Doreen Lawrence speaking to the press outside the Old Bailey last week Getty Images The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence SU-50-Lawrence-5-ALDEN.jpg Tributes lay at the site of the murder in Eltham, south east London Jason Alden The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence SU-50-Lawrence-6-ANDREW.jpg Neville and Doreen Lawrence, pictured here in 1997, never gave up the fight to bring the killers of their son Buurman Andrew The life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence SU-50-Lawrence-7-BBC.jpg Stephen Lawrence was buried in rural Jamaica, near his great-grandmother, because his mother Doreen worried that a grave in Britain could be desecrated BBC

There have been a succession of attempts to secure justice for Stephen.

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. At a 1997 inquest a jury concluded Stephen was unlawfully killed by five white youths.

The current investigation into the murder has involved the offer of a reward of up to 20,000 for details leading to a successful prosecution and a televised Crimewatch reconstruction of the attack.

The 25th anniversary of Stephens death will be marked with a memorial service and a concert, but Baroness Lawrence, 65, said she needed to draw a line under some aspects of her campaigning.

She said: I cant keep doing this. I just want time for me  time to reflect. Ive been on the go for 25 years. I havent stopped. I dont think Ive even completely grieved for Stephen.

If you spend 25 years fighting for justice, where do you find the time? There isnt any. You pick up your grief and put it down, pick it up and put it down, because there is always something you need to do.
Commonwealth citizens who have lived in Britain for decades after arriving as children are being made destitute and stateless due to the governments hostile environment policies, politicians and diplomats are warning.

A meeting at the Jamaican High Commission on Thursday will see politicians, diplomats and campaigners demand that ministers provide an immediate remedy for a developing situation in which, due to changes in the immigration system, Caribbean immigrants are being deemed illegal immigrants.

It has emerged in recent months that Caribbean nationals who came to Britain between 1948 and 1973 with the windrush generation are being denied access to NHS healthcare, losing their jobs and even being threatened with deportation.

Now high profile figures, including the high commissioner for Barbados to the UK, the first black bishop in the Church of England and Labour MP David Lammy, are urging the government to affirm the rights of those who have lived here for decades.

Of around 550,000 people from the Caribbean who migrated to the UK between 1948 and 1973, some 50,000 who are still in the UK may not yet have regularised their residency status, according to information from the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.

Many of these elderly migrants are now being barred from working, being refused access to government services including NHS treatment, and facing the loss of welfare and housing benefits.

One man, Albert Thompson, who has lived in London for 44 years after having arrived from Jamaica as a teenager, went for his first radiotherapy session for prostate cancer only to be told that unless he could produce a British passport he would be charged 54,000 for the treatment.

Despite having worked as a mechanic and paid taxes for more than three decades, Mr Thompsons free healthcare was denied and he was evicted last summer, leading him to be homeless for three weeks.

In another case, Michael Braithwaite, who arrived in Britain from Barbados in 1961, lost his job as a special needs teaching assistant after his employers ruled that he was an illegal immigrant.

In a third case, 61-year-old Paulette Wilson, who has been in Britain for 50 years, received a letter informing her that she was an illegal immigrant and was going to be removed and sent back to Jamaica, the country she left when she was 10 and has never visited since.

The predicament of these Caribbean nationals is further exacerbated by the burden of proof placed on these individuals to demonstrate that their residency in the UK predates 1971.

Guy Hewitt, the high commissioner for Barbados to the UK, said: Being a product of the Commonwealth, London-born of Indian and Barbadian migrants to the UK, I am dismayed that this situation could even exist in the 21st century; that people who gave their all to Britain could be seemingly discarded so matter-of-factly.

Labour MP David Lammy, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community, meanwhile said: This inhumane treatment is not who we are as a country and its time for the Home Office to stop causing anxiety and fear among those who have contributed so much to Britain over five decades.

The solution is simple: confirm the status of everyone who arrived from the Commonwealth before 1971 and make it easier for them to provide documentation demonstrating their status.

Dr Wilfred Wood, the first black bishop in the Church of England and recognised as the second most significant black Briton for his work on race relations in the UK, said the current actions towards these immigrants was a betrayal of Commonwealth immigrants in Britain.

He went on to suggest that for them to now find themselves hunted, uprooted and deported like common criminals, comes close to being a crime against humanity.

A petition has been launched calling for an amnesty for anyone who came to the UK as a child between 1948 and 1971 to have their rights in the UK affirmed by the government.

Patrick Vernon, social commentator and editor of Black History Month magazine, who set up the petition, told The Independent he hoped it would garner 100,000 signatures, which would mean it would be considered for debate in parliament.

People came and were guaranteed status. People have worked and paid their taxes, and then they receive a letter from the Home Office saying theyre classed as an over-stayer. Its shocking, he said.

Ive had a lot of people contacting me who are concerned and worried about this. Its caused people a lot of mental distress. People want their lives back; their lives are on hold.

I suspect there could be thousands of people in the same situation who are not yet aware of it. Its not until something happens  like when people need to access healthcare or renew their passport  that the Home Office informs people.

Why should people wait until it happens to them? These people have come here legally and have British citizens  why should they prove their residency?

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 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

A Home Office spokesperson said: We value the contribution made by former-Commonwealth citizens who have made a life in the UK.

We want to assure individuals who have resided in the UK for an extended period but feel they may not have the correct documentation confirming their status that there are existing solutions available. They should take legal advice and submit the appropriate application with correct evidence so we can progress the case.

They added that they have no intention of making people leave who have the right to remain here, saying: When the Home Office is made aware of cases of this nature, we will make sure the applications are dealt in a sensitive way.
A woman is fighting for her life after plunging from a funfair ride in west London.

Paramedics and air ambulance rushed to the carnival in Philpots Farm, West Drayton, at around 8.15pm on Tuesday.

The woman, believed to be in her 40s, was said by witnesses to have fallen onto railings. She was taken to hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

Further details of her injuries have not yet been released.

A mother visiting the fair with her 13-year-old daughter told The Sun: Someone has fallen out of a ride. Shes just flown over my brothers head  the lady has fallen into the railings."

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and our hazardous area response team, with the first of our medics arriving in under three minutes.

Scotland Yard confirmed the Health and Safety Executive has been informed of the incident.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: Police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) on Tuesday, April 10 at 8:15pm to a report of a woman injured after falling from a ride at a funfair at Philpots Farm, West Drayton.

The fair  called Funderpark  describes itself as Europes largest mobile theme park. It is scheduled to be at Philpots Farm until Sunday.
The number of homeless people dying has more than doubled over the last five years, with deaths occurring in supermarkets car parks, church graveyards and crowded hostels, new figures show.

At least 230 people living on the streets of in temporary accommodation died between 2013 and 2017, with the figure rising from 31 to 70 during that period.

The data, which includes an average of more than one death a week in 2017, are likely to be underestimated, as the UK government does not record homeless death statistics at a national level and local authorities are not required to record them.

According to the figures, obtained by the Guardian through a Freedom of Information request, the average age of a rough sleeper at death was 43 - nearly half the UK life expectancy.

Around 90 per cent per cent of those who died in the last five years were men, when the gender was provided.

It comes after a number of homeless deaths hit the headlines in recent months. A 53-year-old man known as Ben was found dead in his tent near a church in Nottinghamshire in March, weeks after the body of a Brazilian man, Marcos Amaral Gourgel, was found just metres from Parliament.

Government figures published in January revealed that the number of people sleeping rough in England had hit a record-high  after a 73 per cent increase over the last three years.

On any given night in autumn last year, 4,751 people were recorded sleeping on the streets, a figure that has more than doubled since 2010, which campaigners described as a catastrophe.

Matthew Downie, of the homeless charity Crisis told the Guardian the figures were a devastating reminder that rough sleeping was beyond dangerous".

Its deadly, and its claiming more and more lives each year. Those sleeping on our streets are exposed to everything from sub-zero temperatures to violence and abuse, and fatal illnesses," he said.

They are 17 times more likely to be a victim of violence, twice as likely to die from infections, and nine times more likely to commit suicide. Whats worse, we know these figures are likely to be an underestimate.

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

After the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government were sent the figures, a government spokesperson said: Every death of someone sleeping rough on our streets is one too many.

We are taking bold action and have committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027.

We are investing 1.2bn to tackle all forms of homelessness and earlier this week the Homelessness Reduction Act, the most ambitious legislation in this area in decades, came into force.
The UK has deployed a third navy warship to the Asia-Pacific as diplomatic tensions with North Korea continue to rise.

HMS Albion will join HMS Sutherland and will help enforce UN sanctions against North Korea, as well as take part in joint training and exercises with regional allies.

The Ministry of Defence previously announced that HMS Argyll would also be deployed, arriving in the region later in the year to take part in an exercise with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Our Armed Forces are at the forefront of Global Britain, and the deployment of HMS Albion, Sutherland and Argyll demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our international responsibilities and to maintaining peace, security and prosperity in the region.

"Until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions, the UK will continue working closely with partners and allies to keep up pressure and strictly enforce existing sanctions, ensuring not only regional security but that of the UK as well."

HMS Albion, alongside HMS Sutherland, will monitor prohibited sea trading by North Korea, which the Government believes provides a major source of funding for its illegal nuclear programme.

The deployment will mean the Royal Navy will have a vessel in the Asia-Pacific region for the first time since 2013, maintaining an almost constant presence there this year.

A UN Security Council resolution bans ship-to-ship transfers of goods destined for the North Korean capital Pyeongchang, but some vessels have broken the sanction.

In October last year, a Hong Kong-registered ship was seized by South Korea after it was suspected of transferring 600 tonnes of oil to a North Korean ship.

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

US president Donald Trump tweeted his disappointment at the incident, which he pinned on China.

In February, the US Treasury Department cited 50 ships for evading US and international sanctions against North Korea.

Mr Trump told reporters in the White House that if North Korea did not comply with the sanctions, that a "phase two" might be the next step.

"Phase two may be a very rough thing, may be very unfortunate for the world," he said.

Press Association
Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned alongside her father in Salisbury last month, has turned down an offer of help from the Russian Embassy.

I do not wish to avail myself of their services, she said.

She added: I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects , whilst also recovering from this attack on me.

Her father, Sergei Skripal, she said, was still seriously ill, adding that he remained in the care of Salisbury District Hospital.

Praising hospital staff for their kindness and obvious clinical expertise, the 33-year-old said she was still suffering with the effects of the nerve agent used against us.

She added: I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago, and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects, whilst also recovering from this attack on me.

I have specially trained officers available to me, who are helping to take care of me and to explain the investigative processes that are being undertaken. I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can. At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them.

While not yet strong enough to give a full media interview, she said: Until that time, I want to stress that no-one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves. I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being. Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my fathers.

Ms Skripal was struck down by a novichok poison alongside her father Sergei, a former MI6 double agent, in Salisbury in March.

The pair were left fighting for their lives after being found unconscious on a park bench in the Wiltshire city.

Mr Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, was convicted of high treason in his homeland after being found guilty of spying for Britain in 2004. He was imprisoned for six years until he was traded in a spy swap with Russia.

Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Members of the emergency services in hazard suits fix the tent over the bench where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in March 2018. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Sergei Skripal The retired Russian colonel and former double agent for MI6 was in a critical condition in hospital for more than two months after being exposed to novichok in Salisbury. He was given refuge in the UK after being jailed in Moscow for treason. Mr Skripal came to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap in 2010 in which four men were exchanged for ten Russian "sleeper agents" in the US. In this image he is speaking to his lawyer from behind bars in Moscow in 2006. AP Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Yulia Skripal Yulia Skripal was struck down by a novichok poison alongside her father Sergei. Facebook Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack A police officer stands guard outside a branch of the Italian chain restaurant Zizzi where the pair dined at before falling ill. It was boarded off whilst investigators worked on the building and later found traces of the chemical weapon within it. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Large areas of central Salisbury were cordoned off by police following the discovery of the Skripals. Traces of nerve agent were also found in The Mill pub. PA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Nick Bailey Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, rushed to the aid of the Russian ex-spy and his daughter who were targeted with a nerve agent. He was hospitalized after aiding them and didn't leave until three weeks after the attack. Wiltshire Police/Rex Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - Skripals home Police believe they were poisoned at home, and detectives found the highest concentration of novichok on the front door of Mr Skripals house. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Theresa May visits scene of attack Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May spokes with Wiltshire Police's Chief Constable Kier Pritchard near where the Skripal's were found. Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent poisoning and suspended high-level contacts, including for the World Cup on March 14. Theresa May told parliament that Russia had failed to respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed chemical, Novichok, was used in Salisbury. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal days before attack Sergei Skripal days before he was exposed to Novichok, that has left him fighting for life. ITV News Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - military involvement British soldiers were deployed soon after the attack to help a counter-terrorism investigation into the nerve agent attack. One of the places they were asked to help out with was Skripal's home and it's surrounding. They were asked to remove a vehicle connected to the agent attack in Salisbury, from a residential street in Gillingham. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation Personnel in protective coveralls and breathing equipment cover an ambulance with a tarpaulin at the Salisbury District Hospital. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The investigation extended to the grave of Sergei Skripal's son Alexander in London Road cemetery. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The Counter Terrorism Policing Network requested assistance from the military to remove a number of vehicles and objects from Salisbury. EPA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Home Secretary visits scene of attack Home Secretary Amber Rudd visited the scene of the nerve agent attack at the Maltings shopping centre on 9 March. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Yulia Skripal speaks for the first time Yulia Skripal, speaking for the first time, said she felt lucky to have survived the nerve agent attack in Salisbury which left her fighting for life. Ms Skripal said her life had been turned upside down by the assassination attempt. But the Russian national added she hoped to return to her homeland one day, despite the Kremlin being blamed for the attack. Reuters

The British government has accused Russia of being behind the poisoning an claimed the military grade nerve agent could only have been made there.

Russia has strenuously denied any involvement and the countrys foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, suggested the UK could have carried out the 4 March attack.

Experts tell us that it may well be beneficial to the British special services, who are known for their ability to act with licence to kill, he said.
MPs have criticised British Gass decision to raise bills for millions of customers, just months before the introduction of a cap on energy prices.

The energy giant said prices will rise by an average of 5.5 per cent, meaning the cost of the standard tariff will increase to 1,161. An estimated 4.1 million customers will see their bills increase by an average of 60 per year.

The price hike was immediately criticised by MPs across the political spectrum. The Government said it was disappointed with the unjustified decision, while Labour accused ministers of failing to introduce the price cap quickly enough.

Centrica, which owns British Gas, blamed the increase on rising wholesale energy prices and said government policies were also responsible.

In response, Claire Perry, the minister for energy and clean growth, said: We are disappointed by British Gass announcement of an unjustified price rise in its default tariff when customers are already paying more than they need to.

This is why government is introducing a new price cap by this winter to guarantee that consumers are protected from poor value tariffs and further bring down the 1.4bn a year consumers have been overpaying the Big Six. Switching suppliers will always help consumers get the best deal, saving 308 by switching from a default tariff offered by the Big Six.

The Conservatives included plans for an energy price cap in their election manifesto last year but later passed the issue to energy regulator Ofgem, which was accused of watering down the proposals after suggesting they should be limited to the most expensive tariffs.

In her conference speech in October, however, Theresa May announced the government would indeed be introducing an absolute cap to bring an end to rip-off energy prices once and for all.

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

While we are in favour of free markets, we will always take action to fix them when they are broken, she said. We will always take on monopolies and vested interests when they are holding people back.

The energy market punishes loyalty with higher prices and the most loyal customers are often those with lower incomes, the elderly, people with lower qualifications and people who rent their homes.

The legislation introducing the cap is still working its way through parliament.

Labour accused ministers of having done nothing to stop energy companies hiking prices before the cap comes into effect.

Alan Whitehead, the shadow business minister, said: This price hike is yet another example of the Tories failing consumers and not addressing the broken energy market. British Gas is rushing out an increase before the price cap comes in and the government has done nothing to stop this happening.

That is why Labour would do much more, introducing an immediate cap on bills so that there is no return to the kind of behaviour we are seeing here, and bringing key parts of our energy system back into public ownership to deliver energy that is fairer and more accountable.

Labours shadow cabinet office minister, Jon Trickett, called the rise a slap in the face for the 4,000 households in his constituency that live in fuel poverty and for those who struggle with extortionate energy bills.

[This is] yet another example of a Conservative Government for the few and not the many, he said.

Defending the price increase, Mark Hodges, chief executive of Centrica Consumer, said: We fully understand that any price increase adds extra pressure on customers' household bills. This increase we are announcing today is reflective of the costs we are seeing which are beyond our control.

We continue to work hard to reduce our own costs and keep our prices as low as possible. We have seen other suppliers raise prices and Ofgem increase the level of the prepayment tariff cap largely due to increasing wholesale energy and government policy costs.

He added: Government policies, intended to transform the energy system, are important but they are putting pressure on customers' bills.

We believe the government should level the playing field so the customers of all suppliers pay a fair share of energy policy costs. We continue to encourage government to consider moving these costs out of energy bills altogether and into general taxation.
EU consumers will get more powers to challenge big companies in the courts, and a right to clearer information about who they are buying from, under proposals unveiled by the European Commission on Wednesday.

The new package of measures comes on the heels of the Dieselgate scandal, that saw consumers sold cars that emitted up to 40 times more toxic fumes in real-world driving than claimed.

Under the proposals, consumer groups would gain powers to sue large corporations for collective redress on the behalf of those affected by such unfair commercial practices.

Penalties for firms that break the law would also be increased, with a maximum fine of at least 4 per cent of the trader's annual turnover in any given member state  and national governments allowed to go higher if they want.

British consumers could miss out on the new rights if they are only finalised after the Brexit transition period  though the UK has agreed to implement all new EU rules that come into force before 2021.

In a globalised world where the big companies have a huge advantage over individual consumers we need to level the odds, Vera Jourova, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality said.

Representative actions, in the European way, will bring more fairness to consumers, not more business for law firms. And with stronger sanctions linked to the annual turnover of a company, consumer authorities will finally get teeth to punish the cheaters. It cannot be cheap to cheat."

VW has been rocked by an emissions scandal (PA)

The so-called New Deal For Consumers package would also attempt to bring more transparency to online market places and shopping search engines. The Commission wants such websites to label clearly whether an item is being by a trader or private person  so consumers know whether they are covered by protections.

European Commission first vice-president Timmermans said: Today's New Deal is about delivering a fairer Single Market that benefits consumers and businesses.

Brexit so far: in pictures Show all 53 1 /53 Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson led the VoteLeave campaign PA Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson MP, Labour MP Gisela Stuart and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell address the people of Stafford in Market Square during the Vote Leave Brexit Battle Bus tour on 17 May 2016. Their lead line on the tour was: We send the EU 350 million a week, let's fund our NHS instead. Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Voting day A man shelters from the rain as he arrives at a polling station in London on 23 June 2016. Millions of Britons voted in the referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Referendum results Leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, reacts at the Leave EU referendum party at Millbank Tower in central London as results indicated that it was likely the UK would leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Protesting the result A young couple painted as EU flags and a man with a sign reading Im not leaving protest outside Downing Street against the voters decision to leave the EU on 24 June 2016 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures David Cameron resigns British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016 after the results of the EU referendum were declared and the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Theresa May Becomes the new Conservative Party leader Theresa May receives a kiss from her husband Philip, after becoming the new Conservative Party leader on 11 July 2016. May became Prime Minister two days later and although she voted to remain in the referendum was keen to lead Britains Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly. May was left as the only contender standing after the withdrawal from the leadership race of Andrea Leadsom, who faced criticism for suggesting she was more qualified to be prime minister because she had children AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Lancaster House keynote speech on Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech on Brexit at Lancaster House in London on 17 January 2017. Where she spoke about her offer to introduce a transition period after the UK formally leaves the European Union in March 2019. Despite repeating the pro-Brexit mantra of no deal is better than a bad deal, the Prime Minister claimed she wanted a tone of trust between the negotiators and said Britain was leaving the EU but not Europe. She said there should be a clear double lock needed for the transitional period to make sure businesses had time to prepare for changes to their trading relationships with the EU Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Triggering of Article 50 British Prime Minister Theresa May in the cabinet, sitting below a painting of Britain's first Prime Minister Robert Walpole, signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk invoking Article 50 and the United Kingdom's intention to leave the EU on 29 March 2017 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Gibraltar nonsense Tensions have risen over Brexit negotiations for the Rock of Gibraltar. The European Council has said Gibraltar would be included in a trade deal between London and Brussels only with the agreement of Spain. While former Conservative leader Michael Howard claimed that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war to protect the territory. Spain's foreign minister stepped in only to assert that there was no need for the dispute Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Shock snap election Soon after triggering Article 50, Theresa May called on 18 April 2017 for a snap general election. The election would be on 8 June and it came as a shock move to many, with her reasoning to try to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the EU AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Dissolution of Parliament for General Election Campaign Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace on 3 May 2017. The Prime Minister visited the Queen to ask for the dissolution of Parliament signalling the official start to the general election campaign Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Conservatives lose parliamentary majority An arrangement of British daily newspapers showing front page stories about the exit poll results of the snap general election. British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on 9 June 2017 after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loomed. The pound fell sharply amid fears the Conservative leader would be unable to form a government AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Labour gains Britains opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a tumbs up as he arrives at Labour headquarters in central London on 9 June 2017 after the snap general election results showed a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing their majority AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit negotiations begin Brexit Minister David Davis and European Commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations Michel Barnier address a press conference at the end of the first day of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on 19 June 2017 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May speaks in Florence British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks on 22 September 2017, in Florence. May sought to unlock Brexit talks after Brussels demanded more clarity on the crunch issues of budget payments and EU citizens' rights AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit  insufficient progress German Chancellor Angela Merkel joins other EU leaders for a breakfast meeting during an EU summit in Brussels on 20 October 2017. The EU spoke about Brexit and announced that insufficient progress had been made AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures DUP derails settlement on the withdrawal part of Brexit DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds walks off after speaking to members of the media as a protester holding flags shouts after him outside the Houses of Parliament on 5 December 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to pull out of a deal with Brussels after the DUP said it would not accept terms which see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May suffers defeat over EU (Withdrawal) Bill Theresa May suffers defeat in parliament over EU (Withdrawal) Bill on 13 December 2017. The Government was defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. MPs amended the EU (Withdrawal) Bill against Theresa May's will, guaranteeing Parliament a meaningful vote on any Brexit deal she agrees with Brussels. Ms May's whips applied pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305 Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit  sufficient progress Britain's Prime minister Theresa May arrives to attend the first day of a European union summit in Brussels on 14 December 2017. European leaders discussed Brexit and announced there was finally sufficient progress at the end of the two days AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures The game moves to transition Brexit Secretary David Davis gives evidence on developments in European Union divorce talks to the Commons Exiting the EU Committee in Portcullis House, London, on 24 January 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures Trade deal is what May wants French President Emmanuel Macron gestures to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May after they hold a press conference at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, on 18 January 2018. May and Macron agreed a new border security deal, through which the UK will pay more to France to stop migrants trying to reach British shores on 18 January 2018 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Transition period agreed The UK and EU agree terms for Brexit transition period on 19 March, 2018 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures No agreement on Irish border The EU and UK however failed to reach an agreement on the Irish border during the successful talks on other Brexit issues AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU attacks Mays fantasy strategy For months after the March deal is struck there is little significant progress in talks. One senior EU official tears into Britains fantasy negotiating strategy and accuses Theresa May of not even having a position on a variety of important issue Getty Brexit so far: in pictures UK releases Ireland plan Britain releases a new customs plan to solve the Northern Ireland border but Michel Barnier says it leaves unanswered questions and would not prevent a hard border EbS Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan agreed The cabinet agrees on a plan known as the "Chequers deal" on July 6 2018. The plan seeks regulatory alignment on goods and food, divergence on services, freedom from the European Courts of Justice and an end to free movement. Many were surprised that the hard Brexiteers of the cabinet would agree to this plan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan sparks resignations Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and numerous ministers resign in the days following the Chequers agreement Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Davis out, Raab in On 9 July, Dominic Raab replaces David Davis as Brexit Secretary. Raab is a keen Brexiteer and was a housing minister before taking over from Davis Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Barnier's "deal like no other" EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier claims on August 29 2018 that they are prepared to offer Britain a trade deal like no other, though he stressed that they will not divide or change the single market to accommodate Britain AP Brexit so far: in pictures "My deal or no deal" In an interview on Panorama on September 17, the Prime Minister insists that any Brexit deal will be offered to the EU on her terms. She asserts this amongst continued attacks on her approach to Brexit by Boris Johnson and the European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees Mogg BBC/Jeff Overs Brexit so far: in pictures EU leaders reject Chequers Quite the blow was dealt to the Prime Minister at a EU leaders summit in Salzburg on September 20. European Council President Donald Tusk stated that the Chequers deal "will not work" Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures May demands respect Following the rejection of her Chequers plan the day before, the Prime Minister voiced her anger that the EU had dismissed it without offering an alternative. She stated that throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it." Getty Brexit so far: in pictures People's Vote march As the People's Vote campaign and The Independent's Final Say campaign gain traction, 700,000 people turn out in London to demand a final say on the UK's Brexit deal on October 20 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures More resignations As the Prime Minister settles on a Brexit deal, Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigns along with Work and Pensions secretary Esther McVey and many other ministers Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Final Say petitions delivered to Downing Street People's Vote supporting MPs Chukka Umunna, Justine Greening and Caroline Lucas and The Independent editor Christian Broughton deliver over a million signatures in favour of a People's Vote to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on December 3 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures May delays vote On December 10, the Prime Minister delayed the vote on her Brexit deal as it was near certain not to pass through the Commons due to Tory rebels and lack of DUP support AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures No confidence motion Tory MPs triggered a confidence vote in the Prime Minister on December 12. She won by 200 votes to 117 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Commons rejects the deal Following the delay, the Prime Minister's deal was rejected in the Commons by a historic 230 votes AFP Brexit so far: in pictures Corbyn tables a no confidence motion Following the rejection of the Prime Minister's deal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, which the government won by a margin of 19 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Plan B The Prime Minister won the support of the commons to return to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop on January 29. In the same sitting, MPs also voted against a no-deal Brexit in a non-legally binding motion PA Brexit so far: in pictures EU council president savages Brexit campaigners who failed to plan for departure: Special place in hell There is a special place in hell for pro-Brexit campaigners who demanded Britain leave the EU without explaining how it should happen, Donald Tusk has said. The European Council president launched the scathing attack as he accused anti-EU campaigners of pushing for Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. Mr Tusk also dismissed suggestions that the EU could reopen negotiations over the controversial Northern Ireland backstop, dealing a blow to Theresa Mays hopes of securing fresh concessions as she tries to get her exit deal through parliament. Speaking in Brussels alongside Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk said: Ive been wondering what a special place in hell looks like for people who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. He also tweeted the accusation moments later Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU and UK announce talks to restart after Theresa May visits Brussels Both have agreed to restart Brexit talks to find a way through the deadlock in Westminster, following a visit by Theresa May to Brussels. In a joint statement the British government and European Commission said Ms May had had a robust but constructive meeting with president Jean-Claude Juncker, and that the pair would meet again before the end of the month. But the EU again refused to reopen the withdrawal agreement and its controversial backstop  with any negotiations expected to focus on the future relationship between the UK and EU instead Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit strategy lost MPs voted down May's Brext plans, with a majority of 45. The prime minister did not appear in parliament to see another defeat PA Brexit so far: in pictures Labour and Conservative MPs resign and create the Independent Group Back row of Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, middle row of Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey and front row of Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Non-biding votes on amendments to Brexit motion On February 27 he house held a series of votes, unanimously calling for the UK and EU to guarantee citizens rights in a no-deal scenario AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Attorney General publishes legal advice A hammer blow for May as Geoffrey Cox said her renegotiated deal can still leave UK in backstop against its will. Mr Cox did say the prime ministers efforts had reduced the risk of the UK being trapped in the backstop indefinitely. MPs went on to vote against her deal by 391 to 242 UK Parliament/PA Brexit so far: in pictures No-deal off the table MPs rejected a no-deal Brexit by 43 votes on March 13, with cabinet ministers rebelling in another humiliating defeat for Theresa May. A day later they voted in favour of the prime minister seeking an extension to Article 50 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures House speaker bans May from third Commons vote on same Brexit deal John Bercow sensationally told Theresa May he would stop her making another attempt to pass her Brexit deal unless she has secured changes. The Speaker said a further meaningful vote would be ruled out of order if the motion was the same or substantially the same  under an ancient convention to stop the government bullying parliament on issues MPs have rejected Parliament Live Brexit so far: in pictures May writes to Tusk The prime minister wrote to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to ask for a three-month extension to give her more time to try to get her deal through parliament. However the European Commission advises the EU27 should offer a short extension to May 23 or a longer one meaning the UK would participate in European elections 10 Downing Street/AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures European Council summit Theresa Mays request to extend triggering Article 50 until the end of June was rejected by the EU, and instead offered a shorter time frame. She accepted the offer of a delay until May 22 if her withdrawal deal is approved by Parliament. If MPs rejected it for a third time, the EU said Britain must propose a new plan by April 12. Ms May said she will not support a long delay because it would mean Britain participating in elections for the European Parliament Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brussels confirms preparations for a no-deal Brexit are completed They warned that it is increasingly likely the UK will crash out. In a statement the European Commission (EC) said preparedness and contingency work, which the EC has been conducting since December 2017, was now finished. The announcement came days after EU leaders agreed to a request by Theresa May to extend the UKs Brexit date AFP Brexit so far: in pictures May resigns Reuters

We introduce a European collective redress right for when groups of consumers have suffered harm, like we have seen in the recent past, with proper safeguards so there can be no misuse. Consumers will know who they are buying from online, and when sellers have paid to appear in search results.

The majority of traders who play fair will see burdens lifted. The handful of traders who deliberately abuse European consumers' trust will be sanctioned with tougher fines."
Jeremy Corbyn has demanded MPs be given a vote on potential UK military action against Syria amid suggestions Theresa May could join forces with Donald Trump to launch a joint strike.

The Labour leader said parliament must be consulted over any decision to launch British air strikes against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

He also called on the government to help "get every country, including the US and Russia, as well as the neighbouring states, around the table in Geneva to bring about a political solution".

It comes amid mounting speculation over potential UK support for US air strikes against the Syrian government, which is accused of using chemical weapons against its own civilians in the town of Douma.

Ms May warned on Wednesday that the "continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged" and vowed to work closely with the UK's allies to orchestrate a response.

Recommended May avoids questions over whether MPs will vote on Syrian action

Donald Trump has promised a "forceful" reaction and said he would make "major decisions" this week, while France's Emmanuel Macron is also said to be ready to act.

However, Mr Corbyn warned against action that could lead to a "hot war between Russia and America over the skies of Syria".

Asked during a visit to Plymouth about the possibility of MPs voting on the issue of military strikes, Mr Corbyn told the BBC: "Parliament should always be given a say on military action. Thats a case that Ive made going back many, many years in parliament.

"Obviously the situation is very serious. Obviously there has to be, now, a demand for a political process to end the war in Syria. We cannot risk an escalation even further than its gone already."

Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA

While describing the attack on Douma as "terrible", Mr Corbyn warned: "What we dont want is bombardment which leads to escalation and leads to a hot war between Russia and America over the skies of Syria.

"So what Im saying is listen to what the UN says, listen to what the UN general secretary says, undertake the inquiry into the source and usage of the chemical weapons but, above all, get every country including the US and Russia, as well as the neighbouring states, around the table in Geneva to being about a political solution.

"We cannot go on with hundreds of thousands dying and millions going into refugee status."

 Donald Trump: 'nothing is off the table' for US response to alleged Syria chemical attack

Asked about the prospect of recalling Parliament during a visit to Birmingham on Wednesday, Ms May sidestepped the question, saying only that Britain would work with its closest ally to see how those responsible can be held to account for the Douma attack, which is said to have killed between 40 and 70 people and left some 500 needing treatment.

The prime minister said she was appalled but not surprised by Russias decision to veto a draft UN resolution seeking to determine responsibility for the attack, adding: There can be no role now for investigations by the United Nations.

Earlier in the day, Mr Trump tweeted that Russia should get ready for missiles to be fired at Syria, and that they would be nice and new and smart!.
Ken Loach, the pro-Jeremy Corbyn filmmaker, has suggested that Labour MPs who joined the demonstration against antisemitism should be kicked out of the party.

His comments follow a protest in Parliament Square last month that attracted hundreds of people and more than a dozen Labour MPs to demand that Mr Corbyn does more to tackle anti-Jewish feelings in his partys ranks.

It was organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council. The speakers included Labour MPs John Mann, Luciana Berger, Louise Ellman and West Streeting.

According to the Daily Mail, Loach was speaking at a screening of his most recent film, I, Daniel Blake, organised by the Kingswood Constituency Labour Party.

Unless we get Labour MPs who believe in that manifesto last year we wont get in power, he told those gathered. If theyve been going to the demonstration against him outside Westminster  those are the ones we need to kick out.

You cannot work with people who have come to undermine the biggest challenge weve had  weve never had a leader like Corbyn before in the whole history of the Labour Party  and thats why the dirty tricks are going to come out.

When contacted by the newspaper over his remarks at the meeting, Loach, who produced party broadcasts for the Labour Party during last years general election, said the quotes do not reflect my position.

He continued: Reselecting an MP should not be based on individual incidents but reflect the MPs principles, actions and behaviour over a long period. Being an MP is not a job for life.

My view is that candidates should be selected for every election and party members should be able to make a democratic choice.

Referring to abuse directed at Labour MPs, Mr Corbyn told Jewish News shortly after the protest: Any abuse makes me profoundly concerned and any abuse that is done is certainly not done in my name.

People have a right to speak out and a right to demonstrate and that surely is something that is intrinsic in any democratic society. I will not tolerate abuse of people for their beliefs.

The comments from the left-wing filmmaker came after the Israeli Labor Party formally suspended its ties with its UK sister party following the row over antisemitism.

In a letter to the Labour leader, chairman Avi Gabbay said it was his responsibility to acknowledge the hostility Mr Corbyn has shown to the Jewish community.

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

In response, Mr Corbyn said on Tuesday: I wish they would read Shami Chakrabartis report. I wish they would understand that we are utterly determined in every way to drive out antisemitism from our society. And, where it exists in any party, to drive it out, including my own.

I would be very happy to have that discussion with them. I think they should have done me the courtesy of asking me first.

The Independent has approached Loachs representatives for comment.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has endured a gruelling five-hour hearing before the US House of Representatives, facing tough questions about how the site protects user data, whether it is biased against certain users  and what, exactly, it is.

The second day of questioning before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce proved more taxing for the 33-year-old than his testimony before two Senate committees on Tuesday. Representatives shot rapid-fire questions at the entrepreneur, and even interrupted his answers at several points.

While Facebook has certainly grown, I worry it has not matured, Representative Greg Walden said at the opening of the hearing on Wednesday. I think it is time to ask whether Facebook may have moved too fast and broken too many things.

Much of the discussion surrounded Facebooks handling of user data and privacy  a relevant line of questioning, as the meeting was called primarily to address the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a consulting company accessed millions of Facebook users data without their knowledge.

Mr Zuckerberg answered questions on a range of privacy issues, from third-party access to the creation of fake profiles. He reiterated several times that Facebook does not sell users information to advertisers.

 Mark Zuckerberg says his personal data was sold to 'malicious third parties'

In one particularly pointed exchange, Representative Frank Pallone asked Mr Zuckerberg to answer, with a yes or a no, whether he would change Facebooks default privacy settings to collect the minimum amount of users personal information possible.

This is a complex issue that deserves more than a one-word answer, Mr Zuckerberg said.

Thats disappointing to me, Mr Pallone responded.

How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Show all 9 1 /9 How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Lock your profile down If you havent done this already, do it now. In Settings, hit the Privacy tab. From here, you can control who gets to see your future posts and friends list. Choose from Public, Friends, Only Me and Custom in the dropdown menu. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Limit old posts Annoyingly, changing this has no effect on whos able to see your past Facebook posts. Instead, on the Privacy page, you have to click on Limit Past Posts, then select Limit Old Posts and finally hit Confirm on the pop-up. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Make yourself harder to find You can stop completely random people from adding you by selecting Friends of Friends from the dropdown menu in the Who can send you friend requests? section of the Privacy page. Its also worth limiting who can find your Facebook profile with your number and email address. At the bottom of the page is the option to prevent search engines outside of Facebook from linking to your profile. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Control access to your Timeline You can limit who gets to post things on your Timeline and who gets to see posts on your Timeline too. In Settings, go to Timeline and Tagging and edit the sections you want to lock down. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Block people When you block someone, they wont be able to see things you post on your Timeline, tag you, invite you to events or groups, start conversations with you or add you as a friend. To do it, go to Settings and Blocking. Annoyingly, you have to block people on Messenger separately. You can also add friends to your Restricted list here, which means theyll still be friends with you but will only be able to see your public posts and things you share on a mutual friend's Timeline. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Review tags One of Facebooks handiest privacy features is the ability to review posts youre tagged in before they appear on your Timeline. Theyll still be visible on the News Feed while theyre fresh, but wont be tied to your profile forever. In Timeline and Tagging, enable Timeline review controls. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Clean up your apps You can view a list of all of the apps youve connected to your Facebook account by going to Settings and Apps. The list might be longer than you expected it to be. Its worth tidying this up to ensure things you no longer use lose access to your personal information. If you dont want to log into websites and apps with your facebook account, scroll down and turn Platform off. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Change your ad preferences You can view a list of everything Facebook thinks youre into and tinker with your ad preferences by going to Settings and Adverts. A lot more information is displayed on the desktop site than the app, so wed recommend doing this on a computer. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Download your data Facebook lets you download all of the data it has on you, including the posts youve shared, your messages and photos, ads youve clicked on and even the IP addresses that are logged when you log in or out of the site. Its a hell of a lot of information, which you should download to ensure you never over-share on the social network again.

The entrepreneurs answer was typical of his noncommittal, vague responses throughout the day. He declined to endorse any specific policy proposals during the hearing, though he did say it was inevitable that the internet would have to be regulated.

Senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal introduced privacy bill of rights legislation to the Senate shortly before the hearing began. The act would require edge providers like Facebook and Google to obtain opt-in consent to use customers personal information. It would also force them to protect that information with reasonable measures.

 Mark Zuckerberg denies Facebook market monopoly: 'It certainly doesn't feel like that to me'

Mr Zuckerberg faced pointed questions about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the political consulting firm accessed data from up to 87m Facebook users  some of them without their consent. The data was collected and sold to the company by Aleksandr Kogan, a professor at Cambridge University.

On Wednesday, Mr Zuckerberg revealed that his own data had been accessed by Cambridge Analytica. He also said the data may have been sold to a handful of other firms as well, though he declined to mention their names. He claimed Facebook has asked these companies to delete the data in 2015, but that they may have retained it anyway.

Asked whether Facebook planned to sue Mr Kogan or Cambridge Analytica, Mr Zuckerberg said: its something were looking into.

Cambridge Analytica has denied breaking any laws, and said they properly licensed the data from Mr Kogans research company.

11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Show all 11 1 /11 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Clean up your News Feed Most of us are Facebook friends with some people we dont actually care about, and there are several ways to keep their updates off your News Feed. The easiest option is to head to the column on the left and open News Feed Preferences. From here, you can prioritise friends, unfollow friends, refollow friends you unfollowed in the past and even block specific apps. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Change ad preferences You can view a list of everything Facebook thinks youre into and tinker with your ad preferences. A lot more information is displayed on the desktop site than the app, so wed recommend doing this on a computer. Just open Settings and select Advert Preferences. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Manage notifications You can get notifications about pretty much anything on Facebook these days, and that can be seriously irritating. Choose what you do and dont want to be notified about by going into the Settings menu and selecting Notifications. You might be surprised by the number of sections you have to trawl through. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Save data Facebook automatically plays videos in your News Feed, and thats a problem if you arent on a generous data plan. You can change this by going to Videos in the Settings menu and disabling autoplay. On the app, theres feature in the left-hand column called Data Saver, which also does this, but reduces the size of pictures too. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Reorder your News feed You can choose to order the updates that appear in your News Feed by time or importance. Just hit the three buttons next to News Feed Preferences on the Facebook site and choose between Top Stories and Recent Stories. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Download your data Facebook lets you download all of the immense amounts of data it has on you, including the posts youve shared, your messages and photos, ads youve clicked on and even the IP addresses that are logged when you log in or out of the site. Its a lot of information, which youll want to get your hands on if you decide to quit the social network. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Find nearby places Nearby Places is actually a really handy tool, which lets you quickly find and research things like restaurants, hotels, museums and nightlife hotspots around you. It lives in the left-hand column, and also shows useful information like customer ratings, prices and distance. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Find free Wi-Fi Similarly, Find Wi-Fi is ideal for when youre bored, running low on data or lost. It shows you all the places in your vicinity that offer free Wi-Fi, so you can head over and either relax or get some work done. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Save things for later Facebooks ideal for killing time, but every now and again youll stumble across something youre interested in right as you need to put your phone away. Fortunately, you can save posts for later by hitting the arrow in the top-right corner and selecting the Save option. Everything you save goes straight to the Saved section in the left-hand column. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Control tags When people tag you in posts or pictures, they dont have to automatically appear on your profile. You can switch on Facebooks Review Tags feature by going to Settings and Timeline and Tagging. 11 useful Facebook features you didn't know existed Delete your account To permanently delete your Facebook account, you need to head to Facebooks Delete Account page. The site can take up to 90 days to process account deletion requests, but once your account's gone, its gone. You can deactivate your account instead, by going to Security and Login in the Settings menu.

Mr Zuckerberg also faced a smattering of questions on other topics, including whether Facebook censored conservative voices on its platform. Several lawmakers brought up the case of video bloggers Diamond and Silk, who have complained that Facebook limited the reach of their videos and told them their content was unsafe to the community.

Representative Marsha Blackburn  a Republican whose campaign ad about the sale of baby body parts was temporarily blocked by Twitter last year  asked Mr Zuckerberg if Facebook manipulated its algorithms to prioritise or censor certain forms of speech.

There are types of content like terrorism that I think we all agree we do not want to have on our service, Mr Zuckerberg replied. So we build systems that can identify those and can remove that content and were very proud of that work.

Let me tell you something right now, Diamond & Silk is not terrorism, Ms Blackburn responded.

Mr Zuckerberg also responded to questions about whether he thought Facebook was a monopoly. He replied that he did not, and said that Americans used many other apps to communicate with each other. He failed to mention that Facebook owns three of the top 10 mobile apps used in the US, according to the data analytics site comScore.

At one point, Representative Greg Walden asked Mr Zuckerberg what, exactly, the massive company he had built was.

I consider us to be a technology company, Mr Zuckerberg said simply.
The Sacramento Police Department has announced new body cam policies for its officers after two policemen muted their microphones following the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark.

The department sent out a written directive to inform officers when they are allowed to turn off their body cameras last week, noting that the policy had been in the works since last year, but that the shooting of Mr Clark last month had made it necessary for swift action.

A copy of the written directive provided to The Independent says that officers can turn off their body cameras when discussing medical issues or when dealing with a sensitive victim, when body cam batteries are low if the officer is not an active part of an investigation, or under extraordinary circumstances. They must also verbalize the reason for shutting off their body cams before doing so.

Recommended California introduces bill making it easier to prosecute cops who kill

Mr Clarks case gained national notoriety last month after the police department made the unusual decision to release the body camera footage just three days after Mr Clark was killed. The video shows police responding to reports that someone in the neighbourhood was breaking car windows, and then Mr Clark  a 22-year-old father of two  being shot eight times, primarily in his back.

After the shooting, it was discovered that Mr Clark was not armed at the time of his death. He had been standing in his grandmothers backyard with his cell phone.

Officers were later told to turn off their body cameras, though it is unclear who gave that order.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Clarks death has sparked another wave of national protests against police brutality and police killings of unarmed black men in the US.

The decision by the Sacramento Police Department to implement stricter rules for body cameras in the wake of the shooting was met with some degree of relief from the community in Sacramento, but experts on police use of force say that the policy should have been in place long before this most recent killing.

At least at this point theyve got the power rules in there now, Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina, told the Associated Press. It shouldnt happen again, but it shouldnt have happened in the first place.
Another high-ranking member of President Donald Trumps National Security Council is stepping down from their post as John Bolton, the presidents new national security adviser, moulds his team.

Nadia Schadlow resigned from her post in a letter Tuesday, and will officially leave her post April 27.

Ms Schadlow, a deputy national security adviser for strategy, was close with ex-National Security Adviser HR McMaster, who was responsible for Mr Trumps first National Security strategy. She is the third senior national security adviser to resign or be pushed out since Mr Bolton was announced as Mr McMaster's replacement.

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White House spokesman Raj Shah told media that the Trump administration thanks Ms Schadlow for her service and leadership and that we wish Nadia, and her family, the best.

"The administration thanks Dr Schadlow for her service and leadership in crafting the President's 'America First' national security strategy," Mr Shah's statement reads. "The strategy has set a strong foundation going forward for protecting the homeland, promoting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength and advancing American influence. We wish Nadia and her family the best."

Ms Schadlow is the latest in a series of high-level staffers who have chosen to leave, or who have been pushed out since Mr Bolton was appointed to his position. Their ranks include spokesman Michael Anton, and Homeland security Adviser Tom Bossert. Sources close to the National Security Council told reporters at CNN that they had expected Ms Schadlow's departure from the group for months.

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

Mr Bolton officially joined the White House operations Monday.

In Ms Schadlow's resignation letter, the outgoing deputy said that she is proud of her time serving Mr Trump.

"Together, we captured your vision for a strong and confident America and developed your America First National Security Strategy  which turned that vision into a strategic direction for your administration," her letter read. "And I am particularly proud that you were able to submit your NSS to Congress earlier than any previous administration ... on time and under budget!"

Ms Schadlow's resignation is likely to raise some alarms in Washington, where she has been regarded as one of the few reliably steady hands in the Trump White House when it comes to national security concerns.

More resignations are expected as Mr Bolton continues to review the resumes of top staffers serving on the National Security Council, sources have told multiple news outlets.
One of the most powerful Republican politicians in the country, House Speaker Paul Ryan, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2018.

The 48-year-old congressman from Wisconsin, who has held the job of Speaker since 2015, has decided after considerable thought that he will stand aside and not contest in November 2018. One of the reasons for his decision, according to reports, was the frustration he has working with Donald Trump.

I think we have achieved a heck of a lot. You all know that I did not seek this job. I took it reluctantly, Mr Ryan said at a press conference in Washington. But I gave it everything I could ... I have no regrets.

News of the the departure of Mr Ryan, who will serve out his term and retire in January, was first reported by Axios.

House Republicans were already in very tough spot for midterms, with many endangered members and the good chance that Democrats will win the majority, the website said.

Friends say that after Ryan passed tax reform, his longtime dream, he was ready to step out of a job that has become endlessly frustrating, in part because of President Trump.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Ryan, who was Mitt Romneys Republican running mate in 2012, become Speaker in 2015 after Tea Party activists effectively forced out John Boehner. He took the job, with some anxieties, and with a reputation as a straight but rather uncharismatic policy wonk.

Mr Ryan denied that he was resigning because of concerns about the plight of the Republicans. He also dismissed a suggestion it was because he found it difficult to work with Mr Trump.

Im grateful for the opportunity he has given us to do big things, he said, adding how proud he had been to help pass last years tax cut, the biggest since 1986.

It is possible that Mr Ryan, who did not run for the presidency as part of a huge Republican field in 2016, could yet return to the political fray.

 Paul Ryan on Pennsylvania's special congressional race: Both candidates ran as Conservatives

Mr Ryan, who said he was inspired to enter public service after reading the words of the late Russian-American novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, has long harboured ambitions about the White House, and reports suggested he could yet make another run. It is possible he could decide to be mainstream Republican primary challenger to President Trump if the billionaire decides to seek re-election in 2020, something he has indicated he plans to do.

Reports said Mr Ryan may have thought twice to publicise any planned departure, because it could hurt his fundraising capacity on behalf of fellow Republicans and undercut his ability to make deals in the House of Representatives. Yet he said he would continue to hold the position of Speaker and then stand down in January. To run for re-election in November, and then resign two months later, would be acting in an honest way to the people he represented, he said.

I really do not believe whether I stay or go will affect how a person running for congress does, he said. If we do our jobs, as we are, were going to have a great record to run on.

Mr Ryan said he had spent 20 years in congress, and that if he were to stay for one more term, his children would only know him as a weekend dad. I cant let that happen.

More than three dozen House Republicans have announced that they are retiring, running for another office, or resigning. Democrats need to win 24 seats in the November elections to retake a majority in the House, which Republicans have controlled since 2011.

Mr Ryan has made little effort to hide his disdain for Mr Trump, his style as a politician or his rhetoric. After an Access Hollywood video was released shortly before the election in 2016, in which Mr Trump was recorded apparently bragging about sexually assaulting women, Mr Ryan condemned the candidates comments.

I am sickened by what I heard today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified, he said. I hope Mr Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves, and works to demonstrate that he has greater respect for women than the clip suggests.

It subsequently emerged that the Speaker had been even more outspoken privately. An audio recording published in March 2017, two months after President Trump had entered the White House, revealed Mr Ryan telling House Republicans at the time of the Access Hollywoods release that he would no longer defend the New York billionaire.

I am not going to defend Donald Trump  not now, not in the future, he said. To everyone on this call, this is going to be a turbulent month. Many of you on this call are facing tough re-elections.

Some of you are not. But with respect to Donald Trump, I would encourage you to do what you think is best and do what you feel you need to do. Personally, you need to decide whats best for you.

As it was, Mr Ryan appeared to mend fences with Mr Trump, or at least pretended to, and campaigned for him in his home state of Wisconsin  a state that the brash former reality television star was able to capture by less than 23,000 votes, and which was crucial to him entering the White House.

This is the most incredible political feat I have seen in my lifetime, Mr Ryan said after Mr Trump had won.

Donald Trump heard a voice out in this country that no one else heard. He connected in ways with people no else did. He turned politics on its head.

Mr Trump praised Mr Ryan after the announcement. "Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question," he said. "We are with you Paul!"
A woman has been accused of attacking two people after a dog ate her marijuana, US police say.

Desarae Smith flew into a rage with two bystanders after the pet-owner refused to pay for the drugs, according to a report by officers in Springfield, Ohio.

The 20-year-old punched, kicked and pulled the hair of her victims, only stopping when police pulled her away, the report says.

She was arrested on two counts of assault on Monday.

Trouble started when Smith refused to leave the dog-owners home following the canine-based disagreement, the Springfield News-Sun reports. She fell asleep on the sofa where officers, responding to a call, found her.

(The pet-owner) advised she got into a verbal argument with Desarae Smith over marijuana, the police report says. She stated she lives with 22 dogs and one of them ate Ms Smiths marijuana.

Officers found Smith sleeping, woke her and asked her to go home, it is said.

Ms Smith began screaming about the money owed her for the marijuana and refused to leave, the report continues. Officers advised Ms Smith to calm down and asked her to leave the home.

Smith began to gather her belongings and stormed out of the house cursing and screaming, the report continues. It was there she allegedly confronted two women stood outside  assaulting both of them in front of officers.

Ms Smith dropped her items and charged (at one woman), the report says. She grabbed (her) hair and began punching and kicking her in the head and body.

She then turned on the second bystander, the report says.

Ms Smith then grabbed(her) and began punching and kicking her in the head and body, the report says.

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

Officers said they separated the pair and arrested Smith. The women who were allegedly attacked did not have visible signs of injuries, the report says, and refused medical treatment.

Smiths bond was set at $1,000 for each assault charge, according to jail records. She was also booked in with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct charges, according to the records with bonds set at $250 each.
A Russian TV reporter walked into the hospital where former double agent Sergei Skripal is being treated for poisoning by a nerve agent. He then roamed corridors before being asked to leave by security.

The crew, from one of Russias most prominent networks, REN TV, entered Salisbury District Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

There, they filmed the presenter walking around corridors, approaching staff and casting doubt upon the handling of the case.

After a few minutes, they were ejected. Once outside the building, police reportedly asked them to delete the footage they had obtained.

However, a technical copy of the video remained and was aired on Russian television. In the footage the reporter can be seen outside the microbiology department. He remarked that that door seems locked securely.

"This is most likely the door behind which Sergei Skripal is located," he told the camera.

"And here's a sign, he added, pointing at the door. No entry - keep your distance. It's the only protection from the lethal substance England is saying is novichok."

The camera then zoomed in on the sign which read: Caution. Slippery floor surface.

While roaming the corridors he scrutinised the clothes of the workers, telling the camera that hospital staff seem not afraid to wear ordinary clothing".

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

He added that there were strange inconsistencies are everywhere.

He then asked some nurses about the treatment of Mr Skripal.

"I am sorry, we don't know anything, we just take care of babies in this hospital," they replied.

The video included a bizarre segment in which the reporter dwells on the hospital environment.

Recommended Skripals to reveal key clues on poisoning after rapid recovery

Lots of coffee machines and paintings on the walls, but nevertheless, there are a lot of closed doors," he said.

A spokesperson for Salisbury District Hospital said the stunt was "appalling", and that the crew "approached staff in the middle of the night with no warning and without asking for any permission".

"Our staff, who have been rightly lauded for their recent efforts, working tirelessly to give all of our patients high quality care, deserved better," they said. "We would like to reiterate that any attempt to harass, intimidate or cause distress to any of our staff or patients is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Wiltshire police confirmed they had responded to calls by the hospitals security guards and said the men were asked to leave the hospital and did so," a spokesperson said.

"No arrests were made."
Russia's ambassador to Lebanon has said any US missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, a step which could trigger a major escalation in the Syrian war.

Alexander Zasypkin, in comments broadcast on Tuesday evening, said he was referring to a statement by Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Russian chief-of-staff.

"If there is a strike by the Americans then... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," he told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV.

 Donald Trump: 'nothing is off the table' for US response to alleged Syria chemical attack

The Russian military said on 13 March it would respond to any US strike on Syria, targeting any missiles and launchers involved in such an attack.

Mr Zasypkin added that a clash "should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations".

Moscow and Damascus deny the Syrian government was behind a suspected chemical weapons attack that has led to Donald Trump and Western allies considering military action against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

But the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday around 500 people were treated for "signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals" following the attack on a rebel enclave near Damascus at the weekend.

:: In other developments ::

Trump tweets Russia should 'get ready' for US attack'

Gorbachev makes rare intervention over 'enormous sense of alarm'

Commercial flights in region face widespread disruption

The WHO said more than 70 people sheltering from bombardment in basements in the former rebel-heald pocket of eastern Ghouta were reported to have died. Of those, 43 were "related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals," citing reports from its local health partners.

Responding to Mr Zasypkin's comments, General Sir Richard Barrons, who led the UKs Joint Forces Command from 2013 to 2016, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I hope the ambassador has chosen his words very carefully because what hes actually saying is that if the US and allies decide to strike against Syrian chemical weapons and delivery aircraft, not only are they going to try and shoot down the missiles in flight - which they're capable of doing, but won't be with total success - but by saying the words 'launch platforms', hes saying they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky - thats war.

On Wednesday, Moscow attempted to dial down the rhetoric, saying it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything that could destabilise an already fragile situation in the Middle East.

It maintained allegations that Syrian government forces had carried out a chemical weapons attack were not based on real facts and said it wanted an impartial investigation into the incident.

Asked about Mr Zasypkin's comments, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not want to comment on such matters.

"As before, we would like to hope that all sides will avoid any steps that a) are not provoked by anything and b) could significantly destabilise an already fragile situation in the region," he told reporters.

The prospect of military action against Mr Assad's government prompted European airspace authorities to warn planes to be careful when flying close to Syria.

The Eurocontrol airspace organisation said the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had sent a "Rapid Alert Notification" that flight operations covering Cyprus and the surrounding skies needed to consider the possibility of air or missile strikes into Syria.

Attack alert: air traffic in the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FlightRadar24)

In a notice posted to Eurocontrol's website, EASA said: "Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken."

More than 20 flights are due to take off from the UK to Cyprus on Wednesday, including ones provided by British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair.

On Tuesday, Russia and the US blocked each other's attempts in the UN Security Council to set up international investigations into suspected chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Each country placed a resolution before the security council to vote on. The US text was vetoed by Russia, while the Russian text was not adopted because it did not gain enough votes.

Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA

The US resolution had proposed an independent mechanism for investigating the 7 April attack in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta. It also called for an attribution clause that would identify the perpetrator of the attack.

Russia, meanwhile, proposed that the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres choose the investigators, but that the results be reviewed by Russia for acceptance prior to making them public, according to US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. It also lacked any clause to assign attribution of the suspected attack.

"History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," Ms Haley said, referring to Mr Assad.

She said the US "went the extra mile" to get Russian support for the resolution to ensure that a new investigative body would be impartial, independent and professional - provisions she said were not in the rival Russian resolution.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russian ambassador to the UN, accused the US of trying to mislead the international community, and said it was "taking one more step towards confrontation".

He said the US and its allies did not need a resolution to determine responsibility because it was already blaming Syria and Russia.

"You do not want to hear the fact that no traces of a chemical attack were found in Douma," Mr Nebenzia said. "You simply have been looking for a pretext" and want the resolution to fail "to justify the use of force against Syria".

The diplomatic clash came after Syria invited a mission from the international chemical weapons watchdog to investigate the suspected poison gas attack.

Its foreign ministry said it would help the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in a fact-finding mission into the alleged attack, which opposition activists say killed 40 people.

The White House announced on Tuesday Donald Trump would skip an upcoming summit in South America and instead remain in the US to "oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.

 Syria civil war: Footage shows children treated following chemical weapons attack in Douma

The US president promised to respond "forcefully" to the alleged chemical attack, and that the US had "a lot of options militarily".

We cant let atrocities like we all witnessed... we cant let that happen in our world... especially when were able to because of the power of the United States, the power of our country, were able to stop it, he said.

Theresa May joined Mr Trump in calling for a response to the Syrian regime's latest use of chemical weapons, "if confirmed".

In separate phone calls, Ms May, Mr Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron agreed the international community should work together to hold Mr Assad's government and its backers to account.

Of the calls, a Downing Street spokesperson said: They agreed that reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria were utterly reprehensible and, if confirmed, represented further evidence of the Assad regimes appalling cruelty against its own people and total disregard for its legal obligations not to use these weapons.

They agreed that the international community needed to respond to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. They agreed they would continue working closely together and with international partners to ensure that those responsible were held to account.

Dozens of buses carrying hundreds of rebel fighters, along with family members and civilians who did not wish to come back under Assads rule, left Douma for opposition areas near Aleppo on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The deal restores Mr Assads control over the whole of eastern Ghouta  formerly the biggest rebel bastion near Damascus.

As part of the surrender deal, the Jaish al-Islam group that controlled the town released scores of people it had been holding.

Additional reporting by agencies
Every atrocity in the Syrian civil war provokes a furious row about whether it happened and, if so, who was responsible for carrying it out. The merciless brutality of all sides combines with partisan reporting and lack of access for independent investigators to make it possible for doubts to be generated about even the most blatant war crime. One good rule is that participants in the war are often accurate about the crimes of their opponents while they invariably lie or are silent about their own.

This rule appears to hold good in the case of the poison gas attack on the city of Douma on 7 April, which killed at least 34 people and possibly twice as many. The Russian military claim that the attack was faked by pro-opposition activists and that samples taken from the site of where the civilians died were not toxic. The Syrian government issues blanket denials when accused of using poison gas.

But there is mounting evidence from neutral observers to confirm that chlorine was used last Saturday. The World Health Organisation says that local health authorities in Douma, with whom it is cooperating, confirm that on the day of the alleged bombing they treated 500 patients with the symptoms of exposure to toxic chemicals. It reports that "there were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to the central nervous systems of those exposed".

Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA

Other evidence for the gassing of civilians is cumulatively convincing: large gas cylinders, like those used in past chlorine gas attacks, were filmed on the roof of the building where most bodies were found. Local people report that Syrian government helicopters were seen in the area at the time of the attack. Such helicopters have been used in chlorine gas bombings in the past.

The Russian and Syrian government accounts of what happened, varying between saying there were no attacks or that evidence for them has been fabricated, are contradictory. A Russian spokeswoman said on Wednesday that the use of "smart missiles" on Syrian government forces could be an attempt to destroy the evidence.

Recommended US and Russia stand on brink of open conflict

The allegations of fabrication are generalised and non-specific and amount to a conspiracy theory for which no evidence is ever produced, other than to throw doubt on the partiality of those who say that chlorine was used. It is true that many of the sources cited by the Western media as if they were bipartisan eye-witness accounts are committed supporters of the opposition. But the Russian and Syrian governments have never produced any counter-evidence to give credence to the elaborate plot that would be necessary to fake the use of poison gas or to really use it, but put the blame on Syrian government air power.

The most convincing reason advanced by those who argue that President Bashar al-Assads forces did not carry out the attack is that it was entirely against their interests to do so. They have already won militarily in Douma and the second of two convoys carrying thousands of Army of Islam fighters and their families left for Turkish-controlled northern Syria today. And this latest success brings Assad with sight  though it is still a distant one  of a complete victory over his enemies.

For all the furore about the proposed missile strike on Syrian forces  likely to happen in the very near future  it is difficult to see what it will achieve other than as a general sign of international disapproval of the use of chemical weapons. Hawks in the US and Europe may want to use the occasion to reopen the door to armed intervention in the Syrian civil war with the aim of weakening or displacing Assad, but the time for this is long past, if it was ever there.

There is a widely held myth that US air strikes against government forces in 2013, which President Barack Obama is blamed for not having carried out, would have brought the war to a different and happier conclusion. But such air strikes would only have been effective if they had been conducted on a mass scale and on a daily basis in support of ground troops. These would either have been Sunni Arab armed opposition forces, which were already dominated by al-Qaeda-type movements, or the US army in a rerun of the Iraq War of 2003.
Donald Trump has hit out at Russia after Moscow threatened to shoot down any missiles fired at Syria in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack.

On Twitter, the US president told Russia to "get ready", saying: "They will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'!"

Referring to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, he added: "You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Though he failed to detail what a strike would look like, or whether they would be US missiles, Mr Trump's apparent confirmation that military action will be taken came after Russian lawmakers warned Moscow would view American air strikes on Syria as a war crime.

Mr Trump's outburst appeared to be a response to Russia's ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said US launch sites as well as missiles would be targeted in the event of an attack.

"If there is a strike by the Americans then... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Mr Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV on Tuesday evening.

The US president has previously threatened military action in response to Syria's suspected poison gas attack, which activists and rescuers say killed at least 40 people.

The Syrian government and its Russian backer deny the attack took place.

 General Richard Barons on Russia's claim it will shoot down US missiles fired at Syria: 'That is war'

Responding to Mr Trump's tweet, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Facebook: "Smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, and not towards the lawful government which has been fighting international terrorism on its territory for several years."

She added a US missile strike could be an attempt to destroy evidence of the alleged chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Douma, near Damascus.

Mr Trump later sent a follow up tweet in which he described the US-Russia relationship as "worse now than it has ever been".

"There is no reason for this," he wrote. "Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"

The tweets came as Trump administration officials consult with global allies over a possible joint military response to Syria's alleged poison gas attack.

The White House announced on Tuesday Mr Trump would skip an upcoming summit in South America and instead remain in the US to "oversee the American response to Syria.

The US, France and Britain have been in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, US officials said. None of the three countries' leaders had made a firm decision, according to the officials, who were not authorised to discuss military planning publicly.

A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the US in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syria's political and military support from Russia and Iran.

Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA

Emmanuel Macron said France, the US and Britain will decide how to respond in the coming days. He called for a "strong and joint response" to the attack in Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed 40 people.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the US-led coalition created in 2014 to fight Isis in Syria and Iraq.

On Monday Mr Trump suggested he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence.

Officials suggested such evidence was lacking, or at least not yet at hand. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which US intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of sarin gas.

Mr Trump responded by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the US, France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April.

That strike did not appear to have had the desired effect of deterring Mr Assad from further use of chemical agents. So the three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing the Syrian president from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

Asked whether France would take military action, Mr Macron said his country will continue discussing technical and strategic information with US and British allies and "in the coming days we will announce our decision." He said any action would "target chemical weapons" stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

After Mr Trump spoke by phone with Theresa May, a government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was "utterly reprehensible" and that the international community must respond "to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons."

Mr Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Trump "see eye to eye" on the Syria problem.

"We cannot tolerate with a war criminal," the emir said, adding, "This matter should end immediately." Qatar hosts America's main air operations centre for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it will send "shortly" a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit would delay or avert US or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used.

Additional reporting by agencies
Unpredictable events in the next few days may change everything, but at this distance it looks very unlikely that the British will be joining in the Franco-American front against Syria and its Russian allies. If so, then that is for the good.

The most immediate reason is quite simply that Theresa May lacks the backing she would need in the House of Commons to support such a serious move. There may be circumstances in which parliaments will can be assumed or bypassed, and British military action taken through the traditional method of the royal prerogative  say in retaliation for a nuclear strike. Legally, strictly interpreted, that option remains open to the government in any event.

Politically, however, and as an elective act of deployment of British firepower, air strikes on Syria, including possible collateral damage to Iranian and Russian personnel and materiel, would have to be sanctioned in advance by the Commons. The precedent Tony Blair was pressured into setting at the time of the Iraq invasion in 2003 was a powerful one (though events prove that MPs got it wrong).

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. 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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. 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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. 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At the moment, too many Tory backbenchers are expressing disquiet about the escalation of hostilities with Russia for Ms May to be confident of carrying the house without the support of the main opposition parties, and neither Labour nor the SNP seem likely to help her out. At best, Ms May would receive a shaky mandate; at worst she would suffer the same humiliation that David Cameron did when he sought permission for much the same action in 2013. Unlike her predecessor, she is not in a strong enough position to be able to survive such a setback unscathed.

So many of the arguments about whether Britain should take part are overshadowed by the probability that it wont because the political willpower is not there. What seems to have focused many minds is the promise of the Russian ambassador to Lebanon that Russia would attack the source of any missiles aimed at Syria and its backers, meaning that ships, submarines or land bases could be vulnerable to a swift Russian reprisal. After that? The scenario is too horrible to contemplate, and certainly too grim for many Conservative and Labour MPs to entertain.

All of which leaves the Syrian people in the same beleaguered position they were in, and, still more depressingly, an increased risk that chemical weapons will come to be used more frequently, if not routinely. The taboo against these particular weapons of mass destruction, which uniquely terrify mankind, will soon be ended. It is a grim moment.

It is also a time to reflect on the usefulness of the British nuclear deterrent. For the theory of nuclear deterrence requires that both sides believe the other will use them, and this constrains them from making threats and engaging in dangerous brinkmanship. We have long accepted that in small wars, such as the Falklands and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, they were not relevant. Yet the British stuck to the view that the nuclear deterrent would work against a power such as Russia: our nuclear weaponry would prevent the Russians from bullying us and would make them think carefully about acts of aggression. Now, after the Skripal affair and our apparent powerlessness in the light of events in Douma, nuclear weapons of mass destruction look simply irrelevant.

It is right that parliament should weigh all of these considerations; such is their gravity for national security and the lives of British citizens and those of other nations. It would be intolerable if another failed intervention  echoing those in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya  were to take place against the wishes of the representatives of the people. If it means the American and the French presidents going ahead on their own, then so be it. They will need to be answerable for their actions to their people, and it is not entirely clear where they think the escalation will end. Surely, now is the moment to pause.
It seems likely that in a matter of a day or two, America, France and Britain will have launched a military assault on Syria to punish President Assad for using chemical weapons. This is in spite of the fact that it has not been established that a chemical weapons attack occurred or, if it did, who was responsible.

Theresa May says we need to investigate while at the same time talking of the need to punish Assad, contradicting herself. Donald Trump does not know what happened. If they are innocent he says, why wont they allow people to go in and prove it? The Russian ambassador to the UN says the OPCW is welcome to visit the area under Syrian and Russian protection.

Attacking Assad without proof, and no clear idea of the consequences, will be a war crime, particularly heinous in light of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

As a UK citizen I call on our politicians, and the media who are gung-ho for bombing Syria, to answer the following question posed by the Daily Mail: Will launching more cruise missiles into this maelstrom really improve the situation?

Brendan OBrien

London N21

There must be considerable unease spreading through the minds of many at the news of Theresa Mays phone conversation with Donald Trump on Tuesday. And perhaps the most troubling thought is that in some way their conversation might be a repeat of Tony Blairs reassurance to George Bush that Britain could be relied on to back the US in the event of an invasion of Iraq.

No need to recall the enormity of that blunder nor the falsehoods on which the decision was taken. Surely the prime minister would not put herself in the same kind of situation, particularly now that a UN fact-finding mission is apparently on its way to establish the truth about the alleged poison gas attacks which so many children grievously affected.

My use of the word alleged may offend some readers, but two thoughts bother me; why would Assad, the prime suspect, invite the investigators to come and see for themselves? It might be possible to hide certain evidence but doctors would be questioned, nurses too, and certainly the children themselves examined.

Now it may be that there were such scenes which couldnt be shown on TV. I pray not. But nothing less than absolutely conclusive evidence is required  endorsed by the UN  before the worst case scenario is enacted. The stakes are higher. The implications unthinkable.

Name and address supplied

Lost in the hyper-politicised hullabaloo surrounding recent events in Douma is the fact that secretary of defence James Mattis admitted the US had no evidence the Syrian government used the nerve agent sarin against its own people in 2017. Sadly he only did so months after the US missile strike against Syrias Shayrat airbase.

Investigators Hans Blix, Scott Ritter and Gareth Porter had cast doubt on the US narrative of Assads use of sarin in 2017 and are doing so again about Douma. It would help world peace if Donald Trump and Boris Johnson stopped hyperventilating over every event from Syria to Salisbury before credible evidence has been assembled.

Rev Dr John Cameron

St Andrews

Why do we spend so much money on legislation?

That a record number of people in the UK have donated organs and theres currently a focus on this complex issue is good news.

Whats less welcome is that three different UK legislatures  Wales, Scotland and England  are passing separate legislation on this matter. Legislation proposes opting out of organ donations rather than opting in, and is broadly similar in all three countries.

Why are taxpayers forking out for three different sets of politicians to debate this matter and then another three sets of civil servants to draft the legislation? This isnt unusual. Legislation on smoking in public places and same sex marriage springs to mind. Is duplication or triplication of effort cost-effective  or really necessary?

Martin Redfern

Edinburgh

New Brexit terms

New terms required to move Brexit on, please.

Remoaners no more, Brexiteers no more.

Can Indy readers come up with something more original that points this debate forward?

I give you Great Britains and Little Englanders to get us started.

Lets face it, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and (whisper it) London voted to stay in. The rest of England wanted out.

All suggestions welcomed?

John Sinclair

Pocklington

The animal export debate is just a distraction from Brexit

Why does the announcement of a review into the export of live animals from the UK deepen my already deep suspicion of the cynicism of government?

It is an emotive issue and likely to have wide popular support, yet the cruel practice and the clear suffering it causes has been going on for years. Even major campaigns by animal rights groups in the Nineties, with distressing images of suffering animals passing through the Port of Dover on dedicated ferries in the dead of night, did not result in any meaningful action by the government at the time.

Yet now apparently, it is the subject of sufficient concern to warrant action, or more accurately a statement of intent  not quite the same thing of course. Important as the issue is, with the most significant few months in recent UK history ahead, this has the distinct whiff of smokescreen.

Can we expect more of the same as the Brexit pot comes to the boil?

Steve Edmondson

Cambridge

Hotel bathrooms are the worst

Sitting in my hotel room, I was laughing at Jenny Eclairs article on road-testing hotel bathrooms. A few minutes later, as in Aeschylus Agamemnon, screams were heard from the bathroom. I had a choice between scalding water out of the shower or freezing water in the bath. Some 10 minutes later, when I managed to get vaguely bearable water, I was dismayed to find that the soap provided was similar to the trail that slugs and snails leave  completely impossible to rinse off.

Julian Scott

Bath
I get that, and the government will act accordingly, a crestfallen David Cameron told the Commons in August 2013 after MPs voted against military strikes against the Assad regime for using chemical weapons against its own people.

But Cameron did not need to abide by the MPs decision. Nor did he have to consult Parliament in the first place. The power to go to war is invested in prime ministers, acting on behalf of the monarch under the Royal Prerogative.

Cameron believed that Tony Blair had set a precedent by winning the approval of the Commons for the disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003. The 2013 vote was a landmark. It was the first time MPs had blocked military action. It also entrenched Blairs precedent.

As Donald Trump warns Russia to get ready for attacks in Syria, Theresa May is now weighing the arguments for joining the US and France in air strikes against Assad after Saturdays horrific chemical weapons attack in Douma in Eastern Ghouta. Several Conservative and Labour MPs are urging her to go ahead without parliamentary approval. MPs are in a two-week Easter recess and do not return until next Monday, by when Trump and Emmanuel Macron may have pressed ahead with action. May could recall Parliament for an emergency session but there is no sign of this happening. Indeed, the recess may suit May.

 Tony Blair: Nonintervention in Syria has consequences

Her instinct will be to be there with the US and France. She has just pleaded for and received strong support from Britains allies over the nerve agent attack in Salisbury. She cannot divorce from her judgment a desire to show the UK is still a player on the global stage as Brexit looms.

Yet May is naturally cautious. She wants to uphold the ban on the use of chemical weapons, but rightly wants to act in accordance with international law. Hence her emphasis on the need for evidence. She also wants to avoid a humiliating Commons defeat like Camerons in 2013, which would set back her recent political recovery.

However, winning a Commons vote might be easier than she thinks. Labour MPs tell me they estimate that least 30 of them would support action now, saying the number could easily rise to 50. Some who opposed action in 2013, when Ed Miliband infuriated Cameron by deciding not to back air strikes, either regret their vote then or have changed their minds given what has happened in Syria since. Although 30 Tory MPs voted against action five years ago, Labour supporters of air strikes are convinced they would give May a majority now.

Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Show all 10 1 /10 Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution The reconstructed Khaled Bin al-Waleed Mosque is framed by a damaged building, in the old city of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Sumaya Bairuty, 38, an English-language teacher who works in the capital Damascus, speaks with The Associated Press while as she walks to her parents house in the war-damaged Bab Dreib neighborhood of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Bairuty walks to her parents house AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A family that returned to live in their apartment inside a heavily damaged building hang their carpets in the sun AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A car drives through a devastated part of the old city AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A pigeon keeper watches his pigeons fly from the roof of his home AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Two people carry goods on a bicycle in the war-damaged neighborhood AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Children play football in the street AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution It has been almost four years since the last rebels and civilians withdrew from the remaining strongholds in the ancient heart of Homs in Syria AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A man rides his bicycle past a banner showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad AP

Winning a mandate would strengthen her position and the case for intervention. Despite the long shadow still cast by the war in Iraq, May does have a case: if the West turns a blind eye, Assad could continue to use chemical weapons with impunity. Moreover, the success in limiting their use since the First World War will be lost; could they become the norm, with a chilling new arms race between barbaric leaders prepared to deploy them? At some point, a red line will have to be drawn and stuck to. But the case should be tested in Parliament before it is too late.

Corbyn will oppose action. He has an honest and consistent approach to such matters. But Syria is a tricky issue for him as well as May. Corbyn calls for a political solution in Syria, but as the seven-year civil war draws towards a close in Assads favour, there is little or no prospect of one. With 30-50 Labour MPs feeling strongly enough to defy a three-line whip, Corbyn may decide not to impose one.

There is a new mood inside the Parliamentary Labour Party. After keeping their heads down since his remarkable performance at last years election, Corbyns MP critics have started to challenge him over his refusal to blame Russia unequivocally for the Salisbury attack and his uncertain response to allegations of antisemitism inside his party. Now Syria adds another dimension, and a common thread with Salisbury  Corbyns stance on Russia.

Events in Syria highlight the need to clear up the confusion over Parliaments role in military action. In 2011, the Coalition government promised a new law to codify the emerging convention that MPs should approve it. But nothing happened and the idea was finally dropped in 2016, on the grounds that it would limit the governments freedom to act.

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There is a way to square the circle: a law to replace the Royal Prerogative with a parliamentary one, that would set out certain conditions where ministers could act swiftly without a Commons vote. Of course, the government would need the flexibility to react quickly to an immediate threat to the UK or its citizens and in a humanitarian crisis.

But MPs should normally be able to ask questions before the event, rather than rubber-stamp action retrospectively as May appears to want to happen now. Questions such as what is the plan for tomorrow?, the biggest lesson of Iraq. Today, one would be: what happens if the unpredictable, unreliable Trump calls time after one wave of air strikes with the UK and France, and Assad then launches another chemical attack? Such matters need to be addressed, and Parliament is the right place to do it.
As a Syrian in Britain, its sometimes hard to know what people think of me. Do they know how hard it was to leave our homes behind? Or do people just wish wed all go back to where we came from?

The use of chemical weapons in Syria has shocked the world, and it is overwhelmingly likely that these attacks were perpetrated by the Assad regime. Paramedics reported that those affected had symptoms characteristic of chemical attacks including acute dyspnoea.

A blueness had struck their faces, their mouths were covered in foam, and their eyes were startled. Russian-Syrian air forces carried out more than 350 airstrikes over the course of two days while Syrian regime helicopters dropped no less than 120 barrel bombs. Assad has said he is bored of these accounts. That is because Syrian lives mean nothing to him.

My time in London has shown me that by contrast, people here do care, and want to help. They dont judge us, but feel compassion for what we have been through. Most people have seen the horrific images of life in Syria  images of mothers holding their dead children, buildings bombed to rubble and communities brutalised by terrorism. They know that Syria is hell on earth and we would not have fled if we were not desperate.

Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Show all 10 1 /10 Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution The reconstructed Khaled Bin al-Waleed Mosque is framed by a damaged building, in the old city of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Sumaya Bairuty, 38, an English-language teacher who works in the capital Damascus, speaks with The Associated Press while as she walks to her parents house in the war-damaged Bab Dreib neighborhood of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Bairuty walks to her parents house AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A family that returned to live in their apartment inside a heavily damaged building hang their carpets in the sun AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A car drives through a devastated part of the old city AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A pigeon keeper watches his pigeons fly from the roof of his home AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Two people carry goods on a bicycle in the war-damaged neighborhood AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Children play football in the street AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution It has been almost four years since the last rebels and civilians withdrew from the remaining strongholds in the ancient heart of Homs in Syria AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A man rides his bicycle past a banner showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad AP

I escaped Syria with my young son when he was just five years old. We are not economic migrants and we did not even come with the noble aim of building a better life. Instead we came for our safety. Many left reluctantly, and only fled after it was clear that their families would be killed if they stayed  either by Assad or by extremists. We left behind our relatives, homes, memories and our history.

Despite this, we know we are among the lucky ones. That is why I set up Syrian House, a charity dedicated to helping Syrians who have escaped the war. This includes supporting Syrians by providing English classes, legal support and counselling for those traumatised by life in a warzone.

Britain has given us the chance to live in a country where our children can go to school, and where people can go outside without first checking for snipers. The truth is that while we are grateful to be alive, most Syrians dream of the day it is safe to return home. Some people ask me what the answer is.

After seven years of conflict, there are no quick fixes and no easy answers. But there are solutions.

First the world must pursue a political solution without delay including immediate action against the criminality of the Syrian regime and Russia by the 193 countries that have ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Second, we must stop the regime from seizing the land of those forced to flee. Many buildings have been destroyed in the years of war and the regime has tried to seize the houses, lands and property of those who fled to Europe and neighbouring countries. After all, we will not be able to return home if there are no homes to return to.

Third, it is critical that Assad is removed from power. The removal of Assad is fundamental to not only stop the violence we see, but because Syrians will only feel safe enough to return home when his poison is gone. Years of war, and years of dictatorship before that, have made Syrians afraid of our own country. We are afraid of arbitrary arrests and the prospect of our children, friends and neighbours being killed as a warning for speaking out against the regime.

 Video shows missiles over Homs, Syria as airstrikes hit the country following chemical weapons attack

Perhaps most importantly however, Syrias future depends on democracy. Democracy means that disagreements result in debate, not death. It will mean ordinary Syrians can at last have a say in how the country is run  not watch helplessly as dictators are replaced by terrorists.

It will mean the establishment of a rule of law under which all people are treated equally, and where those responsible for this suffering are held to account. Ordinary Syrians have made themselves clear from the start: we do not want extremism, and we do not want dictatorship.

I have heard some call out the international condemnation as not enough  but in my eyes, condemnation is better than silence. It is certainly better than giving up and conceding to Assad and his murderous regime. It is not enough to criticise what the world did or did not do in the past  we must act now, in the present.

That is why it is so important that the international community continues to come together and take action against those responsible for the suffering we see before our eyes. We must not label this war too difficult to resolve but build on our collective will to secure a diplomatic solution to end the violence.

We must act now, not only so families in Syria are safe, but so that those of us forced to flee can at last go home.

Bahia was director of the official Syrian Opposition at the UN. She is a human rights activist and founder of Syrian House, which helps Syrians resettled in the UK. She was forced to flee Assad with her young son after exposing his human rights abuses
A hard Brexit will at least quadruple the number of Border crossings and create "corridors" to be exploited by criminal gangs, senior gardai believe.

They say that unless the strength of the Garda force is dramatically increased, vast areas of the country will be denuded of a proper policing service to provide the numbers needed to patrol the Border counties.

The grim warning will be delivered today by the Association of Garda Superintendents at its annual conference in Naas.

It wants Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan and his Cabinet colleagues to begin planning now to counteract the impact of Brexit in the Border region.

Association president Noel Cunningham told the Irish Independent last night: "During the Troubles, the majority of cross-Border roads were closed with only the main roads remaining open.

"But as a result of the peace process, all of the roads are now open, at least quadrupling the number of crossings and that creates these corridors for criminals to travel."

He pointed out that if you travelled the Border from Donegal to Louth, most of the PSNI Border stations that existed during the Troubles were now shut and the current stations were located about 16km back from the Border.

He said the significant reduction in policing presence in the Border region since the peace process began created a new challenge with Brexit.

Garda numbers during the Troubles were at least three times the current levels and if those numbers were to be restored out of the current strength, it would mean denying the big urban centres and other divisions of Garda personnel.

"We would have to strip them of gardai. So we need to think about that during the current recruitment campaign and plan strategically for Brexit," he said.

Mr Cunningham said he hoped the reaction from the minister, due to address the conference along with Acting Garda Commissioner Donall O Cualain this afternoon, would be positive.
Keoghs Crisps of North Dublin has secured a major contract with Emirates, the largest international airline in the world, which will see an estimated one million bags being served onboard annually.

The premium Irish brand will be available to First Class passengers only and was selected by the Emirates Group following a blind tasting of 15 different brands, of which Keoghs came out top.

The Irish-made crisps will be served onboard Emirates flights as part of the airlines First Class Hot Sandwiches and Snacks service and as an accompaniment to drinks.

The announcement was made today at Marketplace International, Bord Bias annual food buyer event in Dublin, where the two brands were first introduced in 2016.

Expand Close Derek, Tom and Ross Keogh at the launch of Keogh's crisps on Keogh's Farm, Oldtown. BELOW: Brothers, / Facebook

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Keoghs Crisp flavours selected by the Emirates Group include Irish Mature Cheddar, Shamrock and Sour Cream and Lightly Salted with seasonal variations such as Roast Turkey and Stuffing being introduced onboard for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

2017 saw Keogh's secure 8pc of the overall Irish crisp market, while exports are now set to grow substantially with the announcement of the Emirates deal.

Expand Close Tom Keogh in the potato store at the Keogh familys 400-acre farm in north county Dublin / Facebook

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The 400-acre farm will be increasing potato production to fuel growth to meet its current three-year expansion plan, which aims to increase productivity by 50pc.

The most recent accounts for the company show that its accumulated profits were 1.1m as it continued its drive to be "the go-to luxury brand for crisps in a number of countries".

Established in 2011, the company is based around the family's 400-acre farm in north county Dublin, but its sales stretch as far around the world as China and the Middle East.

The vast bulk of sales are in Ireland but the company has been making inroads into the luxury crisp market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, Germany, the UK and the US, over the past few years.

While it enjoyed six-figure profits in 2014 and 2015, its most recent figures show that profits were 67,548, due to an investment programme that saw it expand its production facility in order to keep up with increased demand for its products.

Part of this expansion has been reflected in the crisp range, with flavours such as chorizo, sweet chilli and steak making their way onto the company's crisp menu.

According to Tom Keogh, Managing Director of Keoghs Crisps, Bord Bias Marketplace is an invaluable platform for Irish producers to gain access tooverseas markets.

"We have designed an innovative new 25g pack in the popular lightly salted flavour for First Class passengers to accompany their drinks. Quality and consistency is what first class demands, so we are delighted that our crisps will be flying premium all over the world.

Enda Corneille, country manager for Emirates in Ireland said, Keoghs joins other fantastic Irish products onboard selected flights including Gahan meats, Killowen Yogurts, Jameson Whiskey, Baileys and VOYA beauty products.

"Emirates is very particular about the origin and quality of the food servedonboard and caters to the palates and preferences of its passengers. Having Keoghs served to our First Class customers is testament to the quality and taste of the crisps being produced at the North Dublin farm.

Emirates carries up to 1,500 tonnes of cargo from Dublin eastbound every week so that international audiences can enjoy a flavour of Ireland that now included Keoghs Crisps, helping the Irish success story go global.

Family Tradition

The Keogh's have been farming the fertile lands of north county Dublin for over 200 years, but the idea to move into crisp production came as the consumption of potatoes started to fall in Ireland.

Today, the Keogh's grow a number of variety of potatoes, but with pasta and rice creeping more into people's diets, Tom Keogh, the Managing Director, started to ook at the idea of exporting Irish potatoes to other markets but found that unless they are cooked, it wouldn't stand much of a chance.

"But it sparked an idea about manufacturing crisps and he travelled to countries like the US and New Zealand to research the market and identify where it was heading, particularly at the luxury end," said Aisling Worth, then marketing manager of Keogh's Farm.

"When he got back, he started to develop something in his mother's kitchen and once he knew he could do it, he bought the first kettle fryer from the Amish community in Pennsylvania and shipped it back to Ireland and started the business. Then in 2011, the company launched its first product."

Since then, the company has grown from strength to strength and has become one of the most popular food brands in Ireland, with the aim to be "the go-to luxury brand for crisps" as it continues its expansion plans.
Mohill's 'Monaghan sales' attracts buyers from all over the country

Aurivo has announced that its four livestock marts will remain temporarily closed this week following an accident involving a customer and a bull that occurred over the weekend in Mohill Mart.

The closed marts include: Ballymote Livestock Mart, Co Sligo, Mohill Livestock Mart, Co Leitrim, and Ballinrobe and Balla Livestock Marts, Co Mayo.

According to Aurivo a male customer was airlifted to Sligo University Hospital due to being injured by a bull on Saturday April 7 at Mohill Mart, Co Leitrim.

The gentleman concerned was airlifted from the site by the emergency services to Sligo University Hospital where he is currently being treated, said an Aurivo spokesperson.

Management and staff at Aurivo are offering their full support to the gentleman and his family, and will be co-operating with the relevant authorities as an investigation is conducted into the accident.

The spokesperson added that the decision to close was in response to the accident at Mohill Mart last weekend.

"Management at Aurivo took the decision to close Aurivos four livestock marts this week following the accident at Mohill. Aurivo apologises for any inconvenience caused to its customers.

"The decision taken by management was prudent as the health and safety of our customers, members and employees is of paramount importance," said the spokesperson.
'Killernan Noah', the champion at the Munster Branch Irish Angus Cattle Society Premier bull show & sale in Kilmallock; pictured with owner Martin Hehir, Milltown Malbay, Co Clare, Patrick Noonan, Chairman, judge Dermot Kilcrann, Tarmonbarry, Co. Roscommon, Michael O'Connor, Norbrook Laboratories (sponsor) and John Appelbe, President, Irish Angus Cattle Society. Photo O'Gorman Photography.

One of the country's major calf exporters has moved to buy the bulk of its calves direct from farmers.

The Wicklow Calf Company's decision comes as calf registrations for the first three months of 2018 are up by 15,000 compared to last year.

Registrations to spring calving herds are running at a ratio of almost 4:1 in favour of dairy breeds in 2018.

So far registrations show 1,265,976 calves have been recorded with the dairy registrations up by 31,000 head to 986,289, while beef births are down by 15,000 to under 280,000.

David Scallan, manager with Wicklow Calf Company, confirmed they were bringing about a fundamental change to the operation of their business which is aiming for a major expansion.

"All our calves are now being bought directly from farmers and that is the direction we are expanding into for the future which will benefit both farmers and the export market for Irish calves," said Mr Scallan.

Collection points

He said that currently the company is purchasing their calves directly from farmers at 10 collection points across the country stretching from Cork to Monaghan with the intention to double the number of collection points within a year.

They are engaged with a number of livestock marts in organising the collection points for calves.

The aim is to ensure "the least hardship for the calf and a lesser risk of infection and loss" than through open sales which is the way that they intend to develop the business for the future.

"When I'm getting the calves direct from the farmers I know what I am getting. I have no scours," said Mr Scallan.

"There is a huge export market on the continent for quality Irish calves," he said.

"We don't have to export Irish calves at throwaway prices if we up our game, and give the customers calves that perform well for them.

"Farmers deserve to get a proper price for their calves. Some of what went on this year - and the prices that farmers got - was an insult," he added.

He said the big companies feeding calves on the continent analyse detailed data to tailor their demands.

"They know the calves that are performing for them. They are now telling us the area of the country that they want the calves from," he said.

Calf exports are topping 10,000 head a week, with over 56,165 calves exported with the main buyers the Netherlands and Spain.

The IFA's Angus Woods said the increase in dairy cow numbers means Ireland needs to be targeting well in excess of 100,000 head of calf exports.

The IFA National Livestock Chairman said live cattle exports are going well so far this year with numbers up 8% to 67,951 head to week ending March 25th. He said this is the really busy time of year for calf exports and to date this year a total of 56,165 calves have been exported with the main market destinations being the Netherlands and Spain.
The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has been told that many farmers are not signing up to buy imported fodder as they don't have the money to pay for it.

Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture that the current fodder system had developed into an animal welfare issue as the quality of fodder being fed to animals was poor in some cases.

He called on the Minister for Agriculture to introduce a meal voucher scheme where farmers can get concentrates to feed their cattle.

Kenny said it would be 4-5 weeks before there is grass in the North West and he said farmers are inspections are an added pressure and are not appropriate and they should be put off until cattle can be out on fields.

He also said that while the agri-food industry is important and a huge contributor to the economy, but the primary producer is not making the money and is on the bottom rung of the ladder and said that the ambition of the sector needed to be looked at and the pressure it puts on farmers.

However, the Minister said there would be 'no row back' on the ambition of the sector but said there were lessons to be learnt for all stakeholders.

"Yes, we are living with the visible impact of climate change..on a daily basis we see it and we collectively will have to factor that in. But I do not believe for a minute that it is time to dismantle our ambition.

"We have the capacity to meet the targets and they are not the Department's targets, but the industry's.

"We don't control the weather but it is true to say we have been dealing with an extremely difficult prolonged period of weather."

Martin Kenny also said that while the Minister was working on good advice, there was better advice available and it was from farmers and the Minister needs to listen to farmers.

Willie Penrose, Labour TD, said the rush to fulfill 2020 agenda means there are consequences and land is a finite resource. Many farmers, he said, Those who got a second cut of silage, it was low quality and quantity.

He also said that Irish farming used to have a five-month winter, but we're now looking at seven-month winters and that's because of climate change and called on the Minister to fastrack GLAS payments to the 4,000 farmers awaiting them.

"A mature cow or bullock takes 1t of fodder, so instead of 5t farmers need to have 7t available of fodder."

Three-Crop Rule

Meanwhile, IFA President Joe Healy welcomed todays Commission decision to grant a derogation on the crop diversification requirement for crop 2018. This will give growers the required flexibility to establish the maximum amount of arable crops weather permitting.

He said the decision by Commissioner Hogan is a pragmatic move, recognising the severe difficulties faced by growers in what is proving to be one of the latest springs in living memory.

"The month of March has been an unusually wet and cold month, particularly across the main arable regions of the country. Monthly rainfall totals for March for much of the East and Southeast were unusually high with Dunsany in County Meath recording 251% of the Long-Term Average.

"The early days of April have proved little better with rainfall levels in two Cork weather stations at over 300% of normal over the last seven days.
FINE Gael MEP Mairead McGuiness is currently joint favourite to be the next President of Ireland.

The Ardee native joins former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay and EU ombudsman Emily O'Reilly at odds of 8/1 to be the next resident of Aras an Uachtarain, accoding to reports by The Argus.

Ms McGuiness didn't rule herself out of a possible contest when asked about it earlier this year.

Last January, she said she believes 'there will be a contest' and 'she will be guided by her party's wishes as to whether it will contest the position'.

"The fact that I put my name forward the last time clearly shows that I had an interest," she told the Examiner. "At the moment I am vice president of the European Parliament, so I would have to look at this, but I would really be guided by the party and what the party wishes are.'

The four frontrunners found themselves leading the field, after previous favourite Miriam O'Callaghan ruled herself out of contention.

Ms O'Callaghan tweeted on Friday that she would not be a candidate and her removal from the betting has left four candidates sharing favouritism to replace Michael D. Higgins.

McGuinness was the first female graduate of University College Dublin's Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics in 1980. In 1984, she completed a diploma in accounting and finance and followed a career in the media before entering politics in 2004. She worked as a researcher on The Late Late Show, as a presenter on RTE's Ear to the Ground and Celebrity Farm, a journalist with the Irish Farmers Journal and editor of the Irish Independent's farming supplement.

In early 2004, McGuiness declared her intention to seek a nomination for the European Parliament election for Fine Gael, where she is now Vice President of the European Parliament.

In April 2011, McGuiness announced that she wished to run for President of Ireland and would seek the Fine Gael party nomination for the 2011 presidential election. She was defeated for the nomination by Gay Mitchell.

However, there is speculation the Louth woman could also be the new president of the European Parliament, pending the results of this weekend's Italian election.

Reports about Ms McGuinness taking over from current President Antonio Tajani have increased in recent weeks.

Other runners tipped to be in the race for the Irish Presidency include Sean Gallagher, Gerry Adams and Enda Kenny.

President Michael D Higgins could have at least two challengers should he decide to run for a second term. Senator Gerard Craughwell has already confirmed his intention to seek a nomination, as has artist Kevin Sharkey.
"I haven't seen it as bad and as wet in years - it is definitely worse than it was in 2013,"

Noel Delany: "I haven't seen it as bad and as wet in years - it is definitely worse than it was in 2013,"

It has been a long winter for Co Tipperary tillage farmer Noel Delany and it will be an even longer spring as the wet weather continues to hammer down on his 500acre farm near Fethard in Co Tipperary.

He is already a month behind on winter crops and his efforts to plough fields in preparation for spring crops has been badly hampered as much of the ground remains saturated.

"The way things stand we are already a month behind on winter barley and oats and we have yet to apply the second lot of nitrogen."

"Soil temperatures were at 4C in March, which was 1C below normal. They are up to 7C in the past few days so we would now expect some growth.

"Also we had 135mm of rain for the month of March. The average is 65mm so it was 200pc above what we anticipated. We've had 50mm so far this month," he said.

For early control of annual meadow grass weed and broad-leaved weeds last autumn he used 0.3l of Firebird per hectare which he has found quite effective.

This week he is hoping to apply Helix, providing there are a few dry days in succession.

Crowned Zurich Tillage Farmer of the Year in 2015, Noel's attention to detail is usually meticulous, but even someone as organised as this could never be prepared for one of the worst winters in history.

"I haven't seen it as bad and as wet in years - it is definitely worse than it was in 2013," he said.

"The intention was to get all the spring crops sown by the end of April but that is all weather dependent. We haven't even started ploughing yet."

Some 150ac will go for spring barley, with another 50 acres for spring oats.

He has also set aside 45ac for grass and hopes to get at least two cuts of silage this summer.

"Again that is all subject to change as we will have to see what the next few weeks will bring."

In recent years both Noel and his son Gavin have diversified and are selling much of their crops direct to farmers, a business which has seen them working round the clock in recent weeks owing to severe fodder shortages.

"In one afternoon alone we sent out 1,000t of silage. This has been sourced from outside. We have also sold another 100t of hard feed between rolled oats and maize."

Such was the demand last week that Gavin was even out-sourcing barley as their supply had run out.

"There is a major fodder scarcity and it will be even worse this autumn. This is why I have decided to set aside some acreage for silage again.

"In my opinion tillage farmers really need to row in with the dairy sector and contract grow for them to make sure there is enough supply when needed," he added.
Kevin Toland took over as chief executive of Aryzta last September

The trial in a case taken by the US-based McKee Food against Swiss-Irish group Aryzta is set to get under way next year in Tennessee.

The US snack giant has previously claimed it will lose millions of dollars of profits because it alleges that Aryzta couldn't fulfil its orders properly and disrupted McKee's own supply chain.

McKee sells well-known snacks in the United States, such as those under the Little Debbie brand.

The group has annual sales of about $1.5bn (1.2bn).

Aryzta, which owns the Cuisine de France brand, has denied that it was directly responsible for being unable to fulfil any orders.

It has claimed that Aryzta's production facilities in Chicago - called Cloverhill and Cicero - were hit by a US immigration crackdown, which impacted staff supplied to those facilities by a third-party agency.

Aryzta, whose CEO is Kevin Toland, has told the Tennessee court that it's relying on the "defence of impossibility of performance", as result of the sudden labour shortage.

The immigration crackdown last year saw as many as 800 staff, or a third of the workforce, being forced out of the Cloverhill facilities.

In February, Aryzta sold the Cloverhill facility to Hostess Brands, and its Cicero plant to Bimbo Bakeries.

Aryzta said it generated proceeds of 57m from the sale of the plants. Aryzta paid an estimated 530m for the sites in 2014.

Aryzta had a contract to manufacture a number of products for McKee Foods.

The US firm terminated its contract with Aryzta last August, despite the fact that the move would result in a number of its products being temporarily unavailable to consumers.

McKee claimed Aryzta had missed shipments, shipped incomplete orders, shipped incorrect orders and shipped orders late.

It claimed that "significant damage" would occur in the market for its products if it continued to submit orders that were not filled.

McKee and Aryzta have also secured a court order that enables them to prevent the public dissemination of confidential business information during the case.

Such confidential information includes sales information, trade secrets, or other confidential research, development or commercial information, and shall include "information not generally disseminated or available to the public", according to court filings.

Aryzta is being represented in the case by the Nashville office of Michigan-headquartered law firm Dickinson Wright. McKee is being represented by Chattanooga firm Chambliss.

The trial, due to begin on July 16 next year, is slated to last five days.

A separate lawsuit being taken against Aryzta in the US by Massachusetts firm Groom Construction has already revealed part of the Swiss-Irish group's former expansion plans in America.

The action filed this year by Groom Construction claimed that Aryzta had planned to roll out as many as 2,500 in-store bakeries in America under the Swiss-Irish firm's Hungarian Fornetti brand by 2020.

Mr Toland - the former CEO of DAA, which operates Dublin and Cork airports - took over at Aryzta last September to spearhead a turnaround for the ailing business.

Reporting interim results last month, Aryzta said its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda), slumped almost 30pc to 161.3m in the first half of its financial year. Its revenue fell 6.3pc to 1.79bn.
Independent News & Media plc (INM) has written to people who may have had their data searched in an alleged major data breach at the media publisher.

The letters confirm that IT back-up tapes containing emails and other digital files was provided to a third party service provider on the instruction of the companys former chairman Leslie Buckley.

It is understood letters have been issued to all 19 people who appeared on a persons of interest list discovered by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) during a year-long investigation into a range of corporate governance issues at the company.

These included journalists, former INM staff and directors, as well as barristers and people working in public relations and strategic communications.

High-profile names on the list include journalist and television presenter Brendan OConnor, who is deputy editor of the Sunday Independent, and Moriarty Tribunal barristers Jerry Healy SC and Jacqueline OBrien SC.

According to a copy of one of the letters, seen by Independent.ie, the company said it had received new information suggesting the possibility data relating to them held on INMs servers in 2014 was put at risk of inappropriate disclosure as a result of a data security incident.

The letter said INM was informed of this by the ODCE on March 23.

The context in which the risk of inappropriate disclosure occurred was that in 2014 a number of INMs back-up tapes (containing back-up copies of electronic data, such as emails to and from INM email addresses and digital files, stored on INMs servers as at 2014) were provided to a third party service provider on the instruction of the then-chairman of INM, the letters stated.

The INM board only became aware of this incident in August 2017 and promptly notified the Data Protection Commissioner of the matter at that time.

The letters said that prior to the correspondence from the ODCE, it had understood from persons directly involved in the exercise that the data recorded on the back-up tapes was restored and searched for the specific purpose of finding details regarding a particular long-term professional services contract between INM and a service supplier.

It said the ODCE correspondence suggested the data may have been searched more extensively and for a different purpose.

In particular, the material provided by the ODCE include a list of names of additional users/persons of interest, including your name, the letter said.

This suggests that the data recorded on these back-up tapes may also have been restored and searched for communications including reference to you.

INM does not know whether any such searches were in fact undertaken or for what purpose, but based on the limited information currently available to INM it seems possible that they were.

INM also does not know to whom any results of any such searches might have been provided.

The letter said the company was taking the matters very seriously and was taking practical steps to establish whether searches against individuals named on the list were in fact undertaken, and, if so, for what purpose and to what use they were put.

It said INM investigated the matter upon the INM board becoming aware of it in August 2017.

The letter said the board was informed that the back-up tapes concerned were recovered from the third-party contractor in December 2014.

In August 2017, INM sought an account of operations performed on the INM data concerned. The board was informed no copies of the data were retained, it said.

The letter said the company was cooperating with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

According to the ODCE a so-called data interrogation was directed by Mr Buckley and invoices associated with it were discharged by a company owned by its largest shareholder, businessman Denis OBrien, the States corporate watchdog has alleged.

Mr Buckley has said he will robustly defend his position, while Mr OBrien has yet to comment.
INFANT milk formulas and health-related nutritional products are key growth targets for north-western milk processor Lakeland Dairies as it recorded a 28pc surge in revenue to over 769m.

Its milk pool surged to over 1.2 billion litres as it processed a full years milk supply from Northern processor Fane Valley following their strategic merger.

Lakeland Dairies group chief executive Michael Hanley said they would continue to target opportunities across infant formulas, dairy proteins and health-related nutritional products.

He pointed out the group already supplies 240 products to over 80 countries worldwide with firm routs to market already in place. Mr Hanley singled out the greatest growth potential lies in Asian, Malaysia, Thailand and China with a year on year growth expected in the region.

Lakeland reported group annual revenues for 2017 were up 28pc to 769.8m, up from 601m in 2016.

This yielded an operating profit of 16.8m, compared to 7.2m in 2016.

Profit before tax was 15.9m in 2017 and the co-operative closed the year with a 15pc increase in shareholders funds at 117.6m.

Earnings before interest, depreciation, tax and amortisation (EBIDTA) were 32.6m, increasing significantly from 18.9m in 2016.

Trading conditions were helped by a reduction in global milk supplies and product availability. We were able to take advantage of these conditions through our efficient processing capabilities and worldwide market presence, achieving satisfactory results, he said.

We are now in a position to process more milk than ever before. Our five year strategic plan envisages Lakeland Dairies achieving sustainable, profitable annual revenues of over 1bn by 2021.

The processor pointed out the heavy lifting has already been done on their investment in stainless steel following the 40m investment in their third milk drying plant at Bailieboro in Cavan.

They expect that milk producers will continue to expand by 4-5pc annually over the next five years, with over 200 new entrants since 2013.

Its food Ingredients revenues increased by 32pc to 468.4m in 2017, up from 353.6m in 2016.

The Bailieboro site produced record volumes of over 200,000 tonnes of milk powders and butter products for worldwide export during the year.

The food service division saw revenues increase by 23pc to 239.8m in 2017, up from 194.1m in the previous year.

The major Lakeland processing centres at Killeshandra and Newtownards continue to increase output year on year, producing record volumes of butter products, ice cream, cream and cream blends. The processor said the key markets such as the UK, Middle-East, Europe, Asia and China performed well against a backdrop of volatile commodity input costs and intense competition.

The poor weather conditions aw sales of feed increased to over 200,000 tonnes and 25,000 tonnes of fertiliser. It drove agribusiness revenues up by 16pc to 61.7m in 2017, up from 53.3m in 2016.

Mr Hanley said they have been working with farmers since the start of the year to help alleviate fodder shortages. He said farmers were used to long winter periods in the north-west but this had been exceptionally wet and they were under pressure.

He said they had located fodder in the south-east towards the start of the year but were now importing haylage, maize silage and hay from the UK as most farmers in their catchment area had indicated they had supplies to last until around April 15.
The crisis engulfing Aughinish Alumina's Russian owner Rusal deepened yesterday, as the parent company's bonds slumped to record lows, two major customers said they were reviewing their contracts, and the London Metal Exchange distanced itself from the aluminium giant in the latest aftershocks from US sanctions.

A Government spokeswoman was last night unable to say what the sanctions mean for Rusal and its employees here. "The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is assessing the potential implications that new US sanctions, targeting certain Russian individuals and firms, may have for both Irish and overseas companies operating in Ireland. The Department is also in close and regular contact with its enterprise agencies, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, who are monitoring this evolving situation," she said.

The sanctions imposed on Rusal and its main owner, metals magnate Oleg Deripaska, mark the first time a major international company has been targeted by Washington in its moves to punish Russia for alleged meddling in the 2016 US election.

Rusal took control of Aughinish Alumina in Limerick in 2007. The plant refines imported bauxite into alumina, a major ingredient in aluminium manufacturing, and employs 450.

The huge site on the Shannon estuary is the biggest of its kind in Europe and is responsible for approximately 30pc of alumina produced in the EU.

The company could not be reached for comment. The websites of Rusal and sister company En+ were down on Tuesday evening for unknown reasons, although they'd worked earlier in the day.

While Russian markets, including the rouble, fell across the board on Monday, Rusal assets were hardest hit, with its Hong Kong-listed shares halving and the company warning it risked tipping into technical default.

Yesterday its dollar bonds maturing in 2023 fell 17.3 cents to a new low, according to financial data provider TradeWeb. Yields had previously been steady at around 6pc, but spiked yesterday to 28.5pc, a signal of investor nervousness.

Swiss-based commodities trader Glencore, a Rusal shareholder and one of its biggest customers, said it was evaluating the position under its contracts with Rusal in the light of the sanctions.

Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg also resigned from his role as a Rusal director.

Oleg Deripaska's companies have seen other resignations by non-Russian board members since the sanctions, with his newly-created holding company En+ Group saying board directors Dominique Fraisse and Zhao Guangming had quit on April 6 and 9 respectively.

Glencore also said it was pulling back from earlier plans to swap its stake in Rusal for En+ assets.

"Glencore is committed to complying with all applicable sanctions in its business and is taking all necessary measures in order to mitigate any risks to Glencore's business as a result of the designation of Rusal and En+ as SDNs (specially designated nationals), including in respect of secondary sanctions," Glencore said in a statement.

"Glencore will not proceed with the transaction at this time in light of the designation of Rusal and En+ as SDNs," it said.

Matt Chamberlain, the CEO of the London Metal Exchange (LME), said it would take steps to keep aluminium produced by Rusal after sanctions were imposed out of its warehouses.

The US sanctions explicitly bar US entities from doing business with Rusal. Some companies outside the United States are wary that Washington could slap so-called 'secondary sanctions' on them if they are deemed to be facilitating Rusal's business. (Additional reporting Reuters)
Software company LiveTiles is to create up to 50 jobs at a new Sligo innovation centre, which will support the further development of its design and artificial intelligence (AI) products.

The jobs, which are supported by the Government through IDA Ireland, are being created across a number of roles including AI developers, marketing, management, pre-sales, and a new product solutions team that will create industry-specific digital platforms that incorporate AI.

Describing the announcement as a "wonderful opportunity", LiveTiles co-founder and CEO Karl Redenbach said that there is "an up-and-coming technology scene here, and we look forward to working with technology businesses, universities and Microsoft in Ireland to expand our AI agenda".

The announcement was welcomed by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, who said it was a "wonderful regional investment" and "a great vote of confidence in Sligo and the north-west region".

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York, LiveTiles is a Microsoft partner that says it is defining the market for the Intelligent Experience Platform (IXP) - with so called "drag and drop" technology that makes it easier for business users to create easily adoptable dashboards, portals or corporate intranets and enhance them with personalised artificial intelligence and analytics features.

Its customers include some of the biggest organisations in the world including Pepsi and the US Department of Defence. The announcement was also welcomed by IDA CEO Martin Shanahan.

Meanwhile, in Skibbereen, Co Cork, Spearline, a phone number testing software provider, plans to create 30 jobs this year as it diversifies its business offering with the launch of a new company, Spearline Risk and Compliance, along with its new software solution Spearline Data Protection.

The new software focuses on supporting organisations and Data Protection Officers in meeting the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements that come into effect on May 25.

The software solution will enable organisations to manage privacy obligations and meet regulatory compliance, Spearline said.

The company, which was founded in 2003 by Kevin Buckley and Matthew Lawlor has a global presence in 60 countries.
Eir has shed over 2,000 staff in recent years  but the redundancies were voluntary. (Stock photo)

EIR unions have threatened to ballot for industrial action if its new French owner imposes 1,000 job cuts.

There has been speculation that the sale of a majority stake in the company to telecoms billionaire and co-owner of French newspaper 'Le Monde', Xavier Niel, could mean large-scale redundancies.

But a senior Forsa official said unions have vowed to strongly resist any move to impose compulsory job losses at the former State-owned telecommunications and broadband business.

Eir has shed over 2,000 staff in recent years - but the redundancies were voluntary.

Forsa Assistant General Secretary Eugene Quinn said 1,000 members of the 3,200-strong workforce are protected from mandatory job losses under a clause in the Postal and Telecommunications Act that guarantees security of tenure.

"We have made it very clear that we will take this course of action in terms of a ballot for industrial action any time we met with management if there are compulsory redundancies in the context of the sale," he said.

However, some union sources said they believe there would be job losses although not on the large scale that has been reported.

Mr Quinn also revealed that unions have lodged a claim for a share of the proceeds of the deal for staff - worth more than 20,000 each - based on the sale value for the Irish telecom group of around 1.5bn. He said this was justified as senior executives including former chief executive Richard Moat will share a windfall of 100m that was triggered by the takeover.

The workers' demand is on the back of a claim that was initially lodged last year, when the group considered a return to the stock market.

The French bid group has since ruled out any plan to list the company on the stock exchange.

The staff claim, which was submitted to a Joint Conciliation Council, demanded at least 5pc of the money raised in a flotation should be set aside for staff in the Eir group of companies. It said the money should be distributed to staff in a tax efficient manner, through wages or shares.

A consortium led by part of Mr Niel's NJJ Group and Iliad, of which he owns 52pc, have acquired a majority of Eir and the deal was finalised this week.

When asked about the possibility of job losses, or the details of the sale windfall for managers, an Eir spokesman refused to comment.
Kim Dong-won, chief innovation officer of Hanwha Life, left, talks with Takashi Okita, CEO of SBI Ripple Asia, during their meeting on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in Hainan, China, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Hanwha Group



By Nam Hyun-woo



Hanwha Group said Wednesday its heir Kim Dong-won was invited to a leaders' talk session held by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum.



According to the group, Kim, chief innovation officer at Hanwha Life, and Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn's second son, is attending the Boao Forum for Asia, known as Asia's Davos Forum, which began on Sunday in Hainan, China, and will run until Friday.



Along with Kim, 50 global business leaders, including China Baowu Steel Group President Chen Derong, China Life Insurance Chairman Yang Mingsheng, Bank of China Chairman Chen Siqing and Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, joined Xi's session.



Kim was invited to the session as he was selected as one of the young business leaders by the forum in 2016 and has been on one of the official panels of the forum over the past three years, the group said.



"I agree with President Xi stressing innovation through fair competition and multilateral cooperation," Kim said.

"In a belief that innovation can be achieved together, Hanwha Group held an official roundtable session for the second consecutive year and is playing its role as a bridge for information sharing and networking between countries and companies."

At the forum, Hanwha Group held a session on the blockchain ecosystem and its future, as the only Korean company to hold an official session at this year's event.
Myanmar civil society groups welcomed a commitment by Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to increase efforts to curb messages inciting violence, but urged the social media giant to deploy more resources in the Southeast Asian country.

Zuckerberg said on Tuesday his company would step up efforts to block hate messages in Myanmar as he faced questioning by the U.S. Congress about electoral interference and hate speech on the platform.

Facebook has been accused by human rights advocates of not doing enough to weed out hate messages on its social-media network in Myanmar, where it has become a near-ubiquitous communications tool following the opening up of the economy.

"This is a historic commitment from Facebook to a 24-hour review time, and one we have been begging for," said Yangon-based social media analyst Victoire Rio, of Zuckerberg's commitment to remove within a day posts that may spur violence.

"It is still unclear how they intend to demonstrate that they are meeting these targets...We will continue to monitor them," said Rio, who was involved in an email exchange between Zuckerberg and several Myanmar civil society groups on Facebook's effectiveness in detecting and curbing hate speech.

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Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state and crossed into Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown last August.

The United Nations and the United States described the situation as ethnic cleansing, an accusation that Myanmar denies.

"What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more," Zuckerberg said during a 5-hour joint hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee.

United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in Myanmar said last month that Facebook had been a source of anti-Rohingya propaganda.

Marzuki Darusman, chairman of the U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, said in March that social media had played a "determining role" in Myanmar.

"It has ... substantively contributed to the level of acrimony and dissension and conflict ... 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," he said.

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Zuckerberg said Facebook was hiring dozens more Burmese-language speakers to remove threatening content.

"It's hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically," he said, adding that Facebook was also asking civil society groups to help it identify figures who should be banned from the network.

He said a Facebook team would also make undisclosed product changes in Myanmar and other countries where ethnic violence was a problem.

But Jes Petersen, chief executive of Yangon-based Phandeeyar, which helped Facebook translate its Burmese-language community standards, said Zuckerberg's commitment would not be enough for a country with nearly 30 million users.

"It is not even close. It will be interesting to see how Facebook meet their 24-hour commitment here - but a mammoth expansion of Burmese-speaking staff is going to be needed."
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees hearing regarding the companys use and protection of user data, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. Photo: REUTERS

Facebook will investigate "tens of thousands" of apps to discover if any other companies have accessed data in a similar way to Cambridge Analytica (CA), Mark Zuckerberg has told US politicians.

The social network says it is in the process of letting up to 87 million users know that their information may have been accessed by CA, and in a packed room on Capitol Hill, Mr Zuckerberg repeated his admission that the company "didn't do enough" to stop its tools "being used for harm".

He also said the company was in an "arms race" with Russia, warning there were people in the country tasked with finding ways to breach Facebook's systems.

After a torrid few weeks for the company's share price investors rewarded Mr Zuckerberg for appearing on the Hill.

Facebook stocks rose 4.5% on Tuesday, which is said to have swelled the entrepreneur's fortune by several billion dollars.

Speaking to the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, the tech entrepreneur apologised that Facebook had not taken a "broad enough view" of its responsibility for people's public information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here," he said, in words from a prepared statement.

Mr Zuckerberg said its audit of third-party apps would highlight any misuse of personal information, and said the company would alert users instantly if it "found anything suspicious".

When asked why the company did not immediately alert the 87 million users whose data may have been accessed by Cambridge Analytica (CA) when first told about the "improper" usage in 2015, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook considered it a "closed case" after CA said it had deleted it.

"In retrospect it was clearly a mistake to believe them," he said.

CA insists it deleted the data harvested by Professor Aleksandr Kogan's personality quiz app as soon as it was informed it breached Facebook's terms of use.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock will meet Facebook representatives in London on Wednesday.

Facebook and Cambridge Analytica face multiple lawsuits over alleged misuse of personal information with at least five law firms in the UK and US investigating claims for compensation.

On the subject of fake news, Mr Zuckerberg said "one of my greatest regrets in running the company" was its slowness at uncovering and acting against disinformation campaigns by Russian trolls during the US election.

He said the Russian campaign of disinformation had been discovered "right around the time" of the US presidential election, and said the company had developed "new AI tools" to identify fake accounts responsible.

"You know there are people in Russia whose job is to exploit our systems... so this is an arms race," he said.

"They are going to keep getting better at this and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this too."
Baroness Michelle Mone OBE speaking at the Pendulum Summit 2018 at the Convention Center

Michelle Mone has said she is "very sad" that the Ultimo underwear firm she set up 21 years ago has announced it is to cease trading in the UK.

The Tory peer, now known as Baroness Mone of Mayfair, established the lingerie brand - whose models have included Penny Lancaster and Rachel Hunter - in 1996.

The firm achieved international success after actress Julia Roberts reportedly wore an Ultimo bra in the hit film Erin Brockovich.

Sri-Lankan based MAS holdings acquired a majority shareholding in parent company Ultimo Brands International in 2014, with Lady Mone resigning as a director the following year.

Now the firm has announced that following an extensive review of the business, the operation in the UK will cease trading.

Staff at the Ultimo headquarters in East Kibride were informed, with a formal redundancy consultation under way with the 11 employees there.

Retail partners and suppliers have also been told of the decision.

Lady Mone said she was "immensely proud" of what the firm achieved.

She tweeted: "It's very sad to see that Ultimo, the brand I created 21 years ago is closing down. I turned Ultimo in to a Global success story & I am immensely proud of what we achieved. Please note that I sold Ultimo & left the company 4 years ago. I may comment further shortly, when the time is right."

An Ultimo spokesman said: "The last few years have been extremely challenging for Ultimo, driven by increasing competition in the market and more cautious consumer spending due to the uncertainty surrounding the UK economy over the last 18 months.

"Having reviewed the business's performance over the last three years as well as future prospects and considering the retail environment within which the business is operating, the board has, with regret, decided to cease operations of the Ultimo business in the UK."

The spokesman added the company "would like to thank all staff, customers and suppliers for their commitment, support and loyalty to the Ultimo brand over the years".

Ultimo's UK operations will be wound up at the end of June, with the company pledging to honour financial commitments with suppliers and partners.

Its website will continue trading until April 15, with Ultimo products still available while stocks last.
Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech to the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated pledges to open up sectors from banking to carmaking to foreign firms and at the same time warned against returning to a "Cold War mentality" amid trade disputes with the US.

President Xi pledged a "new phase of opening up" in his keynote address to the Boao Forum for Asia, China's answer to Davos.

The speech offered little new policy, but Xi affirmed proposals to increase imports, ease foreign-ownership restrictions and better protection for intellectual property - all central issues in US President Trump's trade gripes.

"Human society is facing a major choice to open or close, to go forward or backward," Xi told hundreds of investors gathered on the resort island of Hainan, in a speech that didn't mention Trump's name. (Bloomberg)
A sexual assault charge against Kevin Spacey is being considered by prosecutors in Los Angeles, in the first known investigation outside the UK.

The police investigation in California, which emerged on Wednesday, adds to three already active against the two-time Oscar-winning actor in London.

Prosecutors from the Los Angeles District Attorneys industry sex crimes task force are considering bringing a charge over a claim that Spacey attacked a man in West Hollywood in October 1992.

Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said that the forces special victims bureau began an investigation into allegations of a sexual assault involving Mr Kevin Spacey on December 11, 2017.

The events were reported to have taken place in October of 1992 in West Hollywood involving a male adult, she added.

District attorney spokesman Greg Risling confirmed the investigation and said the case was handed to prosecutors on April 5 for review.

Scotland Yard has been investigating allegations of sexual assault on three men in London, spanning from 2005 to 2008.

As movie mogul Harvey Weinsteins downfall spread throughout Hollywood, Spacey was one of the first to face public allegations.

Actor Anthony Rapp was the first to make an allegation, claiming he was 14 when a 26-year-old Spacey made a sexual advance to him in 1986.

Spacey, now 58, said he did not remember the encounter but apologised for any inappropriate drunken behaviour.

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Rapps allegation proved to be a watershed moment with Londons Old Vic theatre, where Spacey was artistic director from 2004 to 2015, found 20 people said they had been subjected to inappropriate behaviour from the Spacey.

The US actor was sacked by Netflixs House Of Cards and Sir Ridley Scott scrubbed Spacey from completed film All The Money In The World in re-shoots costing millions.

A spokeswoman for Spaceys legal team declined to comment on the latest investigation.
Glenn Quinn and Sarah Chalke starred as Mark and Becky in 'Roseanne'

The latest episode of Roseanne has paid tribute to the Irish actor Glenn Quinn who played Becky's boyfriend in the original series.

The second episode of the ABC reboot featured a card after the credits which included a photo of the actor with the caption, "Dedicated to the loving memory of Glenn Quinn (1970-2002)".

The episode featured Becky's battle with infertility and her character revealed that she had been trying to have a baby with her husband Mark and that she would never find "anyone as good" as him after he died.

Glenn, who was originally from Cabinteely, but moved to LA in 1988 with his mother after his parents' divorce, played Mark in the original series until it wrapped in 1997.

Expand Close The tribute to Glenn Quinn / Facebook

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He died in 2002 of an accidental drug overdose.

Fellow Roseanne star Michael Fishman, who plays DJ Conner, also paid tribute to Glenn on Twitter.

"Glenn and family are frequently on my mind. We put his picture in the hallway we pass each day," he wrote, adding, "After my #Roseanne press tour today drove down and visited him.

"As long as @RoseanneOnABC is on Glenn Quinn is part of it.

Glenn and family are frequently on my mind. We put his picture in the hallway we pass each day.



After my #Roseanne press tour today drove down and visited him.



As long as @RoseanneOnABC is on Glenn Quinn is part of it.



I'll always honor him and the Quinn family in my work pic.twitter.com/0JgsB2L1Fe  Michael Fishman (@ReelMFishman) April 11, 2018

"I'll always honor him and the Quinn family in my work"

As well as his role on Roseanne, Glenn appeared in the film Shout with John Travolta, and he landed a role in Angel in the late 1990s. When his character was killed off fans petitioned for his return.

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Placards for the upcoming Abortion Referendum to repeal the 8th amendment in Dublin's City Centre. Photo Gareth Chaney Collins

Around 350 anti-abortion campaigners packed a hotel this evening in what was billed as a 'Monster' pro-life meeting of those opposed to repealing the 8th amendment.

The meeting, organised by the Family and Life organisation, heard from a number of high-profile speakers urging fellow campaigners to get out over the coming weeks and appeal to voters to vote 'No' in the upcoming abortion referendum on May 25.

"You are the army, you are the people to bring that message to metropolitan, modern Ireland," Niamh UiBhriain of the 'Save the 8th' organisation said to ecstatic applause from the crowd.

Described as a 'hero to anyone concerned with the pro-life cause' she was preaching to the converted as she spoke of the upcoming vote as a 'defining moment in Irish history."

"When you decide as a nation that you have the right to kill another human being there is no going back," she said to thunderous applause from the audience.

"There is nothing compassionate or progressive about killing children," she added.

"This is a step too far for Irish people."

Playwright, author and journalist John Waters quoted former Labour leader and Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte warning of 'shock tactics' being used by the No side in the campaign.

"But shock tactics means the truth," he said.

The former Irish Times journalist accused pro-choice campaigners and the media and of using 'sleight of hand' tricks "to conceal the truth".

"We don't have a press anymore," he said to more raucous applause.

"Everything is lies, everything is twisted. That's that you have to get across to people," he added.

He likened the very notion of holding the referendum on repealing the 8th to the sinister prospect of holding a referendum on exterminating the homeless as a means of dealing with the homeless and housing crisis.

"We don't have the right to tamper with these things," he said.

"If you mark yes (on the ballot), that pencil becomes a knife," he concluded to a standing ovation.

Other speakers included Vicky Wall, of the parents association 'Every Life Counts' and businessman Declan Ganley.
Health Minister Simon Harris has endorsed a campaign supported by a group that is refusing to co-operate with a State watchdog's order.

He has been criticised for backing Amnesty International's campaign for a 'Yes' vote in the abortion referendum.

Amnesty has been ordered by the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) to repay a 137,000 donation from a Swiss philanthropic organisation.

The Electoral Act bans political donations by foreign individuals and organisations.

The money came from Open Society Foundations (OSF), an organisation founded by the Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros.

Amnesty has challenged the order and has brought a judicial review against Sipo, Ireland and the Attorney General as it seeks to have the order quashed.

Campaigners on the No side of the debate said they were appalled the minister attended Amnesty's launch yesterday.

Save the 8th said it sent a bad signal because of the issues surrounding the donation.

Cora Sherlock, from the LoveBoth campaign, said it was "unacceptable" for the minister to campaign with Amnesty.

"The Health Minister has never challenged Amnesty on the interference by a foreign billionaire in our democracy, yet he saw fit to walk through Moore Street with Amnesty Ireland campaigning for abortion," she said.

"It is wholly unacceptable for the minister to be campaigning with an organisation that is currently involved in a court case with the elections regulator Sipo regarding the receipt of foreign money."

But Mr Harris defended his decision to attend the launch in Dublin city centre.

A spokesperson said Mr Harris had been assured Amnesty International would fully comply with Sipo rules and regulations during the abortion campaign.

"The minister feels a public campaign encouraging people to have a conversation about the importance of a Yes vote has a key role to play in this referendum and he fully supports it," she said.

"The minister has been assured by Amnesty they are registered with Sipo for the referendum campaign and will fully comply with the rules and regulations."

She said the minister could not comment on the OSF donation because it was before the courts.

Sipo governs political donations and obliges groups that accept sums of more than 100 for political purposes to register as third parties and obey the terms of the Electoral Act.

The act states the intent of the donor determines whether a donation is political, not how the money is used.

Amnesty International Ireland executive director Colm O'Gorman said the donation from OSF was linked to a campaign separate to the one launched yesterday calling for a Yes vote in the referendum.

"That campaign started in 2015 and it had a focus on working to secure human rights compliant laws on abortion in Ireland," he said. "The campaign we are running now is targeted at the electorate, that is a completely different (campaign) and for that purpose we have registered with Sipo and will comply fully with the act."
A JUDGE has lifted reporting restrictions on the trial of two Ireland rugby players acquitted of rape.

Jurors were unaware that there were photographs of additional blood on the sheets of Paddy Jacksons bed, with the rugby players barrister saying he had no intention of saying where this blood came from.

Also kept from the jury was the fact a short pornographic video featuring a spit-roast was sent by Rory Harrison to Stuart Olding the day after the events of that night.

Mr Oldings lawyer, Frank ODonoghue QC, had also sought to have the jury discharged just two days before they retired to consider the verdict after a comment by Alliance leader Naomi Long MLA on Twitter.

In her comment, Ms Long referenced Mr ODonoghues closing speech to the jury, where he wondered why the complainant didnt scream.

Why didnt she scream?  the house was occupied, he said. There were a lot of middle-class girls downstairs  they werent going to tolerate a rape or anything like that.

Expand Close Stuart Olding (left) looks on as his solicitor Paul Dougan (centre) speaks to the media outside Belfast Crown Court after the verdict on Wednesday. Photo: PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Stuart Olding (left) looks on as his solicitor Paul Dougan (centre) speaks to the media outside Belfast Crown Court after the verdict on Wednesday. Photo: PA

Ms Long tweeted: I genuinely have no words for how atrocious this statement is. Middle class girls? What? Because working class girls wouldnt care/dont matter/think rape is normal? What is the implication of that comment even meant to be? Appalling on every level.

However, Judge Patricia Smyth refused the application to discharge the jury, saying they had been warned repeatedly not to read anything about the trial in the press or on social media. She said she believed the jurors were capable of following instructions, and there was no reason to believe they had any knowledge of the tweet.

Ms Long, who has nearly 30,000 followers on Twitter, was told to remove the tweet.

With a heavy heart, Paddy Jackson's barrister Brendan Kelly QC had also asked the judge to discharge the jury, after he claimed her tone was more sympathetic when outlining the complainants evidence in the judges charge.

Mr Kelly argued that when describing the complainants account there was a face, tone and sympathy which was not present when dealing with the defendants cases.

Mr Kelly told the judge that when dealing with Jacksons evidence it was at a pace and with an apparent lack of sympathy in comparison with the womans evidence.

Mr ODonoghue also weighed in, respectfully telling the judge, there was a difficulty in intonation and she sometimes nodded her head when outlining the complainants evidence.

Judge Smyth, in perhaps the only time in the nine week trial that she was visibly annoyed, totally rejected the criticism, saying she was being scrupulously careful and was studiously anxious to ensure that all the points that needed to be made were made.

Two weeks ago, Paddy Jackson (26) and Stuart Olding (25) were acquitted of raping a then 19-year-old student during a party in his house in June 2016. Mr Jackson was also cleared of sexually assaulting the same women.

The men had always maintained the sexual activity was consensual.

Their friends Blane McIlroy (26) was cleared of exposure and Rory Harrison (25) was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice and withholding information. They too had always denied the charges.

An application came before Judge Smyth this afternoon to lift reporting restrictions, and it was granted.

The purpose of reporting restrictions is to prevent a jury being prejudiced by material heard in its absence. Such restrictions usually end after a jury has delivered its verdict and been discharged.

The jurors were unaware of several other matters which emerged in legal argument while they were not present in the courtroom.

With the defence calling an independent medical examiner, Dr Janet Hall, there was a real risk that a video of an internal examination of the young womans intimate area would be shown in open court.

Dr Philip Lavery of the Rowan clinic - a sexual assault referral centre at the Antrim Area Hospital examined the young woman and ascertained a 1cm bleeding laceration in her vaginal wall. He was able to discount the possibility she was having her period because he did not see any menstrual blood coming from the uterus and had used swabs to ascertain the blood was coming from the cut.

However, it emerged that because of the poor quality of the video, Dr Hall was unable to be certain about this conclusion.

The risk of such a sensitive video being shown in court was eventually quashed after the medics met at the Rowan clinic to view the video there.

Stuart Oldings lawyer, Frank ODonoghue QC, was successful in having the forensic evidence regarding his client somewhat played down. Samples of Mr Oldings semen were found by forensic scientists on the crotch area of the young womans white jeans.

A charge of vaginal rape against Mr Olding was dropped before Christmas and he was charged, and subsequently acquitted, of one count of oral rape. Mr ODonoghue argued that if the jury was told where the semen had been found on the womans jeans, it might create an unfair suspicion in the minds of jurors.

Judge Smyth agreed and the jury was merely told the semen had been found on the jeans  but were not told exactly where.

During the third week of the trial, a legal disagreement ensued on the photographs being shown of the house.

The prosecution was asked to remove three photographs of Mr Jackson's bedroom from the evidence.

Mr Hedworth told the judge they were sympathetic of the concerns of the defence regarding the showing of blood-staining on the bed.

Wed submit, if one knows where to look, that one might be able to discern slight marks on the relevant areas, he conceded.

However, he argued it was important for the jury to see what the bedroom looked like on the night in question.

It became clear that blood relating to the woman in this trial had been discovered on Mr Jacksons duvet cover. However, there was other, non-related blood also present on his sheets.

Mr Kelly said; there was no evidence the blood is the blood of this complainant and thats where we all decided to tread with care.

This other blood was capable of causing real prejudice to the entire trial, said Mr Kelly, adding: I have no intention of saying where this blood came from because it is probative of this trial and it would distract the jury.

In the end, an unusual solution was proffered by Judge Smyth who said: Airbrushing  thats the answer.

Meanwhile, while the jury was out, the judge made a ruling on an application made on behalf of Rory Harrison and Stuart Olding to exclude the contents of a video clip sent by Mr Harrison the day after the events at Mr Jacksons house. The short video or gif showed a woman having penetrative sex while giving oral sex to another man.

Judge Smyth said the defence had argued that sending and receipt of this evidence would have an adverse effect and was inadmissible because it was irrelevant or prejudicial and could indicate bad character on the part of the accused.

She said that to some extent, the resolution of this required a moral judgement and conceded it was pornographic and depicted consensual sex between three people. The issue of whether legal adult pornography is evidence of bad character may attract a wide divergence of public opinion, depending on age bracket or gender, she said.

The prosecution submitted the video was relevant because it showed a discussion had taken place between the men about the previous night and argued it confirmed the accused had an opportunity to concoct a false narrative. They submitted the video was relevant to Harrisons knowledge and state of mind when drafting his witness statement.

The judge accepted the content was potentially relevant for the reasons set out by the prosecution but said the absence of a caption or text message along with the video meant a question mark hung over its probative value.

However, she concluded that any doubt should be resolved in favour of the accused and so the content of the video was not revealed to the jury.
The Forum's goal is to create a favorable investment and business climate by the active appliance of advanced preventive mechanisms of combatting corruption, protection of the rights and legal interests of investors.





At the event, problematic issues, which are arisen in the investment activity, protection of rights and legal interests of investors were announced.





There are still issues that interfere the investors to reveal their potential and to implement new business ideas. They include corruption risks and administrative barriers. We are certain that not the fight against consequences, but against prerequisites of corruption should be introduced. The key is to spread the principle  not to give and not to take briberies," said Chairman of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption Alik Shpekbayev.





According to him, foreign investors as a rule face a number of challenges, including corruption and unlawful interference. It is said that over the last three years, 976 such cases were revealed, and 389 officials were convicted. The measures taken allowed to protect the rights of more than 500 entrepreneurs.





The head of the Ministry noted that it is not a secret that the certain part of unlawful interference cases does not reach the agency. In this connection, he proposed to create a project office on the base of the Investors Service Center, which will be aimed at resolving the issues of administrative regulation, distribution of principles of the service approach among officials and other costs connected with corruption.





The Forum marks the beginning of a huge work. Kazakhstan firstly over the years of independence entered the favorable investment climate zone in corruption in the ranking Transparency International. Kazakhstan firstly gained 31 scores in the ranking. It took the leading position among the states of the Post-Soviet Union. Only Georgia is ahead of us. That can be considered as a huge signal and these achievements are not limits for Kazakhstan. One should understand that the International Organizations use the opinion of foreign investors when assessing the corruption level in the country. Firstly, the Forum makes us to understand that we all, being as a single and big team, gave the objective and fair assessment to the measures takes. Today, in Kazakhstan a visa-free regime for 56 states of the world is created. The most number of various agreements on protection of investors were signed in our country," said Director of the Department of Anti-Corruption Policy of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption Salauat Muksimov.





We add that following the Forum, a trilateral memorandum between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the Ministry for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan and the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption was signed, that is aimed at combining efforts and improving the investment attractiveness, within which it is planned to create a Project Office based on the Investors Service Centre with its aim to support investors.









This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.



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A young man broke into a Garda station, defecated on the counter, and then stole a number of items including Garda hats, vests and radios.

Michael Brennan was caught on CCTV spending more than 25 minutes rummaging around Lifford Garda station in Co Donegal.

Brennan broke in through the side window of the building just before 5am on September 5, 2015.

He was seen going to the toilet on the counter of the station before leaving the building while still wearing a Garda hat.

A swab was later taken off the faeces in a bid to track down Brennan.

Brennan (21) appeared at Letterkenny District Court where he pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage during a burglary at the station.

Garda Inspector Goretti Sheridan told the court that Brennan was seen on CCTV entering the unmanned station at 4.55am and spending 25 minutes inside.

He defecated on the public counter of the station before gathering a number of official Garda items.

Handcuffs

These included two Garda caps, a pocket diary, handcuffs, a car key, a Garda vest, a torch and two Garda radios.

The court heard how CCTV footage showed Brennan walking down Bridge Street towards the nearby Co Tyrone town of Strabane wearing one of the Garda caps.

Brennan, of Coneyburrow, Lifford, was eventually apprehended by the PSNI in Strabane and was still wearing some of the stolen items.

Some of his family helped to recover the other items apart from the Garda torch.

It was revealed in court how Brennan later appeared at Strabane Magistrates Court where he was jailed for three months for possession of stolen goods.

Brennan's solicitor, Donagh Cleary, said: "It was a fair cop in every sense of the word."

He said his client had suffered from drink and drug addiction but was now back in the care of his father and living in Lifford.

He added that he had been punished in Northern Ireland for the crime and that there was no loss apart from the clean-up to the Garda station.

Judge Paul Kelly said there was indeed a cost to the State for Brennan's "disgusting behaviour".

He was told by Garda Sheridan that the cost to clean up a cell if damaged is 225 and this would probably be the same cost.

"There was a repulsive message in what he did and a clear message was sent to the authorities and also by the way he paraded around," he added.

He adjourned the case until June 11 to allow for the 225 to be paid to gardai.

He added that he will keep in mind that Brennan has already served a sentence in connection with the crime in Northern Ireland.
The case was brought before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

A man sentenced to four years in prison today for possessing cocaine is a different offender to those in most of the drugs cases that come before the courts, a judge has said.

Judge Martin Nolan said Adam Barrett (24) was in a different position because he owned the 24,000 worth of cocaine discovered at his Spencer Dock apartment in Dublin four years ago.

The judge told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the vast majority of offenders in court do not own the drugs they are caught with, but are transporting or holding them in order to pay a debt.

Barrett pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply, along with about 3,000 in cash at his address on April 10, 2014.

Judge Nolan sentenced him to four years in prison, but warned that the headline sentence in the case was six years.

This was a serious drug-dealing operation. He owned the drugs and was going to sell them on. I've no doubt he made a profit and was going to make a profit, said Judge Nolan.

He gave Barrett credit for his work record and his efforts to rehabilitate himself since his arrest.

No doubt Barrett has plenty of intelligence and is well capable of work. If he puts his mind to it, he can reform himself, said the judge.

Sergeant Vincent Campbell told Eoin Lawlor BL, prosecuting, that a total of 355 grammes of cocaine was found both in Barrett's apartment and in communal areas of the apartment block.

The cocaine had an estimated street value of 24,853.

Gardai also found five mobile phones in Barrett's bedroom and a further seven phones in the living room.

Messages on the phones made reference to large numbers of people, including customers and suppliers, owing sums from between 50 to 500, said Sgt Campbell.

A digital weighing scales was also discovered, along with a small amount of cannabis.

The court heard that although Barrett cooperated with gardai on his arrest, he relied on his right to silence during five interviews.

DNA samples were used to connect Barrett to the drugs found in his apartment and in the communal areas of the building.

Barrett has 65 previous convictions for minor offences, mostly for road traffic incidents but including a drugs offence.

Dominic McGinn SC, defending, said that since this offence, his client had moved to Spain to get away from a life of drugs.

He said Barrett had begun taking cocaine from the age of 18 but had stopped taking drugs in 2014 and was now completely substance free.

Mr McGinn said Barrett had a job offer in Torremolinos in Spain, but was arrested before he could take up the employment.

He said references from Barrett's school and FAS spoke about him in glowing terms and that Barrett was on an enhanced regime in prison.

An education report showed that Barrett was studying a wide range of subjects while in prison.

Judge Nolan backdated the four year sentence to December 15 last, when Barrett was taken into custody.
A 25-year-old Kilkenny man has told a murder trial that he remembers nothing about the night his uncle is alleged to have murdered his friend, as he is on medication for mental disorders.

The prosecution witness was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court this morning in the trial of a 37-year-old man, charged with murdering another man at a location in Co Waterford.

Tadhg Butler, with an address at Seafield in Tramore is accused of murdering 25-year-old Michael ODwyer on 10th January 2014. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Butlers nephew, Tony OGrady, this morning told his trial that he had no recollection of giving a statement to gardai following his friends death.

Mr OGrady of The New Houses, Bishops Birch in the city told Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, that he was a drug addict at the time.

I was in and out of mental hospitals. Ive a few mental disorders and am on heavy medications, he explained. I had to be sectioned a number of times.

He insisted that he couldnt remember the past six years, since his brother died, including the night that his friend, Michael ODwyer, had been stabbed.

Im just after swearing on the holy bible. Im telling you the truth, he said. I cant remember anything. Thats the genuine truth.

The prosecutor again asked him if he remembered how he and his friend came to be in his uncles house in Tramore.

Not that night, not that day, not the month before, nor the year before, he replied.

How can you not remember? asked the prosecutor.

Ive been taking tablets and drinking for six years solid. I cant remember a thing, he replied. Im always blanking out. Ive a drinking addiction as well.

Mr Justice Paul Butler then excused the jury, asking the members not to return until later this afternoon.

The trial will continue then before the jury of six men and six women.
The Supreme Court has directed a retrial in the case of Brian Rattigan who last year won his appeal against his conviction for the murder of a man in Dublin more than 17 years ago.

While Rattigans conviction for the murder of Declan Gavin in 2001 was quashed as a result of winning his Supreme Court appeal, he remains jailed for another offence of drug dealing while in custody.

Mr Gavin (21) died after he was stabbed outside Abrakebabra in Crumlin Shopping Centre, Dublin, on August 25th 2001.

The DPP, repesented by Pauline Walley SC, today sought a retrial on the murder charge. She said the DPP had conducted a genuine review of the matter and considered there should be a retrial for this serious crime.

The retrial application was opposed by Brendan Grehan SC, for Rattigan, on grounds including lapse of time since the death of Mr Gavin and alleged prejudicial publicity.

Giving the courts ruling, the Chief Justice said the parties agreed the test for a retrial is whether it is in the interests of justice that a retrial be ordered.

In that regard, the DPP maintained the matter concerns a serious criminal offence, murder, and that it is in the public interest that the matter is retried and decided while Mr Rattigan argued there were several factors against retrial, he said.

Mr Justice Clarke said the most common reason not to permit a retrial was not present in this case.

A retrial should not be permitted if it is intended to allow the prosecution mend its hand after being unable to prove its case at the original trial but that was not an issue here, he said.

He said the court would emphasise the trial judge is obliged to ensure a fair trial, that all procedural requirements are complied with and, if there is a conviction or sentence, all relevant matters would be considered.

The court should only refuse a retrial if there was a clear case there could not be a fair trial for reasons such as delay or prejudicial pretrial publicity, he said.

The court had considered the arguments on those grounds but had concluded it will direct a retrial and remit the matter to the Criminal Courts of Justice for that purpose, he directed.

The retrial application arose after, by a three to two majority last December, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal by Rattigan, with an address at Cooley Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, against his conviction for the murder of Mr Gavin.

The majority court found some closing comments made by the trial judge, Mr Justice George Birmingham, to the jury involved the trial judge unintentionally engaging in "a piece of advocacy in favour of the prosecution".

The comments suggested the defence had advanced a defence of unusual coincidence, which it had not, and then subjected that unadvanced defence to "sustained sarcasm", Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley said.

Rattigan was jailed for life in 2009 after a majority jury convicted him of Mr Gavin's murder. He was later found guilty of organising a 1m heroin deal from the prison cell where he was serving the life sentence.
Fine Gael TD John Deasy, left, and Seamus McCarthy, Comptroller & Auditor General, leaving the Disclosures Tribunal in Dublin Castle. Mr McCarthy is expected to give evidence today. Photo: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the Disclosures Tribunal he was informed by a road safety chief that "innuendo and rumours" were circulating about Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

In a letter, Mr Varadkar told the tribunal he learned of the issue from then Road Safety Authority chief executive Noel Brett. Former Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte has also informed the tribunal he was told of rumours about the Garda whistleblower.

The tribunal is investigating whether a campaign existed at the highest levels of the Garda force to discredit Sgt McCabe by spreading false sex abuse slurs.

Details of letters to the tribunal from the two politicians were outlined by Darren Lehane BL, who is representing Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness.

The former Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman alleges ex-Garda commissioner Martin Callinan told him Sgt McCabe had abused his family.

The claim is denied by Mr Callinan.

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Mr McGuinness said yesterday he wasn't aware of the letters until they were brought to his attention.

But he said false rumours had circulated in the Oireachtas about Sgt McCabe.

"This was a thick, heavy mist that hung over Leinster House for some time," he said.

In his letter, Mr Varadkar said that when he was transport minister he was told of the "innuendo and rumours" by Mr Brett. "I don't recall the exact detail of the rumours, but I do recall they related to his character and motivation, that he was untrustworthy and had other grievances unrelated to road safety," said Mr Varadkar.

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The Taoiseach said he specifically recalled a rumour that a computer with evidence of criminality on it had been lost by Sgt McCabe. The tribunal has heard Sgt McCabe was innocent of any wrongdoing in relation to the matter. It is unclear if Mr Varadkar will be called to testify, but Mr Brett is due to give evidence.

The tribunal heard Mr Rabbitte alleges he was told by a former garda in 2014 that he should be aware of what was being said "on the grapevine" about Sgt McCabe. He took this to be "rumours of alleged child abuse" against Sgt McCabe.

Mr Rabbitte will give evidence next week.

Yesterday, another TD, Fine Gael's John Deasy, gave evidence about remarks he says Mr Callinan made to him minutes before the then commissioner was due to give evidence to the PAC about the penalty points controversy in January 2014.

Mr Deasy said that during a brief conversation in a Leinster House coffee dock, Mr Callinan "referred to Sgt McCabe as being someone who could not be believed or trusted".

The TD said the only person he could remember being in the vicinity was then deputy commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan, but he doubted she overheard the conversation. He said he thought Mr Callinan had been trying to influence him adversely in relation to Sgt McCabe.

At the time the PAC was considering whether to call the whistleblower to give evidence about penalty points system abuses he had uncovered.

Mr Callinan has denied making the comments. "I certainly did not say that Sgt McCabe could not be believed," he said in a statement to the tribunal.

Mr Callinan claims he indicated to Mr Deasy that the PAC needed to be mindful that not all of the allegations Sgt McCabe was making were correct.

He also claims he told Mr Deasy he had written to the PAC outlining his views on whistleblowers appearing before it.

However, Mr Deasy said he could not remember Mr Callinan saying these things.

The tribunal also heard about texts exchanged between Mr Callinan and then Department of Justice secretary general Brian Purcell in January 2014, around the time Mr Callinan appeared at the PAC and was trying to persuade Mr McGuinness not to also call Sgt McCabe.

A text from Mr Purcell on January 22, the day before Mr Callinan's PAC appearance, said a committee official had confirmed to him "the whistleblowers will not be there tomorrow". After that meeting, Mr Purcell texted Mr Callinan, saying: "Well done, exceptional performance under fire. Brian".

The following day Mr Purcell texted: "Can u call me if possible, just wondering how you got on with JMcG. Brian".

Mr McGuinness said the texts indicated there was "an interesting relationship" between Mr Purcell and Mr Callinan.

"I find this exchange of texts unusual," said Mr McGuinness.
A Volvo jeep on Waterloo Road following the incident. Picture: Damien Eagers

Two people who were arrested on Monday after a garda was run over while conducting a checkpoint in Dublin City centre have appeared in court on a number of charges in relation to the incident.

Christina Joyce (30) with an address at Little Britain Street hostel in Dublin 1 was charged with dangerous driving and assault causing harm to a garda.

She was also charged with one count of burglary and a count of criminal damage at Heytesbury Road in Dublin, and two counts of burglary at Waterloo Road in Dublin.

Garda Chris Jones from Pearse Street station told Judge Conal Gibbons at a sitting of Dublin District Court that Joyce made no reply to the charges relating to the incident on Monday.

Joyces solicitor Michael French made no application for bail, but applied for free legal aid for Joyce who he said was a mother of three children.

She stood in court during the short hearing wearing a grey zipped hoodie and dark trousers.

She was remanded in custody to appear in court again on April 18.

Joyces co-accused Trevor Robinson was charged with three counts of burglary at Heytesbury Lane and Waterloo Road and one count of criminal damage at Heytesbury Lane.

Garda Darragh OBrien from Donnybrook garda station gave details of arrest, charge and caution, and told judge Conal Gibbons that Robinson (27) made no reply when charged yesterday.

Robinson, who stood silent throughout the hearing, was granted bail on condition that he reside at his address at Cherry Orchard Parade in Dublin, sign in at Ballyfermot garda station on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and stay out of the Dublin 4 area.

He was wearing a blue hoodie, a red polo shirt and blue jeans.

He is due to appear back in court on June 20.
Two criminal brothers who previously had close links to the notorious Westies gang were brutally attacked by a gang of up to seven inmates in the latest savage assault in Mountjoy Prison.

Jail sources say that a south inner city thug who was involved in the bitter Crumlin/Drimnagh feud may have ordered the sickening attack, in which scalpels and Stanley blades were used on the duo.

The Herald can reveal that the victims of the attack are brothers Jason (45) and Gerard Halpin (42), who are from the Corduff area of Blanchardstown.

It has emerged that Gerard Halpin was pulled into his cell on the D-wing of Mountjoy Prison on Monday afternoon and attacked by the gang.

Gerards brother Jason happened to be walking back past the cell from the C3 wing and jumped in to intervene.

He was pulled into the melee and sustained stab wounds to the legs, thigh and back, as well being kicked repeatedly.

There are claims the stabbings were inflicted with scalpels and Stanley blades rather than shivs.

This led to a major search of the wing being undertaken yesterday morning.

The brothers were taken by separate ambulances to the Mater Hospital.

Gerard was back in Mountjoy yesterday and could be seen to have received a large number of stitches to the rear of his head.

Jason remained in the Mater, where he was undergoing surgery yesterday and is expected to remain there for a number of days.

At one stage there were fears that this could have ended in a fatality  it was one of the worst assaults to happen in the prison in a long time, a source said last night.

Gardai have been notified and they, as well as the prison authorities, are carrying out a full investigation.

This was a complete bloodbath and staff were left genuinely shocked at the amount of blood that these two men lost, the source added.

It has emerged that jail bosses are probing whether a savage 25-year-old Tallaght criminal, who is serving a lengthy sentence for manslaughter, was involved in the prison carnage.

It is also believed to have been ordered by a career criminal from Cork Street, who was part of a faction during the Crumlin/Drimnagh feud.

The 39-year-old Cork Street thug who is suspected of ordering the attack has spent most of his life in-and-out of jail and  while now serving a sentence for driving without insurance  he has served lengthy sentences for serious crimes such as armed robberies.

Of course when something like this happens, it leads to an increase in tensions in the jail, the source said.

There is nothing at this stage to say it is linked to the Hutch/Kinahan feud and an exact motive for what happened has yet to be established.

Jason Halpin was jailed for 20 months last November for a botched attempt to rob a pharmacy, which was foiled by an off-duty garda armed with pepper spray.

He pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to rob Lloyds Pharmacy in Castleknock, Dublin, on March 9, 2016.

Everyone in the shop inhaled pepper spray after the off-duty garda pushed Halpin to the ground and used his spray to subdue him, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

The court heard that Jason Halpin was a long-term drug addict who left school at the age of 14 and became addicted to drugs at an early age.

He was on a methadone programme, the court was told.

Jason and his younger brother Gerard have a large number of previous convictions. Gerard is serving a six-and-a-half-year jail sentence for robbery and for breaking into a house and telling the occupant not to scream or he would kill her.

Halpin, of Corduff Grove, Blanchardstown, Dublin, pleaded guilty to the burglary, which occurred on December 19, 2013.

He was also convicted by a jury of robbing a salon and possession of a knife on December 23, 2014.

The court heard that Halpin entered the beauty salon Urban Dolls in Corduff Shopping Centre while wearing latex gloves and armed with a kitchen knife.

He grabbed the owner Sarah White by the neck and put a knife to her back before walking her toward the till.

Halpin was wearing a scarf over his face but a customer, Emma Kelly, recognised him. She lived in the area and had known Halpin all her life.

Halpin ordered Ms White to open the till but Ms Kelly closed it and said, What the f**k are you at, Gerard? She told Ms White not to give him any money but Halpin raised the knife above his head and said, back off, Emma.

Ms Kelly then picked up a Yankee candle from a display case and smashed it over Halpins head.

Halpin, who had 38 previous convictions and a long history of drug abuse, denied the robbery and claimed he had left the house just once that day .

The court also heard evidence of a burglary by Halpin at Castlecurragh Heath, Mulhuddart. He later admitted to gardai that he went out looking for gear and rang the bell of a house three times before breaking in.

The court heard he came from a severely dysfunctional family and his childhood home was not a happy place.

It is not known if the Halpin brothers will now be transferred out of Mountjoy Prison for their own safety.

The infamous Westies gang imploded in an unprecedented round of blood-letting which resulted in the murders of all its leaders well over a decade ago.

These included Shane Coates and Stephen Sugg, who were murdered in 2004, Suggs brother Bernard and crazed criminal brothers Andrew Madser Glennon and his older brother Mark.
Alex Burtenshaw (left) and Michael Finn pictured at home in Dublin last week before returning to school on Inis Oirr. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Michael Finn took a big leap last September when he opted to leave Dublin to spend his first year of post-primary education on the Aran Islands.

He loves it so much he is planning to go back for second year in September.

Michael (13) and his cousin, Alex Burtenshaw, also 13, set off together on the big education adventure.

The seed was planted when Michael, while attending a gaelscoil, visited Inis Oirr with classmates. He came back not only feeling very positive about it, but talking about the option of spending first year there on a Department of the Gaeltacht scholarship.

It started a conversation in the extended family. His aunt Emma, Alex's mother, thought it presented an "interesting opportunity", and "Alex was kind of open to it".

She adds: "We went out to the school and did an interview and it had the nicest feel - everyone we met was very friendly and very open."

While Alex wasn't immediately convinced, they left the decision to him "and he changed his mind", she says.

Michael admits that he was apprehensive about the transition, "but when I got there, it was really good".

The boys live in a local home with another student under the caring eye of a bean an ti, and he says they speak Irish all the time.

While he misses his friends from primary school, Michael has no complaints about island living, which he describes as "nice and peaceful". He says the only downside is the lengthy trip home - all of five hours - every second Friday. It involves a boat and two buses, and the same on the way back on Sunday.

While Alex didn't have the same early immersion in Irish as his cousin, his mother says that it took about three weeks for him to make the transition from English, "but once it happened, it happened".

He suffered a bout of homesickness in his second week and his mum went down for a few days "and by the end of the weekend, he was fine."

She describes it as a "really great experience" and particularly values how it has helped them to become "much more independent and self-reliant".
More than 650 people attended a meeting in Clontarf Castle last night about the controversial development. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has intervened to demand a "solution" in the MetroLink row between transport chiefs and the GAA club where he is a member.

The minister spoke out yesterday about the disruption that could be caused to Na Fianna GAA as the underground line is constructed.

Mr Donohoe said it "is imperative in the consultative process that the NTA are dealing with issues that are being raised by clubs like Na Fianna".

Transport authorities must "respect the vital role" clubs like Na Fianna GAA "play in social and community life," he also warned.

Na Fianna has been at the centre of the Glasnevin community for more than 60 years.

Currently, 2,000 young people attend the Na Fianna club each week. It also has 380 ratified volunteers.

But one of the proposed underground MetroLink stops in Glasnevin will be located directly below the grounds.

It will also be one of the points where tunnel boring will begin.

As a result, the club's pitches will be unavailable during the construction phase - which is estimated to take six years.

This week, the NTA met with Na Fianna to discuss their concerns.

Mr Donohoe said it is "critical" Na Fianna and the National Transport Authority (NTA) reach a solution during the consultative MetroLink process.

The minister said he was hopeful both parties would reach a solution in due course.

"I know that Na Fianna are meeting the NTA again today and are participating very strongly in the process. Coming out of the consultative process it is critical that a solution be found," he said.

The minister also acknowledged the benefit the MetroLink will bring to the north side of Dublin.

Construction is expected to begin in 2021. The line will cover a 26km stretch and will extend from Swords to Sandyford.

Separately, about 650 people packed into the conference hall of Clontarf Castle last night following An Bord Pleanala's decision on the controversial development beside St Anne's Park, Raheny.

Planning permission has been granted for the development despite more than 1,000 local objections.

Those in attendance were asked if they had an appetite to raise money for a judicial review.

A speaker said about 5,000 is needed for the first-step of the process, which will require a barrister's assessment to see if the review is feasible.

The next step is said to cost 25,000 to accumulate all the necessary paper work. The final stage, however, is estimated at 250,000.

Georgina Moore, the founder of 'I Love St Anne's Group', said: "It's extraordinarily expensive, but that's what we're all here for tonight - to see if there's an appetite.

"If we don't get the support for this, then it's all over."
An Air Corps helicopter at work at the site of the rescue operation. Photo: Irish Air Corps

A fisherman has died and two other young men are in hospital after their boat sank off the Mayo coast.

The deceased - named locally as John Healy (57) - and two males in their 20s were on board the Aisling Patrick fishing boat when the vessel got into difficulty at around 12.30pm.

The three men, who are all experienced fishermen, are understood to have been crab fishing around 16 nautical miles from Eagle Island, situated off the Mayo coast, when the tragedy occurred.

Mr Healy is originally from the Erris area of Co Mayo, while his two injured co-workers are also from the locality.

Local Fine Gael Cllr Gerry Coyle said that the community is devastated.

"John was an experienced fisherman and a family man. We are all shocked and devastated that something this tragic would happen in our area," Mr Coyle said.

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Rescue agencies were notified of the emergency when a distorted mayday call-out with partial coordinates was issued from the vessel.

The Malin Head Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Centre picked up the broadcast shortly after 12.30pm, and an emergency response was immediately launched.

However, the rescue was stymied by a lack of information, according to the Coast Guard.

"We didn't have the name or type of vessel and we were only able to get the latitude and not longitude," a Coast Guard official said of the boat's location.

Fortunately, the Air Corps' Casa maritime patrol aircraft happened to be patrolling the area at the time and spotted the men on the life raft after they set off flares, he said.

"We were very lucky the Air Corps was in the area and they were rescued," he said.

"Whatever happened (causing the boat to sink), it happened very quickly."

The Sligo-based Coast Guard helicopter located the life raft at about 1.20pm. The crew were rushed to hospital after rescuers winched them to safety aboard the helicopter.

Tragically, Mr Healy was pronounced dead at University Hospital Sligo. The other crew members were said to be recovering in hospital last night.

The Marine Casualty Investigation Board has launched an investigation.

Local gardai will also prepare a report for the local coroner, who will in turn establish a cause of death for Mr Healy.

Conditions at the time of the incident were cold and choppy.

Met Eireann issued a status yellow small craft warning at 10am yesterday, warning of north-easterly winds reaching force six at times yesterday afternoon, from Rossan Point in Co Donegal down to Roches Point in Co Cork.

There was a force five wind in the area at the time of the rescue, with a 3.5-metre sea swell, according to the Coast Guard.

Volunteers from the Ballyglass RNLI also responded to the emergency.
More than 2,400 children endured the distress of waiting on a trolley for a bed last year as the "winter crisis" turned into a 12-month ordeal.

The young patients had to tolerate the trolley waits as Our Lady's Hospital and Temple Street Hospital in Dublin ran out of beds.

The stark annual figures, released for the first time by the HSE, show the shocking extent to which the trolley crisis is now affecting vulnerable unwell children.

The children were on trolleys at 8am during the daily count by the HSE, according to a parliamentary response obtained by Sinn Fein TD Louise O'Reilly.

It comes as patients across the country are seeing no let-up in severe A&E overcrowding this week.

There were 591 patients, many of them over 75 years of age, lined up on trolleys in hospitals nationwide, including 51 in Cork University Hospital yesterday.

The dangerous levels of overcrowding are not abating despite a dramatic drop in levels of flu which had been adding to the surge.

The insight into Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals shows children ended up on trolleys every month.

Some 51 children waited on a trolley in Crumlin hospital in August and this climbed to 130 last December.

The pattern is similar in Temple Street Hospital, ranging from 47 on trolleys in August to 172 in December.

HSE figures revealed six children were on trolleys in both hospitals yesterday morning.

Viruses

A spokeswoman for the Children's Hospital Group said it regretted "any waits children and their families have in our emergency departments".

She said the emergency departments at both hospitals were "seeing an increase in patients presenting with gastro-intestinal symptoms, requiring isolation rooms".

"Some young infants and children with these viruses can become very unwell, requiring supportive treatment and hospital admission.

"In the interest of patient safety and to manage the risk of infecting other patients on open wards, a number of patients will continue to be treated in our A&Es until a suitable inpatient bed becomes available on a ward."

Due to the obstacles posed by the two old buildings "and in order to make improvements to help address some of these physical constraints", proposals were submitted to HSE for funding as part of winter planning.

"We await the outcome of this," she added.

Clinical directors and hospital management in the three children's hospitals are making "every effort" to minimise the time spent by children in A&E once a doctor deems they should be moved to a ward.

Promises by Health Minister Simon Harris that measures would ease the congestion have not materialised. Mr Harris was busy on the campaign trail for a Yes vote in the abortion referendum yesterday.

One of the key pledges was to provide more home care supports and packages.

However, the HSE told Mary Butler, Fianna Fail spokeswoman on older people, that the waiting list for a home care package had now risen to 6,172.

"This is a staggering number of people," she said.

The areas covering Galway, Roscommon and Mayo, as well as the northside of Dublin, are particularly badly hit.

These account for more than 45pc of all those waiting in the country.
A HSE-run centre for young people who are chronically ill was unable to explain to inspectors why sums of money of up to 127.50 were missing from the accounts of some residents.

The lack of proper financial safeguards was among a litany of failings uncovered at the centre on the campus of Cherry Orchard Hospital in Dublin.

When inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) arrived unannounced in November, nobody asked them who they were or requested identification.

The inspectors viewed a sample of three residents' accounts. In one file, 41.30 was unaccounted for, and another missing 127.50 could not be explained. Some 30 was absent from a third account.

"Inspectors requested to view the last two financial audits conducted within the centre. However, staff members were unable to locate these on the day of inspection."

At the time the report was being written, they had still not been received.

It comes a week after the Irish Independent revealed a damning report on managing resident funds in some care homes. Nearly 10,000 residents nationwide have private property including bank accounts, pension books, house documents, investments or jewellery left in charge of the HSE.

Meanwhile, at the centre on the Cherry Orchard campus, the inspection also found the privacy and dignity of residents in relation to their living space was compromised.

Some did not have enough space to store their clothes and personal possessions.

The inspectors were also "not assured that appropriate actions were taken in response to allegations, disclosures or suspected abuse".

No staff member they talked to could outline the different forms of potential abuse or the reporting structure.

The Hiqa report said seven long-standing members of staff were yet to be Garda vetted.

The inspectors were told this would be completed within the required time set out by the 2012 law, making it mandatory.

When they asked whether agency staff were vetted, they were told no evidence was available from three agencies supplying workers.

There were inconsistencies in servicing some of the firefighting equipment.

"A fire blanket had not been serviced since April 2012 and another had not been serviced since April 2016."

They said the system of annual servicing of firefighting equipment needed to be reviewed.

The HSE has now agreed a plan to address the issues highlighted by the inspectors. This is the third inspection of the centre.

The Hiqa inspectors acknowledged the co-operation and assistance of all the people who participated in the inspection.

Follow-up visits will take place to measure the progress in the measures which have been prioritised to tackle the serious issues.
Normand Larose and his partner Rosalyn Joy Few died in a pony and trap accident in Kerry

Jaunting carts pictured near Kate Kearneys Cottage on the Gap of Dunloe. Photo:Frank Mc Grath

Normand Larose, who was killed in pony and trap accident in Kerry

Rosalyn Joy Few, who was killed in a pony and trap accident in Kerry

A vigil is held in Kerry for Normand Larose (62) and Rosalyn Joy Few (64)

THE family of a tourist killed alongside his partner in a freak horse and cart accident at a Kerry beauty spot have spoken of their deep shock.

Normand Larose (62) and Rosalyn Joy Few (64) were killed on Monday afternoon in an accident at the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry.

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The couple had travelled to Ireland from their home in Phoenix, Arizona, at Easter with Ms Fews daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.

They had been enjoying a family holiday and were staying in the Killarney area.

Niece Maude Larose told the Irish Independent that Normand, originally from Quebec in Canada, would be sorely missed. She said: My uncle was a very happy person who loved life very much.

He always took care of the people he loved, the whole family is shocked by this tragedy.

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I know he would want us to remember him with his smile and his jokes.

A Garda investigation has been launched into the tragedy, with officers still attempting to establish the exact cause of the crash.

A source told the Irish Independent that early indications were that the horse became startled and bolted.

As a result, the couple were thrown from the cart and fell 20ft down steep terrain, suffering catastrophic injuries.

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It is understood that family members  who were close behind on another pony and trap when the tragedy happened  travelled from their Killarney hotel to Dingle to formally identify the bodies of the couple.

Lord Mayor of Killarney Niall Kelleher said they must let the investigation into the accident take its course, but lessons may have to be learned.

When we get the findings of the investigation, if theres lessons to be learned then it is incumbent on us to act upon it, he said.

Anything that is being said about it is just hearsay so we have to wait for the investigation.

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Mr Kelleher opened a book of condolences in Killarney yesterday with dozens of locals arriving to pass on their respects. He described the accident as absolutely tragic.

None of the horses and carts were in operation at the Gap of Dunloe yesterday. However, many tourists followed the trail by foot.

The horse-drawn carts are a big tourist attraction out at the Gap  the oldest route for such trips in Kerry.

The route is immensely popular, with one local saying that thousands may have taken it last week during the Easter break.

A source in the insurance industry told the Irish Independent that premiums may increase due to the accident.

However, they said it was unlikely that any jarveys would be unable to get insurance.

Yesterday evening  some 24 hours after the dreadful accident  around 30 locals arrived outside the horse and cart yard near Kates Cottage at the Gap of Dunloe.

A vigil was held as a mark of respect to the family.

Prayers were also said in Killarney for the couple.

One jarvey said the accident was the worst tragedy to ever take place in the area.

It is understood the couple had begun their day out at the popular Kate Kearneys Cottage, located around 3km from the scene of the incident.

Ms Fews daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren were travelling in a separate cart and came across the scene moments after the accident.

A Garda liaison officer has been assisting the family and it is understood a diplomat from the US embassy had also travelled to offer support.

The bodies of the two victims were transferred by hearse to Kerry General Hospital shortly before 6pm on Monday.

The Office of the State Pathologist was notified and post-mortem examinations took place yesterday afternoon.
British Finance Minister Philip Hammond told a German newspaper that it would be a "catastrophe" for the situation in Ireland if Britain and the European Union failed to find a solution during talks on Brexit.

Northern Ireland, which will become Britain's only land frontier with the EU after Brexit in March 2019, remains the most difficult issue in talks between Brussels and London and a threat to peace in the British province.

"The worst result for the Good Friday Agreement would be no solution between the EU and Britain, that would be a catastrophe for the situation in Ireland," Hammond told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) in an interview published on Wednesday.

Hammond did not say whether he was referring specifically to a solution to the Irish border question, or to a comprehensive deal for Britain's divorce from the European Union.

Britain and the EU are committed to keeping a free flow of people and goods over the Irish border without returning to checkpoints which would be a reminder of the three decades of violence largely ended by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

However, no solution has yet been found for any customs checks needed after Brexit and a backstop plan could effectively isolate the Northern Ireland economy from mainland Britain.

Hammond also said Britain would honour its financial obligations to the EU after its departure and the payments could total up to 39 billion pounds ($55.35 billion).

"The payments extend over a very long period of time because they also include pension entitlements," Hammond, who met German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz this week, told the FAZ.

London and Brussels have agreed on the rules to calculate Britain's payments after Brexit without establishing a fixed sum. Asked what the bottom line would be, Hammond added: "We'll end up somewhere between 35 and 39 billion pounds."

Britain and the EU have agreed a transition period of 21 months that will follow Britain's departure from the bloc during which firms will have unchanged access to the bloc's markets.

Hammond said the British people's decision to leave the EU would not be reversed.

"It would be best if we remained in a close relationship with European partners which would allow us to continue to put on a united front in international trade issues," he told the German daily.

Free trade and open markets have brought "huge wealth" for Europeans, Hammond said, adding: "We should continue to defend this."

Hammond said he hoped that trade talks between Washington and Brussels would lead to an agreement in which the United States would permanently exempt the EU from U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs announced last month.
School ordered to pay 3,000 to father after it ignored his objection to his daughter being enrolled by his ex-wife
Israeli authorities are investigating why the Lord Mayor of Dublin was allowed in the country even though he was banned for supporting boycotts against the country.

Interior minister Arieh Deri ordered an inquiry after Micheal MacDonncha announced he was in the West Bank city of Ramallah for a conference. He landed at Israel's Ben-Gurion airport.

Israel planned to block his entry because of his support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement, which has urged businesses, artists and universities to sever ties with the country.

Supporters of the movement say the tactics are a nonviolent way to promote the Palestinian cause. Israel meanwhile, has maintained the campaign goes beyond fighting its occupation of territory Palestinians claim for their state and often masks a more far-reaching aim to delegitimise or destroy the nation.

I can confirm I am in Ramallah and preparing for tomorrow's conference. https://t.co/F2Y5Q8IzGJ  Lord Mayor of Dublin (@LordMayorDublin) April 10, 2018

Isreal says the campaign, with its call for a return of Palestinian refugees to land inside Israel, goes beyond opposition to the West Bank occupation and masks a deeper aim of destroying the country.

As a result it has blacklisted a number of individuals and organisations over their support.

Mr Mac Donncha, who claimed he was unaware that he had been banned, said attempts to bar his entry failed, because officials spelt his name wrong.

The Israeli strategic affairs minister did allow me in, he told Newstalk Breakfast. He said the problem was someone spelling my name wrong.

In an earlier statement, Mr Mac Donncha said he was going to Ramallah to acknowledge that East Jerusalem is the designated capital of Palestine under the two-state solution.

I am also here to express solidarity with the people of Palestine who are suffering violence from Israeli forces, as witnessed in Gaza most recently with the shooting down of protesters, he added.

Interior Minister Arieh Deri, who ordered an inquiry after Mr Mac Donncha's arrival, said that said that upon his departure, he would be notified he will not be allowed back.

Earlier this week, Dublin City Council voted to urge the Irish government to expel Israels ambassador over the killings of Palestinian protesters in Gaza.

Militant group Hamas has called for Palestinians to amass at the border with Israel as part of a weeks-long campaign of protests against a decade-old Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the territory.

Twenty-six protesters have been killed thus far.
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has slapped down suggestions from the UK government that he is dancing to the tune of Sinn Fein in the Brexit negotiations.

At a conference in London, Brexit Secretary David Davis blamed the lack of a solution to the border question on a change of government in Ireland.

He said a strong influence from Sinn Fein had impacted on the approach being adopted by Mr Varadkar.

However, the Taoiseach has this afternoon dismissed the charge as strange.

Of course we listen to what Sinn Fein have to say, as it is a party in Northern Ireland and here in the Republic.

But ultimately it is the second party in the North and the third party in the Republic, and so I dont think it has more influence on the Irish Government than the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have on the policy of the British Government, he said.

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said his government is certainly not taking directions from Mary Lou McDonald any more than Theresa May is from Alec Salmond or First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

I think the comments were a bit strange and inaccurate, and I probably shouldnt say any more about them than that, except that when it comes to Brexit, the only interests that the Irish Government is defending are those of Ireland, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and that means avoiding a hard border and holding the British Government to its commitment that there will be no hard border, because thats what farms and business people and citizens on both sides of the border want and need, Mr Varadkar said.

A number of Conservative politicians in the UK have previously attempted to play up the influence of Sinn Fein on the Irish government.

During his comments, Mr Davis was challenged by a member of the audience who told him to check his facts, noting that there has been no change of government in the Republic.

Well you had a change of leader or a change in Taoiseach. Theyve [Sinn Fein]been playing a strong political role which they havent done historically, that I hadnt foreseen, Mr Davis responded.

Well leave our interpretations aside if you like. But the simple truth is that on both sides of the border the politics changed with the change of Taoiseach and with the disappearance of the Northern Ireland executive.

Thats quite important. Its slowed the process down slightly.
A PLASTIC storage box in the small yard of a house in west Dublin may have given a toddler who fell from a third-storey window a chance of survival.

Little Emma Ajayi tumbled from the top-floor window of her home at Mount Garrett Park, Tyrellstown, on Monday evening. She was found unconscious on the ground below.

Last night she remained in a critical condition in Temple Street Childrens Hospital with her mother Erica Olorungbohunmi by her side. She told the Irish Independent that Emma was doing as well as could be expected but could not comment any further. Emma turns two today.

Gardai at Blanchardstown station are investigating the incident, but it is believed the fall was a terrible accident.

One possibility is that little Emma might have landed first on a plastic storage box on the ground before then tumbling onto the paving slabs of the yard at the back of the property at around 6.30pm.

The childs mother was at her side in hospital through Monday night and yesterday and is receiving support from her wider family in Dublin.

This is not the first tragedy involving children falling from balconies. In September 2013, Andrea Gaziova, who was just 20-months-old, fell an estimated 30ft at the Tolka Vale apartments on the Finglas Road. She died in the fall.

On August 3, 2012, Nikola Batare, who was just 15-months-old, fell more than 100ft after climbing onto a window sill on the sixth floor of the converted mill and bakery that is now known as Cross Guns Quay in Phibsboro.

Her parents Marina Batare, from Latvia, and Mustansar Hussain, from Pakistan, were renting the flat, and Marina was looking after another child when Nikola climbed up to the open window and fell out.

Marina looked frantically for her daughter and after finding all the rooms empty she looked out in horror to see Nikola on the ground below.

At her inquest Dublin coroner Dr Brian Farrell warned parents and landlords to be acutely aware of the danger of children falling from high-rise buildings.

Returning a verdict of death by misadventure, Dr Farrell said that this is the third or fourth inquest in recent years where a child has fallen from an apartment block.
The assembly of cars on a grand scale here is often overlooked. It is not something one associates with more than a handful of big names.

But Bob Montgomery's new book, Motor Assembly in Ireland (out next Monday), tells a different story entirely.

In so doing it helps to chart the evolution of Ireland from an agricultural economy to an industrial one from 1933.

It can be argued that the motor assembly business has rarely been given due credit for the part it played in modernising the country and creating jobs.

I have a pre-launch copy of the book, and to say it is both comprehensive and fascinating is an understatement.

I cannot estimate the time and research that went into it, even allowing for Bob's encyclopaedic knowledge.

Did you know there were more than 50 different makes assembled here between 1933 and 1984?

Assembly in Ireland was diverse, as Bob's book shows, with some exotic names too. This is a wonderful compendium of facts, pictures, personalities and anecdotes. The bits I dipped into were hugely informative. I think it is a major piece of social history and a great gift or read, for anyone interested in motoring heritage.

Some little nuggets to whet your appetite:

 In 1930, just 4,346 cars were sold here

 In 1936, Ford's near-total dominance was reflected in 5,196 sales out of 8,111 in total. Only three Renaults were sold, 113 Chryslers, 299 Hillmans and four Rovers.

Here is an edited extract on German maker Adler, which is illustrative of the sort of expert treatment Bob gives every marque and personality attached to them.

"Charlie Manders was a colourful character who had established a reputation as a successful motor cycle racer when, along with Robert Briscoe he founded Irish Exporters & Importers Limited in 1933 with the intention of assembling German-made Adler cars at 15-16 Mayor Street, Dublin.

"Two models were assembled - the 14hp Adler Trumpf and the 10hp Adler Trumpf Jnr, priced at 350 and 275 respectively. It's not surprising that Manders used participation in Irish motor racing to promote the Adler product.

"In 1937, no doubt alarmed by the rise of anti-Semitism, Manders' Jewish partner, Robert Briscoe TD, decided to reduce his involvement and a new company was formed, CH Manders Ltd.

"Mr Briscoe remained a director of the new company along with C Crowley (the Cork agent for Adler). There was also now a showroom at Lincoln Place, and American Nash cars joined the assembly operation alongside Adler during 1937.

"The following year, Manders announced a new factory for the assembly of Adler and Nash cars, along with his newly acquired agency for Chevrolet, would be built in Co Tipperary. Although some Chevrolet were assembled at the existing factory at Mayor Street in Dublin, this plan, which envisaged 70 being employed, appears never to have come to fruition. Indeed, with no CKD (Completely Knocked Down) cars available for assembly over the war years, Manders' business did not survive 'The Emergency'.

"After the Second World War, the Irish Revenue Service advertised the sale of a number of pre-war Adler cars in CKD form they had in storage. How these cars came to be in the possession of the Revenue is not clear, and there are several stories, none of which can be substantiated, concerning how they got there.

"The CKD kits were bought by Stephen O'Flaherty, and were assembled at his premises at Townsend Street, Dublin. There is some confusion over how many Adler CKD kits were acquired by Stephen O'Flaherty, who would later become the first to assemble the VW Beetle outside Germany in 1950.

"Gerry Swan, a superb upholster who worked at Townsend Street, maintained there were 36 Adler's assembled there. I'm inclined to accept that figure."
The most frightening thing I found was going blind, because youre never told about anything like that.

Its something - of all the things to go wrong - if Id known about it before it happened, it would have been a great help.

Mother-of-three Carmel Ryan (59) from Dublin has multiple sclerosis, a progressive neurological condition which can cause symptoms like reduced mobility, vision problems and fatigue.

She uses a wheelchair and does not have the use of her right arm.

Diagnosed over 20 years ago, Carmel has lived inside the slow decline of her body and she has prepared a last wishes form with her carers at Cheshire Ireland, should her disease progress quicker than planned.

Looking back, Carmel still remembers when the early signs of MS began to show themselves.

I couldnt sleep very well. Id get tired very quickly and Id trip sometimes. I just thought it was my leg giving way a little, but little did I know it was serious.

I sounded drunk even though I wasnt. My speech went weird and I walked as if I was drunk as well.

Now I say my MS has kicked in a bit, because how else could you explain it really? You learn by time really and talking to other people with MS.

We meet Carmel today in her apartment in Eaglewood Cheshire. The minute you meet her, her infectious sense of humour has you laughing, and its easy to think youve known Carmel for years. Most amazing perhaps, is the fact that shes upbeat, even though she has so many reasons to complain.

I say to people I just have a little different of lifes pains in the asses. I cant speak [properly] anymore, I look drunk it could be worse. I dont know what, but it could be worse.

I really did get very frightened when I went (temporarily) blind. That was the worst ever. Nothing could ever top that ever.

I know its a horrible disease to get, but at the end of the day its what you make of it really.

Were all going to die for Gods sake. For your own sanity, it makes life a lot better for you to just say, oh well, Im going to have some bad days, Im going to have some good days.

I feel that the only person wholl suffer worse for a bad attitude is me, so please be kind to yourself Carmel.

Thats just the way things are.

Carmel has lived in a Cheshire Ireland apartment for the past six years, and the staff there know, thanks to the last wishes form she completed with them, that she wants to remain there until the end of her life.

Cheshire will look after her care, medical needs, symptom management and pain relief, and she will only be hospitalised if the care she needs cant be given in her home.

Practical and straight talking, Carmel knew she needed to use a wheelchair when she she had experienced one too many falls and her legs began to give way.

My bum and the floor were two good friends first of all I was in an ordinary wheelchair that wasnt electrified and [because I could only use one hand] I was so bad that I was going around in circles all the time so I asked for a power chair.

I could go out, and I would kind of go and get the bus and do shopping, and Id go down to Dunnes in Cornelscourt. Id wheel down and get the taxi back.

Over the years, Carmel has met many people who have multiple sclerosis, each one of whom deals with their illness differently.

A common by product of a disease like MS is anger, she explains. One man was so angry that he was treating his wife like a slave, she says.

I said, will you for Gods sake just take a chill pill. Just calm down.

He said but I have MS. I said tough s**t, join the club.

But when she had to give up driving, that was a tough day, she explains.

There are people with MS who cant do a thing, and that would kill me. If I couldnt speak, that would be the worst if I couldnt speak. My (other) hand did go for a while and that was the worst, and I couldnt chew. But thank God now my throat is OK.

It killed me [to give up driving]. I knew that I couldnt, I was too frightened. I knew I wasnt safe I thought OK Carmel, youve pushed your luck too far, give it up now.

Your memory can become very bad, and its through no fault of your own. A lot of people with MS, think how could you be so stupid?... but then you think, its not your fault, its your MS.

She added: It annoys me when I cant remember peoples names. I used to be great, but not now.

I get a spate of kidney infections. Three or four times in a row, and then thank God they stop.

Now, in her apartment in Dun Laoghaire, Carmel finds solace in simple things like the few cigarettes everyday she allows herself, the odd bar of chocolate, and the Superquinn sausages and a batch loaf that her brother buys her.

It can be very boring, because whether you like it or not, with the chair you can be very restricted where you can go.

Dun Laoghaire is really difficult because of the paths and the cobbestones.

I dont mind being on my own. If I get really p***ed off I can ring for a staff member and theyll come in for a chat.

A degenerative illness like MS raises questions about your mortality, Carmel admits, and she has thought about her wishes for her funeral.

I do think about it, but then I think is there any help. I say to the kids its going to happen to me one day you know it could be years and years, but it could be weeks and weeks, we just dont know.

Death was around me since I was ten it happens, life can be a b**ch, but it happens.

I know for definite I want to be cremated, she said. I dont know where I want to be laid buried at sea, or in the family plot, I dont know.

The first six years of her childhood were spent in Iraq, she remembers, where her father worked as an aircraft engineer. Those memories now, she treasures.

When the family returned to Ireland, Carmels 22-year-old brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. Grief is something she has known since an early age.

Now, as she sits with her memories, she looks forward to visitors.

By about 6pm I start to slur a bit and I think people will think, well shes had a drink or two the amount of times Ive said, look Im not drunk, I have MS.

It makes life a pain in the ass.

Over 800,000 Irish people are living with neurological conditions and some of those conditions are life limiting. A new booklet to help people with advancing neurological illnesses to plan for all aspects of their future was launched last month. You can download the booklet "Planning for the Future: Information For People Who Have An Advancing Neurological Illness" here.
A small turbo prop aircraft plane flies over Toronto as it comes in to land at Billy Bishop Airport. Photo: Deposit

Donegal Airport has been voted the world's No.2 scenic landing.

The Caribbean island of Saba topped the poll, conducted by private jet booking service PrivateFly, while Donegal placed second - ahead of several more famous approaches including Nice, London City, Queenstown (New Zealand) and Gibraltar.

The poll saw over 8,000 members of the public vote on a shortlist chosen by a panel of international travel experts, with 122 airports nominated.

PrivateFly's Top 10 Scenic Airports 2017:

Saba (Juancho E Yrausquin Airport), Caribbean Donegal Airport, Ireland Nice Cote D'Azur Airport, France Gibraltar Airport, UK Queenstown Airport, New Zealand London City Airport St Maarten Airport (Princess Juliana International), Caribbean Orlando Melbourne Airport, USA Barra Airport, Scotland, UK Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Canada

"You will not see anything like it anywhere else on earth," gushed one travel fan of Donegal Airport's stunning setting next to the Atlantic at Carrickfinn.

"Donegal at number two is rapidly becoming an AvGeek fan favourite," added Adam Twidell, CEO of PrivateFly.com and himself an experienced pilot.

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"We couldn't have asked for a better endorsement, and we're delighted with the feedback," Pauline Sweeney, Marketing Manager, told Independent.ie Travel.

"It strengthens our believe that Donegal captivates from the first glimpse!

"I was on a flight myself from Scotland on Sunday, and you can see the coast the whole way down. It does you good to up in the air every now and again and look down on what we have here!"

Passenger numbers are up 15.7pc this year to date, Sweeney added.

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Last year, Donegal placed seventh on the list - signalling growing global recognition for a tiny airstrip that hosts just two scheduled flights (Dublin and Glasgow).

The county is enjoying a run of awards this year, having already been named one of the world's coolest places to visits by National Geographic Traveller UK, and voted Ireland's Hidden Gem in Independent.ie and Weekend Magazine's Reader Travel Awards.

Saba (above) is home to the world's shortest commercial runway, at just 400m (1,321 feet) in length. Pilots must undergo special training to land at the airport.

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The socialite wives wore their finest gowns, and the menfolk - congressmen and other influential Federalists - were resplendent in frock coats and tall hats, waving from carriages clattering out of Washington DC, intent on cheering victorious Union troops who would bring a quick end to America's fledgling Civil War.

Imagine how this traffic jam of early participants in 'disaster tourism' met a road crammed with the walking wounded, along with thousands of Federal soldiers fleeing chaos after two armies of a divided nation clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Manassas (Bull Run).

Here in the green and verdant hilly landscape of Virginia, a gentle summer breeze whispers through the trees. The other sounds are of corncrakes and muted voices of visitors, touching cannons that erupted more than 150 years ago.

A modest timber farmhouse - today reproduced - stands at the epicentre of the Battle of First Bull Run. It was occupied by an 85-year-old bedridden widow, Judith Carter Henry, who was fatally injured in the crossfire - the only civilian killed during the first wave of fighting.

The first battles swept away the notion of a quick war, explains guide Henry Elliot. He adds: "Don't let these pretty fields fool you, because we are standing on some of the most blood-stained ground anywhere in history". Over 622,000 lives were lost - nearly as many as in every war Americans have fought in since, combined.

Civil War history, stories, sites and monuments are found everywhere in Virginia, only an hour's drive from downtown Washington DC, we discover touring tranquil countryside and authentic towns like Manassas, Occoquan, Woodbridge and Fredericksburg.

"Only in America," I can't help thinking as we visit Ben Lomond, one of the gracious antebellum mansions turned into Confederate hospitals. The awful stench of gangrene has been piped in by a company creating delicious coffee and freshly baked bread aromas elsewhere!

Screams of patients and the bustle of a war field hospital are realistically conveyed via audio, with plenty of surgical instruments, roughly hewn crutches and fake-blood-stained lengths of cloth lying around. Chloroform and ether were available, "but not enough to knock patients out completely", we're told.

Occupying the house later on, some Union soldiers wrote offensive graffiti, and a few recorded their last wills and testaments on Ben Lomond's walls.

In need of fresh air with the lingering whiff of gangrene in my nostrils, I take to the water with Penguin Paddling in Occoquan (penguinpaddling.com), steering my kayak past wharfs once lined by grist mills and tobacco warehouses where ships loaded bales of cotton bound for England.

Fredericksburg, site of another famous Civil War battle, and where George Washington spent much of his earlier life, is a jewel in the crown filled with beautiful federalist-style architecture. Our trolley tour driver-guide John Gaston, whose forefathers fled the famine in Ireland, pulls up at the lovely cottage George Washington bought for his mother Mary (whose modern likeness appears, waving from the front door in period costume).

For 100 years Richmond was the centre of the second largest slave market in the US. A slave trail with markers tells the story, while a flood protection wall pays tribute to the "Irish indentured workers" also involved in its construction.

Careytown, a colourful district of restaurants and lively bars, adds to this Thomas Jefferson-designed city, along with Richmond's wealth of excellent museums.

Richmond is unique in that it's the only city where you can go white-water rafting right into downtown. Riverside Outfitters (riversideoutfitters.net) took us on a rollercoaster ride over Class 2 to 4 rapids on the historic James River, adding thrills and knowledge to the trip. Paddling through the rapids, we passed the island where 15,000 Union soldiers were miserably incarcerated, and the bridge over which the populace of Richmond fled as Confederate glory ended in ashes.

Get there

Isabel flew with United Airlines (united.com), which operates daily from Dublin to Washington Dulles from 473 return in winter. From Dulles to Virginia, use a hire car, taking interstates 95 and 64 into the Richmond region (frequent trains run from Washington DC-Richmond, too).

For further information see capitalregionusa.org or VisitRichmondVA.com. For somewhere to stay in Fredericksburg, try the centrally-located Courtyard by Marriott Historic District (from 122; marriott.com/Friedericksburg).

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John Downing Opinion Merkel dusts off caretaker hat as German parties weigh up coalition options

So, will Angela Merkel, wearing a caretaker hat, be delivering yet another address to the German nation on New Years Eve? The question was evoked by the person who may be about to succeed her as head of the government in Berlin, Olaf Scholz, whose party just shaded a very tight election on Sunday.
Amal Clooney seen out and about in Manhattan on April 3, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Kamau/GC Images)

George Clooney and Amal Clooney go for dinner on April 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

Amal Clooney and George Clooney attend March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for March For Our Lives)

Director George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Suburbicon' during the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Sep. 2, 2017. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)

Amal Clooney has opened up about the early days of her relationship with husband George, admitting she never could have predicted the impact his arrival into her life would have.

Before marrying the actor in 2014, Amal (nee Alamuddin) was world renowned in legal circles, living and working as a human rights barrister in London and working on high profile cases like representing three Al Jazeera journalists convicted of terrorism in Egypt. And she had no intention of settling in her personal life.

She says she fell for the Ocean's Eleven after their first date, agreeing to it after several weeks of email exchanges in which he wooed her by writing to her as her dog Einstein. After their lunch date, she describes their relationship as "the most natural thing in the world."

"Before that experience, I always hoped there could be love that was overwhelming and didn't require any weighing or decision-making. [Love is the] one thing in life that I think is the biggest determinant of happiness, and it's the thing you have the least control over."

Expand Close George Clooney and Amal Clooney go for dinner on April 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp George Clooney and Amal Clooney go for dinner on April 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

"I was 35 when I met him. It wasnt obvious that it was going to happen for me. And I wasnt willing or excited about the idea of getting married or having a family in the absence of that," she tells the new issue of Vogue.

George, who famously said he would never marry again after his four-year marriage to Talia Balsam ended in 1993, is full of nothing but praise for his wife and often speaks at his pride and awe at her accomplishments, in particular how she mothers their 10-month-old twins Ella and Alexander.

"If you know anything about my crazy life, you know that Id pretty much committed to the idea of never marrying again. But I started dating Amal, and I immediately knew that something was very different," he said.

The Oscar-winner said he was "taken" with Amal when they first met (by chance when she was with his agent near his Lake Como, Italy home).

Expand Close Actor George Clooney (R) and wife Amal Clooney attend a Leaders Summit for Refugees during the United Nations 71st session of the General Debate at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2016 in New York, New York. (Photo by Peter Foley - Pool/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Actor George Clooney (R) and wife Amal Clooney attend a Leaders Summit for Refugees during the United Nations 71st session of the General Debate at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2016 in New York, New York. (Photo by Peter Foley - Pool/Getty Images)

"Of course she was beautiful. But I also thought she was fascinating, and I thought she was brilliant. Her life was incredibly exciting - the clients she was taking on and the superhuman work that she was doing. I was taken with her from the moment I saw her," he told the magazine.

"Shes the professional, and Im the amateur. I get to see someone at the absolute top of their game doing their job better than anybody Ive ever seen."

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Roma president James Pallotta, right, shakes hands with Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi after donating 230,000 euros to pay for the restoration of a fountain in the city

Roma president James Pallotta has donated 230,000 euros (200,647) to fix a famous fountain after he jumped into another to celebrate his teams remarkable Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Pallotta took to the streets of Rome to celebrate along with fans after the Serie A side followed a 4-1 quarter-final first leg deficit with a 3-0 home success against the LaLiga leaders.

Roma went through on the away goals rule after the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate thanks to second leg goals from Edin Dzeko, Daniele Di Rossi and Kostas Manolas.

00:00: #ASRoma President Pallotta celebrates 3-0 win by jumping in Piazza del Popolo fountain.



09:00: Pallotta fined 450 for jumping in fountain.



15:00: Pallotta apologises, pays fine & donates 230,000 to fix fountain in front of Pantheon.



Dont jump in fountains kids!  pic.twitter.com/IBHwylgw82  AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 11, 2018

American businessman Pallotta took part in an impromptu celebration which saw him jump into the Piazza del Popolo fountain, near the traditional northern gate to Rome. But city authorities did not take kindly to Pallottas celebration and fined him 450 euros (392).

Following a meeting with Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi the New York-based property tycoon made his generous offer to pay for restoration work on the Fontana del Pantheon, the fountain in front of Romes world renowned tourist attraction.

In a video filmed and posted on the clubs Twitter account Palotta talked of his decision to donate the money and also warned others not to follow his example of jumping into a fountain.

Palotta said: I certainly got caught up in the excitement, I think it was a great night for all of us in Rome.

I also dont want to encourage other people to jump into fountains except if they want to fix the fountain so Ive decided that I think it will be a great personal gesture to fix the fountain in front of the Pantheon so Im going to donate 230,000 euros to it.

As I said, you know, trying not to encourage people (to jump into fountains). (I) love this city, if someone does want to jump into it fix the fountain.
A hedgehog which blew up to the size of a beach ball after developing balloon syndrome has been released into the wild.

The Scottish SPCA allowed Zepplin to return to his natural environment after 253 days at its rescue centre in Fishcross, Clackmannanshire.

The animal welfare charity was called to help the hedgehog in July 2017 after he was spotted by a member of the public.

He then had a circumference of 30 inches which vets believed was due to being injured by a car.

Colin Seddon, national wildlife rescue centre manager said: Zepplin has been recovering at our National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross for the past 253 days.

Zepplin suffered from balloon syndrome. Its likely that he was clipped by a car, puncturing a lung and causing air to become trapped under his skin.

Hes certainly one of the largest hedgehogs weve taken into our care, with a circumference of 30 inches.

Vets released him and other hedgehogs in Perthshire over the Easter weekend after he received treatment to allow excess air to escape from his body.

Mr Sneddon added: Zepplin had a difficult time recovering, the hole we made in his skin kept healing faster than his punctured lung, we had to put plastic in with his spines to ensure the excess air could escape as the poor guy kept re-inflating.

Zepplin has thankfully made a full recovery after his ordeal and was released over the Easter weekend, along with other hedgehogs, in the Perthshire area.
Victims: Yulia and Sergei Skripal are set to speak to investigators. Photo by REX (9452103m)

Yulia Skripal has left hospital in Salisbury and is believed to have been taken to a safe house

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned alongside her father in Salisbury last month, said she has found herself in a "totally different life" as she continues to recover from the nerve agent attack.

A diplomatic battle has been raging between the UK and Moscow about whether the Russian embassy should be allowed access to the 33-year-old daughter of ex-spy Sergei Skripal.

Ms Skripal, found critically ill alongside her 66-year-old father Sergei Skripal on a bench last month, was discharged from a hospital in Salisbury, Wiltshire, this week, and said she does not wish to avail herself of the Russian embassy's services.

In a statement, issued by Scotland Yard, Ms Skripal said: "I have specially trained officers available to me, who are helping to take care of me and to explain the investigative processes that are being undertaken.

"I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can.

"At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them.

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"Most importantly, I am safe and feeling better as time goes by, but I am not yet strong enough to give a full interview to the media, as I one day hope to do.

"Until that time, I want to stress that no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves.

"I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being.

"Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my father's."

Ms Skripal said she was treated with "such kindness" at Salisbury District Hospital, and is missing the staff there.

"I have left my father in their care, and he is still seriously ill. I too am still suffering with the effects of the nerve agent used against us.

"I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago, and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects, whilst also recovering from this attack on me," she said.

It is believed that British authorities immediately spirited Ms Skripal away to a secure location when she was discharged from hospital.

The Russian embassy reacted angrily, suggesting in a series of tweets that the Russian national had been taken against her will.

Russia remains the prime suspect for carrying out the attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter.

The embassy is perturbed by a refusal from UK authorities to grant Ms Skripal's cousin Viktoria a visa to visit her family.

It escalated the war of words on Tuesday, saying in a series of statements posted on social media: "Secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation."

Ms Skripal's release from hospital was met with a similar broadside from the embassy, which has repeatedly criticised the handling of the investigation into the attack.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "We congratulate Yulia on her recovery.

"Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will."

On Wednesday morning, it suggested reports Ms Skripal had turned down consular assistance actually revealed she is being "held hostage by the same people who destroy evidence and fail to come up with a single official account of the crime".

Former double agent Mr Skripal was jailed in Russia for selling secrets to MI6 but was released as part of a spy swap deal in 2010 and settled in the UK.

It is hoped he will soon be fit for release from hospital, despite grave fears that the exposure to military-grade nerve agent Novichok on March 4 would prove fatal.

Britain has said Russian state involvement is the only plausible explanation for the attack and has led a worldwide reaction involving the expulsion of more than 100 diplomats.

The international chemical weapons watchdog is to publish its report into the Salisbury nerve agent attack on Thursday, the Foreign Office has said.

A spokesman said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has now completed its investigation, which it carried out at the invitation of the UK Government.

The spokesman said that as the requesting state, Britain had asked them to release an executive summary of its findings at midday on Thursday.

"This transparent and open approach, which we have pursued from the outset, is in sharp contrast to the Russian state's ongoing tactics of obfuscation and distraction," the spokesman said.
McCarthy & Stone has warned that Britain is woefully unprepared for the demands of its rapidly-ageing population, as profits halved following tepid demand for second-hand homes.

The group said the Government is in danger of ignoring the housing needs of older people if it fails to widen its focus beyond first-time buyers and deliver policy which supports the construction of retirement housing.

Its clarion call came as profits took a battering from a cocktail of pressures, including the sluggish second-hand market, escalating building costs, lower completions and a need to bolster marketing spend to help lift sales.

It also suffered from a pause in build-start activity in the wake of the Brexit vote in June 2016.

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Pre-tax profits plummeted 52% to 10.5 million for the half-year ending February 28, while revenues eked out 1% growth at 239.6 million over the period.

Chief executive Clive Fenton said trading was resilient, but he urged politicians to use a review of planning and social care legislation to rebalance housing policy towards helping older people.

He said: The growing need for retirement housing caused by our rapidly ageing population also means the long-term prospects for our business continue to be positive.

Government must not ignore the many benefits of building more retirement housingMcCarthy & Stone CEO Clive Fenton

However, the UK remains woefully unprepared for these demographic changes and we are calling for a joined-up policy approach across all Government departments to encourage the delivery of better housing options for older people.

We recognise the need to support first-time buyers but Government must not ignore the many benefits of building more retirement housing.

This form of housing frees up existing homes for families and young people, and reduces pressure on social care services, which are set to account for half of all taxes raised by local authorities by 2035.

The firm saw its average selling price climb 15% to 298,000 for the half-year, but was knocked by 12% fall in completions at 760 units.

While trading is on track to meet full-year targets, the company said it was now expecting a more modest growth trajectory over the next two financial years in response to lower land exchanges and planning consents.

Investors left the group licking its wounds again on Wednesday, sending shares down 3% in morning trading on the London Stock Exchange.

Its stock price took a hefty blow last year  dropping 8% on December 21  after warning over a potential hit from a Government crackdown on unnecessary leaseholds and ground rent charges.
Donald Trump has spoken with other world leaders about a possible joint military response to the attack in Syria (Evan Vucci/AP)

The Russian military has said it will deploy troops to the Syrian town of Douma, which was the site of Saturdays purported chemical attack.

The move comes after US President Donald Trump warned Russia of a forthcoming response to suspected chemical attack in Syria, declaring that missiles "will be coming" and blasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it did not engage in "Twitter diplomacy" after U.S. President Donald Trump used the social media platform to warn Russia of imminent military action in Syria, the Interfax news agency reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying that care should be taken not to aggravate the situation in Syria.

"We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy," Peskov was quoted as saying by Interfax. "We support serious approaches. We continue to believe that it is important not to take steps that could harm an already fragile situation."

Expand Close A child rests in the medical clinic after receiving treatment for the chemical attack Photo: Getty / Facebook

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Russia's Foreign Ministry has also called for Washington to destroy its chemical weapons, mocking a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to put an end to a global arms race.

Trump earlier on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that Washington's ties with Russia were at their worst ever point. "There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?" Trump wrote.

"Great idea!" Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, wrote on Facebook, commenting on Trump's suggestion. "There is a proposal to start with the destruction of chemical weapons. The American ones," she wrote.

Mr Trump and Western allies are considering military action to punish al-Assad for the reported poison gas assault on Saturday in the town of Douma, which had long had held out against a government siege. Damascus said reports of a gas attack are false.

But the World Health Organization said around 500 people had been treated for "signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals" after a suspected poison gas attack in a Syrian rebel enclave just before it fell.

"In particular, there were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed," the United Nations health agency said in a statement issued in Geneva.

It cautioned that the WHO has no formal role in forensic inquiries into the use of chemical weapons. International chemical weapons inspectors are seeking assurances from Damascus of safe passage to and from Douma to determine whether globally banned munitions were used, though will not assign blame.

WHO also said that more than 70 people sheltering from bombardment in basements in the former rebel pocket of eastern Ghouta, where Douma is located, were reported to have died.

It said 43 of those deaths were "related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals," citing reports from its local health partners.

"We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma," said Peter Salama, WHO's deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response.

"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," he said.

The Syrian government has called US threats to attack "reckless", saying they endanger international peace and security.

U.N. aid agencies lack access to most of eastern Ghouta, from which rebels are withdrawing under a deal with the Syrian government that restored its control over the region.

WHO said it had trained more than 800 Syrian health workers to recognise symptoms and treat patients for chemical weapons exposure. The U.N. agency has also distributed antidotes for nerve agents, including in besieged Douma last year.

Tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in Douma, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday, and it demanded access to the area.

More than 133,000 people are estimated to have fled a desperate humanitarian situation in eastern Ghouta over the past four weeks, UNHCR added.
A relative said she was relieved Mr Faizi's (pictured) remains have been found.

Landscaper Bruce McArthur (66) has now been charged with seven murders

A Canadian alleged serial killer is facing a seventh murder charge involving a missing man whose family initially thought he had abandoned his wife and two daughters.

The prosecution said in court that 66-year-old landscaper Bruce McArthur has been charged with first-degree murder over the death of Abdulbasir Faizi.

McArthur appeared by video during the session in Toronto.

Police have been trying to identify the remains of several men found at a property McArthur used as storage for his landscaping business and say he targeted men he met through dating apps that cater to gay men, meeting them at bars in the "Gay Village" area of Toronto, as well as male prostitutes.

A relative said she was relieved Mr Faizi's remains have been found.

"For me at least there's a sense of relief because he didn't abandon anyone. He didn't run away," she said.

An assistant machine operator at a printing company, Mr Faizi went missing on December 29 2010.

Trying to determine why, his Muslim family accessed his computer and were shocked to discover he had been secretly going to bathhouses in the Gay Village and was on gay dating apps for older and large men.

Expand Close A relative said she was relieved Mr Faizi's (pictured) remains have been found. / Facebook

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When they then went to police, officers suggested he had probably just left, the relative said.

Mr Faizi's wife divorced him, thinking he had abandoned her and their two young daughters.

"She didn't know. He wasn't out. As far as she knows they were married and they were happy and he abandoned her and the daughters," she said.

But she said she always knew he did not run away.

"It didn't make sense. He didn't take his passport and he didn't take any money. It didn't make sense that police had this theory that he ran away," she said.

"I feel very guilty now because I didn't do enough."

Police set up a task force, Project Houston, in 2012 after Skandaraj Navaratnam, Majeed Kayhan and Mr Faizi, an Afghan who immigrated to Canada from Iran, went missing.

The three are South Asian or Middle Eastern and frequented gay bars in Toronto's Gay Village. That project closed in 2014.

McArthur is now charged with their murders and the murders of four other men.

He appeared wearing an orange jumpsuit and spoke in court only to say his name and acknowledge that he understood the charges against him.

McArthur has not entered a plea.
When your lawyers need lawyers, it's usually a bad sign. When your lawyers have their offices and homes raided, it's a really bad sign. News that federal investigators on Monday took the extraordinary step of executing a search warrant at the legal office of Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's long-time personal attorney, indicates Cohen is in serious legal jeopardy of his own.

And although the investigation is not directly related to the Mueller probe, it's yet another example of the legal walls closing in on one of the people closest to Trump - someone who may have a wealth of information about the president's own conduct.

The FBI executed the search warrants at Cohen's New York office and his home and hotel room. The warrants were obtained by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. According to a statement from Cohen's attorney, prosecutors informed him their investigation is, "in part", based on a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The first thing to note about this striking development is that the warrant was not obtained by Mueller himself. Whatever the subject matter of this particular investigation, it apparently falls outside of Mueller's jurisdiction and thus resulted in his referral to the New York prosecutors. So we know the evidence seized does not directly relate to Mueller's inquiry into any conspiracy with Russians to influence the election or related crimes such as obstruction of the special counsel's investigation.

We also know that a search warrant, unlike a grand jury subpoena, requires prosecutors to go before a federal judge to demonstrate probable cause that a crime has been committed and evidence of that crime can be found in the premises to be searched. Before approving a search of a lawyer's office, a judge would want to be satisfied that there was some substance behind the claims. This is not just some prosecutorial fishing expedition; it's backed by a federal judge.

We don't know for certain the nature of the Southern District's investigation. The potential crime outside of Mueller's jurisdiction to which Cohen has been linked most directly relates to the $130,000 payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels just days before the presidential election. If Cohen made that payment himself or facilitated the payment from another individual or company, it could be deemed an illegal contribution to Trump's campaign. There could be other alleged offences, such as tax or bank fraud violations, surrounding any such payments as well.

Or there could be other non-Stormy-Daniels-related allegations about Cohen's conduct that have not yet surfaced publicly.

This was not just any search warrant; that the raid took place at a lawyer's office further highlights the seriousness of the investigation. Searches of an attorney's office are extremely rare and are not favoured, due to their potential to impinge on the attorney-client relationship. Prosecutors must jump through multiple hoops to get such a warrant approved, both within their own office and at the criminal division of the national Justice. (Notably, this would likely have included approval by Trump's own guy, the new interim US attorney for the Southern District, Geoffrey Berman, who was just appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in January.)

Prosecutors are also required to consider less intrusive alternatives to a search warrant, such as a subpoena, if practical. Approval of a search warrant suggests prosecutors were able to demonstrate not only the gravity of the potential case but also the risk that evidence might be destroyed or otherwise go missing if they pursued a less aggressive option.

Cohen, and perhaps the president, will likely argue that this raid violates the attorney-client privilege. Indeed, Trump said it was "a disgrace".

In a search like this, prosecutors typically set up a privilege team or "taint team" of investigators not involved in the case to review potentially privileged documents and shield those from the team actually involved in the prosecution. There is an exception to the attorney-client privilege if communications to an attorney are used in furtherance of a crime or fraud; that could come into play here as well.

And documents related to anything Cohen did on his own - after all, Trump has denied knowing about the payment to Daniels - are likely not privileged if they do not contain attorney-client communications. Documents are not privileged simply because they passed through an attorney's hands.

Cohen, who is extremely close to Trump and has been known as his "fixer", appears to have serious legal problems. If federal prosecutors feel they have enough on you to execute a search warrant, it's never a good sign - just ask Paul Manafort.

And to the extent that Cohen, part of Trump's innermost circle, might have knowledge relevant to Mueller's inquiry, we can't rule out the possibility that his own legal troubles could induce him to co-operate in the Russia probe. Hold on tight. ( Washington Post)
Donald Trump has erupted with fury at the news that the FBI raided the office of his personal lawyer and seized documents relating to a payment he made to a porn star.

Michael Cohen, the US president's long-serving personal lawyer, has previously admitted paying $130,000 (105,000) to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump said the FBI "broke into" Mr Cohen's New York offices, and described it repeatedly as "a disgrace".

Federal prosecutors obtained the warrant to search Mr Cohen's office after receiving a referral from the special counsel Robert Mueller, who is tasked with heading up the Russia investigation.

The search is not believed to be connected to the Russia probe, but is thought to have resulted from information Mr Mueller uncovered.

"It's a disgrace. It's frankly a real disgrace. It's an attack on our country, and what we all stand for. This is a pure and simple witch hunt," Mr Trump said.

He also described Mr Mueller's team as "the most conflicted group of people I have ever seen", wrongly stating that they were "almost all Democrats", and lashed out once again at his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for recusing himself from the Russia investigation.

Asked why he did not simply fire Mr Mueller, he said: "I think it's really a sad situation.

"Many people have said you should fire him. They found nothing."

Yesterday morning Mr Trump tweeted: "Attorney-client privilege is dead!"

Mr Cohen's lawyers called Monday's search "completely inappropriate and unnecessary".

Mr Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels - real name Stephanie Clifford - has come under scrutiny after it emerged it was made just weeks before the 2016 election. An election watchdog group complained about the payment, arguing it could be classed as an undisclosed campaign contribution, something Mr Cohen denies.

The lawyer has refused to say what the money was for but the White House has repeatedly said Mr Trump "vehemently denies" having sex with Ms Daniels. Last week Mr Trump said he was unaware of the payment to Ms Daniels.

The payment to Ms Daniels forms just a part of the investigation by FBI officers on Monday, a source told the 'New York Times'.

Federal agents are also believed to have seized emails, tax documents and business records - including communications between Mr Trump and Mr Cohen.

"Today the US Attorney's office for the southern district of New York executed a series of search warrants and seized the privileged communications between my client, Michael Cohen, and his clients," said Stephen Ryan, his lawyer.

"I have been advised by federal prosecutors that the New York action is, in part, a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller."

Mr Ryan told the 'New York Times' his client has co-operated with authorities and turned over thousands of documents to congressional investigators looking into Russian election meddling. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Recruitment giant Page Group has warned that political turmoil in Britain, Spain and Brazil poses a risk to the business as it unveiled a rise in group profits.

Page said it was pleased with the groups financial performance in the first quarter, but that it faces uncertainties around Brexit, and the upcoming elections in Brazil.

Group profit rose by 10.3% to 187.7 million in a record quarter for the group, with profits in Europe, the Middle East and Africa rising by 18.2%.

A number of macroeconomic uncertainties remain, including Brexit in the UK, challenges in Catalonia, potential impact from strikes in France, and Brazil's forthcoming electionsPage CEO Steve Ingham

Profit in France and Germany, which represent a quarter of the group, increased by 18% and 28% respectively.

However, gross profit in the UK, which accounts for around a fifth of the business, fell by 7.1%. The Surrey-based company said this was due to a drop in confidence, particularly within its recruitment agency Michael Page, and the timing of Easter.

Steve Ingham, chief executive of Page, said the group was on track to meet the market consensus for full-year operating profit of 132 million.

We are pleased with the strong group performance in the first quarter, which was achieved despite the timing of Easter, and we are encouraged by the growth seen in the majority of our markets, he said.

However, a number of macroeconomic uncertainties remain, including Brexit in the UK, challenges in Catalonia, potential impact from strikes in France, and Brazils forthcoming elections.

The Americas now represent the fastest-growing market for the group. The US, which accounts for more than half of Pages business in the region, posted growth of 17%.

Shares in the group fell by more than 2% in morning trading.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said that although the company was sticking to its consensus forecasts for 2018, the cautious outlook suggested the executives were hedging their bets.

The reason for weakness could be an underwhelming UK performance and a fairly downbeat outlook statement alongside the update, he said.
Yulia Skripal has left hospital in Salisbury and is believed to have been taken to a safe house

The Russian Embassy in London said it would consider any secret resettlement of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the former Russian double agent and his daughter who were poisoned last month, as an abduction of its citizens.

If the pair were secretly resettled, the opportunity to hear their version of events would be lost, the embassy said.

"The world, while having no opportunity to interact with them, will have every reason to see this as an abduction of the two Russian nationals or at least as their isolation," the website said.

Ms Skripal (33) has left hospital more than five weeks after she and her father, a former Russian spy, were poisoned with a nerve agent in an attack that has sparked one of the biggest crises in the West's relations with the Kremlin since the Cold War. She and her father (66), a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain's MI6 foreign spy service, were found unconscious on a public bench in Salisbury on March 4.

Britain accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack and Western governments including the United States expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats.

Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and retaliated in kind.

The Skripals were in a critical condition for weeks and doctors at one point feared that even if they survived they might have suffered brain damage. But the Skripals' health has begun to improve rapidly.

Ms Skripal has been discharged from Salisbury District Hospital, Christine Blanshard, medical director of the hospital, said yesterday and her father could be discharged in due course.

"We have now discharged Yulia," Dr Blanshard said.

"This is not the end of her treatment, but marks a significant milestone. Her father has also made good progress.

"Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course."

Ms Skripal is understood to have been taken to a secure location, while the 'Sunday Times' reported Britain was considering giving the Skripals new identities and a fresh life in the United States to protect them from further attacks.

Dr Blanshard, a doctor with 25 years' experience, said nerve agents work by attaching themselves to particular enzymes in the body that then stop the nerves from functioning. She said this had resulted in sickness and hallucinations.

Giving the first details about the Skripals' medical treatment, she said doctors had first sought to stabilise them to ensure they could breathe and blood could circulate.

"We then needed to use a variety of different drugs to support the patients, until they could create more enzymes to replace those affected by the poisoning," Dr Blanshard said.

"We also used specialised decontamination techniques to remove any residual toxins."

She did not say when Ms Skripal had been discharged.

Both Britain and Russia congratulated her on her recovery.

"We congratulate Yulia Skripal on her recovery," the Russian embassy in London said, adding it had not been granted consular access to her.

Mr Skripal, who was recruited by Britain's 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 world of high espionage and betrayal, Mr Skripal had kept out of the spotlight until he was poisoned. He has British citizenship.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle look at some prosthetic limbs made by the Titanic FX company during a visit to Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast where they met some of Northern Ireland's brightest young entrepreneurs. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 23, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Harry. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Meghan Markle waves to wellwishers during a walkabout in Belfast after she and Prince Harry visited the Crown Bar in the city centre

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. Niall Carson/Pool via REUTERS

Meghan Markle leaves after a visit to Titanic Belfast maritime museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. Joe Giddens/Pool via REUTERS

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. Niall Carson/Pool via REUTERS

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to walk down the aisle in May (Niall Carson/PA)

Britain's Prince Harry, and his fiancee Meghan Markle, leave after a visit to the Titanic tourist attraction in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Staples

Guests at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be caught up in a multi-million-pound secutiry operation. Photo: Niall Carson/PA

Prince Harry, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation and Meghan Markle attend the UK Team Trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on April 6, 2018 in Bath, England

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation attend the UK Team Trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on April 6, 2018 in Bath, England

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not invited UK Prime Minister Theresa May or US President Donald Trump to the royal wedding.

The couple will not have an official list of political leaders on the guest list when they marry on May 19. Former US president Barack Obama has also missed out on an invitation.

"It has been decided an official list of political leaders - both UK and international - is not required for Prince Harry and Ms Markle's wedding," a Kensington Palace spokesman said. "Her majesty's government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by the royal household."

Expand Close Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation attend the UK Team Trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on April 6, 2018 in Bath, England / Facebook

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Royal sources said the guest list will be restricted to those who have a direct relationship with the couple, and was taken both because St George's Chapel is relatively small, and because the prince is not in the direct line of succession.

Some members of the public have received an invitation to wait in the grounds outside the chapel to watch the bride and groom and their wedding guests arrive and leave.

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They include Philip Gillespie (30), from Ballymena, who lost his right leg in an IED incident in Afghanistan and now raises funds and awareness for ABF The Soldiers' Charity. He has just taken part in Invictus Games UK team trials for rowing, swimming and archery.

( Daily Telegraph London)

Video of the Day Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation attend the UK Team Trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on April 6, 2018 in Bath, England Prince Harry, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation and Meghan Markle attend the UK Team Trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on April 6, 2018 in Bath, England Guests at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be caught up in a multi-million-pound secutiry operation. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Britain's Prince Harry, and his fiancee Meghan Markle, leave after a visit to the Titanic tourist attraction in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Staples Bucking tradition: Harry and Meghan Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to walk down the aisle in May (Niall Carson/PA) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. Niall Carson/Pool via REUTERS Meghan Markle leaves after a visit to Titanic Belfast maritime museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. Joe Giddens/Pool via REUTERS Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast, Northern Ireland March 23, 2018. Niall Carson/Pool via REUTERS Meghan Markle waves to wellwishers during a walkabout in Belfast after she and Prince Harry visited the Crown Bar in the city centre Prince Harry and Meghan Markle look at some prosthetic limbs made by the Titanic FX company during a visit to Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast where they met some of Northern Ireland's brightest young entrepreneurs. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 23, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Harry. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook

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Members of the Security Council vote on resolutions to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria (Julie Jacobson/AP)

Rival US and Russian resolutions to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria suffered defeats at the United Nations, a result that the Russian ambassador said the Trump administration wanted so it can justify the use of force against Syria.

The Security Council also rejected another Russian-drafted resolution that would have welcomed an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of allegations of a weekend chemical attack in the suburbs of Syrias capital.

The US, Britain and France opposed the measure, saying that the investigators are already headed there and that the text did not include a new way to assess blame for chemical attacks.

The council has met four times in the past week on chemical weapons in Syria, with the US, Britain and France facing off against Russia, Syrian president Bashar Assads key ally that insists no chemical attack took place in the Douma suburb.

As tensions escalate over possible US-led military reprisals for the suspected attack, the UNs most powerful body remained paralysed, unable to overcome its deep divisions that have been a hallmark of its debates during the seven years of conflict in Syria.

Swedens ambassador, Olof Skoog, who tried unsuccessfully to find a compromise solution, told the council after the third vote that he was disappointed.

I just hope that we do not consider this the end when it comes to ensuring that the facts are established and that there is a true accountability and no more impunity for the horrendous use of chemical weapons in Syria and elsewhere, Mr Skoog said.

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After the defeat of Russias second resolution, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said to US ambassador Nikki Haley: I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that youre currently developing for Syria.

The threats of US military action against Syria should make us seriously worried, all of us, Mr Nebenzia said.

In Tuesdays first vote, Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that would have condemned the suspected Douma attack in the strongest terms and established a new independent and impartial investigative body to determine responsibility for Syrian chemical attacks.

Hugely disappointing that Russia vetoed the proposal at the UN for an independent investigation into Syrian chemical attacks. Russia is holding the Syrian people to political ransom by supporting a regime responsible for at least 4 heinous chemical attacks against its people  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 10, 2018

The vote was 12 in favour, with Bolivia joining Russia in voting no and China abstaining.

History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people, Ms Haley said, referring to Syrian president Bashar Assad.

She said the United States went the extra mile to get Russian support for the resolution to ensure that a new investigative body would be impartial, independent and professional  provisions she said were not in the rival Russian resolution.

Ms Haley said the Russian draft would have allowed Russia to choose the investigators and assess the outcome of the investigation. Does any of that sound independent or impartial?

Mr Nebenzia accused the United States of trying to mislead the international community and said it is taking one more step toward confrontation.

He said the US and its allies did not need a resolution to determine responsibility because it was already blaming Syria and Russia.

You do not want to hear the fact that no traces of a chemical attack were found in Douma, Mr Nebenzia said. You simply have been looking for a pretext and want the resolution to fail to justify the use of force against Syria.

"This is a sad day for #UNSC, a sad day for universal norms, a sad day for the non-proliferation regime but above all, a very sad day for the people of Douma who now are without the protection that the international system was set up to provide for them."



 @KarenPierceUN pic.twitter.com/Qx10O2sTZN  UK at the UN  (@UKUN_NewYork) April 10, 2018

A joint UN-OPCW investigative team accused Syria of using chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015 and the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others. The latter attack led to a US airstrike on a Syrian airfield.

The team also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas twice in 2015 and 2016.

Russia rejected the findings on Syrias culpability and vetoed a Western-backed resolution in November that would have renewed the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).

Mr Nebenzia told the council the US resolution was trying to recreate the JIM, which he said became a puppet in the hands of anti-Damascus forces.

The rival Russian resolutions  on a new accountability body and the OPCW fact-finding mission  both failed to get the required nine yes votes needed for adoption. The US, Britain and France voted against both measures but did not have to use their vetoes.

Mr Nebenzia and Syrian ambassador Bashar Jaafari said that despite the councils failure to welcome the OPCW fact-finding mission, its investigators are heading to Syria with support from both Russia and Syria.

Mr Nebenzia said two groups of OPCW experts could be on the ground as early as this week.
A veteran Nepalese Sherpa guide is about to attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest for a record-breaking 22nd time.

Kami Rita is one of just three people to scale Everest 21 times. The other two have retired, but he is heading back to the mountain, saying climbing is a family tradition and pays well in a country with rampant poverty.

My goal is to reach the summit of Everest at least 25 times, he said in Kathmandu, Nepals capital, shortly before heading back to the mountain for what he hopes will mark his record-breaking climb.

I want to set a new record not just for myself but for my family, the Sherpa people and for my country, Nepal.

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Mr Rita wants the number of Everest climbers to be limited. The mountain has only a brief window of weather good enough for summit attempts, normally in mid-May, which regularly results in mountaineering traffic jams.

But since Nepal opened to foreign trekkers in 1950, the 48-year-old says climbing has become safer, with better equipment and complex weather forecasting to warn of the mountains deadly storms

His father was among the first professional guides after Nepal opened to foreign trekkers and mountaineers.

His brother has scaled Everest 17 times, and most of his male relatives have reached the top least once.

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He decided to become a guide when he was a child. Growing up in the village I envied the good clothes and things that people in in the village brought back after expeditions, he said.

He first scaled the 29,000ft Everest at 24, and has made the trip almost every year since then.

He has also climbed many of the regions other high peaks, including K-2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse. In the autumn, he guides clients to smaller peaks in Nepal.

As a veteran guide, he earns about 10,000 US dollars (7,000) for each Everest climb, an enormous income in a country where most people about 700 dollars (500) per year.

The other two summit record-holders are also Sherpas. Apa, a 58-year-old guide who uses only one name, retired in 2011 and moved to Utah.

Phurba Tashi, 47, retired from high-altitude climbing in 2013 but still works at Everests Base Camp, helping organise expeditions.

Mr Rita said: There are many risks in climbing, which is always unpredictable and dangerous. But I have had to keep doing this because I dont know anything else.

He was at Base Camp when an avalanche struck in 2014, killing 16 Sherpa guides, including five from his team.

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The next year, an earthquake triggered another avalanche that ripped through Base Camp, killing 19 people. He escaped only because his teams tents were set up that year on the far side of Base Camp.

Sherpa guides now have better insurance coverage, and the Nepal government has begun issuing certificates for successful climbs to guides.

Now we have proof to show our clients of the climbs we have achieved, which helps us, he said.

Mountaineering has been his professional life, but it weighs heavily on his family.

His wife, Lakpa Jangmu, dreads when he leaves for expeditions.

I keep telling him we could look for other jobs, start a small business, she said. But he does not listen to me at all.
A young boy keeps an hand on the family luggage as Syrian families gather at a camp for displaced people from Douma yesterday. Photo: Nazeer al-Khatib/Getty

President Donald Trump intensified preparations for a US response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, cancelling a planned trip this weekend to South America and conferring with European allies on retaliatory steps.

Mr Trump spoke by phone yesterday with UK Prime Minister Theresa May. Both leaders condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "vicious disregard for human life" and "agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue," the White House said in an emailed statement on the call.

The US president spoke twice this week with French President Emmanuel Macron to co-ordinate a Syria response, said a person familiar with the matter.

Mr Trump hasn't made a final decision on a response, and continues to meet with national security staff on the matter, an administration official said.

Mr Trump said late on Monday that the US will respond "forcefully" to a suspected chemical weapons attack by Assad's regime over the weekend, after suggesting earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin may share responsibility. He would not describe the US response or say when it would come.

"I don't like talking about timing," he said.

Expand Close A handout photograph on the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency yesterday shows President Bashar al-Assad being kissed by a woman whose relative is believed to be captured by rebels / Facebook

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The development also comes a day after the FBI raided the office of Mr Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, based on information gathered in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. That news caused Mr Trump to lash out at Mr Mueller to reporters late on Monday, describing the FBI raid as a criminal act and an "attack on our country".

Some of Mr Trump's allies encouraged him to respond by firing Mr Mueller, FBI director Christopher Wray or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is supervising Mr Mueller's probe and approved the raid. Mr Trump entertained a question about firing Mr Mueller while speaking with reporters, but did not say whether he was considering the move.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated even higher early on Monday with an airstrike by unknown warplanes against a Syrian airbase. Russia blamed the raid on Israel, which hewed to its customary no-comment policy.

The White House announced yesterday morning that Vice President Mike Pence would travel in Mr Trump's place to the Latin American summit. The administration had already scaled back the trip in recent weeks, and one planned meeting with Peru's president was cancelled after he resigned amid corruption allegations.

"There's a high bar for a president ever cancelling a foreign trip," said Michael Singh, former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council under President George W Bush and managing director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Once arrangements for meetings and travel are made, logistics are put in place, money spent and diplomatic negotiations executed. "It's not something you do casually."

At the same time, Mr Singh said past presidents have cancelled or postponed trips to remain in the US to deal with domestic and foreign policy crises. While the president has all the communications and support tools he needs to run a virtual White House from anywhere in the world, Mr Singh said there may be no substitute for being able to sit down in the same room with key advisers.

"There's a symbolic element as well," Mr Singh said. Cancelling the trip allows Mr Trump to show he is personally engaged and takes the stakes seriously. "The US ordering a military strike against another country is pretty serious business," Mr Singh said. The change in travel plans is another indication Mr Trump is leaning toward a military strike, he said.
New Delhi, Apr 11 (IBNS): The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, gave its approval for exploration and exploitation of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) from areas under coal mining lease allotted to Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries, according to a government release.

The CCEA approved the issuing of a notification amending clause 3(xiii) of the notification November 3, 2015, issued by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural gas under Section 12 of the Oil Fields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 (ORD Act, 1948).

Due to this amendment, relaxation is granted under the Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules 1959 (PNG Rules, 1959), to Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries for not applying for grant of license/lease under the PNG Rules,1959, for extraction of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) under their Coal Bearing Areas.

The decision is in line with the Union governments initiatives of Ease of Doing Business, the release said.

It will expedite the exploration and exploitation of CBM, enhance the availability of natural gas and reduce the gap in demand and supply of natural gas.

The increased development activities for exploration and exploitation of CBM gas reserves in-and-around the block will generate economic activities which in turn has potential to create employment opportunities in CBM operations and in the industries.

The Union government had issued a notification on Nov 3, 2015 granting rights to CIL and its subsidiaries for exploration and exploitation of CBM from all coal bearing areas for which they possess mining lease for coal.

Clause 3(vi) of the Notification provides that the "Lessee shall submit application under the P&NG Rules 1959 for grant of Mining Lease (ML) for CBM to MoP&NG along with detailed recommendations of Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL)."

Image: CIL/Twitter
New Delhi, Apr 11 (IBNS): Following the Cabinet's approval, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Union Finance Minister will be able to award the Blocks/Contract Areas to successful bidders, according to a government release on Wednesday.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for delegating the powers to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Finance Minister to award the Blocks/Contract Areas to successful bidders under Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) after International Competitive Bidding (ICB) based on the recommendations of Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECS).

Under HELP, Blocks are to be awarded twice in a year.

Therefore, this delegation of powers will expedite the decision making process on awarding blocks and give a boost to the initiative of ease of doing business.

Under the earlier NELP Policy, ECS considered the Bid Evaluation Criteria (BEC), conducted negotiations with the bidders wherever necessary and made recommendations to CCEA on award of blocks.

The CCEA would then award the blocks.

The entire process, including Inter Ministerial Consultations (IMC) was quite lengthy and time consuming.

Under the New Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy, the competitive bidding will be continuous and blocks will be awarded twice a year, thus shortening the duration of time taken for awarding of the Blocks / Contract Areas.

The Central government launched a new policy regime for Exploration & Production (E&P) sector, namely Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) in 2016.

The main features of new Policy are Revenue Sharing Contract, single Licence for exploration and production of conventional as well as unconventional Hydrocarbon resources, marketing & pricing freedom, etc.

Under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) under HELPan investor can carve out Blocks of their own interest and submit an Expression of Interest (Eol) throughout the year.

Based on the areas for which expression of interest has been expressed, bidding will be conducted every six months.

The Central government received an overwhelming response in first Eol cycle of OALP which started July 1, 2017 and closed on November 15, 2017.

In the first Bid round, 55 blocks, having an area of 59,282 sq.km and spreading across 11 states have been offered for bidding.

The bidding process is being handled through a secured and dedicated e-bidding portal.



Image: Petroleum Ministry/Twitter
Mumbai, Apr 11 (IBNS): The Indian market closed higher on Wednesday with BSE Sensex up 60.19 points at 33,940.44 and NSE Nifty up 14.90 points at 10,417.20.

Top gainers on Wednesday included Vedanta, TCS, Sun Pharma, HUL, Reliance, M&M, Eicher Motors and HCL Tech while HPCL, BPCL, Adani Ports, SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Yes Bank were some of the key stocks that declined.

Separately, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, gave its approval for exploration and exploitation of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) from areas under coal mining lease allotted to Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries, according to a government release.

The CCEA approved the issuing of a notification amending clause 3(xiii) of the notification November 3, 2015, issued by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural gas under Section 12 of the Oil Fields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 (ORD Act, 1948).

Due to this amendment, relaxation is granted under the Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules 1959 (PNG Rules, 1959), to Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries for not applying for grant of license/lease under the PNG Rules,1959, for extraction of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) under their Coal Bearing Areas.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also given its approval for delegating the powers to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Finance Minister to award the Blocks/Contract Areas to successful bidders under Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) after International Competitive Bidding (ICB) based on the recommendations of Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECS).

This delegation of powers will expedite the decision making process on awarding blocks and give a boost to the initiative of ease of doing business, the ministry said.
Srinagar, Apr 11 (IBNS): A gunfight started between terrorists and security forces at Khudwani area in South Kashmir on Tuesday night.

The gunfight is still going on.

According to reports, security forces launched a cordon and search operation after getting inputs about the presence of terrorists at Wani Mohalla Khudwani area.

An official said that 2 to 3 militants are present in the village.

Two army and a CRPF trooper have suffered injuries and have been evacuated to 92 Base Army Hospital in Srinagar, reports said.

Mobile internet services have been reportedly snapped in parts of Kulgam and Anantnag areas.

A police official said the area has been completely sealed to prevent people from moving towards the encounter site. Intermittent firing is going on between militants and security forces.

Meanwhile, Srinagar based spokesman of the Indian Army told IBNS that one army jawan sccumbed to his injuries at army hospital here, while one civilian was also were killed during the protest near encounter site.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
Srinagar, Apr 11 (IBNS) : An army jawan and two civilians, including a 16-year-old boy, were reportedly killed during a gunbattle in south Kashmirs Khudwani area in Kulgam district on Wednesday morning, media reports said.

Another army man and a CRPF trooper suffered injuries and were evacuated to 92 Base Army Hospital in Srinagar, reports said.

The gunfight is still going on.

An official said that 2 to 3 militants are present in the village.

While official statements from the police and the army are still awaited, the reports quoted sources as saying that one soldier  identified as Sada Gunakara Rao  succumbed to injuries.

Other sources reportedly confirmed the death of two civilians- Sharjeel Ahmad Sheikh, 20 and Bilal Ahmed Tantray, 16.

They were reportedly part of a local crowd that gathered near the encounter site and pelted stones at security forces. The consequent firing by the forces left the two dead and several others injured.

The encounter in the Khudwani began after a cordon and search operation was launched in Kulgam after inputs of the presence of militants in the area.

Mobile internet services have been reportedly snapped in parts of Kulgam and Anantnag areas.

A police official said the area has been completely sealed to prevent people from moving towards the encounter site. Intermittent firing is going on between militants and security forces.

Meanwhile, Srinagar based spokesman of the Indian Army told IBNS that one army jawan sccumbed to his injuries at army hospital here, while one civilian was also were killed during the protest near encounter site.
Jammu, Apr 11 (IBNS): A bandh has been called in Jammu by lawyers as a protest against the filing of charge-sheets against the accused who had allegedly raped, mutilated and murdered an eight-year old girl in Kathua town of Jammu and Kashmir, media reports said.

Jammu Bar Association President, BS Salathia, has been quoted by NDTV, "We have called for a strike and have got support from many organisations. The crime branch team has officers from Kashmir who don't have a good track record. Therefore, we want a CBI inquiry."

The lawyers, who have been demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the case, had earlier stopped the police from filing charge-sheets against the accused.

After six hours of ruckus, the police could register cases against the accused.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, said the police have handled the situation competently.

The minor was held captive by the accused at a temple and later she was raped, mutilated and murdered in Rassana village of Kathua months ago, crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir police stated.

Though former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appreciated the actions taken by the police, he did not spare Mufti's smaller ally partner in the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party, from attacking.

He tweeted, "While appreciating action by @JmuKmrPolice against the Kathua mob masquerading as lawyers lets not forget the mob were emboldened by the actions/words of two BJP ministers in @MehboobaMuftis cabinet. What about action against them?"
New Delhi, Apr 11 (IBNS): Following the footsteps of the Congress, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a fast on Thursday, as a protest against the parliament washout.

In a press statement, the BJP has said Modi will hold a day-long fast "to expose the Congress for its undemocratic style of functioning & pursuing divisive politics & anti-development agenda."

Despite the fast, the PM will carry on with his official duties on Thursday.

BJP national president Amit Shah will be present at a protest in Hubli, Karnataka.

BJP has also accused Congress, the principal opposition party, of disturbing peace and harmony in the country by inciting hatred and creating rift in the society.

The second phase of the budget session, which began on Mar 5, was almost a washout.

The parliament could barely work for an hour on each working day.

The protests were mainly staged by opposition parties in the parliament over a range of issues which includes Punjab National Bank scam, Cauvery river water, special status for Andhra Pradesh.

The no-confidence motions- which were brought against the BJP-led central government by TDP, TRS, Left and Congress- could not be tabled in Lok Sabha due to the ruckus by opposition parties.

Couple of days ago, Congress was mired in controversy after several of its leaders were caught having "Chola Bhature" before going for the fast.

The fast was held by the Congress as a protest against the parliament washout, CBSE paper leaks and a special status for Andhra Pradesh.
New Delhi, Apr 11 (IBNS): The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave its approval to the MoU between India and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of Illegal Migrants.

The MoU will facilitate that the Visa Free Agreement for holders of Diplomatic passports as well as liberalization of UK Visa Regime for those who are travelling to the UK legally, after conclusion of the MoU, read a government statement.

It will ensure the return of persons who have no lawful basis to be in the territory of the other Party after verification of nationality to its satisfaction.

It will help in streamlining the procedure of return of nationals who are caught to be staying illegally, belonging to the other party in a specified time-frame.
Kolkata, Apr 11 (IBNS): Days after several media personnel covering the filing of nomination papers for upcoming Panchayat polls in West Bengal were brutally beaten up allegedly by state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s activists at different locations across the state, Kolkata-based journalists staged protest and held a 'silent' march at city's downtown Esplanade area on Wednesday evening.

Wearing black bands on arms and covering their mouths with black scarfs, hundreds of city's journalists, cameramen and photojournalists took part in the protest rally which started from Mahatma Gandhi Statue area, near Kolkata Press Club, and ended at Esplanade crossing.

Since the process of nomination filing was started, supporters of all three leading opposition parties have been alleging that the leader-activists of ruling TMC are assaulting them and prevented their candidates from filing nominations.

It was also caught on camera that women candidates and female members of candidates from the opposition parties, who were on their way to submit nominations for Panchayat elections, were assaulted by alleged TMC members on road in broad daylight in presence of police.

When journalists and photojournalists of several media outlets tried to cover those attacks in several districts of West Bengal, they were allegedly assaulted and threatened to be killed by TMC men.

Latest on last day of filing nomination, Monday (Apr 9), a group of Kolkata-based journalists and photojournalists, who were covering the filing of nomination papers for South 24 Parganas district at Alipore which is under Kolkata Police's jurisdictions, were allegedly attacked by TMC activists.

Reporters and photographers from The Indian Express and ETV Group were allegedly thrashed while a senior photojournalist from Times of India, Biplab Mondal, alleged that he was forcibly undressed by the TMC goons.

The photographer also claimed that after being undressed, he was locked in a room near DM office at Alipore and the attackers threatened him to publish his 'half-nude' photos on social sites if he forcibly tried to cover the assignment.

Attacked media personnel alleged that police acted like spectators during the incident and refused to help them.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha ; Images from Facebook)
New Delhi, Apr 11 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Bharatiya Janata Party and CPI-M to approach the Calcutta High Court to seek an extension of nomination filing deadline for the panchayat polls in West Bengal, scheduled to be held in May, media reports said.

The top court asked the two opposition parties in the state to approach the High Court in this matter on Thursday.

Monday was the last day for filing nominations.

The BJP moved the top court on Tuesday after the state election commission rescinded its own decision of extending the deadline for filing nominations till 3 pm on Tuesday.

The BJP and the ruling TMC have been at loggerheads, ever since the state election commission announced the poll dates.

The polls will take place on May 1, 3 and 5.

Results will be declared on May 8.

The panchayat polls are considered to be crucial as it gives a hint of the outcome of the General Elections.




Srinagar, Apr 11 (IBNS): At least four civilians were killed and 78 people were wounded when clashes erupted during a fierce gunfight between security forces and militants in Khudwani area of South Kashmirs Kulgam district.

A soldier S. Gunakar Rao was killed in the gun fight while two others suffered injuries. All the three militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba managed to escape from the spot.

It was mayhem in Khudwani Wanimohalla. Bullets and pellets rained everywhere in response to the stones hurled by protesters who were hell-bent to move towards the encounter site to help militants escape, said an eyewitness.

The gunfight started on Tuesday night when after receiving a tip off, government forces cordoned off Wani Mohalla Khudwani village.

Three militants were trapped in a house. After initial exchange of fire, the operation was halted till dawn while all arrangements were put in place to prevent militants from escaping.

As the exchange of fire started on Wednesday morning, large number of people from adjoining areas hit roads and clashed with government forces.

The protesting youth resorted to massive stone-pelting while government forces fired bullets and pellets leaving scores of people injured. Medical sources said that at least 82 people suffered injuries out of which 4 succumbed to their injuries.

The deceased were identified as Sharjeel Ahmed Sheikh, Bilal Ahmed Dar, Ajaz Ahmed Pala and a minor boy Faisal Illahi.

Sixty injured people were shifed to PHC Qaimouh while 18 were admitted in Kulgam and Anantnag hospitals out of which 8 were referred to Srinagar hospitals.

Government Forces blasted the houses in which militants were trapped.

Locals said that five houses and three shops were completely damaged that belonged to Ghulam Muhammad Wani, Bashir Ahmed Lone, Bilal Ahmed Dar, Muhammad Yousuf Wani and Muhammd Latif Wani. The three shops belonging to Bashir Ahmed Lone were also damaged during the encounter.

Reports said that Army used helicopter gunships against militants.

Witnesses said that helicopter gunships were used to fire at the house where militants were holed up.

Huge blasts were heard after helicopter gunships fired at the house, they said.

Sources said that all the three militants managed to escape from the gunfight spot. Sources identified those militants as Muhammad Azad Pala alias Zaid, Bilal Ahmed alias Asim and Suhail Ahmed Dar of Redwani, all affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba.



(reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
Kolkata, Apr 11 (IBNS): Protesting against the alleged statewide attack of ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on oppositions during the nomination filing for upcoming Panchayat polls, the Left Front has called for a 6-hour general strike in West Bengal on Apr 13 (Friday).

During a press conference in Kolkata on Wednesday, Left Front chairman Biman Basu said, "To protest against ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s cruel plan to demolish democracy and to form an 'opposition-free' panchayat in the state, we will observe a 6-hour general shut down in West Bengal on next Friday, April 13, from 6 am. to 12 pm."

Meanwhile, condemning of Lefts' decision to go on strike, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that her government won't allow any shut down in the state.

"No strike will take place in Bengal on April 13 and everything will be normal on that day," Mamata Banerjee told media at state secretariat Nabanna on Wednesday late evening.

"Some scattered violence were reported from 6-7 places out of 58,000 booths. Otherwise, nomination filing process was completed peacefully," Banerjee added.

Since the process of nomination filing was commenced, supporters of all three leading opposition parties have been alleging that the leader-activists of ruling TMC are assaulting them and prevented their candidates from filing nominations.

It was also caught on camera that women candidates and female members of candidates from the opposition parties, who were on their way to submit nominations for Panchayat elections, were assaulted by TMC members on road in broad daylight in presence of police.

When journalists and photojournalists of several media outlets tried to cover those attacks in several districts of West Bengal, they were allegedly assaulted and threatened to be killed by TMC men.

Latest on last day of filing nomination, Monday (Apr 9), a group of Kolkata-based journalists and photojournalists, who were covering the filing of nomination papers for South 24 Parganas district at Alipore which is under Kolkata Police's jurisdictions, were allegedly attacked by TMC activists.

Reporters and photographers from The Indian Express and ETV Group were thrashed while a senior photojournalist from Times of India, Biplab Mondal, alleged that he was forcibly undressed by the TMC goons.

The photographer also claimed that after being undressed, he was locked in a room near DM office at Alipore and the attackers threatened him to publish his 'half-nude' photos on social sites if he forcibly tried to cover the assignment.

Attacked media personnel alleged that police acted like spectators during the incident and refused to help them.

Protesting the incidents of assaults on journalists, Kolkata-based scribes held a protest march at city's downtown Esplanade area on Wednesday evening.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
New Delhi, Apr 6 (IBNS): The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to probe the Unnao gangrape case and the suspicious death of the 16-year-old rape victim's father, visited the site of the alleged crime on Wednesday to begin fresh enquiry in the case, media reports said.

The SIT was directed to submit initial reports of its investigation before Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday evening.

The team visited the crime spot and the tree where the rape victims father was tied up and thrashed.

The investigators also spoke to the victim, her mother, uncle and other family members.

They also had a talk with the suspended and other policemen posted at Makhi Police Station.

The SIT was formed on Tuesday to investigate the case after the father of the girl, who had alleged being raped by a BJP lawmaker and attempted suicide outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home on Sunday, died on Monday morning at the district hospital.

The autopsy report revealed that the father died to septicaemia.

According to the postmortem report, the father was not given proper treatment in the judicial custody.

The man was in judicial custody after a complaint was filed against his daughter's alleged rapists.

The girl had alleged that she was raped by Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP legislator from Unnao, and his brother last year, but the police refused to take any action against them.

She also claimed that her family was being threatened after they tried to file an FIR.

Earlier on Tuesday, the brother of Sengar was arrested by the police.

Meanwhile, Sengar's wife, who met UP DGP OP Singh in Lucknow on Wednesday, demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

She also sought a narco test on her husband and the survivor to bring the "truth" out.

Sangeeta Sengar told reporters that there was a political conspiracy against her family.

It has been alleged that last week the woman's father was assaulted by Sengar and his brother. But instead of booking them, an FIR was filed against the victim and he was arrested by the Unnao police.

On Sunday, when the man complained of abdominal pain, he was admitted to the district hospital where he died on Monday, media reports said.

On Sunday, the woman, along with other members of her family attempted suicide in protest against the "inaction" of police.
New York, Apr 11 (JEN): Reports of new alleged chemical weapons attack in Syrias Eastern Ghouta over the weekend have been condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who on Tuesday repeated his call for the Security Council to find unity on the issue and ensure accountability.

In a statement, the UN chief expressed his outrage at reports that civilians in the last opposition-held area of Rural Damascus have continued to be targeted by toxic agents.

The Secretary-Generals call comes after UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, told the Security Council late Monday that at least 49 people had been killed, and hundreds were injured in an alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday evening.

Guterres condemned the incident as abhorrent  echoing a statement issued in March  amid what he called persistent allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

In both statements, the UN chief underlined his support for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)  the body which investigates allegations of such attacks.

His latest statement also underlined his call for the Council to redouble its efforts to uphold norms against chemical weapons and agree on a mechanism that would ensure accountability.

UN agencies sound alarm over rising civilian casualties, new displacement

Meanwhile, in Geneva on Tuesday, UN humanitarian agencies expressed alarm at ongoing violence in several areas of Syria which has caused the mass displacement of civilians to spiral.

Asked by journalists about the alleged chemical attacks, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said they were not in a position to confirm anything.

OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke confirmed that aid workers were in place in eight shelters for the displaced, but not in Douma, site of the alleged attack:

Im not sure everyone understands that, we are not in Douma, Eastern Ghouta is still under siege. Occasionally we are able to go in with a convoy and we leave again immediately. We are in place outside of Eastern Ghouta in those eight centres where we can provide some aid. We are not in Eastern Ghouta. And for these, as you say, extremely serious allegations with very severe ramifications; political, military and otherwise, we need to be absolutely sure that what we say is correct.

According to UN refugee agency, tens of thousands of people remain trapped in Douma and nearly a quarter of a million people need aid urgently in the wider Eastern Ghouta area.

More than 133,000 people have fled Eastern Ghouta in the past month and one-third of that number have been given shelter in eight centres in Rural Damascus.

But these are overcrowded and pose a serious health risk, Andrej Mahecic from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said, adding that there and elsewhere in the war-torn country the situation is desperate.

UNHCRs response involves providing essential aid, shelter support and protection services, including to 137,000 Syrians displaced from the Afrin region in the north.

UNHCR/Bassam Diab




New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): The United Nations migration agency on Tuesday launched a regional action plan to bolster its response to massive population outflows from Venezuela, amid the worsening political and socio-economic situation in the South American country.

As the exodus has considerably increased over the last two years, an estimated 1.6 million Venezuelans were abroad in 2017, up from 700,000 in 2015, with 1.3 million in the Americas, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The plan is tailored to specific national contexts across 17 countries including eight South American countries, six Caribbean countries, two Central American countries and Mexico, explained Marcelo Pisani, IOM Regional Director for Central America, North America and the Caribbean.

The exodus is not letting up. For instance, more than 800 Venezuelans are estimated to be entering Brazil each day, bringing the total arrivals to more than 52,000 since the beginning of 2017, according to the host Government.

IOMs regional plan seeks to strengthen the response to the needs and priorities expressed by concerned governments and focuses on such activities as data collection and dissemination, capacity building and coordination, direct support and socio-economic integration.

Diego Beltrand, IOM Regional Director for South America, encourages host countries to consider adopting measures, such as regularizing the stay of Venezuelans, and called for the international community to contribute to the regional plan, which requires $32.3 million to implement.

UNHCR/Reynesson Damasceno
Moscow/Washington: Russia has warned the US against military action in Syria, in response to the alleged chemical attack which took place last week, reports said on Wednesday.

Moscow's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia and his US counterpart Nikki Haley reportedly had a heated exchange over the issue during a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

Making Russia's intentions clear, Nebenzia said, "I would once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that you're currently developing."

Russia also vetoed a proposal to open a new inquiry into the alleged chemical attack in Syria.

After the US-drafted resolution failed to pass at the UN Security Council, Haley accused Russia of failing the Syrian people.

At a certain point youre either for an independent and impartial investigation, or youre not. Today for the 6th time Russia failed the Syrian people and vetoed a mechanism that would have held those who use chemical weapons against them accountable.  Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) April 10, 2018

"At a certain point youre either for an independent and impartial investigation, or youre not. Today for the 6th time Russia failed the Syrian people and vetoed a mechanism that would have held those who use chemical weapons against them accountable," she wrote on Twitter.

Last week, French president Emmanuel Macron and his US counter Donald Trump had condemned the chemical attack in a joined statement.

Both Macron and Trump had vowed a determined response.

"Both leaders strongly condemned the horrific chemical weapons attacks in Syria and agreed that the Assad regime must be held accountable for its continued human rights abuses. They agreed to exchange information on the nature of the attacks and coordinate a strong, joint response," read a statement issued by the White House.

Meanwhile, reports have stated that Trump is in conversation with both France and the UK, paving a way for a co-ordinated military attack from the West.
Algiers, Apr 11 (IBNS) : An Algerian military transport plane crashed on Wednesday morning shortly after taking off from the Boufarik base in Algeria killing 105 people on board, local media quoted a statement by civil defense as saying.

Algerian state radio had earlier reported that at least 100 passengers were killed in the crash.

The plane, a Russia-made Ilyushin Il-76, was carrying scores of military troops, according to the reports.

Algerie24, a local news website, said the plane was heading to the western Algerian city of Bechar.

It is yet to be known how the crash happened.

Television images showed black smoke billowing from the crash site, some 20 miles south of Algiers. on the way to the city of Blida, with rescue personnel milling the shattered plane.

The crash at Boufarik would be the worst in Algeria since 2003 when an Air Algerie jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Tamanrasset, killing 102 people.
Washington, Apr 11 (IBNS): Days after suspected chemical attacks hit Douma, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia should 'get ready' to face missile strike in war-torn Syria.

Trump even called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a 'Gas Killing Animal'.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!," Trump tweeted.

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart! You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump said relationship between his nation and Russia is currently 'worse'.

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?," he said.

Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Trump made the remarks in the backdrop of the alleged chemical attacks which took place in Syria last week and killed several people.

BBC reported: "President Bashar al-Assad's government - which receives military backing from Russia - denies being behind any chemical attack."

Meanwhile, Russia has warned the US against military action in Syria, in response to the alleged chemical attack which took place last week, reports said on Wednesday.

Moscow's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia and his US counterpart Nikki Haley reportedly had a heated exchange over the issue during a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

Making Russia's intentions clear, Nebenzia said, "I would once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that you're currently developing."

Russia also vetoed a proposal to open a new inquiry into the alleged chemical attack in Syria.

After the US-drafted resolution failed to pass at the UN Security Council, Haley accused Russia of failing the Syrian people

"At a certain point youre either for an independent and impartial investigation, or youre not. Today for the 6th time Russia failed the Syrian people and vetoed a mechanism that would have held those who use chemical weapons against them accountable," she wrote on Twitter.

Last week, French president Emmanuel Macron and his US counter Donald Trump had condemned the chemical attack in a joined statement.

Both Macron and Trump had vowed a determined response.

"Both leaders strongly condemned the horrific chemical weapons attacks in Syria and agreed that the Assad regime must be held accountable for its continued human rights abuses. They agreed to exchange information on the nature of the attacks and coordinate a strong, joint response," read a statement issued by the White House.

Meanwhile, reports have stated that Trump is in conversation with both France and the UK, paving a way for a co-ordinated military attack from the West.
As predicted, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe is running into obstacles as it pursues an off-reservation casino in California.

Tribal leaders and local supporters met with Trump administration officials in Washington, D.C., last week to discuss the project, The Ridgecrest Daily Independent reported. But they didn't gain much clarity on a critical land issue and were told they would have to clear a different hurdle in order to open the casino

The tribe believes the land-into-trust process should move faster because federal law mandates the acquisition of certain "mutually agreed upon" lands. But Jim Cason, a top official at the Department of the Interior , wouldn't commit to processing the tribe's application as mandatory, the paper reported.

The tribe also was told that any management contract for the casino has to be cleared by the National Indian Gaming Commission , as required by federal law. That means an environmental analysis that the tribe hoped to avoid with a mandatory land-into-trust application would have to be conducted anyway.

The tribe already knew that the project was going to encounter hurdles at the federal level. A newsletter last year warned citizens of the long road head.

"The Trump administration is not very friendly when it comes to taking land into trust [for] gaming," the tribal council wrote in the third quarter 2017 newsletter

"The person that is going to be making the decision is Jim Cason," the newsletter said.

The Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place certain lands in trust in the event a particular parcel in Nevada can't be acquired. That parcel was not acquired, according to the tribe.

The tribe has a reservation in Death Valley National Park in California but has to look elsewhere for economic opportunities due to restrictions on development within the park, a federal facility.

The location of the proposed casino in the city of Ridgecrest is more than 130 miles from tribal headquarters in Death Valley.

Read More on the Story: Timbisha Shoshone casino update: NEPA required for gaming contract (The Ridgecrest Daily Independent April 11, 2018)

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One thing not many people know about squirrel monkeys is that do not like humans at all. Yeah, same.

So when thieves tried to steal squirrel monkeys from their enclosure in Wellington Zoo in New Zealand, they were in for a big fight.

wellington zoo facebook

Chief executive Karen Fifield said that the break-in at the zoo suggested that someone wanted to steal a monkey. "If their intention was to have it as a pet, it was a serious mistake. Squirrel monkeys like to be with others, they don't like to be with humans at all," he said.

Also read: Volkswagen Admits To Testing Diesel Fumes On Monkeys And What The Hell Is Wrong With People?

Fortunately, the monkeys put up a brave fight and saved themselves from being stolen.

"We initially believed a squirrel monkey was missing however we have since located all of these monkeys, some of whom are injured," said the zoo in its Facebook post.

In a follow-up post yesterday, the zoo said that the injuries sustained by the monkeys were not serious. "They are all doing well and we're keeping them all together so they can support each other while they settle back into their daily routine."

Also read: Scientists Successfully Clone Monkeys, Paving The Way For Human Clones Very Soon

Good monkeys! Showing exactly where idiots who try to do wrong, belong. These monkeys have taught us a very important lesson today - stand up for yourself and fight to the finish.
Abhay Deol is one of a kind actor. He is someone who manages to woo the audience with every film, regardless of it being a hit or a flop. His versatility has made him the star that he is today. Abhay is gearing up for his next release Nanu Ki Jaanu, where he will be seen in a typical rowdy avatar. The trailer has left the fans impressed. Abhay too is going all out for the promotions.

Twitter

In a chat with Indiatimes, we asked him what inspired him to do Nanu Ki Jaanu, Please go watch the movie. I love comedies. Comedy is always about the tragedy when someone falls, you laugh at them right? This film is really tragic.

Twitter

Abhay, who is one unconventional actor is a prankster in real life. He wants Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and Sajid Nadiadwala to have a big fight because of him. We asked him whats one rumour he wants to spread about himself to which he replied,

I have been signed on next 3 Karan Johar movies, next 3 Yash Chopra films and even Sajid Nadiadwala's 3 films and they are all fighting for me. Let the biggest guys fight for me because I can't give them enough.

Twitter



The actor admitted that failures sometimes sadden him, but he overcomes,

I chose the path I have taken, I chose to do non-formula films, I chose to do things differently. When you are young you are kind of ignorant about the consequences and just stick to your ideas. I feel that I would not do anything different today. Of course, you want to be accepted and be embraced more but then you realize you can get out of that ego and just focus on what you created and that should be enough. I am privileged where I am, how many people can say that? I focus on those things and just feel better.

Twitter

Abhay confessed he cannot stand fake people and they are his biggest turn-off,  I cannot stand fake people and if I cant stand them they are bound to turn me off.

Twitter

We asked the actor about social media trolls to which he had the most epic reply,

Social media trolls never bother me at all. They make me laugh, they can say whatever they want and I dont even wipe their comments, I just like to keep it, so that everybody can see it. I guess I am a man who is more secure, in our country where safety issues for women is a concern, so being a man I enjoy that privilege of having my own house and living in a fastest growing city, so I can afford the trolls. But it would be difficult for the women who are living in a small town, but all I want to say is they can't do anything except venting out on social media and I call them cowards. I just want women to be more cautious.

Twitter

Abhay even said he is matured way much then before, I hear a lot of rumours about me and I am like really? But I don't give a damn. Earlier, I used to get slightly worked up by the rumours but now I don't care because those who want to bring you down they will do it no matter what.
It's funny how fate turns the table for some people. While some days you can be at the top of the world, the following day you can be at the bottom of the funnel and this happened for former President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

NYT

On Thursday, a Brazilian judge demanded former President Luiz turn in within 24 hours and serve a 12-year sentence for a graft conviction. Luiz was convicted last year for accepting bribes from an engineering firm in return for landing contracts with the state.

On Thursday he was summoned to the court and all his pleas were rejected by the judge, in case he calls a political witch hunt. This ruling is more than likely to end his career and the dream of returning to power, ever again.

Reuters

Furthermore, it's quite ironic, since Luiz was the one who commemorated the opening of the building in 2007, during his presidency of Brazil. He even has a plate with his name on it outside the building.

As Brazils formerand still hugely popularPresident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva heads to prison amid corruption allegations, there is a feeling that battle lines are being drawn for political confrontations to come: https://t.co/Q9aX1LGscb pic.twitter.com/XbQsKHv1Nb  The New Yorker (@NewYorker) April 10, 2018

Yet, amid all the turmoil that has been caused because of this decision, it's laudable that the judge, without any fear, ruled in the favour of what was right and what needed to be done, regardless of the person's authority.

Something, which might never happen India.
Taking one more step towards becoming a progressive state, Saudi Arabia is all set to reopen it's first cinema on April 18. It will be open in the capital Riyadh for both men and women.

This was probably not enough and now Saudi Arabia has announced that it will be participating in the Cannes Film Festival. A total of nine short films by young local filmmakers will be screened at the Short Film Corner during the festival on May 14 and 15, reported Variety.

representational / reuters

Saudi Film Council, which was recently launched by the country's General Culture Authority (GCA) after lifting the 35-year-old ban on the films, will also set up a pavilion in order to enable the guests to participate in roundtable discussions with Saudi industry representatives and to understand the Kingdom's industry ambitions through its various initiatives and programmes, reported PTI.

representational / reuters

"The kingdom looks forward to its debut presence at the festival, celebrating and supporting the diversity of talent and opportunities within the Saudi film industry," Saudi culture minister and chairman of GCA's board Awwad Alawwad said in the statement.

"Saudi Arabia is embarking on the development of a sustainable and dynamic industry that supports and encourages all stages of a film cycle and offers an incredible range of locations for the world's filmmakers to discover," he added.
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), Dwarka, has found a specific species of bats-The Asiatic Yellow House Bat or Scotophilus Kuhlii- to be roosting in Delhi for the first time. The species has been recorded in Alwar and Bharatpur and it hasnt been seen even in UP and Haryana.

It is described as a 'generalist,' which can roost in diverse habitats like tree hollows, building crevices and even moist toilet ducts. Dr Sumit Dookia, assistant professor at the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and his student Rajlakshmi Mishra, have made findings. Rajlakshmi has been conducting a long term study of bats in Delhi since 2014.

The findings were published recently in the Journal on New Biological Reports. So far, the duo Dr Sumit and Rajlakshmi have found 10-11 species of bats in the various roosting habitats of the national Capital when tallied with the 13 found in the last study that was conducted here.

This was in 2007 by a husband-wife scientist duo C Srinivasulu and Bhargavi Srinivasulu.

The duo, till now, has scourged through monuments, trees, caves high rise buildings etc with special ultrasound instruments that record their calls.

Dr Dookia said to India Today, "We first saw a pregnant female of the species, Lesser Yellow House Bat, in a toilet duct on the third floor of our GGSIPU building. We understood that they have a colony there but couldn't find a male."

Since these are high-flying creatures, it is difficult to catch them with even mist nets, he added.
Sitting in a classroom every single day for about a decade of your life can be quite boring. But what if your school decides to get a makeover?

A school in Rajasthan did just the same, by converting itself into a 'railway' themed school. Keeping up to its name, Alwar's Government Senior Secondary School, Railway Station, has renovated its classrooms like a railway station. The train which is called - 'Education Express' has classrooms painted like passenger compartments.

ani

Principal of school Purushottam Gupta said that they have transformed the school into train to increase the number of students as most of the students opt for private institutions due to lack of facilities in government schools, reported ANI.

The principal's office looks like an engine and the veranda is transformed into a platform where students can play.

"The students are always fascinated with the idea of travelling in a train. Government school buildings are often considered boring, leading to lack of interest in kids. That is why we thought of renovating our school into a colourful train like the exterior," Gupta told ANI.

The person, who was behind this idea, was a junior engineer of the district Rajesh Lawania. "We wanted to give students a unique factor about their school, which they could brag about in front of others. By April end, we will paint two classrooms like the Jaipur-Delhi double-decker train and the other two classrooms like the Ajmer-Delhi Shatabdi Express," said Lawania.

He added, "The school has become an attraction among villagers, who often come to click pictures here."
Saudi Arabia could consider a proposal to dig a maritime canal along the kingdom's border with Qatar, turning the peninsula-nation into an island and transforming its only land border into a military zone and nuclear waste site, state-linked Saudi newspapers reported on Monday.

The project has not been given official approval and faces many obstacles. Still, the proposal signals a new low in the 10-month-old feud between Qatar and a quartet of nations that includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.

Reuters

The four accuse Qatar of sponsoring terrorism because of its support for Islamist opposition groups in the region and its warm relations with Iran. Qatar denies the allegations and says the moves attempt to undermine its sovereignty.

Qatar's ruling emir, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met in Washington on Monday with US defence secretary Jim Mattis. He is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia's Sabq and al-Riyadh newspapers carried nearly identical reports on Monday saying that under the proposal, Saudi Arabia would transform part of its side of the border with Qatar into a military base and another area would become a dump site for waste from nuclear reactors the kingdom wants to build. The UAE, meanwhile, would also build a nuclear waste site at the closest point near its border with Qatar.

Reuters

An earlier report by Sabq newspaper ran with a headline saying the canal project would "turn Qatar into an island" and would take just 12 months to complete. The so-called Salwa Marine Canal project would be funded by Saudi and Emirati investors and dug by Egyptian companies with experience in the Suez Canal.

Sabq reports the canal would span the entirety of the border with Qatar, creating waterfront coastline for resorts, private beaches and Gulf cruise liners. The canal, estimated to cost 2.8 billion riyals ($750 million), would stretch 200 meters wide (656 feet) wide and up to 20 meters deep (66 feet).

AP

Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, became the first high-ranking official to comment on the proposal. In a string of tweets, he said the project is "proof of Qatar's failure to manage and solve its crisis". Qatari government spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
State Records Reveal Corroded Wellheads, Neglected Platforms, Failed Well Integrity Tests

LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2018  Companies drilling for oil and gas off the southern coast of California have violated state regulations at least 381 times since 2015, according to state records obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity.The violations range from major corrosion and other serious safety threats on offshore drilling platforms to a pattern of missing and failed well-integrity tests on four offshore drilling islands owned by the city of Long Beach.These violations show a disturbing pattern of neglect at offshore oil platforms near Southern Californias biggest cities and most famous beaches, said Kristen Monsell, a Center attorney. If this disrepair causes a well failure or an oil spill, marine life and coastal communities will pay a terrible price. Its time to get this decaying infrastructure and the oil drilling that comes with it out of our ocean for good.The states biggest oil and gas producer, California Resources Corporation, operates Long Beachs coastal drilling operations through its subsidiaries Tidelands and THUMS Long Beach Company. The three related entities have been hit with 293 notices of violation since February 2015, both in Long Beach and the nearby Huntington Beach Oil Field.Two offshore drilling platforms operated by DCOR, LLC were found to be poorly maintained during state inspections in March 2015. Regulators found that all 42 wellheads on Platform Eva off Huntington Beach have moderate to significant corrosion, in violation of state law. On Platform Esther off Seal Beach, most of the 30 wellheads were found corroded, as were the valves and flanges, to the point where it could impair operation of the equipment, the report said.The records, obtained by the Center through a public records request, also detail public safety threats from offshore platforms that were neglected by two companies as they filed for bankruptcy protection.Rincon Islands platform off Ventura County was found to be in a severe state of disrepair in April 2016 as the state ordered corrective actions to prevent damage to life, health, property, natural resources.Regulators inspecting Platform Holly near Santa Barbara last year found evidence that Venoco had abandoned wells that needed to be plugged and remediated. The California Legislature is considering allocating more than $100 million in state funds this year to secure the Venoco and Rincon Island wells.Most of Californias offshore drilling infrastructure was built in the 1960s and has already passed its originally intended life span. Much of it is failing.Venoco filed for bankruptcy in 2016 following the 2015 Refugio oil spill that blackened Santa Barbara area beaches and killed hundreds of seabirds and marine mammals. That spill was caused by the rupture of a severely corroded onshore pipeline carrying oil from offshore platforms.The city of Long Beach owns the THUMS offshore platforms and shares revenues from oil sales with the state, which also regulates the operation through Californias Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. Its records often show long lapses with missing well integrity tests that are required by state law at least every five years.Most of the missing and failed well tests in the THUMS notices of violation were for underground injection wells, which are used to stimulate oil and gas production and help prevent the land subsidence that has caused billions of dollars in damage to Long Beach. Drilling wastes contaminated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals can be injected into these wells, which state law requires to be enclosed and able to withstand pressure so that the ocean and freshwater aquifers dont get contaminated.Mechanical integrity tests are required before any underground injections take place. THUMS had 103 violations for missing tests and 47 failed tests and Tidelands had 68 missing tests and 10 wells that failed the tests over the past three years. CRC had 40 violations for failing to perform required well integrity tests in the Huntington Beach Oil Field in 2017 alone.Offshore drilling is dirty and dangerous work, Monsell said. Its even more dangerous when toxic chemicals are being injected into wells that fail or lack safety tests and could contaminate our marine environment.Records obtained by the Center are available for media review at https://doc.box.com/s/annolleapm4go7y5uoept2masl9nqyi5 . Spreadsheets created by the Center to analyze those records are available upon request.The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.6 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
My company, CircleCI, is a big believer in the blameless postmortemthe idea that when you discuss a project and take emotion out of the picture, you create a true learning experience. Following our migration to a microservices architecture, we had a good opportunity to run a blameless postmortem on what we did right and wrong, and what wed do differently next time. If youre thinking about starting the journey to microservices, Id like to share some advice for creating a smoother transition.

Our move away from monolithic architecture took on urgency when we had a 24-hour outage in 2015. We wanted to be cautious: Wed heard a lot of tales of poor decision-making when transitioning full-stop into microservices. On the other hand, incremental changes to architecture werent bringing the transformation we needed.

Early wins breaking up our architecture gave us confidence that this was the right direction for our team, and we decided to go all in. Almost immediately, the wheels started coming off the wagon. Engineering productivity ground to a halt. We realized we were throwing people into an unfamiliar environmentlike moving from the small-town comfort of the monolith to the unknown microservices big city.

In our post-mortem, we came up with three sources of friction in our microservices migration, and we developed ways to address them.

1. Decision-making

Analysis paralysis is being faced with a decision thats so complex that you spend ages considering all the options without pulling the trigger on anything. The solution is to make hard decisions early on, and then reduce future decision-making to exceptions onlychoosing to go in another direction only when that initial decision fails you.

In our case, we said to our engineers, Were a Clojure shop. Its not an option for you to decide what language or stack youre going to use. We all know Clojure, and it has treated us well.

In deciding to use gRPC, Postgres, Docker, and Kubernetes, we felt like we had agreed on a common stack that would serve the project. It turns out that the nuances of those decisions were more complex than we anticipated: What version of Clojure? What libraries?

While we thought we had made our important decisions upfront, we didnt anticipate the depth of decisions we were going to run intowe werent even close. So, what did we learn? We could have spent more time creating guidance upfront, but in an agile world, that isnt a great investment of time. Instead, your team needs a very clear definition of how to make decisions, who can make them, and how to share those decisions efficiently with the rest of the team. Because you cant anticipate every decision at the outset, make sure you have clear protocols to smoothly handle the unexpected.

Related video: What are microservices? A quick look Developers are finding a new way to create apps and programs. Heres a quick look at how microservices work, and what it means for IT shops and their development operations.

2. Novelty

Engineers love new stuff. Sometimes, its because the old stuff hasnt satisfactorily solved our problems, in which case it makes sense to seek new solutions. But there are times when old stuff might be the right choice for your microservices project. Moving to microservices is on its own a significant change, so limiting additional changes is a wise strategy.

At CircleCI, wed been a MongoDB shop since 2011. It was the devil we knew, as they say. But when we moved to microservices, we decided this was a good opportunity to go back to PostgreSQL, which many of us preferred. Turns out, folks didnt know Postgres as deeply as wed assumed, and this ended up creating more friction and novelty, not less.

To understand which tools and systems are being used solely because of novelty (or because of habit), uplevel communication among team members. Invest time in figuring out how youre going to roll out each tool for broader use (and for better reasons than novelty). You dont want to find out that everyone is trying to solve issues independently and running into the exact same problems, when switching to a common tool would help everyone move faster.

3. Repetition

In line with novelty, repetition is a problem that will drag down your microservices ambitions if you dont stop it in its tracks. In our case, we found out that three engineers each decided to write their own libraries to deal with the gRPC communication framework. That was two engineers worth of time wasted.

The lesson we learned was that we could use shared components for infrastructure concerns. The value of microservices is in the autonomy they unlock, but with that autonomy comes increased overhead. The key is to find the areas where the value created by shared components outweighs the overhead. But dont leave it up to individual teams to make those trade-offs; its imperative to make it someones job, so that person can assess the overall benefits to the team. Shared components that dont solve the needs of other teams dont end up being shared components.

In our case, we created guilds, which are cross-team groups built around areas of expertise. (We used Spotifys model for creating guilds.) For example, our site reliability engineering (SRE) guild has a weekly meeting that anyone can attend. When people are working on the same problemlike a gRPC library or connecting databaseswe can centralize the work.

Today, more than a year after our initial launch, were feeling the impact of microservices. Were running at five times the utilization of the previous platform, and the old operational concerns (like slow builds and outages) have largely disappeared. We were successful because we recognized that this project was an investment in engineering, not a product delivering value to customers.

Getting buy-in on this point is key when youre breaking up architecture into microservices, because youll be making a lot of upfront decisions and investments. If you choose to approach a transition like this piecemeal, be aware that youll be facing a lot of rework. Make sure to have a healthy conversation about this investment before you take the first small steps toward microservices.
UK 'no longer the laggard' of G-7 economies after upgrades AP - 27 minutes ago LONDON (AP)  The British economy is no longer the worst performing Group of Seven economy after second quarter growth was revised higher to reflect a bigger than foreseen increase in consumer spending... $SPX : 4,359.46 (+0.16%) $DOWI : 34,390.72 (+0.26%) $IUXX : 14,752.89 (-0.12%)

Takeaways: APs investigation of military gun tracking tech AP - Wed Sep 29, 11:39PM CDT A tracking tag that some units in the U.S. military are using to keep control of guns could let even low-tech enemies detect troops on the battlefield, an ongoing Associated Press investigation has found.... $SPX : 4,359.46 (+0.16%) $DOWI : 34,390.72 (+0.26%) $IUXX : 14,752.89 (-0.12%)

USDCHF Extending Weekly Chart Upchannel Tradable Patterns - Wed Sep 29, 11:25PM CDT The (USDCHF) is seeing a bit of healthy profittaking in todays Asia morning after 3 straight green daily candles. Significantly, although the USDCHF is bumping up against upchannel resistance (on... ^USDCHF : 0.93632 (+0.19%) FXF : 96.63 (-0.59%)

PayPal: What Does The Future Holds For The Biggest Payment Processor? The Smart Investor - Wed Sep 29, 5:50PM CDT PayPals strategy for its core business is to continue focusing on the markets it operates in. The company processed around $936 billion worth of payments in 2020 and plans to cross the $1 trillion mark...

Soybeans Back in Black on Wednesday Barchart - Wed Sep 29, 4:57PM CDT Soybean futures were higher on Wednesday, gaining 4 3/4 to 6 3/4 cents on the day. The November to November spread widened to 29 1/4 cents by the close, but the spread is still well below the $1.80 inverse... ZSX21 : 1284-6 (+0.08%) ZSPAUS.CM : 12.3707 (+0.47%) ZSF22 : 1293-6 (unch) ZSX21 : 1284-6 (+0.08%)

Corn Market Higher at Close Barchart - Wed Sep 29, 4:57PM CDT Front month corn futures were back up by 4 3/4 to 6 1/2 cents by the end of the midweek session. For December that erased Turnaround Tuesdays pullback. The December to December spread was tightened... ZCZ21 : 540-4 (+0.28%) ZCPAUS.CM : 5.1841 (+1.11%) ZCH22 : 548-6 (+0.32%) ZCZ21 : 540-4 (+0.28%)
An insurance forum will be held in Tathra for insured householders who were impacted by the March 18 Tathra bushfire, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has announced.

The two-hour event will be held on April 18 at 7pm, and will focus on the claims management process for policyholders. It will be attended by members of the ICA disaster recovery team, insurance company representatives, and Legal Aid solicitors.
Nanra initially joined Zurich as regional audit director of Hong Kong then later joined the Australian team holding several roles including CFO of general insurance Australia and CEO of general insurance.

Chris Waterman, Zurich's head of commercial insurance for Asia Pacific, is now set to oversee the business in addition to his current responsibilities.

"Our goal is to build on and accelerate the positive changes we've seen in our Australian general insurance business in recent years, said Howell. This means delivering on our recent announcement with Blue Zebra, building on our positive momentum in claims, continuing to enhance the communication and support that we provide to our broker partners, strengthening our processes and relevancy in the SME space, and differentiating ourselves in the market through our propositions.

Howell also assured stakeholders that, despite the shock announcement, business would continue as usual.

Our commitment to our customers remains unchanged; delivering on the best products and service to meet their needs, he said.
Not long ago it was International Womens Day. At that time, an expert said more can still be done to improve diversity in in the insurance industry. Indeed, when the statistics show that women only make up 12% of top management roles in the sector, and 1% of insurance firms have a female CEO, shes not wrong.

But meet Niki Kesoglou  global head of diversity and inclusion, QBE Insurance; Wendy Lenton  group executive  people and culture, NIB; Vanessa Morton director, Gary Morton Insurance Brokers; Georgette Nicholas  chief executive officer, Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia; Stacey Williams  executive director  sales, account management and self insurance, Gallagher Bassett Australia - who have defied all odds and made it to the top.
According to the report, 58% of consumers in the US and the UK said that sharing economy platforms are too risky to use. The report suggested that only by having insurance can sharing economy businesses put consumers worries to rest. Some firms  like Uber and Airbnb  have recognized this, and have insurance policies in place. For example, Airbnb's Host Protection Insurance program provides home sharing hosts with protection against third party claims of property damage or bodily injury up to $1 million.

Insurance couldnt be more important for companies like this, Chris Moore, deputy head of casualty for Lloyds syndicate Apollo 1969, explained to Fast Company. As soon as you start asking people to share their time, share the things that are most important to them, you need insurance to provide that trust factor.

The lack of insurance appears to be a deal breaker for most consumers, the survey found; 71% of consumers from the US, the UK, and China said that they are more likely to use sharing economy services if insurance was available. Similarly, 70% of the surveys consumer respondents said that they would be more likely to share their home or other assets if start-up platforms provided insurance.

While insurance can be a big plus for sharing economy businesses, the issue of liability continues to be a divisive topic.

Many of the sharing economy platforms that participated in the survey  78% of them  believe they will attract more customers if they offer insurance, but are hesitant to take on the responsibilities that insurance implies. 53% of sharing platform employees also said that consumers are responsible if something ever goes wrong, while 27% said that the host/driver/provider is at fault. Only 20% of the employees said they should have to own up to any risks and damages that arise.

On the consumer side, 53% said that sharing platforms are responsible in the event of risk, while 32% said that providers should be put on the hook when something goes wrong.

Related stories:
The out-of-state driver of a charter bus full of high school students that crashed into a low-hanging overpass on a Long Island parkway was using a non-commercial GPS device that didnt warn him about the hazard in time to prevent an accident that left two passengers seriously injured, police said Monday.

State police Major David Candelaria said the driver never slowed down before slamming into the overpass on Sunday night on the Southern State Parkway, where buses, tractor-trailers and other commercial traffic are banned.

There was no signs of braking, stopping, anything like that, Candelaria said.

The driver also didnt have the benefit of a high-tech warning system being installed by the state Department of Transportation that uses electronic sensors that emit invisible beams to detect any trucks or buses heading toward low overpasses along parkways built in the 1930s and 1940s for cars alone. The devices were recently installed near the site of the wreck but were still being tested, Department of Transportation spokesman Joseph Morrissey said.

Safety is our top priority, and while we cant comment on an ongoing investigation, throughout this area there is signage indicating height restrictions and making clear that commercial vehicles are prohibited from driving on parkways, Morrissey said.

A roadside sign posted by the state on the overpass in Lakeview, just east of New York City, says the clearance at its lowest point is 7 feet, 7 inches. The height of the bus was believed to be about 12 feet.

Police hadnt determined whether the driver, Troy Gaston, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, would be charged, Candelaria said. Though it was the first time in recent memory that a bus had hit an overpass on the parkway, there have been several accidents involving tractor-trailer drivers who are unfamiliar with the route, he said.

Two 17-year-old girls remained hospitalized on Monday with serious injuries from the crash. They were part of a group of 38 students and five chaperones who had arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport after a spring break trip to Europe and were heading to a drop-off location in Huntington Station.

Passengers reported hearing someone yell Duck! as the bus approached the overpass, Candelaria said, but it was unclear if it was the driver.

Gaston showed tremendous remorse and is very upset over the accident, the police official added.

In 2010, a double-decker bus driver with a personal GPS crashed into an overpass near Syracuse, killing four passengers. He was using the device to find his way to a bus station and passed 13 low-bridge warning signs, some with flashing yellow lights, before the wreck, authorities said.

On Monday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration urged truck drivers on Twitter to always use a PROFESSIONAL-GRADE GPS that provide critical route restrictions, such as low bridge overpasses.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New York Personal Auto Law Enforcement
After partially faulting Tesla Inc.s automation system for a 2016 fatal crash, U.S. safety investigators last year called on carmakers to do more to ensure drivers stay engaged as next-generation cars start to steer themselves.

Since then, the National Transportation Safety Board has opened investigations of three new cases  two of them involving Tesla vehicles  that call into question the progress thats been made in guarding against motorist misuse of semi-autonomous driving technology.

Tesla, a pioneer in driver-assistance technology with its Autopilot system, has lagged behind automakers including General Motors Co. in embracing driver monitoring. While the electric-car maker still relies on technology that federal investigators said was too easy to sidestep, its now working on unspecified improvements to its vehicles, according to the NTSB.

They have indicated that they have already made some improvements and are working on additional improvements, agency spokesman Peter Knudson said, in the first indication that the company is contemplating more changes to its driver-assistance system. NTSB highway investigators have been in contact with Tesla technical staff, he added.

A Tesla spokeswoman declined to comment on the NTSBs recommendations for improved driver monitoring.

Growing Concern

The difficulty of keeping drivers in automated vehicles engaged  combined with the broader safety benefits of ensuring people in traditional cars and trucks arent peering at electronic devices or nodding off  is a growing safety concern thats spurred several car companies, including GM and Subaru Corp., to deploy infrared cameras in the cockpit trained on the driver to track head and eye movement.

Driver-monitoring technology is needed for any vehicle that needs humans to handle part of the driving task, said Bryan Reimer, who studies driver behavior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This includes conventional vehicles without driver-assist systems, cars that guide themselves for some periods without human inputs, such as Cadillac models featuring GMs Super Cruise, and self-driving cars with people serving as safety monitors.

Motorists today are bombarded by distractions, from cell phones to in-dash navigation systems, Reimer said. Drivers need help making better decisions, he said.

Tesla Crashes

The NTSB is investigating two crashes this year in which Tesla drivers were using Autopilot. The system can automate steering and follow traffic in some conditions, but the company warns drivers they must monitor it at all times. The system isnt designed to be fully autonomous and cant detect some objects in its path, according to the NTSB.

In the most recent case, a Model X slammed into a concrete highway barrier on March 23 in Mountain View, California, killing the driver. Tesla said in a blog post afterward that the man didnt have his hands on the wheel for six seconds prior to striking the barrier where lanes split on the freeway.

The driver had received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive, the company said in the March 30 blog post.

The NTSB is also investigating a Model S crash that occurred on Jan. 22 near Los Angeles. In that case, the car rammed into a fire truck that was parked on a freeway after responding to an emergency. The driver, who wasnt hurt, told people on the scene he was using Autopilot, according to a tweet by the union for Culver City firefighters.

Wheel Sensor

After the 2016 fatal crash involving a Model S driver, Tesla modified Autopilot to improve sensors and also increased the frequency of warnings to drivers who didnt have their hands on the wheel.

What Tesla has is basically a sensor that just detects whether your hands are on the wheel, said Mike Ramsey, an analyst at researcher Gartner Inc. If it doesnt detect anything on the wheel for a certain amount of time, it first gives a visual warning, then an audible warning, then the car starts slowing down. Its somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 seconds or longer. At 70 miles per hour, thats a long time  a lot can happen in that period of time.

The NTSB found last year that the driver in the 2016 crash had barely touched the steering wheel and ignored multiple warnings over a 37-minute period before his Model S plowed into the side of a truck. The agency  which has no regulatory powers but makes recommendations to government and industry  wrote to Tesla and five other car companies to recommend better means of driver monitoring.

Tesla has installed an inward-facing camera above the rear-view mirror in its new Model 3 sedan, but hasnt said whether it could be used to monitor drivers.

Uber Death

The issue of attentiveness also arose in the first U.S. pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving car. In that case, an Uber Technologies Inc. sport utility vehicle killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, on March 18. The NTSB is looking at multiple issues related to how the cars software and sensors performed, and an interior video showed that the safety driver in the SUV wasnt watching the road for about five seconds leading up to the collision.

Ubers self-driving system wasnt covered under the NTSBs recommendations, but the agency believes its call for better monitoring is relevant for all autonomous vehicles that still keep a human in the loop, according a March 8 letter to Daimler AGs Mercedes-Benz.

Using technology to monitor driver behavior is beginning to gain traction with some automakers and safety organizations. The European New Car Assessment Programme plans to add incentives to its safety ratings regime for carmakers that equip new vehicles with driver-monitoring systems starting in 2020.

In March, Subaru said it will equip higher-end versions of its redesigned 2019 Forester with an infrared camera facing the driver. That will be paired with facial recognition software to monitor drivers for signs of fatigue or distraction, and to warn drivers with a beeping noise after three seconds of inattention. Ignoring the warnings will prime the Foresters suite of driver-assist technologies, such as automatic emergency braking, to slow or stop the vehicle to avoid or mitigate a collision.

The issue of driver attentiveness is really a critical area, said MITs Reimer, whose team is testing a fleet of vehicles rigged with cameras to observe how drivers perform in real-world situations. We are clearly picking up technology in the car, portable phones, et cetera, at rates that are far and above what should be socially acceptable.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Auto InsurTech Tech Autonomous Vehicles Tesla Transportation
Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday told lawmakers that his own personal data was included in that of 87 million or so Facebook users that was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

But he pushed back on Congress members suggestions that users do not have enough control of their data on Facebook in the wake of the privacy scandal at the worlds largest social media network.

Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook  there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there, the 33-year-old internet magnate told the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Once again wearing a dark suit instead of his usual gray T-shirt, the hearing was Zuckerbergs second in two days. On Tuesday, he took questions for nearly five hours in a U.S. Senate hearing without making any further promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business, foiling attempts by senators to pin him down.

Investors were impressed with his initial performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years on Tuesday, closing up 4.5 percent. They were down 0.7 percent in early trading on Wednesday.

Facebook has been consumed by turmoil for nearly a month, since it came to light that millions of users personal information was wrongly harvested from the website by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that has counted U.S. President Donald Trumps election campaign among its clients.

Zuckerberg faced broad concerns from members of Congress about how Facebook shares user data.

How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data? asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce committee.

The latest estimate of affected users is up to 87 million.

Patience with the social network had already worn thin among users, advertisers and investors after the company said last year that Russia used Facebook for years to try to sway U.S. politics, an allegation Moscow denies.

Lawmakers have sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesdays hearing expressing confidence in the social network.

I dont want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will, Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday. A lot of that depends on you.

Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation. Pressed repeatedly by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get peoples permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg agreed to further talks.

In principle, I think that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out, Zuckerberg said.

(Reporting by Dustin Volz and David Shepardson in Washington and David Ingram in San Francisco Editing by Bill Rigby and Susan Thomas)

Related:

Topics USA Legislation
Hopper Smith has been hired as executive director of the Oklahoma Workers Compensation Commission (WCC). Smith, a retired Brigadier General, will begin serving in the post on May 1.

Smith succeeds interim Executive Director Patricia Sommer who assumed the role after Kim Bailey left to become COO of the State Health Department. Hopper will report directly to commissioners Mark Liotta, Jordan Russell and Megan Tilly.

As executive director, Smith will manage and develop all operations and regulatory divisions of the WCC. Additionally, the executive director acts as a liaison between the three commissioners and can represent the commission to other state agencies.

Smith has worked in a variety of positions related to national security policy and public affairs. He was elected to multiple terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives beginning in 1996, from south Tulsa. He resigned his seat in 2003 when his National Guard unit was mobilized for deployment to combat operations in Afghanistan.

Smith has served in a number of roles including director of Government Relations for Chesapeake Energy, president of OCPA and director of Public Affairs for Devon Energy.

The Oklahomas workers compensation system was reformed in 2013, establishing the Administrative Workers Compensation Act (Act). The Act created the Workers Compensation Commission (WCC) which became fully operational effective Feb. 1, 2014.

Source: Oklahoma WCC

Topics Workers' Compensation Oklahoma
North Carolina residents whose community dam was damaged by Hurricane Matthew and later breached by the state have won a $162.5 million judgment against the corporation that owns it.

The Fayetteville Observer reports that Woodlake residents released a statement last month announcing the judgment against Woodlake CC Corp. in their lawsuit alleging harm by the corporations failure to maintain the dam. The company had failed to meet a deadline to drain or repair the damaged dam last June, forcing the state to step in, leaving the 1,200-acre lake mostly empty.

Residents sued in October, saying the corporation to whom they pay dues continues to advertise lakefront lots as the lake has become a quagmire.

The corporation did not respond to the lawsuit, prompting the Moore County Superior Court clerk to enter a statement of default against it in January. Judge James M. Webb later issued an order certifying the lawsuit as a class action.

Webb ruled in favor of the residents on March 22 and issued a judgment that included compensatory damages of $40.63 million and punitive damages of $121.9 million, according to the statement.

The judgment will now serve as a lien against the corporations assets, the statement said.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation North Carolina
MJ Insurance has named Dan Zentgraf director of analytics of the Phoenix, Ariz. office.

Zentgraf will oversee the development of the analytics program to help extrapolate and interpret biometric data.

Zentgraf previously was assistant vice president and financial manager of Aon.

Indianapolis, Ind.-based MJ Insurance is a commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits consulting agency.

Topics Aon Arizona
When buying a car, it may be better to have a down payment rather than a trade-in. A trade-in offers convenience to the car buyer, since one can walk into a dealership with a used vehicle and walk out  or rather, drive out  with a brand-new automobile. But this convenience comes at a significant cost since most buyers are likely to leave cash on the table by receiving less for their trade-in than what it is worth. The dealer is especially likely to offer a low price if the trade-in is from a car manufacturer that is different from the one the dealership represents.

Key Takeaways When considering whether to make a down payment or trade-in a vehicle its usually best to make a down payment from a financial perspective.

Youll get more bang-for-your-buck when offering a down payment. This could mean selling your vehicle privately before going in for a purchase.

However, the difference of a few hundred dollars might not make the private sale worth the hassle.

The preferred course of action would be to sell the car privately before buying a replacement vehicle and using the sale proceeds as a down payment. But arranging for a private sale can be a time-consuming and cumbersome process involving a number of steps. These include:

Ensuring that the vehicle is sale-worthy

Advertising the sale

Making the car available for test drives

Actually getting the money once the car is sold

The timing also has to be near-perfect in a private sale, in order to avoid being without an automobile for an inordinately long time. You also have the potential hassle of signing over the title, which usually has to be notarized. As well, if you sell your car for more than you paid for it, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers that a capital gain, which is taxable.

Regardless of whether the old car is being traded-in or sold privately, the seller should have a good idea of what the vehicle is actually worth before coming up with a price for it. Over-inflated expectations of the value of the car may result in reasonable offers being turned down, while inaccurately low estimates will hurt the seller's pocketbook. A number of online sites provide estimates for both trade-ins and private sales. Conversely, if you're open to financing your car purchase with a loan, an online auto loan calculator can help illustrate how much a down payment will affect your monthly payment.

The Bottom Line

When comparing a trade-in to a private sale, it boils down to how much the convenience factor is worth. Receiving a couple of hundred dollars less for a trade-in, as opposed to a private sale, may be well worth the hassle involved in the latter, for most people.

In the end, it may be best to arrange a down payment rather than a trade-in when buying a car. But if that is not possible and a trade-in is the only option, do your research beforehand to obtain an estimate of the value of your vehicle. A few hours of research can save you hundreds  if not thousands  of dollars, by fetching you a better price for your trade-in than a dealer's low-ball offer.
What Is a Land Flip?

A land flip is a fraudulent real estate practice where buyers and sellers collude to exchange a piece of undeveloped land between each other to inflate the propertys price beyond the market value.

While often associated with schemes, many times land flipping, like house flipping, involves legitimate investment in undesirable land priced below market value and improving it, later selling it at market prices for a profit.

Key Takeaways A land flip is a fraudulent real estate practice where buyers and sellers collude to exchange a piece of undeveloped land between each other to inflate the propertys price beyond the market value.

These transactions can be done to hide various issues with the property, such as hidden legal issues, toxic pollution, liens, or easements.

Financial institutions face the risk of a land flip when making loans for the purchase of undeveloped property, mostly because the value of and demand for an undeveloped piece of land is hard to determine.

How a Land Flip Works

After manipulating the market price of a property, land flip perpetrators sell it to an unsuspecting outside buyer at an inflated price. When that buyer attempts to resell the land at a later date, its value may be much lower than where they purchased it. Land flips can be done to hide various issues, such as hidden legal issues, toxic pollution, liens, or easements.

For example, a land flip group of five might purchase a piece of land for $10,000. Each member of the group sells the piece of land to another for a slightly higher price. When the fifth and final member has purchased the property from the others, its price has risen to $14,000. At this point, the group sells the land to an independent buyer for $15,000 generating a fraudulent profit of $5,000.

Special Considerations

Financial institutions face the risk of a land flip when making loans for the purchase of undeveloped property. In large part, this is because the value ofand demand foran undeveloped piece of land is hard to determine.

The lender may repossess the undeveloped parcel if a buyer defaults on the loan. However, it may be hard to resell the property, even at a break-even price. Many lenders require up to a 50% down payment for undeveloped land to protect against the risk of default.

Companies who are perpetrating a land flip may approach potential investors by telephone, through ads in local media, and with attractive direct mail campaigns. These promotions promise huge profits and include gifts to lure investor commitment.

Example of a Land Flip

In 2006, The Washington Post and other news agencies reported a considerable land flip scandal involving Total Realty Management. In this case, pieces of vacant land along the North Carolina coast selling for as much as $400,000 suddenly plummeted to $20,000 in value.

In some cases, properties were sold back and forth between employees of Total Realty Management. For example, TRM bought a property for $180,000 and sold it to an employee on the same day for $250,000. The employee sold the property back to TRM, which then sold it to another colluder for $310,000. Ultimately, the property sold to an unsuspecting couple for $354,000.

According to reports on the scandal, at least 1,500 investors involved lost hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Also, foreclosing banks lost tens of millions.
By Ann O'Loughlin

The official administering Sean Dunne's Irish bankruptcy has told the High Court the businessman did not co-operate with the process after being adjudicated bankrupt here in 2013.

While there was some co-operation in 2016, that was "wholly deficient" and lead to the application to extend the bankruptcy by five years, Chris Lehane said.

The businessman denies he has not co-operated with the Official Assignee and opposes the application to extend his bankruptcy.

Mr Lehane told the High Court in May 2016 he took the view Mr Dunne had not co-operated with him as he is required to do after the businessman was adjudicated a bankrupt in 2013.

Under cross-examination on sworn statements the Official Assignee has provided in support of the extension application Mr Lehane rejected an assertion by counsel the application to extend the bankruptcy was "grossly premature."

He said while Mr Dunne had challenged the bankruptcy he did not attend for interview with the al Assignee until June 2016.

It was accepted he had received a quantity of documents from Mr Dunne's representatives in early 2016, including an 800-page transcript of an interview conducted with the businessman and his creditors as part of bankruptcy proceedings that were being conducted in the US.

Mr Lehane said he also accepted he had received a statement of affairs from Mr Dunne in early 2016.

However Mr Lehane said while he did receive a large volume of material, some of which was helpful, he was not satisfied about the quality of the information received from Mr Dunne.

He said he also took the view from the transcript that Mr Dunne's responses to questions about assets were a complete obfuscation." and were "wholly deficient."

Mr Lehane said the bankrupt's estate was large. However, the level of co-operation the Official Assignee received from Mr Dunne contrasted to that given by former Anglo Irish Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick, whose estate was also sizeable after he was adjudicated bankrupt.

Mr Lehane accepted he did have some contact with Mr Dunne's creditors, NAMA and Ulster Bank, and the lawyer acting for the US trustee in bankruptcy about matters.

However, he said as an independent official the decision to seek to have Mr Dunne's bankruptcy extended was his, and was not based on representations made to him by other parties including the creditors and the US trustee.

He also told the court that his investigations into the estate are ongoing, and that there are other legal proceedings brought in respect of assets he claims form part of the businessman's estate.

These include an action over a property in Dublin 4 known as Walford which was purchased by Mr Dunne in 2005. Mr Dunne denies claims by Mr Lehane's that property is part of the businessman's estate.

Mr Dunne's Irish bankruptcy was due to expire July 2016 but has been extended pending the outcome of the full hearing concerning whether any extension, which can be for a maximum five years, should be granted.

Ulster Bank petitioned the High Court in February 2013 to have Mr Dunne adjudicated bankrupt here over default on some 164m loans.

The following month, Mr Dunne filed for bankruptcy in Connecticut, US, when he claimed to have debts of $1bn and assets of $55m.

In 2016 Mr Lehane initiated the bankruptcy extension application due to Mr Dunne's alleged non-cooperation,

The application, which is before Ms Justice Caroline Costello, continues.
Apple could soon make it impossible to get your cracked iPhone screen repaired by an unauthorised dealer.

According to the Irish Independent, the latest software upgrade could cause some models to stop working properly afterwards.
Dublin City Council has voted in support of a boycott and economic sanctions against Israel.

The motion passed by councillors last night, also calls for the council to discontinue business contracts with Hewlett Packard.

Supporters of the motion claim the company provides technology used to support the occupation of the West Bank.

The Mayor of Dublin Micheal MacDonnacha is travelling to the Palestinian Territories today for a conference on the future of Jerusalem.

He said: "We really need a message of peace, but also justice in Palestine.

"I also think it's appropriate that I travel out on today, the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement."

A spokesperson for HP said: "Allegations that HP is complicit in human rights violations are untrue. The technology services described have never been offered by HP Inc. HP is committed to socially responsible business practices and abides by stringent policies that respect human rights in every market in which we operate."

- Digital Desk
By Sarah-Jane Murphy

A former non-executive director at Anglo Irish Bank has told a jury that excellent people were sourced by the bank to carry out healthy checks and balances during the financial crisis of 2008.

Michael Jacob told David Drumm's conspiracy to defraud trial that financial reporting evolved at this time and Anglo took measures to ensure that things were done properly.

He was giving evidence on day 52 of Mr Drumm's trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Mr Drumm (51) of Skerries, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with former bank officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe and others to defraud depositors and investors at Anglo Irish Bank by dishonestly creating the impression that deposits in 2008 were 7.2 billion larger than they were.

The bank's former CEO has also pleaded not guilty to false accounting on December 3, 2008, by furnishing information to the market that Anglo's 2008 deposits were 7.2 billion larger than they were.

The accused accepts that multi-million euro transactions took place in between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) in 2008 but disputes that they were fraudulent or dishonest.

Today Mr Jacob told Tessa White BL, defending, that Anglo asked finance firm PWC to carry out a review of the workings of the bank's audit and risk committees in 2008, to ensure there were no overlaps or gaps.

There were a lot of people looking at the same trough, so to speak, he said.

He said that Anglo's directors believed the bank should get an independent body to scrutinise its operations and ensure it was adhering to best practice.

Mr Jacob told the jury that it was an exceptional time in international finance because very significant companies disappeared overnight.

The extent to which this impacted on a bank's funding was quite extraordinary. The board were very conscious of the very, very difficult situation that was prevailing, he said.

Earlier he told Sinead McGrath BL, prosecuting, that he attended a board meeting on October 24, 2008.

He said he did not recall any discussion about the reference to Anglo's transaction with ILP which was documented in a PWC report that was circulated to directors at this meeting.

The report simply recorded that the transaction occurred, that was actually the first time we saw the ILP transaction, he said.

The trial, which is now in its tenth week, continues before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury of ten men and four women.
By Louise Roseingrave

A 16 year old suffered fatal head injuries after he was struck by a vehicle outside his home, an inquest has heard.

Dane Loakman of The Beeches, Sallins, Co Kildare died on November 28 2017 and the inquest into the teenagers death heard that a Garda investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Dublin Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane was told that the garda investigation is almost complete. The young man was struck by a passing vehicle outside his home and rushed to Naas General Hospital.

He was later transferred to the Richmond Unit at Beaumont Hospital which specialises in head injuries.

The young mans mother, Alison Loakman formally identified her sons body following his passing at the hospital to Garda Sarah Prendergast.

Pathologist Dr Francesca Brett conducted an autopsy and in her report gave the cause of death as traumatic head injuries due to a road traffic collision.

Dr Cullinane commended the family for their decision to donate their loved ones organs.

In the aftermath of her sons death, Alison Loakman said her son was waiting to cross the road when he was struck by the passing vehicle.

The coroner adjourned the inquest for further mention until October 4 2018.
Update 9.57am: The Construction sector says it is too expensive to build homes at the moment.

Builders are looking for a VAT reduction to make it more cost-effective.

However, auctioneer Pat Davitt says a full audit is needed first to establish the real cost of house building.

Mr Davitt said: "A normal three-bedroom semi, in lots of parts outside of the city, they can be built for probably somewhere in the region of 150,000 to 200,000.

"In lots of other areas, they are from 200,000 to 250,000. There is a huge difference in pricing."

Meanwhile, housing expert Lorcan Sirr has warned that we are only building half the number of homes the Government says we are.

The DIT housing lecturer said we are seeing these kinds of queues because there are so few housing developments coming on.

He said last year, we built between 9,000 and 10,000 houses  not 19,000 houses as you will hear politicians say.

He said the problem is magnified by the fact that trading in land is much more profitable and less risky than building houses.

He warned that things may not be about to change anytime soon:

Maybe this is it, he said.

Maybe this is the housing supply that we are going to have every year from now on.

Because remember, if you own an awful lot of land, you can turn on the tap and turn off the tap to suit yourself and drip-feed the market with housing to keep the prices where you need them to be.

So maybe 10,000 houses a year is where we are at.

In which case, it means that we have a huge gap in the middle for people who want to buy a house between 200,000 and 400,000.

He said vacant site taxes have proven ineffective at dealing with land hoarding.

"We have a site value tax at 3% this year and 7% next year - when land is going up by 15% every year it doesn't really matter."

"The State itself has enough land.

"It is not just a Dublin issue, I recognise that but the four local authorities in Dublin have enough land between them to solve the homeless crisis.

"They have land for about 28,000 houses.

We have bucket loads of land around the place, we don't need to rely on these guys but the model that we have is to wait for the private sector to deliver housing.

"We can deliver housing ourselves like we used to do for decades - and did very well."

6.56am: 'Govt needs to start building houses themselves' to stop people queuing to buy houses

The Government is being urged to tackle a situation that has left house-hunters queuing for days to secure a home.

The sale of 24 new homes in Dublin 15 led to people sleeping out overnight yesterday, despite it being five days before the houses actually go on the market.

Labour spokesperson Councillor Andrew Montague says the issue is a symptom of the current housing market.

Mr Montague said: "Property dealers need to sit down and the Government's Department of Housing needs to work out some way of dealing with it, but really the fundamental problem is the lack of supply.

"People wouldn't be queuing up for days at a time if there were enough houses being developed and we think that the Government needs to start building houses themselves and not just wait for the private sector to step in."

Yesterday afternoon, estate agents Kelly Walsh arrived at the Hansfield development and handed out tickets to potential buyers in the queue.

Cllr Montague said a fairer system for home buying needs to be put in place until the crisis in supply can be addressed, noting that any new system must be, to people and not leave them in such an awful situation where they are queuing for days and maybe not even get anything out of it.

I think we need to leave that part of the Celtic Tiger behind us and use some fair way of letting people queue for these houses, he said.

But really that is only a short-term solution  the long-term solution is to have more houses.

- Digital Desk
WITH Donald Trumps new trade tariffs, the United States has been transformed from the global, multilateral trading systems leading champion to its nemesis.

But it would be difficult for an erratic politician to overturn long-established structures and mechanisms were it not for a more fundamental economic shift.

The first formal manifestation of todays trade tensions occurred in the steel sector  an old economy industry par excellence, plagued, especially in China, by enormous excess capacity.

Excess capacity is a recurrent phenomenon in the steel sector, and has always produced friction.

In 2002, then president George W Bushs administration imposed steep tariffs on steel imports, but relented when a World Trade Organisation dispute-resolution panel ruled against the US.

Although Trump administration trade hawks remember this ruling as a loss, most economists agree that it was ultimately good for the US economy, which does not gain from taxing a major input for other industries.

Todays tariffs differ from Bushs in a crucial way: they target China. Under section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974  which empowers the president to act, if US industry has been damaged by a foreign governments unjustified actions  Trump has imposed steep tariffs on $50bn worth of Chinese imports.

And China has hit back, introducing steep tariffs on imports of 128 US-made products.

So why is Trump risking a trade war? His administrations main complaint is that China requires foreign companies to reveal their intellectual property (IP) as a condition of access to their market.

And it is true that this requirement can damage US tech companies, if those companies are dominant in their industries.

For a major player in social networks or search engines, for example, the

cost of entering a new market is essentially zero. Since the existing software can easily serve many more millions of users, they just need to translate their interface into the local language, so that entering a new market mostly means more profits.

But if such companies are forced to reveal their IP, their business models are destroyed, as local players can then compete effectively in that market, and potentially in others.

This is not the case for companies operating in competitive industries. For them, producing and selling more abroad costs more, limiting the marginal profits. In other words, in the more competitive old economy, the gains of opening new markets are much smaller.

That is why lobbying by potential exporters for better access to markets with high tariffs has usually been muted, hence the lack of resistance to Indias protectionism.

This is changing in the new winner-take-all tech economy: With IP-owning winners missing out on massive profits when a big market like China is protected or closed, trade conflicts become more acute.

Meanwhile, trade policy becomes focused primarily on redistributing rents, with employment and consumer interests viewed as secondary. (Under competitive conditions, policymakers place a higher priority on maximising trades potential to boost productivity and create high-quality employment.)

Monopoly rents translate into high market valuations. And, indeed, the new economy giants have a much higher stock-market value than their old economy equivalents. The three largest US tech companies are worth 50 times more than the three largest US steel producers.

The looming trade war promises to be asymmetric. The US  home to all the dominant tech firms  will struggle to find allies against China. After all, in Europe and Japan, IP-owning companies operate mostly in more competitive industries, meaning that Chinas demand for that IP will have less of an impact.

And some European governments are eager to secure their share of rents from US firms. This is the ultimate aim of European efforts to raise taxes on the profits of digital multinationals, though such a tax is unlikely to do the job.

Proponents of that tax argue that profits should be taxed where they are earned, with the implicit argument that they are earned where the consumers are. But this is an arbitrary criterion.

US firms can legitimately claim that their European profits are just a

return on their IP, which can formally be localised anywhere, preferably in a low-tax jurisdiction. A European tax on these companies is thus unlikely to yield substantial revenues.

In the old, competitive economy, trade wars might be easy to win for a country with a large trade deficit. But in the emerging winner-take-all economy, a trade war launched with the goal of forcing the rest of the world to open up, thereby allowing the aggressors own winning firms to earn higher rents, is an altogether different proposition.

So the US government is essentially arranging its diplomatic guns behind its internet giants, while Europe and China are baying for their monopoly profits. This is more destructive than a zero-sum game: it will do serious damage to the global trading system.

Daniel Gros is director of the Center for European Policy Studies. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2018.
Donald Trump has threatened to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, unless it is fixed by May 12. He would be right to follow through, according to Michael Makovsky.

US president Donald Trump has made clear his eagerness to withdraw US troops from Syria, ceding the country to Iran, to more chemical attacks, and to further conflict.

However mistaken that would be, he is confronting Iran through a different withdrawal  from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, unless it is fixed by May 12.

Since the fundamentally flawed agreement cannot be truly rectified, and US credibility is at stake, that would be the right policy.

The Iran nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), all but guaranteed a nuclear Iran no later than 2030, necessitating US withdrawal at some point to prevent a critical threat to American national security interests. But there was no urgency for Washington to do so.

What was pressing, after the Iran-Russia alliance with Bashar al-Assad gained the upper hand in Syrias civil war in 2016-17, was to roll back Tehrans growing regional hegemony. Addressing this first would also have offered Trump more leverage with Iran, in correcting the nuclear deals flaws.

Trump pledged to address both elements of the Iranian threat, but he has resisted confronting Iran regionally. Recently, he has insisted upon the urgency of pulling out of Syria, once Islamic State is defeated. His desire is to let other people take care of it now.

Those caretakers would be Iranians and Russians. This will raise the likelihood of an Iranian-Israel conflict over Syria, where the Assad regime is believed to be behind the recent chemical weapons attack that killed dozens near Damascus. That regime, in turn, is blaming Israel for an attack on a Syrian airbase which killed several Iranian military personnel 24 hours later.

Instead, Trump has focused on the JCPOA, correctly highlighting three egregious elements: it ignores ballistic missile development; doesnt mandate inspections anywhere, anytime; and permits restrictions on Irans enrichment programme to lapse, or sunset.

Trump turned to US Congress, and now European governments, to fix the deal, but, as he likely understands, it is a fools errand. These three fundamental flaws cant be fixed  certainly not by a supplemental American and European deal, likely to be rejected by Russia and China and definitely by Iran.

Europeans reportedly are amenable to sanctioning Iran to curb development of ballistic missiles that could reach them. While welcome, this would not address Irans existing arsenal, which has the range to hit Jerusalem and Riyadh. Better, though not on the table, would be to threaten to shoot down Iranian missiles.

Ensuring adequate inspections is also unlikely, since the International Atomic Energy Agency, which carries out the inspections, has complied with Irans refusal to permit inspections of key facilities, rendering the USs anytime, anywhere position meaningless.

But it is on the sunset clause that the prospect of fixing the JCPOA really founders.

Many Europeans are resistant to addressing the clause, because it effectively means cancelling the deal, which they oppose. Further, the sunset clause was Tehrans real prize, as it provides Iran a legal, internationally recognised pathway to nuclear weapons capability. It is unfathomable that it would relinquish this, absent extraordinary coercion, which is not in the offing.

Some urge patience, but time is Irans friend. The nearer the 2030 sunset draws, the more nuclear activity the JCPOA permits. And the closer Iran gets to a robust nuclear programme, the more determined to persevere it will become, reducing the chance, and time, for any coercive strategy to succeed.

Also, US leverage will decline as Iran expands its global trade, bolsters its military arsenal, and cements its positions on the borders of the USs Middle Eastern allies.

US credibility is on the line. Since the presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the JCPOA. In January, he declared the current negotiations to fix it a last chance.

US vice-president, Mike Pence, declared last month: make no mistake.Unless the Iran nuclear deal is fixedAmerica will withdraw.

If Trump doesnt withdraw based on a European faux-fix, it would severely weaken the USs standing with Iran and globally.

Some argue that US withdrawal from the JCPOA would signal to North Korea, as talks loom, that America is an unreliable negotiating partner.

However, after repeated violations of nuclear agreements, it is Pyongyang that should have to prove its reliability, not Washington.

And, after years of retrenchment, unenforced redlines, and ineffectual  and in the case of the JCPOA, unsigned and ungratified  nuclear deals, what the US needs to prove is its resolve to do what is necessary to prevent rogue states from expanding their nuclear programmes.

Withdrawal from JCPOA would strengthen US credibility, just as American rejection of the Test Ban Treaty and withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty advanced US security.

Washingtons withdrawal from the JCPOA would reinstate nuclear-related economic sanctions, which could  if other countries fall in line  pressurise and isolate Tehran, and weaken its regional aggression.

Longer-term, withdrawal offers more freedom to the US and to Israel to act militarily against Iranian nuclear facilities.

When the JCPOA was negotiated, its primary alternative was a better deal. However, by relieving pressure on Iran and abetting its eventual nuclear development, the JCPOA unfortunately ensured the primary alternative to a nuclear Iran was military action. The other option  regime change  was weakened by the JCPOAs concessions.

Any intent to withdraw must be preceded by careful preparation for the days after  formulating a robust communication strategy that minimises blame of the US; working with Washingtons European and Middle Eastern allies; and willingness and ability to confront any Iranian provocation in the region.

While Iran might well continue to adhere to the JCPOA  because it serves its nuclear, economic, and diplomatic interests so well  it could choose to break free of the nuclear agreements restrictions and ratchet up its nuclear programme. The US must then be willing to do whatever is necessary to prevent a nuclear weapons-capable Iran. If it is not, then Trump should not withdraw from the JCPOA.

Barack Obama backed Americans into a dangerous corner with the JCPOA. Now, Trump has nudged Americans into another corner with threats to withdraw. A prepared president should seize the historic opportunity to follow through on that threat.

- Michael Makovsky is president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America JINSA and a former Pentagon official. @michaelmakovsky
Europe's air traffic controllers have issued a "rapid alert" for airlines in the Eastern Mediterranean because of the possibility of missile strikes on Syria.

The European Aviation Security Agency's (EASA) warning of possible launches of air-to-ground strikes or cruise missiles comes as the US, Britain, France and allies weigh up retaliatory measures to a suspected chemical weapon attack in Syria.
A Canadian alleged serial killer is facing a seventh murder charge involving a missing man whose family initially thought he had abandoned his wife and two daughters.

The prosecution said in court that 66-year-old landscaper Bruce McArthur has been charged with first-degree murder over the death of Abdulbasir Faizi.

McArthur appeared by video during the session in Toronto.

Police have been trying to identify the remains of several men found at a property McArthur used as storage for his landscaping business and say he targeted men he met through dating apps that cater to gay men, meeting them at bars in the "Gay Village" area of Toronto, as well as male prostitutes.

A relative said she was relieved Mr Faizi's remains have been found.

"For me at least there's a sense of relief because he didn't abandon anyone. He didn't run away," she said.

An assistant machine operator at a printing company, Mr Faizi went missing on December 29 2010.

Trying to determine why, his Muslim family accessed his computer and were shocked to discover he had been secretly going to bathhouses in the Gay Village and was on gay dating apps for older and large men.

When they then went to police, officers suggested he had probably just left, the relative said.

Mr Faizi's wife divorced him, thinking he had abandoned her and their two young daughters.

"She didn't know. He wasn't out. As far as she knows they were married and they were happy and he abandoned her and the daughters," she said.

But she said she always knew he did not run away.

"It didn't make sense. He didn't take his passport and he didn't take any money. It didn't make sense that police had this theory that he ran away," she said.

"I feel very guilty now because I didn't do enough."

Police set up a task force, Project Houston, in 2012 after Skandaraj Navaratnam, Majeed Kayhan and Mr Faizi, an Afghan who immigrated to Canada from Iran, went missing.

The three are South Asian or Middle Eastern and frequented gay bars in Toronto's Gay Village. That project closed in 2014.

McArthur is now charged with their murders and the murders of four other men.

He appeared wearing an orange jumpsuit and spoke in court only to say his name and acknowledge that he understood the charges against him.

McArthur has not entered a plea.
Facebook will investigate "tens of thousands" of apps to discover if any other companies have accessed data in a similar way to Cambridge Analytica (CA), Mark Zuckerberg has told US politicians.

The social network says it is in the process of letting up to 87 million users know that their information may have been accessed by CA, and in a packed room on Capitol Hill, Mr Zuckerberg repeated his admission that the company "didn't do enough" to stop its tools "being used for harm".

Speaking to the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, the tech entrepreneur apologised that Facebook had not taken a "broad enough view" of its responsibility for people's public information.

"It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here," he said, in words from a prepared statement.

Mr Zuckerberg said its audit of third-party apps would highlight any misuse of personal information, and said the company would alert users instantly if it "found anything suspicious".

When asked why the company did not immediately alert the 87 million users whose data may have been accessed by Cambridge Analytica (CA) when first told about the "improper" usage in 2015, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook considered it a "closed case" after CA said it had deleted it.

"In retrospect it was clearly a mistake to believe them," he said.

CA insists it deleted the data harvested by Professor Aleksandr Kogan's personality quiz app as soon as it was informed it breached Facebook's terms of use.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock will meet Facebook representatives in London on Wednesday.

Facebook and Cambridge Analytica face multiple lawsuits over alleged misuse of personal information with at least five law firms in the UK and US investigating claims for compensation.

On the subject of fake news, Mr Zuckerberg said "one of my greatest regrets in running the company" was its slowness at uncovering and acting against disinformation campaigns by Russian trolls during the US election.

He said the Russian campaign of disinformation had been discovered "right around the time" of the US presidential election, and said the company had developed "new AI tools" to identify fake accounts responsible.

But he said: "They are going to keep getting better at this and we need to invest in keeping on getting better at this too."

After two-and-a-half hours of the hearings, Facebook shares were up around 4.5% on the start of the day, in an apparent signal of investors' view on Mr Zuckerberg's performance.

PA
The Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht will be asked to back a bid to have a number of these sites added to the prestigious Unesco list.

Cork county councillors are expected to unanimously endorse a motion from Independent councillor Marcia DAlton for theirofficials to prepare a submission for inclusion on the list when they meet to debate the issue in a fortnight.

The buildings she is seeking to have recognised by Unesco have a combined history of in excess of 4,000 years.

Ms DAlton said she wants Unesco to acknowledge the importance of Fort Westmoreland/Mitchell on Spike Island, Fort Camden/Meagher, Crosshaven, and Fort Carlisle/Davis, Whitegate.

The last remaining 6in gun overlooking cork harbour at Fort Davis near Whitegate, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

Military historians have acknowledged these as some of the most impressive coastal fortifications in the world.

Ms DAlton said she wants Napoleonic-era Martello towers at Haulbowline Island, Belvelly, Rossleague, and Monning added to the list.

The submission will include historic buildings at the Naval Services headquarters on Haulbowline Island, Collins Barracks, and Ballincollig Powder Mills.

Collins Barracks, built between 1801 and 1806, played a significant role as a staging post for soldiers going to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, Crimean War, Zulu War, Boer War, and the First World War.

Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills, built in 1794 and encompassing 435 acres, was the biggest manufacturing site for gunpowder in the British empire.

The mill wheel at the Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills, which was built in 1794. Picture: Cork Film Archive

Haulbowline Island was fortified by the British in 1602 and is home to a number of historic sites.

The worlds first yacht club, Royal Cork Yacht Club, was founded there in 1720, before moving its headquarters across the harbour to Crosshaven.

The Unesco World Heritage list currently consists of 1,037 sites in 167 countries.

Only two of these are located here: Bru na Boinne, added in 1993, and Skellig Michael, in 1996.

A report compiled by Conor Nelligan, the county councils heritage officer, says that the State had drawn up a tentative list to have other sites added.

These include the Burren, Ceide Fields, Rock of Cashel, and the Hill of Uisneach in Co Westmeath.

Ringaskiddy Martello tower should join the Unesco World Heritage sites list, believes Marcia DAlton.

Mr Nelligan said Unesco encourages countries to re-examine and resubmit their tentative lists at least every 10 years.

Ms DAlton said she believes that putting forward an extensive list, which would also include the 1,300-year-old heritage of Spike Island, would surely clinch Unesco designation for the Cork sites.

She pointed out that Spike Island won second place in the World Travel Awards last year.

It was competing with such sites as the Great Wall of China (a World Heritage site since 1987), Kilimanjaro (the Kilimanjaro National Park is a World Heritage site since 1987), and Machu Picchu, the Peruvian Inca citadel which became a World Heritage site in 1983.
It was the third inspection of the facility, at Cherry Orchard Hospital, Ballyfermot, by the Health Information and Quality Authority since 2015. The inspection was unannounced.

On the day of the most recent inspection last November  it was undertaken to consider a registration decision  there were 28 residents in the two separate buildings, which can accommodate 33 residents.

The centre provides continuing care to young, chronic, sick individuals and has six respite beds for both male and female residents over the age of 18.

The inspectors found no evidence of significant progress in complying with regulations and improving residents quality of life.

They also discovered residents social care needs were poorly met and appropriate measures to safeguard them were not in place.

Incidents, allegations, and suspicions of abuse at the centre were not appropriately investigated in accordance with policy, national guidance and legislation. Inspectors found that the centre had failed to notify Hiqas chief inspector about the unexpected death of a resident.

When the inspectors arrived at the centre, staff failed to query who they were or failed to demand identification from them.

The facility was unclean and poorly maintained. One inspector lifted up the tablecloth in one of the dining rooms and discovered it was stuck to the table, with a build-up of moisture and food debris.

Inspectors also found that significant fire-management improvements were required.

A team of inspectors also made an unannounced inspection of a HSE-run centre in Stranbeg, Co Sligo, in January, after receiving unsolicited information last November about arrangements made to protect residents from abuse.

While they found the arrangements were adequate, they also discovered an overall failure to notify Hiqa of any abuse allegation, suspected or confirmed, within the required time frame.

Also, the centres bed capacity had increased to eight, which exceeded the bed number it was registered for. It had also been reconfigured without notifying the chief inspector.

The centre is registered to meet the needs of seven residents with moderate to high support needs  there were eight residents living there on the day of the inspection.

Inspectors, who made an announced visit last December to Cluain Fhionnain, a HSE-run centre for people with intellectual disabilities in Killarney, Co Kerry, found that not enough was being done to protect its 12 residents from abuse. The HSE is to close the centre, when all of the residents are moved to more suitable community homes.
Two weeks on from the introduction of time-regulated bus lanes on St Patricks St, traders say they are considering a march on City Hall in protest at the daily 3pm to 6.30pm ban on private cars.

Eddie Mullins, of Fitzgeralds Menswear, said the street is like a ghost town from 1pm.

I have never seen such a disastrous decision in all of my life, he said. The family-owned business in the city centre is now an endangered species. A lot of them had lost the will to fight but there is talk now of a march on City Hall.

However, Ann Doherty, chief executive of Cork City Council, warned ongoing negative commentary about theban combined with the loss of 115 car parking spaces at Morrisons Island, risks damaging the citys image.

Speaking during Mondays council meeting, she insisted the city is open for business, and pointed to the availability of parking spaces in the city councils multi-storey car parks, particularly at North Main St, and the launch last week of corkparking.ie to provide up-to-date information on parking options.

However, Fianna Fail councillor Tim Brosnan said despite the Core partnership initiative between City Hall and traders, it is clear to him that there is a serious disconnect between those who run businesses in the city and those charged with running the city.

He called on the Lord Mayors office to facilitate a meeting between City Hall and traders to address their concerns. Despite mounting criticism of the ban, City Hall defended its consultation and insisted that there are no plans to scrap it.

All restrictions are clearly sign-posted and the council is asking drivers to continue to pay particular attention to these signs and to be patient with other road users as they adjust to the layout, a spokewoman said.

Traffic changes normally take time to bed in and the council is monitoring the emerging new flow patterns. It will make adjustments as necessary to ensure optimal flow for all, she said.

This change is the latest in a series of improvements which have been introduced to support bus services and improve traffic flows, said the spokeswoman. This prioritisation on St Patricks St will reduce delays to scheduled timetables and ensure a reliable bus service.

Bus Eireann, which operates more than 970 services on St Patricks St daily, said it will be next week before it can provide data on how the changes have affected its services.

City Hall said better routing of through traffic and improvement of bus services are necessary responses to the growth in the citys workforce and residential population.
Hassan Bal, aged 26, of OConnell St, Waterford, pleaded guilty earlier this year to two terrorist-related offences and was remanded in custody in January.

He was brought back before Waterford Circuit Court on Tuesday and Judge Eugene OKelly was told that a report from an expert on radicalisation, requested by the defence, is not ready. However, it should be finalised by the time the current court sessions are over in June.

Noel Whelan, BL, prosecuting, asked that the case be adjourned to May 30, with a view to fixing a date in June for sentencing. Judge OKelly agreed to this request on consent by Conor Roberts BL, defending. He remanded Bal in continuing custody until May 30, when a sentencing date will be set.

Bal pleaded guilty in January to unlawfully transferring 400, by means of an An Post/Western Union transaction, to a Stevo Maksimovic in the Bosnian city of Brako on October 2, 2015. This was done with him intending or knowing that the money would be used in whole or in part for the benefit of the terrorist group IS.

He also pleaded guilty to communicating by phone with an intermediary in London, on October 23, 2015, to collect or receive cash for IS from a person known to him as Omar Abu Azid at an address at Geron Way, London. The charges are contrary to Section 13 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act of 2005. The maximum sentence is 20 years of imprisonment.

Bal was in court on Tuesday for the brief hearing, wearing a dark suit, dark tie, and white shirt, but was not called upon to speak. He is originally from Britain and moved to Ireland, with his family, when he was aged 12. He lived initially in Wexford and moved to Waterford in 2007. He holds an Irish passport and was training to be an electrician, at the time of his arrest in April last year.

In January, his defence team asked for a report to be carried out by Daniel Koelher of the German Institute of Radicalisation and De-Radicalisation Studies. This report, it was heard in January, should ask why Bal became associated with such activities and if he has since been deradicalised. They also asked for Dr Koelher to be given access in prison to Mr Bal for the purposes of his investigation and that he should be available to give evidence at the sentencing hearing.
Led by scientists at Cambridge Universitys Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), the team hopes to finally locate the Endurance, which has lain at the bottom of the Weddell Sea since 1915.

Slated for 2019, the scientific mission to investigate the Larsen C Ice Shelf will also search for the wreck 3,000m beneath the waves.

The group, which includes researchers from universities in South Africa and New Zealand, will be the first to use autonomous underwater vehicles to scan the seabed for the ships remains.

Thick pack ice and extreme weather are among challenges faced by those who venture to the isolated and wild region, much as Shackleton faced more than a century ago.

SPRIs director Julian Dowdeswell, chief scientist of the Weddell Sea Expedition 2019, told The Times that the Agulhas II expedition ship would be put to the test by the conditions.

Whatever ship you have, its possible it wont get there, said Prof Dowdeswell. It could be a better or worse sea ice year, so everybody is going into this with their eyes open.

David Mearns, an American shipwreck hunter, is also preparing to launch an expedition of his own next year to find the Endurance.

Shackletons attempt to cross Antarctica began in 1914. He was warned by the Norwegian whalers that that seasons ice was particularly bad in the Weddell Sea, and it extended further north than they had ever seen. Despite this advice, Shackleton departed South Georgia on December 5, 1914, for Antarctic shores, and within two days they were manoeuvring through pack ice.

They finally saw land in the distance on January 17, 1915. However, on the following day, the ship was halted in its course by the ice and was trapped for 10 months before it finally sank.

The explorer and his crew survived for six months, even shooting their pack dogs for meat, before sailing for the uninhabited Elephant Island in three lifeboats, one of which was manned by Tom Crean, the Antarctic explorer from Anascaul, Co Kerry.

Tom Crean heroically kept the Wills afloat, sailing through a labyrinth of ice and battling the rough sea, all while the boat was taking on water and constantly needed to be bailed out.

Conditions on the boat were appalling as the soaked and hungry men suffered from seasickness and diarrhoea and, of course, the freezing temperatures. At night the men would huddle together to generate heat, and would awake covered in permafrost.

Shackleton, himself from Kilkea, Athy, Co Kildare, and five other men, including Crean, then set sail again to seek help at a whaling station on the island of South Georgia, with their perilous two-week journey regarded as one of the most heroic feats of navigation.

After three unsuccessful attempts, the men were finally rescued in August 1916.

Alexandra Shackleton, the explorers granddaughter, supports Prof Dowdeswells expedition, but as her family owns the wreck, their permission will be needed if any items are to be recovered.

I would love to see her image. But Im not sure how I would feel about having her touched, said Ms Shackleton.

As for the teams chances of actually finding the Endurance, she said it is a very big if.

People plan to do things in the Antarctic and the Antarctic decides otherwise, as my grandfather found, she said.
He suggested that Budget 2019 will be prudent, with the Government focused on bringing down debt.

He hit out at previous governments led by Fianna Fail, which he accused of boosting spending and cutting taxes too rapidly.

That gave rise to the economic crises that we had for so long and formed the foundations of the housing crises that were still now facing, said Mr Varadkar.

The Government is expected to have substantially more wriggle room this year, with around 2.7bn available in Octobers budget giving extra scope to reduce taxes or pump money into infrastructure and services.

Mr Varadkar said: The first priority when it comes to framing the next budget has to be to build on whats been achieved in recent years and that is eliminating the deficit, bringing down our debt as a country.

He said it is important to be able to deal with economic shocks or a slowdown in the economy if they should occur. I dont want to repeat the mistakes of the past  and the most obvious mistake that was made in the past was that when the economy was going well, governments, led by other parties, decided not to do the right thing.

While Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has indicated his party will support the budget, provided some demands are met, it is understood it has dismissed any idea of a gentlemans agreement that would prolong the confidence and supply agreement by six months.

The Irish Examiner understands that Fianna Fail will demand a rainy-day fund be prioritised and delivery of pay restoration to workers in section-39 organisations. They see health and housing as red-line issues.

Mr Varadkar said the next budget is still too far away to know what it will include  adding that Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will only know the parameters of the budget once the summer economic statement is published.

The most important thing from my point of view is prudence, said Mr Varadkar.

He added that balancing the books is the priority and, after that, it will be about finding additional funding for infrastructure, public services, and finding twice as much money for that as we do for tax release.

Meanwhile, Agriculture, Food, and Marine Minister Michael Creed is to update his colleagues on the ongoing fodder crisis when the Cabinet meets today.

Mr Creed last week announced a 1.5m support scheme to help with the importation cost of hay and silage. He is also due to meet with some of the main banks today to discuss ways of alleviating the short-term financial pressures of the fodder shortage.

Health Minister Simon Harris will also bring two memos to Cabinet today, including one which will give carers a GP visit card.
The little girl is in critical condition in hospital in what is described as a tragic accident at her home in Tyrellstown, west Dublin, at around 7pm on Monday.

The child was found in the rear courtyard of the house, located on Mount Garrett Park.

It is understood that her mother and an older brother were also in the house at the time.

It is thought that the mother was in the bedroom before leaving for a brief moment to get something from the kitchen.

Gardai are investigating how the toddler managed to get out the window and are examining if there were any restrictor catches on the window.

It is believed there are bunk beds in the bedroom.

The toddler landed onto concrete and is in a critical condition in Temple Street Childrens Hospital.

Forensic tests were conducted in and around the window, including on the sill.

In relation to rented accommodation, regulations were introduced in 2017 obliging landlords to fit suitable safety restrictors to windows a certain height from the ground.
Interview AA Leader Dismisses Ridiculous Claim that His Group Has Ties to ARSA

Arakan Army commander-in-chief Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naing

The Chinese delegate who is brokering negotiations between the government and the Federal Political Negotiation Consultative Committee (FPNCC) has warned the latters members, including the Arakan Army (AA), not to associate with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Rakhine State.

AA commander-in-chief Major-General Tun Myat Naing talked to The Irrawaddys senior reporter Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint about the results of the recent FPNCC meeting, the prospects for peace in Myanmar, and whether or not the AA has any links with ARSA.

China reportedly told the FPNCC not to associate with ARSA and warned that it would face harsh action if it did so. What is the stance of the FPNCC on this?

Chinese security officers came to us and enquired about ARSA. They told us not to support it. So we said that none of us would support jihadists who fight for religious causes. Ethnic armed organizations are fighting for their national demands. We assume that the other side [the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw] has misled China into thinking that ethnic armed groups may be connected with ARSA. In fact, it is our Rakhine State and Arakanese people who have been directly impacted by ARSA. We therefore have concerns. China has also concerns, and we can say we have the same stance. It is good for us that China has concerns.

Local political analysts speculate that the AA may be secretly supporting ARSA. What would you say to that?

It is ridiculous. It is either ignorant speculation or a deliberate provocation.

What would you like to say about Rohingyas identifying themselves as one of the ethnic groups in Rakhine State?

It is quite a complicated issue. I avoid answering this question as much as I can. Regarding the question of whether they are an ethnic group or not, it depends on the governments definition of ethnicity concerning their racial identity, language, literature, customs, foods, religion and how they came to be living in Rakhine State. You can learn that from the records of the colonial period.

The reality is they are people of Bengali race living in Myanmar. And we see that the [National League for Democracy-led] government is taking steps to repatriate them after they fled to another country. Repatriation means bringing somebody back to their own country. So according to my understanding, [the government] accepts that those who fled are Myanmar citizens.

If they are accepted as Myanmar citizens, they should have equal citizenship rights under existing laws. Repatriated refugees should not be kept in places like detention centers. If they are accepted, they should be treated in line with the law as Myanmar citizens. They should be allowed to travel freely throughout the country, and they should also be presented with job opportunities and rights to trade and education. If they want to go to foreign countries, Myanmar passports must be issued. Those people for their part need to respect the law and should be loyal to the country.

It is not wise for the government to address this problem superficially in response to pressure from the international community. But the government should lay down a clear policy first to solve the problem.

The international community views ARSA as a group fighting for the rights of Rohingya people, while the majority in Myanmar consider it an insurgent organization. What is your personal view of ARSA?

I dont see how their stance can be separated from religion. Assessing their earlier activities, it has acted like a jihadist movement. Ethnic armed organizations have not accepted it as a revolutionary group. The international community is overly concerned with human rights in those cases that do not directly affect their interests.

No matter how much the international community accepts them, it is more important that Myanmar people accept them. It is more important that they harmonize with Myanmar people. Whether the international community accepts them or not is only one part of the problem. It is in Myanmar that the conflict is happening, so their acceptance by Myanmar people is what matters. Ethnic armed organizations have not recognized it as revolutionary group.

What did the FPNCC discuss regarding the NCA [Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement] at the recent meeting?

We discussed what we were doing before the meeting as well as the current situation regarding the NCA, the governments view on non-signatories, its relations with signatories, and progress in implementing the NCA. We want to negotiate with the government collectively, but the government wants to hold separate talks with individual members. The government held separate talks with the Wa and Mongla [who are also members of the FPNCC]. They also presented what they discussed with the government. The government told them to sign the NCA, saying that no agreement in the world is unchangeable. We also exchanged views on it.

The FPNCC previously said that it would find an alternative approach other than the NCA to the peace process. So why did you discuss the NCA this time? Is it because of China, or some other factor?

It is because we want to review the interests of the country and all possibilities, as well as because of China. Our view is that a ceasefire and political dialogue should involve separate agreements. Even if we sign a single agreement, ceasefire and political agreements should be separately stated. They said provisions in the agreement can be changed later, and we want to make sure it is not just a gentlemens agreement. We have previously submitted general policies and detailed demands. If they would recognize and accept them, there may be a way forward.

What stage have the FPNCCs peace talks with the government reached?

It is difficult to say for the time being. If the NCA can be changed, we will try constructively to accept it. But then, challenges remain. The government has excluded the Taang, Kokang, and AA from the NCA. But China is pushing for the acceleration of Myanmars peace process. We at the FPNCC want to move forward together as a group. If the government does not compromise, the peace process will get nowhere. But if it is willing to negotiate with us as a group, there might be a way forward.

So, the FPNCC will hold talks with the government based on the NCA?

Though China is pushing us, we will sign only when it is acceptable to us. It depends on how much the Myanmar government is willing to change [the NCA]. If they echo the military and insist the NCA cant be changed, it is finished.

What is the stance of the FPNCC on Chinas Silk Road project?

It is a big project for the 21st century. We believe the project can contribute to the development of the whole region and that benefits will be shared by the countries. So, the FPNCC welcomes it, and we AA also welcome it. We will see how we Arakanese people who have lagged behind can connect with the world through this project. We were forgotten in resource extraction projects including the Kyaukphyu [special economic zone] project. We will try to advance the interests of our region. We have now better military and political foundations, and will make greater efforts for the interests of our region.
News ADB Sees More Growth for Myanmar Economy, Pushes for Reforms

Farmers in Naypyitaw. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Myanmars GDP growth rate jumped from 5.9 to 6.8 percent last year on the back of a strong agriculture sector, export growth and robust private consumption, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in its Asian Development Outlook 2018.

It expects the economy to maintain that pace through this year and even top 7 percent by 2019, so long as the government can manage reforms to improve the business environment.

According to the ADB, last years economic acceleration was aided by a turnaround in agriculture thanks to better weather and the highest rice exports Myanmar has seen in half a century. International demand for the countrys garments also stayed strong last year, while tourist arrivals grew 18 percent to 3.4 million visitors.

It noted that the latest outbreak of violence in northern Rakhine State, which has driven some 700,000 Rohingya to neighboring Bangladesh in search of refuge since late August, has had little economic effect so far.

But it said investment growth may have softened as investors awaited clarity on a pending company law.

Looking ahead, the ADB expects the agriculture sector, which accounts for 30 percent of the countrys GDP, to continue to pick up pace if drought conditions remain at bay.

It said exports would also continue to grow, but not as fast as imports, owing to continued Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and the huge demand for public investment in infrastructure. Combined with rising oil prices, Myanmars current account deficit is forecast to keep growing and hit 5.5 percent of GDP by 2019.

All told, the ADB forecasts the countrys GDP growth rate to reach 7.2 percent next year, but warned that continued growth would depend on a full suite of reforms.

The positive economic outlook depends on Myanmar augmenting limited public resources by effectively engaging development partners, foreign investors, and the domestic private sector to help finance its staggering infrastructure requirements, narrow regional socioeconomic disparities, and support the long-term development agenda. This will require legal, regulatory and institutional reform to create a more enabling environment for doing business, it said.

Although measures have been introduced to deepen the capital market and better regulate banks, a substantial agenda of economic, social and institutional reform remains.

The ADB said Myanmars youthful workforce would continue to attract FDI to labor-intensive, export-oriented industries but added with concern that the governments FDI regulations were, despite some recent liberalization, still more restrictive than most of its peer economies in the region.

Encouragingly, progress in December 2017 toward enacting a new company law can assure foreign investors that corporate reform will continue, the bank said.

Similarly, a government initiative to formulate a 238-point economic policy agenda, set out in the draft Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, should keep investors engaged.

Building on these initiatives, policy makers should implement reform expeditiously and effectively to buoy investor confidence and attract sizable FDI in the years to come.
Asia Vietnam Activists Question Facebook on Suppressing Dissent

An internet user browses through the Vietnamese government's Facebook page in Hanoi on Dec. 30, 2015. / Reuters

HANOI, Vietnam  Vietnamese human rights activists and independent media groups have written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg questioning whether the social media platform was helping suppress dissent in the communist country.

The letter, released on Tuesday by US-based human rights group Viet Tan and signed by nearly 50 other groups, said Facebooks system of automatically pulling content if enough people complained could silence human rights activists and citizen journalists in Vietnam.

Despite sweeping economic reform in Vietnam, and increasing openness toward social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, the ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.

Vietnam last year unveiled a 10,000-strong military cyber warfare unit, named Force 47, to counter wrong views on the internet.

The open letter to Zuckerberg called Force 47 state-sponsored trolls whom it accused of exploiting Facebooks community policies and disseminating fake news about the activists.

Our community standards, which outline what is and isnt allowed on Facebook, seek to encourage expression and create a safe community on the platform, a Facebook spokeswoman said in response.

We will remove content that violates these standards when were made aware of it, the spokeswoman added, in an email statement which said the companys policy in Vietnam was in line with that elsewhere.

There are also times when we may have to remove or restrict access to content because it violates a law in a particular country, even though it doesnt violate our community standards, it added.

Vietnams foreign ministry did not offer any immediate comment on the letter.

Vietnam previously said Facebook had committed to work with the government to prevent illegal content from appearing on its platform and would also remove fake accounts and fake content about senior government officials.

Activists said the frequency of takedowns had risen and Facebook had been unhelpful in restoring accounts and content, after its head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, met Vietnam Information Minister Truong Minh Tuan in 2017.

Vietnams government cited Facebook as having said at the time of the meeting that it would set up a separate channel to directly coordinate with the communication and information ministry on reports of illegal content.

Facebooks process and policies for government requests did not change as a result of the meeting, the firm said on Tuesday.

We appreciate Facebooks efforts in addressing safety and misinformation concerns online in Vietnam and around the world, the activists said.

Yet it would appear that after this high-profile agreement to coordinate with a government that is known for suppressing expression online and jailing activists, the problem of account suspension and content takedown has only grown more acute.

Vietnam this month jailed human rights lawyer and activist Nguyen Van Dai for 15 years on the charge that he aimed at overthrowing the peoples administration, with six more activists jailed for seven to 13 years.

Their sentences prompted responses from representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and the European delegations and rights groups.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said, There is no such thing as people being arrested for freely expressing opinion in Vietnam, however.
Burma Court Rejects Request to Dismiss Charges Against Reuters Reporters

Detained Reuters reporter Ko Wa Lone is escorted by police after a court hearing in Yangon on Wednesday. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY  Yangons northern district court on Wednesday rejected a request to dismiss the charges against two Reuters reporters accused of violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

Lawyers for the two reporters  Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo  submitted the request in late March, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to support the charges.

The court gave no concrete reason but said it will proceed with the lawsuit and hear from the plaintiffs witnesses, so it rejected our proposal. We were all saddened by the decision of the court, said U Than Zaw Aung, one of the lawyers representing the reporters.

Because there was not sufficient evidence to support the charges and because the army has already taken action against the soldiers involved in the massacre at Inn Din, the courts decision shows that the accuser and the court want to put the reporters behind bars, he added.

The reporters lawyers said they planned to appeal the decision.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 20, at which the court will hear from the plaintiffs remaining witnesses.

After Wednesdays session, Ko Wa Lone told media outlets gathered at the court that he wanted to ask the government and judiciary whether they thought the charges he and his colleague were facing were fair.

The soldiers responsible for the Inn Din massacre were already sentenced to 10 years in jail. But we, who reported about it, are facing 14 years in jail. Is that fair? he asked. We report to unearth the truth and we are being sued. Where is the truth for us? Where is the democracy and freedom?

The families of the two reporters said they were hopeful that the court would decide to release them on Wednesday but were left deeply disappointed.

Ko Kyaw Soe Oos wife believed that her husband would be released and that her family could enjoy the New Year festival together. But the court decision saddened her and everyone else in the family who had high hopes, said the reporters sister, Ma Nyo Nyo Aye.

According to the family, Ko Kyaw Soe Oo was recovering from jaundice but still in poor health.

Although our brother said he is getting well, we still want to have a proper medical check to make sure he is in good health. But the prison still bars us from doing so, said Ma Nyo Nyo Aye.

Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in Yangon on Dec. 12.

They are accused of possessing confidential government papers and face a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison if found guilty.
Burma Seven Myanmar Soldiers Sentenced to 10 Years for Rohingya Massacre

A human skull is seen in a shallow grave in Inn Din, Myanmar, October 26, 2017. / Reuters

YANGON  Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor in a remote area for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine State last September, the army said on Tuesday.

The military said in a statement published on Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaings office Facebook page that seven soldiers have had action taken against them for contributing and participating in murder.

The massacre was being investigated by two Reuters journalists  Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28  who were subsequently arrested in December and are still behind bars facing charges of violating the countrys Official Secrets Act.

The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation independently and that it is unrelated to the Reuters reporters who are accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers.

The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murder in February.

The murders were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August. The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing  an accusation which Myanmar denies.

Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of private, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area, read the military statement.

It added that legal proceedings against the police personnel and civilians involved in the crime are still underway.

On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 militants who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military had said.

The militarys version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses published in the February story.

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses told Reuters that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine State and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, creating one of the worlds largest refugee camps.

A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether the two Reuters reporters will be charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

On Wednesday, the judge will rule on a motion by defense lawyers for dismissal of the case.
Burma Tatmadaw Claims Killed Karen Community Leader Was a Plainclothes Fighter

Saw O Moo, left, a Karen community leader, was shot dead by soldiers after offering a ride to a KNLA fighter.

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  The Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, has denied wrongdoing in the killing of a man in Ler Mu Plaw area, Papun district, Karen State, claiming he was a rebel fighter dressed in civilian clothes.

In a statement released early Wednesday, it said Tatmadaw troops shot at two fleeing plainclothes men who were suspected of being involved in sabotage attacks and planting mines, adding that it captured one of the men dead.

However, according to a tribute by the Karen Environment and Social Action Network on Monday, Saw O Moo, 42, was an indigenous community leader working in environmental preservation, providing support to recently displaced people in his community. He was shot dead late in the afternoon of April 5, while giving a lift to a Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) soldier as he made his way home on his motorcycle.

The KNLA soldier, Saw Hser Blut Doh, escaped after the shooting. He had been assigned to provide security and protect Karen civilians in the Ler Mu Plaw area, the network said.

The family and friends of Saw O Moo have demanded to be allowed to retrieve his body.

The statement from the Tatmadaws True News Information Team said that Saw O Moo, who it identified as Saw Ka Lo Par, in line with his ID card (although it is the same person), tried to flee when security forces demanded he stop for an inspection. It did not say when the incident happened. The Irrawaddy contacted the Defense Ministry about the case on Wednesday, but the spokesperson was unavailable to comment..

The military said Saw O Moo was found to be in possession of a video camera, memory cards, a recorder, and grenades.

Saw Soe Doh, a spokesman of the Mutraw (Papun) Emergency Assistance Team, told The Irrawaddy that Saw O Moo is just a Karen indigenous community leader, who unfortunately gave the KNLA soldier a lift on his motorbike on his way back home. He was returning from a meeting to organize humanitarian assistance for some 2,300 people who have been displaced as a result of recent fighting, he said.

As the Karen National Union and its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army, are no longer unlawful associations after signing the NCA in 2015, we dont think (Saw O Moo) was violating any laws, he said, adding that locals in the area do not believe they are dong anything wrong by hanging around with the KNLA soldiers.

On a related topic, the Tatmadaws statement said there had been a misunderstanding among locals about the Tatmadaws reconstruction of a 15-mile-long road from Khay Mu to Ler Mu Plaw, as the work was intended to provide for more convenient use of the road for locals and to ease military administrative tasks. It also claimed the Tatmadaw Southern Command had issued prior notification to the KNLA on 11 occasions before starting to re-build the road on Mar. 4.

Tensions have escalated in the last month in the area controlled by the KNU/KNLAs Brigade 5.

As it is one of the bigger ethnic armies, the KNU/KNLAs relationship with the Tatmadaw is seen as an indicator of the health of the peace process.

The Tatmadaw also blamed the KNU/KNLA for releasing a statement on Apr. 2 about the postponement of a planned meeting between KNU/KNLA and Tatmadaw representatives in Bago region, late last month.

The military said the ethnic armed force had been so worried that the road work was part of preparations to launch military operations that it attacked the troops first. It said some Tatmadaw soldiers had been killed by mine explosions and in attacks launched by KNLA units, but it did not reveal the number of fatalities.

On Wednesday, the network of Myanmar human rights defenders urged the government and the international community to effectively protect civilian rights workers, especially those who are providing assistance to displaced people in armed-conflict areas.

A joint statement by the Human Rights Defenders Forum (HRDF) and Rights for All expressed their condolences over the death of Saw O Moo, who, they said, had been an active peace and environmental activist since 2006.

Protection of human rights defenders working in armed-conflict zones is really necessary, as there could be arbitrary arrests and killings, said U Aung Myo Win, a director of Equality Myanmar and a steering committee member of the HRDF.

As the conflict zones lack the rule of law, we have heard of civilians and rights defenders being arrested as well as arbitrary killings, such as the case of the freelance journalist Ko Par Gyi [who was killed by the Tatmadaw in 2014], he added.

Myanmar also lacks the laws and mechanisms to protect rights defenders, U Aung Myo Min said. Therefore, it is as if armed forces in these areas have a license to freely kill civilians, humanitarian workers and rights defenders.

At present, only local organizations can individually gather evidence while institutions like Myanmar National Human Rights Commission need to work with them, added the human rights educator.

Despite viewing the MNHRC as lacking the capability to deal with complaints related to the armed-conflict zones, U Aung Myo Min added that, We can now send our complaints to the MNHRC, but the question remains as to whether we will see any effective action taken in such cases.
News Facebook's Zuckerberg Vows to Work Harder to Block Hate Speech in Myanmar

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees joint hearing regarding the companys use and protection of user data, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday. / Reuters

WASHINGTON  Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday his company would step up efforts to block hate messages in Myanmar as he faced questioning by the US Congress about electoral interference and hate speech on the platform.

Facebook has been accused by human rights advocates of not doing enough to weed out hate messages on its social-media network in Myanmar, where it is a dominant communications system.

Whats happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more, Zuckerberg said during a 5-hour joint hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee.

More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmars Rakhine State into Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown last August.

United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in Myanmar said last month that Facebook had been a source of anti-Rohingya propaganda.

Marzuki Darusman, chairman of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, said in March that social media had played a determining role in Myanmar.

It has  substantively contributed to the level of acrimony and dissension and conflict  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, he said.

Zuckerberg said Facebook was hiring dozens more Burmese-language speakers to remove threatening content.

Its hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically, he said, adding that Facebook was also asking civil society groups to help it identify figures who should be banned from the network.

He said a Facebook team would also make undisclosed product changes in Myanmar and other countries where ethnic violence was a problem.
Wednesday, April 11th, 2018 (2:22 pm) - Score 2,681

A new RootMetrics study has ranked eight of the United Kingdoms most popular rail transit lines by the quality of their on-board Mobile (3G and 4G) network connectivity. Overall those taking a train via the London Paddington to Reading route are likely to have the best experience.

All four operators are said to have delivered excellent data and call reliability results on the Paddington to Reading transit, and the operators data speeds were also generally strong across the board. However EE recorded the best Mobile Broadband speeds on the line, reaching a median download rate of 28.8Mbps and a median upload speed of 17.3Mbps.

Meanwhile the worst route for mobile connectivity was London Waterloo to Southampton Central, which suffered from low network reliability, as well as slow median upload speeds from O2, Three UK and Vodafone. On top of that there were also problems with poor levels of blocked and dropped call rates from all four operators.

As usual RootMetrics have boiled their data down to a simple score of 0 to 100 (i.e. the higher the score, the better the performance) via several different categories. The overall results can be seen below.

In general EE registered the fastest median download speeds among all of the four primary operators and they won most of the potential awards, although Vodafone was said to have produced generally strong speeds during testing and they came second overall, followed by Three UK and then O2. In fact, Vodafone was one of two operators to record a median download speed faster than 10Mbps on any transit line.

In terms of Mobile Broadband speed, different operators did better or worse on different transit lines.

EEs Best Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Paddington  Heathrow  30.7 Mbps EEs Worst Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Euston  Glasgow Central  5.9 Mbps Vodafones Best Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Victoria  Brighton  14.9 Mbps Vodafones Worst Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Euston  Glasgow Central  4.1 Mbps Three UKs Best Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Kings Cross  Cambridge Station- 7.8 Mbps Three UKs Worst Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Euston  Glasgow Central  2.9 Mbps O2s Best Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Paddington  Heathrow  8.8 Mbps O2s Worst Transit Line for Mobile Data Speed

London Euston  Glasgow Central  2.0 Mbps

A separate survey conducted by Transport Focus earlier this year similarly revealed which train operators delivered the highest commuter satisfaction with the reliability of their on-board internet connection (here). Over Heathrow Express came top of that study, while Southeastern was pushed right to the bottom.

The UK government is currently consulting on proposals that could help to make WiFi and Mobile (5G) broadband speeds of 1Gbps available across all mainline train routes by 2025 (here), while operators in Scotland and Wales are working on similar enhancements.
Wednesday, April 11th, 2018 (2:41 pm) - Score 1,587

RootMetrics has today published another batch of results from their latest study, which reveals the 4G (LTE) network coverage of the United Kingdoms four primary mobile operators across 16 of the biggest UK cities. EE delivered the best coverage but often only by the narrowest margin.

Generally Vodafone shared honours for providing the most coverage in 12 of the 16 metro areas tested, while Three UK was only able to provide comparable 4G coverage levels in just two cities (Liverpool and Manchester). We should point out that Vodafone and O2 have a network sharing agreement, which makes their similar scoring somewhat predictable.

Its worth comparing the 2018 results with a similar study that was conducted in 2017 (here), which shows just how quickly O2, Vodafone and Three UK have managed to catch up with EE. Even though Three UK clearly still has a bit of extra work left to do.

4G Coverage by Major UK City (%)
The National Australia Bank has launched a training programme for more than 2000 employees to learn skills in cloud computing.

The NAB Cloud Guild, in co-operation with Amazon Web Services, will provide participants, be they beginners or seasoned developers, the chance to learn cloud skills which will aid NAB in its technology transformation.

NAB chief technology and operations officer Patrick Wright (below, right) said in a statement that cloud technology would be critical to the company's switch to simpler and faster technology.

Cloud computing is becoming a dominant technology platform and our people need to have the relevant skills to deliver for our customers," Wright said.

Customers are demanding seamless, digital experiences and we need to be ready to deliver.".

Those who pass through the programme can become certified "AWS Cloud practitioners". They can also opt to keep training and become an associate developer, an associate systems operator or an associate architect.

The training will be funded by NAB and run by AWS, and focus on architecture, security, developers, operations and big data.

All NAB employees will be able to apply to join the programme with the requirement being that they show keenness to learn new things and have a basic grasp of the concepts behind technology.

AWS managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Paul Migliorini, said: AWS is the worlds most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform and we are pleased to be working with NAB to deliver one of the most significant AWS Cloud training programmes in Australia or New Zealand.

Demand for skills in cloud technologies is increasing. We are delighted to see that through this program, NAB is taking a real leadership position in technical skills development.
Technology solutions company Hills has ended a five-year relationship with Salesforce and taken its business to Microsoft as part of its next phase of digital transformation.

Under the new partnership, Microsoft will provide both its back office CRM and ERP functions as the company progresses digitally.

Chief executive and managing director David Lenz said the move was undertaken as part of a strategy to update and consolidate to a single cloud-based platform and replace an excess of suppliers with strategic partners including network and communications from Telstra and computing hardware from Dell.

Getting the right platform and the right partner was critical to ensure streamlined operations and continuous improvement in years to come, Lenz said.

As well as delivering a clear return on investment for the business, we wanted a platform that would significantly improve the customer experience, streamline interaction with suppliers and create an efficient and collaborative workplace.

Hills has grown through acquisition and has inherited a variety of ERP and CRM systems that are not able to deliver the long-term value that the organisation requires. By consolidating suppliers and streamlining information systems, well achieve world class scalable, real-time Software as a Service technologies across all Hills ANZ locations.

Lenz said Hills would work with a number of Microsoft Dynamics partners to roll out the CRM platform as the first phase of the project over the coming months, and would then look to consolidate its ERP platform, replacing four separate ERPs with Dynamics 365.

Moving to a cloud-based solution will also ensure flexibility and scalability as Hills grows and expands, while at the same time reducing the risk posed by legacy infrastructure, he said.

The Microsoft Dynamics ERP & CRM SaaS model is scalable and, together with Microsoft 365, gives us a complete end-to-end business technology stack without having to invest heavily in capex infrastructure. Upon the completion of this project, it will deliver opex savings in excess of $1.8 million annually, and will ensure the company is better positioned to support growth while mitigating complexity and risk.

Hills is an iconic Australian company that, 70 years on, is still evolving and adapting. We are focused on implementing strategies that will deliver improvements in our business and the best outcomes for our customers, shareholders, vendors and staff.
The US Rural Wireless Association has told the Federal Communications Commission that blocking subsidies to Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE would affect the deployment of broadband networks in rural areas and also not contribute in any way to national security.

The RWA represents rural wireless Internet service providers that offer home or mobile Internet service and have fewer than 100,000 subscribers.

Late last month, the FCC unveiled a formal plan to block subsidies to Huawei and ZTE for gear supplied to rural and small carriers.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai said at the time that under the proposal, the organisation was seeking to bar the use of money from the Universal Service Fund to purchase equipment or services from companies that pose a national security risk.

Money for the Fund comes from small amounts paid by telephone subscribers along with their monthly bills.

The RWA said in a filing that "like the Commission, RWA and its members understand that the communications network supply chain is global. That is why RWA urges the Commission to focus its efforts on the creation of a standards and testing based system, and not on imposing a costly and ultimately ineffective 'country of origin' prohibitory regime that would provide nothing more than a false sense of security."

It said that any "serious defensive national cyber security strategy requires a risk management strategy and programme that address the risk from all suppliers of products and services to government and critical infrastructure, including the communications sector.

"Additionally, any such national cyber security strategy should be applicable to all communications networks in the US rather than targeting those relatively few communications networks funded in part by USF that use equipment from particular countries."

Contacted for comment, a Huawei spokesperson said that since entering the US market in 2001, the company had focused on providing local operators with innovative products and solutions.

"We help local operators extend network coverage to under-served rural areas and bridge the digital divide," the spokesperson said. "We are disappointed by the FCC's proposal. If adopted, rural operators will have fewer options available to them, and the consumers and businesses that depend on them will have less access to quality and convenient telecommunications services."

The spokesperson said Huawei had taken the lead in a number of technological domains after 30 years of continuous investment. "This is a great source of pride for us. We work closely with partners across the entire global value chain. We are committed to growing together, engaging in healthy competition, and producing the best possible products and solutions for our customers. These efforts should be recognised, not met with baseless suspicion."

The US began its efforts to force Huawei out of local contracts after a 2012 Congressional report alleged the company was a threat to national security, with a warning that Beijing could use its equipment for state-sponsored spying or cyber attacks.

In December, President Donald Trump signed a bill to ban Huawei and ZTE equipment from nuclear weapons systems in the US Defence Department. Last month, Trump also banned a takeover of US processor maker Qualcomm by Singapore-based Broadcom because of national security concerns; Huawei's ties to Broadcom were mentioned as a concern.

In the most recent US move against Huawei, multinational electronics corporation Best Buy said it would no longer stock the company's smartphones.

This comes after AT&T in January cancelled a deal to start selling Huawei smartphones on its plans and Verizon took the company's devices off its shelves.

The Huawei spokesperson claimed US authorities had made allegations against Huawei that simply weren't true. "We pose no security threat in any country. Huawei is a 100% employee-owned company. No government agency has ever tried to intervene in our operations or decisions.

"US authorities should not base regulatory or legislative decisions on speculation and rumour. Our products and solutions are trusted in more than 170 countries and regions. In 30 years, not a single operator has experienced a security issue with our equipment. This includes US operators."

The spokesperson added: "Today's ICT industry relies on global supply chains. To meet the real challenges of global cyber security, we need collaboration across the entire ecosystem. Hostility and closed doors never solved anything."
Basslink, the operator of the Basslink Interconnector, the undersea data and telecommunications cable that connects Tasmania to the Australian mainland, says the power interconnector will be back and working by 31 May, six weeks later than originally notified.

The power interconnector was damaged when routine maintenance was begun on 24 March, with Basslink saying at the time that a third-party contractor had damaged a piece of equipment and that the interconnector would be up again by 14 April.

In a statement issued overnight, Basslink said a high-pressure system within a piece of equipment at the Victorian converter station had been repaired.

"To return the interconnector to service, we require specialised expertise and equipment to be brought in to re-pressurise this equipment. It is a highly technical exercise," the company said.

"Based on the latest available information, the anticipated return to service date has been revised to 31 May."

Basslink is in the midst of a dispute with the Tasmanian Government over an earlier outage in December 2015 which lasted for six months. The government is seeking damages of $122 million; Basslink denies that it was responsible for the outage.

The Basslink statement said: "This incident is unrelated to the outage in December 2015 and the ongoing dispute with the state of Tasmania."

Contacted for comment, Hydro Tasmania, the Tasmanian Government body that is the predominant electricity generator in the state, said Tasmania was well-placed to manage a Basslink outage lasting up to 31 May.

The extended Basslink outage is not ideal. But it doesnt meaningfully affect Tasmanias energy security, Hydro Tasmania chief executive Steve Davy said in a statement.

Autumn has produced good above-average inflows so far. We expect to manage comfortably without the ability to import.

Hydro Tasmania storages were at 37% on Monday. Thats an extremely secure level as we approach the wettest months of the year. Its also well above the High Reliability Level set by the Energy Security Taskforce."

The statement added that the Combined Cycle Gas Turbine at the Tamar Valley Power Station was not currently operating, but available at 10 days notice. The station also has about 150 megawatts of quickly-accessible gas generation.
The telecommunications industry has raised concerns about the likely flow-on costs to consumers from the standards which would have to be met under new rules proposed for service providers dealing with consumers migrating to the national broadband network.

The telecoms industry's peak body, Communications Alliance, says industry members have already expressed concern about the level of prescription within the draft Standards and Determination, including the flow-on costs for consumers.

CA was responding to the communications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which has announced it is seeking public input on new rules it is considering imposing which would set new, minimum complaints-handling process requirements on telecommunications service providers.

The public consultation by the ACMA comes in response to growing community concerns, raised in mid-2017, about a rising number of complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

The ACMA says the rules under consideration are specifically aimed at helping residential and small-business consumers make informed choices and maintain service continuity when migrating to the NBN.

Communications Alliance director Program Management, Christiane Gillespie-Jones, said CA welcomed the release by the ACMA of new regulatory instruments relating to consumer information and protections during the migration to the NBN.

Gillespie-Jones said that the prescriptive advertising provisions in the draft Consumer Information Standard were challenging, and Industry would be consulting the ACMA and ACCC on how the new rules would relate to the ACCCs Industry Guidance on Broadband Speed Claims.

Industry also raised concerns about the practicality of connecting consumers to legacy services, and Gillespie-Jones says it is considering if this constitutes the most efficient method to provide consumers with ongoing Internet access during migration.

Also, the requirement to respond to consumers speed concerns within one working day will add to costs. Providers support testing speeds in response to a consumer request, but the strict timeline proposed in the draft Determination is likely to require additional staff and lead to higher costs for consumers.

Despite the concerns, Gillespie-Jones said that industry fully supported the ACMAs efforts to improve the migration experience and provide consumers with appropriate information on their NBN services.
Ferradans Named 2019 Kemp Award Winner

April 11, 2018

The 2018 Kemp Award winner Victoria Folse 86 (left) poses with 2019 Kemp Award winner Carmela Ferradans.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  Carmela Ferradans has been named the 2019 recipient of the Kemp Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence at Illinois Wesleyan University.

The Kemp Award winner, selected by the faculty Promotion and Tenure Committee and announced Wednesday at the annual Honors Convocation, is recognized for bringing spirit, passion and scholarship to the art of teaching.

I am very surprised, and of course, honored, Ferradans said following Wednesdays Honors Convocation. I nominated an amazing colleague, and I am just surprised that I was the one recognized. But, I am very honored.

A Professor of Hispanic Studies, Ferradans teaches all levels of Spanish language, literature and cultural history of Spain, as well as writing intensive courses for the Writing Program. As chair of Illinois Wesleyan's Council for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, she has ventured into the field of multimodal pedagogies, especially those dealing with writing and speaking across the curriculum.

Every nominator shared that (Ferradans) cares deeply about students, said Provost and Dean of the Faculty Mark Brodl while introducing Ferradans as the 2019 Kemp Award recipient. She takes students beyond what they may have thought they could accomplish. She connects students. She connects colleagues. She connects students and colleagues. She is the model of a teacher-scholar.

Ferradans scholarship includes critical studies on the poetry of Ana Rossetti, which are well known  particularly her intertextual reading of the Calvin Klein advertising campaign of the 1980s. She is the editor and translator of Incessant Beauty: A Bilingual Anthology which offers a wide range of Rossetti's poetry in dual language, Spanish/English. Ferradans is also a poet in her own right. In 2006 she published a poetry chapbook, My Right Breast and Other Poems, with eight poems engaging directly with the aftermath of breast cancer and radiation.

Ferradans joined the Illinois Wesleyan faculty in 1992 and earned a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of California, Irvine in 1993. Ferradans completed a masters degree in Spanish at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1988 after receiving a bachelors degree in philosophy and educational sciences at the University of Santiago de Compestela in 1984.

Areas of Ferradans research interests include: Contemporary Spanish literature and cultural studies; The Spanish avant-garde; The legacy of the Spanish Civil War; Digital humanities; Translation theory; Writing and Speaking pedagogy; Multimodal curriculum development.

The 2018 Kemp Award winner Victoria Folse 86 is recognized by Kemp Foundation representative Chris Kemp .

Before Ferradans was announced as the 2019 Kemp Award recipient, Kemp Foundation representative Chris Kemp made a presentation to 2018 award-winner Victoria Noltkamper Folse 86 who serves as a professor and as the Caroline F. Rupert Endowed Chair of Nursing. The Kemp Family Foundation began funding the award during the 2009-10 academic year.

Ferradans said she felt honored to receive the Kemp Award following Folses wonderful, very powerful speech. In her presentation, titled In Pursuit of Excellence: From Patient Centered to Student Centered Folse shared her experience as a first-generation college student raised by a single mother who was reliant on welfare, food stamps and a medical card.

I now reflect on how fortunate I was to have known poverty, as my accomplishments were in spite of  and perhaps because of  my unyielding desire to climb the socioeconomic ladder, Folse said. My focus on having a better life  which for me meant without government assistance  and helping people around me improve their lives  was my catalyst for excellence.

As a child, Folse said she centered her attention on academic performance and her ability to develop and maintain meaningful relationships. Her soft skills  such as communicating and thinking critically  were cultivated by life experiences, including a desire to be defined by more than being the only student eligible for free lunch in her class.

Perhaps most important in my journey was my mastery of connecting with people and using communication to understand myself and the people around me, Folse said. I committed early in life to serving others, and I realized this was possible for me by earning good grades to assure scholarships to attend college and then deciding to become a professional nurse, and later, an educator of nurses.

Folse attended Illinois Wesleyan University where she found that excellence in the School of Nursing was not optional.

The 2018 Kemp Award winner Victoria Folse 86 speaks during Honors Convocation .

We were keenly aware  and often reminded  that we had been admitted to the Harvard of the Midwest, Folse said. As a nursing major, we were charged with the responsibility to demonstrate that a professional school not only belonged on a liberal arts campus, but that its existence made us a stronger campus community.

Within three years of graduating from Illinois Wesleyan, and while working full-time as a registered nurse, Folse completed her first graduate degree. Her interest in understanding why a patient was experiencing debilitating symptoms, and what she could do about it, turned into her masters thesis, and later, her doctoral dissertation.

I recognized the impact simply talking  really talking  to another person could have on that persons well-being, Folse said. I used not only the knowledge and skills I had developed in a small, private liberal arts university, but relied heavily on my soft skills.

These soft skills, Folse said, are critically important for current college students to hone. Transferable skills such as communication, problem solving and critical thinking, allow students to adapt knowledge they are gaining at Illinois Wesleyan into real world settings and prepare them for the complexities of the global society, according to Folse.

As we strive for excellence in the School of Nursing, we place tremendous emphasis on critical thinking and are confident that an education grounded in the liberal arts serves as the foundation for clinical reasoning and clinical judgment skills, Folse said.

The 2018 Kemp Award winner Victoria Folse 86 (left) congratulates 2019 Kemp Award winner Carmela Ferradans.



Folse encouraged those in attendance at Wednesdays Honors Convocation to consider how to direct their own journey of excellence. She suggested being authentic in your pursuits and surrounding yourself with people who are equally committed and who share your values.

Striving for excellence assures you take personal responsibility for decisions and actions, and requires that you lead by example which will elevate the most vulnerable around you, Folse concluded.

An annual celebration of excellence, the Honors Convocation is dedicated to the Class of 2018 and to students who have earned scholastic and activity honors.

At the ceremony, colleagues also paid tribute to retiring members of the faculty: Associate Professor of English Mary Ann Bushman; Associate Professor of Economics Robert Leekley; Chair and Associate Professor of French James Matthews; Professor of Art Sherri McElroy; Professor of Hispanic Studies Mauricio Parra; Professor of Art Kevin Strandberg; Professor of English Dan Terkla; Director of Collections and Professor, Ames Library, Marcia Thomas.

By John Twork
Ruth Aiken Owens is a reading teacher of third-graders in Dorchester District 2 School District. She and her husband have four grown children and live in Summerville.
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By Andrew J. Bacevich | ( Tomdispatch.com) |  

The purpose of all wars, is peace. So observed St. Augustine early in the first millennium A.D. Far be it from me to disagree with the esteemed Bishop of Hippo, but his crisply formulated aphorism just might require a bit of updating.

Im not a saint or even a bishop, merely an interested observer of this nations ongoing military misadventures early in the third millennium A.D. From my vantage point, I might suggest the following amendment to Augustines dictum: Any war failing to yield peace is purposeless and, if purposeless, both wrong and stupid.

War is evil. Large-scale, state-sanctioned violence is justified only when all other means of achieving genuinely essential objectives have been exhausted or are otherwise unavailable. A nation should go to war only when it has to  and even then, ending the conflict as expeditiously as possible should be an imperative.

Some might take issue with these propositions, President Trumps latest national security adviser doubtless among them. Yet most observers  even, Im guessing, most high-ranking U.S. military officers  would endorse them. How is it then that peace has essentially vanished as a U.S. policy objective? Why has war joined death and taxes in that select category of things that Americans have come to accept as unavoidable?

The United States has taken Thucydidess famed Melian Dialogue and turned it inside out. Centuries before Augustine, the great Athenian historian wrote, The strong do what they will, while the weak suffer what they must.Strength confers choice; weakness restricts it. Thats the way the world works, so at least Thucydides believed. Yet the inverted Melian Dialogue that prevails in present-day Washington seemingly goes like this: strength imposes obligations and limits choice. In other words, we gotta keep doing what weve been doing, no matter what.

Making such a situation all the more puzzling is the might and majesty of Americas armed forces. By common consent, the United States today has the worlds best military. By some estimates, it may be the best in recorded history. Its certainly the most expensive and hardest working on the planet.

Yet in the post-Cold War era when the relative strength of U.S. forces reached its zenith, our well-endowed, well-trained, well-equipped, and highly disciplined troops have proven unable to accomplish any of the core tasks to which theyve been assigned. This has been especially true since 9/11.

We send the troops off to war, but they dont achieve peace. Instead, Americas wars and skirmishes simply drag on, seemingly without end. We just keep doing what weve been doing, a circumstance that both Augustine and Thucydides would undoubtedly have found baffling.

Prosecuting War, Averting Peace

How to explain this paradox of a superb military that never gets the job done? Let me suggest that the problem lies with the present-day American military system, the principles to which the nation adheres in raising, organizing, supporting, and employing its armed forces. By its very existence, a military system expresses an implicit contract between the state, the people, and the military itself.

Here, as I see it, are the principles  seven in all  that define the prevailing military system of the United States.

First, we define military service as entirely voluntary. In the U.S., there is no link between citizenship and military service. Its up to you as an individual to decide if you want to take up arms in the service of your country.

If you choose to do so, thats okay. If you choose otherwise, thats okay, too. Either way, your decision is of no more significance than whether you root for the Yankees or the Mets.

Second, while non-serving citizens are encouraged to support the troops, we avoid stipulating how this civic function is to be performed.

In practice, there are many ways of doing so, some substantive, others merely symbolic. Most citizens opt for the latter. This means that they cheer when invited to do so. Cheering is easy and painless. It can even make you feel good about yourself.

Third, when it comes to providing the troops with actual support, we expect Congress to do the heavy lifting. Our elected representatives fulfill that role by routinely ponying up vast sums of money for what is misleadingly called a defense budget. In some instances, Congress appropriates even more money than the Pentagon asks for, as was the case this year.

Meanwhile, under the terms of our military system, attention to howthis money actually gets spent by our yet-to-be-audited Pentagon tends to be  to put the matter politely  spotty. Only rarely does the Congress insert itself forcefully into matters relating to what U.S. forces scattered around the world are actually doing.

Yes, there are periodic hearings, with questions posed and testimony offered. But unless there is some partisan advantage to be gained, oversight tends to be, at best, pro forma. As a result, those charged with implementing national security policy  another Orwellian phrase  enjoy very considerable latitude.

Fourth, under the terms of our military system, this latitude applies in spades to the chief executive. The commander-in-chief occupies the apex of our military system. The president may bring to office very little expertise pertinent to war or the art of statecraft, yet his authority regarding such matters is essentially unlimited.

Consider, if you will, the sobering fact that our military system empowers the president to order a nuclear attack, should he see the need  or feel the impulse  to do so. He need not obtain congressional consent. He certainly doesnt need to check with the American people.

Since Harry Truman ordered the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, presidents have not exercised this option, for which we should all be grateful. Yet on more occasions than you can count, they have ordered military actions, large and small, on their own authority or after only the most perfunctory consultation with Congress. When Donald Trump, for instance, threatened North Koreas Kim Jong-un with fire and fury the likes of which the world has never seen, he gave no hint that he would even consider asking for prior congressional authorization to do so. Trumps words were certainly inflammatory. Yet were he to act on those words, he would merely be exercising a prerogative enjoyed by his predecessors going back to Truman himself.

The Constitution invests in Congress the authority to declare war. The relevant language is unambiguous. In practice, as countless commentators have noted, that provision has long been a dead letter. This, too, forms an essential part of our present military system.

Fifth, under the terms of that system, theres no need to defray the costs of military actions undertaken in our name. Supporting the troops does not require citizens to pay anything extra for what the U.S. military is doing out there wherever it may be. The troops are asked to sacrifice; for the rest of us, sacrifice is anathema.

Indeed, in recent years, presidents who take the nation to war or perpetuate wars they inherit never even consider pressing Congress to increase our taxes accordingly. On the contrary, they advocate tax cuts, especially for the wealthiest among us, which lead directly to massive deficits.

Sixth, pursuant to the terms of our military system, the armed services have been designed not to defend the country but to project military power on a global basis. For the Department of Defense actually defending the United States qualifies as an afterthought, trailing well behind other priorities such as trying to pacify Afghanistans Kandahar Province or jousting with militant groups in Somalia.The United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps are all designed to fight elsewhere, relying on a constellation of perhaps 800 bases around the world to facilitate the conduct of military campaigns out there, wherever there may happen to be. They are, in other words, expeditionary forces.

Reflect for a moment on the way the Pentagon divvies the world up into gigantic swathes of territory and then assigns a military command to exercise jurisdiction over each of them: European Command, Africa Command, Central Command, Southern Command, Northern Command, and Pacific Command. With the polar icecap continuing to melt, a U.S. Arctic Command is almost surely next on the docket. Nor is the Pentagons mania for creating new headquarters confined to terra firma. We already have U.S. Cyber Command. Can U.S. Galactic Command be far behind?

No other nation adheres to this practice. Nor would the United States permit any nation to do so. Imagine the outcry in Washington if President Xi Jinping had the temerity to create a PRCLatin America Command, headed by a four-star Chinese general charged with maintaining order and stability from Mexico to Argentina.

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Seventh (and last), our military system invests great confidence in something called the military profession.

The legal profession exists to implement the rule of law. We hope that the result is some approximation of justice. The medical profession exists to repair our bodily ailments. We hope that health and longevity will result. The military profession exists to master war. With military professionals in charge, its our hope that Americas wars will conclude quickly and successfully with peace the result.

To put it another way, we look to the military profession to avert the danger of long, costly, and inconclusive wars. History suggests that these sap the collective strength of a nation and can bring about its premature decline. We count on military professionals to forestall that prospect.

Our military system assigns the immediate direction of war to our most senior professionals, individuals who have ascended step by step to the very top of the military hierarchy. We expect three- and four-star generals and admirals to possess the skills needed to make war politically purposeful. This expectation provides the rationale for the status they enjoy and the many entitlementsthey are accorded.

America, the (Formerly) Indispensable

Now, the nation that has created this military system is not some shithole country, to use a phrase made famous by President Trump. We are, or at least claim to be, a democratic republic in which all power ultimately derives from the people. We believe in  indeed, are certain that we exemplify  freedom, even as we continually modify the meaning of that term.

In the aggregate, we are very rich. Since the latter part of the nineteenth century we have taken it for granted that the United States ought to be the richest country on the planet, notwithstanding the fact that large numbers of ordinary Americans are themselves anything but rich. Indeed, as a corollary to our military system, we count on these less affluent Americans to volunteer for military service in disproportionate numbers. Offered sufficient incentives, they do so.

Finally, since 1945 the United States has occupied the preeminent place in the global order, a position affirmed with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991. Indeed, we have come to believe that American primacy reflects the will of God or of some cosmic authority.

From the early years of the Cold War, we have come to believe that the freedom, material abundance, and primacy we cherish all depend upon the exercise of global leadership. In practice, that seemingly benign term has been a euphemism for unquestioned military superiority and the self-assigned right to put our military to work as we please wherever we please. Back in the 1990s, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said it best: If we have to use force, it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future.

Other countries might design their military establishments to protect certain vital interests. As Albrights remark suggests, American designs have been far more ambitious.

Here, then, is a question: How do the principles and attitudes that undergird our military system actually suit twenty-first-century America? And if they dont, what are the implications of clinging to such a system? Finally, what alternative principles might form a more reasonable basis for raising, organizing, supporting, and employing our armed forces?

Spoiler alert: Let me acknowledge right now that I consider our present-day military system irredeemably flawed and deeply harmful. For proof we need look no further than the conduct of our post-9/11 wars, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

These myriad undertakings of the last nearly 17 years have subjected our military system to a comprehensive real-world examination. Collectively, they have rendered a judgment on that system. And the judgment is negative. Put to the test, the American military system has failed.

And the cost so far? Trillions of dollars expended (with trillions more to come), thousands of American lives lost, tens of thousands of Americans grievously damaged, and even greater numbers of non-Americans killed, injured, and displaced.

One thing is certain: our wars have not brought about peace by even the loosest definition of the word.

A Military Report Card

There are many possible explanations for why our recent military record has been so dismal. One crucial explanation  perhaps the most important of all  relates to those seven principles that undergird our military system.

Let me review them in reverse order.

Principle 7, the military profession: Tally up the number of three- and four-star generals who have commanded the Afghan War since 2001. Its roughly a dozen. None of them has succeeded in bringing it to a successful conclusion. Nor does any such happy ending seem likely to be in the offing anytime soon. The senior officers we expect to master war have demonstrated no such mastery.

The generals who followed one another in presiding over that war are undoubtedly estimable, well-intentioned men, but they have not accomplished the job for which they were hired. Imagine if you contracted with a dozen different plumbers  each highly regarded  to fix a leaking sink in your kitchen and you ended up with a flooded basement. You might begin to think that theres something amiss in the way that plumbers are trained and licensed. Similarly, perhaps its time to reexamine our approach to identifying and developing very senior military officers.

Or alternatively, consider this possibility: Perhaps our theory of war as an enterprise where superior generalship determines the outcome is flawed. Perhaps war cannot be fully mastered, by generals or anyone else.

It might just be that war is inherently unmanageable. Take it from Winston Churchill, Americas favorite confronter of evil. The statesman who yields to war fever, Churchill wrote, must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.

If Churchill is right, perhaps our expectations that senior military professionals will tame war  control the uncontrollable  are misplaced. Perhaps our military system should put greater emphasis on avoiding war altogether or at least classifying it as an option to be exercised with great trepidation, rather than as the political equivalent of a handy-dandy, multi-functional Swiss Army knife.

Principle 6, organizing our forces to emphasize global power projection: Reflect for a moment on the emerging security issues of our time. The rise of China is one example. A petulant and over-armed Russia offers a second. Throw in climate change and mushrooming cyber-threats and you have a daunting set of problems. Its by no means impertinent to wonder about the relevance of the current military establishment to these challenges.

Every year the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars to maintain and enhance the lethality of a force configured for conventional power projection and to sustain the global network of bases that goes with it. For almost two decades, that force has been engaged in a futile war of attrition with radical Islamists that has now spread across much of the Greater Middle East and parts of Africa.

I dont know about you, but I worry more about the implications of Chinas rise and Russian misbehavior than I do about Islamic terrorism. And I worry more about changing weather patterns here in New England or somebody shutting down the electrical grid in my home town than I do about what Beijing and Moscow may be cooking up. Bluntly put, our existing military system finds us focused on the wrong problem set.

We need a military system that accurately prioritizes actual and emerging threats. The existing system does not. This suggests the need for radically reconfigured armed services, with the hallowed traditions of George Patton, John Paul Jones, Billy Mitchell, and Chesty Puller honorably but permanently retired.

Principle 5, paying  or not paying  for Americas wars: If you want it, you should be willing to pay for it. That hoary axiom ought to guide our military system as much as it should our personal lives. Saddling Millennials or members of Generation Z with the cost of paying for wars mostly conceived and mismanaged by my fellow Baby Boomers strikes me as downright unseemly.

One might expect the young to raise quite a ruckus over such an obvious injustice. In recent weeks, weve witnessed their righteous anger over the absence of effective gun controls in this country. That they arent comparably incensed about the misuse of guns by their own contemporaries deployed to distant lands represents a real puzzle, especially since theyre the ones who will ultimately be stuck with the bill.

Principles 4 and 3, the role of Congress and the authority of the commander-in-chief: Whatever rationale may once have existed for allowing the commander-in-chief to circumvent the Constitutions plainly specified allocation of war powers to Congress should long since have lapsed. Well before Donald Trump became president, a responsible Congress would have reasserted its authority to declare war. That Trump sits in the Oval Office and nowtakes advice from the likes of John Bolton invests this matter with great urgency.

Surely President Trumps bellicose volatility drives home the point that its past time for Congress to assert itself in providing responsible oversight regarding all aspects of U.S. military policy. Were it to do so, the chances of fixing the defects permeating our present military system would improve appreciably.

Of course, the likelihood of that happening is nil until the money changers are expelled from the temple. And that wont occur until Americans who are not beholden to the military-industrial complex and its various subsidiaries rise up, purge the Congress of its own set of complexes, and install in office people willing to do their duty. And that brings us back to

Principles 2 and 1, the existing relationship between the American people and their military and our reliance on a so-called all-volunteer force: Here we come to the heart of the matter.

I submit that the relationship between the American people and their military is shot through with hypocrisy. It is, in fact, nothing short of fraudulent. Worse still, most of us know it, even if we are loath to fess up. In practice, the informal mandate to support the troops has produced an elaborate charade. Its theater, as phony as Donald Trumps professed love for DACA recipients.

If Americans were genuinely committed to supporting the troops, they would pay a great deal more attention to what President Trump and his twenty-first-century predecessors have tasked those troops to accomplish  with what results and at what cost. Of course, that would imply doing more than cheering and waving the flag on cue. Ultimately, the existence of the all-volunteer force obviates any need for such an effort. It provides Americans with an ample excuse for ignoring our endless wars and allowing our flawed military system to escape serious scrutiny.

Having outsourced responsibility for defending the country to people few of us actually know, weve ended up with a military system that is unfair, undemocratic, hugely expensive, and largely ineffective, not to mention increasingly irrelevant to the threats coming our way. The perpetuation of that system finds us mired in precisely the sort of long, costly, inconclusive wars that sap the collective strength of a nation and may bring about its premature decline.

The root cause of our predicament is the all-volunteer force. Only when we ordinary citizens conclude that we have an obligation to contribute to the countrys defense will it become possible to devise a set of principles for raising, organizing, supporting, and employing U.S. forces that align with our professed values and our actual security requirements.

If Stormy Daniels can figure out when an existing contract has outlived its purpose, so can the rest of us.

In between his contributions to TomDispatch, Andrew J. Bacevich is trying to write a book about how we got Trump. He is the author, most recently, of Americas War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History.

Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, Alfred McCoys In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Global Power, as well as John Dowers The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II, John Feffers dystopian novel Splinterlands, Nick Turses Next Time Theyll Come to Count the Dead, and Tom Engelhardts Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World.

Copyright 2018 by Andrew J. Bacevich

Tomdispatch.com
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TeleSur |  

While the world condemns Israels use of lethal force, Israeli politicians and policy makers defend soldiers cheering of shooting unarmed Palestinians.

A video showing Israeli occupation soldiers shoot an unarmed Palestinian inside Gaza, near the border fence, and later cheering emerged through social media Monday.

As the shot is fired and a Palestinian man falls, one soldier laughs and says: Wow, what a video! Yay! In the video the soldier can also be heard celebrating the shot calling the video a legendary clip, while insulting the fallen Palestinian and calling him son of a whore.

The video, which emerges after 31 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by sniper bullets shot from within Israel, have gained international condemnation. According to Gazas Health Ministry over 1,000 Palestinians participating in the Great March of Return have been wounded by live ammunition.

In an official statement Tuesday the Israeli occupation army announced the action took place on Dec. 22, 2017 and happened in the context of a response to a violent riot, accusing the man who was standing near the border fence in no apparent act of violence of being suspected of organizing violent incidents.

Furthermore, the statement said the soldier who filmed the video was being investigated for unauthorized filming of an operational event and distribution of the filmed material. No investigation on the action of shooting an unarmed man while protesting was announced.

Meanwhile the soldiers in the video were defended and praised by senori Israeli officials. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the ultra-conservative Jewish Home Party, called on Israelis not to criticize the soldiers arguing They guard our lives, We guard them. We do not abandon soldiers.

Israeli human rights organization Btselem issued a statement shortly after the video was published saying Incidents such as the one in the video published today occurred hundreds of times over the past few weeks in the Gaza Strip, causing death and injuries  with the full support of policy makers and top military officials. The organization also highlighted the illegal command ordering soldiers to shoot people who pose no imminent threat to life or injury.

The United Nations Human Rights Council has repeatedly reminded Israel that imminent threat to life or injury is the only justification for the use of lethal force by security forces.

However, Israeli politicians and policymakers continue to defend actions that violate international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians.

Public Security Minister Gilan Erdan said critics of the soldiers behavior are crazy, arguing that they were under stress. In previous statements, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, claimed there are no innocent people in Gaza, justifying the indiscriminate use of lethal force against unarmed Palestinians.

Jamal Zahalka of the Joint List, a political alliance of four Arab-dominated parties in Israel, said the video indicates to the rule. Israeli snipers killed unarmed Palestinian protesters in cold blood who were participating in a non-violent protest. According to Zahalka, the public defending and praising for the actions shown in the video by Israeli ministers and politicians promote such behavior.

Breaking the Silence, a group of former occupation army members who denounce and expose abuses carried out against Palestinians, agrees with Zahalkas statement. They refuted the armys statement saying the video is from several months ago, highlighting It isnt from several months ago; it has been like this for 51 years, since Israel gained control of the West Bank and Gaza, in 1967.

The March of Return is scheduled to last until May 15, when Palestinians commemorate 70 years of the Nakba, when over 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from their towns and cities to safeguard their lives after the foundation of the State of Israel. The United States is expected to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city of Jerusalem on May 15.

Via TeleSur
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Middle East Monitor |  

Prominent Iraqi Shia cleric and opposition leader Muqtada al-Sadr has declared his willingness to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran with a view to mitigating tensions between the two regional powerhouses.

The offer came in a Tuesday statement issued by al-Sadrs office in response to questions regarding the possibility of an Iraq-brokered reconciliation process between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Political tensions between the Islamic Republic [Iran] and Saudi Arabia negatively impact Iraq, al-Sadr is quoted as saying in the statement.

File photo from Muqtada al-Sadrs visit to Saudi Arabia last year via Youtube

He goes on to voice his readiness to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran with a view to gradually resolving their outstanding differences  for the benefit of Iraq in particular and the region in general.

Al-Sadrs Ahrar Bloc holds 34 out of 328 seats in Iraqs parliament. It has not, however, been represented in Iraqs current government since Ahrar-affiliated ministers collectively resigned in mid-2016.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, an Iraqi Foreign Ministry source was quick to point out that Baghdad maintains good relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia and all the states of the region.

Speaking anonymously due to restrictions on talking to media, the source added: If there is a possibility of positive intervention to reduce tensions between the two countries, Iraq will not hesitate to do so.

In remarks quoted by The Wall Street Journal late last month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for re-imposing sanctions on Iran to create more pressure on the government in Tehran.

We have to succeed so as to avoid military conflict, he said. If we dont succeed in what we are trying to do, we will likely have war with Iran in 10 to 15 years.

On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasimi responded to bin Salman, saying: The Saudi crown princes thirst for power appears to have crossed the border and turned into a chronic disease.

Via Middle East Monitor

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The broad hints Trump gave Monday that the search of his personal attorneys offices on a tip from Robert Mueller might lead him to fire deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has galvanized the American left, which is pledging massive public rallies in response.

Public protests and rallies are great if they get people involved, but in and of themselves they are not enough. There were massive anti-war protests in spring of 2003, perhaps the biggest in American history, but they did not stop the invasion and occupation of Iraq by Bush-Cheney and their Big Oil backers. The beginning of the end of the US occupation of Iraq came only in 2006, when the Republicans lost the midterms and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield (ripe for investigatory Congressional hearings) was forced from office. The nail in the coffin of the occupation came in 2008 when the Blue Wave turned the GOP into a rump regional party of the Old Confederacy.

The lesson is that protests in and of themselves do not alter the course of affairs. Electing decision-makers does.

If you think Trump should be impeached, you have to work to have the Democratic Party take over both chambers of Congress. Moreover, you have to use primaries to weed out the Establishment dead wood and put in the Democratic Socialists of America caucus within the Democratic Party. Diane Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi are not going to impeach Trump.

When I give public talks around the country, people often ask me, in some puzzlement, what they can do to change things. I tell them to get involved in politics. In midterms, it is not unusual for only a third of the population to vote. That was how the Tea Party took over Congress in 2010 and hobbled President Obama permanently from accomplishing virtually any of his legislative agenda. The Tea Party was billed as a grass roots movement, but it was a covert operation of a few far right wing billionaires, who were afraid Obama would raise their taxes to pay for universal health insurance. They have gone a good way toward reversing Obamas steps in that direction, and managed instead to accomplish the largest give-away of wealth to the upper crust in American history, just a couple of months ago.

But if you look into it, the billionaires didnt spend that much money on hobbling Obama and putting in Trump.

The money of a handful of cranky old white rich people is only efficacious because everybody else is playing couch potato and moaning at the television screen.

If they did not donate money to a campaign, they dont have a right to moan.

Going to your town square and protesting will have zero effect if you dont give money to a candidate, walk the neighborhood ringing doorbells for her, and get out the vote.

Public hopes for a Blue Wave in November could well be overblown. Most states allow partisan state legislatures to draw the electoral lines, allowing them to set up the voting districts in ways that favor the incumbent party. This skewing of electoral districts is an old practice going back to the nineteenth century, called gerrymandering because some of the districts were so complicated they looked like a salamander. The majority of the bad gerrymandering in the past couple of decades has been carried out by Republican legislators, as in Texas, where they split Democratic Austin into eight districts and attached a rural Republican majority to each, effectively disenfranchising Austins Democrats.

Some states, like California, have gone to a non-partisan commission system for setting districts. Get a pledge from your state representative to support such a change.

There is increasing evidence of a significant Russian trolling operation in the 2016 election, but that is unlikely to have been decisive.

What was decisive is that 38.6% of the electorate did not vote. Specifically there was a 7% decline in the African-American vote from 2012, a drop of 750,000 or so. Some of those stay-at-homes were in Detroit, and if they had come out Trump would not have won Michigan.

I am not blaming them. They clearly were not invigorated to vote by the Democratic campaign that Podesta and Clinton ran.

What I am saying is that if you want a Blue Wave in November, you cant get it unless you bring back out those missing 750,000 African-American voters. Which means you need Democratic candidates who will address their problems.

You could argue to them that Jeff Sessions is one of their big problems.

In general, in the United States eligible voters from families of four making $40,000 a year or less have just checked out of the political system and mostly dont vote.

This outcome is not inevitable. In India, in contrast, the poor do vote, which is why even the right wing in India often sound like Western sociaists.

Overcoming the massive GOP gerrymandering in places like Texas and Wisconsin will require reaching out to those disprivileged populations who ordinarily dont vote. That endeavor will not happen unless you, personally, join in and give of your time, money and effort.

A march is a pleasant Saturday afternoon with friends. It is emotionally satisfying. But it is only a beginning, and unless you get political , then the Trumpies will go on getting their way.

By the way, if Trump gets rid of Rosenstein and finds someone in the DOJ to fire Mueller, then Muellers investigation is likely over with. Entirely. All the threads of potential wrongdoing he unraveled would just sit there in files save for the indictments he has already brought. The investigation of Trumps private attorney, Michael Cohen, will continue, since that inquiry is being conducted by the US Attorneys office for southern New York, ironically by a Trump appointee who replaced Preet Bharara, who was fired to stop this sort of thing from happening.

But Trump really could just deep-six the Mueller investigation.

And there would be nothing anyone could do about it as long as the GOP has both houses of Congress.

Standing in the streets chanting wont change that outcome. Canvassing for a genuinely Left candidate this fall could.

-

PS: Informed Comment is not a 501(c)3 nonprofit precisely because they are forbidden from taking partisan positions such as the one in this essay. Apparently lack of this tax deductible status hurts our annual fundraiser. If you like Informed Comment, remember to donate, since it is almost completely reader supported (the occasional ads dont amount to much).



Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

CNN: Source: Trump considering firing Rod Rosenstein
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2018) - New Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: ENRG) ("New Energy Metals" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into option agreements (the "Agreements") to acquire a 100% interest in three additional cobalt exploration projects (the "Projects") located within Chile's past-producing San Juan cobalt district. The Projects are located in a readily accessible region that is noted for the occurrence of high grade cobalt mineralization.

New Energy Metal's President and Chief Executive Officer, Grant Ewing, said "These Projects add to the two cobalt acquisitions announced earlier, and provide the Company with a strong land position in the prospective San Juan cobalt district in Chile. We view the potential for the discovery of primary cobalt deposits on the Projects as very good based on historical records and the fact that only limited exploration has been conducted in the region in more than 60 years."

Cobalt Project Highlights

In November 2017, Chile's Corporation for the Promotion of Production ("CORFO") and the Chilean National Service of Geology and Mining (SERNAGEOMIN) published a report that reviewed the cobalt mineral resources in Chile. Meaningful primary cobalt production has historically been developed in two districts in Chile, one of which is the San Juan cobalt district in the Atacama Region.

The Company reviewed available regional and district-scale datasets in the San Juan cobalt district and selected the Projects based on geological characteristics, abundance of historic workings, evidence of mineralization, and proximity to past production. The Company's initial exploration focus on the Projects will center on compilation of historical data, regional mapping and prospecting, and sampling to identify priority areas for follow up work.

Evidence of historic workings exist on the Projects, which occur on the same trend and in close proximity to the past producing Cobaltera mine. Access is via secondary roads approximately 25km south of the port of Huasco, Chile. Infrastructure is good and the district is approximately 10km from tidewater.

About San Juan Cobalt District

The San Juan cobalt district includes several historical producing mines, which produced cobalt (and copper) for several decades at the turn of the 20th century. The past-producing Cobaltera Mine was the last to close in the mid-1940's at the end of the Second World War. At the peak of production there were three processing plants in the area and several small-scale operations.

Cobalt production and smelting in the district started in 1885 but no statistics are available prior to 1903. From 1903 to 1944 the district produced approximately 300,000 tonnes of cobalt ore grading up to 4% cobalt (plus copper) ("El Cobalto en Chile, Caja Credito Minero", H. Hornkohl,1944).

The known San Juan cobalt district measures approximately 4km by 10km. Numerous small-scale mines, historical shafts and adits exist in the region, indicating the existence of an extensive network of mineralized structures and past high-grade mining activity. Numerous ruins and slags from the past producing cobalt-copper smelters also exist in the district.

Mineralization in the district occurs in high-grade veins and mantos, with average cobalt grades reportedly up to 1.6% cobalt for primary mineralization, and up to 6.4% cobalt in the enriched secondary oxidized zones. Vein thickness varies greatly from 0.5m to 20m. Shafts over 100m in depth exist on some of the vein structures. The cobalt mineralization is associated with copper mineralization and is noted to be structurally controlled and closely associated with the large regional northeast trending Atacama fault system. In the oxidized zone (up to 40m thick) cobalt occurs as erythrite, a cobalt arsenate. In the deeper primary zone the mineral Cobaltite, a cobalt sulfo-arsenide mineral, is the main cobalt mineral.

Option Agreement Details

Under the terms of the Agreements, the Company can earn a 100% interest in the Projects through the following cash and share payments:

Onix Uno Cobalt Project

Date US$ Cash Shares On signing: US$300,000 250,000 shares. 6 months: US$300,000 250,000 shares. 12 months: US$400,000 300,000 shares. 24 months: US$400,000 300,000 shares. TOTAL: US$1.4M 1.1M shares

Codiciada Cobalt Project

Date US$ Cash Shares On signing US$ 100,000 150,000 shares 6 months: US$ 100,000 150,000 shares TOTAL: US$ 200,000 300,000 shares

Consuelo 1-5 and Amelia 1/2 Cobalt Projects

Date US$ Cash Shares On signing: US$200,000 200,000 shares 6 months: US$200,000 200,000 shares 12 months: US$300,000 300,000 shares 24 months: US$300,000 300,000 shares TOTAL: US$1M 1M shares

Upon completion of the option payments, the Company will be deemed to have exercised the options and will have earned an undivided 100% legal and beneficial interest in and to the Projects. The Projects are not subject to underlying royalties. During the option period, the Company will be responsible for maintaining the concessions comprising the Project in good standing. There are no work commitments and all work carried out on the Projects will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Initially, the Company will focus on data review, and mapping and sampling to identify priority targets for follow-up.

The Company has established a wholly owned Chilean subsidiary, New Energy Metals SpA, which has entered into the Agreements with the property venders in accordance with Chilean law.

The Agreements are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Engagement of Investor Relations Consultant

The Company has engaged Future Money Trends, LLC to provide financial publishing and digital marketing services to raise public awareness of the Company and promote its business. A payment of $250,000 is due on signing of the one-year agreement.

Stock Options

The Company announces that its board of directors has granted an aggregate of 1,000,000 stock options to officers and consultants of the Company at an exercise price of $0.69 per share for a period of five years. Such options have been granted pursuant to the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan and are in accordance with policies within the Exchange.

About The Company

The Company completed an IPO in January 2018 and closed a $4.37 million-dollar financing in February 2018. The Company's principal project is the Cristal copper project located in northern Chile, which the Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in. The Company is also active in compiling prospective cobalt projects in northern Chile and is pursuing other attractive opportunities in strategic commodities, with a focus on opportunities in Chile. The Company's name change to "New Energy Metals Corp." more accurately reflects the new corporate strategy.

Qualified Person

Mr. Grant Ewing, P.Geo., is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Ewing and has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis of this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Ewing is not independent of the Company.

On behalf of New Energy Metals Corp.

Grant Ewing, President & CEO

T: 604.484.1232

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

W: www.newenergymetals.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". Other than statements of historical fact, all statements included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of New Energy Metals Corp., are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from New Energy Metal's expectations are the risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by New Energy Metals Corp. with securities regulators. Those filings can be found on the Internet at http://www.sedar.com.
Toronto, Canada / TheNewswire / April 10, 2018 - Savary Gold Corp. (TSX-V: SCA) ("Savary" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an exploration update for its Karankasso JV exploration Project in south western Burkina Faso. Savary is the operator of the project and owns approximately 71.5%.

During February and March 2018, Savary completed 1,024 auger drill holes totalling 8,330 metres to test for gold enrichment below surficial cover material. See a summary of the results below and presented in Figure 1.

Best sample contains 4,578 ppb gold

Five samples contain > 1,000 ppb gold

78 samples contain >100 ppb gold

157 samples contain >50 ppb gold

Widest, strong untested new anomaly is 150 metres wide

64 unique targets, >100 ppb gold, to be tested by air core holes

"This work has identified a whole new series of drill targets that will be tested in conjunction with planned follow-up from our phase 1 program that was completed in early March. Based on our high, new zone discovery success rate, after the previous auger program, management is highly optimistic that these new anomalies are indicative of underlying extensions of the known mineralized trends and with luck, some new trends as well." stated Don Dudek, President and CEO of Savary. Mr. Dudek further noted "we plan to drill-test these targets in the coming weeks to access their potential to increase our estimated mineral resources."



Figure 1 - Summary gold-in-auger results

Auger Drilling

Vertical auger holes were completed over overburden-covered areas where soil sampling has been variously effective. Auger holes range from 1 to approximately 25 metres deep with an average depth of 8.1 metres. Auger lines, in select areas, vary from 200 to 1,000 metres apart with auger stations every 25 metres. Two samples are collected in each auger hole comprised of a laterite (or alluvium) sample, which is considered a near bedrock surface, mobile layer, and the lower, adjacent saprolite that represents the top of the weathered and in-situ rock profile. As a reference, a representative sample, for every metre down-hole, is collected and placed into chip trays. While the hope is to intersect gold values in the saprolite below the anomaly (a true discovery), typically the anomaly (based on laterite samples) is down slope of a mineralized zone and one or more holes may be used to find the true source of the underlying mineralization. The surface laterite samples can indicate a broad target, often picking up a distant source, as gold at this interface is much more mobile and, therefore, a line of air core holes is typically used to locate the true source.

Most of the new auger anomalies occur along known mineralized structures. Occasionally new trends are recognized that were not previously interpreted. Air core drilling is planned to test all anomalies >100 ppb in the next drill program.

Auger results indicating > 100 ppb gold are considered highly significant and values >30 ppb gold are sufficient for defining mineralized trends. Management believes that the highest value obtained from the current survey of 4,578 ppb (4.6 g/t gold), likely indicates that the auger hole intersected the upper portion of a yet, undefined gold zone.

Serakoro West Target Area

Work along the 7 km long, up to 1.2 km wide portion of the Serakoro West target has delineated ten, northerly-trending, gold-enriched corridors along which, higher grade gold intervals have been intersected (see Figure 2). The gold corridors appear to be up to 150 metres wide as identified from all previous auger, air core and RC drilling. These corridors contain both well defined, moderate- to shallow-east-dipping (to possibly flat) gold-bearing structures, and wide, zones of stockwork-type gold mineralization associated with quartz stringers. Both types of gold mineralization suggest, in management's opinion, the presence of a large, gold bearing mineralized system. Figure 2 also presents all previous auger results at Serakoro 1 West which helps to emphasize the 500 to 1,000 metre gaps in the sampling and that the system is still clearly open along strike.



Figure 2 - Serakoro 1 West Target Area Summary - new auger anomalies show gold values

QA/QC Comments

Savary's procedure for handling auger chip samples comprises random sampling of one metre drill length return into approximately 1.5 to 3.0-kilogram samples, as well as description and logging into a database. Representative samples of each metre of the auger hole are also preserved in chip trays for future reference. An assay blank or standard was inserted sequentially every 20-30 samples This sampling procedure was periodically reviewed by Savary's President and CEO, and the Company QP, Don Dudek, P. Geo. All assay samples were delivered to Savary staff who then arranged delivery to BIGS laboratory in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso where sample preparation and analysis were performed. Auger samples, would be sorted, weighed and placed on stainless trays and dried at 90?C until dry. The samples would then be jaw crushed to <2mm using a Boyd Crusher, if necessary, and the crushed material will then be split using a riffle splitter unit to create 2 samples of approximately 1 kg of mass, each. One of the two samples would then be pulverised using an LM2 pulveriser system to give a product of 90% passing 75um. This pulverised product will then be weighed for Fire Assay determination of the Au content using an Aqua Regia digestion followed by a Flame AAS finish. The samples would be treated in batches of 50, consisting of (from the lab) 1 Blank, 2 QC Standards and 2 repeats. Under normal conditions, a repeat portion will be selected at a 1:20 ratio, and these "preparation" repeats would be included in the sample batch of 50 as discussed earlier. Thus, each batch of samples would include 1 blank, 2 QC standards and 4 repeats (including the 2 preparation repeats). Each sample would be subjected to a process using the "Leachwell" is based on a typical digest for a 12-hour leach with fluid analysed for gold after 12 hours. Most standards and blank control samples returned results within expected ranges. Those batches that returned standard values outside an approved range are being re-assayed. None of the re-assayed batches impacted the results presented here-in

About Savary Gold Corp.

Savary is a Canadian exploration company focused on exploring and developing (its ~71.5% owned) Karankasso Gold Project in Burkina Faso. The Project is located within the Hounde Greenstone Belt, which hosts Semafo's Mana mine, Roxgold's Yaramoko Mine and Endeavor's Hounde Mine. The Project contains an Inferred mineral resource estimate* of 12.3 million tonnes (Mt) grading 2.03 g/t gold for 805,000 ounces. For additional information please visit our website at www.savarygold.com.

Don Dudek, P.Geo., President and CEO of the Company and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release.

* Open pit constrained Mineral resource estimate presented in Savary news release dated November 2, 2017

For more information, please contact, Don Dudek, President and CEO at 647-259-2097, : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our website at www.savarygold.com

Cautionary Notes

The potential to increase existing estimated mineral resources is conceptual in nature and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding the details of the potential value growth of the JV, the upside of the property, the drill program, the company's exploration plans and the timing of results, the focus on existing drill targets and new targets. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.
I conduct research on wartime sexual violence. But hold on.

My work focuses on the non-cases: armed political actors which have committed little sexual violence and have a history of disciplining their members sexual behaviour.

This effort seems ridiculously extraneous in the current climate. Just in the last years, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Daesh) in Syria and Iraq have systematically abducted and abused thousands of women and girls.

However, as researcher Elisabeth Jean Wood has demonstrated, sexual violence patterns vary because armed groups are different. And their diverse politics, strategies and institutional DNA is evident in their varied wartime conduct.

In another context, the #MeToo reckoning has uncovered the wide, wide array of sectors that have ignored complaints about perpetrators, while nurturing hostile and abusive climates of impunity. Humanitarian actors in particular, seem to be making innovative reforms. Even as new allegations arise, agencies of the United Nations (UN), for example, are establishing new measures. The UN has disseminated information about its zero-tolerance policy to its field personnel and established a task force to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse. It has increased transparency, and we now know more about incidents inside the UN. In the last quarter of 2017, reporting mechanisms have received 40 allegations across the organisation.

But for all that to have an impact, the UN and other actors must also embrace fresh ideas about gender norms and sexuality, and translate these into behaviours that can be modelled and transmitted to new recruits, middle-managers and old hands. Thats stopping sexual predation before it happens. Thats prevention.

After all, ragtag rebel armies in poor countries, with unequal gender relations and limited resources, have done it.

During my research in Burundi and Uganda, I have learned that sometimes rebel and insurgent groups arise in societies with dreadful levels of gender inequality, and yet train their fighters to scorn sexual coercion. To them, rapists should be shunned or executed.

Learning from ragtag armies

In Burundi, the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu PeopleForces for National Liberation (FNL) was rarely associated with wartime rape or similar abuses during or after the civil war. This is particularly striking if we consider that the coinciding and bordering genocide in Rwanda, between similar ethnic groups and with comparable causes of conflict, included widespread sexual violence against Tutsis committed by Hutus, by the then government-sponsored militia group known as Interahamwe. Palipehutu-FNL also attacked Tutsi civilians. However, its fighters did not permit or order sexual violence.

Civil war research contends that armed actors that do not rely on civilians for support are likelier to abuse them. This is an important clue, also demonstrated by scholars such as Jeremy Weinstein. Movements that prevent sexual violence may be motivated to ensure good relations with the local population for pragmatic, operational reasons. They need shelter, food, information and recruits. But going further, how do they achieve sexual discipline over their fighters?

In the 1980s, Ugandas National Resistance Army (NRA) launched a rebellion with a handful of weapons and very few men. It defined itself as a peoples army, and depended heavily on support from the countrys peasant population. It is believed to have committed little to no acts of sexual violence. Commanders and civilians I have interviewed tell me that the groups leaders presided over justice on behalf of civilians and exercised discipline against its fighters. The NRA code of conductinstructs members to refrain from shouting at, abusing or insulting the public, while also asserting that rape was punishable by death.

Many women are wives or daughters of somebody, somewhere

Over 30 years later, former NRA members have recited to me the saying they learned in the bush: Many women are wives or daughters of somebody, somewhere.

Lets pause here. Other armed groups have allowed rape as a practiceand/or committed it as a strategy for war purposes. Erin Baines has convincingly explained how another rebellion (also in Uganda), the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) used forced marriage and policed sexual relations by its members as a way to give birth to its own ethnically based nation. And other armed movements can be indiscriminate and opportunistic. They may not order sexual violence, but it is still a pronounced part of their conduct. For these types of rebel groups, womens bodies are the staging ground for advancing the insurgency, or just part of the spoils of war.

But according to the code of the NRA, all women deserved the same treatment as their own sisters or daughters or wives. The leadership sought to nurture a sense of empathy based on these roles, to get its fighters to relate to females through this lens. Rape would not only harm women and girls but rupture important relationships with the local population and the wider community. (This is not particularly empowering for womens sexual autonomy, since it still positions female bodily integrity in relation to kinship bonds. But that is another matter.) The emphasis on family makes sense across diverse cultural contexts in many parts of the world.

Indeed, this command had an important impact. It shaped minds and hearts and helped the men remain true to an ideal of sexual discipline not seen in everyday life. They could not engage in unsanctioned relationships or sexual predation. It was reinforced by specific notions of masculinity, particularly that a real man would not coerce sex, and in relation to a political ideology of liberation of Ugandans.

The NRAs war took place before the current existing data-collection efforts and parameters of the Sexual Violence in Conflict Dataset. Still, I doubt we would have been able to add it to todays list of armed actors with a pattern of sexual violence. Nevertheless, we can learn something about preventing sexual violence from such actors.

Religion as a preventive tool

Strikingly, the FNL fighters in Burundi also developed confessional practices. Cohorts would name and shame one another in group prayers, for instance.

Fighters who engaged in sexual activity were viewed as weak or opportunistic, and this coincided with a culture of Christian purity. The majority of Burundians practice some form of Christianity, and the political elite in the country often have been vocal proponents of this faith. The leaders of FNL were no different, and they and their followers were born-again Christians of one conviction or another. Its members referred to themselves as Gods army. Commanders as well as foot soldiers were held equally accountable to values, often formulated and practised within a religious context.

Finally, in the hierarchy of the groups gender norms, the best men were those that could cast aside sexual conquest in the service of chivalry and their brotherly bond to the group. And a new ideal was born.

Stigmatizing sexual predation

My research shows that prevention is possible, even in the most startling contexts. The rebel armies Ive examined have not had perfect track records. They used capital punishment and fell well short of my feminist standards. They promoted masculinities that continued to position women as dependant on male protection. Moreover, without active and persistent stigmatisation of sexual coercion, it seems that the longevity of prevention was short-term.

I do not doubt there are survivors of abuse by members of these groups. But the pattern is of institutional prevention, not predation. These insurgents crafted masculine norms of soldiering that emphasised empathy for women and girls, and respect for wider societal bonds. Life in these rebel armies included value-based measures for shaming and punishing predators, not promoting them.

Stopping sexual violence before it happens is possible. Despite other factors that could induce these armed groups to permit their fighters assaulting civilians (and co-combatant females), they chose to invest in creating new norms and behaviours, and ultimately, preferences for sexual discipline. And it worked.

Imagine then, the depth of change that is possible elsewhere.
Russia used its veto power for the 12th time Tuesday at the UN Security Council to block action directed at its Syrian ally.

The latest veto prevented the adoption of US-drafted resolution to investigate chemical weapons use in Syria aimed at identifying the perpetrators.

Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are permanent Security Council members with veto powers. The other 10 members are elected for two-year terms on a rotating basis.

UN resolutions require nine positive votes and no veto to be adopted.

Heres a look at Russias 12 vetoes on Syria:

 Chemical weapons 

In all, Russia used it veto four times to block draft resolutions seeking to establish investigations of chemical weapons use in Syrias seven-year war. A fifth veto was used to prevent a Western bid to impose sanctions over chemical weapons use.

April 10, 2018: Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution after 12 countries backed the measure. China abstained, while Bolivia voted against.

November 16-17/October 24, 2017: In less than a month, Russia used its veto three times to block draft resolutions on renewing a UN-led probe of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) died on November 17 after several attempts by the Security Council to save the panel failed to meet Russian demands.

April 12, 2017: Russia vetoed a draft resolution demanding that President Bashar al-Assads government cooperate with an investigation into the deadly suspected chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun on April 4. China abstained.

February 28, 2017: Russia and China again vetoed a UN resolution, drafted by Britain, France and the United States that would have imposed sanctions on Syria over chemical weapons use in the conflict.

 Aleppo truce 

December 5, 2016: A resolution that calls for a truce in Aleppo is vetoed by both China and Russia. Egypt, New Zealand and Spain presented the measure. The vote was 11 to 3 with one abstention from Angola. Venezuela voted against, alongside China and Russia.

October 8, 2016: Russia alone vetoes a text proposed by France and Spain to halt the bombing of Aleppo, after presenting a rival draft that urged a ceasefire but made no mention of barring military flights over the city. China abstained in that vote, the first time it did not veto a Syria draft resolution alongside Russia.

 War crimes 

May 22, 2014: Beijing and Moscow block a French-drafted proposal for the Security Council to refer Syrian crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is blocked. All 13 other council members backed the measure.

Russia accused Britain, France and the United States of hypocrisy in not wanting war crimes in Iraq referred to the ICC.

 Sanctions threat 

July 19, 2012: Beijing and Moscow again veto a Western-backed resolution that threatens Damascus with sanctions if it does not stop using heavy weapons.

 Condemning Syria 

February 4, 2012: Russia and China again vetoed a draft resolution that condemns a Syrian government crackdown on the opposition, while the Security Councils other members voted in favor.

The veto sparked an international outcry, especially because it came a few hours after Syrian forces bomb the protest city of Homs, killing hundreds of people.

October 4, 2011: Six months after the Syrian conflict began, Russia and China blocked a proposed UN resolution condemning grave human rights violations in Syria and threatening measures against President Bashar al-Assads government.
Serb academic turned far-right leader Vojislav Seselj won notoriety during the 1990s Balkan wars for his incendiary rhetoric and remains defiant since his provisional release from more than a decade in detention in The Hague.

UN war crimes judges in The Hague are due to give an appeal verdict on Wednesday against the shock 2016 acquittal of the stocky, ruddy-faced former deputy prime minister, 63.

Prosecutors had accused Seselj of poisoning the minds of volunteer forces who committed atrocities in the 1990s, in a quest to forge a Greater Serbia as Yugoslavia fell apart.

Judges found there was not sufficient evidence to prove he was guilty on nine counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the murder, torture and deportation of non-Serbs in large areas of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia.

I do not feel guilty of anything, Seselj declared triumphantly at a press conference in Belgrade after his acquittal ruling in late March 2016.

The Serbian Radical Party leader has since stuck to his nationalist line.

We will never give up the idea of a Greater Serbia, he told AFP in an interview.

Prosecutors have appealed against his acquittal, saying he is is spreading politics seeking to unite all Serb territories in a homogeneous Serb state.

Seselj spent more than a decade in detention before and during his trial. He was excused from attending the 2016 judgement having returned to Serbia two years earlier on medical grounds.

After the acquittal ruling, he was elected as an MP in Serbia.

Since his return, ill health has not prevented Seselj from appearing on reality television, publicly burning EU and NATO flags and firing up far-right rallies.

He said he will not be in The Hague for the appeal verdict by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which is wrapping up the last legal cases from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which was closed in December after 24 years.

 Counter-revolutionary 

Born in Sarajevo in Bosnia in 1954, Seselj studied law and obtained a doctorate, going on to lecture in political science at Sarajevo University in the early 1980s.

The nationalist ideas he developed were not appreciated by the communist regime, and he was convicted of counter-revolutionary activities and spent two years in jail during that period.

He then moved to Belgrade where, after communism collapsed, he formed the Serbian Radical Party in 1991.

He quickly became an MP, known for his shocking antics in parliament  from swearing to drawing pistols.

Among his ill-famed comments as the conflicts in Croatia and Bosnia broke out, Seselj once boasted on a television talk show that Serbs would slaughter Croats with rusty spoons.

From 1998 to 2000 he was Serbias deputy prime minister under the autocratic regime of Slobodan Milosevic, who died during his own war crimes trial at The Hague in 2006.

After giving himself up to the court in 2003, Seselj forced the cancellation of his first trial three years later by going on a hunger strike to demand the right to represent himself.

A second trial opened in 2007 in which he cast himself as a martyr and a victim of an anti-Serb conspiracy.

He said he regretted that the tribunal did not allow for the death sentence, so that proudly, with dignity, upright like my friend Saddam Hussein, I could put the final seal on my ideology.

Among his angry outbursts, he once said he smelled the odour of gas when a German judge arrived in the courtroom, and also compared the proceedings to a satanic ritual.

 Breaking with allies 

His party was Serbias largest until 2008, when Seseljs close allies Tomislav Nikolic and Aleksandar Vucic broke ranks and formed the ruling pro-European Serbian Progressive Party.

Vucic is now president while Seseljs anti-Western and pro-Russian rhetoric holds less sway, despite his attention-grabbing tactics.

He briefly benefited from public attention following his acquittal and with the Radicals became the second strongest single party in the parliament at elections two years ago.

But last month he was on the verge of political disappearance when his party won only two-percent support in local Belgrade polls.

Political analyst and columnist Cvijetin Milivojevic said that since returning from The Hague, Seselj has toned down his criticism of his now-powerful former ally Vucic as he bids for electoral success.

Seselj is a serious, calculating politician who has rarely improvised things, Milivojevic said. In that sense, he has not changed.
Ultra-nationalist Serbian leader Vojislav Seselj said Wednesday he was proud of the crimes UN judges convicted him of and told AFP he was ready to repeat them.

A UN court found Seselj guilty on appeal of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 10 years in prison, but he will remain free because of the time he has already served in detention.

I am proud of all crimes attributed (to me) and ready to repeat them in the future, he told AFP after the ruling.

The verdict is against the law, said Seselj, who snubbed the hearing and was not present when the verdict was read by judges in The Hague.

The appeal court could not turn acquittal into condemnation, but only to quash it and order a retrial, he added.

The Hague-based appeals chamber reversed Seseljs acquittals for instigating persecution, deportation and other inhuman acts as crimes against humanity.

He was found guilty for an anti-Croat speech delivered in early 1990s in the village of Hrtkovci in Serbias multiethnic northern Vojvodina region.

But Seselj said the tribunal lied that there were systematic persecutions of Croats in Hrtkovci.

No Croat was expelled from Serbia, all those who left exchanged their property with Serbs forced out of Croatia at the time, Seselj said.

In March 2016 the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia acquitted Seselj, leader of the Serbian Radical Party. He is now a member of parliament.
Kansas State University students, alumni receive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

MANHATTAN  Six current Kansas State University students and two alumni are among the National Science Foundation's 2018 Graduate Research Fellows and honorable mentions.



Adam Schieferecke, combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Science student in biology, Bennington; Kyle Apley, senior in chemistry, Olsburg; Benjamin Archibeque, senior in physics and psychology, Wichita; and Priscila Guzman, doctoral student in biology, Florida, Puerto Rico, are among 2,000 students nationwide to receive the three-year fellowship, which includes a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 for tuition and fees. More than 12,000 students applied for the fellowship.



Hannah Wilborn, senior in industrial engineering, Hoisington, and Nelson Walker, doctoral student in statistics, Freeport, Illinois, received honorable mentions.



The fellowship supports and recognizes outstanding students conducting science, technology, engineering or mathematics research as they undertake master's or doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The fellowship program was established in 1952.



"The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is one of the most prestigious recognitions for graduate students and represents a national investment in our STEM workforce," said Beth Montelone, senior associate vice president for research at Kansas State University. "The fact that six current K-State students were awarded fellowships or honorable mentions indicates that our institution provides students with excellent training and faculty mentors, and that they produce outstanding research results."



"The fellowship will support the students both financially and professionally as they begin or continue their graduate degrees," said Carol Shanklin, dean of the Kansas State University Graduate School and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program coordinating official. "The award recognizes the recipients' outstanding academic accomplishments and research skills they have developed through the support of their research mentors at K-State."



Schieferecke has been involved in a number of undergraduate research opportunities during his time at K-State, with a focus on the interrelated areas of virology, evolution and cancer biology. He is working on his master's thesis in the lab of Lorena Passarelli, professor of biology, studying the relationship between two important proteins found in baculoviruses, a group of viruses that naturally infect insects and are used in agriculture as pesticides. In addition to research, Schieferecke has been involved in communicating science by speaking at Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol, TEDxMHK and rural Kansas high school classrooms. He was awarded the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship in 2016. He will pursue his doctorate in molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley starting in the fall.



Apley has researched the synthesis of new molecular probes to better understand chemical interference in drug screening and mechanisms contributing to drug toxicity along with development of a novel catalyst to selectively modify complex small molecules. He has worked with Duy Hua, university distinguished professor of chemistry, and was recognized as an honorable mention for the Barry Goldwater scholarship in spring 2017. He plans to pursue a doctorate in medicinal or pharmaceutical chemistry before leading a drug discovery and development team in industry or performing basic and translational research in academia.



Archibeque has participated in several undergraduate research projects, including a meta-analysis of the impact of teaching method and other institutional variables on student learning in introductory physics, which involves more than 50,000 students. He also conducted a study that developed qualitative and quantitative measurements of equity in small groups of students. His research was conducted under the mentorship of Eleanor Sayre, associate professor of physics, through the Developing Scholars Program and the Ronald E. McNair Baccalaureate Achievement Program. He plans to obtain a doctorate in physics at Florida International University.



Guzman is studying the soil bacterium and plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a model organism to research bacterial interactions in the lab of Thomas Platt, assistant professor of biology. Guzman is passionate about science outreach. She works as a science, technology, engineering and mathematics mentor and counselor for the Verde Clovers 4H Latino Club, serves as a teaching volunteer with the K-State Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering, and is part of the Kansas Science Communication Initiative and a group of graduate students that is developing Science Snapshots, a blog featuring Kansas State University research. She recently represented the university on the 2018 Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering Workshop in Washington, D.C., and she received honorable mention from the 2018 Ford Foundation Fellowship Program from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.



Wilborn worked as an undergraduate research assistant for David Ben-Arieh, professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, to investigate modeling the spread of infectious diseases. She plans to pursue a doctorate in industrial engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology beginning in the fall.



Walker modeled the effects of age, gender and genetic variation on tooth decay in rural Appalachian residents during an undergraduate research experience. He also researched the feasibility of using remote sensing satellite data to improve air pollution prediction models during a graduate research experience with the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute. Walker's current research under Trevor Hefley, assistant professor of statistics, develops methods to correct bias in statistical models caused by location error. His efforts this past year were funded through the Lolafaye Coyne Statistics Graduate Research Scholarship and he is receiving the Graduate School's Timothy R. Donoghue Graduate Scholarship. Walker will complete his master's degree in statistics this summer and begin his doctorate at Kansas State University in the fall.



Muriel Eaton, 2017 Kansas State University bachelor's graduate in biochemistry and now a graduate student at Purdue, also received a fellowship. Michael Vega, 2016 bachelor's graduate in geology and chemistry and now a graduate student at the Colorado School of Mines, received honorable mention.



Jim Hohenbary, the university's director of national competitive scholarships, said the results of the competition reflect well on Kansas State University students.



"All of these students have worked extremely hard to take advantage of the research opportunities available to them at K-State, and I am excited to see that worked affirmed by the NSF," Hohenbary said. "This recognition and support will serve them well as they seek to take the next steps in the academic careers."



Kansas State University undergraduates and first-year graduate students interested in applying for the NSF Graduate Fellowship should contact Hohenbary at 785-532-3422 or jimlth@k-state.edu.






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To the intern on the trauma surgery service when I was a medical student: Thanks for occasionally wearing leather pants to work. Thanks for smiling and having a sense of humor despite having to round on thirty patients. Thanks for teaching us medical students while running a significant sleep deficit.

To the internal medicine resident who wanted to become a cardiologist: Thank you for indulging me and telling me how you dealt with the stress of medical training: You became still and tried to hear your heartbeat. When everything else seemed out of control, you focused on the steady rhythm emanating from your chest. Thats still something I do from time to time.

To the family practice physician who worked in the suburbs: I still dont understand why you thought it was OK to pour liquid nitrogen on my head in front of the patient after you frosted the warts off of her feet. I mean, I do understand  you had power! I had none! what an amusement for you!  and thank you for showing me what a professional should never do.

To the surgical tech who was shaving the pubic hair off of a woman who was already under anesthesia: I dont know why you and I were the only ones in the operating room. You knew I was there. As you were shaving her groin, you said, Youre a fat bitch. You are such an ugly, fat bitch. I hate that I have to shave your fat ass. She may not have heard you, but I did. As a medical student, I was too scared to tell you to stop. Thank you for showing me your cowardice and cruelty, as there are, unfortunately, others like you in medicine. I have since learned to speak up when people say violent things.

To two of my fellow interns: You stand out in my memory from that year. (One now works as a senior medical officer for a public health district in New Zealand; the other works in emergency medicine in an academic medical center in Texas.) We were brand new doctors running around the hospital and had no idea what we were doing. Do first, think later! I admired both of you for your intelligence and am grateful that we worked well together. I remember how you offered to help me when I was buried with neverending work. What I remember most, though, is how you made me laugh. When things were terrible  when the disease, dying, and death was crushing  you helped me smile when there was nothing else we could do.

To one of my medical students when I was an intern: Thank you for taking the time to write a letter to my residency director to express praise for my teaching abilities. You were both precocious and earnest: I should know what a good teacher is, since Im a medical student and many people teach me  I hope you continue to write letters to those teachers who helped you grow.

To the male psychiatrist who took me to see a patient in a post-surgical setting: Thank you for teaching me who benefits from the questions we ask. We had just met her; she was weeping and told us she was uncomfortable. Out of nowhere, you asked her if she experienced sexual abuse as a child. She answered yes. You then ended the interview and, while we were walking away, said to me, I knew from her behavior that she was sexually abused as a kid. I learned that I should never ask people questions just to show off.

To a female VA attending psychiatrist: Thank you for your enthusiasm for Cole Haan shoes. You were always so well-groomed  I imagine you still are  and your delight for shoes showed me that even sharp, warm attending physicians get excited when expensive shoes go on sale. You showed me that you werent just a doctor; you were also a person.

To the pharmacist who said little, but brimmed with wisdom when he did speak: I wish you were still alive. I think of you often: sometimes when Im flummoxed over someones medication regimen, more often when Im not sure how to best connect with the person in my care. You are the only person who has ever compared me to a bottle gourd: Circumstances and people might try to bring and keep you down, but youre like a bottle gourd in water: You pop right back up again. After you died, I bought a bottle gourd to remind me of your high praise.

To the male psychiatrist who paid too much attention to me: Everything about that situation still makes me sad, but it helped me grow as a person and as a professional. I now tell trainees  particularly the women  that they must speak up, that they arent alone, that they dont have to put up with bad behavior.

To the psychiatrist who worked as a commissioner for mental health: I wish you were still alive, too. I also think of you often: When systems dont work and seem designed to fail, when people focus more on how things look than on how they actually are, when money seems to matter more than people  I wish I could ask you what I should do. You often advised me to continue to ask questions, especially when I wanted to do something. I still heed your advice: If it scares you, then you should probably do it. Sometimes it is scary to ask questions, too.

To a male VA attending psychiatrist: Thanks for your candor while I was crying. I had no idea that you were that upset, you said. You should know that you dont show how youre feeling. People probably have no idea. You werent the first (nor last) person to recognize that I often dont show how Im feeling, but you were the first supervisor to tell me this to my face. You werent warm in that moment, but you were kind. And thanks for not freaking out when I started crying.

To my first boss: Thanks for saying explicitly that its okay to be mad. As an unintended corollary to the feedback I got from the male VA attending psychiatrist, you told me that its okay for people to know that Im angry. It shows people that you care. And sometimes people need to know that.

To all the people who have allowed me to be your doctor: Thank you for your patience. The longer I practice, the more I realize how little I know. Thank you for your grace when I ask you intrusive questions. Thank you for your calling me out when I mess up. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try to help you. Thank you for thanking me when you are better and dont need to see me anymore. Thank you for teaching me new things and reminding me of things I still need to work on.

Maria Yang is a psychiatrist who blogs at her self-titled site, Maria Yang, MD.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The Irish Farmers Association Chairman for Kilkenny, James Murphy, says the national fodder crisis which has hit Kilkenny will cause real challenges to fodder supplies in the county next Winter.

Months of wet and cold weather has left many farmers low on feed with the supply of fodder dwindling due to below-average grass growth and saturated lands.

The Kilkenny People spoke to local farmers and how the crisis has impacted on them. You can read the special report on the fodder shortage and interviews with Brian Blackmore and Eoin Kennedy in this week's edition

We had a monthly county executive meeting Monday night and the general opinion was that you couldnt say it has improved, Mr Murphy said on the fodder crisis. Farmers are a little less on edge because of the improvement in the weather.

An awful lot will depend on what happens with the weather this weekend. If it continues to stay dry, farmers will start to get animals out on drier lands and that will reduce their fodder needs which might free up supplies for those who have wetter land.

In parts of the county where the land is heavier, farmers will have fodder requirements for two or three weeks yet, he warned.

Teagasc has set up a Forage Register to help farmers who have run out of fodder to source supplies from those with a surplus and there is fodder available to buy in Kilkenny.

Farmers are more confident that they can get some fodder in their parish or county, Mr Murphy added.

He said: Its already a late Spring. Itll be a real challenge for all farmers to replenish their fodder supplies for next winter.

A late planting season for Spring crops means farmers can assume that straw wont be overplentiful either. One of the key points is that farmers need to continue to look out for one another.

"This is a very stressful time and its a national issue created by one of the longest winters that any of us can even remember.

For helpful tips on dealing with the fodder crisis, click here.

Kilkenny-based Glanbia, the countrys largest dairy processor, has imported 1,000 tonnes of Alfalfa from Spain to support farmers impacted by the fodder shortage.

Mr Murphy said the first 500 tonnes of this was snapped up immediately and encouraged people to enquire about buying the fodder at their local Glanbia branch.

Last week, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed announced the allocation of 1.5m for the introduction of a Fodder Import Support Measure to reduce the cost to farmers of imported fodder.

The funding will support the importation of up to 20,000 tonnes of fodder into the country and this will be kept under ongoing review.

The last time a fodder importation scheme was required was in 2013 when a total of 140,000 tonnes was imported. Mr Murphy called on the Minister to suspend all farm inspections in Kilkenny until we get through the fodder crisis.

He also urged the Minister to pay out all outstanding payments like GLAS, beef data and genomics, sheep welfare and others, due later in the summer, to prioritise paying those now to alleviate the cash-flow problems all farmers experience at the end of spring.

Meanwhile, Met Eireanns forecast for Kilkenny is predicting milder weather but there will be showers in southern and eastern areas at different stages throughout the week and into the weekend.
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Hundreds of people are expected to attend a public meeting about a proposed mosque at a site on the Hebron Road tomorrow (Thursday) evening.

A planning application was lodged in recent weeks by the Kilkenny Islamic Centre to build a Cultural Centre at the site. The proposed development will consist of a mosque, a community hall, a library, accommodation, a Halal shop and a community cafe.

Public representatives John and Andrew McGuinness have organised the meeting in response to queries from local residents.

Cllr Andrew McGuinness said that being locally elected representatives in the area and the fact that their office is a stones throw from the site, many people are coming to them with queries about the application.

It is our view that people need to know the truth and have all of the facts in relation to what is being proposed.

Concerns

People have genuine concerns and we have numerous problems in the area in terms of parking and so on, so its important that everything is laid on the table in a fair and transparent way and people have their opportunity to get the facts.

We viewed the plans as soon as they were available and made contact with the applicants and the architect seeking answers to the queries we were getting.

They then agreed to hold an information evening to provide all of the details to the local community.

It is important that people understand the planning process and how to participate in it in order to have their concerns addressed.

Imam Ebrahim Ndure explained that the Kilkenny Islamic Centre have gathered for the past ten years at a rented property on the Freshford Road and that the board have now decided to apply to build a mosque and cultural centre.

The proposed centre will provide services not only to the Muslim community but also to the community at large.

At present there are approximately 500 members of the Islamic Community living in Kilkenny. Most of these people are professionals who play an important role in the socio-economic life of the city, said the Imam, adding that he was shocked and terrified by some of the hate speech on social media.

The meeting is from 6.30 to 8.30pm in the OLoughlin Gaels GAA Club. Plans can be seen in County Hall on John Street. The closing date for objections is April 19.
A 25-year-old Kilkenny man has told a murder trial that he remembers nothing about the night his uncle is alleged to have murdered his friend, as he is on medication for mental disorders.



The prosecution witness was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court this Wednesday morning in the trial of a 37-year-old man, charged with murdering another man at a location in Co Waterford.



Tadhg Butler, with an address at Seafield in Tramore is accused of murdering 25-year-old Michael ODwyer on 10th January 2014. He has pleaded not guilty.



Mr Butlers nephew, Tony OGrady, this morning told his trial that he had no recollection of giving a statement to gardai following his friends death.



Mr OGrady of The New Houses, Bishops Birch in the city told Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, that he was a drug addict at the time.



I was in and out of mental hospitals. Ive a few mental disorders and am on heavy medications, he explained. I had to be sectioned a number of times.



He insisted that he couldnt remember the past six years, since his brother died, including the night that his friend, Michael ODwyer, had been stabbed.



Im just after swearing on the holy bible. Im telling you the truth, he said. I cant remember anything. Thats the genuine truth.



The prosecutor again asked him if he remembered how he and his friend came to be in his uncles house in Tramore.



Not that night, not that day, not the month before, nor the year before, he replied.



How can you not remember? asked the prosecutor.



Ive been taking tablets and drinking for six years solid. I cant remember a thing, he replied. Im always blanking out. Ive a drinking addiction as well.



Mr Justice Paul Butler then excused the jury, asking the members not to return until later this (Wednesday) afternoon.



The trial will continue then before the jury of six men and six women.
South Kilkenny councillors are to explore the possibility of funding a survey and detailed design to begin the process of opening up the scenic Poulanassy Waterfall area near Mullinavat.

For insurance purposes, the council are required to carry out works at the waterfall. A recommendation had been made by Irish Public Bodies to close it, but area engineer Ian Gardner said the council determined it would be too big of a loss.

A number of carpark spaces would have to be provided at the site, however. Agreement has been reached on the price of land, although it is not known yet how much land will be needed. Mr Gardner said the next step would be to appoint a consultant for a survey, design and planning process, but there was no budget set aside for that.

We are talking in the order of 11,000, he said.

Cllr Fidelis Doherty asked if there was any scheme or tourism funding from which it could be sourced. Mr Gardner said he was not aware of any, but if the initial amount could be found to get past the first stage, the council might be in a position to seek some. He suggested members consider using the local muncipal allocation.

The actual cost of building a carpark on the hill near the waterfall would be in the region of 100,000.

If you got it to detailed design and planning youd be in a position to apply for funding, said Mr Gardner.

That municipal allocation for the Piltown area this year is 40,000, and how it is to be spent has yet to be decided. Councillors have agreed to meet to discuss it prior to the next monthly meeting.

Cllr Eamon Aylward said he was glad that some agreement had been reached with the landowners. He said it was a fantastic facility, but there was occasionally anti-social behaviour there, which could be mitigated by it being made more open with an improved line of sight.
Newshub reports:

The Government has launched an inquiry into Operation Burnham  the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) raid at the centre of investigative journalism work Hit and Run. The book by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson alleges the NZDF took part in a night-time raid on a village, during which civilians were targeted and property deliberately destroyed. The book claims six civilians  including a three-year-old  were killed, and 15 others injured. NZDF says one insurgent was killed during the raid, and says its possible ammunition fired from a coalition helicopter had fallen short of its target and hit two buildings. As a result, a report from ISAF/Afghanistan Government found civilian casualties may have occurred.

The inquiry will be former PM Sir Geoffrey Palmer and former Supreme Court Judge Sir Terrence Arnold.

It is worth noting that David Parker has said:

The footage I have reviewed does not seem to me to corroborate some key aspects of the book Hit & Run. The footage suggests that there was a group of armed individuals in the village.

So why are they holding an inquiry? Because they demanded one when they were in Opposition!

Will Hager and Stephenson accept the findings of the inquiry, or only if they back their allegations? Will they apologise to NZDF if an inquiry finds their allegations are incorrect?

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By Kim Jae-heun



Korea's No.1 low-cost carrier (LCC) Jeju Air is being criticized for a seven-hour delay on a flight to Da Nang, Vietnam, Saturday, after the air crew found fault with electronic equipment on board hours into the flight and returned to Incheon.



The plane took off for Vietnam at 10:40 p.m. from Incheon International Airport and had almost reached Taiwan when the pilot discovered the electrical problem. Instead of landing at the nearest airport in Taipei, the pilot decided to turn around and go all the way back to Incheon.



Back in Korea, passengers had to wait two more hours for the next flight and finally arrived at Da Nang at 2:40 a.m. in the morning on Sunday.



Jeju Air, meanwhile, claimed it found no fault with the aircraft during its routine preflight maintenance.



It said it is currently investigating the cause of the sudden electronic problem.



Customers became angry when the LCC decided to compensate them only 50,000 won ($46.75) per person for the flight delay.



"It's ridiculous that the carrier is only paying 50,000 won for all the time and money wasted by the delay," a passenger said on condition of anonymity.



Another passenger said he will not accept the compensation and will file a civil complaint or even sue Jeju Air if the airliner refuses to fairly compensate him and the other passengers.



The LCC refused to comment.



According to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), a carrier failing to depart on time must compensate passengers.

The FTC standard suggests Jeju Air pay each passenger between $300 and $600 for delaying a flight by over four hours.



However, this standard has no legal bearing and carriers do not have to compensate passengers when the delay is caused by unforeseen necessity.



Jeju Air and Jin Air received the most civil complaints from customers last year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.



The two airlines were criticized for frequent flight cancellations and delays as well as their refusal to fully compensate passengers in such cases.



Jeju Air, in particular, recorded the second-highest number of domestic flight delays at 13.5 percent.



Jin Air topped the list with 15.7 percent. T'Way Air ranked third with 13 percent, followed by Air Busan with 12.5 percent, Asiana with 11.5 percent, Eastar Jet with 10.9 percent and Korean Air with 10.1 percent.


A captured image from the White House's petition website "We the People"



By Park Ji-won



An online petition posted on the White House website calling for a peace treaty with North Korea has gathered over 100,000 signatures in about three weeks since its posting _ the minimum number to get a response from the White House.



The petition titled "A Peace Treaty on the Korean Peninsula" was created on March 15 by a person named J.Y. asking U.S. President Donald Trump to sign a comprehensive and permanent peace treaty with North Korea in his meeting with the North's leader Kim Jong-un slated for late May or June.



As of Tuesday, the petition had 102,500 signatures, about 25 days after its posting.



"We will do our best to respond to petitions that cross the signature threshold," the White House petitions page says, saying it "will post a response _ and any updates _ are posted as quickly as possible"









In the petition, J.Y. insists the first move towards peace lies in denuclearization, and normalizing U.S.-North Korean relations with a peace treaty would be "a bold move for peace that will be remembered for ages."



The online petition site, called "We the People," was launched by former President Barack Obama in 2011 with a pledge that any petition gathering over 100,000 signatures within 30 days would receive an official response from the White House. Anyone from any country can participate in signing petitions.





Members of The Peace Foundation in Seoul promote the petition submitted to the White House on signing a peace treaty with North Korea, Sunday. / Courtesy of The Peace Foundation
Lusaka, Apr 11 (PTI) India and Zambia today signed four agreements including on double taxation avoidance and judicial cooperation as President Ram Nath Kovind held delegation-level talks with his Zambian counterpart Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

President Kovind, who arrived here yesterday on the final leg of his visit to three African countries, had "meaningful and wide-ranging discussions" with his Zambian counterpart, said a statement issued by the Indian President's Office.

"The two Presidents exchanged views on bilateral and global issues. Committing to India's long-standing developmental partnership with Zambia, President Kovind also expressed appreciation for Zambia having signed the International Solar Alliance agreement. He looked forward to early ratification of the agreement from the Zambian side," the statement said.

The two sides signed four agreements - on double taxation avoidance; on judicial cooperation; on mutual visa waivers for officials and diplomats; and on the Entrepreneurship Development Institute that India will build in Zambia.

This is the first visit to the country by an Indian president since 1989.

President Kovind also addressed the Zambia-India Business Forum.

"Zambia and India are time-tested friends. Built on this strong foundation, our bilateral trade and economic engagement has prospered," he said.

"Indian companies have invested significantly in Zambia, especially in mining, telecom, energy and manufacturing. But we can do more. There are opportunities for our businesses to explore - from social enterprises to new technology; from community projects to highways; and from 'Digital India' to 'Smart Zambia'," the President said while addressing the Forum.

Noting that the trade between the two countries has picked up significantly in the past few years, President Kovind urged all stakeholders - small and medium enterprises, Chambers of Commerce, large companies, new entrepreneurs - to diversify and expand the Zambia-India business corridor.

"Both Zambia and India are blessed with a youthful population. We need to connect our young people through start-ups, skills, technology and new ideas," he said.

As part of President Kovind's visit, India has agreed in principle to provide concessional finance and support towards the construction of the Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Lusaka. India has also gifted Zambia medicines and medical equipment worth USD 3 million as well as presented USD 100,000 for the Mahatma Gandhi School in Lusaka.

Earlier in the morning, the President visited the Embassy Park Presidential Memorial in Lusaka and paid tributes to three former Presidents of Zambia  Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa and Micheal Sata.

After his arrival here yesterday, President Kovind addressed a gathering of the Indian community.

"Members of the community are our champions in a faraway land. They have made great efforts to embellish India's reputation as well as keep alive our cultural traditions. This is commendable," he told the gathering.

Tomorrow, the President will ceremonially commence work on the 93-km Lusaka Traffic Decongestion Project.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
United Nations, Apr 11 (PTI) The UN Security Council has failed to adopt two competing resolutions that would have established a mechanism to investigate use of chemical weapons in Syria as well as another concerning a fact-finding mission in the war-torn country.

The Security Council, voting yesterday on the three separate draft resolutions, failed to rally the votes needed to launch an independent mechanism of investigation into the incident, as delegates voiced frustration over the continued paralysis and the expanding rifts between nations.

The first draft considered yesterday  penned by the United States  which would have established a new investigative mechanism for one year, as well as identify those responsible for the use of chemical weapons, was rejected owing to a negative vote from Russia. The draft received 12 votes in favour, two against (Bolivia and Russia) and one abstention (China).

US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said after the vote that month after month, the Assad regime, with full support of Russia and Iran, has strung along this Council. She said her delegation had conducted transparent negotiations when drafting the resolution and had gone the extra mile in incorporating the views of the Russian Federation.

"And when the people of Douma, along with the rest of the international community, looked to this Council to act, one country stood in the way. History will record that. History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," she said.

Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia, speaking following its veto, said the United States was attempting to mislead the international community.

He said the draft would have been an attempt to recreate the Joint Investigative Mechanism  whose mandate had not been renewed in late 2017  which had become a puppet of anti-Damascus forces and shamed itself by rendering a guilty verdict against a sovereign State with no evidence.

He added that the new mechanism, as proposed by the United States, would carry out an investigation with no regard to the standards set out in the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and of Their Destruction, known as the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Yesterday's meeting marked the 12th time Russia has used its veto to block Council action on Syria.

The meeting came says after reports of a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma.

Similarly, a competing draft  penned by Russia  which would have established the mechanism for one year as well but would have given the Security Council the responsibility to assign accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, was also not adopted.

By the terms of that text, the Council would have established a United Nations independent mechanism of investigation, also for an initial period of one year, and urged it to fully ensure a truly impartial, independent, professional and credible way to conduct its investigation.

It would have further directed the mechanism to make full use of all credible, verified and corroborated evidence collected by the OPCW fact-finding mission, while also directing it to collect and examine additional information and sources not obtained or prepared by the mission, including all information provided by the Government of Syria and others on the activities of non-State actors.

Six Council members - Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan and Russia voted in favour of the draft while seven against (France, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) and two abstentions (Cote d'Ivoire and Kuwait).

The Council rejected a third text  also proposed by Russia  which concerned the work of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM). The draft received five votes in favour (Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Russia), four against (France, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States), and six abstentions (Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, and Sweden).

Syria's UN envoy Bashar Ja'afari, speaking at the close of the meeting, emphasized that his Government had officially invited the OPCW to send its fact-finding mission to investigate. He said Syria would fully cooperate and provide access to a liberated Douma.

Criticising the positions of the US, UK and France, he said that some permanent Council members were attempting to cover up domestic crises and conflicts among their political elites. After seven years of filthy terrorist war in Syria, the choice was clear, he said adding that the Council should stand up to lies, conscious that international public opinion would be judging its ability to safeguard the world.

Ahead of the Security Council meetings, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had repeated his call on 15-member body to find unity on the issue of use of chemical weapons in Syria and ensure accountability.

The norms against chemical weapons must be upheld. I appeal to the Security Council to fulfil its responsibility and find unity on this issue, he said.

I also encourage the Council to redouble its efforts to agree on a dedicated mechanism for accountability," he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
If you are a cat lover then you must pay a visit to this quaint little village nestled at the foothills of Northern Taiwan. Along the Keelung River, is Houtong which has feline residents more! Rightly called the cat village, it has more than 100 cats, lounging, strolling in every lane. The mountain town was once a popular coal mining spot. The coal industry attracted more workers to the area, so much so that it was producing the highest amount of coal in Taiwan. Houtong actually translates to monkey cave but now cats are the maximum residents here.

By the 1990s, when the coal industry saw a decline, people started moving out. Better opportunities outside took people away from Houtong and the town literally died. The population from 900 households decreased to just about a 100 people. A local woman named Peggy Chien started taking care of the stray cats in the town, mostly the abandoned ones. She had likeminded volunteers to join her. Chien started posting about her efforts online, which attracted more people to visit and volunteer. And within two years, the town was reinvented as a complete cat village!

Now more than 200 cats live in Houtong and this has even given a boost to the tourism industry in the area. So, there are shops, new cafes, restaurants which cater to the growing tourists. In fact, cat food shops are also opened up in some parts, although some villagers dont encourage feeding so much. But now the town in booming or rather mewing! The cats naturally love all the attention they get from the tourists. Black, white, grey, brown or ginger, fat, fluffy or skinny, all kinds of cats roam around, making it a paradise for cat lovers.

There's cat in your coffee too!

Cats, cats everywhere!

A post shared by Chunyang Chen (@puresun80) on Oct 10, 2017 at 8:05pm PDT

Cats make decorations prettier!

A post shared by  (@rang2x2) on Feb 18, 2017 at 11:47pm PST

How to get to Houtong:

The easiest way is to take a train from Taipei. It is an hour-long train journey to Ruifang Station.

From Ruifang, take a bus to Houtong town.

Since cats have got the makeover to Houtong, everything in the town is cat themed. There are sculptures and murals, selfie points with cars decorations. The houses in here are also decorated with cat pictures. These cats are helping to control the rat population in Houtong. And one need not worry about the diseases or ill-effects. A small volunteer team of veterinary doctors take care of these cats and ensure they stay healthy! So cat-lovers are you planning her a trip already? Your paradise or should we say purr-dise exists!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2018 10:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Music Generation Laois will host a very special three-night event in the magnificent surrounds of the restored Malt House in Stradbally this weekend.

Following the success of last years inaugural concert, Music at the Malt House 2018 will expand to include three days of music and special guest performances, as well as the launch of the much-anticipated Music Generation Laois New Works Series album.

The event kicks off on Friday April 13 at 8pm when Music Generation Laois will present Teada, a traditional Irish band with a truly worldwide reach.

On Saturday, April 14, at 7pm, a line-up of young and professional musicians will take to the stage. The world premiere of Ryan Molloys Loinnir Laoise will be performed by the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra. This will be followed by the second-ever performance of Michael Rooneys Spirit of Laois, performed by harpists from the Music Generation Laois Harp Programme. The renowned Scottish trad duo Chris Stout (fiddle) and Catriona McKay (harp) will also perform and special guests on the night will include the All Ireland Scor na nOg Champions from Borris in Ossory/Kilcotton GAA.

Sunday, April 15, at 4pm will see the launch of the New Works Series album.

The Music Generation Laois National Schools Choir, Laois School of Music Youth Orchestra, Music Generation Laois Senior Harp Ensemble and Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra, who each recorded their suites as part of the album, will perform to the audience on the night.
The archdiocese of Dublin has confirmed the closure of the primary school in Brannoxtown.

The school effectively closed for the first time in over 133 years some four months ago, after the last remaining three pupils left six months ago. Its located in Brannockstown village, near Two Mile House.

A local group Save Our School Brannoxtown had highlighted the decline in pupil numbers - which it said fell from 87 in 2011 to none by last December.

This level of decline is phenomenal and disconcerting. The decline cannot be blamed on demographics. Between 2011 and 2016 the population of children aged 5-12 in the Newbridge/Kildare/Kilcullen area, which includes Brannockstown, grew at 154% of the States population growth rate of 3.78%. Indeed Brannoxtown School had been heavily supported by the attendance of children from outside the village, the group said in December.

They added that generations of of local residents have been educated there and the school has been at the centre of village life for well over a century.

Most of the pupils who left the school transferred to schools in Halverstown, Kilcullen and Two Mile House.

Annette ODonnell, a representative of the archdiocese said there were no applications for places in Brannoxtown NS for the school year 2018 -2019.

I understand children from Brannoxtown area who had siblings in St. Brigids Kilcullen and Halverstown and who applied for places in these schools for infant class 2018/19 have got places, she said.

Ms. ODonnell added: As there were no applications for Brannoxtown school the Archbishop has agreed to close and divest the school.
Tesco stores in Leitrim will host a Great Irish Bake to raise funds for their national charity partner, Temple Street on Friday, 20th April.

Now in its fourth year, Tesco Irelands 150 stores nationwide will be hosting Great Irish Bake cake sales with the aim of raising 100,000 for the hospital to buy much needed medical equipment. This year, money raised will be used to purchase Speech and Language equipment which is used in the treatment of children with cleft palette.

All across Ireland, customers will enjoy a sweet treat or two on the day, prepared by the dedicated Tesco colleagues, as well as taking part in fun in store activities while supporting the little heroes of Temple Street. Its more than baking  its raising dough!

Tesco Ireland, who recently extended its partnership with Temple Street for a further two years, has fundraised over 3million for the hospital to date, helping it to buy much needed life-saving equipment. As part of its renewed partnership, Tesco colleagues across the country are aiming to raise 5 million in 5 years, before the end of 2019.

In 2017, Tesco stores in Leitrim successfully raised 1,750 for the little heroes of Temple Street as part of the Great Irish Bake and are aiming to beat that figure this year.

Each year Temple Street Childrens University Hospital treats over 145,000 children from across the country and operates the busiest A&E department in Europe. For thousands of children, Temple Street is the only hospital in Ireland they can be treated in. Through the charity partner programme, Tesco colleagues and customers can help little people from all over Ireland get better and be real life heroes to children attending the hospital.
An Independent councillor in Galway has had a vote of No Confidence in the Taoiseach successfully passed following revelations that as Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, pulled support for several infrastructure porjects inthe West and North West.

At the proposal of Independent Councillor James Charity, a motion of No Confidence in An Taoiseach Leo Varadakar was yesterday passed by the elected members of the Athenry-Oranmore Municipal Council in Galway.

It is the first time that a local authority has ever passed a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach and it comes in light of the revelation last week that An Taoiseach blocked funding applications for key Western based infrastructure projects under the Ten-T process while Minister for Transport.

This includes Galway Airport, which is within the functional area of the Athenry-Oranmore Municipal Council. Other projects included the Western Rail Corridor and Sligo Airport.

A similar motion of no confidence in An Taoiseach will now go before the full Galway County Council meeting in April at Cllr. Charity's proposal.

He said, "The message which An Taoiseach has sent out about the West of Ireland is fundamentally wrong and his decision to omit key Western based infrastructure projects from even an application under the Ten-T process is more than alarming, it is an affront to every man, woman and child living along the Western seaboard and in rural Ireland.

"It is now more clear than ever that there is a two tier political system in operation throughout the Country where the West and rural Ireland is treated as an afterthought to the interests of the wider Dublin region.

"It's a long time since Cromwell declared "To Hell or to Connacht" but that sentiment appears to remain alive and well to this day with the current Taoiseach's attitude being "To Hell with Connacht".

"The West and rural Ireland is chronically under funded and this region has been crying out for finance for basic services for too long now. Our health and hospital systems are inadequate, through no fault of those working on the front line who are being starved of support and services.

"Our road systems are in decay, with local authorities unable to even fund basic pothole repairs. Traffic in major urban centres of the West, including Galway, is out of control with little to no investment in public transport.

"On top of all of this, we now learn the Taoiseach pulled funding applications for key Western based projects. This should be the final straw for anyone with the interests of the wider Western region and rural Ireland at heart and raises a serious question about whether a ground up regional political movement to protect the interests of the Western region from Donegal to Clare, taking in the Connacht Counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim, as well as rural parts of the midlands and south west, is needed to act as a counter balance to the political obsession with Dublin," Cllr Charity said.

Deputy Marc MacSharry was also scathing of the Taoiseach's failure to support infrastructure projects in the West.
GARDAI in Limerick are again warning homeowners not to leave car keys on hall tables inside the front door of their homes after several incidents, including one where it appears a rod was used to fish out a set of keys.

In a recent incident in Annacotty a man discovered his car had been stolen without the culprits entering his home and there was no sign of a break-in, gardai said.

The conclusion here is that the criminal literally fished the car keys out through the letterbox using a fishing rod or a long piece of pliable wood, said Sergeant Ber Leetch.

"This type of crime has been ongoing now for a while so the Garda advice here is to never leave your car keys in the hallway and certainly not on a hall table.

"The keys must be kept out of sight so bring them with you or put them in a drawer, make it impossible for a criminal to fish them out through your letterbox," she added.

In another, separate incident, a lady in the city her car keys on the kitchen table while she went upstairs.

"She thought that she heard a noise and when she came down her car keys were gone and the car too, it would appear that she had left her back door unlocked," said Sgt Leetch.

"The Garda advice is to always have your front and back doors locked, dont give the thieves the opportunity to enter your home and take your property," she added.

Another car was taken from Raheen Business Park, but in this case the spare key of the car was left in the car and the owner of the car had the other set, gardai outlined.

"It would appear that the thief searched the car which was left unlocked and found the spare key and drove off. The advice remains the same, always lock your car even if you believe that you will be only away from it for a moment and under no circumstances should the spare set of car keys be left in the car."
AN exciting new programme focusing on contemporary issues in Irish society, politics and culture will begin at Mary Immaculate College Limerick later this year.

The Institute of Irish Studies at MIC is preparing to launch a new structured PhD in Contemporary Irish Studies, aiming to deliver a suite of modules focusing on contemporary Irish issues.

Students who have a particular interest in the humanities and education, or who have an Irish American background or who simply wish to experience another culture are invited to apply for the new programme, launching in September.

The structured PhD combines the expertise of MIC lecturers with the dedicated research and graduate school facilities at the college, according to director of the Institute of Irish Studies and head of the Department of English Language and Literature Dr Eugene OBrien.

This combination provides for a unique programme that allows for individual student attention and extremely flexible modes of delivery at a very competitive programme cost.

The programmes focus will be on contemporary Irish studies, and in particular, the study of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary areas of the Irish experience, he added.

This programme also offers students a diverse range of modules across a range of topics and subjects, a one year residential component, the option to complete the thesis through blended learning and a flexible part-time option.

Individuals who meet the entry requirements and have a particular interest in the humanities and education, or have an Irish American background or simple wish to experience another culture are invited to apply.

Teaching on the one year residential component will take place on the MIC Campus. The next three years may then be spent on campus or off campus, completing the thesis portion of the programme.

Supervision will be undertaken by experts in the chosen areas, with access to the facultys significant record of publications in many areas of Irish Studies.

Deadline to apply is May 31. See www.mic.ie.
THE fascinating stories of families in Limerick who earned their living along the banks of the River Shannon have been captured in a new film.

The Estuary, telling the tale of those who fished - mostly salmon - from the city to the estuary and those who practiced the traditional skill of reed cutting, has been funded as part of the Creative Ireland programme.

It grew out of another project by Limerick City and County Council in conjunction with Mary Immaculate College which captured the oral histories of the Shannon Fishermen and Reed Cutters and was made possible by funding from the Creative Ireland programme.

The documentary features fishermen from along the Shannon who recount their experiences and was officially launched at City Hall by culture minister Josepha Madigan, who said it clearly demonstrated and captures the passion these men held for the river.

"The film tells the often challenging story that these fishermen and their families experienced throughout their lives.

"It shines a light onto very tough times of the past, when fishing along the Shannon Estuary literally put food on the table, paid the bills and bought clothes," she added.

Mayor of Limerick Cllr Stephen Keary said "the traditional Shannon fishermen and reed cutters are dying away but this film will allow their stories to remain with us.

"Those who worked along the River Shannon have a story to tell that is unique to Limerick and this film will allow future historians and sociologists to get a glimpse, first had, of what it was like to fish the Shannon," he added.

Limerick archivist Jacqui Hayes said: "Fishermen don't tend to create records and so this way of life doesn't leave behind a traditional archive and is in real danger of being forgotten. This documentary film captures this rich heritage for current and future generations and brings it to life through the voices of the fishermen telling their own story.

"One of the benefits of having this documentary is its ability to bring to life the voices and experiences of individuals, many of whom might otherwise have been forgotten by history. Film also provides a level of accessibility to the past that is often missing from other forms of history," she added.

The documentary features fishermen from along the Shannon who recount their experiences of fishing for a living along the Estuary. They belonged to one of four distinct groupings, which shared the river for the most part fairly amicably.

They were the Abbey Fishermen, Strand Fishermen, Newtown Fishermen and Askeaton Fishermen.

The construction of Ardnacrusha disrupted this way of life and an 2006 EU conservation policy saw major changes as the government bought the licences form the majority of the fishermen and it became illegal to use a net on the river.

The film can be viewed online at Limerick.ie.
CONSTRUCTION of a new wind turbine by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in Plassey is key to ensuring the company meets its environmental targets by 2020.

Thats according to Barry OSullivan, the manufacturing platform lead in contact lenses at the firm, which employs over 1,000 people in the National Technology Park.

Almost 100 local residents gathered at Monaleen GAA Club this week to find out more on the controversial plans, which could see J&J build a 99-metre high turbine in Plassey, Castletroy.

If planning permission is secured, it will be the second structure of its type in the area, something which is causing residents concern.

But Mr OSullivan said with an increase in production at the vast factory, the move is necessary.

We are the second biggest energy user in Munster, and in the top ten in the country. The Irish government has committed as part of an EU directive that we will have reduced our greenhouse emissions by 20%. We need to play our part in this, he said.

He pointed out that with trends for people wearing lenses switching from reusable to disposable, it has led to heavier demands on the environment.

Mr OSullivan said: We are in the era now of single use plastics. Customers who buy our lenses ask if this is the best choice for the environment. They ask us if we can recycle the foil, the packaging, the cardboard. We have done a huge amount of work in reducing the amount of water, electricity and have even taken the weight off the pallets. We need our customers to be happy that buying a daily disposable lens is a good environmental decision, he said.

Questions came from the audience, however, as to why any new turbine needed to be 20 metres higher than the first one.

Mr OSullivan said this is because wind speeds are higher the further into the air the turbine stretches.

The meeting this Tuesday night was organised by Fianna Fail councillor Joe Pond and attended by fellow members Michael Sheahan and Marian Hurley, plus Senator Kieran ODonnell.

Cllr Pond said: J&J contributes a lot to the local economy, through salaries, they do sponsor a lot. I am in favour of alternative energy rather than fossil fuels. We just need to cross all the Ts and dot all the Is.

Mr OSullivan told residents present that the site of the proposed turbine is more than 600 metres away from the nearest housing estate which lies over the border in Co. Clare  something disputed by locals.

However, Cllr Sheahan suggested that J&J could go further  and look to build a second turbine in a more rural area.

Explaining, he said: People here see your need for green energy, but they dont want a facility on their doorstep. What Id like to do is marry the two ideas. If J&J constructs a second wind turbine in a location outside the immediate vicinity of the plant, they would not be permitted to link it directly to their manufacturing plant to supply electricity.

Only the ESB has a licence to do this in Ireland. Only them or Eirgrid can transport electricity by means of a distribution or transmission system.

But there are not provisions which would stop J&J being supplied with electricity by ESB while at the same time having an off-site turbine which would feed renewable energy into the grid.

But Mr OSullivan rejected this, saying the energy regulator would not allow the firm to claim energy bought in from a wind farm via the ESB is renewable.

The second reason is cost. Our electricity bill is around 12m a year, he added, saying this could push it higher.

With residents complaining about noise allegedly emanating from the existing turbine, Stephen Holmes, the firms community liaison officer said: Most turbines you see around the country are gearbox driven. Gears make a racket when they move. This is direct-drive, so it is the quietest model available on the market at 45 decibels.

Mr ODonnell said: The big issue here for people is the visibility. The height is a key factor. How high above the ground will it be?

Mr Holmes said that the base of the turbine would be less than five metres above ground, and said the structure would tower to 100m high  lower than new designs, he said, which can stretch to 120m.

Residents also voiced concerns about the plans being potentially railroaded through by J&J.

But Mr OSullivan said this was never the firms intention adding: We are all from here. We all want to be good neighbours, and we will do everything we can to be good neighbours.

As it stands, planners will make a decision on the project on or before May 6 next.
May 1, 2021, 5 AM

Washington Postal Scene by Bill McAllister

For years, the United States Postal Service has published on its website information about the rent it pays for postal facilities across the nation.

The Leased Facilities Report became a valuable index that real estate brokers and others used to judge the value of business properties.

But no more.

As Steve Bahnsen of Chicago, who has collected U.S. mint single stamps for more than 50 years, recently discovered, the Postal Service has removed the rent paid information for its website.

When asked what happened Postal Service spokeswoman Kimberly A. Frum told Linns that Postal Service officials have decided to stop making rental rates public.

She noted that Congress has given the Postal Service a special exemption under the Freedom of Information Act to protect information of a commercial nature, including trade secrets, whether or not obtained from a person outside the Postal Service, which, under good business practice would not be publicly disclosed.

We have determined that most of the leasing information previously provided in the Report clearly falls within the scope of that exemption, because it is not good business practice to voluntarily disclose this information, she said.

Moreover, the FOIA does not require the Postal Service to create records, and hence does not require that we continue to voluntarily compile and publish this data in the report.

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All this upsets Bahnsen, a former postal employee.

This seems to fly in the face of openness and transparency,  he told Linns in an email.

My initial reaction is how this suddenly became secret information after being public for years? he asked.

Bahnsen called Frums reference to the business exemption bogus because they have let the cat of the bag for so long.

The Chicago collector said he loves to travel and photograph post offices. By his count, he has been to 12,000 in the lower 48 states.

There is no pattern on how much one building is leased for versus another, he said.

Its just interesting to see how the USPS spends our money, he said.

They spend thousands of dollars to lease unneeded space and then plead poverty when you ask them to secure a building so the lobby can be open all the time, he said.

Bahnsen said he remains hopeful the Postal Service will make the rental information available via FOIA requests although that will be a much more complicated procedure than opening a file on the internet.

There are many good employees at the Postal Service, he said, adding that place does not get any better as this new policy of withholding public information shows.
Apr 27, 2021, 8 AM

The West Suburban Stamp Club will host the Plymouth Show stamp exhibition April 21-22 at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Westland, Mich.

By Linns Staff

The West Suburban Stamp Club will host the Plymouth Show stamp exhibition, the largest annual event in Michigan for postage stamp and postal history collectors, Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 36375 Joy Road in Westland, Mich.

The Plymouth Show is free and open to the public. New collectors, noncollectors and experienced philatelists are welcome. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Free parking is available.

The bourse (sales area) will include 39 dealers offering a wide range of stamps, covers, postcards, and related literature and supplies available for sale. On Saturday, there will also be a cachetmakers bourse.

The United States Postal Service will be at the show 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The United Nations Postal Administration and the Nordica new-issue agency will also have postal stations.

The 2018 theme honors the 100th anniversary of the first U.S. airmail. The American Air Mail Society will display an exhibit on the history of the Jenny airplane.

The Plymouth Show is an American Philatelic Society World Series of Philately show. The grand-award winner will qualify for the APS Champion of Champions competition at Stampshow 2018 in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 9-12.

The 100-frame exhibition at Plymouth Show includes single-frame and multiframe exhibits.

The awards banquet will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Hellenic Center. Tickets are $35 per person, and full payment is due by Friday, April 6. Ticket orders can be placed through the website or mailed to Sandy Strzalkowski, 13986 Sarasota, Redford, Mich., 48239. Checks should be made payable to the West Suburban Stamp Club.

An adult beginners seminar will be presented at 10:30 a.m. each day. An additional session will be held on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

Stamps in Your Closet sessions are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, with members of the West Suburban Stamp Club providing free evaluations of stamp collections. Club members will also be available throughout the show to answer questions about stamp collecting.

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The Peninsular State Philatelic Society will conduct its annual meeting at the show. The American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors and the Plate Number Coil Collectors Club will gather for regional meetings as well.

Young people are invited to attend youth seminars, which are scheduled for both days, and to visit the beginners booth.

The host hotel for the show, the Best Western at 16999 S. Laurel Park in Livonia, Mich., is offering a special room rate, is

For a detailed schedule and additional information, visit the show website.
NIST has developed a method for generating numbers guaranteed to be random by quantum mechanics. The method generates digital bits (1s and 0s) with photons, or particles of light. An intense laser hits a special crystal that converts laser light into pairs of photons that are entangled, a quantum phenomenon that links their properties. These photons are then measured to produce a string of truly random numbers.

Lotteries, accidents and rolls of dice  the world around us is full of unpredictable events. Yet generating a truly random series of numbers for encryption has remained a surprisingly difficult task.

Now, researchers have used a mind-bending experiment relying on both Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, which describes the probabilistic nature of subatomic particles, to produce strings of numbers that are guaranteed to be random.

"If you sent in some team of people to examine our experimental components as closely as they wanted and then have them try to come up with a prediction for what these random numbers would be afterwards, there's just no way they could predict them," study co-author and mathematician Peter Bierhorst of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, told Live Science. [The World's Most Beautiful Equations]

Computers everywhere use random numbers as keys to lock or unlock encrypted information. Many processes for producing these keys  such as the random number generator that's probably on your computer right now  use an algorithm that spits out a seemingly arbitrary string of numbers. Other approaches try to make use of real-world randomness, for instance measuring the length of time between keystrokes or the fluctuating temperature of a computer server, to produce random numbers.

But such methods are still susceptible to attack. Savvy hackers can either tamper with a random number generator or learn its underlying principles to figure out what numbers it's going to produce. In 2012, security researchers found that tens of thousands of internet servers were vulnerable to hacking because of their reliance on poor-quality random number generators.

Entangled photons

Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, offers truly random outcomes. For instance, a light particle, or photon, can either be pointing up or pointing down. Before it's measured, the particle is in a superposition state, in which it has a 50 percent chance of pointing up and a 50 percent chance of pointing down once measured. Its eventual outcome is certifiably random, but using this property for number generation has still been somewhat problematic, the researchers said.

"Suppose I'm giving you a photon," Bierhorst said. "And I say, 'Oh it's in a superposition state of up and down.'" Upon measurement, he said, the photon turns out to be down, an outcome that nobody should have been able to predict in advance.

"But now you'll say, 'How can I know that photon wasn't always down?'" Bierhorst added. In other words, there's no way to prove, for any individual photon, that it was in a superposition state before it got measured. To get around this conundrum, Bierhorst and his colleagues gave each photon a buddy. These pairs of photons were entangled with one another, meaning that their properties were forever tied together. [Infographic: How Quantum Entanglement Works]

In their experiment, the researchers then sent the two photons to opposite ends of their lab, separated by a distance of 613 feet (187 meters), and measured their properties. Because of their entanglement, the photons always returned coordinated results; if one was found to be up, the other was always down.

Because they were so far apart, there's no way for the photons to have discussed their perfect lockstep synchronization unless they could send signals faster than the speed of light, which would violate Einstein's theory of relativity. The two photons therefore serve as a check on one another, guaranteeing that they were actually in a superposition state before being measured and that their results are genuinely random, the researchers said. The new method was described today (April 11) in the journal Nature.

"You can really say they have built the ultimate quantum random number generator," said quantum physicist Stefano Pironio of the Free University of Brussels in Belgium, who was not involved in the work.

But, he added, the method took about 10 minutes to produce 1,024 random strings, whereas current cryptographic processes would need far faster number generators.

The new technique's first real-world use will come when it's incorporated into NIST's randomness beacon, a public source of randomness for researchers studying unpredictability, Bierhorst said.

But he added that he hopes the experimental setup could one day be shrunk enough to fit on a computer chip and help in the creation of "unhackable" messages.

Originally published on Live Science.
This Ataqeloula stele was discovered in November 2017 at the Sedeinga necropolis, which commemorates a woman from Sedeinga high society and prestigious members of her family.

A huge cache of stone inscriptions from one of Africa's oldest written languages have been unearthed in a vast "city of the dead" in Sudan.

The inscriptions are written in the obscure 'Meroitic' language, the oldest known written language south of the Sahara, which has been only partly deciphered.

The discovery includes temple art of Maat, the Egyptian goddess of order, equity and peace, that was, for the first time, depicted with African features. [In Photos: Beautiful Pyramids of Sudan]

Ancient civilization of Meroe

Scientists investigated the archaeological site of Sedeinga, located on the western shore of the Nile River in Sudan, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the river's third "cataract," or set of shallows.

The Meroitic inscriptions were found during excavations in late 2017 in what is today Sudan. An aerial photo of the dig site is shown here. (Image credit:  Vincent Francigny/Sedeinga archaeological mission)

Archaeologists first heard of the site from the tales of 19th-century travelers, who described the remains of the Egyptian temple of Queen Tiye, the chief wife of Amenhotep III and one of the most illustrious queens of ancient Egypt, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Amenhotep III's reign from about 1390 B.C. to 1353 B.C. marked the zenith of ancient Egyptian civilization  in both political power and cultural achievement, according to the BBC.

The sandy area was once part of ancient Nubia, known for rich deposits of gold. Nubia hosted some of Africa's earliest kingdoms, and a few even ruled Egypt as pharaohs, according to the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago.

The site of Sedeinga is home to a large necropolis, known as the "city of the dead," stretching more than 60 acres (25 hectares). It holds the vestiges of at least 80 brick pyramids and more than 100 tombs from the kingdoms of Napata and Meroe, which lasted from the seventh century B.C. to the fourth century A.D. These kingdoms mixed the cultures of Egypt and the rest of Africa in ways still seen in Sudan today, researchers said.

Napata and Meroe formed a civilization known as the kingdom of Kush by their ancient Egyptian neighbors. Meroitic, the language of Meroe, borrowed written characters from ancient Egyptian. [Photos: Royal Nubian Statue With Egyptian Hieroglyphics]

"The Meroitic writing system, the oldest of the sub-Saharan region, still mostly resists our understanding," Vincent Francigny, an archaeologist at the French Archaeological Unit Sudan Antiquities Service, and co-director of the Sedeinga excavation, told Live Science. "While funerary texts, with very few variations, are quite well-known and can be almost completely translated, other categories of texts often remain obscure. In this context, every new text matters, as they can shed light on something new."

Huge cache of inscriptions

Now, the scientists revealed they have unearthed the largest collection of Meroitic texts yet. The inscriptions are funerary in nature.

"Every text tells a story  the name of the deceased and both parents, with their occupations sometime; their career in the administration of the kingdom, including place names; their relation to extended family with prestigious titles," Francigny said.

From these inscriptions, "we can, for example, locate new places, or guess their possible locations, or learn about the structure of the religious and royal administration in the provinces of the kingdom," Francigny said. The texts "also tell us what kind of town or settlement was connected to the cemetery we are excavating," he said.

Based on evidence from texts, the site's context, and numerous imported goods found in the graves there, the researchers think Sedeinga was a key place for commercial roads that avoided the meandering and the cataracts of the Nile to the north "to go straight to Egypt through desert roads," Francigny said. "The town would have developed and become wealthy around this activity."

The researchers also discovered numerous samples of decorated sandstone, including chapel art depicting the Egyptian goddess Maat with Nubian features.

"Meroe was a kingdom where, among others, some Egyptian cultural and religious concepts were borrowed and adapted to local traditions," Francigny said. "We should not see Meroe as a passive recipient for foreign influences  instead, Meroites were very selective about what they could borrow to serve the purpose of the royal family and the development of their pharaonic, but non-Egyptian, society."

High-ranking women

The scientists noted that a number of artifacts at Sedeinga were dedicated to high-ranking women. For instance, one stele  an upright decorated slab of stone  in the name of a Lady Maliwarase described her as the sister of two grand priests of Amon, and as having a son who held the position of governor of Faras, a large city bordering the second cataract of the Nile. In addition, a tomb inscription described a Lady Adatalabe, who hailed from an illustrious lineage that included a royal prince.

In Nubia, a matrilineal society, the tracing of one's descent through the female line was "an important aspect in royal family lineages," Francigny said. For instance, "at Meroe, with the figure of the 'candace,' a sort a queen mother, women could, in the royal context, play an important role and be associated with the exercise of power. It is unclear if, at a lower level, women could also play key roles in the administration of the kingdom and the religious sphere."

Intriguingly, on several occasions at archaeological sites related to the kingdom of Meroe, the scientists noted that Meroites were sometimes fascinated with random items with unusual shapes.

"For example, near temples where only priests could enter, it is not unusual to find places made for popular offerings; these offerings were sometime made of oddly shaped natural stones that seemed supernatural because their shapes look like religious symbols or anatomical parts of the human body," Francigny said. "We even found some inside of the most sacred room, the 'naos,' of some Meroitic temples, near the statues of the gods."

In the future, the researchers hope to locate graves dating back to the earliest stages of the site, "during Egyptian colonization," Francigny said. "Unfortunately, in this region the Nile moves toward the east," and so slowly eats away at the excavation site, "which means that there is likely a chance that the settlement that was close to the river was completely destroyed," he said.

Original article on Live Science.
Your brain is a magician. And now, for its next trick, it will make a field of pastel colors disappear before your very eyes!

Take a look at the image below. (It might help to open it in a new tab and zoom in). Pick a spot in the center of the picture, and stare only at that spot for about 20 seconds. Try to let your eyes relax there, without letting them stray to any other corner of the image. Ready? Set? Stare

You should notice something peculiar happen: As you gaze at a single spot, all the colors around it slowly fade to white. Think too hard and everything comes whooshing back again. But where did everything go? [The Most Amazing Optical Illusions (and How They Work)]

This is not a GIF in disguise. This is your brain on an optical illusion called the Troxler Effect, or Troxler fading, and it reveals how your mind's natural affinity for efficiency can sometimes lead you astray.

The Troxler effect is named for Swiss physician and polymath Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler. About 200 years ago, Troxler discovered that certain objects and colors had a sneaky habit of fading before his very eyes. In an 1804 paper titled "On the disappearance of given objects from our visual field," Troxler hypothesized, when a person's eyes become focused on an unchanging stimulus for a prolonged period of time, the details in that person's peripheral vision begin to fade. If those peripheral details are blurry or low-contrast to begin with (like the washed-out pastels in the image above), they fade even faster.

This happens, later scientists suggested, because the human brain is so good at adapting to new stimuli.

For example, when you first put on your underpants in the morning, you feel the fabric against your skin. But soon  within seconds  the sensation fades away. (If it doesn't, you are wearing the wrong underpants). Your sensory neurons have effectively adapted to the feeling of the fabric, and because that feeling is unchanging and non-threatening, your neurons start to ignore the stimulus as non-essential information.

This same sort of mental muting happens to all of your senses throughout the day, which is for the best. If you couldn't ignore the steady hum of your computer monitor, the constant smell of your own body odor or the nose jutting out in front of your face, you'd never be able to focus on the important things  like whether your boss is standing right behind you.

When looking at a Troxler-style illusion, you can speed along your visual adaptation by forcing your eyes not to deviate from a single central point, giving your retinal cells no new information to process. As your eyes adapt to the image, the unchanging peripheral details blur together and take on the color of the surrounding environment  in this case, white. This is your brain filling in information it has deemed, in a sense, too boring to process.

For more examples of the Troxler effect in action, check out the University of Glasgow's Illusion Index. Just don't think too hard, or you'll never see all that nothing.

Originally published on Live Science.
A highly exaggerated view of the Mozambique channel, between the coast of Africa and Madagascar. A new ocean current was recently discovered off the coast of Madagascar that feeds into the Mozambique channel.

A previously unknown ocean current was recently discovered "by accident" off the coast of Madagascar, a rare find in the 21st century.

The newfound Southwest Madagascar Coastal Current could help researchers better predict the effects of climate change, saidresearchers involved in the study. [The World's Weirdest Weather]

The world's circulation system

Ocean currents are part of a giant circulation system that moves water, nutrients and heat around the globe. Though sailors had long known of these oceanic conveyor belts, the first truly systematic description of global currents was published in "The Physical Geography of the Sea" (Harper & Brothers, 1855) by Matthew Fontaine Maury, the head of the U.S. Navy's Depot of Charts and Instruments.

Maury not only compiled data on current direction and strength using sailors' logbooks, but he also discovered new currents by tossing messages in bottles out to sea, then tracking where they wound up, according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

But finding completely unknown currents in modern times is rare.

"I think we've discovered most of the major currents. One of the reasons why this one was not known is that the region has been very much undersampled," Marjolaine Krug, study co-author and a researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, told Live Science.

The Southwest Madagascar Coastal Current was a missing piece in scientists' understanding of the world's climate. And the researchers stumbled upon it by accident, they said.

"Like any research discovery, there is a bit of luck involved," Krug said.

The team, which consisted of South African, Malagasy and French researchers, was investigating the strip of ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar, known as the Mozambique Channel. They noticed that there was water coming into the channel that couldn't be explained by other known flow sources. Looking at satellite imagery, they discovered a completely new current carrying water along the Madagascar coast and then toward Earth's poles.

In oceanic terms, the Southwest Madagascar Coastal Current is fairly small: At only 62 miles (100 kilometers) long and 330 yards (300 meters) deep, it transports about 264 million gallons (1.3 gigaliters) of warm, salty water a second, or the equivalent of more than 500 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water.

But the current's location, rather than its size, makes it vital in understanding the world's oceans, the researchers said.

The Mozambique Channel feeds the Agulhas Current, one of the strongest currents in the world. The Agulhas Current affects the path of tropical storms and carries heat toward higher latitudes, according to a 2016 Nature study. (The Agulhas Current also posed a challenge for Portuguese sailors circumnavigating Africa to get to India in the 15th century, according to oceancurrents.com.)

"The Agulhas is the equivalent of the Gulf Stream, but for [the] Southern Hemisphere," Krug said.

So understanding the sources of the mighty Agulhas could help scientists better predict the effects of climate change, Krug said.

Krug said she suspects that other unknown currents might be swirling in the ocean. And even though we have discovered most of the ocean's currents, there is a great deal we do not know, she said.

"There is still so much we have to discover about the connectivity of the ocean system," Krug said. "And while we might have a good knowledge of most of the currents, there is still so much to be discovered about how these currents change."

The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters earlier this year.
Most people are familiar with the powerful magnetic field produced by Earth's molten iron core, but less is known about the field generated by its oceans.

To learn more, the European Space Agency (ESA) directed three identical spacecraft, which the agency launched in 2013 and collectively calls Swarm, to map the mysterious magnetic field emanating from the oceans' tides. [Earth from Above: 101 Stunning Images from Orbit]

The new research, as well as the digital 3D map it helped create, is providing new insight into how the protective, cocoon-like magnetic shield is generated, as well as how it behaves and changes over time.

The magnetic field  that is produced by the oceans, the molten core and rocks in the crust and upper mantle  protects the planet from streams of charged particles known as the solar wind. If these charged particles weren't deflected by the magnetic field, they could jumble the navigation of satellites and aircraft and even interfere with electrical power grids, University of Leeds geophysicists Phil Livermore and Jon Mound wrote in an article for The Conversation. Not to mention, the radiation could wreak havoc on human health.

To get a better handle on the forces contributing to this field, the researchers had Swarm map the oceans' contributions to it with remarkable precision.

This digital map shows the magnetic signals generated by Earths oceans, from the ocean's surface to the seafloor. (Image credit: ESA/Planetary Visions)

The researchers chose to focus on the oceans because they make a tiny, but important contribution to the Earth's overall magnetic field. The salt within seawater can conduct electricity. And oceans don't remain still; rather, they move in cycles, up and down. As the tides cycle through the world's oceans, that salty water essentially tugs on the magnetic field above our planet.

"We have used Swarm to measure the magnetic signals of tides from the ocean surface to the seabed, which gives us a truly global picture of how the ocean flows at all depths  and this is new," Nils Olsen, the head of geomagnetism at the Technical University of Denmark, said in a statement.

The magnetic field generated by the oceans is quite small. "It's about 2 [to] 2.5 nanotesla at satellite altitude, which is about 20,000 times weaker than the Earth's global magnetic field," Olsen told BBC News.

The newly analyzed data will give researchers a more nuanced view of how the oceans are affected by climate change, Olsen noted. "Since oceans absorb heat from the air, tracking how this heat is being distributed and stored, particularly at depth, is important for understanding our changing climate," Olsen said in the statement.

Moreover, the tidal magnetic signal, in turn, induces a weak magnetic response from deep under the seabed, he said.

The research is the latest discovery Swarm has gathered with respect to Earth's magnetic field. Last year, researchers announced that the spacecraft had helped map magnetic signals emitted by Earth's outer shell, known as the lithosphere, Live Science previously reported.

The new research, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, was presented yesterday (April 10) at the 2018 European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna.

Original article on Live Science.
Alameda County supervisors, hoping to keep the As in Oakland, agreed Tuesday to negotiate the sale of their share of the Coliseum complex to the city of Oakland.

Supervisors said they were encouraged by the As expression of interest two weeks ago in buying the Coliseum site to build a stadium and develop the area around the existing stadium and Oracle Arena.

As President Dave Kaval sent Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and the City Council and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors a letter March 25 weekend with an offer to pay off the nearly $137 million in debt owed by the city and county on the Coliseum in exchange for full control of the site.

Schaaf quickly expressed support for the idea, though she didnt agree to the terms of the As offer. East Bay officials have rallied behind the idea, which could keep the As in Oakland, despite the Laney College facultys rejection of the teams proposal to build a stadium next to their campus.

The Coliseum is owned and managed jointly by the city and county, and the board believes having a single owner would make it easier to negotiate a sale, said supervisors Scott Haggerty and Nate Miley in a statement.

Because the city controls land use at the site, the supervisors said, it makes sense for Oakland to become the sole owner and bargain with the As for the property, the supervisors said.

Oakland and Alameda County have owned the Coliseum complex, including the stadium, arena and sprawling parking lots, for more than 50 years. Theyve been home to the As, Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors, whose success prompted officials to name the complex the Home of Champions.

In addition to keeping the As in Oakland, the supervisors hope the sale of the Coliseum will spur development of the area, which sits aside Interstate 880 and a short walk from BART and the Capitol Corridor rail line.

Negotiating the sale of the countys share will enhance the citys abilities to pursue its vision for substantial new development at the Coliseum site, the statement said.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
Supporters of presidential candidate Donald Trump, who were roughed up by protesters after a June 2016 rally in San Jose, appear likely to win a federal appeals courts approval to proceed with a suit accusing police of putting them in harms way.

Suits challenging police handling of demonstrations typically face an obstacle in a Supreme Court doctrine known as qualified immunity. That doctrine shields officers from liability for violating specific rights of private citizens, such as the right to be protected from foreseeable violence, unless those rights have been clearly established by past rulings.

Lawyers for San Jose argue that the current suit must be dismissed because no previous ruling has set standards for police management of hostile groups at political rallies.

But two members of a three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seemed to hold a different view at a hearing Monday in San Francisco.

Judge William Fletcher noted that the lawsuit accused the officers of forcing Trump rally-goers to use an exit that led to a crowd of protesters. Assuming that description is accurate, as the court is required to do at this stage of the case, Fletcher said, we have an affirmative act by the police that produces danger.

The police did not make the (pro-Trump) plaintiffs go to that rally, replied Matthew Pritchard, a deputy city attorney.

But they made the rally people run a gauntlet, responded Judge Andrew Kleinfeld. The Trump supporters contend they could have escaped safely by using another exit, he told Pritchard, and the only reason they didnt was that the cops forced them.

Judge Dorothy Nelson, the third panel member, said the police response seemed unreasonable, but she hadnt found a past ruling that would clearly say to an officer, You cant do that.

After the rally at the McEnery Convention Center, police directed those in attendance to leave from a single exit. There, according to the lawsuit, they were ordered to head out onto a street with hundreds of anti-Trump protesters, even though a safer route and other exits were available. Twenty plaintiffs said they were beaten or struck by objects thrown by the protesters, and one plaintiff said an officer told her that police had been instructed not to intervene.

In March 2017, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh dismissed claims against San Jose and Police Chief Edgardo Garcia for alleged policy decisions that caused the injuries, but allowed suits accusing officers at the scene of deliberate indifference to the dangers the Trump supporters faced. The rally-goers lawyer, Harmeet Dhillon, defended that decision at Mondays hearing.

They had the right to go to a rally, she said. Once (police) put them in harms way, forcing them into a particular route, not allowing them to flee, they put the plaintiffs in danger.

That was 20/20 hindsight, contended Pritchard, the citys lawyer.

There were law-enforcement reasons for the officers to stick with a single-exit plan, he said. Police often protect people in (free) speech activity and shouldnt be second-guessed when something goes wrong, he said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
About 250 National Guard troops are expected to arrive in the Laredo area in the future to assist U.S. Border Patrol, federal officials said.

Jason D. Owens, acting chief patrol agent for Laredo Sector Border Patrol, said the agency currently has planning cells of about five soldiers on the ground.

Those soldiers are helping Border Patrol fulfill its requirements and planning for the larger force that will arrive in the future. But there is no specific timeline for when troops will arrive to the Gateway City.

READ ALSO: Murder trial begins for man accused of killing Laredo teen

Everything that we can get that serves to augment our personnel and get more people out in the field is going to enhance our capability to accomplish our mission, Owens said.

He added, It helps us to get agents back out on patrol and thereby increase our chance of detecting illicit traffic coming across the border.

Troops will be tasked with support roles.

That larger force will be fulfilling an administrative and logistical roles in support of law enforcement activities. They will not be participating directly in the law enforcement activities that the men and women go out and do right now, Owens said.

Support will come in various roles. An example is fleet mechanics or intelligence analysts who will look at data and make sure Border Patrol deploys forces in the best way possible, Owens said.

Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, recently released a statement saying he supported the idea of the National Guard coming to support existing border security operations.

RELATED: Photos: National Guard members start arriving at US-Mexico border

In Congress, I have worked hard to secure funding for the National Guard to provide operational support to the Department of Homeland Security while these citizen soldiers prepare for overseas deployments. Under the Obama Administration, I supported funding for Operation Phalanx, a program through which the National Guard provided aerial surveillance, detection, and enhanced situational awareness capabilities for the U.S. Border Patrol.

Given that the U.S. Border Patrol is experiencing historically low border crossings, we need to examine the details of the plan in order to determine whether use of the National Guard to help secure our southwest border is a viable and cost-effective measure. I strongly believe that securing the border starts with ensuring that we implement policies that will have long-term, significant outcomes on the area in a safe and reliable way. It appears that the administrations solutions to secure the border have been reactive and unsuitable to the issues at hand, Cuellar said in the statement.
Gangs have had a tendency to ruin iconic tattoos for everyone.

Houstons largest gang  Tango Blast  likes to use local emblems as identifiers. Those tattoos can range from the Astros logo to the city skyline to Bayou City area codes. Similarly, Tango Orejon gangs in San Antonio like to incorporate the Spurs logo or the Alamo in their body art. Tango cliques in Austin and Dallas ink themselves with regional symbols, like the Cowboys star, Hookem Horns or even the state capitol.

HOUSTON TATTOO CONVENTION: Local Tattoo Extravaganza celebrates 40 years

Just so were clear, we understand that probably everyone you meet with an Astros tattoo is not a gang member. (Were clear on that, right? They dont make you a criminal, and tattoos can be rad art). However, gangs' history of co-opting cultural symbols can have real-world consequences for non-gang affiliated people.

The Wall Street Journal wrote a story in 2012 about how body art had derailed green card applications for some immigrants with no criminal records. These Latin American immigrants were denied green cards because of tattoos they said were ornamental  religious imagery or Laugh Now, Cry Later theater masks. But those same images were associated with the regions most violent gangs.

SEE MORE: Tattoos that define gangs in the U.S. and around the world

In Japan, a recent government survey found that most hotels ban not only inked locals but also tattooed tourists from public bathing areas because body art has long been tied to yakuza gangs.

Other co-opted gang symbols include the Jewish Star of David for some of Chicagos street gangs. The Black Gangster Disciple Nation was founded by a man named David Barksdale  hence the use of the star. And in addition to Nazi insignia, white nationalists get tats of shamrocks.

See the gallery above for a look at iconic symbols co-opted by gangs.
As students begin signing up this week for the summer semester at City College of San Francisco, school officials have a sober message for them: Theyll have to pay for classes.

No Free City for this summer, Chancellor Mark Rocha emailed college trustees over the weekend, referring to the two-year, $11.2 million program that began last fall and will let San Francisco residents attend the college for free through spring 2019.

Through the program, city residents have rediscovered the college that is anchored in San Franciscos foggy Ingleside neighborhood, but which has campuses from Chinatown to San Francisco International Airport. Enrollment had plunged in recent years as the college struggled to retain its accreditation. But now, with City College again in good standing with the accreditor  and with classes available for free  enrollment is up by 17 percent, college officials said.

However, under an agreement between the city and the college, free classes are funded only for fall and spring semesters. So on Thursday, Rocha asked the mayors office for summer funding.

Hydra Mendoza, the mayors deputy chief of staff for education, told Rocha that City College will have to comply with the original terms.

I have always advised City College that we implement the program with fidelity as agreed before making any major changes, Mendoza said, noting that Rocha approached her informally to request advice on how to approach the mayors office for summer funding.

Im kind of shocked that the city would do this to the students of San Francisco, college Trustee John Rizzo said. After all, the politicians took credit for it and said what a great thing it was  and now theyre just pulling the rug out from under the students.

Brigitte Davila, president of the Board of Trustees, said City College officials hoped that students could roll out of high school in June, and into free college classes this summer.

I am remaining hopeful, Davila said. Im hoping the city changes its mind and will be flexible about this.

Meanwhile, the City College website  which touts Free City / Walls Torn Down / Barriers Busted  has added a qualifier: Fall & Spring Semesters.

The money comes from a voter-approved tax on San Francisco properties that sell for at least $5 million and is estimated to raise about $44 million a year for the city. A portion of the money is used to buy out the $46-a-credit fee usually paid by students.

So far, the city hasnt paid City College because the citys Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, which reimburses the school, hasnt been satisfied with the accuracy of the enrollment numbers provided, or with City Colleges efforts to inform students that they must first apply for state and federal financial aid before registering for free classes.

Now the city is evaluating the colleges updated request for nearly $2.8 million and its supporting documentation, said Leo Chyi, the departments chief finance officer. If all is in order, the city will have 30 days to cut the check.

Meanwhile, college officials say they are not giving up on free summer classes. The 11-member board that is supposed to oversee the Free City program will meet for the first time at 10 a.m. on April 20, at a site yet to be determined.

The college will continue to make a case for an increased budget that fully meets the student demand, Rocha promised the trustees.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
The Radical King

By Martin Luther King, Cornel West, ed.

Audible Studios. Unabridged, 11-1/4 hours

This April marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the towering figure in the struggle for civil rights, champion of the poor and outspoken opponent of war. Collected and introduced by Cornel West, these 23 sermons, speeches and essays are delivered by 11 well-known actors, including Leslie Odom Jr., LeVar Burton and Danny Glover. King, as West says, believed "justice was what love looked like in public." But the selections, which deeply question the country's racial, economic and international arrangements, also show why the FBI called King "the most dangerous man in America." Here is King's blistering denunciation of the war in Vietnam, read by Robin Miles and "The Other America" read by Wanda Sykes. Bahni Turpin delivers King's final and tragically prescient speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop," given the day before he was killed. It is a little strange to hear different voices rendering the words that we associate so closely with King's stirring, charismatic voice, but they are part of the literature of resistance, and their relevance today is brought to the fore by being delivered by contemporary voices, including those of women.

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The Poems of T.S. Eliot

By T.S. Eliot

Faber & Faber. Unabridged, 3-3/4 hours

April, T.S. Eliot's "cruelest month," brings a recording of the poet's work read by Jeremy Irons, with contributions from Eileen Atkins in "The Waste Land." I cannot think of a better way to approach that notoriously difficult poem than by putting oneself in the company of these two voices. Irons' resonant woodwind tones are spellbinding, his expression of emotion and mood superbly mobile. He is forlorn, desperate, crabby, weary and befuddled, connecting "nothing with nothing." Atkins, who plays Queen Mary on the series "The Crown," brings a range of styles from austere, blue-stockinged severity to brassy Cockney garrulousness, the latter in the verses devoted to women in a pub discussing Lil's bad teeth: "You have them all out, Lil, and get a nice set,/ He said, I swear, I can't bear to look at you." The production, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in four parts, also includes "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," "Four Quartets" and - for those of us with a taste for whimsy - "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." It is a simple and marvelous truth that the sense of the more obscure verses begins to reveal itself almost magically through repeated listening. Indeed, this recording could serve well as the starting point for a book group's inquiry into Eliot's poetry and his understanding of a desiccated, exhausted culture bereft of meaning.

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The Eustace Diamonds

By Anthony Trollope

Naxos AudioBooks. Unabridged. 29-1/2 hours

In a field overrun with virtuous, sappy females, Lizzie Eustace stands out in Victorian literature for her sterling bad qualities: avarice, mendacity and seductive witchery. Only Becky Sharp can match her for simple, unadorned deviousness. Lizzie is the dark star of "The Eustace Diamonds," glittering rival to the meek, faithful Lucy Morris. Though the novel is part of the Palliser series, it stands alone, and the familiar Palliser characters play only bit parts. The stage belongs to Lizzie and her doomed efforts to hang on to the 10,000 diamond necklace that was not exactly given to her by her late husband. She is also intent on marrying dreary Lord Fawn or, maybe, as the mood suits her, the fly-by-night Lord George de Bruce Carruthers or Frank Greystock, who is engaged to Lucy. There are already three decent unabridged recordings of this novel, but David Shaw-Parker's rendition is a true masterpiece of narration. His unhurried delivery, impeccable pacing and rendition of the decorous rhythm of Victorian speech result in a recording that is more than three hours longer than the others. Beyond that, he unobtrusively conveys the personality of the various characters, including the manipulative Lizzie, irresolute Frank, ponderous Fawn, patient Lucy and, most gloriously, a fractious Scot, speaker of high-Caledonian argot.

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Powers reviews audiobooks every month for The Washington Post.
Joaquin Phoenix assumes a hooded, bearlike presence in "You Were Never Really Here," a disquieting urban thriller directed by Lynne Ramsay. As Joe, a taciturn hit man whose specialty is rescuing young women who have been abducted and forced into sex trafficking, Phoenix is a lurking, skulking bundle of anxieties and retributive obsession, a dangerous mash-up of Holden Caulfield's beneficent alter ego in "The Catcher in the Rye" and "Taxi Driver's" haunted Travis Bickle.

(The movie is distributed by Amazon Studios. Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

In fact, "You Were Never Really Here," adapted from a 2013 novel by Jonathan Ames, owes more than a passing debt to "Taxi Driver," with which it shares an unsettling depiction of unresolved trauma, urban claustrophobia and male redemption predicated on female suffering. Ramsay makes bold, counterintuitive choices as a director, offering quiet interludes and quick, shardlike flashbacks by way of characterization.

That approach dispenses with the usual windy expository passages that bog down so many movies, trusting the audience to piece together the broken fragments of Joe's past life, which include parental abuse, hitches in Afghanistan and the FBI, and his recent career as an assassin-with-a-higher-purpose. The result is a drama that conveys an exceptionally vivid sense of impending tension and dread.

Like "A Quiet Place," John Krasinski's recent sleeper hit, "You Were Never Really Here" breaks cinematic storytelling down to its fundamentals: It's a study in sound, image and performance in which brutal violence is displayed obliquely (in jumpy, grainy surveillance footage in one scene; reflected in a shattered mirror in another) and in which Jonny Greenwood's purposefully oppressive musical score often fights with Phoenix's unintelligible dialogue, as well as the assaultive sound effects of modern life. Ramsay provides generous dashes of past references for cinephiles: In addition to obvious nods to Scorsese and Hitchcock, it's possible to detect glancing homages to both Sergei Eisenstein and John Frankenheimer.

Playing both protagonist and muse, Phoenix offers his bulked-out body as yet another canvas for clues to Joe's clearly anguished past. The austerely pulled-back hair, the tattoos and prodigious scars, the private rites and rituals and bouts of explosive violence with a ball peen hammer (made in the U.S.A.) all suggest a primal unhealed wound and - when Joe is given the assignment to save Nina, the young daughter of a powerful New York politician - ultimate salvation.

As beautiful and compelling as Ramsay's filmmaking and Phoenix's central performance are, the degree to which viewers will buy "You Were Never Really Here" depends on the degree to which they accept yet another display of febrile vigilante brutality motivated by sexual violence perpetrated against young girls. One person's trope, after all, is another's shopworn cliche. In many ways, "You Were Never Really Here" is just a tarted-up version of "Taken," however artfully Ramsay has disguised and deconstructed its pulpy contours.

There's a meaningful moment in the film when Joe pads through a mansion to find Nina, played by Ekaterina Samsonsov, and he passes the painting of a young woman looking startled in her bed, one breast exposed. Is Ramsay putting "You Were Never Really Here" on that same classic iconographic continuum? Critiquing an aesthetic tradition rooted in a disproportionately powerful male gaze? Or calling out the hypocrisy of spectators who value the exploitation of female sexuality in some contexts and abhor it in others?

The correct answers would be yes, yes and yes, I suspect. There's no denying Ramsay's artistry in "You Were Never Really Here," which, like her 2011 film "We Need to Talk About Kevin" qualifies as a brilliant exercise in formalism and deeply psychological portraiture. Still, there's also no escaping the fact that she has marshaled her gifts in service to a played-out story drenched in pseudo-angsty-macho wish-fulfillment fantasies.

"You Were Never Really Here" is a good film, maybe even a great one. But I can't honestly say that I liked it.

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Two stars. Rated R. At area theaters. Contains strong violence, disturbing and grisly images, coarse language and brief nudity. 89 minutes.

Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time.
United Artists 1942

Annette Insdorf was born to Polish Holocaust survivors, so her choice for the film to screen to accompany her receiving SFFilms Mel Novikoff Award, named after the late San Francisco repertory film exhibitor and theater owner, is an inspired one.

Ernst Lubitschs 1942 comedic masterpiece To Be or Not to Be is about a group of Polish actors, Jack Benny and Carole Lombard among them, who become involved in anti-Nazi espionage in Warsaw and prove satire can be a potent weapon of war.
If parents are searching for ideas to give their kids a great experience this summer, look no further than Kidventure Camp.

Kidventure, started by Mike McDonell as an off-shoot of a summer camp program at Biron Gymnastics located in West Houston, developed into its own company in 1994. There are now 16 locations in the greater Houston area, and camps also in Austin and Dallas. Kidventure partners with churches, schools, country clubs, etc. for the different camp locations.

Kidventure offers programs for ages ranging from 3 to 18. There are day camps for the younger ages, with options for overnight week-long camps for older kids.

A big piece of Kidventure is growing happy healthy kids. We want them to experience new things and grow in self-confidence," said Michael Valka, vice president and overseer of Houston operations.

The day camps and night camps are divided into different age groups. The day camps are Discoverers, which are for ages 3-5, Explorers for grades 1-6 and Leads for grades 6-9. The overnight camp groups are Safari, for 8-12 year olds, which is located in Hunt, Texas, Echo; 13-15 year olds in Rocksprings, Texas; and Apex, for 17-18 year olds, which is a kayaking trip on the Pecos River in west Texas.

"Our curriculum itself is based off of four cornerstones which are creativity, exploration, physical activity and reflection," Valka explained. "

According to Valka, each day starts off with an opening ceremony, which is a "very upbeat beginning with introductions, skits and silly songs." Then the campers will break out into different groups and rotate through activities based on the cornerstones, such as a team building game, an art craft, science project and yoga. The staff at Kidventure are always brainstorming new ideas for camp activities. Just last year they introduced GaGa ball pits, which is a game where the object is to hit the ball at or below opponents' knees to eliminate them from the pit.

"The kids have a blast. They love it. I think overall we have a lot of returning parents and campers because they enjoy the experience. Every week is unique and different. If they go only one week, or ten weeks, everything will be different," Valka said.

Amy Karakourtis, a parent of a former camper, said "As a parent, what I would want most for my child is for them to feel lovedThat is something that I have seen at Kidventure for many years. My oldest is now 19, and he was a camper when he was in fifth through seventh grade. I watched counselors rally around my boy and made him feel like a rock star."

Another parent, Tracy Bradshaw, said, "I liked the fact that when my daughter comes home she is telling me all about what she did that day and how much fun she had with her friends. She loves to tell me each year that her counselor that year is her favorite."

Valka thinks that some big reasons why Kidventure is so successful, is because no devices such as phones or tablets are allowed at camp.

"With society today, and with so many kids using screened devices, the ability to be able to focus on human interaction and build friendships is key," Valka said.

Kidventure also prides itself on the staff members. Everyone there is 18 and above, and everyone goes through a background check before being employed. Many of the staff members are professional teachers during the school year, or college students in the educational field.

"They are people who have a passionate interest in making a difference in kids lives," Valka said. "It is more than just coming and doing something, it is really about building a relationship with other campers and your counselor. It is about going on a journey together and experiencing something together."

Valka described what he calls a "camp phenomenon" where at first, campers do not know how to place the counselors. The counselors are an authority figure, but not a parent. They are adults, but they act like kids and do the activities right along side the campers.

"It allows a unique opportunity for us to make a difference. They can be a little more open to us and not have preconceived judgements towards us," Valka said.

Valka encourages parents to register their kids early, as some camps are already full and have wait lists. For more information, visit www.kidventure.com.
Pin Lim/Freelance

A state appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit that challenged Friendswood voters' decision to authorize additional sales taxes for downtown redevelopment and street maintenance.

The First Court of Appeals on Monday dismissed an appeal by eight Friendswood residents who had alleged irregularities in the May 2016 election.
An Alvin Community College regent and her challenger in the May 5 election are emphasizing the need for smart financial decisions to fund campus improvements.

The battle between two-term incumbent Bel Sanchez and retired master electrician Lloyd Cox for the board's at-large Position 2 occurs against the backdrop of voter rejection of a $48.5 million bond proposal in November that would have funded a new technology building and campus improvements and would have increased the college district's tax rate of 18 cents per $100 valuation by 3 cents.

"The board is very focused on doing the right thing - studying and looking at ways to fund projects that take care of the issues at hand while also being forward thinkers." said Sanchez, 69, who lives in Alvin.

"The residents of the Alvin Community College district should be encouraged to be involved in future development of the community's college," said Cox, a 75-year-old Alvin resident. "Function and safety of our campuses need to be a priority. I plan to evaluate and develop the school's policies so that they reflect the needs of our diverse community."

ACC, which had an enrollment of 5,822 last fall, has nine members on the board, with each member serving an unpaid, six-year term, and all members serving at-large positions. Three positions are up for election this year, with Kam Marvel running unopposed for Position 1 and Jim Crumm unopposed for Position 3. Incumbents James Dewitt in Position 1 and Doyle Swindell in Position 3 did not seek re-election.

The tax district for the college is all of Alvin ISD and small potions of Angleton ISD. ACC's service area, which covers school districts where the college can provide dual-credit courses, includes the Alvin, Danbury and Pearland school districts and Living Stones School.

Sanchez served 40 years as an educator, 34 of which were in Alvin ISD. She retired as director of bilingual and English language learners services in 2011 and now works with Alvin Family Community Center, which provides classes including English as a second language, GED and sewing.

"I feel that I am the most qualified candidate because of my recent involvement with ACC. I am an educator and understand the tough issues that professors (and) students face daily," Sanchez said. "I am a product of a community college and prior to serving on the board, I worked in many advisory capacities at ACC. I have a broad understanding of the great history of this institution and a vision for what we need to do to continuously improve it.

"There are a lot of improvements needed across campus," she said. "Last year there were plumbing issues in the Student Center and all of the underground pipes had to be replaced, and there have been issues of the sidewalks being uneven and students falling. I would like to continue looking at all of the necessities, and plan and prioritize them and how it is we can fund these projects."

Cox said he would like to put the "community" back in community college while addressing concerns of implementing policy.

He was not supportive of the past bond proposal.

"The proposal did not take into consideration the function and safety of our campuses," he said.

Cox said he objected to part of the bond proposal that would have demolished a brick wall on campus to replace with a glass one that he said would have provided less security and safety in the event of a hurricane or campus shooting.

"This is what sparked my interest in running for the board," Cox said.

"In this era, having a glass facade on college campus is not an expense to be undertaken when the current structure is functional and provides an added security to our students," he said. "Money would be better spent on maintenance, and the college's budget should reflect the current maintenance needs."

Crumm, 58, has been the owner and primary veterinarian at Veterinary Hospital of Alvin for more than 20 years and is actively involved in the Alvin community.

"My plan includes the improvement and expansion of the services the college provides to its students and the community," Crumm said. "The continued rapid population growth in the college's service area will bring challenges. The college's current facilities are aging and in need of updating and improvement, and programs need to be flexible to adapt to the changing educational needs of our students."

Marvel, 44, is senior project director for Communities in Schools Texas Joint Venture and has lived in Alvin since 1979 and has participated in several ACC, Texas Education Association and Alvin ISD advisory boards along with active volunteering for several youth development programs.

"My goal as an ACC regent is to help continue the established quality educational services offered by an exemplary institution while balancing the needs of the students, taxpayers, and staff," Marvel said.

Early voting will take place from April 23 to May 1 at Alvin Library, 105 S. Gordon.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 23-27, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 28 and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 30 to May 1

For more information visit www.brazoriacountyvotes.com or www.alvincollege.edu.
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote April 26 on a bipartisan bill to prevent the undue firing of special counsels such as Robert Mueller III, as lawmakers warn the president against taking steps to stymie Mueller's ongoing probe of alleged ties between Trump affiliates and the Russian government.

Panel Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, asked committee ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, Calif., to endorse plans to swiftly schedule the bill for committee consideration mere hours after Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Christopher Coons, D-Del., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced that they had completed work on a long-awaited compromise between two bills to protect the special counsel. The unified legislation would delay any order to fire a special counsel by 10 days, giving that counsel a window to appeal the decision to a panel of three federal judges. The bill further stipulates that during the 10-day period, no documents or materials related to the counsel's investigation could be destroyed or staffing changes made.

The release of the bill and the fresh momentum behind it are a watershed for lawmakers who struggled to agree upon a middle ground between two separate special counsel protection bills they filed last summer in the wake of President Donald Trump hinting that he might replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trump reignited similar fears this week when he excoriated the FBI over its recent raid on the offices and home of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, noting that "many people" were advising him to fire Mueller. The comments inspired a strong backlash - including from Grassley, who said on the Fox Business Network that it would be "suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller."

But Republicans backing the special counsel protection bill insist that their efforts are not inspired by the president's latest tirade.

"I want to separate me continuing to have the dialogue and get to a bill from, like, 'It's got to be passed by midnight tomorrow, or all is lost.' I don't buy that," Tillis said in an interview Tuesday. In a statement Wednesday, he stressed that the bill was not just about Mueller, but would help "ensure that special counsels - present or future - have the independence they need to conduct fair and impartial investigations."

Grassley had refused to schedule a committee vote for either special counsel bill until the two measures - both filed last summer - were fused into one piece of legislation.

That happened months ago, according to a congressional aide familiar with the negotiations, but Republican senators hesitated to endorse it, stating publicly that they thought the urgency behind the effort had dissipated, and arguing that Trump was showing no signs that he planned to orchestrate Mueller's firing.

In the past several weeks, Grassley had been urging negotiators to move faster toward striking a final agreement on compromise legislation, according to other aides. He is also planning to offer an amendment to the bill requiring the president to give Congress advance notice of his intention and report the reasons for firing a special counsel, much like the requirements for firing an inspector general.

Feinstein balked on Wednesday at endorsing Grassley's plans without seeing that amendment - pushing Grassley's initial plans to work on the draft during an April 19 committee meeting back to April 26. "I'm worried about an amendment we haven't been able to review that could undermine the investigation," Feinstein said in a statement. But aides familiar with Grassley's plans stressed that the amendment would be an addition to, not a substitute for, the procedures outlined in the compromise bill and are designed to give Congress a fallback political opportunity to take steps - including and up to impeachment - to protect a special counsel if the courts strike down parts of the bill, presuming it becomes law.

Grassley is one of several Republicans who raised constitutional concerns with the original special counsel bills, because they subjected the president's authority to hire and fire an executive employee to review by a different branch of government. Authors of the proposal have pointed to case law to push back on that criticism - including a January decision from the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals that declared that a 1988 Supreme Court ruling about the constitutionality of an independent counsel statute was still good law.

Grassley's chances of voting for the bill are probably higher if his amendment is included in the measure. Democrats already feel confident that there are enough votes to get the special counsel bill through the Judiciary Committee, with Tillis and Graham's sponsorship, and they hope more Republicans come on board.

"It's important to emphasize that the Department of Justice has regulations today that prevent the president" from firing a special counsel, Coons said. "This isn't creating out of new cloth some new protections."

Each of the two original bills the co-authors filed last year envisioned a process by which an order to fire a special counsel would have to pass muster with a panel of three federal judges to actually result in that counsel's termination. But they differed in one key respect: Graham's and Booker's measure stipulated that the panel of judges would weigh in before the special counsel could be terminated, while Tillis's and Coons's created a 14-day window in which an ousted counsel could seek expedited judicial review of the decision.

The compromise, should it get through the Judiciary Committee, would still need the acquiescence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to come up for the floor votes needed to pass Congress - a process that could take some time. Top Democrats, who huddled in Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer's, D-N.Y., office for a half-hour Tuesday to talk about Mueller, repeatedly warned the president against terminating the special counsel - especially after White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that Trump "certainly believes he has the power" to fire Mueller.

Officially, Mueller would have to be fired by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein - whose role in overseeing the probe and various other matters has not escaped the president's notice.

On Tuesday, Schumer also warned the president that "any attempt to remove Rod J. Rosenstein will create the exact same constitutional crisis as if you fired Special Counsel Mueller."

"Don't do it, do not go down this path," Schumer added. "For the sake of our country, we plead with you. Don't put this country through a constitutional crisis."

- - -

The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.
California Gov. Jerry Brown, D, the only border state governor who had not yet committed troops to President Donald Trump's National Guard deployment, said Wednesday that he will accept federal funding for 400 personnel - though they would be barred from working on wall construction.

National Guard troops fall under the command of state governors, and in a letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Brown said those from California will support operations against drug traffickers, gun runners and smuggling gangs.

"Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans - Republicans and Democrats," Brown wrote.

"But let's be crystal clear on the scope of this mission," his letter continued. "This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws."

California's "sanctuary" policies limiting cooperation with U.S. immigration agents have been a target for Trump's ire, and in his most recent weekly address he called the state "a border-free zone where thousands of criminal aliens can roam free."

Trump last week ordered a military mobilization along the border with Mexico, accusing Democrats of encouraging illegal immigration and failing to protect the country from a flood of illegal migrants. The president said he wants as many as 4,000 troops deployed, saying they will remain there until a border wall is complete.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has provided an estimate of how much the military mobilization will cost.

The governors of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona - all Republicans - applauded Trump's move and quickly began dispatching troops to the border region. Several hundred have arrived so far, and Texas plans to have 1,000 in place within a few weeks.

Brown was the holdout, and his letter pushed back at administration officials' claims that the United States faces a crisis at the border.

"Here are the facts: there is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California," Brown wrote. "Overall immigrant apprehensions on the border last year were as low as they've been in nearly 50 years (and 85 percent of the apprehensions occurred outside of California)."

Brown was referring to annual arrests by U.S. agents at the southwest border, which dropped to their lowest level last year since 1971.

Trump has taken credit for that decline, but in March the number of arrests and denials of entry at the Mexico border jumped to more than 50,000, the single-highest one-month total since the president took office.

The increase was driven by an 800 percent increase in unaccompanied minors and a 680 percent surge in families crossing illegally, Nielsen told lawmakers Wednesday.

"Glad to have all four border governors working with us and the @USNationalGuard to secure the border," Nielsen wrote on Twitter after Brown's announcement. "Partnership w governors is vital to our nation's success."

Those groups of migrants typically turn themselves in to U.S. border agents to request asylum protections, citing threats from criminal gangs. The vast majority are from the hyperviolent Northern Triangle of Central America: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Those are the groups of migrants, Brown told Mattis and Nielsen, that he does not want Guard troops in California taking into custody.

The Pentagon has said National Guard troops will not perform a law-enforcement role, and will be armed only for the purpose of self-defense. As they have in the past, military personnel will fly transport aircraft and surveillance drones, monitor security footage, and clear vegetation, officials have said.

The White House has also asked the military to identify bases and other facilities that could be used to detain migrants. In 2014, the Obama administration set up temporary shelters for children and families at three military bases when they could no longer cope with a rush of asylum seekers.

State government officials in California said Brown's proposed agreement on the troop deployment had been submitted to the federal government for approval.

---

The Washington Post's Paul Sonne contributed to this report.
A suspected chemical weapons attack by Syrian forces on the rebel-held town of Douma has led to threats of U.S. intervention from President Donald Trump, who in a Wednesday tweet called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a "Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

The Syrian government and its Russian partners deny that chemical weapons were used in the Douma attack, which occurred Saturday night and is reported to have killed at least 43 people.

Those claims may fall on deaf ears. In the past, Trump has implied that chemical weapons were a "red line" for him in Syria. Last year, after the apparent use of chemical weapons in the northwestern town of Khan Sheikhoun killed more than 90 people, he ordered missile strikes on a Syrian military airfield, marking the first U.S. assault on Assad's forces since the conflict began in 2011.

Trump is widely expected to pursue some kind of military action against the Syrian government again. But the red line on the use of chemical weapons in Syria has long been blurry - and big questions remain about the nature of the weapons used in Douma.

What chemical weapons have been used during the Syrian war?

The Syrian government's chemical weapons program dates to the early 1970s. Syria was thought to have one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world, including not only nerve agents such as VX but blister agents like mustard gas.

The most noteworthy of the chemical weapons used during the Syrian war is sarin. This nerve agent, first developed by Nazi Germany, was banned under international law in 1997. It has no smell or taste, but exposure to it quickly leads to death through asphyxiation.

The Syrian government is believed to have used sarin on a number of occasions, including the 2017 Khan Sheikhoun assault, as well as attacks in 2013 - including one on the Damascus suburbs that is thought to have killed 1,429 people, according to a White House estimate.

Chlorine gas also has been used multiple times in the war. Chlorine has industrial uses, too, and is not always considered a chemical weapon. However, if inhaled, it turns into hydrochloric acid in the lungs and can lead someone to drown from a buildup of fluids. It is less deadly than nerve agents such as sarin but can still kill.

Separately, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has accused the Islamic State militant group of using mustard gas in attacks in Syria.

How has the United States responded to alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria?

In 2012, President Barack Obama suggested that the use of chemical weapons in Syria could lead to a U.S. intervention. "A red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized," Obama said in unprepared remarks. "That would change my calculus."

The next year, after Assad was suspected of using sarin in attacks, Obama threatened punitive strikes against Syria. Lacking support from Congress, he backed down.

Instead, a U.N. Security Council agreement was brokered by Moscow as part of which Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons stockpiles. Assad's government acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention on Sept. 14, 2013, technically relinquishing its stockpiles to the OPCW. The organization said it removed the last of the weapons in June 2014.

Since this agreement, there have been multiple reports of the Syrian government using chlorine gas against civilians in opposition-held areas. Chlorine gas was never included in the list of Syrian chemical weapons reported to the OPCW, though the State Department said in 2014 that its use would violate the Chemical Weapons Convention.

After the 2017 Khan Sheikhoun attack, Trump said, "That crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line." The U.S. military soon launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield, a largely symbolic display of might that didn't cause significant damage to the Syrian military.

Though the Syrian government does not appear to have used sarin after this strike, it did not stop the use of chlorine gas. Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized Syria for the use of chlorine gas in Eastern Ghouta early this year, but State Department officials later told reporters that this did not constitute a new "red line."

"Even though officials have been loath to admit it, the prohibition against chemical weapons use in Syria has in the past been understood to only pertain to highly lethal nerve agents such as sarin but not the easily produced and far less deadly chlorine," Tobias Schneider, an independent analyst tracking reported chlorine attacks, told The Washington Post in January.

Do we know what was used in Douma?

Witnesses to this weekend's bombings in Douma described a powerful smell of chlorine gas during the attack, but some also said that the effects of the gas appeared stronger than in previous such attacks.

Mohammed Marhoum, a medical worker, told The Post that he saw symptoms that he had never seen before, including twitching, abnormal pupils and foaming at the mouth. "We believe the gas used was chlorine and another kind of gas," he said.

Outside experts have said that the speed with which the victims died suggested that a nerve agent was used. Chlorine usually takes longer to work.

However, distinctive yellow gas cylinders have been found at the scene by activists. The open-source investigations website BellingCat noted in an article published Thursday that these cylinders contain compressed gas. "As sarin is a liquid a compressed gas cylinder seems an unlikely method of delivery for sarin," the article stated.

Experts from the OPCW are heading to the site on a fact-finding mission. It is unclear whether they will be able to gather enough evidence as witnesses have scattered. Regardless, the investigation's outcome may not have much to do with any military option that the United States and its allies might exercise in the interim.
FOREST CITY, N.C. - It was slow at the thrift shop, and manager Stephanie Henderson, 38, was looking at her laptop, trying to discover all that Facebook had collected on her: the posts, the memes, the photos, the messages to her family.

She had been meaning to do this for weeks, ever since outrage over Facebook's handling of user privacy first burst into her timeline. Now, she clicked a button. Her request for her Facebook data was sent. As she waited, Henderson tried to imagine what a decade's worth of personal details might look like.

"I'm afraid to see what Facebook has on me," she said. "This is just so embarrassing."

Facebook has been on the defensive about user privacy since last month's revelation that political-data firm Cambridge Analytica improperly harvested the profiles of 87 million Facebook users. The social media giant pledged reforms while also divulging that "malicious actors" could have collected the personal data of most of its 2 billion users worldwide. Facing intense criticism, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress on Tuesday, repeatedly offering apologies and attempting to explain the social network's business model. He planned to continue testifying Wednesday.

The privacy debate raging in policy and corporate circles can feel distant in rural western North Carolina, but Forest City plays an unusual role: It is home to a massive Facebook data center, one of just four such digital attics in the United States. The Facebook user data obtained by Cambridge Analytica and others has probably spread far out of reach, experts say, to other databases and the dark Web. But it is also here - in bytes stored on tens of thousands of computer servers tucked inside three well-guarded and ever-expanding buildings - that the amorphous discussion about privacy is made concrete.

And residents like Henderson are just starting to dig in - both creeped out by what they find and resigned to an online world where the loss of privacy is taken for granted.

"It surprises me that they have all this stuff," Henderson said, scrolling through her personal Facebook archive.

Henderson's data is probably stored just on the other side of town, at the Facebook complex next to U.S. Route 74. It's in the middle of a construction boom, part of a rapid expansion that includes plans to beef up existing Facebook data centers and build five new ones across the country. The gray warehouses are ringed by security cameras and thick steel fences. The data center has its own electrical substation next door. Beyond that are a few houses and rolling pastures for cows and horses.

Facebook choose Forest City in 2010 because the town sits near the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in an isothermal belt that provides unusually consistent weather. The Facebook property is worth about $650 million, according to municipal records, accounting for nearly half of the entire town's value. But only about 250 people work there, in a town with a population of 7,400. Forest City has more computer servers than people.

Kenneth Odom often finds himself curious about the data center, which he passes on his way to work each day.

"A lot of my stuff is probably sitting in that building," said Odom, an information technology specialist with the county library.

He's cautious online - more of a Facebook "lurker" than active "poster." But he and the rest of the library staff have long wanted to teach the public how to protect themselves online. So a couple months ago they hosted a Facebook privacy class. They hoped for a big draw.

"Maybe one person showed up," Odom said.

But the topic, especially in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, has sparked debate - at least among library staff.

"I don't feel like a trust has been broken," said Tamara Edwards, youth services librarian.

April Young, director of county libraries, asked: "But don't you think that's because you know how all this works?"

"It seems no different than the information they collect when you swipe your loyalty card at the grocery store," Edwards said.

Still, Edwards admitted to being "creeped out" by the feeling of being watched online. After she researches teen fiction on her work computer, her Kindle at home sometimes recommends she reads vampire romance novels. Once, library staff were talking about something in the office, and Edwards later saw ads for it on Facebook, as though the computer were eavesdropping.

"That was really creepy," said library assistant Amanda McClay.

"That's because it's tracking you," Young said.

"Well," Edwards said, "I don't think you can put that ketchup back in the bottle."

Jerred Roberts, who owns Puzzle Creek Outdoor, finds what Facebook is doing with data both "scary" and "interesting." He uses Facebook as a small-business owner to place ads, and he marvels at its ability to target people who, for example, ride bicycles and live in the county. Otherwise he uses it to keep up with far-flung friends and family.

"It does get a little weird, though, when my data is being shared with various groups in any way they want to use it," Roberts said, "and that can be in ways that doesn't line up with my political and religious beliefs."

A customer overheard Roberts and, after inquiring about a product to clean his bicycle drivetrain, said Facebook's recent privacy problems led him to finally delete his account.

"That's what pushed me over the edge," Scott Griffith said.

It wasn't easy. He had to research the process, and it took two weeks to complete. He wasn't even sure it was finalized. He asked Roberts to check. Roberts tried searching for him on Facebook on the store's computer.

"Nope, I don't see you," Roberts said.

"Good," Griffiths said.

While deleting Facebook is rare, several residents spoke of pulling back from sharing intimate details on their social media pages because of the recent privacy trouble. This is a part of a larger worry for Facebook, which recently noted that at the end of 2017 it suffered "a slight decline" in the number of daily active users in the United States and Canada after years of growth.

At the Second Chances thrift shop, which benefits Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, Henderson was clicking through file after file in her Facebook data archive, teasing out bits of what she had assumed was information lost to history. There was an old selfie shot - "Oh, I look so much younger," she said - and a local news piece on ATM skimmers that she didn't remember sharing. GIFs she'd sent to friends. Apps she'd downloaded onto her phone. A list of everyone who had "poked" her on Facebook and how many times.

"It doesn't really bother me if this stays on Facebook," she said, "but if they share this with other people, that's scary."

Then she found lists of books she'd read. It looked as though it came from her Goodreads app. But she didn't know for sure. It was an unsettling jumble of information, shards that perhaps could be assembled into some kind of useful profile for someone, but not her. This didn't feel as though it was about her.

It started to feel overwhelming. File after file after file.

There was just one thing left to do. It was a temporary fix, only for the night.

She logged out of Facebook.
Federal prosecutors investigating President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, are seeking records related to two women who received payments in 2016 after alleging affairs with Trump years ago - adult-film star Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The interest in both Daniels and McDougal indicates that federal investigators are trying to determine whether there was a broader pattern or strategy among Trump associates to buy the silence of women whose accounts could harm the president's electoral chances and whether any crimes were committed in doing so, one of those people said.

Investigators are also seeking all communications about Daniels and McDougal between Cohen, David Pecker - a personal friend of Trump and the chief executive of American Media Inc., which publishes the National Enquirer - and Dylan Howard, the chief content officer of American Media and a reporter there.

Daniels is cooperating with federal prosecutors, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Her cooperation was first reported by NBC News.

ALSO White House asserts Trump can fire Mueller as GOP urges caution

The high stakes of the case were underscored by the involvement of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who personally approved the move to seek a search warrant for Cohen's records, which included raids Monday on his home and office, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation.

The raid infuriated Trump, who was left "stunned" and "livid" by the aggressive move by prosecutors Monday, according to an outside adviser in frequent touch with the White House.

Trump privately continued to gripe Tuesday about Rosenstein, who also oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign, according to people familiar with the situation. Many in the president's orbit think Rosenstein's position is currently the most endangered if the president decides to take action to try to halt the probe, the people said.

Cohen, Trump's longtime attorney, is under federal investigation for possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The New York Times first reported prosecutors' interest in McDougal. The former Playmate has said she had a 10-month relationship with Trump beginning in 2006 and then sold her story to American Media for $150,000 about three months before the 2016 election.

No story about McDougal ever appeared in the publication, a tabloid practice sometimes referred to as "catch and kill."

American Media spokesman Jon Hammond did not respond to questions about whether the company had been contacted by federal investigators.

"American Media Inc. has, and will continue to, comply with any and all requests that do not jeopardize or violate its protected sources or materials pursuant to our First Amendment rights," Hammond said.

McDougal's attorney, Peter Stris, declined to comment on the Cohen investigation.

The search warrants served Monday on Cohen's Rockefeller Center office and home sought his personal financial information and client communications, including records related to Daniels, who was paid $130,000 by the Trump lawyer just days before the 2016 election in what she described as an effort to buy her silence.

The raids, which also swept up communications between Cohen and Trump, left the White House scrambling to contain yet another crisis in an administration rife with them.

Some White House allies think that this one, like many of the administration's pockets of turbulence, was brought on by Trump himself - specifically, by comments he made last week aboard Air Force One, when he claimed he had no knowledge of the payment Cohen made to Daniels, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

"He shot himself in the foot by saying he didn't know anything about the payment," one the people said.

Several lawyers noted that public statements from Cohen and Trump that the president was unaware of the payment may have significantly aided federal prosecutors' legal arguments to justify searching the lawyer's office, home and hotel room.

If both the lawyer and the client insisted that Trump had no idea that Cohen had made the payment, they cannot assert that those activities were protected by attorney-client privilege, legal experts said.

"At that point, anything to do with that entire incident is, I would argue, not attorney-client privilege,'' said Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor who practices law in Chicago. "If I were a prosecutor hearing both the lawyer and the client say the client had no awareness whatsoever of that, I would now feel very confident going to a judge to seek that material."

On Monday, asked by reporters why he doesn't just fire Mueller, Trump said, "We'll see what happens," and added, "Many people have said, 'You should fire him.'" And on Tuesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president believes he has the authority to fire Mueller.

Special counsel regulations say only the attorney general - or in this case, the acting attorney general on the Russia probe, Rosenstein - can dismiss the special counsel. But legal experts say the White House could achieve the same end result by rescinding the regulation that allows for a special counsel.

Within the president's orbit, people described Trump as furious and "lit up" by the recent developments and floating a trial balloon to test the boundaries of trying to halt Mueller's burgeoning probe.

"His anger is unabated," said a Republican strategist in frequent touch with the White House, who added the mood there is "extremely grim."

Someone else in contact with the White House said aides have likened the current atmosphere to two previous crises - when Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey and when the White House was embroiled in the saga of Rob Porter, a former staff secretary accused of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives.

Alan Dershowitz, a retired Harvard Law School professor whose cable-television commentary has captured Trump's attention, had dinner Tuesday at the White House with the president, son-in-law Jared Kushner and a handful of other advisers.

Reached by phone following the dinner, Dershowitz said he was there to advise Trump on Middle East policy and the conflict in Syria. Asked whether they discussed the Russia investigation, Dershowitz would not say.

"I'm not going to discuss what I discussed with the president," Dershowitz said. He added, "That's where he gets my legal advice, on television. I do not have a lawyer-client relationship with him and therefore did not give him legal advice."

On Capitol Hill, Republicans were divided over Trump's implicit threats to possibly fire Mueller, while legislation to protect the prosecutor remained stalled.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said it would be "suicide" for the president to move to remove Mueller as special counsel.

"I have confidence in Mueller, the president ought to have confidence in Mueller, and I think, to answer your question, it would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller," Grassley said on Fox Business Network. "The less the president said on this whole thing, the better off he would be, the stronger his presidency would be."

But House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., one of Trump's leading allies on the Hill, privately urged Republican colleagues on Tuesday to consider holding Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress if the Justice Department does not provide him with documents he has sought about the Russia probe in coming days.

Nunes is readying proceedings and keeping several House Republicans briefed on his plans, including members of the Judiciary Committee and Oversight Committee, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Nunes has also spoken in the past week with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which has been supportive of Trump, about how a potential contempt effort could unfold. He has not yet spoken with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., about possibly moving forward, the two people said.

Nunes, who has been signaling that Congress could take action this month, declined to comment.

At the Justice Department, meanwhile, some officials made a point of watching Trump's comments on television after the Cohen raid, looking for any hint that his rage this time would lead to consequences beyond a few angry tweets.

The mood at the department has been grim for months and those inside fear their pool of allies is shrinking. Republicans in Congress - once considered a reliable bulwark that might help keep an angry president at bay - have become increasingly incensed over the department's slow production of documents on controversial cases, including the Hillary Clinton email case.

Trump was already complaining publicly about that controversy when the FBI raided his personal lawyer's office.

On Tuesday, the president also canceled a plan trip to the Summit of the Americas in Peru, sending Vice President Mike Pence instead. The White House cited a need to remain in the United States to monitor the U.S. response to a suspected chemical attack in Syria.

The decision to remain stateside, however, further inflamed the anxiety of aides, who worry about the president stewing in Washington as the Cohen case further unfolds and as Comey gives his first interview to ABC News Sunday evening as part of a planned book tour launch.

"I think it's going to get gnarly this weekend," said a Republican strategist in frequent touch with the White House.

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The Washington Post's Robert Costa, Josh Dawsey, Beth Reinhard and Philip Rucker contributed to this report.
A San Francisco police officer who is Muslim and emigrated from Afghanistan said Tuesday that fellow cops and superiors repeatedly referred to him as a terrorist and subjected him to ugly jokes, slurs and other blatant racism in his first two years with the department.

The officer, who spoke at a news conference arranged by city Public Defender Jeff Adachi  but asked not to be identified by name, citing fear of harassment or attacks  said he witnessed colleagues engaging in sexual and racist misconduct toward citizens as well, including calling a black motorist a monkey.

Among the officers allegations are that co-workers routinely muted their body-worn cameras before making crude comments at crime scenes, and that several expressed support for the white nationalist movement.

He said he came forward because he lost faith after reporting the alleged misconduct in November to his departments Internal Affairs Bureau and in January to the citys Department of Human Resources.

Since filing the reports, the officer said, hes been labeled a rat, singled out by my colleagues, and I now fear for my safety. He said he was profoundly disappointed things turned out the way they did. When I experienced racial and religious harassment, and also witnessed blatant misconduct against citizens, I reported it. Thats my duty as a police officer.

In a statement Tuesday, San Francisco police officials said they take the allegations very seriously.

The department was made aware of these allegations in November 2017 and immediately initiated an investigation, officials said. There are currently three ongoing investigations by SFPD and the Citys Department of Human Resources. SFPD will thoroughly investigate all alleged misconduct uncovered during these investigations which implicates any member of this department.

The officers accusations come as the police force works to implement reforms after a U.S. Department of Justice review that was spurred by past charges of racism and several controversial police shootings. The department was rocked by scandal in 2015 and 2016, when it was revealed that several police officers had been exchanging racist and homophobic text messages.

The officer has not filed a lawsuit against his department and only wants it to properly train these officers, said Adachi. He said he got involved because all efforts by the officer to report the allegations were met with inaction or retaliation.

This is not about money, he said. This is about wanting to improve the department.

The officer began working for the city force in June 2016 after graduating from San Franciscos Police Academy. A year later, he completed field training and was assigned to Central Station, he said. Within a month, he said, he was being harassed.

Adachi provided reporters with a redacted copy of the officers human resources complaint, which details the alleged misconduct. In July 2017, the officer said, fellow officers took him to a gentlemans club on Broadway while they were on duty to embarrass him. Over the next month, he said, he was harassed over his race and religion.

The incidents described by the officer include:

A fellow officer asking him, Do you know any towel heads?

A fellow officer telling him, I would appreciate it if you tell me the place of your terrorist network, so I can plan in advance. When your family members come out here as an active shooter or ram a car, Id appreciate it if you give me a heads up so I can put them down gently.

An officer saying a Muslim ban should go into effect, asking, Why do we have them here? Get them all out.

An officer asking if his police earpiece wire was connected to a bomb.

In August, the officer reported that someone wrote tick tick on his police locker. Officers later asked him, according to his report, if he could take a joke: Youre not one of those crybabies are you? Shortly after, an officer called him a racial slur roughly four times, he said.

Adachi showed a picture of the officers Central Station locker, on which someone allegedly wrote the words, ISIS go back.

The officer also alleged misconduct toward citizens. In one November incident, Adachi said, a fellow cop told the officer they had to respond to a 911 call outside their district and ended up at an apartment on Union Street. An intoxicated woman inside said shed met the officer before, when he stopped her for driving under the influence and then let her go after she showed him her breasts, Adachi said. He said this officer then told his shocked partner to wait while he had sex with the woman.

The officer who spoke at the news conference Tuesday said he left the apartment and reported the incident.

That same month, he said, he was on patrol with an officer who told him, I want to get guns, and the only people who have guns are blacks and Hispanics. The department doesnt like us to make judgments like that, but if I see a black person behind the wheel of the vehicle, Ill pull the car over and figure out my probable cause later.

Later that night, according to the complaint, the fellow officer said in reference to an African American driver, Did you see that f monkey?

The reporting officer added that he heard officers repeatedly use homophobic slurs, including one officer calling another a f faggot.

The officer said joining the San Francisco force was a boyhood dream, and that he had admired the organization since he was 8, when an officer helped his family as they arrived at San Francisco International Airport.

Despite the allegations, he said he plans to continue working for the department for the next 30 years.

Im not going anywhere, he said.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Taking steps to save planet Earth was the theme of a forum on the environment Tuesday at the Jacksonville Municipal Building.

Four panelists spoke about such things as conserving energy and reducing pollutants.

Ed Anderson of rural Concord, a retired science teacher, gave an overview of various renewable energy applications/projects that can help reduce the carbon footprint.

He gave a PowerPoint presentation and first spoke about climate change. The scientific evidence for global warming is unequivocal, Anderson said.

He gave several suggestions for ways to reduce the carbon footprint, including using solar and wind energy, LED lights and adjusting the thermostat to higher in the summer and lower in the winter.

Duane Friend, an educator with the University of Illinois Extension Office that serves Calhoun, Cass, Greene, Morgan and Scott counties, spoke about soil productivity in the Midwest, why its fertile and how Illinois farmers have affected soil quality in the past 200 years.

While our soils are still very productive, we need to look at ways to maintain or improve that productivity, Friend said.

He said no-till farming and the use of cover crops help stabilize the soil quality.

Steve Turner of rural Chandlerville, who operates an irrigated grain and livestock farm in Cass and Mason counties and is president of the Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau, gave a PowerPoint presentation on nutrient loss reduction strategies and monitoring water for nitrates.

He also talked about planting pollinators and cover crops.

The fourth and final speaker was Jack Darin, director of the Illinois chapter of the Sierra Club since 1992.

Darin said many environmental improvements have been made in the past 50 years, especially in terms of air and water quality.

However, he said he is troubled by how some current political proposals may adversely affect environmental protections. He also said the Sierra Club is working with a wide variety of agencies to promote clean energy initiatives in Illinois, adding that Illinois is on the verge of becoming a large solar energy user.

Naturalist Pat Ward of rural Murrayville was one of about 60 people who attended the program, which was the third and final forum of the Morgan County Democrats 2017-18 membership year.

Ward expressed his concern for the environment.

Our pollinators  bees, etc.  numbers have dropped tremendously in the past 20 years, he said. One study said that 75 percent of our flying insects are gone. They are all part of the environment; they are all part of the web of life. And how much damage can we do to the web of life before it collapses?

Judith Luckenbach Nelson of Jacksonville, president of the Morgan County Democrats, was pleased by the number of people who turned out to discuss the environment and how to improve it.

It is incumbent upon all of us to begin in small ways to conserve energy and practice better stewardship, she said. That can involve such things as planting trees and flowers and reducing the amount of chemicals sprayed on yards.

Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.
A new international tribunal declared Serbian nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj guilty on three counts of crimes against humanity, including hate speech, partially overturning his 2016 acquittal and sentencing him to 10 years in prison, the time he's already served.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which replaced the Hague Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, reversed Seselj's acquittal in part and found him guilty of "instigating deportation, persecution (forcible displacement) and other inhumane acts (forcible transfer) as crimes against humanity," it said in the judgment. The 10-year imprisonment sentence was declared served.

The final judgment read by presiding judge Theodor Meron also found that the trial chamber "erred" in not holding Seselj responsible for a speech he gave in Hrtkovci, in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina in May 1992 when he was "calling for the expulsion of the non-Serbian population."

In 2016, the judges cleared the nationalist party leader of nine counts including the murder and deportation of non-Serbs, a verdict that ignited outrage among victims. Amnesty International welcomed the conviction.

"Today's decision is a welcome development which delivers long-delayed justice to thousands of victims of the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia," Amnesty International said in a statement Wednesday. "Despite the fact that the Appeals Chamber cleared Vojislav Seselj of other war crimes, it is significant that it found there was indeed a 'widespread or systematic attack against the non-Serbian civilian population in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina."

The leader of the nationalist Serbian Radical Party surrendered to the Netherlands-based tribunal in 2003 to face judgment over alleged crimes against humanity. He was released from detention in 2014 because of deteriorating health. Unlike Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, the most prominent Serbian figures to have been sentenced, Seselj was not tried for genocide.

Since Seselj's 2014 return to Belgrade, his party has returned to parliament, and he's replaced his wartime calls for reunification of all Serbian territories with anti-European Union rhetoric. He has also campaigned for a possible alliance with Russia, Serbia's most powerful ally in blocking worldwide recognition of an independent Kosovo.
WASHINGTON - Deliberations over how and when to impose punishment for the latest apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria have overshadowed a deeper internal debate over the Trump administration's overall goals there, and whether a U.S. military strike would add to or subtract from their potential for success.

Some officials and experts on the region believe that a purely punitive American airstrike on Syrian military targets, similar to one launched by President Donald Trump a year ago this month, would risk a broader confrontation with Russia and Iran while having little to no effect on stated U.S. objectives in Syria itself.

Others argue that punishing what Trump has called the "heinous" use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad against his own people is reason enough, and would send a valuable message to Assad, as well as to his partners in Moscow and Tehran, that they must de-escalate the destructive civil war.

"Everybody's gonna pay a price," Trump said Monday, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He will, everybody will."

Still others maintain that Trump has no authority to decide unilaterally to impose any punishment at all on Syria.

"He's a president, not a king, and Congress needs to quit giving him a blank check to wage war against anyone, anywhere," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement Tuesday. "If he strikes Syria without our approval, what will stop him from bombing North Korea or Iran?"

But whatever response it ultimately adopts, the administration still appears to lack an agreed or viable strategy for achieving what it has repeatedly said are its dual aims in Syria - the final defeat of the Islamic State, and the establishment of a politically stable government that will keep the militants from finding fertile ground there in the future.

Trump's insistence last week that U.S. troops should come home from Syria as soon as the first objective is achieved appeared to contradict the understanding of both military and diplomatic officials charged with carrying out U.S. policy.

As described earlier this year by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, "what we are going to do is to hold that territory" that has been seized from the militants, "and get it back in local leaders' hands." The idea, he said, was to use the "Geneva process" - the years-long U.N.-led effort to forge a political solution to Syria's civil war - "to come up with a post-conflict map and post-conflict plan for the way ahead, and assure that ISIS 2.0 doesn't rise in the middle of that and derail everything we've fought for, and many people have paid the price on this thing."

"We don't simply up and leave . . . the diplomats without a leg to stand on against people who have no diplomatic inclination," Mattis said.

One problem is that the Geneva process, begun in 2012, when there appeared a very real possibility that Assad would lose the war against rebels backed by the United States and regional partners, has been largely moribund.

With Iran as a longtime ally, and Russia using its air and logistics power to aid him since the fall of 2015, Assad now has the upper hand, and there are few organized, non-extremist rebels with whom to negotiate. Last weekend's apparent chemical weapons strike, on the town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus, succeeded in provoking the withdrawal of remaining rebels from one of the last urban areas they held.

Jane's IHS Markit Conflict Monitor on Tuesday assessed that Assad's use of a chemical agent in Douma "was motivated by a desire to test and ultimately discredit U.S. deterrence in the Syrian arena, as well as to speed up the government takeover of the remaining insurgent-held areas."

While Geneva - which calls for the installation of a transitional government, the writing of a new constitution, and ultimately democratic elections - has foundered, Russia, Iran and Turkey have started their own peace process for Syria, which would be likely to keep Assad in power.

Last month, nearly seven years after then-President Barack Obama first declared that Assad must go, Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, told lawmakers that he did not know whether that objective remained U.S. policy.

"Well, if you don't know, I doubt if anybody knows, because this is your job, to take care of this part of the world," replied Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The administration has indicated that ousting Assad is no longer a specific goal but has said that it cannot envision political stability as long as he remains, and that the international reconstruction funds that Syria will need if the war ever ends will not be forthcoming if he remains in power.

Some experts believe that whether Assad stays should be of little concern to the United States, a view that Trump at times has indicated he shares. "I don't think our strategy would presume a political settlement," said James Carafano, vice president for foreign and defense policies at the Heritage Foundation. "Our strategy is about keeping the problems of Syria from bleeding out elsewhere. . . . If the [Syrian] conflict just stayed where it was, all of America's interests would be satisfied."

"There's a big difference between a stated policy goal and an attainable strategic objective," he said. "We should never accept the regime of Assad. He's a genocidal war-crime leader. Having said that, it would be ridiculous for us to fight World War III to take Assad out of power."

Officials say that Mattis' national defense strategy, which identifies Russia as among the chief threats at a moment when the United States is looking to transition away from the insurgent conflicts of the past 17 years, has provided clarity about the Trump-era Pentagon's top priorities. At the same time, they acknowledge that containing Moscow's greatly expanded influence in Syria, along with Tehran's, does not fall within their mission there. "It's our problem, but not our solution" to develop, a defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the issue frankly.

Carafano and other national security experts said it was assumed that, should Trump decide to strike Syrian military installations, the United States would inform Russia in time for it to clear its own personnel out of targeted areas. This was the case in the last U.S. attack against Syria, which followed a deadly sarin gas attack in the country's northwest.

Although defense officials declined to say whether an attack on Syria was imminent, officials have been updating earlier attack plans in keeping with Trump's desire to punish Assad for the recent use of chemical agents.

The significance and effects of the 2017 U.S. strike - a volley of cruise missiles launched against air defenses, aircraft, fuel and hangars at an isolated military facility, quickly faded as Assad, according to assessments by U.S. officials, has continued to produce and employ chemical agents. While several incidents last winter were reported as chlorine gas attacks, U.S. officials suggested in February that there had been at least one credible report of sarin use. Various reports of the recent alleged attack, in which at least 49 people were reported killed and many more injured, said the substance used was chlorine or a mixture of chlorine and an unspecified nerve agent.

If the administration does embrace a more expansive response, it could risk stumbling into a new Syria strategy - a de facto policy of open conflict with Assad and his backers. Faysal Itani, a scholar at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, said unintended escalation could lead the United States into a situation that two administrations have sought up to now to avoid. "It's the ultimate slippery slope," Itani said. "We can't go there unless we go there by accident."

According to one former official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss planning, the operation conducted in April 2017 was among the most limited responses considered by senior officials. Another option, backed by some officials who favored a more expansive action, would have targeted Syria's command and control and air capability by hitting four air bases. The prospect of a larger retaliation worried Pentagon leaders who feared unwanted consequences in a theater crowded by major military powers.

The divisiveness of any expanded military action in Syria was evident once more this spring when Trump requested options for retaliating against ongoing chemical attacks in Syria, including an apparent chlorine gas attack that took place on Feb. 25. According to a senior official, Mattis argued against taking action at that time.
Unexpected computer problems affected at least 41,000 students across Texas as they took the STAAR test Tuesday morning.

DeEtta Culbertson, a spokeswoman with the Texas Education Agency, said issues with a single server caused issues in more than 1,000 school districts across the state. In each district, at least one student was affected.

RELATED: As STAAR testing begins, districts hit by Harvey unsure how scores will affect them

"There was a 20-minute disruption when a server went down and started working really slowly," Culbertson said. "Some students couldn't log in when logged out, and some were automatically logged out when they were taking the test."

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR tests, are a battery of state-mandated standardized tests taken by students in grades 3 through 8 and those enrolled in high school courses such as English I, Algebra and U.S. History. STAAR testing for some students began Tuesday and will reoccur intermittently at different grade levels through May 17.

Student scores on STAAR are used to rate the academic performances of schools and districts statewide. If students score poorly, a school or could be rated as "improvement required," a designation that can carry steep penalties. Charter schools rated as "improvement required" for three or more years can be closed by the state, as can traditional public schools that are given the rating for five or more consecutive years.

READ ALSO: TEA releases details on how it will grade schools using STAAR

No student data was lost during Tuesday's technical problems, Culbertson said, so students who were automatically logged out mid-test had their answers saved. The TEA was made aware of the issues at about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, and the glitch had been eliminated by about 11:35 a.m.

The server is owned and operated by the Educational Testing Service, a third-party contractor that is paid $18.2 million each year by the TEA to conduct STAAR testing. While the Educational Testing Service has an office in Austin, it is unclear where the slow-running server was located.
A two-vehicle crash, including at least one big rig, has closed all main lanes of Interstate 10 westbound in Chambers County near Highway 99, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

One of the large trucks was carrying sand, which spilled out onto the highway, a spokeswoman said.
The trial of a San Antonio man accused of sexually assaulting two toddlers who ended up with a sexually transmitted disease, ended in a mistrial Tuesday  for prosecutorial failure to provide discovery.

Adrian Vigil was 23 years old when he was arrested and charged with super aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Authorities were contacted in October 2015 after one of the children, a 3-year-old girl, was hospitalized and tests determined that the child had gonorrhea. Subsequently, another child, a 1-year-old girl, also tested positive for the sexually transmitted disease.

RELATED: How many sex offenders live in San Antonio suburbs

The trial opened Tuesday morning in the 187th state District Court and the state was presenting evidence when a witness testified that one of the girls said Vigil, now 25, had done something to her sister. That information was reported to a Bexar County prosecutor who is no longer on the case, but it never was relayed to the defense, which is standard law practice.

Defense attorney David Woodard immediately asked Judge Joey Contreras for a mistrial for an unfair surprise and a discovery violation because the information had not been shared. He added that had he known the information beforehand, he would have planned his defense strategy differently.

Prosecutors Steve Speir and Trey Mims argued that with a stern warning for the jury to ignore the statement, they could continue with the trial, but Woodard objected.

We cant put the toothpaste back in the tube, its out, Woodard told the court Tuesday during a hearing outside the presence of the jury.

After hearing both sides argue, Contreras declared a mistrial.

Hes (Woodard) been put at a severe disadvantage, Contreras said. I dont think its fair for us to go any further based on the discovery.

Vigils case will be put back on the docket for trial at another time, the judge told the court.

Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863
Longford IFA Sheep Chairman, Gerry Belton has called on dog owners across the county to take responsibility for their pets.

The chairmans sentiments come just days after two sheep kills by marauding dogs took place in the south of the county.

I would be asking walkers in the countryside to make sure they have their dogs on a lead at all times, he added, before pointing out that walkers and dog owners must become more aware of lambing and calving season.

Walkers allowing dogs off the lead to run wild in the countryside, where there are ewes and young lambs, can create mayhem leading to mismothering and significant lamb losses.

The message to walkers is clear: be responsible and keep your dog on a lead and under control at all times.

Meanwhile, Mr Belton says that owners can be held responsible for any losses involved in dog attacks, with serious financial and legal consequences.

Farmers have a right to protect their sheep flock and can shoot a dog that is worrying, or about to worry, their flock, he concluded.

ALSO READ:

'Dogs kill for sport' warns Longford sheep farmer
A Longford farmer's crusade to come to the aid of those in fodder-stricken areas has become an online sensation as arguably the worst crisis to engulf the local agricultural industry continues to take hold.

Moyne farmer Mark Maguire began sourcing straw, hay and silage as far back as last November when it first became evident that the fodder crisis was beginning to seep into large swathes of Longford and Co Leitrim.

Those endeavours saw his campaign dubbed 'No Fodder, No Bother before later being christened In Bother, No Fodder' as his efforts spread to assisting hard-pressed farmers in counties Cavan, Westmeath and beyond.

His exertions across the midlands and north east region has seen him enlist the services of Longford County Councillor and fellow farmer Paraic Brady.

"If we find good silage, we will pay for it there and then and bring it back for the farmers in the area," he told the Leader this week.

Despite the announcement of a 1.5m Fodder Import Scheme, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has continued to come under sustained pressure over the Government's handling of the crisis.

Irish Farmers Association (IFA) representatives lambasted the timing of the measure,saying it was "too little, too late" for an industry struggling for its very survival.

John McGuinness of McGuinness Animal Collection Service in Edgeworthstown conceded that unless there was a dramatic upturn in recent weather conditions, the outlook for affected farmers remained bleak.

Its very wet; the ground it wet, growth is slow and farmers cant get their cattle out - it's a very difficult time for farmers at the moment.

For more, see this week's Longford Leader.

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Worsening fodder crisis in Longford and Leitrim must be addressed
The Olivier Award-winning Fishamble Theatre Company bring yet another topical and timely piece to Backstage this Wednesday, April 11, with the critically acclaimed Maz and Bricks, which tells the story of two young people who meet over the course of a day in Dublin.

Maz is attending a Repeal the 8th demonstration, while Bricks is going to meet the mother of his young daughter.

As the day unfolds, the two become unlikely friends, changing each other in ways they never thought possible.

Both audiences and critics alike have raved about the show with the Irish Independent calling it excruciatingly funny powerful.

The Sunday Times praised the compelling story with immaculate comic timing funny sharp script and The Sunday Independent heralded it as marvellous theatre almost perfect and unmissable piece of deeply moving drama .

Fishamble is an Olivier Award-winning, internationally acclaimed Irish theatre company, dedicated to the discovery, development and production of new work.

Past productions include Pat Kinevanes Silent, Underneath and Forgotten, The Humours of Bandon and to Hell in a Handbag that played Backstage recently.

Catch Maz & Bricks at Backstage on Wed 11th April at 8pm.

Tickets 16/14 available on 043 33 47888, from Farrell & Coy in Longford town or online on www.backstage.ie

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Sister Act: Paul Hennessy to take on Gangster role in Longford musical
Local News, Crime, Business & Finance

By Long Island News & PR Published: April 11 2018

Liberty Power Holdings, LLC Falsely Promised Consumers Lower Prices, Switched Their Energy Service Provider Without Their Consent.

New York, NY - April 11, 2018 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a $550,000 settlement with Liberty Power Holdings, LLC (Liberty), as part of an ongoing investigation into energy service companies (ESCOs). The investigation uncovered that the companys contractors and subcontractors lured consumers with false promises of savings, and then charged them costly early termination fees when they tried to get out of their contracts. Additionally, sales representatives used other deceptive means to enroll consumers, such as falsely claiming to represent the consumers current utility provider or having someone who was unauthorized to give consent such as a minor sign the enrollment agreement. As a result, many consumers did not even realize that they had been enrolled in Liberty. According to the settlement, Liberty will implement new restrictions on their marketing practices to prevent future frauds and pay $550,000, which will be used to refund eligible consumers.

Todays settlement returns more than half a million dollars to consumers who were deceived by Liberty, which falsely promised savings and enrolled consumers without their consent, said Attorney General Schneiderman. My office will not tolerate exploitative businesses that prey on unsuspecting New Yorkers and their hard-earned cash.

Beginning in 2012, Liberty conducted door-to-door sales and telemarketing to New York residential customers primarily serviced by Con Edison, in the New York City and Westchester area. Additional impacted customers were served by Niagara Mohawk Power, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, Orange & Rockland Utilities, Rochester Gas & Electric, and New York State Electric & Gas Corp.

The Attorney Generals investigation found that between 2012 and early 2013, these sales representatives, hired by Libertys contractors and subcontractors engaged in multiple deceptive business practices, including falsely promising consumers that they would save money by switching to Liberty, falsely claiming to represent the consumers current utilities, switching consumers electricity providers without their consent, and violating the Do Not Call Registry. When consumers tried to cancel Libertys contracts, they were often charged Early Termination Fees of $200 or more. The investigation found that Liberty failed to effectively monitor and supervise the activities of these sales representatives to ensure that their conduct was lawful and not deceptive.

In 2013, the Public Service Commission (PSC) suspended the companys authorization to conduct door-to-door marketing in New York, the first time the PSC had ever taken such enforcement action with a New York ESCO. Although Liberty subsequently revised its marketing program, as recently as 2017 the PSC continued to receive complaints about the companys sales practices.

Energy service companies purchase energy on the open market and then sell it to consumers. Utilities still deliver the energy to consumers, but consumers can choose to purchase their energy directly from the utility or through an ESCO. Liberty used its status as an ESCO to charge its customers higher prices than they would have paid if they purchased energy from their utilities.

Todays settlement requires Liberty to pay $550,000 to be used for consumer refunds. The settlement also requires Liberty to take measures to prevent deceptive practices in the future, including adequate training of customer service representatives, recording communications between customers and sales representatives that result in a sale, refraining from misleading marketing and advertising that implies savings, regularly monitoring customer service calls, and implementing appropriate disciplinary procedures for violations of the law.

New Yorkers who purchased electricity from Liberty Power may be eligible for a refund if they were subject to certain deceptive practices. Impacted New Yorkers can submit complaints online or by phone at 800-771-7755.

Consumers can protect themselves from unscrupulous ESCOs by remembering the following tips:

If you receive an offer for energy services, make sure you understand whether the offer is from your utility or an ESCO.

You do not have to choose an ESCO to supply your gas or electricity. You may choose to use your utility as your direct supplier.

Make sure you understand whether an ESCO contract involves an early termination fee and, if so, determine the fee amount and the length of your contract commitment.

Before accepting any offer, ask the ESCO to show you how its rates have compared with your utilitys rates during each month in the past year. This can help you judge how competitive the ESCOs rates may be in the future.

Remember that you have the right to cancel an ESCO contract with no obligation within three days if you change your mind.

If you are uncomfortable with how a marketer behaves, end the conversation with a request to look over their offer in writing so you can get back to them when you have made a decision free of any pressure.

If you receive a notice that your service is being switched to an ESCO and you did not authorize the switch, contact the utility and the ESCO immediately to tell them to halt the switch. If you are unable to get an ESCO switch cancelled, contact the New York Public Service Commission at 1-888-697-7728.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: April 11 2018

Defendant and Co-Conspirators Murdered a Suspected Assassin, Who They Believed Had Killed MS-13 Members in El Salvador.

Long Island, NY - April 11, 2018 - On Tueday, April 10, at the federal courthouse in On Tueday, April 10, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip , Edwin Amaya-Sanchez (Strong), a member of the Guanacos Little Cycos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to firearms-related murder charges in connection with his participation in the July 14, 2014 murder of Jose Lainez-Murcia, who was shot and killed while sitting in a car outside his home in Brentwood . The guilty plea was entered before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Stuart J. Cameron, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the guilty plea.

Amaya-Sanchez admitted that he participated in the planning and execution of a murder on Long Island in which the victim was marked for death because he was suspected of having killed MS-13 gang members in El Salvador, stated United States Attorney Donoghue. This Office and our partners on the FBIs Long Island Gang Task Force will continue working tirelessly to eliminate MS-13 and the threat this transnational criminal enterprise presents to our community.

MS-13 believes it can operate with its own form of vigilante justice, without any repercussions, stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. The FBI Long Island Gang Task Force won't allow them to continue terrorizing the community, acting outside of the law.

The Suffolk County Police Department is committed to working with our law enforcement partners in bringing criminal gang members and their associates to justice, stated SCPD Acting Commissioner Cameron. This guilty plea of a murderer will send a strong message to gangs across Long Island that illegal activities will not be tolerated.

As set forth in prior court filings and the defendants statements during his guilty plea, Amaya-Sanchez and other MS-13 members orchestrated the murder of Lainez-Murcia because they suspected that Lainez-Murcia was an assassin who had killed MS-13 members in El Salvador. Amaya-Sanchez knew where Lainez-Murcia lived, what car he drove, and what time he left for work in the morning, because they previously worked together. In the early morning hours of July 14, 2014, Amaya-Sanchez drove two other MS-13 members, each of whom was armed with a 9mm handgun, to Lainez-Murcias neighborhood and dropped them off. When Lainez-Murcia left the house and entered his car, the MS-13 members approached and fired multiple times with the 9mm handguns, killing him. The two MS-13 members ran down the block where Amaya-Sanchez picked them up and drove away.

Amaya-Sanchez, an illegal alien from El Salvador who previously was deported from the United States and illegally returned, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life in prison when sentenced by Judge Bianco on October 17, 2018. Upon completion of his sentence, the defendant faces deportation from the United States.

Todays conviction is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent international criminal organization. The MS-13s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or cliques, the MS-13 is the largest and most violent street gang on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the district, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBIs Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriffs Department, Suffolk County Probation, Suffolk County Sheriffs Department, Rockville Centre Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Founded in 1899, the Nassau County Bar Association offers a variety of services for the public, including lawyer referral services, free legal clinics on mortgage foreclosure and senior citizen issues, judicial screening and public education programs. The Nassau Academy of Law provides continuing education for the legal community. We Care, part of the Nassau Bar Foundation, NCBAs charitable arm, assists children, the elderly and others in need, through countless projects and donations. For more information, call (516) 747-4070 (language translation available), email info@nassaubar.org or visit nassaubar.org
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Legislator Anker's Office Published: April 11 2018

On March 27, Legislator Anker honored SWRHS student Jordan McClintock at the Suffolk VFW Council Voice of Democracy Award Ceremony.

Brookhaven , NY - April 11, 2018 - On Tuesday, March 27th, 2018, Legislator Sarah Anker was joined by On Tuesday, March 27th, 2018, Legislator Sarah Anker was joined by Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner, Suffolk County VFW Post 2913 Senior Vice Commander Dave Rogers, and Suffolk County VFW Commander Sabrina Lacy to honor Shoreham Wading River High School student Jordan McClintock at the Suffolk County VFW Council Voice of Democracy Award Ceremony.

Jordan earned 1st place in the County and 2nd in the District for her submission to the Voice of Democracy contest, an annual nationwide scholarship program sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). The contest provides more than $2.3 million in scholarships annually for high school students in grades 9-12. Students submit an audio-essay on a theme decided by the VFW. The 2017-2018 theme was "American History: Our Hope for the Future".

"Jordan sets an inredbe example for her peers, and I am inspired by her patriotic essay that exemplifies her dedication to her country," said Legislator Sarah Anker.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: April 11 2018

Christian Hinck of Remsenberg, 17, was charged with Aggravated Harassment, Criminal Mischief, and Making Graffiti, officials say.

Westhampton Beach, NY - April 11, 2018 - Suffolk County Police Hate Crimes Unit detectives on Tuesday, April 10, arrested a teen who vandalized Suffolk County Police Hate Crimes Unit detectives on Tuesday, April 10, arrested a teen who vandalized Westhampton Beach High School.

Christian Hinck broke a window and spray painted racial graffiti, including swastikas and phallic symbols, on the walls, sidewalks and windows of the high school, located at 49 Lilac Road, Westhampton Beach, on April 6. After a thorough investigation by the Suffolk County Police Hate Crimes Unit and the Westhampton Beach Village Police Department, detectives arrested Hinck on Lilac Road in Westhampton Beach at approximately 3 p.m.

Hinck of Remsenburg , 17, was charged with Aggravated Harassment 1st Degree, Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree and Making Graffiti.
Mentioned in this article 9.7-inch iPad (6th generation) Read our review Best Prices Today:

Mentioned in this article Pencil Read our review Best Prices Today:

With the new 9.7-inch iPad, the Apple Pencil at last comes to the masses. Apples recent push to get its scrappy tablet back in schools means you no longer how to shell out mountains of cash if you want to use the iPad like a digital legal pad, and thats good news for all of us regardless of whether were in boardrooms or third-grade history class.

Even better for Apple Pencil newcomers, the App Store is already stuffed with note-taking apps that use it to its full potential. Here are our favorites, chosen after years of enthusiastic experimentation. (Weve updated this article with a video demonstration. Weve also included Cardflow+, which is a different type of note-taking app than the others weve discussed, but its no less effective.)

Apple Notes: The best free app

I used to think Apples Notes app was only good for one thing: trying out the Apple Pencil when youre in a store. Once you brought the Pencil home, youd have been better off spending most of your time with any of the other apps on this list.

iPadOS 13 changed a lot of that. Notes still isnt my favorite app for the Apple Pencil, but Apple greatly improved it by giving us 120 colors to choose from and the ability to change the stroke weight for the pen, pencil, or highlighter. The new version also comes with a pixel eraser, dark mode, and the ability to move the palette to any edge of the screen you wish.

One of the most impressive features of Notes is that its pencil setting really looks like youre writing with a pencil. No other app really comes close.

As before, its got a killer selection tool, and you can even use Spotlight to hunt down handwritten phrases in Notes documents, provided you wrote them in something more legible than chicken scratch. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it syncs swiftly with your other devices through iCloud.

So its better, and if youre not looking for much more besides a robust writing experience, Notes will serve you well. It also remains the only app thatll open a blank page when you tap the glass of a locked iPad with an Apple Pencil.

Notes remains too stuck in the mindset of working with real paper for my tastes, though, so you wont find features like the helpful infinite canvas that youll see elsewhere. That can be a pain when youre making mind maps or adding illustrations to your notes.

Ginger Labs Notability: The best all-purpose app

Notability, fittingly enough, is by far the most notable app that supports the Apple Pencil, and for good reason. If youre going to spend money on any handwriting-compatible app, consider spending $10 on this one. Not only does Notability lets you do everything from annotating PDFs to making shapes, but it also captures the experience of writing with a pen or pencil better than any of its competitors. The strokes are fluid and precise, allowing you to forget about trying to get the stylus to work properly and simply focus on your writing.

Notability doesnt offer many fancy options for writing tools, but the options it does give you work so well that others rarely feel needed.

The appeal doesnt end there, though. Notability also excels by letting you choose between nine styles of lined and unlined paper, and it gives you 15 choices for paper color as well. (Weirdly, none of those choices mimic the sulphuric yellow of a legal pad.) Its easy to import PDFs and webpages and mark them up as though they were paper. You can record audio while youre writing by hand, and you can hear exactly what was being said when you wrote a note.

Notabilitys iCloud support works like a dream, so you can easily write out notes from your iPad and consult them on your (separately sold) Mac app within seconds. Youll find that feature in traditional note-taking apps like iA Writer, but the ability to call up your handwritten scrawl on your phone at any time counts as a major plus.

Time Base Technology GoodNotes 4: The best for organizers

GoodNotes 4 lives up to its name. Its not quite as intuitive as Notability and so it falls short of great, but it offers many of the same options found in its notable rival and even a couple of better ones for good measure. (You cant record audio, though.)

For one, you can easily create shapes such as triangles, circles, or rectangles. Simply click on the appropriate menu item, doodle the shape on the screen with your Apple Pencil, and GoodNotes automatically converts it into the perfectly formed circle or triangle you had in mind. It doesnt fully convert your handwritten notes to typewritten text as some apps do, but its handwriting recognition is good enough that you can search all of your notes for specific words.

Im also not a fan of the way the page doesnt fit the screen without adjustments when you quickly flip to landscape mode.

Need to scribble in a few notes between lines? Just use the magnifying tool, which boxes off a rectangular window into a smaller part of the page without the need to pinch in. GoodNotes even does a slightly better job of organizing notes by subject than Notability, as it lets you keep separate notebooks for each class or project, each with their own covers.

In some ways, this similarity to print works against it. GoodNotes remains committed to the idea of writing on digital paper as though it were real paper, so its not as easy to scroll through multiple sheets of paper, moving the sheet down as you write in one continuous motion. Much as with a regular sheet of paper, youre stuck with whatever dimensions the page gives you until you flip over on a new one, resulting in the same scrunched-up notes in corners you might recall in school. This design may help with the ton of exports GoodNotes offers for printable paper sizes, but such restrictions feel especially limiting on a 9.7-inch iPad.

MyScript Nebo: The best for handwriting recognition

Were still a long way from the days when technology can translate your doctors scrawl into a crisp line of 12-point Arial, but MyScript Nebo reminds us that were getting much closer. Its our current favorite pick for handwriting recognition, as it takes carefully written longhand script and with little more than a tap of the linetransforms it into something you can email. It even gives you a preview of how its reading the line so you know what to correct before a full conversion.

Seriously, though: Even though getting it to read like this takes a little longer (with my handwriting), this is seriously impressive.

Combine that with a smooth Pencil experience thats reminiscent of Notability and textual interaction that resembles Notes Plus, and youll find it makes a good overall notebook. Just keep in mind that its handwriting recognition isnt going to magically keep you from doing any transcription. I find that getting the best results out of Nebo requires writing slowly and deliberately, which for me nixes the appeal of writing by hand in the first place.

Microsoft OneNote: The best for collaboration

Much of the bad blood that formerly existed between Apple and Microsoft is yesterdays news, and in fact, Microsoft supports Office on iOS with such devotion that youd think it was Microsofts own operating system. Youll find that same kind of attention and support in its OneNote app, which offers a wide selection of features as well as support for the Apple Pencil.

Youll need a Microsoft account to use it, but theres a good chance youll have one anyway if your workplace or school is heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. Its a little like Apples own Notes in that its mainly there so you can have a place to collect all the little notes you scribble out, but Microsoft goes further than Apple by allowing variations in stroke width and a few extra colors to choose from.

Dogs and cats living togethermass insanity!

I also admire OneNote for the sheer size of the canvas it offers. Pinch on the page to zoom out, and youll find that you have an absolutely massive amount of room to work with, which makes OneNote ideal for mind maps and similar brainstorming exercises.

Unfortunately, thats probably also why it doesnt let you export documents to easily sharable files like PDFs like almost every other app listed here. That said, its a handy space for note collection, and it offers quite a few more features than Apple it does. As a bonus, OneNotes Office integration makes it easy to collaborate on projects with friends and colleagues who have Microsoft accounts.

WriteOn Notes Plus: The best use of digital paper

Notes Plus offers the least pleasing writing experience out of all the apps listed here, but it makes the cut because no other understands writing on an iPad quite so well. GoodNotes 4 may do a lot of features Notes Plus offers better these days, but Notes Plus continues to have a few tricks up its sleeve.

This took far more time than I expected because of the inferior Pencil handling, and you can see a couple of spots where I made corrections.

Here (as in Notability), theres no flipping to a new page to start writing on another sheet; instead, you can just keep scrolling the pages down, comfortably keeping your wrist in one spot. Need to erase something? Dont bother with an eraser toolinstead, just scratch out the word and itll disappear. You dont even need a selection tool, as Notes Plus automatically selects script when you draw a circle around it. Much like GoodNotes, it lets you make a box for squeezing in a few liner notes. Its even got an impressive handwriting-to-text tool. Its not anywhere near as smart as the tool youll find in MyScript Nebo, but it usually gets the job done.

Itd probably be perfect if it werent for the writing performance. The strokes the Pencil lays down feel sticky, especially while using the fountain pen and calligraphy tools. Most of the time I found myself sticking with the ballpoint pen and wet brush settings, but even after tinkering with the viscosity and thickness settings, Notes Plus still doesnt offer as satisfying a writing experience as virtually every other app.

Even so, I still find myself returning to it, mainly out of admiration for how well its other pieces fit together.

Qrayon Cardflow+: The best index card app

Screenwriters and novelists will often tell you that index cards make organizing scenes and general themes so much more intuitive than regular outlines. Vladimir Nabokov, for a bit of trivia, even wrote the entirety of some of his novels on index cards, as they allowed him to easily rearrange paragraphs as needed.

This is a fairly simple spread for the sake of legibility, but these boards can be huge.

Normally, though, using index cards feels like slaughtering a forest just for the sheer thrill of it. Thank goodness for the digital age, and thank Qrayon for Cardflow+Remove non-product link. This app mimics the act of spreading a bunch of index cards on a table and arranging them as needed, and no other corkboard, mind-map, or storyboard app gets it quite like this.

Just tap anywhere on the gray background and a new card will pop up, and you can write notes on it with either the Apple Pencil or a keyboard. You can rearrange the cards singly with the Pencil or your finger, or you can group them together and have the app itself align them more neatly.

Theres a wonderful free version, but I gladly paid the $10 for the full version for the ability to sync saves to iCloud, draw on the board, change ink colors, insert photos and hyperlinks, and more. As a drawback, sometimes the app will crash when too many cards litter the screen (although the iCloud-syncing feature ensures that Ive never lost a project), Even so, its a fantastic way to outline articles, and I frankly wish it was on the Mac as well.
We publish an appeal from our comrades of Fightback, the Canadian section of the IMT. Fightback has gone from strength to strength over the past several years, and is now taking the important step of setting up a new office in Montreal! This will require the necessary funds: please donate to help build the forces of Marxism in Canada!

We first began our work in Quebec more than 10 years ago and launched our French-language journal La Riposte socialiste shortly afterwards in 2009. Since this time we have made impressive gains, with the past year being particularly remarkable. We hired our first francophone full-time organizer in Montreal in early 2017. We also had our most successful Marxist Winter School in Montreal this past February with more than 220 people participating, making it the biggest Marxist meeting in the country. There were people present from Canada, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Mexico, all gathered to discuss the revolutionary ideas of Karl Marx. In the rest of the country we obtained our very own printing press for our office in Toronto and had our most successful congress last year with over 110 participants. Over the past couple of years, Fightback has since ballooned in size, becoming the biggest, best-organized Marxist group in Canada.

It is not by accident that the Marxists of Fightback are growing. While Canada is not embroiled in an economic or political crisis, the world situation is having its effects on the consciousness of a growing number of workers and youth in the country. Most notably, youth are radicalizing more than ever and are looking for an alternative to the capitalist system.

Tapping into this radicalization, Socialist Fightback Students has spread to college and university campuses all over the country, and has become a pole of attraction for students seeking revolutionary ideas. We launched Socialist Fightback Students last year to create a Canada-wide banner to unite Marxist students from coast to coast. Tirelessly working to bring Marxist ideas to movements of workers and youth has allowed us to become the only Marxist organization with a significant presence in both English Canada and Quebec, bridging the national divide.

Socialist Fightback Students has spread to campuses all over the country, and has become a pole of attraction for students seeking revolutionary ideas / Image: Fightback

Our growth has placed us in a fantastic situation to spread Marxist ideas across the country. With this perspective in mind, the acquisition of an office in Montreal will be of great help to coordinate and professionalize our work fighting against capitalism in Quebec, where the class struggle has been running hot in the past few years.

The experience of our Toronto-based activists has allowed us to understand concretely the benefits of having an office. There are certainly important practical aspects, such as having a space to hold educational and organizational meetings and having a central place for the distribution of our newspaper and Marxist literature. But the benefits of an office go beyond just the practical aspects. This will be a genuine rallying point for Marxist activists and workers and youth looking for an alternative to the misery of capitalism.

That being said, fighting the system does not spare us from having to operate within the limits imposed on us by the system. This means that there are significant costs. In addition to the cost of rent, we must pay for hydro, Internet, and a phone line. In addition, to make our office operational, we will need desks, tables, chairs, bookshelves, filing cabinets, computer hardware, and other necessary equipment.

In the true spirit of collective proletarian fundraising, we are asking for our supporters to contribute to this cause! We ask you to please contribute to this financial appeal to make the renting of our Montreal office a sustainable reality. A monthly contribution of $5, $10, $50 or even $100 will go a long way in helping us to pay rent and bills. Every bit counts!

You can sign up with Paypal or credit card at our websites by clicking this link. Or you can to set up an automatic bank withdrawal you may also send a void cheque to our address (366 Danforth Ave., Suite 201, Toronto, ON M4K 1N8), or contact us at fightback@marxist.ca or (416-461-0304).

DONATE TO FIGHTBACK!

All donations are welcome! We will also accept donated office furniture, computer hardware or office supplies! Donate to help make this a reality!

Help us take another step forward in the struggle for socialism!
by Melynda Fuller , April 10, 2018

Over the weekend, Ricardo Baca, a former Denver Post writer and editor and founder and CEO of Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency, wrote an op-ed calling out Alden Global Capital, the New York-based hedge fund that has been slowly stripping the paper of its staff and talent, as part of an entire editorial section addressing the issue.

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Baca, a 25-year-veteran of the newspaper industry, talked to Publishing Insider about the state of journalism in the face of big money and the fight ahead.

Publishing Insider: What kind of response have you had to you op-ed?

Ricardo Baca: The response has been encouraging. Its been good to see that our own anger wasnt unwarranted  and that it was infectious, too. Until now, weve been mostly quietly furious about the way Alden Global Capital has been dismantling The Denver Post. With this latest action, we put out a newspaper embedded with our anger. While this kind of action is almost unprecedented in modern capital-J journalism, it just felt like the right thing to do.

PI: How does the consolidation and stripping of news outlets undermine a free press? Are there some surprising (and terrifying) ways this sort of action impacts news?

RB: As I just posted on Instagram last night, Nobody but corrupt politicians and crooked CEOs will benefit from a Denver without a daily newspaper. And to see that in action, simply look at the Pew Research Centers Who Covers the Statehouse? report.

While newspapers still account for the greatest percentage of journalists covering state legislators, the number of newspaper reporters covering statehouses declined by 35% from 2003-2014.

All politics are local, and its way too simple to get caught up with the mania coming out of D.C. right now without knowing whats happening in the state capitol building a few miles from your office. This is an extremely terrifying and dangerous trend. As Alden Global Capital continues this genocide on its newspaper group (Digital First Media), the only people benefiting are these politicians and businessmen and women who, like Alden, have something to hide.

PI: How are journalists working from the inside to fight these types of takeovers?

RB: These journalists are stepping out of their comfort zones and into the roles of activists. When we protested Alden Global Capital via a rally on the steps of the newsroom in 2016, it was so uncomfortable to be in that situation, but we didnt have a choice.

I remember standing with my colleague Jennifer Brown, an investigative reporter, as we were both interviewed by The Colorado Independent, and her quote nailed the conflicted struggle we were all experiencing: Its the first time Ive ever participated in anything that felt a little bit like a protest. It felt slightly uncomfortable to start, but it felt really good to be out here and be loud about what weve been going through.

"And its time we speak up and say this stuff, otherwise its just happening. I personally feel I have nothing to lose anymore; theyve already gutted the place. We might as well be out shouting about it.

And just think about it: If the 2016 cuts we were protesting were a bloodletting, these 2018 cuts hitting the newsroom now are a full-on massacre.

PI: Do you see a possible positive outcome to this story? What might journalism's future look like as more writers and editors take action?

RB: I do. When I started at The Post back in 2002, and even when I resigned from the newspaper in December 2016, the idea of a 60-person newsroom would have seemed absurd and even impossible. So I guess the questions are: How low can Alden go? How much money is there left to squeeze out? And when will this soulless hedge fund tire of this profitable, if heartless, work and move on to the next industry in distress?

Clearly theyre working from a different playbook than us. But Im confident that they will soon hit a tipping point and that The Denver Post will have an opportunity to reinvent itself. This goes for all Digital First Media newspapers, and plenty of other media institutions the entire country over.

While speaking out against your corporate owner seems to go against a journalists basic training, some of these reporters, editors, producers, anchors, designers and copy chiefs dont have a choice. And whether Im talking about Denver Post editorial page editor Chuck Plunkett, who spearheaded Sundays historic "Perspective" section, or the recently emboldened Sinclair Broadcast Group employees speaking out against their parent companys propagandist must-run segments, its a fight worth fighting.

I fear this is only the beginning.
by Larissa Faw , April 11, 2018

M&C Saatchi is acquiring ad agency Scarecrow Communications. The Mumbai-based shop's roster of brands on AOR include Viacom 18, Capital First, Emami, Future Generali, Zee Learn, Alcon Novartis, SebaMed (USV Pharma), Lactalis, Radio City, VTP, Mahindra, Business Standard, arthimpact, Anchor Panasonic and Reliance Capital.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"It was relatively easy to identify Mumbai as a key market, it was more challenging to find the right talent. In Scarecrow, we have found this and wish them all the best," says Moray McLennan, worldwide CEO, M&C Saatchi.

Under the ownership model for the M&C Saatchi Network, the 8-year old agency will retain its own identity and will operate with full creative freedom.
by Wayne Friedman , April 10, 2018

Frank Friedman -- who had been president of local investment at Publicis Media -- will join E.W. Scripps, the local TV station group company, in a new role as vice president of consumer engagement for local media.

Friedman has been a key instigator in pushing local TV stations groups toward more automation -- programmatic platforms in particular -- to help solve local TVs long-criticized systems around selling and buying local TV advertising.

He has said that rapid change is necessary for local TV to gain a larger share of brands advertising dollars while competing for digital dollars.

As CEO ZenithOptimedia Canada, Friedman saw the agency develop the first fully transparent automated trading desk in the country. Friedman spent 15 years in senior positions at Publicis and 30 years overall in advertising.

In his role at Scripps, Friedman will oversee Scripps local media brands. He will manage teams, including analytics, marketing and creative, and head up testing and implementation of the growing automated advertising systems.

E.W. Scripps owns 33 TV stations, as well as Newsy, a national news network; podcast company Midroll Media; and local digitally based TV networks networks Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff.
by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, April 11, 2018

It's hard to escape the Zuckerberg testimony this morning, so we might as well acknowledge it is the main news of the week. However, it is more than likely that the result will not just be focussed on Facebook having to step up the plate on privacy, but rather to accept far tighter regulation all around.

The same will likely apply to Google because Zuckerberg has opened up the floodgates to politicians and digital marketing insiders who, quite rightly, believe the duopoly have far too much control over digital marketing budgets as well as individuals' personal data.

The House of Lords' Communication Committee is already setting the tone, calling for the duopoly to be investigated. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had previously said there was little evidence of a case to answer, but the Lords has asked the Government to convince the organisation otherwise.

After hearing from a who's who of digital marketing -- including Sir Martin Sorrell and the Culture Secretary, Matt Hancock -- the Lords' committee agreed that Facebook and Google need to be investigated over claims that they are so huge they distort the market, leading to less advertiser choice, reduced income for competing publishers and a poorer user experience for consumers.

Whether the investigation will happen is yet to be seen. But it is most definitely evident that this is yet another call from British politicians for the power of Facebook and Google to be tackled.

I'm convinced this will be the main British, and possibly EU, outcome of the ongoing privacy row that saw Zuckerberg repeatedly apologise for failings to the Senate yesterday. As the Data Protection Act gives way to the GDPR on May 25th, I can't help but think any past failings will be addressed and Facebook will be allowed to carry on collecting our data, albeit without third-party partners involved.

Let's not forget that the maximum fine the ICO can impose, pre-GDPR, is half a million pounds. I'm not so sure it will levy a fine, but if it did, would Zuckerberg even notice?

No, the real impact is that this lends more weight to those calling for Facebook to step up as a publisher. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is one of many influential figures saying Facebook can't get away with not accepting that it's a publisher with an obligation to censure extremism and, in the light of a spate of stabbings in the capital, censor content that fuels gang feuds.

But it doesn't stop at Facebook, Google is in this too as the owner of YouTube, but also as the other half of the duopoly that already account for more than half the UK digital marketing industry and are on course, by various accounts, to take that proportion to two-thirds over the next couple of years.

The Prime Minister is a constant critic, and so too is the Culture Secretary. President Macron in France has said these huge platforms need to be regulated harder and dismantled.

This is before we even get started on the furore that surrounds every publication of how much Facebook and Google pay in UK tax. Or rather, how little. Hence, we now have a proposal to levy a special sales tax of 3% on the advertising they sell to divert revenue at source rather than allow it to be cleverly accounted for overseas in other tax jurisdictions.

So, I see privacy as a clarion call that will galvanise contempt of Facebook. But the main impact on the social platform, and also on Google, will be tighter regulation, higher taxation and possible the imposed responsibility of being a publisher and maybe even an attempt to force them to break up into smaller businesses.

Privacy, for me, is the Trojan horse that lets regulators in. In six weeks time, the company will be GDPR compliant, and so the impact will be beyond the privacy debacle that signalled it was OK to call open season on the tech giants.


by Melynda Fuller , April 11, 2018

In an effort to expand its global reach, Penske Media Corporation announced it will invest further in its branded-licensing efforts.

Counting among its stable of brands Womens Wear Daily, Variety and Robb Report, the company currently publishes 20 international editions. It plans to increase international growth and targeted, on-brand content through talent in existing offices in London, Paris and Hong Kong, among others.

Most recently, PMC launched brands in Sweden, Brazil and the UK.

PMC, through the investment, will continue to prioritize localized content. In all, PMCs brands now produce over 2,000 pieces of content per day. Its international editions account for 750 original articles per month.

The expansion comes following the appointment of Kevin LaBonge to vice president of global partnerships and licensing in 2017.

LaBonge stated: "We know our brands' collective heritage has great impact on audiences all over the world. However, we know straight translating is not enough and careful considerations must be made to connect audiences with content localized to its market."

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The company will also leverage its events business into international editions.

Robb Reports Car of the Year and celebrity-driven events from Variety and Fairchild Lives annual summits are some of the celebrated events. Most recently, PMC events businesses have expanded into various countries, including Germany, China, Japan and South Korea.

PMC most recently added titles across the SheKnows Media network  which brings with it a strong events brand. It also secured a controlling stake in legendary music magazine Rolling Stone. These are among five new media brands PMC has acquired since t2017, as the company continues to expand its roster.

In all, PMCs brands count 220 million unique visitors per month and 56 million social media followers.
by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, April 11, 2018

Despite his evident unease before all the cameras and members of Congress, Mark Zuckerbergs first day on Capitol Hill appears to have been a success.

He made a few concessions -- like accepting responsibility for the content on Facebook and reiterating his view that the platform is not above regulation -- but otherwise seemed to escape unscathed.

Along with weeks of preparation, Zuckerbergs win was clearly thanks to a rather toothless performance by members of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees.

Notwithstanding some stern words from Sen. John Thune (R-SD), lawmakers simply seemed too scattered and tech-illiterate to pin down Zuckerberg.

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As his prepared notes show, Zuckerberg was ready to defend his position as CEO of Facebook.

Instead, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) asked Zuckerberg to help her bring better internet connections to rural West Virginians.

Hinting at more serious measures, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) did ask Zuckerberg if he thought Facebook was a monopoly. Yet, after Zuckerberg said, It certainly doesnt feel like that to me, that was the end of that.

Rarely graceful, the young mogul certainly struggled from time to time. Pressed by Sen. Ben Sasse of (R-Neb), Zuckerberg struggled to define hate speech, while he seemed unprepared for Sen. Cory Bookers (D-NJ) questions regarding discriminatory housing ads on Facebook.

At the end of the day, however, it was clear that Congress had failed to hold Zuckerberg accountable for Facebooks sins.

Not out of the woods entirely, Zuckerberg still has to face the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, while lawmakers are calling for additional hearings devoted exclusively to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

If Tuesday was any indication, however, this Congress simply isnt equipped to take on Facebook.
by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, April 11, 2018

For me, there were two important takeaways from Mark Zuckerbergs testimony before Congress on Tuesday.

One was that it put not just Facebook under the microscope for its business model and practices in collecting peoples data in oder to target and influence them, but the entire industry.

The other is that it reminded us that once those models and methods become commercially available, it isnt just benign commercial interests that figure out how to leverage them.

Ill come back to the first point, but the second one was highlighted by Senator Maria Cantwells questioning, especially when she queried Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg about his familiarity with other potentially nefarious platforms and operators that were precursors to Cambridge Analytica.

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Cantwell: "Do you know who Palantir is?"

Zuckerberg: "I do."

Cantwell: "Some people have referred to them as a Stanford Analytica. Do you agree?"

Zuckerberg: "Senator, I have not heard that."

Cantwell: "Do you think Palantir taught -- as some press reports are saying -- Cambridge Analytica how to do these tactics?"

Zuckerberg: "Senator, I dont know."

Cantwell: "Do you think that Palentir has ever scraped data from Facebook?"

Zuckerberg: "Senator, Im not aware of that."

Cantwell, of course, was referring to Palo Alto-based Palantir Technologies, which was the innovator and poster child for scraping, modeling and segmenting consumer data in order to target and influence people based on data.

Im not suggesting that Zuckerberg perjured himself in his responses, but I give him props for artfully answering Cantwell, as well as most of the hardballs thrown at him by other Senators Tuesday -- because if there is anyone on the planet who understands that, its him.

But it was Zuckerbergs answer to Cantwells next query -- whether Zuckerberg had ever heard of Total Information Awareness, the U.S. governments own initiative to weaponize Big Data back in 2003 -- that really surprised me, and should remind us all about the connections, interactions and integrations between the technology and data applications developed to help marketers and those developed to help the military and intelligence communities.

There has always been a strong connection, but it wasnt until the revelations surrounding both Cambridge Analyticas theft of user data from 87 million Facebook users, its weaponization of it during the Trump campaign, and the big assist from Russias Internet Research Agency, that it has ever been made this explicit to the American public.

There undoubtedly are other players neither you nor I -- or maybe even Zuckerberg and the Facebook board -- have not heard of that are operating today, using finely honed methods and technology to up the influence game to the next level.

On Monday, former FBI agent and MSNBC news commentator Clint Watts quipped there is a new cottage industry that could be dubbed as having a Trolling as a Service model -- meaning they use sophisticated software, data mining and apply it in a way that trolls people into submission, or at the very least, influences the way they think, feel and behave politically.

This brings me back to my first point, so I just have to ask, what makes this so different from what our industry does in an explicitly commercial way? No, I mean this seriously -- just ask yourself if you replaced the name Cambridge Analytica with Merkle and substituted a consumer product or service brand with a political campaign, what is the fundamental difference in how we are applying technology and data to influence peoples thoughts, feelings and behaviors?

One big difference is that when we do them commercially, we call them best practices. When its exposed that political operatives -- or even worse, hostile foreign powers -- are doing the same thing, albeit clandestinely, its a breach, or an attack or an information war.

Its more than semantics, because there truly is a fine line separating the ethical use of weaponized data in consumer marketing versus political or military influence.

And I dont think its any coincidence that Madison Avenue adopted military terminology to describe what it does best. Think about it: targeting, marketing salvos, blockbusters, even the word campaign. Think about it.

We like to think that the value exchange between consumers, the media and brand marketers is a simple and explicit one. But it always has been built on a certain degree of subterfuge and conquest, and advances in technology and data-gathering and application make it even more so, mainly because its not explicit and easily understood.

That last part was the gist of the opening questioning to Zuckerberg by Senator Orrin Hatch, which remarkably focused on the fundamentals of marketings value exchange. You know, the unwritten agreement with the consumer that theres no free lunch, or free access to media, even if its a social media network. Or as it might seem in hindsight, especially if its a social media network.

Some have professed themselves shocked -- SHOCKED -- that companies like Facebook and Google share user data with advertisers, Hatch began, adding, Did any of these individuals stop to ask themselves why Facebook and Google dont charge for access? Nothing in life is free? Everything involves tradeoffs. If you want something without having to pay money for it, youre going to have to pay for it in some other way, it seems to me. And thats what were seeing here. And these great websites that dont charge for access, they extract value in some other way. And theres nothing wrong with that as long as they are up front in what they are doing. In my mind, the issue here is transparency. Its consumer choice. Do consumers understand what theyre agreeing to when they access a website or agree to the terms of service? Are websites upfront about how they extract value from users. Do they hide the ball? Do consumers have the information they need to make an informed choice regarding whether or not to visit a particular website? To my mind, these are questions we should ask or be focusing on.

And herein lies the inherent contradiction of our industry, and anyone who is trying to understand how it actually works. After pointing out that there is no free lunch, Hatch asked Zuckerberg if he would continue to honor his pledge to keep Facebook as a free service.

Hatch: If so, how do you sustain a business model in which users dont pay for your service?

Zuckerberg: Senator, we run ads.
Groundbreaking research shows, for the first time, how the most well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimers disease causes signs in human brain cells. Also, the scientists managed to correct the gene and erase its harmful effects. Share on Pinterest Scientists fix the faulty gene that most likely causes Alzheimers. The complex role of the apolipoprotein (APOE) gene in the development of Alzheimers has been studied extensively. For instance, researchers know that having one copy of the APOE4 gene variant raises the risk of Alzheimers by two to three times . And, having two copies of this genetic variant puts people at a 12-fold higher risk. Normally, APOEs role is to provide instructions for creating the protein of the same name. In combination with fats, APOE creates lipoproteins, which help to transport and regulate levels of cholesterol throughout our bloodstream. However, the E4 version of the gene seems to be particularly damaging to the brain, with several studies showing that this genetic variant increases the risk of toxic amyloid beta and tau buildup. But why is that? What makes the E4 variant of this gene so much more harmful than other variants? Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, CA, wanted to find out. Their findings have just been published in the journal Nature Medicine.

APOE4 studied in human cells for first time More specifically, the researchers wanted to locate and understand the fine yet crucial difference between the E3 and E4 variants that makes the APOE4 gene so devastating. Is it a case, the researchers wondered, of the E4 variant making APOE3 lose some of its functions? Or is it the case that more APOE4 has toxic effects? Lead investigator Dr. Yadong Huang  a professor of neurology and pathology at the University of California, San Francisco  explains the importance of this question. Its fundamentally important, he says, to address this question because it changes how you treat the problem. If the damage is caused due to the loss of a proteins function, you would want to increase protein levels to supplement those functions. But if the accumulation of a protein leads to a toxic function, you want to lower production of the protein to block its detrimental effect. To find out, the researchers modeled the disease in human cells, examining the effect of APOE4 on human brain cells for the first time. Dr. Huang explains why changing the disease model was, in itself, a huge step for Alzheimers research. Many drugs, he explains, work beautifully in a mouse model, but so far theyve all failed in clinical trials. One concern within the field has been how poorly these mouse models really mimic human disease.

Of mice and humans: Study finds differences Applying stem cell technology to skin cells from people with Alzheimers who had two copies of the APOE4 gene, Dr. Huang and his team created neurons. The researchers also created brain cells using skin cells from people who didnt have Alzheimers and had two copies of the APOE3 gene. The scientists found that in human brain cells, the APOE4 protein has a pathogenic conformation  meaning that it has an abnormal form that prevents it from functioning properly, leading to a series of disease-causing problems. Namely, APOE4-expressing neurons had higher levels of tau phosphorylation, the authors write, which was unrelated to their increased production of amyloid-[beta] peptides, and [] they displayed GABAergic neuron degeneration. Importantly, they also found that APOE4 increased [amyloid-beta] production in human, but not in mouse, neurons. Theres an important species difference in the effect of APOE4 on amyloid beta, explains first study author Chengzhong Wang. Increased amyloid beta production is not seen in mouse neurons and could potentially explain some of the discrepancies between mice and humans regarding drug efficacy. This will be very important information for future drug development. Chengzhong Wang
New research shows that rats can detect up to 70 percent more cases of tuberculosis in children than standard smear tests. The findings may help to treat a significant number of children who have previously been overlooked.

Share on Pinterest Doctors need better tools to detect TB in children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) say that tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

The vast majority of TB-related deaths  that is, over 95 percent of them  tend to occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Such countries include India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, and South Africa.

But in the United States, too, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain, too many people are affected by the disease, with 9,272 cases being diagnosed in 2016.

In that same year, the WHO estimate that 1 million children contracted TB worldwide, and a quarter of them died from the disease.

Detecting TB in children is particularly tricky because standard diagnosis tests require a fair amount of sputum to be tested, which is something that cannot be collected from very young children.
Metastasis is the spread of cancer to other parts of the body and the main reason why the disease is so serious. Now, brand new research reveals that blood flow is a key factor in this process. Share on Pinterest What role does blood play in the spread of cancer? In a paper that has now been published in the journal Developmental Cell, the scientists  who are from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France  describe their tests on zebrafish and humans. The experiments confirmed that blood flow influences the locations at which migrating cancer cells arrest inside blood vessels. They also detail how these cancer cells exit through the blood vessel walls and set up secondary tumor sites. A long-standing idea in the field, explains senior study author Dr. Jacky G. Goetz, head of the laboratory at the University of Strasbourg in France  where the study was conducted  is that arrest is triggered when circulating tumor cells end up in capillaries with a very small diameter simply because of size constraints. However, as Dr. Goetz explains, their findings show that physical constraint is not the only driver of metastasis, because blood flow has a strong impact on allowing the tumor cells to establish adhesion with the vessel wall.

Metastasis and its main steps Metastasis is the process through which tumor cells depart and migrate from their primary sites and travel through the lymph system or bloodstream to establish secondary, or metastatic, tumors in distant parts of the body. Metastasis is a leading cause of cancer death and of primary importance in the prognosis of cancer patients. It is a complex process and proceeds as a sequence of steps, each of which must be completed in order for the secondary tumor to flourish. The series of steps, known as the metastatic cascade, proceeds as follows: invading nearby healthy tissue crossing the walls of neighboring blood vessels and lymph nodes traveling through the bloodstream or lymph system to distant parts of the body arresting in remote, small blood vessels, or capillaries, invading their walls, and crossing over into the surrounding healthy tissue seeding a viable, tiny tumor in the healthy tissue generating a dedicated blood supply by growing new blood vessels to feed the new tumor The new study concerns the fourth step, in which circulating tumor cells arrest in a capillary and cross through their endothelium, or the barrier of cells that line the vessel walls, into the surrounding tissue.

Study explores mechanical cues in blood In their study paper, the authors explain that very little is known about how [circulating tumor cells] arrest and adhere to the endothelium of small capillaries and leave the bloodstream by crossing the vascular wall. An area that is particularly unclear, they add, is the role played by mechanical cues encountered in the blood during this step. For their study, the scientists developed an original experimental approach in which they tagged and followed circulating tumor cells as they traveled through blood vessels in zebrafish embryos. The model also allowed them to vary and measure blood flow in the vessels. The results showed that the locations in the blood vessels at which the circulating tumor cells stop traveling is closely linked to flow rates. The authors note that the threshold velocity value for efficient adhesion [] ranges from 400 to 600 [micrometers per second].

Endothelial cells curled around tumor cells The team also found that blood flow is essential for extravasation, the process through which the tumor cells exit the blood vessels. This was evident in timelapse imaging that showed endothelial cells curling around the arrested tumor cells in the zebrafish embryos blood vessels. Blood flow at this step is essential. Without flow, endothelial remodeling does not occur. You need a certain amount of flow to keep the endothelium active so that it can remodel around the tumor cell. Dr. Jacky G. Goetz The researchers came to the same results when they observed the progress of brain metastases in mice. For this experiment, they used an imaging technique called intravital correlative microscopy, which combines living cell models with electron microscopy so that the dynamics can be observed in a live animal.
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"We are very excited about the potential of exchanging best practices and faculty as well as conducting collaborative research with the Harvard Medical School. This high-profile collaboration between the two institutions will benefit medical education and research in India, and bring immense benefits in the areas of clinical care, basic science, public health, and multidisciplinary research," said Dr. Prem Nair, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, while signing the MOU.To this the visiting Harvard doctor Dr. Daniel S Talmor added: "I am amazed to see the wonderful work, both in Medicine and Medical Research, being done at Amrita Hospital. It is evident that the doctors here are very good and absolutely committed to Amma's vision of using medical science as a tool of social welfare."The whole of faculty, staff, and students from Amrita School of Medicine were addressed by physicians from Harvard as they shared key insights about problems such as Operating Room efficiency, the Medical Research framework and Post-Operative Monitoring.The interactions also yielded an opportunity to collaborate in research, advanced training, and joint CME programs. The very first project both the institutions will be focusing on is going to be sepsis.The Harvard team of doctors have proposed to start five-day certificate courses for PG students of Amrita School of Medicine in ICU Management, Quality Assurance, and Acute Medicine. They also have agreed to provide Harvard facilities to Amrita Hospital for simulation training in bronchoscopy, ultrasound, and pain management.Source: Medindia
A probe by the Goan Health Ministry was ordered after the state's first organ harvesting and transplantation. The sixty year old Goan donor's kidneys and liver were transported to Mumbai and donated to two recipients in two hospitals. The probe ordered by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Tuesday follows complaints by doctors who had claimed that ailing patients in need for organs within the state, where the organ donor died of brain haemorrhage, should have been first preference for organ transplantation.

Probe ordered by the Goa Health Ministry after kidneys and liver were transplanted from a Goan patient to recipients in Mumbai.

Panche, as a medical professional attached to the casualty department of the state-run health facility, was serving as the co-ordinator of the exercise which involved harvesting of the organs from the deceased patient on Friday.



The organs were then transported via a green corridor facilitated by the Goa Police to the Dabolim International Airport before being flown to Mumbai by a special flight.







Source: IANS

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"Dr. Mahesh Panche, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Casualty Emergency Medicine of this institution, is hereby directed not to leave the station and go anywhere outside the state or for any training programme within or outside the State. Dr. Mahesh shall make himself available for enquiry till its completion. This is for strict compliance," reads the enquiry note signed by the dean of the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Pradeek Naik.
The much-awaited trailer for 'Raazi' was finally out on Monday, leaving everyone both impressed and moved at the same time. Hats off to the talented duo of Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal for pulling off their characters with such apparent ease, so that now our curiosity and expectations to watch the film have crashed through the roof.

Written by Meghna Gulzar and Bhavani Iyer, 'Raazi' is inspired by a true story set in 1971, before the Indo-Pak war. One glimpse at the trailer and we were left hooked to the screen. The presence of Alia's character is so compelling that you automatically get invested in Sehmat's story.

 JungleeFilms

There are very few actors who can juggle successfully between both commercial and socially relevant issues in movies and Alia is one of those. She can be the fiery and rebellious Veera in Imtiaz Ali's 'Highway' and then transform into a chirpy, small-town girl in 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania'. Both roles that have now established her as a potential powerhouse actor in the industry.

With Meghna Gulzar's 'Raazi', Alia has proven that she can get into the skin of any character to give a stellar performance.

 JungleeFilms

Interestingly, this is the first time we will see Alia donning a real-life character on the reel. The intensity of her character, as seen in the trailer, has left many with questions. Today we give you all the details of Sehmat, the unsung Indian spy.

An Adaptation

 JungleeFilms

'Raazi' is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka's novel, 'Calling Sehmat'. Sikka's book is based on the true story of a female, Indian spy. He named her Sehmat in the book, as he wanted to protect her identity.

Who Was Sehmat?

 JungleeFilms

Sehmat was a Kashmiri woman who married a Pakistani officer, in order to extract intelligence details that were used during the Indo-Pak war. She dug out discrete and sensitive intelligence details that could work in the interest of India and passed it on to the Indian forces. Quite dangerous and intriguing isn't it?

Risking Literally Everything

 JungleeFilms

Sehmat became a spy who knew that eventually, she would have to risk everything, be it love, family, or her very life. Her only aim was to dig out as much information as she could and be able to help the Indian Army. Well, how many of us would ever be willing to do that?

How Sikka found Sehmat?

 BCCL

When Sikka was covering the Kargil War, he got to know a few facts about an Indian spy who risked everything to help the nation. Later, Sikka found Sehmat in the form of an Army officer's mother, whose story moved him.

A Wife And A Spy

 JungleeFilms

In his book, Sikka narrated the story of Sehmat, a Kashmiri Muslim woman, who was recruited by the Research And Analysis Wing (RAW) and was later married to a Pakistani officer with the pure motive to spy and pass on classified information. In the book, he said that Sehmat actually managed to pass various confidential information and tip-offs. Well, one crucial tip-off was how Pakistan was planning to sink the INS Viraat, but just because of Sehmat, the Indian officials could prevent it from happening.

A Daughter

 JungleeFilms

In an interview in 2011, Sikka said, I am yet to fathom how Sehmat's father, a rich businessman in Kashmir then, could push his daughter to do such a dangerous thing. It was the ultimate test of patriotism for the family."

 JungleeFilms

Sehmat's story is indeed an engrossing one that can move anyone. While you might have come across various selfless people in life, there is no one who can be as selfless as a spy who can risk everything in life and live in enemy territory.

We are more than eager to watch 'Raazi' now. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film will hit the screens near us on May 11th.

(This story was originally updated on 11th April,2018.)
How many shark movies have you really seen all your life? Let me guess? All of them? And why not, shark movies have the thrill of horror and gore put together, with a crazy, wild animal, who is ripping flesh apart like it's cheddar cheese! My point though is, if you put together all shark movie franchises there are in Hollywood, nothing, I repeat nothing, is ever going to beat the one that's going to hit the theatres near you, pretty soon!

 Warner Bros. Pictures

Jason Statham has been in every kind of action movie there is and the only thing he had to strike off his bucket list was to be chased around by a prehistoric shark, deep in the ocean! And guess what, he's completely checked that off from his list of things to do by starring in the newest shark adventure called 'The Meg'. Now, don't go by the name. The name may sound gentle and dainty AF but it's actually short for 'Megalodon', which was a prehistoric shark, and is duly extinct now! Phew, thank God for that! Megalodon actually means 'big teeth' and boy, did it have huge canines, which were razor sharp. The shark existed about 2.3 million years ago, during the early Miocene era. So anyway, coming back to The Meg, the movie also stars Rainn Wilson (The Office), Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Sophia Shuya Cai, Masi Oka and many more.

 Warner Bros. Pictures

The film is actually based on the bestselling novel- 'Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror', by Steve Alten and is directed by Jon Turtletaub, the same guy who directed the 'National Treasure' franchise, the one we all loved! But this movie is not just any other shark film. I mean, nothing can or should be compared to the likes of 'Jaws' (I didn't swim or take a shower for days after seeing the series!) but it has some terrific, logically sequential shots, that can make you, maybe, wet your seat! And of course, how do we forget the movie is actually based on a real life creature, who by the way was supposedly spotted, somewhere in the deep oceans in the 90s! *shudders*.

 Warner Bros. Pictures

The plot is a bit cliched though, but then how else do you create a creature right from the imagination of an aqua phobic writer, if you don't have it in an already familiar plot line! A deep-sea submersible is attacked by the 75-foot monster (Megalodon), disrupting the workings of the amphibious vehicle and trapping the crew at the bottom of the sea. Of course, there is only one man for the rescue job (Statham), who plays an expert sea-rescue diver-Jonas Taylor, saving the day from the monstrous creature, who's only role is to kill everyone in sight. Taylor though has his own history with this creature but he has to let his own fears of risking his life go, in order to save everyone from the floor of the ocean bed.

 Warner Bros. Pictures

But get this- Statham actually had to spend a considerable amount of time with 20-30 huge Bull Sharks, in Fiji, just to get comfortable filming a movie with a shark and of course to prepare for the role as well.

"On the early stages of the prep, we took a trip to Fiji, and we went diving with some bull sharks. They hand-feed them and it's a spectacular thing to see. These things are three meters in length, huge big things. There were 20 or 30 of these things, and they were hand-feeding (them) big tuna heads, and we got very, very close, and it was a spectacular moment. To swim in close proximity to a big, three-meter shark, is to be recommended to all and everyone." - Jason Statham (as told to another publication).

 Warner Bros. Pictures

'The Meg' is said to release in the first week of August in 2D and 3D, so be sure to catch this fantastic thriller. Who knows, maybe the movie is based on a true story, since these sharks were sighted again, a while back. But for now, we're glad they stay in the realms of extinction and aren't going to haunt us anytime soon...or are they?
Imposing self-portraits, vegan music videos, workouts and parodies, the YouTube account and personal website of disgruntled shooter Nasim Aghdam is bizarre, to say the least.

 nasimesabz

Nasim Aghdam opened fire at YouTube's headquarters in California, injuring three people before shooting herself dead. Reportedly, she was unhappy with YouTube's new policy that drastically reduced the monetary compensation from ad revenues. A website associated with Nasim Aghdam gives insight into the mind of the youtube shooter.

 nasimesabz

BE AWARE! Dictatorship exists in all countries but with different tactics! They only care for personal short-term profits & do anything to reach their goals even by fooling simple-minded people, hiding the truth, manipulating science & everything, putting public mental & physical health at risk, abusing non-human animals, polluting environment, destroying family values, promoting materialism & sexual degeneration in the name of freedom & turning people into programmed robots!, she wrote on the website nasimesabz.com.

"Make the lie big, Make it simple, Keep saying it, And eventually they will believe it," she wrote quoting Adolf Hitler. There is no free speech in real world & you will be suppressed for telling the truth that is not supported by the system. Videos of targeted users are filtered & merely relegated, so that people can hardly see their videos, she wrote further.

 nasimesabz

There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to, Nasim wrote in resignation.

And that's not all. Among other things, Nasim was an animal rights activist and had been quoted by the San Diego Union-Tribune about a protest by PETA against the use of pigs in the army. "For me, animal rights equal human rights," Aghdam told the Union-Tribune at the time. On her website too, Nasim had posted videos of Chinese fur farms and pet dogs being boiled alive.

 nasimesabz

Although YouTube's policy was uniformly rolled out for content creators around the world, Nasim was paranoid that she was being specifically targeted by because she was vegan. She even shared a video titled 'I'm being censored. Youtube's war against vegans'. Another poster on the website show a nail in her car wheel with this caption: My car attacked by anti-vegan criminals trying to harm/kill me because of animal rights awakening stickers on my car.

 nasimesabz

Amongst these jarring images of animal cruelty and music video parodies, Nasim posted photoshopped pictures of herself with lions, hens, and rabbits.

 nasimesabz

Although the true state of her mind can never be known, the website sure does show an incredibly frustrated soul struggling with paranoia and living in fear.
On January 10, 2018, an 8-year old girl went missing in Kathua near Jammu after she had taken the horses for grazing in the nearby forest at about 12:30 hrs. The girl's father Mohd Yousuf decided to search for her when she didn't return and finally lodged a complaint on January 12 at the Hiranagar station. The girl's body was recovered seven days later on 17th January. The little girl had been found raped and murdered.

After repeated attempts to hamper the police investigation with strongman tactics and tampering the evidence, the charge sheet filed reveals chilling details of the crime. The horrific development should have triggered an entire nation, but sadly it has been brushed aside by propaganda driven news outlets.

The charge sheet names retired revenue official Sanji Ram as the mastermind behind the horrific crime along with seven others (including his son Vishal Jangotra, his nephew and four police officers).

 Twitter

Deepak along with his friend Vikram went to Bitu Medical shop at Kottah Morh on January 7 evening and purchased one strip of Epitril 0.5 mg containing 10 tablets by showing the prescription of his uncle, who has a psychiatric problem and is under treatment. Although the medicine as per the prescription was not available with Bitu, he gave him Epitril 0.05 mg instead of the medicine written on the prescription,'' the charge sheet states. That evening Sanji Ram instructed his nephew to kidnap the girl who they knew came to the forests behind their house for grazing her horses.

On January 10th, the juvenile nephew got the opportunity to kidnap the girl. He told her that he had seen her horses and led her to the jungle. He also called the accused Mannu. Sensing some trouble, the victim tried to flee but the juvenile stopped her by catching hold of her neck and covered her mouth with one of his hands and pushed her and she fell on the ground, the charge sheet further states.

The victim fell unconscious and was raped by the juvenile (in the jungle). Thereafter, Mannu also attempted to rape her. They took her and kept her inside the Devasthan (inside the temple) under the table over two plastic mats and then covered her, it adds.

On the next day, parents of the girl reached the Devasthan and enquired from Ram about the whereabouts of her missing daughter who told them that she may have gone to some relative's house. Little did they know that their daughter was just steps away from them and in immediate need of medical help. As the parents kept on searching for their daughter in and around that area, Khajuria and the juvenile opened the Devasthan and again sedated the girl by pushing sedatives into her mouth and forced her to drink water subsequently.

On January 11th, the juvenile informed another accused Vishal Jangotra about the kidnapping of the girl telephonically and asked him to return from Meerut in case he wanted to satisfy his lust,'' the charge sheet says. At around 8.30 am, the juvenile again went to the Devasthan and administered 3 sedative tablets to the girl while she was unconscious with an empty stomach.

 Twitter

Khajuria, a police officer accused in the case, advised Ram and his nephew to keep serving the girl sedatives at regular intervals. During the investigation, it transpired that the accused Ram had already taken the accused police officials into confidence and settled the deal with them. The head constable also ensured that Ram bribed the police team with Rs.1.5 lakh.

On January 13th, the charge sheet says, accused Vishal Jangotra, the juvenile and accused Ram went to the Devasthan where Ram performed rituals. Later Jangotra raped the nomad girl. Thereafter, the juvenile also raped the girl.

After repeatedly raping the girl for days in the prayer hall, Ram decided that it was time to kill her and dump her (body) in the forest.

the accused Mannu, Vishal and juvenile took the victim from the Devasthan to a nearby culvert accused Khajuria told the juvenile to wait as he wanted to rape the girl before she is killed,'' the charge sheet says.

 Twitter

After committing the barbaric act of rape on the minor victim, the accused Khajuria kept her neck on his left thigh and started applying force with his hands on her neck in order to kill her Khajuria was unsuccessful in killing her, the juvenile killed her by pressing his knees against her back while strangulating the girl by applying force on both the ends of her chunni. Thereafter, the accused, in order to make sure that the victim is dead, hit her twice on the head with a stone.''

This description of the murder in the charge sheet goes on to show how much the little girl suffered before her murder. To even think that two ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Minister for Forest, Chowdhary Lal Singh and Minister for Industries Chander Prakash Ganga, are still defending the accused by playing the communal card is shameful, to say the least.